Depraved Noble: Forced To Live The Debaucherous Life Of An Evil Noble!
Chapter 248 - 248: Overwhelming Clumsiness

Skadi's gaze drifted to Aisha, her eyes sparkling from Cassius's promise of a storage ring and a pang of longing hit Skadi, her heart twisting with a sudden wish for a gift of her own.

So, because of that she stepped forward, her voice soft but pitiful as she fixed Cassius with wide, pleading eyes. "Master, it ain't fair." She said, her tone a gentle whine, her hands clasping in front of her. "You keep spoilin' Aisha with all these gifts. Just hours ago, you gave her all those wands, that fancy Vaelthorn one too, and now you're promisin' her a super expensive ring! I don't even know how it works, but I want somethin' too!" Her tail drooped, her gaze earnest, her heart aching with a playful jealousy. "Am I not worth any gifts from you?"

Cassius's smile softened, his voice warm as he stepped closer, his hand resting on her shoulder, fingers brushing her collarbone. "Of course you're worth it, puppy. You're my favorite girl, don't ever think otherwise." His tone was teasing, his touch light but grounding, easing her worry. "What do you want, huh? A thousand balls so we can play fetch all day? Or maybe a massive bone from an S-tier beast for you to chew on?" He grinned, treating her like a dog, his voice playful, his eyes glinting with mischief.

Skadi's tail flicked, her heart leaping at the thought, fetch with Master, a giant bone to gnaw on, but she suppressed the urge, her gaze turning cute and coy as she leaned closer, her voice soft.

"Those sound temptin', Master. I'd love to play fetch with you, chasin' all those balls. But..." She bit her lip, her hands fidgeting, her heart fluttering. "I'd rather have head pats. That's what makes me happiest. Can you gift me head pats?" Her words were earnest, her body swaying toward him, craving his touch like it was the world's greatest treasure.

Cassius laughed, his voice rich as he beckoned her. "Why're you waitin', then? Come get those head pats, puppy." His hands opened, inviting her closer, his smile warm and indulgent.

Skadi squealed, bowing her head eagerly, her silver hair spilling forward as she pressed into his embrace. Cassius's fingers dove into her hair, ruffling it with a firm, affectionate touch, his palms warm against her scalp and she giggled, her tail wagging furiously, her heart soaring as if this was the grandest gift imaginable, her body melting under his attention.

As he ruffled her hair, Cassius glanced at Julie, who stood by the horse, a quiet smile on her face as she watched Aisha and Skadi's joy. Her heart glowed with fondness, seeing her sisters so happy, but a flicker of distance lingered in her stance.

Cassius's voice broke through, teasing but haughty, his tone playful.

"Looks like you're the only one left out, Julie. What's my most powerful knight want, huh? I'm a gracious young master, you know, name your gift, and it's yours." His hand paused in Skadi's hair, his gaze locking onto Julie, daring her to play along.

And surprisingly, Julie didn't brush him off like she usually would. After spending time with him, seeing his generosity with Aisha and Skadi, she felt a new closeness, her guard softening, so she tilted her head, her voice teasing, her hand gesturing vaguely.

"Well, Cassius, I wasn't raised like some fancy noble lady, so I don't know what they'd ask for in a spot like this. But if I had to pick a gift..." She paused, her smile turning sly, her heart stirring with a memory. "There's this sword, the Zenith of Lightning, in the first prince's collection. Legendary relic, channels lightning, boosts your speed to insane levels."

"I saw it years ago at the royal palace, and I've wanted it ever since. It's wasted on the prince, he'll never swing it in battle, just lets it gather dust. I'd make better use of it." She met his gaze, her tone joking, her fingers tapping her sword hilt, expecting him to laugh it off.

But Cassius's brow furrowed, his voice thoughtful as he rubbed his chin, his hand still resting on Skadi's head.

"The Zenith of Lightning, huh? That's at the royal palace...bit of a trip to get there and back." He paused, then grinned, his tone confident. "But the next time I'm at the palace, I'll grab it for you, Julie. Deliver it right to your doorstep. You can swing it however you want."

His eyes held a knowing glint, his words steady, as if he meant it. Julie's smile faltered, her voice catching, her heart skipping as she stared at him.

"Wait, you're...serious?" Her hand tightened on her sword, her chest tightening with disbelief and unease, wondering if he was joking or actually planning to steal a royal relic. His calm gaze shook her confidence, leaving her awkward, her words stumbling. "I was...I mean, I was kidding, Cassius. You don't have to, "

Cassius waved it off, his voice light. "Don't worry, I'll handle it. Consider it a promise." He winked, turning his attention to the horses, his hand giving Skadi's hair one last ruffle before stepping away. Skadi giggled, still beaming, her heart full as she trailed after him, her tail wagging.

