By Zephyria “Move rooms? Why? Where to?”
Yu-jin asked in a fluster, and Angela, who was in his arms, clung even tighter as if afraid. Yu-jin also hugged Angela’s body even tighter. Seeing them clinging to each other as if they were the only two in the world, the Butler replied with a blank face.
“It is Mr. Campbell’s order. He also said that this room should no longer be used and should be closed off.”
Yu-jin’s face quickly turned pale as he heard the words. In a short moment, countless thoughts ran through his head, but he couldn’t voice them all.
He swallowed hard and carefully chose his words before opening his mouth.
“Then, where… where do we have to go?”
They might be moved to an even worse room than this. He was fine, but he was worried about the child.
If necessary, he would have to ask for a good room for Angela alone…
Fear suddenly washed over him at the thought of standing up to Winston, but he decided to steel himself. If he avoided it, who would protect Angela?
Seeing Yu-jin looking at him with a determined expression, the Butler simply said, “This way,” without another word, and turned around first. At the sight of this, Angela clung to Yu-jin even more.
“Daddy.”
“It’s okay, Angie. Daddy’s here.”
Yu-jin deliberately smiled brighter at the frightened voice and kissed the child’s cheek. Angela nodded, saying “Okay,” but she didn’t loosen her grip on his arm. Yu-jin also hugged the child as tightly as he could and followed the Butler. The Butler naturally headed towards the central staircase and occasionally glanced back as if to check that Yu-jin was following well, but he walked ahead at a consistent pace without hesitating or stopping.
…Huh?As Yu-jin reached the top floor of the mansion, he blinked in bewilderment. From what he could gather, most of the rooms here were bedrooms or similar resting places. Could there really be a room for them in a place like this…?
“This is the room.”
Unable to grasp the situation, Yu-jin felt his anxiety snowballing. Suddenly, the Butler stopped and turned to face them. Oh, this time he opened his mouth and let out a silent exclamation of awe. The room he opened was right next to Winston’s, at the very end of the hall.
Could it be…?
Yu-jin still couldn’t believe it as he hesitated forward. He passed the Butler, who had opened the door and stepped aside, and entered the room, still feeling dazed.
“Wow!”
The arms that had been tightly wrapped around Yu-jin’s neck with all of Angela’s might loosened. The exclamation of delight that the child let out with wide eyes brushed past Yu-jin’s ears.
The room was incomparably larger than the room they had been staying in. The bed was also enormous, proportional to the size of the room, and what was even more amazing was the elaborate canopy hanging above it. The ornate, thin fabric that surrounded the four posts of the bed was something he had only seen in pictures. For Angela, who was only three years old, it was enough to strongly pique her curiosity.
“Daddy, are we going to live here now? Really?”
Angela put her hand to Yu-jin’s ear and whispered softly. Her voice, hushed as it was, couldn’t hide her excitement. Before Yu-jin could answer, the Butler spoke up from behind.
“This is the room for your daughter.”
Yu-jin and Angela turned to look at him at the same time. Was he going to separate Angela from him? Yu-jin’s face paled, but Angela’s reaction was completely different.
“My woom?”
The Butler nodded at Angela, who shouted in an even louder voice than before. Surprisingly, a faint smile flickered across his wrinkled face as he looked at the girl. Yu-jin, flustered, couldn’t find the words to say, and Angela, who was in his arms, wriggled and shouted.
“Daddy, Daddy! Put me down, quick, hurry!”
“Angie, Angie! Be careful!”
Yu-jin was afraid he would drop her as she shook her body, unable to contain her impatience, so he hurriedly put her down. As soon as her feet touched the floor, Angela ran around the room, shouting “Wow, wow!” over and over again. It was only natural for her to react that way. It was the first time she had her own room, and it was so wonderful and, above all, she loved it. It was probably the kind of room most children in the world would want. Yu-jin was dazed, but he fully understood his daughter’s feelings.
Each of the four walls was painted a different color, and they were all so bright and cheerful that just looking at them made his heart flutter. What was even more amazing was that the small living room connected to the large room was filled with toys and play equipment that Angela would love.
The thing that captivated Angela the most was a small house that was just the right size for her. The house, which was built in a structure similar to a studio, was cute and lovely on the outside, like the witch’s house in Hansel and Gretel, and when you opened the cookie-shaped front door, there was a small sofa and even a kitchen neatly fitted inside. This room was Angela’s perfect world.
