Who Is Leaving? (1)

The next day, the morning weather appeared cool and crisp due to the rain that had fallen overnight. Dew drops were lingering on the flowers and trees, stimulating the air and leaving a satisfying feeling that made the residents of the upper east quarters eager to leave their homes.

Outside the homes of the upper east quarters, those who enjoyed reading the newspaper, were able to get the news of Lord Cassian's wedding to a Baron's daughter that morning.

"This is shocking news! And to think the Duke actually planned on getting his son married to the daughter of a Marquees, how sad." A young lady dabbed her non-existent tears with a handkerchief.

"But a Baron's daughter?" Another lady added as she got into a carriage with a couple of other ladies and a man.

"Did the Duke change his mind overnight?"

"The minds of people can never be understood. This minute they say this, the next minute they do that."

Whispers began to flow around the townspeople until it became a hot topic on everyone's lips. It was the only gossip singing in the mouths of people till it got to the ears of the other quarters.

Auriela, who had gotten hold of his news as well, couldn't get rid of the shock that had taken over her body as she stared at the newspaper.

"The Duke's son??"

~

Inside the Duke's mansion, Cassian unhurriedly made his way to his sister's room with two things in mind. The first was to annoy her before the whole shenanigan drama began, and the second was to break the news of his marriage to her, and see how well she handles it.

Standing in front of her large wooden double door, Cassian raised his hand to knock on it, but suddenly stopped when he heard a deep mellow musical tone coming from the inside of her room.

With a half smile enhancing his good looks, he quietly opened the door to find his sister playing the cello.

She was sitting on a chair close to her custom shaped window, hugging the cello to her body while her concentrated gaze was fixed on the manuscript she was playing from.

She was beautifully dressed in a high-neck royal-blue short-sleeve gown. Her Auburn colored hair was neatly packed in a ponytail, bringing out the features of her delicate face.

Cassian leaned his shoulder weight against the sky-blue colored wall close to the door, silently watching his sister play the cello without interrupting her.

On usual days, mostly during summer time, she was fond of playing the cello for fun. But today, he felt strange emotions as he quietly listened to the tone, watching her slender bow move in harmony with the strings, producing a strange yet sad timbre.

Her gorgeous coffee-brown eyes were fixed on the manuscript as she continued to play.

She looked vulnerable playing such a sad key, and Cassian couldn't resist being drawn to the dark melody, like there was a meaning attached to it.

"That's deep." He suddenly commented when it became difficult to hold in.

Inna stopped playing after hearing the voice of her brother in her room. A satisfying smile adorned her pink colored lips, but it faded the minute it came.

"Beginning to End." She said while putting her cello away. "Based on the title itself, it wasn't supposed to heal my spirit."

Cassian let out a mirthless chuckle at her impersonal response. From his sister's voice, he could tell she wasn't sad at all, which he found strange since her music said a different thing.

No matter how much she denied it, he knew whatever she played had a slight connection with her emotions.

Inna stood up from her chair, adjusted her skirt and turned to look at the young man who was gazing at her, hands in his pocket.

"Have you seen mother? What gift did you get?"

"The least I got was a slap." He responded, subconsciously rubbing his right cheek as he pictured the painful slap in his head.

Inna walked up to him and suddenly touched his forehead with her palm, "I can guess why, you're having a fever. Mother took pity on your weak state."

"I did find it suspicious in the beginning." He sighed. It was impossible to get away with just a slap from his mother, and now he realized his fever had saved him from his near end.

"But wait, how did you know?"

"Physical symptoms." Inna calmly explained. "Your appearance is paler than usual, your eyes have lost a bit of their sparkle and your temperature has risen to an abnormal degree. You need to get yourself checked so your fever doesn't worsen. If it doesn't get treated soon, you'll end up like our uncle William."

"Uncle William is dead."

"I know."

She turned away from him and went back to pick her cello. Cassian was half mortified by his sister's vague response. Was she implying he'll die?

