There was no way I could have known that this new world was actually set inside a novel. My previous life ended on a cold, snowy day when a random car ran me over. I was on my way home from the library after a long day of wrestling with my graduate thesis when a random car skidded on an ice patch and jumped a nearby curb. As fate would have it, I happened to be on that very sidewalk as this metal berserker came careening toward me.
That's how I ended up dead, and was then later reborn. As for the other details concerning my former life, I don't see any point in getting into them. For one thing, they aren't all that interesting. And for another, I soon found that reminiscing over what was never helped anyone anyway. Besides, the most pertinent information right now isn't what kind of life I once led, but that the new life I fell into is a total stinker.
Honestly, things weren't that terrible in the beginning.
"Oh, a lovely daughter this time. How wonderful, especially since you already have your big brother Achille."
The first words I heard my mother say to me as a newborn were full of warmth and affection. It seemed she had really been hoping for a daughter. Of course, I was in a bit of a shock to have died, then suddenly be alive again. But it really didn't take me all that long to accept my new environment. Moreover, it's not like I had a choice. I was already dead and there was just no going back. Thankfully, I was always one who was quick to adjust.
My new life came with a beautiful, sweet mother. She was someone I could truly admire. With a mane of molten, honey-gold hair and deep, ocean blue eyes, she was like a fairy tale princess come to life. I remember thinking how lucky a man my father must be to have snagged a beauty like her.
Being an aesthete, I've always been particularly fascinated with beautiful things, and I found the beauty of my own gender especially enchanting. When it came to my mother, I couldn't quite tell what her background was, but she seemed to have that perfect blend of Eastern and Western features. Each day of my infancy I simply gazed at her radiance in wonder.
"So this is the child?" Asked my father, who boasted features which were even more astounding than my mother. "She's the spitting image of you."
I couldn't help being startled when I caught sight of his jet-black hair and scarlet-hued eyes. Like I said, he had quite distinct features, but in a different way from my mother. Perhaps it was the chiseled contours of his face, or the overall aura he gave off, but he wasn't someone you'd easily forget. By any standard he was a handsome man, but perhaps due to his overpowering presence, that fact seemed less prominent.
"Yes, but she has your scarlet eyes." Said my mother with a demure smile. Is it any wonder that I had such high hopes for my own loveliness at such a young age? With a gene pool bequeathed to me by these two, how could I be anything less than ravishing?
"Roxana."
However, my father's expression as he looked down at his infant daughter cradled in her mother's arms was a dour one.
"This child shall go by the name Roxana."
Then, as if giving me a name was all he had time for, he turned around and was gone in the blink of an eye. At that moment, I knew he was a jerk. He was a man who hadn't bothered to visit his own newborn even once during the first few days of her life. It also occurred to me that his entire demeanor during the visit was more observational than anything remotely tender. In short, I had landed myself an emotional desert for a father.
"Roxana, my beautiful angel."
Mother gave me her brightest smile, which hid the hint of disappointment I'd detected in her eyes when my father left.
"You must grow up healthy so you can become a splendid Agrece."
Uh-oh. There it was. A sudden pang of déjà vu.
"Agrece"... The name had a familiar ring to it. From the looks of my new father, I had to have been reborn in a different country. My parents hadn't spoken in English, but since I understood them without any trouble, I assumed there must have been some sort of reincarnation language reset...
But before I could work out an answer, I was fast asleep. I knew babies slept a lot, but I never realized how true it really was. Mmm... As my mother softly patted me on the back, I slumbered away like the baby I was.
At the time, I really didn't know that the clan I belonged to—the Agreces—was such a wicked lot, and that I had been dropped down into an actual hellhole. Not that I could've done anything about it anyway, but still...
•✦••
I later learned that there were more children than just me and my older brother. Polygamy by both sexes was allowed in this new world, and so it was only a matter of one's ability and circumstances to support such a lifestyle.
At the time, my father had four wives. With my entrance into this world, he now had five progenies to his name. Of the five, my brother and I belonged to my lovely mother. My brother Achille was born four years ahead of me.
"Xana, you're so cute. I will always be around to protect you."
Unlike me, who had our mother's golden mane and our father's scarlet eyes, Achille took after mother from head to toe. In temperament, he was a bit of a doormat, but he was lovable all the same—much like a puppy. Somehow he'd withstood the grime of the horrid environment he'd been born into and retained his innocence with a smile always at the ready.
For as long as I can remember, Achille constantly watched over me with that goofy grin of his, spewing childish nonsense all the while. I mean, mentally, I was over a decade older than him, so seeing him doing the "big brother" thing was beyond funny. But it's also true that he was crucial to my adjusting and overall sanity in this sorry excuse for a home.
This was the residence of the Agrece clan, an old family with a distinct odor. To put it simply, the Agreces were a criminal family who roamed among the denizens of the underworld. Composed of thieves, con artists, drug dealers, and even contract killers when the situation called for it, they were a shady lot who eked out a living however they could. Of course 'eking out' a living for this family was far beyond what any commoner could imagine.
So what are we, the Mafia? The whole thing was just so ridiculous to me. What's even more frustrating is the fact that every child born into this stupid family is required to carry on the family trade. The Agreces had survived for generations this way, thus we children were always told that we too must be educated and trained in the ways of our family.
Now, to a former South Korean with a fairly average background, having that sort of burden thrust upon me was definitely unwelcomed. And yeah, I know I said I was quick to adapt, but this was different. What we're "taught" at this place day in and day out is how to handle weaponry, kill with our bare hands, mix drugs and poison, utilize the art of stealth and disguise, and so on. Unluckily for me, such skills were well beyond my scope. Had these lessons merely been about memorizing a bunch of facts, I would have done just fine. As it turned out, I simply sucked when it came to criminal antics.
"This one doesn't seem to possess any significant talent." My poor excuse for a father grumbled one day. I was eight at the time, which was roughly the same number of times I had seen his lousy mug in person up until then. In other words, our relationship as father and daughter was as distant as could be.
The fact is, Lante Agrece is a father who shows little interest toward his children in general. Perhaps that shouldn't have come as much of a surprise, seeing as by then he had accumulated 10 wives and 16 children. For him to devote time and love equally to all of his family members was probably all but impossible.
"If she was good at even one thing, we could try to hone that, but..."
