* * *

I revisited the dungeon the next day.

I’ve often heard that the first attempt at anything is always the hardest, and that everything is downhill from there. Since entering the dungeon was fairly easy for me to begin with, that could only mean the second time was basically going to be a cakewalk.

I didn’t even have to try to butter up the guard. As soon as he saw me coming, he promptly unlatched the lock. Before going inside, I asked, “Has anyone else visited the dungeon since I came by yesterday? Perhaps Jeremy, Charlotte, or anyone else?”

“No, my lady. The master forbade entrance to everyone.”

“I see... And yet, you let me in.”

My casual remark stumped him for a moment. I looked him over once more, then offered him a knowing smile.

“So you made an exception for me, is that it?”

I believed him when he said that no one else had gone into the dungeon since the day before.

“What’s your name?”

“Uh...”

“Your name. What is it?”

I was showing someone who was so clearly older than me absolutely zero respect, but instead of getting upset or angry, he simply blushed like an oaf.

“Y... Yoan, my lady.”

“I see. Well, thank you for your help, Yoan. I’d hate for you to get into any sort of trouble because of me, so I’ll just pop in and out real quick to see how he’s doing like I did yesterday.”

“Oh, it’s no trouble at all, my lady!”

Calling him by his name with a smile was really all it took to have him eating out of the palm of my hand. He looked so excited that he started to ramble.

“I’ve actually heard so much about you, Lady Roxana, so even getting to meet you like this is a HUGE honor! I’m simply overjoyed at the chance to be of service to you in any way, no matter how big or small. And...”

Ignoring his prattling, I entered the dungeon after shooting him one last smile. It was still eerie, and the air was as disgustingly stale as ever... It was definitely a place one would want to avoid, if possible. But what choice did I have with Cassis Pedelian being held captive?

Creeeaak.

As I pulled back on the metal door, it shrieked out in agony once again. My guess is it probably hadn’t been oiled in at least a hundred years. Or is it just a jail thing in general? I know that in old horror movies and scary stories, whenever there’s that sort of hair-raising sound, it usually means something terrible is about to happen. Or was it just due to all the dampness?

Once I finally broke away from those stray thoughts, I looked up to see the boy staring right at me. His golden eyes, intense like the burning sun, seemed to bore into me.

“Oh, so you’re awake today.”

Perhaps because my mind had still been thinking about his condition from the previous day, meeting him wide awake like that took me by surprise. But after my remark, his quiet yet intense gaze quickly changed into a grimace.

“You...”

He began with menace in his voice, seeming to have figured out that I was the one who had visited him the day before. But since he’d practically been unconscious, I still doubted whether he had actually seen me. As I stepped into the cell, he growled in warning.

“What exactly did you give me yesterday?!”

Though his voice was still haggard and raspy, the icy glare he gave me suggested he would slay me in one swoop if given the chance. He certainly was bold for someone who was still bound hand and foot. Still, I figured there was no harm in him knowing I was the same person.

“I told you it was an antidote. I gave it to you to reverse the paralysis toxin that’s in your system.” Then I added calmly, “The effects would have lasted for at least five days, and they would have been very painful.”

With a quick glance up and down, I could see he hadn’t suffered any further injuries since my last visit. Or at least, none that were noticeable. I didn’t attempt to treat his lashing wounds for fear of others noticing.

“You expect me to believe that?” he asked.

So I asked in return, “Are you or are you not feeling better than you did yesterday? I mean, look how well you’re able to talk today.”

That seemed to stump him rather abruptly. Naturally, he was still suspicious of me and was obviously aching to know more, but he was also cautious.

“Let’s say it was an antidote... then what exactly are you up to?”

“Nothing.”

There was a moment of uncertainty in his eyes, but only for a second. Soon he returned to staring at me with that cool gaze of his again.

“Then tell me who the hell you are.”

His low, raspy voice seemed to creep over the floor toward me. I felt that before asking about who I was, he should introduce himself first, so I said, “Cassis Pedelian.”

The boy flinched at the sound of his own name.

“Is that your name?”

I asked knowing full well that it was indeed, but honestly, I would have been beyond ecstatic if I had been wrong. Of course, I wasn’t, and his reply quickly confirmed that.

