Chapter 174

Chapter 174

* * *

“So to what do I owe this... pleasure? l didn’t think there was any need for us to meet again this soon.”

Roxana had rushed out of the banquet to rendezvous with Cassis, but her half-sister Grizelda had suddenly appeared before her.

“My goodness, how cruel you are. Are you honestly still upset with me? I already said I was sorry for acting without your approval.” Her consecutive apologies had done little to change her younger sister’s expression. Having seen the blond’s reaction, or lack thereof, the older Agrece once again pretended to be repentant. “I mean it. That won’t happen again. Could you please not toss me aside like your other pup? You know I always enjoy myself the most when I’m around you.”

As an Agrece herself, Grizelda harbored within the depths of her soul a dark, slithering snake of her own. She hadn’t shown her fangs to Roxana just yet, but she was most certainly hissing whenever her tongue swayed to or fro from the excitement of waiting to see her sister’s reaction.

Even as children growing up together in the Black mansion, the older half-sister had made a most peculiar hobby out of provoking her younger sibling in such a manner. She simply seemed to take joy in the cold reaction the red-eyed woman would cast her way each time. Thus, the blond continued to stare at her sister coldly before speaking again.

“You know, Grizelda, I’m quite fond of you.”

The brunette froze in place as if the harmonious tone flowing out of her younger sister’s ruby lips were toxic. The unexpected response had left quite a mark on her.

“What the hell?!” The older Agrece finally found her voice and released a horrified shriek. She stared at Roxana as if she was talking to someone who was on the verge of death. It was either that or she herself had mistakenly consumed some sort of hallucinogen.

The blond continued to speak as her older sister’s face only shriveled more and more out of disgust. “You are quite capable and tend to know your place well enough not to bother me.”

However vexed she was feeling, she could still register that a compliment was still a compliment. The blond’s next words also reassured her that the cold, smiling figure before her was still her normal self.

“But how do you think I must feel to see my own sister become absolutely useless as soon as she sets foot in Yggdrasil, yet still have the nerve to cross me? I have never once allowed anyone who is both useless and annoying to stay by my side.”

Ironically, the harsh statement reassured Grizelda. Hearing Roxana express such a sweet sentiment at first had been so unsettling since it did not suit her crimson-eyed sister one bit. Once the older Agrece woman had regained her sense of ease, she began to complain in a whiny manner.

“Now that’s not fair. Just because I can’t use my sorcery doesn’t mean I deserve such verbal abuse. I’ve known this for quite some time, but you really are far too mean toward me. You know you treat me quite differently than you treat Jeremy!”

“Don’t even start. We both know you have zero interest in being treated like real family by me.”

Indeed, the blond wasn’t wrong. The mere thought of being treated like a beloved older sister sent shivers down Grizelda’s spine. She then proceeded to mutter to herself, as though she had just been struck with an epiphany, “I wonder if Achille would have turned out to be as interesting as you if he were still alive. It’s a shame we’ll never know.”

Again, Roxana didn’t offer any sort of reaction.

“Oh by the way, great acting back there. If I didn’t already know about you getting fooled by that puppet back at the Gold manor, I would have fallen for that teary expression back in the garden as well. What was his name again? Nix…? Of all the people in line to eliminate him, I’m sure you’d be the one who would want to kill him in the most painful way possible.” Grizelda tilted her head playfully as she watched her sister’s expression remain unchanged. What she said next, however, did manage to just barely make those scarlet eyes shift. “By the way, I noticed a black-haired pup leaving your room with something of yours a little while ago. Do you think it might have resorted to stealing because its owner forgot to feed it often enough?”

She whispered melodiously before proceeding down the hall past her blond sister. “Don’t you think you should rein it in before things get out of hand?”

Roxana listened as her half-sister’s footsteps grew fainter and fainter before walking in the opposite direction. Her face had become stiff with bitterness.

* * *

Cassis was waiting in the northern garden, a place where few in the castle ventured. A soothing light shined down onto his face as he lounged in one of the long chairs set out in one of the corners. He felt a familiar presence approach him, but did not immediately turn his head to address them. For one thing, he hadn’t yet finished organizing just what it was that he wished to say.

