By Zephyria “I had a lot of fun today, Yu-jin, Angie.”
Before getting into the car, Georgina took turns greeting them, then fixed her gaze on Yu-jin and continued.
“Thank you for inviting me. I hope we can meet again sometime.”
“I’ll send you an invitation, Georgina.”
Angela said as if she had been waiting for it, and Georgina smiled brightly and replied.
“I’ll be waiting, Angie. I’m so curious to see what kind of Angie you’ll be next time!”
Seeing the child’s cheeks glowing with pride, Georgina barely resisted the urge to grab her and shower her with kisses.
“How cute, I might kidnap Angie someday.”
As she said, clenching both fists, Yu-jin’s eyes widened in an instant. He knew it was a joke, but the mere mention of his child being kidnapped made his heart pound. Noticing his reaction, Georgina hurriedly laughed and stammered.
“No, I just mean Angie is that cute. Hahaha.”
Yu-jin also smiled awkwardly, when suddenly, he faintly heard the sound of an engine in the distance. Winston, who had turned his head, paused, and then Charlotte and Georgina also fixed their gazes on the same spot. They stood there, watching a sedan speeding towards the mansion. The car, making a wide turn around the large fountain, stopped not far away. The Butler immediately ran to open the car door, and soon the man they had expected appeared.
The sight of the tall, sturdy man walking towards them made Georgina tense for a moment. She should be used to it by now, but this reaction just wouldn’t disappear. Winston’s very existence made people terrified. Anyone would be terrified, feeling like their heart would stop, if a man with a larger body than most people and an overbearing aura all over him glared at them. Fortunately, Georgina was the type to approach Winston without hesitation thanks to her natural personality, but even she was sometimes frightened like this. Glancing to the side, Charlotte was indeed pale and trembling. Inwardly, Georgina felt sorry for her and repeated a small regret.
I should have left sooner.
She felt frustrated that Winston had come so early. He approached them with slower steps than usual, stopped slowly, and opened his mouth.
“Charlotte, Georgina.”
Georgina and Charlotte took turns greeting Winston, who made eye contact and said their names as if greeting them in turn.
“Hello, Winston.”
“Hello, Mr. Campbell.”
Georgina raised her expressionless face as if asking what was going on and spoke.
“Angie invited me, so we had tea time together. We were about to leave now. Right?”
When she nudged her elbow slightly, Charlotte was startled and nodded.
“Yes, yes…… That’s right. We were about to leave…… We should go.”
Charlotte, who kept repeating the same words as if she was flustered, lowered her gaze. Winston didn’t say anything else and glanced at the car.
As if asking what they were doing now. Georgina didn’t miss the opportunity and quickly grabbed Charlotte’s arm.
“Then we’ll be going now. Yu-jin, Angie, see you again. Goodbye.”
“Ah, goodbye…….”
Charlotte couldn’t even finish her greeting properly and hurriedly got into the driver’s seat. Georgina, who followed and opened the passenger seat door, waved at Angela once more before sitting down. And behind Angela, who was waving one arm vigorously as she watched the car drive away, Yu-jin stood silently.
As the strangers left, the surroundings soon became quiet, and a strange tension came with the silence. Yu-jin felt his nerves on edge again and reluctantly turned his head towards Winston. His eyes immediately met the two eyes that had been watching him all along. For a while, the two of them just stared at each other without saying a word.
“……You’re here early.”
Yu-jin, unable to bear it, finally spoke first. Even then, Winston was silent for a while before turning his gaze to Angela.
“Work finished early. Angie, did you have fun?”
At the unusually soft and subdued voice, the child soon nodded.
“Georgina is my friend. We had a tea party together.”
Angela hesitated, but mustered her courage and asked.
“Um, can I invite her again next time?”
Yu-jin thought it was too late to ask, having already invited her twice, but he silently waited for Winston’s reaction. Judging from his attitude towards them earlier, he wouldn’t like it very much…….
“Of course, Angie.”
“What?”
Yu-jin, who had unknowingly made a sound, hurriedly covered his mouth, and Winston and Angela looked at him at the same time. He was embarrassed by Winston’s frowning face and Angela’s surprised face, and he didn’t know what to do, so he hesitated and opened his mouth.
“No, well…… I just didn’t think you would allow it so easily.”
As he stammered, Winston still said with a frown.
“Why? Angie is my daughter. Why would you think I would object?”
