'Wait a second…' His gaze dropped to the empty cup, eyebrows pulling together. 'Cassiel? Not Eirian? Why did it change?'
His breath hitched, almost inaudibly. He knew things would shift from the original plot, the domino effect was practically guaranteed, but—
"Are, are you sure?" The words spilled out, maybe a bit too fast. His hand flew to his mouth a second too late.
Rhydian tilted his head, a single brow arching. "Do you not like it?"
On anyone else, that might've sounded tender. But with the Archduke's deep voice and that unreadable stare, it landed like a threat.
Cassiel's fingers twitched, halfway to his forehead before he caught himself. 'What the hell was that?' His mind raced through increasingly nonsensical escape plans. Should he pretend to be sick, to faint? But then again, that didn't erase the fact that what he just said was odd.
"No no, that's not it." He forced a shaky laugh, shaking his head a little too fast. "Actually, I was just so surprised and honoured to receive such a beautiful name, Your Grace."
Rhydian hummed. "Alright." A single word, flat as stone. Still, it seemed like he believed his words. "Go and play in the garden then, I've got other things to do." He got up, coat sweeping behind him as he turned.
"Ah, yes, sure…" Cassiel jumped off the chair, quickly trailing after him. "For how long can I stay here, Your Grace?"
The man glanced back, catching sight of the tiny shadow following him like a duckling. "As long as you want. I don't care." He didn't slow down, just shifted his gaze to the side. "Matthew, this kid needs assistance. Bring his maid."
"As you wish, Your Grace."
And that was it. No goodbyes, no glance back, just him walking straight ahead towards the exit.
Matthew crouched. "Young Master, could you please wait here while I fetch your personal maid?"
Cassiel gave a small nod. "Yes, sure."
"Thank you, Young Master." Without wasting a second, the man straightened and disappeared, too, between the trees, with swift steps.
The moment they were out of sight, the child exhaled like he'd been holding it the entire time. His shoulders slumped.
'Finally, they're gone.' The kid mindlessly walked around. 'Seriously, out of all the things that could've changed, why the name?'
It wasn't eating him alive with worry or anything, but still, this moment made it painfully clear. Even a single different step was enough to knock the story off its rails.
'I don't think I did all that much to make him pick a different name.' He walked off in another direction, letting his legs wander. 'But here we are. I have to be careful. What if this is Canaria's second life and I screw up the plot? What if I turn into her villain by accident?'
Rustle.
His thoughts screeched to a halt.
That sound hadn't come from nowhere. It had a source. A very specific one, right there, from inside a thick bush.
"Who, who is there?" He spun around, trying to look composed, failing miserably. Only now did it register just how far he'd drifted from the spot he wasn't supposed to leave. 'How did I even make it this far with this crappy excuse of a body?'
And then it stepped out.
Not a wolf, at least, not one that belonged to the world he knew. Its shape was close enough, but the scale was all wrong. It loomed. Towered.
His mouth dried instantly. His brain couldn't supply anything helpful to get out of this situation. 'What the fuck? A wolf? Is that even a wolf?'
The creature began to move with slow, heavy steps that sunk into the grass.
Cassiel spun to run, legs wobbling, and immediately ate dirt. He twisted onto his back, gasping.
"Hey there…" He croaked, voice shaking as much as his hands. The beast didn't stop. Just kept closing in, step after step. "I, just, don't come any closer…!"
He squeezed his eyes shut.
But then, something wet touched his cheek.
His eyes flew open. 'Am I being eaten?'
But when he opened his eyes, there it was—tongue out, tail swishing gently, licking his cheeks with slow, deliberate slurps and...purring?
Cassiel froze. Every muscle in his body locked tight, unsure whether to breathe or play dead. Getting slobbered on by something that looked like a final boss wasn't exactly on his daily routine.
Still, the seconds ticked by, there was no growling, no lunging, no dramatic mauling.
Instead, the beast just sat there like an oversized puppy, tail thumping lazily against the grass. And…was it just him, or did it look kind of cute?
"Emh, are you trying to kiss my cheek?" Cassiel whispered, blinking at it. Tentatively, he stretched out a hand, fingers brushing through its thick fur.
The creature leaned in, shoving its massive head under his palm like it had been waiting for this moment its whole life. If a wolf could smile, this one definitely was.
"Aww…" A small laugh escaped him. "Do you have an owner? I bet you do, in this castle full of power creeps."
With a low huff, the beast pushed itself up, crouching ever so slightly in front of him.
Cassiel tilted his head. "Are you asking me to get on?" The words came out without much thought, his body already inching closer. 'Why do I even understand you?'
The creature gave a single, eager nod.
Without hesitation, he clambered onto its back, arms looping gently around its neck. 'Woah. I forgot what being tall felt like.'
"You can go now." He murmured, tightening his grip just enough. "I'm holding on."
And just like that, they took off. Cassiel was entirely unbothered by not knowing where. For some reason, in that moment, he trusted this creature more than most people he'd met so far.
'Though, maybe I should ask it to bring me back to where I was before.' Cassiel glanced over his shoulder, lips tugging into a small frown. 'Whatever. Let's just enjoy this weird break while it lasts.'
For the first time since arriving, he felt like the air wasn't cursing him. Like his lungs were working properly again.
Everyone inside the castle, be it Viola, the head maid, the rest of the staff, treated him with polite smiles and careful hands. But no matter how gentle they spoke, their eyes always said the same thing: Poor thing. As if growing up in the slums had become his entire identity. Like that was all there was to him.
And yet, somehow, a creature with fangs and paws understood him more than any of them.
Ironic.
"I wonder, what's your name…" He mumbled, cheek pressed against the beast's fur. It was warm, and for once, he didn't want to pull away.
Then it stopped.
Cassiel lifted his head, blinking. "Oh? Are we here? Is this the place you wanted to show me?"
The world around him had shifted.
This side of the garden looked like it had been forgotten by time. Trees stood bare, their bark flaking off like ash. The roses were already dead, drained of color, and the grass peeled away from the earth in patchy strips.
He climbed off the creature's back, his shoes crunching softly on dead leaves. 'It doesn't even feel like part of the same garden.'
The beast padded forward in silence, and Cassiel, without thinking, fell into step beside it.
"Why did you bring me here?" His voice was quieter now, more careful. "Is this…where you live?"
His brows furrowed. 'If that's the case, that'd be awful.'
But the creature gave a slight shake of its head and kept walking.
So did he.
"Lycan." A voice rang out, low and clear.
At once, the beast bolted toward one of the trees, tail high and ears twitching with excitement. Cassiel's gaze followed, narrowing on the figure half-hidden in the shade. Someone stood there, still as stone, their features hidden by the shadows the branches cast.
"Where did you wander off to?" the voice asked again, softer this time.
'Who is that?' Cassiel squinted, but the distance, and the way the light fell, made it impossible to tell. He stayed where he was for a few seconds, until curiosity won. He only took a single step forward.
"Stop right there." The order snapped through the air like a whip.
Cassiel flinched.
The figure stepped out from under the tree's shadow, walking toward him with calm, deliberate steps, Lycan walking faithfully at his side.
"What are you doing here, brat."
'…What?' His head jerked around, as if expecting someone else behind him to be the target.
Nope. Just him.
"Answer me." The voice was sharper now, demanding, and with that, the sunlight finally hit the boy's face.
Cassiel's breath hitched. His whole body locked in place the moment their eyes met. Deep and cold. Now he understood the mess he ended up in.
"Kassian…"
The name slipped out before he could stop it.
Just like that, the male lead had made his entrance.