Chapter 835: Farewell Gifts
But there was one person who didn’t seem particularly affected.
Cassius stood at the front of the crowd, a small, calm smile on his face as he watched the procession prepare to depart.
He wasn’t crying. He wasn’t even looking particularly sad.
He just stood there, arms crossed, with that knowing look in his crimson eyes.
Julie noticed this almost immediately. She stared at his face for a long moment, her brow furrowing in confusion.
"You’re not going to cry, Cassius?" She asked, sidling up to him with a suspicious look. "You, of all people? I thought you’d be making a big scene, running after the carriages, begging them to stay, the whole dramatic routine."
Cassius glanced at her, and that knowing smile only widened.
"That’s because I’m working on something, Julie. Something that will make any distance, no matter how far, feel extremely short."
Julie blinked. "What? What are you talking about? I don’t understand."
Before Cassius could respond, Aisha appeared at his side
"Don’t ask about matters that you won’t understand, Captain." She said airily, flipping her hair over her shoulder.
Julie’s eye twitched. "Okay, hold on now. What are you two talking about?"
But Cassius just shook his head. He cast one last glance toward all the women who had come to mean so much to him and then turned around.
"Let’s head back inside." He said casually. "I could use a cup of tea."
Aisha followed without a word, leaving Julie standing there, utterly frustrated.
"What secret are you keeping from me?!" She shouted after them. But they were already gone, disappearing through the gates of the mansion.
"I swear, these two are hiding something from me." She muttered under her breath. "I’m going to figure it out if it’s the last thing I do!"
But for now, she turned back to the carriages, raising her hand in one final wave.
"Come back safe!" She shouted. "All of you! Come back home soon!"
Her voice was lost in the chorus of farewells, but she meant every word.
—
Inside the carriage, the atmosphere was quiet.
Joy sat by the window, leaning against the frame, her gaze fixed on the scenery passing by. She appeared calm, composed, almost cold.
But if anyone looked closely, they would have seen the slight tremor in her hands, the way she was gripping her own robes just a little too tightly.
It was strange.
She had traveled countless times, left countless places behind, and never once felt a pang of regret.
But this time was different.
This time, she was leaving her mother behind. The mother she had protected her entire life.
For the first time ever, Maria was staying somewhere without her.
And not just anywhere—she was staying with Cassius.
And that was the other thing. Joy was leaving him behind too.
She hated to admit it, but that realization stung more than she had expected. The man who had wormed his way into her heart, who had made her feel things she never thought she could feel.
She shook her head slightly, forcing herself to focus.
She would be back. That was all there was to it. She would finish her duties in the capital, track down Carmela, and then...then she would return.
But even as she thought this, a small part of her wondered if it would really be that simple.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft sound beside her.
She turned to look at Aqua, who was sitting silently, her posture rigid, her hands clenched tightly in her lap.
Joy raised an eyebrow. She had expected Aqua to be the one leaning out the window, shouting farewells at the top of her lungs, tears streaming down her face.
That was Aqua—emotional, passionate, expressive.
But instead, Aqua sat there, her expression unreadable, her jaw tight. She was holding something back. Anyone could see it.
"It’s one thing for me to act quite nonchalant about this farewell."
Joy said, her voice cutting through the silence.
"But why exactly are you acting as if you don’t care at all? That completely goes against your character."
Aqua’s head snapped up. For a moment, she looked like she was about to deny it. But then her shoulders sagged, and she let out a shaky breath.
"I’m not trying to act nonchalant." She admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "It’s just...if I look at their crying faces again...if I see all of them calling out to me...I won’t be able to leave."
She paused, biting her lower lip.
"Especially Cassius." She continued, her voice growing softer. "The moment I see his face and think about how I’m going to leave him again...it’ll bring back all the memories of last time."
"When I left him and never came back. If I think about that, I’ll never be able to leave again."
She shook her head, her expression hardening with resolve.
"I can’t do that. I have to prove to my master that I can become a Supreme mage. I have to honor the promise I made. And the moment that happens..."
A genuine smile spread across her face. "I won’t hesitate. I’ll come running back home!"
She chuckled softly, a fond look entering her eyes.
"Just knowing that there’s an entire family of my most favorite people waiting for me over there...it makes me want to become a supreme mage even faster. It won’t be long before I’m back, Joy."
She turned to face Joy fully, a teasing glint in her eyes.
"And when that happens, I’ll drag you back with me! I’ll make you get rid of all those ridiculous church duties of yours. And we’ll settle down together. All of us!"
Joy didn’t respond. She simply looked away, her own thoughts churning beneath her calm exterior.
