Reborn as the Psycho Villainess Who Ate Her Slave Beasts' Contracts

"Yes. Which brings me to you." Elara leaned forward. "I could destroy you the same way. Present evidence, force property transfers, exile you from Port Crestfall. But you’re different from them."

"How so?"

"You’re political, not economic. Your wealth comes from family holdings, not business operations. You’re connected to the succession battle through one of my sisters who could retaliate against me if I push too hard." Elara paused. "And honestly, I don’t want another enemy among the other princesses. I have enough of those already."

Marrs processed this. "So you’re offering... what? A deal?"

"An arrangement. You stop funding attacks on me. I don’t present evidence of your assassination attempts. We both pretend this conversation never happened and maintain polite neutrality."

"That’s it? No property transfers, no exile?"

"Correct." Elara pulled the paper back. "But understand: this offer has an expiration. If I detect any further attacks linked to you—directly or indirectly—I don’t offer terms again. I just destroy you and deal with the political consequences afterward."

Marrs was quiet for a long moment. Her fingers drummed once against her armrest—nervous gesture, quickly controlled.

"Why make this offer at all?" she asked finally. "If you have evidence, why not use it?"

"Because I’m calculating cost versus benefit. Destroying you costs me political capital in the succession battle. Creates another enemy among my sisters who might otherwise stay neutral. Makes me look aggressive and threatening to other princesses."

Elara stood.

"But leaving you alive and neutral costs me nothing. You withdraw from local politics, focus on your family holdings, and we never interact again. Clean. Simple. Efficient."