Primordial Villain with a Slave Harem

Chapter 1286  Magnanimous Villain

The voice hit them both like an arrow to the head.

Sarra jolted as if suddenly she sensed a horrible invader and had to protect her charge.

Ericʼs pen trembled in his hand, nearly dropping and spilling ink on the parchment.

They knew that voice.

They would never forget that voice.

The Primordial Villain.

His deep, unhurried tone rolled straight through their minds.

the voice continued.

Eric and Sarra exchanged a stiff glance.

And gulped.

At the same time.

Neither dared speak.

Neither dared even breathe too loudly.

The pressure alone made their ribs tighten. Quinlan didnʼt need to be physically present. His voice was enough to squeeze the air out of the room.

To them, he wasnʼt Quinlan, a man who was multi-faceted as a person.

He was the Primordial Villain, a cruel, violent, and incredibly threatening existence.

The monster who had broken their estate in half the moment he arrived.

Quinlan continued, unbothered,

A sharp hum filled the study.

The air folded in on itself.

A gate opened directly in front of Ericʼs desk.

Garrett stepped out.

Ericʼs breath stopped.

Blue skin.

Familiar armor.

Sarraʼs longtime superior officer, now one of the villainʼs elite soldiers.

He carried a chest and set it on the desk. The metal inside clinked with unmistakable weight.

Eric stared at it, stunned.

Then, slowly, his mind caught up.

This was a power play.

Still having the station and representing a long line of Winterwood ancestors so long as he sat where he did, Eric opened his mouth to refuse.

But the villainʼs voice arrived first.

Eric and Sarra both stiffened.

The tone wasnʼt a request.

It wasnʼt even a directive.

It was the final word of a judgment.

A line that should not be crossed.

Eric swallowed hard. He already understood that arguing would be pointless. His life had changed only hours ago, but he was already painfully aware of how much worse things could be. If the first two hours were anything to go by, it wouldnʼt be bad… As long as he didnʼt do what he shouldnʼt have.

He bowed his head, unsure if the man could see him.

Ericʼs eyes widened.

House Merinth was old money. Old, conservative, notoriously vicious with debt. Winterwood had no formal ties with them.

Quinlan chuckled.

A low, dark sound that sank into the bones.

Eric felt it more than heard it.

Eric froze.

Sarraʼs breath cut short.

A chill crawled up Ericʼs spine.

Merinth was not included in the list of estates that were hit tonight. They were supposed to be spared… Just how many families had this horrible villain usurped tonight?!

How many had he already broken?!

How many were now under his silent control?!

How much of the duchy now lived in his shadow?!

Eric looked at Garrett, then at the gold-filled chest, then at the gate still humming.

And for the first time since inheriting his house… he felt that he was starting to get a grasp of just what kind of a force now moved behind him.

No, that was just wishful thinking. Instead of starting to understand the extent of this creatureʼs power, he was starting to understand that, in fact, he wonʼt be able to understand.

It was in this moment that Ericʼs survival instincts kicked into overdrive, and the man decided that if he wanted a chance at prosperity, he had to do his utmost to not only be loyal but also to stand out from the rest of his subordinates so that he and his people received extra benefits, just as it so happened right now.

Moving forward, Eric Winterwood would strive not to regain freedom and independence, but to ensure his master thought of him as a useful tool not worth disposing of.

And this exact thought process would one day let the man with a good head on his shoulders reap immense benefits.

Eric drew in a slow breath, trying to steady the tremor in his hands.