It was the first time Yujin had ever seen so many presents in one place. Boxes of all sizes surrounded the tree, which was so tall that only the star at the very top was barely visible.
“...What is all this?”
After a long pause, Yujin finally spoke. Still dazed and unable to look away, he asked Winston, who simply answered,
“Maybe Santa came last night?”
At those words, Yujin immediately looked up at Winston. He almost blurted out, What nonsense is that? but managed to swallow the words. However, the child’s reaction was completely different.
“I saw him! I saw Santa!”
Angela jumped excitedly in Winston’s arms. Unable to contain her impatience, Winston set her down on the floor. Barely had her feet touched the ground when Angela hurried over to grab a present. Then she turned around and shouted toward Yujin,
“Look, Daddy! My name is on it!”
The large card tucked between the ribbons bore no doubt: Angela’s name. Seeing the child blushing deeply and breathing hard, Yujin forced a smile and said,
“Is that so? Open it quickly.”
It was obvious who had prepared the gift, but for now, it was best to keep the daughter happy. With Yujin’s permission, Angela hurriedly untied the ribbon and opened the largest box.
“Wow!”
Inside was an eighteenth-century-style dress. Made of blue satin adorned with countless ribbons, the sleeves and hem were trimmed with hand-knitted lace, so ornate it was almost dazzling just to look at it. Angela couldn’t hide her joy, screaming loudly.
“Daddy, look! This is the dress Princess Marie wore! Is it mine? Is this really my dress?”
Hearing the name of the princess from the drama she loved so much and seeing the child overwhelmed with excitement, Yujin finally stammered,
“Ah, yes. That’s right.”
“Because Santa gave it to you.”
Winston cut in at the perfect moment. The dress was several times more magnificent than the one in the drama. It was enough to instantly capture the heart of a daughter who had always admired beautiful costumes.
But it didn’t end there. The next box contained shoes that matched the dress, then a diamond bracelet, and then a beautiful fan. Before long, the child had become a princess more perfect than any drama heroine.
“Oh my, Daddy, Daddy, look at me!”
Twisting on her tiptoes in the dress, Angela cheered. On top of her voluminous hair sat the tiara Yujin had gifted her.
“You’re really cute, Angie.”
Yujin was moved and kept taking photos on his phone. Angela posed excitedly, lifting the dress hem and cupping her cheeks, shouting happily,
“Can I open more?”
“Of course, Angie.”
No sooner had Yujin given permission than Angela hurried to the next present. When Yujin saw the doll from the same era the princesses played with, he froze. The doll looked somewhat old. Could it be...
“Is that really...”
Before he could finish, Winston glanced down at Yujin and smirked. Yujin swallowed hard. What kind of princess from what era had played with that doll?
It must be incredibly expensive.
Unable to imagine further, Yujin quickly stopped thinking. It was just a rich man’s hobby. Though it seemed excessive for a mere four-year-old, it wasn’t his concern. After all, his daughter was happy, so that was enough. But there was one thing he wanted to confirm.
“Was Santa maybe {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} Cain yesterday?”
Leaning in and lowering his voice, Yujin asked. Winston also lowered his head and answered quietly.
“If it had been him, we’d have been caught immediately. Yujin, our child is much smarter than you think.”
Our child.
Yujin stared piercingly at Winston at that word he couldn’t just let pass. But Winston only looked at the child and gave no sign of knowing anything.
Of course. What else could he expect, knowing perfectly well who I am to this man?
Before feeling bitter, Yujin gathered himself and turned back to the child. Angela happened to turn around then, smiling brightly and shouting,
“Daddy, I’m so happy!”
Seeing that, Yujin smiled too. Yes, as long as Angela was happy, that was enough. This was probably the most satisfying Christmas he’d ever had. Thinking so, his chest swelled. Just as he felt a sting at his nose, Angela found an envelope the large cat doll dressed as Santa had been holding.
“Daddy! There’s another card!”
“That’s right, let’s open it quickly.”
Yujin naturally stepped away from Winston and approached the child. Excitedly, Angela took the card from the envelope and read the message aloud.
“Dear good Angela, since you’ve been giving up presents to other children, this year it’s your turn. Your wish has been granted, so have a happy Christmas. Merry Christmas! From Santa.”
After reading, the child tilted her head. Puzzled by the unexpected reaction, Yujin asked,
“What’s wrong, Angie? Is something wrong?”
Angela hesitated, then looked up at Yujin and said,
“I don’t know if my wish came true.”
“Why? What did you wish for?”
At Yujin’s flustered question, the child paused briefly then cautiously said,
“I wished for Daddy to be happy.”
At that moment, Yujin was left speechless. Staring blankly at him with wide eyes, Angela continued hesitantly,
“Daddy was sick all the time... and always had a hard time... because of me. So I wished for Daddy to be happy...”
After a short sigh, the child glanced sideways at Yujin.
“I got a lot of presents all by myself. I even wrote a letter to Santa... but Daddy, maybe Santa can’t speak English.”
Seeing the child’s serious, drooping shoulders, Yujin couldn’t hold back the swelling emotions and took a rough breath.
“No, Angie. Your wish has come true.”
At his barely audible words, Angela looked at Yujin puzzled, as if to ask what he meant. Yujin took a steady breath and spoke as calmly as he could.
“Daddy is very happy now. Really.”
Feeling his eyes grow warm, Yujin smiled brightly.
“Angela being happy is Daddy’s happiness.”
Angela’s face slowly twisted as she blinked. Her eyes filled with tears, and sniffling, she asked,
“Really? Did Daddy wish for the same thing as me?”
“Of course, Angie.”
Yujin hugged the child tightly and stroked her back.
“I’m the happiest person in the world right now. Thank you, Angie. Thank you for making Daddy happy.”
“Sniff...”
Angela hugged Yujin’s neck tightly and started to sniffle softly. Yujin held the small body close, barely restraining his tears. Was there any child more lovable than this?
“I’m so grateful Angie is Daddy’s daughter.”
“I’m grateful too, because Daddy is my Daddy.”
Repeating Yujin’s words, Angela giggled. Yujin smiled too and hugged her once more. At that moment, they felt an intense bond as if they were the only two left in the world. They felt like they needed nothing else.
The joyful day passed in an instant. After dinner and putting the child to bed, Winston and Yujin returned to their rooms together.
Phew.
Entering the bedroom, Yujin was still excited inside. He took a deep breath and looked at Winston. The event Winston had arranged for Angela had completely melted away all of Yujin’s hostility.
“Thank you for today.”
Yujin spoke, sincerely this time without sarcasm. Winston, who was just taking off his sweater, looked at him. Feeling a sudden tension, Yujin watched as Winston answered with a blank expression.
“Thank you for finally realizing I’m here.”
Yujin’s face flushed instantly. Come to think of it, he had ignored Winston’s presence all day long. It wasn’t intentional, but from Winston’s perspective, it must have been very unpleasant.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that...”
By admitting it, the situation became even more awkward. Seeing Yujin at a loss, Winston chuckled lightly. Surprised by the unexpected reaction, Yujin watched as Winston answered casually.
“I know well that neither of you care about me at all.”
