Kiss the Scumbag-Chapter 71

Haaah...

Yujin stood in front of the sink, staring at his reflection in the mirror. Dark circles hung heavily under his eyes, and his skin looked dull and dry—worn down beyond recognition.

Of course it does. I didn’t sleep a single minute last night.

He forced down another sigh, but couldn’t keep his expression from twisting. After a quick wash, he stepped out to find Winston already fully dressed for the day, giving him a quick glance.

“You look exhausted.”

“Because I am,” Yujin muttered listlessly, then scowled.

“If I end up ruining the party, don’t blame me.”

Winston replied without concern.

“There’s barely anything to do. Even a monkey could manage it.”

That’s easy for you to say.

Yujin shot him a less-than-pleased look. Has Winston ever actually done anything at a party himself? With one word from him, people practically fall over themselves. All he’d have to do was issue a command and the butler, the secretaries, even his own mother would handle the rest with painstaking care.

Winston opened the door to leave, then said,

“Get some rest. I’ll tell Cain.”

And then, as if offering helpful advice from his personal archive, he added,

“Mother always stayed in bed until late afternoon on party days. Said she couldn’t risk looking tired.”

Of course. Campbell women would be used to this.

Yujin kept that thought to himself. With the countdown ticking, how was he supposed to rest?

Still wearing a doubtful expression, Yujin thought Winston had left already—until he stopped, turned, and started walking toward him with long strides.

“Wha—!”

Yujin yelped as Winston suddenly swept him up in his arms. But Winston didn’t hesitate, carrying him straight to the bed. This time, he gently laid him down and leaned over.

“Rest. I’ll tell them to bring medicine if you need it.”

Yujin blinked up at him in confusion. What’s gotten into him?

His tone was still blunt, but there was something different in how he moved. Still wide-eyed, Yujin watched as Winston turned and left. A few minutes later, just like he’d said, a maid appeared with a tray.

“This is a mild sedative. You’ll feel much better after a short nap.”

Reciting the description like a script, the maid set the tray on the bedside table, poured water into a cup, and handed it over along with a tiny pill. Yujin hesitated, then did as he was told.

“It’s about time for Angie to wake up...”

he murmured as he lay back down. The maid replied,

“We’ll take care of her.”

Yujin already knew Cain and the other staff were taking turns playing with Angela. Thank you, he whispered, then closed his eyes. To his surprise, the medicine worked quickly. His body relaxed, and he soon fell into a deep, easy sleep.

“...D-Daddy!”

A small body shook him awake. Yujin opened his eyes to see a familiar face swimming into focus. Instinctively, he smiled.

“Angie, my girl.”

He held his arms open, and Angela immediately crawled into them.

“Cain said it was time for you to wake up. He asked me to come.”

“Thanks. Did you have fun?”

He kissed her cheek with a mwah and asked, and she nodded, quickly launching into a play-by-play of whatever game she’d been playing. As he listened and responded, the butler entered.

“You’re awake. It’s time to begin preparations.”

With a polite bow, he stepped aside, and a group of staff wheeled in a clothing rack overflowing with garments. Yujin blinked, startled. The butler continued,

“You’ll be selecting an outfit and accessories from these. First, however, you’ll receive a light massage and hairstyling...”

What followed was a whirlwind.

Yujin was led around the mansion by the butler, drifting through preparations already underway. Servants bustled everywhere. The air was thick with the scent of fresh flowers—it cleared his mind and eased his nerves.

This really is something.

Just like the last reception, the size of the hall was jaw-dropping, and the scale of the event looked to be equally extravagant. Furniture wasn’t just rearranged—it was hauled out and replaced. Even the chandeliers were swapped. It went beyond impressive—it was almost exhausting.

“They can do that?”

he murmured in disbelief as he watched an enormous chandelier being lowered with heavy equipment. Cain replied,

“This scale is unusual. It’s a first for me as well.”

“I see...”

Then this party must be a very ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ big deal. Is it really okay for me to handle this? The nerves returned. Sensing it, Cain said calmly,

“Everything is proceeding well. Just review the guest list one more time.”

“A-Alright.”

Yujin nodded. That had been his one and only task since the party was mentioned. Cain handed him a list with names, photos, and short bios—about a hundred people total—and asked him to memorize them. He had. But seeing faces in real life was a different matter.

What if I don’t recognize someone?

He was anxious but had no way out of it. He got his hair styled, had a bit of makeup applied, and began selecting clothes and accessories—but honestly, Yujin didn’t do much. He simply let them move him around like a mannequin. The butler picked most of the options. Even Angela got involved.

“I liked the last one better.”

The butler nodded solemnly.

“I agree. Let’s exclude this one and try the next.”

“Oh! What if we paired that with this?”

“Let’s try it.”

“Wait... Maybe it’s not that great after all.”

“No, I think this will work—like this...”

It was like playing dress-up. Angela chattered nonstop, treating it like a game, and the butler—remarkably—played along. Yujin felt like he was losing his mind. After trying on countless outfits, he finally hit a breaking point.

“I want to try the first one again.”

“That’s enough.”

He raised a hand, signaling surrender. Even for his daughter, he couldn’t keep going. Angela puffed her cheeks in protest, but the butler simply nodded and began tidying up. Yujin let out a deep sigh and collapsed into a chair. Angela, already dressed and styled herself, ran over and hugged his leg.

“Are you super tired, Daddy?”

“Yeah.”

He smiled and pulled her into his arms. She looked at him seriously.

“But Daddy, it was worth it. You look so pretty.”

“You mean handsome.”

“Why? You are pretty. Why say handsome?”

She tilted her head, confused. Yujin gave up on explaining.

“Mr. Campbell has returned.”

A servant spoke. The butler gave a short bow and quickly left. The room emptied in a flash. Yujin hesitated, then stood up with Angela still in his arms.

“Where are we going, Daddy?”

“Mr. Campbell came home. We should say hello.”

Angela pouted. Clearly not thrilled. Yujin gently coaxed her.

“It’s polite to greet people when they arrive. You’re a polite little girl, right?”

With a reluctant face, Angela nodded silently. Yujin kissed her cheek and headed out.

Winston was coming up the stairs. The butler followed behind. Rather than going down, Yujin stopped at the landing, watching him approach. Winston must have felt the gaze—he looked up. The moment their eyes met, Winston’s pace slowed... and then stopped completely.