Chapter 19
Interview 03
Friday evening, just as the siblings were sitting down for dinner, Lucius's phone suddenly rang.
Song Im-Hyun's name appeared on the screen.
Heart pounding with anticipation, Lucius answered the call immediately, right in front of his sisters.
{"Hello, Chief Song. Lucia speaking. Good evening, sir."}
{"Good evening, Miss Lucia. Are you ready to hear the results?"}
Lucius fidgeted in place, doing his best to stay calm.
{"Well… of course, sir. I really want to know. So… how did it go?"}
{"Okay. Unfortunately…}
The moment he heard that word, Lucius felt his heart stop—but just a second later, he heard something else that made him breathe again.
{"Unfortunately… I won't be able to use my personal invitation card for you—because I don't need to. Haha! Congratulations, Miss Lucia. The test came back positive. That doesn't officially mean you've passed the interview, but let's say you're about 80% there. All that's left is a final formality and maybe a few more detailed questions.}
{"After that, we'll move forward with your departure. The next interview is scheduled for Wednesday. So you'll need to have your bags packed—you'll be flying out Tuesday evening. How are you feeling?"}
Lucius nearly jumped out of his seat. His arms flailed with joy as he grinned uncontrollably. Eve and Sophia immediately understood from his expression alone—he'd done it.
Still caught up in his happiness, Lucius spoke into the phone.
{"Of course, sir! I'm so happy right now… Ah, I can finally get a proper identity for this body. And maybe—just maybe—I can figure out what caused this transformation… and how to reverse the curse."}
{"Really, Chief… Thank you. You've lifted such a heavy burden these past few weeks.}
He paused, then continued.
{"Um, sir… may I ask something?"}
Lucius had just realized an important problem: with no official identity that matched 'his' current form, 'he' wouldn't be able to board a plane like a regular person. 'he' might need help from the organization just to travel abroad.
Song Im-Hyun's voice sounded curious.
{"Oh? Another request? Haha, I really should praise your boldness. Go on—ask. If it's something within my power, I'll make it happen. Think of it as compensation for the personal invitation card I didn't get to use."}
Lucius had already rehearsed this question in his head. He spoke with quiet confidence.
{"Sir, as you know, my original identity was male—with an entirely different appearance. I can't possibly pass through immigration using a disguise or a fake excuse. Is there… any way you can help me bypass that process?"}
A crisp, genuine laugh rang through the call. Song Im-Hyun was clearly amused.
{"Hahaha! You really did think it through. Actually, our team already arranged a personal flight for you. We've prepared forged travel documents and a temporary ID just for this trip.}
{"It would be an embarrassment for us not to prepare for that kind of obstacle.}
{"So don't worry. Before the flight, someone from the research center will personally pick you up from your house. Tentatively scheduled for Tuesday at noon.}
{"I'll send you the full itinerary by email after we wrap up the next interview tomorrow."}
Lucius sighed in relief. Of course a major organization operating under the UN would be this thorough.
{"Thank God… Chief Song, once again—thank you. Truly. I'm incredibly grateful for everything you've done."}
{"Haha, don't mention it. Just help me out sometime when we're both at the research center. Of course, you're free to refuse if it's something you're uncomfortable with.}
{"Anyway, I've taken enough of your time. It's probably dinner for you, right? Let's end the call here. See you tomorrow, Lucia—yes, I'll be calling you that from now on. See you at the interview, Volunteer Lucia."}
{"Alright, Chief. See you at the interview—and thank you again."}
The call ended with a signature hum from Song Im-Hyun's side.
As soon as the call dropped, Eve wrapped her arms around Lucius in a sudden side hug, burying her face into his lap. Sophia smiled warmly and patted Lucia on the back.
"Congratulations, Luci. So, how about tomorrow's interview?"
Lucia was still smiling, eyes sparkling. Eve still clung to his lap like a baby kangaroo..
"Actually, Chief Song said tomorrow's interview is mostly a formality. He already considers me to have passed. He said I'm about 80% approved—but I still have to be careful. I don't want to mess anything up last minute."
But after a while, Lucius realized something was off.
Eve wasn't just hugging him in celebration. His clothes were starting to feel damp near his lap..Eve was crying. Quietly.
Lucius's heart clenched with guilt. He knew Eve was trying her best to be strong, but this must be harder than she let on.
He gently placed a hand on Eve's back, rubbing it in slow circles.
"Eve… I'm sorry. I really have to go. But I know you're a strong girl. Don't cry, okay?"
"I promise I'll call you every night if I can. And… I will come back once I have a new identity. This isn't goodbye forever."
He paused.
"Oh! Actually, Eve… I've already arranged something for us."
Eve sniffled quietly, still buried in Lucius's side. But she perked up just a little, clearly curious.
"As I might be leaving Tuesday… I planned a short vacation for us. I asked Edward yesterday, and he agreed to let us use his villa. He'll even join us."
"It'll be our little farewell party. So we can part with happy memories—not like this."
"So… are you okay with that?"
Eve nodded, slowly. She still didn't let go.
Lucius chuckled gently. "Eve… we haven't even eaten dinner yet. Let's eat, okay? You can hug me again later."
Sophia stepped in with a smile, gently helping Eve off Lucius's lap.
"Eve, Lucius might be away for a while, and maybe it'll take time before he can return. But if we ever miss him too much, we can go visit the research center ourselves, alright?"
"So let's eat first. You'll feel better with a full stomach. Trust me."
After some coaxing, Eve finally relented. She wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt, her face stained with tears.
