Codename Anastasia Novel (End) - Chapter 68

The Russian Embassy in Korea.

The President’s goodwill visit and the Royal Ballet’s performance in Korea were just a month away. Naturally, the embassy’s work had gone into emergency mode. From the moment they arrived at work, employees spent their days frantically answering violently ringing phones, sorting faxes that arrived one after another, dispatching official documents to relevant organizations, and replying to various inquiries received by email.

Once the official events concluded, the embassy planned to host a ‘Night of Russia’ event for cultural exchange between Korea and Russia. This was why every department, without exception, found themselves in a bind. On top of that, there was no room to breathe due to the continuous stream of visa applications from students preparing for study abroad and training.

Unapproved documents continued to pile up on the Ambassador’s desk. Pavel Menshikov, his aide, sighed deeply as he added another stack of papers to the pile. Not a day had passed without a sigh since the new ambassador had been appointed.

It was bad enough serving such a young ambassador, but it seemed he couldn’t avoid the evaluation of being an incompetent aide. Since Zhenya was as famous as the president in his home country, Russia, his heart sank when he heard the news of his appointment as the next ambassador. How he wished it had been a mere rumor.

Three months into his assignment, the anticipated commotion had not occurred. In a way, it was an utterly natural outcome. It was because the Ambassador only showed up when he felt like it and remained in seclusion. When the troublemaker wasn’t present, there was no chance of problems arising.

It was at a moment when he was wondering whether he should handle Zhenya’s backlog of work today. A knock sounded, and soon the door opened. The Secretary of the Cultural Affairs Bureau and the Secretary of the Political Affairs Bureau entered one after another. They spoke, as if tired of asking about the familiar scene before their eyes.

“Where has the Ambassador gone again?”

“I wish someone would tell me that.” 

“Tsk, tsk, there are so many documents to approve.” 

“Is this a one- or two-day affair?”

The three men simultaneously sighed and shook their heads.

“Where does he wander off to, always just redirecting calls… I wonder if the Kremlin knows about this.” 

“Why wouldn’t they know? They know and pretend not to. No, they probably didn’t even have any expectations from the start.” 

“I hear this assignment was requested directly by the Ambassador. Why, of all places, Korea?” 

“Who could ever know his mind? Not even his birth mother would know that.”

Another sigh escaped the three of them. Counting the remaining term, the future felt even more daunting. They weren’t exactly in the mood to work.

The aide, however, tried to interpret the current situation as optimistically as possible.

“It’s a relief that he seems happy whenever I see him. There was so much talk in Russia. They said he would turn everything upside down if he was even slightly displeased. Perhaps it’s better to just let him do as he pleases, rather than constantly walking on eggshells around him.”

The two secretaries nodded, partially agreeing. Though they grumbled about the constant work delays, they actually weren’t keen on facing Zhenya either. It was because of the rumors surrounding him. Even the fact that he was the FSB’s sole one-man unit was not a rumor but a fact. Since everyone was reluctant to become his subordinate, his temperament was quite understandable. It was best to avoid clashing with a boss prone to mood swings.

An ambassador is by no means a sinecure. As the highest-ranking diplomat, he represents Russia itself, so there is a lot of external work to handle, and personal security is also important. Yet, the Kremlin’s utterly absurd appointment must be seen as an act of speculative psychology. Having failed to eliminate him and finding him bothersome due to repeated conflicts, they simply sent him far away. Since Zhenya himself wished for it, there would have been no reason to hesitate.

They had completely reshuffled the embassy staff with diplomats renowned for their competence, and there was a good reason for that. They clearly anticipated the frequent absence and dereliction of duty from the top official from the moment of his appointment. Realizing it now wouldn’t change anything, though.

“Speaking of which, what’s the identity of that Korean national affiliated with our embassy?” 

“Indeed. I also checked recently and was quite puzzled. Someone said if anyone found that Korean staff member, they should contact the Ambassador, right?”

The two secretaries raised questions one after another. In fact, it wasn’t just them, but every employee in the embassy who was curious. No one had ever seen the Korean national whose name was boldly listed on the staff roster. They didn’t know what he did or what he looked like. They simply assumed he was an acquaintance of the Ambassador, since he was specially hired by him.

The Secretary of the Political Affairs Bureau displayed a look of considerable displeasure.

