The Guardian Chef

Hi guys! Emperor93 here!
First of all, sorry for the late update, but I was really busy.
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***(Edward's POV)***

"*SIIIGH*" I sighed heavily as I grabbed my head

"I fully understand how you feel, your majesty." Jack said looking at me with compassionate eyes

When three days ago, my daughter Bassilla wrote to me through the Traveler's Journal, I was surprised to discover that lord Graeval was responsible for that heavy and oppressive aura that had affected the entire kingdom. She said that, according to lady Rember, he was probably fighting someone and therefore she wanted to hear about his health.

I understood her concern and to satisfy her, I intended to create a small task force to investigate the phenomenon and insert a trusted man inside to get the information my daughter wanted to know. But it would have taken time... after all, it takes at least 5 days with a carriage to get to Fago.

In these three days, I had prepared half the Task Force, when suddenly my son-in-law Jack Lingxin showed up with important news, regarding the patron saint of Thirus. Without thinking twice, I dismissed everyone present to hear Jack, who had run here pushing his horse to the limit of resistance and also changing it on the way.

Once alone, he told me how Graeval had come home seriously wounded, tired but still victorious. But when I asked him who he had fought against, his answer took away all my strength and I felt the world fall on me.

Not only is he able to defeat a Mornfiend like it’s nothing... but also the Gods are nothing compared to him?! What did I do wrong... that was my thought when I sighed, as my son-in-law looked at me with eyes that said "I understand the feeling."

"So he killed a God because he threatened to kill Lady Stilno..."

“Using the words of Lilith 'Of that madman only the head remained. The rest of his body became a bloody mush'."

"*SIIIIIIGH* In the end, she worried about nothing..." I sighed, taking my face

"Who?"

"Bassilla." I said looking at Jack with a tired expression "She wrote to me a few days ago through the Traveler's Diary asking me about Graeval."

“Ah… hahaha, I guess she was very worried. But even Graeval didn't exactly come out unscathed as usual."

"Huh?"

“He was covered in blood that mostly belonged to him and after greeting us as if nothing had happened, he passed out. My wife Sarity immediately started treating him and for this reason, she stayed in Fago. However, I don't know his current condition."

"So he was seriously injured in the fight?"

"From what I understand, that's not quite the case." he stated scratching his head while making a complicated expression "Apparently, when he uses his full potential, he can safely erase an area equivalent to the entire surface of Cuding however, prolonged use of his powers can cause serious damage to his body."

"......"

I felt admiration for Graeval: to protect his wife Lady Stilno, he was willing to sacrifice his own life. On the one hand I feel deep respect but on the other, I fear the repercussions that could cause people unaware of his identity. Lady Stilno is certainly able to get away with it since the only ones able to beat her are my son-in-law and her wives, though...

"Better make sure that the life of the couple is protected from the arrogance of the nobles." I said confidently "I have heard that in the past Robert Partever tried to seduce Lady Stilno at the risk of causing a fight in the middle of the city center."

"I heard about it." Jack said rubbing his forehead "I can only say that it was lucky that master was around there."

"Yeah. I'll have to find a way to guarantee their safety without having to resort to Graeval's marriage to my daughter Bassilla."

"Even if Graeval has been opposed to the idea..." Jack began, crossing his arms "It seems to me that you too disagree."

"I do not deny that the political advantages would be excellent however, I am afraid that the... 'discussions' on the succession to the throne could escalate."

“Your Majesty, you know very well that I would never dare. I'm not a politician."

"I’m well aware of that, but the nobles don’t see it that way anyway." I began leaning on the back of the chair "But if it were found out that Bassilla was married to Guardian and if we add the possibility that she gives birth to a child who has inherited the same powers as the father, the nobles of all the kingdom would competing to be able to win such a prestigious and above all powerful bloodline." I said sighing "*Sigh* This might just be the best case."

"I'm sympathetic..." Jack said, sighing too "Despite having four loving wives, I continue to receive marriage requests."

