Interstellar Beast World: All My Husbands Are Powerful and Rich!-Chapter 144: Soon

Banquet Hall — Firebird Clan

Sylas leaned against a marble pillar near the tall arched windows, his expression dark with impatience and barely concealed disgust.

His assistant, Joel, came hurrying over, slightly out of breath.

"Young Master, why are you hiding here? Mindy Lane has been looking for you everywhere. She’s on the verge of losing her temper."

"What does she want this time?" Sylas asked flatly, irritation obvious in his tone.

Joel hesitated before answering in a lowered voice.

"She wants you to help her arrange a meeting with His Highness Prince Vincent."

Sylas let out a cold laugh.

"She really overestimates herself. She even dares to set her sights on Prince Vincent?"

She must have lost her damn mind.

Before he could say more, Mindy arrived with several of her partners in tow. Spotting Sylas by the window, she frowned and bit her lip in frustration.

"Sylas, why are you hiding here instead of staying by my side? It’s quite offensive."

She stepped closer, her voice sharp.

"Don’t forget—it was your clan leader who ordered you to remain with me. If you disobey me, I’ll send you back. Let’s see how you explain that to your clan while keeping your face."

Suppressing his temper, Sylas straightened.

"His Highness Prince Vincent isn’t in the Firebird Clan. If you’re dreaming of forming a bond with him, you’d better give up."

"He’s not here?"

Mindy had come to the Empress Matriarch’s birthday banquet precisely to seek an introduction to Vincent. She had no real connections of her own. Though her current partners all came from noble families in the Central District, none held actual power. None could gain access to someone like Vincent.

Only Sylas could. As the young master of the Golden-Winged Roc Clan, he at least had the qualifications.

"Has he still not returned from his leave?" she pressed, recalling rumors that Vincent had once gone missing.

Concern flickered across her face—but only briefly.

"Sylas, send someone to investigate. I want to know where he is."

Then her gaze shifted, sharpening.

"And I spotted a male in the banquet hall just now. He’s already someone else’s matched partner. I’m going to challenge his Female Master to a wager and win him from her."

She smiled faintly.

"If you help me get him, I’ll allow you to return to the Golden-Winged Roc Clan. How about that?"

Among certain females, it wasn’t uncommon to gamble their matched partners or followers in reckless bets.

Sylas stared at her, disbelief etched across his face.

"You already have more than a dozen partners and over twenty followers. Isn’t that enough?"

She even intended to gamble for someone else’s matched partner. How greedy could one person be?

Mindy sniffed lightly.

"If my partners were like you—or like His Highness Prince Vincent—that would be enough. But they aren’t."

Noble birth meant little if they were useless.

Sylas didn’t want to help her. "And what if that Female Master refuses to wager?"

"She won’t refuse," Mindy said confidently. "I’ll make sure she agrees."

With that, she grabbed his arm and dragged him forward.

***

Meanwhile, Rory exited the Empress Matriarch’s palace alongside Lola Brandon and Lola’s partner, heading toward the main banquet hall to find Jasper and the others.

Vincent had remained behind to discuss internal matters of the Firebird Clan with the Empress Matriarch and his father.

"Big Sis," Lola whispered eagerly, "once we reach the front hall, we’ll first check out Lian from the Nine-Tailed Sky Fox Clan. After that, I’ll take you to see the males from the Water Realm."

She leaned closer, excitement sparkling in her eyes. "I heard there’s a merman named Wen from the Siren Clan—rare pink scales. They say he’s stunning."

A pink mermaid?

Rory’s curiosity was instantly piqued. Even imagining it was enchanting.

"Is Wen here?" she asked softly.

"He should be. I’ll help you find him."

Soon they arrived at the Firebird Clan’s exclusive botanical garden banquet hall, filled with luminous alien flora that shimmered under floating crystal lights.

The moment Rory stepped in, Jasper, Nix, and Xarion sensed her presence and moved swiftly toward her.

"Female Master!"

Nix ran up first, only to notice the female who had just been pestering him approaching again.

His expression darkened.

"Female Master, Xarion said there’s something disgusting here. Let’s go that way."

"Stop. You’re not leaving." Mindy strode forward with Sylas, surprise flashing in her eyes.

"Rory? So you’re Nix’s Female Master?"

Though she had forgotten certain past incidents involving divine fire, she still remembered Rory.

"Good. That makes this easier." She pointed at Nix. "I’ve taken a liking to your matched partner. Let’s wager. If I win, you hand Nix over to me. If I lose, I’ll give you Sylas."

