55
Why Am I the Only One Who Doesn’t Know?
I think it’s the first time since I joined the Security Bureau that I’ve seen such obvious irritation on the Director’s face. And the eyes of Nina Volkari, the Director’s lover who is presumed to adore her enormously, were burning fiercely.
Ah, if I were firewood, I would have turned to white ash in an instant at that temperature.
I smiled slightly and walked with Sebastian towards the Director’s office.
In the corridor leading to the Director’s office, an unexpected figure was glaring at me. A middle-aged man with a similar height to me but no muscle, with a rounder body. Brown hair and brown eyes. If he lived next door, people would say he had a good impression and feel favorable towards him, but in reality, he was Otto Layer, the head of Department 1 of the Security Bureau.
Usually, he would either smile smoothly or burst out in anger, but today he was watching me with cold eyes. When I flashed him a mocking smile as he leaned against the corridor, instead of reacting, he brought the paper cup he was holding to his mouth.
Isn’t he the type to drink coffee from a vending machine? He’s quite a snobbish character. You can tell just from the photo of him in front of a yacht on his desk. When he drinks coffee, he always brews it. I’ve hardly ever seen him drink vending machine coffee like that.
Feeling strange, I looked back at him once more as I passed. He removed the paper cup from his mouth and mouthed words to me.
Don’t trust too much.
Layer and I are in a relationship where we’re aiming for each other’s backs. Layer wanted to process me but failed, and I know that as long as I’m alive, Layer will try to process me. So we could say we’ve already crossed an irreversible river. But why is Layer giving me advice?
“It’s a low attempt to sow discord. Ignore it,” Sebastian whispered. He didn’t even look at Layer, and unlike me, he didn’t even turn around. So he shouldn’t know what Layer said, but he was speaking as if he had seen it with his own eyes. Does he have eyes on the back of his head?
I nodded.
“I know.”
If Layer really wanted to help me, he would have made a different choice. He’s the head of Department 1 and still has many options to help me. But standing here, holding a vending machine coffee that doesn’t suit him, and telling me not to trust is nothing but an attempt to shake me. It was clear he had no intention of helping me.
As soon as we entered the Director’s office, Sebastian sat down in his seat as if he had been left there by the Director. The Director, who was about to offer him a seat, sat down in her own seat with a dumbfounded look, and Volkari and I also sat in appropriate positions. The bodyguards, including Kouri, were standing, and Nakaban sat next to Volkari. Volkari’s cold gaze fell on Nakaban, but as always, he was doing his own thing.
Nakaban distributed four copies of the documents he had brought, handing them out to each person with a sharp motion. As the last to receive the documents, I smiled a little from the cover page. The neat font and everything looking perfectly aligned seemed to reflect Nakaban’s personality.
Detailed information about people currently known as Canaris executives was written. I stopped thinking that the Security Bureau might know about this kind of thing. There was a list of paper companies owned by Canaris.
Volkari and the Director were undoubtedly looking at that page too. Eventually, the Director sighed and asked,
“How much reliability is guaranteed for this information?”
“It’s insider information. The reliability is high. If you look at the back, you’ll see that cross-checking has been completed,” Nakaban answered.
Insider information, huh. For such crucial information, it must have come from Matthias Yudorov. It seems he passed all the information he brought out when he defected to his friend Michael Riegel or his son Sebastian.
They must have been in a highly trusting relationship.
It made sense. Sebastian, while being a wealthy person who treats money lightly, had a strangely down-to-earth side. Unlike me, he’s someone who values human relationships. He must have had a close relationship with Uncle Yudorov who saved him.
“This isn’t all, is it?” the Director asked.
Sebastian wouldn’t reveal all the information without conditions. In fact, even the information shown now only specified which parts had been cross-checked for a few items, and there was no mention of how the rest had been verified. This document says too much to be taken at face value, and if it’s wrong, it goes beyond what the Security Bureau can handle. So from the Director’s perspective, she would want to ask for supporting evidence for all the items written in the document, and to do that, she would have to give Sebastian what he wants.
“Of course not. You’re holding the question paper now, and I have the answer sheet in my hand. Of course, there’s also a prize. Her name is Lea Parke.”
At Sebastian’s words, Volkari sharply objected.
“I thought you hadn’t secured her yet.”
“We have.”
“That can’t be.”
Volkari’s eyes wavered. I could tell from her face. Volkari was monitoring not just me, but Sebastian as well. Maybe she was monitoring Sebastian through me. Anyway, she didn’t even try to hide the fact that she had been surveilling Sebastian.
