He found no problem with them, but the Marquis argued that Yernia Cilliard didnât deserve to wear these ugly rings.
Shocked, the assistant almost dropped his jaw to the floor.
How can the Marquis insult such precious and expensive rings?
âAt this rate, you will have to visit all of the Empireâs jewelers, Marquis.â Cassianâs assistant added, âJust choose the right one.â
Cassian nodded in agreement.
âThatâs good. I bet you can find at least one.â
âThatâThatâs not what I meant, My Lord. I made a mistake. Please donât ask me to search for the best jewelers all over the country. Please, Marquis.â The aide begged him.
Because of his tactless suggestion, an ominous feeling that he would have a lot of things to do came over him.
âI donât want to go that far. I am comfortable with choosing the ring myself before that happened.â
The sun had set, and it was night.
Cassian did visit many jewelry shops, but he didnât realize that a lot of time had passed, and he still couldnât choose a ring.
He was exhausted.
âLetâs go to one more place before we go home. Iâ will have to bring a jeweler from another region.â
He thought he was visiting a famous jeweler like what a merchant had told him, but it turned out that the rumor was false.
Cassian arrived at a street that a Marquis like him wouldnât usually stumble upon.
âWhy is it so dirty over here?â
The vomit stench seemed frequent, and the loud shouting had pierced his ears.
It was a spectacular sight to see drunk people struggling to walk straight.
It wasnât that he was a psychopath with no empathy that he could summon inside him, but Cassian couldnât hide his displeasure.
âI wouldnât have walked around this area if it wasnât for the jeweler.â Cassian thought, wrinkling his nose in disgust.
He was a nobleman by birth, and the street he just walked was the exact opposite of where he used to go.
âMarquis. Why donât you visit, Lady Yernia?â
The assistantâs suggestion was good, but it made Cassian sigh.
The idea had depressed him more.
âShe still didnât want to marry me, but Iâm determined to choose her ring.â
âIf I were a woman, Â I would have fallen in love with you when I saw the ring, Your Highness.â
Cassian didnât understand what was going on in his assistantâs mind.
âAre you serious?â
He cast him a suspicious glance.
âYou have everything, My Lord. You may not know of this, but most people are weak regarding material things. Everybody loves money.â
âI donât think Yernia likes money, and I refused to believe that statement.â
The assistantâs smile was business-like when he realized that the Marquis might have assumed wrong.
âI value material things, My Lord, and I think Yernia also likes them. As far as I know, people who donât like money are scarce. You were the only man I know who didnât give it much importance. Oh! And Duke Lecardo, as well.â
+++
Cassian walked toward the jeweler with a grim countenance.
As he walked along the streets filled with shouts and laughter, the lights on the shops he passed by cast a shadow on his face.
âHere, too!â
Cassian froze in place when he heard a familiar voice from the large tavern he had just passed by.
âGive me another drink!â
Cassianâs feet failed to move as the voice caught his undivided attention.
âWhatâs wrong with you, Marquis?â The assistant asked curiously.
Instead of answering, Cassian walked into the tavern.
His face hardened when he saw someone in a hooded cloak gulping down a beer mug as large as her face.
Even though he couldnât quite see her clearly, he still recognized it was Yernia.
His gut told him so.
âDid you come here alone, madam? Iâm alone, too. Why donât you drink with me?â
A bully might think Yernia was playing hard to get, and Cassian observed both undetected from afar.
He wanted to man to step aside and leave his fiance alone.
âListen to my complaints instead.â Yernia pouted cutely and allowed the man to sit with her.
âListen to her complaints?â Â Frustrated, Cassian exhaled a heavy breath. âAre you kidding me?â
âNo, heâs not like any other man. Since we were children, weâve known each other, so I donât think Iâll be able to see both of us getting married.â
Cassian didnât hesitate to approach them.
He could already see several beer mugs on Yerniaâs table.
He didnât want all these men to know that his fiance tended to act cute when she was drunk.
Darn it.
The situation was too dangerous!
However, people rushed out the door like it was low tide, and it blocked his path.
âOh, Iâm sorry. Ohâ-â
His annoyance increased every time he bumped into someone.
Cassian scowled as he walked past the drunk men.
He had no time to deal with these unproductive fellows.
Cassian wiped his expensive suit clean and threw his handkerchief away before it got brutally trampled underneath peopleâs shoes.
When the bully grabbed Yernia by the shoulder, he would soon realize that he was lucky that he once had his eyes open.