the Villainess they took for granted

Chapter 68: Chapter 68: No More Pretending

For several moments neither spoke.

The garden remained quiet.

The distant sounds of the hunting lodge seemed impossibly far away.

Marian suddenly became aware of how ridiculous this was.

Three days alone in a forest.

Countless conversations.

Hours spent together.

And somehow this felt more difficult.

Because the forest had been simple.

This wasn’t.

"Well," Cassian said finally.

Marian almost laughed.

The sound startled both of them.

Because it broke the tension.

A little.

Only a little.

"That was a terrible opening."

"I know."

"You usually do better."

"I am having an unusually difficult morning."

The answer came so quickly Marian looked up.

Cassian’s mouth twitched.

"You’re laughing."

"You deserve it."

"Probably."

The exchange felt familiar.

Comfortable.

Dangerously comfortable.

For a brief moment, both relaxed.

Then reality returned.

The silence that followed was different.

Heavier.

Cassian looked toward the gardens.

Then back at her.

"You’re avoiding everyone."

Marian raised an eyebrow.

"So are you."

"An unfortunate coincidence."

"A remarkable one."

"Truly."

Neither believed him.

The realization lingered between them.

Because both knew this wasn’t an accident.

Neither had come here by accident.

Neither had followed by accident.

For the first time, neither pretended otherwise.

"Marian."

Her breath caught.

Because he almost never used her name.

Not like that.

Not when they were alone.

Not without teasing attached to it.

Slowly she looked back.

And immediately wished she hadn’t.

Because Cassian was looking at her differently.

Honestly.

Which was somehow worse.

"Are we going to keep pretending?"

The question landed softly.

Yet Marian felt it like a physical blow.

Because she knew exactly what he meant.

The terrace.

The library.

The forest.

The dinner.

Everything neither of them had acknowledged.

Marian swallowed.

"I don’t know."

The answer was honest.

Painfully honest.

For a moment neither spoke.

Then Marian surprised herself.

"When did it happen?"

Cassian was silent.

Then he laughed softly.

Without humor.

"At first I thought it was the forest."

Marian’s heart skipped.

"Then I thought it was before the forest."

The smile faded.

"And eventually I realized I was asking the wrong question."

Marian held his gaze.

Then Cassian said quietly:

"It stopped mattering when it started."

Silence.

The words settled heavily between them.

Dangerous.

Honest.

Impossible to take back.

Marian looked away first.

Toward the garden path.

Toward the trees.

Anywhere except him.

Because suddenly she couldn’t breathe properly.

The future she had been imagining all night pressed against her thoughts.

And before she could stop herself, the question slipped out.

Lightly.

Almost carelessly.

As though it meant nothing.

"What if I simply broke off the engagement?"

Cassian blinked.

For a moment he genuinely looked confused.

Not by the question.

By the way she asked it.

As casually as one might discuss the weather.

Then he noticed her expression.

And immediately understood.

This was not a joke.

Not entirely.

"Lady Marian."

The warning came automatically.

Marian laughed.

A little too quickly.

A little too lightly.

"See?"

Cassian narrowed his eyes.

"See what?"

"That reaction."

"That reaction is entirely appropriate."

"It probably is."

Neither smiled.

Because neither was joking anymore.

Cassian stared at her for several seconds.

Then asked quietly:

"Are you serious?"

The question should have startled her.

Instead Marian found herself strangely calm.

Because she had spent months thinking about Adrian.

Months thinking about Elena.

Months thinking about the future she had expected her entire life.

And somewhere along the way she had already begun letting go.

Not all at once.

Little by little.

Painfully.

Quietly.

The kiss the previous evening had only confirmed what she already knew.

Something had changed.

Irreversibly.

Marian folded her hands behind her back.

"We’re still talking about how it happened."

Cassian remained silent.

"Whether it started before the forest."

A pause.

"Or after it."

The corner of Cassian’s mouth twitched faintly.

Because that was exactly what they had been discussing.

"But that’s not really the problem anymore."

"No," Cassian admitted.

"It isn’t."

Marian’s gaze drifted toward the horizon.

For a moment she seemed to be choosing her words carefully.

Then she laughed softly.

A quiet sound.

Almost self-deprecating.

"I know exactly what happens if I stay."

The Crown Prince.

The palace.

The life she had expected since childhood.

The life she had spent years preparing for.

The life she had once wanted.

Marian looked down at her hands.

Then back at him.

"What worries me isn’t Adrian."

Cassian went still.

Because that was not what he had expected her to say.

Marian’s smile was faint.

Tired.

Honest.

"I already know I can let him go."

The words hung between them.

Difficult.

Unavoidable.

"I think I’ve known that for a while."

For a moment neither spoke.

Then Marian continued quietly.

"The problem is what comes after."

Her gaze met his.

Steady.

Unflinching.

"If I walk away from that future..."

A pause.

"...am I walking toward you?"

Silence.

The question settled between them.

And suddenly the entire conversation changed.

Because Marian had not intended to confess.

Yet somehow she had.

Not her feelings.

Her choice.

For the first time, Cassian forgot every prepared answer he had ever possessed.

Because this was no longer about wanting her.

No longer about liking her.

No longer about feelings.

This was about a future.

And for the first time, Marian had placed one directly in front of him.

The terrifying part was that she trusted him enough to ask.

When he finally looked away, it was only because he needed a moment to breathe.

Needed time to think.

Because unlike Marian, he had never allowed himself to imagine that future completely.

Not seriously.

Not until now.

A faint smile touched Marian’s lips.

Small.

Tired.

Almost apologetic.

"You don’t have to answer now."

Cassian frowned.

Marian held his gaze.

Then said quietly:

"But think about it."

The words settled between them.

Simple.

Reasonable.

Terrifying.

Because for the first time neither of them was talking about feelings anymore.

They were talking about a future.

And somehow that was far more dangerous.

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A/N: ok, at this point, I just want to say.... finally! Haha! Anyone here with me? Say Hi!

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