The More I Invest in My Wives, the Stronger I Become

Daemon knew that look.

Victoria’s silence had weight to it. One wrong word and the whole night could turn cold. He had already managed to shift her anger earlier, but he wasn’t about to push his luck. So he did the one thing he was sure wouldn’t fail him.

He cooked.

Nothing fancy in explanation. Just the dishes she liked most, plus a few extras he knew would land well.

The system had pushed his skill far past normal limits, so even simple-looking food carried real recovery in every bite.

Energy returned. Small aches faded.

The body relaxed without anyone needing to notice why.

Victoria stayed in the kitchen with him this time.

She didn’t say much at first, but she helped with small things and actually looked at ease.

The tight feeling she usually carried around seemed lighter.

Sana sat at the counter watching them.

She had seen Victoria in every kind of situation — calm, cold, lethal. But this version was different. She looked free. Like something that had been locked inside her for a long time had finally loosened.

And Daemon... he wasn’t like the other men. Most of them stared at Victoria with zero shame, eyes full of obvious hunger. Daemon’s gaze was different. Quiet. Almost careful. He looked at her like someone he wanted to protect, not someone he wanted to own. Sana had noticed it more than once.

He’s going to catch up to her one day, she thought. Maybe sooner than people expect.

The doorbell rang.

Both Sana and Daemon looked up.

Victoria smiled a little. ”More people, more fun.”

She went to open the door.

Roxanna stood outside, slightly out of breath.

She wore a full-coverage Korean-style outfit that had been trending lately — clean lines, high neck, nothing revealing. Her black hair was neat, and the clothes still somehow made her figure stand out.

Especially her chest.

Victoria’s eyes dropped for half a second.

Bigger than mine.

The thought came uninvited. Her husband liked them.

He made that very clear almost every night.

Holding, kissing, refusing to let go. Compared to Roxanna, hers suddenly felt smaller.

Victoria let out a quiet breath.

It is what it is.

Roxanna noticed the stare and looked confused. She had chosen the outfit specifically to stay proper.

”Victoria?” she asked, raising a hand.

Victoria blinked and forced a smile. ”Ah, nothing. Come in.”

Roxanna stepped inside carrying bags of sweets and a few small gifts. She handed them over. Daemon and Sana came forward.

Introductions between Sana and Roxanna went smoothly enough, though both women studied each other for a moment longer than necessary.

They sat down to eat.

Daemon in the middle. Victoria on his right.

Roxanna on his left. Sana across the table.

The food disappeared faster than expected.

Conversation stayed light. Sana kept throwing small teases at Daemon, calling him a future full-time house husband.

Victoria defended him without even looking up from her plate, then stole a piece of meat from his side like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Roxanna laughed quietly at first, then more openly as she relaxed.

Every dish worked the same quiet magic.

Victoria felt the usual post-battle tightness in her shoulders ease.

The faint strain that sometimes lingered after using her bloodline faded completely.

Even Sana sat a little straighter after her second helping, though she would never admit she had been tired.

”This is unfair,” Sana said after a while. ”How does someone who just hit C-Rank cook like this?”

Daemon only shrugged.

After the plates were cleared, the talk shifted.

Daemon and Roxanna compared the official messages from the WHA. Both of them had been confirmed as C-Rank Hunters.

The jump still felt strange to say out loud. Sana immediately started giving suggestions — which training tracks to request, which dungeon types would help them grow faster, how to avoid the political mess that usually came with promotions inside the Association.

The conversation drifted. At some point it became more personal. Old habits. Quiet frustrations.

Things neither Daemon nor Roxanna had said in front of many people before. Sana listened more than she spoke, but when she did add something, it was sharp and useful.

Victoria finished whatever she had been doing upstairs and came back down.

She slid into her seat again like she had never left and joined the discussion without missing a beat.

The atmosphere stayed warm. Easy. Almost like a real family dinner.

Then Victoria’s eyes lit up with that familiar spark of mischief.

”Why don’t we play a game?”

Sana raised an eyebrow. ”What kind of game?”

”Wait. I’ll get it.”

Victoria left for a moment and returned with a wooden box. She set it on the table and began stacking the pieces one by one with careful hands.

In the center of the table stood a tower made from dozens of wooden blocks.

Each piece had a different instruction carved into its surface.

Victoria pointed at it.

”It’s called the Fate Tower.

Pull out one block without knocking the tower down, then do whatever is written on it.”

Daemon stared at the tower like it might bite him.

”And what happens if I refuse?”

Sana grinned, chin resting on both hands.

”Then you have to accept the penalty.”

Daemon slowly looked at the tower again.

Why do I suddenly feel like this game is going to ruin my life?