The Blue Velvet Trap - Chapter 35

“What are you thinking about?”

Ivlik asked, narrowing his eyes. His gaze towards Cedine seemed to overflow with honey. Perhaps it felt even sweeter because Ivlik’s eyes were actually a honey-like golden color.

Ivlik and honey-like eyes. Cedine was surprised at her own thought. In the past, she wouldn’t have even considered putting those two expressions together. A needle-like gaze that pierced through others would have been a much more fitting description.

“I’m thinking that I want to ask my question now.”

“It’s a shame you didn’t pretend you weren’t thinking anything.”

“If I had.”

Cedine snorted softly.

“You would have nitpicked, saying I didn’t look like I wasn’t thinking of anything judging by my expression. Do you think I’ve only fallen for that once or twice? I won’t fall for it anymore.”

“You’re certainly a trainee worth teaching.”

What worth? Anyway, this is what happens the moment you let your guard down. What would have happened if Cedine hadn’t stayed alert and cut off the flow? Ivlik wouldn’t have missed the opportunity. Cedine could vividly imagine Ivlik putting his head under her long skirt.

Cedine, who would have at least asked to lock the study door or draw the curtains on the windows, would have been bouncing her body with her fingers buried in her husband’s hair ten minutes later. Cedine could bet her entire fortune that things would have unfolded that way.

“I’ll have to try a different method next time.”

Ivlik leaned back in the leather chair. A faint smile played on his lips. When asked what she was curious about, Cedine finally got to the main point.

“Karen and I had no secrets between us. Since we were young, we talked about everything. Except for one thing: stories about the Intelligence Bureau. Because every operation my sister was involved in was completely confidential, she had to keep her mouth shut even to her only sister. At first, I begged her to at least tell me when she’d be back, but when I saw how genuinely troubled she was, I stopped.”

Not showing any interest in the missions the other person was assigned to. That was the unspoken rule between the Liere sisters. When Karen had to enter into a fake marriage with Ivlik, Cedine thought it was fortunate that she could at least know it was a fake marriage.

It was just a deal that met certain conditions, and Ivlik also had a job dealing with confidential information. The Army Ministry and the Intelligence Bureau. Though their affiliations were different, they roughly knew how each other’s workplaces operated. Therefore, the sisters’ rule applied equally to Ivlik.

“My sister said she just accepted your proposal for a fake marriage. That it was a deal quite beneficial to her. That’s all I heard. I couldn’t ask more because I thought the fake marriage itself might be another operation.”

Cedine continued.

“Since I couldn’t ask my sister, it’s natural that I couldn’t ask you either, brother-in… I mean, you. So, Ivlik, what was the reason you had to have a fake marriage?”

Ivlik asked if she really wanted to know. When she retorted asking if he thought she wanted to fake wanting to know, her husband changed the question. He said not to be disappointed if it was different from what she expected.

“As of June 1st this year, unmarried officers became the first priority for remote assignments.”

“……”

“That directive came down in March this year. There wasn’t much time left until June.”

Cedine was at a loss for words at such an unexpected reason.

Intelligence Bureau agents dispatched abroad often disguised themselves as married couples. It was easier to avoid suspicion from locals as a couple rather than as siblings or just friends. While the male agent extracted information from local men, the female agent quickly built a local network by attending gatherings like local women’s associations.

Many men confide to their wives, with whom they share a bed, secrets they wouldn’t tell even their closest colleagues, so a two-pronged approach was essential. Perhaps because of this, female agents who targeted women’s associations often performed better than male agents who officially infiltrated organizations with specific targets.

Until now, Cedine thought Ivlik had a reason why he absolutely had to disguise himself as part of a married couple, like other agents. But to think he did it because he wanted to stay at the headquarters in the capital.

“I didn’t know until now, Ivlik, but you have quite an ambition for promotion…”

“Let’s call it a desire for improvement.”

