[AFYC] Chapter 41

She mumbled something under her breath, and Seo Ah bit her lip before she spoke again. 

“Uh...” 

Her voice cracked as she tried to speak, and she cleared her throat softly. After taking a deep breath, she lowered her head slightly and lifted it again, her face flushed with embarrassment. 

“I’ve seen pens that you dip in ink before.” 

“Those are antiques,” Oscar remarked, his tone flat. 

“…” 

“Just pull off the cap.” 

It seemed even that simple task was challenging for her. She blinked rapidly before cautiously twisting the cap at the joint, though it didn’t budge. 

“You have to pull it off.” 

She immediately followed his instruction, grabbing the pen with both hands and pulling at the cap with visible effort. The bones in her hands stood out as she exerted herself, but the pen remained stubbornly closed. 

“…Is it not coming off?” he asked, slightly amused. 

Her face turned an even deeper red as she replied, “It’s not that... I was just worried about breaking it…” 

Oscar couldn’t help but laugh at the thought that maybe she didn’t need to sign the contract. 

“For five billion Kerte a week, you could throw it away after a single use. Just pull it off.” 

Despite how absurd it seemed to be to use both hands to open a pen, Seo Ah finally succeeded. Her face was now a deep red, and she lowered her head even further as she brought the pen’s tip to the signature line. 

“Do I just write my name here?” 

Oscar glanced at her reddened hands and nodded lightly. 

“Yes, the same name as on the identification document you presented to Felphe Bank.” 

She gripped the pen with her red hands and wrote her name in neat, vertical characters. Oscar watched her, tilting his head slightly. 

“So, you write it as ‘Seo Ah’?” 

“Yes.” 

“That’s three characters?” 

She hesitated momentarily before pointing to the topmost character with the pen. 

“My full name is Han Seo Ah. ‘Seo Ah’ is my name, and ‘Han’ is my family name.” 

Oscar repeated the name in his mind, rolling it over his tongue.  

Han Seo Ah. 

As she finished signing and attempted to return the pen to him, Oscar took the contract and said, “Keep it.” 

Before she could say anything, he stood up. He had some other matters to attend to. Outside, Simon was likely pacing impatiently like a dog. While drafting a contract could have easily been delegated to the Wolves, Oscar found himself somewhat intrigued by the process. 

After placing the contract on the desk, he turned back to see the woman standing there, her posture as neat and composed as ever. 

Pale, small, easily flustered, and now completely red. 

Something was amusing about watching her, or maybe it was just the ingrained habit from years of searching for that damned key. Whatever it was, it had delayed him more than he intended. 

Oscar fastened the buttons of his jacket, staring at her as he did so. Then, with long, purposeful strides, he walked past her. His movements were quick and efficient, contrasting with the leisurely pace he had maintained earlier. As he approached the door, it swung open just as he reached it, as if the person outside had been waiting for him. Oscar didn’t hesitate, continuing through the doorway without pause. 

“Excuse me...!” Seo Ah’s voice, suddenly calling out to him, made him turn back. She was standing there, flushed to her forehead, unsure what to do. Oscar blinked once, then twice, but didn’t intend to give her more time than that. 

Just as he was about to continue, she spoke again, her voice small and trembling. 

“When will you return?” 

Her words, quiet and hesitant, trickled into his ears. 

Oscar paused mid-step and glanced back at her. 

“…” 

But it was only briefly before he crossed the threshold without a word. As soon as he stepped out, his courteous demeanour instantly faded away. 

The Wolves waiting outside bowed respectfully as Simon hurried to his side, whispering urgently. 

“The audience with the King of Felphe has been delayed thirty minutes.” 

Oscar brushed his hair back with a smirk. 

“Whether it’s thirty minutes or three hundred, I had more important matters to attend to. He can wait.” 

“It might be about the issue with Duke Baden,” Simon suggested cautiously. 

“He was civil enough. Why the rush?” Oscar’s lips curled into a cruel smile, making Simon hold his tongue wisely. 

The King of Felphe, who had been waiting for him for half an hour, was the least of Oscar’s concerns.