By Zephyria “I got a full body massage.”
“The bath was supposed to be a small tub, but it’s huge.”
“Did you guys see the shampoo brands? They’re all from department stores. They said they’d give us some separately because we said they smelled good.”
“If we want a late-night snack, we can just press 0 on the phone in the room.”
The children rolled their eyes.
At this point, they were confused as to whether they were at a friend’s house or a hotel.
That’s how extreme the service was. They were being treated like VIPs.
I could stay in a place like this forever!
They were all thinking the same thing. Suddenly, one of the children jumped up and shouted, “No!” Like someone waking up from a blissful dream, the daze completely disappeared.
“Did you all forget? What kind of place is this?”
“A place that gives you good food…”
“An awesome place…”
“A place that gives you amenities…”
“A place where I want to submit a residency application…”
“Are you guys stupid, really? We’re standing on Incheon soil! We’re in the middle of enemy territory!”
The children gasped. Now that they thought about it, that was right. The [Gi Clan] they were currently staying in was in Incheon… which was basically the front yard of [Heavenly Land]!
They had been momentarily distracted by the delicious food and luxurious service. The children slapped their cheeks. The stinging sensation brought them back to their senses.
“At this rate, we might lose Jae-eon hyung on the day we go back! Is that okay?”
“What? Absolutely not!”
“Jae-eon oppa is our family now!”
They wouldn’t return him for the Exchange Meeting or anything else. Ah, get lost. The children rekindled their fighting spirit and heightened their lost sense of alertness.
Down with Incheon! Down with Heavenly Land! Down with the Gi Clan!
Meanwhile, there was someone else who was filled with worries, different from the children.
“Haa…”
It was Kim Yeong.
In fact, he didn’t want to come to Incheon if possible. It was obvious. Incheon probably didn’t have a very good meaning for Ki Jae-eon. So, he was afraid that it would have a bad influence on the child who was finally starting to smile, the child who was barely finding stability.
Of course, he trusted Ryu Seong-hee, who had directly provided great help, as an ally.
‘…But I can’t let my guard down.’
Incheon, Heavenly Land, Gi Clan.
He couldn’t forget that it was the place that had driven Ki Jae-eon into a corner.
‘I hope there’s nothing that puts pressure on Jae-eon.’
Kim Yeong sighed, recalling the words of the psychological counselor who had said in the past, ‘Ki Jae-eon needs to be free from all stress in order to live.’
It had already been five days since they flew from Seoul and settled in Incheon. Fortunately, the kind of things Kim Yeong was worried about didn’t happen. Rather, every day was peaceful. No, it was excessively good.
Three meals a day of gourmet food were basic, and they even provided personal health trainers if they wanted. They were receiving the best treatment they had never received in their lives.
But the most satisfying thing was that no one in the Gi Clan bothered Ki Jae-eon.
Occasionally, the family’s servants would come and say ‘Young Master,’ and leave gifts, saying they were from Madam or the Eldest Young Master, but no one called him for family matters. Thanks to this, Ki Jae-eon was able to spend quality time with the children without anyone’s interference, just like at the main office. But.
“Oh, starting today… I can’t eat with you.”
Ki Jae-eon, who was diligently learning the board game the children were teaching him, suddenly said that after receiving a phone call.
And that day, coincidentally, was the day the Head of the family, Ki Tae-ho, was returning after completing a short training.
“Have a delicious dinner.”
“Yeah… you too, oppa.”
“Hyung, are you really not eating with us?”
“It’s more delicious when we all eat together.”
The back of his head, as he nodded to the disappointed children and left, somehow looked a little bitter.
It was the first dinner time with the ‘family’ since coming home. Thanks to his mother and brother’s consideration, he had been able to continue eating with the ‘main office family’ until now.
‘Was it always this quiet?’
Ki Jae-eon felt awkward in the calm atmosphere. That’s because if it were the main office, there would have already been a commotion. For example, what’s on the menu today, don’t steal my side dishes, and so on.
As he thought of the children, his lifeless eyes softened.
Ki Jae-eon looked at the neatly prepared food, thinking of the lively main office.
But strangely enough, he didn’t feel hungry.
Why? He cautiously rubbed his lower abdomen.
He was unsure because hunger and lack of appetite were on the same line.
‘I think I’m hungry… but I don’t want to eat.’
What kind of bizarre contradiction is this?
‘If I force myself to eat, I think I’ll get indigestion.’
Honestly, he just wanted to skip the meal.
But he couldn’t just get up and leave as he pleased. Especially if his father was there.
As expected, his father picked up his spoon with a stern face.
“Let’s eat.”
Ki Jae-eon glanced at his father’s face, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time, and slowly picked up his chopsticks.
The chopsticks headed for the deliciously cooked bulgogi. It wasn’t exactly his favorite food, but he chose it thinking of Aunt, who was always worried that he only ate vegetables.
But before the chopsticks could even touch it, he heard a tsk sound.
“Your manners have become a mess.”
Ki Tae-ho said, as if he was displeased.
“I’ve repeatedly told you to start with the soup and then eat the vegetables. You’ve become terrible after living with low-quality people.”
Ki Tae-ho rebuked him for being greedy.
“There is a set order for everything. It applies equally to eating food.”
“……”
“Don’t show such an undignified appearance.”
Ki Jae-eon flinched and put down his chopsticks. His body, which had been loosely relaxed, stiffened with tension.
It was then.
“Stop it.”
Ki Jae-ha, who was sitting next to him, put down his spoon and frowned.
“You did that last time too. Are you going to upset him again?”
The ‘last time’ Ki Jae-ha mentioned was probably the incident where Ki Jae-eon collapsed after vomiting in the bathroom.
He put strength into his voice, begging him to please leave him alone. Ki Jae-eon, surprised by the sudden intervention, flinched, and Ki Jae-ha even reached out and patted his younger brother’s thigh under the table. It meant that his brother would take care of it, so don’t worry.
“You can eat meat first. Why are you being so strict?”
In fact, Ki Jae-ha began to block Ki Tae-ho. He had never been affectionate with his father in the first place, but it was the first time he had openly shown such insubordination.
“What does it matter what he eats? Isn’t it enough as long as he eats well?”
Ki Jae-ha wasn’t at all intimidated by the cold gaze directed at him. Rather, he even turned his body to hide Ki Jae-eon behind his back. It was an action that was possible thanks to his large build.
“What do you mean greedy… He barely eats as it is.”
“Don’t indulge him.”
Ki Jae-ha twisted his lips at Ki Tae-ho’s firm rebuke. He raised his eyes and even let out a cold chuckle. The atmosphere immediately froze as their similar faces made unpleasant expressions. Ki Tae-ho quietly picked up his water glass and wet his lips at his sons’ rudeness. An angry energy rose from him. It meant to not push it too far. But unlike Ki Jae-eon, who lived with the title of the family’s next Head, Ki Jae-ha had grown up as the ‘Gi Clan’s troublemaker’ from the start. He was only obediently taking on the position of deputy for his brother, and he didn’t particularly want his father’s recognition, so there was no reason why he couldn’t stand up to him. More precisely, there was no reason to endure it.
“Indulge?”
Ki Jae-ha muttered as if he was dumbfounded. His tightly clenched fist slammed down on the table. Bang! The veins on the back of his hand trembled.
“Then let me ask, is there even one person here who has indulged Jae-eon?”