Depraved Noble: Forced To Live The Debaucherous Life Of An Evil Noble!-Chapter 697: You’re So Silly

Cassius was rushing toward her, his long legs eating up the distance between them.

He was dressed simply—a crisp white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, tucked into black pants that fit him perfectly.

Simple. Elegant. Devastatingly handsome.

But that wasn’t what made Maria’s jaw drop.

It was the chair.

He was carrying a chair over his head.

Not just any chair—this was a throne.

An elaborate, utterly ridiculous throne, with carved armrests and a high back and what looked like gold leaf inlay catching the morning light.

And he held it above his head with the casual ease of someone carrying a picnic basket.

He reached her and set it down gently, and Maria stared at it, then at him, her mouth opening to ask what in the world he was doing with a throne—

But then she saw his face.

He was staring at her.

Not looking. Staring. His eyes were wide, his expression caught somewhere between awe and wonder, as if he had just seen something he couldn’t quite believe was real.

He looked at her hair. Her face. Her lips. The way the morning light fell across her shoulders. His gaze traveled down her body and back up again, slowly, as if he wanted to memorize every detail.

Maria felt heat bloom across her cheeks.

She knew she shouldn’t be pleased. She knew she should be dignified, composed, unaffected.

But what woman didn’t want a man to notice her effort?

What woman didn’t want to be looked at like that—like she was something precious, something worth seeing?

"Cassius." She finally managed, her voice embarrassingly breathless. "You’re staring. It’s—it’s really quite embarrassing."

But he didn’t stop.

If anything, his gaze grew more intense, more focused, more aware of every detail of her appearance.

She was about to burst into flames from sheer mortification when he finally closed his eyes, let out a long breath, and seemed to shake himself back to reality.

But instead of greeting her, instead of apologizing for staring, he walked closer.

His expression was gentle, almost soft, and he pointed at the fountain behind her.

"Say, Maria..." He said, his voice taking on a tone that was almost scholarly. "...do you know that this fountain is called the Fountain of Versailles?"

"It’s a magical artifact that my father purchased from a small neighboring kingdom many years ago."

Maria blinked.

She had been prepared for many things—a greeting, a compliment, perhaps even more staring. She had not been prepared for a sudden lecture on fountains.

But the shift was so unexpected, so completely absurd, that she found herself looking at the fountain with genuine curiosity.

"Wow." She said. "I didn’t know that. It does look really pretty with all the designs carved into it, but I never expected it to be a magical artifact."

She looked back at him curiously.

"What exactly are the effects of this fountain?"

Then she smiled teasingly.

"Don’t tell me this is the fountain of youth. That as long as you drink the water from it, you gain eternal life and look forever young."

Cassius gave her a teasing smile in return.

"Well, if it really were the fountain of youth..." He said smoothly. "...you would have already known. You must have taken a sip from it a long time ago."

Maria blinked, not understanding for a moment.

Then the realization settled in, and warmth spread through her entire body.

"You—" She sputtered, pointing at him accusingly. "You really have a rather sly tongue, Cassius!"

He waved his hand dismissively.

"I would prefer to call it an honest tongue." He casually said. "I’m simply saying the truth. After all, with how young you look at your age, I’m pretty sure the Empress herself would hunt you down if someone told her you had drunk from the fountain of youth."

He grinned.

"She, along with the rest of the world, would believe it without question."

Maria’s face was on fire. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

She opened her mouth to retort, to say something clever, to regain some semblance of composure—but all that came out was a flustered.

"Enough, enough! Enough with the jokes!"

She waved her hands as if to physically bat away his words, even as warmth continued to bloom in her chest.

"But—" She cleared her throat, trying to regain some dignity. "If it’s not the Fountain of Youth, then what is it? What does it actually do?"

Cassius’s smile turned mysterious. He stepped closer to the fountain, running his fingers along the edge of the stone.

"The artifact inside is called the Mirror of Truth." He said softly. "It doesn’t grant eternal life, or youth, or any of those grand, dramatic things."

He looked at her, and his eyes were gentle.

"Instead, it shows you the truth. No matter what you ask—where a treasure is hidden, where a bandit has fled, any question at all—it will show you the answer. An image appears in the water, clear as day."

Maria’s eyes widened, genuine wonder spreading across her face.

