10 rules of a Secretary chapter 4

“Is the hair and basic makeup all done?”

“The hair is done, and as for the makeup…”

So Haeun shifted her gaze towards the staff behind her. It was a female alpha responsible for CEO Han’s makeup.

“Yes, we’ve finished the basics, and we stopped as per his request.”

“That’s what she said.”

I felt a wave of fatigue wash over me. At least he hadn’t thrown anything, which was a relief. I left a thank-you note and followed CEO Han with quick steps.

He was standing not far from the entrance. As I approached, wondering if he was waiting for me, a faint minty scent with a sharp undertone reached my nose.

As expected, he wasn’t waiting for me; he was just having a cigarette. Noticing my presence, he glanced at me and then extinguished the remaining embers in a portable ashtray from his jacket pocket. The minty scent lingered subtly.

A cool ocean breeze mixed with mint and tobacco.

I knew CEO Han’s pheromones well, but I liked this moment the most. It wasn’t the overwhelming sensation of pheromones pressing down on my mind; it was a raw scent.

‘Come to think of it, it’s been a while since I smelled CEO Han’s pheromones.’

When I first became his secretary, he didn’t particularly hide his pheromones. I vividly remember feeling them even during my beta days.

But at some point, CEO Han began to control his pheromones excessively, even during difficult moments like the rut cycle, which showed incredible mental strength.

“Secretary Seonyul.”

He lightly exhaled the smoke from his mouth and turned his head towards me.

“I’m ridiculous, aren’t I?”

“I’m sorry for leaving without notice.”

“Turn your face.”

I obediently showed my injured cheek, and he slowly removed the patch that had been sticking to it. A sharp scent hit my nose.

He dropped the white patch on the ground and lightly stepped on it with his shoe. The clean patch now bore a clear mark from the black sole of his shoe. It felt like a metaphor for my future, so I kept my mouth shut.

“I don’t like others interfering.”

Is that really something to say in front of an injured person? It was so typical of him to make such a remark, as if reminding us all of his prickly personality.

If he paid me less or if his face was less handsome, I would have quit this job long ago. Why does he have to be so good-looking? Sometimes the world seems really unfair.

But maybe it’s just a little fair. The gods gave him money and looks but forgot about character. Even so, in a world where character is a trivial flaw compared to money and looks, I was just an ordinary person trying to survive.

So, I had to humble myself… Damn it. I lowered my eyes and slightly bowed my head.

“I’m sorry.”

Instead of responding, he turned and walked towards the car. The driver opened the door, and he naturally got in.

The black car was domestic. It cost exactly 80 million won—no more, no less. Despite wearing clothes worth the price of a month-long soju party, his car was modest.

People often think chaebols in novels drive Rolls-Royces, Bugattis, Ferraris, Jaguars, or something like that, but not CEO Han.

Although he did have such cars in his private garage, he preferred domestic cars for most of his public outings.

I understood the reason. Apart from being understandably obnoxious, it wasn’t a problem.

‘My power and money won’t disappear just because of a car. It’s also my duty to show the public what they want to see.’

For this reason, even the chairman of Daewon Group preferred domestic cars, and although CEO Han didn’t hold a proper position within the company, he was the face of the group.

This made CEO Han dislike him even more. While I understood and felt sorry for CEO Han’s fundamental reasons for disliking CEO Han, it was all another world’s story anyway.

As I watched the car with red tail lights, I squeezed into the seat opposite CEO Han. Soon, the car started.

“Did you check the expected interview answers? Let me know if there are any problematic parts. I’ll revise them immediately.”

“I’ll make the revisions myself. Who wrote this response?”

“The PR Director. Is there a problem?”

CEO Han, who had been looking out the window, gestured for me to hand over the tablet. I brought up the interview questions and handed the tablet to him. But instead of taking the tablet, he turned his gaze to me.

“Not that.”

“…”

“Your face.”

It was an unexpected comment, but I quickly tried to understand. As his secretary for eight years, I had to understand even the strangest things he said.

A phrase from the interview questions I saw last night suddenly came to mind.

