The Hundred Flowers Scriptures kicked into gear, pushing the duo's cultivation to new levels. Iliana's martial cultivation went from the eighth step True Knight Rank to the first step Grand Knight Rank while Konrad's spiritual cultivation directly reached the first step Grand Priest Rank.
As for his martial cultivation, while there was some substantial improvement, he had yet to break through the sixth step Grand Knight Rank. Although Iliana's main asset was her spiritual cultivation of the third step Grand Priest Rank, having a perfect balance between the martial and spiritual would allow her battle power to soar.
But Instead of sitting and digesting his gains, Konrad stared at his new conquest with an amused gaze.
"Divine…son of a bitch? I've heard many things, I've heard the two separately, but together? This is a…first."
Iliana didn't have time to worry about any of that as her mind still drifted in its newfound plane of ecstasy. She just laid on the bed with her arms outstretched and released a deep, contented sigh that reminisced of a glutton sated with food and wine.
...
Meanwhile, alongside Zamira, Wolfgang rested within his bed. As a Semi-Saint, sleep was for him optional, and he would usually spend his nights in silent cultivation. However, he always reserved two nights during the week to remain with his beloved. This was one such night.
A night that was interrupted by a deep growl that couldn't escape his sharp senses.
"What? Who? Who's harming my daughter?"
But before he could rush out of the bedroom, Zamira's hands pulled him back into the bed.
"What do you think? Who do you think? After bringing the wolf into the fold, you should not be surprised to hear the sheep squeal."
As a Transcendent Knight, Zamira's senses were sharp enough that the noise didn't escape her attention.
"You mean…?"
Wolfgang's eyes widened with the sudden realization, and he went red from fury!
"Under my roof? The gals! Butcher…I must butcher him!"
He summoned his energy battle-ax and was about to free himself from Zamira's grasp when…
"Are you sure you're mentally prepared for what you're about to see?"
…her sleepy words echoed within his ears and stopped him dead in his tracks with droplets of sweat soon trickling down his forehead.
"Tomorrow…I will butcher him…tomorrow!"
...
The rest of the night was uneventful, Iliana rested nude within her bedsheets while Konrad sat cross-legged in silent cultivation. He was initially very close to the sixth step, and upon refining Iliana's primal essence through his incubus blood, he was ready to break through!
The sky-blue spiritual energy swirling around his body took a lighter shade while his bones and muscles were remolded to a higher level. The density of his spiritual energy also rose to new heights, and he finally broke through the sixth step Grand Knight Rank.
As the breakthrough came to an end, he drew a deep breath, then relaxed his muscles in a long exhalation before resuming silent cultivation until dawn announced the end of night.
And so his cultivation came to a halt. Unwilling to interfere with Iliana's sleep any further, he stood up, walked out of her room, and took the road back to his assigned quarters.
...
With the arrival of the sunlight, activity resumed within the Kracht mansion. Servants carried on with their daily tasks while the Kracht kinsmen assembled for breakfast.
Konrad who pulled off an all-nighter was quick to prepare himself and join the others in the hall. Iliana would soon awaken and join the gathering, but as soon as Konrad's eyes locked on hers, she turned to avoid his gaze while not being able to prevent her cheeks' temperature from reaching an unhealthy threshold.
But how could he allow her to escape that easily? In the blink of an eye, he crossed the distance separating them and brought his face dangerously close to hers while staring deep into her eyes.
"What? Going to pretend nothing happened?"
The feeling of his breath grazing her lips, and the proximity of their faces caused her heart rate to accelerate, and her already reddened cheeks to burn brighter. During that night, she had said too many things and produced too many sounds that caused her to feel like she had no face left.
If possible, she wished she could find a place to bury herself and hide for a lifetime!
However, seeing that pair of eyes that openly teased her, Iliana found a new source of courage and brazenly puffed out her chest.
"Hum, hum! What is done is done. I am not so weak as to try to evade reality. Since we've already done the deed, you need to take responsibility for me."
"The first step is to swear off mistresses. You are now my man and future husband. Daphne included, there is no way in hell you can keep having all those women swirling around you."
"Huh?"
For an instant, Konrad's eyes widened with incessant blinking.
"Even you don't believe what you just said. Knowing full well the nature of my blood, you know that's not going to happen."
And that was precisely what she was waiting for.
"That being the case, we must sign a contract. Last night was not bad, but there are more experiments to do. You ought to reserve me at least four nights a week. Five would be optimal."
"Don't misunderstand, this is all for the purpose of research and…cultivation!"
"As for the others, as long as they don't forget my status of the first legal wife, I can…tolerate them."
She elaborated with courage neither of them knew she possessed, causing Konrad to stagger and be overtaken by violent coughing.
*Cough* *Cough* *Cough*
But at that time, an ear-splitting roar thundered within the vast Kracht mansion.
"Unruly lecher, surrender your life!"
Wolfgang's roar alarmed the entire household, and before he could reach the bewildered Konrad, his two younger brothers were blocking him by the waist.
"Aargh, elder brother, what is wrong with you? Yesterday night you announce their betrothal and the next morning a funeral?"
"Do you want to make your daughter a widow?
Viscount Wulf, the eldest of Wolfgang's two younger siblings and Daphne's father, asked in consternation while blocking his older brother by the waist.
"Quick, quick, we need more manpower!"
Konrad realized that the situation was taking a turn for the worst, and was prepared to make a run for it.
"Wulf you damn son of a bitch, let go of me!"
"We have the same mother!"
"Im…Impudence!"
Wolfgang sent his two brothers flying with slaps and kicks, and was about to pounce on the runaway Konrad when suddenly, an authoritative voice silenced the commotion.
"Enough!"
Zamira walked in, locking her stern gaze onto Wolfgang who in her presence didn't dare take another step.
"Wolfgang, I warn you. Since the rice has already been cooked, that boy is now my son-in-law. Should you harm him in any shape or form, I will never let you in my bed again!"
The threat was too much for the mighty Uradel count to bear, and instantly, he went from tyrant to chicken.
"Yes…my lady..."
As for Konrad who witnessed the scene, his eyes went back and forth between Zamira and Wolfgang.
"Father-in-law, I have lost all respect for you."
"A man who doesn't wear the pants, fully subjugated by his woman and oppressed under her skirt!"
"What a disgrace!"
...
With Wolfgang pacified, Zamira led her daughter and son-in-law into a private study and motioned for them to sit.
"Unlike the people of the Holy Continent, we from the Barbarian Continent care very little about the so-called rules of "propriety." Since you've already taken Iliana as your woman, as per my tribe's rules, I've something to give you."
She then pulled out a bronze box adorned with strange markings and pushed it toward Konrad. From it, Konrad could feel a strange but potent energy signature.
However, before he received it, Konrad first tackled the question that sprang within his mind.
"You're from the Barbarian Continent?"
While he had heard of Zamira initially being a human maid of house Kracht, he didn't believe that Count Wolfgang would be so bold as to take a barbarian woman as his consort within the heart of the Holy Flame Empire.
But Zamira's next words confirmed it.
"That is no secret. I was the chieftain of the Borxan tribe. In a battle opposing the Northern Tribes to the Holy Flame Empire, we were defeated by Wolfgang's armies and my entire tribe was subjugated."
The casualness of her reply made Konrad question the nature of her feelings toward her original land.
"Apparently, Wolfgang was impressed by my bravery and honor on the battlefield and brought me back to house Kracht to avoid me turning into some malicious nobleman's toy."
"And then, I subjugated him."