It sounded like a painful sneer.

Yunhee immediately turned to Sunyeon, saying, "Shut up, brat." Then, he turned to me and said in a gentle tone, "I have to go right away, I'll close the coffin, okay?"

"No!" my lips said this subconsciously as if there was a strong rejection in the depth of my heart. "I mean — later — I still want to see him — let me be with him for a while, please."

I forced my stubbornness. Even though my voice and lips trembled from a severe wound, I wanted to affirm the words with the weak strength I had even if it would kill me.

In this situation, our eyes met. I looked at Yunhee with earnest pleading in my misty eyes, hoping that Yunhee could give some understanding and show a little empathy to someone as pathetic as me.

Yunhee was an arrogant man with a strict bloodline, and that was already engraved on his family's back. Even so, I knew that there was a gentle side to his cold heart; hidden, and no one could find it unless that person was someone with perfect tenderness, he would pull the tenderness from his heart with care and love.

I didn't have either of those things, but I was with this pitiful hope — hoping with all my dignity — he would show his empathy just this once.

This was our last moment that would never be repeated, like the time that kept turning but would never turn at the same moments in the past. Even with its high hopes beyond the sky, it would never touch anything but the void, then fall and instantly shatter down.

However, before hearing a response from Yunhee who showed no emotion on his face, suddenly and unexpectedly, my hand was pulled back quite firmly, so that I fell on the cold ground. I froze for a few seconds before lifting my face weakly.

It was Sunyeon who did it. He looked at me with hatred and disgust on his face. He yelled, "Go away! Don't show your face again! Disappear from this earth and don't leave your bones on the ground — even that curses you!"

Yunhee was also surprised at the same time, he immediately helped me to get up. He was about to curse at Sunyeon, but before he did, there was a loud slap that made everyone in this room silent as if time had also stopped.

Daehyun angrily looked at Sunyeon who fell on the ground after he hit his face hard. There wasn't even any guilt or remorse on his face. He threatened, "If you touch him again, I won't hold myself from beating you harder than this."

Daehyun looked scary, I was even surprised.

Meanwhile, Sunyeon, who touched his painful face slowly shifted his body backward, looked terrified.

After that, Daehyun turned to me and suddenly his angry face turned worried. He then immediately sat up and grabbed me from Yunhee, then hugged me before he lifted his gaze back to Sunyeon. His eyes turned gloomy in an instant — dark and furious.

The ferocity on his face was something that couldn't be ignored, made Sunyeon's cold face with hatred gradually turn into panic, and there was fear flashing in his eyes.

Meanwhile, Yunhee rushed over to Sunyeon, intending to help him to get up. However, Sunyeon was flatly rejected and allowed himself to sit on his own strength.

Yunhee said, "Kim, you shouldn't have to hit him that hard. You're going too far."

However, Daehyun looked unconcerned as if the words "he deserves it" were written on his face. He then asked me worriedly, "Chunghee, are you okay? Are you hurt?"

There was bitterness in my eyes filled with tears as I forced a smile and shook my head weakly.

"Heh, embarrassing," Yunhee muttered in a small voice. But in this silent room, the echo of his voice could be heard with clear words. He then left with no joy on his face.

However, the word "embarrassing" that was affirmed so hard had left an imprint on my chest quite deep even without knowing the true meaning of the word.

I didn't know why he said that and to whom that was for. However, I felt hurt when I heard Yunhee say that consciously and sounded disgusted.

Meanwhile, Daehyun was about to help me up and sat on one of the chairs. However, I gently refused and wanted to stay by Donghwa's side one last time. Daehyun gently stroked my head and wiped my face which was only filled with tears that kept rolling non-stop.

In a situation like this, everyone else's feelings weren't very clear to me — even to my own. I didn't know if Daehyun was doing something that genuinely cares for me or was it just pity. I thought that it was all just guilt.

With all this desperation, I looked at the half-smiling Donghwa photo, and asked Daehyun, "Is this all my fault?"

Finishing my sentence, I mustered up the courage to turn to Daehyun beside me and look into his eyes.

Daehyun smiled and there was a brightness in his shady eyes. He answered sincerely, "No. How can you blame yourself? Of course, it's not your fault."

Hearing his words, calmed down my feelings that had completely lost their calmness from the start.

Although that sounded very convincing, I knew it quite clearly, that the answer was indeed specially modified to calm my chaotic feelings.

However, I didn't make any comments. Like the answer I needed right now, there was no way for me not to take the words from him.

I thought that if someone also asked that when he was grieving to me, then I would definitely say the same.

I was stunned and smiled weakly without a word.

However, one of the men in the Kim Family suddenly came and whispered words to Daehyun, which I could still hear clearly, "Young Master, your father asked you to return to the main house. He is already waiting for you there. He said he wanted to talk about something."

Daehyun was silent for a moment, took a deep breath, then replied indifferently, "Tell him I don't want to go home."

"Sir, your father will be furious if you don't return this time."

"I don't care. Just tell him like that," he replied, still indifferently.

Hearing the conversation, I instinctively grabbed Daehyun's wrist. There was a worry that crossed my heart. Then, he immediately turned and smiled at me as if his current face was saying "everything will be fine" even without words.