At Rory’s command, the head guard stepped forward with his men, moving to drag Melanie and the elders away.

The moment they realized they were truly about to be hauled off like prisoners, panic exploded.

"You can’t do this!"

One elder shrieked first, his voice sharp with fear.

"This is robbery—extortion!"

He struggled wildly, glaring at Rory. "Even if you don’t care about yourself, you should think about Vincent and Yuel!"

"They are imperial officers—heroes admired across the galaxy. If word spreads that their mate is a bandit, how will the Empire see them? They’ll be disgraced!"

"Wait." Rory raised a hand.

The guards paused and released him.

The elder froze—then a flicker of smugness crept into his eyes.

So she was afraid after all.

"Good," he said, straightening slightly. "Since you understand, release us immediately—and return our belongings."

He paused, as if making a great concession.

"Of course, we are reasonable. You may keep one-tenth—as compensation for Young Master Aren."

"Yes, yes!"

The other elders nodded eagerly.

"From now on, Aren will be your mate. Our clan will no longer interfere."

"But—his position as young master must be relinquished."

"From this day forward, he will have no ties to the succubus clan."

It was a painful decision.

A Rank Eleven powerhouse, cast out.

But Rory—and the forces behind her—were not to be provoked.

Better to cut ties cleanly.

Rory listened, the corner of her lips lifting into a cold, mocking smile.

"Who said I was letting you go?"

The elder’s smug expression froze.

Rory turned to her companions, voice calm.

"Smash this place."

"What?" Xarion blinked, caught off guard.

Rory repeated it patiently, a glint of mischief flashing in her eyes.

"The front hall. Tear it apart. The messier, the better. Then take photos," Rory continued calmly, "and spread them across the network."

Her smile was gentle—almost pleasant.

"Say that members of the succubus clan barged into my estate and caused trouble for no reason. They tried to steal my mate, smashed my home, and destroyed my most treasured possessions."

She tilted her head slightly, looking at the elders whose expressions had already frozen.

"And not only that," she added lightly, "they also consumed the Beast God Fruit that Aren risked his life to bring back for me."

"I’m just a weak Rank Six female. I couldn’t stop them."

Her tone was soft, almost innocent.

"Now that my home is in ruins, asking the succubus clan to compensate me—with a Beast God Fruit and damages—doesn’t seem excessive, does it?"

She paused, then smiled.

"Surely no one will call me a bandit after that."

Her gaze shifted to the elder who had just tried to threaten her.

"Elder, I should thank you for reminding me. Otherwise, I might not have thought of this."

Originally, she had only planned to take some compensation.

But now?

Since the front hall was about to be "destroyed", a single Beast God Fruit as repayment seemed... perfectly reasonable.

Rory even felt she was being merciful.

After all, they had wrecked her reception hall, and she was only asking for one fruit.

Such restraint.

"You—you—!"

The elder trembled, pointing at her, his face flushed with rage.

Not a single word came out.

The others stared at her, that harmless, gentle smile now looking like something dragged up from the depths of hell.

This female...

How could she twist black into white so effortlessly—and still demand a Beast God Fruit?

Even if they sold everything they owned, it wouldn’t be enough to buy one.

But judging from her methods, if they couldn’t produce it, she really might turn them into fertilizer.

"Lady Roanna... we were wrong."

At last, the elders broke. They finally understood––they couldn’t outplay her.

"We truly don’t have a Beast God Fruit. But we can contact our families. We’ll have them open the clan vault and bring treasures to redeem us."

Anything—just not that.

They had climbed too far, gained too much, to risk everything now.

"See? Wasn’t that easier?"

Rory stepped closer, bending slightly, her smile polite and almost warm.

"Now we can resolve things peacefully. Saves everyone time and effort."

Peacefully?

The elders nearly choked on blood.

They were about to lose everything.

This wasn’t just beating them—it was crushing their spirits.

Rory straightened and turned to Jasper.

"Go ahead."

"Jasper, bring paper and a pen. Have them write a statement."

Rory’s smile was gentle as ever.

"Make it clear that they are voluntarily compensating me for emotional distress and damages to my estate. And take photos as proof." 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Jasper suppressed a laugh and quickly returned with what she asked for.

Under the guards’ watch, the elders trembled as they wrote out humiliating guarantees in shaky handwriting.

Then, forced smiles plastered on their faces, they posed for photos.

When it was done, Rory looked over the statements and images, nodding in satisfaction.

She had Wen collect their light-brains and return them one by one.

"Alright," she said lightly, "you can contact your families now."

Then her gaze shifted—landing on the elder who had threatened her earlier.

"But because of this elder’s helpful reminder..." She raised two fingers, her smile bright and harmless. "My estate ended up like this. So the ransom... doubles."

"What?!"

The other elders exploded instantly, fury turning on their companion.

"It’s all your fault, you idiot!"

"Why couldn’t you just keep your mouth shut?! Now we’re all dragged down with you!"

Their hearts bled at the thought of what they would lose.

The unfortunate elder turned pale, regret written all over his face.

Rory ignored their infighting and walked over to Melanie, holding the last light-brain.

She placed it in front of her.

"Your turn. Contact your other mates. Have them bring what’s needed to redeem you."

Melanie glared at her, venom burning in her eyes—

Clap!

Rory slapped her again, clean and sharp.

"Stop hoping Aren will suddenly recover and let you go."

Her voice was cold. "Remember this—inside my estate, I decide everything."

"Pfft—!"

Melanie coughed up blood, splattering it across the floor. Her chest heaved violently, eyes locked on Rory, but no words came.

Rory looked down at the bloodstain with faint disgust. Then she dropped the light-brain beside her.

"I’ll give you five seconds. No one comes for you—you die here."

Silence fell heavily.

Melanie stared at the device.

In the end... she chose to call for help.