To His Hell and Back-Chapter 286: I See My Reflection-I

The hours following Cassius’s departure, Arabella was kept inside his chamber. She tried to leave but was stopped by the guards, worse her own situation was dangerous as to others she was still the same human who would not die even after being stabbed.

So even tough she was worried, all that Arabella could do was sit down at the side of the bed, holding to her breath as she waited for Renald.

It was at the fifth hour of waiting that the door finally creaked open. Renald came into the room, his blue hair a mess, his expression exhausted, but what took her attention was the bandage that covered his entire arm to his shoulders.

He looked behind him, staring across his shoulders and once he was done, he closed the door and slowly walked to her, offering a polite smile.

"His Highness have told me that you wish to learn about yourself, and we have found you a great teacher," Renald said, as though his entire purpose was simply to bring her to a teacher.

Confused, Arabella shook her head, "What about Cassius? The princess that was killed-"

"It’s the newborn princess," said Renald and she narrowed her eyes.

She had almost forgotten it but now she recalled that since the first time they met Queen Morgana had been pregnant and she was so proud of it. She kept calling the baby "prince" but it seems the little baby turns out to be a daughter.

"Cassius..." Arabella sighed, her voice barely above a whisper. "He didn’t really kill the baby... did he?"

She hated the words as they left her mouth, but the thought clung to her mind like smoke. Yesterday had shaken him. She had seen it, the fury coiled beneath his skin, the darkness in his eyes. He had been hurt. Furious. What if he’d lashed out? What if punishing Morgana meant punishing the child?

Renald shook his head immediately. "No." His voice was firm, unwavering. "Despite how he appears, how cold he may seem at times, His Highness would never harm a baby. Not even the child of someone who tried to poison him." A faint, incredulous chuckle escaped his throat, as though the idea itself was too absurd to take seriously.

Arabella’s brows furrowed. "Then.. who?" she murmured, though a sick, spiraling suspicion was already forming in her chest. She looked down at the floor, dread coiling inside her like a sleeping snake about to wake. "It couldn’t be the queen..."

Renald’s expression hardened.

"We are still investigating Princess Marissa’s death," he said stiffly. "As you’ve told us, the ones behind that are still walking free in this castle. But the death of the newborn princess..."

He trailed off.

Arabella looked up slowly, a chill running down her spine.

Renald’s eyes were grave as he finished, "The young princess’s death isn’t a mystery. Not really."

Arabella’s breath caught in her throat.

Because deep down, she already knew what he meant.

And it terrified her.

So he meant that the newborn princess’s killer was someone all of them had known unlike Marissa.

"A mother would kill her own daughter," Arabella shivered when she thought of such a small baby being killed, how... pitiful.

"That is how this castle works," Renald muttered and his eyes seemed to fall into a daze. Arabella could see how for a moment those words seemed to turn into a reflection for him. "The strongest win. Siblings kill each other for throne, mothers killing imperfect children, father putting their descendants into a killing lesson. That is how this castle works."

"But Cassius," Arabella clenched her dress, "What do we do? We have to bring him out of the dungeon."

"No," Renald looked to her eyes and broke to a smile, "He had warned me to not lend a help, not even once for this future seven days."

Arabella was horrified by this. Not one, not two, seven days?

They were going to simply turn a blind eye at Cassius who was suffering inside the dungeon?

"But how could you just sit down?" Arabella shook her head, "You must have a plan don’t you? A plan that you’re hiding to me."

"I shall bring you to your teacher," evading the question, Renald politely bowed.

"Renald," She called the retainer, "Don’t do this to me. I don’t like to be kept in the dark! If I can help Cassius-"

"To help His Highness works by you protecting yourself," Renald was still in a bowing position as he spoke, half of his body was bent forward and his eyes points to the floor, but his voice was strict, "I have heard what had happened to Karnala. She is currently weak and is being taken care by the doctors. However do you understand the reason why Karnala would put her life before yours, Miss Arabella?"

Arabella clenched her teeth and gulped.

She knew. How could she not? Karnala even told it to her.

The reason why protecting her was important was because to Cassius, she is his life.

"To protect him, we must prioritize you," Renald said quietly. Then, lifting his gaze to meet hers, he smiled, genuinely, warmly, without a trace of formality.

"You are not his weakness," he continued, his voice steady. "You are his reason. The reason His Highness hasn’t fallen into the abyss he’s danced so close to for so long. With you alive and safe, he endures. He fights. You’re not what makes him vulnerable, my lady... You’re what makes him strong."

Arabella’s green eyes shimmered, the weight of his words sinking into her heart like sunlight piercing a stormcloud.

For so long, she had feared being the fragile thread that might unravel him. But now, now she saw it clearly. She wasn’t the chain that held him back.

She was the anchor that kept him from being lost.

His strength. His hope. His reason.

A new determination filled her as she closed her eyes and firmly nod her head.

She trusts him.

She knew he would survive- that he would come back to her safely.

Now was her time to find her strength. So she would no more be protected but to protect.

Protect him and protect herself who he sees as his life.

Arabella stood firmly, "I’ll go."

Renald smiled wider and stepped aside while opening the door so she could walk out of the room. His smile seemed knowing, as if he knew that this was a strength that Arabella have and was proud to see it.