A Peacock Husband of Five Princesses by day, a Noble Assassin by Night-Chapter 42: Kael and the Necromancer (2/5)

"Ugh…"

Kael groaned as the weight of the shackles lifted from his wrists.

His limbs ached, and his mana core shattered, leaving a hollow emptiness within him where magic once flowed. He barely had the strength to push himself up into a seated position, but every inch of his body screamed in protest.

Before him stood the Necromancer—the same woman who had violated his core, bound him, and nearly ended his life. Her silver eyes remained impassive as she stepped back, allowing him a moment to breathe.

Kael’s gaze flickered toward her warily, his mind racing. The hatred, the rage—he could feel it simmering beneath the surface. Yet, she simply folded her arms, watching him with detached amusement.

"Sit now," she ordered. "We don’t have time for your nonsense."

Kael narrowed his eyes, his fists clenching weakly. "You expect me to believe you want to help me now?" His voice was hoarse, raw from pain and exhaustion.

At his side, his little black cat bristled, fangs bared as it hissed at the woman. The creature’s golden eyes gleamed with suspicion, mirroring Kael’s own wariness.

The Necromancer didn’t react to the threat, her expression remaining blank. Instead, she merely tilted her head, exhaling through her nose. "Just get this into your head that right now, you are at my mercy, and I have no patience to convince you. So, whether you like it or not, you cooperate. Understand?"

Kael felt his nails bite into his palm. His mind screamed not to trust her, yet… he was weak. Too weak. If she truly wished to harm him further, she wouldn’t need words—she could simply finish the job. "You…"

She met his glare with a cold stare of her own. "Shut up and follow my instructions."

There was no kindness in her tone, no warmth—just calculated efficiency.

Kael swallowed his pride, his body betraying him as his exhaustion took hold. He had no choice. He nodded and forced himself to come down from the stone slab, crashing to the floor with a thud. He slowly sat down and crossed his legs.

The Necromancer knelt down behind Kael. Without another word, she placed her palms against his chest. "Art of Reversis—Unleash."

Kael’s body tensed, but before he could react, primordial darkness seeped from her fingertips, slipping into his body like threads of magic. It wasn’t cold or painful—if anything, it felt comfortable.

He gasped, feeling the shattered fragments of his mana core—a wound that should have left him crippled for life—began stitching themselves together. The foreign yet familiar energy wove through him, repairing what had been lost, smoothing the damage flawlessly.

Within mere moments, his core was whole again, as good as new. Perfect, as if it had never been damaged at all. The raw pain of his internal injuries vanished, his body feeling light, almost… renewed.

"Oh, my Goddess!"

Kael sucked in a breath, his shock barely concealed. He clenched his fist, feeling the familiar pulse of mana rushing through him once more. This woman—who shattered him so easily—had restored him as she promised.

But before he could fully grasp what had just happened, the tattoo on his arm flared to life.

A fierce glow erupted from the inked lines, and in the next instant, the Spectral Wolf materialized at his side. Its ethereal fur bristled as it let out a deep, guttural growl, baring its fangs at the Necromancer.

*Grrr*

"Nyx," Kael tried to give an order but before that happened, the Necromancer looked at it.

Just a glare. A single, cold glance.

The mighty spectral wolf—a soul-bound creature that had never bowed to anyone but him—whimpered. Its ears flattened. It took a step back, lowering its head like a scolded pup before vanishing into the shadows, retreating into Kael’s soul without waiting for his orders, too. Due to their connection, Kael could also sense that it was afraid.

Kael’s heart skipped a beat.

Not even demigods could force soul-bound beasts into submission.

Yet she had done it… effortlessly with a simple look. Something tells him that it wasn’t some illusion technique or hypnosis. It was her aura that scared off the wolf.

His breath caught in his throat, but as he processed the unnatural fear she had just instilled, his gaze flickered to the small black cat at his side.

Unlike the wolf, the cat did not submit.

