In an instant, the man turned cold and clasped his hands in front of him—as if awaiting orders.
But unlike a neat, alert stance with the backs of his hands together, his head was tilted to one side.
_Was that really an appropriate attitude towards a superior?_
His seemingly calm face, awaiting an answer, looked incredibly irritating.
Joo Seolheon frowned, trying to process the current situation.
"You said... living together? In that newlywed home again—with you and that owl..."
Suddenly, a shout erupted.
"You! Are you **crazy**?! Don't you realize that in front of someone who can see again, you're going back to your old habits...!" His voice cracked with frustration. "With what **courage** do you dare to go in there, huh?! If you get caught, it's **prison**—you know that?!"
Joo Seolheon yelled, holding his head as if struck by a sudden migraine.
"No one will know." Lee Wooshin's voice was calm, clinical. "This time I'm going in there to erase 'Kim Hyeon.'"
"...!"
"That owl has to completely break ties with Kim Hyeon. Only then can both the NIS and I return to our respective positions." He paused. "Every time she laments her ex-husband, I feel like my head will **explode** from a migraine. So if only I could eliminate that obsession of hers—"
Lee Wooshin sat on the armrest of the sofa, bending his knees. Once his eyes were level with his interlocutor, he murmured softly—almost intimately.
"Even if the Deputy Director sends a second or third Kim Hyeon by attaching them to someone else, that owl will shoot them all without hesitation."
"...!"
"Just try sending those bastards again without notice." His tone sharpened. "This time, they won't even make it through the front door."
With sharp, cold eyes, he stood up. While straightening his clothes, Lee Wooshin muttered unhappily.
"A guy like me having to use his body for illegal surveillance... how can it not look appealing? How could you even think of excluding me from the owl business?"
Joo Seolheon finally covered his face with his hands.
_This damn kid is really threatening me._
He sighed, then spoke with a face that looked five years older.
"Even so, you **still** can't use that."
Joo Seolheon's gaze fixed on Lee Wooshin's groin with a wary look.
"Even during the Bird Box operation, you didn't put makeup on your genitals. Don't just take it out and get caught."
"..."
Lee Wooshin's eyebrows twitched slightly—his usually relaxed, thick-skinned face starting to change.
"Don't you understand? If this goes wrong, you'll go to **prison**!"
"..."
"If you realize that the owl is now a dangerous factor—good. And you've infiltrated as a preventive measure—that's good too. But people like us, even after retirement, have to remain **silent** and keep state secrets. Understand?"
He leaned forward, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.
"If one thing is exposed, then thousands of others will follow. If that happens, both you and I will rot in prison for leaking classified information...! That's why the word '**confession**' doesn't exist in our dictionary!"
"..."
"Even a dam can collapse because of an ant hole. So don't leak a single thing—no matter how small. Be more careful than ever before. Don't do anything that could make the owl suspicious."
He jabbed a finger in Wooshin's direction.
"Don't take it out. Don't touch it. Anyway...! Don't do **crazy** things!"
"That's why I got a tattoo."
"Then why does it look the **same**...!"
"Yeah. Because if the owl acts badly, I'll act badly towards her too."
"If I tell you **not to**, then **don't do it**!"
Even though the Deputy Director was about to explode, Lee Wooshin only smiled faintly—an unreadable expression flickering across his face.
_That arrogant kid..._
Joo Seolheon realized that now was the time to tighten the reins on the seemingly loose man once again. Someone like him—born as a fugitive—would never return once he ran away.
Moreover, Lee Wooshin had lived that way since the age of fourteen, fleeing the cold Russian snow.
If he decided to leave the NIS and disappear, there would be **no way** to find him.
To utilize and restrain him, a binding tool was necessary.
"And about those documents you wanted to see—"
The Deputy Director stroked his chin while looking at the man.
As expected, Lee Wooshin's face immediately hardened. His fingers—which had been constantly moving—stopped.
"I mean, the little kid you were carrying in Russia eighteen years ago."
"She's dead."
"But even now you still can't let go of her. And you're still curious, aren't you?"
"..."
"What exactly happened in that grand house."
Lee Wooshin rubbed his face and turned his head away. His usual smile—full of dark, damp excitement—had disappeared, replaced by stiffness.
For the first time, the usually brash man avoided eye contact.
Joo Seolheon felt relieved. He could once again firmly tie down his favorite agent.
"During my visit to America yesterday, I confirmed one thing. It seems there's a document that records the last days of the Solzhenitsyn family." He paused deliberately. "Although it's just a rumor within the CIA, it seems to match the document we're looking for."
