A Dark Fantasy Spy

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What on earth is happening?

I blinked in disbelief for a long moment.

“What are you staring at? Do you see something good?”

Veronica lifted her chin with the back of her hand. It was an ostentatious display of her beauty.

Objectively and subjectively, everyone acknowledged that the first saint was a beauty. As a woman who had been praised as a stunning beauty both in her family and beyond since childhood, her appearance remained a topic of discussion even as a mature adult.

However, I dare to assert this.

If those who extol her beauty realized the true nature hidden behind that playful smile, no one would be able to make such a remark.

“No, it’s just that the Beast of Doom suddenly appeared right in front of me…”

As I muttered with a bewildered expression, Veronica’s lips moved in surprise, and finally, she couldn’t contain herself and raised her voice.

“-Beast?! Did you just call me a, a, beast?!”

“There’s an old saying about the Black-haired Beast, isn’t there? It just happens that you have black hair too.”

“…!”

A silent scream erupted. I felt an overwhelming sense of injustice.

I looked at Veronica, who was stuttering and stammering while gripping the steering wheel, as if to ask if I had said something wrong.

For reference, my older sister, Adela, who had been simply bewildered, had already gone inside. Since it was that time of day when everyone was supposed to be at home, only the two of us remained on the road.

“By the way, what brought you here?”

“You haven’t seen me in months, and you tell me to get straight to the point right away?”

“Isn’t that allowed?”

“Come on, that’s unreasonable. I’ve been waiting for ages.”

Veronica flashed a mischievous smile. She certainly never backed down from a challenge.

Every time we interacted, I felt drained. Already feeling tired, I directly asked what she wanted.

Then, one side of the car door opened, and the saint tapped the seat with her hand while responding.

“Haven’t you had dinner yet? Get in first.”

—

Episode 21 – Peace of Our Times

The city is an exotic space that leaves one in a sense of wonder merely by thinking about it. To the child I was, the city had at least that kind of image.

Thanks to my father, who was a military man, I was born on the front lines and moved around to more than five elementary schools.

The first real city I encountered was Xiang Hong.

That’s right—Hong Kong.

Hong Kong, interpreted as a fragrant harbor, was like another world.

The Hong Kong films that were incredibly popular from the 80s to the 90s still linger in my memory vividly, especially the noir movies unfolding in a dreamlike urban landscape.

A bustling city bright with lights,

Skyscrapers adorned in dazzling brilliance,

And Victoria Harbor, bustling with countless ferries.

I believed flowers bloomed only during the day, but I realized for the first time that they could bloom at night too. That the dark night could be so beautiful was a revelation.

Having stepped out of the valley for the first time into the city, especially into Hong Kong, how did I react?

I probably remembered bouncing around gleefully. Back then, everything felt special and happy.

That was my first family trip with my father and mother.

At least to my childhood self, Hong Kong was a remarkable overseas travel destination filled with special memories.

And when I returned as an adult, the Hong Kong I had seen as a child, where flowers bloomed at night, still remained just as it was over 20 years later.

The difference was that the Hong Kong Consulate General was no longer under the London Embassy but had been incorporated under the Republic of Korea’s Embassy in Beijing. And that I had inherited my father’s work.

That was all there was to it.

“……”

Back in Abbas City after a long time, I felt the nostalgia I had nearly forgotten.

The unknown restaurant I cautiously arrived at under the saint’s guidance had a breathtaking view, as its name suggested.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

As I muttered while glancing at the flickering lights, Veronica smiled as if pleased with my reaction.

“How is it? Isn’t it to die for?”

“…To die for? Could you use some nicer words? Please.”

“Ah, do I speak like our elders, no matter what I say? If there’s pretense and deceit in speech and actions, isn’t that a demonic attitude?”

Veronica’s mischievous eyes transformed into a lively sparkle, even turning her face away entirely.

It was as if a little child who hated being scolded was sulking.

“……”

As I stood speechless at her demeanor, her suddenly redirected gaze began to glance in our direction.

“What is it?”

“I occasionally think it’s a good thing you’re a saint.”

“…? Why do you say that all of a sudden?”

