I Got Cheated On and Ended Up in A Beast World

Cassian nodded once, his expression becoming serious. "I will be direct with you. You want Lin Wan back."

"Yes," Wang confirmed firmly.

"I will not let her go," Cassian stated.

No one on the Silver Leopard side looked surprised by the refusal. Wei Xiang’s jaw tightened in anger, and General Luo looked ready to argue, but Wang simply asked a single, calm question.

"Why?"

Cassian answered without a second of hesitation. "Because she is carrying my cub."

Complete silence fell over the field. The heavy words spread across the snowy plain, and even the howling wind seemed to vanish completely.

Wei Xiang slowly turned his head to look at Wang in utter shock. General Luo’s eyes widened in disbelief, while Elder Shen quietly lowered his head. Not a single person spoke.

Cassian continued, his voice echoing clearly. "The royal physicians confirmed it weeks ago. The pregnancy is stable, and I will not allow anything to endanger her or the unborn cubs."

Wei Xiang finally found his voice, stepping forward angrily. "You imprisoned her in a tower!"

"I protected her," Cassian countered smoothly.

"You took away her freedom!"

"I kept her alive and safe," Cassian stated.

The two men stared directly at one another, neither willing to yield an inch.

Wang finally stepped forward, drawing Cassian’s focus back. "Does she know?"

Cassian remained quiet for a brief moment before answering. "She knows that she is pregnant."

"I asked you something else," Wang said, his sharp eyes narrowing.

Another long silence stretched across the snow.

"...No," Cassian answered honestly. "I have not told her who the father is."

Wei Xiang frowned in deep confusion. "Why wouldn’t you tell her?"

Cassian looked toward the distant mountains. "Because she will only worry herself constantly, and because she will firmly believe I am using the children merely as a tool to keep her here against her will."

"Aren’t you doing exactly that?" Wei Xiang asked coldly.

Cassian looked back at him with a steady gaze. "If I wanted to keep her in chains, I would not need children to accomplish it."

His calm, direct answer made several people feel visibly uncomfortable. Wang studied Cassian’s face carefully, trying to read every subtle expression.

Then Wang asked another crucial question. "Have you harmed her in any way?"

Cassian answered immediately. "No."

"Have you threatened her?"

"No."

"Have you forced her?"

Cassian’s expression became completely unreadable. "I have never touched her against her will."

Wei Xiang searched the King’s face intensely, but for the very first time, he could not find a single hint of a lie. That realization troubled him far more than blatant anger or arrogance would have.

Wang spoke again, his tone steady. "Then why will you not let her choose for herself?"

Cassian’s golden eyes darkened slightly. "Because if I open those palace gates today, she will walk away without looking back."

No one on either side argued with the statement, because everyone knew he was speaking the absolute truth.

Cassian continued quietly, "And if she leaves right now, she and the unborn children will be caught directly in the middle of a brutal warzone. I will never allow that to happen."

Wang’s voice remained grounded. "So what exactly are you proposing to us?"

Cassian answered without an ounce of hesitation. "The war ends today. Both of our armies withdraw completely from the borders. When the children are safely born, I will let Lin Wan make her own decision."

Wei Xiang’s eyes narrowed dangerously. "Make her own decision?"

Cassian nodded firmly. "She will choose where she wishes to live. No one forces her, no one claims her, and no one decides for her. The choice will be entirely hers."

General Luo looked genuinely stunned by the offer. "You are completely serious about this?"

"I do not make jokes about her," Cassian replied coldly.

The snowy field became entirely silent once more as the gravity of the proposal settled over everyone. Even Wang looked visibly surprised by the terms.

After several long moments of thought, Wang finally asked, "And what happens if she chooses to return to us?"

Cassian looked directly into Wang’s dark eyes. "Then I will let her go peacefully."

Wei Xiang stared at the Manticore King in absolute disbelief. He had arrived at this meeting fully expecting heavy threats, impossible demands, or arrogant insults, but certainly not a fair proposal like this.

