Reborn as the General's Useless Daughter-Chapter 272: The Banquet for Kael and Zora (Part-2)

In Icarus’s eyes, his mother and sister’s downfall was inseparable from Zora. Seeing her sit there so calmly, basking in attention, was like pouring salt into an open wound.

General Helius’s expression shifted slightly. After everything that had happened, he found that he could no longer bring himself to look down on Zora as he once had.

"Let it be," he said after a pause, shaking his head. "We were the ones who wronged her in the past."

He lifted his cup and drank silently. Over these days, he had thought through many things. He knew better than anyone how harshly he had treated Zora as a father. Her indifference now was only natural.

Hearing this, Icarus’s eyes widened in disbelief. He couldn’t accept what he had just heard.

Had his father actually chosen to let her go?

The sight of General Helius drinking in silence confirmed it. Rage surged in Icarus’s chest. His sister’s hatred, his mother’s humiliation, all of it burned together into a single thought.

He couldn’t accept this.

Without waiting for anyone to stop him, Icarus stood up and strode straight toward Zora.

"Zora," he said sharply, his voice cutting through the hall. "You came from the General’s Manor. Now that you’ve gained power, you turn around and deny your own family. Don’t you think that’s going too far?"

His words were blunt and aggressive, leaving no room for courtesy.

No matter what others said about Zora’s current strength, in his eyes, she was still that wretched girl he once trampled underfoot.

Zora lifted her phoenix eyes slightly. The corners of her lips curved into a slow, mesmerizing smile.

"So," she said calmly, "you want me to call you big brother, now?"

Icarus’s face stiffened. "You?" he sneered. "You’re not qualified to be my sister."

Prince Kael’s brows immediately drew together. He was about to speak when Zora gently pressed his hand, stopping him.

"That suits me perfectly," she said, her tone light and unhurried. "Since we don’t look favorably upon each other, there’s no need to force a family bond. We can treat each other as strangers."

Her smile remained elegant and composed, every movement graceful and unhurried. Against her calm poise, Icarus’s agitation only made him look like a clown throwing a tantrum in the middle of the banquet.

Icarus froze for a moment. Doubt and confusion flickered through his dark eyes. It had only been a few months since they last met, yet he felt as if the person before him was completely different from the Zora of the past.

Back then, no matter how stubborn she was, she had still carried traces of weakness and restraint. Now, however, there was an unshakable calm about her, as though nothing he said could truly reach her heart. It was as if she stood on a height he could no longer touch.

"I don’t want to be related to you either," Icarus said coldly, lifting his chin. "But my father is here. Your behavior is far too disrespectful."

In his mind, Zora was still the stain of the family, someone who should know her place. Now that she dared to put on airs in front of him, he was determined to tear off her so-called composure.

Before he could continue, Zora’s lips curved slightly. Her phoenix eyes, calm and deep like a quiet pool, carried a faint chill.

"General Helius hasn’t said a word," she replied evenly. "Why are you so eager to speak on his behalf?"

Her tone was neither sharp nor loud, yet it carried a quiet authority that made people pause. She had long seen through Icarus’s intentions, but she had no interest in dragging General Helius further into this farce. Whatever grievances lay between her and the General were matters she would settle herself.

Icarus choked for a moment, his expression shifting. He sneered, forcing out a laugh. "I didn’t expect you to be so filial now."

At that, Zora slowly rose to her feet. She crossed her arms lightly, her posture relaxed, yet there was a clear hint of provocation in her gaze.

"This is how I am," she said unhurriedly. "What about it?"

Icarus was completely stunned. He had intended to pin a heavy accusation on her, thinking she would be forced into embarrassment or anger. Instead, she admitted it outright, as if it were nothing at all.

For a moment, his mind went blank.

If she neither refuted nor cared, how was he supposed to continue causing trouble?

"If you have nothing else to say, you can leave," Zora added coolly. "I really don’t enjoy looking at your face."

"Zora, don’t push it too far!" Icarus finally snapped, genuine anger surging to his face.

She merely raised her brows slightly, amusement flickering in her eyes. "Push it too far? Icarus, have you already forgotten the lesson from last time when your arm was broken?"

The color drained instantly from Icarus’s face. That memory was still vivid. His arm had been shattered, forcing him to miss the royal hunting game and endure endless ridicule. Now that Zora had trained at the academy for so long, her strength was undoubtedly far beyond his reach.

He knew it clearly. He wasn’t her opponent at all.

"Get lost."

The two words fell lightly from Zora’s lips, calm and decisive.

Icarus’s eyes burned with fury, yet he could do nothing. He couldn’t win in words, and he certainly couldn’t win in force. Staying would only invite further humiliation.

In the end, he could only turn back stiffly and return to his seat, seething with resentment. He had never imagined that after entering the academy, Zora’s methods would become so sharp and merciless.

From the side, General Helius watched the scene unfold and let out a long, heavy sigh. He lifted his cup and drank in silence, the bitterness in his heart deeper than the wine.

"Master, that was beautifully done!" Black whispered excitedly, giving a thumbs-up. In its view, people like Icarus deserved exactly that treatment.

Zora’s expression returned to calm as she sat back down. After tonight’s banquet, she intended to speak with General Helius and make everything clear. Whatever little warmth had once existed between them had long been exhausted.

The bond of father and daughter was already gone. It was time to cleanly sever what remained and leave no more entanglements behind.

From a distance, Scarlet saw Icarus stride up to Zora, only to leave moments later with an ashen face and tightly clenched fists. A trace of doubt flickered through Scarlet’s eyes. The distance was too great for her to hear what had been said, and that made the scene all the more irritating.

She watched as Zora calmly picked up a delicate pastry and ate it as if nothing had happened, her expression unruffled. Scarlet’s lips curved slightly, and she lifted her wine cup before walking slowly toward Zora’s table.

However, she was not alone.