There was no other way to describe this situation.

After shouting with all her might, Lee Ji-Hye looked relieved and I noticed the guards quickly running to find their supervisor. As expected, Lee Ji-Hye spoke with a small smile.

“Now, let’s share each other’s thoughts. I’m sure you’ve caught on by now… did I make the answer easy for you?” Lee Ji-Hye asked.

“Yeah,” I answered.

“I’ll count to two and then we answer at the same time,” she suggested.

“...”

“One, two…”

“Safety first.”

“Safety first.”

“You’ve caught on. You already know the public opinion isn’t good, right?” she asked.

“Of course.”

“Getting Juliena back is the first thing. You’re the victim, right? But I think it’ll be difficult to get her back… so getting help from an influential person in the Holy Empire might be a good backup plan…” she muttered.

“Victor Hart,” I said.

“Do you know him?” she asked.

“Hee-Ra noona knows him and I’m not sure about the details, but he's pretty strong in the Holy Empire. By just having him on our side, we can get whatever we want; no, we can get more than that,” I answered.

Obviously, what Lee Ji-Hye and I wanted wasn’t just safety. What we really wanted was…

‘Overturning the public opinion...’

That was our first goal. The smallest thing could change anything.

The unexpected murder caused the public to focus on the castle and the news about me getting imprisoned wasn’t good news.

‘However…’

Everything would change if people thought that I was being protected. We had to tell the public that the empire’s greatest soldier, Victor Hart, was protecting me, not that I was being imprisoned by the guards. The only difference in the news was the guards and Victor Hart, but this was enough to overturn public opinion.

“You’re the one that’s in danger, Oppa,” she said.

“I’m in a very dangerous situation so it can’t be helped. I’m sure getting protected by the Mercenary Queen and the shaman is effective, but getting help from someone that works for the Holy Empire will be more effective. Since we don’t know when Yamato’s assassin will strike again, it’s better to try it discreetly,” I suggested.

“You’re thinking about getting help from Lindel too, right?” Lee Ji-Hye asked.

“That’s right,” I answered.

“Using the media to stir up anti-Japanese sentiment won’t be difficult, but this situation does worry me,” she replied.

“Yamato Guild, the ones behind the Lindel terrorist attack, persecuted and threatened the innocent Lee Ki-Young of the Blue Guild. An unavoidable situation occurred and the framed victim is now in danger of being tried as a murderer. How does that sound? How about making it more eye-catching by saying, ‘An innocent Korean man is on the verge of getting executed by the guillotine.’ What do you think?” I asked her.

“Not bad, but you know this will have a bigger impact than you think, right?” she asked.

“Of course. That’s what I am aiming for. Punishing me will basically be punishing Lindel,” I said.

“Since the Holy Empire doesn’t like conflict, they’ll feel even more uncomfortable about dealing with you, Oppa. You’re good at saving yourself and that’s kind of what I like about you…” Lee Ji-Hye praised.

“You have a strange taste in men,” I told her.

“I told you before that I like ambitious men and if possible, I like dirty and powerful men like you, Oppa,” she boldly declared.

“The feeling is mutual, then...”

“Since it’ll be difficult for them to deal with you, it’ll be better for them to go to war than to have you killed,” she said.

“It’s not that easy to start a war,” I told her.

“I think so too… but thinking about it now, it’s none of my business. Honestly, I don’t think you would have much trouble if you planned this all on your own, but seeing how you called me to be your agent, you probably have something else in mind, right?” she asked.

“Of course. Sorry, but I’m going to need your help,” I said.

“I was going to help anyway, Oppa. It’s more effective if the agent of a large guild takes action rather than the victim, so just rest assured,” she said.

“Will you be okay without my help?” I asked.

“Of course. I’ll be more comfortable if I do it alone anyway,” she answered.

Obviously, I already knew that Lee Ji-Hye was competent, but I couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious since I wouldn’t be directly involved. When it came to Hee-Ra noona’s long-time friend, Victor Hart, I thought that it would be best if I helped a little bit…

In less than two days, I realized how great Lee Ji-Hye’s complaining skills were.

