Depraved Noble: Forced To Live The Debaucherous Life Of An Evil Noble!

The grand hallway of the mansion echoed with the murmurs of its gathered staff. Every servant, from the highest-ranking stewards to the lowest washing maids, walked in uneasy groups, their voices hushed as they exchanged nervous glances.

The soft tread of their footsteps seemed louder in the tense silence, the grandeur of the marble floors and towering ceilings doing nothing to ease their discomfort.

"Why do you think the head butler called us all here?" A sweeper whispered to the maid walking beside him.

"I don't know." She replied, clutching her apron anxiously. "Do you think it's about...the attempt on the young master's life?"

The mention of the assassination attempt sent a ripple of unease through the group. Others joined in the sneering, their voices low but urgent.

"Could it be about punishments? Do they think one of us is involved?"

"Don't be ridiculous." A steward hissed, though his tone carried its own uncertainty. "The staff's been loyal for years. There's no way it's one of us...right?"

"But then why this meeting?" Another voice chimed in, quieter this time. "And why call all of us at once? This isn't normal."

Questions overlapped, their concerns filling the air as the hallway stretched on, its opulent design suddenly feeling oppressive.

As they neared the end of the corridor, the whispering began to falter.

All eyes turned forward to see Lucious standing at the grand intersection of the halls, his posture straight and composed, his hands clasped neatly behind his back. His face was a mask of stern authority, a sharp contrast to his usual energetic demeanour.

The servants stopped in their tracks, their uneasy whispers dying entirely under his steady gaze. For a moment, there was only silence, the weight of anticipation pressing heavily on their shoulders.

One of the lower butlers hesitated before stepping forward, clearing his throat nervously.

"Mr. Lucious." He began, his voice shaking slightly, "For what purpose have we been gathered here? Is it...is it about the incident with the young master?"

Lucious's sharp gaze flicked to the man, and he raised a hand to silence any further questions.

"I won't be answering any of your concerns right now." He said, his voice calm but carrying an unmistakable authority that brooked no argument. "All of your questions will be addressed once you're inside. Until then, follow the instructions I give you without delay."

The butler swallowed hard and stepped back, bowing slightly in acquiescence.

Lucious nodded once before turning his attention to the rest of the gathered staff. "The men..." He began, his tone steady and deliberate as he gazed at all the men who were well-groomed and well-clothed to meet the standards of the Holyfield estate. "...will proceed to the banquet hall on the left. He gestured toward the ornate double doors at the end of the hallway. "The women..." He continued as he gazed at the women in the crowd who were all mostly maids. "...will go to the drawing room on the right." He pointed toward a smaller but no less elegant doorway on the opposite side.

The servants exchanged uncertain glances, hesitant to move. A few murmured softly amongst themselves, their unease growing at the odd separation.

"Why split us up?" A maid whispered to her colleague.

"Maybe it's something specific to the men and women separately, someone else muttered.

Lucious's sharp voice cut through their hesitation.

"I said move." He commanded, his tone carrying an edge that made several of the servants flinch. "You'll find out soon enough. Now, go to your assigned rooms...Do not make me repeat myself."

The staff hesitated for only a moment longer before reluctantly following his orders. The men shuffled toward the banquet hall, their unease visible in their stiff movements and averted gazes.

The women cast a few nervous glances at each other before heading to the drawing room, their steps slow and uncertain.

Lucious waited until the last of the men had filed into the banquet hall before following silently, the grand double doors swinging shut behind him. The noise in the room was nearly deafening—excited murmurs and speculative whispers filled the air as the gathered staff exchanged their thoughts on the strange meeting.

"What do you think this is about?" One of the servants asked nervously.

"Probably a lecture about discipline." A gardener muttered, his arms crossed. "The head butler loves those."

"I heard it's about the assassination attempt." Another chimed in. "Maybe they're going to question us."

The chatter continued, growing louder and more chaotic as theories flew back and forth.

But the moment they stepped farther into the room and caught sight of the figure waiting for them, the noise died down all at once, replaced by a heavy, almost oppressive silence.

Cassius was seated in the centre of the room, a single elegant chair beneath him. His posture was relaxed, one leg crossed over the other, his hands folded neatly in his lap. A faint smile played at his lips, calm and composed, yet somehow unnervingly sharp.

Next to him, placed deliberately on a small, polished table, was a jagged rock roughly the size of a coconut. Its sharp edges glinted faintly in the light of the chandelier, a stark and unsettling contrast to the otherwise refined atmosphere of the banquet hall.

And next to the rock is what seemed to be a modern but archaic looking safety helmet that strange patterns on it, a stranger looking version of what the construction workers in Cassius's past world would wear.

