10 rules of a Secretary chapter 16

I stared blankly at the pretty jeon (Korean pancakes) in front of CEO Han, then slyly picked one up and popped it into my mouth.

“You’re eating well. Should I take it from your salary?”

At those words, I immediately spat out the half-eaten jeon and hastily put my chopsticks down.

“I didn’t eat anything.”

“Wipe the oil from your mouth first before you say that.”

I roughly wiped my lips with a napkin from the table, blinking in confusion.

CEO Han chuckled, lightly tapping the table with his fingers while holding his glass.

“Eat. You probably haven’t even had a proper drink today because of the tension.”

“…It’s fine. You eat, CEO.”

“If you don’t eat, you won’t get your party allowance today.”

I had no idea how to respond to his capriciousness.

After confirming his expression, I bowed my head and reluctantly put the jeon back into my mouth.

His low laughter tickled my ears.

“It’s fun teasing you. It never gets old.”

Did he think I was doing this just to entertain him?

I almost voiced my thoughts but instead chewed the well-seasoned jeon thoroughly.

After a while, I swallowed and sighed before speaking.

“I heard you’re so boring and rigid that you can’t even get married. But it’s comforting to hear such compliments from you, CEO.”

I recalled the offhand comment made by the advertising team manager during yesterday morning’s meeting, asking me to put in a good word about the latest ad to the CEO.

I had bluntly refused, and his response was outrageous.

‘Ugh. He’s so boring. So rigid. Is that why he doesn’t have a girlfriend? How will he ever get married at this rate?’

I had no lover because work kept me endlessly busy, and I was boring because the company’s confidentiality demanded it.

By keeping quiet to make life a little easier, it seemed like I was taken for a fool.

Yet, as merely a secretary, how could I argue with the advertising team, especially with someone who held a managerial position?

Remembering this made my mouth twist in frustration.

Damn it.

How can someone without a lover live with such resentment?

“Secretary Seonyul.”

Hearing my name, I looked up to see CEO Han smiling softly.

His smile was so gentle that I wondered if I had ever seen him smile like that before.

His well-maintained lips, thanks to my care, slowly parted to speak the next words.

“You shouldn’t act so playful.”

“It’s not playfulness; it’s the truth.”

“Why do you keep wagging your tail in front of others? Shouldn’t you be more careful about sharing personal stories?”

“It’s not personal… Yes, I apologize.”

“Just eat, quickly.”

Though his words cut me off mid-sentence, his next statement was more important.

Before he could change his mind, I quickly bowed and resumed eating with my chopsticks.

Reflecting on it, I realized I rarely had proper meals unless I was dining with CEO Han. To say I hadn’t had such meals would be more accurate.

Often, I spent nights organizing documents, memorizing various foreign languages and administrative details, and keeping up with the situations surrounding CEO Han, including the affairs of related subsidiaries and Executive Vice President Han.

Especially with the ever-changing economic conditions, I frequently ended my day with economic journals.

Naturally, instant noodles became my friend, and caffeine was the god that came to save me.

There’s a saying that goes something like this:

‘God created the sun to benefit humans, and since everything else was a hassle, caffeine descended to help. Thanks to this divine intervention, humanity spends its days and nights in continuous motion. It was a truly glorious descent.’

“You didn’t ask about earlier. I thought you might.”

I paused with my chopsticks poised over the meat jeon and turned my attention to CEO Han.

As usual, he maintained his impeccable, impenetrable posture while sipping his drink.

“If it were something I needed to know, you would have told me. Since you haven’t, I assumed it wasn’t important. Isn’t that right?”

“Well… you’re half correct.”

Fiddling with his glass, he created a deep furrow in his brow as if something was bothering him. I cautiously poured more soju into his glass and stepped back.

He downed the slightly overfilled glass in one go and set it aside. In the eight years I’d known him, CEO Han never drank excessively.

“The chairman finally decided to give up the art museum he’s been clinging to.”

“…I see.”

“He’s also willing to transfer 30% of the department store shares. It’s like a buy-one-get-one-free deal.”

