Click—Click—Click—Click—

Clear footsteps echoed through the crowded plaza before the Buztout residence, a battlefield where numerous people lay on the ground, unable to rise.

The sound of those footsteps seemed to reverberate in everyone’s hearts.

The breathtakingly beautiful Succubus, with her natural grace, walked out of the Buztout residence as if simply strolling, her beauty and presence eclipsing everything around her.

“Ahh…” Misji, Josef, Nobu, and the others stared, their bodies trembling.

“—”

The surrounding crowd was stunned into silence, their eyes wide with shock.

“Her Highness… the Succubus…” Even Yuler’s heart trembled as he looked at the figure he hadn’t seen in years, his hands clenching tightly.

Meldo, lying in a pool of blood, barely alive, struggled to raise his head, his eyes widening as he saw her, completely stunned.

Not just those present, but even the Buztout household saw this.

“She… she…” Riley stammered, her face filled with shock and bewilderment.

“Shafney, the Succubus…” Vivian was also slightly dazed.

“So… so beautiful…” Lumia murmured, as if seeing something unbelievable.

“Is that the Succubus?” Even Diere gasped, her voice filled with awe as she looked at the breathtakingly beautiful figure.

Shafney thus made her grand entrance, instantly becoming the center of attention, captivating everyone.

“Why did she come out?” Yulin said, a troubled look on her face.

“Why did you come out?” Shien also asked Shafney, his tone displeased. Was she trying to make this scene even more chaotic? He told her to stay in her room, and yet she came out. She needed to be taught a lesson.

Shien was inwardly fuming.

Shafney, however, ignored everyone else, her gaze fixed on Shien.

“Don’t look at me like that, little man,” she said with a light chuckle that made countless hearts flutter, looking at Shien with a smile, “I came to help you. Aren’t you happy?”

“Help me?” Shien curled his lip, not appreciating it, “Do you think I can’t handle a loud-mouthed Grand Magician?” Who did she think she was looking down on?

Unexpectedly, Shafney shook her head.

“It’s not about whether you can handle him or not, but I couldn’t resist taking action,” she said, glancing at the stunned Meldo with a smirk, “For a loser like him, defeated so thoroughly, to still slander the victor out of spite and resentment, don’t you think you’re being too lenient?”

From Shien’s perspective, it was fine to teach these people a lesson, but using excessive force would turn this into more than just a simple conflict. Therefore, although he wouldn’t hesitate to punish them and make them suffer, he couldn’t kill them directly. Otherwise, it might bring trouble to those around him.

Therefore…

“I’ll help you deal with them, isn’t that better?” Shafney said with a sweet smile, her words chilling Meldo to the bone.

The others, ignored by Shafney, felt a deep sense of loss and dejection.

“Since this trouble was caused by me, it’s only right for me to resolve it,” Shafney said, smoothing her hair with a casual gesture, her tone indifferent, “Although I’ve never really cared about them.”

Her heartless words made everyone’s hearts ache, especially Misji, Josef, and Nobu, who smiled wryly, realizing they were nothing in her eyes.

At this moment, even these powerful and influential figures felt a chill, a sense of despair.

Shien’s display of power couldn’t make them despair, but Shafney’s few words did.

And it was true.

Shafney didn’t care about their intentions, she didn’t even acknowledge their existence.

People were driven mad by her, captivated by her, obsessed with her, losing their souls for her.

She had seen this countless times.

For her, it was just another boring scene in her long and tedious life.

Normally, she would completely ignore them, staying in her residence, eating, sleeping, not wasting any energy on them.

Just as Shien said, she didn’t want to see them, and even if they successfully entered the Buztout residence, they wouldn’t be able to meet her.

But today was different.

Today, not only was Shien annoyed at being interrupted, but Shafney’s mood had also soured. Because Shien wanted to vent his anger, she chose to stay in her residence and watch from the sidelines.

Only after Shien dealt with everyone did she feel that his part was over.

Since that was the case, it was her turn now, right?

In other words, helping Shien was just an excuse. She also wanted to teach these fools a lesson.

Meldo just happened to be the unlucky one.

So, Shafney walked towards Meldo.

“You… I…” Meldo looked at the breathtakingly beautiful Demon Lord, his lips trembling, unable to speak, his heart racing faster than ever before. This woman was simply too beautiful, an otherworldly beauty, surpassing even his wildest dreams.

He had seen beautiful women before, but never someone like this.

Her extreme beauty made all other women seem ordinary, even the most beautiful women he had seen before were now just plain and vulgar compared to her. Only now did he understand why so many powerful figures in the world were captivated by her.

It wasn’t that they were shallow, but that she was truly too beautiful, so beautiful that everything else in the world seemed insignificant compared to her, a single strand of her hair, a patch of her skin. It felt like possessing her was equivalent to possessing something more beautiful than this world itself.

