The girl, wearing a tall, pointed witch’s hat tilted slightly to one side, was dressed in a dark, deep-colored dress adorned with gold stars of varying sizes, matching the design of her hat. A red ribbon was tied around her waist, and in her arms, she held an oversized plastic Jack-o’-lantern, almost comically large. She looked as if she had been born solely for Halloween. Her skin was strikingly pale, her dark hair cascaded down her back, and her lips were painted a delicate shade of red. Winston was utterly captivated.
Yu-jin.
In an instant, he was transported back to the first time he met Yu-jin. Absurdly enough, he could recall the sunlight of that day, the scent of the grass, and the breeze that had tickled his cheek—all of it vividly, as if he had stepped back into that moment. Just the two of them, alone in the world. He suddenly remembered a long-forgotten memory, the way Yu-jin had looked at him with wide, puzzled eyes upon their first meeting. What had he thought back then? When those clear, untainted eyes met his, the very first thing that had crossed his mind was—
An angel.
It was as if he could see small, delicate wings sprouting from Yu-jin’s back. And perhaps it had been true. Because if Yu-jin wasn’t an angel, then angels simply didn’t exist.
Of course, back then, Yu-jin had been older than Angela was now. But if he had met Yu-jin at the same age—and if Yu-jin had been wearing that same outfit—then surely, he would have been just as adorable. No, far more so.
Naturally. Who in the world could be as lovely as Yu-jin?
Memories he had tried so hard to bury came flooding back all at once. Yu-jin, smiling at him. Yu-jin, fumbling through Spanish as he tried to mimic the words. Yu-jin, pressing up against the window every time Winston visited, only to let out a gleeful shout and leap down into his arms—his small, slender body fitting perfectly against him.
Winnie.
The image of Yu-jin laughing behind a pile of Halloween pumpkins made his chest ache. He felt an overwhelming urge to fly to the island right that second.
“That child is truly adorable, isn’t she? Didn’t I tell you? There wouldn’t be a single child at today’s party as beautiful as Angie.”
A low whisper came from behind him. The butler, who had poured his heart and soul into preparing for the party and dressing up Angela, was practically bursting with pride. But Winston knew the man was wrong.
The party? No child in the world was as precious and beautiful as Angela.
The thought surfaced so naturally that he didn’t even bother to deny it. Because it was the truth—Angela was the most adorable child in existence.
How could she not be? She was Yu-jin’s child.
And no one knew better than Winston just how lovable and precious Yu-jin was. How could they? Now that Harold was gone, no one else had seen Yu-jin for as long or as deeply as he had.
And even if someone had, it wouldn’t matter. Winston wouldn’t hesitate to send them to the same place as Harold. Because such a person had no right to exist in this world.
“…Angie.”
Winston barely managed to pull himself back to reality, thanks to the butler. He finally spoke, his voice steady.
“Are you ready? Shall we go now?”
Even to his own ears, his tone was overly sweet, dripping with warmth. The child seemed to find it odd, tilting her head curiously. Avoiding the butler’s gaze, Winston took long, decisive strides forward, scooping the child up without waiting for an answer.
Angela let out a sharp scream. Startled by the sudden situation, she instinctively clung to Winston’s shoulder in terror.
“Waaah!”
Even while tightly holding onto her oversized pumpkin with one arm, Angela practically threw herself at Winston, clutching onto him with her entire body. Winston was taken aback—he hadn’t expected her to be this frightened. A twinge of guilt flickered inside him, but beyond that, he was simply shocked that Angela had turned to him for support. Regardless of the reason, it was an unbelievable moment. If Yu-jin had witnessed it, he would have been just as astonished. But no one was more shocked than Angela herself.
I relied on the enemy?!
Yu-jin’s face flashed through her mind. How disappointed would Daddy be in me? And what about my little sibling?!
Realizing that she had just made a catastrophic mistake, Angela quickly pushed herself away from Winston. Turning her head with a sulky scowl as if nothing had happened, she suddenly caught sight of the dizzying height beneath her.
“Kk—Kyaaaaaah!”
With a terrified shriek, Angela flung herself back into Winston’s embrace, clutching him even tighter than before. Huffing and panting in panic, she clung to him desperately, her tiny frame trembling. Watching her, Winston suddenly felt a mischievous urge rise within him.
“Are you scared? Of this little height?”
Angela didn’t even have the strength to answer. She just furiously nodded, shaking her head so vigorously that the air around her practically whistled.
