Chapter 56
Velia froze at the door of the dining hall.
“Hyung?”
At Bedol’s cheerful greeting, Velia quickly wiped the “I just stepped in something” expression off her face and turned toward him.
“Oppa? It’s been a while.”
“Yeah.”
“Hyung, where are you going?”
“I’m heading to the East Wing… How about you guys?”
“Oh, us? We’re going to eat.”
Bedol pointed toward the dining hall door.
“Has it really gotten that late already?”
Barun turned his head toward his aide.
“You go ahead first.”
“Yes, sir.”
Watching the aide leave, Velia swallowed nervously, as if bracing herself.
“Let’s eat together too.”
“Uh?! Ah…”
Velia sighed in relief when her hope that this wouldn’t happen turned out to be wrong.
“What’s so surprising? It’s lunchtime, so I think it’s fine to eat together.”
Velia turned her head as Barun, perceptive as always, seemed to understand the situation but chose to ignore it.
“Right. If it’s prepared in the dining hall, there should be enough for three. Let’s eat together.”
Velia forced a smile at Bedol, who had no idea what was going on.
“Aren’t you busy, Oppa?”
“Not really.”
“I heard you’ve been super busy with the company’s affairs. Weren’t you starting some new project or something?”
“I’m preparing something… but could it really be busier than you? And no matter how busy I am, I always have time to eat with my beloved siblings.”
Barun opened the dining hall door and gestured for them to enter.
“Come in.”
“Yeah. Let’s eat together. Hyung, why haven’t you been coming to morning training lately?”
Velia grit her teeth as she watched Bedol, oblivious, follow Barun into the dining hall.
“This isn’t good…”
Her reason for sneaking away from Tob disappeared, now that she needed to ask Bedol for a favor.
“Hurry up and come!”
“Alright. Let’s eat.”
Velia entered the dining hall, smiling awkwardly.
“Hyung, by the way, aren’t you engaged?”
Between Velia and Barun, who were silent, only Bedol continued eating cheerfully.
“Engaged?”
“Yeah. I overheard Father saying that you’re of age and should be engaged now?”
“Really?”
Barun snorted.
“Of course. How about you?”
“Me? Eh, what? You haven’t even done it yet, so why would I… Besides, I still have a way to go before graduating from the academy.”
“Soon, I think…”
Barun took a sip of water and glanced at Velia.
“Velia, what about you?”
“Huh? About what?”
Lost in thought, Velia asked back. Bedol gave her a glance, then grabbed the plate in front of him.
“Why aren’t you eating this? Too much trouble to cut it? It’s good. I’ll cut it for you. Hyung, do we need to ask her about engagement? She’s way too young for that.”
“Why do you say she’s too young? Velia’s over sixteen now… For us guys, it doesn’t matter, but as Velia gets older, it will become harder for her to be engaged.”
“Oh… Engagement?”
Finally realizing the topic of conversation, Velia shook her head.
“You guys should do it first. How old do you think I am?”
Barun’s face momentarily hardened at her teasing laugh.
“It’s only sixteen, what engagement? Hyung, why don’t you get engaged? You’re already in your mid-twenties… You wouldn’t want to be considered outdated, right?”
“Alright, all done.”
Bedol placed the plate in front of Velia.
“Hey, just because you’re older doesn’t make you outdated. One of Father’s old friends remarried after forty. You’ve still got plenty of time.”
“Pfft.”
At Bedol’s comment, one of the servants waiting in the dining hall burst out laughing.
“Ah, sorry, I had a sneeze coming…”
Seeing the servants suppress their laughter with fake coughs, Barun clenched his cutlery.
“Right. Plenty of time. But Velia, shouldn’t you start thinking about a match soon? I’m just worried. The Doltan princess, who’s your age, is already in talks with the royal palace about marriage, isn’t she?”
“It’s not a confirmed marriage yet, and she’s a special case. I’ll handle engagement myself. I’ll discuss it with Father when the time comes, so don’t worry.”
“I was thinking of setting something up…”
“What?”
“There are many good families among my close friends. Many wealthy families too, so she could live comfortably for life.”
‘Charity.’
