CH 15

My hopes of seeing Simeon soon were shattered. The next day, and the day after that, Simeon did not come to the room. The door was locked from the outside, and the darkened windows were specially glazed so you couldn’t see out.

I tried to ask the person who came in to feed me when he could leave, but to no avail. I should be grateful that he was at least getting some food. I tried to cut the leash with a plastic fork, but my hands hurt, so I gave up.

“I… I’m really locked up.”

I lay sprawled out on the bed and stared at the dull ceiling.

I don’t have a mobile phone or a book. The thought of sitting in a white room with no one to talk to was enough to drive me crazy. I couldn’t keep waiting for the charges to be dropped.

I couldn’t take it anymore, so I got up from my seat and went to the window. I was so frustrated that I wanted to break the glass. But I didn’t have the tools or the strength to break it, so I just screamed at the top of my lungs.

“Oh, for God’s sake, I’m going crazy, let me get some fresh air!”

At that moment, I heard the door open. I glanced back and locked eyes with Simeon, who was leaning against the doorway. He giggled, his mouth slightly covered, as he saw what was so funny.

“You can’t go crazy.”

The sight of him smiling so pleasantly made my heart flutter. I have to say, I feel like I’ve finally met my match. It’s not the same as when we first met. It’s not the same as when we first met, and the tension between us is gone.

I stare, and Simeon coughs a little and steps closer.

“You could have told me if you missed the outside.”

“You didn’t come.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t neglect you on purpose.”

“Well, you must have been working.”

You’re the head of a famous guild, so of course you’re busy, but if you’re locking people up, you should at least check in on them to see if they’re alive, right? I shrugged, because I couldn’t say that…… of course.

Simeon must have sensed something in that brief moment, because he tilted his head slightly, examining my colouring.

“Were you bored?”

There was something so sweet in his voice and tone that I almost said yes.

This really makes me look like a sulky dog because the owner didn’t come. I was just trying to legitimately ask for sunshine. Not something to say to a subject who’s being held under suspicion in the first place.

The corners of his mouth twitched upwards as his brow furrowed.

“Just kidding.”

There’s a hint of laughter in his mumbled voice. Simeon brushes past me and stops in front of a huge bay window.

”Unfortunately, it’s not an open window.”

With that, he rapped on the window, and it turned transparent under his touch. Excited to finally be able to see outside, he walked over to the window and was met with a stunned shock.

“What…….”

The place where I was kidnapped was a flower shop on a busy street, so I assumed that the Apostle’s home was also near there, but the window was filled with blue waves. The ocean. I couldn’t believe my eyes, and my mouth dropped open in disbelief.

“Where the hell am I…?”

“An island.”

“I know that just by looking at it!”

A remote island in the middle of nowhere. No wonder people can’t find the base of the Apostle.

I glanced down and saw a beautiful view of the ocean. The promenade along the island’s outskirts, the wildflowers poking their heads out of the rocks, the high cliffs of Asrai and the white waves crashing against the shore – it all looked so familiar, so reminiscent of the scene in the Jungdong Cathedral with Heo-sang.

But now is not the time for sentimentality.

“The sea….”

I was completely isolated.

My sighs scattered against the glass walls like waves. It’s ridiculous that I ever dreamed of escaping, even for a moment. There seemed to be nowhere to hide, let alone escape, from this building. As I gazed out at the churning sea, Simeon asked me nonchalantly.

“What do you think, are you feeling any better?”

No, I think I’m going to get crazier….

I look at the horizon, I look at the waves, and I realise that this is an island that is at least an hour away from the mainland. So they picked me up after I collapsed on Songdo, drove me to the harbour, and then took a boat to the island? It can’t be by plane.

Anxiety gripped me.

“What did you do while I was asleep on sleeping pills?”

“…I don’t know.”

It was a pointed question, but Simeon didn’t seem to have any intention of telling me. I can’t even look at that cheeky grin and not be angry. I realised he’d probably have more fun if I yelled at him anyway.

I wondered how does the fool, who was embarrassed to make eye contact with him, had turned into a creep and was causing him trouble.

“Do you want to go out?”

“Uh, can I?”

”If you come with me.”

