For a moment, Winston’s mind went blank. He silently stared at the child, then finally spoke.
“What do you mean? That Santa only likes rich kids?”
Unusually, he was flustered. He had thought things were going smoothly until now, but suddenly it felt like a bucket of cold water had been thrown on him. Angela wrinkled her nose and replied clearly.
“Santa doesn’t give presents to poor kids.”
A cynically puzzled expression surfaced on the child’s innocent face. It was the look of someone who had been hurt and disappointed countless times and no longer held any expectations. Winston felt a heavy weight settle in a corner of his chest.
“Maybe there was some mistake?”
Winston tried to soothe her feelings as he asked.
“There are many children in the world, so maybe Santa made a mistake.”
“That’s not true.”
Angela firmly denied his words.
“Santa doesn’t come to poor homes. Never.”
“Why?”
Winston asked reluctantly.
“Why do you think that?”
There had to be a reason Angela held such a firm belief. When Winston asked, the child looked up straight at him and answered.
“Because I saw it.”
“Saw what?”
Surprised by the unexpected answer, Winston repeated the same words without thinking, and Angela nodded.
“I waited to see Santa come. Even with sleepy eyes, ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) like this.”
Angela clenched her fist and made a motion as if hitting her face. Winston instinctively reached out his hand worried she might hurt herself by accident, but Angela soon relaxed her fist and continued.
“But the one who came through the door and put presents in the stockings was Daddy.”
Winston could only stare at the child in silence. The image of Yujin, quietly hiding presents he had prepared for his surprised and embarrassed daughter, was easily imagined. Angela kept talking.
“Daddy knew. That a poor kid like me wouldn’t get presents from Santa. But he gave me gifts instead of Santa, so I wouldn’t be disappointed or sad.”
Among the children bragging about the gifts Santa left on Christmas morning, Angela just kept her mouth shut. Her nose wrinkled as she sniffled, then she spoke with a strained voice.
“So I always wish to have the cheapest things. Candy or chocolate, things that are easy to buy and cheap.”
Winston said nothing. He just watched the child’s stubbornly pursed lips. Angela sighed out her held breath, drooped her shoulders, and then frowned.
“You won’t tell Daddy, right?”
Winston nodded cautiously.
“...Okay.”
He wanted to comfort the child somehow, but since Angela wasn’t crying, there was nothing he could do. He felt pathetic that all he could manage was a weak, deflated sound. His brows unconsciously furrowed.
That was when Winston felt something off.
At first, it was a strange chill down his spine. Then that coldness filled his head and reminded him of a fact he had overlooked.
“...Angie.”
Angela, who had turned her attention to a doll at the quiet voice, looked up. With a curious gaze, he carefully chose his words and asked.
“Did you get everything you wanted today?”
“Yes, everything!”
The child answered immediately. The overly quick response made the unease even stronger. Winston had never doubted such a smiling face before, so why did it seem so unnatural now?
Since when had Angela become so obedient like this?
A sudden memory flashed, and the answer followed.
Since Yujin was hospitalized.
“Angie.”
He called her name again, and Angela tilted her head. After a pause, Winston spoke.
“If you want to see Daddy, you can see him anytime.”
The child flinched for a moment. Winston added slowly, slower than usual.
“I didn’t stop you on purpose. It was because Daddy wasn’t feeling well, you know?”
“Yes, I know.”
Angela answered. But her face, already full of nervousness and looking cautious, came fully into Winston’s view. No matter how cunning she pretended to be, she was still a child. Winston realized anew that his guess was right. And why until now he hadn’t noticed it.
Because he had never truly wanted to get close to Angela.
Only then did the fog before his eyes seem to clear, but his mind went numb as if hit hard.
In the darkened study, Winston sat alone with a serious expression, lost in thought. Angela’s words kept echoing in his mind. Why hadn’t he realized it until now?
He knew Angela was far more mature than other children her age.
But he had just thought, “She’s just a child.” At first, he saw her stubborn resistance gradually falter and thought that was as expected.
Had he been mistaken?
Looking back coldly, the child’s act was glaringly obvious. He had just been too arrogant to notice.
He had underestimated her because she was “just a kid.”
Bitterly, he recalled why Angela now obeyed so meekly. There was only one reason: to avoid upsetting Winston, to somehow please him.
Pretending with all her might to be happy.
Because she might be separated from Yujin again.
Weak beings are all the more sensitive to survival. A child instinctively knows this. To survive, she recognized the person with the greatest power. Angela realized that opposing Winston would do no good.
...Does it really matter?
In the end, it was the same conclusion. If Angela became obedient to him and at least outwardly followed him, Yujin would soften his heart as well. Winston had never hoped for the child’s genuine feelings, so this was effectively the result he wanted.
Then why did he feel so terrible?
Winston frowned and thought deeply. The miserable image of Yujin and Angela spending a pathetic Christmas kept haunting his mind. A long, simmering sigh escaped. He stayed sitting there for quite a while.
“Daddy!”
“Angie!”
The moment Yujin woke up in the morning, he was delighted to see his daughter come running to his room with open arms. Angela ran excitedly toward the bed but stopped short right before jumping.
“Daddy, are you not sick today?”
Seeing the worried look on the child’s face, Yujin couldn’t help but show a pained expression. Seeing his daughter so downcast, his mood turned awful.
“I’m fine, Angie. Come up.”
He smiled as he spoke, and Angela hesitated, looking around nervously. Yujin, sensing her glance, gently coaxed her.
“Mr. Campbell went to work. It’s just the two of us here.”
“Wow!”
Hearing that, Angela’s eyes widened, and she jumped onto the bed. Holding her small body close, Yujin finally felt a wave of relief spread through him. Closing his eyes, he deeply inhaled the child’s scent and asked.
“Did you sleep well? Did you have good dreams?”
“Yeah. I slept well. Did Daddy sleep well too?”
“Yeah, Daddy did.”
Still holding her, Yujin stroked her back and continued.
“You’re wearing a pretty dress. Do you like this one?”
He remembered it was one of the many dresses she had tried on countless times.
“Was there nothing else you wanted? Winston probably bought you anything you wanted.”
Seeing the child happy, he couldn’t just say no. Lowering his hurdle inwardly, he spoke, but Angela surprisingly hesitated with an “uh-huh,” trailing off. Looking puzzled, he watched as Angela hesitated, then as if making up her mind, looked up. When their eyes met, Yujin smiled and let out a short laugh.
“Why, Angie? Why are you looking at me like that?”
At the light question, Angela swallowed and carefully opened her mouth.
“Daddy, you know... I don’t really like things like this.”
Yujin blinked in surprise.
“What did you say?”
I’m not the type to be won over by presents.
Remembering what Angela said earlier, the daughter spoke with a very serious expression.
“Is it because I kept being naughty and angry that Mr. Campbell didn’t let me see Daddy? Did he think I would do something bad to the baby...?”
