Depraved Noble: Forced To Live The Debaucherous Life Of An Evil Noble!-Chapter 629: I’ll Kill That Bastard!

"She...She isn’t pure anymore."

That statement alone sounded so wrong that every knight within hearing range immediately froze mid-swing.

Training swords clattered to the ground.

Heads turned and curious eyes blinked at the trio standing near the field.

Julie felt her stomach twist as the weight of those words hung in the air like a scandal.

Forcing an awkward smile, she clapped her hands loudly.

"Alright, everyone! That’s enough staring! Back to training, all of you!"

She said in a strained tone, waving her hand dismissively as the knights scrambled back into formation.

The moment the area cleared, her fake smile melted into a tense, grim expression as she turned toward Joy.

"Joy." She hissed under her breath. "What in the Goddess’s name are you talking about? Someone’s stolen her purity? What does that even mean?"

Joy looked utterly distraught, her trembling fingers clutching the edge of her robes.

"Her soul." She whispered. "I just checked her soul...to see if it was as pure as before."

"Her soul?" Julie asked, struggling to follow.

Joy nodded helplessly.

"Last time I saw it, it was perfect—pure white, untouched. It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen, the kind of purity that makes even heaven’s light pale in comparison. But now..."

Her voice cracked as she shook her head in disbelief.

"Now that white is gone—or rather, it’s covered. Obscured."

Julie frowned. "Obscured by what?"

Joy’s eyes flickered with visible distress.

"A haze. A pink haze. It’s surrounding her entire soul like a fog, dimming that perfect white light. It’s still there, but it’s clouded."

Julie’s brow furrowed. "Pink? What does pink even mean in your...soul-sight thing?"

Joy hesitated, her lips tightening as her face slowly turned red.

"...Lust."

Julie’s eyes widened. "I—what?"

"Lust!" Joy said, her voice rising with frustration and horror. "Her soul is saturated with lust! That bright white purity is being eaten away by pink!"

"Don’t you understand what this means?!"

Julie gulped, glancing at Skadi, who was now tilting her head in confusion.

"It means my puppy has been tainted!" Joy continued frantically.

"She’s thinking indecent thoughts—lustful thoughts! And I refuse to believe that’s her choice!"

"There’s no way, no way my innocent, sweet Skadi would harbor such dirty thoughts on her own and turn into a puppy!"

Skadi blinked, still lying on the grass.

"Bad puppy?" She whispered softly, her ears drooping. "But I’m a good puppy, Joy. I didn’t do anything bad..."

Joy froze for a second, looking completely heartbroken.

"Oh, Puppy..."

But Julie, had a dawning look of guilt on her face.

Her hand rose to her temple, rubbing it slowly as if trying to figure out how to untangle this impending disaster.

She already knew exactly what was going on and who was responsible.

But explaining it to Joy...would not be easy.

Meanwhile, Joy’s grief twisted into something much darker.

Her trembling hands steadied. Her expression hardened.

That sorrowful look turned murderous and her voice dropped to a chilling whisper.

"Then there’s only one explanation..."

Julie’s stomach sank. "Joy, wait—"

"Someone forced themselves on my precious puppy."

"Joy—!"

"There’s no other explanation!"

Joy said, her tone rising with fury, her eyes burning pink as holy energy began to pulse around her.

"There’s no way she would fall into corruption on her own! She’s innocent! Someone vile—some filthy creature—must have taken advantage of her purity! Used her goodness to satisfy their depraved lust!"

The wind itself seemed to stir from her divine aura.

Golden radiance flared around her, swirling like molten light.

Every knight on the field stopped again, shields raised instinctively as Joy’s power intensified.

"I will find him." Joy hissed, her voice shaking with wrath. "I will find that monster and I will tear him apart limb from limb, crush his bones, rip the tendons from his flesh, and cast his remains to the void!"

"I swear upon my name and my title as the Goddess’s daughter—whoever violated my Skadi will die the most horrendous death imaginable!"

She lifted her hands toward the sky, and a blinding gold aura flared like dawn itself.

"JOY!" Julie shouted, lunging forward and grabbing her by the arms. "Calm down! Calm down right now! Don’t be hasty!"

"Hasty?!" Joy’s eyes burned brighter. "No, Julie, I’m being perfectly rational! I’m planning this out! I’m thinking of the best, slowest way to make him regret the day he was born!"

Julie, completely panicking, tightened her grip and pulled Joy down before the aura could grow any stronger.

"You don’t understand, Joy—please, just stop before you burn a hole through the courtyard!"

Joy glared at her.

"Then tell me! What don’t I understand? Why are you defending this vile man?!"

She leaned closer, her eyes narrowing.

"Are you hiding something from me, Julie? You are, aren’t you? You know who it is, don’t you? Who is he?!"

Julie hesitated, her expression tightening. She bit her lip before sighing heavily and loosening her grip.

"...I’m not hiding anything, exactly."

She began slowly, glancing nervously toward Skadi, who was still sitting on the ground, chewing the tip of her tail like nothing had happened.

"But there is something you need to know."

Joy’s glare softened slightly, though her tone remained sharp.

"Then speak."

Julie exhaled and straightened, her expression torn between exasperation and embarrassment.

"The reason Skadi’s like this right now...the reason her soul has that pink haze, as you call it...isn’t because anyone forced her into anything."

