CASSANDRA: The Unfavored Princess-Chapter 86: Symbol

Duke Salvador smiled as his eyes turned red. "Do you really want me to remove the mask?"

Princess Cassandra was quiet. She was fiddling with her hand. She had combined all of her strength to ask that.

’I am sure he is Duke Salvador.’

’I know it in my heart.’

’But am I able to accept this?’

’Not only will I lose a friend but also a comfort.’

Cassandra looked down. Her eyes shivered. ’I am not ready yet.’

"No, don’t remove it." Cassandra looked up at Ed who was sitting there as if nothing had happened. "I am not ready yet."

Aiden nodded as he rested his head on his hand, looking at Cassandra with a smile in his eyes.

"But what should I call you? Ed or .." Cassandra’s voice shook at the end.

"Call me Ed. I told you it is my nickname." Aiden’s tone was playful. "Now should we move on to your thing?"

Cassandra nodded, but her mind was shaken. "I will be attending Duke Bentham’s mansion at night."

Cassandra said it absentmindedly. There was nothing to stop her and she knew that she had to do it anyway. Now that Ed knows the truth Princess Cassandra decided to be honest with him.

"To meet Achard?" Aiden asked with a dangerously low tone.

"No." Cassandra shook her head in denial. "To meet Vivere Kingdom’s, Crown Prince."

"Prince Carl?" Aiden’s eyes narrowed. He gritted his teeth. "Why?"

Aiden was sure that no one had any contact with Cassandra. Nor Lord Bentham and none of the Vivere Kingdom’s people. Then why would the Princess decide to go there to meet an unknown person?

"Does Princess Cassandra know Prince Carl?" Aiden asked. His gaze focused on Cassandra’s expression.

"No." Cassandra shook her head in denial. Her face flicked in annoyance. "If it was on me I would have never gone there."

"So does the Princess want me to send you there?" Aiden’s tone was irritating. He wanted to stop Lord Bentham and Princess Casandra from meeting one another but it never worked in his favor.

"No, Princess Teimei would take me there."

Aiden’s eyes and ears turned sharp with the words. The Princess must have mistaken. It was the first thought that came into his mind but looking at the confidence in Princess Cassandra’s eyes, Duke Salvador was sure that it was no joke.

But then Aiden’s mind played an image. Princess Cassandra was uncomfortable in the hall when Prince Carl was present today. Her discouraged face was still imprinted in his mind.

’Did the Vivere Kingdom’s Crown Prince ask her to meet?’

’It must be otherwise, why would Princess Cassandra go there?’

’But they never talked face to face.’

’Or did they communicate through thoughts?’

Aiden looked at Princess Cassandra who was deep in thoughts. Many possibilities were running in Duke Salvador’s mind but for some reason, he was sure that the first one was true.

’If they communicated through thoughts then it would mean that Prince Carl already knows that Princess Cassandra can hear the thoughts.’

Aiden smiled as he decided to confirm his doubts. "Did Princess Teimei tell you so using her thoughts?" 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Cassandra looked up as she nodded her head. Ed, such a question was proof that the man knew about her powers.

’Even though Ed knows about it, I do not feel awkward.’

Cassandra thought. ’I rather feel comfortable with it.’

Although such thoughts were going in Cassandra’s mind, Duke Salvador was thinking in a different direction.

’If Prince Carl knows, that means the people of the Vivere Kingdom’s know about it.’

’How did they come to know?’

’And even if they knew about it, why would they call Princess Casandra to meet?’

’Unless they are here for the fifth Princess and not the peace treaty.’

Duke Salvatore’s eyes narrowed. He had his own doubts when the Vivere Kingdom’s Crown Prince and his sister were about to come. But now that he thought about it, the way the Prince and Princess were moving it was quite clear what they wanted to do.

’They are here for Princess Cassandra.’

’But why Duke Bentham?’

’Are they connected?’

Aiden thought back to when the Vivere Kingdom’s Crown Prince took a longer route and stayed at Duke Bentham’s territory.

