Chapter 298: Cassandra Finally Returns

Damian had barely taken a few steps alongside Esmeralda when a cold female voice suddenly echoed across the festival grounds.

"Brakk. Enough."

Damian froze as he recognized that voice instantly. especially that tone.

For one long heartbeat, he simply stood there in silence before cursing. "Oh, shit!"

Esmeralda frowned. "What?"

Damian’s expression instantly changed. "She’s really fucking here."

Before Esmeralda could ask anything else, Damian suddenly bent down, grabbed her, and effortlessly threw her over his shoulder.

Esmeralda’s entire face stiffened. "Damian! W-Wait! What the hell are you doing?!"

Damian answered without even turning back. "What am I doing? Of course I’m fucking running away."

Esmeralda slapped him hard on the back, her face reddening with embarrassment as several nearby guests turned to stare. "I know, but can you fucking put me down first? I’m still the Verdanthe Clan’s representative!"

Damian heard her, but he didn’t slow down. "I know, but you’re too slow. And there’s no time anymore! She’s already here. I don’t want to meet her right now."

Esmeralda suddenly stopped struggling as his words finally registered. "She... You don’t want to meet her..."

Then, after replaying what Damian and Brakk had said in her head, realization struck her. "You mean that woman who just came out is Cassandra?"

Damian nodded. "Of course it is. Who else could it be? What other woman would I be talking about here?"

Esmeralda stared at the back of his head for a moment before another realization hit her. "But how the hell did you recognize her voice? And if you don’t want to meet her, that means you already know her, right?"

Still running, Damian began to grin shamelessly. "This... hehehe. Well, actually, I met her inside the Sword Tomb."

Esmeralda froze. "What?"

Damian continued moving quickly through the side corridor. "And she’s also basically the one responsible for Ravion dying."

Internally, Damian immediately corrected himself.

"Well... technically I killed the bastard. But Cassandra was basically the fuse that started the whole fucking mess, so close enough."

Esmeralda’s expression changed dramatically. "You met Cassandra Valeria inside the Sword Tomb and never thought to mention that?!"

Damian shrugged as much as possible while carrying her. "You never asked."

Esmeralda snapped, clearly furious. "That is not a fucking excuse!"

Damian kept moving through the corridor without slowing down. "Relax, will you?"

Esmeralda was still hanging over his shoulder, her face burning with embarrassment. "Relax?! You’re carrying me around like a sack of spirit rice!"

Damian ignored that. "We need to get farther away first."

Esmeralda frowned. "But if Cassandra knows you, then she wouldn’t hurt you, right?"

Damian’s steps suddenly slowed for half a second. "Uh..."

Esmeralda immediately narrowed her eyes. "That ’uh’ sounded fucking terrible."

Damian scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Well... you have to understand something."

He continued running. "Cassandra isn’t exactly the same kind woman everyone remembers."

Esmeralda became quiet.

Damian continued, "After being betrayed by her family, her fiancé, and basically everyone around her, she changed."

His expression suddenly turned unusually serious. "She’s actually colder now, much more dangerous than before. And she’s definitely the type to hold a grudge."

Esmeralda nodded slowly. "That still doesn’t explain why you’re running from her."

Damian went silent.

Esmeralda’s eyes narrowed further. "Damian."

Damian sighed. "Fine, fine. So... inside the Sword Tomb, I may have played with her emotions a little."

Esmeralda froze. "You did what?"

Damian laughed awkwardly. "Hehehe... nothing too serious."

Esmeralda frowned even more. "That sentence somehow makes it worse."

Damian cleared his throat. "I basically pretended I died in her arms."

Silence.

Esmeralda stared blankly at the back of his head.

Damian continued before she could interrupt. "And while she thought I was about to fucking die, I made her promise me something."

Esmeralda’s expression became increasingly horrified. "What promise?"

Damian hesitated but answered anyway. "That if she survived... she would join my harem."

Esmeralda nearly choked on her own breath. "You fucking WHAT?!"

Damian winced. "Keep your voice down!"

Esmeralda didn’t care and kept shouting. "You pretended to die in Cassandra Valeria’s arms just to emotionally manipulate her into promising to join your harem?!"

Damian coughed awkwardly. "When you say it like that, it sounds really bad."

Esmeralda’s face twisted in disbelief. "It is really fucking bad!"

Damian immediately increased his speed again. "That’s exactly why I don’t want her seeing me perfectly healthy right now!"

Esmeralda stared at him in disbelief. "You’re unbelievable."

Damian sighed. "Look, it worked at the time."

Internally, he added.

"And technically, I really was injured... I just exaggerated the fucking dying part."

He glanced back toward the festival grounds. "If Cassandra sees me alive, healthy, and casually walking around after that dramatic farewell..."

Damian grimaced. "She might actually try to fucking kill me before joining anything."

Esmeralda covered her face with one hand. "Goddammit, Damian."

Damian laughed nervously. "Exactly."

He adjusted her on his shoulder. "So for now, we retreat."

His grin slowly returned. "The place I found is hidden, safe, and has a perfect view."

Esmeralda sighed deeply.

At this point, she wasn’t sure whether Cassandra was the dangerous one anymore.

---

Back at the arena, Brakk immediately recognized the cold voice, and soon his grin widened as he turned toward its source. "Fine, fine."

He casually rested his saber against his shoulder. "Miss Cassandra, I’ve already handled enough of these people for you."

Several elders immediately stiffened.

Brakk laughed. "So I guess it’s finally time for the main event."

The entire festival grounds fell silent.

STEP. STEP. STEP.

Slow footsteps echoed from the distant entrance, and a lone woman gradually appeared before everyone’s eyes.

Long dark hair flowed behind her, her expression cold and unreadable.

A sword hung quietly at her waist while faint metallic sword Qi twisted around her body like invisible blades.

The moment her face became visible, countless members of the Valeria and Valehart families froze.

Cassian Valeria and Aldren Valehart stood abruptly, and their expressions completely changed.

Several older elders looked as though they had seen a fucking ghost.

Whispers immediately exploded throughout the crowd.

"Cassandra..."

"It’s really Cassandra Valeria!"

"She actually came back!"

Cassandra ignored every single voice as her cold gaze slowly swept across the familiar faces before finally stopping on the two patriarchs.

For several breaths, nobody dared speak.

Then Cassandra’s lips curved into an almost imperceptible smile. "Long time no see."

Her eyes became frighteningly cold. "Father."

Her gaze shifted toward Aldren Valehart. "And Patriarch Valehart."

The entire festival seemed to freeze.