Mated To The Cruel Prince
Chapter 373: First Meeting

Chapter 373: First Meeting

The atmosphere in the room grew tense, marked by a collective frown as the anticipation of trouble loomed. Oma, in particular, wrestled with a moral dilemma, her face contorted into a deep frown. The ongoing conversation had sparked debate, and she found it highly disrespectful for Maxi to involve Anya’s parents in the matter.

The situation weighed heavily on Oma’s shoulders. Maxi was her son’s fiancée, marking her first visit to their home. Rebuking her in front of everyone felt inherently disrespectful, especially considering the lack of an apology for the incident involving her son’s disrespectful behavior – an incident prompted by Oma’s encouragement for this visit in the first place.

Oma’s hope was to make Maxi feel at ease during her stay and to foster an open relationship with her future daughter-in-law. Simultaneously, Anya was a cherished friend of the family, and her distress, especially concerning her parents, needed to be addressed. Thus, Oma wrestled with finding a suitable solution for the delicate situation.

But Maxi spoke up before Oma did, saying with a blank look, "Excuse me? I’m a bit confused here, what do you mean by insulting your parents?"

At this point, Maxi’s claim of innocence infuriated Anya the more, and she wagged a finger in her direction angrily, "Don’t attempt to play innocent with me; not just me, but everyone heard you correctly."

"In that case, what did I exactly say?" Maxi looked shockingly undisturbed for someone who was supposedly in deep trouble.

"If your idea of safeguarding a youngling involves restricting her freedom, then that’s the epitome of hypocrisy, especially considering you’ve been following Issac for years. Or did your parents also neglect to do what’s genuinely best for you?" Anya quoted her statement word to word while Maxi rolled her eyes inwardly with mock praise for her impressive memory.

Islinda shrugged, "What’s disrespectful about that?"

Anya’s eyes grew wild with shock, about to develop an aneurysm, thanks to her audacity, "What’s wrong with that?" She let out a self-deprecating laugh, "I wonder if you are just plain dumb or arrogant?" She said snidely.

Maxi’s expression darkened, exuding a menacing presence as she justified her words, "You asserted that Kayla is young and might make mistakes, and Issac is genuinely doing what’s best for her by limiting her freedom. How, then, am I being disrespectful to your parents when Issac serves as Kayla’s father figure? If Issac, in his role as Kayla’s guardian, is safeguarding her by restricting interactions with males, why didn’t your own parents employ a similar method?"

Anya opened her mouth to retort, but her lips simply moved without a word. She had not expected Maxi to be able to defend herself. She had assumed Issac’s fiancée would look to Oma for help, and then she —Anya — would pressure Oma into judging the case without preferential treatment. Sadly, Maxi left her flabbergasted.

"By the gods, I think I’m in love," Kayla was so impressed by Maxi’s formidable stance that the words slipped from her mouth unknowingly, and Calan’s head whipped towards her so quickly his neck almost snapped, jealousy written on his face. Kayla at once gave him an assuring smile, albeit a sheepish one. She just couldn’t help it.

It seemed her son had stumbled upon a gem this time; that was what Oma thought as her brilliant eyes looked her over, proudly. While she had been searching for a peaceful alternative to solve the conflict, her young daughter-in-law already had a solution. She knew to choose her battles wisely and to throw her opponents off balance; that alone impressed her.

For the second time that night — the sun has set with the time spent at the table — Issac fought the urge to just burst into laughter. He had been worried over nothing. Maxi had this solid maturity that probably accumulated over the years of her long life and was unfazed by even the largest of tumult. Her ability to handle herself was impressive. Although he did wish she leaned on him for help sometimes; it was still his innate nature to protect his female.

Of course, Anya did not give up.

"Liar!" She accused Maxi, her eyes flashing, "You are speaking out of context and trying to twist your way out of your offense. Just admit it, you insulted my parents!" She spat, clearly worked up.

