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Chapter_293
Jeremiah glanced around the private room, his eyes briefly settling on the three individuals present. His gaze paused for a moment on Charles before he casually moved his focus away, maintaining a cool demeanor.
A few days ago, Charles’ dossier had been sitting on his desk. Jeremiah hadn’t expected to encounter him so soon, and certainly not here in Clusia.
Charles, in turn, was caught off guard by Jeremiah’s strikingly handsome face. He instinctively loosened his grip on his fork, unable to hide his surprise. So, Yvette’s boyfriend is a young major general in Clusia? Holy shit, he thought, still processing the unexpected revelation. He couldn’t quite find the right words to articulate his feelings. All he could manage was, Yvette is amazing.
Meanwhile, Andrew, ever the dramatic one, looked at Jeremiah with a sense of grievance. From the moment Jeremiah had entered, his brief glance at Charles was quickly followed by a complete focus on Yvette. Andrew, handsome in his own right, suddenly felt overshadowed in the presence of such an imposing figure.
“Jeremiah, you finally made it!” Andrew called out, standing up eagerly. But with each step he took toward the table, the overwhelming stench of canned herring followed him like a cloud. The closer he got to Jeremiah, the stronger the smell became.
Jeremiah, clearly sensitive to the odor, instinctively took a couple of steps back. His face showed clear discomfort. The smell, nauseating even to someone with a strong stomach, was unbearable for him. Being a complete germaphobe, he couldn’t stand anything that was too pungent.
With a stern, cold expression, he ordered, “Sit back down.”
Andrew immediately understood why Jeremiah had recoiled. He quickly realized the cause of the major general’s discomfort.
Oh no! My image is ruined because of this herring smell! Andrew thought, mortified. He slumped back into his seat with a long face. Alright, forget it. Whatever… He consoled himself as he tried to move past the awkwardness.
Jeremiah, unfazed by the situation, walked over and sat next to Yvette. She glanced up at him as he settled in beside her, and their brief exchange was both tender and effortless.
Her voice was sweet as she asked, “Have you eaten yet?”
Jeremiah’s eyes, typically so deep and reserved, softened as he turned toward her. A warm, almost tender smile tugged at his lips as he replied, “Not yet. I just finished handling some matters at the military district before coming here.”
Yvette had long since noticed Jeremiah’s irregular eating habits. He was notoriously picky with food, only nibbling at whatever was in front of him. Yet, he’d always made an effort to accompany her to places where she enjoyed eating. Despite this, he rarely consumed more than a few bites.
As if on cue, Yvette began piling piece after piece of steak onto Jeremiah’s plate until it was overflowing. Jeremiah couldn’t help but smile to himself, amused by the sight. So much food! Yvette must really love me, he thought.
Charles, watching the exchange, felt a pang of envy. Yvette is so biased. At least leave me a couple of pieces of steak, he mused inwardly.
Andrew, who had been eyeing his own steak for the past five minutes, stared in disbelief as his plate was cleared almost entirely by Yvette. What? My steak? I was about to eat that! Now it’s all gone? How heartless, he thought, a hint of indignation in his eyes.
Jeremiah wasn’t particularly fond of meat, but given that Yvette had served it to him with such care, he knew he had to eat at least some of it. Even though he wasn’t particularly hungry, he dutifully began to pick at the plate.
Once Yvette had settled into her seat, she casually pointed to Charles and introduced him. “This is Charles Jameson, my apprentice.”
Andrew’s fork clattered to the floor in shock, his jaw hanging slightly open. The man he’d been suspicious of for so long—Charles—turned out to be Yvette’s apprentice. His mind began to race as he rubbed his chin, glancing back and forth between Yvette and Charles.
Charles looks nearly thirty, and Yvette is just over twenty. How is she his mentor? Why does Charles look more like the teacher here? Andrew pondered, his mind reeling from the revelation.
Yvette must not be a normal person. I can’t treat her like a regular person anymore, he concluded, his perception of her shifting completely.
Meanwhile, Charles maintained his usual composed and gentle demeanor. Years of experience in the underworld had taught him to remain calm and restrained, masking any domineering attitude. He knew when to hold his cards close.
Nodding at Jeremiah, Charles offered a polite greeting. “Hello, Lady Boss. I’m Charles.”
