Chapter 7
==================================================
“Enough with the chuckles. Scaling furniture like that courts disaster. Thirsty for water? Rousing me would have sufficed.”
Doha lowered Yewon onto the seat, puzzlement etching his features.
“Eggs for games?”
The notion of her whipping up a dish stayed far from his thoughts.
After all, kids her age rarely tackled stoves.
Her voice piped up. “Breakfast for you—that’s the plan!”
Tension gripped his face in an instant.
“Kids like you stick to playing. Cooking’s off-limits.”
Yewon rubbed her crown, words failing her.
Constant coddling grated against her core.
“Did your sister rope you into kitchen work?”
He brushed off the idea swiftly, only for his brows to arch anew.
“Then what planted this notion?”
Cooking for Uncle and Jeyeon had started at ten in her old life. Seven or ten—such a slim divide.
A hunch formed that hunger gnawed at him.
She’d filled up on Yeongeo’s bread, packed lunch, and milk the night before. Doha had skipped it all.
Uncle Yeongeo’s warning rang true: this man barely managed himself.
Sparse eating defined Doha from the start.
“Eggs seemed perfect for Uncle.”
He stiffened briefly before exhaling.
“Yewon, meals are my domain. Grown-ups manage. You’re tiny. Little ones don’t nurture adults. No exceptions.”
That old fourteen-year-old spirit bristled inwardly.
A child’s frame didn’t equate to helplessness.
“High spots demand a better way. No perching on seats. What’s the rule?”
Anger colored his voice, yet she sensed none behind it.
A performance too weak for any audience.
Quiet stretched between them.
“Practice this: Summon Uncle for aid.”
Self-sufficiency had always fit her best; dependence clashed.
Chores from Fake Uncle and Jeyeon had bred resentment, but Doha’s eagerness to serve unsettled just as much.
“Echo me: Summon Uncle for aid.”
“Summon Uncle… for aid.”
Her tweak earned a vigorous nod.
“Spot on. Uncle exists to assist Yewon.”
Warmth in his grin tugged at her resolve.
Unexpected dampness pricked her eyes.
Tears lurking since yesterday—what caused this shift?
He boosted her onto the chair and faced the skillet.
She stifled the urge, snagged his sleeve.
Salt couldn’t wait.
“Season it… generously.”
Bewilderment flickered in his glance, but he obeyed.
“Flame low, lid down briefly.”
Steam would finish the job.
She simplified her phrasing to match the role.
Unrehearsed, she trusted instinct on childlike speech.
Doha, oblivious to such norms, accepted it seamlessly.
Patiently, she observed as he portioned the eggs.
Rather than plating, he lifted her to the table.
“Princess dines in comfort. Service arrives shortly.”
Her jaw slackened at the endearment.
Mesmerized, she tracked his table setup.
Shelves brimmed with fine china amid empty pantries.
Eating plates wouldn’t fill anyone.
A lavish piece emerged from his search.
“Uncle Ian’s gift. Style points, personality zilch.”
Quest progress demanded details on the crew.
“Gifting uncles qualify as top-tier, right?”
He shook his head. “Wrong. Housewarming video scripted that. Pure pretense.”
A sharp morality lesson unfolded.
Expression grave, Doha ladled eggs and eyed the condiment.
“Ketchup canvas—what design?”
The concept blindsided her.
Solo scrambles numbered in the scores before.
Yet self-decoration had never tempted.
Mild shock held her.
“Your twin in bunny form? Love symbol?”
He sketched a charming hare without pause.
Delight escaped her lips at the whimsy.
Eagerness bubbled, then faltered.
“Beverage to start?”
Her fork prodded his serving.
“Uncle, is this your full share?”
Seven eggs depleted, his bowl held barely one.
“Satisfies me completely.”
Absurd claim.
Her face scrunched in disapproval.
“Who tends Yewon if Uncle falls ill?”
“Alone again if you crumble too?”
Peevish words tumbled out.
A heavy breath escaped him. “Fine, eating. No illness ahead.”
He claimed a morsel from her dish.
Tolerable compromise.
More at midday loomed.
His spoon hovered.
“My turn to create.”
Confusion yielded to understanding; he passed the bottle.
Two-handed grip steady, she squirted.
“Uncle stays healthy. Heart power.”
His gaze lingered on the shape, then dipped.
“Indeed. Sickness banished. Gratitude.”
Pride bloomed within her, but he remained transfixed.
Perplexity crept in.
“Shape overwhelming?”
Pause, then confession. “Your mother—my sibling—sketched these vast hearts for young me.”
He forked a bite.
“Family essence endures.”
She tuned it out, plunging into fluffy eggs via her method.
Milk-infused tenderness burst on her tongue.
Nuances lingered properly now.
Shared table with kin transformed the ritual.
Tranquility reigned.
Lock clicked; a bellow pierced the air.
Vitality incarnate stormed the space.
Untamed presence radiated from every inch.
Instinct struck Yewon instantly.
This marked Hanwon, Lee Doha’s closest ally.
First subquest demanded his recall: Unite GLEET’s Hanwon with familial warmth.
Bring GLEET member Hanwon back to this house.
The directive clarified—usher him home once more.
