Chapter 40 - The Secret He Kept🔥
I quickly followed Cassian toward his office.
My mind was still a complete mess.
I couldn't believe I'd actually told him I needed time to sort out my feelings.
And even worse-
I had misunderstood everything.
I wanted to disappear.
Once we entered his office, Cassian walked toward his desk and took a seat.
I remained standing near the door.
He looked at me.
"Are you just going to stand there?" he asked.
I frowned.
Then I walked over and took a seat in front of his desk.
"Please forget about everything I said earlier," I said.
Cassian didn't answer immediately.
Then a faint smile appeared on his lips.
"I don't think I can do that," he replied.
My eyes widened.
"Why not?"
Cassian looked at me for a moment, his faint smile still lingering.
"Because I don't want to."
My heart skipped a beat.
I stared at him, unsure how to respond.
Suddenly, we were interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Your Grace, it's me, Gilbert," a voice called from outside.
Cassian's expression returned to its usual calmness.
"Come in," he said.
The door opened, and Gilbert, the head butler of the estate, stepped inside.
He approached the desk while carrying a small wooden box in both hands.
"Your Grace, this was just delivered," Gilbert said.
He placed the box carefully on the desk.
Cassian glanced at it.
"Who sent it?" he asked.
Gilbert straightened.
"It was sent by Duke Theon Grimaldi," he replied.
My eyes widened.
Duke Theon?
I wonder what's inside the box.
"All right. You can go now," Cassian said.
Gilbert bowed.
"Yes, Your Grace."
He turned and walked out of the office, closing the door behind him.
I immediately looked at the wooden box.
"What is it?" I asked.
Cassian looked at me.
"Open it. The Duke must have sent it for you," he replied.
I quickly opened the box.
The moment I lifted the lid, a crystal ball greeted me.
I stared at it in confusion.
What was this for?
I carefully took the crystal ball out of the wooden box and placed it on the table.
I looked at Cassian, hoping he would explain.
"I think it's a communication device. Try putting one of your hands on it."
I looked back at the crystal ball and placed my right hand on it.
The moment my hand touched its surface, the crystal ball suddenly began to glow.
A faint light spread across its surface before growing brighter.
Then-
An image slowly appeared inside the crystal.
My eyes widened in shock.
It was Duke Theon's face.
"Is that you?" he asked, studying my face carefully.
"Yes, it's me. I'm Cosima now," I replied.
I stared at the crystal ball in disbelief.
This was basically a video call.
Just... a magical one.
"I have so many things I want to ask you."
Duke Theon nodded.
"I'll answer whatever I can."
I took a deep breath.
"What happened in Solaris?"
The Duke remained silent for a moment.
"Not much happened," he finally said. "The Queen just refused to let us leave while they were searching for you."
He thought for a moment before continuing.
"Eventually, she opened the palace gates and let us go."
I frowned.
"Just like that?"
He nodded.
Then suddenly I remembered Uncle Silas.
"Can I ask you for a favor, Duke?" I asked.
"Of course. What is it?" he replied.
"Back in Solaris, I actually went to the village with an old man. His name was Silas. I want to know if he's alive or dead," I said.
I took a slow breath.
The Duke hesitated before answering.
"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I don't think he's alive," he said.
My heart sank.
"After you were taken to the capital, we went to the village. The scene had already been cleaned up, but we found a little girl."
He paused.
"No one else."
Tears suddenly welled up in my eyes.
"Are you sure? He's the King's brother. Maybe they took him to the dungeon like they did to me," I said, my voice cracking.
The Duke's eyes widened.
"What do you mean, the King's brother?" the Duke asked, looking puzzled.
I took a deep breath before answering.
"The King has a younger brother," I explained. "But people don't know about him because he chose to live a simple life away from the royal family."
"I see," the Duke said. "I'll have my men investigate."
"Yes, please. If he's alive, the Queen might feed him poison. We need to save him," I said.
"Poison?" the Duke asked.
I wiped the tears from the corner of my eyes and nodded.
"She tried to poison me, like she did to Princess Raya."
My voice trembled as I spoke.
"She did it because people from our bloodline don't die easily."
The Duke froze. His expression changed instantly.
"Did the Queen tell you that herself?" he asked.
I nodded.
"Yes. She told me herself while I was being tortured in the dungeon."
I studied the Duke's expression.
He looked completely shocked.
Come to think of it... did he know that Rishima was Princess Raya's daughter?
In the novel, it was mentioned that the Duke had found Rishima abandoned in a small village.
