Feeling irked, Hershel replied, “…Come to think of it, Xavia hasn’t even visited in the past three days. Makes me wonder if she’s really worth marrying. Again, I insist that you marry Whitney.” Zivon hadn’t even settled his old scores with Hershel yet, yet here this old man was giving him more orders! Not wanting to argue with Hershel in front of Wendy, Zivon replied, “No need for you to step into my affairs. Still, since you’re being so nice to my mother, I may consider your suggestion…” “…D-do you really mean that?” replied Hershel with hopeful eyes. Nodding in response, he then gestured for Hershel to leave the ward… and once they were outside, Zivon was prompted to say, “Since her time on Earth is going to be short, I’m not completely against the thought of marrying her… That is, if you can abide by two conditions. Firstly, you’ll need to apologize to Xav. Secondly, you’ll continue taking good care of my mother. How about it?” “…Wait, you know about what happened to Xavia?”
Homer was a person who always prioritized peace, especially when it came to bigshots like Zivon who had immense power and influence! With that in mind, Homer was quick to give Ian a raised brow as he replied, “Ian, what’s with that tone?” “Don’t worry about it, sir. In fact, feel free to call me by name as well, Sir,” said Zivon, instantly leaving Homer speechless. It took him a while, but Ian eventually led Zivon to his study… and once they were alone, he was prompted to say, “What’s your goal? Hmm? Do you really think a present and some nice words are enough for me to forgive you? Apologies, but I’m not as naïve as Xavia, and if there’s nothing else, please take your gift and leave.” Naturally, Zivon was irked to hear that. After all, he had humbled himself just for Xavia’s sake! Alas, he was her brother, and Zivon couldn’t do anything to change that. What’s more, he didn’t want to put Xavia between a rock and a hard place because of their conflict. With that, he took a deep
“…What I’m saying is that I’m grateful that you can provide her with the familial warmth that she never received… However, you should understand that she’s currently being forced to choose between her love interest and her family… I’m sure you can imagine how she feels about that…” …He knew that she had had a hard life, but it was hard to truly sympathize with what others had experienced. Zivon, however, had sounded truly saddened as he said all that… In the end, Ian clenched his fists before replying, “…If you don’t want to make things difficult for her, then why don’t you just give up already? Do you think you’re the only love interest out there?” …As it turned out, nothing would get through him! Squinting slightly, Zivon replied, “…You’re a stubborn man, Ian.” “And what if I am? Blame your family for being too prestigious for Xavia.” This, of course, pissed Zivon off, and the fuming man finally walked off without another word… It was sometime later when Nathan drove up t
With how strongly he desired her, Xavia found herself unable to resist his advances. In the end, her legs went limp, and he only released her once it seemed like she was ready to faint. After she had caught her breath, she heard him say, “Can’t even take this much…? You should really train your kissing skills more…” …Like hell she did! That aside… “Um… Why are you dressed like that…?” Raising a slight brow, Zivon replied, “You have your beloved brother to thank for that.” Though his voice was calm, she could feel the fury in his voice. After a short pause, she was prompted to ask, “…I was wondering why the place seemed more heavily guarded than before… Is he trying to make things more difficult for you…?” Upon hearing that, Zivon took the chance to explain everything that had happened back at the palace. He wasn’t trying to paint a target on Ian or anything, but he just wanted to let her know how much effort he was willing to make for her. Naturally, Xavia was stunned to
...He wasn’t fine with hiding under the bed, but he was completely alright with repairing a lamp? Alas, before she could say anything, he had already entered the bathroom… It was around then when Ian finally opened the door. Glancing around, he was quick to ask, “…Why didn’t you open the door?” Scratching the back of her head, Xavia smiled sheepishly as she replied, “I… Was talking to the electrician earlier. T-that aside, how could you just enter a woman’s room without even knocking?!” Rubbing his forehead, Ian sighed before replying, “…Sorry, but you didn’t reply even after I called you a few times… I was just worried that something had happened to you, you know…? Don’t worry, it won’t happen again. That aside… which lamp of yours is faulty?” Gulping slightly, Xavia said, “L-lamp? O-oh! I meant the heater in the bathroom! The electrician’s still there, so we shouldn’t bother him…” …Him? Just as Ian was about to head over to the bathroom, the panicking Xavia was quick to pul
Once the driver had dropped Xavia and the kids off at Zivon’s villa, the children gave each other high fives! Seeing that, Xavia couldn’t help but smile as she said, “That was some pretty convincing acting! I’ll give both of you lollipops later!” Scratching the back of his head, Maison grinned as he replied, “But of course! We’d do anything to meet up with Daddy!” “Yeah, what Brother Maison said!” said Yulia. It was now clear that they had all collaborated just to meet up with Zivon! As Xavia had previously said, she had been trying her best to figure out a way to meet up with Zivon… and it was on that morning when she realized just how much Ian adored the kids. That got her thinking about her current plan, and in the end, she told the kids about it, which landed them in their current situation. Honestly, since Zivon had paid her a surprise visit earlier, she had considered not proceeding with the plan. However, Yulia really wanted to meet up with Zivon, which was why they ha
“We got to eat all sorts of yummy food back at Uncle’s house… Why don’t you come along with us to have some later?” “Hey, Daddy’s still quarreling with him, remember? Honestly, you should just fight it out! Once a winner is decided, everything will be settled! Easy as that!” …If only the adult world was that simple… Shaking his head, Zivon then got up to say, “…Don’t worry, I’ll resolve things somehow. That aside, what would you three like to eat?” Naturally, the kids were always going to vouch for fast food, but before they could say a word, Xavia replied, “You’ve had enough unhealthy food. I’m cooking. Spend the time playing with the kids, will you? They’ve missed you dearly…” Raising a slight brow, Zivon asked, “You sure you don’t need my help?” “It’s fine. It wasn’t easy to get the kids over, so have fun with them while you can. Don’t worry, I’ll be done in a jiffy,” replied Xavia as she quickly pushed them away from the kitchen. Once she had closed the door behind her,
“…Come again?” replied the startled Xavia. How was she torturing him when she simply didn’t want him to eat frozen food all the time…? “Not only did you forgive my grave sin, but you’re treating me better than ever… Are you trying to make me die of guilt…?” …From his gaze alone, she could tell just how guilty he felt… And though she was tempted to tell him the truth, wouldn’t that just give him a reason to teach her a lesson?! Following a subtle gulp, she was prompted to reply, “I-I already said that I don’t mind that incident anymore… A-anyway, you need to take proper care of yourself from now on, you got that? Also, I hope that you’ve already patched up those wounds on your body!” “Otherwise, don’t even think about hugging me on our wedding night… I refuse to do anything with you till all your injuries are healed…” muttered Xavia, prompting Zivon to raise a slight brow. “…It’s not like those wounds are going to affect my potency or anything… Still, if that’s what my beloved w
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