"Blegh."
I couldn't help gagging as pungent bile rose up in my throat. After coughing into my hands, I noticed a splotch of blood. It was a side effect of the poison I was taking. It was a nuisance, but at least it happened before I'd begun readying for the feast. Had I already gotten dressed, I would have had to change again.
I stared emotionlessly at the blood splattered on my hands and clothes, then looked up. The girl looking back at me in the mirror was completely unperturbed. She had just coughed up blood like it was nothing. With blood on the side of my mouth, I looked even paler than usual.
I stretched my hand out to my right to take the handkerchief Emily had been standing by with, then wiped the blood from my lips. Since it wasn't my first time suffering from such a side effect, neither I nor Emily were all that concerned.
Knock, knock.
"Xana?"
A voice called for me from the other side of my door. It was Mother.
Upon my signal, Emily opened the door. A beautiful woman who I resembled almost exactly stood before the threshold. Sierra Colonis was a woman whose glittering beauty seemed to have skirted the passage of time itself. No one would believe that she was the mother of a 16-year-old. And if they were to take into account poor Achille, she was actually a mother of a 20-year-old, a fact that could make people's heads spin even more.
"It's been a while, Xana dear."
"Indeed, Mother, it has."
We hadn't seen each other all that much over the last few years since we resided in different buildings at the compound. She suddenly approached me with her eyes wide before halting right in front of me.
"Why is there... blood? Were you hurt?"
I had wiped the blood from my face, but there were still traces of it left on my clothes.
"Oh, it's nothing. By the way, what brings you here?"
I needed to change the subject, not get caught up in explanations. Besides, I didn't feel the need to reveal what was going on to her. Upon seeing that I was being evasive, she did not pry.
"Since today's the grand feast, I just came by to make sure you weren't too anxious or anything."
"Mother, this isn't my first time, you know. Why would I suddenly feel anxious now?"
She just stood there unable to form a response. Perhaps she had been fearful that I might say or do something to upset my father at the feast. I had felt that I was already more than mature enough to take care of my own affairs, but perhaps my mother didn't. I'm not sure when it started, but the rift between us had been widening for a while. Still, whenever she looked at me with that pleading look, I felt as if I could do anything for her.
I said more sweetly, "I'm fine, Mother. There's nothing you need to worry about."
She must have recognized how genuinely calm I felt because she became less tense. Then she said quietly, "That's right. You have grown to become a worthy Agrece."
I'm not sure exactly what sort of face I made after hearing her praise, but upon meeting my gaze, Mother's delicate frame quivered. In a flash, I could tell she knew that my placid façade was all an act. Before Mother could become even more troubled, I continued on with a smile.
"Yes, Mother. I have become a worthy Agrece just like you had hoped."
A beauty so fragile that it was both excruciating and lovely. My mother was a woman who hadn't been able to do anything except cry herself to sleep when her own son had been slain. And if the same fate were to befall me today, she would probably cower in fright and just watch as my body grew cold.
Turning toward the mirror I asked warmly, "Will you stay a bit? I do need to start getting ready for the grand feast though, so I'm afraid we can't spend much time together."
"No, no. I'd only get in your way."
She must have realized there would be no further discussion.
"All right then. Take care."
I didn't bother trying to dissuade her. Mother hesitated by the door for a moment, then finally left my room. Once she was gone, Emily helped me get into my outfit.
My attire wasn't like anything one would expect for a typical family dinner. It was more suited for a soldier going off to war, albeit one who didn't use guns or swords, would wear. The mirror reflected the image of a young girl striking a glamorous pose. As I forced a smile onto my stony face, I sensed a startling beauty radiating outward.
"Lady Roxana, it's time."
I finally left my room to head toward the grand feast. The hallway was silent. After briefly looking in the direction mother must have gone in, I went in the opposite direction. I did not blame her for being unable to protect Achille or me. Nor did I hate her. But I also could not seek out her embrace for comfort anymore. That's just how it was.
•✦••
Alongside Lante Agrece, the grand feast attendees were always the three children who performed the best during the previous month's evaluation. It was promoted as something special, but in reality, it was basically a lavish dinner for those four people to talk and eat together.
Various topics were discussed such as the Agrece clan's accomplishments, future plans, the affairs of the outer realms, the progress of the attendees' educations, their future prospects, and so on. Once in a while, our father would pose a question that we were expected to answer. However, sometimes a completely useless topic made its way into the conversation, much like this time.
"A bunch of mongrels is what those Pedelians are!" my father declared with venom in his voice.
