Chapter 659: The Seducer Is Being Seduced?

Cassius’s brain stopped working.

“What?”

“A date or a outing as one would say.” Maria clarified. “You and me. Tomorrow. We’ll spend the entire day together, do fun things, enjoy ourselves.”

He stared at her, absolutely dumbfounded.

A moment ago, she was giving him a medical examination.

And now she was asking him out?

“Wait, wait, wait.” He held up his hands. “You want to go on a date with me? Why? This doesn’t make any sense!”

Maria tilted her head.

“What doesn’t make sense about it?”

“Everything!” He gestured wildly. “One minute you’re dragging me into a room secretly, the next you’re checking my physical condition like a doctor, and now you’re asking me out!”

“There’s no connection between any of these things!”

But Maria ignored the question completely.

Instead she leaned closer, fixing him with an intense gaze.

“That’s not what I asked you, Cassius.” Her voice was calm but firm. “I asked if you wanted to go on a date with me. Yes or no?”

He opened his mouth—

“If you agree, we’ll have a wonderful day together tomorrow. If you don’t…”

She shrugged, turning toward the door.

“That’s fine too. I’ll just leave now.”

She took a step and Cassius moved on instinct.

His hand shot out and grabbed hers before she could escape.

“No, no, no—wait!” He pulled her back gently. “Don’t go.”

She turned to face him, one eyebrow raised.

“I definitely want to go on a date with you.” He said, his voice sincere despite his confusion. “There’s no way I could ignore an opportunity like that. I was just caught off guard and didn’t know what to say.”

He smiled—a genuine, warm smile.

“But if you really want to go on a date with me, I’ll be there. One hundred percent!”

Maria’s stern expression melted into something warm and pleased.

She reached up and patted his head gently.

“Good boy.” She said softly. “Such a good boy, Cassius.”

He felt his cheeks warm at the praise.

One moment she was treating him like a potential lover. The next, like a child she was proud of.

The whiplash was real.

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow.”

She said, waving as she walked toward the door.

“Good night, Cassius.”

And with that, she slipped out, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

He sar there for a long moment, processing.

This didn’t make any sense.

It hadn’t even been two full days since Maria had rejected his proposal.

That rejection had stung—he wouldn’t lie about that.

But he wasn’t the type to give up.

He had already been formulating plans, strategies, ways to slowly win her over and make her his.

He had been ready to put in the work.

But then suddenly, out of nowhere, she invited him on a date?

No reason given. No explanation. Just…a date.

He was happy, of course. Overjoyed, even.

But more than that, he was confused.

What had he done to deserve this?

What had changed?

There had to be a reason, some catalyst he didn’t know about.

And then there was Aqua.

This morning, his sister had basically confessed to him in her own intimate, roundabout way.

And now Maria was asking him out.

This didn’t make sense in his mind.

Normally, he was the one doing the pursuing.

The seducing. The charming. He used his tricks, his manipulations, his sincerity, his kindness—all the tools in his arsenal to win women over.

But now?

Now they were serving themselves to him on a silver platter.

It felt wrong. Uneasy. Like he was missing something important.

He was still sitting there, lost in thought, when the door creaked open again.

His heart jumped—maybe Maria had come back?

But no.

It was someone equally cute, but in a completely different way.

Lucius’s head popped through the doorway, his face lighting up with excitement the moment he spotted Cassius.

“Young Master!” He exclaimed. “There you are! I finally found you!”

But then Lucius’s expression shifted.

The bright excitement on his face dimmed slightly, replaced by something more observant. More concerned.

Before Cassius could ask what was wrong, Lucius walked over and stood directly in front of him.

He pulled off his gloves, then reached out and pressed the back of his hand against Cassius’s forehead.

Cassius blinked, surprised by the gesture.

“Young Master.”

Lucius said, his voice filled with genuine concern.

“You don’t look well at all. You seem…confused. Your eyes don’t have that usual clear focus to them.”

Cassius stared at him for a moment.

Then he let out a chuckle and flopped backward onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

“Do I really look that bad?”

