*** *** *** *** ***
“Sister, did you hear about Charlotte?”
“If it’s about the underground prison, then yes.”
That evening, Jeremy came to my room. He immediately clung to me and acted spoiled, then brought up the topic of Charlotte in a subtle voice.
Charlotte had been sentenced to 20 days of confinement in the punishment room. It seemed Land Agriche was greatly furious that Charlotte had disobeyed his command by entering the underground prison on her own and foolishly broken Cassis’s restraints.
I was quite satisfied with this outcome.
“The toy seems a bit damaged, don’t you need to go check?”
Jeremy’s voice became even more subtle. His deep blue eyes, like the ocean depths, stared at me intently.
I thought it fortunate that Jeremy didn’t resemble Land Agriche much except for his black hair. If his appearance reminded me of father, I might have involuntarily shown repulsion when facing him so closely like this.
“It’s not like it’s badly scratched or anything.”
While stroking Jeremy’s hair, I continued languidly.
“I’m not pleased that Charlotte touched it, but since she’ll be punished by father anyway, there’s no need for me to step in.”
Knowing that Jeremy was probing me about Cassis, I deliberately showed an indifferent reaction.
“Hmm, really?”
Upon realizing I had no intention of going to check on Cassis’s condition, Jeremy seemed clearly pleased, even if he pretended otherwise.
With a smile even brighter than before, Jeremy opened his mouth again.
“Sister, from now on, should I make sure Charlotte can’t approach the underground either?”
It was obvious that Jeremy was the one who had incited Charlotte to enter the underground prison. Yet now, he was expressing his intent to stand in front and block Charlotte for my sake.
From my position, knowing all the truth, it was quite amusing.
“Just leave it. If she values her life, she’ll hold back on her own. I won’t tolerate it a second time anyway.”
Of course, Charlotte wouldn’t be able to get anywhere near Cassis for a while since she’d be locked in the punishment room.
“Jeremy, you won’t touch my toy on your own like Charlotte, right?”
In a gentle tone, I whispered softly while caressing Jeremy’s smooth locks.
“You’re the only good little brother I truly cherish.”
At that moment, Jeremy froze. But it was an extremely fleeting instant. Soon, he calmly smiled at me and replied.
“Of course. I won’t do anything Sister hates.”
*** *** *** *** ***
“Charlotte, that fucking idiot.”
Jeremy muttered irritably as he left Roxana’s room and walked down the corridor.
Even if you sprinkle ashes on cooked rice, it’s still edible, but to lay out the perfect setup only for her to pull such a stupid stunt. At the very least, she should have crippled that bastard halfway.
Yet not only did she fail to do that, but she even accidentally broke the restraints and nearly got counterattacked, it was a disgrace to the Agriche name.
“She should just get disposed of.”
His icy blue eyes gleamed coldly. Jeremy still wanted to kill and eliminate Cassis Pedelian, who was confined underground. But he could no longer touch Roxana’s toy, even indirectly. Having heard the words ‘the only good little brother I truly cherish’ from Roxana, doing anything to betray her trust was something Jeremy could never allow.
Damn it, this pisses me off, but why does it feel so satisfying?
With a strange mix of emotions, Jeremy roughly scratched the back of his head and headed to his room.
*** *** *** *** ***
After that, it took three more days before I went to see Cassis. The person guarding the front of the underground prison had changed. It seemed the original gatekeeper, who had been attacked by Charlotte, was currently receiving treatment.
By that time, I had obtained permission from Land Agriche to enter and exit the underground prison. Thanks to that, I was able to enter without being stopped by the new gatekeeper.
“How’s your body? Are you okay?”
As I entered, Cassis turned his head.
Seeing him after a long time, he still exuded an atmosphere that didn’t suit a prisoner. His expression was composed, and the light in his eyes remained intensely unwavering.
Cassis didn’t answer my question. For some reason, while I was opening the iron bars’ door and entering, he just stared at me intently.
Then, soon, Cassis’s lips slowly parted.
“Roxana.”
