Isn’t this how male leads are typically crafted in novels? Authors often design their characters with a dark side, a troubled background, and various ws, all to drive the plot and encourage the female lead to take action. The goal is to pull these male leads out of their darkness and show them a different perspective, illuminating the possibilities beyond the shadows they’ve created or found themselves in.
Hera struggled with this aspect because she wasn’t a fan of novels or stories created to entertain others by showcasing characters’ struggles and journeys. Finding herself unexpectedly cast as one of these characters in a narrative she never fully understood was disconcerting. Herck of interest in these matters became a w, making it difficult for her to navigate theplexities of her situation without Athena’s intervention.
That’s why Luke, currently holding the highest position in the underworld, would be the best person to ask for favors regarding this investigation. However, Rafael and Gerald were unaware of this crucial information, so Hera was careful to keep her knowledge to herself to avoid revealing too much. Despite having a good rtionship with Luke and finding him amiable, she knew the importance of discretion.
There’s no telling how Luke might react if he discovered that she was aware of his dark secrets. In truth, those who maintain a smiling facade are often more dangerous than those who exhibit a stoic and cold demeanor.
After all, who would suspect a warm and charming man of having a few screws loose? That’s why they say that things that seem too good to be true often are—nothing more than lies and scams.
Especially now that Hera wasn’t certain about her influence over Luke and the other male leads, she knew their reactions to her varied, but she had no way to gauge their favorability or measure her sess. Lacking a "love meter" or any system to assess her standing, Hera felt she was navigating blindly, relying solely on the iplete information Athena provided.
What could Hera realistically expect from Athena? After all, Athena had read the novel only casually, without any foresight that she would one day find herself in that very story. It was unrealistic to expect Athena to remember every detail and nuance of a book she had merely read for entertainment.
"Then, why am I here?" Luke asked, his warm smile directed at Hera as he sipped his tea. His gaze lingered on her lips, sending her into a whirlwind of distracting thoughts. Hera feared that if this continued, she might identally reveal something she didn’t intend to. It crossed her mind that this might be Luke’s way of distracting her, making her lose focus on her response, and perhaps even prompting her to confess more than she nned.
Hera took a deep breath, clearing her mind of distracting thoughts, and began to exin. "After discussing among ourselves, we realized there might be a discrepancy in the evidence we’ve gathered. It seems possible that someone is using Minerva as a scapegoat, shifting the me onto her while she might be just a pawn in this scheme. However, this is just spection at this point. To understand more and figure out how to address this issue, we need someone with insider knowledge of the underworld. Unfortunately, Gerald’s men have been unable to prate the threshold and have ended up being killed instead."
"Gerald?" Luke’s eyebrow arched yfully, but there was a hint of danger in his gaze that made, instinctively, Hera tense up. She quickly began to exin, her voice steady despite the growing unease.
"You see, he’s helped me several times and treated me like the sister he never had, simr to how Zen has. But calling him ’Brother Gerald’ might be too intimate and could lead to rumors about our rtionship. Using just his name keeps a hint of familiarity without raising too many questions. Don’t you think?" Hera chuckled awkwardly, which only made her seem more guilty. Luke’s gaze intensified, his eyes sparkling like stars. Sitting so close, Hera could see the turmoil swirling beneath his calm exterior.
She couldn’t borate further without worsening the situation, so she continued to update Luke on the events leading up to his arrival. "It just so happened that while we were discussing our concerns, Rafael recalled you mentioning in passing that you had connections in the underworld. Although we’re not sure how deep those connections run, having any link is better than none. That’s why Rafael decided to reach out." Hera shrugged to emphasize their effort to explore all possible options without raising any suspicion unto hers.
If Luke wanted more information, he could ask Rafael directly. Among everyone in the Pavilion, she was likely the least knowledgeable and had the fewest connections or intel, which should keep her off their radar.