Meldo stared at Shafney, gradually losing himself.

But…

“If you keep staring, I’ll gouge out your eyes,” Shafney said casually, her words like a chilling winter, instantly extinguishing the fire in his heart.

And she didn’t stop there. “Although I’m used to being stared at, those who displease me, even their gazes annoy me.” Her words pierced Meldo’s heart like a blade. His heart ached. Why? Why would you say that? So cruel! he cried out inwardly.

As if hearing his thoughts, Shafney looked down at him, lying in a pool of blood. “Honestly, I don’t care about the feelings of insignificant people like you,” she said, her voice cold and merciless, “I don’t care whether you live or die, nor what you want to do. Even if you say you love and admire me, that you did all this just to see me, I still don’t care. It’s your business, not mine.”

“What I care about is the feelings of that troublesome brother-in-law of mine.”

Shafney smiled, a beautiful yet heartless smile.

“And you, insignificant creatures, dare to accuse the one I care about of monopolizing me?”

“What does monopolizing even mean?”

“Taking something that belongs to someone else, that’s monopolizing.”

“Stealing someone else’s woman, that’s monopolizing.”

“If something belongs to everyone, then being taken by a single person, that can be called monopolizing.”

“But who are you?”

“Are you trying to say that I’m your possession, that I belong to you?”

“Do I need your permission to be with someone? Is that how it works?”

“Tell me, is that right?”

Shafney’s words left Meldo speechless, cold sweat dripping down his face.

“I… no…” He struggled to speak, but couldn’t.

Shafney didn’t want to waste time on someone she didn’t even know the name of. “As punishment for your insolence, I’ll give you a curse,” she said. “You will never have a partner, only able to watch as the one you love falls into the arms of another. Let that teach you what monopolizing truly means.” Saying this, she extended a finger, a cold magic power gathering at its tip.

“N-No… please…!” Meldo finally reacted, pleading for mercy.

But it was too late.

“Boom!”

The magic power from Shafney’s fingertip struck Meldo, entering his body.

“Aaaaaah…!”

He screamed, as if dying, his life force seemingly fading under the cold curse.

Soon, Meldo fainted, losing consciousness.

“—” Silence fell over the plaza.

Everyone present watched this scene, speechless.

“Alright, I’ll be going back now.”

In the oppressive and heavy atmosphere, Shafney, as if having completed an ordinary task, left these words after dealing with Meldo.

With her clear footsteps echoing, she returned to Shien’s side, leaned close to his ear, and whispered with a chuckle,

“You should come back soon too. Don’t waste too much time.”

Then, as if her mood had improved, she slowly walked back to the Buztout residence.

Only Shien remained, rubbing his ear and muttering,

“What a vixen.”

His words were clearly audible in the silent plaza.

But no one commented.

They simply watched Shafney’s retreating figure, wanting to shout and stop her, to keep her within their sight.

But they couldn’t.

Because her words still echoed in their ears:

“I don’t care about the feelings of insignificant people like you.”

“I don’t care whether you live or die, nor what you want to do. Even if you say you love and admire me, I still don’t care. It’s your business, not mine.”

“What I care about is the feelings of that troublesome brother-in-law of mine.”

These words told them that Shien was right.

Shafney didn’t want to see them, she didn’t even pay attention to them.

This was the reality, a cruel reality, a reality they all knew but didn’t want to admit. The proof was that since appearing, she hadn’t even glanced at them, as if they didn’t exist.

“Wuuu…” A suppressed sob echoed, triggering a chain reaction. These dignitaries, some of high status, some of great strength, either looked dejected or shed tears of despair.

Soon, many silently left.

Misji also took one last, longing look at Shafney’s retreating figure, then went to Meldo, instructing his knights to take him away, and left silently.

Josef, as if having cut off his emotions, limped away, his disciples hurriedly following.

Nobu, still unwilling to accept his defeat, his fists clenched tightly, finally left with his beastmen warriors, his heart filled with dejection.

The sound of carriage wheels echoed through the plaza before the Buztout residence as the gathered crowd dispersed.

Those who had been watching from the shadows also spoke, their voices filled with melancholy.

“Let’s go.”

“Today’s conflict ended without any major incidents.”

“I didn’t expect Shafney, the Succubus, to actually appear.”

“But many would probably rather she hadn’t.”

“Indeed.”

“After all, their dreams are shattered now.”

“It was just a dream. Even if it wasn’t shattered, they would eventually wake up.”

“The most beautiful woman in the three realms, perhaps no one is worthy of her.”

“Of course, she has lived for tens of thousands of years, through countless eras, and she hasn’t favored any man. How could she possibly be interested in someone from our era?”

