Depraved Noble: Forced To Live The Debaucherous Life Of An Evil Noble!-Chapter 574: You Heal Me, I Heal You

Cassius groaned, looking like a teacher trying to reason with two particularly stubborn students.

"Why...Why can’t we just work with one another?"

He said, voice rising in exasperation.

"I thought we sorted out the whole blood-feud, ancestral-grudge, holy-execution misunderstanding five minutes ago!"

"You’re not mortal enemies anymore, you’ve both admitted that!"

"So tell me—why are you refusing help that’s so obviously right in front of you?"

Joy was the first to answer, her tone crisp and composed.

"Because." She said simply. "There’s no need for me to get any external help from anyone else. I can handle it myself."

"You...can handle it yourself?"

"It’s a minor injury." She said flatly. "It’s not worth troubling anyone over. My connection with the Goddess will restore it in due time."

She folded her arms, chin lifting slightly in defiance.

"I don’t need assistance."

Before Cassius could even respond, Carmela spoke up in a similar tone, crossing her legs over.

"Same here." She said coolly. "I can handle my own injuries. Every day I can feel them getting better on their own. It won’t be long before they completely heal. I don’t need help from anyone else."

Cassius blinked. Once. Twice. Then he looked at the ceiling as if silently begging the heavens for patience.

Of course.

They weren’t rejecting each other because of hatred anymore.

They were rejecting each other because they were the same damned person.

Two women who refused to rely on anyone, both proud, self-reliant, and painfully stubborn.

Dealing with one like that was already exhausting.

But two? Two of them staring at him with identical "I don’t need help" expressions?

It was a nightmare.

Cassius could only gaze at them in dismay, the silence stretching until he finally exhaled again and sat forward, switching into the tone of someone pitching a very reasonable business proposal.

"Okay, okay. Let’s think about this logically."

He turned first to Carmela.

"Right now, you’re relying on my blood quite a lot." He said in a persuasive tone. "And your body’s still adapting to it, which, let’s be honest—you hate."

Carmela’s lips parted, but she didn’t deny it.

"That’s exactly why I’m saying." Cassius continued smoothly. "If Joy heals you, she won’t just fix your injuries—she’ll enhance your regeneration. Your body will adapt faster, your strength will increase, and most importantly..." He leaned closer with a smirk "...you won’t have to rely on my blood anymore."

Her crimson eyes flickered slightly, while Cassius grinned wider and added,

"And you definitely won’t have to go through what we just did ever again, if you know what I mean."

Carmela’s cheeks warmed ever so slightly, a faint flush rising as the memory of their earlier, intensely intimate exchange flashed through her mind.

She looked away quickly, but the temptation of the offer was clear in the way her fingers tightened in her lap.

Joy, meanwhile, frowned in confusion, clearly wondering what exactly that "what we did" referred to, but before she could ask, Cassius turned to her.

"As for you, Joy—look, I don’t doubt your abilities. I’m sure you can heal your soul by yourself, eventually."

Joy’s brow twitched at the word eventually.

"But." Cassius continued. "You and I both know you don’t have an eternity. The Empress didn’t give you a year-long vacation to ’investigate’ me. You’ve got a limited timeframe to finish whatever it is you’re here for, and I’m pretty sure you want to do that without hobbling around in pain or limiting your power."

Joy frowned slightly, not replying yet, as Cassius tilted his head, his voice dropping to a knowing murmur.

"Besides, let’s be honest—you’re itching to fight me, aren’t you?"

That made her stiffen slightly.

"To defeat me. To judge me." He smirked. "But you can’t even attempt that properly when you’re not at full strength, can you? If you’re truly going to have any chance against me—and I mean any chance at all—your soul needs to be fully healed first."

Cassius leaned back and folded his arms.

"So now tell me, don’t you both think my offer sounds...reasonable?"

For once, neither woman rejected it outright.

Instead, they turned and looked at each other—really looked—eyes sharp, assessing, considering the proposal with serious weight.

Joy spoke first, voice cool and measured.

"Even though the devil spews many lies...what he says right now is true."

