The Civil Servant Who Concealed Their True Strength Turns Out to be a Master of Possession - Chapter 263

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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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A Civil Servant Who Hides His Strength Is Exceptionally Good at Possession – Episode 263

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‘My mother and father are police officers.’
It was me giving a presentation in elementary school, long ago.
‘What my mother and father do is catch people who do bad things and send them to prison.’
Despite the brevity of my presentation, my voice trembled.
The teacher, watching me with a smile, stepped out from behind the desk and spoke.
‘My, Lee Yu-ji’s mother and father do such noble work. Police officers punish bad people for all of us. Everyone, let’s give Lee Yu-ji’s parents a round of applause.’
Noble work.
Yes.
Even though my face had flushed crimson and my breath caught in my throat during that brief presentation, hearing those words made me feel good.
Because it seemed my mother and father were good people.
I was so proud of that.
“Hah… huff…”
I gripped something tightly, drenched in sweat.
I realized it was Kwon Ik-seong’s arm when I saw his eyes looking down at me in the pale dawn light seeping through.
A droplet of water fell from Kwon Ik-seong’s wet hair.
Onto my forehead.
“Ah.”
I let out an involuntary gasp.
That single droplet restored my sense of reality, as if I’d been doused with cold water.
Yesterday, I fled the Blue House and arrived at Kwon Ik-seong’s car.
I couldn’t explain anything and completely panicked, unable to go home or return to the Special Investigations Bureau.
I remember Pee So-won turning the car somewhere—
“Did I throw up again?”
At my question, Kwon Ik-seong smiled faintly.
“No. You didn’t throw up.”
“Then…”
I raised my upper body.
This situation felt strange—me lying down and Kwon Ik-seong sitting at the bedside.
I naturally grabbed Kwon Ik-seong’s arm to sit up, and he took my hand.
His fingers intertwined with mine.
As if.
…it were the most natural thing.
“…?”
“You seemed to have a slight fever, so I asked a Healer I know to help, just in case.”
Looking at the bedroom, which was as large as my entire apartment, I understood.
“It was Jun-mi, wasn’t it.”
“Yes. She said there’s nothing else wrong—just seems like you have body aches.”
Kwon Ik-seong spoke while gazing at the small potted plant sitting above my head.
The pot resembled a miniature pine tree, its branches stretched horizontally outward and angled toward me.
The leaves at their tips had faded to a pale yellow.
“This is…”
“It’s supposed to replenish mana, or so I’m told. I didn’t quite grasp the exact mechanism.”
“?”
I tilted my head in confusion.
“There are things you don’t understand, Team Leader?”
At that, Kwon Ik-seong let out a soft chuckle.
“I don’t devote that level of focus to everything, Lee Yu-ji. Hunter medicine, for one—I simply lack sufficient data on the subject.”
“Ah…”
Well, even AI grows on big data, I suppose.
I looked down at Kwon Ik-seong’s hand, still holding mine.
I… I should probably pull away naturally…
“I came to water this small pot every thirty minutes throughout the night. Apparently, that’s how mana gets replenished for you, Lee Yu-ji.”
“Ah… I’m so sorry. Because of me…”
“It was exhausting.”
…?
Was Kwon Ik-seong always like this?
He rarely made a show of his efforts before…
“The Vice Director is receiving treatment on the first floor, so I’ve been caring for you alone, Lee Yu-ji.”
“I’m… I’m so sorry…”
“I only just finished bathing.”
“Ah, I’m truly sorry…”
Is he really angry?
I suppose it’s unavoidable—after all, because of me, he infiltrated the Blue House and nearly committed an enormous crime.
“So I’ll keep holding your hand.”
Ah. Um…
I hesitated for a moment, studying Kwon Ik-seong’s expressionless face.
“Ah…”
I’m still confused about what’s happening, but—
Well, whatever.
“Yes. Well. I… suppose so.”
I no longer have the strength to refuse a warm touch.
I held Kwon Ik-seong’s hand and blinked slowly.
In the heavy silence, another thought crept in.
“Um… What about the other team members…”
