Chained Hearts: From Slavery to Sovereignty
Chapter 106: Lord of Galdreth

Chapter 106: Chapter 106: Lord of Galdreth

Cassian’s fist clenched under the table. "Why does he feel so familiar? And those eyes... they are the same as his." He thought, his face growing pale. He couldn’t fathom what was happening to him.

"Is he still in control of that void, or has his mind lost its ability to think clearly?" Cassian’s eyes locked onto the man in front of him with such intensity that even the man noticed. Their gazes met briefly before the man looked away.

His eyes were filled with indifference, as if he did not know him.

Cassian felt his heart drop at that indifferent gaze. He did not know why, but he suddenly felt sad.

"Is the man in front of me really him or not? And if he is, then why does he act like he doesn’t recognize me? Was I really that insignificant in his life?"

Cassian had always told himself that he was an insignificant existence in their world. But witnessing it firsthand still shattered his heart into a million pieces.

He immediately lowered his gaze to his plate, not wanting to meet anyone’s eyes.

The air around him felt heavy, suffocating, as if pressing down on his chest. Cassian forced himself to swallow the lump in his throat, his fingers tightening around the fabric of his clothes.

He should be used to this feeling by now—the feeling of being invisible, of being nothing more than a fleeting shadow in someone else’s life.

But then, he realized how much he had struggled in the past to make himself stronger than the wind and rain. And yet, here he was, still the same Cassian—a hopeless fool.

The clinking of silverware against plates filled the silent hall, but Cassian barely registered the sound. His mind was in turmoil, replaying the moment the man’s eyes met his—so familiar, yet so cold.

"Eat."

The low voice snapped Cassian out of his thoughts. He hesitated before daring to lift his gaze. The man—this stranger who looked so much like Prince Dorian—had spoken.

Cassian’s lips parted slightly, but no words came out. Instead, he merely nodded and picked up his spoon with trembling fingers. His appetite had long since vanished, but he forced himself to take a bite, feeling as though the action would somehow keep him from breaking apart.

The man didn’t speak again, nor did he pay Cassian any more attention. He merely continued eating with an air of refined grace, his face devoid of emotion.

Cassian exhaled slowly, willing himself to calm down. Perhaps he was imagining things. Perhaps the similarity was just a cruel trick his mind was playing on him, a desperate attempt to see something familiar in this strange place.

But deep down, he knew.

The way he held himself, the way his fingers idly tapped against the wooden table, the way his presence commanded the entire room without effort—Cassian had spent years watching Dorian from afar. He knew those gestures, those small details that others would overlook.

This man... he was like him. Too much like him.

"Why do you keep staring at me?"

Cassian flinched. The man’s voice was calm but carried an undertone of authority.

"I—" He struggled to find an answer. His heart pounded as he searched for words that wouldn’t betray his emotions. "I... apologize, my Lord."

The man tilted his head slightly, studying him. "You look pale. Are you unwell?"

Cassian swallowed. Why did he care? Or was this just polite courtesy?

"No, Princ... I mean, my Lord. I am fine."

The man’s gaze lingered on him for a moment longer before he looked away, as if Cassian was of no further interest to him.

Cassian lowered his head again, his breath uneven.

Was this really the fate of someone like him? To always be forgotten?

And yet, despite the cold indifference, he couldn’t stop himself from thinking—what if it was him? And if it was, why wouldn’t he acknowledge him?

A painful thought crept into his mind.

Had he truly been left behind?

But suddenly, realization struck him. Their voices were different.

He had been so engrossed in finding similarities that he had overlooked the most obvious difference.

His expression fell. Why was he suddenly sad? Was he hoping it was really him, even if the man refused to recognize him?

His heart beat faster at the thought that if it really were him, he would have been happy just to see him from a distance. Was he yearning just for a glimpse of him?

A pang of loss spread through his chest, but with a calm mind, he told himself, "It would be better if it wasn’t him. I really don’t know what I would do."

And thinking logically, how could Prince Dorian be here, in a place so far from Aetherlyn Kingdom?

"It’s surely my mind playing tricks on me," Cassian reasoned. "Or maybe it’s just my yearning that makes me try to find him in a similar person."

Because it’s impossible for him to be here.

With this thought, Cassian found his heart calming, his tense nerves finally relaxing.

Cassian’s strange behavior did not go unnoticed by those around him. They assumed he was feeling unwell since he had just gotten up, so they remained as silent as possible, not wanting to annoy him or disrupt his meal.

Soon, breakfast was finished. Everyone waited for the master of the palace to finish before setting down their spoons.

The man put down his cutlery, rose from his chair, gave a small nod to the others, and began walking out of the dining room.

"Wait... Can I talk to you, my Lord? I would like to thank you for allowing us to stay here," Cassian called out.

He was nervous inside, but surprisingly, his voice came out calm, a tone befitting Leader Hayes—the leader of the knights.

"Sure. A servant will show you to the study room," the man said without turning back and continued walking.

Cassian let out a breath filled with relief. He hadn’t even realized he had been holding his breath.

Was he afraid that the man would decline his request?

But unknown to him, a glint flashed in the man’s eyes as he listened to Cassian’s request.

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