(Alen's memories)"Father, where did Kral's parents go?"I asked, leaning against my father's chest as we made our way home from the palace."Don't call him Kral; he is His Royal Highness, the Prince," Father said, giving my ears a gentle pinch, his expression serious.I made a face playfully. I was just a child, still holding onto my mischievous nature."Okay, then. Where did His Royal Highness's parents go? He hasn't seen them for a whole week. During today's lesson with the elders, he couldn't hold back his tears."In my heart, I called him Kral. He was taller and stronger than me, but he never bullied me.When my father sent me to study at the palace alongside Kral, I felt nervous. The palace was grand, filled with intricate stone sculptures. As I cautiously entered the study, I remembered my father's advice: "Don't oppose the Prince."I expected the Prince to be proud and aloof, but as soon as I opened the door, I saw a young boy with golden eyes fixed upon me. He patted my shoul
Delia's POV"Woo~" I opened my eyes under the brilliant sunlight.Before me lay an endless expanse of a lake.A gentle breeze softly rustled my hair. I glanced downward and saw my own reflection in the water—a young, white puppy.!I widened my eyes in astonishment, and the young wolf in the lake also tilted its head, staring at me in surprise.What's going on?!I confirmed that my memory was intact. I remember passing the Queen's trial. Guided by the Moon Goddess, I found my wolf. Her name is Pearl. But why has Pearl become so young? Why have I become smaller after shifting?"Woo!"I howled at the lake's surface, but there was no response.I gazed at my reflection. The mirrored image in the water gazed back at me. In my childhood, I yearned to succeed in shifting so that my father wouldn't abandon me. But now, I no longer care about my father's opinion.There was a vast stretch of grassland by the lakeside. Sunlight illuminated the water, casting shimmering golden ripples. Anxiously,
Delia's POVWhen Alen brought that man before me, I could hardly recognize him as my once proud father.Oh no, I no longer wish to call him father; he is now simply Mr. Orban.Unlike our encounter in the temple, this time I could scrutinize his appearance more directly.He looked completely aged. His partially white hair lay limp against his scalp. His once upright posture had slouched. There was no longer a longing for power in his eyes, only a sense of elderliness that hardly resembled an alpha."Your Royal Highness... and Delia, greetings to you both."I was adorned in a specially tailored royal attire, seated on a gilded high-backed chair, while my father—Mr. Orban—stood before me with eyes cast down, visibly restless.Who would have thought we would meet under such circumstances? During the pack, I was the overlooked, ridiculed girl, wearing a face of fear, while he was the towering alpha. Now, I have finally captured his attention, but I realize that I no longer care much about
It was late at night and the entire palace was immersed in a profound slumber. However, I still couldn't sleep. I took off my nightgown and slipped into a simple dress, then picked up my black hood, quietly awaiting the arrival of that person.The cool moonlight shone through the garden, casting a glow upon the dressing table beside the window. Concealed in the dark corner by the curtains, I saw my pearl necklace carefully stored in a box."Meow~" A feeble meow resonated, breaking the silence of the night, acting as a peculiar warning."How can there be a cat in the palace? Guards! Quickly remove these intruders!" Susanna's stern voice carried through the night.Without any delay, the sound of guards' footsteps echoed down the corridor.Seizing the opportunity, I pushed open the window and concealed myself beneath the black hood. Just before I made my escape through the window, an inexplicable impulse compelled me to take the necklace with me.I minimized the sound of my footsteps. Th
In Kral's study, a luxurious desk sits between two individuals. One person is dressed in black clothing, while the other is dressed in a red outfit. They stood facing each other.With a furrowed brow, I tightly gripped my clothes, wondering why they were in the room. Kral's study is tucked away in a secluded corner of the palace, a location so discreet that even the palace guards are not allowed to appear there. Furthermore, Susanna had once informed me that Kral despises any interruption to his contemplation. Therefore, without an invitation, no one is permitted to enter his study. Why would Catherine be present here?An uneasy feeling surges through my heart.Instinctively, I take cover behind a vase. The study door is not completely closed, allowing a glimpse of the light inside, which is sufficient for me to see everything within.Catherine is dressed in a deep red gown with slender straps. The clothes showed her perfect figure. Her long hair is casually tied up, and her eyes shim
I listened in bewilderment, unable to comprehend their conversation. Catherine raised her head from the shadows. The anger on her face receded, replaced by astonishment."How did you know?" Catherine asked, her eyebrows raised."You have a slight mark on your neck," Kral arched an eyebrow, "and there's a scent of Bud on you."Catherine immediately reached for her neck. She covered it with one hand, her complexion darkening as she muttered under her breath."... Did you already know it?" Catherine inquired."I had a hunch the moment you entered this room," Kral walked to the window, gazing at the moon before turning his gaze to Catherine's expression."I can hardly ignore your behavior, Catherine. Ever since you came of age, you've always been at odds with Bud. We grew up together, and I know your personality. If you're not interested in a man, you won't waste any time on him."Catherine stood still for a moment, then asked with a hint of annoyance, "Hmph, even if you've found my secre
