I Got Cheated On and Ended Up in A Beast World

Silence stretched between them before Cassian spoke again. "When this battle begins—"

"It won’t," Lin Wan interrupted softly yet firmly.

"You sound remarkably certain."

"I am hopeful."

"Hope does not stop marching armies, Lin Wan."

"No," she met his golden gaze directly. "But people can."

Cassian narrowed his eyes slightly. "You still believe Wang will simply turn his forces around and retreat?"

"No," she shook her head gently. "He won’t just retreat. But I believe he will listen."

"To whom?"

"To me."

The command hall fell entirely still. Cassian studied her face intently. "You still possess that much confidence in your influence?"

"It isn’t about confidence," she replied. "It’s about necessity. I have to try."

Cassian took several measured steps toward her. "And if he refuses?"

"Then I will try again."

"And if you are caught between two clashing fronts?" Cassian’s voice took on a sharp, dangerous edge. "You intend to step onto the battlefield?"

"If that is what it takes to prevent mass slaughter."

"I will not allow it," Cassian stated coldly.

Lin Wan looked at him without flinching. "You cannot stop me forever, Cassian."

"I can."

"No," she smiled softly, a trace of melancholy in her eyes. "You already know you can’t."

Cassian remained silent, unable to refute her words.

Lin Wan’s voice softened. "I don’t want any more children losing their fathers. I don’t want more wives waiting for men who will never return. I don’t want more graves built on this mountain."

Cassian’s jaw tightened. "You care that deeply for soldiers you do not even know?"

"They aren’t just figures on a tactical map," she said quietly. "They are families, fathers, sons, and mothers. They are people who simply want to go home."

Cassian stared at her for a long moment before speaking softly. "You truly haven’t changed at all."

"I hope I never do."

After another long pause, Cassian asked a question that had clearly been weighing heavily on him. "If Wang demands that you leave with him... will you go?"

Lin Wan froze, looking down at the polished floor. The silence stretched between them for several agonizing heartbeats.

Finally, she spoke softly. "No."

Cassian’s breath hitched slightly. "No?"

"I won’t leave," she repeated, raising her eyes. "Running away solves nothing. If I simply flee, the hatred between these factions remains, and the war will eventually catch up. My children would still grow up in a world consumed by conflict."

She gently placed her hand over her stomach. "I have to end the cycle here."

Cassian’s sharp expression softened noticeably. "You truly intend to place yourself between two armies."

"Yes."

He let out a slow, heavy breath. "You make terrifying decisions sound so simple."

Lin Wan let out a small, breathless laugh. "They are never simple. They’re just necessary."

Seeking to ease the heavy atmosphere, Cassian quietly noted, "Physician Selene informed me that your condition remains stable, but the children are growing rapidly."

"They are," Lin Wan smiled, a genuine warmth returning to her eyes. "They kick constantly now."

Cassian glanced at her stomach. "Already?"

"One in particular," she chuckled softly. "He refuses to let me sleep at night."

A rare, faint trace of amusement crossed Cassian’s face. "Sounds troublesome."

"He certainly is," Lin Wan laughed. "I wonder if he gets his stubbornness from his father."

Cassian looked at her quietly. "...Which one?"

Lin Wan blinked, realizing how her words sounded. She flushed slightly, offering an awkward smile. "I suppose... all of them."

Cassian didn’t push the matter further. For a brief moment, the heavy burden of royalty and war seemed to slip away from the room.

Knock. Knock.

The sudden interruption shattered the quiet. Captain Rhys entered hurriedly, bowing deeply. "My King! Urgent word from the western watchtower."

Cassian frowned. "A report at this hour?"

Rhys handed over a sealed parchment. Cassian broke the wax seal and scanned the contents quickly. As his golden eyes moved across the lines, his expression shifted from stern focus to deep contemplation.

"My King?" Rhys asked carefully.

Cassian folded the scroll. "The advancing army has halted."

Lin Wan looked up sharply. "Halted?"

"They have established a static camp in the lower valley," Cassian explained, his eyes fixed on the map. "They are not advancing further tonight."

Lin Wan’s eyebrows furrowed. "Why would they stop now?"

"Wang is waiting," Cassian murmured thoughtfully.

Lin Wan whispered into the quiet room, "Waiting for what..."

Cassian slowly turned his gaze toward the dark, star-filled sky outside the window. "...I do not know."

Far beyond the stone walls of the Citadel, under a vast canopy of cold winter stars, Wang stood alone at the edge of a high cliff overlooking the valley. The freezing mountain wind lifted his silver hair as thousands of bright campfires flickered like fallen stars across the plain behind him.

Wei Xiang walked up quietly, stopping a few paces beside him. "The perimeter patrols and sentries are set for the night."

Wang gave a single, silent nod.

Neither man spoke for a long time, listening only to the whistle of the wind against the rock face.

Finally, Wei Xiang asked softly, "Are you truly holding position until dawn?"

Wang kept his eyes fixed on the distant, glowing lights of the Supreme Citadel perched high in the mountains. "...Yes."