"Really?! Such a magnificent artifact exists? That’s unbelievable!"

She leaned closer to the fountain, peering into the water with newfound awe.

"To think something like this has been here all along, and I was just admiring it for its beauty."

Seeing her enthusiasm, Cassius’s expression brightened.

"In fact, we could try it right now, if you’d like."

Maria’s head snapped toward him. "Really? We can?"

Excitement bubbled in her voice—then she paused, her brow furrowing with concern.

"But wouldn’t something like this be terribly expensive to operate? Surely it needs some kind of extravagant component, or a rare catalyst, or—"

Cassius waved his hand dismissively.

"Not at all. The mechanism is already set. The only limitation is that it can only be used twice a day." He smiled at her. "But since you’re so enthusiastic, I’d love to show it off for you."

Maria clasped her hands together, barely able to contain her giddiness.

The date hadn’t even started, and already Cassius was giving her such a wonderful surprise.

Cassius stepped up to the fountain and stood before it, his posture straightening.

He then closed his eyes, raised his hands, and began to make a series of intricate gestures—weaving his fingers together, drawing patterns in the air, his movements slow and deliberate.

He looked so serious. So focused. Like a true mage activating an ancient, powerful artifact.

Maria held her breath, not daring to make a sound.

Then Cassius opened his eyes, looked directly at the fountain, and declared:

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall—who is the prettiest lady of them all?"

Maria’s composure cracked.

"Wait..." She said, her voice caught between confusion and disbelief. "Cassius...did you just say ’mirror’? This is a fountain. And it’s not on a wall. It’s on the ground."

Cassius waved his hand airily.

"The incantation is a bit unusual. A family tradition, you might say." He pointed at the water. "Just look into the fountain. You’ll see the answer."

Maria’s heart began to race.

She was a sister of the church, sworn to humility and devotion. Vanity was not supposed to matter to her.

But she was also a woman.

And like any woman, she couldn’t help but wonder who the prettiest lady of them all might be.

Her mind immediately went to the Empress.

The woman’s beauty was legendary—so legendary that she often sat behind a screen during court sessions, lest her face cause too much distraction.

Surely the Mirror of Truth would show her image.

Who else could possibly claim such a title?

She stepped forward eagerly, leaning over the water, her eyes scanning the surface for any sign of an image—

But all she saw was water.

Rippling, clear water, with nothing beneath it but the smooth stone of the fountain’s basin.

She waved her hand over the surface, leaned closer, squinted. Nothing.

No image. No vision. No truth revealed.

She looked back at Cassius with a disappointed expression.

"I think your artifact is broken, Cassius. Nothing is showing up."

Cassius stepped up beside her, his brow furrowed in apparent concern.

He peered into the water—then let out a dramatic sigh of relief.

"What are you talking about, Maria? The artifact is working perfectly." He pointed at the water. "Look—the most beautiful woman in the world is right there."

Maria looked again, still seeing nothing but water.

"Where? I don’t see anything."

Cassius leaned closer, his finger still pointing at the surface.

"Look closely. Right there. You’ll see an image if you just look carefully enough."

Maria squinted harder, leaning in until her nose was nearly touching the surface.

"Where? I still don’t see any—"

And then she saw it.

Not an image conjured by magic. Not the Empress’s face, or some fantastical vision.

Her own reflection.

She stared at it for a long moment, her mind slowly piecing together what had just happened.

Then the realization hit her.

She straightened up, cheeks flushing bright pink as she looked at him in utter disbelief.

"Cassius. That’s—that’s not some magical image. That’s just...my reflection."

And in response, he folded his arms across his chest, looking mock-offended as he indignantly said,

"That’s exactly what I’m talking about, Maria. It’s not ’just’ a reflection—it’s the truth the artifact is showing us. In fact, I can even prove it right now."

He turned back to the fountain and intoned dramatically:

"Mirror, mirror on the wall...who’s the most handsome man of them all?"

Then he pointed down at the water with a triumphant grin.

"Look—see? The truth is right there."

Maria leaned in again...and saw his own reflection staring back, chest puffed out proudly.

Cassius struck a heroic pose.

"I told you, didn’t I? The artifact confirms it—we’re clearly the most handsome and beautiful pair to ever exist."