“If my client becomes sick, are you guys going to take responsibility? Wait, I think he’s already sick…” she mumbled.

‘That’s right.’

“Oh, you’re Mr. Kendrick? Are you in charge of this place?” she asked.

‘Go! Ji-Hye, go!’

“How will you compensate for the mental damage you’ve caused my client for the partial imprisonment, Mr. Kendrick?” she asked.

‘You’re the best, Lee Ji-Hye.’

“Are you guys even doing a proper investigation on the Yamato Guild?” she asked.

‘Ji-Hye noona! You’re doing great!’

The way Lee Ji-Hye went around and talked to the informants of the Holy Empire made me mistake her for Lu Bu from the Three Kingdoms. I did expect it, but I never imagined that she would start complaining from the bottom of the rank, and to be honest, I felt bad for Kendrick and the guards. They had taken good care of me and even though they hadn’t done anything wrong, I knew exactly what Lee Ji-Hye was doing right now.

‘We’re the victims…’

That was what she was strongly appealing to them about.

When the false rumor that Ito Sota of the Yamato Guild tried to assassinate Lee Ki-Young of the Blue Guild started to spread, the media’s influence became really effective; no, describing it as effective wasn’t enough. I was sure that Ito Sota wouldn’t be happy about the fact that the agent from the Black Swan Guild was defending me, the Mercenary Queen was protecting me, and the shaman kept saying that she would find proof that would put me at an advantage. The keywords for this situation were safety, threats, and lives.

‘Lee Ji-Hye is pretty competent.’

I was surprised by how much she was able to provide, and thanks to her, I was able to focus on my own plan. If it wasn’t for her, it would have been a lot more difficult to go against the Yamato Guild.

“My client is very stressed out right now,” Lee Ji-Hye said.

“We took that into consideration and made it comfortable…”

“Is this the best you can do? If you check the note of the Black Swan Guild priest, you’ll see how mentally insecure my client is feeling. When thinking about the trauma he’ll get from all the pressure and persecution he got from you guys…” she said.

“But…”

“Why is it taking you so long to get Juliena back? I’m worried that something happened,” Lee Ji-Hye demanded.

“We’re currently looking for a way. The higher-ups are currently having a meeting about it… We’d appreciate it if you could be a bit more understanding,” the guard replied.

“How long are you going to say the same thing? If you keep doing this, the situation will only become more complicated. Is there something wrong with Juliena?” she asked.

“The weapon itself doesn’t have any issues,” Kendrick answered.

“That’s an issue we need to check ourselves, Mr. Kendrick. As I explained before, Juliena is my client’s private property and it’s the only way for my client to protect himself. He has already been threatened once so there’s no guarantee that he won’t be threatened again. It’s a fact that the Yamato Guild tried to threaten my client’s life, so I’d suggest you figure this out in any way you can,” she told them.

“We’ve been on guard for 24 hours just in case something happens,” the guard said.

“Under the condition that Ito Sota comes to kill my client, I don’t think you have the power to stop him. And excuse me for saying this, but when considering the possibility that a few people in the Holy Empire might be colluding with him, he needs a more secure protection. Victor Hart hasn’t responded to our protection request, and if you guys don’t return Juliena, what are we supposed to do?” she asked.

“That’s…”

“If those scoundrels come, are you telling us to just give up our lives? It has already been 18 hours since we submitted an official protection request and my client is currently in a very anxious state,” Lee Ji-Hye firmly said.

“Well, you see…”

“If the request we submitted to Victor Hart is impossible, then shouldn’t you at least be sincere about it? Even the Mercenary Queen is very worried. She’s in a position where she has to keep leaving the castle, but the victim is getting threatened and the protection for him is inadequate. If I had the choice, I would take my client back to Lindel right now,” she explained.

“We’re doing our best and requesting help. I-I’m sure you’re aware, but Mr. Victor Hart is very busy at the moment…”

“I’m worried that you only made a verbal request,” she said.

Little strokes fell great oaks. Lee Ji-Hye was doing her best, but I was sure that Cha Hee-Ra was also discreetly requesting help from her old friend. I was feeling anxious because it was taking longer than expected, but it looked like it would soon come to an end. It didn’t take long to complete the first piece of the puzzle.

