The helpless woman really had no idea how she had managed to piss Jenna off again… Regardless, not wanting Yulia to hear things that she shouldn’t, Xavia was prompted to seat her child in the back seat before saying, “Take a short nap, alright…?” Though Yulia loved to eat and play, she loved sleeping as well. Knowing that the car ride was going to be comfy, Yulia enthusiastically replied, “Alright!” Following that, Yulia hugged one of her toys and closed her eyes. By the time the car started moving, she was already fast asleep… Seeing that, Xavia took the chance to ask, “So… What is it?” Glaring at Xavia through the rear-view mirror, Jenna then scoffed, “Have you forgotten what you said to me? That you’d leave Darlsbury with Yulia the second you got out of prison? What happened to that promise, hmm?” This, of course, left Xavia momentarily startled. Though she knew for a fact that Jenna was mocking her for failing to hold her end of the deal, she couldn’t just leave. After al
Looking back, Xavia was surprised to see Keith running toward them! Why was he here? Upon seeing Keith, Jenna—who hadn’t expected Keith to find out about her plans—quickly stood before Xavia while asking, “What are you doing here?” Looking at Xavia and the child in her arms, Keith couldn’t help but display a complicated expression. Following that, he faced Jenna while saying in a low voice, “…You don’t have a right to decide whether she leaves or stays. Mind you, she’s my girlfriend now.” Keith’s words caused a wave of jealousy to surge in Jenna’s heart. After all, wasn’t he the one who had claimed to love her before this?! To think he’d dare acknowledge Xavia right in front of her! Now fuming, Jenna glared at Keith as she replied, “I have every right to do so. After all, I’m her sister. That aside, why don’t you ask her whether she’s being forced to leave or if she's doing this on her own accord?” Jenna’s statement made Keith turn to look at the awkward Xavia who—in turn—qui
Maybe this was one of the reasons Zivon liked her… Either way, it was about half an hour later when the car came to a stop at the North Court. The area itself was quiet, and the pavilions here seemed to set a different kind of mood. This appeared to be Keith’s private courtyard… Looking around, Xavia couldn’t help but ask, “…Where is this place, Young Master Keith…?” After getting out of the car and opening Xavia’s door like a gentleman, Keith replied, “It’s my personal courtyard. Every Burton living here has their own courtyard, and each of these areas—placed far apart from each other—are managed independently. With that in mind, nobody else comes to this courtyard aside from me and my men. Since my great-grandmother only has half a year left to live, we’ll be staying here to make visiting her more convenient.” …Wait. So that meant… she was going to be staying here with him?! Her face now pale, Xavia was prompted to say, “…Um… While I said I’d cooperate, I never agreed to live
His aura was as oppressive as ever, and Xavia quickly found it increasingly hard to breathe. In the end, she couldn’t help but look up… and the second she did, she was immediately greeted by the sight of his dark, and dangerous-looking eyes. It was exceedingly difficult to avert her gaze, and Xavia felt her nervousness skyrocket as her heart tensed up. She always felt uncomfortable within his presence… However, when she recalled his attitude toward her back at the prison, Xavia quickly found herself calming down again. Pleased that she wasn’t bothered by him anymore, she then easily looked away from him and stood closer to Keith. Upon seeing that, Zivon couldn’t help but deepen his gaze. The way she had suddenly chosen to look away… it almost felt like she saw him as nothing more than a stranger… No. That terrifying detachedness made it seem like he was beyond even a stranger to her now… Something was different about her… But what? Zivon’s train of thought was cut short when he h
After all, despite being specialists of the field, even they were at their wits end earlier. With that in mind, how did this random young lady do it? Keith and the others were curiously looking at Xavia as well, anxiously awaiting her answer. To think she actually knew what she was doing… Whatever the case was, Xavia simply calmly replied, “I didn’t do anything special. Since Lady Burton had a heart disease, I simply pressed a pressure point on her hand. You see, as a child, my grandmother told me that pressing this specific acupuncture point can help treat angina, myocarditis, rheumatic heart disease, bradycardia, arrhythmia, shock, fainting, and many others. With that in mind, I was simply trying it out.” …So that was it? To think that Lady Burton was saved due to such a traditional method! Even so, everyone couldn’t help but view Xavia in a slightly different light. Though she looked plain and was nowhere near as dazzling as Jenna, nobody could deny that she had already saved La
That aside, he knew for a fact that he had somehow offended her… But how? Moving back to Xavia, by the time she returned to the North Court, Yulia had already awoken, and she was tightly hugging the head of the bed. When the secretary saw Xavia, she quickly ran toward her before saying, “You’re finally back, Third Young Lady…! I’ve tried my hardest but Miss Yulia simply refused to eat the lunch that I prepared for her!” “I’m sorry Mommy, but I didn’t know who he was! He doesn’t look nice so I thought he was a bad person!” exclaimed Yulia as she quickly ran toward her mother before hugging Xavia’s leg. Her statement made the secretary speechless. Did he really look like a bad guy…? Understandably feeling slightly awkward now, Xavia quickly carried Yulia in her arms while saying, “You shouldn’t be rude to others, you know…? Sorry, the child’s just joking…” “…Well… alright… I guess he can’t really change how he looks… I’m sorry for telling the truth…” muttered Yulia in a since
Soon after, the car arrived at the North Court again. Once she got out, Xavia immediately called out to Yulia to get her toys… However, even after calling her name a few times, the child didn’t run out. Xavia specifically remembered telling Yulia to just watch television—and not run around—while she was out. Knowing how obedient her child was, the worried Xavia eventually went inside to look around… only to realize that Yulia was missing! “…Where’s Yulia? Please, hurry and help me find the child…!” exclaimed the extremely anxious woman. Upon hearing that, the secretary quickly comforted, “Not to worry, Third Young Lady. The Burton family’s old mansion is extremely safe. Nevertheless, I’ll be checking on the surveillance cameras now.” “I appreciate it… Do contact me once you find her,” replied Xavia as she ran out and began looking around the courtyard… When she couldn’t find any traces of Yulia there, she proceeded to look around other courtyards. Though the entire area was f
Lovers, girlfriend, and private life… All those words highlighted her relationship with Keith, so Zivon’s expression naturally turned frigid. Sensing a spike in Zivon’s dangerous aura, Xavia knew better than to stay here. With that, she was prompted to say in a determined tone, “If you don’t wish to guide me, so be it. I’ll just walk, and walk, till I find your place.” Following, Xavia began walking down one of the paths, looking extremely indifferent… Though the path was the wrong one, the fuming Zivon was in no mood to correct her. Still, she had already indicated her feelings for Keith so long ago, so why was he still feeling this pissed? Straightening his tie, he then glared one final time at her before walking off. Since she wanted to look around on her own, it had nothing to do with him! Shortly after, Zivon entered his home. Upon seeing him, Maison gleefully pulled Yulia over to him while exclaiming, “Daddy! Look who’s here!” As for Yulia, the sight of Zivon instantly
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