Chapter 91

Sep 05, 2023

I may have been uncertain about everything else, but what Cassis appeared to want from me at that moment was as clear as day. I have to admit that my immediate reaction was one of undeniable joy. It was an unfamiliar feeling to me, and it was wrapped in the veil of my desire for him in return. That was why I had no other course of action but to smile and say, “I see.”

He continued to stare down at me. “And even if you were to leave here, I’d bring you right back.”

“I see.” I could only manage to repeat myself. I couldn’t explain why, but I knew that if Cassis was the one coming after me, I’d want to get caught.

That wasn’t the sort of feeling I could have toward just anyone. Unlike the other time when he had been so careful with me, that night Cassis kissed me so roughly it felt like our lips were thundering like a storm. But what was I to do? Dying suddenly didn’t seem like an acceptable end to my part in the story anymore. Whenever we were together, he made me feel like I was someone of value, and that even someone like me had the right to life and the right to be loved. Plus, with everyone I met at the Blue compound being so welcoming, I began to wonder if I really couldn’t stay there indefinitely.

“Should I just claim him for myself? It may not be for long, but at least until I die.” Such thoughts swirled about in my head as I pulled him in a bit closer. I was indeed a selfish person. The sort of person who always did whatever she wished. Perhaps that was why I made up my mind to just bury all my troubles out of sight from myself and just go with the flow. As soon as I did, I felt myself float up into the air like a fluffy dandelion seed that had surrendered to a warm, summer breeze.

Oh, yes. Cassis Pedelian would be mine.

Even if for some reason he came to regret choosing me somewhere down the line, I fear I was beyond the point of caring anymore.

* * *

The next day I woke up feeling the most rested I had since arriving at the Blue fortress. Cassis had once again gone out, which was perfectly normal in itself, but bothered me for some reason. I slipped out of my bed and walked out onto my terrace to get some air.

“Good afternoon, Miss Roxana.”

I had no idea it was already past noon. Through no fault of her own, Olin’s greeting caused me to frown inwardly. For my sake, Cassis always informed her of anything pertinent that wasn’t already in my schedule. Thus, Olin was essentially my source of information.

“Where’s Cassis?”

“He’s meeting with the master, Miss. He said he’d be back before 1 o’clock, so he should return shortly.”

I removed my hands from the balustrade while doing a quick calculation.

Seeming to have detected something churning in me, Olin looked up at me. “Do you wish to go meet him on his way back?”

“No, no. I just want to walk around a bit.”

“Then I shall escort you, Miss.”

I left the building and walked among the trees with Olin in tow. On the way out I noticed several guards who formed what I assumed to be a part of the three-tier security plan. Their collective attempt to behave normally, despite the palpable tension in the air, made even me a little nervous. They courteously bowed as I passed, but still could not look at me directly.

Nevertheless, I returned their bows as formality dictated. Not one of them tried to prevent me from leaving as I stepped outside, which made it clear that they were there to guard against Orka. A few of them did detach from the group to discreetly follow me though. I could only guess what sort of shenanigans the White Heir had gotten up to for Cassis to take such drastic measures.

Then remembering his character from the novel, I thought perhaps the measures weren’t drastic enough. As if we had planned it ahead of time, I ran into Cassis not long after departing from the annex building. However, he wasn’t alone. A woman with wavy hair the same color as a clear, blue summer sky that cascaded over her curvaceous figure was chatting with him.

It was Pandora, and she was smiling at him voluptuously with her onyx-black eyes trained on him as they spoke. I couldn’t help being curious as to what they were discussing. Especially since she was smiling the entire time as if a coat hanger were retaining its shape from inside her mouth.

Cassis’ face on the other hand was set like stone.

I squinted as I attempted to gauge just how much lustful intent she had infused her gaze and movements with. She was undoubtedly a very attractive creature, and someone I would not have hesitated to call beautiful had the situation been different. But it wasn’t.

As he sensed someone coming toward him, Cassis turned his head in my direction. The moment he saw me, a flame seemed to ignite in his golden eyes. I supposed he hadn’t expected to meet me out there since he looked surprised at first, but a calmness soon returned to his demeanor. With those eyes looking at me with such tender warmth, how could I not be happy?

Pandora, who hadn’t once broken her focus on Cassis, seemed to catch the change as well. She turned her gaze from him to me, and I watched as wariness crept into her dark eyes.

I continued to walk slowly and deliberately toward Cassis. He left her side and practically ran to meet me. I only say that as he had noticeably covered more ground than me in closing the distance between us. Then I noticed Pandora trail after him sheepishly.

“Good day, Cassis.”

“What are you doing out here? You aren’t healthy enough yet.”

We had both started speaking at once. Though his tone was firm, his expression was full of concern.

I answered him with a question of my own. “Why did you leave without waking me this morning?”

His eyes grew a little wider at the sound of my sweeter-than-normal tone. Then I took it one step further by hooking my arm through his and gently sidling up to him. I noticed his arm stiffen a little, but after hesitating shortly he spoke.

“Well... You were so deep in slumber that I thought it best to let you sleep.”

I decided to whine a bit in response. “I only needed so much sleep because you kept me up so late last night.”

He suddenly fell silent along with everyone and everything else around us. What I had said was indeed suggestive, and though the guards hadn’t been within earshot, there was zero chance Pandora could have missed it. She looked back and forth between me and Cassis slack-jawed.

Things had in fact gotten heated between us the previous night. We had engaged in a heated kissing session and such, but nothing about the affair qualified for an X-rating. Then again, the top of my gown loosening slightly might have been blush-worthy, and if I think hard enough there was a bit of intimate petting around lower body parts...

But in truth, I can’t say with 100 percent certainty what happened since my mind had once again begun to drift as things got hotter. I do recall him breathing an incredible amount of his pure energy into me afterward, which was probably what ultimately knocked me out by the morning. Thus it seemed Cassis’ concern for me was not only over my health but also to check how I felt after the previous night’s romp.

Anyway, all of this is to say that he and I had without a doubt not yet consummated.

“I see... Well, I apologize for overdoing it. I’ll try to be more careful next time.”