Depraved Noble: Forced To Live The Debaucherous Life Of An Evil Noble!-Chapter 67: By Your Side

Cassius drew in a slow breath, steeling himself, dreading the eruption that must come. "Go on." He muttered under his breath, low enough that she might not hear. "Shout at me, curse me, do whatever you need. I deserve it."

But the outburst he feared never came.

Instead, from behind him, there was only a light sound of…relief? He thought it might have been his imagination at first, but then, clear as day, he heard her exhale—a long, audible sigh.

"Oh, thank goodness." Isabelle said out loud, her tone so unexpectedly calm that Cassius stiffened. "I was worried it was going to be something far worse. For a moment, I feared you were banishing me from your side or something like that...But it turned out to be something as insignificant as handling my punishment...What a relief."

Cassius’s eyes flashed wide, and in the same instant, he spun around. His gaze fell on Isabelle—still standing there, no tears, no trembling fury.

If anything, she looked almost…comforted. He felt an odd twist in his stomach, a mix of shock and disbelief.

"T-That’s… all?" He managed, voice catching in his throat. "You’re not angry? You’re not sad that I broke the promise we made? You’re not…furious with me for b-betraying you like this?"

"Betraying me?" Isabelle repeated the word with a faint tilt of her head, as though she hadn’t heard him correctly. Her expression remained perplexed. "When exactly did you betray me, Master?"

Cassius’s lips parted. "When…W-What do you mean when?" He paused, uncertain how she could not see it. "When I declared there’d be no punishment, but then I did precisely that." He explained, the confusion knotting his brow. "Surely you remember me saying you’d be spared?"

But to his surprise, Isabelle simply shook her head, the smallest of gentle smiles tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"No, Master. I think that’s where you’re mistaken...You never promised to abolish my crimes altogether. You only promised to spare my life. That night, you said you’d keep me from facing certain execution so I could live. And you did exactly that." She bowed her head, recalling the moment he intervened on her behalf. "I’m beyond grateful for it, truly."

Cassius drew back a fraction, taken aback by her matter-of-fact reply.

"But I…I have effectively ripped away everything you’ve worked for." He insisted, the desperate edge in his tone betraying his unease. "You saved and scrimped for years to open a restaurant. I’ve condemned you to a public that will never trust you...Doesn’t that make your blood boil?"

She regarded him calmly, as though she was cataloging his words and carefully considering them.

"Yes, that restaurant dream was the most precious thing I had." She admitted softly. "I used to wake up every morning, motivated by the thought that I’d bring genuine joy to the masses through my cooking. It gave me a reason to keep going." A wistful note crept into her voice.

"...But that was...until the moment I decided to kill you."

"Until…that moment?" Cassius felt an odd jolt of both confusion and something like hope.

She nodded, resolute.

"You see, when I chose to assassinate you, I knew there was a very real chance I’d be caught and executed. That was the natural consequence of my decision. At that point, I’d already made peace with the idea that I’d never see my dream realized. I prioritized what I believed was a greater good—preventing other girls from meeting a tragic fate in your hands and altering the lives what could’ve potentially been a countless number of innocent lives lost." Her gaze flickered, as though recalling old convictions. "So even if I died, I would have died knowing that I saved someone that still had her entire life worth living ."

His breath caught. He’d learned bits and pieces of her motive before, but seeing her calm resolve laid out so plainly left him momentarily speechless.

Meanwhile, Isabelle pressed on, almost as if to reassure him. "Since I’d already resigned myself to losing my dream back then, this punishment about having no chance to open a restaurant doesn’t come as a surprise. In fact..." She added, lips curving with a subdued smile. "...it’s kinder than I expected. I’m alive, free to stay in the estate—free to go, if I ever wish. I’d call that mercy, not betrayal."

Cassius didn’t know what to say, so he latched onto the next point.

"But what about the…rumors? I told everyone you tried to kill me. That’s going to follow you no matter where you go, Isabelle. Don’t you realize that means you can’t just run off and build a new life? No one’s going to want to hire someone with such a reputation. Surely you see how that’s not…well, kind."

To his continued astonishment, she let out a little laugh, albeit a subdued one.