But then Cassius paused, his gaze sweeping the clearing, his voice curious. "Hold up, Julie. Why're there only two horses? Shouldn't there be three, one for each of you?" His brow furrowed, his heart puzzled by the math.

Hearing this question, Julie froze, her face flushing, her voice catching as she avoided his gaze. Her heart raced, embarrassment flooding her chest, as if he'd asked the one question she'd hoped to dodge and she stayed silent, her body tense with reluctance.

And instead of Julie answering, Aisha who sensed an opportunity to tease her captain stepped forward, a knowing smirk on her face as she glanced at Julie, her voice teasing.

"Well, it's only natural there's two horses, Cassius, since only two of us are actually riding..." She leaned closer, her heart delighted by the chance to poke at Julie. "...while the captain's the one hitching a ride."

Julie's flush deepened, her voice a mumble as she looked away, her heart sinking with mortification, while Cassius blinked, his voice confused as he tilted his head.

"Wait, why doesn't Julie have her own horse? Is it wounded or something, back at the stables?" His hand gestured vaguely, his heart genuinely curious, trying to piece it together.

Aisha's grin widened, her voice bursting with amusement as she leaned against the horse, her wand pointing at Julie. "Oh, it's not that she doesn't have a horse. It's safe and sound back home, munching hay. It's just that the rider..." She paused for effect, her eyes glinting.

"...Doesn't know how to ride one."

Her words hung in the air, her heart gleeful at dropping the bombshell, watching Julie squirm.

Cassius's jaw dropped, his voice bursting with disbelief as he leaned forward.

"No way! That's impossible! There's no chance the strongest knight of the Holy Guard, the protector of the people, the woman everyone idolizes, can't ride a horse! Come on, that's got to be a joke!" His eyes darted to Julie, his tone urging her to laugh it off, to correct Aisha and say it was all a prank. "Julie, tell me they're messing with me. You're not serious, right?"

But Julie's gaze only dropped to her boots, her hands clutching the saddlebag so tightly her knuckles whitened, her heart sinking with embarrassment. She then turned her head, avoiding his eyes, her silence louder than any confession.

Seeing this, Cassius's smile faltered, his voice dropping to a stunned whisper. "You're...you're actually serious? This is real?" He raked a hand through his hair, his heart reeling, trying to wrap his head around the revelation. "How is that even possible? I saw you on the first day we met, Julie! You rode up on a horse, clear as day, no one holding your hand or anything. What was that about?"

Aisha's smirk widened. "Oh, that? Sure, it looked like she was riding on her own, but looks can be deceiving, Cassius. Truth is, she wasn't riding at all. Skadi was on her horse right beside her, holding the reins, pulling Julie's horse along like some kind of fancy passenger." Her eyes glinted, her heart bubbling with the chance to spill the tea, her words punctuated by a playful jab of her wand toward Skadi.

Cassius turned to Skadi, his voice incredulous, his hand gesturing toward her. "Is that true, puppy? You were playing horse nanny for your captain?" His brow arched, his heart caught between shock and amusement, waiting for confirmation.

Skadi reluctantly nodded, her tail drooping slightly, her voice soft and hesitant as she rubbed her arm. "Y-Yeah, Master, it's true. I was guidin' her horse that day. Didn't want her fallin' off or nothin'" Her gaze flicked to Julie, her heart twinging with guilt for exposing her captain, but the truth was out, and she couldn't hide it now.

Cassius's eyes widened, his voice rising with disbelief as he turned back to Aisha. "Okay, hold up. Why doesn't she know how to ride a horse? Is it really that hard? I mean, come on, people ride horses all the time!" His hands gestured wildly, his heart grappling with the absurdity of it, his mind flashing to Julie's fearsome reputation.

Aisha laughed, her voice bright as she shook her head, her wand tapping her hip. "Not at all, Cassius! Riding a horse is easy. Even little kids can do it, no problem. But..." She glanced at Julie, who was still avoiding everyone's gaze, her heart sinking further into mortification. "You've probably heard the rumors about our captain, right? About how she's...well, a bit clumsy?"

Cassius nodded. "Oh, yeah, I've heard plenty! Even my maids back home talk about it. They say Julie's a beast on the battlefield, fierce as a dragon, but when it comes to regular stuff, she's a walking disaster."