Wei Xiang followed his gaze into the dark horizon. "Do you think she is looking out at these mountains too?"

A long, heavy silence stretched between them before Wang finally answered, his voice barely louder than a whisper against the cold breeze.

"...I do not know. But if she is... I hope she knows I am coming."

........

The first rays of dawn slowly spread across the northern mountains. A pale golden light shone over the endless snow, making the frozen land sparkle like countless tiny crystals.

Thin smoke rose from hundreds of campfires outside the Supreme Citadel as soldiers changed shifts after a long night of guarding the high stone walls.

Inside the palace, Lin Wan had barely slept. She sat beside the open window, wrapped in a thick white cloak. One hand rested over her rounded belly while the other held a small cup of tea that had already gone cold.

A gentle knock sounded at the door before Sister Yun entered quietly. "My Lady."

Lin Wan turned her head. "Good morning."

The older woman smiled, setting down a tray. "I brought your breakfast."

Lin Wan glanced over. "It smells lovely."

"I asked the kitchen to prepare something different today," Sister Yun said proudly, uncovering the dishes one by one to reveal fresh fish soup, steamed winter vegetables, soft meat buns, and sweet rice cakes.

Lin Wan blinked in surprise. "This is... quite a feast."

"Doctor Elias personally wrote today’s meal plan," Sister Yun noted with a nod.

Lin Wan offered a helpless smile. "So even my breakfasts require official medical approval now?"

"They always did," Sister Yun chuckled, pouring a bowl of warm soup. "You should eat while it is hot."

Lin Wan picked up her spoon obediently, but halfway through the meal, her hand suddenly paused over her stomach. Sister Yun immediately noticed the shift. "My Lady?"

Lin Wan frowned slightly, a faint smile breaking through. "He kicked again."

"The little prince?"

"I think so," Lin Wan murmured as another small movement rippled beneath her palm. "He seems exceptionally active today."

Sister Yun’s eyes softened. "Perhaps he already senses that his mother is worried."

"I am trying not to be," Lin Wan admitted, gently stroking her stomach. "But it isn’t easy."

Sister Yun refilled her bowl reassuringly. "Then do not dwell on the threat of war while you eat."

Lin Wan let out a soft laugh. "I wish it were that simple."

Before Sister Yun could respond, hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor, and Captain Rhys appeared at the door, bowing respectfully. "My Lady. The King requests your presence after breakfast."

Lin Wan sighed quietly. "He certainly summons me frequently these days."

Rhys remained impassive. "I believe His Majesty simply wishes to ensure your safety."

"That is one way to put it," Lin Wan noted dryly.

Rhys tactfully ignored the commentary. "I shall return once you have finished."

After he stepped back outside, Sister Yun shook her head gently. "The King has become... different."

Lin Wan looked up. "What do you mean?"

"I have served inside these walls for over forty years," the older woman explained, carefully folding the tray cloth. "I watched His Majesty grow from a young prince. He rarely repeated an order, he never explained his reasoning, and he certainly never checked on the same person multiple times a day."

Lin Wan listened in quiet contemplation.

"Yet these days," Sister Yun continued softly, "he asks about your meals, whether you have slept, and if you have walked. He even asked the doctor three times yesterday if your pulse was stable."

Lin Wan lowered her gaze. "I know."

"Does that frighten you?" Sister Yun asked gently.

Lin Wan remained silent for a long moment before answering. "...No. It confuses me. I don’t entirely understand him anymore."

Sister Yun offered no argument, for the shift had left the entire court bewildered.

Outside the Supreme Citadel, the Silver Leopard host had already begun another day of disciplined preparation. Large iron pots boiled over open fires while warriors sharpened blades and inspected their cold-weather gear.

The camp was busy, yet remarkably subdued; everyone understood how close they were to the enemy fortress.

Near the central command area, Wei Xiang stood with several patrol captains as Captain Ren unfolded a rough tactical map across a wooden table.

"Our western scouts returned before sunrise," Ren reported. "They confirmed another active defensive array here, and another blocking the narrow mountain pass."

Wei Xiang examined the terrain markings. "So Cassian sealed every direct route."

"Yes," another captain added. "If we press through the western pass, we will suffer severe casualties before even reaching the lower walls."

Wei Xiang’s brow furrowed. "What about the eastern ridge?"

"Steeper," Ren sighed. "But manageable."

Wei Xiang folded his arms. "It’s sufficient."

"No," a calm, commanding voice interjected from behind.

The officers turned immediately and bowed. "We greet the Patriarch."

Wang walked toward the table, his silver hair catching the crisp wind. He looked down at the tactical layout. "We are not altering our route."

Captain Ren looked surprised. "But Patriarch..."

Wang raised a hand slightly. "I know what you intend to say. The eastern ridge offers better cover, and the western pass is shorter. But neither alters the fundamental problem."

Wei Xiang met his gaze. "What are you thinking?

"Cassian wants us to initiate the assault," Wang explained evenly. "If we make the first aggressive push, we forfeit our positioning and become the clear aggressors."

Ren frowned. "But we are here to rescue Lady Lin. We cannot remain static indefinitely."