...What? Raising a slight brow, Zivon gave Ian a call… and when Ian picked up, Zivon immediately growled, “Where is Xav, and why did you take her away?” “…Why else would I have taken her away? I believe your imagination isn’t that poor, right?” scoffed Ian. “Don’t test my patience, Ian…!” growled Zivon who knew that he could take on Ian any day. Unfortunately, even Ian knew how powerful Zivon was. With a mere snap of his fingers, that man could cause a financial crisis! Not wanting to bring the entire country’s economy into this, Ian replied, “…You’re welcome to visit her at Senary Villa. That is, if she’s willing to meet you.” Following a squint, Zivon growled, “…I’ll deal with you later.” With that said, he hurried over to Senary Villa… At the time, Xavia had just finished dinner, and she had been watching TV on the couch. That is, until she heard the doorbell ringing. Thinking that it was Ian, she headed over to open the door… Only to be startled by the sight of Zivon!
It wasn’t often that Zivon yelled profanities, so now that he was doing so, Xavia couldn’t help but flinch. However, she quickly recovered and replied, “…L-look, just think of it as me going mad or something! Anyway, I hope you find happiness-” “Shut it! Instead of spouting such nonsense, why don’t you give me proper reasoning for your choice instead?!” roared Zivon. Upon hearing that, Xavia was tempted to scoff that she could never compare to his first love! Thankfully, Ian pulled her back before she was able to say anything. Glaring straight at Zivon, Ian replied, “The reasoning is simple, really. She simply deserves someone better!” …Wasn’t he being a bit too close to her?! With veins already popping up on Zivon’s forehead, the infuriated man yelled, “Leave us be! This has nothing to do with you!” “You could say that, and you’re free to be mad… But at the same time, it’s not like I’m forcing her to stay,” scoffed Ian. Glaring daggers at her, Zivon growled, “…Are you abso
“W-what?! Where’s she at right now? I’m coming over immediately!” exclaimed Xavia as she immediately rushed out of bed. “We’re at the villa! Young Master Burton’s called over a doctor!” “Got it! Please keep her safe!” replied the anxious woman as she hailed a cab straight to the villa… Throughout the journey, she couldn’t help but feel incredibly guilty. After all, she had ended up neglecting the kids due to her fury! Did she even deserve to be a mother?! Regardless, the second she arrived at the villa, she bolted toward the bedroom… only to realize that Yulia wasn’t there. The only person in the room was the prestigious Zivon who had black silk pajamas on… Staring at the man seated on the couch, Xavia couldn’t help but raise a brow and ask, “…Where’s Yulia? And how is she?” …As expected, she prioritized the kids over him! How laughable! He loved her so much but she only adored the children! Shaking the thought off, Zivon replied, “…The kids are fine. I just called you back
Since Zivon wasn’t saying anything, the saddened woman added, “…Cat caught your tongue, huh? Weren’t you supposed to be the righteous and just Young Master Burton…?! In the end, you’re just a scumbag like most of the men I’ve met! Then again, with how blindly I’ve been loving you for this long, I can only say that I deserve this!” With that said, she turned to leave… Honestly, the fact that he had remained silent hurt more than the moment she learned about the truth from Ian. After all, it made it clear that he was feeling guilty, and that he couldn’t explain himself! Then again, what was there to feel guilty about? His first love returned, and he found out that he still wanted to care for her! In the end, she tried her best to shake those thoughts off as she returned to Ian’s villa… It was shortly after that she realized that she could no longer call Darlsbury home. After all, without Zivon, she pretty much had nothing! …No. This wasn’t the cowardly life she wanted to live!
...Even if he destroyed his what now? It took him a while, but he eventually replied, ‘…You may end up becoming a widow if you do that, you know?’ Hah! That wouldn’t happen since there was no way she’d want to remain by that scumbag’s side! Now feeling infuriated again, she opted to ignore him and simply headed off to take a bath… Once she was done, she slipped beneath her weighted blanket… but even though it was extra heavy-duty, it was still cold enough for her to occasionally shiver. It was sometime later when she heard faint coughing coming from outside. Was that Zivon? Feeling slightly worried, she was just about to go check on him when she stopped midway. Why the hell was she still caring for that bastard? He could freeze to death for all she cared! Her train of thought was cut short when she received a message from the man in question… ‘Xav, my heart’s starting to hurt… Please calm down and hear me out, alright…?’ Shortly after, the doorbell rang, and though Xavia was
“Well, the doctor said that he could be transferred to the ward earlier, so yes, he’s currently out of the woods… That aside… Please don’t be mad at him anymore, Miss Lockhart… He truly loves you wholeheartedly…” muttered Nathan. …Him? Wholehearted? Xavia was about to give Nathan a piece of her mind when a fair woman wearing a white down jacket walked up to the two and said, “Miss Lockhart, correct? Pleasure to meet you, I’m Whitney Baun. I heard that you’re mad because of a misunderstanding that I’m having an affair with Brother Zivon, but… That really isn’t the case. I just returned to Aplos because of my deteriorating health, and he only came to me to get me a good doctor.” “I can safely say that he truly cares for you, otherwise he wouldn’t have suffered that heart attack while waiting for you in the freezing cold last night… Just… calm down for now…” …Was she explaining the situation or trying to paint her as the villain? Despite looking so adorable and innocent, Whitney was
Alas, before she could give Whitney a piece of her mind, Zivon had already turned to look at that other woman while asking, “…I’m fine. What are you doing here?” Sniffling slightly, Whitney replied, “Didn’t you tell me to come over yesterday…? Either way, I was thankfully able to find you shortly after you passed out… Since Miss Lockhart wasn’t around, I had to bring you to the hospital with Mr. Miller… I’ve been waiting here ever since for fear that a terrible fate would befall you…” It was clear that Whitney was describing Xavia as a cruel woman, and that she was the one who truly cared for Zivon. This caused Xavia to sneer. What a pretentious bitch! That aside… though she was the one who had cared for Zivon, his eyes had been on Whitney from the moment he awoke. As it turned out, she really wasn’t needed here. Understanding that, Xavia got up and said, “…Well, since she’s here, I’ll be heading off first.” Frowning slightly, Zivon held onto her hand while replying, “Stay.”
