Chapter 9

“Should we move your room … ?”

“Do you not like it?”

“Oh, it’s not that I don’t like it, but….”

“Then what’s the matter?”

After the incident, Yuri and Aslan often spent time together. To be precise, Aslan continued to visit Yuri, but Yuri was not at all uncomfortable this time.

“Ha, moving rooms just because of something like that……”

“Something like that?”

If there was one thing she learned from this tea time, the sound of the teacup breaking was ‘Crash!’ than a ‘clank’.

Crash! It was after the teacup in Aslan’s hand was broken. Aslan said loudly at Yuri’s words.

He seemed angry. As soon as he heard the words ‘just something like that’, the teacup in his hand was shattered.

He was angry, but he seemed to struggle to contain his anger.

“I think your hand is hurt.”

“It’s a room someone had already broken into once through a window.”

“Yes, yes, but…”

Yuri looked at Aslan’s hand with a squint. The teacup was broken, but there were no wounds on his hand. The servant standing behind them slowly approached and removed the broken teacup.

Yuri naturally stood up and reached for the broken pieces.

“Stop”

Aslan’s roar resounded. Yuri was startled by the sound and dropped the broken piece on the floor.

“Yes?”

“Let them clean it up.”

“That, but…… ”

“That’s their job.”

A cold voice reached Yuri. Yuri paused, and nodded her head hastily.

“Sorry, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to, I….”

She felt the heat rising on her cheeks, which had turned pale as if embarrassed. Yuri put her hands on her cheeks to cool the redness.

“… I am not blaming you.”

“Oh, I know.”

“….I just don’t want you to do it.”

Aslan gently took Yuri’s hand, which was full of scars and wounds. Yuri tried to pull her hand away, but it wasn’t easy.

“Yuri, cherish yourself a little more.”

“….”

“I hired them so you don’t have to do anything dangerous.”

“…”

“Your job is to enjoy it.”

He soon gently stroked Yuri’s hand. The rough hand felt unfamiliar. It was Aslan Slevard who was excellent at swordsmanship.

“Live for you.”

At Aslan’s sweet voice, Yuri drank the tea without saying anything. She was not used to the sensation of boiling inside, so she let hot emotions flow into the tea.

***

The assailant who attacked Yuri has still not been caught. Eventually, Yuri was confined to the house. She ate a little each day, and then went for a walk.

The number of tutors had also been reduced, as there may be some who were the assailant’s associates. There was only one concern with Yuri these days.

“If you can’t drink tea properly, what will people think of the Duke?”

“Sorry, I’m sorry.”

“The lowly thing… ”

It had been a few days since her father had gone to the Imperial Palace at the Emperor’s orders. Yuri’s father told Yuri that she could do whatever she wanted, but she didn’t want to cause her father to worry.

This woman with blue hair was Yuri’s etiquette teacher. She always insulted Yuri’s origin.

“If anything happens, let me know.”

“It’s okay, it’s okay.”

“You always say it’s okay.”

Before leaving, Aslan took off his coat and covered Yuri, and said so. Seeing Aslan gently stroking her hair, Yuri smiled brightly.

“Then, I’ll be back.”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“Is there anything you want?”

“Ah…Uh, no.”

“Okay. If you have something you want, write to me.”

It was Aslan who left after saying those words affectionately. Yuri didn’t want to make him unhappy, but she also didn’t want to bother him.

‘I can’t just bother him with these things.’

She was finally recognized by him. She couldn’t trouble her father just because she had a hard time learning.

‘Actually, that’s not wrong…’

What the teacher said wasn’t wrong. It was also true that Yuri had a low birth. She thought it was a cowardly act to insult and ridicule others by birth, but it might be only Yuri’s thoughts.

“Again, again!”

The etiquette teacher shouted abruptly. As she smashed the table, the teacups floated in the air and fell. It would have been better if that was the only thing.

“Ha, sorry! I’m sorry! What should I do?”

The fragrant tea from the teacups had soaked the etiquette teacher’s skirt.

“I’m really sorry.”

“Do you know this?”

“Yes Yes?”

“If someone who’s not even a real ‘Slevard’ can’t do this properly…… .”

