Chapter 87 Only Between People You Love
Now, after the maid revealed her master's secrets, everyone within earshot understood exactly what was going on back at the Holyfield mansion.
Aisha muttered 'Pervert' multiple times under her breath, her face contorting in disgust and a fluster.
Julie coughed, trying to hide her embarrassment.
Skadi on the other hand, entirely innocent to the implications, blinked in confusion before perking up, ears twitching with curiosity.
"Eh?" She turned to the maid. "What do you mean? Does his bed have some kind of magic power that makes people happy?" She nodded to herself, as if completely serious. "If it is that sounds sounds so amazing! I want to visit that place too and be happy as well, since Skadi loves being happy as well!"
Aisha slapped a hand over her own face. Julie violently coughed into her fist.
Meanwhile, Cassius, who had been enduring the excessive coddling from his maids for far too long, finally let out a sigh and stood up, brushing himself off.
"Alright, alright." He muttered, stretching his arms above his head. "I'm more than fine, so stop fussing over me already." He glanced around at the worried faces surrounding him and let out a small chuckle. "Seriously, you're all acting like I was just nailed to a cross."
Portia, standing beside Isabelle, crossed her arms and huffed. "It's not much different from that!" She shot back, glaring at him like a mother scolding a reckless child. "Do you even know what kind of panic you caused back at the mansion?"
Cassius raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh?"
Portia flicked her hair back and exhaled. "After you left with Lucius, Isabelle and I were worried something might happen. Then, we overheard from one of the guards that the Holy Guard had come to arrest you based on those ridiculous rumors floating around."
"When I heard what happened, I was worried, of course, but I was still trying to piece things together. But Isabelle?" She shook her head with a wry smile. "The moment she heard that the Holy Guard had gone to arrest you over those ridiculous rumors, she panicked. Didn't even hesitate. She immediately started calling for every maid in the mansion, running through the halls like a madwoman, yelling for them to gather."
She crossed her arms, glancing at Isabelle with an amused smirk.
"Before I could even process what was happening, she already had half the mansion mobilized like an army, ready to storm the streets. By the time I caught up, there were maids everywhere, some grabbing kitchen knives, others carrying broomsticks like they were about to go to war."
Portia exhaled, shaking her head. "Honestly, I think if I hadn't stepped in to calm her down a bit, she might've tried to break into the Holy Guard's barracks herself to get you back."
Cassius raised an eyebrow, then turned his gaze toward Isabelle, who was now fidgeting slightly, her composure breaking under his amused scrutiny.
"You were really that worried about me, huh?" Cassius mused, a slow, teasing smile tugging at his lips.
Isabelle flushed, shifting slightly in place. "O-Of course I was, Young Master." She admitted, her voice quieter than usual. "I...I don't know what I would if something happened to you."
Cassius's smile widened, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "Such a devoted maid who's willing to go to such extents to save her master deserves a reward, doesn't she?" He murmured as he reached out, pulling Isabelle just a little closer.
And before she could react, he leaned in, his lips brushing against the shell of her ear in a series of soft, deliberate kisses.
"Kiss!♡~ Kiss!♡~ Mwah!♡~ Kiss!♡~ Nibble!♡~"
Isabelle melted into the onslaught of kisses, her entire body tingling as warmth spread from where his lips brushed against her ear. A shiver ran down her spine, and she bit her lip, suppressing the small, pleased sound threatening to escape her throat.
But then—realization struck her like a bolt of lightning.
They were being watched.
By everyone.
Her eyes flew open, and her face turned an even deeper shade of red when she noticed the way the knights were staring at her. Their expressions ranged from wide-eyed disbelief to sheer, stunned awe, as if they had just witnessed a sacred ritual they weren't supposed to see.
She stiffened. "Y-Young Master." She stammered, her voice barely above a whisper. "Everyone is staring. You can't just do things like this so openly…"
Cassius only grinned, completely unbothered. "It doesn't matter if the King and Queen themselves were watching, Isabelle." He declared, his voice carrying over the courtyard. "Nothing will stop me from showing my appreciation to my lovely maids."
The moment he said those words, the watching knights collectively lost their minds.
'Is this guy insane?!', was the unspoken thought they all shared.
