novelraw Chapter 714 714: Do I Know You?
Chapter 714 714: Do I Know You?
Maria looked around at the children flooding into Maria Land—dozens of them, fresh from school, their faces bright with excitement. They ran from stall to stall, laughing and shrieking, their joy infectious.
She had insisted on this.
When Cassius had asked what else she wanted, she had told him that she couldn't possibly enjoy all of this alone. What was the point of a festival if no one else could experience it?
So Cassius had opened the gates. And now children filled the paths, playing games, eating sweets, watching the performers.
Parents followed behind, smiling at their children's delight. Even a few elderly couples had wandered in, drawn by the music and laughter.
Maria waved at a group of children passing by, and they waved back, their faces lighting up at her smile.
She turned to Cassius, her hand still in his, her eyes shining with anticipation.
"So, what's next, Cassius?" She practically bounced on her heels. "What are you going to show me? You've already made a stall for every interest I have—I honestly don't think you've left anything out."
Cassius looked down at her thoughtfully.
"Well, it's not exactly a stall. More of a display."
She tilted her head. "A display?"
"An art exhibition." He clarified. "Made just for you."
Maria blinked.
"That's...very thoughtful, Cassius. But to be honest..." She hesitated, looking almost embarrassed. "I don't have much of an interest in art."
She rushed to explain, waving her free hand.
"Of course, I can appreciate it. Everyone can appreciate beauty. But I only have surface-level knowledge. I'm not like those cultured, refined people who can talk for hours about brushstrokes and composition."
She looked down at her feet. "I don't think I can truly appreciate whatever you're going to show me."
Cassius shook his head gently.
"You don't need to worry about that, Maria. It's not the art itself I want to show you." He smiled mysteriously. "It's what the art depicts. That's the star of the show."
Maria frowned, confused.
But Cassius's smug expression told her he wouldn't explain further.
She pouted cutely and held onto his hand even more tightly.
They walked through the festival together, and Maria noticed that people were staring at them.
Not with judgment or scandal, but with smiles. Mothers pointed them out to their children. Old couples nodded approvingly. Teenagers whispered and giggled.
And Maria realized—she didn't mind.
She didn't mind being seen with him. Didn't mind people assuming things about their relationship. Didn't mind the whispers or the stares.
It felt natural.So, she leaned into him slightly, her shoulder brushing his arm, and felt warm all over.
But then ahought struck her.
"Cassius, how did you set all this up so quickly?"
He raised an eyebrow.
"I only mentioned the date yesterday. In the evening." Her cheeks flushed slightly. "And you spent last night with...with Joy and Carmela, so you couldn't have had much time."
She looked at him with genuine curiosity.
"How did you do it?"
Cassius waved his hand dismissively.
"Oh, it wasn't me, Maria. I mean, I provided the ideas and the instructions, but the person who actually made everything happen..." He smiled "...was Lucius."
Maria's eyebrows rose. "Your adorable little butler?"
She remembered Lucius clearly—the pretty young man with the curly hair and the devoted eyes.
She had thought, when she first saw him, that he looked more like a girl than a boy. There was something almost doll-like about him.
Cassius nodded with clear pride shining in his eyes.
"Yep. None other than him. He may look slightly unreliable or childish at times, and his cute appearance puts people's guards down quite a bit, but he's an extremely competent fellow."
"I trust him completely.
Maria listened carefully.
"No matter what task I give him, no matter how absurd the scale or how tight the deadline, he somehow manages to finish it perfectly. He's the one who coordinated all of this—the stalls, the performers, the logistics. Everything."
Cassius gestured around them.
"He also runs most of my businesses. I just make decisions from time to time and slack off the rest of the day." He grinned. "He's so smart that other nobles have tried to poach him. They've offered him territories, titles, absurd amounts of money—anything to get him on their side."
He puffed out his chest.
"But Lucius has never even considered it. He's been by my side since the beginning, completely loyal. You'd think I had some kind of life-or-death contract over him."
Maria smiled. "You seem happy about that."
"Of course I am!" Cassius's voice was warm. "Having such a wonderful friend by my side—someone so loyal, someone who lets me slack off all the time—it feels amazing!"
He looked around.
"In fact, he should be here somewhere. I wonder where he is."
Just then, a cute, polite voice spoke up from directly behind them.
"I'm here! Right behind you, Young Master!"
Maria yelped and jumped, grabbing onto Cassius's arm like a startled cat.
They spun around.
Lucius stood there, prim and proper in his butler's outfit, his curly hair perfectly arranged, a serene smile on his lips. He looked like he had been standing there for hours.
Cassius stared at him in shock.
"What the hell, Lucius? How long have you been there? And why are you following me around like some kind of—"
"Duty." Lucius interrupted smoothly. "A butler must always remain by his master's side in case of emergencies."
