10 rules of a Secretary chapter 27

CEO Han, after eyeing me critically, suddenly brushed my bangs aside and said nonchalantly,

“Take a shower. You smell.”

I wanted to retort that it was his dogs’ fault, but I quietly bowed my head and ran towards the house.

When I came back out after washing my face thoroughly, I saw CEO Han sitting on the living room sofa, working.

He was holding a pen and reviewing some reports. I glanced at the time; it was 3 PM.

Too early to be leaving work.

Wondering if something had happened at the company, I cautiously approached him while clutching my work tablet and asked,

“Is there a problem at the company?”

“Have you eaten?”

I asked about the company, but he responded with a question about food. I looked at his profile without turning my head.

Breakfast had been unusually lavish.

Normally, I would just have a convenience store triangle kimbap or some leftover fried rice from the night before, but today was different.

There was a perfectly rolled omelet, steaming dried pollack soup, glossy white rice, freshly made kimchi, and grilled eel.

Everything was warm and delicious, as if it had just been made. I didn’t have a hangover, but that didn’t mean my uneasy stomach felt better.

At least my stomach wasn’t hurting, which was a relief.

On days like this, my stomach usually ached even more, but surprisingly, it was fine, and I even wondered if there had been some stomach medicine mixed in with the alcohol.

“I asked if you’ve eaten.”

“Yes, I ate well.”

“Good. Then sit next to me.”

He probably meant right next to him, but I sat a little farther away.

I couldn’t help but twitch my lips as I saw the thick report he handed me.

Is he giving me this to read now?

Here? Not at the office? Really?

I looked at him with a doubtful gaze, but he just nodded slightly before returning his attention to the tablet.

“Check for typos.”

I wanted to argue that there were professionals for that, but…

“Secretary Seonyul refunded the clothes I bought last night.”

“The weather is lovely today. CEO, if you have time, how about taking a walk with Dduki and Ddolboki? It was really refreshing this morning.”

“It’ll rain this afternoon. Just get to work.”

His cold response made me focus intently on the report. But my mind was in total disarray.

I might be the only secretary in the world who, after getting drunk and causing a scene in front of her boss, still managed to keep her job.

Shouldn’t I have died from shame by now? Logged out of this life and started over in the next one?

“Should I buy you a car?”

His sudden question finally pulled my attention away from the report. He still wasn’t looking at me.

“It’d make commuting easier. And you’re due for a bonus this half-year, aren’t you?”

Though it was out of the blue, it wasn’t entirely unexpected.

Over the past eight years as his secretary, I’d received more gifts from him than I could count.

Even if it wasn’t something he gave directly, it was my job to gather up the things he wanted to discard and distribute them to the team.

Besides, he had already given me a car as a bonus a couple of years ago.

Although I did receive cash as well, I wished it had all been in cash in the first place.

“You already gave me one two years ago.”

“The new model this year…”

“I traded it for a potted plant.”

“You sold it?”

“No, I traded it for a potted plant.”

When I had gone to a loan shark’s office to pay off some debts, the sleazy guys there had given me a long-winded explanation about interest, so I angrily handed over the car.

After doing some quick calculations, I realized I could cover the interest and some of the principal, so I didn’t regret giving up the car.

The leftover money was used to buy a huge, yellowing ornamental plant labeled “Congratulations on the merger.”

I brought it back, and it still sits at the entrance of the secretary’s office. I even named it “Paradise” and took care of it with great devotion.

Maybe it thrived on love, because it turned green and started sprouting upward, making it quite a sight. It had even become something of a mascot for the office.

However, I still sometimes regretted the taxi fare I spent bringing that heavy pot to the office in the dead of winter.

“A potted plant?”

His face, which had been focused on the tablet until now, finally turned towards me. His expression seemed to ask, “Did I hear that right?”

What should I say instead of “I paid off my debt”?

Ah, I thought of a good excuse.

After all, the public transportation from my house to the office was more than adequate—no, not quite a highway, but still well-connected.

It wasn’t like the transportation was bad, and without a proper parking space, what was the point of having a car?

Besides, hadn’t I taken care of other tasks properly?

“You didn’t give any specific instructions about what to do with it. My house doesn’t have a garage, and there’s no good place to park.”

