My Arrogant and Insolent Shadow - Chapter 25

He bowed politely without avoiding eye contact.

“Young Master.”

A bright smile lingered on the familiar face.

It was full of life, completely different from his own expression.

It was the kind of smile that would suit that girl quite well.

Only then did the girl’s head slowly turn toward him.

The moment her eyes met his, a deep tremble appeared in them.

Ah, that tremble used to amuse him. But today, it only irritated him.

Now, he thought he understood why he remained so dissatisfied.

Ever since that girl arrived at this estate, she had been stirring his temper more and more.

She kept avoiding him. And then she got caught meeting the silver-haired boy.

It was nothing new. Something he had heard about many times before.

Still, it bothered him.

Seeing it for himself felt completely different from just hearing about it.

He lifted a hand stained in violet, like blood, and let a flower petal fall. Then he stepped on it with his foot and sneered as he walked forward.

He only stopped when he reached Yurisiel.

More precisely, somewhere between Hael and Yurisiel.

Cassian stared straight at Yurisiel, who had gone pale.

He had cut off her escape, leaving her no way to run.

“What brings the Young Master here…”

Her trembling voice was as soft and delicate as her birth mother’s.

It was a fragile tone she never showed in daily life, and it irritated Cassian even more.

“Do I need permission to walk around my own estate?”

“I’m sorry.”

It was always the same words. “I’m sorry.” “Thank you.” “Yes.” “No.”

Her efforts to appear sincere only made her seem insincere. And she didn’t even realize how much that frustrated him.

Cassian turned and locked eyes with the silver-haired boy, who looked flustered.

The boy stood upright, meeting his gaze without bowing. Cassian sensed a bit of defiance in his posture.

“I heard you’re managing the horse for the next race.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Is Leopold ready?”

Leopold was the third of several horses Cassian had brought to the estate.

With his thick, shiny mane, he was the kind of horse who would have competed in many tournaments and received plenty of affection—if he had been raised elsewhere.

But here in Blanchet, he had been left to sit in the stable for quite some time.

That was because Cassian always kept his top two horses close by.

So it was only natural that Hael hadn’t prepared the third one.

Even the second-best horse was just a backup. No one had time to bother with the third, especially now.

“No. We’re still preparing the other racehorses…”

“Use that one instead.”

“Right now, sir?”

Cassian gave a small nod.

As he watched the Young Master smile brightly, Hael changed his mind.

This Young Master felt dangerous.

Just as Yurisiel had once said.

The way he looked at her was not ordinary.

A sense of unease briefly passed through Hael’s mind, but he shook it off.

“It must be my imagination.”

That Young Master lived in a world far removed from theirs.

Only after Hael walked away did Cassian calmly return to his room.

He enjoyed the confused look in the girl’s eyes as it followed him.

Back in his room, he raised one hand to summon the butler.

The butler, surprised by the violet stains on Cassian’s hand, quickly ordered the attendants to clean it.

Even in the middle of the commotion, the one who caused it remained calm.

Once the attendants had left, Cassian finally leaned back and relaxed.

Seeing this, the butler started to leave. But Cassian raised a finger, signaling him to stay.

As the butler approached, Cassian spoke in a chilling tone.

“Did you say that the daughter of House Bilrod is the same age as Yurisiel?”

The daughter of Bilrod was the identity they had created for Yurisiel.

“Surely… he’s not planning to do something to that girl now. After all this time?”

Since it was the butler himself who had helped set up that identity, he couldn’t hide the slight tremble in his hands.

“Yes, that’s correct.”

But Cassian’s next words were completely unexpected.

“Don’t you think Hael would go well with her?”

Hael and the daughter of House Bilrod. It was a pairing the butler had never imagined.

In reality, the two had no real connection.

After all, events hosted by wealthy commoners and those attended by even low-ranking nobles like the Bilrod’s were completely separate.

And yet, those two?

Besides, the Young Master had never even met the supposed Bilrod girl. How could he say she and Hael matched well?

Why would he say something like that?

The butler quickly ran through the possibilities in his mind.

“Could it be that he plans to introduce Hael to the Bilrod girl?”

A wealthy commoner and a baron’s daughter might seem like a good match on paper.

Lately, Hael’s mother had been quietly looking into marriage prospects.

