의도적 접근

Asha is a member of a secret organization dedicated to tracking down Yergev, a massive syndicate that’s corrupting the empire from within. Her current mission: infiltrate the academy and gather information on a noble lord suspected of being involved with Yergev.

As she neared the completion of her mission, she attended a ball with him, only to be cursed. In the middle of the chaos, Sheriff Entesha raided the event, and they came face to face…

***

I asked Entesha for help, and he willingly complied. Up to that point, I thought everything would go smoothly, despite feeling a bit awkward. But amidst the confusion, I happened to notice a mark on the back of his hand. Had I not seen that…

However, with everything that had happened that night, my memory was hazy, and I couldn’t be sure if that mark belonged to Yergev or not. All I had was a lingering sense of unease.

Is he part of Yergev or not? To find out, I approached Entesha. Using the excuse that I had fallen for him at first sight—a reason so ridiculous it was almost laughable.

***

“Sweetheart, let me tell you something. In this world, there are more fools than you could ever imagine. Much worse than you think.”

He brushed my hair aside, cupping both of my cheeks as he spoke. The cold touch of his gloved hands pressed against my skin.

He bent down to meet my eyes, pressing his forehead gently against mine in an act that felt incredibly tender. And when his thumb brushed against my earlobe, he whispered softly:

Ah… sweetheart.

“Don’t you think you might’ve fallen for the wrong fool this time?”