Vivian's POV"Delia!"I called out Delia's name with excitement and pushed open the door to her bedroom.But as soon as my foot crossed the threshold, my smile froze on my face. Oh, how unfortunate I am! I sighed in my mind. Instead of finding Delia, I found myself surrounded by people I disliked."I don't believe it's appropriate to directly address the future queen by her name, Vivian," Susanna's voice sounded calm but laced with a warning."Yes... ma'am."Though her tone was gentle as she spoke my name, it carried an insincere politeness to my ears. As a witch, I abhorred hypocrisy!I shouted in my mind. Despite my discontent, I couldn't help but feel a pang of submission whenever Susanna glared at me.It was as if I were being pricked by needles, forcing me to obediently comply. I suppose it stems from a sense of insecurity. After all, this isn't my home. It belongs to the werewolves.I had assumed Delia's room would be empty, but I forgot that her engagement ceremony with Kral wa
Vivian's POVEverything that happened today was strange. I found myself perched on a grand tree in a secluded corner of the palace, supporting my chin as I pondered recent events.It was the first time I had witnessed Delia wearing such an expression. In my eyes, she had always been gentle, but today she exuded an aura of unfamiliarity.I still vividly recall the initial encounter with her, where her innocent gaze left an indelible impression on me. However, everything has now undergone a transformation. Her eyes contained a trace of something different. Letting out a sigh, I found a suitable position, reclining against the tree trunk. Through the gaps in the foliage, I gazed at the azure sky, while the dialogue between us resurfaced in my mind."Vivian, I know the wondrous abilities possessed by you witches. You have the Silver Robe of Magic, magical elixirs, and even the power of shape-shifting. Therefore, you must have a way to help me, right?"Delia clutched my hand tightly, her u
Sibyl’s POVBefore I know it, time is running out like a river. My two children, who began as finger-sucking babies in cradles, can now run around the palace. Perhaps they inherited Nuri's strong physique, and even the quiet little princess Terese was full of energy. The wet nurses had run to follow her but she was not tired at all.Today, after breakfast, I caught them trying to sneak out again."Sit your asses down!" I said sternly.The two little ones made faces and sat back in their chairs.Unexpectedly, the child's father suddenly protested. "Children are young. They are at an active age now. Why should you restrain them?""Have you forgotten what day it is?""What day?" asked Nuri, doubtfully, putting down her cup.I knew it! I took a plate of peeled grapes from him and said, "Selene and Lowa are coming to visit us today. Lowa is bringing her little girl!"Shortly after my children were born, Lowa returned to Werebird kingdom with Manolo. Within two months of their return, I rec
Sibyl’s POVSince the birth of the little prince and Princess, the whole palace has become lively. Nuri's excitement is hard to describe. He immediately declared the young prince, Baron, a crown prince and gave him an estate. However, he is still young and currently lives with his sister in a bedroom in my palace.In order to take care of the two children, Nuri arranged for each of them to have three wet nurses and eight maids. He had even begun to think about their playmates.Carol was even more excited to see them every day. She came in the morning as soon as the sun rose, and left reluctantly after dinner.Now all eyes are on the two children."Our Baron and Terese are very popular. Whose credit is that?"Nuri rocked the cradle and looked at me like a big dog with a face full of praise! I couldn't bear to watch. I picked up Terese, who was munching her fingers, and kissed her soft, white, meaty face."Little Terese, who is your mommy?"The little guy looked at me in a daze and sudd
Roth’s POV"Sibyl... my baby..."Blayze's voice travels in Nuri's ears. His hands were tugging at Nuri's, blood gushing from his mouth, but he did not stop, calling the Queen's name again and again.Beowulf pounced. His broken arm was flailing feebly in the air, and Nuri dropped Blayze to avoid his attack. I climbed over and pulled Blayze aside to sit against the wall."How could she be Azariah? Didn't she die in prison?"Blayze didn't answer my question. He didn't even look at me. He just stubbornly called out the Queen's name. Does this really work? Can we wake the king?"Nuri, wake up! Sibyl is unconscious because of you. She is pregnant with your child! She almost died because of you!" Bellowed Beowulf as he dodged Nuri's attack, shouting Sibyl's name along with Blayze. Tears blurred my vision. I wiped my face and joined them loudly.May the gods protect us. The love between the King and Queen could be the antidote to this disaster.For a moment, the council chamber was filled wit
