The Baroness Misbehaves
Chapter 75: Need For Comfort (1)

Chapter 75: Need For Comfort (1)

Hiding himself in the corner of the room, Cassian was too immersed in his own thoughts and didn’t hear when the door softly creaked open, followed by light footsteps that indicated someone had stepped into the room.

He looked spaced out, and he lost track of time without knowing how long he’s kept himself in the dark.

The burning sensation had subsided, but there was an absence of comfort as all he could think about was Elijah’s disturbing words and nothing else. If he wanted to get to the route of the matter, he had to find Elijah and talk with him.

Regardless of what they might have done to him, he still needed answers and only Elijah would be capable of answering them.

His fist clenched and unclenched when he imagined himself being one of those creatures. The bloody note was just an idiom that referred to them being the ’undead’ but it only started to make sense now, and facing such creatures was tantamount to stepping into hot fire.

They had to be the ones responsible for the missing people and Cassian certainly had no doubt about it. What if they turned those innocent people into their blood slaves? Or did something even more drastic than creating a blood slave community?

Elijah mentioned something about how those he’s tested ended up dying when they couldn’t survive it.

Was he trying to create an army? What is his motive for turning him into one of them? Why did he send his minions to kill Madeline’s uncle??

Why did he abduct a little girl named Lily??

His uneasiness grew as more unanswered questions occupied his thoughts, his shoulders felt heavy as though he had too many loads weighing down on him and he did. His mindset remained unhinged as he brushed his hair backwards, and just thinking about how he’d find that vampire again already gave him a headache.

He believed the world was cruel, but why were the most cruel things centered on him?

Unpredictably, his body went still when he felt a comforting hand placed on his shoulder. From her unexpected touch, he released a startling gasp when he knew exactly who was sitting beside him, except her presence had left him baffled.

When did she come in??

"Maddie?"

"I was looking for you....you had me worried when I couldn’t find you all day." Madeline’s voice made her pure concern known to him and she detached her hand from his shoulder. "You hid yourself in here all day, and I thought something bad had happened when I couldn’t find you. Why do you keep doing this to yourself?"

His actions weren’t something new to her, she had been in his place too while living under Roland’s roof, hiding away from everyone, even the workers and keeping her troubles all to herself. She was able to bring herself out of her own shell and it was all thanks to him, he gave her that courage, and seeing the person who motivated her doing the same thing she once did to himself didn’t make her happy at all.

When she stepped into the room, the lamps were out and everything else was in total darkness. She really had no idea what made her turn on the lamp since she wasn’t expecting to find someone in here, but that was when she saw him, sitting at a corner and dealing with his pain all by himself.

The expression she always saw on his face whenever he was with her or with the family wasn’t what she saw today. He was someone who was filled with humor, and was ever ready to make jest out of anyone in particular.

He either had this mischievous foxy look that made one aware he was about to commit a playful torturing act, or a sudden straight face that one could easily crack as long as he was well acquainted with that person.

Right now, he looked unapproachable. In his place was an unrecognizable figure and Madeline could feel her heart drum at the remembrance of what happened earlier. She had been hoping he’d show up and talk to her about what happened, but he’s here, allowing the guilt to eat him till none of him remains.

Sitting beside him, he still didn’t notice her presence until she placed her hand on his shoulder, and she could feel his body flinch under her light touch. Her brows knitted with concern and she hated to see him like this.

"What happened?" She asked softly. "You shared in my pain when I first stepped into the mansion. If something’s really bothering you, you shouldn’t hesitate to tell me what it is. Even if I’m not able to help, I’ll be more than happy to share your pain with you. To reduce the burden you carry all by yourself."

Her voice was as soothing as the breath of spring, and she spoke so earnestly that Cassian could feel his emotions bubbling up in his chest, so much so that he had to swallow the uncomfortable lump that got stuck in his throat, still he said nothing.

"Tell me what’s going through your mind, let me in." She pushed on before kneeling at his front to undo the blindfold from his eyes. If he didn’t want to speak, she would at least see what emotions his eyes had to display.

After slipping it off, his eyes were closed, and when he opened them, his Amber-brown eyes shimmered with a tremulous soft light. His lashes felt wet when Madeline softly grazed her fingers through the tip, and she could see he was holding a lot more than she could have imagined.

"Cassian."

To her surprise, he grabbed her arm and pulled her into his arms as he embraced her with his face buried against her neck. Madeline fell speechless when he hugged her out of the blue and there was no escaping how he held her.

From how tight his hold on her was, Madeline could sense just how much he needed to hug someone, to hold someone, and just the feeling that he chose to let her be his comfort brought a smile to her lips, and she hugged him in return while rubbing his back lightly to ease him up.

"It’s okay." She consoled him. "Everything will be fine." She might not know what exactly is up with him, but Madeline knew he needed to hear these words. "I’m here with you, nothing will happen."

They remained that way for a few more minutes, letting each other be their comfort and when Cassian no longer moved in her arms, Madeline soon realized he was fast asleep.

"He calls himself a grown man when he’s just a big baby." She muttered heartily while helping him rise to his feet. Knowing she couldn’t stress herself enough to take him back to the room, she helped him lie on the bed in the room they were presently in.

"Guess we’ll be sleeping here tonight_" and before she knew it, he grabbed her arm and made her fall to the bed by his side. He hugged her from behind with his hands wrapped around her body, keeping her in place, and he did all this while still deep in slumbers.

Madeline could feel her cheeks go red when his breathing fanned her neck. How he even fell asleep this quickly was still a surprise to her, and now she’s entrapped under his hold, unable to break free even when she tried.

She applied his eye drop this morning before he disappeared on her, so it might not be a loss if he missed his treatment for just this night.

Closing her eyes, she tried to get over the feeling of her back connected with his chest and forced herself to sleep.