Chapter 2
My eyes widened as I walked through the garden.
The neatly arranged fountains and perfectly blooming flowers made it obvious just how much effort the servants had put into maintaining the estate. Their hard work could be seen in every corner.
So the rumors about his obsession with cleanliness were true, it seemed.
Once inside, a man who looked like the butler gave me a quick glance, frowned at my appearance, and handed me a maid uniform to change into.
I had carefully chosen what I wore today, but clearly, it still wasn’t good enough for them.
The oversized uniform looked ridiculous on me, the sleeves extending nearly past my hands. But the butler pretended not to notice and simply began leading the way.
We walked through a long corridor and toward a tall annex with a pointed tower.
Along the way, he explained the rules.
“You must always be respectful around the young master. His lungs are weak, so even the slightest bit of dust must be cleaned immediately. Anything he uses should be returned to its original place right away…”
He adjusted his monocle and gave me a sharp glance, as if checking to see whether I was actually paying attention.
His brows remained furrowed, clearly unimpressed with me.
It was the same look Aunt Mary had given me earlier—one that said, How long can she possibly last? Like they had already given up on me.
“And under no circumstances are you to go up to the rooftop.”
“Yes, sir.”
“You also understand that you are not to open any doors unless the young master gives permission.”
“Yes, sir.”
“From this point on, you are Yurisiel of the House of Bilrod.”
In a world like this, even a commoner breathing the same air as someone like the heir of the Blanchet family could be seen as a serious offense.
It was obvious the butler was doing everything he could to avoid even the smallest possibility of trouble.
I understood that already. But hearing it again and again—being reminded that I didn’t belong in this world—was exhausting.
“Of course,” I replied.
My short response must have rubbed him the wrong way, because he made me repeat everything he had just told me.
Not that I minded. This was nothing new.
Years of doing odd jobs had taught me how to handle situations like this.
The small family-run restaurant that bullied new workers, the fish vendor who never paid me after I finished a shift…
Compared to all that, this was easy.
At least people in places like this wouldn’t try to cheat me out of my wages.
After I repeated his instructions word-for-word without a mistake, he gave me a surprised look, then finally opened the door.
Inside, someone lay perfectly still on the bed, as if asleep.
I was just about to step inside when the butler stopped me. He bowed politely and announced my arrival.
“I have brought the new attendant.”
Silence filled the room.
The stillness stretched long enough to make me nervous.
What if he told me to leave right away after all this effort?
And just as I feared, the worst happened.
“I already said I didn’t need anyone.”
His voice was rough and dry. But if it hadn’t been so damaged, I could imagine it being smooth and beautiful.
It reminded me of the fine porcelain I had seen in the hallway—elegant, cold, and refined.
He had said only a few words, but his tone was polished in a way that didn’t suit someone his age.
Still, when I thought about what he actually said, the meaning couldn’t have been more distant from that noble image.
Calling someone “that thing” like I wasn’t even human… He really was as strange as the rumors claimed.
Not that it bothered me much.
I’d seen plenty of nobles treat their servants the same way, and I had already prepared myself to deal with someone difficult.
But just like that, the image I had built up in my mind of a sickly, fragile young man completely shattered.
Any pity I felt—any brief moment of sympathy—vanished without a trace.
The fact that I had worried about him at all now felt ridiculous.
If I got kicked out of here, I’d have to start worrying about how to pay for my mother’s medicine.
I didn’t have time to feel sorry for anyone else.
The butler, clearly uncomfortable, continued trying to persuade him. But the young man’s refusal was unwavering.
Even his silence carried a kind of pressure.
He was the kind of person who could overwhelm others just by being in the room.
It made me genuinely curious to see his face.
The butler didn’t seem surprised. He must have gone through this more than once.
He kept pleading his case until finally, the young man gave a tired look and flicked his fingers.
With that small gesture, the butler turned around and headed for the door.
As he passed me, he met my eyes again, sharp and cold—as if giving me one last warning.
After the door closed behind him, I stood frozen in place.
The butler had told me not to move unless the young master gave permission, and I wasn’t about to test that rule.
He clearly had a temper. The last thing I needed was to give him a reason to throw me out.
I needed to keep this job—at least for today’s pay.
So, I waited.
And waited.
I didn’t know how much time had passed.
Cassian, who had been ignoring me the entire time, slowly lifted his upper body.