Upon hearing his outburst, my first thought was, "And so it begins."
Lante Agrece's repeated airing of grievances with the Blue Pedelians at each and every monthly feast was further proof to me that I was living inside of a fictional story.
"Why is that? Are they hounding you again?"
I imagined Jeremy asked this because, like me, he was lukewarm about the topic. He had managed to attend the feast this time after earning third place in last month's evaluation. Unlike first and second place, which the same two people had retained for the last few years, the competition for third place was more unpredictable. The perennial number one was one of my other half-brothers, Deon Agrece. Among those older than me, I had one half-sister and two half-brothers who had yet to be disposed of. Deon was the younger of the two.
He happened to be away at the moment on official business. Even before I had secured an invitation to the event, Deon had already been at the top for some time. If I remember the story correctly, Jeremy would eventually become number one. However, at present in this world, Deon and I had settled into the top two spots for quite a while. In about three years, I believe our story's lead evil character, Jeremy, will become the most powerful among us.
Anyway, I never cared much for Deon, so his absence was far from a disappointment. I always felt like gagging while having to sit opposite his ugly mug at these dinners.
"It's what those sons of bitches do! Always yipping away! I'd be a happy man if I could tear out Roussel Pedelian's tongue with my own hands one day."
Roussel was Cassis Pedelian's father as well as the head of the Blue clan. Needless to say, hostility between the two clan heads ran deep. It was so bad in fact that it was commonplace for them to exchange blows if they so much as crossed paths. Even so, kidnapping and killing the other's son as retribution crossed the line in my opinion. Going that far was practically begging for the other side to truly despise us.
"Still, you look more cheerful than usual today." I stated casually while placing my cutlery on my plate. Then I offered a soft smile to Lante before starting in on the topic I actually wished to discuss. "My guess is your improved mood is due to the prey you captured and brought home recently. Am I right?"
Lante turned his gaze to me. That frightful scarlet stare of his seemed to pierce straight through me. Then his lips turned up at the corners into an appreciative grin.
"You are so perceptive, Roxana. You must get that from me."
The last thing I needed was his stinking praise. I did my best to retain my smile while lashing out at him in my mind.
"Why? What's so great about the new toy?"
Jeremy, who had been eating his dinner with a bored look on his face, suddenly turned his attention to our discussion. Lante leaned back in his chair with an expression like that of a predator in repose after a successful hunt.
"I heard today that the Pedelians are beyond desperate now."
Lante's face as he said this brimmed with malice. Gosh... How could a human being laugh with such evil and wickedness? Even I have to admit that was indeed a pretty impressive talent of his. I often imagined he had an "Evil Villain" sticker stuck to his forehead.
"But no matter how hard they search and strain their tiny brains, they'll never be able to find someone who's locked away in an Agrece dungeon."
"Who exactly is in the dungeon that would make the Pedelians search that desperately for him, Father?" Jeremy asked cautiously.
Lante looked at me as if to signal that I should tell him, so I did.
"The Blue Heir—Cassis Pedelian."
The shock in Jeremy's face was clear as day.
"Seriously?!"
He then turned toward Lante as if to confirm that I wasn't teasing him. Our father simply smiled in satisfaction. It was a smile that suggested he was proud of me for guessing correctly.
"Wow, father. Just wow..."
Jeremy almost guffawed in surprise. He seemed genuinely impressed by Lante's unbelievable, yet brazen exploit. Satisfied that it was probably safe to ask, I seized my chance.
"May I ask in which direction you plan to go in with the prisoner's education, Father?"
Now that I had directly mentioned the boy, Jeremy turned his gaze toward me. My father also turned to face me, then opened his mouth somewhat lazily as he spoke.
"If you have a suggestion, Roxana, please do share it with us."
There was no doubt Lante was in a chatty mood. Perhaps it was spillover from his satisfaction at knowing Roussel Pedelian was at his wit's end in search of his lost lamb.
"Well, even I must admit that I have taken an interest in our latest toy."
I spoke in earnest as I already knew it would pique Lante's interest.
"Pedelians are generally reputed as honest and just. Yet even amongst themselves, the Blue Heir bears the mantle of being the most upright and stalwart Pedelian."
As I spoke, a hush settled over the table. Lante seemed to be hanging on my every word. It was the right moment to roll the dice.
"To have someone as noble as Cassis Pedelian..." I whispered in a quiet, singsong voice as I grinned in a conniving way that likely resembled Lante. "...moaning and squirming under my feet like a timid, lovesick mongrel in heat, I believe could be a most interesting development."
