The Winter Web, Part 1
"We have confirmed that the Information Chief has not yet returned to her office. Do you happen to know anything of her whereabouts?"
"Ah, she has been located. It seems she is currently in the Security Chief's office. Were you aware of this, Milady?"
"Mmm..." A low groan slipped from my lips.
It meant Delis had gone to Pavel's room and hadn't returned all night.
It wasn't that I was particularly worried about Delis's safety. The last time I had wondered about her, it was only because she hadn't replied despite sending a message saying she would arrive soon. This time, there was no loss of contact.
"Pavel, I hear Delis is over there with you. Is that true?"
Despite the call connecting almost instantly, it took a moment for him to answer.
"To state only the facts... Yes, that is correct."
"Judging by your tone, it sounds like 'only the facts' won't quite cut it."
Even through the receiver, I could practically see and hear Pavel hesitating. If my guess was correct, this was indeed an issue where "only the facts" wouldn't suffice—something I absolutely needed to probe. I had no intention of letting it slide.
"There is more I must tell you. Ideally, we would come to you, Milady, but..."
It seemed he had made up his mind quickly, at least.
"So, due to certain circumstances, it's difficult for you two to move right now? Fine, I'll come to you."
I grumbled to myself after hanging up. Ordering me around like this. I am the head of this organization, after all. Well, it wasn't a big deal. Things had been rather quiet lately with the year-end holiday atmosphere, so it felt like I finally had something to keep me busy.
Arriving at the Security Chief's office, I didn't even bother to knock. I threw the door wide open and stepped inside.
The sight that greeted me was Pavel and Delis sitting side-by-side on the sofa, looking remarkably demure. Neither was wearing their usual sharp suits; instead, they were dressed in casual, everyday clothes. At least their hair wasn't a bird's nest and their clothes weren't completely disheveled, meaning they'd had enough time to shower and tidy themselves up after waking.
The rather amusing detail was that Delis was wearing clothes with sleeves and pant legs that were far too long for her. Pavel did tend to wear his clothes on the larger side. Seeing her in the classic "boyfriend's shirt" look made a chuckle bubble up naturally.
Even without hearing the details, the context of what had transpired was painfully obvious. Suppressing a smirk, I walked further into the office. I casually sat on the sofa opposite them and asked:
"So, what exactly happened?"
Pavel and Delis took turns explaining. Listening quietly to their conversation, I realized it was an issue I had half-expected, and it didn't stray far from my predictions. If there was one thing I hadn't anticipated, it was Delis's inner feelings—how her revenge, though executed on her behalf, had only provided a superficial resolution.
"So, to summarize, you two had a heart-to-heart last night? And as a result, Delis, you were able to convey your feelings to Pavel."
I asked, sipping a cup of chamomile tea. For some reason, this scene reminded me of the tea I drank the morning after I got heavily drunk—on just one glass, mind you.
Delis replied, her cheeks flushing slightly.
"Yes, that is correct."
As she spoke, she slid a fraction closer to Pavel on the sofa.
"And so, you simply like Pavel for who he is?"
"Embarrassing as it is... yes, that is also correct."
Pfft, if you're so embarrassed, you shouldn't be clinging to him like that...
Pavel, the other party in this affair, kept stealing glances at me to gauge my reaction. Yet, he couldn't exactly push Delis away when she leaned in, leaving him completely paralyzed. It was already clear who would be wearing the pants in this relationship.
I covered my mouth and giggled. I was laughing a lot today.
"Well, there's no need to be embarrassed. Actually, I already had a rough idea."
This time, it was Pavel who looked surprised. His eyebrows twitched as he asked:
"You knew as well, Milady...?"
"Ahaha, at least the fact that there was some mutual affection? Of course, I had no idea Delis was projecting someone else onto you."
When did it start? Was it right before our trip to East Asia, when they were acting all lovey-dovey and Pavel was fastening that necklace he bought in Paris around Delis's neck? Or maybe even before that. An atmosphere like theirs doesn't just materialize overnight.
Still, it bothered me slightly that Delis's revenge, which I thought had been fully executed, was actually incomplete. I had crushed the culprit's heart with telekinesis, and our vengeance against the Soviet commies—the root cause of it all—was progressing smoothly and systematically. If Delis hadn't laid bare her true feelings, I would have never known.
I asked out of maternal concern:
"Delis, are you really fine with this? As you know better than anyone, Pavel cannot fully replace the person you miss, nor should he."
If Delis still viewed Pavel as a mere substitute, their relationship would become extremely precarious. No matter how much familiar nostalgia Delis felt from Pavel, the void left by the deceased would remain forever empty unless that person literally came back to life. How could that ever be called a healthy relationship? In the end, it would only lead to ruin. Thus, I couldn't help but worry. Not just because of their personal connection, but even more so from my position as the leader of this organization.
Delis sipped the same chamomile tea I was drinking. From what I heard, the two of them had polished off an entire bottle of wine last night.
"I think so too. That is why... the past must remain in the past."
At least she understood.
"That's a relief. If you hadn't established that premise, I might have looked upon your relationship a bit unfavorably."
I tried not to actively interfere in whatever emotional exchanges occurred between my subordinates. As long as it didn't interfere with internal investigations or operations, that is. This wasn't limited to romantic relationships. For instance, conflicts could arise over the scope of work. If I intervened in every single one of those situations, resolving them would be easy. But what could they possibly gain from a conflict resolved by a single order from above? Bumping heads, taking a step back, and compromising are all part of the job.
