Chapter 177
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 177
Chapter Title: The Italian Shadow
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Since returning to Korea, my nerves had been on edge more than ever.
“One royal milk tea, please~.”
I placed my order, but all my focus was on the suspicious presence lurking nearby.
The scent of his own kind.
Of course, that didn’t mean he’d trained in martial arts.
Even among ordinary folk, some had exceptionally sharp senses—either innate or honed over time. This guy was one of those.
I could tell.
He was scanning the surroundings with his senses wide open, just like me.
But that didn’t mean he’d notice me.
Just as I thought.
Pretending to check my reflection for a selfie, I lifted my phone to get a look at his face.
A Westerner.
A middle-aged white man with sharp features.
He wouldn’t attack in a crowded place like this, right?
Just in case he posed a threat, I gripped a few silver needles in my hand, ready to respond.
“One espresso, please.”
“Sorry, sir. We don’t serve espresso here. Our coffee menu’s just Americano and café latte.”
“My apologies. I’m not great with reading the writing. Vanilla ice cream, then, please.”
The man approached the counter and placed his order.
His Korean wasn’t perfectly fluent, but it was more than enough for communication.
Ordering espresso... definitely Italian.
While pretending to wait for my milk tea, I casually turned my body.
The man’s eyes were fixed on Roberto.
Tailing him for sure.
But coming this close and letting his presence slip? He wasn’t a pro at shadowing or assassination.
...Or was he? Maybe this was specialist level for me, a mere civilian.
I had no way of knowing the average skill of such people.
The only tail I’d encountered in the modern world was that pathetic stalker glued to Chu Mi-young.
Hmm...
I waited like that for a full five minutes.
But the man just stood there, occasionally glancing at Roberto.
“Milk tea for order 86, vanilla ice cream for 87—ready!”
The barista called us soon after.
Is he planning to do nothing today?
As I moved next to him to grab my drink, I pondered for a moment.
If I could stick around and guard Hwang Seoyeong 24/7 for a while, I’d have waited too.
Waited for him to make the first move.
But I had business to finish in Seoul today, and I needed to head back to Busan by dawn tomorrow at the latest.
So, in that case...
No choice but that method.
Mario Moretti.
He was the consigliere—chief advisor—of the Cervini family, one of Italy’s top three mafia syndicates from the heartland of organized crime.
A man who’d spent decades navigating the worlds of light and shadow as the boss’s right-hand man.
On one side, a flawless lawyer handling the organization’s legal affairs.
On the other, a cold strategist who’d clashed in bloody battles with enemies inside and out.
Tch. To think I’d be doing grunt work meant for the youngsters at my age.
He’d sworn a blood oath to the boss and was one of the few the boss trusted implicitly.
His hand-to-hand combat and marksmanship rivaled any active mafioso.
As a licensed lawyer, he had a clean criminal record—no restrictions on international travel.
And as an eight-language speaker with solid intermediate Korean, no one was more perfect for the job.
Such a pain.
Thus, Mario had come to Korea at the boss’s earnest request.
His mission: background checks and safety verification on Roberto and the woman he was meeting.
The boss worried that hostile organizations might be involved in Roberto’s departure from Italy, or that the woman could be dangerous.
For someone of Mario’s caliber, locating Roberto and Hwang Seoyeong was child’s play.
Tailing at a discreet distance and observing the surroundings? Equally simple.
Investigation results.
Nothing for the boss to worry about.
Hwang Seoyeong’s identity was rock-solid, and she was even the daughter of a quite prominent family in this country.
He’d reported back to the boss and was set to wrap up and return home soon.
Leaving a couple of soldiers for backup would suffice.
Damn Americans.
Mario mentally counted down to his departure as he received his vanilla ice cream.
He didn’t love sweets, but it beat watering down espresso into some freakish drink.
Sprinkle on the balsamic vinegar he always carried, and even vanilla ice cream would be tolerable...
Whoosh!
Right then.
Liquid splashed across Mario’s clothes.
“...?!”
Milk tea.
The woman in front of him had dropped her cup.
“I’m so sorry! Let me wipe that for you!”
Mario was utterly startled.
When had she gotten there? He hadn’t sensed her presence at all.
“Ah, it’s fine.”
“Oh no, what do I do? It looks like expensive clothes... Hold on, let’s go to the bathroom and try to clean the stain. It might not work... If not, I’ll cover the laundry—no, the whole cost of the clothes. I’m really sorry!”
The woman unleashed a torrent of words.
Mario couldn’t catch it all.
He didn’t even try to understand.
The situation itself defied comprehension.
A random bump?
“No worries at all. Don’t sweat it.”
“No, I insist. I’ll clean it up quick.”
She grabbed his hand and pulled.
In that instant, Mario was certain the spill hadn’t been an accident.
“...?!”
His judgment came too late.
He needed to break free.
She wasn’t a normal woman—
“Wait—!”
“Come on.”
The woman turned back with a chilling expression.
In that moment, he realized.
One of my kind.
Not just someone dipping toes in the underworld.
She was the same breed as the boss.
The magnetic force in her eyes that drew people in, made them submit, dominated them.
