“Excuse me?”
“It just seems like you look in the mirror often.”
“I have to check often. To see if there’s dust on my face or if anything has changed.”
To confirm the well-being of her spots and freckles.
“Is there anything that could change?”
“There are slight changes.”
“I thought you were falling in love with your reflection in the mirror.”
“My face isn’t one that would make anyone fall in love.”
“People are naturally drawn to what is not ordinary. If it’s ordinary, it’s boring and uninteresting.”
What does that even mean?
Though he didn’t say it directly, it was clearly a compliment that Alice’s face was not ordinary.
But it was true, so she couldn’t argue.
“Did you just say I have charm in a roundabout way? Thank you for the compliment.”
He wouldn’t dare spit on a smiling face.
Alice responded with a bright smile she had never shown before.
As they exchanged light-hearted banter, they soon arrived home. Once inside, Alice crossed the living room to head upstairs.
She wanted to wash her body in warm water as soon as possible.
To wash away her distracting thoughts.
“I had a great meal today! Well then… take a rest, Vice President.”
“Next time…”
Alice halted her steps toward the second floor at Ryan’s words.
His calm gaze seemed to keep her feet from moving.
“Today was a mistake. Next time, I’ll make the reservation, so if you habitually ask Secretary Alii to do it again, then…”
‘That was bothering you.’
So that’s why he had roughly swept his hair back when he didn’t like something about the restaurant reservation.
He must have been concerned about the fact that she had made the reservation.
Alice patiently waited for Ryan’s response.
Yes, if you ask, then what?
“Rebel.”
“Excuse me?”
Rebel?
Alice laughed out loud at Ryan’s words.
Why did the phrase ‘rebel’ not suit him at all? No one would dare to rebel against Ryan.
“Can I rebel against you, Vice President?”
“What’s stopping you?”
Who would dare to rebel? With those fierce eyes!
“You only know if you rebel. It seemed a bit foolish for a man to ask a woman to make a reservation first.”
Ryan had just called himself foolish.
Clumsy as it was, he was expressing his apology.
“Vice President, you seem a bit different today than usual.”
“What do you mean?”
“I think you’ve become a bit softer… I know this is a poor example, but if you were originally a porcupine with sharp quills, today you seem more like a soft porcupine belly?”
But that wasn’t a bad thing. No, it was good.
She couldn’t outright say that dinner had been comfortable and enjoyable because Ryan hadn’t been stiff.
Ryan laughed out loud at Alice’s words. His curved eyes and pleasant laughter echoed in the living room. Seeing him genuinely laugh made Alice’s face heat up.
He was someone who could laugh out loud like that.
Even after years of serving him, he seemed far from the Ryan Alice had known.
“Why do you express it so cutely? What you’re saying is that I usually seem like a crazy person, but today I seem normal.”
Don’t close the distance again!
“Ah… no! How could I say you’re a crazy person? Surely, I couldn’t have such impure thoughts about my superior!”
Alice shook her head vigorously. She felt so flustered that her carefully drawn freckles might pop out.
They say strong denial is a strong affirmation.
“Even if I seem different today, there’s no particular reason. Sometimes, you just have to live like a normal person. Go up and rest.”
Having finished what he wanted to say, Ryan quickly disappeared into his room.
As soon as Alice entered her room, she plopped down on the corner of her bed.
“Ah, I’m drained.”
The wine had long since been metabolized.
“So why are you being kind for no reason?”
With a casual remark, the other person would have many thoughts swirling around.
“This is why people need to be careful with their words and actions.”
Alice flopped down on the bed and stared blankly at the ceiling.
But…
It was fun.
He seemed to have shown some consideration,
Feeling sorry for not making the reservation, and telling him to rebel if he made the reservation next time.
‘Army Based Stew.’
Pfft-.
Thinking of the conversation she had with Ryan at the restaurant, Alice couldn’t help but chuckle.
This thought was a bit dangerous, but it was a very cute response.
‘It’s a family matter, but we’ve been through some wounds, so that’s why. Everyone lives with their wounds, so it’s only natural to become prickly.’
Ryan’s words, which he had taken her to the study to mention separately, suddenly came to mind.
It must have been a significant wound for him to mention it separately… what could have happened?
Ryan, who looked so cold that not a drop of blood would come out even if he were pricked with a needle, had such a personality because of some incident… no, he had become prickly. Ryan’s plea for understanding lingered in her mind.
Alice became curious. What kind of wound had troubled Ryan?
