The Snow Queen

I groggily opened my eyes. The ashen morning sunlight hesitantly peeked through the gaps in the curtains.The dolls!I quickly tried to sit up but immediately collapsed back down. The sensation from below was overwhelming. That’s when I remembered what had happened with the man the previous night. My face flushed with embarrassment.That bastard.True to his word, he didn’t cause me severe physical pain. Instead, he demanded humiliation from me. I’d often thought about this while fooling around with men I met at Snow White, but last night made me realize that even sex has a history. How much time had passed as all these unimaginable acts were invented under the guise of sex? If I were to write it all down like a historical record, it would become an instant bestseller.This isn’t the time for such thoughts.After dealing with the man until I was exhausted, I had briefly closed my eyes and then completely passed out. I hurriedly put on my robe but paused when I noticed a note sticking out from under the pillowcase.“I’ve taken care of all the dolls. I’ll see you in three days.”Three days…?I suddenly remembered. I had told the man to come back in three days, as the delivery needed to be made by then.What an absurd guy… I grumbled, lying back down on the bed.Still, it was nice that he dealt with the dolls. He was someone who understood give and take. With the dolls all finished, I had nothing to do for the next three days, so I decided to rest. I pulled the sheets up to my neck. Automatically, memories of last night came flooding back.As always, the man was harsh last night. The first two times, he was so gentle, but when it came to satisfying his own desires, he pushed me without mercy. However, I couldn’t help but smirk at how, while caressing me, he occasionally seemed lost in thought, yet when it came to his pleasure, he demonstrated such intense focus.First, he firmly inserted some strange device into me.“What… what are you putting in?”“Nothing much. It’s just an enema tool. It’s rubber, so it won’t hurt you inside. It’ll go deep, but not enough to cause pain. Keep your hips up if you don’t want to dirty the sheets.”“What… what are you going to do with that… Ah! Ah!”A cold liquid was injected deep inside me. The man spoke playfully.“Right now, it’s better if you tighten up. If you’re not careful, it’ll spill out.”The liquid kept pouring in, and the sloshing sensation made me nauseous.“Stop… Stop, it’s full.”“Full? No, there’s room for more. Squeeze tightly, or it’ll leak and soak the sheets.”“How… how long do I have to stay like this…?”“Fifteen minutes. You can endure that much, right?”Then the man used another strange tool to block me below. After about ten minutes, the pain in my lower abdomen became unbearable. I finally realized the man’s intentions and turned pale. As I struggled to bear it, crossing my legs, the man gently caressed me. That only made the sensation harder to endure.The man glanced at the wall clock.“Fifteen minutes. Now, let’s go to the bathroom. Can you stand?”I hurriedly tried to get up, but my knees buckled the moment I stood on the floor. The man crossed his arms and laughed.“I deliberately chose a small vibrator. If you’re not careful, it’ll spill out when you walk. You’ll need to keep your muscles tight. I won’t help you; crawl there on your own.”I had no choice but to crawl to the bathroom. The humiliation consumed me. The man followed behind me slowly, watching intently. At that moment, I understood what it meant to be violated by someone’s gaze. By the time I reached the bathroom, I was already exhausted. I tried to reach down, but the man stopped me.“I’ll help from here.”“I… I don’t need help. Just… leave.”“Why would I leave? This is the best part. Hahaha.”The man laughed cheerfully as he made me kneel. He spread my cheeks wide apart. The sensation of the device being removed sent chills down my spine. Once it was out, a terrifying feeling of release hit me from below. I clenched desperately.“It’s okay. Let it out. It’s meant to come out, so don’t fight it.”The man forcefully lifted my hips and spoke. I struggled desperately to get away from him, but it was no use. In the end, I lost control and it spilled out. The man stared at it, and his face was flushed with excitement as he looked over every trembling part of me in shame. After washing me off with the shower, he slowly entered me from behind.“Ah, ah, ah, aah.”I barely managed to hold onto the edge of the bathtub, pushed forward by his relentless thrusts. The man skillfully adjusted the angle to hit my prostate with his tip, and a chilling pleasure shot through me. White sparks flew before my eyes. The man kept asking me how it felt, while running his fingers smoothly through my hair, caressing my skin.Then, he changed positions and went for another round. He was truly an energetic man.It wasn’t the first time I’d experienced such things with devices. The man and his friends had been into them for a while. Still, every time it happened, I couldn’t help but be startled. The sensation of a cold device moving inside me was indescribably unpleasant. What was worse were the eyes that obsessively watched between my legs where the device was inserted.I raised my arm to block the ashen daylight streaming in through the window.Well, at least the doll boxes are all taken care of. That’s enough.