"Take care on your way ho, Team Leader."
"Yeah, good work today."
...Maybe I should just ask to be transferred to a secretary team that handles company operations exclusively. No matter how I think about it, this is way too easy. Compared to doing laundry and cleaning back at the mansion, this is physically and ntally a walk in the park.
Besides, I was actually leaving work early at four o'clock — sothing I'd never even dread of before.
Yoon Taeo had left the building before sunset, accompanied only by Kang Seokho, the Security Team 3 leader. Thanks to that, I too was able to slip out of the company while there was still daylight.
"Haah... This is nice..."
The season had shifted to that ti of year when the sun only gave off a pale, cold light. Even at noon, the sun just shone weakly in the sky, unable to fight off the fierce chill in the air. It felt like I could freeze to death just standing still.
And yet, a smile I couldn’t suppress tugged at my lips as I breathed out.
This was one of the few perks of being on the secretary team: flexible working hours.
I didn’t have to clock in and out at exact tis like everyone else.
Of course... most days I was dragged into work at dawn, before anyone else was even awake, and ended up stuck at the company until the last subway left because I had to match the insane workaholic schedule of my boss, Yoon Taeo.
So calling it a "perk" was a bit of a stretch.
The entrance door has opened.
I leisurely grabbed a cab, enjoying my early escape, and finally made it ho.
The familiar sound of the fingerprint lock beeping snapped back to reality.
Co to think of it... I wasn't really "off work" yet, was I?
My real workplace was this mansion.
I had simply swapped one job site for another — and for a second there, I had forgotten that.
"This is so fucking depressing..."
And now, I had to clean up this dump again.
Nothing kills the urge to quit faster than knowing you can’t.
Bzzzz.
It was past ten o'clock when I finally wrapped up the housework.
As soon as I sat down at the table with a hastily cooked packet of ran — too lazy to fix anything proper — the alert went off.
It was the daily report tracking Yoon Taeo’s movents: who he'd t, what he'd eaten, the usual.
Missing even one detail could land in deep shit later, so it was better to check right away.
"...What the hell is this?"
It was the Security Team 3 leader’s report.
Apparently, Yoon Taeo had finished dining at one of his favorite restaurants... and then went for drinks at a hotel lounge.
With a staff mber from the restaurant.
Sitting right next to him.
"A new... Beta."
When we referred to Yoon Taeo’s flings, we used code nas.
They changed too often to bother learning their real nas, and it wasn't exactly safe to talk openly about them.
We just called them "Betas."
Yoon Taeo had such an intense Oga aversion that he would bristle the second an Oga ca within arm’s reach.
But Betas?
There were always plenty of those orbiting him — and most of them didn’t et good ends.
Sotis his interest would burn out too fast.
Most often, they'd end up terrified of him.
Until the true protagonist showed up, his love life was basically just a series of failed experints.
"Crazy bastard's really addicted to dating."
He would just hop from one relationship to the next, and right on schedule, so new Beta would pop up in front of him like they’d been waiting in the wings.
Sure, it made sense in a romance drama.
But being the one who had to watch it all unfold?
It was a nightmare.
His emotional rollercoasters would spike and crash depending on his love life, and every single ti, the collateral damage landed squarely on .
Thinking about dealing with that shitstorm again made lose my appetite.
"What the hell is he doing..."
"Boss? Sir, you're already back...?"
What the fuck.
Was Kang Seokho ssing with ?
They were supposed to give a heads-up before Yoon Taeo ca ho.
Instead, he just walked right in without a word.
"I asked what you're doing."
"Ah, I was just hungry... I’ll clean this up right away."
Yoon Taeo hated ran.
Or at least, I'd never once seen him eat it, and judging by his personality, it was safe to assu he despised it.
Seeing the way his brow furrowed as he stepped closer, he probably caught the sll and was already pissed.
"What the hell have you been doing until this hour without even eating dinner?"
Did I...
Did I seriously leave garbage sitting on the table?
Judging by the disgust on Yoon Taeo’s face, I might as well have.
I hadn’t even taken a single bite yet — but I was going to have to toss it.
"Sit down. Why are you throwing away food?"
"Uh, well..."
"What? You think I wouldn’t like it?"
Jesus Christ.
Was this asshole secretly psychic or sothing?
"Your face says it all."
Since I was just standing there awkwardly, Yoon Taeo sat down across from first.
Reflexively, I rushed over to the fridge, poured a glass of water, and handed it to him before sitting opposite.
It wasn't really a choice — the sharp look he gave while accepting the glass made it clear he expected to obey.
"Eat. It’s going to get soggy."
Should I...
Should I say sothing or not?
The words were on the tip of my tongue.
"Go on. If you have sothing to say."
"Sir... aren’t you going to bed?
You must be tired, coming in this late."
Translation:
Could you fuck off already so I can eat in peace?
"I’m good. Just eat your damn noodles."
If I said one more word, he’d probably shove the whole bowl into my face.
After sipping his water, Yoon Taeo made it perfectly clear he wasn’t planning to leave.
He shrugged off his jacket and draped it over the empty chair beside him.
Then he loosened his tie and set it aside on the table, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt.
"...Yes, sir."
