Chapter 74
Gabi didn’t just personally lead me and my companions inside—she even guided us all the way to the reception room.
The entire way, Gabi’s attention had been solely on me. Only when we reached the reception room and faced everyone’s expressions did she finally reveal the commanding presence of the head of the family.
It was a little late, admittedly.
“Thank you for coming all the way here. I’m sure it was a lot of trouble.”
Gabi said this with a gentle smile. Yet, no one in the room really believed it was genuine.
“But there’s one more person here than we were told beforehand?”
Sure enough, Gabi’s gaze sharpened instantly as she looked at Loel, clearly showing the head of the family’s instincts.
Anyone could see that the extra person was Loel. Honestly, even I would probably have given Loel a strange look in his shabby state.
“I apologize, Madam Head. After sending the message, it was decided that he would join this schedule, so I couldn’t inform you in advance.”
“No need to apologize. One extra mouth won’t ruin the family.”
Gabi responded curtly to Rita’s explanation, as if she hadn’t cared much in the first place.
“So… who is he?”
Still curious, it seemed—probably because she hadn’t seen him before.
Even without Gabi asking, I had already planned what to say about Loel while in the carriage, anticipating that the Hwangryong family would ask. Although Rita and Joshua weren’t very pleased with the plan.
“He’s my attendant!”
“Oh, I’ve already prepared everything so you could feel comfortable as soon as you arrived!”
“I just thought it’d be comforting to have someone familiar around.”
“Oh?”
From her gentle smile and ambiguous response, it was clear that Gabi didn’t fully believe me. Understandable—Loel looking like a beggar is one thing, but the fact that he’s male must have been another red flag. I’d have questioned it too.
Gabi scanned Loel briefly before returning her gaze to me. It seemed she was willing to let it go without interrogating further. That meant she trusted me, at least for now.
Knock-knock─
“Come in.”
Just then, there was a knock on the door. Gabi reacted quickly, sensing the moment could become awkward.
Soon, familiar faces appeared as the door opened.
“Long time no see.”
“Whoa, you’ve grown so much!”
The familiar faces belonged to Rizley and Erisen. I stood up to greet them warmly, shaking their hands.
Rizley had become even more reserved than in childhood, while Erisen had grown into a mischievous adult.
“It’s good to see both of you after so long.”
Perhaps meeting familiar faces in an unfamiliar place lifted my spirits slightly, even though it had been a while.
However, after the greetings, a sudden awkward silence settled. Rizley, Erisen, and I had never been particularly close.
Seeing them made me miss Shireia. It had been a while since I last saw her, and apart from Shireia and Leon, I had seen all the others as adults, so I was curious about the rest.
Once I returned to the mansion, if time allowed, I should also visit the Cheongryong family. I couldn’t keep asking only Shireia to come every time.
Clap!
As the silence lingered in the reception room, Gabi clapped her hands, drawing everyone’s attention and rising from her seat.
“Alright, now that greetings are done, how about we have lunch together?”
“We’re—”
“Have you eaten lunch?”
I considered refusing—sitting awkwardly for lunch with them might upset my stomach. For the sake of everyone’s health, it seemed right to decline, but Gabi thought differently.
She cut off my words and questioned me in a way that left no room for ambiguity.
“Um… I had a simple sandwich in the carriage…”
“How can that count as a meal? You need a proper meal!”
“Really—”
“Come in!”
Once again, Gabi interrupted me, calling loudly enough for the servants beyond the door to hear.
As if expecting this moment, several mobile trays piled high with food were pushed in.
Soon, the mansion’s staff began placing the dishes on the table one by one.
‘I knew the table was far too big for just tea… I didn’t expect such a grand setup.’
Unlike our territory, the Hwangryong family’s estate bordered the sea. So many dishes included seafood rarely seen at home.
“Wow…”
The dishes on the table were perfect from appearance to aroma. They looked as good as they smelled, making my mouth water.
Seeing me like that, Gabi smiled warmly and reached for the food.
“Senica, this is prepared for you. Let me know if it’s not enough.”
How should I describe it… Gabi’s smile was genuinely pleasant, yet seeing it made me feel strangely uneasy.
As before, I couldn’t read her true intentions. What was she plotting?
I felt uneasy. Was it okay for me to eat this food? Surely, she hadn’t poisoned it. Even if she had thought about it, Joshua would have noticed immediately.
