I Become a Secret Police Officer of The Imperial Academy

Chapter 22

“You enjoyed it? Herding people like livestock and killing them off like that?”

It didn’t even feel like he hit me that hard, but my body lifted off the ground and slammed into the wall.

How could anyone win against someone like this?

The loud noise must have startled his mother, as her footsteps soon approached. 

She called out from the other side of the door, asking what had happened.

“I tripped while standing up and fell!”

I wasn’t sure if she bought it, but she said “Alright” and walked away.

It’d be nice if she just assumed it was some kind of lovers’ quarrel.

Honestly, if Theo was going to slap me while having this kind of conversation, he should have taken me to some secluded alley or bought a drink and brought me to a quiet spot.

At the very least, he should’ve prepared a sack and a carriage to drag me off if things went south.

“You should really watch yourself when you’ve got your family in the house.”

It hurt like hell.

My jaw felt slightly unhinged, as though it wasn’t closing properly.

“That’s something you should watch out for. I already told you—I know what’s happening underground.”

Rubbing my cheek, I continued the conversation.

“No need to compliment me, sunbae.

Anyway, let’s cut out the emotional sniping and start a proper dialogue, shall we?”

“…Dialogue about what?”

“You’re the one who brought me here saying you wanted to talk, Theo-sunbae.

Now that you’re flustered, you just go and slap me?”

Theo let out a scoff in response.

Honestly, showing this kind of reaction to a fragile girl like me could almost bring tears to my eyes.

“So even a lunatic who enjoys killing people gets hurt when slapped, huh?”

“I’m not interested in your moral standards, sunbae.

Let’s start with something basic. How’ve you been doing lately?”

He didn’t answer.

Maybe he disliked how forced the conversation seemed.

Inviting someone as unpredictable as me into his house—it was an incomprehensible act.

Then again, Theo probably thought he could subdue me anytime, so it didn’t matter to him.

“Fine, if we can’t have a normal conversation, how about we take turns asking questions? When did you figure it out?”

At that, the man in front of me scowled.

Showing your emotions during a conversation doesn’t really work to your advantage, you know.

“The day you shoved a gun barrel into Petra’s mouth during that argument.”

“Oh, you saw that? How embarrassing. You should’ve said something.”

“…When did you, or rather, your family, start doing this?”

“If you’re asking about when we started catching and disposing of demons, two days after that incident.

Of course, the interrogation rooms have always been there.”

The sticky sweetness of the sugar still clung faintly to the ice, almost nauseatingly so.

Crunching down on the remaining ice, I swallowed it and posed the next question.

“Can’t you just let this slide?”

“If you’re serious about that, how about checking into a psychiatric hospital?”

“Fair enough. Got it.”

Maybe I should bow down and lick his shoes.

I mean, I look pretty enough—it might actually work.

“Still, could you at least turn a blind eye for, say, a week? No, just three days?”

“Turn a blind eye? TURN A BLIND EYE?! People are dying in droves in that godforsaken basement right now!”

The more emotional he got, the more composed I remained.

“Sure, to you, they’re people, sunbae.”

“So demons aren’t people, is that it?

Just because one of them killed your family?

If the person who killed your little brother had been a human, would you have dragged every single person in the slums off to be slaughtered?”

His raised voice drew his mother to the room again. She dropped off more snacks before leaving.

Following him here might not have been the worst idea, after all.

Theo scratched the back of his head and pulled a strange object from his drawer, muttering an incantation.

Probably some sort of soundproofing magic.

“Probably.”

After his mother left, I answered quietly. Theo turned to me with a slightly dumbfounded expression.

“I know how you see me, sunbae.

Not that acknowledging it changes anything.”

We sat in silence for a moment, sipping some overly sweet, lemon-infused tea whose name I didn’t know.

Well, I sipped; he stared. Stared so hard it couldn’t even be called looking anymore.

“I just want to wipe out every single one of those vile creatures, not leave a single one alive. And you just can’t accept that, sunbae.

It’s too late.

If the ones who killed Alicia that day had been the humans from the slums, there wouldn’t be a single living soul left there now.”

For some reason, the way Theo had been looking at me up until a moment ago—it had been as if he were staring at something he needed to correct or admonish.

“So, you’re saying that just because someone has horns or a tail, they’re nothing but an animal? Is that really what you believe?”

“How many times do I have to say it?