•✦••
In a nutshell, Lante was sold. His response was that he would have to think it over, but knowing the telltale signs to look for in his expression, I knew he would hand Cassis over to me sooner or later.
As I returned to my room, I reflected on all the conversations at dinner when a bitter taste suddenly flooded my mouth. I assumed it came at the realization of how evil I had sounded. Of course, I absolutely didn't have any lewd or ill designs on Cassis. Had I harbored any such thoughts, even succeeding in getting him out of our compound wouldn't be enough to guarantee that he wouldn't seek revenge against me later for the insult I would have dealt his ego.
The only reason I said what I said was to win over Lante. I knew that such an evil man would enjoy nothing more than to see the Blue Heir disgraced. If Cassis Pedelian—a symbol of righteousness in both mind and body—could be made into a vile cretin, that would prove far more entertaining to Lante than simply torturing the boy.
"Are you really going to handle the new toy's education yourself, Xana?"
In my musings I had almost forgotten Jeremy had been walking back alongside me. He seemed a bit down. Actually, he had seemed upset ever since I mentioned Cassis's name to Father at dinner. I found it odd that he felt this way when he had already known I was interested in Cassis, but he was still only a kid. My best guess was that he feared my attention would get diverted to the new toy and away from him.
"Mhm. I think I'll finally try playing with the toy for once."
There was a sudden movement behind us. Jeremy and I whipped around at the same time.
"Did I hear you correctly? You're going to train the new toy, sis?"
My younger half-sister Charlotte had snuck up behind us. Her fiery auburn locks and hazel eyes made her appear more demure than she should at the tender age of 13. Although she hated the fact that she didn't at all resemble our father, I was rather envious of her for that.
As I looked upon her cute, frowning face, I could tell she had overheard everything Jeremy and I had discussed since leaving the feast. I was fairly certain why she had been hanging around the venue in the first place, so with an amiable smile I said, "That's right, Charlotte. I'm just coming back from telling father as much."
As Deon hadn't been in attendance, the feast ended earlier than in previous months. I was fairly certain that Charlotte's purpose in hanging around was in hopes of talking to Father about the new toy. It was hardly a mystery after the ruckus she made with the dungeon guard. In a way her eagerness was understandable. This had been the longest father had ever forbidden anyone from "paying a visit" to a captive.
"But that's not right. I called dibs on him first." She cried, obviously quite upset that I had been awarded the role of "teacher" this time.
I actually still hadn't received Lante's approval, but I saw no reason to explain that to Charlotte. It was truly a shame that her interest in Cassis hadn't just been a mere whim. But even I could see that he really was Charlotte's type. I couldn't help internally clicking my tongue as I cursed that boy for checking all the boxes that appealed to her.
"Sheesh, since when have we ever called dibs on toys?" Jeremy smirked as he remarked sarcastically.
But it was just as he said. There was no such rule. However, little Charlotte was already riled up, so that fact was beside the point.
"But you've never shown interest in the toys father brought home before, Roxana. You coming between me and my newest toy now is just plain unfair."
Good grief... At that point, she was starting to get on my nerves.
"When exactly did the toy in the dungeon become your property, little sis?"
I couldn't fight the compulsion to explain to my immature little half-sister just how foolish and mistaken she was.
"Honestly, Charlotte, what are you basing your claim on? As far as I know, the only reason you've been able to play with all those so-called toys as you pleased was because I had no interest in them before. Surely you aren't under the impression that everything that walks through here belongs to you. I thought you were smarter than that, little sis."
I spoke to her with deliberate calm, but the warning nature of my tone was clear. Being both rash and temperamental, Charlotte had a habit of going overboard and making things awkward.
"I won't give him up to you, Roxana. I want him for myself. Anyone who tries to take him from me will be sorry."
She practically spat the words at me while her stare seemed to be shooting daggers at me.
"Charlotte..." I was so very disappointed. "I suppose I'm just wasting my breath trying to explain all this to you."
I was speaking rather quietly as if sighing, but she must have sensed what lay beneath the calm in my voice because she clutched her whip.
Smiling at her stupidity, I said icily, "Very well, my dear little sister. I will try to make this quick and easy for even your simple mind to understand."
•✦••
It didn't take very long.
"You know what, Charlotte? I despise anyone—even a child—who doesn't know their place."
I spoke in a low tone while flicking the blood from my fingers. It splattered onto the wall of the white hallway.
"Why would you pick a fight you couldn't even hope to win and annoy me in the process?"
