Chapter 287: Perverted Old Men

Cassius opened the flaps of the tent and stepped inside, and immediately noticed the warmth and faint sweet scent of lavender oil wafting through the air.

And the moment he did, Julie, seated on one of the multiple inflatable beds embedded into the tent’s floor, looked up at him with a radiant, enthusiastic smile. Her legs swung back and forth like an excited child’s as she gently bounced up and down on the springy surface, testing its resilience.

"Cassius! You weren’t kidding about upgrading us from those flimsy tents." She said, her eyes sparkling. "These beds are incredible! They’re so bouncy, better than the ones I’ve got back at home."

"...I don’t think I’ll ever want to sleep on the ground again after this."

She pressed her palms down and gave another small bounce, laughing softly at how the bed cushioned her movement.

"I was just telling Aisha and Skadi about it. You really went above and beyond."

Cassius’s gaze flicked past her, and he noticed Aisha and Skadi. The two girls had gone completely stiff the moment he entered.

Almost instantly, they jumped as if startled, their tails flicking nervously before they darted behind Julie, clutching at her like frightened kittens hiding behind their older sister.

Julie blinked in surprise at their sudden behavior. "What’s wrong with you two? Why are you acting like you’ve seen a ghost?"

Aisha, cheeks flushed red, waved her hands and stammered out. "N-Nothing! It’s nothing at all. I-I just felt a sudden gust of cold wind when Cassius opened the flap...That’s all! It’s so chilly in here, isn’t it?"

Skadi quickly nodded her head in agreement, ears twitching nervously. "Y-Yes! That’s it. The wind. It’s freezing. So cold!"

Julie raised a brow but eventually nodded.

"Hmm...makes sense. The fireplace is still outside. We can’t exactly bring it in here, it’d burn the whole place down." She glanced around at the walls of the inflatable tent, her expression thoughtful.

Cassius let out a small amused hum and strode further in, carrying a small metallic contraption in his hand that gave off a faint hum.

"There’s no need to worry about that." He said smoothly, setting the device down on the inflatable table embedded into the floor. "I brought this heater along. It’ll keep the tent nice and warm."

Julie’s brows shot up as she watched him carefully adjust the settings. "Wait...you even brought a heater?"

Cassius smirked slightly. "Why wouldn’t I? A comfortable night’s sleep is an essential part of any mission."

Julie gave a small awkward laugh. "Honestly, is there anything you don’t have hidden away in that ring of yours?"

"Not everything." Cassius said with a shrug. "Just the essentials. Speaking of which—"

He flicked his wrist, and with another wave of his hand, several more items appeared on the table: soft blankets, bedsheets, cushioned night footwear, and silky nightdresses that looked impossibly comfortable.

Julie, Aisha, and Skadi all froze for a moment, their eyes wide as they took in the luxurious fabrics and delicate designs of the nightwear.

"Here..." Cassius handed the folded nightdresses to Julie. "I’m sure none of you want to stay in the same clothes you were riding in all day. These will be much more comfortable."

Julie hesitated, her fingers brushing the smooth fabric as her eyes flicked up to his face. "Why...Why do you even have female clothes in that ring? I mean, the blankets and the heater are one thing, but...nightdresses?"

"Why else?" Cassius replied smoothly, not missing a beat. "I have a lot of wives back home. If I can’t even carry a few spare clothes for them, what kind of husband would I be? They come before anything else."

Julie blinked in surprise at his blunt answer, her cheeks coloring faintly as his words settled in. "I...see. That’s...surprisingly sweet, actually."

Cassius’s gaze shifted to Aisha and Skadi, still huddled nervously behind their older sister. The moment his eyes fell on them, both girls flinched like startled deer, their bodies tensing as if expecting him to suddenly lunge forward and drag them out.

But instead, Cassius exhaled softly, his expression softening into a smirk. "Relax. Change into these clothes and get comfortable on the beds. I’ll go fetch the food in a minute."

With that, he turned and strode out of the tent, his long strides full of calm confidence.

All three women blinked at one another in bafflement.

Julie raised the nightdress in her hands and smiled. "Well...I guess wearing nightclothes on a mission is something new. But still, should we try them on?"

Aisha and Skadi hesitated for a moment, their cheeks still faintly flushed from earlier, but eventually nodded in unison.

Unlike other noblewomen or even typical girls their age, the trio didn’t take long to strip and change.

They were soldiers first and foremost, trained to put on and remove gear swiftly in the harshest of conditions. Changing clothes was second nature to them, and so in just moments, they had shed their armor, peeled off the thick, sweaty riding garments that clung stubbornly to their skin, and slipped into the silky nightgowns Cassius had provided.

The dresses were also perfectly tailored to each of them, hugging all the right places yet flowing lightly enough to feel like air.

The moment the fabric brushed against her skin, Skadi gasped and hugged herself, a bright, goofy smile spreading across her face.

"Ohhh my gosh...it feels so good!" She said with a little twirl, the hem of the gown fluttering. "I’ve never felt anything this soft on my body before. Compared to this, my usual clothes feel like scratchy socks."

Aisha, still tugging the last strap of her gown into place, nodded in agreement and ran her fingers down the smooth fabric.

"I hate to admit it, but...you’re right. Nobles really do live in luxury if this is what they wear every night." She looked down at her own small frame, frowning. "Compared to this, all my clothes really do feel like rucksacks."

Julie, seated on her bed as she smoothed down the silky material of her own gown, shook her head with a faint laugh.

