BOOK 1: The Heir Series; Choi Seungcheol

44: NUMB

"Dane, where are you going with that?" Irene suddenly asked when their butler together with two maids passed by the dining table while pushing a buffet cart.

"Sir Seungcheol ordered us to bring his dinner upstairs again, Ma'am."

Taerin's head whipped towards Dane when she heard his answer.

Again?

"Again?" Irene asked in irritation, having the same thought as hers. "What kind of dram is he having again being all locked up in the study room?" Irene turned to her.

They are currently eating dinner and Seungcheol just came home from work. She thought he would join them in the table because he was home early tonight, compare to the past nights. He's been coming home really late that she'd fall asleep waiting for him.

But just like last night, and the nights before, he didn't join them for dinner. She didn't even see him in the morning; she's not with him during lunch too, even during dinner?

She just sighed and gave Irene a tight smile. "Let him be, Rene. Maybe your brother was just exhausted from the office." She was saying it even to herself.

"Still. He should've joined us for dinner than eating alone at that dark study room. Do we bore him that much that he wants to be in that room than being with us?"

"Maybe he just has so much work to attend to for the empire." She put up a defence for Seungcheol because she knew her husband won't do this just for nothing.

Irene rolled her eyes as she set her fork and knife down. "Eonnie, work is for the office only. He shouldn't take them home with him. He should be resting when he's at home. And besides we're all not here everyday. Just like Jun Oppa, Mingyu Oppa, Hansol Oppa, Soonyoung Oppa Dokyeom Oppa and Chan. They're all busy chasing girls and mostly they stay at their condos. Then there's Jeonghan Oppa, Jisoo Oppa, Jihoon Oppa, Wonwoo Oppa and Minghao Oppa who were all busy with the empire's subsidiaries. Then Seungkwan Oppa with his world tours. I'm the only one left alone inside this mansion and I can't even go out because of that paranoid husband of yours. He won't let me out without my bodyguards."

Bodyguards. Right. Since when didn't Irene Choi didn't have some bodyguards? Even she was dragged with Seungcheol's paranoia. Good thing that he allowed her to have only one instead of two. It's hard for her to make him understand that she doesn't need bodyguards around her. He was not even giving her chance to reason, but at least he compromised.

Taerin scanned the quiet and empty part of the long dinning table. She could still remember the very first day she sat in this table with Seungcheol's family.

That was the day when they arrived from Boa Manor and they made a surprise to welcome them. It was a happy feast. But now, only she and Irene are having a meal with so much food. All of them taste good, but it all tasted bland in her tongue.

She forcedly smiles at Irene. "You know him. He's just too paranoid. But just let him be. Tomorrow, I'll get him to eat with us for dinner."