“Are you tired?”
Winston asked Angela, who had just finished getting ready for bed and was now lying down. The child, having changed into her pajamas, rubbed her sleepy eyes and answered obediently.
“A little. A lot happened today.”
“But you did really well. See? I told you it was nothing.”
Winston smiled as he stroked Angela’s head. Unexpectedly, she didn’t reject his touch. Feeling a deep, aching warmth at such a significant step forward, Winston spoke again.
“You made a lot of friends, too.”
“Did I?”
To his surprise, Angela let out a sigh at that. Winston, puzzled by her unexpected reaction, paused his hand. Angela, now with a serious expression, opened her mouth.
“I’m not sure if they really like me. I misjudged the situation and hit that boy.”
“They must have thought it was fine, or they wouldn’t have played with you.”
Winston continued in a gentle tone.
“Have confidence. I’m here for you. Even if they don’t truly like you, there’s no one in this world who can dare to mistreat you.”
He had said it in the hopes that she would lean on him, but once again, Angela’s response was not what he had expected.
“That feels like cheating. It means they’re only pretending to like me because of you, Mr. Campbell.”
She denied it with her own reasoning, but Winston merely furrowed his brow and tilted his head.
“What’s so bad about knowing how to use what you have? Whether they’re pretending or truly like you, it doesn’t change anything for you.”
For a moment, the child almost stepped into the trap of an adult’s logic. She wavered slightly at his words, her thoughts momentarily shaken. Winston quietly waited as Angela fell into deep contemplation. After hesitating for a while, she finally spoke honestly.
“I’d be sad if they didn’t truly like me.”
It was an obvious statement, but Winston thought differently.
“You don’t know whether they really like you or if they’re just pretending. Can you tell the difference?”
Angela flared up at what sounded like mockery and retorted indignantly.
“Of course, I can!”
“No, you can’t.”
Winston denied it immediately. As Angela gaped at him in disbelief, he continued speaking.
“No one in this world can. If someone’s only pretending and gets caught, that just means they were stupid. And dating a fool is a waste of time. If you cut them off, good riddance. But if they manage to fool you till the end, then it either means they truly liked you or they were just that clever.”
“You think deceiving others makes someone clever?”
Angela scowled, but Winston only smirked wryly in response.
“If someone can’t even grasp that there’s no benefit in making an enemy out of me, then maybe there’s something wrong with their intelligence.”
Had Angela been just a little older, she would have been dumbfounded by this man’s sheer arrogance. But as a four-year-old child, she fell for it completely.
“That’s true.”
Seeing the usually difficult child nod in agreement so easily, Winston put on a warm smile and spoke gently once more.
“Then there’s no problem now, right? Is there anything else on your mind?”
As his large hand gently stroked her cheek, Angela mustered up the courage to speak.
“Um, actually… those kids told me to come to their kindergarten.”
“Kindergarten?”
Winston unconsciously repeated the word before breaking into a smile.
“Do you want to go?”
Angela hesitated for a moment before nodding. Wanting to make friends her age was only natural. On top of that, the curiosity and fondness she now felt for the children she had just met were an irresistible temptation for someone her age.
“Alright, then you should go. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything.”
“Really? I can go to kindergarten too?”
Angela shouted in surprise at his easy agreement. Her cheeks instantly flushed, and her eyes sparkled with excitement. Seeing her like that, Winston was once again reminded of a young Yu-jin. The overwhelming affection he felt made his expression soften naturally, and a bright smile spread across his face.
“Of course. There’s nothing you can’t do. You’re my daughter, after all.”
Angela opened her mouth but couldn’t respond right away. The immense emotion she felt was evident on her face, rendering her speechless.
“Th… thank you! Thank you so much, Mr. Campbell!”
Angela repeated her gratitude over and over, unable to contain her joy. She kicked her legs excitedly even while lying down, her breath coming in short gasps from sheer exhilaration. Seeing her like that, Winston nearly scooped her up in an embrace on impulse but barely managed to restrain himself. If he moved too fast, the fragile trust Angela had just started to build might come crashing down even stronger than before.
Instead, he clenched his fist tightly where she couldn’t see, suppressing the urge. Then, he offered a different suggestion.