All I had needed to deal with Charlotte were the ornaments I had used to decorate my hair. Since all five of my gemmed hairpins had served as my weapons, my hair had fallen over my shoulders and spread across my back. With her spirit broken, she lay spread out in front of me bleeding.
I stepped on her chest as I continued to scold her.
"Charlotte? Do you still insist that I need your lousy permission to play with a toy?"
"Ugh!"
"I didn't think so."
I wouldn't have gone that far if I could have avoided it. Usually, I tried my best to be understanding since she was still so young and was equally cursed to have been born into such an awful household. But she had taken my kindness for weakness and actually had the nerve to get in my face.
Even after suffering such a humiliating defeat, her glower still had plenty of fire and venom behind it. No matter, Charlotte was merely a pain in my neck who seemed to forget who she was dealing with from time to time. Even stomping on her was more of a hassle than a pleasure.
"When I get to be your age... I'm gonna be a whole lot more powerful."
Hearing such sharp words coming from such a cute girl with baby fat still plump in her cheeks, I couldn't help but laugh. The sound of my cackle seemed to make Charlotte flinch. That made me think that she probably did fear me to some extent, or perhaps she just had more guts than her little body could contain.
"Sure, that may be. But who could say after seeing the shape you're in now?"
My voice was emotionless as I removed my foot from her chest.
"Why don't you go on ahead, sis? I'll take care of her."
Jeremy had been leaning against the wall and watching as his sisters battled. But as he looked upon Charlotte's bleeding body, he seemed to wish to appease me. I stared at the two of them for a moment, then left as he had suggested.
•✦••
Jeremy continued to stare down at Charlotte with an icy gaze. She was in the process of getting up, but Jeremy wouldn't have it. And without warning, his foot flew straight at her.
Pow!
"Agh!"
Having taken the blow directly to her shoulder, Charlotte was on the floor again.
"Honestly, Xana is far too kind. I would never put up with a little witch like you."
Stepping in closer, Jeremy lifted Charlotte from the floor by her already disheveled hair. Despite it all, she glowered from beneath his grip in defiance. Even he couldn't help but admire her spunk. It was just like Roxana to attack Charlotte at precisely the most vulnerable points in order to defeat her with minimal force.
It had obviously been an uneven fight in terms of skill from the start, but had the two sisters been similarly matched, avoiding more severe injuries would have proven quite difficult. Charlotte seemed to become even more mortified after such encounters with Roxana, but Jeremy was of the opinion that his older half-sister shouldn't be so lenient.
"Damn it, Charlotte. When will you quit being such a royal pain? I'm already at my limit with that jerk who's staying in the dungeon."
Jeremy's eyes shot a glare at Charlotte as he delivered his sharp rebuke, which caused her to wince.
"What did I say that was so wrong?" she asked weakly.
"Shut your mouth, moron. A nobody like you challenging someone like Roxana... How could you not be at fault?"
"Why do you always take her side, Jeremy? Like with this new toy. You know how much I wanted it."
Charlotte was practically wailing as if she had been terribly wronged. It failed to move her brother, but he did eventually release her hair. He did so coolly as if he were pushing away a worthless piece of junk.
"Listen, if you wanna vent, go take it out on that jerk in the dungeon. If you really think about it, all this trouble is because that freak caught Roxana's attention."
Just talking about Cassis seemed to incense Jeremy. If he hadn't already promised Roxana that he would leave the captive Pedelian alone, he would have already dealt with that Blue Heir or whatever he was. Having already forfeit his right to the toy in order to stay in his older sister's good graces, only to learn that her interest in it was real, made Jeremy feel downright rotten.
"I'm not kidding. It's really all that Blue son-of-a-bitch's fault."
Feeling murderous, Jeremy ground his teeth as he thought about the Pedelian in the dungeon.
"'Blue son-of-a-bitch'?" Charlotte asked in shock.
"That's who it's supposed to be. The Blue Heir, Cassis Pedelian."
At hearing the identity of the boy revealed, Charlotte's eyes were aflame. It was clear that hearing the new toy's identity came as more than a shock to her. Sensing the rage in his little sister's eyes, Jeremy realized he might be able to use her to his advantage.
Sure, I can't touch him, but what's to stop someone else from doing my dirty work?
Of course, he had to make sure there was no way for Roxana to trace the crime back to him. He spoke to Charlotte almost sympathetically. "Shame, isn't it? He really is your type."
As Jeremy mocked her, Charlotte bit down on her lip.
