The Return of the Cannon Fodder Trillion Heiress - Chapter 774

Chapter 774: Chapter 774 Starting Anew
“You two,” she began softly, her voice laced with sincerity, “first of all, I want to apologize. This all started because of me. I was the original target, but you’re the ones who ended up getting hurt. You’re both victims of this situation, and I know how heavy that must feel. I can see it—how you’re each carrying your own guilt, each feeling responsible in your own way for something neither of you intended.”

“But you don’t have to be so hard on yourselves. None of this was your fault—and neither of you should be carrying all this guilt alone.” She turned to Zen, her voice gentle but firm.

“Brother Zen, I want to clarify something. I know it may have sounded like Athena was bragging… but she wasn’t. And I’m not just saying that because she’s my best friend. I know her well—she’s the one who’s taught me so much about life, about people. I can tell the difference when she’s boasting and when she’s just… trying to make sense of something difficult. What you heard was her guilt talking, not pride.”

She paused, eyes filled with sincerity.

“I know you only stepped in to help, to do the right thing. And because you didn’t want to hurt her, you allowed yourself to carry the weight of that night alone, even when it was never your burden to bear.”

“You were trying to protect her… and now you’re both hurting. I’m not asking you to forgive or forget right away—but can we try to figure this out together? Not as people trying to clean up a mess, but as friends who want to make things right?”

“This whole situation really gave you a rough start—and probably a terrible impression of her,” Hera said softly, glancing between the two of them. “But please know, Athena isn’t a bad person. She’s someone with a good heart… someone who’d stand by me, even die with me if it came to that.”

“I don’t believe there’s a single bad bone in her body. She is annoyingly blunt sometimes, and I get how easy it is to misread her intentions—but if it came down to it, she’d absolutely take responsibility and respect whatever decision you make.”

Then Hera added with a teasing grin, “If you asked her to pay you back by becoming your slave, she’d probably agree without hesitation.”

Athena’s eyes flew wide in horror, panic written all over her face. “H-Hera!” she choked out, her voice laced with disbelief. It really felt like her best friend had just sold her off at a discount, and her brain short-circuited trying to figure out how to stop this auction.

Zen couldn’t help but chuckle at Hera’s words, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. Her lighthearted remark, paired with her earnest defense of Athena, chipped away at the storm brewing in his chest.

He knew they’d gotten off to a terrible start, but before all this happened—despite only meeting Athena once—he’d thought they had a pretty good rapport. And honestly, knowing Hera’s personality, he didn’t believe she’d ever be close to someone with questionable character. That alone was enough for him to take a step back and rethink.

If he was being fair, they were both victims in this mess. Athena had unknowingly been drugged that night—just like Hera. The difference was, Hera had the protection of her lovers around her, while Athena had to tough it out, relying only on a doctor to help ease the worst of it and her own willpower to push through until morning.

Even Zhane, who was supposed to help, ended up drugged too. They didn’t have time to call in another doctor or rush Athena to a hospital… and he happened to be the only one left standing.

And so… things happened.

If Zen had kept an open mind, he would have recognized that, in his own way, he had helped Athena. It might not have been the most conventional method, but help was still help. He couldn’t even be sure what would have happened to Athena if he hadn’t stepped in—would she have suffered severe consequences? Damage to her reproductive system, perhaps? Or other complications?

When he thought about it from that perspective, he could see that, in his own way, he’d done a good deed. Just like Hera had said, they were both victims in this situation. So instead of blaming themselves or each other, they needed to focus on who was truly at fault: the one who orchestrated it all.

Even though they both felt compelled to take responsibility, Zen knew they also needed to ask themselves if the other person would even want that responsibility. Would taking on this burden cause more harm than good? Could their sense of responsibility potentially trap the other person in an unwanted situation? Or was there another way to alleviate the guilt they both carried?

They couldn’t simply forget what had happened and pretend like nothing was wrong. They both understood that. So, what was the solution? They needed to think this through maturely, considering not just their own feelings, but how their choices might affect their relationship with each other—especially with Hera.

If they were forced into a marriage due to this mistake, would they both be happy? Or would they feel trapped, burdened by the weight of their actions?

Instead of focusing on the guilt and pressure, Hera’s words echoed in their minds: the goal was to find a way to make things right without burdening or trapping anyone. With that in mind, both Zen and Athena began to calm down.

They nodded at Hera in agreement. While it was clear that things between them couldn’t go back to how they were when they first met, there was still a chance for them to move forward.

They might not see each other in the same light anymore, but they could still act naturally, maybe even shy around each other, which was a normal part because of what happened between them.

If they wanted, they could even act like lovebirds—but only if it felt right. What they couldn’t do was force themselves into a situation that would lead to resentment. They knew that would only hurt them both.

So, as they exchanged glances, Zen, clearly embarrassed, turned his face away, his cheeks flushed. Athena, too, felt nervous but understood the need for a fresh start.

And so, they did. They decided to reintroduce themselves—an effort to move forward with a clean slate.

“H-Hello, my name is Zen… I’m Hera’s older brother…” Zen stammered, extending his hand toward Athena while avoiding her gaze. His heart raced, and his palms were clammy with nervousness.

It was awkward, but somewhere amidst the discomfort, he felt a strange sense of relief. For the first time, he managed to push aside his guilt and anger, and in doing so, a weight lifted from his shoulders.

As he looked at Athena now, he noticed something different—though she carried herself with confidence, there was a vulnerability, a subtle shyness to her, like a coin with two sides. She was lively and full of energy, yet still so sincere. A genuine smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

“H-Hello… My name is… Athena, Hera’s best friend,” Athena replied, her voice soft with nervousness. She reached out to shake Zen’s hand, her mind racing with thoughts and emotions.

As her eyes met his, she noticed the change in his expression—a warm, genuine smile that made her heart flutter. There was something comforting about him, almost like a golden retriever, and she couldn’t help but smile back, her heart thumping in her chest.