10 rules of a Secretary chapter 84

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Allergy. At his shouted words, I actually became calm.

Looking at the frantic Han Doha, I asked quietly.

“Are you talking about the shrimp?”

“Yes! What kind of idiot eats shrimp for its ‘kick’ when they’re allergic?!”

“…That idiot would be me.”

I rubbed my face with one hand, watching his frantic concern, and couldn’t help but laugh.

I was always the one worrying about him.

It should’ve been my job, not his.

The absurdity of the role reversal made me chuckle.

“You’re laughing? You almost died! How is that funny?!”

“I didn’t know because no one told me. I thought everyone ate shrimp for that kick.”

I pulled a tissue from the wall dispenser, wiped my mouth, and tossed it in the bin.

As I looked at Han Doha, who kept shooting worried glances my way, I smiled softly.

“I’m fine. Thanks for worrying.”

I bowed slightly and walked out of the bathroom.

A staff member who had come to check on the commotion asked what had happened, but I just made a joke and said it was nothing.

I pulled out my card to pay for the meal, but I was told it had already been paid.

I had to force a sheepish smile.

When did he even do that?

I stood at the entrance of the restaurant, tapping my aching lower back, waiting for Han Doha.

It didn’t take long before he came out with a thoroughly annoyed expression plastered on his face.

“Shall we take a walk?”

I turned and started walking without waiting for his reply.

The lingering tingle at the corner of my mouth kept making me want to laugh.

How could something so silly be this funny?

The sunset-covered pier was oddly lively.

Boats were coming in, and some were heading out.

The sound of waves lapping against the sturdy wooden posts was soothing.

I silently walked, staring at the shadow of Han Doha cast over my body.

“I really didn’t know because no one told me.”

“And you think that’s an excuse…?”

“Really. I thought everyone ate it just for that reason. Who would go on and on about how the shrimp tastes, or the vegetables? Ah, but I do know bell peppers taste bad.”

I didn’t have the luxury to care about such trivial things.

Survival was my priority.

Losing my parents early left my life as harsh as walking on gravel, with no room to imagine what tomorrow might bring.

To me, the mundane daily life that others take for granted was far from guaranteed.

Even now, the ever-increasing debt loomed over me, suffocating in its enormity.

For someone like Han Doha, a few checks might suffice.

But for me, it was an amount that would take my entire life to repay.

“Allergy tests? Those are usually done when you’re young.”

“I couldn’t afford the luxury.”

“…”

“You have no reason to know how my life unfolded, but that’s just how it was for me.”

Suddenly, my back started to ache.

I paused, catching my breath as I pressed my hand to my lower back.

Damn, I couldn’t even guess how many times we did it.

When I finally left his room and grabbed my phone after what felt like ages, I was shocked.

Ten days had passed.

The first five days were somewhat restful, but the last five?

All spent having sex.

No wonder the passing days felt so warped.

“Ha…”

I stood there for a moment, and Han Doha approached, gently wrapping his arms around my waist.

I pushed his arm away and took a step back.

There had to be boundaries.

I needed to draw the line, preventing him from crossing it.

If I let myself get caught in his games, I’d end up alone, and I couldn’t let that happen again.

Once I returned to Korea, I would quit being his sex partner.

I’d finish my modeling gig, then cut everything off.

I needed to at least do my job as a secretary properly, but everything had spiraled out of control, making it difficult to untangle the mess.

With this resolve, I straightened my back after bowing deeply.

“Thank you for your concern.”

“So, how am I supposed to understand you?”

The wind blew gently, and the red sunset bathed his cheeks.

I was thankful the sunset was behind me.

When I stepped back again, he frowned.

He raised his hand to cast a shadow over his face and approached, trying to gauge my expression.

I stepped back once more, watching his face, now tinted red on both cheeks.

“Sir.”

“…”

“No, Han Doha.”

Instinctively, I knew.

I had to ask now.

If not now, I’d lose my chance.

My lips moved restlessly.

I needed to ask. I knew it in my head, but the words wouldn’t come out.

You knew I was your sex partner, right?

I’m that model.

We’ve spent countless nights together.

There were so many things I wanted to say, but none of them formed into words.

It felt like someone was choking me.

After a long moment of silent hesitation, I couldn’t say what I really wanted to and said something else instead.

