“Daddy!”
“Angie, my angel!”
The moment they saw each other, they threw themselves into a tight embrace. Though it was a miracle that Yu-jin had even made it this far, he couldn’t bring himself to let go of his daughter.
“I’m sorry, Angie. You must have been so lonely.”
As he pressed his cheek against hers, Angela bravely shook her head.
“No, Kane read me storybooks and gave me delicious cookies. I wasn’t lonely at all.”
When Yu-jin managed to lift his head, Angela spoke with unwavering confidence.
“I knew Daddy would never abandon me. I believed you’d come back.”
She giggled and hugged Yu-jin even tighter.
“See? You came back.”
Her words brought tears to Yu-jin’s eyes. Just how anxious must she have been? The thought of her waiting alone in this vast house made his heart ache unbearably.
“That’s right, Angie. Daddy will never leave your side.”
Yu-jin forced a smile as he gazed into her face.
“Thank you for believing in me, Angie. My beautiful daughter.”
As he gently swept back her bangs, the confidence that had filled her little face began to crumble. Within moments, fat teardrops welled up and rolled down her cheeks. Seeing her cry, Yu-jin realized just how hard she’d been holding herself together all this time.
Of course. What could a mere three-year-old possibly understand?
“I’m sorry, Angie. I’m sorry for leaving you alone.”
The moment he apologized, Angela burst into loud sobs. As she buried herself in his arms, Yu-jin hugged her tightly, struggling to hold back his own tears. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t stop them from streaming down his face.
He had been so foolish. What had he even been thinking? What good had come from what he’d done?
Wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, he was overcome with regret. It was only now that the gravity of his actions from the previous day truly hit him.
If anything happened to me, Angie would be left all alone.
It didn’t matter what Winston called him. Yu-jin was going to leave this place soon, and he would never see him again.
So why had he been so angry? So hurt?
He had endured worse.
Vowing never to act so recklessly again, Yu-jin lay down on the bed with his daughter. His entire body ached, and exhaustion weighed on him so heavily it felt like he might die—but he couldn’t. Instead, he cuddled Angela close, rubbing his cheek gently against hers.
“Angie, Daddy is really sleepy right now. Can I sleep for a bit? Will you stay with me until I do?”
“Of course! I’ll help you sleep, Daddy. Go ahead and rest.”
Sniffling, she patted Yu-jin’s arm reassuringly.
“Twinkle, twinkle, little star…”
As she carefully sang each note of the lullaby, Yu-jin drifted off almost instantly. Angela watched over him, patting his arm until her song came to an end. Then, snuggling into his embrace, she, too, fell asleep.
***
What on earth is that boy?
Even after returning to the mansion, Winston couldn’t think of anything else. He had been late to his lesson and made his tutor furious, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. His mind was entirely consumed by thoughts of Yu-jin.
“How could this happen? Being late is incredibly rude and disrespectful,” his mother scolded after the tutor had left.
All Winston could do was apologize.
Madam Campbell found his attitude strange—something about him was different than usual—but before she could press further, he used piano practice as an excuse to slip away.
Yu-jin, Yu-jin.
He scoured the internet, searching for the name the angel had given him. There was no angel named Yu-jin. Hesitating, he tried searching for demons, but once again, he found nothing.
Impossible. Someone that beautiful couldn’t be human.
Even after going to bed, Winston couldn’t stop thinking about him. No matter how hard he tried, his thoughts refused to stray from that boy. In the end, he came up with a plan.
“You have a cold,” Dr. Gerber, the family physician, diagnosed the next morning.
Madam Campbell’s voice immediately rose in distress.
“A cold? What should we do? Does he need to be hospitalized?”
As always, she worried far too much. The doctor shook his head dismissively.
“It’s nothing serious. A day of rest should be enough. I’ll leave some medicine. Get some sleep—nothing is better for recovery than rest.”
Winston lay under thick blankets, breathing heavily. Dr. Gerber gave him a few final instructions before standing to leave. Madam Campbell reluctantly nodded.
“All right, I’ll cancel all your plans for today. Just focus on resting.”
“I’m sorry, Mother.”
He coughed deliberately, making sure to sound weak. His mother’s expression softened with sympathy as she pressed a kiss to his forehead.
“It’s all right, my dear. Just close your eyes and rest—don’t think about anything else.”
Casting him one last affectionate glance, she left the room with the doctor. Before stepping out, she ordered the servants to draw the blackout curtains, ensuring that no sunlight could filter in. Obediently, they pulled the heavy drapes shut and even switched off all the lights, leaving Winston alone in complete darkness.
Perfect.
He waited patiently, ensuring that no one remained in the hallway. Once he was certain the corridor was empty, he slipped out of bed. Carefully, he cracked open the door and peered outside—the vast hallway was completely deserted.
From there, everything went smoothly. Dodging the occasional servant, Winston stealthily made his way out of the mansion and headed straight for the stables. The stable hand, who had been busy cleaning, turned in surprise as Winston suddenly appeared before him.
The stable hand flinched in surprise at Winston’s sudden appearance, but Winston remained composed, speaking calmly.
“I need Lancelot. Get him ready right away.”
Though bewildered, the stable hand moved without question. As soon as the horse was prepared, Winston swiftly mounted him, pulling out a stack of banknotes and handing them over.
“This is hush money. Keep your mouth shut.”
The stable hand’s eyes widened in shock, but his delight was undeniable. With a grin, he reassured Winston not to worry. Without another word, Winston spurred his horse forward and galloped away.
He needed to see Yu-jin. The face that had haunted him all night was the only thing occupying his thoughts.
Would Yu-jin be there again today?
Would he be waiting for me?
…Or had he already returned to the heavens?
The thought unsettled him. By the time he finally reached the annex, his chest was heaving from the hard ride.
Huh?
Yu-jin, who had been reading a book at the tea table by the window, sensed something unusual. Glancing outside, he was stunned.
That handsome boy from yesterday was back—once again on horseback.
This was unbelievable. He had expected today to be another monotonous, uneventful day. But what was this?
Startled, Yu-jin nearly bolted outside but hesitated at the door. Instead, he ran back to the window, peeking through it once more. The boy was still there.
He rubbed his eyes and checked again. When the image before him remained unchanged, he repeated the process twice more before finally mustering the courage to step outside.
The faint chime of a wind bell echoed gently in the breeze.
Winston sat still atop his horse, deep in thought. There wasn’t a single soul around the annex—was Yu-jin inside?
A small bell hung beside the annex door. Would Yu-jin come out if he rang it?
Or was the place completely empty?
If so, then that would mean his wild fantasy—that Yu-jin was an angel—was real.
I hope I’m wrong.
Winston found himself thinking. He wanted to see Yu-jin again. If he really was an angel who had returned to the heavens, then Winston would never be able to meet him again.
Unless I die.
Would I have to wait until I become an old man to see him again…?
“Ugh, no way.”
The words slipped out of his mouth. He had gone through the trouble of faking an illness to sneak out, yet here he was, sitting on his horse, wasting time with pointless thoughts.
First, I need to check if he’s actually here. I can think about everything else later.
With that resolve, Winston dismounted. The moment his feet touched the clover-covered ground, the annex door suddenly swung open.
Through the wide-open doorway, an angel stood before him.
For a brief moment, Yu-jin looked surprised—but then, a bright, delighted smile spread across his face.
“Winston!”
With flushed cheeks, the angel beamed and called his name.
And in the next instant, he ran toward Winston with all his might and threw himself into his arms.
