She's Not Our Daughter! Ch 60

I Can't Stop Thinking About Cassius

Sierra unconsciously realized that denying it would break her heart. Her own mind softened with a deep ache.

Family.

Sierra possessed only her sister.

[Sierra] "Well......"

Neither confirming nor denying, she offered an ambiguous smile. To Cassius, her smile echoed like a sweet love song straight from heaven.

[Cassius] "Yes."

He whispered, suppressing his surging joy until Sierra fixed a puzzled gaze upon him.

[Sierra] "Why are you smiling like that?"

[Cassius] "Just because."

A single phrase like "just because" failed to capture the overwhelming emotion swelling inside his chest. Yet his cold gaze had already transformed into something warm and emotional. The hope of building a happy, close-knit family together as a trio—Sierra, Cassius, and Hanael—filled his mind.

[Cassius] "Sierra."

[Sierra] "Yes?"

[Cassius] "Are you happy right now?"

His voice prompted Sierra to reflect carefully. Her sister's whereabouts remained completely unknown. Consequently, anxiety and restlessness always lingered in a corner of her heart.

But.......

[Sierra] "If you mean this exact moment......."

[Cassius] "Yes."

[Sierra] "I am glad."

She smiled bashfully. Sudden shyness overtook her upon speaking the words, prompting her to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. Yet it remained the absolute truth. At least for this brief moment, she forgot all her worries.

At her response, he cast his gaze downward and spoke.

[Cassius] "Me too."

His thumb gently stroked her cheek, wiping away a trace of cooking she had completely overlooked, as he whispered.

[Cassius] "I wish every day could be like today."

He smiled at her quietly.

Though a simple phrase, the words pierced her heart far more deeply than any confession he had ever offered. Unable to answer, Sierra stiffly averted her gaze, her entire body freezing like a wooden doll.

---

That night, inside Cassius's bedroom. A long-forgotten excitement kept him awake like an adolescent boy. Though he lay in bed, his mind lingered entirely in the kitchen from earlier that afternoon, right beside Sierra.

“I am glad.”

Her words echoed relentlessly in his ears. Though she lacked a specific subject, she declared her current joy.

As he tossed and turned, the door to his room creaked open. He sharpened his senses against potential danger, but the intruder disrupting the Duke's sleep was none other than Hanael.

[Hanael] "You know, Mister Cassius."

Utilizing her magic, a pale blue aura enveloped her tiny hands as she waddled toward him. Before Cassius could even sit up, she reached his bedside.

[Hanael] "I think you two look quite good together."

Arriving abruptly like Tinker Bell, the child delivered her stamp of approval. She rushed out immediately afterward in sheer embarrassment, preventing him from saying a word.

Yet Sierra declared her joy, and Hanael granted him partial approval. Cassius tossed and turned with an excitement that had rarely visited his entire life.

I should summon the tailor tomorrow.

He intended to summon the tailor early in the morning to take measurements and alter his uniform. Although Sierra differed entirely from typical noble ladies, whispers from the salon often reached him. People claimed his uniform made him look exceptionally dashing, or pomade suited his hair perfectly.

Normally, he dismissed those useless whispers without a second thought. But to meet Sierra tomorrow.......

I will need a few more maids tomorrow.

Tomorrow was a completely ordinary day to visit the imperial palace. Yet his heart swelled with an intense ache, mimicking a young boy awaiting his very first date.

---

Following the small kitchen party, Sierra concluded that avoiding Cassius offered the best course of action. She held zero specific reasons. Merely.......

My face turns bright red whenever I look at him!

Such bizarre thoughts never surfaced when they dated, when they reunited, or even when they shared a night. This constant longing, this yearning to see him, and the relentless fluttering in her chest bloomed only recently. The problem lay in how this new emotion persistently tormented her.

I am losing my mind. He even appeared in my dreams.

In the dream, Cassius fixed his gaze upon her lips.

Approaching slowly, he delivered a deep, passionate kiss.......

Sierra swallowed hard and clenched her fists. Dreams possessed the ultimate power of persuasion; after experiencing a dream like a real lover, her heart raced so fiercely that she couldn't even leave her bed for a long time.

Thanks to the maid's grooming, she completed her preparations and spent several minutes glaring directly at the door.

At exactly eight o'clock, a neat knock sounded from outside the door. She never noticed it before, but Cassius always knocked exactly twice: knock, knock.

What should I do with him? Even his manners are completely flawless.

Then again, as a Duke, it made absolute sense.

While she turned over these internal thoughts, his voice turned gravely serious, tracking her silence.

[Cassius] "Sierra, are you inside?"

His voice drove her crazy. Why did he possess such a deep bass? Ultimately maddening!

[Sierra] "Yes, I am here."

The door swung open. Sierra squeezed her eyes shut before opening them again.

Cassius stood before her. His perfectly tailored suit and neatly pomaded hair proved he had put immense effort into his appearance. Consequently, she felt her sanity slipping further.

How does he tie his cravat so flawlessly? Is he even human?

Concentrating entirely on preventing a blush from mounting her face, she failed to track Cassius drawing closer.

[Cassius] "I will escort you."

The scent of his perfume washed over her the moment he stood beside her. To make matters worse, he looked exceptionally handsome today; even her mind spun into complete chaos.

[Sierra] "Ah, right......."

