I looked back, my eyes scanning and looking for someone who would stand for me. Please, anyone. There has to be someone who saw me when I was leaving.
This was my only chance to prove my innocence.
And then, someone, shyly raised his hand. He was that ugly, big-nosed, and uneven-eyed male who rejected me. The fifth male that rejected me.
"I... I saw Arinya." He said.
Oh, thank God.
"She usually leaves at the time every day, and I tie up firewood at that time too, so I... I saw her again today."
Thank you, big-nosed male, I won't forget your kindness.
And with this, more murmuring rose.
One person saw me leave at the crack of dawn and no one saw me in the tribe at the time Veyra was poisoned.
And because my cave was a bit far from where Veyra and her spouses lived, it was hard for anyone not to have seen me.
So, the situation was clear.
I was innocent.
But just as they were about to call the verdict, a weak faint voice spoke,
"W-wait,"
It was Veyra.
That bitch... Why did she come out now?
She looked pale with her eyelids dark and her lips cracked. That sight was enough to get the village to sympathize with her and forget the common sense I had just fed them.
My father rushed to Veyra, throwing away his composed self and showing quite clearly that Veyra was his adored child.
"Are you alright? Why did you come out?"
Supporting Veyra were two of my brothers. Ashren and Zevak. Kaelor was currently not in the tribe.
"Zevak, Ashren, why isn't your sister resting right now?" My father asked.
"It's because Veyra wanted to come," Zevak said and his eyes darted towards me, sneering and glaring with hate.
Ah, why did this suddenly seem like those shorts you'd watch about the bullying siblings?
Hm, how do I handle this bunch?
"Father," Veyra called, breathing heavily, and then looked towards me. "You shouldn't blame Arinya. I'm sure she meant no harm." She coughed.
Yup. Just like the shorts.
She lives up to the cunning bitch in Arinya's memory.
Acting all soft and considerate now to make others think she's an angel, while I, Arinya, am a devil incarnate who wanted to stain her white.
But she's quite terrible at it. Is it just me, or does this seem more inauthentic than those shorts?
Whatever. She's probably been acting like this all along, so she sees no need to improve.
It's the fools who fall for her act that I blame.
Tch, amateurs.
"Veyra, we have already looked into this matter." My father said. It looked like he wasn't going to let me down, after all. The power of tears can't be underestimated, huhu. "Arinya was not in the tribe when you were poisoned so she's not the criminal."
I saw Veyra flinch and look at her father in disbelief.
"W-what?"
That's right, you bitch. I just taught our father some common sense.
"Yes. Since she was not in the tribe, that means she wasn't the one who poisoned you. We'll have to be cautious because it seems there is someone who is trying to harm you."
The words must feel like bullets shot right past Veyra's ear. As long as I, Stephanie, am here, her plan won't work the way she wants.
"But that... That..." Her hands trembled and her lips quivered. "If not her, t-then who else would want to harm me?"
She was insinuating that I was the only one in this entire tribe who would try to harm her. She was crazy.
And the ones who would believe her were even crazier.
"That's right, father," Zevak said, glaring at me. "I can't think of anyone else who would try to harm dear Veyra besides Arinya who's always jealous of her."
Wait, me? Jealous?
Excuse me but I'd rather drown than be jealous of— I paused. Something unsettling suddenly rattled me.
Ah, Arinya was jealous indeed. She was jealous that Veyra had so many mates and more who wanted to line up and wait for her, while she was left with none.
It rattled me a bit and I bowed my head.
This sucks.
What do I do with this feeling?
My father was silent. He couldn't deny that all the things that had been going on with Veyra were done by me, but just like this day when they were about to accuse me without discovering clearly if I was the one, what if I had been falsely accused those times as well and that is why the attacks keep coming?
"Veyra, are you sure it's Arinya who did it?" He suddenly asked which rattled Veyra. "Did you see her put the poison? Or did you see her come in contact with your meat?"
"I... I didn't but..."
"What? You didn't?" Ashren asked, confused. "But didn't you say you saw Arinya put something in your meat?"
"Well, that's... I was sure, I mean, I don't..." She had finally slipped up, trembling in disbelief.
Her words no longer matched her previous claims which puts her on the spot.
Did she try to make it up so Arinya could be blamed when Arinya wasn't even in the tribe?
Words like that were circulating among the beastmen in the hall, and Veyra, who was backed to a corner, decided to use her secret weapon... Her tears.
She cried.
"I... I don't know anymore. I can't remember it clearly either, waa." She cried, rattling her father and her brother.
And they sympathized with her.
This was the point where they would hold her and tell her it was okay but... I sniffed, tears rolling down my cheeks as I began to cry.
She wasn't the only one who could fake tears.
"All this time," I cried, catching their attention. "I've always been falsely accused and no one would listen to me. I suffered a lot, Father. I suffered because you wouldn't listen to me. It's only about Veyra." I cried, falling to my knees. "It must be because I'm ugly and hunt like the males. That's why you want to punish me, isn't it? That's why you have no problem making me a criminal. That's why every beast hates me."
I cried. The weakness of the beastmen appeared to be the tears of a female.
Come to think of it, females are meant to be treasured and treated well, but if word got out that one female was maltreated in another tribe by the entire tribe, others would want to come to claim that female.
It's something about females being the national treasure.
Anyway, I kept crying.
My father and brothers were suddenly torn about what to do.
If to console me, or continue consoling Veyra.
Since they were torn and still hesitant, I began to cry louder.
"Why was I even born? Every beast hates me because I'm not as pretty and gentle as Veyra. Even my father hates me."
This forced my father to my side right away.
"Arinya," he held my hand and I looked up. "You shouldn't bow down. No daughter of this chief should bow their head."
Oh, so now you know I'm your daughter.
What blinded you that you forgot that fact when you made Arinya suffer all this while?
This doesn't mean I'll forgive you so easily. You've hurt Arinya far too much.
I'm no pushover when it comes to acting, so I will definitely—I glanced at Veyra, who looked in disbelief as Rakan helped me up to my feet—Show you what it means to be at the top of your class as an arts major.