The Queen Who Fights Back (by Lily Hastings) novel Chapter 17

Chapter 17

The moment Nova broke her silence, an eerie stillness swept over the crowd. Every pair of eyes widened simultaneously, as if trying to peer right through her, searching for some hidden truth.

One person thought, *She just answered Emily flawlessly in native Voskundi. Could this really be the supposedly useless Blake heiress?* Another whispered skeptically, *Weren’t there rumors she had a sugar daddy or maybe worked in some shady club?*

A voice from the crowd exclaimed in astonishment, “No way! That’s unbelievable.”

“I’ve been studying Voskundi too,” someone else blurted out, shock thick in his tone, “but her pronunciation? It’s even better than our teacher’s!”

His sudden outburst pulled everyone’s attention back to Nova like a magnet. Even Emily, who looked as if she’d just encountered a ghost, jumped in her seat. Since Nova had spoken, Emily seemed utterly humiliated, as though she’d been yanked out of the trash and displayed for all to see.

Her face flickered between pale and flushed red, betraying the storm of embarrassment brewing inside her. Right now, she felt like a clown on stage, completely exposed and vulnerable in front of the entire crowd.

And the worst part? She’d spent the whole summer cramming Voskundi, yet all she’d managed to learn were the absolute basics—simple greetings like “Hello,” “Really?” and “Good morning” in Zoriaien. That was basically her entire vocabulary.

Even the word “mistress” was the only fancy Voskundi term Emily could dredge up after racking her brain desperately. Meanwhile, Nova’s reply had sounded polished and professional, leaving Emily utterly lost. She couldn’t even begin to formulate a comeback.

At that moment, all Emily wished was for the ground to swallow her whole.

Suddenly, a low chuckle broke the tension, cutting through the heavy silence like a knife. Sophia, still dazed, hadn’t even realized her best friend was deliberately targeting Nova.

The chuckle came from Zane, the campus heartthrob who had remained cold and distant the entire time. Zane was probably one of the few people present who could actually understand Nova’s flawless Voskundi.

After all, Zane wasn’t just ranked among the top three most popular guys at Saint Laurel Royal Academy—he was also the heir to the prestigious Morgan family, one of Ravenport’s elite clans.

With a background like that, it made perfect sense that he’d traveled extensively and picked up multiple languages. No wonder he could follow Voskundi so effortlessly.

After his rare laugh, Zane fixed his sharp gaze on Nova’s face, as if he’d just discovered a new source of entertainment.

He looked her up and down and said with a smirk, “Well, you’re interesting.”

He remembered that day in the cafeteria—how Nova had stood up to Logan and his gang, calling them dead meat right to their faces. And now, she’d just threatened to twist Emily’s head off in perfect Voskundi.

Zane was genuinely surprised by how fierce the newly returned Blake heiress was.

“Talking big is one thing,” he mused silently, “but actually following through? That’s a whole different story.”

He thought to himself, *Let’s be honest—she’s still just a girl. Sure, she puts on a tough front, talks back, maybe even throws a punch, but actually killing someone? No way.*

Still, in a sea of cookie-cutter girls on campus, Nova was already too unique to ignore.

Zane narrowed his eyes, a flicker of curiosity lighting up his gaze.

Another exclaimed, “Oh my goodness, Zane actually asked her out! I’m dying of jealousy.”

A third gasped, “No way! No freaking way! My Zane… how could he…?”

The girls’ screams escalated into a wild frenzy, their disbelief at the bombshell hanging thick in the air.

Meanwhile, Sophia’s grin stretched so wide it seemed she might faint from joy.

Everyone assumed Nova would be glowing with happiness, surrounded by an aura of pure delight.

Her heart should have been racing, her cheeks flushed, her head bowed shyly as she whispered, “I would love to.”

But what actually happened caught everyone completely off guard.

Nova crossed her arms lazily, as if Zane’s invitation barely registered with her.

She gave him a cold, dismissive look—like she was dealing with a spoiled child—and made sure everyone heard her clearly: “Sorry, I refuse.”