Chapter 17: Games Night
Evening had fully settled over the estate, casting a warm golden glow through the tall arched windows of the grand hall. Mom insisted on preparing dinner herself, refusing to let the kitchen staff handle a single dish. She wanted to cook a proper feast for her son and niece, pouring all her love into every plate.
"Julian, come help me carry the serving platters," Mom called from the kitchen, her voice ringing merrily through the open corridor.
"On my way, darling," Dad replied, setting down his cup of tea before heading into the kitchen without a second thought.
Left alone in the lounge, Yerin slid closer across the plush leather sofa, resting her chin in her hands as her large dark eyes settled on me. She grabbed my hand, giving it a light, eager shake. "Alright, Seth! Now that Aunt Alice and Uncle Julian are out of the room, tell me about yourself. What was your life like before coming here?"
I shrugged, leaning back against the soft cushions. "Honestly? Pretty normal. I didn’t know who my real parents were or anything about my family, so I grew up in a small orphanage in the lower district."
Yerin’s cheerful smile softened, her eyes fixed on me as I spoke.
"It wasn’t a bad place," I continued, keeping my tone casual. "The director was nice, but we constantly struggled with funding. When I turned sixteen, the orphanage couldn’t stay open anymore and shut down. After that, I had to figure things out on my own. I worked various part-time jobs, mostly late shifts in greasy restaurant kitchens, to cover rent and pay for my studies."
"Studies?" Yerin asked softly, her fingers tightening slightly around mine.
"Yeah. I was actually enrolled in a local college," I said with a faint chuckle, shaking my head. "Though I guess you could say I dropped out recently. The debt was piling up, and working eighty hours a week didn’t leave much time for classes. But hey, look at me now. I’m making the whole mood depressing."
Her face was dead serious, her usual mischievous sparkle replaced by a quiet, fierce warmth. She didn’t look at me with pity or awkward sympathy. Instead, she held both of my hands, looking straight into my eyes.
"Seth," Yerin said, her voice dropping into a gentle, earnest tone. "I’m not going to dig into your past or make you relive things you don’t want to. But if you ever feel like talking about it, or if things ever get too heavy, I’m here for you. Seriously. It helps to let it out sometimes instead of keeping everything bottled up."
I stared at her for a second, caught off guard by the depth of her concern. Beneath her energetic, pop-star exterior was a genuinely caring heart. A warm feeling settled in my chest as I gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Thanks, Yerin. I appreciate that."
"DINNER IS READY!" Mom’s cheerful voice boomed from the dining hall.
Before I could even blink, Yerin’s serious expression vanished completely. Her eyes lit up, and her chaotic energy snapped right back into place as she let out an excited gasp.
"CUPCAKES AND DINNER!" Yerin shrieked, leaping off the sofa and sprinting toward the dining room like a kid on Christmas morning.
I sat there on the sofa for a second, blinking in utter bewilderment. ’How does she switch gears that fast?’ I wondered, shaking my head with an amused grin. ’Is she sure she’s a singer and not a professional actress?’
[She’s a woman of many talents, Seth,] Paige teased. [And you’re definitely not going to get a single quiet moment as long as she’s in this house.]
I pushed myself up from the couch and walked into the grand dining room. The table was practically overflowing with a lavish spread of home-cooked dishes, from savory roasts and fresh seafood to rich soups and handcrafted pastries.
Dinner was wholesome, warm, and utterly chaotic. Yerin couldn’t keep her mouth shut for more than five seconds, constantly babbling about her wild tour stories, complaining about her strict managers, and praising Mom’s cooking after every bite.
Dad chuckled quietly while sipping his wine, and Mom looked like the happiest woman alive, constantly heaping more food onto my plate whenever my guard dropped.
Watching them laugh, pass dishes across the table, and make every effort to accommodate me, a realization hit me. My family was putting so much effort into making me feel loved and welcomed, while I had been standing back, playing it passive, and just letting them shower me with affection.
’It’s time I took the initiative for once,’ I thought.
Once we finished dinner and the staff cleared the table, I turned to Mom, Dad, and Yerin. "Hey... do you guys want to play a game together?"
Yerin’s head snapped toward me so fast I thought her neck would pop. "Games?! Did you just say games?!" She slammed her hands onto the table, her eyes practically burning with competitive fire. "Seth, you’re on! I don’t care what we’re playing, I am going to crush you!"
I couldn’t help smiling at her immediate challenge. "We’ll see about that."
"What kind of game are we talking about, son?" Dad asked, looking intrigued as he folded his hands on the table.
"A MOBA," I replied, pointing toward the lounge. "Five-versus-five team battle. We can set it up on the main screen."
"Ooh, a full team game!" Yerin clapped her hands together enthusiastically. "That means we need five players! Aunt Alice, Uncle Julian, Seth, and I make four... who’s our fifth?"
Right on cue, the double doors of the dining hall opened smoothly. Val walked in, looking refreshed after her hours of mandatory sleep, dressed in her signature dark suit with her usual crisp posture.
Yerin’s eyes lit up the moment she spotted Val. "VALERIE!"
Val froze in her tracks, her sharp instincts immediately warning her of impending danger as Yerin bounded across the room and grabbed her arm.
"You’re our fifth player!" Yerin declared, dragging her toward the lounge.
Val blinked, her stoic composure wavering as she looked at me for help. "Wait, Lady Yerin, I am on security duty. I cannot engage in recreational activities while guarding the Young Master—"
"I ordered you to rest earlier, didn’t I?" I said with a grin, walking alongside them. "Consider this part of your official duty. We need a fifth player, Val."
"See? Seth agrees!" Yerin beamed, practically throwing her entire weight into dragging Val toward the couch. "You’re playing, Valerie! No excuses."