Chapter 554: Soul Mending

But just then Joy spoke harshly again.

"Don’t think that just because of this...you’re off the hook yet, Young Master Cassius. Or that you’re free to do whatever you want."

The tone was enough to make even the maids flinch. Cassius raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth twitching as he looked back at her.

Joy continued.

"I might not have been able to determine the color of your soul. I still don’t even know if your soul has a color at all. But..." She exhaled weakly, placing a hand to her chest. "Even though my own soul is damaged right now and needs time to recover...I managed to bring a piece of you back with me."

The maids gasped, several nuns exchanged alarmed whispers. Cassius’s brow twitched slightly.

"As long as I unravel it." Joy went on. "I’ll be able to understand what sort of man you truly are. I’ll see glimpses of your past...your nature...and then, we’ll know the truth."

Hearing this, Cassius winced inwardly, though his expression stayed outwardly calm.

That was not something he wanted. A part of his soul in the hands of a priestess with divine insight?

That could expose far too much. He forced a nervous chuckle and decided to stay calm for now.

"Well." He said lightly. "If that’s the case...would it be possible to, ah, get it back? Technically, that soul fragment is my property, you know." He gave her an awkward grin. "I’d rather not go brain-dead or start talking to walls because I’m missing a piece of myself."

Joy’s lips curved into a faint, pained smile.

"Don’t flatter yourself. I didn’t steal a part of your soul—I only took an imprint. A trace. You’ll be fine."

She winced slightly, clutching her chest as if something inside her hurt before saying,

"But I won’t be giving it back. I’ll take my time...and when the imprint unravels, I’ll see everything you’ve tried to hide."

Cassius’s eyes narrowed. For a moment, he said nothing, weighing his options. Then he sighed, forcing an easygoing grin.

"Fine, fine. Do whatever you like, Saintess. If you find anything interesting, let me know. I’ll deal with the consequences when the time comes."

Before anyone could say anything, Maria’s worried voice broke through.

"Joy...did you say your soul is injured?"

Joy’s lips tightened. Aqua, standing beside her, immediately looked alarmed.

"Your soul’s hurt? Shouldn’t we call a healer? Or, can’t you heal it yourself? You’re the best healer in the entire kingdom!"

"No, Aqua. I can’t." Joy shook her head slowly. "I can heal my body. I can even restore the broken, the dying, and the cursed...but not a soul. No healer can treat a soul injury."

Aqua frowned. "But there has to be someone who can! Someone who specializes in souls!"

Joy paused for a moment before replying quietly.

"Actually...there was."

Maria blinked, confused. "What do you mean ’was’?"

Joy took a slow breath. "Long ago, there were beings who understood the soul better than anyone else. The vampires."

Gasps filled the room. The nuns stiffened, some clutching their holy symbols instinctively.

Joy went on calmly. "It was said they could influence another’s soul. At first, people thought they used it for evil. That they controlled minds and enslaved others."

"But the truth was...they were healers. They could mend broken souls, remove darkness, purify pain. If the vampires still existed, they could have healed me."

"But that’s impossible." Aqua frowned deeply. "Vampires were wiped out centuries ago. The Church made sure of that."

An awkward silence followed. A few of the older nuns looked uneasy, unable to meet her gaze, the history of that ’holy purge’ suddenly weighing on them.

Cassius, however, didn’t share their discomfort.

His expression had turned thoughtful, his sharp eyes flickered toward the tall window at the side of the hall.

Beyond it, in the distance, stood a dimly lit guesthouse. His gaze lingered there for a moment before he turned back toward Joy, a faint spark of interest in his eyes.

Joy noticed his expression but didn’t comment. She simply looked at her mother and said reassuringly,

"Don’t worry, Mother. My soul will heal itself. It will take time, and it’ll hurt, but I’ll manage."

Maria still looked uncertain but nodded slowly.

Joy then turned back to Cassius, forcing a small, strained smile.

