I Got Cheated On and Ended Up in A Beast World

Chapter 176: Chapter 176

She whispered the word so softly that only the wind heard it. "They can go anywhere."

Behind her, one of the younger maids quietly entered the chamber carrying a tray of fresh tea.

She glanced toward the balcony before quickly looking away. Everyone in the palace had heard the news: the western balcony had been reopened just for Lady Lin.

The maid carefully placed the tray on the table. Before leaving, she couldn’t stop herself from stealing another glance at Lin Wan.

She looked lonely. Not like someone favored by the King, and certainly not like someone living inside the grandest palace in the Upper Realm. She just looked entirely alone. The young maid quietly lowered her head and withdrew.

Not long afterward, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the corridor.

"Move aside!"

"Quickly!"

The Shadow Guards frowned as an elderly man carrying a large wooden medicine chest hurried toward the chamber. It was the royal physician, and he was breathing heavily.

"I’ve prepared a new prescription."

One of the guards blocked his path. "His Majesty’s orders. No one enters without permission."

The physician sighed helplessly. "I know, but this concerns her health."

The guard remained unmoving. A moment later, a familiar voice sounded from behind.

"Let him through."

Cassian stepped into the corridor, and the guards immediately knelt. The physician bowed deeply. "This servant greets Your Majesty."

Cassian’s gaze fell upon the medicine chest. "What have you brought?"

The old physician carefully opened the box, revealing dozens of neatly arranged jade bottles. "These are mild spiritual medicines. They won’t upset her stomach, and I’ve removed every herb with a strong fragrance."

Cassian nodded once. "You’ve done well."

The physician hesitated. "...There is one more matter."

Cassian looked at him.

"Her body remains very weak. Although the child is stable..." The physician quickly corrected himself before revealing too much. "...Although her condition has improved slightly, she must avoid emotional distress. Fear, overexertion, and prolonged sadness."

Cassian’s expression remained unreadable. "Continue."

"If this continues," the old physician sighed, "her recovery will become increasingly difficult."

Cassian fell silent. The physician had chosen his words carefully. He couldn’t openly say she needed peace, because everyone knew the greatest source of her distress was standing right in front of him.

After a long pause, Cassian spoke. "Leave the medicines."

The physician bowed. "Yes, Your Majesty."

After everyone withdrew, Cassian remained outside the chamber. His hand rested lightly against the closed golden doors, but he didn’t enter immediately. Instead, he quietly listened.

There was no sound inside. No crying, no breaking porcelain, no angry shouting. Only silence. That silence bothered him.

Slowly, he pushed open the doors. Lin Wan was still standing on the balcony, completely unaware of his presence. The wind played with her long black hair as she looked toward the horizon.

Cassian followed her gaze. There was nothing there except endless mountains. "What are you looking at?"

His voice was calm. Lin Wan answered without turning around.

"...Freedom."

The single word settled heavily between them. Cassian walked onto the balcony and stopped several steps behind her. Neither spoke for a long while.

Finally, he broke the silence. "I have made a decision. I will allow you to move freely within this tower."

She slowly turned to look at him.

He continued. "The library, the gardens, the western courtyard. You may go there during the day. The guards will accompany you, and you are forbidden from approaching the outer walls."

Lin Wan looked at him with empty eyes. "And if I refuse?"

"You won’t."

"How do you know?"

Cassian held her gaze. "Because you miss the sky. You miss walking. You miss living. You won’t throw away the little freedom you’ve been given."

Lin Wan looked away again. After several seconds, she quietly said, "This isn’t freedom."

"I know," Cassian answered before she could continue. "It’s the most I can give."

She laughed softly. It wasn’t mocking; it was simply tired. "You always decide everything. You decide what I wear, what I eat, where I sleep. Now you decide where I’m allowed to walk." She looked up at the darkening sky.

"You call that kindness. I call it another cage."

Cassian didn’t reply, because she wasn’t wrong.

A cold breeze swept across the balcony. Without thinking, Lin Wan wrapped the fur cloak tighter around herself. Cassian noticed the unconscious movement. For the first time in days, she hadn’t pushed away something he had provided. It was only a cloak, but somehow, it felt like progress.

Neither of them realized that hidden behind a distant palace roof, several pairs of eyes had witnessed everything. Among them stood a beautifully dressed noblewoman in crimson robes. Her sharp eyes narrowed dangerously as she watched the King standing beside the female captive on the western balcony.

"So..." she whispered coldly, her lips slowly curling into a smile that held no warmth, "that insignificant female truly has become special. Interesting."

Then she turned and disappeared into the palace shadows. Far away, unseen by anyone, the first seed of jealousy within the royal court quietly took root.

Morning arrived beneath a sky of pale blue. The heavy snowfall that had covered the Supreme Citadel for days had finally stopped, and golden sunlight spilled across the palace roofs, making the jade tiles glitter like frozen lakes.