I didn't appreciate how his stare seemed to be appraising me like an object rather than as his own daughter.
"But I don't even wanna work for this stinking family!" is what I almost blurted out in frustration. Luckily, I managed to remember what Mother and Achille had reminded me to do over the last few days: keep my mouth shut no matter what.
Mother was at my side—her frustration almost palpable. Father finally took one last look at me, then delivered his verdict.
"No matter. We can try using her in a different way."
With my method of contribution to their criminal enterprise decided, father decreed that I should adhere to a more unique curriculum.
So starting that day, I began to train in the art of... seduction.
Seriously, what the hell is up with this place?! Since I take after my beautiful mother, of course I look gorgeous, but who's ever heard of a normal, sane family deciding to teach an eight-year-old such nonsense? A steaming pile of crap is what it was, and it was all thanks to my father.
"A different way." My ass. I assumed this education was to prepare me for gleaning secret information, or to create another path for me to become an assassin. Still, I belonged to a family that did not hesitate to train an eight-year-old how to seduce someone. Just despicable!
"Do I really have to learn such a thing, Mother? What purpose will it serve? Perhaps you've forgotten, but I'm only eight."
"Xana, please don't say such things. You are an Agrece, which means you must study diligently so you may bring glory to our family one day."
Her fingers dug into my shoulders as she said this. Thinking back now, there was definitely a tinge of desperation in her voice that day. I also didn't have the heart to say no to her sad entreaty anyway. Plus, with our family being so hierarchical, there was no one who would dare to question father's decision.
It was a filthy and shameful role I was assigned to, but I did as I was told and began my training in the end. But soon the problem was that my skills in the seduction department also proved to be lackluster. That was probably because my heart wasn't wholly into it.
Much later, while I was enduring this new form of training, Achille was suddenly "disposed" of. He was only 15 when it happened.
•✦••
"Achille...!"
Mother's screams rang and echoed in my ears eerily.
A boy who had laughed and played with the other members of his family only a few days earlier was suddenly a corpse. It was beyond comprehension. The only explanation lay with a woman referred to as "the bailiff." She said Achille had been judged unfit to be an Agrece and was disposed of according to the clan rules. It was the first time in our generation that such a rule had been invoked.
It felt as if I had been doused with a bucket of ice water. I shook and trembled uncontrollably.
"This one doesn't seem to possess any significant talent."
I suddenly recalled the day three years prior when my father scanned me as if he was trying to gauge the value of a piece of merchandise. Then it dawned on me how petrified mother must have been at the time. I knew this family was a mess, but I had never imagined it was so thoroughly effed up until that moment.
At the sight of Achille's lifeless body, my delicate mother simply fainted. She was laid up sick in bed for days and days after that. Needless to say, I was shocked to my core as well. I knew that things had to change. If Achille could be disposed of so easily, there was no doubt I could very well be next.
That sudden realization made goosebumps pop up along the back of my neck. It was yet another reminder that my father Lante Agrece only favored those with useful skills. After that, I began to take my so-called education much more seriously. It was also imperative that I began to assess my predicament more realistically.
"Xana, darling, how are your studies coming along?"
"Very well, mother. I'm working hard."
"That's wonderful. You must do your best every day so that you can grow up to become a worthy Agrece."
"Yes, mother."
I no longer argued with what she told me to do.
As for my education, although my concentration was the art of seduction, that didn't mean I could ignore the other disciplines. On top of basic physical training, there were various subjects I had to learn such as weaponry, pharmacology, intel gathering, eloquence, and so on.
Although we were a household that lacked any sense of kinship, there was still a monthly gathering called "the grand feast." However, father only invited the top three performing children from the previous month to attend the event and spend time with him. As one might guess, even when Achille was alive, neither he nor I ever made the cut.
Following his death, two more children were disposed of. One of them must have sensed the impending danger and tried to escape, but he was eventually caught and suffered a truly gruesome ending. I could not help constantly questioning the logic of this world, but once I realized that the answer lay with none other than Lante Agrece, I got my act together.
A year after Achille's death, I was invited to my first grand feast at the age of 12. It was then and there that it dawned on me that the new world I had been reincarnated into was just a novel.
•✦••
"Mind lending me that key for a bit?"
Flash forward to the present day, I had snuck down to the basement dungeon. After descending the steps, I stood in front of the main entrance where traces of cool, wet air had escaped from the inner chambers.
"I'm afraid I can't do that, my lady. Master expressly forbade anyone from going inside." Said the dungeon guard.
"So what, you're refusing me? Really?" I replied. The dungeon guard winced at the sting in my voice. I sneered at him with my head tilted, daring him to oppose me.
From my first invitation to the grand feast at age 12, all the way to now at age 16, I had been a regular attendee to the coveted event. In other words, I was the Agrece clan's rising star. Don't get me wrong. I'm not particularly proud of that achievement, it just sort of happened. Although I don't exactly have any criminal ambitions, I had to do whatever I could not to wind up dead.
"But..." the guard bumbled. He looked like he would cave after one more nudge. The only question was whether I should threaten or cajole him...
After a brief deliberation, I decided to grace him with my feminine wiles. Like magic, his face began to turn pink. But what the heck? I hadn't even begun the seduction part. This guy was falling for me WAY too fast. Yet another hapless dungeon guard bound for the gallows stood before me. He was probably one of the lowest of the low in terms of rank, not to mention young. He looked to be just shy of 20. As I hardly ever graced the dungeons with my presence, there was next to no chance he would have developed any sort of immunity to my charm, which was perfect for me.
While the guard continued to dither about, I snatched the keys out of his grasp.
"I'm just gonna have a quick gander. I won't leave a single trace of my having been here, so you won't need to report this non-visit to my father. Understood?"
A whisper of confidence sprinkled with a smile was all it took to get the job done.
As he swore that he wouldn't dare dream of divulging our new secret, he actually opened the door, then ushered me inside. Hmph. Yet another oaf likely to lose his post soon.
I was merciless in my judgment as I stepped into the dungeon. Inside, the damp air felt like it was trying to crawl beneath my skin. It was putrid as hell. Since the dungeons were used for keeping—and often torturing—captives, the smell should have come as no surprise to me.
With grim determination, I moved further down the hall. Through the metal bars of the cell door, I spotted the person I had come to see. Gripping the set of keys I had taken from the guard, I opened the door.