“…”

The teacher said so, and smiled with a beautiful face.

“It would be a huge disgrace.”

The reason Vanessa Alford, a teacher, could say this was simple. Although she had a different last name, she was a blood relative of Slevard.

Her position was one step lower than Yuri, the direct Slevard’s bloodline. But for Yuri, the fact that she was the bloodline of Slevard had a different meaning.

Yuri  wanted to be recognized by Aslan’s family.

“Is he going to put you here?”

As soon as she heard those words, Yuri’s face turned red. Yuri wanted to look good. And as a good student, she wanted to be praised by Aslan.

Just by imagining him complimenting her for being great, it seemed like she could do anything.

“No, I’m trying, but it’s not working…….”

“Lady makes no excuses.”

Vanessa sighed. She picked up the stick beside her.

Vanessa Alford. As one of Slevard’s blood relatives, she hated Yuri in front of her. She (Vanessa) lived her whole life wanting to be a real Slevard.

However, she couldn’t admit that this stupid and poor person was of noble blood, born of direct lineage.

“Lift up your skirt.”

“…”

“In the capital, even a five-year-old has mastered it.”

“Oh, I know….”

“You’re so slow in learning.”

Yuri slowly rolled up her skirt. A heavy sound cut through the air.

“I have no choice but to teach you myself. What should you say at times like this?”

“Ha, thank you.”

Yuri bowed her head and said thank you.

“Are you aware of your position?”

“Yes. Yes.”

“Do you really think you’re a ‘real’ Slevard?”

Yuri couldn’t answer. She wasn’t confident she could take responsibility for the future if she answered carelessly. She remembered the emotions that were boiling inside her. The father admitted that she was his daughter, but the words of the unknown man kept coming to her mind.

“Don’t trust your father too much.”

‘It’s a lie, it’s a lie.’ Yuri but her lips and spoke.

“I, I…I’m Slevard.”

“……Is that so?”

“Father….teacher doesn’t have authority…..”

“…… haha!”

“The madam is my teacher…..”

“This stupid b*ch…”

“I, I am Slevard, my father recognized.”

As soon as Yuri finished speaking, she regretted it. Vanessa’s face began to contort in anger. Closing her eyes tightly, Yuri waited for Vanessa’s hand to fly.

“Do you think that your lowly self can become a real noble?”

‘Look at this. I know this very well.’

She laughed a little. It was said that hiding anger and hiding emotions was a noble thing, but the pretense of the nobles was very light.

“The one who has low blood will stand over those who have noble blood?”

“… Is this the noble courtesy you were talking about?”

“What do you want to say?”

“Ha, Madam. It doesn’t matter what you think, I’m Slevard.”

“Ha…!”

At that moment, Vanessa smiled and pushed Yuri’s chest. Yuri lost her balance and staggered, then fell backwards.

“I, I…… I am my father’s daughter.”

Vanessa was staring at her. Yuri was afraid, but she held back her fear by biting my lips.

“A person of low blood can never be a Slevard.”

“I, I am not a low blood.”

“Your mother’s name will never appear on the family’s register.”

“….”

“The same is for you, you wretch.”

Yuri looked at her feet. It was the shoes specially made for her weak legs. It was the shoes that her father, Aslan, brought in a craftsman to make them for her.

She bit her lip. She decided to trust her shoes.

“Do you know how your mother settled here? That method was very dirty.”

“…”

“She said that if the Duke doesn’t accept her, she will kill herself. The weak-minded duke has granted that request.”

“….”

“Otherwise, how could he bring a woman with low blood into the duke’s estate?”

Yuri clenched her fists. She did not know about her biological mother. All she knew was that her mother was a murderer.

“Hey, even if my mother’s actions were evil, my mother’s blood wasn’t low.”

“What?”

“My mother was not a lowly person.”

They were people who had never lived like Yuri’s mother.

“If that blood isn’t low, what is low?”

“I don’t know what you’re looking for. To me, madam’s behavior is not even fundamental.

The teacher was ostracizing others simply because they had low blood.

It was a world where there were not many ways for a woman who had not been educated to live. In addition, the immigrant women had it much more difficult.

