Depraved Noble: Forced To Live The Debaucherous Life Of An Evil Noble!-Chapter 647: Trauma And Insecurity

On the surface, Maria was bright and positive and warm.

She never acted as if anything bothered her.

She smiled through everything, carried herself with grace, spread kindness wherever she went.

But beneath that surface?

Maria was a deeply vulnerable woman.

Insecure. Unsure of her own worth. Unable to fully accept love because she didn’t believe she deserved it.

And the saddest part?

It wasn’t because of anything Maria had done to herself.

It was because of what had been done to her.

The father of Joy—the man who was supposed to take responsibility, who was supposed to love her, who was supposed to stand by her side—had done none of that.

He had ignored her completely.

Thrown her aside like garbage.

Even though he had been willing to force himself upon her, to take what he wanted without consent, he refused to take any responsibility for the consequences.

And what made it even worse?

Before that, he had loved her. Genuinely loved her.

He had silently pursued her, tried to woo her, and even though she never responded, Maria knew that the way he looked at her was more then that of sister.

But the moment he had done the irreversible—the moment she needed him most—he slithered away like the rat he was.

And then his wife.

That woman had locked Maria up, tortured her mentally and physically for years, treated her like less than human.

And still, he did nothing.

He never came for her.

Never saved her.

Never even tried.

It made Maria feel insignificant. Worthless. Like she didn’t matter at all.

Like no one would ever truly love her.

And even if someone did, she was certain they would abandon her—just like he had.

Years of such thoughts, such horrible, corrosive thoughts, had worn grooves in her psyche.

Deep insecurities that no amount of surface-level confidence could erase.

More than anything, Maria felt as if she could never truly be loved.

Because think about it—when she was at the peak of her youth, at the height of her beauty, when she was basically a virgin maiden untouched and pure, she had been used and abandoned.

So now?

Now that she was older. Past her prime. With a daughter grown. With baggage and trauma and years of suffering weighing her down.

Now that she was ’dirtier’ in the eyes of society?

How could anyone truly love her?

And even if they did, wouldn’t they eventually leave?

Like he did? Like everyone eventually would?

Maria had never spoken about this directly to Diana. It was too sensitive, too painful.

She barely acknowledged it to herself.

It was a subconscious thing—a shadow that lurked in the corners of her mind, coloring her thoughts without her even realizing it.

But Diana was a doctor.

A healer of bodies and, in her own way, of souls.

From just a few words, a few conversations, a few moments like this one, she had pieced together what her friend was going through.

And it broke her heart.

Because no amount of encouragement from her could solve this. This was a wound that had festered for decades, buried so deep that Maria herself didn’t fully understand it.

All Diana could do was be there. Be present. Offer what love and support she could, and hope that someday, somehow, Maria would find a way to heal.

But for now, she pushed those thoughts aside.

She had a more immediate question.

Diana rested her elbow on the table, propping her chin on her hand, her expression shifting to one of curious amusement.

"Anyway." She said lightly. "Why did you even ask such a question, Maria?"

Maria blinked, startled by the sudden change in tone.

"You don’t usually go out of your way to ask about such things." Diana continued, her eyes narrowing slightly with interest. "It’s rather surprising to hear such a question coming from you."

"So...why would you want to know if Cassius would be interested in you or not?"

Maria’s face erupted in flames.

"I-I...That—...Well, you see." She stammered, sputtered, made noises that resembled words but weren’t quite anything coherent.

Diana’s curiosity only grew.

"Maria?" She pressed. "What’s wrong? Why aren’t you answering me?"

Maria’s hands flew up, waving frantically.

"I—I don’t know if I can say it!" She finally managed. "It’s a private matter! A sensitive matter! I don’t even know if I can tell you!"

Diana’s eyes sparkled.

"Oh no, no, no." She said, leaning forward with an expression that was almost predatory. "After saying something like that, you can’t escape from me."

Maria gulped.

"In the past, you’ve always pressured me." Diana continued, a smile playing at her lips. "You would push me for hours when I didn’t want to say something, just to get it out of me."

"...Now it’s your turn."

She leaned closer.

"Especially since I’ve just shared my past with Cassius. Now it’s your time to be honest with me. Tell me what’s going on. Tell me why you’re asking such questions."

Maria stared at her.

Diana’s expression was firm. Unyielding. The look of someone who would not take no for an answer.

It was honestly a little scary.

Normally, Diana was so passive. So accommodating.

She rarely pushed back, rarely insisted on anything.

She was the calm in any storm, the peace in any conflict.

But right now?

