Chapter 90: Then why do you keep going back?

I noticed Veyra glaring even as she was being tended to by other females.

What? Can’t take a little genuine PDA? Then go blind for all I care.

Of course, she didn’t take this lightly and put more effort into her act, crying again as she complained about the pain.

“It hurts. She hurt me so much. But even after what she did, she hides behind them, thinking we won’t be able to do anything,” she cried, lifting her head just enough to let her father see her tear-filled eyes. “After everything… after hurting her own siblings… she still dares to stand there like she’s the victim while shamelessly flirting with them.”

Zevak groaned softly on the ground, playing his part perfectly.

“She planned it,” he said hoarsely. “The snake… the rage… she wanted revenge. We were just in the way so she attacked us.”

The murmurs grew louder.

“Revenge…”

“So she finally showed her true colors.”

“So vicious, it’s no wonder no one wanted her…”

Each word landed on the invincible barrier I had put around my heart.

It’s high time I stopped getting hurt from the words of people who don’t even matter in my life.

I kept my face blank.

Fenric’s father stood there, tall and unmoving, his expression unreadable as his eyes took everything in—the bruises, the tears, the way the crowd leaned instinctively away from me.

He listened as Veyra spoke, listened as she cried, and listened as the tribe began throwing accusations, one after another, until the clearing felt suffocating.

Unlike my own tribe, the folks from the show tiger tribe were silent, assessing the situation as they had brains compared to my moronic tribe.

Then, after Veyra had said her piece, even dragging Kaelor into her words that I had brought Damar to harm Kaelor, which got the tribesmen throwing even more insults at me, he raised his hand.

“Chief Rakan, what do you think about this situation?”

Rakan lightly bowed his head and said,

“I apologize for showing you such a mess when you are a guest here.” He said, but Chief Kasa waved it off, smiling.

“No, it’s fine. It seems my son is involved too.” He gazed towards us. “So I am somehow involved in this.”

“Then, how do you think we should settle this matter?”

Hm, I think my father asking Chief Kasa for his opinion on how to settle this matter is the smartest thing he’s done without my intervention.

“You have spoken,” Kasa said calmly, his gaze resting on Veyra. “And I have heard you. We have all heard you.”

Veyra’s lips trembled, relief flashing across her face.

“Your testimony aligns with your brothers, so it’s very believable, but from what I’ve heard, you’ve never been on good terms with Arinya.”

Veyra flinched, her face suddenly hardening but she did her best to regain herself.

“It’s my sister who doesn’t get along with me.” She said, feigning softness. “I try to get close to her but she always finds a way to hurt me.”

“Then why do you keep going back?”

“What?”

“If you can’t get friendly with a beast, and only get hurt from approaching, then why do you keep going towards the beast, knowing fully well you will get hurt? It’s as if…” He narrowed his eyes. “…you’re tempting the beast to hurt you.”

Veyra stiffened even more.

She did not expect that. Yeah, she expected everyone to be on her side, especially seeing how badly she had been beaten, but Chief Kasa wasn’t even taking that into account and was speaking logically.

“Chief Kasa, it’s only because Veyra has a good heart.” My father said. “She just wishes to get along with her sister.”

“Hm, if you say so.” He said, turning away. “In my experience, once the beast strikes, only the weaker one among the two becomes a victim. So, no one will believe the words of the beast that attacked, for whatever reason it attacked.”

I gasped softly, as if I had suddenly gained some sort of enlightenment.

Fenric’s father was… So cool.

He was saying such words that clearly took my side without making it clear that he was taking my side.

He was making it known that it wasn’t just the weak and frail beast that was attacked that was the victim.

Even the beast that attacked could be a victim.

Ahz it’s no wonder Fenric is so smart. It runs in the genes.

“Anyway, let’s get on with this situation,” he said. “A snake beastman, right? Dangerous and notorious for kidnapping girls but I don’t think your daughter was kidnapped, or had she been influenced wrongly by the snake. If that had happened, my son wouldn’t be standing there right now.”

“But they hurt us.” Zevak suddenly said. “They grabbed our necks when we tried to save Veyra from the wicked Arinya’s clutches. The best warrior who should be protecting all beastmen under the sky did not protect our sister and hurt us instead.”

Everyone gasped. Well, almost everyone.

“But it doesn’t look like they snapped your necks.” He said, taking a closer look at them and Zevak fidgeted.

“What?”

“If you think they were being unfair and hurt you, then how is it that you are still alive after they grabbed your necks?” He asked, his eyes rolling towards Ashren as well. “And that tale about the beast warrior protecting all beastmen under the sky, it’s true. But do you know what’s more important to a beast warrior compared to his duty? It’s his mate. There is no way he will let anyone who hurt his mate go, whether they be a frail and foolish female or a stupid male.”

He insulted them outright and waited for no comeback as he said,

“Anyways, we can’t just listen to one side and conclude on what happened, right? Solin.”

Veyra flinched, realizing that if it was Solin, who had not taken their side when they accused me earlier, then the truth would come out.

But… What would she say?

She gulped, her heart beat accelerating as she panicked inwardly.

Solin stepped forward, her posture straight, her expression steady and her eyes fixed on Veyra.

“Yes, father?”

“You were present when all this happened, right?” Kasa said. “Tell us, what happened?”

She took in a small breath, then she said, clearly and without hesitation,

“They were ganging up on Arinya.”

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