Chapter 479: You May Not Want Me, But I Will Forever Love You

Cassius stood near the lake’s edge, the cool morning air brushing against his skin. Mist hovered over the water like a silver veil, and sunlight danced across its ripples.

He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, admiring the view. "Beautiful." He murmured to himself.

He’d actually been thinking of sleeping in late today, after all, yesterday had been exhausting. Between the fight with the Leviathan, the steamy night afterward, he thought he’d earned a morning off.

But Aisha had other ideas.

She’d shaken him awake before sunrise, saying they couldn’t delay any longer.

"The cult’s ritual is in two days." She had said firmly. "We need to scout the area before they make their move. We’ve already wasted too much time here."

And that was that.

Skadi had been dragged out of bed half-asleep, whining that she wanted "just five more minutes." while Julie was already up and ready, double-checking their supplies.

Cassius hadn’t argued. He’d only sighed, packed his things, and decided to take one last look at the lake before they left.

Now, as he stood there, he found himself smiling faintly. He’d come to love this place, the calm water, the scent of pine from the nearby woods, the faint hum of the waking village behind him.

Then, his eyes caught a small ripple.

A tiny water snake glided gracefully across the surface, its scales glimmering in the light.

It made him think of Nala, of her scales, her warmth, her teasing laugh.

And just as he smiled at the thought, a soft sound came from behind him, light, hesitant.

He turned, and there she was.

Nala stood at the edge of the dirt path, looking smaller than usual, her hands fidgeting slightly. Her golden eyes met his, and for a brief moment, his heart lifted.

"Good morning, Nala." He greeted warmly, smiling. "Didn’t expect to see you here. Your grandmother told me you had a bit of a fever this morning. I thought you’d be resting all day."

He stepped closer, his tone gentle, and placed the back of his hand on her forehead.

"Hm. You’re fine now. Fever’s gone."

But as he looked at her more closely, he noticed she wasn’t smiling. Her face was calm, too calm, and her eyes had a strange, distant gleam in them.

He figured she was still feeling weak.

He was just about to grab his coat from the rock nearby when Nala suddenly spoke, her voice quiet, trembling.

"Cassius..." She began softly. "Are you leaving today?"

The question caught him off guard.

"Leaving?" He repeated.

She looked up at him, her voice barely holding steady.

"After all, you’re leaving this morning...aren’t you?"

Cassius blinked, then scratched the back of his neck.

"Ah. Yeah." He said casually. "We have to. I’ve already mentioned it, but this village was just a stop on our route. The real business we came for is still ahead, and...well, we can’t afford to lose more time."

Her expression faltered, her tail twitching faintly behind her. "I see..." She whispered.

But she wasn’t done. Her voice grew softer, more fragile.

"T-Then why didn’t you tell me? You could have said something last night, or even this morning. Why didn’t you w-wake me?"

Cassius looked genuinely puzzled, then chuckled awkwardly.

"Honestly, I didn’t even know we’d be leaving this early. Aisha and Julie decided it at the crack of dawn, they didn’t want to waste daylight. And..." He smiled sheepishly. "You did have a fever. Your grandmother said you were muttering in your sleep, so I figured I shouldn’t wake you."

He tilted his head slightly.

"Were you having a nightmare, by the way?"

Nala forced a wry smile.

"...Something like that." She said quietly.

Her hands clenched around her sleeves as her chest tightened again.

He sounded so calm. So normal. As if nothing strange had happened, as if he wasn’t about to vanish from her life.

Still, she wanted to trust him. She had to.

"Then..." She said softly. "Can you tell me where you’re going? You know...where your final destination is?"

She hesitated, then added shyly,

"Maybe I could come along? I wouldn’t mind joining your group, no matter how rough the journey is."

Her tone was hopeful, almost pleading.

But Cassius stiffened.

He couldn’t tell her. Not this time.

The cult they were after had a curse woven into their secrets, anyone not properly protected who learned their plans could be traced in their dreams, and be assassinated after finding their location.

Their informant from the Holy Guard had died that way, and they only survived because of the warding talismans they carried—as fortunately the brave informant named Emily Tilver had successfully managed send this piece of information at the last minute of her life like the warrior she was.

But Nala didn’t have such a talisman for herself and telling her would put her in danger.