I take back the fact that I’m in trouble. It was frustrating though, but it went well. I followed Simeon coldly.

The first corridor I encountered looked like a luxury hotel. The dark grey walls and white marble flooring combined to create a clean atmosphere, but it didn’t have the cozy feel of a hotel. The uncomfortable silence was reminiscent of a prison, with doors at regular intervals on the right side only.

As I quietly surveyed my surroundings, a middle-aged man with grey hair walked across the corridor. Apparently, he is an employee of the Apostle’s, he stepped aside as soon as he saw Simeon and bowed lightly to him. I was struck by the harshness of his treatment of his superiors.

Simeon really is the head of this great guild, I guess.

For some reason, I felt we shouldn’t be walking side by side, so I slipped away. Then Simeon slowed his pace and leaned over to whisper to me.

”Why?”

“Haha, no. Just….”

I tried my best to ignore the puzzled stares.

I don’t know how long I walked after that, but I finally found a door that led outside. I coldly opened the door and stepped out into a panoramic view.

“The ocean…!”

I was in awe of the endless blue waves. It was like a breath of fresh air. I took a deep breath, and the salty smell of the ocean wafted in.

“Wow, I haven’t seen the ocean in a long time.”

The sound of the crashing waves seemed to beckon me to come this way, and as I trudged to the edge of the cliff like a man possessed, I heard a worried voice behind me.

“It’s dangerous.”

“Aye, that’s fine.”

Throwing my hands up in the air, I stood at the edge of the steep cliff. Looking down at the blackness below, I was more excited than scared. The urge to dive into the white, crashing waves against the cliff was overwhelming.

As I gently tilted my upper body toward the sea, a strong hand gripped my shoulder, and I turned to see Simeon frowning and shaking his head. I knew what he was worried about, so I smiled more brightly.

“Don’t you think it would be cool to jump out of a place like this?”

For a moment his eyes widened with surprise. I could even feel confusion on my pale hardened face. Did I make a slip of the tongue. Simeon murmured with a wry smile as he was about to ask why.

“…I didn’t think anyone else would talk about it.”

“What?”

“No. Nothing.”

Simeon was back, looking as calm as ever. I thought I’d heard something unexpected… Maybe I’m mistaken. Maybe he sensed I was looking at him strangely, but Simeon casually changed the subject.

“How’s your wound?”

“Oh, it’s almost healed.”

“Already?”

“That’s the kind of body I have.”

He flipped up his collar for a better view and turned his head slightly to show him his neck. Then Simeon bent down to examine the wound as if waiting. His eyes sparkled with curiosity, the way they used to when he was playing cubes.

“It’s true… Amazing.”

Then his narrowed eyes swept over my body, as if he were looking at a gem in a display case, or a piece of art with a do not enter sign. I wondered if anyone had ever looked at me like this before.

“Hmmm,” he coughed, unable to take the blatant stare any longer, and turned to the sea.

“Worse than that, I can’t even run away from a place like this.”

“…You tried to run away?”

“I’m just saying.”

He laughed awkwardly and looked away. It wasn’t an illusion that the air suddenly became cooler. He couldn’t have looked more murderous with his wordless smirk. Now it seemed better for my reputation not to mention the word ‘flee’, even accidentally.

There was silence, and I closed my eyes and listened to the sound of the waves, and suddenly I had a question.

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Not if you’re expecting an answer.”

I knew it. Whether he answered or not, I knew I had to get to the bottom of it.

“How come people don’t realize this is the base of the Apostle?”

It’s strange to be in the middle of nowhere. These days, satellites are so good that you can scour a map of the world with a few clicks. And yet people still don’t know where the apostle’s base is. It’s no wonder that dogged and persistent journalists have been scouring maps in search of his home base.

“The more I think about it, the weirder it is. It’s not like they hacked the satellite….”

“Who else commissioned you to dig for information?”

“It’s not like that.”

He clenches his jaw tightly, and the only sound is the lapping of the waves. It’s quiet. It’s been a while since I’ve asked the question, and he hasn’t answered. I glance over to see if he’s still suspicious of me, and Simeon stares meaningfully out to sea, muttering,

“It’s under his protection.”