The Scent of Deception
Suyeon stood in Lucia's office, her voice calm but laced with quiet tension as she addressed her superior directly.
"Lucia, was it you who sent that?"
"Yes..."
"Why?"
"I don't know the details... Lucia-nim ordered me to find out who the woman is whose scent clings to Yoon Seowoo's assistant... So, to gather as much information as possible, I infiltrated the dorm."
The red eye in Suyeon's gaze sank into deep contemplation.
The command was far too abstract.
She had realized she was a spy, yet the stronger feeling was that she had been caught while searching the room rather than noticing the intruder herself.
Is it simply that the presence of a woman beside Seowoo feels unpleasant?
"For now, you carried out the mission as ordered today. Go and report that everything was fine. And after that, erase every memory of me."
"Yes... Understood..."
The brainwashed intruder left the dorm to deliver the report.
"Huu..."
Thank goodness.
If she had failed to discover the intruder vampire, it would have been a disaster.
What she needed to do now was destroy evidence in case.
Before that, she had to send a simple keyword through the communication artifact to the Nest.
From today onward, the plan with the Nest was arbitrarily postponed.
Right now was the time to preserve her own body.
Five years ago in the human realm.
A harsh mountain village.
Cold wind howled through the night.
Dozens of people stood in formation before a sturdy man.
"Captain, are we going today?"
The boy at the front raised his hand.
"Yes. For the prosperity and harmony of humans and vampires, your sacrifice is necessary."
The thick, firm voice rumbled low.
"Our ancestors' lost homeland must be reclaimed."
Resolve filled the disciples' eyes.
"Raven One."
"Yes."
"From today, you are British. Your task is to befriend the five families."
"I will accomplish it!"
Each role and mission poured from his mouth.
Everyone present was ready to die.
"Raven Eighteen."
"Yes, Captain. Listening."
"From today, you are Korean. Record every detail, including the experiments and achievements of the Ambrosia Research Institute."
"Understood."
Thus began the life named Jung Suyeon.
The Nest.
Also called the Nest.
Nectar had originally been ruled by seven families.
After power struggles, two families exiled to the human world had joined forces with humans to create the Nest.
As time passed, half-bloods gradually increased.
The two lords saw the possibility.
The possibility of reclaiming their homeland.
Thus was formed the academy and its disciples.
The ones called Ravens who infiltrated Nectar.
"... Our second squad Ravens. Let's all live to see it!"
"You don't know? Second squad means cute Raven Fifteen! Worry about yourself~."
"Yes."
"Of course."
"Sigh, don't worry. I'll achieve the goal first and head to the Nest."
From Ten to Nineteen.
Suyeon's words as second squad leader hardened the resolve of the members.
They had endured grueling training under a strict captain, so nothing terrified them.
It could be called bravado, but the training they had done with their lives on the line was close to confidence.
Yes, until three days before the operation, when one squad member died.
Suyeon's hand trembled as she received the news through the communication artifact in the dorm.
It's okay.
Many friends remain.
It can happen once.
As squad leader, she had to shoulder the mental burden of the members.
But secretly, Twelve—who had been in a romantic relationship with Ten—committed suicide the next day.
With the single word "Sorry."
"..."
Seven remained.
She could not afford to shake.
So she did not cry.
A month later.
Fifteen, who had been boasting, died.
Exposed as a half-blood, he had been used as a plaything by a madam and died after his mind shattered.
And a month later.
She learned that Nineteen and Thirteen had become delicacies on the table.
"..."
After roughly six months, more than half had died.
It was despairing.
Somewhere along the way, instead of mourning the dead, her own confidence had vanished.
Was this truly something she could accomplish?
Was this really the right thing?
After her position stabilized somewhat, Suyeon began drinking more frequently.
She could not sleep unless she was drunk.
The screams and resentment of her comrades shook her.
In this place where the shell of the mind was peeled away layer by layer...
...Nectar was a living hell.
After a year had passed.
[Remaining members. Contact required.]
No one answered that single line of communication.
One day.
One week.
Even after waiting a month, no reply came.
Bang!
A small fist slammed onto the desk, sinking it.
"Why...! Everyone...!"
Approximately a year and a half after Suyeon had arrived in Nectar.
She learned one fact.
That Seventeen had sold Eleven and Sixteen to survive.
She learned it from one of the dying messages left behind.
So.
"...Seventeen, I've come to kill you."
Suyeon, cloaked and hooded, thrust her sword.
After enjoying the luxurious mansion and servants, Seventeen, who had been about to lie in bed after the feast, jumped up in fright.
"One, Eighteen! I only wanted to live!"
"You betraying bastard...! Even if escaping without permission is not allowed, you can't hit your comrades in the back!"
