Seol Yu-jin felt a heavy weight settle in his chest as he prepared to bathe his daughter and set out some clothes for her. Angela had only a few outfits, and even those were all old and riddled with holes. After a moment of hesitation, he decided to take out the new clothes he had bought before arriving at the estate.
“I don’t want it. I’m not going to wear this.”
The moment Angela saw the clothes, she shook her head and snatched them away, stuffing them back into the suitcase. Yu-jin was puzzled by his daughter’s reaction—she rarely ever complained.
“Why not? You don’t like them?”
Considering how careful she had been on the train, worried that her new clothes might get dirty or ruined, this reaction was even stranger.
“I like them. They’re really pretty.”
“Then why?”
When he pressed further, Angela answered with a firm, matter-of-fact tone.
“I have to save them. They’re new clothes. What if I wear them for no reason and they get torn or something?”
Hearing his daughter’s words, Yu-jin felt his heart plummet. She was only three years old, yet she already understood their difficult circumstances far too well. Realizing that made his chest ache so much he wanted to cry. But breaking down wouldn’t help—if anything, it would only make her anxious. Instead, Yu-jin pulled Angela into a tight embrace.
“It’s okay, Angie. You can wear them. I’ll buy you more.”
Barely holding back his emotions, he spoke as gently as he could. Angela pouted in response.
“But we don’t have money.”
“We do.”
Yu-jin pulled back slightly to look her in the eyes, offering a reassuring smile.
“I told you, I’m getting an inheritance.”
He expected that to ease her worries, but Angela remained skeptical.
“Then save that money and buy a house. We don’t have one.”
Her sharp awareness was impressive for a child her age, but it only made Yu-jin feel worse. It was his fault she had to be so perceptive.
“It’s enough money for both—a house and new clothes. You don’t have to worry.”
He gently stroked her cheek, and Angela’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Really? We’re getting that much? Does that mean we’ll be rich?”
“Of course. Really.”
It wasn’t exactly a lie. According to the will, their living expenses would be covered for the duration of the contract, and he would receive a decent amount of money. At the very least, he could provide Angela with a more comfortable life while they stayed here. He also planned to set aside cash little by little for when they eventually had to escape.
“Alright, happy now? Let’s put on the new clothes.”
“Okay!”
When Yu-jin held up the dress from the suitcase, Angela finally nodded enthusiastically, unable to contain her excitement. Watching her slip into the dress so cheerfully eased at least some of the burden weighing on him.
Yeah, sleeping with Winston is nothing in comparison.
This wasn’t the first time, and it certainly wasn’t anything new. All he had to do was lie still and wait for it to be over. The sooner, the better.
The Winston in his memories had been relentless, but Yu-jin chose to feign ignorance. After all, it had been five years ago, and people could change.
“All done.”
After neatly tying the ribbon around Angela’s waist and carefully braiding her long hair, she looked just like a princess straight out of a fairy tale.
“Thank you, Daddy.”
Angela threw her arms around him, planting a kiss on his cheek before twirling around in excitement, humming a cheerful tune. Yu-jin quickly tidied up the room, changed his clothes, and headed downstairs to the kitchen. He took ingredients from the fridge and made sandwiches for lunch. Carrying a basket filled with their meal in one hand and holding Angela’s hand with the other, he stepped outside. The staff were all too busy with their own tasks to pay them any attention, allowing Yu-jin to walk out of the mansion without hindrance.
“Wow!”
Angela beamed, her face lighting up as she breathed in the fresh air. The rare chance to be outside had her brimming with excitement, chattering more than usual. Yu-jin responded to each of her words as they strolled along the estate’s vast grounds. The paths branched out in different directions, each leading to a separate facility—one to the tennis court, another to the greenhouse, and yet another to the sauna.
Where should they go first?
No. First, he had to figure out the way out. Recalling the drive in with the lawyer, Yu-jin realized that the main gate was much farther than he had anticipated.
