Instead, Xavier disregarded Alice and turned his attention directly to Hera. "Tell me what happened."


    Hera’s expression turned crestfallen, tears silently streaming down her cheeks. The other male participants shifted ufortably, witnessing Hera’s tears. They felt a shared responsibility for her distress, knowing they had remained silent while Minerva provoked her.


    "It’s nothing," Hera managed to whisper, biting her lip to stifle further tears.


    However, Zen couldn’t stay silent any longer. Stepping forward, he recounted the events to Xavier, filling him in on what had urred while he was asleep. Once Zen finished, Xavier nodded in acknowledgment, silently conveying his understanding. His gaze shifted between Hera and Minerva, his expression stern and betraying a simmering anger.


    "Given your familiarity with my temperament, why didn’t you intervene when she was troubling me?" Xavier’s voice retained its calm demeanor, devoid of overt anger, yet it bore a weighty implication directed towards Minerva. She appeared visibly surprised by Xavier’s reproach.


    While it’s true that Minerva is familiar with Xavier’s temperament through her older brother, Rafael, their rtionship has never involved Xavier showing her any form of respect or consideration. In fact, Xavier has typically been indifferent towards her. Yet, at this moment, he is reprimanding her for her actions.


    "You, yourself, didn’t bother to intervene, yet you were quick to goad Hera for something you can’t even do yourself?" Xavier’s gaze shifted to Alice. "And you? Why are you even involved in this? Did I raise my voice at you? Your reaction seems disproportionate when all I stated was a desire not to be disturbed."


    Hera momentarily forgot to cry as she watched Xavier roasting the female and second female lead, he had not said many words since their arrival in the vige but now that he did, it was supposed to roast someone. It was kind of amusing but Hera did not see thising.


    <i>’Was he supposedly conserving his words for these kinds of moments?’</i> Hera could not help but think. He was not cursing or saying anything bad, but his every word was a p to the face.


    [XavierHubby: Right! We’ve all seen it. Xavier only said he was sleepy before going back to sleep but did not even raise his voice. This Alice was too much. She’s the one causing trouble here!!!]


    [XavierisLife: Right!!! She’s causing trouble... What if Hera stopped cooking for Xavier because of this?]


    [XavierismyLove: I don’t like this Minerva, she’s like a shrew, and that Alice is two-faced!!!]


    [NorthernDuke: The irony, they ganged up on Hera and said that she’s the one causing trouble when in reality, the other one was just overreacting while the other one was just inly looking for an excuse to cause trouble... If anyone out there will say that I’m ndering their younger sister, you can directly send yourwyer...]


    Leo did not mention a name but it was as clear as day that he was taunting Rafael who’s been always shielding his sister but just now, his own sister was the one pulling the rope. The worst part, his own friend reprimanded his sister in front of the masses.


    Leo could only sneer at Rafael’s sister’s apparentck of upbringing and be happy that Hera was not letting herself be bullied when he couldn’t go there to help her. So instead, he sent a rain of gifts just like previously.


    But his happiness was soon dampened when he saw on hisputer screen that Hera was being dragged by Xavier inside the cabin.


    "Where are we going?" Hera asked, her voice muffled as she wiped her face with her sleeves. She allowed Xavier to lead her away from the crowd, sharing his desire to distance herself from the tense situation. Zen followed behind, his expression growing increasingly exasperated with each person he passed by.


    Xavier didn’t offer a response, instead leading Hera to the kitchen. Once there, he took a seat on the ind counter, his gaze fixed on Hera, leaving even Zen perplexed.


    "What’s going on?" Hera inquired, puzzled by their presence in the kitchen.


    Noting Hera’s confusion, Xavier finally spoke up. "I’m hungry," he replied simply.


    Hera’s face brightened with realization. "Oh!" she eximed, understanding his intent.


    Upon hearing Xavier’s request for food from Hera, Zen’s anger red. Witnessing Hera being bullied moments before, he couldn’t bear the thought of someone taking advantage of her generosity. "Xavier, if you’re only helping Hera to get a share of her supplies, then you should have a shred of decency!" Zen’s words dripped with fury as he spoke through clenched teeth.


    Being a neer in the acting scene didn’t deter him from standing his ground against those with established reputations in the entertainment industry. With a solid background of his own, he was unafraid to voice his opinions, both positive and negative.


    However, Xavier remained silent, not even acknowledging Zen’s presence as he loungedzily at the ind counter, awaiting Hera to cook.


    Seeing that Zen has misunderstood, Hera rified. "Zen, don’t misunderstand, we came to the mountains earlier to get more food supplies, and Xavier and I are teaming up so we can have more food. Besides, he doesn’t know how to cook..." Hera’s smile was slightly awkward as she exined.


    "Oh!" Zen wrinkled his nose in relief. "He’s not intimidating you, is he?"


    Hera shook her head, then suggested, "Why don’t you join our team instead? Since we’re from the samepany, it’s only natural to watch out for each other."


    "Are you sure?"


    "Of course!"


    "Okay, I’ll bring down the reward I got."


    "Okay, I’ll also get our other supplies from my room."


    After a few moments, they returned downstairs, each carrying the baskets they had stashed in their room. Hera couldn’t help but smile, realizing that Zen shared the same idea as her and Xavier about keeping their rewards hidden.


    "I got a b of sirloin beef," Zen announced, removing the white cloth covering his basket.


    "Woah! That’s nice!" Hera eximed. "I got eggs, and Xavier got vegetables." However, Hera quickly felt that her statement might sound unfair to Zen, so she added, "But we also went fishing earlier, so we caught four fish and foraged some mushrooms."