"Don’t be so quick to assume." She ran her palms along the cool fabric, marveling at how it seemed to glisten faintly under the lantern light. "I am a noble myself, you know, and even I’ve never worn clothes this soft. This is on a whole different level."

Her brows furrowed slightly as she glanced at the pile of folded gowns Cassius had handed them.

"Honestly...I don’t even know where he got something like this."

That’s when Aisha, her eyes suddenly sparking with a mischievous thought, said. "Wait...what if he made them? Like he does with everything else."

Julie froze for a beat before letting out an awkward chuckle. "You know...after seeing all the other absurd things that man has created and carried in that ring, that doesn’t even sound far-fetched anymore."

As Aisha spun slowly, testing how freely the gown flowed with her movement, she murmured thoughtfully. "And somehow he managed to get our sizes perfectly. I mean, look at this fit. It’s like the dress was made just for me."

Then, with a sly smirk and a knowing glint in her eyes, she added in a teasing tone, "It almost feels like Cassius has been carefully observing our bodies. Leering at us, even. Enough to memorize every curve and get our sizes down perfectly."

"...Expected from a playboy like him, huh?"

Julie’s face went red at the insinuation as she glanced down at her own gown.

"I hate to admit it, but you’re not wrong. It is perfect...Scarily perfect." She sighed and added with a half-serious, half-teasing frown. "I don’t know how I should feel about that. Did he take our measurements before without us noticing...? Or worse, does he have some magical way of sizing us up?"

That thought made Aisha pause, her mischievousness fading into genuine curiosity.

"If these clothes already existed...doesn’t that mean one of his wives back home has the same body shape as us?" She tilted her head, voice softening. "I mean...I’m so small, it’s rare to find a girl my size. I can’t help but wonder which one of his wives shares my body type."

But before she could muse any further, Skadi’s eyes lit up as if struck by a shocking realization.

"Wait!" She blurted out in an almost innocent tone, like dropping a bomb without realizing it. "If these clothes were meant for his wives, and we’re wearing them right now...doesn’t that mean we’re his wives now, too?"

The tent fell silent.

Julie was the first to react, her entire face heating as she waved her hands frantically, nearly tripping over her words.

"N-Not at all! Not at all! Don’t say such ridiculous things! I’m just borrowing clothes! That doesn’t make me his wife!"

Her voice cracked with righteous indignation as she huffed and crossed her arms tightly over her chest.

"There’s no way I could be declared someone’s wife just because I wore their clothes! Ridiculous!"

Aisha quickly nodded her head in agreement, her face pink though her lips were twitching as if she was trying to hold something back. "Y-Yes! It’s like the captain says. Borrowing clothes doesn’t mean anything...right?"

Yet even as she said it, her heart felt tight in her chest.

’Still...wearing clothes he gave me.’ She thought to herself, her cheeks growing even warmer. ’It feels like I’ve become closer to him. Like I’m already halfway to being his wife.’

But Aisha quickly masked her fluster with a smug smile and began creeping toward Julie, whose suspicion grew instantly as she narrowed her eyes.

"What are you doing?" Julie asked, her tone cautious.

Aisha’s grin widened. "Speaking of these gowns...they really do emphasize our bodies perfectly, don’t they?" She glanced down at Julie’s figure. "And especially you, Captain...this gown really shows off your big, round butt."

"Excuse me?!" Julie’s eyes went wide as she instinctively pulled her gown down over her hips.

Before Julie could react further, Skadi jumped in eagerly, her smile back in place as her eyes zeroed in on Julie’s rear.

"She’s right, captain! The gown’s hugging your butt so well...I can even see each round curve so closely!"

Then, as if compelled by some irresistible force, Skadi reached out with both hands and gently cupped Julie’s backside.

"Kyaa!"

Julie let out a high-pitched yelp and jumped up so fast the bed squeaked beneath her.

"W-What are you two doing to your captain, Skadi?!" She shouted, her hands swatting at Skadi as her face turned bright crimson. "How dare you say such inappropriate things, and touch such inappropriate places!"

Aisha smirked as Julie tried to maintain her composure, her cheeks glowing red like embers.

"Inappropriate?...There’s nothing inappropriate about this."

Aisha said, her voice silky and teasing, as her eyes trailed shamelessly down to Julie’s backside, the thin nightgown hugging every curve of her body.

The fabric clung just enough to outline her perfectly rounded hips, the soft swell of her ass forming two taut, mouthwatering mounds that shifted ever so slightly as Julie nervously shifted her weight from foot to foot. The gown’s smooth texture highlighted every dip and rise, as if it had been painted on for the express purpose of seduction.

"Honestly..." Aisha continued with an exaggerated sigh. "Your body is something poetic, Captain. I can’t help admiring it. And with a butt like that..." Her voice dropped to a husky murmur. "Anyone would get weak in the knees. Even I can’t stop staring."

Julie’s face burned even brighter as her hands shot back to pull the fabric of her gown down further. "A-Aisha! I, this is completely improper—"

But Aisha ignored her protests, stepping in closer.

"You know, Captain...I’ve got nothing on you. I don’t have any assets like that, so how could I not look? That big, perfect ass...it’s like a blessing and a curse."

Skadi’s ears twitched as she nodded emphatically, her own cheeks pink but her grin mischievous.

"It’s true, Captain! I mean, I’ve got a pretty perky butt and a decent chest too, but compared to you? I’m just a little cub...You’ve got that mature, older woman allure we can’t even hope to match."

Julie stepped back, clutching her chest with both hands as her embarrassment deepened. "Y-You two...you’re even worse than Cassius right now! Talking like some perverted old men!"