Celia squeezed her eyes shut, her face deathly pale.
The moment the three goblins lunged right before them, the man acting like a lunatic behind her finally moved.
He gently grasped Celia's sweaty hand, steadying the drooping staff she held.
Bang!
Swish, swish, swish...
Followed by the soft sound of tearing flesh, mixed with the noise of splattering blood—it was over in an instant.
Three meters away, the menacing goblins were blasted to pieces by the single strike, leaving behind scattered limbs.
"You did wonderfully, my Celia."
His voice, tinged with laughter, brushed past her ear.
Celia finally opened her eyes, blurred with moisture, only to be met with the goblins' mangled remains.
But instead of feeling happy, a wave of anger rose from the pit of her stomach.
Tears fell plop, plop as she clutched the collar of the man behind her, pulling back on it like a frightened child throwing a fit.
"Why did you have to scare me like that?"
"You're so mean... Wah..."
"Ev... Every time... you do it on purpose..."
"Sorry, sorry."
Liam's amusement faded slightly.
He raised a hand and ruffled the girl's hair in a soothing gesture.
But looking down at the flushed, agitated face in his arms, brimming with shame and annoyance,
a new layer of smile spread across his cool, detached features.
This time, however, the laughter held none of the previous mockery, carrying a different nuance.
"I want to go back..."
After that ordeal, Celia didn't want to stay a moment longer.
Liam didn't tease her further.
On the return journey, he still held her encircled in his arms.
But Celia pursed her lips the whole way, refusing to speak.
When he leaned in to try and talk to her, she turned her head away, pretending not to see.
There and back, dusk had already fallen.
She hugged her legs, chin resting on her knees, curled into a small ball like a little cat that had gotten its fur ruffled.
Sulking...
The oncoming breeze brushed against her.
She stared ahead with vacant eyes.
The vast grassland was gilded a warm red by the evening glow.
Hill after hill receded into the distance as they moved.
Although the process was a bit strange, she had managed to deal with the goblins in the end, fulfilling Celia's childhood fantasy.
The dream of becoming an adventurer was temporarily accomplished.
It was just a pity her level hadn't really gone up much...
After that battle, she swore she never wanted to be an adventurer again.
It held no fun or satisfaction, completely different from the feeling in games.
Rather than suffer like that, she'd rather just be with Liam...
"Thank you."
The process had been stifling.
She still decided to thank him.
"Thank you?"
Liam raised an eyebrow, his large hands combing through the golden hair of the elf girl in his arms.
"I scared you, and you want to thank me? You're hopelessly foolish."
"..."
Celia regretted it.
She shouldn't have thanked him...
...
Back in the Kingdom of Silverdew, Liam handed in the stored goblin remains from the quest plaque.
Then, he took Celia around the market for quite a while.
Food, snacks, toys, and the little dresses the man insisted on buying for her, and... collars!
The process was actually quite enjoyable.
By the time they finished all this, the day was mostly over.
Before they came, the nutrient reserves for the two little ones at home were only enough for one day.
Seeing that Celia was still anxiously preoccupied, Liam simply changed his plans on the spot.
While there was still some time left in the night, he decided to take her back directly.
Inside the inn—
Celia didn't understand at first why Liam wanted to take things from the room, until she saw him strip the soiled bedsheet and store it in his spatial ring.
She instantly bristled.
"Lord Liam! You're taking this back too?"
"Of course. As my beloved wife, as my elf, not a single inch is allowed to be tainted by outsiders."
"Besides, it's actually good material. I've often wanted to study it, but just looking at others' disgusted me; I could never bring myself to touch it."
"Only yours, I find, carries a faint, pleasant scent."
"R-really...?"
Celia covered her face, feeling utterly mortified.
She didn't want to be like this, honestly.
She just couldn't control it.
As a girl, she had never personally 'studied' such things, not even the first time—it was all with Liam.
So regarding this aspect, she was still a bit naive and confused about such matters.
Celia stood to the side, watching as Liam tidied up all the items in the room, big and small, before leading her out. The bill had long been settled.
They simply stepped outside, boarded the flying carpet, and embarked on the journey home.
"Li... H-Husband, do you know the way home?"
While chatting during their market stroll, Liam had told her she didn't need to add 'Lord' to his name anymore; just calling him 'Husband' was fine.
The title 'Lord Liam,' though wrapped in the obedience of a little wife,
Liam had thought it over carefully.
This form of address would likely make Celia increasingly reserved, always maintaining a careful sense of hierarchy, creating distance.
The term 'Husband,' usually only used at night, if spoken during the day, would excite him even more.
As for the address 'Husband,' it actually made Celia feel somewhat uncomfortable deep down.
When she first met this man, the term she used was 'Lord Liam.'
—Her parents had told her to call him that, to show more respect and caution.
This form of address placed her family status at the very bottom.
After all, she had never had any contact with Liam before. She hadn't expected him to become fond of her, let alone guessed that he would want her to bear ten children for him.
She probably feared that poor service or a bad attitude might anger this powerful figure.
That in a fit of rage... he might do something terrible to Celia, or to her clan.
But now everything was fine.
With Celia as his wife, and the two having children, if the elf clan ever faced danger, as long as Celia pleaded, Liam would most likely help.
Liam had just sworn to her today that no matter what happened, he would protect her, their mother, and keep her safe.
Moreover... the children Celia bore would grow up among the elves, each with talent reaching at least the sixth tier or above, and they wouldn't be troubled by the elves' cultivation bottlenecks.
When the time came, if the children stepped forward to protect the elf clan, Liam certainly wouldn't be able to effectively stop them easily.
Therefore, Celia being offered as a contractual wife not only allowed her clan to develop better and better,
but she herself also received preferential treatment from Liam.
The changes in her world these past few days could hardly be described as anything less than earth-shattering.