Absurd Rumours

Cassius moved with a cat's grace, his steps silent on the stone path as he approached Vivi from behind, his eyes glinting with a curiosity and mischief.

Lucius and the senior maid also trailed quietly, their steps cautious, but the assembled crowd, seated in rows of chairs, noticed Cassius the moment he drew near.

Their eyes widened, gasps catching in their throats as recognition hit like a thunderbolt.

There wasn't a soul in the Holyfield Estate who didn't know Cassius—his name a wildfire of rumors, each more outrageous than the last, whispered in taverns, markets, and hushed corners of every household.

They knew him as the man who'd seized his mansion in a single night, turning it into his personal playground, bedding every maid in the household—some said he'd done it all at once, a debauched feast that lasted days, leaving the maids stumbling and starry-eyed.