Right now, she was assertive. Determined.

Focused entirely on her friend with an intensity that made Maria’s skin tingle.

Maria realized she had no choice.

She had to give in.

She took a deep breath.

And another.

Her face burned so hot she was sure it could light a fire.

Finally, she looked up and met Diana’s eyes.

"The truth is." She whispered, her voice barely audible. "that..." 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

She swallowed hard.

"...Cassius actually proposed to me."

The moment Diana heard this, her brain stopped working entirely.

She stared at Maria with wide, unblinking eyes, her mouth slightly open, her expression frozen in disbelief.

Then slowly, painfully slowly, a disbelieving smile crept across her face.

"Oh."

She said, her voice hollow and strange.

"He proposed to you? You mean...propose as in...he wanted to donate some money to whatever cause you’re supporting right now?"

Maria blinked.

"Or maybe..." Diana continued, her words tumbling out in a rush. "He proposed some plans to build a new charitable organization in the future?"

"Something like that? That’s what you’re talking about, right?"

The look in her eyes was desperate. Pleading. Like she was grasping at any explanation that made sense, any interpretation that wouldn’t shatter her understanding of the world.

She knew she was talking nonsense.

She knew what she was saying made no sense.

But she couldn’t help it. She couldn’t accept what Maria was implying.

Maria became even more flustered, shaking her head frantically.

"N-No, Diana." She said, shaking her head vigorously. "It’s not that kind of proposal."

She bit her lip, the words coming out in a rush of embarrassment.

"He proposed in the sense that...h-he wants to marry me. Take me as his bride."

"Make me his woman a-as one would say."

This time, it was Diana’s turn to be shocked.

After everything—after all the surprises Maria had endured today, all the revelations that had left her stumbling and reeling—finally, the tables had turned.

Diana stared at her like she was witnessing the birth of the universe.

Her eyes were impossibly wide. Her mouth hung open. Her hands began to twitch at her sides—small, involuntary movements that spoke of overwhelming excitement and nervousness.

Maria grew concerned.

"Diana?" She said gently, reaching out. "Are you alri—"

Before she could finish, Diana exploded into motion.

She launched herself out of her chair so fast it nearly toppled over. In three quick strides, she rounded the desk and stood before Maria, her hands descending onto Maria’s shoulders with surprising force.

She looked down at her friend, her expression intense.

"Maria." She said, her voice trembling with barely contained emotion. "ARE you serious right now? ARE you seriously telling me that Cassius proposed to YOU?"

Maria’s heart raced at the intensity.

But she nodded.

"Yes."

Diana’s grip tightened fractionally.

"He brought me to a room." Maria continued, her voice small. "And he proposed. He told me he wanted me to join his family. And he..."

"...he even gave me a ring."

Diana gasped.

Actually gasped, her hands flying to cover her mouth.

"H-He gave you a ring?" She stumbled back a step, then another. "He actually gave you a ring!? Oh my God!"

She started pacing, her hands waving in the air as she talked to herself.

"Oh my God, oh my God, I can’t believe this! To think that my Maria—my Maria of all people—got proposed to!"

"And by my husband of all people! Who would have ever thought a day like this would come?"

Her voice was filled with such genuine, overwhelming happiness that Maria’s confusion only grew.

Diana whirled back around and rushed to Maria again, gripping her shoulders once more.

"When did this happen? HOW did this happen?" Her eyes blazed with intensity. "Tell me EVERYTHING!"

Maria gulped.

Then, shyly, she thought back to that moment. The memory made her cheeks flush with warmth.

"It actually happened the first day I came to Cassius’s mansion." She said softly. "Not even a full day. It was the first time I properly met him, the first time we were able to introduce ourselves properly."

Diana clutched her chest, as if an arrow had pierced straight through her heart.

But she stayed silent, listening intently.

"He called me over to a room." Maria continued, her voice growing dreamy. "And for a moment, I thought something bad might happen. I was on guard, ready for anything."

She laughed softly.

"But then, out of nowhere, he took out this ring. And he proposed to me. H-He told me how much he loved me. Said it was love at first sight. Said he couldn’t live without me."

She shook her head, still amazed.

"He said such romantic things that my head got dizzy. I actually needed somewhere to sit down."

Diana leaned closer, hanging on every word.

"There was no build-up at all." Maria continued. "No warning. He just said all those words, all at once."

"And at first, I thought it was a prank. A joke. Some cruel teasing."

Her eyes grew distant and tender.

"But then I heard his words. I saw his tears. And I knew—I just knew that he was being sincere. That he wasn’t teasing an old woman like me..."