"Unfortunately, this is the world of nobles and politics." I said getting up and going to the window to look out “Thank you for informing me about what happened. I'll think of something."

"I wish you a good day."

When I heard the door close, I felt the world collapse on me again. Too many troubles. But now the first thing to do is...

“…How do I explain to Bassilla that Graeval is alive but badly wounded without her rushing to him? *SIIIIIIIIIIIIIGH*"

***(Sarity's POV)***

"Say Ahm~"

"Lilith..." Graeval called her with a complicated expression "by now I have recovered enough to be able to eat alone."

"No no no~ you're still recovering, so open your mouth and say Ahm~"

"...... Ahm~"

Giving up and his face slightly flushed with embarrassment, Graeval did as his wife had told him and got fed while I was busy keeping a healing spell active.

It had been five days since Graeval had returned from his battle with the deity. He had been unconscious for two full days and even after waking up, he said his body was still sore and could barely move a muscle. Only yesterday he began to show signs of recovery.

Despite her advanced pregnancy, Lilith hadn't moved from his side the entire time, taking care of him to the best of her ability.

Instead, I would return daily to cast spells on him so that he could recover as soon as possible, but based on what I have been able to see, Graeval will be back in perfect shape in at least another five days. The stress his body has gone through from prolonged use of his powers is not insignificant and he can't use his powers himself to recover faster. He would only end up prolonging his convalescence.

Although this scene was slightly irritating for an outsider like me as it made me feel too much, that was just the beginning of a day that would prove to be long.

Knock Knock

"I'm going." I replied heading towards the door and leaving the two lovebirds to themselves

When I opened it, an elderly man of medium height, wrinkled, with a long beard, bald, and with a pipe in his mouth stood in front of me.

“Hmm? And who are you, young lady?" he asked, looking at me doubtfully

"This is what I should ask." I countered "Who are you?"

Suspicious of each other, we looked at each other for a few seconds but then, from behind the old man, the figure of lady Aphy appeared.

“Oh~ little Sarity~? Why are you at Graeval's house~?"

"M-mighty Aphy?!" I asked surprised and bowing immediately

"Hm? Do you know her, Aphy?"

"How can I not know her since she is the saint I have elected~." she joyfully stated and then turned to me “This is Xalan, the eldest of the Gods of War~. He came here to talk to Graeval~"

What? A God of War? I thought in amazement. However, if Aphy herself says it-

"Who's at the door?" Graeval asked

"Graevaaaal~!"

Lady Aphy dashed into the house and threw herself on the bed where Graeval had been stuck for the past few days.

"WHA-?! APHY! GET AWAY FROM ME IMMEDIATELY!!!"

Graeval had an annoyed expression and was trying to break free from Aphy's embrace while at the same time he was trying to stop her from kissing him.

“Just a little kiss~. I beg- "

"Aphy~..." Lilith began in a cold tone "If you don't detach yourself from him immediately, I'll make you do it using unorthodox means~"

The room seemed to freeze in an instant and I saw Lilith smile in a way that didn't convey happiness at all. It was so frightening that I instinctively swallowed. Lady Aphy, however, did not seem too intimidated and she too stared at her, without however breaking away from Graeval

“Hou~ a little demon threatening a Goddess~. You certainly have guts~."

"I could say the same about you since you are trying to be intimate with MY husband."

"He may be YOUR husband, but first of all he is MY beloved~ I'm not going to leave him~"

They were staring at each other to the point that for a moment I thought their eyes were throwing lightning bolts that were colliding right in the middle.

"Hohoho. I see you two get along well."

""WHERE?!"" the two exclaimed in chorus

"THAT'S ENOUGH!"

"GOFU!!"

Taking advantage of that moment of distraction, Graeval punched Aphy in the stomach, and after she exhaled he took her face with an iron-clad and pushed her away causing her to fall to the ground while she holding her stomach. At that scene, I saw lord Xalan make an expression that was a mixture of surprised and amusement as he took a hit with his pipe.

"*Fuuuu* Even without using your powers, you are still capable of harming a deity, huh?"

