By Zephyria When he thought of those words, he involuntarily clenched his fist tightly, putting strength into his hand. His fingernails dug into his palm, and he barely regained his senses. He drank a whole cup of cold water to cool his head.Winston would no longer be fooled by him. Never, ever, would he be such a fool again. If he were tricked twice, he might as well blow his stupid brains out.
Once the will was read, Yu-jin would leave.
It was the most obvious conclusion. He had no reason to stay here. Then they really would never meet again. He just had to endure until then.
Just one more glimpse of his face.
He would see him that day, in a place where everyone was gathered. It was completely different from seeing Yu-jin alone, defenseless in bed in the middle of the night. Could it be any safer? Only a beast would become aroused in broad daylight, in a space filled with so many eyes.
Moreover, it was so easy to avoid him in this vast mansion. Winston now felt that all the conditions were met, so he needed to pressure the lawyer to expedite the will reading. He reminded himself that he would absolutely not encounter Yu-jin until that day.
* * *
After confirming that Winston had left the mansion, Yu-jin took Angela from the room and headed to the kitchen. He asked for something to eat and received some simple bread and soup. Returning to their room, they were finally able to fill their hungry stomachs and talk.
“Daddy, how long are we going to be here?”
Angela asked after washing up and brushing her teeth in the guest bathroom. Yu-jin felt inexplicably sorry for her and trailed off, “Well…”
“The owner of this place passed away and left a will, and Daddy’s name is in it. That’s why we’re here to hear it. Do you know what a will is?”
Angela readily nodded and replied to Yu-jin’s question.
“It’s when they leave money when they die. So, we can get money too, right?”
“Um… yeah. Sort of. They don’t always leave money, but…”
Yu-jin hesitated at his daughter’s bold answer, then reluctantly agreed. It wasn’t wrong. That was their purpose for being here.
“So, we have to stay here until the will is announced. It won’t take that long.”
“How long?”
“Well… I don’t know, but they’ll try to do it as soon as possible, so let’s just wait a little bit, okay?”
Everyone, including Mrs. Campbell, would be hoping for Yu-jin to leave as soon as possible. So, the will reading would surely be soon.
Winston, more than anyone, would want that, so he would rush the lawyer to finish it quickly.
Yu-jin steeled himself before his heart could ache. Just remember why I came here.
“Can we buy a house with a yard too? And have a puppy?”
Angela asked, her eyes shining. Yu-jin could only vaguely answer, “Well…” again. Harold putting Yu-jin’s name in the will might have been atonement in its own way, but it wouldn’t be anything grand. Yu-jin just hoped for enough money to last him exactly three months.
The only thing that bothered him was Winston. After the ridiculous humiliation he suffered the day before, Yu-jin renewed his resolve. Endure until the will is announced without running into him. Just imagining facing Winston again was terrifying. Fortunately, it wasn’t impossible. In the morning, he could hide in his room until he left for work, and in the evening, he could hide in his room as soon as he saw his car arrive.
And after that, Yu-jin avoided Winston as much as possible. Fortunately, Winston left before Yu-jin woke up in the morning and came back after Angela was asleep. With the efforts of both sides, they never encountered each other, and finally, three days later, the day arrived.
* * *
From early in the morning, luxurious sedans arrived at the mansion one by one, with slight intervals. The Campbell family members were gathering in turn to hear the contents of the will.
Just as expected.
Three days wasn’t a long time. Compared to the week he had prepared himself for, it was rather quick. As he had thought, Winston must have rushed the lawyer.
Now I can leave this place.
The will reading would take an hour at most. Afterwards, there would be some miscellaneous procedures, but those would surely be resolved quickly as well. The lawyer would do his best to get Yu-jin out of here as soon as possible.
So, at most, about a day left?
Yu-jin, looking out the small window of the cramped room, checked the people getting out of the cars that circled the huge fountain in the center of the garden and unconsciously swallowed hard.
“Daddy.”
Angela carefully took his hand, as if she had noticed him. Yu-jin took his eyes off the window and smiled at his daughter. When he thought of his child, all his fears disappeared and courage welled up. It was the same this time. He squeezed her hand, and then there was a knock on the door. He turned his gaze, and after a moment, a woman’s voice was heard.
“Mr. Yu-jin Sol, are you ready? I will guide you to the study.”
Finally.
Yu-jin took a deep breath, knelt down, hugged Angela tightly, and kissed her on the cheek.
“I’ll be back, Angie.”
“Okay. Good luck, Daddy.”
Feeling his heart swell with his daughter’s encouragement, he left the room. However, the happy smile on his face changed the moment he stepped into the hallway and closed the door. The maid, who had been standing away from the door, turned around and walked away with a blank expression. With a stiff expression, he took a deep breath, straightened his back, and glared in the direction she was walking.
Alright, let’s go. To the battlefield.
Soon after, Yu-jin took large strides and walked quickly across the hallway. Into the pack of beasts waiting to tear him apart, ready to offer his neck willingly.
The minute hand moved to the side once more. Winston checked the watch on his wrist and then brought the wine glass he had placed on the side table to his lips. Before him, the rest of the Campbell family, who had been waiting in the study, anxiously glanced at each other with stiff faces. Mrs. Campbell was sitting with her back straight as usual, her eyes lowered, but inwardly she was just as anxious as her other children. They were all thinking of only one thing.
What did Harold leave Yu-jin?
Money? Securities? Maybe just some trivial mementos. Whatever it was, it would be over today. In any case, Mrs. Campbell suppressed her anxious heart, thinking that it would end without any scandalous incidents, and gave her most beloved son a warm smile.
“I was thinking of throwing a party after this is over, what do you think?”
As if her words were a signal, Gordon quickly opened his mouth.
“Yes, it’s about time we changed the atmosphere of the house and formally announced to people that you are taking over the family.”
Although he was the eldest son, he showed no signs of animosity or dissatisfaction. In fact, he had ambitions, but he had given up on them long ago. Neither his father nor his mother gave any opportunities to the other siblings, and they did not even tolerate the expression of greed. Therefore, they focused on getting even a little more of the crumbs instead of inheriting the family. In a way, it was a wise decision, and for that reason, it was only natural that the children, except for Winston, were all trying to please their parents and were ready to do whatever they were told.
On the other hand, Winston had been strong-willed since he was a child and never backed down from what he thought was right. If that had been nothing more than a child’s stubbornness, his parents would have ruthlessly excluded him from the selection, but Winston had been intelligent since he was a child, and this trait also played a part in his being chosen. Therefore, there was no reason for him to suppress his will to please his parents. The only time the son, who had always pleased them, had disappointed them was once, and the scandalous deviation was immediately corrected, so the choice was not wrong in the end.
However, even with Harold dead and the will reading about to take place, there was clearly another reason why the eldest son was so supportive of his mother. Nevertheless, Winston did not think deeply about it and dismissed it. He had other interests, then and now.