Chapter 71 

The waves crashed over her several times. The first wave was bearable, but by the time the second wave came, the blanket she had grabbed to stifle her groans was already torn to shreds.

“Ugh!”

“Damn it! Benny.”

She felt like she was going insane. Her body seemed as though it was melting away.

Her teeth ached from clenching her jaw too hard. After the third wave, her mind was completely blank.

“Stop… please.”

“Ah.”

Costance buried his face into her shoulder and kissed her. His movements were slow, but his arms, which held her tightly, showed no sign of losing strength.

“Just so you know, any movement will only make it worse.”

At Costance’s warning, she gave up trying to escape. Once, when she had whined about being tired, he had stroked her head. She thought he might finally let her rest, but then he slyly moved his hips again.

“Ah.”

The slow movements brought an overwhelming sense of euphoria. Costance didn’t miss the moment and immediately captured her lips in an intense kiss that left her breathless.

“Mm!”

The once-cold cabin was now heated with passion.

“I love you.”

A strange, ticklish sensation spread through her. The warmth and the damp touch transmitted directly to her.

“Benny.”

Unable to contain her excitement, she trembled. When she buried her face into the bed, Costance, flustered, straightened his posture.

“Stop… If we go any further, I’ll really lose it.”

“……”

The sound of him swallowing hard was loud above her. Had she touched something of Costance’s again? When she turned her head to the side, his flushed, excited face came into view.

“Stop… I mean it, stop…”

She pleaded with him.

“Haah, Benny.”

Costance’s hazy mind began to clear. His gray eyes regained their calmness. His labored breathing slowed, and she thought she could finally rest, but then Costance grabbed her hand one last time and pulled.

“Ah!”

“Benny! Damn it!”

The final wave came crashing down. She couldn’t breathe, let alone speak.

After barely enduring the overwhelming force, she eventually collapsed onto the bed. Costance lay beside her, embracing her body and planting gentle kisses all over.

“…I’m sorry.”

“It’s too late to apologize now… It’s useless.”

At her words, Costance looked dejected.

“To be honest, it was closer to torture.”

“Torture?”

“Going so slowly… I thought I’d lose my mind.”

He explained that he had gone slowly to avoid overstimulating her. Hearing this, she was dumbfounded.

“I thought you were saving your strength for the finale.”

“The finale?”

“…Costance, please.”

She clicked her tongue at the still-lingering energy radiating from him. Because of all this, she even entertained the absurd thought that she might get caught by the agency if she tried to escape. When she glared at Costance, he finally gave up his desires.

“Benny.”

He buried his nose into the nape of her neck and inhaled deeply.

“…I’ve always wanted to stay like this with you.”

“Ugh.”

Her body, annoyingly, reacted to his words.

Seeing her shoulders flinch, Costance pulled back his lips and pressed his body closer to her back. There wasn’t even a sliver of space between them.

“Damn it.”

Costance whispered lowly.

“Don’t ever leave me.”

He murmured into her ear.

“Don’t leave me…”

Slowly, her eyes closed. His warmth and deep voice lulled her into sleep.

The sound of insects chirping beyond the window filled the silence, bringing a sense of peace. For the first time in a long while, she felt comfort, and her heart softened.

***

Even though it was the early hours of the morning, the agency was bustling.

After Costance disappeared, every team within the agency had to work through the night. In particular, the special team Costance had been part of faced disgrace, and even a moment’s rest brought scolding from all sides.

It wasn’t just the agents who were exhausted. Alres, his body covered in wounds, was thrown into a cell only after enduring prolonged torture.

Inside the cell, Alres noticed a woman who had already been confined there.

Julia Perredit, who had originally been held in a separate interrogation room, was moved to the special torture chamber because she was associated with Vivi Ferren.

“……”

“……”

Alres sat far away from Julla. No words were exchanged between them.

“Ugh.”

As he tried to lean against the wall, his wounds scraped against it, and he let out a pained groan.

“…Are you alright?”

Unable to hold back, Julia spoke up. While Alres’s body was battered, Julia’s condition was no better. She had been captured by the agency and subjected to all kinds of torture.

