Chapter 9: Protector
"Are you actually going to lift it," I asked quietly, "or are you just here to bark and trip over your own feet?"
The guy’s eyes darted around as he tried to muster his courage, but his voice still cracked. "Do you have any idea who my father is? I could have you banned from this entire district by sunset!"
’Paige, give his expensive wireless earbuds a maximum-volume static blast.’
[Hehe, executing!]
A faint pop came from his wireless earbuds, and the guy instantly jumped, slapping his hands over his ears with a pained yelp. He stared at me as if I’d suddenly turned into a ghost.
Before I could have any more fun, a sharp voice cut through the air.
"Is there a problem here?"
We both turned. Valerie had changed out of her uniform and cape into a sleek black sports bra and matching compression tights.
My brain completely short-circuited for a second. I just stood there, utterly dumbstruck. She was so beautiful. Her athletic, toned physique was on full display, with a flat, defined midriff, long sculpted legs, and her blonde hair tied up in a high ponytail. She looked incredibly sexy, radiating a raw, dangerous kind of beauty.
The arrogant guy locked eyes with her and instantly turned ghost-white. "V-Valerie? The Head of Fernando Security?"
"You are speaking to Seth Fernando," Val said coldly, her violet eyes narrowing into an icy glare. "The sole heir to the Fernando Empire. If you disrupt the Young Master’s workout or look at him like that again, your family’s standing will vanish by sunset."
The guy didn’t even try to reply. He practically tripped over his own lifting shoes, bowing frantically before scrambling toward the exit like a startled rabbit, his friends hot on his heels.
The remaining people around the gym gasped, whispering in disbelief. The news that Julian Fernando had found his long-lost son rippled through the room instantly, and none of them dared doubt it with Valerie standing right by my side. Several wealthy executives straightened their shirts, clearly wanting to come over and introduce themselves to the new prince.
Valerie noticed them immediately and shot a single sharp glare across the room. The entire crowd instantly froze before quietly turning back to their machines.
"Apologies, Seth," Val sighed, her relaxed demeanor returning, though she still looked a bit annoyed. "Their lingering stares ruined the mood."
"Don’t worry about it, Val. Just ignore them," I said with a smile, wiping my hands with a towel. "Things like these are pretty common. Beside, he was just a kid. If I really wanted a fight, do you really think he would have stood a chance?"
Val’s eyes scanned my physique and she nodded.
Right at that moment, a young gym server carrying a tray of chilled water bottles passed by us. Distracted by everything that had just happened, his foot caught the edge of a rubber mat. He stumbled, the tray tilting violently as a stream of ice water flew straight toward my chest.
Before a single drop could hit my shirt, Valerie moved with lightning-fast reflexes, her hand shooting out to catch the tray and steady the bottles in one seamless motion.
The server turned completely pale, dropping to his knees in terror. "I-I’m so sorry, Lord Fernando! Please, it was an accident, I swear—"
"Hey, it’s fine," I said quickly, stepping forward and waving my hand with a warm, reassuring smile. "Get up, buddy. No harm done. It was just a trip. Don’t worry about it."
The server blinked in disbelief, thanking me profusely before hurriedly grabbing his tray and retreating.
Valerie watched the interaction quietly, a look of quiet admiration flickering in her violet eyes.
I turned back to face her, my eyes tracing her stunning, athletic form once more in the gym light. Yeah... I was definitely glad we’d decided to be friends.
...
[Valerie’s POV]
The sleek luxury SUV handled the capital streets flawlessly, but my focus remained fixed on the rear-view mirror. Through the glass, I watched Seth leaning his head back, quietly looking at the passing city. He was the long-lost heir to the Fernando empire, and from this day forward, my ultimate priority.
When Lord Julian first ordered me to retrieve his biological son from that run-down, freezing apartment, I had mentally braced myself for a disaster.
