Depraved Noble: Forced To Live The Debaucherous Life Of An Evil Noble!-Chapter 533: Lustful Gaze
Maria’s pleading eyes turned upward, glistening like those of a small animal caught in a storm.
The nobles could hardly contain their laughter, though none dared make a sound. Even Joy, standing silently behind her mother, pressed her hand over her lips to hide a small smile.
Finally, Marina chuckled softly, the sound rich and warm.
"Ahh, Maria...Maria...you’re far too easy to tease." She said with a fond sigh. "Relax, my dear. I’m only jesting."
"Jesting?" Maria froze, then blinked in disbelief.
"Yes." Marina said with a grin. "I know you would never betray your faith or your vows. I merely wanted to see you panic for a moment."
Marina then tilted her head slightly, curiosity replacing mischief.
"But tell me, my sweet sister in faith...what were you thinking just now, when you looked at that gold?"
Maria let out a long, shaky breath of relief, clutching her chest as though her heart had stopped beating for a second. Then, finally gathering herself, she smiled softly.
"Well." She said, her voice gentler now. "The truth is...a few weeks ago, I went on a mission to one of the outer provinces with my daughter."
Marina leaned forward slightly, intrigued.
"In those remote villages." Maria continued. "I found many children—some as old as ten—who couldn’t read or count."
"They had no schools, no teachers, no hope for a better life. The villagers live hand to mouth, too poor even to think of education. And it broke my heart."
Her gaze lowered to the floor, her tone full of compassion.
"I thought of what Your Majesty always says—how progress must come from the people, not just the crown. And I realized that without knowledge, these children will never move forward. They will remain trapped in the same struggles their parents faced."
She looked up again, eyes warm with sincerity.
"So, I thought...if I had some coins, I could send them there. Build small schools. Hire a few teachers. Give those children a chance to learn."
The entire court went quiet. Even the ever-chatty nobles said nothing.
For a long moment, Marina simply watched her—expression unreadable. Then, finally, she smiled.
"Of course." the Empress said softly. "Of course, that would be the reason."
Her voice carried both admiration and affection now.
"Why did I even ask such a foolish question? It’s obvious that my dear Maria would never look at money for herself. The moment you fix your eyes upon gold, it’s only because you wish to give it away."
Maria blushed, looking down shyly, as Marina’s smile deepened.
"That compassion of yours...it’s both your greatest strength and your greatest weakness. Always thinking of others, never yourself."
Turning her head slightly toward the courtiers, Marina added in a loud, almost boastful tone.
"Behold this woman, our beloved Saint Maria. Even in a hall filled with wealth and temptation, her first thought is charity. And people wonder why I keep her close."
The nobles bowed their heads respectfully, some out of genuine admiration, others out of fear of being singled out next.
Meanwhile, Aqua giggled softly from beside Maria and leaned over to whisper teasingly.
"If you wanted coins that badly, Auntie Maria, you could’ve just asked me. I don’t mind sharing."
Maria shot her a look of pure exasperation, though her lips quirked up faintly in embarrassment.
Everyone expected the Empress to follow her grand declaration with yet another act of theatrical generosity—another pouch of gold tossed casually toward whichever woman had caught her fancy.
After all, she had already awarded Joy and Aqua without hesitation.
But instead, Marina’s smile thinned.
"However..." She said, tapping against the arm of her throne. "..as much as I appreciate the noble intention behind your request, Maria...I cannot give out gold so easily."
A ripple of surprise ran through the court.
"I have already given away two thousand gold coins this morning alone." Marina drawled, tapping her cheek with a lazy finger. "If I continue bleeding the treasury at this rate, my accountants may very well throw themselves off the palace balcony."
Maria blinked, surprised but not insulted—she was already shaking her head, prepared to say that it was perfectly fine, that she expected nothing more.
But Marina wasn’t finished.
"But naturally, dear Maria...if you are willing to do me a favor..."
Maria froze mid‑bow.
"...then I may reconsider. And I may give you not just a thousand coins, but however much you require."
The room tensed.
Her tone was soft—almost too soft—but beneath it lay something sharp and dangerous.
Maria swallowed.
"...A favor? What...what sort of favor does Your Majesty desire...?" She asked cautiously.
Marina leaned forward slightly, eyes gleaming.
"Well..." She purred. "...ever since you returned from your last mission, I’ve noticed something. Your body has grown quite plump...so soft..."
Her gaze shamelessly traced Maria’s hips, waist, and generously curved chest, just like Aqua did showing that they really were family.
"...it must feel like heaven to touch."
