Chapter 5

Chloe suddenly appeared out of nowhere. She shoved me aside, helped Louis to his feet, and asked with feigned distress, "Are you alright, Your Highness?"

Then, in a blatant attempt to distort the truth, she insisted that I had staged the entire confrontation just to gain Louis' attention.

I almost gagged at her audacity. I could even feel the pups stirring uncomfortably within me, as if they shared my disdain.

"You can rest assured that I have no regard for a woman like her, Chloe!" Louis declared firmly.

Chloe beamed after hearing that.

Luca sized her up and asked, "Is she really your cousin? How can your cousin be so hideous, Grace?"

I burst out laughing at his questions before I could stop myself.

Chloe stomped her foot in rage before throwing herself at Louis, begging him to get justice for her. She didn't realize that Louis was still reeling from the beating we had given him. Under the weight of her embrace, Louis' legs gave out, and he fell flat onto the ground.

In the end, those passersby who witnessed it burst into laughter.

Louis, consumed by rage and humiliation, grabbed Chloe and fled the scene as fast as he could.

…

Before long, the day for my wedding ceremony with Luca arrived. He truly upheld my honor; the sheer scale of the wedding gifts, the rituals, and the ceremonial procession was even more magnificent than when the Wolf King's.

I suddenly grew curious about Luca's true identity. I never imagined he had this kind of financial power, given that he lived in such a remote, otherworldly place. It made me wonder where all these lavish items had come from.

It just so happened that the weather was quite poor that day, with strong gusts tearing through the streets, causing the entire wedding procession to be swayed precariously in the gale while I sat uneasily in the carriage.

Suddenly, Louis' voice rang out from outside. "You see, even the heavens are against this union, Grace! You should call it off right now!"

I snorted derisively before whispering to Chloe, who was standing beside Louis, using my magic. "Louis is incapable of having pups, Chloe."

Chloe snapped after hearing that single revelation. She appeared before my carriage in a flash, conjuring magic to attack me. "How dare you insult His Highness!"

However, she was thrown back the moment she tried to get close as Luca had cast a massive protective shield around the carriage, having anticipated that today would be far from peaceful.

"How dare you disrespect my wife!" Luca roared as he leaped from his mount and flew toward us, preparing to strike Chloe with magic.

Just before the magic could land, Louis swept Chloe out of harm's way. "You have a lot of nerve to raise a hand against the mistress of the heir to the Wolf King!"

I felt a flicker of dread then, fearing Philip's retribution for Luca's actions.

Luca simply responded with a chuckle. "Even your father would have to kneel before me if he were here!"

I stared through the white bridal veil, astonished at Luca's claim.

It was true that wolf clan revered high-ranking bloodlines above all else, but social standing mattered just as much.

I never imagined Luca would be someone Philip himself would fear. I had always assumed he lived in that secluded paradise, cut off from the rest of the wolf clan.

Luca suddenly sent me a mind-link. "You have nothing to worry about, Grace."

I finally felt reassured after that.

In the meantime, the crowd began to whisper and speculate about Luca's true identity.

Luca carried me down from the carriage with ease, then stood his ground. His poised demeanor suggested he was waiting for a specific guest to appear.

Louis was glaring at him, ready to snap at Luca, when an elderly retainer arrived on horseback from a distance.

I recognized him immediately. He was Nolan Booth, Philip's most trusted confidant.

Nolan offered Louis a brief salute after reaching the place and then brushed past him to head in our direction.