“Move rooms? Why? Where to?”
Startled, Yu-jin fired off questions in succession. Angela, nestled in his arms, clung to him even tighter as if sensing his distress. Feeling her tremble against him, Yu-jin instinctively wrapped his arms around her more securely, holding her as though they were the only two people in the world. The butler, watching the two pressed so closely together, responded with a blank expression.
“Mr. Campbell has ordered it. He also instructed that this room be sealed off and no longer used.”
Yu-jin’s face immediately turned pale. A flood of thoughts surged through his mind in an instant, but none of them could be voiced. Swallowing dryly, he carefully chose his words before speaking.
“Then… where are we supposed to go?”
There was a chance they would be moved to an even worse room. He could endure it himself, but Angela was his main concern. If necessary, he would have to request a better room for her, at the very least…
The thought of confronting Winston sent a wave of fear crashing over him, but he forced himself to stay firm. If he backed down, who would protect Angela?
Determined, Yu-jin stared at the butler, who simply turned away without further explanation. “This way,” he said before leading the way. Angela clung to Yu-jin even tighter.
“Daddy…”
“It’s okay, Angie. Daddy’s right here.”
Angela’s voice trembled with fear, so Yu-jin deliberately smiled brighter and placed a reassuring kiss on her cheek. “Mm,” she murmured, nodding, but she still refused to loosen her grip around his neck. Yu-jin held her as tightly as he could and followed the butler.
The butler led them naturally toward the central staircase, occasionally glancing back as if to check that Yu-jin was following. But Yu-jin neither hesitated nor slowed his steps.
…Huh?
The moment they reached the top floor of the mansion, Yu-jin blinked in confusion. From what he had gathered, this floor mainly consisted of bedrooms and other personal living spaces. Was there really a room here that they could use?
“This is the room.”
The uncertainty in his chest grew like a snowball, but before he could ask anything more, the butler stopped and turned to them. Yu-jin’s lips parted slightly in silent astonishment.
The room he had just opened was at the very end of the hall—right next to Winston’s.
No way…
Still unable to believe it, Yu-jin hesitated before stepping forward. Even as he passed by the butler and entered the room, he remained in a daze.
“Wow!”
Angela, who had been clutching Yu-jin’s neck with all her might, suddenly loosened her grip. Her wide eyes sparkled as she let out an excited squeal, her voice ringing in Yu-jin’s ears.
The room was incomparably larger than the one they had shared before. The bed alone was enormous, matching the scale of the room, but what truly took Yu-jin aback was the grand canopy draped over it. Delicate, luxurious fabric cascaded down from the four tall bedposts, like something out of a painting.
For a three-year-old like Angela, it was more than enough to stir overwhelming curiosity.
“Daddy, are we really going to live here now? For real?”
Angela cupped her small hands around Yu-jin’s ear and whispered excitedly. Though she kept her voice low, she couldn’t hide the thrill bubbling inside her. Before Yu-jin could respond, the butler spoke up from behind them.
“This room is for your daughter.”
Yu-jin and Angela both turned to look at him at the same time. Separate us? Yu-jin’s face paled instantly, but Angela’s reaction was entirely different.
“My roooooom?”
She shouted even louder than before, her voice filled with disbelief and excitement. The butler nodded, and to Yu-jin’s surprise, there was a faint smile on the old man’s wrinkled face as he looked at Angela. While Yu-jin was still too stunned to find the right words, Angela suddenly began wriggling in his arms and shrieked.
“Daddy, Daddy! Put me down! Hurry, hurry!”
“Angie, Angie! Be careful!”
She squirmed and flailed in her impatience, and Yu-jin, afraid he might drop her, hastily set her down. The moment her feet touched the floor, Angela let out a series of delighted squeals, “Waaaah! Waaaaah!” and dashed around the room.
It was only natural for her to react that way. For the first time in her life, she had a room of her own—and it was beyond anything she could have dreamed of. In fact, it was probably the kind of room any child in the world would envy.
Yu-jin, still dazed, completely understood her excitement.
Each wall was painted a different cheerful color, all bright and lively enough to lift one’s spirits just by looking at them. But what truly took him aback was the small lounge area attached to the spacious room, filled with toys and play equipment that any child would adore.
Among them, the thing that captivated Angela the most was a tiny house perfectly sized for her. Designed like a miniature studio, its exterior resembled the witch’s candy house from Hansel and Gretel, adorable and whimsical. The front door, shaped like a cookie, led to a tiny but fully furnished space with a small sofa and a play kitchen.
This room was nothing short of a perfect little world for Angela.
She excitedly ran in and out of the house, shrieking with joy, before darting across the room and climbing onto the bed. “Waaaah!” she cheered, rolling across the neatly made covers before throwing her arms up in delight.