Andrew froze, his eyes widening in disbelief. Wait. Did he just call Mr. Chavez “Lady Boss”? He stared at Charles, completely dumbfounded. This guy is joking with Jeremiah? That’s so bold!
Andrew couldn’t contain his excitement. The moment was too good not to share. He discreetly pulled out his phone and began to type. I have to tell someone about this. It’s too funny!
As he considered who to message, the thought crossed his mind: What if this gets out and Jeremiah comes after me? I’m definitely not as brave as Charles… With that, he hesitated for a moment before deciding to send the message to his sister, Samantha.
Andrew: Samantha, you won’t believe this. Someone just called Mr. Chavez Lady Boss. It’s hilarious!
Within minutes, Samantha replied.
Samantha: Get lost. If you want to die, don’t drag me into it. Do you think you can joke about Mr. Chavez?
Andrew pursed his lips. Yep, that’s my sister. Abandoned me at the first sign of trouble, he thought, shaking his head in exasperation.
Back at the table, Jeremiah’s fingers twitched slightly as he heard Charles’ words. His gaze turned sharp and icy, filled with a subtle killing intent that froze Charles in place. What a terrifying aura, Charles thought, feeling the sudden pressure.
Yvette glanced between the two men with mild amusement. She knew Charles had made the “Lady Boss” comment on purpose—he enjoyed pushing boundaries.
However, after a moment, the deadly aura around Jeremiah dissipated entirely. His posture relaxed, his head tilting slightly as he closed his eyes in a languid way, almost as if he were tired. His voice softened, carrying a faint touch of melancholy as he said, “Never thought I’d see the day where I’d be called Lady Boss. It’s… nice.”
Andrew, still holding his phone, heard these words and nearly dropped it. His phone slipped from his hand and hit the floor with a clatter. What the hell? What’s Jeremiah doing? Is he acting? Andrew wondered, his stomach turning at the sight of Jeremiah’s uncharacteristically vulnerable expression.
This was the same iron-blooded warlord who had made his name known throughout Betrico at the age of eighteen, and now, here he was, playing coy and delicate. It was utterly disturbing.
Charles, too, hadn’t expected Jeremiah to accept the title so readily. He felt a slight sense of defeat, as if his attempt at humor had backfired.
Yvette, for her part, remained unphased. She had grown accustomed to Jeremiah’s flirtatious ways. Her eyes narrowed slightly, a subtle smile playing on her lips. Having a playful boyfriend like Jeremiah is nice. Since he loves to act, I shouldn’t ruin his fun, she thought, her gaze shifting to Charles, who clearly seemed uncomfortable.
Leaning back, Yvette rubbed the rim of her cup lightly, then softly said, “This is Jeremiah Chavez. Just call him Mr. Chavez.”
Her words were direct, and Charles, no matter how reluctant, could only nod politely. “Alright, Mr. Chavez, it’s nice to meet you.”
Jeremiah offered a half-smile, recognizing the subtle shift in Charles’ behavior. It seemed Charles had figured out that Yvette preferred a gentler approach to things. Since Charles had made the adjustment, Jeremiah saw no need to prolong the awkwardness.
He nodded slightly and introduced himself succinctly. “Hello, I am Jeremiah Chavez.”
As Andrew observed the scene, he found himself thinking, Mr. Chavez is truly cunning. But… wow, Charles is so obedient to Yvette. She must be pretty strict in her teachings.
Automatically, Andrew’s mind categorized Charles as someone from the artistic community. After all, with Yvette being an internationally acclaimed painter under the pen name Cyanbird, it makes sense for her apprentice, Charles, to be an artist as well.
Charles wasn’t a lover, as Andrew initially thought. With the misunderstanding cleared up, Andrew’s hostility toward him melted away. In fact, Charles’ boldness in joking with Jeremiah made Andrew think he might actually be worthy of friendship.
Curious, Andrew turned to Charles and asked, “Charles, how much do you typically charge per piece?”
Of course, Andrew was referring to the price of a painting, but Charles, misinterpreting the question, assumed he meant the cost of a hit.
Charles, ever composed, didn’t shy away from the topic, as he wasn’t involved in any killings in Clusia. He wasn’t concerned.
*In some parts of the world, violence and war are just part of everyday life. Clusia
