Kiss the Scumbag-Chapter 62

"Welcome back, Mr. Campbell."

Winston gave the butler a curt nod in response to his respectful greeting and stepped into the mansion. He had returned far later than usual, in the dead of night. The already quiet estate had sunk into such stillness it felt more like a graveyard than a home.

As always, the butler silently followed his master, who climbed the stairs with long, purposeful strides. The echo of his shoes striking the marble floors shattered the silence, making the atmosphere even more somber. The butler assumed Winston would, as usual, head straight for his bedroom—but tonight was different.

Winston came to a stop before reaching his room. He stood in the corridor, gaze fixed toward one side. The butler remained quiet, waiting patiently. Winston stared at a closed door for a while, as if debating whether or not to go in. The butler simply waited for Winston to decide.

Eventually, he began walking again. He made his way to the door at the end of the corridor and opened it himself, then stopped once more. As expected, the bed inside was empty. It had been neatly made, showing no signs of anyone having used it. While Winston silently stared at the pristine bed, the butler spoke.

"Mr. Yujin is resting in Angela’s room. I checked on them earlier—they had fallen asleep together. Should I wake him?"

Winston said nothing. After a short pause, he finally replied.

"No. Let him be."

It was as expected, so the butler wasn’t surprised. Winston had already stood in front of the child’s room, hesitating. With that single statement, Winston strode into the room, carelessly pulling off his suit jacket and tie and tossing them over the back of a sofa. The butler quickly stepped forward and gathered the discarded garments over his arm, asking as he did so:

"Are you feeling alright, sir? The medicine is ready."

Just like the night before, a set of pills and liquor had been placed on the tea table by the balcony window. Winston walked over without a word, filled a glass with whiskey, and downed it in one go. The butler stood by in silence.

"Shall I bring ice?"

Only after Winston had drained the glass and set it back down did the butler ask. Winston shook his head, scooped out a handful of pills, tossed them in his mouth, and washed them down with another drink.

"I'm throwing a party next weekend."

At Winston’s sudden declaration, the butler paused, blinking in surprise. But Winston continued, still staring straight ahead.

"Invite as many people as possible. Especially everyone who attended the wedding and the reception—don’t leave anyone out. Make sure none of them decline. This party is important."

The date felt far too close, and the butler was briefly flustered. Still, orders were orders. He nodded and chose obedience over objection.

"Understood. Then... about the hostess—shall I ask Madam Campbell?"

Under normal circumstances, Yujin would have taken on that role. But that clearly wouldn’t be easy right now. The butler proposed the most practical alternative he could think of—but Winston disagreed.

"Why not Yujin? It’s his role."

"Ah... yes, sir."

There was nothing more to say. If Winston declared it so, it had to be done.

What on earth is he thinking?

Perplexed, the butler decided to focus on his immediate duties. Preparations for the party would need to begin at once. There wasn’t even time to send out formal invitations—he’d have to start making calls immediately, but first, he’d need a complete guest list...

"And—"

"Yes, sir?"

As the butler ran through his mental checklist, Winston’s voice cut [N O V E L I G H T] in. The butler stopped thinking and listened closely as Winston raised his glass again and added:

"Tomorrow..."

The next words made the butler look up in surprise at his master.

"Breakfast? With him?"

Yujin couldn’t hide his startled expression as he repeated the maid’s words. The woman nodded expressionlessly and said,

"I’ll guide you to the breakfast room. Are you ready?"

"Uh, no. Just a moment."

He’d only just woken up. Yujin carefully pulled himself away from his sleeping daughter and rushed into the bathroom. Suddenly he wants to have breakfast with me? What the hell is he planning?

Winston had come home very late the night before. Yujin had made a point of putting Angela to bed early and falling asleep beside her, but Winston hadn’t returned until he was deep asleep. He had even half-expected Winston to drag him out of Angela’s bed—though that turned out to be a pointless worry.

Everything he’d expected had been wrong, and now suddenly Winston wanted to eat breakfast with him?

Yujin couldn’t make any sense of the man. He quickly got ready, checked that his daughter was still sleeping soundly, and followed the maid. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓

Ah.

They were walking down the long hallway on the first floor when Yujin caught the faint, sweet aroma of coffee. The smell grew stronger as they approached their destination. He clenched his jaw to control his breathing, which was already shaky from unease, and kept walking.

When he finally stepped into the breakfast room, the first thing he saw was a man bathed in sunlight, sitting with a cup of coffee. The butler, who had been standing beside Winston, spotted Yujin and pulled out the empty chair across from his master. The room was filled with the rich scent of coffee, warm daylight pouring in from the large open windows, and the soft chirping of birds. The whole scene should have felt peaceful, but Yujin couldn’t relax. He clenched his jaw and took a step forward. Winston didn’t look up. He just kept staring at his tablet.

"Thank you."

Yujin waited until the butler pulled out the chair and offered a brief thanks. Only after Yujin sat and adjusted himself did the butler speak.

"Would you prefer coffee or tea?"

"Tea, please."

"Honey or lemon?"

"Either is fine."

"Understood."

The butler then asked about eggs, the preferred crispiness of bacon, what kind of juice Yujin would like—all with meticulous attention. After sneaking a glance at Winston and confirming nothing was lacking, he quietly exited the room. The practiced efficiency suggested he was just double-checking everything for his master’s comfort.

Birdsong echoed once more.

They were finally alone.

Though the silence was uncomfortable, Yujin didn’t try to break it. There was no way Winston would have anything kind to say.

But Angela was alone in her room, waiting. The fact that Winston had called him here only to ignore him made Yujin furious—but right now, Winston held all the leverage. Eventually, Yujin gave in and spoke first.

"What do you want? You didn’t call me here just to share a pleasant breakfast, did you?"

Winston didn’t even look up.

"Wait."

There it was again. He’d said the same thing before, and Yujin had made it clear how much he hated it. Yet Winston hadn’t changed. Did the man lack basic learning ability, or did he just think anything Yujin said could be ignored?

The conclusion was obvious.

"Winston."

Yujin reached across the table and picked up his teacup. Still, Winston didn’t react. In a calm voice, Yujin said,

"Are you going to get changed, or are we going to talk?"

Only then did Winston look up, his brows furrowed as expected. Yujin continued, voice composed.

"If I spill this on you, you’ll have to change. Wouldn’t it be less of a hassle to just say what you dragged me here for?"

The butler, who had just returned with the tea, flinched in the corner of Yujin’s vision. But Yujin remained still, holding the cup and staring only at Winston. Winston, too, said nothing, simply meeting Yujin’s gaze.

In the background, the butler began rapidly running through possible responses in case things went sideways. Meanwhile, Winston and Yujin sat motionless, locked in a silent standoff as a few more tense seconds passed.