She’s My Wife, So I’ll Protect Her However I Want

Chapter 04: An Unexpected Ally and A Promise Remembered

The Next Morning...

The smell of food filled the small house, a rare occurrence when Kael was the one cooking. He stood in the kitchen, moving with an ease that didn't quite match his usual lazy attitude.

Last night had been… well, rough. Seraphina had been annoyed at him—more than usual. Not that he minded. Teasing her was part of his daily routine.

Still, he figured he'd do something different today. Maybe just to see how she'd react.

By the time he set the plates on the table, footsteps echoed from the bedroom.

Seraphina stepped into the room, her usual sharp glare already in place. She was still clearly annoyed.

She stopped when she saw the food. Her gaze flickered between the plate and Kael, her expression unreadable.

Kael leaned against the table, arms crossed, and smirked. "Morning."

Seraphina narrowed her eyes. "What… is this?"

"Breakfast," he said simply, nodding toward the plate. "Made it just for you."

Her scowl deepened. "Why?"

Kael shrugged. "Dunno. Thought I'd give it a try."

"Tch." She crossed her arms. "What, you think making breakfast will make up for yesterday?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Did I say that?"

Seraphina clicked her tongue in irritation. "As if I'd eat something you made."

Kael smirked. "Scared it'll be too good?"

"Ha! More like I don't want to die from food poisoning."

"Ouch. That hurts, Captain."

"Don't call me that."

Kael chuckled, leaning back. "Well, I won't force you. But it'd be a shame if it went to waste."

Seraphina glared at him for another moment before scoffing. Without another word, she turned on her heel and grabbed her coat.

Kael watched as she stormed toward the door. "Not even gonna taste it?"

She yanked the door open. "I'd rather starve."

The door slammed shut behind her.

Kael exhaled, shaking his head as he looked at the untouched food.

"Well, that went about as expected."

He grabbed a fork and took a bite himself. Not bad.

Shrugging to himself, he sat down to eat.

---

Seraphina arrived at the Knight Order's headquarters. She walked with purpose, her mind shifting away from the argument and back to the case.

She made her way to the infirmary, where the knight she had saved the night before was resting. His face was pale, and his breathing was uneven.

She stepped forward. "Tell me everything you remember about the man who attacked you."

The knight hesitated before shaking his head. "I… I don't know. He was fast. Strong."

Seraphina narrowed her eyes. "Nothing else?"

"I couldn't see his face properly… just that mask."

Seraphina turned to leave, deep in thought. The timing of the masked man's appearance was too strange. A group had killed an S-Ranker adventurer, and now someone strong enough to match her had tried to kill one of her knights.

Was there a connection?

She had no answers yet.

---

In the guild...

The guild was as noisy as ever. The scent of ale, sweat, and cheap food lingered in the air, mixing with the constant chatter of adventurers boasting about their latest conquests.

Kael sat in his usual spot, a small wooden table in the farthest corner of the hall. Away from the lively groups. Away from the laughter and the occasional drunken brawls. A cup of steaming tea rested in his hand as he took a slow sip.

He could feel the stares—disgusted, disapproving, dismissive. Some whispered, others didn't bother hiding their contempt.

But Kael didn't care. He never did.

Near the guild's request board, four adventurers stood together, discussing something amongst themselves.

Leon Hartmann, a tall young man with short, slightly messy yellow hair and bright green eyes, leaned against the board with a thoughtful look. He wore light armor, well-maintained but not overly polished, and a longsword rested at his waist. He exuded an easygoing confidence, the kind that put people at ease rather than intimidated them.

"We still need one more person," Leon said, arms crossed. "It'll be tough carrying all the supplies ourselves."

"We could hire a porter," suggested Arthur Reinhardt, the black-haired magician standing beside him. His sharp blue eyes glimmered behind thin-rimmed glasses, and his dark-blue robes carried faint traces of enchantments woven into the fabric. "It would be more practical."

Mira Valcrest, the red-haired magician, groaned. "Ugh, but porters are so annoying. They either whine the whole time or run away when things get dangerous." Her amber eyes flashed with irritation. "Why can't we just carry our own stuff?"

Elara Voss, the silver-haired healer, smiled softly. "Because, Mira, we'd be exhausted before even reaching the dungeon." She adjusted the staff on her back, her gray eyes calm as ever. "Arthur's right. We should find someone to help."

Leon rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, but finding someone trustworthy last minute is tricky." His gaze drifted across the guildhall until it landed on a familiar figure. A lone adventurer, sitting in the corner, sipping tea as if the world around him didn't exist.

"Kael Ardent," Leon murmured.

Arthur pushed up his glasses. "You think he'll agree?"

