Contract Marriage with My Secret Partner in Crime-Chapter 139: Two Worlds

They both nodded, thanked the owner, and were led to a small corner with two easels.

Zephany took a sip of coffee and quietly sat down. For a while, she just stared at the blank canvas. Then, slowly, her fingers began to move. Soft brush strokes. A round shape. Curly fur.

She started to smile.

It was a poodle.

Kendrick glanced over and let out a breath of relief. He picked up his own brush and began to paint beside her. His poodle looked less fluffy, more dramatic. Slightly lopsided, but expressive. Very Kendrick.

They didn’t say much, but the silence no longer felt heavy. It was peaceful now. Focused.

When they finished, they gave their thanks to the gallery owner, rolled up their artwork, and made their way to the station to catch the train home.

---

Back on the train, the quiet returned—but this time it was different. Less uncomfortable. More thoughtful.

Zephany finally broke it. "So... we’re not going to dwell on what happened, right?"

Kendrick looked at her, then nodded slowly. "Only if that’s what you want."

She gave a small smile. "Yeah. I think we had a good trip. Let’s leave it at that."

He nodded again. "Okay. That’s fair."

Though in his mind, he was already thinking of how he would propose to her. Their marriage had been arranged by Cassius, but this time, he wanted to marry her of his own free will.

Not entirely because something had happened between them, but because he truly wanted her as his real wife—someone he would be with forever, not just for a year.

They both turned their eyes to the window, where the scenery blurred past. Rolling hills, fading sun, city outlines on the horizon.

Zephany pulled out her phone and snapped a photo. "The light’s perfect right now."

Kendrick leaned over slightly. "Let me see... Yeah. It’s beautiful."

They began snapping pictures again, trading phones, comparing shots. The laughter returned little by little.

They arrived home just past noon. The sun hung high, but the air between them still felt thick with the remnants of the trip. Zephany didn’t say much as she walked straight to her room, her steps slower than usual. She paused briefly at the hallway corner, then disappeared behind her door.

Kendrick watched her go before releasing a quiet breath. Then, without another word, he turned, grabbed a mask and cap from the entryway shelf, and headed out again. The flash drive from their mission still rested securely inside his jacket pocket.

His car hummed softly as he pulled away from the curb, navigating the quiet streets until he reached the familiar antique shop—the one where Eclipse had delivered the diamond from their previous mission. It looked like any other forgotten storefront, dusted with time and shadows.

He parked nearby, put the mask over his face, and stepped inside.

The interior smelled faintly of sandalwood and aged paper. Rows of porcelain clocks, faded maps, and curious trinkets filled every shelf, but Kendrick didn’t spare them a glance.

He walked straight toward the counter where the shopkeeper sat in his usual wooden chair, hunched over a thick, leather-bound book.

"Null404," Kendrick said quietly.

The shopkeeper didn’t hesitate. He stood immediately, set the book down, and gestured for Kendrick to follow him.

Kendrick trailed behind him through a narrow hallway, which led to what appeared to be a small pantry, where shelves lined the walls, stacked with tea canisters and coffee beans. Everything looked ordinary.

Then, like before, the shopkeeper pressed a button on the coffee maker.

With a soft click, part of the wall slid open, revealing a hidden elevator.

They stepped inside the narrow elevator. Kendrick, now as Obscura, leaned back slightly and glanced at the control panel. The same glowing arrow pointed up.

He frowned.

Just like Eclipse, every time he rode this elevator, it left him unsettled. There was no second floor in the antique shop, yet the arrow always said "up."

And the strangest part?

He could never tell whether they were rising or descending. No hum of gears. No shift in weight. No sense of direction at all. It was as if the elevator floated between realities, denying gravity itself.

Even now, after riding it dozens of times, he still couldn’t get used to the way it felt.

Or didn’t feel.

When the doors finally opened, Obscura stepped into the same quiet chamber that always greeted him. The walls were lined with dim lights and reinforced equipment, everything wrapped in a sheen of polished black steel.

The shopkeeper walked ahead of him to a control panel.