But then she noticed something.
Aqua was clutching a small rectangular box in her hands. It was wrapped in decorative paper, clearly a gift.
Noticing Joy’s gaze, Aqua broke into a smug, triumphant grin, eagerly bringing the box up into her lap.
"Curious, aren’t you?" Aqua teased, her previous melancholy vanishing instantly. "Vivi handed this to me right before we boarded! She said it was a special farewell gift from the household."
"She also told me that whenever I feel lonely or miss home while staying in the Capital, opening this box will fix it instantly!"
"I was trying to guess what it could be."
Aqua tapped her chin thoughtfully, admiring the packaging.
"Given the shape, I thought maybe it was a portrait of the entire family in a fine wooden frame? That would make total sense, right?"
"Something sweet and wholesome to look at whenever I miss Cassius!"
She paused, humming. "Or...maybe it’s an enchanted hair comb? Or some high-end cosmetic set from the estate’s private workshops?"
Unable to restrain her burning curiosity any longer, Aqua eagerly tore through the wrapping paper, sliding the lid off the velvet-lined wooden box.
But the moment she saw what was inside, her face completely transformed.
All the color drained from her cheeks, only to be replaced by a bright, burning red that spread all the way to the tips of her ears.
Joy, curious despite herself, leaned over to look.
The moment she saw the contents of the box, her own face flushed, and she quickly looked away.
The box contained a dildo!
Not just any dildo, but a meticulously crafted replica of Cassius’s penis!
It was made of some kind of firm, rubbery material, with prominent veins running along its length. The color was an exact match, the shape was identical, even the subtle curve was perfectly replicated.
It looked so realistic that it was almost uncanny.
Aqua stared at it, her face burning.
"Vivi said...she said this could help me handle my loneliness." Aqua murmured, her voice barely audible. "But I didn’t expect it to be...this."
She picked it up, marveling at the craftsmanship. A slow, shy smile spread across her face.
"You know." She said, tracing the contours with her finger. "Apparently every woman in the household has a mould of Cassius’s penis. I always felt a little left out." She chuckled. "But it seems like I’ve finally earned my place in the family."
Suddenly, she heard rustling sounds beside her.
Joy had also unwrapped a similar present and pulled out...an identical dildo.
Aqua’s eyes widened. "You have one too, Joy?!"
Joy’s face was bright red, but she forced herself to maintain her composure.
"Nala shoved it into my hands before I left. She said ’I would definitely enjoy it quite a lot’ and that it was ’something every woman should always have at their side.’"
She clicked her tongue in annoyance. "I thought it was a dagger. Or some kind of weapon."
"But who would have thought it would be...this."
She held the dildo up, swinging it slightly, watching it wobble. The motion was almost absurd.
Aqua couldn’t help but laugh. "Well, in a way, it is a weapon! With how massive it is, I’m sure you could do some real damage with it."
Joy had no choice but to agree. It was absurdly large.
"I shouldn’t have accepted this vulgar trash! I’m throwing it right out the window!"
"NO! WAIT! DON’T!" Aqua shrieked, lunging across the carriage with her arms outstretched in absolute panic. "If you don’t want it, give it to me! I’ll take it!"
Joy snapped her hands back, staring at Aqua in utter shock and deep suspicion.
"Why on earth would you need two of these? Isn’t one monstrous replica more than enough for a single person?!"
Aqua froze mid-lunge, a dark, incredibly guilty blush overtaking her entire face.
She pulled her hands back, nervously fidgeting with her fingers while shifting her eyes toward the carriage wall, looking like a criminal who had just accidentally confessed to a heinous crime.
"W-Well...normally, yes..." Aqua stuttered, her voice dropping to a tiny, mortified whisper as she held up her own replica.
"One is usually enough for...the front...but..."
She slid a shy, twinkling look toward Joy.
"...I have another entrance, you know? If I have two...I can put one in the front, and fit the other one in the back at the exact same time..."
Joy was so shocked that she dropped the dildo onto the seat, where it landed with a soft thud.
"Aqua! You—"
"I-I HAD NO CHOICE!" Aqua squeaked out defensively, covering her face in shame.
"A few days ago, Cassius realized I was leaving soon! He got all clingy and begged me to let him try using my back door!"
"I was so embarrassed, I kept saying no, but he put on that ridiculously sad, pathetic puppy-dog face of his and kept pleading until I finally caved!"
She hid her glowing face in her hands, letting out a pitiful whine.
"And after that...he blew out my back entrance every single day!"
"Even this morning, right before we boarded the carriages, he pulled me behind a tree near the stables and did it again!"
