Chapter 239
Was it because her schedule involved attending a banquet hosted by another noble family?
The appearance of Alexandra Schneider, the darling of a noble family, was already radiant to begin with, but today it felt like looking at something from another dimension entirely.
Unlike when I first saw her with her hair tied up, her golden hair now flowed like silk, fluttering in the night breeze.
Perhaps the family’s hair designer had applied some painstaking special treatment, because her hair emitted a faint starlight glow in the darkness.
It wasn’t an exaggerated investigative expression; it was literally glowing. It was a soft light like a firefly, but that made it draw the eye even more.
It was a jaw-dropping sight that naturally pulled one’s gaze like a magnet.
The image of the immature mischievous young lady I remembered had long since vanished into the distance.
‘From a bodyguard’s perspective, this is a bit much. Isn’t it dangerous for the escort target to become such a conspicuous mark?’
As I made such cold calculations in my head, my eyes watched Alexandra Schneider’s elegant walk as she headed toward the flying vehicle, leading her attendants as if she were the protagonist of the world.
She had definitely been refraining from outside activities, yet her skin was a healthy, resilient bronze, looking slightly more tanned than the last time I saw her, with prominent, assertive facial features and blue eyes that looked like the sea.
Add to that a form-fitting, pure white one-piece dress that revealed her smooth shoulder line, modest yet luxurious accessories filling the empty spaces, and gloves wrapped around her wrists that looked like they were made of platinum.
It suited her so well that it was almost unbelievable. It was as if the clothes and the person existed for each other.
“…Hah.”
The result of the finest genetic crystallization of a prestigious noble family undergoing all sorts of coordination to maximize its physical charm - a living work of art.
Her aura alone seemed to scream that at this moment, in this world, there was no being more beautiful than her.
[Test Subject, your heart rate is rising.]
At the words of the artificial intelligence, I finally snapped out of it and shook my head vigorously.
I had spaced out for a moment, but I wasn’t here to gawk at a woman’s looks, nor was it the time for that. I needed to concentrate, concentrate.
Fortunately, I wasn’t the only one momentarily captivated by her surreal beauty.
Even the personnel of Security Team 4, who would see Alexandra Amadeus Schneider’s face every day, found her current appearance unfamiliar, as they were all unable to take their eyes off her, not even making a sound of breathing.
Not just the men, but even the women and Raver bodyguards were captivated. It was truly a demonic charm that transcended gender and race!
Unable to watch any longer, Team Leader Hank let out a loud, fake cough a few times, “Ahem!” before everyone snapped to their senses and lined up on both sides of Alexandra Schneider’s path, bowing their heads slightly.
I roughly copied what the others were doing and squeezed into the middle of the formation.
“Hmm…”
Standing in front of the aerial limousine, whose doors opened automatically just by her approaching, Alexandra Schneider turned her head like a scene from a photoshoot and swept her gaze over the bodyguards.
That exceptionally deep blue gaze paused briefly in this direction before moving on.
Did she recognize me? My heart pounded for a moment, but seeing as she passed by without any particular reaction, it was highly likely she hadn’t.
Everyone was standing side by side in similar outfits, so it wouldn’t have been easy to pick out my face alone. After all, a noble family young lady wouldn’t pay attention to the faces of every single bodyguard she employed.
“It would actually be better for carrying out the mission if she recognized me…”
The problem was how to stand out. Should I jump? Or pretend to be crazy and scream?
While I was deliberating, Team Leader Hank stood in front of Alexandra Schneider, bowed politely, and spoke.
“I am Hank Jameson. Four bodyguards, including myself, will escort the young lady today.”
At those words, the other three field agents took one step forward and stood up straight. They were all the best bodyguards, full of intensity and looking sharp.
“They are the aces of Security Team 4. We will do our utmost to ensure no harm comes to the young lady’s person…”
Team Leader Hank passionately delivered his speech, but Alexandra Schneider seemed uninterested. On the contrary, she was frowning as if something displeased her.
She waved her hand lightly and said.
“Good. It’s all good, but aren’t four people too few? Let’s add just one more.”
“Pardon? young lady, but―.”
“There happens to be a fine person right there. Over there.”
Then she extended her long finger and pointed. Everyone’s heads turned like meerkats, their attention concentrating on one spot.
The place her finger pointed to was… of course, me. I had a premonition it would turn out like this, but now that it was actually happening, it felt a bit burdensome.
As a newcomer who came in as a one-day substitute, I was receiving the glares of the existing members of Security Team 4 all at once, so it couldn’t be helped.
