The Hunting Dog of the Prestigious Family Has Returned Chapter 16

One week before the face-to-face meeting was held.

The day after the palace attendant from the Imperial Household Department handed me a letter—

I arrived at the contact point they’d indicated, following the coordinates written in the letter.

What was there was an old-model radio.

An obsolete model you’d only use in the early 2000s.

-Kim Changwoon. Right?

“And who might you be?”

-Imae mask. Just know it like that.

My real name, their code name.

Truly the fairest self-introduction imaginable.

“Is there a reason I shouldn’t hand this phone to the Royal Investigative Bureau?”

-Because a sniper’s aiming at your head. Does that answer it?

Oh my, of course, Your Lordship.

I nodded while looking at the shadow standing on the rooftop of the opposite building.

-I watched the recent attack incident. How pitiful your circumstances are, unable to do anything despite having your life threatened by your own brother.

“Well, could I possibly compare to you guys who’d have nine generations tortured to death if caught?”

-Positive thinking. I saw the person right.

There are few whose mouths stay alive even with a gun pointed at their heads.

Having muttered that, Imae mask spoke to me.

-There’s a plan we’re working on. For the downfall of the nobles. And it’s an absolutely necessary plan for this nation’s future. We need your help with it.

Having opened like that, Imae mask explained the rough operational outline to me.

Joseon’s salvation, corrupt nobles.

Stripping away such petty rhetoric and summarizing in one sentence—

“The Iron Tiger General’s daughter attending this face-to-face meeting is of royal blood, and Hahoe needs to secure that royal blood. So contact Yoo Sanghyeon in advance to inform him of the plan, and disrupt the interior in sync with Hahoe organization members’ infiltration?”

-Right. It’s something that must be done for Joseon’s future.

An operation where Hahoe organization members would cause terror at the face-to-face meeting venue to divert attention, then spirit away Yoo Sanghyeon and Yoo Arin in the meantime.

But having heard the operation details, I said flatly—

“Not interested.”

-…What?

Imae mask, who’d been briefly stunned, asked.

-Why?

“The operation sucks. All the nobles attending the face-to-face meeting are phase power wielders, and dozens of royal guards are deployed for protection. If you go in to cause confusion, you’ll all just die and that’s it.”

-Some sacrifice is unavoidable. This is that important.

“Maybe for you guys. But I don’t like it. I want to live long.”

Hearing those words, Imae mask spoke in a displeased voice.

-…Didn’t you say you had no intention of being loyal to the power clans?

“That doesn’t mean I’m righteous enough to risk my life for social justice or great causes like you guys.”

-A philistine.

“Thanks for the compliment.”

When I didn’t come around obediently, Imae mask beyond the radio maintained silence for a moment.

They’re probably thinking I’m more of a challenge than expected.

A fifteen-year-old greenhorn not intimidated even in conversation with a dangerous character like themselves.

Even shaking up the initiative in the deal.

‘Though it’s something I did countless times in my past life.’

While living as the power clans’ doormat, I’d satisfied all sorts of dirty demands from power-holders.

And to respond to those dirty demands, I had to deal with even dirtier bastards.

Associating with dangerous types the power-holders didn’t want to be involved with, joining hands with criminals they despised, entering the gaps among the lowlifes they wouldn’t even glance at to negotiate.

This level of psychological warfare was nothing.

‘But beating them down like this isn’t a good move either.’

I immediately searched through my past life’s memories.

Considering the situation, these guys desperately needed a collaborator who could enter the face-to-face meeting venue.

That’s why they wouldn’t immediately cut communication.

Rather, they’d be looking for ways to persuade me.

‘I’ve bounced them once, so should I start laying groundwork?’

Having finished my thoughts, I opened my mouth in a casual tone.

“Actually, from your perspective, it doesn’t really matter, does it?”

-Doesn’t matter?

“That royal bloodline you’re talking about. If it really appears, it’d be an unprecedented monster in Joseon history, right? Doesn’t seem like it’d die so easily.”

A probing question.

But Imae mask readily opened their mouth.

-The newly awakened king’s power is unstable and full of openings. If an expert steps in, it’s not impossible to kill.

“Oho.”

-And. What we want to save isn’t only the royal bloodline.

Crunch.

