Even Lukan began looking at her differently.
At first he had only found her behavior strange.
Now it seemed even more suspicious.
Why had she been so determined to convince everyone that Kaelira used charm fruit?
Why had she gathered an audience so quickly?
And why did she seem to know exactly where he would be?
The more he thought about it, the stranger it became.
Although there was still no direct proof linking Serena to the charm-fruit incident, tonight’s events made her look increasingly guilty.
Unable to defend herself any longer, Serena finally lowered her head.
"Kaelira..."
"I’m sorry."
"I was wrong."
"I apologize."
Sora felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction.
The famous white lotus of the tribe had finally been forced to bow her head.
Unfortunately, there was still no evidence proving Serena had tampered with the blanket.
Otherwise, Sora would have exposed her completely.
Serena remained bent over for several seconds.
When Sora said nothing, she could only repeat herself.
"Kaelira..."
"Can you forgive me?"
Tears glistened in her eyes.
Sora nodded generously.
"Of course."
Then she added sweetly,
"As long as Sister doesn’t automatically assume everything is my fault next time."
The smile on Serena’s face nearly cracked.
But under everyone’s watchful eyes, she could only force herself to smile.
"I understand."
And just like that, the crowd gradually dispersed.
As the noise faded, Sora watched Serena’s retreating figure and felt unusually refreshed.
She hadn’t completely destroyed Serena’s reputation tonight.
But she had planted a seed of doubt.
Once a crack appeared in a perfect mask, it could never truly be repaired.
With that thought, Sora happily returned to her bed.
For the first time since arriving in this world, she slept with a smile on her face.
The next morning, Sora woke feeling refreshed. After a quick stretch, she headed to the deep pool and ran several laps around its edge.
High above, Lucas soared through the sky. At first, he noticed only a large shape moving below and glanced down out of curiosity. When he realized it was Sora, the corners of his mouth twitched.
She really was determined to lose weight.
Even from this height, he could still make out her figure. Yet as he watched her continue running without stopping, one of his brows lifted slightly. It seemed she was genuinely serious about changing herself.
Unaware of her audience, Sora completed her run and hurried to her secret cooking spot.
As expected, Xavier and Lucas were already waiting for her.
This time, neither of them had brought eggs.
Sora gathered a few wild pigeon eggs, chopped some fresh mushrooms, and steamed them together in a simple dish. Once it was ready, she handed portions to both men.
Without oil, the flavor wasn’t nearly as rich as she wanted. Even so, Xavier and Lucas devoured every bite.
To them, Sora’s cooking was nothing short of amazing.
A few ordinary eggs could become several completely different dishes in her hands. Fried eggs, soft-boiled eggs, steamed eggs—each tasted unique and far better than eating them raw.
As for Sora, she wasn’t entirely satisfied. Food without oil still felt lacking, and she could only make do for now.
After breakfast, she looked at the two beastmen.
"Your task today is simple," she said. "Catch a wild boar."
The two immediately nodded.
"Not too large," Sora added. "Just enough for the three of us. And if it’s a little fatty, even better. I want to render some lard."
Neither of them questioned her request.
Watching their tall figures, Sora couldn’t help thinking that breakfast had probably been nowhere near enough for their appetites.
After a moment’s thought, she added, "Once you bring back the boar, I’ll make a new dish for you—stir-fried meat."
The moment they heard the words "new dish," both men’s eyes lit up.
They quickly set down their fruit-shell bowls and left without another word.
Sora shook her head helplessly.
Those two were complete food enthusiasts.
Her gaze drifted toward the blackened cooking pot beside the fire. With a sigh, she crouched down to inspect it.
"It looks like the pot needs some work too..."
While Sora worried about cooking supplies and future meals, she had no idea that another scheme was already beginning to take shape elsewhere in the tribe.
Martin looked around the gathering area but didn’t see Kaelira anywhere.
"Why hasn’t Kaelira been coming for breakfast these past few days?" he asked.
A nearby female replied, "She’s been cooking for herself."
"That’s right," another added. "I’ve seen it several times. She even brings food to Lukan."
Martin frowned.
"Cooking for herself? How? Females don’t hunt."
Someone laughed.
"Kaelira has help."
Nearby, another beastman listened quietly, equally puzzled. Kaelira had always kept to herself. She was overweight, unpopular, and often avoided by others.
So who would willingly help her?
A female answered cheerfully.
"Who else? Xavier and Lucas."
Martin blinked.
"Xavier and Lucas? They’re helping her?"
His confusion wasn’t unreasonable. Everyone in the tribe knew those two had spent years avoiding Kaelira whenever possible.
Another female nodded enthusiastically.
"You may not know this, but recently they’ve been getting along quite well."
"Even Ace spent the night with Kaelira once."
Martin nearly choked.
"What?"
Ace?
Spent the night with Kaelira?
That was even harder to believe.
Everyone knew Ace was considered one of the most attractive beastmen in the tribe. Even ordinary beastmen weren’t interested in Kaelira before. How could Ace possibly...
As the conversation continued, Serena listened quietly from the side, her expression darkening.
She refused to believe it.
Ace could never truly be interested in Kaelira.
And Xavier and Lucas certainly weren’t helping her because they liked her.
They only liked her cooking.
With that thought, Serena smiled gently.
"Father, don’t misunderstand," she said softly. "Kaeliraa’s cooking has become really good lately. Ace, Lucas, and Xavier all enjoy her food. That’s probably why they’ve grown closer to her."
Her words sounded harmless.
Yet beneath the surface, the implication was clear:
People weren’t drawn to Kaelira herself.
They were only interested in what she could cook.
Mark - Kaelira’s brother, who had recently been away trading prey for salt, knew little about the changes happening within the tribe.
Hearing everyone praise Kaelira’s cooking surprised him once again.
"Kaelira can cook?" he asked.
"She’s always been lazy. Since when?"
Many of the tribe members immediately nodded.
"It’s true."
"We’ve all tasted it."
"The food was delicious."
"Her Beggar’s Chicken was incredible."
Mark found it difficult to imagine.
Then another beastman added, "Kaelira said her adoptive mother—the black bear—taught her. Whatever the reason, the taste is amazing."
The speaker meant nothing by it.
But someone nearby took the words to heart.
Lyra’s expression darkened immediately.
She had always taken pride in being the tribe’s best cook.
Now people were openly praising Kaelira’s food above hers.
Seeing this reaction, Serena knew her opportunity had arrived.