Chapter 63: "We’ll Clap them Cheeks. Just Wait and See!"

Chapter 63: Chapter 63: "We’ll Clap them Cheeks. Just Wait and See!"

Lucien stepped out of the showr, towel wrapped around his waist as Aurelia sat on the massive bed looking at him.

He stepped closer to her before getting onto the bed, removing the towel, ready to test drive the bed, before Aurelia stopped him cold.

"Not today, my lustful husband, you’ve got to sleep. Can’t risk being tired and distracted in a dungeon, and that too an A-rank dungeon while only being C-Rank."

"You must be exhausted too. Can you even perform well or keep up with me?" she asked him, looking down at his rod.

Hearing this, Lucien pulled her head close before either of them could think too hard about sleeping or doing it. He pushed her back onto the sheets, his mouth claiming hers in a hungry kiss.

Their lips met with a wet smack, tongues thrusting and parrying, both battling for dominance. Aurelia moaned into his mouth, fingers threading through his hair, pulling him closer until their bodies aligned perfectly.

He deepened the kiss, sucking her lower lip between his teeth, her breath quickening when his tongue pushed deeper, exploring every corner of her wet mouth. Their kiss grew messier, lips glistening as they broke apart only to dive back in.

She arched beneath him, pressing her breasts against his chest. His free hand slid down her side, gripping her hip as he rolled his hips against hers. The friction sent sparks through both of them.

Her legs parted, inviting him closer, and he settled between her thick thighs without breaking the kiss, his not so little brother now pressing against her alrwady wet entrance.

The wet sounds of their kissing filled the room, punctuated by soft gasps and the rustle of sheets. Her hands roamed his back, nails scraping lightly against his back as she pulled him down harder.

He obliged, pressing her deeper into the mattress while their tongues continued their intimate dance. Every breath felt like drowning and coming up for air at the same time.

When they finally parted, a thin strand of saliva connected their lips. Her eyes were dark with desire, lips parted and glistening.

He dove back in, unable to resist claiming her once more, kissing her slow, deep, and thorough enough that she leaned fully into it before finally breaking away, both of them breathing harder than either wanted to admit as his little brother poked her, wanting to be sheathed.

"Still think I can’t keep up?" he asked, smiling.

"I’m certain you could," she said, pressing a finger against his chest as she lay under him. "I’m also certain you’re exhausted. Rest," she added, firmer.

"Seems like I got a Bossy wife."

"Someone has to be."

She pulled him down onto the bed, and he let her, muscles finally unwinding for the first time since he’d stepped into the forest.

"Are you afraid?" she asked quietly, once they’d settled.

He considered the question honestly. "A little."

She waited.

"I don’t want anyone coming after you three because of me," he admitted. "Every time I get stronger, it feels like the problems also get bigger instead of smaller."

"Then we’ll become strong enough that nobody can touch us," Aurelia said simply. "All of us, not just you."

"Together," Lucien said.

"Together," she echoed, resting her head against his chest.

He wrapped an arm around her, the tension finally draining from his body entirely.

---

Lucien woke surprisingly refreshed.

For a moment he just stared at the ceiling still processing what happened.

’Right, I killed someone last night and slept completely fine afterward.’

’Well, he was after my life, so whatever but still, it feels weird not even batting an eye.’

He reached beside him and found it empty. ’Aurelia’s must be training, obviously.’

He checked his status, satisfied to see everything from the night before had actually happened and had not been some elaborate dream.

He got up and headed for the attached bathroom to freshen up and naturally paused in front of the full body mirror.

Turned sideways, flexed a little then turned the other way.

’Not bad, looks like I got even more good looking.’

A beat later.

’Actually, really not bad.’

New definition along his arms and legs, muscle sitting denser than it had even yesterday.

’Apparently getting attacked repeatedly is great for the physique, even getting new traits. Should put that on a fitness poster. "Assassination: Nature’s Personal Trainer."’

---

Downstairs, Seraphina worked at the stove while Evelisse sat nearby, eyes at half-open, while her hand automatically worked through a bag of snacks.

Lucien reached over and stole one.

Her eyes snapped fully open, she stared at his hand, then at him, then at the empty space where the snack used to be.

"...You."

He ate it. "Good morning, my dear glutton."

"That was mine."

"Not anymore."

She reached for another one defensively and he stole that too.

"AURELIA!" she shouted toward the ceiling.

"What?" came the distant reply.

"He’s stealing my food!"

"Then protect it better."

Evelisse looked utterly betrayed. "...She’s supposed to support me."

Seraphina laughed into her hand while working her spatula.

---

Aurelia appeared shortly after, fresh from training, and immediately paused, studying Lucien with narrowed eyes.

"Your rank changed."

"Good morning to you too."

She circled him once, assessing. "Your muscles are different too, noticed it last night while you hungrily devoured me."

