10 rules of a Secretary chapter 72

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“Oh… If only tomorrow were the end of the world.”

“Wow, that’s so romantic.”

Kang Yeonkyu, who for some reason was in the secretary’s office doing his work, responded with a chuckle.

Half-buried in my chair, I lazily rolled my eyes to look at the top of his black hair poking out above the partition diagonally from me.

“A business trip disguised as a vacation with the boss…”

I had a vague thought that I would feel less bitter about it if they at least doubled my salary. But then I shook my head.

After all, when you subtract income taxes and the four major insurance deductions, there’s hardly any money left.

That’s why I’m still struggling in debt.

What’s the point of earning more if all it does is make someone else richer?

My stomach grumbled as I recalled my dismal take-home pay, and I sighed again.

“If I pretend not to notice, maybe a small meteorite will hit me square on the head…”

Hearing my gloomy muttering, Kang’s typing stopped abruptly.

He lifted his head and peeked over the partition to look at me, offering an awkward smile.

“Well, at least it’s an overseas trip, right? And the company’s covering the expenses… You might as well enjoy yourself while you’re there.”

“I’ll enjoy myself if I can. But, after all, my job is to attend to the CEO.”

I shifted my gaze from Kang Yeonkyu and stared out at the small plant by the window next to the secretary’s office door.

“Please take good care of the plant while I’m gone.”

“No one in this office takes care of that plant but you. Don’t worry, I’ll look after it while you’re on your trip.”

He spoke with a laugh, but his words were filled with sincerity.

As I absentmindedly reached for my stomach medicine, I silently wished for a meteorite to knock me out.

My stomach hurt so badly it felt like it would burst.

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18 hours and 40 minutes.

After spending half a day and another six hours on the plane, I was finally able to land.

The cool breeze greeted me as I arrived on Prince Edward Island, a small island in Canada, located across the Pacific and another continent.

Known as PEI for short, the island was famous for its clean waters and fresh air.

Its seafood, including lobster, clams, and crabs, was also well-known. It was a hidden gem that only those in the know visited.

Blocking the gusts of wind with my arm, I reminded myself of the reason I had come all this way.

“As I’ve said before, I’m sure you’re the only one who would mix a business trip with a vacation, CEO. And you’ve completely drained my five-day vacation in the process.”

“The business part is only 5 percent. I promise the other 95 percent will be a vacation.”

Yeah, right. If that were the case, he should have just given me the plane ticket as a gift in the first place instead of dragging me along.

I trailed a step behind him, glaring at his back.

The airport was so small that there was no separate corridor.

As a result, I had to walk with CEO Han across the tarmac.

Dragging a small carry-on behind me, I glanced up at his profile.

Unlike usual, there were no bodyguards hanging around him like a string of sausages, and he looked quite relaxed.

“Are you sure you don’t need any bodyguards? No matter how remote this place is, there will still be people who recognize you.”

He glanced at me and gave a small smile before responding.

“They’d just be a nuisance. Why do you think I came all the way here? I’m not here to deal with annoying people and their prying eyes. Besides, I postponed my entire schedule for this trip; it has to be worth it.”

Watching his unsettling smile, I silently prayed that the pills and stomach medicine I had brought would be enough.

This month was going to be agonizingly long.

“Wow…”

The two-story house before me looked like something out of a fairy tale.

Although there were no other houses nearby, which made it seem somewhat out of place, it blended perfectly with the surrounding landscape.

Even the weather was perfect.

The cloudless sky was a brilliant blue, and the wind was cool.

Unlike the hot, humid wind in Korea, the dry ocean breeze gently tousled my hair.

We passed through a small garden and entered the house through a small side door, following CEO Han inside.

The marble-finished floor of the living room gleamed, and thanks to the large windows, the ocean was visible at a glance.

It felt like the sunlight would fill the entire house, no matter where you stood.

“‘You told me not to worry about the lodging, and now I see why.’
‘It’s my mother’s villa. It’s not even listed under my assets.’

He gave a casual reply as he opened the door and walked in.

The villa was clean, likely well-maintained.

Sunlight streamed in, giving the place a cozy feel.

CEO Han started gesturing and introduced the villa.

