A Peacock Husband of Five Princesses by day, a Noble Assassin by Night-Chapter 55: A new business venture

"A million?" Melissa was taken aback, and she gave another look at the idol. Perhaps it was because she heard that the idol was worth a fortune. Suddenly, it looked beautiful, the craftsmanship undeniably fine. "Are you sure it is an adamantine alloy? Have you appraised it? No, where did you find it in the first place?" She no longer looked calm as before. Questions were shooting from her mouth, one after another.

"I found it in a black market," Kael continued, "and it doesn’t have any ancestral ties to my family. So there’s no pressure for me to do whatever I want with it. I can sell it for a fortune, and that’s the best way to fund our future."

Melissa looked thoughtful, her finger tracing the edges of the idol. "That’s a good idea, Dear. But..." she paused, her eyes meeting his with a knowing look. "You could also use that money to buy a property or business. Instead of pouring down all the funds to run a guild, it is better to generate a secondary source of income and use that to run the guild. As long as you can cover the wages of the employees, you can run it as long as you like."

Kael’s eyes sparkled with recognition. "You’re right, Melissa," he said, clearly impressed by her suggestion. "Investing in property could give us a steady stream of income, and we wouldn’t have to worry about the guild’s earnings for a while. Not to mention, it would take a bit of time for me to become a gold-tier merchant anyway. But what do you think I should buy?"

Melissa gave him a small smile, clearly satisfied with the direction the conversation was going. "Well, there’s just one idea in my mind," she said, but Kael could see that it was a good one. "What is it?" He couldn’t help but ask."

"Why don’t we buy a shipyard that was in decline, buy off their equipment and everything, renovate it, and open for business?" Melissa put forth a suggestion.

"I...I’m not sure I follow," Kael said, his confusion evident. "You’re saying we buy a shipyard, with everything it comes with, and renovate it for operations? I don’t know how much it costs, but I’m sure that Shipyards will cost a hefty amount even if it is a run-down one."

Melissa gave him a small, knowing smile, one that spoke of confidence in her idea. "Not at all." She leaned back slightly in her chair, folding her arms as she explained further. "I heard from a friend of mine who came to visit me when you were in Ikaris. She mentioned that a shipyard is up for sale. It’s only for 500,000 gold coins; we can buy it outright, and it comes with 34 riverboats, 20 ferry boats, 6 cogs, and a large luxury passenger ship. Renovating it would cost another hundred thousand to make it viable and operational. If the idol would indeed be sold for a million, we would still have 400,000 gold coins in excess. We can keep 100,000 gold coins for operating costs, 50000 for wages, and another 50,000 for maintenance and emergency funds for the shipyard. The remaining money can be used to buy land or a store in a decent neighborhood to give it for rent. And when you become a gold-tier merchant, we can sell off those properties and use the money to establish a guild and hire employees."

She paused for a moment, her eyes meeting his as if waiting for his reaction.

"That’s a lot to consider," Kael murmured, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. He was impressed by her detailed plan but was still wary of the scale. "You think the renovation would be enough to make it profitable?"

Melissa’s eyes sparkled with the thrill of her idea. "Absolutely. We were already setting aside another hundred thousand for operating costs. That way, the business will have room to breathe even before it takes off. I’m not sure in the long run, but at the very least, buying a shipyard will surely elevate our family’s status in the noble circle. No one will look down on you or try to undermine your career either. Secondly, Mother will surely help in kick-starting our business. I will make sure she will give us the first contract for the repair and maintenance of the warships. Just that will be enough to generate trust in the hearts of people."

Kael let out a long breath, his mind spinning. But Melissa wasn’t finished. She leaned in a little, her tone more persuasive now.

"If it works, Dear," she said, her voice warm with promise, "then you won’t have to stress about earning money for the family. The pension from the palace—the one you get as prince consort—fifty thousand gold coins a month (10,000 per princess). You can use that for leisure, for us to enjoy ourselves, and we won’t have to worry about managing every expense for the estate. You’ll be free to focus on things that matter to you—your merchant business or anything else."

Her eyes softened as she spoke, the unspoken implication clear. She wanted to lift some of the burden from his shoulders.

Kael smiled at her, his heart swelling with affection for how much she cared for him. It wasn’t just about the money; it was about freeing him from stress, so he could enjoy the life they were building together. He appreciated that more than words could express.

"That’s a tempting thought," Kael said, his voice softer now. "It sounds like a good plan. But even so, the shipyard is a bit far from here, isn’t it? Even the nearest coastline is more than 60 kilometers away from our home."

Melissa nodded, a small chuckle escaping her lips as she added, "Yes, it’s actually about 275 kilometers away from here, located in the southwestern district. But that’s nothing. We can just hire a trusted manager to handle the day-to-day operations. With the right people in charge, we can make it work without being too involved directly. That’s what having a secondary income is all about. You aren’t actively involved in the business and still, money will continuously pour into our pockets."

Kael leaned back, thinking it over. The idea of managing such a faraway operation didn’t bother him so much. If he runs at his fastest speed, he could cover that distance in twenty minutes. The pressing matter here is that Melissa looked quite excited as she spoke about a new business venture, and he didn’t want to disappoint her. Moreover, Melissa was his treasurer. Whatever money he gets from the palace as a pension and the money he gets from the quests, all of them are usually handled by Melissa. Regarding finances, he trusts her the most, more than himself. If she is confident, then, he must support her.

"Alright," he said after a beat of contemplation. "You’ve convinced me, Melissa. If it makes you happy, I’m all in. Worst case, we’ll sell it and cut our losses, but I think it’ll work."

Melissa raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "Another treasure?"

*

Roughly a couple of hours later, the family gathered together for dinner. The mansion’s dining hall was warm and inviting, the soft glow of candlelight flickering over the table as the scents of a hearty meal filled the air. Kael, Laura, Amanda, Seraphina, and Melissa sat down together, enjoying their meal in a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere.

Once everyone had eaten, they moved back to the living room, where Kael decided to bring up a topic he had discussed with Melissa just a while ago.

"Melissa came up with a good idea," Kael began, glancing at his wife. "She suggested we invest in a shipyard that’s up for sale. We would need significant capital for it, but I think it’s worth pursuing. Amanda, could you look into it for us? I’d like to get some information on the details."

Amanda, who had been seated on the arm of a nearby chair, looked up thoughtfully, resting her chin on her hand. "A shipyard, huh?" She considered the suggestion, her eyes flicking to Seraphina, who raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

Seraphina spoke up, a hint of concern in her voice. "How much are we talking about here? The funds would be substantial, wouldn’t it?"

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Kael nodded. "Yes, it’s a hefty amount. But, I have something that could help us. Let me show you."

Kael reached into his pocket and pulled out the cat idol, its adamantine surface gleaming faintly in the candlelight. The moment he held it up, Seraphina’s eyes widened, recognition dawning on her face. It was the same thing they picked up for free in the black market. Amanda also seemed to be surprised, but because of its color.

"Is that...?" Amanda started, leaning forward slightly.

Kael smiled, his tone calm. "Adamantine indeed. And, Seraphina, you can sense it too—the curse has been lifted."

Seraphina, ever perceptive, nodded slowly. "Yes, indeed. The curse on it is gone. But how?"