Depraved Noble: Forced To Live The Debaucherous Life Of An Evil Noble!-Chapter 561: You Wouldn’t Sell Me Out

Normally, when a person has a knife against their neck and were being threatened to being sent to the next life they would freak out. Scream. Cry.

Or even piss their pants.

But Cassius, rather than panicking, simply stared at her for a long moment.

Then, a soft chuckle escaped his lips.

"I’d actually love to go to the other world with you." He said with a faint smirk. "I’d be terrified to go alone. Having a lovely companion like you by my side would make it far more pleasant."

Carmela blinked, momentarily thrown off.

"But." Cassius continued, his smirk widening. "I’m still enjoying my time in this world. And I can’t exactly leave my wives all alone, can I? So, for now, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t send me off just yet."

He leaned back slightly in his chair, the dagger following his movement.

"As for you, Carmela, well, this entire situation is just one big misunderstanding. And if you give me a chance to speak..."

He flashed her a small, almost pleading smile.

"I think I can explain it all."

Carmela rolled her eyes sharply.

"How convenient." She muttered, lowering her dagger just slightly but keeping it poised. "The Church, my mortal enemy, the ones who purged my entire race just happens to show up at the very estate where I’m staying."

"And not just ordinary sisters, either. The top brass of the Church. The Saintess of Judgment herself. Do you even hear how absurd that sounds?"

Cassius chuckled quietly, raising his hands in surrender.

"Oh, believe me, I know how ridiculous it sounds. If I were in your place, I’d think the same thing. But that’s exactly how it happened. And if you give me a second—just one second, I’ll explain."

She gave him a long, piercing look. His eyes dimmed, pleading silently for one chance.

So, finally, with a reluctant sigh, she spoke.

"Fine." She said. "Go on, then. Say whatever it is you think will save you."

Cassius smiled faintly, rubbing his throat where the blade had grazed it.

"Thank you, my beautiful executioner. And I’ll keep this short since the longer I speak, the higher the chance that dagger of yours will find its way through my neck."

"Alright then." Cassius continued. "The truth is—those sisters didn’t come here for you. They came for me."

Carmela’s expression didn’t change. No flicker of surprise. No movement. Just a cold, assessing stare.

Encouraged that she was at least listening, Cassius went on.

"You may not have looked too deep into my background before staying here, but I’m sure after sneaking around the grounds at night, you’ve picked up a few things about me."

"You’ve probably heard the rumors, haven’t you?"

She said nothing.

"I mean, who hasn’t?" He smiled wryly. "The whole continent calls me the most depraved noble alive."

"There are stories about me in every city, every tavern—how I’m a devil in human skin, a man with no morals, a lecher who corrupts everything he touches."

"But even though I have so many bad rumours." He continued. "Because of who I am, most people choose to ignore it. They whisper, they curse my name, they make up stories—but they never act. They’re all too afraid of me or too indifferent to bother."

He lifted his gaze to meet hers directly.

"Except for one person."

Her eyes narrowed. "The Saintess."

"Exactly." Cassius said, snapping his fingers softly. "The Saintess of Judgment herself, Joy."

"She decided to ’judge’ me personally. Said she wanted to investigate me, uncover the truth, find out whether I truly committed the crimes people whisper about."

He sighed again, feigning weariness. "Apparently, she couldn’t ignore it. And since the Empress herself gave her authority, she came here with her brigade to conduct her investigation."

He gestured lightly toward the window.

"So, you see? They’re not here for you. They’re here for me."

And the moment he finished, Cassius suddenly moved to Carmela’s surprise.

But not to move away from the dagger or attack her—

—and instead his hands when to a apparatus on the desk and he clicked it before saying,

"Could you please bring some of the girls to my office? And don’t come inside and just wait outside."

Hearing this, Carmela’s eyes flared again.

"What are you doing?" She hissed, the dagger instantly pressing back against his throat.

"Relax! Relax! I’m not summoning guards." Cassius raised both hands quickly. "I’m just proving what I’m saying. That’s all. Give me thirty seconds."

Carmela stared at him, tense but silent and moments later, a muffled voice came from beyond the door.

"Young master! I’ve got a couple of the girls here with me. What do you want us to do?"

Cassius smiled faintly and called back.

"Good. Sorry to bother you all this late—I know you were getting ready for bed—but could you tell me why the sisters from the Church came here today? What was the purpose of their visit?"

There was a brief silence. Then, one by one, familiar voices rang out, brimming with righteous indignation.

"Those sisters—those so-called holy women—they came here to persecute you, Young Master!" One said furiously.

"They dared to investigate you without even proper evidence!" another added, voice filled with outrage. "Our Young Master, the kindest and most noble soul in the entire kingdom!"

A third voice chimed in, trembling with anger.

"It’s outrageous! Instead of punishing the real monsters among the nobles, they target you, the one man who treats everyone fairly! It’s jealousy, that’s what it is!"

One by one, the voices rose in frustration, echoing down the corridor—each maid furious on his behalf, each word drenched in genuine emotion.

Cassius finally called out. "Alright, that’s enough. Thank you, girls. You can go back to sleep."

There was a brief murmur of agreement, then footsteps fading into the distance.

When the silence settled, Cassius slowly looked up at Carmela, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

"See?" He said quietly. "You told me yourself that my maids are good people. Honest people. And you heard them—do they sound like they’re lying?"

