Burning The House Of Cards: taking revenge on my billionaire family
Chapter 35 - 34. Glimpse of Home

Chapter 35: Chapter 34. Glimpse of Home

Hajin walked slowly, soundlessly toward the bed, stopping right where he could see the small head sticking out of the fluffy blanket. He looked up to check the AC’s configuration, making sure the room wasn’t too dry or too cold.

Still, it didn’t seem a comfortable room was enough for his master to sleep peacefully.

"Ugh..."

Curling inside her blanket, Sarah groaned and writhed with her face scrunched in pain. Invisible pain that Hajin couldn’t just heal with a first aid box.

"Hmm...today is also..."

He exhaled softly. Hajin had only seen Sarah sleep three times, and in all of them, the girl was always plagued with nightmares. Even when she was fast asleep after getting drunk, and fast asleep out of exhaustion, she never slept comfortably.

Hajin had thought it was because, in both instances, Sarah had to battle her trauma before she was asleep, but...

It seemed like she had to battle her trauma every night.

"I wonder if it’s about her mother," Hajin carefully sat at the edge of the bed so the mattress wouldn’t dip too much. "Or about her past life..."

Sarah groaned, whining and clenching her jaw as if she was in the middle of running away from something. Her already small build getting smaller as she curled even more, clutching the blanket as if looking for an anchor, a rope in the darkness, a float in the sea...

Her head tossed to the side, messing up her colored hair. Hajin reached out in reflex to brush away the stray hair from her cheek, but the tip of his fingers stopped just a breadth away from her pale skin.

Haa...she’d be mad if he touched her without permission, wouldn’t she? Hajin was shameless, but he wouldn’t be able to do anything if Sarah ended their contract and told him never to show his face again.

"It would be nice if you could share your nightmare," he retracted his hand, smiling gently even while his eyes dimmed in frustration. "Since you’re the one who chased mine away."

The smile lingered for a bit more as he watched her frowning brows smoothen. As usual, she would calm down for a while before plunging into another nightmare. He wanted to let her at least have that peaceful moment, but it was even more dangerous waking her up when she was in the middle of a nightmare.

Well...I should just work hard to make her rely on me, shouldn’t I?

The gentle smile turned mischievous as Hajin stood up and loomed over the curling Sarah. He whispered alluringly above her ear. "Master~"

As if a demon sat on her head, Sarah gasped awake and whipped her head in bewilderment, eyes staring wide at her grinning bodyguard. She shifted away while shuddering in disgust. "W-what are you doing?"

Hajin slowly straightened his back and smiled innocently. "I’m waking you up as requested?"

"Ugh--what time is it?" Sarah rubbed her eyes, before rolling to the side and sitting up groggily.

After Austin left the room, they were busy examining the ledger and the hard disk they took from that mountain villa. Both a virtue and a blessing, Sarah was the type who would sink into what she was doing diligently without any rest. Once she started something, she would see it to the end.

And that was how they ended up chained to the desk until dawn. Hajin didn’t mind the work, but he lamented his master’s blatant disregard for a healthy lifestyle. He had asked her to go to sleep and continued the next day at least five times, but Sarah merely waved her hand dismissively, telling him ’one more page’ or ’one more section’ every time.

Hajin was so close to calling Yonghwa and asking the investor to scold his master--a desperate attempt after making an oath to never rely on that poisonous flower again--when Sarah finally realized she could no longer keep her eyes open and decided to go to bed right before the sun peeking up from the horizon.

"A little bit before noon," Hajin replied lightly while stepping away after making sure his master wouldn’t go back to sleep. "Would you like to have your brunch first or shower, Master?"

"Ngh..." Sarah yawned and stretched out her arms, wide sleeves sliding down to her elbow. She looked at the empty air in a daze, black eyes blinking slowly and messy hair pooling around her cheeks. After almost a minute, she replied in a drowsy tone. "Food...simple..."

Hajin stared at the defenseless sight that was both adorable and alluring, but also concerning. He sighed inwardly at how much Sarah lacked awareness of herself, wondering if it was because she trusted him.

Well...let’s just think of it like that.

"Very well," Hajin flashed his usual charming smile, and even made a show of bowing courteously. "Please take your time while I prepare your meal."

"Mmh..."

Sarah stayed still in a daze, as if she were a statue, while her mind slowly whirred back to function. Only her head clumsily looked around, staring at the pouring summer light and the urban landscape visible from the window. Time seemed to roll slowly, and Sarah’s clock only ticked again when a nice, savory smell wafted through the slightly opened bedroom door.

"Oh..." she exclaimed softly.

Just like last night, she could hear the sound of footsteps, a busy person in the kitchen. The smell of food, the calm and quiet...Sarah belatedly realized that it was the first time she felt so at ease while waking up.

Was it because she knew someone was there to protect her?

How weird--she thought. Sarah clearly hadn’t trusted Hajin completely, even if she decided to do so. Even with their contract, it hadn’t been long since they were in each other’s presence. This sense of familiarity despite being practically strangers...

