Gazing up at the face hovering over him against the dry grass, Cassius could not help but feel an indescribable sense of unreality.
From the unexpected gift to the hand clasp that made the rings glow, and then that kiss just now. Today was perhaps the craziest, yet happiest day in his short, memory-less life.
Eliana gave him little time to analyze the situation. She slowly lowered her head again. Her radiant golden hair cascaded down on both sides, creating a perfect curtain that hid their faces from the rest of the world.
As if longing to keep the next moment entirely out of sight.
Eliana closed her eyes. Seeing that, Cassius obediently closed his as well.
Just like the first time, their lips found each other once more. The initial bewilderment was gone, but the clumsiness remained intact. Once again, he lost himself in her sweetness and the warmth of her breath.
A flash of familiarity darted across his mind. Whether during the previous kiss or this one, a strange sensation always stirred deep within him. It was like a faint fragment of memory, something predestined, whispering to him that the person before him belonged to him.
Eliana broke the kiss of her own accord. Her brown eyes fluttered open, moist and veiled in a hazy mist. Her entire face flushed crimson beneath the moonlight, her chest heaving slightly as she caught her breath.
Yet she did not pull back.
Eliana slid down slightly. Her soft lips changed course, trailing past his jawline to brush lightly against the hollow of his throat.
A numbing current instantly surged down Cassius's spine. The ticklish sensation coupled with her hot breath made him startle. By pure instinct, he wrapped both arms around Eliana's back, holding her waist tight as if reaching for an anchor.
Eliana looked up at him. The hand resting on his shoulder began to wander. Through the thin fabric of his clothes, her fingers traced down his chest, then slowly glided toward his stomach.
"Eliana..." he whispered, his voice trembling to an incredible degree.
Hearing the sheer confusion and panic in his voice, a mischievous smile played across Eliana's lips. She offered no answer, nor did her hand show any intention of stopping as it continued to glide a little lower.
"MEOW!"
A piercing caterwaul tore through the tranquil night.
Both Cassius and Eliana jumped in fright. Every action froze instantly on the spot. The suggestive, heavy atmosphere vanished into thin air in a split second.
'A cat?' Eliana blinked in total daze. 'In the middle of the woods at midnight?'
She scrambled to push herself up, clumsily adjusting the hem of her clothes. Her face burned so red it looked as though it were about to smoke. Cassius quickly rolled over and scrambled to his feet as well, brushing the dry grass off his pants.
Rustle... rustle...
The sound of dry leaves crunching underfoot came from right beside the massive stump behind them. Both of them whipped their heads toward the noise.
"Rimi!?" Cassius gasped in shock.
From the dark thicket under the canopy, a plump, pitch-black ball of fur strolled out at a leisurely pace. It nonchalantly tucked its stubby little legs beneath itself, settled comfortably onto the grass, and twitched its whiskers as it stared at the two of them.
Cassius quickly stepped forward, reaching out with both hands under its forelegs to hoist the chubby cat to eye level.
Eliana stood behind him with folded arms, her eyes narrowing dangerously as she glared at the black furball wagging its tail in his grip.
"Don't tell me it followed us all the way from home?" Her voice dripped with the clear annoyance of someone whose moment had just been completely ruined halfway through.
"I'm not sure either" Cassius shook his head. "The things Rimi does daily never follow any logic whatsoever"
"Meow" Rimi let out an innocent chirp, rubbing its small head against his hand.
Cassius let out a soft sigh, drew the cat into his embrace, and turned to look at Eliana.
"Maybe this is a sign telling us to head back" he said, glancing around the dark woods. "It's getting very late anyway"
Eliana cast a look at the sky, then down at the cat in his arms. Her lips pouted slightly as she let out a reluctant breath.
"Fine then"
Hearing the order to retreat, Rimi seemed to understand. It deftly clambered up Cassius's arm and perched squarely on his shoulder, draping its black tail across the back of his neck like a fur scarf.
Cassius smiled, offering his free hand to Eliana.
She glanced at him, the heavy annoyance on her face softening somewhat. Stepping forward, Eliana slipped her hand into his, lacing their fingers together. Instantly, both rune rings flashed in harmony with a tender, soothing blue glow.
With Rimi perched on his shoulder, Cassius held Eliana's hand as they walked back down the dirt trail.
—
Two days later.
The front courtyard of the Prisce estate was headache-inducing in its noise. Carriage wheels rattled loudly against the cobblestones, accompanied by the frantic footsteps of servants hauling heavy trunks back and forth.
Cassius stood in a corner of the yard with his arms crossed. Eliana stood right in front of him. She wore a thick, fur-lined coat over her dress, appearing far more mature and noble than when she ran around town in ordinary clothes.
Emily stood beside him, resting her hands lightly on her familiar wooden staff. Her quiet eyes darted back and forth between Cassius and Eliana. It was impossible to read what was passing through the quiet girl's mind.
"Remember to write to me once you get there" Cassius broke the silence, shoving both hands into his coat pockets for warmth.
