The Baroness Misbehaves
Chapter 77: Maturity Makes One Change

Chapter 77: Maturity Makes One Change

Amade halted in his steps as he took time to process what his young Lord just conveyed to him. His eyes turned skeptical from the beginning, but when he thought deeper into Cassian’s words and also analyzing why someone like Cassian would marry a lady he barely knew, Amade had no choice but to believe.

"How are you so sure she’s the same girl?" He asked after catching up with Cassian, looking unconvinced as they went down the stairs. "That girl, although I only saw her figure running away from the gate, she didn’t look anything like the new lady you married, either that or I’m practically getting older."

As they went down the stairs, the servants quickly greeted Cassian. Some of them had begun to paint the walls of the house with totally different colors. The paintings on the wall were being replaced with fresh new ones, and Amade could spot Frederick monitoring a painter who was busy creating a fresco masterpiece on the walls downstairs.

The servants were dutifully scrubbing the tiled floor when Cassian and Amade made it down the long stairs. Everyone was currently busy and all of this was to get the house prepared for the celebration hosting in two days. Richard might not be in agreement to Lord Cassian’s wedding, but he certainly won’t let the celebration be a bore to the guests showing up.

Amade understood the competition that circulated mostly in the upper East quarters. No one would certainly want to fall last when it comes to having a dynamic celebration, and he could only hope and pray that his Young Lord gains his sight completely before the celebration day.

Orson rose to his feet when he saw Cassian heading for the living room with Amade waiting behind. Lady Elaine was busy indulging herself in a warm conversation with the young man, keeping him company, and she stopped talking when her son walked into the living room to join them.

No doubt, Cassian had already sensed his mother’s presence.

"Morning.... Mother." He greeted with a slight bow, and Elaine gently dropped her cup of tea on the saucer that was on the table in front of her. She raised her head up to look at her son who was standing at the end of a couch adjacent where she sat.

"Where are you two going?" She asked, ignoring his greeting since she knew he would use it as a distraction to lure her mind elsewhere. "You haven’t recovered, you should be resting and attending to your health before the celebration. I am sure you don’t want the guests blabbering about the Duke’s son turning blind."

Her tone was firm and filled with logic. It was a part of his mother he had come to understand when she was still angry with him, or less angry with him. He preferred her this way as long as she didn’t rise to her feet to give him one of those blinding slaps she normally gifted him when he did something she hated.

"It’s important I step out." He asserted with no hesitation, sticking his right hand into his pocket. "Orson and I are working on something really important, we also have to pay a visit to the physician who saved me. Wouldn’t you consider it good manners if I show at his doorstep to repay him for his good work?"

"Everyone knows you to be an uncivilized devil so I don’t think mother will easily fall for your cheap lies." Inna intervened as she elegantly stepped into the living room, taking her seat beside her mother while Cassian silently cursed the little devil who has chosen to rub her mouth in his great excuse.

"He’s not lying this time, I can vouch for him." Orson genuinely stated as he placed a hand to his chest, casting innocent gazes from Elaine to her daughter, and Inna thoughtfully asserted.

"If Orson can willingly support him then it must be true." She looked at her mother who nodded her head in return. Orson was known to be the gentle type in front of Elaine. He was the innocent one who ended up being the best friend of a devil’s spawn.

"Fine, but you two must return before dinner." Elaine made it clear to the both of them before her gaze turned warm. "Orson has been so busy these past few days, but I’m hoping you can spare some time and join us for dinner these evening."

"As long as my favorite meal is being dished tonight, I expect a table to be specially reserved for me." He added with a cheerful grin, easing Elaine’s heart as she tittered at his innocent request.

"Oh shut up." Cassian snapped at him when he couldn’t contain the family reunion going here, and Orson knew very well that if his friend wasn’t blindfolded, Cassian would have eyed the living soul out of him.

"You shut up!" He countered back before hooking his hand around Cassian’s arm, taking the young lad out with him while waving at Elaine as they exited through the main door.

Elaine smiled and could feel her system relax after taking note of how normal Cassian behaved. There was no sign of hesitation, or sign of anything that proved there was something going on with him, so maybe the prophecy was just a fallacy and nothing of what the priest said had come true.

Standing before the carriage, Orson darted a quizzical look at Cassian. "How do we find Geoffrey?"

Hearing his question, Cassian’s lips curved to the side, forming a bewitching smirk and he snapped his fingers twice.

"I have an extra eye who has been keeping watch lately." Saying this, Lily appeared right beside Cassian and slipped a small note into his hands before vanishing from sight.

"Huh?" Orson’s right brow rose as his eyes crinkled in confusion, and Cassian slipped the note into his own grip. "Here, follow what’s on the note."

"The no_" he wanted to ask which note, but was slightly baffled when he looked at his palm to see the note Cassian had given him.

"Wait, where did the note come from?"

"My little ghost friend has been useful." He remarked, and Orson tried not to get jealous over the fact Cassian had a ghost friend. He even referred to his ’ghost friend’ as his extra eyes.

If only he had one as well...

All of a sudden, Cassian’s hand reached to ruffle his hair when he sensed how silent Orson had become, and he knew exactly why, which brought a smile to his lips.

"Hey! You just ruined my hairstyle!" Orson pushed his hand away, except the deed had already been done. To pay back, Orson ruffled his hair in return, looking really displeased that Cassian had the audacity to mess with his cool hair.

"I spent hours on it before leaving the house this morning, how will I get the ladies attention now! You always do this!" He pushed Cassian away but very lightly, causing the young lad to take two steps back as he laughed at Orson’s reaction, enjoying how angry he got and was dying to see it.

"You have enough admirers don’t you think?"

"Shut your damn mouth and don’t talk to me!" And he got into the carriage, trying to fix his hair into place.

Madeline and Inna who watched their bantering from the terrace, couldn’t hold back their own laughter seeing the two of them banter like a husband who just offended his wife, and now must plead for forgiveness.

"Were they always like this?" Madeline asked out of pure curiosity, and Inna shook her head as her mind drifted to the past.

"You’d be surprised to hear this but Cassian and Orson never got along at all when they were younger. Orson was more of an innocent cry baby and Cassian was always available to rub salt into his wounds, or even torture the poor soul." She simpered and then continued. "Orson was very much afraid of Cas’s presence back then, if he saw Cassian taking the right path, Orson would take the left to avoid running into him."

"Wow." Madeline was taken-aback by it. How much of a devil was Cassian during his childhood days? "So how did they become friends to be even closer friends?"

"I really don’t know." Inna shook her head. "I had nothing to do with Cassian back then cause I visited Grandmother’s place very often, especially during early spring in January to avoid his presence. No one suffered like Lady Juliana since she had to deal with his ruckus everyday."

Inna was still surprised at how calm her brother had become. She remembered how her nuisance of a brother would barge into her room without knocking just so he could annoy her, and the next thing he does is to switch off her lamp and seize one of her dresses she had carefully kept on the stand, then he walks out leaving the door open.

His punishment was countless but he was still a rogue. Maturity does make one change.