the Villainess they took for granted

Chapter 38: Chapter 38: An Unfortunate Truth

The woodland walk ended gradually.

No formal announcement.

No clear conclusion.

Just small groups breaking apart as the trail returned toward the lodge.

Some guests drifted toward the gardens.

Others toward the stables.

Several ladies began discussing dinner.

Life resumed.

Ordinary.

Predictable.

Marian should have been relieved.

Instead she felt oddly reluctant.

Which was ridiculous.

The entire afternoon had been ridiculous.

She had spent far too much time talking to Cassian.

Far too much time laughing.

Far too much time forgetting herself.

The realization was deeply concerning.

Fortunately, she intended to ignore it completely.

An excellent strategy.

One she employed frequently.

Unfortunately, before she could escape, a familiar voice spoke beside her.

"We’re going to talk."

Marian blinked.

Then looked up.

Cassian.

Of course.

The man sounded alarmingly serious.

"That sounds ominous."

"It should."

The answer arrived immediately.

Marian narrowed her eyes.

"I don’t appreciate being summoned."

"I wasn’t asking."

The audacity.

The absolute audacity.

Yet somehow she found herself following him anyway.

Only a short distance.

Far enough from the others that their conversation wouldn’t be overheard.

Not far enough to attract attention.

A careful balance.

The sort noble families spent generations mastering.

For a while neither spoke.

The silence stretched.

Then Cassian sighed.

Slowly.

Like a man accepting an unpleasant responsibility.

Marian immediately became suspicious.

A wise instinct.

"What?"

Cassian looked at her.

Directly.

Steadily.

Without his usual amusement.

Without the teasing.

Without the sarcasm.

The sudden seriousness caught her off guard.

"What are you doing?"

Marian blinked.

"Walking."

Cassian closed his eyes.

Briefly.

As though praying for strength.

"Marian."

"Cassian."

The answer emerged automatically.

The corner of his mouth twitched.

Traitor.

For a moment she thought the tension might dissolve.

It didn’t.

Cassian folded his arms.

"What are you doing?"

The repetition landed differently this time.

More pointed.

More dangerous.

Marian knew exactly what he meant.

Which was unfortunate.

"Nothing."

A lie.

Not a particularly convincing one.

Cassian’s expression confirmed as much.

"You’ve sought me out three times in two days."

Marian opened her mouth.

Then closed it again.

Because that number sounded much worse when someone else said it aloud.

"It wasn’t deliberate."

Cassian stared.

Just stared.

The silence became unbearable.

Finally:

"That was insulting."

Marian laughed.

Against her will.

The man was impossible.

"You think very highly of yourself."

"I think exactly enough of myself."

The infuriating answer arrived immediately.

Then the amusement faded.

Leaving only that steady gaze.

The one she was beginning to dislike.

Mostly because it saw too much.

"You’re using me."

The words landed between them.

Heavy.

Sharp.

Unexpected.

Marian froze.

For one brief moment, genuine shock crossed her face.

Then came indignation.

Immediate.

Magnificent.

"Excuse me?"

Cassian remained completely calm.

A mistake.

A terrible mistake.

Because now Marian was angry.

"That’s an absurd accusation."

"Is it?"

"Yes."

The answer came instantly.

Too instantly.

Cassian noticed.

Unfortunately.

The man noticed everything.

"Then explain."

Marian opened her mouth.

And discovered she couldn’t.

Not properly.

Because explaining meant admitting things.

And Marian had no desire to admit anything.

Especially to herself.

"It isn’t like that."

"What is it like?"

The question followed immediately.

Relentless.

Marian hated it.

Deeply.

Because she didn’t have an answer.

Or rather—

She had too many.

Adrian.

The distance.

The fight.

Elena.

Months of hurt.

Months of frustration.

Months of feeling invisible.

All of it was true.

Yet somehow none of it felt sufficient.

The realization unsettled her.

Cassian watched the conflict move across her face.

Then, unexpectedly, his expression softened.

Only slightly.

Enough.

"Marian."

The gentleness made everything worse.

"I know you’re hurt."

She looked away immediately.

Because she hated that word.

Hurt.

It sounded weak.

Vulnerable.

True.

The last part was the problem.

"You don’t know what you’re talking about."

"I think I do."

"No."

The denial came too quickly.

Too sharply.

Cassian remained infuriatingly calm.

"I don’t think you’re trying to hurt Adrian."

Marian laughed.

A short sound.

Humorless.

"How generous."

"I’m serious."

The seriousness in his voice surprised her.

Enough that she looked at him.

Really looked.

The late afternoon sunlight caught against his dark hair.

His expression remained steady.

Honest.

The realization struck unexpectedly.

Cassian almost never lied to her.

The thought should not have mattered.

Yet somehow it did.

"You don’t want revenge."

The words came quietly.

"You want him to notice."

Silence.

Because that one landed.

Directly.

Painfully.

Marian swallowed.

The truth hurt.

Mostly because it was true.

Cassian saw it.

Of course he did.

Then:

"You think if he sees you with me—"

"That’s not what this is."

The interruption came immediately.

Instinctive.

Defensive.

Cassian raised an eyebrow.

Marian hated that eyebrow.

Almost as much as she hated being understood.

"You don’t even like me."

The words escaped before he could stop them.

Perhaps he intended them as reassurance.

Perhaps he intended them as a warning.

Either way—

They had the opposite effect.

Because Marian’s answer arrived immediately.

Without thought.

Without caution.

Without permission.

"I like you."

Silence.

Complete.

Utter.

Catastrophic silence.

Marian froze.

Cassian froze.

The world froze.

For one horrifying second nobody breathed.

Then realization arrived.

Slowly.

Mercilessly.

Marian stared at him.

Cassian stared back.

Neither spoke.

Because there was nothing to say.

The words had already been said.

And worse—

They had been true.

Not love.

Not romance.

Not anything so dramatic.

Just truth.

Simple.

Honest.

Dangerous.

Marian looked away first.

Because suddenly maintaining eye contact felt impossible.

And for the first time since meeting Cassian beside the lake—

for the first time since all of this began—

she realized something unsettling.

She hadn’t sought him out because she hated his company.

Quite the opposite.

And judging by the expression on Cassian’s face—

That realization was disturbing him too.

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