"Once it’s healed, I’ll begin unraveling the imprint of your soul. And when that happens, I’ll see your past clearly—who you are, what you’ve done, everything you’ve tried to hide."

Cassius gave a faint, uncomfortable smile, clearly not thrilled with the idea.

"And until then." Joy continued. "I’ll be staying here in the estate. Close to you. It’s better for the investigation if I observe the target directly."

Her tone grew colder again.

"Unless, of course, you feel threatened by that."

Cassius chuckled softly, shaking his head.

"Not at all. The rooms have already been prepared for you and your group. You can stay as long as you like."

He spread his arms, his smile returning with practiced confidence.

"In fact, I’m so confident in my innocence that you can ask Lucius for anything you need—documents, records, even my private files. He’ll give you everything. I’ve got nothing to hide."

Lucius puffed his chest proudly. "That’s right! My Young Master is an open book!"

Cassius laughed lightly. "And one more thing, Saintess—please, stop calling me ’Lord Cassius’ or ’Young Master.’ Just call me Cassius. It’s simpler."

Joy raised an eyebrow, clearly irritated by his tone.

"Fine." She said curtly. "Then you can call me Joy. No titles. I don’t like hearing mine either."

Both of them smiled politely, but the air between them was frigid, charged with invisible tension.

The polite smiles were masks. Beneath them, a silent battle had already begun.

Finally, Joy turned away, exhaling softly.

"The sun has already set." She said. "We’ve all had a long journey. Everyone should get some rest."

The nuns nodded, murmuring in agreement. Aqua gently wrapped an arm around Joy’s shoulder, guiding her toward the door.

But one person stayed behind and hesitated to go back.

It was Maria.

She hadn’t yet spoken directly to Cassius, and part of her wanted to. She wanted to introduce herself properly, perhaps even speak to him privately later.

But when she looked at him, surrounded by his beautiful maids, their adoring eyes fixed on him—her courage faded.

She looked down at herself, suddenly conscious of her age, her plain attire, her position. Her heart sank slightly.

’Someone like him wouldn’t be interested in a woman like me.’

So she smiled faintly, quietly turned away, and followed her daughter out of the hall, leaving Cassius behind.

—

As Joy walked slowly down the corridor with the rest of the group and the maids guiding them to their rooms, she happened to glance behind and noticed the distant look on her mother’s face.

Maria’s expression held a softness tinged with sadness, her eyes lowered in thought. Concerned, Joy reached out and gently touched her mother’s arm.

"It will be all right, Mother." She said with calm reassurance. "Soon, my soul will be completely healed. You don’t have to worry about it so much."

Maria blinked, caught off guard for a second. She then quickly forced a smile and nodded.

"Yes, yes, of course. My daughter will always be all right." She said, a little too quickly. "You are blessed by the goddess, after all. She will be watching over you."

But deep down, that wasn’t what troubled her.

Her worry wasn’t about Joy’s wounds, since she knew her daughter would get better.

It was about him.

She hadn’t even introduced herself to Cassius. Not properly.

She had wanted to...ever since she saw the way he spoke, the way he carried himself with that strange mixture of arrogance and charm.

He fascinated her in a way she couldn’t quite explain. And now, after everything he had said—how he had turned the entire investigation upside down, swaying hearts and winning sympathy—her curiosity only deepened.

But she sighed inwardly.

’What am I thinking?’ She scolded herself. ’He’s surrounded by youth, by beauty, by women far interesting than me. What would he ever see in an old mother like me?’

She shook her head, trying to dismiss the foolish thought.

’No. It’s better this way. It would only embarrass me.’

She was about to turn and continue following her daughters when she suddenly heard a faint sound—

A pssst...psssst sound like someone whispering for attention.

Maria blinked and turned, looking around the corridor.

Then her heart nearly skipped a beat.

A few rooms away, down a branching corridor, Cassius was peeking out from a half-open door, his head and one shoulder visible through the crack.

