"We’ll take it from here." A resonant deep voice instantly stopped Cassian from twisting Gregory’s head and ending his life at the spot. Four able-bodied soldiers rushed in through the gate and grabbed hold of Gregory, handcuffing his hands behind his back and taking him away from the Duke’s mansion.
A youthful looking towheaded man stepped in through the gate. He stopped in his steps to look at Gregory who was trying to force himself free from the soldiers, but had stopped after locking eyes with a completely gray one.
"I hope you know you’re the most wanted man right now. Unfortunately, you’re wanted dead." Orson revealed a mocking smile before gesturing to the soldiers to take him away.
The cool fluttering breeze that mingled at the frontage of the mansion, was enough to lessen the tension that built against the Albrecht family.
Cassian wasn’t surprised that his best friend had showed up to rid him of his fun. It was one of the things Orson was fond of doing since their childhood, and he hated it. Wasn’t he away in the countryside? How was he even aware of this commotion in the first place?
"Cas." Orson greeted after coming to stand in front of the man who looked at him as though he was some stranger he ran into for the first time.
"When will you learn to get off my back?"
"I can’t help that I’m your knight in shining armor."
"Good for you little Pinocchio." Asserted Cassian who wasn’t delighted by Orson’s grand interruption.
"Orson my dear, when did you return?" Lady Elaine, who was surprised to see Orson around, stepped out from the family crowd to go welcome him.
"I had to return last night." He responded with a warm charming smile. "Happy to see you too, mother."
Juliana rolled her eyes and stepped into the mansion after the drama had ended. Fredrick strictly urged the servants in as well and soon, everyone had cleared from the frontage. It wasn’t the first time Cassian had chosen to murder someone in front of their home, but nevertheless, it was something they quickly got used to.
"You’re mad at me when I’m the one who’s meant to be boiling with rage? And yet you say we’re friends." Orson naturally complained after everyone had left them in the front yard. He looked half-upset with Cassian who still didn’t understand what Orson was trying to pinpoint.
"What happened?"
"You’re asking me? You went ahead and got married right after the day I traveled to the countryside. You didn’t even alert me about the wedding so I can find time to attend. How can you even be seeing someone right under my fucking nose?"
Being Cassian’s best friend, it was his right to know everything that was happening with the young lad. He knew how much he prompted Cassian to get married but he always refused, saying no lady would be able to grab his attention. He happily spoke about being Cassian’s right hand man during his wedding day and to hear the news of Cassian already married really hurt his feelings.
"You didn’t know about it either?" Elaine’s brows furrowed suspiciously. She looked equally surprised that Orson never knew about it.
Knowing how close they both were since their childhood, if Orson never knew about Cassian’s relationship, then there has to be something about the marriage that her son wasn’t telling her about.
"I’ll give you enough pep talks later, now where is the lucky woman?" Orson questioned while rubbing his palms together, looking around anticipatedly. He might not be happy to have missed his best friend’s wedding, but he wanted to see the noble lady who was brave enough to marry a man like Cas.
"Cassian."
At the right time, Madeline who had stepped into the house with Inna, immediately rushed out to go check on Cassian, remembering he was brutally hit by Gregory while trying to save her.
"Cassian, are you alright?" Standing before him, she gently raised her hand to feel the area where he got punched, hoping it wasn’t too sore, but she stopped mid-way after realizing she hasn’t seeked permission to touch him yet. Apart from that, she was worried she might hurt him if she touched him there.
With this two things keeping her at bay, she slowly lowered her hand to her side, and when Cassian looked into her eyes, he saw the gratitude in them.
"You must be Cassian’s new lovely wife." Orson stated after realizing he was seeing a face like hers for the first time, and Madeline, who finally gave her attention to Orson nodded her head with a faint smile.
"Yes."
"I might not know you well enough, but that doesn’t mean you’re exempted from my anger. You never bothered to ask about me during your wedding, a whole Cassian’s right-hand man." He patted his chest as though he was really hurt by it.
"I am sorry." Madeline sincerely said to him. "We owe everyone for our abrupt decision and we’ll be sure to make it up to you."
Cassian’s brow knitted at her words, knowing he certainly has no plans on making it up to anyone, most especially to his best friend who ruined his fun. Seeing as the two would continue conversing, Cassian decided to act out the pain in order to get Madeline’s attention.
"Argh! It hurts." Letting out a low painful groan, Cassian mumbled a few words of pain that instantly caught Madeline’s attention as expected, and a concerned expression instantly displayed on her face.
"It hurts?"
He nodded, "right here." Grabbing hold of Madeline’s hand, he placed her soft palm against his cheek while feigning pain. "It hurts there, ahh..what if I died?"
"There must be something that can help reduce the pain, come with me." With her thoughts fixated on helping Cassian, Madeline took him back into the mansion with a confused Orson and Elaine following behind.
"I can’t recall Cassian feeling pain from just a single blow, talk more of dying." Muttered Orson who could tell his friend was lying.