He spread his hands slightly.

"Their anger is real. Their loyalty is real. This entire situation is just...an unfortunate coincidence."

"Believe me or not, Carmela. But I swear to you—this wasn’t a trap. That’s all I can say."

He gave her a calm, easy smile, but inwardly he wasn’t so confident.

He knew her nature by now—cold, suspicious, unwilling to trust.

She was a creature of shadow and loss, a survivor of betrayal after betrayal. There was no way she would believe him so quickly.

He was fully prepared for her to argue, to glare, to accuse him of some grand scheme of manipulation.

And that was fine with him. He already had a few more cards to play, some convincing explanations that would eventually win her trust.

But to his surprise...that didn’t happen.

Carmela didn’t argue. Didn’t snap. Didn’t even speak at first.

Instead, she stood there silently, her piercing eyes fixed on him with a calculating look. And then, without a word, she pulled the dagger away from his neck.

The metallic whisper of the blade sliding back into its sheath echoed softly in the room.

Cassius blinked, genuinely taken aback.

"Wait..." He said slowly, eyes widening a little. "You seriously believe that? You believe me that quickly?"

Carmela shot him a side-eyed glance. "Should I not?" She asked in annoyance. "Would you rather I put the dagger back against your throat?"

Her hand moved, as she reached for the hilt again.

"No, no, no! That’s not what I meant!" He said quickly, shaking his head. "It’s just—well, you seemed so cautious before, so distrustful. I didn’t expect you to trust me this easily."

Carmela hesitated like she was really wondering if she should say what she is thinking right now or to keep it completely to herself.

But eventually she gave in.

"If it were any other noble." She said, her eyes locking with his. "Any other man in your position, I wouldn’t have hesitated. I wouldn’t have even bothered asking questions."

Her voice dropped lower, sharper.

"I would’ve slit his throat in his sleep and left before dawn."

Cassius gave a nervous little laugh.

"I...see. That’s comforting to know."

"But you." Carmela continued, ignoring him. "You’re different."

Cassius blinked again. "Different?"

She looked him straight in the eye.

"Yes." She said simply. "You’re not like them. You wouldn’t do something that would put my life in danger. You wouldn’t lure me here and then bring the Church down on my head."

"I don’t believe you would ever do such a thing."

For a moment, Cassius was stunned—and then, slowly, a sly grin spread across his face. He stood up from his chair, his voice dripping with playful mischief.

"Wait, wait, wait. So you’re saying you trust me? That’s what I’m hearing, right?"

She frowned. "I’m saying—"

He cut in, grinning wider.

"Is it because you’ve fallen for me, perhaps?"

"Somewhere between all those nights of spying and all the time you spent brooding in your guesthouse, did you finally realize how charming and irresistible I am?"

Her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Ah, I see it now." He said dramatically, putting a hand over his chest. "For everyone else, you’re cold and deadly. But for me? You’re softening up. This must be love."

Before he could continue, Carmela shoved him back into his chair with a force that nearly made it topple. Her glare could have frozen fire.

"It’s nothing like that." She said icily. "And there’s no way in hell I’d ever fall for a human as lewd and shameless as you."

Cassius raised his hands defensively. "Alright, alright, fair point. I’m shameless. But then—what is it that makes me different from the others?"

Carmela exhaled softly, crossing her arms, her eyes thoughtful.

"From the very beginning." She said. "I knew there was something off about you. You don’t act like the others do. You don’t carry yourself like a noble."

Cassius tilted his head, intrigued.

"You’re strange." She went on. "And not in the way most nobles are. You go out of your way to help people. You show empathy—genuine empathy for others. And you don’t hide it."

Her gaze shimmered faintly as she looked down at him.

"You even plucked out your own eyes for me. You said you’d give your heart too. Even if I still don’t know if that last part was true...." She added dryly. "...the conviction behind it was.-

"That’s when I realized, you aren’t like the rest."

Cassius fell quiet, listening.

"And yes." She continued. "I’ve been sneaking around your estate."

"And just like how I’ve been watching everyone, I’ve been watching you for these past three days, which means I’ve seen the way you treat people. And I have to admit—your humbleness is not just a performance for your maids or your lovers."

"It’s everyone. Even the peasants. Strangers. You speak to them as if they are your equals. You talk to them like your old friends and you share their meals without a second thought."

"I even saw you sitting in a farmer’s cottage yesterday, breaking his bread and drinking his soup as if you belonged there. No noble I have ever known would ever dream of doing that."

Cassius chuckled quietly. "It was good soup."

Carmela gave him a withering look but continued,

"And that wasn’t the only time. I’ve seen you in the marketplace, in the stables, even among the people who transport all your waste away."

"The way they look at you, the way everyone looks at you—it’s with respect. With...affection."

She hesitated before finishing softly.

"That’s why I think you’re not someone who would ever betray the people who trust you."

"And why...you wouldn’t sell me out to the Church."

Cassius blinked, genuinely touched.

He thought that he was going to put in a lot of hardwork to break through Carmela’s heart.

But it seemed like offering his heart was enough to cause a crack and the rest followed along.

’Ha. Who would’ve thought plucking out my eyes and handing it over would turn out to be such a good pick up method?’

’I should do it more often and keep it as a backup method if things go south.’