Chapter 3
I shouldn’t have smiled.
While the little boy and his mother looked at each other, Celine quickly wiped the remaining blood from her lips with a fresh handkerchief she pulled from the hidden pocket inside her skirt.
Then, in one smooth motion, she stuffed the bloodstained handkerchief into her travel bag and pulled something else out instead.
The whole thing took only a few seconds.
“Call a doctor! A doctor! What if that big sister dies?”
The boy was still crying as he clung to his mother’s sleeve.
“What? Die?”
His mother immediately turned toward Celine.
“Is something wrong?”
Celine calmly brushed her long, glossy black hair behind her ear and looked straight at the woman.
In her other hand, she held the expensive bottle of New Mabel wine.
Anyone would think the situation looked suspicious.
But after years as an elite agent, Celine quickly came up with the most believable excuse.
“I spilled some wine while I was drinking it. I think there was a misunderstanding.”
She gently shook the bottle, making the cork inside rattle.
The mother had no way of knowing that Celine had opened the bottle only moments ago.
There hadn’t been enough time to remove the cork properly, so she had simply pushed it into the bottle and taken a quick drink.
By now, the red stains around her lips would look exactly like wine.
“Actually…”
“I was dumped just before boarding the train.”
She raised the bottle to her lips and convincingly pretended to be drunk.
“Please understand… sob…”
Her acting was flawless.
The woman’s eyes trembled as she looked at Celine’s lips stained with deep red wine.
Three seconds later…
The mother’s face turned bright red.
“I-I apologize.”
“Would you like some?”
“It’s a very expensive wine.”
“New Mabel, aged fifty years.”
“N-No…”
The woman’s gaze briefly lingered on the bottle before she swallowed nervously.
“…Sorry for disturbing you.”
“Mom, what does ‘dumped’ mean?”
“Children don’t need to know.”
“Let’s go.”
The mother quickly led her son away through the train corridor.
Soon Celine heard her scolding him.
“You shouldn’t run around on trains.”
“Walk properly next time.”
“I’m sorry… sniff…”
The boy’s crying gradually faded into the distance.
…That was close.
If someone had actually called a doctor, they might have discovered her condition.
Things would have become complicated.
They would take her to a hospital.
Her illness—and possibly even her identity—could be exposed.
She could certainly escape if necessary.
But then she would lose her teaching position in Elderwick.
And with that…
Her mission.
And her retirement.
It’s much better to be mistaken for a heartbroken woman drinking away her sorrow.
She sealed the wine bottle with another handkerchief and carefully placed it back into her luggage.
The train was almost at its final stop.
“Final station of the Empire—Santiya! We are now arriving at Santiya Station. Passengers, please check that you have all your belongings before leaving the train!”
Elderwick was located halfway up the Eternal Snow Mountains, so she would need to hire a carriage from here.
Picking up her luggage, Celine headed for the exit.
As she approached the train door, she noticed a familiar pair.
It was the mother and son from before.
The boy still walked with the same clumsy steps.
I wonder if they think I’m a strange woman.
What an unforgettable first impression.
Well… it’s not like we’ll ever meet again.
Thinking that, Celine stepped off the train.
The countryside station was small and old.
Groups of passengers slowly left the platform.
They weren’t kidding when they said it was remote.
Will my backside survive this trip?
What about my lungs?
Feeling nervous, she took a deep breath.
Then she suddenly noticed something.
…Huh?
My coughing stopped?
Maybe… because Santiya is in the countryside… the air is cleaner?
Strangely enough, the persistent cough that had tormented her throughout the train ride had completely disappeared.
Even the uncomfortable heaviness in her stomach had eased.
That’s nice.
A cool breeze swept across the open platform, washing away the heat of midsummer.
Celine pulled her thin linen coat tighter over her dress.
Its long skirt brushed lightly against her ankles with every step.
Her flat shoes kept slipping off her heels.
This is exactly why I hate blending in with ordinary people.
Though she rarely showed it, she had always been shy around strangers.
Perhaps because of her personality, her unique stealth ability allowed her to naturally blend into her surroundings.
That was why she had spent years handling infiltration and assassination missions.
She had never imagined that her final assignment would be pretending to be a schoolteacher in a remote mountain village.
