My Beloved, Whom I Desire to Kill - 259
—I’m not joking.
—Oh… yeah… Hello, Major Hawkins? My uncle is on his deathbed after getting hurt, sob sob. But what would happen to my reputation if the Director showed up at work the next morning, perfectly fine?
—Just say the word. I’ll get hurt for your credibility.
—Don’t say things like that. It doesn’t sound like a joke anymore after you hurt your finger last time.
Even though it was a joke, Giselle was so disgusted. When he suggested going to Witcliff with her, she was disgusted by the thought of the Director following a woman to her workplace like a strange man, so Edwin had no choice but to wait at home for Giselle to return.
Five hours passed.
-Give me Hawkins.
—No. Then they’ll find out that I told you.
Hawkins hadn’t reported to him yet. It wasn’t an urgent matter that would interrupt the Director’s weekend.
-They’ll think I’m a spy you planted.
—Is there anyone in the Intelligence Corps who doesn’t know you’re my spy?
Giselle grumbled, then told him to wait a moment and disappeared.
-Director, I apologize for causing you concern.
Hawkins, who had taken the phone, apologized first, then, as if he expected to be reprimanded for not having solved the situation yet, he quickly reported on the situation, saying they were trying various things, and added.
-I expect to secure her within two days at the most, as she’s like a rat in a corner, so you don’t have to worry…
Hawkins’s words were cut off because Edwin sighed the moment he heard the words «two days at the most.»
-If there’s no progress after 9 p.m., I will send Lieutenant Bishop back to Richmond.
Hawkins was quick on the uptake. However, he wasn’t the type of person who would act based on his superiors’ moods, to the point of giving special treatment to a subordinate his superior was fond of. That was why Edwin trusted him and kept him by his side, but when it came to Giselle’s safety, he couldn’t trust him.
To send a woman alone on a night train. The area around the station at that time would be swarming with drunkards and thugs, and the train would be full of soldiers with dirty instincts.
—I’m coming now, so everyone stay where you are.
It was a pathetic waste of manpower to have such competent people clinging to this foolish matter in the first place.
Two hours later, a tall gentleman with the tails of a long coat fluttering walked into the hotel lobby. From a distance, his face wasn’t clearly visible, but Giselle recognized his straight posture and confident gait at a glance.
She wanted to admire him leisurely, but she didn’t have the luxury. Everyone’s eyes followed him. He was a man who was too handsome to be carrying out a secret operation.
It would be better to move to a place with fewer eyes on us.
Giselle, who had been sitting in the lounge, stood up, and Major Hawkins also recognized him and got up. They met in the middle of the lobby and walked to the elevator together, and the Major apologized to the Director.
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—I apologize for making you come all the way here.
But this man only came to pick me up.
Therefore, he didn’t reprimand Major Hawkins.
—Have you eaten?
Giselle shook her head. It was past 6 p.m., but she hadn’t eaten yet because she was waiting for this man. She was worried that he would tell her to go to the restaurant by herself, but he just gestured to the elevator, which had just opened.
—Take me to the room.
When they went up, the two male agents who were monitoring Martine’s room jumped up from the floor. They must have been so surprised by the sudden appearance of the Director that they forgot they were pretending to be civilians. Both of them were about to salute at the same time but quickly lowered their arms after receiving sharp glares from their superiors.
—It’s here.
The Director stared at the door that Major Hawkins was pointing to, then knocked with his knuckles.
—Miss Martin, this is the person in charge you spoke to on the phone earlier.
No sound came from behind the door, but soon, a faint shadow fell on the floor from the light seeping through the gap at the bottom. She was at the door, listening. The man, confirming this, spoke again.
—You haven’t had a proper meal today. How about I buy you dinner as an apology?
He waited, but there was no answer.
—It’s not a trap. If I intended to arrest you, I would have called the hotel manager and broken down this door a long time ago, and I wouldn’t have come here myself.
After a brief silence following the carrot and stick approach, a voice that sounded like a maid finally spoke from behind the door.