She was definitely scheming something—I was certain of that.
‘But I don’t know what her scheme is… and that makes me nervous.’
If I knew the scheme, it wouldn’t be a scheme anymore.
Anyway, I felt the need to understand why Gabi invited me to her territory.
“Since the head of the family prepared this for me, I will gratefully eat it.”
…For now, I’d fill my slightly hungry stomach with the delicious food and think later!
It was hard to refuse since it was prepared for me. Ignoring her effort would have been impolite, so there was no way around it!
After the late lunch, Gabi couldn’t wipe the satisfied smile from her face as she gave me a room to stay in the mansion.
Inviting me into her domain allowed her to do things she had only imagined before, and it thrilled her.
Gabi had wanted a daughter like herself but had given birth to twin sons.
‘A son… well, a son is good.’
Still, it was a bit disappointing. She only had one chance at childbirth. That was why she doted even more on me, as I represented the daughter she had longed for.
Though there was Shireia from the Cheongryong family, Gabi wanted an affectionate, lovely daughter. She would do whatever it took.
Normally, she would have seized what she wanted at all costs, but this time she couldn’t.
Her opponent was Hale Ivienn.
‘Why would I provoke a devoted father just to gain something?’
She lacked the courage. More precisely, she couldn’t because it was Hale—the head of the Ivienn family.
So Gabi changed her plan. Instead of making me her daughter, she decided to make me her daughter-in-law.
She had two sons, one of whom seemed to like me. Could anything be more perfect?
‘What luck!’
Gabi refocused her goals and prepared Rizley to be the most attractive and charming man in the world before my visit.
From skincare to exercises to sculpt an irresistible body, even referencing the latest city magazines, she poured endless effort and time into it.
Recalling her elite training, Gabi looked at Rizley sitting to her left, thinking her efforts had not betrayed her—they were perfectly successful.
Not because he was her son, but objectively, Rizley had become a handsome man who could rival anyone.
“Rizley.”
“Yes, Mother?”
“It’s finally time to show off your honed looks! I’ve been waiting for this day!”
“…I’m not ready—”
“Again with that?”
Gabi sighed, pressing her hand to her forehead.
Even if one’s appearance and physique are unmatched, what use is it if you lack confidence and can’t seize the opportunity?
She was displeased that Rizley, unlike the rest of him, inherited his father’s traits rather than her own.
Rizley was shy—a flaw she had tolerated before since it wasn’t significant enough to prevent him from taking the family headship.
Now, however, she regretted it slightly. She feared this trait could ruin the decisive moment. Had she known it would be a hindrance, she would have corrected it earlier.
“Mother…”
“Stop whining. Will you give up on your love? Do you plan to live alone forever?”
Gabi’s words were exaggerated. Losing me wouldn’t leave Rizley alone for life.
But she spoke so intensely for one reason: confidence cannot be given—it must be gained through action.
Confidence requires stepping forward on your own, so all she could do was provide a stepping stone.
‘With Senica right in front of him, he should manage just fine.’
Although a small worry lingered, she believed that with her and Erisen’s help, Rizley would be fine.
“Erisen, don’t forget to support your brother.”
“Yes!”
To some, it might look like Gabi favored only Rizley.
But this was what Erisen also wanted—he wanted Rizley to succeed in love. There were many reasons for supporting this love, but the main one was knowing Gabi’s obsession with me.
If Rizley failed, the backlash would come to him.
Thus, Erisen helped their mother even more, sometimes even more mischievously than she did.
“Rizley.”
“…Yes?”
“You will succeed!”
“That’s right, brother. I’ll help you! You need to win her heart!”
Sinister smiles spread across Erisen and Gabi’s faces.
Rizley couldn’t tell whether to enjoy the situation or intervene.
No one was being harmed, and both wanted to help him.
Yet why did he feel so uneasy, so anxious, and constantly uneasy?
Rizley exhaled deeply, nodding faintly. Seeing this, Gabi slammed her hands on the table.
“Rizley, make sure you take care of Senica while she stays in the mansion.”
“Yes…”
“Ah! You’ll give her a tour of the mansion and the estate!”
“Me?”
“Who else would do it? This is an order from the head of the family, so don’t even think about avoiding it!”
“…Understood.”
