Surrounded by Five Beast Lords novel Chapter 168

Chapter 168 A Sisterly Heart-to-Heart 2

Íris gripped Dora’s hand tightly, as if she had finally found someone to lean on.

She said, “After I came back to the Southwell family, I was even more scared.

“This place is so big and beautiful, everyone dresses so nicely and talks so sweetly…

“I can’t do anything, and I don’t get anything.

“I was afraid of embarrassing you, afraid of letting Mom down, afraid… afraid I just don’t belong here.

“But you… you always stood up for me.”

65 vouchers

A gentle look flickered in Iris’s eyes. “You fought back for me, defending me against everyone who looked down on me, one by one.

“You even told them I was your sister, and that from now on, you’d always have my back.

“Back then, I admired you so much. I wanted to be just as awesome as you.

“I wished I could stick with you every day, but…”

She looked at Dora, her eyes full of complicated emotions.

She said, “But you only had Cassian on your mind every day.

“You never had any time for me.”

Dora fell silent.

“Then, my Spatial Realm awakened,” Iris continued.

“I was so happy. I thought, finally, I could swap tips with you about our Spatial Realm.

“Finally, we had something to talk about…

“I grabbed the fresh veggies I’d grown in my Spatial Realm and rushed over to you, super excited…”

Her voice grew quiet.

She said, “But you just glanced at them and left right away.

“The next day, you started avoiding me.”

Dora remembered.

Back then, when she saw the veggies Iris brought, her heart twisted a little.

Her Spatial Realm was nothing but a sandy wasteland, no matter what she tried, nothing would grow.

But Iris’s Spatial Realm, though small, was teeming with vitality.

Jealousy, insecurity, and resentment, all those tangled emotions made Dora grow more and more resentful toward her little

sister.

“I thought you’d be happy,” Iris said, her voice trembling with tears.

10:11 Thu, Aug 6 da D

Surrounded by Five Beast Lords

“But you started to hate me more and more, and didn’t want anything to do with me anymore.

“I just didn’t know what I’d done wrong…”

Dora squeezed her hand. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“And then…” Iris’s voice grew even softer. “The Shawn family arranged a marriage swap.

“I didn’t even get a chance to say no before you smacked me.”

Dora thought, ‘Guess I really was a bit too quick to act.’

“I know you didn’t really mean to hit me,” Iris whispered. “You were just really upset!

“You were angry at how the Shawn family treated you, and angry at me… angry that I ended up taking your spot without even lifting a finger.”

Dora was quiet for a few seconds, then murmured, “I’m sorry.”

Iris shook her head. “It’s not your fault.

“I’m just too awkward, I never really knew how to be around you.”

She paused, then looked up, her eyes shimmering with tears, but there was also a stubborn glint in them.

She said, “Later, Cassian came to me and asked if I wanted to team up with him for the competition.

“I was going to say no, but then I heard you were joining too…

“So I thought, I’ll go too.

“I wanted you to see that I’m not just some helpless little thing always hiding behind you.

“I wanted to prove myself too.”

“Sis, I swear I didn’t mean it,” Iris cried, her voice choked with tears. “I never wanted to steal anything from you…

“I just… I just didn’t know what to do…”

She was sobbing so hard she could barely get the words out.

Dora was quiet for a long while.

Then she reached out and gently pulled Iris into her embrace.

“Iris,” she said softly, “I’ve got something I want to tell you too.”

Iris looked up, her eyes still wet with tears.

“Everything that happened before, was my fault, Dora said softly.

“I shouldn’t have taken out my frustrations on you just because I was dealing with my own problems.”

Iris was stunned.

“And,” Dora continued, “Cassian? He’s really not worth it.

“You did the right thing by turning him down.

10:11 Thu, Aug 6 đaD.

Surrounded by Five Beast Lords

“If you teamed up with him for the competition just to prove yourself, that’s totally fine.”

Iris blinked, tears still clinging to her cheeks.

55 voucher

“Everyone needs a moment to prove themselves,” Dora said softly. “But remember, you don’t need to prove anything to anyone else.

“You’re already good enough, just the way you are.”

Iris burst into tears and hugged her tightly.

“Dora…” she choked out.

Dora patted her back, her heart a mess of emotions.

Outside, the rain kept pattering, while inside, the two sisters hugged’each other tightly..

Iris’s sobs slowly faded, turning into quiet sniffles.

Her breathing steadied, and she drifted off to sleep in Dora’s arms.

Dora looked down at her, her face still streaked with tears, her brows slightly furrowed even in sleep.

“You silly thing,” she murmured softly.

She pulled the blanket up, covering them both.

*****

Midnight had fallen.

In the room that used to be Dora’s, everything was quiet.

Lioren opened his eyes.

He slipped off the bed without making a sound, landing so lightly it was as if he were never there at all.

Elmer was fast asleep on the other bed, his furry white ears twitching softly with each breath, totally oblivious.

Lioren moved silently through the hallway, then leapt out the third-floor window, landing lightly atop the backyard wall.

The protective barrier kept the rain at bay as he stood on the wall, his amber eyes sweeping the surroundings. Once he was sure no one was around, he let out a low, throaty cat’s call.

A moment later, a shadowy figure darted out of the night and landed in front of him.

The figure bowed and greeted him, “Your Highness.”

Soren bowed low.

Lioren shifted into his human form, his silver hair and cat ears standing out, his amber eyes glowing faintly in the darkness.

“Any news on those elders?” Lioren asked.

Soren nodded. “The three elders at today’s party aren’t just close with Kael and the Shawn family, they’re also connected to other big shots on the Core Planet…”

He paused. “And I found out it’s not just those three elders on the Frostveil Planet who are connected to the Core Planet.”

10:11 Thu, Aug 6 da D

Surrounded by Five Beast Lords

A cold glint flashed in Lioren’s eyes.

Just as expected, he thought.

‘These waters run deeper than I imagined!

“What did Her Majesty say?” Lioren asked.

“Her Majesty wants you to keep investigating, but made it clear you need to stay safe,” Soren replied.

He paused. “Her Majesty also said…”

“What did she say?” Lioren asked.

55 vouchers

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify