Primordial Villain with a Slave Harem

Chapter 1071: Found

This topic was a very tender one, something that managed to make even the always cheeky Feng become overwhelmed with emotions.

Quinlan finally released Rosie’s cheeks, only to ruffle her leafy hair with his palm.

Rosie instantly puffed out her chest, her smug little grin announcing that yes, this was the natural order of things. She was the only daughter, the princess!

But Felicity could only gawk in pure bewilderment. “H-How can that be? How can Lord Black even sire such a… such a unique girl?! I might be bad at biology, but even I know that it shouldn’t happen, no matter what!”

Feng opened her mouth once again, eager to flaunt some insider knowledge, only to freeze. She realized, with dawning shock, that she had no clue herself. Her brows furrowed. She turned to Quinlan.

The princess mirrored her, violet eyes narrowing. Both girls now stared at him like inquisitors demanding confession.

Quinlan chuckled dryly, rubbing the back of his neck. “That… is a story for another time.”

“Ehehe~!” Rosie’s grin went nuclear. Her leafy crown wiggled with mischief as she leaned closer, voice sing-songy. “Actually, Daddy released his see—”

Before she could say another word, Quinlan’s hand slapped over her little mouth with lightning speed.

“Mmmpfh!!” Rosie’s muffled protests came out in a jumble of squeaks and growls, her tiny hands grabbing at his wrist with all her might. But Quinlan didn’t budge, keeping his palm firmly sealed against her lips.

“Suspicious…” Feng muttered, eyes narrowing.

“So very suspicious…” Felicity echoed, crossing her arms like she had just uncovered a royal conspiracy.

Quinlan was forced to release a tired sigh. The crimes of his past were catching up to him. It seemed to be the theme of today… Actions have consequences.

He could already see it, the way these two would corner Rosie in some quiet hallway later, interrogating her until she spilled every last detail. Well, ’interrogation’ and ’spilled’ are very strong words. Perhaps ’asking’ and ’joyfully revealing’ would fit better.

No, he couldn’t let that happen.

He spoke up, voice firm and absolute. “Rosie, you are forbidden from talking about your birth in any manner until I say otherwise.”

Rosie’s wide eyes instantly shimmered with heartbreak. Slowly, his hand left her mouth, and she looked up at him with droopy puppy eyes that could melt steel.

“… Rosie is a good girl who listens to her Daddy…” she whimpered, shoulders slumping in defeat.

It was clear she wanted to boast about it—oh, how proud she was of her existence, and how she came to be—but Quinlan knew his little princess well enough. Rosie wouldn’t go against his clearly spoken wishes, no matter how badly she wanted to have fun with it.

That danger, at least, was averted.

… Now he just had to worry about his loose-lipped wives.

His gaze flicked sharply toward Vex and Kitsara in particular. Both women suddenly looked far too innocent for their own good.

…

Rosie sat perched on Felicity’s shoulder while she looked like the world’s proudest parrot, her little legs swinging and her leafy hair bouncing as she pointed in every direction with infinite energy.

“Look, look! That’s the training field where Mommy Luc-”

“Caramel…” She was interrupted by the woman in question. They didn’t want to reveal their real identities to Felicity just yet, especially not the women whose names carried a lot of implications with them…

“… Rosie’s awesome mommy smashes big rocks into dust!” she shouted with the kind of excitement that made Felicity inevitably giggle joyously. “And over there is where Mommy… Samurai… trains her sword moves!”

Felicity hummed along as the little driad girl continued, enjoying herself greatly. Despite the sharp air of the wilderness surrounding them, this forest felt… protective.

“It’s very far from cities,” Rosie explained while puffing her chest out proudly. “Nobody can find us! Even if they do, Auntie Yoruha makes it go *poof!* with her scary illusions!” She waved her hands dramatically, making Felicity giggle for the umpteenth time.

The clearing soon revealed the compound itself. A handful of smaller buildings dotted the space. These were quarters for workers, little homes for servants, Kaelira’s smithy, and other similar ones. Then, standing at the heart of it all, the mansion could be observed. Its walls gleamed with luxury, a place clearly not built for battle, but for comfort.

Felicity’s steps slowed. A home of vanity, of relaxation, of a family. For a man like Lord Black… She cast a small glance at him.

Quinlan had a very simple reason why he wanted to have such a fancy home built for themselves: comfort. Even back when he bought Ronan and Iselda to work as architects, he knew he and his girls had a thorny path ahead of them. Brutal battles, tense situations, cruel sights… This was their little escape, a place where they could relax and rejuvenate, regaining their motivation and extreme will to strive for a better tomorrow.

In front of the mansion, a line of maids stood at attention. Rosie puffed her cheeks proudly again and raised her tiny hand as though she were announcing royalty.

“This is Anna, Beatrice, Dorothy, Cecile, Emily…!” Rosie shouted, introducing them all before waving at each maid. The maids bowed, some smiling warmly at the child.

Felicity studied them. She was used to seeing maids in noble households chosen not just for skill but as ornaments of status. Always young, always flawlessly beautiful. Lord Black’s maids, however, were… different. None ugly, certainly, but some had laugh lines, others bore the softness of mothers, even grandmothers. Their hair wasn’t always glossy, their beauty not polished to perfection.

Her brow furrowed. With Lord Black’s wealth, replacing them with fresh-faced girls would have been effortless. So why keep these?

That was when her gaze caught Emily’s. The woman was older, sporting silver streaks in her hair. But her eyes… her eyes shone with a kind of devotion Felicity had rarely seen outside of holy temples. A loyalty so deep it was carved into her very being.

Felicity inhaled deeply while turning her eyes back toward Quinlan. ’So that’s why… They’re not mere servants. They’re bound to him in ways no coin could buy.’

Her heart fluttered. ’I knew it! He might be a criminal, but he is a good man!’

Quinlan let his gaze linger on the scene before him. Rosie clung to Felicity’s arm while excitedly pointing out each maid as if she were unveiling a parade, and Feng had a big smile tugging at her lips as she watched the two from a single step behind. For a fleeting moment, the stronghold truly felt like what he had intended it to be: an island of peace carved out of the chaos of their lives.

A warmth rose in his chest. ’This… this is what makes it worth it.’

Then, from one moment to the next, the warmth shattered.

“Arghh!!”

A spike of pain lanced through his skull, so sharp it nearly drove him to his knees. His vision blurred, his breath hitched, and behind his eyes surged something vast, something that wasn’t supposed to be watching.

And then came the voice.

Monstrous. Inhuman. Layered in whispers that tore at the edges of his soul. It didn’t echo in his ears, but in the deepest marrow of his being.

“I found you, killer of Venthros.”