When Vincent and Yuel received the news, they immediately rushed back to the estate.

The moment they stepped off the aircraft, the scene at the front hall entrance made them pause.

The members of the succubus clan stood there like mourners at a funeral, faces pale and lifeless, lined up before Jasper. One by one, they reached into their storage rings, pulling out valuables without pause.

Star credits, beast cores, insect cores, rare metals, crystalline ores... a small mountain of wealth quickly piled up.

Jasper checked everything with meticulous care. Only after confirming both quantity and quality did he give a slight nod to Xarion.

Xarion turned and left without a word. Seconds later, he returned, dragging along an elder bound tightly in chains.

With a casual motion, he unlocked the restraints and tossed the man forward.

Freed from the chains, the elder—covered in blood—scrambled up in panic. He clamped a hand over the mouth of a younger clansman who looked ready to speak, then dragged him away at full speed.

Not a single extra word dared to leave their lips.

They had learned their lesson. Say one wrong thing, and the price might double again.

Jasper noticed Vincent and Yuel and smiled lightly.

"Rory is inside. You should go in. Leave things here to Xarion and me."

"Thank you," Vincent said with a nod before heading in with Yuel.

Inside the front hall, Rory sat leisurely on the sofa, sipping tea.

Aren sat beside her, his long fingers deftly shelling plump seeds one by one, carefully placing the kernels into a small dish at her side.

When Rory saw Vincent and Yuel enter in their military uniforms, she looked surprised. She quickly set down her cup and stood, walking toward them.

"You’re back already? I told you everything’s under control. There was no need to worry."

She had already handled everything.

When Melanie arrived earlier with the elders, the guard captain had immediately informed Vincent. Though he knew Rory, Jasper, and Xarion had the situation firmly under control—and that Rory hadn’t suffered any loss—he still couldn’t rest easy.

Even after Rory reassured them there was no need to rush back, both he and Yuel wrapped up their work at top speed and returned anyway.

"We finished everything for today," Vincent said, his gaze sweeping over her, confirming she was unharmed.

Only then did he truly relax.

Hearing that, Rory didn’t press further.

Instead, she smiled brightly, took both Vincent and Yuel by the hand, and led them to the table.

Then she scooped up a pile of storage rings and placed them into their hands.

"These," she said cheerfully, "are the compensation gifts from the succubus clan."

"You’re building a combat unit, Vincent. With these, you can keep expanding it."

Rory had already decided exactly how the compensation would be used the moment she forced the succubus clan to pay up.

"And Yuel, you always have expenses too. These are for you."

It wasn’t just the two of them. Rory had already set aside shares for Nix, Xarion, Jasper, and the others as well. Everyone in the household got a portion.

Of course, she kept the largest share for herself.

As for the items she had taken from the elders’ storage rings earlier, she hadn’t touched any of them. Those were all placed in the vault, reserved for Aren.

Vincent and Yuel looked at the storage rings in their hands, both visibly stunned.

They truly hadn’t expected that Rory would not only deal with Melanie and the notoriously scheming elders, but also strip them of this much wealth in the process.

Their Female Master... was formidable.

Yuel put away the ring and looked at Rory, his gaze warm.

"You did an excellent job."

There was unmistakable pride in his voice.

"That’s exactly how people like them should be handled."

On the way back, he had already learned everything from Wen. He knew Rory hadn’t suffered any losses. In fact, she had profited greatly.

Seeing her safe and smiling now, he couldn’t help but feel lighter too.

Before long, the succubus clan came to retrieve Melanie and the elders.

When Melanie’s partner arrived to deliver the payment, he had asked to see Aren.

Xarion’s response was simple: if they wanted to see him, they could pay five times the ransom.

The man immediately fell silent, took Melanie, and left without another word.

...

Back in the succubus clan.

After returning, Melanie had done nothing but curse Rory.

"That wretched woman! How dare she injure me like this—I will never let her go!"

She sat on the bed, her wounds from the chains still seeping blood intermittently.

"Where is the medicine?" she snapped, glaring at the partner beside her.

"You useless fools! Why haven’t you brought it yet?"

"It’s here," another partner rushed in, holding a bottle of deep green healing solution.

He dropped to his knees and offered it with both hands.

"Female Master, the medicine has arrived. Once you take it, the bleeding should stop."

Melanie looked at the bottle, and her face darkened instantly.

Smack!

She raised her hand and struck him across the face without hesitation.

"You expect me to drink this?" Melanie’s voice turned sharp with fury. "I asked for a sacred medicine, not this useless trash."

One of her partners knelt there, his cheek still flushed from the slap, and spoke in a low voice, "Female Master... all our funds were used to compensate that Rory. We don’t have enough left to purchase the Lion-Tiger Clan’s sacred medicine."

Another partner quickly dropped to his knees as well, trying to explain—

Smack!

Melanie struck him, too, without hesitation.

"You idiot! If there’s no money, couldn’t you ask for credit? Tell them we’ll pay once the clan leader returns!"

Her eyes burned with anger. "We’re the succubus clan. Since when do we owe anyone and fail to repay?"

The man who had been hit lowered his head, feeling utterly wronged. "Female Master... I did ask. But they refused. Not only that, they said they will no longer sell sacred medicine to us at all."

Melanie’s expression darkened further. "Why?"

Was the Liger Clan trying to openly cut ties with them? Had they lost their minds?

The partner answered carefully, "They said... the one we offended is the partner of their clan leader’s son, Nix. By targeting Rory, we’ve essentially provoked the Liger Clan. From now on, they won’t have any dealings with us."

"Madness. They’ve all gone mad."

Melanie couldn’t believe it. For the sake of one Rory, the Liger Clan was willing to antagonize the entire succubus clan.

Another partner, seeing the wounds on her body begin to seep blood again, quickly urged, "Female Master, please take the medicine first. It may not be as effective as sacred medicine, but it will stop the pain and the bleeding."

Melanie was still seething, but she knew she had no choice. For the sake of her body, she snatched the bottle and drank it down.

Just as she finished, her communicator chimed.

She glanced at it—and her expression shifted slightly.

It was a message from Bree.

Bree: "Lady Melanie, I heard you were injured and suffered greatly at Rory’s place because of Aren. I’ve brought a human sacred medicine. I’ll come see you shortly."