Chapter 149: Listen, sometimes we just don’t look at things too deeply, okay?
Lady Fiona eventually collapsed into a chair, her head spinning and tears in her eyes as even then, Cass continued to pester her until he got the answers that he wanted. Draken was there to support both of them, but he was unsure how to do so since Cass and Lady Fiona were at odds.
He would rub Lady Fiona’s back, helping her relax while at the same time, noting every name that Cass pulled out of Lady Fiona. Cass would have laughed if this wasn’t also taking a lot out of him.
By the time that he was done, an hour had passed, he was exhausted, and he needed a tea break.
Cass rustled the paper he’d finally finished going through and took the paper that Byron had been diligently writing as Lady Fiona spoke. It was clear, easy to read, and Cass was quite proud of his pet dragon.
"Good job, Byron." Cass told him warmly, wanting to praise the man after he had done what was asked of him. Byron ducked his head, smiling as Cass praised him warmly. Sam even nudged Byron with his arm, and between both things, Byron was glowing.
Draken was immediately upset, while Lady Fiona looked like she couldn’t be bothered to know anything. She looked even more tired compared to the night before, and Cass did feel a tinge of guilt about that, but at the same time, this was important. This was a slight against not just her, but everyone in this manor. It would overflow to their treatment in public.
In fact, Cass didn’t have much knowledge about how their treatment went in public, in noble circles outside of Lady Fiona’s rose coloured view on everything because they tended to host balls and parties when Lord Blackburn was down for the count.
Cass honestly felt like that was intentional, and now he knew why. He was going to have to inform Vespertine and Lord Ridgewood about this too. He was not going to tell Lady Fiona that he was telling them either.
"Alright, Lady Fiona. It appears that that is the end of the list. Thank you for humouring me. Draken, we should delay our lesson so you can help Fiona get some rest." Cass said and Draken froze.
Cass knew that Draken wanted to help Lady Fiona. He was proving to be the kind of man who couldn’t keep his nose out of the business of people he considered ’his own’. Through the bitemark, Cass had made that list, and through marriage, so had Lady Fiona. Cass didn’t want to make the man choose, so he made a decision for him.
"Wait, Cassian, I don’t-" Draken stopped, his words halting in his throat as Cass turned for the door, ignoring him and Lady Fiona.
"I have some business to attend to urgently, so take your time." Cass told him, already knowing that he was going to have to speak to Lord Ridgewood first. He knew that man’s schedule better, and he could send Sam or Byron off to find out where Vespertine was.
"But what about the lesson? We need daylight to do them!" Draken protested loudly, and that comment did make him pause. Cass, who hadn’t really been paying attention to the time lost so far, glanced towards the windows and found that Draken had made a good point. It was getting late.
Well, Cass could practise in his office alone. That wasn’t a big deal. Draken, as if sensing where Cass’ thoughts were going, panicked.
"I-I’ll meet you in your rooms once you’re done with your business. We can-we can have dinner together. I’ll have to do some hunting for the dungeon, so I can catch some extra. Would you like that?" Draken asked, a desperation to his tone that had Cass turning to look at him.
He looked over at the man, who had one hand on Lady Fiona’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze, while his expression looked pale. Cass felt his lips turn up slightly.
While Draken was able to easily compartmentalise whatever the hell he was doing, Cass wasn’t able to do the same. It wasn’t that Draken was supporting Lady Fiona, that wasn’t the issue. It was the fact that...this wasn’t his body, and Cass was having a deep, existential dread fill him.
He knew that he was acting differently than Lord Blackburn. He knew that the moment he met him, and that was fine. Lord Blackburn hadn’t scolded him for it. But when it came to relationships and the desperation that everyone was showing when it came to interacting with him?
It made him uncomfortable. It was weird. He couldn’t quite place this awkward feeling that was growing inside of him. It wasn’t quite anger, or jealousy, or even disgust. It was potent, but he couldn’t quite place a finger on it.
All he knew was that the easiest way to explain it was that he didn’t like it. He didn’t like the way he was feeling, he didn’t like that Draken of all people was making him feel it, and he didn’t want to lash out because of it. It was far easier to just...let it go and let others deal with it.
Why fight for something when others already had their hands in it?
"Sure, Draken. Whatever you like." Cass told him, giving him a tight smile as he left, going to clean up the mess that the nobles were trying to make. Cass didn’t notice how both Lady Fiona and Draken looked ill as he left, the door closing behind him. Byron had cast Draken a look, full of concern before he had followed after his Lord.
~
Cass was right to assume that Lord Ridgewood would be the easiest to find. As he had been running into him relatively a lot recently, he was able to go to the library and locate him easily. The librarian was still on leave, so Cass sent Sam off to find where Vespertine was while he tried to speak to Lord Ridgewood about a serious topic.
Lord Ridgewood was at one of the many tables placed in the library, reading a book. He had a few stacked up beside him, and from the bindings Cass could tell that they were about demons and monsters. Cass was sure he was doing research on the types of monsters that they were going to find, and Cass smiled at the dedication he had.
Lord Ridgewood noticed him first, his lips twitching as Cass came to a stop near him, about to open his mouth to greet him when he spoke up first instead.
"To what do I owe the great pleasure, Cass?" Lord Ridgewood said, turning his green gaze towards Cass. it wasn’t as dead as it had been when Cass had first arrived to this world, but it wasn’t warm or soft either. Cass swallowed.
"Well, Lord Ridgewood, I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind having a few words with me about a relatively serious topic." Cass stated calmly. Lord Ridgewood seemed surprised by his words, and with quick movements, he slid a bookmark into the book before shutting it. He closed the book as he got to his feet, pushing the chair back.
"A serious topic? What could you want to talk to me about that is so serious?" He asked, glancing at Byron who was nearby. "Should we go somewhere more quiet to have this discussion?" Cass glanced around the library. He didn’t think it would matter if this got back to the nobles who were spying on them, but at the same time...
Cass sighed, shaking his head.
"While I would prefer to speak in one of the meeting rooms, I also understand you are a busy man. I wouldn’t want to take up too much of your time." Cass told him and watched as Lord Ridgewood’s eye twitched, before he grabbed the book under his hand, added it to the stack of books he had made to the side and picked them all up.
"While I may be busy, Cass, if this is a serious enough topic to warrant you searching me out, I see no reason as to why I would not hear you out. Lead the way." He nodded with his chin, his hands full and Cass nodded, spinning on his heel and heading towards the closet meeting room.
The first one was full, so they had to move downstairs to the row of meeting rooms that Cass had been to before. Moving past the one that he had entered into with Vespertine, Cass checked the next door and when it opened and no one was inside, he had Byron go in first.
Byron checked, gave him a slight nod, and then Cass gestured for Lord Ridgewood to enter.
Lord Ridgewood gave Byron a rather curious look, but didn’t say anything about the odd behaviour that Cass had just displayed. Cass knew it was nothing that Lord Blackburn had done before, but then again, Lord Blackburn hadn’t known that he had a dragon who could trace scents like a damn bloodhound, so the situation was a bit different.
Cass didn’t begin speaking until after the door had closed and both men had sat down on the couches across from each other. Lord Ridgewood had piled his books onto the table across from him, while Cass had pulled out the few sheets of paper he had Byron scrawl out for him, leaving the other piles of paper in Lady Fiona’s room and taking this one instead.
It was clear that Lord Ridgewood was curious now about what Cass wanted to say. Cass just hoped that he didn’t have a negative reaction. Out of everyone, he was worried about Lord Ridgewood the most. He was from a family that respected the ultimate authority of the royal family the most. He might not take Cass’ action plan well.