Chapter 22

"Come in."

Winston moved away and headed towards the desk, but Sally couldn't relax.

"Information related to my brother? What's happened? No, wait, does this mean he's been watching my brother all along?"

Even though he had betrayed them, she knew the army wouldn't leave him alone, given that he was once a promising young officer in the revolutionary army. She just didn't know that Winston was the one in charge of her brother.

If he was monitoring her brother, it meant he was tracking her too. Sally pretended to clean while anxiously listening to Campbell's report.

"A few days ago, he received a large sum of money."

Sally's mouth went dry.

"Who sent it?"

"The name is Holly Easter…."

Winston chuckled. Holly Easter. He immediately recognized it as a pseudonym for a happy Easter greeting.

"Where was it sent from?"

"From a post office on Main Street in Winsford…."

"Winsford?"

"Yes."

"Description of the sender?"

"Long brown hair, fair skin, and round sunglasses. That's all the information we have."

"Why is that all we have?"

His voice was dangerously low.

"I'm sorry, Captain. We interrogated the employee who handled the transaction, but there was little to gain. It was difficult for them to recall, as it was just before closing and the person was dressed plainly, leaving no lasting impression."

Sally turned her back and smiled to herself. She was one step ahead again.

"A young woman, probably in her early to mid-twenties."

"Yes, that's correct."

"The Little Reeds."

Winston leaned back in his chair and laughed.

"How bold. To dare enter my territory like a little rat."

Sally struggled to suppress her laughter at the angry tone. There was nothing more satisfying than stirring up the enemy's base and slipping through their encirclement.

'You know, I'm incredibly bold, but you're incredibly pathetic.'

The "Vampire of Camden" is an overly generous nickname. A pathetic bastard would be more fitting.

A pathetic bastard who doesn't even realize the rat he's chasing is right in front of him. Even worse, a pathetic bastard who is so flustered he doesn't know what to do.

"Sally."

Leon picked up an empty soda bottle and then put it down. A maid quickly approached and took the bottle away.

He roughly pulled down his tie knot, slightly distorting the perfect symmetry. He took a deep breath and searched inside his jacket. Soon, a thin wisp of smoke rose from his fingertips.

"You don't think he just stopped by Winsford on a whim, do you?"

"I don't think so. Perhaps he's targeting the Western Command…."

"No, he's not that careless. He wouldn't make a transfer so close to an operation site when he knows he's being tracked."

Then what about this area? There weren't many targets for the rebels in the Camden region. The possibility that Winston's mansion, his base, could be a target was not low.

"Any updates on the soldiers' movements?"

"Yes, we've already started. We're focusing on the period around the Geben raid, investigating any suspicious behavior or communications."

"Report immediately if you find anything suspicious."

"Yes."

Leon exhaled a long stream of white smoke and lightly tapped the ash from the end of his cigar.

If only suspicion could be so easily brushed off.

That dirty rat. Where is she hiding, leaving behind a trail of suspicion like a chewed-up piece of gum?

To prevent the worst-case scenario, he might need to expand the investigation from his subordinates to the mansion staff. The fortunate part is that he only needs to investigate women with brown hair. The unfortunate part is that brown hair is extremely common.

He was lost in thought, staring at the edge of the desk when the maid returned. Her gaze sharpened as she poured soda into a clean cup on the desk.

Brown hair. A few days ago in Winsford.

The maid tilted her head, perhaps sensing his gaze, and offered the cup. At that moment, his eyes dulled.

Unfounded speculation.

This woman isn't smart enough to do something like that. She's the type who plays in his hands every day.

Just as she was starting to become a nuisance, he had already called the housekeeper to inquire about Sally, but found nothing suspicious.

Moreover, she didn't resemble the known description of the member of the Reed family at all. They all had blonde hair and brown or hazel eyes. The rat's hair was clearly dyed.

"Thank you. You can go now."

As Campbell left, Leon pressed the half-finished cigar into the ashtray and stood up. He approached the sofa, and the maid, who was tidying up a cushion in the corner, turned around.

"Oh, Captain!"

He sat down and pulled the maid onto his lap, leaning back as if cradling a child. She pushed against his chest.

"Stay still. I'm not going to do anything here."

So, you're saying you will do it somewhere else.

Sally's face twisted in disgust, but Winston didn't even crack a smile. His hand came up under the white frilled headband and messed up her hair. Her neatly braided hair was suddenly tousled, making her even more irritated.

"What are you doing…."

"Brown."

"What?"

"Really."

Surely he's not checking because of the description of the sender from earlier?

"…Do you think I'm so old that I need to dye my hair?"

She pouted, deliberately sticking out her lower lip. She didn't think she was a beauty, but it seemed that the pout worked. She had successfully clouded Winston's thoughts.

"I don't want to."

Sally blocked his approaching lips with her hand.

"Ugh…."

As soon as his wet tongue licked her palm, she recoiled in shock. Winston laughed mischievously.

"Why? Have you never been kissed before?"

"…I have."

The smile on his face disappeared.

"Well… but I don't want to. It would be an honor for you to kiss a handsome man like in the movies."

"It's a disaster for someone who doesn't want it."

Sally held his thick shoulders and coldly replied, maintaining eye contact. As soon as she sat up, Winston pushed her back down.

"We need to finish the conversation we started in front of the bookshelf."

"Do we need to have this conversation in this position?"

"Should I lay you down, then?"

Sally sighed deeply.

"What conversation?"

He stroked Sally's cheek with the back of his hand, as if caressing a lover, and bluntly said,

"It's annoying."

"I already know that, Captain."

"For months, I've felt strange whenever I see you, and it's gotten worse lately. You keep distracting me, making it hard to focus on my work."

"Then I'll stay out of sight. Or you could fire me…."

"That's not necessary."

"Then what do you want?"

"Your body."

Such an overt and rude statement, Sally wasn't surprised anymore. She replied without even a twitch of her eyebrow.

"That doesn't make sense."

"I just want to try it out and be done with it. Once we get it over with, it'll probably be boring. If I lose interest, you'll be free too."

"I don't want that."

"Why? Do you want to be my mistress?"

"No."

Before she finished speaking, a firm rejection fell. Leon couldn't help but laugh in frustration.

"Right, I don't want a troublesome pet either. Besides, to clarify, I don't like you. I'm only doing this because I can't get it up with anyone else. Do you know how annoying that is?"

"I understand, but I don't like such disgusting acts."

"How do you know if you haven't tried? It might be good once you do."

"Then it would be even more awkward, wouldn't it? If you get bored after trying it, but I want more?"

That will never happen, but if it helps, I'll say something.

"Besides, how can you trust me? If I accidentally get pregnant, it would be a problem for you too."

"Then it would be a jackpot for you."

"My dream is to live a normal, quiet life."

"I'm just suggesting we do it once so you can live quietly."

"What if you don't get tired of me after that? You might lose even more focus."

A snicker escaped Winston's twisted lips.

"You're full of confidence?"

"If you want to get tired of me, I can go on a boring date with you."