"I was wrong! Ah! You, I'll tell you too! Then you can live like me, jingling...!"
Before his words ended, she drove her sword into his heart.
If she heard that disgusting voice any longer, she would kill every last one of the people in the mansion.
Exactly two years later.
Now, the only survivor of the second squad was herself.
"..."
In the dorm where sadness and melancholy settled.
She sat on a chair, head drooping weakly, muttering.
No more will to live or hope remained.
Too lonely.
Too sad.
It felt as if she had been left alone in a world with nothing, and the fear was overwhelming.
She placed her hand on the communication artifact keyboard.
In her eyes, the pride of the Ravens had vanished.
She tried typing and deleting several times.
The words she could not send.
"Captain. I'm sorry."
She could simply press send, but discarding the weight she had endured so far was not easy.
Isn't the person saying they want to die the one who wants to live the most?
Who is begging for help.
Isn't the heart that says please look at me expressed in words?
Even if that were true, no one in this world would reach out to Suyeon.
Someone would become a cold corpse and turn to dust.
Someone would become nutrients in the stomach.
"...Just don't send it."
If there was no response, they would assume she was dead.
Suyeon's mind was too focused to care for distant strangers.
She took out the poison she had received before infiltrating Nectar two years earlier.
Normally, even poison could not kill a vampire.
But Suyeon was a half-blood.
If it was specially made extreme poison, it could kill her.
She no longer wanted to remain alone in this insane world.
Just as she was about to put it in her mouth.
Knock knock.
[Is there anyone in the next room... ?]
Seowoo spoke to her like magic.
"Eh..."
A tear flowed from her dry eyes.
One drop.
Two drops.
Then a line.
Two lines.
Like tears falling from the eyes of a village in the mountains at sunset.
The tears streaming down her cheeks grew beyond control.
"Ah...! Aaa...!"
The accumulated sadness over time poured out like a flood.
'What kind of thing was I about to do...?'
Captain, sorry for giving up.
Guys, sorry for wanting to be comfortable alone.
How had she continued this life.
How had she continued this will.
Out of fear of being left alone, she had tried to let go of everything.
[H-here, are you okay... ? If you're okay, I can listen to what you say... .]
Suyeon relied on Seowoo's foolish kindness.
"...End of report."
A subordinate bowed deeply in Lucia's office.
"Hmm... Is that so? Understood. You may go."
No abnormalities.
Her eyes narrowed.
'Jung Suyeon.'
She scanned her profile again.
She had arrived at the research institute five years ago.
She worked in the human distribution department.
Special note: She had one eye before coming to Nectar.
"It seems I need to watch her a bit more."
Lucia scanned Suyeon's photo several more times before finally going to bed.
"..."
Her chest felt tight.
Even lying in bed, sleep would not come.
The woman scent from Seowoo kept lingering in her mind.
Click.
Lucia unconsciously bit her nails.
Even though it had been magic, she had given him a deep kiss because she felt sorry.
Was the method wrong...?
She had given her body to him without permission from anyone.
Yet instead of the body getting closer, the heart seemed to keep distancing.
The more she thought that, the more Suyeon kept coming to mind.
In the report, she had said no abnormalities.
But rather, that was why it bothered her even more.
...If I just killed her cleanly?
Unfortunately, that could not be done.
If she did that, it felt as though her relationship with Seowoo would completely break.
Her sharp instinct caught her reason.
"Hmm..."
Concern seeped from Lucia's voice.
Was there no other way?
A way to naturally get close while guarding Seowoo's surroundings.
"...Seowoo."
She quietly called his name.
A love that anyone could see could never be realized.
It could not be anything but heartbreaking.
If she had known people's hearts could change like this, how would she have lived regretting the past?
According to Nectar's laws.
According to the research institute's regulations.
Lucia punished Seowoo within the set framework.
Even though it was something that should have been immediate execution if it had been a human, she ended it with appropriate corporal punishment.
'Favoritism' was a privilege of those with strong power and high authority.
Within the framework of being a leader or head of a group, it could be a sufficient flaw.
She was aware that rumors circulated among the researchers.
Even she, when giving corporal punishment to Seowoo, had adjusted the strength.
But would a human understand that?
No, not at all.
Asking what was wrong with living as a vampire after being born one was useless.
Because the environments, societies, and ways of thinking of the two species were different.
What was obvious to one was not obvious to another.
Love that was an incomprehensible food chain ran in different directions.
As if they would never meet.
So reality was cruelly merciless.
"But..."
If it was not too late now.
Could the future be changed...?
Actually, she did not know whether the opportunity still remained or not.
Still.
Was it not worth trying?
Lucia, lost in many thoughts.
She fell asleep with the promise to definitely go see Seowoo tomorrow.