Zephriya, Princess of the Abyss, rightful heir to forgotten crowns, and ruler of horrors that would make grown men weep… was currently scrubbing the wooden floor of Judas's house with a rag soaked in soapy water.
The rag squeaked pitifully. So did she.
Standing over her, arms crossed and faces stern, were Nina and Luna. They looked like drill sergeants inspecting a new recruit.
"Missed a spot," Nina pointed out, tapping her foot against a floorboard that looked perfectly clean to the naked eye. "Do they not have dust in the Abyss? Or are you just blind?"
Zephriya's hand trembled. The wet rag in her grip released a stream of dirty water as she squeezed it with enough force to crush a rock. Her face was dark, and a storm cloud of suppressed rage hovered over her features.
Judas was sure she wanted nothing more than to summon a spear of darkness and skewer this insolent wolf girl.
And he silently enjoyed how his puppy girl was exacting revenge for their poor husband.
"I will clean it," Zephriya gritted out. She scrubbed the spot aggressively, imagining it was Luna's face.
"Tsk, tsk," Luna chimed in from the other side, sipping a cup of tea with exaggerated elegance.
"Put your back into it, Princess. Or your 'Abyssal' ass into it, whatever that means. You bullied our poor husband today. Did you think you'd get to sleep in and eat for free?"
"I... did not... bully him," Zephriya hissed, though she scrubbed harder.
"He was crying!" Nina exclaimed, clutching her chest dramatically. "He's traumatized! Look at him!"
Zephriya didn't dare look. She knew exactly what she would see.
On the large, cushioned couch a few feet away—which the man had summoned from the air itself—the 'traumatized' victim was currently living his best life.
Judas was clinging to Ezra like a koala bear attached to a eucalyptus tree. His legs were tangled with hers, his arms were wrapped tight around her waist, and his face was buried deep in the crook of her neck.
"My heart still hurts..." Judas mumbled, his voice muffled against Ezra's exposed neck. "Wife, continue rubbing or I will really die. Aaahhh…"
Ezra sighed in resignation, continuing to rub his upper chest while her other hand instinctively moved to stroke his hair, her fingers tangling in the blonde strands.
"You have been 'healing' for three hours, husband," Ezra said softly, her cheeks dusted with a light pink. "And your hands seem to have recovered quite well, considering where they are wandering."
Judas didn't answer. He just hummed happily as his hand traced the curve of her hip, inching dangerously close to her thigh. He was acting like a leech, draining warmth and affection instead of blood.
Ezra looked down at him, her expression softening. Despite his antics, she was relieved he was safe. The encounter with the Princess of the Abyss had terrified her—not for herself, but for him. Seeing him relaxed, even if he was being a pervert, was a balm to her nerves.
Suddenly, a thought struck her. She paused her stroking of his hair.
"Husband," she asked, her voice turning serious. "About your sword skill... How did you learn that?"
Judas was currently distracted. Unlike Nina, whose scent carried the sharp tang of wild berries, and Luna, who breathed with the gentle sweetness of blooming flowers, Ezra smelled like running water.
It was not a fragrance in the traditional sense. It was a sensation, subtle and clean, like standing beside a waterfall and letting the cool mist cling to the skin.
A scent that felt less like perfume and more like the quiet beauty of nature itself.
His mouth was dangerously close to her cleavage, and his mind was debating the pros and cons of licking her cleavage.
"Hm?" he mumbled absentmindedly. "I got it from the System."
Ezra froze. She felt her face heating up as his breath tickled her skin, but she gritted her teeth to stop a moan from escaping. She needed to know.
"So... your System allows you to learn skills?" she asked in wonder.
Can he teach me too? The thought blossomed in her mind instantly. If she had a skill like him, she wouldn't be a burden. S
he could protect him. She could stand by his side instead of just watching from the back.
But then, a darker thought followed.
Will it be hard on him? I've heard stories of the System users. The tasks given by the System are always life-threatening. If he has to suffer to give me power...
Her imagination ran wild. She pictured Judas bleeding, fighting monsters alone, or sacrificing his own lifespan just to grant her a single technique.
No. Never mind.
Ezra shivered, a visible tremor running through her body. If I ask him, he will try to do it. He's that kind of man. If it is dangerous and he gets hurt because of my greed... I couldn't bear it.
She dispelled the idea immediately. She would rather be weak than see him in pain.
Judas felt the shiver. He paused his ministrations and lifted his head. He pressed his chin firmly between the soft valley of her breasts, looking up at her face.
He saw the worry in her eyes as her inner thoughts settled in his mind.
"Actually," Judas said, his voice dropping the playful tone and becoming serious, "getting a skill for me is easy. It doesn't hurt."
He watched her eyes widen slightly.
Honestly, Judas was beaming with happiness on the inside. A few minutes ago, the system notification had chimed in his mind:
[Affection: 100]
[Ezra's affection for you has reached absolute devotion. You have obtained five random Rare lucky draws.]
Now, all three of his wives were absolutely devoted to him. He was passively generating Affection Points every time he interacted with them.
A quick check of his internal interface showed he currently had over 1,000 Affection Points.
It was enough to buy a basic skill.
However, Judas had a plan. He wasn't going to buy a skill just for Ezra yet. If he gave something to Ezra and not to Nina or Luna, it would create an imbalance.
He didn't want any of them to feel like there was a favorite wife. He wanted them to know he loved them equally.
But Ezra's internal thoughts, the way she had considered his safety over her own desire for power... it warmed his heart.
In his previous life, relationships were transactional. Here, he had people who genuinely cared if he lived or died. That was all Judas needed to be content with his current life.
But contentment required security. And security required violence.
'Honestly, I don't like violence. But violence likes me. Bla, bla. That's a bit cringe. Clear it. Clear it.'