Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Is my head... really resting in her lap right now?!

For a moment, Cassis considered whether he should act as though he had been roused from his unconsciousness by the movement. But the sudden soft touch of her hand as she caressed his hair

seemed to have glued his mouth shut. Cassis couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being less than honorable. Not that he had asked for things to turn out this way, of course. Even so, he felt somewhat like a cad. Especially as young Roxana’s thigh tenderly supported his head.

“I don’t want to die...”

Her voice suddenly broke through his wandering thoughts. Roxana had apparently blurted out her inner thought while stroking his hair. Cassis became curious as to what her unexpected confession meant, but she had already fallen silent again. Still, the more pressing issue was trying to keep a straight face while she continued to stroke his hair.

“How odd.”

She lifted her hand from his hair.

“How is his hair so soft? It’s almost as if someone washed it for him.”

Had his eyes been open, Cassis was certain they would have given him away.

“He doesn’t even smell.”

He had tried his hardest, but this time he couldn’t suppress the slightest quiver from escaping. He thought he should move away, but as long as he was pretending to be unconscious, he couldn’t see any way to. She must have sensed something because she began to scrutinize him even more closely. Cassis wasn’t sure if she could tell, but the tips of his ears were blushing.

The unique softness and absence of odor from his hair that had puzzled Roxana were simply traits passed down throughout the Pedelian line. He had been genuinely surprised at how readily she had noticed them. Not to mention the fact that she was only a girl around his age. Cassis’ mind could not help but churn in confusion. Luckily, Roxana had not attempted to sniff him directly, nor linger too long on the feeling of his hair.

With things as they were, Cassis resolved to keep his eyes closed. All he could do was pray to himself that the ordeal would be over soon. Then there was more quiet muttering above him.

“It feels silly talking to an unconscious person, but I wish you knew how sorry I was about not being able to protect you earlier.” Cassis listened quietly as she continued to apologize.

“But you can rest assured now. That sort of thing won’t happen again. You belong to me now, which means no one else will dare abuse you.”

The hand caressing his head was so warm and gentle that Cassis almost forgot she was the daughter of his sworn enemy.

“I’ll make sure you leave this place alive.”

There didn’t seem to be any deceit in her voice, which was odd in itself. Cassis released the tension he’d been maintaining since Roxana had entered the room and finally relax. There seemed to be no immediate need to use force against her. The atmosphere in the room felt strangely peaceful, so Cassis resumed his quiet breathing.

* * *

Later that night, I went to visit Cassis again. When I had left him earlier, I hadn’t been able to confirm whether he was conscious or not, but this time he was awake. As soon as I opened the door the golden glint of his eyes beamed into mine. I hesitated for just a moment before turning to shut the door behind me.

The room became much brighter after I tapped the magical candle mounted to the wall. The amount of light was controlled through sorcery, and I had dimmed it earlier before leaving in order to allow Cassis to sleep in peace. I had considered making it even brighter, but thought against it as I was worried it might be awkward if the two of us stood out too starkly. The room was just bright enough for us to discern the other’s features, but nothing more.

Backlit by the soft glow of the candlelight, Cassis studied me in silence. He was watching me from the wall where he had positioned himself to sit upright. Due to his distance from the light source, much of his face was hidden in shadow. Seeing him crouching in the half-darkness, he reminded me of a wild animal staring down a trespasser.

I was on the verge of asking how he was feeling, but afraid of sounding foolish, I simply addressed his position.

“With all the injuries you’ve suffered, you should be lying down and resting.”

There had only been an afternoon between my last visit to tend to his wounds and this one, so he couldn’t have recovered much in such short amount of time.

“A doctor came by to treat you earlier, but do you feel pain anywhere?”

But instead of responding, he just glared and watched me through the slit of his eyes. Oh, how I wished I could read other people’s minds. I was so curious to know what Cassis was thinking at that moment. Plus, I would have been able to find out if he really had been unconscious earlier. But instead of an answer, all I got was that same stoic expression which never divulged anything.

After a short while though, he did respond.

“No... Nowhere else.”

Still, there was something different in his stony response this time. Perhaps a slight hesitation before he answered. I moved in closer.

“I brought you painkillers. Would you like them now?” Before he could answer I pushed on. “I also brought some food. You should eat before taking the medicine.”

I was holding a tray with medicine and the food. It was simply a bit of bread and soup. I had prepared a simple meal because I was worried that anything heavier might upset his stomach in his current state. Sure, he had eaten that nutrition pellet while in the dungeon, but that wasn’t real food. Rather than go on, I placed the tray on the floor next to him.

“It’s a bit uncomfortable in here without a table or chairs. There used to be furniture, but they were removed for safety reasons.”

Truth be told, I had been a little worried at the thought of Cassis. Had he gotten the idea in his head, he could have attacked me. Unlike the setup in the dungeon, the chains in this room afforded him a lot more movement. But he refused to even stir and just stared.

“Couldn’t one of your servants have done this?” His tone was dry as sand.

But I relaxed a bit after hearing him speak. Even before visiting him, I’d been anxious about what to do in case he became hostile.

“I’ve ordered someone else to bring you fresh clothes.”

The truth was I had come personally because I feared he’d attack the servants, but I couldn’t tell him that. But that was precisely what he would do in his effort to escape. Objectively speaking, he was in no shape to attempt such a foolish endeavor, but I couldn’t be certain he was of the same opinion. Still, one thing was clear. If any trouble did arise, I would need to take care of it before Lante ever found out. And since I was far more skilled at martial arts than the servants, I’d be able to knock him out again if he tried anything rash.

However, such concerns were less pressing since we were essentially in the same boat. We needed to get to know each other better, which of course meant seeing each other more often. At the time, I had thought I was being considerate in commenting on the state of his clothes.

“What you have on is filthy and tattered. I think it would be best for you to change into the new ones once they get here.”

Apparently, I was wrong. Cassis’ expression changed, but not in a good way. I wasn’t sure what lay behind his gaze, but there was a definite edge to his stare. How strange. I may have been mistaken, but it almost seemed as if I had wounded his pride. Once again I became filled with suspicion. Like seriously, what was his deal? Had he actually been awake during my visit earlier that day?

But before long, Cassis dropped his gaze. That allowed me absolutely no time to study the meaning behind it. He seemed almost reluctant when he began to speak again.

“So...”

His voice suddenly became nearly as brittle as his expression.

“What is my role... as your new toy?”