Depraved Noble: Forced To Live The Debaucherous Life Of An Evil Noble!-Chapter 200: Tastes Like Sewage

Diana knew that if she let the silence linger, Cassius's teasing hands would continue their brazen exploration, his fingers already tracing the undersides of her breasts, each subtle caress stoking the fire in her lower half.

The risk of Vivi noticing grew with every second, the scandal of their illicit bond teetering on the edge of exposure, so desperate to shift the focus, Diana seized control, her voice steady despite the flush burning her cheeks.

"Cassius..." She said, her tone professional but urgent. "Let's talk about Vivi's treatment. What are the next steps? How do we proceed?"

Vivi's eyes lit up, her earlier distraction forgotten as she leaned forward, her voice eager.

"Yes, Young Master! What's the plan? Is there a surgery or something?" Her curiosity was infectious, her hands clutching the blanket, her face glowing with hope.

Cassius chuckled, his hand still resting on Diana's waist, though his touch eased, allowing her a moment to breathe.

"There's no surgery needed, Vivi." He said, his voice warm and reassuring. "Your illness doesn't require anything so invasive."

"The treatments we've been using have already done wonders, I mean look at how vibrant you are."

"..To go further, we'll start supplementing with antimicrobial medicines, as I've mentioned before. They'll target the bacteria in your lungs, helping you get even stronger."

Diana nodded, her professional demeanor returning as she absorbed his words, her mind anchoring on the familiar ground of medicine. Vivi mirrored her, her head bobbing in understanding, her eyes wide with trust.

"The bacteria..." Diana said, her voice thoughtful. "...those organisms you explained before, causing her pneumonia...The antimicrobials fight them, derived from plants and other sources. That's the path forward, yes?"

"Exactly." Cassius said, his tone approving, his eyes locking onto Diana's with a glint of admiration. "You've got it. I've also already shared the steps and protocols for creating these antimicrobials, Diana. How's the progress at the hospital? Any updates?"

Diana straightened slightly, her voice confident, though his hand on her waist kept her body tingling.

"We're in the final stages." She said, her professional pride shining through. "I've been cultivating the bacterial cultures, identifying the beneficial organisms that specifically target pneumonia."

"...We're nearly there, refining the strains to ensure maximum efficacy." freeweɓnovel.cøm

Her eyes sparkled, her passion for her work evident, a quiet thrill at sharing her progress with someone whose intellect she revered.

Cassius's eyebrows rose, genuine surprise lighting his face. "That's splendid, Diana." He said, his voice rich with praise. "I didn't expect you to move so quickly. You're doing remarkable work."

His words sent a warm glow through her, her heart swelling with pride at being recognized by a man whose knowledge dwarfed her own. The validation made her feel capable, seen, her cheeks flushing not just from his touch but from the joy of his approval.

He then leaned closer, his voice warm. "I'll come by the hospital soon to check on your progress." He said, his eyes glinting with interest. "I want to see your work in action."

Diana's face brightened, her eyes gleaming with anticipation.

"I'd love that." She said, her voice eager, a flutter in her chest at the thought of showing Cassius her laboratory, her passion, her purpose. It felt intimate, like baring her soul to her lover, a chance to share the heart of her life's work with the man who'd already claimed so much of her. "It's not often we get someone of your expertise visiting. I'll make sure everything's ready."

Vivi's voice then piped up, her tone tinged with impatience.

"But does that mean I have to wait longer to get better?" She asked, her brow furrowing, her hands fidgeting with an origami crane. "If Mother's still working on the medicine, how soon can I take it?"

Cassius shook his head, a reassuring smile curving his lips.

"Not at all, Vivi." He said, surprising both women. "While Diana's been perfecting the antimicrobials at the hospital, I've been working on my own back home."

"I've created an initial sample, a primary strain, not as refined as what your mother's developing, but good enough to ease your symptoms further."

He paused, letting the words sink in, his eyes flicking between them, gauging their reactions.

Vivi's eyes widened, her voice a gasp of excitement. "Really? You have it already?" Her hands clapped together, her face glowing with hope, her trust in Cassius absolute.

"Of course." He said, his tone confident but gentle and with a flourish, he reached into his pocket, pulling out a small, intricately carved wooden box.

He opened it, revealing a handful of brown, circular pills nestled inside, their unassuming appearance belying their potential. The sight drew gasps from both women, their eyes locked on the tiny objects that held the power to change Ilves.

Vivi stared, her voice soft with awe.

"To think...what I've been searching for my whole life, what could save me, is In these little pills." Her fingers hovered over the box, not touching but reverent, her eyes shimmering with emotion. "It's like a miracle, all contained in something so small."

Diana nodded, her gaze fixed on the pills, her heart swelling with a quiet reverence.

"It does seem magical..." She said, her voice thoughtful. "...for such tiny things to hold so much power."

But her expression hardened, a fierce pride igniting in her eyes as she continued.

"But it's not magic—it's science. Saintly healers, with their spells to mend wounds, can't touch illnesses like this. And they're so rare, only the privileged few can afford them...That's why this work, this medicine, is so vital."

"..It's for everyone, not just the elite and has the potential to cure every illness in the world with enough time and dedicated research."

Her voice rang with conviction, her purpose as a doctor shining through, her chest swelling with the weight of her mission.

She then reached out, carefully lifting one pill from the box, her fingers trembling slightly as she examined it.

"So, Vivi just takes this?" She asked, her voice steady but curious, her eyes meeting Cassius's. "She ingests it, and that's it?"

Cassius nodded, but his expression shifted, a shifty, almost distant look crossing his face.

"Yes, but...there's a small problem." He said, his voice hesitant, drawing a frown from Diana.

