The staff, sensing the shift in mood, responded swiftly. He nodded and began drawing the curtains from all sides, enclosing their booth in a soft, muted elegance. Once done, he respectfully handed them the nu and excused himself, leaving them in peace.
He stepped out briefly to fetch so water and a bread basket for Hera and her friends—an elegant way to whet their appetite while they browsed the nu, subtly encouraging them to order more. Not long after, the staff returned. He had already inford the manager of Hera’s arrival, and upon hearing the na, the manager had personally assigned him to attend to their table for the evening.
Carrying a chilled pitcher of water, a selection of freshly baked bread, and an assortnt of butters and spreads, the staff returned with a polite smile, clearly eager to serve. It was a small but thoughtful gesture, setting the tone for the refined dining experience to co.
As soon as the staff arrived at the door of Hera’s booth, he noticed the VIP guest from the neighboring booth lingering nearby, casting him an uncomfortable glance. The man glanced at him with an unreadable expression, which neither looked fierce nor commanding, but his aura was still seeping from his body, making the staff feel as though he had done sothing wrong.
Shaking off the unease, he entered the booth and quietly placed the still-warm bread and assortnt of butters at the center of the table, then proceeded to pour water into each glass.
Athena, tired from all the chatting, imdiately reached for her glass and took a refreshing sip. Liz, on the other hand, helped herself to a piece of bread. Minerva joined the others in conversation after checking in with her brother, who had been pestering her for updates about Hera.
Earlier, Minerva had secretly snapped a photo of Hera admiring the artwork—her serious, focused expression giving her a different kind of elegance. Then, after Hera changed into her dress, Minerva took another candid shot of her standing in front of the full-length mirror, capturing her beauty from a more vulnerable and natural angle.
After seeing the photos, Rafael sent Minerva another million dollars, which made her giggle like she’d just won the lottery. She thought to herself that with a few more "pocket money" transfers from her brother, she’d have enough to kickstart her dream of becoming a beauty influencer or lifestyle blogger. With that kind of budget, she could splurge on clothes, makeup, and accessories without a second thought.
In her good mood, Minerva happily joined in the conversation with the others, not even realizing that Alice had slipped away. Without noticing it herself, Minerva had let go of Alice—no longer treating her as the center of her world, her confidante, or best friend.
Once, Alice’s moods had dictated her own; when Alice frowned, Minerva felt upset too, and when Alice was wronged, she was always the first to stand up and defend her. She even used to dream of setting Alice up with her brother.
But now, all those feelings had quietly faded. Instead, without a second thought or maybe without realizing it, she found herself actively supporting her brother’s pursuit of Hera, even knowing that so of his friends were also interested in her. Strangely, she didn’t see anything wrong with it.
Then again, this was a reverse harem novel, where such tangled romances were the norm. Most characters wouldn’t bat an eye at the overlapping affection, aside from the occasional trolls, whose sole purpose seed to be stirring drama just so the male leads could swoop in and defend the female lead.
Not long after, Hera began placing her order. "I’d like to try your signature dish," she said with a pleasant smile. "And if you have any recomndations, I’d love to hear them as well."
The staff stepped forward, eager to assist, and imdiately began listing so of the most popular items on the nu. As he described each dish—highlighting their flavors and why they were favorites among guests—Hera listened with interest and chose one that matched her taste.
His detailed explanations also helped Athena, Liz, and Minerva decide on their own orders. With such tempting options, none of them held back. Coming from wealthy families, the thought of spending a thousand dollars per dish wasn’t sothing that fazed them. After all, they were here to enjoy the experience.
After taking their orders, the staff promptly left the booth. As soon as he did, Athena leaned forward and turned to Hera with a grin. "Babe, the IGI Expressions Competition Finale is tomorrow—are you nervous?" she asked eagerly.
Minerva, who was sipping her water, shot Athena a puzzled look. Her brows furrowed slightly, confused as to why Athena was asking Hera that question. Hera wasn’t even in the competition—at least, not to her knowledge. She glanced between the two, clearly trying to piece things together.
Athena, catching Minerva’s confusion, smirked mysteriously and let the silence stretch, watching Minerva’s curiosity grow. Only when Minerva looked like she was about to burst did Athena finally speak.
"You might not know this," she said, her voice playful and full of intrigue, "but Hera’s actually participating in the competition."
She didn’t reveal outright that Hera was ’Andarta Aria’. That was part of the fun. Athena wanted to let Minerva stew in the mystery, to piece it together herself. After all, Minerva had once bullied Hera—so losing a little sleep or being tornted by not knowing sothing everyone else seed to know? That was a small and satisfying payback.
Sure enough, as soon as Athena spoke, Minerva began shifting in her seat, clearly intrigued and wanting to know more. All she knew was that she had been sent to accompany Hera and that Hera was supposed to participate in so kind of competition. She had assud it was the racing competition—not the IGI Expressions Competition—since she hadn’t seen Hera’s na on the official list, only Alice’s.
But maybe she hadn’t been paying close enough attention. From the mont they landed to the tis her brother had casually ntioned things, perhaps she had missed the subtle cues along the way. It hadn’t even crossed her mind that Hera might be ’Andarta Aria.’
Minerva pursed her lips in frustration, and Athena added with a mischievous smile, "You’ll find out tomorrow anyway. Just sit back and relax."
But how could Minerva possibly relax when her mind was spinning with questions? Her lips puckered in irritation, which only made Athena burst into laughter.
If this had been before, Athena might have rolled her eyes at Minerva or dismissed her entirely. Back then, she couldn’t see anything that was likable about her. But now? She was starting to see Minerva in a different light. She was like a little sister—sotis clueless, sotis annoying—but also oddly endearing.
No, Minerva might not be the sharpest in the room, but she had her own charm, her own quirks. And maybe those good qualities had always been there—just buried beneath the drama and petty jealousy over a man.
Now that she wasn’t constantly trying to stir trouble, those brighter parts of her personality were finally starting to shine through. Even Athena could admit it—Rafael and his family doted on her for a reason. The little princess was actually kind of... cute.
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