Depraved Noble: Forced To Live The Debaucherous Life Of An Evil Noble!-Chapter 44: Battle Butler

Cassius chuckled at Lucious’s question, as he turned to face his butler who looked a bit startled.

"Why do you look so nervous, Lucious?" He asked, his crimson eyes gleaming with mischief. "Surely, you’re not scared of me now, are you?"

Before Lucious could respond, Cassius placed a hand firmly on his shoulder, his grip light at first but growing steadily tighter. His fingers pressed into the fabric of Lucious’s uniform, his touch cold yet deliberate.

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"After all..." Cassius continued, his voice dropping to a quiet, almost menacing murmur. "You’ve just learned how easy it would be for me to twist your neck like a helpless little bunny."

With that, his hand moved to Lucious’s neck, his grip tightening slightly as if to emphasize his point. The weight of his strength was easily noticable, a subtle reminder of the inhuman power he possessed.

And then, Cassius’s crimson eyes locked onto Lucious’s grey ones, fully expecting to see a flicker of fear. It would only be natural, after all—anyone would be unnerved in the presence of someone with such monstrous strength.

But to his surprise, Lucious didn’t flinch.

Instead, the butler’s grey eyes sparkled with an almost childlike admiration. A smile spread across his face, radiant and utterly unshaken. "Why in the world would I be scared, my lord?" He suddenly asked, his voice steady and sincere.

Cassius blinked, his grip on Lucious’s neck faltering for a moment. "What?" He muttered, genuinely taken aback.

Lucious’s smile widened, his gaze filled with unshakable confidence. "I mean why would I be scared when this is actually the biggest relief I’ve felt in years." He said cheerfully and with a giddiness in his step that couldn’t be hidden.

Cassius tilted his head slightly, his eyes narrowing in confusion. "Relief?"

"Of course!" Lucious exclaimed, his tone brimming with enthusiasm. He placed a hand over Cassius’s, gently pulling it away from his neck. "You see, while I may be an excellent butler in most respects, I lack any real fighting ability. It’s always been a source of concern for me, knowing I wouldn’t be able to protect you if something were to happen."

Cassius stared at him, speechless, as Lucious continued, his voice growing more animated.

"But now, knowing that my master is blessed with such strength—strength beyond anything I’ve ever seen—well, I don’t have to worry about your safety anymore."

He beamed at Cassius, his admiration so genuine that it bordered on unsettling.

"In fact." He added, his tone softening slightly. "It’s genuinely a comfort to know that I serve someone so capable...Truly, Young Master, this only makes me respect you even more."

Cassius opened his mouth to respond, only to close it again, utterly dismayed. For the first time in a long while, he found himself at a loss for words.

Lucious, oblivious to his master’s reaction, suddenly lit up with enthusiasm. His eyes sparkled with excitement as he clasped his hands together and leaned toward Cassius.

"Young Master!" He exclaimed, his tone bubbling with eagerness. "How did you get so strong? Please, tell me! I must know so I can train and become strong so that I can protect you!"

Before Cassius could respond, Lucious took a step back and struck what he clearly thought was an impressive pose, flexing his arms as if showing off nonexistent muscles.

"Just imagine..." Lucious said dramatically, his voice rising with excitement. "Me, a mighty warrior butler, ready to crush anyone who dares to harm my master!"

He shifted into another pose, this time attempting a bicep curl with an invisible dumbbell. His expression was one of pure determination, though his scrawny frame made the display more comical than intimidating.

Cassius blinked, the absurdity of the scene snapping him out of his daze. A soft chuckle escaped him, growing into a full laugh as he shook his head in disbelief. "Lucious..." He said, his voice laced with amusement. "You utterly hilarious, you know? You might just be able to get the role of court jester with your talent to make people laugh."

Lucious pouted unabashedly when he saw his master making fun of him. "But my lord! I’ m serious! Tell me your secret! How did you achieve such monstrous strength?"

Cassius smirked, folding his arms as walked along the well paved paths. "If you must know." He said, his tone teasing. "I followed a very strict workout routine for an entire year."

Lucious’s eyes widened in awe, his mouth falling open slightly. "A whole year?" He whispered, as if hearing a forbidden secret.

Cassius nodded solemnly, his smirk widening.

"Yes. Here’s what I did: one hundred push-ups, one hundred sit-ups, one hundred squats, and a ten-kilometer run...Every single day."

Lucious gasped, his hands flying to his mouth in disbelief. "That’s it?" He exclaimed, his tone somewhere between shock and reverence.

"That’s it." Cassius said, nodding like a sage.

Lucious’s face lit up like a child who had just discovered a hidden treasure. He clenched his fists, a look of determination washing over him.

"I’ll do it!" He declared, his voice brimming with resolve. "I’ll follow this routine diligently, every day! I’ll become strong enough to protect you, my lord!"

He then began shadowboxing enthusiastically, throwing punches into the air with exaggerated sound effects. "Hah! Huh! Pow!"

Cassius couldn’t suppress another laugh, shaking his head as he placed a hand on Lucious’s shoulder. "Lucious." He said, his tone half amused and half affectionate. "You’ re going to hurt yourself before you even get started."

Lucious straightened, puffing out his chest proudly.

"Nonsense, my lord! I’m ready to dedicate myself fully to this!"

Cassius chuckled again, draping his arm over Lucious’s shoulder as they began walking back toward the mansion.