"But what can you even do? There's only one toy."
He sneered as he saw just how effectively his words were causing his sister to boil with greed, envy, and hatred.
"I mean, it's not like you'd go and break it just because you can't play with it. Right, Charlotte?"
•✦••
Leaving Jeremy to deal with Charlotte, Roxana decided to visit the dungeon.
"You reek of blood."
Cassis said it so sharply that it gave her a start the moment she stepped inside his cell. Just as he had pointed out, there was blood on her hand and clothes. They were evidence of her clash with Charlotte in the hallway just minutes ago.
But for him to have smelled it from that distance, his sense of smell must be incredibly sharp.
As Roxana looked up at Cassis, a strange feeling rose up in her bosom.
"It's nothing. Nothing you need to worry about anyway."
Her dismissive tone made Cassis knit his eyebrows together skeptically. But she couldn't tell him the truth. She feared that if he were to hear what happened, he'd become more—not less—wary of her. Probably even more so if he learned the blood wasn't hers, but her opponent's. What a bother it was to have to fabricate stories. Still, what with his eyesight still bad, she hoped they might be able to skip over the matter.
Perhaps I should have stopped by my room and wiped off the blood after all,
Roxana mused. "You won't be seeing me for a while." She said aloud.
Instead of responding, Cassis simply stared at her. By now, their encounters in the dungeon had become run-of-the-mill. With his sight slightly improved since the previous day, he could just make out her slender silhouette. As for the details of her form, her face, or anything else, he could still only guess. That was why he couldn't pinpoint the exact source of the blood smell.
"Not forever. Only for a few days." She continued.
Had this Roxana person gotten hurt?
He knew he was in no position to worry about her, and that it was inappropriate for him to do so, but the thought that the smell of blood might be coming from a wound on the girl alarmed him. Perhaps it was because he no longer suspected her of wanting to harm him. Although her motive still remained a mystery.
Cassis tried to refocus on her, but his poor vision was proving to be a true bother since he could not assess his surroundings more effectively.
"I'm a little worried that there will be no one to look after you while I'm gone, but my hands are tied. Just take care of yourself until we meet again."
As always, her voice was quiet and subdued. Cassis turned his icy glare away from her as if to signal that he didn't care. However, he was internally hoping he would be able to see her more clearly the next time they met.
•✦••
I learned two days later that Charlotte had drugged the dungeon guard, then forcefully entered Cassis' jail cell. She had evidently unleashed all her anger on him and left the boy riddled with fresh wounds.
"Hmph."
I figured as much would happen, so I was hardly bothered. I had been drinking my daily dose of the poisoned tea languidly when Emily informed me of what had happened. It was obvious that in her failure to possess Cassis or defeat me, Charlotte had violently lashed out at him. I'm sure she imagined she was getting back at me for the thumping I'd given her on the day of the feast. But in all likeliness, Jeremy had probably egged her on.
I was able to sense how the wind was blowing from him just from seeing his dour expression as we left the feast. He had told me to go on ahead, but once I left him behind with Charlotte, there was only one very predictable direction his mind could have wandered in. And as expected, Charlotte couldn't leave the toy she had been denied alone. So Charlotte got to vent a little. Whatever.
When our father first brought Cassis here, he warned everyone that the prisoner was strictly off-limits since he had yet to make up his mind about what to do with the Blue Heir. That's why even as furious as Charlotte was, she wouldn't dare go against Lante's command and actually kill Cassis, unless she was ready to tempt fate and risk getting "disposed" of. What she did to Cassis was more akin to a child throwing a tantrum since she couldn't possess the plaything she wanted.
Of course, that very tantrum would likely get her a scolding from Father. Though it's safe to assume she must have felt it was worth the price. Luckily, Cassis' wounds did not look as horrible as they could have. I had braced myself for him to have even lost a limb, but maybe Charlotte had been more careful than I expected. His condition wasn't exactly what I had anticipated, but no matter.
"What's more, they say Charlotte snapped the prisoner's magical cuffs by mistake which almost led to a counterattack. That, on top of her unauthorized visit, means that she will in all likelihood suffer a significantly severe punishment, my lady."
"Wait, what?"
I was taken aback by the second half of Emily's report. I certainly had not predicted that. Charlotte snapped those magical cuffs, huh? Was it really possible for her to have mistakenly broken cuffs that are used to restrain monsters while attacking Cassis?
"How fascinating..."
