As Kael heard a groan from behind at that moment, he glanced to the side, watching his wife. His killing intent instantly vanished and so was the dark energy over his left hand.
"Kyaaa…" An involuntary scream escaped from Amanda, followed by her shout, "Who is it?"
Kael acted like himself, becoming a weak noble all of a sudden, and shouted with his hand shivering, pointing the confiscated dagger at the assassin, "Don't… don't come closer. I'll… I'll kill you."
The assassin fell confused all of a sudden but determined to kill them nevertheless, he successfully reached out for his other dagger and thrust it at Kael.
Kael moved his body slightly, letting the dagger pierce the right part of the chest. "Argh…" He let out a painful groan.
"Kael!" Amanda's vision was almost cleared by his groan, and she swiftly attacked the assassin with a blast of energy, using all her mana reserves.
The energy beam made a hole out of his chest, destroying the wall behind him, too. The assassin's corpse fell to the floor with a loud thud.
Kael lay on the floor, faking his state as if his consciousness was slowly slipping away as the blood poured from the wound in his chest. liquid with a familiar taste slowly entered his mouth, and he gulped it. His wound in the chest was healed almost instantly. However, he didn't open his eyes but instead concentrated on what was happening outside the room. It appeared the fighting surprisingly ended in the living room, too. Since the assassin leader seemed to be strong enough to go head-on against the spectral wolf, he assumed that they might have run away because of Amanda's energy beam that caused enough commotion.
Roughly ten minutes later, his eyes fluttered open, and the first thing he saw was Amanda. He was lying on his bed and she was sitting beside him, her eyes wide with panic and worry. Her hands trembled as she reached for his face, her face pale with concern.
"Amanda..." Kael whispered weakly, his voice hoarse.
Her expression softened as she met his gaze, relief flooding her face. "You woke up… Thank the gods." She whispered, her voice shaky. "You… you protected me…"
Kael managed a faint smile, despite the pain coursing through his body. "Always…"
Amanda's eyes were filled with mixed emotions—gratitude, confusion, and something deeper, but she remained silent as she helped Kael sit up.
The room was filled with the sound of Kael's shallow breaths for a while before Amanda's facial expression changed. Her worry turned into anger.
"You're so reckless!" Amanda's voice trembled, her tone sharp. "You know you're still weak! Why would you do something stupid like that? You could die." She scolded him outrightly.
Kael lifted his head slightly, his gaze meeting hers with a quiet determination. "Because I'm your husband."
Her eyes widened for a moment, and she froze. "What?"
"I'm weak, but I'm still your husband. And as long as that's true, I will never abandon you. I'll protect you, even if I have to risk my life." His voice was steady, though he appeared to be still facing pain from the wound. The healing potion can heal the wound, not the pain caused by the wound, although Kael was just acting in order to maintain his image.
Amanda turned her gaze away, her lips tight with frustration. Her face flushed, and she felt a surge of emotion—confusion, anger, and guilt all at once. Kael's words had stirred something inside her, something she didn't want to acknowledge. She clenched her fists.
"Stop being so foolish!" she snapped, her voice cracking. "No matter what you do, I can't acknowledge you as my husband. Save these heroics to the ones who love you back."
Kael remained silent for a moment, letting her words sink in, but his face never faltered. "I know that but I can't," he replied quietly.
Amanda's chest tightened at the calmness in his voice. "Why?"
Kael met her gaze, his eyes unwavering. "Because it has nothing to do with strength. I'm not doing it for your approval."
He paused, his voice softening. "I've heard the story of your former husband, from Captain Cain. I know how much you were hurt by his loss. I know I'll never fill that gap for you, and I don't expect to. But the fact remains—we are married. You're my wife, and I am your husband. That's something that won't change. As long as you remain my wife, I will continue to protect you, even if I die in the process."
Amanda's breath caught in her throat, and her expression softened slightly, but the vulnerability in her eyes quickly turned to frustration again. "You're a fool," she whispered under her breath, her voice trembling as tears welled up in her eyes. She quickly turned away, not wanting him to see the struggle behind her words.
"I hate your guts," she said coldly, her heart heavy.
Kael blinked slowly, watching her slowly leave the room. Kael allowed himself a rare, private smile, stretching his body as he whispered to himself. "What a great actor I am."
His mind wandered back to his plans, the things he needed to accomplish. This emotional display would only serve to push Amanda further toward her goal—especially her desire for the items that could potentially free her from this forced marriage.
The deeper her guilt, the more likely she would strive to obtain them, and Kael was certain that he could use this to his advantage in the upcoming auction.
There was actually another way. Displaying his anger and blaming her for his situation. However, he knew that painting her as the villain would only poison their relationship further. This might affect his other wives, Laura and Melissa. And who knows, Amanda might start to try to amend their relationship instead.
So, he chose guilt instead of anger.
If he could make Amanda feel the weight of her own emotions, she would become even more driven to secure the items she needed. And once she had those items, Kael could step back. She could find her way out of this marriage, and when she does, Seraphina and Shiera, who haven't consummated their marriage yet, might also look for ways to annul their marriage. With only Laura and Melissa on his side, his marriage life could become smoother. As for what people think of him later on, he couldn't care less. He didn't have a great reputation in the first place.
But there was also a secondary reason for this little display—one Kael had to consider carefully. The Duchess of Ikaris had been a thorn in his side for a while now, but she was also a valuable pawn in this game. By manipulating Amanda's emotions, Kael could place the Duchess in his debt. This would give him leverage over her too.
He could use that leverage, perhaps taking her aid in order to find his sister's whereabouts. The information guild couldn't find anything, and he didn't have much trust in the Queen. As he was stuck in the imperial city even more after the marriage, he needed to have some allies to help him out.
His mind worked like a finely tuned machine, every piece falling into place.