Half an hour later, back at Helda Palace, Scarlet now had a brand new mission on her plate. She had to fix the public outrage on the Star Network.
Honestly, it wasn't that hard. All she had to do was shoot a few videos proving Riley was still alive and upload them straight to the net. The rumors died down on their own.
But this whole mess ended up dragging in her other beast husbands. The ugly truth about how that vicious female Scarlet abused her husbands was starting to come to light. The more people dug, the more dirt they found. Countless terrible deeds were exposed for all to see. It basically sealed the original owner's fate of exile.
Scarlet pondered for a moment and came up with a great idea. She could use the public backlash to win over these beast husbands.
Later that evening, Scarlet sat elegantly at the head of the dining table. Before long, Riley, Kai, Ziko and Xavier took their seats one by one. They all looked like they were attending a funeral, but damn, they were incredibly handsome. Scarlet felt like she could eat a few extra bowls of rice just looking at them.
They settled at the table, staring at her with total apathy.
Scarlet picked up her water glass, took a sip, and said with a gentle smile, "Let's eat."
But no one moved a muscle.
Ever since they got married, the original owner had never allowed her husbands to sit at the same table. She usually just threw a dog bowl full of cheap food and nutrient paste on the floor, forcing them to shift into their beast forms and eat off the ground. She did it just to humiliate them.
Had they ever eaten at the table before? Just once. And when the silver cloches were lifted, the food on their plates was their own kind. Their own kind, dripping in blood-red ketchup.
This time they had no idea what sick, twisted game she had dreamed up to torture them. Staring at the silver covers, they felt so sick to their stomachs that they couldn't even reach for their forks.
"Scarlet, do you really get a kick out of this? Just end me or divorce me. I'm your husband, not your damn toy."
The young merman, Xavier, was the first to snap. He had come into this marriage so full of hope. He had even given up his title as a prince just to marry her. And what did he get? Nothing but her endless, cruel abuse. If he could, he would have dragged her straight to hell with him.
Faced with Xavier's furious shouting, Scarlet couldn't say a single word to defend herself. The damage was already done, and she couldn't change the past. All she could do was try to make it right.
"Well, since no one has an appetite, I might as well make my announcement first."
The next second, Scarlet tapped her glass with a silver fork. Trying to sound casual, she said, "Today I took a trip to the royal palace and had a little chat with my mother, the Empress, about you guys. Look, I know none of you like me. You probably despise me secretly. You probably wish I was dead."
Scarlet looked at their faces one by one. Some looked shocked, some looked away, some were icy cold, and some were perfectly calm. Taking in all their reactions, Scarlet continued.
"So I told the Empress I want to divorce all of you."
"Really?"
The moment he heard the word divorce, Xavier completely lit up. He had been losing his mind, wanting a way out. But under interstellar marriage laws, males had zero right to file for divorce. Their fate was entirely in the hands of their female masters. He had begged Scarlet before, but she only tortured him twice as hard for it.
Scarlet looked at Xavier and said with absolute certainty, "Of course."
But in her mind, she was thinking, Yeah, right. Like I'd actually get a divorce. It's just a stalling tactic. The original owner's tragic ending is burned into my memory. If I don't divorce them, I just have eight enemies. But if I do, that's just handing those enemies a loaded gun. I just need a breakthrough — a way to change their minds about me, so I can finally win them over.
"But," she continued, "the Empress made it clear. Interstellar marriage laws are incredibly strict. If we divorce, you all leave with absolutely nothing."
Before Scarlet could even finish her sentence, Ziko finally spoke up. "Fine."
Money meant nothing to him. Freedom and dignity were far more important.
Unfazed, she went on. "Your income for the next fifty years goes to me, too. And you can never marry another female for the rest of your lives."
Kai let out a cold laugh. "Ridiculous. After being married to you once, who the hell would ever want to do it again?"
He had never wanted to get married in the first place. If the Empress hadn't decreed it and his family hadn't forced him, he'd be out exploring the vast reaches of the galaxy. Never marrying again was actually perfect. His family wouldn't have any excuse to force him into an arranged marriage with another female.
Xavier, meanwhile, was getting impatient. "I don't even need to think about it. I'll sign the papers right now."
Scarlet shot him a sharp glare. "Don't interrupt me."
Xavier pressed his lips together in anger, his cheeks puffing out with sheer frustration. They can say whatever they want, so why can't I?
Scarlet reached over and pinched his cheek. "Because you're the easiest target, obviously," she teased with a grin.
"Scarlet!" Xavier shot to his feet, absolutely furious.
Scarlet just burst out laughing. "All right, all right, back to business. If you want a divorce, you're going to hear me out. The Empress has given me a three-month cooling-off period for the divorce. If three months pass and I still want out, she'll officially dissolve our marriage. Look, I've had my fun this past year. For the next three months, we play nice and keep the peace. The second those three months are up, we sign the papers. But during this time, you have to help me clear up all the terrible rumors about me on the Star Network. Otherwise, I reserve the right to cancel the divorce."
Scarlet picked up her knife and fork, meeting each of their eyes. With a tone of absolute authority, she commanded, "If you agree, start eating. If you don't, go back to drinking your nutrient paste and report to my bedroom tonight."
No one really cared about the first threat, but the second one was downright terrifying. Without a second thought, they whipped the covers off their plates.
The rich aroma of real food wafted through the air, instantly making their mouths water and their stomachs rumble. It was actual food — not some ketchup-drenched remains of their comrades.