Depraved Noble: Forced To Live The Debaucherous Life Of An Evil Noble!-Chapter 505: Don’t Ever Leave Me Again

When she was finally in front of him, she smiled sadly through the tears welling in her eyes.

"Wow...you look even more real this time." She said softly. "My previous hallucinations were already pretty convincing, but this one? This one’s amazing."

She circled around him slowly, her tail brushing lightly against the grass, while Cassius simply watched her with that same patient smile.

"You even move when I move and you have a shadow too? Hah, that’s new."

"At this rate, I’ll start talking to thin air like a crazy person." Nala let out a small laugh, though it was shaky and hollow. "Maybe someday I’ll completely replace the real you with this version in my head."

She gave a bittersweet smile, her voice dropping to a whisper.

"Honestly...I wouldn’t even mind that."

Her eyes softened as she looked up at him again.

"Because even if it’s just a dream...it still feels good to see you again."

For a moment, she stood there in silence, her gaze tender, filled with longing. Then, softly, she whispered,

"But just like I can see you, it would be nice if I could touch you too. Just once more. Just to feel you again..."

With a trembling hand, she slowly reached up toward his cheek.

She fully expected her hand to go right through him like it always did, expected him to vanish like mist in the sunlight.

But this time...it didn’t.

Her palm pressed against something warm and solid and her breath caught.

Her eyes widened, her pupils trembling as she rubbed her hand slightly, as if testing reality.

But no matter how much she doubted it, his skin was firm, real. Her fingers brushed against his jaw, and she could even feel his breath against her wrist.

Her gaze lifted, and when she finally met his eyes—those same dark, mischievous eyes she’d missed so much—her entire body went still.

Cassius also met her gaze, a little tired but full of warmth as he finally whispered,

"Hey, Nala."

Her lips quivered.

"You ready to go back home with me now?"

For a second, everything inside her broke. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Her throat closed, and tears welled up so quickly she couldn’t even see. Her lips trembled as she tried to speak—she wanted to say his name, to curse him, to scream, to laugh—but no sound came out.

Instead, she just moved.

With a choked sob, she lunged forward, wrapping her arms around him so tightly that she nearly knocked him off his feet.

Her tail coiled around his waist, then around his back, and soon she had him completely encased in a serpentine embrace—squeezing him, holding him, as if she was terrified he’d vanish if she let go.

"Y-You idiot!"

She finally cried, her voice muffled against his chest as the tears streamed freely now.

"You stupid, stupid idiot! You really came back!"

Cassius laughed softly, though his voice was a little strained from the tightness of her grip.

"H-Hey, easy there...I need to breathe too, you know."

But Nala didn’t let go. Her body trembled against his as she clung to him even tighter, her sobs shaking her shoulders.

"I thought—I thought I’d never see you again! You left me with all those thoughts and—you...you..."

Her words broke off into another sob while Cassius who had already heard from Grandma Wanda about the misunderstanding, smiled faintly, wrapping his arms around her.

"I know." He murmured softly. "I know. I’m sorry for making you wait."

She pressed her face against his chest, her tears soaking into his shirt.

"I missed you so much...you don’t even know..."

"I missed you too, Nala." He rested his chin on her head, his voice quiet, full of warmth.

"Don’t ever do that again, Cassius..." Her tail tightened again, her entire body trembling as she whispered. "Don’t ever leave me again..."

"I won’t. I promise."

Hearing this, Nala lifted her head finally, her eyes red and shimmering, her lips trembling.

"You...you’re really here, right? You’re not just another dream?"

Cassius looked into her eyes, smiling tenderly. "I’m real. You can even whip me a few times with your tail to check."

She searched his gaze for even the slightest sign of deceit—but found none. Her lips quivered, and then, overwhelmed by relief, she buried her face against his chest again, clutching him tighter than before.

And though his lungs protested under the strength of her embrace, Cassius simply smiled, holding her close.

"I’m back, Nala." He whispered softly, his voice carrying the gentlest of laughs. "I’m back and I’m never leaving you alone again."

—

The morning sunlight poured across the quiet village like honey, warming the cobbled paths and wooden rooftops. Birds sang from the thatched eaves, and a soft wind carried the scent of fresh bread and spring flowers.

But this morning was unlike any other.

The entire village was awake—men, women, and children all gathered near the village gates, filling the air with excited chatter and laughter.

The news had spread like wildfire:

"Young Master Cassius has returned!"

"He’s come back for Nala!"

Even those who had doubted, who thought he was just another fleeting traveler were now smiling with relief and pride.

Because against all odds, Cassius had truly come back.

By the time Cassius, Nala, and the others reached the village gates, half the village was already there.

Children clambered onto fences to get a better look.

The elderly waved their hands proudly.

Mothers smiled, whispering blessings under their breath, and fathers called out cheerful words of farewell.

The air was thick with emotion, laughter, and tears all mixed together.

Nala, herself on the other hand, sat tall—or as tall as one could while trying to balance her long serpentine tail on the horse, sitting in front of Cassius.