The child, who had been shouting and going in and out of the house repeatedly, now ran across the room and climbed onto the bed. She shouted “Wow!” and rolled around on the neatly made bed before raising her arms in the air.
“Daddy, come here! Hurry! It’s like being on a cloud! Quick!”
“Ah, okay. Just a minute.”
Yu-jin, unable to take his eyes off his daughter’s happy face, turned his hesitant gaze to the Butler. Angela was so happy that he should have been happy too, but a disturbing question still lingered in the corner of his heart.
“Cain, if this is Angie’s room, then… do I have to sleep somewhere else?”
He asked, steeling himself. It was as if the answer was already there. He had been prepared to stay in a place that was much worse than the room they had been staying in before, so that was okay. He was just glad that Angela was staying in a good room. His only concern was how far away from her he would be staying.
Surely they weren’t going to kick him out of the mansion…
He turned pale with the fear that they might be trying to control him so that he couldn’t see Angela, when the Butler opened his mouth.
“Of course. We have moved your luggage to the room next door.”
“…Pardon?”
Yu-jin’s head was filled with all sorts of terrible scenarios, and he was caught off guard by the unexpected words and blankly asked again. The Butler added an explanation in his usual, extremely businesslike tone.
“You will be sharing a room with Mr. Campbell. You two are married, after all.”
His words took Yu-jin’s breath away. It was definitely true, but it was wrong. It was true that he was married to Winston, but to have to share a room with him… He was completely taken aback by the unexpected words and couldn’t think straight.
“No, why… why would you… why?”
He could only repeat the words that didn’t form a sentence, when a maid appeared from outside the door and spoke to the Butler.
“Mr. Cain, could you come here for a moment? There’s a problem.”
The Butler, who had turned around, turned his gaze back to Yu-jin.
“Excuse me? I think I should go.”
“Ah, yes.”
Yu-jin nodded hastily. The Butler was just doing as he was told. The person who ordered all of this was someone else.
“Um, just a moment.”
Yu-jin, who had called out to the Butler as he was about to leave, swallowed hard and opened his mouth.
“So, the person who ordered all of this to be prepared was Winston, right? And he told you to have me share his room.”
“That’s right. Partners should share the same room.”
The Butler added as if it were obvious. Having heard the confirmation again, Yu-jin had nothing more to say.
“…I understand. Thank you for your time, even though you’re busy.”
“I was just doing my job.”
He said nonchalantly, then briefly gave a satisfied look to Angela, who was jumping up and down on the bed, before quickly erasing his expression and adding.
“If you need anything else, please let us know at any time. If you pick up the phone and press 1, someone will answer.”
The Butler pointed to the phone on the side table, gave a brief bow, and turned away. After he left and the door closed, Yu-jin was left alone with the child. Only then did he slowly look around the room again. He saw a couch and sofa in the room, as if inviting him to roll around on them at any time.
In addition, there was a small tea table by the window, bathed in sunlight, perfect for Angela to play house.
As if possessed, Yu-jin moved towards the window. He unlocked the latch and gently opened the large lattice-patterned glass door, and a cool breeze immediately blew in.
“Wow! Daddy, it’s amazing!”
Angela, who had already run over, shouted as she ran out onto the balcony first. Yu-jin also stopped, mesmerized by the scenery before him. The vast Delights estate stretched out endlessly beyond the balcony. Beyond the lush green forest, he could see the cityscape. At night, the land would be filled with brilliant lights like stars on earth. Just imagining it made him feel breathless. How beautiful it would be.
“Daddy, I love my room so much!”
Angela shouted from the balcony. Tears welled up in Yu-jin’s eyes as he saw his daughter’s happy face. He couldn’t believe that the vain dream he had had that night when he first came to the mansion and had to sleep apart from his daughter had become a reality like this.
“Daddy, Daddy?”
The child kept calling him, but Yu-jin couldn’t answer. Overwhelmed with emotion, he could only cover his mouth with one hand and take a deep breath. He didn’t want to cry in front of the child, but it was impossible to stop the tingling sensation in his nose.
“Sorry, Angie. I’m just so happy that you’re happy.”
He bent down and hugged the child tightly, and Angela hugged Yu-jin back. Angela patted the back of his head as if telling him not to cry, then paused and opened her mouth.
“Daddy, we have to leave here, right?”