RACA 9

Jaebeom laughed again as he appealed that he would run away at any time if an emergency happened. What he was doing was the same as the little cat Jongjong he was raising.

When Jongjong needs him, he comes over acting all friendly, clinging to him like it wants to hang out. But the moment he takes him somewhere, he sit there looking like he’s ready to run away any second.

“What’s the matter?”

Eunsol must have decided that if he couldn’t escape right away, it was better to get the business over with quickly, because he immediately shifted his stance.

That look reminded Jaebeom of Jongjong, and he wondered if Eunsol would act sassy too if he ruffled that little head. He opened his mouth.

“You cook, right?”

“Ah, well… I’ve been living on my own for a while…”

“Living on your own?”

Didn’t he live with his father? Jaebeom frowned in confusion, then recalled the man’s disheveled appearance, as if he’d spent days on the streets. He nodded.

He probably meant his father rarely came home, so he must have spent many days alone.

Having interpreted the situation for him, Jaebeom asked again.

“What can you cook?”

“Just soup and rice, thingslike that. Simple spaghetti? But why are you asking…?”

“Why do you think? From now on you’ll be the one cooking.”

“Huh?”

Watching Eunsol blink in confusion, Jaebeom tapped his ankle. When he’d brought this small omega home, his main concern had been how to handle the helper situation going forward.

Hiring someone would solve it, but finding someone discreet enough not to blab about internal affairs was a hassle. Plus, Jaebeom was picky about his tastes.

After several interviews yielded no suitable candidates, he’d instructed them to start by stocking the fridge, only to find an unexpected situation unfolding.

This mischievous omega’s cooking wasn’t half bad.

“You don’t have anything else to do anyway, right?”

“No, that’s….”

Since you brought me here, that’s why it is like that. Eunsol grumbled words he could not dare to speak aloud, and he stomped his foot in dissatisfaction.

Only he didn’t realize that even without speaking, his lips were already betraying his dissatisfaction.

“Why? Don’t you want to?”

“No? Of course not!”

Eunsol answered quickly, guessing that if he refused, he might summon his men outside at any moment and make him suffer.

Cooking wasn’t difficult since he had to eat anyway. He was just curious how things had ended up this way.

“Um… isn’t there usually someone here to do this?”

“Why suddenly ask about staff?”

“No… it’s just, I’m not exactly hired help.”

“Ah, so you don’t like unpaid labor?”

No, that wasn’t exactly what I meant. Even as he said this, Eunsol discreetly studied Jaebeom’s expression. He thought, since things had come to this, wouldn’t it be nice to earn some money too?

‘I won’t be here forever anyway. When I leave this house, I should take something with me.’

He hadn’t yet considered how he’d support himself if he left immediately, so he planned to at least save some money. Besides, hadn’t the debt issue been settled by… having a child? Jaebeom, who had been looking down on Eunsol for his seemingly constructive future planning, nodded as if to say, “Go ahead.”

“Of course. In a time like this, you can’t exploit people without pay. Is 3 million won a month fine?”

“Th, th, three, three million?”

Eunsol’s eyes widened since he had expected at most an amount that did not reach minimum wage. Jaebeom, who had been enjoying the sight of his mouth gaping open and his expression brightening, pulled his phone from his pocket.

“Kwak Sang-ah, print out a contract.”

–A contract?

“Yeah. Lee Eunsol’s employment contract. Write that the salary is 3 million won per month.”

-Huh? An employment contract?

Kwak Sang-ah’s puzzled question made Jaebeom’s face cloud with irritation.

“Are you asking annoying questions again?”

-S-sorry! Boss!

“Boss?”

-No! Sir! I’ll fetch it immediately!

A reply strained with force, as if punctuated by three exclamation marks, echoed as footsteps hurried away beyond the door. Satisfied, Jaebeom ended the call and tucked his phone into his pocket.

“Alright?”

Eunsol, utterly dumbfounded by the scene, nodded reflexively. His heart pounded with a mix of disbelief and excitement at the prospect of earning big money.

“Just tell me what to do! I’ll do it well.”

Finally, Eunsol declared boldly, his voice brimming with determination. Thinking of the money coming his way, he could even clean this spacious house every day if asked.

“Should I clean and do laundry? I’m pretty good at housework.”

Jaebom stared at him, still clutching the gloves in both hands, and clicked his tongue.

“You’ll do anything?”