“Madam’s appearance looks more vulgar….”

Maybe her mother was a monster created by such people.

“So….Please don’t insult me ​​because I’m low.”

“How dare you?”

“That’s all I want to say….”

As Yuri spit out all the words she wanted to say, it felt like the heat inside her went away a bit. It was the first time she had said this, but she thought she did pretty well. She felt like she had accomplished something big.

“Yuri.”

“Yes…..”

“Yes. You’re a Slevard, but….”

“…”

“The people around you are not nobles.”

Vanessa opened her fan decorated with small sapphires and covered her mouth. It was an impeccably perfect etiquette of the capital’s noblewoman.

“Wow, what are you talking about?”

“That’s what happened.”

“…”

“His Excellency hated you very much. Enough to abandon you in the temple.” (Vanessa)

“…… … This is now a thing of the past.” (Yuri)

“Did someone save you in the accident?” (Vanessa) (*the accident when Yuri was taken to the temple and had a carriage accident.)

“….”

Yuri couldn’t even remember, she thought it was okay. But in reality it didn’t seem to be the case. The hot feeling that she had been holding down was about to burst out from within.

“The Duke said that anyone who tried to help you would be severely punished.” (Vanessa)

It was as if she had won, Vanessa’s tone was very sarcastic.

“But, when the accident happened, a doctor took you in and treated you.” (Vanessa)(*the old doctor that Yuri called him ‘grandfather’)

“So…..?”

“At that time, all the people of the territory kept it a secret, but….” (Vanessa)

“….”

“I know who the doctor is.” (Vanessa)

From the tip of her toes, Yuri’s whole body began to get cold.

‘Is this… a threat?’

It was the first threat in her life. Her whole body started to get cold. Vanessa seemed to know who the doctor that saved Yuri was.

‘Grandfather.’

Yuri remembered him wiping her sweat and holding her hand and praying.

“…… Do you think His Excellency doesn’t know what the madam knows?” (Yuri)

“It seems that the Duke has just decided to move on…… He’s not the one who says things he won’t keep. No, he is the one who keeps every word he utters.”

“Ha, what are you talking about….”(Yuri)

“He is one of the most aristocratic people I know. As you know, not keeping what you say is the biggest flaw to the noble.” (Vanessa)

Nobles don’t lie. Once a word is spoken, it is always kept. That was the nobility of the Espelt Empire.

“Let them clean up.”

“Ha, but….”

“That’s their job.”

A broken teacup came to Yuri’s mind. Her father didn’t want her to put away the broken cup. Even though she knew it was an exaggeration, the doubts that once started grew out of control.

‘He thinks that this is not aristocratic.’

The hot feeling that had been suppressed accelerated the suspicion. Aslan was an aristocrat. To the extent that he got angry and stopped Yuri from cleaning the broken cup.

‘I’ve been doing that all my life.’

It was then that Yuri realized the identity of the burning passion in her heart.

“Now that there are no accusations, I guess he’s just trying to pretend he doesn’t know.”

“…”

“What if they accuse you of this?”

It was a crooked smile. The smell of snake scales could not be more poisonous than this. Vanessa’s blue hair fell like a mess. There was only one thing Yuri could do.

Yuri knelt down and bowed her head in front of Vanessa.

‘… It’s just that I have to apologize.’

Now Vanessa was talking like she was threatening Yuri, but it was clear that she (Vanessa) wouldn’t want to make things bigger either. Yuri knew that.

“Okay. You need to know the subject….”

Vanessa’s anger seemed to have eased a little, and her voice brightened. Cold tea poured over Yuri’s head.

“Now, what should you say?”

“I was wrong. I’m sorry.”

“What did you do wrong?”

Yuri was used to this. It was fine. Such an insult was no big deal. It wasn’t painful. She could endure this much.

“I dare not say words that I cannot put out of my mouth…..”

Creak!

There was a creaking, heavy sound. It was the sound of a door opening from outside. The sound of men’s shoes and heavy footsteps filled the room.

“Ahhh…..!”

“What’s going on?” (The man)

It was a man’s voice. Vanessa trembled when she heard that voice.