Shadowmoon Manor’s, main Study.
Chu Tian was sitting behind a blackwood desk that was even wider than the bed in her bedroom.
He was flipping through a yellowed beast skin scroll, his expression focused.
Hearing the door open, he slowly lifted his head.
Those deep and inscrutable eyes pierced through the dim light, landing precisely on Su Nian.
“What is it?” He asked, his voice not loud, yet it stirred a low echo within the empty study.
Su Nian felt her scalp tingle under the Horned Demon’s gaze.
The tough lines she had rehearsed countless times in her mind were now stuck in her throat, and she couldn’t squeeze out a single word.
But at the thought of the expectant gazes of Little Green and Little Violet, she summoned her courage.
Humph!
If it weren’t for this Horned Demon Bastard restricting her development in every possible way, how could someone of her strength possibly be unable to afford the daily expenses of Little Green and Little Violet!
Therefore, asking the Horned Demon for money now was perfectly justified and entirely reasonable!
“I…” She cleared her throat, trying to make her voice sound less dry.
“My Magic Pet needs resources. They need to become stronger and grow, so… so I need money.”
She tried her best to make her voice sound calm, as if stating a perfectly normal fact, but her final tone still carried a trace of nearly imperceptible trembling.
“I did the math.” To increase her persuasiveness, she spoke the details she had calculated beforehand.
“Little Green is a Wind Elemental Holy Dragon. It needs to consume a large amount of high-rank Magic Beast meat every day to maintain its growth and energy; ordinary meat simply won’t do.”
“And then there’s Little Violet. It is a Space-system Spirit Cat. Researching and inscribing magic circles requires many rare materials—Mithril, Star Sand… these are all very expensive.”
As Su Nian spoke, she silently calculated in her heart.
‘Every month, I need… 8,000 gold coins!’
She took the actual monthly expenses required for Little Green and Little Violet, doubled them, and then added a bit more.
Asking for a sky-high price and waiting for the Horned Demon to haggle…
This was her negotiation strategy!
One must know that even the workers of Shadowmoon Manor only received a reward of 1 gold coin per month, and that was already considered a very high income.
The income of an ordinary person was only 20 to 50 silver coins per month.
Therefore, 8,000 gold coins per month was indeed an astronomical sum.
Upon hearing this, Chu Tian put down the scroll in his hand.
The corner of his mouth curled into a half-smile, a curve filled with blatant amusement.
“Oh?”
He leaned his body back slightly, resting against the wide and soft leather back of the chair, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked at Su Nian with composure.
“You want me to provide the money. To let your Magic Pet become stronger.” He paused, then suddenly leaned forward, propping his elbows on the desk surface, his gaze sharp as a knife.
“And then? Will you join forces to deal with me, your Master?” His voice carried a hint of playfulness, making Su Nian feel a chill from head to toe in an instant.
“No… No!”
Su Nian’s heart tightened suddenly, and her head shook like a rattle as she almost screamed her explanation.
“Su Nian… definitely has no intention of being an enemy to Master! Really!”
Her face turned red with anxiety, fearing he would misunderstand.
This time, she wasn’t lying.
After experiencing that crushing defeat at Blackstone Gorge, the unrealistic flames of revenge in her heart had already been mostly extinguished by the heartless reality.
Now, she only wanted to stay peacefully by this Horned Demon Bastard’s side, work hard to accumulate Humiliation Value, and strive to reach the small goal of one hundred million as soon as possible to ascend to godhood and gain eternal life.
At that time… perhaps she could truly escape this man’s control.
Chu Tian watched the girl quietly.
The atmosphere in the study stagnated for a moment.
Su Nian swallowed nervously, feeling the cold air slide down her throat.
A light sweat had already broken out in her palms.
A moment later, Chu Tian suddenly gave a light chuckle.
The laugh was low, echoing in the overly quiet study and breaking the suffocating silence.
“Very well.”
He reached out his slender fingers and tapped lightly on the smooth blackwood desk a few times.
The crisp sounds struck Su Nian’s tightened heartstrings one by one.
“Starting from this month, the manor’s Financial Chief Steward will allocate an additional fund to you.”
“As for the specific amount… 10,000 gold coins.”
This number was like a thunderclap, exploding violently in Su Nian’s mind.
Her eyes widened instantly.
Within her sky-blue eyes, an unbelievable, radiant light was clearly reflected.
That number was much… much higher than what she had repeatedly calculated in her heart, even after she had secretly inflated it.
‘This… What was wrong with this Horned Demon Bastard today? Had his personality changed?’
Looking at her stunned and cute expression, Chu Tian laughed inwardly.
To him, Su Nian was already his woman.
Regarding worldly possessions like money, he naturally wouldn’t mistreat her.
The Annoyance Value he continuously obtained from this little beauty was worth far more than any secular gold.
Just like the manufacturing process for the “Magic Phone” he had exchanged from the System Shop previously; it could no longer be measured by wealth.
Moreover, if Su Nian’s Magic Pet grew, it could also protect her better…
Not to mention… this was Su Nian taking the initiative to ask him.
He didn’t want to refuse.
“Really?” Su Nian asked again, somewhat unable to believe it, her voice carrying an irrepressible joy that she herself hadn’t even noticed.
“I never break my word.” Chu Tian said indifferently, his tone flat but carrying an unquestionable weight.
Su Nian’s heart was instantly and completely filled with a massive, surging wave of joy.
‘Great! 10,000 gold coins every month.’
‘Little Green can eat the freshest, most Magic-rich, high-rank Magic Beast meat every day!’
‘And Little Violet—those magic materials expensive enough to make one gasp, like Mithril, Star Sand, and Dragon Crystal Powder… I could buy them all for it!’
Let it research those powerful magic circles to its heart’s content.
She could also buy herself lots and lots of beautiful little dresses.
‘Wonderful!’
At that moment, inside her mind, that all-too-familiar System Notification sounded again without any warning.
“Ding-dong, Horned Demon favorability increased by 1.”
“Current favorability: -38.”
The smile on Su Nian’s face, radiant as a summer flower, suddenly froze.
‘Wait! Favorability… increased?’
Most of the previous favorability increases happened during those… those hard-to-mention “special circumstances.”
She could comfortably blame those on uncontrollable physiological factors of the body.
It was the influence of that damned [Lover’s Prison Collar] and her Submissive Physique!
It had nothing to do with her true heart but this time… it was completely different!
They were just having a perfectly normal conversation.
There wasn’t even a single finger’s worth of physical contact.
‘Could this be…’
An increase in favorability coming from her inner… psychological side?
‘Ugh…’
How could she toward this Horned Demon Bastard who imprisoned her and humiliated her—
‘No!’
‘Absolutely not!’
Su Nian shook her head frantically in her mind, almost as if she were going to shake her head right off.
As long as favorability hasn’t reached a specific threshold, it doesn’t prove anything.
Right!
Even between ordinary friends, if one occasionally treats the other to a meal or gives a small gift, it’s normal for “favorability” to increase a bit, right?
That’s just human nature…
Moreover, the Horned Demon Bastard was giving her such a huge sum of money every month this time.
She was simply happy because she received a large sum of money!
‘Right! That’s it. Who wouldn’t be happy after getting so much money?’
This and liking or not liking the Horned Demon were two completely different things…
Looking at the girl’s constantly changing expressions, Chu Tian obviously couldn’t guess Su Nian’s inner thoughts.
“Since I’ve given you so much money,” he added unhurriedly.
“Then tonight… repay your Master well.”