“To fake a marriage for a promotion. No… that doesn’t seem right. You’re lying, aren’t you? Because it doesn’t make sense. The wedding ceremony, gifts, wedding dress, and even the costs incurred for me after my sister’s death… adding it all up, it’s clearly a loss for you. To spend such a large sum just because you don’t want to be assigned far away.”

“Just because?”

Ivlik interrupted his wife’s words. It seemed that part was something he absolutely couldn’t tolerate.

“Even those with lower ranks than me are taking out loans to give gifts just to stick to the headquarters. All the high-level information is concentrated at the headquarters in the capital, and it rarely leaks out. Even if they offer mansions in provincial cities as compensation, everyone shakes their heads.”

Ivlik slightly raised one eyebrow.

“Cedine, don’t you want to be a general’s wife?”

“Are you aiming for a general-level officer? Why don’t you just say you’ll become a general before forty?”

“In my past life, I was still a lieutenant colonel until I was thirty-four. At that rate, becoming a general before forty seems unlikely… But I think brigadier general might be possible. A turbulent era is another way of saying there are many opportunities to achieve military merits.”

“The war will end next year, though.”

“Right. We know about future events. To be precise, I remember up to the year 24.”

Ivlik raised one corner of his mouth.

“But you never know what might happen in the world.”

Ivlik added that to smoothly become a brigadier general, he needed to stay rooted in the capital. He also asked rhetorically why she thought he went to social parties, saying things he didn’t mean and laughing. He said that while performance within the Army Ministry was important, external reputation also needed attention.

Especially for the promotion of general-level officers, the influence of external figures, including the royal family, was essential, so management from the early stages was necessary.

As Ivlik spoke about this, not a hint of playfulness was visible on his face. Cedine realized: This man, unlike his appearance, is truly serious about advancement. Really, really serious.

“I’ve always thought you became a lieutenant colonel at such a young age simply because… you were talented.”

“Did you think I had no interest in political games?”

“Mmm.”

“That I felt disgusted by having to humor old men puffing on cigars and putting on airs?”

“Well, I guess you wouldn’t like it.”

“That it wasn’t because of vulgar ambition, but that I kept getting special promotions just following the instinct to step on others’ heads to climb up? Is that how you saw me?”

There’s no need to be that detailed. Cedine tightly pursed her lips. She couldn’t help but make a sulky expression.

Ivlik raised his body from the chair’s backrest and leaned his arms on the desk. I wondered what he was doing, but it turned out he was trying to laugh. As he buried his face in his hands and laughed quietly, his angular shoulders shook. Cedine averted her gaze and waited for her husband’s laughter to subside.

“… Aren’t you laughing for too long?”

“Ah, sorry.”

He apologizes but keeps laughing.

“So you saw me as that kind of born ruler type. But what can I do? This Wintermore is a hardworking social climber. I even went to the trouble of memorizing the dates of generals’ granddaughters’ school entrance ceremonies. My wife must be terribly disappointed. That’s why I said earlier… don’t be disappointed even after hearing everything.”

“You’re really enjoying this.”

“It’s been so long since I laughed like this.”

Ivlik finally stopped laughing. Actually, it’s more accurate to say that Cedine waited until he finished laughing.

“Cedine, haven’t you heard that suddenly saying such cute things is a violation of security laws?”

“I’m hearing it for the first time.”

Cedine replied bluntly.

“I guess we’re living in different countries. The legal system where Ivlik lives seems quite strange.”

At that moment, a maid knocked on the door and entered with a silver tray. Teacups for the couple and a small plate of chocolates were placed on the desk. Cedine thought the maid had interrupted the flow at just the right moment. She pulled up a chair in front of Ivlik’s desk and took a sip of tea.

“I realized something through this incident. A quiet life not tied to anything? It’s not bad. The problem is that while living like that, villains like Crotsfield gain power.”

Crotsfield was killed by the combined efforts of Cedine, Ivlik, and Karen. They even disposed of the body. He can no longer commit evil deeds. Cedine thinks it’s fortunate. However, she was bothered by the fact that not all villains could be dealt with like Crotsfield.