Chapter 66: Villainess Princess × Slave (29)

The fire in the hearth had dimmed into a low, soft glow of dying amber embers, casting long, peaceful shadows across the grand bedchamber.

Cassian stood motionless beside the chair, his tall, broad frame towering over Lyra’s small, sleeping figure. Outside the stone walls, the autumn rainstorm continued to pour, the rhythmic patter of rain against the glass panes creating a lulling soundtrack that enveloped the entire royal estate in an inescapable slumber.

Cassian slowly leaned down. His pitch-black eyes, usually so cold and unreadable, were swirling with a dark intensity that bordered on pure obsession.

He raised his large hand, his long fingers gently coming into contact with her soft, pale cheek. His thumb lightly stroked the warm skin of her cheekbone, marveling at how delicate and fragile she felt beneath his touch.

Lyra, lost deep within a dreamless sleep, felt a faint, itchy tickle on her face. She let out a tiny, discontented hum, her head turning slightly into the cushion as she pouted her lips in her sleep like a spoiled cat.

Cassian’s breath hitched slightly at the sight. A low, hidden warmth flooded his chest, a subtle, breathtaking smile curving his lips in the dim light.

Out in the silent hallway, not a single maid or guard was awake. The heavy, rainy atmosphere combined with the gentle heat of the fireplace had lulled the entire estate staff into an unnaturally heavy sleep. Even the shadow guard remained hidden far out in the rain-slicked courtyard trees, knowing better than to intrude upon his master’s private domain.

Cassian’s gaze slowly drifted down from her adorable, pouting face to her right hand.

Her soft palm was still wrapped in the white bandages from earlier, where she had fearlessly caught Prince Julian’s leather whip to protect his face. Seeing those white cloths stained with faint traces of her dried red blood made a sharp ache twist deep within Cassian’s soul.

You bled for me without a single second of hesitation... Cassian thought, his pitch-black eyes darkening into a stormy, possessive depth. You called me yours... You protected my life from the Crown Prince’s blades...

With breathtaking care, Cassian lifted her small, bandaged hand into his broad palm. His fingers worked with gentleness as he unwrapped the silk bandages layer by layer, revealing the deep, raw red cut running across her delicate jade-like palm.

Cassian reached into his inner tunic, pulling out a small, round container made of dark green jade.

Inside was a smooth, fragrant golden ointment- a legendary, secret royal medicine crafted only by the chief alchemists of his fallen Eastern Kingdom. It was synthesized from extremely rare snow lotus herbs that could regenerate skin and erase severe scars within a matter of hours. During all his years of enduring brutal beatings, cold dungeons, and bloody battles, Cassian had never once wasted a single drop of this precious ointment on his own body.

Yet now, without a moment’s hesitation, he dipped his fingers into the golden salve.

He applied the cool, fragrant ointment directly over her open palm wound, his large, rough thumb smoothing the medicine gently into her soft skin. He made sure every millimeter of the cut was coated generously. By morning, the powerful royal medicine would completely close her skin, leaving her hand smooth, soft, and entirely free of any permanent scars.

Cassian sat on his knee beside her chair for what felt like hours, simply holding her small hand in his, watching the faint, rhythmic rise and fall of her chest. He traced the delicate lines of her fingers, mesmerized by the contrast between his large, battle-scarred hand and her tiny, white frame.

He didn’t care about his fallen kingdom’s revenge in this moment. He didn’t care about the tyrant Emperor or the arrogant Crown Prince. In his eyes, the entire world had shrunk down to this single, quiet room, and the sleeping girl resting before him.

Time passed silently in the dark.

Slowly, the purple rain clouds outside began to part, allowing the pale, faint golden rays of the morning sun to peeking over the eastern horizon. The dark night was coming to an end, signaling that it was time for him to leave.

Cassian stood up from his knee, his tall frame looming over her one last time. He leaned down close to her sleeping face, his heart beating with a restless rhythm.

His dark eyes lingered on the rosy, soft corner of her parted lips. Unable to resist the overwhelming pull any longer, Cassian lowered his head, pressing a tiny soft peak kiss against the very corner of her sweet lips.

It was a kiss so light, so feather-soft, that it barely disturbed the air around her skin, yet it carried the weight of an unbreakable, lifelong vow.

Cassian pulled back slightly, staring down at her serene face with a breathtaking smirk.

"Wait for this mere slave to come take you with him... Your Highness," Cassian whispered raspy and low, his deep voice dripping with pure, unyielding obsession.

