By Zephyria 63.
“Hi, Angie. Long time no see, I missed you!”
“Me too, Georgina! I missed you so, so much!”
As soon as they saw each other’s faces, they hugged tightly, grabbed each other’s hands, and spun around in the same spot. After spinning around a few times, Georgina hugged Angela tightly again and stroked the child’s cheek with a gloomy face.
“Angie, you look like you’ve lost weight. Have you been having a hard time?”
“No, I’m okay now.”Angela shook her head with a beaming smile.
“Let’s talk about the details over tea, Lady Georgina. I’ve prepared refreshments.”
Georgina quickly changed her attitude and responded to the child, who was imitating a rather dignified old-fashioned way of speaking.
“Oh, Princess. What an honor. I would be delighted.”
Georgina smiled brightly as she followed the girl, who gracefully walked away, lightly holding the hem of her knee-length dress.
* * *
Sitting at the tea table by the window, where the bright sunlight streamed in, Georgina kept smiling as she looked at the child sitting across from her. It was a completely different scene from the last time she had come. It was amazing how different it was depending on whether the owner of the room was present or not. Angela, who had been only looking at Georgina with a smile that never left her face, opened her mouth after raising and lowering the teacup filled with juice instead of tea.
“What’s wrong, Lady Georgina? Is the tea not to your liking?”
Georgina hastily shook her head and replied to the child, who was about to ring the bell on the tea table.
“No, it’s nothing like that at all. I’m just so moved to see you again, Princess.”
Georgina’s eyes actually welled up, and she made a sniffling sound, quickly forcing a smile. But Angela’s big eyes quickly filled with tears as if the emotion was contagious.
“Me too, Georgina. I thought I’d never see you again.”
Georgina couldn’t help but hug Angela tightly as she sobbed and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. Only after they had hugged each other and cried, sharing the joy of their reunion for a while, were they finally able to regain some composure.
“So, Winston found you?”
“Yes.”
Angela nodded as Georgina asked after hearing a rough explanation.
“I was surprised when he suddenly appeared. But when I saw Winnie, I was so happy that I ran to him…”
Georgina’s eyes widened in surprise at Angela’s confession. Not realizing Georgina’s reaction, Angela continued to speak.
“I told him I missed him so much, and Winnie said he missed me too and hugged me tight.”
Angela let out a short sigh and relaxed her shoulders as if reliving the memory. Seeing this, Georgina’s guilt and anxiety, which she had momentarily forgotten, were revived all at once.
“Um, Angie. Do you know anything about your father?”
Georgina hesitated for a moment before carefully broaching the subject. Seeing Angela’s eyes widen, she hastily added with an awkward smile.
“Um, I mean, about Papa. I was wondering if you’d heard anything from Daddy.”
“No.”
Angela shook her head and answered readily.
“Daddy never said anything. So I don’t know.”
“I see… Aren’t you curious at all?”
Angela seemed to pout as she asked, carefully watching her reaction, and unnecessarily fiddled with her juice glass.
“I’m curious… but I’m worried Daddy might be sad if I ask.”
The child’s dejected voice was enough to shake Georgina’s heart. She was about to quickly find something to say, but Angela, who seemed to have regained her energy, raised her head and added.
“It’s okay, because I have Winnie.”
“What?”
Georgina asked in surprise without realizing it, and Angela replied in a voice full of strength.
“Winnie is my Papa now. Winnie said he’ll always be there for me, so I don’t have to worry.”
The child smiled brightly with a confident expression.
“So it’s okay.”
Georgina was taken aback by Angela’s appearance, but she soon felt relieved and her lips naturally relaxed.
“I see.”
*That’s good,* she thought to herself, wondering how Angela had come to trust Winston so much. On a roll, she opened her mouth.
“How did you get so close? Winston isn’t the kind of person who’s easy to get close to.”
