Chapter 55: Double Investment
Asher gently placed the luggage on the Queen-size bed, and gently opened it. The contrast between the sheer opulence of their new surroundings and the mundane task at hand grounded him. He blinked, staring at the clothes, and underwear; with a deep breath, he started unpacking, arranging everything in the walk-in closet.
After five minutes of careful work, he was finally done: "She should be done bathing now." He walked out of the room, and froze in shock, staring at Kelly; who was only in a white towel, but that wasn’t the issue.
It was her eyes. The sharp, commanding gaze of the ’First Madam’ who had just dominated an entire staff of eighty people had completely vanished, replaced by a hazy, childlike innocence.
The timer had run out.
"Chef? Where is this?" Kelly asked, moving her confused gaze around the huge room, entirely unaware that she was the one who had just claimed it.
Asher clenched his fist, no matter what, he still couldn’t fully cure her. The reality of her fractured mind hit him like a physical blow. He stared at Kelly, who was moving around, and exhaled... He was prepared for this, but seeing her reverting to this state still hurt. The brilliant woman he had just held on the cliffside was locked away again in the dark corners of her own trauma.
He gently went back inside, and picked a light sundress, with one underwear, and walked back inside, forcing a warm, reassuring smile onto his face.
"Okay, Kelly... You need to get dressed, aren’t you tired?" He asked, his voice softening to a gentle, comforting cadence.
Due to him being her chef, Kelly’s Affection was already 75%. At the moment, she already took him as a close friend, which was another reason she agreed to follow him to the park, he believes she will listen and cooperate without triggering a panic attack.
"Okay chef, but I am tired... I want to sleep." Kelly said, staring at him with a tilt of her head, rubbing her eyes adorably like an exhausted toddler.
Asher nodded: "But first, you still need to get dressed."
"Alright, put it on me..." She said, spreading her arms wide, completely devoid of any self-consciousness or modesty.
"...?!"
Asher blinked, stunned speechless, in the past Juliana was the one who usually did this. He was an Awakened capable of terrifying feats of strength, yet he suddenly felt entirely out of his depth. He stared at the clothes in his hand, then at Kelly’s flawless body, which was clearly naked under the towel.
Can he do this? He was her husband, yes, but in her current state of mind, taking advantage of her vulnerability felt wrong.
He swallowed hard: "Okay... Just stand like that."
He gently placed the sundress on the bed, and picked up the black lace underwear, and slowly got down on his knees, treating the task like a delicate defusing of a bomb.
"Chef, why are you closing your eyes?" Kelly asked in confusion, raising one of her legs, as Asher helped put the underwear on her by pure touch alone.
"It’s nothing, I don’t want my eyes to bleed out." He stammered a stupid excuse, and stood up, his face burning hot.
He opened his eyes, and picked up the sundress, then closed his eyes again, as the towel dropped to the ground. Asher followed her hands which were now stretched above her head, and gently placed the dress on her, smoothing the fabric down without looking.
’Phew.’
He sighed in relief, calming his beating heart: ’I don’t think any young man will survive this.’ He thought to himself, deeply thankful for his sheer willpower.
"Yawn..."
He turned around to Kelly again, watching her sway slightly on her feet, then slowly moved beside her, gently holding her shoulders, and held her towards the bed. Asher warmly placed her in bed, and covered her up with the blanket, making sure she was perfectly warm and secure.
He stood upright, and walked towards the door, the silence of the massive villa settling in. Asher paused, and looked over his shoulder at her sleeping form.
’I will surely cure you, Kelly. Just wait a little longer.’ He thought, and walked out, closing the door behind him.
{DING!!}
{Congratulations Master for Investing in your wife Kelly.}
{Investment: Warmly putting Wife Kelly to Bed.}
"Second time I am getting this." He muttered, walking down the hallway, amused that the System considered basic spousal care to be a high-yield investment.
{Congratulations!! Master Triggered the 30,000x Return.}
{Gained Star Hotel. Owner and Rights are all granted. From now onwards, you are the CEO of Star Hotel!!}
{All Rights, credentials and assets all settled.}
’A second Hotel... Star Hotel is a five-star hotel in Crownfall City, the biggest there, but it has branches all over the world... Not bad.’ He thought, casually processing the fact that he was now an international hospitality magnate, then froze as the system screen lit up again:
{DING!!}
{Congratulations Master for Investing in your wife Kelly.}
"Another investment??" He stopped in his tracks.
{Investment: A beautifully well-spent Ten Hours.}
’Huh? This can also be calculated as an investment??’ Asher was utterly baffled by the System’s logic. Simply existing alongside his wife and helping her heal was apparently the most lucrative action in the universe.
{Congratulations!! Master Triggered the 100,000x Return.}
’A hundred times return?!! I want to see it!! Fast system.’ He yelled inwardly, his heart pounding in his chest as the screen lit up with golden notifications.
{Gained Ten Spirit Mines in Silverspire Northern District.}
{Gained One Hundred Quadrillion dollars.}
{Money sent to the Bank.}
’You remain my treasure trove, Kelly.’ He thought with a smile. The sheer volume of wealth was incomprehensible; with ten Spirit Mines and quadrillions in cash, the Aetheldawn family had instantly bypassed centuries of Ancient Family accumulation in a single night.
{Gained A New Skill: Devil Curse Throwing Daggers.}
{Devil Curse Throwing Daggers: Summon and Throw a dagger which deals 500% of total Physical and Magical attack damage. Once attack accurately strikes the target, place a curse on them; after three seconds, cursed target receive 100% damage equal to the dagger’s previous attack. [Range: 100 meters]. Divine-Tier Skill. [Ten seconds Cooldown].}
{Note: Skill transformed into a skill book, and locked in the storage.}
{Current Divine-Tier skills in storage: 3.}
Asher blinked; ’Due to my limit, I can’t gain any other skill, time to head out, but first.’ He had the tools of a god, but he still had a household to run.
He continued walking downstairs, assisted Sara and Juliana to their rooms, showed the workers their side of the villa, and their jobs, then went to the kitchen, and prepared food for his wives, making sure to save Kelly’s in a warming tray. Even with quadrillions in the bank, he trusted no one else to cook for them.
After two hours of setting everything in the Villa, securing the perimeter and ensuring his family was safe, Asher walked out of the villa, all dressed up in black, topping it up with a black long overcoat that swallowed the morning light.
"A-Rank Dungeon... Time to enter SSS-RANK." He muttered, rolling his shoulders as he prepared to push his strength to its absolute limits, and paused as a black Rolls-Royce stopped abruptly before him. The tires screeched against the driveway, and Tang rushed out, his face pale with terror.
"Boss, there is an issue with the dungeon."