"Ugh, get off me," Klaus complained from underneath Zephyra’s weight with his voice muffled against the wooden floor however Zephyra smiled down at him, her white hair cascading around her face like a waterfall as she sat firmly on his back, pinning him in place.

"I’ll only get off if you say please..." Zephyra said sweetly as her purple eyes twinkled with amusement and Klaus’s response was immediate.

"Fuck off."

Zephyra’s pale cheeks flushed pink with a delighted blush spreading across her face as her smile widened.

’He’s so mean to me...’ Zephyra thought happily. ’I love it.’

Across the room, Taula tilted her head to the right with her blond hair swaying with the motion. Her green eyes were filled with genuine confusion as she looked between Klaus and the strange white-haired woman sitting on his back.

"What’s an engagement?" Taula asked.

She’d seen different women back in the market of Galen Town talking about these engagements that nobles did, and she’d been intrigued by their excited chatter and dreamy expressions but she’d never understood what the word actually meant.

What did that actually mean?

Zephyra’s expression brightened as she clearly pleased to explain.

"An engagement is a formal agreement between two people..." Zephyra began. "It’s a promise to marry in the future. Among nobles, it’s a sacred contract that binds two families together through—"

She continued speaking, her voice warm and informative.

"—and when the engagement period is complete, the two parties enter into marriage, which is a union recognized by law and the gods. It’s quite romantic, actually. It means that Klaus and I are pretty much—"

*WHOOSH!*

Zephyra’s hand shot up with impossible speed.

She caught Taula’s axe between two fingers, stopping the spinning blade mere inches from her face as the weapon had been thrown with enough force to embed itself in stone, but Zephyra held it as easily as catching a thrown apple.

The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees.

Taula stood beside the dinner table with her arm still extended from the throw. Her green eyes had shifted to deep crimson, glowing with barely contained fury.

"Nooo!" Taula shouted. "Klaus is MY best friend! I didn’t agree to this!"

Her hands clenched into fists at her sides while trembling.

’First it was Serra...’ Taula thought. ’And now this other woman! How many women is Klaus trying to replace me with?!’

Zephyra examined the axe blade for a moment with interest, then casually dropped it to the side and it clattered against the floor with a heavy metallic sound.

She looked directly at Taula calmly.

"You don’t really have a choice in this matter," Zephyra said matter-of-factly, though not unkindly as she placed one delicate palm on her chest.

"Besides, I’m his fiancée," Zephyra continued, gesturing to herself. "You, on the other hand, are his best friend. These are completely different positions so they don’t collide at all."

Taula’s teeth ground together audibly with her crimson eyes narrowing.

"I want Klaus to be with me..." Taula burst out. "Not some other women!"

Zephyra’s head tilted slightly as her eyes went wide with sudden realization.

"Do you love him?" Zephyra asked. "Do you want to marry him?"

Taula’s aggressive posture faltered immediately as her crimson eyes faded back to green as a deep blush spread across her cheeks.

She looked down at the dinner table, unable to meet anyone’s gaze with her blond hair falling forward to hide her face.

"S-sure..." Taula mumbled quietly.

"Sorry," Zephyra said immediately flatly. "Your request is denied. I don’t want to share my man."

But even as she spoke those possessive words, something caught Zephyra’s attention. Her enhanced senses picked up the aura emanating from Taula... and it was fascinating.

There was still that same happy, loving aura that reminded her of the guards she’d killed. That unconditional warmth and affection that usually made Zephyra’s skin crawl with frustrated isolation but covering it, layered over it like oil on water, was a strong aura of genuine dislike... resentment and anger directed specifically at her, Zephyra, for interfering with Taula’s relationship with Klaus.

’She’s the second person,’ Zephyra realized with a flutter of joy in her chest. ’The second person who doesn’t just give in to my demands and who can feel genuine negative emotions toward me.’

It made her genuinely happy that Klaus wasn’t the only one.

However, Zephyra had already made her decision about this situation. Klaus was the man she was marrying and that fact was non-negotiable.

A vein popped visibly on Klaus’s forehead.

He’d had enough...

Klaus raised his arm with significant effort, using his enhanced strength to physically shove Zephyra to the side and the Princess toppled off his back with a surprised squeak, landing on the floor beside him.

Klaus immediately pushed himself up to his feet, dusting off his clothes with angry movements and his face was twisted in a deep frown as he turned to face Zephyra.

"Are you fucking insane?!" Klaus demanded as his voice rose with each word. "Do you see the ground?!"

He gestured sharply at the damaged floorboards where Zephyra had dragged his face through upon landing on his back.

"This is going to reflect in the amount I have to pay for the whole place when we’re leaving!" Klaus continued with his frustration pouring out. "I had planned to pay extra rent so I could stay here longer for the mining operation! You just cost me—"

Zephyra’s expression crumbled.

She looked down at the ground and her white hair fell forward to hide her face completely. Her shoulders hunched inward making her seem smaller and more vulnerable then she reached into her dress with one hand.