Hearing those words, I bit down on the candy in my mouth and asked back.

“Not just the girl. Then?”

-Her adoptive father Yoo Sanghyeon. Though he’s a secondary objective, he too must be saved.

“Reason?”

-He’s the supreme commander of the ‘Iron Tiger Army,’ the frontline force blocking the monsters rampaging in Manchuria. Though they’re scorned as a frontier penal unit, they’re the pillars supporting Joseon. If Yoo Sanghyeon, their focal point, suddenly dies, the frontier’s defense might collapse.

“Well well, a terrorist concerned about the nation?”

-Of course.

Imae mask nodded once and spoke.

-We desire Joseon’s transformation. We’re not trying to destroy Joseon itself.

“…Ah, I see.”

Well, that makes sense.

Especially considering what this Hahoe organization originally was.

-I’ve told you all the information I can. Now I’ll hear your answer again.

Having finished what they wanted to say, Imae mask stopped speaking.

I swallowed the candy that had turned to powder in my mouth and asked.

“First, a question. What if I say I can’t do it?”

-As I said earlier, the sniper will put a hole in your head. Because the plan can’t be leaked.

“That won’t work anymore, though?”

-What?

I’d stalled enough time, so now it was my turn.

I spoke to Imae mask beyond the radio in a cheerful voice.

“That sniper’s currently having an interview with my guard.”

-…!

A voice inhaling sharply as if flustered.

I waved my hand toward the opposite building’s rooftop.

“That’s impossible, how on earth did you find here…!”

“Shut your mouth and just wave. Pull any tricks and I’ll kill you right there.”

The waiting sniper had Mooyoung’s drawn sword aimed at their throat.

[Handle them gently, Mooyoung. They’re not enemies yet]

[Understood, Young Master]

After exchanging messages appropriately like that, I opened my mouth toward the radio.

Now I’d seized the initiative in this deal.

“Now I could really send you guys to the Royal Investigative Bureau.”

-…

“Now tell me. If I don’t join, what will you guys do? Cancel the operation?”

As if noticing the situation had reversed, the composure disappeared from the voice beyond the radio.

-We’ll proceed with the plan among ourselves. Somehow.

“‘Somehow,’ you say.”

I echoed the guy’s words as if sighing.

Right.

As they said, even without me, Hahoe would ‘somehow’ succeed in spiriting away the royal bloodline Yoo Arin from the power clans’ attack.

But what they achieved was half a success.

No, even less than that.

‘They didn’t even save the secondary objective Yoo Sanghyeon, and key organization members were even captured.’

In my past life living as the power clans’ dog, I’d been able to see footage from that time through the Royal Investigative Bureau’s database.

Yoo Sanghyeon collapsing while protecting his daughter from the royal guard.

Yoo Arin fallen while covered in her father’s blood, and the Hahoe organization members risking their lives to evacuate such a Yoo Arin.

Thinking back, it was truly a tearful sacrifice.

And as a result of that attack, the first Hahoe organization member the power clans secured—

That was Imae mask, ‘Gwak Jaehyeon.’

‘But not this time.’

Having dealt with them directly, I knew.

Their intelligence network extending even inside the palace and their espionage capabilities.

These guys were too valuable an organization to be discovered through such an attack.

“You’ll protect the royal bloodline even if it means losing the entire organization. Is that what you’re saying?”

-That’s how it is.

When I asked without showing my thoughts, an answer immediately popped out from beyond the radio.

But hearing those words, I twisted my lips.

“Foolish bastards.”

-…What did you say?

“That’s why you guys are stuck in the gutter being treated as terrorists.”

At the abuse flowing through my teeth, Imae mask’s atmosphere changed.

For the first time, I seemed to see the expression beyond the radio.

-Now that you’ve seized the knife handle, are you going to play games with us?

“Play? Your so-called plan looks more like a game to my eyes.”

I sneered in an exaggerated voice.

“We must save the royal bloodline, so let’s throw away all the advantages of an intelligence organization and charge straight at the power clans. Whether the attack succeeds or fails, all the internal informants we carefully planted will be completely exposed, but it’s important work so let’s do it anyway.”

