Reincarnated as a Housekeeper in a 19+ Gangster Romance Novel - Chapter 9

TLed by Mimo (Bedtime BL)

"Housekeeper."

"Housekeeper, where are you~?"

"Housekeeper~"

Damn it...

After putting Jeong Hwanyeong in the car and preparing Jeong Hwangyu's breakfast, I suddenly sensed a strong pheromone scent and instinctively dodged. Jeong Hwanseo appeared.

Why is he looking for me?

Jeong Hwanseo's sudden search for me made me uneasy.

Ever since that day, I've instinctively avoided him. It was easy to do in this palace-like mansion.

I honestly thought he'd give up soon. Jeong Hwanseo was the type to get bored quickly, I figured he'd forget about me if he couldn't see me. But even by lunchtime, he was still sprawled on the living room sofa, scratching his head and calling for me. It was enough to drive me crazy.

I can't keep avoiding him forever.

A sigh escaped my lips involuntarily. I had to confront him eventually.

In fact, avoiding him like this might only make me more memorable. But I really didn't want to confront him... They say you should be more cautious as you get older... Ugh, this is driving me crazy.

The image of a naked Jeong Hwanseo flashed through my mind, followed by memories of my past self beating him like a dog.

This is why you shouldn't do things that prick your conscience. Ah, whatever. I've reached my limit. This kind of thing doesn't suit my personality anyway. I'll just confront him and see what happens. If it goes south, I can always beat him up again.

Just in case, I grabbed a white mask from the cleaning supply room, which I had prepared beforehand, and put it on.

Let's trust the novel.

Jeong Hwanseo clearly didn't remember it was me. If he did, he wouldn't be searching for me so dryly, as if he was reading a Korean textbook.

I awkwardly pretended to sweep the floor with a broom as I approached the sofa where Jeong Hwanseo was lying.

My plan was to mimic my usual Park Gyumin persona to avoid arousing unnecessary curiosity. Until now, I hadn't felt the need to do this, but I didn't want to get entangled with Jeong Hwanseo and make things complicated. You avoid shit not because you're afraid of it, but because it's dirty. That was just common sense.

Imitating my usual Park Gyumin persona was easy.

I'd read about it in the novel: timid, introverted, and cowardly... a completely ordinary housekeeper.

"Um..."

"...Hmm?"

"Were you looking for me?"

Speaking in a barely audible whisper, Jeong Hwanseo, who was lying down, rolled his eyes to look at me.

Ah, that pheromone scent. It's so strong...

"You're the housekeeper?"

Jeong Hwanseo treated me as if he was seeing me for the first time, and I clicked my tongue inwardly.

It seemed he had completely erased the existence of "Housekeeper Park Gyumin" from his mind.

Thanks to that, I was able to let go of my tension. Yup, that's right. He was looking for me not because of what happened back then, but rather to give errands.

"Yes."

"You're incredibly hard to find, aren't you?"

"...I-I'm sorry. I was cleaning..."

"It's fine. It's nothing urgent. I just wanted to ask something. Did a pretty stray cat happen to wander into the house about a week ago?"

"A pretty... cat?"

"Pretty, stray cat. You know? You don't?"

Surely that pretty stray cat isn't me, right?

The specific date—a week ago—and Jeong Hwanseo calling me "pretty" clicked into place. It didn't take long to realize he was looking for me.

Ah, good thing I wore a mask. I almost lost control of my expression. I thought he'd dismissed it as a dream, but it seems he's been busy searching for me all this time.

"I didn't see it. I was out grocery shopping that day and left the house empty for a long time."

"...Is that so?"

Jeong Hwanseo drawled his response, and I nodded. His languid gaze swept me up and down, sending shivers down my spine.

For such a young kid, his eyes already have that kind of look.

His eyes held the glint of someone destined for greatness in the gangster world. No, that wasn't quite right. There was something different about his gaze, something that seemed more suited to the world of assassins...

Without realizing it, I found myself instinctively assessing Jeong Hwanseo's potential, as if it was a habit. Our eyes met, and I quickly lowered my head.

"How boring. I can't find it no matter how hard I search. Oh well, I get it."

Jeong Hwanseo stood up with a grunt, as if his business here was finished. He strolled leisurely toward the second floor, his movements relaxed. I let out a sigh of relief, thinking I had safely weathered the crisis, when Jeong Hwanseo suddenly stopped, as if he had forgotten something. Without turning around, he said,

"Oh, by the way, I heard hyung's coming tomorrow?"

"Huh?"

"Just letting you know. I wouldn't want our housekeeper to get scolded. If you slack off like today... while I found it kind of fun, I think hyung won't be so amused?"

"...I'll be more careful."

Jeong Hwanseo was subtly warning me.

He came looking for me several times, only to find me missing. Now, he was explicitly pointing out my dereliction of duty and criticizing my attitude. He even brought up the fact that I was unaware if anyone had entered the home.

What a fussy bastard.

"Just saying."

Jeong Hwanseo shrugged and casually walked away. As he moved further away, his scent gradually faded. Even this brief encounter completely drained my energy.