Mira raised an eyebrow. "Wait, we're seriously asking him? I mean, I don't care what rank he is, but you know how people talk about him."

Elara hesitated, then shook her head. "Gossip doesn't matter. If he's willing, that's all that matters."

Leon grinned. "Then let's go ask."

The group made their way toward Kael's table.

Kael barely glanced up as Leon stopped in front of him, giving a polite smile.

"Hey. Do you have a party?"

Kael placed his cup down. "No, I don't."

Leon nodded. "Then, how about joining ours?"

Kael raised an eyebrow slightly, finally looking at them. "You sure about that? You actually want me?"

Elara tilted her head slightly. "Why wouldn't we?"

Kael exhaled, resting an arm on the table. "You do know I'm just an E-Rank, right?"

Mira smirked. "Of course we do! That's kind of the point."

Kael's gaze flicked back to Leon, who nodded. "Yeah, that's why we're asking."

Kael remained unreadable. "What do you mean?"

Arthur adjusted his glasses. "We need someone to carry our supplies."

Elara quickly added, "Don't worry, we won't overwork you! We're heading into the dungeon, so we just need an extra hand."

Kael leaned back slightly. "...That's all?"

Leon grinned. "Pretty much. We'd rather have someone reliable instead of hiring a random porter."

Kael tapped his fingers against the table. "Alright. I'll join your party. When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow morning," Leon said. "Let's meet at the town's left gate at sunrise."

Kael gave a small nod. "Fine."

Leon smiled. "Great! Oh, right, I should introduce us properly. I'm Leon Hartmann. The mage with glasses is Arthur Reinhardt, the redhead is Mira Valcrest, and the healer is Elara Voss. We call ourselves Silver Dawn."

Mira gave a playful salute. "Nice to meet you, pack mule."

Elara sighed. "Mira…"

Arthur simply pushed his glasses up. "Please ignore her."

Leon chuckled. "Anyway, see you tomorrow, Kael."

With that, the four turned and walked off, leaving Kael to finish his tea in peace.

---

At Home...

The moment Kael stepped inside, he could feel the tension in the air.

Seraphina sat at the table, arms crossed, jaw tight. Her eyes flickered toward him for a second before looking away, as if the mere sight of him was enough to ruin her mood.

Kael sighed. She was still mad. Not that he expected anything different.

He debated ignoring her—just going to his room and letting the storm pass. But where was the fun in that?

With a smirk, he walked over to her, leaning slightly against the chair.

"Honey," he said in an overly sweet tone. "Are you still mad at me?"

Seraphina's entire body tensed. Her fingers twitched, gripping the edge of the table as if she were restraining herself from throwing something at him.

Her head snapped toward him, eyes burning with irritation. "How many times do I have to say it? Don't call me that."

Kael shrugged. "But it suits you so well."

Her glare sharpened. "And why would I be angry at you? As if I care about what a pathetic loser like you does."

Kael placed a hand on his chest in mock hurt. "That's harsh, dear."

Seraphina shot up from her chair, fists clenched. "You bast—! Didn't I just tell you not to call me that?! I hate it! I hate this whole thing!"

Her voice rose, frustration bubbling over. "Why you? Why did it have to be you? Why am I even—"

Kael watched her silently as she trailed off, her breathing uneven, her grip tightening.

For a second, just a second, her voice had wavered.

"I know, I know," he said, trying to ease the mood with a teasing grin. "But you can't do anything about it, sweetheart."

Seraphina's fists clenched at her sides. "That's the damn problem."

Kael's gaze flickered. Is that so…?

He opened his mouth to say something—something teasing, something dismissive—when he realized.

He almost said it.

He almost brought it up.

The word that had been on the tip of his tongue so many times before.

Divorce.

"You can just di—"

He stopped himself.

His breath caught. His mind flashed back.

"Promise me, Kael. You won't talk about divorce to me. No matter what happens, no matter what I say..."

The memory struck him like a cold wave.

Why?

Why had she made him promise that? Why had she looked at him with that expression, that night?

Even now, he didn't understand.But for some reason, he remembered.For some reason, he stopped.

Seraphina noticed his silence and scoffed. "What? Cat got your tongue, loser?"

Kael blinked, shaking the thoughts away.

"No, nothing," he said, slipping back into his usual attitude. "Honey."

Her expression twisted in disgust. "Don't call me that! It makes me sick just hearing it."

Kael chuckled. "And yet, you still respond to it."

Seraphina gritted her teeth. "Shut up. I hate you."

"Yeah, yeah," he said, waving a hand dismissively. "I know."

She glared at him, her body still tense. But she didn't say anything else.

Kael chuckled, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

But deep inside, he wasn't laughing.

---

(Chapter Ended)