When the Serial Killer Next Door Gained Harem System

Chapter 158: Enough of This

She walked over to the window and looked down into the courtyard below. From where I stood, I couldn’t see what she was looking at, but I didn’t need to. Cadence and his bride were probably still greeting guests beneath the lights, smiling as though nothing had happened.

She remained there for several moments before finally turning back toward us.

"We’ll act tomorrow," she said. "On the final day of the ceremony, you will arrest Cadence and hang him in the same street where Jelda was murdered."

Tornhawk bowed immediately. "It shall be done, Your Majesty."

"Keep him under constant watch until then. If he so much as attempts to leave the estate, I want to know."

"You have my word."

The Queen gave a single nod before walking toward me.

She stopped an arm’s length away.

Her face remained calm, but I could tell she wasn’t pleased. She now knew I had ignored her orders, investigated the third suspect on my own, and deliberately kept my findings from her.

"You truly are troublesome, Ace."

I lowered my head. "I’m sorry, Your Majesty."

"You should be," she replied evenly. "You very much should be."

Behind her, Tornhawk cleared his throat. "What about Lord Jack Merygold, Your Majesty? He’s supported the Crown faithfully for decades. This will destroy him."

The Queen didn’t hesitate.

"His son is a murderer, a rapist, and a monster. If Lord Merygold cannot understand why such a man must answer for his crimes, then that failure belongs to him."

"Understood, Your Majesty."

She resumed walking toward the door. Tornhawk stepped ahead of her, opened it, and stood aside to let her pass.

Just before leaving, the Queen paused and glanced back at me. "Try to stay out of trouble, Ace."

I bowed slightly.

The Queen stepped into the corridor, Tornhawk followed close behind, and the door quietly closed behind them, leaving me alone with the evidence and the silence of the room.

"Wel... at least it’s fucking done..." I muttered, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Phew..."

Seconds later, while I was still seated on the bed, a knock sounded at the door. I got up and cracked it open cautiously. Ah, come on. It was her, Ravelle, standing there with that same older man beside her.

"Hey, handsome," she purred, flashing a seductive smile. "I had to squeeze the information out of the butler about which room you were in. Why didn’t you tell me you were heading back here?"

"Oh... I felt a little off," I said with a small, forced smile. "Sorry."

"May we come in?" she asked sweetly, her voice dripping with intent. "Please?"

"I don’t think that’s..."

She ducked under my arm and slipped inside before I could finish. I took a step back, eyebrow raised. Her husband followed with a warm, almost friendly smile. Ah, shit. This woman really wanted to fuck with her husband watching?

First, I’d never done anything like that. Second, I wasn’t in the mood. Not in the slightest. I had to stay focused on Cadence. I was here for business, not fun.

"Now," she said, turning to face me fully, "Ambly-blessed."

Our eyes met. Without another word, she began peeling off her dress in a slow tease. She swayed her hips as the fabric slid down her dark, glistening skin, the flickering torchlight near the door highlighting every curve. Her massive breasts spilled free, heavy and full, dark nipples already hard. The dress continued downward, revealing a thick, soft body, wide hips, a plump ass, and powerful, thick thighs that rubbed together as she stepped out of the garment completely.

She was naked now, her dark skin glowing warmly in the low light. Every inch of her looked built for sin.

Ravelle walked toward me with confident, swaying steps. Her husband took a step back, watching with that same calm smile. I glanced at him, then back at her. She reached out and placed a soft hand on my shoulder, pressing her naked body closer.

I hugged her back on instinct. No alcohol on her breath, just warm, clean skin and the faint scent of perfume.

She smiled up at me.

"Look at me," she whispered, her voice a low, gravelly purr that vibrated against my chest. "Not him. Me."

I met eyes with her.

"Are those you real eyes?" She purred. "Half-lidded, no light behind them. I might spark a little light for you, handsome."

"Hmm." I mumbled, not impressed by her play.

