Chapter 287: A book and a good soak can fix anything
Edgar ended up being a great help. With Sir Forsythe helping Cass organise the rest of the letters, Edgar could begin the writing process. Edgar used magic to do it. He wasn’t going to waste the time to write them out personally, and it also meant he could write the same thing at the same time.
He was writing 4 letters at the same time, smirking, as Cass tried not to laugh. Edgar drank tea, wrote out the addresses and names in big fancy script, and shoved the shitty, magically written letters into said envelopes.
It was going to get their hopes up. He was devious. Cass was glad that the man hadn’t fully turned against him like in the original, if only for this moment. It was nice to have someone who he could scheme with.
Granted, Sir Forsythe had been with him this whole time and Cass wasn’t saying anything bad about that. He just more meant that Sir Forsythe was going to say everything nice to him and go along with what Cass decided. He wouldn’t make any decisions on his own in this situation since he didn’t know how to fuck with the nobles on the same way that Edgar could.
Edgar knew that writing big, bold, fancy script would get them all excited. For nothing. Cass wasn’t sure if Sir Forsythe would have the same thoughts.
Cass finished organising the piles, and started working on the two other piles that needed to be addressed. The smaller, slightly sincere pile was his priority, and Cass did write those ones personally. He also cross checked the names to see if any of the nobles who wrote letters back had come to visit him.
This was where it was great that he had Lord Blackburn’s memories. He could just recall if he knew them or not. It was actually quite nice that Cass could use that knowledge right now given that he felt like he’d been doing a lot of the heavy lifting with his own brain and memories lately. Being able to rely on the things that the gods promised was nice.
Suspicious, but nice.
Cass wasn’t sure how long they worked, but eventually, all of the letters for the night were completed, and Sir Forsythe was getting a little antsy. He let out a sigh when Cass finally put down his pen and Cass tilted his head to look at him.
"What’s wrong?" Cass asked, taking in the little sound and assuming that he was displeased about something. Sir Forsythe glanced between Edgar, who was looking at him with curiousity, and Cass.
"It’s just late, my Lord. I was worried you were going to keep working away until the sun came up." Sir Forsythe said and Cass blinked. He couldn’t exactly deny that. Edgar let out a soft chuckle.
"Ah. A fair worry, considering that there aren’t any windows, and you don’t appear to have a clock in this office yet. Maybe we should ask Fiona and Ava to find a nice one for your office tomorrow while you are busy?" Edgar suggested and Cass grew thoughtful. It wasn’t a bad idea, considering that Cass did trust Fiona’s judgement call when it came to furniture.
She had done a good job with the bathrooms, and with furnishing her parts of the manor. Lord Blackburn was the one with questionable fashion choices.
Which reminded him. Cass should do some shopping while he is here too.
"I’ll speak to the people again tomorrow, but the day after? I need to do some shopping of my own. If people show up, send them away." Cass said thoughtfully and Sir Forsythe frowned.
"You want me to stay here while you go shopping?" Sir Forsythe confirmed and Cass blinked.
"Oh. No, that wasn’t what I was saying. I assumed that Ser Hune and Sir Sanders would be in charge of telling people to fuck off." Cass told him and Sir Forsythe’s lips twitched before he nodded.
"You really are giving Deacon everything he could want. Should I tell them to not get violent?" Sir Forsythe asked, his lips twitching and Cass stared at him, thoughtful. He pressed the tips of his fingers against his lips, pondering, before he came to a decision.
"Not this time. He’ll have to be nice. No pushing either. Only get violent if they touch the other staff, or Ser Hune or Sir Sanders himself." Cass winced. "Technically, you’re all my property so that’s a big no no in noble culture." Cass said and Edgar laughed.
"That’s how the nobles will see it, yes. Tell Sir Sanders that as long as there is proof that he was hurt, we can get away with pretty much anything." Edgar said to Sir Forsythe with a wink. Sir Forsythe, unmoved, just nodded.
"Understood. Are you going straight to bed, my Lord?" Sir Forsythe asked and Cass wasn’t quite sure. He did want to go to visit the tree, but...he needed his rest.
He was exhausted. All of this plotting was taking a lot out of him. How did Lord Blackburn do this without collapsing every day? Was that why some villains were so weak? It just took a lot out of you?
How were there chunky villains when Cass couldn’t even feel like his body was able to sustain himself? Maybe it was different for him since the world was generally hostile to his own existence, but he wasn’t quite sure.
"I think so. I’m quite tired, and I have another long day tomorrow. At the very least, I’m retiring to my room." Cass told him and Edgar nodded, getting to his feet. He waved his hand, and several things happened at once.
The room was tidied, several of the lights went out, and the door to the office opened.
"Well, let’s get you up to bed and resting. You’ve done a lot today, Cass. You earned some rest. Would you like to sleep in tomorrow?" Edgar asked and Cass wasn’t sure how he felt about Edgar speaking to him like this.
