Kiss the Scumbag

At that, Mrs. Campbell cleared her throat with a deliberate ahem. Yu-jin immediately noticed that she was restraining herself from bursting into laughter in an attempt to maintain her composure. It would have been best if things ended there, but Gordon, encouraged by her reaction, kept running his mouth.

“You brought a child with you, didn’t you? Just one? That can’t be right. Don’t tell me you planned to pop out bastard after bastard without even knowing who the father was, then try to pass them off as his? That’d be a shame. You see, these days, we have DNA tests for that sort of thing. Fraudsters like you all end up in jail. Try any funny business, and you’ll be locked up while your little bastard with no roots gets dumped in an orphanage. And a kid like that—born to a scam artist—won’t even get adopted. They’ll end up just like you, selling their body, drowning in drugs, and rotting away on the streets. So do yourself a favor—take this and get the hell out, right now. If you do, we’ll pretend none of this ever happened.”

With no hesitation, Gordon spewed his vile curses about the child, then made a show of slapping the envelope on the table—thud, thud—twice in succession. Their confidence in victory made them unbearably arrogant. The scene they envisioned—this wretched creature before them snatching up the envelope and fleeing in disgrace—played so vividly in their minds it might as well have already happened. But then, Yu-jin, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke.

“I refuse.”

For a moment, their smiles froze in place. The atmosphere turned unnaturally still, as if time itself had stopped. Then, Yu-jin repeated himself, cutting through the silence.

“I appreciate the offer, but I’ll have to decline.”

“…What did you just say?”

Gordon spat the words in a coarse voice, while Mrs. Campbell’s brow furrowed in displeasure. Yu-jin, seeing their reactions, calmly unclasped his hands from behind his back. A faint sense of triumph stirred within him as he continued coolly.

“Was that all you had to say? Then I’ll be taking my leave. I’d like to get some rest—I’ve come a long way.”

“W-wait!”

Snapping back to his senses, Gordon sprang to his feet and called out hastily, stopping Yu-jin just as he was about to leave.

“Didn’t you hear me? Your cheap little trick won’t work on us! I’ll have you thrown in jail for fraud! You won’t get away clean like last time!”

His voice turned into a beastly roar, but that only made Yu-jin feel even colder, more detached.

“That works for me. If I really intended to commit fraud, then by all means, do a DNA test. Fraud is a crime, after all—I should go to prison if I’m guilty.”

Yu-jin’s response threw both Mrs. Campbell and Gordon into momentary disarray. They exchanged uneasy glances, clearly rattled. If they actually went through with a test, they would be the ones in for a shock. Yu-jin was almost looking forward to that moment—but he knew it would never come to pass. Even the slimmest chance of that truth coming to light would put them in a far more precarious position. They understood that all too well, which meant they wouldn’t dare push the matter. If they did, the results would be an even greater disaster than they had ever imagined.

Mrs. Campbell would probably find it easier to stomach the idea that Yu-jin was Harold’s child.

“If you’re expecting Harold to have left you something of great value, you’re sorely mistaken.”

Mrs. Campbell finally spoke, her voice sharp with anger. Yu-jin met her seething gaze head-on and replied evenly.

“If that’s the case, then I’d be the only one at a loss for refusing your offer. Wouldn’t that work out even better for you, Mrs. Campbell?”

“That’s all,” he said, turning swiftly on his heels and leaving the drawing room in haste. It wasn’t just to prevent them from launching another attack—his heart was still pounding so hard it felt like it might explode. Only when he finally stepped into the hallway did he exhale shakily, a tremor escaping with his breath.

I did it.

He could hardly believe it. He had actually said everything he had bottled up inside to their faces. His voice hadn’t even wavered. He hadn’t faltered or choked back tears.

I did it.

The rush of triumph momentarily washed away his exhaustion. He let out a deep, satisfied breath and lifted his head—only to freeze in place. The butler was standing in the hallway, watching him. His gaze flicked briefly to Yu-jin’s empty hands before shifting back to his face.

