The Cursed King

This was not real, wasn't it? Marc had to pinch himself to assure him that he wasn't, in fact, dreaming.

Somehow, it felt like it was wrong that Marc was even here in the first place.

He was disturbing a home date, wasn't he? If Loriel really cooked everything, then it meant that his grand-uncle was showing off fine dining and delicious meals to Elise. 

No, it wasn't just that either.

If Loriel wanted to, Marc was sure that the man could have gotten world-class chefs to prepare their dinner tonight. Instead, Loriel himself cooked dinner… which meant he was showcasing himself as a perfect husband! Husband material.

Unbelievable! 

Marc sipped his wine and tried to act like he wasn't actually with Loriel and Elise right now. He was better off acting like some kind of background lamp in the corner of the penthouse, wasn't he?

He needed to excuse himself right after dinner to let the two have their alone time.

If anything, that was what Loriel probably had in mind already, didn't he? Marc was a little nuisance on this occasion and he was only here to deliver the good news and then leave the two lovebirds alone.

Marc was actually genuinely happy to see this scene despite all of his thoughts. He always thought that his grand-uncle looked lonely and separated from the rest of the world.

Even though the Sanderman was the closest thing Loriel had to a family, they weren't people he held much affection for besides their ties by blood. 

"Thank you so much for the food," said Marc tactfully after he ate a small amount of food. He decided to leave early since the purpose of his visit was accomplished. He came here for decoration, obviously.

So, after he confirmed Loriel's statement that he was in need of a second assistant, and tasted Loriel's super delicious food, his job was done. And it was time to leave.

He shouldn't be third-wheeling his uncle. Loriel had never been interested in any woman before, at least not to the best of Marc's knowledge. Maybe that's why he was so curt and annoying at times?

He had not had a woman to soften his stone-cold heart?

Come to think of it, did Loriel ever had sex? Marc was wondering. He initially thought his uncle was asexual or aromantic, since he was not interested in the company of other people, be it women or men.

But now, Marc realized Loriel just had not met the right person that he could be attracted to like he was to Elise.

So… all this time… did he ever have sex?

Marc gulped and downed his wine. What was I thinking? He chided himself.

He shouldn't think about his grand-uncle's sex life. It's rude. Right?

"Are you done?" Elise asked in surprise. "You have only eaten a little."

"Well, I do have a small stomach," said Marc with a smile.

Loriel smiled too. He thought Marc was truly related to him by blood. Lying must be in their gene. They could lie so easily and convincingly. 

He patted Març's shoulder gently. "Ah.. that's too bad. I still have more dishes prepared and desserts too!"

Marc was actually hungry. The smell from the kitchen was truly mouthwatering, but he had to force himself to say no.

"Thank you, but I will have to leave now. The food is great and I enjoyed it a lot," he nodded his head slightly. "Thank you for the delicious food, Grand-Unc… Loriel."

Gah.. Marc almost called Loriel his 'grand-uncle' again. Loriel's side-eye quickly made Marc realize he almost made the terrible mistake.

He cleared his throat and nodded at Elise. "Miss. I'm very pleased to meet you. I will look forward to seeing you in my office tomorrow morning."

"Thank you so much, Mr. Sanderman," said Elise with a beaming face. This was so nice. She was surrounded by many kind people.

"Uhm, please.. just call me Marc," said the grand-nephew with a smile.

If Loriel was really in love with this woman, she might become his grand-aunt in the future. Marc must get used to treating her as such.

"Ah, okay. It was a pleasure to meet you too, Marc. I promise to do my best in my role to help you in the office. Thank you for the opportunity," said Elise. "

She wanted to rise from her chair and hug Marc who just got up to leave, but Loriel immediately stood between them and shook Marc's hand.

"Take care, Marc. I'll see you again sometime," he said firmly.

Marc knew it was his cue to leave. The man smiled at Loriel and Elise, then he took his suit from the chair and put it on. 

"I'll be off now. Good night!"

Elise watched as Loriel took Marc to the door and talked to him a little bit before the nephew went home.

"Thanks for tonight, Marc," said Loriel. "This woman is very important to me. Please treat her like you would treat me. I am counting on you to make her work experience pleasant and enriching."

Marc was stunned to hear his grand-uncle speak so sincerely about Elise. This piqued his interest even more. Aside from her stunning beauty and her obvious charm, was there anything about Elise that drew Loriel to her this way?

Loriel was clearly head over heels for her. And from the looks of it, he only met her yesterday. That's when he started asking Marc to use his power to find out about her identity and shower her with clothes.

But from the way the two interacted with each other, they seemed close and intimate, unlike two people who just met for two days.

Who was she really?

So many questions filled Marc's mind. He couldn't get his mind off of Elise and Loriel when he entered his Maybach and asked his driver to take him to the best restaurant in town so he could eat dinner.

The food he ate at Loriel's place was not nearly enough to satisfy his hunger. He must eat real dinner.

Gosh.. he was so hungry!