KTS 224

“An interview?”

The child’s voice rose even higher upon hearing the news. Seeing her eyes sparkling with curiosity and her cheeks flushed, Yu-jin couldn’t help but feel affection welling up, so he grabbed her and showered her face with kisses.

“I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe!”

Angela, who was flailing and shouting in his arms, barely managed to stick her head out and asked.

“Is the interview on TV? Why are we doing it? Am I going to be on it too?”

“Of course, Angie.”

Yu-jin smiled and explained to her step by step what an interview was. Angela, who only had a vague idea, listened to the explanation and nodded, seeming to understand quickly.

“Our story will be published in an article. So we’ll take pictures and they’ll ask us questions.”

“I see.”

Upon reaching the final conclusion, the child replied with a blank face. Her expression was so cute that Yu-jin kissed her cheek again and asked.

“You still don’t really understand what I’m saying?”

“I do.”

The child sighed and, in a grown-up manner, put her hand on one cheek and tilted her head.

“But why are we doing it?”

To the fundamental question, Yu-jin pulled out the answer he had prepared.

“Daddy wrote a book. People who read the book are curious about Daddy, so we decided to introduce the whole family. Will you help me?”

At his gentle request, the child made a serious face and soon nodded.

“If it’s for Daddy, okay!”

“Thank you, Angie.”

As if responding to Yu-jin, who hugged her tightly with affection, the child also hugged his neck.

“But Daddy.”

Angela, who soon released her arms, spoke. Smiling and tilting her head, the child asked seriously.

“Is Winnie okay these days? Is he not sick?”

“What?”

At the sudden question, Yu-jin blinked in confusion. Angela continued with a serious expression.

“He was very sick, I know. I know a doctor even visited.”

“That’s…”

He hadn’t expected this situation, so his thoughts were jumbled. Yu-jin hesitated, then let out a short sigh and confessed honestly.

“Yes, Angie. But he’s okay now. He’s all better.”

The last part was a lie. Yu-jin was inwardly anxious, hoping that his daughter would be fooled. Angela seemed to hesitate, then closed her mouth. Noticing that the child was hiding what she was about to say, Yu-jin stroked Angela’s cheek and asked.

“What’s wrong? Is there something bothering you?”

“Um…”

Angela paused before carefully opening her mouth.

“What if Winnie gets sick again and we’re not here then?”

“What?”

Yu-jin’s voice rose 불안정하게. Seeing her daddy’s face looking flustered again, Angela mumbled with a dejected expression.

“It’s sad if he’s sick alone.”

Yu-jin was speechless. The child’s words were not wrong, but they were not appropriate for the situation.

“That’s, that’s…”

Yu-jin, who was at a loss and only stammered, barely managed to come up with an answer.

“There are many people here besides us, so it’s okay. There’s Cain, and we’ll call a doctor.”

His words were also not wrong. And after all, the people here were hired for that purpose, weren’t they? To provide all of Winston’s conveniences, including nursing care, of course.

Angela, who had been silent, hugged Yu-jin’s neck again. It was impossible to know whether the child had understood his words. Yu-jin didn’t say anything more and hugged the child back. But he couldn’t help but feel his heart pounding 불안하게.

* * *

“Yes, that’s good. Lean back there a little more comfortably. How about holding hands? Yes, that’s very good.”

As he moved his body this way and that according to the cameraman’s instructions, Yu-jin was uncomfortable and didn’t know what to do. He wasn’t used to taking pictures like this, and since the person he was taking them with was Winston, there was no way he could feel comfortable. His facial muscles were aching from forcing a smile.

But unlike the awkward Yu-jin, Winston and Angela were natural. In particular, Angela seemed to be captivated by the novel event, striking poses with a bright face. The way she looked comfortable in Winston’s arms only made Yu-jin’s heart more complicated.

“Okay, I think we have enough pictures. Shall we start the interview then?”

At the reporter’s words, who was standing next to him, he finally let out a sigh of relief. As they climbed the stairs, Winston readily answered the reporter’s questions about the mansion. The interview included a tour of the mansion, so it was a natural progression. While listening to the story of the mansion and the family, they naturally headed to the drawing room. A person filming a video followed behind, capturing every scene on camera.

“…And that’s how the two of you fell in love.”