"Actually, Master, if you want the truth, it’s somewhat of a blessing since I was dreading the upcoming marriage with Edmund." She pursed her lips briefly. "You know how I have no interest in him at all, and I wasn’t looking forward to that future, especially after what happened. So, now that word of my assassination attempt has spread, I’m quite certain my father will rescind the arrangement out of shame. Edmund alos wouldn’t want to marry a rumored murderer. And that suits me just fine."

Cassius felt his jaw slacken. He grasped for composure, but the conversation had taken such an unexpected turn that his carefully nurtured guilt and self-loathing were now overshadowed by the surreal sense that none of this was going as planned.

"Oh, and something else." She added brightly, clasping her hands in front of her as though sharing a pleasant bit of gossip. "I used to get hit on constantly wherever I went, and it became quite tiresome." A mischievous glint flickered in her eyes. "Now, though, with everyone thinking I’m some deadly assassin, I doubt anyone will be brave enough to pester me. It’s like a blessing in disguise, Master!"

She giggled, her expression so at odds with the gravity of the conversation that Cassius could only stare in disbelief.

He blinked, momentarily forgetting his self-reproach. "Wait, you’re…glad that rumor is out there because it keeps suitors away?"

Isabelle shrugged with an amused smile. "Well, it spares me the headache of rejecting unwanted advances. I never liked that sort of attention anyway, so I don’t mind one bit."

Cassius’s composure threatened to unravel further. He had expected tears, rage—anything but this breezy acceptance.

Still, he managed to piece together a question. "But…this means finding work outside these walls will be nearly impossible. If, at some point, you wanted a fresh start—"

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She shook her head, cutting him off with uncharacteristic boldness. "I’ve never thought about leaving your side, Master...Not once."

Those words struck him like a sudden gust of wind. Something in his chest tightened at the revelation. "You…never considered leaving? Even after all this?"

Isabelle’s cheeks warmed, a flush creeping across her face as she realized how ambitious her statement sounded.

But she pressed on, determined not to lose momentum.

"That’s right." She confirmed softly. "To be honest…from the moment I truly got to know you, I stopped thinking about going anywhere else. I want to remain by your side until…well, until the end of time, if you’d let me."

She paused, as if weighing the impact of her words. A faint tremor ran through her posture—an endearing sign of nerves—but she lifted her chin, deciding to follow through.

"Maybe that sounds foolish, or naive. But you see, my purpose in life used to be cooking and spreading happiness with my dishes. Then it shifted to something darker—taking another life in hopes of protecting many more lives. And now…"

For a moment, her gaze flickered upward, catching Cassius’s eyes. She steeled herself with a breath, cheeks aflame.

"Now, my purpose has changed again, because of you. Because you’re…well, you’re someone I want to serve." She said, voice trembling slightly with earnestness. "Someone who fascinates me, who keeps me guessing. Someone I find worth knowing—worth dedicating myself to. Someone I…I can’t help but want to be near at all times."

She swallowed, forcing herself to meet his astonished stare.

"After meeting you, realizing how you think, how you carry yourself, how you look after people even when you pretend not to…I felt drawn in. It’s like I’d finally found a new direction for my heart. And so, if I must define my purpose now..." Her voice dipped to a gentle hush. "...it’s to stay by your side as your maid, or servant, or whatever title best fits—and make sure every single one of your needs is met."

A glimmer of conviction shone in her eyes.

"I…I don’t fully understand it, either." She admitted. "I can’t explain why I feel so strongly about this, only that I do. It makes me happy to imagine taking care of you, ensuring you have what you need—maybe even being part of your journey if you’ll let me."

As the last of her words faded into the quiet night air, Isabelle slowly lowered her gaze, her nerves finally catching up to her. Her heart pounded so loudly that she half-expected Cassius to hear it.

Yet a sense of resolve mingled with her embarrassment. She’d come this far, said things she’d never dared voice, and though it terrified her, it also felt incredibly…right.

For his part, Cassius stared at her, the tension in his posture shifting from guilt-ridden bracing to pure, unfeigned astonishment.

He’d spent countless hours anticipating how this confrontation might play out, and not once had he imagined a scenario where Isabelle ended up offering—so eagerly, so earnestly—to remain with him.

Words failed him in that moment.

He opened his mouth, but found nothing coherent waiting on his tongue. The myriad emotions in his chest—regret, relief, confusion, a faint flutter of an unnamed warmth—swirled together, leaving him acutely aware of how fragile and vital this moment was.