“Well…”

If a person like you were to ascend to the papal seat, a few nations might have gone under by now.

Or the world could have been blazing like Constantinople.

It was a harsh critique that I found hard to say openly in front of Veronica. Even if she didn’t understand the meaning, she would surely take this as a provocation. So I swallowed the words that had risen to my throat.

“No.”

“What? What were you about to say?”

“Ah, just back off. Why are you so clingy?”

“Come on, just tell me. I’ll forgive you for everything.”

Had she decided she’d found some fun to pick on me? Veronica began to cling persistently with a sly expression.

She was truly born with a tenacious nature; it was just unfortunate that that talent was entirely directed toward teasing.

Regardless.

The place we arrived at was a restaurant situated on a steep hillside.

The stair-stepped buildings around were all houses, and the surrounding space was wide open, with a street lined with cherry blossoms revealing the night cityscape in one glance.

Even though this was almost a crime for dinner, the place had a certain charm, having been chosen for an occasion. The view was that beautiful.

Thus, I relaxed and began to eat my dinner.

The menu featured salmon papillote,

Soft flesh infused with lemon aroma, water-rich, tender broccoli and asparagus, and sweet-tart cherry tomatoes that whetted the appetite. Each dish was exquisite.

“What do you think?”

With a smile spreading across her lips, the saint wore an expression of leisurely satisfaction, as if expecting something.

There was no escaping this. No matter how mischievous Veronica was, I had to acknowledge her skills. More precisely, I couldn’t deny them.

I nodded, praising her taste, and that was the answer Veronica had been hoping for.

“It’s good. How did you find such a restaurant?”

“I asked the nuns at the diocese about it. I inquired if there was a quiet place where we could eat as much as possible within the monastery.”

Looks like she did her homework.

She had really looked into everything.

I swallowed a small shrimp and casually responded.

“You’ve done your research. I hope you work as diligently on your usual tasks….”

“I told you, didn’t I?”

The saint responded while gently brushing away the corners of her eyes.

“I said I was waiting.”

The saint, wearing a light smile, added a shy grin. I leaned closer towards her and lowered my voice.

“…Veronica, please, be moderate. I’m really begging you.”

“Why?”

“Hey, can’t you see my older sister has been acting weird since earlier…?”

As I said,

Adela’s condition was strange.

Her eyes darted left and right with a confused look, and even though she was young, her hands trembled as if caught in the wind.

She trembled so violently that the knife on her plate made a deafening noise akin to a sewing machine.

-Drgrgrgrgrr…!

Was it only her hand causing the ruckus? Just look at her eyes.

Adela’s eyes bounced around, unable to find focus, like a broken compass going haywire.

To top it off, she seemed to be losing her mind in real-time, as if her RAM had been forcibly removed during booting.

“Ugh. I told you to eat dinner alone then….”

I couldn’t help but let out a huge sigh at Adela’s visible state.

—

Following Veronica’s unexpected appearance, the dinner invitation came.

“What? Out-eating?”

Adela’s first reaction was nothing but opposition.

“After all that trouble preparing everything, you want to go out to eat? Have you lost your mind?”

“Well, what do you want me to do? Eat here and go out to eat again?”

“No way!”

Eat at home!

My sister was almost frothing at the mouth with her vehement opposition. The implication was clear: don’t even think about stepping outside for dinner.

It was understandable anger considering the hassle she went through preparing the dinner for everyone, but even so, her attitude was overly aggressive—almost desperate.

“Then I’ll just have a chat and come back.”

“That’s not allowed either!”

“No….”

Why on earth?

I genuinely couldn’t fathom what was bothering her so much.

If someone like my classmate, self-proclaimed Japan culture expert, known as a “weeaboo,” were here, they might mumble something incomprehensible. Luckily, my sister possessed a civilized worldview adhering to social norms.

Then the eldest daughter of the Nostrim family said,

“Are you out of your mind? You think you’ll have dinner just the two of you with the saint?”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“Hey, did you forget that our parents collapsed back at the residence a few months ago? Do you really want to see that again!? Huh?!”

