The Baroness Misbehaves
Chapter 196: Bite The Bullet

Chapter 196: Bite The Bullet

Cassian showed up at the backyard of Amade’s home, and he wasn’t surprised to find Amade sitting on a bench with a lantern by his side. If Amade ever had a hard time falling asleep, he would visit the backyard and stare into space until he eventually gets sleepy enough to return to his room, a routine he always did even at the Duke’s mansion.

Cassian walked up to Amade who hadn’t noticed his presence yet, but when he eventually did, a look of surprise graced his face, and he immediately got to his feet, lowering his head slightly in a bow.

"Lord Cassian? You’re out here? It gets cold during the night, why aren’t you asleep?" Amade, who expected the young lad to be tired and drained out after all that journey they made to get here, found it surprising to see Cassian out here in the midnight cold, and the young lad smiled faintly, feeling grateful for Amade’s genuine concern.

In return, he bowed his head respectfully.

"I couldn’t sleep, will it be okay if I joined you?" He requested, and Amade, who didn’t think the permission was necessary, dropped the lantern to the ground and ushered Cassian to take his seat on the wide bench.

"This is like your home too, don’t treat me like a stranger, please, feel comfortable."

Cassian barely knew what he did to receive this much respect and care from Amade, something he never once received or felt from his own father. Right now, he was a man with no title, because the news of what he had becomed should have labeled him a monster or even a tyrant, but Amade knew everything from the onset, but still treats him no different than when he was still a normal human.

There was this strange bubbling feeling in his throat, but Cassian said nothing and quietly took his seat on the bench. Amade took his seat right after, and they both stared out into the beautiful dark blue sky, watching the scanty stars twinkle above.

The temperature had dropped that night, and it felt chilly on the outside.

"When do you intend to leave for Whitebrige city’s capital?" Asked Amade, and Cassian sighed softly before answering.

"Late afternoon by tomorrow, it will take His Majesty’s search party a day or two to get to the lower East quarters. By then, the news would have reached all the quarters. I have no intention of prolonging my stay and getting you or your family mixed up with my own fate. The quicker I leave, the better."

"Does His Majesty know you’re here?" Amade felt the need to inquire, and Cassian shook his head.

"No, he doesn’t. I’d be making a mistake if I told him." Cassian breathed out. "Alaric helped me escape from the captivity of his cell, but it ended there. He’s still a King who needs to take actions into his own hands, and his contribution to this search would make him less of a suspect to those rotten officials and Ministers. I decided to keep my location to myself for safety reasons, that way, neither of us have to feel guilty about betraying the other."

Cassian relaxed his back against the bench with his arms folded. There was a moment of silence as both men just gazed at the half moon that glowed against the darkened sky. Another thought popped into the mind of Amade, and he looked at the young lad with an inquisitive stare.

"The situation looks rather complicated to me, but why is Lady Madeline coming along? It would be safer for her if she stayed back, cause now you don’t only need to protect yourself, but hers as well."

"Amade, I was also worried about that, but the truth is, my wife has her own unique skills." A slow smile curved the side of Cassian’s lips. "A lot has happened with you away, and Madeline has proven she’s capable of handling things herself, with or without my services."

Amade noticed a tinge of warmth in his eyes the minute he started talking about Madeline. It still feels like yesterday when he was scared to his wits about the two of them getting married on a very auspicious night without the appropriate consent from anyone, and presently, he felt happy with himself for following his heart and letting them get married that night.

"Do you still remember how it all started?" Amade began, "on a night like this, someone with a mindset full of mischief had agreed to marry a total stranger without giving it much thought. Your wedding was the most unique wedding I’ve attended in my days of living." He chuckled heartily, recalling how he got scared to death when Cassian returned to the church hall soaked from head to toe due to the rain.

"How can I forget? I did a lot of foolish things." Cassian agreed without letting Amade say it directly, and Amade didn’t hesitate to agree.

"Yes, you did, but what you don’t seem to know is that the world needs more foolish people like you." Amade looked at Cassian, his expression turning more sincere. "If it wasn’t for your attitude the world considered foolish, I wouldn’t be able to earn a living, and you’ve supported my family in many ways without knowing them. You’ve helped people. You took such a life-threatening case into your own hands despite the odds, no normal human being would even give it a second thought before refusing."

Amade gave Cas’s shoulder a tap before squeezing lightly, "you are a great man Lord Cassian. Don’t let anyone’s judgment make you deny your true identity. You have my full support on this, go out there and clear your name, the same way the Cassian I know would."

Cassian’s eyes widened slightly, this would be the first time Amade referred to him by his name without making use of ’Lord’.

"Are you trying to make me emotional?" Cassian asked with a raised brow, "cause if you did, it certainly worked."

Hearing his last statement, Amade laughed it off softly, and Cassian’s faint smile returned. "Thank you."

"That isn’t necessary, it’s the least I can do to help."

Silence returned once again, and Cassian, who thought deeply about what Amade just said, was more than determined to rid off every form of Elijah from this world, no matter what, even if it meant losing his life as a cost.