It was weird.

Andyet...Sarah glanced at the door. Hajin didn’t seem like a stranger somehow. She recalled the moment she woke up to that face; it wasn’t seeing that annoyingly gorgeous face that surprised her, but a sense of deja vu.

"Why, though...?"

A deja vu? With Hajin’s face hovering above her sleeping self?

Sarah pursed her lips in confusion, but immediately shook her head to stave off leftover drowsiness.

It was a deja vu precisely because it was only a feeling, right? An impression. She rolled her eyes and crawled out of bed, shuffling to the bathroom to wash her face and get rid of useless thoughts.

Putting on a robe over her pajamas, Sarah stretched her body for a bit before leaving the bedroom. Outside, except for the occupied kitchen, everything was already tidy, just like how it was when they arrived yesterday.

Hajin did not lie when he said he learned every trade there was to be useful for Sarah.

She looked at the desk and the couch, which was littered with scribbled papers and documents last night. Those papers were nowhere to be seen, and even the pen had been neatly propped inside the pen case. "You cleaned it up?" she asked with a slight frown.

Hajin looked up from the omelet he was making. "Ah...should I not do that, Master?"

"Did you put marks on the part we already perused?"

"Of course, Master. I made a log too."

"Then that’s fine," Sarah nodded, closing the drawer where she found the documents neatly nestled.

She looked at the man, who was also working with her last night. He must have gone to bed later than her, and when he woke her up earlier, he was already looking freshly showered and wearing new clothes. Cleaning up the place on top of that...when did he find the time to do all this?

Sarah did ask for a multi-talent bodyguard, but Hajin was truly something else. She glanced at the busy man in the kitchen and muttered a bit loudly. "Umm...good job."

"Thank you, Master," the man replied cheerfully and lifted the breakfast tray. "Your food is ready."

Once again, Sarah found herself properly on the dining table. It was more nearing lunch than breakfast, which made the content of the tray look out of place with things commonly eaten in the morning. Buy hey--she had just woken up!

As she looked at the simple but nicely homemade meal, Sarah couldn’t help but compare it to what she had been eating after returning. Since she was staying in the annex, she had to either walk the main house or ask someone to bring her some. The food, however, was always the kind to be put as a show, and she had no idea what the workers would do to her food before sending it to her, so she had been eating nothing but simple toast and boiled egg for breakfast.

That was about the extent of her nonexistent cooking skills.

Being able to eat a decent meal right after waking up without having to go out and buy it was...touching.

Seeing Sarah unmoving for a while, however, made Hajin anxious. He sighed while pouring orange juice into a glass, lamenting the fact that it wasn’t all organic and handmade. "I will prepare something better tomorrow."

Sarah glanced at the disappointed man. "You don’t have to prepare a whole imperial meal each time, you know?"

"But, Master..." Hajin tilted his head. "How can I brag about my skills otherwise?"

Sarah rolled her eyes before stuffing herself with the food. Ugh--it was annoying, but she couldn’t help the expectation of what kind of stuff Hajin could make with proper ingredients and a complete kitchen.

"How would you like your shower today?" Hajin asked while Sarah was secretly sighing about the toast--how could it taste different from the one she made? Wasn’t it just a matter of putting a slice of bread in the toaster?

Feeling unfair, Sarah replied with a slight grumble. "I’m not going to use the tub, so don’t bother. Besides...what about you?"

"There’s another bathroom there--" Hajin replied and paused, before gasping with widened eyes. "Are you saying we should do it togethe--"

"Die!" Sarah glared menacingly and slammed the table. "I meant your food!"

"Oh, I’ve eaten already," Hajin chuckled. "But your concern put tears in my eyes, Master."

"Who’s concerne--" Sarah gritted her teeth before taking a deep breath to calm herself. "Whatever. Just don’t starve."

"I’ll make sure to be on my top game all the time so I can assist you to the best of my ability," Hajin bowed while lifting the corner of his lips.

"Oh, shut up!" Sarah huffed and gulped down the orange juice. "It’s annoying hearing you saying that kind of thing when we’re alone. Just sit here and have a coffee or something!"

"Oh, my..." the grey eyes curled mischievously. "If you want a meal companion, you just have to say it, Master."

Sarah grabbed a shine muscat and threw it to the man in annoyance, but of course, Hajin simply caught it with his mouth and walked away to make himself a coffee drink while laughing. When he returned to sit on the chair Austin used last night, he brought a sweet-smelling brown drink with him.

"That looked sweet..." Sarah winced.

"Humans need sugar to function, Master. Why are you depriving yourself of such delicacy?" Hajin shook his head while sighing, looking at Sarah with pity.

"I’m not depriving myself," Sarah hissed to hide her slightly flinching heart at that pitiful gaze that brought back some weird memories. "I just can’t stand sweets."

"Too bad," Hajin pursed his lips, although they smoothened into a charming smile the next second. "But then again, you are already sweet enough."

"Oh, shut up."

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