Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: If Unnie is Behind It?
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I couldn't answer Lily's question. It wasn't like I'd committed some grave sin; I'd merely carved out an environment that worked in my favor.
And yet, I couldn't shake the genuine guilt welling up from deep inside me.
Looking at Lily brought back memories of my old self. There was still one hero by her side—the fearless one who'd bulldozed through every obstacle.
But on this side of the reinforced glass, I was all alone. To keep myself from crumbling bit by bit, I needed something—someone—to lean on and trust.
"...No. It's nothing. Let's, uh, talk about something else. How's it going out there?"
"..."
It was just Scardi.
In the unforgiving social hierarchy of the prison, she was the power that protected me and had my back...
"You don't have to change the subject. I'm not offended or anything. If anything, I'm relieved. It's comforting knowing someone's looking out for you, Oppa."
Lily wiped that strange expression from her face and flashed her bright smile again. She was still so beautiful and adorable that just seeing it made all my troubles feel insignificant.
"What I'm actually worried about is something else. The deeper I dig into this case, the weirder it gets. I've got a tail on me."
"A tail? No way...! Be careful. You can't get hurt!"
"I'm fine, Oppa. I can handle myself, you know? The problem isn't the tail—it's who put it there."
That adorable girl glanced around for a moment before leaning in and whispering,
"...This is just my guess, but I think Unnie's people are tailing me."
"What?"
Those few words shook me to my core once more. Something was seriously off.
"Justice, on me?"
"...I want to believe it's not her. But whether she's suspicious of me or just keeping me in check, it feels like she's got some of her agents following me."
I swallowed hard, my parched throat burning. Putting together what Lily was saying, the puzzle pieces started falling into place.
"If—just maybe—if Unnie really is behind this... I might be in danger too."
"No way. J-Justice wouldn't do that. Right?"
"...That's what I'm trying to believe for now. But there are so many suspicious things. Like how she sent you to prison so easily."
Maybe I hadn't been seeing the situation clearly all this time because of my personal feelings?
"I've been thinking nonstop about who's benefiting the most from this incident. I figured the one raking in the gains had to be the culprit..."
With every word Lily added, my vision blurred and shook.
I wasn't sure of anything anymore. Everything I'd believed in was flipping upside down.
"...Isn't Unnie the one who stands to gain the most?"
Considering Justice's personality, she wouldn't stoop to something so dirty.
Or would she? Maybe I'd misunderstood her from the start.
I mean, I'd believed she'd fight tooth and nail to prove my innocence right up to the end, but look at the mess I'd ended up in. Clearly, I didn't know Justice as well as I thought.
"The Association's already completely under her control. Isn't that exactly what she's always wanted? She's an amazing hero, sure, but Unnie's always had her eyes on even higher places."
Still, one thing Lily and I could say for sure about Justice was this:
She was the kind of exceptional woman who never backed down or gave up when it came to her goals and dreams.
At the same time,
in a similar but far more open visiting room.
A woman in a black suit sat waiting for someone. The suit screamed high-end quality.
Soon, the woman who arrived was Scardi—the central figure of Annex C Wing. Leader of the underworld organization known as Black Rose, currently serving time inside the prison.
"Everything alright?"
"Yeah. What about the materials I asked for?"
The two sat across from each other at the large table and began their conversation. Even though an outsider was meeting directly with an inmate, no guards were standing by.
"Have some first while you look."
This allowed for a relatively relaxed atmosphere. The woman in the black suit unpacked a bundle she'd brought herself onto the table, revealing an ornate wooden box inside.
Opening it exposed rows of premium sushi. Scardi, clearly no stranger to this, picked up the wooden chopsticks and savored each piece deliberately.
The first was bluefin tuna lightly seared on the skin—clean and refined, without overwhelming intensity.
"There were signs of evidence tampering from inside the Association early on. But once they caught wind of our involvement, they've gone passive."
"Anyone else dealt with besides the ammo depot officer?"
"No. The Association handled the rest. They're working on the trial now."
Next, she popped in a piece of striped jack mackerel glazed with soy-based sauce and grilled.
Not bad. The flesh had a nice chew and umami kick. A fish that spoiled quickly, yet it arrived pristine. They'd put in real effort.
"The trial's straightforward—no need to explain. Just focus on getting life imprisonment."
"Understood."
"Public opinion's under control?"
She slid a few documents over to Scardi's left side. Scardi set down her chopsticks, taking them in both hands and scrutinizing them closely.
"Just as expected."
"Some folks question if the case is moving too fast or feels contrived, but we shut down any Crow sympathizers immediately. The overwhelming public sentiment is condemnation and mockery—no need to worry."
Scardi skimmed through the smoothly progressing reports before picking up her chopsticks again to enjoy her meal. There wasn't much for her to micromanage.
"Still no leads on the ringleader?"
"Not yet. If anything, Justice might be the one trying to bury Crow."
"Could be. But my gut says Lily—that girl—is more suspicious."
Just one thing.
If there was something nagging at her...
"What about the tails we put on her? Any intel?"
"On the contrary, it looks like Lily's investigating the case late in the game on Justice's orders. Justice's people are tied to most of it, while Lily just visits Crow occasionally and trails behind our moves after the fact."
It was hard to easily deduce what was going on inside the Association.
"That doesn't add up."
But Scardi refused to drop her suspicions about one person.
If the Association ranked heroes by threat level, that little girl would top the list over Justice or Crow.
"Keep the tails on her. She might've already sniffed us out."
"Got our best on it. If she'd spotted them, her team would've reported failure by now."
"Hmm... Maybe. Or she could be playing us."
More than anything,
that girl's eyes held an unfathomable abyss.
Even if she played the quiet, demure type living peacefully, those kinds always ended up sparking massive incidents.
"Just relay whatever you find. Nothing from our Association plant?"
"The agent's intel matches ours. Justice is trying to downplay and bury the case, while Lily opposes it but still hunts for proof of Crow's innocence."
"She could be destroying evidence herself while running around."
Even as she said it, Scardi felt a twinge of forced reasoning.
Would Lily really go to all this trouble just to bury Crow? Orchestrate this whole mess for one guy?
"...Never mind. Take a break and eat something."
"I'm good. I don't want to touch the stuff I brought specially for you, Boss."
Scardi neatly placed another piece of sushi in her mouth and chewed thoughtfully. She needed to revisit her take on Lily and Crow's relationship—make sure she hadn't missed anything.
"Thanks for the hard work. Even better than last time."
Humans were fragile, prone to breaking easily,
but sometimes they pulled off the utterly unpredictable.
Logically, such things should never happen. Yet the world brimmed with countless variables.
"Mm. Should I bring Crow next time?"
"Give me a heads-up, and I'll pack for two."
Scardi knew that better than anyone. After all, she herself was at the epicenter of something just as bizarre.
Forcing "implausible" didn't feel right anymore.
"He'd love it, right? Guys don't like this stuff, do they?"
"He will."
Scardi's cheeks flushed pink.
She showed a girlish side she'd never revealed before, full of fresh innocence.
"But does fish breath come through up close? You carry mouthwash or something? Wait, no, you can't. Sorry."
"Always do."
"...Impressive. Good. Borrow some later."
Watching her boss enjoy herself, the suited woman across the table smiled warmly.
It was unmistakably love.
The first small, precious emotion from a boss who'd lived in a world of blood and violence.
"Once the life sentence comes down, it'll ease my mind. Bring good news next time too."
"Of course, Boss."