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

Both of them stayed like that for a while, locked in that strange, warm embrace, Cassius stiff as a board and Julie smiling with contentment.

But then, Julie slowly pulled back, tilting her head up to look at him. Her eyes locked onto his with a seriousness that made his stomach tighten.

"…Cassius."

The way she said his name made him jolt, like a guilty child caught red-handed. He immediately looked down at her nervously.

"W-what's wrong? Did I not hug you properly? Was I too stiff? Or, wait, was it that I didn't pull you in deep enough?"

Julie blinked at him, confused. "…What?"

Cassius panicked even more. "No, no, hold on! Maybe you actually want me to spin you around while I hug you, huh?! Because I can do that! Don't get angry with me, Julie, I can definitely do that!"

Before Julie could even reply, Cassius grabbed her tighter, lifted her slightly, and began spinning her around in circles while still holding her.

Julie burst into laughter, giggling uncontrollably as the world twirled around them. "Ahaha, C-Cassius, wait—! What are you even doing?!"

"Making sure you're satisfied!!" Cassius said with the desperate fervor of a man negotiating for his life. "See? Hugging and spinning! Double the affection!"

Julie clutched onto him, tears in her eyes from laughing so hard. "No, no, this isn't what I meant!" She gasped between giggles. "Even though...it is pretty fun, ahaha, but put me down already!"

"Are you sure?!"

"Yes, yes! Put me down!"

Cassius quickly set her back on her feet, straightening himself like a soldier awaiting judgment. His face was full of genuine concern.

"Alright...then what exactly is it? Tell me. Please. You're scaring me with the way you look at me like that…"

Julie blinked at him with a teasing little smile, as though she'd been keeping him dangling on purpose. Then she spoke with complete seriousness.

"…It's time to cook."

Cassius froze. "…Hah?"

"I already set all the ingredients up," Julie said proudly, tugging on his hand. "Everything's ready. All that's left is for you to teach me how to cook. So let's go!"

Before he could protest, she suddenly pulled him along, her hand gripping his firmly. Cassius stumbled after her, muttering in disbelief.

'She said she was only using me as her 'support,' huh? If that's true, why does it feel like she's clinging to me like a lovesick girlfriend...hugging me, holding my hand, acting all soft and spoiled…?'

Julie dragged him all the way to where she had set everything up. True to her word, the table was covered with neatly prepared ingredients, all within reach.

Cassius started looking through them, muttering to himself as he tried to figure out what meal to start with. But before he could say anything, he felt Julie's eyes boring into him.

He turned, and saw her staring at him with an oddly expectant, almost mischievous expression.

"…What?" Cassius asked, suspicious.

Julie clasped her hands behind her back and leaned forward slightly. "Sit down."

"…What for?" Cassius narrowed his eyes.

"So I can sit on your lap, of course."

Cassius nearly choked on his own breath.

"E-Eh?! Why in the world would you sit on my lap right now?!"

Julie's face lit up with enthusiasm.

"Because! Just like yesterday, when I sat on your lap to learn knitting, I think it's best if I sit on your lap while learning cooking too! That way, you'll be right behind me, guiding me properly, and I'll learn faster. It's the best method!"

Cassius gawked at her.

"Julie...knitting is one thing. That's a stationary hobby, you sit, you hold needles, done. But cooking?" He jabbed his finger at the counter. "Cooking is completely different! You have to move around! Chop, stir, season, it's not viable to sit on someone's lap while cooking!"

Julie pouted deeply, puffing her cheeks.

"That's not true. Look—" She gestured proudly at the setup. "I put everything within arm's reach! We don't even have to move around! It's all right here!"

Before he could argue again, she stepped forward and put both hands on his shoulders, trying to push him down onto a chair.

"Come on, sit! It won't be a big deal at all! We can do it together!"

But Cassius resisted, planting his feet firmly like a mountain.

"No! Julie, I'm telling you, it's really not necessary!" He raised a brow and pointed at the seat. "If you want to sit down, fine. Sit by yourself. You don't need my lap for that."

Julie's pout deepened, but then, in an instant, her expression flipped into a sly little smile.

"Actually, I heard that sitting on someone's lap while learning something has real benefits."

Cassius raised a skeptical brow. "…Oh really?"

"Yes!" Julie nodded rapidly. "They say your brain works faster! And when you hear the teacher's voice from directly behind you, the memory sticks better. So really, it's scientifically proven to help learning!"

Cassius blinked at her, deadpan. "…That sounds like the dumbest excuse I've ever heard just to sit on my lap."

Julie flinched slightly, her cheeks warming. "N-No it's not—!"

But Cassius leaned closer with a knowing grin, crossing his arms.

"Admit it. You just want to sit on my lap again, don't you?" He smirked. "You got a taste of it once and now you can't get enough. What can I say? I tend to have that effect on women."

Julie's face immediately turned red. She looked away sharply, flustered.

"N-Not at all! I just thought it would be...easier for you if I sat there, but—! But if you don't want it, then forget it! I don't want it either!"

She crossed her arms and turned her head away, huffing, her cheeks puffed in indignation.

Cassius chuckled softly under his breath. 'She's angry now...but flustered too. Hah. Cute.'

But Cassius also knew her well enough by now to realize that if he just let this moment slip, she'd keep sulking the whole night, drifting further and further into her own stubbornness. So, he stepped forward and slid his arm smoothly around her shoulder, surprising her.

Julie blinked, her head jerking up as Cassius leaned in and looked down at her face, still pink from embarrassment.

