"Young master, don't you think that's a bit too direct?"
Isabelle asked to which Cassius raise his brow in surprise, as she wasn't talking in a tone of enquiry and rather looked like she was trying to converse with him.
After seeing that her young master was interested to hear what a maid like her had to say, she continued saying,
"Like, royalty and nobles like yourself are usually taught from a young age to maintain a standard for themselves and keep their images high up in the clouds...So, even if they were to do something wrong which is unfitting of their status, they are taught that they should engage with it in such a way that it seems like they're on the right side."
Cassius nodded his head like what she was saying all made sense. This surprised Isabelle as she wasn't expecting a noble like him to agree so easily to a topic that was usually so sensitive to higher ups.
While glancing at him curiously and thinking that he really wasn't like the rest of the nobles that she and seen, she continued saying,
"That's why I'm asking why you are so direct when it comes to asking such crude matters, so much so that it makes you look like a hoodlum on the streets?" She asked with a intrigued gaze.
"Why don't you follow what the other nobles of your status do and indirectly approach the matter in a hypocritical manner where your status is still intact, rather then what you did now, asking a lady like me to talk about her rear?"
Isabelle finished her questioning and awaited for her young master master's answer. She had seen several nobles speak before, so she thought that once again she was about to hear a roundabout excuse as to why he behaved that way.
But to her surprise he once again replied in a very straightforward manner.
"Because it's too tedious Isabelle." Cassius said after sipping some hot tea to warm his body up.
"Too tedious?" Isabella asked, not expecting his answer to be finished in a few words. "Forgive this servant for asking, but what do you mean by that exactly?"
"Okay, rather saying that it's too tedious, I'll just say that I'm too lazy to talk in such a hypocritical manner." Cassius answered honestly while Bella nodded her head, carefully listening to what her young master had to say. "Sure, I can twist my words in a exaggerated manner and talk about a topic without bringing up the objective until the very end so that I wouldn't want to be seen as a brute and would appear to be more refined."
"...But why should I even bother about that when I'm the son of one of the most powerful people in the continent?"
Cassius sighed like he found the hypocritical talk of nobles to be so boring.
"Like, why should I waste my time and words for something that I so obviously want, when I can just directly ask them about it, knowing that the other party would agree to it because of the power I hold over them."
Isabelle thought about it for a second and nodded her head, as even she was one of those opposite parties who had no choice but to comply to his words.
"And in all honesty, I prefer to talk in a straightforward manner rather then shy around the topic, so it's only natural that I would ask about your ass directly, rather then compose a 5000 word essay to give a reason as to why I want to sneak a peek in a justified manner."
Cassius concluded while watching Isabelle's beautiful face turn red because of his crude comment that resembled something a ruffian would say rather then a dignified noble like him.
"But young master...Do you not care that others will look down on you if you act like a brazen hooligan?" Isabelle asked with a curious gaze in her eyes, suddenly wanting to know more about her young master who seemed so much interesting now.
"Oh no—I for one could not give a single fuck about what those hypocrites think of me."
Cassius smirked while Isabelle also let out a little chuckle when she heard her young master curse others so blatantly. He then looked at Isabelle who was starting to think that her young master was rather funny and said in a knowing manner,
"And even though I may speak in a brash and direct manner, I speak of it in such a way that the other party wouldn't even be offended that they heard such a suggestion and would rather be amused that such a interesting person existed."
"For example, someone like you who isn't offended that I forced you to sit on my lap and is talking to me in a lively manner like I'm your fiancee, instead of the buffoon sitting over there."
Cassius grinned at Edmund who had no choice but to grit his teeth after hearing his degrading words and swallowed the salt he had in his mouth.
Isabelle also didn't do him any favour as she quietly started to giggle while covering her mouth, since her fiancee really did look like a buffoon from a certain angle.
