Exiled Villainess: They Threw Me Out, Now Every Beastman Wants Me
Chapter 19: Her Word Against Theirs

Chapter 19: Her Word Against Theirs

Xavi’s nostrils flared again as he inhaled slowly near her neck.

Tera was confused for a split second, then she realised he was referring to Ermin.

"Oh. Ermin had saved me from the storm earlier."

Xavi’s frown grew slightly confused, as if not entirely satisfied with her answer, which made Tera wonder just how keen this beast’s sense of smell was.

’And I got perfectly railed by him last night.’

[This system advises Host to keep that information to herself!]

’I wasn’t going to say it out loud, you idiot!’

Tera slightly pushed back and got on her feet only for Xavi’s arm to tighten around her waist and pulled her even closer. Her body was now flush against his.

Tera looked up at him. "Uh. Xavi?"

He wasn’t looking at her. She followed the object of his attention and she was met with surprise when she saw Ermin a short distance away.

He looked like he had an upset stomach when he saw Xavi holding Tera, and Tera could notice the slight irritation on Xavi’s face.

’Oh my god.’

[Relationship Improvement!]

[Ermin’s Favourability: -50% → -39%]

[Xavi’s Favourability: 20% → 25%]

Tera was stuck in the middle. Xavi held her like she was some territory that needed defending, and Ermin looked so offended for someone who had just fucked her brains out and ghosted her.

And she found it very funny why there was a relationship improvement fuelled by jealousy.

Had she just discovered a cheat code?

Tera smacked Xavi’s chest, alerting him to the situation at hand.

"Release me already."

As much as Tera would love to remain glued to his chest like a heat-seeking limpet, this position wasn’t entirely comfortable with her halfway to the ground and her neck craned at an angle that would definitely ache later.

Xavi quickly released her. "Sorry."

Tera sighed and nodded, taking a step back. When a slight cool breeze hit her, she instantly darted back to Xavi to bask in his heat.

One of the beast men snorted and another one slapped his mouth, stopping the quick laugh short.

Tera felt slightly embarrassed. She was sure she looked like a small frog that had jumped from a leaf pad into water, realized the water was freezing, and had scrambled back onto the leaf with undignified panic.

But her embarrassment turned to amusement when she saw the annoyed look both Ermin and Xavi shot the beast kin.

The culprit covered his mouth.

Tera nonchalantly shook her head. "I do not know why you were looking at Ermin like that earlier. He saved me from the flood and had been so kind as to offer me his bodily warmth."

She wrapped her arms around herself as she said this.

"Which I was very grateful for despite how the rest of your clan had left me to die."

Everyone went silent.

The beast men exchanged glances. Then one of them stepped forward, his stance immediately defensive.

"The clan said they lost you in the storm. They had even looked for you, but the water was rising too fast and you had wandered off on your own."

Another one nodded. "Yes. Yes."

"You had been shouting about the storm coming and had just run off."

It seemed they had already met with the clan before finding her, but she was just realising she hadn’t thought out what would happen when she met them again.

Of course they were going to lie to protect themselves. But it did not stop Tera from getting angry.

This was just too much.

"I did not wander off on my own," she immediately corrected, "And what they told you is not what happened."

They didn’t even mention her helping them. Those ungrateful rats!

The beast men suddenly looked suspicious. "You are calling us liars?"

"No, I am calling them survivors who made a choice and are now covering their tails."

[Maybe Host should not have brought this up?]

’No.’ Tera refused.

Even if she didn’t bring anything up, it did not negate the fact that they had lied about the whole situation.

"And why should we believe you over them? Your reputation precedes you, shiftless one. The Jackdaw tribe did not exile you for being honest."

Tera felt her jaw tighten. The worst part was that she couldn’t even argue. Doubling down on this would not look good.

And she couldn’t blame Ermin for this mess for letting them know about her. The old Tera had been a liar and a schemer.

But still...

’Damn you, Ermin.’

[Ermin technically is not the cause of your poor reputation]

[( ˘•ω•˘ )]

[There has been word of Host’s poor behaviour even before your exile]

[Remember the negative influence?]

Tera steamed inside, but she did not back down.

How was she going to prove that she was telling the truth when it was their words against hers?

"Enough."

Xavi’s voice cut through the argument. The hunters fell silent immediately. Even the wind seemed to pause.

He turned to Ermin.

"You were there."

Ermin tensed.

"I was not there when the clan moved. I had already left before the storm worsened."

It was true he hadn’t been part of the group when they abandoned her, but the way he had looked at Tera confused her.

It looked like he wanted to say something else but he changed his mind.

"If you have something to say, just say it—"

Someone murmured, "This one is already causing trouble, and she hasn’t been with us yet for more than one day."

Tera was growing annoyed by the second, but she eased her breathing to calm herself. Screaming at these idiots would not help her case either.

She would look like a brat. And while she would like nothing more to just abandon these idiots and go her own way, she had a task to complete.

"I am not lying. I understand you have no reason to trust me, and if you feel I am suspicious, I understand. But I am telling you the truth about what happened."

’And it frustrates me so much I can’t freaking provide proof!’

But if she blatantly called the entire clan liars—which they were—she would still lose.

It didn’t matter if she was right.

One new person walks in and says the group you’ve trusted for a while are lying pieces of dung? That never goes well.

She finally sensed Xavi’s pointed stare and turned to face him.

His golden eyes were unreadable, and he looked deep in thought.

He looked between Ermin and the beast men before his amber gaze landed on her again.

"I will take your word for it."