Was that a wrist or an ankle?
His hands were so massive it was hard to tell.
He laced his fingers together and stared at with those sharp, unblinking eyes.
It was so uncomfortable that I just grabbed my chopsticks and started shoveling noodles into my mouth without even tasting them.
"Looks like you cooked two packets."
"...I was really hungry..."
This fucking guy.
He just had to nitpick, didn’t he?
"You only have shit like this at ho?"
"Well... When you don’t have dinner, sir, I don’t usually bother cooking anything."
The la excuse made painfully aware of the sad little stash I had hidden — so pickled radish shoved deep into the corner of the kimchi fridge, where it wouldn’t be seen.
Honestly, from Yoon Taeo’s perspective, this probably didn’t even qualify as "food."
Hell, judging by his character settings, he might not have ever seen pickled radish before in his life.
"You actually cook pretty well, though."
"Well, uh, it’s not a big deal.
I do have certifications in Korean and Western cuisine, actually... not that it matters — I an, thank you for the complint, sir."
I buried my face in the ran bowl, feeling like an idiot for bragging.
"Then why the hell are you eating ran? You have ingredients at ho."
"Well, you know...
When you’re eating alone, nobody’s going to make a fancy al just for themselves.
You just eat whatever’s quick."
It was clearly after working hours now.
And Yoon Taeo had explicitly ordered to eat.
On top of that, I was sure he wouldn’t leave until I finished.
So, without lifting my head, I responded while continuing to eat my ran.
At this point, it was no different from bumping into an awkward neighbor at a convenience store.
"...I see. Watching you eat ran makes feel hungry too."
"...Excuse ?"
Half from duty, half from real hunger, I kept eating until those unexpected words made raise my head.
I was so stunned I couldn’t help it.
"Sir... you don’t usually eat late-night snacks."
"I could, though."
No, you can't.
You're supposed to drown in your loneliness at night, sipping whiskey without any side dishes, chain-smoking like you're rotting from the inside, and smashing your glass against the wall in frustration.
That's your role.
The very idea of Yoon Taeo eating ran... Even though the show was already over, I could practically hear the last scraps of its ratings collapsing around .
"...Would you like so of this? I haven’t touched this side yet — it’s clean."
Yoon Taeo glanced at the pot I pushed toward him, wrinkled his nose, and let out a small laugh.
No — a scoff.
"What exactly do you expect to eat? Looks like you didn’t leave a single noodle behind.
I’ve never seen anyone eat that well."
What the hell?
When did it all disappear?
I didn’t even realize I’d eaten that much...
It was strange.
I thought I had no appetite and was just forcing it down, but sohow the ran was already gone.
"Should I prepare you a proper al? Or at least sothing simple?"
"I’m fine."
Yoon Taeo stood up from the table without hesitation.
Naturally, he left his jacket and tie right where he had been sitting.
"Oh, Secretary Kim."
"Yes?"
"Co to work an hour late tomorrow."
"But, sir, you have a breakfast eting with the board scheduled."
"Tell them to wait.
No one’s going to die from eating breakfast an hour late."
Having said everything he wanted, Yoon Taeo headed upstairs to his room.
Of course, nobody was going to die... but a lot of people’s schedules were about to get royally screwed.
Still, not my problem.
As long as my schedule wasn’t affected, I couldn’t care less.
Whatever his sudden whim was about, at least I could sleep an hour longer tomorrow.
❖ ❖ ❖
After brushing my teeth, I collapsed into bed.
At this point, I’d spent so many nights at Yoon Taeo’s mansion that one of the guest rooms had practically beco mine.
Working both at the office and here at the mansion wore out fast.
Drowsiness hit like a truck.
Honestly, if this kept up, I either needed a serious raise... or I had to start planning an international escape.
"Right...!"
Just as I was drifting off, sothing jolted awake.
I fumbled for my phone from the nightstand and opened the report I’d received earlier about Yoon Taeo’s movents.
Restaurant.
Employee.
Hotel lounge.
Young Beta...
There had been a lot of Betas over ti, but so of them had left particularly strong impressions — and so had caused massive disasters.
Compared to them, Kim Daehyun had been a re extra, barely even worth ntioning.
I tried to focus, to rember the original drama’s plotline, but it wasn’t easy.
Too many things had happened behind the scenes that never aired.
And besides...
so things felt distinctly off compared to the original.
Had the secretary teams been reorganized like this?
Or was it just never shown?
Was Yoon Taeo supposed to avoid ran?
Or was that a trait that never made it to broadcast?
Either way, one thing was clear:
the mont I got dragged into this story, the ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) world itself started to crack at the seams.
Take Director Kim, for instance —
he didn’t end up sinking into the ocean encased in cent.
Instead, he got his skull smashed open by Yoon Taeo.
"...Who was it again..."
Just as I gave up thinking about the Beta and tried to close my eyes, it suddenly hit .
The Beta Yoon Taeo had gotten involved with this ti was extrely dangerous.
A grim reaper in human skin, soone who dragged multiple people to their deaths.
Han Yejun.
Several lives were already hanging by a thread because of him.
I had to find a way.
If I wanted to survive the bloodbath I already knew was coming, I needed to move.
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