"Oh please, young master~ There's no way a common birth like myself can be a befitting fiancee to someone like you, who has two of the most powerful families in the country running through you." Isabelle joked, feeling much more comfortable with Cassius now that he seemed just as human as others.
"Well, you're right Isabelle...There's no way you could ever be my fiancee."
Cassius's immediate acceptance stumped Isabelle as even though she knew what he was saying was true, it still hurt to see him admit it so blatantly.
But it really wasn't what she had assumed, as Cassius continued saying while he gazed at her saint like face,
"If I were to see a girl as gorgeous as you then I wouldn't even bother with the whole fiancee process and would straight up take you to the church and marry you on the spot."
Isabelle shifted restlessly on Cassius's lap, her cheeks warming as his words echoed in her mind. He had praised her beauty, an act she was far from unfamiliar with.
Countless others had admired her before, their compliments often wrapped in flowery language and ulterior motives, each syllable crafted to woo or manipulate. She had grown adept at brushing such remarks aside, immune to their hollow charm.
But this time felt different.
Cassius's words held no hidden agenda, no trace of artifice. He spoke with a sincerity that pierced through her usual defenses, leaving her uncharacteristically flustered.
For the first time, she didn't feel the need to deflect or dismiss. Instead, she let herself bask in the warmth of his appreciation, the authenticity in his tone making her believe, perhaps for the first time, that someone truly saw her—not just for her beauty, but for all that she was.
It stirred something deep within her, a rare mixture of pride and vulnerability, as if his acknowledgment had peeled away a layer of doubt she hadn't realized she carried.
"You know what, I probably wouldn't even be patient enough to take you to the church and marry you." Cassius said as he wrapped his hand around her soft but firm waist. He then continued saying as he admired her curvy figure that would make every man turn their head if she walked by, "I'd probably take you straight to my bed and make you mine first, as there's no way I would be able to resist after seeing that stunning ass of yours."
"Young master, that's so wrong!~ You can't do that!~" Isabelle smiled in a coquettish manner while being amused by her young master's words.
"I'm someone who holds a absurd amount of power, Isabelle...I get to decide what's right or wrong." Cassius said with a arrogant look in his eyes making him look like a fiend. He then looked at the beautiful girl sitting on his lap and said with his lips curled, "So, even if you don't like it or in love with that maggot over there, you would have no choice but to follow me and make dinner for me like the one before me for the rest of your life."
Isabelle should have been outraged. The mere idea of someone boldly declaring they could steal her away, stripping her of her agency, was something she would normally scoff at. She wasn't the type of woman to bend under the weight of power or threats.
Time and again, she had faced down ambitious men—wealthy businessmen with promises of status and security—only to reject them all. Isabelle had always been resolute in carving her own path, free from anyone else's control.
Yet, for reasons she couldn't quite name, the notion of Cassius whisking her away didn't entirely unsettle her...In fact, it intrigued her.
He wasn't like the others, with their shallow bids for her hand. She didn't care about his power, his wealth, or the privileges he undoubtedly commanded. What drew her in was the man himself—the strange, unpredictable charm that made her laugh despite herself.
Even worse, she even wanted to say that she didn't even love Edmund like Cassius suggested. But she kept that to herself, especially with Edmund already looking pale, his composure unraveling under Cassius's brazen words. Saying anything more might break him completely, and she wasn't cruel enough to let that happen.
Still, curiosity got the better of her, and she found herself leaning slightly toward Cassius, asking the one question that lingered in her mind.
"But what about your family, young master?...Do you think that that they would allow you to take a commoner like me as your bride or even one of your mistresses?" Isabelle asked with a gentle smile on her face as she settled herself in a more comfortable position on his lap.
She wasn't asking because she had suddenly fallen in love with her young master, nor because she harbored some secret desire to become his bride.
No, her question stemmed from sheer curiosity.
She wanted to hear what unexpected, unpolished answer he would give next, something refreshingly different from the rehearsed, predictable words of the nobles she had long grown tired of.