—The lady asks that you wait for a moment.
About 20 minutes later, the door actually opened. It hadn’t opened all day, no matter what they tried, but it opened with just a few words from the Director. It was just like a woman obsessed with power.
But looking at the state she was in when she walked out, she wasn’t just obsessed with power. She was dressed up as if she were going to a party, from head to toe.
She must have wanted to see the real thing of the man whose voice alone sounded handsome.
The woman, who was also obsessed with men, couldn’t hide the look of «I hit the jackpot» on her face the moment she was faced with the head of the double agent management unit.
He’s mine, so what jackpot did you hit?
The preposterous behavior didn’t stop there. Martine was notorious for being cantankerous with other people in charge, regardless of gender, but she smiled alluringly at the handsome man, who was a sight you’d rarely see even at a theater, and held out her hand first.
—I’m Pauline Martine.
—It’s a pleasure to meet you.
Edwin lightly took the hand she held out in a way that suggested he should kiss the back of it, shook it, and then immediately let go. When a look of disappointment appeared on the woman’s face, Giselle had to press her lips together to hold back her laughter.
—Shouldn’t you introduce yourself, too?
Martine was always boasting about how important she was, but she didn’t seem to realize that by not knowing the Duke Eccleston’s face, she had confessed that she wasn’t that important.
—This is confidential, so I thank you in advance for your understanding.
He politely but coldly drew a line and gestured toward the elevator. The woman hesitated, looking reluctant, and walked ahead. She seemed to suspect that he might be trying to take her into custody, as she only let her guard down after she had entered the private room of the hotel restaurant.
When all six of them, including the agents from Room 303, sat around a large table, Martine twisted her mouth in displeasure.
—I don’t think I can eat with all these soldiers surrounding me.
The implication was that she wanted to have dinner with the Director alone. There was no way he would agree to that, since his purpose was to get Giselle to eat dinner naturally.
—Please think of this as an opportunity to get closer to our agents.
Ugh, I’m the one who’s going to refuse.
If she got too close to them and they had to be in charge of her from now on, it would be a disaster. Giselle concentrated on eating, not mixing a single word with anyone, as if she weren’t there. She was hungry, as she hadn’t eaten anything since having a quick lunch on the train, and the food here was top-notch. Still, her appetite kept dwindling because of the woman, Martine, who wouldn’t stop talking.
—My father even received a medal from Her Majesty the Queen of Mercia…
She was boasting about her family and connections to the Duke Eccleston, who was connected to the royal families and powerful people all over the continent through marriage. How embarrassed would she be if she knew? That is, if she even knew shame.
She was truly shameless, acting so confidently even though she had committed a crime that deserved her arrest. For some reason, the Director didn’t bring up the topic and just listened to what the woman had to say.
—I know I’m not supposed to leave without permission. But what can I do when I miss my hometown so much?
She finally brought up her crime herself. It was clear that she was trying to get ahead of the game.
—In my country, I’m not a person who would be treated so poorly, so I felt disillusioned and wondered why I had to suffer from poverty in another country, sob…
She could solve her poverty problem just by selling that fur stole. She kept making illogical statements and even squeezed out tears.
The woman was notorious for being imperious, treating other agents as if they were her servants, and throwing tantrums, but now she was pretending to be a pitiful victim in front of a person in power, trying to gain sympathy.
Giselle felt nauseous and put down her utensils. The man sitting next to her glanced at her, then also put down his utensils and looked at the woman across the table.
—So, your argument is that we violated regulations because we didn’t agree to Miss Martine’s demands.
Martine opened her mouth, wanting to rephrase her argument to her advantage, but the Director didn’t allow it.
—I forbade it.
Still, the woman stared at him, as if waiting for an apology and an agreement to reverse his decision and meet her demands. She had no idea who the head of the Army Intelligence Corps was.
—Therefore, nothing will change no matter how much you whine, just like you’re doing now.
Asure: Enjoy the read, and if there are parts you don’t understand, let me know … have a good Tuesday.
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