[Do you think your appearance is influenced by your genetic makeup?]

There was no response to this question. It was obvious. It was a question meant to undermine CEO Han, as if saying, “Your success is just because of your genetics, right?”

Recalling the PR Director’s comment, I quietly responded. The tablet returned to rest on my lap.

“The PR Director hoped you wouldn’t answer that question. It’s rude, and you have no obligation to respond.”

“What do you think, Secretary Seonyul?”

“I also think it’s a rude question. You don’t have to answer.”

“Personally.”

At his request for a personal opinion, I paused and looked at his strong fingers. His long fingers were not beautiful but rather knobbly and threatening.

Knowing that many people had lost teeth to those hands, I was well aware that his hands were more than just a physical feature.

So, I had to give a proper answer. A secretary shouldn’t offend their boss.

“Personally, I don’t think it’s true. Your abilities are not because of your genetics.”

Though I said that, in my heart, I felt it wasn’t entirely wrong.

Otherwise, how could one explain CEO Han’s appearance? Even with the excuse of genetics, it made some sense. As an ordinary person, seeing his face always filled me with a strange sense of defeat.

“Indeed. Not all betas look the same.”

Looking at me, he said that and then turned his gaze back to the window. It was clear he thought I looked like a beta. He wasn’t wrong. Having manifested at a very late age, I didn’t quite fit the typical image of an omega. I was far from being cute or pretty like most omegas.

I felt a surge of emotion, but I kept quiet, as I preferred not to show it. Then, I felt a cool sensation on my injured cheek.

CEO Han’s hand was gently pressing on my swollen cheek. The faint pain made me frown. He then spoke quietly.

“Once we arrive at the shoot, go home immediately.”

“I’m supposed to assist you during the photoshoot. The dinner is at 6, so in the meantime…”

“You must think I can’t do anything without you.”

“…I’ll go home.”

Instead of asking if he was the same person who had thrown a fit when I left for a moment at the salon, I nodded and stared at the tablet.

CEO Han was two years younger than me, but from an objective perspective, he was still just a kid. But kids get even angrier if you call them kids.

So, I just smiled. My bruised cheek trembled, but I kept a capitalist smile on my face.

The filming location was a studio in Cheongdam-dong. I was so anxious about leaving CEO Han alone that I tried to get out of the car, but he firmly pressed against the door on my side, blocking me.

He then made a gesture for me to lower the window. Thinking he meant to roll it down, I quietly pressed the button. As the window descended, his white face came into sharp contrast through the dark glass.

“Go home.”

“……Were you serious?”

“Stop asking questions and leave.”

CEO Han, having said that, turned his back, indicating he wouldn’t entertain any more questions or idle chatter.

I stared at his retreating figure for a moment, then hurriedly opened the door and followed him out. The sound of my heels on the cement floor abruptly stopped.

Turning around, CEO Han looked down at me with a sardonic smile. It was a very unpleasant expression.

“Secretary Seonyul, do you think my words are a joke? Do you have a knack for hearing only with your ears?”

“No, not at all.”

“Then why?”

“Just a moment……”

I carefully adjusted his slightly askew tie and tidied his clothes. Then I took out the lip balm I had kept in my pocket. It was a mint-scented lip balm with a hint of red.

“Would you mind lowering your head a little?”

“……”

“CEO Han?”

Seeing CEO Han obediently lower his head, I dabbed the lip balm on the tip of my pinky finger. Then, I carefully brought it to his lips.

“It will touch your lips.”

“……Alright.”

As I felt the warm breath on my fingertips, I gently rubbed his lips, moving slowly to avoid discomfort.

I traced the lines of his lower lip with utmost care.

His lips were exceptionally soft. How much effort had I put in over the past eight years just to get these lips right?

CEO Han had always chewed his lips daily without any care. The moment anyone touched his lips, vases would be thrown and pens would be driven into his face.

The shop staff had called me in tears dozens of times.

The memories of running around trying to fix this situation, to the point where my legs felt like they would give out, were still as vivid as ever, fueling my frustration.