As if that wasn't already bad enough, Cassius turned back to the gathered maids, flashing them a playful, wicked smile.
"In fact..." He continued. "Any maid who wants a kiss for their hard work today can come forward. I'll be happy to oblige."
There was a heavy silence.
The knights braced themselves, expecting at least some restraint from the maids. After all, they were women of society, raised to be graceful, elegant, and demure. Surely, none of them would actually step forward for such a shameless request.
Right?
Right?
Wrong.
To everyone's absolute horror, the moment Cassius finished speaking, the maids practically perked up like excited kittens who had just been promised a feast. A ripple of excitement passed through them, and before anyone could fully process what was happening—
A line began forming.
A proper, well-organized, single-file line.
The knights were shook.
"Whoaaa...They actually formed a line like when someone is giving out free food." Skadi gawked, her silver ears twitching rapidly in shock.
Aisha shook her head in disbelief, muttering, "Mind control...It has to be some kind of mind control…"
Julie, meanwhile, simply crossed her arms, watching the bizarre spectacle unfold with an unreadable expression. Though there was an unmistakable twitch in her lips, like she was barely holding back a sigh.
The maids, now practically giddy, stood in line, each wearing a different expression—some shy, some bold, some openly eager.
One by one, they stepped forward.
Cassius, ever the gentleman, greeted each one with an easy, knowing smile. "...And where would you like your kiss?" He mused.
The first maid—young, blonde, and utterly flustered—fidgeted before hesitantly pointing at her forehead.
Cassius chuckled. "A classic choice."
He leaned in, pressing a soft, lingering kiss against her forehead.
The maid let out a small, satisfied hum before retreating, her face an adorable shade of pink.
The next maid stepped up, her hands clasped in front of her. "U-Um…" She shyly tapped her cheek.
Cassius complied without hesitation, brushing his lips gently against her cheek. The way her shoulders visibly shivered did not go unnoticed by the watching knights.
And then came the bold ones.
A red-haired maid stepped forward, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "My lips, Young Master." She purred, tilting her chin up slightly.
A chorus of gasps erupted from the knights.
Cassius merely smirked. "As you wish."
Without missing a beat, he cupped her chin, tilting her face up further before placing a slow, deliberate kiss on her lips. The maid practically melted in response, letting out a quiet, dreamy sigh before stepping away with the most satisfied expression known to mankind.
By this point, the knights were ready to keel over.
They wanted to say something in response to the sight they were witnessing but all they could do was watch in anticipation as maid after maid eagerly took their turn, each receiving a kiss in their requested spot—foreheads, cheeks, hands, lips.
Some even asked for kisses behind their ears or along their wrists, claiming that it was their "weak spot."
The knights stood frozen, their eyes locked onto the surreal scene unfolding before them. It was one thing to hear rumors of Cassius's reputation with women—it was another to witness it firsthand.
They had expected the maids to show devotion, yes, but this level of eagerness? This overwhelming, almost reverent response to his affection?
It was enough to leave them in stunned silence.
A younger knight, barely past her first year in the Holy Guard, fidgeted before leaning toward one of her seniors, whispering hesitantly. "Umm, excuse me for my inexperience...But is...Is a kiss supposed to look so...exciting?"
The older knight blinked at the question, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks.
"I—I don't really know." She admitted, scratching her cheek awkwardly. "I mean, my husband kisses me, but...it's never looked anything like that." Her gaze drifted back to Cassius, who at that moment was brushing his lips tenderly against a maid's wrist, causing the poor woman to tremble slightly, her face burning with delight. The older knight swallowed. "Honestly...when I see him do it, even I can't help but feel a bit...intrigued."
Another knight, a seasoned warrior with a scar running down her cheek, exhaled and nodded. "It's the way he looks at them." She murmured, eyes still locked on the scene. "Like he's savoring every moment. Even a veteran like me feels a little…" She trailed off, shaking her head as if trying to dispel an embarrassing thought.
A hushed murmur rippled through the knights as they exchanged glances, whispering among themselves.
"The rumors about his ability to charm women...they're true, aren't they?"
"He's dangerous…"
"Isn't it just kissing? Then why does it look so...intimate and passionate?"
