A while later I approached my wife's quarters - the door was slightly ajar and I could hear giggling and soft slightly embarrassing words spoken from within the room - which I will not bother to repeat here.
When I was a few lengths away from the door Katiana's voice rang out.
"Oh Nitram! The door is open, just come in. I'm decent." [Katiana]
Well, it isn't as if I was trying to be stealthy, but the corridor was well carpeted, and I am very light on my feet for my weight - normally she should not have noticed me approach.
Was this related to her talent of hiding her own presence from me - did she really have the full spectrum of talents that a good scout needs?
Really need to check that out one day.
"Ok, girls, enough gossip - shoo, scurry! You can all retire now, have a good rest, and see you in the morning!" [Katiana]
My wife was sitting on the lone sofa in the room while waving her maids out - six of the seven young women passed me in a hurry, not looking directly at me.
A couple were blushing, one was still giggling, her hand in front of her mouth as she escaped the room.
The seventh maid moved silently and did look straight into my eyes - she nodded once with a serious face as she passed me.
Ah, one of my mother's valuable dress shop agents - proving again my wife is well thought of by mother.
"Nitram... sadly I don't have a chair without arms, so... here - sofa." [Katiana]
She patted the spot next to her and I followed her instructions.
The moment I sat down, Katiana hopped up, over, and onto my lap, kicking her slippers off and swinging her feet up onto the sofa.
"Lap time, wheee!" [Katiana]
"At least you are enjoying yourself - are you not tired from tonight's dancing?"
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't tired - but I'm also a bit hyped, so won't be able to sleep right now anyways..." [Katiana]
"Then I will keep you company until you throw me out."
Katiana leaned her head onto my shoulder - her soft breath tickling my bare throat.
I looked around her room - Nozomi was snuggled in a cat bed that was placed on Katiana's bedside table - the slime even had a small plushy teddy bear, which it held gently with a tentacle.
It must be sleeping as its eye was not visible.
"I see your slime is comfy. How did you two meet?"
"Oh - that's a rather exciting story! When I left home, I had only a bit of money, but was able to tag along with a merchant caravan - I cooked and cleaned for them while we traveled. But when they reached their destination, I had to walk a bit to the next town - where another caravan would soon leave for Maldeva." [Katiana]
"That sounds dangerous..."
"It was! Half way to the next town, I noticed the bandits before they saw me, and was able to escape into a cave near the road - the bandits refused to follow me in, though - I heard them say that there was some dangerous monster in the cave. But all I found were some cute slimes." [Katiana]
"You must have been very lucky that the owner of the cave was out at the time. But why did Nozomi decide to follow you?"
"Oh, while I was waiting for the bandits to give up looking for me, I shared my food with the slimes, and my cute buddy over there must have liked the taste, because it stuck to me after that." [Katiana]
"And you are sure you have no taming talent?
"Not that I know of... but hey, food tames the wild beast, they say!" [Katiana]
"Only in fairy tales - but my great-aunt did mention some slimes were gourmands, so they might be special that way..."
We sat there a bit and watched Nozomi peacefully sleeping in its cat bed, hugging its teddy bear.
After few moment Katiana stirred.
"You know, we are actually like fiances right now - only big-sis and the staff here really know we're married, even if they don't know the mysterious way that happened - so... do... do you think one day..." [Katiana]
".... we could be publicly married in a church of the Goddess with a full guest list? Yes, I was going to propose that to you - if and when you will actually want to stay with me."
Katiana lifted her head and looked at me with an expression I couldn't decipher.
"Huh? How did you know what I was going to say? I mean, I've had a hard crush... ah, been a big fan of yours for years... and you haven't pushed me away or anything..." [Katiana]
"My instinct, remember? It is telling me I won't find a wife better than you if I'd search for a century. Also, when I first saw you, your fragrance was a fresh rose drenched in summer sunlight, and I admit, I had a hard time taking my eyes off your determined hazel colored almond shaped eyes that day."
"You... You remember my smell from that day??? Eeeeeeeeh?" [Katiana]
"I remember what perfume you have worn for every day - and you have yet to repeat a scent - at least when I am around."
