The night before my assault on the city, I tasked Geneva with tracking down the Teppin family. They aren’t too important in the grand scheme of things. They certainly aren’t a threat. I doubt they’d disappear quietly into the night if I left to them to their own devices, Lord Teppin strikes me as the vengeful type, but there isn’t much they can do. The reason I kept the estate originally was to stop them from giving the crown justification for marching their forces into the city and complicating matters. Well, I’ve given the king all the justification he could ever want and expect his forces at the gates as soon as he can march them to me.

They really are irrelevant. So why am I going out of my way to have them tracked down? Because they ran. They escaped. That can’t be allowed. There can be only one outcome for those who work against me, failure. If an entire family goes around bragging that they escaped my clutches, then someone else will think they can do so too. It’ll encourage them when they should be thinking twice. It’s bad luck for the Teppins but they’ll have to suffer for me to make a point, though I have no idea what to do with them. I can’t keep them as servants forever…can I?

What am I thinking, of course I could. Who would stop me? The better question is, do I want to? And what kind of servants would they be? I don’t see them as I see the siblings or my quirky gardener. Can I have servants I don’t care about? If I can’t, do the Teppins deserve to be a part of my clan?

Sure, they’d be forced into serving me, but I don’t think of myself as a demanding lady. I’m also generous. It won’t compare to the wealth of a middling noble family governing a fairly important city, but they’d have plenty of funds and a nice bed to lay their heads upon. Geneva would also make them better versions of themselves than they could ever imagine. She would demand as much as nothing else would be able to serve me properly. She would make them faster, stronger, and smarter. They’d be dragged to the top of Harvest, and further.

Entering the house to the sound of the annoying older daughter’s loud curses, I’ve already forgotten her name, I don’t think they deserve it all. My clan deserves the best. Failing that, at least people I like. The Teppins don’t qualify at all.

The whole family is kneeling in the front room; the lord unfortunately no longer wearing a drab dress, the lady holding her younger daughter to her chest, and the older girl at the end. Their attitudes haven’t changed given their demeanors. The lord is resigned, his wife and youngest are terrified, and the older girl is indignant. Despite their differences, they all obediently remain kneeling, none of the four daring to twitch a limb. I’m sure that has something to do with the succubus standing over them. Geneva wears her usual charming smile as she listens to the indignant daughter berate her with truly vulgar curses. I frown as I glance down at Anna. She looks up as I tap her shoulder. “Don’t repeat anything she’s saying. It’ll make you dumber.”

The little girl nods seriously. Saints, she really takes everything I say to heart, doesn’t she? Ah, this is why kids used to make me nervous. They still do. But the little beastie is part of my family. Her future is already in my hands. I’ll mold her unintentionally no matter what so it’s better to do so with intention.

Though the Teppin family doesn’t hear my words over the oldest daughter’s shouts, Geneva notices me. Her smile stretches that much wider. “Welcome back, Lou.”

“Bell, see the kids are cleaned up and get started on dinner,” I say as the Teppins all crane their necks to look at me. Their eyes follow as I walk over to stand beside Geneva and I watch them in turn. Really, what am I going to do with these four?

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“Oh, look. The crazy cunt-licker herself is back.” The abrasive woman changes targets, addressing me with her unsavory comments. I focus on her and she sneers. “What’s it going to be now, huh? Going to make us scrub floors? Wash your ass for you? Don’t even bother. I’m not playing your stupid games anymore. If you try to make me serve a single fucking cup of tea, I swear I will break the cup on your thick head and shove the sharp pieces up your perverted ass. I’d rather die than play your dumb game!”

…why have you continued to let her scream this nonsense?

[You enjoyed her spirit.]

I did, didn’t I? Before people with too much spirit kidnapped my lover. By the Abyss, I feel so…different. Is it possible for someone to change in such a short time? Right now, I don’t see anything admirable in her little tirade. She’s just a brat that doesn’t understand how harsh the world can be. How fast everything can be taken from you. I thought as much before, but she doesn’t understand that I hold her life, and the lives of her family, in my hands. I don’t see any of the crippling worry I endured knowing my actions could get Talia killed in her features.

I think we should start there.

“Have it your way.”

“Wha—"

She can’t finish her word before Geneva is on her, her petite body knocking the bigger woman to the ground as dainty fingers wrap around her throat. The succubus could kill her instantly in a dozen different ways, but she drags it out, slowly choking her. Lady Teppin looks at me tearfully, begging me to intervene while clutching her younger, whimpering daughter tighter. Lord Teppin, to his credit, overcomes his fear and throws himself at Geneva. Her tail flicks him away with a whipcrack, throwing him across the room.

I step over to the dying woman, looking down at her. There it is. The fear. With each passing second that brings her closer to death, her circumstances sink in. Her hands claw at Geneva’s wrists and her legs kick, but there’s nothing she can do. Finally, she turns to me, eyes wide with a plea she can’t speak.

“Don’t look at me. You’re the one who said you’d rather die.”

Her fear turns to panic. She fights harder but only for a few scant moments, as her strength is fading fast. Lady Teppin is sobbing with her head turned away. She cradles the head of the youngest, but I can make out one fearful eye staring at her dying sister through a gap in the matronly arms. Lord Teppin is blabbering on about promises and money, but I ignore him. I own everything he has already.

Like that, the annoying woman dies, body going limp. Geneva removes her hands after the woman’s heart stops. The younger daughter pisses herself. Lord Teppin watches with a dropped jaw, tears welling in his eyes. Lady Teppin cries harder.

“…alright, bring her back.”

It’s a struggle not to laugh alongside my succubus as Geneva places a hand glowing with the green glow of physical mana to the dead woman’s chest and she jolts upright while taking a deep breath. Their expressions are incredibly hilarious, faint traces of fear and devastation lingering on the purest expressions of shock I’ve ever witnessed.

The revived daughter’s expression is the best of the lot. She is…utterly confused. As if there are so many thoughts in her head, she can’t focus on one long enough to do anything, not even to make a different face.

I snap my fingers in front of her until she snaps out of it. When she does, I can’t pinpoint the feeling behind her expression, but I have her full attention. “Did you like dying?”

Slowly, oh so slowly, she shakes her head.

“Do you want your family to die?”

She shakes her head faster.

“Then you better learn some damn manners fast. And you’re going to do what you’re told. Understand?”

She nods and I turn to the rest of the family. “Understand?”

The parents nod quickly but their daughter simply shakes in her mother’s arms. Eh, good enough.

“Get them cleaned up and feed them something. The ladies can rest but you.” I point to the lord who looks less than happy to be the focus on my attention. “You and I need to have a talk…after dinner.”

Don’t need the kiddies being worried about me.