Everyone but Me Is a Spy - Chapter 47

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 47
Thud.
Nina plucked lightly at the rope connected to the balcony, calling out to Joel.
“Joel? GuGu?”
No answer came from inside the balcony, and she sensed no sign of movement.
“Joel?”
Calling again yielded the same silence.
Nina tilted her head and leaned forward to peer inside the balcony, then caught herself.
‘Oh! That’s rude of me.’
No matter how close a neighbor he was, peering uninvited into someone else’s home was hardly courteous.
Just as Nina was about to call out once more, she closed her lips again.
On second thought, he might simply be tired and unwell, choosing not to respond.
And repeatedly coaxing a sickly neighbor outside seemed equally impolite.
‘I suppose I’ll call on him again tomorrow.’
As she turned to leave, disappointed but resigned—
A shimmering hologram glowed into being above Joel’s balcony railing.
「I will be out in two minutes. Please wait just a moment.」
“My goodness!”
Nina covered her mouth in surprise and stepped closer to the railing to read the large, luminous text clearly.
‘He asks me to wait. Can this truly be from Joel?’
Since Joel lived alone next door, it surely must be.
Nina rested her arms on the railing and enjoyed the cool breeze.
Following her courteous neighbor’s request, she settled in to wait—and found herself in good spirits.
‘How pleasant it is to wait for someone who has promised to come.’
A soft smile curved Nina’s lips.
The waiting Nina knew was of a different kind entirely.
<Wait here until the other maids have finished their work.>
<Wait for me to return.>
<Wait quietly until you hear gunfire.>
Even the Countess, sharp as a blade in her commands to the servants, never promised a timeframe when assigning them to wait.
She had once stood for three days on the east wing’s roof waiting for gunfire that never came—a very different sort of wait.
But Joel’s request to wait had no edge of prohibition, and he had even given her a precise timeframe.
More than that—it was a favor asked, not a command given.
‘Look at me. Why am I being so sentimental? Is this what the heroine’s sensibility amounts to?’
She was laughing softly to herself when she heard movement from inside the balcony.
“Nina.”
Joel emerged exactly two minutes later.
“Joel? Why are you sweating so much? Did you run?”
“Ah…… There is a therapeutic method that uses perspiration to restore vitality. I had just finished a session.”
“I see! That’s quite healthy.”
His cheeks were indeed flushed beyond his usual pallor, and his complexion looked refreshed.
Nina smiled brightly at the sight of Joel looking so well.
“Actually, I called because I needed to ask you something.”
Joel steadied his breathing and dabbed his forehead with a handkerchief.
“Please, tell me what you need.”
“Well, you see…… Oh! Should I climb over to your side again to talk?”
“That’s a good idea…… or rather, it’s not. I think it would be better if you didn’t.”
Joel had been about to nod, but then he remembered his current state. He had changed into work clothes in a rush and hadn’t properly washed off the sweat.
“I’ve sweated a great deal. I’m sure I smell unpleasant. I’m quite disheveled.”
“It doesn’t bother me…… but if you’re uncomfortable, we can talk from here.”
Understanding her neighbor’s bashfulness, Nina smiled warmly and continued.
“Joel. Do you happen to know how to repair a Hologram Projector?”
“You have a Hologram Projector?”
“Yes. It’s old, but I’ve maintained it carefully over the years.”
“I can tell you more once I see its condition, but if it hasn’t been destroyed, I should be able to repair it. Though I wonder…… does it belong to your grandmother?”
“Yes, it does. Oh, but I can’t move the Hologram Projector out of the room, so I’d need you to come over here if you’re willing to fix it. Would that be alright?”
“I’ll visit tomorrow morning.”
Joel accepted without hesitation.
It was no ordinary item—it belonged to Rickita Bonds.
And it was an object that had not appeared on the inventory list of the Townhouse that the Agency had investigated in advance.
It had doubtless been discovered in a locked room, and the prospect of repairing the Hologram Projector meant an opportunity to enter that space—there was no reason to refuse.
