The sound of rain had lessened, but it hadn’t stopped.
Seol Yu-jin couldn’t put his mind at ease. He kept pacing around the hall, eyes fixed on the front door. It had been about thirty minutes since the family’s physician arrived. Winston had left over an hour ago. Angela had been missing for four—no, maybe even five hours now.
It felt like his blood was drying up…
He had never experienced such torment in his life. Not when Winston abandoned him, not when he was thrown out of the mansion while pregnant, not even when he wandered the streets, scavenging for food in the garbage. Even in those moments, his chest had never felt this tight. He had always thought each time was the worst, but somehow, new and even greater suffering always found its way to him.
Please, let this be the last time.
Yu-jin clasped his hands together and shut his eyes as if in prayer. Please, Angie, be safe. Come back to me.
Time passed again. Unable to bear it any longer, Yu-jin moved to bolt out of the mansion.
“You mustn’t, Mr. Yu-jin! Mr. Campbell specifically instructed you not to!”
The butler immediately stepped in front of him. Rationally, Yu-jin understood. But the anxiety was unbearable.
“But, but…”
Seeing his distress, the butler softened his tone, trying to console him.
“If you wait, they will return. Mr. Campbell went himself, didn’t he? There is nothing that man cannot do. You know this.”
Did he?
Yu-jin stared blankly ahead. Once, Winston had been his god, his absolute ruler. He had promised he could do anything for Yu-jin’s sake—and he had always kept that promise. Yu-jin, too, had been willing to give everything for Winston, even his own life. Because, in the end, that was all he had to offer. That was all he had.
But now, no longer…
Yu-jin shut his eyes tightly, recalling Winston’s harsh words, the way he had spat out accusations and condemnation. Just then, the front door burst open.
“Mr. Campbell has returned!”
Yu-jin turned pale as he snapped his gaze to the entrance. Another flash of lightning split the darkness, momentarily illuminating the world. And in that brief brilliance, he saw him—Winston, drenched from head to toe.
Holding Angela in his arms.
“An…gie…!”
His throat closed up, barely allowing the name to escape. Struggling to breathe, Yu-jin finally forced his legs to move, rushing toward Winston. Without a word, Winston handed over the child he had been carrying all this time.
“Angie, Angie… Oh, God, your body is so cold… What do I do?”
Yu-jin clutched the child tightly, tears spilling freely. Winston watched him for a moment before turning away. With a brief glance, he signaled the physician, who quickly stepped forward.
“We need to lay her down and assess her condition immediately. Bring plenty of dry towels. We have to warm her up, so get as many blankets as possible. Light the fireplace, turn the heater to the highest setting—move quickly!”
“Hurry, move quickly!”
At the butler’s sharp command, the servants scattered in perfect coordination. Clutching Angela tightly, Yu-jin rushed up the stairs, following the butler and the physician. They entered the nearest prepared room, and Yu-jin immediately began undressing Angela before laying her down.
It was only then that he noticed what she was wrapped in—a large coat that covered her from head to toe. It was Winston’s.
Carefully peeling the coat away, Yu-jin placed Angela onto the bed. The butler quickly handed him dry towels and a change of clothes. Aside from the brief moment when the doctor examined her, Yu-jin never stopped rubbing warmth back into the child’s cold limbs.
“Her body temperature is a little low, but she’ll recover soon. Once she wakes up, give her some warm soup and water. Her pulse is normal, and there don’t seem to be any major concerns. Thankfully, it doesn’t look like there’s anything serious.”
Only then did Yu-jin finally release the breath that had been trapped in his chest.
“Really…? Are you sure? There’s nothing wrong? Truly?”
His voice trembled as he asked again and again, and the doctor nodded reassuringly before continuing.
“You don’t need to worry too much. By tomorrow, she should be back to playing like usual.”
With that, the doctor playfully tapped Angela’s soft cheek with his fingers and chuckled.
“This little troublemaker—where exactly did she fall from? She turned the whole household upside down, and yet she’s sleeping so peacefully. When she grows up a little more, I imagine she’ll be completely uncontrollable.”
For the first time in hours, Yu-jin managed to let out a small, breathless laugh, momentarily forgetting the tears he had shed. It didn’t matter how mischievous she became, as long as she grew up healthy. As relief flooded him, the butler exchanged a glance with the doctor.
“Doctor.”
“Yes, I know.”
Hearing their vague exchange, Yu-jin blinked in confusion. The doctor simply smiled and added, “It’s about Kane and me. It has nothing to do with the child, so you don’t have to worry.”
“Oh… Alright.”
Finally feeling at ease, Yu-jin saw the doctor out at the door, then returned to Angela’s side alone. A faint flush of color had returned to her once-pale cheeks. Her breathing was even, and she looked much better. Sitting beside her, Yu-jin gently rubbed warmth into her small body over the blankets, waiting for her to wake up.
