CHAPTER 216: WHITE? WITH THIS HAIR COLOUR?

Honestly, after everything that had happened so far, Cass was a little disappointed with the fact that...the reward was the same.

It was the cloak of protection that they had gotten in the book. Cass couldn’t help the sinking feeling of disappointment that filled him. After getting those other weird items, he had kind of hoped that they would have gotten a different, more generally beneficial item that maybe everyone could use, not just Lady Ava, but, some things had to remain the same.

That was fine.

Cass turned away from the chest, knowing that the rest of the items would be money and coins, as well as a few gems that would be given to Vespertine because they would benefit him more, and Cass didn’t need them.

He was the best magic user they had in the party. The best mage. He didn’t need more buffs, especially after being able to show off in this room that he wasn’t incompetent, he could use the powers that Lord Blackburn had left him, he just needed an adjustment.

Cass was busy dusting himself off, not fully paying attention to the others so he hadn’t noticed how everyone had looked at him as soon as Lucian had identified the item. It was only when Lady Ava said his name that he froze.

"I think Cass should have it." Her words were quick, fast. Like she was saying them before anyone else could say something. Cass turned, his brows knitting in confusion as he stared at the rest of the party.

They were all looking at him.

Cass gulped, swallowing as he realised that they all felt this way, not just Lady Ava.

"I’m...fine. I don’t need a cloak." Cass said and Lucian’s expression shifted.

"Cassian, we just found out a secret about you. Who is to say that someone else might not know it already? With you training Lady Ava, and I can help, she’s going to be much stronger. She’s not the weakest physically in the party anymore." Cass felt his jaw drop.

"I don’t need a damn cloak." He insisted and Fiona gave him a look.

"I think you do. Things are only going to get harder from this point. You remember how for each of us, when we had the dungeon that was geared towards us that the final item was meant for us. This is meant for you to have." Cass didn’t know what to say.

That this was a fluke? That it was meant for Lady Ava? Cass was perfectly fine on his own. He had everything that he could need.

"I’m fine. I don’t need it." Cass told them, his hands clenched and everyone stared at him blankly. Cass wanted to snarl. They were looking at him with pity. He got it. He did. He hadn’t exactly inspired a feeling a security in this dungeon. He’d been fumbling his way through it, and that was pretty fair.

It had been his first dungeon, but that didn’t mean that they could treat him like this.

"Look. I don’t want it. Give it to someone else." Cass said, angry, and Fiona narrowed her gaze.

"Why? It’s just a cloak. It also adds protection. Why are you so against this?" Cass stared at her. Was she fucking kidding?

He turned his gaze to the atrocious thing and raised his lip.

It wasn’t even black. If it had been black, he might have been slightly okay with it. It might make him look more like a villain than he wanted, but hey, sometimes beggars can’t be choosers. That was not the case with the colour it was right now.

It was white. White with a speckled fur trim. Who in their damn right minds thought it matched Cass of all people? That it was made for him? Everyone in the original had jumped on it saying that it matched Lady Ava to a T. She was a saintess. Her having a long, white cloak of protection made perfect sense, but Cass?

Lord Blackburn?

Over Cass’ dead body.

Lord Blackburn already had an atrocious sense of fashion. This? This was a hate crime.

White hair with a white cloak and red eyes? What the fuck was he? A damn bunny?

Cass scoffed angrily, crossing his arms as he stood on his hip, his weight shifted completely to one side.

"Are you trying to make me into a laughing stock?" Cass asked, bitterness and anger dripping from his voice. "I know that my fashion sense up until now has been a crime, but this? This is worse." Cass told them. There was a long beat of silence before Fiona started laughing, along with Vespertine. Lady Ava’s face turned red, while Lucian turned away, his shoulders shaking.

"Wait. You’re complaining because of the...colour?" Lord Ridgewood asked and Cass glared at him.

"Who the hell wouldn’t? You never see me in white, Lord Ridgewood. There is a reason for it." Vespertine bent in half, the laughter coming out of him almost sounding painful. Cass felt his face scrunch up in anger. This was not funny. This was a very serious issue to him.

"That’s...fuck. That’s adorable." Vespertine ground out and Cass felt his eyes widen as his cheeks flushed.

