Rebirth: Beasts Bound

I smiled hearing his words and couldn’t help but gently swirl my feet underneath the table. I took my spoon and ate more, stuffing my mouth with food, but I paused the moment I felt everyone’s gaze on me. I slowly kept the spoon down, hearing it clatter softly against the plate, and I looked down, a little embarrassed.

Danny used to tell me I ate like a pig and that it disgusted him. He said he could never take me out on dates, that I was a disgrace... He only became this harsh whenever I ate. The thought made my tummy churn in disgust, and I quickly wiped my lips.

"Sor—"

"So cute... Eat more," I heard Ryker say, and I looked up at him.

What? Cute?

Didn’t I look like a pig? Even my cheeks were still stuffed with food. I wanted to protest, but if I talked, I would probably spit the food out, so I could only swallow softly.

"I totally agree," Liora said, and Bibi nodded in agreement.

"Eat," Bibi added, and I stared down at the food before glancing at everyone around me.

My beastmen seemed eager, so I continued eating....I felt Azrael’s gaze and paused.

He was different from my other beastmen... Did he perhaps find me disgusting too? I thought, but then..

"You should eat well," he said softly before placing a piece of beef onto my plate.

I smiled softly and lowered my head to continue eating when suddenly, a knock came from the door.

"I’ll get i—"

I didn’t get to finish my words because Elowen had already let herself in.

She stopped in her tracks the moment she saw everyone. Her eyes looked hollow and shallow. I truly couldn’t read her, but then her gaze landed on Liora, and she raised a brow as if struck with shock, though she covered it instantly with a smirk.

"Did someone die?" she asked before pausing and staring directly at Liora.

"Or is this feast meant to celebrate someone’s resurrection?" she added, clearly looking at Liora with disgust.

It made me wonder....Why did she hate Liora and me so much? Was she jealous of how close we were? I doubt, the female lead has everyone loving her.

"What do you want?" I asked coldly, and her lips parted to answer, but then the door opened again and the Duke walked in.

The moment Elowen noticed her, she fell dramatically onto the floor and hissed softly.

"Raven, why would you push me?" she cried weakly, and I could only stare in disbelief. I wasn’t even close to her.

Everyone at the table looked equally shocked.

"Really, Elowen, aren’t you a bit too old for this charade?" I asked in disgust, but the Duke had already rushed toward her and helped her up.

"Are you okay?" she asked in a motherly voice, and Elowen sucked on her bottom lip.

"I really don’t understand Raven. Why does she hate me?" she paused and turned toward me.

"Sister, all I’ve ever done is care for you. Why would you push me?" she asked, and my lips parted, but the Duke beat me to it.

She struck her staff against the ground, and all of us felt the floor tremble with her power as she pointed her staff directly at me while pale mist swirled around it.

"Are you really going to strike your daughter over someone clearly faking?" I asked, and the Duke’s eyes darkened.

"It’s time I put you back in your place," she snapped.

Thinking of everything, what if... maybe the Duke was truly under Elowen’s spell...Protecting her, slandering me, and everything else...What if Elowen had been controlling her from the start?

I wasn’t sure because I never finished the novel. I stopped at the Academy’s greatest war before dying, so everything still felt like a missing puzzle.

I didn’t even realize she had released the mist until it came hurling straight toward me, but Bibi’s eyes flashed green, and the mist got reflected back toward Elowen instead.

The Duke quickly blocked it. "Raven, how dare your friend stand against me!" she yelled, and I stood up slowly, frowning.

"Are you sure you aren’t under her spell? Because what Duke in their right mind would punish their own daughter like this? You didn’t even see me push her. You just heard a few fake words and immediately tried to kill your own daughter?" I scoffed before spitting directly onto her shoe.

I watched her eyes widen in horror, but Bibi suddenly chimed in.

"I can’t believe the Empress left someone like you in charge of state affairs while she’s away," she said before turning toward me.

"Perhaps your mother needs to step down," she added, and the Duke gritted her teeth.

"How dare yo—"

"I must inform my aunt, the Empress, that you seem to have developed a dying... no... resignation itch," she spat, and the Duke’s eyes widened instantly in horror hearing those words.

She looked completely shocked, probably wondering how I even became friends with someone like Bibi.

The Duke chuckled softly before turning back toward me. "You did well reporting your own mother to the—"

"Mother?" I laughed, and the word tasted like dirt mixed into tea.

"When have you ever acted like one? You wanted to hurt me over that thing!" I snapped, pointing directly at Elowen before turning back toward the Duke.

"You forgot I was your daughter too!" I yelled, and I watched her eyes darken instantly.

"Rav—"

"How dare you use ’mother’ with me when you’ve never truly been there my entire life?" I snapped, and the Duke’s eyes slowly softened.

As if she finally understood her own mistakes....I wasn’t only saying all this for myself, I was saying it for the original villainess too.Maybe if the Duke had truly loved her, maybe she wouldn’t have turned into a complete nutcase.

I sighed softly and yawned, seeing she wasn’t saying anything anymore. Even Elowen had already stood up and wrapped her arms around the Duke protectively.

"Sister, are you blaming Mother for what you turned into?" she asked, and I gritted my teeth.

I moved a step closer, ready to slap some sense into her, but then Liora quickly stretched her hand out.

Our eyes met, and she slowly shook her head. I knew Liora had seen something strange in Elowen, so I backed down reluctantly.

"Please leave," I said before returning to my seat.

The Duke looked like she wanted to say something else, but Elowen gently squeezed her arm, she didn’t say another word and only softly brushed Elowen’s hair aside.

"Let’s go," she said, but Elowen pouted lightly.

"I want to talk to Raven so she can finally reason with me. Don’t worry, she won’t hurt me," Elowen said, and the Duke nodded before finally walking out calmly.

The moment the door closed shut, Elowen’s smile disappeared instantly.

She turned toward Bibi and placed her hands beneath her chest arrogantly.

"It’s honestly sad. I had such high hopes for you, but you chose to side with Raven," she said, speaking my name like venom itself before smirking coldly and walking away.

"Enjoy your trip, Raven...."

"I hope you drown in the ocean."