Chapter 43: I Will Stop If You Tell Me To.

Chapter 43: I Will Stop If You Tell Me To.

Time continued to pass almost too quickly. Several days passed, but Cassadin continued to treat me like normal. It was quite a calm attitude for someone who confessed his past to me.

He never mentioned the happenings of that day. It might have been his way of showing his consideration after I had cried in front of him.

Sister, what are you thinking about?

If there was just one thing that had changed since then, it was that if I took my eyes off of him for even a moment, Cassadin would ask that question.

I was thinking about you for a moment.

Cassadin smiled brightly, seeming to be satisfied with that answer. His pretty eyes folded into beautiful crescents, and his light pink lips curled up gently.

The moment he smiled, it felt like not just the flowers in the garden, but even the sun lost their luster, almost making it meaningless for us to have come out to the garden.

Its already been months since I brought Cassadin, but I still couldnt get used to that smile. Did he show others this smile as well?

It was a hot summer day that I brought you in.

Taking my gaze off Cassadin, I turned to the blooming flowers scattered across the garden. Out of the variety of flowers, the blue rose immediately caught my attention.

Reaching out to touch the blue rose that Cassadin had once said looked like me, I continued.

But its already autumn.

There had once been a time when I did not trust Cassadin, only tried to tame him. Unable to trust each other, we lied to one another, hurt each other, and fought.

I could feel that Cassadin now partially opened up to me after a series of events. Of course, that was likewise true for me.

Cassadin, who had once put on a fake mask and constantly lied to me, was now my most dependable aid. Thinking back on those times, I couldnt help but laugh a little.

Do you remember this blue rose, Cassadin? Its the one that you said looked like me.

Of course, I remember.

I was playing with the blue rose when I felt something warm press against my neck.

When I flinched and looked back in surprise at the sudden temperature change, I found Cassadin burying his face in my neck with his eyes closed.

How could I forget anything related to you, Sister?

The calm nature of Cassadins voice reminded me of the serene afternoon sunlight.

Sister.

Calling out to me, Cassadin wrapped his arms around my waist. He still had his face buried in my shoulder. Thanks to that, I was trapped in his arms without any way to escape.

Sister.

Was it because his hot breath blew against my neck, or because his large hands wrapped around my waist? I felt like a deer that had been captured by a ferocious beast.

Youve said to me in the past that you love me.

Why dont you say that to me these days?

Love.

How naive I was to say such a heavy word. I now knew what results the words I said could bring.

Eyes crazed with a longing for affection. The one who made Cassadin like that was none other than me.

How foolish I was to use the word love to Cassadin, who did not see me, his sister, as a sister.

It was because I realized the weight of that word later on that I did not hastily use it.

What are you going to do if someone sees us like this?

But I was unable to do so.

Why hadnt I stopped Cassadin? Was it because I remembered Cassadin telling me his past without hesitation? Or because his expression as he licked my finger was genuinely happy?

Maybe it was both. Like he had become assimilated to me, I had become assimilated to him.

Nothing was going to change, no matter how much I tried to deny it now.

That night.

Planning to sort through my thoughts, I dipped my body into the warm bathwater without the assistance of the servants.

An hour later, I opened my wardrobe and changed into a comfortable set of clothes.

I changed my clothes alone.

It was something that a normal noblewoman would be horrified of doing, but because I was always alone in Damians duchy, not having a single maid I could trust completely, I had done everything that was possible to do alone.

Whether that was reading, changing my clothes, or reviving withering plants.

Just as I was staring out of the window at the twilight skies, reflecting on my foolish past, someone knocked on my bedroom door.

Knock knock.

Miss!

Recognizing the familiar maids voice, I immediately opened the door. There were beads of sweat on Sashas forehead, and something resembling a newspaper was in her hand. She must have run all the way here, as her brown hair was a mess.

What is it, Sasha?

To my question, Sasha panted heavily and handed the newspaper in her hand.

Look, look at whats in the newspaper, Miss.

I scanned over the contents of the newspaper Sasha gave me. The newspaper she had handed me was from a large news company that had a high influence over their market.

Matching the interests of both the commoners and nobles, this newspaper was the most popular in the empire, as well as the most sold.

And they were also famous for only treating the biggest issues.

Seeing how pale Sasha looked as she ran here, the news wasnt going to be good. I carefully read through the newspaper.

The moment I spread out the very first page of the newspaper, there was one large sentence that caught my eye.

[One of the Most Popular Nobles in the Empire! Son of an Earl Praised to have Beauty of Gods Revealed as a Gladiator Slave.]

It seemed like the newspaper company hadnt written Cassadins name out of concern for their wellbeing, but the article was clearly talking about Cassadin. And I knew immediately who it was that caused this to happen.

Damian.

Because he couldnt put his hands on me because of the Crown Princes promise to protect me, he changed his target to Cassadin.

In order to defame our family, which was already struggling with our reputation, and to completely isolate Cassadin.

As Ive already known, Damian was a dirty rat. His reaction to what I had announced as the truth only proved even further that I was right.

I felt like slapping myself in the face for the fact that I had once loved that man.

Since Ive seen how Damian reacted, what I need to do next is clear. I called out the name of my kind and faithful maid,

Sasha.

Yes, Miss.

Spread this rumor far and wide. Bribe people to do so if you must. I will provide whatever expenses you make.

Hoping that the rumor I was spreading would reach Damians duchy in the northern region, I then added on.

Tell them that there is a person in this empire that is able to heal any disease and even restore a severed tongue.