The demand stunned the room.

For a brief, breathless moment, no one spoke.

No one except the steward, who stood unmoving, his vacant eyes giving a subtle indication of the spell he was under.

Sir Hopkins took an instinctive step forward, his mouth already opening in protest, but Earl Kirkland was faster.

"What?!" Robert barked, his composure shattering. "What do you mean? My fiancée- are you saying you want me to give you my fiancée?!"

Ruel’s gaze lifted slowly to him.

His eyes narrowed.

"I did say so," he replied coolly.

Robert’s nostrils flared, his face flushing with fury, but before he could explode further, Matthis’s voice cut in, sharp with panic.

"Your Highness!" Matthis cried. "Why do you want my sister?!"

Ruel leaned back in his chair, utterly at ease.

"Because both of you owe me," he said simply. "So I’ll take what you two think belongs to you."

"That won’t happen!" Robert snapped.

Ruel tilted his head, studying him as one might study a poorly told lie.

"Didn’t you acquire Miss Nyx’s hand in marriage through a similar arrangement with Lord Matthis?" Ruel asked mildly. "What’s the problem now?"

The silence that followed was vicious.

Robert’s glare snapped toward Matthis- white-hot, murderous.

Matthis visibly recoiled.

Then, as though his strength had finally given out, he dropped to his knees. His forehead hit the floor with a dull sound.

"Y–Your Highness," he pleaded, voice shaking. "Please... reconsider."

Ruel looked down at him.

"You owed Earl Kirkland," Ruel said calmly. "That’s why you sold your sister into marriage, isn’t it?"

Hopkins sucked in a sharp breath.

Matthis didn’t answer.

He couldn’t.

The way his shoulders trembled said everything.

Ruel nodded once, as if confirming a fact he had already known.

"Fine," he said, standing slightly straighter. "If you won’t give her to me-"

Matthis’s head lifted just a fraction, a spark of desperate hope flickering in his eyes.

"... then I’ll take something else from the both of you."

That hope shattered instantly.

Robert stiffened, suspicion creeping back into his expression, his instincts screaming now that something far worse was coming.

"Since your bodies also belong to me," he spoke before he lifted his hand, beckoning Sir Hopkins, "Sir Hopkins, I want both of their right arms."

"Wh-Why mine too?!" Matthis squeaked whipping his head up.

"Well, I’ll half your debt to me in exchange for that arm." Ruel said and then glanced back at Sir Hopkins.

"What are you waiting for, Sir Hopkins?"

Sir Hopkins didn’t want to buy hearing that the young Miss whom he had seen at Valmest was forced into such an arrangement angered him.

He stepped ahead unsheathing his sword and Matthis flinched before he grabbed Ruel’s trousers, crying.

"Y-Your Highness, please spare me, I-I’ll pay you back!"

Robert instead grew angry, "Guards! Guards!"

The doors flew open and the guards rushed in.

"Get him!" Robert shouted pointing at Sir Hopkins.

"Go on, Sir Hopkins. Get me this fatso’s arm first." Ruel said, unfazed.

The guards unsure what to do stepped towards Sir Hopkins but Ruel simply turned to them with an intimidating look.

"Your Earl has lost everything but his title to me, including yourself, I’m your new Master."

"Don’t listen to him!" Robert shouted as Sir Hopkins moved closer to him.

The guards looked in between Robert and Ruel.

One of the guards gathered courage and started, "Y-Your Highness-"

"Stand down if you don’t want me to behead you all for treason." Ruel spoke, chilling everyone.

The guards stepped back and watched in silence as their Earl kept shouting for them.

Sir Hopkins grabbed Robert’s arm and brought it up while Robert resisted trying to push Sir Hopkins off with all his strength but it wasn’t working.

Ruel watched and waited and Matthis trembled at his feet.

Sir Hopkins raised his sword in the air and Robert felt his heart pounding so loudly that it seemed as if it would burst.

Just as the sword was going to drop on his arm he shouted, "Fine!"

Sir Hopkins stopped and Ruel tilted his head, "Fine, what?"

Robert gnashed his teeth as angry tears ran down his flushed face.

"I-I’ll break my engagement with Nyx, you can have her."

The smile didn’t touch Ruel’s lips but the red orbs shone like bright embers and Ruel glanced at Sir Hopkins, giving him a nod to let him go.

Sir Hopkins let go of Robert’s arm.

"His head," Ruel then pointed at Matthis making his eyes go wide and he clung to Ruel’s leg.

"Why?! Why, me?! Y-You have Nyx now so, why my head?!"

"If I leave you alive, you’ll gamble again and put this Barony in even more trouble. A parasite that can destroy the whole territory shouldn’t be left alive." Ruel said.

