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

Unlike their subordinates, who had all been assisted or carried away, the top dogs of the Sacred Guard were still sprawled on the ground, looking for all the world like abandoned strays.

Skadi, in particular, had the expression of a dog left out in the rain, her ears drooping as she rested her chin on the grass. Aisha was stiff, her arms crossed tightly, but her fingers were twitching in a way that suggested she was barely holding onto her dignity. And Julie, merely smiled as if she'd expected this outcome.

Cassius tilted his head, lips curving into a knowing smirk. "Well, well. Now why exactly have the three of you been left behind like forgotten baggage?"

Julie, still sitting gracefully despite her injuries, met his gaze. "There weren't enough maids to go around." She admitted easily. "So I told them to prioritize helping the rest of the knights instead."

Cassius raised a brow, clearly entertained. "And that's why you've been completely abandoned like this?"

Aisha's eye twitched, and she looked away sharply, her pride visibly dented. Skadi let out a low, exaggerated whine, her tail flicking in agitation.

Cassius exhaled, crossing his arms as he studied them. "So...What happens if I just leave you three here?" His smirk widened. "Since you all still can't get up—you two because of your injuries, and Aisha because she wasted all her strength running on pure adrenaline—are you just going to set up camp here for the night?" His voice was laced with amusement.

Aisha let out a sharp 'harumph', as if dismissing the very idea. "Tch. You don't need to worry about that." She raised her chin, forcing her usual smugness into her tone. "As hard-boiled knights, we can crawl back if we have to."

But despite her bravado, there was an unmistakable grimace on her face at the mere thought of it.

Cassius's smirk deepened. "Crawl back? What an elegant sight that would be. The great Aisha Noctus, the cold and calculating genius of the Sacred Guard, reduced to dragging herself across the dirt like a wounded animal."

Aisha's face burned. "Sh-Shut up! I wouldn't actually crawl! I'm just saying if it came to it, I—"

Before she could finish, a new voice chimed in.

"Who said anything about crawling?" Skadi, who had remained oddly quiet up until now, suddenly rolled onto her back and stretched out her arms. "We don't need to crawl. We can just roll all the way back!"

With that declaration, she did exactly that—throwing herself sideways and rolling across the ground like a log.

Cassius stared in dismay at the sight of the rolling dog. Aisha, in contrast, smacked her forehead in disbelief. "Oh, for the love of—Skadi, you absolute moron."

But Skadi, true to her wild nature, continued rolling, completely unbothered by Aisha's complaints.

"See? Easy!" She called out between spins, grinning like she had just uncovered the ultimate solution to their problem.

"Well, that's certainly one way to make an entrance when you finally get back." Cassius smiled.

Aisha rolled her eyes so hard it was a miracle they didn't fall out of her head. "She looks like a damn potato."

But just as Skadi was about to reach the other side of the clearing, her momentum suddenly slowed. The grin on her face wavered.

Then, all at once, she stopped.

"...Ugh."

The color drained from her face as she placed a hand on her stomach, her ears twitching in discomfort.

"Ughhh…" she groaned again, this time with unmistakable nausea creeping into her voice. Very, very slowly, she rolled herself back toward Julie, stopping just beside her captain.

Aisha gave her a long, unimpressed look. "...And now?"

Skadi turned pale, her silver tail limp against the grass. "Skadi doesn't feel so good."

Aisha crossed her arms, not even trying to hide her satisfaction. "Gee, I wonder why? Maybe because you just rolled around like an idiot for no reason?"

Skadi let out a weak whine, pressing her forehead against Julie's lap. "Captain, I don't feel good...Help me." She mumbled pathetically.

Julie, who had been quietly watching the entire thing unfold with an air of long-suffering patience, finally let out a gentle chuckle. "I can see that, Skadi." She said, shaking her head.

With a quiet smile, she reached down and placed her hand on Skadi's head, gently stroking her soft silver hair.

The effect was immediate. Skadi let out a pleased sigh, her tail twitching slightly as she melted into Julie's touch. Like an overgrown puppy, she instinctively nuzzled closer, clearly comforted by the warmth of her captain's lap.

Cassius quirked a brow. "Just like that, she's cured?"

Julie chuckled. "She just needs a little reassurance." She said, her tone almost motherly. "She's a simple creature at heart."

