Chapter 270: None of this flowery language. Speak to me and mean it
Finally, the Duke opened his mouth.
"I...I don’t think I have enough words to describe how sorry I am to you."
"Saying you’re sorry and meaning it would be a good start." Cass cut him off quickly, and the Duke, who had been about to wax poetically about how sorry he was, paused. Cass’ expression was flat, hard to read, and the man shifted even more awkwardly.
"I...yes, of course. You’re right." The Duke fumbled, clearly not used to being treated this way. Cass didn’t care. He was in a particularly strange position. Where the gods needed Cass more than they needed literally anyone else right now. Since the gods were well and truly alive in this world, that left him at a very powerful point.
One where they had intervened once already so that Cass didn’t die. Cass wasn’t immortal by any means, but they were certainly going to do their best to make sure he didn’t die.
"I’m sorry, Cassian. I’m sorry for ignoring what you were going through, for turning a blind eye to what your grandfather was doing, and then letting him slowly poison me to you and your intentions over the years. There is no excuse for what I’ve done." Duke Vespertine said. Cass knew why he had done it. So he said it.
"You did it because it was convenient. You didn’t have to get your hands dirty with another family’s drama." Cass said firmly, and watched as Duke Vespertine went pale. "You’re only apologising now because I have worth to you." The man was flabbergasted. He had never had anyone speak to him so candidly before. He was sure that not even the King spoke to him like this.
Then again, the King didn’t have the same kind of power that Cass had over the man right now.
"I, uh, well." He looked uncomfortable having the truth spoken out loud. Cass just shrugged.
"The more you fight the truth, the further you’re getting from whatever your goal was coming here." Cass told him coldly, and the man fumbled, stuttered, and then let out a sigh. He took a second, closing his eyes, taking a deep breath, and then he opened them and met Cass’ serious gaze.
"You’re right. As the head of my household, I decided not to get involved with other family’s drama, and you were a consequence of it. I stood by while I watched your father be kicked out of his own family, your grandfather taking over again and...mistreating you. I don’t know the details. I refused to learn them." He admitted, and at the very least he sounded a little guilty. "I doubt you’ll ever forgive me for my inaction in that regard, and I won’t ask for it. You were a child and as an adult, I should have stepped in." He was right, but Cass didn’t expect anything from the man who treated Edgar like he was less than.
He wouldn’t have done anything for Cass. He knew it. He just wanted the man to admit it, own up to it.
"I’m here over my most recent transgression against you." He shifted, awkward, clearly not used to speaking like this. Candidly, without flowery words and platitudes. Cass didn’t want them. Never had.
While he was sure Lord Blackburn was good at them, he had a feeling that they were of the same mind when it came to the core of who they were. Neither liked them.
"I...I am sorry for what I’ve done. I felt like I was losing my grip on Edgar and Ava, and so I reached out to the only other person I could think of. Gideon. I didn’t realise that he had so many doubts about your intentions until I spoke to him, and I then revealed a family secret all because of my greed." This was when he looked genuinely upset. He was upset he’d hurt Gideon, not so much that he’d hurt Cass.
Noted.
"We-I was suspicious about your intention of joining the hero party. Everyone was suspicious about why you would join the hero party. And then further, we were suspicious about why you would marry Fiona on top of everything when you had denied every other engagement thus far." More lore, another memory that Lord Blackburn was keeping from him. He glared at the man internally, and felt Lord Blackburn shift uncomfortably.
"Fiona and I had an agreement. She was a means to an end." Cass said, and watched as the Duke’s eyes widened slightly.
"A contract marriage? You?" Why was that what was surprising him the most? Cass let out a harsh chuckle.
"Do you think that I am capable of love, Duke Vespertine?" Cass laughed lightly, more to himself. "After even hearing the whispers of how I was raised? It’s a damn miracle I didn’t reach out to the demons myself." Cass said and watched as Duke Vespertine looked ill. Truly looked ill as he looked at Cass.
Cass realised he wasn’t actually looking at him, he was probably looking at a younger version of him. Of Lord Blackburn. Of the young man who had probably been just a kid, just a scared kid and who he had turned his back on.
Who didn’t know what he was, who he was, or why everyone was treating him the way that they were. Who had no idea why most of the adults in his life looked at him like he was scum, treated him like scum, and yet he was supposed to come out of this normal?