“Are you already awake?”Suddenly, the man entered the room without knocking, startling me. I couldn’t believe it.“Why are you still here?”“What do you mean? I was attaching the doll’s eyes. I finished about an hour ago. I went out to buy cigarettes because I ran out and thought it’d be polite to say goodbye before leaving. Besides, it’s Sunday, and I’ve got plenty of time.”The man took off his coat and acted nonchalant. I glared at him and pulled the sheet over myself. All I could think was how he really had nothing better to do. He slid onto the bed next to me, slipping his hand under the sheets to touch the back of my neck. His bold behavior made it seem as if he were the homeowner. He clearly had plans to touch me again.“Are you mad?”“I’m just dumbfounded.”“About what?”The man asked while touching my chest, pinching the skin around my nipples and teasing the tips.Here we go again…I smirked bitterly.He puts on airs of politeness, but it’s practically a demand, isn’t it? This is 42nd Street, where every alley is rotten with vice. The police won’t even bother unless it’s a major incident. And this man—he’s a notorious member of Guiger. Beyond his persistent personality, I had no way to refuse him.Well, with the dolls taken care of, I had plenty of time. There wasn’t much reason to resist. More than anything, it was just bothersome.Fine, let him do what he wants.He was a strange man. Why did he keep asking for sex? Was he some kind of pervert? I wasn’t attractive. I had a small build and no charm. I could tell from the reactions of my neighbors and the customers who came to the second-hand bookstore—they often made faces at me.The man touched my chest while deep in thought. His downward gaze was sharp. He had often lost himself in thought while touching me before. What could he be thinking this time? Maybe he wasn’t just an ordinary Guiger member after all. The thought sent a chill through my body.“Why are you acting like that all of a sudden?”The man pressed down on my nipple with his fingertip and spoke abruptly.“What do you mean?”“Heh… You just got goosebumps. When you’re touched like this, I can read all your reactions. The body doesn’t lie. I saw goosebumps spread over your skin. Are you scared of me?”As if reading my mind, the man hugged me tightly as I unconsciously tried to pull away. His lower body pressed against me, hard. He licked my earlobe and whispered.“I asked you why.”His tone was like an interrogation. Hesitant, I decided to be honest.“I just… I just remembered that you’re a Guiger member. That’s why I got scared. For a moment.”“Scared because I’m a Guiger member, huh?”The man let out a low chuckle.“Are you afraid of Guiger?”“…Not just afraid, I despise them.”“A candid answer. Well, don’t worry. A lowly member like me only gets to beat up protesters in the streets. I don’t have the power to arrest innocent people like you.”The man didn’t push further and went back to touching me. His hand, which had been caressing my chest, slowly moved down and entered my body. Just then, the phone I’d left on the windowsill vibrated.It was Lord Manen.Instinctively, I pushed the man away, grabbed my robe, and hurriedly dashed to the bathroom. Sweat ran down my back from the tension.“Yes,” I answered in a low voice.“It’s been a while. I’ve got news. I hear Guiger members are stationed at the East Eden newspaper’s editorial office. It looks like they’ve teamed up to take us down. What should we do? Should we turn a blind eye, or should we give them a little nudge?”“I think the latter is best,” I answered, conscious of the man in the other room.“As expected. You and I think alike… It’s probably better not to let them keep using East Eden as their tool. There’s a party at Wolfscott tomorrow. I’ll contact you again in the afternoon.”“I’ll wait.”I turned off my phone. Sitting on the edge of the bathtub, I stifled a laugh. In retrospect, it was absurd. At night, I roll around messily with Guiger’s agent, and during the day, I plot to attack Guiger. What kind of expressions would that man outside the door or Lord Manen on the other end of the phone make if they knew about this situation?After laughing quietly for a while, I stood up. When I entered the room, the man stared without moving. When I asked, “What?” the man shrugged his shoulders.“It’s nothing. I should be going.”The man put on his coat. I stood against the wall, silently watching. Just as he was adjusting his coat, the man glanced in my direction. His gray eyes gleamed strangely. The sound of his shoes echoed as he approached.He grabbed both of my shoulders with his hands, then slowly tilted his head and kissed me.It was a dense, deep kiss. The man took my wrists and wrapped them around his neck, interlocking our fingers. In the process, my phone tumbled to the floor.The man slowly untied my robe.“Stay like that…”The robe slipped to the ground.The brass band reached the peak of its performance. As expected of a band specially invited by Lord Wolfscott, their skill was impeccable. When the performance ended, Lord Wolfscott leaped up, showering applause.