It wasn’t just her scent he recalled from his faded memory. Her strong and gentle voice brought back moments from the past.

‘Do you think selling people is a trade?’

He thought she had become someone he could never face again, yet he didn’t recognize her when she was right in front of him. A bitter smile played on Rebel’s lips.

‘If this plan works…’

Maybe he would see her again. But he didn’t harbor much hope. Expectations and disappointments always seemed proportional, and Rebel knew this better than anyone.

As he passed the square, still lingering with the festival’s aftermath, his thoughts became more tangled. He recalled the mission given to him by his former commander, Tyrgel.

‘A woman came with the job. Looked high-ranking or wealthy. But the task is a bit odd.’
‘What is it?’
‘On the first day of the festival, create a suitable disturbance where many people gather. What do you think? Your first mission as commander. Too simple?’

Initially, he thought it was some wealthy noble’s scheme. If someone from the capital had given the job, they would likely watch the disturbance to verify its success.

And the
When he was young, there was even a rumor that saying “Calum will come and take you away” to a crying child would immediately stop their tears. Now, when this story is told, Calum would just laugh and wave his hand dismissively.

“It’s all in the past. Now, I’m like a toothless tiger.”

But even as he aged and lost his “teeth,” the tiger remained a tiger, still formidable. Even in his middle age, his gaze was as piercing as ever, capable of freezing anyone in their tracks.

And right now, the Imperial Guards standing before Calum, under his stern gaze, were truly in a sorry state. They would have preferred to quietly remove their uniforms, fold them neatly, and bid farewell to the world rather than face his wrath.

“Do you realize what you’ve done?”

His voice was like the crunching of bones by a beast’s jaw. The culprits of the Clover Tavern incident, sweating profusely, struggled to find words in their defense.

But they realized any explanation would just sound like excuses. Fortunately, they were smart enough to recognize this.

“We’re aware.”

“Aware, you say!”

The officers, with their heads bowed toward the ground, shuddered under Calum’s sigh. They wondered when this imposing figure would lose his vigor. Or does he ever age at all? Some couldn’t hide their frustration, their expressions betraying their resentment.

“From your expressions, it seems you have many complaints. Shall I enumerate the foolish acts you’ve committed?”

“No, sir!”

Their actions ranged from drunkenly harassing a civilian to unauthorized possession and use of a firearm. The officer primarily responsible had already been taken to the military prison.

‘To think these are the men I have to trust with the Emperor’s safety.’

Intelligence without capability is worthless. Calum pressed his fingers against his temples, which were starting to throb.

“Go to your quarters and reflect on your actions.”

The officers saluted and left, their legs trembling. Calum sat down at his desk, feeling a throbbing pain deep in his eyes.

He had to restore the tarnished image of the Imperial Guard, a symbol of the Emperor himself. While he planned to summon sympathetic journalists to mitigate the damage, he knew he couldn’t control everyone. The incident took place in a public tavern, so the rumors would spread quickly.

‘Those mercenaries are also a problem.’

Calum paused, his pen hovering over the paper. He had suspected that the Imperial Guards’ abilities were declining, but to be subdued so quickly by a numerically inferior group meant these weren’t just any mercenaries.

Ordinarily, he would have ignored such mercenaries. Indeed, other mercenaries in the tavern either kept to themselves or discreetly left, according to witnesses.

‘They’re

An Indifferent Woman is the One Men Desire the Most

One-line summary: The female lead is actually cold-hearted and extremely rational. She has stage-by-stage relationships and won’t two-time, but there will always be someone who secretly likes her.

This novel has the following triggers, so if you’re sensitive to these, please don’t read:

1. The female lead has had many relationships, but she treated each one seriously and broke up properly.

It’s just that the men unilaterally pestered her incessantly. For the female lead, when she doesn’t like someone anymore, she simply doesn’t like them.

(This applies to her relationships with Male Lead 1, 2, 3, and 4 as well, but she’s loyal in each 1-on-1 relationship!)

2. In this novel, Male Lead 2 and the female lead kiss in a car, and Male Lead 1 sees it and beats up Male Lead 2.

The female lead calls the police and sends both Male Lead 1 and 2 to the police station! Male Lead 1 begs the female lead not to break up with him.

3. Male Lead 1 has a gentle appearance but an obsessive personality.

Male Lead 2 has a delicate and soft appearance, slightly green tea-like (two-faced).

Male Lead 3 is a youthful college student and a smart person who has secretly liked the female lead for a long time.

Male Lead 4 is the female lead’s father’s special assistant, a business elite with deep, hidden thoughts.

4. At the beginning of this novel, the female lead has already broken up with Male Lead 1 (Chapter 4) and gotten back together with Male Lead 2 (ex-boyfriend).

5. Enter with caution if you have triggers!!!