"She's just making a show so I feel guilty."

"Hohoho. From little Aphy's expression, it seems like you got it right." Lord Xalan stated as he turned his gaze to an Aphy who had stood up with a childish expression

“You know what babies are like. Always ready to attract attention when they want something."

“Hey! I'm not a baby!!"

"In the brain, yes." Graeval stated

"I agree." Lilith supported him

"Umu umu" Lord Xalan nodded repeatedly

"You too Xalan?!"

Aphy's gaze fell on me and she looked at me with pleading eyes as if I were her last hope for her. If I had to express myself truthfully... to avoid saying untruths or things I might regret, I turned away. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lady Aphy with a shocked expression and the atmosphere around her seemed to darken.

"Back to the serious stuff..." Graeval began looking at Xalan "you wanted to talk to me."

“*Fuuu*. Yes. It's about the consequences that developed as a result of Shidor's death..." he began exhaling "as I told you, a lot of fuss has arisen. So, I bring you good and bad news. Which ones do you prefer to listen to first?"

"The bad ones."

"Very well," Lord Xalan stated as he sat down on a chair that was nearby "As expected, Shidor's death shocked many deities, but when the reason he died was discovered, many War Gods his fans and students were organizing to take revenge against you... or rather, against the Fallen who caused his death."

"Fallen?"

"If I have to explain it to you in a simple way, they are evil gods whose purpose is to destroy the balance of the worlds leading to subsequent destruction." Lord Xalan explained “At first, it was the only way to avoid a witch hunt against you. After all, we can't afford to lose too many war gods."

"I don't know how to take this last statement, however, what do you mean by 'at first?'"

"The truth sooner or later comes out and therefore, we have decided that we will slowly modify the information regarding Shidor's death."

"Simply put, you are just delaying the inevitable."

"...... I can't deny it." Lord Xalan affirmed making a puff of his pipe "*Fuuu* However, although it is a real disgrace, we will also expose the misdeeds of Shidor."

Hearing this, I breathed a sigh of relief. It seems that this deity was not a boy scout and if the other deities learned of the misdeeds of the god Shidor, most likely his death at the hands of Graeval could be interpreted as the execution of a criminal.

"I understand... but it won't be painless for me anyway."

"Huh? What do you mean?" I asked surprised "Couldn't they see the death of this Shidor as a consequence of his actions?"

“*Sigh* While it is true that he has reaped what he has sown, that does not remove the basic problem: a God died at the hands of a mortal. In all likelihood, the waters will calm down a bit when they learn of the crimes committed by that madman however, the discovery of a mortal capable of slaying a deity will cause quite a stir and in the worst case, there may be madmen who, driven by revenge or fear, throw themselves at me and my family."

"*Fuuu* That's right." Lord Xalan confirmed taking another hit with his pipe. “Even if we can keep some of them at bay, some will eventually escape our gaze. After all, it's not our main job to nurse such idiots."

"But then-"

"It will be a matter of time, but I could end up clashing with other deities."

When he finished, Graeval squeezed his wife's hand who looked at him with eyes full of concern, while he looked at her with a sorry but above all sad expression.

I began to shiver and sweat cold. At the very thought of his bloodlust that I felt a few days ago coupled with the fact that his clash with a deity could cause unprecedented destruction...

"T-there must be a way to prevent this!" I exclaimed frightened looking at those present "Isn't it?!"

"Calm down little Sarity~" Lady Aphy began "We are also here because a solution exists~"

"For real?!" I asked relieved "What would it be?"

I saw Lady Aphy clinging to Graeval's arm again making him sink into her abundant breast and with a beautiful smile and a slightly flushed face she stated

"Graeval will just have to marry me~~~"

Silence fell in the room

""".........HUUUUUUUUUUH?!!!"""

***(Graeval's POV)***

Aphy has glued to me again and my left arm was wrapped in the softness of her breasts. While any man would be happy with such a thing, it has always been a nuisance to me and now that nuisance only intensified given her recent statement.

