Chapter 1

Slap!

Bo-Ryeong swung her raised hand down forcefully.

The blindfolded woman, bound with ropes, fell from the chair. Due to the impact, her head jerked and the small blood vessels in her right cheek burst. The hit was strong enough to make her jaw ache.

Despite hitting the floor hard, the woman remained eerily silent. Her black hair, draped over her face like seaweed, fluttered slightly, suggesting she was still breathing. Bo-Ryeong sneered.

“So, you really are immune to most torture? Well, what I just did barely counts as torture anyway.”

There was no response. Bo-Ryeong’s lips curled into a cold smile. She violently grabbed the woman’s hair and yanked her up, forcing her back into the chair before throwing her down again.
The soft hair slipped out of her grasp, making her feel sick.

Disgusted by the sensation, she punched the woman in the stomach with a clenched fist. The woman’s lips, crusted with dried blood, parted slightly. Bo-Ryeong’s eyes gleamed.
Thud! Thud! Thud!

With each blow, Bo-Ryeong’s punches grew more brutal. Just as she hammered the woman’s chest hard enough to break her ribs, a large hand grabbed her wrist. She glared at the owner of the hand in annoyance.

“Calm down. The lieutenant isn’t even here yet. Did you forget the order not to touch her?”

Ju-Hyung frowned, his eyes conveying a clear message: enough is enough. Bo-Ryeong shook off his hand.

“I’m sparing the lieutenant the trouble. When the lieutenant sees this bitch, he’ll want to beat her to death just like I do!”

“Stop using the lieutenant as an excuse. You’re just losing your mind.”

Do-Hwi, who had been smoking and watching, clicked his tongue as he walked over from behind. Bo-Ryeong looked resentfully at the two men, who were much calmer than she was.

“How can you be so calm? So-Yeon died because of this fucking bitch!”

Ju-Hyung and Do-Hwi’s faces turned grim. Bo-Ryeong’s eyes reddened with anger as she glared fiercely at the woman. Do-Hwi shook his head.

“We caught her, so stay calm, idiot. With that anger management problem, it’s no wonder men run away from you.”

“Thank fuck. I don’t need those stinking cocksuckers anyway!”
“Yeah, yeah, sure.”

With an annoyed expression, Do-Hwi grabbed Bo-Ryeong’s shoulder and pulled her back. He inhaled deeply on his cigarette and knelt on one knee in front of the woman. As he exhaled smoke, he stared at her black hair, hanging down lifelessly.

Even her scalp is pretty. Curiosity suddenly surged within him.
“By the way, do you really get entranced when you look into her eyes? Witnesses say it feels like your soul is being devoured…”

At that moment, Seok Do-Hwi’s eyes gleamed wickedly.

“Want to find out?”

Bo-Ryeong and Ju-Hyung had no time to stop him. In an instant, Do-Hwi’s hand ripped off the woman’s blindfold.

You crazy bastard! Horrified, Bo-Ryeong quickly picked up the discarded blindfold, but it was already too late—Do-Hwi had grabbed the woman’s chin and lifted her face.

Bo-Ryeong, holding the blindfold, froze the moment she saw the woman’s eyes. Do-Hwi’s eyes widened in shock. Even Ju-Hyung, who had been watching in dismay, was left speechless. The cigarette fell from Do-Hwi’s hand, and the sound of their stunned breaths filled the quiet room strangely.

The woman’s eyes, revealed by Do-Hwi’s hand, were a deep, rich purple, just as rumored. They seemed to flow like wine and were as solid as gemstones—beautiful to the point where calling them beautiful felt insufficient.

Her long eyelashes formed a protective barrier for the ultimate allure. With her pale white skin, black hair, and purple eyes, she looked like the embodiment of the witch from the tower, who had bewitched every man in the village. Her lips, as red as her eyes, added to her charm.

Despite the violence that had split her forehead and lips and swollen her cheeks, her seductive beauty was undeniable.

Do-Hwi stood with his mouth agape. Unconsciously, he swallowed, and the woman’s eyes moved slowly, following his Adam’s apple. She was alive. Despite the obviousness of this fact, Do-Hwi felt as though he were witnessing a doll come to life.

The woman was now looking at Do-Hwi’s uniform. More specifically, she seemed to be focused on the epaulette on his shoulder.

“You crazy bastard, Seok Do-Hwi!”

At that moment, Bo-Ryeong smacked the back of Do-Hwi’s head with her palm. The sharp pain snapped Do-Hwi out of his daze. Bo-Ryeong hurriedly wrapped the blindfold tightly around the woman’s eyes.

“Fuck! That really hurt.”

“Didn’t you hear the order to never look into her eyes? What if you got enchanted, you idiot?”

“Nothing happened.”

Both Ju-Hyung and Bo-Ryeong simultaneously glanced at Do-Hwi’s earlobes. They were bright red. Nothing happened, indeed. The two exchanged knowing smirks.

Among the hot-blooded soldiers who bled and fought, Do-Hwi was an oddly innocent one. Before being transferred here, he had been teased wherever he went for being a virgin. Civilian women might find his stoic demeanor cute, but Bo-Ryeong found it nauseating.

Isn’t this guy already enchanted?

