I Almost Ruined the Plan the Moment We Made It
“Is something wrong? Your— Your Highness. Standing out here like this…”
It was thanks to the goddess that Kylus managed to change his words mid-sentence just before saying “Your Majesty.”
Even though Lina had been hidden behind Edwin’s massive frame, nearly causing a slip-up that Kylus had to cover for by biting his tongue.
Since he’d almost ruined the plan right after coming up with it, this small sacrifice was nothing.
Kylus secretly wiped away the tears that had welled up from biting his tongue so hard.
In the meantime, Lina and Edwin—who had been awkwardly staring at each other after realizing the verbal slip and the fact that they were deceiving her—began moving about busily, as if breaking free from a petrification curse at Kylus’s words.
“I was blocking the way.”
“And I opened the door without realizing someone was outside.”
Lina and Edwin each offered an awkward remark and moved toward the doorway at the same time, as if to make way for each other.
Then they froze again, flustered by the situation that had gone completely against their intentions.
“We overlapped.”
“Indeed.”
After continuing their standoff for about ten seconds while only shifting their positions slightly, Lina was the first to move.
“How about I go right and Sir Rohas goes left?”
“Understood.”
However, their condition was still clearly broken.
(For reference, remember that the two of them were still facing each other the entire time.)
Kylus, who had been forced to watch this entire process from behind Edwin, pressed a hand to his forehead.
‘They’re both perfectly normal people when you look at them separately…’
“For now, why don’t both of you come inside?”
He ushered the two malfunctioning individuals into the café first.
‘There are still quite a few pedestrians on the street.’
If it was going to leak either way, it was better for it to leak only inside.
Kylus took the lead, and Edwin and Lina followed him into the café one after another.
Lina had more or less regained her composure, but Edwin was moving like a defective golem, which was the real problem.
‘Is the goal to make it obvious to anyone watching that he’s hiding something?’
Kylus hid a sigh behind a smile.
Now that he was conscious of needing to hide his identity, even his breathing had become visibly deliberate.
His condition was so bad that Kylus wondered if this was the price for running away from the Grand Prayer Assembly at the temple earlier today.
‘Well, it’s not like His Majesty has ever had to hide anything from anyone before.’
The only “wrongdoing” Edwin had experienced that would cause trouble if discovered was accidentally breaking his mother’s cherished tea set as a child.
And even then, instead of thinking to hide it, he had immediately confessed like the honest child he was. So it was no wonder this situation felt completely foreign to him.
Kylus pondered how to deal with this massive variable that threatened the success of their plan.
While Edwin continued to malfunction and Kylus was deep in thought, Lina observed them carefully.
Then she scooted a little closer to Edwin and asked in a small voice.
After all, Edwin was more comfortable to talk to than Kylus.
“Is the important matter you mentioned earlier… this?”
If it was something so important that he still hadn’t finished it even after leaving the Grand Prayer Assembly, she was willing to step aside.
It was Kylus who answered Lina’s question.
“My business with him just ended. Isn’t that right, Sir Rohas?”
It was the perfect chance to send away the variable that kept glitching their plan.
“Tha…”
Edwin, who had missed the timing to answer because he was busy thinking about how the real Everett Rohas would speak to Kylus, was subtly pushed aside by him.
“And now he must return to the imperial palace.”
Since his expectations for Edwin’s acting ability were exactly zero, Kylus even provided an excuse on his behalf.
‘Please, just go.’
Fortunately, Kylus’s prayer was answered.
Edwin gave the two of them an awkward, stilted farewell using overly formal speech and left the café.
Now only Lina and Kylus remained inside.
‘Ah, wait a second?’
Only then did she realize that she was now alone with her friend’s date partner in a café with no other customers this late at night.
‘Everett must be very busy.’
After Everett left in what could only be described as a frantic rush, Kylus guided me to a seat by the window.
One with a good view of the outside.
Noting that it was late and tea would be better than coffee, he served me jasmine tea and gestured toward the entrance.
“Shall I leave the door open?”
