Chapter 706: Eyecandy

Cassius finally managed to steady himself, his breathing returning to something resembling normal.

He looked down at Maria, who was still watching him with that adorable mixture of concern and confusion, and felt something in his chest tighten.

This woman.

This sister of the Goddess, this woman who had dedicated her life to serving others—she had him completely wrapped around her finger!

He was like a dog chasing after her, desperate for any scrap of attention she might throw his way, and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.

...Not that he wanted to do anything about it.

After all, this woman was exactly his type.

He loved strong women.

Not strong in the sense of being able to take on an army or having muscles bulging all over—though that was certainly attractive in its own way.

No, he loved women who were strong in spirit. Women who had faced unimaginable hardship and emerged not broken, but stronger.

And Maria? Maria had faced hell itself.

She had been tortured, abused, treated like less than human. She had been locked away and forgotten, her spirit tested beyond what any person should have to endure.

And yet here she was. Still smiling. Still helping others. Still spreading compassion and kindness wherever she went.

If that wasn’t strength, Cassius didn’t know what was.

Because of that very strength, he had fallen in love with her just from reading her report.

Before he had ever seen her face, before he had ever heard her voice—he had read about what she had endured and how she had overcome it, and something in his heart had simply...clicked.

He was sure that even if she had been ordinary-looking, even if her face had been scarred or burned, he would not have cared. Her actions alone had been enough to capture his heart.

But she wasn’t ordinary-looking. She was stunning.

Breathtaking.

The kind of beautiful that made poets weep and artists despair of ever capturing her likeness.

And now here he was, trying his best to impress her, feeling like a jester performing for a queen.

But he didn’t mind playing the clown if it meant making her smile. He would be a fool for her every single day if that was what it took.

"What’s wrong, Cassius? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Maria’s voice broke through his thoughts.

"Is there something wrong with the dress?"

She looked down at herself, checking for wrinkles or stains, and Cassius felt his heart clench.

"No, no." He said quickly, shaking his head. "Nothing like that. I was just thinking about our future together."

She blinked. "Our future?"

"Yes." He smiled, his eyes soft. "It looks very bright, don’t you think? I was also wondering how Joy is going to react when she finds out she’s getting a new sibling."

Maria stared at him for a moment, processing his words.

Then her face went crimson.

"Cassius!" She swatted his arm, though there was no real force behind it. "What are you saying?! We haven’t even—I’m not—you can’t just—"

She sputtered, unable to form a coherent sentence, and Cassius felt a surge of satisfaction.

Things were going his way.

He then turned to Madame Elise, who had been watching their exchange with barely concealed delight.

"Please package everything I selected for Maria and have it sent to the mansion."

Madame Elise bowed deeply. "Of course, Young Master."

Hearing this, Maria’s was completely caught off guard.

"Wait—there’s no need for that, Cassius! I only need one dress. One! I don’t need so many, and I certainly don’t need you spending a fortune on—"

Cassius waved his hand dismissively.

"The cost is irrelevant, Maria. I had every intention of upgrading your wardrobe from the very beginning."

He looked her up and down meaningfully.

"You barely have any clothes to begin with."

Maria’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment. He wasn’t wrong. But hearing him say it made her feel like she had been failing some unspoken feminine duty.

"As for payment..." Cassius continued, his gaze softening as it settled on her face. "...just looking at you right now is payment enough."

Maria’s breath caught.

"But if that isn’t sufficient." He added, a teasing smile playing on his lips. "Let me put it this way."

"Buying you dresses and allowing the world to see you in them is a public service. You are a beautiful creation, Maria, and it would be selfish of me to keep that beauty hidden. Think of it as me doing a favor for all the people in the world."

Maria stared at him, utterly dumbfounded by his shamelessness.

And yet...

She was happy.

She didn’t know why. She should have been offended by his presumption, irritated by his arrogance, annoyed by his complete disregard for her protests.

Instead, she felt warm. Cherished. Like someone had finally seen her and decided she was worth every effort.

Was she becoming just as shameless as him?

Maybe, but she didn’t argue further.

Cassius took that as agreement and turned back to Madame Elise, who was already directing her staff to gather the selected items.

Packages began accumulating on the counter—dresses and skirts and blouses, all carefully wrapped in tissue paper and tied with ribbon.

What Maria didn’t notice was the second pile.

Cassius had been busy while she was in the fitting room. A dress for each of his wives. Something for the maids. And the women at the Holy Guard.

And a particularly glittery number that he knew Avery would adore—the woman loved anything that sparkled.