His words naturally caught Xavia off guard. Even so, she was quick to reply, “…Please, you’re only here because God couldn’t bear to see me suffering so much from your lies.” …She was still cursing at him even though he was telling her the truth? As an awkward silence grew between the two, Ian suddenly stepped into the ward and pulled Xavia out of Zivon’s arms. After giving Zivon a glare, he was prompted to say, “Haven’t you learned your lesson…? Why are you still getting involved with him…?” Xavia, for one, hadn’t expected to see Ian here. That aside, she didn’t want the Grand Duke seeing her this close to Zivon after that bastard had hurt her so much, so she quickly replied, “…I just came over to pay him a visit since he fell ill…” The way she said it made it seem like she was afraid that Ian would misunderstand the situation, and this instantly caused Zivon’s expression to turn frigid. “I hope you remember who her fiancée is, Ian…! What right do you have to step in? Now co
Staring in shock at the kneeling man, Yulia mustered her remaining sanity as she replied, “B-but you’re younger-” “Even if that’s the case, doesn’t that mean that I’m much more ‘capable’ than your older pursuers…?” …Why were his words so suggestive all of a sudden?! Forcing herself to calm down, she took a deep breath before saying, “…Elliot, I’m not sure what spurred this decision, but… I’m not the one for you. Please find someone your age. I’m sorry.” After saying that, she strode straight for the car… but before she could start the engine, she couldn’t help but notice how desolate he looked standing under the pouring rain… Clenching her fists, it took her a while to finally sigh and walk back to him… “…Are you really sure about this?” asked Yulia, much to Elliot’s delight. “I am! Please! Give me a chance! You won’t regret it!” …When he put it that way, all Yulia could do was help him up before finally deciding to return his kiss… Sure, things had taken a sudden, unex
She stared in horror as he removed his shirt right there and then! “W-what are you doing?!” yelped the startled woman as she quickly looked the other way. “…Huh? I mean, I’m drenched, so…” “E-even so, you shouldn’t change right in front of me!” “…Yulia, we bathed together as children… It’s not like you haven’t seen everything already…” “Y-you can’t compare that to this situation…!” “Fine, fine, I… Um… Go cook, I guess… I’ll go get a change upstairs first…” muttered Elliot as he headed upstairs. Yulia herself had to try her best to calm down! After all, Elliot had been plaguing her mind in the past few days, and… she even had dreams where he had… …No! She couldn’t be thinking about such things! She needed to cook! Maybe that would help get her mind out of the gutter! Once that was done, she’d leave and finally start devising a plan to get rid of him…! As Yulia scurried off, Elliot himself was currently staring at an old photo that showed him eating some candy in Yulia’
Just as she had arrived at her car, the president of the Halls Group suddenly walked up to her, a bouquet in hand! The Halls Group had collaborated several times with the Burtons before, and because of that, she was well acquainted with the man. Sadly, he had also proposed to her on multiple occasions… and though she kept rejecting him, he never seemed to get the hint! “There you are, Miss Burton… Since you’re off work, I was wondering if you’d join me for dinner tonight…” asked the charming man. Feeling awkward, she was just about to come up with an excuse when Elliot suddenly grabbed her by the waist and said, “Oh? Another one of your admirers, Yulia…? Sorry, but she already has a boyfriend, my man. If that doesn’t deter you enough, then you should know that she prefers her partners younger. Now please leave.” Startled to hear that, the man glanced at Yulia, his eyes begging for an explanation… Yulia herself was eager to just escape this embarrassing situation, but before s
With that tale done, it was now time to return to Yulia’s story… Ever since she was a child, she had undergone countless hardships with her mother… and even after she was able to reunite with her father, things didn’t go much easier from there. To make matters worse, Fabiola ended up getting kidnapped for the longest time, resulting in Frank ending up the way he was today… Because of all that, it only made sense that she’d mature much sooner than others her age, and unlike the naïve girl she used to be, she was an extremely competent woman today. Alas, because of how used she became with working, she soon lost the urge to find herself a romantic interest… Things continued that way until… Well, that time that Elliot… …Wait, what was she thinking?! He was younger than her, for heaven’s sake! Quickly shaking her head, she attempted to force herself to concentrate on work again… But before long, a knock was heard on the door. After being allowed in, the department manager entered t