The men froze in place, their gazes darting between their young master and the strange objects beside him.

They also noticed that Cassius looked nothing like the man they were used to. Gone was the perpetually drunken, careless wastrel who had stumbled through life in a haze of liquor and indulgence.

In his place sat someone entirely different—someone who, despite his composed act and faint smile, radiated an aura of quiet authority that was impossible to ignore.

"What's with the rock?" One of the cooks whispered, his voice barely audible.

"I don't know." Another replied, glancing nervously at the jagged stone. "But it can't be good."

The tension in the room thickened as the staff exchanged nervous glances, their unease palpable. Yet, among them, one figure stood out, his expression entirely unfazed by the change in their young master's demeanour.

The supervisor of the mansion, a tall, middle-aged man with sharp, angular features and a perpetual air of arrogance, stepped forward. His every movement exuded a confidence that bordered on disdain, his lips curling into a faint sneer as he regarded Cassius.

"Relax, everyone." The supervisor said, his voice carrying easily across the room. "There's no need to make a fuss."

The other staff members turned to him, their nervous expressions faltering slightly at his confident tone.

"But the young master..." One of the servants began hesitantly, glancing back at Cassius.

"...Is still the same useless fool he's always been."

The supervisor finished, his tone dripping with condescension.

"Don't let the new look fool you. He might be trying to play the part of someone important, but at the end of the day, he's still just a drunkard who happens to live here...There's no reason to concern yourselves."

The other men murmured in agreement, their shoulders relaxing slightly as they clung to the supervisor's dismissive words.

Cassius, meanwhile, remained seated, his faint smile never wavering. His crimson eyes flicked toward the supervisor, gleaming with quiet amusement as if he had found the toy he was searching for.

Lucious, standing silently near the back of the room, bit his pink lips in frustration. His gaze shifted between the arrogant supervisor and his composed master, and though he said nothing, his clenched fists betrayed his simmering irritation.

The room's tense silence stretched as Cassius remained seated, his calm gaze sweeping across the gathered men.

For a moment, no one dared to move or speak, each man bracing himself for what might come next. The oppressive atmosphere felt as though it might snap at any second, and even the ever-arrogant supervisor seemed to stiffen slightly under the weight of it.

Then, to everyone's surprise, Cassius rose slowly from his chair, his movements measured and deliberate. The sound of the chair legs scraping against the polished floor echoed loudly in the stillness, sending a ripple of unease through the gathered staff. Several of the men gulped audibly, their nerves clearly fraying.

Cassius, however, to everyone's surprise, smiled brightly, the expression disarming in its sincerity. "Gentlemen..." He began, his voice warm and pleasant. "...First, let me apologise."

The words left the men blinking in confusion, their tension wavering.

"I know you're all incredibly busy with your duties." Cassius continued, spreading his hands in a gesture of humility. "And I'm sure being called here so suddenly was an inconvenience...For that, I truly apologise." He inclined his head slightly, as though bowing in respect. "I hope you can forgive me for taking up your valuable time."

Sigh~

A collective sigh of relief passed through the room.

The men visibly relaxed, their shoulders loosening as the tension melted away. The whispers began anew, but this time, they carried an air of mockery rather than concern.

"It's just him apologising." One of the staff muttered, his tone light with disbelief.

"I knew it." another whispered, shaking his head. "He's still the same pathetic master as always."

Even the supervisor scoffed openly, his sharp features twisting into a sneer. "That's exactly what I thought." He said with a derisive chuckle, glancing over his shoulder at the other men. "Didn't I tell you there was no reason to worry?"

Several of the men nodded in agreement, a few even chuckling softly.

Cassius's smile didn't waver as he continued, his tone still pleasant.

"I also want to assure you." He said, his voice carrying easily across the room. "I have no intention of keeping you here longer than necessary...This will all be over very soon."

Another round of chuckles rippled through the group, the men exchanging amused glances. The nervous atmosphere from before had all but evaporated, replaced by a sense of condescending amusement.

"Subservient as always." A measly cleaner murmured under his breath.

"Spineless." Another agreed quietly.

But just as the mood had fully shifted into one of careless derision, Cassius's next words struck like a thunderclap.

"Of course." He said casually, his smile unwavering, "...That will only happen after I've punished the culprit who tried to poison me, who I've already discovered."

The words sent a shockwave through the room.

The light-hearted chuckles died instantly, replaced by stunned silence. Several of the men stiffened, their expressions twisting into varying degrees of alarm and panic.

Cassius's eyes swept over them, his smile widening just a fraction as he took in their reactions. "And..." He continued, his tone conversational. "...the person responsible is actually standing right here, amongst all of you, so it won't take too long to drag him out and let you all back to your work."