* * *

It was the dead of night. Darkness surrounded them on every side.

“So... Is no one there?”

The whispered query seemed to scatter over the quiet room. The only other noise came from the curtain fluttering against the breeze. The girl sat on the window ledge as the full radiance of the moonlight poured over her small figure.

“Let’s try the western border next.”

Her beauty was almost supernatural. The kind one might suppose was only possible due to some god designing her personally. Even in the darkness, the soft waves in her waist-length hair shone brightly as if woven from the light gathered from the night stars and sunrise.

And one look at those eyes, which twinkled like garnet refined from blood, could overwhelm the observer with a tingling electric sensation due to inevitable attraction. Her delicate skin also shimmered like white jade as it reflected the moonlight. In short, she possessed a combination of enchanting and noble beauty that captivated all who saw her.

“If you come across those searching for him, pick out the one who is strongest and has the most zeal.”

Upon receiving the new order from Roxana, her trusty maroon-colored butterfly underling flapped its tiny wings as if it were responding. Then just as quickly, it was out the window and in the open air.

Roxana started after the creature as it disappeared into the darkness. Both the eastern and southern borders had failed to yield any results. She sincerely hoped there were people looking for Cassis Pedelian at the western border. It would be unfortunate if their search had been delayed, as that would derail her plan for getting him out safely.

Roxana breathed a heavy sigh as she thought of the captive in the basement dungeon. Her distress made her beauty seem melancholic. But the wheels continued to turn inside her head. Earlier that night, the noise she had heard while in the dungeon was due to her other half-sibling, Charlotte, who had chanced coming down.

Charlotte had been berating the dungeon guard and insisting that he let her go inside to see the “new toy.” But the guard stood his ground and did not let her through. However, it was questionable how long he would be able to hold out against such aggression.

“What should I do?”

Roxana continued to muse with her eyes cast down. Since Cassis had accepted the medicine without her having to resort to knocking him unconscious, he probably wasn’t as suspicious of her as he had been at first. She would have liked for him to put even more faith in her, but at least he seemed to recognize that she wasn’t going to harm him with food. Or perhaps he had only taken it after realizing that if he didn’t, she would simply knock him out cold again and force-feed the medicine to him.

Tap, tap.

Roxana drummed lightly on the window ledge with her fingers. The most recent monthly evaluation had taken place just before Cassis’s arrival, which meant the grand feast was just around the corner. Once again, Roxana would be in attendance as the perpetual number two. Of course, her father Lante Agrece would also be there. She supposed it might be time to address the matter openly with him.

How to Protect Someone

“Blegh.”

I couldn’t help gagging as pungent bile rose up in my throat. After coughing into my hands, I noticed a splotch of blood. It was a side effect of the poison I was taking. It was a nuisance, but at least it happened before I’d begun readying for the feast. Had I already gotten dressed, I would have had to change again.

I stared emotionlessly at the blood splattered on my hands and clothes, then looked up. The girl looking back at me in the mirror was completely unperturbed. She had just coughed up blood like it was nothing. With blood on the side of my mouth, I looked even paler than usual.

I stretched my hand out to my right to take the handkerchief Emily had been standing by with, then wiped the blood from my lips. Since it wasn’t my first time suffering from such a side effect, neither I nor Emily were all that concerned.

Knock, knock.

“Xana?”

A voice called for me from the other side of my door. It was Mother.

Upon my signal, Emily opened the door. A beautiful woman who I resembled almost exactly stood before the threshold. Sierra Colonis was a woman whose glittering beauty seemed to have skirted the passage of time itself. No one would believe that she was the mother of a 16-year-old. And if they were to take into account poor Achille, she was actually a mother of a 20-year-old, a fact that could make people’s heads spin even more.

“It’s been a while, Xana dear.”

“Indeed, Mother, it has.”

We hadn’t seen each other all that much over the last few years since we resided in different buildings at the compound. She suddenly approached me with her eyes wide before halting right in front of me.

“Why is there... blood? Were you hurt?”

I had wiped the blood from my face, but there were still traces of it left on my clothes.

“Oh, it’s nothing. By the way, what brings you here?”

I needed to change the subject, not get caught up in explanations. Besides, I didn’t feel the need to reveal what was going on to her. Upon seeing that I was being evasive, she did not pry.

“Since today’s the grand feast, I just came by to make sure you weren’t too anxious or anything.”

“Mother, this isn’t my first time, you know. Why would I suddenly feel anxious now?”

She just stood there unable to form a response. Perhaps she had been fearful that I might say or do something to upset my father at the feast. I had felt that I was already more than mature enough to take care of my own affairs, but perhaps my mother didn’t. I’m not sure when it started, but the rift between us had been widening for a while. Still, whenever she looked at me with that pleading look, I felt as if I could do anything for her.

I said more sweetly, “I’m fine, Mother. There’s nothing you need to worry about.”

She must have recognized how genuinely calm I felt because she became less tense. Then she said quietly, “That’s right. You have grown to become a worthy Agrece.”

I’m not sure exactly what sort of face I made after hearing her praise, but upon meeting my gaze, Mother’s delicate frame quivered. In a flash, I could tell she knew that my placid façade was all an act. Before Mother could become even more troubled, I continued on with a smile.

“Yes, Mother. I have become a worthy Agrece just like you had hoped.”

A beauty so fragile that it was both excruciating and lovely. My mother was a woman who hadn’t been able to do anything except cry herself to sleep when her own son had been slain. And if the same fate were to befall me today, she would probably cower in fright and just watch as my body grew cold.

Turning toward the mirror I asked warmly, “Will you stay a bit? I do need to start getting ready for the grand feast though, so I’m afraid we can’t spend much time together.”

“No, no. I’d only get in your way.”

She must have realized there would be no further discussion.

“All right then. Take care.”

I didn’t bother trying to dissuade her. Mother hesitated by the door for a moment, then finally left my room. Once she was gone, Emily helped me get into my outfit.

My attire wasn’t like anything one would expect for a typical family dinner. It was more suited for a soldier going off to war, albeit one who didn’t use guns or swords, would wear. The mirror reflected the image of a young girl striking a glamorous pose. As I forced a smile onto my stony face, I sensed a startling beauty radiating outward.

“Lady Roxana, it’s time.”

I finally left my room to head toward the grand feast. The hallway was silent. After briefly looking in the direction mother must have gone in, I went in the opposite direction. I did not blame her for being unable to protect Achille or me. Nor did I hate her. But I also could not seek out her embrace for comfort anymore. That’s just how it was.