Reborn as the General's Useless Daughter-Chapter 212: The Suffocation Forest (Part-9)

For a brief moment, Fiona and the others stood frozen, mouths slightly parted. Though they had half-expected this answer, hearing it stated so plainly still felt unreal.

Sigmund and Zephrin exchanged glances, their eyes unconsciously returning to Zora.

Her beauty alone was enough to stun. Even among the countless stunning women they had seen, she could still be described as one who eclipsed a city.

If such a woman had appeared before them under ordinary circumstances, they might have pursued her without hesitation. But Prince Kael was not a man to be swayed by mere appearances.

So who exactly was she?

"Imperial Prince," Fiona asked cautiously, "may I know which family or guild your wife comes from?"

Having grown up among top guilds, Fiona understood one rule clearly: before acting, one must always ascertain another’s background. Offending the wrong person could mean disaster.

"She does not belong to any martial family," Prince Kael replied.

"Oh?" Fiona lifted her brows in surprise. "I’ve never heard of any guild with a disciple named Zora."

Sigmund and the others frowned slightly. They were well-informed about the younger generation across the continent, yet this name was unfamiliar.

Before the atmosphere could grow more strained, Zora spoke calmly. "I am simply a student of the academy."

The moment her words fell, the expressions of the four shifted subtly.

Disbelief flickered through their eyes, followed by contemplation. Was she lying?

After a brief pause, they dismissed the thought. There was no reason for her to deceive them.

Which only made the situation more astonishing.

A mere academy student... standing as the acknowledged lady of Prince Kael.

The realization quietly unsettled them all. "Imperial Prince, she’s nothing more than a commoner. You would truly take her as your lady?"

Fiona let out a soft laugh.

The caution that had lingered in her gaze vanished, replaced by open mockery and disdain as her eyes swept over Zora.

So that was all.

She had briefly wondered whether this woman might possess some hidden backing, some inconvenient truth. But now, knowing she was merely of humble origin, Fiona felt her last trace of wariness dissolve.

A woman like this could never pose a threat.

No matter how much Prince Kael might favor her for her looks, she would never be fit to stand as his wife. At best, she was a passing fancy.

As long as this "Zora" was removed, Prince Kael would still belong to the world she understood.

Reesa’s brows knitted tightly. From the moment Fiona appeared, she had been clinging to Prince Kael with thinly veiled intent. That alone was irritating enough.

But now she dared to belittle Zora outright.

"That’s enough!" Reesa stepped forward angrily. "Zora is not some commoner. She’s the daughter of a general!"

Fiona’s smile only widened, tinged now with unmistakable sarcasm.

"A General?" she laughed lightly. "And what difference does that make? In the end, isn’t she still from the secular world?"

Her tone was lazy, cruel in its indifference. To her, worldly power was nothing more than dust. In the eyes of true spirit warriors, even emperors were insignificant, let alone a general’s daughter.

"How can you talk like that?" Reesa snapped, her anger flaring. "You’re going too far!"

Fiona’s expression darkened instantly. A sharp killing intent flickered through her eyes.

"What did you say?" she asked coldly.

The oppressive aura made Reesa’s face pale. She knew all too well how vast the gap was between herself and Fiona. One careless word could spell disaster for her family.

Yet after a brief hesitation, Reesa straightened her back.

She could endure humiliation herself. But she would not allow anyone to trample on Zora.

Before she could speak again, a calm, unhurried voice cut through the tension.

"So what if I am a commoner?"

Zora stepped forward, her expression serene, her gaze steady as water.

"What does that have to do with you?"

Her tone was light, almost casual, yet it carried an unmistakable edge of contempt. She showed neither fear nor insecurity, as though Fiona’s status and hostility were nothing worth acknowledging.

Fiona’s eyes darkened further. Fury and disdain intertwined, flashing back and forth in her gaze.

"Unable to accept reality, so you tell yourself lies?" Fiona sneered. "From the moment you were born, you were destined to be inferior to me."