I sighed deeply and collapsed onto the sofa.

"Ugh, the smell..."

It was overpowering. Absolutely overpowering.

The sofa was saturated with Jeong Hwanseo's pheromones. I shuddered and immediately stood up.

The scent wasn't unpleasant, but it left me with a dirty feeling, as if I'd been pressed tightly against Jeong Hwanseo's chest. It was deeply unsettling.

Ah, right! Jeong Hwanhui is coming tomorrow.

Even Jeong Hwanseo can be useful sometimes. I need to be extra careful when Jeong Hwanhui visits, since it's one of the rare occasions when all four brothers gather for a meal.

I remembered from the book that Jeong Hwanhui's visits were the only times the family, who otherwise lived separate lives, would make time to dine together.

I should go grocery shopping early tomorrow morning and pay extra attention to cleaning. This is the first time I'll be meeting the main male lead since entering this world, so I'm a little nervous.

The main male lead, Jeong Hwanhui.

A ruthless gangster boss, said to only smile in front of his family.

Ah, he smiles at the female lead too.

Torn between the unfamiliar emotion of love, he initially rejected it. But the moment he realized his feelings were genuine, he became hopelessly infatuated with her.

From then on, it was an endless feast of R-rated encounters. Jeong Hwanhui was likely the first to be conquered, followed by Jeong Hwangyu, and finally Jeong Hwanseo.

Of course, Jeong Hwanseo was only half-conquered, not completely subdued.

Though they shared intimacy, his mind remained a mystery—he was practically a madman.

Alright, first things first: cleaning.

The most urgent task was cleaning.

Hurry, hurry. Busy, busy.

-------------------

In the dark night.

"Huff, huff."

The man stumbled into the alleyway, his entire body covered in blood. To make matters worse, a knife was lodged in his abdomen, blood dripping steadily onto the ground.

Damn it.

He never imagined the Fire Dragon Faction would set a trap.

Today's massive battle pitted his organization, the Heavenly Dragon Faction, against their rivals, the Fire Dragon Faction. Jeong Hwanhui, the Heavenly Dragon Faction's boss, was confident of victory.

Despite its grandiose name, the Fire Dragon Faction was more like a ragtag group of thugs.

But he never suspected the proud Fire Dragon Faction would ally with another faction.

When Jeong Hwanhui arrived at the agreed-upon meeting place, he was confronted by a force nearly three times the size of his own. He had no choice but to grit his teeth. Escape was impossible, only a desperate fight for survival remained. He barely managed to flee thanks to his men's sacrifices, but his injuries were severe.

I have to get away...

His legs gave way beneath him. This was truly his limit. The Fire Dragon Faction was still hunting him down, determined to kill him. If he continued in this state, it was only a matter of time before they found him and buried him alive.

Even if he wanted to return to his organization, the Fire Dragon Faction bastards will be camped out front, waiting for him to show his face. Instinctively, he thought of his family and turned toward home, but the realization that he couldn't risk endangering them forced him to abruptly veer into a nearby alley. The pain was too much; he couldn't stand any longer. He'd lost too much blood. Staggering, Jeong Hwanhui collapsed against a wall and slid to the ground.

Is this the end...?

One small mercy remained, he had never revealed his home to anyone. He deliberately chose a house far from the organization's headquarters and visited it only a few times a month, keeping his visits a secret from the other members. This precaution was taken in case of unforeseen dangers.

Despite these precautions, rival gangs discovered his home and attempted several raids. However, thanks to the rigorous training he had given his younger siblings, they managed to fend off each attack unscathed. He desperately wanted to protect his siblings, but he couldn't risk bringing conspicuous gangsters into their home for protection. Maintaining the current arrangement was the best he could do. More than anything, he wished his family could live ordinary lives, free from the gang's influence. This was precisely why he had never introduced them to his gang members and kept them at arm's length.

Of course, his siblings clamored to join the gang and help him, but he absolutely refused. This painful life should end with his generation.

Even if I die, my family will be safe.

Given the unpredictable nature of his profession, where death could strike at any moment, he had secretly prepared for his family's future, just in case.

He had prepared everything so that his brothers wouldn't suffer even if he died. He thought he had steeled himself for the end. But now that it was truly over, he desperately wanted to see his younger brothers one last time.

I was supposed to visit them tomorrow... I won't make it.

He even prepared a gift for Jeong Hwanyeong, the youngest, still just a child...

His consciousness began to fade. This is it, then. 

At that moment, he heard footsteps approaching. Did the gangsters found him already?

Well, whether I'm stabbed to death or bleed out, the outcome is the same.

Jeong Hwanhui closed his eyes and smiled bitterly.

"...Ha, what's this now?"

But the voice that spoke was unexpectedly a young man who sounded flustered.

Is he a gangster?

He tried to identify that person, but his body felt completely helpless. He couldn't even raise his head. Finally, Jeong Hwanhui couldn't hold on any longer and lost consciousness.

CHAPTER 8 ⬅ ♥︎ ⮕ CHAPTER 10