"Only a grunt?"

"You’re far more dangerous than I imagined," I deadpanned. "Really, really dangerous."

"Dangerous?" she whispered, her lips skimming along my jawline, barely touching, teasing every nerve ending until my grip on her waist tightened instinctively. She let out a soft, satisfied hum at the pressure of my fingers digging into her smooth skin. "Or just impatient? Which one is it, handsome?"

"No idea."

Slowly, without breaking eye contact, she took my hand from her waist and dragged it down, guiding my palm over the curve of her hip and down the thick, sensitive swell of her thigh.

"Don’t look away now," Ravelle whispered, stepping even closer, crowding me back until I hit the wall. She rested her forearm against my shoulder, pinning me with her weight, her dark eyes flashing in the firelight. "Tell me what you want to do next. Out loud. So he can hear you."

"What I want to do next?" I repeated. "What if I show you instead, Ravelle?"

Then I moved.

I grabbed a fistful of her hair and slammed her head hard against the wall behind us. She crumpled with a gasp. Before her husband could react, I willed my dagger from the system. It materialized in my hand in less than a second. I aimed it straight at the old man’s chest.

"Wow," I muttered coldly. "So this is how you were planning to do it, huh?"

"W-what are you doing!" the ’husband’ stammered, raising both hands. "I didn’t do anything, I swear!"

I looked down at Ravelle, who was groaning and trying to push herself up. I kicked her in the side, sending her rolling.

"I saw you in the tent," I said. "With this man, right? Pretending. The guy inside wasn’t even a customer."

"Huh?" She held her head, dazed. "Ouch... shit. What?!"

"You told me you passed the gates to enter the mansion," I continued. "But the guard at the tent said all those girls were maids. A maid wouldn’t have gotten through the gates. You’d still be stuck inside."

Her expression changed instantly.

"And now I remember," I muttered. "I saw you in the Circle. You looked familiar."

"Sharp one, ain’tcha?" Ravelle chuckled as she slowly got back to her feet, still completely naked. "It would’ve been worth every gold in the end."

"I scream, and every guard in the building comes running," I warned. "You have no escape."

"Then we’re in a little predicament, aren’t we?" the old man said, his tone shifting. "We have two options. Either we kill you and escape... or we kill you and escape."

"Or," I countered, "you walk away right now, and I let you both leave."

The two of them exchanged a quick glance, clearly considering it.

Ravelle shook her head, a dangerous smirk on her lips. Even naked, bruised, and cornered, she still looked defiant.

"Nah. I don’t think so, kid."

"Do it quietly," the old man whispered. "We don’t wanna make a lot of noise here."

Ravelle threw a sudden punch at my face. I dodged backward just in time. At the same moment, her ’husband’ stepped forward, conjuring a sword out of thin air with a shimmer of mana. He lunged and slashed in a wide arc. I barely managed to deflect it with my dagger, the impact ringing through my arm.

I countered instantly, planting a hard kick into his chest. He staggered back with a grunt.

Before I could follow up, Ravelle lunged at me like a wild animal. She wrapped her arms around my waist in a crushing hold, pressing her naked body against me. I twisted the dagger downward, aiming for her back.

The old man moved fast. His sword came up from below, catching my wrist and yanking hard. My dagger flew across the room and landed on the bed.

Ravelle shoved me with all her strength. I stumbled backward, foot catching on her discarded dress, and nearly lost my balance. The old man slashed again. I jerked my head to the right at the last second, the blade sank deep into the mattress with a violent thunk.

I drove my elbow into Ravelle’s back, forcing a pained gasp out of her, then rolled away to create distance.

I jumped onto the bed, snatched my dagger, and activated Shadow Leap. My body dissolved into dark smoke and reappeared instantly behind Ravelle. I slammed a kick into her side, dropping her to the floor, then slashed at the old man. He deflected the strike with a grunt.

Enough of this.