My Arrogant and Insolent Shadow - Chapter 27

“If I manage to gather enough money someday…”

“Yeah?”

“…Never mind.”

“What? Tell me.”

“It’s nothing. Really.”

Hael forced a weak smile and waved his hand dismissively.

Telling Yurisiel to quit or stay out of something felt like overstepping.

She would make her own choices, especially when it came to serious matters like that. She wasn’t someone who needed direction from him.

The sky above the old zelkova tree near the center of the estate was already tinged with shades of red.

Today was the day he had decided to take Britt to the Rittenbuff Auction, so he needed to hurry.

Yurisiel made her way quickly through the corridor and returned to her room.

Something about Hael’s behavior had felt off, but by the time she reached the hallway, the memory of it had already begun to fade.

Especially when she passed near the young master’s room. At that point, all other thoughts vanished completely.

Every time she walked past that space, her heart trembled as if she were guilty of some unspeakable crime.

During working hours, she had no choice but to enter that room, but outside of work, being seen by him and dragged back was the last thing she wanted.

It felt unfair, but to be precise, there was no clear definition of working hours for the young master’s attendant. He wasn’t making unreasonable demands.

Which meant it was always her responsibility to figure out how and when to escape.

Quietly, like a stray cat.

Her steps became even more cautious in front of the heavy door to Cassian’s room.

It was made of thick, antique wood that didn’t let a sound pass through, but that didn’t matter. She was always scared when she passed it.

It was the ridiculous thought that he might somehow be watching her through that door.

She finally made it past the hallway and reached her room.

Only then did she let out a long breath.

It was such a relief to get there without being stopped today.

Last time, she had been caught and dragged back into that room, spending another uncomfortable stretch of time in front of Cassian.

Even thinking about it made her heart pound uncontrollably.

When she entered the room, her mother, Lady Jane, was lying on the couch, fast asleep.

A half-knitted scarf was still resting in her hand.

On the table nearby, several more scarves and bundles of yarn were stacked up.

She’s still sick. Why won’t she rest?

Even though she had been improving slightly since receiving the young master’s medicine, she was still far from fully recovered.

A long-standing illness didn’t heal overnight.

The family doctor had also said she needed to be careful.

The frustration rose quickly in Yurisiel’s chest, but she couldn’t be upset. She understood what these scarves meant.

Her mother was doing it for her.

If they sold these, even just a few of them, it could bring in a little money.

Lady Jane wanted to do something—anything—to help.

Every time she received the medicine, her mother looked as though she carried the weight of guilt.

Trying to ease that guilt, she kept finding things to work on.

Still, she’s getting a little better now. She must be okay.

Letting her keep doing this might actually give her peace of mind.

So Yurisiel said nothing and let the days pass.

Little by little, her mother took on more and more. Just like her love.

Love always came with overwhelming desire. It wasn’t something you could simply hold back.

Just as Yurisiel reached for a bundle of yarn with a quiet sigh, Lady Jane stirred awake.

Seeing her daughter, her lips curled into a warm smile.

“You look beautiful, my girl.”

“Of course I do. Look who my mother is.”

Lady Jane reached out and ruffled Yurisiel’s hair, laughing softly.

Yurisiel smiled in return, instead of telling her to stop.

“Is this work okay? Isn’t it too much?”

“It’s fine. It keeps me from getting bored, actually.”

“Still, don’t push yourself. The doctor said last time…”

Lady Jane had seen Yurisiel copying texts and reading many times. She knew better than anyone how bright and capable her daughter was.

Yurisiel had a natural talent for learning and understanding.

If only she hadn’t had someone like me for a mother… she could’ve flown so much higher.

Lady Jane didn’t want to be a burden. But the moment she fell ill, she had become one, whether she liked it or not.

Maybe the heavens took pity on them. As if in answer, the young master of this household had appeared, like a stroke of luck.

When she thought about all the hard, thankless work her daughter had done before coming here, she felt truly grateful.

This mansion was large and comfortable, and the work was much more manageable than what she had dealt with in the past.

But even so, Lady Jane felt uneasy.

Nothing this generous ever came without a price.

“El, you don’t have to sacrifice yourself for me.”

“What are you talking about? If it were the other way around, you’d do the same.”

“Mom and daughter aren’t the same.”

“What are you talking about? We’re family.”

Yurisiel’s tearful face lingered in Lady Jane’s eyes, making her heart ache.

