Around 10 PM on December 24th. Liliana slipped out of the bar without a sound. 

 

The party was still in full swing, but she had a promise to meet Wayne at 10:30 waiting for her.

 

Everyone was drunk, Theodoro was talking to some men she didn’t know, and Silvano was dancing on a table with a bottle in hand. 

 

It was a relief that no one was paying much attention to her.

 

So, Liliana secretly changed her clothes, slipped out the back door, and hurriedly hailed a taxi. 

 

It felt like something out of a spy movie.

 

She managed to meet Wayne safely. She was about ten minutes late for their meeting time, but just getting out without being caught by Benedetti’s men was an accomplishment.

 

However, the spy movie she thought was over was far from finished.

 

The neon signs of the dazzling buildings and the shining yellow lights of the trees in Demercy’s bustling downtown, which glittered late into the night. 

 

And the two of them, wandering aimlessly through those snow-covered streets, talking all night.

 

Suddenly, Wayne, after looking at the numerous billboards lining the street, brought up ‘that topic’.

 

“Ah, by the way, you remember Inter Press, right? I’m not sure if you’ve heard the news, but I heard they’re on the brink of bankruptcy. It wasn’t long after we discussed that story.”

 

“…What? Inter Press… bankruptcy?”

 

“Yes. One mafia family that had been inactive the whole time suddenly responded aggressively. Quite a coincidence, isn’t it?”

 

My heart sank. Then, as his next words followed, I even thought for a moment that maybe Wayne knew something about my affiliation.

 

“Liliana, are you a spy?”

 

“…What?! Wh-what are you talking about…”

 

“If you are a spy, I think I’d have no choice but to know and still let myself be fooled.”

 

Seeing how pale Liliana had gone, Wayne laughed and said it was a joke. 

 

But Liliana couldn’t just laugh it off. It was the most frightening joke she had ever heard in her life.

 

If only that spine-chilling feeling had been the end of it. 

 

Yes, if it had ended there… It would have remained in her memory as a thrilling, yet ultimately enjoyable, 24th.

 

But that day, it seemed like a string of bad luck had piled up for Liliana. 

 

Just as she was anxiously watching every slight change in Wayne’s expression, a sudden coldness settled into his warm-colored eyes, as if a drop of honey had fallen into them. 

 

Wayne whispered softly, “…I think we’re being followed.”

 

“Followed?! By who—”

 

“Shh… Don’t show any reaction…”

 

“…”

 

“Think of it as a spy experience. From now on, just walk normally and follow my lead. Don’t even look around to see who’s following us. Understood?”

 

From that moment on, Liliana was forced into a spy experience that was never in her destiny. 

 

It was fortunate for them that they were in a bustling downtown area and that it was Christmas Eve, a day that comes only once a year.

 

Everywhere was crowded with people. 

 

Wayne deliberately led Liliana through the thick of the crowds, and she had to hold onto his hand tightly to avoid losing him in the mass of people.

 

As if to say ‘Don’t worry’, he instead gripped her hand more firmly. His gaze, looking down at her, was soft and gentle.

 

Could there have been a hint of personal interest in it? 

 

Liliana couldn’t know for sure, but in that urgent situation, she could feel her heart reacting uncontrollably.

 

The business of shaking off the tail only ended after they had ducked into and out of a raucously loud club. 

 

The two leaned against the club’s back door, the sound of rock and roll music leaking out, and faced each other. 

 

Without anyone starting first, they both let out a hollow laugh.

 

“Haha, turns out you really are a spy, aren’t you? You moved around more calmly than I expected.”

 

“I told you I’m not!”

 

“Hmm, well, actually, what if that guy earlier was also a spy tailing you…”

 

“Wayne, really! If there was a tail, it’s far more likely it was for you. What would anyone gain from following me?”

 

As she puffed out her reddened cheeks in a huff, Wayne wrinkled the bridge of his nose as if finding even that adorable, a gentle smile gracing his lips.

 

“I’m sorry, it was just a joke. Of course, they were after me.”

 

“…”

 

“Sorry this happened. A date this spectacular wasn’t exactly in my plans.”

 

She should have said it was okay, that thanks to him, this Christmas Eve would be unforgettable. 

 

But Liliana couldn’t bring herself to form the words. Because she couldn’t shake the doubt that the target of the tail had really been Wayne.

 

‘What if the person was actually following me… What would I do?’

 

With uneasy eyes, she glanced around the foul-smelling back alley, unable to shake her anxiety.

 

However, there was no one in the empty corner of the alley, and only a calm voice, as if to steady her, came from beside her.

 

“Don’t worry. That man from earlier… he dropped the box he was holding right before we entered the club. Whatever it was, he was so busy fussing over it that he must have lost us.”

 

“Did you… See his face?”

 

“No, I didn’t. The distance was quite far.”

 

“Ah…”

 

“More careless than I expected. I wonder who he’s with, really.”

 

Wayne straightened up from leaning against the iron gate as he muttered that. Then, offering his hand, he said he would safely take her home.