Every Black Agent received intensive training before their first deployment.
That included learning basic skills for many different professions.
Celine had completed the accelerated teacher training course back then.
But that had been over ten years ago.
I need to finish this mission before my rusty knowledge gives me away.
First, she had to reach Elderwick before nightfall.
Just as she turned around—
“Hello!”
The moment someone called out from behind her…
A sharp light flashed across Celine’s normally calm purple eyes.
Her muscles reacted before her mind did.
Almost instinctively, she swung her travel bag backward.
Whoosh!
Unfortunately…
The person standing there wasn’t an enemy.
He was a handsome young man with sky-blue eyes.
He held up a colorful sign that read:
“Welcome, Teacher Celine Ravens!”
Oh no!
“…T-Teacher?”
The man, dressed in a white shirt and cotton trousers held up by suspenders, turned deathly pale.
Realizing what she’d done, Celine desperately grabbed the bag’s handle.
But it had already gained too much momentum.
The long suitcase completed a wide arc through the air…
Barely missed the man’s head…
And swung back toward her.
His golden-brown hair fluttered gently in the breeze.
Meanwhile…
Celine felt as if her heart had dropped to the ground.
“…”
“…”
The handsome man’s pale face contrasted sharply with the colorful crayon letters on the white sign.
In that brief moment, Celine’s mind raced.
The chance that someone at Santiya Station would randomly know both my codename and call me “teacher”…
…is practically zero.
Which means…
He’s from Elderwick.
She quietly bit the inside of her cheek.
I almost sent a villager’s head flying fifty meters before I even entered the village!
No matter how she looked at it…
That was a terrible way to begin a mission.
Who suddenly shouts from behind someone like that?
My body reacted before my brain.
A professional agent’s body was trained to respond instantly to outside threats.
Especially Celine, whose entire career had revolved around infiltration.
Open places like this still felt unfamiliar.
Was she flustered?
Of course not.
“…Teacher?”
“Is something wrong?”
Thump.
Celine calmly dropped her suitcase onto the ground.
“Oh my.”
“You startled me.”
Pretending to recover from the surprise, she quickly examined the man’s face, body, and surroundings.
He looks harmless.
In fact…
He looked so kind that it almost seemed like the words “I’m a good person” were written across his forehead.
He doesn’t appear to be injured…
Thank goodness I didn’t splash wine all over his face.
Before he calls the guards, I’d better apologize…
“You must have been startled because of me, Teacher.”
…Huh?
Celine stopped herself halfway through bowing.
“I’m sorry for shouting from behind you.”
The man lowered his head apologetically.
Just as she thought.
He was far too kind.
Fortunately, people like this were easy to deal with.
Following the standard approach, Celine politely bowed as well.
“I’m the one who should apologize.”
“This is my first time traveling such a long distance.”
“My body reacted before I could think.”
“I learned some self-defense before coming here.”
“I must have frightened you.”
“I see.”
“Then you learned it well.”
“The roads around here are rough.”
“It really isn’t safe for a lady to travel alone.”
Looks like I got through that.
Feeling relieved, Celine smiled.
“Thank you.”
“By the way…”
“Did you come from Elderwick?”
“Yes.”
The man smiled warmly.
“I’m Felix, the village chief of Elderwick.”
“…”
He’s really the village chief?
Celine’s eyes widened.
Just then, as if on cue, the afternoon sunlight poured down over Felix.
She frowned slightly.
What kind of farmer…
…looks like that?
She had observed hundreds of people throughout her career.
She had never seen anyone like him.
Even someone as indifferent to appearances as a Black Agent had to admit—
Felix was absurdly handsome.
Far too handsome to spend his life hidden away in a remote village.
His clear sky-blue eyes sparkled.
His healthy skin was flawless.
His thick golden-brown hair danced beautifully in the wind.
People passing by began whispering.
“Look at that man.”
“He’s incredibly handsome.”
“It feels like the whole station got brighter.”
“But who’s that freckled woman with him?”
More and more people started staring at Celine and Felix.
This isn’t good…
I don’t like attracting attention.
Years of experience as a Black Agent made her instincts scream.
This man…
…was going to become a major obstacle to her mission.
