Depraved Noble: Forced To Live The Debaucherous Life Of An Evil Noble!-Chapter 69: Take Responsibility

Cassius, exhaling a long, tired sigh, finally ran a hand through his own hair, forcing himself to set aside his irritation.

"Fine, fine. Forget it." He muttered. Then, fixing Lucious with a more serious gaze, he asked, "Did you at least do everything I told you to?"

Lucious, straightening his posture as though trying to look more professional after getting manhandled, quickly brushed off his coat, clearing his throat. "Of course, Young Master. I handled it all." He declared confidently.

"Be specific." Cassius raised a brow.

Lucious grinned slightly, pleased with his efficiency, and began listing things off on his fingers. "First, I fired every single male worker in the mansion who had anything to do with what happened before. Every single one of those bastards is gone. Good riddance." His eyes darkened slightly at the mention of them.

Cassius gave a small nod of approval, but his face remained impassive. "And?"

Lucious shifted, continuing, "Second, I tracked down the three main sources those rats were supplying information to."

That piqued Cassius’s interest. He leaned back slightly, crossing his arms over his chest. "Oh? And who were they?"

Lucious held up one finger. "First source—the main household itself."

Cassius let out an unamused chuckle at that, shaking his head slightly. "Not much of a surprise there." He said dryly. "My shitty father is always looking for an excuse to tighten his hold over me. Of course he’d have his people sniffing around, looking for a reason to step in."

"...The old man’s probably just waiting for the right opportunity to try and take me down."

Lucious smirked. "That was my thought, too."

Cassius waved a hand lazily. "Well, he can wait all he wants. That bastard can’t touch me yet...Who’s next?"

Lucious hesitated slightly before lifting a second finger. "The Vindictus household."

At that, Cassius’s expression shifted. His easy smirk faded into something more contemplative, his fingers tapping slowly against his arm. "My mother’s family?" He mused aloud, his tone neither surprised nor entirely indifferent. "Now that’s a little more interesting."

Lucious nodded, eyeing him carefully. "It caught me off guard too, Master. It’s hard to say what they’re playing at just yet, but they’ve been gathering information on you for quite a while now. It seems they’re…interested in you."

Cassius hummed, falling silent for a few moments, clearly deep in thought. His mother’s family—the Vindictus household—had been nothing more than a ghost in his life ever since she died. They had never openly acknowledged him, never reached out. It was as though he had ceased to exist in their eyes.

And now, suddenly, they were taking an interest in him?

This chapt𝙚r is updated by freeωebnovēl.c૦m.

"Curious." Cassius murmured. "I wonder if they’re planning something." His lips twitched slightly, as though entertained by the idea. "Or maybe they’re just realizing how much of a mistake it was to ignore me all these years."

Lucious grinned at that. "That’d be their loss, Master."

Cassius let out a low chuckle, but his mind was still turning. He made a mental note to investigate further later. But for now…

"What’s the last one?" He asked, his brow raising expectantly.

Lucious raised his third finger, looking slightly more amused. "The royal castle."

Cassius’s brows lifted at that, genuine intrigue flashing across his features. "The royal castle?" He repeated, his voice laced with curiosity. He clicked his tongue. "Now that’s even more interesting."

Lucious nodded. "They’ve been keeping tabs on you as well. It’s not entirely clear why yet, but it’s evident that someone within the castle walls has taken a sudden interest in your activities."

Cassius tapped a finger against his chin, a smirk creeping onto his lips. "Now, why would they be looking at me, of all people?" He wondered.

His thoughts flickered through a few possibilities—was it simple surveillance? A strategic move? Or did someone in power see him as a threat?

But then, just as quickly as his curiosity was piqued, Cassius waved a dismissive hand.

"Whatever. I’ll deal with that later."

"Huh?" Lucious blinked.

"I’m more interested in dinner." Cassius declared flatly, stretching his arms above his head. "I’m starving."

"Wait…what?" Lucious blinked again, as though processing how quickly his master had gone from contemplating deep political intrigue to something as mundane as food.

"What? I haven’t eaten all day." Cassius shot him an unimpressed look.

"Master, I just told you that the royal castle is monitoring you." Lucious stared at him, utterly dumbfounded.

"And?" Cassius tilted his head, his expression completely unconcerned. "Let them watch. I’ll deal with it when I feel like it."

Lucious ran a hand down his face. "But—"

"No buts." Cassius cut him off with a lazy grin. "Let’s go eat."

Lucious sighed in resignation as he fell in step behind Cassius, following his master back toward the mansion. He had learnt that once Cassius set his mind on something—no matter how trivial—there was little anyone could do to stop him.