"The same family who refused to even speak a single word to me since birth?" Cassius scoffed as he stroked Isabelle's plump thighs. "I couldn't even give a rats ass about those imbeciles."
"...Just let them try to stop me from taking in someone I like, just so that I don't taint their so called prestige and status. I'll show them what it feels like to walk on a floor covered in the blood of their own brethren."
Cassius spoke in a calm, steady tone, his crimson eyes devoid of any anger, as if his chilling words were nothing more than idle musings. Yet, his presence carried a weight that made Isabelle shudder where she sat, mere inches from him.
She knew he wasn't joking, he meant every word...Cassius was the type of man who would stain his hands with the blood of his own kin without hesitation if it meant protecting what he cared for.
Strangely, this didn't frighten her. While Edmund sat stiffly nearby, his face pale and his expression betraying sheer horror, Isabelle felt something entirely different.
Her eyes went wide, as her heart skipping a beat. It was a reaction she didn't expect, but there was something about his brutal honesty and the sentiment buried within it that stirred her.
No one had ever said they'd defy the world for her, let alone challenge a family like the Holyfields, whose power was absolute. Even if his words were violent, there was a raw, unpolished romance in them that made her feel both flattered and inexplicably drawn to him.
"D-Do I really look so enticing in young master's eyes that you would be willing to go to such lengths for the sake of taking me under your wing?" Isabelle couldn't help but blush and shamelessly insert herself into the scenario, which made her heart race uncontrollably.
"Leaving you as a person aside, Isabelle, just this juicy ass of yours is enough for me to spill blood."
Cassius grinned as he slid his hands under her butt, which felt like he was trying to squeeze his hands under a squishy hot pack and he started groping them like he was trying check out their size with his hands.
"Mmm!♡~ Young master!♡~ Nnn!♡~"
As Cassius's strong hands slipped under her generous rear, Isabelle felt like she was sitting on a pile of hot, melting butter that was being kneaded by his firm grip. His touch was possessive and heavy, making her feel lightheaded and weak in the knees.
"Hnnm!♡~ Hmm!♡~ Ahhh!♡~"
She couldn't help but whimper out when she felt his hands squeezing and kneading her plush cheeks was overwhelming. It felt like her ass was being compressed into a smaller shape, only to be released and allowed to spring back to its original size. The pressure was intense, making her feel like she was sitting on a pair of vice grips.
"See, Isabelle...How can one possibly resist when you have such a fatty bottom which fills my hand in your flesh from a little squeeze?" Cassius said as he slipped his hand out from her botton, like the shameless act that he had committed was simply to prove his point.
Isabelle whimpered softly as Cassius spoke, his words making her feel even more self-conscious about her ample rear. His hands felt so warm and large engulfing her soft cheeks, like they were made to fit perfectly in his palms.
What was worse was that she wasn't even disgusted when Cassius's hand had suddenly found its way to her behind.
Instead, a rush of unexpected pleasure coursed through her, leaving her questioning herself. Was she really so easily swayed by a mere touch, or was it because it was his touch—Cassius, the man who had just vowed to fight wars and spill blood simply for her?
She reasoned with herself, telling her mind that this was only natural. After all, if he was willing to go to such lengths for the simple privilege of laying a hand on her, wasn't it only fair to reward his audacity? Letting him enjoy the moment felt almost...justifiable, or so she told herself to keep from feeling like a pervert.
Yet, deep down, her thoughts were far from settled. She was unaware of the tangled emotions brewing within her—part insecurity, part curiosity, and something far more dangerous.
Her insecurities about her figure surfaced, too, the ones she'd buried for years. In a world where nobles idolized slim, delicate frames, her fuller curves had always been a quiet source of self-doubt.
But now, with Cassius's firm grip and his brazen admiration, she felt a strange sense of validation.
Like a child craving more praise, she found herself teetering on the edge of asking him questions she knew would only lead to more trouble…