Lovers

10

It Wasn’t in My Dream

I wanted to explain the situation to my team members before entering the director’s office, but circumstances didn’t allow it. The Team 3 leader and Lee were pressuring people, insisting we had to go in right away.

I’ve experienced some strange things in my life, but this one ranks in the top three.

As we entered the director’s office, the woman sitting at the head glanced at me. It was the Security Bureau Director, Andrea Dill.

In her 50s but looking no older than 40, she was a slender woman in a tight suit, looking at me with blue eyes. Her gaze wasn’t piercing, but it was intimidating. Her dark skin seemed to exude a natural glow and elasticity. She was like a well-sharpened knife.

My heart involuntarily shrank. Though she was just looking, it felt like her gaze was stabbing my heart like a knife.

“Mr. Schnieke is here.”

The person who acted like they knew me was the Department 2 Chief, Nina Volkari. She came to my side and said, “Mr. Riegel was very worried about you,” while almost ventriloquizing a whisper to me as soon as she closed her mouth.

“Be careful with your attitude.”

I was about to say, “Hello, Director!” but I barely managed to come to my senses. I might have been cursed until my ears bled, even if not stabbed with a knife.

It would be lucky if I only got cursed out.

The director, the Department 2 chief, a chaebol… No one understands how uncomfortable I feel having to sit in this place.

I almost habitually sat on the sofa where the Security Bureau people were sitting, but the chief, seeming used to this kind of situation, naturally guided me to sit next to Riegel. Then, the two men sitting next to Riegel stood up simultaneously and moved one seat over to make room for me. I had no choice but to sit there.

Wow, sitting in a seat warmed by body heat and receiving Riegel’s warm gaze, this feeling is really uncomfortable.

“Mr. Armin Schnieke?”

The director called me.

“Yes.”

“Otto Dozel and seven others, who are Mr. Riegel’s legal representatives, have requested an interview as your legal representatives. Do you agree?”

Seven people…? No, including Otto whatever, eight people? I have eight lawyers? Isn’t that not just lawyers but a legal team? There’s a crazy person who assigns a legal team to someone who just came as a witness.

I glanced to the side, confirmed Riegel’s glossy black hair and obsidian-like eyes, then nodded.

“Yes, I agree.”

He’s supposed to be blonde with blue eyes…

Let’s just smile. What more should I say here?

“Then from now on, all legal representation for Mr. Schnieke will be handled by Mr. Otto Dozel and-“

“Dozel & Might Law Firm will handle it.”

The man presumed to be Otto Dozel interjected.

Hmm.

The director murmured, “I see.” The ring on her ring finger sparkled in the light. It was quite a large diamond ring. She must have a partner.

I shifted my gaze again.

I’m not sure who the man sitting with the Department 2 chief is. Department 2? One thing’s for sure, he’s not comfortable here either. Watching the chief’s expression, watching the director’s expression, his eyes are insanely busy. And in the midst of all that-

He’s even watching my expression. You’ll get scolded if you keep acting like that.

Then Riegel whispered to me.

“You’ve been through a lot.”

His tone was sympathetic.

Do I really have some kind of connection with this guy?

I looked at Riegel’s face in detail once more. Except for the black hair and black eyes, just the features in detail. Looking again, it’s truly a work of art. He’s handsome, but also elegant. Ha, they’ve captured elegance in a human face? No, this elegance might not be God-given, but money-given. Thinking about it that way makes it a little less unfair… No, it was God who gave him the money. In the end, it was God who assigned him to rich parents.

What did you do in your past life? What, were you a martyr or something?

“What?”

As I was looking at his face in detail, he brought his face closer to mine. As if to let me see more.

“It’s just…”

“Just?”

There was a subtle expectation in his voice.

“It’s so unfamiliar. I’ve never seen features like this in my life.”

At my words, Riegel said “Ah” and turned his head towards the director.

The director was kind to Riegel. After a few words, she arranged for me and Riegel to go home together. Riegel said he would take me home, and I had no choice but to get in Riegel’s car. A limousine was waiting.

He uses an armored limousine…

I had heard that chaebols ride in armored limousines, but this was the first time I’d seen one in person.

A few years ago, there was an incident where a businessman was shot by mafia members in broad daylight. The expression “shot” isn’t quite appropriate. The businessman’s body was riddled with bullets, turning it into a rag. He had merely refused the mafia’s demands, but the consequences were severe, and since then, I’ve heard that any businessman who’s made a decent amount of money rides in an armored car.

Still, this limousine seems like it would be really expensive.

Wow, the seat is so soft. I wish our cars had seats like this. We’d be riding in cars much longer than this person.

“Mr. Armin Schnieke?”

While I was getting intoxicated by the poison of capitalism, the man across from me spoke.

Ah, not Otto Dot, what was his name again?

“Let me introduce myself formally. I’m Otto Dozel, representative of Dozel & Might Law Firm.”

