140: 139 "I'm sorry for coming all of a sudden." Koi smiled brightly with a face that clearly showed his fatigue. "I thought I'd see you briefly on my way back from France. I won't be here long." Ashley just looked at her son without saying anything. In fact, she had a lot to say, but he kept his mouth shut. This was because Koi had warned her several times before coming here. "I'd be happy if this was the last time. Let's trust Grayson one more time. Let's just encourage him." She couldn't ignore his earnest pleas. Maybe it was because she thought it was useless, but deep down, she was also expecting him to do the same. "I'm glad I got to see you. You're doing well. Has anything happened?" "No, nothing.....Can I get you some tea?" The words behind her seemed reluctant. Ashley paused at that fact. Because he had always been harshly taught to speak and act according to the situation, his son had always said and done the same things. But what was this strange feeling? If it had been as he had been taught, Grayson should have readily smiled and offered. But his smiling face was just like the one he had seen of his son. Koi shook his head, leaving Ashley behind, who was confused. "No, I'll be there soon. I brought you and Dane a present..." "A present?" Koi nodded to Grayson's question and handed him one of the two boxes Ashley was holding. "This is yours. Open it when you're alone." Then he followed Grayson and asked. "Dane? Hasn't he come yet?" "Ah..." Again. This time, Ashley could tell for sure that her son was reluctant. ... What was going on? As they looked up with a slight shock, they suddenly heard a sharp whistle. Everyone looked up at the same time and saw a man leaning against the stair railing. "Dane." When Koi called his name happily, Dane, who had been whistling with his thumb and index finger in his mouth, waved with his usual indifferent expression. And before anyone could stop him, Koi ran up the stairs and greeted him. "It's been a while. How have you been? I missed you!" Ashley and Grayson looked up with displeased faces as Koi hugged Dane and Dane patted Koi on the back. It can't be helped. Ashley thought. Koi had had a huge crush on Dane since they first met. Even keeping it a secret from her. Up until now, the only things Koi had kept secrets from Ashley were birthday presents or similar events. All of them were related to Ashley, so they would be revealed in a day or two, or were just trivial secrets of friends that he didn't really need to know. So he wasn't particularly offended or curious, but this time it was different. At the time, he was very hurt, but he soon found out why. Koi had confessed in the past that he felt a bond with Angel as soon as he met her. Judging from that, there was one reason he treated Dane Striker so openly. It must be his personality. Ashley concluded coolly. If you think about it that way, it makes sense. So even though it wasn't very pleasant, he was going to just leave it alone..... Suddenly, Grayson moved. He was puzzled as he saw his son hurriedly running up the stairs three or four at a time. He followed the movement, and in an instant, he saw him forcefully pushing himself between Dane and Koi. "I'll prepare tea, so why don't you go to my room? Papa too!" The latter part was obviously forced. Ashley was surprised once again. Oh my, she couldn't believe it. Her son was jealous. "Ash!" Ashley, who had been blankly looking up, came to her senses when she heard Koi calling her. Koi was waving and telling her to come up quickly. Only then did he come back to reality and walk up the stairs. Koi came down a few steps and took the gift Ashley had been holding and handed it to Dane. "It's a gift. I hope you like it." "Well, thank you." Dane's answer was indifferent, but Koe still couldn't hide his joy. Grayson, who looked back and forth between the two, quickly spoke. "Then you two, go to my room. It's over there. Dane, sleep well. See you tomorrow!" Grayson quickly added a greeting and started walking ahead. Dane looked at his family moving away with a blank expression, then walked to his room with Koi's gift. Ashley was still feeling dazed as she followed her son's lead to her room. What am I seeing right now? They sat side by side at the tea table in his room and waited until Grayson came back felt. after making tea. Koi asked Ashley, who was lost in thought, organizing what she had seen and "What are you thinking about?" Ashley sighed and honestly confessed as she held his hand affectionately and asked. "I was thinking about what Grayson said and did today." Koi looked at him with sparkling eyes. "Right? Something's different, right? Huh?" Even that dull Koi noticed it. At this point, she couldn't just be suspicious. Ashley nodded obediently. "It might be Dane Striker's influence." "Anyway, our kid is feeling something and reacting!" Koi shouted, almost jumping for joy. "Now you trust Grayson, right? Yes? You trust him and watch over him, like I said?" "... That's what I came here for." "Thank you, Ash." Koi added, calling his