Primordial Villain with a Slave Harem

Chapter 1012: Cheeky Princess

She leapt into Seraphiel’s arms like a child, and the elven woman caught her with practiced grace she got from interacting with Rosie. Felicity might’ve been a much bigger girl, but right now she reminded the cheeky elf of her own daughter.

Seraphiel smiled as she spun the purple-haired princess. "Aren’t we a bit too happy? If you smoked something you shouldn’t have, you can’t act so brazen in front of your father. You’ll be found out."

"Khm!" Alexios coughed strongly but found himself ignored by both women.

"I was so happy when I heard you were Lord Black’s wife and not just a pleasure slave! I slept with a big smile on my face that night!"

"You and me both... Me, Goldie, and White are the luckiest women alive if you ask me." She included Kitsara in the equation as her alias was also a slave-wife, not a woman Quinlan picked up while in the Beastman Confederation.

However, the rest of her statement was entirely true. She sent Quinlan a fond gaze. ’Truly, we are far too lucky to have met him... Our fate was to live in complete misery, yet look at us...’

Next came Ayame. Then Serika. Then Blossom. Felicity greeted them all with bubbling joy and a noblewoman’s charm, if a bit too touchy for King Alexios’ tastes.

At last, she arrived before Feng, who had finally stood upright.

"The one called Jiai, hm?" Felicity’s eyes twinkled. "Lord Black’s and Lady Black’s daughter."

She extended a hand.

"... That’s me," Feng grunted before cautiously accepting it.

Felicity gave Ayame and Quinlan a sideways glance, then smiled. "Miss Black and Mister Black, you have good genes. She’s a healthy child."

"Huh?" Feng furrowed her brow. "Why are you acting like I’m a baby? I’m your elder, put some respect on my name, damned brat."

Felicity clicked her tongue. "Respect is to be earned, not demanded, Jiai."

A throbbing vein twitched on Feng’s forehead.

"Felicity," the king finally spoke up, rubbing his temples with a wry look, "even in private, you should act fitting for your station. Such is the burden we must carry."

Felicity turned to him with a delicate face that was all too innocent and beaming. "Yes, Father. I will remember your wise words and act upon them."

He didn’t believe her for a second. No one did.

King Alexios gave a long, tired sigh.

But then, from one moment to the next, the small amount of amusement he’d held a moment ago, the rare levity brought on by his daughter and her strange new companions, faded. The soft lines on his face were swept away, replaced by the hard, unyielding angles of a ruler once more.

The Warrior King had returned.

With his spine straight, his voice calm and commanding, he gave a nod to the group.

"I will take my leave. There are matters that require my presence."

He didn’t elaborate further, but they all knew what he meant. His 1000th birthday was not a private affair. It was a historic occasion. Every noteworthy noble from the kingdom had been invited. Every duke, hero, merchant prince, and emissary worth their salt would be watching. 𝐫𝒶𐌽Ȯ𝔟Еȿ

Without another word, he turned and strode out of the room. .

Felicity waited until he vanished behind the tall doors before exhaling with dramatic flair. "Alright! That was a lot."

She pulled out a teacup from her pocket ring and beamed excitedly at Seraphiel. "Miss Elf, would you like to brew tea together with me?!"

Seraphiel squinted. "Are you a racist?"

Felicity paused. "What?!"

"Not all elves make good tea." Seraphiel crossed her arms. "Some of us are terrible at it. You went and assumed I make good tea simply because of my race."

"Do you make bad tea?"

Seraphiel scoffed, deeply offended at the mere question. "I make the second-best tea in the world, thank you very much."

She flicked her long, golden hair over her shoulder with elf-like haughtiness. "Only my mother’s is better. Not even my grandmother can match it."

Felicity’s lips curled upwards in pure vindication. She looked just as smug as Seraphiel and Feng often did. But she said nothing else, only clapped her hands and led the way further into the garden.

Despite being technically inside the palace, there was no ceiling to be seen. The illusion of an open sky above stretched endlessly, painted with clouds and a radiant artificial sun that warmed the skin enough to feel real.

Benches and cushions were scattered artfully throughout the garden. The group split. Quinlan and co strolled to a corner shaded by vines while Feng stepped closer to the tea-brewing station where Felicity and Seraphiel had begun arranging herbs and kettles atop an ancient tree stump that doubled as a preparation table.

Felicity caught sight of her. "Do you wish to learn, Jiai? I might be criminally dumb when it comes to academics, but I’ll give you a perfect crash course on tea brewing!"

Feng was quick to deny the offering. "No. I’m just here to see how a pampered royal brat fares against my elven mother."

Felicity paused. "... You’re here to see me fail miserably and get a good laugh at my expense?"

Feng gave her a wide, impish grin. "I guess you could say that. The higher they are, the more satisfying the fall..."

Felicity’s eyes suddenly gained a new sparkle in them. "You’re on!" She might’ve been serious with her words, but her body language was anything but.

It was clear to the watching adults that Felicity immensely enjoyed the attitude with which Feng spoke to her. Finally, a child her age who acted as if she were just another teenager instead of a royal princess around whom walking on eggshells was a given.

The challenge had been accepted just like that. Tea leaves were measured. Water boiled. A duel of grace, precision, and leaf infusion began.

And as steam began to rise and the aroma of ancient herbs danced through the air, the meeting that began with the immensely troublesome encounter with the king turned into one of rare peace and serenity.

It was a calm before the storm would inevitably come, as it always did when the Elysiar family was involved.