CHAPTER 15

Minhee mulled over the dozens of questions that were running through her head, trying not to overreact, and asked in the most passing tone she could muster through Rose’s mumbling of the song “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”.

[So, Mr. Baek, have you ever actually met King- Mr. Kim Jae? Probably… since he’s a client.]

[…I see him occasionally.]

[Ah, occasionally. Does he come to the TJH office too?

Taejun glanced at Minhee with a reserved expression. Looking him directly in the eyes was always a bit awkward.

But since today’s topic was her ultimate favorite idol she had been a fan of for almost 10 years, she eagerly waited for Taejun’s response with hopeful eyes.

In the meantime, as Minhee mechanically applauded when Rose finished singing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”, Taejun and Luca hesitantly put down their forks and clapped along.

When Taejun still didn’t respond, Minhee looked at him and tried to recover their topic.

[Oh, I’m sorry. You don’t have to answer. Come to think of it, there seems to be an obligation to keep secrets about clients, or something like that.”

[Do you want to meet Jaehee?]

Was that a question?!

 Minhee unconsciously clenched her fist.

[Uh? Ah, yes. Every fan wants to meet their idols, haha. But opportunities like that are as rare as winning the lottery.]

[……Luca. Jaehee’s fiancée invited us to a charity event on the first Friday of May, right?]

Beside her, Luca sucked in a breath.

[You’re going? You already said you’re only paying a donation…….]

[RSVP.]

Before Luca could finish his sentence, Taejun gave a short order, which Luca immediately complied with.

[Yes, I understand. For how many people……?]

[……Buy one round table.]

[Understood].

[Send Miss Minnie as many invitations as she needs. Distribute the rest as you see fit.]

Minhee, looking perplexed, alternately glanced at Luca and Taejun. As soon as their conversation ended, she covertly poked Luca under the table. Luca shook his head slightly and whispered, ‘Later’, so only Minhee could hear.

Toward the end of dinner, the chef came in with a plate of cookies. Rose picked up a bunny-shaped cookie with a slightly squished ear, and Minhee and Luca happily bit into the freshly baked cookies.

Minhee sighed happily, chewing on her gooey cookie, looking like she had the world at her feet. When her eyes met Taejun’s, who was observing her with a half-hearted smile, she picked up a cookie and held it out to him.

[You should try one, Mr. Baek. It’s really good.]

Taejun hesitated at first but took the cookie from Minhee’s hand. Minhee watched in fascination as one corner of the round cookie disappeared into Taejun’s perfectly symmetrical lips.

When he bit into the cookie and it made a crunchy sound, she unknowingly shuddered and swallowed hard. When Taejun, with lowered eyes and a dreamy expression, looked up while savoring the cookie, their eyes met.

‘Never seen that kind of gaze before!’

Minhee blurted out unknowingly.

[How is it?]

Taejun’s deep voice resonated in the dining room.

[……Sweet].

* * *

 Taejun and Rose seemed to be accustomed to a regular routine, and quickly settled into the routine Minhee had set for them.

At eight o’clock, after saying goodnight to Rose, Minhee went into her room, turned on her laptop, organized the key points and questions that should be emphasized during the interview for the weekend nanny, and sent them to Taejun’s email.

Taejun, seemingly working in his study, immediately replied with a short ‘Thank you.’ 

‘It was a long day, but it was fulfilling too.’

Feeling proud, Minhee took a shower, changed into comfortable clothes, and pulled out the graduate school assignments she had neglected for the past few days.

A master’s degree was required for a full appointment at Aster School, so she had to juggle her studies and work, even if it was difficult.

***

It seemed like she had dozed off. Startled by the spine-chilling scream that vibrated her eardrums, Minhee, with stiff eyes, looked around.

‘Rose-!’

Minhee flung open the door and ran out, only to find Taejun yanking Rose’s door open. Rose’s screams stopped as Taejun entered, and instead turned into choked sobs.

When Minhee entered Rose’s room, she was sitting on a large bed in a darkened room, sobbing desperately with tears running down her face. Taejun stood beside the bed, repeatedly brushing through her disheveled hair, looking helpless.

Minhee climbed onto the bed and scooped Rose into her arms. The small child clung to her desperately.

[Shh……. It’s okay, it’s okay, you just had a bad dream.]

[Miss, hmph, Minnie, I’m, so, hmph, scared, hmph.]

[Rose, don’t cry. It’s all right now. You know what? Dreams are fake. When I used to have bad dreams as a child, my mom would tell me that. I didn’t know back then, but now I do. Bad dreams are all fake.]