name in an excited voice. "Let's go back and think about what Grayson needs." Just as she smiled and kissed him, there was a knock on the door and Grayson opened it. "Herbal tea. I thought you might be tired." Koi smiled brightly and greeted his son, who put down the teacup with a smile. "Thank you, Grayson. You're such a considerate kid." He always said that, knowing that it was just a mechanical behavior he had learned. Even after he almost died from eating the cake his son made, Koi accepted the food his children gave him without hesitation. But Ashley had to check first before eating. This time, too, after Ashley had finished drinking herbal tea and put it down, he finally brought the teacup to his mouth. As the warm tea spread through his body, he felt his fatigue disappear. Feeling the corners of his mouth relax, he put the teacup down, and something suddenly occurred to him. "Come to think of it, weren't you using the room next door?" When Koi realized that the room Grayson was currently using had changed, Grayson smiled and answered. "Yes, I switched with Dane. That room had a much better view." "You compromised, that's great." Koi quickly slapped Ashley's foot under the table in admiration. Ashley opened her mouth with a blank expression. "You were considerate of others. Good job." "You gave the best room to Dane, right?" Grayson smiled brightly as Koi immediately interjected. Ashley blinked in surprise at his expression, which she had never seen before, and Grayson said. "Instead, you can use this connected room. Look, you can meet Dane through this window. Just like Romeo and Juliet. Of course, Dane is Juliet." At that moment, Ashley stopped moving. The color drained from his face in an instant, but the two of them didn't notice. Only Bernice knew how much Ashley hated Romeo and Juliet. She was the only one who understood because she was the secretary of the previous generation. She had seen firsthand what the previous generation, Dominique, did to his 'Juliet'. But the others had no idea about that. Even though it was just a coincidence, Ashley felt her heart grow cold when the name came out of Grayson's mouth. "Ash?" Koi, who noticed him frozen in place without saying anything, called his name in surprise. When he came to his senses, Grayson and Koi were looking at Ashley. He quickly collected his expression and brought the teacup to his lips. Koi, not knowing what to say at his somewhat uncomfortable reaction, spoke. "It's a romantic story, but Grayson, Romeo and Juliet have sad endings. What if we changed them to a couple that ends happily?" "Hmm." It sounded plausible. Grayson, who thought about it for a moment, quickly clicked his fingers together and made a sound. "How about Catherine and Heathcliff?" Koi fell into deep thought at his son's suggestion. "Well, I don't think they were happy either." "That's not true. After Catherine died, Heathcliff dug up the grave, right? That means they were lovers even after death." Grayson's shining eyes seemed even mad. When Koi looked back at Ashley in confusion, Ashley, who had returned to his usual self, nodded. "That sounds good. Let's do Catherine and Heathcliff." In fact, anyone but Juliet would have mattered. Having regained his composure, he emptied his remaining tea and spoke. "It's late. I think it'd be better to go back." "Oh, then I'll say hello to Dane. I have something to say…" "Let's do that." Ashley nodded at Koi's words. In fact, he had something to say to Grayson too. After Koi left the room, Ashley was left alone with Grayson. Suddenly, a cold silence descended. 141: 140 Ta-da-dak. Ta-da-dak. A faint unpleasant noise was heard. Ashley glanced down to check the source of the sound. Grayson, sitting across from her, had one foot sticking out of the small, round tea table and was shaking wildly. Ashley clicked her tongue in her mouth and furrowed her brow. Again.... Grayson, who noticed Ashley's frowning face and gaze, quickly stopped shaking his leg. Ashley said nothing as she watched her son, who smiled as if nothing had happened. He had never had this habit, so why did it turn out like this? Since Grayson's specialty and lifestyle was imitating people around him, it was clear that this was also a habit that someone around him had. And that someone was most likely Dane Striker. "Don't be too hard on Grayson." Ashley, who had let out a short sigh after recalling Koi's request, opened her mouth. "Don't act rudely." "Yes, Papa." Grayson's reaction was the same as usual, even though he spoke in a more gentle tone than usual. Ashley felt a sense of doubt as she watched him smile and answer nonchalantly. Was it really right for him to listen to her? However, the reason he was sitting here like this, enduring the jet lag, was not to suspect and monitor his son like usual. He decided not to mention it any more and changed the subject. "You guys must have seen that article." Grayson hesitated when he directly brought up the main topic, but soon returned to his previous expression. "Yes, unfortunately, the picture was