The relationship of the man and woman before me was no different. Was there a possibility that I could have taken measures the moment I noticed the strange tension between them? It wasn't out of the question. But what would be the point of such interference? I didn't want to intervene in that manner with the two subordinates I valued most. This was an issue they had to discuss and resolve between themselves.
Delis's expression stiffened slightly. She seemed to have caught onto the word "unfavorably" that I had casually dropped.
"Does that mean...?"
"Yes, exactly what you're thinking. I might have had to separate you and Pavel, even by force."
"But that..."
"Don't worry. It was just a hypothetical, wasn't it? Since you said you now view Pavel solely as Pavel."
"...Yes. That is correct."
With Delis sorted out, next. I shifted my gaze slightly to the side, addressing my male subordinate who was smiling awkwardly.
"Pavel, did you also know about Delis's feelings?"
"It was similar to what you thought, Milady. I wasn't unaware of her feelings... but it is also true that I was hesitant deep down."
Well, even I, a third party, had noticed, so there was no way the man himself wouldn't know.
"So, how about now? Are you willing to accept Delis's feelings?"
I was sure they had already confirmed it with each other, but I needed to verify it for myself.
Listening quietly to the question I threw at Pavel, Delis looked visibly tense. She kept fidgeting with her hands on her lap, occasionally starting to reach for Pavel's thigh, only to hesitate and pull back because I was sitting right in front of them.
After a dozen seconds of silence, his answer came.
"Yes. Just as much as Bloomfeld cherishes me, I cherish her as well."
He still called her by her last name. That was rather amusing.
"Pfft. Nice attitude. Personally, I'm curious. What made you fall for Delis? Was it her face? She is quite pretty, isn't she?"
"Bloomfeld is certainly beautiful... but more than that, I would say it was her determination to overcome her past. It made me want to help her in any way I could."
Honest. I liked that. The corners of my mouth curled upward.
"I see. Good, I'll support you. I hope you cultivate this relationship well."
"Lady Yerina...!"
The moment the words left my mouth, Delis's face lit up. Pavel, though more subdued, didn't look much different.
Before moving on to the next topic, I added one more piece of advice out of caution.
"Oh, and just in case, don't cross the line too much. Our ultimate revenge isn't over yet, and I can't afford to grant maternity leave to my most competent subordinate."
"...Pardon?"
"...Pardon?"
Their voices overlapped so perfectly that it was impossible to tell who had spoken louder.
"It might sound cold, as if I only view you as labor, but that is the reality of the situation."
They were highly competent subordinates with absolutely no replacements. If an unexpected event occurred, I would have to grant Delis at least three to six months of leave. Moreover, we hadn't even fully brought the Ministry of Magic to its knees yet. If the Ministry found out who Delis's partner was, they would pull all sorts of creative, troublesome stunts. To prevent such a disaster beforehand, contraception had to be foolproof. For some reason, advising them like this made me feel like a parent at a formal family meeting.
I sipped my tea once more and shifted the mood.
"Ahem. Now, I'd like to speak not as the individual Yerina Bronska, but as the leader of this organization."
The union of the individuals Pavel Nikolayevich Tsoy and Delis Bloomfeld was perfectly acceptable. If they liked each other, it made no sense for an outsider to interfere. However, the union of the Security Chief and the Information Chief of the criminal organization known as the Northern Covenant Syndicate required some reconsideration. It had the potential to shake the very organizational structure I had worked so hard to establish.
Without waiting for their response, I continued.
"When your relationship was merely close cooperation between the Security Chief and the Information Chief, it didn't matter much. But now that it has evolved into a deep emotional bond, the story changes, doesn't it?"
Simply put, it could cause a rift in the Pentarchy.
"You do not need to worry about that—"
"No, that is an empty promise. Besides, you can't keep it a secret forever. If you two keep meeting in the dead of night, some of your subordinates are bound to notice sooner or later."
Delis bit her lower lip slightly.
"That... is true..."
This was entirely separate from my trust in Pavel and Delis. The ones I had to 'convince' were the rest of the organization's members—especially the other executives. The Information Chief, who held all internal investigations and external intelligence in her hands. And the Security Chief, who was always by my side, responsible for my close protection. How great of a threat would the union of these two pose to the other pillars of the Pentarchy and the remaining executives? Until now, I had used my authority to suppress any discontent, but it would be difficult to overlook this any longer. Yet, I couldn't just demand they break up. Why separate two people who loved each other? That wouldn't be a fundamental solution anyway.
One way or another, there was only one solution. I raised both hands and shook my head.
"We'll just have to prove it with results again, won't we? I'll speak to the other executives myself."
Oleg Lazarev, the Head of Finance, knew he had no reason to fear being ousted as long as he was raking in cash from the US and UK stock markets. The new mission to siphon wealth from the economic hubs of the two East Asian nations was also his responsibility. The HR Department had no bad blood with Delis either; in fact, they relied heavily on the Information Chief's background checks when recruiting new members. As for the Technology Department, they had no interest in internal power struggles to begin with. The tech geeks were already overwhelmed just trying to keep up with their assigned work. I could already picture how I would explain this to the rest of them.
Thus, the year-end and New Year holidays were a winter web, tangled with busy incidents occurring here and there.