My Arrogant and Insolent Shadow - Chapter 41

The servant working at the manor had once served under Lady Catherine long ago.

It was rare for commoners to employ household staff, but the owner of a wealthy horse ranch could live almost like nobility.

At the time, Lady Catherine selected the most capable of her servants and sent her to the lord’s estate with a letter of recommendation.

Her goal was simple. She wanted someone loyal by the lady of the manor’s side so she could stay informed about the lord’s plans and control over the territory.

The reason was obvious.

In a place like Alphonse, even the smallest bit of information could become power.

The servant who took the letter, Matil, entered the lord’s household and soon earned the lady’s trust.

From then on, she provided Catherine with useful information from time to time.

Of course, Catherine paid her well for it. That was only fair.

But recently, Matil had crossed a line. She dared to ask for a loan.

She said her father had been tricked, lost all his money, and ended up in prison. Now she was asking Catherine to lend her the bail money.

How foolish of him to fall for a scam.

That day, Lady Catherine simply sent Matil away, even though she was crying.

The bail she asked for was equivalent to nearly three years of her salary.

In these times, with the empire’s interest rates so high, such a large amount of money?

Catherine didn’t need long to decide.

The amount Matil asked for was far too much compared to the value of the information she had brought.

But now, the balance had shifted.

Because now, her son’s future was at stake.

If she could only drive that girl, Yurisiel, away, then the money wouldn’t matter.

Catherine clicked her tongue and approached Matil.

When Matil saw the woman who had rejected her not long ago, her face turned cold and stiff.

Catherine, finding her reaction almost amusing, began to speak.

“I heard your father’s situation still hasn’t been resolved.”

Matil looked at her in shock.

“What are you trying to say all of a sudden?”

Catherine looked at her without emotion, casually turning her ring with one hand.

“I’m thinking of paying your father’s bail.”

“What…?”

“Depending on what you do for me.”

“What is it that I have to do?”

Matil looked at her with desperate eyes, and Catherine placed the ring in her hand.

Matil’s eyes widened as she realized it was Lady Catherine’s wedding ring.

“Put this into Yurisiel’s pouch.”

“What… what do you mean…?”

“You have to take your chances when they come. Don’t you agree, Matil?”

Matil looked toward the girl dressed beautifully, trailing behind the young master with a pale face.

She had seen her a few times in passing.

Even if she hadn’t, Yurisiel was already well-known among the servants.

She was the only one who could handle the young master’s difficult personality.

She had a natural elegance and beauty that suited dresses perfectly, making it hard to believe she came from a humble background.

Everyone envied her and whispered behind her back, but to Matil, her life didn’t seem much better.

That had always been the extent of Matil’s feelings toward Yurisiel.

But no matter how she felt, this was still a crime.

Then again, that girl had nothing to do with her.

Yurisiel was just another person. Her father was her family.

Matil had a rough idea of what Catherine might do, but she ignored it and took the ring.

All she had to do was plant it in the girl’s pouch.

Yurisiel might be favored by Lord Cassian, but even he wouldn’t keep a thief at his side.

If anyone deserved sympathy, it was her father, who had been scammed and imprisoned.

And if she was careful, there was little chance of being caught.

Matil had often been praised for her quick, skilled hands.

Her face hardened with determination as she clutched the ring.

“You have to keep your promise.”

“Have I ever made a promise I didn’t keep?”

Matil bit her lip and quickly walked away. Catherine, watching her retreating figure, let the smile fade from her lips.

She stood alone in the ballroom with a cold expression, her gaze fixed on Yurisiel standing far across the room.

That girl had always stirred an uncomfortable feeling within her.

She had nothing, yet walked proudly with her head held high, just like her mother, Jane.

Now, it was time for her to learn her place.

The young master had never let me leave his side, not even once.

The lord had suggested he dance, but he declined politely, saying the doctor advised against it.

It was silly to suggest dancing in the first place.

He looked fine standing there, but his life was being held together by the constant care of excellent physicians.

The fact that he even attended this event was already pushing his limits.

No one else seemed to notice. Even I, standing right next to him, couldn’t tell.

He simply walked and moved slowly in rhythm with the music.

