Chapter 009
Chapter 9: The Master and the Apprentice (3)
Though she remained silent and didn’t respond, she couldn’t help but feel as if something inside her was tearing apart.
‘Every time I bow my head to them and endure their insults, I feel like I’m crumbling.’
Cordelia listened quietly, hiding her pained heart.
“You must be tired from coming all this way, Lily.”
“Yes!”
No matter how many times Lily tried to insult her, Cordelia listened with a smile, so it seemed Lily lost interest and went inside with Helena.
When they reached the reception room, the maids quickly brought tea. Three cups were served, but one went cold. That was because no one offered Cordelia a seat.
She was so used to being treated this way that she didn’t even think it was strange.
“By the way, how’s Craig doing?”
“Ugh. Don’t mention it. His body has recovered a bit, and he can walk around now.”
“Then?”
“The most important thing now is his head.”
“What? How so?”
“It’s complicated, to put it mildly. It’s like he’s lost his mind; he’s like a fool. Oh, my head.”
Helena touched her temple as if in pain. Lily’s face immediately filled with concern.
“How serious is his condition in your opinion? I thought he was getting better now…”
“Instead of sitting here drinking tea, I should go see Craig now.”
“What? Wait, Lily! Lily!”
Helena quickly stood up from her seat and tried to stop her, but it was no use. Lily had already opened the door and run into the hallway, so Cordelia couldn’t even see the hem of her skirt.
“Oh, that stubborn child. Hey, you, why are you still standing there? Go after her.”
Helena shouted at Cordelia, who was standing quietly.
“Me?”
“Then who else am I talking to here? Can’t you run faster?”
Cordelia reluctantly walked very slowly toward Leonard’s bedroom.
When she reached his room, she heard Lily’s voice through the crack in the door.
“…How could you do that?”
When she opened the door, a dramatic scene unfolded.
Lily’s eyes were so wet that it seemed her tears could fall at any moment.
“How, how could you forget our childhood together?”
She was acting like a woman abandoned by her lover. On the other hand, Leonard was frowning and disgusted.
As soon as he made eye contact with Cordelia, who entered the room, he pointed his chin at Lily.
“She’s noisy, so get this thing out.”
“Craig! Do you really not remember me? Huh?”
“Lily, Craig just woke up and is tired. Instead, go have tea with the lady…”
“How dare you touch me?”
Lily shouted angrily and slapped Cordelia’s hand away. It was so forceful that Cordelia stumbled slightly.
Naturally, Lily didn’t even look back. Cordelia sighed lightly and approached Lily again.
“Lily.”
“Ugh. Do you think just because I left the castle, you’ve become the lady here? If it weren’t for your cheap blood, you wouldn’t even have been a maid in this castle, you know?”
“…”
“How dare you be so mean. Don’t bother me and get out. I have something to talk about with Craig.”
‘I thought it wouldn’t hurt anymore because I’ve heard it so many times, but just because there are nails in your foot doesn’t mean it stops hurting.’
Her heart ached painfully, but Cordelia tried to pretend she didn’t know what that feeling was.
“You’re like an annoying dog that keeps barking.”
“Sorry, Lily. The lady wants you.”
“Who are you?”
“Craig? It’s me, Lily. Your sister, Lily.”
“No. You’re the one who’s getting out of here.”
Leonard, who had been lying in bed the whole time, stood up. He looked directly into Cordelia’s eyes and said.
“You opened your mouth and chattered so much when you were with me, but why are you silent now?”
“…Craig.”
“Craig?”
Both women looked at him at the same time. Leonard stood up completely.
“Just say what you want to say and live. If you stay silent like this, you’ll die.”
“Craig!”
Unable to bear his continued disregard, Lily screamed. Then Leonard openly showed an annoyed expression.
“My ears hurt. Hey, you. You’re the loudest and most malicious person in this room. Get out now.”
“What? Craig. What does that mean? I’m Lily. Your sister, Lil…”
“Oh, I know you’re Lily, so get out. Because I don’t want to talk to a woman from a lowly family like you.”
“W-What? Huh?”
“Yes, what’s so great about paying money to the Abrams family and getting a noble title?”
Of course, compared to the Atily family, the Abrams family was no different from commoners, but this was not at all something Craig, who inherited that lineage, would say.
Lily was so embarrassed that she couldn’t find words to respond. She only stammered with the same words.
On the other hand, Cordelia, standing beside her, had to pinch her thighs to suppress her laughter.