taken. I'm sorry." So that's why you came. Grayson soon realized why they were visiting. What should I say now…? As he was quickly racking his brain, Ashley opened his mouth. "You don't have to apologize." Grayson blinked at the quiet voice. If it had been before, he would have been angry and asked what was going on, but his attitude was so calm now. "Aren't you going to ask what's going on?" When Grayson asked curiously, Ashley responded indifferently. "There's no need to talk about your child's sex life." This was also an unexpected reaction. When Grayson closed his mouth, Ashley stroked his chin with her second finger and thought for a moment. (Let's go back and think slowly about what Grayson needs.) She tried to recall what Koi had said, but nothing came to mind. I wonder if she knows best. "...Ahem." Grayson straightened his posture again at the sound of a short cough. This time, it seemed like she was finally going to say something. As she waited with that thought, Ashley finally spoke. "It seems like this has gotten quite noisy. Are you uncomfortable?" "...Uh." Grayson's eyes gradually widened. Ashley felt embarrassed when she saw her son's reaction. Was I being too harsh? Grayson resembled Dominique the most among Ashley's children. As he grew up, it became a fact close to certainty, and even Bernice couldn't deny it. That's why Ashley sometimes felt goosebumps when she saw her son, thinking that her father had come back to life...… Wasn't it just a prejudice? It was only natural that Grayson resembled him. It was his blood. Nathaniel also had traces of Dominique. His shadow remained in Stacy, Chase, Larien, and Bliss. It was just that it was particularly strong in Grayson. (But he's our child.) She seemed to hear Koi whispering. Ashley felt cold sweat on her palms and clenched and unclenched her fists under the table. Grayson's mind was confused as he watched him. Why is Papa doing that? "Grayson." "Yes." After a long time, Ashley called him. Grayson immediately answered the quiet voice. "The reporters will all be gone by tomorrow. I told Nathaniel to take action." "Uh… yes, thank you." Grayson greeted him, taken aback by the unexpected words. When the Miller children's accidents got too heated, the family's secretarial team would always take action to quietly quell them. However, it was unusual for Ashley to give instructions before the secretarial team could. And she even had Nathaniel do it. Silence fell again. Suddenly, Ashley realized that it was very awkward to talk to her son. What kind of conversations had they had up until now? "Ha." He sighed softly and looked at his son sitting across from him before speaking. "So, do you need anything?" Grayson finally accepted that he was sincere when the question was repeated earlier. It was still hard to believe. "Did you come to check on me in case I was in trouble?" Ashley frowned again at her son who asked without hiding his surprised expression. Then she wanted to complain, asking why I came all the way here, but instead he said something else. "Yeah, Koi said he wanted to give me a gift and I thought it would be better to check the situation myself." He didn't say that he came all the way here because he was swayed by Koi's persuasion. He was already deeply troubled by what he had seen with his own eyes. "There's a little problem." Grayson said with a smile. He couldn't miss this opportunity, even though he didn't know what kind of change in his mind it was. Ashley stared at her son with a serious expression. After hearing Grayson's words, he soon made a dumbfounded expression. "That's all?" "Yes, it's nothing?" Grayson said with another smile. "But it's a big problem for me." Ashley stared at Grayson's face for a moment before looking away. "Okay, I'll tell the chief. Is there anything else you need?" "Nothing right now. Thank you for listening." Grayson finished politely. Up until this point, Ashley had taught him the same attitude and words. Looking at him like this, his son didn't seem to have changed at all. But if what I saw was right..... "Grayson." "Yes, Papa." To his quiet call, he answered immediately this time as well. Surprisingly, Ashley didn't continue right away, but just looked at his son's face for a while. As if he was choosing what to say. Grayson waited for him to open his mouth, puzzled by the unfamiliar behavior. After a strange silence, Ashley spoke. "I have something to tell you." Knock, knock, and Dane opened the door a moment later. He glanced at Ashley standing in front of the door and Grayson behind him, then stepped aside. "Ash, Grayson. Did you finish talking?" Ashley nodded expressionlessly at Koi's question, and Grayson smiled as usual. Koi hugged Dane with a regretful face and patted his back. "It was nice to meet you, Dane. I'm sorry I came late when you must be tired." "No, it was nice to meet you too." To his surprise, Dane smiled and greeted him warmly. Grayson looked around the room through the open door and immediately knew why. There was an unwrapped gift box on the bed. It had