With a swift, silent turn, Cassian stepped into the deep shadows near the window, vanishing into the morning mist as if he had never been there at all.

Out in the misty courtyard, the shadow guard materialized from the tree branches, dropping onto one knee as his master emerged from the estate.

"Your Highness," the shadow guard whispered raspy and low. "All preparations are complete. The secret path through the eastern gates is clear."

Cassian glanced back one final time at the high arched window of Princess Lyra’s bedchamber, his pitch-black eyes burning with an intense promise.

"Let us go," Cassian commanded coldly.

With two soft swishes, both figures blurred into the dense forest fog, leaving the royal palace grounds far behind.

A few hours later, the morning sun shone brightly through the high glass windows of the grand bedchamber.

Lyra slowly fluttered her dark eyelashes open, letting out a long, luxurious yawn as she stretched her arms over her head.

"Mmm~!" Lyra hummed in bliss, blinking her dark eyes as she rubbed her sleepy face.

She sat up on her plush armchair, looking around the bright, quiet room in complete, utter surprise.

Wait a minute... Lyra thought, her mind slowly booting up. I actually slept through the entire night without waking up once?! I had such a good, peaceful sleep for the first time since I transmigrated into this crazy world!

Suddenly, Lyra remembered her hand!

Yesterday, the System’s pain-numbing potion had worn off after she slapped Cassian, and she had been fully expecting to wake up to an agonizing, throbbing pain in her right palm where Julian’s whip had cut her.

Lyra raised her right hand, nervously preparing herself to see a bloody, terrifying wound.

"EH?!" Lyra gasped, her dark eyes bulging out of her head in absolute shock!

She blinked once. She blinked twice. She rubbed her eyes and looked again!

The thick white bandages were completely gone. Her delicate, jade-like palm was entirely clean, smooth, and pale, smelling faintly of a refreshing, sweet herbal fragrance. The deep, bloody cut from the whip had vanished almost entirely, leaving behind only a faint, soft pink trace that was fading by the second!

"HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?!" Lyra shrieked internally, frantically turning her hand back and forth! "System! Did you secretly heal me while I was sleeping?! Did you give me an emergency restoration patch?!"

Ding!

The System’s floating blue screen materialized near her shoulder, displaying a completely baffled, confused face icon.

[ HOST! I DID NOT HEAL YOU! ] the System chimed back frantically. [ My energy reserves were completely drained after yesterday’s metric error! I couldn’t afford a high-grade healing potion! That herbal fragrance on your hand belongs to an ultra-rare snow lotus ointment from the Eastern Kingdom! ]

Lyra’s breath hitched in her throat. The Eastern Kingdom?! That’s Cassian’s fallen kingdom!

Before Lyra could even process the terrifying realization that Cassian had secretly entered her room at night to treat her hand, the heavy double doors of her study were suddenly thrown wide open!

BANG!

A group of three maids came stumbling frantically into the room, their faces pale as paper, their aprons rumpled, and their hair in complete disarray!

Lyra instinctively put up her cold, arrogant villainess stance, glaring at them with a sharp scowl. "How dare you maids barge into this princess’s private quarters without permission?! Do you wish to be punished for your insolence?!"

However, instead of dropping to their knees and begging for mercy as usual, the maids looked at her with sheer, chaotic panic in their eyes!

"P-PRINCESS!" the head maid cried out, her voice cracking in pure terror. "Please forgive our rudeness! But... but something terrible has happened!"

Lyra raised an eyebrow, folding her arms across her chest. "What could possibly be so terrible that you lose your mind at eight in the morning?"

The head maid swallowed hard, taking a frantic breath before blurting out the bizarre, shocking news!

"THE SLAVE! MY LADY, CASSIAN DRAVEN... HE HAS RAN AWAY!" the maid shrieked in panic. "His quarters are completely empty! His guard uniform was left behind, and the eastern guard post was found unconscious! We came running to check if Your Highness was okay!"

"WHAT?!" Lyra yelled, jumping straight off her velvet armchair in complete, absolute surprise!

Her jaw hit the floor as her mind short-circuited entirely.

CASSIAN RAN AWAY?! THE MALE LEAD ESCAPED THE PALACE?! Lyra screamed frantic, chaotic thoughts in her head. BUT HE WAS JUST DECLARING HIS DEVOTION TO ME YESTERDAY! WHY DID HE RUN AWAY ALL OF A SUDDEN?! WHAT ABOUT MY FIFTY PERCENT SOUL FRAGMENTS?!