“Tsk, tsk. Someone appointed through connections hiring another person through connections. Birds of a feather, indeed. Look, he hasn’t shown his face once.”

The Secretary of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, who had been listening silently, corrected him. “No, he didn’t drop a parachutist, he dropped an atomic bomb. No, did he dispose of a nuclear weapon?”

The analogy was neither excessive nor lacking. No one raised an objection. They simply laughed hollowly and said, “Let’s just get to work.”

The gate opened, and a crowd of people poured into the arrival hall. Kwon Taekjoo was among them. His neat attire suggested a white-collar worker who had just finished a business trip, but the bandages plastered here and there proved that it was no ordinary trip.

How long had it been since he’d set foot on Korean soil? He paused for a moment and inhaled the air he had missed so much. He also admired the scenery outside through the glass wall. It was the beginning of spring when he left, but people’s clothes had become much lighter in the meantime. It seemed summer was about to begin.

Suddenly, he pulled back his sleeve and checked the time. It was already well past 7 PM. He quickly pulled out his phone and turned it on. Fortunately, there were no calls or messages from his mother urging him to come home. Yes, it was only a 30-minute delay. In the past, she would have contacted him dozens of times, unable to bear even that short wait. It was a good sign. His mother was gradually getting better.

For some reason, Zhenya was also quiet. Just yesterday, he had been calling every second until he answered, but now he seemed exhausted. Or perhaps some mishap had occurred that prevented him from contacting him.

“…”

A mishap happened to him? He chuckled wryly at his own assumption. He was a man who rarely got sick. He’d probably have to purposely fall to even see some blood. The idea that such a man could have a problem so severe he couldn’t lift a finger was an absurd fantasy. Of course, even monkeys fall from trees, so some exceptional situation could have occurred. He couldn’t imagine what it might be, though.

He stared down at his phone absentmindedly. Should he make a grand gesture and bestow a favor? He searched for Zhenya’s name in his recent call list. Soon, his number filled the screen. However, his finger didn’t immediately press the call button, hovering over it for a long time.

He briefly recalled Zhenya’s reaction. Unconsciously, his face gradually crumpled. Rather than seeing him strut around with his chin high, it seemed better to just give up. He put his phone back in his pocket.

“Is someone talking about me somewhere…?”

His ears felt strangely itchy. It must be because he was tired. He should hurry home and get some good rest.

He went outside and took a taxi. He told the driver the destination and immediately closed his eyes. His body quickly sagged.

It had always been this way, but recently, he felt like he was running even more fiercely on a hamster wheel. As soon as one mission ended, another awaited, and when he returned from that, he was assigned yet another new one. This was because the time for a change in government was approaching. Each time the government changed, foreign and security policies also changed, and external interests were affected. The work of the National Intelligence Service naturally increased. He understood it perfectly in his head, but his body was slowly reaching its limit.

He had tried to get some sleep, but the taxi arrived disappointingly fast. Concerned that his mother would worry, he slapped his face repeatedly to chase away the drowsiness. Perhaps out of pity, the taxi driver silently handed him an energy drink. He thanked him and chugged it down on the spot.

He got out of the taxi and stumbled forward. It was evening, so the apartment complex was brightly lit. Kwon Taekjoo’s house was no exception. His mother, who would usually be pacing by the entrance of the building, was nowhere to be seen. Every time he noticed such a change, his heart softened.

He waited for the elevator but decided to take the stairs. As he approached his home, he tidied his clothes even more. He buttoned his shirt all the way to his neck and tightened the loosely tied tie. By the time he reached the front door, he had even removed the bandage from the back of his hand.

He unlocked the door and stepped inside. Taking off his shoes, he walked into the living room and announced, “I’m home.” His mother, who was sitting on the living room floor, greeted him with a smile.

“Are you just getting home now?” 

“Yes, I’m back…”

He paused mid-greeting. There was an unexpected guest. He seemed to understand why his mother hadn’t called. She must have been busy peeling fruit for the unannounced visitor.

The person who picked up a neatly cut piece of apple with a fork and looked up at Kwon Taekjoo was none other than Zhenya. Seeing Kwon Taekjoo’s face contorted in shock, he curled the corners of his lips. Why are you here, you bastard? He protested with his eyes, but his mother scolded the stone-faced Kwon Taekjoo.

