A Peacock Husband of Five Princesses by day, a Noble Assassin by Night-Chapter 39: Rowena Blackthorn (2/2)

"You… Moonstone!"

Kael, without sparing her a glance, gently set his spoon down. He spoke. "So, you know my name, after all. Nice to meet you, Marquessa. Now, if you excuse us, we need to go. I thank you for covering the restaurant’s damage bill."

Then, he turned to Seraphina, a relaxed smile on his lips.

"Shall we decide where to go next?" he asked as if nothing had happened. "The haunted mansion or the vineyard?"

Seraphina blinked, stunned for a moment—before a slow, knowing smile curved her lips. It was deeply satisfying. And in that moment, her husband had never looked cooler.

She elegantly wiped her mouth with a napkin, rising from her seat. "The vineyard," she replied smoothly. "It’s best to deal with hauntings at night, after all."

Kael nodded in agreement, tossing a few gold coins onto the table as payment before extending his arm.

Seraphina involuntarily took it and rose to her feet.

Rowena’s breath was ragged with rage. She pushed herself up from the shattered remains of the table, her knuckles white from how tightly she clenched her fists.

"Kael Moonstone."

His name came out in a low growl; she was filled with rage, and killing intent poured out of her body.

Seraphina grew nervous. "Kael."

Kael, however, still hadn’t even looked at her.

That only infuriated Rowena more.

She lunged.

Her boots thundered against the wooden floor as she closed the distance, her hand poised to strike—

Seraphina instinctively tensed, her breath catching. Her feet moved and she stood before her husband, trying to defend him.

She knew Rowena was always a ticking time bomb. A single insult, a single misstep, could set her off—and now she was furious.

Kael, however, remained completely calm. He didn’t flinch a bit. He slowly pushed Seraphina aside and looked at the woman. "Let me take care of it."

"Kael, what do you…" Seraphina was confused, her eyes filling with worry,

Rowena almost reached him with her fist and it was that moment Kael raised his hand. And in his grasp, a small, gleaming badge caught the light.

Seraphina’s eyes widened. "That’s…"

Rowena froze in her spot. Her momentum halted instantly, her boots skidding against the floor as she recoiled back, eyes locked onto the object.

The restaurant fell into complete silence.

Even the patrons who had been whispering in hushed tones stopped.

Because in Kael’s hand was the official seal of the Prime Minister.

A single drop of sweat rolled down Rowena’s temple.

Kael stared at her blankly. His voice was calm, cold, and indifferent. "Laying hands on me while I carry this…"

Finally, he tilted his head ever so slightly in her direction, his gaze flickering toward her for the first time.

"…is the same as laying hands on the Prime Minister of the state. Your reasons don’t matter."

Rowena’s breath hitched. Her expression twisted between shock, frustration, and something dangerously close to fear.

Kael’s eyes glinted. "If you want to be court-martialed under the charge of mutiny…" His voice was deceptively soft, but each word sliced through the air with precision.

Then, he smirked. "you’re welcome to attack me now."

The room was so silent one could hear the manager’s heavy breath filled with nervousness.

"You…" Rowena’s fingers twitched, her jaw locked so tightly it looked like she was grinding her teeth.

Her lover/subordinate, still standing a few paces away, swallowed hard. Then, without a word, she grabbed Rowena’s sleeve and tugged lightly.

Rowena snapped her head toward her. "What?"

The woman gave her a meaningful look—one filled with both urgency and warning. "Let’s go."

Rowena’s face twisted into a deep glare. She clenched her fists so tight that her nails dug into her skin and bled.

"You will pay for this, Moonstone."

With a final low growl, she spun on her heel and stormed out of the restaurant. Her lover scurried after her, after placing the pouch filled with lots of gold coins on the nearby table, regarding the damages.

The moment she was gone, Kael calmly tucked the badge away into his storage ring as if nothing had happened.

Then, he turned to Seraphina with a smile. "Now then, shall we leave for our next destination, Dear?"

Seraphina blinked.

Then, slowly, she let out a breath—one she hadn’t even realized she was holding.

Finally, she smiled back. "Yes. Let’s go."

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After their meal, Kael and Seraphina stepped out into the bustling city streets, the hot sun burning everyone’s heads, forcing many passersby to walk under an umbrella.

Kael and Seraphina boarded their rented horse carriage. Due to security concerns, Amanda forced them to board such a carriage when they left in the morning. Kael also found it acceptable as he was going out to make a name as a merchant, not flaunting his noble heritage. That was how they evaded attention so far, or atleast while they were traveling all over the city.