Everyone in the estate already knew about Hael’s closeness with Yurisiel—the girl who occasionally came to this room.

But marriages never went the way the couple wanted.

A fatherless commoner girl would never meet the expectations of someone like Hael’s mother.

Lady Catherine, who probably didn’t even like the rumor of her son being close to a lowborn girl, was likely trying to put a stop to it.

Hael and Yurisiel.

The butler was certain about how that story would end.

And now, the daughter of House Bilrod.

A marriage proposal like this would be nearly impossible to come by in Alphonse.

It was obvious that both Hael’s side and the Bilrod family would be more than pleased with it.

Of course, the butler had no personal interest in such things, but the idea of taking credit for it gave him a quiet sense of satisfaction.

“I heard that Hael’s mother has been meeting with matchmakers lately. If it’s the young lady of the Bilrod family, I’m sure she’ll be delighted.”

Cassian’s lips curled into a faint, sharp smile.

“Send this to their family.”

He handed over a blue envelope.

The fine paper was stamped with the official seal of House Blanchet.

The butler tilted his head slightly, noticing how the envelope seemed to have been prepared ahead of time.

Now that he thought about it, was the heir of Blanchet really going this far for a lowborn girl?

It was strange, to say the least.

The butler was sure this wasn’t coming from pure intentions.

Still, this order would benefit both families, and it would give him a chance to earn favor from both sides.

He took the envelope with a cheerful smile.

“You’re truly thoughtful, sir. To think you would even consider such a matter. Lady Olga and Lady Catherine will be thrilled.”

Cassian didn’t react. As the butler listed off names he didn’t care for, he simply stared out the window with an indifferent look. Sensing the mood, the butler quickly excused himself and disappeared outside.

Cassian watched the butler walk across the courtyard, calling the coachman.

He slowly brushed his fingers across his lips, the same way he always did when something caught his interest.

He wondered if that boy and girl, who had probably spent time together in the garden’s warm greenhouse, would continue walking side by side in the days ahead.

If so, then maybe he should let them go. Cleanly.

If they longed for each other that much, he would allow it.

He was going to disappear anyway. And in true Blanchet fashion, he could end it all with one final act of charity.

Blanchets were known for showing grace, even at the moment of death, just to uphold that one line carved into their tombstones.

If giving life to the girl’s mother was the price for this twisted little game, then so be it.

In the end, he would crumble and vanish from this world. It didn’t matter whether those two lowly people found their happy ending. He wouldn’t be around to see it.

Of course, he didn’t plan to give the girl the medicine all at once.

Just a little at a time. Just enough to keep her waiting and desperate.

She needed to feel the thirst he felt. No—more than that.

Only then would she remember him. Only then would she mourn him.

That might finally be enough to bury these filthy emotions deep down and move on.

But of course, this was all just assuming that the silver-haired boy would once again choose her.

That she would once again fall into his arms without hesitation.

It was only a possibility.

He imagined the awful scene, even though it might never happen.

His imagination, cursed and vivid, played it out like a story in his head. Like a novel he hadn’t meant to write.

But even though he was the one writing it, he didn’t like how it ended.

His mood tangled up like a ball of thread, his thoughts messy and tight.

Trying to ignore the strange, gray feeling in his chest, Cassian picked up a book.

It was written by the same author who had been struggling lately to rewrite the plot to match Cassian’s taste.

If it was ever finished, he planned to have the girl read it.

Assuming it got published before he died.

If not, he’d simply have it delivered to her house.

A quiet laugh slipped from his lips.

He was laughing at himself, for having such foolish thoughts.

Since when had he cared about the love life of a commoner?

Anyone watching might even mistake her for his lover.

In truth, just like the butler’s reaction, it was absurd for someone from Blanchet to care about such insignificant people.

That was how it had always been. And that was how it should be.

So then why was he…

Cassian quickly forced himself to find an answer.

It was simply annoying, that was all.

He hated the way they acted like their fragile, fleeting love would last forever.

Of course, even he knew he had crossed a line.

But what could he do?

He, and all of Blanchet, were never known for being kind. Everyone already knew that.

He was just made this way. Cursed, even.

Cassian skimmed the book half-heartedly, then eventually set it down and closed his eyes.

When he opened them again, an image came to mind.

It was a drawing. One the girl had left unfinished.

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