“What is it with him? Why are you just standing there? The Ambassador has come all this way for the first time in a while.”

She smacked his back, telling him to greet him quickly. Although Zhenya couldn’t possibly have understood Korean, his expression became even more arrogant.

His mother knew that Zhenya was the Russian Ambassador to Korea. And she believed that Kwon Taekjoo had kept his promise to quit the NIS and work for him as an office clerk. She was a person who had lived her entire life in a vertical, hierarchical culture. Her immediate welcome of the unannounced guest was probably because he was Kwon Taekjoo’s superior.

“You’ve arrived.”

Yielding to his mother’s insistence, he greeted him curtly. He merely gave a rough nod. Seeing him openly show his displeasure, his mother smiled awkwardly and said, “He must be tired.” Then, without further ado, she grabbed Kwon Taekjoo and led him towards the entrance. Even as he was willingly pulled along, he continued his silent protest to Zhenya. Of course, Zhenya simply continued eating his apple, as if he hadn’t noticed anything.

His mother cornered Kwon Taekjoo against the wall and whispered a scolding.

“What’s with your lack of manners towards the Ambassador?” 

“We’re roughly the same age, you know. No, he’s actually much younger than me. And he can’t understand Korean anyway. He’s a foreigner, so he’s probably used to being casual with his superiors and elders, right?” 

“What? He? A foreigner? This child, this child… Did I teach you that way? If he’s your superior inside, he’s your superior outside too!” 

“Oh, Mother, really. You’ve become a soldier down to your bones.”

He replied playfully, only to get another slap on the back.

“He seems like such a kind young man. When you were away on your business trip, he visited me every day because I was lonely. Where else would you find someone who takes such meticulous care of their subordinates?”

He wanted him to take less care. Less care. His mother didn’t know anything. He grumbled with a displeased expression.

“Exactly. Our Ambassador is truly so kind.” 

“Don’t say it like you’re annoyed.” “I’m tired. Russia isn’t exactly close, you know.” 

“No matter how tired you are, you can’t be like that. I don’t have big ambitions, son. I just want you to keep working there. You know that, right?” 

“Alright, alright. Let’s eat first. I’m hungry.” 

“At least eat some fruit first.” 

“First? What about dinner?” 

“The side dishes aren’t much, so I was going to go buy more groceries. It would have been good if I knew the Ambassador was coming in advance… Did you not know either? You could have given me a heads-up.” 

“Ah, is that why? Oh, you don’t need to do that. He’ll eat whatever you give him.” 

“This child, really…?”

He kept glancing back, wondering if Zhenya had heard, and repeatedly slapped his grown son’s back. The sound of slapping his back would surely be heard. Kwon Taekjoo resorted to the kind of aegyo he only showed his mother when he wanted to escape annoying situations.

“Your humble servant has done wrong, Mother. But I’m seriously starving to death. So let’s just eat with the existing side dishes today, okay?” 

“Oh, how can you say that? Wait. I’ll be right back. You can talk to the Ambassador.”

His mother pushed Kwon Taekjoo into the living room, despite his protests, and hurried out of the house. He didn’t know how fast she rushed. The door burst open and then closed, and the door lock clicked shut. The sound of his mother’s footsteps quickly faded. She was truly incorrigible.

Shaking his head, he changed his expression and returned to the living room. Zhenya was still leisurely eating fruit. Despite Kwon Taekjoo’s blatant glare, he nonchalantly said, “The strawberries are sweet.”

“What brings your esteemed self all the way here?” 

“Because I was worried you couldn’t sleep, concerned about your widowed mother in that distant foreign land… Is that what I should say in a situation like this?”

There was no way he had such a profound intention. He stood with his arms crossed and challenged him.

“How many days have you been coming and going? From what Mother says, it seems like more than once or twice?” 

“What does that matter? Your mother liked it just fine.” 

“You’re mistaken. What mother wouldn’t want to make a good impression on her son’s superior?”

He shrugged as if to say, What does it matter? It was pointless to say anything, it would only hurt his own mouth. Seeing him at his house made him feel even more exhausted.

He loosened the tie around his neck with one hand. He unbuttoned a couple of his tight shirt buttons. His throat was dry from being in the arid airplane cabin for so long. He felt like he needed to eat some fruit.

