Chapter 22
Running 02
Walking back with a tray, Lucia carried four drinks—orange, red, white, and dark brown in color.
Her expression was visibly grim as she walked slowly toward the table. Edward, Eve, and Sophia quickly noticed her mood wasn't great.
After giving the group a brief glance, Lucia sat down beside Edward with a sigh.
"Sigh..."
Resting her chin in both hands, she took a deep breath.
Naturally, everyone's attention turned toward her, waiting for an explanation. But Eve, as usual, wasn't the most patient.
"Sister Lucy, did something happen?" she asked, concern showing on her face.
Adjusting her posture, Lucia leaned back in the chair, trying to relax, and let out another sigh.
"Huft... You see that big TV over there?"
She pointed her gaze toward the far side of the food court—almost 50 meters away—where a large television was mounted on the wall.
Everyone followed her line of sight. From that distance, the TV looked tiny, and between the crowd and the noise, they couldn't make out any text or hear anything clearly.
Edward squinted, trying in vain to read the ticker at the bottom of the screen, then turned back to Lucia.
"Uh... what was on the news? Was it something bad?"
Sophia, already checking her phone for updates, searched for recent headlines from the same network. But before she could find anything, Lucia spoke up again.
"Let's just eat first. We can talk about it in the car—I don't want to lose my appetite."
Sophia put her phone away and nodded.
"Alright, let's dig in, guys."
Eve wasted no time and dove into her food, clearly starving. Seeing her enthusiasm made everyone smile and follow suit.
Conversation was minimal as they focused on eating, and they finished their meals in about 15 minutes.
Once their plates and glasses were empty, Sophia stood up, remembering her earlier promise.
"Uhh, guys—did you already pay for your food and drinks? I paid for mine already. If you did too, please let me reimburse you. Lunch is on me, remember?"
Eve and Lucia knew just how stubborn Sister Sophia could be about keeping promises, so they didn't argue. They opened their payment apps and, using QR codes, sent their receipts over in seconds.
Only Edward tried to resist, but he eventually gave in so she wouldn't feel bad.
—
As they walked back to the car, the lunch crowd had grown, slowing them down.
Suddenly, a teenage girl came to a halt in front of them—jaw dropped, fists clenched, an audible gasp escaping her lips as her eyes lit up with excitement.
Before she could scream, she caught herself. Phone already in hand, she stepped forward.
Lucia had already sensed something like this might happen. She stopped walking and turned to face the girl.
'Ah... it's happening again,' she muttered in her head.
The girl froze in front of Lucia, letting out a small squeal, then shakily held out her phone.
"A-Are you this person!?" she asked, thrusting the screen forward.
Displayed on it was a photo—Lucia, in her green regal off-shoulder dress.
Lucia sighed internally and gave a small smile, nodding in confirmation.
The girl nearly squealed again, jumping slightly in place, overwhelmed by excitement.
Still stammering, she asked for a selfie. Her finger hovered over the screen—camera app already open.
"C-Can I—I mean... uhh—this?"
Lucia, knowing this was attracting attention, acted fast. She gently took the phone, stood beside the girl, extended her arm high, and took the selfie.
She then returned the phone with a polite farewell and quickly jogged back to her group.
Edward, Sophia, and Eve had instinctively formed a perimeter, guarding Lucia while she dealt with the girl. Once Lucia returned, they immediately made their way to the car.
—
By now, a small group of curious teenagers had gathered at the food court entrance, watching them leave.
From within the crowd, someone muttered,
"Who was that stunning girl? All of them looked insane—like, models. Even the guy... Damn, is that a B*W he's driving? Lucky bastard."
Another person chimed in,
"She's rumored to be a K-pop idol trainee. I saw her two weeks ago at the biggest mall in the city."
"No, no," another one corrected, "I heard she's a foreign Instagram model, just here on vacation."
With no official source or confirmation, the crowd kept tossing theories around as the group drove away from the rest area.
—
Finally, in the front passenger seat, Lucius relaxed.
'Huft... I almost forgot how much attention this body draws. I can't afford to drop my guard just because I'm stressed.'
In the back seat, Sophia and Eve were glued to Sophia's phone, reading something.
Edward spoke up, still focused on the road.
"Hey Lucius, what exactly was on the news? I didn't get a chance to check it before we left."
Lucius, staring out at the scenery along the road, began to explain.
"You know those three men who were arrested without clear reason? They were released today.
"But... here's the strange part: every one of them refused interviews. I mean, if it was just one of them, I'd understand—it could be personal.
"But all of them? It's odd.
"And just after the news aired, one of them posted a link on social media... and then…"
He hesitated.
"…he took his own life."
"Crazy, right? But that's not all!" Lucius continued, his tone serious. "That link led to a cloud folder—recordings, photos, and videos—all taken in secret. One of them shows government officials threatening him. The news didn't show the full footage, so I don't know the entire context...