Sir Hopkins walked over to Matthis grabbing him by the neck and dragged him away but he kept clinging desperately to Ruel’s leg.

"Please, please, I’ll do anything. I’ll pay your debt! Please, let me go!" Matthis cried.

Ruel raised his hand stopping Sir Hopkins momentarily and then looked down at Matthis.

"You’ll do anything?" Ruel asked and Matthis looked up with desperate hope.

"Yes! Yes, I’ll do anything you say, but please spare my life and body!"

Ruel’s lips twitched a little before he said, "Fine, then hand over the only thing that’s left to you."

"I-I don’t have anything but my life." Matthis repeated and Ruel smiled.

"Oh, but apart from your useless life you do have something."

"What?" Matthis asked.

"Your right to inherit the Barony. Hand it over." Ruel demanded.

Matthis’s eyes widened but he didn’t take long to think, "All right! I-I’ll hand it over!"

"You will sign the papers of transferring the inheritance and then announce to the Barony that you will not have anything to do with the Barony or its people, or its money."

"Yes! Yes, I’ll do it!" Matthis nodded.

Ruel smirked and Sir Hopkins felt a chill run down his spine as he thought he just saw the Queen in the Prince’s demeanor.

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. He thought.

Ruel then turned his eyes to the Earl and announced, "You will also sign the papers, saying that all your wealth including all your assets, properties and resources now belong the Barony."

Robert opened his mouth to speak but Ruel lifted his finger, "I’m not done yet."

Robert frowned and Ruel continued, "And you are arrested for attacking me, a royal member. Guards, get this man detained."

The guards stepped forth and grabbed Robert’s arms, "Wha-What are you doing? I’m your Master! Unhand me! Your Highness, you’re making a mistake!"

The guards dragged Robert towards the door when they stopped hearing Ruel’s voice.

"And guards,"

Some of them turned, "This man is a criminal, if any of you thinks he deserved mercy just because he is your former employer then you will be beheaded alongside him. Put him in the cell where he keeps the poor commoners and give him only enough food and water."

"Yes, Your Highness!" The guards responded.

Ruel’s eyes turned sharper, "And if he escapes, I’ll have your hides."

The guards shuddered and stuttered their response before they dragged the shouting and screaming Robert away.

Ruel then looked at Matthis who was still there, "Take your clothes and go back to Valmest now, and if you dare to run. I’ll have your legs chopped off."

Matthis shuddered and he nodded, "I-I won’t run!"

Matthis grabbed his clothes hurriedly putting them on before he scurried away leaving Ruel and Sir Hopkins who was slightly unsure of what he just saw. It was as if the devil just delivered justice to a damsel and the sinking territory.

Ruel then looked at the steward, "You too, get out and tell the other servants to clean up this place. The new owner is going to live here so, make sure none of the Earl’s portraits or his belongings remain here."

The steward bowed and mechanically left to follow the orders.

Ruel then felt his control sway as he was at his limits, he stumbled back and plopped down on the sofa, closing his eyes and massaging his temples.

"Your Highness, are you all right?" Sir Hopkins asked.

Carlos groaned as he came back in control, "Yes, I’m fine."

Carlos breathed deeply and evenly massaging his temples while Sir Hopkins waited.

Carlos then lifted his head and looked at Sir Hopkins, "Go and send a message to Miss Nyx that she and everyone in the Valmest mansion are to shift to this mansion within two days. This is the new Valmest mansion. Also, tell the aide, what’s his name again?"

"Marimer." Sir Hopkins prompted and Carlos nodded.

"Yes, him. Tell him to prepare the relevant documents. One that say that everything that Earl Kirkland owned is now the property of Barony of Valmest and also Matthis Valmest is transferring the title to Nyx Valmest, he will not have anything to do with the Barony from henceforth. Also, arrange for his arrest for swindling the resources and money of the Barony and embezzlment."

As a royal adjudicator under Trial authority, his word carried the weight of decree. That was the authority that Ocean and the Trial had allowed him. It was sad that the supervising panel were too disgusted by Carlos earlier that they never got to witness this.

Sir Hopkins nodded, "Yes, Your Highness."

Carlos then gestured for him to leave. Sir Hopkins bowed and then left before Carlos tilted his head back letting out a laugh.

"I can’t believe, I did that."

"There is a lot more that we could do together, son."

Carlos chuckled, "Now she won’t have to marry a pig."

Ruel was silent for a moment before Carlos heard him sigh, "You’ve really fallen for that little girl, huh."

Carlos’s cheeks flushed but he didn’t deny it.