Chapter 110: Just a Peek [Part 1]

Chapter 110. Just a Peek [Part 1]

"It’s too quiet..."

Liora murmured as she walked through the mansion’s corridor, her footsteps clicking softly against the polished marble floor.

The estate had finally settled into its usual nighttime tranquility. Warm magical lamps illuminated the walls, casting golden reflections across the windows, while the occasional servant passed by carrying folded linens or collecting empty trays. Beyond the glass, the gardens swayed gently beneath the moonlight, their flowers glowing faintly with the residual Nature Mana Lily had infused into the soil.

Everything looked peaceful.

Suspiciously peaceful.

Considering what had happened throughout the day, Liora had expected at least another minor disaster before bedtime. Preferably one that didn’t involve her husband.

Unfortunately, experience had taught her that those were increasingly rare.

Beside her, Nia walked with considerably lighter steps, her fox tail swaying lazily behind her. Unlike Liora, Nia looked almost annoyingly energetic.

They had just finished inspecting the estate’s storage facilities, counting the materials Rey had brought back from Hollowgrave and making sure everything had been properly arranged.

Monster hides, bones, preserved blood, medicinal organs, rare materials, and enough meat to feed an entire military company.

The financial implications had kept Liora occupied for hours. Some materials needed to be sold immediately, others would increase in value if properly preserved, and several were too rare to release onto the market without attracting unwanted attention.

Then there were Nia’s plans to auction the monster heads.

Apparently, wealthy nobles were willing to pay outrageous amounts of money to display the severed head of something they would never dare approach while it was alive.

Liora had initially considered the idea distasteful.

Then Nia mentioned the estimated prices.

A responsible financial manager couldn’t afford to be sentimental about dead monsters. Especially when the mansion needed expansion.

"Well, everyone’s tired," Nia remarked, stretching her arms above her head. "Ariel’s soaking in the pool. She said she needed it after spending so much time cleaning all that meat."

For a mermaid, spending extended periods away from water was uncomfortable, particularly after exhausting her mana. Ariel had worked hard throughout the day, so nobody had objected when she announced that she intended to spend the evening relaxing in the indoor pool.

"Lily’s still in the kitchen," Nia continued. "She’s making sure Rey has everything he needs for tomorrow. Food, medicine, emergency supplies... I think she threatened the cooks when they suggested she should rest."

"She wouldn’t threaten them."

"Not seriously. But you know how Lily gets when she’s worried about him."

Liora couldn’t argue with that.

Their fairy princess possessed the cheerful disposition of a spring morning, but when it came to Rey’s well-being, that sunshine could become surprisingly intimidating.

"And Seris..." Nia paused, tilting her head thoughtfully. "She’s out killing that Tome guy."

"Tomas," Liora corrected.

"Yup. Him." Nia waved dismissively. Apparently, remembering the name of a man who was about to suffer a very unfortunate accident wasn’t particularly high on her list of priorities.

Liora sighed.

Tomas Venn.

Seris had left earlier to locate him and ensure he could no longer threaten their household. Given the phoenix princess’s abilities, Liora doubted the assignment would take particularly long.

What concerned her was something else entirely.

"But that’s not what I meant."

Nia glanced at her. "Hmm?"

"Rey." Liora’s footsteps slowed slightly. "We stationed several servants outside his bedroom, but none of them have reported anything."

"Maybe he drank Lily’s tonic and went straight to sleep."

"Perhaps."

That would certainly be the ideal outcome.

After eight hours of enchanting accessories, Rey had looked genuinely exhausted. His eyes had been dry, his hair disheveled, and his clothes were...

Liora’s thoughts stopped.

Ah, right... His clothes.

She suddenly remembered the sight of his partially unbuttoned shirt during dinner.

The exposed portion of his chest. The way he’d looked at them after realizing where their attention had wandered. And that infuriatingly pleased smile.

Liora cleared her throat. "We should probably check on him."

Nia’s ears twitched. Then her lips curved.

Liora knew that smile. It was the expression Nia wore whenever she discovered an opportunity to make someone else’s life considerably more embarrassing.

"Check on him?" Nia repeated sweetly.

"Yes."

"Just check?"

Liora frowned. "What else would I mean?"

Nia leaned a little closer. "Well, I was wondering whether you wanted to just check on him... or seduce him."

Liora nearly stumbled. "What?!"

Nia giggled. "You know, after what happened with Lily and me during dinner."

"Don’t be ridiculous! I never thought of anything like that!"

"Not at all?"

"Of course not!"

Liora’s response came so quickly that Nia’s grin widened. She had walked straight into that trap. And now the fox was enjoying herself.

Nia clasped her hands behind her back and continued walking, her fluffy tail swishing with entirely too much enthusiasm. "Come on, Liora. It’s not like there’s anything wrong with wanting your husband’s attention."

"That’s not the issue."

"Then what’s the issue?"

"The issue is that he’s exhausted."

"True. But you can still admire him while he’s resting."

Liora shot her a look.

Nia smiled innocently. An expression that would have been considerably more convincing if her tail hadn’t been swinging like a delighted puppy’s.

For several moments, neither woman spoke.

Their footsteps echoed softly through the corridor, accompanied by the distant murmur of servants finishing their evening duties.

Then Nia’s expression softened. "Besides... Rey really is different now."

Liora glanced toward her.

Nia was looking ahead, her smile quieter than before. "He doesn’t distance himself from us anymore. Maybe it’s because his curse has become more stable, or maybe he’s finally stopped worrying about every little thing that could go wrong."

Liora listened silently. She understood exactly what Nia meant.

The old Rey had always been distant. Not cruel, necessarily. Just absent.

Even when he was physically present, there had been an invisible wall between him and his wives. He rarely sought their company, rarely initiated affection, and seemed to regard every personal interaction as something he needed to finish before returning to his work.

For a long time, Liora had convinced herself that she didn’t mind.

She had responsibilities. He had responsibilities. Their marriage had been political from the beginning despite her feelings for him. There was no reason to expect anything more. At least, that was what she’d told herself.

Then Rey had started changing.

He asked about her work. Trusted her judgment. And sometimes looked at her with an affection so unexpectedly genuine that she forgot what she had intended to say.

"He is more decisive now," Nia continued. "And I like that."

Liora’s lips softened into a faint smile. "Yes. He is."

"And sexier."

Liora turned sharply. "Nia."

"What? It’s true." The fox princess looked completely unrepentant. "You saw him at dinner."

Unfortunately, Liora had. Rather thoroughly. And Nia apparently knew it.

"He might not be the most romantic man in the world," Nia admitted, "but he’s trying. You can tell, can’t you?"

Liora lowered her gaze. She could. That was the troublesome part.

Rey’s attempts at affection weren’t always elegant.

Sometimes he teased when he should have been serious. Sometimes he said something so shameless that even Nia looked surprised. And sometimes... he simply did something thoughtful without realizing how much it meant. Like creating protective bangles for all five of them or trusting them with important responsibilities instead of treating them as fragile ornaments.

Those moments were considerably more dangerous than his teasing. Because they made it difficult not to fall for him. And perhaps more deeply than before.

"Some of his attempts at seduction are..." Nia cleared her throat. "Working."