Chapter 90: He is my darling, long-lost, extremely serpentine brother, and I will not stand for this slander!

Chapter 90: Chapter 90: He is my darling, long-lost, extremely serpentine brother, and I will not stand for this slander! She planted a charming, winning smile on her face. "Why, hello! To whom do I owe the pleasure of this very loud and slightly terrifying visit?" Her voice practically sparkled. Then, as the angry shouts continued, her smile wavered. Wait. Where even were they? Her eyes darted around. And then she squinted. Oh. Oh. The beast men were still ridiculously far away. She tilted her head, utterly bewildered. Damn, these beast people had some serious lung power. And now, because of their... overenthusiastic volume, she was stuck standing here—smiling, posing, waiting—like some kind of overdressed pageant queen while they took their sweet time actually arriving. Well, this was awkward. So, to pass the time, she stroked Glimora’s fur—a completely normal and casual activity while waiting for an angry mob, obviously. Then she squinted again. Wait a second... Was that—? Kian? Luca? Zara? Shelia? And—oh, sweet drama—Ophelia?! Of course. It clicked instantly. Ophelia. Tears. Panic. And boom, now there was an entire angry parade storming her way. Spectacular. Before they even fully reached, Ophelia broke into a sprint, throwing herself into Isabella’s arms with a force that nearly knocked them both over. And, as usual, Glimora immediately abandoned ship, darting up to perch perfectly on Isabella’s head like some kind of royal crown. Isabella sighed dramatically, adjusting her living headpiece. Seriously. When did Glimora even learn this trick? Isabella sighed dramatically, patting Ophelia’s back while Glimora balanced like a seasoned acrobat on her head. Seriously, when did she get so good at this? She lightly smoothed Ophelia’s hair. "Darling, please, my very delicate bones are not prepared for this level of squeezing—though I do appreciate the enthusiasm." Ophelia only sniffled harder, gripping Isabella like a lifeline, and Isabella shot the approaching group an exasperated look over her shoulder. She could see confused and alarmed faces. "So, um..." she started, shifting awkwardly. "Not that I mind an unexpected visit, but judging by the pitchfork energy I’m sensing, I assume this isn’t a social call?" Kian stood firm, his expression sharp with suspicion. "We heard a monster was here." "Oh?" Isabella’s eyes went comically wide, pressing a hand to her chest. "A monster, you say?" Then, in her best I’m totally innocent voice, she added, "Wow. That sounds so scary. I sure hope I’m safe out here all alone in my hut with absolutely nothing suspicious inside." Luca, unimpressed, squinted. "Ophelia said she saw a huge snake enter your hut." Isabella gasped, clutching Ophelia dramatically. "Sweetheart! How could you?" Ophelia looked utterly torn between guilt and confusion. "I—I thought it was going to eat you!" "Well, it didn’t," Isabella declared, patting her head reassuringly. "And, frankly, I’m offended you think my survival instincts are so poor—though, to be fair, they are terrible." Kian narrowed his eyes. "So you admit something’s inside?" "Ugh," Isabella groaned, rubbing her temples. "You all really have no trust in me." Zara lifted a brow. "Should we?" Isabella could hear the disappoinment in her voice. Did this woman really want to see her end so badly?! "Absolutely not," Isabella said immediately, as she flashed her best smile. The group collectively sighed. Ophelia gripped Isabella’s hands in hers. "it is dangerous Isabella, and we will save you, that is why I brought them! You just have to move aside, and we’ll handle it—" Opehlia said about to cry again. Isabella winced. Oof. That’s gonna be a no. She inhaled deeply, squared her shoulders, and put on her best, most dazzling smile. "Now, now, my lovely little village saviors," she cooed. "Before we get all... stabby, let’s just talk about this." And then, before anyone could respond— The curtain shuffled and was pushed open behind her. The entire group froze. Kian’s expression darkened. Zara visibly tensed. Luca had already reached for his very ineffective weapon. And Isabella? She was already regretting all her life choices. Cyrus stepped forward, calm