"That was one productive night, as you can guess." He said smiling at her.

"That it was." She said touching her lips.

"What happened between you guy’s, don’t tell me he ate you last night, all alone." Evelisse asked looking at them.

Aurelia’s eyes sharpened further. "We’ll discuss that after breakfast."

’She notices everything now,’ Lucien thought, equal parts proud and slightly nervous. ’Terrifying woman, glad she’s mine.’

---

Once everyone had finished breakfast, Lucien busy poking Evelisse’s stuffed cheeks as she devoured the breakfast Seraphina made while praising her cooking using words he didn’t know she could say, making Seraphina smile, he began laying out the night’s haul.

For Aurelia, the Crimson Feather Underarmour, dark red and black with faint crimson runic lines. Epic Mana Vein Restoration Elixirs,the upgraded Protection Array and the various other stuff.

She examined it silently at first, expression unreadable. Then her eyes widened, just slightly.

"Lucien."

"I know."

"This is an Epic rank."

"Yes."

"The armor alone would cost—"

"You’re my wife."

She looked at him for a long moment. "...You’re going to spoil me."

"That’s the plan."

---

Seraphina’s reaction came instantly and entirely differently.

The moment she touched the various alchemy items and sets, something in her switched on.

"Wait." She ran her fingers along the surface. "The purification channels are completely redesigned." Her eyes tracked lower. "And the mana circulation pattern, this material, the temperature regulation array is integrated, not bolted on—"

Lucien glanced at Aurelia. "...She’s gone."

"Completely," Aurelia agreed.

Evelisse leaned in. "Should we leave her alone with it?"

"Probably."

Seraphina looked up suddenly. "Did someone say something?"

All three answered at once. "No."

---

Evelisse’s turn came with gold (from the assassin), mana crystals and various other cultivation resources which she tried saying was to much but he made sure she took it even reluctant as she was.

[Ding!]

The system chimed as always informing him of the investment and reward, mostly a few thousand gold and some mana crystals and cores.

And, after some genuine internal deliberation on Lucien’s part, one rare magical snack pack.

’Blackmail material,’ he thought. ’No, motivation for training, definitely not just letting her get a taste and then using this to make her cultivate, yes, definitely not balck mail if its for her own good.’

The moment she saw it, her reaction dwarfed everything else combined.

She launched herself at him, hugging tight. "You’re still my favorite."

"I thought Sera was your favorite," Aurelia pointed out.

"I can still have another favorite."

Seraphina laughed as Lucien sighed. "I regret giving you those already."

"Too late, you can’t take them back now."

---

After some time talking and telling them the various effects for the items, he set the head on the table.

Evelisse stopped mid-chew. "...That’s a head."

"Very observant."

"WHY DO YOU HAVE A HEAD?"

He explained everything to them, well mostly Seraphina and Evelisse, the forest, the maniacal laughing, the Deathscape, the fight, the bloodline, the death.

"So he was just standing there laughing at himself?" Evelisse asked.

"Yes."

"By himself?"

"Yes."

"And you just chopped his head off while he was losing it?"

"Yes."

"You attract some weird people."

"I don’t attract them," Lucien said. "They keep finding me."

"There’s a difference?" Aurelia said.

"A very important difference," Seraphina agreed giggling.

---

Aurelia leaned in to study the head, expression thoughtful then froze.

"...I’ve seen him before."

Lucien straightened. "Where?"

"The Astrax estate." She frowned, searching her memory. "A guard or servant, maybe something else. I can’t place exactly where, but I’m certain I’ve passed him in the halls."

The room went quiet.

’So not just a random hired hand, Lucien thought. ’Someone connected to the Astrax Family itself, though not surprising, considering how much of a threat Aurelia is to them.’

---

He looked into the storage ring next and pulled out the black badge from it.

Aurelia’s expression hardened the moment she saw it.

"This is a Black Fangs badge."

"You recognize it?"

She nodded. "Covert organization operating under House Astrax’s broader structure. Intelligence, surveillance, assassination, infiltration, etc." She turned it over. "Not every member is main-clan blood, though, branch families, subordinates, trusted outsiders fill most of the ranks."

’So, Black Fangs works for Astrax. Someone in Astrax gave the order, just not necessarily someone at the very top.’

---

Then he pulled out the notebook came next.

Most of it was coded shorthand, useless without context but scattered readable entries jumped out.

Target: Lucien Aethernis.

Residence: Blackthorn Estate.

Cultivation: Abnormal rate of increase, last recorded at Peak D Rank.

Then, further down were various hand written notes, likely observations from the peeper.

’Subject’s physical appearance has undergone noticeable improvement.’

Lucien stared. "...Why did he write that down?"

Evelisse snatched the notebook, reading eagerly. "Apparently you’re handsome."

