The new addition to my routine became more noticeable than I would have liked.
Although I didn't mind Astrid discovering some things about me, having to avoid certain topics in front of her was starting to become annoying.
"Master… Elara has informed us that Duchess Astaford has made her move," Adela reported, interrupting my thoughts.
"They will go see her today. I thought… perhaps you might want to meet her as well," she added with difficulty.
It was hard for Adela to get those words out, but she knew me well enough to understand that meeting a woman like Selyne Astaford would interest me.
In a world where life expectancy wasn't very high, my tastes had always leaned toward women with real life experience…
Even so, lately I had been expanding my relationships too much, though it wasn't something I was actively seeking.
"Selyne Astaford?" I murmured, setting aside what I was doing. "Do you think I need to meet her, Adela?"
"No, Elizabeth is already accompanying Elara; that should be enough," she replied, though her tone betrayed that she would prefer to keep me away from more influential women.
"Then it looks like we'll stay here this Sunday, Adela."
But she didn't leave after those words. She glanced around, making sure no one was listening, and lowered her voice.
"How long do you plan to keep that woman here?" she asked, with a mix of jealousy and caution.
"It won't be for long," I answered indifferently. "You've seen the commotion the guards are causing at the academy and in the capital. Once things calm down, she'll leave on her own."
"Also… Rosalind said she would like you to visit her soon."
Those words froze me. I had been waiting for her to be the first to reach out, but now she was asking me to go see her… I suppose it was time to face what we had left pending.
…
"Princess Elara… you have been on everyone's lips lately, if we exclude the other princess who has caused an even greater stir," commented Selyne Astaford.
With her silver hair tied back and a scar beneath her left eye, Selyne maintained absolute control in front of the two women before her.
Her presence radiated the authority of someone who had survived real battlefields, not just political ones.
"However, I must say I am disappointed. I was very clear with my daughter: I wanted to meet the face behind your sudden rise to power."
Elizabeth, upon hearing those words, did not remain silent. She felt the sting of disdain against her pride.
"It seems I don't carry enough weight now," Elizabeth replied coldly.
"Oh, Marchioness, I apologize if I offended you, but we both know you had no interest in politics," Selyne responded, unfazed. "Even if you have been gathering terrifying power with Nexus, you never showed any sign of going for the throne. And now you show support for Elara? Do not underestimate me; remember who you are speaking to. I have quite a few years of experience on you."
Elara swallowed hard, feeling the air in the room grow thick.
"Come back next week, and this time make sure the main character is present," she said with a coldness that left no room for argument.
…
Standing in front of Rosalind's residence and knowing why I had come, was not easy.
But it was also not like me to hesitate too much over this kind of thing.
Once inside, the silence between us was devastating.
Neither of us wanted to speak first, and I knew I had to be the one to take the first step.
"He's dead," I said bluntly.
"Did you kill him?" Her eyes began to look at me with a cutting coldness, as if the answer could end with her giving her own life to take mine.
"He committed suicide after discovering his lack of talent at the age of twelve… I took his body after that."
Rosalind lowered her gaze, processing my words in absolute silence.
Suddenly, she let out a long sigh of relief, as if releasing a burden that had been tormenting her for years.
"I see… that's good, that's good," she whispered.
Tears began to form as she let out a laugh full of anguish and liberation.
I hesitated whether it was right for me to comfort her, being the "intruder," but I still took the initiative to embrace her in an attempt to calm her.
"I'm sorry, Rosalind. I wish it had been different."
We stayed like that for a while, until she finally recovered a little.
When I started to pull away, Rosalind suddenly grabbed my clothes, preventing me from moving back.
She looked at me intently, as if she had finally closed a painful chapter in her life.
"Then you're not my brother," she murmured. "I don't know who you are, but I know exactly how I feel about you. You've been the only figure in our family, besides my sisters, who has truly cared about me all this time."
Her eyes shone with a determination I had never seen in her.
"And I don't know how it happened—maybe it was your confidence or your silent care—but I can no longer see you as my brother."
She pulled me closer, bringing her lips toward mine with a decisive and irrefutable look.
I knew what she was going to do, and for a second, I felt fear.
Yes, you heard right: it scares me.
I had come to enjoy the word "family" with her…
But I knew rejecting her was not an option.
I took her by the waist, pressing her body against mine and taking the initiative in our kiss.
She seemed to react with both nervousness and excitement at the same time.
It was clearly her first kiss, judging by how clumsily she tried to follow the rhythm of my tongue in her mouth.
I sat down with her on top of me, beginning to slide my hands down her body, tracing every curve beneath the fabric.
"Hnngh…" she let out a muffled moan against my lips.
I felt she wasn't breathing, so I pulled away for a second.
I looked into her eyes, silently asking if she was sure about this.
She raised her hand, caressing my face with a tenderness that bordered on devotion.
"Cassian…" she said with desire. But then something seemed to hit her suddenly. "It is Cassian, right? Or do you have another name?"
Her cheeks began to blush as she realized what she was doing with a man whose real name she didn't even know, and whom, just moments ago, she had seen as her younger brother.
"「 ℵ ℵℶℷℸℵℶℷℸ 」," I said.
She looked at me strangely, not understanding the words.
But I didn't let her ask any more; I kissed her again, this time lowering my lips to her neck.
I removed her upper clothing, exposing part of her chest so I could kiss her there.
My hands slowly roamed her bare back, feeling her skin prickle under my fingers.
Rosalind trembled slightly in my arms, but it was no longer just nervousness; it was anticipation, raw desire she had been holding back for far too long.
I lifted her carefully and carried her to her bedroom, where the dim lamplight barely illuminated the space.
I laid her down on the bed with a gentleness that contrasted with the urgency growing between us.
Her eyes never left mine for a second as we finished removing the last pieces of clothing that still separated us.
When our bodies finally met without barriers, a broken sigh escaped her lips.
"Cassian… or whoever you are…" she murmured against my ear, her voice broken by pleasure and emotion. "Don't stop…"