Depraved Noble: Forced To Live The Debaucherous Life Of An Evil Noble!-Chapter 280: Bouncy Castles And Hot Air Balloons

Cassius stepped forward, his voice gentle as he approached Skadi, who had tumbled onto the grass after another enthusiastic bounce, her giggles echoing through the campsite.

"Hey, puppy, bouncing into the wall looks fun." He said, kneeling beside her, his hands brushing the dirt from her hair, his tone warm with affection. "But you’re gonna hurt yourself slamming into the ground like that over and over."

He smiled, his eyes twinkling as he ruffled her hair, his hands gentle.

"And you know, instead of bouncing on walls, you could bounce on a bouncy ground, like a bed, but bigger...Ever heard of a bouncy castle?" His voice turned playful, his posture relaxed as he stood, gesturing at the tent. "It’s a house that’s bouncy all over, so you can jump anywhere and not get hurt. Way more fun than crashing into walls."

Skadi’s eyes widened, her voice bursting with excitement as she scrambled to her feet, grabbing Cassius’s hand with both of hers, her grip tight like she wouldn’t let go.

"A bouncy castle? A whole house where I can bounce everywhere?" She squealed, her tone ecstatic as she tugged at his arm, her body practically vibrating with enthusiasm. "Master, that sounds amazing! You gotta make it! Please, please, please, make a bouncy castle!"

Her voice rose, her eyes sparkling as she bounced on her toes, her hands clinging to his.

"This tent’s already so fun, but a house made for bouncing? I’d live in it forever!"

"A bouncy castle?" Aisha snorted, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she crossed her arms, leaning against the inflated tent, her eyes rolling. "Really, Skadi? That’s such a childish idea."

She said, her tone sharp as she glanced at the tent, her fingers tapping thoughtfully against its taut surface.

"This kind of invention could be used for way better things than just...bouncing around like a kid." Her voice softened, her posture shifting with curiosity as she looked at Cassius, her eyes narrowing. "You could do something with actual potential, right? Like...I don’t know, something bigger?"

"You mean like a hot air balloon?" He said, his lips curling in a teasing smile as he glanced at Aisha, one brow arched.

Her ears perked up, and she tilted her head, her eyes glinting curiously. "A hot air...balloon?" She repeated, her tone thoughtful, her gaze sharpening. "What exactly is that?" She leaned forward slightly, as if the name alone had set off fireworks in her imagination.

Cassius smirked, his hands gesturing as he mimed the shape of a giant balloon with exaggerated movements.

"Picture this: a gigantic balloon floating high above, with a sturdy little basket hanging beneath it. You stand in the basket, light a furnace, and the heat fills the balloon with warm air until it lifts you off the ground."

"...Before you know it, you’re drifting up into the clouds, sailing across the sky like a bird."

His voice dropped slightly, filled with the calm certainty of someone describing pure wonder.

"You’d actually be flying, Aisha."

For a moment, she froze, her eyes as wide as the moon. Then her hands shot out and grabbed his free hand with surprising force, clutching it tight as she pressed herself closer to him, her face glowing with giddy astonishment.

"Wait, you’re telling me I could fly? Me? In the actual sky?!" She cried, her tone bouncing between disbelief and pure joy. "You mean I could just...look down and see the whole world like the birds do?!"

Cassius raised an amused brow, his lips twitching as he tried not to laugh at her over, the, top reaction. "Uh, yeah. That’s...pretty much how it works."

But Aisha wasn’t listening anymore, her whole body buzzed with excitement as she squeezed his hand tighter, her voice turning into an adorable, desperate plea.

"Cassius, please! Forget the bouncy castle, forget the bouncy castle, forget everything!...I want to see the sky up close! I need to feel the clouds on my face!"

Her tail flicked wildly behind her as she leaned closer, her wide eyes locked on his like a puppy begging for scraps.

"Please, please make the hot air balloon first! I swear I’ll be the happiest person alive!"

Hearing this, Skadi’s face twisted with frustration, her tail puffed out like an angry wolf’s as she yanked harder on Cassius’s other hand, pulling him toward her.

"Hey! Back off, Aisha! Go climb a tree or something, you oversized housecat!" She barked, her voice brimming with indignation as she shot Aisha a glare that could curdle milk. "The bouncy castle is way better! I could bounce all day, every day! Why even bother with a normal house when you can live in one that throws you into the air? I’d never leave it!"

"Pfft! Typical Skadi logic." Aisha hissed back, her claws digging into Cassius’s arm as she pressed herself closer, her golden eyes sparking. "Shut your mouth, you overgrown puppy! You’re just mad ’cause you’ve already flown! Let me have my turn! I wanna soar through the clouds, not flop around like an idiot on the ground!"

"Oh, yeah? At least my idea’s fun for everyone! We could invite all the kids from the village and make their year!"

Skadi growled, her voice cracking as she imagined the scene, her hands gesturing wildly.

"Picture it: kids screaming with joy, bouncing everywhere, their little faces all lit up! Are you really gonna take that away from them, Aisha? You wouldn’t...would you?"

Aisha’s lip curled as she rubbed her cheek dramatically against Cassius’s arm, her tone oozing mock sweetness.