He forced a chuckle. "Well, that’s actually...a secret." He said, trying to sound playful. "Official business. Even if I wanted to tell you, I can’t."

He thought she’d laugh. That she’d roll her eyes and tease him for being mysterious.

But she didn’t.

Instead, she looked down, her smile trembling.

"I see. So that means...I can’t come with you either, huh?"

Cassius hesitated, then sighed. "Unfortunately not, Nala. It’d be too dangerous."

"Right..." She whispered.

There was a long pause.

"Then..." She said quietly, her voice breaking a little. "Do you at least know when you’ll come back? You are coming back...right?"

Cassius blinked in surprise before chuckling lightly.

"Of course! Why wouldn’t I? I just don’t know when. Maybe a few days if things go well. Maybe a week...a month or even more if it’s complicated. Depends on how fast we deal with it."

He grinned reassuringly.

"Don’t worry, though. I’ll definitely come back for you. We’ll go home together. Just a few days apart, that’s all. You can handle that, can’t you?"

He said it so easily. So casually.

But to Nala, every word felt like a knife.

Her hands trembled. Her chest felt tight.

She wanted to believe him, she really did—but the dream from last night came rushing back.

Cassius’s boat fading into the fog, her own voice breaking as she called for him to come back.

She could feel that same helpless ache returning now, burning behind her eyes.

"Y-Yeah." She said softly, forcing a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. "Just a few days."

But her voice shook.

And Cassius, still smiling, didn’t notice.

But even with all the evidence standing against him—the hurried departure, the vague answers, the refusal to let her go along—Nala still believed Cassius.

She couldn’t help it.

She loved him too much.

Truly, deeply, and painfully, so much that she would have given up anything, even herself, if it meant he would smile at her one more time.

So she trusted him, as she always had.

But at the same time, there was another voice deep inside her, a darker, quieter part of her that she could never silence.

It wasn’t Cassius she didn’t trust.

It was herself.

The part that whispered she wasn’t enough.

That no one could ever truly love her.

That anyone who did was only pretending, just like her parents, who left her behind; just like her clan, who banished her for what she was; just like the humans, who treated her like a creature instead of a person.

That voice told her that Cassius, too, would eventually tire of her.

That she was a passing amusement, a curious little serpent girl from a forgotten fishing village who had caught his eye for a few days and then...nothing more.

She also didn’t think he hated her.

No, never that.

She could see that he was fond of her. She knew he liked their banter, their teasing, the way she clung to him and made him laugh.

But maybe that was all.

Maybe, in his noble world of titles, battles, and politics, she was just...a short Chapter in his story.

A pleasant distraction before he went back to the real world, to people who belonged at his side.

She smiled faintly, though her eyes were shimmering with tears.

Still, she wanted to believe. She needed to.

So, swallowing the lump in her throat, she said softly, "Cassius...could you give me something?"

He blinked, curious. "Something?"

"Something that belongs to your household. Like an emblem or a seal, anything the Holyfield family would recognize." She smiled as innocently as she could. "That way, if you don’t come back quickly, I won’t just wait around. I can go straight to your home and wait there."

"Then, when you return, it’ll be a big surprise! We can throw a party, and I’ll be waiting for you like a proper wife should."

Her voice wavered slightly at the last words, but she masked it with a giggle.

Cassius stared at her for a moment, then exhaled slowly.

At first, he’d thought it was just one of her playful whims. But then he saw the look in her eyes.

The faint glimmer of desperation beneath that smile.

And that worried him.

Because he knew her. He knew she was capable of acting on her impulses. He’d heard of her travelling alone across half a continent just to visit her clan.

And if she said she’d do something, she would. And he couldn’t risk that, not with the dangers of the road ahead.

Bandits. Cultists. Monsters.

And worse than any of that, the people who would see her as prey.

Even after he cleaned the trail, he still didn’t fully trust it to let Nala go back alone.

So, he immediately shook his head, his expression turning serious.

"No, Nala...I’m not giving you something like that."

She blinked, startled. "Eh? Why not? It’s not like—"

"I know you, Nala." His tone was firmer now. "You’ll try to go all the way to my estate alone. And that road is dangerous. Too dangerous. I won’t have you risk your life for something like that."

She frowned, shaking her head quickly.

