Chapter 354: The Fate Of Grapes And Berries

The dazed fog that had carried her through her spanking, through her desperate honesty, had lifted at last.

She was back in her own head again, back to being Julie, the knight who guarded her pride like armor.

And the realization of what she had done, what she had said, what she had allowed Cassius to see of her, crashed over her with humiliating force.

Her face burned hotter than the sting on her ass. Her heart hammered so violently she thought he might feel it against his chest.

She had confessed to things she had sworn she would never say aloud. She had told him of her jealousy, her lies, her petty games to drive other women away, her shameful thoughts she could never let anyone know.

Now Cassius knew all of it, every crack in her armor, every weakness.

The thought made her want to disappear.

She wanted to claw a hole into the earth and bury herself before she had to face the smirk she knew he would wear from now on.

Because he would use this, he would tease her with it, hold it over her head, and every time she looked at him, she would remember how completely she had lost control.

It stung her pride worse than the spanking ever had.

That was why she knew she had to do something, anything, to regain ground. To protect what was left of her dignity.

So she pulled back from his chest, flustered and frantic, opening her mouth to explain, to excuse herself, to spin the truth into something else before he could trap her with it.

But before she could utter a word, Cassius’ voice cut smoothly through the air, mocking yet amused.

“Ah, let me guess, Julie.” He said with a lazy grin, tilting his head as though he could already read her thoughts. “You’re going to tell me it was all just teasing, hm?”

“That you were only playing along with what I said. That I forced the words out of you, and none of it was true at all. Or maybe—”

He leaned closer, lips brushing her ear as his voice dropped low.

“…maybe you’ll say you made it all up just to satisfy me. That it wasn’t really your feelings at all.”

Julie froze, her eyes wide, her lips parting but no words escaping.

“Isn’t that right, Julie?” Cassius chuckled. “Isn’t that exactly what you were about to say?”

She was stunned, completely disarmed by how perfectly he had exposed her. That was what she had been about to say.

He had ripped the excuse right out of her throat before she could give it voice, and now she was left trembling, her mind blank, her pride cornered.

Finally, with her voice smaller than she’d ever let it be, she whispered.

“…but it is true, Cassius. What you said is true.”

She dropped her gaze, fumbling for dignity.

“It’s not like it seems. Y-You’re…misunderstanding things…You really are.”

It was all she could manage to cling to, the last scrap of pride, the feeble attempt at saving face.

But Cassius only shook his head slowly, mockery soft but clear in his tone.

“Mm. Sure. If that’s what you want to believe, then go ahead.” He smiled, sharp and knowing. “But I know the truth. You know the truth.”

“…I mean, you blurted it all out yourself, Julie. And there’s no way I’ll ever forget it.”

After hearing his words, Julie’s chest tightened.

She knew it instantly, there was nothing she could say back. No clever excuse, no desperate denial could undo the truth she herself had spilled into his hands.

She was cornered, trapped, and unlike on a battlefield where she could rally her knights and fight through, here she stood alone against him.

And so, like any seasoned captain who knew the tides of battle, she recognized the wisest option.

A retreat…A tactical fallback.

Her pride stung as she quickly rose from his lap, her legs trembling from both nerves and the lingering sting on her rear. She tugged her underwear back into place, the fabric brushing over her still-tender skin and making her wince before tugging her nightdress down over it.

Then, with her back straight but her face burning, she glanced down at him.

“I-I genuinely don’t care what you think, Cassius!”

She blurted, pointing a trembling finger at him before quickly pulling it back to her chest.

“What I’m saying is, none of this matters! Not one bit! And whatever I said before, it wasn’t true, not at all. You’re just making things up in your head!”

“…I-I don’t care about any of it! Not one bit!”

The fluster in her voice betrayed her even as she tried to sound firm. She could feel it, the wobble in her tone, the heat in her cheeks. Her excuses sounded thinner than parchment, but she had no other shield left.

And before he could even reply, she spun on her heel, ready to march off into the shadows and put as much distance between herself and this humiliation as possible. Her pride screamed at her to keep walking, to end this night on her own terms.

But then his voice came after her, calm, steady, warm enough to halt her mid-step.

“It’s fine, Julie.” He said smoothly. “Believe whatever you want. Pretend this meant nothing if that makes it easier for you. I don’t care.”

Her heart stuttered. For a second she thought she was free. But then—

“But…” She could hear the smile in his voice before she dared to glance back. “…I don’t want the night to end like this.”

She froze.

“I’d rather it end…” He continued. “…with another kiss. Just one more. I want to feel your lips on mine again. Can you make that happen for me?”

Her breath caught. The logical choice was to walk away. To prove, with her actions, that this really had meant nothing. That she was still in control. That she hadn’t been undone.

But the way he asked, so tender, so quietly earnest, it unraveled her.

And before she even realized it, her body betrayed her.

Her feet turned. Her legs carried her back toward him, every step trembling, before she crouched before him, unable to meet his eyes at first, her blush burning hotter than fire.

And then, without a word, she leaned in and pressed her lips to his.

“Kiss!♡~”

It was brief, far softer than the frenzied kiss they had shared earlier, but no less dangerous.

She lingered there just a moment, long enough for the warmth to seep into her bones, long enough for her to feel her own heartbeat hammering against her ribs, before she pulled back in a flustered rush.

Her face was like a tomato, her eyes wide and panicked, as though even she didn’t understand why she had done it.

Cassius, meanwhile, just sat there grinning at her like the cat who had caught the fattest bird in the forest. His voice was low, amused, unbearably smug.

“And you really think there’s nothing between us anymore?”

He teased, tilting his head.

“…What a joke.”

Julie made a strangled noise of outrage and embarrassment, her pride snapping back like a whip.

“Y-You—! Shut up!!” She cried, before spinning away again.

This time she didn’t hesitate, she bolted into the night, running fast and far, desperate to escape the sight of that infuriating smile.

Cassius only chuckled softly, watching her retreat until she vanished into the trees. He leaned back with a satisfied sigh, shaking his head.

“She’s mine already…It won’t be long now before she has no choice but to face her true feelings.”

His gaze then drifted to the cooking set still waiting by the fire. The stew Julie had been working on still sat there, untouched.

Curious, Cassius rose and wandered over, ladling a spoonful up. He blew on it once, then tasted.

His brows rose in surprise.

It was good. Sweet and spicy, with a strange harmony, he realized the sweetness came from the grapes and berries she had insisted on tossing in earlier, balancing perfectly against the sharper herbs.

“Hah.” He chuckled to himself, licking the flavor from his lips. “If we’d just sat down and eaten this stew first, none of that would’ve happened.”

But then he smiled, the memory of her lips still burning against his.

“…And maybe that’s for the better.”

Because it was fate, just like Julie had said that she felt it was her fate to add those berries that she found inside, that led them down this path.

It was their destiny, even if it had started with berries and grapes…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep