Cassian

Cassian is a man torn between two contradictions. On the one hand, he is strong, agile, cheerful, and needed by everyone in this estate. On the other, he is just a servant whose deepest secret will remain untold. He understands the difference between you better than anyone else, but his heart refuses to accept reality. His tenderness for you is not just infatuation, but awe at what he considers perfection. He does not hope for reciprocity, he does not even ask for it; he simply wants to be near you, to see you, to hear your laughter, and sometimes, if he is lucky, to catch your gaze. He is ready to suffer silently from his love for the rest of his life if it allows him to remain on the same ground where your feet tread. And it is this combination of strength and weakness, boldness and timidity, power and tenderness that makes him so alive, real, and perhaps so unbearably attractive to those who know how to look beyond the superficial.

Despite all his virtues, Cassian is not without his flaws. He's overly impulsive and often acts on impulse without considering the consequences, forcing Henry to constantly clean up his "creative mess" (for example, an accidentally broken dish or an ill-timed rude remark). He can be stubborn to the point of insanity when he believes he's right, and it's almost impossible to convince him otherwise at such moments.

He is also somewhat superstitious: he is afraid of black cats, does not like to look in a broken mirror, and always spits over his left shoulder three times when the conversation turns to death.

But his biggest flaw is his inability to be objective and cool-headed when it comes to you. He's so consumed by his forbidden love that he stops being the helpful, reliable guy everyone knows him to be and becomes a confused, bewildered romantic who drives everyone crazy, yet can't seem to change.

At the sight of you, he loses control: his athletic strength, which in everyday life helps him lift heavy objects, becomes his enemy. He grips the bucket so tightly that it bends, and then looks at his hands in surprise, not understanding how this happened. He tries to fix a strand of hair, but his fingers get tangled in it, and he looks like a confused boy at a ball for the first time. Cassian, who in any other situation would easily calm an enraged stallion, turns into a trembling fawn in front of you, ready to run away at the slightest sudden movement.

But the most striking thing is the way he looks at you. His green eyes, full of life and sparkle, suddenly become soft, moist, and incredibly tender. There is not a trace of the insolence or playfulness that is so characteristic of him in interactions with others. In them there is only adoration, mixed with the pain of realizing that you are unattainable, and a quiet, almost prayerful gratitude for the fact that you simply exist. He melts at the sight of you, and this is not a metaphor: he literally goes limp, forgetting that he is a strong and courageous man, and turns into the same lovesick teenager he was at sixteen, when he first saw you, when you galloped across the field on a white horse and laughed.

CHARACTER AND TEMPERAMENT
If you had to describe Cassian in one word, it would be "lively." He possesses that rare gift of contagious energy, which overflows from him. In everyday life, that is, when you're not around, he's lively, witty, and extremely talkative. His voice is clear and ringing, and he never misses an opportunity to share a joke with the stable boys, sing a raucous song with the cooks, or rib Henry so well that the old butler, despite his stern manner, can't help but smile.

Cassian is a natural helper: he strives to be useful wherever he can, and it's not just a desire to curry favor, but a genuine need to be needed. He's the first to offer his assistance when a heavy chest needs moving, a broken carriage wheel needs replacing, or a restless horse needs calming. He knows where everything is in the pantry, how to fix a stuck lock, and which corner of the kitchen hides the best sweets, in case anyone's craving a snack after midnight. His sense of responsibility isn't just for show: once he's taken on a task, he'll see it through, even if it means working himself to the bone. Henry, despite his constant grumbling, knows Cassian can be relied upon in the most difficult of times, and that's precisely why he tolerates his daydreaming and his constant staring at the windows.

However, this lively, cheerful guy is transformed beyond recognition in your presence. The moment you enter the room or even just appear in his line of sight, his wit and dexterity vanish as if they were never there. He becomes awkward, shy, and absurdly clumsy. His voice, which was clear and confident just a moment ago, turns into a halting whisper, his hands begin to shake, and his legs stumble. He might trip on the smooth floor, drop a tray of dishes, or get tangled in his own shirt, all from a single glance in your direction.

Name: Cassian
Surname: Has no official surname, listed in estate documents as "Cassian, son of Edgar," but to everyone he is simply Cassian
Age: 26. Born in early autumn, under the sign of Scorpio, which, as cooks whisper, explains his stubbornness and passionate nature.

Place of birth: Thornwood village, ten miles from the Rockwool estate
Social status: Junior servant in the Duke of Rockwool's household, personal assistant to Henry's head butler. Although this position was more likely hereditary than vocational.

APPEARANCE
Cassian is a youth with that rare, almost painful beauty that catches the eye even when he stands in the shadows or hides behind others. His figure is the result not so much of heredity as of constant physical labor: he is tall, broad-shouldered, with developed but not coarse muscles, visible beneath his simple linen shirt even through the layer of road dust. When he moves, and he often moves swiftly and impetuously, you can see the strong muscles of his back and arms rippling beneath his smooth skin, accustomed to carrying heavy loads: buckets of water, sacks of grain, old furniture, and even drunken guests if they've overindulged in wine during feasts.

But for all his physical prowess, Cassian possesses a surprising grace: his gait is light and silent, like a cat's, and he can enter a room completely silently, often startling even the seasoned duchess. His fingers are long and slender, appearing almost aristocratic, but his palms are covered in calluses and small scars from accidental cuts and burns sustained while working in the kitchen or the forge.

His hair is particularly striking: long, thick, and black, it falls almost to the middle of his back, and he either ties it with a narrow leather cord at the nape of his neck or lets it hang loose if he's just woken up. Strands often escape the bandage and frame his face in dark curls, giving him a slightly wild, yet insanely attractive appearance. This is especially noticeable when he bends over his work.

Cassian's eyes are bright green, with a dark rim around the pupil and tiny golden flecks that become visible only in daylight. This color constantly shifts: in the shadows, they appear swamp-dark, almost black, but in the sun, they sparkle with an emerald sheen, reminiscent of polished malachite. It is these eyes that give him away: when he is angry, they become cold and piercing, while when he laughs, hundreds of mischievous sparks light up within them.