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Chapter 04
A Chance Given by God
“I don’t…… want to.”
That phrase again.
Even before Sara lost consciousness earlier, she had looked at him and said those same words.
What exactly did she not want?
For a brief moment, curiosity flickered across Cassian’s face.
‘I don’t want to die. Why should I……?’
Cassian remembered clearly.
Sara had looked directly at him and said she did not want to die.
Why him, of all people?
No matter what, she was certainly not an ordinary woman.
She grabbed his wrist, collapsed, and even cried afterward.
“Have you awakened?”
Thinking Sara might finally be awake, Cassian stared at her carefully.
Though he asked the question, Sara gave no answer.
Looking again, he realized she was still struggling within her nightmare, showing no signs of waking.
‘So she still hasn’t awakened.’
Cassian slowly removed Sara’s hand from his wrist and laid it gently on the bed.
Her wrist was so thin it looked as though one of his hands could completely wrap around it.
For a moment, he paused.
“……”
Only now did he notice that her restless sleep had left her hair scattered messily across her face.
He let out a small sigh.
Then he reached out to fix her disheveled hair.
Her face was so small it nearly disappeared beneath his large hand.
Long eyelashes. Delicate skin. Even her breathing drew his attention.
She was undeniably a woman.
And a strange woman at that.
The first woman ever brought into his bedroom.
Of course he would become conscious of her presence.
Just as strange thoughts began filling his mind—
“Mm……”
The deep frown caused by her nightmare slowly relaxed.
Soon after, her eyes gradually opened.
At the same time, the tears gathered in her eyes rolled down her cheeks.
Startled, Cassian quickly withdrew his hand and stood up.
Finally regaining awareness, Sara slowly sat up and looked around.
“This place is……”
As she turned her head, her eyes met Cassian’s.
He stood a short distance away, watching her.
Cassian quickly hid his stiff expression and formed a gentle smile.
“……You’re awake, Lady?”
The shock of seeing the future must have affected Sara deeply, because during her brief unconsciousness she suffered through countless nightmares.
Deaths she desperately wanted to deny tormented her again and again within her dreams.
Roughly wiping away the tears she shed in her sleep, Sara looked at Cassian.
The man who would become a tyrant.
The man who would kill her.
The thought alone filled her with fear.
Her body trembled uncontrollably.
“Are you cold?”
Noticing this, Cassian asked softly.
Sara immediately pushed his hand away.
“……I-I’m fine!”
“……”
Why am I here with this man?
Confusion filled Sara’s eyes.
Cassian flinched slightly and stepped back after she rejected his touch.
He had only spoken out of concern.
He never expected her to fear him so much.
And honestly, was this how one treated the person who saved them?
His face stiffened slightly.
“I see.”
“I’m sorry. I suddenly collapsed…… Where exactly is this place?”
Though terrified, Sara forced herself to calm down.
Understanding the situation came first.
Cassian pulled over a chair and sat beside the bed before answering casually.
“My bedroom.”
“What?!”
This is insane.
Instead of escaping, she was sitting inside the enemy’s territory.
Sara immediately tried to rise from the bed, but Cassian gently pressed her shoulders down.
“Don’t do that. You might collapse again like before. Forget about me and just rest comfortably.”
How could she possibly rest comfortably when the man who would kill her stood right in front of her?
Sara tried pretending she was calm, but she could not stop her hands from trembling.
“How could I possibly relax here……? N-No, it’s alright. I think I should leave immediately. Then—”
People say when someone is frightened, they start speaking faster.
The moment her words ended, Sara hurriedly stood up from the bed.
“Ah.”
At the same time, dizziness hit her hard.
She staggered, and Cassian quickly caught her.
“……I told you to rest.”
His voice carried a tired sigh.
Despite his warning, she refused to listen.
Unable to know what to do, Sara merely rolled her eyes nervously while he supported her.
“Thank you.”
She felt embarrassed, as though she had only complicated things further.
Cassian carefully sat her back on the bed.
Ashamed, Sara lowered the corners of her lips.
Seeing her expression, she looked strangely similar to a scolded puppy.
Without hurting her, Cassian gently pressed down on her head and smiled kindly.
“If the Lady truly cares about my feelings, then please rest comfortably. I already heard your condition wasn’t very good earlier.”