“Bravo!”He gestured to the pianist, clapping him on the shoulder, saying, “I thought Ray Charles had been reincarnated.” Amidst the torrent of applause, Lord Wolfscott began making his rounds around the banquet hall. Once again, Guiger’s officers trailed faithfully behind him.Hundreds of candles burning in the chandelier cast a fiery light like a downpour over the room. Strutting through the bright center of the banquet hall, Lord Wolfscott was every bit as imposing as an emperor. King Kruger had also graced the event, but his presence was less than that of a silver tray held by a servant. A noblewoman waving a fan flinched and turned away when her gaze met Lord Wolfscott’s. Two young aristocrats deep in conversation turned pale and hurriedly retreated when they realized how close Lord Wolfscott had come.To the nobles, Lord Wolfscott was akin to Ivan the Terrible, the 16th-century Tsar of Russia. His ferocity was certainly in line with that of Ivan the Terrible. If he had a son, no doubt the boy would have been beaten to death for some trivial reason with his father’s cane. The only difference was that there wasn’t an Ilya Repin in this kingdom to immortalize such a tragedy on canvas.Moreover, in the eyes of the nobles, Lord Wolfscott’s Guiger officers resembled the Oprichniki. The Oprichniki, the first secret police force of Russia, founded by Ivan the Terrible, patrolled the streets of Moscow in black uniforms, slaughtering up to 10,000 nobles. Honestly, I had no desire to be compared to them. I’d rather pass on that. While Guiger was indeed a violent group, they weren’t quite on the level of the Oprichniki. Although, I admit that our appearance, especially those damned masks, does surpass theirs.The death masks were commissioned by Lord Wolfscott from a famous mask-maker. He had demanded they be made “as terrifying as possible, enough to make someone’s knees buckle at first glance, enough to jolt someone awake in the middle of the night.” The mask-maker upgraded an old Togo mask passed down in the kingdom, which greatly pleased Lord Wolfscott. When it came time to pay, Lord Wolfscott sent someone to kill the mask-maker. Even Ivan the Terrible, who gouged out the eyes of the architect who built St. Basil’s Cathedral so that he could never create something more beautiful, would shake his head at such a move.Whenever I wore the damned mask and followed Lord Wolfscott, the expressions of the nobles were quite a sight to behold. As intended, we struck fear into them, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of being like a monkey in a zoo.Such dreadful taste…I followed Lord Wolfscott with a bitter smile. A group of young aristocrats appeared in the distance, the so-called “Release.” Lord Wolfscott approached them with open arms.Lord Wolfscott had no sons, only a married daughter. His son-in-law, once a promising young nobleman, had been left paralyzed after a car accident ten years ago. Recently, Lord Wolfscott had been considering adopting a successor. As a result, many young noblemen had been clamoring for his favor. The Release group was no exception.Lord Wolfscott shook hands with each member of Release and patted them on the shoulder. The young aristocrats showed no signs of being intimidated by the leader of their order.They’re working hard today, too.I smirked, sizing up the young upstarts.The Release group was nothing but laughable. Their name alone was ridiculous. Lilies? At best, they were cucumber blossoms. They were clearly trying to act confident in front of Lord Wolfscott, who despised obvious flattery, but they couldn’t fool my eyes.Still, one of them caught my attention. A thick beard and a sturdy build. A man I was meeting for the first time. He wasn’t your average aristocrat.Lord Wolfscott also seemed impressed by him and spoke up.“And who might you be? I don’t recall seeing you before.”“It’s an honor. My name is Ray Arisa. I’ve just returned from studying in Italy, so I’m still a bit unpolished. I look forward to your guidance.”I almost burst out laughing.Ray Arisa?“I see. Arisa… might you be the son of Lord Arkyle Arisa?”“Yes, he is my father.”“Good to hear. Your father spoke highly of his eldest son, and I was curious to meet you myself. Now that I’ve seen you, I understand why. Ha!”“You flatter me.”I bit my lip, suppressing laughter. Lord Wolfscott seemed to have taken a liking to the man’s beard, as he continued chatting with him.“If you ever need anything, feel free to visit my office.”That was the final remark Lord Wolfscott made to the bearded man. It meant he was fully prepared to take him under his wing.Things were getting a little out of hand.The smile faded from my face. It was rare for Lord Wolfscott to show such favor to someone upon first meeting. The Arisa family was a prestigious noble house with a long military tradition. Securing alliances with strong families was essential for gaining an advantage in political battles. There was no way Lord Wolfscott would consider adopting a man from an insignificant family. I needed to keep an eye on this bearded man.