She pulled out a carefully folded piece of paper and held it forward without looking up with her hand trembling slightly and Klaus took it with the same frown still etched on his face.

’What could she possibly give me that would—’ Klaus thought as he unfolded the paper.

His eyes scanned the text.

...

[DEED OF PROPERTY TRANSFER]

[Property: Moonstone Residence, 47 Silverbell Street, Rivera City, Eastern District]

[Previous Owner: Madame Celestine Moonstone]

[New Owner: Klaus [Family name omitted per owner request]

[Purchase Price: 90 Gold Coins]

[Date of Transfer: 3rd Of The Month Moon]

[Witnessed and Notarized by: Rivera City Property Office]

...

The document was completely official, stamped with multiple seals, signed by witnesses, legally binding in every way.

Zephyra had bought the entire Moonstone Residence and transferred the deed into Klaus’s name... for ninety gold.

Klaus slowly looked up from the paper, the frown dissolving from his face like ice melting under sunlight.

Zephyra still had her head down, her white hair obscuring her expression completely as she sat on the floor in a position of absolute submission, not meeting his eyes.

"You... bought the place in my name?" Klaus said slowly. "For what reason?"

She didn’t answer and Klaus stood there for a long moment with the deed still held in his hand, processing what had just happened.

’How am I supposed to repay someone who doesn’t lack money?’ Klaus thought, running through his limited options. ’I can’t give her gold... I can’t offer her anything material... She’s a princess so she has everything.’

Then a simpler answer occurred to him... By giving her headpats, of course.

Klaus let out a long sigh and reached out his hand.

Sure, Zephyra had been pissing him off for the past few minutes with her behavior and property damage and forced engagement but she’d also just given him something incredibly valuable... permanent housing, stability, and a base of operations.

His hand landed gently on her smooth white hair and he gave her a few slow deliberate headpats with his palm stroking down from her crown to the back of her head.

"Thank you," Klaus said quietly.

Taula’s face twitched in visible annoyance as she watched the scene unfold with her eye actually spasming with jealousy.

"But you’re also paying for the damages as well," Klaus added firmly with his hand still resting on Zephyra’s head and Zephyra finally brought her face up to look at him.

Her expression was absolutely lewd.

Her cheeks were flushed a deep crimson with her purple eyes slightly unfocused and hazy with pleasure as her mouth hung open slightly with a small line of drool threatening to escape the corner of her lips. She was breathing faster as her chest rose and fell rapidly.

"Can you insult me again, Hubby?" Zephyra asked breathlessly. "I’ll do anything."

Klaus’s hand froze mid-pat and he stared at her for a moment.

’I tried to be nice,’ Klaus thought incredulously. ’I gave her headpats to say thank you and she wants me to insult her?’

Klaus pushed her head roughly to the side, making her topple over onto the floor again then he stood up and walked toward the kitchen without looking back.

"Go jump off a cliff and die, dumbass..." Klaus said flatly.

He opened the large pot sitting on the stove, and the rich, savory aroma hit him immediately. His expression softened into a genuine smile.

Inside was a perfectly prepared serving of Braised Moonlight Venison with tender chunks of deer meat slow-cooked in a rich gravy made with mushrooms, root vegetables, and aromatic herbs. It was a dish from Artemis Online, one of the signature recipes from the Hunter’s Lodge questline which was now his favorite.

Especially when Taula cooked it..

Klaus turned to Taula with that same warm smile, making her blush even deeper than before as her face went completely red.

"Thank you, Taula," Klaus said sincerely. "I’ll be taking this upstairs to eat."

He grabbed a plate from the shelf and carefully ladled a generous portion of the venison and vegetables onto it with the gravy pooling around the edges. Steam rose from the hot food, carrying that wonderful smell.

With his dinner secured, Klaus headed for the stairs without another word to anyone.

Behind him, still sprawled on the floor where he’d pushed her, Zephyra had fallen completely onto her side as her face was pressed against the wooden boards with her expression one of absolute euphoric bliss.

"He told me to kill myself," Zephyra whispered to herself, a deeper blush spreading across her entire face and down her neck. "Hehe~"

The other women in the room... Mirela, Serra, and Taula all stared at the Princess with expressions ranging from confusion to deep concern, then they collectively decided to just ignore her and went back to their own meals.

In Zephyra’s spirit space, Eli let out a long defeated sigh.

’The Princess has gone completely crazy,’ the spirit thought. ’This is beyond my ability to fix.’

...

About thirty minutes later, Klaus dropped his now-empty plate onto the desk next to his bed with a satisfied sigh.

The venison had been perfect... it was tender, flavorful and exactly what he’d needed after the exhausting day.

He started pulling off his shirt with the fabric sticking slightly to his skin from dried sweat. He needed a shower and sleep in preparation for tomorrow.

Knock knock knock!

Klaus paused mid-motion with his shirt halfway over his head and he sighed heavily and yanked the shirt back down.

"Who’s there?" Klaus called out.

"It’s me," Zephyra’s cheerful voice came from the other side of the door. "Your fiancée~"

Klaus’s jaw tightened.

