21
Their Kingdom Panorama
/\_____/\
Why did it feel as if she’d done something wrong? The tension in the air made it uncomfortable for her. She found that even her hands refused to pick up the utensil in front of her while everyone else seemed to be eating in complete peace and joy. And she was confused about why she’d been seated next to Kyuhyun when So Rae had been seated across from her. Wasn’t he her fiancé?
She couldn’t help but feel uneasy. Glancing up across the dishes of food the nanny had prepared Victoria stole a look at Donghae to find him eating away generously. When he caught her stare he slowed down and frowned wondering why she was staring at him.
Victoria had wanted to talk with him. She didn’t know why but she had just wanted to speak with him. Meeting each other again and running through the woods had made her unconsciously want to run on another adventure with him. Because he was so naïve and easy to pick on she enjoyed it when they were together.
“Victoria, why aren’t you eating?” her father’s voice caught her attention.
“Ah…I am,” she grabbed her chopsticks and found the nanny staring at her with a small scowl from behind her father.
Blinking her eyes away she turned back to the fresh rice on her dish and looked toward Kyuhyun when he suddenly placed something on her plate. He just returned a smile before continued eating. Feeling nervous for some reason she glanced up to find So Rae staring at her with an angry frown across her face.
What was this?
Victoria was confused with what was going on.
“How’s your work coming along?” President Bang questioned. “So Rae’s been treating you well, I suppose?”
“Of course,” Kyuhyun answered enthusiastically.
Victoria’s ears perked up. Hadn’t Kyuhyun only been busy playing his guitar at the office and So Rae busy in her office? She was sure she hadn’t seen him do any work while she was there.
“I’ll excuse myself,” So Rae said getting up.
Victoria watched her walk out of the dining room now wondering why she hadn’t seen So Rae or her father interact with each other at all.
“Victoria wants to start at the office today. Why don’t you show her around, Kyuhyun?” President Bang suggested.
Victoria looked up immediately, “No, I’m fine. I’ve already been there…”
“Kyuhyun will show you around. He’s been there a few times so he’ll help introduce you to the staff,” President Bang made it sound as if it were an order. “I’ll head off first. Lets meet up for lunch.”
With a nod toward them he got up and walked away from the table and Victoria couldn’t help but feel awkward with just the two guys and the nanny who returned to her another scowl.
“Well, I better get going as well,” Donghae told getting up and stuffing some more food into his mouth before walking away from the table.
Victoria watched as he left the room regretful that she hadn’t had the chance to talk to him at all. Setting down her chopsticks she slightly glanced at Kyuhyun. The two of them didn’t say anything and the only noise that penetrated the cool room was the clatter of the dishes the nanny was picking up.
/\_____/\
So Rae walked toward her car and got in. Donghae turned around from the driver’s seat.
“It’s fine, just drive off,” she told.
“Sorry, I should have been outside,” Donghae apologized starting the engine.
When they entered the large road So Rae said, “So you brought me back last night? That must have been troublesome.”
He chuckled lightly, “It was alright.”
So Rae turned to look out the window and hoped that she hadn’t done anything strange.
“But…if you’re having difficulties,” Donghae started, “I’m someone you can talk to even if I don’t know what I can do for you.”
“I don’t conspire with employees,” she told.
“My bad then,” Donghae glanced into the rearview mirror to see a smile crease the corner of her lips.
/\_____/\
Victoria walked out of the house and took her time walking toward the front door. Making her way down the stone steps she wished that her father hadn’t asked Kyuhyun to give her a lift to work. Why, why, why were the only question available in her head.
She felt nervous, uncomfortable, and more than strange sitting in the car with someone she barely knew. And to add to that it was a man who would be her brother-in-law. Wouldn’t it have made more sense if he’d given So Rae a lift to work?
When she opened the door she found the tall Kyuhyun leaning against his car in a cool manner. He turned when he heard the door open and stepped away from the car.
“Are you and So Rae angry with each other?” Victoria asked.
A surprised expression appeared on his calm face, “What?”
“You and So Rae.” Victoria tried again.
A smile flashed on his lips before it transitioned into a laugh. Victoria stared at him taken aback by his reaction to her serious question.
“No, we aren’t,” he replied before opening the car door, “get in.”
Victoria stared at the car, “Then why is dad making me ride with you and not So Rae?”
He frowned amused, “Get in.”
She returned the frown. “Why don’t we take our own separate ways to work and just keep quiet about this?”
“Why?”
“So Rae unnie seems angry. What if you two argue later?” Victoria wondered.
Another helpless laugh escaped him. “Get in.”
“But…” she went on.
“Get in.”
After a long staring battle Victoria forfeited and got in.
When Kyuhyun started the car Victoria wondered why he didn’t have a driver.
“When are you and So Rae unnie getting married?” Victoria asked.
“What?”
“After you two get married maybe we’ll start talking then.”
Kyuhyun seemed silent before asking, “Are things hard for you?”
“Hmm?”
“So Rae…she doesn’t speak to you?”
Victoria thought for a moment, “I barely see her at home, but who knows. I’ve only been there two days.”
Kyuhyun smiled.
Victoria turned in her seat to look at him, “You seem like a good friend since it’s so easy to talk to you like this.”
“Friend?” he repeated a slight amused tone in his voice. “Are you and So Rae’s driver friends? You know…since you two were talking like that the other day.”
Victoria thought back to the day when she’d screamed at Donghae for no particular reason at all back at the office and smiled. She’d been looking forward to talking to him like that again. She couldn’t wait to get back to the office.
“Friends?” Victoria repeated. “Perhaps we’re more than friends.”