Unlike Anya whose spittle had clearly landed on everyone in the dining — and the poor food — Maxi was seated down with clear superiority, answering without raising her voice," You are quite bold leveling such an accusation on me when honestly, you should be the one apologizing to Kayla."

"What?!" Anya was dumbfounded while everyone else was curious to know what she was trying to say.

"You claim that Issac is your friend and you trusted a male so much you followed him around since young. What about Kayla? Is Calan not her friend too? Would she date a male she isn’t comfortable with? Most especially Oma...."

Issac’s mother’s eyes lit up when her name was called, clearly intrigued.

Maxi continued," Would such a smart female let a rascal hang around her daughter? You’re from a reputable family, and Calan is from one as well to the best of my knowledge. In that case, aren’t you blatantly disrespecting Kayla’s judgment? Have you even forgotten to know him? "

Before Anya had the chance to speak up, especially now that the cards were stacked against her, Maxi said, "Also, you claim your parents raised an honorable daughter; does that mean Issac and Oma raised a dishonorable sister and daughter?"

The accusation hung thickly in the air, and the blood drained from Anya’s face. She quickly tried to explain, "That’s not —"

Maxi cut her off, "I spoke in the context." She added. "Also, thank you for clearly pointing out that you and Issac are purely friends. For a moment there, I was scared you had feelings for my fiancée with the way you antagonized my presence, but it seems I have nothing to fear, and I can depend on your words. Who knows we might even be friends." Her smile was pure evil.

Anya stood frozen on the spot, her blood turning to ice even though she seethed with white-hot anger. This hatred went beyond Maxi being Issac’s fiancée; it was the way Maxi effortlessly ruffled her feathers. It seemed as if Maxi knew exactly which buttons to push, leaving Anya flustered. It was this control that angered her the most. Maxi was manipulative, adept at swaying everyone to her side.

Her feelings for Issac were not exactly a secret, and even Oma was aware of them. Subtle hints and jokes had been thrown around at family dinners, with some secretly hoping they would end up as mates. However, Maxi had laid waste to all those efforts. Anya fell into her own trap and couldn’t outwardly display her feelings for Issac, especially when she stupidly claimed they were just friends. She had bitten off more than she could chew with this one.

Anya longed to confront Maxi, but the audience made it impossible. Helpless, she could only plead for support, uncertain if they believed the stranger’s words over hers.

When Anya sought answers in Issac’s impassive face, it revealed everything. He stood with his fiancée. Kayla had never been on her side, a painful reality. Then, her gaze met Oma’s – the one who hadn’t forsaken her when others did.

"Trust me, Oma, I would never disrespect —"

"You should sit down and enjoy the rest of dinner with us, Anya, or you can leave and come back at a better time. Your presence is beginning to make some things complicated," Oma said with a deep sigh of disapproval.

Anya’s heart sank; Oma wasn’t on her side either, a significant blow. She slumped into her seat, still recovering from the shock, while others had already moved on.

"I’m curious," Kayla said, intentionally looking at Anya with a lost expression before shifting her gaze back to Maxi, "How did the two of you meet? Do not forget to feed me with the juicy details now." She was clearly excited, pushing Anya’s presence to the background. More like the back of her mind.

At once Maxi and Issac’s eyes locked and there was an expression on the horse shifter’s face that said, ’See? I told you.’

Issac nodded in agreement, relieved to be free of the task, especially knowing Kayla asked tricky questions. As for Maxi’s ability to lie, a mystery lingered. Fae are incapable of lying. Could her hybrid nature be the key? It seemed possible. He will ask her later.

Even Oma, at this point, was intrigued. She wanted to know about their first meeting. Where in the Fae realm did her son pick up such a rare gem?

Maxi feigned a blush, giggling like a female in love for the first time – a display that horrified Issac.

She tucked her hair behind her ear, saying, "Actually, this might seem silly, but we met in a whorehouse."

W—what the....