As the number of males filing for divorce gradually increased, some females could finally no longer sit still.

Ordinary females started a joint petition to boycott the implementation of Release Therapy.

Meanwhile, some females from influential backgrounds went to the Royal Palace to request an audience with Her Majesty the Queen.

One or two were manageable; Her Majesty the Queen could handle them and move on. But as their numbers grew, she too began to feel weary of dealing with them.

And so, Lu Xiao was summoned.

Lu Xiao was still surprised when she received the summons again. The message didn’t mention seeing Ares, only that she should go alone. This meant Her Majesty the Queen specifically wanted to see her, and she had no idea what it could be about this time.

When she arrived at the Royal Palace, she found it had been completely refurbished. It was clear that the entire palace had undergone renovations recently.

It looked full of life.

However, as Lu Xiao was led into the Royal Palace by an elderly female attendant, she saw three older females gathered around Her Majesty the Queen before she even had a chance to see the Queen herself. Among them was a familiar face: Duke Green.

The moment she saw Lu Xiao, Duke Green’s expression stiffened, and she turned her head away as if she had just swallowed a fly.

Lu Xiao gave her a cold glance before respectfully greeting Her Majesty the Queen. "Your Majesty, good day."

"Xiao Xiao, you’re here! Quickly, a seat for Xiao Xiao." Her Majesty the Queen’s usual aloofness was gone, replaced by a sudden warmth toward Lu Xiao.

After thanking the elderly attendant, Lu Xiao sat down and smiled. "Your Majesty summoned me today. Might I ask what it is regarding?"

"Xiao Xiao, how is the rollout of your Release Therapy going?" Her Majesty the Queen asked with a smile, as if she were genuinely concerned about its progress.

"Very smoothly. We’re already beginning to see initial results." The words had barely left Lu Xiao’s mouth when the female in the pink dress sitting next to Duke Green spoke up. "Your work may be going smoothly, but you don’t care if others live or die!"

Hearing this sudden outburst, Lu Xiao raised her eyes slightly and asked quizzically, "What do you mean by that, madam?"

Her Majesty the Queen picked up her teacup and pretended to take a sip, clearly wanting no part in this.

Catching this out of the corner of her eye, Lu Xiao instantly understood the main reason Her Majesty the Queen had summoned her.

It was likely because the recent surge in divorce filings by males had severely impacted the status of females in the Empire, so these influential females had come running to Her Majesty the Queen for protection.

However, judging by Her Majesty’s attitude in summoning her, the Queen had no intention of changing things back.

This genuinely surprised Lu Xiao.

Once she understood this, Lu Xiao knew what she had to do and why Her Majesty the Queen had brought her here.

"What else could it be but your Release Therapy! It’s a severe infringement on the interests of females. I just don’t understand. You’re a female yourself, so how could you create something like this? Now, because of what you’ve done, males are clamoring for release, for divorce, for freedom! Aren’t you afraid of getting divorced? Honestly!"

Upon hearing this question, Lu Xiao smiled. At her smile, Her Majesty the Queen set down her teacup, knowing a good show was about to begin. Meanwhile, Duke Green closed her eyes, as if she couldn’t bear to watch.

"Well, I’m really not afraid of divorce. Perhaps you all haven’t heard, but in a few days, my partner and I will be holding our wedding ceremony. We have a very strong relationship. I don’t think something like divorce will be happening to me." Lu Xiao’s smile was exceptionally sincere.

But to the others, her demeanor was undoubtedly grating.

"Hah! Planning a wedding for a male... The things you come up with!" Upon hearing this, the female in the pink dress rolled her eyes, her face a mask of disgust.

"What I’m trying to say is, if you all do your part, would males still want a divorce? Everyone knows to pick up money when they see it on the ground. If marriage actually benefits a male, who would be thinking about divorce?"

"What are you trying to say? Are you implying males want to get divorced because we’re not good enough to them? That’s ridiculous! Aren’t they with us so we can provide them with Spiritual Soothing? They’re getting something out of it, too! Since that’s the case, isn’t it only right that they pay a price?" the female in the green dress next to her retorted, displeased.

Lu Xiao maintained her smile, seeming completely unfazed by their words.

Calmly, she said, "You said it yourself. Males are with you for Spiritual Soothing. But now, Release Therapy can replace you. It doesn’t require begging someone, and it doesn’t come at a price. When you are no longer needed, why can’t they get a divorce? Besides, when you were with them, how often did you perform Spiritual Soothing for them? For how long each time? Did you ever complete the task properly and conscientiously?"

As soon as Lu Xiao said this, it was no less than a resounding series of slaps to their faces.

The silence that followed was deafening.

"Are you saying that we have no more value?"

"Yes!" Lu Xiao nodded affirmatively. "Let me be honest with you. Potions for the Spiritual Sea Domain are constantly under development. It’s only a matter of time before they’re produced. The affliction of a male’s chaotic Spirit Sea will one day no longer be a concern for them. At that point, you truly will have no value to speak of. So, what then will be your reason for existing?"

Lu Xiao’s words made the hearts of every female present tighten involuntarily.

But Lu Xiao didn’t stop. She continued, "The reason you oppose the advancement of Release Therapy is that you’ve never seen them as your partners. You don’t even consider marriage a type of intimate relationship. Instead, for you, the only point of marriage is to make it easier to exploit them. Am I wrong?" 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Her words were incredibly blunt.

Even Her Majesty the Queen, who had been ready to watch a show, couldn’t help but reflect on them.

"Why am I not worried? Because there are genuine feelings between my partner and me. I sincerely want what’s best for him. Whether it’s the advancement of Release Therapy or the future production of potions, both can prevent the man I love from suffering. Why wouldn’t I support that? To me, it’s completely beneficial."

"But for you, it’s about exploitation. Because what you want from males isn’t love, it’s value. So now that you have no value to offer, isn’t it perfectly normal that males would rather suffer the penalties than stay with you?"

As Lu Xiao spoke, she still wore a smile, but the words she said today were brutally realistic.

Because times can’t stand still forever. As long as there is progress, the dominance of females cannot last. There will always come a day of decline.

She hoped that today, they would understand what she was saying.

And they did. They heard every word. And because they heard them, they suddenly felt a sense of dread.

Because what Lu Xiao described was gradually becoming reality. When they no longer had value, it meant losing their control over males. What would happen next was something they didn’t dare to imagine.