Chapter 719: Gratitude And Promise
Cassius nodded without hesitation, voice soft.
"Of course. Go ahead."
Maria stepped forward slowly, almost reverently, and reached out with trembling fingers. She didn’t touch the painted version of herself.
Instead, she gently caressed the area where tiny Joy lay bundled in her arms, as though she were stroking her daughter’s cheek through the canvas itself.
The moment her fingertips brushed the painted cloth, a beautiful, radiant smile broke across her face—soft, loving, and full of quiet wonder.
"What you said is true, Cassius." She whispered, voice thick with emotion. "Back then...everyone pushed me away the moment they realized I had a child inside me. And I guess it made sense."
She let out a small, self-deprecating chuckle.
"I was a sister of the Goddess—someone who was supposed to be devoted only to Her. I was meant to have no family, no husband, and certainly no daughter or son. But because of certain circumstances..."
Her eyes grew slightly gloomy for a moment.
"I was forced into that situation. And because of that the world abandoned me. Doors closed wherever I went. People looked away. They didn’t even dare to breathe in my presence, as if I were some kind of plague."
"Many suggested I get rid of the baby in my belly and repent for my sins. They told me to abandon it, to treat it like an entire mistake."
Cassius’s fists clenched tightly at his sides. His eyes flashed with cold anger—he looked ready to hunt down every single person who had ever spoken to her that way.
But Maria just chuckled.
"I never thought of that, though. Not once."
He blinked, surprised.
"Even though Joy was an accident—a mistake, if you look at it a certain way, I never saw her like that. I never treated my baby as anything less than a blessing."
She stroked the painted baby’s tiny hand, peeking out from the bundle.
"I believe everything happens for a reason. The Goddess watches over me, shines her light wherever I go. Even in that moment, I knew she was with me."
Her voice grew softer.
"And even if I weren’t a devout follower...I was still a mother. And a mother could never look down on her own child. No matter the circumstances."
She smiled again.
"I never felt despair. I held my head high, looking forward to the day I would give birth."
Her smile flickered.
"Of course, the birth itself was...difficult." She laughed, but there was no humor in it. "I was alone. No one would help me. I begged, literally begged for someone to assist me, because I knew I couldn’t do it myself. But no one came."
Cassius’s blood ran cold.
"I didn’t have time to find anyone else. So I had to do it alone."
His hands were shaking.
He wanted to find every person who had refused her. Wanted to make them understand, in the most painful way possible, what they had done.
But Maria didn’t seem to notice his fury.
"Fortunately, no matter how much it hurt—no matter how much I screamed or sweated or feared for my life—the Goddess was still by my side. And my daughter was born safely."
Her fingers traced the painting again.
"And when I looked at her for the first time, Cassius...when I saw her beautiful face and heard her crying..."
She turned to face him.
Her eyes were shining.
"I truly understood what love was in that moment."
Cassius’s breath caught.
"I understood that the Goddess truly existed. Because if she didn’t, how could something so beautiful, so adorable, so perfect, possibly exist?"
Tears were streaming down her face now, but she wasn’t sobbing. She was smiling.
"Everything I had been through—every struggle, every hardship, every moment of pain—it all led to her. And in that moment, I didn’t care about any of it. All I could do was look at my daughter and think about how I was going to protect her for the rest of my life."
She looked back at the painting.
"Everyone else thought differently. They thought I regretted it. Thought I didn’t want her. Rumors spread like wildfire." She shook her head. "But now, Cassius...now I feel so grateful. Because finally, someone understands."
Her voice cracked.
"People called me names. Spread ugly rumors about me. Said terrible things about my daughter—a baby who had just entered the world."
Tears spilled down her cheeks.
"It made me so angry. So sad." She grit her teeth I frustration. "I started to wonder if the world was truly such a cruel, cold place. If all the goodness I tried to spread meant anything at all, when evil always seemed to triumph."
She wiped her eyes.
"For so long, I had doubts. Wavering thoughts. Because of my past, because of everything I’d been through, I wondered if any of it was worth it."
She looked at him.
"But right now...I don’t feel any resentment at all."
Her voice grew stronger.
"Because I have someone like you by my side. Someone who truly understands me. Who understands what I went through, and how much I loved my daughter, and how I never once felt regret."
A laugh escaped her, wet and joyful.
"I never thought I would meet someone like that. Someone who could truly see me. But I did."
She stepped closer to him, looking up at his face.
"I’m so happy, Cassius. I’m so happy you painted this moment, that you let me relive it. But more than that..." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I’m grateful that you never looked down on me like the others. That you never treated me differently. That you understood."
She reached up and touched his cheek.
"Because of you, I don’t feel any resentment toward the world anymore. I just see how beautiful it can be." Her eyes held his. "No matter how much darkness exists, there are people like you who light it up. Who make it worth living in."
She smiled through her tears.
"And for being such a beacon in my life, Cassius...I am truly grateful."
Cassius felt his own eyes burning.
He had read her reports. He knew what she had suffered. But hearing her say it, seeing her cry, watching her smile—it broke something inside him.
He wanted to hold her. Protect her. Never let anyone hurt her again.
Maria, noticing her own tears, laughed self-consciously.
"Cassius, is it possible..." She hesitated, looking embarrassed.
"Could I borrow your shoulder? Just for a moment? I can’t stop crying, but there are so many people here, and I don’t want to lose my reputation..."
She looked up at him shyly.
"It might get messy. But if it’s alright...can I cry into your chest?"
Cassius didn’t answer with words.
He simply opened his arms.
Maria ran into them without hesitation.
She buried her face in his chest and let go.
Years of pain. Years of loneliness. Years of being abandoned, betrayed, misunderstood. Years of holding herself together when she wanted to fall apart.
All of it poured out of her in great, heaving sobs.
People turned to look. The young artists, the passersby, the families enjoying the festival—they all heard her crying and glanced toward the tent.
Cassius simply smiled at them and raised a hand, gesturing that it was all right and they shouldn’t stare too much. They obeyed immediately, turning away with understanding nods.
Cassius then wrapped his arms around her tightly, one hand rubbing soothing circles on her back while the other gently stroked her hair. He leaned down and whispered soft, sweet words into her ear.
"It’s okay, Maria...let it all out. I’m right here. You don’t have to carry any of it alone anymore. You’re safe. You’re loved. I’ve got you."
He knew every struggle she had faced, every obstacle she had overcome. He understood, perhaps better than anyone, how much she needed this moment.
And he understood something else.
He would do anything for her happiness.
For so long, she had fought alone. Struggled alone. Cried alone.
But not anymore. He wanted her to live the rest of her life in joy, never haunted by the past again.
And what was even more shocking to him was the depth of his own feelings.
He had always called himself a playboy, a charming seducer who could win anyone.
But deep down he knew there were limits—certain women simply weren’t meant for him. Yet right now, he realized he didn’t care about any of that.
Even if one day Maria truly fell in love with another man, he would accept it. Of course he would be angry—devastated, even. He would probably cry his heart out in private.
But he would still support her. He would silently stand by her side and make sure she lived every single day to the fullest, in the happiest way possible.
It was a vow he made to himself in that very moment, a promise he intended to carry to the very end.
He held her closer, letting her cry until the storm inside her began to ease, his own heart steady and full of quiet determination.