"The fact you keep speaking like that scares me, shockingly, you only bring out your inner child in front of mother."

"Affirmative. According to the time, it's clear no one has had breakfast yet. Speaking about breakfast, what dish did you bring to the table brother?" Inna asked.

She knew her brother too well to know he had done something that had made the family lose their appetite, else, why hasn't the family had breakfast yet, and it's past breakfast time.

"Nothing serious," he shrugged, "I only got married last night."

"Married? What a shame, who's the victim? Did you force her into marrying you?" Inna safely kept her cello where they were meant to be as she continued to throw questions at her brother. Cassian on the other hand, couldn't be more hurt by his sister's retort.

"Force? Do you really not see the charms your older brother possesses?"

"No. All I see is a Devil's replica who got turned into my brother."

"You're really starting to…"

"Cassian, Inna." Elaine stepped into the room to see her two children almost bantering with themselves, but they immediately silenced one another the second she walked in.

Inna didn't hesitate to welcome her mother with a smile and a courtesy.

"Good morning to you, Mother."

"Sadly my dear, there's nothing good about the morning. Everyone's presence is needed downstairs, but you made the job easy for me since your brother's here as well." From Elaine's worried expression, it was obvious another argument had taken place downstairs.

"Your father is extremely furious after finding out you got married. I'm hoping you'll make the right decision by making that girl leave before the fire heightens. Come downstairs and let's resolve the matter once and for all, and bring the girl too."

"Yes mother." Cassian politely responded, easing his mother a bit and she left.

When Elaine was out of sight, Inna turned her face to her brother.

"If you married the daughter of a Marquees, you're safe from your father's wrath. If you get married to someone below that, I'll get you the nicest flowers for your coffin."

And she walked away. She had done herself a big favor by leaving, cause Cassian was already at the point of grabbing her swinging ponytail and yanking it. He pictured her screaming in pain while he enjoyed her misery.

At the spacious living room, Duke Richard was sitting on the main couch that was reserved for him, Juliana sat beside him while her three sons sat on the couch that was by the right.

No one looked happy about the news spreading like wildfire. The atmosphere in the living room became heavy with loads of worry, to the point every single one of them had lost the appetite to eat.

Well, everyone except Inna who was busy grabbing something for herself in the dining room. Lady Elaine stayed with her, anxiously waiting for son to show up before Richard did something out of rage.

"You are fired!" Richard firmly uttered those words to Amadeus who kept his head in a low bow.

"S_sire I_"

"Nobody except you was with Cassian all day," Richard angrily interrupted him, "you knew how critical the meeting was, and you still let him have his way. You knew your job would be on the line, but you chose to let that ignorant boy do as he wishes. On top of that, you let him get married to a Baroness??"

"I tried my best." Was all Amadeus could say.

Abbot, who was watching the scene unfold with interest, decided to add.

"Father, we shouldn't blame the coachman for Cas's behavior. We know he can't go against the orders of Cassian, since he's nothing more than a personal coachman."

"Don't waste your mercy on such unworthy people Abbot." The second son of Juliana, Jeremy, asserted without pity, "he saw this coming, and still decided to follow Cassian in his wrong doing, you're an old man, I thought you'd be a lot wiser."

The last son who wore medicated glasses didn't bother to utter a thing. He quietly kept to himself like someone who was forced to be present for this family meeting.

"The decision has been made, your services are no longer needed." Richard's final words got to Amadeus, but he said nothing and only bowed his head respectfully.

"Thank you for having me in the first place, I'll take the memories I have with me, and make sure to remember all the good your family has shown me." He said with honesty and was about to leave when Cassian's voice stopped him.

"I thought we had a father and son relationship going on, and you're still willing to leave me here?" Cassian asked as he stood at the top of the stairs, looking genuinely offended that Amadeus really wanted to leave him because his father said so.

"If you walk out of that door, I promise to haunt your dreams till you die." Holding Madeline's hand in his, he went down the stairs with her.

"If anyone has the right to leave, then it should be me, and not you."