Joy frowned deeply. "Then what is it?"

Julie hesitated, then finally said,

"It’s because, Joy...Skadi’s fallen in love."

There was a long, stunned silence. Even the wind seemed to pause.

"...What?" Joy whispered.

Julie smiled weakly. "She’s in love."

"Love?" Joy repeated, completely flabbergasted.

"Yes." Julie said, her tone gentle but certain. "As ridiculous as it sounds to you, Skadi’s a grown woman."

"She might act like an overgrown puppy, but she’s still a living, feeling being capable of affection, attraction, and...well, love."

"I didn’t believe it at first either, but...she’s completely smitten. Head over heels."

"And honestly, it’s not something we can change."

Joy stared blankly ahead, her lips parting as if she were trying to process it.

The shock on her face was so complete that she swayed slightly on her feet.

Julie reached out quickly, steadying her.

"Hey, are you alright?"

"I’m..."

Joy placed a hand to her forehead, taking a deep breath.

"I’m fine. Just...shocked. I never imagined something like this happening."

Her eyes turned toward Skadi, who was still smiling innocently on the ground, now trying to balance a practice sword on her nose.

Joy’s expression softened.

"I suppose...it makes sense." She admitted quietly. "She’s grown up. One day she was bound to find someone she cared about. I just...never expected it would happen so suddenly."

Julie chuckled softly, nodding.

"You’re not the only one. When I first found out, I was just as stunned. She’s always been my adorable little sister, so hearing that she’s in love, possibly planning to marry one day..."

"...it took me a while to accept it too."

Joy sighed, shaking her head slowly.

"It’s just...hard to picture. I keep seeing her as that innocent little puppy I used to cuddle and spoil. But I suppose even puppies grow up."

Julie smiled knowingly. "They do. Even the fluffy ones."

"I guess you’re right."Joy nodded slowly. "And the pink mist could mean lust...but it could also mean love. A heart that’s truly attached."

But even as she said it, something tugged at the back of her mind. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and she turned to Julie with suspicion.

"But tell me, Julie..." She said slowly. "Who exactly is this person that Skadi has fallen for?"

Her voice dropped, cold and threatening.

"Because I swear to the Goddess—if he’s not a good man...if he doesn’t deserve her—I’ll do things to him that even demons would fear."

Julie froze. Her smile faltered, and guilt flickered across her face.

"...Ah."

Joy’s eyes sharpened immediately. "Julie."

Julie gave a nervous laugh, scratching her cheek.

"Well, about that..."

Joy’s expression darkened. "Don’t tell me."

Julie winced. "You might want to sit down first."

Joy’s patience instantly snapped. She grabbed Julie by the collar and pulled her close.

"Just tell me, Julie. Just tell me who it is."

She said, her voice trembling—not with anger this time, but with anxious desperation.

"I have one person in mind right now. One specific person. And I don’t know why, but no matter how much I try to ignore it, his name keeps coming back to me over and over again."

"It’s like my mind refuses to think of anyone else. And the more I think about him being Skadi’s partner..."

Her voice faltered as fury and disbelief collided in her chest

"...the more it infuriates me. I can’t even handle the thought of it!"

Her grip on Julie’s collar tightened slightly.

"So please." She whispered, her tone cracking. "tell me it’s not him. I beg you, Julie. Please."

Julie exhaled slowly, her expression softening with reluctant pity. Then, very carefully, she placed her hand over Joy’s and said quietly,

"Sadly, Joy...it’s exactly the person you’re thinking of."

Joy’s hands fell away from her collar. Her eyes widened.

"No..." She breathed, stepping back as if she’d been struck. "No. There’s no way that can be true."

Julie gave her an apologetic smile.

"I’m afraid it is. Or rather fortunately for Skadi, it is. Because she truly loves him. Completely, unconditionally."

Joy stumbled back another step, her breath catching. "You mean—"

"Yes." Julie said softly. "The one who owns her heart or even her soul like you said is none other then the one your after..."

"...Cassius himself."

Joy froze.

The world seemed to stop for her.

Julie went on gently.

"Skadi talks about him constantly. About how much she adores him, about how she wants to be near him all the time, how he pats her head and fluffs her tail."

"She’s absolutely, hopelessly in love with him, Joy."

Joy shook her head rapidly, her voice rising.

"But Julie, he already has so many women including you! Even the Goddess herself must be exasperated by his number of women!"

"And now—now he’s added Skadi to that list?"

"How greedy can one man be?! Doesn’t he have enough already?!"

Julie rolled her eyes dramatically.

"Don’t ask me about that. His greed is absolutely insatiable. It can’t be stopped." 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Then she sighed, resting her chin in her palm with a wry smile.

"But at the same time, I suppose I can’t really complain. If he weren’t that greedy, I wouldn’t be one of his partners either."

Joy gaped at her, speechless.

Julie smirked slightly, embarrassed but amused.

"So in a strange way, I should actually be thankful for his greed."

Then, regaining her seriousness, she added,

"But you really don’t need to worry about Cassius. No matter what you think of him, he truly cherishes Skadi. He treats her with more love and gentleness than anyone could imagine."

She turned toward the silver-haired wolf-girl still wagging her tail nearby.

"In fact, you can ask her yourself."

"Skadi." Julie called out. "What do you think about Cassius? Can you tell Joy over here?"