109 – VCR

It was morning, and I was fully focused on organizing coffee beans at the cafe.

“Mr. Cha Hae-joo. Are you here?”

Hearing someone call my name, I stepped out of the kitchen with a puzzled look.

“I am Cha Hae-joo. How can I help you?”

“Mr. Cha Hae-joo, is that correct?”

“Yes. It is.”

A man who looked like a delivery driver called out to me and held out a large flower basket. A flower basket? Why? I hadn’t ordered any flowers.

“Flower delivery.”

“I didn’t order any flowers… Are you sure it’s for me?”

“Yes, would you like to check the address and name here?”

On the tablet he showed me, my name and the shop’s address were clearly written. stolen contentaria-label="Read on Read BL Novels">Read unauthorized copyon Read BL NovelsWho on earth would send this? Just as I was checking the name and address again to see who the sender was, the cafe door opened and someone quietly walked in.

“Welcome—”

My gaze naturally shifted from the basket to the customer, and I immediately knew who had sent the flowers. Ha, this is unbelievable. What kind of stunt is he pulling now? Joo Min-hyeok walked inside naturally, feigning indifference and avoiding my eyes.

Now that I knew who sent the flowers without even having to check, I wanted to send the basket back. However, while I was shooting Joo Min-hyeok a sharp glare, the delivery driver had already left the flowers and vanished. I must have been so distracted by Joo Min-hyeok that I didn’t even notice the driver leaving. Now what?

I hesitated for a brief moment while looking at the flower basket placed on the table. I didn’t have the time to request a return, and I felt that these beautiful flowers were innocent in all this. For now, I picked it up, took it back to the kitchen, and set it on the floor.

“I’ll order something too.”

Joo Min-hyeok, who had followed me in at some point, was now hovering in front of the POS system, calling me in a small voice. He was quite different from the confident demeanor he had shown the first time he came here. I slowly approached him and stood before the POS. Ridiculously, upon seeing me get close, he became even more nervous, his shoulders tensing up.

I honestly don’t understand why he comes here if he’s going to be so cautious. This isn’t even in the next neighborhood; I clearly saw on the news the day before yesterday that he was on a tour of East Asia. When did he even get back, and why is he coming here again…? Did he finish his entire schedule and come all the way here? At this hour in the morning? He’s truly impressive in a different sense. He’d be better off resting during that time instead of doing this nonsense.

“What would you like?”

“A hot Americano. And about those flowers, do you li—”

“I’ll call you when your drink is ready.”

Not wanting to exchange another word with him, I cut Joo Min-hyeok off bluntly. With a momentarily embarrassed expression, he silently took a seat at a nearby window table. I glanced at Joo Min-hyeok, who was bathed in the stolen contentstyle="position:absolute;left:-9999px;font-size:0;">[Read on Read BL Novels]clear, pouring sunlight. Along with his glasses, he had a mask hanging from one ear, ready to cover his face if necessary.

Today, he had shown a bit of effort and didn’t appear with his face fully exposed like last time. In the cafe, besides Joo Min-hyeok, a few elderly people were drinking coffee and reading books. Thanks to their lack of familiarity with the media, they didn’t seem to recognize the Emperor. Fortunately, they didn’t seem interested either.

Once the Americano was ready, I didn’t even want to call Joo Min-hyeok, so I just placed the coffee at his table and turned away. As I approached, a brief flash of brightness appeared on Joo Min-hyeok’s face. Leaving that behind, I stepped back into the kitchen, and my eyes fell on the flower basket sitting clumsily on the floor.

The basket was so large that it held a vast amount of flowers. What should I do with all these? It’s not that I dislike flowers or plants, but I’ve never grown or tended to them myself. I can’t just leave them here.

“Let’s see, four customers.”

After counting how many customers were present, I took the basket into the storage room. I quickly removed the packaging, disassembled the arrangement, and wrapped the flowers in parchment paper to make several small bouquets. Despite being rushed, the flowers were so beautiful that the result had a vintage vibe that I actually quite liked.

I decided to distribute the bouquets to the customers. Since I couldn’t just hand them out blindly, I decided to ask if they had any flower allergies and if they liked them before giving them away. Then, Joo Min-hyeok’s eyes widened as he spotted the bouquets in my hand. His eyes, which had been slightly uncertain, now showed bewilderment and disappointment. Ignoring him, I approached the customers.

“Oh my, they’re so beautiful. What are these?”

“Do you like flowers? They’re a complimentary gift. Do you have any allergies?”

“None at all. How could I not like something so pretty? Oh, they’re so fresh! Just lovely.”

It was a bit embarrassing to act generous using flowers someone else gave me, but I was glad they liked them. Everyone received the flowers with smiles like young girls. Thanks to a certain someone, everyone in the cafe became happy. Except for that one person, of course. As for me, it was wonderful to be generous and see his flabbergasted face.

