Chapter 20: Nouveau Riche (2)

Rosemary couldn't break free even when she tried. Her Infant Spirit Beast was squeezed, causing it to let out soft, muffled whimpers.

"This matter is far too important for you to ruin with your childish ways. Yes, your grandfather died. In case you've forgotten, he was also my father. There are things in life you only have once at. If you dare to ruin this one chance of yours because of an old man that's already died and will still be dead ten years from now, you can forget about continuing to ride along the coattails of my hard work.

"You can live this carefree life of yours and maintain your petty little morals and high standards because I have already made all of the sacrifices for you. If you dare to spit in the face of all the things I've done for you…"

Eschina's grip became so sturdy that tears threatened to fall from Rosemary's eyes. She felt suffocated to the point she couldn't reply.

"Do you understand me?!"

Eschina's voice came out in a low hiss that seemed to travel straight to the center of Rosemary's mind, rebounding back and forth within her skull as though to embed itself.

Rosemary felt the waves of emotion that had been hitting her for several weeks already amplify, boiling over to the point her heart threatened to leap from her throat. Her breathing became irregular and the whimpers of the little bunny in her arms became like the tragic melody of her feelings. Her vision swam, and she nearly collapsed, only being held up by the strength of her mother's arms.

Just when it seemed that Rosemary would truly reach the end of her rope, a sudden commotion came from the guards that had prepared their carriage.

"Who are you?!"

"You can't be here!"

"Halt! This is the private property of the Joseph family!"

Both Rosemary and her mother looked toward the sudden distraction only to find a young man with a roguish smile and without regard for the rules hold his hands up in mock surrender. He should have been fearing for his life, but that sly smile made it difficult to decide whether one should swoon for him, or slap him across the face.

The carriage the mother-daughter pair was prepared to ride in was quite luxurious and was carved of a pristine wood that radiated a rosy scent. It stood at the front entrance of the estate whose gates had long since been opened due to the events of today. There had been a lot of free-flowing traffic, so it hadn't made much sense to continuously open and close it.

The young man's eyes lit up when he made eye contact with Rosemary, while Rosemary herself was in a state of disbelief. She couldn't believe that he was here. Did he have a death wish?!

"Ryker?!" Rosemary shouted beside herself.

The guards, hearing their young mistress call out to this young man, fell into a state of confusion. Had they targeted the wrong person? A small panic welled up in their hearts. After all, anyone who could be so familiar with Rosemary was likely a noble as well.

Taking advantage, Ryker walked right through, a grin plastered across his face. He didn't seem embarrassed about the last interaction he had had with Rosemary in the slightest. Or, maybe he was just incapable of feeling embarrassment at the moment. This smile was just something he was well trained at using. When you spend a long time at emotional lows, it made it quite easy to read everyone around you. So, Ryker immediately picked up on the tension between Rosemary and the older woman beside her. It also didn't take him long to draw similarities between the features and conclude that this was Rosemary's mother.

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"Ah, a beautiful mother-daughter pair, the sun should be ashamed on this day. Hello Mistress Joseph, I am Ryker Valorian, a friend of your daughter's. It's an honor to meet you."

Eschina, who was also very good at reading people herself, was thrown off. Judging by Ryker's clothing, he was of low birth. However, his mannerisms were refined to an immaculate degree to the point where even she was ashamed.

'Is he hiding his noble status?'

As a nouveau riche, Eschina was well aware of all the stereotypes and had spent her entire life clawing back some advantage from them. To her, Ryker was the perfect archetype of someone with an extraordinarily deep heritage that simply couldn't bother to show off to the common people like herself. Such individuals were the ones who truly ran the world. It was hard for her to believe that she had run into such an existence today.

'Has he taken a liking to Rosemary?'

Completely outside of Rosemary's expectations, her mother didn't lash out at Ryker as she had expected. In fact, in a sight that stunned her to no end, she suddenly smiled brilliantly and curtsied in the most formal manor she could muster. Her expressions changed like the turning pages of a book. It took but a moment for her to have entered a new state.

"The honor is all mine, Sir Valorian."

Rosemary found herself at a loss for words. Was this her mother?

"There's no need to be so formal, Mistress Joseph. I'm good friends with Rosemary and was quite close with your father. I'm sorry to hear of his passing, you have my condolences."

Eschina's brow raised, her lips slightly parting in surprise. She had never expected that this hidden noble would have such a good relationship with her father.

"Your words of kindness are greatly appreciated, Sir Valorian. I see that you are quite young, will you also be taking part in the Quota Check? How about you come with us? We have plenty of space."

"Oh, I don't want to encroach too much. The carriage should be left to you ladies. If I could borrow a horse to follow along, I would be endlessly grateful."

Eschina smiled. It was indeed inappropriate for a man to enter their carriage along with them. Ryker's tact lowered any remaining doubts she might have had toward his identity. As for the miscellaneous details, Eschina could only choose to observe in silence. She wouldn't deny that there were many oddities about Ryker's appearance today, but she trusted her own judgment. Regardless, she wouldn't lose anything with this approach.

"Bring the young Sir a steed!" Eschina ordered.

"Yes, Mistress!"

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