He had the clerk wrap those separately, with instructions to deliver them discreetly.

He wasn’t stupid enough to mention them in front of Maria.

Madame Elise, bless her, handled the transaction with her usual efficiency, nodding and smiling as the packages were carried out to the delivery cart.

Not once did she glance at the second pile or acknowledge its existence.

Just as Cassius was about to suggest they continue their date, Madame Elise cleared her throat.

"Young Master, the outfit you ordered for yourself has arrived. It’s ready for you to change into."

Maria looked up, surprised.

"You ordered something too? But what you’re wearing is already..." She paused, looking him up and down "...more than enough."

He looked handsome in his simple white shirt and black pants. More than handsome, really.

The casual outfit suited him, made him seem approachable, almost boyish.

Cassius simply smiled mysteriously.

"Let’s just say I want to match your theme."

Maria tilted her head, confused. "My theme?"

He didn’t explain.

He took the garment bag from Madame Elise and looked around for a changing room.

But then Madame Elise quickly stepped in front of him, hands raised.

"I’m sorry, Young Master, but you can’t go into the fitting room. It’s reserved for women only. So unfortunately...you’ll have to change right here if that’s all right."

The clerks nodded vigorously in perfect agreement, eyes bright.

Cassius blinked, then shrugged with an easy laugh.

"I see. I totally forgot about that. All right then—I’ll change right here."

Maria was confused at first. She knew the fitting room was for women, but everyone in the store clearly adored Cassius. The girls were always fawning over him.

So, why not let him use it?

Then Cassius casually pulled his shirt off over his head, and everything clicked.

His upper body was revealed in all its glory—broad, powerfully muscled shoulders, sharply defined abs, a back that looked strong enough to carry boulders, and arms so thick she doubted she could wrap both hands around one.

It was the body of a warrior, not a pampered noble.

Maria’s eyes shimmered with open admiration. She had seen him naked twice before, but she had been too distracted by...matters underneath to truly appreciate this.

Now she couldn’t look away. She told herself she should, that a proper sister of the Goddess shouldn’t stare, but her gaze kept drifting back, cheeks growing hotter by the second.

She quickly realized she wasn’t the only one.

Madame Elise and every female clerk were shamelessly drinking in the sight, eyes wide, some licking their lips, others actually drooling.

It was then that the truth dawned on Maria: they had deliberately tricked him into changing out here so they could admire the eye candy.

She wanted to laugh at their audacity, but at the same time she couldn’t blame them. She was enjoying the view far too much herself.

The reactions only intensified when Cassius unbuckled his belt and slid his pants down, leaving him in nothing but his underwear.

His strong legs and thick, powerful thighs drew another collective sigh of awe.

Madame Elise actually began fanning herself. "My, my...it’s suddenly so warm in here."

And through the thin fabric of his underwear, the massive, unmistakable bulge was impossible to ignore—long and heavy, stretching the material downward.

The clerks’ whispers started immediately.

"I thought they were only joking around, but the rumors are true...our Young Master really is packing."

"Of course he is! Look at how radiant every woman in the mansion always looks. That massive monster is probably the reason they glow like that every single day."

One clerk leaned in, voice hushed.

"Is it...awakening right now? It already looks so big..."

Madame Elise, the most experienced of them all, swallowed hard and answered.

"No, he’s probably just resting. If it truly awakens...it will be much, much bigger."

A fresh wave of shocked, delighted gasps rippled through the room.

Maria’s face burned scarlet. She was mortified by how openly they were discussing him, yet she couldn’t deny a single word.

She had seen the monster with her own eyes before—it was every bit as devastating as they imagined.

The secret knowledge that she had witnessed something the others hadn’t made a tiny, shameful spark of pride bloom in her chest. She felt, for just a moment, as if she were closer to him than any of them.

Then the realization of what she was feeling hit her, and she blushed even harder, forcing herself to look away.

Cassius, of course, heard every whisper. He simply chuckled under his breath and continued dressing without a hint of embarrassment.

When Maria finally allowed herself to look back, she was stunned into silence.

Cassius now stood before her in sleek black vestments—the formal robes of a church father.

The dark fabric was neatly tailored, elegant and solemn, transforming him from roguish playboy into a holy figure seeking divine truth.

Yet his strikingly handsome face and those piercing crimson eyes still carried that unmistakable devilish spark.

The contrast was intoxicating: pure holiness wrapped around pure sin.

Maria’s mouth fell open.

"What...What is that, Cassius? What are you wearing?"