Chapter 76

Sep 05, 2023

“Argh! Stop! No one come any closer!”

The stricken man valiantly warned everyone else against coming within harm’s way. The other knights watched as their friend fell to his knees from what appeared to be an invisible attack. Before long, the entire area was saturated with toxic fumes, which forced them all to cover their mouths and noses.

Luckily, Cassis returned in the nick of time. He immediately understood what had gone wrong. The poisonous vapors he had helped to repress were once again running rampant. Since he hadn’t left Roxana’s side for even up to five minutes, it was evident that the toxins had returned nearly right after he had stepped away. “Everyone, stand back!”

“Young master, don—!”

But before his men could warn their leader against it, Cassis marched over to the woman without a moment’s hesitation. All anyone could do was watch on while silently imploring him to stop. He, however, completely disregarded their concerns and went directly to the woman who was lying in the snow before clasping her hand.

“Roxana.” He called out her name several times, but she was unconscious and thus unable to hear him. As he picked her up from the ground, Roxana’s body dangled limp from his arms. All the while, the noxious vapors surrounding her only became more toxic to those in the immediate vicinity.

From seemingly out of nowhere, a butterfly appeared then landed on her shoulder. Apparently realizing that there wasn’t a second to spare, Cassis lowered his face to hers. It would be a gross understatement to say what he did next shocked those watching the pair.

Gasps sounded from various directions as he placed his mouth over her ruby lips and began transferring his life force into her body. Of course, he could have done it much the same way he had done with Lante Agrece, but that would be a crude and violent method to revive her. It could even damage her innermost being.

He refused to risk such a thing happening to her. Wary of overwhelming her, Cassis very carefully paused several times while transferring over the amount of his life force necessary in order to sustain her. Once her temperature had stabilized and he felt satisfied that she would hold out, he hurried back to the carriage with Roxana still motionless in his arms. All he had really done was emergency damage control. He still needed to stop the poison seeping out of her body.

“No one come anywhere near this carriage until I give the order.” With the command issued, he disappeared back into the carriage with Roxana.

The knights remained for a moment with their mouths agape as they stared at the vessel their leader had just disappeared into. They collectively wondered if he meant to nurse the toxic woman himself, but after a short while, their curiosity was answered as the poison, which had managed to slip through the cracks of the carriage, began to abate.

Soon after, the carriage door opened yet again. “Bring me the medicine and some water.”

Cassis had originally left in order to find the necessary medication for Roxana. Upon hearing the order, a man standing directly next to Olin ran off to fetch what Cassis had requested. Once the door closed again, all who had been watching breathlessly remained silent as Cassis once again disappeared inside of it with the unknown woman.

Many began to wonder if she had indeed awoken as it didn’t seem possible given her previous condition. But they couldn’t ignore the fact that their leader had clearly just asked for medicine to give to the unconscious woman. They almost instantly seemed to be thinking the same thing as they collectively recalled the scene they had just witnessed only moments ago.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Cassis lowered his lips to hers. After that, the rest was history.

The prevailing theory among the Pedelian knights was that she couldn’t be a hostage. They imagined that she must be someone of great importance. After all, there was no chance their young master would ever tend to a hostage personally.

“Sir Winston, do you know anything about the woman the young master brought along with us?” One of Olin’s peers who was unable to suppress his curiosity finally took it upon himself to ask Isidore later that same night. Though his comrades pretended to have zero interest in who the mystery woman was, they each pricked their ears toward their vice-commander.

Isidore furrowed his brow for a moment, then decided there was no point in keeping them in the dark. “If I have to describe her, I’d say she is somewhat like a benefactor.”

“Huh?”

“Which is why I expect you all to treat her with the utmost respect.”

It was an answer that forbade further discussion, and an answer that only puzzled them further. Isidore then stood up to leave. A clear indication that he had no more to say on the matter. And so, the men could learn nothing more (at least not from Isidore or Cassis).