Selene’s POVThe whole palace was in disarray. The doctors were all called in, and the maids went in and out like ants on a hot pan. Everyone was scrambling to do something, but they didn't know which way to go, because the only hostess was still lying in bed, unconscious."Stay calm. You are all trained. Follow the rules." Nuri's grandmother's voice rose into the night, suppressing the panic. She took the maid's hand and got down from the carriage. She glanced at the maids and the doctors, and everyone she saw lowered their heads."We don't need so many doctors. Those who are not good at delivering babies can go home."When she had finished, some of the doctors, after a moment's hesitation, came forward, saluted, and hurried off.“Amy, divide the maids into three groups. One group will prepare hot water, the other will clean up the delivery room, and the last group will serve the empress at any time. If anything goes wrong, the person-in-charge will be punished!”Amy hurried to assig
Sibyl’s POV"Your Majesty..." Amy hesitated."Are you asking me why I didn't kill her?" I stopped and looked up at the Black Sky, where the moon was shining brightly. The stars twinkled in the sky like jewels on a dress."Maybe the moon is too beautiful tonight. I don't want to spoil my mood."Many innocent souls stayed in the palace. Every brick and tile was soaked in blood, and I did not want to add to it any more.The maid thought she was going to die, too. She closed her eyes and waited for the poison to attack, only to find that the pain she had imagined for a long time had not come. She slowly opened her eyes tentatively and looked at me hesitantly."Ah..." when she opened her mouth to speak, she found herself unable to make a sound."I took your voice," I motioned to Amy with my eyes. Amy handed her a bag of gold coins. "This is my compensation to you. I will still keep my promise to you. You can leave the palace tonight. I will let you continue your life as a commoner."With t
Sibyl’s POVThe evening party went on as planned. On the rows of brass candlesticks, carefully carved candles burned brightly, illuminating the faces of each visitor. The scent of ladies' perfumes filled the air, and expensive jewelry glowed in the owner's hair, earlobes, and neck. Everyone smiled and complimented each other."What an elegant crowd." I stood in the shade outside the door and looked at the nobles in the ballroom. "If I hadn't seen the fierce faces of the jealous ladies and the greed of the men in calculating the wealth of the common people, if I hadn't seen the despicable ways in which ministers use their power to do evil," I paused, i turned to Amy. "This is heaven, isn't it?"Amy looked at me in silence, and I knew the question frightened her. How can the nobles be so easily judged? Most people would think so. Nuri still had a long way to go. If he did not change the concept that everyone feared the nobles as much as the gods, the new nobles that he supported now wou
Sibyl’s POVLowa shifts into a giant bird. I sat on her back and soon saw Aphrodite's palace. With no intention of slowing down, she dived straight for the palace door, causing the maids at the door to scream. I walked to the door with a sullen face. Lowa shaved her feathers and shifted back to being a sexy lady.Not surprisingly, there was another shriek from the maids, and several of them had collapsed to the ground. I saw a familiar face among the maids, whose name I can't quite remember, Anna or something. On Aphrodite's first day at court, I met the maid.She's not doing very well. No, rather badly. She was not a pretty girl, but she was impressive, and now her hair was as yellow as a weed, and her figure was unusually dry. The once beautiful eyes also lost their love of life like a pool of stagnant water.She felt my gaze and looked up at me quickly. Her eyes sparkled, but soon became dull. She changed in an instant. When I blinked and looked at her again, she was still lifeless
Sibyl’s POV"Nuri is exaggerating." Selene looked at the room full of clothes and sighed. "So many clothes. Even if there were a few more of you, you would never wear them all!"I looked at the rows of clothes, heart half sweet half trouble. Nuri is in love with me, but, as my sister said, I really do not have time to wear every piece of clothing again. Looking at so many beautiful clothes that I have no chance to wear them, it makes me feel very wasteful."These are all new. Do you like any of them? If you don't mind, just take the ones you like!" I said to Selene. When Lowa heard this, her face darkened and she looked at me angrily. "You have a real sister, and have you forgotten about me? You are so biased!"Selene looked at me awkwardly, worried that something might happen between me and Lowa, and I patted her hand. I smiled at her and said, "She's just kidding!" I turned to Lowa and rolled my eyes at her. "Why are you teasing her? Come on, I'll give you all the clothes in this ro
Nuri’s POV"What's all this?" Beowulf asked as he casually flipped through the notes on my desk. He gave me a smirk. I looked down and coughed."How come I don't remember us getting so close?" His tone was too casual and intimate, as if we had known each other for more than a decade, which made me very uncomfortable. He is the king of the land of the Bears. While I respect him as a hero, that doesn't mean my social distance from him can become intimate. But he didn't seem to feel that way at all."My wife is your wife's sister, and we are brothers, a family! We know each other like the back of my hand!" He took another book from the shelf, he exclaimed, "I always thought that you were an ambitious hero. You spent all your energy on running the country. I can't imagine that you're actually a nanny!"My bookshelf is lined with books on children, medical and educational, from infants to teenagers. On the desk are several thick notes that I have made. These are all the questions I ask doc