Try Begging

Chapter 81

Tak. Tak.

Every time a regular noise reverberated in the office of the Domestic Intelligence Division, the junior officers sat at desks lined up in two rows, doing their own work, holding their breath and examining the complexion of their superior.

The Captain had been tapping the same papers with his fountain pen for an entire hour. He hadn’t even opened the cap.

Drip, drip.

It wasn’t until raindrops hit the glass window behind them that the suffocating noise stopped.

Leon took his eyes off his desk and looked back. The sunlight of early summer, which had set its rays through the blinds, was gone. It was all gray outside.

It was as murky a color as Western Command these days.

The massive audit began even before the official inauguration of the new commander. It became a routine for officers to be called to the Internal Affairs Division for various reasons. It was clear that Campbell, who quietly disappeared as soon as he arrived at work and never returned for an hour, was going through that rite of passage.

Tak. Tak.

The office was again engulfed in the suffocating noise.

Things got out of hand.

The reason Campbell was called wouldn’t be a big deal. The dust from the Domestic Intelligence Division was thrown away, not swept under the carpet. Even if they brushed it off, there would be no falling dust.

So, the reason the work was out of hand was not because of that.

Blue.

Last night, after meeting Commander Davenport, Leon’s mind was all blue.

Even when Campbell, who had left quietly, returned quietly, he was immersed in the same thought.

“Captain.”

As he was about to be called, Campbell approached first and asked for a private meeting. Before that, the radio on top of the filing cabinet had been turned up loud, so it wasn’t unusual, so Leon put his business aside and listened to him.

“Woman?”

Leon, who moved to the window, wrinkled his brow at the unexpected report. It was not the Domestic Intelligence Division that the Internal Affairs Division was looking for dust, but him personally.

“They are investigating rumors that one of the rebels, who was a woman, was detained in a torture chamber but was not reported to the military. They were completely unaware of their identity.”

“That is fortunate.”

The Internal Affairs Division wouldn’t know that the woman trapped in Leon’s torture chamber was actually a spy who had infiltrated him.

“I, of course, denied the allegation as baseless.”

“Good job.”

Campbell raised his lips as if it was nothing before he lowered them. Thanks to the Captain’s eccentricity, it was quite easy to deny. Captain Winston had never interrogated women and had no known history with women.

Denying that was easy, but letting go of the suspicion wasn’t easy. Campbell remembered the overbearing face of the inspector sitting at the end of a long table.

“The problem is that the inspector in charge of this case…”

No one could hear their conversation because of the already loud trumpet sound, but Campbell whispered to his ear.

‘Royal household?’

It was said that the inspector in charge of Leon’s belonged to someone other than the Internal Affairs Division of the Western Command but to the Inspection Department directly under the royal household.

Leon twisted his lips and smiled.

It was common sense to call in Campbell, his closest aide, only when enough evidence was gathered to move from an internal investigation to an official one. Still, the inspector only knew little. In other words, he called Campbell hoping that this would reach Leon’s ears.

“The honored guest is quite impatient.”

The King exerted pressure. The purpose was clearly Sinclair’s investigation. It meant to post the investigation report according to taste. It’d been less than a week since he received that reluctant order, and the King had already applied pressure.

The stinky smell became even worse.

Campbell’s face turned pale as he understood the purpose of the internal investigation at Leon’s words.

“Campbell.”

“Yes.”

“Where do you think it leaked from?”

A rebel woman was imprisoned in the basement of Captain Leon Winston’s mansion. It was not a baseless slander at all. Leon pointed out people who might have written a letter to the Internal Affairs Division or the Inspection Department.

“Recently, the officer in charge was replaced.”

Was it a problem that he fell for her provocation and replaced the manpower?

“I will investigate thoroughly and covertly. Anyway, it’s presumptuous, but…”

When Campbell lowered his voice again, Leon stared at him and urged him on.

“Wouldn’t it be dangerous to keep the ghost in the torture chamber as it is?”

Campbell courageously spoke the admonition he had endured over the past few months. Captain Winston had never made a wrong decision, so he had never had anything to say. Nonetheless, the matter about the woman was different.

