By Zephyria “Winston, where are you going? The tutor will be here soon!”
At his mother’s urgent call, Winston immediately spurred the horse and turned his head to shout.
“I’ll be back in time! Lancelot really wants to run today!”
“Lancelot can’t talk…”
Mrs. Campbell said with a grumble, but Winston was already far away and out of sight. Even as she sighed, a wry smile appeared on her face. Her youngest son, who was talented in many ways, especially loved riding horses, and within just a few months of learning, he rode so skillfully that even the athletes were surprised. Everyone admired him for communicating with the horse as if he were actually talking to it, and Mrs. Campbell felt an indescribable sense of pride every time.
That child will definitely manifest as an extreme alpha.
She had a strong conviction. There was no basis for it, but her intuition had never been wrong. Winston would manifest as an extreme alpha, inherit the family, and finally reach the highest position.
Just imagining it made her skin crawl with excitement. None of the children she had given birth to had manifested, but Winston was different. Harold was also closely watching his son’s outstanding talent and potential. His son’s future was bright.
I should tell them to prepare lemonade for him when he gets back.
She turned and went back into the mansion. A lighthearted hum that matched her light steps flowed out naturally.
It was summer and the sun was higher than ever. Green leaves hung thickly on the trees, which seemed ready to soar to the end of the sky under the strong sunlight, and the cool breeze that blew seemed to beat against Winston’s body as if to blow him away.
“Haha!”
He laughed cheerfully and ran and ran, finally stopping the horse only after running quite a distance. Huffing and puffing, he patted its neck, and the horse shook its head lightly in response.
“Shall we go back now?”
Winston, as if asking the horse for its opinion, checked the watch on his wrist. There was still quite some time left before the tutor arrived. If he went back and took a shower, it would be about the right time. Just as he was about to change direction and head back to the mansion, he saw a small detached house standing far away in the distance.
Ah…
Winston stopped the horse that was about to leave and stared at it for a while. It had been roughly two or three years since someone had started living in the pure white detached house that had not been used for a long time. At the time, Harold had suddenly brought an Oriental child to Delights and had him live in the detached house. Everyone was clearly embarrassed by the sudden situation, but his father only gave a brief explanation that he was a distant relative who had lost his entire family and that he had taken him in. That was all Winston knew, and he heard nothing more after that.
It was as if he didn’t exist in the world. Winston wondered if that relative child was really there.
“Shall we go, Lancelot?”
As if in response to his question, the horse took a step. The weather was still clear and the wind was only cool. Winston urged the horse to walk towards the detached house and slowly calmed his breath. The closer he got to the detached house, the more excited his heart became. How old is he, that child? I heard he’s about my age. Maybe the same age? Can we be friends?
Maybe it’s empty.
It was strange that he couldn’t hear any news at all if he was a living person. He had asked the employees, but no one had seen him. Winston recalled the memories he had forgotten one by one and headed towards the detached house.
A gust of wind blew from somewhere. The cool breeze ruffled his hair, and Winston’s hand, which had unconsciously swept it back behind his forehead, stopped in place.
Someone was sitting in the wide clover field in front of the detached house. His black hair was rather long, almost touching his shoulders, and his build was small. Winston guessed that he was about the same age as him or younger.
The horse’s pace slowed even further. Winston sat upright on the horse and stared intently at him. He was so focused that he didn’t even move while sitting on the ground.
Ah.
Only when he got closer did Winston realize what he was doing. He was quietly looking at the clover, carefully picking one, then drooping his shoulders and looking down again. He kept looking at the clover, picking one, looking again, and picking another at regular intervals. Winston watched him for a long time, then unknowingly opened his mouth.
“Are you looking for a four-leaf clover?”
The child was startled by the sudden voice and raised his head. His wide eyes turned to Winston, and the moment he finally saw his face, Winston was stunned and speechless.
An angel.
That was the only thing he could think of. Milky white skin, rosy cheeks, large eyes looking at him, a small but prominent nose, and slightly parted plump lips below it.
I must already be dead.
Winston thought blankly. How else could he meet an angel?I could feel my face flushing rapidly. At the same time, my heart was pounding like crazy, drumming against my ribs. It was the first time I’d seen such a beautiful child. Winston’s mind was completely blank.
The boy slowly blinked. As his long eyelashes lowered and rose, a long tear trickled from his eye. At that moment, Winston’s soul was completely stolen.
Yes, just like that.
Just like that day long ago, Yu-jin was sitting there. Winston slowly urged his horse forward, approaching him. Yu-jin, who had been staring blankly at one spot as if lost in thought, suddenly noticed the presence and turned his head. His eyes widened as he spotted Winston, who had stopped a short distance away. Just like that day.
Ah.
Winston sighed. I should have known back then that it wasn’t Michael who took my soul, but Lilith.
A bitter smile spread across his lips.
* * *
Haaaah.
After walking hand-in-hand with the child for quite some time, Yu-jin let out a deep sigh that seemed to drain the earth.
Why is it so vast?
Investigating the entire Delights estate was a foolish idea. When he was young, he was practically confined to the annex, and the only places he went outside were limited. Moreover, it had been years since he left this place, so his memories had become hazy, and he had no idea of the reality. It was only after walking a considerable distance that he finally accepted the reality, which was utterly hopeless.
I can’t get out of here without a car.
Then there was only one way.
Can I drive…?
The fear that washed over him as he thought of it made his head spin. His breathing became rapid reflexively, and he gasped for air, his shoulders heaving.
He was afraid of making the child anxious, so he knew he had to calm down quickly, but the more impatient he became, the more labored his breathing became.
Hoo, hoo.
As he tried to calm his breathing by taking deep breaths, he suddenly heard his daughter’s shout.
“Daddy, Daddy!”
Only then did he come to his senses and raise his head to see Angela waving at him.
“Look, here! There’s an owl!”
Ah. A sigh escaped his lips unconsciously. There were a total of four mansions in Delights, the largest of course being the main house. Among the other similarly sized annexes that were built at intervals, the one Yu-jin lived in was the farthest and smallest.
But for Yu-jin, that annex was excessively large. The space alone was too vast, empty, and sometimes even the sound of branches hitting the window would terrify him. That space had transformed into the most beloved and cozy place in the world because he had fallen in love with someone. And now, that annex stood before his eyes.
He didn’t realize that his steps, which had been gradually slowing down, had stopped altogether. The child, who had run ahead, was jumping up and down near the front door, eagerly waiting for him to come. But Yu-jin’s steps had stopped, and he just stared blankly at the small annex.
It looked much more dilapidated than he remembered. The once all-white walls had peeling paint, revealing unsightly bare wood in places, and the nail marks were rusty, staining the surrounding area brown. The windows were so clouded with accumulated dust that it was impossible to see inside at all. Anyone could tell that it had been abandoned for a long time and no one had visited.
“Daddy, come on! Daddy!”
Unable to wait any longer, his daughter ran back and grabbed his hand, pulling him along. Yu-jin was reluctantly dragged by his daughter, taking one step at a time. One step, then another, and as the annex drew closer, his chest echoed with a dull thud.