However, there was one person who didn’t find the situation amusing at all. 

In the dim, pre-dawn light, before the sun had even risen… 

“Senior.” 

The moment Abel woke up, he felt like a pathetic fool who couldn’t let go of an ex-lover. He thought about how, at this hour, he used to still be asleep, how he would receive luxury gifts when he felt bored, and how he would indulge in endless sex with women who were infatuated with his face and body… 

“The target is awake.” 

Abel pressed his hands firmly against his eyes. 

How miserable will today be? 

“Senior.” 

“I know, you idiot. I know.” 

Snapping at the junior officer, Abel reluctantly dragged himself out of bed and headed to the bathroom. As he washed his face and opened the wardrobe, the smell of the market clung to his clothes. 

“...” 

The various smells had seeped into his expensive cashmere, and he knew they wouldn’t come out. It was unlikely the odour would ever leave. And these were expensive clothes. 

For the past six days, Abel had endured what felt like the longest six days of his life. What he initially thought would be an easy target quickly became his greatest challenge in less than 24 hours. 

During those six days, Abel had used every trick in his repertoire, deploying every tactic he knew. And yet, the woman had effortlessly thwarted every single one. 

What stung more than the frustration was the fact that the clueless foreigner had been deflecting his advances without even realising it. 

She had rebuffed his face, body, and smouldering gazes as if they were nothing. Not only had he failed to seduce her, but even his attempts at subtle physical contact in crowded places had been easily avoided. It was more humiliating because she navigated through the crowds better than he did, despite her apparent discomfort with large groups. She seemed almost desperate to explore every inch of the market. 

“I’ll lead the way now, so just follow me closely.” 

“...” 

If she disliked him, why didn’t she just stay away? 

It wasn’t just the subtle gestures she shrugged off. Abel had even tried the classic move of presenting her with a bouquet of flowers. 

“I wondered what it would be like if a flower held a flower, so I bought this. Just as I imagined.” 

When a man as handsome as Abel Sting offered flowers in the middle of a crowded street, it naturally caused a stir. But the woman who received the bouquet… 

“A flower holding a flower…” 

She had repeated his words, taking a moment to process them, and then, after some thought, responded with an expression of realisation. 

“So, you’re using ‘flower’ as a metaphor for me, right?” 

Despite not understanding a straightforward compliment, she somehow grasped the concept of metaphors and subject-predicate structures that even native speakers rarely use. 

“You’re quite good at composing poetry.” 

The most absurd part was that, in return for the bouquet, she gave him a cheap handkerchief as a gift and said: 

“I’m not very good at composing poetry… but thank you for all your hard work.” 

That incident had become the talk of the backup team and the wolves living in the mansion, who now teased him relentlessly about it. 

“Abel Sting, the poet—good luck today!” 

“You know the master is coming today, right?” 

“Your stories are the best these days.” 

“Shut your mouths before I rip them open, you bastards.” 

His refined speech and courteous mannerisms, which he had painstakingly cultivated to mingle with high-society ladies, crumbled like a sandcastle in less than a week. 

Grinding his teeth, Abel left the annexe. 

And at the edge of the garden, still tinged with the early morning’s blue hue, he encountered the target who had become his greatest challenge. 

She had seemed so pretty at first, but now he wasn’t even sure if she was beautiful. 

The woman, clutching a cheap bag she had bought at the market, turned to him and gave a faint smile. Her pale face, tinged with the light of dawn, looked so innocent and naive that it only made Abel feel more foolish. 

“Good morning… Did you sleep well?” 

What on earth would it take to get through to her? 

Why are you doing this to me? 

♔♔♔ 

Once, her grandfather had pointed out the travelling peddlers who roamed from place to place and remarked that no animal adapts to its environment as well as humans do. While migratory birds might fly thousands of miles with the changing seasons, and bears might hibernate to survive the winter, humans adjust themselves to their surroundings. 

It had been a week since Seo Ah had started living in Oscar’s mansion. 

She was slowly becoming accustomed to the place. 

Aside from Barbara and Abel, no one else spoke to her or approached her. Even Barbara only spoke, when necessary, never engaging in personal conversation. If Seo Ah mentioned she needed money, 

Barbara provided it without question. If she asked a question, Barbara gave a precise answer. 

Barbara seemed to exist on the very edge of what could be defined as “human,” straddling the line between a person and something else. But rather than finding that difficult, Seo Ah actually preferred it. 

The only challenge in her relationship with Barbara was the food. 

Seo Ah had been eating breakfast and dinner at the mansion for the past week, and the portion sizes had steadily increased. Even when she managed to finish everything, Barbara would always ask: 

“Was that enough?” 

Despite repeatedly insisting that the portions were more than enough and that she was completely satisfied, Barbara had started bringing meals on a trolley instead of a tray since the previous evening. 

However, aside from that minor inconvenience, Seo Ah found her interactions with Barbara relatively easy. After all, their time together was brief.