A sweet scent soon tickled his nose, then a thin arm appeared from behind him before gently wrapping around his shoulders. Long strands of hair fell on his shoulder like a cascade just as he began to turn his head slightly to the side.

“Don’t turn around.” The whispered words stopped him midway. “Not yet.”

The sound of a cricket cut through the brief silence. He spoke in a subdued voice over its chirping.

“Why?”

“I don’t want you to see me like this right now.”

The silk-like trill of her voice swept over his eardrums. But Roxana stubbornly refused to loosen her hold around him.

“Roxana...” He called out her name with his usual firm tone. “I wish to see you.”

It was as if he could sense the turmoil churning in her heart.

There wasn’t a trace of hesitation in his voice since he would support her through any and everything. She leaned in between his neck and shoulder, then breathed in his scent slowly.

After a moment, she continued to whisper. “Whenever you get like this, I sometimes feel like I really can show you my darkest side and that things will still be okay.” He began to open his mouth to respond, but she continued on. “But at the same time... I want to hide everything from you and run away.”

“Rox—”

“Please don’t say anything right now.” She tightened her hold around him, then leaned in even closer. “I just... want to stay like this for a bit.”

Her warmth felt somewhat fainter than usual. He gently clenched his jaw since he was the one who actually needed to suppress the storm swelling up within himself. As per her wish, they stayed that way for a while without exchanging another word. By the time he had finally turned around to inspect the fading fragrance in the air, she had already left.

* * *

The next morning, each of the clan leaders and their respective members gathered in the great conference hall. They all sat facing each other while murmuring about the hearing that was about to commence.

“Did you see that doll yesterday?”

“No, but I heard it was quite a spectacle.”

“I only heard everyone talking about it, but I bet it would have been truly fascinating to actually see a Gold clan puppet in person.”

Just then the Agreces marched into the hall. Leading the pack was the Black Master and his immeasurably beautiful older sister.

Jeremy gently held her hand as he escorted her to her seat. Per usual, they all wore purely black attire. It was common for each clan to wear their respective color at the gatherings somewhere or other on their apparel, so by then everyone had grown to understand that the Black Agrece made a habit of wearing mostly black with an occasional accent color.

“Hey, check them out.”

Perhaps due to what had transpired the previous day, the Black clan members were creating a rather somber atmosphere.

“You know, I never noticed before, but... they almost look like they’re wearing funeral garments.”

“Oh, you’re right. Maybe it only seems that way now because we’ve never seen them gathered together like this until now.”

“That and the fact that there isn’t so much as a hint of a smile on any of their faces.”

Unlike all the other clans’ members, Roxana’s seat was situated right next to Jeremy’s since she would serve as a critical witness during the hearing. Everyone who had witnessed the commotion from the previous day focused their gaze on her. Her terrifyingly bleak expression held no apparent emotion. And ever since she had entered the hall, a calm aura seemed to hang around her.

Once taking his own seat, Jeremy turned to whisper something into her ear. Roxana lowered her gaze as he spoke and onlookers watched as her long eyelashes came down gracefully over her scarlet eyes. Then the corners of her mouth suddenly lifted slightly as she smiled at whatever he had said. Her pensive beauty was more than enough to create a rippling effect in the surrounding observers.

As was the collective thought in the garden the day before, they all silently decided that anyone who would cause her to have such an expression should be punished. A few moments later, the remaining clan leaders and their members entered the hall. The Blue Heir was almost last to enter with his clan. Considering the other Pedelians had already taken their seats when he arrived, it gave many the impression that he was late.

Since Roxana’s seat was visible from the door, their eyes met almost immediately.

* * *

I looked around the great hall the moment I sat down next to Jeremy. I had felt the tension inside almost as soon as the attendants had opened the doors for our clan to enter. The large room was rarely ever used, so it was my first time being inside it.

I distinctly remember how the clans who had arrived before us stopped chattering when we walked in to baldly stare in our direction. I figured the visual significance of seeing us all in uniformly black attire was rather obvious. It also seemed that Jeremy had done an exceptional job of instructing our siblings to maintain stone-faced expressions throughout the hearing. But I was surprised when he suddenly tilted his head slightly to whisper in my ear since he had kept his own face stern from the moment the hall doors were opened.