"Come on, Julie," He said softly, teasing warmth in his tone. "Don't be mad at me."

Her lips pressed together stubbornly, though her eyes flickered with curiosity.

"In all honesty..." Cassius continued, his smirk fading into something more sincere. "I would absolutely have loved for you to sit on my lap."

Julie's eyes widened slightly, and she turned her gaze toward him, caught off guard by the sudden directness in his voice.

He didn't stop there. He looked straight into her eyes and spoke as though stating a simple, undeniable fact.

"With a butt like yours, so meaty and big, yet firm at the same time, like it's some kind of phenomenon, there's no way, no chance at all, that any man could deny such an offer."

"Especially not me. I mean...come on. Everyone's heard the rumors, right? That I'm known across the continent for my weakness for big butts."

Julie's cheeks flushed even deeper, but this time not from embarrassment alone. She blinked once, then instinctively straightened her back, sticking her chest out with a proud, almost smug little gesture.

"…I-I see. So you really think so?"

Cassius smirked knowingly at her reaction, shaking his head with amusement.

"Of course I do. You should be proud. But still…"

Julie tilted her head, still glowing faintly from the compliment. "…But still what?"

Cassius let his hand rest comfortably on her shoulder, voice lowering.

"The method I used with knitting isn't the same as cooking. Knitting, or anything involving craftsmanship, things that require intricate use of the hands, precise skill, delicate focus, those suit a teaching style where I'm close by, guiding your movements directly. But cooking…" He glanced over at the table of ingredients. "Cooking is different."

Julie blinked. "Different how?"

"Cooking doesn't rely on precision of handwork the same way," Cassius explained, tone turning teacher-like. "It's not about flawless stitches or delicate weaving. Cooking is about knowing what to add, when to add it, and how much of it to put in. It's a matter of thinking before acting, of following steps properly. And that…" He gave her a pointed look. "That's where you struggle, Julie."

She stiffened slightly. "…W-What do you mean?"

"You're clumsy," Cassius said plainly, not unkind but firm. "You rush. You make mistakes because you don't follow instructions, you jump ahead, or you wander off on your own path, improvising as if you're creating some new dish out of nowhere. That's why you fail. That tendency of yours has to be erased completely if you want to learn cooking properly."

Julie's pout returned, but she bit her lip, knowing he wasn't wrong.

"That's why..." Cassius went on. "I have a completely different method in mind to teach you."

Her ears perked instantly, her eyes lighting up with excitement. She leaned in, unconsciously pushing herself closer to him under his arm.

"Really? You...you have another method?"

Cassius nodded. "I do."

She turned her face toward him carefully, her voice carrying that curious eagerness of a child awaiting a secret. "Then...what exactly is this method?"

Cassius smirked but shook his head. "Not so fast. Before I explain it, I need to confirm a few things first. Otherwise, the method won't work properly."

Julie blinked at him, her curiosity spiking even more. "…Okay, then. Ask."

Cassius looked her straight in the eyes, serious now.

"From what Aisha's told me, in your everyday activities you're clumsy, scatterbrained, and prone to mistakes. But when it comes to combat, you change completely. She said you never make mistakes in battle...Not even one."

Julie's smile softened, and she pressed herself just a little closer to him unconsciously, her head tilting toward his chest as she thought about it. Then, slowly, she looked up at him again.

"…She's right. I think it's because, during battle, I carry responsibility. Responsibility for my soldiers, for my troops. I know if I make a mistake then, it isn't just me who pays for it, the people under my command will pay the price. So my body simply...doesn't allow me to make mistakes."

"It just moves on instinct, always properly, because one wrong step could mean the end for them. I can't risk that."

Cassius raised a brow, impressed despite himself. "…I see. That's what I thought too."

Julie gave a little nod, then added softly, "But in my everyday life, it's different. I don't carry that same responsibility."

"If I mess up while sewing, or cooking, or doing anything else...people just laugh at me. It's not serious. So I don't feel the weight of responsibility, and I stay clumsy. But in battle…" Her voice steadied, eyes clear. "In battle, there's no room for error."

Cassius tilted his head slightly, considering her words.

"…Alright, then what about this? Let's say you're not fighting with your comrades at your side. Let's say it's just you, alone, fighting someone else. No one else to feel responsible for. And yet, even then, you don't make mistakes. You're sharp, competent, flawless. Why?"

Julie didn't even hesitate this time. She answered with certainty, a gentle smile gracing her lips.

"Because even if I'm alone, I still carry responsibility. To myself, to make it back alive. To the people waiting for me at home. To my brigade, who wouldn't be the same without me."

"I know how much they love me, how much I'm appreciated, and how much they depend on me. If I were to disappear, everything would fall apart. So even when I'm alone, I fight as though I can't make a single mistake...Because my absence would hurt too many people."

Her smile lingered, gentle yet strong.

Cassius stared at her for a long moment, then finally let out a satisfied laugh, shaking his head.

"I see. Just as I thought. Perfect. This is exactly what I needed to hear."

Julie blinked in surprise. "…Eh? Perfect? What do you mean?"

Cassius leaned in slightly, his grin returning. "It means cooking is going to be much easier now. Now that I know this about you, teaching you to cook will be no problem at all."

Julie tilted her head, puzzled but visibly thrilled. "…Really?"

"Really." Cassius gave her a confident smirk. "Trust me. You're going to learn cooking sooner then you think."

Julie's heart fluttered at his certainty, her cheeks still warm from earlier, knowing that if it's Cassius saying it, then it must be true...