to be Darling's stuff again. It was rare for Dane's face to relax like that. "What on earth did he buy me? I have to find out and use it as a reference next time," he said, as Koi released his arms and looked up at him. "Please take good care of Grayson." Koi then looked back at Grayson with eyes full of love. Dane, who saw that face, thought of all the compliments Koi had been giving him just now. How can you say that your children are like angels when their nicknames are all Satan, a rascal, a pervert, a crazy dog, a con artist, and a poisoned marshmallow? Dane, who had thought of the nicknames of the six Miller siblings he had seen in an article, shook his head. Koi, who had been busy hugging Grayson, said goodbye to his son and looked back at Dane. "You don't have to come out. We're going to go now, so take a rest." Ashley seemed to have the same thought, so she nodded briefly and turned around. Dane didn't follow her, but simply waved and went into the room. "Wait a minute!" At that moment, Grayson, who had been left alone in the hallway, suddenly barged into Dane's room. He passed by Dane, who frowned and said, and headed straight for the bed. He looked inside the box and spoke out loud. "Cat clothes?" While he was stunned by the ridiculous gift, Dane, who had come in behind him, smiled broadly and took out a cute dress. "Yes, a luxury cat suit from France. I made it all by hand." He smiled and took out the dress and a small crown, muttering contentedly. "I like Koi. Your daddy is not so great though." Dane looked back at Darling, who was lying asleep on the cushion, and put the gift back in the box. After bathing the cat over the weekend, he put on new clothes and started humming to himself at the thought of taking lots of pictures. "What did your dad say? Wasn't there anything?" "Oh." Grayson finally cleared his throat when the attention returned to him. "Yes. He asked me if I needed anything." Dane, who was organizing boxes, stopped. His eyes were wide as he turned his head. "You, no way.... Grayson nodded confidently, looking at the expectant face. "I told you to let us volunteer together instead of separately. Starting tomorrow, we'll be together!" At that moment, the veins in Dane's temples stood out. "Hey, you idiot!" 142: 141 Grayson was startled by the sudden shout, but that wasn't the end of it. "Move!" Without giving Grayson any further explanation, Dein immediately sprang into action and ran out. "Dein!" Flustered, Grayson quickly chased after him. Dein crossed the hallway at a terrifying speed and, when the stairs appeared, he threw himself down them without hesitation. "Dein, it's dangerous!" Grayson shouted in panic, but it was a pointless concern. With one leap, Dein jumped down to the landing, then sprinted a few steps before leaping down to the next one. Grayson's eyes widened in shock. He had seen this kind of scene before. When he was a child, he had watched a nature documentary where a lion, starving for a week, spotted a lone, stranded gazelle and sprinted after it. As if there was no time to step down each stair, Dein moved from landing to landing, quickly reaching the hall. When his feet finally hit the floor of the first floor, he momentarily lost his balance but quickly regained his composure. He then immediately ran toward the front door, leaving Grayson, who had barely descended halfway down the stairs, behind. "Wait! Ashley Miller! Mr. Miller!" Dein swung the door open and shouted. Just as Ashley was about to get into his car, he turned around. His eyes widened in surprise as he saw Dein Striker, panting and standing by the open door. "What…?" Ashley raised a hand to stop the bodyguard trying to block his way and stared at Dein. He waited until Dein had descended the stairs and stood before him, silently, as if asking what he had to say. "Tell the chief, no, just tell him to stop making me do charity work." Dein's request made Ashley furrow his brow, and he opened his mouth. But before he could speak, Dein continued. "Forget what Grayson said." Ashley's frown slowly relaxed, and as he gazed at Dein, a faint smile crept onto his lips. With a strange smile, Ashley Miller said, "Why should I listen to you instead of my son?" "Because Grayson was wrong." Dein immediately replied. How many people could boldly say their own son was wrong in front of a father, especially when that father was Ashley Miller, a man who was considered almost like a president by the public? Look at this. Ashley slowly stroked his chin, his eyes fixed on Dein. Soon, Grayson appeared. Dein, following Ashley's fleeting glance, turned to see Grayson standing on the front steps. "Grayson, you tell him." "Huh?" Grayson was startled. Dein had called his name! Not "Miller," but "Grayson." He blinked in disbelief, staring blankly. Then, with a grimace on his face, Dein gestured for him to be quiet. Grayson's mind snapped back to attention at the sharp expression on Dein's face. He looked confused, alternating his gaze between Ashley and Dein, but it was Ashley who spoke first. "This