My Arrogant and Insolent Shadow - Chapter 26

The picture, likely to remain unfinished forever, had gradually taken shape over the past few months by her hand.

For someone who had never even dreamed of hiring a private tutor, she drew surprisingly well.

Of course, it was only “surprising” and nothing more.

Compared to the countless exhibitions he had seen, featuring skilled painters who graduated at the top of the capital’s academy, she was still far from refined.

Still, the rough pencil strokes came together to form a passable image of him.

It was different from the sketch he had once drawn for her.

Of course, he had the ability to draw properly. He had simply chosen not to, so it wasn’t a fair comparison.

Cassian looked down at Yurisiel’s drawing without much thought, then brushed his hand across the paper.

The sharp jawline and straight nose were shaded with care and depth.

It was clear that she had made an effort to avoid offending him.

When he thought of how she had tried to please him with those delicate hands, probably while silently cursing him in her mind, a quiet laugh escaped him.

Even so, there was one thing this drawing could not hide.

The slightly lowered eyes, as if staring straight at something.

Anyone could tell from those eyes that they carried resentment. They clearly reflected how she felt about him.

She always trembled when their eyes met.

Was this really how she saw him?

His dry eyes stayed on the drawing for quite a long time.

Time passed, unaffected by anyone’s feelings.

In the middle of the slowly intensifying summer heat, Yurisiel found a rare moment of peace as she watched the thick, green leaves swaying gently.

This place wasn’t truly safe or comfortable. It was dangerous and uncertain.

But just for now, just for a moment.

Compared to the stifling air of that room, or the unbearable pressure of facing the young master, this sunlight was something she could bear.

As if there was no shelter in the world where she could hide from the heat.

Every year, the same hellish summer returned, and she had never learned to endure it.

As she sat still, a soft breeze cut through the heat and brushed her face.

She could breathe a little more easily.

Maybe even this oppressive heat was better than standing in front of him.

She wanted to escape, but she had no choice but to stay. That was the most painful part.

If she tried to run, she might truly collapse in this burning weather.

People with nothing to protect themselves are the first to fall when faced with even the smallest challenge.

Especially now, when her mother had only just started to regain her strength. She didn’t even want to imagine losing her again.

That young master, whether she liked it or not, was the only thread keeping them alive.

Thinking about it, the whole situation felt absurd. He could have ignored her completely, but for some reason, he kept interfering.

He had destroyed their home, only to give them a new one later.

He gave her medicine that could save her mother, but only one pill at a time.

He treated her like a performer in a circus. And when he saw her with Hael, he caused a scene.

Since that day, she tried her best to avoid Hael.

She was afraid that being near her might put him in danger.

If anyone had to suffer for displeasing that young master, it should only be her.

The more she thought about it, the less Cassian resembled the person Hael once described.

The noble young master she had seen in Alphonse never even spoke to commoners, yet he always maintained dignity and grace.

How could someone act so differently, just toward her?

At first, she thought his cruelty came from learning he didn’t have long to live. But looking back, he had always been like this with her.

He never spoke nonsense to others or acted selfishly with them.

People in Alphonse respected and admired the young heir of Blanchet.

That had never changed.

It seemed she was the only one who feared what was behind his mask.

Everyone else had been fooled.

Fooled by that angelic face of his.

As her thoughts sank deeper, Yurisiel noticed Hael approaching in the distance.

He waved and ran toward her with his usual bright smile.

Just like always.

His long legs stretched out with each stride, almost like a galloping horse. He really was starting to resemble the animals he loved so much.

“Why haven’t I seen you lately?”

“I’ve just been a little busy.”

Yurisiel gave him an awkward smile instead of an explanation.

Hael could no longer ignore the sinking feeling he had been pushing aside.

She hadn’t really been that busy these past days.

He had seen her sometimes, sitting with her mother under a lamp or wandering alone beneath the trees.

He thought they would naturally see each other often since he worked at the estate and she lived there.

That expectation had been completely crushed.

Even the day they were caught together by the young master, Hael had been the one to approach her first.

Was it possible that Yurisiel had somehow learned what he heard at the clinic?

Ever since that day, something in her attitude toward him had changed. Hael felt his heart twist with worry.

