The Male Lead isn't Following the Script!-Chapter 299: Why?

Adeline had never felt time slow before, but in this moment, it did.

Cassian’s long figure reflected on the polished marble floor. That was the first thing she saw, she slowly looked up to see him... Her friend.

The man before her, Cassian, was dressed in an outfit befitting royalty, black fabric embroidered with gold embroidery that shimmered with every step he took. Black. The colour of mourning. A stark contrast to the white and gold she expected him to wear on this day.

Her fingers curled into the folds of her dress as unease settled in her stomach. She had avoided the wedding, not because she was too weak to attend, but because she refused to watch the inevitable.

Cassian was the perfect prince—his path was set in stone. He would wed Annora, forge an unbreakable alliance with the Holy Temple, and secure his future on the throne. That was the logical conclusion. That was the story’s ending!

So then, why was he here?

The air felt heavy as she forced herself to speak, keeping her voice steady despite the growing tension in the room.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, wary, guarded.

Cassian’s gaze never wavered. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes—icy blue, piercing and impossibly deep—were filled with something she couldn’t name. Something dark. Something desperate.

Then, his hand reached for her face.

The warmth of his fingers against her cool skin made her flinch, but he did not pull away. His thumb brushed over her cheek, a touch so gentle, so deliberate, that it sent a shiver down her spine.

And then, in a voice barely above a whisper, he said the words that made her breath catch.

"I have come for my bride."

What?

Adeline’s eyes widened in disbelief. Surely, she had misheard.

Her mind struggled to process the weight of his statement, but the intent in his gaze was unwavering. No jest. No deception. Only certainty.

"Cassian," she whispered, almost afraid to say his name. This made no sense. She did not know what to say, what she should ask...

He had chosen Annora, a woman blessed by the Holy Temple, a woman who would only strengthen his position.

So why was he not at the altar, pledging his life to her?

Instead, he stood before Adeline, dressed in black, as if mourning the very fate he had rejected. As if mourning the wedding he had just abandoned.

She saw something else in his eyes now. Obsession. Nostalgia. A raw, unfiltered longing.

Adeline felt her pulse quicken. No. This wasn’t right.

"You’re supposed to be at the palace." Her voice was barely above a whisper. "You’re supposed to be marrying Annora."

Cassian’s lips curled into something that was almost a smile yet held no warmth.

"And yet, here I am," he murmured, his thumb tracing slow, languid circles against her skin.

She attempted to shake his hand off, but he grabbed her face with the other hand, both his hands cupping her face, making sure she stayed in place.

"This is an alliance you wanted," she accused, searching his face for any sign of reason. "You worked for this. You needed this."

Cassian exhaled through his nose, his hand sliding from her cheek to her jaw, tilting her face up slightly.

"I needed many things," he admitted, voice smooth, measured. "But you? I wanted."

Wanted... He wanted her? 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

"I don’t understand," she said, barely concealing the tremor in her voice.

Cassian’s grip tightened slightly—not enough to hurt, but enough to ensure her full attention.

"You will," he murmured, a promise or a warning, she couldn’t tell.

Adeline shook her head, her thoughts racing. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go.

Did she dare to entertain the thought? The thought that Cassian was back... He was awake again.

"Does Annora know?" She asked, how would she feel knowing that the person she wanted to marry so badly left her at the altar?

Cassian let out a low chuckle.

"She does now."

Adeline sucked in a sharp breath. He left her. He truly left her at the altar.

"Do you have any idea what you’ve done?" Her voice shaking as she asked. She needed to confirm that he was truly back. She wanted to burst into tears.

"Annora—"

"—is not my concern."

"The Emperor—"

"—will understand."

"The Holy Temple—"

"—will recover."

Adeline clenched her jaw.

"And me?" She whispered.

For the first time, Cassian faltered.

Cassian was awake. Truly awake.

For so long, she had been tormented by the thought that the Cassian she once knew had been lost, swallowed whole by the influence of forbidden magic. She had watched him change—watched the warmth in his gaze turn into something cold and unreadable.

She should have been relieved. She should have felt nothing but joy. And yet, as she stared at him, a weight pressed against her chest, heavier than anything she had ever carried.

Because even before the forbidden magic took hold of him, he had already left her.

Twice.

Once, when he had gone to the academy, he had never written to her. Never contacted her. Never reached out, no matter how much she had waited.

And then again, when he killed the Second Prince and vanished to the border. Leaving behind chaos, uncertainty—leaving her behind.

She had spent so much time wondering why.

Why he had abandoned her so easily. Why he had cut himself off from her as if their bond meant nothing. Why he had chosen to disappear instead of facing her.

Now, she had the chance to ask.

Her throat felt tight, her vision blurred with tears she refused to shed. But still, she forced herself to meet his gaze, searching for answers in the depths of those familiar icy-blue eyes.

"Why?" she asked, her voice trembling despite herself. "Why did you just leave me?"

Cassian’s expression changed. His eyebrows furrowed. His hands on either side of her face slipped, they instead reached for her hands. He brought her hands up to his lips and kissed both of them gently, before he spoke.