Chapter 819: Punishment

Shortly after Yuan, Valeria, and Vrasha left the Ogre Tribe, word spread quickly of Vrasha’s absence.

"Did that madwoman leave the tribe with her mate? Her hut is sealed, and there’s an invisible barrier blocking anyone from entering."

"That must be it. She would follow her mate anywhere."

"Well, good riddance. At least now we won’t be dragged into one of her insane training sessions. That woman’s obsessed with power."

Whispers rippled through the tribe, each ogre passing the news with shock and disbelief.

The rumors soon reached Malgar, the tribe’s leader. Unlike the others, he already knew where Vrasha had gone, though the news still caught him off guard.

"So... she chose to leave with Yuan and Valeria for the Elven Kingdom," Malgar muttered, his expression carrying both surprise and contemplation.

"Leader, should we really let her go just like that?" an elder asked, worry etched deep into his wrinkled face. "She’s one of our strongest warriors, and the war with the Dragon Blood Tribe draws near."

"It’s fine," Malgar replied calmly. "She will return to us. That much, I’m certain. She still has her vengeance left unfinished... and she won’t rest until Kaelrath lies dead."

"Revenge, huh..." The elder lowered his gaze, speaking in a daze. "Yes... when you put it that way, she will return. Her training, her madness—everything was for revenge."

"That’s right." Malgar’s lips curved into a faint smile. "That’s why I have no doubt. Vrasha will come back to us."

—

High above the Elven Kingdom, Yuan, Valeria, and Vrasha hovered on their swords. Vrasha’s eyes widened in awe as she gazed at the magnificent kingdom below, the sprawling beauty far grander than anything she had imagined.

"It’s stunning! More beautiful than I ever dreamed... I still can’t believe I’ll be meeting the famous Queen of the Elves," Vrasha muttered, excitement mixing with nerves on her face.

Yuan chuckled softly and leaned close. "You forget—she isn’t just the Queen of the Elves anymore. She’s also your sister now. You’ll like her... and Sylvia too."

"S-Sylvia?!" Vrasha’s body stiffened, her eyes wide in shock. "You mean the Shadow Killer Sylvia?!"

"That’s right," Yuan said, raising his brows. "You know her?"

"Of course I do! I once crossed paths with her while hunting deer in the forest. We even exchanged a few blows." Vrasha nodded, recalling the memory vividly.

"Oh?" Yuan’s curiosity deepened. "And... did you win?"

"Well... we both withdrew our weapons after realizing it was a misunderstanding. But she was strong—unbelievably strong," Vrasha admitted, her tone serious.

"I see... Well then, let’s head to the palace. I’ll introduce you to everyone," Yuan said with a smile before guiding them down toward the Evergreen Palace.

They soon landed before the palace’s grand entrance. The two guards stationed outside immediately straightened, their eyes lighting up as they recognized Yuan and Valeria. Without hesitation, they pulled open the massive doors, allowing the trio to pass.

As Yuan, Valeria, and Vrasha stepped inside, the guards exchanged glances, both wearing faint blushes.

"He’s so handsome for a human... No wonder Her Majesty accepted him as her husband."

"No doubt. I’ve even heard from survivors rescued from the human lands that this man is incredibly powerful—stronger even than our Queen."

"That makes sense. Only someone both unmatched in strength and striking in appearance could be worthy of Her Majesty."

"Agreed. He fits perfectly at her side."

Meanwhile, Yuan quietly spread his Divine Sense throughout the palace. He quickly located his wives, most of them gathered in Mireya’s bedroom—some lying comfortably on the bed, others chatting casually.

But the moment his sense brushed across Anna Grace, Yuan stiffened. Her expression radiated a dangerous chill, and his heartbeat spiked.

’Mom looks furious... Why though?! Did I do something? Oh, this is bad!’ Yuan panicked inwardly.

Almost as if sensing something, Anna Grace suddenly frowned and glanced upward toward the ceiling. Her instincts flared—someone had been watching her, but the presence vanished in an instant.

’What was that? Am I imagining things? Or... am I missing my darling so much that I’m sensing him everywhere?’ she thought, puzzled.

Outside, Yuan quickly withdrew his Divine Sense and let out a shaky sigh.

’That was close... I thought I was done for!’

Beside him, Valeria chuckled softly, leaning close. "My, my... is my perverted husband actually scared of his own mom? How cute."

Yuan grinned back slyly. "It’s not just my mom who’s angry—it’s yours too."

The smirk on Valeria’s face instantly faltered. Her legs stiffened, and her voice dropped into seriousness. "You’re joking... right?"

"Nope." Yuan’s grin widened as he stared into her eyes. "She looks pissed."

"It can’t be... you’re just messing with me!" Valeria snapped with a cold sneer, refusing to believe him.

Yuan only chuckled. "There’s one way to find out. Let’s go. They look ready to explode right now."

