Chapter 99 – To Catch a Tiger, Go to the Tiger’s Den

The meeting place was a nearby downtown area.
The sky got darker and the street lamps on the street came on one by one, but Angela was nowhere to be seen, probably because there was plenty of time until the appointment time.

If you’re the president of a large company, you’ll be very busy, so it’s not strange to be late.

Just when I thought I might have to wait a long time, a limousine that I had only seen once stopped in front of me.

It was Angela who revealed her face through the slowly descending glass.

“Mr. Ian.”
“Hello.”

He bows his head politely, giving off an elegant yet cultured smile.

Perhaps because the limousine was so conspicuous, passers-by glanced at it.

It was only now that I realized that I was meeting privately with a beautiful woman and the president of a conglomerate.

I got into the car at the recommendation of Mr. Angela, but the ride comfort and comfort are on a different level from ordinary cars.

Even if you worked as a programmer all your life, you wouldn’t be able to afford a car like this.

As I was looking around like a young man from the countryside who had just arrived in Seoul, Angela, who was sitting in the passenger seat, looked back at me sitting in the back.

“Thank you for accepting my sincerity.”
“No. I thank you for inviting me.”

For some reason, I laughed awkwardly.
I feel intimidated unknowingly, perhaps because I got a high-end car.

“Actually, I thought a lot about where to take Ian. I didn’t know what kind of food my daughter’s age would like.”

Before I could answer, an unfamiliar voice came from the driver’s seat.

“Don’t worry, Chairman. I’ve prepared a place that your lady friend likes.”
“Thank you, Verita.”

Angela smiled softly and said, ‘Oh, look at my mind.’ She looked back at me.

“This is my assistant, Verita. She’s really helpful at work and at home.”
“Oh, yes. Hello.”

She bowed her head towards Mr. Verita, reflected in her room mirror.
She also bowed her head in her mirror, but her expression was unrecognizable because she was wearing sunglasses.

“Hello, Mr. Ian. I heard that she went to near death because of the lady. I’ll apologize on behalf of her.”
“No no, it’s okay.”

It seems that he is quite close to not only Angela but also Selena.

“I hope you like the place I prepared, as the president invited you as an apology.”

His voice overflows with confidence, and his anticipation grows out of control.

What kind of food do the presidents of large corporations eat?
Foie gras? Caviar? Lobster?
Maybe it’s a rare food you haven’t even heard of.

Before I came to this world, the only luxuries I had were food like hamburgers, chicken, and pizza, but I never dreamed that I would enjoy such luxuries after coming here.

“Chairman, we have arrived.”

I got out of the car following them and was at a loss for words.

… Is this true?

The place Verita took me to was a soup restaurant.
Even Grandma O’s soup restaurant, which has been passed down for three generations.

… Was there a soup restaurant here too?

Just in case, I went inside with Verita, but the inside of the store was a very familiar and friendly soup restaurant itself.

“Is this really a place Ian-san would like…?”

Should I say I’m lucky Angela seemed to have the same thoughts as me.
However, Mr. Verita was still confident.

“Of course. According to my research, rice soup is the best food among the younger generation. Some young people would rather eat dozens of bowls of rice soup than go to a fancy restaurant.”

No, that’s not usually what I mean.

Angela was looking at me with anxious eyes.

It’s not like I don’t believe Verita-san’s words, and it seems to depend on whether I really like her.

“Oh, that’s right! When you’re hungry, it’s rice soup.”

He gave a thumbs up with a forced smile.
Not only was I not shameless enough to complain about this and that from the position of being invited, but I didn’t want to embarrass Angela.

“Really? I’m glad I did.”

At the sight of Ms. Angela breathing a sigh of relief, her regret for her high-end food is blown away.

Yeah, what kind of food does it matter?
Finding a way to get Angela on my side is my top priority.

After clearing her mind, she sat down under the guidance of Mr. Verita, but we were the only customers in her spacious shop.

Verita-san said, as if she had read my thoughts as I was looking around.

“I rented out the entire store so that you can enjoy it comfortably and comfortably.”
“Ah yes.”

It’s the first time I’ve heard that she rented an entire soup restaurant since she was born.

Verita, who ordered three bowls of soup, sat next to Angela.

The two people sitting side by side in front of me were dressed in suits, probably coming straight from work.
It’s a strange sight to see a classy beauty like Angela, even the president of her conglomerate, wearing her suit and sitting at her soup restaurant.