“Do you even know what the eight sacred families are? Though she seems a bit foolish, Cordelia Vasquez is on a different level from a child like you who has no foundation.”
“…”
“If I think about it more, you’re no different from a commoner. Because you don’t even know these things.”
Leonard looked at Lily with that cold, disdainful gaze he was so good at.
Lily’s face was miserably distorted. Cordelia lowered her head to avoid laughing.
“This is too much. Ugh. You’re really mean.”
“It’s noisy, get out and cry outside.”
His final words were the decisive blow.
As soon as Lily heard Leonard’s harsh words, she cried and ran out of the room.
Cordelia’s shoulders trembled for a moment after Lily completely left.
“Why do you feed someone like that?”
“My goodness, this is the first time I’ve seen Lily with an expression like that.”
“Of course it’s the first time you’ve seen her like that. Because you’ve been silent all this time.”
Leonard answered bluntly. Cordelia, who had been laughing for a while, straightened her back.
She laughed so hard that tears came to her eyes. She said, wiping the slightly wet corners of her eyes.
“Oh, I feel refreshed. It’s been a long time since I laughed like this.”
“If you’re planning to get a divorce anyway, why stay silent with a woman like that?”
“Are you asking because you don’t know, or because you want to mock me?”
“What?”
“I can’t get a divorce right away, and I have no money or savings. But who can I trust, and why would I rebel against the members of this family?”
Cordelia said with a self-deprecating smile.
“After all, they brought me here for this purpose.”
“For this purpose?”
“I’m not a person in this castle; I’m just a tool to make them share a bond with Vasquez. There’s no reason to treat something like that as human.”
Something like that.
The way she referred to herself was extremely cold.
Though she pretended it was nothing, Cordelia’s eyes were full of pain.
She quickly wiped her eyes and added cheerfully:
“No matter how much I hate this, I can’t leave this house with nothing. If I want to get alimony, I have to stay silent.”
Leonard roughly scratched his neck and asked in his usual gruff tone.
“How much do you need?”
“What?”
“Money, how much do you need?”
Her breath caught at this trivial question.
“Money? Well, um…”
I could’ve told him as if it weren’t important, but I was afraid he’d mock me if I told him the amount.
To him, it was just a meaningless number, but to her, it was a mountain that could stay with her for life, so she felt miserable.
‘Why has the pride I thought I’d thrown away come back like this?’
‘Just smile and tell him the amount. You can do it…’
My mind was complicated, and I felt nauseous.
Cordelia bit her lip and couldn’t speak for a while. Leonard, noticing the quiet atmosphere, spoke.
“You…”
“I’ll leave.”
She forcibly pulled herself together and took a few steps back.
“I thought I’d lost all my pride, but it turns out there’s still a little left. I won’t come for a while.”
“Wait.”
“Rest.”
Cordelia left the room with an expressionless face.
It was the first time. Cordelia had left the room before Leonard asked her to.
Leonard stared at the spot where she had been standing for a long time, then turned around.
“Did I say something wrong? I was just asking how much she needed.”
“My lord, you asked her how much her alimony was, and of course, you hurt her pride.”
The baron, whose face emerged from a glass of water, shook his head.
“That’s too much. Cordelia really helped you, my lord…”
“What? How did she help me? All she did was chatter.”
“My goodness, she came here every day, waited for you, and talked to you. Is that nothing in your eyes?”
“Did I ask her to do that? She didn’t come because I forced her but because she wanted something from me. This isn’t the first time I’ve seen this type of person.”
Leonard snorted. The baron pretended to cry with greater seriousness.
“Poor Cordelia. She heard such bad things from an emotionless lord…”
“Since when have you two been so close?”
“She treated the person who suddenly appeared in her husband’s body with utmost respect, but all this poor woman got in return was this kind of insult.”
“Are you listening to me?”
“Even after knowing your identity, she didn’t tell anyone about you, but instead treated you kindly. Where can we find someone like her? She’s someone you can’t imagine existing in the malicious Atily family.”
“Oh… fine, fine. I was wrong…”
In the end, Leonard raised his hands in response to the baron’s relentless attacks. The baron patted his wrinkled forehead and encouraged him.
“No matter how far they’ve fallen, the Vasquez are nobles too. The second son of your great-grandfather, Dillon Atily, had a good relationship with Vasquez.”
“I know, I know.”
“Next time Cordelia comes, please welcome her warmly.”
Leonard responded with a mix of resentment and surrender, saying he would. But unfortunately, he couldn’t keep his promise.
Because Cordelia kept her word.
She really stopped coming to his room every day.
