Chapter 47: Secretary Yerin?
I sat back in my chair, filling my own plate with a portion of the Wagyu, truffle mushrooms, and roasted potatoes. To be honest, I wasn’t even focused on my own hunger.
After living twenty-one years as a lonely orphan, spending late nights eating cold convenience store meals on a creaky bed, sitting at a warm table surrounded by a loving family was a feeling I wouldn’t trade for all the money in the world.
I leaned back, taking a bite of my own meal while quietly watching everyone’s reactions to their first taste.
Mom took a small slice of Wagyu and placed it into her mouth. The moment she bit through the seared crust, her eyes widened. She let out a muffled gasp and brought both hands to her cheeks.
"OH MY GOD!" Mom squealed, grabbing Dad’s arm and shaking it frantically. "Julian! Try this right now! It literally melted on my tongue! Seth, darling, how is your cooking this good?! This is better than any private chef we’ve ever hired!"
Dad cut himself a piece of steak and chewed slowly. As the rich garlic-thyme butter and marbled Wagyu melted across his palate, his stoic CEO mask completely crumbled. He let out a deep, satisfied sigh before looking up at me with unmistakable paternal pride.
"Extraordinary, son," Dad praised, his eyes shining. "The flavor profile and searing technique are genuinely top-tier. I am thoroughly impressed."
Across the table, Yerin was practically inhaling her food. Her face basically disappeared in the dishes as she rapidly shoveled truffle mushrooms and roasted potatoes into her mouth, letting out happy, muffled humming noises after every single chew.
"Seth..." Yerin mumbled with her cheeks stuffed like a squirrel, pointing her fork at me dramatically. "Quit the heir business. Become my personal chef. I will pay you a massive salary! Millions of dollars."
I took a slow sip of my water, leaning my chin on my palm with a dry, teasing smirk. "Pass. Honestly, I was actually thinking about asking if you wanted to work as my personal secretary... but seeing how you handle potato peelers, you’d probably end up accidentally shredding my contracts and burning down the office on day one. So there’s no point."
"HEY!" Yerin gasped, slamming her fork down on the table with a dramatic, exaggerated glare. "I am a very capable woman, thank you very much! I would be an incredible secretary!"
I looked at her, expecting her to keep pouting, but my lips twitched when I caught the sudden, electric glint flashing in her dark eyes.
Even behind her fake annoyance, a subtle, mischievous smirk tugged at her lips. I could practically read the chaotic, naughty thoughts swirling through her head like an open book.
’Secretary, huh? Oh, just wait until tonight... I am definitely wearing a tight pencil skirt and glasses for a private performance in your room...’
I swallowed hard, a sudden wave of heat rushing to my face as I quickly looked down at my plate. ’Jesus Christ, Yerin..’
[PFFFFT! Hahaha!] Paige’s hysterical cackles instantly exploded inside my head, completely merciless. [Oh, Host! You are so readable! Look at your ears turning red! Are you already imagining your new girlfriend taking dictation on your lap?]
’Paige, shut up,’ I replied mentally, my throat suddenly dry as I took another large gulp of ice water. ’I’m trying to have a wholesome family dinner here.’
[Hehe~ Wholesome by day, chaotic secretary roleplay by night!] Paige teased, practically vibrating with chaotic delight. [I’ll make sure to leave a pair of fake glasses in her room’s wardrobe later!]
Ignoring Paige’s chaotic commentary, I looked around the table.
Mom was still gushing over the salmon, Dad was enjoying a second serving of steak, Val was eating with a quiet, serene smile that completely softened her stoic features, and Yerin was shooting me sneaky, affectionate winks from across the table whenever my parents weren’t looking.
The warm laughter and lighthearted banter filled the dining hall, completely erasing the exhaustion of the past few days. For the first time in my life, I wasn’t just surviving. I was genuinely, completely happy.
After dinner, we all lingered around the long mahogany table for a while longer.
I knew there were countless high-stakes topics we could have discussed-like the ancient pantheons thoughts over my awakening, the political moves of the Rothschild family, or the upcoming departure to Avalon Academy. But nobody bothered with any of that. Instead, my parents just talked about random, lighthearted topics, sharing silly stories from Mom’s past and teasing Dad until the entire dining hall echoed with warm laughter.
Once the tea was finished, Dad pushed his chair back and stood up, adjusting his suit jacket. "Well, I still have a few international reports to sign before tomorrow morning."
"’I’ll come along with you, dear," Mom said, hopping up from her seat and sliding her arm through his. "You can drop me off at my home office on your way."
With my parents heading off to work, the lively dining hall gradually settled into silence. I looked over at Val, who had already resumed her usual guard post near the side entrance. Despite her perfectly composed posture, a faint trace of the happiness from dinner still lingered in her eyes.
"Alright, Val," I said, leaning back in my chair. "You’ve been on duty all day. Go get some rest and sleep."
Val looked back and forth between Yerin and me with a strangely intense, unreadable gaze. She didn’t argue this time. Instead, she smoothed down her dark jacket, bowed her head slightly, and prepared to leave.
"Understood, Seth," Val said, her voice completely deadpan, though a glint of subtle mischief flashed in her dark eyes. "I shall take my leave and not disturb the two of you tonight. However... I strongly advise that you make proper use of the master suite’s soundproofing arrays this time."
Yerin’s jaw dropped, her cheeks exploding into a bright, flaming crimson as she rapidly looked away, suddenly finding the pattern on her napkin extremely fascinating.
I couldn’t help a dry chuckle from escaping my throat. I leaned back, looking at Val with a raised eyebrow. "Why, Val? Did you enjoy listening to it last night?"