as ever, his towering form now fully visible. In his human form, he wore a simple hide skirt, his fiery red hair falling over his shoulders. Yet, even without his full serpentine form, there was something undeniably predatory about him, the air around him thick with an unnatural stillness. The tension was instant. Isabella swung an arm around Cyrus’s waist, yanking him closer in the most awkward side-hug ever and declared with absolute confidence, "This is my long-lost brother who finally found me!" Silence. Then— "LIAR!" someone screamed from the crowd. One second, everyone was staring. The next— "BURN IT!" Someone from the back screamed. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!" Isabella whipped around, scandalized. "Why is your first instinct always arson?!" The same man from earlier solemnly nodded. "Fire solves many things." "SEEK THERAPY!" Meanwhile, Cyrus merely blinked at the chaos unfolding. He made no move to defend himself, no protest against their aggression. He was used to this. It had always been like this. He existed to be feared. To be hunted. To be killed. But Isabella? Isabella saw red. She marched forward, her slippers slapping against the dirt. "Alright, everybody, calm down. I know he looks a little like a giant, soul-devouring demon, but—" "That’s because he is one!" Zara snapped. "Ugh, labels, Zara," Isabella shot back, exasperated. "I prefer misunderstood reptilian gentleman!" Kian, arms crossed, watched the entire debacle with an unreadable expression. He didn’t speak, didn’t react—but the intensity of his gaze told her exactly what he was thinking. He did not like this. At all. Not the way Isabella stood in front of Cyrus. Not the way she kept defending him. Not the way she spoke with such conviction on his behalf. A part of him wanted to step in, shut this down, demand answers— But as usual, he brushed the feeling aside. Sheila rushed to Isabella’s side, eyes wide with concern. "Are you okay?! He didn’t hurt you, did he?" "He didn’t," Isabella reassured, patting Sheila’s hands. "I promise, I’m fine! Look at me—perfectly alive, perfectly unharmed, perfectly—" "Lying," Zara interrupted sharply. Isabella clenched her jaw. "Why must you ruin everything?" Zara, seizing the opportunity, folded her arms, smirking. "If he’s your brother, then that means..." She paused dramatically, her voice turning sharp and accusing. "That means you are of snake blood." The entire crowd stiffened. Zara continued, her tone dangerously smooth. "But as we all know, snakes rarely give birth to females. Almost never, in fact. So..." She took a deliberate step forward, eyes glinting. "How do we know we can trust you?" Silence. A single, heavy silence. Kian’s gaze hardened. Luca stared. Sheila’s hand tightened around Isabella’s wrist. Isabella? She blinked. Then she let out the most scandalized, offended gasp in history. "HOW DARE YOU?" She clutched her invisible pearls. "Are you seriously questioning my family bloodline right now?! Oh, I’m sorry—do I not have enough snake-like qualities for you? Do you want me to start hissing?!" The group looked vaguely disturbed. Cyrus, for the first time, looked mildly amused. Zara didn’t waver. "You’re avoiding the question." Isabella dramatically flung herself onto Cyrus, clinging to his arm. "He is my darling, long-lost, extremely serpentine brother, and I will not stand for this slander!" Cyrus... did not move. Or react. He just blinked, staring down at her with mild confusion, as if she was some strange forest creature attaching itself to him. Sheila who knew Isabella was obviously lying immediately yanked Isabella back. "You’re hugging the snake man." Ophelia nodded beside her. "I KNOW. AND I’M COMMITTING TO THE BIT!" Meanwhile, Cyrus stood there, his human form towering over the group. His expression remained calm, a slight twitch of his lips betraying no emotion, though his fingers subtly flexed. Despite the chaos, despite the accusations— He wasn’t angry. But he was... Fascinated. By the way Isabella stood up for him. By the way she challenged them all. By the way she... Treated him like he wasn’t a monster. Zara, however, was not done. She took another step forward, her gaze sharp and unrelenting. "If he’s really your brother," she said smoothly, "then tell us—"