"Wow, just wow... I can't even remember that! And I'm the one that makes them..." [Katiana]
"Have you ever thought of selling those perfumes in secret, say under a pseudonyme - oh, maybe they can't be created en mass...?"
"Way ahead of you there buddy. I already sell them through big-sis' dress shop 'Gina la Rose' who then wholesales them to other towns and cities, and any other shop here in the capital that wants to stock 'Sacred Butterfly Oil' - that's my cringe brand name, you see?" [Katiana]
I grinned, which is very rare for me.
"I should have known, seeing how creative you are. Now, you were going to tell me what method you used to scare the crown prince..."
"Hm... well, it isn't very exciting - I just told him a story I heard about big-sis, and sort of hinted he end up as a repeat..." [Katiana]
"Go on - mother does a lot of things I never get to hear about."
"Sure - a few years back big-sis was traveling around the continent..." [Katiana]
"That is indeed one of her hobbies - she keeps threatening to steal you away on one of her adventures."
"She does? Anyways one day she walked into a scene where the local king was trying to lay his grubby paws on a lady."
"I'm assuming not in a consensual way?"
"Yeah, very one sided attention - anyway big-sis got real mad, and in one yank removed the king's exposed family jewels..." [Katiana]
"His what?"
She pointed downwards.
"You know, his wedding tackle, his two dumplings and a corn-dog, his ... ah, twig and berries..." [Katiana]
"Ah, well, those are certainly creative names. But yes, that is a fitting punishment."
"Anyway, after ripping them off, she healed the fu... the kings up so he looked like Ken down there. And she didn't stop there." [Katiana]
"No, mother would not just let an offense like that slide - I assume Ken is an eunuch you know? She performed the eagle's wings ritual too, right?"
"Forget Ken... and I... I'm not sure I want to know what ritual that is - but what she then did was chop up the removed items into a tartar, added hot garlic and very very spicy hot peppers, and then made the king eat his own meat and two vegs in one sitting." [Katiana]
"Oh she went soft on him - guess she didn't want them to start a war with the empire - not that they would have survived."
Katiana closed her eyes and lent her head back onto my shoulder.
"Not against this hunk of a muscle uncle and the hundred elite, no." [Katiana]
"Are you sleepy now?"
"Hm... not really yet..." [Katiana]
"You don't have to answer if this is a sensitive subject - but I've noticed you always say 'so-called father' when referring to Count Belirosa. Is there something behind that?"
"Hm... you sure you want to be bored by my life story?" [Katiana]
"I want to know everything I can about my wife - even if it takes a century to discover it."
"It might take longer - I have a lot of secrets... Well... shortly before my mother passed away she had a visitor - didn't know who at the time, but she was richly dressed and came with guards. And I caught three words that mother said that day - 'not her father'." [Katiana]
"That does sound suspicious."
"Right? And do you know one of the reasons that I left home when I did?" [Katiana]
"Other than being mistreated most of your life?"
"Un... I discovered who that lady was - the first Empress. And I also discovered that while she was still alive, she had sent me gifts every month - which I never saw, as my step-mother took them as soon as they arrived." [Katiana]
"Maybe mother was right and you should let her go give you step-mother a b... a good talking to?"
"You were going to say something different, weren't you? Appreciate it, don't need it. What is more important is that my mother had been on good terms with the last first Empress. There might be more behind that, but I haven't had the means to dig up anything yet." [Katiana]
"Ah. Can I surmise the reason you want to get closer to Marquess Caraesal is related to your mother?"
"Yes I figured that the leader of the first Empress' faction might also have known my mother... or at the very least, known of her." [Katiana]
"You know about the baker and the dress-shop - I still don't know how you know about them, but they are both at your service. Let mother and I have our agents dig up what they can."
She raised her head off my shoulder and searched my face for a moment - although why she bothered I'm not sure - I know I'm not exactly handsome.
Let's just say it wasn't my mother's looks that I inherited - and the scars I've collected over the years don't help.
"I... yes, thank you dear husband - that is very generous of you. I didn't want to get you involved in my dreary past, but if you offer so kindly, I'd be a fool to reject." [Katiana]
"May I give you a head pat?"
"Ehhh... sure, I'm washing my hair in the morning anyway..." [Katiana]
Pat pat pat.
