Chapter 13

Chapter 13

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.

The Dog and its Owner

It goes without saying, but my esteemed father Lante Agrece, being the typical bad guy that he was, couldn’t possibly let Cassis leave his dungeon cell without giving him a hard time. No, that would never do. So he had his minions drag Cassis up to the main hall, then force him to his knees. His only goal being to further humiliate the boy, of course.

As Lante stomped over to where Cassis knelt, I watched in silence as the eyes of the two men met. Just like the day he arrived, Cassis was bound from head to toe and gagged. And like before, he was in tatters again. Most likely due to having received even more beatings. Being made to kneel to his sworn enemy proved just how disadvantageous his circumstances were.

Still, his piercing gaze at Lante didn’t waver even for a moment. In fact, it actually seemed to be growing in intensity. Who would have ever thought a prisoner could maintain such a gaze? Cassis directed his murderous, rage-filled glare straight at Lante. It seemed a rather great feat to me for him to look so threatening even while being forced to kneel. On the other hand, Lante was staring daggers right back at Cassis.

I stood there imagining sparks of electricity crackling between their gazes. Then suddenly...

Wham!

With a sickening grin, Lante whipped his foot into Cassis’ chest. I was overcome with despair since I knew my clueless father’s action were only digging our family’s graves deeper.

Pow!

Ugh! That kick had definitely made contact with the same ribs Charlotte had made into bloody fillets not long ago. I had planned on treating those injuries more thoroughly once he was in my care, but Lante just had to go and stomp on them with his pointy shoes. But of course our father had to showcase his power.

Wham!

“Kegh!”

This time Lante’s foot caught Cassis’ cheek. As I recalled the promise I had made to Cassis not that long ago, I had to look away. It truly was difficult to watch. There he was being thoroughly pummeled after I had made such a grand speech about guaranteeing him safe passage out of this hellhole. I felt bad, but there was nothing I could do. Not only had I not yet been given responsibility of Cassis, but the person beating him to a pulp was none other than my own father.

“You must take after your father Roussel, boy. You’ve got that same impertinent glint in your eyes.”

Lante stopped to speak only after a new coat of blood-drenched Cassis. Cassis’ head was on the floor as blood streamed from his side, his forehead, and his mouth. Even so, he never once let up and continued to glare menacingly at Lante. Even I’ll admit, it was impressive as hell.

“Knowing that son of a bitch had two kids, I must say I was torn about which one of you to capture at first.”

Lante spoke with an evil sneer that would have slayed a regimen of bad guys.

“But I chose you because I figured you’d last longer. So in truth, I’m glad you’re still showing some spirit.”

It was a terrible mistake on my dumbass father’s part. Of course Lante couldn’t have known then that by mentioning Sylvia to Cassis he was digging his grave in particular that much deeper. The love the Blue Heir had for his family, and for his younger sister especially, was beyond measure. But goodness, to be on the receiving end of those burning orbs. All I could think was, “If looks could kill, the rays shooting out of them would scorch someone to death.”

“Roxana.”

“Yes, Father.”

I winced as I answered. But I knew there was no way for him to know what I was thinking. I had been lingering off to the side ever since the one-sided scuffle had started. Cassis’ burning eyes also turned in my direction. Listen, mister heroine’s brother, surely you’re not planning to chew ME out over all this, right? By now you must know that I am absolutely, positively NOT on my father’s side. My plan just took a minor detour for the time being.

But when I think about that murderous look he was giving me... Well, so be it. I could see how he might have gotten the wrong idea. Had I been in his shoes, I would’ve suspected me and Lante of being a super evil father-daughter duo. I felt like letting out a heavy sigh, but I had to watch myself.

“Your birthday was a few days ago, wasn’t it, Roxana?”

“Yes, Father. How kind of you to have remembered.”

“Consider this little mongrel pup your present. Play with it all you want or until you grow tired of it.”

Good grief... As if he ever gave a rat’s ass about my birthday. I can’t recall a single year when he celebrated any of his children’s birthdays. But I simply hid my contempt and smiled.

“Why, thank you Father. I promise I won’t let you down. I shall do my best to educate him.”

And that is how I got my very first dog in any life.