“Kane!”
At the loud call of his name, the butler—who had seemed to be giving instructions to another servant—turned around. Seol Yu-jin rushed over, skipping any preamble and getting straight to the point.
“Where’s Angie? Where is she right now?”
Kane, unfazed by the urgency in Yu-jin’s voice, simply turned and began walking. Using the excuse that he needed to change clothes for the reception, Yu-jin had barely managed to slip away. Most of the guests had already moved toward the main hall where the reception was being held, leaving only a few stragglers behind. It didn’t take long for him to spot Kane, and unable to suppress his growing impatience, he quickly followed after him.
Since the reception had already begun, all the doors surrounding the hall had been opened, creating a seamless connection between the ballroom and the garden. The grand estate had been designed to allow guests to move freely between the indoor and outdoor spaces, a feature Harold took great pride in.
Yu-jin moved past the elegantly dressed guests dancing in the hall, hurrying up the stairs after Kane.
The central staircase.
He had never used it before. Feeling slightly out of place, Yu-jin cast a glance behind him. His eyes were drawn to the massive chandelier that hung in the center, surrounded at regular intervals by smaller, equally ornate chandeliers. Below, the polished marble walls and floors gleamed under the soft glow of the lights. The grand paintings and elaborate decorations adorning the side walls—visible only when ascending the central staircase—were so breathtaking that it was impossible not to admire them.
For the first time, Yu-jin truly felt the sheer beauty of Delight. But shaking himself free from his awe, he quickly picked up his pace, determined not to let himself get distracted.
I’ll take my time looking around with Angie later.
For some reason, he felt like that was possible now. Like he no longer had to rush up and down the servants’ staircases in a hurry.
“This way.”
Kane came to a stop and addressed Yu-jin before turning the doorknob and pushing the door open.
Yu-jin, still slightly out of breath, burst into the room.
“Angie!”
“Daddy!”
The moment he spotted his daughter playing alone in the sitting room, his face lit up, and he rushed forward to embrace her. Angela, just as excited, threw her arms around him and immediately started chattering.
“Daddy, daddy! Guess what? I ate lobster! It was this big! Super fat! Shrimp are only this big, but—”
She stretched her arms out as wide as they would go, comparing it to the frozen cocktail shrimp they sometimes splurged on. Overwhelmed by love for his daughter, Yu-jin’s heart swelled in his chest.
“And what else? What else did you eat?”
“Cookies and chocolate, and juice, and…”
Angela began counting on her fingers as she listed all the treats she’d had—each and every one of them things they could have never even dreamed of having before.
“You must’ve really liked it, huh, Angie?”
“Yeah! I wanna eat like this every day!”
Angela admitted it honestly. She was a child who rarely voiced her desires, always mindful of their difficult circumstances. The fact that she was expressing herself so openly now only made Yu-jin happier.
“I’m glad. Thank you so much, Kane.”
He belatedly turned to the butler and expressed his gratitude. Kane simply replied, “I was only doing my duty.”
His voice and expression remained as stiff as ever, but at this moment, Yu-jin saw him as the kindest, most considerate man in the world. When Yu-jin thanked him once more, Kane merely repeated that it was unnecessary, then asked if there was anything else they needed before quietly leaving the sitting room.
Yu-jin shifted his focus back to Angela. “Were you bored all by yourself? What did you do for fun?”
“I read storybooks. Kane brought them for me.”
Just as she said, a few books were scattered on the floor. A sudden warmth filled Yu-jin’s chest at the unexpected thoughtfulness.
Maybe I misjudged him all this time.
Logically, he had always known. Kane was simply doing his job. But back then, with so many things happening at once, Yu-jin had been in no state to see his actions in a positive light. His resentment, fueled by painful memories, had painted Kane as nothing but an adversary. Now, however, that bitterness seemed to have faded—at least a little.
Yu-jin pressed a light kiss to Angela’s soft cheek before gently setting her back down. It was time to go. The wedding wasn’t over yet, and the far more important reception still remained.
“Angie, do you want to go outside? The reception is starting, and it’s going to be fun.”
