58
Where Worlds Collide
Even in this situation, the pizza was delicious.
I glanced at the box, wondering where it was from, when Sebastian took out his phone and snapped a picture of the pizza.
“You could just ask me to make it for you, why are you so curious about where it’s from?”
Sometimes I wonder if he can read minds. But surely there’s a difference between ordering from here and having Sebastian’s chef make it? This might even taste better.
As I kept glancing at the packaging box, unable to let it go, the third bodyguard said,
“You’ll get scolded by Mr. Becker.”
Wondering if he was talking to me, I turned around, and he said as he took a big bite of pizza,
“You don’t doubt Mr. Becker. You just believe in the god of cooking.”
“That’s right. The god of cooking is good at everything, everything’s delicious, and we just eat whatever we’re given.”
The second bodyguard said as he stuffed a slice of pizza into his mouth. Wow, a whole slice just went in. As I was watching in amazement, I realized. So the surname of the person who had been providing me with daily bread like God was Becker.
“If you’re so interested in the packaging box, why don’t you introduce your fiancé? I’m about to lose my head here.”
Sebastian’s voice was cold. Only then did I realize that after being introduced to Jay’s fiancée, I had forgotten to introduce Sebastian. Ah. I smiled exaggeratedly and pointed to Sebastian for Jay.
“This is Sebastian.”
“…Riegel. You should say the surname too.”
His tone was like scolding a five-year-old child. I, in my late 20s, bristled and replied,
“Riegel! I was about to say it. Your surname is a bit burdensome, you know.”
“What’s burdensome about it? Everyone has a surname.”
“He also gets his salary in a Riegel bank account!”
“Oh, really? I’m in a bad mood today, should I freeze the account?”
At those words, Jay’s pupils shook violently.
You’re joking, right? Right? He asked me with his eyes.
I want to smile and say it’s a joke too, but the problem is…
Sebastian was more than capable of doing it.
It’s strange. I haven’t seen him do anything particularly extraordinary with my own eyes. But instinctively, I could tell that Sebastian wasn’t joking right now. I laughed awkwardly and elbowed Sebastian’s side.
“What do you mean, freeze the account? How can you do that on your own? There are laws…”
“We can just say he was thought to be dead. Accounts of dead people are frozen anyway.”
“Really?”
I didn’t know that. As I asked with a puzzled look if it was true, Sebastian nodded while drinking water.
“In our country, when a death report comes in, all financial assets are frozen. No one can touch them without the consent of all heirs.”
Then Valeria Jorben, who was confusingly either tactful or tactless, smiled brightly.
“I’m the heir! My consent is enough, right?”
She smiled so innocently, trying to lighten the suddenly chilled atmosphere, but it was an attempt made without knowing what a formidable opponent Sebastian was. Sebastian looked down at her with cold eyes.
“Have you registered your marriage?”
“Ah, no.”
“Then you’re not an heir. Jay Wu has no heirs, and his assets will revert to the state.”
Oh no, what should we do? Honey, they say I’m not an heir. Let’s quickly register our marriage―.
Yes, honey. Oh no.
Jay and Valeria pretended to cry while holding each other. They seemed to be really playing around, but they matched well. I could see why Jay loved Valeria so much. She was truly a powerful person. To be able to smile brightly and stand up to Sebastian even when he was gritting his teeth.
I was so curious that I asked,
“Ms. Jorben, what do you do for a living?”
To my question, she replied, “Oh, it’s nothing special,” and said,
“I’m a doctor.”
She quickly ran off and soon came back, handing out a business card to each of us.
Jorben Plastic Surgery, Director Valeria Jorben.
Wow, so she was a plastic surgeon. It was my first time getting to know a doctor personally, so I was a bit fascinated. Valeria gave a thumbs up to the goldfish poop behind me.
“Due to my profession, I know many celebrities. If you ever break up with Mr. Riegel and need another job, feel free to contact me. There are plenty of people who need bodyguards!”
She was smiling brightly, but I could feel the hostility towards Sebastian in her tone.
This is truly a remarkable person. No wonder she’s got Jay Wu wrapped around her finger.
I was newly impressed. Meanwhile, Sebastian stepped hard on my foot.
“Ow, what?”
I introduced you! As I was about to say that, he laughed exasperatedly.
“Is this an introduction? Is telling my name an introduction? You should explain our relationship, and introduce the other person to me too. Do it properly again.”
Ah…
He’s so picky. You probably already know everything about Jay, what introduction do you need? After threatening to freeze his account just now!
But I couldn’t not do it.
I sighed once and introduced Sebastian to Jay again.
“Sebastian, Riegel. The eldest son of Michael Riegel of the Riegel Financial Group. 31 years old.”
This time, Jay interrupted.
“Team Leader, you’re not profiling him now, are you?”
“Oh, come on, let’s move on!”
“You can just do it like this.”