“If you are finished, I will escort you to your room.”

His voice remained as emotionless as ever. Then, with a glance over his shoulder, Yu-jin noticed a maid standing there. He hadn’t even realized she was present. The butler passed Yu-jin off to her without hesitation before stepping into the drawing room as if that was where he truly belonged. Yu-jin turned away and hurried to follow the maid, who had already begun walking ahead.

She led him back down the long hallway, retracing their steps until they reached a side door. Beyond it lay a staircase—the same one used by the staff. Without so much as a glance back, the maid continued walking, and Yu-jin silently followed.

By the time they reached the top of the seemingly endless stairs, she opened another door, leading them into yet another hallway. A wave of dizziness hit Yu-jin. He had completely lost his sense of direction. He had no idea where he was anymore.

As they walked down the long corridor, the maid, like the butler before her, remained completely silent. The earlier adrenaline had long since faded, replaced by a crushing exhaustion. Just as he felt like he might collapse from fatigue, she finally stopped in front of a door. At last. I can finally rest. The thought of seeing Angela’s face alone was enough to lift some of the weariness from his body.

Unlike the butler, the maid didn’t hesitate to reach for the doorknob. She opened the door and stepped aside. That was when Yu-jin realized something was off.

…Huh?

The room beyond the open door was massive—far larger than he had expected. Momentarily stunned, Yu-jin turned to look at the maid, wordlessly asking for an explanation. Her response was coldly professional.

“Please, rest well.”

“W-wait a moment.”

Yu-jin hurriedly called out to stop her. When she turned back to face him, he quickly asked,

“My daughter… I was supposed to stay in the same room as her, wasn’t I? What is this room?”

“You plan to sleep in the same room as the child?”

For the first time, the maid betrayed a hint of emotion. It was subtle—just the slightest upward lilt at the end of her sentence, as if she were taken aback. But that was all it took for Yu-jin to understand. No one in this household ever slept with a child. From the moment they were born, children here were put to sleep alone.

But Yu-jin was not a part of this family.

“Angela will be anxious if she wakes up alone. I’ll be staying with my daughter.”

“That will not be allowed.”

Yu-jin was prepared to throw the door open himself if he had to, but the maid shut him down immediately, her refusal as sharp as a blade.

“Causing a disturbance in the estate is strictly prohibited. If you continue, I will have no choice but to escort you to the annex.”

Her expression was firm. Even the slightest commotion, and they would drag him out without hesitation. Yu-jin knew this better than anyone—he had already experienced it once before. These people had the power to do whatever they wanted.

Just as fear crept into Yu-jin’s chest, the maid spoke again.

“Do not worry. In the morning, I will escort you to the child. For tonight, you are to stay in this room. That is the order that was given.”

At that, Yu-jin realized this had been planned from the beginning. If he refused their proposal, this was how they intended to handle him. It all made sense now—even the butler’s glance at his empty hands had been part of the setup.

So this is how they want to humiliate me.

Yu-jin bit his lip, then lifted his head. Their petty tactics hadn’t changed at all. Perhaps they were even waiting for him to make a scene—waiting for an excuse to throw him out entirely. Not happening.

“Understood. I suppose I have no choice.”

Just before stepping inside, he turned to the maid once more.

“When Angela—my daughter—wakes up, tell me immediately. Promise me.”

Even though he had left her a message, Yu-jin couldn’t shake the worry gnawing at him. Angela was mature for her age, calm and composed—but she was still a child. Waking up alone in an unfamiliar place would surely unsettle her. Yet there was nothing more he could do right now.

“Understood.”

The maid’s reply was brief, her expression unchanged. Something about her demeanor suggested she was waiting for something. Yu-jin hesitated before adding,

“Thank you. That’s all.”

He shut the door behind him, and silence immediately enveloped the room.

For a while, Yu-jin stood still, counting to a thousand in his head. Then, cautiously, he cracked the door open.

The sight that greeted him was almost laughably predictable.

The maid was still there, standing in the hallway, staring directly at him.