“It’s not something you need to concern yourself with.”

“There are plenty of ways for me to know. I could dig into your life, from childhood to now, if I wanted.”

“You know that’s illegal, right?”

“That’s why I don’t do it. If I wanted to, I could find out everything about you in a day, maybe even less. But I don’t, because I don’t want to reduce you to just some data.”

To anyone else, it would have sounded like a heartfelt confession of love.

I scoffed and walked past him.

Oddly enough, the hurried footsteps that followed were almost comforting.

It made me feel like he genuinely wanted me.

Han Doha kept revealing sides of himself I hadn’t known.

“What I do know is that your sleeping habits are awful. Do you know you always burrow into someone’s arms while sleeping? You love vegetable porridge, and you adore money. You curse overtime, but you’re secretly happy to work more, even though in the last eight years you’ve only taken 40 days of vacation. But since it all comes back as money, you’re okay with it. Oh, and here’s a new one: you’re allergic to shrimp.”

“You know a lot about me. Isn’t that enough?”

“I’m giving it my all. I haven’t overlooked a single thing.”

I stopped walking again. Gazing up at the twilight sky, I let out a long sigh.

“Han Doha.”

“…Yeah?”

“Just pay the fine. Stop acting like a child. I’m only indulging you because I’m on vacation. Once I’m back at work, this can’t continue.”

“Yul-ah, do you even understand what I’m trying to say right now…?”

“The fines add up to quite a lot. I was surprised that the penalty for endangered species was only 260,000 won, but when you add it all up, it’s over 5 million. My body’s covered in your marks from whatever you did all night long.”

Suppressing the nausea rising inside me, I started walking again.

I felt suffocated by the words I hadn’t managed to say.

I didn’t look back at the man trailing behind me.

The cool sea breeze carried a salty tang.

I took in the view of the yachts docked at the pier.

There were even some expensive ones, like those I’d seen in movies or dramas.

As I gazed at the largest, grandest yacht, I couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly.

It hit me once again—I wasn’t in Korea. Even if I wanted to run away, there were only so many places I could go.

The sound of his footsteps behind me left me feeling uneasy.

I purposefully averted my gaze from everything.

I didn’t want to know the facts, nor the truth.

I couldn’t afford to ruin the life I had now.

Tapping my cheeks with the back of my hand, I tried to calm my racing heart.

I was barely holding it together, and I couldn’t afford to throw my life away over something that was already doomed.

I wasn’t some Cinderella, or the lost heir of a wealthy family with a secret birth.

If not for this job as a secretary, I would never have gotten involved with Han Doha.

I was just an ordinary person living an ordinary life, with nothing special about me.

“Thank you, sir.”

Turning around, I stood with the wind at my back, smiling at him.

“Thank you for letting me keep my job even though you know I’m an omega. I won’t forget this favor. I’ll make sure not to cause any trouble over the suppressants. I’ve handled it well so far, and I’ll keep managing it the same way.”

“Don’t take them.”

“But if I don’t…”

Han Doha cut me off mid-sentence, his face twisted in frustration.

His expression was so pained, like he was about to cry, that I couldn’t say another word.

“I’m ordering you. Don’t take them. If you do, I’ll fire you. I’ll make sure you can never set foot in this industry again, not even land a part-time job.”

“…”

“So please, don’t take them. I’ll help you hide your pheromones. It’s not like it’s impossible. It’s nothing, really.”

Does he even understand how much effort I’ve had to put in just to hide something that’s “nothing” to him?

Someone who’s always been at the top could never grasp my life.

I stopped myself from saying anything more. It would just be another pointless argument.

“Alright, I understand. I’ll rely on you.”

Han Doha’s deep sigh mixed with the sound of the waves, dissipating into the air.

When I looked up, the sunset had already vanished, and darkness was creeping in.

The night, which began beyond the horizon, had already chased me to the edge of the world.

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It took more than 40 minutes to return to the villa, but not a word was exchanged between us.

There was a brief argument over who would drive, but that was the extent of our conversation.

As soon as we arrived at the villa, I unfastened my seatbelt and got out of the car.

I heard Han Doha mumbling something behind me, but I didn’t turn around.

As I made my way across the large garden, my eyes caught a hammock strung between two trees.

A lone booklet lay on top of it.

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