However, Wang did not answer immediately. Instead, he quietly looked past Cassian toward the towering, imposing stone walls of the Supreme Citadel far in the distance.

Then Wang spoke softly. "You have made your conditions very clear, Cassian."

Cassian waited silently for his final answer.

Wang’s dark eyes became completely calm once again. "But there is one massive problem with your proposal."

Cassian raised an eyebrow slightly. "What problem?"

"You never asked the one single person whose answer actually matters in all of this," Wang stated firmly.

Cassian already knew exactly who he meant: Lin Wan.

The cold mountain wind rose once again, drifting fresh snow between the two armies as both powerful leaders stood facing one another in silence.

Neither of the kings realized that the very woman they were standing here arguing over was already inside the palace, beginning to make bold plans of her own.

The meeting ended without another word. Neither side drew their weapons, and neither side attacked. The two groups simply turned around and returned to their respective camps.

Snow crunched rhythmically beneath their boots as they walked, and the heavy silence on the journey back felt far more oppressive than the conversation itself.

Inside the Silver Leopard camp, General Luo waited until they had safely entered the privacy of the command tent before breaking his silence.

"Patriarch," General Luo called out.

Wang removed his heavy travelling cloak and draped it carefully over a nearby wooden chair. "What is on your mind, General?"

General Luo frowned, his brow furrowing deep with doubt. "Do you truly believe what he said out there?"

Wang did not answer immediately. Instead, he walked over to the side table and poured himself a cup of warm tea. "I believe he was telling the truth."

"The truth?" General Luo looked completely unconvinced. "He openly admitted that she is carrying his children. He explicitly stated that he would not release her from the Citadel. And despite all of that, you still believe his words?"

Wang took a slow, deliberate sip before setting the stone cup down. "I did not say that I agreed with his choices, General. I simply said I believe he was being completely honest with us."

The surrounding commanders fell silent, pondering the distinction. Wei Xiang leaned his back against one of the thick wooden support pillars of the tent, staring at the floor.

"He was not lying to us," Wei Xiang added quietly.

Several pairs of eyes turned toward the young commander. Elder Shen let out a tired sigh, nodding along. "I thought I was the only one who noticed."

Wei Xiang nodded back. "I have fought against Cassian before. I know how he speaks when he is playing mind games. If his sole intention was to deceive us or stall for time, he would have easily hidden the pregnancy from us."

General Luo rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming on. "That revelation only makes this entire situation far more complicated than it already was."

"It does," Wang quietly agreed.

Another heavy silence settled over the command staff. Finally, Elder Shen spoke up. "So, how do we proceed, Patriarch?"

Wang stepped toward the large table and unrolled the map. "Our overall plan does not change. We continue advancing our lines forward."

General Luo frowned in confusion. "So this meeting achieved nothing at all?"

Wang looked up, his dark eyes resolute. "It achieved one vital thing."

"And what is that?"

"We now know for certain that Lin Wan is alive," Wang stated calmly. "And we know she is being treated well."

Wei Xiang slowly lowered his eyes to the floorboards. "For now," he muttered under his breath.

Wang heard the faint words clearly. "So long as she remains inside that palace, she will never truly be free."

Not a single person in the tent disagreed.

Far away, inside the inner grounds of the Supreme Citadel, Lin Wan sat beneath the open stone pavilion.

The cool afternoon breeze gently rustled the long, flowing sleeves of her pale blue dress.

Sister Yun placed a small clay plate of neatly sliced fruit on the stone table in front of her.

"You have barely eaten a thing today, Lady Lin," Sister Yun gently scolded.

Lin Wan offered a small, apologetic smile. "I am simply not very hungry today, Sister Yun."

"Even so, you need to eat for your strength."

"I know," Lin Wan conceded softly. She picked up a small piece of fruit and took a slow bite.

Almost instantly, a firm kick echoed from inside her belly. She let out a soft, melodious laugh, resting her hand over the spot. "There. They are reminding me to eat as well."

Lian, the young maid, covered her mouth as she giggled. "They are very lively today!"