Chapter 60: Val Did Something Shameful...
Dylan swallowed hard and took a deep breath. He slowly turned around, taking small, hesitant steps toward Val, his sneakers squeaking against the floor.
Val lowered her gaze, watching the boy approach her with a quiet, bewildered blink.
Dylan stopped two feet in front of her, holding the warm takeaway box out with both hands, his face flushed with nervousness as he looked down at his sneakers.
"H-Here..." Dylan mumbled, his voice trembling slightly. "You... you haven’t eaten all day. You should eat this food..."
Val stared down at the warm box held out in the boy’s hands. For the second time that day, her mind completely short-circuited. Genuine shock flashed across her stoic face as she looked up from the food, her dark eyes locking onto mine in bewilderment.
I stepped up beside Dylan, offering Val a warm smile.
"You’ve been working yourself to the bone all day without a single thought for your own health, Val," I said gently. "There has to be someone around who takes care of you too."
I reached down, giving Dylan’s soft, dark hair an affectionate ruffle as he looked up at us. "This little man was worried about you being hungry, so he brought you a hot meal. You’re not gonna turn him down, are you?"
Val stared at the warm food, then at my smile, and finally down at the nervous little boy standing before her.
A profound softness filled her dark eyes. The cold, unyielding armor of the elite security commander melted away, leaving behind a young woman whose heart was overwhelmed by warmth.
...
[Valerie’s POV]
Ever since the morning I realized what had transpired between Seth and Lady Yerin, a strange, unexplainable feeling had taken root in my chest.
On a professional level, and as someone who deeply cared for the Fernando family, I was genuinely happy. I had spent years guarding the massive, quiet corridors of the estate, watching Lord Julian and Lady Alice carry the lingering grief of a missing child. Back then, the mansion only ever felt alive when Lady Yerin visited, bringing her chaotic energy with her.
But everything had changed the moment Seth returned.
In just a few short days, he had brought warmth, laughter, and light into the entire house. He had changed my world too. I found myself smiling more, enjoying my life, and feeling a strange sense of contentment I had never known before. Seeing the two people responsible for bringing so much joy to the family come together was something I knew I should simply celebrate.
And yet... there was a persistent tug at my heart that I couldn’t rationalize.
It was a bizarre, restless emotion, one that had driven me to do things I would have previously considered entirely unthinkable for an elite, disciplined commander of security.
I had told no one, taking the secret to my grave, but on the night Seth and Yerin were together... I had stood guard outside his door, listening to every soft whisper, every gasp, and every passionate moan. Driven by a sudden, overwhelming wave of heat and desire, I had found myself touching myself beneath my uniform in the dark hallway.
It had been a deeply shameful, exhilarating moment. Even later, when I was finally off duty and alone in my bedroom, the memory of that night had haunted me, driving me to touch myself again and again. I couldn’t comprehend why my body and mind were behaving this way, unraveling years of stoic discipline over a young man I was supposed to strictly protect.
The changes within me were becoming harder to conceal. I was smiling far too often, and I had even attempted to playfully tease him in the hallway yesterday morning-though that had backfired completely.
’Do you want me to start calling you Mommy too?’ The recollection of his casual, mischievous question made a faint flush creep up my neck even now. For some embarrassing reason, remembering him saying that sent a strange, electric shiver down my spine.
Seth was just... different. He possessed a rare, effortless kindness that touched everyone around him. When he suggested the idea of a global farewell concert for Lady Yerin, the monumental task of organizing the entire dual-layer security grid naturally fell onto my shoulders.
As always, I threw myself entirely into my work, refusing to allow a single flaw or vulnerability in the perimeter. And as usual, that meant neglecting my own physical needs, skipping meals, ignoring fatigue, and operating on sheer willpower. I was used to it. Duty always came first.
Apparently, my Young Master did not agree.
I still didn’t know where he had met the little boy, Dylan, who had initially looked at me as if I were a terrifying monster. Did I truly possess such an intimidating smile? Well... Seth had looked me directly in the eyes and told me my smile was very beautiful, so perhaps the child was simply unaccustomed to tactical personnel.
When Seth sent the little boy forward with the warm takeaway container, the words he spoke hit me with the force of a physical blow.
"There has to be someone around who takes care of you too."
He said it so gently, with such unforced warmth, reminding me precisely why my heart had become so helpless around him. In my entire life, no one had ever genuinely cared about my well-being, not my trainers, not my superiors, and certainly not myself. My existence was defined by my utility as a shield for others.
Yet Seth looked at me not as a tool or a bodyguard, but as a person who deserved care.
And then, with that quiet consideration of his, he had framed the entire gesture around the little boy, stepping back so Dylan could feel like a brave hero delivering a meal to a hungry guard. He had cared for my health, taught a child a subtle lesson in empathy, and framed it all as a casual, everyday moment.
He was so deeply, undeniably precious.
I stared down at the warm box held out in Dylan’s trembling hands. I could feel a lump forming in my throat, threatening to break through my professional composure.
Taking a slow, steadying breath, I suppressed the prickle of tears behind my eyes. I crouched down to Dylan’s eye level once more, forcing every ounce of harshness out of my expression as I offered the little boy a genuinely warm smile.
"Thank you, Dylan,’ I said softly, my voice carrying a quiet, tender tone I rarely used. "This is very kind of you."
I stole a quick glance at Seth, catching the fond, knowing smile on his lips. I knew he was the mastermind behind every second of this, yet he simply stood there, letting the child take the credit.
Dylan’s dark eyes widened as he stared at my face. "Woah..." the little boy mumbled, blinking in surprise. "Your smile... it’s not scary at all now!"
A faint wave of embarrassment washed over me, accompanied by a quiet swell of happiness.
"Is it not?" I asked softly, keeping my tone gentle as I took the warm food from his hands. "I am glad to hear that. Have you eaten yet, Dylan? Would you... like to share this meal with me?"
I could see a flicker of childish reluctance in the boy’s eyes, but after looking at my expression, he gave a slow nod. "Okay! I’ll eat a little bit with you!"
A rare feeling of warmth bloomed in my chest as I prepared to sit down on the bench with the child and eat the meal Seth had brought me.
BUZZ.
Suddenly, the sharp vibration of a phone notification broke the quiet moment
Seth pulled his smartphone from his pocket, his relaxed expression instantly sharpening into a frown as his eyes scanned the screen.
Before I could even ask what was wrong, Seth looked up at me, his tone urgent yet calm. "Val, keep an eye on Dylan for a minute. I need to check something real quick!"
Without waiting for my response, Seth turned on his heel and sprinted down the VIP corridor at a speed that caught me completely off guard, vanishing around the corner before I could even rise to follow him.
I stood there, my hand hovering over the warm takeaway box, completely speechless as I stared at the empty hallway where my Young Master had just vanished.
Slowly, I lowered my gaze to the bench.
Dylan looked up at me with wide, innocent dark eyes. I looked down at him with a quiet, bewildered blink.
The two of us stared at each other in total silence, left alone with a warm box of food.