Chapter 10: The Puppy Gets Jealous

“Grandma made only the things you like today, hyung!”

Inside the bag were freshly baked baguettes and whipped cream, the café owner’s salmon sandwiches, and even the egg tarts she only made occasionally because they weren’t on the menu!

Freshly baked egg tarts!

The pale-brown tart crust and glossy egg filling, browned to perfection on top, looked absolutely irresistible.

As expected, the first thing my hand reached for was an egg tart.

I unwrapped it and popped it straight into my mouth.

The crisp tart crust shattered first, followed by the sweet, eggy filling melting smoothly over my tongue.

Then came the perfect harmony of sweetness between the two.

This was the taste of heaven.

“Uoooh, Grandma is the best.”

“Ha-ha.

You should’ve seen yourself just now, hyung.

Is it really that good?”

“Yeah!”

I nodded enthusiastically with my cheeks stuffed full of egg tart.

The best decision I’d ever made in my life was accidentally discovering this village’s lake, staying here, and finding the café run by the owner.

Maybe the lake itself had guided me here so I could meet her.

The owner had given me four egg tarts.

I devoured them in no time, washing them down with the milk I’d poured earlier.

It truly tasted heavenly.

Only after eating the last egg tart did I finally notice the retriever sitting in front of me.

The golden retriever was watching me eat like a loyal puppy gazing at its master.

It wasn’t as though I were some trainer making a dog wait for food.

I suddenly felt terribly awkward.

So this guy really was a café employee, and he’d been sitting there unable to eat anything simply because the customer hadn’t given him permission.

I should’ve noticed sooner.

I smiled awkwardly.

“Ah, sorry.

You should’ve eaten too.

You can just eat whenever you want.”

In response, the good little puppy even poured milk into my now-empty cup.

“It’s okay.

I already had breakfast.

Just watching you eat makes me feel full.”

As he smiled while saying that, he really was Mikael himself, just like his name suggested.

An innocent angel in human form.

Still, I was technically the homeowner, so I figured I should act like one.

I got up, brought over the coffee I’d poured earlier, and asked,

“Coffee?

Or milk?”

“I’ll have coffee.”

He looked like the sort of guy who would only drink milk like a puppy, but apparently his taste buds preferred coffee.

Maybe it was because he was the café owner’s grandson.

I poured coffee into a mug and handed it over to the puppy.

Then I picked up the baguette and started slicing it with a bread knife.

I’d already eaten four egg tarts, yet I still wanted to eat more.

That was the power of the café owner’s baking.

I cut several thick slices of baguette, and perhaps because it was still warm, the bread was wonderfully soft.

Hard baguettes were delicious too, but after getting to know the café owner, I’d learned that warm baguettes were the real deal.

I felt like I’d become a person who could no longer live without the owner’s baking.

I piled a generous amount of her homemade whipped cream onto a thick slice of soft baguette, then added some fig jam on top.

And when I popped the whole thing into my mouth—

“Uaaah, I’m so happy!”

The incredible sweetness spreading throughout my mouth seemed to wake every cell that was still asleep.

I shuddered all over as I savored this happiness.

Then, when I looked up to drink some milk, I saw that guy sitting there again, doing nothing but smiling instead of eating.

Was he really not hungry?

“You really aren’t going to eat?”

“You’re eating it so deliciously that I couldn’t stop watching.

I’ll eat now.”

Only then did he pick up one of the sliced baguettes with his large hand and take a bite.

“What about the jam?”

“I’m fine without it.”

“Are you worried it’ll be too sweet?

This fig jam has no added sugar.

It’s just sweet enough and really good.

Try some.”

“Hmm, then I’ll try the one you made, hyung.”

At that, I looked at the baguette I’d prepared.

It wasn’t a problem if he’d taken a bite; I could simply give him the other side.

But I’d piled on a generous amount of the café owner’s sweet homemade whipped cream according to my own taste, so it would probably be too sweet for him.

Judging by the fact that he was eating plain baguette with his coffee, he didn’t seem to like sweet things very much.

“This has whipped cream on it, so it’s pretty sweet.

Are you sure?”

“Yeah, yeah.

Hyung, say ‘ah.’”

He opened his mouth.

Seriously, was he actually a puppy?

Why did I have to feed him?

“I’ll make you a fresh one, so you can ea—”

Just then, the cellphone I’d left on the table rang.

When I saw the name displayed on the screen, it was Secretary Kim-hyung.

I wondered what had suddenly happened and pressed the answer button.

“Hmm?

Yes, hyung.

What’s up?”

–Ah, yes.

Young Master.

I was just wondering if you’ve been doing well.

Haha.

“I’m always doing well.

How about you, hyung?

Do you still have a lot of work?”

–Work is, well……

Actually, I really wanted to attend your exhibition this time.

I truly feel terrible that I can’t.

“Come on.

What exhibition?

I’m just putting some paintings on display at the café.

It’s nothing.

I didn’t even advertise it, so probably only the villagers who happen to pass by will come.

My good hyung called because you felt bad about not being able to come to the exhibition, didn’t you?

It’s okay, it’s okay!”

Aww, my poor Secretary Kim-hyung.