man says to ignore your request and listen only to his. What should we do?" There was a faint laugh in Ashley's voice. It was clear that he was enjoying the situation. It almost felt as though he was pulling the leashes of both Dein and Grayson, enjoying it like a game. Of course, it seemed a rather trivial matter, whether or not to do charity work, but it didn't make it any less amusing to him. Meanwhile, Grayson's mind was in turmoil. The fact that Dein had called his name for the first time made him want to jump for joy, but at the same time, he had to stay calm in front of Ashley Miller. He was caught between his impulses and the need to figure out what exactly Dein wanted before he could give in. Hmm, after some internal struggle, he finally made a choice. "Do as Dein wants." He set aside his impulses and worries and made the decision for Dein. Ashley stared silently at his son. "Is that okay? Really?" Grayson nodded in response to the question. "Yes, what Dein wants is what I want, so it's fine." "I see." Ashley was quietly impressed by his son's other side. Maybe, just maybe… "Let's do it." Ashley answered without hesitation and then turned to Dein. "Anything else you want to say?" "No." Dein gave a short reply, and Ashley's eyes narrowed slightly. "Thank you." Ashley sarcastically threw the words at him, but Dein just blinked, looking annoyed as ever. Ashley shook his head in disbelief, then got into his car. Immediately, the bodyguard shut the car door, and the vehicles scattered in all directions. The car in front drove off, followed by the others in order. And finally, a peaceful calm settled over the area. "Haaa." Dein stretched and yawned as if he had just survived. The speed from earlier seemed to have vanished as he walked leisurely, and Grayson, blinking in confusion, quickly followed him. "De, Dein, Dein!" Grayson shouted in an excited voice, his tone higher than before. "You called my name earlier, right? Huh? You called my name!" Dein, still looking ahead, lazily responded. "Did I?" "Yes, you did!" Grayson protested, still looking somewhat wronged. With a nonchalant expression, Dein grabbed the stair railing and continued walking slowly, and Grayson followed, bouncing between the front, sides, and back, relentlessly continuing his chatter. "You called me Grayson, right? You called my name! Not Miller, but Grayson, right? You called my name! From now on, you'll call me Grayson, right? Don't call me Miller! There are six other Millers in my family! So, you have to call me Grayson." "Seven." Dein suddenly interrupted. Grayson, who had been talking non-stop, froze for a moment and blinked in surprise. With an annoyed expression, Dein explained. "Not just you-five other siblings, Ashley Miller, Koi Miller. Seven." "Ah." Grayson, as if realizing something, muttered in admiration and then explained. "Daddy doesn't use the Miller name." "Why?" Dein paused at the unexpected comment. Come to think of it, he had mentioned a different surname when they first met. Grayson, noticing Dein's confusion, explained. "Well, he does sometimes, but he prefers the surname Niles. It's more familiar, and he said it works better when he's working." That made sense. Dein easily accepted the explanation. The surname Miller was so common was hard to associate it with anything special, but using his own surname made more sense. Then, suddenly, Dein remembered something he had forgotten. Joshua also used his own surname. It was probably for the same reason. Marrying into a famous family isn't easy, after all. Dein resumed walking with an indifferent look on his face, thinking that it had nothing to do with him. Grayson, following closely behind, continued chattering. "I want to change my surname to Striker when I get married." Dein's eyes widened at the sudden declaration. Turning around with wide eyes, he met Grayson's gaze, and Grayson, excited, said, "Grayson Striker, doesn't it sound good? Just like us! Right? You think so, don't you?" Grayson kept urging him for an answer, but Dein said nothing. He just looked at him expressionlessly. Grayson, still smiling, stood frozen, blinking his eyes. One second, two seconds, three seconds. After a brief silence, Dein suddenly smirked. "Cute." His tone made it clear that he didn't mean it sincerely. Just as if it was a habitual remark, Dein moved swiftly, now taking three stairs at a time, quickly disappearing into the distance. "Goodnight." With a formal goodbye, he entered his room. Grayson, watching the door close, stood silently for a moment before reluctantly heading to his own room. The door clicked shut behind him, and a sudden stillness filled the space. The three cold cups of tea on the table remained, but the large room was empty, save for Grayson. Standing absentmindedly, he suddenly noticed the gift he had left on the table in front of the sofa. It was from Koi. Without thinking much, he opened the wrapping, and as soon as he lifted the box, an unfamiliar scentspread. Inside the box were flowers that he had only seen in photographs.