The reporter smiled and nodded. Winston had appropriately embellished their story and provided it to the reporter. It was true that Harold’s acquaintance had died and he had brought in Yu-jin, who had become an orphan, and that they had naturally met and fallen in love thanks to that. It wasn’t entirely wrong that they had broken up due to their parents’ opposition and then reunited after Harold’s death and confirmed their love for each other. Except for the last part.

As Winston had said, it was more effective to slightly twist the truth than to make everything up, so there were no holes in the story. The reporter seemed to believe their story as well. Since it was somewhat true, it wasn’t difficult for Yu-jin to speak either. As he continued to talk while holding Angela, the reporter suddenly looked at the child’s face and said.

“Aren’t you bored, Angela?”

At those words, Angela answered bravely.

“It’s okay. I’m an adult.”

Everyone burst out laughing at her confident chin-up. Yu-jin, who had laughed along, inadvertently looked at Winston’s face. His expression as he looked down at the child with a comfortable smile was filled with undeniable affection. Suddenly, Angela’s words came to mind.

Should I tell her?

If Angela says she wants to live with Winston, then that’s another thing to consider at that time. He felt that continuing to hide it was cowardly. After all, wasn’t it the same as ignoring the child’s wishes due to the adults’ circumstances?

Just as he had thought that far, the Butler came in with an album. The reporter exclaimed with delight.

“It’s an album containing the history of the Campbell family, isn’t it? It’s the first time it’s been revealed.”

Come to think of it, unlike other ordinary homes where family photos are displayed on walls or tables, there wasn’t a single such photo in Delights. At most, there were portraits of ancestors, and other than that, paintings by famous artists hung on the walls. It had been a long time since Yu-jin had seen Winston’s childhood photos, so seeing him as a child riding a horse made him feel strange.

“May I publish a few in the article? Of course, I will keep them safe and return them.”Winston gave his permission to the reporter’s question, saying it was fine. The interview continued, and Angela placed the album on her lap and began flipping through the pages one by one. After all, these kinds of events were boring for a child, so it was actually a good thing. Yu-jin stroked his daughter’s back and then focused on the reporter’s words. After some more time passed, the long interview came to an end.

“Yes, we’ll stop here for today. Thank you for agreeing to this interview.”

The reporter said with a smile, looking at Yu-jin.

“Would it be alright to do the interview about you as a writer separately in the studio? I don’t think we’ll have enough time today. Or, if it’s more convenient for you, I can come here.”

She looked back and forth between Yu-jin and Winston and added,

“I’m planning a three-part special on the Campbell family.”

Her face showed a determination to not miss this opportunity. Yu-jin nodded with a smile.

“Let’s work out a schedule together.”

“Thank you.”

The reporter smiled and shook hands with them in turn before holding out her hand to Angela. But Angela was staring intently at one spot and didn’t move at all.

“Angie?”

Embarrassed, Yu-jin quietly called her name, and Angela, as if belatedly coming to her senses, was startled and quickly took the reporter’s hand.

“Our little lady seems to be completely captivated by her papa’s handsome face.”

The reporter joked, and everyone burst into laughter. But Angela didn’t laugh at all, and instead, she had a serious expression, lost in deep thought.

* * *

“You must be very tired today, right? Let’s go to sleep.”

Yu-jin smiled as he laid his child in bed and pulled the blanket up to her chin. But unlike usual, the child didn’t smile back and had a thoughtful expression. She had been reacting like this ever since the reporter left. When he spoke to her, she either didn’t answer or mumbled vaguely, and she kept spacing out, lost in thought. Moreover, her gaze was almost fixed on Winston.

What’s wrong?

“Angie, what’s wrong? Do you have something to say to Winston?”

Yu-jin asked, but Angela only shook her head, saying no. And even now, lying in bed, the situation was similar. Yu-jin couldn’t just ignore his child’s reaction, as it bothered him.

“Angie, what’s wrong? Were you feeling unwell today?”

When Yu-jin asked again, Angela replied quietly, “No,” this time as well. Yu-jin didn’t ask any further and instead just stared at his child’s face, as if telling her to speak up. Under the unspoken pressure, Angela stubbornly kept her mouth shut, but her resolve didn’t last long.

“Daddy.”

“Yes.”

Yu-jin immediately responded to Angela, who had finally opened her mouth. What was she going to say? Feeling nervous, he perked up his ears, and Angela looked up at Yu-jin and opened her mouth.

“Is Winnie my papa?”