After a brief pause, Xavia decided to play dumb as she replied, “…What could you possibly mean, Young Master Burton…?” “…Have you truly forgotten?” asked Zivon as he eyed her suspiciously from head to toe. Quickly averting her gaze, Xavia then said, “I-I’m afraid so! You already know how bad my memory is… That aside, the drug was so strong that I lost myself for the longest time… That would explain why I instinctively stabbed you this morning… But putting all that aside, how did you even manage to find me?” While Xavia was clearly trying to change the subject, she was truthfully curious about that as well. In response, Zivon replied, “I heard him mention cup noodles while he was talking to you on the phone. With that in mind, I deduced that you two were at a gas station, and after some quick research, I found that there was only one gas station along that road.” “Since I knew that he had probably drugged the noodles, I figured that he wouldn’t drive too far off to have his wa
...Even so, she couldn’t just take responsibility for him, right…? In the end, the helpless girl lowered her head before saying, “…I… I sincerely apologize…” Though she was clearly brimming with self-reproach and embarrassment, this wasn’t what Zivon wanted. Tightening his grip on her waist, Zivon then growled, “…Do you truly think that all I want is your apology? Listen, you. What I want is for you to take responsibility for what you did to me…! And don’t you even think of escaping after doing all that…!” Following that, the domineering man leaned forward to give her a kiss! This, of course, caught Xavia by surprise. She had clearly been addled yesterday, so what could he be implying by behaving like this today?! Also, take responsibility…?! What did he mean by that?! Instinctively attempting to push him away, she soon heard a muffled grunt coming from Zivon… and it was at that moment when she realized that she had accidentally touched his wound! The second she stopped p
Sensing Xavia’s embarrassment—and thinking it was because of something else—, Zivon was prompted to say, “Disappointed that we can’t continue? Don’t worry, it’ll be fine, even if I return a few hours late…” …Wasn’t he a bit too thick-skinned? He was clearly the only one who wanted to continue! That aside, they had already been together for a few hours, but he was still this immodest about his abilities… Not wanting to bring such an ambiguous topic up again, the girl—who was still blushing slightly—then quickly backed away before replying, “…Honestly, you should return as soon as you can, Young Master Burton… You don’t need to worry about the draft’s design on my behalf either. After all, though the design is good, in the end, I still got that idea from you…” “That aside, I have a feeling that Lady Burton mostly loved that design because of Jenna’s speech… If I had presented it first, Lady Burton probably wouldn’t have liked it as much… Now that I think about it, it was probably i
Zivon didn’t really have any preferences so he simply nodded as he said, “Make sure to get an unopened set.” “Got it,” replied Xavia as she walked toward a salesgirl to do just that… On her way, she spotted a shelf filled with boxers. Considering how heavily it was raining the day before, Zivon’s clothes would’ve surely been drenched while he was saving her… Had he simply kept his clothes on till they dried on their own…? Knowing how much of a clean freak Zivon was, Xavia figured that keeping his current set of clothes on must’ve been torturous… With that in mind, Xavia—who was now blushing slightly—was prompted to add, “Um… I’d like a pair of boxers as well…” Looking at the direction Xavia was pointing at, the salesgirl then asked in a friendly tone, “Of course, Miss. What size?” Her question only served to make Xavia go even redder. How the hell would she know what size Zivon wore…?! In the end, she simply muttered, “…Just… estimate the size according to the size of that sh
...How was she even supposed to answer that?! She wasn’t even in a relationship with him, so they shouldn’t be doing such things in the first place! Why did he think kissing her was normal anyway?! With how calm the man appeared and how genuine his surprise seemed to be, Xavia could tell that Zivon wasn’t on the same page as her at all… Looking at the silent woman, Zivon then gently caressed her waist before adding, “Xavia, do you understand what it means to give a man a pair of boxers…?” Xavia didn’t even need to think hard about that one. It meant that she wanted to take them off him later…! But that wasn’t her intent! Now as red as a tomato, the flustered girl quickly calmed herself before replying, “I…! No, you see, I just bought them since I figured your boxers would be drenched after being in the rain for so long yesterday…! That aside, I know you’re a germaphobe, so I told the salesgirl to get a pair for you to lessen your discomfort…!” Despite Xavia’s attempt to sound i
Each of his words were brimming with repressed anger, and for good reason. He was now angry enough that it physically hurt him… Instantly tensing up, Xavia quickly replied, “I… I never thought of it that way… You didn’t force me, and I wasn’t that aggrieved or anything…! I really mean it…” “Then tell me. What exactly are you thinking?” …That… Truth be told, even she didn’t know… All she knew was that her mind was all over the place… Eventually, she managed to say, “…I… didn’t hate it when you kissed me then… I’m currently worried about your wound… I also feel a strong sense of self-reproach and distress… That aside, I’m also uncomfortable by how angry you are… I… I just really wish I could comfort you and explain things a little better…” “But putting all that aside… Is it even possible for us, Zivon…? We’ll never be able to be together, so why are you making me say all these things that I shouldn’t…? I shouldn’t have to face all this in the first place since you’re already ma
“…Um… There’s no need for a first-class ticket… I don’t mind the regular one…” muttered the girl in an awkward tone. Upon hearing that, Zivon simply straightened her clothes as he replied, “I’ll arrange these things for you. All you need to do is think carefully about your answer… Leave any unimportant thoughts out.” …With how gentle and attractive his voice was, Xavia found Zivon behaving more and more like a boyfriend by the second! Just as Xavia’s heart began to pound, the flight attendant returned and said in a polite tone, “Sir? Miss? The upgraded ticket is ready…” Quickly snapping out of it, Xavia then lowered her head as she muttered, “I um… I’ll be going in first… Please be safe on your way back… G-goodbye!” Following that, Xavia quickly walked off, almost as though she was fleeing… This left the flight attendant utterly confused. Why wasn’t that girl being a bit more reluctant to leave such a good boyfriend? Also, no parting kiss? If she was his girlfriend instead,
“She grew up in the countryside, so ever since she was young, she’s been resentful of my parents and I. She's trying to prove herself and destroy my reputation at the same time, and that's why she's been having such malicious thoughts. She—”“Heh.” Zivon chuckled, his lips curving into a mocking smile. Jenna felt a terrifying aura emit from the man, and her skin prickled in fear.Before she could figure out what he was laughing at, Zivon turned around. His eyes were glacial as he stared at her and said curtly, “I was the one who gave her the inspiration for the hotpot city.”The room went dead silent.Jenna was completely taken aback.What?Zivon was the one who told Xavia about the design for the hotpot city?!So Jenna had just been making a fool of herself during her speech earlier—she had been caught framing Xavia!Zivon took a step forward, a cold smile on his lips. “I told her I would help clear up the misunderstanding and prove her innocence, but do you know what she s
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