Jay stood next to Sebastian and put his arm around his shoulder. Sebastian had his arms crossed and clearly looked displeased, but for some reason, he was enduring it with a face that seemed to be tolerating it for the greater good. Jay said,
“This is my fiancé. Sebastian Riegel.”
Then Jay took his hand off Sebastian’s shoulder and shrugged as if to say, what’s so difficult about that?
“Easy, right?”
“…We’re not engaged.”
At my words, Sebastian’s eyes flashed sharply.
“Aha, I was wondering why you’ve been holding back, it’s because we’re not engaged?”
“No, it’s not…”
It’s not just that.
“Then let’s do it. Perfect, let’s do it on White Day. The date is romantic too, right?”
Wait a minute. An engagement just like that, as quick as lightning? But then again, it feels like we’ve been saying fiancé and engagement a lot lately. It was awkward to argue against it.
As I was stammering, suddenly everyone present, including Jay and Valeria, started applauding. As if Sebastian had knelt in front of me and proposed, and I had accepted it.
“Oh my, will you invite us too?”
How could Valeria Jorben go one step further like that? Sebastian responded nonchalantly, “Yes, yes. Please come and grace the occasion.” It was as if he didn’t care whether they came or not, but Valeria didn’t mind and linked arms with Jay.
Regardless of all that, I had something to do.
I put my arm around Jay’s shoulder. Since he was arm in arm with Valeria, not only Jay but Valeria was pulled along too. While hugging Jay, I introduced him to Sebastian.
“This is my subordinate. Jay Wu.”
Sebastian shook his head.
“That time has already passed.”
“You told me to do it earlier!”
As I got annoyed, Sebastian pulled me towards him. Fortunately, as Jay had removed my arm, only I was embraced in his arms.
“Alright, alright. Thanks for introducing us.”
He whispered sweetly.
Suddenly, I felt that he was truly happy. Ah, I just realized. He had introduced many people around him and also expressed his intention to introduce his family. But I had never introduced anyone around me like this before.
It felt like Sebastian, who was in a different world, had touched my world for the first time. World met world. I was momentarily speechless at that strange feeling.
After the meal, Valeria had to head back to the hospital. She said she had only come to have a meal with Jay, her work wasn’t finished. Sebastian stayed in the living room with the bodyguards, while Jay and I went into the study that Valeria used.
As befitting a doctor’s study, there seemed to be many medical-related books. And on one side, Jay’s belongings were placed very naturally. Silencer, gun, knife, flash grenades, magazines… This bastard is really crazy.
“Do you think security is a joke?”
At my question, Jay scratched the back of his head.
“You know this is grounds for disciplinary action, right?”
“Even so, it’s just dismissal, right?”
“You want to get fired?”
At my question, Jay looked at me straight.
“Then are you going to continue working at the Security Bureau, Team Leader?”
I was at a loss for words at Jay’s question. The question of whether I could continue working at the Security Bureau after all this was over weighed heavily on my chest.
Can I? Can I trust my colleagues and have them watch my back? Even after experiencing all this?
Jay continued,
“I was born in a poor country, and if I wanted to live well there, joining the military seemed the best option for my circumstances. So I joined the military, but when an officer was punishing me and insulted my parents, I got angry and hit him, and it turned out he was the son of a party official… So they told me to either go to the coal mines or be sold as a mercenary to another country, and I chose to be sold. Luckily, the country I was in collapsed, so I became free. So except for being good at shooting, I’m just someone who’s gone with the flow.”
“I know.”
Jay and I had shared quite a bit about our pasts. Both of us had rather turbulent backgrounds, so it was comfortable to talk about. You could say we balanced each other out.
“I have no interest in office politics, and I certainly don’t intend to risk my life for such things. What office politics when I haven’t even met my rabbit-like lover, it’s just annoying.”
That’s true.
As I turned my head, I saw a photo on the desk. Layer had his daughter’s photo on his desk. Jay’s fiancée had a photo of her with Jay. There wasn’t a single photo that didn’t look happy.
“I’m going to quit. It’s better to join a PMC instead. Of course, I’ll have to do things I don’t like for money. But at least I won’t have to fake my own death without knowing who among my colleagues is an enemy or an ally. This time, the Director intervened and I lived, but what about next time? Is there any guarantee I’ll survive? I’m sick of this now. I don’t want to do spy-like things anymore. Patriotism in the grey area? What obligation do I have to be patriotic for this country? But we have loyalty to each other, don’t we, Team Leader?”
“That’s right.”
As I answered absentmindedly while looking at the photos, Jay asked in a biting tone.
“So tell me. Are you really a Canaris spy? Have you really been selling out your colleagues all this time?”
What are you talking about.
When I turned to Jay in disbelief, what I saw was the muzzle of a gun.
Click.
A pistol with a silencer attached touched my forehead.
