Depraved Noble: Forced To Live The Debaucherous Life Of An Evil Noble!-Chapter 105: Fingerless Man

Skadi's words hung in the air, heavy and foreboding, sending a ripple of unease through Julie and Aisha.

Unlike most of the nobles or maids in Cassius's mansion—people who'd likely never set foot on a battlefield in their pampered lives—Skadi was different.

She'd spent a good chunk of her youth fighting, clawing her way through skirmishes and hunts as a warrior. So when she said she could smell something akin to a battlefield nearby, in a place where they were supposed to be safe, it wasn't just alarming—it was downright terrifying.

Julie's grip on her sword hilt tightened, her eyes darting around as she tried to piece it together.

"A battlefield?" She muttered, her voice low and tense. "Here? That doesn't add up. We've been at a party all night—drunk knights and desserts, not...not whatever this is." She glanced at Aisha, her brow furrowed. "What do you think? Some kind of trap? An attack we missed?"

Aisha's ears twitched, her tail flicking nervously as she crossed her arms, trying to mask her growing anxiety with a scowl. "I don't know, Captain. This place is huge—maybe someone got sloppy cleaning up a fight? Or...Or maybe Cassius is into weirder stuff than we thought."

She shot a quick, wary glance back down the hallway they'd come from, her flush from earlier replaced by a pale unease.

"But Skadi's not one to exaggerate about smells. If she says it's bad, it's bad. I just...How could something like that happen here without us noticing?"

Julie nodded slowly, her mind racing. "That's what's bothering me. We've been distracted—sure, with the party, with...him—" She jerked her head vaguely toward Cassius's room, her lips pressing into a thin line. "—but a battlefield's worth of blood? That's not subtle. That's not something you miss unless it's hidden on purpose."

Before either of them could speculate further, Skadi interrupted, her voice cutting through their hushed discussion like a blade.

"It's not just blood." She said, her tone dropping even lower, her eyes narrowing as she sniffed the air again. "There's rotting corpses too. Old ones. Fresh ones. Mixed together." Her nose wrinkled, her usual cheer replaced by a visceral discomfort. "It's strong—like it's been sitting there, festering."

The words flipped a switch in Julie and Aisha. The faint traces of humor or disbelief they'd clung to evaporated instantly, replaced by a cold, gripping seriousness.

Julie's posture shifting into that of a soldier bracing for combat, while Aisha's ears flattened, her amber eyes widening as she took an involuntary step closer to Julie, her bravado gone.

"Rotting corpses?" Julie repeated, her voice sharp with alarm. "You're sure?"

Skadi nodded, her expression grim. "Dead sure. It's not just blood—it's death. A lot of it. I've smelled it before, on hunts, after battles. This is...worse, though. Thicker. Like it's been trapped somewhere."

Aisha swallowed hard, her voice trembling slightly despite her efforts to keep it steady. "Okay, that's...That's not funny anymore. Blood's one thing—maybe someone got hurt, maybe there's a reasonable explanation—but corpses? In Cassius's mansion? What the hell is going on here? Is this some sick noble game we don't know about?"

Julie shook her head, her jaw clenching. "I don't know, but if there's that much death nearby, we need to find it. Now." She turned to Skadi, her gaze intense. "Can you track it? Pinpoint where it's coming from?"

Skadi's ears twitched, and she gave a firm nod. "Of course I can. It's not even hard—it's so blatant it's stinging my nose. Like it's screaming at me." She took a deep breath, her nostrils flaring as she locked onto the scent. "Follow me. It's this way."

Without another word, Skadi took off, her movements swift and purposeful. Julie and Aisha fell in step behind her, their earlier bickering forgotten as they matched her pace.

Skadi led them through the sprawling mansion with the confidence of a predator on the hunt, weaving left and right down opulent corridors, past gilded portraits and ornate vases that seemed out of place against the grim task at hand.

They descended a grand staircase, then another, narrower one that spiraled downward into the lower levels of the estate.

The air grew cooler, the sounds of the party fading into a distant hum as they ventured into a part of the mansion that felt forgotten—darker, quieter, heavier. Skadi didn't slow, her steps quick and sure as she led them into the basement, a sprawling network of stone corridors lit only by flickering sconces.

"This place gives me the creeps." Aisha muttered, her voice barely above a whisper as she stuck close to Julie. "Why's it so gloomy down here? What's Cassius even use this for?"

"Storage, maybe." Julie replied, her eyes scanning the shadows. "Or something he doesn't want anyone seeing. Either way, stay sharp."

Skadi finally stopped in front of a section of the basement that looked particularly neglected. The stone walls were damp and moss—stained, the air thick with a musty chill.

Before them stood a large, weathered shelf, its wooden frame sagging under the weight of old supplies—dusty crates, rusted tools, and jars of who—knows—what. It looked innocuous enough, but Skadi's nose wrinkled again, her gaze fixed on it with unwavering certainty.

"It's behind there." She said, her voice low and tense. "The smell's strongest right here."

Julie frowned, stepping closer to inspect the shelf. "Behind it? You mean there's something hidden?"