Other guests had brought their children, so she might even make some new friends. Yu-jin hoped Angela would create as many joyful memories as possible today. But his daughter had different thoughts.
“I’m fine, Daddy. I still have a lot of books to read.”
She demonstratively picked up a book and hugged it to her chest. A quick glance at the title revealed that it was one of her favorites, a fairy tale featuring an animal protagonist. Yu-jin smiled and reached out his hand.
“Do you want Daddy to read it to you?”
“Yes!”
Beaming with excitement, Angela climbed onto his lap as Yu-jin sat down on the sofa. He glanced at the cover before flipping to the first page.
“Once upon a time, in a small village, there was an abandoned puppy…”
The opening alone sent alarm bells ringing in his head. Sneaking a look at the back of the book, he confirmed his suspicions—this one did not have a happy ending.
“Ahem.”
Clearing his throat, Yu-jin turned back to the first page and began reading again. Like always, he had every intention of rewriting the ending. He would make it a happy story—one that would bring a smile to his daughter’s face.
***
Creak.
As he pushed the door open with his shoulder, an unpleasant sound echoed through the room. Yu-jin had returned to their small chamber and carefully laid Angela down on the bed.
She had started nodding off midway through the stories, and by the time they finished a few books, she had completely succumbed to sleep. Confirming that she was sound asleep, he gently scooped her up again and carried her out of the sitting room.
Giving Angela a bath would have been too much trouble, so Yu-jin simply changed her into a fresh set of clothes. The pajamas were old but comfortable, and once she was dressed, he felt a deep sense of satisfaction, as if his day’s work was finally complete.
He wanted nothing more than to curl up beside her and fall asleep, but reality wouldn’t allow it.
A voice from beyond the door interrupted the moment. The butler had followed him back and was now standing outside.
“Mr. Campbell is asking for you.”
It was the third time he had heard that tonight. He couldn’t put it off any longer. With a final stroke of Angela’s hair, Yu-jin forced himself to stand.
“I’ll go now. Sorry for making you call me so many times.”
The apology came easily, perhaps because his emotions had dulled. As always, Kane simply replied, “It’s nothing.”
Taking care not to wake Angela, Yu-jin gently closed the door and turned away.
The moment he stepped into the hallway, the noise from the reception hall downstairs crashed over him like a wave. It was strange—when he had climbed these very stairs earlier, he hadn’t heard a thing. Human senses were truly fascinating.
Dressed in the attire Kane had prepared for him, Yu-jin made his way toward the grand staircase, this time without hesitation. But as he descended, his steps gradually slowed.
Why was this even necessary? It was just a marriage of convenience.
He didn’t know why, but he decided not to dwell on it. The sooner he got this over with, the better. There was no avoiding it anyway.
The real problem comes after.
A thought he had been trying to suppress suddenly resurfaced, and Yu-jin let out a deep sigh. For a fleeting moment, he wished the reception would never end.
…Wait.
That was when he spotted Winston.
The hall was packed with guests, but finding Winston was never difficult. He was simply too tall, always the first person Yu-jin’s eyes landed on.
But this time, it wasn’t just his height that made him stand out.
Earlier, when Yu-jin had crossed the hall with the butler, the dance floor had been filled with couples waltzing in perfect harmony. Now, most of them had disappeared, leaving only a single pair twirling in the vast, open space.
Winston and Evelyn.
Yu-jin had no idea how it had come to this. Whatever circumstances had led to them dancing alone, it wasn’t his concern. It didn’t matter whether there was a reason or if Winston simply felt like it. What irritated him was the sheer audacity of the man. He had been so insistent that Yu-jin attend the reception, yet here he was, acting like this.
I should have just stayed with Angela.
Yu-jin frowned unconsciously. At that moment, Winston leaned in and whispered something to Evelyn. She laughed out loud, and Winston, too, smiled in response. Their gazes locked before Evelyn rested her head against his shoulder.
They were too close.
Their movements no longer resembled a waltz.
Then, as if drawn by some invisible force, Winston suddenly turned his head—
—and his eyes met Yu-jin’s.
