So, she pressed on with her way, but someone seemed eager to engage in confrontation. Minerva intercepted Hera, positioning herself squarely in front of her with arms crossed and a condescending expression on her face as if Hera were beneath her notice.


    Hera’s brows furrowed in discontent; she recognized Minerva’s intent to stir up trouble and considered herself an easy target. Meanwhile, Alice stood beside her, attempting to pull Minerva away. Alice appeared guilty and timid, tears glistening at the corners of her eyes, there was even a tear stain on her cheeks that showed that Alice might have just finished crying.


    Alice averted her gaze from Hera’s, focusing on pulling Minerva away to prevent a confrontation. She felt powerless to prevent Minerva from causing trouble and pouted in frustration, though it only made her appear even more endearingly distressed. This sight triggered a surge of protective instincts among the male guests, intensifying their desire to intervene.


    Minerva seized the opportunity to provoke Hera under the guise of seeking justice for Alice, who she imed had been falsely used earlier.


    While Hera and Xavier were upied outside, and Zen was in the shower, Alice suddenly burst into tears. She confessed that she couldn’t stop crying after being used of trying to garner sympathy from the vigers for a free meal. Admitting that she knew Hera was referring to her because she was the only participant feeling unwell, she had mentioned her condition to everyone who saw her.


    As a result, many male participants shared their points with her so she could afford to buy something to warm her stomach, while they themselves made do with bread and porridge. However, they never anticipated that Hera would use this opportunity to attack Alice instead, further reinforcing their negative opinions of Hera.


    With Hera back inside and her team absent, they seized the opportunity to confront her for her harsh treatment of Alice. Their anger intensified upon witnessing Alice’s efforts to de-escte the situation and prevent them from causing trouble for Hera.


    However, Alice struggled to contain her emotions and began to sob, pulling on Minerva’s sleeves in an attempt to halt her aggression.


    "Alice, your kindness is what makes you an easy target for this woman!!!" Minerva shouted through clenched teeth.


    "Minerva, let’s just forget about all of this. I’m certain Hera didn’t mean it like that," Alice interjected timidly, stealing a fearful nce at Hera before attempting to hide behind Minerva, a gesture that didn’t escape anyone’s notice.


    At this point, Hera remained silent, observing the unfolding drama with a hint of amusement in her eyes. If she didn’t know better, she might have believed she hadmitted some egregious offense to warrant such treatment and interrogation in front of everyone.


    As everyone waited for Hera’s expected outburst or flustered exnation, they were met with surprise. Instead of anger or defensive emotions, Hera seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the situation, as if she wasn’t the one being questioned. Her apparent nonchnce only served to irk them further, fueling their frustration at her seemingly unaffected demeanor.


    "Is this some kind of joke to you?! Do you only find it funny, huh?!" one of the male participants burst out, his voice tinged with frustration.