He approached Zhenya without hesitation. He sat down close to the table, feeling an intense gaze directed at the top of his head. He ignored it and grabbed a strawberry, taking a bite. The refreshing juice spread, instantly invigorating his dry mouth. He quickly finished one piece, then picked up an apple, checking on Zhenya’s recent activities.

“What about the embassy work?” 

“You don’t need to worry about that. I’ve told them to assign a competent aide to me.” 

“What makes you so special that your country caters to your every whim?” 

“If you still don’t know, shall I teach you?”

He muttered languidly, tracing a finger down Kwon Taekjoo’s neck. A shiver ran down Kwon Taekjoo’s spine at the sudden touch. He flinched, dropping the strawberry he was about to grasp. As expected, a light pink stain spread across his white shirt.

“Ah, damn it.” He let out a soft sigh and immediately reached to take off his shirt, then stopped. He wanted to throw it into the laundry basket and take a shower right away. But that was unimaginable in front of Zhenya. It had been quite a while since they had seen each other, and Zhenya would brazenly shed his human facade at the slightest provocation. His mother would be back soon, and such a situation absolutely couldn’t happen.

He reluctantly glanced at the bathroom repeatedly. Zhenya easily caught on to the reason and grinned.

“Lewd.” 

“What?” 

“Just so you know, I stayed still.”

He feigned innocence abominably. Was he implying he hadn’t touched his neck just now? Or that merely sitting on his butt meant he hadn’t moved?

Despite the provocation, he couldn’t bring himself to go into the bathroom. Even if Zhenya had no intention “to do it” right then, there was no telling when he might suddenly “feel like it.” He was such an unpredictable man.

“Don’t be too conscious. It’ll only hurt you.”

Now he was even shifting the blame. It was ridiculous.

He glared at the shameless Zhenya before abruptly getting up. Then he went to his room and brought back a change of clothes. Zhenya remained quietly seated on the sofa while he did so. He took off his wet shirt, threw it into the laundry basket, and entered the bathroom. Now all he had to do was lock the door from the inside.

But for some reason, the door wouldn’t close properly. It felt like something was caught. Turning around in confusion, he saw Zhenya, who had approached without a sound, holding the door.

“Hey, that’s not fair.”

He protested, frowning. It was futile. Zhenya’s pupils were already constricted with excitement.

“I don’t recall saying I’d stay still from now on.” “You crazy bastard. Don’t go into heat at all times.”

He pushed the door with his whole body. But the door wouldn’t close. Instead, the gap only widened. The wooden panel bent helplessly under the force applied from both sides. If he resisted any longer, it seemed it would surely break. What would he explain to his mother, who would return soon? That the door was so old it just split in half by itself? She’d believe that.

He let go of the door, which had bent as far as it could, as if resigned. At that moment, the door swung completely open, and Zhenya burst inside. Zhenya held Kwon Taekjoo’s face in both hands and pressed his lips against his. Zhenya’s unrestrained lips landed haphazardly on his eyes, forehead, nose, and mouth. He brazenly licked his cheek thickly and said, “Sweet.”

He was about to retort indignantly, Did you think it would be sweet? but in that instant, Zhenya pressed his lips against his. With a soft smack, a soft, moist sensation gathered on his philtrum. Zhenya shallowly sucked on his upper lip, then chuckled.

“This part’s okay.”

He smiled with his eyes, his face smooth. Kwon Taekjoo stared blankly for a moment, then Zhenya took him by surprise and completely covered his lips. A hot, humid breath spread into his mouth, tickling his uvula. His head naturally tilted back. As he stumbled back, his thigh hit the sink. Zhenya didn’t stop there and continued to push Kwon Taekjoo. His upper body kept leaning back, and his waist was so strained it ached. As he groaned and frowned, Zhenya, with his lips still pressed, lifted Kwon Taekjoo and sat him on the sink.

He bit and released his lower lip tightly, then bit and released again, before his tongue suddenly flipped his upper lip and slid inside. Red tongues mixed intimately, and soon the sweet taste of strawberries and apples filled his mouth. Saliva continuously pooled at the tip of his chin. Zhenya sucked hard on Kwon Taekjoo’s tongue, which was on the verge of drowning in surging saliva. Pressure was applied as if his tongue root would be pulled out. Finally, his tongue was dragged out of his mouth, and overflowing saliva flowed down his chin.