"Of course" Eliana smiled, the tip of her nose flushed pink from the morning chill. "I'll tell you everything about the capital"
"And don't stir up any trouble that gets you expelled early"
"Hey!" Eliana scowled, giving his shoulder a playful punch. Yet the smile quickly returned to her lips.
"Make sure you take good care of Thomas and Emily at home. I'm going to miss you so much"
"It will be hard to forget you, Eli" Cassius shrugged, keeping his tone as light and steady as possible.
Eliana took a deep breath. She stepped backward, turning to head toward the waiting carriage.
She stopped by where Lord Leopold and Thomas stood conversing. Throwing her arms around her father, she murmured a few quiet words. After giving the Marquess a tight hug, she bowed respectfully to Thomas.
Lady Genevieve, her mother, was already seated inside the carriage. The door opened, and Eliana climbed aboard.
"I thought you'd cry or break down more" Emily spoke up . Her voice stayed flat, devoid of any rise or fall. The heavy thud of the carriage door slamming shut echoed at that very moment.
Cassius looked down at her. "I am sad"
"You don't look sad at all"
"Well, we've talked about this parting so many times already" Cassius smiled, reaching over to ruffle Emily's hair. "Everything will be fine"
'Crying now accomplishes nothing' Cassius thought to himself. The hollow ache in his chest was real, but he would rather keep it locked away than give Eliana another reason to worry before her long journey.
A whip cracked sharply against the air. The carriage began to roll forward.
Through the clear glass window, Cassius caught sight of Eliana's face. She was looking back toward him, her lips curling into a bright, radiant smile. She raised her hand and waved.
Pulling his hand from his pocket, Cassius waved back. At that precise second, the silver ring on his index finger brushed against the chilly air, casting a faint flicker of pale blue light.
It was a tiny resonant reaction, yet it was enough to catch someone's eye.
Standing not far away, Leopold Prisce watched on in silence.
The Marquess's gaze did not linger on the waving smiles of the two youths. His focus locked dead onto the pale blue streak glowing from Cassius's hand. A matching rune ring. An exact twin to the one his daughter had proudly brought home to show off just days ago.
The sight of that ring dragged an unpleasant memory rushing back into Leopold's mind.
It was the night right after Eliana had stormed boldly into his study to declare her intent to marry Cassius.
In the master bedroom, Lady Genevieve had leaned against the headboard under a thin blanket.
"Honey, shouldn't we consult the Duchess on this matter?" she asked softly.
Leopold had let out a heavy sigh. The truth that Cassius was the heir to the Eclipse family had already been secretly disclosed to his wife.
"I think so too. Tomorrow I'll write a letter with my own hand and send it straight to the North" Leopold rubbed his temples. "It's best to secure their approval first"
Yet Leopold had been dead wrong. He never even got the chance to touch his inkpot.
By the very next morning, Hela, the head maid of the Eclipse family, already stood tall inside the Prisce estate's drawing room.
"I come on behalf of the Duchess to discuss the matter of young master Cassius's engagement with you"
In the quiet room, Hela stood rigidly upright across from Leopold, who sat frozen on the sofa.
'They obtained this information far too quickly. Only a single night has passed' a cold sweat had broken out across Leopold's back. 'Is this the information network of the North?'
"We agree to let this arrangement proceed" Hela's voice remained flat, free of any unnecessary emotion. "You may carry out the formalities with his current guardian, Thomas. We will not interfere in this process"
Just as Leopold breathed a silent sigh of relief, Hela immediately added another remark.
"However, we have one condition. This engagement should take place under the strictest secrecy possible"
"Secrecy?" Leopold echoed, furrowing his brows.
"I trust a wise man like yourself understands why this matter requires absolute discretion" Hela's lips curved faintly into a textbook, corporate smile.
"We do not strictly forbid anyone from knowing. Provided your family treats the event as a small, unostentatious private gathering, that will suffice. Fulfill this condition, and the Eclipse family will gladly allow the engagement to proceed smoothly"
With that, she offered a slight bow and turned on her heel to leave, slipping past the estate's heavy security as decisively as a phantom.
Leopold had been left alone in the room, tangled in a messy knot of thoughts.
'A secret engagement. Surely it's to keep the boy's identity from coming to light'
The logic was simple. If word broke out that the youngest daughter of the noble Prisce family was betrothed to an orphan named Cassius, the nobility would immediately smell something foul. They would swarm to investigate and gather intelligence. And it would only be a matter of time before those shrewd vipers pieced the clues together and realized Cassius was the heir of House Eclipse.
'Yet why go to such lengths to keep it completely hidden?'
Leopold crossed his arms in the present, his eyes still fixed on the carriage disappearing down the road.
Even if Cassius's identity were dragged into the open, who would dare bring harm to that boy? Only someone tired of living would dare cross Duchess Eclipse.
Besides, the boy was clearly not as abandoned as he seemed on the surface. There had to be an elite intelligence network or shadow force from the ducal house watching Cassius's every move, second by second. Otherwise, how could Hela have appeared at the Prisce residence with such terrifying speed that morning?
Leopold covered his face with one hand, letting out a faint groan in his throat as the memory dissolved.
'How on earth am I supposed to convince Eliana to agree to this secret engagement?'