KTS 33

“Butler!”

At the loud call of his name, the Butler, who seemed to be giving instructions to another employee, turned around. Yu-jin, who had rushed over, skipped the formalities and went straight to the point.

“Where’s Angie? Where is she now?”

At his urgent question, the Butler moved first with the same attitude as usual. Yu-jin, who had made the excuse that he needed to change his clothes for the reception, barely managed to escape from that place. Thanks to the fact that quite a few people had moved to the hall of the main building where the reception was being held, there were not many people left. He found the Butler not long after and hurriedly followed him, unable to suppress his anxious heart.

Thanks to the reception that had already started, all the doors surrounding the hall were open, and the hall connected to the garden was literally wide open. The mansion, designed to allow people to freely move between indoors and outdoors, was Harold’s pride.

Yu-jin, who had passed the people dancing to the music in the hall inside the mansion, hurriedly went up the stairs following the Butler.

It’s the central staircase.

It was his first time using this place. Yu-jin felt dazed and glanced back. Smaller chandeliers than the ornate and huge chandelier hanging in the center came into view at regular intervals. Below them, the smooth marble walls and floors sparkled with a subtle light. The huge paintings and ornate decorations on the side that could only be seen when climbing the central staircase were all admirable. Yu-jin, who realized how beautiful Delight was, soon came to his senses and hurried his steps, which had slowed down for a moment.

Let’s take a slow look around with Angie later.

For some reason, he felt like he could do that now. Like he didn’t have to run around the employee-only stairs anymore.

“Here it is.”

The Butler, who had stopped walking first, spoke to Yu-jin and turned the doorknob to open the door. Yu-jin rushed into it, panting heavily.

“Angie!”

“Daddy!”

As soon as he found his daughter playing alone in the drawing room, he beamed and hugged her. Angela was also happy and hugged Yu-jin back, then immediately started chattering.

“Daddy, Daddy. You know, I ate crayfish. This big. It’s so fat. Shrimp are this big…….”

Comparing it to the frozen cocktail shrimp he sometimes bought with a big heart, his heart was filled with love as he looked at his daughter, who was spreading her arms wide.

“And then? What else did you eat?”

“Cookies and chocolate, and juice…….”

The foods that the child listed while counting on her fingers were all things that they could only dream of.

“You really liked it, Angie.”

“Yeah. I want to eat it every day.”

Angela admitted honestly. Yu-jin was rather pleased with this reaction because she was a child who never easily spoke her wishes in consideration of their difficult circumstances.

“That’s a relief. Thank you so much, Butler.”

When he belatedly thanked the Butler, he replied that it was nothing.

“I was just doing my job.”

His tone and expression were still blunt, but at this moment, Yu-jin saw him as the kindest and most affectionate man in the world. The Butler, who had repeatedly said it was nothing to Yu-jin, who had thanked him again, asked if he needed anything else and left the drawing room. Yu-jin turned his attention back to his child and asked.

“Were you bored being alone? What did you play?”

“I read a fairy tale book. The Butler gave it to me.”

As she said, several books were scattered on the floor. Yu-jin was newly moved by the Butler’s consideration.

Maybe I’ve been misunderstanding that person all along.

He knew it rationally. That the Butler was just doing his job. But at the time, Yu-jin couldn’t see his actions in a good light due to a combination of circumstances. Bad memories and hurt feelings were mixed together, and his feelings for the Butler were only bad, but it seemed that they had been diluted to some extent this time.

Yu-jin lightly kissed the child’s soft cheek and put Angela back on the floor. He had to go now. The wedding was not over yet. There was a more important reception left.

“Angie, do you want to go outside? It’ll be fun because the reception is being held now.”

There were people who had brought their children, so Angela might be able to make friends. He wanted Angela to have as many pleasant memories as possible, even if it was just for today, but his daughter’s thoughts were different from Yu-jin’s.

“I’m okay, Daddy. I still have a lot of books I haven’t read.”

Angela picked up a book and hugged it to her chest as if to show off. Looking at the title, it was a fairy tale about an animal that the child liked. Yu-jin smiled and held out his hand.

“Shall Daddy read it to you?”

“Yeah!”

Yu-jin, who was holding the child who had quickly beamed, sat on the sofa, checked the cover of the fairy tale, and soon opened the first page.

“Once upon a time, there was an abandoned puppy living in a village…….”

It was ominous from the start. Yu-jin slyly opened the back and checked the ending. His ominous premonitions were always so accurate, and as expected, the ending was not good.

“Ahem.”

Yu-jin cleared his throat and began to read the first page again. He was going to make up the ending of this fairy tale as well. Into a happy story to make the child happy.

* * *

Squeak, an unpleasant sound echoed as he opened the door with his shoulder and entered. Yu-jin returned to the small room and carefully laid the child he was holding on the bed.

Angela had started to doze off while reading several fairy tales. After finally confirming that the child had completely fallen asleep, he carefully carried his daughter out of the drawing room.

It was too much to give her a bath, so he changed her clothes instead. After putting her in old but comfortable pajamas, he felt a sense of satisfaction as if all the day’s work was done.

He wanted to fall asleep next to his daughter like this, but the reality was not so. The Butler, who had followed him, stood beyond the door and said.

“Mr. Campbell is looking for you.”

It was the third time he had heard that. He couldn’t put it off any longer. Yu-jin stroked the child’s head one more time and got up.

“I’ll go now. I’m sorry for the repeated delays.”Perhaps it was because his emotions had dulled, but the apology came out naturally. Kane simply repeated, “No, sir,” as before. Yu-jin carefully closed the door so as not to wake the child and turned around. Immediately, the sounds of the party happening in the hall downstairs assaulted his ears. He hadn’t heard any music or noise from people when he came up the stairs earlier, and he thought it was amazing how human senses worked.

After changing into the clothes the Butler had prepared in advance, Yu-jin naturally headed for the central staircase this time. As he descended each step, his pace gradually slowed, unlike before. It’s just a formal marriage anyway, so why is this necessary?

He didn’t know the reason, but he stopped thinking deeply about it. It’s better to finish unpleasant things quickly. If it’s something you can’t avoid anyway.

The problem is what comes after.

Yu-jin, suddenly reminded of the fact he had been trying to forget, unconsciously sighed deeply and wished the wedding reception would never end.

……Huh.

It was then that Yu-jin spotted Winston. There were so many people at the reception, but it wasn’t difficult to find him. Winston was much taller than most people, which always made it easy for Yu-jin to find him first.

But this time, it wasn’t just for that reason. The couples who had been dancing and filling the dance floor when he crossed the hall after the Butler earlier were now significantly fewer. There was only one couple waltzing on the empty dance floor. It was Winston and Evelyn.

He didn’t know what the situation was. Whether there was a reason or he just wanted to, it wasn’t Yu-jin’s business. It was just absurd that the man who had urged him so much to come to the reception was acting like this.

I should have just slept with Angela.

Just as he frowned, Winston leaned towards Evelyn and whispered something in her ear. Evelyn laughed out loud at his words, and Winston smiled as well. Evelyn, after exchanging glances with him, rested her head on Winston’s shoulder. They were standing too close together. The dance they were dancing was no longer a waltz.