Proud of My Younger Siblings
After the contract was settled, Are and I went upstairs to the second floor to speak with Suyoung privately.
"Are you okay, noona? If you're hurt anywhere…"
"I'm fine. And you already know, don't you? Something like this wouldn't make me so much as blink. Honestly, it was a little fun. Like living out a scene straight from a movie."
"Haa… well, sure, but still…"
I found myself easing into a quiet sense of relief as I remembered that this woman possessed the strongest steel-forged mental fortitude of anyone I knew.
Ten years ago, after her husband died, she had raised Ran entirely on her own without accepting help from a single person. And throughout that process, until I formally entered the military, she had looked after me as well — never once showing so much as a hint of hardship. A woman of iron in the truest sense of the word.
That person was Han Suyoung, standing right in front of me. I felt it all over again.
If anything, she looked more composed in this moment than either of us.
Then noona looked at the two of us and let a faint smile touch her lips.
"And more than anything… I trusted you. Both of you."
"…What?"
"What do you mean…"
"Well, isn't it obvious? One of you is the undefeated, invincible adjutant. The other is an A-class hunter who made legends in the U.S. military. With skills like yours, I was sure you'd keep me safe. And you did exactly that."
"W-well, of course we would, but…"
Her unexpected words left me slightly flustered, and Suyoung noona beamed at me with a bright smile.
"So I was truly happy. And proud. To see with my own eyes that people this strong and reliable are my little siblings."
"Mmm…"
"…"
Receiving such embarrassingly warm praise from her older sister, Are flushed red and couldn't manage another word — and neither could I.
And though the method hadn't been ideal, I couldn't deny feeling just a little proud that we'd been able to show noona our abilities this way.
"Alright then — I need to get Ran ready for her field trip, so I won't be able to see you off. Both of you, be careful. Oh, and when you get to Paris, take some pictures and send them to me."
"We're not exactly going on vacation, but I'll do what I can."
"Yes, we'll take plenty and send them to you."
A little banter from Suyoung noona, and we played along. After saying our goodbyes, Are and I decided to head straight back to the company. We needed to inform the others of the news, and there was plenty of preparation to handle before the commission's start date.
"Then I'll see you again another time."
"Yes, please take care."
Bones stood at the café entrance and bowed politely to us. It seemed she still had some cleanup left to do and showed no sign of leaving just yet.
With our business there finished, we got in the car and left at once.
"Haa… well, that was hardly an ideal start."
I sighed and slowly shook my head. Are answered in a calm voice.
"I agree. But looking at it another way, it isn't entirely incomprehensible. From a bodyguard's perspective, wanting to clearly verify the other party's abilities is only natural."
"That's true, but still…"
Certainly, just as carefully testing a product before purchasing it is best practice, they had their own need for that kind of verification. Especially when it involved not a few coins but a fortune in the hundreds of millions — and when it was directly tied to a person's life, someone of high standing no less.
"But still — going so far as to dig into our backgrounds and stage that whole thing was a bit much, wasn't it? There must have been any number of other ways…"
"…That's fair too. But they must have had their reasons. Looking at how they doubled the contract fee on the spot, it seems like they were prepared for this outcome all along…"
"Mmm…"
Even for someone who was clearly a high-level executive at a major corporation, I never expected them to handle things so cleanly and coolly. The money was one thing, but honestly, that was the most surprising part.
"In any case, given that this chairman who ordered all of this doesn't seem like a particularly pleasant person, we'll need to stay careful while we work. Please let the others know as well."
"Yes, I'll do that, Jinhyun."
Carrying that lingering unease, the Lamborghini sped out of downtown Cheongju and headed toward the company.
Still, we'd managed to close the deal at double the price, and noona had made money too — small consolations I held onto as we drove.
After Jinhyun and Are left…
Bones, left alone, let out a small sigh.
"Honestly… moments like this really show how this person has a bit of a twisted hobby…"
Even though this was her master to whom she had sworn loyalty, when it came to giving orders like this, even she couldn't help a bitter smile.
It had worked out in the end, but matching her master's exacting tastes always required considerable effort on her part.
And yet, there was a part of it she understood.
The desire to safely protect something precious and keep watching over it for as long as possible.
Bones, who had served this person for years, knew very well that those feelings lay behind her master's actions.
With that thought, she went back inside the café and sat down.
Then—
"Good work. As expected, the process was a bit troublesome… but it resolved smoothly in the end, didn't it?"
From right behind the chair where she sat, that person's voice began to speak.
"Yes. Honestly, I didn't expect things to go this well — starting with the fact that out of all the countless commissions available, they chose ours."
"That's what makes life interesting. Coincidence after coincidence, endlessly chaining together, painting the most fascinating pictures."
That person spoke with a voice full of intrigue. Bones replied with a slightly ambiguous smile.
"…Anyone listening would think you'd lived for decades."
"How long you've lived in this world isn't particularly important. Even someone who's lived twenty years can understand life better than someone who's lived two hundred."
"Well… looking at you, that thought isn't entirely unfounded…"
With that, Bones drained the cocoa sitting in front of her. Feeling the sweetness spread through her mouth, she gently swirled the cup and spoke in a calm voice.
"But… I was honestly quite surprised. I'd heard the stories, but I never expected them to pull off a near-perfect defense in a situation that urgent."
"Yes. In terms of ability, he's the absolute best. There's no one among the people I know who can match him."
Even without any real intent to attack, Lee Jinhyun had made the optimal judgment in an instant against an unpredictable situation. Bones was genuinely impressed by his response capability, and the other person quietly smiled and took another sip from the cup — as if they had known all along that things would turn out this way.
"Anyway, with this, the final piece of the puzzle is in place. You should start preparing soon. The schedule looks a bit tight if we're going to make it for the art exhibition."
"Yes. I suppose so… Well then… take good care of our chairman."
"Yes. I'll do my utmost to serve well."
With those words, that person rose from their seat. Bones then began to move slowly, following behind as that person started walking at a slightly quicker pace.