A Peacock Husband of Five Princesses by day, a Noble Assassin by Night-Chapter 66: Returning Home

After a private lunch with the Queen and their royal guest, Kael and his three wives made their way back home. Amanda, however, had to remain behind. As the Prime Minister of the state, her responsibilities were numerous, and she had a great deal of work to attend to. There were important matters to manage, from state affairs to crucial decisions regarding the governance of the empire. Kael, understanding her position, bid her farewell as they parted ways.

As Kael sat in the carriage, staring out of the window, his mind drifted into the past, replaying the events from only a few hours earlier. The scenery outside blurred as his thoughts focused on the private conversation he had with the Queen. The conversation between his wives slowly faded into the background.

Three hours ago;

Earlier, in the solitude of the Queen’s chamber, Kael stood before the Queen, reporting the results of his mission. The weight of his words hung heavily in the air. "I couldn’t finish off the King clown," Kael admitted with frustration. "She managed to escape."

The Queen’s expression immediately shifted from calm to serious as she processed this information. Her brows furrowed, and her lips pressed into a thin line. She clearly understood the gravity of the situation. "You said it was a Tier-9 expert and your usual Tier-8, correct? In that case," she said quietly, "their plan may be far more dangerous than we anticipated." She took a deep breath, collecting herself before continuing. "This means they wanted to do something that a Tier-9 can do and leave the city with ease. What could it be? Anyway, at the very least, we know what she looks like." She gave another glimpse at the rough sketch drawn by Kael on the parchment. "I will send the imperial preceptor to capture her."

Kael, his hands still clenched from the frustration of the failed mission, remained silent for a moment.

After a brief silence, the Queen reached to her storage ring on her index finger and retrieved a pouch filled with gold. She handed it to Kael with an air of finality. "Here," she said, her tone soft but firm. "100,000 gold coins, a few hundred more, I think. Anyway, it’s the reward I promised for eliminating Rowena." She watched Kael’s reaction carefully, noting his slight nod of acknowledgment before he accepted the pouch with quiet reverence.

However, her next words were not just about rewards but caution. "But now," she said, her voice grave, "you must remain vigilant even more. Protect Laura and Amanda in the shadows. Don’t directly eliminate those who try to abduct any of them. Instead, bring them to me. We cannot afford to have any more distractions or threats coming from unknown sources."

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Kael nodded in silence.

Back to the present;

The horse carriage entered Moonstone Estate, and they were met with a warm welcome. As he stepped down from the carriage, he was greeted by the familiar sight of Serestia, the teenage girl who had become both his self-appointed knight and a source of pride for him. She had just returned from her brief training under Knight Captain Cain, which Kael had arranged shortly after his return from Ikaris.

Despite the few days that had passed since then, Serestia had made significant progress in her training. At the very least, she was no longer in Tier 2. She is now in Tier 3—impressive progress after a few days of physical training. Kael couldn’t help but smile, pleased with her rapid improvement.

"I’m happy with your progress," Kael said, his voice warm. "When you reach Tier-4, I’ll prepare a suitable weapon for you. It will be something worthy of your potential."

Serestia beamed with excitement, her eyes filled with resolve. "I’ll work hard, Lord Kael. I won’t disappoint you."

Kael’s smile softened as he patted the girl’s head, his affection for her evident in the gesture. "I’m sure you won’t."

However, the moment didn’t go unnoticed by Laura, who was standing nearby. Her expression darkened slightly, a frown tugging at her lips, though she made an effort to stay composed.

It was a small but clear sign that she didn’t entirely approve of the closeness between Kael and Serestia, despite the fact that she was aware that her husband would never set his designs on Serestia. She is only 14 years old, and Kael treats her like a sister.

But, the other part of her mind screamed that she would become 16 after two years, an age when a girl is considered an adult. If they grow closer in 2 years, the dynamics could change.

Laura’s mind was in an entirely different world, creating alternate timelines and possible future timelines over and over as she walked into the mansion.

Kael, on the other hand, had his thoughts elsewhere.

The next morning, Kael made his way to the smithy to retrieve the adamantine five-clawed gold dragon statue, as promised by Orren.

He collected it smoothly and returned home silently without attracting anyone’s attention on the way. However, upon his return, he spent his time mostly in the company of Melissa, discussing the plans for the shipyard he intended to purchase.

With the 100,000 gold coins he had received as a reward from the Queen for eliminating Rowena, Kael felt more confident in his ability to secure the shipyard. It was just the right amount to make a solid advance payment, ensuring that the shipyard would be held for him and kept away from competing buyers.

Melissa seemed particularly invested in the details of the operation. Her intelligence and strategic mind were invaluable when it came to organizing and managing the project. Together, they went over the logistics and how best to move forward with their plans to expand their influence and wealth.

With everyone else out for work, Melissa and Kael had lunch together.

As the discussions over the new business were already been over, the atmosphere was awfully quiet, neither of them knew what else they could talk to each other. Kael’s mind was going through various topics, but nothing relatable came to his head in order to converse with his wife. This happens when you speak all casual talks with only one wife when you have multiple ones.

He had no idea what Melissa was thinking about; her head never raised high, and she seemed simply concentrating on the steak and caviar.

Eventually, Kael managed to find the topic and spoke. "Say, Melissa."

"Hmm?" Melissa finally raised her head to look at her husband. "Yes?"

"What do you think about Princess Artemis?" He asked, his tone filling with curiosity about her reply.

"Princess Artemis?" Melissa seemed taken aback by the question for a moment. "As in... Do you mean her personality or…" She didn’t finish the sentence, but he could see a slight hint of displeasure on her face, which is, by the way, a big deal in his eyes. After all, she is the ever-composed of all of the princesses.

Kael shrugged. "It’s about your twin. Adam seemed to have developed a crush on her. And she seems like she wants to find love. They were living under the same roof of the palace, too. So, things could happen, you know."

"Oh, you mean that way, huh?" Melissa seemed like relief washed over her. "Anyway, if I have to be honest, I feel like she is a troublesome character. Sometimes, I feel genuine about her, and sometimes, I feel like she was playing around for fun. It’s like I’m not sure when she was telling the truth or when she was lying. To be honest, I also felt the same way about you when we first got married."

"Eh?" Kael blinked, caught off guard. "Me? What did I do?"

Sure, he had two personalities, but lying? That wasn’t his style. He pretended to be weak, yes, but that was necessary. Had he acted suspiciously? Maybe. He did sneak out at night a few times—to kill people, no less. But he was sure that no one found out that he left home at midnight as no one had questioned him about it so far in the past three months. Then what?

Melissa’s soft giggle pulled him from his thoughts. "No, you didn’t do anything, Husband." Her golden eyes held an amused glint. "If anything, you’ve been nothing but kind to us. Supportive, even."

Kael frowned. That wasn’t exactly the impression he thought he gave.

Melissa leaned forward, her voice light but pointed. "You didn’t say a word when Eldest Sister decided to stay at the palace. You let Shiera choose the dungeons over marriage without complaint. You accepted Seraphina’s vow of celibacy without protest. And when Laura wanted you as a live-in husband back at our palace, you were ready to leave your own home for us—without hesitation. And if it wasn’t for our Mother who sent us away, this estate would be empty by now."

Kael’s lips parted slightly. He hadn’t thought about it like that before.

"It made you seem... submissive," Melissa mused.