Russian Roulette /̵͇̿̿/’̿’̿ ̿ ̿̿ ̿̿ ̿̿
CHAPTER 11
When he took custody of Tessa, he gathered every piece of information he could find about Tessa Ambrose. After all, one shouldn’t claim ownership of something without even knowing what had fallen into their grasp.
Of course, he had been the one to propose the deal in the first place, but it wasn’t because he knew Tessa well or had any particular feelings for her.
It was simply because it seemed interesting. The idea of taking Tessa, that is.
After all, his gambling opponents were those insufferable Intelligence Bureau agents, desperate to keep him in check. He was curious to see just how much their expressions could twist in frustration.
Now, he knew a great deal about Tessa.
Tessa Ambrose. Twenty-six years old. A war orphan. Taken in by the Sentinel Management Bureau as a teenager after her first manifestation. Classified as a Grade C Sentinel. Began assisting in major operations as soon as she became an adult.
Total recorded injuries, including minor ones: 382.
Number of times she nearly died: 12.
Managed to survive each time due to sheer tenacity and rapid recovery.
Assigned Guide: None.
Number of recommended Guide matches to date: 0.
No matter how much the government treated Sentinels as national assets, they had clearly used her up like a disposable tool. In that sense, they were no different from Vicente.
Grade C Sentinels were abundant. If one died, they simply replaced them with another.
It was obvious that instead of risking the loss of highly valuable Grade S Sentinels, she had been forced into high-risk roles, breaking her body over and over, only to be patched up and thrown back into the field.
Vicente’s world had no shortage of low-grade Sentinels who had ended up there for similar reasons—those who had grown resentful of the government after being treated as expendable, or who had become disillusioned with their place in the system.
Even without stepping into the underworld, Grade C Sentinels were known for their lower loyalty compared to higher-functioning ones. That was precisely why the Bureau’s control over them was so suffocating.
But judging by her track record, Tessa seemed to be a slightly different case.
Tessa loved her work. She was the type who took pride in being useful to her country. Did she truly believe that even if her body was shattered to pieces, it would be worth it as long as she could make the nation a better place?
In other words, Tessa was little more than a naïve idealist.
Foolish Tessa Ambrose. She couldn’t even find herself a proper Guide, yet she was willing to throw her life away for the sake of others. That was precisely why Vicente found her interesting.
It only made the game more entertaining.
Would she still cling to her beliefs once she saw where true salvation lay? Would she remain a well-trained dog of the government to the very end?
That was something to be seen in time.
Tessa stepped out of the building. Vicente had been waiting for this moment and called out to her as she stood there idly.
“Tessa. Get in the car.”
She looked uncertain, but in the end, she obeyed his command. No matter how much of a government hound she was, right now, she was under his authority.
Tessa slid into the seat beside him. Her golden-blonde hair, which looked almost brown under the light, was neatly tied back. She had undergone two graft procedures in the short time since their last encounter, yet she acted as if nothing had happened.
Would she start behaving differently when she finally needed Guiding?
“How’s your body?”
“I’m fine.”
“Don’t be vague. Give me a proper report.”
Despite the cold tone of his command, Vicente’s gaze lingered on the elegant line of her neck. Even in that broken body, she could still wield the abilities of a Sentinel.
He had never seen it up close before. He was curious.
“There are no abnormalities in my condition. And… this is the first time in over ten years.”
“The first time for what?”
“That I’ve felt this way.”
“Because of my help?”
“Yes.”
She seemed desperate to avoid thinking about the past. Despite his relentless gaze, Tessa kept her eyes fixed straight ahead, refusing to waver.
It annoyed him. She had begged and cried for him to save her, yet now that she had recovered slightly, she wanted to act all dignified? As if she wasn’t just another piece of property that had been sold to him.
Vicente grabbed her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes. He liked the way her wide violet irises flickered with surprise.
Without hesitation, he pulled her head closer and pressed his lips against hers. It was a violent kiss, one that left no room for resistance. Their breaths tangled in a messy exchange. Only after what felt like an eternity, yet was merely a fleeting moment, did he release her.
Tessa was now visibly disheveled. Her once neatly tied hair had loosened, her perfectly fastened tie slightly undone. Even the expression on her face remained unsettled, as if she still hadn’t shaken off the lingering heat of the kiss.
Now, this was much better. Satisfied, Vicente leaned back with a smirk.
“Why are you trembling? You’ll have to get used to far worse than this.”
Tessa had no retort. Not that anyone could dare protest to Vicente’s face in the first place.
“Do you hate it?”
“…No.”
“Then either stop frowning or be honest. Pick one.”
He knew he should treat Tessa well—for the sake of the game—but kindness was never in his nature. The very concept of doing something nice for someone was unfamiliar to him.
Putting Tessa in difficult situations was amusing. It felt like playing with a tiny mouse in a cage, prodding it with a stick just to watch how it would react—just like a child with a new toy.
The government’s little rat, now under his control.
Yes. This was entertaining.
Meanwhile, Tessa seemed uneasy as the journey stretched on longer than expected. It wasn’t often that they traveled such a great distance outside of Saint Leroi, his domain.
At last, when she realized they had officially left the city, she cautiously asked,
“May I ask where we’re going?”
“We’re heading outside the city.”
Tessa glanced at the front window. A few more sedans had joined their convoy. Vicente, having already lost interest, lounged comfortably against the cushions as he elaborated,
“To be precise, we’re going somewhere that’s practically your hometown.”
“The capital… you mean?”
“Javier finds my territory unsettling, so he insisted.”
They were going to the capital. Back to the familiar world she had longed to return to. Tessa felt her heart pound involuntarily. How long would she be staying? The home she had left vacant for so long—would it still be there? She likely wouldn’t have time to check, but leaving Saint Leroi made it feel like she was truly going home.
Vicente watched her tear-filled eyes with indifference before continuing.
“You haven’t been briefed on the mission yet, have you?”
Tessa steadied her voice and replied.
“…No. Please, tell me.”
“Carlo Javier. He’s from a foreign country near the border. He tried to smuggle weapons into the Empire, and in the process, he clashed with my side. The bastard is trying to plant his moles here, but I can’t just let that slide.”
Tessa knew about Javier. He was a major foreign player in the illegal arms trade. The Intelligence Bureau had been keeping an eye on him, wary that he might extend his influence into the Empire.
“No one can establish a distribution network here without my approval. The fact that he thought he could slip past my eyes? Bold of him. As a courtesy, I had all the small fry he sent over dumped into the sea.”
“But there must be people watching.”
“You mean your colleagues?”
Vicente scoffed.
“What do you think they’ll do? Get themselves killed? They’re nothing but incompetent fools.”
“If anything dangerous happens, the government won’t just stand by.”
“He’s the one who insisted on meeting in the capital.”
Though Vicente’s tone remained calm, irritation was evident in his voice.
“What exactly do you think the government can do to me? If anything, they should be grateful that I’m the one keeping order in this place. Otherwise, they’d never get a decent night’s sleep.”
“…Understood.”
“A few people dying? That’s not our problem.”
Accepting Javier’s demands meant they had knowingly agreed to a situation where innocent people could be harmed. If civilians got caught up in any conflicts and died, Vicente wouldn’t care in the slightest.
Tessa quickly forgot any excitement she had about returning home.
As Vicente said, the government coexisted with him. If an incident occurred, no one would take responsibility for it.
If anyone felt responsible, it would be her and her alone.
They hadn’t even entered the capital yet, but Tessa already felt as if an invisible weight was pressing down on her shoulders.
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