And if Cassius had decided that dinner was more important than dealing with royal affairs, then so be it.

As they walked, Lucious adjusted his slightly ruffled coat, still rubbing his sore scalp. He barely had time to get comfortable before Cassius, now sporting an unmistakably smug grin, turned his head slightly and decided to add salt to the wound.

"You know, Lucious..." Cassius drawled, his voice rich with amusement. "If you hadn’t barged in like an overeager pup just now, Isabelle and I would probably be…Well, how should I put it? A little hot and stuffy by now."

Lucious, oblivious to what was coming, tilted his head in innocent curiosity. "Hot and stuffy?"

Cassius let out an exaggerated sigh, running a hand through his hair.

"Yes, Lucious. Hot. Stuffy. Very busy. And very satisfied." He threw him a sharp look, as if daring him to put the pieces together. "But because of your terrible timing, Isabelle ran off in a fluster, and now…" He gestured dramatically toward himself. "Now, I’m left with a fire in my pants."

Lucious blinked, still not quite following. "Fire? In your pants? Master, do I need to call a healer? You don’t—"

Cassius groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"No, you idiot. I mean pent-up frustration. Passion. Desire. The kind of problem a man has after being cruelly interrupted."

Finally, Lucious’s eyes widened in realization, and his face turned slightly red.

"O-Oh…" He stammered. Then, looking properly guilty, he rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah… I see… well, um…my apologies, Master. I, uh, truly didn’t mean to—"

Cassius waved a dismissive hand, smirking. "Oh, it’s too late for apologies now. However…" He turned, shooting Lucious a sly look, his crimson eyes twinkling with mischief. "Since you caused the problem, I think it’s only fair that you fix it."

"Fix…?" Lucious blinked again.

Cassius’s smirk widened. "I wouldn’t mind spending the night with someone as cute as you." He leaned in slightly, his voice lowering to a playful purr. "How about it, Lucious? Since you scared off my lovely maid, why don’t you take responsibility and keep me company tonight?"

He expected Lucious to recoil, to flinch back in horror, to turn red and stammer something incoherent while backing away in terror. It was meant to be a harmless tease—something to spook him a little and make him regret ruining his master’s night.

But to Cassius’s shock, Lucious’s entire demeanor changed.

His eyes brightened, his face turned a shade pinker—not from embarrassment, but from excitement. His lips parted slightly as he stepped closer instead of retreating.

"I…" Lucious hesitated for a moment, fidgeting with his gloves before he looked up at Cassius with genuine, unguarded sincerity. "I’d be happy to do so, Master."

Cassius’s teasing smirk wavered. "Wait, what?"

Lucious, encouraged by his master’s reaction, took another step forward, his eyes shining with an almost childlike eagerness. "I…I’d do anything for you, Young Master." He admitted, his voice dropping to a nervous whisper. Then, as if gathering the courage to say something embarrassing, he shyly averted his gaze before adding, "E-Even if it means…g-giving my innocence to you."

Cassius froze.

The entire world seemed to halt as he stared at Lucious in absolute, unfiltered horror.

Lucious, mistaking his silence for hesitation, looked up expectantly. His wide, earnest grey eyes sparkled under the moonlight, and he tilted his head slightly. "M-Master?"

But there was no one there.

Because Cassius was already gone.

Lucious blinked and turned just in time to see Cassius running at full speed away from him, sprinting toward the mansion as if his very life depended on it.

"MASTER?!" Lucious yelped in confusion.

"DON’T FOLLOW ME!" Cassius bellowed from the distance, his voice filled with panic.

Lucious, suddenly snapping out of his daze, immediately started running after him. "WAIT, MASTER! WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!"

"AWAY FROM YOU!" Cassius shot back, moving at a speed that suggested he was genuinely terrified for his virtue. "I do not want a sausage party tonight!"

Lucious, still utterly confused but determined, picked up his pace. "But Master! I meant what I said! I don’t mind at all! I’d do anything for you—"

"STOP TALKING!" Cassius yelled, nearly tripping over his own feet in his desperate escape.

And just like that, the moonlit night that had once been filled with romantic tension had turned into a ridiculous game of tag between a panicked noble and his overly devoted butler.

The cool night air carried their voices as Lucious, the innocent yet deadly persistent golden retriever of a servant, continued to chase after his master—while Cassius, once so confident and in control, now ran for his life, cursing himself for ever thinking it would be fun to tease Lucious.

...Life, it seemed, had a wicked sense of humor.