“Daddy, come here! Hurry! It feels like I’m on a cloud! Quick!”
“Ah… yeah. Just a sec.”
Yu-jin couldn’t take his eyes off his daughter as she reveled in pure happiness. He should be just as happy for her, but a lingering sense of unease gnawed at him. His hesitant gaze shifted to the butler.
“Kane, if this is Angie’s room… does that mean I have to sleep somewhere else?”
He steadied himself as he asked. The answer was obvious. He had already braced himself to be moved somewhere far worse than his previous room. That was fine. As long as Angela had a good place to stay, that was what mattered.
What worried him now was how far away they would separate him from her.
Were they planning to send him outside the mansion?
A terrible fear gripped him at the thought that they might be trying to keep him from seeing Angela at all. Just as his face drained of color, the butler finally spoke.
“Of course. We’ve already moved your belongings… to the room right next door.”
“…What?”
Yu-jin’s mind had been filled with terrifying thoughts, so the unexpected answer completely caught him off guard. He blinked, stunned, and repeated the words in a daze.
The butler, maintaining his usual matter-of-fact tone, added an explanation.
“You will be sharing a room with Mr. Campbell. After all, the two of you are married.”
The words completely knocked the wind out of Yu-jin. It was technically true, but at the same time, completely wrong. He was married to Winston, but sharing a room with him? That was something he hadn’t even considered. His brain struggled to process the idea.
“No, why… why… Why would I have to…?”
He could only mutter fragments of a sentence, unable to form a complete thought.
At that moment, a maid appeared in the hallway and addressed the butler.
“Mr. Kane, could you come for a moment? There’s a problem.”
The butler, who had turned to listen, shifted his gaze back to Yu-jin.
“If you’ll excuse me, it seems I need to attend to this.”
“Ah, yes,” Yu-jin hurriedly nodded. Kane was only following orders—he wasn’t the one responsible for all of this. The person who had arranged everything was someone else entirely.
“Wait, just a moment,” Yu-jin called out before Kane could leave. Swallowing dryly, he hesitated before speaking.
“So, you’re saying… Winston was the one who ordered all of this? And he specifically said I should share his room?”
“That is correct. Partners should share the same room.”
Kane stated it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Hearing it confirmed so plainly left Yu-jin at a complete loss for words.
“…I see. Thank you for your time.”
“I was simply doing my job.”
Kane’s voice was indifferent, but before he left, he cast a brief, almost fond glance at Angela, who was gleefully bouncing on the bed. However, he quickly masked his expression and continued in his usual tone.
“If you need anything else, please don’t hesitate to call. Just pick up the receiver and press 1—someone will answer immediately.”
He gestured toward the telephone on the side table, gave a short bow, and then turned to leave. As the door closed behind him, Yu-jin was left alone in the room with Angela.
Only then did he take another slow look around.
The room had plush couches and sofas, invitingly arranged as if expecting someone to lounge there at any moment. Near the window stood a small tea table, bathed in warm sunlight—the perfect spot for Angela to play pretend tea parties.
Drawn by an invisible pull, Yu-jin walked over to the window. His fingers trembled slightly as he unlocked the latch and gently pushed open the large, lattice-paned glass doors.
A cool breeze rushed in immediately.
“Wooooow! Daddy, this is amazing!”
Angela, having dashed over without him noticing, was already outside, squealing with excitement.
Yu-jin, too, found himself momentarily speechless at the sight before him.
Beyond the balcony, the vast estate of The Most Perfect Delight stretched out endlessly. The deep green forest blanketed the land, and just beyond its edge, the distant city skyline came into view. At night, the countless city lights would glow like stars scattered across the ground. The mere thought of it took his breath away.
How beautiful would it be?
“Daddy, I love my room!”
Angela’s voice rang out as she clung to the balcony railing, her little face lit up with pure joy. Seeing her so happy brought a sudden sting to Yu-jin’s eyes.
The first night they had arrived at the mansion, when they were forced to sleep apart, he had dreamt of something like this—of them being together, of Angela having a place she could call her own.
And now, that dream had somehow become reality.
“Daddy? Daddy?”
Angela kept calling him, but Yu-jin couldn’t answer. Overwhelming emotion surged through him, and all he could do was cover his mouth with one hand and take deep breaths. He didn’t want to cry in front of Angela, but there was no way to stop the sting at the tip of his nose.
“I’m sorry, Angie. I’m just so happy because you’re happy.”
He bent down and hugged her tightly. Angela wrapped her small arms around him in return, gently patting the back of his head as if to comfort him. Then, after a brief pause, she spoke again.
“Daddy… we still have to leave this place, don’t we?”
