Chapter 81 – My dear uncle!

Both Cassius and Océane couldn’t stop their bodies from shuddering at the strange, eerie voice of the young doll-like girl.

Without meaning to, their faces scrunched. Océane in particular felt a strange fear climb inside her, threatening to drag her to her knees. She barely resisted the pull.

Cassius was calmer by comparison, yet his red eyes, as they settled on the strange being in front of him, were not entirely free of apprehension.

’Oh, she...?’ He muttered to himself, his mind oddly hazy about the young girl, his hand tightening instinctively around the pommel of his cane.

[Be careful with them.] Ananke’s voice echoed through his head, her own gaze resting on the young girl with a subtle, pondering frown.

Anyone else wouldn’t have understood what Ananke meant by that. But Cassius, despite the fact that his memories of the being in front of him were strangely blurred, knew her nonetheless.

How could he not?

This young girl was the Head Maid of the Hood Royal Family.

’And she had been in that position since the very founding of the Hood, according to the game, to...’

He paused, frowning.

’...according to who?’ The blankness in his memory was beginning to unsettle him. But before he could press further, Ananke spoke.

[Not her.] She said. [It’s They.]

Cassius’s frown deepened. ’What—!’

"Would you please follow me, Last Born?" The young girl spoke again, her voice gentler this time, as if she was aware of the effect it had on people.

Cassius’s attention returned to her, taking in the impossible combination of ridiculous cuteness and underlying eeriness she radiated.

He exhaled slowly. "Yes, of course." He said, attempting a smile. "Lead on."

She nodded, pivoted, and walked toward the black door with the sigil of a red scythe etched into it.

"How should I address you?" Cassius asked, following two paces behind, his cane producing a strange echoing sound in the enclosed room.

"I am addressed by many names, Last Born." She said. Then she turned her head and looked at him over her shoulder, face impassive. "I could give you any of them. However, for you, if you please, I want you to give me one."

"Me?" He arched a puzzled eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because none of my names can be spoken by your tongue."

"Allow me to ask why."

"Because only the dead, or those of a death bloodline, can say them." She said at last, arriving before the door. "So, are you willing, Last Born?"

Throughout all of this, Océane hadn’t made a single sound, she hadn’t had the slightest courage to.

The strange young girl frightened her in a way that felt entirely personal, as if she alone was being subjected to it.

’Is it because I am not kin to death?’ She couldn’t help but wonder.

"Will any name do?" Cassius asked, and inwardly,

’Is this a trap, Queen? I never encountered this in the game.’

Which was logical enough, given he had been dead before this event took place.

[I sense no malice from her.] Ananke replied. [But don’t lower your guard.]

As he subtly nodded, the young girl gave an almost invisible smile, then imperceptibly raised her head overhead, as if perceiving something no one else could.

Ananke instantly felt something strange, but before that feeling could fully register, it vanished completely.

The doll-like girl kept her hand on the door handle, making no move to open it. She seemed unwilling to go anywhere until the name was given.

"Any name will do, Last Born." She said. "But names carry power. So allow me to be pretentious and ask that the name be a worthy one. Though, I have no fear of that, where you are concerned."

"I don’t know you well enough to name you as you truly deserve." Cassius replied. "But from the little I sense about you, I would name you..."

And then, as if a revelation had descended from heaven or climbed up from hell, Cassius’s eyes glazed. His tongue and mouth moved on their own, speaking a name he himself hadn’t consciously chosen.

"...Persephone."

The air crackled with black lightning for a fraction of a second. His chest constricted as he felt, for a single heartbeat, a piercing gaze settle on him, one that looked directly through his soul.

He gasped.

Océane’s knees gave out entirely. She dropped to the floor, face drenched in sweat, pale and aghast.

All of it happened in less than a second. Then everything returned to normal, as if nothing had occurred at all.

Before Cassius could fully recover, the young girl opened the door and pushed it wide, revealing a luxurious corridor — walls of black, floors carpeted in deep red, soft lights hovering above like jellyfish.

"I like the name." The young girl — now named Persephone — said with a flat face and an equally flat tone, holding the door open. "Shall we, Last Born? The King and Queen are unavailable at the moment, but I will guide you to your room first and then offer a tour of the Palace, if you please."

She turned and began leading the way immediately.

’Queen’s bloody skirt, what just happened?!’ Cassius thought, scanning his own body but finding nothing abnormal.

Ananke was oddly quiet, her eyes fixed on Persephone with a strange expression.

After a moment, she spoke.

[You named her.]

’Yes, obviously.’ Cassius rolled his eyes, helping Océane up from the ground and falling into step behind Persephone. ’I know I did. But it felt like something more than that.’

[I don’t think I phrased that correctly.] Ananke continued. [You didn’t simply name her. You named one of them. A new one, most likely. One who saw something in you worthy enough to ask you at all.]

’I’m not understanding any of this, Queen.’ He grumbled, but slowly, his calm returned. His Snake of Adaptability gave a quiet, oddly contented hiss somewhere inside him, putting him at ease in a way he couldn’t explain.

He didn’t understand why his Innate was reacting.

[All I can say, Cassius, is that you have gained something entirely unexpected.] She said. [They like you. I don’t know why. But they do. And by giving a newborn among them a worthy name, they like you even more. If you handle this carefully, you could have their trust.]

She smiled.

[How unexpected.] Ananke sounded genuinely excited, as if seeing in Persephone far more than Cassius could currently grasp. And that feeling deepened when she added:

[I would very much love to have them as my believers.]

Before Cassius could even begin to respond to those curious and deeply worrying words, a scene in the distance stopped him.

Standing at the intersection of three corridors ahead was Anesthesia Amaris, smiling beautifully at an entranced Raven Hood.