A man who looked to be in his mid-40s smiled brightly and handed me his business card. Dozel & Might. This seemed to be a pretty famous law firm.

As I bowed slightly and received his card saying “Yes,” the man next to him casually offered his own card.

“I’m Hans Might.”

Hans Might seemed to be a bit shy. He looked quite uncomfortable giving out his card. Otto Dozel, probably thinking it was admirable enough that his partner had offered his card, didn’t put any more pressure on him and took the lead in the conversation himself.

“First, let’s confirm the address.”

The address he recited was a place I’d never have reason to go. One of the wealthiest neighborhoods. Why would my house be there? It was absurd, but I couldn’t say it wasn’t right.

“Ah, just a moment.”

I took out my phone to check Lee’s contact. After confirming that the address Lee was supposed to send me matched the one Dozel mentioned, I smiled and said, “I forgot about an urgent message.” Then I answered, “Yes, that’s the correct address.” I just hope this attitude doesn’t appear awkward.

“You live nearby.”

Riegel said in a friendly tone. They said they’d vacate a safe house, but they vacated the one closest to Riegel’s house? Look at those Department 2 bastards being so harsh. They did all sorts of things in such a short time.

“Ah, you must live nearby.”

When I casually responded, Riegel told me his address.

Why is he telling me his address? Geez, why doesn’t he understand the importance of personal information? And he’s been kidnapped before!

But hearing the address, it did seem to be nearby. Not extremely close, but roughly within cycling distance, I’d say.

“What do you do?”

Riegel asked.

Ah, this I can answer for sure.

“I’m studying to become a barista.”

– That’s the setup, anyway.

At my words, Riegel said “Ah” and glanced at my hands. Then, in a very meaningful tone, he asked, “A barista?” I felt uneasy for some reason. His voice sounded like he knew something.

However, what I could say was limited.

“Yes, a barista. What kind of work do you do, Mr. Riegel?”

With my responses limited, all I could do was change the subject.

At that, Riegel hummed and looked at the lawyers. Hans Might quickly turned his gaze to the window, and the smooth-talking Otto Dozel caught the look and laughed.

“Well, Mr. Riegel does many things, doesn’t he? He’s in the rental business, the wine business, and also…”

“I’m unemployed.”

Riegel answered with a smirk.

Didn’t he say he’s in the rental and wine businesses? When I turned my head to look at Otto Dozel, he laughed, “Ha, ha,” and suddenly took out his phone and started focusing intently. As if some incredibly important and tremendous news had just come in. Even though not a single vibration had sounded.

“A rich unemployed person, you have the job that modern people dream of.”

“That’s not the job that appeared in my dream.”

Riegel laughed, so I shrugged.

“We don’t dream about what we already have.”

At my words, Riegel looked at me with a mysterious gaze. Eventually, he nodded willingly.

“You’re right. …Looks like we’re here.”

Riegel gestured towards the window. So I looked out the window too.

…This does seem like a suitable place for a safe house.

Yeah, come to think of it, even in that wealthy neighborhood, there would be places like this. An apartment with few people and low prices. These kinds of places exist occasionally. Given the neighborhood, the rent for this apartment is probably quite high compared to other areas.

It’s an apartment rented out to people who work in this neighborhood.

“Yes, that’s right.”

If it was used as a safe house, that means there’s a caretaker, but I wonder if the caretaker was contacted. Usually, retired agents take on the role of safe house caretakers. It’s like a small side job after retirement. I’ve met a few, and they have some things in common. First, they’re old. Second, they’re old but strangely strong and muscular. Third, they curse with a smile on their face.

They’re people who retired after a long career in the operations team. How intense must the temperament be of people who lived as operation team agents, retired with their limbs intact, are enjoying retirement life, and even doing part-time work for the Security Bureau? If the caretaker wasn’t contacted, there’s no way I can enter what’s supposed to be “my house” even if I die trying.

Riegel got out of the car. I don’t understand why this man is getting out when I could just get out alone. Because he’s getting out, everyone in the car starts getting out. The two lawyers, the driver and the bodyguard who were in the front seats.

Oh my, so the driver was a bodyguard too. It’s written all over the driver’s face. ‘Good at shooting.’

And bodyguards poured out of the escort vehicle that was following us. Ah, why? What for? The atmosphere was so intense that even my body, which was getting out with them, involuntarily flinched.

As I hunched my shoulders, Riegel said to me.

“Get in safely. I’ll contact you.”

You created this atmosphere just for a simple send-off… No, wait.

“I never gave you my contact-“

“We’re sharing lawyers, aren’t we? It’s normal that I know the phone number Mr. Dozel knows, isn’t it?”

“But I never gave it to Mr. Dozel either.”

Then Otto Dozel smiled broadly.

“The Security Bureau Director gave it to us. Oh, did you not agree to that? Should we sue the Security Bureau?”

What could I say? I smiled brightly too.

“I was just saying it’s nice that everyone knows it even though I never gave it out. Sue? No way.”

Civil service life is this tight, damn it.