If they weren’t relatives, Georgina wouldn’t have been able to say a word to him. Of course, he wouldn’t have treated Georgina like a person either. Georgina, recalling his dry gaze that looked at others like objects, suddenly flinched, and Angela tilted her head.
“Um, well… I really hated him at first, but I ran away from home once and got lost.”
The child shuddered as if reliving the memory.
“It was raining a lot and it was very cold. I was so scared, but then he came to find me.”
Angela, who had said that much, quickly glanced at the closed door and whispered in a low voice.
“Actually, this is a secret, but I’ve had a little crush on Winnie since then. But I pretended to hate him because Daddy seemed to dislike Winnie.”
But even after that, Winston tried several times to win the child’s heart. He seemed to get close, then move away again, and after repeating the process of moving away and then suddenly getting close several times, Winston finally succeeded in opening Angela’s heart wide.
“I see.”
After hearing about the various things that had happened, Georgina was amazed and bewildered. She was surprised that the great Winston Campbell had worked so hard to win the heart of this little girl.
Even in a situation where everyone assumed Angela was Harold’s child.
Thinking that far, she suddenly became curious. How much does Winston know now?
“Georgina, Georgina.”
Suddenly dazed, she was startled by the call. Angela was looking at her with a puzzled expression. Feeling embarrassed for no reason, Georgina hastily changed the subject and asked.
“How’s Yu-jin? Is he resting now?”
She hadn’t seen him when she first visited the mansion either. Since she was still reluctant to meet Yu-jin, she secretly thought it was a good thing and asked, and Angela nodded.
“Yes, Daddy sleeps a lot these days. He said he was tired earlier and went to sleep. Should I go see if he’s awake now?”
“No, no.”
Georgina hastily stopped Angela, who was about to get off the chair, and said.
“He must be very tired because of the baby, it’s okay. Don’t bother waking him up.”
Since he was pregnant, he must not be feeling well in many ways. On top of that, he had run away meaninglessly.
Thinking that she had found an excuse not to see his face, Georgina quickly added.
“How’s Yu-jin? Is he healthy? He has a baby, so he needs to be more careful.”
“Huh? Uh…”
Angela awkwardly mumbled her answer. The child’s attitude was strange enough for anyone to notice, and Georgina soon became suspicious.
“What’s wrong? Is something the matter?”
Perhaps he’s not feeling well…
“No, it’s not that. It’s not that.”
Angela hastily denied it as Georgina was about to have ominous thoughts. The child, still looking suspicious and restless, finally seemed to have made up her mind and leaned over the table.
“Georgina, this is a secret…”
As if she was about to reveal something extremely private and important, Angela covered her mouth with one hand and whispered in a suppressed voice.
“I’m telling you because you’re my friend, Georgina. You can’t tell anyone else.”
“Okay, what is it?”
Georgina also followed Angela and answered in a small voice, and as she listened, Angela finally whispered in her ear.
“Daddy said he’s not pregnant.”
“What?”
Surprised, Georgina shouted without realizing it, then hastily covered her mouth. Angela also widened her eyes and covered her mouth with both hands, looking around with her eyes darting about. Only after a moment of shock passed did Georgina take her hand off her mouth and ask in a small voice.
“Really? Yu-jin wasn’t pregnant?”
“Yes.”
Angela nodded and answered in a still suppressed voice.
“There’s no baby. Daddy said he was sorry to disappoint me.”
Georgina blankly blinked her eyes. There’s no baby? He wasn’t pregnant? Was it like that from the beginning, or did something go wrong and he lost the baby? What does it matter? The important thing is that there’s no baby in Yu-jin’s belly now.
Then, the will.
When her mind went blank, she suddenly heard a faint noise from outside the window. Angela, who had stretched her neck and looked outside, shouted.
“It’s Winnie!”
“What?”
Georgina, startled, hesitated for a moment, and Angela jumped off the chair and rushed outside before she could even grab her. Georgina, who was momentarily bewildered, belatedly followed the child and hurriedly moved her feet.