Depraved Noble: Forced To Live The Debaucherous Life Of An Evil Noble!-Chapter 159: A Letter From The Past

"That's so lovely." Vivi said, her voice brimming with sincerity. "She saw you for who you are, not what others thought. What happened after that? How did you two come together?"

The old man's face softened, his eyes crinkling with a tender smile as he leaned back in his chair. Vivi's question hung in the air, and he seemed to sink deeper into his memories, the weight of his grief mingling with the warmth of recollection.

"After that day..." He began, his voice slow and rich with nostalgia. "Things changed for me. Lila...she wasn't just a passing fancy. We started seeing each other all the time. I'd make excuses to deliver manure to her father's farm, and she'd be there, waiting with that smile of hers. She'd tease me about the smell, but then she'd roll up her sleeves and help me push the cart, not caring a whit about the dirt."

"And I'd stay after, learning how to tend her pigs—feeding 'em, cleaning out the pens, laughing when they'd splash mud on us both. We'd spend hours together, talking, working side by side, like we were already a team."

Vivi's smile widened, her eyes glistening as she listened, utterly captivated. The senior maid, standing nearby with the blanket still clutched in her hands, let out a soft sigh, her own eyes misty.

Even Cassius, his usual smirk tempered by a rare softness, watched with quiet interest, his crimson eyes reflecting the fading light.

"We got married not long after." The old man continued, his voice warming with pride. "Wasn't a fancy wedding—couldn't afford much, and neither of our families had coin to spare."

"But Lila, she looked like a queen in her simple dress, and I felt like the richest man alive standing next to her. We built a life together, had three sons—fine boys, all grown now, married with children of their own."

"Our businesses merged, you could say. Kept the pig farm going, raising hogs for the market, and kept the manure trade too, supplying farmers far and wide."

"...Folks might even call our family filthy, what with pigs and dung being our trade, but I'm proud of what we built. It's honest work, and it's ours."

He paused, his smile turning wistful as he looked at Vivi, his voice dropping to a reverent whisper.

"For forty two years, my lady, since the day I met Lila, there wasn't a single moment I didn't thank the gods for her. She was my light, my strength—made me feel like I was worth something, no matter what the world said."

"I was the luckiest man to have a wife like her, one who saw me for me, who loved me through every dirty day and every hard night...Even now, with her gone, I feel her with me, in the way the pigs snort like she used to when she laughed, in the way the fields smell after a good rain."

Vivi's eyes shimmered with tears, her delicate hands pressing to her chest as she let out a soft, trembling breath.

"Oh, that's so beautiful." She said, her voice thick with emotion. "What a love you shared—forty two years of that kind of happiness, that kind of partnership. It's like a story from a book, but so much better because it's real."

"...You and Lila. You built something truly special."

The old man's smile deepened, his own eyes glistening as he looked at Vivi, a quiet reverence in his gaze. "

You know, my lady, seeing you today—your kindness, the way you treated an old fool like me, insisting I sit, telling me my work matters, it reminds me of her...Lila had that same heart, that same way of making folks feel seen, feel worthy."

"...You're a lot like her, and I reckon she'd have loved to meet you, to see the good you're doing."

Vivi's tears spilled over, a soft sob catching in her throat as she reached out, her hand hovering near his on the table, her voice trembling with sincerity.

"That's...That's the kindest thing anyone's ever said to me." She whispered, her smile wavering but radiant. "Thank you, sir. I'm so honored to remind you of her, even a little...She sounds like she was an incredible woman."

But just as the mood was growing all warm and fuzzy, the old man's smile faltered, a shadow crossing his weathered face as the warmth of his memories gave way to the raw ache of loss.

His voice, so full of love moments before, grew heavy, trembling with an emotion that seemed to pull the twilight closer around them.

"But sadly..." He said, his eyes dropping to his gnarled hands. "...she passed away. That's why I'm here, my lady. Ever since Lila left me, it's like...like the world's gone dim. I've lost all meaning, all purpose."

"Every morning, I wake up expecting to hear her voice, her laugh, even her scolding me for tracking mud in the house...But I call her name, and nothing comes back—just silence. And every time, it's like a dagger twisting in my heart."

Vivi's face softened, her tears still glistening but her expression steady, a quiet empathy radiating from her as she listened, while Lucius shook his head, his throat tightening as he felt the weight of the old man's grief, his usual chatter silenced by the rawness of the moment.

The old man then looked up, meeting Vivi's gaze with a raw, desperate intensity, his voice breaking as he continued.

"It hurts so much, my lady, knowing she's not here. I keep asking myself—what's the point of living without her? We built everything together—our home, our family, our life. Without her, it's all hollow."

"...I...I've even thought of ending it, just to be with her again, to see her smile one more time..."

"...That's why I came here. These thoughts, they're eating me up, and I don't know how to go on."

Lucius's eyes widened, a soft gasp escaping him as the weight of the old man's confession hit. The senior maid stiffened, her hand flying to her mouth, her face full of shock.

They could both feel the depth of his despair, the love that had tethered him to life now pulling him toward its end.

But Vivi...Vivi didn't flinch.

