The Male Lead isn't Following the Script!-Chapter 300: Face It Together

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

"Twice, Cassian." Her voice cracked, but she didn’t stop. "Once when you left for the academy and never wrote. And then again, when you killed the Second Prince and disappeared to the border. You never contacted me. Not once."

Cassian’s eyes dropped for a moment, a rare crack in his composure. When he looked back at her, it was as if years of restrained emotion rose behind his carefully built façade.

He took a tentative step closer, the polished heels of his black boots clicking softly against the marble floor.

"I didn’t leave you because I wanted to," he said quietly. "The first time... When I left for the academy... I couldn’t contact anyone."

Adeline stayed silent, her expression unreadable.

"There were people watching me," Cassian continued. "Waiting for a misstep. A weakness. And you... I could not put you in danger. If anything happened to you, I could not live with myself."

Adeline’s eyes flickered with a mix of understanding and frustration. She looked down at their hands, still entwined, the warmth of his touch both comforting and unsettling.

What he said... Made sense. At least in the original story, she knew how the second prince fought against Cassian. He used underhanded methods to fight for the throne, and Cassian retaliated in kind.

She took a deep breath. She was not weak. She had powers, she believed she could protect herself, so why couldn’t he?

"I could protect myself-" She wanted to say. Her words came out shaky. She felt overwhelmed. Her words were laced with both vulnerability and defiance as she tried to make her feelings clear.

Cassian’s grip on her hands tightened slightly, his thumb brushing over her knuckles, "And I would never want to put you in a position where you have to... But clearly, I failed... The second time I left..." Cassian looked into Adeline’s eyes, trying to form the words.

Adeline’s gaze snapped back to his, her eyes narrowing. "You left for the border after killing him." Adeline’s words were sharp.

Cassian’s shoulders tensed, and he nodded slowly. "I did not think I could face you, I put you in danger because I could not help myself. I should have stayed away, but how could I? And because I didn’t, you were also a target. As for why I left, I thought it would be best if you were not associated with a murderer." Cassian explained earnestly.

Adeline was furious, her cheeks flushed with anger, "All I am hearing is ’I thought’ How about you ask me what I wanted?!"

Cassian’s expression faltered, guilt flickering across his features. He took another step closer, closing the distance between them. "You’re right," he murmured. "I should have asked. I should have trusted you."​

The room fell into a heavy silence, the only sound the distant chirping of birds outside. Adeline searched his face, looking for sincerity, for remorse. She found both.

Tears welled up in her eyes, but she blinked them away, refusing to let them fall. "I waited for you," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "Every day, I waited."

Cassian’s face contorted with pain, and he reached up to cup her cheek, his touch gentle. "I’m so sorry, Adeline," he said, his voice breaking. "I thought I was protecting you, but I see now that I only hurt you."​

She leaned into his touch, closing her eyes for a moment, savoring the warmth and familiarity. When she opened them, determination shone through her tears. "No more decisions without me," she stated firmly. "If we’re to face dangers, we face them together."

Cassian’s eyes flickered at her words, that sharp mind of his absorbing everything even as a shadow passed through his gaze. "I hope it does not come to that," he said softly, but Adeline caught the hesitation—felt the strain in his tone that told her he wasn’t as hopeful as he sounded.

She frowned, stepping away just slightly so she could see him more clearly. "It will," she said quietly. "I mean... It has." Her voice trembled, and she hated that it did. "Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed the changes in Benedict and Dimitri..."

Cassian’s expression didn’t shift right away. He just looked at her, quiet and unreadable.

But Adeline’s heart was already twisting in her chest. "Cassian..." she began, then hesitated before asking what she needed to know—what she had been trying to avoid. "I don’t know how you escaped the powers of those people, but... Do you know how to free the others?"

She asked it so earnestly. So genuinely. There was the same vulnerability in her voice that had always made him hesitate, always pulled something inside him taut. But this time, Cassian looked away.

Did he know how to free them?

As of now, no. He didn’t. And worse, if he did... He wasn’t sure he’d use that knowledge.

He had come too far. Fought too hard. Waited too long.

The forces who practiced forbidden magic—the ones who had tried to control him—had underestimated him, just like everyone always did.

They had sent their strongest practitioners, and he had slaughtered them all. One by one. Blood on his hands was something he was used to.

And when they failed to control him, they redirected their efforts to the others.

Cassian had observed the changes. Of course, he had.

But part of him had welcomed it. Their distractions became his advantage. Their fallout with Adeline became his chance.

He looked back at her finally, eyes softening. He could lie. But, she would know. Either way, he did not know how to free them, and he did not intend to put effort into finding out.

Cassian exhaled slowly, his gaze steady. "I don’t know," he admitted, his voice low but honest. "But we’ll face it together. We’ll find a way." His hand tightened around hers, grounding her. "I’m not leaving you again, Adeline. Whatever comes, we face it side by side."