The Civil Servant Who Conceals Her Power Is Too Good at Possession Chapter 52

“May I ask why you reached out to that conclusion?” 

 

Kwon Ikseong hesitated for a moment at Lee Yuji’s question. 

 

[Like, huh? If that’s what people usually call it… then I suppose you could say that.]

 

That was the sentence that immediately came to mind, but personally, other parts of the conversation bothered him more.

 

[I don’t want Investigator Lee Yuji to die.] 

[I want her to live.]

 

I want her to live.

 

Why had he reacted so strongly to that simple answer when he asked why the Gamer had helped Yuji?

 

He knew the answer.

 

Because he felt the same way.

 

He didn’t want Investigator Lee Yuji to die, and he, too, wanted her to live.

 

People called Kwon Ikseong a good man. 

 

But he never described himself that way. And the few people who knew him intimately didn’t call him a ‘good man’ either.

 

‘You’re not good; you’re just righteous. There’s a massive gap between the two.’ 

 

Those were the words Pi Sowon had said to him during this ordeal.

 

‘Is there anything you’re interested in other than the realization of justice? What’s the benefit of you saving Lee Yuji? It’s not like it helps the justice of this society at all, does it?’

 

Even though Pi Sowon had thrown her own life on the line to save Yuji, she spoke as if she was highly dissatisfied with the fact that Kwon Ikseong had deployed a helicopter.

 

And the reason for that was—

 

‘Don’t go marking your territory on our rookie.’ 

 

‘…’ 

 

‘It’s no use trying to scout her for your team. She’s my partner.’

 

She was afraid he would ‘steal’ Yuji. Absurdly enough.

 

‘I’ve never had such a thought.’ 

 

‘…Then why did you take such a reckless risk?’

 

Kwon Ikseong had been unable to answer that follow-up question.

 

Recalling his conversation with Pi Sowon, Kwon Ikseong looked at Lee Yuji, who was sitting there like a somewhat frightened large dog.

 

A large dog.

 

Every time Kwon Ikseong saw Lee Yuji, he was reminded of a Golden Retriever.

 

Even though Lee Yuji wasn’t particularly tall, she somehow felt far removed from being a small dog. 

 

The fact that she didn’t step forward despite possessing immense skill resembled a large dog that stays still even when bitten by a small dog because it knows its own size. 

 

The way her expressions showed so easily on her face.

 

The way she liked people.

 

The way she would run out faster than anyone when a crisis hit.

 

Is that why?

 

For some reason… his heart softened more than when he dealt with others.

 

“Let’s just say there’s information I heard.”

 

“What kind of information…?” 

 

Looking at her restless state, he felt as if an invisible tail behind her was drooping sadly.

 

But he couldn’t let his heart soften any further. With that thought, he continued his questioning.

 

“Has no man approached you recently, even if he’s not a lover?”

 

“Team Leader Kwon…?”

 

Lee Yuji pointed at him with wide, clear eyes. 

 

He almost let out a faint chuckle but suppressed it and spoke.

 

“It doesn’t matter if it’s a woman. It could be a friend you’ve started contacting frequently. Anyone you’ve become close to after joining the Bureau is a suspect.”

 

“Not particularly. Well… there’s Ji Wongil, but we don’t exactly contact each other that often.”

 

“Then who is the person you meet most frequently?”

 

“Uh…. Hmm….”

 

The person she met most frequently? Lee Yuji thought for a moment before opening her mouth.

 

“Team Leader Pi Sowon?”

 

At Lee Yuji’s answer, Kwon Ikseong’s face twitched slightly.

 

What, what? You said a woman was fine too.

 

“…I mean someone you meet outside of work or obligation.”

 

“…There’s no one.”

 

“Friends—”

 

“I don’t have any.” 

 

“Family—”

 

“My parents have both passed away, and I have a younger brother, but he lives on his own near his school, so it’s been months since I saw him.”

 

“….”

 

Kwon Ikseong’s expression contorted a bit more.

 

“Do you really not have a single friend?”

 

At those words that somehow made her heart sting, Lee Yuji’s face turned into that of an angry puppy. 

 

As he always thought, her expressions were truly transparent.

 

“Well… do… do you have to have friends? I’m perfectly fine playing on my own! What about you, Team Leader? How many friends do you have?”

 

“….”

 

Silence fell over the interrogation room. Kwon Ikseong asked with an air of resignation.

 

“Then why did you take the Route 316 bus?”

 

It came out later than expected. This question. Lee Yuji gave the answer she had prepared. There had been a prepared answer for this from the start.