“Isn’t that good news? Oh…”

I responded quietly, then suddenly realized what this was about—the “bet” mentioned during Executive Vice President Han’s recent meeting.

I racked my brain trying to figure it out but couldn’t come up with an answer.

Fortunately, CEO Han handed me a small white note and added,

“We had a little drawing at our last dinner.”

“…It says men’s and women’s underwear here.”

“That’s my task this time.”

Should I have the ability to understand these vague instructions?

Instead of voicing my thoughts, I smiled.

I felt like hitting my own head for thinking I had gotten closer to the CEO lately.

I checked the note for any clues.

Alongside the words “men’s and women’s underwear,” there were detailed drawings in the corners.

Surely the chairman didn’t draw these himself.

Hoping that wasn’t the case, I looked at CEO Han, who wore a truly annoyed expression.

His lips were tightly pursed into a straight line, and the furrow in his brow deepened.

Unconsciously, I leaned on the table and reached out to gently smooth the furrow with my thumb.

His brow slowly relaxed. Returning to my seat, I straightened my back and offered him a piece of advice.

“We may be indoors, but paparazzi could appear anytime, anywhere. Please manage your expression, CEO.”

“Do I have to worry about such things? Secretary Seonyul, aren’t you supposed to cover up all my messes, no matter what I do? It’s you, not me.”

Drawing a clear line, I smiled quietly.

Damn it, I should smile.

Memories of his past outrageous behavior flashed through my mind.

Yes, I’ve seen plenty of that.

Mostly, it involved beating up Executive Vice President Han.

It usually started with Executive Vice President Han losing a verbal argument and beginning to throw punches out of frustration. If only he could fight well.

But lacking skill, his punches never landed on CEO Han.

As a result, it often looked like CEO Han was beating him up, even though Executive Vice President Han started it.

It wouldn’t have been so bad if it happened out of sight, but it always occurred in broad daylight, in front of a throng of reporters.

I couldn’t remember how many ads we ran to cover that up for the sake of the company’s image.

Thanks to the ads, there were no unnecessary articles, which was a relief.

Money truly is powerful.

“Let me just say, I am in a position where I must be concerned about your wealth, sir. Although the wealth you have wouldn’t be tarnished by something like this, a small hole in a sturdy dam can eventually lead to…”

I stopped speaking there.

The CEO’s lips twisted into a dangerous smile, as if daring me to continue.

Recognizing the signal to manage the situation wisely, I bowed my head slightly.

“I apologize.”

“It’s fine.”

Recognition naturally, and apology faster than anyone else.

That was my principle. I nodded deeply.

The CEO accepted my apology smoothly. His arrogant chin gesture seemed to push me away.

“More importantly, in this bet, the chairman is only looking at two things: buzz and sales figures. As you know, lately… no, for the past ten years, the fashion sector has been sluggish. I’m considering pushing either you or that dull guy aside from the fashion division head. Honestly, I don’t care. I still don’t care.”

The CEO clicked his tongue irritably, propping his chin with his hand.

“I’m busy solidifying my own company. Why should I touch a subsidiary that’s not even mine yet, unless I’m going to take it over entirely?”

“That’s true. But you mentioned earlier that the art museum is involved… The chairman didn’t throw in the museum as a bonus, did he?”

“That’s right.”

My head throbbed.

As if there weren’t enough things to worry about, an art museum and a useless bet had been added to the mix.

At the same time, I knew this would greatly benefit the CEO’s future.

But a bet?

It didn’t make sense to gamble away billions.

“Oh.”

I realized then that this wasn’t just a simple bet. It was a signal that the power structure was about to change.

The chairman was either going to oust the CEO, who insisted on only meeting Beta men, or elevate him to a higher position. I

t was practically a declaration to achieve one of these two outcomes.

“In a bet, you stand to lose something too, sir. And if it’s a lottery, it means CEO Han’s side has their item set, so sharing that would be appreciated. Our secretarial team needs to prepare to move accordingly.”

“Lose…”

The CEO clicked his tongue again, looking at me. It meant he was reluctant to explain.

“Nothing. I do have something, but I’m not going to lose, so nothing. And the dull guy is in outdoor gear.”