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Chapter : 1. Chapter 1. You Who Came Like a Dream (1)
One autumn morning, under bright sunlight pouring down, the will of Reinhardt Duncan—the richest man in the Ederca Empire—was made public.
The first and second clauses of the will were not surprising at all. They were exactly as everyone had expected.
However, the final clause was enough to make everyone who heard it nearly faint.
Who was it that said it?
Reinhardt Duncan was the Empire’s greatest madman—no, a total eccentric.
The last clause of that will was—
[10% of Duncan Company shares will be inherited by the next owner chosen by the cat ‘Ruby.’]
—an extremely shocking single line.
And the next day, a Persian cat with white fur and blue eyes set out to choose its new owner.
＊ ＊ ＊
Sunlight stretched long and bright through the hallway. The late autumn afternoon was as lazy and peaceful as always.
In the slow-moving silence, a door quietly opened, and a girl peeked her head through the crack.
Fortunately, no one was there.
Only after confirming this again did the child relax and tiptoe out of the kitchen.
In the Ederca Empire, illegitimate children existed—but also did not exist. Ronell Artes, the illegitimate child of the Count Artes family, was no different.
The servants of the mansion acted as if they could not hear her, as if they could not see her at all, and simply ignored her existence.
Ronell carefully walked across the thick carpet.
She wanted to run outside desperately, but she had to endure it.
She couldn’t make a single sound.
She knew very well what was scarier than being treated like a “ghost.”
If she caught their attention—
“Hey, idiot. I told you not to run.”
Ronell flinched and turned her creaking head.
A boy standing on the stairs was looking down at her with displeased eyes.
“S-sorry… Young Master Lloyd.”
“I heard illegitimate kids are dumb, but you really can’t learn anything.”
I wasn’t running.
Ronell bit her lip without even being able to feel wronged.
Lloyd pretended to throw a thick book at her. She quickly covered her head, and laughter fell from above.
“You don’t even dodge? You really are hopelessly stupid.”
You’d just get angrier if I dodged anyway…
The book left his hand and flew in an arc. Ronell froze in place.
And then—
Crash!
With a loud noise, it smashed a vase placed on the hallway console.
Ronell’s already wide eyes opened even wider in shock.
Soon, the sound of shoes echoed from far down the hall.
Heavy footsteps walking without hesitation on the thick carpet.
There was only one person in this mansion who could walk so loudly.
Ronell felt despair, while Lloyd sneered.
Between those clashing emotions, the sound grew louder.
Finally, the Countess appeared.
She took in the shattered vase, the fallen book, the trembling illegitimate child, and her sneering son.
“Mary.”
From the kitchen Ronell had just come from, a maid rushed out.
Bowing deeply, the Countess gave her a cold command.
“Clean it up. And you.”
“Sorry, Madam.”
As Ronell stiffly apologized, the Countess let out a disbelieving scoff.
“What a meaningless apology. If you were truly sorry, you should have disappeared from my sight immediately.”
“I was… about to go back…”
“Your very existence is a disgrace to the Count’s family. How many times do I have to tell you?”
“S-sorry…”
“I told you to know your place. Live like you’re dead.”
“……”
“Why do you keep appearing in front of my son and disturbing him?”
Ronell lowered her head in silence, enduring the Countess’s icy reprimand squeezing her throat.
“Not even grateful for the roof I generously allow you to sleep under.”
Emotions surged inside her, but she endured it.
Because what the Countess said was, in a way, correct.
“Mary, how long is she supposed to stay in the garden shed?”
“She, um… she was supposed to return to the mansion in a week.”
“Extend it to ten days.”
“Yes, Madam.”
Mary bowed quickly, and Ronell also nodded quietly.
At least it ended with just this punishment. She should be grateful it wasn’t worse.
Footsteps and the scent of roses began to move away.
Finally, it was over.
Ronell let out a small breath of relief—
Only for the Countess’s shoes to appear again in her vision.
“You should be holding your breath.”
“……Yes, Madam.”
“I told you I don’t want to hear your disgusting breathing.”
Ronell’s face quickly turned bright red as she held her breath.
After watching that miserable sight for a moment, the Countess turned away and took Lloyd’s hand. The boy grinned and followed her upstairs.
The two disappeared together.
And Ronell immediately ran out of the mansion.
