“You two should return to the mansion first. I still have some personal matters to discuss with this gentleman.”
Violet met the eyes of Lea, who for some reason looked flushed.
Lea had been happily letting her imagination run wild. She quickly came to her senses and shook her head, but swallowed whatever she had been about to say when Violet continued.
“If you are worried about me, do not be. If anything, I would be safer staying with this gentleman.”
“That is… true, but.”
Lea understood what Han’s uniform signified.
The Special Unit.
An elite force that captured Heretical Mages.
And although she did not know the exact nature of their relationship, the fact that Miss Violet spoke this way meant that he was someone she trusted considerably.
“…Then how do you intend to return? If you happened to meet some terrible criminal and came to harm, I would truly die from guilt.”
“It is fine. The gentleman here will escort me all the way to the mansion. Is that not right?”
“……Me? Ah. Yes, that is correct. I will take responsibility for your young lady’s safety and protect her until the very end. Do not worry.”
“…….”
Lea still couldn’t completely rid herself of her anxiety.
But she knew very well that Violet had always been the sort of person who had to do whatever she had decided upon, and that there was no stopping her.
Only after extracting a promise that Violet would return before dark did Lea finally leave.
“Miss Violet wanting to speak alone with a man… My goodness, how can such a thing be…….”
Those were the words Lea muttered to herself as she departed.
Watching the two disappear into the distance, Han spoke.
“What were you planning to do if I did not have the time?”
“Did you have something scheduled?”
“…No, but.”
“Then that is fortunate.”
Violet’s lips curved gently upward.
Looking directly at Han with her clear eyes, she said,
“Why don’t we take a walk together? Wildflowers are blooming beautifully all along the road to the mansion.”
“…That is quite an elegant way of telling me to walk you home.”
“I would rather have a quiet conversation somewhere peaceful, but it does not seem as though we have the time. Shall I guide you along the road to the mansion?”
As though recreating what had happened in front of the passenger ship’s party hall, Violet tried to escort Han.
Han gave a dry laugh and stepped ahead of her.
“I know the way.”
How could he possibly not know the location of the wealthiest household in the Republic?
***
Han and Violet walked at the same pace.
The sunlight happened to be mild, and a cool breeze was blowing, making it pleasant weather for a walk.
Click, click.
The sound of Violet’s heels echoed with every step she took.
Han quietly listened to the sound for a while before speaking.
“Did you finish everything you needed to do and return safely? Considering what happened, things must have been hectic.”
“Thanks to you. Though… I imagine you were even busier than I was, Han.”
“That is true. Today was the first time in quite a while that I had any free time.”
That day.
After seeing the aurora that filled the sky.
The two of them had parted without even being able to exchange a proper farewell.
Han briefly told her what had happened since then before asking,
“How did you find the hospital room? I did not think you would truly investigate my background.”
The roses placed in the hospital room of Han Anna.
Han’s younger sister.
Han was certain Violet had been the one to leave them.
All the more because there was no one else who would have come.
“I investigated you.”
“…You really did?”
“If finding a newspaper I read five years ago counts as an investigation.”
“…….”
Han himself had read the article about him from five years ago.
It had indeed said that his younger sister had been transferred to the Capital Hospital.
But….
“It would not have listed her room number.”
“I asked at the desk, and they kindly told me.”
“That cannot be. They would not hand over a patient’s personal information so easily.”
“Well. You are free to believe me or not. But they guided me there immediately after I showed them this.”
Violet pulled out the pendant she was wearing.
A platinum eagle ornament rested upon it.
“…It seems what needed replacing was not the vase, but the hospital.”
Apparently, merely seeing the Bradin name was enough for them to hand over a patient’s information.
“You replaced the vase? I had already thought the old one seemed rather worn.”
“It caught my eye when I went to the flower shop. I bought it while I was getting the flowers.”
Violet recalled her visit to the hospital room.
The wilted flowers sitting inside the old vase.
“…Purple hyacinths. Their meaning is ‘eternal love.’ Or ‘forgiveness.’”
“…….”
“I will not ask which one you meant. Whichever it was, that was the sincerity you wished to give Miss Anna.”
From the circumstances, Violet could guess what words the purple hyacinths were meant to convey.
But she did not voice them.
The weight Han carried in his heart did not seem like something she should speak of lightly.
“…….”
A brief silence passed between them.
“We have already come this far.”
They had not yet reached the mansion.
The small building the two were passing was an orphanage.
“I volunteer here every Saturday.”
“…Volunteer?”
“Is that surprising?”
“A little.”
“I like children.”
“It is not for the media?”
“Hoho. If you strike the mark that precisely, I cannot really argue.”
It was common for children of wealthy conglomerate families to engage in charitable work.
Whether it came from genuine goodwill or not.
There were simply too many eyes watching them—newspapers, magazines, broadcasting stations, and more.
Even Violet, who disliked publicity, could not be completely exempt from it.
“Do you like children?”
“I do not know. I have never really thought about it.”
“Think about it. And if you decide you do not dislike them, stop by sometime when you have the chance. It would be even better if that happened to be a Saturday.”
“If the day works out, I will visit.”
“I have an exceptionally good memory. I rarely forget something once I have heard it.”
Violet glanced sideways at Han playfully.
Under her subtle gaze, the gloomy air that had lingered around Han quietly began to recede.
“Do you want to see me again that badly?”
“Want to see you again…. Perhaps I do.”
“What?”
Han had meant to tease her, only to be caught off guard himself.