Hearing my name whispered from his mouth for the first time, I couldn’t help but feel shaken. I blinked in brief bewilderment, then quickly regained my composure. After all, the name was meant to be called, and I had already told Cassis my name long ago, so it wasn’t something to be surprised about.
Following that, Cassis asked me in a low voice.
“How many days has it been since you last came?”
I tilted my head slightly and answered.
“Seven days.”
“I see.”
Somehow, calm voices that didn’t fit the situation were exchanged.
“I thought it had been longer.”
A dry voice without any emotion added on. Hearing that he had felt the time without me as longer than it actually was made my mood a bit strange. Of course, Cassis might have just said it without any particular meaning.
I wanted the incident where Charlotte incurred father’s wrath and was punished, preventing her from approaching Cassis anymore. But in truth, I thought it would be good if Cassis realized my necessity a little during this time.
So, I deliberately left him alone for a few days. Even knowing that Charlotte would come to attack him, I did nothing, and I hadn’t visited the injured him until today.
Cassis, with an expressionless face, opened his mouth toward me again.
“Are you going to keep standing there by the door?”
The moment his low voice brushed my ear, I involuntarily froze. Because his words felt unfamiliar. This was the first time Cassis had said something that seemed to permit my approach first.
Seeing me standing still, he slowly parted his lips again.
“Come here, Roxana.”
The whispering low voice settled in my ear once more. I couldn’t read any emotion on Cassis’s face. I looked at him for a moment, then moved my feet from the spot.
“Sure. I came to treat you anyway.”
Cassis, fixing his gaze on me, said.
“I remember you said treating visible wounds would be troublesome.”
“The situation is a bit different from then.”
It was like giving poison and then medicine, so in a way, my actions felt a bit ridiculous. I approached Cassis. He quietly watched me as I drew closer bit by bit. For some reason, my mood suddenly felt odd, and I stopped my steps.
“Why?”
Then, Cassis’s eyelids and lashes slowly lowered halfway.
“Come closer.”
It wasn’t a command or coercion. Yet, strangely, it was hard to refuse. I moved my feet forward again, which I had paused for a moment. Even though I was essentially being coaxed by Cassis, my pride was hurt, so I acted as if it was entirely my own will.
It seemed the restraints that were broken this time were the ones on Cassis’s left wrist. The newly replaced restraints were clean without a single bloodstain attached.
Scars that I hadn’t seen before had also increased on his refined face. Thinking that Charlotte had left those made me feel a bit displeased.
I reached out to Cassis and examined his condition more closely. As I had initially thought, his limbs hadn’t been torn off, but the wounds around his waist, torn to shreds, were somewhat serious.
Let me see. Besides that, his right shoulder seems dislocated. And there’s a large slash on his abdomen.
Oh, but this fresh bruise, is it possibly from me?
“You got hurt badly this time. If I had left you longer, the wounds might have gotten much worse.”
While being the one who contributed to that neglect, I spoke innocently as if I knew nothing.
“It must hurt a lot, but you endured well. Now that I’m here, don’t worry.”
But somehow, Cassis’s demeanor seemed a bit off. I suddenly felt the strangeness and lifted my head.
At that moment, my gaze met Cassis Pedelian’s, who was making an expression I’d never seen before in my life. Cassis was looking down at me with a face as if he had stopped breathing.
His face, marked with wound scars, was rigidly frozen like a marble sculpture. His brilliant golden eyes, like the sun, pierced straight through me. Within them swirled confusion and bewilderment that I couldn’t quite put into words.
At that instant, I realized the reason for the discomfort.
“Ah, I see.”
The moment a small sound leaked from my mouth, Cassis inhaled shallowly as if finally coming to his senses.
Yes, now I get it.
Facing his face at a distance close enough to feel his breath, I soon smiled faintly.
“At this distance, you can see my face now.”
Witnessing Cassis’s agitation unexpectedly made me feel somewhat pleased.
Cassis regained his composure remarkably quickly. The faint ripples in his eyes for a moment settled back into the stillness of a calm lake soon after.
There were even Agriche people who, after spending years together, still lost their minds just at the sight of me, so from my perspective, Cassis’s reaction was not just favorable but downright indifferent.
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