Chapter 22: Jealous Of My Hot Bodyguard?
Mom, however, didn’t look surprised at all. She set her teacup down with a quiet clink, narrowing her eyes at her niece with a knowing smile. "Yerin, darling... what do you actually want?"
Yerin’s proud posture collapsed. She quickly looked away, whistling an innocent tune. "What do you mean? Can’t a loving cousin just want to support her family?
Mom sighed, shaking her head affectionately before looking at me. "Seth? Care to enlighten me on what you two are actually planning?"
Seeing that the cat was out of the bag, I rubbed the back of my neck. "Well... we were thinking about heading to an amusement park today."
"Yes! An amusement park!" Yerin jumped in, pulling my phone from her hoodie pocket and holding it up. "We’re starting Seth’s official bucket list! Look, Aunt Alice!"
Mom’s expression softened as she looked at the text file on the screen. A wave of tender emotion crossed her face as she read through the childish wishes I’d written years ago in the orphanage.
"Oh, Seth..." Mom murmured, her voice warm with affection. "I want nothing more than for you to go out and enjoy every single one of these things. But..."
She paused, a shadow of maternal concern crossing her face. "Going to a crowded amusement park... I worry about your safety. And I know the two of you won’t want an entire army of fifty armoured guards trailing five feet behind you, ruining the fun."
I opened my mouth to reassure her, but before I could speak, a calm voice cut through the dining room.
"I will protect them."
Everyone turned in surprise. Val rose from her seat, her gaze firm and resolute as she met Mom’s eyes.
"I am taking full personal responsibility for their safety today, Lady Alice," Val declared. "No heavy security escorts, no intrusive crowds. I will handle any threat quietly from the shadows. If anything happens to either of them, the failure will rest entirely on my shoulders."
Mom blinked, clearly taken aback by Val’s rare, unprompted initiative. A relieved smile spread across her face as she looked at my bodyguard. "Valerie... thank you."
Turning back to us, Mom crossed her arms, slipping back into her strict mother persona. "Alright. You may go. But listen to me carefully! Do not give Valerie a hard time, and stay close to her at all times. And Yerin-you wear a proper disguise! If your public identity gets exposed and a mob forms, the trip is over immediately."
"YES! WE PROMISE!" Yerin shouted, jumping to her feet and bowing dramatically.
Mom shook her head with a helpless laugh as she looked at our excited faces. "I swear, you two are going to give me grey hair."
With breakfast finished and permission granted, we bolted upstairs to get ready. Ten minutes later, we met back in the main foyer.
I’d changed into a comfortable casual outfit-dark fitted jeans, a soft grey hoodie, and clean white sneakers. Simple, comfortable, and easy to move in.
Yerin stepped out a moment later, wearing a bright white oversized hoodie that matched mine in style, paired with denim shorts, sneakers, a black face mask, and a matching cap pulled low over her wavy black hair. Even in disguise, her bright eyes radiated excitement.
And then Val stepped into the foyer.
My brain momentarily short-circuited. Gone was the rigid, dark security suit. Instead, Val wore high-waisted black fitted pants that accentuated her long, toned legs, paired with a snug, dark cropped top and a light jacket draped casually over her shoulders. Her pale skin, athletic frame, and striking blonde hair made her look less like a bodyguard and more like an off-duty international supermodel. She looked insanely hot.
Yerin stared at her for three whole seconds before letting out an envious groan. "Unfair! How do you look like a magazine cover in plain clothes?! That’s it, I’m hitting the gym five times a week from now on!"
"Good luck with that," I teased with a chuckle.
Thwack!
Yerin gave the back of my leg a light kick before pouting. "Shut up!"
"Hey, I’m just saying," I grinned, rubbing my leg before looking at both of them. "You both look amazing. Seriously."
Yerin’s eyes widened slightly, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks as she grinned proudly. Val, on the other hand, looked away toward the front doors, though a distinct flush was visible on the back of her neck.
"The vehicle is prepared," Val said, her voice slightly higher than usual as she cleared her throat. "Let us depart!"
We climbed into a sleek, dark luxury sedan, far less conspicuous than the massive security SUV from yesterday, with Val taking the driver’s seat. The drive to the capital’s grandest amusement park was smooth, the city skyline sliding past as Yerin blasted music through the speakers, singing along in her gorgeous, effortless voice.
Since it was a sunny Sunday afternoon, the amusement park district was packed with thousands of families, couples, and teenagers. Knowing that pulling a luxury car into the main VIP drop-off would draw too much unwanted attention, Val parked the sedan in a quiet, high-end hotel parking garage just a block away.
We stepped out of the cool garage into the bright afternoon sunlight, with the distant sounds of roller coasters, carnival music, and laughing crowds filling the air.
Yerin adjusted her cap, pulled up her mask, and grabbed my arm, her grin hidden behind the fabric. "Alright, Seth! First item on the bucket list... let’s conquer this place!"
I looked up at the towering Ferris wheel in the distance, an uncontrollable smile spreading across my face.
The fun was just beginning.