“Just what sort of game are you playing?! You dragged me to this place knowing damn well who I am!”

Damn it all! There was absolutely zero room for doubt after that. I mean it when I say I had wanted to be wrong so, SO badly.

“Now it’s your turn to tell me who you are. Though I assume you’re one of Agrece’s filthy underlings.”

So he already knew he was in Agrece territory. But that was no big surprise since my father was not particularly secretive when it came to his criminal enterprises. In fact, he was the sort who would just as soon cut someone down with his sword while laughing them full in the face.

I continued to watch the boy for a while in consternation, then sighed.

“Look, I need to ask you something.”

“No, I asked you who you are. You answer me first.”

Ignoring his demand, I moved on to what had been troubling me that entire time.

“Tell the truth—you can’t see anything right now, can you?”

There was no answer. Only silence filled the dungeon. Cassis Pedelian remained still, but I knew the answer because his gaze never once wavered from me.

“So I’m right. You have lost your sight.”

As I approached him, I noticed his eyes were locked on my face. In fact, he had been following my movements rather naturally ever since I had stepped into his cell, which is why I hadn’t been certain.

“How many fingers am I holding up?”

I fluttered my fingers in front of his face.

“Get out of my face!” Clearly, he was in no mood to fool around.

Still, I was certain after that. His frustration had confirmed it.

“No wonder you didn’t react to me the way I had expected,” I said.

Had he been able to see me, I was certain his pupils would have dilated already. At the very least, they should have dilated when he first laid eyes on me.

For as long as I had lived in this world, no one was able to conceal their initial shock when first encountering my loveliness. Of course, he was also wary and angry at any and everyone who was in his enemy’s territory, but that was a different issue. I’m sure I sound like I suffer from vanity. And while that may be the case, the truth is, I was simply making a logical observation.

But I could tell my words made no sense to Cassis. Given the state he was in, I supposed it was only natural. To me, the fact that he had asked if I was one of my father’s underlings was further proof that his vision was kaput. He had looked my way just the day before while passing by me and my siblings.

Anyway, I soon surmised that he had not only been paralyzed, but also blinded during the kidnapping. And the cuffs around his wrists and ankles were no ordinary ones. They were reserved for use against actual monsters. The magical cuffs were designed with monster tendons woven into them, so they were far more powerful than average ones, meaning the boy must have been quite the handful to capture. That penetrating stare of his had scared the daylights out of me the day prior, but at least it was clear he had only been guessing at my and my siblings’ whereabouts.

I scanned him from top to bottom, not because I had any devious plans, but to see if there were any clues as to what had been done to him. Then I saw it. I quickly ripped open the front of his shirt, but as my hand brushed his chest, Cassis jerked away frowning.

“It wasn’t poison that did this to you but a spell, so it shouldn’t last too long.”

The tiny swirl I found etched onto his waist area confirmed that Cassis had for all intents and purposes been blinded. Yet despite that, he really had almost faked me out. No doubt he was a tricky one... When I scowled up at his face, he once again met my gaze dead center. From that close-up, I could feel the power of his presence which hadn’t been as evident the day before.

When he was unconscious, I had taken him for a delicate and innocent young man, but after seeing him looking down at me like that, I could definitely sense the weight of his charisma. It was an aura that was far beyond someone of his seventeen years. The calm he maintained in such a precarious circumstance was proof of that in itself.

“I think I’ll just leave your eyes alone for now.”

Even then, he still didn’t show a hint of fear or anxiety. In fact, his frigid gaze remained so intense, that I almost felt a chill.

“Your eyesight should return in a few days. Plus, the reversal spell is rather tricky, so it wouldn’t be advisable right now.”

He listened to me speak without saying a word, as if all his concentration was trying to gauge my true intentions. Since I could feel him trying to read me, I continued.

“You probably won’t believe me,” I muttered. “But I really don’t want you to die.”

“What?”

He must have been genuinely surprised to hear that as I noticed his expression suddenly changed completely. But I needed to leave, so I said, “I’ll visit again soon.”

“Wait! Hold o—!” he yelled trying to keep me there longer, but I was already out the door.