TL | Chapter 44 | The Most Certain Way

“If anything happens to me—even if it’s just a maybe—you quit here right away.”

At Seowon’s words, Jian immediately frowned.

“Why are you saying that? You’re making it sound like something’s really going to happen.”

Seowon smiled wryly at her serious expression.

“You never know what could happen to people.”

“True, but when you say something like that, it’s hard to just brush off.”

Given she’d already been to his funeral once, Jian’s reaction made sense.

“If anyone asks about me, just say you don’t know me.”

He added with a laugh, making Jian’s frown deepen.

“I’ll say you’re dead.”

Her blunt response made him laugh.

“That works too.”

“Why does this feel so unlucky?”

Despite her grumbling, he knew she was genuinely worried about him.

“Go on inside. I’ll make sure to stay in touch from now on, so don’t worry.”

He stood up, feeling it wasn’t wise to be seen with her for too long. Jian, whether she knew his reasoning or not, squinted her eyes at him but didn’t stop him.

As he waited for the elevator, his phone vibrated inside his jacket. He pulled it out to see a message from Jian.

-If you’re feeling sick, don’t hold it in. Tell me, and I’ll make you something stronger than suppressants.

She must’ve thought he’d caught a fever or something from saying he was sick. He chuckled weakly and looked back at the café, where Jian was still staring at him. He waved his phone to show he understood, then stepped into the arriving elevator.

Why had he forgotten that there were people who worried about him like this? Losing Iden had blinded him to everything else around him.

Maybe Jian in his original world was also agonizing right now.

Thinking that made him feel grateful—and a little guilty.
•

The casino business was progressing smoothly. After the incident at the auction, when the wife of the Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism was taken hostage, he’d been bracing for complications. But, oddly enough, the minister’s wife was grateful to Seowon. She’d even asked to meet him in person to thank him, but he deflected, saying he was still recovering.

The minister, too, didn’t ask why the shooting had happened. He seemed to instinctively understand it wouldn’t do him any good to dig into it. Instead, he appreciated the prompt response to the incident. His wife’s influence played a big role. Apparently, the rumors of the minister being deeply devoted to his wife were true.

The shooting incident ended up speeding up the casino approval process. The plan was to set up a hotel targeting foreign tourists near Incheon Airport, with a dedicated casino inside. The minister assured them the business approval would be finalized within two weeks.

“Two weeks, huh.”

In the car ride back from meeting the minister, Iden murmured thoughtfully. At the sound of his voice, Min glanced at him through the rearview mirror.

“If the casino is their goal, they’ll try to finish this within two weeks, too.”

Iden said, looking back at Min in the mirror.

“What about the movements of the rival casino company from the auction?”

“We’re monitoring everything, but there’s no unusual activity yet.”

“With the minister finalizing the approval process within today or tomorrow, word will spread soon enough.”

“Should we increase security?”

Min asked, concerned about Iden’s safety.

“No, as it is now is enough. If we appear too guarded, it’ll be harder for them to make a move.”

“And if something happens…?”

“They’ve already failed once, so they’ll look for the most certain way this time. They’ve learned firsthand that a hasty sniper or ambush attempt has a low success rate. They’ll try something different.”

But what that might be, Iden hadn’t figured out yet. He’d deliberately exposed Seowon’s identity to some extent, keeping a close watch on Seowon’s surroundings, though nothing suspicious had surfaced so far.

The enemy wasn’t fully sure about Seowon. They’d stolen the ashes for a DNA test, and the results had left them confused. They didn’t want to risk kidnapping Seowon as a leverage tool and accidentally leave a trace, so they were moving cautiously.

This confusion had bought him time, but it wasn’t a permanent solution. Eventually, he had to uncover who had hired the killer in the first place.

“Investigate all possible couriers who could be approached. If any of them receive a request involving me, offer to pay double. For anyone who can reveal the client, offer a reward up to ten times more. But warn them that if they betray us or get caught targeting me, they won’t die peacefully.”

