A Peacock Husband of Five Princesses by day, a Noble Assassin by Night-Chapter 58: The Royal Banquet (2/3)
"Okay, don’t bring her up. The memories with Mia were quite painful." Adam winced at the thought of remembering the original little monster of the imperial city.
"And yet, you tried to woo her," Kael smirked. He raised his hand as though it was too complex to explain further. "If you weren’t my best friend and an imperial prince to boot, Mia would’ve beaten you to death a thousand times."
Adam laughed, undeterred by the comment. "Hey, If I wasn’t an imperial prince and your best buddy, do you think I would dare to chase her? And you know, despite her aggressive nature, Mia was too beautiful, and there’s little to no competition back then."
Kael stared at Adam for a long moment before nodding thoughtfully. "You’ve got a point there." He then leaned back in his chair. "Alright, man. You want me to help you with this little crush of yours?"
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Adam leaned forward eagerly, a grin plastered on his face. "Absolutely. Any help you can offer would be great."
"Okay, follow me."
Kael and Adam eventually made their way across the grand hall toward Princess Artemis, who had been conversing with the royal preceptor.
Artemis, who had been standing with her head slightly tilted as she listened intently, looked up at the approaching men. The moment her eyes landed on Kael, a soft smile spread across her face, one that was warm and inviting.
"Kael!" she exclaimed with a touch of enthusiasm. Her smile grew wider as she recognized him. "Cousin! Have a drink with me." she greeted him warmly once again, this time a bit informally, her face a little flushed due to the wine, and it was a pleasant surprise to Adam, who hadn’t been expecting that level of familiarity between them.
Adam blinked and looked between the two, a confused frown forming on his face. "Cousin?" he asked, unsure of what had just transpired.
Artemis’ smile turned playful as she explained, "Yes, cousin. In a distant sense, of course. My grandfather was also from the Moonstone House. So, technically, we share blood."
Adam raised his brow at this revelation but said nothing more. He had grown up with Kael, but he hadn’t known the details about his extended family ties. Kael, seemingly used to such revelations, chuckled lightly.
"Princess, you know Prince Adam. Her Majesty’s only son," Kael introduced him, gesturing toward his friend. "We actually kinda grew up together. He’s like a brother to me."
Adam gave a slight bow, a little awkward but polite. "It’s a pleasure, Your Highness."
Kael, ever the proud brother-in-law, added with a grin, "You know, Adam is one of the top swordsmen in the Queendom. In terms of sword skills, atleast among men, he would be in the top 3. He is obsessed with the sword. You are a swordmaster, too. So, I thought you two could discuss sword techniques or whatever, I’m not sure what you cultivators call them. I apologize."
Adam flushed slightly, a little embarrassed by the exaggerated praise. "I’m really not that great. Kael’s just stretching things a bit."
Artemis, clearly amused by Adam’s modesty, raised an eyebrow. "Well, I’m staying here as a royal guest for a few more days, and I’ll be happy to see for myself. A demonstration sounds... intriguing." Her voice had a playful edge to it, as if she were already planning to see just how good Adam was with a sword.
Adam, who had no way of backing out now, nodded with a faint chuckle. "Looks like I’m on the spot."
Kael gave his friend a reassuring pat on the back. "You’ll do fine. Just don’t get too cocky around her. The Princess may look sweet, but she can be tough when it comes to the sword."
As the conversation continued, Laura, who had been observing from afar, narrowed her eyes.
She noticed the interaction between Kael and Artemis, and the friendly yet somewhat calculating smile Artemis had when speaking to Kael. Her face looked quite flushed and her gaze lingered more on Kael.
Laura’s protectiveness aura lit up once again and she left her sisters, striding toward the Dias.
"Well, as you know, my father, the generous man as he was, then secretly followed the poor orphan, hoping that the beggar would lead him to his home or a few more orphans. But, who could have expected that little beggar would turn out to be working for the dark mage? Bam! That’s how my father managed to find the dark mage’s hideout. Once he was captured, everything was over for Erebus… We cracked down on the organization, destroying it to the bits. My father gained recognition and got an honor from the Empress. One thing led to another, and my father became the High Consort now. And all of that occurred from the simple generosity of a man who felt pity for a beggar on the streets. Some say that he was lucky, but I say that it is fate." Artemis was telling her father’s story of how he got himself involved with the Empress, whether she was doing it on purpose or she was just an oversharing type. Kael didn’t know, but the story was interesting, and he and Adam intently listened to her but then Kael suddenly felt a familiar tug at his sleeve. He turned his body slightly to look at the source.
It was Laura, her expression unreadable, but the slight frown on her face said enough.
"Dear," she said, her voice a touch sharper than usual, "I need to talk with you."
Kael turned his head to glance at her, catching the concern and subtle jealousy in her eyes. He could see the storm brewing, but he quickly gave her an apologetic smile. "Come on, love, let’s take a walk," he said, his voice low, but firm enough that Laura could tell it wasn’t a suggestion.
Before Laura could protest, Kael gently took her hand and led her away from the gathering. Once they were far enough from prying eyes and ears, Laura didn’t hesitate to voice out her displeasure this time. "Haven’t I told you before not to overly familiarize yourself with her?" She said, her tone sharp with restrained emotion. "And yet, you’re over here laughing and talking all chummy with her?"
"Wha…" Kael blinked, caught off guard.