"I would much prefer to face him at my full power when I finally bring him to justice."

Carmela exhaled softly, relaxing herself.

"I also have no desire to keep relying on his blood indefinitely. And I certainly don’t want to repeat...those acts...more than necessary."

"So yes—I would prefer to be healed sooner rather than later."

She paused, then lifted her chin slightly.

"But before I agree to anything, I need to examine your soul first. I need to see the extent of the damage and whether it can even be mended properly."

Joy mirrored the sentiment almost exactly.

"And I must examine your body as well. I need to know precisely where the injuries lie and how deep they run."

Before Cassius could interject or mediate, both women rose from their seats in unison.

They stepped forward until they stood face-to-face, mere inches apart, the air between them crackling faintly with power.

Carmela’s crimson eyes ignited with a deep, glowing red as she peered straight through Joy—into her soul, beyond flesh and bone.

At the same moment, Joy’s pink eyes flared with radiant light, divine energy flowing as she looked deeply into Carmela’s physical form—mapping every wound, every strained organ, every fracture in her vampiric physiology.

For several long seconds, they stood locked in that silent, mutual examination.

Cassius watched with bated breath, fingers drumming lightly on his knee, hoping—praying—this wouldn’t somehow reignite hostilities.

Then, simultaneously, the glow faded from both pairs of eyes.

And to Cassius’s quiet astonishment, neither woman looked angry.

There was surprise—genuine, unguarded surprise—and beneath it, the faintest glimmer of respect.

Cassius leaned forward eagerly.

"Well? What happened? What’s the verdict? Can you help each other?"

Carmela was the first to speak, her voice lower than usual.

"I definitely underestimated her injuries." She said seriously. "She claimed it was minor, but it’s not. Forty percent of her soul has been damaged."

Joy flinched slightly but didn’t argue.

Carmela continued, her tone thoughtful.

"Even a small crack in one’s soul causes immense pain, yet she’s walking, talking, and hiding it flawlessly. The fact that so much of it is fractured and she’s still composed..." She glanced at Joy with something close to admiration. "...is impressive."

Joy gave a quiet scoff.

"I could say the same."

She scanned Carmela up and down, her eyes momentarily glowing faintly again.

"You hide your pain well, too. Your body’s in worse shape than you admit—most of your internal organs are damaged and barely functioning."

"You’re regenerating, but that regeneration is tearing you apart from the inside."

She gave a faint, wry smile before saying, 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

"I am surprised you had the courage to fight me head-on in that condition."

"I could say the same to you."

Carmela huffed softly, a ghost of a smirk tugging at her lips.

"You had no idea I was injured at all—yet you charged in without hesitation when you were already weak."

Cassius, however, was less interested in the mutual admiration and more focused on the practical.

"Okay, okay—that’s all very touching, truly." He said, waving a hand. "But what I want to know is: can you actually help each other?"

Both women turned to him at the same time and answered in perfect unison:

"We most definitely can."

Joy continued, her voice steady with conviction.

"Though the wounds are severe, the Goddess’s blessings are potent and pure. I can heal her body—restore her organs, ease the destructive cycle, accelerate her regeneration safely."

Carmela nodded, crimson eyes glinting with quiet confidence.

"It won’t be instantaneous—but I can absolutely repair the fractures in her soul. Piece by piece, layer by layer, until it is whole again."

Hearing this wonderful news, Cassius clapped his hands once, loud and gleeful, his grin stretching ear to ear.

"Do it! Do it already!" He exclaimed, clapping his hands together like an excited child. "Whatever spells, rituals, magic, blessings—go ahead!"

"Heal each other right now and let’s get this over with! Come on, this is perfect!"

But both women simply glanced at each other before shaking their head like they were speaking to a child.

"I already said it won’t be instantaneous." Carmela spoke first. "Soul-mending never is. It will take time—days, perhaps even weeks."

She tilted her head slightly, studying Joy with renewed curiosity.

"And it’s not as though I’ll cast some spell or pour energy into her soul with a single ability. The damage to her soul...it’s strange. I’ve never seen anything quite like it."

