By Zephyria “You’re saying you want to go to the shop yourself?”
The Butler asked after Yu-jin said this after having lunch with his daughter. Yu-jin nodded and replied.
“I’ll be able to see more items if I go… and I want to buy some clothes for Angie too.”
“I want to get some fresh air too!”
Angela, who was standing side by side holding Yu-jin’s hand, followed up. Of course, it was something Yu-jin had prepared in advance, but deep down, he was nervous that the Butler might find it strange. Fortunately, he didn’t ask any further questions, smiled at Angela, said, “I’ll prepare the car,” and turned away. Perhaps it hadn’t been necessary to involve Angela. Yu-jin was inwardly grateful for his professionalism, as he silently carried out his master’s instructions without questioning them.
“Daddy, Daddy.”
Looking down at the sound of her calling while waving her hand, Angela was tiptoeing and trying to get as close to Yu-jin as possible, whispering.
“Did I do well? Is it okay now?”
As she covered her mouth with her hand and whispered, Yu-jin smiled and picked up the child.
“You did very well, Angie. Thank you for helping me.”
Then Angela happily hugged Yu-jin’s neck.
“Tell me anytime, I like helping Daddy the most in the world!”
How could I have been blessed with such a daughter?
Yu-jin was moved and his nose tingled. If this child was what he got for using up all his luck, he would never regret it. Even if he had a moment of choice, he would choose Angela a hundred or a thousand times. Unable to contain his overflowing affection, he hugged the child tightly, and Angela rubbed her cheek against Yu-jin’s cheek.
I can do it.
Yu-jin carried the child and went down the stairs. The Butler, who was coming up, stopped and opened his mouth.
“The car is ready.”
I can do anything, for Angie’s sake.
“Thank you.”
After saying his thanks, he continued down the stairs. With each step he took, his legs felt ten times heavier, but he didn’t stop. He felt like if he hesitated even a little, he would give up everything right away. Yu-jin tightened his grip on the arm holding the child. He could feel Angela shrinking as if she had noticed his tension. He wanted to reassure her that it was okay, but he didn’t have the余裕 to do that.
Haa, haa.
He didn’t have the energy to do anything else as he tried to suppress his naturally quickening breath. The Butler, who had been following behind, quickly overtook him and opened the front door. Beyond the wide-open door, he could see a black sedan waiting a few steps below.
Haa, haa, haa, haa.
He was so out of breath that he even felt dizzy. If he hadn’t been holding the child, he would have collapsed. Yu-jin strained his eyes and tried to maintain his sanity. The thought that his daughter might get hurt kept him going.
“Daddy.”
After barely putting the child in the back seat, Angela called him as soon as he sat down. Instead of answering, Yu-jin forced a smile and fastened her seatbelt. It took him several times longer to fasten his own seatbelt than it had taken for his daughter. He could feel the man in the driver’s seat glancing at him through the rearview mirror, but Yu-jin was doing his best.
Haa.
Even a tired sigh escaped him when he barely managed to fasten his seatbelt. But it wasn’t over. It was just the beginning. The driver, who had also checked Yu-jin’s posture in the rearview mirror, slowly started the car. Yu-jin gripped the door handle so tightly that his knuckles turned white. His whole body was trembling and he was sweating cold.
“Daddy.”
Angela grabbed Yu-jin’s arm with a tearful face. Yu-jin tried to calm down for the sake of the child, but it wasn’t easy. I have to endure it. He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. I can’t get out of there without a car. I have to be able to endure this much. I can do it.
Please.
Yu-jin held his breath and desperately fought against his fear. The car was speeding along, but there was still a long way to go.
* * *
Haaa.
Yu-jin was completely exhausted when he returned to the mansion. He barely managed to get to the shop he had booked, and he regained some stability while drinking coffee as he chose clothes for the child, but as soon as it was time to get back in the car, the symptoms returned. By the time he got out of the car, he was so tired that he wanted to collapse on the spot.
