CHAPTER 340: IS IT WRONG OF ME TO WANT TO LEAN ON YOU?

Cassius followed Julie, dragging his feet with the energy of a man who’d already survived more than his fair share of nonsense for the day.

It had been a long day already, and he knew, deep down in his bones, that the night wasn’t going to get better anytime soon.

After all, teaching Julie anything was already a nightmare in itself.

Maybe if I fake a stomachache, I can get out of—

His thoughts were cut short when something completely unexpected happened.

Julie, who was walking ahead of him with all the grace and confidence of someone who thought she owned the night, suddenly...slipped.

There was no rock. No branch. No bump in the ground. The forest floor was as smooth as a polished floorboard.

And yet, out of nowhere, her heel shot forward, her arms flailed for half a second, and she let out a startled,

"Ahhh—!"

Thump!

She landed flat on her butt with a sharp oof, her legs bent awkwardly and her hands flying to her backside.

"Ow—! Ow, ow, my butt!" She winced, rubbing the offended area.

Cassius stopped in his tracks, stared for a moment...and then a grin spread across his face.

"...Finally." He muttered.

And just like that a laugh burst out of him before he could stop it, the kind that shakes your shoulders and makes your stomach hurt.

"Pfft! Hahahaha! It finally happened!...I was wondering why you hadn’t slipped once all night, even in the forest."

"For a moment, I thought your clumsiness was cured...but here it is! The moment you let go of my hand, bam, down you go. Oh, this...this is what I’ve been waiting for all along!"

He doubled over, still laughing, making absolutely no move to help her.

Julie looked up at him with wide, offended eyes.

"How could you? How could you laugh at a girl who’s just fallen down? That’s rude!"

Cassius straightened a little, still smirking.

"If it were any other girl, I wouldn’t laugh at all. I’d help her up immediately. I do have some manners. But you..." He gave her a pointed, teasing look.

Julie narrowed her eyes. "...What about me?"

"You’re one of the few Grandmasters on the continent. The ’Whispering Blade’, the one everyone’s terrified of. So fast they can’t even see you before they hear the whisper of your sword at their neck."

"You’re this terrifying, legendary figure...and here you are, tripping on absolutely nothing and landing on your butt. Sorry, but I’m too busy laughing to help you."

Julie’s mouth fell open in disbelief before she decided to retaliate.

"It’s your fault, Cassius!" She declared, pointing an accusing finger at him. "You’re the reason I fell! If it weren’t for what you did, I wouldn’t have embarrassed myself like this!"

"Don’t blame me!" Cassius took a step back with his palms raised." I wasn’t even near you when you fell."

"That’s exactly the problem!" She shot back. "If I’d still been holding onto you like earlier, I wouldn’t have fallen!"

Cassius blinked. "...So you’re saying I tripped you...by not being near you?"

"Yes!" She said, nodding seriously. "You let go of my hand, you pulled away, and that’s why I fell!"

Cassius threw his hands up in exasperation.

"That’s absolutely ridiculous. What’s next? You going to blame your grandmother’s death on me too?"

"I don’t care!"

She said, shaking her head like a stubborn child throwing a fit, before raising her hand towards him.

"Now help me up!"

"You’ve got two perfectly good feet." He said flatly. "Do it yourself."

"I don’t care! I want you to help me up! I won’t get up if you don’t, I’ll just stay here forever!"

Cassius stared at her for a long moment, wondering how on earth the terrifying ’Whispering Blade’ could act like a spoiled five-year-old.

Finally, he let out a weary sigh, reached down, and took her hand. "Fine."

He pulled her up in one smooth motion, but the moment she was upright, her expression shifted into a mischievous smirk.

Before he could step back, she immediately latched onto his arm again, pressing herself against him for balance.

"Since I already took a fall." She said sweetly. "I can’t risk another one. So..." She looked up at him with deliberate mischief. "I’ll be holding onto you for the rest of the time."

Cassius stared at her in disbelief. "...Seriously?"

"Of course." She said, leaning in just enough that he could faint scent of her sweat. "It’s your duty now to make sure I don’t fall again."

Cassius sighed, already regretting every decision that had led him to this exact moment.

