Plus, hosting such an event was going to be good for the outstanding youths of the country anyway, so it was pretty much killing two birds with one stone… Fast forward to three days later, the matchmaking party was held, and as expected, those on the internet were quick to go wild when they learned about it. After all, all the gentlemen who had been invited came from outstanding families, and they were all extremely talented folks too. As for the women, they ranged from high-ranking nurses to those from the army, and all of them looked absolutely stunning. This event was destined to be a great one… Watching all this happen, Xavia couldn’t help but sigh before muttering, “Those are all pretty fine men… I’m sure they’ll find great wives here…” Raising a slight brow, Zivon gently hit her head while saying, “Don’t tell me you’re after another husband now…” “As if! The best man in the world is already mine!” “…Then why did you insist on attending…?” “…I mean, it’s nice to see su
...It was Rosa. Watching as the startled Xavia quickly distanced herself from Zivon and began straightening her hair, Zivon couldn’t help but raise a brow and ask, “…Why so worried? I’m your husband, not your lover.” “…E-even if we’re married, doing such things in public…! W-we’re in the midst of educated people, so I just don’t want to give off a bad impression alright?!” grumbled the blushing woman. It took him a second, but Zivon finally recalled that Xavia had always been an ambitious woman, and that she had only been held back because of that night… She was just feeling insecure in the presence of Rosa, huh? Smiling subtly, Zivon then tucked a stray hair behind her ear before saying, “…Even geniuses have desires, so there’s really no need to be so formal. Regardless, just stay here for a bit while I go see what she wants.” Nodding in response, Xavia then pursed her lips as she watched him walk off. She hadn’t actually done anything with him earlier, so… Yeah, there was n
Knowing full well that Zivon had made up his mind on the matter, Rosa pursed her lips before saying, “…Alright, I won’t continue making things difficult for you anymore… Here, take these… They’re the only copies of our past that I have left… Honestly, though, she shouldn’t feel mad about such silly things, but if you’re still that worried, feel free to get rid of them…” Watching as Rosa began walking off, Xavia couldn’t help but feel increasingly curious. Just what had Rosa used to threaten her man…? But if she showed up now, wouldn’t that make her look like some jealous shrew? Damn it… …Maybe he would take the initiative to tell her the truth? After reassuring herself that he would, she quickly shook her head before returning to her earlier spot… Moments later, Zivon returned and said, “Hmm? Still here?” Smiling subtly, Xavia replied, “Yep, still browsing through the potential wives for my brothers…” “…Are you sure you didn’t look at any of the men as well?” “Hey, I alread
“Then let me see what Rosa gave you.” “…Dear, there’s really no need to focus that much on the past-” “That’s what I wanted to believe too, but with how hard you’re trying to hide it, it’s impossible for me to remain calm,” interrupted Xavia. Feeling helpless, all Zivon could do was get his phone out… and once Nathan answered his call, he was prompted to say, “Return with everything I handed you.” “…Huh? But I’m already in the midst of getting rid of them-” “Don’t make me repeat myself,” growled Zivon, leaving both Xavia and Nathan speechless… It was about five minutes later when Xavia was greeted by the sight of a pile of ashes on the table… and after pursing her lips, Xavia said, “…Is this some kind of joke?” Zivon himself was already rubbing his temples as he growled, “…What the hell happened here…?!” “…E-everything was already nearly burnt to a crisp by the time you called, so even though I managed to put the fire out, there wasn’t much to be saved…” Feeling incre
It was only after Rosa had crossed her arms that Zivon finally looked up and said, “You know that isn’t the case… I’m just focusing on my work now so that I can be with you tonight…” “…Really? You’re not lying, are you? If you aren’t, then yay! Love you, Senior!” Just as she was attempting to hug his arm, Zivon pushed her away and said, “Disturb me any more and I may have to work till tomorrow morning.” “…That just means that I’m charming enough to distract you from your work, right?” “…Would you rather we spend time now or tonight? Make your choice.” “Of course, I’ll pick night! Fine, fine, I’ll head upstairs to watch some television!” grumbled Rosa playfully as she ran off. This prompted Zivon to smile before shaking his head and returning to his documents… The video ended there, and after clenching her fists for a bit, Xavia couldn’t help but say, “…Are you sure that was mere acting?” “Every bit of it. Look, the winner of that competition would gain the right to ente
“Me and my wife have been itching to participate in a couple show recently… so if anyone is interested in having us, please contact my assistant.” It was then that she realized that Zivon was broadcasting this message live! “W-what are you doing?! Stop the stream!” exclaimed Xavia as she attempted to grab his phone… but to her dismay, he moved it so far away from her that she ended up falling into his lap! Smiling at the sight of that, Zivon then said, “Though I’m not that into dramas, I don’t mind being all lovey-dovey with you on a couple show, dear…” This left Xavia momentarily speechless. She had only been a little grumpy because of that video! Did he really have to do all this?! Just as she was about to retort, she heard Zivon add, “Before you say anything, remember that thousands of people are watching…” Upon hearing that, Xavia took a peek at the viewer count… and true enough, there were already close to a million viewers! What the hell?! Getting increasingly frustra
Though he was slightly irked to hear that, he maintained a tight grip on her shoulder as he replied, “…Sass me all you want, but your parents clearly have a hand in this… I mean, who else would dare to taunt the great Sir Ian?” …True enough, Zivon made sense… Pursing her lips, all she could do was pitifully stare at the helpless Ian… Speaking of Ian, he was left wondering how he had set himself up by conducting this event. Damn it! Just as he was wondering how to escape this situation, he suddenly noticed the ever-dazzling Tiffany standing in the crowd… …Honestly, he wouldn’t mind it if he could be with her, but… Alas, she was already taken. Shaking his head, he gathered his composure before saying, “…Apologies, but I’m not in the mood for love just yet. I’ll be going on a several-month-long business trip soon anyway, so I don’t want to leave a potential wife alone for too long. With all that said, let’s have James and Jacob take my place tonight instead!” Upon hearing their na
Sadly for him, Xavia would continue using that nickname against him in the coming days. “Leave your dad alone, kids… Senior needs to finish his work during the day so that he can join us at night…” “Oh? Are you looking at me again? I guess I must be charming enough to take your mind off work, huh, Senior?” “Senior! Senior! Senior!” Each time she said it, Zivon felt himself die a bit more inside… and in the end, he pinned her against the wall and covered her mouth before growling, “From now on, every time you call me that I’ll kiss you, you hear…?!” Unable to do a thing, all she could do was nod… but the second Zivon released his palm, Xavia immediately exclaimed, “Senior!” Irked by her taunt, he immediately planted his lips against hers, causing Xavia to widen her eyes! Though she quickly attempted to shake him off, he wasn’t about to let her off that easily this time! Continuing to kiss her as passionately as he could, he only released her once she was completely out of
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