Chapter 230: Trickling Blood
Chapter 230: Chapter 230: Trickling Blood
Chapter 230 – Trickling Blood
"Here, for you." Isolde said with a soft smile, stretching her right hand toward Cassius.
The surrounding island seemed to fade into the background. Nothing else existed but the two of them, with the soft, comfortable pink sand beneath them.
Cassius looked at Isolde’s outstretched hand, noticing a black box with a purple ribbon resting comfortably on her palm.
He cocked his head, an eyebrow arching. "This is?"
"I thought you deserved something after becoming a Palatine." Isolde replied, now a little embarrassed. "So... uh... I got you something, I guess?"
This was her first time ever gifting something to someone. She’d watched videos on the Net to learn how to do it and what men usually loved... but she was still unsure of her choice.
Cassius could see her hesitation and nervousness, and he almost laughed.
Almost.
But there were times when even a harmless laugh, in a relatively perfect couple, could do more harm than good.
So with his lips curling into a faint smile, he stretched out his hand and picked up the box.
He didn’t open it right away.
Instead, he took Isolde’s hand and pulled her toward him gently, yet with enough strength to surprise her as her head fell softly against his chest.
Cassius stored the box away, then wrapped his arms around her, pressing them together into a tight, loving hug.
"Now you make me feel bad, darling." He whispered, his tone a little regretful. "I didn’t get you anything."
"You’ve given me more than anyone could ever imagine." Isolde retorted immediately, chuckling. "You opened my eyes to see more than the hatred I held for my family. You stepped into my life and looked at no one but me, in a world where everyone got their fair share of affection except me."
Cassius smiled, and Isolde continued, her voice a little lower.
"You went even further, giving me a beauty potion that made me who I am now. And now, you know, right? I even have a fan club in my name. Hahaha. Who would ever have thought that Isolde Amaris would one day have such a thing? I thought only my sister would."
"You always had the potential for one. You were just too focused on something else."
"I know." She hugged him harder. "The point is, husband, I don’t think I could gift you anything that would repay what you’ve done for me. I hope you’ll like what I gave you, though..."
"I don’t even need to look at it to know I’ll like it." Cassius chuckled. "I don’t care what it is. It came from you. That’s more than enough."
"I’m relieved, then. I went through so many videos late at night to pick something. Hell, I even asked the Twins."
"I love the dedication." Cassius barked a loud laugh. "But why ask the Twins? Those two don’t know a single thing about me to tell you anything. They only know how to bully me!"
"But husband, the Twins bully everyone." Isolde stifled a laugh. "Everyone in the Academy knows that by now. Especially Lilien."
"That sister of mine really does have the attitude of a bully. But I thought Lucian would be more the type."
"Oh, Lucian is a different kind of bully. He mocks you, and when you try to use physical strength, he challenges you, beats you, then mocks you even more. He’s never lost a challenge."
Cassius giggled.
"Lilien is different. She doesn’t speak much. She just asks for EP or for something she likes, and you give it to her. You refuse, she beats you and takes it." Isolde’s voice was strangely filled with fondness as she spoke of them. "She was the devil of the now-Third Year. Cassandra suffered a lot trying to protect her classmates from the Twins."
"I’m not even surprised they’re like this." He replied. "If they dared to bully their cute brother, how could random strangers be spared?"
"You know," Isolde began, breaking the hug slightly to look at his face. ’Queen above, he’s damn beautiful.’
[...] the goddess silently agreed with her believer.
Isolde continued.
"People are wondering what kind of Desdemona you’ll be." She said, grinning. "We have Morgan, who’s killed more students than we can count. There was Dorian, who created the current Red District, letting students indulge in their desires. We have the Twins, the biggest bullies. Now they ask..."
She caressed his cheek.
"...what about the Last Born of the Desdemona?"
Cassius smiled sweetly, harmlessly even. "Tell them he’s a chill guy. He won’t kill, bully, or create anything to trap people into consuming themselves."
"Do you believe what you just said?"
Cassius’s smile deepened, his crimson eyes curving into a crescent, devilish moon.
"Ah well." He whispered. "I’m a Desdemona at the end of the day. And that reminds me, darling, do you know where I can find that pitiful man?"
"Who?" She tilted her head.
"The man who was abandoned by his own family, the Jurish Family."
Isolde’s eyes widened slightly in realisation. "You mean Joe Jurish?"
"Aye. Him."
"Do you have plans for him? I was planning to kill him before going to take the fruit."
"Oh? Why?"
"He hates Anesthesia more than anything." Isolde smiled shyly. "...I... uh... can’t let him harm her, right? I mean, I’m trying to get close to her. So I thought maybe if I killed him for her, she’d talk to me more openly? Uh... maybe? I... don’t know? Urgh. Am I pathetic?"
Cassius barked a loud laugh, unable to help himself at the sight of Isolde so internally conflicted.
She hmphed, annoyed at being laughed at when she was genuinely trying her best.
"Calm down, darling. You’re not pathetic." He said. "But leave Joe Jurish to me, please. I’ll make sure he won’t touch Anesthesia."
"Okay then. He’s all yours. You can find him in the Alchemy rooms. He’s always there, training. I heard he’s made quite the progress."
