“Besides, Young Master…” Lucious continued the conversation, his tone steady but carrying a sharp edge. “…those people—the two you dealt with back there—they’re sinners anyway. They deserved death long before you stepped into their lives.”

“…The fact that they’re still breathing is already more mercy than they deserve.”

Cassius glanced at him, his crimson eyes narrowing slightly in thought. He didn’t reply immediately, letting Lucious’s words settle in the air between them.

“Especially that man, Edmund.” Lucious continued, his voice dipping lower, almost conspiratorial. “It’s dangerous to let a snake like him roam free. You’ve humiliated him, and he’s burning with revenge. People like that are unpredictable. They’ll lash out when you least expect it.” He turned his gaze to Cassius, his usually soft features hardening with an unsettling resolve. “If you say the word, my lord, I can finish him off. Quietly. Cleanly…No one would ever know.”

Cassius stopped walking, his lips curling into a faint smirk as he looked at his butler. There was no doubt in Lucious’s tone, no hesitation in his eyes—it was clear he meant every word.

“There’s no need for that.” Cassius said as he gazed into his mansion in the distance, his voice carrying an air of casual authority. “Edmund’s time will come soon enough. For now, I still want to…play with him a little longer.”

Lucious blinked, his head tilting slightly in confusion. “Play with him, Young Master?” He asked, his tone cautious but curious.

Cassius chuckled softly, resuming his walk as he glanced ahead. “Let him stew in his anger. Let him scheme; let him try to make his move. I want to see what he’ll do when he thinks he has a chance.” He said, his eyes glinting with a mischievous light. “It’s more entertaining that way.”

Lucious hesitated for a moment, clearly struggling to understand the logic behind his master’s decision. But, as always, his faith in Cassius’s judgement overrode his doubts.

He nodded slowly, falling into step beside him again. “If that’s your wish, Young Master.” He said, his voice soft but resolute. “I trust in your plan, as I’m sure you have your reasons.”

Lucious then thought of something and hesitated for a moment, his eyes darting to the ground. Finally he decided to be open with his master about his thoughts, so he hesitantly said, “Actually, Young Master…There’s something else I’ve been thinking about.”

“Oh? And what’s that?” Cassius asked, glancing at him with mild curiosity.

Lucious straightened slightly, his usual cheerfulness dimming as a more serious expression crossed his face. “It’s about the maid, Isabelle.” He said carefully, as he knew this was a sensitive topic to his young master.

Cassius’s smirk deepened, his crimson eyes narrowing as he interrupted. “What about her?” He asked, his tone carrying a hint of playfulness. Then, with a raised brow and an almost teasing smile, he added, “Do you think she deserves death as well?”

Lucious blinked, startled by the question. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, his brow furrowing as he seemed to consider it carefully.

And then, after a long pause, he spoke, his voice quieter than before. “At first…” He admitted. “…I did. I wanted nothing more than to see her dead.”

“Oh? And why didn’t you follow through with that desire?” Cassius tilted his head, intrigued by the bluntness of the response.

Lucious sighed, his gaze softening as he glanced ahead. “When I first learnt what she did, I was furious.” He said, his voice steady but laced with a hint of frustration. “She poisoned you, my lord—there’s no crime greater in my eyes. I wanted to see her punished, to make her pay for even thinking about harming you.”

Cassius hummed softly, intrigued. “And yet, here we are, walking side by side, and you’re speaking about her as though she isn’t entirely unforgivable…What happened?”

Lucious hesitated again, his fingers brushing against the hem of his sleeve as he continued. “After hearing her story, I…didn’t feel the same.” He admitted reluctantly. “She was tricked into it, manipulated by someone who used her loyalty and innocence against her. It doesn’t make what she did right, but it made me realise she wasn’t as guilty as I first believed.”

Cassius’s smirk faltered slightly, replaced by a look of mild surprise. “Hmm…To think, you, of all people, thinking so rationally about her.” He said, a faint chuckle escaping him. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

Lucious stopped in his tracks, his indignant eyes narrowing sharply. “You’re wrong, my lord!” He said vehemently, his voice firm with an edge of restrained fury, like he didn’t want to be thought of as someone who forgave a person who tried to harm his master so easily. “I’m not rational about her—not in the way you think.”