No, not a chance. That Cassis must have tricked Charlotte somehow. Although she was hot-tempered and rash, it was highly unlikely that she would make a mistake that would break the magical cuffs. My guess is it was more likely she was the victim of Cassis' scheme. Then again, maybe I was giving him too much credit.
Of course, I doubt he was dubbed the Pedelians' Blue Heir for nothing. And yes, even ignoring the fact that he's the heroine's brother in this novel.
I carefully set my cup down on the table and decided to let some time pass before going to see him again.
•✦••
"Sis! Did you hear about Charlotte?"
"If you're talking about the dungeon incident, then yes, I heard."
Jeremy had come to my room later that same night. Having sidled up to me, he'd been acting extra clingy and needy before chancing to mention our sister. Charlotte had been sentenced to 20 days confined in a jail cell as punishment. Lante was irate that she had not only disobeyed him, but that she also managed to break Cassis' cuffs. I, for one, found the outcome highly satisfactory.
"The toy seems to have taken a beating. Aren't you going to pay it a visit?"
His voice was dripping with even more cunning than usual as his sea-blue eyes watched closely to see my reaction. It truly was a relief to me that except for his jet-black hair, he hardly took after Lante. I couldn't imagine being reminded of our father every time I saw him. That would have made interactions like this one all the more awkward.
"No need. I heard he wasn't hurt that badly." I replied casually while caressing his hair.
"Of course, I'm not thrilled that Charlotte did what she did. But since I know Father will punish her, I'll bide my time."
Knowing Jeremy was trying to get a read on me, I acted as nonchalantly as possible.
"I see. Okay."
Reassured that I had no real interest in pursuing Cassis' case, Jeremy's mood seemed to brighten. Now he smiled as he said, "Just say the word, sis, and I'll keep Charlotte away from the dungeon for you."
Get a load of this kid volunteering to keep Charlotte away from the dungeon, when it was pretty obvious he was the one who goaded her into going down there in the first place! As the person who knew the entire story, it was hilarious.
"No, just leave her be. If she values her life, she'll be more careful. Besides, she knows I'd never forgive her twice."
And of course, she couldn't go anywhere near Cassis while she herself was locked up.
"Jeremy, you would never mess with my toy the way Charlotte did, would you?" I asked soothingly while stroking his silky hair.
"You really are the only good younger sibling I have."
For the merest second, Jeremy seemed taken aback by what I'd said. But he recovered quickly and smiled.
"Of course I wouldn't, sis. I would never do anything that you didn't approve of."
•✦••
"That moron Charlotte!"
Jeremy grumbled as he walked down the hallway after leaving Roxana's room.
Everything was set, but that idiot had to go and fumble the whole thing.
At the very least, I expected her to put Cassis in a wheelchair.
Instead, his sister had mistakenly snapped the magical cuffs off the prisoner and as a result almost suffered an attack. It was beyond humiliating. A stain on the Agrece name itself.
"She should've just been disposed of."
His cold, glacier-like eyes twinkled menacingly.
Although Jeremy was firm in his belief that Cassis Pedelian should die,
he felt it best to avoid touching Roxana's new toy even indirectly.
As he recalled Roxana calling him her 'only good younger sibling' Jeremy felt it all the more difficult to betray her. It was impossible.
How strange. I feel screwed and gratified at the same time.
Jeremy scratched the back of his head before returning to his room.
•✦••
Three days passed before I laid eyes on Cassis again. A new sentry had been assigned to guard the dungeon. The one who Charlotte had attacked was still recovering. In the meantime, I had gained Lante's approval to enter the basement dungeon. Thanks to Charlotte's outburst, I had no trouble visiting Cassis anymore.
"How does your body feel? Are you holding up?"
I spoke while entering Cassis' cell, and he turned towards my voice. It had been a while since I had last seen him. It was then that I realized he still did not act all that much like a prisoner. His expression remained stoic, and his eyes were as bright as they had been that first day he arrived. He also showed zero intent to answer me. Instead, just as he had from the moment I first came to his cell, he did nothing but stare straight at me.
Finally, he spoke.
"Roxana."
I could not help feeling taken aback after hearing him utter my name for the first time. Blinking away my embarrassment, I tried to steady my thoughts. Names were intended for people to use when speaking to one another, and I had told him mine, so what was the big deal?
Then he asked rather softly, "How long has it been since you were last here?"
I lowered my head slightly before answering.
"A week."
"I see."
Even to my own ear, I sounded stilted, but so did he.
"I thought it might have been longer."
