Chapter 43.1

Chapter 43.1

“Wow!”

Han Seoryeong was unmatched in climbing stalks. Even with his own eyes, Lee Wooshin couldn’t fathom why.

Lee Wooshin briefly entertained the thought of drug use again but quickly dismissed it. If she had undergone drug-dependent training, she wouldn’t have clung to the stalk with such covetous eyes.

Throughout his vigilant observation, she mostly told the truth. But that didn’t necessarily mean she was an honest person. It simply indicated that she had become indifferent, lacking any motivation to lie or gain an advantage.

However, when it came to her husband, Kim Hyun, she rarely showed desire in her eyes. Lee Wooshin found this version of her not just unfamiliar but also unsettling.

The eyes he had seen before always held laughter, excitement, or blind affection.

But now, seeking vengeance for her husband and hinting at sexual undertones? IAnd that she seemed like she might kill someone someday.”

It wasn’t a phrase any ordinary person could easily utter. Over time, it became increasingly evident that the owl wore a facade when they were together as husband and wife.

Though he had deceived her, it strangely felt like he had been deceived, fueling his growing frustration. He couldn’t shake off the suspicion that the woman he had lived with and cared for might not truly be the person he now saw.

He felt like he was missing something crucial. He desired to re-investigate Owl from scratch. His intuition was painfully strong. However…

“The principle of operation blocking.”

This principle firmly grasped the ankle of Black Agent Lee Wooshin.

“Don’t pry into others’ affairs, and don’t let them pry into yours.”

It was one of the most stringent doctrines that all agents of the National Intelligence Service had to adhere to. Black agents were expected to execute orders from above without understanding the full scope.

This marked the beginning of their isolation from each other’s operations to prevent the revelation of the whole picture if one was captured.

So, the agents worked alone, focusing solely on their assigned tasks.

The owl’s identity may have been uncertain, but it meant what it said, and further questions were discouraged.

“—”

Lee Wooshin steadied his breathing, quelling his unnecessary emotions.

Furthermore, Operation Bird Box wasn’t solely about the owl; it was about preserving her and their marriage. From his approach to his departure, the mission had been a near-success.

“I should no longer think about her,” he thought to himself. There was no reason to monitor the changed Owl, nor any grounds to complicate matters. To him, she should be nothing short of non-existent.

“…..”

He briefly lowered his eyes to clear his thoughts, then raised them again to meet the commander’s gaze, his expression meticulously neutral.

As he observed Han Seoryeong on the stalk, Jin Hojae suddenly interjected from the side.

“Team Leader, do you find Ms. Han Seoryeong attractive?”

“….what?”

“I was just wondering if it’s just me.”

Lee Wooshin barely contained his emotions, feeling them surge like a swift current once more. He furrowed his brow and glanced at Jin Hojae, whose eyes sparkled with fondness and curiosity.

“That woman… during the last dodge drill, she looked at me with such intensity.”

“….”

“Since then, no other woman has looked at me like that, as if she really wanted something from me… It made my heart feel strange.”

He pressed his hand against his chest as if it tingled. Wooshin’s pale, handsome face twisted into a smile, but the pulse throbbing at his temple twitched sensitively.

“It seems like she fell for me first, and I’ve felt her gaze on me ever since, so I imagine Ms. Han is seeing right through me. I wonder if fate brought us together in this training.”

Jin Hojae folded his fingers one by one, lost in thought. One, two, three, four, his fingers continued to fold, and Lee Wooshin stared at his hand, his expression unchanged.

When a total of five fingers were folded, Jin Hojae’s shoulders relaxed nervously.

“Team Leader, what should I do? I might get a girlfriend.”

“Officer Jin Hojae.”

With an irritated sigh, the back of his head jerked. Jin Hojae bit his lip in a small, “Ugh…!” as his head was suddenly grabbed, feeling as if his skull might be crushed by the force of the fingers squeezing.

As his boss, who always seemed on the verge of losing his mind, displayed his temper, Jin Hojae straightened up.

“Don’t worry, I’ll approach her gently and without causing any commotion during training.”

“Ms. Han has a husband.”

“What?!”