Creeeaak.
The rusted hinge seemed to shriek in pain.
The abducted teen was still bound from head to toe and sat leaning against the furthest wall. With his head tilted toward the floor, the first thing I noticed was the strange, bluish tint of his silver mane. The hate-filled glare from the golden pupils that had given me such a fright before was now hidden behind his eyelids.
He didn't look like he'd be conscious anytime soon. Leaning against the door, I called out carefully.
"You there..."
Though in my head it was more like, "Yo! Big bro to the heroine, please open your eyes!"
"Cassis Pedelian."
Even at the mention of his name, he didn't budge. I inched a bit closer and away from the doorway. He was in much worse shape than I had assumed while at a distance. The magical cuffs had dug into his wrists and ankles, as well as new injuries which I hadn't noticed when he first passed by us upstairs.
Although Father had only said to keep him locked up until he became docile, they must have decided to take the lash to the boy as well. Luckily, the wounds were free of glass shards, which means they just used regular whips. Seeing as he was still pretty much in one piece, the actual state he was in was anyone's guess.
Unlike this lucky son of a gun, most of the poor saps Lante Agrece sent down here almost always suffered far worse fates. Not that this poor kid was even close to being in 'good shape' but based on the typical standards of the Agrece dungeon, he wasn't doing too terribly.
This ultimately meant that I could relax a bit. If this kid were to die though, I knew all too well that as a member of this lousy house, I'd meet the same fate before long. I withdrew the medicine I had hidden in my bosom, then lifted his head up.
Clink.
My, what a handsome devil he was. He had the elegant visage of an aristocrat. The fresh scars on his pale face almost made him seem like a fan of masochism. It was a face that practically begged to be tormented.
When he was glaring at us earlier, he seemed to be brimming with a haughty spirit. But as he lay there peacefully with his eyes closed, he looked harmless—even delicate. By the looks of him, one might have assumed he was a few years older than me, but I believe he was still 17 to be exact.
"This'll be tricky."
Had I met him anywhere else, I would have simply admired his good looks and moved on. But the matter was a little more complicated now that he was locked up in our territory.
That was mainly because he was exactly Charlotte's type. Charlotte is one of my two younger half-siblings who had asked earlier to play with our newest captive. Despite being three years my junior, she was a major pain, but also an undeniable badass as far as up-and-coming criminals go. Although relatively young, she had a sadistic streak she would often let loose on the "toys" Father brought home.
I had to squint to examine the boy's face more thoroughly. Then I took him by the chin and pulled his mouth open.
"Ugh..."
First things first, I needed to give him some medicine. I must have accidentally grazed his bloody lip because he suddenly winced. Not wanting him to wake up, I remained still for a moment, but I really didn't need to worry because he remained unconscious. Good boy. At this point, you can bear a little pain. We Agrece children were regular recipients of bloody lips ourselves during our monthly evaluations.
With less than what I would have called a 'gingerly touch' I forced the pill down his throat. In a way, his being unconscious actually made things easier. Had he been awake, it was unlikely he would have accepted the medicine I was offering him.
"Ugh..."
Right away, the kid started groaning. I honestly wondered if the little weasel had been faking being unconscious the whole time. He looked like he might actually wake up at any moment. And soon enough, he did. His eyelids fluttered briefly, then opened to reveal his golden pupils. He looked about without seeming to be able to focus, then slowly closed and reopened his eyes.
Damn this kid! I had hoped he would stay unconscious at least a bit longer. A moment later, our eyes locked.
"Uh... Hi."
Unsure of what else to say, I just mindlessly greeted him. Obviously, 'hi' was arguably the lamest thing I could have said in that situation, but the boy was luckily slow to come around. That delay, however, didn't last long. Soon his eyes were sharp with comprehension. Finally, he seemed to register my presence. He also seemed to notice the medicine in his mouth at the same time.
"W-What the—Mmph!" he had begun to splutter, but his raspy protest suddenly came to a halt. Admittedly, that was because I had clapped my hand over his mouth to shut him up. In truth, it was a reflex, but one that earned me the boy's burning fury.
He began to thrash about in an attempt to break free of my grip, his shackles clattering loudly as he moved. Goodness me, this kid still had so much spunk. Honestly, I didn't think he'd have anything left in the tank. All the same, him struggling to move had zero effect on me, since I knew the chains linking his magical cuffs to the wall could withstand far more than that.
"Mmph!"
"Stop trying to spit it out. It's an antidote, not poison."
"Oop!"
"Calm down. Even if I intended to kill you, I wouldn't use poison!"
But his frenzy continued. It was obvious he wasn't ready to reason. And honestly, who could blame him? Not only had he been abducted and jailed in enemy territory, but he had also woken up to find a stranger forcing something down his throat. But while I did understand his state of mind, the fact remained that he was getting in the way of his own recovery. I realized I'd have to hold him down until the medicine could dissolve. What a nuisance that was...
"Sorry, but with all this flailing about, you leave me no choice."
With my hand still over his mouth, I elbowed his head back.
"Mph, kegh!"
My sudden maneuver seemed to have succeeded in catching him off guard as I could immediately see the pill had made it down his throat. Now the only issue was that if I took my hand away, he might just throw it back up. So in truth, I had no choice but to do what I did next. He'd have to go back to sleep.
"Ack, ack! What're y—?!"
"Again... I'm really sorry about this."
Pow!
"Kegh!"
With one final apology, I punched him square in the stomach. I must have struck him in a vital spot because he immediately keeled over. Compared to when I had first shown up, he really was out cold this time.
Sheesh! I wonder just how hard I had punched him. Somewhat sheepishly, I took my hand away from his lips. All Agrece children learn basic combat skills, so manhandling someone around my age was easy enough even for me. Of course, the task was made all the more easy if the person was already tied down like he was. On top of that, he was under the effects of some sort of poison. I had only knocked him out because he was putting up such a fight, but even so, I regretted having possibly gone a bit overboard. Not that I can turn back the clock anyway. What's done is done.
With the boy sound asleep once more, I left the dungeon, wiping away cold beads of sweat that were running down my forehead.
•✦••
I revisited the dungeon the next day.
I've often heard that the first attempt at anything is always the hardest, and that everything is downhill from there. Since entering the dungeon was fairly easy for me to begin with, that could only mean the second time was basically going to be a cakewalk.
