The Male Lead isn't Following the Script!-Chapter 298: Who Is It?

Cassian gripped the reins tightly as his horse galloped through the empty streets. Everyone was at his wedding, except him. His black and gold attire fluttered against the wind, but he paid no mind to the cold nor the biting air against his skin, it made him feel alive.

Annora’s plans were not the only ones coming to fruition.

Every clatter of his horse’s hooves against the cobblestone was a step closer to his final victory. A victory he had meticulously crafted from the shadows, moving his pieces in secrecy, ensuring that everything would fall into place exactly as he desired.

His icy blue eyes flickered toward the streets he passed, taking in the familiar sights of a city that had been the backdrop of countless memories—memories that all led back to her.

The small bridge over the river where Adeline once threw stones in frustration, ranting about something trivial.

The bookstore where they spent time together, he remembered how she would tug his sleeve and order him to grab the book that she couldn’t reach.

Cassian’s mind drifted as his horse galloped past the imperial district and entered the Western territory, it should not be too long from here... He was so close to her.

He remembered the eventful night that everything changed, the event that laid the groundwork for his schemes.

The forbidden magic practitioners... Those fools truly thought they could control him.

He nearly laughed at the thought.

They had underestimated him.

They sent their most powerful spellcasters, attempting to seize control of his mind, bending him to their will as they had done with so many others.

They failed.

He slaughtered them.

One by one.

Their bodies had disintegrated into nothing. Leaving no trace behind of the attack.

Now, only a few mediocre ones were left, scraping together what little power they had, desperately trying to rebuild their ranks. They were already few in number—which was why they had shifted their focus.

Cassian knew exactly what they were doing. He realised they targeted a few important figures around Adeline. But Cassian had always been different. He had known since he was a child that he could not afford to be controlled.

After killing off the stronger ones the only mind controllers that remained within their faction were of mediocre talent and they were used to make sure their control over Benedict and Dimitri stayed.

They had assumed Cassian was being controlled by the ones they sent, not knowing they were all killed.

But Cassian... He was not worried.

He had bided his time, watching, waiting.

Observing as his rivals, one by one, began acting favourably toward Annora.

It had taken him little time to unravel their plan. Annora was at the centre of it all, so he planned to use her.

Make her think that she was winning...

Cassian saw it firsthand, saw how Benedict’s walls started to crack, how he began leaning toward Annora’s side without even realizing it.

Cassian had played along.

Carefully. Calculated.

While others were caught in the storm, he stood above it, untouched, unshaken.

And now, he was about to end it.

As his horse galloped through the outskirts of the noble district, Cassian thought of the final piece of his plan—Benedict.

A reckless fool.

An arrogant brute who had always seemed to capture Adeline’s attention in a way that Cassian could never understand.

No matter how much effort he put in, no matter how perfectly he played the role of the flawless prince, Adeline always had a soft spot for Benedict.

Why?

Why had she always been partial to him?

Cassian could not bear it.

He had spent years honing himself into something untouchable, something unrivalled, yet Adeline still looked at Benedict as if he mattered.

It was infuriating.

But Cassian had turned that very frustration into his greatest weapon.

Benedict would be his own undoing.

Benedict was reckless, that was his own undoing. Sure, they had been previously allies, but that was only temporary.

Cassian had orchestrated everything, carefully planting the seeds of doubt, ensuring that Benedict’s allegiance would shift just enough to push Adeline away. Before he would simply ignore Adeline, but because of his words, he grew to despise her.

And it had worked beautifully.

Adeline and Benedict had grown distant.

So distant that she would never again choose him over Cassian.

Cassian clenched his jaw as his horse sped through the trees, nearing the estate where Adeline resided.

He had spent his entire life wearing a mask.

A perfect prince.

A diplomatic player.

An untouchable figure in the empire.

And all of it had led to this moment.

He had endured the act, and played his cards with precision, all for this.

And now, he would finally claim his victory.

Cassian’s final move had been leaving Annora at the altar.

He knew it would be a humiliation beyond compare.

The entire empire would witness it.

She would be left standing there, disgraced, abandoned, powerless.

And Benedict—that fool—would never let it stand.

Cassian knew him too well.

The moment Benedict saw Annora being humiliated, he would step in.

He would do the honourable thing, the reckless thing.

He would marry her.

And just like that—Cassian would eliminate his greatest rival.

Benedict would be bound to Annora, shackled to the very woman whose mere existence drove a wedge between him and Adeline.

And with Benedict out of the way, there would be nothing left standing between Cassian and Adeline.

No one left to pull her away.

No one left for her to choose over him.

Cassian galloped into the estate, his grip tightening on the reins as the wind rushed past him. The towering gates opened without question, and he rode through, barely sparing a glance at the lush greenery surrounding the grand mansion.

His heart pounded, not from exertion but from anticipation. She did not attend his wedding. That meant something. That meant she cared. And that was enough.

He dismounted swiftly, taking the stairs two at a time. Without hesitation, he pushed open the door to her chambers. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Adeline’s brows furrowed. She had given strict orders not to be disturbed. Then who—?