He was...gesturing at her. Urgently.

She froze, unsure if he was calling someone else.

But when she glanced behind her, Cassius shook his head, looked straight at her, and pointed directly at her.

Then he gestured again, tilting his head slightly as if to say, Come here.

Maria’s breath caught. "M-Me?" She mouthed.

He nodded once, with a small, knowing smirk.

Her pulse quickened. Part of her wanted to ignore him and walk away. Another part—stronger, more curious pushed her to stay.

’Why is he calling me? What could he possibly want?’

It felt dangerous. A man with rumors like his calling her into a private room.

But her curiosity, that soft voice inside her that longed to understand him, was stronger than fear.

After a brief hesitation, she turned back toward Joy ahead and said lightly,

"Joy, go on ahead, dear. Your mother needs to visit the lady’s room for a bit. I’ll catch up soon."

Joy stopped and turned immediately. "Do you want someone to assist you, Mother? Perhaps one of the nuns can—"

"Stop treating me like a child, Joy." Maria pouted, waving her hand dismissively. "I’m your mother, remember? I’m much older than you. I can most certainly go to the bathroom by myself."

"But—"

Aqua groaned and rolled her eyes. "Oh, be quiet, Joy. You fuss over everything." She gently pushed Joy along the hallway. "Come on, Joy. Auntie Maria will be fine."

Joy sighed reluctantly but didn’t argue further. The nuns followed her down the corridor, and soon their voices faded around the corner.

Maria exhaled in relief. Then, glancing both ways like a child sneaking out after curfew, she tiptoed toward Cassius’s door. Her heart raced wildly.

’This is so silly.’ She thought, half-smiling. ’I’m acting like a girl again...but how exciting this feels.’

She reached the door, slipped inside quietly, and the door clicked shut behind her.

And the moment she turned around, she was shocked to see that he was right there in front of her.

"Ah—!"

Maria gasped softly, pressing herself back against the door. He was standing close—too close—his scent faintly warm and intoxicating. His gaze slid over her slowly, as if amused by her startled reaction.

For a few seconds, he simply looked at her up and down, eyes gleaming with quiet amusement.

Then, at last, he spoke, his tone soft and teasing.

"You know." He said, his lips curving into a smirk. "You really are quite gullible, Lady Maria."

"Gullible? What...what do you mean?" Maria asked timidly.

Cassius chuckled, folding his arms as he explained,

"As you know, I’ve done my fair share of research into your daughter and her entourage. Which means...I’ve read quite a bit about you."

Maria looked confused, and he went on.

"You’re called the ’Saintess of Compassion.’ Some say you’re the most gentle and kind soul in the entire kingdom. That you radiate purity and warmth, and that you’re an angel disguised in a nun’s habit."

"The way you spread kindness wherever you go, lifting spirits, healing hearts...all without asking for anything in return."

Maria blushed, flustered. "T-That’s...that’s nothing. I’m just doing what anyone else would do. I only want to make the world a little better."

Cassius smiled. "And I believe you. Truly, I do. In fact, the reports on you are so consistent, it’s almost absurd. They say you have absolutely no ulterior motives. You do what you do purely out of goodness."

She nodded shyly.

"But." He added with a smirk. "That also makes you incredibly gullible."

Maria blinked, taken aback. "Gullible?"

He smiled faintly. "Yes. You try so hard to see the good in people that you can’t see the bad. You believe everyone has light inside them. But the truth, Lady Maria..."

He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a murmur.

"The world is full of wolves. And you—you’re the lamb that walks right up to them and smiles."

Maria’s breath hitched as he took a step closer, his tone half-teasing, half-warning.

"That’s why your daughter never lets you out of her sight. Because she knows what I know, someone as pure as you doesn’t last long among predators."

He leaned closer still, close enough that she could feel his breath brush her cheek.

"Just like how...." He said softly, his lips curling into a devilish smile. "... you’re going to get devoured right now after walking straight into my den."