The Male Lead isn't Following the Script!
Chapter 252: Marcus

Chapter 252: Marcus

Adeline barely had time to react before he stumbled backwards, his foot catching on a rock. He was about to fall.

Quickly, she reached out and grabbed his hand, steadying him.

For a moment, he just stared at her.

That was when she saw his face clearly.

Her eyes widened in realisation.

"Marcus," she murmured.

The third prince.

He looked so much like Cassian.

Adeline quickly corrected herself, offering a small smile as she inclined her head. "Your Highness."

The young boy, Marcus, the third prince, looked at her with wide, startled eyes. A faint pink hue dusted his cheeks, and he shifted on his feet, seemingly unsure of what to say. Finally, in a soft voice, he murmured, "Lady Adeline."

His tone was shy but polite, and she could tell he was a little unsure of himself.

Adeline studied him for a moment before tilting her head. "What are you doing out here all alone? The banquet is still going on, and I’m sure everyone would love to see the Crown Prince."

Marcus lowered his gaze, his hands gripping the fabric of his sleeves. Adeline suddenly realised that she hadn’t seen him in the banquet hall since she arrived.

Maybe she had missed him, or maybe he hadn’t gone in at all. Either way, it wasn’t right for him to be here by himself, away from the gathering.

He was still so young, no more than eleven years old. Seeing him standing here alone, she couldn’t help but be reminded of Cassian at the same age. Her heart felt strangely heavy at the memory.

She sighed deeply, lost in thought.

Marcus immediately stiffened at the sound, his shoulders tensing as if expecting some kind of reprimand. His small hands clenched at his sides, and for a brief second, Adeline saw a flash of insecurity in his grey eyes.

"I’m so—" he started, then stopped himself abruptly. His lips pressed together, and he took a deep breath before speaking again. "There are too many people in there... And the star of this banquet is Big Brother, not me. So it doesn’t matter."

His voice was quiet, but the sadness in it was impossible to miss.

Adeline’s chest ached at the words.

He sounded resigned as if he had already accepted that he was unimportant. That no one would even notice his absence.

She had never experienced the kind of power struggles that took place within the royal family, but she knew they existed.

Alaric’s future as the Marquess had always been certain, and Aaron had never wanted that position in the first place. There had never been a fight over succession in her family. But for Marcus...

He was likely competing for the throne against Cassian.

Not that it would matter in the end. Cassian was the male lead—charismatic, powerful, and shrewd. He would win in the end.

The boy looked reluctant to go back inside, and Adeline understood that feeling all too well.

With a small smile, she gestured toward a nearby bench. She walked over to it, brushing off a few fallen leaves before taking a seat. She glanced up at Marcus expectantly, waiting for him to join her.

For a moment, he hesitated. Then, after a slight pause, he walked forward and sat beside her.

They didn’t speak.

They simply sat there, the cool evening breeze rustling the leaves around them.

It was peaceful.

Adeline closed her eyes for a moment, letting herself enjoy the quiet. Marcus didn’t seem to mind the silence either. If anything, he seemed relieved to not have to force himself into a conversation.

----------------

The ballroom was in chaos. Gasps and murmurs filled the air as nobles exchanged shocked glances. The guest of honour, the Saintess Annora, had just been publicly insulted by the daughter of the Marquess. This was an unprecedented scandal.

Annora’s face was calm, but there was a hint of something in her expression... Hurt? No, confidence. She did not retaliate, did not lash out. Instead, she lowered her gaze slightly, allowing the room to react on her behalf.

The nobles were in a frenzy. The Emperor had been showing favour to Annora recently, a surprising change considering his previous stance against the Holy Temple.

The speculation had already begun.

Was the Emperor planning to tie the Saintess to the royal family?

This had never happened before. Never in history had a Saintess married, let alone been linked to royalty. The Holy Temple had strict rules, and marriage was forbidden.

And yet, the Head Priest, Edward, stood at the side of the ballroom, watching the scene unfold with a knowing smirk. He did not seem displeased by the rumours. On the contrary, he seemed entertained.

The nobles whispered among themselves.

"The Head Priest has not intervened..."

"Does this mean he approves?"

"Could the temple truly allow such a thing?"

"It must be because it’s Cassian. If it were anyone else, the temple would surely oppose it..."

Cassian, the Crown Prince, remained composed, though his silver eyes flickered with something unreadable. He stood beside Annora, his posture unwavering despite the murmurs around him. His gaze, however, kept shifting towards Edward.

There were murmurs about Adeline’s behaviour. She was not known for this, she had always set an example for the other ladies to follow. So what caused her to do this?

The more people speculated, the more they were sure that Adeline was promised to become the Empress but now the Emperor had changed his mind.

It was funny, was she not the one who rejected the position in the first place? She was five years of age when that happened, but did they care? No. All they wanted was gossip.

Would they talk badly about the victorious prince? Or the Saintess who was being favoured? Since they could talk about neither, they would target Adeline.

Alaric’s cold gaze was enough to get them to shut up though. They knew how pampered she was, how much they spoiled the only girl of the household. It was best to not get the bad side of the Western Marquess or his war crazy brother.

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