Codename Vestia

Chapter 23: Joonie

Doyeong finally realized who Gamal resembled.

Codename “ANTIAIRCRAFT.” The leader who had once operated the Luas terrorist group “SN,” spreading fear across the world, until he was captured and imprisoned three years ago.

As soon as Gamal heard that name, she visibly flinched. Doyeong hadn’t known it was possible for the color to drain from a person’s face so quickly. Gamal’s face turned starkly pale.

“Kunis…”

She muttered, almost like a groan.

The fear pooled in her eyes, and they turned as pale as if the color had been bleached away. Doyeong frowned.

“Kunis? That guy’s real name is Kunis?”

Though the higher-ups might have known it, Doyeong hadn’t been aware of ANTIAIRCRAFT’s real name.

He looked Gamal up and down.

“Is it really because of him? Is that why you won’t leave this island?”

Gamal opened her mouth to speak, then inhaled sharply. But the sound of her breathing was not normal.

She clutched at her mouth and crumpled. She couldn’t breathe, a reaction to hyperventilation brought on by panic. Tora immediately dropped his hoe and rushed over.

“Marti!”

He seemed familiar with Gamal’s condition and began treating her right away. With no suitable item around, he cupped his hands over Gamal’s nose and mouth, helping her breathe. It was clear this wasn’t his first time.

“Marti, breathe. Come on.”

Finally, Gamal exhaled heavily, gripping Tora’s arm so tightly it hurt. Her fingers dug into his skin, mingling desperation, fear, and a silent scream.

Doyeong pulled her hand away.

“Major.”

Tora spoke sharply, but Doyeong didn’t care. He looked only at Gamal as he asked,

“What did he do to you?”

In her dilated pupils, a mix of despair and terror flashed, as if it had all happened just yesterday.

“He killed me.”

***

“He killed you?”

Doyeong’s face hardened.

“What do you mean?”

“Kunis was born with me. From inside Marti.”

Gamal’s demeanor suddenly shifted, becoming calm, as if she were someone else. But her red eyes, still tinged with pallor, stared straight at Doyeong.

“Kunis was kind. Everyone liked Kunis. People, women too.”

***

“Gamal is still young!”

Kunis shouted. Then Tawa spoke.

“Young? What are you talking about? She’s already eighteen. Women Gamal’s age all have at least three kids.”

“Other women are other women, but Gamal is Gamal. How can you marry her off when she doesn’t even understand what it means?”

Kunis didn’t back down.

“Adawi loves Gamal. He got down on his knees and begged for her. It’s not easy for a warrior of his stature to do that.”

Tawa spoke in a firm tone, making it clear he would say no more.

“Above all, he said he didn’t care about the Rantu incident.”

As Gamal listened to the conversation, she sat outside the tent, staring down at her knees.

Last year, she had been married off to a neighboring tribe. The reason it’s said she “had been” married was because her groom, Rantu, had gone out to relieve himself before entering the bridal chamber after drinking at the reception, only to be found drowned in the lake.

Everyone acted as if it was an unfortunate accident, but the way people looked at Gamal was not quite the same as before.

“Why are people blaming Gamal when that fool slipped and drowned on his own?”

Kunis, who was usually gentle but had a fiery side, argued inside the tent with a harsh tone.

“Kunis, you shouldn’t speak like that about the deceased.”

The dignified Tawa calmly reproached his son. Kunis sighed in response.

“I’m sorry. But it’s barely been any time, and they’re already talking about another marriage….”

That was as much as Gamal heard before she stood up and headed to the lakeside.

She sat on the grass, gazing out at the water. The midday sun beamed down on the lake’s surface, making the water sparkle like a school of fish leaping in the light.

Adawi was kind.

She didn’t quite know if she loved him as a man, but being with him felt comfortable. He was a strong warrior, but unlike other men, he wasn’t rough, and Marti had said that alone made him an excellent choice for a husband.

Gamal thought so too.

It would have been nice if he were just a bit more handsome.

Others said Adawi was handsome enough. But Gamal, wondering if there was something wrong with her own eyes, didn’t find the rugged look—what others called “manly”—all that attractive.

“Gamal.”

She turned at the familiar voice.

“Adawi.”

Adawi sat down beside her.

“I heard your twin opposes our marriage.”

“Sorry.”

“There’s nothing for you to apologize for.”

Adawi murmured.

“What do you think they don’t like about me?”

“They’ll be sad to see me go.”

“Yeah. The two of you are famous for being close.”

This was one of the things that made Adawi different from other men. He didn’t just raise his voice, insisting his opinion was right, or impulsively challenge others to a duel.

A peaceful silence settled between them. Being able to share such quiet moments was another of Adawi’s qualities. Up until now, Kunis was the only other man she had known who enjoyed silence.

“Is Kunis not going to marry?”

At some point, Adawi asked. Gamal shook her head.

“I don’t know. It seems like there’s no woman he fancies.”

“Well, I guess it wouldn’t be easy to find someone prettier than him.”

Adawi mumbled as he glanced at Gamal.

Gamal sat with her knees drawn up, her head bowed, and her glossy black hair cascading down, glistening in the sunlight. Even the toes peeking out from beneath the long hem of her dress were beautiful.