"My head is still dizzy! My lower back is aching! And I-I’ve become completely addicted to the sensation, okay?!"
"So having two of these is a matter of survival for me!"
Joy stared at her, utterly speechless, beyond baffled.
Aqua had always been a bold, eccentric girl. But under Cassius’s corrupting influence, she had degenerated into an absolute pervert.
But what pissed her off the most was the fact that Cassius had used the exact same tactic on her.
The pitiful eyes. The sad voice. The talk of missing her.
"That bastard..." Joy muttered under her breath.
Aqua reached out boldly. "Since you don’t want yours anyway, just give it to—"
"NO!"
The word came out before Joy could stop it.
Aqua froze, her hand hovering in midair.
"I mean..." Joy composed herself, clearing her throat. "I...I need to confiscate it. For your own good."
"I don’t want you to indulge in such debauchery. I don’t want you to become a pervert like your brother."
Aqua’s eyes narrowed. A knowing smile spread across her face.
"Okay, Joy. Sure, sure. Of course you need to ’confiscate’ it."
"I am!" Joy insisted, her face burning. "I really am! I’m not going to use it!"
"Right, right, sure, Joy." Aqua mocked playfully, rolling her eyes. "Whatever helps you sleep at night."
Before Joy could retort, a face appeared at the carriage window. Stella was riding her horse alongside them, her head tilted in curiosity.
"Oh, you’ve also received that gift, my lady?" Stella asked, her voice innocent.
Both Joy and Aqua froze, poking their heads out the carriage window in absolute shock.
"You...You received one too?!" Aqua gasped, narrowing her eyes.
Stella’s cheeks flushed a soft pink, but she nodded dutifully. Reaching into the inner folds of her riding cloak, she pulled out a long, heavy object—an exact, identical replica of Cassius’s member.
"Yes, Lady Aqua." Stella admitted softly. "Lady Isabelle distributed them to all of us as a parting gift from the estate."
"All of you?!" Joy shrieked.
Joy and Aqua whipped their heads back toward the line of sisters riding on horseback behind them.
Noticing their lady’s gaze, every single sister on horseback blushed furiously.
Yet, with a sudden, bizarre sense of unified pride, each sister reached into their saddlebags or robes, pulling out their own rubbery, vein-adorned replicas and raising them high into the air.
To Joy’s absolute horror, the disciplined, holy battalion of sisters looked like a flock of majestic swans holding up giant, silicone weapons in unison.
Joy’s face went through several shades of red before she finally buried her face in her hands.
"I can’t believe this."
Aqua, on the other hand, was laughing so hard she could barely breathe.
But then Joy looked at Stella with a gasp.
"Wait...Stella. Did Cassius mention this morning that he wanted to ’make proper memories’ with you before you departed?"
Stella’s face flushed a deeper shade of red, but she gave a slow, respectful nod.
"Yes, my lady. But...once again, it was not just me."
She gestured vaguely toward the rest of the sisters behind them.
"Master Cassius gathered our entire squad in the underground training hall early this morning...and conducted a massive, group bonding session with all of us before we left."
The moment Stella said it, the sisters riding behind them suddenly averted their eyes in unison.
Some stared intensely at the clouds, others found the distant trees fascinating, none daring to meet
Aqua gasped, slapping a hand over her mouth.
"No wonder! When he came back to the room this morning, he smelled like an entire flower garden! I thought it was just the family hugging him!"
"But who would’ve thought he went through every single one of your squad members before coming to me?!"
She shook her head in dismay, but there was a hint of admiration in her voice.
"The deviousness of my little brother knows no bounds."
Joy slowly pulled her head back inside the carriage, sitting down heavily against the cushioned bench.
The grumpy, murderous scowl on her face could have withered a field of crops.
"For a single, pathetic moment..."
Joy growled out, her icy eyes flashing with pure, lethal promise as she stared down at the heavy dildo in her lap.
"...I actually thought I was going to miss him."
She clenched her fists until her knuckles turned white.
"Now I realize just how much of an irredeemable, depraved pervert he truly is!"
"Good. My original mission remains unchanged—I am going back to the Capital to hunt that bastard down from the very beginning!"
Aqua and Stella looked at her, and after a brief second of silence, both burst into hearty, uncontrollable laughter.
But despite all the grumbling and complaining, there was a warmth in their hearts that couldn’t be denied.
They were leaving, yes. But they knew they would return.
Because home was waiting for them.
—
Meanwhile, in the Holyfield estate, Cassius was in his study, a knowing smile on his face. He could feel the distance growing, but he wasn’t worried.
He had his plans.
He had his vision.
And soon, distance would mean nothing at all.