He asked, a wry smile on his lips.

“First Maria drags me into a room and gives me a full medical examination. Now you’re checking my temperature like I’m running a fever.”

He shook his head.

“What’s next? Is everyone in this household going to come by and take my pulse? Draw blood? Run some tests?”

Lucius tilted his head, clearly not understanding the context but recognizing the exhaustion in his master’s voice.

Cassius sighed, shaking his head as he looked over at his loyal butler.

“Anyway.” He said, pushing aside his confusion for the moment. “What brings you here? And more importantly—”

He sat up slightly, genuine curiosity in his eyes.

“How did you even find me? There are over a hundred rooms in this mansion. I don’t remember telling you where I was going.”

Lucius’s face immediately transformed.

Gone was the concern. In its place bloomed pure, unadulterated pride.

“Young Master.” He declared, puffing out his chest. “Finding you is not a matter of logic or deduction. I have my natural tracking instincts.”

“I can simply sense where you are at all times and when you weren’t in your office, my instincts guided me here.”

Cassius stared at him.

“Your…instincts.”

“Yes, Young Master!” Lucius nodded vigorously. “A butler’s intuition! It’s a sixth sense that develops after years of dedicated service!”

Cassius continued staring.

Then he let out another chuckle and waved his hand dismissively.

“Sure. Whatever you say.”

He sat up properly, his expression shifting to business.

“So, what’s the matter you wanted to discuss? Something about the Harvest Festival? Budget issues?”

He stretched lazily.

“If it’s money, just throw cash at the problem. That’s usually the solution. We have too much of it anyway—use our assets to take care of it.”

He spoke with the casual indifference of someone who genuinely didn’t want to think about logistics.

But Lucius shook his head.

“No, Young Master. It’s not a budget issue.” His voice grew serious. “If it were something as simple as that, I would have handled it myself and never bothered you with it.”

Cassius raised an eyebrow.

Lucius took a breath before continuing.

“It seems some noble families from the nearby estates and households want to attend the Harvest Festival at its peak.”

Cassius frowned.

“Why would they do that? They have their own harvest festivals in the areas they govern. There’s no need for them to come all the way here.”

Lucius hesitated.

“Well…the reputation of the festival you’ve been planning has spread. Everyone’s heard about how extravagant it’s going to be, about all the unique attractions and events you’ve set up.”

“Word has traveled, Young Master. And now the young lords and ladies from other estates want to see it for themselves.”

He shrugged helplessly.

“They’re probably bored with their own celebrations and want something new.”

Cassius’s frown deepened.

“This festival was supposed to be for the farmers and workers.”

He said, annoyance creeping into his voice.

“For the people who labor every single day, who put in blood, sweat, and tears to keep everything running. It was supposed to be their time, a break for them to enjoy with their families.”

He shook his head.

“Not for some bored nobles looking for entertainment.”

“Having them come feels like…like desecrating the whole thing”

But after a moment, he waved a hand dismissively.

“…Whatever.”

He exhaled.

“If they want to come, let them come.”

But even though he said that, Lucius’s expression didn’t improve.

In fact, it became even more troubled.

Cassius noticed immediately.

“…What?”

Lucius hesitated before answering.

“The problem…is not simply their attendance.”

Cassius narrowed his eyes.

“The issue is that we will likely need to arrange a separate banquet for them.”

Cassius shot upright.

“What?! Why?!”

Lucius winced slightly.

Cassius stared at him in disbelief.

“If they want to come to the festival and eat some food, enjoy the festivities, let them! Why should I set up a separate banquet?”

“The whole point of this festival…” He continued, his voice rising. “…was to give the common people a chance to enjoy themselves.”

“I even made sure prices were low enough that even the poorest could participate without discrimination. And now you’re telling me I have to set up a special VIP area for some noble brats?”

He was genuinely annoyed now.

His previous interactions with other nobles hadn’t been particularly pleasant—with a few exceptions, most of them were pompous, self-important, and entirely exhausting to deal with.

And now he had to host them separately?

He shook his head firmly.

