The Male Lead isn't Following the Script!-Chapter 307: Awake

Adeline sat at her desk, staring at the notes she had scribbled over the last few days. Her frustration was building again. She had called out to the Goddess multiple times now, hoping for a sign or even a faint reply, but there was nothing. Was she being iced out?

There were times when she would go silent, so it isn’t unusual... Adeline told herself that it was just nerves.

She let out a breath and leaned back in her chair.

She’d been playing defence for too long. Waiting. Planning.

But that wasn’t getting her anywhere. The Holy Temple, once something sacred and respected, had become a power-hungry machine. All it did was make people dependent. Healers were controlled. Resources were hoarded. People had no choice but to rely on them.

That needed to end.

She glanced down at the small charm she’d been working on. A pendant infused with holy powers. It was much stronger than the amulet she gave Aaron.

She’d been practising with these for months now—objects people could carry to protect themselves or heal minor wounds. It wasn’t a complete solution, but it was a step. If she could get enough of these out into the world, maybe people wouldn’t need the Temple as much.

But then again... That wouldn’t be enough. The real threat—the reason the Temple still held power—was the monsters. As long as they were around, people would always need protection, and the Temple would always use that to stay in control.

She remembered what Aaron told her. Ever since he started wearing the amulet, the monsters have stopped coming closer to him.

They didn’t fear the healers at the border, but they feared that amulet. Just like they had backed off when she and Dimitri found that old shrine of the Goddess months ago. The monsters didn’t get near that place either.

It got her thinking.

There was a reason she had lightning powers—powers that were supposed to be extinct. The author had been helping her, it had been meant to help her shift the story.

But now? The Goddess was gone. Silent. And Adeline was on her own.

Fine.

She’d deal with it.

She looked over her notes again. She needed to act.

Step one: spread the holy charms. Quietly, without drawing too much attention.Step two: challenge the Holy Temple openly—discredit them.Step three: destroy the monsters.

If the Temple lost its influence, they’d lose their grip on everything else, too.

Edward had to be taken down a peg.

Adeline rubbed her temples. She still didn’t know how to deal with the mind control magic that had taken hold of Benedict and Dimitri. That weighed heavily on her. But she couldn’t sit still anymore. She’d find a way.

Her thoughts drifted to Cassian for a second. His sudden return, his plan, the chaos it caused—it was insane, but it forced her to act. Just his return gave her hope, she did not feel alone anymore. It was the kick she needed to stop being so passive.

---

Benedict woke with a start. His breath hitched as his eyes darted around the dimly lit room. Memories flooded back in fragments, her frustrated expression, that white wedding dress, the exchanged vows. He was married to Annora. And she wasn’t here.

The knot in his gut tightened. He stumbled toward the window, drew back the curtain and stared out at the capital’s night skyline. Empty streets stretched before him...

Annora left in a huff, right after the ceremony finished. That meant she’d sought someone else, probably Edward. He’d seen Annora giving him a knowing look, those two were in cahoots weren’t they? Benedict’s jaw clenched—an instinctive reaction he could neither control nor understand until the memory clicked into place.

Edging toward the mirror, he stared at his reflection. Eyes bloodshot, hands trembling, robes half-wrinkled. The mind control fog was lifting, and it hurt to breathe. To think. To remember what he’d done. The one he hurt. The one he abandoned.

Adeline. The way she’d looked—betrayal, shame, heartbreak flickered across her face. She was the only person who was always by his side. As the memories of the past surfaced, he found it hard to digest.

And what had he done? Betrayed her—left her when she needed him the most. Chose Annora. Stood by her side and let her slip away.

He remembered his faction—the talk of supporting the third prince. The political play to align herself with the Saintess. How could he have gone along with it? Every cell in his body trembled at the memory of his actions. He had thrown away his vows—friendship, loyalty, love—for something that felt hollow and controlled.

His head pounded as he slammed a fist against the dressing table.

"I—What did I become?"

The question felt like a confession. He paced back, back and forth across the room, raking fingers through his hair. He needed answers. He needed to undo it—whatever it was. The fog. The control. Or lack thereof...

He remembered with a sudden clarity, the first prince! Cassian! He was supposed to marry Annora, but he left the ceremony! And then he stepped in to fill the groom’s shoes... Marrying Annora.

The realisation struck, Benedict grabbed his cloak and secured the clasp. He didn’t hesitate. He bolted out of the room before anyone could stop him. Slipping quietly through the corridors, he descended the grand stairhouse and headed toward the main entrance, cold marble underfoot. Each second made him feel alive again.

He was finally in control of himself. And he suspected that Cassian was too, otherwise, why else would he have left the altar like that? Though he wasn’t in control of his body, he retained all his memories.

Cassian acting close to Annora and later getting engaged to her infuriated him, why did it infuriate him? Annora was nothing to him. But it did. It made him impulsive, there were memories that were not his, memories that felt like it was from an alternate timeline.

A timeline where he absolutely despised Adeline.