Jess and Iris, who had been waiting for Rian to wake up, sat down to eat with him. Lily and Noah stepped out to give the three of them some privacy.
Noah, having just stepped out of the room, spoke with a stiff expression.
"I need to discuss something with you. Do you have a moment?"
"Yes, of course."
The two headed to a nearby conference room. The room was magically soundproofed, perfect for serious conversations. As soon as they entered, Noah got straight to the point.
"I think we need to change his room."
"Huh? Why? Does Oppa not like his room?"
Lily asked with wide, curious eyes. Noah shook her head slightly, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke in a low, heavy voice.
"...When I arrived at the room, Rian... he tried to throw himself off the terrace."
"What?!"
"If I hadn't stopped him, Rian would have..."
Her throat constricted, as if choked by rising tears. When Noah let out a stifled sound, Lily's face turned deathly pale.
"Why? He's safe with us now!"
"..He said he thought he'd been kidnapped, so he tried to jump."
"That—that makes no sense! Even if he was kidnapped..."
Noah rubbed her face with her hands and slumped into a chair.
"He gave the excuse, 'I'm used to bungee jumping.'"
"Bungee jumping...? What's that?"
"...It's when you tie a rope to your body and jump from a high place."
"What?!"
Lily let out a scream—one of many she'd lost count of.
"He said he'd been forced to be tied up... and thrown. He was scared at first, but got used to it, so he thought it was fine. He just forgot there was no rope this time and almost jumped."
"Ah, ugh...!"
Lily was like that—unable to speak properly when her emotions ran high. After stomping her feet like a rabbit, she suddenly locked eyes with Noah, her gaze sharp.
"Let's get rid of the windows."
Noah's eyes widened at Lily's resolute declaration.
"Even so..."
"Oppa is a patient. A patient with a wounded heart. Patients must be treated with appropriate protective measures. Removing the windows isn't suppressing his freedom; it's a necessary act for his treatment."
In an organization like theirs, having patients was expected. Kardishan was a city where all sorts of demi-humans coexisted. There were plenty of demons and intelligent monsters, too.
The injuries varied accordingly. Some enemies embedded parasites covered in toxic mucus into wounds, while others shattered minds with Black Magic.
Treatment methods depended on the injury, and there were many situations where forced restraint was necessary. Noah listened to Lily's words, recalling such scenes.
€
"Once he realizes he's no longer in danger, his condition will improve. He'll stop throwing his life away just to escape a life he thinks is unhappy. We can put the windows back then."
This wasn't oppression or abuse! It was all for Rian's sake! Plus, it would significantly lower his anxiety!
"Is that... so?"
"Of course!"
Noah was completely swayed by Lily's logic.
The next day, while Rian slept, the terrace and windows disappeared. Even the windows in every area he could walk through were gone.
It cost a fair amount of money to install magic for ventilation, but Noah had no regrets.
***
"Hello."
"Hello! Nice to meet you!"
"Welcome!"
Not all of the Nest executives were people Rian knew.
There were quite a few strangers. Some were missing an arm, others an eye; they all bore scars, visible or invisible. Most appeared to be around Noah's age, though some looked older.
They were all people who had been saved by Noah and pledged their loyalty. Because of that, many showed blind devotion.
Under normal circumstances, Rian would have watched the executives greeting him with a warm heart, but today, he couldn't.
'There's a traitor among them.'
Someone among the executives was colluding with the boss of the organization that had kidnapped him. Noah scanned the executives with a smile, just as she always did.
'...I can't tell. Who on earth could have done such a thing?'
She bit her lip in secret. Betrayal had followed her like a shadow since she started running the organization. That was why she had always lived without letting her guard down.
But that only applied to general members or dealings between other organizations. She couldn't imagine, nor did she want to, that one of her close aides would betray her.
The position of a Nest executive was reserved only for those she could truly trust.
'I have to find the traitor. Only then can everyone be safe.'
Now that Rian had returned, she had to be even more ruthless.
While Noah was steeling her resolve, Rian was busy introducing Iris and Jess to the new people.
"Haha, I look forward to working with you."
You can't spit on a smiling face. Rian wanted to get close to the executives by smiling as brightly as possible.
However, there was someone who looked at Rian with disdain.
'Is he the boss's kept man? He's quite pretty.'
It was one of the executives named Jeolmi. The man, who stood nearly 190cm tall with a gaunt, thin frame, was the traitor Noah was looking for.
Jeolmi was a man who had been rescued after being mistaken for a slave while visiting a business contact; he had risen to the rank of executive thanks to his display of loyalty.
Because the Nest organization was under scrutiny from various places, selling information could yield a tidy profit. The fact that Deviathan knew about Noah and her executives was entirely due to Jeolmi selling that information.
Jeolmi sensed that his tail was beginning to show. He planned to secure one big score before fleeing.
'This piece of information will sell for a high price.'
The boss's 'weakness' always sold for more than any other information. Information about a lover or someone precious was especially valuable.
'Once I find out how skilled he is, I'll run.'
If Rian was a powerhouse, his value as a weakness would obviously plummet. Therefore, he needed to investigate Rian's skill level and whether he had any other vulnerabilities.
Jeolmi approached Rian, who was smiling among the executives, wearing a friendly grin of his own.
"Hello—..."
Squish.
As he began to speak, Jeolmi's eyes widened at the strange sensation under his feet.
Slip!
In an instant, his vision spun, and the familiar ceiling came into view.
"Whaaaat theeee..."
Time slowed, and his body began to fall. Jeolmi's eyes went wide as he saw a banana peel flying through the air. At the same time,
Thwack!
The back of his head collided violently with the corner of the conference table.
"Gah..."
He foamed at the mouth, rolled his eyes back, and passed out. Over his face, which had collapsed limply onto the floor,
Splat.
€
The banana peel landed perfectly. It was a scene straight out of a slapstick comedy.
'T-this, no matter how I look at it... the Gag Filter has activated, right?'
Rian's expression hardened as he looked at the man who had fallen in such a ridiculous manner.
'Did this person intend to threaten me?'
While Rian was lost in thought with a stiff face, the executives began to check on Jeolmi with panicked expressions.
'Did I do something wrong?'
If they hated him enough to want to 'threaten' him, there had to be a reason. As Rian sank into thought with a troubled face, Iris tugged on his hand.
"Oppa, are you okay?"
"Ah, y-yes."
Rian nodded with a sheepish smile. But his face didn't look okay at all. Juliana noticed Rian's state, approached Noah, and informed her.
[ It seems Rian is quite shocked. Reassure him that it's nothing. ]
At those words, Noah's gaze turned to Rian. Just as she said, Rian looked depressed. The terrace incident and Lily's words flashed through her mind simultaneously.
'They said mental stability is important...'
Noah hurried over to Rian to check on him. Rian hesitated, as if he had something to say.
"If you're uncomfortable with anything, please tell me anytime. We're friends, after all."
"Ah."
Rian looked touched by her words and gestured cautiously. It was a gesture for her to lean in and listen. As she leaned in, Rian whispered.
"Actually..."
She flinched as his breath brushed against her ear, and her body trembled. She could feel her earlobe burning hot. Rian, seemingly unaware, continued immediately.
"I think... that person who collapsed hates me."
"...!"
"Um, it might sound strange to explain it this way, but... I can just tell, you know? Did I make a mistake somewhere?"
At Rian's words, Noah's gaze immediately snapped toward Jeolmi. A clear look of 'suspicion' rose in her eyes.