“…Ah.”

“‘Ah’ what!?”

Indeed.

Thinking back on it, I was in a predicament over women issues within the family.

Not even visiting the main residence, I had the reputation of a son who brought home three daughters-in-law simultaneously—a pitiful notion.

In my view, it was utterly absurd and completely unfathomable.

That was the very reason I was baffled.

“I’m not misunderstanding.”

“Misunderstanding? Does that look like a misunderstanding to you?”

“Why are you venting at me for something our parents mistook? If it’s my parents, that’s one thing, but if my sister and brother act that way, what does that make me?”

“…This is absurd. Absolutely absurd. Oh, grandfather… my third grandson has reached a point where he can’t even judge women….”

What’s she on about?

Adela was rambling nonsensically. If someone saw me, they’d think I had ruined the family.

Anyway, with the vehement insistence of my elder siblings as a guise, I decided to charge ahead and tell Veronica.

“What did your sister say?”

“Oh, she said it’s not possible today. There’s some family event happening tonight.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Veronica pretended to be disappointed but nothing more.

She knew what a family event meant for nobility.

“I’m sorry for dropping by so late. I’ll stop by again early tomorrow and we’ll meet then.”

I thought I had found an adequate excuse. If I ended up in trouble with Veronica, I might suffer worse, as good experiences were hardly ever recorded.

In other words, I was plotting an escape plan to find another excuse as soon as dawn broke.

“Ugh~”

What I misunderstood was the fact that Veronica bore no resemblance to someone who would forget my face. I had forgotten due to how long it had been.

That common sense did not apply to a weirdo.

-Slap!

“How wonderful! Since this has turned into a family event, I’ll be inviting everyone!”

“What?”

“Dinner.”

“……”

Veronica genuinely believed she had hit upon a splendid suggestion, and it seemed even I couldn’t dispute that.

“I mean, are you planning to refuse the dinner invitation from a saint like me? Because it might break my heart, you know?”

“……”

“What are you doing, Colonel? Hurry up and tell your sister.”

With her bright smile. This was great news.

I was left speechless and hardly able to argue, so I staggered back to the townhouse to deliver the message.

And then,

“…Are you telling me a guy who has completed a noncombat tour of duty would negotiate like that?!”

“Help! There’s a murderer here!”

“Get over here, don’t just stand there!”

I had to flee once more from Adela, who was about to brain me with her head.

—

In conclusion, Adela’s mental state worsened as time went on.

The reason was, of course, the obliviousness of Saint Veronica.

“What’s wrong~”

“Go away. Please….”

“Don’t be shy! Here.”

Angered by the beast reference, she displayed what really meant to be difficult in a very proper manner.

The most unbearable thing was her blatant affection. Realizing the reason behind Adela’s protest against going out to eat, Veronica was now engaging in all sorts of embarrassing antics, thoroughly teasing me.

She would slyly grab my hand on the table, suddenly place it on my thigh or knee, or even play with my hair.

“Why aren’t you eating?”

“Well, this is… a bit….”

“Ah~”

She even brought the food to my mouth.

Some people lack hands or legs. Why was she so intent on feeding me?

Of course, it didn’t need any understanding at all. Just shifting my gaze slightly to the side made it perfectly clear why Veronica was acting that way.

“Ah, uh…?”

Adela, who had been trembling, now seemed to have lost her power of speech entirely.

Her quivering eyelids conveyed her horror, while her gaping mouth symbolized just how shocking everything was.

Regardless of that, Veronica was solely focused on making my life miserable. What truly diabolical intentions.

Eventually, I found myself recalling the old saying, “The Black-haired Beast should be avoided.”

“Wait a moment~”

While enduring the long humiliation and indignity, the saint abruptly stood up from her seat.

She claimed to be fetching something, but I frankly had no interest.

I just hoped she would disappear quickly.

“I have something to order; I’ll be back in a moment.”

“Ah, yes. Go ahead….”

If possible, for a long while. It’d be better if she didn’t come back at all. Please….

Although I was worried she might pull some prank on me or that I’d face another ordeal, unexpectedly, she left without uttering a word and walked toward the kitchen.

