The Male Lead isn't Following the Script!
Chapter 144: Goodbye Again

Chapter 144: Goodbye Again

She couldn’t help herself. The thrill of wielding lightning coursed through her veins, an electric energy she couldn’t suppress. So this was what power felt like. Adeline loved it. Was this how all of her friends and family felt like?

Having lightning powers meant that they wouldn’t know what to do if she attacked them! But wait... This meant that she wouldn’t be able to learn how to wield it either... Since there is no one to teach her!

After a few hours of travel, Dimitri and Adeline reached a crossroad deep in the forest. The Goddess has been guiding them till now. She was jealous of Dimitri. He didn’t have to listen to her random tangents and rants like her. She was stuck!

There wasn’t a mute button on her!

"Hey! I am helping you guys! Be grateful!" The Goddess started whining and going on another rant that basically proved her point.

Adeline was the one in front and Dimitri was forced to sit on the back of the horse. He protested but Adeline was having none of it! She enjoyed seeing him embarrassed.

I’m a boy! I can’t be sitting in the back! But he had no choice, he gave in.

The air was dense with the scents of pine and damp earth, and the canopy above cast dappled shadows across the path. Once Adeline struck the monsters with her lightning, they dared not mess with her.

"This is where we part ways," Dimitri announced, his tone resolute. He had to get down now.

Adeline turned to him with a frown. "Dimitri, wait. You don’t have to do this alone. With the Goddess’s help, we can avoid the monsters. I can get you to the Mage Tower safely—"

"No." Dimitri’s voice was firm, cutting her off. His expression softened as he met her gaze, but his resolve didn’t waver. "This is my trial, Adeline. I have to pass it. If I can’t survive the journey to the Mage Tower, how can I expect to stand alongside the mages there? I refuse to be weaker than them."

Adeline bit her lip, torn between understanding his determination and the desire to protect him. She knew how much this meant to him—how deeply he wanted to prove himself. Dimitri wasn’t just a refugee anymore. He was a boy who had found a purpose, a dream of becoming something greater.

Eventually, she nodded. "I get it," she said softly, her voice tinged with sadness.

Adeline intended to escort Dimitri to the Mage Tower before leaving, with the Goddess’s help they could easily avoid the monsters! But no matter how much she tried to convince him, he refused her help.

Before they parted, Dimitri did something unexpected. He stepped forward and pulled her into a hug. This wasn’t the first time he hugged her like this, but it was still special.

The first time he did, he wasn’t scolded but he was gently taught that this was inappropriate. From then onwards he maintained an appropriate distance from her. But hugging her like this shows that the old him didn’t disappear.

He wasn’t nobility, he was a poor refugee and before that, he was a simple commoner, this was how he expressed affection. No one was around, etiquette didn’t matter now. He needed this, one last hug goodbye.

Adeline froze for a moment, startled by the gesture. His arms were wrapped around her, she felt a rush of warmth and comfort. She relaxed into the embrace, resting her cheek against his chest.

It struck her then how much he had grown. When she had first brought him home, they had been the same height. Now, she barely reached his chest. He was growing up so fast, and now he was leaving them like a bird leaves its nest.

It was his time to fly, literally.

Her throat tightened. She tried to blink away the tears that pricked at her eyes, but it was no use. This wasn’t just about saying goodbye to Dimitri. It was about everyone leaving her. Dimitri was going to the Mage Tower.

Alaric would be leaving for the academy in a few months. It felt like her world was shifting, pieces slipping away one by one. But why? Shouldn’t she feel happy for them, they were growing and thriving. What more could she want for her loved ones?

Alaric isn’t gone yet, Adeline... Don’t cry.

Adeline sniffled, then, without hesitation, wiped her tears on Dimitri’s shirt by rubbing her face against it. The childish gesture made her cheeks and nose turn red, but she didn’t care.

She definitely didn’t care if she looked like a child! Currently, she was a child! A child with feelings! So, it’s okay to cry! She told herself.

Dimitri looked down at her, he gently called her name, "Adeline..."

She huffed. "You’re leaving me. I’m allowed to be dramatic."

Dimitri let out a soft chuckle, guilt flickering in his eyes. "You’ll be fine," He assured her, his voice faded as he spoke the next few words. "You have the Goddess watching over you. And... You have your lightning powers now. You don’t need me to protect you anymore."

Adeline’s eyes widened slightly, and she pulled back to look at him. "Is that what you think? That I don’t need you anymore?"

What was this boy thinking?! He was her first friend in this world!

Dimitri hesitated, then nodded. "A little. But it’s not a bad thing, Adeline. I’m happy you’re strong enough to take care of yourself. It’s just... Strange. Not being the one you rely on."

Her heart ached at his words. "I will always need you, Dimitri," She said firmly. "Maybe not to protect me, but as my friend. You’re family."

Dimitri told himself that he would not cry, he was a big boy now and he should not cry! But once she said that he started to tear up too!

Dimitri’s lips curved into a small, grateful smile. "Thanks, Adeline."

When he finally let her go, he gave her a wave, his enthusiasm returning as he turned to the path ahead. "Wish me luck," He called over his shoulder.

"Good luck," Adeline replied, her voice breaking slightly. She watched him until he disappeared into the trees, her chest heavy with the weight of the goodbye.

She knew that it was something he had to do, it was just... Did he have to... So soon? He was still so young. She did not even know when they could meet again. He already told her how communication would be hard once he entered the mage tower.

Adeline mounted her horse, her movements slow and reluctant. The forest seemed quieter now, as if mourning Dimitri’s departure alongside her. She sighed and urged her horse forward, the rhythmic clopping of hooves the only sound accompanying her.

Her thoughts were a tangled mess. She was proud of Dimitri for taking this step, but it didn’t make the parting any easier.

The Goddess’s voice kept hovering from above, guiding her along the path to avoid monsters. Honestly, she wouldn’t mind meeting some monsters. She wanted to vent and use her lightning powers.

They would be the perfect test subjects.

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