“Call me Winnie.”
The child, still brimming with excitement, widened her eyes in surprise.
“Winnie?”
“Yeah.”
Winston nodded without hesitation. If he couldn’t hold her, this would be enough—for now.
“Yu-jin used to call me that, so you can too.”
I’m the only one who wants to call you that.
That was what Yu-jin had once said. But this time was different. Angela was Yu-jin’s daughter, so it was only natural for her to call him Winnie too.
Although his words were in the past tense, the child didn’t notice. The suggestion was persuasive enough that Angela hesitated only briefly before giving a small nod. That alone brought Winston immeasurable joy—but he didn’t stop there. Emboldened, he took one more step forward.
“Try saying it, Angie. Call me Winnie.”
At Winston’s prompting, Angela rolled her eyes as if contemplating, then cautiously opened her mouth.
“Thank you, …Winnie.”
His heart felt like it was going to burst from the sheer, indescribable affection. At that moment, Winston felt as if he had the entire world in his hands. Without realizing it, his pheromones overflowed, and only when he belatedly noticed did he quickly suppress his scent. But by then, it had already spread thickly throughout the room.
“Sorry, does it scare you?”
They had come so far. The thought of ruining everything filled him with dismay. But after a brief pause, Angela, who had pulled the sheets up to her nose, responded.
“No, it’s fine.”
Then, with careful articulation, she added, “Tonight, I’m not scared.”
“Good.”
Winston let out an inward sigh of relief. It was fortunate, but he had to be more cautious moving forward. Perhaps he should just take a suppressant.
“Alright, Angie, go to sleep now. You’re sleepy, aren’t you?”
“Yes. Good night, Winnie.”
This time, she called his name without hesitation. For a moment, Winston nearly lost control again, but he barely managed to suppress his pheromones.
“Yeah, sweet dreams.”
After switching off the bedside lamp, Winston stood up. Leaving the child behind, who had already closed her eyes and was trying to fall asleep, he stepped out of the room.
At some point, the butler had been waiting for him in the hallway.
“All the guests have left.”
“Good work.”
Winston responded as he always did to such reports, though this time, there was an odd note of emotion in his voice. Without dwelling on it, he continued speaking.
“I’m always grateful for everything you do. And I appreciate it again this time.”
His words carried multiple layers of meaning. After all, it was thanks to the butler that he had come this far with Angela. Back when he first resolved to mend his relationship with Yu-jin, he had agonized over how to go about it. It was then that the butler had offered an unexpected piece of advice.
“If you want to capture an enemy, you shoot their horse first.”
“How? That child hates me.”
Though the butler’s intent had been obvious, Winston had dismissed it outright as impossible. But then, the butler had presented an unexpected solution.
“Mr. Campbell, you have an overwhelming advantage.”
Winston had instinctively furrowed his brows at the statement, prompting the butler to elaborate with his usual expressionless face.
“Money.”
From then on, Winston had made countless attempts to win over the child, but Angela hadn’t so much as flinched at material gifts. Today, he finally understood why—he had been spending his money in all the wrong places.
He should have just bought her friends.
At last, the extraordinary advantage the butler had spoken of had proven its worth. Watching his master wear a rare, satisfied smile, the butler allowed a faint smirk of his own.
“You’re too kind. I’m simply doing my job.”
Winston gave the butler a light pat on the shoulder before heading to his room. Tomorrow was a day off. He would take Angela to see Yu-jin.
How happy would they both be?
Standing under the shower, hot water cascading over his body, Winston thought of Yu-jin’s smiling face. Had he ever laughed like he used to since they reunited? He couldn’t remember. But if Angela was happy, then surely Yu-jin would smile too.
As he recalled the child’s flushed cheeks and bright laughter, a faint smile crept onto Winston’s lips.
The child of the person he loved.
Suddenly, a long-forgotten memory resurfaced. This wasn’t just any child—it was his lover’s child. The warmth that had filled him moments ago twisted into something else entirely, shattering his good mood in an instant.
How could he possibly feel desire toward something so fragile, so heartbreakingly precious?
A sudden urge struck him—he wanted to spit on Harold’s grave.
Yeah, Fuck Harold. Imagine grooming the child of your former because he reminds you of your lover