Even that small movement seemed difficult for him. But I stayed bent over, pretending not to notice. I didn’t offer help.
With someone as prideful as him, stepping in might only bruise his ego.
He eventually managed to lean against the bed. Without looking at me, as if I didn’t exist, he reached for a book on the table beside him.
Pages flipped roughly through his fingers.
He barely skimmed through it before dropping it again with a dull thud. Over and over.
Without saying a word, I picked up the scattered books and returned them to their place.
Then, one by one, more began to pile up.
I didn’t know if he was doing it to irritate me or if this was just his foul nature showing through.
If he was trying to get on my nerves, he was doing it in a strangely quiet way. It wasn’t that hard to deal with.
Oddly enough, that made it more uncomfortable.
I was used to moving constantly. Sitting still made me restless. Out of habit, I busied myself tidying the area around us.
Every now and then, while I worked, I caught a glimpse of his face from behind the book he held.
His skin was so pale it was almost transparent. Just like I’d heard, his features were noble, but he looked starved, like someone who hadn’t eaten even a bowl of soup.
His thin arms and legs looked fragile, like they could snap with a touch.
Even so, his red eyes shimmered with a strange life whenever sunlight touched them.
Under those clear eyes, his sharp nose and defined jawline looked like they’d been carved by a master.
The more I looked, the more I felt his face suited his calm, elegant voice. And his noble name—Cassian.
After that, Cassian continued to control everything with the smallest gestures.
Though he acted like I didn’t exist, he clearly hadn’t forgotten I was there.
A slight motion meant I was supposed to bring a book. Then he’d flip through a few pages and toss it aside, again and again.
This pointless routine repeated dozens of times until he dropped a book with unusual force.
“The Demeanor of a Lord.”
It was a book that didn’t suit his age at all.
Even young dukes in the capital didn’t usually read something like this until they were adults. And even then, it was only to learn how to manage their territories.
Lords would use books like this to evaluate their children and choose the next heir to lead the family.
Which meant this book was useless to Cassian, who might not even be alive much longer.
The only heir of House Blanchet didn’t need to read it out of competition either.
There was no reason for him to read it—unless he was trying to make my life difficult.
Then again, if I were in his place, knowing I didn’t have much time left, I’d probably be angry too.
Everything in the world would probably feel irritating.
The sound of people laughing, the endlessly spinning sky, the seasons changing—it would all be unbearable.
Maybe he felt like everyone else should suffer the same way he was suffering.
And the heir of House Blanchet was certainly in a position to make that happen.
Just as I bent down to pick up the book he had thrown again, Cassian’s eyes locked onto me.
His red gaze struck straight through me. It was so intense, I couldn’t pretend not to see it anymore.
I turned my head. His stare met mine with heavy pressure.
It was sharp, as if trying to pierce straight into my bones.
Then, in a cold, razor-sharp voice, he spoke.
“Get out.”
Had he thrown out dozens of attendants this way?
Now it was my turn. I could already imagine what was coming next.
“Even if you kick me out, nothing will change.”
Cassian looked at me, as if daring me to keep talking.
His gaze was so heavy it made the air feel frozen. But if I was going to be kicked out anyway, I might as well say what I wanted before I left.
“Even if it’s not me, Madam won’t let you be alone.”
That was the truth. The true mistress of this house wasn’t Cassian, and she wouldn’t leave him unattended, especially for the sake of House Blanchet.
Cassian knew that very well too.
“So?”
A faint, bitter smile spread across his lips.
“You’re saying I should just shut up and let you wait on me?”
“I’m better than the others, at least.”
“You’re awfully confident.”
His tone was filled with mockery.
“I’ve lasted over an hour, haven’t I? I can do whatever you ask.”
The fact that he hadn’t thrown me out yet gave me a little hope.
I’d moved carefully, having heard how many had been sent away before me. I was starting to believe, maybe foolishly, that it was working.
But then—
A cold smile appeared clearly on Cassian’s pale face.
“And how would you know what I want?”
The soft, refined voice I’d heard earlier was gone. Now, his voice was low and heavy, resonating in my ears.
His eyes swept down my face and returned to meet mine.
Under his golden hair, his red eyes shimmered like finely cut rubies. I could see myself reflected in them, completely surrounded.
“Do you think someone who’s about to die can’t do anything they want?”