While Joel processed his thoughts and made his decision, Nina felt her heart clench with gratitude at the existence of such a considerate neighbor.
A kind person who listened to his neighbor’s request so readily despite being unwell.
He might have offered to help out of a genuine interest in Magical Artifacts, but even so—what pure-hearted sincerity.
Moved by her neighbor’s warmth, Nina cupped her cheeks, her eyes bright, and smiled.
“I really can’t thank you enough. You’re the best neighbor anyone could ask for. I’ll let my family know you’re visiting. Don’t worry—I’ll come pick you up myself.”
“Yes, Nina. Understood.”
After exchanging farewells with Joel, Nina turned to leave the Balcony but paused and looked back at him.
“Oh, Joel.”
Since Joel had been gazing at Nina’s retreating figure, their eyes met in an instant—and his heart began to pound harder than ever before, leaving him bewildered.
‘I should probably get a thorough checkup.’
Nina gestured shyly toward the railing of Joel’s Balcony and smiled.
“I waited for you so eagerly because of the message that appeared on the railing. You made that, didn’t you?”
“…Were you happy?”
“I was.”
Joel gazed at Nina’s smiling face and posed an almost artless question.
“Does Nina like being happy?”
“What kind of question is that? Of course I do. Who wouldn’t like being happy? Don’t you like being happy, Joel? I hope you’re happy too.”
“Me? Yes, I like it. Being happy, I mean. And I also hope that you, Nina, will be…”
Suddenly, as though struck by lightning, Joel’s eyes flew open.
‘That’s it!’
The Magical Gun he had designed with meticulous precision had never felt quite right as he continued building it, despite his best efforts.
He couldn’t understand what was lacking—until now.
What was missing from creating the perfect Magical Gun for perfect Nina.
It was Nina’s joy.
‘I want Nina to be happy.’
He truly wished it with all sincerity.
He had only just realized this, yet it felt as natural as breathing.
‘A user must feel not merely convenience, but joy, to truly call something a perfect Magical Artifact.’
He firmly believed that any true master of Magical Artifact Development would inevitably arrive at the same conclusion.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Nina. Until then.”
“Huh? Oh, yes. See you tomorrow!”
Leaving Nina’s farewell behind, Joel dashed down to his workshop like an excited child.
He tossed the Magical Gun he had been assembling into a waste bin and began sketching out a new design.
GuGu, watching his disheveled figure, wrinkled his nose with a displeased expression.
“Gugu-ri-guru-ru…”
* * *
Meanwhile, at the Soltem Intelligence Agency.
Ryan, having completed his mission by uncovering a violinist’s False-Name Account, had safely returned to headquarters.
With considerable experience under his belt, he had efficiently filed his report and was planning to enjoy an afternoon nap.
“Ryan. The Master is calling for you.”
“What? Now?”
That had been the plan, at least.
The office atmosphere felt oddly tense, so he couldn’t bring himself to ask the Master to hurry up and state his business before he could leave for his nap.
The Master, who had been sifting through new documents with only sighs, finally looked up.
“Ryan. I’m going to need you deployed on this assignment starting tomorrow.”
“I beg your pardon? This assignment being…?”
“Nina Bonds. The more we investigate, the more mysteries pile up—we need to take a more aggressive approach.”
Ryan found himself in complete agreement with the Master’s assessment.
For one thing, there was almost no information whatsoever about Nina’s biological mother—as if someone had deliberately erased all trace of her, or as if she had never existed in the first place.
Of course, there was one part of the Master’s words that struck him as odd.
To summon him, of all people, and speak of aggressive methods?
“But surely you don’t mean me, sir? That would mean…?”
“Indeed. Your next target is Nina Bonds.”
“…!”
Intrigue and anticipation flickered in Ryan’s eyes.
He had never imagined he would be assigned to such a thrilling operation.
As all thoughts of an afternoon nap vanished from Ryan’s mind, the Master spoke with unmistakable clarity.
“I hadn’t wanted to resort to this, but the time has come to use a honey trap on Nina Bonds.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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