Of age and wine

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It was scary to say the least.

Being an ex-military captain, Jeong Hyeok had no issues facing off armed men with guns and knives.

Shoot-outs, explosions...he had seen it all.

Yet here he was, almost hyperventilating in front of two smiling seniors in their seventies.

It was a breeze spring afternoon and they were at one of Lucerne's best fine dining restaurants, Villa Schweizerhof, for lunch.

Jeong Hyeok had gone all the way out in choosing a fitting venue for this important event - the Yoons were definitely used to upscale dining, so nothing less would do.

Sitting outdoors, the lake breeze was a welcoming source of comfort to the nervousness that Jeong Hyeok was feeling.

The good thing was, Se-ri was still talking away about their house in Lungern, which surely allowed for him to collect his thoughts.

"...it was such a steal!"

"How much did you get it for?"

"Hmm..just slightly over 1.5million Swiss franc?"

"Let's see..." Tapping on his phone screen, Yoon Jeung-pyeong squinted at the numbers. "Oh, it's only two billion won!"

"Only? For such a fine place?" Se-ri's stepmother exclaimed in a hushed whisper, looking up from her soup.

"I know right? It was almost unbelievable." Se-ri replied nonchalantly, taking a sip of wine.

"You should have bought a few more around the area and maybe convert it into a chalet business or something, Se-ri. Remember, business opportunities are everywhere."

"Hmm that can be considered..."

As the Yoons continued with their out-of-the-world family conversation, Jeong Hyeok focused on the veal on his plate, hoping that it would calm his nerves.

It had been rather awkward initially, with both sides not quite knowing what exactly to say.

That wasn't surprising - the last time they've seen each other in Seoul was when Jeong Hyeok had been brought away by NIS officers.

Last night, they were presented with a completely different version of Ri Jeong Hyeok.

From being a North Korean illegal immigrant who got handcuffed and deported, to a pianist playing at a world-renowned music event...that was enough to blow anyone's mind.

Four years on, he would be having his first formal meeting with Se-ri's parents, and it was a very significant event in their culture.

Thankfully, despite being affluent beyond imagination, Se-ri's parents had appeared to like the simple gifts he had prepared for them, with some help from Se-ri, of course.

Alpine flower-scented candles and room fragrance diffuser for her mother, and a bottle of Fläscher Pinot Noir Barrique for her father.

Alpine flower-scented candles and room fragrance diffuser for her mother, and a bottle of Fläscher Pinot Noir Barrique for her father

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