"Oh, give me a break. Kids can bounce on their own! You just wanna hog the whole castle and call it ’charity,’ don’t you?" She said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Besides, think of the real magic, flying high in a giant balloon, the wind in your fur, seeing the world from the sky!..You think those kids wouldn’t rather ride the clouds than bounce on the dirt? Please."

"Hah! As if you wouldn’t get airsick two minutes in!" Skadi barked, tightening her grip on Cassius’s hand like a wolf refusing to let go of a bone. "At least I wouldn’t puke all over everyone’s heads while they’re enjoying the view!"

"Shut up, mutt! I’ll take you up there myself and drop you if you keep yapping!" Aisha snapped, her tail lashing furiously as she pulled harder.

Cassius, caught dead center between the two, let out a laugh that turned into a groan, his arms being tugged in opposite directions. "You two are gonna rip me in half at this rate. Balloon, bouncy castle, you’re turning this into an all, out war for my skills!"

But the two girls weren’t listening anymore, their glares locked like dueling predators in the wild.

Finally, as if struck by the same thought, both turned in perfect unison toward Julie, who had been standing off to the side this entire time with her arms crossed and her expression caught somewhere between horror and exhaustion.

"Captain! Back me up here!" Aisha demanded, stabbing a finger toward her older sister, her eyes glimmering with desperation. "Hot air balloon, right? Flying beats bouncing any day!"

"No, Captain, bouncy castle! It’s obviously better!"

Skadi barked, her finger stabbing dramatically at Julie as her tail wagged like a battle flag.

"Come on! Don’t tell me you wouldn’t wanna faceplant into a wall and bounce back like a spring, loaded hero! Bouncy castle for the win!"

Julie froze, her cheeks flushing crimson as both pairs of eyes locked on her. She then raised her hands as if they were crossbows pointed at her chest, backing up a step.

"Uh...I’d really rather not get dragged into this." She stammered, her voice uneven as she rubbed the back of her neck nervously. "If I tried bouncing in a castle, I’d probably puncture it in five seconds and send everyone flying into the trees."

Her lips pressed into a sheepish line as her gaze darted toward the sky.

"And if I got in a hot air balloon...well, let’s be real. I’d probably trip into the furnace and send us all plummeting to our doom." She gave a weak laugh, her posture slumping like a deflated balloon. "You know me...Walking disaster."

In her head, she braced for impact, expecting Aisha to argue fiercely, Skadi to cheerfully shout, "We’ll protect you, Captain!" and both of them to grab her hands like loving sisters.

A tiny hopeful voice whispered in her heart. ’They’ll insist. They’ll pull you in. You’re family.’

But the words never came.

Instead, Aisha stared at her quietly, then slowly nodded, her expression surprisingly calm.

"You know, Captain...that actually makes sense."

She said, her tone almost too reasonable as she crossed her arms.

"I’m not risking my life in a balloon only for your bad luck to take us down. No offense, but I’d like my first trip to the clouds not to end in flames."

Skadi’s big grin faltered as she rubbed her arm sheepishly, her voice awkward.

"Yeah, Captain...I’d love to bounce around with you, but if you popped the castle...all the kids in the village would cry. And I’m not sure I can handle that kind of heartbreak."

Her voice softened, her tail drooping as she gave Julie a pitiful look.

"Maybe just...stay out of this one?"

Julie’s eyes went wide, her mouth falling open as her sisters’ words sunk in like stones in a pond. For a moment, she just stared at them, silent and trembling.

"This is...This is...This is betrayal of the highest order!"

She shouted suddenly, her voice cracking as her face flushed crimson. She then jabbed an accusatory finger at them, her eyes blazing.

"I raised you two, trained you, protected you since you were tiny little kids and this is how you repay me? No respect for your eldest sister? Your captain?!"

Aisha and Skadi flinched like scolded puppies as Julie spun on her heel, her long coat whipping dramatically in the breeze.

"You’ll regret this when I’m gone!" She snapped, her voice high with flustered indignation as she stomped toward the inflatable tent. "Go ahead and enjoy your dumb castle and balloon without me! Hmph!"

Ducking inside, she vanished in a puff of canvas with an audible huff.

Silence fell.

Aisha and Skadi exchanged a slow, guilty glance, their tails sagging in unison.

"...That felt kind of...bad." Aisha murmured, her voice unusually soft as she rubbed her arm.

"Yeah." Skadi whispered, her ears drooping as she fiddled with her claws. "I didn’t mean to make Captain mad."

But their mission to sway Cassius took precedence, their voices rising with determination as they turned to him, their postures shifting with purpose.

Aisha pressed herself against his side, her voice soft and pleading as she looked up at him, her small frame brushing against his chest, her eyes wide with an adorable pout.

"Cassius, you’ve gotta make the hot air balloon first." She said, her tone sugary as she tilted her head, her hands clutching his arm. "Please? I need to fly in the sky! It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing!"

Her voice quivered, her posture leaning into him as she batted her lashes, her charm dialed to maximum.

Skadi mirrored her, pressing herself against Cassius’s other side, her voice equally pleading as her soft, ample frame squished against him, her eyes gleaming with puppy, dog sincerity.

"No, Master, the bouncy castle’s way more important!"

She chirped, her tone bright as she grabbed his other arm, her face tilting up at him.

"It’d be so fun, and we could have kids over to bounce with us! Please make it first!"

Her voice bubbled with excitement, her hands squeezing his arm as she leaned closer, her posture radiating adoration...

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