Yu-jin glanced down at the tray he was holding before shifting his gaze back to the butler, whose tone remained as formal and businesslike as ever. The butler, having followed Yu-jin’s line of sight, promptly took the tray from him.
“How is Angie?”
At the butler’s question, Yu-jin answered honestly.
“She’s fine. She’s asleep now.”
“That’s a relief.”
The butler’s expression remained as impassive as always, yet for some reason, Yu-jin felt as though he had glimpsed a flicker of emotion beneath the surface. The subtle sense of genuine relief gave Yu-jin a bit of courage.
“Um…”
The butler had given a brief bow and was about to leave when Yu-jin called out to stop him. As the man turned back to face him, Yu-jin carefully spoke.
“Why didn’t you inform me that Angie was missing? Shouldn’t you have woken me up immediately?”
He wasn’t trying to accuse him, but if something like this happened again in the future, he wanted it handled differently. At his question, the butler hesitated for a moment before responding.
“I assumed we would find her quickly. As we continued searching, more time passed than expected, and by then, it seemed too late to wake you. We prioritized finding Angie first.”
His reasoning wasn’t exactly wrong. Even if Yu-jin had been woken up, he would have been frantic, running around searching for Angela just like everyone else.
But Yu-jin was Angela’s guardian. It was unthinkable for something so important to be kept from him.
“If anything happens to Angie again, please inform me first. I’m asking you.”
Adding his request with polite emphasis, Yu-jin watched as the butler, expression unchanged, simply replied, “Understood.” There was no trace of annoyance in his response—only the precise, mechanical demeanor of a man carrying out his duty.
“Is there anything else you wish to say?”
The butler’s question seemed to ask if there was anything else he should take note of. Yu-jin hesitated before shaking his head.
“No, that’s all. You’ve worked hard today. Please extend my gratitude to everyone else as well.”
“There is no need for thanks. It was our failure to manage things properly. I will make sure everyone exercises more caution in the future.”
Hearing the butler’s courteous reply, Yu-jin felt somewhat reassured. After offering his thanks once more, he was about to leave when—
“A different room has been prepared for you tonight. Mr. Campbell has instructed that you rest there.”
Yu-jin halted at the unexpected words.
“Winston?”
“Yes.”
He turned back, seeking confirmation, but the butler’s answer remained the same. Hesitating for a moment, Yu-jin finally spoke.
“Can I ask why?”
His cautious question was met with the butler’s usual composed tone.
“Because Mr. Campbell has decided so.”
No one could go against that decision. But this wasn’t the time to simply accept it and step back.
“I need to talk to Winston.”
“Do it tomorrow. Mr. Campbell is resting now.”
The butler’s tone was firm. Strangely, Yu-jin could sense someone else’s will behind his words.
“Is that Winston’s order as well?”
Instead of answering, the butler simply looked at Yu-jin in silence. That alone was enough of a response.
“If there’s nothing else you need, I will take my leave…”
“Wait.”
The butler seemed intent on wrapping up the conversation, but Yu-jin pressed on.
“There’s one more thing I’d like to ask… What exactly was the physician doing in Winston’s room until this hour?”
This time, the butler didn’t respond immediately. He hesitated, as if deliberately taking his time before finally speaking in a slow, measured tone.
“When the weather takes a turn like this, Mr. Campbell’s condition worsens.”
“What?”
Yu-jin was caught off guard by the unexpected statement and stared at him in confusion. The butler, seemingly unbothered by revealing this information, continued.
“He’s improved a lot, but he’s still not in a condition to be riding in the rain. He pushed himself too hard today, so the physician needed to check on him.”
Yu-jin listened in stunned silence. A delayed realization crept over him.
“Is that why? Is that why Winston doesn’t want to see me?”
The butler paused briefly before answering.
“He needs to rest.”
There was no room for argument. Winston’s condition was bad enough that his physician had to step in. He needed rest, and the best thing Yu-jin could do was not disturb him. That was the rational thing to do.
