My Three Beautiful Vampire Wives can hear my Inner Thoughts-Chapter 59: Demand

Cornelia raised a hand before anyone could move again.

"Wait."

Her voice was steady, but it carried enough weight to cut through the tension like a blade through silk. The pressure of mana in the corridor did not fade, yet the noise seemed to dim, as if even the air itself leaned closer to listen.

Sevette frowned. "What now?"

Cornelia turned her body slightly, placing herself half a step in front of Cain without fully blocking him. It was a subtle move, almost instinctive, yet everyone noticed. Cain noticed most of all.

"This duel," Cornelia said slowly, choosing each word with care, "is unfair on my side. I don’t like it."

Sevette scoffed. "Unfair? You were the one who accepted."

"Yes," Cornelia replied calmly, "but not like this."

She lifted her chin, eyes sharp, gaze unwavering. "You are challenging me for my husband."

A ripple passed through the crowd.

"My husband," she repeated, her tone firm, as if nailing the truth into the stone beneath their feet. "Cain already belongs to me. Win or lose, I gain nothing from you. Am Intighg?"

Cain blinked.

Husband... prize?

The Overgod suddenly felt like an expensive artifact being argued over in an auction hall.

Cornelia continued, her voice growing stronger. "If I lose, I lose face. I lose standing. I lose dignity. Most of all, I lost the most important thing for us sisters, our husband."

Cain almost vomited. What the fuck?

Cornelia continued. "But if I win, what do I gain from you?"

Sevette snorted. "You sound like you’re going to win already."

She looked directly at Sevette. "Whatever, just tell me. What can you possibly offer that equals my husband?"

Sevette’s lips parted slightly. "What are you saying?"

"I’m saying," Cornelia replied evenly, "that this duel has no balance. You want something priceless, but you’re risking nothing. Isn’t that a little too unfair, cousin?"

Sevette laughed once, sharp and dismissive. "Are you sure you’re not just trying to delay?"

Cornelia did not flinch. "No. I’m demanding fairness."

She gestured lightly toward Cain. "You speak of him as if he’s something you can simply take. But Cain is not a chip to be pushed across a table. He is not a thing to be gambled away."

Her fingers curled unconsciously, brushing the sleeve of his robe.

"If you lose," Cornelia said, "what will you give me?"

Sevette’s expression tightened.

"For you to even suggest this," Sevette said coolly, "means you really think you can win against me."

Cornelia smiled faintly. "Or perhaps it means you are scared you will lose?"

Silence stretched.

Then Sevette exhaled and nodded slowly. "Fine."

She straightened her back, her aura steadying. "If that’s what you want, then let’s talk terms."

She lifted one finger. "A blood-forged artifact. High grade. Enough to raise your cultivation by one full stage if used correctly."

Vanir on the side was shocked and murmured something.

Cornelia didn’t even blink. "Not enough."

Sevette’s brow twitched. "That artifact alone could bankrupt a minor house."

Cornelia shrugged lightly. "Then you should offer more." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Sevette stared at her for a long moment, then snorted. "Fine."

She raised another finger. "An ancestral technique scroll from my family vault. One that has never been circulated outside our bloodline."

She paused deliberately, letting the weight of it sink in. "It refines blood control. Perfect for Moonshade techniques."

The guards standing at the side inhaled sharply.

Cornelia tilted her head. "Still not enough."

Sevette’s smile faded.

"You’re pushing it."

Cornelia stepped closer to Cain, close enough that her shoulder brushed his arm. Her voice softened, but the words cut deeper.

"You still don’t understand."

She turned slightly so Sevette could see Cain properly, really see him.

"Look at him," Cornelia said. "Do you think land or scrolls can compare?"

Cain stiffened.

She went on, her words flowing, unhurried, almost intimate. "He is handsome in a way that doesn’t shout, but lingers. The kind that grows on you the longer you look. His presence is calm, yet commanding. Even when he says nothing, people listen."

Cain felt his ears warm.

"He stands straight, not because he’s arrogant, but because he knows who he is. His eyes are steady. His voice doesn’t tremble when challenged. Even surrounded by stronger cultivators, he doesn’t bend."

Cornelia’s gaze softened as she spoke, and for a moment, she forgot everyone else was watching.

"He is patient. He endures. He doesn’t complain even when ignored. He waits, even when he shouldn’t have to."

Cain swallowed.

"So tell me," Cornelia said quietly, "what treasure can replace that?"

Sevette fell silent.

For the first time, she hesitated.

She studied Cain again, slower this time, with a different lens. Not as an object of desire or a trophy, but as an asset. A future.

His potential...

She clenched her fist.

"Very well," Sevette said at last. "If it’s value you want, then I’ll speak your language."

She raised her hand. "Two territories under my family’s control."

Gasps broke out.

"Each with established blood farms," Sevette continued. "High-quality mortals. Stable yield. Enough to support an entire vampire branch."

Cornelia shook her head. "Not enough."

Sevette’s eyes widened. "Do you even understand what I’m offering?"

"Yes," Cornelia replied. "And it still doesn’t compare."

Sevette inhaled sharply, then laughed, low and incredulous. "You’re serious."

She paused, then spoke again, slower this time. "Three territories. Prime locations. And I’ll include a detailed ledger of their blood quality and output."

She explained at length, outlining how many mortals lived there, the purity of their bloodlines, how feeding from them improved stamina, mana recovery, even longevity. She spoke like a noble accustomed to dealing in lives and land.

Cornelia listened without interruption.

When Sevette finished, Cornelia took Cain’s arm.

Just lightly.

"This man," she said, her thumb resting against his sleeve, "is worth more than land that can be conquered. More than blood that can be drained."

She leaned closer to him, her voice warm, almost teasing.

"Look at his face. His build. His bearing. Even his silence is attractive."

Cain froze.

Is she praising me or... selling me?

Sevette exhaled slowly.

She closed her eyes for a brief moment, then opened them again, resolve sharpening her gaze.

"Fine," Sevette said. "You win."

She raised her hand high. "Four territories."

The guards stirred uneasily.

"And my military tally," she continued. "Three hundred knights."

That did it.

The air itself seemed to tremble.

Sevette did not stop there. She explained the knights’ training, their equipment, their loyalty. Veterans hardened by border wars. Disciplined. Ruthless. Capable of crushing lesser houses with ease.

"With this," Sevette said firmly, "your family’s influence would double overnight."

She looked Cornelia in the eye. "That is more than fair."

Cornelia’s breath caught.

That’s... too much.

Her heart raced.

Three hundred knights. A military tally. That was power. Real power.

Sevette frowned slightly. "What? That’s still not enough?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Don’t tell me you never intended to accept. Are you just raising the price to stall?"

Her lips curled. "You can raise it if you want more."

Cornelia hesitated.

Then she straightened.

"Okay," she said clearly. "Then I have no other choice..."

The words fell like a hammer.

Sevette stared at her, stunned.

And beside them, Cain stood frozen, mouth slightly open, mind blank.

...It’s here! What a bad luck!