Chapter 41
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: The Nanny Returns
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"Are you okay, young masters?"
Kangyul slipped into the president's office just before the nanny could spot him.
Kim Min-a, who had seen him, tilted her head and approached, but Kangyul locked the door behind him.
'Damn. If I run into the nanny here, I'm done for.'
The nanny would definitely tell Park Jeong-a or Im Myeonghan.
"President?"
Kim Min-a's puzzled voice came from behind the door.
"Ahem. I'm not feeling well. I need to rest a bit."
"Ah, yes. Got it."
Kangyul immediately pulled out his phone and messaged Jang Deokcheol.
[President: The nanny's here at the company!]
[Jang Deokcheol: ...I'll handle it.]
The moment Jang Deokcheol received Kangyul's message, he flung open the door to his vice president's office.
Kim Min-a, who had been about to knock, startled and stepped back.
"Oh, Driver Jang. Long time no see. Or should I say Vice President Jang now?"
"No need for that. Come on in here."
Jang Deokcheol led the nanny into his office.
He had already told her that she was transferring to Midas Corporation, the company of an acquaintance.
"I brought some food to thank you so much for everything with Jaeyoung. I hope I'm not being too sentimental?"
"Not at all. He loved it."
The nanny chatted with Jang Deokcheol for a bit before leaving.
She had come to express her gratitude to Jang Deokcheol for helping her grandson Lee Jaeyoung return home.
Kangyul skipped his separate Sudden Attack practice that day and sent Jaeyoung and the nanny on their way.
Im Honggyu drove the nanny and Lee Jaeyoung back.
'Phew. Looks like they're gone.'
Only after the nanny had left did Kangyul finally emerge from the office.
Gurgle―
His stomach growled, likely from the delicious food aroma wafting around.
Kim Min-a had thoughtfully set aside a portion for Kangyul.
"President, try this. It's really good."
Kangyul took the food and dug into the ribs first.
It was that same rib taste he'd enjoyed since childhood.
Chomp chomp.
'...I wonder if the nanny will come back home.'
Kangyul could accept it, but Deokyul and Jiyul missed the nanny terribly.
The new person felt strangely unfamiliar, like there was an invisible wall making it hard to get close.
'Eating this just makes me miss the nanny even more.'
Kangyul devoured every last bite without leaving a scrap.
On the way home that day.
Deokyul and Jiyul seemed unusually listless for some reason.
Perhaps because of the gradually warming weather, they slumped limply, staring out the window.
"Why are Deokyul and Jiyul so down? Want some chocolate from big brother?"
"Yeah! I want some."
"...I'm fine."
Unlike Deokyul, who snatched it eagerly, Jiyul weakly shook his head.
"Did something happen at school, Jiyul?"
Deokyul, chocolate smeared on his mouth as he ate, spoke up instead.
"It's not that. Jiyul just misses the nanny."
"The nanny?"
"...Yeah. He wants to eat the ribs she made, and he misses her too."
As Jiyul grew even more downcast thinking about the nanny, Kangyul felt a pang of guilt inside.
He suddenly felt bad for hogging the delicious food the nanny had left at the company all by himself.
Kangyul could only pat Jiyul's head, unable to say much else.
He didn't even know when the nanny would return.
The moment Kangyul and the twins entered the house, they ran into the new lady.
She hadn't even noticed the triplets arrive and was lounging on the sofa, talking on the phone.
"Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Sigh. I'm only doing it for the money. I'm dying of exhaustion here. These rich kids make me work even harder, you know?"
Kangyul, passing through the living room, stopped at her words and first ushered Deokyul and Jiyul to their room.
'...Good grief, this lady is badmouthing us outright?'
"These kids eat like pigs every meal, it's killing me to prepare food all the time. Parasites, total parasites. If they didn't pay so well, I'd quit on the spot."
'What? Parasites?'
Kangyul stood still to listen to the end, but the word "parasites" made him snort in disbelief without thinking.
The lady glanced back at the noise, then hurriedly ended her call.
"...Oh, the kids are here. Whew, what a hassle. Just feed them and I'll call you back later."
After hanging up, she stood with a brazen smile.
"Young master, you're home? Wait just a sec, and I'll get your food ready."
'...No, she smiles at us every day—does she think our family are suckers?'
"Where's the food? Why do you always start cooking right when we get home? Can't you prepare it ahead? My little brothers always have to wait."
