[(Seeking Advice) My Boss Says He Doesn’t Want to Let Me Go Home Tonight. What Should I Do?]
This was the kind of title that would attract attention on any online forum, and yet it was now my reality.
Oh, my God.
Sitting in the carriage, I rubbed my face again.
At my feet were the clothes and personal belongings I’d hurriedly packed from home.
I could almost hear people complaining that I’d ended up going along with him after all.
But wait. Did I even have a choice?
An assassin had been caught tonight. What about tomorrow morning?
There was no guarantee another one wouldn’t show up the next day.
Just until they catch the spies. He said they’d find them within a week, so…
How much time had passed while I was thinking that over? Suddenly, the carriage came to a stop.
Our destination was… surprisingly, a rather gloomy-looking building. If I’d passed it on the street, I would have been convinced it was abandoned.
Why were we here…?
“What’s with that look? It may not look like much, but it’s got everything it needs. This is my actual home.”
“I-is that so?”
“Let’s go in. Follow me.”
I cautiously stepped forward.
The first floor, with its crooked windows that looked as though the wind could whistle straight through them like in a derelict house… surprisingly, really did have people inside.
They were all members of the Barsen organization. The men warming themselves in front of the fireplace immediately greeted Rashak when they saw him.
But not a single one of them gave me a curious look. They’d never seen me before, yet they weren’t even interested in who I was. Was it because they already knew I was his secretary, or…
…Because women have been coming and going here so often?
No, wait. Hold on.
Was there anything about that in the original novel?
Damn it, all I could remember was how he’d treated the female lead like garbage.
“What are you doing? Aren’t you coming?”
“Oh, yes…! I’m coming!”
On the second floor, rooms lined a long corridor.
All the doors were closed, and they all looked exactly alike. Someone visiting for the first time probably wouldn’t be able to tell them apart. There wasn’t a sound or sign of anyone inside, either.
And so, we arrived at the third floor.
“This is my home.”
The moment he opened the thick iron door, what appeared before me was… surprisingly, an incredibly luxurious living room.
It was as if someone had taken the grandest features of a magnificent mansion and transplanted them onto this third floor.
A huge fireplace, a chandelier, and elegant furniture. The carpet beneath my feet was so soft that walking on it felt almost awkward.
This place had never been mentioned in the original novel. In the story, Rashak lived in an enormous mansion.
And where was that mansion…?
“Use this room. You can use anything inside, so don’t worry about it.”
“Ah, yes…”
I cautiously stepped through the doorway Rashak had opened for me.
Having worked in the merchant business, I could tell at a glance.
Every single item here was top quality. You could even call it an extravagant waste of money.
It was even nicer than Allen’s bedroom…
“That door leads to your private bathroom. You can open the window, but only in the morning and during the day. Something might come flying through it at night.”
“S-something might come flying through?”
“An assassin popped out of one once.”
Good heavens, God help me.
“I’m joking. Just open it whenever you want.”
That was the least funny joke I’d heard all year.
“Unless someone’s insane, they won’t get into this building.”
His words reminded me of the crowd of organization members on the first floor. The confident smile lingering at the corners of his mouth practically said, Go ahead and try.
…I was simply terrified, though.
“Wash up and come out. You haven’t eaten dinner, have you?”
As soon as work ended, he’d take me to my house. And the moment I stepped inside, I encountered that assassin. I certainly hadn’t been in the mood to eat.
When I nodded, he gestured toward the bathroom and left the room, giving me some time to rest.
The moment I was alone, one thought came to mind.
…Have women really been coming and going here?
Just look at this guest room. It was so well-equipped, as if anyone who came here would be welcomed with open arms.
No, no. There hadn’t been anything remotely suggestive between us…
I hope I don’t get dragged into some weird scandal.
I had absolutely no interest in the romance between the female and male leads.
My immediate concern was making a living. And as of today, I’d acquired another concern: avoiding assassins.
Let’s just wash up first. I feel so grimy…
I took my belongings out of my bag and cautiously headed for the bathroom.
It wasn’t particularly large, but… even so, it was far more luxurious than a commoner like me deserved to use.
It was even more upscale than the Brent family’s townhouse, where I’d lived four months ago.
This marble on the floor… Wait, could it be from Mount Rempton? They’d even gone and gilded the floor.
How much money does this man have?