Maria tried to hold it in. She really did.

But the sheer ridiculousness of the moment—finally broke her.

"Hahahaha—!"

She burst into soft, delighted giggles, covering her mouth with both hands as her shoulders shook with laughter.

She had come here expecting a magical revelation, an ancient truth revealed—and instead, Cassius had simply found the most roundabout way possible to call her beautiful.

It was absurd. It was childish. It was utterly, wonderfully ridiculous.

She laughed until her sides ached, until tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, until Cassius was watching her with a mixture of relief and self-satisfied pride.

When she finally caught her breath, she looked at him with a fond expression.

"Tell me, Cassius." She said, her voice sly. "How many times have you used this trick before? How many girls have you lured in with this fountain of yours?"

Cassius’s confident demeanor flickered.

"To tell you the truth..."

He rubbed the back of his neck, looking almost shy.

"You’re the first person I’ve used it on."

Maria’s eyebrows rose.

"When I saw you today, you looked so beautiful that I couldn’t find the words to explain it properly." He shrugged, a helpless gesture. "I wanted to do something special. Something you’d remember."

Warmth flooded through Maria’s chest.

He had gone through all this trouble—the throne, the fountain, the ridiculous incantations—just to find a way to compliment her. To make her feel special.

She was about to say something, to thank him, to tell him how touched she was—

But then Cassius’s expression shifted and devilish look appeared in his eyes.

"Of course. This the first time I’ve used this very fountain for this trick."

He continued, his voice brightening.

"But there’s a fountain in the town that I’ve used this trick on a couple of girls. And there’s a pond nearby where I’ve done the same."

"Oh! And there’s a well a little further out—" He held up his fingers, counting "—I think I managed to win over three women with that one. Possibly four."

"The reflection was a bit murky, but the principle still worked."

He beamed like this was a matter of pride.

"When it comes to bodies of reflecting water, this trick is remarkably effective. I’d say my success rate is nearly perfect!"

Maria should have been irritated.

He was supposed to be focusing on her, and instead he was boasting about his past conquests—listing off women he had charmed with various bodies of water.

Any woman in her position would have been annoyed, or jealous, or at least slightly put out.

Instead, she found herself utterly charmed.

There was something so boyish about the way he spoke, so unashamedly proud of his ridiculous accomplishments.

He wasn’t trying to make her jealous, or to prove anything.

He was just...sharing. Being honest. Being himself.

It was impossible to be angry at someone like that.

She looked at him with warm, fond eyes.

"You really are quite a silly individual, Cassius."

Cassius’s face fell.

"...Silly?"

He looked genuinely offended as he said in indignance,

"Maria, you can call me many things...Mysterious. Handsome. Charming. Interesting."

"But silly?!" He touched his chest. "I am definitely not silly. I refuse to accept that title!"

But Maria shook her head slowly.

"No." She said softly. "You’re definitely silly."

She stepped closer, closing the distance between them until she was looking up at his face, close enough to see the flicker of surprise in his eyes.

"You’re a silly person..." She continued, her voice warm. "...who says silly things and does silly things and comes up with silly, ridiculous ways to compliment a woman he’s trying to impress."

She reached out and touched his arm lightly.

"But at the same time, you’re a silly person that I wouldn’t mind spending time with."

"A silly person whose foolish world I wouldn’t mind entering because being around him makes me happy. Because listening to his foolish words makes me smile."

Cassius blinked, caught completely off guard by her sincerity and the sudden closeness.

His usual confident grin faltered into something softer, almost shy.

Maria felt her own cheeks heat up the moment the words left her mouth. She hadn’t meant to sound so bold.

She pulled back slightly, looking down with sudden embarrassment, fingers fidgeting with the edge of her sleeve.

But the truth was there, warm and undeniable in her chest.

She really wouldn’t mind it.

She wouldn’t mind spending the rest of her life listening to Cassius’s bold, ridiculous claims and falling into his silly little traps.

They might seem childish to other nobles—things that would make them scoff or turn up their noses—but to her, they felt genuine. Joyful. Real.

And right now, standing beside the fountain with the sun warming her skin and Cassius looking at her like she was the only thing in the world, Maria realized she preferred him exactly as he was.

Silly, charming, and completely, wonderfully himself.