Chapter 11 (Refined Edition)

On the second day after Shadow-9527 was exiled to the frontier, YN was summoned to Graves’ office.

Sometimes she wore a maid’s dress; other times, she donned the standardized cleaning uniform of the janitorial department.

Standing at the door of Graves’ office, YN paused and adjusted her cleaning uniform for the day.

At that moment, Shadow-O happened to be exiting Graves’ office.

Both were startled.

YN wasn’t fully prepared and was caught off guard when Shadow-O opened the door from inside.

Shadow-O, having completed the task assigned by Graves, casually opened the door, not expecting anyone to be standing outside.

Then, YN and Shadow-O exchanged a smile and bumped fists—like good brothers greeting each other.

In recent days, whenever they met privately, they greeted each other this way.

After waving goodbye to Shadow-O, YN stepped into Graves’ office. “Boss, you called for me?”

Graves still wore his deep blue shirt and blue jeans, but today he didn’t have on his tactical vest.

Once again, his outfit looked very casual. YN couldn’t help but wonder if her boss Graves had been a cowboy in the American West before joining the military. Yet sometimes his speech carried a heavy Texan accent.

Perhaps in his youth, he had ridden horses recklessly across ranches.

“Yeah, that’s right. I have something to discuss with you,” Graves said, reclining in his chair with a very kind expression and tone.

Now when YN saw Graves, she no longer felt cautious or terrified like before, when she would have turned and fled at the sight of the dreaded “Plague God.” A subtle, barely perceptible hint of joy appeared on her face.

—No longer a forced smile.

Graves skillfully noticed this subtle change.

“How’s work been going recently?”

He had asked similar questions several times before.

YN nodded. “Boss, work is going very well. Everyone is friendly, and I’m happy with my job.”

An expression of approval flashed across Graves’ face, but soon he rested his chin on his hand, looking somewhat troubled.

YN had no idea why Graves had called her to his office. Could it be that he admired her skills and wanted to promote her to become a Shadow operative?

That wouldn’t do!

She no longer wished to live that kind of life.

Back in the Middle East, she had taken up arms again only because the situation was dire.

Though it sounded despicable and shameless, she truly wanted to live as an ordinary person.

YN clasped her hands together, avoiding Graves’ gaze. She really couldn’t fathom his thoughts. Men like him were as deep as the ocean.

Better to remain silent until he spoke.

Last night before sleep, she recalled how her heart suddenly raced while in her boss’s embrace. She didn’t understand this feeling—it was entirely new to her.

And just now, when she entered the office and met his gaze, her heart pounded again, as if skipping a beat.

“I’ve been troubled lately, YN,” Graves said after a moment of silence.

“Ah?”

“Shadow Company was founded by me single-handedly. It’s an honor to see employees in every department working smoothly and happily,” Graves glanced at the somewhat confused YN and continued, “YN, your loyalty to the company is something I deeply appreciate. I’m truly fortunate to have a subordinate like you.”

When communicating with YN, it was better not to beat around the bush. He should just say it directly. Because Shadow-9527 had provided intelligence—if YN considered someone a friend, she would lower her guard.

Meaning—she was genuinely simple and pure towards those she cared about.

When pushed to the limit, her personality would shift somewhat, and her intellect would sharpen.

At the celebration banquet, she had danced briefly with Shadow-9527 in the ballroom. Graves watched from the second floor.

YN’s gentle twirling was adorable, but the hand holding hers was the irritating Shadow-9527.

Although Shadow-9527 repeatedly emphasized their relationship was purely friendship...

YN was so charming, so radiant—if they weren’t careful, their friendship could change its nature—

Thinking this, Graves felt he needed to act quickly.

He was the alpha here.

With Shadow-9527 around, who knew if Shadow-A, Shadow-B, or Shadow-O wouldn’t soon fall under the spell of her maid dress?

The only person YN needed to please was him.

“Would you invite your good friend to dance, Oz?”

“Graves, I would,” Oz said, extending his large hand to Graves.

Graves: “…”

No use asking. Oz was loyal but clueless when it came to matters of affection.

Oz felt a bit wronged. Inviting a good friend to dance was supposed to bring joy. Graves was his boss, brother, comrade, and Oz’s good friend.

Oz loved dancing, but Graves rarely danced. He wanted to see Graves dance and planned to record a video to play nonstop on the big screen at the Shadow Company’s annual meeting.

Oz clasped his large hand with the other, following Graves’ gaze to the ballroom where YN twirled lightly.

