Chapter 19
“…I’m sorry.”
The words came from the doctor, who had been hesitantly looking over Yurisiel’s condition.
At the same time, Yurisiel’s arm dropped limply to her side.
The doctor opened his mouth as if to say more, but quickly fell silent.
Yurisiel, whose vision was now blurred, couldn’t see what was happening, but Hael saw it all, clearly.
Hael stood in thought for a moment, then brushed those thoughts away and turned toward Yurisiel.
He could always ask the doctor again tomorrow. He was sure there was more left unsaid.
As the doctor stepped outside, a heavy silence filled the room.
Yurisiel came into Hael’s view again.
Her expression, dry and brittle like a dead branch, held not a single tear. That made her look even more fragile.
And yet, even in that state, Yurisiel tried not to let anything show. She kept repeating “thank you” like a chant.
“Is that really all I am to you, even now?”
To be thinking about something like that in this situation—how pathetic.
Hael clenched his fist tightly, his frustration building, and silently watched her.
Meanwhile, Aunt Jane smiled gently and tried to lighten the mood, acting as if everything was fine.
She said this was all expected anyway.
Then she reached out and took Hael’s hand.
“It’s a relief you’re here.”
“Auntie…”
Hael lowered his head as Jane thanked him again and again.
“I know it’s selfish… but please take care of our El.”
Yurisiel immediately raised her voice, as if to stop her mother from saying such things.
“Mom!”
But her own voice startled her. She let out a long sigh, surprised at how loud she had spoken.
She was probably already regretting raising her voice again. That’s just the kind of person Yurisiel was.
Hael understood exactly what Aunt Jane meant.
She had already accepted that her time was coming to an end.
She was always worried about how Yurisiel would survive in a world without her.
Hael made a quiet promise to himself again that he would protect Yurisiel more than anyone else ever could.
A gentle, easy smile appeared on his face.
It felt better than looking like he was about to cry.
“Don’t worry.”
Jane smiled faintly at his short but sincere answer.
She gently patted the back of his hand in a comforting gesture.
Yurisiel sat beside them, too hollow even to sigh. Her eyes, empty and lost, dropped to the floor.
Seeing her like that, Jane turned to her daughter.
“It’s late. Hael should head home now, Yurisiel.”
Hael offered several times to go alone, but in the end, Jane insisted that her daughter walk him out to the yard.
Pushed by her mother’s quiet urging, Yurisiel stepped outside. The night air was still a little cold, brushing lightly against her nose. Hael was by her side.
“El…”
“Just go. I won’t cry.”
Hael looked like he was about to turn away, then stopped and came back. He placed a four-leaf clover in Yurisiel’s hand.
It was something he always kept on him.
He said it was a symbol of luck.
“If you give this to me… then what about you?”
“Why are you worrying about me? Worry about yourself.”
Yurisiel gave a faint smile—the same kind her mother used to give.
And that smile hurt more than anything.
Hael wanted to say he would stay a bit longer, but he knew she wouldn’t let him.
“Can’t I stay just a little more?”
“No. You’ve already done enough. Thank you.”
Hael nodded with a bitter smile, but didn’t forget to smile brightly anyway.
“There’s no need to thank me. Not between us.”
“There is. You’ve always helped me… and today you even brought the doctor.”
“….”
“I’m always sorry… and always grateful.”
That wasn’t quite what Hael wanted to hear from her—but he believed there was still time.
Someday, Yurisiel would lean on him too.
“Just focus on yourself for once.”
“Alright. I’ll try.”
Hael knew it was just words for now.
Yurisiel wasn’t someone who could think only of herself.
Ever since she was little, adults used to say she was rude or lacked manners but in truth, she always thought of others first.
She worked until her hands were raw to protect her mother, endured harsh words without a single frown, and still managed to keep moving forward, head held high.
It was hard to understand how such strength could come from someone so small and delicate, someone who looked like she might break at any moment.
Even in such a harsh world, Yurisiel rarely cried, especially not in front of others.
That strength probably came from her pride.
Hael knew that all too well.
Yurisiel could only cry once he turned his back.
She hadn’t cried much since leaving that young master’s estate.
But, now that he thought about it, Yurisiel used to cry quite openly in front of him.
At first, Hael thought it was the same as with him, that she cried only when no one was looking.
But every time he arrived at the estate, he would find her already finished crying.