"I have a lot to do. I'll make you tasty donggeurangddaeng today."
The lady brushed off Kangyul's words and headed to the kitchen.
It was always like this.
If Park Jeong-a or Im Myeonghan might come home early, she'd suddenly bustle about pretending to work, but she ignored the triplets.
Even after school, they often waited until late evening, and sometimes she just threw together simple convenience foods.
And she didn't even clean diligently.
Aside from turning on the TV and peeling fruit to snack on, running the vacuum a few times was it.
'I've put up with it so Mom wouldn't worry, but I can't overlook this anymore.'
"...Sigh. We're ordering out today, so don't cook."
"Really? Where from?"
The lady practically beamed at the prospect of skipping cooking.
"No, we'll handle the ordering. Just leave our house now."
"...What? Leave?"
"You've been half-assing the housework and barely feeding us properly. There's no reason to keep you employed. I'll tell Mom, so you're done as of today."
The lady, who had been smirking, twisted her face the instant she realized Kangyul was serious.
"...You little punk, who do you think you are? Your mom hired me!"
She glanced around, grabbed a ladle, and approached Kangyul.
"Good grief, you gonna hit me with that?"
"Brats like you need a good spanking!"
The lady swung the ladle threateningly at his head.
She had no real intention of hitting him—just scaring him so he'd never mouth off again.
'He's just a kid, even if he acts all grown up!'
Kids always cowered after a good scare and behaved afterward.
The lady had been waiting for a chance to put Kangyul in his place.
"Apologize now!"
But Kangyul was different from the kids in other houses where cheap tactics like this worked.
He stared her down without blinking.
He even seemed to pity her, which was obvious.
'...Insolent little...!'
Unable to hold back her rage, the lady swung the ladle hard.
Thwack!
'Ugh!'
The ladle, swung with full force, grazed Kangyul's forehead.
His tender skin tore, and blood trickled down.
The lady panicked at the flowing blood, but that was it.
She could just claim he got hurt playing outside.
"...Ah, no! That's what you get for acting up!"
Kangyul wiped the blood dripping from his forehead with his hand.
His skin was fairly torn, so a lot of blood flowed.
'...Fuck, I never even got hit by my parents, and now some hired help hits me.'
Kangyul glared incredulously at the lady, then picked up the remote that had fallen to the floor.
He was about to hurl it with all his might when someone blocked his path.
"Don't hit my big brother!!"
"Take this!"
Jiyul hugged Kangyul protectively, while Deokyul kicked the lady's shin hard.
Thanks to his taekwondo, it was a proper side kick.
"Aaack! You little brats! Want a beating too?!"
The lady grabbed Deokyul's torso and smacked his butt with all her strength.
Thwack thwack!
"...You crazy bitch! Don't hit my little brother!"
Kangyul shoved the lady away just like Deokyul had.
And he flung the remote straight at her face with all his power.
He intended to make her bleed just as much as she had made him.
Thwack!
The remote hit the lady squarely on the bridge of her nose.
"Aaack!"
Blood poured from between her fingers as she clutched her nose and collapsed.
"Serves you right. Deokyul, Jiyul, come here."
"You little...!"
The lady lost all reason at the sight of her nosebleed and lunged like a madwoman.
Kangyul hugged his brothers tight and closed his eyes.
Thwack!
But strangely, no pain came.
When he cautiously opened his eyes, a familiar back came into view.
Someone had grabbed the lady's arm as she tried to swing the ladle.
"W-Who are you?"
"Me? I'm their nanny!"
The nanny snatched the ladle and shoved the lady away from the triplets.
"How dare you hit the young masters?"
"N-No... I was just trying to teach them some manners..."
"Shut up and get out!"
The lady flinched at the nanny's shout, grabbed her things, and bolted out.
"Phew. Are you okay, young masters?"
At the nanny's gentle voice, Deokyul and Jiyul teared up and threw their arms around her.
The nanny's eyes welled up too.
'...Ah, the reunion's heartwarming and all, but can someone stop this bleeding first?'
Kangyul wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry at the blood still flowing.
The nanny, hugging the twins, noticed Kangyul's forehead and gasped, hurriedly staunching the blood.
Fortunately, it was just skinned, so the bleeding stopped quickly.
"You must be hungry. I brought food just in case—good thing, huh?"
"Whoa! Ribs!"
Jiyul bounced around most excitedly.
'The nanny really is the best.'