From who? Meiri?
Sara looked around for her maid.
Understanding immediately, Cassian answered first.
“I sent your maid back earlier. After promising I would personally escort you home.”
“……”
“Ah, and it’s already nighttime now, so don’t worry. I will definitely take you back safely.”
Cassian only said exactly what she wanted to hear.
Instead of answering, Sara forced a small smile.
Just earlier in the marketplace, this man had looked at her coldly.
But now he appeared soft and gentle.
……Had she been mistaken before?
No.
That could not be possible.
In the future she witnessed, this man was a merciless tyrant and murderer.
“……Why are you being so kind to me?”
At Sara’s guarded question, Cassian smiled faintly.
‘Such a cautious lady. …Though honestly, that’s only natural.’
Unlike the cold thoughts hidden inside him, his voice remained warm.
“Well, helping a lady in trouble is a gentleman’s duty, isn’t it?”
Even he felt embarrassed saying such words.
But if he wanted to lower her guard, he had to act this way.
After all, there was something he needed to learn.
For example—
Why she looked at him and said she did not want to die.
“……”
Even after hearing him, Sara remained tense.
She could not relax at all.
She still wanted to know one thing.
How did this man know she possessed odd eyes?
[“…Tresha, stained with filthy blood. Your family ends today.”]
And more importantly—
Would he truly kill her?
Remembering the future she witnessed, Sara bit her lip anxiously.
Then she shook her head violently.
Before she realized it, tears had already gathered in her eyes.
The more she thought about the future, the more pitiful her life seemed.
Born without knowing who her real family was.
Enduring abuse from her stepmother all these years.
And in the end—
She simply did not want to die.
Was that future not far too cruel for someone who struggled so desperately just to survive?
Yes.
If she could change it somehow, she truly wanted to.
Sara’s eyes slowly filled with sorrowful tears.
‘Is she crying? …Why? What exactly is this woman?’
Watching her, Cassian frowned deeply, unable to understand her behavior.
Whenever he looked at Sara, it genuinely felt as though she feared him.
“Am I frightening to you?”
Sara could not answer immediately.
“……So I really am frightening.”
“N-No, it’s just……”
Afraid something might happen if she answered wrongly, Sara quickly tried to explain herself.
At that moment, Cassian’s large hand gently pressed against her head again.
“I’m sorry.”
“……”
Startled, Sara looked up at him.
His eyes carried no malice.
Only a sincere and gentle apology.
The fear stiffening her body slowly began to fade.
Then Cassian quietly continued,
“How can I make the Lady feel more comfortable? Because that’s what I want.”
Dragging out his final words slightly, he waited for her answer.
His gentle gaze remained fixed on her.
Sara tightly pressed her lips together.
‘He probably doesn’t know his own future. Or what kind of person he’ll become.’
Instead of answering, Sara quietly stared at Cassian.
Unlike before, when she could not even meet his eyes from fear, this time their gaze lingered for a long moment.
If the future truly could be changed—
Then she wanted to change it no matter what.
“……I suppose if a stranger like me stays here, you’ll never feel comfortable.”
As Cassian turned away, Sara clenched her fists tightly.
Her desperate desire to survive boiled inside her.
Maybe this was no different from a chance given by God.
Because of the ability she once believed was a curse, she had seen the future.
She was still afraid.
Far more afraid than anything else.
But she did not want to throw away what might be her only chance.
“I’ll step outside for now—”
Just as Cassian turned his back—
Sara suddenly cried out without thinking.
“N-No!”
“……Pardon?”
Their surprised gazes met.
Unable to face him directly, Sara quickly turned her head away and blinked repeatedly.
Her tear-filled eyes shimmered beautifully beneath the moonlight.
Beautiful enough to captivate anyone.
“……”
Cassian simply stared at her silently, lips tightly shut.
Then Sara slowly looked up at him again and spoke in a weak voice.
Her eyes were filled with desperate sincerity.
“D-Don’t go. I’m scared of being alone, so…….”
Slowly turning her head, Sara looked directly into Cassian’s eyes.
“Stay beside me.”
And beneath the blue moonlight, Sara thought to herself—
Depending on the choices she made now, she might truly be able to change the future.
