I BROUGHT YOU SOMETHING TO EAT.
I HAD THE PHYSICIAN COME TO CHECK UP ON YOU EARLIER. HOW ARE YOU FEELING?
I'M FINE.
YOU COULD HAVE JUST ORDERED ONE OF YOUR MAIDS TO BRING FOOD TO ME.
I TOLD THEM TO GET YOU SOME NEW CLOTHES.
WHAT YOU HAVE ON NOW IS COMPLETELY TATTERED.
I KNOW CASSIS WOULD TRY TO OVERPOWER THE MAID AND RUN AWAY IF SHE WERE TO COME ALONE.
LET ME KNOW IF YOU NEED MORE PAINKILLERS.
AND--
HM...?
HE SEEMS A LITTLE EMBARRASSED... HE MUST'VE BEEN AWAKE WHEN I WAS RUBBING THE OINTMENT ON HIM.
SO...
NOW THAT I'VE BECOME YOUR TOY,
SERIOUS
WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO?
I WANT YOU...
...TO EAT,
SLEEP,
AND REST, SO YOU CAN GET BETTER SOON.
NOW, IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, EAT UP!
It's Not Poisoned Or Anything.
WELL, THEN.
SEE YOU LATER.
HOW WAS THE FOOD?
I BROUGHT YOU SOME CLOTHES, BUT I'M NOT SURE IF THEY'LL FIT--
HE MUST BE IN SO MUCH PAIN...
OOPS...
I'VE ALREADY SEEN HIM HALF-NAKED BEFORE...
HEY,
I THINK I NEED A BATH.
...SO WHY AM I FEELING SO FLUSTERED NOW?
He, Surpri̇sed Me.
A-ALRIGHT.
SO WHAT IF HE'S TOPLESS...?
MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE OF THE CANDLES. THEY SET OFF A WEIRD MOOD.
THE BATHROOM IS THAT WAY.
I PICKED THIS ROOM FOR YOU MYSELF, SO THAT YOU COULD GET SOME PRIVACY.
WHAT ABOUT THESE?
I CAN'T GET CHANGED BECAUSE OF THEM.
I WAS THINKING MAYBE INSTEAD OF THE SHACKLES...
...I COULD CHANGE THEM OUT FOR A COLLAR.
Hmm
I KNOW IT'S NOT IDEAL...
...BUT I'M SURE THIS IS FAR BETTER THAN WHAT YOU HAD BEFORE.
HE'S MORE UNYIELDING THAN I THOUGHT. THAT'S NO FUN.
THERE YOU GO.
THINGS WOULD GO A LOT SMOOTHER IF CASSIS WAS MESMERIZED BY MY BEAUTY, JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.
BUT BY THE LOOK ON HIS FACE,
THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN ANYTIME SOON.
THIS MANSION...
...IS LIKE A GIANT MAZE.
IT'D BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR YOU TO FIND YOUR WAY OUT.
UNLESS YOU PLAN ON GETTING YOURSELF KILLED BY ONE OF MY SIBLINGS,
I WOULDN'T LEAVE THIS ROOM IF I WERE YOU.
OF COURSE,
I KNOW A SHORTCUT THAT WILL TAKE YOU STRAIGHT TO THE EXIT.
GO WASH UP.
I'M COUNTING ON YOU.
NOW, I'LL BE INSTANTLY NOTIFIED WHENEVER SOMETHING HAPPENS IN THIS ROOM.
ALTHOUGH I WOULD RATHER KEEP A CLOSE WATCH ON HIM MYSELF.
I Want To Be As Discrete As Possible...
MORE IMPORTANTLY, I STILL HAVEN'T HEARD FROM THE BUTTERFLY I SENT OVER TO THE WESTERN BORDER.
I THOUGHT THE PEDELIANS WOULD BE SOMEWHERE IN THAT AREA, SEARCHING FOR CASSIS.
PERHAPS I SHOULD SEND ANOTHER BUTTERFLY.
YOU LOOK SO MUCH BETTER NOW.
COME SIT DOWN.
PAT
I CAN DO IT MYSELF.
ARE YOU SURE? WHAT ABOUT THE ONES ON YOUR BACK?
DON'T WORRY, I'VE BEEN DOING THIS SINCE I WAS KID. I'M AN EXPERT.
SINCE YOU WERE A KID...?
YEAH, I WAS THE ONE WHO WOULD ALWAYS TAKE CARE OF MY BROTHER WHENEVER HE GOT HURT.
HER BROTHER...?
FINE. BUT JUST DO MY BACK,
GOT IT?
In Roxana Chapter Draft 8, the tense captivity relationship between Cassis and the woman protecting him deepens. The woman brings him food, says she sent for the physician, and promises new clothes to replace his torn ones. When Cassis sees himself as her plaything and asks what she wants, she asks him to eat, sleep, and recover. Later, she replaces his shackles with a collar, warns him not to escape, saying the mansion is like a labyrinth, and applies ointment to the wounds on his back.
