Cassius fell into deep contemplation as he watched Tikan quickly disappear outside the window. When he heard that Rachel knew about her terminal condition, he feared that she might make the same choice he had.
‘What if Rachel, like me, turned back time and became terminally ill?’
The mere thought sent a shiver through him. He was willing to risk his life for Rachel, but Rachel should not have to endure such a fate for him. He didn’t care if someone called him a coward for this.
How could he endure a world without her, which was worse than hell itself?
Fortunately, time had not been turned back yet. Everything remained the same except for Rachel’s disappearance. Hence, Rachel would return soon. Even if she had such thoughts, he would find her before she acted on them.
He had survived day by day with this belief.
‘But what if her disappearance was due to Snowfel’s machinations?’
Although it was still just a circumstantial trace, Cassius’s blood boiled. There was no guarantee that Snowfel, who had done such things in his previous life, would not do it again.
Even though they had announced that Vivian would be the Crown Princess, Rachel remained the biggest threat to them. He couldn’t predict the lengths to which their ambitions might drive them.
With a loud bang that shook the room, Cassius slammed the table and stood up. A terrible cracking sound formed around the table. However, he paid no attention to it and headed towards the bridal chamber with an icy demeanor.
---
Vivian had been waiting for Cassius for hours. Maintaining her posture with the heavy ceremonial wig was torturous in itself. Outside, she could hear the priests murmuring anxiously.
‘Will Cassius not come tonight?’
At this rate, they might be recorded as the first royal couple in history to not consummate their marriage on the first night. While she understood Cassius’s feelings, such a thing should not happen. If it did, she couldn’t predict how the nobles would react. There was already much talk about the Crown Prince, and many factions were ready to attack Cassius.
‘Should I go to him first? Would he even accept me if I did?’
If she acted rashly and failed to consummate the marriage, it could make things worse. With all eyes on her from the priests, she had to be extremely cautious.
‘What should I do?’
As she pondered, the door suddenly burst open. Only one person could enter the bridal chamber without a knocking. Turning her head, she saw a massive figure emerge under the soft glow of the lamp.
Outside, the voices of the priests, startled and murmuring, echoed. Regardless, Cassius closed the door with a force that seemed it would break it.
Bang—
The door closed with a loud crash, and suffocating silence filled the room, leaving only the two of them. His rough breathing echoed through the space. Cassius’s distinctive blue eyes glowed with a fierce intensity, unlike the indifferent look she had seen at the ceremony.
Swallowing hard, Vivian thought, ‘Why is he here?’
Even as a joke, it was hard to believe that he came to consummate the marriage with such an intimidating presence. Without giving her time to think, he strode towards her. The rapid closing of the distance between them left her breathless.
His gaze fell on the rose bushes surrounding the bed, turning icy cold.
‘Is he remembering a promise he made to Rachel?’
In this very Gracio Room, he had confessed to Rachel—who was now Vivian—beaming with joy like no other.
‘I will love you forever, no matter what.’
Seeing his pensive expression, it was clear he was recalling that unkept promise. His clenched fist came into view, his jaw set tightly as if he were gritting his teeth. The despair in his face, which contrasted sharply with the mask he had worn earlier, made him seem more alive than ever.
Seven years. For seven long years, he had lived like this. Her heart broke for him. Yet, the fact that he was still living, or rather surviving, brought her a sense of relief.
‘Yes, survive like this, Cassius. In this life, I will bring new light into your life with my own hands.’
The more she faced the grim reality, the clearer it became that she had to seduce Cassius by any means necessary.
“Your Highness,” she called out.
Cassius’s expressionless face slowly turned toward her. At that moment, she felt a strange sense of déjà vu but pushed it aside, trying to appear as seductive as possible while looking up at him. She knew exactly what the contractor meant by “successful seduction.”
She stroked the back of Cassius’s neck, his weakest spot. Usually, his ears would turn red at moments like this.
‘Why do they seem white instead of red?’
A sense of foreboding crept over her, but she decided to press on.
“Let me help you change.”
Cassius simply stared at her, his gaze unyielding. Ignoring his persistent stare, she reached for his suit to undo the buttons. Just as she was about to unbutton it, he grabbed her hand. His grip tightened, surprising her as his touch had always been gentle when she was Rachel.
Cassius pushed her onto the bed, climbing over her with a sharp gaze.
‘What? Is this his taste?’
She had thought of him as an innocent puppy, but this was better. If things continued like this, she might fulfill the contract conditions tonight, making the contractor weep with joy. However, such thoughts evaporated when she met his overwhelming blue eyes.
His lips curled into a subtle, mocking smile as he finally spoke.
“Maybe it’s because you resemble your father, but your delusions are quite amusing.”
If she were an ordinary lady, or truly Vivian, she would have felt immense humiliation. Helping her husband change, only to be met with such a response, was deeply insulting. His cold, dry eyes were devoid of any emotion.
‘If I feel any excitement from this, I must be truly crazy.’
Cassius, straddling her, stared directly into her eyes. His gaze made her feel as though her body was burning wherever it landed.
His cold sneer hit her like a slap.
“Don’t tell me you’re deluding yourself into thinking you’ll receive my love?”
His knife-sharp blue eyes pierced her coldly.
‘I expected this, but...’
It still hurts. It was painfully clear that she meant so little to him now.
‘Is this why he married Vivian?’
The chill on her arm put an end to her doubts and doubled her sadness. The man who had once touched her so gently now gripped her with no regard. She turned her gaze away to hide her trembling. If he noticed her shaking now, it would be a disaster. She had to avoid such a disgrace at all costs.
But even that was not allowed. Cassius’s rough hand grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him.
“Tell me where Rachel is hiding.”
Rachel?
“What do you mean…?”
“You must know. Your family must have done something to Rachel.”
His unexpected accusation made her body stiffen. Her mind quickly formed a hypothesis.
‘Does he think Snowfel did something to me?’
“There seems to be a misunderstanding.”
“Misunderstanding?”
He roughly let go of her chin, his eyes colder than ever. His next words were just as frigid.
“Listen carefully, this is the last bit of patience I have for you.”
Cassius closed the distance between them, his breath hitting her face.
‘What is he thinking?’
He was so close she could see even the slightest movement in his pupils. His relaxed demeanor while watching her was humiliating.
‘I feel like I'm going to burn like this...’
His long, pale fingers trailed down her neck, dangerously close to unbuttoning her lace dress. His slow movements made her breath catch in her throat. She thought about all the ways he was humiliating her.
Cassius, still showing no emotion, wrapped his hand around her dress roughly. Only when he saw her surprised face did he stop his teasing touch, a bitter smile forming on his lips.
“Just tell me where Rachel is.”
“…”
“If you do, I might grant the one night the Crown Princess has been begging for.”
With those final words, he climbed off the bed and left without looking back. Now she understood clearly.
The reason Cassius held this wedding was purely to destroy Snowfel.
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