Chapter 300:A gradual change.

Chapter 300: 300:A gradual change.

Cruella had begun treating him almost exactly as she had once treated everyone around them. If the convoy was delayed, somehow it was Dillain’s fault. If a battle didn’t go perfectly, she would question his decisions.

If the other three women disagreed with her, she would accuse Dillain of turning them against her. If he tried to defend himself, she would say he was attacking her.

Eventually, Dillain stopped arguing.

That had only made things worse. Cruella seemed to interpret his silence as proof that he knew she was right.

One evening, another argument had erupted.

The three women had been discussing where to train after the convoy stopped, and Cruella had suggested something dangerous.

They had refused.

Cruella had immediately accused them of being cowards. Iris had snapped back.

"Not agreeing with you doesn’t make us cowards, you’re just throwing anything at us at the moment to make us feel bad for not being your puppets."

That had started everything. Dillain had tried to stop it.

"Enough."

Cruella had turned toward him.

"Of course."

"What?"

"You always do this."

"Do what?"

"Take their side."

Dillain had stared at her.

"I’m trying to stop an argument."

"No. You’re protecting them."

"Because you’re insulting them, there’s a difference."

"They deserve it."

"No, they don’t."

Cruella’s expression had changed. For a moment, she had looked genuinely hurt, then the tears had appeared.

Dillain had seen them.

He had also seen the way the others immediately became uncomfortable. Cruella had lowered her head.

"Fine." Her voice had become soft. "I understand, none of you cared about me in the fitst place."

Dillain had known exactly what was coming.

"You all hate me anyway."

Nobody had answered. Cruella had looked at Dillain.

"Even you."

Then she had walked away. The three women had stared after her. Selena had sighed.

"She does this every time. It’s becoming too much Dillain. "

Dillain hadn’t answered because he knew exactly what she was doing. And yet, part of him still felt guilty.

That was the most frustrating part.

Cruella had become very good at making him feel responsible for her emotions. Dillain looked toward her now.

She remained alone.

She hadn’t spoken to him for most of the morning which he didn’t mind anymore. At some point, he had simply become exhausted.

He didn’t want another argument. He didn’t want another explanation. He didn’t want to keep defending himself against accusations that changed every time he answered them.

He just wanted to reach the academy and get a fresh start. He wanted to train, to become stronger.

And, perhaps most importantly, he wanted to travel with the three women who had remained beside him without making every disagreement into a battlefield.

The academy was becoming more visible in his thoughts with every passing day. Dillain had spent years looking forward to reaching that place.

Now it was finally within reach but there was still one problem.

Cruella.

Dillain closed his eyes for a moment. He wondered how much longer this could continue. The answer came sooner than he expected.

Their convoy stopped later that afternoon. The announcement was simple; they would be stopping for several hours before continuing.

Dillain stepped out of the vehicle.

The moment his feet touched the ground, he stretched his arms and looked toward the horizon.

Delta Two was getting closer; he could feel it. Soon, they would enter the sanctuary.

He smiled faintly.

Then Cruella walked past him. She didn’t even look at him. He watched her disappear among the other vehicles.

Something inside him finally settled.

He was just done. Whatever happened next, he wasn’t going to chase after her.

He wasn’t going to apologize for things he hadn’t done. And he wasn’t going to allow himself to be dragged into another endless cycle of arguments.

He turned toward the three.

"Let’s get some food."

They looked at him, then Selena smiled.

"Sure."

Dillain smiled back.

For the first time in weeks, the road ahead seemed a little lighter.

After days of travelling from Delta Four toward Delta Two, the enormous central sanctuary was finally within reach, and for most of the people in the convoy, that meant the end of a long and exhausting journey.

For Dillain, however, there was another feeling beneath the excitement. He had spent enough time with Cruella to know that their relationship was no longer something he could repair.

Every attempt at peace had only created another argument, every attempt to understand her had resulted in another accusation, and every time he chose not to support her, she treated it as though he had personally betrayed her.

Dillain had become determined to reach Alpha Three without carrying the mess of his relationship with Cruella any further. Cruella, however, seemed determined to make that impossible.

Their latest argument happened during one of the final stops before they reached Delta Two. The convoy had pulled into a temporary rest area, and Dillain had been sitting with the three women when Cruella approached them.

She didn’t say anything at first but simply stood several meters away, staring at them with an expression that made it obvious she wasn’t pleased.

Selena noticed her and lowered her voice.

"She’s coming."

Dillain sighed.

"I can see that."

Cruella stopped in front of them.

"So this is what you’ve decided?"

Dillain looked up.

"What are you talking about?"

"You don’t even know?"

"I genuinely don’t."

Cruella laughed softly, though there was no humor in it.

"Of course."

Dillain already felt the headache coming.

"Can we not do this?"

"Do what?"

"Whatever this is."

Cruella’s eyes hardened.

"You’ve been avoiding me."

"I’ve been trying to avoid arguments."

"With me."

"Yes."

She stared at him.

"So you admit it."

Dillain rubbed his forehead.

"I admit that I don’t want to argue with you."

"Because you think I’m the problem."

Dillain remained silent. That silence was enough.

Cruella’s expression changed.

"Haa... I knew it... hypocritics"

Selena immediately spoke.

"Nobody said that."

"You don’t have to." Cruella looked at her. "It’s obvious."

She shook her head.

"No, what’s obvious is that you’re looking for another reason to fight."