Trapped In A Novel As The Breeding Mate For Four Powerful Alphas-Chapter 419: I’m not the one you have to apologize to, dummy
I sat at the table at the far end with Min-Cheol, where we wouldn’t be disturbed, chatting away while the sound of clicking cameras and gossip filled the air.
It looked like they were no longer here for the pastries, but wanted to get a good shot of Min-Cheol and me, so they could spread it to the news.
I was certain there was a journalist among them because all the while, I kept hearing; ’If I could just have a word for the paper. Just a word.’
It made me groan with discomfort a few times. They were so zealous, haha.
"Does it bother you?" Min-Cheol asked again while I stirred my strawberry milk but I looked up and smiled.
"Nah!"
By the way, their strawberry milk is really great. You know, it was a complementary drink that was given ’before’ the actual order since apparently, it would take a while for our order to get here.
I’m hungry, but if I can taste them all freshly baked, then I don’t mind.
My guess is, the chef or the baker, whichever sounds right, wanted to make everything from scratch with perfection so that Min-Cheol can have the freshest of his masterpieces and judge from there.
You know it’s bad when a powerful Alpha tastes what you make and then frown, right? Even if they don’t say it with their mouth, their facial expression alone could kill a business.
Though Min-Cheol is much younger than me, he isn’t that much of a fan of sweets, as compared to me.
In this case, he really needs to be impressed for this business to boom even further.
But hold on a sec,
"When you said that you wanted to take me to a popular pastry shop that makes really good sweets, it sounded like you had tasted it firsthand. Is that not the case?"
Judging by the fact that he was making his appearance here for the first time, it certainly was his first time so what made him so confident that they were good at what they do?
Surely, he didn’t just listen to reviews, right? That’s kind of sloppy if you consider how high they consider my interest.
"I tasted it firsthand." He said. "My assistant got it for me this morning, saying it would make me feel better."
Oh. I thought back to his assistant. Wasn’t he that frightened man, Go... go... It was definitely Go something.
He really had it caught out for him when Min-Cheol was annoyed back there and he didn’t seem surprised about it.
"Little Min," I called. "Do you usually lash out at your employees?" I asked and saw him flinch.
It was so visible that I couldn’t even pretend not to notice.
"Well," he rolled his eyes away guiltily. "It’s mostly when I feel annoyed and he keeps insisting that I do stuff that I feel fed up with."
"Like work?" I asked with a raised brow and he gulped.
Yeah, no one is without faults and everyone has a level of patience they can endure.
I wonder...
His assistant definitely has the patience of a saint.
I could already imagine how Min-Cheol acts when he’s in the red.
In a text, it said Min-Cheol was temperamental in the office. Despite how he usually smiled, never showing his true intentions, he threw these quiet tantrums that made life hard for his employees, and complained for every little thing he found dissatisfying... Just like a child, and not considering the effort put into it.
It wasn’t that there was anything majorly wrong with what he complained about. It wasn’t that it was difficult to fix either, but his heart kept swaying and making him agitated and displeased.
In a word, you could say he was searching for ’attention’ and no one was giving it to him. No one understood him.
He was tired of acting like an adult and someone extremely knowledgeable. He wished to live like a kid. He wanted to be pampered and spoiled, but that never happened, even if he yelled at the top of his voice, fired everyone in his house, though he never went that far, since he knew it wouldn’t change anything, and he wouldn’t feel better.
"You should be more understanding of your assistant, you know," I said to him. "He’s working so hard for your sake. Appreciate him more by giving him a paid vacation, buy him a family ticket, if he has one so he can go enjoy with his family. And if he doesn’t have a family, then no matter. Just..." I reached my hand towards his face, hoping he would get the point I was trying to make, if not entirely. "...make him understand you don’t see him as just a worker to put up with your mood swings, okay?"
I caressed his face gently and watched as the guilt in his eyes spread into a blush of embarrassment.
"I... I’m sorry." He said but I laughed.
"I’m not the one you have to apologize to, dummy," I said. "So, will you apologize to him?"
"I don’t know." He said, and though it was vague, I was glad he decided to be honest instead of making fake promises that he wasn’t ready to keep yet. "But I’ll definitely prepare that paid vacation and buy him a family ticket. He has a little girl but he never gets to spend time with her since he’s always working. It’s probably my fault." He couldn’t move his neck recklessly so his eyes did all the moving.
Rolling from one side to the other until it finally landed on me after a brief thought as he said,
"I think I do have to apologize, Hyung."
Ah, to think I would hear such words from Min-Cheol.
He even knew of his assistant’s circumstances despite never even taking an interest in him. I feel proud that he hasn’t been a complete snob.
’I like my man when they’re easy to reason with.’ I thought, happily. "I guess that’s the best outcome we can come up with," I said, taking my hand back but he suddenly caught my hand and then brushed it.
"Thank you for opening my eyes once again, Hyung." He said, blushing at me with a soft glow around him. That glow was quite blinding but thankfully, I had my invisible sunglasses on. I never go anywhere without it these days, haha.
He took my hand to his lips and then kissed it.
This suddenly got an uproar from the people watching and I flinched.
Ah, right. I completely forgot we had an audience.
I think I’ve been too used to being surrounded by guards who don’t pay attention to actually be conscious of others while I’m with one of the Alphas.
This will definitely make the headline, won’t it?
I blushed.
My face will be all over the news once again.
"Are you shy?" Min-Cheol suddenly asked and I raised my head to see him smiling happily.
"Of course not," I said and folded my arms. "I’m just... Not used to it yet."
"Well, you have to be." He said to me and laughed softly. "You’ll be in a much brighter spotlight soon."
This caught my attention.
In a bigger spotlight? What exactly did he mean by this now? 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖
"Is something going on?" I asked, but he simply smiled, not even thinking of disclosing it to me.
The only event I remember happening during this time is the corporation. Is there something else I’m not aware of?
"Sorry for the delay, your eminence." The chef finally came out, wearing a chef hat and looking quite handsome... I mean, he looked fit for the kitchen. It was no wonder he was able to make such sweets, but I closed my eyes.
There were two reasons why I closed my eyes.
One, I didn’t want it to seem like I was staring at a handsome guy and make Min-Cheol remember the nonsense I had uttered earlier... if the chef was single. And second, I was trying my best not to laugh at the word he just used.
Why in the world did he call Min-Cheol ’your eminence’? And he even had a bit of French accent. I mean, he was speaking Korean but there was no hiding his full fledge French blood.
It was funny, but I didn’t want to be rude so I kept my lips sealed.
"It’s fine." Min-Cheol said. "We had a hearty conversation while we waited."
"Then, I shall present my finest." He bowed his head and then began to fill the table.
One by one, he dropped my order and my mouth could no longer hold my saliva. I couldn’t even gulp because I was salivating so much.
Before I knew it, I was drooling with eyes that sparkled like stars.
"This is amazing," I said, whipping my drool before Min-Cheol used it to make fun of me. "The smell is great and the sight..." It looked ten times better than the ones displayed on the glass shelf.
"I’m glad you feel satisfied by the sight. I hope to get the same reaction from you once you taste the goodness."
"Then, I have no time to waste." I picked up a fork and was about to dig in when I noticed two intense eyes on me.
I looked up and saw the chef, as well as Min-Cheol, staring, as if deeply anticipating my reaction.
The chef, I could understand, since my feelings on the taste held the fate of his business, but Min-Cheol...?
I feel he just wants to watch me drown in the sweetness since he’s experienced it once.
Well, let’s not keep them waiting any further.
And with that, I took a bite of the croissant.