I didn't even have to try to butter up the guard. As soon as he saw me coming, he promptly unlatched the lock. Before going inside, I asked, "Has anyone else visited the dungeon since I came by yesterday? Perhaps Jeremy, Charlotte, or anyone else?"
"No, my lady. The master forbade entrance to everyone."
"I see... And yet, you let me in."
My casual remark stumped him for a moment. I looked him over once more, then offered him a knowing smile.
"So you made an exception for me, is that it?"
I believed him when he said that no one else had gone into the dungeon since the day before.
"What's your name?"
"Uh..."
"Your name. What is it?"
I was showing someone who was so clearly older than me absolutely zero respect, but instead of getting upset or angry, he simply blushed like an oaf.
"Y... Yoan, my lady."
"I see. Well, thank you for your help, Yoan. I'd hate for you to get into any sort of trouble because of me, so I'll just pop in and out real quick to see how he's doing like I did yesterday."
"Oh, it's no trouble at all, my lady!"
Calling him by his name with a smile was really all it took to have him eating out of the palm of my hand. He looked so excited that he started to ramble.
"I've actually heard so much about you, Lady Roxana, so even getting to meet you like this is a HUGE honor! I'm simply overjoyed at the chance to be of service to you in any way, no matter how big or small. And..."
Ignoring his prattling, I entered the dungeon after shooting him one last smile. It was still eerie, and the air was as disgustingly stale as ever... It was definitely a place one would want to avoid, if possible. But what choice did I have with Cassis Pedelian being held captive?
Creeeaak.
As I pulled back on the metal door, it shrieked out in agony once again. My guess is it probably hadn't been oiled in at least a hundred years. Or is it just a jail thing in general? I know that in old horror movies and scary stories, whenever there's that sort of hair-raising sound, it usually means something terrible is about to happen. Or was it just due to all the dampness?
Once I finally broke away from those stray thoughts, I looked up to see the boy staring right at me. His golden eyes, intense like the burning sun, seemed to bore into me.
"Oh, so you're awake today."
Perhaps because my mind had still been thinking about his condition from the previous day, meeting him wide awake like that took me by surprise. But after my remark, his quiet yet intense gaze quickly changed into a grimace.
"You..."
He began with menace in his voice, seeming to have figured out that I was the one who had visited him the day before. But since he'd practically been unconscious, I still doubted whether he had actually seen me. As I stepped into the cell, he growled in warning.
"What exactly did you give me yesterday?!"
Though his voice was still haggard and raspy, the icy glare he gave me suggested he would slay me in one swoop if given the chance. He certainly was bold for someone who was still bound hand and foot. Still, I figured there was no harm in him knowing I was the same person.
"I told you it was an antidote. I gave it to you to reverse the paralysis toxin that's in your system." Then I added calmly, "The effects would have lasted for at least five days, and they would have been very painful."
With a quick glance up and down, I could see he hadn't suffered any further injuries since my last visit. Or at least, none that were noticeable. I didn't attempt to treat his lashing wounds for fear of others noticing.
"You expect me to believe that?" he asked.
So I asked in return, "Are you or are you not feeling better than you did yesterday? I mean, look how well you're able to talk today."
That seemed to stump him rather abruptly. Naturally, he was still suspicious of me and was obviously aching to know more, but he was also cautious.
"Let's say it was an antidote... then what exactly are you up to?"
"Nothing."
There was a moment of uncertainty in his eyes, but only for a second. Soon he returned to staring at me with that cool gaze of his again.
"Then tell me who the hell you are."
His low, raspy voice seemed to creep over the floor toward me. I felt that before asking about who I was, he should introduce himself first, so I said, "Cassis Pedelian."
The boy flinched at the sound of his own name.
"Is that your name?"
I asked knowing full well that it was indeed, but honestly, I would have been beyond ecstatic if I had been wrong. Of course, I wasn't, and his reply quickly confirmed that.
"Just what sort of game are you playing?! You dragged me to this place knowing damn well who I am!"
Damn it all! There was absolutely zero room for doubt after that. I mean it when I say I had wanted to be wrong so, SO badly.
"Now it's your turn to tell me who you are. Though I assume you're one of Agrece's filthy underlings."
So he already knew he was in Agrece territory. But that was no big surprise since my father was not particularly secretive when it came to his criminal enterprises. In fact, he was the sort who would just as soon cut someone down with his sword while laughing them full in the face.
I continued to watch the boy for a while in consternation, then sighed.
"Look, I need to ask you something."
"No, I asked you who you are. You answer me first."
Ignoring his demand, I moved on to what had been troubling me that entire time.
"Tell the truth—you can't see anything right now, can you?"
There was no answer. Only silence filled the dungeon. Cassis Pedelian remained still, but I knew the answer because his gaze never once wavered from me.
"So I'm right. You have lost your sight."
As I approached him, I noticed his eyes were locked on my face. In fact, he had been following my movements rather naturally ever since I had stepped into his cell, which is why I hadn't been certain.
"How many fingers am I holding up?"
I fluttered my fingers in front of his face.
"Get out of my face!" Clearly, he was in no mood to fool around.
Still, I was certain after that. His frustration had confirmed it.
"No wonder you didn't react to me the way I had expected." I said.
Had he been able to see me, I was certain his pupils would have dilated already. At the very least, they should have dilated when he first laid eyes on me.
For as long as I had lived in this world, no one was able to conceal their initial shock when first encountering my loveliness. Of course, he was also wary and angry at any and everyone who was in his enemy's territory, but that was a different issue. I'm sure I sound like I suffer from vanity. And while that may be the case, the truth is, I was simply making a logical observation.
But I could tell my words made no sense to Cassis. Given the state he was in, I supposed it was only natural. To me, the fact that he had asked if I was one of my father's underlings was further proof that his vision was kaput. He had looked my way just the day before while passing by me and my siblings.
Anyway, I soon surmised that he had not only been paralyzed, but also blinded during the kidnapping. And the cuffs around his wrists and ankles were no ordinary ones. They were reserved for use against actual monsters. The magical cuffs were designed with monster tendons woven into them, so they were far more powerful than average ones, meaning the boy must have been quite the handful to capture. That penetrating stare of his had scared the daylights out of me the day prior, but at least it was clear he had only been guessing at my and my siblings' whereabouts.
