Chapter 32
Departure
Facing each other, both of them were quietly sizing the other up.
Han Ji-An felt that this approach might create distance or distrust — but her curiosity had already won out. As a researcher, she had a deep-seated need to find the right answer to every question. Not out of perfectionism, but out of necessity.
So when she saw Lucia — a completely redacted background, combined with the unusual dynamic between her and Edward that she had witnessed today — the questions piled up faster than she could sort them.
There was a chance to get some answers right now. She wasn't going to let it pass.
After enough silence had settled between them, Han Ji-An finally broke it.
"Sir Edward… the relationship between you and Lucia seems quite close. So if it isn't a problem — could you tell me just a little about her?
"Why has her information been redacted?"
Hearing this, Edward exhaled quietly in relief.
'Huft… so her personal information really is hidden. Chief Song did a great job — but this has to stay that way, for Lucia's sake.'
"Alright. I'll answer indirectly — but I won't explain the reasons behind it.
"It's because of her origins and for her personal safety. That's all I can give you. The details are hers to share, if she ever chooses to."
Han Ji-An had expected something along these lines. She had hoped for more, but that was purely personal desire talking.
"I see… Thank you for humoring my curiosity. I'm sorry if the question felt like an intrusion on her privacy — or yours.
"Ah — actually, there is one more thing you should know."
Her expression shifted — the lightness in it replaced by something more measured.
Edward caught the change immediately and straightened.
"It's about the confrontation earlier. I'd advise you to avoid engaging directly in situations like that — at least until we have proper registration for awakened abilities and a legal framework around them.
"We don't know what happens if either party loses control and releases a system skill in a public space. The aftermath could be severe. I hope you'll keep that in mind going forward."
Then, like a switch had been flipped, her expression returned to its warm, easy-going self.
She rose from her seat with a smile.
Edward stood as well.
"Sir Edward, thank you for your time. I'll head back to my team now. We may see each other again before the departure tonight — but if not, until next time."
She extended her hand.
Edward took it without hesitation.
"Thank you as well — and thank you for the reminder about the incident. You're right, I'll be more careful going forward. Have a good evening, Team Leader Han."
Han Ji-An walked away, leaving Edward standing in place.
He turned the confrontation over in his mind.
Team Leader Han was correct. With awakened individuals, you never truly knew what the other person was capable of. The stakes were too high for direct confrontation to be the default response.
Better to use his connections and influence going forward — rather than handling things the way he had today.
Still. There were situations where a direct lesson was simply the right answer — especially when someone's dignity was on the line.
He didn't entirely regret it.
Fast forward.
In the comfortable hotel room, a beautiful girl slowly opened her eyes. Feeling refreshed, she stretched — the arc of her body briefly emphasizing the healthy, graceful figure she still hadn't entirely gotten used to calling her own.
Lucia reached for her phone to check the time and found a message waiting from Edward.
Edward: If you're awake, call me so we can have dinner together. And don't forget — the flight is at nine tonight.
She started typing a reply, then stopped halfway.
She hadn't showered yet. And she wasn't going anywhere for dinner in the same clothes she'd slept in.
Lucia: Just woke up. Give me twenty minutes.
She tossed the phone aside and went to shower.
Back when she still had her old body, a shower took five minutes at most. Now it took more than double that.
'It's such a hassle — especially this hair. Ahh! I haven't even dried it yet! How long is that going to take? I need to hurry up!'
She half-ran out of the bathroom after toweling down, her hair only halfway dry, and immediately started digging through her suitcase for something to wear.
Finally dressed, she grabbed the hairdryer and worked through her hair on the highest setting, quietly willing it to be dry before the twenty-minute mark.
The alarm went off just as a new message came in from Edward.
Edward: Luci, I'm heading to your room now. Let's walk down together.
Lucia stared at the notification for a second, then accepted defeat. She set the dryer down, ran a quick check in the mirror, decided her appearance was presentable enough given the circumstances, sent a short reply, and waited.
A knock came, followed by Edward's voice.
"Luci, you ready? Let's go."
She crossed the room and unlocked the door.
"Yeah, just finished — though my hair's still a bit damp. Drying long hair is genuinely a whole ordeal."
She sighed, then looked up at Edward properly.
He looked as put-together as ever.
"As always, looking fresh! Is that a new jacket? I don't think I've seen that one before."
Edward's face lit up. With a theatrical flair, he swung the unzipped jacket open like he was on a runway.
"This? Cool, right? I spotted it in the shop near the hotel this evening. I didn't bring anything with me this morning, so I ended up grabbing the whole outfit — jacket, pants, shirt, all of it.
"Oh — actually, how are you feeling? How's the fever?" He paused, looking mildly sheepish. "Sorry, I almost forgot to ask. If you're still not feeling well, we can eat here instead and skip the restaurant."
Lucia didn't answer right away. She stepped past him into the corridor, pulled the door shut behind her, and locked it with the access card.
"Haha, a bit late to be asking that, isn't it? But yes, I'm better — the sleep helped a lot. Let's just go to the restaurant." She glanced at him as they started walking. "Oh, right — you mentioned earlier that we'd be having dinner with the escort team?"
Seeing that her color had genuinely returned, Edward felt the last of his concern settle.
He smiled and led the way.
On their way to the restaurant, Edward filled Lucia in on his encounter with Ranga earlier that afternoon.
Her eyes went wide — then a grin spread across her face as she realized it was the same man she had kneed the night before.
"Hahaha — getting kicked and punched by both of us! Double the misery. I really hope he learned something from that."