"But they did show one photo—gruesome wounds on the man's back. It was censored, of course… haah.
"The media is still trying to uncover the truth, while the government's trying to shut things down by limiting access to the victims' homes. They claim it's to 'preserve crime scenes,' but I don't buy it.
"One of the victims' family members shouted the word torture during a press gathering. They blamed the government, the police, and anyone involved in the arrest.
"I… I'm just afraid. If any of us gets caught... Haah. Let's just focus on getting to the villa. Worrying too much won't help."
Edward was silent, unable to respond. All he could do was send a quiet prayer for the victim's family and try to stay hopeful.
"Let's focus on our mission," he finally said. "Don't overthink it.
"We should reach the villa in about two hours. If anyone wants to nap, now's the time." He glanced at the rearview mirror, checking on the girls in the backseat.
The mood had noticeably darkened. Sophia and Eve were both quietly staring at Sophia's phone—they had likely seen the leaked content themselves.
Wanting to change the mood, Eve tried to lift their spirits.
"Let's forget all that! We're going to the villa for Brother Luci's farewell party, right? So let's have some fun!" she grinned. "How about Uno? I brought the cards!"
Then she turned to Edward with a teasing pout.
"Ahh… sorry Brother Edward, you can't play~!"
Her energy boosted everyone's mood. Lucius and Sophia chuckled, happily going along with the idea.
Edward laughed loudly, amused by her apology.
"Hahaha! What if I do want to play?"
"No! You can't!" Eve said with a dramatic wave. "Please focus on driving!"
The girls began their game in the front row—Lucius joining from his seat, though it was hard for him to play properly. They ended up placing the cards on the glove box, which occasionally got in the way of Edward shifting gears.
---
Fast forward: they finally reached the outskirts of the tea plantation, just two kilometers from Edward's hilltop villa.
Eve gazed out the window, eyes wide with excitement as she admired the view.
"Wow… this place is so beautiful! Umm, where's the villa?"
Then she jokingly pointed at a distant structure.
"Don't tell me it's that one—on top of the hill! I might just—"
Lucius smirked, cutting her off.
"What? Faint? Scream? Or... hug the owner? Hahaha."
Sophia remained calm as she took in the scenery. Though she didn't know the exact location of the villa, she could guess based on the video Lucius had shown her earlier.
'It must be that one… Wow, Lucius. Your friend is seriously blessed,' she thought.
Edward grinned with pride.
"Yep, that's the one. Just one more kilometer."
They passed the first security post.
"Oh, don't miss the sunset later," Edward added. "It's beautiful from the back balcony in the second living room.
"For sunrise, you can watch from the guest room on the second floor—or head straight to the wall outside for an even better view."
The car wound up the hill along a twisting road until it finally came to a stop beside a stone fountain.
"Well—here we are," Edward smiled.
"Welcome to our family's vacation villa. Let's take a shower first, then enjoy the sunset during dinner."
He got out of the car, and the girls followed suit. As before, the villa staff was already lined up at the stairs, ready to welcome them.
Edward greeted the employees and gave instructions for dinner prep and room assignments.
Before finalizing the arrangements, he turned to the siblings.
"Do you want three separate rooms? Two rooms? Or one big one?"
Eve raised her hand enthusiastically.
"One big room! Then we can play games together—just the four of us!
"And when it's bedtime, we can tell scary stories, love stories—any stories! ...uhh, sorry Brother Edward, you're not invited to the girl talk." She gave him an awkward, apologetic smile.
Edward laughed.
"Hahaha, don't worry—I won't infiltrate your girl talk!"
"Alright then," he said, turning to the staff.
"Manager, please lead the way."
Lucia shook her head, smiling at Eve's antics. In her heart, she was relieved—Eve was bonding with Edward so easily.
Sophia smiled too. It felt like they were going to have a really great time, almost enough to forget the burden of Lucius's identity and Eve's unregistered powers.
The manager led them to the largest room on the second floor—the same room Lucia had stayed in during her last visit.
This time, a second bed had been added beside the main one, clearly to accommodate all three girls.
After placing their bags on the nearby sofa, Eve immediately dove into the big bed, hugging the plush sheets.
"Waaah! This is so comfy! Sister, come feel this!"
Edward and Lucia stood nearby, shaking their heads in amusement at Eve's energy.
Sophia followed, sitting calmly on the edge of the bed. She ran her hand across the sheets and commented,
"Yeah... this really is high quality. Must be one of the best brands out there."
The manager politely excused himself to continue preparations. He needed to rearrange the second living room for their sunset dinner—moving a dining table to face the view.
Checking the time, Edward turned to the girls.
"It's almost 5 PM. Lucia, I'll head to my room. Don't forget—dinner at sunset, so let's all take a shower before then.
"Ah, this room only has one large shower. If you want separate ones, the room next door is free. I'll use the one at the end of the hall."
"Alright, see you soon!" all three girls chimed in unison.