 

They hadn’t gotten a look at the face of their pursuer, but there was nothing to be done about it now that he was gone. 

 

With a complex, subtle expression, Liliana bit her lip and took Wayne’s hand.

 

Liliana didn’t know it then. She had no idea how much that day’s tailing would ripple through the days to come.

 

💫

 

Regardless, the perilous Christmas Eve of 1961 came to a close like that, and a day later, it was the 26th. 

 

The long-awaited day when the investors of the Demercy All-Time News Service were to gather.

 

The party was held at the Benedetti family’s villa, located on Live Island, accessible by crossing a single bridge by car from the end of Demercy.

 

“…Remember what I said. Okay?”

 

“I got it, darling.”

 

“Then tell me again what I just said.”

 

The large, four-story villa. On the third-floor terrace overlooking the water, Silvano stood leaning against the railing while Liliana adjusted his bow tie.

 

“Today, a few of the committee big shots and capos are coming, so he said to lie low and keep your head down if possible. Officially, I’m a dead man.”

 

“…I didn’t put it quite that harshly, Silvano.”

 

“Same difference.”

 

Liliana shook her head and withdrew her hand. 

 

But the moment her fingers left his tie, Silvano pulled her wrist, causing her balance to tip forward.

 

“…Ah!”

 

It was hard to tell what happened first—Liliana hurriedly grabbing the railing with her other hand, or Silvano wrapping his arm around her waist.

 

By the time she gathered her senses, his face was right in front of hers, and their bodies were already locked tightly together.

 

“Wha, what? You startled me…”

 

A soft pink flushed both her cheeks.

 

This was a party, after all… Now that he’d neatly combed back his hair, which was usually left to grow wild all the way to his nape, she could finally appreciate that this man, Silvano, actually had quite fine features.

 

A few strands of hair fell over his forehead. Beneath them, thick eyebrows with ends that tapered sharply upwards. 

 

The outer corners of his eyes, which usually slanted sharply, were now sensually drooping, as they always did when he looked at her like this… 

 

His lips also formed a sleek, curved line.

 

Liliana hurriedly turned her head away, avoiding his gaze by looking toward the darkened garden. 

 

It was just her terrible luck that she ended up locking eyes with Theodoro, who was exchanging greetings with guests down there.

 

He had looked up at the terrace, ignoring the person he was speaking with. His brow was furrowed deeply.

 

“…Hmph!”

 

My heart was pounding violently. As if I’d been caught doing something wrong.

 

Of course, it wasn’t her intention to be stuck to Silvano like this… But how someone interprets that from their perspective is up to them.

 

With her nerves on edge, Liliana pushed against Silvano’s chest. 

 

But the arm around her waist showed no sign of loosening, and he only pulled her closer, whispering mischievously.

 

“Are you going? If you leave me alone, who knows what kind of trouble I’ll get into.”

 

“Why are you acting like this…! I said Let me go.”

 

“Earlier, I saw there was plenty of alcohol around. Looked delicious.”

 

“Let me go. I’ll bring you some, so stop talking about causing trouble or not.”

 

“Hmm, no. I don’t think you need to go… If there’s something even more delicious right here, there’s no reason to go look for that, is there?”

 

He raised a hand and gently brushed his thumb over her lower lip.

 

“You look pretty today?”

 

The moment his eyes, meeting hers, curved like a fox’s, alluringly, Liliana’s cheeks flushed bright red. 

 

Grinding her teeth, she shot back with a tone of contempt.

 

“S-so what? Are you going to eat my lips or something?”

 

“I never said anything that crude. Lily, you’re quite naughty.”

 

Unbelievable. He’s being like this when his intentions are completely obvious?

 

Liliana took a deep breath to calm herself. And she was just about to put her foot down and threaten to scream if he didn’t let go immediately.

 

“Burn to death, you sons of bitches!”

 

A furious shout rang out without warning. It was near the area where the guards were checking IDs.

 

Liliana, who was trying to shake off a sinister hand, Silvano, who was undeterred and continued his mischief, Theodoro watching them with a furrowed brow, and even the other guests in the garden… everyone turned their eyes toward the entrance.

 

“Just let it all burn!”

 

A man was being restrained by guards, thrashing wildly.

 

Silvano’s grip had loosened without her realizing, and Liliana pulled her body back outside the railing, staring intently at the man. Silvano also wiped the playfulness from his expression, his brow furrowing sternly.

 

“What the hell is that lunatic?”

 

“…Haha! Hahaha!”

 

Even as he was dragged away, the man burst into a crazed laugh. 

 

It was a face that was clearly familiar yet strange. Because of that, Liliana couldn’t be sure if he was really ‘that man’ she knew.

 

Was it even possible for someone to change so drastically in just a few weeks?

 

“Jimmy… McKenna?”

 

The timid, cautious man she had seen before was gone without a trace. 

 

All that remained was a pitiful beast, severed from reality, screaming incoherently.