The Return of the Cannon Fodder Trillion Heiress - Chapter 160

Chapter 160: Chapter 160 Hera’s Thoughts
Hera finds herself grappling with conflicting emotions. On one hand, she experiences guilt, recognizing that she’s toying with someone’s emotions—a truth she hesitates to acknowledge. However, she rationalizes her actions by reminding herself of her ultimate motive: to preserve her own life and spare her grandfather from the impending consequences of her downfall. In this context, the male leads and Xavier’s involvement serve as a catalyst for potential future events, prompting Hera to rein in her feelings.

Leo presents a different dilemma for Hera. She contemplates whether to keep him close, valuing his potential assistance in the future. However, she hesitates to entangle him in her uncertain path, fearing the repercussions if things go awry. Despite her reservations, Hera senses Leo’s genuine intentions, which is why she refrains from pushing him away.

She acknowledges her current selfishness, aware that the weight of impending futures presses heavily upon her. Having someone genuinely supportive by her side offers a solace she finds hard to resist. Uncertainty looms large; Hera questions the likelihood of successfully luring the male leads away from Alice and what lies beyond that accomplishment. The future remains shrouded in ambiguity, leaving Hera grappling with the unknown consequences and the enigmatic rules of the world and its storyline, including the potential backlash from the world’s consciousness, should it truly exist.

As these thoughts gnawed at her mind, she made a conscious effort to quell her overthinking and simply go with the flow—for now. After all, according to her best friend, the world they inhabited was meant to be a reverse harem. Yet, she couldn’t fathom how the male leads could bear sharing their affections with others, let alone witness their beloved being intimate with someone else. She pondered how such dynamics might impact her in the future. Perhaps, she reasoned, she could leverage this understanding to execute her plan: stealing away Alice’s life and halo, a venture that would test the boundaries of the world’s tolerance.

“Are you alright?” Leo’s voice, filled with concern, reached Hera in a gentle whisper as he edged closer to her. Xavier, too, observed her closely, searching her face for any signs of distress. They both sensed the subtle shifts in her emotions, even behind her seemingly composed expression, they shared a mutual concern for her well-being. Worried that their silent competition for her attention might be weighing on her, they consciously dialed back their efforts to ensure she felt less burdened.

After Hera’s attention snapped back to reality, she swiftly lifted her head, locking eyes with Leo’s deep blue gaze, filled with genuine concern. His expression brought a smile to Hera’s lips. “Yeah, just lost in thought about what to cook and how to make the process enjoyable for all of us,” she replied casually, a soft chuckle escaping her lips.

She appeared genuine, relieving Leo and Xavier of their concerns. They ceased their silent competition, opting instead to collaborate and alleviate any potential stress for Hera. Following her lead, Leo and Xavier silently resumed their tasks, fully engaged in the kitchen activities. Meanwhile, Zen observed from the countertop, his own tasks abandoned as he watched the trio work closely together, almost resembling a couple.

He observed the trio’s coordinated movements with a sense of tacit understanding, akin to a long-standing couple adeptly sharing responsibilities. While the atmosphere wasn’t perfectly harmonious, there existed an unspoken agreement among the men, each willing to tolerate the others for the sake of their shared partner.

Zen found the situation both amusing and intriguing. As a man, he struggled to envision himself being as magnanimous as to allow other men to be close to his partner. He couldn’t help but wonder what motivated Leo and Xavier to tolerate each other’s presence in such close proximity to Hera.

Unbeknownst to Zen, Xavier was already fated to share a woman with numerous others, which made it relatively easier for him and the other male leads to accept the situation. The complication lay not in sharing a woman, but in the fact that they were bound to share her with each other, akin to brothers. While their bond was strong and could accommodate such arrangements, the true challenge would arise if an outsider, unknown to them, entered the picture.

Which happened to be Leo, and they somehow felt hostile to him. It wasn’t solely because he hailed from outside their tight-knit circle, but also because it seemed as if the world’s consciousness or some other unseen force was hindering Leo’s inclusion and sending the others a signal to be hostile to him. However, Hera had yet to delve into this possibility, as she was still in the process of testing the waters and unraveling the intricacies of how the world might function with a change in the female lead, and what consequences might follow.

Alice, who had been maintaining a low profile, noticed a shift in Xavier’s behavior, and it ignited a wave of anger within her. She was bewildered by the unfolding events that deviated from her past experiences. Feeling flustered and hostile toward Hera, she couldn’t shake the suspicion that her own altered actions were triggering a butterfly effect, leading Xavier to behave differently in response.

She never entertained the notion that Hera might have undergone reincarnation, assuming instead that her own altered demeanor had worked against her in this lifetime. This belief prompted her to adopt a low profile. However, despite her efforts, she found herself unable to gain closer proximity to Xavier. Fearful of overstepping boundaries, she hesitated to push further. The unsettling changes she observed left her perplexed, unable to pinpoint what had shifted apart from her own actions.

Unable to change what had already transpired, she began formulating a new plan in her mind, her gaze filled with hostility as she observed Hera. Beside her, Minerva simmered with anger, her eyes locked on Alexi, who remained fixated on Hera’s movements in the kitchen. The three of them silently schemed, each intent on improving their own circumstances, but all their animosity was directed squarely at Hera. Sensing their piercing stares, Hera opted not to meet their gaze, knowing that Alice would likely feel a surge of apprehension as Hera grew closer to Xavier, who was supposed to be Alice’s male lead. She anticipated that Alice would soon step up her game.

Though Hera was cognizant of Minerva’s animosity, stemming from their ongoing feud fueled by Alexi and the world’s intricate design, she remained unaware of Alexi’s inner turmoil. Originally, he was meant to be deeply enamored with Minerva at this point in the storyline, with Hera merely serving as a stepping stone within their narrative arc.

However, with Hera altering her course, other elements that should have aligned with her fate began to shift, including Alexi and his mindset. This unexpected change made it challenging for Hera to comprehend. Consequently, she chose to set aside her concerns regarding Alexi and focus solely on her own tasks, particularly those related to the male leads.

There remained one male lead whom Hera had not yet encountered, compelling her to strategize a means to establish a connection with him, or at the very least, meet him, before Alice had the chance. Hera understood the importance of making a favorable impression on the male leads, which would be significantly more challenging if Alice had already forged relationships with them. She couldn’t be certain if the world would intervene to favor Alice and guide the male leads back to their original counterpart. However, Hera found some reassurance in observing Xavier’s interactions with Alice thus far. Yet, she hesitated to dismiss her concerns entirely, wary of potential unexpected repercussions from either the original female lead or the world’s consciousness itself if there is.