Escorting her never caused any issues before, yet now she remained hyper-aware of his massive hands, and the calluses on his thick fingers kept flashing in her memory.

This is driving me crazy, seriously.

She lost all track of reality until she accepted his escort and boarded the vehicle. They sat inside a massive four-wheel carriage.

Sierra chose the opposite seat, lacking the confidence to sit beside Cassius. This proved an absolute blunder. Facing him directly made the air turn suffocatingly hot.

Pulling out a handkerchief from her clutch, her touch as she patted her forehead carried a subtle tension.

Spotting the sweat on her brow, he asked gently.

[Cassius] "Sierra, are you unwell somewhere?"

[Sierra] "No, it is nothing."

Avoiding his gaze hurriedly, Sierra stared out the carriage window. The atmosphere differed completely from yesterday, devoid of their usual sweet harmony.

He quietly stole a glance at her profile.

[Cassius] "Sierra?"

She refused to meet his eyes, fixing her rigid gaze onto the curtained window instead. Since the curtain hung exactly as usual, she was undeniably avoiding him.

[Cassius] "Did something happen?"

[Sierra] "......Huh?"

Sierra bit her lip firmly. Cassius extended his hand toward her lips. However.......

Smack.

Sierra slapped his hand away rather roughly as it approached her lips.

[Sierra] "Ah, sorry."

Her face turned bright red. Her actions completely blocked Cassius from drawing near, functioning as an unconscious defense mechanism.

Shocked by her own reaction, she wiped her lips with the back of her hand.

[Sierra] "Drawing too close makes me feel uncomfortable."

[Cassius] "Huh?"

[Sierra] "Ahahaha......."

An awkward laugh escaped her, proving she lacked control over her own words. Yet Cassius understood her deeply, tracking her sudden awkwardness with absolute clarity.

Cassius cleared his throat lightly.

[Sierra] "I am exhausted, so shall we travel quietly?"

A definitive blow. Sierra completely rejected any contact or conversation with Cassius Ideos. The moment the reality sank in, his heart crumbled like a sandcastle before the ocean waves.

Why did she change so abruptly? They were so happy just yesterday.......

Perhaps she is in a foul mood.

He forced himself to stop assigning deep meaning to her every action. Yet her sudden coldness cut straight through him. Within a single day, he traveled between heaven and hell. A murmur escaped his lips unconsciously.

[Cassius] "Why......."

Despite his low murmur, she snapped her head toward him with a startled expression.

[Sierra] "Yes?"

She offered an awkward smile with trembling eyes, sealing her lips tight.

[Cassius] "It is nothing."

A bizarre impatience and anxiety spread through his soul. By chance, the dread lacked any concrete baseline for now.

He closed his eyes to resist the formless anxiety. Guided by a swordsman's sensory acuity, her gaze swept across his closed eyelids with distinct clarity.

---

Sierra stepped quickly into the imperial palace pharmacy. Only subordinates serving her occupied the space, treating her with a near-reverence that felt completely overwhelming.

The trio of pharmacists, including Lily, functioned entirely as conduits for palace gossip. Lily specifically handled a message from Ezel.

[Lily] "Well, he requested that I deliver this note to you."

Sierra accepted the note from Lily's trembling hand without hesitation. Lily's face flushed with excitement at the acceptance.

Paying zero attention to her reaction, Sierra unfolded the square paper and tilted her head.

[Let us meet right now.]

She held zero clues as to why he demanded an immediate meeting.

So suddenly?

The next line resolved her confusion instantly.

[I possess critical information.]

Critical information. An incredibly enticing offer.

Could it involve important intelligence regarding Sister?

A clear motive to establish contact with Ezel existed.

Since it carries danger, let me check my physical defenses first.

Sierra fumbled through the inner pocket of her pharmacist robes and paused. Come to think of it, after her morning shower, she had meticulously applied various potions to her skin like rosewater. A skin-protection potion, a dangerous-magic shield potion. She practically qualified as a human weapon.

Smirking slyly, she crammed the paper back into her pocket.

[Sierra] "Thank you for delivering the message."

Meeting Ezel immediately offered the best path forward.

Smiling darkly as someone who prioritized her own survival above all else, Sierra turned around. Lily bowed deeply with an excited expression.

---

Rushing past the pharmacy doors toward the imperial palace walls, Ezel stood precisely as arranged.

[Ezel] "Shh."

As the master of a dark guild, he wielded a highly fascinating item. Tapping the red tip of a match-shaped magic tool, a transparent barrier instantly enveloped their surroundings.

[Ezel] "An invisibility barrier. People outside can't see us."

Not a single person walked along the palace wall at the moment. Sierra opened her eyes wide and surveyed the area.

[Sierra] "Wait, they said magic is completely forbidden inside the imperial palace."

[Ezel] "Correct. Procuring this required immense effort."

[Sierra] "You must have an exceptionally critical matter."

[Ezel] "Well......."

He shrugged. Sierra leaned against the palace wall, locking her gaze onto him.

[Sierra] "Speak. What is it? Why did you summon me out here?"

Fortunately, the defensive potions coating her body functioned perfectly. Ezel stood zero chance of harming her, no matter what trick he attempted.

Armed with that knowledge, her audacity soared completely; she smirked boldly, curling one corner of her lips.

---

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