“How is Selena these days?”
“I don’t think it’s particularly different from before. When others aren’t looking, they fight or bully me…”

I answered calmly but honestly.
There is no reason for me to protect Selena, because Ms. Angela will find out what her daughter has done anyway, if she puts her mind to it.
It also seemed like a good way to make her feel more sorry for me if I were to make contact with her Mr. Angela.

“He’s still…”

Angela’s eyebrows droop along with a sigh.

“I warned her once before, but if she only talked about boys, she would start a game…”

She lost her words, lost in her thoughts.
She seemed to be contemplating whether or not to say the words that popped into her head.
After a while, as if she had made a decision, her closed, pretty lips opened again.

“Actually, her husband had been cheating on her. Since Selena found out about it, if she’s a man, she’s trembling.”
“Okay.”
“My husband passed away not too long ago, and since he’s been like that ever since, I guess he must have felt a lot of betrayal of his father.”
“Ah….”

Her serious face gave her a nod, but in fact it was something she already knew.
Because earlier, while washing up with Dania in the shower, she asked her why Selena made her hate men.

However, there is a little difference between Dania and Angela.

According to Dania, Selena’s father and former president of the Branzel company was no different from a heinous sex offender.
It is said that she seduced young women in need of money and enjoyed an exhausting game that bordered on sexual torture.

Leaving such scenes as a video was also a hobby of the former chairman, and Selena said that she came across the video by chance.

‘What on earth was it about?’

When she asked that question out of her curiosity, Dania shook her head.

‘I’ve only heard of the video from the lady, so I don’t know the details.’

It’s not normal content, to the point of making her baby, her daughter, her man-hater.

Anyway, Mr. Angela simply expressed it as an affair because she did not want to fully reveal the shame of her family.

But a question arises.
No matter how mild Ms. Angela was, would she have turned a blind eye to her husband’s crimes?
It was to the point of changing the values ​​of her daughter whom she cherished so much?

Maybe Angela didn’t know that Selena had seen the video, or that she didn’t know what her husband really was.

“I’m sorry, but could you keep this a secret?

Seeing as I talked about my family’s affairs, I must have made a good impression.
She said she would get revenge on Selena, but she nodded her head because she didn’t want the entire Branzel family to be unhappy.

“Yes, of course.”
“I’m sorry for inviting you and talking about this.”

At the right time to change the mood, the long-awaited rice soup came to the table.

“Chairman. Try adding this perilla sesame powder. It will be much more savory. And don’t add the rice right away, after tasting the broth and meat to some extent…”

Verita, who had been quiet until now, suddenly changed as soon as the rice soup was served and started talking nonstop.

“It’s also good to put kkakdugi in the soup. But you have to decide carefully, as tastes vary and once you put it in, you can’t change it.”

This isn’t for me, isn’t she what she wanted to eat?

Even during such reasonable doubts, Mr. Verita continued to preach on how to eat rice soup deliciously, and Ms. Angela had a puzzled look on her face, as if she was not familiar with rice soup.

… Well. The taste is not bad. To be honest, it’s hard not to taste the soup.

While eating her soup, a conversation with Angela naturally continued.
Frankly, it was less of a conversation and more of me nodding and listening to Ms. Angela’s compliments or complaints about her one and only daughter.

Her parents, who care so much about their children, say they have nothing to say but talk about them wherever they go, but the current Angela seemed to do just that.

“Whoa… I’m sorry, hold on a second.”

Angela, who had been talking about her for a while, took off her suit jacket she was wearing and put on her shirt.

“I have a constitution that sweats a lot, but I ate something hot…”
“As expected, you are the president. You have a thorough spirit of service.”
“Yes?”

Angela, who did not understand Verita’s words, asked again, but I understood the meaning of the words at once.

As if the word “Sweaty” Wasn’t a lie, Angela’s shirt was wet.
Thanks to this, her pure white flesh and beige bra were exposed.

… Is that the body of a woman with a 20-year-old daughter?

Thanks to her well-groomed body exuding a mature beauty, her lower body hardens after she finishes eating.

Angela, who noticed it belatedly, said.

“Verita is also true. What’s so attractive about a lady like me?”

Instead of being shy, she had a relaxed smile.
Her baby, her daughter, and the look that I, who is the same age as her, feel like a child.
She doesn’t even seem to know how attractive she is.

“You don’t know how much a young man’s libido is. A man in his twenties gets excited about a hole in a tree he finds while climbing.”

No, not to that extent….

“Anyway, Ian-nim has a good eye candy, so that’s good. If your eyes are happy, the soup will taste better.”
“Verita tells weird jokes sometimes.”

Seeing that Angela doesn’t take it seriously, the two seem to be quite close.
Verita-san seems to be a surprisingly open-minded person, unlike her rather stiff tone of voice.

