Transmigrated as the Cuck.... WTF!!!-Chapter 128. Just one night...

Eventually, I finished the last crumbs of bread and downed the remaining soup in a single swig. The warmth spread through my chest, easing the tension I didn’t know I’d been carrying.

Kael had also emptied her bowl, wiping her mouth with a neatly folded handkerchief—an unexpectedly graceful gesture for someone dressed like a mercenary.

Evelyn, meanwhile, was still munching slowly on her bread, eyes flicking between me and Kael with a mixture of suspicion and irritation.

A smirk tugged at my lips.

Time to poke the dragon again.

Leaning slightly toward Kael, I lowered my voice just enough to let it curl between us like smoke. "So, Kael... would you mind accompanying me upstairs?"

She paused mid-wipe, eyes narrowing a bit as if uncertain she heard me right. The surprise hit her quick and sharp—she even coughed, caught off guard.

But then her eyes gleamed, lips curling into a mischievous smile. "My, oh my. I didn’t think boys from outside Opalcrest had balls. I figured you were all polite little puppies, a bunch of pussies."

I tilted my head, letting my voice dip into something darker—mocking, confident, and just a little suggestive. "I like to beat pussy too, you know."

She blinked, confusion flashing in her eyes. The double meaning flew right over her head. But Evelyn choked on her bread.

I didn’t bother clarifying. Let her stew in the ambiguity. I stood up casually, stretched with deliberate slowness, and made my way toward the stairs—ignoring the murmurs of nearby women and Evelyn’s sharp glare.

But just as I reached the top step, I heard it.

A collective gasp from below.

Curious, I glanced back.

Kael was following me up the stairs.

A silent grin crept across my face. I hadn’t expected that. The invite was just to get under Evelyn’s skin, nothing more. I hadn’t thought Kael would take the bait—yet here she was.

Following me.

’Something’s definitely up...’

’Just who are you, Kaelira?’

I led her to my room, opening the door and stepping inside without ceremony. She followed, silent and cautious, eyes flicking around as if mapping escape routes.

I plopped onto the bed and casually patted the space beside me.

She ignored the gesture and chose the wooden chair instead, sitting with legs crossed and arms folded. Professional. Guarded.

’Not as bold as you pretended to be earlier... which means you’re playing a role. Good. Confirms my suspicion.’

The tension held for a while. Neither of us spoke. It wasn’t awkward—more like a quiet stand-off, two people waiting to see who’d blink first.

Eventually, she broke the silence. Her voice was low, tight with suppressed nerves.

"I’m ready to do whatever you want... Just—just help me with something."

I leaned back on the bed, folding my arms behind my head. "Depends on what it is."

Her posture straightened, and I saw a flicker of hope flash across her face.

"I’m sorry," she began, "but I was the one who arranged everything downstairs. The crowd, the noise, even the exaggerated chatter about you. I recognized you after the arena match. I followed you."

I let out a long sigh. "Figures."

She blinked. "Wait—you knew?"

I chuckled. "Come on, Kael. That old lady was practically glowing with excitement when we walked in. A rare crowd, mostly women, all packed into a small roadside inn out of nowhere? And their attention magically turns to me the second I step downstairs? It wasn’t hard to connect the dots."

Her expression turned sheepish, then impressed. "You’re smarter than you look."

I grinned. "Yeah, crazy, right? Apparently being born outside Opalcrest makes me a dumbass."

She flushed slightly, lips twitching. "Okay, maybe I was a little biased..."

"Biased?" I raised a brow. "Lady, your whole kingdom is racist. I could sneeze wrong and you’d call it foreign aggression."

She chuckled, genuine this time. A small crack in the wall she kept around herself.

Then her face turned serious again. "But I didn’t do all this to humiliate you or mock you. I needed to get your attention. You’re strong... and more importantly, you’re not from here. That makes you valuable."

I closed my eyes for a moment, letting silence stretch.

So, that was it.

Another scheme.

Another set of invisible strings trying to latch onto me.

I opened one eye. "So what do you want, Kaelira? Say it plainly. No need to wrap it in compliments or pretty speeches."

She hesitated, then nodded. "Alright. I need your help... to kill someone."

