Chapter 604: Tying up loose ends
Did it make Cass a villain that he was using the situation that he had partially created to force Christopher to do what he wanted? Cass didn’t think so. After all, Christopher had willingly walked right into the whole situation by falling for Cass’ plan.
If Cass looked at this positively, this was something he had wanted, wasn’t it? And, if Cass helped Christopher, it would help him deal with the Dukes that were breathing down his neck. Two birds, one stone, and Cass didn’t even have to leave his mansion again.
It was the perfect plan, after all. It would work out in everyone’s favour, except the Dukes. That was exactly what he wanted, and so, he talked himself out of feeling bad for taking advantage of the shitty situation that Christopher found himself in.
They worked through their new plan, who would be protecting Christopher going forward, and his staff. Cass wasn’t foolish enough to think that his people would be left alone. He knew his grandfather.
That was who he went after first. Spread the fear, take away the minor players and replace them all until there was no one around him that he could trust. Cass sent out his people to protect them as soon as the ink dried on the contract that Christopher had signed.
Did that mean that more ridiculous articles kept coming out as Cass and the others were getting ready to leave the Capital? Yes, and Cass just had to grin and bear it. He decided that his embarrassment wasn’t worth putting a limit on Christopher or his people. After all, what they were looking for was to make others think that it was ridiculous that the nobles were restricting their rights.
If Cass being handsome and...bringing up birth rates was something that helped that even if he couldn’t fathom it, so be it.
Even if it made Edgar chuckle at ridiculous times, or Sam cough whenever he handed over the new article that made Cass want to shrivel up inside.
Lucian was never to catch sight of these damn things. Cass made sure to order Sam to hide them, burn them if he needed to, so Lucian was never to catch sight of them. He made sure to order both Byron and Sam this while Gideon and Edgar were gone. If they knew that he was that upset about them they would keep a damn stash around just to bother him.
Cass wasn’t sure why he knew that, just that he did and he didn’t want to encourage them. That would only feed into their egos and Cass didn’t need that. They were already getting insufferable as it was.
Edgar and Gideon, now that they had confirmed that they weren’t in danger after keeping part of the truth from Cass were floating around the estate as they helped get it ready for their departure. Cass could tell that it had lifted something off of their shoulders and somehow it made them even more attractive. That was a problem for Cass, since he was still trying to keep his shared emotions with Cassian under control. The man was more horny than Cass was, or that was what he thought.
Until Sam took him aside and had a rather awkward conversation with him about his desires as a demon versus a fairy or an average human. Truthfully, it should have crossed Cass’ mind that his emotions, especially the ones linked to sex and attraction, were affected by his demonic blood. However, that had never occurred to Cass because...well...he had a foolish idea that he was better than that?
It was silly, he knew that now, but he had thought that he would have recognised it if his emotions had changed like that. He thought that he had, but instead he had thrown all of the blame onto Cassian, and belatedly, he had to recall that his change in emotions had happened several times and usually around the times that his demonic powers had awakened and grown.
Sam explained that his upgrade in powers were a bit like a double edged sword. He now knew more about sex demons, but that also told the demon king that Cass’ powers were awakening as well. They knew that information, but Cass also knew that he wouldn’t be able to keep that to himself forever. Especially with spies and other demons keeping an eye on him.
So, it didn’t matter that the demon king knew that his blood was awakening in Cass. Cass still had his hero card tucked away in his back pocket. As long as he was in a situation where he could reveal both, it wouldn’t matter.
He wasn’t the first demon that the gods had permitted to live, but he did hope that he would be the last. Edgar’s life, the life that he was given, wasn’t something that he would wish upon others. Nor would he wish his existence upon another either.
Sam also explained that it didn’t mean that Cass’ feelings weren’t true, either. Just...amplified when it came to certain situations. Which explained why Cass felt like Edgar and Gideon were too handsome to even look at sometimes. He had also taken to wearing a particular set of sunshades even in the house.
The maids and servants were told that it was because his eyes had grown sensitive ever since his Aunt had awoken more of the fairy blood inside of him. Those who weren’t fairies ate it up, while those that were fairies?
They kept their mouths shut. Sunshades had even been flying off of the shelves in shops in town.
It seemed that everything that Cass did, or Cass touched, turned to gold, and he wasn’t the only fairy that was having that kind of effect either.
All of the fairies were boosting the economy of the kingdom. Everyone wanted to be like them and it was wonderful that the human nobles hated that with a boiling passion.
