Chapter 89

The basis for arresting Sinclair on suspicion of anti-government activities was the attack on the Rampton detention center a little over a month ago. The mark of Sinclair Ammunition was found on the explosives used in the attack, which were left over from the demolition of the detention center. If it were something anyone could obtain, it wouldn't have been a case, but the problem was that it was a new type of explosive not yet available on the market.

Leon stared at a man in his mid-30s, dressed in a high-quality suit that seemed out of place in the rough and bleak interrogation room. Jeffrey Sinclair was the president of Sinclair Ammunition.

As he flipped through a few more pages, a familiar name appeared. It was a labor activist whom he had met several times for meals while monitoring Jeffrey Sinclair's movements.

'Damn it...'

Leon, who had read the record that the man had been arrested on suspicion of anti-government activities a few days earlier at the Eastern Command, quietly cursed. The evidence in his hands was decisive enough to send the man to a detention center immediately.

But Leon's intuition, which had consistently tracked the rebels for quite some time, shouted that this family had nothing to do with the rebels.

Quite clear evidence. A conflicting intuition.

Was it a frame-up by the king, or had his investigation been inadequate from the start, influenced by prejudice? Leon was confused.

* * *

Unexpected.

Grace blinked in the darkness, repeating the same words as if counting sheep.

The man who used to visit at least twice a day only came in the morning today. Then he didn't show up until after two in the morning. He had never failed to come at night before...

'Could he still be working? He did seem busy lately...'

Grace suddenly frowned.

'Why do I care about that?'

A sigh echoed emptily in the empty room. She had wanted him to leave her alone, but now that he had, she felt not just bored but lonely.

Even so, she had been waiting for him subconsciously.

"I must be crazy."

After tossing and turning for a while without being able to sleep, she heard familiar footsteps outside the door.

"Well, of course."

The door opened with a click, and the switch clicked on. As the wall lights turned on, Grace squeezed her eyes shut and quickly threw off the blanket covering her naked body.

She spread her legs, inviting him to come closer, but the approaching footsteps suddenly stopped.

"You must be crazy."

Surprised by the unexpected scolding, she opened her eyes slightly. Her vision, not yet adjusted to the light, saw a tall figure heading for the metal table instead of the bed.

"Sit down."

Winston sat down at the table and threw a file across to the opposite side.

'Is he going to interrogate me after so long?'

Reluctantly, she got up. Knowing he would take off the blanket if she wrapped it around her, she sat down on the chair in her naked body, wearing only stockings. But Winston frowned.

"Put it on."

He took off his officer's jacket and handed it to Grace.

'Why is he acting like this today?'

Today was full of unexpected events.

Grace watched the man roll up the sleeves of his white shirt while she put her arms into the oversized jacket sleeves.

Seeing the woman sitting there with only her arms in the jacket, Leon sighed. He had made her put it on because he couldn't concentrate on work seeing her naked, but it didn't make much difference.

Leon got up from his seat. As he buttoned up the jacket, the woman looked up at him with wide eyes.

Damn it. He was already distracted.

Buttoning up the jacket didn't help. The jacket was too big, and her cleavage was visible through the open collar.

He was already exhausted from a long day, and the feel and scent of her skin were desperately tempting. His patience was tested by the biggest challenge of the day.

'What is it?'

Grace narrowed her eyes. Winston, uncharacteristically, sighed deeply and sat down. He looked much more tired than when she saw him this morning.

'Whoever it is, I'm grateful they made him suffer.'

She smiled inwardly, but Winston clasped his hands and looked at her seriously.

"Grace Riddle."

Grace flinched at the sudden call of her name. It had been a long time since she heard her real name from him. The faint smile on her face disappeared instantly.

"I know everything."

"...What?"

"That you know the location of the base, and that you also have information that could bring down the rebels in one go."

The woman glared at him, her guard clearly up.

"So don't pretend to be an innocent little girl."

"Tell me what you want."

"A deal."

Leon straightened the file that had been carelessly thrown in front of the woman.

"If you tell me the truth to all the questions I ask from now on, I'll grant you one wish."

The woman stared at the case name on the cover of the file and then looked up.

"Don't ask about the location of the base anymore."

'Let it go. I knew you'd say something ridiculous.'

"Still loyal, huh? I expected as much."

The woman shrugged and yawned, covering her mouth.

"I'm sleepy. If you don't like it, I'll go to sleep."

Leon chuckled. She was a woman who wouldn't miss a chance to get the upper hand.

"Fine. I promise not to ask about the location of the base."

"In any way."

Persistent. Leon sighed briefly and repeated her words.

"Right, in any way. If you tell me the truth."

He opened the file and pointed to a page with "Greenfield Orphanage" written on it. It was a name from the Sinclair family's donation records in his report. In his report, it was just a donation recipient, but in the investigation report, it was listed as a money laundering hub for the rebels.

It was true that the rebels had reached out to some orphanages. But when he investigated, there was no evidence linking Greenfield Orphanage to the rebels.

When he asked about the relationship between this place and the rebels, the woman shook her head.

"I've never heard of such a place."

"Is it true that the rebels disguise their military funds as orphanage donations?"

The woman remained silent, only staring at him.

"It's better to answer."

"Did you already forget the terms of the deal? I said to tell the truth, not to answer."

"Right, I forgot you were so smart."

In any case, her silence was a silent affirmation. She seemed to give answers that triggered her own sense of guilt in this way. Leon smiled wryly and moved on to the next question.

"Even if this place is a money laundering hub, there's a possibility you don't know about it."

"...No."

Leon stared at the woman for a moment before moving on to the next question.

"Is this person a member of the rebels?"

The photo he pointed to was of a labor activist arrested on suspicion of anti-government activities at the Eastern Command.

"First time I've seen him."

"Not a rebel, then? Be sure."

"Think about it logically. How could I know the faces of all my comrades scattered throughout the kingdom?"

Leon stared at the woman persistently. There were no signs of lying.

"Fine. Then you must know all the major sponsors, right?"

"Yes. But I won't answer if you ask me to name them."

He didn't need or want that much. Leon asked his last, carefully saved question.

"Is the Sinclair family associated with the rebels?"

Sinclair? You mean that Sinclair? The woman muttered to herself, her eyes narrowing.

"What are you up to? Can't find the truth, so now you're trying to find a lie?"

The woman started to get angry. Her eyes and face showed that she was genuinely upset.

"The stench is overwhelming. Do you think I don't know you're trying to use me and the revolutionaries for some dirty smear campaign?"

"The stench, I'm not imagining it."

"What?"

"It's a dirty smear campaign. But the one orchestrating it isn't me."

From the background checks to the bidding for mining rights. Leon explained to the woman what had happened so far.

"There was never a case of a major company receiving such sponsorship. Logically, why would a company that needs to maintain a good relationship with the government support the revolutionaries?"

Leon agreed with the woman.

"The explosives were definitely planted, too."

The speculation that someone had planted Sinclair Ammunition's new product as evidence in the Rampton detention center incident was something Leon had already considered.

"However, it's true that the family's philosophy and actions don't align with the royalists. That means there's a possibility they sympathize with the rebels' ideology, but my intuition says otherwise. I wanted to confirm that from you."

This is a frame-up by the king.

After just a few words with this woman, he had turned his suspicions into certainty. It was a bitter irony that the royalists would trust the rebels over the king.

"But..."

The woman, a spy with a sharp mind who understood the procedures and circumstances within the military, asked a perceptive question.