Chapter 95
A shriek loud enough to tear eardrums made Katya and Smoky flinch in unison and turn their heads.
“Ah! Damn it, why are you screaming and throwing a fit first thing in the morning?!”
“Shut it, you crazy bald bastard! Hey, what do you mean the baby slept alone?!”
Kiss flailed his swollen hands as if ready to lunge at someone, his entire body thrashing with rage. Katya was startled by the sheer intensity of his reaction.
“Yesterday, Uncle Lavian suddenly told me to sleep upstairs, so…”
“What? Oh my god, this man has completely lost his mind!”
“Um, but… is it really bad if Nina sleeps alone?”
Katya, wondering if there was some rule she didn’t know about, asked cautiously.
Kiss let out an exasperated sigh, as though it was absurd she’d even ask.
“Do you even hear yourself? What if the baby dies in her sleep while she’s alone?! You’re disqualified as a babysitter, brat!”
“But why would—”
“Are you stupid? The ceiling could suddenly collapse, or something could fly in through the window, or she could fall out of bed and die, don’t you get it?!”
A silence fell.
By the time Kiss finished his rant, nearly out of breath and doubled over, Smoky, who had been watching the scene blankly, finally spoke.
“…What the hell did your parents do to you?”
As Kiss lunged at him for insulting his parents—a line even their boss wouldn’t cross—Katya quietly slipped away without looking back.
When Lavian opened his eyes again, the sun was already high in the sky.
Beyond the wide windows, the city was drenched in dazzling golden light. He quickly turned his head away from the beautiful scenery.
His neck hurt too much to enjoy the view.
When he straightened up, what filled his sight was the crown of someone’s head, still snoring.
He couldn’t help but mutter in disbelief.
“This… actually worked?”
“Right? I don’t even know what I’m looking at right now.”
The sudden voice didn’t draw a reaction from Lavian right away—he was busy.
First, he painstakingly slid his arm out from beneath Nina’s head. Then, with exaggerated care, he rolled his body to the side and slowly pushed himself upright.
Messi watched the entire ordeal with a sour look, while Lavian carried out each step with the delicacy of handling glass.
Finally sitting at the edge of the bed, Lavian glared murderously at Messi.
“Why the hell are you here?”
“It’s nearly noon, and no one else dared to come in but me.”
“What do you mean, dared?”
“…Don’t you remember?”
“I just woke up, what the hell am I supposed to remember?”
Irritation flickered across Lavian’s face, so Messi quickly explained.
“First Katya came to wake Nina, but she was so shocked she just left. Can’t blame her though—Kiss even suspected Nina had suffocated to death under you and came to check.”
“…”
“Our dear mother Kiss came storming in to make sure Nina was still alive. But you apparently threatened to throw her out the window if she didn’t leave immediately.”
“…Me?”
“Yeah. And then Mira came sniffing around for Nina’s scent, but the moment she stepped inside, you hurled a pillow at her, shouting at her to get out. She actually got a nosebleed from it. You seriously don’t remember?”
“Not at all. Goddamn… how deeply did I sleep?”
Lavian scratched his head, his red hair a mess.
“What time is it?”
“Just before 11.”
“…Wow, that’s a real sleep-in.”
“First time in a while, isn’t it? Sleeping properly like that.”
Messi’s golden eyes gleamed with curiosity.
“I don’t know how this scene even happened, but you weren’t planning it from the start, right?”
“Is that even a question…? Wait, actually, how did I fall asleep? I didn’t even dream this time. What the hell was that?”
“You look refreshed, so who cares? Maybe you felt safe because someone was next to you.”
“Safe, my ass. Did you forget I tried every trick in the book before? Even dragged in everyone I met to try it, and that quack’s sleeping pills didn’t even work.”
“I’m not insulting the brave women who agreed to spend the night with a man like you, but this doesn’t compare. Not even close.”
The very idea of Lavian, of all people, sleeping peacefully next to a child was an impossible image.
It sounded more believable to imagine a transparent dragon.
And yet, here they were. No wonder the men had been walking around this morning with expressions like they’d witnessed the end of the world.
Meanwhile, the culprit himself sat there looking refreshed, grousing about how it could’ve happened.
It was maddening—but Messi, unable to speak his mind to his all-powerful boss, only muttered calmly:
“Can’t you just… be purely happy for once?”
“Happy my ass, I’d—waah!”
Lavian suddenly spun around with a strangled noise, startling Messi.
Nina, who had been lying right beside him facing his way, had somehow rolled all the way to the far edge of the bed.
Her head was about to slip off when Lavian’s hand shot out and caught her.
It all happened in the blink of an eye.
Both men exhaled a shaky breath of relief as they stared at the safely rescued Nina.
“That was close.”
“Yeah… scared me to death.”
Just then, Nina stirred awake.
She blinked up at the two men hovering right in front of her, looking bewildered.
“Mister? You’re still here?”
Lavian froze with an unreadable expression, while Messi quickly clamped a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing.
“Sorry. Guess I overstayed my welcome.”
“Huh? No, I just… I thought it was amazing.”
Nina rubbed her eyes and hurried to explain.
Lavian scowled, his voice dripping sarcasm.
“‘Amazing’ as in unbelievably clueless?”
“No, I thought you would’ve left already.”
Even though she’d insisted on sleeping with him, she had expected him to be gone when she woke up.
But Lavian’s face only grew darker at her honest answer.
“Why would I? You didn’t tell me to leave. Do I look like the kind of guy who goes back on his word? Don’t look down on me.”
Messi marveled once again at how petty a man Lavian could be, despite being nearly thirty years old.
“When has our boss ever waited for Nina to tell him to leave?”
“Since last night, that’s when. Anyway, did you sleep well?”
“More importantly, did you sleep well?”
Even while changing the subject, Lavian threw the same question back at Nina—and Messi followed up with the same words.
Both pairs of eyes turned to her.
Nina looked between them with wide eyes, then broke into a sunny smile and nodded.
“Mm-hmm! Did you both sleep well too?”
“…Eh, well, sort of.”
Lavian scratched his head awkwardly, while Messi shot him a glare of pure disdain.
‘Have some damn shame, bastard.’
‘Look who’s talking, bastard.’
“What time is it?” Nina asked suddenly, oblivious to their silent exchange.
Lavian rose and glanced at the wall clock.
“Just past 11.”
“What?!”
Nina’s face filled with horror.
Oh no—on the final day of the festival, their date, and she’d overslept horribly!
“Don’t worry, the last day always has fireworks, so—”
CRASH!
Before Messi could finish, Nina leapt from the bed and bolted into the bathroom.
BANG!
Clatter, rumble, whoosh!
Lavian and Messi could only stare wide-eyed at the racket. Moments later, the bathroom door burst open again and Nina flew out, towel wrapped around her head.
“Uh—”
Lavian started to say something, but she was already charging into the dressing room.
CLANG, CLANG—then a scream erupted.
“KYAAAH!”
The two men dashed toward the dressing room at once.
“What happened?! Are you hurt—?!”
