Lian Took Care of the Trash, So Rest Assured!
Jess and Iris, who had been anxiously waiting for Lian to wake up, finally got to share a meal with him. Meanwhile, Lily and Noah gracefully backed away to give the trio some privacy.
As soon as Noah stepped out of the room, she turned to Lian with a serious look.
“I need to discuss something. Do you have a minute?”
“Sure, of course.”
The two made their way to a nearby meeting room. These rooms were decked out with soundproofing magic, making them perfect for serious chats. Once inside, Noah wasted no time and dove right in.
“I think we need to change Lian’s room.”
“Huh? Why? Did my brother complain about it?”
Lily asked, her eyes widening. Noah shook her head slightly, hesitated for a moment, and finally spoke up in a hushed, somber tone.
“…When I entered his room, Lian was… about to throw himself off the terrace railing.”
“What?!”
“If I hadn’t stopped him, Lian would have…”
Her voice caught in her throat as tears began to swell. Hearing Noah’s choked-up tone, Lily’s face turned sheet-white.
“Why? He can stay safe with all of us now!”
“He thought he was kidnapped and was ready to jump.”
“Does that even make any sense? Even if he thought he was kidnapped…”
Noah rubbed her face with her hands and plopped down into a chair in the meeting room.
“His excuse was that he was used to bungee jumping.”
“Bungee jumping? What’s that?”
“…It’s when you tie a rope to yourself and leap off something high.”
“What?!”
Lily screamed, not for the first time that day.
“He said he was forced into it at first… It was scary initially, but he got used to it. He almost jumped thinking he still had a rope!”
“Ah, ugh…!”
Overwhelmed by emotions, Lily struggled to get her words out. She started hopping around like a panicked rabbit before turning to Noah with fiery determination in her eyes.
“Let’s get rid of all the windows!”
Noah’s eyes widened at Lily’s bold declaration.
“But that seems a bit extreme—”
“My brother is a patient! A mentally hurt patient. Patients need proper protective measures for their treatment. Removing the windows isn’t taking away his freedom; it’s for his recovery!”
In running their organization, it was inevitable to have patients. Cardishian was a melting pot of all kinds of races. There were demons and plenty of intelligent monsters floating around. So, naturally, the injuries varied widely. Some had creepy-crawlies wrapped in poisonous goo lodged in their wounds, while others ended up with their minds shattered by dark magic.
Different injuries needed different treatments, and sometimes that meant some tough calls. Noah pondered Lily’s words, recalling various painful scenes.
“Once he realizes he’s not in danger anymore, he’ll start to get better. He’ll quit risking his life recklessly while trying to grasp at happiness. We can always put the windows back once he’s healed.”
This isn’t suppression or abuse! This is all for Lian’s sake! Not to mention, it’ll totally help calm his nerves!
“Is that… really true?”
“Absolutely!”
Noah found herself completely sold on what Lily was saying. The next day, while Lian was still catching Zs, the terraces and windows vanished. Even windows in all areas he could roam around. Sure, they had to spend a pretty penny installing ventilation magic, but Noah felt zero regret.
*
“Hello!”
“Hey there! Nice to meet you!”
“Welcome!”
Not all of the executives in the Nest were familiar faces to Lian. There were plenty of folks he didn’t recognize. Some were missing an arm or an eye, sporting either visible or hidden scars. Most looked like they were in Noah’s age group, but some seemed quite a bit older.
They were all people Noah had rescued and who swore loyalty to her, which meant a lot were blindly loyal. Normally, Noah would’ve been all smiles watching the executives greet Lian, but today? Today was different.
‘There’s a traitor among them.’
One of the executives had been chummy with the now-defunct Vian’s boss. Noah maintained her usual calm demeanor while scrutinizing everyone.
‘…I can’t figure out who it could be.’
She secretly bit her lip. Betrayal was like that annoying shadow following her around running an organization. She’d always kept her guard up. But that was typically regarding ordinary members or dealings with outside organizations. The last thing she wanted to think about was being betrayed by someone in her inner circle.
