The Male Lead isn't Following the Script!
Chapter 148: Suspicion

Chapter 148: Suspicion

Anna’s hatred ran deep, but she kept it hidden behind a mask of civility. She knew she couldn’t act impulsively. The duchy’s servants already started to disregard her. All the influence she built was for nought.

Before anyone knew it, Anna was gone. She vanished without a trace. No one saw her leave the estate... But no one could find her either... The Duke knew that something was amiss... She was planning something, wasn’t she?

And he would be right. She came this far, why would she abandon the task she was given? No, the task she took. She was not willing to be the pawn of anyone. No matter how powerful they might be.

Adeline arrived at the palace the following afternoon. She wouldn’t admit it but she was hoping to meet her father but that was unlikely, the capital was a big place. The chance of them running into each other was low.

Contrary to her expectations, the palace was calm. It was like there wasn’t a war starting in the background. Maybe they were confident? Maybe she shouldn’t be worrying about the war...

She looked around, seeing the bustling palace it looked so much at peace. She didn’t feel tense, she remembered the first time she came to the palace. She was stressed with a capital S!

But now she was more familiar with the people and the environment. Most importantly, she had her powers which gave her more confidence.

The moment Adeline stepped into the palace, she was greeted by a polite attendant who escorted her through the halls. As they walked, she learned that Benedict hadn’t yet arrived. It would just be her and Cassian for the time being.

Adeline was led to a private sitting room, where the maids had already prepared her favourite treats. The sight of the delicate pastries and chocolates made her smile.

"Just a moment to relax," She thought, settling into a chair. She had been too stressed these days.

It had been so long since she had enjoyed any semblance of peace, and she indulged in the sweets with a childlike enthusiasm. But her moment of solace was interrupted when the door opened, and Cassian entered.

As he entered the room, he shot the maids a glance. Understanding what the young prince meant, they left the room immediately.

Adeline was too focused on the cookies in front of her she didn’t notice the difference in Cassian.

Adeline glanced up and froze, the half-eaten cookie in her hand forgotten.

A large, red handprint marred Cassian’s otherwise flawless face. She froze in place, and her breath hitched.

"Cassian," She whispered, her voice was laced with shock and worry.

He sat down across from her, his expression was pitiful, one that invoked sympathy from others. He didn’t meet her gaze, his eyes downcast.

Adeline immediately put the cookie down and moved to sit beside him. Without hesitation, she placed her hand gently on his cheek, her holy power flowing through her fingertips.

He already knew about her powers... And he didn’t tell anyone, her impression of him went up by a lot. She began to trust him. If this was the Cassian she knew from the story, she was sure that he would use her secret as leverage and get her engaged to him...

’No child should have to go through this!’ She thought angrily.

Her healing powers mended the damage, the red mark fading into his pale, smooth skin. But as she began to withdraw her hand, Cassian caught it.

Cassian pressed her hand against his cheek, his eyes closing as he leaned into the touch. Adeline blinked in surprise, unsure of what to do.

"He’s just a child," She reminded herself. "Maybe he just needs some comfort."

The seconds stretched on, the air between them heavy with unspoken emotions. Adeline’s face flushed, the awkwardness of the moment creeping up on her. But she didn’t pull away.

After what felt like an eternity, Cassian finally opened his eyes and let her hand go. His expression was flustered, his head bowing low.

"Thank you," He murmured, his voice barely audible. His red ears gave her true feelings away though, Adeline chuckled.

Adeline’s heart softened at the sight of him so vulnerable. She reached out and took his hand in hers.

"You don’t have to tell me," She said gently, "But you don’t have to go through this alone either."

Cassian hesitated before whispering, "The Imperial concubine is with child. My mother... She’s not happy about it. She took it out on me."

Adeline’s fists clenched, but before she could say anything, there was a knock at the door.

The door opened to reveal Benedict. His red hair was eye-catching. He looked much more cheerful. His mother coming back to life gave him new life too. He looked like a bright child now, like children should.

He smiled warmly at Adeline but seemed to tense slightly at the sight of Cassian.

"Adeline," He greeted, his voice tinged with relief.

Adeline’s face lit up at the sight of him. She stood and hurried over to him, her childlike excitement evident. As much she wanted to be there for Cassian, as much as she wanted to act rational... Her body and mind were that of a child... She got distracted easily.

Benedict’s attention was solely on her, his familiarity with Cassian limited at best. The Crown Prince returned Benedict’s smile with a subtle glare, though it went unnoticed by both Adeline and Benedict.

The kindness didn’t reach Cassian’s eyes as he began to study Benedict. This boy showed up uninvited... His eyes turned to Adeline who didn’t look surprised in the least... Or he was invited by a certain someone.

He scoffed and shook his head. He slowly got up and greeted Benedict like a good host ought to.

As the three settled into the room, Adeline’s focus shifted to a topic that had been weighing heavily on her mind... Anna’s schemes.

Adeline turned to Benedict, her tone serious. "What’s going on with Anna? I haven’t heard much lately."

Benedict leaned back in his chair, his expression darkening. "We’re watching her closely. She hasn’t made any bold moves yet, but we’re certain she’s planning something. My father believes it’s only a matter of time before she acts."

Adeline nodded, her mind racing. Anna’s ambitions were no secret, and her resentment toward Benedict’s mother had only grown since her miraculous recovery.

"We’ll catch her red-handed," Benedict added confidently. "We just need to wait for the right moment."

Evidence was needed to put her away for good. Till now, they haven’t found anything suspicious other than her changing some of the personnel. But that wouldn’t be enough to convict her...

When the Duchess was bedridden, the Duke took up her responsibilities and he handed over some of them to Anna... Back when he trusted her.

They didn’t know what she did to them but no one dared to reveal that they were feeding her information and basically acting like spies... This only made the situation more complicated...

Who was behind Anna? Certainly, she didn’t do it all by herself... This operation was too big to be done by only her. They needed to wait until the mastermind revealed themselves.