"That’s just perfect. I need a good alchemist for what I’m about to do. And oh, yes," he grinned proudly, "let me tell you, I’ll soon be starting my Path of Architect. I can tell you now that I’ll be the greatest."
’I have to be. My ancestor created this Path, after all.’
"Then should I choose one too?" Isolde smiled excitedly. "Maybe... the Path of Rune? It could be useful for an assassin to understand runes and inscribe them."
"Certainly. Though my Path of Architect also involves learning about runes. So we can explain to each other whatever the other doesn’t understand once we start."
"I’ll be better than you, I can already tell."
Cassius grinned. "I hope you will. You’re hardly better than me at anything...except killing, maybe."
"That’s all that matters." Isolde grinned back.
"Bloodthirsty woman. Be an angel like me."
"They don’t know you well enough to call you an angel. But soon they will. And I wonder if your Name will change." She chuckled. "I’ve rarely heard of Named Men who changed their names along the way. Especially when it isn’t you who choose your Name."
"If I can change Angel, I definitely will."
"I can tell. Well," Isolde said, then jumped on him, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck.
Cassius supported her by placing his hands beneath her backside.
"The hour is almost up." Isolde whispered, kissing him. "Time to go back."
"Aye."
"Don’t forget to tell me what you think of my gift, though."
"I’ll like it."
"I know, but just tell me if it’s useful, or if you want something else next time."
"Aye, darling. I will."
Isolde grunted in response, resting her head on his shoulder.
Just like that, the little night’s date came to an end.
...
"I’d better go to sleep fast. I’m waking up at 5 a.m. tomorrow." Cassius said as he stepped into the runic elevator of his Hades Building.
He pressed the highest floor and leaned against the metallic wall. However, Cassius instantly frowned, noticing that the walls, the floor, and even the buttons of the runic elevator were stained with blood.
He cocked his head. "What happened here?"
Cassius whispered, noticing that it was the number 7 on the elevator’s control panel that was so red it looked like its original colour.
He frowned a little. ’The person who was in such a terrible state... lived on the 7th floor?’
He paused, his eyes narrowing.
’The 7th floor? Why does that sound familiar?’
Cassius frowned even more, trying to figure out why, but he was far too tired from everything he’d been through, and could only see his bed at the corner of his vision.
In the end, he arrived at his floor and stepped out of the runic elevator, thinking it was nothing more than someone beaten up by bullies.
Nothing new in the Academy.
Yes.
Nothing new at all.
...
BANG BANG BANG!
Diaila pounded on the door in front of her with all her strength, her heart still beating loudly in her chest.
She bit her lip tightly, letting blood slip through and stain her chin.
She didn’t care.
Her anger raged far too fiercely in her mind, making any painful sensations nothing but a dull ache at the edge of her awareness.
She raised her hand to knock again — heavily, impatiently, angrily — but the door opened just in time, revealing Jurkil Julaibib in his boxers.
He narrowed his eyes for a heartbeat, then smiled openly. "Diaila, my dear friend! What’s going on with you? You are bleeding!"
"Why does no one attack you?" Diaila said immediately, cutting coldly through Julaibib’s cheerful voice, her tone filled with spite and an intense feeling of being wronged. "Why does everyone attack me despite my noble blood, while no one says a word to you?"
It was an unexpected question, one Julaibib hadn’t anticipated. But he was not one to be caught off guard for long.
"Why, huh? Great question, my friend. Great question indeed." He smiled widely. "And an obvious one. It’s because I’m strong, of course. Only a few people in our class can match me."
"What about that boy Omm?" Diaila continued. "He’s weak! Yet no one does anything to him! No one! Why me?"
"Oh? The boy from Jambar village? Don’t look down on him, though. I seem to recall once hearing something about that village." Julaibib shook his head. "And he makes me feel itchy. He’s special. And the reason he isn’t attacked is also obvious, you know?"
He shrugged.
"He has the protection of that woman, Meadow Wealth. I don’t need to tell you who she is. Everyone knows her."
Diaila bit her lip even harder, blood dripping more.
Julaibib looked into her brown eyes, noticing something that would become dangerous if left unchecked.
He dropped his cheerful expression a little and sighed.
"Did someone bully you?" He asked, his voice carrying a sharp note.
Diaila lowered her head, trembling, her eyes burning with tears.
"I want to be strong, Julaibib. I... can’t depend on you every time. I don’t want to live letting others look at me with disdain at every turn."
The Soulless smiled at his little protégée.
"So someone did bully you." His tone turned cold. "Who?"
Diaila thought of Klaus and Love. But somehow, she... she didn’t want to name Klaus.
Only Love.
Only that fucking bitch.
Yet even her... Diaila didn’t say. But for an entirely different reason.
"I... will take care of it myself." She whispered, clenching her fist tightly. "I want to be strong. I want to be strong on my own."
The Soulless sighed again, accepting her choice.
"What’s your Aspect?"
"Law."
"Huh?"
"My Aspect is Law." Diaila repeated, looking deep into him.
"Interesting." Julaibib said, then stepped slightly aside to reveal his room. "Mind coming in? I won’t do anything to you. Young girls don’t interest me."
"What if I got naked in front of you?"
"I’d kick you out and call your mother."
Diaila rolled her eyes and entered the room, muttering something under her breath. "I’m better than my mother."
—End of Chapter 230—