“Mmnh…”
As if his prayers had been answered, Angela let out a faint sound.
Yu-jin’s eyes widened in an instant. He hurriedly leaned in and called her name.
“Angie, are you awake? It’s Daddy, Angie!”
He didn’t mean to sound urgent, but his heart was pounding too fast to help it. He called her name over and over, his voice rapid with desperation. At last, her small eyelids fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes.
Angela blinked at Yu-jin, her gaze still dazed and unfocused. Yu-jin held his breath, watching her intently. Then, finally, she parted her lips and made a sound.
“…Daddy?”
“Yes, Angie!”
Yu-jin couldn’t contain his overwhelming relief. He pulled her into a tight embrace, his voice quivering with emotion as fresh tears welled up.
“I was so scared… Why did you leave without saying anything? It was raining so much—where did you go? Do you know how worried Daddy was?”
“I-I’m sorry… I’m so sorry, Daddy…”
The child nestled into Yu-jin’s embrace, mumbling an apology. Yu-jin quickly shook his head and spoke in a rush.
“No, it’s okay. Daddy’s just glad you came back safely. Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere? Ah, let’s drink some warm soup. That’ll help you get better faster.”
Carefully setting Angela down, Yu-jin hurried to find the phone and dialed a number. As soon as someone picked up, he requested a bowl of warm soup before returning to his seat, gently stroking his daughter’s cheek.
“Where did you go? You were gone for hours—everyone was searching for you.”
“I’m sorry, Daddy…”
Angela lowered her head, looking dejected. Seeing her so downcast, Yu-jin decided not to press further.
“Next time, you have to stay close to the estate, and you have to tell Daddy before you go anywhere, okay?”
“Mm.”
She nodded obediently, and Yu-jin pulled her into another hug. Right on cue, a servant arrived with the soup, and Yu-jin took it before sitting back down beside her.
“Let’s eat a little. It’ll warm you up. Are you still cold?”
Angela gave a small nod and sat up. Yu-jin scooped up a spoonful of soup, blowing on it lightly before bringing it to her lips. She hesitated, then carefully sipped, exhaling a soft hoo as the warmth spread through her.
“Daddy…”
“Hmm?”
Angela had already eaten about half the soup when she finally spoke again.
“I… I wasn’t out playing.”
Yu-jin’s hand, mid-motion with the spoon, froze in the air.
“What do you mean by that?”
Angela hesitated before continuing, her voice small.
“Daddy looked so tired… I wanted to get you a present. Something to cheer you up.”
Yu-jin hadn’t expected that at all. His hand slowly lowered, setting the bowl onto his lap. Angela fidgeted, murmuring softly.
“Remember that house we visited before? The one with the little bell? I thought if you heard that pretty sound, you’d feel better…”
“Angie!”
She was talking about the wind chime at the guesthouse. Yu-jin’s voice involuntarily rose. Angela flinched, startled, and Yu-jin quickly lowered his tone, forcing himself to remain calm.
“Do you know how far that place is…? You were going to go there alone? What if you got lost?”
“It felt close when I went with Daddy…”
Angela’s voice wavered, her head drooping. Of course, back then, they had walked there together while playing, so to her, it must have seemed like a short distance. But now that Yu-jin realized she had tried to reach it alone, his vision darkened with dread.
“You must never go there alone again, do you understand?”
After what had happened, she surely wouldn’t try something like this again. But Yu-jin still needed her promise. Seeing her nod meekly, a wave of guilt immediately followed.
“I’m sorry, Daddy.”
“No, Angie. Daddy’s the one who’s sorry… for making you worry.”
Yu-jin set the soup bowl on the side table and pulled Angela into a tight embrace. The little girl wrapped her arms around his neck in return. His nose tingled with emotion as he gazed down at his daughter’s face.
“Thank you for coming back safely, Angie. It looks like you managed to find shelter from the rain.”
“I found a rabbit hole!”
Angela’s eyes lit up, and her voice grew excited.
“The rain started pouring all of a sudden, and the thunder was so loud—it was really scary. But then I saw it! I crawled right in and hid, just like a hamster.”
“You did so well, Angie. Really well.”
Encouraged by Yu-jin’s praise, Angela grinned, giggling with pride. Yu-jin stroked her cheek gently before speaking again.
“But it must’ve been hard with all that rain, right? Weren’t you cold?”
“I was. Really cold.”
Angela continued, her voice growing softer.
“I got so sleepy, but I kept trying to stay awake. It was really hard… And then I got scared that I might never see Daddy again…”
Yu-jin’s heart clenched. “And then?” he asked anxiously.
Angela hesitated for a moment before answering.
“Then, all of a sudden… I smelled something really sweet.”