"Whatever caused it is definitely not something ordinary and seems otherworldly."

Joy frowned at that, intrigued despite herself.

"And, the only way I can heal her is through proximity." Carmela continued. "If I stay near her long enough, my aura will naturally harmonize with hers."

"Her soul will begin to realign itself over time. As long as I’m close to her, her recovery will happen on its own."

Cassius stared at her for a moment before repeating.

"So...all you have to do is sit near her?"

Carmela shrugged. "Essentially."

Joy narrowed her eyes thoughtfully.

"It seems like our abilities are similar in that way."

Then she added.

"My healing works in a similar way, but with limitations. If I heal her with direct magic right now, her body will reject the blessing—it’ll make things worse, not better."

"So, it’s better if I stay near her too. My presence will stabilize her regeneration naturally and in my company alone, she’ll recover faster."

Cassius’s grin widened even further.

"That’s perfect! Absolutely perfect!"

He threw his arms out as though declaring victory to the heavens.

"You’ll both be together, helping each other heal! Spending time together! You’ll finally stop brooding alone all day, and—who knows—a beautiful friendship might even bloom!"

"Maybe enemies to friends or enemies to lovers—"

"No."

The word came in perfect unison from both women.

Cassius froze mid-gesture, his triumphant expression faltering.

"...What?"

Carmela flicked her hair back in prideful manner.

"I prefer solitude." She said firmly. "I don’t need friends. Or lovers. Or companions."

"Likewise." Joy said, her tone equally flat. "I prefer silence. I spend most of my nights praying or reading scripture. I don’t need conversation."

Cassius blinked. "Wait—you both—? Seriously?"

But Carmela completely ignored Cassius and turned to Joy with a proposal in mind.

"Vampires are nocturnal creatures by nature. So I won’t be sleeping tonight and I wonder if you’re willing to stay up as well, so that we don’t delay the healing process and get it over with quicker."

"That’s what I was also thinking as well."

Joy nodded with a practical look on her face.

"The faster we heal ourselves, the less time we have to spend with each other."

Cassius wanted to say something, but they just ignored him and went to the sofa—sitting at opposite ends with a careful distance between them.

Carmela took one of her many daggers from her belt and a soft cloth from her coat, beginning to polish the blade with slow motions.

Joy, on the other hand, reached into her robes and pulled out a small, worn holy book. She opened it carefully, as if handling something sacred, and began reading quietly to herself, her lips moving faintly with the words.

And seeing this, Cassius realised that they had no intention of actually talking or bonding.

They were minding their own business, healing passively, and nothing more.

His dreams of some heartfelt friendship blossoming between them crumbled quietly in the background.

But still...they had accepted the arrangement. That was victory enough.

"Well then." He said lightly while letting out a yawn. "Since you both seem content doing your own thing and plan to stay up all night...I’ll be taking my leave and got to bed"

He glanced at Joy with a knowing smirk.

"My desk and file cabinet is right over there. Feel free to snoop around if you want. It’s pretty obvious you’re itching to start your investigation."

Joy’s teeth ground together audibly, her grip tightening on the holy book as he so easily called out her intentions.

Cassius turned to Carmela next.

"And you—don’t hesitate if you need blood. Come find me anytime."

Then, voice dropping into a low, playful murmur as he met her eyes, he added,

"I’m especially looking forward to...what comes afterward."

Carmela’s cheeks flushed faintly and she looked like she was about to pounce.

But Cassius gestured it was just a joke and carefully backed himself to the door like he was stuck in a cafe with two wild tigers.

He then opened the door and stepped out into the dimly lit hallway, still smiling to himself.

’The only reason they were tolerating each other’s presence at all...’ He mused. ’...is to heal faster.’

’So that one could escape reliance on me and the other could eventually try to bring me down properly.’

In their eyes, he was still very much the common enemy.

And honestly? He didn’t care and found the whole thing hilarious.

But the moment the door clicked shut behind him—

Cassius jolted, taking a startled step back, heart jumping into his throat.

Standing directly in front of him, silent as a shadow...was Lucious.