Sebastian chuckled.
“It wasn’t me who secured Lea Parke, it was Saki.”
Saki is the nickname for Saskia Riegel, Sebastian’s younger sister.
Good heavens, is Saskia Riegel involved in this? I thought only Sebastian was involved. I thought only Sebastian was in contact with Canaris… No, thinking about it, it’s natural. To Sebastian, Matthias Yudorov is “Uncle Yudorov.” He’s someone that close. That means to Saskia Riegel too, Matthias Yudorov is “Uncle Yudorov.” The “uncle” who saved her brother suffered for a long time and finally escaped with their father’s help, but in return, now their father is in danger. From what Sebastian says, even if they don’t get along with their relatives, it seems the immediate family sticks together, so Saskia Riegel would want to use everything at her disposal to save her father and her brother’s benefactor.
Yet, I never imagined Saskia Riegel would pop up. That’s because Sebastian acted as if he was handling everything alone.
As much as I was at a loss for words, Volkari and the Director were equally speechless. A civilian playing with the Security Bureau. He’s lucky to be born into a family like the Riegels. Otherwise, he could have become the scammer of the century.
“Is Parke really… with Saskia Riegel?” Volkari asked.
Nakaban answered as if he had expected the question.
“Page 78.”
When we opened to page 78, we saw photos of Lea Parke and Saskia Riegel.
The Security Bureau people, that is, me, Volkari, and the Director, all fell silent simultaneously upon seeing that photo.
At this moment, I couldn’t help but emotionally side with the Director rather than Sebastian. Because the photo…
Why are you partying on a yacht, you two?
Saskia Riegel with her skin as pale as can be, and Lea Parke with her glossy black skin, were both in bikinis. The two were in a jacuzzi installed on the yacht, raising champagne glasses and smiling, while around them, people in swimsuits were happily playing in a steaming pool.
“Wow, is that snow? They’re playing like this on a snowy day?”
Launching a yacht on a snowy day, filling it with hot water, and playing in bikinis – I felt like I had just seen the scale of the wealthy. This might be called a yacht, but I couldn’t even imagine how big it must be. For one, the swimming pool looked quite large. There were five people in the jacuzzi, and there was still room left.
“Looks like they took someone else’s yacht for this.”
“Is it your yacht?”
“Saki is only 21. What does she need a yacht for?”
I was taken aback by his stern tone. No, in my opinion, even a 31-year-old doesn’t need a yacht. It’s not a necessity to begin with, it’s a luxury item.
But Sebastian seemed to think differently. And it seemed Volkari thought differently too.
She muttered, “Good heavens.” It was shocking enough that they had Lea Parke, but she apparently never expected Parke to be having such a great time frolicking with a wealthy young lady like that.
But Lea Parke doesn’t look like she’s being held captive, so why didn’t she contact headquarters? If she was this free, she could have tried to make contact even if her phone had been taken away, right?
“Saki told Parke she could contact headquarters if she wanted to. Of course, with her present. But Parke refused. Even when told she should at least let them know she’s alive, she chose not to. And,” Sebastian waved the document.
“She cooperated in making this document. Everyone here knows what this means.”
…I don’t know?
I wish someone would explain.
I moved my eyes around, but no one seemed willing to explain. I didn’t want to say I was the only one who didn’t understand when everyone else seemed to, so I kept my mouth shut. I’ll ask Sebastian later, I guess.
I thought that and let it go, but Volkari covered her face with both hands.
“Good heavens, it was really true…”
What was?
Why am I the only one who can’t follow the conversation?
Sebastian nodded. He gave some time to Volkari, who looked devastated, and the Director, who remained expressionless. About a minute seemed to pass. Sebastian then drew everyone’s attention by saying, “Now.”
“From here on, I want to know the items for negotiation. You know what I want, so let’s keep it simple.”
At those words, Volkari and the Director exchanged glances. Eventually, when the Director nodded, Volkari handed the document she was holding to Nakaban.
“We propose a plea bargain premised on amnesty for Matthias Yudorov’s defection case. Of course, the details will be handled separately by our prosecutor, but let’s check the documents first.”
They knew about Yudorov’s defection? What on earth is going on here?
“Let’s stop here for now,” Sebastian said, snatching my phone and tossing it.
“You might as well take back this cumbersome thing. It’s always in the way during sex.”