"Cassius, it’s fine! I can handle myself. I’ve traveled alone before—"

He cut her off, voice rising just slightly, the firmness of command in it.

"No, Nala. I’m serious. You’ll stay here. You’ll wait for me, and you won’t go anywhere else. That’s final."

Then, as if to soften the blow, he sighed and reached out to touch her cheek gently. His fingers brushed her skin with warmth.

"Please, just wait for me. I’ll come back as soon as I can, alright?"

And that—

—that was what broke her.

His words, meant to reassure, only crushed her heart completely.

Because to her, it sounded final.

Like an order.

Like goodbye.

There was no reason for him to deny her so sharply. No reason to act so strict about it, unless he truly didn’t want her to follow him.

And she wasn’t a helpless child. She’d crossed mountains, navigated cities, faced monsters, all on her own.

Why was he treating her like someone who’d only get in the way?

The realization hit like a punch to the gut.

It wasn’t about the roads being dangerous. It wasn’t about safety.

It was about her.

He didn’t want her to come.

He didn’t want her there at all.

Her vision blurred. Her lips quivered. Everything about the last few days, their laughter, their closeness, his kisses, his promises, it all began to feel distant, like a fleeting dream.

The nightmare she thought she’d escaped was back, suffocating her from within.

She wanted to scream.

To grab him by the shoulders and shout,

’Why?! Why are you abandoning me?! Why are you breaking your promise?! You said you’d marry me!’

But she didn’t.

Because if he looked at her, dead in the eyes, and told her it wasn’t true...

...if he told her that she meant nothing...

...she knew she wouldn’t survive it.

So instead, she stayed silent, trembling, her eyes glassy with tears she refused to let fall.

"Nala?" Cassius frowned. "You’re shaking. Are you alright?"

He took a step closer, concern written on his face.

"You’re freezing. Do you need a blanket or something? I know it’s cold this morning..."

He smiled and comforted her softly, as if nothing was wrong.

And gods, that hurt.

She should’ve been furious. Should’ve hit him, screamed at him, hated him.

But she couldn’t.

Even when he was about to leave her, even when her heart was breaking right in front of him—

—she still loved him.

Loved the man who’d made her laugh, who’d made her feel seen, who’d touched her like she mattered.

Even as he was tearing her apart, he was still the only person who’d ever made her feel loved.

And if someone asked her right now, would you give your life for him?

She would have said yes without hesitation.

That was the kind of love she had for him.

A love so deep it hurt.

A love that couldn’t hate, even when it should.

And that was exactly why she wanted something of him. Something she could hold on to, even after he left.

As she stared at him, an idea slowly formed in her mind.

A wild, desperate idea, but it made sense. She was a woman, after all.

There was something only she could do. Something that would let her keep a piece of him forever, no matter where he went.

Her eyes softened as the tears stopped. Then, all at once, she wiped her face, forcing a bright smile.

Cassius blinked in surprise. "Nala?"

She stepped closer, her tone suddenly light, cheerful, almost too cheerful.

"Cassius..." She said, clasping her hands behind her back. "Would you mind going on one final boat trip with me?"

He raised an eyebrow. "A...boat trip?"

"Mm-hmm!" She said quickly. "Just one last time! The lake’s so calm this morning, and it’ll be our last chance before you leave."

Cassius chuckled.

"Well, technically I have to go now. The others are buying souvenirs and dried fish for the road, Skadi insisted, they’ll be back any moment."

But when he looked at her again, he saw it: that pleading look in her eyes. That mix of hope and desperation.

He sighed in defeat. "Alright, alright." He said with a smile. "If it means that much to you, let’s go."

Her eyes lit up instantly.

"Good! Good!"

She said, her voice shaking slightly with excitement. She thengrabbed his hand, her touch warm and trembling, and began pulling him toward the nearest small fishing boat.

"Come on, Cassius, get on! Hurry!" She urged, her tail flicking with unusual energy.

"Pushy as always." He laughed, half confused, half amused.

He climbed aboard, shaking his head with a fond smile.

Then Nala slipped into the shallow water, her hands on the side of the boat, and began to push it away from shore, her expression hidden from him.

And behind that smile, her thoughts whispered softly to herself:

’If you’re going to leave me, Cassius...then I’ll make sure a part of you stays with me forever.’