Cass was often found in his office just laughing darkly in amusement at the reminder of the fear and disgust that he had seen on the faces of the humans who had come to protest what he was doing but they couldn’t even enter the grounds. He had been going outside for business and seeing their faces had truly made his day.
It was made even better since he had received several desperate letters asking for the whereabouts of a few, rather delicious fertilizer piles. The trees thanked them for their service.
Everything was falling into place, and the people who should be worried could tell that something was happening, but they could do nothing against him. Even the piles of letters asking for aid from the heroes grew, but Edgar turned down anything that wasn’t serious and sent Lord Blackburn’s men if the situation called for it.
It was perfect, delightfully perfect, and it was with that kind of energy that Cass was going back to the manor that he felt suited him more than this empty home that the fairies were slowly turning into their own.
The ballroom and many, many empty rooms were filling up with life thanks to the fairies. The darkness that had felt like it had permeated the stagnant air of the mansion was gone. Replaced by the laughter and life of the fairies.
It was like they were always meant to be here, and Cass had a feeling that was the desire of the original owner. If only they had lived long enough to see this come to pass.
Cass didn’t mind being the second protector of this place. It gave him some purpose, and a reason that he could hold the room on the top floor. He could feel that some of them had been eyeing it for their own use, but it was Ailia who put her foot down, her silver eyes lighting up from within.
She had scolded the fairies from here back to their homeland about coveting things that truly didn’t belong to them, and for even thinking about doing something so rude to the fairy who was allowing them to grow their families. Cass had no idea how many fairies had been scolded by her, but she was a great fortress.
Cass knew that positions of power didn’t go in straight lines in the fairy world but he had a feeling that Ailia was going to be the next Matron of the Southern forest whether she knew it or not. She had the ability to do it.
Sir Sanders could feel it too, but he kept his mouth shut. He just watched over his lovely wife, his eyes warm as he watched her scold the fairies. He seemed to enjoy watching her boss others around, even when she had to pause to throw up.
That’s right, Ailia’s morning sickness had come with a heavy swing. It was a crime, and Sir Sanders was the one who took the brunt of her sudden mood swings, heaving, and escorting her around the manor.
Their room had been moved from the second floor to the first, the house adapted further to account for the others who were planning to fall pregnant and would need accommodation as well. Cass signed the approval papers with ease, just wanting his people, the fairies, to be comfortable as they transitioned into this next phase of their life.
When his Aunt came to visit and check on her lovely daughter, she also checked on the mansion to make sure that it was safe, secure, and that no knew ’insects’ were flying around. How she was able to confirm above Cass’ senses, he never asked. He just quietly fired the people that she selected, giving them good severance packages so they just thought it was the temperamental reaction of a fairy, not that he had caught on.
He needed them foolish enough to leave this mansion alone, but follow him down to his main residence. That way no one would be able to stop him from punishing the fools that wanted to harm him and his people.
Though, the ones that were able to sneak into the mansion this time didn’t want to cause direct harm since otherwise they wouldn’t be able to enter the grounds, that didn’t mean that they were innocent either. Cass just...did what he needed to.
Cass and Taniora also were able to have their conversation as well. During that talk Cass asked her about what she wanted to do moving forward, what her plans were, and if she wanted to rest peacefully, or continue working with the nursery tree to protect their people?
Taniora was torn. She wasn’t quite sure. That was when Cass had asked her something maybe a little ridiculous. Was she going to become Ailia’s child?
Taniora had seemed truly surprised by that before she had accidentally revealed that there was already a soul selected for the child of Ailia and Sir Sanders. She looked shocked after the words had left her mouth, like she wasn’t supposed to reveal it. Cass was honestly a little relieved. He had worried that she might have disappeared without a word, but from the sounds of it, it seemed that it was possible for her to rejoin the reincarnation cycle or whatever the closest equivalent here was.
She could be reborn. Fresh. New.
It just seemed that she wasn’t ready to go yet. Cass suggested that she take her time, after all, that was something she truly had a lot of, and Taniora had laughed at that. She agreed with Cass. She would take her time to consider it, and maybe by the time that Cass came back to the Capital she might have come to her decision.
Cass was delighted to hear that, and agreed that was the best outcome. For now, she was the unofficial protector of the mansion with the nursery tree. She took the role up easily, her eyes warm even as a chill filled the room. She was not about to let anyone harm her people more, and even if she disagreed with Cass’ methods in harming innocents, she had no such qualms with harming those who wanted to harm babies.
Thus, the two weeks that Cass had set aside for planning their departure passed quickly. Now Cass only had two goodbyes he had to say, and one felt heavier than the other.
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