“… What’s wrong? Why are you like this?”
Sensing something unusual, Iberis’s lips trembled. Lucas’s eyes, usually sparkling like warm spring sunshine, were now clouded as if overcast. His focus seemed off too. Seeing his face, empty as if his soul had left his body, Iberis’s heart sank.
“Lucas!”
Flustered, Iberis rushed to Lucas in one breath. He grabbed both of Lucas’s shoulders, calling his name almost like a scream.
“… Major?”
Lucas finally seemed to come to his senses, answering Iberis’s call with a cracked voice. Blinking several times as if just waking up, he let out an “Ah” in realization.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you had come…”
“Are you sick? You don’t seem to have a fever…”
Iberis bit his lower lip as he placed his hand on Lucas’s forehead. His hands were always cold, making it difficult to gauge if Lucas had a fever or not. Frustrated,
“No, I’m fine. Just a bit dazed…”
“You look unwell…”
Iberis examined Lucas’s face with concern. His complexion didn’t look good, and his cheeks were pale. There was a dark scab on his usually smooth lips, as if he had bitten them hard.
“What happened?”
Iberis asked in an anxious voice, his expression hardening. Something must have happened.
“… Major General Bismarck called earlier.”
After hesitating for a moment, Lucas moved his lips slowly. He couldn’t hide it from Iberis anyway. It was also something Iberis needed to know.
Even if that wasn’t the case, he just wanted to tell Iberis. He only needed some time to calm his unsettled heart and organize his thoughts beforehand.
“The Major General? Why?”
Iberis raised one eyebrow. After handing over Ryan’s USB, they had been in contact with Winfried every few days. He shared all his plans and occasionally asked for their opinions.
He also informed them about the atmosphere in the Defense Force, newly acquired information, and facts discovered from analyzing the USB.
“What did he say? Did the special prosecution fall through? Or…”
“No. The special prosecution seems to be progressing well. The announcement might be delayed a bit… but since the leader of the reform faction has decided to step in personally, it won’t be stopped.”
“Then?”
What could it be? Iberis frowned in confusion. It didn’t seem likely that Lucas would be this out of it just from receiving a call from Winfried.
“Well, um…”
Lucas opened his mouth but then paused heavily. As if choosing his words, his eyes suddenly contorted. A sigh-like murmur escaped through his tightly closed lips.
“… He said they found them.”
“Huh?”
“The person who killed my parents.”
A bitter smile played on his trembling lips. Lucas lowered his head and took a deep breath, as if trying to control his surging emotions. After confiding in Iberis, he felt a hot surge of emotion welling up inside.
Whether it was anger, sadness, joy, or all of them, he wasn’t sure, but what was certain was that he was in an extremely emotional state. Too much to maintain composure.
“As we suspected, it was Livio Logan. The Major General’s direct intelligence unit found evidence to break his alibi. They also confirmed that he was near the Blake mansion on the day my parents passed away.”
“Ah…”
“The moment I heard that, I thought, ‘So it was that bastard after all,’ but… um, how should I put it. Anyway, I felt very strange…”
Hoo, Lucas took another deep breath and continued slowly. It was hard to get the words out, as if someone was tightly gripping his throat. It was even hard to breathe.
“My parents had discovered evidence that Livio Logan was receiving kickbacks from various defense companies dealing with the Defense Force at the time. They even found out that he was diverting weapons deemed defective instead of disposing of them, and selling them to villain organizations. They were about to report him to the Board of Audit and Inspection with the evidence they gathered, but Livio noticed and eliminated them.”
“…”
“I guess he needed funds to play politics within the Defense Force… That’s how he raised money. It wasn’t just him alone, um, it seems quite a few people were involved. Hoo, the Vice Marshal, the Chief Justice of the High Military Court, some Director of Investigation…”
“Even the Vice Marshal?”
“Yes. So they could cover up a murder as an accident. Haha… It was probably that group who squashed your whistleblowing and demoted you.”
“Hmm.”
“Judging by the significant change in Livio Logan’s behavior before and after the fire incident, it seems my parents were the first people he ever killed. Once he crossed that line, I suppose it became easier after that. They say his actions became increasingly bold over time.”
Lucas relayed everything he heard from Winfried to Iberis, occasionally pausing as if overwhelmed by emotion.
“The Major General said he would send a secure email with the report created by the intelligence team, so I ended the call, but I couldn’t bring myself to check it. And I couldn’t focus on anything else either…”
“…”
“That’s why I left work early. I felt I couldn’t possibly focus on my duties in this state.”
“I see…”
“So I’m not sick.”
Lucas raised his head slightly and lifted the corners of his mouth as if to say not to worry too much. It was clearly a forced smile to anyone who saw it.
Iberis was momentarily speechless at the sight of Lucas, who was so shaken he couldn’t even manage his expressions. He couldn’t even begin to imagine how Lucas must be feeling.
“… You’re not well. You’re definitely a patient right now.”
Iberis lifted his hand from Lucas’s shoulder and gently cupped his cheek. Then he softly caressed Lucas’s reddened eyes with his thumb.
“… Pardon?”
“Your heart is in pain.”
“…!”
Lucas caught his breath at Iberis’s words. His golden eyes wavered intensely. Frozen as if struck at his core, he soon let out a hollow chuckle.
“I see… You’re right, Major. You’re absolutely right.”
Lucas nodded with a deflated face. His voice was as lifeless as a wilted flower.
“You must have been really shocked, right?”
“Mm, yes. That’s right. Earlier, I really felt my heart drop. I wondered if I had heard correctly.”
The corners of his lips that had lifted slightly quickly drooped down as if they had never risen. Lucas lowered his gaze, failing to maintain a smile. He found it hard to look directly at Iberis, thinking how strange and terrible his expression must look to him.
“How should I put it… I thought I’d feel better knowing who the culprit was… But not at all. Instead, I feel stuffy, like I’ve overeaten…”
Lucas rambled, following his stream of consciousness. After losing his parents, he had to agonize countless times over many years, suspecting and tracking Livio.
Sometimes he felt guilty, wondering if he was suspecting an innocent person, and other times he felt pathetic for being unable to do anything despite being certain of the culprit due to lack of evidence. There were times when he felt crazy for his fluctuating emotions and wanted to let go of everything.
Those 12 years were like that. Enough to wear down the spirit of a boy who had resolved to abandon his name and live as someone else for the sake of avenging his parents.
Perhaps that’s why. Even though it was finally revealed that he hadn’t been suspecting an innocent person, he couldn’t laugh wholeheartedly or rage with all his might. Everything just felt numb, as if it wasn’t real.
Lucas felt dizzy as he tightly closed and opened his eyes. He desperately tried to speak as if nothing was wrong. He didn’t want to worry Iberis.
“It’s frustrating to just sit here now that I finally know who the enemy is… How did you manage to endure it, Major?”
“Well…”
“I’m sorry, that was an uncomfortable question…”
“No, it’s not uncomfortable at all.”
Iberis smiled at Lucas, who looked apologetic, as if to say it was okay. It wasn’t just empty words; he really meant it.
“Um, and I didn’t endure it, I ran away.”
“Pardon?”
“I deliberately closed my eyes and covered my ears, fearing I might rush to kill Guild Master Logan if I met him. Like a coward, I hid here, thrashing about alone like someone with a death wish… And as you know, I fell terminally ill.”
“…”
“So, you’re a much braver and more remarkable person than I am, Lucas.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