"Apparently?"

Seraphina hid a smile behind her hand.

"He wasn’t wrong," Aurelia said quietly touching his bisceps.

Lucien blinked at her. "...Thank you?"

Evelisse flipped a few pages back accidentally, landing on something clearly unrelated to Lucien.

"...Wait, what’s this one?"

She read aloud, deadpan, "Day forty-two. Target’s wife caught me watching from the tree again as she bathed. Had to relocate. She has excellent instincts. Considering asking her out once mission concludes."

Silence.

"...That’s not about me," Lucien said slowly.

"No, thankfully" Evelisse said, delighted. "This guy apparently had multiple jobs involving peeping at wives, and at least one of them involved falling in love with a target’s wife."

"He had hobbies," Aurelia said, unimpressed.

"A whole other tragic backstory we’ll never get closure on," Lucien said. "RIP, delusional mystery man. Hope she said no."

Evelisse flipped forward, still snickering, eventually landing back on the relevant pages.

---

’Subject frequently consumes blood. Possible bloodline technique. Potential lucky encounter or high ranking inheritance. Unknown source of rapid advancement.’

"They think you found some secret inheritance," Aurelia said, reading over Evelisse’s shoulder.

"Better than the truth," Lucien muttered, careful to keep his tone light. "Let them keep guessing."

Further along, the tone shifted.

’Malrith has not arrived. Orders are to continue observation of tarfmget and his family.’

Then, ’Why should I even report everything to Malrith? If Lucien truly holds an inheritance capable of this rapid growth, I could take it myself, not like the Astrax family doesn’t have a few themselves, so what’s me taking one?’

’I’ll eliminate him before Malrith arrives.’

"There it is," Lucien said. "He wasn’t ordered to kill me, he got greedy and decided to cut Malrith out."

"Idiot," Aurelia said flatly.

"A dead idiot," Lucien corrected.

---

Then, the final line, tucked beneath everything, relating to this mission.

’Future operation handoff to Malrith. Authorized by Dravik Astrax.’

Aurelia’s hand tightened around the notebook, knuckles paling.

Killing intent leaked out for a brief, cold second before she reined it back in.

"Youbknow this Dravik?" Lucien said carefully.

"My cousin or something similar," Aurelia said. "One of the stronger candidates for House Astrax’s succession. Also one of the people behind the plot that crippled me."

Lucien exhaled slowly. "So we’ve got two problems."

"House Aethernis," Aurelia said.

"And Hosue Astrax," Lucien finished.

"And more urgent someone named Malrith," Seraphina added quietly.

Evelisse raised her hand. "And the dungeon."

Everyone turned to her.

"...What? You’re literally leaving for one in an hour."

Lucien laughed despite everything. "She’s not wrong."

---

Aurelia’s anger simmered visibly beneath the surface, Lucien reached over and patted her head.

"Don’t worry wife."

"I’m not worried."

"You’re radiating killing intent."

She went quiet.

Seraphina slid closer, taking her hand gently. Evelisse raised a fist with theatrical determination.

"We’ll clap his cheeks. Just wait and watch."

Everyone turned to stare at her.

"...What?"

"Please," Lucien said, "never say that during an important family meeting again."

"Why not?"

Seraphina turned around giggling, Aurelia looked away, mouth twitching.

"Never mind," Lucien said.

"Do you know who Malrith is?" he asked Aurelia.

She shook her head. "I never paid attention to those outside the main clan, but he is likely a servant to Dravik or something similar."

’Another unknown, then, just gotta watch out accordingly.’

As they talked about various things his phone buzzed.

Rika: We’re leaving for the Dungeon in thirty minutes.

Kael: DON’T BE LATE.

Lucien stared at the screen. "...Kael."

"What?" Evelisse asked.

"Nothing, Just an idiot."

Another buzz.

Kael: AND BRING LUCK.

Lucien sighed.

Kael: I’M SERIOUS.

"A big idiot," he amended, pocketing the phone.

Evelisse giggled seeing g the messages while Aurelia’s mouth curved despite everything and Seraphina shook her head fondly.

The weight of those opposing them hadn’t lifted, it sat heavy in the room, unresolved and looming.

But for one more moment, they were still just a family, about to send their husband off on his first real expedition.

---

Lucien stood. "Alright. Thirty minutes. Let’s get everything together."

Aurelia straightened immediately. "Equipment."

"Potions," Seraphina added.

"Snacks," Evelisse said.

"...Of course," Lucien said.

"They’re essential," Evelisse insisted.

Lucien looked toward the ceiling. "Why did I marry a glutton?"

"Because I’m adorable."

"...She has a point," Seraphina murmured.

"Unfortunately," Aurelia agreed.

Lucien smiled, then let it fade into something more focused.

"Gotta get ready."