Haah.
Seol Yu-jin stood in front of the sink, staring at his reflection in the mirror. Dark shadows hung heavily beneath his eyes, and his skin was dull and lifeless—his entire face looking utterly haggard.
Of course. He hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep all night.
He barely managed to swallow another sigh, but he couldn’t stop his face from twisting. After hurriedly washing up and stepping out of the bathroom, he found Winston already dressed and ready for the day. Winston glanced at him.
“You look exhausted.”
“Because I am.”
Yu-jin replied in a lifeless voice, then immediately frowned.
“If the party ends up a disaster, don’t blame me.”
Winston didn’t seem to think much of it.
“There’s barely anything to do. Even a monkey could handle it.”
That’s easy for you to say.
Yu-jin shot him an unamused look. Had this man ever actually handled anything party-related before? Everyone bent over backward at his slightest command, so all he had to do was give orders. The butlers, the secretaries, his mother—each of them would have taken care of everything with the utmost diligence.
Winston opened the door and stepped out, speaking as he left.
“Get some rest. I’ll tell Kane.”
Then, as if offering a piece of advice from personal experience, he added,
“My mother always stayed in bed until the afternoon on the day of a party. Said it’d be a disaster if her skin looked bad.”
Well, Madam Campbell must be used to all this.
Yu-jin added the thought silently but didn’t voice it aloud. Resting in bed when the countdown to the event was ticking closer? How was that even possible?
His face showed his skepticism, but just as he expected Winston to leave, the man suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned to look at him. Before Yu-jin could process the meaning behind his gaze, Winston pivoted on his heel and strode toward him with large, determined steps.
“Wha—?!”
Yu-jin let out a startled yelp as Winston scooped him up without warning. But Winston paid no mind to his protest, effortlessly carrying him across the room and laying him down onto the bed—far more gently than when he had picked him up. Leaning down, Winston spoke in his usual curt tone.
“Rest. I’ll have them bring you medicine if you need it.”
Yu-jin stared at him in bewilderment. What’s with him all of a sudden?
His voice was still as blunt as ever, but there was something oddly different about his demeanor. Yu-jin blinked up at him, too stunned to say anything. Without another word, Winston turned and left.
A short while later, just as he had said, a maid appeared with a tray of medicine and water.
“This is a mild sleep aid. You’ll feel much better after a short nap.”
She recited the explanation in a flat, mechanical tone, setting the tray on the bedside table before pouring a glass of water and holding it out to him along with the small pill. Yu-jin hesitated for a moment before taking it and placing the tiny tablet in his mouth.
“…Angie’s about to wake up.”
Seol Yu-jin, now lying back in bed, spoke up, and the maid responded.
“We’ll take care of her.”
Yu-jin knew well that Kane and many of the other staff members took turns playing with Angela. Feeling reassured, he murmured, “Thank you,” and closed his eyes. His body quickly relaxed. Unexpectedly, the medicine worked quite well—before he knew it, he exhaled deeply and fell into a deep sleep.
***
“…D-Daddy!”
A small voice called as tiny hands shook him awake. Yu-jin’s eyes fluttered open to see a familiar little face filling his blurred vision. A smile naturally formed on his lips.
“Angie, my darling.”
He opened his arms, and Angela eagerly burrowed into his embrace.
“Kane told me it’s time to wake up. He asked me to come get you.”
“Thank you, sweetheart. Did you have fun?”
He pressed a soft kiss to her cheek as he asked, and Angela nodded enthusiastically before launching into an excited ramble about the games she had been playing. Yu-jin listened attentively, matching her energy with warm responses.
Just then, the butler stepped into the room.
“You’re awake, sir. It’s time to get ready.”
With a polite tone, he stepped aside, allowing the staff to wheel in racks filled with neatly arranged clothes. Yu-jin’s eyes widened in surprise, and the butler continued.
“You’ll be selecting your outfit and accessories from these. But first, we’ll begin with hairstyling and a brief massage…”
From that point on, the preparations became a whirlwind of activity. Yu-jin followed the butler through various parts of the house, observing the bustling staff as they worked tirelessly to prepare for the party. The entire mansion was alive with movement, filled with the scent of fresh flowers that cleared his mind and soothed his nerves.