Behind Raven stood his maid Sarah, her stunning blue hair falling over her shoulders, head slightly lowered.

Instantly, Cassius forgot everything strange that had happened with Persephone. His eyes fixed on Sarah. His mind recalled exactly why he had come.

The three of them felt the approaching presence and all shifted their heads.

Anesthesia’s lips curled in barely concealed distaste when she saw Cassius. She hid it almost immediately.

Raven remained neutral, revealing nothing particular at the sight of his nephew.

Sarah simply watched, cluelessly yet with quiet apprehension, already knowing enough of Cassius’s reputation to feel uneasy.

Cassius smiled faintly, leaned slightly toward Persephone, and spoke in a whisper. "I think we can end the tour here, Persephone. I have a matter to attend to."

"Where will you go, Last Born?" She asked.

"To the Church." He whispered. "I can’t come to Vorn City without paying my respects to Vorn himself, can I?"

"Then I shall inform the Church of your arrival, Last Born."

He looked at her and nodded. "I thank you in advance."

Persephone’s face didn’t change. But she nodded with apparent respect and slowed her steps.

Cassius continued forward, walking toward the three of them, cane soft and rhythmic against the carpeted floor.

"Oh my, and who do we have here." Anesthesia said with a bright smile. "My dear brother-in-la—!"

"My dear uncle." Cassius interrupted Anesthesia without ceremony, turning his eyes to Raven with an expression of deep sadness. "Please, don’t tell me what has been whispered in my ears all this time is actually true? Those words I nearly had to kill a young boy and his father for spreading?"

Raven’s eyes flickered faintly. "Cassius." He said, as a greeting. "What are you talking about?"

Anesthesia felt a rising, terrible instinct immediately.

She opened her mouth, but Cassius was already moving faster.

"What else?" He shook his head with theatrical disappointment. "I have heard that the Prince of Hood, the dearest to this Kingdom, is so deeply in love with Anesthesia of Amaris that he has become like a blind man. Accepting her every word as law. So in love, in fact, that the Prince we all admire is prepared to forsake the very dignity his ancestors bled to build...all to be with her. Is it true, dear uncle? Please tell me it isn’t. I will die of embarrassment on your behalf!"

"You—!"

"That would be a tragedy, uncle! A genuine tragedy! You are a Prince! The man destined to be King! The sun of this Kingdom, if you rise steady, every young man in this land follows your lead!"

He was a couple of paces from them now, his face twisted in anguish and sorrow, looking at a bewildered Raven as if deeply, profoundly pained.

"So tell me, how can you still look lovingly at a woman who spent a whole week under the same roof as another man?"

"Don’t listen to him!" Anesthesia snapped, nostrils flaring. "He is lying! He is—!"

"Oh, am I really?"

"Yes!"

"You wound me, sister-in-law." Cassius’s face fell. "You heard what I called her, uncle? Sister-in-law! And as it so happens, I was staying at my in-laws’ house for a few days! And you will not believe who I found there. I was absolutely flabbergasted."

"CASS—!" Anesthesia’s voice climbed sharply.

"Who, I wonder, Cassius?" Raven interrupted, his voice so cold that Cassius felt a faint chill move through him.

Anesthesia’s fury only burned hotter as the blood rushed to her head.

"Oh, you know exactly." Cassius said, raising his arm and draping it around Raven’s shoulder like a long-lost friend reuniting.

Raven didn’t react. He looked at him with intense eyes.

"Our dear Emrys Stormblessed, of course." He replied with full enthusiasm. "The chosen one! The man among men! The one everyone fawns over! And it seems not even my beautiful sister-in-law is spared from his effect! Oh my! Oh my, my, my!"

"You are slandering my name, Cassius." Anesthesia growled through clenched teeth. "And for that, according to the laws of this Kingdom, I can challenge you to a duel."

Cassius’s smile widened. He leaned toward Raven and whispered.

"Would Anesthesia react like this if none of it were true? You know her better than I do. So you tell me."

"My Prince, he is—!"

"Were you really with him?"

"Let me just—!"

"You told me you only saw him once." Raven’s red eyes glowed. "But that is not what Cassius, who was in your house, is implying."

Anesthesia’s eyes flashed with fury. "It was simply—!"

"Oh, forgive me for interrupting, but I have absolutely no interest in watching a couple quarrel in front of me." Cassius laughed warmly. "I came here to enjoy this city. I mean, sorry, to see my family." He clapped Raven’s shoulder once. "I’ll leave you two to talk it out. I’m sure you’ll find a middle ground. And oh, dear lovely uncle, since I don’t know the Capital at all, would you lend me your maid as a guide? Just while you’re occupied."

Before anyone could react to those words, Cassius had already nudged Sarah forward, setting her walking ahead of him.

Raven was far too focused on Anesthesia to pay him any attention. And Anesthesia was too consumed by her own fury and Raven’s cold, judging gaze to act in time.

So Sarah found herself walking alongside Cassius and Océane, leading them forward with a face full of confusion at the silence of her master.

And as if that weren’t enough, just as they were about to turn into a new corridor, Cassius’s voice carried back one last time.

"I’d wager they kissed each other, uncle. Maybe even more. Who knows? If I were you—!"

Anesthesia finally broke.

"CASSIUS DESDEM—!"

"Lady Amaris."

Persephone’s voice cut through everything. Anesthesia froze instantly. She looked at the doll-like girl, finding that expressionless face looking back at her without a flicker.

"We do not shout at an Heir or kin of death inside the House of Death."

She tilted her head.

"Understood?"

Cassius’s loud, insufferable laugher echoed far in the distance.

DING!

[NEW ACHIEVEMENT! Ragebaiter!]

—End of Chapter 81—