"Aghhhh... why? Why does she keep refusing to run away with me?" Ivis's mind was a storm of silent screams and jagged frustration. They were halfway through this grueling journey, and for fifteen agonizing days, he had lived a double life. By day, he played the submissive servant, tending to horses and avoiding the gaze of the Demon Lord; by night, or in the quiet corners of the forest, he had pleaded, bargained, and begged his sister to flee.

Every single time, the answer was a crushing rejection. He had been patient. He had remained calm, swallowing his pride as he watched Iris wither under the psychological weight of her impending "marriage" to Fuyu. But fifteen days was his limit. His sanity was fraying.

"I—I can't take this shit anymore! I fucking can't take it!" Ivis's teeth ground together as he watched the morning mist cling to the trees. If she wants to stay here and enjoy the beatings of these evil people, then so be it. If she wants to be a trophy for a man who treats her like a stone on the path, let her. "This is the last chance," he thought, his eyes narrowing. "I am disappearing right now. With or without her."

It was the perfect window. The sun was barely a golden sliver on the horizon. Fuyu and his harem had stopped by a crystal-clear pond for refreshment. The women were distracted by the water and each other, and Fuyu was draped in their attention. Ivis was stationed behind them with the horses, hidden by a thicket of brush.

He moved like a shadow. He crept toward a powerful bay horse, his fingers trembling as he unraveled the coarse rope from the tree trunk. But as he prepared to vault into the saddle, his heart shrank. A sharp, stinging pain lanced through his chest—a deep, primal desire to protect his sister flared up one last time.

I shouldn't be thinking like this, he scolded himself, his knuckles white as he gripped the reins. I have tried my best. I have offered her freedom on a silver platter, and she threw it back in my face. It's clear she doesn't respect me. If she loved me, she'd be standing here.

With a heavy, leaden heart, he finally mounted the horse. His eyes drifted involuntarily toward the bushes, wishing against hope to see a flash of her dress. "Ivis, get over it," he whispered to the wind, his voice cracking. "She's not coming for you."

He let out a long, shaky sigh, preparing to dig his heels into the horse's flanks. Suddenly, a heavy, rapid crunching of leaves erupted from the side. Ivis jolted, his heart leaping into his throat. Caught. I'm caught. They're going to kill me. His blood ran cold, but as he turned to face his end, he saw the unthinkable.

"Iris...?"

She emerged from the shadows, her hair disheveled and her chest heaving. "Yes! I've changed my mind!" she hissed, her eyes darting toward the pond. "I was so scared you had already left... thank goodness you didn't. I'm going with you, Ivis. Take me away from here!"

Stunned but fueled by a sudden surge of adrenaline, Ivis didn't wait for an explanation. He reached down, hoisting her up behind him. With a sharp kick, the horse roared into a gallop, hooves thundering against the forest floor as they tore away from the camp at top speed.

As soon as the pond was out of sight and the trees became a blur of green, a jubilant, manic smile broke across both their faces. They were far beyond the immediate reach of Fuyu's guards. They were entering familiar territory—the outskirts of their own province—where every hidden trail and rocky outcrop was known to them.

"But Iris, what finally made you change your mind?" Ivis shouted over the whistling wind.

"When you were explaining it to me before... I finally realized," Iris shouted back, her arms locked tight around his waist. "Why should I be a sacrifice? Why should I let myself be a slave when I can join forces with you? We will build a military, Ivis! We will gather the broken and the vengeful, and we will attack these monsters together! I'm done waiting for a miracle. You made this happen, brother!"

Ivis let out a boisterous laugh. He didn't care much for the logistics of her revenge plan; he was simply convinced that his own masculine resolve had finally won her over. They were free. The weight of the world felt like a feather.

"I'm sure they won't catch us now," Iris said as they slowed to a steady pace, though her brow furrowed. "But brother... what do we do now? We have no food, no money... how do we survive?"

"We find our way home," Ivis replied confidently. "Looking at the terrain, our village is close. Fuyu and his group were heading there anyway, but the fools won't reach it in time to catch us. I can't help but laugh at them. Especially that perverted man. He only knows how to use his wives like tools. Thanks to his arrogance, we're free. Hahaha!"

Iris joined his laughter, her voice dripping with mockery. "True. I have never seen people as stupid as them. And those women... I'm a girl, and I feel embarrassed for them. Such airheads! They acted like children playing in a park, not people of status. But truthfully... I was disappointed in Fuyu."

"Disappointed? Why? Were you expecting mercy?"

"No," Iris sneered. "I expected a Lord. Someone with a ruthless, crushing personality. People talk about his power and influence as if he's a god, but up close? He's nothing but a bull made of sticks. I don't understand how someone so vacuous became a Lord at such a young age."

She didn't admit the deeper truth: she had expected a "Prince Charming" in a dark cloak—a man who would be so masculine and prestigious that he would force her to fall for him. She had hoped to save her family by capturing his heart, but Fuyu had treated her with the same cold indifference one shows to a piece of furniture. His rejection of her beauty had stung more than any cage. Because he didn't want her, she had finally decided to hate him.

Back at the pond, the atmosphere was a stark contrast to the siblings' frantic escape. Fuyu was sprawled on the grass, his arms spread wide, looking up at the canopy. Lara and Katty were draped over his sides, their fingers tracing the lines of his muscles as they chatted lazily.

Sara, however, was positioned between his legs. Her head rested on his pelvis, her nose pressed against the fabric of his clothes, inhaling the intoxicating, manly musk that she found so addictive. She felt a deep urge to show her "skills" once more, but her throat was still raw and aching from the morning's intense sessions. For now, she was content to simply bask in his presence.

"So, this is what Manu was so worried about, right?" Katty asked, her hand resting flat on Fuyu's chest. "The escape?"

"Mmm..." Fuyu hummed, his eyes closed.

"Then why did you let them go?" Katty asked, looking down at him. "You knew they were plotting."

"Because they are useless to me," Fuyu replied casually. "Taking them with us or letting them rot in the woods is the same. I've already seen the path ahead; I know the way to the town. Why carry extra weight that doesn't want to be carried?"

"Hah! It's lucky you have such a long-distance vision," Sara murmured, her voice muffled. "Otherwise, we'd be lost without our little guides." She playfully licked at him through his clothes, a small moan escaping her.

"I thought you'd add her to the harem," Katty noted. "We were actually prepared to fight you on that—we were in a jealous mood! But you didn't even look at her."

"Oh? Really?" Fuyu opened one eye, looking amused.

"Yeah," Lara said, propping herself up on her elbow. "And you know... I've been thinking. At first, I was against you getting more wives, especially with Mother's influence. But now I feel bad."

"Bad? Why?"

"Because you're being nerfed compared to Manu!" Lara exclaimed, the other girls nodding in agreement. "Manu has so many women, so many children... and you deserve them more than anyone. You are the Lord. It feels wrong for you to have so few compared to your brother. We want you to have the most!"

Fuyu let out a soft, melodic giggle, pulling Lara closer. "That's alright. I've always preferred quality over quantity."

"Quality?" Sara asked, looking up.

"Meaning, none of those girls compare to you," Fuyu said, his voice dropping to a smooth, seductive velvet. "The power you three hold, the way you outshine every other woman I've encountered... why would I want a hundred copper coins when I have three perfect diamonds?"

The girls weren't entirely satisfied with the flattery, though they beamed under his praise. They began to crawl over him, their demands for "further proof" of their quality turning into a playful, physical struggle.

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