Aisha scoffed. "More like an oversized mutt who gets sick from rolling around like a dumbass."

Skadi, too content under Julie's gentle petting to care, simply murmured. "Hush, cat. Let me have this."

Julie then let out a soft sigh, her fingers still moving through Skadi's thick silver hair as she glanced up at Cassius. "You should go on ahead." She said with her usual calm composure. "We'll be right behind you after we rest up a little."

Cassius tilted his head, a slow smirk creeping across his face.

"Oh? Is that so?" His eyes gleamed with something almost playful. "You do know that I'm the one who beat you all up, so I should know exactly how battered and bruised you are right now." His smirk widened. "And I also how it probably hurts like a bitch to even think about getting up."

Julie's smile faltered for just a second before she quickly looked away, as if the trees in the distance had suddenly become very interesting. Because the truth was…he was absolutely right.

Her body ached all over, and her legs were trembling at the mere thought of standing. Every muscle screamed in protest, and though she would never admit it, the idea of trying to get up right now felt as impossible as lifting a boulder. She could already imagine the embarrassing sight—her knees wobbling, her stance unsteady.

But she was a grandmaster, damn it. She couldn't just admit to her opponent, of all people, that she was struggling.

So she put on her most graceful smile and lifted her chin. "It's not that bad." She said smoothly. "I can manage."

She thought that she handled the matter smoothly without losing her dignity. But then—Skadi, who was still enjoying Julie's head pats, blinked up at her with pure confusion.

"Huh? What are you talking about, Captain?" She asked, tilting her head. "Even I'm aching all over, and I have the strongest body here."

"...How in the world are you suffering any less with that normal body of yours?"

The words were spoken with nothing but innocent curiosity, but they landed like a critical hit.

Julie froze.

The slow, rhythmic strokes she had been giving Skadi's head suddenly became…rougher. More forceful. No longer the gentle, soothing motions of an older sister doting on her excitable pup—but the irritated scrubbing of someone using a little too much energy.

Skadi immediately noticed the shift. She flinched slightly. "Ow, ow—wait a second." She muttered, glancing up. "Captain, why does it feel like you're trying to rub my fur off my scalp?"

She turned to look at Julie, only to find her wearing a slightly agitated, slightly embarrassed expression—her brows furrowed, her lips pressed together, her green eyes flicking sideways like she had just realized she had been betrayed by her own dumb puppy.

Skadi, in true Skadi fashion, blinked, completely missing the obvious signs of irritation. "Wait...are you mad?" She asked cluelessly.

Julie's smile twitched. "No, Skadi. Why would I be mad?" She said in an overly sweet tone, her fingers still very much rubbing her wolf ears—just not in the gentle way they had been earlier.

Skadi's tail twitched, and she suddenly looked nervous. "Uhh, no reason? You just seem kinda…" She winced at another particularly firm rub. "…aggressive all of a sudden."

Cassius, watching the scene unfold, barely held back his laughter. Ah, yes. The poor captain—always forced to deal with a subordinate who had no idea when to shut up.

Aisha, meanwhile, crossed her arms and smirked, clearly enjoying watching someone else suffer for once. "Serves you right, mutt." She muttered, shaking her head.

Skadi, still resting in Julie's lap, suddenly sat up straight in offence, her wolf ears twitching with irritation as she turned to Aisha with a toothy grin, not willing to take any abuse from her as well, knowing that she had dirt on her which she could use against her.

"Ohhh, you shouldn't be saying anything, cat." She drawled, her tail flicking behind her like an amused predator.

Aisha raised a brow, arms still crossed. "Oh? And why's that, mutt?"

Skadi wasted no time. She dramatically hopped out of Julie's lap, landing on the ground with surprising energy for someone who had just been whining about body aches. She stretched her arms out wide, as if she were about to deliver some grand revelation, then grinned the most childish, taunting grin imaginable.

"At least the reason we're on the ground is because we got injured!" She declared, puffing out her chest like she had won a debate. Then, she pointed directly at Aisha, her grin widening. "But you? You're still on the ground just because you got so scared your legs gave out!"

Aisha stiffened instantly.

"And they're still not working!" Skadi added with exaggerated glee. "You're still sitting there like a helpless kitten cause your knees just gave up on life after seeing Master Cassius in action!"

