Private Secretary - Chapter 52

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Private Secretary Episode 52

Kim Se-na said this and asked Tae-san to do everything, and Tae-san did it all without complaint.

For Lee Seol, who had never been able to order Tae-san around or ask him for anything, this scene was very unfamiliar.

“Tae-san, please wash this knife and bowl. Just go over there.”

“Okay.”

Lee Seol thought to herself.

If I had asked him, would Tae-san have followed so obediently? He probably does such troublesome tasks without complaint because it’s Kim Se-na, right?

Thinking that this was the difference between her and Kim Se-na made her feel somewhat bitter.

“You’re hungry, right? It’s almost ready, so just wait a little longer.”

“…Then I’ll do the dishes later.”

“Oh, dishes? Let’s make the men do that. How about it? Sounds good, right?”

Kim Se-na diligently cooked the stew with Ryu Hwa-pyeong on her left and Kang Tae-san on her right.

And whether it was her imagination or not, every time Tae-san tried to approach Lee Seol, she would give him something to do.

As if she was determined to turn Lee Seol into an isolated island.

“Here comes the stew.”

Lee Seol, who had been uncomfortable as if sitting on a bed of thorns, quickly set up the trivet when Kim Se-na came carrying the stew pot.

“Thank you.”

“I’ll set out the utensils.”

“No, it’s okay. Tae-san, could you set out the utensils? The utensil holder is in the tent, in the right storage compartment.”

Kim Se-na acted exactly like a queen commanding two men.

Did she invite me to show me this scene? To show off the two men who like her?

“No way. That can’t be it.”

“Hm? What did you say?”

“Oh, nothing.”

What was supposed to be just a thought slipped out of her mouth, and Lee Seol quickly shook her head, saying it was nothing.

Why did she become so sensitive and think only negative thoughts whenever it involved Kim Se-na?

She wanted to see the situation as it was, but why was that so difficult?

‘Ugh, how pathetic.’

The dinner prepared by the three people excluding Lee Seol was excellent.

The stew Kim Se-na cooked with the help of assistant Kang Tae-san, the rice Ryu Hwa-pyeong made, and even the meat Ryu Hwa-pyeong would grill.

“When it gets darker, there will be lots of stars. After we finish eating, come out to look at the stars.”

“Yes.”

Kim Se-na smiled brightly and served rice to Lee Seol first. Although the days were long since it was summer, being in the mountains, the sun seemed like it would set earlier than in the city.

“Should I grill the meat?”

“No. I’ve never handed over the tongs to anyone. I have to grill the meat myself.”

“That’s right. Our Hwa-pyeong grills meat amazingly well. Even at company dinners, he grills it himself, you know? When the company’s department head grills meat, how uncomfortable must the people under him feel?”

“…”

“I tell him not to do that, that it makes the subordinates feel burdened, but he really doesn’t listen. Why are men like this?”

Kim Se-na smiled brightly at her, and Lee Seol nodded with an awkward smile.

“Go ahead and eat first.”

Ryu Hwa-pyeong, who offered the properly cooked beef, didn’t leave his spot in front of the grill. Kim Se-na picked up a piece of meat and fed it to Ryu Hwa-pyeong.

Seeing the two smiling brightly from a short distance away, Lee Seol instinctively checked Tae-san’s expression.

He was also watching that scene, but she couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

His face was so expressionless that she couldn’t tell if he was sad, angry, or upset.

“Why aren’t you eating?”

Tae-san spoke to Lee Seol for the first time since preparing dinner. Lee Seol said she would eat well and picked up a piece of meat.

“Are you really going to meet the guy Kim Se-na introduces you to?”

“Yes…? She thought about it and is introducing him, so I should at least meet him out of courtesy.”

“You don’t have to force yourself. If you couldn’t refuse because you got caught up in the situation, I can explain it to her again so she understands.”

“No. I didn’t agree reluctantly. If I meet a nice person, that would be good for me too.”

“…”

“Besides, Kim Se-na wouldn’t introduce just anyone… If I meet him and really don’t like him, I just won’t see him again.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes.”

Lee Seol answered plainly. Nothing she had just said was a lie.

But Tae-san’s expression as he looked at Lee Seol became subtly distorted. He looked somewhat angry. Though there was no reason he should be.

