5

Livia POV


As I approached the garden, my eyes landed on a tall giant of a man dressed in an immaculate black suit, his muscles reaping out of the suit, casually tapping away on his phone.

His absolute presence was intimidating for a start. I hesitated, completely unsure of what to say or how to greet him.


Taking a deep breath, I cleared my throat and tried to force my voice into Livyana’s soft, timid tone. "Good afternoon, Your Highness."


It was only when I took a step forward that I looked down—and my heart instantly dropped into my stomach. I was wearing two completely different colored slippers. And to make matters worse, both of them were for the left foot.


I wished with everything in me that the ground would open up and swallow me whole.


The Alpha King slowly lowered his designer glasses, looking at me with a stern face. His eyes dragged all the way from the crown of my head down to the sole of my mismatched feet, and then back up again. The dead silence only amplified the searing embarrassment burning across my cheeks.


"I’m sorry, Your Highness," I squeaked out shyly, praying to the Moon Goddess to end my misery right then and there. This was obviously her subtle way of reminding me that swapping places with my twin was a catastrophic mistake. "I know my left from my right. I was just... a bit anxious about meeting you."


He let out a low chuckle, his lips twitching slightly. "That’s okay. You look exactly like your picture, though."


I prayed for a sudden window of opportunity to faint. Did he just compliment me? Before I could stop myself, the words slipped out: "Is that a compliment?"


Realizing my mistake, I quickly lowered my head, forcing myself to stay calm and play the part of the soft-spoken, easygoing Livyana.


"It’s just an observation," he responded flatly.


I couldn't help but note the deep, rich baritone of his voice and the effortless authority in the way he stood, rooted firmly to the ground. His cologne was overwhelmingly masculine, a rich wood-and-spice scent that made me stupidly curious about which luxury designer he was wearing. But I bit my lip hard, forcing myself to stay silent like the obedient bride I was supposed to be.


Still, standing there in silence while the Alpha King mindlessly tapped away on his phone felt like a slow humiliation ritual.


This was precisely why I hated men. I wondered why the Moon Goddess always saw fit to curse the most good-looking men with the absolute- absolute worst personalities. Why keep a girl waiting out here in the scorching May Town heat for no reason?


I couldn't take it anymore. I squeezed my eyes shut, gathered every ounce of self-control I possessed, and tried to sound as sweet and polite as possible.


"Don't you think it's a bit awkward that your bride-to-be is standing here in this scorching heat, while you're just on your phone?"


"I’ll soon be done," he said mindlessly, not even looking up.


I turned my head away, rolling my eyes so hard it physically hurt, before quickly plastering an innocent smile back onto my face. If I couldn't even stand him for five minutes, how in the world was I going to survive the next three months living under his roof?


"I’m done. Are you happy now?" he asked, finally sliding his phone into his jacket pocket. He looked around the garden, his dark eyes settling back on me with an amused glint. "So... who do we have here? A nervous, impatient bride with mismatched slippers. Is this how you intend to become my Luna?"


My blood began to boil. Deep inside, the real Livia was screaming, ready to give him a mouthful regardless of his royal title or social status. But I held it back. I forced a cuddly, docile smile, chuckling like a clueless sheep, trying to look like a willing bride who swallowed every insult with a grin.
"I hope this isn't entirely your personality?" he added, raising an eyebrow.


"Can I ask you one question?" I asked, silently begging the Moon Goddess to filter the words about to come out of my mouth.


"Sure... shoot your questions," he said calmly, crossing his arms over his chest. "Isn't that why we are here? To ask questions?"


"Why are we doing this?"


The real Livia inside me was fighting with everything she had to burst out. There was no way a man as breathtakingly handsome and powerful as the Alpha King needed his mother to arrange a marriage for him—unless, of course, he was a massive mama's boy.

Gosh, I hated men like that.
Or maybe he had a secret. Maybe he was partially mentally unstable and needed a quiet, sweet bride to babysit him. The thought made my head spin.


"I'm doing it for the exact same reason you are doing it," he replied sternly.


I frowned, genuine confusion breaking through my act. "Which is?"


He paused, stepping closer. His dark eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that made my heart leap into my throat.


"Look, we both know this marriage doesn't make an iota of sense," he said quietly, his voice cutting through the humid air. "Yet here we are. So it's either we both have something to gain from it, or we're just letting our parents have their way. Which one is it for you?"


In any other situation, the real Livia would have told him where to shove his marriage proposal and walked away. But as I looked at him, he offered a faint, smooth smile—and I smiled back, remembering the profound relief on my mother's face when his mother paid off our mountain of debt.


Oh, Moon Goddess, I thought, looking into the dangerous eyes of the Alpha King. Poor Livyana. If this is the man you're supposed to spend forever with... you are in deep trouble.