Chapter 49: This is not a date
Cass took it all back. Fuck Lord Vespertine and fuck whatever the hell that had been.
As soon as they had reached town, Lord Vespertine had shoved his hat on his head, and yanked Cass out of the carriage, practically escorting him around town while holding his hand.
His. Cass’. The grandson of the man who hated homosexuals the most.
Was the man fucking crazy? Everyone was looking at them like they were insane, and Lord Vespertine was fucking up his schedule even more. He wasn’t even taking him to places he wanted to go to.
Instead, Lord Vespertine, with that damn handsome smile on his face, led him around to different shops. He didn’t go to the district with all of the market stalls, and instead went into brick and mortar stores. The worst was when he took Cass into a jewelry store and had Cass pick something out for himself.
Cass was pissed. He was angry because he was being dragged around, and his guard wasn’t doing anything to stop this, nor was Sam. He also couldn’t see his aides at all, which made him even more angry. He was also angry that Lord Vespertine was treating him as if he had no money.
Cass had money. He was working hard for that damn money. The money was his family’s money, but he also had poked around. Lord Blackburn had a lot of money. It felt insulting that this man not only was dragging him around without letting him put his hood up, was taking him to shops like they were on a date, but was also refusing to let him pay for anything.
Cass was vibrating with anger, but trying to contain it when they stopped into a clothing boutique. He was sure that Lord Blackburn would never step into a place like this, and Lord Vespertine gave him a mischievous grin.
"Lord Cassian! We should get some clothes made for you! It’s a new season, and the fashion this time I’m sure will excite you." Cass didn’t like how Lord Vespertine was speaking for him. He was so smug, so proud, and it only made Cass feel worse.
It didn’t help that his worst fears were realised. Everyone he ran into looked at him and saw his eyes and flinched, before they began stuttering and shaking. Cass hated that kind of treatment. Like he was some kind of freak, and it only made it worse that it was like Lord Vespertine was coming in and smoothing over any issue that popped up.
Like some kind of princely angel, he was blessing everyone with his presence and saving Cass from his bad image. Cass hated it. He hated owing anyone, and he was fairly certain that Lord Vespertine knew this.
He hadn’t even taken him to get a new carriage like he said he would, and was instead parading around the town, showing him all the places a noble would want to go. Cass didn’t care about that shit. He wanted to see how the common folk were living, not the prissy people like Lord Vespertine.
Which was probably why Cass was so angry, and willing to try to put Lord Vespertine in his place. Cass hadn’t been reading for almost two decades for fucking nothing.
When he was handed the book of designs for clothes, before he had been measured since he was putting up a fight about taking off any more of the cloak, he looked carefully over what the current trends were. Then, he had to fight a grin as he realised that he could set off a trend that would take this ear by storm, and Lord Vespertine was going to swallow his whole tongue.
He’d been looking at Cass like he was a fool, like he was getting a step up on him while pretending to try to have a fun day with him. Cass could feel it. The man kept glancing at him, treating him sweetly, but Cass wasn’t going to fall for it.
How many times had Lord Vespertine done this to others? Cass knew there wasn’t any emotion behind it. He always treated others like this. It was his personality. He went with the motto, ’no one can suspect me if I am nice to everyone’. It was the same motto his sister went with, so Cass couldn’t completely hate the guy.
He just hated it.
Lord Vespertine had even been nice to a man who had intentionally shoved them because they were holding hands. Cass had been ready to throw hands, but Lord Vespertine had prevented him. He fucking hated that.
So, he was going to show him up. This was a harmless use of his knowledge, and it wasn’t as if Lord Blackburn was...fashion challenged. He was just...unique. Uniquely bad, but that was just his opinion. Cass had been raised with some standards, and now it was time to flex his knowledge.
Cass started slow, easy, asking questions about the designs, the fabrics, everything. It was clear that from the first few questions that Lord Vespertine, and the lady who was helping him were quite surprised. It got to the point that she had to halt, looking like her head was spinning, and she told him she would go grab the head designer and other owner of the boutique to continue the conversation.
Cass sat back, slightly smug as he waited for her to arrive. Unlike her partner, she wasn’t as polished and was a little more wary of Cass, but only in the sense that she didn’t trust his words. She didn’t seem to care who he was, and was more concerned that it felt like he was insulting her designs.
The conversation was heated, and Lord Vespertine sat back, drinking the tea that had been offered and watching the two chat. Cass could feel his gaze on him, but he didn’t care. He was more interested in speaking with this woman and bouncing ideas off of each other.
At one point, she got her assistant to come in, wheeling in a design she was working on and Cass helped show her the vision he had. She watched as he pinned the clothes with an almost expert hand. Cass knew he was clumsy, it had been years since he’d done this, but he was determined.
When he was done, everyone sat back and stared at the outfit they’d mocked up together and she sighed.
"Being a noble is lost on you." She muttered and Lord Vespertine sputtered. Cass snorted, before he couldn’t help it, and he burst into laughter. He practically folded in two, laughing so hard at her words it brought tears to his eyes. It was the first time he’d laughed like this, and it was because of some random woman who was upset that he’d upstaged her.