I’ve spent years managing the security details of high society. I fully expected a working-class orphan to turn haughty, demanding, and incredibly arrogant the second he realized he was the sole male descendant of the legendary Rothschild bloodline.
Instead, he explicitly asked to leave the armored escort convoy behind because it made him feel "too important."
"Hey, Val," his voice broke the quiet, pulling my gaze back to the mirror. "Are you fine with taking a break from the bodyguard thing today? Honestly, I’d like it better if we were just friends. I’ve never had a bodyguard before, and if you stay all formal and professional, it’s going to make me feel weirdly tense."
I stopped right in the middle of the corridor as we entered the Olympus gym, turning to look at him. My chest tightened with an unfamiliar emotion.
Throughout my entire life, I had been rigorously trained to exist within rigid hierarchies, dealing only with demanding superiors or compliant subordinates. I didn’t actually have friends.
Looking into his eyes, seeing the genuine, completely unpretentious warmth there, I felt a defensive wall in my chest crumble. "I think I would like that, Seth," I said, a soft smile breaking across my face.
A quiet, intense wave of protectiveness washed over me right then. He was completely unequipped for the wolves of high society, yet he was trying to look out for my comfort. I resolved then and there to ensure no one would ever touch a hair on his head.
After changing into my black sports bra and compression tights, I walked out onto the free-weights floor, only to find the predictable elite trash already trying to corner him. A wealthy corporate regular and his two lackeys were looming over Seth’s bench press, sneering at him to get lost.
My blood ran cold with anger. I immediately moved forward, ready to physically dismantle them, but stopped when I noticed Seth’s expression.
He didn’t look scared at all. He just sat back casually, slinging his arms over the velvet padding. Suddenly, a terrifying, crushing pressure radiated from him. His gaze turned into a freezing brick wall that physically paralyzed the arrogant prick mid-sentence.
I blinked, utterly stunned by the commanding weight of his presence. Where did an ordinary waiter learn to project an aura like a seasoned soldier?
Deciding to finish the job for him, I stepped right into the space between them, coldly revealing his identity as the sole Fernando heir. The young master instantly turned ghost-white before scrambling away like a startled rabbit.
The remaining crowd gasped, and a few ambitious executives immediately stepped forward, clearly trying to approach Seth to farm connections. I didn’t give them the chance. I snapped a single, sharp glare across the room, watching the entire crowd instantly freeze and look away. Nobody was going to disturb him while I was standing watch.
"Apologies, Seth," I sighed, turning back to him, still annoyed by the interruption. "Their lingering eyes ruined the mood."
"Don’t worry about it, Val. Just ignore them," he smiled gently. "Things like these are pretty common. Beside, he was just a kid. If I really wanted a fight, do you really think he would have stood a chance?"
Now that I think about it, he had a very good physique...so lean and muscular. I wanted to touch those abs.
Right at that moment, a clumsy gym server tripped over a rubber mat, sending a heavy tray of ice-cold water flying straight toward Seth’s chest. My reflexes kicked in instantly, my hand shooting out to catch the tray and steady the bottles before a single drop could touch him.
The poor server fell to his knees, trembling in absolute terror. In this exclusive district, the wealthy routinely ruined working-class lives over a spilled drink.
"Hey, it’s fine," Seth said quickly, stepping right past me. He offered the terrified kid a warm, reassuring smile. "Get up, buddy. No harm done. It was just a trip, don’t worry about it."
I stood there in absolute silence, watching him wave the grateful server away. A profound sense of respect filled my mind. He possessed the crushing aura of a true king, yet maintained the genuine humility of someone who remembered the dirt. He was completely unique, a gentle soul in a dangerous world, and my instinct to shield him from everything grew twice as strong.
As he turned back to face me, his eyes widening slightly as they traced my athletic frame in the warm gym light, a sudden, pleasant heat bloomed in my chest.
’Yeah...’ I thought, a genuine smile spreading across my face. ’I am definitely going to protect him.’