-What are you saying right now…

“If the operation fails by any chance and even one person gets captured alive and dragged to the Administration, the entire organization will be in danger, but it’s the precious royal bloodline so let’s save them. Let’s all hold hands together, cross the wall, and commit suicide with joyful hearts!”

Crack crack.

Static came from beyond the radio.

From the looks of it, they’d unconsciously put strength into the hand gripping the radio.

“You brought this kind of thing calling it an operation?”

I lowered my voice.

“Life-risking loyalty, the great cause of saving the nation, courage to stand against injustice. Sure, all good. You guys are noble? I acknowledge it.”

But you know.

Cutting off Imae mask’s words as they tried to retort, I continued speaking.

“If you’re going to do good deeds anyway, do them smartly. Throw away that pointless spirit of sacrifice. In a way where we can all survive.”

-Right now. What are you saying?

“What am I saying?”

Imagining Imae mask’s expression asking back as if interested, the smile on my lips grew deeper.

“It’s not me joining your plan.”

-…!

“It’s you guys joining my plan.”

---

-A stand-in… you’re preparing?

“Right.”

Having heard my plan, Imae mask asked back as if absurd.

“The welcoming ceremony held the day before the face-to-face meeting. There I’ll contact Yoo Arin and collect biometric information. Saliva, hair, blood—roughly things like that.”

-…

“And using that biometric information, I’ll make a substitute modeled after Yoo Arin… the operation target.”

Are you saying to make a clone right now?

Clone. In other words, a replicated human.

Hearing those words, Imae mask showed reluctance.

But producing clones…

“It’s technology under first-grade censorship measures. The products that are out there have defects where cell division speeds are irregular, dying within a month.”

Technology utilized as little more than a toy among common people, but for this plan, that much was more than sufficient.

What I wanted to make was just a biological doll that could be deceived as Yoo Arin.

Bone marrow, teeth, blood, hair… a human-shaped lump of meat with things like that roughly attached would suffice.

“The facilities are already prepared on this end. I tested it with my own, and it produces something quite plausible in about an hour or two.”

-…Then what should we do?

“You have to buy time. Time to secure Yoo Arin and switch her with the prepared substitute.”

Joseon’s greatest traitor group, Hahoe.

Though their organization members were few, they were that much more elite.

Enough to buy some time even against the royal guard, Joseon’s greatest military force.

That’s why if these guys joined the plan, the operation’s success rate would rise even higher.

‘Mooyoung’s making a fuss saying he can do it… but I’m still a bit uneasy about pitting him against the royal guard.’

“While you guys tie up the royal guard’s feet, we’ll switch Yoo Arin herself with the doll produced as a stand-in at the promised point. Then blow up the vehicle carrying the doll to fake her death.”

-If that happens…

“You can preserve your organization intact. Along with the information network hidden among the nobles. And secure Yoo Arin much more easily.”

-…

“How about it? Isn’t it a much better method?”

Was I making too sweet a proposal, making them suspicious instead?

Imae mask beyond the radio repeatedly questioned me.

-What’s the reason we should accept your operation?

“If you can’t trust it, die together holding hands according to your plan. Either way, it’s none of my business.”

If nothing else, this was sincere.

If they were bastards who couldn’t even make this judgment and hemmed and hawed, they had no utility value to begin with.

“No matter how much it’s for Joseon, you don’t want to sacrifice your blood-like organization members either.”

-…!

Stimulating them while adding that, Imae mask seemed to fall into contemplation with no answer for a while.

But that was brief.

-Let me ask one more thing.

“Yes, please speak. Customer.”

-What about Yoo Sanghyeon? What are you planning to do about the secondary objective?

As if deliberation was roughly finished, Imae mask asked about the next plan.

‘Hooked.’

To think they’d be caught by the words about not having to sacrifice comrades.

As expected, this guy is that ‘Imae mask’ I know.

‘If I receive support from none other than ‘Hahoe,’ my room to maneuver will widen even more.’

Enough to aim for even Yoo Sanghyeon following the initial objective Yoo Arin.

Having finished my thoughts, I opened my mouth in a light voice.

“You don’t need to worry about that.”

By securing Yoo Arin, I’d become a contributor to this revolution.

“I’ll handle it on my end.”

There’s no way I’d leave a big fish like Yoo Sanghyeon to die like this.