And now, their travel for the quest resumed. Their next stop: the vineyards.

The mission seemed simple enough—procure the required wines for a noble’s banquet.

However, the real problem wasn’t just finding the wines.

It was that they weren’t all in one place.

Each vineyard specializes in different types of wine. Some were famed for their aged elixirs, others for their spirit-infused blends.

So, even for a simple shopping task, they found themselves moving from one estate to another, personally verifying the quality of each bottle.

Seraphina noted how Kael moved through the process with ease.

He barely needed to ask for recommendations—he already knew exactly where to go.

"You seem familiar with all of this." She gave him a curious glance.

Kael chuckled, casually inspecting a bottle of deep crimson wine before handing it to a merchant.

"Most of these are my favorites," he admitted, grinning. "So, I already knew where to find them."

Seraphina raised an eyebrow. "And the rare vegetables? The exotic spirit beast meat?"

Kael smirked. "I like those too."

Seraphina blinked and thought. "It’s rare for noblemen to know these things. Mostly, servants take care of them, or we send such quests to the guilds." Then, she let out a small, amused laugh, adding to her thoughts. "Kael continues to surprise me today."

The sun had completely set by the time they finished their procurement.

With the wines and rare ingredients secured, their quest was completed.

Seraphina stretched her arms with a sigh, walking out of a butchery. "That took longer than expected."

Kael nodded in agreement, glancing up at the now-dark sky.

Then, his gaze shifted toward her. "Shall we head to the haunted mansion now?"

Seraphina turned to him, lips turning into a playful smile. "At night? As if we have a choice."

Kael smirked. "Exactly."

"Anyway, let’s return home for the dinner. Everyone would be worried if we were gone for too long. We can leave for the quest by late evening." Seraphina advised him, stepping inside the carriage.

Rael thought for a bit and nodded. He ordered the coachwoman to go to Moonstone Manor.

After a while;

Kael and Seraphina sat at the dining table, the remnants of a luxurious and hearty dinner before them. Amanda hasn’t arrived from work yet. Melissa was sitting with them but Laura seemed absent.

Even though the tasks hadn’t been physically taxing, Kael felt deep exhaustion settling into his bones. Traveling here and there, dealing with people, purchasing things, haggling around, everything was just so taxing on his head.

Melissa sat across from him, wiping her mouth with a napkin, her eyes looking at him with concern.

"You look tired, Dear," she observed softly. "Are you sure about this quest tonight? Why not postpone it to tomorrow?"

Kael leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms above his head before releasing a deep sigh.

"I’m fine. It’s just a haunted mansion. It’s not going to be much trouble."

He looked at her reassuringly, though the thought of dark sorcery and malevolent spirits still lingered in his mind. But he wasn’t about to let that stop him—he had other priorities now.

As he stood up, preparing to leave, Laura entered the room at last. She looked like she had showered, her free-flowing wet hair still carried a nice fragrance. Her footsteps were light, but her pace was quite fast. Her demeanor gave the impression that she came down in a hurry.

"Wait. I’m going with you, Kael," she announced with a smile.

Kael paused, looking at her with raised brows. "I appreciate the offer, but I don’t think the ghost would like an audience."

"What if it isn’t a ghost?" Laura interrupted. "You need someone to protect you if it is an enemy." She frowned.

Seraphina, who had been quietly observing the exchange, suddenly spoke up.

"No need to worry. I’m already going with him, Laura."

Laura turned to her, confused. "Why?"

Seraphina’s tone turned more serious than usual as she replied. "Because my healing powers are poison to malevolent entities like ghosts. I can protect him more efficiently."

Laura, clearly not one to back down, rolled her eyes. "Ghosts don’t exist. You’re being dramatic. And if it is not a ghost, your healing powers would be useless. You can’t defeat an enemy on your own, sister."

But Seraphina didn’t back down either, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Just because I’m a healer, doesn’t mean I can’t fight. I only prefer not to fight unless it is necessary, Laura. Even if it is not a ghost and an enemy that we couldn’t defeat, I’m confident that my healing powers would at least keep him unharmed. But, if it turns out to be a ghost, I’m the best bet."

Laura’s expression hardened. "You can fight but you don’t have experience as a fighter." She looked at him as if trying to make him see reason. "This is a dangerous mission, and I’m the one who can be of better use." She shifted her gaze to her husband, "Kael, take me with you."