Team Leader Hank naturally objected.
“young lady, that friend is a newcomer who just joined, so he doesn’t know the work well. Since it’s an important schedule…”
“It’s fine. I like that person.”
“…As you know, there is an accompanying personnel limit. Because of that, the number of bodyguards is limited to four, so there is no room to add new personnel.”
“Then take out an existing member and put him in. That will do.”
“Pardon?”
Team Leader Hank’s expression crumpled at Alexandra Schneider’s arbitrary selection.
It was a field agent team that had gone through thorough and perfect practice for a safe escort, but to take out one spot from there and put in a newcomer he saw for the first time today must have been a completely unacceptable demand.
However, he had to accept it.
He was, after all, in the position of an employee being ordered around, and he could not refuse the instructions of someone who bore the Schneider name.
At Team Leader Hank’s questioning, Alexandra spoke coldly, as if to remind him of that fact.
“Team Leader. Do you not understand my words well? Did I speak too difficultly? I said to attach that person as my bodyguard. Do I really not even have that much authority? Is that what you want to say right now, Team Leader?”
There’s a hidden meaning in her words.
There was no way Hank Jameson could break the stubbornness of Alexandra Schneider, who, at least for now, was disregarding the noble presence befitting Dusk’s highest-ranking nobles.
In the end, he whimpered and bowed his head.
“No, young lady. I misspoke.”
Alexandra looked satisfied with that sight and looked toward me again.
“Good. Right, Aaron Nakamura? Ride with me. I have something to talk about.”
This was indeed the situation I had hoped for, but… now that it was a reality, it was so burdensome I felt like I was going to get indigestion.
When I saw Schneider’s precious daughter call me by name as if she had known me all along - which was true, but still - all the personnel of Security Team 4 were staring at me like their eyes were going to pop out.
Team Leader Hank’s glare was especially fierce. It looked as if it were blazing with fire.
A friend who rolled in from who-knows-where was getting involved in an important job through his acquaintance with the young lady and was about to ruin the security, so he must have felt like chewing me up alive.
“…Should I avoid the Team Leader from now on?”
If I didn’t, I had no idea what kind of curses I would get. Maybe it wouldn’t end with curses and he would actually try to beat me up.
And there was another gaze that made the back of my head tingle. This time, it was Kali Haywood.
However, rather than being full of anger like Team Leader Hank… it was a sense of betrayal and dejection?
I wondered what I did wrong, and then, ah, I remembered.
‘You’re not a nepotism hire plugged in by someone high up, right?’
‘Ah… yes. I don’t think so.’
That was just a few hours ago.
Admittedly, she had every right to feel betrayed. Anyone looking at the current situation would see it as the very definition of a nepotism hire.
As a Senior (Mentor), she had taken care of me so kindly that she couldn’t have been nicer, but it ended up looking like I lied and stabbed her in the back like this. It left a bitter taste in my mouth.
It was already in the past, so it couldn’t be helped, but…
“What are you doing? Aren’t you getting in?”
Alexandra Schneider, who had sat down in the aerial limousine seat first, patted the wide seat next to her with her palm and spoke.
At that sight, all my distracting thoughts vanished.
I couldn’t keep the high-ranking young lady waiting. As I awkwardly perched on the edge, the vehicle’s doors closed on their own.
Not long after, the craft rose vertically with a soft humming exhaust sound.
At the same time, the surfaces in front of and behind the seats turned translucent, revealing the figures of Team Leader Hank, Kali Haywood, and Eres Shore, who had boarded the vehicle with us.
Seeing that the other person, Gregory Raman, was not visible, it seemed he had been dropped from the field agents to the standby personnel because of my presence.
Should I say I’m sorry for this…? No, actually, the work had become much easier, so while Team Leader Hank might be upset, wouldn’t Mr. Gregory Raman be happy right about now? Or maybe not.
“…”
For a moment, I made eye contact with Team Leader Hank across the way. The thought of facing that fierce glare, and the thought of having to travel while looking at his face after our relationship had become so uncomfortable, made me naturally shrink back, but… something was strange.
Team Leader Hank’s expression was peaceful.
To be exact, he was still showing off his temper and snorting as if he didn’t like the current situation, but there was absolutely no hostility directed at me, who was separated by a single translucent wall.
It was as if he didn’t perceive my existence at all.
“Is it because of the Team Leader? They can’t see us from over there anyway. They can’t hear what we’re saying either, though the reverse is possible.”
Alexandra said from beside me.