“You seem excited now that we’re talking about him.” he commented.
Victoria looked at him and shrugged.
/\_____/\
Donghae followed So Rae into the elevator silently. His mind starting to fill with simple questions.
“Can I ask you something?” he asked half turning around to look at So Rae.
She looked up at him.
“What is it?”
“Uh…Cho Kyuhyun…is he your friend?” Donghae went on.
He noticed her face stiffen up. Whether it was from anger or from just hearing his name Donghae decided not to figure out. So Rae turned her face to the side and didn’t reply in the next half minute. Donghae had actually counted out those thirty seconds surprisingly.
“We’re not friends,” So Rae replied plainly as if the matter didn’t bother her at all, “he’s Victoria’s fiancé. She’ll be taking her position back later in the day so don’t bother finishing up the rest of the tasks for her.”
His ears perked up surprised to hear that Victoria already had a fiancé. Just how lucky could that mean girl become?
When the door to So Rae’s office closed he turned to glance at the empty desk to his left.
“And I thought you were almost pitiful for a moment,” he said aloud.
Donghae walked over to an empty table with his tray of food and sat down. Picking up his spoon he took a long sip of the warm soup on his tray before he heard footsteps rush over. When someone slammed their tray down next to him he looked up to find Victoria.
“Why?” she asked.
He shook his head a little and returned to his food.
“Have you been bored without me?”
“No.” he simply replied.
“Then what have you been doing?” she asked.
“It’s been pretty peaceful around here,” he raised his head to look around, “kind of great, actually.”
Victoria looked at him with a snort before another pair of footsteps approached. He turned to see Kyuhyun walk over with a neat smile. Donghae nodded toward him with a “Hello“.
“You got here kind of early,” Kyuhyun noted taking a seat beside Victoria.
Donghae recalled watching them talk that morning and wondered if they were close already. Then started to wonder if Kyuhyun and So Rae were also on close terms since he’d been around the first few days he’d started his job.
“You and So Rae,” Donghae edged forward so he could look at Kyuhyun, “are you two on good terms?”
Kyuhyun looked back at him as if surprised by his question but remained composed, “Yes, we grew up together.”
“I see,” Donghae nodded without thinking much of it since he’d received much of the answer from So Rae already.
“Are you going back up to the office?” Victoria asked as he grabbed his whole bowl to drink the rest of the soup base.
“I have some errands to run because you skipped work yesterday,” Donghae told.
“Oh? But I’m back today,” Victoria said.
“I’ll see you later then,” Donghae waved before getting up.
After he returned his tray and headed out into the hall he heard some girls whispering to each other down the hallway.
“I can’t believe the President’s youngest daughter actually eats in the cafeteria.”
“And she sat with him too.”
Donghae turned to look toward them, but the girls immediately shifted their attention elsewhere. Wondering why they were even talking about him he turned to walk down the hallway.
Riding the elevator up he headed toward Victoria’s desk and picked up some papers. Before leaving to go make copies he glanced toward So Rae’s office wondering if she’d gone out for lunch or not. When he turned around to walk toward the stairs he stopped when a bald man walking with his assistant came to a stop before him.
His stare was strange and suspicious, yet Donghae didn’t know what to make of it. The tall middle aged man seemed nervous at the same time as he seemed very composed. It was almost as if he was telling Donghae silently that he hadn’t done anything wrong. Through the silence Donghae could feel something bang at him from the back of his head.
The old man cleared his throat and walked forward, “You must be So Rae’s new assistant. I work with her father. My name’s Park Mung Soo.”
Donghae nodded enthusiastically, “Nice to meet you! I’m Lee Donghae.”
Park Mung Soo smiled back at him cleanly. Wrinkles lit up the corner of his eyes.
“Well then…we’ll be running into each other again.” Park Mung Soo told before walking toward So Rae’s office.
/\_____/\
“What’s up with him?” Victoria asked aloud. “He seems so distant.”
“Why? Is something wrong?” Kyuhyun asked from beside her.
She shrugged before looking around aware of the curious stares she was receiving from other staff members. She hadn’t done anything wrong or anything to be curious of so why were they staring?
“Why are they staring at us?” Victoria whispered.
Kyuhyun looked at her and smiled teasingly, “I don’t know.”
Victoria frowned at him before getting up, “Then I’ll see you later! Thanks for taking me around this morning!”
Taking her tray with her she ran the rest of the way toward the elevator and toward So Rae’s office. She stopped at the front of the room and glanced around when she realized that Donghae wasn’t in sight.
“What’s this?” she asked. “Did he lie to me about running some errands?”
So Rae’s office door opened and she stepped out along with two other men. One of the a young one with his head full of hair as if it had just reached his peak of growth. The man in front was another tall one, but his head was almost bald and he looked old. Old enough even be her father.
He caught her eyes and Victoria didn’t look away but stared back. He glanced away and spoke to So Rae before walking toward her.
“You must be Dae Jung’s missing daughter,” he assumed, “I’m Park Mung Soo, your father’s right hand man. I see that you’re going to be starting in the company as So Rae’s secretary. You’ll have lots to learn from her.”
Victoria stared at him wondering why he was giving her such an introduction of himself. It probably didn’t matter even if he didn’t introduce himself, so why did he do it?
“I’m Victoria Song,” Victoria replied.
The man smiled at her keenly before turning to So Rae, “Your father must be waiting for us downstairs. Lets not make him wait.”
So Rae nodded and walked pass her without even looking at her. When the three of them whished pass Victoria turned around to watch them go.
***Ooohoo! They meet the enemy
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