Inside the western tower, Lin Wan had already woken. She sat quietly at the edge of the bed, staring at the neatly folded robes placed there by the servants. Gone were the luxurious crimson silks and jeweled dresses; instead, there were simple robes of pale green and white, soft enough for daily wear.

Sister Yun stood nearby with two younger maids. "Lady, these were prepared according to your preference."

Lin Wan looked surprised. "...My preference?"

Sister Yun nodded. "His Majesty ordered that the heavy royal garments be removed."

Lin Wan lowered her eyes and said nothing. After changing into the plain green robe, she quietly tied her short hair back with a simple ribbon. She looked less like someone living inside the richest palace in the Upper Realm, and more like the gentle woman who had once wandered through the forests with Wang.

Sister Yun smiled faintly. "It suits you."

Lin Wan only gave a small nod.

Outside, twelve Shadow Guards were already waiting. Each one stood in black armor with a long spear resting beside them. The moment the chamber doors opened, they bowed together.

"Lady."

Lin Wan hesitated. She had almost forgotten what it felt like to step outside without being dragged somewhere.

The captain of the guards respectfully stepped forward. "His Majesty’s orders. We will accompany you through the western gardens."

Lin Wan looked past them. Beyond the corridor, she could already see trees, flowers, and the open sky. After a brief silence, she stepped forward, and the guards immediately surrounded her in a loose circle—not close enough to frighten her, but not far enough for her to escape. It was protection and imprisonment at the same time.

Well it was better than nothing.

The western gardens were breathtaking. Ancient spirit trees stretched high into the clouds, crystal streams flowed gently between polished white stones, and thousands of winter flowers bloomed despite the cold, filling the air with a faint fragrance. Colorful spiritual butterflies floated lazily above the blossoms.

Lin Wan stopped walking and slowly closed her eyes. The breeze carried the scent of pine and fresh earth. For a moment, she almost imagined she was back in the lower realm—walking beside Wang, listening to Qin Mo complain about the weather, and watching Long Zhan pretend he wasn’t secretly picking flowers for her.

A small smile appeared on her lips. It lasted only a heartbeat, then disappeared.

One of the younger guards secretly noticed it and blinked. It was the first time he had seen her smile, even if only for a moment.

Not far away, several palace servants were trimming flower bushes.

The moment they saw Lin Wan approaching with the Shadow Guards, their hands immediately stopped and they hurriedly lowered their heads.

"Greetings, Lady."

Lin Wan awkwardly nodded. "You don’t need to bow."

None of them moved; no one dared disobey palace etiquette. After a few uncomfortable seconds, Lin Wan quietly continued walking.

One young servant whispered after she had passed, "She thanked us yesterday."

Another nodded. "And today she told us not to bow."

An older gardener sighed. "She doesn’t act like the other noble females."

"No," the first servant looked toward Lin Wan’s retreating figure, "she doesn’t."

At the center of the garden stood a quiet lake, its water reflecting the mountains like polished glass. Lin Wan slowly walked toward it and crouched near the edge.

Her reflection stared back at her—pale, thin, and tired. She gently touched her face; she barely recognized herself anymore.

Without thinking, her other hand rested lightly over her lower abdomen.

"...Little one," her voice was almost inaudible, "I’m sorry. I don’t know if I can give you the life you deserve." A tear slipped into the lake, sending ripples across the still water. She smiled sadly. "But... I’ll protect you. No matter what happens."

Hidden among the nearby trees, Cassian stood silently beneath the branches of an ancient spirit pine. He had come to inspect the western gardens—or at least, that was what he had told himself. Instead, he found himself watching her.

He saw the way she looked at the lake and the way her hand rested unconsciously over her stomach. His golden eyes softened almost imperceptibly. He didn’t understand why she kept touching that place, assuming it was simply a habit born from anxiety. He had no idea she was speaking to the tiny life growing inside her.

For several moments, he simply watched—not as a king or a conqueror, but as a man who couldn’t look away from the woman occupying every corner of his thoughts.

Then, a palace attendant hurried toward him, stopping several steps away. "Your Majesty."

Cassian’s expression instantly returned to its usual cold calm. "What is it?"

"The High Council requests your immediate presence. The representatives of the Azure Phoenix Clan have arrived."

Cassian glanced toward Lin Wan one last time. She was still kneeling beside the lake, quietly watching the water. "...Double the guards around the western gardens."

The attendant bowed. "Yes, Your Majesty."

Without another word, Cassian turned and disappeared among the towering trees. He never noticed that from the upper branches of a distant spirit tree, a tiny blue bird silently watched everything before spreading its wings and flying north toward the Silver leopard camp, carrying the news its master had been waiting for.