Changmin was quite surprised when he heard footsteps down the servant's hall. At first, he thought it belonged to one of the maids but he recognised as a male's since it was heavier. Since it was coming from the direction of the lady's room, he knew it was Luhan who was heading for the sleeping quarters.

"Butler Xi, may I know what you are doing down here this late?" He asks as he emerges from the dark. 

"Gosh! Mr. Shim, you nearly scared me to death." The younger one says, patting his chest as if really caught by surprise. This is when the older man notices that the boy has not fully buttoned up his shirt and that his tie was loose. 

"I asked, Butler Xi, what is your business here." Changmin repeats his question, his cool glance fixes on his younger successor.

"Well, my lady prefers to be alone for the night so I'll be crashing in one of the empty servant rooms. If that's all right with you, Mr. Shim." The boy replies politely. He does respect the former house butler for his accomplishments and seriousness. He may be disappointed that the man hold's his mistress's heart but he'll not let the fact affect his professionalism. He has, after all, risked too much.

"Of course. You may have your rest." 

With that, Luhan leaves with a light bow.

From all the years he's been a butler, he could tell when something's fishy and at this moment, he can sense that something has most definitely gone wrong. Without himself knowing, he was striding towards Joohyun's bedroom. Even from the outside, he can hear the sniffling of the crying girl. He clutches his hands into fists, thinking that it must be that brat of a butler who has hurt her. Changmin wanted to rush downstairs, pull Luhan from his bed and out of the house to give him the punching he so deserved but before that, he will have to comfort her, for fear she might do something silly.

He knocks the door lightly and after a moment of silence, the girl blows her nose, probably in an attempt to hide any evidence of sobbing. 

"Come in! The door is unlocked." There is still traces of trembling in her voice.

Slowly, he pushed himself in and finds her sitting on her bed, arms wrapping round her folded legs. What surprised him most was the messy floor and the inappropriately undressed state she is in. He takes in the scene and the events begin to unfold in his mind. From how she is only in her lingerie and Xi Luhan's untidy suit, he concludes that the two must have gone farther than kissing. Thereupon, he feels his heart ache painfully. Past relationships with other girls had never made such an impact on him. Girls had always said he was too uncaring or distant and these have always been the reason they broke up with him, though it didn't bother him the least bit or did he try to save the bond for they were right and he had no wish of commiting anything more. So, to feel pain because of a girl was new to him and he concludes that he must really love this girl no matter how steep the circumstances are. He had an impulse to hug her and whisper to her that everything will be okay yet this would be against his profession. 

"Oh, it's you." She croaks, lifting her head to look at the man. He can see how the strands of hair framing her face are soaked with tears and her puffy eyes are red. "See how much of a mess I am." She attempts to chuckle at her self-mockery but her voice cracks and she once again, find herself crying. Joohyun wipes away the tears swiftly and forces a crooked smile. "Nothing to worry you. I'm just happy, you know."

"Tell me what's so delightful so that I might congratulate you." He says calmly, heart clenching strongly and tightly at how she was trying so hard to act strong and unaffected.

"Let's just say that I have found Seo Joohyun back in the midst of all of this." She glances at her room to indicate that she was talking about the materialistic things that are now in her possession. 

That did it for Changmin could no longer find the strength to fight his heart. He picks up her silk bathrobe hanging on the chair and wraps it round her near- body as he sits on the edge of her bed, hugging her all the while. 

Joohyun's eyes widen at the gesture but allows herself to ease into his embrace as he rocks her back and forth gently.

"You know," he whispers, "Seo Joohyun was never lost."

For once, since Tiffany's birthday, she feels the existence of the man who is willing to open up rather than the uptight butler. But this time, he needed no alcohol to bring out that side of him. However, she chooses not to speak of what she thinks, for fear that her words would wake her from this wonderful dream.

With a gentle push, Changmin has Joohyun's head resting on his shoulder. All the while, he her hair, trying to ease all the sadness and discomfort she has. "I'm sorry." He murmurs as he places a light kiss on the top of her head. While her heart flutters at his action, she wonders why he felt the need to apologize when it was she who had wronged him.

"I'm sorry that I left without giving you a proper explanation. You know, I was a coward." He continues, not waiting for her response, afraid that if he ever allowed the silence to epand, he may lose the courage to say the words that were buried in him for so long.