She turned to Lucius, red eyes shining, and said in a soft, shaky voice:
"Promise…"
Lucius raised his right pinky, his voice gentle and sincere.
> "I promise never to forget home.
I promise to call you every night whenever I can.
I promise I'll come back home when I'm able to.
I promise to always prioritize family over work.
I promise I won't ever change.
Is that enough?"
It worked. Eve gently locked her pinky finger with Lucius's and gave it a soft shake.
The promise was sealed.
Sophia, watching from the side, smiled with warm, motherly affection. A wave of protectiveness stirred within her. These two—Eve and Lucius—were everything to her. Their happiness, their innocence… She would give up her own job without hesitation if Eve ever asked to follow Lucius abroad.
But not yet. That day hadn't come. Not now.
With Eve calmed down, the siblings were finally able to start their dinner—even though it was already past 7:30, well beyond their usual mealtime.
After they finished eating, Eve made a rare request—to be pampered.
This had only happened once before: when they lost their parents in the incident. Back then, Eve coped by clinging to the one person who gave her comfort—Sophia.
But now that Lucius had taken on a female form and had triggered this wave of emotion, Eve gravitated toward him instead. She wanted affection and reassurance from him.
It wouldn't last long. A good night's sleep usually helped Eve recover from emotional lows. Still, for tonight, she needed her brother—her sister.
Resting her head on Lucius's lap, Eve tried to look up at the ceiling… but her view was blocked.
Something cast a shadow—that shadow—and well, let's just say she couldn't see much of Lucius's face.
But she didn't care.
What mattered was the warmth. The comfort.
Lucius gently stroked Eve's hair, fingers moving slowly and tenderly. The rhythm, the warmth, the safety—it lulled her toward sleep.
But she wasn't quite ready.
"Brother… Can you sing for me? Or a lullaby? Anything's fine. I want to hear your soothing voice..."
Lucius blinked, slightly caught off guard.
It wasn't that he didn't want to do it—it was just… unusual. He'd rarely sung before, and never attempted a lullaby. His old voice had been deep and baritone. His new voice, now lighter and more melodic, was still unfamiliar.
He hesitated. Then said:
"Uh… But Eve, I've never done that before. I haven't even tried singing with this new voice. Honestly, I don't know if I can…"
Eve responded immediately, her voice full of hope:
"Please, Brother… I promise I'll be happy with anything."
Lucius sighed. There was no way he could refuse her.
"Alright. Let me hear the melody first. I'll wear earphones while I sing, so don't expect too much, okay?"
Before he could even get up, Sophia stood and fetched the earphones for him. She returned quickly, sitting down beside Lucius.
"Let me join you. You pick the song, Luci."
Relieved to have her support, Lucius searched for a familiar lullaby—a soft tune from an anime about orphaned children. It was one he remembered clearly.
He placed the right earbud in his ear and passed the left to Sophia.
As the music began to play, the melody filled his mind.
Lucius slowly started singing.
Despite the hesitation, his voice matched the gentle tune beautifully. Clear, rich, and deeply emotional—his voice carried a kind of fantasy-like serenity. The kind that tugged at your chest without warning.
Sophia, sensing the raw emotion in his singing, quietly stopped her own voice. She didn't want to distract from it.
Instead, she reached for her phone and began recording.
Lucius closed his eyes, fully immersed in the music. His thoughts wandered—to everything he was leaving behind, to the love he had for his family, to the fear of the unknown that lay ahead.
His emotions bled into the song.
Eve, still lying on his lap, felt it. Sophia too.
Five minutes passed.
When the lullaby ended, silence fell over the room.
Eve blinked, stunned. Tears welled up again in her eyes—but this time not from sadness alone. It was the kind of crying that came when your heart overflowed.
The atmosphere had shifted. Melancholy, gentle, and bittersweet.
Feeling the weight of it all, Lucius reached out and embraced both of them in a tight, warm hug.
He whispered:
"Eve… Sister Sophia… I'm sorry. I promise I'll come back once everything's settled. I'll stay in touch—always.
"Since I'm leaving this Tuesday… let's make one more memory together at Edward's villa. So we can say goodbye with a smile."
A soft hum came from Eve as she nodded.
Then a trembling voice followed.
"Yes… Let's make good memories. Luci… Eve…"
It was Sophia. Her voice quivered. She was holding back tears.
The siblings spent the rest of the night reminiscing—talking about the fun memories they'd shared, the silly things they'd done, the laughter they still remembered.
As the conversation continued, Lucius thought to himself:
'This shouldn't be so emotional... I'll come back. No matter what happens, I've promised myself to always prioritize my sisters—even above my own goals to reverse this curse.
'I just hope nothing happens to them. If anything does... I'll have to trust Edward. He should be able to handle it… I hope.
'And the research center… I don't even know what life there will be like.
'Haaah… Let's worry about that later.'
Eventually, he noticed Eve and Sophia had fallen asleep beside him, leaning against his shoulders.
With great care, he helped them into bed one by one, tucking them gently under the blankets. After turning off the lights and closing the door, Lucius finally lay down to sleep.
He didn't want to dwell on the sadness.
He just wanted to meet tomorrow as soon as possible.
His thoughts drifted in and out, fading as exhaustion claimed him.
The night was warm for Lucius. It was warm for most people in the world.
But not everyone.
Somewhere out there, someone else was living a different night—colder, darker.
Someone far less fortunate.
In her sleep… she cried.
In her sleep… she had a nightmare.
In her sleep… she called for help.
In her sleep… she…