To his dismay, Angela was also looking up at Yu-jin as if curious. He was speechless with embarrassment and just opened and closed his mouth. Winston stared at him for a while, then soon turned his head and turned his attention to Angela.
“Angie, then you’ll need this next time.”
As if those words were a signal, the Butler handed over a large, beautifully wrapped box. Yu-jin soon realized that Winston had brought it in the car he had gotten out of. Winston, who received the box from the Butler, then asked Angela.
“Are you curious about what’s inside?”
“Yes!”
Winston smiled and said to Angela, who answered immediately.
“Let’s go up and check it out. Should I give you a piggyback ride?”
Not missing the opportunity, Winston asked, and Angela replied in a clear voice.
“No!”
A look of bitterness flashed across Winston’s face, but soon he pretended to be nonchalant and carried the box as he moved his feet. And Yu-jin slowly followed the child who was trotting after him up to the second floor.
“Wow!”
Angela opened the box in her room and exclaimed in surprise. The tea set with elegant patterns seemed to have come into the world to steal the child’s heart. Seeing that there were even three small legs under the teacups, Angela couldn’t contain her excitement and gasped for breath.
“Thank you! It’s so pretty!”
Winston smiled as the child, who didn’t forget to say thank you, shouted. Yu-jin, who glanced at Winston sitting in the chair at the tea table with a satisfied expression as he watched the child take out the tea utensils one by one and turn them around, opened his mouth gruffly.
“Anyone who sees you would think you’re a very affectionate father.”
He didn’t like that Angela kept opening her heart. He was full of sarcasm, but Winston laughed out loud and turned his gaze to Yu-jin.
“Really? That makes me feel good.”
“Ha.”
Yu-jin was dumbfounded and only let out a short exclamation. He couldn’t take it anymore. He questioned him, suppressing his voice as much as possible so that the child wouldn’t hear.
“What on earth are you thinking? Flattering me or Angie won’t get you anything.”
He lashed out, but Winston unexpectedly made a joke.
“The child is coming out, in your belly.”
“Winston Atticus Campbell…….”
Yu-jin was dumbfounded and called out his full name, gritting his teeth. Only then did Winston reluctantly open his mouth.
“I told you, let’s get along. What’s the point of wasting energy unnecessarily?”
That was true. But there was a huge error in that. The fact was that Yu-jin had no intention of getting along with him at all.
“I didn’t agree to that.”
When he said stubbornly, Winston looked at him with a frown.
“Honey, what do you gain by doing that?”
Of course, there was nothing like that. But he had no intention of obediently following that man’s whims.
“Do I have to follow you without saying a word if you tell me to?”“Of course, darling.”
Yu-jin was momentarily speechless at the ready answer. Winston broke into a smile, his lips curving.
“Father is dead. The Campbell family is mine. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
His smiling face felt particularly eerie. Yu-jin couldn’t bring himself to answer the low whisper, only stared at him. Winston continued in a soft murmur.
“Father left you to me, which means everything in this mansion is mine. You, Angie, everything.”
It felt like being doused in cold water. Yu-jin’s eyes widened in humiliation, and he bit his lip.
“I’m not an object. No one can trade me.”
Winston chuckled at the barely audible, trembling words.
“If that wasn’t the intention, why would Father tell you to marry and have a child? You’re the one who accepted it, darling.”
“You said that was the only way……”
Yu-jin stopped speaking, realizing he’d fallen into a trap. Winston continued, seeing his silence.
“Yes, do you understand now? You sold yourself for money. So you are mine now, and you won’t be going anywhere.”
Yu-jin opened his mouth to deny it, but the words wouldn’t come easily. There was too much to say, and he didn’t know where to start. Winston smiled leisurely at Yu-jin’s struggle.
“Don’t worry, I’ll keep the promise. I’ll give you all the money you need, everything you want. You just have to stay here.”
“As one of your possessions?”
Winston countered Yu-jin’s barely audible words.
“Isn’t it easy and simple?”
If Angela hadn’t been there, he might have slapped him. But all Yu-jin could do now was clench his fists. Winston, as if certain of his victory, got up and sat on the floor. Yu-jin glared at him, watching him play with Angela and make ridiculous jokes.
*Yes, be so full of yourself. That way, you’ll be more careless.*
Yu-jin endured the immediate humiliation, imagining how shocked that arrogant man would be when he disappeared with Angela someday.