Behind them followed Julie, Skadi, and Aisha, were mounted on their own horses, while a long line of carriages rumbled behind them—each filled with the rescued children, giggling and waving excitedly to the cheering villagers.

Nala then turned to look back at the crowd, her golden eyes sparkling. She waved her hand enthusiastically.

"Goodbye, guys! Goodbye!" She shouted, her voice carrying over the clamor. "I’m off now—to live the noble and lavish life of a lady!"

That earned her a roar of laughter from the crowd.

She laughed too, her eyes sparkling.

"But don’t worry, I’ll send you guys lots of goodies and treats! Maybe even a expensive artifact from the Holyfield household—you can sell it for a fortune!" She winked dramatically. "I doubt Cassius will even notice if a few go missing. He’s that rich!"

The villagers burst into laughter again, clapping and waving. Even the old baker, who rarely left his shop, was grinning ear to ear.

"Goodbye, Nala!" Someone shouted.

"We’ll miss you!"

"Don’t forget about us!"

Nala cupped her hands and shouted back.

"As if I could forget all of you noisy people!"

And that made everyone laugh even harder, but now some were starting to cry.

At the front of the crowd stood Grandma Wanda, her white hair braided neatly, her wrinkled face glowing with pride and bittersweet emotion. She leaned on her cane, smiling warmly as she watched her granddaughter waving from atop the horse.

"Goodbye, Nala!" The old woman called, her voice surprisingly strong. "I’ll miss the mess you always made around Tavern!"

Nala giggled, blinking rapidly to hide the tears welling in her eyes.

"I’ll miss you too, Grandma! Don’t forget to eat your soup every morning, okay? And—" Her voice broke slightly "—and don’t let the others bully you into giving up your chair during festivals!"

That earned another round of smiles from the villagers—and a fond sigh from Grandma Wanda.

"Go on, child." She said softly. "Go and live your life. Make it a grand one."

As the horse began to move forward, Nala’s cheerful grin started to waver.

She looked back once more, and her eyes met her grandmother’s.

In that instant, the memories flooded her—memories of her grandmother teaching her how to braid her hair, how to cook, how to fish, how to smile even when she was crying.

Memories of all the nights Grandma Wanda had stayed up by the fire when Nala had nightmares, holding her hand until she fell asleep.

Her chest tightened painfully, and tears began to spill down her cheeks. She then quickly wiped them away, whispering,

"No...no crying, Nala. Not now."

But her voice trembled as she said it and she wondered if she should just go back to her grandma.

And seeing her granddaughter’s face, Grandma Wanda read her like an open book as she always did and gave her a slow, knowing shake of her head.

Then, with a gentle smile, she raised her hand and waved one last time.

That single gesture was enough.

Nala sniffled hard, forcing a smile through her tears, and waved back.

"Goodbye, Grandma!" She called, her voice cracking halfway through.

And then the horse passed through the gates, into the forest trail beyond the village.

The cheers and laughter slowly faded behind them, replaced by the soft rustling of leaves and the distant creak of carriage wheels.

Meanwhile, Nala wiped at her eyes again, though fresh tears kept threatening to fall.

She kept her head low, trying not to let anyone notice. But Cassius, sitting just behind her, noticed immediately.

But he didn’t say anything for a moment, just watched her shoulders tremble slightly as she tried to keep up her smile.

The others—Julie, Aisha, and Skadi—glanced over as well, but they all understood. They said nothing, giving her quiet space to let her emotions out.

Finally, Cassius broke the silence.

"You know." He said gently, leaning forward slightly. "I actually tried to convince Grandma Wanda to come with us."

Nala blinked, looking up. "You...did?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "I told her I’d make sure she had the best room in the estate—sunny, warm, with a view of the gardens....But she was stubborn."

He chuckled quietly.

"She said she was born in the village, and she’d die in the village too. That she’d only survive breathing the ’fishy village air,’ whatever that means."

Despite her tears, Nala let out a small, watery laugh. "Yeah...that sounds like her."

But then her smile faded a little. Her voice grew quiet.

"Still...I wish she’d come. Not just because I miss her...but because she’s getting older, Cassius."

Cassius hummed softly. "I know."

"I just..." Nala continued, her voice trembling slightly. "I worry about her. I want someone to take care of her when I’m not there. The villagers promised they would, but...it’s not the same."

"When she gets sick, who’s going to hold her hand? When she’s lonely, who’s going to make her laugh?"

She looked down, her tears beginning to fall again.

"I want to protect her too. She’s all I’ve ever had."

But just as she said her worries, Cassius simply chuckled and casually said,

"Oh, don’t worry about that...I’ve already taken care of that for you."

Nala blinked, glancing back at him through her hair.

"...Wh-What do you mean?"

Cassius smiled, the faintest smirk playing at the corners of his lips as he said,

"What I’m trying to say is that I already have plans to make sure your grandmother and the entire village are completely taken care of."

That made her turn her head even more as she along with the trio, who were secretly listening were wondering what exactly he was talking about.