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

The statement about traitors being in the mansion made everyone's eyes go wide in disbelief.

The crowd erupted into a mix of reactions. Some of the servants froze, their faces paling as nervous energy rippled through them. Others chuckled uneasily, their laughter thin and strained as they exchanged wary glances. A handful remained eerily silent, their stiff postures and averted gazes speaking volumes.

It was as though every man present carried some secret, some transgression they feared might now be exposed.

The tension increased as the murmurs grew louder.

"Traitors?" One person whispered to the servant beside him, his voice trembling. "What does he mean by that?"

"Who knows?" The other replied, his eyes darting nervously around the room. "But it's clear he knows something we don't."

In the midst of the commotion, an older cook stepped forward, his round face splitting into an amiable smile. He rubbed his hands together, the gesture nervous despite the warmth he tried to project.

"My sire..." He said, his tone placating as he bowed slightly. "Surely there's been some sort of misunderstanding."

The murmurs quieted slightly as all eyes turned toward the cook.

"Wherever you've gotten your information from." The cook continued, his smile never faltering. "I can assure you, it's wrong. There are no traitors in this household. Everyone here is loyal to you and your family, my lord...Isn't that right, everyone?"

His words were quickly met with a chorus of agreement from some of the servants.

"That's right!" One shouted.

"We've always been loyal!" Another added, though his voice carried a faint quiver.

The cook gestured toward the crowd with both hands, his smile growing as he turned back to Cassius.

"You see, my lord? There's no one here who would betray you. You have nothing to worry about."

Cassius tilted his head slightly, his smile widening. There was a knowing glint in his eyes as he regarded the cook, his expression almost playful.

"Is that so?" He asked, his tone soft but laced with an undercurrent of danger.

The cook hesitated, his smile faltering ever so slightly.

Cassius stepped forward, his crimson gaze sweeping over the crowd before settling back on the cook. "Let me ask you something." He said, his voice calm but commanding. "Do you really believe there's no one here who's been doing something they shouldn't?"

The crowd fell silent, the earlier murmurs and shouts fading as the weight of the question settled over them. A few servants shifted uncomfortably, their gazes dropping to the floor or darting away from Cassius's penetrating stare.

The cook opened his mouth to respond but hesitated, his confidence wavering under the intensity of Cassius's gaze.

Cassius took another step forward, closing the distance between them. His smile softened, but the cold sharpness in his eyes remained.

"Look at me." He said quietly. "And tell me, with absolute certainty, that everyone here is innocent. Can you do that?"

The cook swallowed hard, his round face glistening with a faint sheen of sweat. He lifted his gaze to meet Cassius's, but the moment their eyes locked, the composure he'd fought so hard to maintain crumbled entirely.

Cassius's stare was icy and unrelenting, piercing through the man's feeble attempts at deflection.

The cook's smile faltered, then vanished completely. His shoulders sagged as he broke eye contact, his head bowing in defeat. Without a word, he turned and shuffled back into the crowd, his movements slow and heavy.

The dismay among the servants was easily noticed. The earlier facade of loyalty and unity had been shattered, replaced by an oppressive silence that spoke louder than any words.

Cassius took a step forward, the sound of his steps cutting through the suffocating silence. His eyes scanned the room, lingering briefly on the faces of each servant, as if he could see straight through them. His faint smile widened ever so slightly, but it carried no warmth—only a quiet menace that made the servants uneasy.

"I don't know if this may come as a surprise to you all. But I know..." He said as he watched them all shuffle around nervously. "...that there are rats running around my mansion. Selling information about me to other parties and doing other things that I shouldn't be doing."

The room shifted as murmurs broke out. Some servants exchanged wary glances, their unease growing. Others stared at the floor, avoiding Cassius's gaze entirely. A few stiffened where they stood, their rigid postures betraying the secrets they tried to conceal.

Cassius tilted his head slightly, his smile sharpening. "Ah!" He said softly, his tone almost amused. "I see this news doesn't surprise you all."

He then lifted his hand slowly, holding it in front of him as if cradling something small. His fingers curled slightly, mimicking the act of grasping an imaginary creature.

"Let me just say that like anyone here." He continued, his tone shifting into something more intense. "I detest the presence of rats in my household." He glanced down at his hand, tilting his head as if examining the invisible rat he held. "And like anyone, I'd very much like to get rid of them as soon as possible."

The room fell deathly silent. The servants shifted uncomfortably, their guilt manifesting in the way that they could feel their body heat increasing rapidly.

"So here's what's going to happen." Cassius straightened, his gaze sweeping over the group.