After all, killers and informants alike were driven by money. And if it came down to cash, Iden had more than enough. If only he could identify his opponent, he wouldn’t even need their help. Luciano’s own men would be enough to deal with it. The opponent was merely using assassins to mask their identity, so Iden was simply responding in kind.

They wouldn’t be targeting him simply for being Luciano’s heir. If that were the only reason, they should’ve killed him ten years ago when he’d first entered Luciano, powerless. Back then, they’d stayed quiet, only to start moving now because something recent had disturbed them. That meant it was likely someone with a vested interest in the casino.

As they neared the company, Min’s phone rang. After apologizing to Iden, he answered via Bluetooth, a sign that it was a call Iden should hear as well.

[Natasha from Galayev has arrived in the country.]

Hearing Leo’s voice through the car speaker, Iden’s eyes narrowed at the mention of Galayev and Natasha.

Galayev was a company with the appearance of a legitimate enterprise but rooted in the Russian mafia. Though they mostly dealt in weapons and mercenaries, in recent years, they’d expanded into pharmaceuticals by partnering with South Korean companies. Outwardly, they looked more like a standard business than a mafia group.

But the traces of the Russian mafia hadn’t entirely faded. Galayev still engaged in illegal activities behind the scenes, often using aggressive methods. Natasha wasn’t the face of Galayev. She was a rare sight, but like the head of Galayev, she was a former Russian special forces operative, known as a living weapon.

For such a woman to come to South Korea at this time was suspicious.

“Did Galayev have any interest in casinos?”

“They’ve shown no signs so far. But it’s well known that the head of Galayev is keen on South Korea. It’s common knowledge that he comes here regularly.”

“That’s because his spouse is Korean, right?”

Though their business areas didn’t overlap, Iden knew Galayev well.

“That’s true, but… you can never really tell what they’re thinking.”

Min replied with a frown. Iden leaned back in his seat and let out a long sigh. The fact that there was yet another potential adversary to consider was a headache.

“Look into anything else suspicious about Natasha’s arrival. And put someone on her.”

Leo hesitated before replying to Iden’s order. When Iden asked what the problem was, Leo explained that shadowing Natasha would be nearly impossible.

[Natasha’s not like others. If we tail her carelessly, she’ll just kill our guys.]

Hearing this, Iden let out a dry laugh. He agreed with Leo’s assessment that it was reckless to send his subordinates into such danger without a clear plan.

“In that case, we’ll need another approach. Set up a meeting with Natasha directly.”

“Director! That’s too dangerous.”

Min protested, and Leo on the other end of the line also objected. They argued that Natasha would refuse to meet with guards present, and meeting her alone would be akin to walking into a death trap.

“I didn’t expect you’d be so open about your incompetence. Or that you’d underestimate me so much.”

Iden’s icy tone startled Min and Leo.

“That’s not it. We’re just saying Natasha shouldn’t be underestimated.”

Min tried to persuade Iden.

“Whether it’s possible or not, I’ll be the judge of that.”

Iden cut him off. He couldn’t keep shrinking back from the threats on his life. If he wanted to catch the tiger, he’d have to enter its den.

Barely a moment after ending the call with Leo, Iden’s phone rang again. Checking the caller, Iden softened his expression and answered.

[Where are you now? I’ll come meet you on time.]

He couldn’t help but smile at Seowon’s stiff tone, finding it amusing that his speech and address had changed immediately upon returning to work.

“I’ll be there soon. Even if you miss me, just wait a little longer.”

[Who says I miss you…! Ugh, whatever.]

He could practically see Seowon’s flustered expression. Iden couldn’t deny he had a mischievous side, enjoying teasing Seowon’s adorable reactions. But really, it was Seowon’s fault for switching to such formal language.

“See you soon, darling.”

The call ended abruptly as Seowon hung up. Watching Iden burst out laughing, Min thought to himself that Iden’s antics were precisely why Seowon was so prickly around him.