I scanned him from top to bottom, not because I had any devious plans, but to see if there were any clues as to what had been done to him. Then I saw it. I quickly ripped open the front of his shirt, but as my hand brushed his chest, Cassis jerked away frowning.
"It wasn't poison that did this to you but a spell, so it shouldn't last too long."
The tiny swirl I found etched onto his waist area confirmed that Cassis had for all intents and purposes been blinded. Yet despite that, he really had almost faked me out. No doubt he was a tricky one... When I scowled up at his face, he once again met my gaze dead center. From that close-up, I could feel the power of his presence which hadn't been as evident the day before.
When he was unconscious, I had taken him for a delicate and innocent young man, but after seeing him looking down at me like that, I could definitely sense the weight of his charisma. It was an aura that was far beyond someone of his seventeen years. The calm he maintained in such a precarious circumstance was proof of that in itself.
"I think I'll just leave your eyes alone for now."
Even then, he still didn't show a hint of fear or anxiety. In fact, his frigid gaze remained so intense, that I almost felt a chill.
"Your eyesight should return in a few days. Plus, the reversal spell is rather tricky, so it wouldn't be advisable right now."
He listened to me speak without saying a word, as if all his concentration was trying to gauge my true intentions. Since I could feel him trying to read me, I continued.
"You probably won't believe me." I muttered. "But I really don't want you to die."
"What?"
He must have been genuinely surprised to hear that as I noticed his expression suddenly changed completely. But I needed to leave, so I said, "I'll visit again soon."
"Wait! Hold o—!" he yelled trying to keep me there longer, but I was already out the door.
•✦••
Upon returning to my room, I didn't feel all that great. But who would expect me to be after I had direct confirmation that our newest captive was indeed Cassis Pedelian? Damn it! How would I get out of such a dangerous situation? And why, oh why had I been born into such a hopelessly evil household?!
In order to understand why I was so invested in that boy's wellbeing, I suppose I should explain more about the novel I'm in. It's a book that contains the fate of the Agreces and me. Prior to my sudden death in that car accident in my past life, I had read a romance novel. It was before I had become busy with my thesis. One of my classmates had recommended this book, saying the novel was popular. Although I had never been a big fan of romance fiction, I trusted my friend and happened to have plenty of free time, so those were the only excuses I needed to check it out.
The title of the book was The Abysmal Flower. And yes, just as the title suggests, it was a gothic romance novel. Honestly, the more I read it, the more I wanted to hurl it at the nearest wall.
The main story revolves around the female protagonist, Sylvia, who is smack dab in the middle of a few sizzling affairs with her male abductors. I'd say the story could be best described as an X-rated, reverse-harem fantasy. The story's lore is also quite unique. There are five family clans that control this world, represented by five colors: Blue, White, Red, Gold, and Black. Sylvia belongs to the Blue clan, known as the Pedelians.
The story begins with Sylvia while she is still in her youth. She is a beautiful, lovely girl with a mane of otherworldly silver hair that gives off hints of blue under the right light. She also has golden eyes. Having grown up in a prosperous and harmonious family, she is beloved by all and lacks nothing. She also has an older brother with whom she gets on famously.
While real life brother-sister relationships are almost always strained, these sorts of stories always show siblings in the opposite light. If I may exaggerate a little, I'd have to say their love and concern for each other was so great that if one of them were in need of it, the other would gladly give up a limb for their sibling. Even now, I remember thinking 'only in fiction' as I smirked to myself the first time I read it. I admit that I've since eaten a rather heaping slice of humble pie.
Anyway, the true tragedy begins when the heroine's brother suddenly disappears. At the time, she is 15 and he is 17. And yes, the heroine's brother who disappears in the story is the very same Cassis Pedelian now trapped in my family's dungeon. Also known as 'the Blue Heir' Cassis had taken on the duty of overseeing his family's business as he is their designated scion.
One day, he notices suspicious activities occurring at the border of his family's territory and leaves to inspect the matter. But soon after, he is reported to have vanished. Needless to say, the heroine and her family are desperate to find him. They have their suspicions and figure Cassis' disappearance is likely the doing of the Black Agrece clan, the long-time foes of the Pedelians. With such a grim-sounding name, it's no wonder that the Agreces are such a thoroughly evil household. Even I must admit, the name is a perfect match for this perfectly evil family.
With the Pedelians, known as the defenders of justice, on one side, and the infinitely evil Agreces on the other, there was just no way the two families were ever going to get along. What made the situation even worse was that the heads of both clans had recently had a huge clash.
Putting two and two together, Sylvia's family becomes convinced that Cassis' disappearance is the dirty work of their sworn enemy. And that indeed is the case. However, they don't have any proof. Because each clan is almost equal in power, the Pedelians can't risk acting on a mere hunch, however educated it may be, nor can they just wait around doing nothing. At some point, they decide to send spies into the Agrece territory, but one after another they return home as corpses.
Things continue like that for three years. During that time, Sylvia never gives up hope of finding her brother. After she turns 18, she decides to set out in search of her brother for herself. Unfortunately, there's still that sticking point of this being story an X-rated story. And trust me, that's not for nothing...
As Sylvia travels through the lands of White, Red and Gold to glean information about her brother's whereabouts, she encounters each of those clans' absurd chiefs. I don't know what other readers thought of them, but to me they each seemed full-on bonkers. After falling head over heels in love with the story's female protagonist, their respective ideas of how to engage in romantic courting is to abduct and incarcerate her. As I was reading the book, I remember thinking they were nothing but a bunch of losers.
Even within the Black Agrece compound, I recall there was yet another lovestruck buffoon who eventually abducts Sylvia as well. In a way, this abduction allows for her entry into the enemy's lair, which is something she would attempt to do without much success. Then once inside, she discovers that her brother Cassis was already viciously murdered by the Agreces.
After that, she decides to enlist the help of her suitors from the White, Red, and Gold clans in order to obliterate the Agreces. Once the Agreces have been eradicated, Sylvia and her suitors form a reverse harem to live happily ever after... But that isn't how the story ends! If it had, it wouldn't live up to its "gothic romance" moniker. Basically, it ends with the male suitors deciding to trap Sylvia in a birdcage and use her like a toy, thus the title of the novel being The Abysmal Flower.