“No. There’s no need. Send them away. Tell them they’re not welcome.”

Lucius had a awkward look on his face as he said,

“I understand your feelings, Young Master. Truly, I do. I also don’t want to deal with people from other estates. They talk nonsense, they’re pompous, and handling them is always a headache.”

He paused and hesitantly added,

“But we don’t have much choice.”

Cassius’s eyes narrowed.

“The Holyfield household is known throughout the land. As the Young Master of this estate, whenever anyone visits for an event, you’re responsible for hosting them properly.”

“Sending them away would be seen as a grave disrespect.”

Cassius’s lip twitched in irritation.

“Disrespect? They’re the ones imposing on our festival!”

“Perhaps.” Lucius conceded. “But they could easily complain at court. Frame it as you rejecting proper noble etiquette.”

“They could even spin it as you trying to act like an independent estate, separate from the kingdom.”

Cassius stared at him in disbelief.

“It’s nonsense, of course.” Lucius added quickly. “Any such accusation would be thrown out eventually. But it would create a hassle.”

“People would talk. The Holyfield name would be dragged through gossip and speculation. And with your reputation already…somewhat colorful…”

He trailed off, but the meaning was clear.

Cassius ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident in every line of his body.

“So what you’re telling me is that I have to arrange a separate banquet for them. A special banquet, just for the nobles, while everyone else enjoys the regular festival.”

Lucius nodded reluctantly.

“I think it would be best, Young Master. But you don’t need to worry about any of it.”

He quicky added.

“I’ll handle all the arrangements myself. Just give me your permission, and I’ll take care of everything.”

Cassius sat in silence for a long moment.

He didn’t want to do this.

It left a bad taste in his mouth.

But Lucius was right.

The political implications, the potential for scandal, the damage to the family—it wasn’t worth fighting over.

He let out a long, defeated sigh.

“Fine.” He said finally. “Since we have no choice, we’ll do it. But I hope I don’t have to deal with any of those noble brats personally while they’re here.”

“I really can’t handle them right now.”

He then looked at Lucius to say something else—

And stopped.

Because despite his professional demeanor, despite his confident words, Lucius looked…tired.

There were slight shadows under his eyes.

A barely perceptible slump in his usually ramrod-straight posture.

Cassius’s expression softened immediately.

“You look tired.” Cassius said softly.

Lucius straightened immediately.

“I’m perfectly fine, Young Master!”

“You’re not.”

Cassius stood up and walked over to him.

“You’ve been doing too much. The Harvest Festival preparations, managing the household, dealing with all the extra guests—it’s wearing you down.”

Lucius opened his mouth to protest, but Cassius cut him off.

“I’ll help with the arrangements.”

Lucius’s eyes trembled as if he had just been kicked out of his job.

“Young Master, no! Absolutely not! That’s my duty! There’s no need for you to—”

“There’s every need.” Cassius placed a hand on his shoulder. “You’re already doing too much. It’s obvious you’re tired, and I’ve been taking it too easy lately, letting you handle everything.”

He smiled gently.

“What kind of Young Master would I be if I put all the work on my poor butler? It’s about time I lessened your burden and did some work myself.”

Lucius stared at him, emotions flickering across his face.

“Young Master…”

“Besides.” Cassius added, his tone lighter. “If you collapse from exhaustion, who’s going to organize my sock drawer? You’re the only one who understands my system.”

Despite himself, Lucius let out a small laugh.

“I suppose that’s true, Young Master.”

“Then it’s settled.” Cassius patted his shoulder. “We’ll handle this together. Now—tell me everything about these incoming nobles. I need to know what we’re dealing with.”

Lucius straightened, his expression shifting to something more businesslike as he addressed his master’s question.

“Well, Young Master, there’s really no need to worry about most of the guests themselves. They’re just the daughters and sons of various lords—typical noble brats looking for entertainment.”

“You don’t particularly have to take care of them thoroughly or even speak to them if you don’t want to.”

He paused, a slight frown crossing his features.

“But there is one family that might cause some concerns…The Valheim family.”

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