"Like that time she tried to pour tea at some noble's banquet and spilled it all over the duke's lap...Or when she got her cape stuck under a chariot during a parade and had to yank it out while everyone stared!"

He laughed, his heart lighting up with the comedic tales, while Julie's face burned, her voice a flustered mumble as she clutched the saddlebag tighter, her heart screaming for escape.

"You don't have to bring that up, Cassius! Those were...accidents!" Her boots scuffed the dirt, her body curling inward, her embarrassment a heavy weight.

Aisha on the other hand simply ignored her captain and nodded, her voice confirming. "Exactly! That's just how it is. She's a prodigy in battle, the youngest grandmaster in four centuries, topping even the continent's best...But when it comes to normal stuff? Completely useless." Her tone was blunt, her heart reveling in the chance to tease, though a flicker of affection softened her words.

"Don't say it like that, Aisha!" Julie's voice erupted, shrill and desperate, her hands waving. "That's not fair! Calling your own captain useless? That's too much!" Her gaze was pitiful, her heart stinging at her sister's betrayal, her body trembling with frustration and shame.

Aisha shrugged, her voice unapologetic, her wand twirling again. "What else am I supposed to say? I'm just telling the truth, Captain! It's not my fault you're awful at everything outside of fighting. You can't blame me for pointing it out!" Her tone was firm, her heart unyielding, though a playful glint in her eyes showed she wasn't truly cruel.

Julie's shoulders slumped, her voice softer, almost pleading. "Still, you don't have to rub it in like that. It's bad enough without you piling on!" Her heart ached, her gaze darting between Aisha and Skadi, feeling ganged up on by her own team.

Aisha's grin didn't fade, her voice rolling on. "Oh, and her clumsiness? It totally carries over to horse riding. No matter how many times we tried to teach her, it's a disaster every time."

"Either she falls off the second she tries to steer, or the horse goes wherever it wants, and she's just along for the ride. There was this one time, oh, you'll love this, Cassius, Skadi and I thought we'd fix it by tying her to the saddle with rope so she wouldn't fall off. Figured that'd solve half the problem, right?" Her heart bubbled with laughter, her words flowing like a storyteller's, her body leaning forward with glee.

"Yeah, we thought we had it figured out!" Skadi nodded, her voice chiming in, her tail flicking. "Tied her up real good, nice and secure." Her hands gestured, mimicking the knots, her heart twinging with both amusement and sympathy.

"But nope!" Aisha's voice rose, her story gaining steam. "Even tied up, Julie couldn't control the horse. It just took off, galloping wherever it felt like, and she couldn't stop it."

"She ended up riding straight through the next county, didn't stop until the horse was dead tired. And then, to top it off, she walked back on foot, all sweaty and exhausted, because she was too embarrassed to ask for help!" Her laughter spilled out, her heart bursting with the absurdity of it.

"Aisha, stop!" Julie's voice broke through, desperate and flustered, her hands covering her face. "He doesn't need to know every humiliating detail! That's enough!"

Her heart pounded, her body slumping against the horse, her embarrassment a crushing weight, her cheeks burning hotter than the dusk sky.

"N-No, Master totally needs to know!" Skadi piped up, her voice earnest, her tail wagging as she pointed at Julie. "If we don't tell people these embarrassing stories, how are you ever gonna learn to get better? It's for your own good!"

Her heart was sincere, though a playful glint in her eyes showed she enjoyed the teasing, her body bouncing slightly.

"Skadi, not you too!" Julie whined, her voice rising, her hands flailing. "Don't you both forget who took you in, raised you like my own sisters, treated you like family?"

"...This is betrayal, pure and simple! Ganging up on your older sister like this? How could you?" Her tone was pitiful, her heart stinging with betrayal, her gaze darting between them, pleading for mercy.

Aisha and Skadi exchanged glances, their voices overlapping as they looked away, their tones unrepentant.

"We're the ones suffering here, Captain!" Aisha said, her wand jabbing the air, her heart firm. "It's embarrassing having a captain who can't ride a horse! Do you know how much we have to cover for you?"

Skadi nodded, her voice chiming in, her tail drooping. "Yeah, it's a shame, Captain! We're the ones who gotta deal with it, sneakin' you around so nobody finds out!" Her hands gestured, her heart torn between loyalty and amusement, her head shaking like it was a tragedy.

"You two are the worst...Absolute worst" Julie's gaze dropped, her voice a soft groan, her heart aching more than she'd admit. "I can't believe my own sisters are doing this to me."

Her hands gripped the saddlebag, her body sagging, the sting of their teasing cutting deeper than any battlefield wound.