What, I Have to Pay Out of Pocket?!

A thief?!

A mage?!

Having picked out a few keywords, the woman hurriedly asked, "So you weren't sent by the Mutant Association to capture me?! You're the owner of this villa?!"

Luo Bai did not answer. He merely asked in return, "Do you think you're in any position to ask me questions right now?!"

She had broken into someone else's home without the owner's permission and could not even defeat the owner of the house.

Given the current situation, she truly had no right to ask questions.

Seeming to finally recognize the situation, the woman quickly apologized in a sincere tone. "I'm sorry. Ask me whatever you want to know."

Luo Bai clasped his hands behind his back, looked the woman over, and asked, "You mentioned the 'Mutant Association,' so you're a Mutant?!"

The woman nodded and answered sincerely, "Yes."

"What's your name, and why are you in my house?" Luo Bai asked again.

Only then was the woman finally able to explain herself.

"My name is Lorna Dane. I really am not a thief. I'm sure you must have misunderstood."

"I know it was wrong of me to barge into your home, but I truly had no other choice. I hid in your home to take shelter because I was avoiding pursuit."

"I only wanted to hide in your house for two days and leave once it was safe. I really didn't steal anything. You can check the rooms, really!"

As Lorna Dane explained, sincerity filled her eyes.

Hearing her name and looking at her appearance, Luo Bai knew she was not lying.

Lorna Dane, a Mutant.

Her alias was Polaris.

She was Magneto's daughter. She had inherited her father's abilities and could control magnetic fields to create force fields.

Her most distinctive feature was her long green hair.

A Mutant with long green hair.

Luo Bai had basically confirmed that the woman before him was indeed Polaris.

Combined with her earlier explanation, it was not difficult to guess what had happened.

In the Marvel Universe, Mutants had always held very low social status.

The main reason was that Mutants possessed extremely powerful abilities, and those abilities threatened humanity. That was why governments everywhere were deeply hostile toward Mutants.

The government had no way to kill powerful Mutants, so it could only manage them. Thus, the [Mutant Association] came into being.

The [Mutant Association] was an organization specifically responsible for managing Mutants.

They captured Mutants and placed them under control. They called it control, but it was really surveillance and research.

Therefore, once a Mutant was captured by the Mutant Association, what awaited them was inevitably torment worse than death.

For that reason, most Mutants were unwilling to be captured.

After all, who would willingly submit to torture?

Polaris was presumably the same.

In order to avoid capture, Polaris had accidentally broken into his villa.

Seeing that no one was home, she had planned to stay for two days and leave once it was safe.

Who would have thought that Luo Bai would return at just that moment?

Understandable, but unforgivable.

"Even if you may have entered by accident, breaking into someone else's home without permission is still wrong. And you even took a bath in my house?! You really made yourself at home!" Luo Bai could not help but complain.

Polaris looked somewhat embarrassed and hurriedly said, "I haven't bathed for a long time because I was avoiding capture... so I borrowed your bathroom. I'm really sorry."

"If apologies worked, what would we need the police for?!" Luo Bai frowned and continued to question her.

Hearing the word "police," Polaris became a little anxious.

"You can punish me. I'll do whatever you want. But please don't hand me over to the police!! Once they find out I'm a Mutant, I'll be transferred to the Mutant Association!" Polaris said urgently.

Seeing her like this, Luo Bai said in a deep voice, "You're making demands now?! You should know that given what you've done, even if I shot you, it would count as self-defense!"

According to U.S. law.

A homeowner could indeed shoot a criminal who broke into their home to rob them. It was perfectly legal.

Polaris clearly understood that as well.

"If you truly want to kill me, I can accept that. But please, don't hand me over to the Mutant Association," Polaris said.

Her words made it clear just how terrified she was of the Mutant Association. She would rather die than be captured by its people.

But that made sense. Dying outright was better than being tortured to death.

As the saying went: a warrior could be killed, but never humiliated.

Luo Bai could understand what she meant.

Her apology seemed sincere enough, and she was still a girl.

Although Luo Bai was annoyed that she had broken into his villa without permission, he did not hate her enough to insist on killing her.

With that thought, Luo Bai withdrew the Crimson Chains and dispelled the Mirror Dimension.

Everything around them quickly returned to normal.

Seeing that he did not continue attacking, Polaris asked in surprise, "Y-you... you're not going to kill me?"

"Your actions were certainly detestable, but considering that this is your first offense and that there were extenuating circumstances, I won't be too harsh," Luo Bai said.

"Thank you," Polaris quickly said gratefully.

The moment she finished speaking, Luo Bai continued, "However, I'm not planning to let you off that easily."

Polaris froze, and her expression instantly became tense.

"Are you still going to hand me over to the police?" Polaris asked.

Before Luo Bai could speak, she continued, "Please don't do that. Not all of us Mutants are as bad as the propaganda makes us out to be!"

"Ever since I can remember, I've been hunted. But I've never used my abilities to hurt anyone. I only want to survive."

"You don't know how they treat us Mutants. Nearly every Mutant in the Mutant Association has suffered inhuman torture. Many of my friends never even came back out..."

Polaris spoke on.

From her words, Luo Bai noticed something strange.

As he remembered it, Polaris's personality should have been much like her father's. She had also tried to resist the Mutant Association and had established the Mutant Underground for that purpose.

Why did it seem like she had no intention of resisting now?

Could it be that the timeline had not reached that point yet?!

Thinking of this, Luo Bai asked, "How old are you?"

"Eighteen," Polaris answered.

Eighteen. No wonder.

Polaris had only just become an adult.

Still, Luo Bai was somewhat puzzled, so he asked again, "I remember Professor X has been trying to negotiate with the government so that Mutants and humans can live together peacefully. You could have gone to Professor X. Why did you end up being hunted?"

Polaris sighed. "I wanted to save my friends, but I failed."

Luo Bai suddenly understood. At that point, he had nothing else to ask.

But Polaris was still somewhat nervous.

"So, how do you plan to punish me?" Polaris asked.

"I need a housekeeper. Since you delivered yourself to my door, you can be my housekeeper. For three months, you'll be responsible for cleaning my rooms, watching the house, cooking, and things like that," Luo Bai said.

Polaris was visibly stunned after hearing that.

She had considered every possible punishment Luo Bai might give her, but she had never expected him to make her... a cleaner?!

"Huh?" Polaris was dumbfounded. After a long while, only one word escaped her lips.

"What, you're unwilling?!" Luo Bai asked in return.

Polaris hurriedly shook her head. "No."

"Then it's settled. Oh, right. From now on, you're only allowed on the first floor. You can't go upstairs. If I catch you doing so, you know the consequences. Also, there's no pay for these three months," Luo Bai said.

Polaris froze again.

No pay, and she had to cook too?!

So I even have to spend my own money to subsidize this?!

Thinking of that, Polaris could not help asking, "Then the money for groceries..."

"You'll have to figure that out yourself. This is a punishment, after all. It's not like I hired you." Luo Bai shrugged and complained helplessly.

Polaris: "...All right."