Unfortunately, their curiosity had only grown worse in the days leading up to Roxana’s sudden appearance before the crowd once again.

* * *

“Ah...” Roxana uttered quietly in what sounded more like a sigh than an exclamation as the memories of what had recently transpired rushed back to her.

Her attention was soon drawn to her throat, which felt parched like the desert. Having gone unchecked for so long, the poison caused her temperature to fluctuate so much so that not only thirst seized her, but her lips were also drying to the point of being painful.

As much as she yearned for relief, her body felt too heavy, and her mind felt too hazy to allow her to even twitch. Then as if the heavens themselves had heard her thoughts, she sensed something press down on her lips. As if heeding her innermost desire, water began to enter through her dry, parted lips. It slipped over her tongue, tasting sweetly like the life-giving nectar of legend, thus making her cling to its source with all the energy she could channel to her lips.

What she felt next was someone stroking her hair and cheeks so gently that her body felt as though it would melt. Then there was yet another wave of warmth upon her lips. This time, however, the person transferred enough water over to sufficiently quench her thirst.

Her ears failed to pick up any distinguishing noises, then before she could test her other senses she seemed to drift back to sleep. Although these memories returned to Roxana, it would be inaccurate to say she was in the best of moods upon recalling them. Simply put, she abhorred the thought of looking weak in front of others. Even so, she also acknowledged that she was being a tad irrational in this instance. With her face scrunched up, she suddenly recalled what Cassis had told her the day before.

“I propose that you relinquish the rest of your time in this world to me.”

“If you don’t care about where you’re going or where you’ll end up, then stay by my side until you die.”

Roxana’s eyes slowly lowered toward the carriage floor.

So that’s it?

Since her time meant nothing to her either way, perhaps this was her next best option. Suddenly, the poison butterflies she had sent out to scout the area broke her train of thought. She watched through the window as countless butterflies fluttered in her direction. Even from that distance, she could tell that they were moving with far more vigor.

She imagined they must be pleased after a long overdue feast. Once they were near enough, she ordered them back to their hiding spots. It had only been thanks to her condition improving, or at least improving enough to be able to control them again, that she had risked sending them out earlier that day.

She had taken advantage of the fact that they were near a demon monster habitat in order to feed her little creatures who were badly in need of a proper meal. Then she felt the carriage abruptly stop. Before she could chance a peek out of the window, Cassis jumped inside of it.

“Tell me, do you enjoy abusing yourself?” His expression told her right away that he had somehow noticed the butterflies. “I can’t understand why you won’t just listen to me when I ask you to rest.”

After apparently sufficiently scolding her, he closed the carriage door behind him. With her chin resting on her hand, Roxana stared at his brooding figure in silence. Despite their somewhat forced intimacy from the previous day, Cassis was very much behaving like his usual self.

And of course, Roxana hadn’t changed her attitude toward him either. She supposed it may have been due to her recollection only moments prior of Cassis nursing her the entire time she was ill and among the Pedelian forces. Either way she felt something swelling up inside of her as she gazed at him. She couldn’t be certain, but it was as if she had swallowed a thorn.

“See? Now you’ve gone pale again.” A frown spread wide across his face as he looked down at her. Had he thought she might relapse, he wouldn’t have left her alone as she had asked. A quiet sigh then escaped from his lips. “Honestly... I don’t think I can leave you alone for even a second.”

Then he reached out as if he intended to heal her through touch again, but before he could, Roxana was holding him by the collar. Cassis could have dodged or avoided her clutches, but instead he allowed her to pull him toward her. But what he hadn’t expected were the lips that had locked on to his to be several degrees colder than his own. Especially given that they were still frigid from the time he had spent outside.

Roxana tugged at Cassis’ lower lip with her teeth until it parted from his top lip and granted her entrance into his mouth. Upon gaining entry, she began to kiss him feverishly. It wasn’t a lengthy bout, but rather than just two sets of lips dueling for power, their tongues had also entwined.