"...That he truly meant every single word."

She smiled, a genuine, radiant smile.

"It was funny, actually. He’s so confident and bold with everyone else. Even with my daughter, who the entire human kingdom fears, he shows no fear at all."

"But with me?"

She chuckled, as she thought about the shy look on his face.

"He was vulnerable. Scared, even. Like he was afraid I would say no."

Saying this, she looked up at Diana, expecting to see a matching smile.

But instead she was completely caught off guard as Diana—

Diana was crying.

Tears streamed gently down her cheeks, catching the light. Her expression was one of pure, overwhelming emotion.

Seeing her best friend look like she was going through a breakup, Maria panicked.

"Diana! What’s wrong? Are you alright? You’re crying!"

But Diana quickly held up a hand, smiling through her tears.

"I-It’s alright, my dear." She said softly, her voice thick with emotion. "It’s alright. There’s no need to worry."

She laughed gently, still crying.

"It’s just...I’m so happy for you. So genuinely, overwhelmingly happy."

Maria stared, speechless, while Diana looked at her with such warmth, such genuine adoration.

"For so long." Diana continued, her voice thick with emotion. "I’ve been worried about you. So worried."

"You smile all the time, you act like nothing bothers you, and yet I can see, I can always see that you’re going through something. I know you, Maria. I know all the struggles you’ve been through."

A bitter ache bloomed in Maria’s chest.

"Every day, I worried about you." Diana whispered. "Every day, I knew you were carrying something deep inside. And I didn’t know how to help. I didn’t know how to fix it."

She pressed a hand to her heart.

"But now? To hear that you got proposed to? And out of all the people in the entire world, it was Cassius? The best possible candidate? The most wonderful man I know?"

She shook her head, tears flowing freely.

"I just can’t believe how happy I am. This—this alone—all of your problems will be solved with Cassius. I know him. I know he’ll bring you the most happiness in the entire world."

"It’s literally as if the Goddess heard my prayers and brought you to him."

She sniffled, composed herself slightly, and then moved forward again, gripping Maria’s shoulders with that same manic intensity.

Her smile was slightly crazy now, her eyes gleaming.

"SO what did you reply, Maria?" She demanded eagerly. "WHAT did you say to Cassius? How did you respond?!"

Maria couldn’t help but chuckle at her friend’s expression.

"Diana. Why do you look like that?"

"You’re normally so eloquent and calm, no matter what happens. Even in the operating theater, when the worst things occur, you’re the calmest person in the room."

She shook her head in wonder.

"I’ve even seen you on the battlefield. Swords clashing, fights breaking out in the distance, and you’re utterly unbothered. Just focused on treating wounds, saving lives. Nothing fazes you."

She looked at Diana’s flushed, excited face.

"But right now? You seem so flustered. You don’t even seem like yourself. What’s wrong?"

Diana rolled her eyes dramatically.

"What do you mean ’what’s wrong,’ Maria?" She threw her hands up. "You just gave me the most shocking news of my life!"

"My best friend got proposed to! And the one proposing was my husband of all people!"

She laughed, the sound slightly hysterical.

"How am I not supposed to be shocked? This is too much, even for me!"

She waved her hand dismissively as she said,

"But never mind that! Ignore my reaction! Tell me what exactly you told Cassius!"

She leaned forward, nodding frantically.

"You accepted, right? You told him you would agree to be his wife?"

Her eyes were bright with anticipation.

"You have to! This is the best opportunity you’ll ever have! You most definitely said yes, right?"

She was practically vibrating with excitement, ready to hug Maria and throw the entire hospital into celebration.

Maria opened her mouth.

And the words that came out shattered Diana’s perfect world.

"Actually...no."

Diana blinked.

"I rejected him."

The words hung in the air.

Diana’s eager expression froze.

"You..." She said slowly, her voice flat. "You did what?"

Maria smiled innocently, completely unaware of the devastation she was causing.

"I rejected him, Diana. I told him that it wouldn’t work between us. That it wouldn’t be appropriate, with so many factors to consider."

She shrugged lightly.

"I respectfully told him I appreciated his feelings. I was really happy about them, actually. But unfortunately, we can’t be together."

She looked up at Diana with that same innocent expression.

"So I rejected him."

Diana stared at her.

The world she had built in her mind—the perfect future, the happiness she had imagined for her friend, the celebration she had already planned—all of it crumbled to dust.

And then, finally, she broke.

"GIRL!"

She shouted, her voice echoing through the office.

"ARE YOU FUCKING CRAZY?!"