Tamed A Blackened Slave Man - Chapter 94: Night Of The Masquerade Ball

It was the morning of the banquet’s final day.

I had woken up earlier than usual and found myself debating whether to attend today’s banquet.

The banquet was set to open at 6 pm.

I had heard that even uninvited nobles could participate in today’s banquet.

Therefore, it was likely that almost all the nobles in the empire would be there to see Cassadin, the star of the banquet.

The claims I made in the hall on the second day of the banquet would spread throughout the entire empire. No, they probably already had since a day had gone by.

The woman who dared to love Cassadin despite being his sister.

Perhaps because I was prepared for such criticism, I was actually completely fine.

My only concern was about Father once he returned from patrolling his territory.

Pushing aside my thoughts, I tugged on the rope to call Sasha and ask for a bath.

But unusually, Sasha burst into my room, her face redder than a ripe tomato.

“Miss! I-Is this newspaper article really true?”

Her shocked cry prompted me to quickly unfold the newspaper she handed me.

‘I’m probably facing some criticism.’

As soon as I saw the headline, I found my name and Cassadin’s in bold letters.

“Lady Serkia and Sir Cassadin Revealed to be Lovers.”

At first, I thought I had read it wrong.

‘Instead of my public confession, they’ve scandalized my relationship with Cassadin?’

With narrowed eyes, I rapidly scanned the article’s content.

The article made no mention of my public confession; it only reported that Cassadin and I were lovers.

Had Cassadin done this?

“Is it true that you and Sir Cassadin are lovers, Miss?”

Sasha’s large brown eyes sparkled with excitement.

I could only offer her a faint smile as I responded.

“……Yes.”

At my answer, Sasha clasped her hands to her chest and squealed with excitement.

I thought she had acted out of shock, but after hearing Sasha’s words, delivered with a wide grin, I realized she was more open-minded than I had anticipated.

“Goodness, how romantic! Congratulations, Miss!”

I put down the newspaper on the bedside table and stared at Sasha, my expression one of confusion.

“Isn’t it strange to you? That we were once siblings but are now lovers?”

“Not at all. I already knew Sir Cassadin had feelings for you ever since he lived here.”

“……!”

She already knew?

“How did you know that?”

Curious, I asked Sasha, who responded with a beaming smile.

“I’ve seen Sir Cassadin burn all the invitations and letters that were delivered to you.”

“…….He burned what?”

“The invitations and letters meant for you. He only burned the ones from men. Though I kept quiet about it because he caught me looking and put his index finger to his lips. That was several months ago.”

Sasha swiped at her nose and looked down at me proudly.

Did I smile at Cassadin’s actions or not…….?

Seeing me blink at her blankly, Sasha spoke up, still grinning.

“I’m alright with anything that makes you happy.”

“……Sasha.”

“Don’t worry, Miss. The master will also be happy for you.”

Her smile remained bright for my sake.

After much contemplation, I decided to attend the banquet. My decision was affirmed when Cassadin personally visited the estate as the event drew near.

With the sunset as his backdrop, Cassadin emerged from the carriage in a black uniform.

Since it was a masquerade, he wore a white mask that concealed half of his face, but his remarkable presence wasn’t something that could be masked.

For the occasion, I chose a bright red dress and draped a white cape over my shoulders.

Upon seeing me, my red mask matching my dress, Cassadin gently took my hand and bowed.

Cassadin stooped down and gently pressed his lips against my hand.

Such an action exuded pure elegance. I quietly looked down at Cassadin.

“Let us go to the banquet hall together, Aren.”

Even after I had confessed my deepest secret to Cassadin—a secret I had never shared with anyone else—he continued to show me the same kindness.

I felt like the most precious person in the world whenever I was with him.

In the carriage on the way to the banquet hall, I turned to the man who was tightly holding my hand.

“Do you not hate me? Aren’t you upset or frightened that I deceived you?”

After a brief pause, Cassadin sighed softly.

“I do hate it.”

It was only natural. After all, I had deceived Cassadin for six months.

Caught in the cycle of the past, I had lied to him, the one who had always been truthful with me. It was only yesterday that I revealed my secrets to someone for the first time.

So, of course, I understood why he might hate me.

But then Cassadin said something I couldn’t believe.

“I hate everything except for you.”

I slowly lifted my gaze to meet his. When our eyes connected, Cassadin’s clear eyes crinkled beautifully.

“How much you must have suffered alone all this time.”

“…….”

“How could I hate you? You are already my everything.”

A lump formed in my throat as I listened to Cassadin’s sincere response. It felt as though something hot was lodged inside.

“……Do you really believe that I traveled back in time?”

Cassadin nodded, his purple eyes devoid of any doubt and shining more brightly than ever.

‘Not even I know how I traveled back in time, yet you believe what I told you.’

Cassadin placed his hands on my shoulders and pulled me into an embrace. Within his arms, I closed my eyes and listened to his comforting words.

“Even trials that seem endless eventually come to an end.”

That had been something I said to Cassadin in the past.

“So you do not need to fret. Because everything that makes you suffer will all disappear eventually.”

“……Cassadin.”

“Aren.”

At his beckoning, I slowly opened my closed eyes. I tilted my head to look up at the man I loved.

With eyes brimming with affection for me, Cassadin smiled softly and then pressed his lips to mine.