He didn’t know if this was wrong, but it was definitely dangerous. He was even worried whether the captain, who made irrational judgments, could handle the aftermath of the matter involving the ‘ghost in the torture chamber.’

“Why don’t we pretend to have it arrested somewhere else and report it to the superiors? Then, since there is no room for criticism from above, can’t we just ask them to move on?”

“And what if the woman testifies that she worked as Winston’s maid?”

“The way to hand over without being able to testify…”

Campbell immediately shut his mouth in remorse. Captain Winston was gazing at him with the same eyes as when the rope was wrapped around the prisoner’s neck.

“I made a mistake. I’m sorry, Captain.”

The Captain rolled his eyes and smiled. The eyes between the narrowed eyes remained the same.

“Campbell.”

A hand as large as his unusual physique gripped Campbell’s shoulder. The nervous Campbell lowered his head even more, and the captain tilted his head crookedly at him and asked in a low voice.

“You don’t believe that I’m hiding the spy under me because I’m afraid of the commander, right?”

“…No.”

“Yes, because you are smart.”

You were smart, but why did you say something stupid?

The captain patted Campbell on the shoulder as if encouraging him.

“You are right. I keep her locked up for private purposes.”

The small fingernail mark on the inside of his wrist resting on the window sill confirmed that.

“So, put aside your presumptuous meddling and make sure your allegiance is to the military or to the Winstons.”

“The Winstons, of course.”

Campbell answered as soon as the captain gave his threat. He had originally been sent by the Campbell family to assist Captain Winston.

“I was never meant to be loyal to the military. I was only concerned about the effect the Inspector’s investigation would have on the Winstons. I’m sorry.”

“Thank you, but let’s not worry.”

The Captain muttered as he pulled down the blade of the blind and looked out.

“Sooner or later, we’ll get a dog to kick the inspector out.”

The Captain’s gaze followed the luxury sedan as it lazily pulled into the headquarters driveway. It was the new commander’s car.

“Campbell, I have work for you.”

“Yes, just leave it to me.”

“Be quicker than that Sinclair.”

It was very unexpected that it was more urgent than what the King ordered.

‘…Commander Davenport?’

After receiving the instructions, Campbell returned to his seat.

The music on the radio stopped, and the office was buzzing with the noise of the officers doing their job. There were footsteps approaching Leon’s desk. The lieutenant who had to receive his approval had been waiting since morning, but Leon did not take his eyes off the gloomy window.

The car door opened, and an elderly man stepped out into the aide’s umbrella. The commander’s hair, visible under the crown, was sparsely frosted, but it was clearly brown.

Then, he narrowed his eyes because the sun was hot.

On a sunny summer day, a girl with the scent of fresh oranges pouted her lips, her glossy brown hair flowing.

My sweet daisy

“I want to be blonde, too. Everyone in my family is blonde, but I am the only one with brown hair.”

Ah, my poor Daisy.

The definition of family should be set straight.

º º º

The morning sunlight pouring into the office slowly slanted and stretched to the corner of the desk drawer.

Grace reached out of the shade and touched the corner of the sunlight.

The fibers of the wool carpet, which had been ripened in the sun, were softly crushed at her fingertips. A color different from the stark yellow light of the light bulb dyed the back of her hand. The dry, warm feeling spread to her skin.

She closed her eyes.

This was how the sun felt.

After enjoying the warmth of the sunlight for the first time in a while, she opened her eyes. Suddenly, she felt a completely different warmth in her right ear.

Long fingers brushed up the hair that had fallen down and tucked it behind her ear. Dry fingertips traced the back of her auricle leisurely. She felt like she was going to get burned by the body temperature hotter than the sunlight.

Grace shuddered at him and slowly raised her gaze. The man was looking down at her with eyes looking at a puppy, who was all alone, rolling on the carpet.

He took off his jacket and was lightly dressed in a white shirt and black tie.

The day was warm. She didn’t know if it was an exceptionally warm day. It was the first time she had been out since being locked up again. She didn’t even know that it had been a few days.