That’s why we’re having this conversation.

What we need is negotiation, dialogue, and compromise.”

“And you think dragging people off to that basement and committing atrocities can be resolved through conversation?”

I don’t know.

“Stop this, just stop. Right now, and go back to how things were….”

I brushed aside his plea.

It wasn’t worth considering.

I didn’t come here to stop.

“What’s there to stop, sunbae?”

“You’d better stop looking at me with that miserable expression.”

“How about this: I’ll marry you in exchange for letting this go?

I’ll take good care of your parents, and your siblings will live happily ever after.

You can let this unsavory business slide and focus on broadening your options for the future.”

“You’re insane, Ellen.”

I shrugged, brushing off his words.

“Well, if that doesn’t appeal to you, should I just spread my legs?

I’m a virgin, never been with a man before.

It’s probably the most valuable thing I have, though it might seem a little cheap.

What more could you want? You greedy bastard.”

As I said that, I began moving closer to Theo.

He shoved me away, his face twisted with revulsion.

“Or I can marry you and die the next day if that’s what you want.

I’ll leave everything I own to you in a will.

And no, I’m not joking.”

Honestly, that stung a bit.

I’d been prepared to sacrifice myself for this—to free myself from the chains of past lives and do what I believed needed to be done.

But being rejected so coldly like this?

If this were a game, wouldn’t a choice prompt have popped up by now?

Accept her proposal or Reject her completely.

“You used to just be a normal kid who loved books.

When did you… when did you become like this?”

“I haven’t changed.

You just find my new face uncomfortable, sunbae.

Because outwardly, I used to be an approachable, ordinary, pretty girl. Someone easy to talk to.”

“…I don’t even know what you want from me.

How could you even think to say, ‘Let it slide’?”

Why is he asking me that?

“Of course you wouldn’t understand. You’re too perfect to ever understand me, sunbae.

No matter what you try, you succeed. People naturally like you. You’re flawless in every way!”

I stuffed more of the overly sweet snacks into my mouth, grimacing slightly.

Not from irritation, but because they were just that sweet.

“You’re right. I’ll never understand you.

And no one else will want to understand you, either.

Ellen, think about what you’re doing.

This isn’t something that can be resolved through compromise or dialogue.”

I wanted to snap the finger he was pointing at me.

But unfortunately, I lacked the strength.

So I just picked at the cake with a fork, eating listlessly.

As his words grew more heated, I let out a soft scoff, mocking him.

Maybe I should provoke him a little.

“Why does it matter to you, sunbae?

Whether I burn demons alive or not, it’s none of your business.

What was your pet’s name again?

Was it Petra? I feel like tossing that pet of yours into the incinerator too.”

Did the image flash in his mind?

Theo slapped the fork from my hand.

The cake and plate went flying.

“Crazy bitch.”

Clatter.

A loud, dramatic sound echoed.

The plate had shattered. What a waste.

The magical item on his desk must be good—it blocked even this noise.

Otherwise, his mother would have rushed in for sure.

But Theo, who had been yelling furiously moments ago, now had a slightly different look in his eyes.

They were damp.

Not streaming tears, but glistening faintly under the light.

“Should I tell you a sob story instead?

Demons who could walk around with bullets lodged in their heads took a bite out of Alicia, and no one helped.

Even when I turned to the parents I hated depending on, they were burning alive.

That day… that damn day…

Did you see what those filthy bastards were doing in the square?

I’m not insane.

The ones who suddenly gathered there defied the guards and started devouring them.

How could anyone just stand by? How can you see them as people?”

If I started crying here, it’d turn into a cheap melodrama.

So I pressed my palm against my eyes, hard.

My eyeballs felt like they were about to pop out, but at least the tears stopped.

“Anyway, can’t you just let it go?”

Normally, if a pretty girl cried and begged, people would cave.

Even though I had accidentally teared up during my performance—he had to give in, right?

“Go to hell.”

Guess not.

I shrugged, trying to hide my frustration.

“You’re impossible.

Want me to hand over my brother’s head or something?”

“…If necessary.”

“Well, do your best, then.

I’ll put up a fight, but I doubt it’ll make much difference.”

I stood and walked out of the room.

Theo’s family, who had apparently been eavesdropping with their ears pressed to the door, toppled over as I opened it.

I ignored the ridiculous scene and kept walking.

It was a mess.