As expected, it’s incredible.
He had been amazed during the previous banquet as well, but the grandeur of this party was overwhelming. The sheer scale of the event, fitting for the massive hall, was almost excessive. Furniture was not only rearranged but completely replaced. Even the chandeliers were being swapped out, which went beyond surprising—it was almost exhausting to watch.
“So that’s possible, huh.”
Yu-jin muttered absentmindedly as he watched workers use specialized equipment to lower an enormous chandelier.
“This level of preparation is uncommon,” Kane remarked. “Even for me, it’s a first.”
“I see…”
That meant this particular party was of immense importance. But was it really okay for him to be the one in charge? A fresh wave of anxiety crept over Yu-jin, but Kane quickly reassured him.
“Everything is progressing smoothly. Don’t worry—just go over the guest list one more time.”
“Ah, right.”
Yu-jin nodded without hesitation. Ever since the party had been mentioned, that had been his primary responsibility. Kane handed him a list containing photos, names, and brief descriptions of the guests.
Kane had firmly instructed him to memorize the guest list. Yu-jin managed to commit all hundred or so names and faces to memory, but recognizing them in person was another challenge entirely.
What if I don’t recognize someone?
The thought made him uneasy, but there was no escaping it. He followed instructions, letting the staff style his hair and apply light makeup before selecting his outfit and accessories. Though, in truth, he wasn’t really making any choices himself—he simply allowed them to dress him as they pleased. The butler picked out the clothes and accessories, and Yu-jin obediently put them on as instructed.
Angela had also taken on the role of his little assistant.
“I liked the last one better,” she said bluntly.
The butler nodded. “I agree. Let’s eliminate this one and try the next.”
“Oh! If you pair that with this, it’ll look amazing!”
“Let’s try it.”
“Hmm… Maybe it’s not as good as I thought.”
“No, I think this works. If we adjust it like this…”
Between Angela excitedly playing dress-up with him and the butler offering his expert opinions, Yu-jin felt like he was about to lose his mind. He must have changed outfits a dozen times before finally reaching the point where he simply gave up and resigned himself to his fate.
“I think you should try that one more time,” Angela suggested eagerly.
“No more,” Yu-jin groaned, raising a hand in surrender.
He always wanted to grant his daughter’s wishes, but this—this he simply could not endure any longer. Angela puffed out her cheeks in a pout, but the butler gave a small nod and ordered the staff to start tidying up.
With an exhausted sigh, Yu-jin collapsed into a chair. Angela, already fully dressed and ready, ran over and clung to his leg.
“Are you really tired, Daddy?”
“Yeah,” Yu-jin admitted with a laugh, lifting her into his arms.
Angela studied his face with a serious expression.
“But Daddy, all your hard work was worth it! You look really pretty.”
“You should say I look handsome,” he corrected with a chuckle.
“Why? If something’s pretty, you should say it’s pretty. Why call it handsome?”
Angela tilted her head in genuine confusion. Finding himself at a loss for an explanation, Yu-jin simply gave up.
“Mr. Campbell has returned.”
At the staff member’s announcement, the butler gave a small bow and swiftly left the room. The other servants followed suit, disappearing in an instant.
Yu-jin hesitated for a brief moment before adjusting Angela in his arms and standing up.
“Where are we going, Daddy?”
Angela asked, looking up at him. Yu-jin answered casually,
“Mr. Campbell is back, so we should go greet him.”
Angela pouted in response, clearly displeased. Noting her sulky expression, Yu-jin gently coaxed her.
“When someone visits, it’s polite to greet them. And Angie is a well-mannered little girl, right?”
Angela remained silent for a moment before reluctantly nodding, her face still full of discontent. Yu-jin smiled, kissed her cheek, and started walking.
As he reached the landing, he spotted Winston ascending the stairs, with the butler following closely behind him. Seeing this, Yu-jin chose not to go down and instead stopped at the staircase landing.
As Winston approached, he must have felt Yu-jin’s gaze because he suddenly lifted his head. Their eyes met.
For a split second, Winston’s steps seemed to slow, and then—he stopped completely.
