Nine Hot Therians and Their Only One Queen novel Chapter 358

**When She Opened the Door to the Life She Was Afraid to Live by Nora Vale Kingsley**
**Chapter 358: The Price of Betrayal**

As the air thickened with tension, Marcus stood beside Emma, diligently securing the elders with chains. His movements were precise, yet there was an undeniable edge of satisfaction in his demeanor.

Emma mirrored his actions, taking the storage bands from the elders’ trembling hands and systematically emptying their contents onto the cold, hard floor.

With a resounding clang, a veritable mountain of treasures cascaded out, glittering in the dim light.

High-grade beast cores, insect cores, rare herbs, potions, and crystals… the sheer volume was staggering.

Marcus let out a low whistle, his eyes wide with disbelief. “Didn’t expect you old fossils to be this loaded,” he remarked, a smirk dancing on his lips.

A surge of pride welled within Emma. All of this—every last piece of wealth—would belong to her female.

Neither she nor Edric had anticipated the sheer scale of the Enchanter Clan’s hidden wealth. The very clan that had always claimed poverty now revealed a treasure trove that dwarfed her own modest collection.

Turning to Edric, her voice was firm and commanding. “Take everything to our treasury.”

“Yes, Emma,” Edric replied, his expression a mix of determination and eagerness as he called for the guards. They rushed forward, ready to transport the hoard, each piece of wealth a silent testament to the elders’ deception.

“That’s ours!” one of the elders protested, his voice nearly choking on disbelief as he watched their life’s savings—centuries of hoarded treasures—being carted away without a shred of mercy.

“This is robbery! It’s ours—ours!” another elder shouted, desperation creeping into his tone.

Emma couldn’t help but scoff. “No herbs in your clan, yet your rings are bursting at the seams. Did these just fall from the sky?” she shot back, her disdain palpable.

“We—”

One elder attempted to defend his clan, but Emma interrupted him, bending down to pick up a shimmering crystal that caught her eye. The moment she held it, silence enveloped the room.

Her heart raced as she recognized the crystal, a rare material known for its use in battleships and mech construction. She had some of these in her own storage, precious gems that were vital for crafting powerful mechs and warships.

Lucien had once mentioned that these crystals were exchanged with Malrik, who had discovered a crystal mine on a distant planet beyond their domain. All these crystals had been mined under his careful supervision, and now they were being misappropriated by these elders.

Her gaze sharpened, filled with contempt. “These crystals were meant for the clan, weren’t they? Yet you pocketed them for yourselves.”

And what of the beast cores and insect cores? It was no wonder the Enchanter Clan was destitute; these old men were siphoning everything away.

If this is just what they keep in their rings, she thought, who knows how much more they have hidden away in their actual vault?

Giving treasures to Celia was akin to throwing them to the dogs, they thought, their anger boiling over.

As the elders devolved into a chaotic squabble, Emma rolled her eyes, exasperated by their bickering. She quickly ordered the guard captain to secure them all.

“Send word to the Enchanter Clan. Inform them that if they wish to see their people again, they must pay a ransom,” she commanded, her voice steady and resolute.

The guard captain nodded, his expression grim as he moved forward with his men, preparing to drag Celia and the elders away.

The elders, now panic-stricken, struggled desperately against their chains.

“You can’t do this!” an elder shrieked, his voice cracking with fear. “This is robbery! Extortion!”

He turned his glare toward Emma, desperation etched into his features. “Ms. Tibarn, even if you don’t care about yourself, think of His Highness Lucien and Commander Hamblin. They are Empire soldiers—heroes admired by all beasts! If word spreads that their female is a thief, what will the Interstellar Empire think of them? They will be disgraced!”

“Wait.”

Emma raised her hand, signaling the guards to halt their advance.

Seeing the guards comply, the elder’s eyes gleamed with a glimmer of hope, mistakenly believing that fear had taken root in Emma’s heart.