Yu-jin immediately came to Winston’s mind again, and before he could stop himself, he let out a laugh.
“Don’t worry, Angie.”
Angela was about to snap at him for laughing, but before she could, Winston gently patted her back and spoke in a soothing voice.
“No matter what happens, I won’t drop you. I promise.”
The warmth in his voice softened something in Angela’s frightened heart. Slowly, hesitantly, she loosened her grip and looked up at him. Winston met her gaze and gave her a small, reassuring smile, as if proving that he meant every word.
For a moment, her panic melted away. But Angela quickly snapped herself out of it, straightening up with all the dignity she could muster.
“I—I don’t trust you, Mr. Campbell.”
“Alright, got it.”
Winston responded with a casual indifference, as if it didn’t bother him in the slightest. Then, without another word, he began to move.
Angela yelped as the world suddenly swayed around her. Instantly terrified, she threw herself against Winston’s shoulder again, clinging for dear life.
I’m sorry, Daddy. This isn’t surrender! It’s just a temporary truce!
Before coming here, Angela had once sworn to hate Adeline forever. That awful boy, two years older than her, had been a menace to the neighborhood kids, bullying them relentlessly. But when she found herself facing a common enemy, Angela had reluctantly reached out to Adeline, forming an alliance.
At the time, she had been obsessed with a drama where characters used strategic alliances, and the thrill of actually putting that into practice in real life had been exhilarating. And in the end, it had worked—together, they had successfully driven the playground bully out of their territory.
After that incident, Angela had become a hero among her peers. Even her old rival Rosalyn had let go of past grudges, and they had forged a new friendship. A strong bond formed through fierce battle—now that’s what being a true woman is all about.
Just like Princess Rosalyn.
As Angela lifted her chin resolutely, recalling the heroic protagonists she had seen in dramas, Winston came to a stop at the top of the staircase. Below them, the invited guests had gathered, waiting for their arrival. The atmosphere was lively, the party already in full swing. Just as Winston thought it was time to head down—
He suddenly felt a small tremor.
When he turned his head out of instinct, what he saw made him freeze. Angela was trembling violently, her face drained of color. It was the first time he had ever seen her this terrified. This wasn’t like when she had been frightened by his pheromones—it was something entirely different.
“Angie, what’s wrong?”
Winston asked, perplexed. But the child only continued to shake, her eyes darting wildly as she stared down at the crowd below.
Her breaths came in harsh gasps. She couldn’t calm down. The grand hall below, which was usually empty except for a few passing servants, was now packed with people.
What do I do?
A sudden wave of fear crashed over her. She was completely alone here. Among all these strangers, there was no one to protect her. Her mind went blank, and her trembling wouldn’t stop.
Seeing her struggle to breathe, Winston quickly called her name.
“Angie.”
Angela had always been unnervingly mature for her age—composed, sharp-witted. He had never imagined she could be this scared.
But in the end, she was just a three-year-old child.
Winston barely stopped himself from cursing at his own stupidity. For now, he had to calm her down. Speaking in the gentlest tone he could manage, he reassured her,
“Don’t be nervous. This isn’t your first party, remember? You did just fine last time.”
It wasn’t just Angela’s maturity that had made Winston let his guard down—there had been another reason. She had handled the previous party so well, so he had assumed she would do the same now.
At his words, Angela vaguely recalled that event. The party where Winston had formally declared her as his daughter. It had been fun. She hadn’t felt this nervous at all.
There had been only one reason why she had been able to face that party so confidently.
“But this time…”
Her voice was small and unsteady, her lips trembling as she looked up at Winston with eyes full of anxiety.
“Daddy isn’t here.”
The moment she spoke, Winston let out a deep sigh without realizing it.
A flood of emotions surged through him, dizzying in their intensity. He felt an overwhelming urge to slam his head against the wall but barely managed to restrain himself.
Of course. How did I not think of that?
He had seen it with his own eyes—how deep their bond was.
At first glance, this party seemed similar to the last one. But in reality, it was completely different. Angela had been able to stay so calm and composed back then because Yu-jin had been there. She had believed, with absolute certainty, that no matter what happened, he would protect her. That was why she had been fearless.
But now, it was different.
Yu-jin wasn’t here.
Without him, Angela couldn’t do anything. Even with fear clawing up her throat, there was no one to save her.
Right now, she was utterly alone.
“….I am.”
Winston barely managed to force out the words, his throat feeling as rough as if he had swallowed sand.
And before he could stop himself, the words slipped out.
“I’m here, Angie.”
