Depraved Noble: Forced To Live The Debaucherous Life Of An Evil Noble!-Chapter 529: Bound By Duty And Love

Aqua took a quiet breath. Her teasing tone was gone now, replaced by something soft, heavy, and nostalgic.

"In the past..." She began slowly. "...before all this madness began, before Cassius became a name whispered across the continent...he was just a small, frail boy. A boy who was born into tragedy."

Maria tilted her head gently, her full attention on the young woman, while Aqua’s voice trembled faintly as she continued.

"When Cassius was born, his mother who gave him life—Lady Florence, my father’s first wife—passed away during childbirth. She was the one my father loved most. More than his other wives, more than his duties, more than anything in the world. She was his light."

"And when that light was snuffed out, my father...lost his mind."

She clasped her hands together loosely as she spoke.

"After the mishap, he blamed Cassius for it. He hated him, hated him with every drop of blood in his body. There were even whispers that he tried to kill him when he was still just a baby."

"But my mother and his third wife—the princess of the dragon race—intervened. They stopped him. Somehow, they managed to calm him down before he did something unforgivable."

Maria’s lips parted slightly, shocked.

"He tried to kill his own son?"

Aqua nodded sadly.

"Yes. But after that...he did something almost as cruel. Instead of ending Cassius’s life, he chose to erase it."

She looked up, her blue eyes glistening faintly.

"He abandoned him to one side of the Holyfield estate. Banished him from the main manor, stripped him of love and recognition. Even though he bore the Holyfield name, he wasn’t treated as one of us."

"He was forbidden from entering the main halls, forbidden from joining family gatherings, forbidden even from being spoken to."

Her voice grew bitter for a moment.

"My father even banned any contact with him from me and the rest of the family. He wanted Cassius to live alone, to rot in isolation. And he got what he wanted. Cassius grew up in a mansion that was full of gold, servants, and luxury."

"But not a single drop of warmth. The only people who showed him kindness were a few maids who risked their positions just to make sure he didn’t starve emotionally."

Maria’s eyes softened as tears welled up in them.

"That poor child...no family, no love, just loneliness."

Aqua smiled faintly at her sympathy, her own eyes softening.

"But even though my father treated him like that, not everyone did. My mother...she adored Lady Florence. She thought of her as an older sister, and when she passed away, my mother mourned her deeply. So she extended that same love toward her son...toward Cassius."

"She told me once that loving Florence meant loving the child she left behind."

A gentle smile formed on Aqua’s lips.

"And I followed my mother’s example. To me, Cassius was never some abandoned half-brother hidden in the corner of the estate. He was my brother, plain and simple."

She chuckled softly, eyes glimmering with fond memories.

"Of course, my mother wasn’t allowed to see him. Father forbade it entirely. But I was just a child back then—too young to understand rules, too restless to follow them. So from time to time, when I was about five years old, I’d sneak out of my chambers and slip past the guards to visit him."

"I used to climb the walls, sneak through the gardens, and run all the way to his secluded mansion."

"The first time he saw me, he screamed for the guards!" She laughed lightly, the sound tinged with nostalgia. "He was so terrified that some little intruder had broken into his home. He ran away and hid behind a pillar, shouting at them to protect him."

"It was hilarious, really—he didn’t even realize I was his sister."

Maria giggled softly through her tears, and even Stella smiled from behind them.

"But..." Aqua went on, her voice softening again. "...as I kept visiting, he slowly warmed up to me."

"At first, he was awkward and shy, afraid to even speak. But little by little, he began to smile. We used to play the silliest games. Hide and seek among the rose gardens, trying to steal sweets from the kitchen, making up ridiculous stories about dragons and heroes."

"He’d laugh so much his cheeks would turn pink, and his laughter..." She paused, smiling faintly. "...it was so innocent. So pure. I can still remember it clearly. The way he’d smile when he forgot the world hated him."

"...it was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen."

For a moment, her expression softened into something fragile and heartwarming.

But it didn’t last.

Slowly, her smile faded, replaced by a look of sadness.

"But of course..." She said quietly. "...all good things eventually come to an end."

Maria’s brows furrowed, dreading what was coming next.

"It didn’t take long for my father to find out about my visits." Aqua continued. "And when he did, he was furious. He made me kneel outside the manor for hours—sometimes with weights tied to my legs—until my knees bled."

"...But I didn’t care."

"The very next day, I went back to visit Cassius again. And again. Every time I was punished, I went back anyway. Every time he shouted, I ignored him. I thought...if I just kept showing him love, he’d eventually stop hating his own son."

"But I was wrong." Her lips trembled faintly.

"Eventually, he grew tired of me. He knew I wouldn’t stop. So he separated us completely. He sent me away to the royal capital, under the pretense of ’training under my mother,’ but in truth, it was exile."