I released a sigh I had been holding back.

“Sister, are you okay…?”

As I waved my hand in front of Adela, who sat in a daze, she finally seemed to regain her senses and slowly opened her mouth.

“…Little brother.”

“Yes. I’m listening.”

“Do you see that picture frame over there?”

Her trembling finger pointed to a decorative painting nestled in a corner.

“Uh, I see it. Why?”

“I want to use that to decorate your head.”

“…….”

I closed my mouth with a serious expression. If I didn’t stop talking now, I truly feared I might end up with that picture frame stuck in my head.

Adela seemed dazed by what she had just seen as she repeatedly searched for our parents, muttering “Mom….”

With just the two of us left, the tension was unbearable. I felt even more terrified thinking about returning home where worse consequences awaited.

“Okay, I’m back~”

Just as I was anxiously keeping my eyes peeled, Veronica reappeared.

The sight of her coming from the room that looked like a storage area resembled something straight out of a nightmare.

“Colonel. I’ve prepared a gift; want to see?”

Hiding something behind her back, Veronica playfully inquired. I struggled to conceal my unease and replied.

“What is it?”

“Ta-da!”

And what she pulled out before me was—

“…Alcohol?”

None other than a bottle of alcohol.

…What the heck? I took the alcohol she handed me with an increasingly confused expression. What sort of nonsense was this again?

“It’s called Benedictine. It’s an infusion produced regularly by the monastery. It’s quite rare, so I had a tough time getting my hands on it.”

Veronica described this drink as though it were something spectacular. Honestly, it sounded like a tall tale, but it also looked unusually impressive.

Moreover, if it was a liquor of herbs and alcohol that even had a cathedral’s seal of approval, it was very likely authentic. For reference, she’d had a history of skewering the holy items for gambling funds.

Clink! A pleasant bubbling sound filled the air as the enticing liquor filled the glass before me. Veronica set it down in front of me, watching intently as if urging me to drink.

“……”

I accepted the liquor with skepticism, and Veronica asked the clichéd question about the taste.

“Definitely. As you mentioned, this is excellent liquor.”

“Haha, you think so? Then another glass?”

“……”

The answer still lingered in silence. Irrespective, Veronica filled the glass again without hesitation.

Following her lead, I sipped the third glass she presented. While the combination of herbs and honey wasn’t disagreeable, the fact this was supposed to be the renowned liquor I couldn’t shake was somewhat suspicious.

“Ugh….”

Suddenly, Adela, who had been nibbling on her meal half-heartedly, let out a deep sigh.

“Why.”

“…Never mind. Just drink.”

“…? Have you gone crazy all of a sudden? What’s with the gloomy tone?”

I concluded that Adela had completely lost her sanity. Watching the affectionate sibling interaction, Veronica chuckled softly, and then made her excuse to leave, saying she’d go wash her hands.

Just as the sound of her shoes began to fade away,

“Hey.”

The foreign affairs civil servant, clutching her forehead, spoke in an icy voice.

“While my sister’s out, you’d better come home tonight, no matter what. If not the townhouse, find a residence provided by the Ministry of National Defense. Got it?”

“Ah, what are you talking about now? It’s not like that….”

“…Frederick Nostrim.”

A weird statement slipped out.

Why was she suddenly calling me by my full name?

This is unsettling.

“Do you even know what that alcohol you just drank is?”

Adela pointed to the bottle sitting on the side table.

I shrugged, feigning ignorance.

“I don’t know. It seemed like an herbal liquor….”

“It is, indeed. A long time ago, during an era when medical science was practically nonexistent, it was the kind of liquor that the sick would drink to help recover. They thought it would help restore vitality. But do you not understand what that means?”

“What do you mean?”

“That stuff is also used as an aphrodisiac.”

“…Ah, no wonder. Is that what it means for men?”

Realizing what she meant, I jumped up in horror, my eyes wide open, and

Adela muttered,

“Please, just go home peacefully tonight, brother… I’m begging you, please….”

That earnest plea echoed with desperation.

But whether the universe would intervene to help remained to be seen.