Her heart clenched, worry flaring.

"A problem? Are there side effects? Is it harmful?" Her voice was sharp, her protective instincts surging as she clutched the pill, her eyes searching his for reassurance.

"Not at all." He said quickly, his tone soothing, easing her fear. "The pills are safe, no side effects to worry about. The issue is...the taste."

He grimaced, his voice tinged with reluctance.

"The components I used come from various sources—plants, minerals, some less pleasant things. Combined, they make the pill's flavor...unpalatable, to put it mildly."

"...It's so bitter, so foul, that swallowing it without spitting it out is a challenge."

But even after hearing his warning, Vivi let out a deep sigh of relief, her shoulders relaxing as she leaned back against her pillows.

"Oh, thank goodness." She said, her voice light but tinged with mock exasperation. "I thought there'd be some awful problem, but it's just the taste? That's nothing!"

Her eyes flicked to Cassius, a wry smile playing on her lips as she adopted a playful, scolding tone.

"Young Master Cassius, you shouldn't treat me like a child who can't even eat her vegetables! I'm an adult now, you know. I can handle anything, no matter how bitter it is."

Cassius chuckled, his hand still resting on Diana's waist, the subtle pressure keeping her acutely aware of his presence as she sat on his lap.

His eyes glinted with amusement, but his voice carried a note of caution. "Vivi, you don't understand." He said, leaning forward slightly, his tone earnest. "It's not just bitter, it's impossible to eat."

"..I gave one to Lucius to test, and the moment it hit his tongue, he was gagging, swearing I'd fed him poison instead of medicine."

Vivi scoffed, tossing her hair with a defiant flair, her confidence unshaken.

"That's nothing to me." She declared, her voice brimming with bravado. "I've swallowed all sorts of foul medicines from those other doctors—bitter, sour, you name it."

"I've built up an immunity to bad tastes. This pill won't faze me at all."

Her eyes sparkled with determination, her chin lifting as if daring the pill to challenge her.

Diana, catching her daughter's fiery spirit, nodded in support, her voice warm but firm.

"She's right, Cassius. Vivi's a strong girl—she's faced worse than a bitter pill. She's been through so much, even ready for surgery if it came to that. A bad taste won't stop her." She said as her maternal pride shone through

Cassius opened his mouth, his brow furrowing as he prepared to argue, to warn them of the pill's truly vile flavor, but Vivi was too quick.

Eager to prove her point, she reached into the small wooden box on the table, snatching a brown, circular pill with a triumphant grin.

"Watch me."

She said, her voice bold, her eyes locking onto Cassius as if to say, I'll show you and before he could stop her, she popped the pill into her mouth, her expression brimming with confidence.

Diana watched, her heart swelling with pride, expecting Vivi to swallow the pill without flinching, to prove her resilience without even needing water.

But as the pill settled on Vivi's tongue, her daughter's enthusiastic grin faltered. Her eyes widened, her nose flared, her lips buckled, and a look of sheer panic crossed her face, as if she'd bitten into acid itself.

Her cheeks puffed out, her body tensing, the taste clearly overwhelming her senses in a way she hadn't anticipated.

Diana's hand flew to her mouth, concern flaring.

"Vivi, are you alright?" She asked, her voice sharp with worry, leaning forward on Cassius's lap.

But before Vivi could respond, her lips parted in a desperate gasp, and to Diana's horror, she spat the pill out with a frantic jerk.

"Ptoo!~"

The tiny, saliva-soaked projectile arced through the air, landing with a soft plop on Cassius's neck, clinging to his skin like an unwelcome badge.

Seeing this, Diana gasped, her face flaming with mortification as she fumbled for her handkerchief, her hands trembling as she reached for Cassius's neck.

"Vivi, what are you doing?!" She scolded, her voice a flustered blend of panic and reprimand as she wiped the pill away, her fingers brushing his warm skin. "You're a young lady, not a child! How could you spit like that—and on Young Master Cassius, of all people?"

Her eyes darted to him, her apology tumbling out in a rush.

"Cassius, I'm so sorry! I don't know what got into her—she didn't mean it, I swear. She's not usually so...uncouth."

Vivi, still coughing from the lingering taste, her face red with embarrassment, waved her hands defensively.

"Mother, it wasn't my fault!" She protested, her voice hoarse but insistent, the bitter aftertaste still twisting her expression. "That pill—it's horrible! It's not just bitter, it's like...like drinking sewage!"

"...There's this weird, rancid aftertaste that clings to your tongue. I couldn't keep it in—I thought I was going to die!"

Her eyes flicked to Cassius, wide and pleading, her voice softening.

"I-I'm so sorry, Young Master. I didn't mean to spit on you. It just...happened and I-I couldn't help it."

Both women braced for his reaction, expecting anger or at least irritation—any nobleman, let alone one of Cassius's standing, might take offense at such an indignity.

Diana's heart sank, imagining even her own husband reacting with cold fury to such a slight.

But to their astonishment, Cassius merely laughed, a rich, easy sound that dispelled the tension. He brushed a hand over his neck where the pill had landed, his smile warm and unbothered.

"It's no big deal, Vivi." He said, his voice light, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "I knew you'd spit it out the moment it hit your tongue. Anyone would—it's inevitable with something that foul, so don't think twice about it and just forget it."

His easygoing response melted their worry, their eyes softening with affection as they marveled at his grace.

Diana's heart warmed, a quiet gratitude blooming for his patience, so unlike the stern men in her life, while Vivi's gaze was equally tender, her earlier embarrassment giving way to a shy admiration for the man who she fell for, who took her mistake in stride and seemed like he wouldn't even be bothered no matter what mistake she committed, making her realise how cherished she was...