This was a Sam question. He was asking and replacing Sam, and Cass didn’t like that. He missed the guy. Did he also need to ask him about the medication, yes, but he just...he couldn’t believe that Sam was the guy trying to hurt him. He would sooner believe that someone had pretended to be Sam and that Cass was deceived easily versus Sam actively wanting Cass dead.
Could he blame the man if he did? No. Lord Blackburn had been a terrible person to work for before. Cass wasn’t going to hold any falsities about that. He’d been a violent man. Sam had been terrified that Cass was going to kill/hit/harm Byron before.
That kind of fear didn’t come from nowhere.
"I miss Sam." Cass muttered, and Edgar froze, as did Sir Forsythe. Sir Forsythe looked a little uncomfortable, while Edgar remained frozen.
"My Lord, you gave him an important mission." He reminded Cass gently, and Cass just nodded. He couldn’t even argue with the man.
"I know, and it was the right thing to do at the time but I just...I’d like to have him here and honestly, with how things are going, it’s likely that I’ll have my monthly issues here. I don’t feel comfortable doing that without someone like Sam around." Cass muttered. "Plus, I left my things that the Doctor got me back at the manor." Cass told Sir Forsythe, and Edgar just listened.
Sir Forsythe scanned his face, before he sighed.
"I can switch places with him. I’m no Byron, but I am scary enough, and given what you are stirring up right now...there is a chance your grandfather is focusing his attention towards where you are, not where you are absent from."
It was a relatively good point, but Cass also hated the idea of sending Sir Forsythe away. Cass knew he was pouting from the way that Sir Forsythe’s lips curled up.
"It will also give me a chance to discipline all of the guards who have been slipping while I was gone. It will prove that we are a united front, my Lord. I’m also sure that Sam misses you as well, and it will give my worries a moment to rest if you have both of them by your side." Sir Forsythe said, his gaze slipping to Edgar. "I know that at the very least, Byron has no intention to do anything with you." Cass let out a bark of laughter at the shade.
He was a villain’s knight, that was for sure.
Edgar grumbled, but didn’t comment beyond that. Cass mulled over the words, chewing them in his mind before he nodded.
"Alright. I’ll send the message tomorrow." Cass muttered and Edgar chuckled.
"Why tomorrow? Send it tonight. That way they’ll already be on the move in the dead of the night. Then we can send Sir Forsythe in the morning. Lucian can do his hunting tomorrow and that will just mean you’ll have Sir Sanders at your side instead of Ser Hune. Or vice versa. I would offer to help you, but I know that having two nobles would only make it harder." Cass appreciated that he wasn’t trying to force his way into his plans for tomorrow.
It was strange that he was being so understanding, but Cass did appreciate it.
"Hmm. It’s not a terrible plan. Alright. I’ll reach out to Sam right now." Cass nodded, before he sat back in his chair and closed his eyes for a moment as he prepared to send a note. He made sure to include that he needed to bring the things that Cass’ Doctor had given him since it was almost the end of the month. It was vague enough that it didn’t make full sense, and Cass knew Sam well enough that he probably already had it prepared.
Then, he sent it off. He wasn’t going to expect a response for a while.
Cass got to his feet, opening his eyes and stretching.
"All good?" Edgar asked gently and Cass nodded.
"Message sent. We’ll see what they say soon." Cass pushed the chair back, yawned, and then headed for the door. He expected both men to follow him, more because he was the owner of this room and he was leaving.
He was right, the men followed him with ease, and just like that, Cass found himself walking up the stairs to his third storey bedroom while chatting with Edgar, and Sir Forsythe adding his two cents every once in a while. It was slightly surreal, and was only made more so when Sir Forsythe positioned himself outside of the bedroom door with Lucian, who winked and waved at Edgar and Cass as they went into Cass’ bedroom.
It took Cass a full two minutes while Edgar chatted to him as he undressed him, what was going on.
"Wait, why are you helping me undress?" Cass asked finally, grabbing his hands and halting him as he was unbuttoning the last of his dress shirt. Edgar was frozen, his eyes big, before he turned his gaze to Cass’.
"Because you need help and I can do that?" Edgar said, kind of implying that Cass was being crazy for even asking the damn question. Cass furrowed his brows, staring at the pretty, dangerous man.
"I am capable of undoing my buttons and getting undressed." Cass said firmly and the look that Edgar gave him was so full of pity that Cass felt his spine stiffen.
"Cass, I can’t get undressed on my own. It’s because of the clothing styles nobles wear. You aren’t supposed to get undressed on your own. You just summoned your only trusted servant to the capital. I’m happy to help." Edgar told him and Cass flinched.
He was right, he just didn’t like how it felt.
"I just fucking wish I could get dressed on my own." Cass grumbled and Edgar didn’t make fun of him.
"Hmm, well, I’m sure there is a way to do it with magic. I can’t do something that delicate, but given the magic that you’ve been able to use since you became a hero, I could see it happening. You’ll just have to practise." Edgar wasn’t belittling him, and instead was offering a solution to his problem. A solution that could be possible because of who Cass was.
Cass felt his stomach knot and his throat got tight. What was this feeling? Why was he feeling this emotional all of a sudden? God, he needed a bath and a book to forget about this.