The gentle yet warm kiss seemed to dissolve all my worries like a ray of warm sunlight.

After the kiss, Cassadin tenderly stroked my cheek with his large hand, offering comfort.

“There is nothing for you to worry about. I will be with you for the rest of my life.”

“……”

“I will definitely make you happier than anyone else who has ever lived.”

‘Ahh…….’

His touch was immeasurably gentle against my cheek. His words were just as comforting.

It was so warm, so incredibly warm, that I would gladly sacrifice myself to keep feeling this heat.

Nestled in Cassadin’s warm embrace, I quietly murmured to him.

“You said that I was your salvation.”

“……”

“The same goes for me. You were my salvation.”

Being held in Cassadin’s arms was so comforting that sleep soon overtook me. With drowsy words, I added,

“I am so relieved to have met you……”

From what I recall, that was the last thing I said before falling asleep in Cassadin’s arms.

When I awoke, it was deep into the night, and the sky was pitch black.

Seeing me start awake in surprise, Cassadin offered a comforting smile.

“The night of the masquerade ball is long.”

True to his words, as soon as we stepped out of the carriage, a seemingly endless line of people at the entrance of the banquet hall came into view.

The palace, hosting the masquerade ball, was so crowded that not a single person could move.

It seemed as though not only the nobles from the capital but also those from the outer regions had attended the ball.

In accordance with the rules of a masquerade ball, the attendees all wore masks to conceal their faces. The masks varied widely, ranging from those adorned with feathers to others shaped like foxes or cats.

This was only to be expected since entry was impossible without one.

Among them, there was a woman whose mask was particularly unique. It was embellished with a dazzling array of jewels that glittered in the light.

“Sir Cassadin! Sir Cassadin! Please respond if you’re here!”

The woman shouted loudly, seemingly unconcerned about the impression she made on others. Noticing her long, ginger hair, I immediately recognized who she was.

‘Ively.’

I had heard she was ill, but that clearly wasn’t the case. An imperial knight, apparently exasperated by her shouting, grasped Ively’s arm.

“You must enter now.”

“Sir Cassadin! Sir Cassadin!”

“If you continue to create a disturbance at the entrance like this, you will be barred from entering.”

Ively stopped shouting and stormed into the palace, where the masquerade ball was taking place, only after the knight issued his warning.

After everyone ahead of us had entered, it was finally our turn.

The imperial knight seemed to recognize who Cassadin was the moment he laid eyes on him, as he visibly gulped when their gazes met.

“……May you have an enjoyable time.”

We left the knight’s words behind and entered the banquet hall.

Perhaps because they had chosen to use one of the separate palaces within the imperial palace for the masquerade ballroom, the interior of the banquet hall was spacious enough to accommodate all the attendees with room to spare. A space far more expansive than the banquet hall I had visited the previous day unfolded before me.

Under the dimmed lighting, I saw masked nobles dancing in harmony to the orchestra’s melody, while others sipped wine with their arms draped over the large central staircase.

Atop the marble tables lining the hall were rows of food and wine. Some masked noblewomen sat in round chairs in front of the tables, chatting with one another.

Even amid the commotion, I could hear conversations about me.

“Have you seen the article about Lady Serkia and Sir Cassadin in today’s papers?”

“Of course, I’ve read it, but it can’t possibly be true. They’re siblings, after all. It’s likely a lie, isn’t it? Articles these days always exaggerate.”

“I was actually there yesterday at the banquet, but it didn’t look like the articles were completely false. Lady Serkia did publicly confess that she had feelings for Sir Cassadin…”

“Publicly confessed? My goodness…”

As I eavesdropped on the ladies’ conversation, a familiar and charming voice tickled my ear.

“It is alright.”

Hearing Cassadin’s words with his arm wrapped around my waist, I smiled at him.

“From what I’ve seen at the banquet yesterday, Sir Cassadin genuinely loves Lady Serkia. He left the banquet hall soon after Lady Serkia departed, as if nothing else interested him there. So the content of the article likely isn’t false.”

“So Sir Cassadin and Lady Serkia are lovers…”

“Will they attend the banquet today?”

“It’s hard to figure out who’s who with these masks and dim lighting. I really did want to see Sir Cassadin in person too…”

Leaving the noblewomen to continue their conversation, I took Cassadin’s hand and walked up the central stairs to a terrace on the second floor, where few people were.

The black curtains fluttered in the winter breeze. Thankfully, nobody stood on the second floor’s terrace on such a cold night.

“Are you not cold?”

Cassadin peered down at the red dress and white cape draped over me, then moved to take off his jacket to give it to me. I shook my head and turned down his offer.

“Cassadin.”

“Yes?”

“I have something to say to you.”

Cassadin blinked slowly at my sudden announcement. Under the soft moonlight, his amethyst eyes sparkled like tinted glass beneath his white mask.

After taking a few moments to choose my words, I leaned against Cassadin’s chest and spoke.

“Is what you said last time still valid?”

“What did I say?”

“To get married once everything is over…”

Cassadin’s large hands tightened around my body.

“Of course.”

“I want to tell you my answer now.”

“…”

I heard Cassadin hold his breath.

Then, slowly closing my eyes within his embrace, I answered him.

“Yes.”