A Peacock Husband of Five Princesses by day, a Noble Assassin by Night

Three days had passed since the battle at the oasis.

The once blood-stained sand now felt like home to the small group that lingered by the cool waters. They occupied the campsite, waiting for Nyx's ability to end the cool-down time.

The evolved Nyx can now teleport people to a specific location, too. So, they had to wait patiently. With food, water, and a place to sleep is there, they had all the time in the world to wait anyway. Luckily for them, there are fish in the oasis, too. So, dates and fish have been their diet for the past three days.

To the present;

Kael, shirtless and drowsy under the filtered sunlight, lay face down on a wooden bench under the canopy. His back, with flawless skin, smoother than any woman's, was being carefully massaged by Mia.

"Aah, I really missed these massages. Not even a professional is as good as you, sis," Kael murmured with a lazy smile, arms folded under his chin.

Mia smiled, pressing her thumb into a tense spot on his shoulder. "Well, I had a great teacher."

Kael winced, then groaned in appreciation.

The vampire was watching on the side, staring at the scene in awe. She was in her own imaginary world. "Maybe, when Master and I were alone, I would massage him with my these mounds instead of my hands. Then, he gets aroused and turns around. I will lie on the top, reach out to… Ohhh… hehehe…"

Not far from them, Orin was quietly polishing his blade, his eyes darting toward the pair every few seconds. There was a sulky frown on his face, difficult to miss.

Leiza, seated on a rock beside Shiera, smirked at the scene. "Your husband's living the life," she whispered, elbowing Shiera gently.

Shiera watched the scene blankly. "He's recovering."

"Right," Leiza said dryly, watching Mia now start to gently tap her knuckles along Kael's spine. "Recovering? What did he do to even recover? Nyx did everything. And look at that spoiled husband of yours. Is he always this pampered?"

Orin then voiced out from the side, adding to it. "Looking at them, it doesn't feel like they are brother and sister, right? They feel more like lovers. It feels a bit inappropriate and disturbing to me when I look at them."

Before Shiera could respond, Mia called out, glancing over her shoulder. "Shiera! Want a massage too? You've been stiff since the desert fight. Come on, my hands are warm."

Kael chuckled, still lying flat. "She gives the second-best massages, after me, but my sister is the real deal."

Shiera hesitated, eyes flicking toward him. For a brief moment, her lips curled into the faintest smirk.

"Fine," she muttered, rising to her feet and walking over. She stood where Kael had been lying and slowly lowered herself onto the still-warm bedroll.

As her skin touched the spot Kael had just vacated, a faint warmth clung to the surface. His scent, a blend of sweat, desert sand, and the subtle hint of moonflower oil, still lingered. It hit her all at once, disarming and distracting.

Shiera stiffened, and her heart pulsed.

She scolded herself inwardly. "Ugh… what's with you, Shiera. Why are you feeling so weird…"

It was at that moment that hands pressed down on her back. She clenched her jaw slightly as her muscles twitched, more from internal tension than from the massage itself.

"Don't tell me it's already that time of year, already?" she thought grimly.

Every woman in this world knew this rhythm, the biannual shift, often called "the flux."

For fourteen days, the body becomes a battlefield of its own. Lust heightens, so does anger. Mana, once a trusted companion, becomes unpredictable and volatile. For some, it was a minor inconvenience. For others, it was a cursed time.

Women would seal their mana to reduce its effects, but for warriors like her who wander in dangerous places, sealing mana was out of the question. It would be like marching blindfolded into a storm.

Worse still, the surge of emotional extremes during this cycle was dangerous. Shiera had always prided herself on her control, her rationality… but that was slipping now. The warmth beneath her skin. The scent of Kael still clung to the cloth.

Her fists curled into the cloth of the bedroll.

"Damn it, Shiera. Control yourself. This isn't the time to be weak-minded."

Her thoughts spiraled: The side of Kael, only she knew. If a man acts that arrogant and cold, he must have something that backs him up, right?

But according to Kael's statement, the battle is already over by the time he managed to get there. Nyx managed to suddenly evolve, well, it is indeed true as it appeared as an 8-Tier beast now, and logically could have the power to deal with the vampire, but why would a vampire accept slavery to a beast? There was no precedent for such a thing to happen.

So, either Kael is keeping something secret, or he was only just whining against her because of Mia.

Now, Kael gave his tattoo as an excuse, but Shiera couldn't believe those words at all, unlike how Mia bought it. But at the same time, she doesn't want to believe that he is powerful. After all, everyone in the royal family, everyone in the city, knows about Kael since his childhood. He was someone without any potential.

So, was she actually expecting to have a secret? Was she secretly expecting to be some powerful expert? What if he is an expert, then? Will she going to acknowledge him as her husband and do those shameful things with him that her sisters are doing? Maybe she wanted to do it with him?

No, No, No…

Mia shook her thoughts, wanting not to think about Kael at all. Her face reddened in embarrassment.

Leiza, watching from the shade, raised an eyebrow. "You okay, Shiera? You look flushed."

Her "season" had begun, and worse, it had caught her by surprise. She clenched her jaw, doing her best to appear unaffected.

"You know," Mia then said with a smug grin, stretching her arms, "how about Kael massage you instead?"

"Eh?" Shiera raised her head instantly.

Mia replied. "My brother is the best at massages. In fact, he is the one who taught me, although primarily because he couldn't massage himself."

Kael also nearly choked on air. "Mia… please behave…"

"What?" she said, blinking innocently. "She's your wife, isn't she? Do you have an issue massaging your own wife or something? As a royal consort, it's your duty to serve your wife, you know."

"Well, that is…"Kael glanced awkwardly at Shiera, uncertain what to say.

Shiera, meanwhile, stiffened again. Mia doesn't know that they had a troublesome relationship. And she wanted to keep it this way.

"It's not a problem," Shiera said finally in an even voice. She gave Mia a faint smile, trying to act casual. "Why not? I could use it."

Kael blinked. "Umm…"

Shiera went back to lying down on her stomach and huffed. "If you think you can do a good massage, then you can go ahead."

Kael hesitated, then moved behind her. Gently, he placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Tell me if it hurts," he muttered, trying to focus.

As his fingers pressed into her back, working slow, deliberate circles, Shiera's body betrayed her.

"Aaah~" A soft sound escaped her lips, an involuntary moan of relief. Her eyes widened, her face flushing instantly.

"W-Wait, that's not…"

Too late. Mia and Leiza burst into laughter.

A faint blush crept to Kael's cheeks for a moment as he was surprised.