I eyed her carefully. "Kill? Just to be clear—kill, not capture, not threaten, but kill?"

She nodded without hesitation, her expression hardened by something far more personal than mere vengeance. "Yes. Kill. I want you to kill Vaylin Astreel. He’s the son of Duke Astreel."

The audacity made me want to sneer, but I held it in. She was asking me—me, a Lancaster and Son of a Grand Duke from Alaris—to assassinate someone of equivalent nobility, albeit from a different kingdom.

The irony was delicious.

I leaned back with a subtle smile. "And what, please tell, did this fine gentleman do to deserve such a sentence?"

Her expression shifted in an instant. The composure cracked, revealing pure, unfiltered hatred underneath. Her deep blue eyes brimmed with tears that refused to fall.

"That bastard," she hissed. "He... he assaulted my sister. Not once, not twice—but over the course of months. He and his entire household, his guards, his servants, all of them joined in. Why? Because she humiliated him in a public duel. He couldn’t take the defeat. So he turned the entire Astreel estate into a personal prison... and violated her until she broke."

Her hands trembled on her thighs. Her voice cracked. "I want him to suffer. I want to see that bastard beg for mercy before he dies a death so vile even the worms will spit him out."

I was quiet for a moment. Then I asked the obvious question.

"Why me? I can guess, but I want to hear it from you."

Kaelira lowered her head, tears slipping down her cheek silently. But when she looked up again, her eyes met mine with a fierce, burning desperation.

"Because you’re not from Opalcrest. Because people here... they treat nobility like divine beings. No matter how monstrous their actions, the commoners remain loyal. Even the other nobles would never raise a hand against one of their own. But you?"

I finished her sentence for her. "I’m strong. I’m not from here. I don’t hesitate to take life. And I don’t exactly act like the weakling they’ve probably described in their bedtime stories."

She gave a soft, almost broken laugh. "Exactly. That’s why, when I saw you in the arena, I made a plan. I thought—if I could feed your ego, seduce you, maybe you’d do it. Maybe you’d kill for me."

I tilted my head, watching her closely. "But?"

Her voice softened, laced with guilt. "But... you’re not like the others. You’re not as easily manipulated as I thought. You didn’t take the bait."

I chuckled, then leaned forward and gently took her hand, raising it to my lips. My tone dropped to a quiet murmur, filled with warmth—and something darker.

"Oh no... you’re wrong. I can definitely be seduced. In fact... I already am."

Kaelira’s breath hitched slightly as I looked into her eyes, letting a dangerous glint show in mine. "And lucky for you, Kaelira... I love to kill."

The smirk I wore now was almost feral.

"I’ll help you. But not for free."

Her eyes widened, a flash of hope blooming in them. "I’m ready to give you whatever you want. Gold, titles, artifacts—"

I raised my finger and pressed it lightly to her lips. "No, not all that. I want you."

Her cheeks flushed, caught somewhere between flustered and steely resolve. But she didn’t retreat. Instead, she answered firmly.

"If you really help me kill that monster... I’ll gladly be your wife. Or concubine. Whatever you desire. My body, my loyalty—everything."

I paused, blinking. "No, no. You misunderstand. I’m not asking for anything so serious."

She blinked, confused. "Then what...?"

I leaned back, grinning with brazen shamelessness. "Just a night. That’s all. No strings, no contracts. Just one night in my bed."

Kaelira stared at me for a moment, dumbfounded. Then she laughed—a deep, unrestrained, amused laugh. "You’re unbelievable. I seriously didn’t expect you to be that blunt."

I returned her laughter with a smirk. "Take it as a compliment."

She rose to her feet, straightening her mercenary-style jacket. She turned toward the door, but before she stepped out, she paused and looked back over her shoulder.

Her voice was sultry now, and teasing. "Cassius... I hope you’re as good at sex as you are at pretending you don’t care."

My grin widened into something wicked.

"Want a trial?"

Kaelira shook her head, letting out a breathy laugh as she stepped into the hallway. "Tomorrow, Purple Boy. First, we kill Vaylin."

As the door shut behind her, I stared at the ceiling, still smiling.

"Tomorrow it is."

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