But then his eyes fell on Julie’s smug, satisfied little smile, the kind of look that screamed victory, and an odd thought crossed his mind. He studied her for a moment, a flicker of suspicion creeping in.

"You know what?" He said suddenly, narrowing his eyes but smiling faintly. "I actually...really don’t mind you holding on to me like this."

Julie blinked, a little surprised. "Oh? And why’s that?"

"Well..." Cassius said in a deliberately casual tone. "Right now, I’m actually glad. Because I can feel your breasts, your big, fat breasts, pressed right up against me."

"...And I have to admit, it feels quite nice. And warm. Especially in the cold of the night."

Julie’s face went from smug to crimson in an instant. Her whole body jolted in surprise, but even so, she didn’t pull away. Her hands only tightened their grip on him.

"W-What kind of thing is that to say all of a sudden?" She stammered, refusing to meet his eyes.

Cassius chuckled at her reaction but didn’t push her off. "Just being honest."

They walked in silence for a moment, though her blush didn’t fade. Then Cassius glanced down at her again.

"But, you know...I do have a question that’s been on my mind for a while."

Julie tilted her head up to look at him. "...A question?"

"Yeah..." He nodded slowly. "From what I’ve seen so far, and from what Aisha and Skadi have told me, you’re like an older sister figure to everyone."

"Doesn’t matter who they are, you always take responsibility for them. Just like any older sibling would, you take on other people’s problems, try to solve everything yourself, and never let others do anything for you."

Julie’s eyes softened slightly, and a faintly embarrassed look crossed her face.

"I mean..." Cassius continued. "I’ve seen it plenty of times. The way you coddle Skadi, doing half her chores without her even noticing. Or with Aisha, you always know what she wants without her having to say a thing, and you help her out before she even asks."

"...But when it comes to your turn, when they try to help you? You immediately reject it and insist on doing it yourself, unless you have to accept their help like when riding a horse."

Julie looked away, the corners of her lips twitching faintly. "...You’ve noticed all that?"

"Oh, I’ve noticed." Cassius said with a faint smirk. "That’s how you treat everyone. You’re always the one helping out. Not because you’re too proud to accept help, but because you feel...responsible for everyone. That’s just what you do."

He then raised a brow. "But here’s the thing. With me? You don’t do that at all."

Julie’s brow furrowed slightly, unsure what he meant.

"In fact..." He went on. "You have no reservations with me. You don’t hold back in the slightest. You’ve been acting like a spoiled baby ever...well from the proper talk we had today I suppose like how you were willing to accept my tutorage, how you fought with your sisters, or even the way you’re acting like a spoiled child at the moment."

"And honestly, between the two of us, you’re the little sister and I’m the older brother. So...why is that? Why am I the one who gets all your childishness dumped on him?"

He looked down at her expectantly, waiting for her to answer and Julie held his gaze for a moment as if trying to decide how much she wanted to say.

Then she sighed, a small, gentle smile curving her lips.

"Honestly...I don’t really know."

Cassius raised an eyebrow. "You don’t know?"

"I mean...my whole life, I’ve always had this sense of responsibility toward everyone." Julie began. "For my father, I felt it was my duty to learn swordsmanship and make him proud."

"For my family, I thought I had to carry the family name with dignity."

"For my mother, I wanted to be just like her. Even with the Holy Guard...I felt, from a very young age, that I had to serve it with absolute dedication since I was the one who had formed it."

Her voice softened.

"As the older sister, and as the founder of my brigade, I’ve always believed I was responsible for them, to help them, no matter what the task. And...I never liked others helping me."

"It felt like putting a burden on them, and I didn’t want that. I was supposed to take care of them, not the other way around. So...I only ever helped others I cared about. And I almost never received help in return."

Cassius listened quietly, his expression neutral but his eyes sharp.

"That’s just how I’ve lived my whole life." She said with a faint shrug. "But then...you showed up."

He tilted his head slightly.

"At first, I was on guard around you." She admitted. "I thought you were just some arrogant, careless playboy. But...I found out you’re much more than that." She hesitated, looking at him for a long moment. "...Much more kind, caring, and compassionate than I expected."

