‘He ate it all.’
When I went to the dining table after waking up in the morning, I saw bowls sitting there—spotless, emptied clean. I didn’t even know when he’d brought them out.
Normally, I would have to go into Jung Hwangyeong’s room in the morning and clear it out myself, but to think he’d actually finished everything and set the bowls out like this.
‘Good thing I made the sweet pumpkin porridge.’
A satisfied warmth rose in my chest. Then should I do sweet pumpkin porridge again for breakfast today?
I could give Jung Hwangyeong his porridge, and for me and Jung Hwangyu, we could just make something simple—kimchi stew loaded with meat. Once I decided the morning menu, I started busily preparing breakfast until Jung Hwangyu came back from his workout.
‘…He’s later than usual today?’
But even after the kimchi stew started to boil, Jung Hwangyu still didn’t show. Did he get sick after taking that beating yesterday? A fever, maybe?
Figuring I should take care of Jung Hwangyeong first and then go check on Jung Hwangyu, I portioned the pumpkin porridge into a bowl and headed for Jung Hwangyeong’s room.
As usual, I knocked and went in.
Jung Hwangyeong was already staring at me with his big eyes rounded wide—only this time, instead of hiding under the blanket, he was sitting in a chair.
The sight made him look like a wary stray cat… but also like one waiting for food. Without meaning to, the corners of my mouth twitched.
‘I felt it from the first time I saw him, but he really is adorable.’
Once we got closer, I’d have to pat that cute, stubbornly spiky hair of his.
But if I got careless and approached too freely just because he was cute, he might dive back under the blanket and hiss again—so for now, I had to treat him like I always did.
Keeping my expression under control, I set the pumpkin porridge down in front of Jung Hwangyeong, who sat stiffly in the chair.
“Enjoy your meal.”
Jung Hwangyeong gave the tiniest nod. Looks like the porridge fit his taste perfectly. Feeling proud, I stepped away so he could eat in peace.
“He’s still not out?”
I’d thought he’d be out by the time I came back after taking care of the kid, but Jung Hwangyu still wasn’t in sight.
It would take Jung Hwangyeong a while to finish eating, so while that happened… should I go find Jung Hwangyu?
I’d already scoped the house earlier and figured out where Jung Hwangyu’s room was, so I found it easily on the second floor. I knocked—knock, knock, knock—but there wasn’t a single sound from inside.
I opened the door.
The room was empty.
I thought he’d be here—so if he wasn’t in his room, where was he?
Without thinking, my gaze slid to the room next door: the workout room.
‘Don’t tell me he’s still in there?’
I didn’t think that could be true, but just in case, I opened the door.
“Hhk… hhuhk… hhk.”
Inside, Jung Hwangyu was doing push-ups with his shirt off, breathing harshly with every rep.
“…Jung Hwangyu?”
“…Hhk, hhuhk… what… why.”
“You not eating?”
“Haah… ha… it’s already that time?”
Jung Hwangyu pushed himself up to his feet.
He was drenched head to toe in sweat—like he’d been working out forever. So this was what kids these days called a “chocolate six-pack,” huh. Maybe he’d tanned—his abs were carved sharply into bronze skin, and before I knew it, I was impressed.
And then there were the bruises scattered here and there—yesterday’s battle scars—making him look even more… manly.
I used to have a body worth talking about too when I was young…
I’d kept myself in decent shape even as I got older, but after possessing this body, I’d become all smooth—no abs, no definition—just pale skin, white like someone had poured milk over it.
For the first time, I envied Jung Hwangyu.
“What—does it look cool?”
Maybe because I’d been staring too hard, Jung Hwangyu started acting like he was posing.
“…It does look cool. But what’s the point? You’ve got no strength.”
I clicked my tongue, shaking my head.
A man has pride. I couldn’t just admit another man’s body was impressive—especially not Jung Hwangyu’s. The second I acknowledged it, he’d get cocky and start showing off.
‘Brat.’
Jung Hwangyu bristled and shouted back at me.
“Who says I have no strength?! Who! Yesterday was just ‘cause I wasn’t feeling good—normally I’d win everything!”
“Ha. Sure. Whatever you say.”
“You don’t believe me! Hey!”
“I do. I believe you.”
“Hey! Then bet me!”
“…A bet?”
I was half listening and already turning to leave when he dropped something tempting.
“Fine. Fighting with our bodies… no, let’s not do that, since we’ve got history and all. Arm wrestling! Arm wrestling!”
“…I don’t mind fighting with our bodies.”
I was confident I’d win.
Jung Hwangyu yelped again.
“…Arm wrestling! Winner gets a wish granted!”
“A wish…”
“You scared?”
“…Don’t start talking big after you lose.”
The moment he called me scared, I couldn’t just let it slide.
I rolled up my sleeve.
Jung Hwangyu, wearing a smug expression, dragged a table from somewhere and slammed it down in front of me.
“Alright. One round. Decides everything!”
I clasped the hand he held out.
In that brief standoff, we glared into each other’s eyes.
Unlike Jung Hwangyu’s arm, thick with muscle, mine was painfully skinny. A victorious grin was already spreading across Jung Hwangyu’s mouth—like he’d won before we even started.
