Chapter 236: I Love You!

I looked out of the window at the rain that had suddenly started pouring. Filling the room with its pitter patter. I suddenly felt gloomy looking at the darkened sky. As if its dark abyss would fill my life with darkness too.

"Marianne. Marianne" 

"Mm, what is it this time? What did mother do?" I asked without turning back and he sighed and sat with me.

"Tell me if she is going to the extreme of enthusiasm, i will talk to her." consoled Jamie and I rolled my eyes. 

"Would you, now?" I asked and he felt silent.

"Why are you sitting here alone, everyone is asking you for dinner." said Jamie again and I shook my head.

"I am not a hungry brother. I am.. I don't know, it's feeling like something bad is about to happen!" I replied as the lightning struck again.

"It's just rain.. Nothing else. Since when have you been so weak hearted?" he asked and i shook my head, i was not!

"Come, let's go before your egoistic husband comes to call you" he snorted and I laughed.

"He calls you brute and u call him proud peacock, what shall i call you both?"

"Call me brother, or Jamie and as far as it's about him, call him all the profanity you know, and if it's less then tell me, I will teach you a few more." he said, bumping his shoulders with me.

"Now come one, walk Mari.." he held my shoulders and took me to the dining room.

Everyone was sitting there but none had started the food. My mother looked at me once I entered, her face was filled with worry but I just stole my glance and walked towards my seat.

I don't know how the dinner ended, all I heard were faint noises and blurred faces. I smiled when they looked at me, nodding my head randomly for replies.

"Honey, why don't you go and sleep. You are looking tired" said mother, this time with genuine concern and I nodded.

I gave a good night kiss to her and then to Killian on his forehead and bade them goodnight.

Walking back to my room. I sat there on the sofa, looking at the rain again.

"Marianne, are you not feeling well?" asked Cassius and only then did I notice he had already taken a bath and was finally wearing his own clothes, after managing fathers whole day.

"I am just tired, I guess." I replied but he kept looking at me.

"I shall go and take a bath too." I replied and he nodded.

"Lina" i called and she entered in, 

"I want to take the bath"

"Yes, your highness" she bowed and we both entered the bath area.

The moment I undid my dress and it fell on the floor, she helped me in entering the steps of the pool. I could still see the image of the morning incident here. I closed my eyes and let her do the work.

I wore a modest and conservative dress for the night once we were done, even surprising her as I always like to wear light and short clothes, always complaining about the heat.

"It's too cold today" I declared and she nodded and left the room bowing her head.

I thought Cassius would be sleeping or at least lying comfortably on the bed. But he was sitting on the sofa in a very grave manner, as if waiting for a meeting to start.

He heard my footsteps and turned to look at me.

"Are you feeling better now?" he asked again and i nodded, the water had calmed me a lot, though there was still an unnerving feeling there.

"Can we talk for a while before sleeping?" he asked hesitantly and i really wanted to shake my head, but in the end i nodded.

I walked towards the sofa and sat there in front of him.

"Mari, I have noticed that before too, but I thought you knew about me because I was famous in the academy. But I am sure that I have never played that tune in the presence of anyone. I always played it in the music room when I used to be alone. Tell me Marianne how do you know everything about me." he asked with complicated expressions and I pursued my lips.

"Cassius, as I have told you before, I heard it in the academy once." I replied , taking a deep breath.

"You just heard it once and yet you remembered it so well after so many years.'' His words were full of mockery, "Marianne, you expect me to tell the truth every time yet you never leave a chance to lie to me" he spat and I could see he was getting angry.

I took a deep sigh.

"Fine, I used to follow you and take note of everything you do. So I know everything about you. Satisfied? Did it swell up your pride, that the most intelligent and proud girl has been in love with you and was crazy about you. She had been following you and trying to befriend you all this time, when you didn't even notice her existence.'' I replied in an aggrieved tone and he looked at me with an open mouth and widened eyes.

He opened and closed his mouth a few times as if he was trying to say something but words were not able to form up. As if he suddenly lost his ability to speak. It continued for a few minutes when he finally spoke.

"But i was married at that time" shock was still visible in his voice and i nodded.

'That was the reason I did not want to tell him, he would think I had no morals to follow a married man all the time.'

"I did not know at that time, I came to know after a long time when I attended the winter ball and I saw you there with your wife. That was the time i let you go from my heart.'' I replied,