Chapter 36
The next few days passed quietly.
For the first time in what felt like forever, I didn't have to worry about being chased, imprisoned, or tortured.
I was finally able to settle into Cassian's estate.
Since I was now going by Cosima, I had to get used to hearing the name.
At first, it felt strange.
But eventually, I slowly started getting used to it.
Cassian had also made sure no one in the estate knew my true identity.
As far as everyone was concerned, I was simply a guest of the estate.
The servants were kind, and no one seemed suspicious of me.
For once, I could finally relax.
"Miss Cosima, may I come in?"
"Come in," I replied.
The door opened, and a servant stepped inside carrying a large box.
"His Grace the Duke sent these for you," she said, placing the box on the bed.
I blinked.
"For me?" I asked.
The servant nodded.
"Yes, Miss. He ordered several dresses for you."
She opened the box.
My eyes widened.
Inside were several beautifully made dresses, each crafted from fine fabric and decorated with delicate embroidery.
I stared at them in surprise.
Cassian actually sent me dresses?
"Would you like to try one on, Miss?" the servant asked.
I looked at the dresses again.
"Sure," I replied.
The servant carefully took one of the dresses from the box and held it up for me.
"This one might suit you," she said.
I took it from her and looked it over.
It was a beautiful dark blue dress with delicate silver embroidery along the sleeves and neckline.
I stared at it for a moment.
For some reason, the sight of it felt strangely familiar.
It reminded me of the days when I was still living at the Grimaldi estate as Rishima.
Back then, dresses like this had been a normal part of my life.
I couldn't help but smile.
"Alright. I'll try this one," I said.
After changing into the dress, I stood in front of the mirror.
I looked at my reflection.
The dark blue dress fit perfectly, and the silver embroidery shimmered whenever I moved.
I turned slightly, admiring it.
It had been a long time since I'd worn something this beautiful.
I smiled faintly.
I should thank Cassian.
I left my room and made my way toward his office.
When I arrived, I knocked on the door.
"Come in," Cassian called from inside.
I opened the door and stepped inside.
Cassian was sitting behind his desk, going through several documents.
He looked up when he saw me.
His eyes briefly traveled over my dress before returning to my face.
"That suits you," he said.
I smiled.
"Thank you. I actually came here to thank you for the dress."
Cassian nodded.
"You don't have to thank me."
He returned his attention to the documents on his desk.
I stood there for a moment.
It had already been four days since we returned to Sylvania.
I suddenly wondered about the Duke.
"By the way, Cassian. Have you heard anything from Duke Theon?" I asked.
Cassian looked up from his documents.
"Not yet," he answered.
I frowned slightly.
"It seems the Queen has no intention of letting them leave Solaris easily," he said.
I fell silent.
So she was still keeping them there...
I hoped everything was alright.
I looked around the office.
"Are you going to be busy for a while?" I asked.
"Probably," Cassian answered.
I nodded slowly.
"Then I'll leave you to your work. I don't want to disturb you," I said as I turned toward the door.
"Alright. If you need anything, don't hesitate to tell me," Cassian said.
I nodded.
"Okay."
I took a few steps toward the door.
Then I suddenly remembered something.
I stopped and turned back toward Cassian.
"Actually..." I began.
Cassian raised an eyebrow.
"There's somewhere I'd like to go," I said.
"Where?" he asked.
"The library," I answered. "I had been told that I couldn't enter without your permission."
Cassian looked at me for a moment before nodding slowly.
"Right," he said. "I had the library restricted after someone tried to steal several books from the restricted section."
My eyes widened slightly.
"Someone tried to steal them?" I asked.
Cassian nodded.
He stood up from his chair.
"I need to retrieve a few documents from the library as well," he said. "Let's go together."
I nodded.
"Alright."
Cassian gathered a few documents from his desk before walking toward the door.
I followed him.
We made our way through the halls of the estate until we reached the library.
Cassian opened the door and stepped inside.
I followed behind him.
My eyes widened as I looked around.
The library was much larger than I had expected.
Rows of bookshelves filled the room, reaching almost to the ceiling.
I stared at them in amazement.
There were so many books.
I couldn't help but smile.
Maybe I could find a book that would teach me how to completely suppress my divine power.
If I could do that, I might finally be able to use mana and become a mage instead.
"Are you looking for a particular kind of book?" Cassian asked.
I turned toward him.
"Something about suppressing divine power," I answered.
Cassian's expression immediately changed.
"Why?" he asked, his voice suddenly serious.
I blinked.
He took a step closer.
"Are you planning to suppress your divine power?" he asked.
"Yes," I answered.
Cassian's eyes widened slightly.
"I can't use my sword or divine power right now," I explained. "Using either could put me at risk of being recognized."