But what were the chances that he had unknowingly adopted someone with royal blood?
"Duke..."
I hesitated for a moment.
"Did you know that Rishima's mother was Princess Raya of Solaris?" I asked.
The Duke's eyes shifted away from mine.
He said nothing.
My eyes widened.
Damn.
"You knew!" I blurted out.
I stared at him for a moment, trying to make sense of his reaction.
Then another question came to mind.
"What about her biological father?" I asked, studying his expression. "Do you know who he is?"
The Duke cursed under his breath and rubbed a hand over his face.
His reaction was strange.
Why does he look so troubled?
Is it something that I shouldn't ask?
I narrowed my eyes.
"Wait..." I murmured.
My heart suddenly began to race.
"Are you perhaps her biological father?" I asked.
He stared at me in silence.
For the first time, I saw something in his eyes that I couldn't quite explain.
I covered my mouth in shock as realization hit me.
Duke Theon is Rishima's biological father!
"You weren't supposed to know any of this," he said, his voice filled with frustration.
He looked at me through the crystal ball.
"Why did you have to take over my daughter's body and uncover everything I was trying to keep hidden?!"
I froze.
Anger suddenly rose in my chest.
"I told you, it was never my intention to take over her body!" I snapped.
My voice trembled.
"I never asked for any of this. I didn't choose to wake up in her body or become involved in her life."
My eyes began to sting with tears.
"I was happy with the life I had in my old world..."
I let out a bitter laugh.
"You know what? Maybe it's better that I am in her body right now."
Tears slipped down my cheek.
"Do you want to know why?"
I stared at him through the crystal ball.
"Because you're a terrible father."
My voice trembled with anger.
"You never paid enough attention to her. It's partly because of you that she died, you bastard!"
I quickly wiped the tears from my cheek.
"You weren't even there when they cut off her head!"
My voice broke.
"What kind of father are you?"
The Duke's face went pale.
His eyes widened, and he stared at me in complete shock.
"Do you want me to tell you more? Huh?" I demanded, my voice trembling with anger. "Do you want me to tell you what crimes she committed? The crimes you could have prevented!"
Before I could say anything else, Cassian reached for the crystal ball and covered it with his hand.
"I think that's enough," he said firmly.
I stared at him in surprise.
I had gotten so emotional that I completely forgot Cassian was in the room with me.
"I-I'm sorry," I said awkwardly.
Cassian reached for the crystal ball, placed it back inside the wooden box, and closed the lid.
"You should apologize to the Duke, not me," he said.
I blinked.
"Why? He's not my father."
Cassian stared at me for a moment.
"Yeah, I heard. That's exactly why you need to apologize. You just insulted a Duke."
My mouth fell open.
...Oh.
He had a point.
But never mind. It's not like he's going to have me executed or something.
Cassian's expression shifted.
He looked at me as though he'd just realized something.
"Now it all makes sense."
I frowned and raised an eyebrow at him.
"What makes sense?" I asked, leaning slightly forward.
Cassian rested his arm on the desk and studied me for a moment before speaking.
"When I first found out that you're Duke Theon's daughter, I couldn't believe it. You're so different from everything I'd heard about you."
I looked away.
"It's not me. It was Rishima. She has a terrible reputation."
Cassian remained quiet, his eyes still fixed on me.
He seemed to be thinking over everything I'd just told him.
"So you're really a completely different person?"
I nodded.
"That's right."
Cassian's expression changed as though something had suddenly clicked in his mind.
"Is this what you meant when you said there are things you know but can't explain?"
He watched my face carefully.
"Are you able to see the future?"
My eyes widened.
I forced myself to remain calm.
"See the future? That's ridiculous." I let out a nervous laugh.
Cassian raised an eyebrow.
He didn't look convinced.
"Then what did you mean earlier when you said Rishima had committed crimes and was eventually killed?"
I froze.
Damn. How should I explain this?
"That hasn't happened," he continued. "So what other explanation is there besides you being able to see the future?"
My heart skipped a beat.
Cassian leaned back slightly, still watching me closely.
"Is that how you knew about my nightmares?"
He paused.
"And how you knew what was causing the illness?"
I swallowed hard.
Damn. He was really starting to put the pieces together.
"I'm sorry."
I looked at him.
"Please understand. I'm trying to protect you."
I lowered my gaze.
"If I tell you more, you won't be able to handle the truth."
I lifted my eyes and looked directly at him.
"So let me carry this burden alone."
Cassian stared at me for a moment before a faint smile appeared on his lips.
"So you're trying to protect me now, huh?"