She went to the bathroom and straightened herself up before coming back down.
The first thing she heard was Crayson chiding, "Look at you. How many times have I told you to hold back? Why wouldn't you listen to me? You can't even beat Liam! This is a disgrace."
She reached the first floor and looked at them. Mateo's face was bruised, and blood trickled down the corner of his lips. His right eye was also bruised. She sympathized with him, but she also found it funny.
Veronica let out a laugh. "A-Are you fine?" I thought he could handle it. He looked so confident. Guess that's not the case.
"I'm fine, don't worry. Liam got it worse than I did. Both of his eyes are bruised," he said proudly.
Crayson slammed the table. "This is preposterous. You know his mother is the clan's head, and yet you challenged him? This is a sensitive period. You can't just start trouble anywhere you go."
"It's because this is a special period that they won't do anything to us. They want to get reelected, after all." Mateo snorted. "The first thing Tanya did after she usurped the throne was to grant us mercy and a life of peace. They won't renege on their word right now."
The hidden clan was a united one, and they thought only the Elrods should be the leaders. That was why Tanya spared them after she usurped the throne. She needed to appease the people.
Tanya still despised the Elrod royalty after she took the throne. She knew she needed to destroy every single one of them, but her people protested.
After she executed Nadine, the previous clan leader, over some petty reason, the clan started rebelling again. The civil war cost her her youngest son and a sizable portion of her army. The defeated Elrods goaded the people into a protest and forced her to grant mercy to the Elrods.
Tanya had just taken the throne, and she hadn't established her authority just yet. She also had enemies within the fold just trying to take her out. Left with no choice, she granted mercy, though her real plan was to secretly take all the Elrods out after the people had calmed down.
Then, Hayley escaped and disappeared like she never existed before. It was early last year when she made her reappearance. By then, the Elrod remnants had built up a powerful force and network. It was thanks to that that Hayley kept herself safe.
Tanya made many attempts on Hayley and Veronica's lives, but all of them ended in failure.
The accession was right around the corner, so she wouldn't dare to send anyone after the Elrods at this moment. If the people found out, they would be enraged and come after her. It would put her empire in jeopardy.
"You're a fool. She's finding a reason to take us all out, and you've given her the perfect one! You assaulted her son!" Crayson was furious. This might seem trivial, but it could affect their whole plan.
Veronica had been taking her time to sort out the whole clan's issues, and she agreed with Crayson. Tanya had been trying to take Hayley and the remnants out, but she had no excuse. Now Mateo just gave her one. If she came after them because of this, it could cost them everything.
"I…" Mateo froze. He had no answer to that.
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