Chapter 228
"He came to the lake under a white flag of truce," Cassian explained, watching her reaction carefully. "He formally requested your immediate release."
Lin Wan’s expression grew complex, a mix of overwhelming emotions swirling in her dark eyes. "And what happened?"
"I refused his request," Cassian answered plainly.
Lin Wan gave a slow, understanding nod of her head. "I fully expected you would."
Cassian continued, his deep voice calm and deliberate. "However... our conversation was not at all what I had anticipated it to be."
She finally lifted her head, looking directly into his golden eyes. "What do you mean?"
"He did not demand an immediate war," Cassian stated clearly. "He did not utter a single threat against my kingdom."
"He only asked that after the children are safely born into this world..."
"You be permitted to choose your own future."
Lin Wan’s dark eyes widened in sheer shock, her breath catching in her throat. "He... he truly said that to you?"
Cassian gave a single, firm nod of his head. "He did."
The quiet room fell into a profound, heavy stillness once again.
Lin Wan slowly lowered her gaze back to her lap, her hands resting over her stomach.
For several long, emotional moments...
Neither of them spoke a single word, allowing the immense weight of the Patriarch’s selfless choice to settle in their hearts.
Finally, Lin Wan whispered into the quiet air, her voice fragile and full of emotion, "He has changed so much."
Cassian looked down at her gentle, beautiful face, answering in a soft, quiet tone, "So have you."
Outside the heavy wooden bedroom doors, Captain Ronan stood silently in the corridor, maintaining his vigilant guard.
Not far down the hallway, Sister Yun approached carrying a lacquered tray with a small bowl of fresh, steaming soup.
The older woman smiled softly to herself as she heard the quiet, peaceful murmur of voices drifting from within the room.
For the very first time in many long, agonizing days...
Lady Lin was sharing a calm, gentle conversation with the King instead of engaging in another exhausting argument.
Perhaps...
That quiet peace was precisely what her weary heart needed before her children finally came into the world.
The spacious bedroom remained profoundly quiet long after Cassian finished speaking.
Lin Wan slowly lowered her dark eyes, her small hands absentmindedly stroking the soft wool blanket covering her swollen stomach. Inside her mind, her thoughts were a complete and chaotic mess.
Wang had actually asked for her to make her own choice.
That was something she had never expected to hear in a hundred years.
Cassian watched her silent reaction carefully, his sharp golden eyes taking in every subtle shift on her expressive face before he spoke up. "You seem thoroughly surprised."
Lin Wan let out a small, breathless laugh that carried a hint of disbelief. "I am deeply surprised." She paused, taking a slow breath as she tried to process the heavy news. "I thought... I truly thought he would march to the gates and demand that you hand me over to him immediately without a second thought."
"He did exactly that when we first stood face to face," Cassian admitted plainly.
Lin Wan’s dark eyes lifted slowly to meet his. "He did?"
Cassian gave a single, firm nod of his head. "He did. But after we stood on that ice and spoke together as leaders..." He let his voice trail off slightly. "He changed his request entirely."
Lin Wan fell silent once again, her heart pounding against her ribs. She knew Wang.
Or at least... she had always believed she understood the deep core of his character.
The proud, stubborn Wang she remembered from her past would never yield or give up so easily. He would never step back from a challenge or compromise his fierce desires.
Yet today... out on that cold, desolate frozen lake... he had stepped back. He had chosen to prioritize her health and her personal heart over his own pride.
Cassian broke the lingering silence, his deep voice smooth. "What are you thinking right now?"
Lin Wan offered a bitter, complicated smile. "I honestly don’t know what to think. Everything suddenly feels so vastly different from before." She leaned her head back against the stack of soft velvet pillows, staring up at the carved wooden ceiling. "The Wang I knew back then... he was never someone who compromised on what he wanted."
Cassian quietly folded his broad arms across his chest, standing tall beside the grand bed. "People change when faced with extreme circumstances."
"They do," she whispered softly. "I suppose we all do."
Another long, comfortable silence settled gently between them. After a while, Lin Wan shifted her gaze toward the wide, clear crystal window that overlooked the inner courtyard.
"The armies..." she murmured, her tone laced with quiet anxiety. "They are still standing outside the valley, aren’t they?"