It was a story for another time, but as a vampire, Gamal possessed a surreal, otherworldly beauty. Yet, as a human, she had a pure, luminous quality, like a natural pearl freshly drawn from the water.

Back then, Gamal radiated an aura of innocence, like a lamb that had committed no sin and would never commit one.

Sensing someone’s gaze, Gamal lifted her head. In Adawi’s eyes, there was a glimmer. It was the gaze of a man who admired her, both as a devoted admirer and with a pure, passionate desire.

Gamal asked, “Are you really okay with what happened to Rantu?”

Adawi shrugged.

“He was drunk and slipped. It was unfortunate, but blaming you for it doesn’t make any sense.”

“I feel sorry for Rantu. If he hadn’t married me, he wouldn’t have gone to the lakeside that night.”

When Gamal muttered this, Adawi let out a short laugh.

“Married or not, he would’ve gone to relieve himself anyway.”

Then, he gently patted Gamal’s head with his large hand.

“Don’t blame yourself. Sometimes things happen in this world that aren’t anyone’s fault.”

Gamal felt guilty for wishing Adawi were more handsome. He was such a kind person; what did looks matter?

Their eyes met. Adawi’s hand was still on her head, and the atmosphere became awkward.

“Gamal.”

His voice was low as he said her name. When she had been engaged to Rantu, they hadn’t even had the chance to see each other’s faces properly. She realized that this was the kind of voice men used in moments like these.

It was a bit frightening, but it was more a fear of the unknown. Realizing that the man before her clearly wanted her didn’t feel so bad.

Adawi slowly moved closer, and their lips met. His movements were cautious, as if worried she might be startled.

When he pulled back slightly, Adawi, despite his size, looked bashful.

Just then, Gamal felt a gaze and turned around. Across the lake, someone disappeared behind a tree.

“Kunis?”

It seemed to be Kunis, and it looked like he had stepped away after seeing the two of them together.

When her eyes met Adawi’s, he smiled. Gamal felt that somehow, everything would be okay. A future with this man seemed possible.

***

A gentle light glowed beyond the tent.

Adawi stepped forward and entered the bridal chamber. Gamal, dressed in the white wedding gown revered by the Satadi Tribe, was seated on the wooden bed.

“I barely drank, just in case I felt like I needed to go out.”

Adawi smiled and said,

“I’ll make you happy.”

Gamal slowly lifted her eyes to look at Adawi. In her beautiful black eyes, there was a cold, merciless gleam that shimmered like oil.

“You think *you* can?”

There was no time for Adawi to even flinch. A knife thrust up, piercing his neck with precision.

“……!”

Adawi instinctively clutched his neck. Blood gushed out between his fingers in an instant.

“You….”

He barely managed to croak out, stumbling back.

Gamal—or rather, Kunis, disguised as Gamal—stood up. Even dressed in women’s clothes, there was no mistaking that he was not a woman. It was his eyes that gave it away.

Adawi staggered, trying to find something to hold onto, but he collapsed, grasping a pillar. Blood quickly drenched his entire body, making it slick and impossible for him to stand.

A dark shadow loomed over Adawi. Kunis, with his icy blue eyes gleaming, looked down at him.

“It was you last time too, wasn’t it….”

Adawi realized it. Kunis had killed Rantu as well.

Kunis let out a derisive snort.

“You both invited death upon yourselves. How dare you desire Gamal?”

Then, Kunis pinned Adawi down and once again stabbed the vital spot on his neck with precision.

Adawi died without closing his eyes.

Kunis stood up. His face was indifferent, devoid of any emotional excitement typical of a murderer.

Killing didn’t stir any emotions in him. For him, murder was simply a means to an end, nothing more.

Kunis opened a large wardrobe in the corner. Inside, Gamal lay asleep, still dressed in her wedding gown.

The dress was spread out, enveloping her like white waves. As if preparing for marriage, she wore ornate accessories made of elaborate threads and jewels, her face adorned with makeup.

Even with her bare face, she was more beautiful than anyone, but today, she looked as if even the goddess Anat would be envious.

“Gamal.”

Kunis gently shook her shoulder, and Gamal, who had been put to sleep with narcotic herbs, woke up. Still groggy, she murmured with hazy eyes.

“Kunis…?”

“Get up. We need to go.”

“Where…?”

Gamal mumbled, trying to collect herself.

“I’m supposed to be with Adawi….”

It was then that she noticed, just beyond the edge of the wardrobe, Adawi lying in a pool of blood on the floor. As she opened her mouth to scream, Kunis quickly clamped his hand over it.

The force of his grip startled Gamal to the core. Although his face was so similar to hers that it could cause confusion, the strength was unmistakably that of a man. And there was something strange about Kunis’s eyes, a gleam that was… unnatural.

Perhaps it was just the light, but the eerie glow in his eyes was not something that seemed human.

The moment Kunis slightly loosened his grip, Gamal tried to escape from the wardrobe and run.

“Kunis, something terrible has happened. Adawi is…!”

Kunis grabbed Gamal as she tried to rush to Adawi and yanked her back with such force that it made her stumble.