The court exploded internally. A wave of silent gasps shot through the nobles. Even Joy’s eyelid twitched.
Maria, however, turned the color of a boiled shrimp.
"Y‑Your Majesty! P‑Please—!"
Marina smiled lazily.
"That is precisely why..." She continued. "...I wish to take you into my bed tonight."
If the palace roof had exploded, it could not have matched the reaction in the room.
Joy blinked slowly. Stella covered her mouth. Aqua silently mouthed, "Oh my Goddess."
Maria nearly fainted.
"Y-Your Majesty—! N-No—No, I cannot—!"
Marina tilted her head innocently.
"Why not? It is merely two women resting together. Skin against skin, purely for warmth." Her crimson eyes sparkled with mischief. "I’ve also had difficulty sleeping lately, and I believe your motherly presence beside me would cradle my dreams wonderfully."
Maria covered her burning face with both hands.
"No—I— I cannot! I am sworn to the Goddess above—sleep in your Majesty’s bed—without clothing—I could never—!"
The Empress smirked.
"But the children in those poor villages do need schools, do they not? And I am offering you a rather generous path to their salvation."
Maria hesitated.
Her fingers curled over her chest. Her face remained crimson.
’The children need the school...’
’The villages need education...’
’This is not a sin...is it...?’
The entire court watched Maria whisper frantically to herself like she was fighting her own conscience.
Finally, she lifted her head, trembling.
"So...I-If Your Majesty is truly willing to give me those coins...th-then..."
She didn’t finish. But everyone understood exactly what she meant.
A wave of heat washed over the court. Dozens of men nearly fainted. Ministers loosened their collars. Even the guards swallowed hard.
And one particular middle‑aged bald noble in the second row actually began panting as the mental image overwhelmed him—the Empress and the voluptuous nun lying together, skin bare, chests pressed—
His hand trembled as he fanned himself, eyes glazed and filthy.
He was already thinking of having some fun with his maids tonight, while thinking about the empress and Maria. Even thinking of dressing them up like the two.
But just then—
Marina’s head snapped toward him.
Her expression turned cold.
"Baron Vanstein."
The man jerked as if struck.
"I have heard rumors about you." Marina said icily. "Rumors of your lust. Rumors of your misconduct with maids, servants, and even married women. I did not believe them."
"Y-Your Majesty, I—!" Vanstein fell to his knees.
"But now." Marina continued. "I can see the filth in your eyes as you look at my dear sister Maria."
He paled.
"N-No...! I wasn’t—I would never—!"
Marina did not even let him finish.
"Joy...Do what you have to do."
The single word rang across the chamber like a divine decree.
The court barely had time to blink.
One heartbeat, Joy was standing below the throne.
And the next—she was standing beside the baron, still as a shadow, silent as death.
Vanstein stumbled back in terror, but his legs failed him.
"P-Please—w-wait—!"
But Joy just raised her hand.
And Stella, already prepared, removed the axe from her back and tossed it to her with perfect precision.
Joy caught it without looking, her movements fluid and mechanical, as if she’d done this a thousand times.
And noble with dirty thoughts tried to beg one last time.
"P-PLEASE! YOUR MAJESTY—MERCY! JOY, ANGEL OF THE GODDESS, SPARE ME—"
But sadly for him the axe fell.
One clean motion.
Elegant, swift, inevitable.
Swoosh!
Silence.
For a split second, it seemed as if nothing occurred.
Then—
A fine red line appeared along Vanstein’s neck.
Blood beaded.
His lips quivered.
And right in front of everyone’s horrified eyes, his head slid cleanly off his shoulders and tumbled down to the floor before rolling across the courtroom until it came to a gentle stop near the center—facing upward, eyes still wide in terror.
His body also twitched before collapsing in a spray of crimson.
Not a scream.
Not a whisper.
Just silent horror.
The nobles stood frozen, trembling where they were, unable to breathe.
Maria covered her mouth.
Aqua let out a low whistle. "Clean cut...Nice."
Stella bowed her head respectfully.
While Marina herself simply leaned back, completely unbothered.
"And that..." She said calmly. "...is what happens when you let impure thoughts roam freely in my court."
Her eyes swept the hall before landing on Joy, who wiped a single droplet of blood from her cheek, returning to stand before the throne in perfect silence, as if nothing had happened.
"My Sword of Justice never disappoints."
Marina looked at her with approval before looking at everyone else.
"Now then..."
She said lightly, as if a man hadn’t just been executed before her.
"Shall we return to the matter of Cassius Vindictus Holyfield?"
