#42

As our family’s financial situation improved, we began relying more on store-bought side dishes rather than cooking our own meals. Later, when my father’s business became a huge success, we hired a housekeeper.

I could never forget the first meal she prepared for us. I imagine the rest of my family felt the same. It was the first time we had ever eaten such warm and delicious food.

“It’s okay, sir.”

As I reminisced about the distant past, I suddenly felt a light, feather-like pat on my shoulder.

Wondering what it was, I turned my head and saw Nam Yisol carefully patting my shoulder, trying hard to hide his nervous expression. His touch was so cautious that I could barely feel it.

“There’s Auntie here now, and if you need, the secretary or others can help. I can do it, too. So don’t worry about it. Please don’t be concerned.”

As he said that, Nam Yisol watched me closely with trembling eyes, as if worried that his touch might upset me. His gaze showed a firm determination to withdraw immediately if I showed even the slightest discomfort.

I slowly reached out and placed my hand over the back of Nam Yisol’s hand, which was resting on my shoulder.

“Is that so? Then I guess there’s nothing to worry about anymore.”

As I tapped the back of his hand rhythmically, the stiffness in Nam Yisol’s hand gradually eased. His expression became noticeably more relaxed, so I withdrew my hand. At that, Nam Yisol also carefully removed his hand from my shoulder.

Ever since the night he had secretly entered my bedroom, Nam Yisol had been extremely cautious around me. He avoided even the smallest physical contact excessively, and whenever it was unavoidable, he always gauged my reaction.

Given the situation, it was natural for him, as the one at fault, to be wary of me, the victim. But doing it every single day? Living under the same roof, I couldn’t help but notice his constant anxiety.

Honestly, I wished Nam Yisol would stop being so nervous about that incident.

I had told him I was really fine because I truly was. If the person who was actually affected by it said they were okay, why was someone else assuming I wasn’t and acting on that assumption? I just couldn’t understand it.

It was good that Nam Yisol felt remorse and was being careful, but if he overdid it, it would only make things more uncomfortable for both of us. He needed to fully accept that I had already forgiven him for what happened.

If he continued behaving like this, I would eventually have to sit him down for a serious conversation about it. Hoping that day would never come, I turned my attention to those who had finished their meal.

“Did you all enjoy your food?”

“Yes! It was super delicious~.”

Manager Ahn Siwon patted his full stomach with a truly happy expression.

“Thank you for the meal.”

“It was really good, thank you!”

“Thanks for the food~.”

Secretary Sung Yoojun and Tartarus also seemed satisfied with their meal. I looked around at the people, who now seemed drowsy and relaxed with their hunger satisfied, and nodded in contentment. Now that the most important matter—eating—was taken care of, it was time to address the conversation I had been putting off.

“We’ll clean up the table, so President, please go ahead and rest.”

“Wait a moment, Yisol-ssi. Let’s leave the cleaning for later. Please sit back down for a bit.”

I gestured for Nam Yisol, who had stood up to clear the table, to sit again. He looked momentarily flustered but hesitantly returned to his seat. Once I confirmed that he was fully seated, I looked around the table at Tartarus and the others. Since I had everyone’s attention, now seemed like a good time to bring up the topic.

“I think we need to have a discussion about what happened today.”

As soon as I spoke, a chilly silence settled over the dining room. I heard someone gulp nervously as I continued speaking slowly.

“Everyone. May I ask why you were secretly cooking ramen?”

“Well……”

“Ah, just to be clear, I’m not blaming you for eating ramen. Please don’t misunderstand. I’m simply curious why you felt the need to cook it in secret.”

Just in case, I had added that clarification—and with it, a bit of color returned to Yoo Euiseo’s pale face. No way…… did they actually think I was mad at them for eating ramen? Did they really see me as someone that petty? If so, their opinion of me was far too harsh.

I swallowed down the disappointment that was threatening to rise to my face. I had done my best to be understanding, yet it seemed none of that had gotten through. It was like running in the completely wrong direction, only realizing it after exhausting myself.

“……It’s not that we had any bad intentions.”

After a long silence, it was, as always, Nam Yisol who finally spoke up among the Tartarus members.

“It’s just that…… we thought you would hate ramen and things like that, so we wanted to eat it secretly and clean up right away…… You always eat traditional Korean meals, so we assumed you didn’t like instant food. But we really wanted some…… We’re really sorry.”

At his apology, I firmly shook my head.

“That’s not it, Yisol-ssi. Whether you cook ramen or anything else, that’s entirely up to you and the others. You don’t need to apologize to me for that.”

“Then…… I’m sorry for making it in secret?”

“That’s not it either.”

As Nam Yisol hesitantly adjusted his words, I let out a deep sigh. They had no idea what my real concern was.

“Why do you have to cook food in secret in your own home?”

“……What?”

“This is your home, Yisol-ssi. A place where you eat, sleep, and rest. So why would you need to sneak around in your own space?”

Nam Yisol blinked in confusion at my fundamental question. Watching his eyelids flutter, I continued.

“Yisol-ssi, and me as well—this is our home. So why are we constantly tiptoeing around each other, making life uncomfortable?”

A home should be a place where the people living there could rest in comfort. But most of the people in this house weren’t even able to relax here. What could be more stressful than that?

“But…… this is your home, sir. We’re the ones intruding on your space. We know we’re making you uncomfortable. How could we just act freely? We’d feel too guilty……”

“If you think about it, the reason you’re all living here is because I failed to properly manage my staff. Ultimately, I’m the one responsible for this situation, so I should be the one feeling guilty, not you.”

“No! President, you have nothing to be sorry for! It’s not like you did this on purpose!”

“And isn’t that the same for you? You didn’t come into this house intentionally, either. So, according to what you just said, you also have no reason to feel guilty toward me.”

Hearing his own words turned back on him, Nam Yisol’s mouth snapped shut. He stared at me with a truly bewildered expression, while I gazed back at him, watching the turmoil in his trembling eyes.

For a long moment, we simply looked at each other. And then, as if we had planned it, we both burst into laughter at the same time.

“We really do look a bit foolish, don’t we?”

“You think so too, sir? Actually, I was just thinking the same thing.”

It was amusing how stubborn we had been about whose fault it wasn’t. The irony of being overly considerate to the point of making each other uncomfortable was almost tragic.

“Then how about we stop this silly behavior? It’s exhausting for both sides to be overly cautious about things the other person doesn’t even care about.”

Saying that, I looked around the table at the Tartarus members. Some met my gaze head-on, while others averted their eyes with uneasy expressions. But even so, I could tell that everyone at the table was responding positively to my suggestion.

“……If you also stop worrying about us and just relax…… then okay.”

Jung Hosu, speaking with a tone unusually cautious for his typically indifferent demeanor, voiced his agreement. I nodded at him with a matter-of-fact expression.

“Of course. I’ll also start living comfortably from now on. So you all should stop worrying too much and just feel at home. And no more sneaking around for meals.”

As I added that in a playful tone, Yoo Euiseo and Lee Daon flinched. Seeing the red slowly creeping up Yoo Euiseo’s neck, I couldn’t help but chuckle. Right. Now that they’d been caught, of course, they’d be embarrassed.