Chapter 4

After Perry and Shirley left, I reorganized my stuff with an aching heart. Fortunately, none of the items that were destroyed were gifts left to me by my parents. Still, it was worth losing these items in exchange for discerning just how little Perry cared for me.

There was no more time to be sad. I left the city in search of the best blacksmith I could find to forge the glacite into a weapon.

Alaric would be back very soon, and I wanted to give it to him as a gift during our first meeting in order to gain more favor with him.

I passed through a forest on the way back to the palace. Out of habit, I glanced toward the wooden treehouse built on the largest tree.

That was the place where I used to play when I was young. It was under that wooden treehouse that Perry saved my younger self. Because of that, the treehouse was both my secret base and the place where I fell in love with him.

However, the treehouse was no longer as quiet as it used to be. Two intertwined legs were sticking out of the doorway.

The intimate sounds and shaking of the structure all pointed toward the fact that the two of them—Perry and Shirley—were in the middle of an intense love affair.

Just as I was considering taking a detour, Perry stuck his head out of the doorway and caught sight of me. Panic flashed through his eyes, but after a moment, he seemed to decide on deliberately provoking me, as the treehouse started shaking even more violently.

I fled from the scene. Those two really made me feel disgusted.

…

Another two days passed. When I went to collect Alaric's gift, I happened to encounter Perry. He glanced at the blacksmith's seal on the box and said with a grin, "This spear is for me, right?"

Afraid that he would attempt to snatch it away again, I quickly hid the box behind my back. "It's not for you!"

He smiled mockingly. "Why are you trying to keep it as a surprise again? I know that you love me and can't live without me. You saw what happened at the treehouse last time, right? Well, you have to get used to that kind of thing.

"After we get married in the future, Shirley will also be moving into the castle we live in. I'll let you be the Runestone Pack's Luna in name, but Shirley is my only true mate."

Although I was already aware of his shamelessness, it still annoyed me.

I turned to leave, but he stopped me. "Alaric will also be back for tonight's banquet. He's Father's biological son as well as the heir to the country of Silverania. It'll be a very formal dinner, so you must be prepared.

"I've already given you enough respect, so you also have to be considerate. If Father asks tonight whether we've formed the mate bond, you must say that we've already completed the ritual.

"Also, you have to apologize to Shirley for hurting her last time. Otherwise, I can still cancel the marriage that I promised you at any time."

He left as soon as he finished speaking, deliberately trying to appear cool.

I suppressed my anger, telling myself that everything was fine. Tonight, he would find out who I really wanted to marry.

I spent the entire afternoon dressing myself up. By the time the banquet was about to begin, Alaric had yet to make it back.

I deliberately avoided Perry and sat at another table, leaving a seat open beside me for Alaric.

However, Perry frowned and got up from his seat to sit next to me. "Stop being pretentious, Sylvia. I've already reserved a seat for you. Are you still going to act wilfully here?"

Displeased, I was just about to tell him that I had reserved this seat for his younger brother when a tall figure appeared at the banquet hall's entrance.

Alaric, clad in silver armor, walked in majestically and imposingly.