Velia lifted her glass at his generous expression.
“Really? But what should I do? I don’t think I’ll need your help.”
“Even though I’m doing this as your older brother?”
A tense atmosphere filled the air between them.
Bang-.
At that moment, their eyes were drawn to the dining table where Bedol slammed his hand down.
With unusually serious eyes, Bedol looked at Barun.
“What are you saying? Absolutely not. That’s nonsense. Hyung! As long as I’m wide awake, Velia won’t be engaged.”
“Why?”
Barun set down his cutlery.
“Obviously!”
Bedol glanced at Velia and raised his glass.
“I mean, it’s for the other family’s sake! Also, she’s only sixteen. What engagement? I bet Father and Mother haven’t even thought about Velia being engaged.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Then why are you suddenly talking about Velia’s engagement?”
“I’m thinking about Velia…”
“As I said, you don’t need to worry about me.”
Velia smiled gently and handed the salad bowl in front of her to Barun.
“Shouldn’t you eat quickly and go? Oppa is busy.”
Barun looked at the salad bowl Velia offered him.
“Oh my! Look at me. Oppa, you’re allergic to cheese, right? That could’ve been bad!”
“You…”
Velia smiled at Barun, whose eyes were filled with anger.
“I just thought you’d like salad.”
She gestured toward the salad bowl, which was still more than half full.
“Hyung, anyway, you get engaged. Leave me out of it.”
Bedol placed some food onto Velia’s plate.
“Why are you acting so strange all of a sudden?”
“Strange?”
“Since when have you two… Ah, never mind. You’re busy, so I’ll leave it at that.”
Barun tossed the napkin onto the table and stood up.
“Hyung! Leaving already?”
Bedol called out to Barun while gesturing frantically.
“Are you sulking? Eat more before you go!”
“Enough.”
“I’m full. Stop giving me more.”
“Just eat a little for my sake. You’re so skinny, I can’t introduce you as my little sister if you waste away.”
Velia glanced at Barun’s back and snickered.
“Ah, by the way, you said you had a favor for me. What is it?”
“Oh, right.”
“You’re going to ask something difficult, aren’t you? Hurry up and say it. Ah, Hyung! Bye!”
“I’ll tell you next time. Oppa, take care.”
Barun hesitated for a moment but then left the dining hall.
“Hyung is unusually sensitive today. Why all of a sudden talk about engagement? Is he bringing it up just because he doesn’t want me engaged?”
“Oppa, you don’t want me to get engaged?”
“Of course not. I told you. It would be rude to the other family. Sending a reckless girl like you? How would that look to my parents? It’d be tough.”
“Eh, be honest. You don’t want to see me married because you’ll miss me, right?”
“What are you talking about? I don’t want to see it at all. Besides, even if you marry, I’ll see you all the time. You’ll still come home here.”
“Home?”
“Where else would your home be besides here?”
“When I get married, I’ll have a separate house.”
“Then make this your office. Come here every day to work.”
“You really want to see me that much?”
“Nope.”
Bedol frowned.
“Eat quickly.”
“Ah, I’m full…”
Velia looked at the servants in front of the dining hall.
“Clear all this and bring out dessert.”
“Hey, you really not eating?”
“I’m full. Oppa’s love is already so much I might die.”
Velia said this without a hint of embarrassment, and Bedol turned his head sharply.
Seeing her flushed earlobes, Velia giggled.
The servants cleared the food and brought out dessert.
“Everyone, you can go now. I’ll call if I need anything.”
At Velia’s command, all the servants left the dining hall.
“Oppa.”
Velia put ice cream on a cookie and offered it to Bedol.
“What is this?”
Bedol grumbled as he took the dessert, and Velia smiled brightly.
“Help me a bit.”
“With what?”
“To be direct… I’ll be away from the mansion for a week, and I want someone other than Tob to be my bodyguard.”
“What?”
Bedol, mouth full of dessert, looked utterly bewildered.
“Assign another bodyguard for that week. But even I know it’s unreasonable. So I’m asking you, Oppa, to come with me instead of Tob.”
“Me?”
“Yeah. Come with me and act as my bodyguard. Just for a week.”
