The sight unfolding before my eyes was utterly shocking.
Lucian was wearing an apron.
“Welcome home, Master?”
……When did I ever order that?!
No matter how hard I tried to think about it, that was definitely not my style!
“You’re back early.”
It wasn’t even a normal apron.
It was pure white, trimmed with frills, and right in the center, it had a large, heart-shaped cutout.
For Lucian to be wearing that……
A buff man boasting broad shoulders and massive pecs wearing something so cute and lewd felt like a glitch in reality.
“…….”
I was completely speechless.
Besides, that design…… wasn’t this shipped from some sketchy website?
What’s with the heart in the middle?
Why is it tight enough to practically bare his entire chest?!
Standing frozen and entirely unable to speak, Lucian tilted his head and asked.
“Is there a problem, Master?”
A problem?
There wasn’t just one problem!
First of all, your outfit is a massive problem, and second of all, the fact that you’re wearing it with a straight face is an even bigger problem!
Hurriedly kicking off my shoes, I stammered out,
“……You, that thing—”
“Yes?”
“Where the hell did you get that?”
“Ah, you mean this?”
Lucian gently pinched the edge of the apron with his fingertips and smiled softly.
His hand gestures were needlessly elegant.
“It’s a gift the Master bought for me.”
……Me?
“……There’s no way in hell I did.”
Trapped in this utterly bizarre situation, I could only let out a hollow laugh.
I desperately searched the archives of my memory, but there was zero recollection of ever ordering such a monstrosity.
At most, the only things I’d ever bought were hoodies or sweatpants in Lucian’s size, matching my own usual loungewear.
“I never ordered anything like that!”
Lucian chuckled softly.
“But it was purchased using the Master’s card, wasn’t it?”
……What?
I actually bought that thing? When?!
Was my memory seriously starting to get altered now?
“It was from a VIP-exclusive line, so the shipping was quite fast.”
At those words, I clamped my mouth shut and whipped out my phone to check my transaction history.
And—
“Fucking hell, he actually swiped it?!”
[Queen’s Department Store Premium Apron: -189,000 KRW]
[VIP Next-Day Shipping Fee Included: Total -204,000 KRW]
My eyes grew wider and wider as I stared at the phone screen.
So this was the reason my phone kept buzzing all day!
A wave of sheer fury surged through me.
“……This crazy bastard.”
I needed to do something immediately.
Whether it was kicking this guy out or confiscating his card.
The notion of Lucian being a terrifying final boss had long since faded away.
No matter what poetic nonsense Lucian spewed, right now he was nothing more than a parasite stealing my hard-earned money.
Swiping my finger across the screen, I checked the payment details one more time.
I desperately wished it were just a dream, but the text message refused to vanish.
“Master? Is something wrong?”
I almost threw my phone at his pretty face, but barely managed to hold back as I opened my mouth.
“……What do you mean, is something wrong?”
Lucian blinked his platinum eyelashes, asking in a calm, serene voice.
“You don’t look well.”
“And how do you expect me to look, huh?!”
“Pardon?”
“You! Splurging! My money like this! Do I look happy to you?!”
I exploded in frustration, and Lucian looked momentarily bewildered before replying.
“……It’s important to protect your clothes when cooking, after all.”
‘Protect your clothes my ass.’
That design wouldn’t protect anything.
Wouldn’t your entire chest get singed off the second you tried deep-frying something?!
It wasn’t protective in the slightest!
If you were going to buy something, buy a normal fucking apron, and I wouldn’t be this pissed off!
My anger flared higher at the ridiculous attire, and I glared at him with wide eyes.
“You should handle that kind of thing yourself! Don’t just go swiping my card however you please!”
Lucian tilted his head, fell into brief contemplation, and then spoke quietly.
“My apologies. I wasn’t aware you were so mindful of the price.”
That remark left me utterly speechless.
……Insane final boss.
Are you made of money?!
Ah right, he’s a final boss, so of course he doesn’t care about prices. But why did it have to be my card?!
Remaining entirely calm and polite, Lucian looked down at me and spoke in a soothing tone, as if placating a fussy child.
“Seeing you spend a large sum of money on my gift without hesitation…… I assumed there wouldn’t be any issue.”
“That’s not about the money, it’s about you using my card behind my back! Besides, I bought your cuff links with ‘my own money’!”
“…….”
At those words, Lucian lowered his gaze.
It was a posture of genuine reflection.
That strangely deflated look…… Damn it.
He looked almost like he had puppy dog ears and a tail drooping down.
With a remorseful expression I had never once seen even in the game, I instinctively covered my eyes with my hand.
That massive, buff physique standing there in a bizarre, humiliating apron trying to act cute.
Truly, it was a blessing in disguise that I hadn’t enabled the costume features in the game.
“Forget it. Hand over the card.”
“I apologize, Master. Are you upset?”
“The card.”
“As for the apron—”
“I said give me the card, Lucian.”
Finally, crushed by sheer exhaustion, I massaged my throbbing temples.
Letting this guy into my house had been a mistake from the very beginning.
“Did you not use my card?”
“Normally, people ask before they use someone else’s card? Besides, is that even really your card?”
“Of course it is. I gave it to you so you could handle the household expenses and not feel lacking when you’re out.”
……What is he even talking about?
Wasn’t this some kind of doting housewife dialogue?!
My jaw dropped, and I stared at him with a blank, dumbfounded expression.
Even while witnessing my utter shock, Lucian continued completely unbothered.
“Dinner is ready, Master.”
Like hell I’m eating—!
“It’s hot gukbap.”
……I’m eating.
After a fierce battle of wills, a steaming bowl of gukbap was finally placed before me.
The piping-hot broth seemed to melt away the fatigue of the day, and the savory flavor exploding in my mouth warmed me straight down to my soul.
The volcanic fury that had been raging inside me began to subside, much like melting ice.
Seeing me calm down ever so slightly, Lucian narrowed his eyes into a soft smile.
“Is it to your liking?”
Damn massive pecs.
There were a dozen things I wanted to throw away, but the gukbap was genuinely, undeniably delicious.
“……Fucking delicious.”
A twenty-thousand-won bowl of gukbap was, without a doubt, absolute perfection.
Having finished every last drop of the soup, I dragged my exhausted body over to the sofa and sprawled out.
Rubbing my face against the soft fabric of the couch, I pushed myself half-upright.
Clutched tightly in my hand was the card I had just confiscated.
“Ha…….”
Sighing as I flipped the card over, my eyes drifted down to the black card Lucian had handed me earlier.
It was the kind of card ordinary people couldn’t even touch once in a lifetime, yet it had landed in my hands overnight.
“What on earth was he expecting me to use this for?”
NO SEOHYUN DONT LET HIM GET AWAY WITH THIS, dont fall the TITTY DISTRACTION