The Villainess Redeems Herself, The Beast Husbands are in a Daily Love Battle-Chapter 23: Ruthless and Merciless

He suddenly raised his head, eagerly retorting, "That’s not true! How could I possibly like that ugly and cruel woman? She always whipped me; how could I like her?!"

However, as soon as he finished speaking, his gaze sneakily shifted to Selene, only to collide with her smiling face.

In that instant, his tongue seemed to tie itself in knots.

He could only blush red, lower his head, and remain silent. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the atmosphere gradually eased.

Soon after, Selene and her group, under the guidance of Lady Wynn, entered the main hall of the mansion.

Upon entering the opulent hall.

Sitting on the high seat was Empress Rowena.

Lady Wynn was the first to bow in salute.

"Esteemed Her Majesty the Empress, please allow me to express my deepest respect. May you remain eternal."

The other guests immediately knelt down in unison, all paying respects to the Empress.

Though Selene felt a bit uncomfortable inside, she dared not make a reckless move. She could only force down her discontent and join everyone in kneeling.

"You may rise."

The Empress’s voice was not loud.

Selene slowly stood up, raising her eyes, and happened to meet the Empress’s gaze.

The Empress smiled gently, her lips curling slightly upward.

Then, she slowly shifted her gaze, sweeping over everyone present one by one.

"The Empire thrives because of you. Here, I toast to each of you."

She raised the goblet in her hand.

And everyone present, whether an old minister long settled in the center of power or a young person attending such a grand banquet for the first time, could not ignore the sense of oppression.

Even just a moment’s eye contact made one feel breathless.

Even Selene was somewhat tense, her fingers gently clenching, resting on her legs beneath the tablecloth.

Selene’s homeland had long abandoned the monarch system, and its society had moved towards a republic.

Her living environment leaned more towards the freedom and equality of modern society.

She had never truly come into contact with those lofty figures.

Her heartbeat involuntarily accelerated, and even her breathing became cautious.

But for Evan Sinclair and Ethan Sinclair, such occasions were more than suitable.

The two of them, dressed in formal attire, looked immaculate and exuded noble demeanor in their manners.

Years of rigorous training and aristocratic education had deeply embedded itself in their conduct.

As for Selene, she propped her chin up, watching them in boredom.

They handled the guests with ease, yet she felt only weariness.

Ever since she became pregnant, her body seemed to have a persistent fatigue that couldn’t be shaken off.

Since the banquet began, everyone engaged in frequent exchanges, mutual introductions, and mutual toasts.

The scene was once particularly lively.

Yet no one truly noticed Selene in the corner.

Evan Sinclair and Ethan Sinclair were a pair of twin brothers.

From birth, they had almost never been apart, always inseparable.

They seemed intentionally to ignore Selene, while those around them were uncertain how to engage her in conversation.

Thus, she remained quietly "forgotten" in the corner of this lively scene.

Finding it extremely dull, she decided to stand up, planning to go outside for some fresh air.

Being the private estate of Duke Osborne, the building was naturally grand.

It was one of the few mansions even in the entire Interstellar Federation.

The decor inside the manor was extremely luxurious.

Even more astonishing were the many rare, even nearly extinct, plants found throughout the galaxy.

Here, however, they were seen everywhere.

She slowly walked along the shaded path forward.

Suddenly, she heard a series of crisp metal collisions.

Accompanied by a sound of heavy splashing.

She stopped in her tracks, following the sound with her gaze and fixing her eyes on a half-closed window ahead.

Through the somewhat aged window lattice, Selene unexpectedly saw a mermaid she had once seen in photographs.

The mermaid was struggling in a luxurious, yet slightly eerie bathtub, body ensnared by loop after loop of heavy chains.

The chains wrapped around his chest, abdomen, neck, and those strong arms.

The friction between chains and skin emitted a faint scraping sound.

There was a flash of amazement in Selene’s eyes.

Could the legendary mermaids, who could cry pearls, truly exist?

And appear right in front of her?

She carefully lowered her body, lightly crouched on the damp ground, holding her breath, ready to act at the right moment.

As soon as the opportunity arose, she could seize the chance to blend in.

To see if there was a chance to make a huge gain on the side.

At this time, not far from her, several staff members wearing white hats and dressed in uniform, were holding sharp harpoons, fiercely stabbing at the mermaid.

"Damn it, why is this fish so hard to deal with? If the important events at the banquet are delayed, and the master holds us accountable, none of us will live in peace!"

Selene slightly tilted her ear, listening, with her face full of confusion, a question rising in her heart, "What do they mean by ’handling’? What is this process?"

The people launched consecutive attacks, yet could never hit the critical point.

Water splashed everywhere, their sweat pouring down.

In the water, their movements were hampered, lacking agility far more than needed.

Several attacks merely grazed the mermaid’s tail.

But the strength was considerable, scales were flipped over, and beads of blood slowly spread with the water flow.

The once-clear water surface slowly blushed with a light red bloom.

The mermaid let out a low, painful groan.

Blue hair drifted unpredictably in the water.

"Hurry, he’s not going to last long. Put some more effort!"

"Heh heh, today, with the Empress at the banquet, we can’t be lacking in the finest fresh sashimi; we must present the best ingredient!"

Another person grinned, a cruel smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

The people inside grew more and more excited as they listened.

The mermaid was finally enraged, his once gentle eyes now filled with hostility, baring sharp teeth.

Seeing this, Selene frowned, her face filled with question marks.

Her mind was in chaos.

"Sashimi? They want to treat this mermaid as food? What kind of joke is this? Isn’t this world supposed to be the legendary Beast World? Shouldn’t humans and the Beast Clan coexist peacefully? How could the Beastman Race eat people?"

Just as she was about to say something, a voice suddenly echoed in her mind.

"Though the land has explicit prohibitions against consuming humanoid lives, the Sea-kin have not been unified under management. Only some mermaids have completed the transformation ceremony into truly intelligent life forms, so some land-based Beastman Populace still habitually consume mermaids as food."

The system’s voice spoke coldly and mechanically.

Selene nearly spat out her saliva, a wave of nausea rising in her heart.

If she hadn’t timely intervened, she might have unwittingly eaten mermaid meat in the future without realizing it.

"This circle is indeed a bit chaotic."

Selene murmured to herself.

Selene turned her head with the intent to leave.

"Save me..."

His voice was incredibly weak, drifting intermittently into Selene’s ears.

His movements of hands and feet were becoming increasingly sluggish, even breathing had become difficult.