On the flip side, Hera swiftly overcame her initial shock regarding Xavier and swiftly moved on, relegating it to the recesses of her mind. She reasoned that there must have been a misunderstanding with the information provided by Athena and decided to let it go, particrly since Xavier showed no signs of disdain towards her.


    After packing up the remaining fresh fish and foraged goods, Hera and the others descended the mountain. Meanwhile, Bry had only managed to finish one whole fish and asked Hera if he could take the remaining one home, a request she dly granted.


    Hera and the others had only been away from the vige for two hours, yet it was sufficient time for all the other participants to arrive. Their descent coincided with the arrival of the others at the cabin, where they caught sight of the items Hera had brought down from the mountain.


    Naturally, each participant received their own reward based on their time of arrival. While some were fortunate to receive substantial rewards, others were left wondering how they would manage to make do with their meager provisions, like in bread, and survive until the following day.


    Those who received less favorable "rewards" eyed Hera’s supplies like hungry wolves, yet they refrained from baring their fangs in broad daylight. Instead, they quietly schemed, devising ns to acquire her provisions by any means necessary.


    "Hi!!! You must be one of the few who arrived first?" A beautiful melodic voice of a woman echoed as a beautiful woman with ming red hair cascading around her waist ran to Hera with excitement, her aquamarine eyes glistened with purity and enthusiasm.


    She was a true beauty who would stand out in all sorts of ways. Her melodious chuckle rings like a bell in the summer wind, rxing and beautiful. "My name is Alice, Alice Quinn. Nice meeting you!!!"


    Hera’s body tensed, and she felt a jolt of shock race through her. It was as if she had been struck by lightning. She hadn’t noticed Alice earlier amidst the crowd of guests, and her petite stature of only 160 cm made it easy for her to be overlooked among taller individuals.


    Alice did not wait for Hera to reply and she craned her neck to Hera’s side and saw Xavier walking closer to them. Alice jumped to the side, in front of Xavier, and also introduced herself to him with much enthusiasm.


    Xavier’s movements halted abruptly, his muscles tensing as Alice suddenly appeared in his line of sight. His brows furrowed visibly, a sign of his surprise. Alice, noticing his reaction, instinctively took a step back. "I’m sorry, did I startle you?" she inquired gently.


    Xavier sidestepped Alice and ignored her, proceeding straight into the cabin without a backward nce. It came as no surprise to everyone witnessing the scene; Xavier was known for his dislike when someone took up his personal space, and Alice had done just that.


    Alice sensed the shift in the atmosphere and nced around with herrge, round eyes, on the brink of tears. Despite her evident distress, she seemed to be struggling to hold them back, refusing to let them spill from her eyes.


    Another male guest couldn’t help but offer some kind words to Alice, advising her not to repeat her actions as Xavier would only grow to dislike her more if she did. Taking in everyone’s exnations, Alice wiped her eyes and offered a grateful smile to everyone for imparting such valuable information.


    She approached Hera, who had regained herposure, with an apologetic tone. "I’m sorry if I startled you. This is my first show after being signed. I hope I’m not being rude?" She cast Hera a slightly pitiful nce as if expecting to be scolded.


    "No, it’s not a problem. Don’t think too much about it..." Hera gave a reassuring smile and continued. "I’m Hera Ainsley. Nice meeting you too." Her smile and beauty did not lose out from Alice, in fact, despite her simple getuppared to Alice’s feminine dress. Hera still outshone Alice by a few notches.


    Naturally, there was no reason for anyone to openlypare Hera and Alice. Both women appeared friendly, endearing themselves to everyone around them.


    Before bidding farewell to the older guide and Bry, Hera made sure to express her gratitude by offering them some of her foraged items. Bry, in turn, promised to return in an hour to show her around the vige, a gesture to which Hera readily agreed.


    Returning to her room to stow away her belongings, Hera noticed that she still had the remaining four fish wrapped in leaves. Deciding to find Xavier, she stepped back out into the corridor. To her surprise, she spotted Xavier just emerging from his room, conveniently located across from hers.


    Hera and Xavier locked eyes for a moment before Hera broke the silence. "Mr. Montague, you still haven’t taken the other fish from me. I believe you’ve forgotten."


    Xavier wordlessly retreated into his room, leaving the door ajar. A short whileter, he returned with a basket, handing it to Hera without a word.


    "What’s this?" Hera peered inside and spotted the vegetables he had received as a reward.


    "Let’s team up. You cook," Xavier suggested.


    Hera was taken aback. <i>’Is this what they mean by winning a man over with cooking?’</i> she mused, feeling incredulous.