Penelope's face burned red as she glared at Ahwin.
"Why would you say something like that all of a sudden?"
"Did I say anything that wasn't true?"
"Other people are listening! Aren’t you embarrassed?"
"How could I date you if I worried about every little thing? Besides, it feels like Pablo just beat you."
Letting out a frustrated growl, Penelope slapped her palm over Ahwin's mouth. He looked down at her with clear dissatisfaction.
"Mmph mph? (What's this?)"
"Please, just keep your mouth shut!"
Pablo, watching the scene unfold, looked utterly bewildered. What on earth is going on here?
A cold sweat trickled down his back.
Finally, Penelope apologized to Pablo.
"I'm sorry, but could you summarize what we just discussed into a report and send it to me? Continuing this meeting right now isn’t ideal."
"Of course... I’ll do that," Pablo replied, trying not to make eye contact with Ahwin.
Grabbing Ahwin by the hand, Penelope whisked him out of the office at lightning speed. Ahwin, however, kept glaring at Pablo as they left.
Before stepping out, Ahwin pointed two fingers at his own eyes, then at Pablo, clearly signaling, I'm watching you.
Click.
The door finally closed.
It felt like a massive storm had just passed through.
"So, they’re officially dating now," Pablo muttered to himself.
He had always suspected this would happen eventually, but seeing it with his own eyes left him flustered.
In Pablo's eyes, this relationship seemed like an incredible waste of Penelope’s potential.
Then again, could they even break up?
He couldn’t shake the ominous feeling that if Penelope ever tried to end things, the empire itself might be split in half. And that didn’t even seem like an exaggeration.
With a sigh, Pablo finished his now-cold tea, which tasted bitter.
Later That Night
Luckily for Penelope, Pablo proved to be even more capable than she’d expected. That very night, he sent over a detailed business proposal.
Penelope spent the entire night revising the proposal, wracking her brain for ideas.
Her memories of modern innovations served as the foundation for creating the most realistic salon business plan possible.
***
The Next Morning.
When Ahwin saw Penelope the next morning, she had dark circles under her eyes.
"What happened to you overnight?"
"You’re here? Pablo’s courier will come soon. Could you give him this plan? I’m going back to bed... Don’t forget to eat breakfast..."
She mumbled her instructions, then immediately dozed off, her head bobbing forward on the desk.
Ahwin stared at her, dumbfounded.
"This is my girlfriend?"
He couldn’t help but think that this was far from what he’d imagined. With a resigned sigh, he scooped Penelope up in his arms. As expected, she was light as a feather.
Carrying her carefully, he laid her down on the sofa. Taking a step back, he sank to the floor and gazed at her sleeping form.
"She has no sense of caution whatsoever," he murmured.
Even though they’d known each other for years, falling asleep in front of a man so defenselessly was something else.
And that single-minded determination of hers—to dive headfirst into something, completely oblivious to her surroundings—what was he supposed to do about that?
Not to mention her relentless obsession with money, paired with her indifference toward their newly budding relationship.
Ahwin watched as she lightly snored in her sleep, his lips curling into a soft smile.
"You sleep so well... cute."
He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and draped his robe over her.
Good thing I stayed close and kept an eye on her. I knew she'd let her guard down eventually.
Ahwin’s gaze fell to the desk, where the business proposal she’d stayed up all night working on lay.
Reaching over, he slid the thick stack of papers into his hands.
"‘Halo Beauty Salon Business Plan’... This is more thorough than I expected."
Examining the flawless plan, Ahwin clicked his tongue in amazement. He had planned to offer suggestions, but she’d managed to draft an impeccable business proposal in just one night.
"So, what can I even do for her?"
Ahwin leaned back and thought for a moment. What could he possibly offer to his perfectionist girlfriend, who seemed even more meticulous than himself?
For now, I guess I’ll just focus on supporting her as much as I can.
***
Updat𝓮d from freewēbnoveℓ.com.
In the middle of the study, Penelope suddenly woke up. Stretching her arms, she let out a yawn.
Having napped on the sofa, her fatigue was only half gone. Still, the rest had helped enough for her to think somewhat clearly.
Her first thought was simple: I’m hungry.
"I'm so hungry..."
She spoke aloud, even though no one was around to hear her. It was unclear why she was talking to herself, but it seemed to help her decide what to do next.
Just then, a low voice reached her ears.
"If you're hungry, start with a meal."
"Ahh!"
"Why are you so startled? You saw me before you fell asleep."
"W-When did you get here?"
Rubbing her ear nervously, Penelope asked, her heart pounding wildly. Ahwin simply stared at her for a moment before placing a hand on her forehead.
"Are you really that surprised? At least you don’t have a fever."
"It's not that... I just woke up, and suddenly you’re right in front of me..."
In other words, she was very startled.
Ahwin checked her temperature with the back of his hand, then inspected her face, her cheeks, and even her lips. Naturally, Penelope was flustered.
"W-What are you doing?"
"You seem exhausted. I'm just checking to make sure you're okay."
"I feel fine after taking a nap."
"That doesn’t seem true."
Ahwin continued to scrutinize her face, refusing to look away. Penelope, feeling uneasy, averted her eyes.
Is it just my imagination, or is Ahwin being unusually clingy today?
No... It’s not my imagination. Oh, right. We’re dating now!
The realization struck her like a splash of cold water.
It’s been one day since we started dating.
Penelope turned to look at Ahwin, her mind spinning. This guy is my boyfriend? The thought made her feel like she’d been bewitched.
While Penelope had been lost in thought, Ahwin stretched languidly, having stayed by her side the whole time she slept.
"I’m starting to get hungry, too. Let’s eat together."
"You haven’t eaten yet?"
Penelope, sensitive about meal schedules, instinctively chided him.
Ahwin immediately nodded and held out his hand to her.
"Come on."
Without thinking, Penelope took his hand, and Ahwin smiled brightly.
"That’s it, now get up."
"Don’t pull so hard..."
Despite her grumbling, Penelope let herself be pulled to her feet. Since she had already washed up earlier when she woke in the middle of the night, she didn’t feel the need to freshen up again.
"I asked the kitchen to prepare a meal. Let’s eat first."
"Really?"
The mention of food was enough to make Penelope follow Ahwin willingly. True to his word, the dining room table was laden with dishes prepared by the chef: golden-brown pancakes, various fruit jams, butter, fluffy omelets, crispy sausages, and more.
Penelope started with a fragrant cup of coffee, savoring its aroma, and then began sampling the food.
Both of them were famished, so the meal didn’t take long to finish.
Satisfied, Penelope crunched into an apple for dessert, her face content. Ahwin, waiting for this moment, handed her a small bottle.
"Here, drink this."
"What’s this?"
"It’s good for your body."
"It looks just like a potion."
Penelope squinted suspiciously at the bottle. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d seen something like it before. And the last time she had, it had turned out to be a poisoned potion.
To be sure, she asked, "This isn’t poison again, is it?"
"No. This time, it’s a stamina recovery potion."
"Huh? Then it really is a potion? Do I really need to drink it?"
A stamina recovery potion sounded expensive just from the name alone.
"Stop talking and drink it. I don’t want to hear you complaining later about being tired."
"..."