As Cassis spoke, his voice betrayed no particular sentiment. Still, hearing him admit that he had thought I'd been gone longer gave me an odd sensation. Of course, Cassis likely meant nothing by it. I had engineered it so that once Charlotte was in the doghouse with our father, she wouldn't be able to go anywhere near Cassis again.
There was also a part of me that wished Cassis would acknowledge that he needed me, if only briefly. That was why I had left him alone for an entire seven days. I did nothing to prevent Charlotte's attack, even though I knew I had seen it coming from a mile away, then left him to suffer with his injuries all alone.
With his stoic face, he suddenly spoke.
"Well, are you just going to stand there?"
I almost flinched at his words. It was so unexpected for him to offer me anything close to an invitation to get near him. I suppose he could tell that I was still standing by the doorway, so he spoke again more slowly.
"Come here, Roxana."
A whisper both low and earnest rang in my ear again, but his face betrayed no emotion. After hesitating shortly, I moved toward him.
"All right. I came to tend to your injuries, anyway."
As his eyes seemed to take in all of my movements, he went on.
"I thought you said it wasn't a good idea to treat my external injuries in case someone takes notice."
"I did, but the situation has changed since then."
He probably still found it strange that I had hurt him multiple times just to feed him medicine. As I walked closer to Cassis, he gazed quietly in my direction. However, overcome by an odd sensation, I stopped midway.
"What's the matter?" he asked while lowering his eyelids halfway.
"Come closer."
He didn't say it so much as a command, but for some reason I found it difficult not to abide. I began walking forward again. I could tell I was being controlled in a way, but my ego would not allow me to admit it, so I acted as if everything I did was of my own will.
I also took note that the left cuff seemed to have been the one that had snapped off as the one currently around his left wrist was completely free of blood. His handsome face also bore new wounds. A bitter taste swelled in my mouth as I recalled how Charlotte had been responsible for them.
Once near enough to him, I touched him here and there to gauge his condition. Contrary to my initial concerns, his limbs were all intact, but there were various fairly severe slashes to his midriff. All the same, I needed to inspect. The right shoulder blade was likely fractured, and there was a deep gash in his stomach. However, as I looked upon the bluish bruise there, I pondered if I had caused that one.
"You've been wounded pretty severely. If your injuries go untreated any longer, you could suffer some serious complications."
I spoke as if that much should be obvious to anyone, even though I had deliberately not looked in on him for an entire week.
"You did well persevering through such pain, but you don't have to worry now that I'm here."
There was a strange air in the room. I looked up at him out of curiosity. There was Cassis Pedelian staring down at me with a wholly unfamiliar glint in his eyes. He looked at me with such concentration that for a moment I thought he had stopped breathing. Despite the various wounds, his face stood out rigidly like a sculpture. Those sun-like golden eyes of his continued to pierce straight through me. There was inexplicable confusion and perplexity in that gaze. Then I suddenly realized the source of my uneasiness.
"So that's why." I mumbled to myself. As if my whisper shook him awake, Cassis began to breathe again. That's right. I've figured you out.
Cassis was standing so close to me that I could feel his breath. I gave him a feint smile as I said, "So from this distance you can see me now?"
I have to admit it made me a bit happy to finally see that look of bewilderment on Cassis' face. Still, he was the Blue Heir for a reason, and returned to his somber self soon enough. His eyes, which moments ago had seemed to be pulsating in tiny wavelets, regained their calm. Compared to some of the Agreces who even after years still melted at the mere sight of me, Cassis' controlled his reaction well. Perhaps a little too well.
"I wouldn't have minded if you were a bit more shocked." I said playfully.
"I wasn't shocked."
"Really?"
I knew he was lying. He stopped talking after hearing how little I believed him. His face became rigid yet again, but this time it was for a different reason. I had supposed that he was simply shocked at himself for having been so roused by my beauty, albeit temporarily, but that was a natural reaction. I couldn't fathom why he would act so oddly about it. Honestly, anyone who had laid eyes on me up until then was always so awestruck that their first reaction was often to check that they weren't dreaming. By the time I was a teenager, it happened more often than I could count. Not to mention, my beauty was literally honed to be wielded as a weapon.
But this is all my roundabout way of saying that even the famed Blue Heir stood no chance of stifling the flush of emotion he felt upon seeing me properly. Especially considering that at the time, he was a healthy 17-year-old boy. Perhaps he might have been able to, had he been older and more experienced, but not yet. In fact, Cassis' ability to remain composed enough to avoid making a scene upon seeing me was no small feat. A recent example of such a scene involved the dungeon guard, Yoan who Charlotte drugged and beat up. He had been unable to deny me anything after just one encounter. He had been reduced to a babbling Yes-man within seconds, then managed a few intelligible sentences after some time.
