Keep it in the Family (210) - Family Dinner III (Patreon)

Eun Ha's POV:

It wasn't the worst, considering they spoke no ill about Jae-il, his sisters, her, or even her house, but it was the obvious intention behind their words that had her holding back a biting retort.

She remembered herself and breathed out slowly, exuding an air of sweet, cold calm. "Well, I thank all of you for the compliments. Jae-il is a responsible young man, that's why his future partner would need to be equally capable."

Her tone was quiet and gentle, with no sign whatsoever of the unease she felt inside.

However, their expressions became stiffer than they had been since their conversation started.

"Mrs. Cha is such a polite lady! Just as the saying says, a home raised by a respectable, graceful lady makes for a well-raised young gentleman~" Another woman chimed in. "My daughter would also make for an excellent wife for a young, ambitious and talented gentleman such as him! She's at the top of her class and her personality is—"

'I will rip your vocal chords out...'

Eun Ha narrowed her eyes.

She understood where they were going with this, and would not have anyone offer her son to their daughters, to whom they would have the audacity to assume she would find favorable, no matter their background or upbringing.

For a mother, nothing less than the highest standards were acceptable. Except that in her own corrupted mind, the perfect wife for her son was—

She shook her head, a polite smile on her face. "Jae-il's a grown boy, he can chose whoever he wants for himself, not me."

The lady frowned. "Mrs. Cha, all of our children attend the best colleges. Our girls have top grades, they are beautiful, graceful, elegant, and above all else, have high social standing."

She really wanted to remind the snooty bitch who the top lady in the room was but was smart and calm enough to hold it in. "No one is perfect. There are many kind and wonderful women with different characteristics, talents and flaws, not everything can be boiled down to degrees or certificates or being top of their classes. When it comes to family values and quality of character, Jae-il will definitely make the final decision himself."

"Aigoo~ as expected from the mother of such a remarkable son, Mrs. Cha knows best." The ladies kept sipping their alcohol and were still unable to tear their eyes away from Jae-il or his body, much like how their husbands could not take their hands off their own money or business cards. "Whoever he ends up with would be very fortunate."

"Thank you." Eun Ha replied, knowing full well how false that compliment was. These hags, after having offered their daughters and attempted to brag about their beauty or skills, all acted like it wasn't a big deal if Jae-il ultimately rejected those matches or left their families to hang, and quickly went on with bragging about how rich or successful they were.

Then again, Jae-il's meteoric rise to success gave the Cha family a lot of face, and a lot of good reputation. It was also why these women couldn't refute Eun Ha's words as all they had to go off of was face and money, which both Jae-il and Yeong Gu had far surpassed.

Especially in Jae-il's case, as the moment his career took off and he earned international fame as an outstanding national athlete, bringing fame and glory to both the Cha family and to Korea as a whole, there was no one else in this room who could have any say in what he wanted. His worth to their families was immeasurable.

His looks and success to their daughters, if not outright themselves. And the profit a collab with him could bring to their husbands.

Now these vile creatures would bend backwards and over and praise and compliment Jae-il to the skies even if he farted in their faces.

They were fickle.

Eun Ha was a fickle person herself.

But she drew the line at being two-faced.

"......"

Their conversation continued, with each of them now taking turns to boast about something else—about their houses, their cars, their jewelry, their children's achievements, their recent vacations, the stocks they owned, and so on.

Eun Ha checked the clock, checked her daughters, who were both looking as murderous as she felt, and checked her son, who had now extricated himself from the men and was heading toward the kitchen, likely to fetch more drinks.

His path took him perilously close to the circle of vultures.

A woman, whose name Eun Ha couldn't recall, reached out a slender, manicured hand and placed it on Jae-il's arm as he passed. "Jae-il~ you must be tired playing host. Let your mother get those. You should come sit with us for a moment."

Eun Ha's blood ran cold.

Jae-il paused, a polite but distant smile on his lips. He gently disengaged his arm. "It's no trouble at all, Mrs. Lee. Please, enjoy yourselves."