Its golden eyes remained locked onto the Necromancer, its fur slightly raised, but it did not lower its head. It did not run.

Kael exhaled slowly. "At least this mysterious little beast wasn’t afraid of her. That’s a positive thing." He thought.

"Okay, I guess being naked is uncomfortable to you, lad." The Necromancer spoke, snapping her fingers.

In the next moment, a swirl of shadowy mist materialized before him, twisting and coiling until it solidified into a neatly folded set of clothes. "Here we go." With an effortless flick of her wrist, she tossed it at him.

Kael instinctively caught the bundle, his face flushing red in embarrassment. He turned on his heel, taking hurried steps toward the dimly lit corner to dress, but before he could make his escape, her smooth, teasing voice echoed behind him.

"Oh, don’t be shy now," she mused, her tone dripping with amusement. "I’ve already seen everything, haven’t I?"

Kael froze.

His grip on the clothes tightened.

She wasn’t done. "I even know the location of every single mole on your body."

Kael gritted his teeth and refused to look back. His ears burned as he hastily pulled the clothes over himself, blocking out the sound of her light chuckle.

By the time he turned back around, a wooden chair had materialized, and she took her seat, the air of amusement fading into something more composed.

"Now, sit." She pointed at the stone slab.

Kael hesitated before sitting down across from her on the stone slab, his embarrassment still lingering, but curiosity now taking over.

She regarded him for a moment, then spoke with a calm finality.

"Lilith. Lilith Crown. That’s who I am."

"Crown?"

Kael’s breath caught in his throat. His eyes widened slightly at the name. "Is it…"

She nodded, the barest hint of satisfaction in her gaze. "Yes. The same surname you’re thinking of."

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Kael’s thoughts raced.

The House of Crown. The once-mighty empire that had ruled over two-thirds of the world for nearly a millennium. Said to be the mankind strongest Empire ever to exist in history, the dynasty that had stood unchallenged—until the Great Tragedy six centuries ago that had brought it all to ruin.

And she—this unfathomably powerful necromancer—was a princess of that very empire?

Kael barely masked his shock as she continued, her voice carrying the weight of someone who had lived through centuries of history.

"I was the Empress’ sixth daughter." Her tone was even as if reciting a mere fact. "A favorite for the throne. Unchallenged by any of my sisters and cousins."

Kael felt the tension in the air shift.

She leaned forward slightly, a distant look in her eyes. "However, I had no interest in ruling. No patience for politics or the burdens of an empire. My passion was magic. My love was for the unknown. I wished to explore the world." Her voice softened just a fraction as if recalling something long buried beneath time itself.

Kael swallowed, watching her carefully.

This wasn’t just a powerful demigod sitting before him.

This was someone who had lived through a fallen age—a ghost of an empire long lost.

His earlier embarrassment was now entirely forgotten and questions filled his head.

Her golden eyes, once filled with amusement, had dimmed into something distant. Not sorrow. Not anger. Just emptiness.

"I left my home," Lilith continued, her voice calm but mixed with something almost… unsteady. "I walked away from the throne, the power, the courtly games. I thought I found something better."

Kael said nothing, only watching as she folded her hands in her lap, fingers clenching slightly.

"I met a man," she murmured. "Someone who made me forget all of it—the duty, the empire, the ambitions of others. We settled down in a quiet countryside. No wars. No politics. No power struggles."

For the first time, her lips curled into something that might have been a smile—before it vanished just as quickly as it came.

"Then the world ended."

A cold shiver ran down Kael’s spine.

The Great Tragedy.

The catastrophe that had reshaped the very foundations of history. The event that had wiped the Empire of Crown from the face of the world. The thing that caused millions of casualties, reducing the world’s population back then from more than 170 million to less than 100 million over the course of just four mere years. It was a dark age indeed.

"The Ancient Dragon Lord Ignis awoke," Lilith said, "and with his awakening, the world burned."

She spoke of it with the clarity of someone who had witnessed it firsthand. She couldn’t help but shut her eyes, remembering the chaos.