Watching him, I clicked my tongue inwardly, like he was pathetic.
Did he already forget the day he got pinned by this hand?
Guess you can’t deny he’s a simple single-celled organism.
Our hands tightened.
“When we start, we move at the same time. Alright—start!”
Before even one second passed after he finished speaking—
Thud.
With a sharp impact sound, Jung Hwangyu’s hand slammed into the tabletop.
“T-this… this makes no sense!”
Jung Hwangyu’s jaw dropped open, his face pure disbelief.
He clearly hadn’t even imagined it would end that instantly.
I straightened up from where I’d leaned in for the arm wrestle, dusted my hand off with a few quick shakes, and spoke.
“I won. Tsk, tsk—young punk. Don’t forget the wish.”
“W-wait—!”
“Wash up and come downstairs.”
Leaving Jung Hwangyu reaching for me, I walked away.
He shouted that he couldn’t believe it and demanded another round, but I got out of there fast.
I’d wasted too much time playing around with him.
It was time to send Jung Hwangyeong to kindergarten.
Our cat’s probably waiting.
I’d send the youngest off first, then take care of feeding that rabid dog, Jung Hwangyu.
‘Ah. The life of a housekeeper is really busy. Busy.’
* * *
Left alone, Jung Hwangyu stared at his own hand like he couldn’t believe it.
‘It’s because I worked out. I drained all my strength. That has to be it… otherwise this makes no sense, right?’
He tried to rationalize it, but even an idiot would know that wasn’t the truth.
He already knew Park Gyumin was strong.
After seeing yesterday’s scene, anyone who didn’t know would be a moron.
Yesterday, Park Gyumin had been—literally—a monster.
Watching him swing a club and beat down gangsters like he’d lost his mind had sent chills all over Jung Hwangyu’s body.
The way he overwhelmed them with sheer strength and cruelty, planting fear into them—he looked like a perfect mix of his eldest brother and his second brother, split fifty-fifty.
Jung Hwangyu had forced himself to swallow his fear and stop him, thinking that if it went any further, those gangsters might actually die.
And in that moment, when Park Gyumin’s gaze snapped toward him—
Jung Hwangyu’s knees had almost buckled.
He’d almost pissed himself.
It was a relief that Park Gyumin’s eyes quickly returned to that blank, unfocused stare.
If they hadn’t…
Ugh. Just thinking about it made his legs go weak.
The reason Jung Hwangyu worked out longer than usual today was because he wanted to get stronger.
Being weaker than the housekeeper—his pride couldn’t tolerate it.
And if nothing else, he’d been sure he’d win at arm wrestling…
But to get pushed back even there.
That monster bastard.
How the hell does strength like that come out of such a small body?
‘Just you wait… I’m not losing. I’ll beat you. I will.’
Jung Hwangyu’s eyes burned.
Now, besides his eldest brother and his second brother, he had one more person he needed to defeat.
“Ah, damn!”
That was when Jung Hwangyu pinched his nose and turned his gaze toward the door.
A familiar pheromone scent approaching from that direction.
Jung Hwangseo—his second brother.
I keep telling him to hide his pheromones inside the house, but he insists on letting them spill out like that, making everyone feel suffocated.
Like he doesn’t even care that the scent of another alpha’s pheromones is disgusting as hell.
Seriously!
“Ah, hyung! The smell!”
“Hm? My lovely little brother?”
A languid voice.
He’d been so busy lately he barely showed his face at home—what’s with him today?
“Hide your pheromones. I feel like I’m gonna puke!”
“Ann~oy~ing~.”
Forget it. Don’t even bother talking. No matter how many times he said it, his second brother would never listen.
The best move was to avoid him.
Jung Hwangyu turned to head back to his room to wash—
That was when Jung Hwangseo’s voice drifted after him.
“…Ah, right. You were in this house too.”
“What?”
“There’s a pretty little thief cat that seems to have snuck into this house… you seen it?”
“A pretty thief cat?”
What kind of nonsense is this now. A thief cat?
“It definitely came in… but, damn it, there’s not a single trace.”
His eyes looked lazily unfocused, but the voice carried killing intent, and Jung Hwangyu swallowed without meaning to.
When hyung’s mood turned like that…
It was a little dangerous.
It sounded like he wanted something, but wasn’t getting it the way he wanted.
He looked normal on the surface, but his expression was twisted with irritation.
His second brother lived however he pleased, and whenever things didn’t go his way, he threw fits like that.
“…Th-then ask the housekeeper. The housekeeper would know.”
Trying to avoid him, Jung Hwangyu tossed the words out carelessly—
And Jung Hwangseo’s face began to brighten.
A strange expression: ecstasy and delight, half mixed with that languid calm.
In that instant, Jung Hwangyu realized he’d screwed up.
“Ah. Right. There’s a housekeeper in this house too, isn’t there?”
‘…I didn’t just say something I shouldn’t have, did I?’
With that, Jung Hwangseo started shuffling down to the first floor.
Watching him, Jung Hwangyu couldn’t shake the strong feeling that he’d misspoken.
For a long while, he couldn’t even make himself move—he just stood there, nailed to the spot.