Her red nose and bloodshot eyes were clear signs.
If she had just stepped out to cry, she would still have been in tears. Her whole face wouldn’t have been that flushed.
Even proud, stubborn Yurisiel had been broken by the noble Blanchet.
Hael couldn’t stop thinking about it.
He kept trying to push those feelings away, but in moments like this, they always came back to the surface.
Even if they were just friends, anyone would feel something seeing her cry like that.
But to Hael, Yurisiel had never been just a friend.
He had never once thought of her that way.
After he left for the academy, he realized more clearly than ever what she meant to him.
It is true, people only understand how important someone is once they are no longer around.
So maybe the reason Yurisiel cried in front of that man was simply because he was that strange.
High-born people often acted in ways that didn’t make sense.
That is what Hael told himself to believe.
When Hael returned home, his mother greeted him with a kind smile,
but then she saw the bloodstain on his shirt and quickly rushed over.
“Son, don’t tell me you’ve been to that girl’s house again.”
“You mean Yurisiel, Mother.”
“Yes, that girl.”
His mother frowned deeply, clearly not bothering to hide her disapproval.
She acted like it wasn’t even worth remembering the girl’s name.
Hael sighed and told her it wasn’t what she thought.
He asked her to go get some rest, then quietly went to his room and wrote a letter.
Professor, I’d like to meet you tomorrow at Hardin Café.
He was sure the doctor had held something back.
There had been a diagnosis he hadn’t spoken aloud.
Just as Hael expected, Yurisiel’s tears finally fell once she was alone.
Even then, the coral-colored flowers in full bloom made her feel bitter.
Even at night, their soft glow stayed beautiful. They would always decorate the lands of Alphonse, just like that.
No matter what happened to her mother, nothing would change.
Even if some noble with a terminal illness reached the end of their life, nothing would stop.
Nature treated everyone the same.
In front of that cold, indifferent beauty, Yurisiel cried silently.
But even grief was a luxury she could not afford for long.
The moment she thought of her mother still waiting alone inside, fear crept over her again.
She wiped her face, forced her breath to settle, and walked back in as if nothing had happened.
Her pale mother was still sitting where she left her.
Even after hearing another grim diagnosis, her mother showed no sadness, as if she had gotten used to it, or perhaps had already accepted it.
She only spoke about Hael and Yurisiel, just like she always did.
After a quiet moment, her mother took a slow breath and reached into her robe.
“El, here.”
In her hand was a ring hanging from a thin necklace, a jewel that sparkled like her mother’s eyes, one Yurisiel had often seen around her neck.
She carefully placed it around Yurisiel’s neck, making sure it was fastened, then smiled at her as if finally satisfied.
“I was saving this for your wedding day, but I don’t think I’ll be able to wait until then.”
“Why are you saying things like that all of a sudden?”
Whenever her mother spoke like this, Yurisiel was filled with fear.
It always felt like her mother would leave her soon, and every time, she would get angry and regret it afterward.
This time, her mother quietly held her hand and didn’t let go.
Her lips moved as if hesitating, but after a moment, she finally spoke.
“I heard that the young master from Blanchet brought you to his estate.”
So, the news had reached her ears after all.
Yurisiel had done her best to hide it. She had even asked the villagers to keep it quiet.
But in a place like Alphonse, that kind of secret couldn’t be kept for long.
There wasn’t a single person in the territory who didn’t know, and she couldn’t silence them all.
Yurisiel forced a calm look on her face.
“It’s not a big deal. He just hired me a few times to help around.”
Even hearing the word “young master” made her body tense up.
She felt a chill run through her.
She thought she had forgotten all about it, but just thinking of him again brought everything back.
She hated herself for it, and sighed quietly.
Her mother didn’t miss that brief change in her.
“I don’t want you getting involved with high-ranking nobles.”
Her mother’s eyes were clear and direct.
Yurisiel stared back at her.
Her suspicion, that her father might have been a noble, turned into certainty in that moment.
“Don’t worry. I won’t be seeing the young duke of Blanchet again.”
“…”
“I got fired.”
There would be no more meetings with that man. And there couldn’t be.
Her mother looked relieved at the mention of being fired.
She soon fell asleep, gently chatting about Hael.
Yurisiel watched her mother finally rest, and only then did she close her own eyes.
But the night was long, and sleep never came.
