Learning the Rules

“Leave…?”

“Yeah.

Tell her she’ll still be paid, and to take it easy until I contact her again.”

“Then who will handle the work….”

“Who else.”

As he said that, Jeongyun looked straight at Jin Seha.

Both Donghyeon and Seha’s eyes widened.

Seha pointed at himself and asked back.

“Me?”

Jeongyun didn’t answer Seha directly.

Still looking at Donghyeon, he spoke.

“I’m not about to watch that cult freak take my money and loaf around my house.

If he’s getting paid, the least he can do is housework.”

“Ah, well….”

Donghyeon glanced between Jeongyun and Seha with a troubled expression.

He’d already been told by Manager Kim to make sure Jeongyun didn’t harass Seha so badly that he drove him out.

Even aside from that request, it wasn’t easy to treat someone personally hired by the Chairwoman like an ordinary subordinate.

Whether or not Seha truly had any special ability, he’d been hired in relation to Jeongyun’s life.

It wasn’t something Donghyeon could blindly agree to just because the young master ordered it.

“What.

No answer?”

Reading Donghyeon’s hesitation, Jeongyun quickly raised his voice.

Donghyeon was about to speak up and try persuading him—despite knowing it probably wouldn’t work—when Seha stepped in like a savior.

“Yes.

That’s fine.”

“…What?”

Donghyeon asked back, startled.

Jeongyun, too, twisted his expression as he stared at Seha.

Meanwhile, the one receiving both their gazes just shrugged as if it were no big deal.

“My parents aren’t around, and I raised my younger sibling myself.

I’m good at cooking and housework.

I’ve never made fancy food, but… I’ll do my best to learn.”

Honestly, Seha found it preferable.

He’d already been thinking it was boring to just stick around this house with nothing to do.

Having actual work to handle was a welcome change.

The house was big, so cleaning alone would make time fly.

He’d handled all kinds of cleaning jobs during his part-time work.

He was confident.

Cooking was the same.

Seha himself could survive on convenience-store rice balls and cup noodles.

But when it came to his sibling, he’d always tried to provide balanced, nutritious meals.

He couldn’t let his sibling eat bad food.

Naturally, his skills had improved quickly.

It wasn’t that he lacked ability—just money.

With proper ingredients, cooking was something he genuinely enjoyed.

And now, he even had financial breathing room.

The variety of meals he could make for Sejin would only increase.

Getting paid while freely practicing cooking with good ingredients.

Seha’s heart began to lift.

“Leave it to me.

I’ll really do my best.”

Seeing Seha answer so eagerly, Jeongyun’s expression darkened again.

This wasn’t the reaction he wanted.

He wanted to see him grimace.

A face full of wounded pride, barely holding back anger.

Instead, Seha looked genuinely pleased and answered cheerfully.

It drained all the force out of him.

“Shut up.”

So Jeongyun said.

Seha immediately snapped his mouth shut.

“And don’t smile.

It’s unlucky.”

The smile vanished at once.

Only then did Seha realize his mistake.

Thinking about his sibling, he’d reacted too positively without meaning to.

Jeongyun had probably wanted to provoke him.

Instead, Seha had foolishly shown he liked the idea.

Lowering his gaze, Seha hunched his shoulders.

What if Jeongyun changed his mind.

He should’ve shown how much he hated it.

He should’ve looked humiliated and resentful while forcing himself to accept it.

As Seha was spiraling into regret, something unpleasant suddenly began pushing against his head.

“Young master.”

Donghyeon’s voice dropped sharply.

Seha lifted his eyes slightly.

Jeongyun was tapping his bowed head with a finger.

“Do you not understand your position right now.

What are you so happy about.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“Don’t get cocky in front of me.

And don’t smile.”

“Yes….”

“Just stay out of my sight as much as possible.

Got it.

Shut up, be quiet, clean, cook, and hide like a parasite.”

With every word Jeongyun spat out, his finger pushed against Seha’s head.

Seha didn’t resist.

He let himself be pushed without protest.

Inside, he scolded himself again.

He shouldn’t have shown any enthusiasm.

The best response would’ve been to put on a humiliated face and accept it grudgingly—exactly what Jeongyun wanted.

“…Yes.

I’ll do that.”

Biting his lip, Seha answered, determined not to repeat the same mistake next time.