"It was probably a gift from the gods that my grandfather wasn’t able to father another child." Cass said thoughtfully, not fully certain that was the case, but the words didn’t feel strange coming from his mouth. It could have also been a curse. Cass could believe that too.
Duke Vespertine stared at the young man sitting across from him. Who people had cast judgement on his whole life. Who had been underestimated for his capacity of kindness, and overestimated for his capacity of violence and rage. He stared at the man who had his back straight, who was staring at him like he could see into his very soul.
The Duke swallowed thickly, staring at Cass for a long, long moment.
"When did the gods choose you?" He asked softly and Cass felt his lips turn up slightly.
"You know, Duke Vespertine, you weren’t exactly wrong in all of your misgivings about me." Cass started, and the Duke’s eyes widened at the bitter smile on Cass’ lips. "But unlike every human in my life, the gods stepped in because they knew my actions would take this fight to the next level. They never underestimated me, for good, or for evil." Cass’ words were soft, light, bellying the weight of the words he was speaking. "They caught me before I fell." Cass said softly, and the Duke’s gaze wavered slightly. "Before I became what everyone made me out to be."
Silence hung in the air, thick with an energy Cass couldn’t quite put a finger on. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling, that was for sure, but some of it also came from Sir Forsythe. He was sure they were going to have a conversation at some point about what he was saying right now.
That was fine.
It wasn’t as if Lord Blackburn had trusted him fully. He couldn’t. Sir Forsythe was a nice man who came from the Blackburn estate. There was no way that he could.
It dragged on, longer and longer and Cass was getting impatient. Then, Duke Vespertine raised a shaky hand to his lips, looking absolutely distraught.
"By the gods, we nearly forced you to join the demons?" Cass was pleased that he didn’t exclude himself from the conversation. Cass smirked.
"Bold of you to assume that you had such a big part to play in it, but you’ve got the spirit. As I said, the gods intervened before that happened, and now I am on a mission tasked by them to make sure that the Demon King doesn’t destroy the world. Fiona is tasked with her mission, and I am tasked with mine. I also doubt that they will reveal the true nature of my mission to you, or even Lady Ava." Cass told him. Slowly raising a finger to his lips. "It’s a secret." He said, smirking, as he lowered his finger.
The Duke watched him, shocked, but Cass could sense a strong sense of despair. Over what? Cass had no clue, but he was glad that the man seemed to feel something over Cass’ declaration.
"What do you need?" The Duke asked slowly, not like the words were pulled out of him, more like the words were tumbling out of him and he was trying to control them. Like he was desperate to do something, anything, to help. Cass let out a light laugh.
"Are you trying to make up for lost time? You’re far too late for that. I’m incredibly self sufficient. What could you offer a man who has the kingdom by the coffers?" Cass asked, and watched as the Duke swallowed thickly.
Cass was right, and he knew it.
"I can offer...my political power. I know...that your grandfather has been undermining you. I know that you’ll probably need it." He said, and Cass was surprised that he was able to think so quickly on his feet. Then again, he was the high priest and a Duke. He was probably able to see his own worth in a rather objective way.
Cass chuckled, his lips curling up in an emotionless smile.
"Does it shock you that that is all you can offer me? A hero you are supposed to protect but you’ve instead neglected?" He flinched at Cass’ question, before he let out a shaky exhale.
"To be honest, yes. It does, but I am refusing to not have any sort of relationship with you. Something tells me I will only regret it." The Duke admitted, and Cass was surprised this time. The Duke looked uncomfortable.
"Well, I’m glad you’re aware of that. I think this wraps up our conversation nicely. If I need your help, I will reach out." Cass said, and that seemed to not be what the Duke wanted, but that was all he was going to receive. He held himself back, nodding tightly and getting to his feet as Cass did.
They walked to the door together, neither saying anything before Cass finally asked him about the lack of hair.
"Is that a new look?" Cass asked casually, a dig. The Duke blinked, before a sour smile crossed his lips.
"It is penance. Something I will have to bear for some of my sins." He told him, and Cass was surprised by his words. Normally people in his shoes, his power would have become belligerent, angry, but that wasn’t the case. He was just accepting what had happened to him.
Cass was surprised, but unsure what that meant for his perception of the man. He tucked it away as Sir Forsythe opened the door for him. Cass bid the Duke farewell and headed onto the next noble. It was going to be a long day.
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