Chapter 73 Confidential Agreement

George looked at her and said, "What can I do? Gotta do those tasks given by my boss."

"Yeah, tasks. And they're all top secret. We've been hitched for six years, and you're still keeping stuff from me. You even run to the balcony to take calls."

George knew he couldn't dodge this one, so he sighed and started talking, "My job's not just about checking records. I gotta find tombs based on orders from the higher-ups. If we spot any signs of tomb raiding, I gotta track down the gang and see if the tomb's been messed with. Sometimes I gotta dig it up to protect it, or just leave it be. And there's a bunch of other tomb and relic-related stuff they throw at me."

"And remember, in our third year of marriage, when I didn't come back for over half a year?" George went on. "I got stuck in a tomb after getting hurt, spent over a month in the hospital with a cast. I was scared you'd freak out and didn't know how to explain it, so I didn't come back. I spent three months out there, working to protect and preserve relics, while you were waiting at home."
George finished talking and rolled up his pant leg, pointing to the five or six centimeter scar on his calf that still had noticeable stitches.

Ellie had stopped crying and just stared at the scar, not sure what to say.

She remembered the time he didn't come back for over six months and she had gotten so mad at him.

He apologized and said he twisted his foot and slid down a mountain, cutting himself on the rocks.

He had rolled up his pants to show her. At the time, she had been so worried she couldn't stay mad at him.

She scolded him for being so careless, but she never thought it was this serious.

Her lips trembled as she finally found her voice after a moment. "You, the Bureau of Cultural Relics, have been doing so much?"

"I only belong to the Bureau of Cultural Relics on the surface. In reality, I belong to the Department of Homeland Security."
"Homeland Security??" Ellie was a bit confused.

George sighed and didn't say anything more, heading towards the room from the sofa.

"Where are you going?"

"Just wait for me."

Watching George disappear into the room, Ellie grabbed a couple of tissues to wipe her nose, wondering if George was trying to pull a fast one on her. Then George came back out.

He held a piece of paper and a pen in his hand and handed them to her. "Sign it, sign it, and I'll explain everything."

Ellie looked at the A4 paper in confusion. The first four words caught her eye and her heartbeat skipped a beat.

Confidential agreement?!

Seeing her pause as she looked at the agreement, George said, "Even if you don't want to know now, it's too late. I already told you, so...sign it. As long as it doesn't involve top-level secrets, I can tell you whatever you want to know."

Ellie stayed silent.

Half an hour later, Ellie roughly understood the nature of his actual job. The Department of Homeland Security was just a cover, and there were several departments beneath it, all part of secret organizations. The part of Homeland Security where he worked was related to the surveying and protection of archaeological sites, but they dealt with more secretive and dangerous stuff.
Because of this, they got some special treatment and perks.

For example, they had to work with the police on missions, and their lives were specially taken care of. They even got the chance to move into a villa when changing positions...

But changing positions only sounded nice; in reality, it meant avoiding, running away, escaping danger, and risking their lives...

The thought of him working so hard and being in danger to protect archaeological sites made her feel guilty for always griping about his frequent business trips. She was also worried that something might happen to him because of what her cousins had said...she couldn't help but feel remorseful.

She held her left hand with her right and looked at him cautiously. "Why didn't you tell me earlier..."

"The more you know, the more dangerous you'll be. And if you keep too many secrets in your heart, it becomes exhausting."

She couldn't argue with that. She looked at the clear profile of his face and felt a tingling sensation in her nose again. "Um, I will help you persuade my father."

"Thank you for understanding me."

Ellie's lips trembled again, as she tried to accept the true nature of her husband's job.