"What?" Cass gasped. Vespertine continued laughing as Fiona nodded. "Y-You! There is nothing adorable about this! This is humiliating!" Cass exclaimed and Fiona attempted to control herself. In the end, it was Lucian who spoke.

"Cassian, sweetness, we can dye the cloak." Lucian told him and Cass felt embarrassment flood his system. He opened his mouth, closed it, and spun. He couldn’t even look at them as they continued laughing at him. This wasn’t with him. He wasn’t laughing.

"It probably takes a lot of effort." Cass muttered quietly. Lady Ava cleared her throat.

"Um." She started and Cass snapped his head towards her. She was a few paces away from the others, closer to him. "It shouldn’t take too much effort. The temple has lots of magical dyes, and so does the magic tower. If we ask around, it should only take about two weeks." Lady Ava told him with a smile and Cass wondered just how foolish she could be.

No one would want to help if they found out it was for him.

Even if Cass was putting in a lot of work to change other’s opinions of him, that didn’t mean that it was going to translate into anything until he’d swept his grandfather’s feet out from under him. He wasn’t there yet.

Hell, he still hadn’t even saved her family yet from his grandfather.

Cass narrowed his gaze.

"I’ll consider it if the colour is changed." Cass said and Lady Ava’s eyes brightened.

"Okay! What colour were you thinking?" She asked, excited and Lord Ridgewood snorted.

"Black, clearly." He said and both Lady Ava and Cass turned to glare at him.

"Hell no. That’s not what I want." Cass told him and Lord Ridgewood, along with the others, seemed surprised. Vespertine was still trying to gather himself, so Cass had no idea what that man was thinking by his expression.

"What do you want?" Lady Ava asked, excited, and Cass sniffed.

"Grey. A light grey. Like a dove grey." Cass said and Lady Ava made a soft noise that sounded like she was excited. Her clapping her hands together and smiling at Cass really nailed the point home.

"Oo! That sounds so pretty! I like the colour of doves!" She said. She glanced at Cass, scanning him, before the smile reached her eyes. "It would suit you." She said and Cass felt a little embarrassed that she, of all people, was supporting him.

"Thank you. I thought so too." Cass muttered. He couldn’t go full white, since it would clash with his hair, and he didn’t want to be in dreary black anymore. Sure, it went with everything, but it also drew attention to the things that were obvious about himself. Like his red eyes and white hair.

It was the easiest way to villain code someone. So, he was going to go with softer colours. Beige, brown, grey. Some cream and maybe some other colours eventually, but he needed to ease into it.

He was actually quite excited. His clothes should be done when they got out of this hellhole. It had taken forever, but they were supposed to be done soon. Cass had left some instructions for Sam to send some his way, but now he wasn’t sure if that was the right call. He could...probably pick up something in the capital? Maybe.

He wasn’t so sure anymore.

"Alright. So Cass will take the cloak once the colour is changed. Perfect. We can ask the temple about it since we plan to go there as soon as we arrive in the capital." Fiona said with a nod. Cass shifted uncomfortably, before he sighed and just said it.

"You shouldn’t tell them it’s for me. Say it’s for you or Lady Ava." Cass said begrudgingly and Fiona gave him a strange look. So did Vespertine. But Lord Ridgewood and Lucian, surprisingly, seemed to understand what Cass was getting at. Even Lady Ava seemed slightly uncomfortable even though she was the one who recommended the temple.

"Why would I do that?" Fiona asked and Cass gave her a look.

"Are you being serious right now? There is a pretty obvious reason, add on top of the fact that my family doesn’t get along with the temple at all." Cass said and Vespertine frowned.

"Hey, your family isn’t you. My Dad likes you a lot. Remember? He wants to see you when you come to the capital." Cass shivered. Yeah. He wondered about that. Did the High Priest know? It would make sense since Lady Ava was able to tell. That didn’t feel like liking someone. It felt like keeping an eye on someone.

Cass just shook his head, sighing. Neither of them appeared as if they were getting it, and that was fine. Let them be told no to their faces. He didn’t care.

"Whatever. Let’s just get out of here." Cass mumbled, tired. Man, he was exhausted. He was excited to see Sir Forsythe after all of this. A safe, familiar face.