I turned my gaze to Xalan

"What the fuck is this joke?!"

"*Fuuu*... that was the good news."

"Good news?!" I exclaimed "Did you smoke your brain as well as tobacco?!"

"That was a little mean." Xalan said blankly

"INDEED!!!" Aphy exclaimed "You should jump for joy now that you know we're getting married."

"I'll make you do somersaults if you don't get away from me right away!!!" I said looking at her with blood-thirsty eyes

At that moment, I subconsciously used my powers to cause a small centralized earthquake. Aphy immediately broke away with a bleached face.

"Graeval." called me Lilith shaking my hand “Calm down, or you'll end up prolonging your convalescence. Although… I wouldn't mind the idea~" she whispered in my ear

I felt my face warm from Lilith's statement, but I took a deep breath and calmed down. I looked in the direction of Xalan again

"Give me a good reason why I should receive my...... 'marriage' to Aphy as a good thing."

"Uao... you don't like the idea, huh?"

"I’m already happily married."

"*Fuuu

* I noticed." he stated after taking another hit with the pipe

"Anyway, why should I marry her?"

“Now that Shidor is dead, Aphy is officially single again, and given her fame, many aspirants will come forward. The problem is that at the moment, the blame for Shidor's death has fallen on an imaginary Fallen and the ignorant may see Aphy’s manifest displays of affection towards you as an obstacle to be eliminated."

In other words, whether they are God of War or not, the deities who are infatuated with Aphy could descend on this world and try to kill me, or move someone from behind the ranks to eliminate me.

"You mean if there were other morons like Shidor, my wife could end up in the crossfire."

"As much as I don't like to think so, it remains a real possibility."

“But there is still a problem: officially, at the moment it wasn't me who killed Shidor. If word gets out of Aphy's engagement with a mortal, what you just said will happen anyway. As if the future avengers weren't enough."

"Under normal circumstances, yes, but Aphy is a special case."

"What do you mean?"

“*Fuuu* Your marriage to Aphy has already been approved by the King of the Gods Fiemis and it will always be him as your father-in-law to keep possible avengers at bay. Even though it might not go down well with them, Fiemis's word has an enormous weight on the actions and fate of the Gods. Challenging his authority, in some cases, it is equivalent to asking to be killed."

"I don't see why the King of the Gods should bother so much for Aphy......" It won't be that... "Don't tell me you seduced him too..." I stated looking at Aphy with disappointment

"Don't even say it as a joke!" Aphy exclaimed in disgust. “Which daughter in her right mind would seduce her father?! Not to mention that my mother would lynch us alive!"

"Well, I know stories of daughters who-!!!" I stopped "Wait... the King of the Gods... is your father?"

"Uh? Yes, he is."

I immediately turned to Xalan and out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that my wife and Sarity had also done the same.

"That's right. Little Aphy is the equivalent of a princess in this world."

"......... Princess or not, I have no intention of marrying another woman."

“*Fuuu* You are adamant. Is this how you respond to our hard work?" he asked after taking another hit "Besides, who was it that said he wouldn't run away from the consequences?"

"...Tch."

"Also, Daenas feels you are a positive influence on little Aphy."

"What do you mean?"

"Since she met you and especially she started interacting with you, she has matured a lot as a divinity."

I am stunned... that was my thought when he made that statement. What kind of person was she before she met me...? I don't want to know. I am sure I would get a headache.

Aphy's past or not, this thing of having to marry her as a result of killing that jerk, is as unexpected as it is annoying. I made it clear and took an oath to Lilith on that altar and I have no intention of failing. I love only my wife Lilith Stilno and only with her do I wish to have a family. However, to the thought that if I do not agree to marry Aphy, Lilith and our children may be targeted by other gods... I instinctively shook my wife’s hand.

***(Lilith's POV)***

These assholes played it well.

My husband Graeval was gently squeezing my hand and looking at me with eyes that were as sad as they were dismissive. He saw no other way... and I can't blame him for thinking so. I don't even know how to get out of this situation. Although I could see deep within his frozen eyes the desire to monopolize and be monopolized by me, logic forced us to accept this consequence.

