the Villainess they took for granted

Chapter 153: Chapter 153: A Request

The capital had apparently decided that Marian’s engagement was cause for celebration.

The realization became increasingly difficult to ignore.

Flowers arrived every morning.

Letters arrived every afternoon.

Visitors arrived whenever the servants failed to stop them.

The entire situation was exhausting.

Not unpleasant.

Simply exhausting.

Particularly because everyone seemed determined to ask the same question.

"When is the wedding?"

Marian had developed several answers.

None of them proved especially effective.

At present, she was hiding in the library.

A strategy that had worked remarkably well for nearly an hour.

Then the butler arrived.

The realization immediately ruined everything.

"My lady."

Marian looked up from her book.

The older man approached.

Something about his expression caught her attention immediately.

There was no concern.

No alarm.

Yet there was a certain hesitation.

The sight was unusual enough to make her sit up straighter.

"Yes?"

The butler extended a silver tray.

A single card rested upon it.

Nothing more.

No flowers.

No letter.

No elaborate message.

Just a card.

Marian reached for it automatically.

Then froze.

The Imperial seal stared back at her.

For a moment, the room seemed strangely quiet.

Her heartbeat stumbled.

Just once.

Then resumed.

Slowly.

Carefully.

As though it too had noticed the seal.

The butler wisely pretended not to notice.

Marian broke the seal.

Unfolded the card.

Read.

Then read it again.

Lady Marian,

If you would permit it, I would like to speak with you.

Once.

Before your engagement is formally announced.

— Adrian

The words were brief.

Simple.

Polite.

The card trembled slightly between her fingers.

Marian immediately tightened her grip.

The reaction was ridiculous.

Entirely ridiculous.

Yet she could not seem to stop staring.

Once.

The word lingered.

Heavy.

Uncomfortable.

I would like to speak with you.

Not Lady Valmont.

Not the daughter of Duke Valmont.

Marian.

Just Marian.

The realization settled poorly.

Very poorly.

"My lady?"

The butler’s voice pulled her back.

Marian blinked.

Then carefully folded the card.

"I’ll need some time."

"Of course."

The butler withdrew.

Leaving her alone.

Unfortunately.

Because now she had nothing to distract herself from the problem sitting in her lap.

Adrian.

The name alone felt strange.

How long had it been?

Not since they had seen each other.

That had happened at the ball.

Not since they had spoken.

Truly spoken.

The answer was considerably more uncomfortable.

The lodge.

The dissolution.

His refusal.

The memory arrived uninvited.

Marian closed her eyes.

Then immediately opened them again.

The effort had accomplished nothing.

A familiar problem.

Slowly, she stood.

Crossed the room.

Stopped beside the window.

Outside, Valmont House continued its usual routine.

Servants moved through the gardens.

Carriages passed beyond the gates.

Life continued.

Indifferent to her dilemma.

The card remained in her hand.

She looked at it again.

Then wished she hadn’t.

Because the problem remained exactly the same.

Refusing would be rude.

Accepting felt dangerous.

Neither option appealed.

A knock interrupted her thoughts.

Before she could answer, the door opened.

Cassian entered.

The sight of him immediately improved her mood.

A recurring issue.

One she had no intention of correcting.

His smile faded slightly the moment he noticed her expression.

The reaction was immediate.

Concern.

"What’s wrong?"

Marian held up the card.

Cassian accepted it.

Read.

Then became very still.

For several moments, neither spoke.

The silence stretched.

Marian found herself watching him.

Waiting.

Perhaps unfairly.

Cassian eventually folded the card.

Then handed it back.

His expression remained unreadable.

An unfortunate talent.

"What do you think?"

The question escaped before she could stop it.

Cassian’s gaze settled on her.

Not the card.

Her.

The distinction felt important.

"What do you think?"

Traitor.

The realization arrived instantly.

Marian looked away.

Toward the window.

Toward anything except the man who knew her entirely too well.

"I don’t know."

The admission felt strangely difficult.

Cassian was quiet for a moment.

Then nodded.

An encouraging sign.

Usually.

"You should meet him."

Marian turned back immediately.

"What?"

The answer had not been expected.

At all.

Cassian’s expression softened slightly.

"You should meet him."

The repetition proved remarkably unhelpful.

Marian stared.

"You can’t possibly mean that."

"I do."

"Why?"

The question emerged sharper than intended.

Cassian accepted it without complaint.

Because of course he did.

The man was infuriatingly reasonable.

"Eighteen years."

The answer arrived quietly.

Simply.

No accusation.

No jealousy.

No resentment.

Just truth.

Marian fell silent.

Eighteen years.

The number landed heavily.

Because neither of them could deny it.

Not honestly.

Not completely.

Cassian crossed the room.

Then stopped in front of her.

Close enough to touch.

Close enough to remind her why she loved him.

Dangerous man.

"I don’t like it."

The admission surprised her.

Perhaps because it was honest.

Entirely honest.

Cassian smiled slightly.

"As you may have noticed, I am capable of being selfish."

Marian laughed.

The sound escaped before she could stop it.

Good.

The tension eased slightly.

Only slightly.

Cassian reached for her hand.

His thumb brushed lightly across the ring.

The movement nearly distracted her.

Nearly.

"I trust you."

The words settled softly between them.

Simple.

Certain.

Dangerous in their own way.

Marian’s chest tightened unexpectedly.

Cassian continued.

"And I trust myself."

A pause.

Then:

"So no."

His smile returned.

Small.

Steady.

"I don’t particularly enjoy the idea."

The honesty made her laugh again.

"There he is."

Cassian looked offended.

The performance lacked conviction.

"My lady wounds me."

"Frequently."

"So I’ve noticed."

The exchange lasted only seconds.

Yet somehow it made breathing easier.

A familiar miracle.

Eventually the laughter faded.

Leaving only the truth.

The card.

The request.

The decision.

Cassian squeezed her hand gently.

"You should hear what he wants to say."

Marian looked down.

Toward the ring resting on her finger.

Toward the future she had chosen.

Toward the life she wanted.

Then she looked back at Cassian.

And understood.

This wasn’t permission.

It wasn’t approval.

It wasn’t surrender.

It was trust.

Pure and simple.

The realization left her unexpectedly vulnerable.

"You’re entirely too good for me."

Cassian laughed.

The sound was immediate.

Disbelieving.

"My lady."

The title sounded suspiciously amused.

"That is objectively untrue."

Marian rolled her eyes.

Cassian looked pleased.

An unfortunate development.

Eventually she glanced back toward the card.

The Imperial seal.

The request.

The conversation waiting for her.

A conversation that perhaps should have happened long ago.

The realization was uncomfortable.

Necessary.

But uncomfortable.

Slowly, she nodded.

Once.

Cassian’s hand tightened around hers.

Not stopping her.

Not holding her back.

Simply there.

As it always was.

"I’ll meet him."

The words felt strangely final.

The room fell quiet.

Outside, the capital continued about its day.

Inside, something had shifted.

Not dramatically.

Not visibly.

Yet Marian could feel it.

The future remained unchanged.

Her choice remained unchanged.

Her heart remained unchanged.

And somehow that made what came next feel even more important.

Across from her, Cassian seemed to understand exactly the same thing.

Neither spoke.

Neither needed to.

For the first time, the next move belonged to Adrian.

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