"He told me that if I ever returned to see Cassius again, he would personally exile him from the family. And that was something I couldn’t risk."

Maria gasped softly, her hand flying to her chest.

"He used your love for your brother against you..."

Aqua nodded quietly.

"So I left. I came here to the capital and that’s how I ended up staying in the palace with my mother. But from that day on, Cassius was alone again. Abandoned, just as he had been before."

Maria sniffled and quickly wiped her tears away.

"Poor, poor child." She whispered. "To have lost the warmth he just began to feel...it breaks my heart."

Then, with a flash of anger, she added,

"And forgive me, Aqua, but your father sounds like a terrible man! To punish a child who’s done nothing wrong—it’s cruel beyond words!"

Aqua gave a small laugh, not offended in the slightest.

"You’re not wrong, Aunty Maria. I’m not close to my father. Nor is my mother. He’s a cold man who stopped feeling the moment Lady Florence died. Everything human about him died with her."

Joy, arms still crossed, muttered, "Sounds like a man who believes suffering builds control."

"Yep." Aqua said with a sigh. "He was always like that. And that’s why I never cared for his affection or approval. I only wanted to grow stronger—so that one day, I could protect what he destroyed."

Her expression hardened slightly, filled with quiet determination.

"My mother once told me that the reason I couldn’t protect Cassius was because I was weak. Powerless. If I’d had enough strength, I could’ve defied my father and stayed by my brother’s side."

"So she told me to grow up. To become someone so powerful that even my father would have to bow his head to my will."

She lifted her chin slightly, her voice firm.

"That’s why I trained. That’s why I worked harder than anyone at the Imperial Academy. That’s how I became what I am now—the Royal Witch, the youngest Archmage in history. I wanted the power to change things. To one day go home, and tell my father he no longer decides who I can love."

Maria’s eyes shone with pride and compassion.

"Oh, my sweet Aqua...you truly have such a noble heart."

Aqua smiled softly.

"I planned to return home soon, actually. In a year’s time, once I cleared up a few problems here regarding my engagement here in the capital."

Her eyes grew distant for a moment.

"I thought maybe, after all these years, I could finally see Cassius again. Maybe we could start over."

She took a deep breath.

"But then...the rumors started."

Joy’s expression darkened slightly. Maria looked uneasy.

"At first..." Aqua said quietly. "I heard whispers that he’d been poisoned. I nearly fainted when I read the report. For days, I couldn’t eat or sleep—until I learned he’d survived. I was so relieved I cried that night. But then...things began to change."

Her voice grew heavier.

"Suddenly, every report, every piece of gossip that reached me was about him. About how he had changed."

"How he’d turned into a womanizer—a lecherous noble who seduced wives and daughters, who toyed with women like possessions."

"Stories about kidnappings, about him locking women away in dungeons and doing unspeakable things."

"It was horrifying. Every single day, there was a new rumor, each one worse than the last."

She clenched her fists tightly.

"And I refused to believe them. I couldn’t. That timid, gentle boy I knew could never become such a monster. It had to be slander. Lies spread by someone with power and hatred—someone like my father. I was sure he was behind it."

Maria nodded in agreement, wiping her eyes again.

"That makes sense...after what he did before, I wouldn’t put it past him."

"But then..." Aqua’s voice wavered. "Then came the video transmission."

Maria and Joy both looked up at her sharply.

"I thought it was fake at first." Aqua continued, shaking her head. "It had to be, even though I knew there’s no way to fake something like that. And yet, there he was...confessing."

"Saying horrible things. Talking about locking women away, about making them his slaves, about...doing things I can’t even repeat."

Her voice dropped lower.

"It didn’t make any sense. Why would he record that? Why would he admit to such things so openly, like he was proud of it?"

She stared at the floor, lost for a moment.

"It confused me more than anything. It scared me."

Maria’s hand covered her mouth in shock, while Joy’s gaze softened, though only slightly.

"And before I could even make sense of any of it." Aqua said quietly. "I heard that my best friend had submitted a case—against my own brother. Against Cassius Vindictus Holyfield."

She gave a strained smile.

"I knew Joy well enough to know that once she starts something, she finishes it. And I also knew that if she got her hands on him before I did, she wouldn’t hold back."

Joy said nothing, only looked away.

"So I had no choice." Aqua finished. "Until I can meet Cassius myself—until I can hear the truth from his mouth—I can’t let Joy do what she wants."

"Not with how brutal she can be in the name of justice. I need to find out what really happened. That’s why I had to step in, even if it meant standing against her."

The corridor fell into silence again. Maria stood there, heart heavy, her eyes filled with sympathy—for both of them.

For the Saintess who obeyed divine command, and for the sister who refused to abandon her brother.

Both bound by love and duty.

Both certain they were right.