On the contrary, Cassis' reaction was hardly interesting. He silently focused his eyes on my face, but the smitten expression I had grown accustomed to was nowhere in sight. His gaze actually seemed chillier than usual. In fact, it had been icy from the moment I stepped into his cell. Looking into his eyes from so close up, the iciness was even more palpable.
"What's on your mind?"
I asked without avoiding his gaze. For some reason, I sensed that I could guess the meaning of the cold light in his eyes.
"You aren't by any chance thinking about killing me, are you?" I said quietly, but with deliberate provocation. However, Cassis remained silent. Someone in his shoes would normally react in shock after hearing such a thing, but he obviously wasn't normal.
"Just ask me what you want to know. Now that you've seen what I look like, I'm sure there's something."
Although I took after my mother almost entirely, that didn't mean I bore zero resemblance to Lante. My scarlet-red eyes were the exact same color as his.
At that moment I noticed his golden eyes light up as if they were aflame again. But rather than question what I was up to, Cassis simply stared at me as if he'd already guessed my game. Then he said quietly, "Roxana Agrece."
He had added three new syllables to the name I had told him before— A-Gre-Ce. I had no reason not to answer him.
"Yes, that's me."
I was somewhat afraid he might go berserk on me again like he did the first time I had visited him. But instead, he just glowered at me ferociously. My guess was that he had already figured out my identity before I arrived that day. But who had been his source of information? Most likely Charlotte. She probably jabbered away and said far more than she should have when she came down here to attack him.
If I had to guess, I'd say she said something to this effect, "I'd rather see you broken and useless than lose you to Roxana!"
Then again, that sounds pretty melodramatic, even to me. But she may have actually gone even further. Perhaps even called him a "toy" to his face. I already knew Cassis didn't trust me completely. He had only allowed me to get near to him in order to treat his wounds and so he could try to uncover what my true intentions were. But now he seemed to want to know where I stood in the Agrece hierarchy.
"What is your connection to Lante Agrece?"
"He is my biological father."
It seemed his only aim in saying "Roxana Agrece" earlier was to ascertain that fact. It was then that I realized that he may have mentioned the time I had spent away from him not because he missed me, but simply because he was anxious to verify his suspicions. Perhaps I had been too hasty in my hopes that he'd been longing for me to come to his aid or otherwise. Besides, trusting me completely in such a short time would have been an insult to the Pedelian name.
To be fair, I never intended to withhold my identity from him indefinitely. If I had, I wouldn't have told him my name in the first place. Nor would I have waited around for him to regain his sight once the spell wore off. On the contrary. I wanted him to know that it was Roxana Agrece who had helped him. After all, I wasn't some sort of philanthropist simply doing all this out of the goodness of my heart.
"Why did you approach me without revealing who you were?"
"Because I feared you would become warier of me just as you are now. As for the reason I approached you... Well, like I already said. I don't want you to die."
At this, Cassis snickered.
"So instead of murdering me, you decided to keep me as a plaything. As your 'toy,' is that it?"
Yup. Charlotte blabbed about the toy thing. But there was a reason for everything. Since Cassis' circumstances were going to change soon, and since I would need to explain the situation to him, there really was no reason to hide the toy part from him. Nevertheless, it was awkward.
"Beats being tortured to death, doesn't it?"
Even now I think I said that a tad too bluntly.
"If you want to leave this dungeon alive, then there's no other way. If you want to escape the Agrece compound safely, then the wisest thing to do is accept my help."
"So you expect me to place my trust in Lante Agrece's daughter?"
Then he fell silent and appeared to be mulling something over. I desperately wanted to know what he was thinking, but trying to get past his stony façade was another thing entirely.
"I do not trust you."
He spoke without an ounce of emotion disturbing the calm surface of his face.
"But it's strange. I don't think you're lying."
Was I able to read him any better as he said this? Not in the slightest.
"Cassis Pedelian, I will keep you safe."
He and I had been calmly sizing one another up, but upon hearing my declaration, his face was
a mass of confusion. He stared at me as if I had spoken a foreign language, so I repeated myself.
"I will make sure you are safe until you escape this place."
"If doing so might change the ending to this crappy version of my life." I added to myself.
Cassis Pedelian and Roxana Agrece. The names of two people who should not exist on the same plane were now appearing on the same pages of the novel. The first chapter of our story was just getting started.