"Mm..." Valeria’s confidence wavered as she reluctantly nodded, following Yuan and Vrasha down the hall toward Mireya’s room.

A couple of minutes later, Yuan, Valeria, and Vrasha arrived outside Mireya’s room. Yuan raised his hand and knocked gently.

"Mom, it’s me! Open the door, please..." he called, voice careful.

A sharp ’click’ echoed, and the door creaked open. Standing there was Anna Grace, her eyes blazing as she fixed Yuan with a furious glare.

"Oh, look, everyone! Our dear husband has finally returned—after spending the whole night out with Valeria!" Anna Grace announced, her voice dripping with sarcasm, her smile far too deadly.

’This is bad! Mom’s furious! She’s definitely going to kill me for not coming back sooner!’ Yuan panicked inwardly as her terrifying grin widened.

Almost instantly, Mireya, Sylvia, Xi Meili, Fang Xiaoyan, Rose, Julie, Ava, Leah, Emma, Vanessa, Angela, Aisha, and Lily gathered behind her, every one of them fixing Yuan with equally cold stares.

"So, you finally decided to come back, huh?" Lily said, her tone sharp as her eyes narrowed. "Do you have any idea how worried we were? Do you know Mom hasn’t slept all night because of you?"

"You’ll take responsibility for that, Darling," Anna Grace added with a chilling grin. "You’re an adult now—you must face the consequences of your actions."

As she stepped closer to him, her gaze suddenly flicked to the tall figure beside Valeria. Her eyes widened slightly at the sight of the woman’s gray skin, prominent horn, and imposing height.

"And who are you?" Anna Grace asked, curiosity momentarily overtaking her anger.

"Hello. I’m Vrasha, his mate," Vrasha replied simply, pointing at Yuan with a gentle smile.

"Vrasha... a lovely name," Anna Grace said with a softer nod. "I’m Anna Grace, his mother." She then turned and began introducing Vrasha to each of Yuan’s wives one by one.

Vrasha’s eyes widened with each introduction, shocked at how many women Yuan had by his side—and even more surprised to discover that one of them was a deadly demihuman: a serpent beastwoman whose body carried lethal venom.

When the introductions ended, Anna Grace turned back to Yuan. Without warning, she reached out, pinched his ear, and yanked hard, pulling his face down close to hers.

"So... she’s the reason you didn’t come home last night, isn’t she? I knew it. Otherwise, why else wouldn’t you return?" Anna Grace growled through gritted teeth as she twisted his ear harder.

"I-I’m sorry, Mom! I should’ve come earlier!" Yuan winced, gritting his teeth from the pain, but Anna Grace only pulled harder.

"Sorry? That’s all you have to say to me now? How heartless can you be?" she snapped with a wicked grin, dragging him into the room by the ear to punish him further.

Before shutting the door, Anna Grace turned to the others and warned in a cold voice, "No one dares to peek inside. Otherwise, you girls will face the same consequences."

Emma and the rest instantly nodded like obedient children, intimidated by her glare. As the door closed, curiosity spread among them like wildfire. What exactly was Anna Grace going to do to Yuan?

Moments later, Yuan’s anguished screams echoed from within the room, making everyone outside freeze. No one could see what was happening, but the sound alone sent chills down their spines.

The wives exchanged looks, torn between curiosity and fear. None of them dared to cross Anna Grace—her wrath was not something to test.

"Do you think Mother-in-law is actually beating Yuan?" Ava whispered to Rose, her face tense with worry. "What if he can’t even get out of bed after this?"

"Judging by those screams... I’d say yes." Rose sighed softly. "But he deserves it. He made us all worry sick. He has to take responsibility."

"Hmph! Mom should break his legs for that stunt." Lily crossed her arms and snorted coldly, though her sharp tone couldn’t quite hide the worry in her eyes.

Meanwhile, Vrasha stood off to the side, visibly shaken. Her fists clenched tight, her expression stiff as she swallowed hard at each pained shout from inside.

"Will he really be alright?" she asked softly, her voice laced with concern.

Mireya gave her a reassuring smile. "Don’t worry. He’ll be fine. Mother-in-law would never truly hurt him. She loves our husband too much to cross that line."

"I... I see. I just hope nothing too bad happens to him," Vrasha muttered, nodding weakly though the worry never left her face.

Inside the room, however, the scene was far from comforting. Yuan knelt on the floor, clutching his aching ears. His bare upper body was covered in red marks, his face swollen from Anna Grace’s "punishment." He looked pitiful as he raised his eyes toward her, fear and disbelief mingled on his bruised face.

Anna Grace sat calmly on the bed, arms crossed, her gaze cold and merciless as if she were delivering divine judgment.

’She’s so heartless... How could she beat her own son and husband like this?!’ Yuan cried inwardly, his face throbbing with pain. ’I’ll definitely get revenge for this later... somehow!’