Chapter 586: You Strayed Off From The Right Path

Joy by nature was a straightforward person.

She didn’t enjoy playing games, never used underhanded tricks, and had always prided herself on honesty, even brutal honesty.

She was the kind of woman who would march straight to the Empress herself if she thought something was wrong, even if it meant risking her own position.

That was Joy—unyielding, transparent, impossible to bribe or bend.

But Cassius...Cassius was different.

He was her greatest frustration. The one man she could not pin down.

For months, she had tried to find evidence against him. Proof of his corruption, his deceit, anything to justify the conviction that he was no ordinary man, but some sort of devil in disguise.

Yet every attempt failed.

Every lead evaporated.

Every supposed ’crime’ turned out to be nothing but rumor and coincidence.

It infuriated her.

No matter how certain she was that Cassius was hiding something dark, there was nothing she could legally or spiritually use to condemn him.

It was as if he lived under divine protection—untouchable, flawless, holy.

And for the first time in her life, Joy’s composure had cracked.

She had grown desperate—desperate enough to do something she normally would never do: set a trap.

That was why she said what she did about Isabelle.

It wasn’t just to humiliate her—it was to bait Aqua.

Because Aqua adored Cassius. If she learned that Isabelle, the woman now hugging her had once tried to assassinate her beloved brother, surely she would explode. Cry. Rage.

Maybe even strike her.

And when Cassius found out, when he saw the chaos, maybe he would finally lose that calm façade of his and reveal what truly lay beneath.

Joy waited.

Every second stretched.

Aqua and Isabelle stared at one another, their expressions tightening. She expected shouting, tears, a meltdown—something.

But instead...nothing.

Aqua and Isabelle simply looked at each other.

Frowns of solemn understanding passed between them.

Then, slowly the frowns smoothed.

Neutrality settled.

And then...the corners of their mouths began to lift.

First a small, shared smile.

Then—impossibly—a giggle.

"Phft!"

"Phft!"

Then full, warm laughter.

"Hahahaha!"

"Hahahaha!"

Both of them giggling like schoolgirls who had just heard the best inside joke of the year.

Joy’s brows furrowed deeply.

"What’s going on?" She demanded, voice sharp with confusion. "Why are you two laughing?"

She gestured between them.

"If you’re laughing about the attempted assassination of Cassius, then I suppose the three of us are finally on the same side."

Her gaze locked on Aqua.

"Are you finally seeing reason, Aqua? Are you on my side now?"

Aqua’s laughter faded into a soft, affectionate chuckle.

"On your side, Joy?" She shook her head, still smiling. "Not at all. Never. After all your side means hating my brother."

She stepped closer to Isabelle, putting a firm but affectionate hand on her shoulder.

"I know exactly what you were trying to do, Joy." She said teasingly. "You wanted to make me angry, turn me against Isabelle, get some kind of reaction."

"But sorry to disappoint you, it’s not going to work."

Joy frowned. "And why is that?"

"Because she already told me everything." Aqua said, smiling.

"The very first day I met her. Every detail—how she tried to kill Cassius, how she regretted it, and how he forgave her."

Her tone softened, filled with respect.

"And you know what? I believe her. She didn’t hide it. She was honest from the start. She even told me how she thought Cassius was evil back then and how she learned she was wrong."

Isabelle bowed her head slightly, her expression calm, serene.

"It’s true, Lady Joy. I confessed everything to Lady Aqua because I didn’t want her hearing it from anyone else. I wanted her to hear it directly from me and to know that it was my greatest sin, one I’ll carry forever."

She lifted her gaze, steady and sincere.

"I didn’t want lies or gossip to poison her heart. Or this matter to hurt Young Master."

Aqua’s face lit up.

"See? Even now, she’s thinking about him! Isn’t that just adorable? She’s the most loyal wife ever!"

She said, hugging Isabelle again before adding with a grin,

"Not to mention, she’s so smart that she caught on to my joke without me even saying anything about it...My sister-in-law is really the best!"

And while Aqua complimented Isabelle on her acting skills—Joy exhaled through her nose, clearly irritated.

Not only had Cassius left no cracks for her to exploit.

But even his maids and wives were impossibly loyal, clever, and honest. Every single one of them covered his weaknesses before she could even find them.

It was maddening.

Still, she couldn’t deny the discipline.

It was impressive, almost admirable if not for who it was protecting.

After a long pause, Joy finally said, "You were on the right path all along, Isabelle."

Isabelle blinked, surprised.

Joy folded her arms. "What you did, trying to kill him was the right thing. You were a Heroine for all women. You did what most of us couldn’t, took action against a dangerous man who manipulates and deceives others."

Her gaze hardened. "It’s just sad that you strayed from that path."

Aqua frowned. "Joy—"

"I don’t know what kind of manipulation he used." Joy continued, ignoring her. "But it’s tragic to see someone like you fall to the dark side. Truly tragic."

But Isabelle didn’t seem to be bothered and instead gave a serene gaze.

"There was no manipulation, Lady Joy." She said gently. "I simply came to understand who he really is. I misjudged him once and now I serve him by choice."

Joy’s lips parted slightly. "By choice? Really?"

"Yes." Isabelle said. "Out of gratitude and love, not coercion."

Joy’s shoulders tensed. She wanted to argue—wanted to accuse her of brainwashing, of delusion—but the look in Isabelle’s eyes stopped her.