“Daddy!”
His daughter, who had followed him out of the car, clung to his leg in a hurry. Yu-jin didn’t have the energy to pick up Angela, so he barely managed to stroke her head.
“Are you alright? You don’t look well, should I call the doctor?”
In response to the Butler’s belated question as he stood opening the car door, Yu-jin barely managed to shake his head.
“I just need to rest… I’m carsick.”
Barely answering in a fading voice, he staggered up the stairs. Angela was following him so closely that she was almost clinging to him, but he couldn’t even reassure the child.
This is a disaster.
Yu-jin vaguely thought as he collapsed on the bed, completely exhausted. In this condition, he can’t even escape from the mansion, let alone run away. What should I do? Yu-jin felt a headache coming on. If I can’t ride in a car, everything is impossible.
Stupid Harold, why did you build a house on such a large property?
He belatedly blamed the deceased, but that wouldn’t change anything. In this condition, it’s the same as being imprisoned. Yu-jin covered his face with both hands and groaned.
“Daddy, are you very sick?”
Suddenly, he heard the child’s voice. Yu-jin took his hands off his face and looked to the side, and saw Angela clinging to the bedside with a worried expression. Yu-jin was flustered by the sight of the child tiptoeing and stretching out her arms to grab the mattress, and reached out his hand.
“Why are you doing that? Come up here, Angie.”
When he grabbed her arms and pulled her up, Angela easily crawled onto the bed. As soon as she lay down next to him and snuggled into his arms, Angela looked up and asked.
“Daddy, are you very sick?”
“No, I’m okay.”
When Yu-jin smiled and kissed the child’s forehead, Angela returned the kiss on Yu-jin’s cheek.
“How were the clothes today? Did you like them?”
In response to his affectionate question, Angela nodded and then said with a gloomy face.
“But I don’t need clothes. I don’t like it when Daddy is sick.”
He had only worried her by taking the child out with him. He should have gone out alone and found out. Yu-jin apologized, belatedly feeling regret.
“From now on, let’s have those people come to the house. Okay?”
“Can we?”
“Of course.”
He felt even more guilty when he remembered that that was the original plan. Yu-jin lay on his side, hugged the child, and patted her back.
“Let’s sleep together, Angie.”
“Okay.”Before the child closed her eyes, she said,
“Tell me a story.”
“Okay.”
Yu-jin pondered for a moment what would be good, then soon opened his mouth. As he slowly spun a tale he made up on the spot, as always, the child’s eyelids gradually drooped. Yu-jin listened to Angela’s soft breathing and soon fell asleep himself.
Footsteps echoed in the distance. Angela suddenly woke up, rubbed her eyes, and looked back. She blinked sleepily for a moment, and as the sound seemed to grow closer, the doorknob turned a moment later.
The faint scent that she caught in that instant jolted her awake. Flustered, Angela hurriedly scrambled across the bed and jumped to the other side. Soon, someone entered through the wide-open door, and the scent, now even stronger, filled the room. Winston had returned. Angela, her face ashen, desperately crawled under the bed. Immediately afterward, the man pressed a button on the wall, and the room lit up brightly.
“…Ugh.”
Yu-jin groaned softly, belatedly awakened by the light. He furrowed his brow deeply, barely managing to lift his eyelids, and only after shielding his eyes with his hand did he finally take in his surroundings. Angela was nowhere to be seen.
Did she go back to her room…?
He awkwardly sat up, and in that instant, his eyes met a pair of purple eyes staring at him. Winston, his face expressionless, began to walk toward the momentarily stunned Yu-jin and opened his mouth.
“Did you lose all reason because you spent money for the first time in ages? Money will be coming in endlessly from now on, so why don’t you keep it moderate.”
It took him a moment to understand what he was saying. Yu-jin watched Winston take off his suit jacket and casually drape it over the back of the sofa, barely managing to open his mouth.
“…What?”