Chapter 134: Patience

Chapter 134: Chapter 134: Patience

When they finally separated, the distance between them remained negligible.

Neither seemed particularly interested in correcting that.

For several moments, neither spoke.

Then Marian realized what she had just done.

Immediately.

Her eyes widened.

Cassian noticed.

The corner of his mouth twitched.

"My Lady."

Marian narrowed her eyes.

"Don’t."

"You arrived without notice."

"Cassian."

"You requested an audience with remarkable urgency."

"Cassian."

"And within moments of seeing me, you kissed me."

Marian closed her eyes.

Briefly.

It did not help.

The twitch became a smile.

"I am attempting to understand your priorities."

Marian stared at him.

Then jabbed a finger into his chest.

"I came because I was worried."

"Naturally."

"That was the reason."

"I’m sure it was."

"Cassian."

His smile widened.

Which was deeply unfair.

Because he looked entirely too pleased with himself.

And somehow she had the distinct feeling he intended to remember this conversation forever.

Unfortunately.

The realization only made him look more satisfied.

Eventually, she sighed.

"My father told me."

The amusement faded.

Not completely.

But enough.

"The compensation."

Cassian nodded.

"The western project."

The smile disappeared entirely.

For a moment neither spoke.

Marian lowered her gaze.

"I didn’t know."

"No."

"The last major project your father started."

"Yes."

Silence.

Twenty-five million crowns.

The western expansion.

Years of planning.

Years of work.

A legacy.

Gone.

Because of this.

Because of them.

Cassian watched her expression.

Then gently lifted her chin.

Not forcing.

Simply asking her to look at him.

"It was my decision."

A pause.

"I knew exactly what I was agreeing to."

His voice remained calm.

Steady.

Certain.

"I don’t regret it."

"The project—"

"I know."

The answer came immediately.

"I know what I lost."

Silence.

Then:

"And I know what I gained."

Marian immediately looked away.

Cassian looked entirely unapologetic.

Which somehow made the situation worse.

Or perhaps better.

She wasn’t entirely sure.

"You make that sound very simple."

"It is simple."

"Cassian."

His expression softened.

"I mean it."

For a moment neither spoke.

Then Marian sighed.

Because she knew he did.

That was the problem.

The room fell quiet.

Comfortably so.

For the first time in weeks there was no immediate crisis waiting outside the door.

No investigation.

No judgment.

No uncertainty.

Just them.

Eventually Cassian said:

"Come."

Marian blinked.

"Where?"

A faint smile appeared.

"You’re already here."

Which somehow explained absolutely nothing.

And yet Marian followed him anyway.

Together they left the receiving room.

The servants they passed were perfectly professional.

Which convinced Marian they had absolutely noticed everything.

Cassian appeared entirely untroubled by this possibility.

The traitor.

He led her through parts of Ashford House she had never seen before.

Not reception halls.

Not guest salons.

Not rooms prepared for visitors.

The real house.

The library where he had spent most of his childhood.

The western gallery overlooking the gardens.

A private terrace rarely opened during formal events.

Places that belonged to Cassian rather than Duke Ashford.

At some point Marian realized they were holding hands.

Neither of them seemed to remember exactly when that had happened.

Which was perhaps why neither mentioned it.

The realization nevertheless made her smile.

Cassian noticed.

Of course he noticed.

"What?"

"Nothing."

The answer came far too quickly.

Cassian looked unconvinced.

Marian refused to elaborate.

Which only made him more suspicious.

Later, standing beside one of the western windows, Marian found herself looking around again.

The house seemed unchanged.

The servants were calm.

The estate functioned normally.

Nobody appeared concerned.

Nobody appeared desperate.

Ashford House looked exactly like Ashford House.

"You keep looking around."

Marian blinked.

"I do not."

"You do."

"I am simply observing."

Cassian looked unconvinced.

Marian immediately became suspicious.

"What?"

The corner of his mouth lifted.

Only slightly.

It was enough.

"Nothing."

"Cassian."

A pause.

Then:

"Are you checking whether I’m poor now?"

Marian stopped walking.

Completely.

For several seconds she simply stared at him.

Cassian looked entirely too pleased with himself.

"Cassian."

"It would explain several things."

"What exactly would it explain?"

"The concern."

"Cassian."

"The urgency."

"Cassian."

"The fact that you appeared at my house less than an hour after learning the numbers."

Marian narrowed her eyes.

"I was worried."

"I know."

The answer came immediately.

Without teasing.

Without hesitation.

Just certainty.

And somehow that made it worse.

Marian looked away.

Cassian smiled.

Then added:

"For the record, I am not poor."

Marian laughed.

Despite herself.

"How reassuring."

"I thought so."

A pause.

Then:

"Ashford still possesses several walls, most of the roof, and at least three functioning staircases."

"Cassian."

"I’m being optimistic."

"You lost twenty-five million crowns."

"I did."

"And your largest project."

"I did."

"And you’re joking."

Cassian shrugged.

Then reached for her hand again.

As though the matter were settled.

"I still have the important things."

For a moment Marian forgot how to breathe.

Cassian immediately realized what he had said.

Unfortunately.

Because now he looked pleased with himself again.

The traitor.

The afternoon passed more quickly than either of them would have liked.

Eventually the conversation drifted toward practical matters.

The western territories.

The revised budgets.

The postponed projects.

The vassals waiting for explanations.

Then Cassian said:

"I’ll be leaving tomorrow."

Marian blinked.

The words were delivered so casually that it took a moment for them to register.

"What?"

"Ashford."

A pause.

"The western territories won’t reorganize themselves."

For a moment she simply stared.

Because of course he was leaving.

Someone had to deal with everything.

And that someone was Cassian.

She knew that.

It did not mean she had to like it.

"How long?"

Cassian considered the question.

"A few months."

Marian stared.

Cassian immediately amended:

"Likely fewer."

"That’s not better."

"It was meant to be."

"It wasn’t."

A pause.

Then another.

For a moment neither spoke.

Then Marian folded her arms.

Cassian recognized the gesture immediately.

"Come back quickly."

The order was delivered with complete seriousness.

Cassian blinked.

Then laughed.

Actually laughed.

The sound surprised both of them.

Marian looked entirely pleased with herself.

"That wasn’t a suggestion."

"I gathered."

"Good."

The smile lingered.

Small.

Warm.

Certain.

And somehow, after everything they had endured, that simple promise felt more precious than either of them expected.

Because this time, when he left—

he would be coming back to her.