Cassius turned to face him fully, curious now as he watched the rare intensity flicker across his butler’s usually bright expression.

“I still think she should be punished for what she did.” Lucious continued, his voice rising slightly. “Even if it wasn’t done with malice, even if she was tricked, it doesn’t change the fact that she put your life in danger…That alone is unforgivable.”

His fists clenched at his sides, his teeth chattering like he was ready to bite someone and pull a chunk of flesh out.

“Your life matters more than anything else in this world, Young Master. I’d give up my own a thousand times over to ensure your safety. So, yes, I wanted her gone—I still do.”

Cassius blinked, his smirk returning faintly as he crossed his arms. “And yet…” He slowly said. “…you haven’t lifted a finger against her.”

Lucious let out a long sigh, the fury in his eyes dimming slightly as he looked away.

“That’s because I know it’s not my place anymore.” He admitted, his voice quieter now. “I mean, after hearing the way you spoke to her inside, it’s clear you’ve taken an interest in her.”

“…I wouldn’t dare interfere with your decisions or your choice in women, Young Master, no matter how much I hate that person.”

“Oh, and what makes you think I’m interested in her?” He asked while thinking that this little butler of his was really attentive.

Lucious glanced back at him, his expression unreadable for a moment before he spoke. “Because it was obvious.” He said bluntly. “The way you talked to her, the things you said—it was like you were trying to woo her.”

“Trying to woo her? You have an interesting imagination, Lucious.” Cassius blinked, then let out a soft laugh, shaking his head.

But Lucious didn’t laugh. His grey eyes darkened slightly, and his voice grew more serious. “She doesn’t deserve it, my lord!” He said firmly. “A woman like that—someone who almost took your life—doesn’t deserve your attention, let alone your affection.”

Cassius’s smirk lingered faintly, though his crimson eyes gleamed with intrigue as he studied Lucious.

“Strong words…” He remarked, his tone light but carrying a hint of sharpness. “But you’re not usually so direct about these things, Lucious. Is there something else you’re not telling me that’s been bothering you?”

Lucious hesitated for a moment, glancing away before letting out a slow breath, not expecting his contradictory thoughts to be found by his master.

When he spoke again, his voice was quieter, more thoughtful. “There is.” He admitted. “I’ve been conflicted ever since I looked into what actually happened—how she was tricked into doing what she did.”

“Go on.”

Lucious’s gaze met his master’s again, and there was a flicker of frustration behind his eyes.

“Well, the thing is, when I found out that a maid like Isabelle, who has such a stellar reputation to the extent that she even visits the local orphanage every week, I wondered how in the world she agreed to something as absurd as poisoning you, Young Master.”

“…And when I couldn’t hold onto my curiosity any longer, I decided to dig deeper into what happened, and to my shock, I found out just how involved Edmund was in the recruitment of Isabelle to follow his schemes.”

“I thought that he had simply lied to her, saying that you were some criminal who molested women, and she was dumb enough to believe his words. But to my shock, Edmund actually went to lengths I didn’t even think possible to make her his accomplice.” He said, his voice tight with restrained anger. “That dirtbag Edmund, he knew that Isabelle couldn’t be controlled with simple words or reasoning, so he used everything—falsified police statements, forged witness testimonies, fabricated medical autopsies, bribery records…the list goes on to incriminate you.”

“…It was so thorough, so convincing, that even I might have believed it if I weren’t as wary as I am.”

Cassius’s smirk disappeared entirely, replaced by a thoughtful frown. “Is that so?” He murmured, his tone neutral but carrying an edge of curiosity.

Lucious nodded. “He painted you as some kind of…monster. An evil man who preyed on others—on helpless women, specifically. Given all the evidence he manufactured, it’s no wonder she believed him.” He paused, his eyes narrowing slightly. “But that’s where my confusion comes in. If she had all of that evidence, why didn’t she bring it forward? Why didn’t she use it to prove she was tricked, to defend herself?”

Cassius was quiet for a moment, his crimson eyes narrowing thoughtfully as he considered the question. Finally, he let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head.

“Because that’s not who she is.” He said simply.

“What do you mean, my lord?” Lucious frowned, not understanding his master’s words.