He was worrying this much just because he couldn’t come due to work.

He was so cute I could die.

Compared to some huge college student like the one sitting in front of me, my adorable secretary was much more fun to tease.

Still, it had been a long time since I’d seen him, so I was a little disappointed.

“I was actually thinking that I haven’t seen you in a while, so I do miss you.

You’re really busy, aren’t you?”

–Well……

I might be able to drop by sometime soon……

Or maybe I won’t be able to go……

“What kind of answer is that, hyung?

You don’t have to come, so don’t worry about it.

And always take care of your health.

Yes, yes.

Okay, I’ll hang up now.”

Secretary Kim-hyung kept worrying and apologizing right up until the call ended.

The company was the problem.

It was always the company.

Once again, I thought how lucky I was to be a rich unemployed man.

I forcibly ended the call while Secretary Kim-hyung was still telling me to take care of myself.

I smiled contentedly at having talked with my adorable hyung and turned off my phone……

Only to find the puppy sitting across from me staring sharply at me.

What?

What now?

Was he upset because I hadn’t given him any food?

“What is with that look?”

At my words, the puppy’s expression became even more sulky.

Then his lips pushed forward like a duck’s.

What?!

What exactly was he unhappy about?!

“What?

Is it because I didn’t give you any bread?

Should I make you some now?”

Even then, the puppy’s expression showed no sign of relaxing.

‘If he’s going to keep doing this without even telling me why, he’s going to start getting annoying…….’

My expression became sullen too.

I absolutely hated troublesome things.

And what was I supposed to do when someone suddenly made a face like that?

I hated having to adjust myself to other people’s moods.

Perhaps he noticed my irritation, because the puppy’s lips slowly started returning to normal.

I had to admit, I liked that about him.

He was always quick to read the room.

“What?

If you’re unhappy about something, say it.”

Only then did the puppy begin grumbling.

“Hyung is always nice to Secretary Kim-hyung.

Why are you so different with me?”

“Was I?”

“You were!

That’s right!

You’re even all sweet and affectionate with my grandma.

But you’re always annoyed by me!”

“Is that so…….”

Secretary Kim-hyung was the one working like a s*ave for my sake—my ho…… no, my adorable secretary.

And the café owner was the person who brought sweetness into my rich unemployed life.

What could I do about that?!

This guy had so many complaints over the tiniest things!

I wondered how he was ever going to survive in this harsh world……

But then again, he did have a point, so I decided to restrain myself.

Had I really been that different with him?

If he genuinely felt that way, then I suppose it was only natural that he would feel hurt.

To cheer up the puppy, I picked up another slice of baguette and spread only fig jam on it.

Then I sent it straight toward the puppy’s mouth.

The puppy quickly caught it in his mouth like a huge dog being given a treat.

While he ate the baguette, I took out the café owner’s salmon sandwich and cut it in half with the bread knife.

Once the sandwich was split open, the thick salmon immediately caught my eye.

It looked like the owner had stuffed several large pieces inside because she knew I was the one eating it.

There was also crisp lettuce, onion soaked in water to remove its sharpness, and the owner’s special sauce!

I held out half of the delicious-looking sandwich to the puppy.

It definitely wasn’t because I was getting full.

Absolutely not.

I was merely giving it to my puppy to cheer him up.

The puppy grinned as he accepted the salmon sandwich I offered him.

Then he took a huge bite.

As he bit into it, the bright pink salmon and all the filling spilling forward looked incredibly appetizing.

I took a big bite too.

The moment I did, the fantastic combination of salmon, lettuce, onion, and the special sauce swept through my mouth.

I was so happy.

The puppy seemed to like it too, judging by how happily he was eating.

Then, at this perfect moment, I tossed out my bait!

“Mikael, you’ll cheer up after this and help me move the paintings later, right?”

Without this puppy, I didn’t even have a driver’s license.

I’d have to carry all the luggage to the café myself and make several trips back and forth.

And there was no way I was going through the hassle of calling a taxi.

I absolutely refused to deal with anything troublesome.

At my request to help me move the luggage, the puppy shouted,

“El!”

He was asking me to call him by his nickname.

Seriously, even the fact that he liked having his name called made him just like a huge dog.

“Okay, okay.

El.

You’ll help me, right?”

“Yeah, yeah!”

El nodded frantically as he answered.

The way he listened so obediently made him look even more like an adorable pet dog.

All right.

You get one more point for being cute.

A well-behaved kid deserves an extra treat, after all.

He was a good kid who helped the café owner deliver bread, came over to my house often, and took care of me in one way or another.

If my thoughtless attitude had hurt his feelings, then I should probably treat him a little better from now on.

After all, in this world, he’d become a good connection I’d made on my own, rather than one of those lunatics from the original story.

I sincerely thanked him and reached out to pat his head.

He grinned even more brightly, just like a puppy that had been praised.

When a handsome guy smiled, it felt like the whole world lit up.

As expected, people really did need to be handsome.

Anyway, it had been a pleasant brunch in every sense of the word.

📚 Also on NHV Novels

Marrying My Ex’s Uncle

ChildcareMale ProtagonistPossessive Characters

Read Now →
Not interested