“He simply twirled his wine glass, sweeping his gaze over the Guiger captains one by one. That look in his eyes was arrogant beyond belief. Just as I was about to curse him to the heavens, I realized something.Wait… is that guy…?His eyes weren’t just sizing up the captains. As a natural-born gay man, I could easily recognize the meaning behind that look. It was suddenly, absurdly, hilarious. It was killing me. Watching this play out right in front of me, witnessing the common thread between that dirt-poor Arisa and the noble Arisa, was so grotesquely comical.I bit down on my lips again, trying to hold back laughter. If I wasn’t careful, I was really going to lose it. Fortunately, Lord Wolfscott walked away from Release just in time to prevent a disaster.But now, Lord Wolfscott’s eyes settled on something else. A group of aristocratic knights were quietly chatting, their long, blue silk robes trailing along the floor. At the front, Manen was casually sipping his drink.A mischievous grin crept across Lord Wolfscott’s face. He stared Manen down for a moment before confidently striding over.Here we go again.How petty.I snickered as Lord Wolfscott stopped right in front of Manen and gave him a slow once-over, his posture openly rude. One of the younger aristocrats behind Manen turned bright red at such blatant disrespect.Manen shot Lord Wolfscott a glance and smiled as he raised his wine glass. His movements were calm, completely unshaken. It reaffirmed what I’d always thought: Manen was one slippery snake.Lord Wolfscott, still glaring, tilted his head as if confused, before smirking and raising his own glass, clinking it against Manen’s.“Wine, huh…? You know, I’ve never been one to enjoy jazz with wine. Jazz is, after all, something that started with Black people, sharing beer in a tavern while jamming out.”Lord Wolfscott triumphantly raised his beer mug for all to see. Manen responded in an even tone.“I wasn’t aware, my lord, that you had Black blood running through your veins. Besides, this isn’t a tavern.”“Black…?”Lord Wolfscott’s face twisted with rage.Ahh, here it comes.It was always like this. Just as Manen could never beat Lord Wolfscott with his fists, Lord Wolfscott could never beat Manen with words. And yet, Lord Wolfscott always threw himself into these hopeless battles with renewed zeal. I laughed quietly to myself. At moments like this, I almost appreciated Lord Wolfscott’s terrible taste, the one that had him strapping the reaper masks onto the poor captains and exclaiming, “Marvelous! So charismatic! It’s like a work of art!”Manen really was something else.Lately, Lord Wolfscott had been in high spirits, riding the wave of Judge Emillen’s downfall. He’d been throwing lavish parties every other day, and, as always, Manen made sure to attend every one of them. He truly was a cunning old fox.He’ll last another week at most…I gazed steadily at Manen. His long white beard and elegant robes made him look almost too regal for his party animal reputation. It made me want to lean in and whisper in his ear, “I covered your daughter’s legs with Cotbica’s piss and shit.” The expression he’d make would be priceless. Ha! Ha!Soon enough, I’ll be dressing that old body in its burial shroud, whispering today’s lines in his ear. That day was coming. And just thinking about it sent shivers of anticipation down my spine.Manen gently set his wine glass down and, unexpectedly, turned his gaze toward me, smiling slightly.“You’ve all worked hard protecting his lordship. Why don’t you shake my hand today?”Manen extended his hand toward me.I didn’t move. Though it was brief, something about the glint in Manen’s eyes rubbed me the wrong way.“What are you doing? How dare you refuse the Lotus’ handshake?” one of the young knights shouted. Lord Wolfscott, clearly amused, glanced back and forth between Manen and me, obviously hoping I would dish out some kind of retaliation.Hmm…Well, sometimes a little flattery doesn’t hurt.I made up my mind and opened my mouth.“I’ll have to decline. If there’s any poison on the Lotus’ glove, it would interfere with my duty as a bodyguard. I’m sure the other captains feel the same.”For a brief moment, Manen’s face stiffened. Lord Wolfscott burst into roaring laughter.“Haha! Loyalty like this from my bodyguards!”Lord Wolfscott, still laughing, slapped Manen on the shoulder, who had yet to withdraw his hand.“Well, then, see you next time, Lotus.”And with that, Lord Wolfscott turned on his heel and walked off, his face brimming with joy. Now it would be easier to bring up the newspaper deal. I allowed myself a smirk.“What the hell? You’ve been planning this the whole time?”Leopard slammed his glass down.“And how did I not know about it?”“You can’t say you didn’t. I’ve been testing the waters. Only the bare minimum of people were involved, and security’s been airtight. I’m telling you about it first, even among the captains, so calm down.”“You’re telling me now, three days before D-day? That’s a bit much, isn’t it? We’ve known each other for seven years! I mean, sure, it’s top secret, but three days?”“I haven’t told Lord Wolfscott either. I will soon. Even the operatives involved don’t know the whole picture. You’re the first person I’ve told the full plan to. Cheer up.”