“Yeah, that’s right. Mr. Ian. My daughter was at that time…”

Again, the story of her mother’s child began.

As she listened carefully to Angela, she began to feel nervous.
I have to find a way to get Angela on my side, but if it goes on like this, it seems that she will end up listening to Selena and end up eating her.

Just then, a waitress came and put a bowl of soup on the table.

What? Is it a service?

Ms. Angela also stopped her, and she was staring at the freshly prepared rice soup with a puzzled face like me.

“I ordered one more. Keep talking, Mr. President.”

What had been a mere doubt turned into certainty.
That secretary must have come here because she wants to eat.

“No. I think I talked too much. I’m sorry, Mr. Ian.”

Could it be because the atmosphere was refreshed with the advent of a new rice soup? Angela said so.
It may not have been intentional, but from the bottom of my heart, I must express my gratitude to Mr. Verita.

“No, it’s fine.”

This time I have to say something on my side.

At that moment, the area under Angela’s eyes came into my field of vision.
It wasn’t severe, but the dark circles were blurry.

“You must be busy with work, but thank you for buying me a meal like this.”
“Oh, no. It’s a promise, but of course I have to keep it.”
“Your eyes look a little tired.”
“Ah… Actually, I’m in the process of reorganizing the company’s organization these days, so I can’t rest properly.”

I have been in my own company life, so I am curious because I know how big an event an organizational reorganization is.

“A reorganization?”
“Yes. I’m trying to make the company run without me as involved as before.”
“Aha.”

I’m curious about the reason, but I’m hesitant to ask about the company’s circumstances first.
It seems that the tenacity that was the cogwheel of the company still remains in his body.
But just in time, Mr. Verita added an explanation.

“The chairman was concerned about not paying much attention to Lady Selena because of her work.”

Angela laughed awkwardly, as if she was embarrassed that her inner feelings were revealed.

“That’s right. I want to spend more time at home and be with Selena more often.”

I wonder if she is overprotective at 20 years old, not just one or two years old, but since Angela cares for her daughter so much, I think that might be the case.

“And something happened in the family… The head butler and the butlers had to quit because of circumstances.”

When people confide once, they confide more and more.
The current Angela was in exactly that situation.

“And Dania too?”
“Thankfully, Dania stayed behind. She’s still there, but I’m sorry to leave her alone with that child, so I’ll have to hire more…”

I talk about it in a tone of worry, but it doesn’t really touch me.
Wouldn’t the pay be very high if you were the Branzel family’s butler?
I think there will be a line of people who will do it.

Well….

When I think about it again, even if there are many people who want to do it, I don’t think anyone will pick me up as a butler.
Because she said that even for Dania, she has put in a lot of effort to become a good butler.

“I’m going to be spending a lot of time at home, too, and Verita has decided to take over as the butler, so I’m thinking of picking just one person, but I’m worried that I can’t find the right person.”

As expected, the butler of the Branzel family is not an easy position.

Wait, butler?
If you become a butler, isn’t it a position to stay at the employer’s house and help with housework?

If I become Angela’s butler, there will be an opportunity to make her a part of me.
She’ll be staying with Selena as well, so she might get useful information for plotting revenge.

“Mr. Angela.”
“Yes?”
“Could I apply for the position of the butler, too?”
“I’m sorry. I guess that’s a bit…”

Ms. Angela blurs the end of her words as if in trouble.
Still, I didn’t give up and sent a desperate look.

“I spend a lot of time alone, so I’m good at housework. Can’t I…?”
“That is….”

Her heart weakened by my gaze in her eyes, and after a moment of thought, she parted her lips again.

“Actually, since there are me, Verita, and Dania, I’m not going to look at her abilities as the assistant butler for the remaining one. But because her daughter is so picky…”

Aha. I understood at once why Ms. Angela had such a hard time hiring her butler.

“Only among women, it’s hard to find a woman that even my daughter likes.”

The sigh that follows is so deep that it feels as if the ground will sink.

“If you’re a strong male like Ian, she can be helped and relied on in many ways, but because of Selena… I’m sorry.”

I can understand the contents of the refusal, and it is polite enough that it is natural for me to withdraw from here.

But I can’t give up so easily.
No matter how you think about it, there is no best scenario than becoming the Branzel family’s butler.

If it doesn’t work, we’ll have to find another way, but for now, let’s do our best.

The person sitting in front of her might not know if it was someone else, but since Angela was kind and compassionate, if she appealed to her feelings, she might be able to do something.

Recalling the sad memories, I started method acting.