10 rules of a Secretary chapter 85

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“Hah… What the hell is going on…?”

It was the book I was reading five days ago before we slept together.

I wasn’t reading it because it was particularly enjoyable.

It wasn’t even something I was interested in.

I just happened to pick it up because it was there, and I fell asleep on that page.

The page, by chance, was describing the PEI Lobster Festival.

“I’m not some kid experiencing their first love… Why is he acting like this?”

I irritably slammed the book shut and carried it upstairs.

My back hurt so much that I had to stop and lean on the railing several times, but I stubbornly kept walking.

Once I entered the bedroom, I collapsed onto the bed.

The pain in my back was excruciating.

It was a miracle I had managed to walk in this condition.

A sigh escaped my lips as I lay there, curling up and blankly staring at my phone.

Even though it was supposed to be a vacation combined with a business trip, there were no messages from the secretary’s office.

Then again, the person they’d be attending to was here with me, so there wouldn’t be anything urgent…

Oh, right.

The day to repay my debt was coming up soon.

Just in case, I sent a message to the loan sharks.

It was early morning in Korea, so their response wouldn’t come until much later.

“Hah…”

Lying down made my back hurt even more.

I kept tossing and turning, finally burrowing under the blankets.

The night breeze coming through the slightly open window was quite chilly.

I didn’t even have the energy to get up and close it.

I groaned, pressing my hands against my lower back, but eventually, I gave up.

Snuggled under the blankets, I slowly began to feel drowsy.

Maybe when I woke up, all of this would have just been a dream.

I prayed for that as I slowly closed my eyes.

Knock, knock.

In the midst of my fading consciousness, a faint knocking sound reached my ears.

I peeked my face out from under the blanket.

Another knock followed, and a cautious voice came from outside the closed door.

It was Han Doha.

“May I come in for a moment?”

“…”

“Just for a moment, really. I won’t take long.”

His pleading tone left me no choice but to reluctantly tell him to come in.

He entered with a box in his hand, steam rising from it.

Approaching hesitantly, he knelt beside the bed and met my eyes.

“I thought your back might be hurting, so I brought this. May I touch you for just a moment?”

Why does he always do this?

Why does he keep slipping in these moments of kindness just when I’m about to forget?

His cautious hands, his gaze—they keep repeating, engraving themselves into my memory.

I shouldn’t be getting used to this, but my feelings were tangled, complicated.

I needed to refuse.

I needed to push him away.

With that flimsy resolve, I finally spoke.

“…No.”

I forced myself out of the blanket and was about to leave the room when I felt a tug on the hem of my shirt.

I turned around.

Han Doha’s long, thick fingers were gently holding onto my shirt.

It seemed like his backup plan, unable to grab my arm directly.

“I’ll just do this and leave. I won’t do anything else, I swear.”

That desperate voice cracked the thin layer of my resolve.

He led me back to the bed by the hem of my shirt.

One side of the mattress sank under his weight as he helped me out of my slippers and onto the bed.

“Just turn over and lie down for a bit.”

“CEO, there’s really no need for you to do this. Given time, the pain will…”

“I want to do this for you. Please, just let me.”

His awkwardly polite tone made me feel strange.

In the end, I sighed and unwillingly lay down.

He gently lifted my shirt up to my lower back and placed a warm steam towel on the area.

My body tensed from the unfamiliar sensation, and he murmured softly.

“I’m not going to do anything. Don’t worry.”

There was a faint laugh that followed.

He quietly massaged my back, pressing down on my tense muscles, his hands gently smoothing over my lower back.

The heat from the towel slowly eased the knots in my muscles.

Lying on my stomach, I closed my eyes as he continued his massage.

With each touch of his firm fingers on my skin, I trembled involuntarily.

When his fingers brushed against my slightly curved spine, goosebumps rose on my skin.

“Ugh…”

“Does it hurt?”

“…No, it’s just…”

Every time his fingers touched my skin, I had to clench my fists and endure.

He was genuinely trying to help me, but I was struggling to suppress the involuntary sensations rising within me.

Eventually, the heat from the towel faded.

Han Doha removed it from my back and wiped me down with a dry towel.

Once he finished, he stood up quietly.

I watched as he left the room.

