Once, Alice’s moods had dictated her own; when Alice frowned, Minerva felt upset too, and when Alice was wronged, she was always the first to stand up and defend her. She even used to dream of setting Alice up with her brother.


    But now, all those feelings had quietly faded. Instead, without a second thought or maybe without realizing it, she found herself actively supporting her brother’s pursuit of Hera, even knowing that some of his friends were also interested in her. Strangely, she didn’t see anything wrong with it.


    Then again, this <i>was</i> a reverse harem novel, where such tangled romances were the norm. Most characters wouldn’t bat an eye at the ovepping affection, aside from the asional trolls, whose sole purpose seemed to be stirring drama just so the male leads could swoop in and defend the female lead.


    Not long after, Hera began cing her order. "I’d like to try your signature dish," she said with a pleasant smile. "And if you have any rmendations, I’d love to hear them as well."


    The staff stepped forward, eager to assist, and immediately began listing some of the most popr items on the menu. As he described each dish—highlighting their vors and why they were favorites among guests—Hera listened with interest and chose one that matched her taste.


    His detailed exnations also helped Athena, Liz, and Minerva decide on their own orders. With such tempting options, none of them held back. Coming from wealthy families, the thought of spending a thousand dors per dish wasn’t something that fazed them. After all, they were here to enjoy the experience.


    After taking their orders, the staff promptly left the booth. As soon as he did, Athena leaned forward and turned to Hera with a grin. "Babe, the IGI Expressions Competition Finale is tomorrow—are you nervous?" she asked eagerly.


    Minerva, who was sipping her water, shot Athena a puzzled look. Her brows furrowed slightly, confused as to why Athena was asking Hera that question. Hera wasn’t even in thepetition—at least, not to her knowledge. She nced between the two, clearly trying to piece things together.


    Athena, catching Minerva’s confusion, smirked mysteriously and let the silence stretch, watching Minerva’s curiosity grow. Only when Minerva looked like she was about to burst did Athena finally speak.


    "You might not know this," she said, her voice yful and full of intrigue, "but Hera’s actually participating in thepetition."


    She didn’t reveal outright that Hera was ’<i>Andarta Aria’</i>. That was part of the fun. Athena wanted to let Minerva stew in the mystery, to piece it together herself. After all, Minerva had once bullied Hera—so losing a little sleep or being tormented by not knowing something everyone else seemed to know? That was a small and satisfying payback.


    Sure enough, as soon as Athena spoke, Minerva began shifting in her seat, clearly intrigued and wanting to know more. All she knew was that she had been sent to apany Hera and that Hera was supposed to participate in some kind ofpetition. She had assumed it was the racingpetition—not the IGI Expressions Competition—since she hadn’t seen Hera’s name on the official list, only Alice’s.


    But maybe she hadn’t been paying close enough attention. From the moment theynded to the times her brother had casually mentioned things, perhaps she had missed the subtle cues along the way. It hadn’t even crossed her mind that Hera might be ’<i>Andarta Aria</i>.’


    Minerva pursed her lips in frustration, and Athena added with a mischievous smile, "You’ll find out tomorrow anyway. Just sit back and rx."


    But how could Minerva possibly rx when her mind was spinning with questions? Her lips puckered in irritation, which only made Athena burst intoughter.


    If this had been before, Athena might have rolled her eyes at Minerva or dismissed her entirely. Back then, she couldn’t see anything that was likable about her. But now? She was starting to see Minerva in a different light. She was like a little sister—sometimes clueless, sometimes annoying—but also oddly endearing.


    No, Minerva might not be the sharpest in the room, but she had her own charm, her own quirks. And maybe those good qualities had always been there—just buried beneath the drama and petty jealousy over a man.


    Now that she wasn’t constantly trying to stir trouble, those brighter parts of her personality were finally starting to shine through. Even Athena could admit it—Rafael and his family doted on her for a reason. The little princess was actually kind of... cute.