Being poked in the head repeatedly couldn’t feel good.

So letting the discomfort show in his expression and voice came easily.

“Young master, please go shower first.”

Donghyeon, who’d been watching for an opening, stepped in carefully.

He knew Jeongyun well.

If he openly took Seha’s side, Jeongyun would only lash out at Seha even more.

Though Jeongyun was long past the age of adulthood, Donghyeon knew he was emotionally far less grown than his years.

That was simply the truth, separate from how much Donghyeon genuinely cared about him.

It wasn’t Jeongyun’s fault.

He’d lost his parents in a horrific accident as a child.

Worse, he’d been forced to watch their deaths unfold over several hours.

And that wasn’t all.

He himself had nearly died.

Naturally, he’d been left with countless traumas.

Even without any so-called curse, it would’ve been strange if his body and mind hadn’t broken down.

After that, he’d lived in hospitals.

He hadn’t even been able to enjoy an ordinary school life that others took for granted.

His family’s overprotection isolated him further.

And watching his grandmother cling to shamanistic beliefs because of him only added to his stress.

My parents died because of me.

My grandmother can’t escape her suffering because of me.

To hide that long-standing guilt and his still-immature heart, Jeongyun chose to push people away.

It was a flawed defense mechanism.

And not something Donghyeon could fix with a few words.

“Scammer bastard.”

Jeongyun spat out one last insult and turned away.

Seha kept his head lowered and stayed still until Jeongyun entered the bathroom and shut the door.

Only then did he let out a quiet sigh.

Donghyeon spoke with an awkward look.

“Seha, are you okay?”

Seha glanced toward the bathroom, then lowered his voice.

“Yes.

I’m really fine.”

“…Really?”

Donghyeon asked again without thinking.

That was because Seha genuinely looked fine.

Which only made him more flustered.

Realizing he might’ve misspoken, Donghyeon smiled awkwardly.

Seha, however, replied calmly.

“Yes.

Honestly, I felt a bit embarrassed getting paid without really doing anything.”

“Ah….”

“This whole talisman thing… I don’t even know if I’m actually doing it or not.

Taking money for that feels strange.

It’s not like I lied about doing something I can’t, but still.”

“Yes, I understand.

The Chairwoman is someone who doesn’t compromise easily on matters like this.”

Seha nodded, recalling Insuk repeatedly making him bold offers while he hesitated.

“I can’t exactly blame Cha Jeongyun for thinking I’m a scammer.

I don’t even believe I’m a talisman myself.”

“…Thank you for being so understanding.

I’ll do my best to improve the situation as quickly as possible.

Please understand that I can’t openly take your side in front of the young master.”

“Yes, of course.

Just the fact that you’re looking out for me like this is more than enough.

I’ll try harder too, so please don’t worry too much.”

Donghyeon looked at Seha with quiet curiosity.

Seha was smiling brightly as he said it.

He didn’t look intimidated or cowed at all.

It was hard to believe it was an act.

Putting on a brave face here wouldn’t benefit Seha in any way.

If anything, playing up his misery to gain sympathy would’ve worked better.

Donghyeon was one of Jeongyun’s few confidants.

If Donghyeon pitied Seha and spoke well of him, there was at least a chance Jeongyun might soften.

Yet Seha remained this calm.

Which meant it likely wasn’t an act.

Was this really nothing to someone who’d been supporting a much younger sibling as the head of the household.

Thinking that, Donghyeon spoke.

“I’ll take care of the young master.

You should go rest for now.”

“Mm, yeah.

It probably wouldn’t be good to draw more attention right now.

I’ll wait a bit and come out quietly once things settle.

I don’t have to start handling meals today, right?”

“Of course not.

I’ll have the housekeeper come for about another week.

You can learn what you need in the meantime.”

At that, Seha let out a big breath and smiled in relief.

“Thank you.

I’ve only ever done housework in tiny apartments, so I was a little worried.

I’ll be in my room then.

Call me if you need anything.”

“Yes.”

After Seha returned to his room, Donghyeon watched his retreating back quietly.

They hadn’t even spoken many times.

Yet somehow, every conversation with him left Donghyeon feeling lighter.

He’d assumed that being poor and orphaned meant Seha would be gloomy and cowed.

Turns out, that was just his own prejudice.