Chapter 173

Chapter 173

* * *

Roxana’s expression became gradually cold and bitter as she made her way out of the garden. Jeremy turned toward the other Agreces who had followed behind him and his sister to issue a warning.

“If you have something to say, then say it now. Otherwise, get lost.”

Without room for hesitation, they collectively pounced on the opportunity to speak openly like a pack of wild wolves circling a wounded deer.

“What did you mean earlier about that guy in the garden being Achille?”

“Yeah, didn’t he die a long time ago?”

“And what did the other clan leaders mean when they called him the ‘Vertium puppet’?”

Roxana and Jeremy’s eyes met momentarily, then she nodded as his gaze seemed to be asking for guidance. Given what had just transpired before all of them, there was no questioning that the time for their other half-siblings to learn about Nix’s existence had finally come. On top of that, the other clan masters were probably also busy explaining the incident to their members as well.

“Let’s all head to my room. I’ll explain everything there.”

* * *

Jeremy sent those who had been in the garden to find the siblings who had not been present. Then shortly after they had all convened in Roxana’s quarters, he proceeded to offer a brief explanation to them about the Gold clan’s puppet.

“So that thing is actually Achille’s corpse?!”

“Then does that mean all who were disposed of were shipped to Vertium in their coffins?!”

“What the actual hell was wrong with our father?!”

“Who in their right mind would even think to reanimate corpses?!”

It was of course not the first time the Agreces had felt betrayed by their former leader and father Lante. However, the siblings who had only begun to harbor any sort of animosity toward him shuddered at the news. They couldn’t help expressing repulsion at the thought of their half-sibling’s corpse getting shipped off to the Gold lands for experimentation. But of course, there were also those who showed a sliver of interest in the Gold clan’s puppetism sorcery.

Those with ill-conceived morals even dared to mention how they would like to learn Vertium’s puppetism to use on their dead toys or taxidermy pets.

“You would dare utter such revolting words, you sick f*cks?! If you don’t learn how to use those mouths of yours properly, I’d be more than happy to sew your lips shut for good!” Jeremy growled, flashing them his grim and deadly glare.

Both those who had committed the transgression and those who hadn’t were equally as repulsed as their young leader fell silent. Roxana took it as an opportunity to make note of which of her half-siblings were still in desperate need of re-education. Once cataloging who to deal with at a later time, she began to speak slowly.

“If you’re all so interested in the Gold clan’s puppetism, why don’t you stop by Noel Vertium’s room?” Her thin voice fell over the awkward atmosphere in the room like a black veil. She reclined in her seat while raising the hand she had placed on the armrest so that she could tap her long fingernails to echo in unison with her voice. “In fact, if you’re truly so inclined, I could even ask him to let you experience it firsthand.” Her tone almost instantly became ominously brisk. “I’m sure he wouldn’t mind turning you all into the latest iterations of Achille.”

They all collectively shuddered at the sight of her smile which was smeared with tinges of insanity.

“After all, there’s no better way to experience such sorcery than to become a living example of it. Wouldn’t you agree?”

The far too friendly manner with which she was speaking sent shivers down the spines of everyone in the room. At that moment, the Black clan siblings collectively reflected on a truth they had briefly forgotten.

As it happened, those who were born and raised in Agrece could easily sense the aura of a higher predator when confronted by one. It was akin to the sort of aura their lovely sister was giving off in abundance just then. After all, she was always one of the few of Lante Agrece’s children who he had personally bestowed his favor upon.

She also happened to be the one sibling who had firmly held on to her place as second right behind Deon after every monthly evaluation for years. The foolish simply admired her overwhelming beauty, but deep down... she was a far more heartless Agrece than any of the other clan members. That had been the very reason why the only person who would ever dare to stand in opposition to her had been Charlotte.

Of course, even Charlotte was eventually forced to learn her place at their sister’s hands several years prior. Thus, even the red-headed teen flinched slightly along with her siblings while trying to stay out of Roxana’s view.

Jeremy also glared at those who had dared to disturb his precious sister with their idiotic ramblings as if he would personally tear into them the very second their impromptu gathering was at an end. The combined auras of the two head siblings were enough to cause the rest in the large room to fear for their lives.

They made especially certain to direct their chilling gazes toward the ones who had spoken so lightly of Vertium’s puppetism crime. Their half-siblings had already all been walking on thin ice ever since Jeremy had become their new master, but even that looming threat had felt lighter recently thanks to Roxana. However, as they had dared to repay her kindness with such blasphemy, the previous cloud of death hanging over them seemed to double in size.

Roxana was a true Agrece at her core, and her younger half-siblings had supposed there was no way their scarlet-eyed sister would have shown any sincere emotion toward the puppet. Yet it was also understandable that she felt shame and hellish fury at having seen the corpse of her dishonorably disposed of older brother turned into a freak experiment by another clan.

The ways of their own clan would never tolerate such an affront, so a good number of the siblings understood her heart along those lines. Those who empathized with her silently vowed that, after they left her room, they would round up the other siblings who had been foolish enough to spew such nonsense admiring the offensive Gold sorcery and would make them truly pay for daring to endanger the peace they had all come to enjoy since arriving at the castle. Nevertheless, they continued to cower for their safety under the deadly blue and red glares right until they had been dismissed.

“Jeremy, there’s something I still need to tell you.” Roxana waited to speak again after the last of their other siblings had vacated her chambers. She seemed to feel it was finally safe to tell him about the time she had spent in Pedelian and about the nature of her relationship with Cassis. “I think I should tell you the specifics of what happened after I left Agrece last winter right up until I arrived in Yggdra—”

“Xana...” He interjected in a low voice. “Do you remember what I said to you when we finally met here again after all that time?”