"I’m no longer interested in being your fiancé," Klaus said flatly, raising his voice so she could hear clearly through the wood. "You’re too much trouble."

Zephyra chuckled from outside.

"I had a feeling you would say that," Zephyra said. "You should look at your finger Klaus..."

Klaus frowned and looked down at his hands and on his left ring finger sat a simple silver band... An engagement ring.

Klaus’s eyes widened.

’When—’ Klaus started.

"While you were passing by me in the alleyway earlier," Zephyra explained from outside proudly. "When you walked past and turned toward the doorway. I slipped it on your finger without you even noticing."

Klaus immediately grabbed the ring with his other hand and tried to pull it off but it didn’t budge.

He pulled harder, twisting it, trying to work it over his knuckle but there was nothing... The ring felt like it was fused to his skin.

"No matter how hard you try," Zephyra continued from the hallway, "that ring will stay on your finger forever. Just like the one I’m wearing right now."

There was a pause.

"So that means," Zephyra said softly, "as long as we’re both alive, we’ll be together."

Klaus gave up and let his hands drop to his sides and he stared at the ceiling.

’How did I even get into this stupid situation in the first place?’ Klaus thought. He was too tired to be properly angry anymore.

"Are we still going on that Resource Dungeon expedition tomorrow?" Klaus asked, changing the subject entirely.

"Yes," Zephyra answered immediately. "I’ll leave much earlier in the morning to hire the workers and handle the logistics."

"Good," Klaus said. "You can open the door."

There was a moment of surprised silence from the hallway then the door handle turned and the door swung open slowly.

Zephyra stood in the doorway with her eyes closed and a wide beaming grin on her face with her hands clasped in front of her chest.

"I love you, Hubb—"

FWUMP!

Klaus’s pillow hit her directly in the face with enough force to make her stumble backward into the hallway.

At the same moment, Klaus activated his Magnetic Field and pulled on the metal door hinges and the door slammed shut with a resounding bang, and he manipulated the metal lock mechanism to engage with a sharp click.

"Go to one of the guest rooms and sleep on your own," Klaus called through the closed door. "Goodnight."

There was a long pause then Zephyra’s muffled voice came through the wood, slightly disappointed but still somehow pleased.

"Alright Hubby~" she said. "But only because you said it rudely."

Klaus heard her footsteps retreating down the hallway and he collapsed onto his bed fully clothed and was asleep within minutes.

...

The next morning, Taula stood outside Klaus’s bedroom door.

She’d been thinking about that white-haired woman all night... the engagement announcement, the possessive claims, the way she’d sat on Klaus’s back and called him "hubby." It made Taula’s chest feel tight and uncomfortable.

She wanted answers and now that the Princess woman was gone since she’d heard Zephyra leave very early in the morning before sunrise. This was her chance to talk to Klaus alone.

Taula reached for the door handle and turned it carefully... It was unlocked and she pushed the door open as quietly as possible, wincing at every tiny creak of the hinges.

Klaus’s room was empty.

The bed was unmade with blankets thrown to the side and his shirt from yesterday lay draped over a chair but Klaus himself was nowhere to be seen then Taula heard it.

He was whistling...

The cheerful, tuneless whistling was coming from the bathroom attached to Klaus’s room and she could hear the sound of running water beneath it so he was taking a bath.

Taula’s feet moved on their own.

She crept across the room silently with her bare feet making no sound on the wooden floor as her heart was beating faster for reasons she didn’t fully understand.

She just wanted to... check... Taula reached the bathroom door, which had been left slightly ajar, and peered through the narrow crack.

Her eyes widened.

Klaus stood under the shower stream with water cascading over his body. His back was to her and she could see the defined muscles of his shoulders and spine with the water running in rivulets down his skin.

She’d known Klaus was fit now so that didn’t surprise her but then Klaus turned slightly to reach for something and Taula saw it.

There was... something... standing upright in his crotch area. Something thick and rigid, pointing upward like a sword.

Taula stared at it for several long moments with her head tilting in confusion.

’What is that?’ Taula thought while being genuinely baffled. ’Why is it shaped like that? Why is it so thick? Is that normal for men?’

The whistling suddenly stopped.

Klaus turned off the shower with a squeak of the handle and Taula’s survival instincts kicked in immediately.

She backed away from the door as quietly as she’d approached, moving with stealth she didn’t know she could use.

Taula crossed the room in complete silence and slipped out into the hallway, closing the door behind her with barely a whisper of sound and she pressed her back against the hallway wall, breathing slightly faster.

Inside the room, Klaus emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a towel with water still dripping from his hair and he looked down at his crotch and sighed heavily.

"Curse you, morning wood," Klaus muttered.

He grabbed a larger towel and began drying himself vigorously. By the time he’d finished and pulled on fresh clothes... clean trousers, a simple shirt, and his traveling boots... the morning erection had subsided completely.

Klaus fastened his new cloak around his shoulders and took a deep breath.

"Time to spin." Klaus said to himself.