Depraved Noble: Forced To Live The Debaucherous Life Of An Evil Noble!-Chapter 282: Me Or Her...Choose One Of Us!

Aisha groaned loudly, dragging her hands down her flushed face in utter frustration.

This wasn’t her style, bickering like some common peasant girl over a man in the middle of camp, in front of the firelight, with the scent of roasted meat wafting in the air like a taunt.

This wasn’t her at all

She prided herself on being above such nonsense. And yet here she was, arguing with Skadi, of all people.

Skadi, with her simple-minded impulsiveness and puppy-dog loyalty... Skadi, who Aisha had always seen as a naive child, incapable of grasping the nuance of real emotion.

Her sharp tongue itched to lash out, but deep down, she knew that Skadi’s words earlier had cut her more deeply than she cared to admit. That damned wolf girl had seen through her pride and uncovered something raw.

Because of that Aisha crossed her arms tightly over her chest, trying to cool the heat in her face as her tail flicked with irritation. She exhaled slowly, her eyes narrowing as she fixed Skadi with a glare.

"You know what? Forget this." Her voice was low but sharp, a blade wrapped in velvet. "This...This fighting. It’s utterly beneath me. I’m not wasting another moment clawing at you like some alley cat over scraps."

Skadi blinked, her ears flicking as confusion crossed her flushed face. "H-Huh? What do you mean?"

Aisha’s eyes flared, her posture straightening as she tossed her hair with a haughty flick.

"What I mean, Skadi, is that this entire argument is pointless. Instead of us pulling each other’s hair and whining like jealous little girls, why don’t we just..."

She gestured elegantly toward Cassius, her blush deepening despite her effort to stay composed.

"Why don’t we just ask him? Let Cassius decide who he wants. That way, we settle this like rational adults instead of..." She trailed off, her eyes raking over Skadi with pointed disdain.

Skadi stiffened, her lips parting in mild offense before her shoulders slumped in realization.

"Oh...yeah. That...that actually makes sense." She rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly, her tail lowering as her posture relaxed. "All this fighting isn’t gonna mean a thing if Master’s gonna make the choice anyway. I...I guess we should just let him decide."

"Exactly." Aisha said curtly, though her voice softened ever so slightly at Skadi’s concession.

The crackle of the fire filled the silence as both women turned their gazes toward Cassius in perfect unison.

Cassius stood there with maddening calm. His sharp features were bathed in the warm glow, his eyes unreadable as he gazed back at them.

The two women took a shaky step forward together, the tension between them momentarily forgotten as a new, heavier tension settled into their hearts.

"Cassius..." Aisha’s voice came out softer than she intended, trembling faintly in a way that made her grit her teeth. She hated sounding weak, hated how exposed she felt right now. But there was no turning back. "I...I know I’m not the most affectionate person. I can be mean, sharp with my words all the time."

Her fingers twisted in her lap, her knuckles pale as she tried to summon the courage to go on.

"But I don’t mean all of it. It’s just...I struggle to show my emotions." Her chest rose and fell with a deep, shaky breath. "But I really do like you, Cassius. More than I can say."

Her eyes darted up, meeting his with a raw, unguarded intensity that made her want to look away, and yet, she couldn’t.

"And I...I’m smart." She said suddenly, the words tumbling out before she could stop them. "And you’re smart too."

A small, almost embarrassed laugh slipped through her lips as her brows furrowed, her pride tangling with nervousness.

"We’d be a good couple, don’t you think? With how clever we are...that’s a good point, right?"

Her attempt at humor was clumsy, almost silly, but it broke through the tension in her voice like sunlight. She let out a nervous exhale, her lips twitching upward in the faintest hint of a smile.

"And...I think we’d be happy. Truly happy."

Her gaze darted away, her cheeks burning as her pride screamed at her to stop speaking.

Skadi’s tail flicked nervously behind her as she then stepped forward, her hands clasped tightly in front of her chest.

"M-Master..." She began softly, her voice unusually tender, almost trembling. "Just like Aisha said...I know I’m not as smart as her. I can’t match her words or her clever mind. Maybe...maybe you and she would make the better couple when it comes to that sort of thing."

Her ears lowered slightly, but her gaze didn’t waver as her voice grew steadier, warmer.

"But...I am stronger than her. When it comes to combat, no one can defeat me. And in that way...I think I’m the same as you, Master. You’re strong too, stronger than anyone else I’ve ever known."

She took a deep breath, her tail curling tightly around her leg as her fingers clutched her tunic.

"But even if you’re stronger than me...I’d still fight for you. For my whole life, if I had to. Because of you...b-because I like you so much."

A faint, shy smile tugged at her lips as her eyes softened.

"And I’d be happy if I could just stay by your side. So...would you be willing to let a puppy like me in?"

Their voices faded into the night air, leaving only the soft crackle of the fire and the faint hiss of roasting meat.

Both women stared up at him now, their gazes wide and pleading, their confident exteriors cracking to reveal flickers of insecurity.

They were strong women, warriors, mages, leaders. But in this moment, they felt fragile. Fragile and terrified.

What if he chose the other?

What if this was the end of their chances?

The thought made their stomachs twist with dread, and yet a fire burned in both their hearts.

But at the same time, even if he didn’t choose them, neither would give up. They weren’t the type to bow out gracefully.

If they lost today, they’d fight tomorrow. That was their nature.

And then finally, after what seemed like a eternity, Cassius exhaled slowly, his expression calm as he seemed to weigh their words. His lips parted slightly as though he was about to speak.

Aisha and Skadi both sucked in sharp breaths, their hearts hammering wildly. Their eyes fluttered shut, bracing for the verdict.

And then,

"Pfft—"

A low sound escaped Cassius’s lips.

"Ahaha...Hahahahahahaha!"

A deep, rich laugh erupted from his chest, growing louder until it boomed across the camp like rolling thunder. He tilted his head back, his shoulders shaking as his laughter echoed into the dark forest.

Aisha’s eyes flew open, her face burning with rage and embarrassment. "W-W are you laughing at?!" She shrieked, her fists trembling as she stomped her foot.

"Master?!" Skadi’s voice cracked as she stared at him, her ears flattening against her head in confusion. "Why are you laughing like that?!"

Cassius didn’t answer.

Instead, in one fluid motion, he stepped forward and grabbed them both, his strong hands sliding down to cup Aisha’s small, firm rear in one palm and Skadi’s larger, softer rear in the other.

"Kyaa!" Aisha let out a high-pitched yelp, her legs kicking wildly as Cassius hoisted her into the air like a feather.

"Waaahhh, M-Master?!" Skadi squealed, her arms flailing as she clung to his shoulders for balance.

Cassius effortlessly held them aloft, one in each arm, his palms firmly gripping their plush bottoms as though they weighed nothing. He spun them slightly, a smug grin spreading across his face as he looked between their flushed, bewildered faces.

"You adorable little fools." He murmured, his voice deep and velvety, dripping with amusement. "Do you really think I’m the kind of man who chooses?"

Aisha froze, her eyes wide as her blush deepened.

"W-What do you mean...?" Skadi whispered, her ears twitching nervously.

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l