It went without saying that she did. Of course, his question was undoubtedly rhetorical in nature, so he proceeded to speak without waiting for her to respond.

“I’ve already told you that nothing else matters now that you’re with me again. That still holds true, so...” His blue eyes, which were as deep as the oceans, peered directly into her red ones. “You can do whatever you want.”

It was clear that he had always known or could sense what she was preparing to tell him. He had evidently been aware for a while that his sister’s amiable behavior toward the Blue Heir and his clan wasn’t purely due to some diplomatic strategy she had plotted. Even so, she hadn’t expected such a reaction from her clingy, younger brother. Thus, she couldn’t help staring at him in blank astonishment.

“So turn that frown upside down, okay?”

He took her hands in his and smiled to reinforce his support of her past decisions. She was once again confronted with a wave of unfamiliar emotions while watching him.

Kids sure do grow up fast.

She had thought so numerous times since reuniting with her brother at the castle, but seeing him in this new light of mutual understanding was a wholly different experience. There was a large part of her that felt relief and surprise at seeing such a change in Jeremy, but also a lingering part that gave off a slight tinge of disappointment and distress.

Nevertheless, she soon followed suit and returned his smile.

* * *

A new storm loomed over the neutral territory due to none other than the Vertium puppet. Those who had heard the story from their respective clan masters were busy clamoring amongst themselves. A few were even bold enough to approach Roxana directly during the dinner banquet that same evening in an attempt to offer her their surface-level condolences. But among them were also those who were sincere, such as Luzark Castro and Pandora Fipellion.

The Red Heir had sensed the wall he had once put up between himself and the Agrece beauty had eroded ever so slightly thanks to the successful negotiation meeting between his mother and her brother. It was made that much clearer to her when he awkwardly extended his condolences to her over the exploitation of her brother’s remains with his classically stern look and gruff manner of speech.

On the other hand, Pandora consoled her in a more intimate manner as if they had become much closer since their previous chat over tea.

“Forgive me for asking, Miss Fipellion. But is there any chance we’ve met somewhere before?”

Jeremy’s sudden question almost immediately threw her into a panic and compelled her to take her leave from their group under the excuse of needing to go resolve an unforeseen emergency for her cousin. Before long, Cassis and Sylvia arrived at the banquet hall as well.

“Your condition seems to have improved since earlier. Should I take it that you’re feeling better now, Miss Agrece?”

“Yes, thank you for your concern, Blue Heir.”

“That certainly is a relief to hear.”

The two exchanged pleasantries while the entire hall focused on them.

“And what of you, Lady Sylvia? You must have suffered an awful lot.”

“As I said before, I was and still am perfectly fine. Though I must admit I am rather famished after all that excitement.”

With Jeremy taking the place of her escort, the four took their seats at the same table during the banquet. The onlookers who had been watching the four of them did not hesitate to whisper about what had happened that afternoon while dining at their respective tables. Even those who did not attend the banquet were still discussing the incident in various corners of the castle.

“I’m sure it’s because they were siblings, but goodness they looked so much alike.”

Being the ever-overzealous intellectual, Orka did not refrain from voicing his fascination about the puppet who looked like the ethereal Agrece beauty. “You think so? I’d have to disagree.”

Pandora had successfully escaped from the dinner banquet after fearing that the Black Master might recognize her. Upon finding her younger cousin, he shared his opinion on that day’s gossip with her as if they had been conversing the whole time, but she refuted him almost as soon as she approached him.

“I think there was actually something off about that thing.”

The White Heir nodded in agreement. “Perhaps it’s because he’s missing an eye and looked more like a cyclops than a former human. Haa... I suppose however you decorate it, a corpse is still just a corpse.”

Pandora frowned at the unfeeling manner with which her cousin spoke but soon turned her gaze from checking to see if she had been followed to see that Orka had taken a seat on a nearby windowsill. “Anyway, you’re not up to something again, are you?”

“What are you talking about?” He stared at her as if she had just said something completely unheard of and ridiculous.

In truth, there was no certainty in what she had said, so all she could do was frown and refuse to expand any further. “Ugh, you’ve been giving me a really uneasy feeling lately.”

Hearing his favorite cousin say make what he considered such an unfair presumption of him filled him with overwhelming indignation. “Ya know, you have a habit of making me out to be some sort of wild animal. You know better than anyone what a fine gentleman I’ve been since we arrived in Yggdrasil.”

Just as he said, Pandora had been keeping tabs on him by order of the White Master. Thus, the White Heir had remained rather passive within the castle grounds. It was especially surprising that he hadn’t once approached Roxana Agrece as she was the master of the poison butterflies he so desperately coveted. Such unexpected behavior only served to make his older cousin’s worries seem misplaced.

“Well, if you say so.”

He had actually been busy weighing the usefulness of her wit but was in no hurry to reveal what was really on his mind only to find himself under suspicion yet again. The blue-haired man returned to staring out the window with a razor-like smile spread across his lips. It seemed Pandora was oblivious to the ominous air that was flooding in toward them from outside.

Hmm... Orka rolled his tongue inside his mouth as he delighted in the tense sensation he hadn’t felt in what felt like ages. To him, it was almost as if he was at the core of a typhoon. He was even willing to cast himself into that soundless cyclone of chaotic wind just to watch himself sink.

Then again, Orka was the White Demon Tamer. All he needed to do was bide his time.

It would be foolish of him to make any rash decisions after restraining himself for that long. Especially while under the watchful golden eyes of the cunning Cassis Pedelian. Thus, he was even willing to wait an eternity if it meant that in the end, he’d eventually find the perfect opportunity he had been hoping for. He allowed himself to enjoy those thoughts until he could see the sun setting through the window.

He couldn’t help but hum with a tinge of giddiness at the mere thought of those beautiful butterflies soon falling into his clutches.