Her expression remained calm, her eyes steady as she looked at the old man, a thoughtful glint in them as if she were piecing together a puzzle only she could see.

And then to everyone's surprise, she didn't offer consoling words or rush to soothe his pain. Instead, she turned to the senior maid, her voice gentle but firm.

"Miss Elma, could you do me a favor?" She asked, her tone carrying a quiet authority. "Please go to my room, to the cabinet by my desk. There's a collection of letters there, bundled and labeled by date. Could you bring me the bundle from three years ago, the fourth month and the third day? All the letters sealed within it."

The senior maid blinked, confusion flickering across her face, mirrored by Lucius's furrowed brow and even Cassius's raised eyebrow—a rare moment of being caught off guard.

"Letters, my lady?" The maid asked, hesitating. "Are you sure?"

Vivi nodded, her smile serene but certain. "Yes, please. It won't take long."

The maid bowed, still puzzled, and hurried off toward the mansion, her footsteps quick against the stone path, while Lucius leaned toward Cassius, whispering, "What's she up to, Master? Letters? How's that going to help?"

Cassius only shrugged, his gaze fixed on Vivi, a spark of intrigue in his eyes as he waited to see her play unfold.

The old man, equally confused, shifted in his chair, his voice low and slow. "My lady, what's this about? Letters?"

Vivi's smile widened, soft and reassuring, as she held up a hand. "Just a moment, sir. I think it'll make sense soon."

The senior maid returned swiftly, a bundle of letters tied with twine in her hands, their edges yellowed but neatly organized. She handed them to Vivi, who thanked her with a nod and set the bundle on the table, her delicate fingers deftly untying the knot.

The letters, over sixty in number spilled out, each sealed with a wax stamp, their dates carefully inked on the envelopes. Vivi sifted through them with a practiced ease, her eyes scanning the labels until she paused, pulling one letter from the stack with a quiet hum of recognition.

She looked up at the old man, her smile gentle but knowing, and said. "Lila Marie Harrow."

The moment he heard this name, the old man froze, his eyes widening in shock, his breath stopping like he saw a ghost.

"How...How do you know her name?" He stammered, his voice trembling with disbelief. "I didn't tell you her full name, my lady. Have you...did you meet her? Did you know my Lila?"

Vivi's smile softened, her eyes warm with a quiet reverence.

"No, sir, I never had the honor of meeting her, though I wish I could have—she sounds like such a wonderful woman....But she did write to me, three years ago."

She held up the letter, its wax seal unbroken, the date clearly marked.

"I recognized your story, the way you spoke of her, the pigs, the manure—it felt so familiar. I remembered a letter from a woman named Lila Marie Harrow, and I knew it had to be her."

The old man's jaw dropped, his hands trembling as he stared at the letter, his voice barely a whisper.

"She...She wrote to you? My Lila? But how...how do you remember? That was years ago, and you get so many letters—hundreds, they say. How do you know the exact date, her name, all of it?"

Vivi's laugh was soft, almost self-deprecating, as she set the letter down.

"I don't know if it's a gift or just stubbornness." She said, her voice light but sincere. "My body's weak, always has been, but my mind...it's strong."

"Everything I read in those letters, every story, every name—it stays with me. I can't help it. I remember them all, like they're part of me."

"...Your Lila's letter—it also really touched me, and I knew it was special."

Lucius's eyes widened, his admiration bordering on awe as he whispered to Cassius. "Master, did you hear that? She remembers everything—tens of thousands of letters, and she pulls this one out like it's nothing! She's incredible!"

Cassius's smirk returned, but it was tempered by a rare glint of respect, his gaze locked on Vivi.

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"Sharp as a blade." He murmured, his voice low. "I genuinely didn't see that coming for the first time in a while."

The old man's gaze locked onto the letter in Vivi's hands, his eyes wide with awe and reverence, as if it were a sacred relic, the final tangible piece of his beloved Lila.

His hands trembled, hovering near the table, but then a shadow of worry crossed his face, his brow furrowing as a new thought struck him.

"My lady..." He said, his voice hesitant, almost fearful. "Everyone who writes to you...they've got troubles, don't they? Heavy ones, weighing on their hearts. If Lila sent you a letter, what kind of trouble was she in? Was it...was it bad?"

"...Don't tell me she regretted marrying a brute like me and was complaining about her marriage?"

Vivi's chuckled, her eyes sparkling with warmth as she shook her head, a gentle reassurance in her voice.

"Not at all, sir." She said, her tone light but sincere. "It wasn't that kind of letter. About three years ago, I received a letter from your Lila, and it was...Well, it was full of love. Nothing troubling, just pure, beautiful love."

The old man blinked, confusion etching deeper lines into his weathered face. "Love?" He echoed, his voice trembling with uncertainty. "What do you mean, my lady? What was she writing about?"

Vivi's cheeks flushed a faint pink, a shy smile tugging at her lips as she glanced down at the letter.

"It's hard to explain without reading it." She admitted, her voice soft with affection. "Her words they're so special, so full of heart. Let me share them with you. It's better that way."

She carefully unfolded the letter, the parchment crinkling softly in the quiet twilight, and as the old man leaned forward, his breath held in anticipation, she began to read...