Depraved Noble: Forced To Live The Debaucherous Life Of An Evil Noble!

Chapter 831: Rather Be A Villain, Then A Hero

Cassius wiped his hands on a cloth Lucius provided, then tossed it aside.

He then looked at the Valheim mansion, the grand, oppressive structure that had housed generations of evil.

"The house?" He asked.

"Already cleared, Young Master." Lucius replied. "Every room...Even the dungeons beneath."

"The Valheims kept their own...entertainment chambers. We found survivors."

"They’ve been freed and sent away."

Cassius nodded. "Burn it. There’s no need for this place to exist."

"Yes, Young Master!" Lucius replied enthusiastically, practically scurrying away like an arsonist who had just been handed his dream assignment.

"Hold on."

Lucius stopped in his tracks and immediately turned around.

"Yes, Young Master?"

Cassius looked at him for a brief moment before giving a small nod.

"...Good work today."

For a heartbeat, Lucius froze.

It was such a simple compliment.

Yet to him, it felt more precious than any treasure in the world.

Unable to contain his happiness, he practically skipped away, looking far more energized than before.

Watching his retreating figure, Cassius simply shook his head with a faint smile before walking away from the willow tree, the scene of slaughter receding behind him.

—

At the front of the mansion, several carriages waited.

And strangely, the sisters of the church had already been assembled there.

Once Lucious gave them some instructions, they moved with efficient purpose. They helped him prepare the fire, pouring accelerants, setting charges in structural points.

But Cassius’s attention was on Joy herself.

She stood apart from the others, her white robes pristine despite the carnage around them.

Currently, she was looking past him, at the tree and its grisly fruit. Her expression was unreadable.

She hadn’t been invited.

She’d known something would happen to the Valheims and she’d wanted to see what Cassius would do.

But...she hadn’t expected this.

Cassius had hung up the whole family without any mercy at all, without sparing even the children.

She wasn’t pitying them. She’d been investigating the Valheims herself, sending detailed reports to the Empress about their crimes.

She knew exactly how evil they were.

But if she’d done it, she would’ve just executed them quickly—not out of mercy, but because she couldn’t be bothered with slow torture.

It was more efficient that way.

But Cassius had done the opposite. He’d given them the most gruesome, horrible death imaginable, drawn out over hours of suffering.

It made her realize that the man walking toward her was even worse than she was.

A true demon wearing a human face.

She shivered slightly, a cold feeling creeping down her spine.

Cassius reached her and immediately asked,

"The girl? The one they ran down?"

"Stable." Joy said, her voice calm. "The healing potion you gave her saved her life, but barely. I arrived in time to use my magic as well."

A faint, almost wistful smile touched her lips.

"It’s been a while since I healed someone. I’d forgotten what it felt like to mend instead of break."

Then the smile vanished, replaced by a deep frown. She looked at him, as if seeing him for the first time.

"Why?" She asked, the single word loaded with a hundred questions.

Cassius looked at her, waiting.

"Why all of this?" She gestured to the tree, the mansion, everything.

"Even if you cover your tracks perfectly this will be traced back to the Holyfield estate. After the scene you made last night, everyone will connect the dots."

"The Valheims had powerful allies, Cassius." She sighed with a concern. "When they hear about this, they’ll come for you. The pressure will be immense."

She stepped closer, her mind working through the puzzle.

"And your actions at the party...first begging, then taunting him to stab you. I understand part of it—you wanted to shift the blame, make it seem like righteous retaliation."

She tried her head. "But why such a public spectacle? Why not wait a month? Do it quietly? Why involve your family in the fallout?"

She waited for answers about the carnage that surrounded them, about the deeper reasons behind Cassius’s brutal display.

Yet, when she finally looked up at him, she was immediately baffled.

He was looking at her, yes, but he wasn’t looking at her face.

His crimson eyes were locked squarely onto her breasts in an intense, unblinking glare.

A look so shamelessly primal it seemed as though he wanted nothing more than to tear her dress open and consume her on the spot.

Joy immediately folded her arms across her chest, her cheeks flushing with a mix of embarrassment and irritation.

"What exactly are you doing, Cassius?"

She asked, her voice colder than she intended before correcting herself.

"Rather...how can you stare at my chest in such a depraved manner immediately after butchering an entire family?"

"Does it not irk you in any way? Does the blood not make you feel...anything?"

Cassius tilted his head, still grinning.

"Not at all. You know how some people have a special spot in their stomach for desserts? Well, I have a special spot in my mind for a nice pair of tits."

He chuckled at his own joke. "No matter what scene I just made, I always have plenty of time to appreciate a beautiful view."

Joy rolled her eyes so hard she nearly saw her own brain. "Unbelievable."

"But I’m serious." Cassius continued, leaning forward slightly. "The reason I was staring is because I noticed something different about you today."

"What are you talking about?"

"You’re showing cleavage."