Without saying a word, Lady Jane reached out and gently held her daughter’s hand.

“What about the young master? Is the work too difficult?”

Lady Jane had heard rumors about the heir of Blanchet from people outside.

They said he was unlike other nobles, someone who took care of even the less fortunate, a kind and generous person.

But after moving into the mansion, she overheard very different things from the other servants.

They said the young master had a bad temper and changed moods as easily as boiling soup.

Was he hiding his true nature? Was her daughter working under someone like that?

And not just anyone. It was the heir of Blanchet, someone so far above them they could not even dream of reaching him.

Of course, Lady Jane was worried. Any mother would be.

Yurisiel knew her mother was worried. She had hoped that Lady Jane would never learn what kind of person Cassian really was.

But the moment they accepted his help and entered this mansion, that hope had already slipped away.

Was he a good person?

The kind words spoken about him in public were completely different from the cruel things he had said to her, from the mocking smile he always wore when speaking to her.

Still, the words that came out of her mouth were the ones she had practiced many times.

“He’s just a normal noble.”

“That’s good to hear.”

But Lady Jane didn’t fully believe it.

Her daughter might not realize it, but she had seen the way the young master looked at her.

It wasn’t something she could ignore. His gaze was always focused on her daughter, and it was too intense, too sharp.

She tried to ignore the uneasy feeling in her chest, but it was still there.

“If it ever gets too hard, tell me. Sometimes I feel like the time when we had nothing was better than this.”

Lady Jane held Yurisiel’s hand tighter and looked at her calmly. Her eyes were faded, but the strength in them was clear.

“So, if you ever feel that way, let’s leave. We can find somewhere else and start over.”

Lady Jane smiled as she spoke, but Yurisiel’s heart twisted.

How could her mother say that their old life was better?

Back then, she had lived in fear every day, afraid that her mother might die.

She had stood in the alley, helpless, watching her mother grow weaker, unable to do anything.

Lady Jane had been dying slowly, with no help, no medicine, and no comfort.

There was no way that life had been better than this.

Even if she had to face the cold and terrifying Cassian every day, this was still better.

Her mother was recovering. She looked at her daughter now with strength in her eyes.

To say that the past was better could only mean one thing. Her mother was still worried about her.

“I like it here much better. I’m never going back to that hell.”

At first, Yurisiel had resented the young master.

But in the end, it was Cassian who gave her a lifeline.

In this house, her mother received medicine, and thanks to Cassian’s orders, she was able to see a doctor.

“So, stop saying those things, Mom. Don’t talk like that.”

Yurisiel understood her mother’s fear.

Lady Jane was afraid of people from the upper class. She feared people like Cassian.

That fear was common, but in her mother’s case, it was worse than most.

Even when nobles passed through the village, Lady Jane would avoid them.

It wasn’t hard to guess where that fear had come from.

Her father had probably thrown Lady Jane aside to protect his noble status.

Or maybe it was worse. Maybe he had treated her mother like nothing more than a toy.

Just a bit of entertainment.

That thought filled Yurisiel with anger toward a man she had never even met.

“Please just focus on getting better. Don’t waste your energy worrying about things that don’t matter.”

Lady Jane looked at her clever daughter and smiled faintly.

“All I want is for you to be happy. Whatever that means.”

As Yurisiel looked down at their hands, a bell rang in her ear.

The young master was calling.

“Mom, I’ll be back.”

Yurisiel stood and quickly left. Lady Jane watched her daughter’s delicate figure as she disappeared through the doorway.

After ringing the bell, it usually took Yurisiel about ten minutes to arrive.

Anyone would think she lived in a village far away instead of inside the same mansion.

She dragged her feet on purpose, always trying to delay. Cassian had allowed it so far, pretending not to care.

He let her get away with it.

As usual, he filled the wait by listening to the butler’s report.

“After hearing the young master’s wish to bring the two together, Lord Blanchet has decided to host a formal gathering.”

The guest list included Lady Catherine, Hael’s mother, her husband Lord Olga, and members of the Bilrod family.

The butler briefly shook his head, remembering how annoyed Lady Catherine had been when she found out.

Still, she had no choice. She was now busy preparing the ballroom for the event.

Everything was going exactly as Cassian had planned.

Every part of it had unfolded exactly as he expected.

But then the butler mentioned something unexpected.

“Today, Hael traveled to Bronze Village to meet with the auction host.”

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