Aisha, her curiosity piqued despite her unease, darted forward before Julie could stop her. "Let me see." She said, her hands brushing against the shelf. She gave it a tentative push—and to her surprise, it slid aside with ease, gliding smoothly on a concealed railing beneath it.

The movement revealed a heavy, iron—bound door set into the stone wall, its surface marred with scratches and faint rust.

Julie's stomach dropped. "A hidden door." She muttered, her hand resting on her sword again. "That's not a good sign."

Aisha took a step back, as she stared at the door with a growing sense of dread. "Yeah, I've got a bad feeling about this, Captain. Like...a really bad feeling. Hidden doors in basements don't lead to treasure rooms —they lead to trouble."

Skadi nodded, her solemn expression unchanging. "The blood's coming from in there. The corpses too. It's so strong now—it's like the whole room's soaked in it."

Julie took a deep breath, her eyes locked on the heavy door as Skadi's words settled over them like a dark cloud. She squared her shoulders, her voice cutting through the tense silence with a firm resolve.

"Alright. Now that we've found the source, we don't have a choice we need to see what's inside. Whatever's behind this door, it's not going away on its own. Be prepared for anything—blood, bodies, or worse. We've faced ugly things before; this is no different." She glanced at Aisha and Skadi, her expression stern but steady. "Stay sharp. We're doing this together."

And then without hesitation Julie took the lead, her movements smooth and practiced as she positioned herself in front of the door. Aisha and Skadi flanked her, instinctively falling into formation like they'd done countless times before on missions—Julie at the vanguard, ready to charge, with her sisters poised to back her up at a moment's notice.

It was second nature to them, a rhythm born from years of trust and survival.

Julie cast one final glance over her shoulder, meeting Aisha's amber gaze and Skadi's solemn stare and then with a fluid motion, she unsheathed her sword, the blade gleaming faintly in the dim basement light. She stepped forward, aligning the edge with the door's locking mechanism—a thick, rusted bolt that looked like it hadn't been touched in years.

And then with a single, precise swing, she sliced through it cleanly, the metal parting under her steel. The trio tensed, their breaths held as Julie then used the tip of her sword to nudge the door open.

The hinges groaned in protest, the sound grating against the silence as the heavy slab of wood and iron swung inward. They braced themselves, expecting a grisly scene—a graveyard of corpses, blood pooling on the floor, the stench of death overwhelming their senses.

But what they saw was both shocking and, in a strange way, confusing.

The door opened fully to reveal a small, dimly lit storage room, its flickering light casting long shadows across the stone walls. There were no piles of bodies, no rivers of blood staining the floor.

Instead, two figures sat slumped against the far wall, their hands and legs bound with thick rope, their mouths gagged with dirty cloth. The air was thick with a foul stench—rotting food, sweat, and something faintly metallic—but it wasn't the overwhelming reek of a slaughter they'd feared.

Julie's eyes widened as she recognized one of the captives. "Edmund?" She breathed, her voice tinged with disbelief.

It was indeed Edmund, the Patriarch's personal doctor—a wiry, middle—aged man with sharp features and a reputation for his skill with herbs and tonics. The Patriarch had been fond of him, treating him almost like a confidant, which made his disappearance over a week ago all the more alarming.

Now, here he was, tied up and leaning against the wall, his clothes tattered and his face gaunt from days of captivity.

The moment his bleary eyes landed on Julie and the others, they lit up with desperate hope. He started thrashing against his bindings, muffled grunts and pleas escaping through the gag as he tried to signal for help.

Aisha stepped forward, her brows knitting together in confusion as she took in the sight. "Edmund? The Patriarch's doctor? What's he doing here?" She glanced at Julie, her voice dropping to a hushed, urgent tone. "This doesn't make any sense. He went missing about a week ago—everyone thought he'd run off or gotten himself killed somewhere!"

Julie sheathed her sword, though her hand lingered near the hilt as she studied Edmund's frantic movements. "Yeah, I remember. The Patriarch was furious—ordering a full search for Edmund." She frowned, her mind racing. "But why here? Why in Cassius's basement?"

Aisha's lips curled into a wry, humorless smile as she crossed her arms. "Oh, come on, Captain. You know why. Word was, Edmund hated Cassius for being a wastrel and was even vying for Cassius's position, saying that he was more of an appropriate son of the Patriarch, then Cassius was."

"...Also who else would have the guts to snatch one of the Patriarch's closest aides and stash him away like this?" She tilted her head toward the door, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Our dear, lustful host, that's who."

Julie exhaled sharply, nodding as the pieces clicked into place. She then stepped into the room, her boots echoing against the stone floor as she approached Edmund.

The stench hit her harder now—a mix of unwashed bodies, mold, and something faintly coppery that made her stomach turn. "Well, at least he's relatively safe and unharmed." She said, kneeling beside him to inspect his bindings. "That's something."

Edmund's muffled pleas grew louder, his eyes wide and glistening with unshed tears as he nodded vigorously, clearly begging to be freed. Seeing this, Julie reached for the gag but paused as her gaze shifted to the second figure slumped beside him.

Her breath caught, and her face paled as she took in the sight.

