Chapter 96

Listening intently to the conversation between Mary and the hostage inside, Jeff knocked on the front door and called out loudly.

"There's a fire nearby!"

His words were disguised as those of a concerned neighbor, and he pounded on the door. Mary said something, and the hostage woman responded, but their voices were too low to hear.

"Hey! Are you okay? I'm coming in!"

Jeff opened the front door with a cheerful voice. Mary hadn't locked it. Jeff's voice grew louder as he ascended the stairs. Mary, still holding the woman's arm, moved closer to the window, intending to escape.

I pressed my body against the wall, ready to pounce on Mary without being seen, waiting for the window to open. Jeff's voice gradually grew closer from inside.

"Are you not lying down?"

There was no way the hostage would jump with her. Mary would definitely lean out of the window alone. I gripped my dagger tighter.

The window opened, and Mary leaned out. Our eyes met as I approached quickly. It was only two or three seconds.

I lunged at Mary and stabbed her in the chest, aiming for her heart to minimize her suffering.

As Mary's eyes lost their life, they still held a deep-seated hatred for me. I closed her eyes with my hand and spoke to her.

"Goodbye, Mary."

The hostage, a woman in her fifties, was frozen in terror. I spoke to her in a calm voice and with a smile, knowing that a scream would complicate things.

"It's safe now."

"Please, please don't kill me."

"Of course not. I have no reason to. Lock all the doors tonight, even if you can't sleep. Try to forget what you've seen. A glass of warm wine might help. I'll take care of this woman."

The woman nodded, trembling.

"Is it over?"

"Yes."

Jeff came out onto the balcony. I had been thinking about leaving Mary there, but Jeff picked her up.

As we were about to jump from the balcony, a voice came from above.

"Is this my prey, then?"

Jeff and I looked up simultaneously. It was the bartender.

"You were watching."

"Yes. I saw your work. The credit is mine, right?"

"That was the deal. Go ahead."

The bartender hung from the third-floor balcony and jumped down to the second floor, giving me a glance.

"Amazing. You didn't even get blood on you. Who are you?"

"I won't tell you. We're leaving now."

"I'll take the woman. I need evidence. Thanks for avenging my brother."

The bartender took Mary's body from Jeff, jumped to the ground, and disappeared quickly.

I spoke to the hostage again.

"Please don't call the guards. Lock all the doors and go to sleep. We're leaving."

Jeff and I climbed over the balcony railing and jumped down. The hostage had probably experienced a lifetime of fear, but it was better than being killed. I hoped the fear would fade over time.

We blended in with the crowd watching the fire and moved into the darkness.

"It's over."

"Yes."

Footsteps approached, and a voice called out. It was Mills.

"Good work, Victoria."

"Did you see? You could have helped me out of the pit."

"His Majesty told me not to interfere. But if that woman had thrown a rock, I was ready to throw a knife."

"Really?"

"Yes. Congratulations. The plague is gone now."

"Yes."

I didn't feel elated. It was like emerging from a quagmire, covered in mud.

Jeff put his arm around my shoulder.

"Let's go home."

"Yes."

"I'll go too. Goodbye."

Mills left, and Jeff and I walked quickly back to the hotel. We packed our bags, claiming we had an emergency, and set off on horseback.

"Let's go get Nonna, even though it's late."

"Is she really here?"

"She is. I'd bet on it."

The burning mansion was visible from a distance. I felt no sense of accomplishment or satisfaction.

Both Mary and I had been bought by the organization. I wondered about Mary's childhood and her real name. Despite spending a long time together, I knew nothing about her. I whispered a farewell.

"May your next life be ordinary."

We arrived at the "Goal Letter and Parcel Delivery Office" on horseback. The lights came on, and the door opened as if they had heard us.

"Mom!"

I hugged Nonna as she ran out. She was crying, rubbing her face against my shoulder. Il came out and looked at Nonna with gentle eyes.

"Your skin will turn red if you rub it so hard."

"Mom... Mom..."

Camilla came out.

"Please come in. I've prepared a bed for you."

"No, we're going home. I'm sorry for the late hour."

"It's fine. I'll write to you."

"Yes, I will too."

Camilla, known as Red Robin, smiled gently and retreated. She soon brought out two baskets that seemed to be filled with food.

"It's just what I had on hand. Eat on the way. And I've prepared a carriage for you, just in case. Use it."

"Thank you, Camilla."

"It's nothing. Night travel can be dangerous... but not with this group."

"Yes."

I chuckled and hugged Camilla.

"I'll drive the carriage. Jeffrey, you can have some family time."

"Thanks. I appreciate it."

Nonna and Il's few belongings were loaded, and we set off in the carriage. The horses that brought Nonna and Il were also with us. Nonna clung to me, not speaking, occasionally taking strained breaths. Her eyelids were swollen from crying.

"Nonna, let's go to the sheep farm when we get home."

"Okay."

"I'll make your favorite herb-roasted lamb."

"Okay."

"I'm sorry for worrying you."

"Okay."

I stroked her cold, golden hair while talking, but Nonna only said "okay." Jeffrey looked at her with gentle eyes and occasionally at me with a sympathetic gaze. Did I look that pitiful?

"Mom, is Camilla a friend?"

"Yes, one of my few long-time friends."

"What did she say when you asked how she knew you?"

"She said, 'Ask your mom.'"

"Okay. Let's talk about you and Camilla until I fall asleep."

"Okay."

I began to tell the story of my active days.

"I met her when I was eighteen, on a mission to capture a man who had betrayed the country. I gathered information, found the man, and we infiltrated his workplace with a partner. We were supposed to put the man in our partner's carriage and leave. But..."

Jeffrey and Nonna were listening.

"As my partner was putting the man in the carriage and I was about to leave the room, I heard a sharp intake of breath. Camilla and a young boy, who were supposed to be at home, were there that day. Camilla, who was pregnant, was hiding in the closet of the adjacent room. The man was from Haggle, but Camilla and the boy were from Randall. My partner and I had been seen, so we had to silence them. But I couldn't."

Nonna looked surprised. She hadn't expected such a meeting.

"So I said, 'You didn't see anything. If you don't talk about us, we'll let you go. But if you break your promise, I'll have to take care of you and the boy. I don't want to do that.'"

"Wouldn't you have been punished if it was found out?"

"Yes."

At eighteen, I couldn't bring myself to kill the infant Camilla was holding or the child in her womb. I was a failure as an agent.

"If the organization had found out, I would have been in serious trouble. But Camilla kept her promise and said nothing. I kept an eye on her regularly, and there were no issues. However, her husband disappeared, and she was struggling. So I started giving her a little money every month."

"What?"

Jeffrey was shocked. If the organization found out, everything would be ruined. Camilla and her child would be eliminated, and I would face severe punishment. But I couldn't ignore the haggard Camilla and the pale, thin child.

"Eventually, Camilla started her current business, grew it, and made it successful. She then offered her services. 'I was trained by my husband. I'm good at creating and decoding ciphers and gathering information. Use me.' I tried her out, and she was truly excellent. We've been friends for sixteen years. She's the only one who knows both my prime and my present."

I realized something then. There was one more person who knew both my prime and my present: Lancome. But for some reason, I felt Lancome wouldn't report me to the organization.

The sky outside the window was turning from black to navy. Another day was dawning.

Nonna had fallen asleep, and Jeffrey was looking out the window while listening to me. I looked out too.

"Anna."

"Yes."

"I'm glad it's over."

"Yes."

"I know it's hard to cheer up, but you don't have to pretend in front of me."

"Yes... thank you."

Tears suddenly welled up and fell.