"Just don’t overdo it." He said, a smirk tugging at his lips. "I’d rather not have to explain why my butler collapsed from exhaustion while trying out some basic excercise."

Lucious beamed, nodding eagerly as he matched his master’s pace. "I won’t let you down, Young Master!"

As they approached the mansion, Cassius’s expression shifted slightly, a subtle glint of anticipation flashing in his crimson eyes.

There was still the matter of the remaining girls in the other room—an entirely different challenge waiting to be dealt with in a much more ’playful’ and ’exciting’ manner.

Cassius and Lucious stepped into the mansion, the echo of their footsteps reverberating through the grand hallway as they made their way toward the room where the women were waiting.

Lucious glanced at his master, his eyes filled with curiosity like he really wanted to ask something.

"If I may ask, Young Master since I haven’t exactly been informed yet." He began carefully. "Why did you decide to bring about such a drastic purge in the mansion? Was it because of the poisoning incident?"

Cassius smirked faintly, his eyes gleeming with something unreadable.

"Partly." He admitted, his voice low and measured. "The poisoning was the spark, I suppose. But the real reason...was that I wanted to start off with a clean slate."

Lucious tilted his head slightly, his interest piqued.

Cassius continued, his tone carrying a mix of calmness and disdain. "You can’t build a strong foundation when your own house is filled with rats and snakes, can you? Especially when they’re the kind that are waiting to sink their poisonous fangs in you." His lips curled into a sharper smile. "So I decided to air out the house a bit. Let the filth reveal itself before it festers any further."

Lucious nodded thoughtfully, his expression serious. "That makes sense, Young Master. A house divided cannot stand, after all."

They turned down a corridor, the faint murmur of voices ahead signaling that the women were still gathered in the other room. As they walked, Lucious hesitated for a moment before speaking again.

"If I may ask another question, my lord...How did you figure out that Harland was the true suspect behind the mining incident? Was there something specific that tipped you off?"

Cassius glanced at him, a faint chuckle escaping his lips.

"Of course." He said lightly. "The thing was I already knew no one would admit their crimes if I simply asked them to. So I needed an example. Someone whose guilt could be easily proven, or at least someone whose life would serve as a warning to the others."

Lucious frowned slightly, processing his master’s words.

"Harland caught my attention during my investigation when I went through the records of every servant in the household." Cassius continued. "Most were mundane—simple transfers, straightforward hirings. But Harland’s case stood out."

"Why?" Lucious asked, his brow furrowing.

Cassius’s smirk deepened. "He was transferred here under circumstances that didn’t make sense. No recommendation letters, no formal evaluations. It was as if he appeared out of thin air and was granted a position he had no qualifications for."

"...A convenient promotion for someone with a past they wanted to hide."

Lucious’s eyes widened slightly, impressed. "And that alone was enough to suspect him?"

Cassius shook his head. "Not quite. But when I started connecting the dots—his sudden transfer, his background in the mines, his suspicious lack of records during the time of the Holyfield mining scandal—it all came together." He paused, his tone turning cold.

"The rats always leave a trail...You just have to know where to look."

Lucious nodded slightly, keeping his expression neutral, though his thoughts betrayed the calm facade. ’He truly is remarkable.’ Lucious mused silently, his admiration for his master growing with every passing moment.

As they approached the door, Lucious tilted his head slightly, and asked, "My lord are we going to use the same method with the ladies? Or..." He paused, his voice dropping to something almost playful. "...Would you prefer a knife this time? Something to change things up?"

He glanced at Cassius, his expression eerily calm as though ready to gut someone if his master so much as nodded.

Cassius chuckled softly, shaking his head as he waved a hand dismissively.

"No, no, Lucious." He said, his tone light yet carrying an unmistakable edge of menace. "I’m not going to use such barbaric methods when the ladies are involved."

Lucious raised a brow, though he said nothing, waiting for his master to elaborate.

Cassius’s smirk deepened, a faint glint of mischief sparking in his eyess. "No, with them, I’ll take my time to play with them."

"...Especially one of them who is already willing to be our ’example’ this time and has volunteered herself to make rooting out the pests much easier."

Cassius said mysteriously which made Lucious wonder who was crazy enough to go through something’s similar to what Harland had just gone through.

But there was really no denying the darkness behind the cruel smile he had on his face, the sheer intent that made even Lucious—a man accustomed to Cassius’s ways—feel a shiver of anticipation.

The butler gave a faint nod, his composure returning as he stepped aside to let his master lead the way.

Cassius placed a hand on the ornate handle, his movements slow and deliberate as he pushed the door open. The soft murmur of voices inside immediately fell silent, as his presence alone was enough to shut the mouth of everyone in the crowd.

He stepped into the room with an air of calm authority, his gaze going over all the gathered women which mostly consisted of youthful maids. Lucious followed close behind, his sharp eyes scanning the room as he silently assessed the tension radiating from the group.

The women, seated in neat rows on the cushioned benches, looked up at him with a mixture of fear and apprehension. Their nervous glances darted between Cassius and Lucious, as if trying to gauge which one was more dangerous.

Cassius then took a step forward, his smirk softening into something deceptively kind.

"Good evening, ladies." He said, his voice dripping with warmth and then continued saying as a eerie grin slowly formed on his face,

"Shall we begin the second part of today’s purge?"