“Welcome, Mr. Campbell. It’s an honor to meet you.”
The moment Winston stepped out of the car, the police chief, who had been waiting for him, quickly greeted him and extended a hand. Instead of shaking it, Winston gave a brief nod before brushing past him and heading straight into the police station. Embarrassed, the chief hastily withdrew his hand and hurried after him, speaking in a flustered tone as he led the way.
“I received the notice in advance, but Sam was out on patrol. I specifically told them to be here on time since it was important, but they’re still not back yet. They are on his way now, so if you could just wait a little….”
Winston said nothing in response to the chief, who was fidgeting nervously. The man led him to his office and quickly ordered another officer to bring coffee and refreshments. Soon, a staff member arrived with a paper cup filled with lukewarm, cheap-smelling brewed coffee. As expected, Winston didn’t spare it a single glance. The police chief, growing increasingly uneasy at his reaction, hesitated before asking cautiously.
“Um, should I prepare something else? Juice—yes, I believe we have juice….”
“That won’t be necessary.”
Winston finally spoke for the first time, stopping the police chief just as he was about to scramble toward the door. But that was all he said. Falling silent again, he crossed one leg over the other as he sat in the guest chair and retrieved a cigarette case from the inner pocket of his suit.
At the sight, the chief panicked, hastily raising both palms and waving them frantically.
“Oh, no! You can’t smoke in here. It’s a non-smoking area. I’m very sorry. Truly sorry.”
There was no reason for him to apologize. It was Winston who had broken the rules, and enforcing them was well within the chief’s authority.
But how dare he?
This was Winston Campbell. Telling him no required an extraordinary amount of courage. Even as he processed the fact that he had somehow mustered up the nerve to do so, the police chief began sweating profusely, flustered beyond words. His face paled as he anxiously awaited a response.
Thankfully, Winston wordlessly put the cigarette case away.
The chief let out a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Just then, a short knock sounded, followed by the creak of the door opening. Winston and the police chief turned their heads almost simultaneously, but it wasn’t the face they had been expecting.
“Chief, just a moment—”
The officer who had entered hesitated awkwardly, then gestured toward the police chief. As if he had been waiting for an excuse to escape, the chief barely acknowledged the greeting before quickly stepping out.
Left alone, Winston resisted the urge to smoke again. Instead, he clasped his hands together and rested them on his knee. The police chief’s office was old and shabby, filled with a musty odor. The scent mingled unpleasantly with the cheap coffee, further souring his mood.
Pathetic.
The thought of himself sitting alone in a place like this was utterly ridiculous.
Ever since Harold’s death, Winston had been drowning in work. Between handling the company, funeral arrangements, and the distribution of assets, everything had fallen on his shoulders. While the lawyers, estate managers, and secretaries handled the practical matters, Winston had to be aware of every detail and, ultimately, make all the decisions himself.
And yet, despite his impossibly tight schedule, he had been forced to clear time for this.
Sitting here, staring at a wall—was that all this had amounted to? He was already running on accumulated exhaustion, so what the hell was he even doing here?
What exactly was he expecting?
Winston’s eyes narrowed in irritation.
Seol Yu-jin’s criminal record was real. He had assaulted a client he had prostituted himself to, stolen money, and fled before being arrested. He had gone to trial, but the punishment had been relatively light—because there had been a police officer who had desperately pleaded for leniency on his behalf.
Sam Brown.
Winston slowly turned the name over in his mind, recalling what his secretary had told him. The report hadn’t detailed why the officer who had arrested Yu-jin had gone to such lengths to help him, but the answer was obvious. The man had been enchanted.
How could he not be?
Yu-jin must have offered his body in exchange for help, and the man hadn’t refused. In fact, the deal might have been struck from the very moment of his arrest. After all, Yu-jin had lived with him for a while after being released. Could there be any clearer evidence? The story practically wrote itself.
And yet, why had he come all the way here?
A deep crease formed between Winston’s brows. What was he trying to confirm? Hadn’t he already learned everything there was to know? If anything, he had more than enough proof that his assumptions had been correct.