Well, she wasn’t upset about that, she was upset that she saw a talent he didn’t have. Cass collected himself, clearing his throat and dabbing at his eyes lightly with his fingers, wiping the tears away.
"I appreciate your praise, but I promise, others will see it my way eventually." Cass told her and she gave him a sweep. She took in his outfit, the cloak he was wearing, and frowned further.
"No, I stand by what I said. You don’t dress the way you want because of your title, correct?" Cass flinched, and Lord Vespertine covered his mouth.
"Is that true? Wait, Lord Cassian, are you purposefully dressing the way you are?" Cass had no way to know if it was true, but for him, yeah, it was. Lord Blackburn dressed a certain way, so Cass had to dress a certain way. He didn’t like these colours, and he felt that they washed him out even more, making him look three times as ill as he really was.
"Whether or not it’s true, it doesn’t matter. What do you think? Will the people like it?" Cass asked carefully and she grumbled.
"Like it? The whole Kingdom is going to be in an uproar." She complained. "And I am angry I didn’t even think about it." She muttered quietly, biting at her thumb anxiously and Cass felt his cheeks warm. He felt a genuine smile touch his lips, his feelings of wanting to prove himself temporarily forgotten as he stared at the shirt, pants, and jacket that they had temporarily put together.
"Good, then you can take the claim that you made it for yourself." She gasped, spinning to him.
"What? No! I’m not so heartless that I would-"
"Lord Cassian, are you a fool? Why would you suggest such a terrible de-" Cass held up his hand, and both the seamstress and Lord Vespertine grew silent. He didn’t know if it was because of who he was, or if it was because of the expression on his face. Lord Vespertine seemed shocked as Cass shook his head, laughing.
"Do you think anyone would wear this if they found out I participated in designing it?" Cass asked seriously and Lord Vespertine’s mouth thinned, making him look rather serious. Even the seamstress, who hadn’t treated him differently, grew silent. "That is your answer. I’m fine with it. I don’t really care about the money aspect, more about the progression of fashion. So, it’s alright. It’s not a bad deal, Lord Vespertine. I just want to see fashion move forward." Cass told him, and he watched as Lord Vespertine stared at him in confusion.
Cass could understand what he meant. He hadn’t really spoken or even acknowledged this part of himself. One of the first jobs he’d gotten was considerably illegal, but he liked the work. It was making clothes. Both for real people, and for dolls. He got moved to a higher paying position because he was fast, and his work was good. He’d kept up the trend a little bit when he was younger, making a shirt or a jacket here and there, but he’d had to give it up when he decided what he was going to go into to make more money for him and his sister.
She was the one who had forced him to go to university after he’d worked for so long. He’d only been two years into his degree when his accident had happened. He hadn’t even been able to fulfil her wish.
Suddenly, this didn’t feel as happy as it had before, and Cass could feel his expression shifting.
"Is it too much of a burden?" Cass asked the seamstress and co-owner of the boutique. After talking to her, he realised that she was knowledgeable, reliable, and stood her ground against him, a noble. Hell, he was technically a high noble, being the next in line to be the Duke.
All of that was a good mark for her to be the one to take this pattern off of his hands.
"Well...not really. It would be a big boon to our business, and I can already see it all over the people of the capitol." Cass chuckled. She was hesitant, but Cass was determined.
"Then take it. We can advertise it as something from the area, and use it to spread the name of the town more. That would have a bigger benefit to me than you would think." Cass told her, but she still seemed torn. Lord Vespertine got to his feet, placing his hand on Cass’ shoulder. Cass tried not to stiffen.
"Lord Cassian, are you sure? This could make...a lot of money." Lord Vespertine whispered quietly. Cass turned his gaze towards Lord Vespertine, a smile on his lips.
"A lot of money? Who do you think you’re talking to, Lord Vespertine? Who am I, if not one of the most wealthy people in the Kingdom?" Cass asked carefully, and Lord Vespertine swallowed.
"W-While that is true, I don’t think-"
"Lord Vespertine, you let me worry about the tiny details, alright? Do you think I would offer this deal and that I would get nothing out of it? Tell me, what companies trade in the fabrics in this city? Who do you think is bringing those fabrics in? What merchants are in charge in the city? Do you think I would have let us move here if I didn’t already know everything that there was to know here?" Cass asked carefully, and Lord Vespertine stared at him, his eye twitching.
He turned his face away, his jaw tight before he sighed.
"Fine. Do whatever you want. Ignore my advice. I’m sure you’ll grow to regret it." He warned and Cass laughed.
"Lord Vespertine, do you think that was the only pattern I have floating around in my head?" Cass asked and Lord Vespertine’s eyes widened, and he jerked his gaze back to Cass. So did the seamstress.
"You have more?!" He asked, his voice raised and Cass laughed. He’d never seen Lord Vespertine like this, and Cass quite enjoyed it. All shocked and surprised. It strangely suited the man. His cheeks were slightly flushed, his blue eyes wide, and his plump lips were slightly wet.
He really did look like a Prince from a romance novel.