Knowing that there was no point in keeping things a secret anymore, Rea took a deep breath before saying, “…Alright, so… The truth is, I’ve always been highly competent, but… I’ve been pretending to be useless just so that you’d eventually marry me… The trip my parents are taking… That was my suggestion too…” Feeling speechless, it took Frank a long while to reply, “…So you weren’t really drunk when you did all that last night?” Pursing her lips, Rea awkwardly muttered, “…I wasn’t… Luna suggested it, and since it sounded like a good idea to accelerate things…” …Fucking hell, to think that he had fallen straight into her trap without even putting up a fight! Watching as he glowered at her, Rea gulped before adding, “A-anyway, now that we’re married and there’s potentially a baby in my belly, you won’t divorce me, right…?” “…Oh, believe me when I say that divorce is the easy way out! From today onward, I’m making you pay for your actions for the rest of your life!” Fast forwa
Fast forward to the next morning, Rea awoke with a yawn… What a nice sleep… Wait. Why was she naked? And why was Frank…?! Her following scream immediately woke the icy man up… and upon looking at her, he was immediately reminded of what had transpired last night! Essentially, Rea ended up clinging to him, and though he initially wanted to just carry her to bed to let her rest… Damn it! Had she really been that sensual?! How had he lost control so easily?! His train of thought was cut short when he realized that Rea was bawling her eyes out… and after rubbing his temples, he was prompted to say, “…Why are you crying when you’re the one who initiated this? I’ll have you know that I never forced you-” “I-I know, but…! I’ve just…! This is my first time…!” whimpered the quivering woman, prompting Frank to purse his lips. As if he wasn’t in the same situation… “…You’re not alone there.” “It’s not the same! Men are free to sleep with whoever they want but when it comes to women, I’l
“Say, wouldn’t you agree that the food smells delicious…? Why don’t I teach you how to grill, Rea…? Oh, but make sure to take your clothes off first before we start! Wouldn’t want them to get dirty…” With how drunk Rea was, she wasn’t able to fully register his words… and just as he was about to touch her clothes, an icy voice roared, “Stop right there…!” Instantly feeling a shiver run down his spine, the man turned around… and to his horror, it was Frank! Young Master Burton’s perpetually icy son…! Why the hell was he here?! Before the frightened intern could think of how to even react, Frank walked up to him and growled, “Leave now before I chop your hands off…! Don’t make me repeat myself!” Nodding in terror, the man frantically bolted off… and once he was out of sight, Frank glared at the tipsy Rea before adding, “This is what you meant by learning how to be more responsible…?!” “Huh…? But the food really did smell super good… I want to learn…” mumbled the drunk woman.
After leaving his office, he headed off to look for Rea. She had said that she wanted to use the bathroom, but… It had already been half an hour since she disappeared. What trouble had that idiot gotten herself into this time? Thankfully, it wasn’t long before he found her laughing along with some of his interns… When the interns saw him, they were quick to bow and say, “Good morning, Mr. Burton.” Barely even glancing at them, Frank looked at Rea and said, “It’s time to head home.” “I… Won’t be following you back…” “…And why is that? Are your parents back?” “No, it’s just… These are my good friends back from school, and they’ve been staying together to learn to be more independent… With that said… I think that staying with them will be a good start for me to learn more about how the world works. Thank you for taking care of me up till this point, Frank… I won’t bother you anymore.” Raising a slight brow, Frank then looked at the interns for a while before saying, “…Are you
Regardless, after leaving her in the room, Frank returned to the shower to cool himself off… but no matter what he did, he simply remained irked. It got to the point where he couldn’t relax at all, and after wrapping a towel around his waist, he grabbed his phone to send his father a text. ‘Was there really nobody else who could’ve taken care of Rea?’ ‘What? Can’t even care for a woman properly.’ ‘I’m a busy man.’ ‘I trust in your time management skills.’ …Though he really wanted to tell Zivon that he had misplaced his trust in him, he didn’t want to disappoint his father either. With that, all he could do was clench his fists before giving Rea’s parents a call… “Hello? Frank? Why are you calling at this time of night?” “…When are you and Uncle Saltman returning, Aunt?” asked Frank who wanted them to take back their idiot already! “…Huh? What was that? Sorry, the line isn’t very good… I hope Rea isn’t giving you too hard a time! Don’t worry, we’ll be back after about a