Investing in My Crippled Wife: Every Return Makes Me Stronger

’Master, we are being watched.’

’...I see.’ Soren replied after a pause. ’How many of them are there? And are they hostile?’

’...They don’t feel hostile. It feels more like they are monitoring us.’ Malakor answered as he scanned the hidden watchers. ’However, we should still keep our guard up and not repeat the mistake we made the previous time.’

’...You’re right.’ Soren agreed as he recalled that painful experience from two weeks ago. ’Keep watching and be ready to act if anything happens.’

’Understood.’

Relieved to have Malakor as their guard, Soren activated the bond and sent a message to Ethea, explaining the situation and asking for her opinion.

’...I think they might have been sent by the princess.’ Ethea guessed after pondering for a moment. ’From what I remember, she was a very cautious person and preferred to be thorough in everything.’ She explained. ’We probably aren’t the only ones who are being watched. She likely has eyes on every foreigner and unfamiliar face in the city. It is simply how she handles things.’

’I see... Then we should just keep acting natural and not give them a reason to dig any deeper?’ Soren voiced his opinion.

’Mm, let’s do that.’ Ethea agreed, although she knew it wouldn’t be that easy. ’Moreover, if she is this serious, there must be something going on, probably related to the festival or participants from other nations. Perhaps there are some special visitors that she needs to be wary of and protect at the same time.’

’That makes sense.’ Soren nodded inwardly, his own thoughts aligning with hers. He knew it was about politics, though he wasn’t as informed as Ethea about it.

’It would have been great if I could see her close...’ He thought to himself. ’That way I could appraise her and determine the truth.’

’...’

’Perhaps I can meet her.’ If he manages to place in the top 3, he might have a chance to get closer to her, in case she was one of the award presenters. ’But we will have to waste another day for that...’

’Hmm...’

’Ethea, let’s take our leave after tomorrow. We will finish the ’hunt’ after the competition. There are only a few ingredients left to find anyway.’

’...Alright.’ Ethea wanted to argue but decided to go with Soren’s decision this time. They couldn’t afford to get caught up in any more chaos than they were already in.

’Good, you can continue to cultivate then. Malakor and I will keep watch.’

’Thank you. But remember to take a rest.’

’You too.’

───────

”My lady, here is all the data we collected.”

A figure dressed in pitch-black robes presented a tablet to Princess Roya.

”Thank you for your hard work.” Roya smiled warmly as she took the tablet. ”You can take your leave now. I will contact you if necessary.”

”Understood.” The figure replied and vanished into the darkness.

”...Sigh.” Roya lay down on her bed and started analyzing the information. ”Hmm...”

’They couldn’t find anything else about her other than this basic info?’ She raised a brow as she inspected the elf candidate’s file. ’But... this only confirms that she is truly special. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s an Emperor secretly protecting her. However...’

She couldn’t comprehend why they would come here. Surely it’s not just to participate in this competition?

’Or is it?’

Her mind raced as she considered all the possibilities.

’...Perhaps they want to win the championship and prove something? Or... get the spot to participate in the Grand Magic Chef Tournament?’

This was the only logical explanation she could come up with based on the data she’d been given.

’Well, let’s keep reading, perhaps I’ll uncover something else...’

Sighing once again, she continued her analysis and finally came to a stop.

’Soren Everly... arrived three days ago... joined the competition the next day... met with the Association President Doran... revealed to be an Expert Chef with the potential to become a Grandmaster? Hmm...’

Squinting her eyes, she continued to read, and at one point, her gaze froze on a single line.

[He is traveling with his disabled wife... Ethea Everly....]

’...Ethea?’ To make sure she wasn’t hallucinating, she re-read it a few times. ’...Gulp.’

’Is this... really her?’ Roya sat up, her heartbeat fastening. She scrolled another page where their images were displayed, and her breath caught in her throat. ”I-I-It’s definitely her!”

There was no mistaking it. Although her current self was a bit different from the fearless woman she remembered, those mesmerizing eyes and indifferent face had not changed at all.

’B-But... Why is her surname Everly? ...Wait.’ She froze again, realizing it in an instant. ’When did she get married?’

She quickly scrolled back to the previous page, her eyes landing on Soren’s profile. She read it again, carefully this time. After finishing, her first thought was:

’...Why did she marry this guy?’

She could understand that she got married, but why to an average guy like him? Sure, he had the potential to become a Grandmaster Magic Chef and was a bit handsome, but there was nothing else special about him. He was just a 4th Circle, C-rank Hunter with no background. While Ethea was a 7th Circle, S-rank Hunter, with the potential to become a Paragon. She was the rising star; she was... she was...

’...Right... It’s all in the past now.’

Roya let out a deep sigh, the initial shock fading and giving way to something heavier.

’I think I overreacted a bit...’

She respected and admired Ethea both as a woman and a warrior. She helped the Empire many times and the imperial family owed her a great deal. More importantly, she was a woman Roya saw as her rival. The one person she could never catch, no matter how hard she trained or cultivated. She was always a few steps ahead, whether in cultivation, talent, swordsmanship, or even... beauty. She was untouchable. But...

Seeing her now, in a wheelchair, with a husband no one had ever heard of, felt like a cruel twist of fate.

’...Perhaps she married him because she had no other choice.’

’...Or maybe there is a story behind it we don’t know of...’

’They could be even secret lovers who eloped after her family disapproved of him.’

Roya’s thoughts spiraled, each theory more dramatic than the last. She only stopped when she realized they were getting out of hand.

’...I’ll have to find out the truth myself.’

She decided. But for that...

’...I... I should visit her.’