Then he suddenly smiled and asked. Eunsol couldn’t answer right away because the look in Jaebom’s eyes was too meaningful.

Eunsol rolled his eyes, mentally replaying his words.

‘Nothing strange about that.’

Having lived alone for so long, he’d naturally become quite skilled at tidying up. While not quite professional level, he was confident his efforts wouldn’t be a waste of the money paid.

“Yes…”

“Good attitude. I’ll look forward to it starting tonight.”

“Tonight?”

Why emphasize night specifically? The more he thought about it, the more puzzling it became, but unfortunately, he missed his chance to ask. The front door swung open, revealing Kwak Sang, who must have been running, drenched in sweat.

A single sheet of paper dangled from his hand. As if presenting some great treasure, he held it out with both hands, bowing respectfully before Jang Jaebeom.

“Mr. CEO! I brought it!”

His voice carried an unnecessary solemnity. Pyo Jaebeom seemed equally baffled by the spectacle. With a look that screamed “What is this?” he accepted the document and placed it on the table alongside a pen.

“Here. Review it and sign.”

“Yes.”

Eunsol quickly scanned the contract. There wasn’t much to read. The content was simple, containing only the essentials.

Name, resident registration number, address, and the monthly payment amount.

‘What the hell? This is creepy. They know all my personal info?’

They claimed to be a financial institution, but it was probably a gangster’s office. How could they not have looked up his information?

‘They probably even made that so-called father get a family relationship certificate!’

Fuming at this figure he knew only through text, Eunsol picked up a pen. If he ever got the chance, he wanted to see his face at least once.

‘If I meet him, I’ll just let loose with a torrent of curses.’

But given he sold his son and fled, he doubted they’d ever meet.

Consumed by rage toward this fictional father he’d never seen, Eunsol failed to properly verify the personal details on the contract. he carefully wrote his full name in the signature field. his handwriting felt a bit crooked after so long without writing.

He’d never heard anyone say he had bad handwriting…

As Eunsol set down the pen with a sigh, Pyo Jaebom took the paper.

“This makes us a proper employer-employee relationship, right?”

“Uh… yeah, I guess?”

Ever since earlier, why was he acting so ominously? Eunsol watched him nervously, trying to read his expression. But Pyo Jaebom said nothing more. He tucked away the contract and rose from the sofa.

“See you later. Oh, and take care of the housework.”

Without thinking, Eunsol stood up too and nodded. That much he could manage.

Following closely behind Pyo Jaebeom, he soon found himself at the front door. Until then, he’d said nothing, but suddenly he whipped around. Eunsol flinched involuntarily, noticing the meaningful curve of his lips.

“I’ll be looking forward to seeing how well you perform tonight.”

What the hell is he trying to do, acting like this and emphasizing it?!

“Is he doing this to scare me, or to really prepare me mentally?”

Eunsol rubbed his face with his palms, trying to guess Pyo Jaebom’s intentions. But he couldn’t figure it out at all. In times like this, it was better to handle what he could do immediately and deal with the situation when it arose, that way he wouldn’t waste time.

He made a quick decision and looked around for something he could tackle immediately.

“It’s clean, but I guess I should start with cleaning?”

Since he was going to walk around the house anyway to get a sense of the layout, it seemed like a good idea to tidy up while he was at it. Setting his priorities, he headed straight for the kitchen.

Since this was where hr’d prepare three meals a day, He figured it was the logical place to start. After exhausting himself sweeping, wiping, and organizing every nook and cranny – from the kitchen to three bathrooms, three bedrooms, one study, one walk-in closet, and four balconies – Eunsol collapsed onto the living room sofa.

“Ugh… My whole body aches. Why is this place so huge?!”

He’d known the interior was quite spacious from his initial scouting that first day. But there was a world of difference between casually walking around and taking it all in versus physically moving through every nook and cranny while cleaning.

“I can’t clean this every day. No way. Now I get why they pay 3 million a month, there’s a reason for everything.”

Sweet rewards always come with their share of hardship. Only now did Eunsol realize the price paid for such an expensive place, and he tapped his foot impatiently.

‎ He rolled over, pressing his stomach against the leather seat.

“Expensive stuff really is nice… That pleasant scent wafting up…”

It must have been treated with antibacterial agents. That’s why instead of the typical leather smell, there’s this subtle vanilla-like fragrance…

“Huh?”