 

“My parents’ ossuary is near there. I wanted to stop by briefly in the early morning.”

 

She had, of course, checked the route of the 316 bus. And she had confirmed that her parents’ ossuary was on the bus’s path. While it wasn’t a route she usually took to get there, that wouldn’t matter.

 

“In the early morning… you mean?”

 

The follow-up question was also expected.

 

“I haven’t been able to go once since joining the HIB. I wanted to show my parents that I became a police officer. Well, an HIB investigator isn’t exactly a police officer, but it’s similar…”

 

Since she had actually stopped by the ossuary on her way back, her alibi was solid. 

 

No one would normally suspect her that much, but she needed to be sure. 

 

Because people like Choi Woojin, the Gamer, or this original protagonist could be unnecessarily tenacious.

 

Anyway, for the original protagonist to have ‘interest’ in her.

 

The idea that said interest was romantic was surely just Team Leader Kwon Ikseong’s misunderstanding, but the very fact that Choi Woojin was interested in her made her skin crawl. If Choi Woojin, a regressor, were to realize her ‘skill’—

 

‘He’s a guy who’s gone crazy in many ways, so he’d be dead set on trying to use me.’

 

As her thoughts became complicated, Kwon Ikseong, seeing her face, seemed to read her expression differently.

 

“Did your parents want you to become a police officer?”

 

“Well… it wasn’t exactly like that. They just wanted me to do what I wanted to do.”

 

She swallowed the words: at that time, what I wanted to do was Taekwondo.

 

“But both of them were police officers. I did mention once that if I ever quit sports, I might think about becoming a cop. So, just….”

 

Because there was a time when she desperately wanted to quit sports.

 

“They would be proud of you.”

 

It was then. Kwon Ikseong spoke as he stared intently at her.

 

“There’s no reason for them not to be proud.”

 

“….”

 

“You grew up so well.”

 

Looking into Kwon Ikseong’s calm, steady eyes as he watched her, Lee Yuji subconsciously held her breath.

 

“Investigator Lee Yuji, you are a good person. More so than anyone else among us.”

 

She felt a tingling sensation at her fingertips. 

 

How should she put it… this was… different from the feeling of just looking at a novel character or her favorite.

 

“You told me that you will always believe in others. I don’t agree with that sentiment. But Investigator Lee Yuji… you are someone who will always save others.”

 

She felt the area under her eyes grow hot without realizing it. 

 

The sincerity of a person made of bone, flesh, and blood—not just text. 

 

The moment that reached her ears, she felt an emotion akin to pride.

 

But it was a bit more than just pride.

 

A bit more….

 

“…Would they really be proud? Truly……?”

 

Lee Yuji spoke with a trembling voice. This emotion was too intense. She lowered her head before she knew it. Tears dropped onto her lap.

 

“I hope they would be.”

 

* * *

 

A few days later.

 

Equipment Management Unit Leader Cha Jeonhyeok began to be investigated by the HIB as a suspect. 

 

I thought the National Assembly or the media might tear into the internal corruption of the HIB, but for some reason, the matter was quietly buried and passed over.

 

‘It’s obvious. The Daeyeong Guild and the Hunter Association must have pulled some strings.’

 

However, the corruption of the AC Equipment representative was widely reported, and public opinion regarding Ham Ina, who was nearly socially ostracized, was completely flipped.

 

Comments

 

-Wow, so the items were defective from the start? Crazy. Shouldn’t they investigate all the suppliers? 

└ It’s always a problem that production-class hunters have it so easy once they sign a state supply contract.

 

The public opinion flipping like a palm was a bit absurd, but what was more important was this:

 

[Open Bidding for Supply Companies]

 

An open bidding notice posted on the official HIB website! 

 

I pointed at the post and said to Kang Ilyeon.

 

“This! We’re doing this!”

 

Had I not invested so much money into Kang Ilyeon for this very purpose? 

 

My precious 1 billion won! 

 

All of it went into this.

 

<Sun and Moon Workshop>.

 

Looking at the workshop filled with all of Kang Ilyeon’s various experimental subjects(?), I clenched my fists. 

 

I had signed for this workshop and even registered the business under my own money!

 

Not only that. In order to satisfy Kang Ilyeon’s experimental spirit, I had even procured and offered every material that could be obtained through legal means!

 

‘This time, I shall finally reap the rewards!’

 

“Me? Doing that? Why?”

 

Of course, Kang Ilyeon’s expression was far from pleased.

 

“Didn’t you say you wanted to buy materials for your next experiment? The one that cost 100 million?”

 

However, the power of money was great.

 

“…I’ll do it.”