“You asked to have lunch together, so I figured you had something to say. Alright then, fine. Everything’s good. So, how much is the guarantee you’re going to collect?”“What do you think?”I laughed as I brought the glass to my lips, and Leopard nodded, saying, “As expected.” I quietly observed Leopard. Before being friends, we were competitors vying for position at Guiger. Leopard probably thought I confided in him because I trusted him, but the real reason was different. I wanted to use this opportunity to test whether he was truly on my side.Leopard soon broke into a grin.“Alright, chief. This sounds pretty thrilling. So, throw me the task. Whatever it is, I’ll handle it perfectly.”I smiled subtly.“Then take a look at this.”I handed Leopard Manen’s newspaper. Leopard glanced at it, saying, “What’s this?”“Didn’t the managers pass this around this morning?”“Focus on this part. It’s an article about our agents stationed at the East Eden newspaper.”“East Eden, huh… It’s not a big feature. Just a simple box article. And, as usual, it’s taking a jab at Lord Wolfscott. Haha, I like this line: ‘The editorial office of East Eden remains silent under the authority of Guiger’s agents.’”“On D-day, I plan to arrest Manen suddenly and shut down his newspaper by force. That way, the only paper people can buy will be the second most subscribed one—East Eden. I’ve been preparing for that moment by casting East Eden and working behind the scenes, but they’ve already caught the scent. It’s annoying. I expected them to make a light scratch, but still.”“Hmmm.”Leopard handed the newspaper back to me.“They don’t seem to be thinking much of this. If they had really figured out our plan, they’d be raising a much bigger alarm by now, don’t you think?”“You take care of East Eden. Even if they’re playing dumb for now, it’ll cheapen the operation if they start stirring too soon. Make sure they publish an editorial lightly criticizing Lord Wolfscott.”“East Eden, the unbiased newspaper with no ties to Guiger?”“Exactly.”We smiled at each other and clinked glasses. Leopard swirled his drink and spoke.“So, when are you going to tell Lord Wolfscott?”“He’s too busy partying right now. I’m thinking of gifting it to him as a surprise.”“As expected of you, chief. Did you refuse Manen’s handshake with this in mind?”“Of course.”“Figures.”Leopard raised his thumb, shrugging his shoulders.“Alright, leave this one to me. I’ll take care of it perfectly and get back to you by tonight. By the way, about 42nd Street yesterday…”“…Yeah?”I had been too busy yesterday, so I’d sent Leopard to scout 42nd Street alone. Because of Ray, every time Leopard mentioned 42nd Street, I couldn’t help but pause.Leopard’s eyes gleamed as he spoke.“Guess who I saw? That girl, you know, her.”“Her? Who?”“Who else? Redfox. She was walking somewhere with a potted plant. I recognized her from afar because of her coat. I called out to her, but she just slipped away. If I hadn’t been driving, I’d have grabbed her right then and had some fun. Man, what a missed chance. Why doesn’t Redfox show up at the bar anymore? I’ve been waiting eagerly.”I put my glass down. The high spirits I’d been feeling deflated in an instant. I nearly punched Leopard in the face as he kept licking his lips in excitement in front of me.“Why do you keep calling her ‘that girl’?”“Huh?”Leopard, distracted by a waiter’s backside, gave a half-hearted reply. His attitude was irritatingly arrogant.“Why? Oh yeah, you’ve nagged me about this before. Well… it’s just that someone like Redfox should be called a ‘girl,’ you know? She’s the type who fits that. A girl through and through, don’t you think? With her tiny, delectable body, prettier than most women. That soft, squeezable chest. Those petite nipples. And, above all, that hot… you know, between her legs.”Leopard chuckled, making gestures as if he were envisioning Ray’s naked body. Watching his smirking, lewd face as he continued, I felt my blood boil. I didn’t even know why it pissed me off so much.“You can just tell. You know exactly what I mean. When she was young, she probably snuck into her mom’s room, put on lipstick, and secretly wore women’s clothes. Played with Barbie dolls, dressing them up. Look at that long hair. No one grows it like that without some serious care.”“And?”“And then, as she got older, she probably masturbated while fantasizing about some guy’s dick. Remember? When you touched her nipples, she came so easily. Even as a beginner, she moaned like crazy when you put two fingers in her and started moving. At the bar, she’d go off with just anyone who approached her. She was born to spread her legs for men, plain and simple. So, yeah, she’s a ‘girl.’”“And? Go on.”“Well, so that girl—”Finally, Leopard looked at me and hesitated. He stared at my expression for a second before waving his hand dismissively.