But Yu-jin found himself unable to move.
“Just how bad is it…? Is he in a lot of pain?”
Extreme Alphas weren’t affected by alcohol or drugs in the same way as others. Ordinary painkillers wouldn’t work on them.
The butler responded calmly.
“That’s why the physician is handling it. There are medications suited specifically for them.”
“…Right.”
There was nothing more to say. The best thing Yu-jin could do now was follow instructions.
“Understood. Where should I sleep tonight?”
“This way.”
As if he had been waiting for this moment, the butler immediately led the way. The room prepared for him was on the same floor but quite a distance away.
“Please rest well. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to—”
“Yes, I know. Thank you.”
Yu-jin quickly cut him off.
“Kane, you should rest too. You’ve worked hard today.”
“Thank you, then…”
The butler finished his farewell and turned away. Yu-jin deliberately closed the door with an audible click, then stood still, listening. The butler’s disciplined footsteps grew distant before fading completely. Letting out a deep sigh, Yu-jin turned toward the bathroom.
The rain was still falling, though it had softened, no longer hammering down as loudly as before.
After finishing his bath, he changed into the sleepwear left on the bed and lay down. But sleep wouldn’t come easily. Yu-jin couldn’t stop thinking about Winston.
Just how unwell was he…?
Even in such a poor condition, he had still gone out to search for Angela. It was only natural that gratitude and concern would now outweigh the resentment and frustration Yu-jin had felt earlier.
Trying to force himself to sleep, he turned to the other side, counting numbers in his head and shifting positions, but nothing helped.
“This isn’t working.”
He muttered to himself before sitting up abruptly. He wasn’t going to be able to sleep like this. The physician had prescribed medication, so Winston was probably asleep by now. Just taking a quick look and then leaving should be fine, right?
Having made up his mind, Yu-jin got out of bed and opened the door.
For a brief moment, an uneasy thought crossed his mind—what if someone was standing there, just like last time? But the hallway was empty. Taking a deep breath, he carefully moved forward.
The rain suddenly intensified, its sound growing louder as it pelted the windows. He made a brief stop by Angela’s room to check on her. Once he was sure she was sleeping soundly, he finally stood before Winston’s door.
Hoo…
Exhaling a shaky breath, he steeled himself and reached for the doorknob. Winston was asleep. It would be fine.
Reassuring himself, Yu-jin tightened his grip and slowly turned the handle.
Creaaaak.
At that precise moment, a stroke of luck—thunder rumbled violently through the air, masking the sharp creak of the door. The thunderclap startled Yu-jin, freezing him in place. He held his breath, waiting until the echo faded into the distance before cautiously stepping inside.
One step. Another. He moved carefully toward the bed, the sound of rain continuing to fill the silence. For the first time, he was grateful for the noise, which helped conceal his movements as he crossed the room.
When he finally reached the bedside, his breath involuntarily hitched, and he quickly covered his mouth. Right then, a flash of lightning illuminated the darkened room.
Winston lay flat on his back, eyes closed. Yu-jin stared down at him, taking in his appearance. His usually neat hair was messily strewn across his forehead, and his lips—so often set in a stubborn line—were slightly parted, giving him an unexpectedly vulnerable look.
Just like when they were young, meeting in the annex, just the two of them.
But now, Winston looked utterly exhausted. His face was unnervingly pale, almost ghostly. Seeing his complexion, Yu-jin felt a pang in his chest. Wandering through the storm for so long—it was a miracle he hadn’t fallen sick already. And given that even his physician had been worried…
A surge of pure gratitude and sympathy welled up inside Yu-jin. Without thinking, he almost reached out to touch Winston’s cheek.
Realizing what he was doing, he froze in shock, hesitating.
That was when a detached voice suddenly drifted up from below.
“If you’re going to strangle me, you’ll need to use both hands.”
