Chapter 28: The Duke’s Confession

Chapter 28: The Duke’s Confession

Thaddeus and the Fifth Legion had been guarding the auction house, and they only left after the medical staff arrived.

Thinking of Fleur, who was anxiously waiting at home, Drexel decided to follow Thaddeus.

Arix said goodbye to them and stayed behind to help the injured with Cirilla and Adrian. They didn’t stop until the medics had taken all the injured away.

"Arix, our butler has come to take me and my brother. We’re leaving now, but I’ll see you at military training the day after tomorrow," Cirilla said after checking a message on her opticomputer.

"Okay, see you then," Arix replied, smiling and waving.

After Cirilla and Adrian left, Arix realized she was alone with Cassian, which made her feel a bit nervous.

"Arix, why won’t you look at me?" Cassian asked, trying to appear innocent.

"It’s nothing... I’m just not used to you growing up so fast," Arix replied, turning away in embarrassment.

Arix had always been drawn to beauty. When she was eight, she would often follow handsome boys, worrying her family until the boys had to call the police to bring her back.

Her fixation on looks caused trouble, and the elders tried to cure her by making her look at pictures of handsome men for a month.

At first, Arix enjoyed it, but she soon grew tired and eventually nauseated, begging for the ordeal to end.



The elders thought they had cured her, but they had only made her more selective.

Cassian raised an eyebrow and leaned closer, his voice husky, "Arix, don’t you like that I’ve grown up?"

His expression and his handsome face overwhelmed Arix, making her feel breathless.

Cassian laughed upon seeing her react, and Arix, confused, touched her nose. She noticed a hint of crimson on her fingertips.

...

"Ow!" Arix howled, turning away to quickly pull a handkerchief from her spatial button to wipe the blood.

Though she cleaned the blood, she felt a deeper stain on her soul.

She knew the blood was from the recent fight, but Cassian might have thought it was excitement that caused her nosebleed.

Embarrassed by the thought, Arix stubbornly kept her back to him, refusing to turn around.

Cassian watched her with a hint of amusement in his eyes. He was about to continue teasing when he was interrupted by shouting from the entrance.

"Prince Cassian, Your Highness!" A middle-aged man called out loudly from the corridor of the auction hall.

Arix breathed a sigh of relief and moved further away.

Cassian turned to see Duke Glendale rushing into the hall.

Upon seeing Cassian unharmed, the Duke joyously clung to his legs, wailing, "Your Highness, I’ve found you at last. You have no idea how hard this past month has been for me. I couldn’t eat or sleep, thinking you might be suffering, my heart felt as if it were being sliced."

Kasem, the butler, arrived with the Empire’s legion shortly after. He bowed his head, struggling to suppress a smirk at the Duke’s dramatics. Although the Duke claimed hardship, he had continued to indulge in fine wines and foods, even entertaining a bevy of beauties the previous night.

Despite his disdain, Cassian noticed the genuine fatigue marked by dark circles under the Duke’s eyes. Feeling a pang of sympathy, he sighed, "I understand, you’ve had a hard time this month. Please wait outside for me, and do not come in without my permission."

Duke Glendale ceased his wailing. He rose and gave Arix a knowing look. Then he puffed up his chest and promised, "Your Highness, rest assured, I won’t let anyone in."

After casting a meaningful glance and a sly smile at Cassian and Arix, Duke Glendale left the hall with Kasem.

The hall fell silent until Cassian gathered his courage to speak. "Arix..."

"Cassian, you’re leaving, aren’t you?" Arix, already aware, stopped pretending and asked casually.

Cassian remained silent for a moment before nodding. "Yes."

"When are you leaving?" Arix asked, her voice tinged with sadness as she hung her head.

When Arix felt her loneliest, Cassian had entered her life. His presence over the past month had helped her adjust to her new circumstances.

It seemed she had rescued Cassian, but in reality, his arrival had given her strength. Even though she had always known they would have to part ways because Cassian was a therian from the Empire, she was still unprepared when the moment actually arrived.

Cassian noticed Arix’s unusual sadness and sighed. He gently pulled her into his arms to offer comfort. Feeling his tender touch, Arix’s eyes immediately filled with tears.

After a moment, Arix asked softly, "Will you come back?"

Cassian paused before replying with certainty, "I will, Arix."

"Will you be in danger in the Empire?" she asked, her concern palpable.

Looking into her clear, sky-like eyes, Cassian felt a stir in his heart. He reached out to touch the corner of her eye gently and reassured her, "Don’t worry, I’m safe in the Empire."

"That’s right, you’re the only prince of the Empire," Arix said, her voice tinged with desolation. She realized Cassian no longer needed her protection.

Cassian did not elaborate on his safety but smiled and released Arix, looking at her reluctantly. "Arix, I have to go."

Arix watched him silently for a long time before finally nodding and advising, "Okay, here’s my opticomputer number, make sure to contact me once you’re in the Empire."

"Alright, I’ll remember, Arix. But I have take you home first, then I’ll go," Cassian insisted, not wanting her to go home alone.