“Alright, alright, chief! Fine, it’s ‘him,’ okay? Jeez, picking a fight over nothing.”Leopard downed his vodka in large gulps, exuding arrogance. I could feel that if I stayed any longer, I might use the knife in my hand to cut out Leopard’s tongue. All I said was, “Call me tonight,” and left the restaurant.A dreary snowstorm raged outside. Snow, mixed with mud, lay scattered across both the sidewalks and roads like rotting corpses. It was 2 p.m., and the bells of nearby churches rang out all at once. The streets, draped in a grim gray darkness, were suddenly filled with countless ringing bells, like a battlefield trampled under a stampede of hooves.As I walked slowly along the road, I sank into thought. The more I mulled over Leopard’s words, the harsher Ray’s miserable circumstances seemed. The contrast became even clearer when I thought of another person I knew who had recently returned from studying abroad—a namesake of Ray.Ray, an orphan, never had a mother with lipstick. The reason for the countless boxes of dolls stacked up in his cramped room was purely for survival. I once thought that perhaps even his small frame was the result of a life lived in poverty. Listening to Leopard’s mocking words was like being struck in the back of the head with a blunt object. I recalled Ray’s pale face as he handled his dolls, and Leopard’s sneers overlapped in my mind. A cold chill spread through my entire body.But could I even laugh at Leopard? Was I any different, focusing only on my own physical needs while disregarding Ray’s exhaustion?After all, Ray is just trash.Whether through prostitution or manual labor, there are countless ways to make money. Fixing the eyes on those dolls was his choice. I had no reason to care. Apart from his pretty face and body, Ray was worth nothing.Suddenly, Ray’s personal history surfaced in my mind. From the age of twelve to seventeen, he had frequently visited hospitals. Could there have been a specific reason for him to suffer from so many neurological disorders?“Why am I even thinking about this?” I muttered irritably, just as my phone rang. It was an agent I had embedded in the prosecutor’s office.“Yeah, what is it?”“I need to report something urgently. Today, Prosecutor Brady confided in me about something. Two months ago, a man who owed her a favor came to her. Then, ten days ago, he suddenly showed up at her office. One of our agents happened to be there at the time.”“And?”“The man was acting overly sweet, saying it was his birthday and treating her to dinner. They ended up spending the night together, and then he casually asked her, ‘By the way, I saw someone who looked like a Guiger agent in your office earlier. What’s going on with them these days?’ She absentmindedly replied that there was some secret project in the works with Guiger. Prosecutor Brady insists that’s all she said. What should we do?”A bad feeling crept over me.“Our agent at the prosecutor’s office was undercover. How did the man recognize him?”“He said he just sensed it from the atmosphere.”“What about the tattooed spies at the prosecutor’s office?”“There’s been less activity than usual. We haven’t seen a trace of them for over a week, and there’s been no attempt to approach the prosecutor. The information we gathered today came from Prosecutor Brady herself, who only mentioned it while complaining about how dry the bribery pipeline from the tattooed nobles has been lately.”“Pull Prosecutor Brady out of the office immediately and detain her. Find that man and secure him tonight. I’ll interrogate him personally.”After hanging up, I immediately contacted the team handling the accountant.“What’s the situation?”“He left the country two days ago.”“And?”“As soon as he arrived, he called me, saying ‘Aloha!’ He joked about how being under the Hawaiian sky, far from the Snow Queen’s skirts, almost made him cry.”“And today?”“I called his hotel this morning, but he was panting, saying he was in the middle of sex with a woman.”“Keep tabs on him. If anything happens, we may need to drag him back as a witness.”“Understood.”I ended the call. I took a slow walk through the park near headquarters, waiting for the interrogation unit to contact me. Ten days ago, we unleashed rats, and now we were targeting the East Eden newspaper…Like solving a math problem, I started considering all the possibilities one by one. The reason I set only two weeks for this operation was for security. If it took too long, people would let their guard down, and information would leak. I despised waste. I preferred to prepare meticulously in secret and strike swiftly, finishing things in the blink of an eye. The essence of this operation was achieving maximum results with minimal time and resources.My phone vibrated.“The target has been secured. You can come now.”I put on my uniform coat and that damn mask. Leaving the office, I took the elevator down to the underground interrogation room. Walking through the dimly lit hallway, dressed as I was, often stirred strange thoughts. The hallway was long and dark, with small windows packed tightly along the walls, from which the smell of blood wafted like dry ice. Groans leaked out, and men’s screams pierced the air.Whenever I found myself surrounded by the ugliness of violence and conspiracy, I would sometimes get this odd feeling. As if I had been specially chosen by God to fulfill a destined path. But it was nothing more than an illusion. I chuckled softly and put on my gloves.There’s no way God would choose a sadist like me.I opened the door to the interrogation room. A naked man was hanging upside down, surrounded by