Walking out wasn’t an option.
His expression darkened as he pictured the massive grounds of The Most Perfect Delight. There was no way out without a car.
Could I drive myself…?
A sense of unease gripped him, and just as he was lost in thought, a car emerged from the garage. A sleek black sedan approached at a slow, deliberate pace. The moment Yu-jin caught sight of it, his face drained of all color. His heart pounded violently, and cold sweat pooled in his palms. His entire body locked up as if shackled in place. The monstrous, pitch-black beast that had once loomed over him surged back into his mind, swallowing him whole.
“Daddy, Daddy!”
Angela’s voice jolted him back to reality. When he looked down, he saw her frantically shaking his hand, her face filled with worry.
“Are you okay? Does it hurt again?”
“Ah…”
Yu-jin blinked, realizing his entire body was drenched in cold sweat. If Angela hadn’t been there, he might have collapsed.
“No, Angie.”
He forced a smile, trying to reassure her.
“I’m fine.”
He could fake a smile, but he couldn’t mask the sickly pallor of his face. Seeing him so ghostly pale, Angela’s concern only deepened.
“Daddy, let’s go inside. You need to lie down.”
She clutched his hand and tugged insistently, urging him back. Yu-jin felt utterly pathetic. She had been so happy to finally be outside, and yet, because of him, she was the one suggesting they go back.
Get it together, Seol Yu-jin. How can you call yourself a father like this?
Instead of slapping himself across the face, Yu-jin scolded himself harshly in his mind. Then, this time with genuine warmth, he smiled at his daughter.
“I’m okay, Angie. I just felt a little dizzy for a moment. I’m all better now.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, really.”
To prove his words, Yu-jin bent down and scooped her up into his arms. As Angela studied his face closely, he forced his lips into a firm smile, holding it in place. Finally, as if satisfied with her inspection, she grinned and wrapped her arms around his neck. Only then did Yu-jin let out a real, relieved smile.
“Should we take a walk to the garden over there?”
“Yeah, let’s go!”
With his daughter’s approval, Yu-jin took his first step forward, stubbornly refusing to glance behind him. He moved ahead as if completely unaware of the pitch-black monster crouching in the shadows of his past.
Less than five minutes later, Winston stepped out of the mansion. Passing the car waiting for his mother, he instead made his way toward the stables, where the stablemaster stood beside his horse. By then, Yu-jin and the child were already long gone.
“Ah, Lancelot. You must have been restless all this time.”
The stallion pawed impatiently at the ground, tossing its head as if barely restraining the urge to take off at full speed. Winston’s lips curved into a soft smile as he ran a hand over the horse’s nose. The moment he swung onto its back, Lancelot quivered with anticipation. He soothed the excited animal with a gentle tug on the reins, redirecting its path. A lap around the gardens and a shower afterward—by then, McCoy should have arrived.
Winston urged the horse into a walk, then a steady gallop. The crisp wind rushing past him was exhilarating. Riding was the most effective way to clear his mind. He had been on horseback since childhood, always turning to it whenever his thoughts grew too tangled—but it wasn’t just about that. If he hadn’t taken over the company, he would have become a professional equestrian. That was how much he loved riding. And with the privilege of obtaining any horse he desired, his circumstances had been nothing short of a blessing.
As he raced through The Most Perfect Delight, the familiar scenery blurred past him. Gradually, the tight knot in his chest began to loosen. He galloped across the estate for a while longer, relishing the sense of liberation. His mind, once clouded with thoughts, emptied with ease.
By the time he came to his senses, he had strayed farther from the mansion than he had intended. He turned his horse around, preparing to head back.
But that was his mistake—he had let his guard down.
It was too late when he realized he had taken a wrong turn. By the time he registered that he had led his horse in the wrong direction, the sight of a small, long-forgotten annex had already entered his view.
Just like that day. The day that had turned his entire life upside down.