Her voice dropped a little.

"And I don’t know why, but...I don’t feel like I have to be at my full one hundred percent around you. I don’t feel like I have to serve you, or live up to your expectations."

"Around you...I can just be myself. I don’t have to think about what you need or want. I can...let myself be spoiled."

Cassius blinked, processing that for a moment.

"And...do you have any idea why you feel that way toward me?"

Julie tilted her head, thinking, then shook it slowly. But then her eyes lit up a little.

"Maybe...it’s because you’re way too competent."

"Way too competent?" Cassius frowned slightly. "What’s that supposed to mean?"

Julie’s lips curved into a small, amused smile.

"Well, unlike everyone else, who makes mistakes, screws up sometimes, or has some fault I can make up for, you’re completely different. No matter what you do, you always seem in control."

"Like you can handle anything without breaking a sweat. Almost like...an omnipotent being who can do anything you want without caring about the consequences."

Cassius stared at her, not sure whether to take that as a compliment or a bizarre insult.

"...So, what, you think I’m invincible?"

"Not exactly." She said. "It’s just...when I’m with you, I don’t feel responsible for you. I feel like I can depend on you. That if I screw up, you’ll make up for it. That you’ll handle it, no matter what happens. And that’s...different. For me, that’s new."

Julie’s fingers curled a little tighter around Cassius’s arm as she kept her gaze forward for a moment, before finally tilting her head up toward him again.

"It could also be...because I see you as my teacher." She said quietly. "You’re the one who’s been teaching me all these things.""

Cassius arched a brow but didn’t interrupt.

"Or maybe." She continued, her voice slowing. "It’s because you were the first one I opened up to about my dreams. My expectations."

"You also saw me cry...in a way no one else ever had. And maybe...that made me feel closer to you than I realized." She glanced up at him, her lips pressing together for a moment. "...Close enough that I feel like I can lean on you like this."

Her eyes then lifted to his with a shimmer in them, the moonlight catching the gloss.

"But...tell me, Cassius. Is that wrong? Am I not allowed to be supported like this? Do I have to stand strong by myself for my whole life...all on my own?"

The words tumbled out, softer but more desperate now.

"Can’t I...do this, just for now? Just...be here, like this?"

She swallowed, her voice almost breaking as she added.

"If it’s too annoying for you, I’ll stop...but—"

Her gaze softened into something pitiful, pleading.

"...Is it?"

Cassius didn’t answer with words at first.

Instead, he simply placed a hand on the back of her head and gently guided it back onto his shoulder.

"Not at all." He said at last, his tone quiet but certain. "Lean back. Stay like this. Allow yourself to relax."

Julie blinked at him, surprised, but she didn’t resist. She let her head rest against him again, breathing in slowly.

"You know." Cassius murmured after a pause. "It’s actually...surprising. You’ve been supporting everyone your whole life, and now here you are, expecting support from me. But..." He gave a faint smile. "I don’t mind at all. In fact, I’m glad. Glad that you trust me enough. That you see me as...a worthy figure to rest on."

His tone shifted slightly, a flicker of mischief entering his eyes as he glanced down at her.

"But...what if the reason you trust me and depend on me so much is because you’ve fallen for me?"

Julie’s head twitched slightly against his shoulder, and he braced himself for the scoff, the sharp retort, the inevitable ’Go to hell, that’ll never happen.’

...But it never came.

Instead, she simply looked up at him with a gentle, unreadable expression, like she was truly considering the thought. Her eyes lingered on his for a moment, then slid away.

"...Maybe it is." She said softly. "Maybe I have fallen for you."

Cassius’s mind blanked for a second.

But Julie wasn’t done.

A faint smile tugged at her lips, more to herself than to him as she said,

"But who knows? I’m...far too clumsy, like you said, to figure that out for sure. So...I honestly don’t know."

For once, Cassius found himself at a loss for words. He wasn’t expecting that, wasn’t expecting her to just...say it like that.

But in the quiet that followed, with her leaning against him and his arm steady around her, he realized he didn’t need to say anything.

The silence between them spoke plenty.

And in that moment, the weight of her against him felt less like a burden and more like something he didn’t want to let go of.