A Peacock Husband of Five Princesses by day, a Noble Assassin by Night-Chapter 115: Bidding farewell to his wives (1/2)

After sending the word to his wives, Kael walked down the marble corridor toward the Queen's quarters. The halls were quieter than usual, only the distant sounds of servants beginning their day echoing faintly in the background.

Upon reaching the entrance of the Queen's private wing, he was immediately halted by the stationed guards.

They offered a polite bow before blocking his path.

"We greet you, Lord Moonstone," one said formally. "However, Her Majesty is currently resting and has requested not to be disturbed unless the matter is of grave importance."

Kael hesitated for a moment. Had he been the old Kael, he wouldn't even have bothered going like this. He would have merged into shadows, slipping past the guards and entering the Queen's chamber without needing any permission, for he had the permission to report to her at any time he wanted. Unfortunately, he wasn't that person anymore.

"I understand," he said, sighing inwardly. "Then just pass a message for me. Tell Her Majesty I'll be returning to my home due to personal matters and won't be staying for lunch."

The guard gave a respectful nod. "Understood, Lord Moonstone. The Queen will be informed."

With that, Kael turned and made his way through the palace grounds toward the royal gardens.

The gardens were quiet this early in the morning, dew still fresh on the leaves, birds chirping lazily as the golden sun climbed over the horizon. Kael walked to a familiar pavilion near the koi pond and waited, leaning against the railing with his arms crossed.

The first to arrive was, unsurprisingly, Laura.

She approached with her usual poised elegance, though she looked quite curious. "You summoned us all the way here, Dear?" she asked, brushing back a strand of her hair. "If you have something to say to me, you could have just visited my room."

Kael gave her a half-smile. "It's nothing like that. I just thought it'd be easier if I spoke to everyone at once. Please wait a bit."

A few minutes later, Melissa arrived, calm and graceful as ever. "I was informed that you summoned us. Is something wrong?" she asked in a gentle tone.

"Not exactly," Kael replied. "But it's something I wanted to tell everyone together."

Shortly after, Seraphina also appeared. She didn't say much but nodded in greeting and took a seat.

Then came Amanda, humming quietly to herself as she walked. "I know that Mother summoned you to talk privately yesterday evening. Did you decide to stay in the palace?"

"You'll know in a minute," he replied with a small chuckle.

They waited. Ten minutes passed. Still no sign of Shiera.

Laura crossed her arms with an impatient sigh. "She's not coming. It's a waste of time to wait for her, Dear."

Kael was beginning to agree. He opened his mouth to speak but stopped as he spotted a figure in the distance.

Shiera was walking toward them, her steps strong but slow. She looked tired, beads of sweat still clinging to her brow. A wooden sword rested against her shoulder, her training uniform slightly wrinkled.

"Apologies, everyone," she said, stopping before the group. "I was sparring. Didn't expect a morning assembly."

Laura arched a brow. "You actually came?"

Shiera shrugged, rolling her shoulder. "Normally, I wouldn't bother. But considering Kael just woke up from a near-death state and wants to meet all the princesses in the garden a day later… figured it had to be something important."

She leaned her sword against the wall and folded her arms. "So, what's this about?"

All eyes turned to Kael, some in anticipation, and some in curiosity.

Kael stood in front of the seated princesses in a composed manner. "This is important," he said firmly, gesturing for Shiera to sit. She did so without complaint, setting her sword down beside her chair.

Kael took a deep breath and started. "The things that happened these past couple of months—Clown's ambush, the fight in Emberfell, the assassination attempt at Riveria, and my recent abduction… they weren't just incidents. They were wake-up calls. I survived them, yes. But if I'm being honest, it wasn't because I was strong or capable—it was pure luck. A string of coincidences and the people who rushed to help me."

Taking a brief pause, Kael continued with the lie he had built upon so far. "Since I was a child, I've always depended on someone. My mother. Then my sister. After that, you all. I knew I was weak, and I accepted it. I let others protect me because I didn't think I could do anything else. And even after all this, I kept trying to be a merchant, trying to find success in trade and negotiation, thinking it was the best path for me."

He rolled up his sleeve, revealing the glowing lines of the tattoo etched onto his forearm.

"I believe some of you already know about this. My father inscribed it on me when I was young. It's how I tamed Nyx—the spectral wolf. But recently, I realized that this tattoo can give me the ability to form contracts with multiple beasts, not just one. I guess I have always known about this, but I just… never cared to explore it. After all, I never considered becoming a fighter."

He looked up, meeting their eyes one by one. "But I care now. I don't want to sit and put my life into the hands of fate again. I want to be the strength I can rely on."

The air grew still as he continued.

"That's why I've decided to go on a journey. I'm going to the wilderness for a few months with one purpose—to build a beast companion army. I'll tame, fight, and grow strong with them. Nyx will be with me. She'll guard me while I learn."

A few gasps broke the silence, but no one interrupted him.

He turned to Melissa. "I'm leaving the shipyard business in your hands. With my sister back, you won't have to worry about estate affairs anymore. Mia's the head of the House now."

Then his gaze shifted to Seraphina. "I know that you will always be there to help out your sisters, but I hope you will be there for Mia, too. She is strong enough to protect herself, but I hope she will have enough mental support from you all."

He turned to Laura, his tone softening. "For you, my dear, I know that this absence will be harder than for anyone else. But I ask you to be patient… and wait for me. That's all I ask you. Just don't get worried or panic. And wait for me. I'll be in constant touch with you. So, nothing is there to be worried about."

He then gave a warm smile to Amanda. "I know I don't need to ask anything of you. But I will, anyway—keep an eye on your sisters and my sister. Protect them in your own way."

Finally, he looked at Shiera. "Well, Shiera, we don't have the kind of bond I share with the other four. So, I won't ask you for anything. But if you're willing to listen… just visit them a bit more often and try not to argue with them. That's all."

He let out a quiet breath and looked at the five of them together. "That's all I had to say."

The garden was silent. The koi pond rippled quietly in the background as the early morning breeze stirred the trees. None of them spoke for a moment, stunned not by his decision to leave, but by the clarity and resolve in his words. They felt as if their husband's personality had changed overnight.

However, this silence didn't last long.

Seraphina gave a subtle nod, her face unreadable, offering no protest.

But Amanda didn't hold back. "You're being reckless again!" she burst out, standing up. "You just woke up a day ago after almost dying, Kael. And now you want to walk into danger on purpose? If you really want to be a beast tamer, we'll get you beasts! I'll order the knights to hunt down elite ones and bring them to you. You don't need to run off into the wild like some desperate fool!"

Her voice cracked with a mix of anger and concern.

Melissa quickly added, her voice gentler but laced with worry,

"She's right. You're not even planning to take an escort? This isn't a trade caravan, Kael. These aren't humans you're dealing with. Monsters don't care about negotiation or civility. And if more than one attack… not even Nyx can protect you. So, I hope you reconsider it."

Amanda pointed at her in agreement. "Exactly! He needs to understand that!"

Then she turned sharply toward Laura, who had been unusually quiet.

"You've always been the one to bring him to his senses. Say something! Stop him from doing this madness!"

But Laura looked up calmly and said something that stunned everyone—even Kael.

"I support his decision."

Amanda blinked. "What?"

Even Kael turned to her, surprised. "Laura…?"