Cassius's brows lifted slightly in interest, while Julie, still seated on the grass, felt another headache coming.

Aisha, meanwhile, narrowed her eyes dangerously. "Watch it, mutt."

But Skadi was just getting started.

She leaned in closer, her silver eyes glinting mischievously. "And you know what's worse, Aisha?" She sing-songed, drawing out the words like she was about to deliver the most damning piece of gossip.

Aisha's instincts screamed at her to shut Skadi up immediately, but before she could, Skadi dropped the bomb.

"You even peed your pants a little from the fear!!"

Silence.

Dead silence.

Aisha's entire body went rigid.

Then, in an instant, her face turned bright red. "Y-You—!" She sputtered, hands flying up as if trying to physically push away Skadi's words from existence.

Cassius blinked, then turned his gaze toward her with mild intrigue. Julie, still seated, also looked at Aisha, her composed expression now tinged with curiosity and dismay like she wasn't expecting her right hand man out of all people to pee herself.

Aisha's eye twitched as she immediately tried to shut it down. "Lies!" She snapped, her voice an octave higher than usual. "You're making things up, mutt!"

But Skadi only grinned wider. "Am I though?" She taunted, her tail wagging lazily.

Aisha turned to Cassius and Julie, as if pleading for them not to believe this nonsense. But to her absolute horror, both of them simply looked at her. Studying. Observing.

Cassius, of course, had his usual smirk—one that suggested he was thoroughly enjoying the show—but Julie? Julie was watching her with something far worse.

Scientific curiosity.

Like she was actually considering whether Skadi's ridiculous claim might have some merit.

Aisha's face burned. "D-Don't look at me like that!!" She blurted, pointing at both of them. "I didn't!! I swear I didn't!!"

Cassius hummed, leaning slightly closer, his smirk deepening. "I don't know, Aisha." He mused. "You're being awfully defensive."

Julie tilted her head, her green eyes calm but unreadable. "It's true that fear can cause certain...involuntary reactions in the body." She said in a calm manner, though the intrigue in her voice to know if her little sister really did humiliate herself in such a manner was unmistakable.

Aisha's soul left her body. "Not you too, Captain!!" She practically wailed.

But Skadi wasn't done yet.

She folded her arms and nodded confidently. "Don't lie to me, Aisha. I know you peed yourself a little." She announced, grinning like a detective revealing the final clue of a mystery.

Aisha let out a frustrated groan. "How?! What ridiculous nonsense are you about to say now?!"

Skadi beamed.

"Because..." She began proudly. "When I was younger, I used to wet the bed all the time!"

Cassius actually choked on his own breath. Julie's flinched, wondering if she heard right.

Aisha recoiled. "What the hell does that have to do with anything?!"

But Skadi continued, undeterred.

"And because of that, I got really used to the smell of my own pee!" She declared like it was some kind of grand achievement. "So now, I can recognize it really well!"

Aisha looked like she was going to die. "Skadi. Stop. Talking."

But Skadi didn't stop talking and continued telling her findings.

"And to my shock, I smelled that odour just a little coming from you earlier!" She said, pointing directly at Aisha like she was making a dramatic courtroom accusation.

"...Which means even if it was only a few tiny drops, you definitely peed yourself, Aisha! You most definitely did!"

She beamed, as if she had just presented irrefutable evidence in a court of law.

Cassius, hearing Skadi's blunt declaration, tilted his head back, gazing up at the sky. He was doing his best to suppress a full-blown laugh. The thought of the normally arrogant Aisha, peeing her pants mid-battle was almost too much to bear.

Julie, on the other hand, looked stunned. Her calm demeanor faltered, and her eyes widened slightly, hearing that Aisha actually did what she was accused of when she simply thought Skadi was joking earlier. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

One of her top knights, a woman known for her icy composure in battle, had apparently succumbed to fear in such a…undignified manner.

She imagined the repercussions if this news were to spread. 'How would I ever hold my head high as a captain?' She thought, a faint tremor running through her.

Aisha's face, meanwhile, had reached a shade of crimson that could rival the ripest tomato. Her eyes were wide with mortification, and her lips trembled as she tried to form a coherent response.

The embarrassing secret she had desperately tried to conceal had been exposed, and she felt a wave of shame washing over her...