He continued on, oblivious to the way the woman's eyes lingered on his retreating back, or the way her friends all sighed in unison.

"Did you introduce yourself to him?"

"No, I did not..." Mrs. Lee sighed dreamily. "I was too mesmerized by the sight of him..."

"I'd have loved to have a son like him..."

"Me too..." They all agreed.

Eun Ha excused herself, feigning a headache. She needed a moment of peace. She walked towards the kitchen, her back straight, her head held high.

As she entered, she found Jae-il pouring amber liquid into a crystal tumbler. He looked up as she came in, a small, knowing smile on his face.

"Tough crowd?"

"You have no idea." Eun Ha leaned against the counter, a hand pressed to her temple. "They were about to start drawing lots to see who gets to marry you."

He chuckled, not looking frazzled in the slightest, unlike her. "I can handle myself, Mom."

"I know. I just..." She trailed off, not knowing how to finish that sentence without revealing too much.

"Just what?" He asked, his voice softer now. He set the bottle down and took a step closer.

'Please don't come closer.' She begged internally. 'I can't think straight when you're this close.'

"Nothing. Just... be careful." She finally managed, her gaze fixed on a point just over his shoulder as she twiddled her thumbs together like a nervous schoolgirl.

He hummed. "Are they bothering you?"

Eun Ha glanced at him. "They're just being themselves."

'And it's driving me insane.'

She did not say that out loud.

Jae-il studied her for a moment, then reached out and brushed a stray strand of hair from her face. "Don't let them get to you, Mom. You're the most important person here. If anyone makes you uncomfortable, just tell me."

His fingers lingered on her cheek, warm and firm, and Eun Ha's heart leapt into her throat. 'He's touching me...! He shouldn't be doing that...!'

She felt a flush creeping up her neck, warming her cheeks, and she quickly stepped back, out of his reach. "I-I'm fine, really. I just needed a breather."

Jae-il chuckled again, briefly showing off the bottle he was holding. "I'll go make the rounds. Try to relax a little, okay?"

She nodded, unable to meet his eyes.

He walked past her, the scent of his cologne swirling around her, and she closed her eyes, willing her pulse to slow down.

Eun Ha didn't linger in the kitchen for too long either. Who knows what those shameless women would attempt next while she wasn't looking?

And so she returned to the living room, forcing her face into a polite mask, and resumed her hostess duties. She brought a plateful of snacks. Maybe if their mouths and hands were occupied, their eyes wouldn't wander so shamelessly to her son.

"Mrs. Cha, there you are. We were just talking about your son." Mrs. Lee greeted her as soon as she was in sight again, her eyes glinting with thinly-veiled interest.

Eun Ha put on a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

The next half hour was a blur of smiles and polite conversation.

Jae-il moved through the room with practiced ease, charming everyone, deflecting advances with grace, and keeping the atmosphere light. Yeong Gu shadowed him like a proud rooster, basking in the reflected glory.

Mia and Su Ah, on the other hand, were slowly but surely, running out of patience.

They sat together on a couch, their expressions growing darker by the minute. Mia was a ticking time bomb, her fingers drumming an agitated tune on the armrest. Su Ah was quieter, but her eyes were sharp and watchful, tracking every woman who dared to approach Jae-il.

They barely interacted with anyone else, and their cold demeanor kept most of the guests at bay.

Then the bell rang. Eun Ha would've gotten up to open it, but Yeong Gu beat her to it.

"Excuse me, that must be my guests. I invited a few more. I'll be right back~"

There was a momentary lull left by Yeong Gu's vacuum, that would have quickly been filled by Jae-il, but as quick as Yeong Gu was to abandon his guests, he returned just as fast, with another three people in tow.

Eun Ha turned, only to see a young woman of no more than eighteen years walk in, the type of gorgeous a boy with a handsome face would get in bed in a heartbeat—slim waist, wide hips, ample chest and very short skirt. 

She stood behind her mother, a woman in her mid-forties, dressed expensively, and next to them a portly man in a suit, likely the father.