The image of Yu-jin kissing another man—someone he didn’t even know—while laughing flashed through his mind. His stomach twisted violently, and he could feel his pheromones thickening in response, the scent intensifying around him. He knew exactly what had brought him here.
He still couldn’t let go.
Self-loathing surged within him. Enough. No, more than enough. Get a grip, Winston Campbell. You swore you’d never let yourself be dragged around by Seol Yu-jin again.
Without another second of hesitation, Winston stood up.
At that moment, there was a knock at the door, followed by the sound of it opening.
“Mr. Winston Campbell? Sorry I’m late—the traffic was terrible.”
Winston looked down at the person greeting him with a bright smile, momentarily stunned. His brain couldn’t quite process what was happening.
What…? What the hell was going on?
He couldn’t react immediately. He could only stare blankly as the person continued speaking.
“You came to see me? What’s this about?”
Her face bore the unmistakable marks of time, but her grin was mischievous, almost childlike in its innocence.
Winston remained speechless for a long moment before finally forcing his lips apart.
“…Sam Brown?”
His voice came out hoarse, as if he were wringing it from his throat.
The woman nodded. “Yes, that’s me. What can I do for you?”
She repeated the question with the same easygoing smile, but Winston could only stare, utterly dumbfounded, at the older woman’s beaming face.
***
“I had such a wonderful time today, Princess.”
As the sun began to set, Georgina clasped both hands over her chest and spoke with heartfelt admiration.
“Will I have the honor of an audience with you again? I would love to see you once more, Princess.”
Georgina blinked at Angela with an expression of earnest longing. Maintaining her regal composure until the very end, Angela gave a dignified nod.
“Of course, my lady. Next time, I shall invite you to a banquet. Please don’t refuse.”
The moment Angela finished speaking, Georgina’s face lit up with delight, and she raised her voice excitedly.
“Oh, refuse? Never! Princess, I’m already looking forward to that day. I might even fall ill from waiting for your invitations every day. I’ll probably pester Thomas to check the mailbox ten times a day. Ah, I feel faint just thinking about it!”
Dramatically pressing the back of her hand to her forehead, she let out a graceful sigh. However, Angela seemed displeased with something. She looked up at Georgina with a serious expression, then beckoned her closer with a small wave of her fingers. Curious, Georgina leaned in, and Angela cupped a hand over her mouth, whispering softly into her ear.
“Who’s Thomas?”
Georgina barely managed to stifle her laughter. Covering her own mouth just as Angela had, she whispered back with exaggerated seriousness.
“My servant. He handles all the chores.”
“Ah, I see.”
Having aligned their scenario, Angela returned to her dignified demeanor and lifted her chin proudly.
“Summon Thomas to the palace. I shall hand him the invitation personally.”
“Oh, Princess! How incredibly considerate you are…!”
A few steps away, Yu-jin watched the ongoing play between Georgina and Angela with an exasperated expression. They had been at it literally all afternoon. Even he and Charlotte, who had humored them for a while, had given up long ago. Yet Angela and Georgina showed no signs of tiring. In fact, Angela seemed to have found the perfect playmate, pouring all her enthusiasm into showcasing her acting skills.
“She’s such an adorable and bright child.”
As Yu-jin absentmindedly observed the two, Charlotte murmured softly beside him. He turned toward her, offering an awkward smile, only to pause.
There was something off about the way Charlotte was looking at Angela.
Her expression was filled with deep sorrow. The melancholic, almost yearning look caught Yu-jin off guard, making him blink in confusion. Then, as if speaking to herself, Charlotte continued in a quiet voice, her gaze still fixed on the child.
“I wonder what it feels like to have a child. It must feel like having the entire world in your hands…”
Her face was so filled with loneliness that Yu-jin found himself at a loss for words. What was he supposed to say? He knew so little about Charlotte that finding the right response was difficult.
“I…”
“Your Majesty!”
Fortunately, before he could even attempt a reply, Angela suddenly called out to him. Yu-jin let out a breath of relief, quickly shifting his attention to the little girl.
Charlotte, however, continued watching them in silence.