the torturers. I sat down and stared at him for a moment. He was already terrified. It wouldn’t take long to extract a confession.On the desk was a file with the man’s profile. He was a singer who often performed at aristocratic parties. He had been featured in gossip columns several times for his affairs and scandals with noblewomen. Recently, rumors of him raping a teenage girl had surfaced, causing him to lose work and fall into financial ruin. Based on his profile, he seemed like nothing more than a Casanova who lived off women.I tapped the desk lightly with my fingers and said, “Let’s skip the preliminaries and start flaying him.”The man’s face turned a sickly yellow. His eyes filled with terror as he looked at the approaching torturers. From the beginning, there was no chance he would leave this room alive. His only choice was whether he would die horribly or slightly less horribly.His screams ripped through the air. Blood began to drip from his body. Usually, we started with a cat-o’-nine-tails, but I wanted to wrap this up quickly. I wasn’t too worried. The only thing I had honed during this life was my intuition. It didn’t feel great, but it wasn’t terrible either.It’s been two weeks. That was the calculated period to account for the possibility that they might sense something was amiss. I was confident it would take them at least ten days to figure out what exactly we were planning and developing.And once Manen found out the truth, the best he could do was to wash his neck clean and start praying. I watched the skin of the man pile up at his feet, falling away like unraveling bandages.Maybe I should visit Ray today…It’s been exactly four days since I last saw him.The man cried out noisily. I had only cut a small portion from his forearm, but he was already making a huge fuss. He wasn’t qualified to be a spy. Still, for someone who claimed to be a singer, his screams were impressively resonant. Watching his pathetic display gradually lifted my previously foul mood.I smiled to myself, imagining placing a necklace directly on Ray’s neck.“What an insolent thug.”Lord Manen was fuming with anger. He had made a solid effort to shake hands with the Guiger heads, but they had rejected him. Ever since the meeting started, all he did was vent his frustration. While he didn’t go into detail, I had grasped the whole situation as soon as the call began. His rage was justified.“How dare they refuse a handshake from Lotus! Those commoners, no—those thugs who do nothing but fight! Does that make any sense? What is this country coming to… Ha! Even the late king never insulted me like this!”My phone buzzed loudly. I scratched my cheek with a birch twig, smirking wryly. To my eyes, both Lord Manen and Wolfscott were nothing more than large-scale thieves, while Guiger was merely a hunting dog raised by one. And I was Lord Manen’s poodle. I didn’t expect his rage to subside for another ten minutes.I leaned back against the head of my bed and set the phone down, sipping some pear juice while waiting for Lord Manen to calm down. My body didn’t feel great. After placing the glass on the windowsill beside the bed, I stared vacantly at the plant I had bought yesterday.The plant on the dining table was so vividly green that it almost hurt my eyes. Aside from the plant, everything in this room was a gloomy shade of ash. In this decaying garden, the plant stood out like a foreigner, freshly arrived from a tropical land, with its dried oranges and spicy cinnamon scent and tanned skin.Finally, the phone became somewhat quieter.“Have you calmed down?”“…I must hold it in, what else can I do?”“Don’t bother with those brutes. Is everything going according to plan?”“Do you know who I am?”“Then we’ll begin. Just wait and see.”“Understood.”“…Wolfscott still doesn’t know a thing, does he? He’s too busy enjoying the smooth progress of adopting a candidate for the crown princess. He’s thrilled that the candidate is not only lovely but also quite skilled. Since her family isn’t particularly powerful, he figures there’s little chance of her trying to challenge him once she becomes the crown princess. Now, all that’s left is for him to seize power and rule at his leisure.”“Speaking of which, do take a look at the bride we’ve prepared.”I nearly laughed aloud. The fact that Lord Manen was leisurely concerned about a bride showed just how confident he was in this operation.“Our candidate isn’t one to be dismissed either. The only slight drawback is that her faith isn’t particularly devout, but at least she’s a Catholic. Still, it seems like the preparations are going smoothly, even better than I anticipated.”“Well, naturally. With you guiding things and me doing the legwork, things are bound to take off. So, when do you think we should set the D-Day?”“Whenever you see fit, sir.”“As expected, we’re like one body, haha. So, this day works, then?”“That’s correct.”“All that’s left now is to roll up our sleeves and get to work. But I was surprised; the plan you proposed this time is quite different from your previous ones.”“Well, this time we’re dealing with Guiger.”“Anything else to add?”“Is it still impossible to make any contact with Director Snake?”