A Peacock Husband of Five Princesses by day, a Noble Assassin by Night-Chapter 84 : Stealing the chest

After a brief pause, Nadia offered them a gentle smile. "I don't mind," she said, her voice carrying a quiet warmth. "In fact, I understand how you feel. I, too, miss my late daughter. And when her anniversary comes, I sometimes see her face in people who resemble her. And I too miss my grandson…"

Kael and Laura both froze in shock.

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"You… had a grandson?" Laura asked, eyes widening.

Nadia chuckled softly at their expressions. "Yes." She took a sip of her tea before adding, "I'm a lot older than I look."

Laura studied her carefully. While Nadia did appear middle-aged, there was nothing particularly extraordinary about her presence. She didn't seem like a high-ranking noble or a powerful mage. In fact, by her aura, she was only around Tier-3. The conclusion was obvious—she had likely married young and lost her daughter early in life.

Accepting her explanation without further suspicion, they allowed the conversation to shift.

Nadia went on speaking about the town's culture, its famous delicacies, and the notable attractions they could explore in their free time. Kael and Laura listened with polite interest, though Laura discreetly pulled out her communication scroll, sending a message to Penelope as she just wants to get it over with. Something about this woman didn't just seem right for Laura. This middle-aged woman, who her husband thinks looks like his mom, gave the vibes of someone filled with secrets. Her woman intuition telling her not to be involved with her.

Little did she expect that her woman's intuition is indeed quite precise.

An hour later, Penelope arrived, accompanied by the five mercenaries she had hired for protection. The group remained outside while Penelope entered alone.

The moment she stepped inside and saw Nadia, she stopped in her tracks. Her eyes widened in sheer disbelief.

"Grandmaster Elowyn?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Kael and Laura exchanged surprised glances.

Nadia—or rather, Elowyn—smiled knowingly. "It's been a long time since I heard that name. Do you people still remember me?"

Penelope's lips parted slightly, unable to hide her awe. "Of course, I do… Which alchemist wouldn't? Your portrait was hung right in the entrance hall of our headquarters, among the best alchemists." She took a step closer, her hands trembling slightly. "You're the former president of the Alchemist Association. The only one who ever came close to creating the Philosopher's Stone. The creator of the White Tincture—Elowyn Garfeld. You are a legend."

Kael and Laura turned their stunned gazes toward Nadia, who simply sipped her tea, unfazed by the reverence in Penelope's voice. Laura nodded to herself, thinking in her head. "I knew it. This woman isn't a simple homeowner. She was a former grandmaster. She could easily tell whether one was an alchemist or not.

Nadia smiled softly. "As I said earlier, I left that life behind forty years ago. Now, I go by the name Nadia. And I'm just a middle-aged single woman who was renting my house to alchemists for their experiments."

Kael and Laura exchanged astonished glances.

Laura hesitated for a moment before asking, "Then… how old are you?"

Penelope spoke up for her sake. "Grandmaster Elowyn is over ninety years old."

Kael's eyebrows shot up. Laura, too, looked taken aback, staring at the woman before her. Despite her seemingly middle-aged appearance, Nadia had lived nearly a century. And then she remembered Nadia saying she has a grandson. Now that makes perfectly sense.

The grandmaster sighed, setting her teacup down gently. "Unfortunately, even after spending millions of gold coins from the Alchemist Association's funds on my research—money that could have helped hundreds of young alchemists—I still couldn't create the Philosopher's Stone." A wistful look crossed her face. "I dreamed of a world where even a common man could live for centuries, not just those blessed with divine blood. But alas… neither was my dream fulfilled, nor do I have much lifespan left to see that day."

Penelope leaned forward, her voice filled with determination. "Grandmaster, you should return to the association. It's not the same as before. Things have changed."

Nadia gave a weak smile and shook her head. "I've already given up, child. I only wish to live in peace now. Everything I discovered, every piece of my research, I left it all with the association. If no one has succeeded in creating the Philosopher's Stone after all these years, then perhaps it is truly impossible. Just a foolish dream."

For a brief moment, Kael's eyes flickered—an almost imperceptible shift, as he heard a sexy whisper in his head, except the words aren't as sexy as the voice. "Kael, something in this house smells like you."

Meanwhile, Penelope, however, remained undeterred. "Maybe so… but I'm still young, and I won't give up." Her voice carried a quiet conviction.

Nadia smiled at that, a trace of warmth in her gaze. "Then I wish you the best of luck." She stood up, smoothing out her robes. "You may use the lab as you wish, as long as you follow the rules. And if you ever need anything, you can always visit me upstairs."

Penelope smiled and bowed slightly. "Thank you, Grandmaster."

As the conversation settled, a sense of quiet understanding passed between them.

Leaving Penelope at the alchemist lab, Kael and Laura toured around the town to see if there was any interesting place to spend. They returned by sunset, had their dinner, and went to sleep.

Soon, midnight arrived.

Under the cover of night, Kael moved silently through the streets, his assassin outfit blending seamlessly into the darkness. A black cat spirit perched on his shoulder, its glowing eyes watching the path ahead.

Kael exhaled slowly, his voice a whisper. "Are you absolutely sure about this, Cleo?" His grip tightened on the hilt of his dagger. "I won't walk into a trap again for a stupid thing. Not like last time." His mind flickered to the memory of the necromancer's sexual harassment—the suffocating aura of death, the chilling sense of helplessness.

Cleodora's tail flicked as it purred in response. "I am sure, Kael. Inside that house, there is someone… something that smells like you."

Kael's steps hesitated for a brief moment. This was the same cryptic statement the spirit had murmured to him earlier that day—right when Nadia had dismissed the Philosopher's Stone as a foolish dream.

Kael moved like a shadow through the residence, his every step soundless. The black cat spirit on his shoulder twitched its tail, its glowing eyes fixed ahead as it guided him.

The air inside was still, undisturbed by his presence. He barely breathed as he followed the spirit's direction, leading him straight to the bedroom.

There, on the bed, lay Nadia—fast asleep, her breaths slow and steady.

She hadn't sensed him.

Kael's eyes flickered to the wardrobe. The cat spirit's voice echoed in his mind. The strongest scent comes from there.

Carefully, he approached. His hands, trained for precision, worked the door open without a creak. Inside, nestled between layers of neatly arranged garments, sat an old wooden chest. A powerful enchantment shimmered faintly over its surface.

The black cat spirit whispered, "It's inside. Whatever smells like you… it's in there, for sure."

Kael hesitated, not because he was worried about that enchantment. But it is because of the fact that he is stealing from a person who isn't a criminal or any known sinner. So, what he was doing is a crime here.

But the curiosity of learning something that is connected to him couldn't help but urge him to do it.

In the end, he acted.