"But that can't be said for this one." Julie said softly, her voice laced with a quiet horror as she stared at the second captive slumped against the wall.

Even these three, who had weathered countless bloody battles—seen comrades fall, enemies bleed out, and fields stained red shivered at the state of the man before them.

Unlike Edmund, who was trembling but alive, this middle—aged man was tied up, gagged, and currently unconscious, his body a testament to unspeakable cruelty.

What shocked them to their core wasn't just his presence, but the grotesque mutilation he'd endured.

All his fingers and toes were gone—severed cleanly from his body, the stumps crusted with dried blood. The floor beneath him was soaked in a dark, congealed pool, the source of the metallic stench that had drawn Skadi here.

The cuts were precise, surgical, as if done with deliberate care rather than rage.

Edmund, still trembling beside Julie, refused to even glance in the man's direction, his face pale and his eyes squeezed shut. A faint, acrid whiff of urine lingered in the air, a silent testament to the terror he'd endured sitting next to this nightmare.

Aisha's breath hitched, her hand tightening on Julie's arm as she stared at the man's mangled limbs. "That's revolting..." She whispered, her voice shaking despite her usual bravado. "Who does something like this? This isn't war—this is sick."

Julie nodded grimly, her own stomach twisting as she forced herself to look at the scene. "I've seen men die in awful ways." She murmured, her tone low and strained. "Limbs lost, guts spilled...but this?"

"...This is different. This wasn't quick. Whoever did it took their time." Her gaze lingered on the blood—soaked floor, her mind racing to make sense of the brutality.

But before they could process it further, Skadi—who'd been standing silently near Edmund—shifted her attention to a corner of the room.

Her ears twitched, and with a hesitant step, she reached for a small, dented metal bucket tucked against the wall.

And even she, a ruthless warrior who'd slashed through enemies without blinking, who'd severed limbs in the heat of battle, faltered as she lifted it. Her hands trembled slightly, her eyes widening as she peered inside.

Noticing her reaction, Julie and Aisha exchanged a wary glance before stepping closer. "Skadi?" Julie asked, her voice cautious. "What is it?"

Skadi didn't answer right away. She tilted the bucket toward them, her expression a rare mix of disgust and unease.

When Julie and Aisha looked inside, their eyes widened, and a wave of revulsion crashed over them. The bucket was filled with the man's severed fingers and toes—but that wasn't the worst of it.

Each finger or toe had been meticulously sliced into thin, uniform pieces, like a carrot diced for stew. The cuts were so precise, so methodical and it was clear that the person who had cut the man's appendages off didn't simply slice them off as whole and took his time cutting them off piece by piece until only the stump remained.

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Aisha gagged, her hand flying to her mouth as she stumbled back into Julie, clutching her captain's arm like a lifeline. "Oh god!—That's...that's vile!" She choked out, her voice trembling with a mix of nausea. and fear. "Who does that?! They didn't just cut them off —they sat there, slicing them up like...like it was some twisted game!

Skadi set the bucket down with a soft clank, her usual cheer replaced by a rare, shaken silence. She also stepped closer to Julie and Aisha, her tail still as she muttered.

"Skadi has killed plenty before. Hacked off arms, legs...but this? This is wrong. Even for Skadi." Her nose wrinkled, the stench of blood and decay overwhelming even her battle-hardened senses.

Aisha pressed herself tighter against Julie, her claws digging into her arm. "What kind of monster does this?" She whispered, as she looked away from the brutal sight. A horrifying thought then appeared in her mind as she slowly looked up at Julie and hesitantly asked, "We're in Cassius's mansion—Cassius's basement....You don't think?"

"I—"

But before Julie could respond, knowing exactly what her little sister was implying, a casual but chilling voice cut through the air from behind them, sending a jolt through all three.

"So this is where you three were...Lucious said you were looking for me."

"...And it seems like you've found something rather interesting, that no one was ever supposed to witness."

The words were light, almost playful, but there was an eerie edge to them that made the hair on Julie's neck stand up.

Slowly, as if moving through molasses, she, Aisha, and Skadi turned around, their hearts pounding in unison.

And what they found was Cassius, standing in the doorway, blocking their only exit.

He leaned casually against the frame, his arms crossed, a faint smile playing on his lips. His clothes were slightly disheveled, his hair tousled as if he'd just rolled out of bed—or whatever he'd been doing with his maids.

But it was his eyes that stopped them cold. They glowed with a bright, unnatural crimson, sharp and piercing, like a demon peering out from a human mask.

Seeing this and knowing that her only route of escape was blocked by Cassius, Julie's hand instinctively tightened on her sword, still sheathed but ready to draw, while Aisha froze, her lips ready to cast a spell as she pressed closer to Julie, her breath shallow.

Skadi on the other hand tensed like a predator facing a rival, even though she was really confused as to what she was supposed to feel when it was her favourite master who was in front of her.

...The same master who brought her for a ride on top of his head...

...The same master who spared her life when she was out for his head.

But at the same time also the same master who seemed to have brutalised the man behind her, making her feel unbelievably conflicted to the extent that her sharp claws kept on emerging and retracting, almost as if her mind was telling her that he was a threat while her heart was on his side...