The way to Protect the Female Lead’s Older Brother - Chapter 32

I watched Cassis quietly. His shoulders were rigid and his fists were clenched tightly. He seemed to have been ruminating deeply on what a toy meant the past night.

I ignored his discomfort and gave an offhand response, as if I were still half-observed with the state of his clothes.

“Hmm, eat well, sleep well, and get well soon,” I said absentmindedly. I gave him another small smile.

He seemed floored by my answer. I did not know exactly what Charlotte had done to him, or if he naturally had an overexcited imagination. Did he expect to fight dragons or beasts in a coliseum?

No, playing make-believe was unnecessary here. The two of us were already in a horror story.

“Please eat,” I repeated myself. “If you’d like, I can have it tested again for poison.”

Cassis’s gaze trailed to the tray beside him.

I had a feeling he was still uncomfortable in my presence. I excused myself and thought of bringing a chair in the room next time. An informal setting would be easier if the two of us were both sitting down.

When Cassis nodded, I took my leave and had my maid, Emily, follow me. As I wandered through the castle, I had her write down the clothes, food, and medicine; accessories essentially for my toy. I pointed at odd bits and ends that seemed to fascinate me. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason as to why I chose sorbet for his desserts or why I insisted that Cassis have his own make-up kit.

In-between the trivial orders, such as mild poisons and hats, I masked essential items for his escape. The chainmail could come in handy against a blunt attack. The slightly feminine stiletto dagger could fit in his boot. It was frustrating to act like a rich and thoughtless noble lady, but I acted my part well. My actions drew looks—the servants were aware that I had never had a toy before—but I did not look like a traitor.

At times, I asked Emily for her opinion on purchasing items. She seemed afraid to answer; she did not seem to appreciate the beauty of torturing someone. I twisted one of her comments about a hairbrush to ordering steel-tipped French tips I could rake his fingers with. Wouldn’t the blood running down his scalp match well with his albino hair and skin? Emily’s trembling statue only fortified my psychotic reputation among the help.

Later in the day, I stood outside Cassis’s room. I waved my hand and Emily curtsied before staying still, her head still bowed. The servants behind us held the items we had collected. It felt ominous for the door to be locked whenever Cassis was alone. Someone had unlocked it prior to my appearance. The door opened soundlessly. I walked inside and pressed my fingertips together.

Cassis was standing in the middle of the room with his back turned from me. His upper body was bare and I resisted the urge to count how many red scars were left in the flickering candlelight. His bandages around his stomach were sloppily dressed, but new.

In that moment, I despised my teenage hormones. I was aware I was alone with a man my age as the door automatically closed behind me.

Cassis looked at me sideways. His gold eyes showed no embarrassment. It was his demeanor…

I looked away first.

There was a pause between us.

“I need to bathe,” he said quietly. He dropped the remains of his bloody shirt on the bed. In an insane moment, I wanted to rest my hand between the small of his back and feel muscle.

“Please,” I waved a hand to the corner. A trifold was set to give the prisoner some privacy for his toilette. I had ordered the servants to leave a chamber pot, a bucket, some soap, and a towel for his use behind it.

Cassis lifted his arms. The chain binding his shackles swung in the air. “Release me so I can wash,” he said.

“That won’t do,” I teased. I turned and folded my hands behind my back. “I need to have some promise that I’m restraining you. For looks, you know. Having a prisoner walking about freely when he’s on death row doesn’t look right. You understand.”

I contemplated this dilemma for a bit. “Would a leash be more convenient? Magically binding, of course.”

His angry silence seemed to electrify the air. His eyes narrowed. The aberration that he would be dressed like a dog hurt his pride horribly. His discomfort made my smile genuine.

“Restraints are part of the game. You needn’t be too serious,” I said.

The hex on his shackles limited aggressive behavior. The magic was a parasite; it sucked mana from its victim whenever the heart became excited and pumped blood more quickly throughout the body. It was an almost failsafe method to restrain magic and nonmagical beings, but there was one weakness. Quite obviously, Cassis had found out the secret. He had overcome Charlotte after all.

The leash or the shackles he wore now were just a prop Cassis was using to trick me now. He thought he had an advantage over me. I would have to keep watching his body language carefully whenever I was within striking distance.

Slowly, Cassis bowed his head in asset. When he stood straight, his lips were pressed in a thin line.

I walked forward. The leash slipped out of my sleeve and into my hand.

Cassis shook when he saw the black leash. He was humiliated to know that I had already expected him to be obedient.

“Be patient,” my breath tickled his ear. I seemed to almost embrace him as I secured the leash around his neck. His eyes met mine when our faces were almost touching.

A muscle in his jaw twitched. When he felt the metal click on the back of his neck, he stepped back abruptly and shook his head like a beast, as if trying to forget my scent. His ears were red.

I looked at him dispassionately, my eyelids closing half-way. My beauty truly was a weapon. I affected him. At times, he was entranced. He hesitated. He acted out.

His response to me was different from other men I encountered.

I frowned. It would be a lot easier if he were less unique.

I clicked my fingers. His shackles on his wrists and ankles fell apart and littered the floor.

His jaw twitched again. Cassis realized that this was the difference in power between Charlotte and me. I hardly had to think to break his restraints.

He massaged his wrists, trying to circulate blood flow.

“Please be aware, the castle is structured like a maze. Even some of my siblings still tend to get lost,” I warned him. “The chances of finding one’s way are even more slim for first-time visitors.”

Cassis tried to hide his response, but he lacked the experience to hold a poker face immediately. Although he met my eyes again with a blank face, I had seen his mind whirl in that brief moment. He now knew it was stupid to plan his escape soon when I knew his intentions.

I smiled at Cassis as if I were being nice to a simple-minded little boy.

“Have a nice bath,” I said.