He took her hand and walked her out, only departing for the starship after ensuring she was safely back at the Kering family’s place.

Arix leaned quietly against the door after he left, remaining there until the outside was silent.



Then, she walked back inside, feeling a bit lost.

It was late at night, and Arix felt bored. She lay by the bedroom window, occasionally checking her opticomputer.

After a sigh, she dropped her arm again.

"Why hasn’t he contacted me yet?" Arix muttered, slightly annoyed.

It had been 10 hours since Cassian returned to the Empire. Yet, apart from the occasional ad pop-up on her opticomputer, there were no friend requests.

Ding!

"You have a new friend request."

Arix’s mood instantly brightened, and she tapped on her opticomputer with a smile. On a 3D virtual screen, she quickly accepted the new request.

Suddenly, a puppy avatar appeared among her opticomputer friends. Seeing this avatar, Arix laughed—it was Cassian as a child.

Ding!

"Your friend Cassian is requesting a video call."

Arix accepted, and Cassian’s upper body, clad in a golden robe, appeared on the 3D virtual screen.

"Arix, I’ve arrived home," he said, his voice warm.

Arix’s ears tingled at his voice. "Yeah, I know. Why did you contact me so late?" she asked, feigning indifference.

Cassian instantly recognized her act. Arix was just being like a child.

He sighed. If Arix were here, he’d probably pinch her nose for so naughty.

"Arix, I’ve missed you," Cassian finally admitted. His voice booming, make Arix’s ear itch.

Arix’s face turned red instantly, and in a fluster, she aimed the virtual screen at the ceiling, too embarrassed to let Cassian see her anymore.

So handsome, and with such a great voice, Cassian was tempting her to commit a crime!

Cassian, noticing the screen now facing the wall, couldn’t help laughing. He looked at the clock—it was 11 PM—and smiled at Arix through the opticomputer, "Arix, it’s late. You should go to sleep."

"Mm, goodnight, Cassian," Arix said sweetly, and then she quickly ended the video call.

Cassian was about to say more, but the screen went dark. He laughed, both disappointed and amused, "She just hung up like that? Not even a goodbye."

That night, Arix slept soundly and even had a beautiful dream.

In the dream, she walked hand in hand with a handsome man whose face she couldn’t see, along a beach under a clear blue sky with a gentle breeze.

As they walked, their mood heated up. Arix and the handsome man gazed into each other’s eyes and slowly closed their eyes, about to kiss.

Just then, thunder boomed in the sky, waking Arix with its deafening sound.

Bang! Bang Bang!

Drexel’s loud banging and shouting echoed through the bedroom door," Arix, are you up yet? The military training starts tomorrow, hurry up and come with me to the mall to buy some supplies."

Startled from her sleep, Arix grasped for breath. Remembering her near-kiss with the Prince Charming in her dream, she grabbed a pillow and hurled it at the door, yelling, "Drexel! I swear I’m having a heart attack!"

"Arix, the sun is already up; how will you handle military training being so lazy?" Drexel sighed dramatically.

"Get lost!!" Arix roared.

"Alright, I’ll wait for you downstairs." Feeling it unsafe to linger, Drexel quickly retreated.

In her bedroom, Arix glanced at the time on her opticomputer—it was only 8 AM. Frustrated by her interrupted dream, she bit her blanket. After calming down, she set the blanket aside and got up to wash and dress.

As soon as Drexel reached the bottom of the stairs, Fleur grabbed his collar and scolded him, "I told you to wake her up, not give her a shock. Why did you have to knock so loudly?"

"I get woken up the same way by Kellan; why don’t you scold him?" Drexel complained.



Kellan rolled his eyes, "You stay up all night playing games. If we don’t knock loudly, how would you ever wake up?"

Drexel’s nightlife was all about gaming till dawn, and he slept like a log during the day.

Honestly, Kellan hated having to wake him up.

Thinking about the upcoming military training, where all electronic devices had to be handed in, Kellan looked at Drexel with a smirk.

Out of arguments, Drexel weakly said, "Mom, I’m sorry. I’ll be gentler next time."

Fleur was about to lecture more but stopped when she saw Arix coming downstairs. She let Drexel off with a warning, "If I catch you doing this again, I’ll cut your allowance."

Turning to Arix, Fleur said gently, "Arix, are you awake? Have some breakfast, then we’ll go shopping."

"Mm, thanks, Mom," Arix replied with a sleepy yet sweet hoarseness.

Drexel, observing the blatant double standards, muttered to Kellan, "Look at Mom, she’s so harsh with us but so gentle with Arix."

Kellan blinked and seriously said to Drexel, "Drexel, I think you can remove ’us.’ Mom has never been harsh with me either."

Drexel paused to think for a moment, then was speechless. It seemed Fleur really was only harsh with him. With a look of betrayal, he glared at Kellan.

With a snort, he started eating. Seeing him finally quiet down, Kellan felt the air freshen around him. He began eating in a good mood.