Blessed with Heirs: My Harem Made Me Invincible

Chapter 3 Ethan Lockwood Assumes Lordship

Before Madam Sherry could speak, Ethan Lockwood interjected sharply, addressing Lilac directly.

"Hold your tongue! Unless you wish to remain here."

Turning to the madam, he declared firmly: "Three thousand taels—no objection."

With decisive motion, he produced three silver notes—each for a thousand taels—and pressed them into the madam's waiting palm.

Once the indenture contracts for Maya, Clara and Lilac changed hands, Ethan promptly escorted all three women from Silk Whisper's gilded cages...

This world stretched immeasurably vast—so expansive that even Ethan couldn't comprehend the full breadth of its continents.

Nor could the most senior elders of Stellar Ascent Sect provide definitive answers about their realm's true scale.

Yet such immensity bore advantages. Land here held little value—at least parcels devoid of spirit veins or mineral wealth.

Exiled by his sect to serve as itinerant elder at Stellar Ascent Vineyard in Astramere, Ethan had been granted residence in a sprawling estate spanning five mu—nearly two acres of land.

Until now, he'd dwelt alone in these cavernous halls.

The vineyard provided no servants, only coin. Should he need staff, the markets of Astrathrone Dynasty stood ready—slave blocks operated openly in nearly every city.

Now Ethan returned with three purchases. The manor's hollow corridors would finally know other inhabitants...

"Lilac." Ethan fixed the willful girl with an unyielding gaze. "Remove your garments. Now."

Maya and Clara exchanged startled glances. Would their new master truly bed this untamed filly first?

Lilac clenched her jaw. Resistance was futile. With trembling fingers, she began loosening her silks.

In moments, she stood trembling in nothing but a dark crimson undergarment and a plain green bellyband.

Lilac squeezed her eyes shut, arms crossed defensively over her chest as if awaiting her fate.

"Turn around," Ethan Lockwood commanded.

When she obeyed, he saw the shocking tapestry of lash marks, pinpricks, and bruises covering her back and thighs.

Ethan's right hand glowed with emerald light—the basic healing spell "Dewfall Incantation" that even novice Stellar Ascent Sect disciples learned during initiation.

As his glowing fingers moved over her marked skin, the wounds faded away, leaving unblemished flesh behind.

Only then did Maya and Clara understand—their master was healing Lilac, not claiming her.

Maya quietly slid down Lilac's undergarments. "Master," she said, "her buttocks bear the same marks."

Ethan continued healing while frowning. "Strange—why only the back? Her front remains flawless."

"Silk Whisper has strict rules," Maya said. "They never strike where clients might see. Guards who leave visible marks are punished."

"Why such rules?" Ethan asked.

Maya replied, "Because visible scars ruin the client's mood. It reduces the girl's value and the establishment's profits."

"Because visible bruises would ruin a customer's mood," she explained. "That drives down a girl's value and cuts into the brothel's profits."

"So it's all about the bottom line!" Ethan remarked with sudden understanding.

Turning to Lilac, he asked, "How old are you?"

The girl fidgeted as the healing magic soothed her wounds. "Thirteen, master," she murmured.

"Thirteen?!" Ethan's voice cracked with outrage. "What kind of monsters sell their own daughter to a brothel?"

Clara interjected softly, "The Astrathrone Dynasty's Marriage Laws permit boys to wed at fifteen and girls at thirteen, master. The brothel wouldn't touch her if she were any younger."

"That's messed up!" Ethan spat. "Fifteen and thirteen? They're still kids!" Shaking his head, he turned to his other companions. "How old are you two?"

Maya dipped her head. "Twenty years old, my lord."

"Seventeen," Clara added.

Ethan exhaled in relief. "At least you're both adults. Can you read and write?"

"Of course, master," Maya replied. "The brothel trained us in poetry, music, calligraphy..."

Ethan looked back at Lilac. "And you?"

"I wasn't there long enough to learn much," the girl admitted.

"Alright," Ethan decided. "Lilac, you'll take care of light housework. Maya and Clara, you'll take turns teaching her." He fixed the girl with a stern but kind look. "We'll talk about becoming my woman when you're sixteen."

"Until then, focus on your studies."

"Yes, Lord!" the three women answered in unison...

That evening, Ethan chose Maya as his first bride. To honor tradition, he prepared red candles, an embroidered veil, and golden jewelry. After sharing the ceremonial wine, he lifted the scarlet silk from her blushing face.

"Maya," he said hoarsely, drinking in her beauty, "shall we become husband and wife now?"

"Wait, my lord," she murmured, fingers deftly pulling a pristine white cloth from her sleeve to spread across the bedsheets. Slipping out of her robes until only a red satin chemise remained—stitched with mandarin ducks, symbols of eternal love—she lay back upon the linen. "I am ready. Please... be gentle with me tonight."

Ethan blew out the candles and yanked the bed curtains shut. The silken drapes soon shook with muffled gasps and fevered whispers. When their passion finally ebbed, the canopy stilled once more.

[Ding! User has completed marital consummation. Reward: 10 days of base cultivation.

Bonus (partner's virginity): +30 days’ cultivation.

First-time bonus: Unlocked [Divine Ingenuity in Dreams] ability. Check system for details.]