The red light from a passing car flashed across the sharp, cliff-like profile of the man's face.
Each time it illuminated him, his expression seemed to change.
He still looked like a cliff standing alone in winter.
His emotionless face looked like a statue.
"What I know for sure is that a Korean agent went missing after infiltrating Russia at that time. And it's highly likely that the document he left behind is the last record of your former residence—**Winter Castle**."
"..."
"It might also contain information about the little kid you're looking for."
---
Even though it was just a small child without a face. Without a name. Without an age.
Too small. Too light. Even when held, her weight couldn't be felt.
In fact, as he faced death more often, the memory became more blurred—he wasn't even sure if it was a dream or an illusion anymore.
However.
A pair of small child's eyes, shining like go stones, would always be remembered behind that rough mask...
Even though she was dead and no longer existed, he still searched for her in the corner of his heart.
Even when his emotions died and his humanity was damaged, that small creature still ran around inside him—knowing nothing.
He didn't even know if it was belated pity or guilt.
_That child died tragically in the place I lived._
And Lee Wooshin wanted to uncover the secrets of that once magnificent mansion.
Only for one desire: **that truth.**
For that, he became an NIS agent.
---
"Because I'm going to read that document completely uncensored—with no black marker—" Joo Seolheon's voice dropped. "So, Wooshin. **Don't get caught.**"
"..."
"You're the one who sharpened that owl and trained her to be who she is now. You've just stepped into a minefield."
Lee Wooshin lowered his head in silence, then turned around.
"And don't give Wonchang too much trouble."
"...!"
The hand turning the doorknob suddenly stopped.
"You started Bird Box even though you knew who the owl was. But why are you now investigating as if you're curious?" Joo Seolheon's voice was sharp. "At first, you were only full of **hatred**. But now are you starting to have a human curiosity?"
"..."
"Don't regret it later. If you say it's just a **means**, then let it remain a means."
A pause.
"Because now, it feels like **you're** the one playing a dirty game."
---
There wasn't the slightest agitation in his heart.
As he fully closed the door and went out, his face didn't even show any expression. The unlit staircase only echoed with an empty sound.
A strong wind blew through the broken window. Shards of glass continued to **crunch** under his feet.
After exiting the dilapidated building, Lee Wooshin stood silently in the dark for a moment—as if he had lost his way.
Then, with an annoyed movement, he roughly pulled at his polo shirt.
As if trying to relieve his stuffy breath, long exhales continued endlessly.
Beneath his pale, cold skin, thick veins—inconsistent with his appearance—sharply protruded at the back of his neck, piercing through the fabric.
Lee Wooshin stared at the dark sky where snowflakes began to fall.
There were no clouds resembling an owl.
---
## — The Deputy Director —
"There's only one female deputy head. The first deputy head of the NIS."
Seoryeong, who was staring at that smooth face without a single scar, couldn't help but admit that she had been foolishly baited.
Currently, she was sitting across from Channa in a cafe near the Blast office.
Early in the morning, Seoryeong had stumbled upon a plain black bag lying carelessly in front of her door. Someone had just lazily dropped it off.
Lee Wooshin's face immediately flashed in her mind—but she shook her head.
_Focus. I have to focus...!_
A tablet PC was pushed towards her.
"They say information on NIS officials is hard to get. How did you find out?"
"When it comes to their homes or personal data, that's true. But things like this are spread to the media as a form of publicity." Channa swiped through the screen. "The NIS is directly under the president, so every time the regime changes, the officials are immediately replaced. At that time, the educational background or work experience of the new officials is usually intentionally disclosed."
Seoryeong scanned the screen.
**Joo Seolheon.** First Deputy Director of the NIS.
Graduate of Korea University. Former Chief Information Officer of the NSC (National Security Council). Known for exceptional organizational management skills, sociability, and responsiveness. Significant achievements in foreign intelligence operations.
All of it written neatly in news articles.
_So, this is the woman, huh..._
The corner of Seoryeong's lips lifted slightly.
"I'll choose her."
"What?"
"For the next bet."
"...!"
Reading the implied meaning behind those words, Channa murmured, "Out of all people, why the **first deputy head**..."
But Seoryeong didn't hear anything.
Regarding what had blinded her. Regarding Kim Hyeon being placed by her side.
Perhaps the only person who could explain **everything** was this woman.
Seoryeong's eyes were filled with determination.
"Now I have an accomplice. And she's the most suitable one."
At that moment, her phone vibrated.
**Ziiing. Ziiing.**
An unknown number appeared on the screen.