I paused for a moment.
"So I thought I could try suppressing my divine power completely and learn to use mana instead."
I smiled slightly.
"Then I could become a mage."
"That's dangerous," Cassian said immediately. "And it's impossible."
I frowned.
"Why?" I asked.
"Divine power can't be completely suppressed," he explained. "Once you possess it, you can't simply make it disappear."
He paused for a moment.
"I heard someone tried suppressing their divine power before and forcing mana through their body."
His expression darkened.
"The mana conflicted with the divine power inside him. His veins ruptured, and he died before he could even control it."
I stared at him in shock.
"He died?" I asked.
Cassian nodded.
I fell silent for a moment.
It sounded dangerous.
But even knowing the risks, I still wanted to try.
I needed to find a way to protect myself without exposing my identity.
"Don't worry," I said. "I wouldn't try to force mana through my body until I successfully suppress my divine power," I assured him.
Cassian stared at me for a moment.
"You're really stubborn," he said.
I smiled slightly.
He sighed and looked away.
For a moment, he seemed reluctant to give in.
I quickly thought of something.
"I can help you with your nightmares," I said.
Cassian immediately looked back at me.
"How do you know about that?" he asked.
I froze for a moment.
"That's not important," I replied quickly.
I looked at him seriously.
"I'm desperate to learn about magic right now. I really want to find a way to suppress my divine power."
I paused.
"And since I'm staying here, it would be convenient for you too."
Cassian raised an eyebrow.
"You wouldn't have to go to the temple anymore whenever you need someone to use divine power on you," I explained.
Cassian fell silent.
He stared at me for a moment, seemingly weighing my offer.
Then he let out a quiet sigh.
"But you're not supposed to use divine power," he said. "And now you're planning to use it on me?"
His expression turned serious.
"That's risky, you know."
I smiled.
"It'll be our little secret," I said. "No one will know except us."
"Even if I say no, you'll still find a way to learn about it, won't you?" Cassian asked.
I smiled and shrugged.
"Fine," he finally said.
My eyes lit up.
"Really?" I asked.
Cassian nodded.
"The books about divine power and magic are in that section," he said. "You should be able to find what you're looking for there."
He pointed toward a row of tall bookshelves.
"Just remember, don't touch anything from the restricted section without asking me first," he added.
I nodded eagerly.
"Got it," I replied.
I quickly made my way toward the bookshelves.
I began scanning the shelves, looking through the titles one by one.
After a few moments, I spotted a book that caught my attention.
I reached for it and pulled it from the shelf.
I opened the book and began reading.
The book contained information about divine power and the different ways it could be used.
I carefully read through each page, searching for anything that could help me suppress my divine power.
When I finished the book, I picked up another one.
Then another.
I spent the next few hours reading through books about divine power, hoping to find something useful.
But none of them explained how to completely suppress it.
I frowned.
There had to be a way.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
I focused on the divine power inside me, trying to suppress it.
Slowly, I tried to bury it deep within me.
I concentrated harder, attempting to make the divine power disappear completely.
Then suddenly...
The divine power inside me went completely silent.
My eyes widened.
I couldn't feel it anymore.
I slowly opened my eyes, staring at my hands in disbelief.
It worked...
But before I could celebrate, I felt the divine power surge back inside me.
I froze.
The power returned almost instantly.
I took a slow breath.
I had managed to suppress it, but I couldn't maintain it for long.
I needed more practice.
For now, I decided to stop.
I closed the book and returned it to the shelf.
Then I walked back toward Cassian.
He was sitting at a nearby table, going through the documents he had brought with him.
I approached him.
"Are you still working?" I asked.
Cassian glanced up at me.
"Yes," he answered.
I looked at the documents in front of him.
"Do you need any help?" I asked.
Cassian raised an eyebrow.
"You?"
I nodded.
"I might be able to help," I said.
After all, I had read the entire novel.
There were plenty of things I knew that could be useful.
Cassian handed me one of the documents.
"There's an illness spreading through one of the villages here in the northern region," he explained.
I looked down at the document.
"Several people have already fallen sick," he continued. "The number keeps increasing, and we haven't been able to identify the cause."
I quickly scanned the report.
"How long has this been happening?" I asked.
"About a week," Cassian answered.
"If it keeps spreading at this rate, it could become an epidemic," he said.
I fell silent.
I tried to remember if there was anything about this in the novel.
I searched through my memories, trying to recall the events from the novel.
Then suddenly, my eyes widened.
"Shit!"
I remembered this incident.
This was the time when Aurora first caught Cassian's attention.
In the novel, she had made a major contribution during the outbreak.
And it was because of everything she did during this incident that Cassian eventually fell in love with her.
My heart began to race.
Damn.
I only realized it now.
The novel had already started!