’Does Duke Bentham know about it? Is he a traitor?’

’Does Achard Bentham know about the fifth Princess’s power?’

Aiden’s hands formed a fist. His gaze was shivering but he controlled his emotions.

"Does the Princess know the reason?"

Princess Cassandra shook her head. "No, but I want to know." Cassandra sighed. "I am a little curious."

Aiden nodded his head. By Princess Cassandra’s tone, he had known that she wanted to know what was happening. "I will follow you. No one will know your presence."

Aiden’s words make Cassandra look up. "No, it won’t be necessary. After all, I am going to Lord Bentham’s Man ..."

"I will follow you, Princess." Aiden cut through Princess Cassandra’s words. Although she was going to Lord Bentham’s mansion, Aiden was not happy about the situation.

’How can I send her to his place alone.’

’I want to separate them and yet the circumstances bring them together.’

Cassandra didn’t reply for a long time. She was frightened by Ed’s tone but she tried keeping her cool. The dominance was something that Cassandra had not experienced yet and it made her annoyed.

Aiden could see the irritation on Cassandra’s face. He took some deep breaths to control his emotions.

"Did Princess Cassandra want to tell me this thing alone?" Aiden asked in a low tone. He had stayed with the Princess for a time that made him understand what makes the fifth Princess comfortable.

Cassandra’s unstable heart calmed down. She looked up at Ed whose eyes were filled with worry.

"No, I want to check something with Amy so I will go with her in the forest when everyone is having dinner in the palace."

"Isn’t the Princess called there?"

"No, I am irrelevant there so they will not call me. Anyways, I can only teach you when I come back at night." Cassandra said freely as she always did with Ed.

Aiden smiled when he thought that Princess Cassandra was comfortable around him even now. ’How cute.’

"The Princess can teach me whenever she wants. After all, I am at her disposal." Aiden chuckled as he saw Princess Cassandra’s ears turn red.

But soon Duke Salvador’s words turn sharp. "Blazh would look after you in the forest."

Cassandra nodded as she got up from her chair. She realized listening to Ed’s tone that the man she was sitting with was the same man she is afraid of.

’Why was I comfortable with him?’

’Now that I know who he is, I still feel a certain amount of warmth near him.’

’I am comfortable with Lord Bentham but it is mainly that we feel around friends.’

’But with him ...’

Cassandra shook her head. Her eyes focused on Ed who stood beside her.

Aiden could sense what Princess Cassandra was going to do now. He understood that it was his time to leave the Princess alone.

"Wear the black fur when you go, the nights are cold. And don’t forget to take care of yourself. Do not trust anyone." Aiden said in a specious tone as he touched Princess Cassandra’s head.

Cassandra felt the soft touch on her head as she shivered for a second, but realizing that it was Ed, her body calmed down faster.

"Yes, I know. I will take the fur with me." Cassandra said softly. Her neck turned pink.

Aiden smiled as he walked towards the window. "I will follow you there. Don’t worry, I will always protect you."

With these words, Ed left the room leaving the confused Cassandra behind.

Cassandra sighed as she looked out of the window for a long time before going to her bed. Her head touched the pillow as she took some breaths. "I need to clear my mind."

"I need to calm down."

—----------

Duke Salvador entered his study as his hand formed a fist. His butler was waiting for the command.

"Duke .." The butler said in a soft tone.

"What? Are you here to give me some news too?" Aiden’s tone was sharp.

The butler shook his head as he kept looking down. "A letter was delivered when you were not here."

"A letter? Whose?" Aiden sat in his chair. His eyes narrowed when the butler kept in front of him.

The letter was normal just like any other but the sear was black. Aiden’s gaze turned sharp.

’Black seal?’ Aiden wondered. All the Duke family had their color code. And everyone else used an orange seal. But to see a black seal.

Aiden raised his gaze as he looked at the seal and soon realized that the black seal had a symbol embedded in it. A symbol that Duke Salvador could never forget.

A symbol he had seen on the flags of his enemy in the war field.

The Symbol of the Vivere Kingdom.