“Let’s go, she’s not someone we can have.”

“Let’s go get drunk.”

Just like that, everyone quietly left.

Only Yuler, the Pope, remained, staring at the Buztout residence, his old eyes filled with unreadable emotions.

Shien, after a moment of thought, walked towards him.

But before he could speak, Yuler spoke first.

“Actually, I knew all along. It was just wishful thinking,” he said, his voice filled with loneliness, “Compared to Her Highness, who has lived for tens of thousands of years, I’m just an old man who has lived for a hundred. Even when I met her by chance over twenty years ago, I was already old. How could anything happen between us?”

Hearing this, Shien was silent for a moment, then said softly, “But you still wanted to see her, right?”

“Yes,” Yuler said, a kind and gentle smile on his face, as if speaking to someone who wasn’t there, “I dedicated my life to God, thinking I would never experience love like a normal person, until she appeared.” She gave him the experience of a normal person, and although it wasn’t a pleasant experience, at least he had something he thought he would never have. Therefore…

“I’m actually very grateful to Her Highness.”

Leaving these words, Yuler turned and left.

His retreating figure seemed even older than before.

Shien watched him leave, his heart filled with emotion.

Not just him, but also Yulin.

“I don’t understand. After Shafney treated them like that, why aren’t they resentful, but heartbroken, as if they’ve lost their dreams?” she asked, coming to Shien’s side.

Shien shook his head.

“Perhaps, in their hearts, Shafney is too perfect.”

But Shafney, although incredibly beautiful, wasn’t necessarily “good.” She had seen too much desire, too much cheap love, and thus, she disdained the world. But at the same time, she was also very clear-headed. If she wasn’t interested, she wasn’t interested, and she wouldn’t put on a pretense for her own purposes.

Although countless people were captivated by her, she never exploited them. She had clear boundaries, never abusing their hearts, never giving them false hope. Perhaps this was partly due to [Ripple Heart Demon], which made her afraid of opening her heart to others, but it was mostly her own principles.

Today, her words and actions were incredibly cruel, shattering the dreams they held dear, but wasn’t this also a form of kindness? She told them directly that she wasn’t interested in them, so they shouldn’t waste their time on her. Perhaps this way, they could escape their morbid infatuation with her and truly live their own lives.

Like Gray, if he had woken up earlier, he wouldn’t have had to abandon so much, his family and his country, wasting over twenty years in Succubus City, and he could have traveled the world with Hart.

That was his true wish, wasn’t it?

Those present today were the same. For Shafney, they must have given up something, sacrificed something.

And now, they might, like Gray, find their true path in life.

This was the liberation Shafney gave them.

“Is that so?” Yulin nodded, seemingly understanding. Although she had become much smarter after transforming into a human, she was still a dragon, and understanding the nuances of human emotions would take time.

Of course, this wasn’t important.

What was important was…

“Then, in Master’s heart, is Sister Shafney perfect?” Yulin asked curiously.

Shien’s breath hitched, then he rolled his eyes. “Perfect?” he asked disdainfully, “I’d be grateful if I didn’t think she was a devil.”

Leaving these words, he turned and returned to the residence.

Yulin, looking at him, suddenly smiled.

“So that’s why Sister Shafney favors Master,” she murmured. Although she still had much to learn, she understood.

But she wouldn’t say it aloud.

Because…

“Yulin’s stupid master, such a womanizer, flirting with so many older sisters, let’s see how you’ll handle this in the future,” she said, sticking her tongue out at Shien. Then, she transformed into a black dragon, landed in the plaza, and lay down, dozing.

Today’s events told her that this house still needed her protection. Therefore, she decided to stay guard here, letting everyone see the black dragon blocking the Buztout residence’s gate, hoping to deter any unwanted visitors. With this thought, she fell asleep, not noticing a graceful figure standing on a distant rooftop.

“It seems there’s no need for me to appear,” Lucy said with a smile, then, remembering Shafney whispering intimately into Shien’s ear, her smile disappeared. “You dare flirt with even the Succubus, you bold, shameless man, do you think you can do whatever you want just because you’re the Hero?” she muttered, gritting her teeth and plotting her revenge against Shien.

…

At the same time, Shien, having dealt with his family’s inquiries, returned to his room.

“I’m going to give you a good talking to today…” he said, pushing open the door with a fierce expression, but his voice trailed off as he saw what was inside.

“You’re back?”

Shafney was lying on the bed, just as he left her, only a single piece of clothing covering her alluring body, her shoulders, legs, arms, and back bare, beckoning him with a smile.

“Shall we continue?” The Shafney who wanted to escape from his advances was now actively seducing him.

Shien fell silent, then resolutely closed the door.

“If I don’t go to hell, who will?” he said, walking towards the bed with determination.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.