"They are," Cassian confirmed. "Neither force has dismantled their war camp."
"And they didn’t fight at all today?"
"No. Not a single blade was drawn."
Lin Wan released a long, slow breath of relief, her tight shoulders visibly relaxing. "That is good. That is so very good."
Cassian looked down at her carefully, his golden eyes narrowing with mild curiosity. "You do not seem at all disappointed by that outcome."
Lin Wan turned her head back to face him, her dark eyebrows knitting together. "Should I be disappointed?"
"You have made it abundantly clear that you have wanted to leave this palace since the day you arrived," Cassian stated plainly, his tone devoid of anger.
"I still want my freedom," she admitted softly, her voice steady and honest.
"Then why are you so visibly relieved that a war did not break out today to break you free?"
Lin Wan answered without a single second of hesitation, her eyes shining with absolute conviction. "Because I do not want a single person dying simply because of my existence."
Cassian held her steady gaze, taking in her fierce, unselfish expression. "And what if a grand war was the absolute only way for them to take you back to your old life?"
Lin Wan immediately shook her head side to side, her rejection sharp and absolute. "No. Absolutely not. If thousands of innocent soldiers have to lose their lives and leave their families grieving just so I can walk out of these gates..." She paused, her voice trembling slightly. "...Then my single life is simply not worth saving."
Cassian’s intense golden eyes softened almost imperceptibly at her words. "You truly believe that in your heart?"
"I do," she said firmly. "My life is not worth more than the lives of everyone else out on that field."
Cassian did not offer an immediate answer. Instead, he slowly turned away from the bed and walked over toward the large crystal window. Outside in the vast courtyard, white flakes of snow continued to fall gently over the serene palace gardens, blanketing the dark stone paths in white.
"The senior elders on my military council would strongly disagree with your logic," Cassian remarked softly, his eyes reflecting the pale winter light.
Lin Wan tilted her head slightly, studying his tall silhouette. "What do you mean by that?"
"They firmly believe that utterly defeating the Silver Leopard Clan on the battlefield right now would permanently prevent future political problems for our kingdom," Cassian explained, his tone completely neutral.
Lin Wan frowned deeply at the cold, calculating logic of the war council. "And what do you think, Cassian?"
Cassian remained completely quiet for several long moments, his mind reflecting on his long conversation with Wang out on the frozen ice. Finally, he offered his answer. "I think that rulers often confuse a bloody military victory... with true, lasting peace."
Lin Wan looked at him with genuine, overwhelming surprise, her dark eyes widening. "You actually said those words out loud."
He turned his head slightly, glancing back at her over his shoulder. "Were you expecting something far more bloodthirsty from me?"
"A little bit, yes," she admitted with a small, playful smirk.
A tiny, rare smile appeared on his handsome lips. "I will do my best to pretend I was not deeply insulted by that assumption."
Lin Wan let out a soft, melodic laugh that seemed to chase away the lingering chill in the room. The tight, heavy atmosphere that had filled the chamber earlier completely relaxed once more
Just as the quiet laughter faded away...
A gentle, polite knock sounded on the heavy wooden bedroom door.
"Your Majesty," a warm, familiar voice called out from the corridor. "It is Sister Yun."
Cassian instantly smoothed his regal posture, his voice returning to its normal calm authority. "Come in."
The heavy door swung open, and the kindly older woman entered the room carrying a large wooden tray laden with steaming bowls. Behind her followed another palace maid. This second maid was noticeably younger, perhaps around twenty years of age, wearing a neat, dark green servant’s dress.
The young maid bowed her head nervously, not daring to lift her eyes toward the Sovereign. "This humble servant greets Your Majesty.
Sister Yun walked over to the side table with a bright, motherly smile. "Lady Lin. I have brought your afternoon meal while it is still piping hot."
Lin Wan looked at the array of steaming dishes on the tray with a look of mild despair. "Sister Yun... I just finished a heavy breakfast only a short while ago."
Sister Yun let out a dramatic, exaggerated sigh, placing her hands on her hips. "And that breakfast was served several hours ago! You are not simply eating for yourself anymore, My Lady. You are eating for four distinct people now."