As Bo-Ryeong looked at Do-Hwi with suspicion, the interrogation room door opened. Everyone turned their heads in unison. Upon recognizing the face of the man who entered, they snapped to attention.

“Lieutenant.”

Major Shin Hae-Gon of the Special Forces unit of Scarlet Break entered the room.

The heavy sound of his combat boots pressed against the air as he walked. The three soldiers stepped back against the wall, making way for him to approach the woman. His tall frame crossed the path they cleared.

The woman, who had been motionless until now, flinched and lifted her chin, sensing something. Do-Hwi’s eyes were drawn to her slightly trembling, red lips, barely managing to avoid swallowing hard and looking pathetic.

“The body search.”

Do-Hwi, still dazed, missed the chance to respond, while Bo-Ryeong bit her lip at his sharp profile. Ju-Hyung clicked his tongue inwardly and answered.

“It’s done. She didn’t have any weapons or anything resembling a weapon on her. Her backpack was full of water bottles, nothing else. Just in case, we took hair and urine samples and are awaiting the drug test results.”

The woman had been caught after a chase in the mountains. Just before firing, she seemed to have tripped and rolled down a hill.
When captured, the woman was wearing a large T-shirt and shorts, like she had fled in a hurry.

Shin Hae-Gon asked, “Did you check inside her mouth?”

“What?”

“I said, did you check inside her mouth?”

“Oh, yes. Probably…”

“Everywhere, under the tongue and down the throat.”

Ju-Hyung hesitated, unable to confirm. Shin Hae-Gon raised his gloved hand. Without hesitation, he grabbed the woman’s chin, forcing her mouth open, and thrust his other hand’s fingers inside. His hooked fingertips scratched the mucous membranes they touched.

A stiff, leather-like sensation dug under her tongue, causing her legs bound by the rope to twitch. He continued to push his hand deeper, bending her jaw back further.

His movements were brutally harsh, yet his expression remained cold and composed. The three soldiers held their breath, watching this torturous search.

“Ugh, ugh…”

The woman’s groans mingled with the sound of saliva sticking to the glove. Yet, she seemed oddly unbothered by the ordeal. Maybe she was really immune to torture.

Her slender frame, bound tightly, revealed an unsettling beauty even under duress. Watching her, blindfolded, with her chin forced up and fingers shoved down her throat, felt disconcerting in another sense.

“Did the wounds on her face happen during the capture?” Shin Hae-Gon asked sharply as the woman gagged. He knew the wounds were fresh. Bo-Ryeong flinched but was about to admit her actions when Do-Hwi spoke up unexpectedly.

“I did it.”

It was Seok Do-Hwi. Bo-Ryeong was stunned, but Do-Hwi calmly took the blame. Shin Hae-Gon looked at him and removed his fingers from the woman’s mouth.

She gasped for air, coughing, but Shin Hae-Gon pressed his palm over her mouth to quiet her.

“I told you not to touch her.”

“I’m sorry.”

Shin Hae-Gon stared at him blankly. Do-Hwi braced himself.

“Seok Do-Hwi.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Did you remove her blindfold too?”

“Yes, I did.”

It was obvious from the hastily reapplied blindfold. Since Do-Hwi actually had removed it, he was prepared for the consequences. He tensed as Shin Hae-Gon approached, looming over him.
Shin Hae-Gon’s cold gaze swept over Do-Hwi’s face before he kicked him in the shin.

Grimacing, Do-Hwi bowed his head until his chin nearly touched his knees at Shin Hae-Gon’s downward glance.

Then, Shin Hae-Gon grabbed the back of Do-Hwi’s neck, pressing down hard. Do-Hwi’s knees buckled, and his vision went white.

“You must think I’m a joke, disobeying orders twice.”

“No, sir. I’m sorry.”

“Bow your head more, before I break your neck.”

Do-Hwi lowered his head until it almost touched the ground. The grip was strong enough to leave a dent in his neck. Shin Hae-Gon held him down, watching Ju-Hyung and Bo-Ryeong. Bo-Ryeong bit her lip, glaring at the fool who acted on his own.

Shin Hae-Gon released Do-Hwi’s neck after what felt like an hour but was only a minute. Do-Hwi stood at attention, hiding the pain but feeling like dying. Despite the mild punishment, it felt severe.
Shin Hae-Gon suddenly scrutinized the eyes of Do-Hwi, Bo-Ryeong, and Ju-Hyung.

“You saw her eyes…”

He muttered to himself, then turned back to the woman. She seemed exhausted, her limbs limp. When Shin Hae-Gon touched her blindfold, Bo-Ryeong jumped.

“Sir! Don’t remove it hastily. We only glimpsed briefly; we should first research how to handle—”

Before Bo-Ryeong could finish, he had removed the blindfold.
A condensed red light seemed to scatter in all directions.

Bo-Ryeong squeezed her eyes shut to avoid being entranced. Ju-Hyung turned his head halfway, and Do-Hwi stared directly.
Shin Hae-Gon peered into the woman’s eyes as if to delve into them. He moved closer to see better, her shallow breaths crossing his gaze. Finally, he demanded,

“Name.”

The woman stared intently at his face. Her purple pupils shifted to his uniform, then back to his features. Her lips parted, and he focused all his attention on her.

“Wina.”

Wina.

It was the name of the woman who had driven Shin Hae-Gon’s sister to her death.