“I missed dinner again today…”
She had to sneak into the mansion every meal time. As she was officially treated like a ghost, no one brought her food.
So she always sneaked into the kitchen, shoved food into her mouth, and ran away.
She had no choice—she was too hungry.
“I really don’t want to see Lloyd…”
Lately, Lloyd had been picking on her whenever he felt bored.
Thinking of the Countess’s cold gaze and Lloyd’s twisted smile, Ronell sighed deeply.
I wish tomorrow morning wouldn’t come.
She trudged across the garden toward the shed.
“It’s cold.”
A chilly wind wrapped around her entire body.
Her worn-out nightgown couldn’t block the cold at all.
She rubbed her eyes and wiggled her stiff fingers.
“It’s going to be really cold tonight…”
Will a blanket be enough?
She had to survive ten more days in that drafty shed.
As she counted the days on her fingers, she became discouraged.
Just as she grabbed the door handle with her shabby shoes—
Meow—
A sudden soft sound.
Startled, she looked up.
A white tail on top of the wall came into view.
Shiny white fur, an elegant body, and glowing blue eyes.
“Eek!”
A scream escaped her.
The cat, looking slightly annoyed, jumped down from the wall and walked toward her gracefully.
It seemed displeased by her reaction.
Then—
Smack.
The cat lifted its soft paw and slapped her foot.
The sound echoed sharply.
“C-c-c-cat?”
It looked at her as if she were hopeless.
Then it meowed again.
Night was falling.
As the sun disappeared beyond the horizon, the purple sky quickly darkened into deep blue from west to east.
Even so, the cat kept staring at her.
“…Hello?”
“….”
“Hi, cat?”
Its white fur shimmered beautifully in the fading light.
She wanted to touch it…
Without realizing it, she reached out—then quickly pulled her dirty hand back.
No. She couldn’t.
Her hand would dirty that perfect fur.
Meow.
A soft purring sound.
The cat’s blue eyes sparkled like fireflies in a summer garden.
Ronell hugged her knees and stared at it like a dream.
It must have an owner. A home to return to.
There was no way such a beautiful cat didn’t belong to someone.
“You should go home, shouldn’t you?”
She whispered softly.
The cat tilted its ears instead of answering.
It felt like it was asking, “What about you?”
“…I, um… I live in the shed here. Want to come inside with me?”
The cat stared at her sharply, and she instinctively shrank.
Just as she wondered if she should apologize, the cat nodded slightly.
As if saying, What are you waiting for? Lead the way.
Ronell quickly stood up and opened the shed door.
“Sorry… it’s kind of messy.”
More than “kind of.”
A foul, musty smell filled the air.
Cobwebs hung from the ceiling, dust was piled everywhere.
The cat stepped on a bug that crawled out and killed it without hesitation, then flicked its tail once.
Then it turned and glared at Ronell.
It felt like it was protesting how she dared invite it here.
Ronell lowered her eyes nervously.
“I’m sorry… I can’t go into the mansion right now… otherwise I would’ve taken you there. It’s really clean there. Not like this place.”
Meow.
“Sorry.”
She reached out, then stopped again.
Her dirty hands couldn’t touch something so clean and beautiful.
The Countess and Lloyd probably didn’t hit her directly because she already looked miserable enough.
Anyway, the cat must have an owner.
She should return it cleanly.
“Sorry…”
Ronell clenched her teeth.
Even though she knew she should be grateful for having a place to stay, a helpless sadness welled up inside her.
She rubbed her eyes hard to stop herself from crying.
Don’t cry. The cat might get confused.
But then—
The cat suddenly stepped forward and pressed its paw against her shoe.
“Eh?”
Ronell ended up kneeling unconsciously.
The cat climbed onto her lap as naturally as if it belonged there, curling into a round shape.
It purred comfortably, as if claiming its place.
“…Are you comforting me?”
As if answering yes, the cat meowed softly.
Ronell carefully hugged the small warmth she had been given.
She lay down on the shabby bed, curling her body around the cat.
Outside the broken window, the night sky was full of stars.
The sound of insects and the wind blended like a lullaby.
When she held the cat tighter, its white tail swayed gently like a brush.
Warmth filled her arms, and her lips slowly relaxed into a small smile.
“Should I tell you a secret?”
Ronell whispered softly.