Obscura reached into his jacket and handed over the flash drive.

The shopkeeper took it with gloved hands, his expression unreadable. He barely glanced at it before turning to a small machine tucked into the corner.

After pressing a series of keys on a compact keyboard, he opened a secure chamber and inserted the flash drive inside.

From beneath the counter, he retrieved a sleek black device the size of a tablet. The screen lit up, displaying a soft, glowing handprint.

Obscura nodded and stepped forward. He placed his right hand over the imprint, fingers relaxed, palm flat. The screen reacted instantly. A ripple passed across it like water, and the interface unfolded in midair.

His eyes scanned the incoming data.

---

Code Name: Obscura (Level 4)

Total Null Points: 100

Alliance: Partnered with Eclipse – Team Bacon

Mission Accepted: Null64pa

Mission: Extract encrypted data from an informant aboard a long-distance train

Mission Code: Null64pa

Level 4: High-Risk Mission

Mission Type: Undercover Retrieval, Surveillance

Point Rewards: 400 Null Points

Access Granted To: Classified train route information, encrypted informant dossier, access to facial recognition logs

Monetary Reward: $125,000

---

The shopkeeper finished typing something, and the chamber behind him let out a soft mechanical beep. The screen shifted again.

---

Mission Null64pa Completed

Team Bacon Succeeded

A total of 400 null points and $125,000 have been successfully transferred to the respective accounts

---

Obscura studied the screen, then exhaled quietly.

Mission done.

The shopkeeper, who had been silently watching, gave a small nod. Without a word, he led Obscura back through the elevator to the main floor.

Obscura stepped through the antique store, heading toward the back exit. Reaching a plain section of the wall, he pressed a hidden panel. A soft click echoed through the quiet space, and a concealed stairway appeared, leading underground.

He descended swiftly.

Like before, the room below was stocked with an assortment of disguises—wigs, outfits, and accessories, all meticulously arranged. Along one wall, shelves held various vials and bottles.

Kendrick ignored those. Right now, he wasn’t wearing any disguise beyond the mask and cap.

He walked further inside and pressed another hidden panel. As usual, the ground beneath him shifted, rising slowly.

Moments later, he stepped onto a different main floor.

Before him stood another door. He pushed it open, and the scent of spices and sizzling food greeted him.

A kitchen.

Three men were busy cleaning, seemingly packing up for the end of the day. They barely spared him a glance before returning to their work.

He walked straight through, stepping into the dining area of a small restaurant. The servers were now casually chatting off to the side, clearly waiting for their shift to end. The tables were empty, the last customers long gone.

As he stepped out onto the street, the cool air greeted him. His eyes scanned the buildings, and that’s when he noticed it.

The Air Media building.

It stood just a few steps away, practically beside the antique shop.

Kendrick stiffened slightly. That was where Zephany worked.

He would have to be more careful from now on. If their missions ever overlapped, bumping into her while disguised as Obscura could lead to more than just awkward questions.

Just as Kendrick returned to his car and opened the door, his phone buzzed in his pocket. The screen lit up with a familiar name.

Levy.

He raised a brow and answered, sliding into the driver’s seat.

"Oh, brat. What makes you remember to call me?"

On the other end, his sister immediately groaned.

"Ugh, stop calling me that. And what’s wrong with calling you, huh? Are you forgetting your favorite sister now that you’re married?"

Kendrick leaned back, one hand on the wheel, smirking slightly.

"You only call me when you need something. Come on, spit it out. What is it this time?"

Levy let out an exasperated sigh, clearly annoyed.

"Can’t I just say I miss you, at least? You never come home anymore. And starting tomorrow, I’ll be staying at the dorm since my classes are beginning. So..." she paused before continuing in a more casual tone, "Mom said we should have dinner together later. Tell my pretty sister-in-law to come too, okay?"

Kendrick chuckled under his breath.

"Oh, you’re a college student now. Hope you finally grow up, brat." His voice softened slightly. "I’ll tell Zeph. We’ll definitely come over for dinner later. Tell Mom."