“They all sustained only minor injuries and have been discharged. Everyone’s scheduled for leave this week. Though the Vice Director will need to attend the disaster briefing tomorrow.”
Ah, I see.
A terrorist attack in the heart of Yeouido—that makes sense.
I stared at Kwon Ik-seong’s hand, which was gripping my fingers firmly, and deliberately shifted my gaze toward him as I spoke.
“The Dungeon Break is indeed related to the anomalous Magical Stone, isn’t it? Has the Magical Stone been recovered?”
“Yes. Choi Woo-jin… or rather, the Great Empire Guild Master extracted it from inside the boss monster’s body.”
Choi Woo-jin.
The moment I heard that name, my mother’s words came flooding back.
‘I wished he’d been torn to shreds.’
‘I wished he’d experienced the same pain you did.’
‘He should have known how precious a life is—a life lost because of a single mistake he made.’
There was a time when I hated Choi Woo-jin too, viewing him as the protagonist responsible for the death of the extra ‘Lee Yu-ji’.
But that was merely a feeling of resentment.
Because I knew that Choi Woo-jin hadn’t overcome all those hardships solely for himself, driven only by vengeance.
Reading 【Strength. Victory. Salvation】 had made me acutely aware that the protagonist also harbored the desire to make this world a better place.
“The state will be conducting research on the anomalous Magical Stone. There’s apparently a professor famous for Magical Stone research. A non-combat awakened individual—a hermeneutics scholar, I’m told.”
“Is that person… Oh Tae-jun?”
Kwon Ik-seong nodded at my question.
“Do you know him?”
“I’ve only heard the name.”
I slowly released Kwon Ik-seong’s hand.
Without applying much pressure, as my hand withdrew, he let go of mine.
“What’s the Blue House saying about this?”
I furrowed my brow.
Speaking that name was agonizing.
“President Baek Hee-ryeong…”
He paused, looking into my eyes for a moment.
But I lowered my head, avoiding his gaze.
I couldn’t let my eyes betray the turmoil I felt.
Because I couldn’t explain any of it.
“The President has completed treatment and made a statement at the cabinet meeting. He said he would entrust the investigation of this terrorism to the Special Investigations Bureau.”
Why now?
I don’t even understand anymore why he assigned me the Hunter’s Faith investigation in the first place.
Did he simply want to keep me within his grasp?
Was he determined to monitor me no matter what?
“We’ve also received contact from Interpol regarding Gyoju Seol Ok-gyun. He’s apparently in a rural village in Argentina. Local police are preparing to move in.”
That’s good news.
If Seol Ok-gyun is captured, the world that Baek Hee-ryeong has thrown into chaos can at least be partially restored.
Or is it?
Am I the one who has made this world a mess?
It was then that I was thinking such thoughts.
Kwon Ik-seong placed his hand on my forehead.
At that cool touch, my eyes flew open.
“Are you feeling dizzy?”
“Ah… no, I’m not.”
“Your complexion looks pale.”
“I’m fine. I just… it’s nothing.”
“I’ve been thinking about what you said yesterday.”
I looked up at Kwon Ik-seong quietly at his words.
What had he deduced this time?
How far had he read into what I’d said?
“But no matter how much I thought about it, I realized it would be better not to think about it.”
“What do you mean…?”
“I’ve decided to stop trying to deduce your feelings. As for why Lee Yu-ji came to think of herself as useless… honestly…”
Kwon Ik-seong’s face drew closer to mine.
“I’m not curious.”
His resolute eyes met mine.
“I know you’re a good person.”
He had already intertwined his fingers with mine again.
He clenched his teeth while looking into my eyes.
“That’s something I don’t need to deduce anymore. I just need to believe it.”
With those words, he pulled me against his shoulder.
My nose brushed against the towel draped across his shoulder.
Only then did I realize.
That I was trembling again.
And that it wasn’t his towel that was wet—it was my face.
And that he—
hadn’t been coming and going from this room all dawn because of the mana-giving pine tree,
but had come into this room to watch over me as I wept and trembled through the entire dawn.

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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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