“There you go again. Hmm. I can confirm that Snake is among the guards surrounding Wolfscott. But they all wear the same uniforms and masks, so it’s impossible to tell who’s who. It’s ridiculous that such thugs are allowed to enter the royal palace in the first place. Imagine, one of those scoundrels refusing a handshake from me… Damn it!”Lord Manen burst out again, even swearing, a sign that he didn’t want to relive the memory.“Well, there’s nothing we can do for now. But I’ll try to get a read on Snake beyond Wolfscott. Stay calm and wait.”As expected, there were no results. Instead, I got something entirely different from Wolfscott.“Wolfscott’s been badgering Snake to bring me in. Apparently, whenever Wolfscott starts talking about me, Snake just ignores him, which has left Wolfscott deeply offended. This is getting interesting. The words ‘arrogant bastard’ and ‘how dare he treat me like this’ are practically pouring out around Wolfscott. We might be able to drive a wedge between him and Snake.”“A wedge?”Lord Manen reacted sharply.“How do you mean?”“We’ll have to wait and see. Wolfscott may think Snake is an arrogant bastard, but he also considers him competent. There’s a subtle reliance there. Let’s watch for now. Since we haven’t fully analyzed the Guiger heads yet, it’s hard to formulate a specific plan right away.”“I see.”I paused to think for a moment.“There’s also the possibility that Snake has allied with a different martial noble outside of Wolfscott. Perhaps some force we’re unaware of is backing him. I’ve heard there are some rising martial nobles lately. When you attend the next party, be sure to shake hands with them all. If Snake has secretly partnered with another noble, we could use that as leverage to take him down.”“Understood. You must be exhausted, so take some time to rest. I’ll call you the morning after tomorrow.”By the time the consultation ended, I was completely drained. I pulled the sheet up to my chin. I had caught a cold after going out yesterday to buy the plant. Closing my eyes, I carefully organized my thoughts.The chances that the scheme we devised would work on Snake were fifty-fifty. The corruption of both Wolfscott and Lord Manen was evenly matched. If our plan succeeded, it would pass like a fleeting breeze. But if it didn’t?When plotting schemes, one must always consider the worst-case scenario. I worried that Snake might change his mind and move up the date. If that happened, it would be the end for Lord Manen.I stared at the dreary ceiling.It’s a dangerous gamble…But there was no other way. This was the most dangerous plan we’d ever concocted. Since taking on this consultation role, I had never been in such a precarious situation.Is this what thrill feels like?After all, Lord Manen didn’t know my name or where I lived. We had only met once, ten years ago. Even if Lord Manen fell, there was no danger to me.But it would feel empty if it ended like this.After ten years of effort, with my life’s fate still uncertain, I had no intention of letting it all crumble now. I picked up The Art of War from beside my bed and slowly flipped through its pages.I liked reading The Art of War. Whenever things didn’t go well, I’d make a habit of leafing through the book, looking for answers.Since I hadn’t received a formal education, I once asked Lord Manen to recommend books for my consultation work. He suggested a number of them, but the one he strongly urged me to read was The Art of War.Since then, I had based my consultations with Lord Manen on the principle, “All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when we are able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must appear inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make them believe we are near.” This strategy is from the first chapter, Initial Estimations. Lord Manen had actively applied my advice. In that sense, we were well-suited as superior and subordinate.However, for this reason, despite being a prominent noble, Lord Manen was subtly looked down upon. Many people dismissed him as nothing more than a lucky party-goer. It was pure nonsense. The Art of War, in its chapter Attack by Stratagem, proclaims:“The highest form of generalship is to balk the enemy’s plans; the next best is to prevent the junction of the enemy’s forces; the next in order is to attack the enemy’s army in the field; and the worst policy of all is to besiege walled cities.”In any case, all I could do now was pray that this matter would conclude successfully. I put off thinking about the next steps for later. After organizing my consultation notes, I fell asleep.I was awoken by the sound of birds fighting outside the window. It was the dead of night, an oppressive darkness. When I had spoken with Lord Manen, it had been broad daylight. I had slept quite a bit, yet still felt drowsy.I was about to fall back asleep when I changed my mind. The flower shop owner had told me to water the plant frequently if the room was dry. Forcing myself to sit up, a sharp pain shot through the back of my head.I heated up a glass of pear juice and drank it. Though the fever had subsided from the sleep, my entire body felt heavy, as if something was weighing down my lower abdomen.