After mulling over various thoughts, I washed myself and changed into comfortable clothes.
The delicious smell began to waft through the air just as I’d nearly finished drying my hair.
I cautiously opened the door and stepped outside, where I found the living room empty. Then I noticed a large archway on one side of the room.
…and Rashak Barsen cooking on the other side of it.
He can cook, too?
I searched through my memories of the original novel again.
Damn it, all I could remember was him treating the female lead like trash!
Still, he’d suggested we eat dinner together, so I couldn’t just stand around doing nothing. I cautiously walked toward him.
“Boss… is there anything I can help with?”
“I’m almost done. Sit down.”
I hesitated before heading to the dining table and taking a seat.
The kitchen wasn’t as lavish as the living room.
The furniture was simple, without any antique decorations, which somehow made it look even more expensive. After all, it wasn’t the kind of design you’d find just anywhere.
With money to burn, I bet he had all of this custom-made, too.
Rashak returned with the plates just as I was privately wondering how much the chair I was sitting on might cost.
“I didn’t have many ingredients, so I just threw something together. Not sure if it’ll be any good.”
“I’m sure it’ll be fine. You’re kind enough to feed me, so this much is—”
The smile I’d put on for the sake of politeness froze on my face.
The food on the plate was… strange, to say the least.
…I was sure I’d seen him frying eggs just a little while ago.
Why is there a half-burnt fritter on my plate?
I stared at it in confusion… and, astonishingly, Rashak was eating his meal quite happily.
Rather than savoring the food, he was simply… eating. That was how I figured it out.
This man had genuinely thrown the food together without much effort.
And he was genuinely eating it without much thought, either.
More precisely, his attitude seemed to be, As long as it’s edible, that’s good enough.
“Do you always… eat like this?”
“Hm? Oh, lately?”
“…What do you mean, lately…?”
“I used to have a live-in chef, but I caught him putting poison in my food.”
He paused his eating and nodded toward my plate.
“What? Is it hard to eat?”
“N-no, not at all. I’ll eat it.”
I picked up my fork and took a bite.
The taste was… truly indescribable.
Don’t ask me to elaborate.
I’m telling you, it was simply indescribable.
“That must be inconvenient…”
“I usually eat simple meals anyway, so it’s fine. I don’t get much enjoyment out of eating.”
“I see…”
“Pierce was the one who insisted I hire a chef, saying I’d die if I kept eating like that. And then the chef tried to kill me.”
…Was I supposed to laugh or cry at that?
“So… that’s why you told me not to make tea for you, either.”
“Right. When I’m not around, you can make something for yourself. Just don’t prepare anything for me. That makes things easier for both of us, doesn’t it?”
His tone was casual, but the meaning behind his words was unmistakable.
I trust you enough to hire you as my secretary, but I don’t trust you completely.
Coming from Rashak, who had been so friendly toward me until now, it was rather cold.
But I didn’t feel hurt or disappointed at all.
If anything, I was grateful that he’d drawn such a clear line between us. I didn’t want to create any unnecessary misunderstandings, either.
Keeping our distance really is easier for both of us. …I’ve had more than enough trouble caused by other people.
Granted, I’d thrown water at Allen when he’d told me, Even if you don’t intend for it to happen, misfortune always follows you.
There’s no harm in being careful. Especially when the other person is the boss of a criminal organization.
All I had to do was my job. A strictly professional relationship. What could be better?
“Yes, I’ll do as you say.”
I even felt a little lighter as I continued eating.
The food looked rather bizarre, but it wasn’t completely inedible. Now that I’d established this place was safe, my tension had eased, and I’d started to feel hungry.
“By the way, the assassin came after me because of you, right? Is there anything else about you that I don’t know, apart from what I found during the background check?”
“S-secrets? What secrets? I don’t have any.”
“Maybe they weren’t assassins at all, but one of your exes?”
“No, they weren’t!”
Rashak’s attempt to lighten the mood gradually eased my discomfort, too.
That was probably why I felt bold enough to ask the next question.
“What about you, Boss? Is there someone living here with you?”
I asked in a casual tone.
Ha, you caught me, was the kind of answer I expected as I chewed on what looked like some twisted, otherworldly asparagus.
“Someone living with me? No.”
He raised his wineglass to his lips as he spoke.
“You’re the first woman who’s ever set foot in my home.”
Comments (0)