He then gestured toward Lucious, who stepped forward with a small stack of papers in his hand. The butler placed the stack on the table beside the jagged rock and helmet, his expression as composed as ever.

"Two things." Cassius continued, holding up two fingers. "First, anyone here who is guilty of something—anything—will come forward, sign their name, and write down what they've done. Those who confess will receive the minimum punishment, and they will be forgiven."

A bunch of murmurs swept through the room as the servants glanced at one another, their expressions a mix of uncertainty and fear.

"And the second option?" A brave guard finally asked, his voice shaking as he stepped forward slightly.

Cassius turned his attention to the man, his smile widening into something colder, like he couldn't wait to see the second method take place. He lifted his hand again, curling his fingers tightly around the invisible rat in his grasp.

"The second option." He said, his voice soft but with an unmistakable edge. "Is when the rat refuses to come forward. And when that happens..." He clenched his fist sharply, his knuckles whitening, as he crushed the imaginary rat in his hands. "...I'll have to cut off the rat's head and throw away its twitching body myself."

The room flinched collectively, the eeriness of the gesture sending a wave of fear through the gathered servants.

Cassius's gaze lingered on the guard as he added, "And I'll let you know that when I find the rat, there will be no forgiveness. Only consequences."

The guard swallowed hard, his face pale as he stepped back into the crowd, his courage now fully spent.

Cassius let his gaze sweep over the room once more, his smile never faltering. "So..." He said lightly, gesturing toward the papers. "Who will be the first to take me up on my offer and be lucky enough to escape with losing basically nothing?"

No one moved. The servants stood frozen, their fear written plainly on their faces. Some glanced toward the table, but none dared to approach it.

Lucious stood silently at Cassius's side, his posture impeccable, his expression calm and unreadable. He observed the scene unfolding before him with the sharp eye of a man who missed nothing, though his hands remained clasped behind his back as though he were a mere bystander.

But despite the oppressive atmosphere, none of the men moved toward the table. Instead, they exchanged furtive glances, subtle shifts of their posture betraying their shared, silent resolve. They were intimidated, yes—but not enough to give themselves away.

Cassius's smile softened, a flicker of amusement dancing in his eyes. He leaned back slightly, his relaxed stance completely opposite to the tension thrumming through the room.

"You're brave souls..." He remarked, his tone light and intrigued with their decision to abstain. "...to wager your lives like this."

The servants stiffened collectively, his words sinking like a stone into the silence.

Cassius gestured toward the table with an almost casual air, his smile widening just a fraction. "Here I am, offering you a way out. A path to redemption, if you will. And yet..." He tilted his head, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. "You choose to stand there and do nothing...Interesting."

A few of the servants glanced away, his gaze too much to bear. Others stood their ground, their expressions carefully neutral as though trying to mask their unease.

"But it's understandable, really." Cassius continued, his voice as smooth as silk. "You must feel confident. Confident in yourselves, in your abilities to keep your secrets hidden." He paused, letting his words hang in the air before adding, "After all, if you weren't, you'd have come forward by now."

The faintest murmur went through the room as the servants stared at their master nervously.

Cassius chuckled softly, as if he couldn't help but laugh at the fools who were missing a golden opportunity.

"But you see..." He said, his tone dropping to something quieter. "...confidence is a dangerous thing. It blinds people to the reality of their situation."

He took a step forward, the sharp click of his steps echoing in the silent room. The servants instinctively moved back, their unease growing with every measured step he took.

"And the reality..." Cassius continued, his voice soft yet carrying effortlessly across the room. "...is that you are completely naked before me. Every one of you. No secrets, no lies—nothing is hidden from my sight."

A collective gulp was heard through the gathered servants, the mood in the room reaching a fever pitch.

"But..." Cassius said, his smile sharpening into something cruel. "I understand. It's hard to believe something like that, isn't it? You think, surely, he can't know everything. Surely, my sins are safe." He gestured lightly with one hand, his movements slow and deliberate. "So, just so you lot know your place, let me make it easier for you."

"...Let me show you what happens to those who refuse to confess their sins."

The air in the room turned even more tense, like a massive weight waiting to break loose and crush them, the severity of his words pressing down on everyone present. A shiver ran down the backs of the servants as they exchanged nervous glances, their earlier defiance beginning to waver.

Lucious, still standing silently beside Cassius, allowed his gaze to move through the crowd. Though his expression remained calm, there was a faint glint of something cold and sharp in his eyes, as if he too were ready to act the moment his master commanded it...