What a load of bull... Not only does Sylvia get shafted, but the entire Agrece clan gets totally annihilated because the Pedelians are so incensed that they go after every last member of our family. The other clan chiefs who fell in love with Sylvia also do what they can to help crush the Agreces.
And just as a side note, the character of Roxana who I've been reincarnated as is basically just a supporting character in service to the Agreces. "Doing what?" one might ask. If I had to describe it, her role is boring and predictable.
At her father's bidding, Roxana tries to lure Sylvia's lovers away, but fails. Then on the day of the mass slaughter, she dies just like everyone else.
"Double damn! Is there really no way I can hit the reincarnate button one more time?"
I bemoaned the sorry hand I had been dealt for the umpteenth time. And yes, I know the fate that befalls my character is in line with what normally happens to evil characters that belong to evil families, but even so, it feels incredibly unfair that I have to die simply for being reborn an Agrece! This is nothing but a case of guilt by association.
Don't get me wrong either. If I'm being honest, a clan as evil as the Agreces should be eradicated. Based on what I've observed while being here, each and every one of the Agreces has at least one major screw loose. If they aren't messed up already, this cesspool of a clan will make sure they are before long. In this house, one either adapts... or gets disposed of. They'll simply throw you away one day for being "defective" merchandise, like they did to my brother Achille.
Even now, I still remember the day he died as if it were yesterday. And to be clear, I often consider running away from this hellhole, but even a rising star like myself can't be sure I'll be able to completely skirt by the other vigilant and frightful characters that make up the Agrece clan.
Knock, knock
Someone was at my door.
"Lady Roxana, it's me, Emily."
"Come in."
A stony-faced woman walked through my door. As my servant, she came by my room at this time each day. She held a tray in her hands, on top of which sat a cup of water and a white sheet of paper that had been folded twice.
"Go ahead and report."
"Because your Netarium tolerance level is now at 5.0, your dosage has been increased by 0.2 peron. This means, you've exceeded the lethal dose of 4.7 peron, and should expect such side effects as stomach pain, temporary paralysis, coughing up blood, and so on."
I wasn't thrilled to hear any of that, but I still poured the white powder from the medicine pouch into the cup of water.
Others might have been shocked to see such a thing, but to us Agreces it was no big deal. From childhood, all family members ingest small amounts of various poisons in order to build up our tolerance to them. Because the amounts are calibrated based on each person's own physique, there is never any real threat of death. That's why a "lethal" dose wouldn't actually kill me. Having already completed my tolerance training some time ago, I continued to ingest increasing amounts for personal reasons.
"What's Jeremy up to?" I asked her casually.
"He's in his room, my lady." Emily answered, as she prepared to leave my room with the now empty cup and tray.
Jeremy is my half-brother who had insisted on playing with the new "toy" along with Charlotte. I had been keeping tabs on his whereabouts over the last few days, but I knew he would come looking for me soon enou—
"Xana!"
Speak of the devil... A loud shout rang from the hall just as Emily had opened the door. Pushing her aside, Jeremy made his way into my room uninvited. With his black hair and blue eyes, there was no doubt he was a truly beautiful boy. And it is this boy, Jeremy Agrece, the story's villainous supporting character that abducts the heroine, who eventually leads to our family's demise.
"When'd you get back, sis? I dropped by earlier but you weren't here." Jeremy grumbled. He walked toward me, then suddenly pivoted back to the door. "What are you still standing there for? Beat it!"
The acidity in his voice was the complete opposite of the playful tone he often struck with me. When Emily remained standing by the door, Jeremy began to give her a deadly glare. Never mind that he was the one who entered my room uninvited, yet was acting as if Emily had been the intruder.
It was clear that he didn't like her being in the room, but Emily belonged to me. So like a sensible servant, she waited for my command and simply ignored my half-brother. It almost felt as if she was asking if I wanted him thrown out for entering without permission.
"You may go, Emily."
Upon my command, she left after a silent curtsey. Jeremy's icy gaze remained fixed on her retreating figure. I doubt he'd ever do anything brash toward someone who belonged to me, but it was pretty obvious he was no fan of Emily's.
"Jeremy."
Clack.
With the sound of the door shutting, the realization that I was annoyed with him for barging in seemed to set in.
"Come here."
Of course, I wasn't going to let it show, because to Jeremy I was his sweet older sister. At my beckoning, he turned his gaze from the door and came toward me. I offered my hand to him.
"The room was empty when I came by earlier. Where did you go?"
Taking my hand in his, he plopped down next to my feet, then leaned his head against my thigh. He looked like some attention-starved puppy. I suddenly understood his irritation at Emily's presence. He would never have let anyone else see this side of him. Missing me earlier must have really disappointed him. He was definitely pouting.
In a calm tone, I answered, "The incubation chamber."
"You mean the poisonous butterfly one?"
"Mhm."
I couldn't possibly admit that I had gone to the dungeon to see Cassis Pedelian. Not trying to hide that he thought it was a futile endeavor, he frowned and said, "You're really going try to incubate them again?"
"Well, they're the last batch and I'm determined to succeed this time."
"Well, I'd prefer it if they all just died."
"But after all the time and hard work I've invested, it would be a waste to quit now."
I could tell Jeremy wasn't convinced that it was a good idea. Sensing his genuine concern, I felt a little more generous toward him. In the novel, Jeremy plays the oafish evil character who reveals all of the clan's secrets and misdeeds to the female protagonist. But perhaps because he was still so young, he didn't seem that bad at the moment. Yes, he was a brute, but no worse than any other Agrece. What's more, he was very sweet to me.
"You know the new toy father brought home?" he asked, while suddenly lifting his head from my lap. He was talking about Cassis Pedelian. "He won't let us anywhere near that guy, which means he can't be just any run-of-the-mill sap. Who do you think he is?"
"I'm not sure either."
I was aware that new prisoners interested Jeremy in general, but this time he seemed especially keen to know about the mystery "guest."
"I do recall thinking he didn't look like a pushover." I added.
It was a fairly empty comment, but enough to make Jeremy sit upright.
"Hang on. Are you... interested in him as well?"
He stared up at me while searching for an answer. I suppose he must have sensed something in my tone.
"You've never ever taken an interest in the toys father brought home before, sis."
He shifted again to level his gaze with mine. I could tell his blue eyes were preparing to gauge my reaction.