“By the way, dear. Does such a lovely person not have a partner yet?”

“Pardon? Ah, no, I don’t.”

I was flustered by the sudden question, but I answered while maintaining a smile.

“My grandson runs a big business in Busan. His sales are quite good. He’s an Alpha, very handsome and a truly wonderful man. Would you like to meet him? You probably won’t regret it. I’ll arrange a meeting.”

The people around us began to take an interest in the conversation about a blind date. Of course, except for one person again. I felt the pressuring gaze to meet the man from the front, and a piercing stare boring into the back of my head.

To think that the flowers Joo Min-hyeok gifted would unexpectedly bring an Alpha into the picture. Everyone joined in to push me, saying I was still young so I should just meet him for a meal, or that I could start as friends, and then I heard the sound of a chair moving behind me.

It seemed Joo Min-hyeok, who had been listening, had stood up. Fearing he might cause another scene, I hurried to wrap up the conversation. Meanwhile, the grandmother, who had grabbed my hand, began to plead.

“I really want to introduce you. I don’t just set anyone up. My grandson is truly wonderful. And you are so desirable. Please?”

“Thank you for the offer. I’ll think about it.”

‘I’ll think about it.’ This was, of course, a rejection, but perhaps because I answered softly, she told me to give it serious thought. As I went into the kitchen and started doing the dishes, Joo Min-hyeok approached me hastily. A look of defeat, one I had never seen before, was on his face.

“I picked those flowers myself.”

“Is that so? You must have worked hard.”

“But you give them away to other people? Did you even look at the flowers properly? I brought them all the way here from dawn so they wouldn’t wither…”

“A gift only becomes a gift if the recipient likes it. I gave them away because I looked at them properly. I hate roses.”

“…What? You hate roses?”

As he persisted in talking to me, I lightly tossed the sponge I was holding onto the sink floor and turned around.

“That’s why I’m asking why you send a ‘gift’ without even knowing that. I hate roses. I really can’t stand the sight of them. When I was young, my grandfather hit me with roses. My face was covered in scratches from the thorns, and I’ve hated them ever since.”

“I’m sorry… I really didn’t know.”

Seeing him express his apology with a complex expression and a blushing face made me feel like I was the bad person. Well, it’s not Joo Min-hyeok’s fault. It’s the fault of that old man who went as far as hitting a child with roses.

“Still, I can’t just throw away perfectly good flowers. The flowers aren’t at fault, so I should at least share them. Now that you know, stop doing useless things and take care of your own life.”

As I turned away with an expression that said I had nothing more to say, he asked in a voice full of anxiety.

“Then are you going to get introduced? Are you really going to meet an Alpha? Why would you trust and meet someone you don’t even know? With your personality…”

“Why do you think I wouldn’t? I was even married to the Emperor.”

I snapped at him today as if I were a person determined to hurt Joo Min-hyeok. As expected, a scratch had formed in his heart, and he wore a quite miserable expression.

“Why do you think I wouldn’t meet another Alpha? Am I supposed to live alone for the rest of my life?”

“…What?”

At my provocative outburst, Joo Min-hyeok’s tone rose slightly. The miserable and pitiful face vanished, replaced by a slight surge of anger. Seeing his face crumple didn’t scare me; instead, a strange sense of satisfaction crept up.

“Did you think I’d live alone? I’m going to live happily with someone who likes me. That was my lifelong dream. After a divorce, wouldn’t I naturally look for someone who likes me? I’ll live like that, being protected and loved.”

Unlike the pretty words like ‘protection’ and ‘love,’ my heart was completely warped and twisted. I don’t know why Joo Min-hyeok comes here and obsesses over me, but I know one thing now. He gets hurt by every single word I say.

“Of course, that person isn’t the Emperor.”

And my final words, like a dagger, pierced straight through Joo Min-hyeok’s chest. His face turned pale, and he looked utterly devastated. Ah, that expression… Why does it feel so good? I loved that look, as if he were about to burst into tears at any moment. Riding that momentum, I turned away coldly and delivered the final punch.

“I don’t know why Your Majesty is acting so humble toward me now, but if you need someone to use, find someone else who is naive and devoted. You’re good at that, aren’t you? I’ve tried it once, so I’ll pass.”

By now, has a hole opened up in his chest? My heart had become tattered like a rag, so I hoped a small scratch had formed on him too. No sound came from behind me. Only the clinking sound of the mugs I was washing echoed.

A moment later, the sound of Joo Min-hyeok’s footsteps echoed as he walked out without a word. After he left the cafe, [Read on Read BL Novels]the tension left my straight back. My body ached here and there, as if I had been in a physical fight. It must have been because I had been tensing my body so much.

Sighing, I turned my head and saw the basket, now with only a few stems left. For a long time, I couldn’t take my eyes off the flower basket, now riddled with gaps.