Joy froze.

"You’re showing off more cleavage than usual, Joy."

He pointed at her chest, where indeed, the white robes she wore dipped a little lower than they normally did, revealing a generous expanse of pale skin.

"When I first met you, and for all the days after that, you completely covered yourself up. I even talked to your mother about how you dress, and she confirmed it—you’ve always dressed very conservatively, very pure, never showing any skin."

Joy’s ears were turning red now, a telltale sign she was flustered.

"But now?" Cassius leaned in closer, so close he could practically smell the faint floral scent of her skin.

"You’re showing cleavage in front of me. And I noticed it last night too."

He looked up at her with an endearing, almost tender gaze.

"You’re doing this for me, aren’t you? You’re trying to show off for me."

"Absolutely not!" Joy snapped, her voice cracking slightly. "Take your mind out of the clouds, Cassius. Why would I ever do something like that?"

But even as she spoke, she was painfully aware that he was right.

This morning, as she prepared to come here, she had stood before her mirror and...adjusted her robes.

Not to cover more, but to reveal just a little.

A subtle lowering of the neckline, an arrangement of the fabric that emphasized rather than concealed.

She hadn’t even consciously thought about it; her hands had moved on their own when her thoughts turned to Cassius.

And that realization made her furious—not at Cassius, but at herself.

She knew she had feelings for him. That was undeniable now, after everything they’d been through, after the way her heart raced when he was near.

But to act on those feelings so...shamelessly?

To preen for him like some whore trying to catch a noble’s eye?

It was mortifying.

Cassius, meanwhile, looked thoroughly satisfied with himself, like a cat that had gotten the cream.

Seeing her flustered like this made all the gloom of disposing of the Valheim family completely melt away.

Quickly, she pulled her robes tighter, covering the offending cleavage.

"Anyway." She said, her voice tight with forced composure. "Forget about that. Tell me the real reason you did all of this."

"The whole...performance."

Cassius cleared his throat, his playful demeanor shifting to something more thoughtful.

He looked up at the hanging bodies swaying gently in the morning breeze.

"Well." He began. "The first reason would probably be due to a request from the Goddess of Debauchery herself. I’m simply spreading her gospel all across the continent."

Joy’s brow furrowed in confusion.

"What does the Goddess of Debauchery have to do with any of this?"

Cassius began to pace as he explained.

"You see, if I had handled this quietly and disposed of the Valheims without anyone knowing, then no one would speak of it."

"The matter would be swept under the rug, and the Goddess’s name would spread not at all."

He stopped and turned to face her.

"But if I made a grand spectacle, my name would spread everywhere. Everyone would talk about the depraved young master of the Holyfield estate who begged while another noble tried to murder him."

Joy interrupted. "But they’d also talk about how you were helpless in the situation. That would only make your reputation even worse!"

"Exactly." Cassius said, his eyes gleaming with triumph. "That’s the point."

Joy stared at him, her mind struggling to keep up.

"You see." Cassius continued. "I don’t want to be seen as a Hero. I don’t want people to think I’m some powerful force who topples corrupt families."

"That would complicate things."

"Instead, I want to be seen as the depraved, evil villain who hides behind his father’s power. I want everyone to think I’m useless, weak, and completely dependent on others."

He smiled darkly.

"That’s why I put on that show at the party. I begged. I let Darius stab me over and over. I made sure every noble in attendance saw me at my most pathetic."

"And now, when people see this..."

He gestured to the hanging bodies.

"...they’ll think my father ordered it. They’ll say, ’Oh, that Holyfield Patriarch finally snapped after his useless son was nearly killed."

"My name will spread again as the weakling who had to run to daddy for protection."

"The lecher who collects women like trophies but can’t handle the consequences."

Cassius spread his arms wide, as if embracing the imaginary rumors.

Joy on the other hand was baffled by the strangeness of his plan.

"But...But that’s absolutely terrible for your reputation! The rumors around you will be even worse than before!"

"Exactly!" Cassius said, his enthusiasm genuine. "That’s the point! I want those rumors to propagate. To grow. To become so outrageous that no one takes me seriously as a threat."

"It’s perfect!"

Joy shook her head slowly, still not fully understanding.

She knew Cassius was connected to the Goddess of Debauchery, but she didn’t fully comprehend why he had been selected as her messiah, or why spreading her name required acting like a depraved noble.

But even as she considered this, she felt it wasn’t the whole truth.

There was something else. Something he wasn’t saying.

As if reading her thoughts, Cassius turned away, his hands clasped behind his back. He looked up at the sky, where the sun was looming over the clouds.

"There’s another reason. And it’s actually the more important one." He said, his voice softer now, losing its theatrical edge. "I wanted to test something."

Joy stepped closer. "Test what?"

When he turned back to face her, his smile was still there, but his eyes held a solemnness she hadn’t seen before.

"To test the status of the Peacekeeper in this world."