"Right? I won't pretend it didn't feel good to give him a lesson." Edward paused. "Though… I think I'll be avoiding confrontations like that for a while going forward."
Lucia looked at him with a puzzled expression.
"Huh? Why? You won the fight. And you're strong enough to handle yourself — especially with your transformation strength."
Edward let out a loud sigh.
"That's exactly the problem. Because we're both awakened, it won't be that simple the next time. With unpredictable transformation skills on either side, a direct confrontation could go anywhere. I'd rather not find out the hard way."
He glanced at her.
"You should keep that in mind too — especially where you're going. Your next environment is going to be full of awakened people. Don't forget that."
Lucia nodded, taking it in.
They arrived at the restaurant shortly after. A waitress recognized Edward immediately and guided them to a private room without a word.
After acknowledging her, both of them settled at a long dinner table, sitting side by side.
Edward checked his phone. "Looks like the escort team will be here shortly."
As they waited, a waitress came and went with complimentary dishes. Lucia found herself actually enjoying the food this time — a small but welcome contrast to the nausea that had dulled her appetite earlier in the day.
The escort team arrived while they were still on the complimentary dishes. Five people filed into the private room — one member noticeably absent.
Han Ji-An greeted both Edward and Lucia warmly as she entered. Her team followed with simple, collective nods of acknowledgement.
There was one exception.
A young man near the back wore a wide, almost exaggerated smile — aimed directly at Lucia, completely unfiltered.
Lucia felt an immediate crawl of discomfort.
'Who on earth is this guy smiling at? Me?'
The moment she confirmed it was indeed for her, the discomfort sharpened into something closer to awkward irritation. She didn't know how to respond to that, so she returned a small, stiff nod and a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
Once everyone had taken their seats, Lucia shifted subtly toward Edward and nudged him with her elbow. She leaned in close, dropping her voice.
"Ed… who's the one throwing that smile at me like that?"
Edward already knew the answer — and he already knew enough about this person's character from their first encounter that morning to feel the need to warn her.
He kept his tone low, and didn't bother hiding his displeasure.
"I don't know his name. But you'd be better off keeping your distance. When I met him earlier today he was deliberately rude — interrupted me, openly showed his dislike. I think he's got a problem with people he considers beneath him."
Lucia's surprise almost showed on her face. She caught herself just in time, instinctively raising a hand to cover the lower half of her face — a completely natural, feminine gesture she didn't even register herself making.
'I see… but then why the smile? That doesn't add up at all…'
She filed that thought away for later.
Sensing that they had been whispering long enough, she straightened up and nudged Edward once more — a quiet signal to drop it. Being this wrapped up in a side conversation while the rest of the table waited wasn't exactly polite.
Across the table, Han Ji-An had been watching their quiet exchange with quiet amusement. She had already clocked the closeness between these two from the moment they walked in together. She let them be.
Jung Si-Woo, however, had been watching the same exchange with considerably less amusement.
His jaw was tight. His hand beneath the table was gripping the edge of his seat.
'Calm down. Don't show it. Not here, not in front of her.'
He forced himself to breathe.
'They'll be separated soon enough. Once she's settled in the facility and he's gone back to wherever he came from — that's when I make my move. Just be patient.'
His gaze drifted back to Lucia.
'She really is something though… even more than the video suggested. Hihihihi…'
When Lucia and Edward finally stopped their quiet exchange and settled back into the table properly, Jung Si-Woo's smile returned on its own.
Edward, now acting as the natural host of the evening, opened the dinner with a short greeting to the group.
The meal that followed was comfortable and unhurried — the food was genuinely good, conversation flowed without friction, and for the most part the table felt easy. An hour and a half passed without anyone noticing.
With thirty minutes left before departure, Han Ji-An quietly gave Lucia and Edward some personal time before the send-off.
They used it to head back up to Lucia's room and collect her luggage.
There wasn't much left to say — they had already said most of it before. Edward kept it to a few words of encouragement and one last reminder, and Lucia received both without complaint.
They came back down to find Han Ji-An waiting alone in the lobby. Her team had already moved to the vehicles outside.
"Team Leader Han." Edward gave a small but sincere bow. "Please look after Lucia for me."
Han Ji-An smiled warmly. "Of course, Sir Edward."
Lucia turned to her with a slightly shy expression. "I hope I won't be too much of a burden, Team Leader Han."
Han Ji-An let out a soft laugh. "Of course not. Don't worry."
"Alright — we should move. The plane won't wait, and any longer and we risk complications with flight clearance."
She led them out to the entrance, where two black vans were idling at the curb, engines running.
Lucia turned back to Edward one last time.
She gave him a small wave and a smile.
Edward waved back — quiet, steady, with an encouraging smile that didn't waver.
Both Lucia and Han Ji-An got into the first van. The door closed. The driver pulled away smoothly, and the vehicle picked up speed as it headed toward the airport a few kilometers out.
Edward stayed where he was in the lobby, watching until the vans disappeared from view.
His expression was complicated for a moment.
Then he let it go.
He turned and walked back to his car. He had a schedule to get back to.
On the private jet, Lucia sat by the window as the aircraft began its ascent.
The cabin was compact but unmistakably expensive — fewer than twenty seats, every detail clean and considered. Clearly not a commercial arrangement.
She watched through the glass as the city slowly shrank beneath her. The lights of the buildings pulled apart like scattered stars the higher they climbed.
A lot of feelings moved through her at once, none of them easy to name.
Her hand closed into a loose fist in her lap.
'I hope this goes smoothly,' she whispered to herself.
The unknown was waiting.
She would face it head on.