It wasn’t fake. There was no deceit, no magic—just sincerity.

So instead, Joy exhaled and said dryly. "Fine. Then tell me, what are you doing here?"

Isabelle blinked, caught off guard. "Pardon?"

"You mentioned Cassius sent you." Joy said. "Why? To spy on us?"

"Oh, no, nothing like that." Isabelle said quickly, shaking her head. "Young Master simply told me to accompany you all. I heard you were going to visit the town and the building you deem suspicious today."

She then gave an awkward gaze and added,

"Originally Lucius was supposed to accompany you. But Young Master was concerned that Lucius would...talk endlessly about his greatness."

"He worried it might irritate Miss Carmela or you enough to end his life. So he sent me instead. Just to be safe."

Joy’s lips twitched despite herself.

"That was a wise decision." She said dryly. "If your butler had come, I would have tied him up and beaten him with a stick. Repeatedly."

She exhaled.

"But I still don’t need you here. I can handle this investigation on my own."

But to Joy’s surprise, Isabelle quickly shook her head.

"Forgive me, Lady Joy." She lightly bowed her head. "But my Young Master instructed me to accompany you today. And before you argue..." She raised a hand preemptively as Joy opened her mouth "...please hear me out."

Joy’s lips pressed into a thin line and Isabelle continued without missing a beat.

"The facility you’re going to inspect is very heavily guarded. No one enters without proper clearance, not even a Saintess herself. The security protocols are strict."

"And even if you show papers from the Capital itself, they will make things...difficult for you. Very difficult."

She met Joy’s gaze steadily.

"But if I come along, everything will go smoothly. No questions. No delays. No hassle."

Joy frowned slightly, clearly unconvinced.

But before she could respond, Aqua stepped forward beside Isabelle, putting her hands together in a pleading gesture, her eyes wide and sparkling dramatically.

"Please, Joy! Please~! It’ll be so much more fun with Isabelle along!" She said cheerfully. "You’re always so serious when we go out, and with her, maybe we’ll actually have some fun for once."

"She’s sweet, she’s polite, and besides, you know she’ll make everything easier for us!"

Maria, who was still hugging Carmela chuckled, amused by Aqua’s childish persistence, while Isabelle looked between the two women with a hopeful expression.

Joy crossed her arms, sighing heavily.

"Fine." She said at last, the faintest twitch in her brow. "If it makes the process more efficient and prevents any unnecessary interruptions, I’ll allow it."

Aqua grinned triumphantly. "See! I knew you’d agree!"

Joy rolled her eyes.

"But don’t misunderstand me." She said dryly, giving Isabelle a sharp look. "I’m fully aware you’ll report everything back to her Master."

"But it’s not like I mind. Even if a spy follows me at all times, I’ll still find proof of Cassius’s wrongdoing."

But Isabelle only smiled confidently.

"Of course, Lady Joy." She said with a small bow. "Please do whatever you wish. Investigate however you like. But I can assure you at the end of the day, you will find nothing."

Joy’s gaze lingered on her for a long moment, but Isabelle didn’t flinch.

Finally, Joy turned her head, muttering,

"We’ll see about that."

As she did, her eyes fell on Carmela, who had just finished wiping away the last of her tears, standing beside Maria with a faint, fragile composure.

Isabelle blinked at the sight and tilted her head curiously.

"Forgive me, but...what exactly happened here?" She asked softly. "Why was Lady Carmela crying? I didn’t think she was capable of such a thing."

Aqua chuckled immediately.

"Oh, trust me, I thought the same thing." She said, crossing her arms with a grin. "But don’t worry about it, it’s nothing bad."

"Let’s just say...it was a touching little family moment."

"Family...reunion?" Isabelle looked even more confused.

Aqua just winked. "Something like that."

Joy ignored the comment entirely, walking toward Carmela and Maria.

"We’re leaving now." She announced. "We’ll go on horseback. It’ll be faster and more efficient, and I’ll get a better look at the surrounding area during the ride."

Maria frowned immediately.

"Joy, what are you saying?"

She said, disapproving.

"Carmela just broke down into tears a moment ago, and you’re already giving her orders? For the goddess’s sake, have some empathy!"

Joy, in her usual dry tone, replied,

"I already did. The fact that I didn’t interrupt her crying was more than generous on my part. Now that she’s finished, it’s time to move on."

"I need her by my side for this mission and I can’t waste any more time here."

Maria’s mouth opened in disbelief—she was about to argue back, but to her surprise, Carmela herself spoke up before she could.

"No, it’s fine." Carmela said quietly. "I...agree with her. I don’t want to dwell on this any longer."

Her eyes shifted slightly, a faint shade of embarrassment coloring her cheeks.

"It’s already humiliating enough that I cried in front of everyone. It’d be better to move on."

Maria hesitated, looking at her with gentle concern.

But seeing that faint, shy expression on Carmela’s face—the way she tried to mask her vulnerability—Maria finally sighed and smiled softly.

"Alright, Carmela." She said. "But we’re definitely going to talk about this later."

Carmela hesitated...then gave a small, grateful nod as she found it incredibly hard to deny anything Maria said.

And even as she tried to ignore her, her eyes kept on looking towards Maria, growing more and more fonder as she looked almost like she couldn’t ignore her mother’s presence around Maria.