Meanwhile, Skadi, having been watching this entire exchange with wide, curious eyes, tilted her head.
"Why do they all look so happy after getting licked on the face?" She asked innocently. "I hated when my mom did that when I was a puppy. She used to pin me down and lick my face all over to clean me up! Is that what's happening now?"
Aisha's cheeks burned as she desperately tried to keep her composure. "He's not licking them, Skadi!" She snapped, her voice cracking just slightly. "He's kissing them! That's how humans show their affection for one another!"
Aisha then crossed her arms tightly, glaring at the ground as if it had personally wronged her.
The truth was, as much as she wanted to scold Cassius for his shamelessness, there was something about the way he touched the maids, the way he looked at them, that made even her heart skip a beat.
She hated it. She didn't want to accept it. And yet, the warmth in her chest was undeniable.
Skadi let out a soft "Ohhh" in understanding, her silver tail flicking thoughtfully. She glanced between Cassius, the giggling maids, and Aisha before suddenly perking up. "Then...does that mean I should also join the line and get a kiss too?"
Aisha whipped her head around so fast it was a miracle she didn't give herself whiplash.
"Absolutely not!"
Skadi blinked, ears twitching.
"Why not? You just said kisses are how humans show affection!"
"Yes, but—!" Aisha exhaled sharply, trying to regain control of the situation before this dumb mutt did something even dumber. "K-Kisses should only be between people who love each other! You can't just do it casually!"
"...You hear me? Only between loved one you trust with all your heart or else it would be inappropriate!"
Aisha innocently announced what she believed, which made Julie smile her eyes at how child-like her thoughts were when she acted like a grown up all the time.
At this, Skadi fell silent, staring at Aisha intently, her silver eyes unblinking.
"What?" Aisha frowned, not knowing why she was observing her face with such intensity like she was some sort of doggy treat.
But before she could even process what was happening and ask her what's going on, Skadi suddenly leaned in and to her shock pressed a quick, soft kiss to Aisha's cheek.
"Kiss!♡~"
Aisha froze.
Every single thought in her brain short-circuited.
Her amber eyes widened in sheer disbelief, and then, all at once, her entire face turned crimson.
"W-What the hell are you doing, dumb mutt?!" She shrieked, stumbling back, her hands flying to her cheek as if to erase what had just happened.
Skadi, meanwhile, merely tilted her head, looking completely unbothered. "You said kisses should only be between people who love each other, didn't you?" She said matter-of-factly, tail wagging slightly. "So, that why I gave you a kiss as well since even though we might fight all the time and bark at each other, I still love you, Aisha! Like a sister!"
Aisha's breath hitched when she heard Skadi's sweet and honest declaration, while Skadi's ears twitched when she saw that Aisha wasn't looking as happy as she thought she would like the maids that had just been kissed by Cassius.
"Did you not like that, Aisha? Did Skadi do something wrong?"She asked, her voice softer now, her silver eyes suddenly filled with uncertainty and then continued asking with a pityful whiper, "Do you...not love me back?"
Aisha opened her mouth to yell at her again, to scold her for being so damn embarrassing in front of everyone—but the words never came. Because no matter how much she wanted to deny it, she couldn't.
She did love Skadi.
They had fought together, laughed together, survived through the most difficult ordeals together. They had also always been at each other's throats, always bickering like cats and dogs who wouldn't back down no matter what, but at the end of the day, there was no one Aisha trusted more at her back in battle.
She swallowed thickly, gaze flickering away, her ears twitching with embarrassment.
"...Of course I-I love you too." She finally muttered, barely above a whisper after gathering all the courage in her heart. "Y-You're my family too, idiot."
"Really?!" Skadi's face lit up with joy.
And before Aisha could escape, Skadi lunged, wrapping her arms tightly around her and rubbing her face all over her like an overly affectionate wolf pup.
"I knew it! I knew it! Aisha loves me too! Just like Skadi loves Aisha!"
Aisha groaned, struggling at first, but eventually, she let out a resigned sigh, allowing Skadi to smother her.
Despite her protests, a small, genuine smile tugged at the corners of her lips as a familiar warmth bloomed in her chest...
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