Chapter 70.2

Chapter 70.2

André’s shoulders tensed.

Earlier, Miran had pleaded with this man to have dinner together. She had even looked up at him with sparkling eyes and a radiant smile.

‘No way.’

A storm of confusion raged inside him, but André barely managed to hold onto his composure.

‘No. She loves me.’

If this man were Miran’s new boyfriend, she wouldn’t have brought him all the way here. Even if—for the briefest moment—her heart had wavered, all he had to do was make her fall for him again.

The man flinched slightly under André’s sharp gaze, but he quickly straightened his shoulders, putting on a warm, friendly smile as he extended a hand.

“Your Korean is excellent. Hello, I’m Nam Seunghyuk.”

André had to admit—reluctantly—that it was a polite gesture.

But he had no intention of exchanging pleasantries. Unlike in Korea, where greetings were a fundamental part of social etiquette, in his world, whether to acknowledge someone at all—let alone who should greet whom first—was a subtle yet deeply ingrained power play, steeped in the traditions of high society.

André occupied a position where he never had to greet anyone if he didn’t wish to. If he chose to offer a greeting first, it was a rare occurrence indeed.

He had planned to act as if the man standing beside Miran simply did not exist.

Until he introduced himself.

Letting out a quiet sigh, André reluctantly clasped Seunghyuk’s hand and gave his name in return.

“André de Lafayette.”

Beside him, Miran mumbled in a barely audible voice.

“So not ‘de Laphite’ but ‘de Lafayette’ was your last name….”

…De Laphite?

The realization that his name had almost been addressed as ‘Andle De Laphite’ on her letters made something inside him loosen unexpectedly.

It was so absurdly out of place in this tense moment that laughter threatened to bubble up.

To suppress it, he bit down gently on the inside of his cheek.

“Um, I actually have dinner plans with Seunghyuk oppa today. He’s helped me a lot in so many ways—”

“Have dinner at my place. Let’s all go up together.”

Before taking a step forward, André placed his hand on Miran’s back once more and turned to Seunghyuk. It sounded like a suggestion, but it carried the weight of a command. If the alternative was sending Miran off on a date with this man, then it was better to bring them both into his home instead.

“Wait, this is so sudden… Oppa, what should we do?”

Miran glanced back at Seunghyuk, who was trailing a step behind.

“I’m fine with it. Honestly, it’s better than letting you pay for dinner.”

He flashed a reassuring smile at her.

“That’s not fair! Next time, I’ll definitely treat you.”

As they reached the elevator, Seunghyuk stepped closer beside Miran and teased, “We’ll see about that.”

Watching the exchange, a vein twitched in André’s temple. He was already regretting his impulsive invitation. Deep down, he had hoped Seunghyuk would refuse and leave on his own.

As the elevator doors opened, the elevator man, Ramón, greeted them warmly.

“Good evening, Mr. Lafayette. You have guests today!”

André exchanged a brief nod with Ramón, letting Miran step in first before following her inside. Seunghyuk entered last, looking around in awe.

“Wow, this thing still works?”

Following Seunghyuk’s gaze, Miran’s eyes widened as she spotted the manual lever on the wall.

“Whoa! There aren’t any buttons!”

Ramón, ever the showman, perked up at their fascination. Delighted to have an audience, he turned to André for permission.

[Mr. Lafayette, shall we go full speed ahead to the penthouse?]

André gave a brief nod.

Ramón winked at Seunghyuk and Miran, then made a sound like a train conductor blowing a whistle.

[Choo-choo! Full speed ahead!]

With that, he pulled the lever all the way to the right. The elevator lurched before gradually picking up speed.

“Oh my god!”

As the shaking intensified, Miran stumbled slightly. André reached out and wrapped an arm around her waist.

“Ah… thanks.”

Miran lowered her head, mumbling. When he glanced down, he noticed her ears had turned red. He tightened his grip slightly, pulling her a little closer. Only then did he feel a small sense of relief, as if he had finally found what he had been searching for.

For a fleeting moment, he wished the elevator would never stop.