“Hah…”

His soft sigh carried a wealth of emotions. It was a sigh that seemed to cut through the unusually quiet living room.

“I’m curious about something.”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“I’m stumped. There’s this stubborn person, and I must have them. But no matter how hard I try, they won’t budge. What should I do?”

What kind of nonsense… What kind of crazy talk is this? Still, as a secretary, I had to respond.

The eighth commandment of being a secretary: Answer your boss’s questions with sincerity.

Of course, this was a question, but it was more like nonsense.

Was it my job to listen to my boss’s nonsense?

Or was it part of a secretary’s duties to assist in human trafficking…?

As I considered various scenarios, I gave the most rational and reasonable answer I could.

“CEO… Everything in life has a process and order. If you want talent, offer them a salary and treatment that will make them want to be scouted. If you want a lover, just don’t act like Hajeong Pharmaceuticals.”

“Hajeong Pharmaceuticals? Why bring that up?”

“It’s a way of saying don’t ditch them halfway.”

“You tried to deceive me. Was I supposed to just go along with it?”

“It’s just a way of saying. Anyway, don’t give up and keep pushing.”

“And if it still doesn’t work?”

Is it even possible to resist that face?

I carefully recalled the faces of the twenty-two people who had partnered with him at parties.

Up until five years ago, they were all handsome men and beautiful women, and since three years ago, it had been all handsome men.

Most of the partners really liked him—more precisely, they liked his face. Not his personality, just his face.

Of course, there are a few things in the world that even his face can’t accomplish. I sharply acknowledged that fact with a nod.

“Then you should give up.”

“And if I can’t give up?”

“You still have to give up.”

“They say even a tree that doesn’t fall after ten chops will eventually be felled.”

I never thought I’d hear such a saying from the boss, and I barely managed to stop a sarcastic laugh from escaping. Instead, I responded calmly.

“Well, after ten chops, the tree would be completely battered, and the person would be in shreds.”

“…Is there no other way?”

At his persistent question, I looked him over, dressed neatly in his suit even at home.

It was like a picture. A living masterpiece, yet still someone else’s treat. Not something I wanted for myself.

Drawing that clear line, I offered some realistic advice while staring at the prominent blue veins on the back of his hand.

“Then grab hold of your opponent’s weakness and shake them with it. Or, you could overwhelm them with resources. Capitalism can be used for almost anything.”

“…What if I grab hold of Secretary Sun’s weakness and make you do whatever I want?”

I stared at him for a moment at the sudden mention of my name and then quietly replied.

“If you pay me, I’ll even twerk for you right here.”

“…So money is everything?”

“Ah, of course, money without reason won’t work. That’s part of my principles.”

The only money without reason was loan shark money. It was a painful lesson I learned by giving up half my life.

I lowered my gaze as if in thought, then nodded and gave him an answer to his initial question.

“Otherwise, I recommend overwhelming them with resources. If you like them so much, isn’t it better to give them whatever they want first?”

I briefly considered whether I should recommend he watch a romance drama, but quickly dismissed the idea.

His life was probably already blooming with romance, so why bother? Instead, I offered another piece of practical advice.

“…Or money?”

“Can you tone it down?”

His face twisted in irritation at my sincerity. I bowed my head deeply and offered a superficial apology.

My words were from the heart, but why did he always misunderstand my sincerity?

Even with just a day’s rest, my body felt much lighter. As I entered the company lobby, I gave my shoulders a light massage.

“Does that even count as rest?”

No, to be honest, it wasn’t really rest. Dduki and Ddolboki were young puppies with plenty of energy, and they needed at least two hours of walking.

For my stamina, it was more like a workout than a walk, and by the time I returned to the boss’s house in the evening, I was practically dead.

Seeing me in that state, the boss looked at me with the most disdainful eyes and graciously told me to take a short break.

Of course, even then, he had his tablet in hand. Since he was skipping meals, I reheated some food prepared by the housekeeper and served it to him.

It was even vegetable porridge. My favorite.

As I set the food down and looked at it longingly, he told me to come eat. I hesitated but eventually joined him.

I felt like I might get indigestion, but the food was innocent. Delicious things couldn’t be at fault.