"I know, but this one looked interesting."
I didn't see any sense in denying it. I smiled placidly while Jeremy squinted back at me.
"Hmph! Is he?"
I could see the cogs in his mind working a mile a minute, but soon his chin resettled on my lap again.
"Well, sis, I'll leave him to you then."
It was unheard of for Jeremy to surrender his prey to anyone, but I had known he'd do exactly that. How did I know? Because he craved my attention and affirmation. Even the expression on his face seemed to implore 'Did I do good?'. He was a boy who was desperate for approval.
I began to stroke his hair while smiling down at him. Pressing his head against my hand, he had the satisfied look of a creature after a hearty feast. He even purred like a cat. A cat, however, is still a predator. I could not afford to forget that.
But seeing him clinging to me, I couldn't help thinking that he was still just a 15-year-old kid in need of love and care. I had thought that for some time and always made a concerted effort to be the sort of sister he desired.
Feeling the touch of my hand was definitely also adding to his content state. I too was content since things were progressing according to my plan. While my hand continued to caress him, my mind coolly calculated my next move.
•✦••
Curse those Agreces.
Cassis cursed his enemies silently, then spit out a gob of blood.
The dungeon guards had only moments ago come to torture him. It was the second time he had been whipped while bound. He realized that their purpose wasn't to beat any sort of important secrets out of him, but simply to inflict pain. He was so battered by then that any trace of the handsome, noble-looking Cassis Perelian was all but gone. One of the reasons everyone revered to him as the Blue Heir was due to his good looks, but his renowned appearance was now marred with traces of truly sadistic torture. He had also suffered internal injuries as a result of the poison, the sorcery, and the trap he'd been forced to endure.
It had been almost four days since Cassis was dragged into enemy territory. He'd always known that Agreces were a conniving and evil lot, but he had never expected them to attempt a direct assault and kidnap a member of the Blue Pedelians. Such an action was akin to declaring war. The Agreces dared to cross into Pedelian territory and brazenly attacked before taking the Blue clan's scion prisoner.
The physical pain was severe, but it was the sheer outrage that was actually hurting Cassis. If he could, he would cut down Lante Agrece and destroy their entire compound, but the reality was he could barely see. Cassis stared past the metal bars with strained effort. His vision had improved from the day before, but only enough to distinguish between light and dark. The girl must have been telling the truth that his sight would return.
Clang.
The sound of a door opening in the distance reached them, then he could hear footsteps.
Cassis simply listened carefully. They didn't sound like they belonged to the guards. Someone with a shorter stride and much lighter footsteps was approaching his cell.
It had to be her—his mysterious nurse.
"You look like hell today." She said as he assumed she was stepping over the threshold.
Is that a hint of apology in her tone? Cassis also thought he had heard her sigh.
Suddenly there was movement, then a subtle scent wafted into his nose. He could tell by the surge of warmth that someone had was close to him, so snapped icily,
"Don't touch me!"
"I'm just going to check if you've suffered any serious injuries."
As she carefully lifted up his shirt, he felt his body tense. He considered trying to ward off her touch, but only for a moment. Instead, he looked toward where she stood. Eventually, his searching gaze landed upon the girl's face, but after realizing that he still could hardly make out a human form, he scowled in frustration.
"Fortunately, there isn't any major damage. But if you are suffering, I can give you something for it."
"No need."
Each time he heard the girl's voice, a funny feeling came over him. Strangely sweet yet relaxed, and it also sounded as clear as polished jade. Unable to deny to himself that he was entranced by her voice, he suspected there could be some inexplicable force that was emanating from her.
"Eat this." She said. "If you don't want to die, that is."
Something touched his lips. It was a slightly soft and round something, and it smelled of herbs. Cassis was fairly certain he knew what it was the girl was feeding him. It was likely a medicinal pellet made from a concentration of various nutrients. They enabled whoever ate them to survive for up to three days without eating. He had taken a similar supplement before leaving to inspect his clan's border.
The girl then examined the bowl on the floor. It was likely that since they had no intention of killing him yet, his jailers would stick a tray into his cell once a day. But the stinking, formless mush they seemed to presume could pass for food made him want to gag. Of course, that was beside the point since he would never willingly touch anything an Agrece offered him. Not even if it was manna from heaven.
"Why should I eat what you're offering me?"
There was still plenty of wariness left in him; even toward the girl. He couldn't afford to blindly trust anyone, not even her. It was true that her actions had been kind, if not mystifying, and that she seemed to genuinely wish to keep him alive...
But he wasn't anywhere close to trusting her enough to swallow whatever she was offering. For one thing, he didn't even know her name yet!
After a moment of silence, the girl said, "Well, if that's how you feel, then you leave me no choice."
Cassis caught something in the girl's tone and began to stutter.
"J-J-Just a mom—"
Pow!
He was a second too late.
"Urgh!"
Once again, Cassis felt the same excruciating pain in his gut that he suffered the first time he met her. However, this time he did not collapse on impact. He supposed it may be due to his body finally being free of the toxins and therefore slightly stronger.
The girl seemed at a loss.
"Hmm... Maybe I didn't punch you hard enough."
"Is that supposed to be some sort of joke?!"
"Sorry, but I'll need to hit you just one more time."
Almost immediately he felt a searing pain pierce right through his midriff.
Why you rotten...
This time he did lose consciousness.
•✦••
"Just what are you playing at?"
Cassis couldn't help but be short with the girl during their next encounter. He was angry at her for knocking him out cold so casually, and felt the entire thing was rather absurd. She had done it not once, but twice! Or three times if the actual punches were being tallied.
"You left me no choice. You refused to eat what I brought you."
Her voice was calm, almost like that of a school teacher lecturing an unruly child. But then Cassis realized that the tone in her voice was regretful even though her actual words were not.
"So you decided to knock me unconscious?"
"You did have the option of simply doing as I said."
Cassis's menacing gaze didn't seem effective in making her cower even a bit.
"Well, truthfully, I think it's wise to exercise caution. Even being suspicious of a kind stranger is a good call. Honestly, if anyone else offers you food here, you absolutely should refuse. I only say that because there's no one else here you can trust harbors good intentions toward you."
Just what is she? My punisher, or my nurse?
