The morning came, and Rosalind and I were lying in bed, wrapped in each other's arms while she traced gentle caresses across my shoulder.
"Rosalind…" I tried to speak, but she stopped me.
"You don't have to tell me anything else if you don't want to."
"But you should know the real me, Rosalind. I'm not your brother, and I think you might have the wrong idea about who I am."
She looked at me with confusion and curiosity.
"I was behind the 'Invisible Death.' And it's not the first time I've killed more people than I can count. I'm not a good person, Rosalind."
She frowned, not fully processing my words. She stopped caressing me, and once she seemed to digest what I'd said, she climbed on top of me and held my gaze with a firmness that left no room for doubt.
"It's okay. I'm sure you must have had your reasons."
"It wasn't like that. I just thought it was the easiest way to solve a problem… though I think I've only made it worse now."
"What do you mean?"
"I believe I'm the reason the corroded beasts have been appearing much more frequently lately."
She lowered her gaze, but a small smile began to form on her face.
"See? You're not the villain you're trying to portray. You may have done something villainous, but deep down you care more than you let on."
A smile started spreading across my lips. I had thought that once she knew what I was capable of, she would change her mind about last night. Even though she still didn't know much about me… I leaned in and left a kiss on her lips before pulling back and letting out a laugh.
"Maybe you're right," I said, still chuckling as Rosalind looked at me in confusion.
…
Alric Heidelberg Demor, Emperor of Demor, sat on his throne reading a report about his primary wife and the son of a certain count.
His face darkened. He looked up at the minister who had delivered the document.
"He's not dead?"
His hand, holding the paper, began to tremble with pure rage.
"How is it possible that he's still alive? Where is the assassin we sent?"
"He… he hasn't returned, Your Majesty."
"Are you telling me that nearly a month has passed since we sent him and there's still no word?" Alric roared, throwing the papers to the floor.
For a moment, the thought of unleashing his fury on the minister standing before him crossed his mind.
The air in the room grew heavy.
"Send two more assassins. Have them find out what happened to the first one and finish what he started."
"But… Your Majesty, what will the Empress say if she finds out?" the minister stammered, trembling at the mere mention of Caelia.
…
I returned to the academy past noon. When I reached my room, an Astrid with a suspicious look greeted me.
"Where were you all night?" she started interrogating me, suspicion mixed with something else in her voice.
"I went to see my stepsister… but you really should stop watching everything I do. If you keep this up, I won't wait for the guards to give up searching for you—you'll have to leave."
She shot me an annoyed glare and muttered under her breath, "Liar…"
I raised an eyebrow at the word but didn't pay it much attention. I walked over and sat down with a sigh. Things were really starting to spiral out of control lately.
Knock, knock.
A knock sounded at the door. I rubbed my eyebrows wearily and shot Astrid a look so she would hide immediately.
When I opened it, I found an unusual pair: Cassane with her usual arrogant smile, standing beside Margery, who seemed to be looking for me.
I stared at them, confused.
"Brother… I'm about to advance to the fifth circle. Cassane said she'd go with me to buy what I need to make the breakthrough easier, and we thought you might come along. Besides, Dad always gives you more money…"
That last part was a lie I had told her before so that if she ever needed anything, she would come to me—but her company wasn't exactly what I wanted right now.
Thud!
Something fell inside my room. "Damn it, Astrid," I thought. Margery looked at me, confused.
"Did you have a visitor, brother?"
"It's Adela. She must be tidying some things up," I lied quickly.
"Oh, then I should go say hello to her."
"No! Let's go get what you need. I don't think it's good to bother her."
Both girls looked at me strangely, sensing I was hiding something, but since I had agreed to go with them, they decided to let it slide for now.
On the way, I watched in stunned silence as my sister and Cassane chatted like old friends.
"Since when did they become so close?" I muttered almost inaudibly.
"What did you say, Cassian?" Cassane asked with a superior smile, noticing my bewilderment.
"The shop where Margery needs to buy her things is right there," I pointed to a busy store to change the subject.
Margery grabbed Cassane's hand and enthusiastically dragged her toward the shop.
"Ugh… but seriously, why does this always happen when I'm with Margery?" I thought, suddenly feeling two figures watching me with clear murderous intent from the shadows of the market.
However, it seemed I wouldn't have to do anything this time.
I sensed the person the Empress had sent to watch over me was already moving to deal with them.
That figure who had been following me lately was becoming a problem. Between having to hide Astrid and keeping my relationships secret, the last thing I needed was a constant spectator.
…
"So that coward sent someone after my new son…" Caelia murmured.
"Yes, my lady," Rose replied, head bowed.
"But more importantly… why is he getting so close to so many women? And an entire night with his stepsister… What could they possibly have to talk about for that long?" The Empress gripped the armrests of her chair tightly, her nails sinking into the luxurious fabric. "Send a message to that useless husband of mine: he is not to interfere with my new toy."
Caelia stood up, her aura growing heavy and suffocating.
"It's about time my Cassian and I spent some time together again…"
The expression on the Empress's face at that moment was indescribable—a mix of possessiveness and obsession that bordered on madness.
…
"Achoo!" Cassian frowned. He had never caught a cold before, so suddenly sneezing was strange, though it was certainly getting colder on the streets of the capital.
"Brother, look at you—you're completely underdressed," Margery scolded him. She took a thick coat from a rack in the shop and draped it over his shoulders with determination. "Wear this. I'll go pay for it."
I looked at her back with a mix of resignation and tenderness.
Cassane took advantage of the moment to come speak with me alone.
"Your relationship with your sister is really good," she said, smiling with satisfaction she didn't even try to hide.
"Yes, and you're taking advantage of that," I remarked bluntly.
"Hahaha, I told you I wouldn't leave you any choice. Now look at us—we're together, just like on a date."
"It's not a date if there's someone else," I replied with my usual coldness.
She looked at me, clearly displeased with my words. Her "ice queen" expression cracked for a second at my lack of tact.
"Is it really that hard for you to be a little softer? You're going to end up alone forever if you keep acting like this."
"Says the one they call the 'Ice Queen,'" I retorted, clasping my hands together in amusement while looking at her ironically.
Cassane blushed slightly, indignant at the counterattack.
"That's different!" she exclaimed in a whisper, making sure Margery couldn't hear.
"I'm sure it is…" I replied, not hiding the irony in my voice.
She responded to my words by giving me a shove with her arm.
Margery seemed to notice what was happening and watched with suspicion. Her eyes narrowed as she observed us, and without saying a word, she came over, grabbed Cassane by the arm, and pulled her away from me.