Chapter 214: Do you hate me?
[Kill Clause has invited you to a party.]
The notification appeared in the center of Martin’s vision, making it impossible to ignore. Of course Kill Clause had chosen a party invitation. Like a true boss, she had used the game’s mechanics and every other advantage available to seize his attention for herself.
Martin accepted, and a new icon appeared on his minimap. It was already moving toward him.
Angel had returned to her pocket dimension after carrying Martin and Rias back to the academy, leaving him surrounded by enough dangerous women without a giant Dragon Turtle adding to the crowd.
Following the marker, Martin searched through the players wandering between the nearby stalls and buildings. The crowd soon parted enough for him to spot a striking silver-haired woman walking straight toward him.
The name Kill Clause floated above her head.
Her silver hair was tied in a low bun, with several loose strands framing her face. She moved with calm confidence, never hurrying or hesitating, while nearby players drifted out of her path without seeming to realize they were doing it.
Then her red eyes settled on Martin.
They were sharp, beautiful, and hungry enough to send a powerful wave of déjà vu through him.
A much shorter woman hurried along behind her, struggling to keep up. She had a crimson bob, matching red eyes, and such a sweet face that she seemed completely different from the woman leading the way. With her bright hair and rosy cheeks, she looked like an adorable apple brought to life.
"Wait for me!" the crimson-haired woman called, pumping her short legs faster.
The silver-haired woman kept walking at the same pace.
Martin barely noticed the smaller woman’s struggle because he damn well knew what was happening.
At least, he thought he did.
The party interface told him the approaching woman was Kill Clause, yet everything else about her pointed toward someone he knew in the real world. His mind had already gathered the clues and placed the obvious answer in front of him, but some stubborn part of him refused to accept it.
Maybe Kill Clause had designed her avatar to resemble Cassandra Selfmore. Maybe Martin’s imagination was exaggerating the similarities.
The silver-haired woman glanced over her shoulder at the crimson-haired girl chasing after her.
The movement looked casual, but Martin knew Kill Clause too well to believe anything she did was truly accidental. She had probably considered the angle, the timing, and exactly where his attention would land.
Her turn emphasized the curve of her ass.
Martin froze.
He knew that curve.
He had felt it, appreciated it, and privately ranked it number one on a list he would deny ever creating. It had taken first place far above Cassandra Selfmore’s, even though Cassandra had a damn fine ass herself.
At least, that was what he had repeatedly told himself.
Kill Clause’s was better. It had to be, because otherwise, Martin had spent all this time comparing the same woman to herself and confidently declaring one version the winner.
Déjà vu struck him again, and this time, he could no longer pretend it meant nothing.
No way.
Martin understood the truth. He simply didn’t want to accept it.
Even if there was only a one-percent chance that the woman approaching him wasn’t Cassandra Selfmore, he wanted to cling to that possibility for a few more seconds.
He swallowed hard as his heartbeat quickened.
Of all the famous women now tangled in Martin’s life, Cassandra held the most direct power over his real world. She had investigated him, arranged two weeks of paid leave through his employer, recruited him into Night Espresso, and brought him before people he never could have approached on his own.
One word from her had already changed his life more than once.
Now Martin was beginning to suspect that the powerful woman who controlled his work schedule and the gaming companion he had spent countless hours beside were the same person.
She had not even spoken yet, and he was already struggling to stay calm.
The women beside him noticed the change.
Elisebeth turned toward the newcomers, immediate suspicion narrowing her eyes. Alexandra stayed quiet, but her attention sharpened as she studied the silver-haired stranger. Katherine glanced from Martin’s stiff posture to the woman responsible for it, and her pleasant smile became more watchful.
Rias stood slightly behind them, her golden eyes moving between Martin and Kill Clause. Unlike the others, she did not look jealous. She looked wary, as though she already sensed that Cassandra was approaching a line the four of them had agreed not to cross.
None of them interrupted. Whatever was happening, they could tell Martin recognized the newcomer.
Kill Clause stopped a few steps in front of him and looked over his new equipment. After taking in the armor, she briefly examined the people gathered around him.
A small smile touched her lips.
"You went ahead, bought yourself some new gear, and made new friends, Martin," she said. "Captain Plume has already sent me a very enthusiastic message."
His heart thumped.
The game had softened or altered her voice enough to hide her identity, but Martin recognized the rhythm now. He also recognized the calm authority behind every word.
That was all the confirmation he needed.
Kill Clause had always preferred to make him think for himself. She would offer just enough information to point him in the right direction, then patiently wait for him to reach the answer.
This time was no different.
His hands tightened at his sides.
"C-Cassandra?"
The crimson-haired woman finally caught up and stopped behind Kill Clause, bending forward with her hands on her knees. She looked ready to complain about being abandoned, but Martin’s question silenced her.
Kill Clause’s expression softened.
Crossing the last few steps between them, she moved close enough that Martin could feel her presence at his side. Several strands of silver hair slid across her cheek as she leaned toward his ear.
"The real Cassandra Selfmore," she whispered. "Yes."
Her warm breath brushed his skin, and Martin instinctively leaned back half a step.
His eyes flicked from her face to the nameplate above her head, then to the party icon on his minimap. Both confirmed that the woman standing before him was Kill Clause, while every familiar detail told him she was Cassandra.
One hand started to rise before he caught himself and let it fall awkwardly to his side.
Cassandra could have confirmed her identity through private voice chat. That would have been safer, easier, and impossible for anyone nearby to overhear. Instead, she had chosen to whisper the truth directly into his ear.
When she straightened, satisfaction lingered in her smile. The small risk had clearly made the moment more exciting for her.
Martin could only stare.
He had spoken to Cassandra before, stood near her, joked with her, and admired certain parts of her body far more closely than he probably should have. At the same time, he had spent countless hours beside Kill Clause without ever realizing who she truly was.
Now those two women had become one, and his mind was struggling to catch up.
Cassandra remained close, watching him process the reveal. As the silence stretched on, her confident smile gradually faded.
"I’ve done some cruel things to you, Martin."
The seriousness in her voice pulled him out of his shock.
For a moment, she looked down. When she faced him again, some of her usual confidence was gone.
"I investigated your life. I contacted your workplace without telling you, hid my identity, and joined your party undercover. Even after we became closer, I kept lying to you and made sure there was always a wall between us."
Martin started to answer, but Cassandra wasn’t finished.
"At first, I only wanted to know what kind of man you were when you thought no one important was watching. I wanted to see how you treated people when you had nothing to gain from impressing them." Her fingers curled against her palms. "I was being cautious, but I let it continue much longer than I should have."
She hesitated before asking, "Do you hate me?"