My husband is really powerful and I am sure that there is no living being who wishes to have him as an enemy if it knew his true nature. However, seeing how he has reduced himself by facing one deity, I don't even know how he would get out of it if he faced another or more than one altogether. He risks dying...

At that thought, a shiver went up my spine and anger began to boil inside me. If Aphy weren't so in love with him, Graeval wouldn't have had to kill that Shidor......... but if she weren't in love with him, I would never have known him... and above all, now I wouldn't bring in the womb the fruit of our love... my body would be united with the earth hosting and nourishing other forms of life...

With a weight on my heart and deeply opposed to the idea of ​​having to share Graeval with that useless troublemaker deity, my head nodded in affirmation. Logic forced me to accept the unthinkable.

Seeing my nod, he gravely turned to Xalan

"*SIIIIIGH*" he sighed heavily "I accept the proposal-"

"My looove- Ghefu!"

Aphy had launched herself again to Graeval as soon as he said the word "I accept" but he quickly took her to the face while still keeping her at a distance.

"But I have a condition." ended by pushing back Aphy who began to massage her face

"*Fuuuu* That is?" Xalan asked after taking another hit

"I'm not going to marry Aphy." he confidently began looking into Xalan's eyes. “This is because I don't love her and as I've told someone in the past, I'm not going to marry a woman I don't love. It would be disrespectful to the person concerned."

"So what's your condition?"

"*Sigh* I refuse marriage, but I can accept my engagement to her." he stated, "This way, both parties will be satisfied: Aphy will be officially engaged again, I will not be forced to marry her and my family will still be safe."

"I-it's not-" Aphy began with a slightly scared expression

"Seems like a good compromise to me." Xalan interrupted. “I will inform Fiemis of the counteroffer. I doubt he will refuse it."

"Xalan?!"

“Your boyfriend played it right little Aphy. After all, not everything always goes as you would like." Xalan said amused. “So work hard to make him fall in love with you too. When and if you succeed, we can talk about marriage. Right?"

"We'll see when the time comes."

"Pout~" Aphy pouted

"Umu umu." Xalan said satisfied. “Now that we’re done, we need to get back to your father and inform him of the counteroffer. Good recovery."

That said, the two deities disappeared in a beam of golden light, leaving us alone with Sarity in that room where a heavy silence had fallen.

Sarity was looking at her childhood friend with both surprised and doubtful eyes. She looked like she wanted to say something, but Graeval was faster.

"Can you please leave us alone, Sarity?"

"Uh? Of course."

As soon as she walked out the door, Graeval turned to me, visibly tired and above all sad. It seemed that at any moment he would start crying.

"I'm sorry." he apologized. “I have no intention of breaking that promise. But yet-"

“Shhh~” I silenced him putting my index finger on his lips “I know. I am also against this idea. At the thought that Aphy took advantage of this situation- no... maybe Aphy didn't play a major role in this proposition."

"*Sigh* I agree." Graeval said with a sigh “I am sure that political intrigues are on the agenda even in the world of the Gods. This Fiemis and Xalan want to keep me in check and at the same time use me because of my powers."

"It's very likely."

"I hate politics." he said irritably "Now I have to put up with the idea of ​​being engaged to Aphy."

"Yeah. Honestly speaking..." I began looking east "if you had been forced to accept a second or third wife, I would have preferred someone else..."

"Huh? What are you raving about now?" Graeval asked me in surprise

"Fufufu. Do not worry." I told him approaching his face "Even if you had accepted them, I'm sure that only I would be the special one among them all."

I was going to kiss him but he stopped me by placing his finger on my lips. His gaze was serious and full of love

“Lilith. You are and always will be my one and only wife. My body, my heart, my soul, my powers, all of me belongs only to you and to no one else."

His statement stunned me, but at the same time made me immensely happy. In that sweet atmosphere that was created, he kissed me intensely.

My love, it seems that you do not realize how much you are desired and especially loved by other girls...