“The living room is here, as you can see, and next to it is the dining area, which is also the kitchen. Between the living room and kitchen, there’s a small study and a playroom… there’s a pool table in there, so feel free to use it if you want. Ah, and if you follow the hallway next to the door, you’ll find the bathroom. There’s also a door leading to the backyard, so take a look at it later. There’s no bedroom on the first floor. There used to be, but it was removed after an incident. Now… let’s head upstairs.”

“Thank you.”

I followed behind him, glancing around the villa.

Maybe it was because of the white-toned walls, but everything seemed exceptionally clean and white.

“As soon as you come up the stairs, there’s a bedroom to the right, and next to it is the study. On the opposite side of the hall, there are two more bedrooms. Each room has a door leading to a terrace, so you won’t feel confined.”

As I watched him introduce the house in a businesslike manner, I couldn’t help but feel something strange about the layout.

Though the place was clean, it didn’t give off the feeling that anyone had lived here.

“It seems like it’s been empty for a while.”

“I guess. For now, you’ll take this room, and I’ll use the study.”

There was no need to know where CEO Han’s bedroom was, since I wouldn’t be going there anyway.

Nodding in agreement, I inspected the room assigned to me.

Sunlight poured into the room.

A few hinged doors were open, letting in the cool breeze from outside, filling the room softly.

There was a bed, a wardrobe, a lamp, a small desk, a drawer, and even a tea table.

Everything blended perfectly, as if carefully arranged.

It was clear that the owner had put thought into the place, and I couldn’t help but mutter to myself.

“It’s pretty…”

“I’m glad you like it.”

“Do you come here every summer?”

“I don’t even remember.”

He gave another casual reply, lightly tapping my shoulder as he left the room.

“Let’s go eat.”

I was still tired from the flight, but the man in front of me looked perfectly fine.

Must be an Alpha’s stamina, I thought, nodding quietly.

I was exhausted, but what choice did I have?

If he says to move, I move.

I thought we were going to a restaurant when he mentioned eating, but the scene before me left me speechless.

CEO Han, with his shirt sleeves rolled up to his forearms, was casually rummaging through the fridge for ingredients and started prepping them.

“Could you put some water on to boil?”

“…You said we were going out to eat, didn’t you?”

“If we leave now, it’ll be sunset soon. This is a resort town, and the nearest good restaurant is in Charlottetown. That’s a two-hour round trip… are you up for driving there, Seonyul?”

At his tilted head and question, I closed my mouth.

Two hours?

No way.

We only got here because we had a driver.

He left as soon as we arrived, leaving just one car.

It hadn’t felt far when we came, but the idea of driving that distance now felt daunting.

Quietly shaking my head, CEO Han responded with a smug ‘I told you so,’ and started slicing the heavily peppered meat.

It didn’t suit him at all. CEO Han, cooking?

A man who always ate food prepared by others and probably didn’t even tie his own shoelaces, now cooking?

I had assumed that during this month-long business trip, we’d be dining at restaurants or ordering room service.

Worst-case scenario, I thought we’d grab a street donut.

In other words, CEO Han cooking was something I had never anticipated.

I blinked, staring at the pot of boiling water, wondering what was going on.

“CEO Han, I assumed you’d be staying at a hotel. You usually do on business trips, and you’ve always hated anything bothersome.”

“That’s because on a business trip, I don’t want to waste energy on unnecessary things. This is a vacation.”

“But you usually stay at hotels on vacations too. Last year you stayed at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, didn’t you?”

This was unfamiliar.

A man who always stayed at five-star hotels and spent money lavishly when abroad now here, cooking in a villa?

It was baffling.

Even in his Hannam-dong home, he had housekeepers, and everything had to be prepared without him saying a word.

This was the same man who sometimes asked me to tie his ties because he couldn’t be bothered.

It was as if I was looking at a completely different person.

Dressed in comfortable homewear, he looked strangely relaxed, a stark contrast to his usual sharp suit.

“…You said you didn’t want to go.”

“…”

That wasn’t an answer to the current situation. I stared at him, puzzled, before finally speaking up.

“Please don’t put too much bacon in.”

“Are you picky about food? This is guanciale… well, yeah, it’s basically bacon.”

“I just can’t stand the salty taste. I’d rather eat mint chocolate ice cream.”

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