I had been bracing myself, expecting him to try something, but…

“Oh, and…”

Just before closing the door, Han Doha paused, turning back to me with a clumsy smile.

In that brief moment, I noticed the deep exhaustion on his face.

That pitiful look kept drawing my attention.

I gripped the blanket tightly, carefully sitting up, waiting for what he would say next.

“I made some light food downstairs. I won’t go into the kitchen until tomorrow morning, so feel free to eat without any worry.”

With that, Han Doha closed the door and disappeared.

His footsteps grew fainter and eventually faded completely.

Straining my ears, I waited, but there was no more sound.

I cautiously opened the door.

Outside, there was no one.

The villa was silent, devoid of any trace of life.

I stood at the door, rubbing my back, overcome with a strange mix of discomfort, disappointment, and even sadness.

---

A week passed after that day, and I hadn’t seen Han Doha.

To be precise, I hadn’t met him while fully conscious.

He always lingered around late at night after I’d fallen asleep.

I realized this one early morning, half-awake and drowsy from a strange sense of being watched.

At first, I thought it was just a dream, but it didn’t take long to realize it wasn’t.

Han Doha was avoiding me, but at the same time, he was looking for me.

His behavior—sneaking in like a thief at night just to watch me—told me everything.

If that were all, I would’ve laughed it off, but he started to bother me in other ways.

“He’s not some kind of magical housekeeper…”

I chuckled dryly at the sight of the perfectly set meal on the table today as well.

Did he really think he was playing the role of some enchanted housemaid?

A gentle breeze filled the kitchen.

The food on the white, pristine plates looked delicious.

And, annoyingly enough, there were no crustaceans or shellfish, as if he’d taken special care.

I stared at the food for a moment before turning away.

I knew what would happen to the untouched meal, but there was no way I could bring myself to eat it.

I went back to my room after filling up on snacks and drinks.

It was uncomfortable enough to make me want to leave the villa, but I couldn’t.

Han Doha had been out all day from morning to night, and even when he returned, he only cooked and stayed out of sight.

Of course, since that day, I hadn’t touched a single dish he made.

It was more that I couldn’t, but what difference did it make?

“The weather is really nice.”

I looked up at the bright blue sky before sinking into the sunbed.

The balcony connected to the room was spacious and clean, complete with a parasol and sunbed, making it a comfortable spot to rest.

The breeze was cool, and the weather was perfect.

If it weren’t for this discomfort, I could almost enjoy a relaxing day.

Each day passed slowly and quietly.

It was the kind of leisurely, peaceful moment I had once dreamed of, like something out of a dream.

The phone was quiet except for the alarms I had set.

Most of those alarms were related to my medication, but a few days ago, the threat from Han Doha was still looming.

In the end, I had compromised by reducing my dosage; stopping completely felt like too much, so I had only cut back a little.

The loan shark was also silent.

He had mentioned transferring part of the interest while he was away on a long business trip, but I flatly refused.

My stubbornness meant I wouldn’t accept anything but cash.

Settled in the shade of a parasol, I slowly blinked my eyes and fished my vibrating phone out of my pocket.

[Real Life Lord] – Hey, are you in Canada? ๑őεő๑ Take me with you! 14:02

It was an unexpected message from someone who hadn’t contacted me in ages.

Just before my departure, they had urged me to go and even seemed excited about it.

Now, the message felt as if they were missing me.

[Me]- What’s this? You were pushing me to go before. 14:02

[Real Life Lord] – I have an important announcement~ I’ll let you know when you get back~ 14:03

I asked what it was, but there was no reply.

Why do people have to be so irritating like this?

I thought for a moment and then quickly sent another message.

I have two questions: first, why do you speak like that?

[Me] The second is—14:03

Having written that much, I immediately silenced my phone and turned off all notifications.

If they were curious, they’d bring it up first.

I ended the conversation in my mind and started looking around for a nearby restaurant.

To get straight to the point, there was nothing around.

Even if I found a place, I had to applaud Han Doha’s remarkable taste for picking such a remote spot.

The closest place was an hour’s walk away, and it only sold hot dogs and hamburgers.

“Hm….”

After a long pause, I finally gave up.

Honestly, I didn’t want to think about anything right now.

I lowered one leg under the bed and wiggled my toes, letting my body relax comfortably.

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