KISS THE SCUMBAG Chapter 13

From then on, Yujin avoided Winston as much as possible. Fortunately, Winston left in the dawn before Yujin woke up and returned after Angela was asleep. With the efforts of both sides, they never once ran into each other, and finally, three days later, the day arrived.

∞ ∞ ∞

From early on, flashy sedans arrived at the mansion one by one at staggered intervals. The members of the Campbell family were gathering one after another to hear the contents of the will.

Just as I expected.

Three days wasn’t that long. It was actually faster than what he had braced himself for, which was up to a week. Winston must have pressured the lawyer just as he had thought.

I can leave this place now.

The reading of the will would take an hour at most. There would be miscellaneous procedures afterward, but it was clear those would be resolved quickly too. After all, the lawyer would do his best to get Yujin out as fast as possible.

So, at most, maybe a day?

Looking out the window of his small room, Yujin watched people getting out of cars that had circled around the massive fountain in the center of the garden, and he unconsciously swallowed hard.

“Daddy.”

As if noticing his state, Angela carefully took his hand. Yujin took his eyes off the window and smiled at his daughter. Whenever he thought of his child, all his fear vanished, and courage welled up within him. It was the same this time. As he squeezed her hand, there was a knock at the door. He turned his gaze, and after a brief pause, a woman’s voice came from the other side.

“Mr. Yujin, are you ready? I will escort you to the study.”

Finally.

After a deep breath, Yujin knelt down, hugged Angela tightly, and kissed her on the cheek.

“I’ll be back, Angie.”

“Okay. Good luck, Daddy.”

Feeling his heart swell at his daughter’s encouragement, he stepped out of the room. However, his face, which had been wearing a happy smile, changed completely the moment he stepped into the hallway and closed the door. The maid, who had been standing away from the door, turned around and walked away with an expressionless face. After taking a deep breath with a hardened expression, he straightened his back and glared in the direction she was walking.

Alright, let’s go. To the battlefield.

Yujin immediately took large strides and walked across the hallway with a fast pace. Into the pack of beasts waiting to tear him apart, prepared to willingly offer up his neck.

The minute hand moved to the next notch. After checking the watch on his wrist, Winston picked up the wine glass he had placed on the side table and brought it to his mouth. The rest of the Campbell family, who had been waiting in the study before him, nervously watched each other with stiff faces. Mrs. Campbell sat with her back straight as usual, eyes lowered, but inwardly she was just as anxious as her other children. Only one thought occupied their minds:

What did Harold leave to Yujin?

Money? Securities? Maybe just some trivial mementos. Whatever it was, it would be over by today. Thinking that it would at least end without any untoward incidents, Mrs. Campbell suppressed her anxiety and showed a warm smile toward her most cherished son.

“I was thinking of throwing a party once this is all over. What do you think?”

As if her words were a signal, Gordon spoke up quickly.

“Yes, it’s about time we change the atmosphere of the house and officially announce to everyone that you have succeeded the family.”

Even though he was the eldest son, he showed no hostility or signs of dissatisfaction. In truth, it wasn’t that he lacked ambition, but he had given up long ago. Not only his father but his mother as well had never given any of the other children a chance, nor did they tolerate anyone showing greed. Therefore, they had focused early on receiving as many scraps as possible instead of inheriting the family. In a sense, it was a wise judgment, and for that reason, it was only natural that all the children except Winston were prepared to do anything asked of them, trying their best to stay in their parents’ good graces.

On the other hand, Winston had possessed a strong sense of self since he was young and would never back down in any situation once he judged something to be right. If that had been nothing more than a child’s stubbornness, his parents would have mercilessly excluded him from their selection, but Winston had been brilliant from a young age, and this temperament played a part in why he was chosen. Because of this, there was no reason for him to break his own will just to look good to his parents. The son who had always satisfied their hearts had disappointed them only once, and that unseemly departure had been rectified immediately, so in the end, their choice had not been wrong.

However, even now, with Harold dead and the will about to be made public, there was clearly another reason the eldest son was so readily siding with his mother. Nevertheless, Winston didn’t think deeply about that and dismissed it. Because, then as now, he had other interests.

“Do as you wish.”

Even while speaking nonchalantly, Winston glanced at the door. He would appear soon. Even so, Winston was relaxed. The room was very bright, flooded with sunlight pouring in through the window that took up the entire wall. Furthermore, there were seven people gathered, including himself. In this situation, going into heat was absolutely impossible. His lips, touching the wine glass, curled into a faint smile. Winston was confident.

Encouraged by his relaxed attitude, even Lady Catherine joined in.

“I’d like to invite Evelyn as well, what do you think? It’s been a while, so you could greet her, yes? It’s been quite a while since you last met, hasn’t it?”

Mrs. Campbell just drank her tea as if she were uninterested, but Winston could already see clearly what they were thinking by bringing up the party. Why are my own flesh and blood always so transparent? He felt a bit pathetic for them, but he didn’t show it and again only said, “Do as you like.” At those words, Lady Catherine didn’t hide her joy and added in a fuss, her voice higher than usual.

“Oh my, that’s wonderful. They say Evelyn is still single, too, right?”

To her question, which seemed to seek agreement, her husband George quickly nodded.

“Indeed. It would be good to meet again given the opportunity, wouldn’t you say?”

He asked Winston, expecting agreement, but Winston didn’t answer and merely drained his wine. However, because this indifferent attitude of his was the same as usual, everyone was relieved. Everything was working out well. Very smoothly.

At that moment, a knock was heard. The eyes of everyone gathered focused on one place simultaneously. The maid’s voice followed from beyond the door.

“I have brought Mr. Yujin.”

At those words, Mrs. Campbell glanced at her son’s reaction. Winston set down his empty wine glass without any particular reaction. The door opened, and in the silence, the minute hand of the clock on the wall moved with a click. As the maid stepped aside, the man who had been standing behind her stepped forward. He finally set foot into the study, where not even the sound of breathing could be heard. One step, then another. Every time he moved slowly, the sunlight seemed to climb up his body like stairs, one step at a time.

Perhaps he couldn’t afford a new pair, but his worn-out shoes had been polished quite diligently; however, under the bright sunlight, even the minute scratches were far too clear to the eye. His ready-made suit, which wouldn’t even cover the cost of a single necktie worn by anyone gathered here, didn’t even fit his build properly, as if he had walked into the cheapest shop he could find on the street and grabbed the cheapest thing available. Everything was a mess, from the mismatched tie to the white shirt whose collar wouldn’t even stand up properly. Anyone could tell. He must have rushed to buy something cheaply that would somewhat suit the occasion for the funeral. He couldn’t have even thought about tailoring it to his size.

But he walked into the study with his shoulders back and head held high, as if he didn’t care about such things at all. The blinding midday sun was exposing his shabbiness without filter, but he felt no shame.