Even though it was quite late, this was a commercial district, so a few pedestrians still wandered about.
The topic we were about to discuss wasn’t exactly top-secret, but it wasn’t something others should overhear either.
‘The existence of the Blue Hawk is a secret only a select few know about.’
I was about to say it was fine, but then I noticed how neatly buttoned up his shirt was all the way to the neck and wondered if he might be feeling hot since the sun had set but the season was still summer.
“Are you very warm?”
The café seemed to have magic stones installed to control the temperature, but the combination of summer heat and floor-to-ceiling glass windows was deadly enough to overpower any cold-emitting magic stones.
‘I can just speak a little more quietly.’
Or maybe Kylus could cast a Silence spell.
When I told him it didn’t matter to me, Kylus let out a soft laugh.
“I’m not hot.”
He gazed out through the glass at somewhere outside for a moment before sitting down across from me.
“Well, I suppose it’ll be fine.”
His tone was playful now, unlike the slightly uncomfortable demeanor he’d shown earlier.
“By the way, what brings you to see me at this hour, Miss Diaz?”
His expression grew quite serious as he brought up the main topic.
The sudden shift in attitude made me straighten my posture, tense as if I were at the final interview for the imperial palace administrative hiring exam.
‘Come to think of it, it’s pretty similar.’
I carefully chose my words and spoke cautiously.
“Well… it’s a bit late, but I wanted to give you an answer regarding the offer you made me before.”
The conditions had been too good to refuse, so I had kept putting it off out of regret. Now, that delay had turned out to be a blessing.
‘It looks better than suddenly reversing a previous rejection.’
I had worried that I might have dragged my feet too long and he might have already found someone else, but Kylus’s reaction was positive.
“After waiting this long, I hope the answer I receive is the one I’ve been hoping for.”
He looked like someone who had just received an unexpected gift—ready to stamp his seal the moment the words “I will join the Blue Hawk” left my mouth.
‘I’m glad there’s still a chance.’
“If the answer you’ve been hoping for is that I want to join the Blue Hawk, then yes.”
I smiled back at Kylus.
Even though there was still a chance, I couldn’t let myself relax completely.
Since I had a clear reason for deciding to join the Blue Hawk, there was something I absolutely had to confirm.
“But I’d like to make my final decision after hearing about the blank spaces in the contract I saw last time.”
If my workplace was going to be in another country, or if the work I’d be doing made it difficult to obtain confidential information, then there would be no point in joining the Blue Hawk.
‘In that case, it would be more helpful to maintain the status quo.’
I did my best to put on a resolute expression.
Although he always wore a kind smile, Kylus was not an easy opponent.
“Before you sign the confidentiality agreement, you are still an outsider, Miss Diaz.”
His immediate rejection came without hesitation.
He had been so eager to recruit me earlier, yet now he was ice-cold.
‘I didn’t think Kylus would easily go back on something he’d once called classified, but he’s really strict about it.’
I was wondering how to persuade him when Kylus was the one who opened the door first.
“However, I really want to scout you, Miss Diaz. So I’ll exercise a bit of flexibility.”
Kylus smiled, his eyes curving gently.
It was as if his firm refusal just now had only been a test.
“I can’t tell you anything that would cause problems if it leaked, but if a general outline is enough for you…”
There were conditions attached, but—
“That’s more than enough.”
I quickly nodded before he could change his mind.
“Do you remember when I said that the work you’d be doing in the Blue Hawk probably wouldn’t be all that different from what you’re doing now?”
Since I was an accounting major working in an administrative position, there was a limit to what I could do.
‘The important part is that ‘not all that different.’’
Having learned from my past life just how creatively work assignments could be twisted, I didn’t let my guard down.
After all, the “wear it as an earring or a nose ring” style of job delegation had been one of the main causes of my overwork-related death.
‘Please don’t just repeat what you said last time.’
You said you’d explain more specifically this time.
“I remember. And now it’s time for you to tell me what comes after that.”
I urged him with a firm look in my eyes, and Kylus obediently continued.