Chapter 15
While seated in my room, enjoying a cup of tea, I overheard Emily sharing some intriguing gossip. It had been a couple of days since my last encounter with Cassis, and apparently, I had missed out on some dramatic events.
Charlotte had cunningly incapacitated a guardsman and made her way into the dungeons, driven by her obsession with the notorious prisoner. Shockingly, it seemed that the prisoner had actually caused harm to Charlotte.
“I understand,” I calmly responded, sipping the tea as it slid down my throat. Once again, it was laced with poison, just as I had anticipated.
Everything was going as planned.
The memories of the past flooded my mind, playing out like scenes from a film: Jeremy’s deteriorating appearance during dinner after I expressed my desire to interact with Cassis, Charlotte’s indignant expression when I left her injured on the floor, the peculiar look Cassis had in the dungeons…
Internally, I let out a sigh of resignation without betraying a single muscle on my face.
Jeremy and Charlotte, being young and predictable, were no exception to my understanding.
Despite the brutal defeat Charlotte suffered at my hands, I knew she wouldn’t stay subdued for long. Her relentless obsession with possessing toys bordered on the edge of madness. Rather than discouraging her, it seemed that my actions had inadvertently sparked her curiosity to seek out Cassis, even without our father’s permission.
And Jeremy, true to his nature, would undoubtedly provoke her further.
As the steam from my tea delicately wafted around my face, I contemplated these thoughts.
Jeremy had been taken aback when I expressed my keen interest in playing with Cassis, leading to his loss of appetite during our meal. Since that moment, I had been closely observing him, even as I dealt with Charlotte’s discipline.
His sudden offer to take care of our younger sister struck me as peculiar. He must have desired a private conversation with her, intending to insinuate that breaking toys she couldn’t have would bring her satisfaction and pleasure.
Irrespective of whether Jeremy had provoked her or not, Charlotte possessed a rebellious spirit. It wouldn’t come as a surprise if she engaged in some outrageous act regardless.
However, it was highly unlikely that she would go as far as to kill Cassis. Our father had explicitly instructed us not to lay a hand on the prisoner, and even in the midst of her fury, Charlotte would always exercise caution when it came to adhering to his commands. Simply encountering the prisoner, let alone inflicting torture upon him, would directly defy our father’s wishes. Nonetheless, Charlotte might have taken a calculated risk, believing that indulging in a little mischief wouldn’t jeopardize her life. We all understood, as siblings, that any disobedient behavior could result in dire consequences.
Following our encounter, Charlotte must have regarded Cassis as a forbidden fruit that she couldn’t possess, which only served to intensify her desire to meet him. She sought to break his spirit and witness him beg, especially to spite me.
Yet, I remained unperturbed by her actions.
Charlotte would not dare to go beyond mutilating the toy’s face or dismembering a few of its limbs without our father’s permission.
In anticipation of such possibilities, I had already prepared surgical thread to stitch up any wounds Cassis might sustain in the process.
A slight furrow formed on my brow, driven by a sense of disappointment. It would be a shame to ruin such a pristine physique.
“How did the toy manage to harm Charlotte?” I asked, feigning disinterest. “Did he use his teeth to snatch her hair when she ventured too close?”
“It was Miss Charlotte who broke the prisoner’s restraints and was subsequently attacked,” Emily explained.
My eyelashes fluttered as I gently placed the teacup and saucer back on the table.
“How intriguing,” I remarked nonchalantly.
At least one of his shackles had been forcibly broken.
These restraints, imbued with demonic energy, not only caused him immense pain but also served to suppress any magic the prisoner might possess.
Was it Charlotte who had managed to break the shackles, or was it the cunning trickery of Cassis Pedelian?
It was clear Cassis Pedelian seemed to have played a trick.
My younger sister possessed a cunning nature, leaving little motivation for her to tamper with the restraints.
Yet, what if she had succumbed to madness or impulsive behavior once again? The thought lingered in my mind.
No, the likelihood of Charlotte being responsible was still highly improbable. Given her volatile temper, she wouldn’t have possessed the necessary focus or control to break a cursed object intentionally.
I hummed a tune, projecting an air of contentment like a satisfied mistress.
While it’s possible that I may be giving Cassis more credit than he deserves, considering his status as the Pedelian heir, the esteemed Blue Scion, and, of course, the elder brother of the heroine, it’s only natural to expect a certain level of capability from him.
I adjusted my schedule, deciding to visit Cassis slightly later than originally planned.