You had to be seriously trustworthy to snag a spot as an executive in the Nest.
‘I need to flush out the traitor. That’s the only way everyone’s safe.’
With Lian back, she needed to mentally harden herself even more. While Noah was gearing up, Lian was busy playing social butterfly, introducing Iris and Jess to the new crowd.
“Haha, nice to meet you!”
Hard to spit on a smiling face! Lian wanted to buddy up with the executives while flashing his brightest smile. But not everyone shared his enthusiasm.
‘Is he the boss’s lover? Pretty good-looking, though.’
The thoughts came from Jeolmi, one of the executives. This scrawny dude who towered at 190 cm was the traitor tipping off Vian. Jeolmi had been mistaken for a slave when captured during a visit to an associate, but his act of loyalty afterward earned him a promotion.
Because the Nest organization attracted A LOT of attention, they were cashing in nicely selling information. Leviathan’s ability to learn about Noah and the executives all boiled down to Jeolmi cashing in.
Jeolmi had a hunch his cover was blown. His escape plan was to nail down a major score and then take off.
‘This info will fetch a hefty sum.’
The boss’s ‘weakness’ was pretty much a goldmine, especially if it related to a lover or someone else close.
‘If I can figure out his strength, then I’m outta here!’
If Lian turned out to be a powerhouse, the value of his weakness would dive. So, it was essential for Jeolmi to sniff around for any strengths or weaknesses.
Jeolmi strolled over to Lian, who was still busy smiling with the executives, and plastered on a friendly smile himself.
“Hey there—”
Squish.
Caught off guard, Jeolmi felt a strange sensation underfoot and widened his eyes.
Slip!
In an instant, the world spun, and the ceiling that greeted him was all too familiar.
“What the—”
Time slowed as his body began to plummet. Jeolmi’s eyes bulged at the sight of a banana peel flying away. Then, in swift motion,
Smack!
The back of his head harshly met the meeting room table’s edge.
“Ugh…”
He drooled and rolled his eyes back, fainting like a cartoon character. As his limp body crumpled down,
Thud.
The banana peel landed neatly on his face, presenting a scene ripped straight from a slapstick comedy.
‘Is this… some kind of gag filter in action?’
Lian’s expression hardened as he took in the sight of the unconscious man.
‘Did this guy just try to threaten me?’
While Lian was locked in his brooding thoughts, the executives were left bewildered, assessing Jeolmi’s condition.
‘Did I mess something up?’
If someone disliked him enough to want to throw a threat, there had to be a reason behind it. With worry written all over his face, Iris tugged on Lian’s hand.
“Are you okay, brother?”
“Oh, uhm, yeah.”
Lian forced a smile and nodded, but his face screamed anything but okay. Noticing Lian’s troubled demeanor, Julianna approached Noah with a concerned look.
[I think Lian’s pretty shaken up. You might want to reassure him it’s nothing serious.]
Following those words, Noah’s attention snapped back to Lian. As Julianna pointed out, Lian’s expression looked pretty gloomy. The terrace incident and Lily’s words came flooding back.
‘She mentioned mental stability is important…’
Noah hurried over to check on Lian. He seemed hesitant, like he had something to share.
“If you’re feeling uncomfortable, please say something anytime. We’re friends, right?”
“Ah.”
Lian’s face lit up with touched emotion, and he gestured for her to come closer. When she leaned in, he whispered.
“Actually—”
Flinch. The warmth of his breath tickled her ear, sending shivers down her spine. Her ears were heating up, but Lian was oblivious as he kept talking.
“I feel like… that guy who just fell doesn’t like me.”
“…!”
“Umm, I know this might sound weird, but I can sort of sense it. Did I mess up somehow?”
Noah’s gaze immediately darted to Jeolmi at Lian’s words. Her eyes were filled with clear ‘suspicion.’
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