I thought he would leave after greeting a few people, but he ignored the doctor’s advice and stayed.

Eventually, we reached a quiet terrace, away from the crowd.

Cassian let out a long breath and looked at me silently.

In that moment, he looked calm and distant, as if nothing was wrong.

Before I could stop myself, I spoke without thinking.

“Why did you do that?”

Her quiet voice floated gently over the soft melody.

“What do you mean?”

A faint smirk appeared on his face, as if he found her question amusing.

Yurisiel couldn’t understand him at all.

“You introduced Hael to Lady Vivian.”

In that moment, the smile that had touched Cassian’s lips disappeared completely.

Yurisiel assumed she must have imagined it. His face was partly hidden in the shadows cast by the edge of the terrace.

“Because they look good together.”

His words were simple and clear, leaving Yurisiel at a loss for words.

She already knew. She had always known that she and Hael didn’t suit each other.

That’s why she had already accepted how things would end. That’s why she tried to avoid it.

Still, she never expected to hear it said so plainly right in front of her from someone who had nothing to do with it.

The soft music continued in the background, but her mood dropped like a stone.

Even then, the young master didn’t stop with his sarcasm.

“You’re the one who said it. That the woman was at fault.”

The woman?

Ah. A moment later, the book she used to read to him every day floated back into her mind.

The story of a doomed male lead, one who reminded her so much of the man standing in front of her, and his final 365 days.

Back then, she had said exactly that.

That the woman was at fault.

That someone who dared to reach beyond her place had no right to complain when things went wrong.

She had said it because she thought it was what he wanted to hear.

Now, it seemed he saw her in the same way, as someone foolish enough to reach for Hael and end up tossed aside.

Just like the woman in that story.

Cassian’s lips twisted into a cruel smile.

“Have you changed your mind now?”

His red eyes locked onto her, unblinking. There was nowhere to escape in the narrow terrace.

He must have defended Hael with that same expression.

Saying things like Hael was a faithful believer in the Church. That he had never even looked at another woman.

Words that sounded noble and sincere at least on the surface.

If someone had heard him say that, they would have thought he was Hael’s closest friend.

But Yurisiel could see it clearly.

She saw how twisted his smile had been, how off it looked when he said those words.

Cassian had never meant them with kindness. Not even once.

Maybe their two families were too tense to notice, but she saw the truth.

Cassian had been mocking Hael from the very beginning.

To him, she and Hael were just playing a foolish little game.

That sounded exactly like something Cassian would believe.

Had he just asked if she had changed her mind?

“Of course not. Now I understand it even more clearly.”

“…”

“The woman really was at fault.”

Yes. Now she understood perfectly.

She had fooled herself into thinking she could reach something that was never meant for her.

The fact that she once thought Cassian might have feelings for her—it felt ridiculous now.

Today, this proud and cruel young master made everything clear.

So, she would follow his will. Exactly as he wanted.

“I’ve learned my lesson. I won’t look up at something I can never reach. Thank you for making that clear.”

Cassian’s face suddenly turned rigid.

The smile vanished. His eyes grew cold as he stared straight at her.

She hadn’t imagined it. He stepped forward, into the light, closing the space between them, and his expression was truly cold.

It was the same look he had when he saw her standing with Hael.

That coldness should have been hers.

Wasn’t he the one who should have felt satisfied watching her and Hael struggle? Wasn’t this what he wanted?

She should have been the one to feel angry. So why was it always him wearing that expression?

A sharp feeling crept up from the soles of her feet, prickling through her body.

The heat she felt earlier had vanished the moment he gave the command.

“You may go.”

She left the terrace quickly, as if running away.

Only when she bumped into someone did her mind snap back into focus.

She had been so out of it, she didn’t even see the servant coming.

“I’m sorry,” she muttered weakly, lifting her head.

A familiar face stood before her.

A girl with curly hair, someone she had passed by a few times before.

They’d never really spoken, but unlike the other servants, this girl never looked at her with malice. That had left a small impression on Yurisiel.

The girl, who usually looked quiet and frail, was unexpectedly lively today as she led Yurisiel toward the restroom.

Only then did Yurisiel notice the red wine staining her dress.

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