[……Sob, all bad dreams are fake.]

[Yeah. From now on, if you have a bad dream, Uncle will protect Rose. You know how brave he is.]

[Yeah! Hmph! Santon is a giant. He’s strong]

[That’s right, so don’t worry.]

[But……, there’s no fairy flame in this room].

[Fairy flame……?]

[Yes. Rose’s room has a fairy flame that stays on at night, so it’s not scary when it’s dark].

Based on her experience as a babysitter and camp counselor from her youth, Minhee knew that most children were afraid of the dark, and it was common to keep nightlights or mood lights on when sleeping. Rose referred to these night lights as the “fairy flame.”

The unfamiliar, dark room may have played a role in Rose’s panic when she woke up from a nightmare.

[Mr. Baek, is it possible to adjust the brightness of the lighting in this room?]

Suddenly, hearing Minhee’s question, Taejun took a step closer to the bed. The lights in Min-hee’s room were adjustable, so she assumed that Rose’s room was similar.

[Uh… yes, it should be possible.]

Minhee gently stroked Rose’s small back as she looked up at him. Through the open doorway, she could just make out a silhouette, a mountainous figure that blocked the light of the hallway.

[Close the door and turn on the light at the lowest brightness, please.]

Taejun flipped the light switch next to the door up a notch, then closed the door. Minhee tucked Rose back into bed, picked up an old stuffed rabbit from the floor, and placed it in her tiny arms.

She tucked the quilt under Rose’s covers and wrapped it tightly around her body, just as her mother had done for her during her childhood nightmares.

[Uncle and Miss Minnie will bring a fairy flame to Rose’s room soon, but until then, you’ll be fine if she sleeps with a little light on.]

[Yes, Miss Minnie, but now I can’t sleep.]

A low-lit, yellowish light, like a mood lamp, revealed Rose’s tear-stained face.

[Santhon, hmph, come here quickly and protect Rose.]

As Minhee gently wiped Rose’s eyes and brushed away the disheveled hair on her forehead, one side of the bed tilted. While gently stroking Rose’s head, Minhee, who absentmindedly raised her head, stiffened.

Earlier, amidst the distraught and darkness, Taejun, who looked like a silhouette due to the backlight, was in a state of undress, with lounge pants hanging precariously on his hips, and his upper body bare, sitting on the bed. Minhee’s heart raced as she saw him.

When he was wearing clothes, the man looked tall like a model, but now that he was n*ked, he was built like a football player.

[Mommy and Daddy, when Rose has a bad dream, they’d lie with me until I fell asleep again. Will Santon also wait until Rose falls asleep?]

[……Yes.]

Taejun hesitated, then answered briefly.

He climbed onto the bed, awkwardly folding his thick arms across it, and lay down facing Rose. Minhee stared at him, puzzled. His shoulders spread wide at a right angle, well-defined abs with visible grooves, and even his long, firm arms.

‘If I didn’t know what you do for a living, I’d mistake you for an athlete.’

As he stretched, his well-sculpted, thick, and solid muscular upper body was fully revealed, and his muscles rippled like waves with his movements.

[Miss Minnie, lie down like Santon!]

[Huh? Uh…]

Minhee followed Taejun, folding one arm, then lay on her side facing Rose. Quietly lying down, it wasn’t long before Rose’s eyebrows fluttered and she fell asleep. If they stayed like this for another two or three minutes, Rose would be so deeply asleep that Taejun and her would be able to move without waking Rose.

When Minhee gently lifted her head, she met Taejun’s gaze, who was staring at her without any movement. She held his intense gaze until she couldn’t take it anymore, and when she looked down, she noticed a long scar across his chest. In addition to that, noticeable scars were visible here and there on his upper body.

‘What kind of life has Baek Taejun lived…?’

As he took a deep breath, his chest muscles bulged taut, and his abs rippled. Minhee was captivated by the sight, but quickly averted her gaze, realizing that she was staring too openly at the man’s bare body. Then her eyes met Taejun’s again.

This time, Taejun lowered his gaze slightly to avoid Minhee’s eyes. His gaze wandered around her upper body. Minhee’s gaze also dropped to her own upper body.

‘Oh no! My clothes!’

Unlike Taejun, she wasn’t completely undressed, but Minhee realized that she was wearing a thin tank top and shorts that were no different from panties, that she usually wore when she slept.

She hadn’t run into Taejun in this spacious house once her evening routine was over, so she had changed into her sleepwear with the intention of going straight to bed after finishing her assignment.

‘I’m not even wearing underwear!’