"Prrrrrr..." [Katiana]
"You are part cat, yes?"
"Meow-by? Oh, extra info for the agents - they reported to you that my so-called father was a womanizer, and was killed because he made advances to a married woman." [Katiana]
"That is what the newspapers reported."
"Garbage. The count was a gambling addict, sure, and didn't care about me - which makes sense if I wasn't his daughter - but he really was close with my step-mom, and wouldn't have cheated on her. The weird thing is - I suspect my step-sisters are his daughters. No proof, but the way he handled them - just strange." [Katiana]
"Hm, more pieces to the puzzle, and we might have some corners completed. I will pass that on - that could be quite the hook."
"Yawwwwnnn.... oh my..." [Katiana]
I stood with her still in my lap, which transitioned to holding her in my arms, and brought her carefully to her bed.
"Ooooo! Second time princess-carry! Ehehehe..." [Katiana]
"It is almost morning. You can sleep in - I have some things to take care of early, so will be out. Mother is off visiting, so you can have breakfast or lunch whenever you wish."
I tucked her in, then made sure the windows were secured.
"Sleep - yawn - in sounds like a - yawn - good id.... zzzzzzzzz" [Katiana]
Early morning, I entered the bakery through the building next door - a weapon store that also belonged to me.
The store was run by one of my estate's smiths.
My bakery office away from home was on the forth floor and provided a good view of the city in all directions.
I sat down behind my desk and sorted through some of the paperwork - after a while I looked up.
"Report."
Shadow removed himself from a shadow.
"Still don't know how you know I'm here, Dukey." [Shadow]
"You need to stop eating garlic toast."
"Eh? Is it that simple? Anyways, your info that our Duchess has no dealing with the 'Wings of the Goddess' party made us re-start our investigation. Pure luck - one of our agents in the capital of Ralgelia kingdom overhead an adventurer talk about a job in the Death Trap Dungeon that almost had gone bad - a day before it got cleared!" [Shadow]
"Ah, and?"
"So get this - his party was rescued and even healed with 'greater mend' on the 73rd floor by the 'Demon of Blades' when they got over their heads. We've heard that name a few times, but up to now couldn't even get a lead." [Shadow]
"I presume that is a nick-name for a skilled adventurer?"
"S-Rank or higher yeah - and a solo player apparently. The rescued party described this Blade Demon as dressed in a hooded mage robe of several layers of night-silk, covering every inch, hands and all - they couldn't say if it was a man, woman, or even a human. What really got them tho, was the smooth black mask with no eye-holes - if you looked at it too long you started going blind, they said." [Shadow]
"An ancient artefact? Any leads on it?"
"Nada zilch nothing. Might be a new boss drop, because we think it also does something with the mind - when the Demon of Blades spoke, the adventurers only remembered the words, but never how they heard them." [Shadow]
"A very secretive demon, for having such a name. Anything else?"
"Yeah, this party and a few others we were able to interview saw how the Demon of Blades fought - the name is no joke. This mage would walk through the biggest groups of A-rank monsters as if promenading in a city park. Hundreds of blades swarmed around the Demon, making mince meat of everything - and the drops? They just vanished as if some invisible hand picked them up." [Shadow]
I stood up and started pacing the floor, rubbing the back of my head.
"Some sort of automatic item skill? Mother has something like that, but the Demon's version sounds more advanced... hmmm."
"Well, I'm not done yet. Some of the other parties claim to have seen the Demon of Blades sometimes walk with no swords - but accompanied by a dozen S-Rank slimes - in fact, one witness claims that one of the slimes had over a hundred eyes..." [Shadow]
"Over a hund... that would make it an ancient Eldritch Slime, older than some of the mountains. So our Blade Demon is also a tamer, how unexpected."
"Well, that's all I got for now - we are backtracking the other cleared dungeons to see if there are any sightings of the Demon of Blades - and we are trying to tie them into the Duchess' whereabouts. If the Demon is that secretive, would make sense they used your wife as a drop-seller, maybe?" [Shadow]
"Logical. Off you go."
The Shadow faded from view, letting out a mutter.
"Garlic toast, sigh..." [Shadow]
A few days later Katiana received a note from my mother - the Marquess Caraesal wished to meet my wife.