Sigmund remained silent, watching from the side. He understood Fiona well enough.

She had coveted Prince Kael for years.

Now that she knew Zora’s background, she clearly saw her as nothing more than a temporary obstacle. With Fiona’s methods, it would not take long for such a "civilian" to vanish without a trace.

"This woman is unbearable," Reesa muttered angrily.

Baldwin gently patted her shoulder, lowering his voice. "Don’t worry too much. Zora isn’t someone who can be bullied so easily."

He paused, then added meaningfully, "And Prince Kael... will never allow anyone to trample on her."

After all, those who had once tried to provoke Zora had paid a price none of them could forget.

Sebastian and Miel both frowned slightly. Fiona’s words were sharp and thorny, unpleasant no matter how one listened.

However, this was clearly a clash between two women over one man. As mentors, it was not appropriate for them to interfere openly, so they could only watch from the side.

Sylvandria’s gaze was complicated. From the earlier exchange, she had already grasped the identities of Sigmund and Fiona. As a talented Alchemist, her circle was far broader than that of ordinary spirit warriors, and she understood better than most what kind of existence Prince Kael was.

Logically speaking, someone of his level would never entangle his life with unnecessary emotions.

Yet Prince Kael was so firm, so openly standing beside Zora, even carrying a faint, unconscious pride whenever he acknowledged her. That alone was something countless men could never achieve.

As a woman, Sylvandria was sensitive to such things.

Fiona’s affection for Prince Kael was obvious to anyone with eyes, yet Prince Kael showed no interest in her noble background at all. Instead, he remained by Zora’s side, unwavering.

Thinking of this, an indescribable envy quietly spread through Sylvandria’s heart. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Alaric Von Seraph and Raphael exchanged a glance, both clearly repulsed by Fiona. A woman like her, even if all the women in the world disappeared, would never earn their favor.

In contrast, Prince Kael’s taste was impeccable.

This scene only highlighted the disparity in status between Zora and Prince Kael, yet none of them felt that Zora was unworthy.

On the contrary, her abilities were so astonishing that it was hard to believe she was merely a general’s daughter.

The lost divine needle technique alone was enough to shake countless forces. If word spread, who knew how many powers would scramble to invite Zora as an honored guest?

At that moment, Zora’s red lips curved slightly. Her exquisite face bloomed into a dazzling smile as she casually hooked an arm around Prince Kael’s shoulder, leaning against him with natural intimacy.

"Can’t eat grapes, so you say they’re sour?" she said lightly, blinking. "That logic isn’t wrong."

Zora had always been the one mocking others. If Fiona wanted to humiliate her, she should go cultivate for another few hundred years first.

As expected, the moment her words fell, Fiona’s face turned utterly ugly.

The same sentence, coming from Zora’s mouth, was infinitely more cutting. For a moment, Fiona couldn’t even find the words to refute her.

Prince Kael’s eyes flickered with amusement and admiration. His woman was never ordinary. Even under pressure, she stood sharp and fearless.

More importantly, it was the first time she had taken the initiative to lean so close to him, and he found that... he quite enjoyed it.

"You’re shameless!" Fiona snapped angrily.

Zora tilted her head slightly, lifting her delicate chin. The smile on her face remained radiant, but the darkness in her eyes turned cold, sharp as ice.

"Shameless?" she chuckled softly. "I truly admire your definition of that word."

She took a step forward, closing the distance with Fiona. Her voice lowered, each word precise and merciless.

"Flirting with my husband right in front of me, and you still have the nerve to call me shameless?"

"I truly didn’t know," Zora said calmly, her lips curving ever so slightly, "that a martial family could raise such outstanding children."

The final word landed like a blade wrapped in silk, the irony so sharp it cut straight to the bone.

Fiona, arrogant as she was, still flushed red in spite of herself. No matter how she twisted it, she simply couldn’t find a way to justify her own behavior.

However, Kael’s eyes lit up as he glanced at his wife. One could see immense affection in his eyes as he thought, "Did she just directly acknowledge me as her husband?"