Still, he couldn’t bring it up.

He had already tried collecting all the money he could find from the house and his side jobs, but it wasn’t enough.

When his father found out and called him in, Hael asked for more money and was scolded harshly.

He had lied, saying it was for a horse. There was no way they would guess it was for Yurisiel.

Since then, he had been choosing one of his beloved horses.

He planned to sell it at the market tomorrow.

Just thinking about selling that horse, one he had raised for years, shared breath with, and looked in the eyes every day, tore his heart apart.

But he had no choice.

He didn’t want to see Yurisiel cry.

Of course, even if he sold the horse, it wasn’t guaranteed that Lady Jane would be completely healed.

There was only so much Hael could do with the resources he had.

Still, he wanted to give his best for Yurisiel.

Maybe the reason she’s been keeping her distance is because she’s worried about her mother.

That thought helped Hael push down the bitter feeling inside.

Over the past several days, he had tried reaching out to Yurisiel more than once, even though she didn’t come to him.

But lately, it felt like she was avoiding him on purpose. So he decided to step back.

He was afraid that if he kept pushing, she might grow to dislike him.

Even now, he hadn’t planned to come find her. But in the end, he couldn’t stop himself.

When Yurisiel noticed him, her expression briefly faltered, and she glanced around, as if checking her surroundings.

Maybe it’s not the medicine. Maybe it’s because of the young master.

That uneasy feeling, buried deep in Hael’s heart, finally rose to the surface.

“What did the young master say to you?”

Yurisiel’s green eyes trembled slightly.

A few strands of her pretty red hair, usually hidden under her white hat, fluttered gently across her face.

His heart sank. She looked too beautiful in that moment.

She was so lovely in his eyes. It had been a mistake to assume the young master wouldn’t notice.

He thought he was safe, believing they came from two completely different worlds.

But that difference only made it more dangerous.

“What do you think he said? The usual. He was just unpleasant, like always.”

Yurisiel smiled lightly, as if it didn’t matter.

But Hael couldn’t feel at ease.

While working in the estate, he had heard a lot of things.

Mary, the head maid of the lord’s house, had once said she felt a bit more relaxed ever since El became the young master’s attendant.

Before that, Cassian went through attendants constantly. But now, he only called for El.

Hael knew he had no right to tell Yurisiel to quit. That only made it harder to bear.

She couldn’t stop working because of Lady Jane.

Since returning to work, El and her mother had been given a room in the mansion.

And little by little, Lady Jane had started to recover.

These were all things Hael had wanted to give Yurisiel, but couldn’t.

So, he couldn’t bring himself to say something as irresponsible as, “Just quit.”

Still, if he could sell Britt and raise enough money, maybe…

Yurisiel stepped into his hazy vision like smoke drifting through the air.

“How’s the race preparation going?”

Hael quickly fixed his expression and smiled, trying to appear as usual.

“It’s going well.”

Then he started talking about horses for a long time, hoping to erase all the heavy thoughts from his mind.

This horse was doing this. That one was doing that.

But in all of that, he never once mentioned Britt.

Hael had always treated his horses equally, showing the same love and attention to all of them. That’s why Yurisiel noticed the difference right away.

“How’s Britt doing these days?”

She remembered how worried he had been not long ago when Britt wasn’t doing well.

“He got treatment. He’s doing fine now.”

But Hael’s expression didn’t look cheerful.

Yurisiel felt uneasy. She wanted to ask more, but she sensed it would only make things harder for him. So instead, she gave a small nod.

“I’m glad to hear that. I should get going now.”

Just as she turned, Hael gently grabbed her arm.

“El…”

“Yeah?”

Even though he stopped her, Hael didn’t speak. He just looked at her quietly.

For a long time, he simply stared into her eyes.

His blue gaze shimmered slightly, carrying a quiet sadness.

Yurisiel tilted her head in confusion. Was something going wrong with the race preparations?

But if that were the case, there was no reason for him not to say so. It wasn’t something that needed to be kept secret.

A warm breeze passed between them, brushing through Hael’s silver hair.

As he stood with the sun at his back, a long shadow stretched behind him.

Finally, Hael opened his mouth and began to speak.

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