Just when she thought the torture had eased up… because of Vivi Ferren, she found herself marked by the agency again.

“You look like you’re in pain.”

Julia’s gaze swept over Alres’s injuries.

“Yes.”

Alres responded as briefly as possible.

The reason the agency had confined Julia and Alres together was simple: both of them had a connection to Vivi Ferren. They both realized this fact.

“Let’s avoid talking.”

Alres warned. The agency was hoping for a conversation about Vivi Ferren to emerge between them.

The room was filled with recording devices and cameras for this purpose. Alres was certain that every gesture he and Julia made would be analyzed by the agents.

“…I was just a colleague.”

But Julia ignored Alres’s warning and whispered. Alres was worried she might say something unnecessary.

From the beginning, she was someone who had a lot of reasons to feel wronged about being here. She would undoubtedly try to get answers from him to secure her release.

“This place is really messed up.”

“……”

“The agency probably expects me to tell you all sorts of things. After all, I’m the wronged party here. But there’s one thing this messed-up agency overlooked.”

Julia looked around and spotted a camera. She immediately raised her middle finger toward it.

“They should’ve treated me better from the start, those bastards.”

“……”

“That’s it. I’m done talking.”

Julia turned her back to him and lay down on the cold floor. Alres could only blink at her sudden behavior.

***

“Everything is fine. The situation is progressing well.”

Ald Herbert had been holding the phone to his ear for several minutes.

– I’m counting on you. My expectations for my old friend are high.

“I understand, Your Grace. I won’t disappoint you.”

– Prove it to me. Despite everyone’s opposition, I placed you in that position for a reason.

“Yes, Your Grace. I will ensure Benny Galinne is captured.”

The call ended.

Ald, his eyes red with frustration, glared at the Marquis Orsi, who was seated before him. Everything was falling apart.

“That was a call from the Chancellor.”

“……”

“He’s very hopeful. He believes he’ll soon see Benny Galinne.”

“……”

“But you! You dare stab me in the back like this! Damn it!”

Unable to contain his anger, Ald grabbed an object from his desk and hurled it.

The Marquis Orsi remained silent, lowering his head. His face, looking down at the floor, was twisted with anguish.

Initially, the Marquis Orsi had come to the agency after receiving a call that Costance Orsi had failed to report for duty without notice. However, what awaited him was news of Costance’s relationship with Vivi Ferren and his subsequent escape.

“Damn it!”

The Marquis clenched his fists tightly. Although his anger surged, he held it in. This was not the time to raise his voice.

“I have nothing more to say to you…”

“You wretched bastard!”

Ald lunged at the Marquis Orsi. In an instant, Ald’s hands grabbed the Marquis’s collar.

“Damn it! Damn it!”

Ald Herbert couldn’t bring himself to strike the Marquis. His arms dropped to his sides.

“…I will see this through. I’ll catch your son, and I’ll catch Benny Galinne too.”

At Ald’s declaration, the Marquis Orsi closed his eyes tightly. Ald opened the door and looked at the officers waiting outside. They all stood stiffly, their expressions frozen.

“Report the situation.”

“Yes. Currently, we are focusing our interrogation on Julia Perredit, who worked as a librarian with Vivi Ferren, and Dr. Alres, who worked at the NOK One Laboratory and was acquainted with Vivi Ferren.”

“Is Alres cooperating?”

“He’s resilient.”

“The torture?”

“It’s ongoing.”

Ald bit his lip.

“Keep them together and monitor them 24/7. Focus on their conversations.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Investigate everyone connected to Costance Orsi. Leave no stone unturned.”

Ald felt the gaze of the Marquis Orsi from inside the room and turned to face him.

“Why the long face? If you cover for your son, you’ll end up in prison too, Marquis Orsi.”

“…That’s not it.”

The Marquis Orsi suppressed his emotions and spoke.

“I no longer consider him my son. I know his weakness. He cares deeply for his half-brother.”

The Marquis Orsi, a former admiral of the Toramde Navy, had lived his life devoted to Toramde. He valued his country more than his rebellious son and prioritized his personal interests above all else.

“Use Alonso.”

And the Marquis Orsi never protected children who brought him no benefit.