I have my own reasons

Willow began listing her conditions, her voice firm.

"First, I don't want to reveal my face, my family's wealth, or power to my husband. Second, the wedding must be small, with only a few people in attendance—strictly a family affair. Third, you must not tell him about my beauty or any details of my future plans. You can give him a little motivation, but nothing more. And lastly, I want a godly contract marriage blessing between me and him."

Liam listened attentively, nodding along to her requests, but when she mentioned the godly contract blessing, he raised an eyebrow. He hadn't expected that. With a hint of sarcasm, he asked, "Why do you want a godly contract marriage blessing? Are you deeply in love with him already?"

Willow's smile tightened, anger flickering in her eyes. "Do you want to accept my conditions or not?" she snapped.

Liam sighed, seeing the determination in her expression. "Fine, I'll give it to you. But why is that so important to you?" he pressed, still curious about her reasoning.

As Liam asked, Willow's mind flashed back to her encounter with the maids earlier. While on her way to see her father, she had overheard some female servants gossiping about Ajax.

"You know Miss Willow's husband is stunning. He's the most handsome man I've ever seen!" one maid gushed.

"Yeah, with that muscular yet delicate body, I wouldn't mind kidnapping him and making him mine," another added, giggling.

"I don't care if he's married to Miss Willow; I'll be his mistress or anything. I just want to bear his child," a third maid chimed in, her voice laced with mischief.

Another girl, more brazen than the others, boasted, "You're all too timid. I'll go straight to his room, take what I want, and if he refuses, I'll just kidnap him myself!" Her smug expression made the others laugh in agreement.

Before they could continue, an older woman approached, her expression stern. "You girls have nothing better to do? Get back to work before I deal with you myself!" she scolded.

The young maids jumped in surprise, quickly bowing to the woman, who was none other than Abelarda, the head maid. "Sorry, Miss Abelarda! We'll return to our duties right away," they mumbled, scurrying off in different directions, their playful tone gone.

Abelarda watched them go, shaking her head in frustration. "I thought I taught those girls better. It looks like I'll need to call a meeting and remind all the young maids how to behave properly. This kind of talk won't be tolerated in this household."

Willow, who had been hiding in the shadows, listening to the entire conversation, stepped forward. She stood in front of Abelarda, her expression cold.

"Fire those maids immediately," Willow ordered, her voice sharp, leaving no room for argument. She didn't bother to give a reason; she had heard enough, and she wasn't about to let anyone else try to get close to her husband.

Abelarda simply nodded to Willow's command and replied, "Yes, young miss."

Because of that incident with the maids, Willow had made up her mind—she didn't want her husband to meet anyone other than her. Although she didn't feel love for him yet, Ajax was hers, and she wasn't going to share him with anyone. In her mind, if she secured the divine contract marriage, there would be no way for him to betray her. She would have full control over him.

Not wanting to reveal her true thoughts to her father, she simply said, "I have my own reasons," and glared at him, shutting him down before he could ask anything further.

Liam, feeling his daughter's glare, raised his hands in mock surrender and said, "Okay."

Willow turned to leave, but then paused, remembering something. "Father, I want my husband to make some friends. I think you should help him a bit—only male friends, not female," she added, making it clear that she wouldn't tolerate any female companionship around Ajax.

Liam watched her walk away, her words lingering in his mind. A sly smile crept onto his face.

He turned to a nearby servant and ordered, "Go and tell Lobo to find me."

The servant bowed and quickly ran out of the main hall to summon Lobo. When Lobo received the message, he rushed to meet Liam, feeling both anxious and honored that his lord had called for him personally.

Upon arriving in the hall, Lobo saluted and said, "My lord, how can I be of service?"

Liam wasted no time. "I want you to accompany Ajax to the lower domains of the Abyss—old domains, where he can gain experience and learn about how this world works."

Lobo's face tensed as he replied, "But my lord, Ajax is very weak compared to the people in those lower domains. How will he survive, let alone gain experience in such a dangerous environment?"

Liam pondered this for a moment, nodding slightly at Lobo's concern. "You're right. But if he doesn't learn how vast and powerful this Abyss is, he'll face problems in the future. Besides, my daughter wants to create her own domain, and managing him will be troublesome if he's not prepared. He needs this experience. However, instead of the lower domains, take him to one of the ancient, unexplored domains. The competition there will be less intense than in the lower domains," Liam mused, considering the possibilities. If Ajax encountered something valuable, he could develop his abilities and break through to higher god levels, eventually creating his own domain alongside his wife.

Lobo, still uneasy, asked, "But my lord, the people in those ancient domains use them for their experiments and other unsavory purposes. What should we do if our lord gets into trouble?"

Liam's expression turned cold, and his voice dropped to a deadly tone. "If anyone causes trouble for him, just kill them. There's no need to report anything to me. But if someone can serve as a stepping stone for my son-in-law's growth, let them live. If they become an obstacle, eliminate them. Understood?"

Lobo shuddered at the icy tone in Liam's voice and quickly bowed. "As you wish, my lord."