Chapter 93.1

Chapter 93.1

Lee Wooshin’s eyebrows twitched as he paused. Na Wonchang, clearly exhausted, spoke in a cracked voice, lashing out aimlessly. Checking his watch, he said,

“Finish in three minutes.”

As soon as the strict permission was granted, there was a sharp gasp, followed by a clattering sound beneath the desk.

Lee Wooshin rubbed his forehead and checked the time again. There had still been no other contact from Han Seoryeong. Na Wonchang, panting as if overwhelmed, continued to speak in a rush.

― “Did you know Owl has been receiving psychological counseling since childhood?”

“…!”

He didn’t know. But before he could respond, Na Wonchang, pressed for time, quickly pushed forward.

― “It started when Owl was about ten years old and continued ever since.”

Lee Wooshin’s brows furrowed slightly. Since facing Han Seoryeong, not Owl, there had been a subtle irritation.

In order to verify that discrepancy, he had violated the National Intelligence Service’s strict rules to handle the task himself. Now, as the gaps in information were about to be filled, his mouth felt inexplicably dry.

Was he really doing the right thing? He had deliberately chosen not to delve deeper into Owl beyond what was on paper.

But now, curiosity about Han Seoryeong had crept up on him. His eyes wavered uneasily.

― “Back then, there was suspicion of antisocial personality disorder, but because she was a minor, it was considered too risky to diagnose, so she continued to receive correction through counseling.”

“…!”

― “I went through all the counseling records. Apparently, Owl had a talent for gymnastics. She’d been doing it since elementary school, but it was different from competitive gymnastics, so she was treated like an ugly duckling. Were you aware of that?”

For some reason, it grated on him. He didn’t want to admit that he hadn’t even known such a basic part of her history. Lee Wooshin clenched his jaw, his expression hardening.

He had confined her identity to being an orphan from a shelter, a diligent and lonely woman, never trying to understand her or pull her out from the sparse report he had.

Everything he knew about the Owl had been inputted and judged based solely on the reports handed to him by the deputy director. He had never revisited it.

What kind of life had Han Seoryeong led? What sorrows had she been burdened with while growing up? These were never his concerns. Unless it was for a smear campaign, “understanding” was never part of his job.

How absurd and shallow their relationship was. But since when had he begun to be curious, not about the paper version of the Owl, but the real, raw Han Seoryeong? His brows knitted as if he was trying to dig up something uncomfortable.

― “One other unusual thing. It seems she’s received long-term treatment not just from a psychiatrist, but also from orthopedic and dermatology clinics. Mostly for misaligned bones and scar treatment…”

“…”

― “Also, while her birth registration and records from the orphanage exist, there’s no trace of her before she was ten. She was suddenly placed in the orphanage, started counseling, and then the National Intelligence Service took all her psychiatric records. The amount is unnecessarily enormous. There are even video records. Would you like me to send them to you?

“I’m busy. Later.”

― “And this part is just my baseless hypothesis…”

Na Wonchang hesitated, as if taking a moment to collect himself.

― “I don’t think Owl has any memories of her childhood.”

“…!”

― “From what I’ve seen in the counseling sessions, they often asked about her past, but her responses were strange.”

“How so?”

―It was like she was answering mechanically. She kept repeating, ‘I rode the carousel with my dad.’ That phrase came up again and again, whether they asked what she ate frequently as a child or what her favorite color was. ‘I rode the carousel with my dad.’ I can’t explain it well, but…

He needed to stop now. Somewhere between mild curiosity and cruel temptation, that thought rang in Lee Wooshin’s mind like a warning bell.

― “It was as if she’d been brainwashed, team leader.”

“…!”

― “It’s not something that can be proven as credible from a social science perspective right now…”

Lee Woo-shin’s face slowly darkened.

But ever since he had encountered her at Blast Corp, since he had faced the indifference and coldness he had never seen during their marriage, Lee Wooshin had been consumed by the feeling that something was wrong, leading him all the way to this point.

Though he had felt uneasy every time he lay down on the bed and hadn’t slept well for ages, at some point, he found himself sinking deeply into slumber with Han Seoryeong.

Whenever she woke in a daze, blinking out of habit in search of Kim Hyun, her eyes would wander, and Lee Wooshin would watch as her gaze eventually found him, basking in the morning sunlight.

At the moment, when she smiled shyly, not even looking directly at him but vaguely aiming her gaze at his throat, he pulled her close and kissed her.

Was that truly part of the mission?

He could have left at any time, could have discarded her whenever he wanted. So why the hell had he come this far, trying to figure things out?

It wasn’t the owl, but Han Seoryeong that piqued his curiosity. The casual, indifferent glance she threw at him as if he were a stranger gave him a feeling he couldn’t shake—an unbearable frustration.