Got it—Graves wanted to dance with YN.

Oz said, “Graves, why don’t you throw another party and invite YN to dance with you? Then you wouldn’t have to stand here envying Shadow-9527.”

Graves averted his eyes and walked downstairs. He wasn’t envying Shadow-9527. And he would invite YN to dance—just not yet.

Big guy, always speaking blunt truths.

Having clarified his goal, Graves continued with YN: “Here’s the thing—I’m troubled because I need an assistant.”

YN nodded, truly listening to Graves’ “trouble.”

Their clear gazes locked, Graves thought, The combination of words and eye signals should be clear enough.

Yet he still didn’t choose to reveal his thoughts directly. His habit was to test, test, and test again.

Just as he had tested whether YN, even as an intelligence dealer, would maintain loyalty under certain pressures.

After Graves fell silent, the office grew quiet again.

Should he just say it…

Or test a bit more?

“Help me with…” Graves hesitated, breaking eye contact, “cleaning the office and stuff.”

This hint was clear enough. Graves finally looked away.

He was just bored and wanted to continue playing the “cat-and-mouse game.”

No matter if YN was a little bunny, a mouse, or a little gray wolf, he wanted to keep her close.

Graves’ office was arguably the most confidential place in the entire Shadow Company.

Appearing here from time to time might help her obtain the intelligence she desired?

YN weighed whether to volunteer.

But with that heart skipping beats like a wound-up toy running out of spring, it might happen again while dealing with him.

Graves said, “I plan to pay my assistant fifty thousand dollars a month plus…”

“Boss, I’m in!”

Before Graves finished, YN had already volunteered.

YN’s calculation was simple: as a janitor, she earned ten thousand dollars a month; as an assistant cleaning the office, fifty thousand dollars a month.

She would fortify her heart completely, so it wouldn’t skip a beat when seeing her boss.

·

That day, Graves’ office door was left open. Luozi, bringing some documents, knocked and then walked right in.

Seeing YN dressed in a maid’s dress, Luozi immediately recognized her as the “Bunny” who had been sitting by the floor-cleaning machine, seemingly in a romance with a Shadow, under the sunset.

Luozi quickly recalled which Shadows had been dispatched recently.

Graves was truly despicable—to selfishly separate them! That Shadow was really unlucky!

Luozi was old-fashioned but didn’t dare say anything about her boss’s despicable behavior.

Angrily, she dumped the documents on Graves’ desk, left a “see for yourself” remark, and left the office.

YN held the vacuum cleaner, tidying the carpet. As she pushed it forward, she watched Luozi’s departing figure, admiring her beauty—like the most delicious piece of chocolate in a candy store.

Graves was accustomed to and tolerant of Luozi’s temperament. As he reached to pick up the documents Luozi had thrown onto his desk, YN’s figure lingered before his eyes.

Since she had changed roles, her outfit had changed too. Naturally, Graves had prepared a set of clothing matching his own style and color—same shirt and jeans.

YN tucked her shirt into her jeans, her thick long hair tied up in a high ponytail.

Feeling she looked very similar to Graves, YN thought she could go be a cowboy out West.

Graves’ thoughts uncontrollably followed YN.

Wherever she moved with the vacuum, his gaze followed, becoming like a satellite orbiting her.

“YN, make me a cup of coffee.”

“Okay, boss.”

Graves’ gaze pursued YN’s graceful figure for a full ten minutes.

In ten minutes, he could draft a detailed tactical plan, review several mission reports from the Shadows, and screen tasks that could bring great benefits to Shadow Company…

Yet in those ten minutes, he uncontrollably just kept watching her, watching her, watching her.

How dangerous that was!

YN hadn’t even had time to figure out Graves’ preferences before accepting the job for fifty thousand dollars.

Arriving at the break room, she was overwhelmed by the array of coffee machines and beans. But she soon noticed one jar on the shelf was less full than the others—indicating it was the one her boss drank most often.

She never drank coffee and had never used a coffee machine or ground beans before.

Yet she managed to brew the coffee quickly.

Graves didn’t look up; his tone was even a bit cold as he said to YN, “You can go now. I have work to do.”

“Okay, boss. Coffee’s here. Please enjoy.”

YN finally understood what that Shadow meant on the plane when they said that whenever YN spoke, his bones felt as soft as cotton.

Graves pressed his lips tightly and clenched his pen. After YN walked out with a light step, he lifted the coffee she had made and took a big sip—

Without warning, Graves burned his mouth on YN’s coffee.