Lee Seol deliberately ignored her intuition.

“How’s the meat? I specially prepared better meat because you two were coming.”

“It’s delicious. Thank you for the meal.”

“There’s plenty, so eat as much as you want until you’re full.”

Kim Se-na whispered stories only she and Ryu Hwa-pyeong knew beside him as he grilled meat, giggling. Anyone could see they were lovingly dating.

“Are you okay, Department Head?”

“About what?”

“I wondered if it’s hard for you to see Kim Se-na like that.”

“It’s not the first time I’ve seen it.”

“Still, it must be bitter.”

“I wonder.”

Perhaps he was hiding his emotions given the situation. Tae-san’s answer was ambiguous.

“Want to take a walk later after dinner to help digest? I heard there’s a circular trail if we go out the back.”

“It seems dangerous when it gets dark. This isn’t the city, it’s the mountains.”

“They say it’s okay because there are lights along the paths.”

“Still, I don’t want to go.”

In her current mood, she didn’t particularly want to walk alone with Tae-san on a trail. She just wanted to lie down early and greet the next morning.

“Come out anyway. Let’s walk a bit.”

He’s someone who doesn’t ask twice if you say no, so why is he being like this today?

When Lee Seol looked at Tae-san questioningly, Kim Se-na came over carrying a plate piled high with meat like a mountain.

“What are you talking about so seriously?”

“Nothing. Not really.”

“Come quickly and eat together. I think this should be enough.”

“Right, honey. Grilling and eating all at once doesn’t taste good either.”

“Should we do that then?”

Only then did Ryu Hwa-pyeong put down the tongs and sit down, finally bringing all four people together.

Lee Seol silently ate only the meat and stew, while Kim Se-na expounded on the advantages of camping.

Ryu Hwa-pyeong’s eyes were full of affection as he looked at Kim Se-na.

Perhaps because she was receiving so much love from her boyfriend, Kim Se-na seemed particularly radiant.

Lee Seol felt she could fully understand why Kang Tae-san liked her. Lee Seol lowered her head and smiled bitterly.

“Thank you for the meal. I’ll do the dishes, so just leave them.”

“There are a lot of dishes. We need to clean the grill too.”

“Yes. I’ll do it.”

“The grill needs to be cleaned with special solution. So I’ll do the dishes.”

“Then please let me help. I couldn’t help with meal preparation, so I need to at least do the dishes to feel comfortable.”

“You came as a guest, so just relax. Don’t feel burdened.”

“I still feel burdened. Empty bowls don’t take long, so I’ll do them.”

“If you really want to, go ahead. Honey, help Lee Seol.”

Kim Se-na, who had been eating the orange Ryu Hwa-pyeong peeled for her, said.

“Tae-san. Then you come with me to the car to get sleeping bags for you two. I bought new ones.”

“Give me the keys and I’ll go get them.”

“No. I’m too full, I need to walk a bit. Let’s go together. Honey, I’m going to the car with Tae-san.”

“Okay.”

Kim Se-na headed to the parking lot with Tae-san, and Lee Seol neatly stacked the empty bowls and put them in the bucket.

Since there was quite a distance to the sink where they could wash dishes, they had to gather everything together to carry it at once.

“I can just do it myself.”

“No. You worked hard grilling the meat earlier, so please let me do at least this much.”

Ryu Hwa-pyeong carried the grill and cleaning solution, while Lee Seol carried the basket containing the dishes to be washed as they walked together.

“Was today okay for you?”

“Pardon?”

“I thought it might have been awkward for you, so I was wondering if you were alright.”

Unlike Tae-san, Ryu Hwa-pyeong was truly a warm and kind person. How could they be so different despite both being chaebols?

He had no sense of authority, nor did he act like someone accustomed to being taken care of.

Even the company executives only knew how to order subordinates around, but Ryu Hwa-pyeong was humble and gentle despite being the chairman’s son.

Was that why Kim Se-na chose this person?

But then again, even the formidable Kang Tae-san is only cold to me – he’s completely gentle with Kim Se-na.

“Yes. It’s definitely nice breathing fresh air after such a long time. Actually, this was my first time camping, but it was so good that I’d like to go again sometime.”

Of course, this was just polite conversation. There would never be a second time Lee Seol would go camping of her own volition in her life.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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