Trying to understand this girl seemed impossible to Cassis. Her voice still retained a girlish lilt, and her silhouette was on the smaller side, so he supposed she must be around his age or slightly younger. But both the way she spoke and behaved was far from what he would expect of someone so young. She had knocked him out cold twice, and even force-fed him something that proved to be helpful.
While he wasn't willing to admit this to her, if he were to be truthful, he was feeling quite a lot better than he had before. Even at that very moment she was being exceptionally attentive in looking after him. Unlike when she punched him, her touch was as soft as velvet when she would check his injuries. All in all, she was an enigma.
Cassis clamped his mouth shut and stared hard in her direction. Not that he could make anything out clearly by doing so. Still, he supposed he might be able to sense the other person's aura, or even their intentions, so he continued to gaze at her in silence. She seemed prepared to wait for Cassis to decide whether he could trust her or not. Then he finally opened his mouth slowly.
"Just tell me what you fed me this time. I can still taste some sort of medicine in my mouth."
"It was a capsule containing pain relievers and antiviral medicine. I can't treat your external wounds because the others might notice. This won't go on for much longer. I'll try my best to make you more comfortable soon."
"And may I ask how you plan to go about doing that?"
The girl hadn't hesitated to answer his question earlier, but she seemed uncertain now. Cassis was dying to know who she was, but had correctly surmised that she was unlikely to ever tell him, so he attempted a different approach.
"So you... think I may leave this dungeon alive, is that it?"
Even as he asked, he knew the hopelessness of his situation.
"Lante Agrece didn't bring me all the way here just to spare my life, you know."
Unless one were a complete buffoon, it would be impossible not to know the head Agrece's true intention in abducting the Blue Heir. It was either a political maneuver to agitate the rival Pedelian clan, or a blind act of revenge for all the bad blood that flowed between them. Or perhaps it was both.
No matter the reason, Agrece was unlikely to let Cassis leave in one piece. Most likely because his return would almost certainly ignite an actual war. First of all, the Pedelians would never forgive the Agreces for an unprovoked attack. Nor could Cassis overlook the humiliation he had endured while imprisoned.
"Who told you that?"
The girl's dissatisfaction was plain in her voice as she asked. She seemed to want to refute Cassis's claim.
"Lante Agrece himself."
"..."
His sarcasm was meant to rouse her from her naïveté. But she instead became quiet suddenly, so he couldn't even hazard to guess what she was thinking. Just then Cassis found himself wondering what her expression might be. After a short while, he could hear a quiet, thin voice wavering as it said, "You are not going to die here. Because I—"
But the voice abruptly stopped speaking. The dungeon fell under a blanket of silence once again save for the sound of the two of them breathing. A sound could be heard in the distance, reverberating as if there was some sort of trouble outside. Cassis was certain the girl must have heard it as well for he felt a rapid movement, like someone turning their head quickly. Before he organize his thoughts, the girl was upon him.
"Here, eat this." She said.
The texture against his lips suggested it was more medicine. Cassis did his best to concentrate on the face that was now so much closer to his own. His sight had improved some since the previous day, so he managed to make out the hazy outline of the girl's figure. Perhaps it was only his imagination, but for a moment he thought they had locked eyes.
Cassis slowly opened his mouth. For the first time, he accepted what she gave him without any resistance. The medicine dissolved immediately, so he didn't even need water. After he took the medicine, the girl remained in his cell. He had expected her to flee as soon as had swallowed it, but no. Could it be because of the noise outside?
Cassis concentrated all of his senses to the maximum, then asked, "Name."
"Huh?"
"What... is your name?"
He couldn't make out her identity, but he thought just maybe she might reveal her name. But still no answer. He was just about ready to give up, so chuckled as he said, "So it's like that, huh?"
But then she whispered, "Roxana."
"Roxana."
Cassis repeated her name to himself silently until it was etched into his brain.
Roxana...
To him, her name was the dawn that lifted the curtain of perpetual darkness.
•✦••
It was the dead of night. Darkness surrounded them on every side.
"So... Is no one there?"
The whispered query seemed to scatter over the quiet room. The only other noise came from the curtain fluttering against the breeze. The girl sat on the window ledge as the full radiance of the moonlight poured over her small figure.
"Let's try the western border next."
Her beauty was almost supernatural. The kind one might suppose was only possible due to some god designing her personally. Even in the darkness, the soft waves in her waist-length hair shone brightly as if woven from the light gathered from the night stars and sunrise.
And one look at those eyes, which twinkled like garnet refined from blood, could overwhelm the observer with a tingling electric sensation due to inevitable attraction. Her delicate skin also shimmered like white jade as it reflected the moonlight. In short, she possessed a combination of enchanting and noble beauty that captivated all who saw her.
"If you come across those searching for him, pick out the one who is strongest and has the most zeal."
Upon receiving the new order from Roxana, her trusty maroon-colored butterfly underling flapped its tiny wings as if it were responding. Then just as quickly, it was out the window and in the open air.
Roxana started after the creature as it disappeared into the darkness. Both the eastern and southern borders had failed to yield any results. She sincerely hoped there were people looking for Cassis Pedelian at the western border. It would be unfortunate if their search had been delayed, as that would derail her plan for getting him out safely.
Roxana breathed a heavy sigh as she thought of the captive in the basement dungeon. Her distress made her beauty seem melancholic. But the wheels continued to turn inside her head. Earlier that night, the noise she had heard while in the dungeon was due to her other half-sibling, Charlotte, who had chanced coming down.
Charlotte had been berating the dungeon guard and insisting that he let her go inside to see the "new toy." But the guard stood his ground and did not let her through. However, it was questionable how long he would be able to hold out against such aggression.
"What should I do?"
Roxana continued to muse with her eyes cast down. Since Cassis had accepted the medicine without her having to resort to knocking him unconscious, he probably wasn't as suspicious of her as he had been at first. She would have liked for him to put even more faith in her, but at least he seemed to recognize that she wasn't going to harm him with food. Or perhaps he had only taken it after realizing that if he didn't, she would simply knock him out cold again and force-feed the medicine to him.
Tap, tap.
Roxana drummed lightly on the window ledge with her fingers. The most recent monthly evaluation had taken place just before Cassis's arrival, which meant the grand feast was just around the corner. Once again, Roxana would be in attendance as the perpetual number two. Of course, her father Lante Agrece would also be there. She supposed it might be time to address the matter openly with him.