"I thought leaving was the easy way out. It would end my pain of having to be in such a difficult and exhasuting predicament of liking... no, loving you." He pauses, causing the girl to look up at him. He is staring into space, head leaning on hers. She thinks the tears have ceased but what he says have forced them to fill up the rim of her eyes.

"I may be a great, if not excellent, butler," he goes on with his confession, still avoiding eye contact, "but that's only because I hold my emotions well. And I didn't think I could maintain my professionalism if I stayed, for you bring out all those feelings in me.

"Now that I got time to think, it was the only decision I ever regret making. If I had stayed, Luhan would not have happened nor would you be here, in tears. Do you know how much it hurts to see you cry? And how powerless I feel to see I can do nothing to ease the hurt in you?"

His words make her feel guilty. She has her fair share of wrong doings and he should not have to bear all the burden when both of them are to blame for the consequences.

With a light hand, she cups his left cheek and guides it to face hers as she lifts her head off his shoulder.

"Look at me." She whispers and like a haunting spell, he follows her instruction, directing his dazed eyes to her brown ones.

"Do not feel sorry for I deserve all this agony."  He opens his mouth to interrupt but is halted by her raised finger on his lips. "Just let me finish.

"I have been so naiive to think that I will be unaffected by fame and fortune. It turns out that I'm just like any other girl, swooning the first handsome guy who comes her way," She stops here and brushes his cheekbone with her hand that is still holding his face. A smile crosses her face as she admires his tall nose, round eyes, perfectly-arched brows and defined lips. He is most definitely the best looking man she has ever set eyes on. "I would be lying if I did not find you attractive the first time I saw you." His face is now less sorrowful and seems to be smiling with his eyes. 

"Honestly, I have always thought myself an ugly duckling whose only talent is piano." She chuckles lightly at herself, "But you have taught me otherwise. Not with the beautiful clothes you put me in or the compliments that people give me. It's simply by the way you look at me that I feel confident and even, beautiful.Remember the photoshoot we had? It's the first time that I have considered myself to be worth being called 'pretty' and I had only realized it through your eyes. 

"Well, my gullibility does not stop there. I've been short-sighted enough to not realize all the responsibility you hold and that you simply couldn't throw that all away for me. I forced you into a tough situation and you were only acting as any human would --- choosing the easier path. There's no need to give yourself a hard time for that. 

"As for Luhan, I owe him an apology as I do you. I was the one who lured him into this, I insisted on it."

"But he should have known better, he's a grade A for God's sake..." He argues, not willing to hear her pinning the fault on herself. 

She interrupts him, "No, he knows that I still have you in my heart. He had only agreed to my biddngs because he hoped to heal me. Apparently, I overestimated my ability of curing heartaches." She makes a bitter smile. "But hey, no real damage done, especially not after what you have said."

She swipes her thumb aross his lips and glancing at him through her eyelashes, she leans in to close their gap. This kiss was neither firey like their first or sweet, it was salty. He could taste the dried tears on her pouty lips and it was the flavour of forgiveness and new beginnings.

Even as they part, they have their foreheads touching, maintaining their closeness. 

"By the way, I forgot to tell you," she whispers, "I love you."

"I love you too." He replies softly with a gentle grin. 

Slowly, he lays her body flat on the bed as he cuddles her lovingly with his arms wrapping round her waist.

"Morning will be a better day, I promise." He mutters into her ears as he rests his chin on her shoulder, breathing in her sweet scent.

He feels her nod lightly and in no time, they have drifted into their own dreamlands where they will certainly be meeting each other once more. 

A.N.:

Hi there!! I'm back after quite a long break!! I hope you like this chapter since it's Changmin and Seohyun's reunion!! Thank you for all of you who have upvoted this story and subscribed!! Most of all, thanks for commenting!! These forms of support are really appreciated!!

I'll try to update soon because I would really like to start my next story soon and Seohyun's Butler is obviously coming to an end. I also have a Seokai oneshot coming up in no time!! I'll post it once I get the poster :D I wonder if any of you will read it though, since I reckon most of you are Changseo shippers :P

Anyways, talk to you soon when I post a new chapter!