Mario, who’d spent a lifetime at the boss’s side, felt fear for the first time.
Everything happened too fast.
The shop was packed, yet no one noticed as she dragged him to the bathroom.
Thud!
The door shut.
Click.
And locked.
“Who sent you?”
The woman smiled brightly.
Only then could Mario properly see her face.
Han Yeowon.
The doctor who’d treated Roberto alongside Hwang Seoyeong.
Why her?
Whoosh!
Her movement was faster than expected.
Unexpected situation or not, he couldn’t just freeze in fear.
He’d survived multiple shootouts. Against one person?
But Mario’s leg sliced only empty air.
She’d circled behind him invisibly fast and seized him.
Impossible!
Suddenly, a sharp blade glinted at his nape.
Thud!
Mario’s body, limbs pinned, collapsed limply.
“No, it’s not a weapon—it’s a treatment tool. Acupuncture needles! Acupuncture! Treatment tool! Like a scalpel!”
Huh, threatening with a scalpel would be just as weird?
I paused mid-explanation.
“...I see.”
Seizing the moment, the man brushed off his clothes and stood.
His guard was down a notch, but subtle fear lingered in his eyes.
What was with that? Did I shove a knife at him? What did I even do?
He clearly wasn’t some average joe.
“Sorry about that. I overreacted because I was worried my friend might be in danger.”
I grumbled inwardly but took the high road with an apology first.
Tsk, if it were Master...
No. Master would’ve just stabbed the second he tried that kick.
Not to kill, of course.
Just a light prick to the pressure point with silver needles.
- Ngh!
I’d merely dodged the roundhouse, flipped him, pinned him face-down, and restrained his arms and legs.
Then a quick pat-down.
No gun, naturally.
No knife either.
Did I overdo it?
For a split second, I wondered if I’d hassled an innocent guy.
- Han Yeowon?
He said my name clearly.
- You know me?
- From the photo, with Hwang Seoyeong...
- Spill it straight. Who sent you? Or else...
We traded a few veiled words, probing intentions.
I grilled him roughly, suspecting he was from an enemy group targeting Roberto.
He held back info, wary I might threaten Roberto.
If he’d just said where he was from upfront, we could’ve cleared this up faster. What a hassle.
The process was rough, but we pieced together each other’s identities.
“Not at all. Having a friend nearby who can wield killing intent with treatment tools actually puts my mind at ease.”
“Killing intent? I’m just a regular Korean medicine doctor.”
Mario’s face twisted oddly.
What was he thinking?
It reminded me of the Martial Alliance goons’ stares when I was mistaken for a Demonic Cultist long ago.
Some rude assumption, probably.
“...Yes. And I’m just a regular Italian lawyer.”
But instead of prying, Mario soon smiled calmly.
Yours is nonsense, but mine’s true! If your young master hadn’t bled out in front of me, I wouldn’t be involved!
“Yeah, yeah, let’s go with that. Should we keep today’s little encounter under wraps?”
“I’d appreciate that.”
“You planning to keep tailing? Can you handle it if your boss’s enemies threaten my friend?”
Not that it’d work on me, but better than nothing?
“I have to head back. But I’ll station guards at a distance, just in case.”
“So there’s still a chance of attack?”
“Approaching zero. The boss is just paranoid after Roberto’s last injury.”
I nodded.
No other suspicious presences besides Mario, as far as I could sense.
With guards added, no need to worry.
Better if Seoyeong doesn’t know.
From what he said, even her father wouldn’t meddle in his son’s life.
Anyone else—Hwang Seoyeong or Roberto—probably wouldn’t notice a tail anyway. Only I did because it’s me.
I decided to keep quiet.
“If you spot any dangerous types on Dr. Han’s end, tip us off here.”
Mario handed me his business card.
“And of course, I’d welcome any chance to repay that past favor.”
The number matched the black card from before.
“Got it.”
Direct line to the underboss or something?
I really didn’t want to get tangled up.
How’d it end up like this?
“Ughhh...”
In the short time I’d stepped away for business, Roberto’s face had grown even paler.
“Don’t tell me you ate that ice cream?”
“All gone! Why’d you take so long?”
This guy, a fellow doctor!
His boyfriend’s gut was clearly acting up—why encourage ice cream?
“Ah, I accidentally spilled some milk tea on a stranger. Tried cleaning it in the bathroom, but it wouldn’t come out, so I offered to pay for it.”
“You?”
“Yeah?”
“Nah. Just hard to picture you spilling anything... But yeah, could happen.”
What did he take me for?
“Hey, think the bathroom would help?”
Mario was gone, so the bathroom was free.
I pointed, but Roberto shook his head.
“No, it’s different. My stomach just hurts.”
Hm, food poisoning, probably.
“No time to waste—let’s calm it with some needles. Scared of them?”
I asked Hwang Seoyeong.
“Not really... but you can settle it right away?”
She tilted her head.
“Sure.”
A few needles should quiet the bubbling, right?
I pulled some from my sleeve.
Not the silver ones I’d used to threaten Mario earlier—just regular acupuncture needles.
“Just a few on your arm.”