“P-Permission was granted, Mr. Kendrick!” one of the guards said.

The guard looked extremely happy and a faint smile appeared on Kendrick’s sweaty face. It was natural for him to react that way since he had to constantly deal with Lee Ji-Hye and the group of agents nowadays.

“Mr. Victor Hart has said that he would protect Mr. Lee Ki-Young himself and he should also receive Juliena today,” the guard said.

“Good job,” Kendrick told them.

“It’s nothing, Mr. Kendrick,” the guard replied.

“That’s a relief, Miss Lee Ji-Hye. It seems like Mr. Victor Hart has approved your request so he’ll officially be protecting Mr. Lee Ki-Young from now on. As you heard, we’ve completed the investigation regarding the Cursed Sword, so that will be returned as well, but I trust you’ll understand that he won’t be allowed to take it with him in certain areas. If Mr. Lee Ki-Young isn’t with Mr. Victor Hart, then Juliena…”

“Completely separating the Yamato guild members from us is the priority, Mr. Kendrick. I’m certain that they’re threatening my client, so they’re the ones that need to be suppressed, not Mr. Lee Ki-Young,” Lee Ji-Hye explained.

“Okay, we’ll do our best,” Kendrick told her.

We managed to achieve something greater than just getting Juliena back.

After hearing the door close, a small smile appeared on Lee Ji-Hye’s face and she entered the room.

“Good job,” I told her. 

“I didn’t think that we’d get Juliena back. This result isn’t that bad and Mr. Victor Hart will also be protecting you from now on,” she said.

“Just hearing that makes me feel better,” I said.

After arriving here, one of the things we were worried about had finally been taken care of.

“I’m worried about being restricted in where I can go, but it’s not a bad trade. My Ji-Hye noona will be doing the work and having Victor Hart by my side will actually help me with my plan,” I evaluated.

“You’re not still going to tell me about your plan?” Lee Ji-Hye asked.

“It’s better if I’m the only one that knows because it’ll be more effective. Once things progress, you’ll eventually find out,” I answered.

“How disappointing… but as you’ve heard, the restricted areas will be lifted a little and if you’re with Mr. Victor Hart, you might have to go to a church or attend worship,” she said.

“Has the gramps never made contact with Yamato?” I asked.

“I did find out something. Want me to tell you?” she asked.

“Of course...”

“You know that the Holy Empire is split into the emperor’s faction and the pope’s faction, right? That grandpa is extremely loyal to the emperor, and since the Yamato Guild is on the pope’s faction, they’re more like enemies than friends,” Lee Ji-Hye explained.

“That’s an interesting story. How’s Lindel?” I asked.

“It’s not bad. Causing anti-Japanese sentiment is a piece of cake, and if you do get treated unfairly, war will probably break out. So you don’t have to worry, Oppa. I’m sure he decided to stay by your side because he knew what happened in Lindel,” she answered.

“Continue to keep an eye on Lindel’s public opinion,” I told her.

“I’ve been doing it without you asking me, so you don’t have to be in a hurry. Anyhow, shouldn’t you be heading out? It seems like the others have been working hard… I’ve been interfering with the work that the pope’s faction has been doing, but since they got a head start, it has been quite difficult,” she said.

“I’ll try contacting the emperor’s faction. No word from the agents yet, right?” I asked.

“We still haven’t won over the people of the imperial city, so I’ll leave this task to you. If you’re with Victor Hart, though, I’m sure people will automatically follow you. It shouldn’t be difficult and I would recommend using this opportunity to get close to Victor Hart,” she said.

“He seemed pretty close with Hee-Ra noona so it shouldn’t be that hard,” I told her.

“Hm… then will you attend the party tomorrow?” she asked.

“Most likely,” I answered.

“A murderer attending a party with an escort…”

“People will misunderstand if they hear you. I have always been the victim, and you… you should be proud of yourself since this was the result of your work, noona,” I told her.

A faint smile appeared on Lee Ji-Hye’s face.