When he found himself speechless, Violet enjoyed his reaction.
“It is not often one gets to see a taciturn soldier interacting with children, is it?”
“…….”
“What is it?”
“…I feel as though I am constantly being led around whenever I am with you. This has never happened to me before.”
“…….”
Violet fell into thought for a moment at Han’s words.
She touched the upturned corner of her own lips before murmuring,
“…Indeed. This has never happened to me before either.”
Was it because what had happened on the passenger ship had left such a strong impression?
Violet realized that she genuinely enjoyed talking with Han.
“Thank you for escorting me. It was quite a long walk.”
Their steps continued until they finally reached the vicinity of the mansion, where Violet turned to face Han.
“It was half-forced upon me, but in any case, I said I would take responsibility for your safety until the end. I merely kept my promise. Then, go inside safely. Once I see that you have entered without trouble, I should return as well.”
“I do not recall such tenderness being part of the promise.”
“It was not. It comes naturally because it is you.”
“Pardon?”
Violet asked again without thinking.
Seeing her flustered expression, Han subtly raised the corner of his mouth.
“I am a more affectionate man than I look.”
“…….”
“What is it?”
“…You got me this time. Even though you said I was the one constantly leading you around.”
“I dislike losing just as much as you do.”
Violet smiled softly.
After offering him another farewell, she began walking away.
But while heading toward the front gate, she suddenly turned around.
“Han. There is one last thing I would like to ask.”
“What is it?”
“If… I told you that I wanted to help you. Would that make you happy?”
“…….”
Violet deliberately did not say what she meant.
But Han knew that the help she was referring to involved the thrill killer he had been searching for all this time.
Andrei Chikatilo.
He also knew that she must have thought long and hard before saying those words.
“…If I told you it would not make me happy, would you stop?”
“No. I would still do it. Certainly.”
Han silently looked at Violet.
Their eyes met, neither gaze wavering.
“I thought so. You seem to be that kind of woman.”
Han was the first to look away.
It seemed that she had already made up her mind.
Whether it came from sympathy, a sense of justice, or some other emotion.
“Even if you help me, I will not be happy.”
“…….”
“But I will not be sad either. Nor will I be angry. …Instead, I will feel sorry. And grateful.”
Violet was a woman of the Bradin Conglomerate.
Considering her family, wealth, and disposition, there was no doubt that her help would be immensely useful in the search.
But precisely because of that, Han had to be careful.
He would be relying not merely on Violet herself, but on her family.
He would inevitably find himself calculating how much he could gain from her consideration.
Han found it difficult to meet Violet’s eyes.
Violet watched him for a moment before giving a faint smile.
“That is enough. And do not forget which family’s daughter I am.”
“…….”
“The Bradins never conduct business that does not produce a profit. I will collect everything later with a generous amount of interest added, so you had better steel yourself and wait.”
“…When you put it that way, it becomes somewhat frightening.”
Han chuckled.
Then, as Violet once again began walking away with the click of her heels, he added,
“I missed the timing earlier and could not say it. You looked quite good in a tailcoat, but that dress suits you exceptionally well.”
It was his answer to Violet’s earlier compliment about his uniform.
Violet left him with an alluring smile.
“Whether intentionally or not, I will look forward to the day our coincidences overlap once again.”
With those words, Violet departed.
Han remained there until he saw Violet pass through the mansion gates in the distance.
Then, as he pulled back his sleeve to check the time, he suddenly remembered something he had forgotten.
“Ah, right. I should have gotten my watch back.”
It seemed he would remain an immature fool who had lost a piece of issued equipment for a while longer.
***
The next morning.
Han was walking down the corridor of the Special Unit’s Capital Second Headquarters when a large man approached from the opposite direction.
The man wore the same black uniform as Han, and his skin was as dark as the uniform itself.
“Well, look who it is. Han, it has been almost impossible to see your face lately.”
“We have both been busy with work. It has been a while, Team Leader Gilbert.”
“Team Leader, my ass. We hold the same rank and position now, so just speak comfortably.”
“There is still seniority between our classes, so I cannot do that.”
“Still stiff as ever. There probably is not another bastard in the Special Unit who cares as much as you do about seniority and rank. Especially these days.”
Despite his words, Gilbert grinned broadly, revealing bright white teeth.
Standing a full head taller than Han, he patted Han on the shoulder.
Even though Han had been promoted rapidly and now held the same position, five years of habit did not disappear easily.
“So? After constantly carrying out missions alone, what is it like being a team leader now? Manageable?”
“There are still members of my team whose faces I have not even seen yet, so it is difficult to say.”
“Ah. You have not met the ones from Alkant yet?”
“I was on my way to meet them for the first time.”
“Damn. Looks like I was holding you up.”
Gilbert wanted to talk longer after finally running into Han again, but he stepped aside.
“Once your team becomes worth something, let us train together.”
“I would welcome that. Competition with an excellent team can be a positive driving force.”
“Bwahaha. You make everything sound so stiff.”
After parting with Gilbert, Han headed straight for Team 251’s conference room.
When he arrived at the door, he could sense that there were more people inside than before.
Han slowly opened it.
Lara and Fabian were apparently already talking with the team members who had come from Alkant, because the room was rather noisy….
“No, Team Leader! This is seriously not right. What the hell is this?!”
At this point, Han couldn’t tell whether he was experiencing déjà vu.
Lara protested at him.
“This time, please send me to another team!”
Han had not yet heard the reason.
But after reviewing the profiles of every member of the team beforehand, he had a feeling he already knew what it was.