He clasped his hands behind his back, looking entirely too pleased with himself.
"As for how long I've been here..." His smile widened. "I heard every single thing you said about me, Young Master."
His eyes grew misty.
"And to be praised so highly by the young master. To be called not just a butler, but a friend." He pressed his hands to his chest. "It truly makes me so happy."
Cassius's eye twitched.
"You don't need to follow me this closely, Lucius."
He grabbed Maria's waist and pulled her against him.
"We're on a date. Have some sense of privacy."
Maria's face flushed, but she didn't pull away.
Lucius looked completely unbothered.
"I'm simply ensuring your safety, Young Master. There are threats everywhere."
Cassius groaned. "Then what about when I'm in the bathroom, Lucius? What about when I'm taking a big fat dump in the toilet? Are you also going to stay by me at that time?"
Maria blushed furiously at the crude language, but Lucius answered without hesitation, eyes bright and earnest.
"Of course. Even when you're on the toilet, I've always been by your side."
Cassius's face paled. "What do you mean? I always lock the toilet! How can you possibly—"
A horrible realization dawned on his face.
"Don't tell me...The ventilation ducts."
Lucius nodded brightly. "Yes, Young Master!"
"The noises I always hear—the scratching, the breathing—I thought it was rats!"
"No, it was me, Young Master!"
Cassius grabbed Lucius by the collar, pulling him close.
"You little shit!" He hissed. "You've been watching me in the bathroom?!"
"For your safety!" Lucius repeated, completely unrepentant. "Just think about it. What if you fainted? What if you slipped and hit your head? I couldn't bear the thought of you lying there, helpless, with no one to help you."
Maria stared at them, amused by how fond Lucious was off Cassius where it was becoming borderline crazy.
But then another thought occurred to her.
"Lucius." She said slowly in a timid and wary manner. "Then does that mean you can see into other bathrooms as well? Like the ones the sisters use?...And mine."
Lucius turned to look at her and his expression shifted to show a completely different emotion.
Disdain. Pure, undisguised disdain.
He looked her up and down like she was something unpleasant he had stepped in.
"There is no way that I would ever waste my time peeping at women." He said coldly. "Why would I want to look at such a revolting sight?"
Maria was shocked at this reaction.
She was not used to being looked at like that. Men desired her. Women admired her. Even children gazed at her with wonder.
But Lucius looked at her like she was garbage.
It was almost refreshing.
Lucius then turned back to Cassius, and his expression transformed completely.
His eyes glowed. His cheeks flushed. He looked like a lovesick maiden gazing at her knight.
"But my Young Master on the other hand? I could watch him every moment of my life!" He clasped his hands together. "Even when he's bathing—I look away then, because I'm shy—but sometimes I can't help but peek."
"I have so many dreams about his naked body!"
Cassius's face contorted.
"That's it!"
He grabbed Lucius in a chokehold, locking the smaller man's head under his arm.
"You pervert! You absolute degenerate! I thought I was being haunted by ghosts!"
"I'm sorry, Young Master!" Lucius's voice was muffled but not particularly apologetic. "I do it for your safety!"
"Safety, my ass! You just want to see me naked!"
"I want to be near you always!"
The two of them started wrestling lightly, Lucius squirming but looking oddly happy to be manhandled by his master.
Passersby smiled fondly at the familiar sight.
"Look, the Young Master and Lucius are at it again."
"They're so close—it's almost like they're brothers."
"With how close they are and how cute Lucius is, I'd almost think they're a couple or something."
Maria watched too, a soft smile on her face.
Despite the difference in their stations—master and servant—there was no hierarchy here.
Cassius trusted Lucius completely, and Lucius looked at Cassius like he was the reason the sun rose each morning.
She had no doubt that Lucius would give his life for Cassius without hesitation.
It was impressive.
It was also adorable.
But then as she watched them tussle, she found herself wondering.
'Is Lucius in love with Cassius?'
'They were both men, but...'
She looked at them again. At the way Lucius's eyes shone even as Cassius shook him. At the way Cassius held him close rather than actually hurting him. At the way they fit together.
Her cheeks flushed.
She quickly shook her head, trying to dispel the thought.
But then she imagined Cassius's dominating presence overwhelming the smaller, more delicate Lucius, and a sudden, forbidden heat flushed through her body.
She shook her head quickly, trying to banish the inappropriate images, but they lingered, making her blush even deeper.
But as the playful scuffle continued, Maria looked at Lucius more closely with an intense, thoughtful gaze and she seemed to have thought of something significant.
Finally, unable to hold back her doubt, she spoke up softly, almost hesitantly.
"Lucius...forgive me if I'm mistaken, but do I know you from before?"