“Well, the thing you don’t know about Isabelle is that she’s a genuinely pure-hearted girl.” Cassius explained, his voice quieter now, more introspective. “She believes that she sinned, no matter the circumstances. To her, trying to shift the blame to Edmund—or even justifying her actions—would feel like making excuses.”

“…So instead, she accepted her fate. She took responsibility for what happened, even if it wasn’t entirely her fault.”

Lucious stared at him, his lips pressing into a thin line as he processed the words. His twinkling eyes flickered with something unreadable—frustration, perhaps, or admiration.

“That’s…an unusual way to think.” He said finally, his tone tinged with reluctance.

“It’s foolish,” Cassius said, though his voice lacked any real heat. He then smirked faintly, glancing at Lucious. “But it’s also admirable, isn’t it? There aren’t many people who would accept responsibility like that, knowing they could easily shift the blame elsewhere.”

Lucious let out a quiet sigh, his shoulders relaxing slightly.

“I suppose you’re right.” He admitted, like he couldn’t believe that he was actually acknowledging someone that tried to murder his beloved master. “It’s hard not to respect someone like that, even if I still think she should have done more to defend herself.”

Cassius chuckled softly, his smirk widening as he clapped Lucious on the shoulder. “Careful, Lucious.” He teased. “If you’re not careful, you might end up liking her after all.”

Lucious’s eyes widened, and he shook his head vehemently. “Absolutely not, Young Master!” He exclaimed, his tone firm. “She still doesn’t deserve an ounce of your care or love. But…” He hesitated, his voice softening slightly. “…I can understand why you’re interested in her.”

Cassius sighed when he heard his butler’s words, his eyes glinting faintly in the dim light.

“Well, Lucious, it doesn’t matter how interested I am.” He murmured, his voice heavy with something unspoken. “She’s likely going to despise me more than anyone in the world after the punishment I’m going to give her tomorrow.”

“Punishment, my lord? But…why?” Lucious frowned, confusion flickering across his face. “I thought you’d already forgiven her for what she did.”

Cassius’s smirk returned, but it was smaller, darker, as though laced with a secret he had no intention of sharing.

“I have no right to forgive her, Lucious …” He said cryptically as his gaze drifted skyward for a moment, his expression unreadable. “…for it’s not my life that was harmed, after all, and someone else’s.”

Lucious blinked, thrown by the sudden shift in his master’s tone. “Not your life, my lord? T-Then…whose?”

“Who other than the past Cassius, who once existed in this world?” Cassius smiled, enjoying the perplexity seen on his butler’s face.

“T-The past…Cassius?” Lucious tilted his head, his confusion deepening.

“Yes.” Cassius murmured, his voice almost wistful as if he were mourning the loss of a close friend. “It’s not about me since I personally don’t have too much of an attachment to my own life…It’s about him.”

“…And it’s my duty as the one who has taken his reins to ensure his revenge is carried out. To see to it that his soul can rest in peace.”

The mysterious statement hung in the air, heavy and impenetrable. Lucious opened his mouth to speak but quickly closed it again, sensing that pressing further would yield no answers.

Whatever his master meant, it was clearly something deeply personal, something that could not be easily explained because of some kind of personal conflict—or perhaps something Cassius simply refused to explain.

Lucious then nodded slowly, his loyalty outweighing the several questions that were going through his mind.

“I… I see, Young Master.” He said softly, even though he didn’t understand what he was speaking about. “If that’s your will, then I will follow it without question.”

Cassius glanced at him, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “Good…That’s for the best.” He said simply, while thanking the gods for giving him such an obedient and adorable butler.

Lucious fell into step behind him, silent but thoughtful, as they continued down the moonlit path.

Though his master’s words remained a mystery, Lucious knew one thing for certain: whatever came next, he would be there by Cassius’s side, as he always had been his whole life.

…Even as he thought about the depraved purge his master was about to commit tomorrow, the one that would undoubtedly send shockwaves throughout the family and leave behind irreversible devastation to his reputation, Lucious felt no hesitation.

Whatever tomorrow brought—whether it was chaos, destruction, or even their downfall—Lucious would follow his master into the depths of it all.

Even if the world turned against them, he would remain steadfast, standing by Cassius’s side until the very end, and that was his solemn promise…

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