Chapter 284: Chapter 284: Taking Advantage

After taking a deep breath, a decision formed in his mind.

"If my son were still here," he muttered to himself, "he would have definitely stopped me. He always hated it when I had to beg."

Slowly, he got up, bowed to Ronak, and whispered an apology that was only audible to him. Then, without another word, he turned and began to leave.

The others in the crowd were disappointed, and some even clenched their fists in regret.

Ivy didn’t stop him.

Though Ivy pitied Matt from the depths of her heart and truly felt compassion for him, she knew the harsh reality: if she dared to help him in front of the entire crowd, others would inevitably rush forward to exploit her kindness.

Just as that thought crossed her mind, a man suddenly pushed through the crowd and dropped to his knees before her. His desperate voice echoed through the heavy silence.

"Please, Madam! I’m the father of three children. They’ve been thirsty since morning if they don’t get even a drop of water soon, they’ll die!"

The man was none other than Sebastian.

However, Sebastian wasn’t as destitute as he pretended to be.

In truth, he was among the fortunate few who had hoarded vast supplies before the apocalypse struck. He had food, money, and even extra provisions, but greed had driven him here.

From memory, he knew that Ivy was no ordinary woman.

He had seen her hand over crystals to the guards with effortless ease when she entered the Moonjewel base for the first time and had even noticed her strolling about with a tomato in her hand earlier that day.

He’d personally witnessed her sharing food with her family.

Though she had done it discreetly, Sebastian was sharp.

’She definitely has more,’ he thought, eyes glinting with calculation. ’Not just water, but food too.’

He understood that women were often soft-hearted, and if he could make her yield just once, he could continue extracting sympathy from her, pretending to be impoverished.

As long as there is a first time, then there will be a second time and then a third...

And if Ivy ever dared not to help, he can pretend to be pitiful in front of crowd and squeeze out every ounce of value Ivy would be left with!

The more he schemed, the more confident he became.

Looking up with feigned misery, Sebastian began,

"I know, Lady, that you’re in a difficult position. You’re worried about what the crowd will think, but I promise... no one else will ask for more if you help me. Just two bottles of water... that’s all I ask. I won’t trouble you again."

Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Some who knew Sebastian’s true background exchanged disgusted looks, whispering, "Shameless man..." while others, unaware of his deceit, began to sympathize.

A few even stepped forward and said,

"Miss Ivy, if you truly wish to do a good deed, please... just give him two bottles. It’s not much, and if needed, we can all chip in crystals."

Ivy’s gaze swept over the crowd before resting on Sebastian. Her tone was calm, yet sharp. "You claim to be in such dire need. Is that so?"

"Yes," Sebastian nodded fervently.

Ivy’s lips curved into a faint, cold smile. "Then I’ll personally raid your house before giving you those bottles."

Does this man think she was blind? After spending a decade in apoclaypse in her previous life, Ivy could practically read faces and guess the motives.

Sebastian froze, utterly stunned. "W-What?" he stammered.

This wasn’t how things were supposed to go. Wasn’t she supposed to act merciful and kind, handing over the bottles? Why was she even considering verifying his claim?

Taking a deep breath, he forced a shaky smile.

"Of course, you can come see my house. I’ve got nothing to hide." Inside, however, his mind churned in panic. ’She won’t really go through with this... will she?’

He desperately wished that Ivy would stop.

But Ivy’s next words shattered that hope. "Good," she said evenly. "Lead the way."

As they walked, Sebastian’s palms grew clammy. His thoughts raced, searching for an excuse, any excuse, but none came.

When they arrived outside his home, he clenched his fists and turned to her. "Do you not have even an ounce of trust in me?" he asked, his voice trembling between anger and fear.

"I’ve seen far too many people feign misery to gain pity," Ivy replied coolly. "And most of them live better than those they deceive."

Sebastian’s expression faltered. He hesitated, then spoke in a wounded tone. "Your words hurt me deeply, Lady. I won’t bother you anymore."

"That won’t do," Ivy said, smirking faintly. "We’ll still be conducting a check."

Sebastian’s eyes widened, but before he could protest, Ember, who had silently followed Ivy, stepped forward. "I’ll help," she said curtly.

Ignoring Sebastian’s attempt to block her path, Ember shoved the door open and began searching the house. Her sharp eyes caught a faint, uneven patch on the floor. A knowing smirk tugged at her lips.

Without hesitation, she stomped hard. The ground gave way, revealing a hidden passage beneath.

Ember didn’t move further, nor did she retreat. Instead, she fixed her cold gaze on the now-pale Sebastian.

"So," she asked softly, "do you still want those water bottles?"

Did he think he could scam his sister and she would stay silent? Stupid man!

Sebastian’s composure broke entirely. "N-No... I was wrong," he stammered. "I was just trying to take advantage. I admit my mistake."

Ember didn’t push further. Exposing his secret stash would be tantamount to destroying him completely, and that wasn’t her goal. Calmly, she turned and walked out of the house.

Sebastian exhaled shakily, relief flooding through him... but the damage was already done. The crowd that had followed had seen everything.

"Sebastian, you are a beast. How can you act pitiful and gain sympathy when you already have enough?" someone shouted.

"He’s a disgrace to our base! Leader Ronak, please kick him out!" another added.

A few even compared, murmuring, "At least Matt knew his limits. He didn’t beg endlessly or deceive anyone."

The others nodded in agreement, their sympathy for Matt deepening. After all, everyone could now see Matt’s plea had been born of genuine desperation, while Sebastian’s had been pure deceit.