She shoved Sylas forward slightly.

Sylas hadn’t intended to agree, but the moment he truly saw Rory up close, he froze.

He didn’t know her.

Yet seeing her stirred an inexplicable familiarity—an impulse to approach her, to remain by her side.

Was this what they called love at first sight?

Mindy continued enthusiastically.

"You probably don’t know who Sylas is. He’s the young master of the Golden-Winged Roc Clan—Central District nobility. Rank Eight peak. Same Rank as your matched partner. It’s a fair wager."

Sylas stood beside her, gaze fixed on Rory.

Would she agree?

A strange hope rose in his chest. If she accepted, he would ensure Mindy lost.

Nix wouldn’t be taken—and he could remain with Rory legitimately.

Rory had heard Sylas’s name many times and had even once saved him. But this was the first time she truly looked at him.

Golden hair. Deep-set, sharp features. High brow ridge casting faint shadows over pale blue eyes. Long golden-brown lashes curved like butterfly wings when he blinked.

Beautiful.

But his eyes held too much—ambition, calculation, desire.

He was too complicated.

Rory looked at Mindy as though she were insane.

"Nix is my matched partner. He’s not some object to be gambled away." Her voice sharpened. "Who do you think you are to set your sights on him?"

Today was the Empress Matriarch’s birthday. Rory didn’t want to cause a scene. Otherwise, she would’ve acted already.

She tightened her hold on Nix’s hand and turned to leave.

Nix’s heart swelled with joy. He had known it—his Female Master would never gamble him away.

"Stop her," Mindy ordered Sylas.

Sylas hesitated, then stepped forward, reaching out. "Miss... perhaps you could reconsider Lady Mindy’s proposal. I’m no worse than Nix. I—"

He couldn’t finish what he meant in front of Mindy.

Rory cut him off coldly. "Who do you think you are? Comparing yourself to Nix? Do you even qualify?" 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

This blond really was too arrogant.

Sylas stared at her, stunned. "You misunderstand me. I meant—"

He never finished. A hammer of ice slammed into him.

Bang!

He crashed into a nearby pillar, cracking it. Before he could rise, a purple-black serpent tail lashed out—

Bang!

Sylas collapsed, coughing blood.

Jasper had no idea why Sylas was entangled with Mindy—but with that brain of his, he definitely didn’t belong near Rory.

Xarion drifted forward lazily, resting his head on Rory’s shoulder.

He pointed at the bleeding Sylas. "Female Master... I didn’t use much strength. He’s not dead."

Rory nodded approvingly. "I saw. Well done."

Rank Eleven.

That half-dead-looking Rank Eleven was also her matched partner.

Mindy’s jealousy erupted like wildfire.

Rory had once only been Rank Four—and already had Jasper and Nix. Now she had a Rank Eleven, too?

Was the Beast God insane?

She glared at Rory. "Your matched partner injured my people at the Empress Matriarch’s banquet. You owe me an explanation."

Lola Brandon had seen enough.

Mindy had started the trouble—and now dared to demand compensation?

"You caused a scene at my mother’s birthday banquet and now want to extort my sister-in-law?"

Her gaze turned icy. "The Firebird Clan does not welcome females like you—or your partners and followers. Leave immediately."

At her signal, her partner summoned the guards.

They surrounded Mindy and her entire entourage.

"What sister-in-law?" Mindy snapped, confused but defiant. "You dare expel me? I was personally invited by the Empress Matriarch! I was saved by the Beast God’s divine fire! Aren’t you afraid of divine punishment?"

Rory let out a cold laugh. "If the Beast God is angry, he can come find me."

She turned calmly to Xarion. "Throw them out."

Xarion straightened slowly.

Ice ropes shot from his fingertips, binding Mindy, her partners, her followers—and Sylas—into a tangled chain.

With a slight flick of his finger, they were hurled clear beyond the Firebird Clan’s territory.

"Too weak," Xarion muttered in disdain.

***

In a shadowed corner, Aren watched everything, eyes burning with obsession as they followed Rory.

"As expected of the female I’ve chosen. She treats her matched partners well."

But they were obstacles. A female like that should belong to him alone.

He withdrew into the darkness.

"Is everything prepared?" he asked quietly.

His subordinate bowed. "All preparations are complete. There will be no mistakes."

Aren’s lips curved faintly.

Soon.

Very soon.