Chapter 3

Over the next few days, I cleared out some worthless old belongings—keepsakes that had been full of memories in my past life.

Looking at them now, they were nothing but cheap garbage.

I packed them all up and threw them straight into the trash can.

In the afternoon, as I continued packing my bags, Alexander blocked my path.

He clutched a few iron coins in his hand and spoke in a stiff voice. “This is the money I am paying you back on Lilith's behalf.”

I took the money and nodded.

“Thank you.”

He stared at me with a complicated gaze, his eyes falling onto the luggage I was packing.

“I plan to take Lilith with me to the northern ice plains to watch the northern lights. You do not need to pack your bags. Lilith said... she only wants the two of us to go.”

My hands did not stop packing as I gave a nod.

He seemed unaccustomed to this attitude of mine, appearing somewhat anxious.

“What is wrong with you lately? It is like you became a completely different person. Did you not hear me talking to you?”

I turned my head with impatience. “I have no plans to go with you. I am just tidying things up.”

He let out a sigh of relief, then explained further. “It is not that I do not want you to come along. It is just that Lilith said she is in a bad mood, so it is not very convenient to bring you. If you want to see the northern ice plains and the northern lights too, I will take you there after a while.”

I nodded absentmindedly.

In my past life, for eight whole years, he never came back to take me there.

In this lifetime, I naturally would not take his promises to heart ever again.

He watched me with discomfort.

Usually, whenever the two of us were alone, I would chatter away without stopping.

But now that my words were like gold, he was the one who could not sit still.

“Haven't you always wanted to hold the marking ceremony? We can go to the Council Hall tomorrow and have them arrange it. What do you think?”

That absolutely would not do. Tomorrow, I planned to buy some necessities for my trip to the south.

Just as I was about to find an excuse, Lilith walked in. She intimately wrapped her arms around Alexander's sleeve.

“Alexander, what fun things are you two talking about?”

Alexander stroked Lilith's hair with doting affection. “It is nothing. Jessica is just worried that our trip north will take too long, and she is afraid it will delay the marking ceremony...”

“I never said any such thing. Feel free to go as long as you like.” I interrupted his words without even lifting my head.

Noticing that the atmosphere was clearly off, Lilith blinked and spoke. “Jessica, are you throwing a tantrum at Alexander? You really get jealous way too easily. You are already Alexander's Luna, so what are you still worrying about?”

I had no desire to argue too much, so I smiled and shot back a question. “OK, so do you want me to come along with you both then?”

Lilith fell silent.

I paid them no more attention and went back to packing my things.

However, Alexander awkwardly walked over to me, holding a bone ring between his fingers.

“The Elders said that after the marking ceremony, we need to exchange bone rings just like humans do. I carved one for you.”

I did not reach out for it.

In my memories of my past life, this bone ring never existed at all.

“Wow! It is so beautiful! Alexander, I want one too!”

I shrugged my shoulders. “OK, then just take it.”

Alexander's face instantly turned dark. “Stop fooling around, this is equivalent to our wedding ring! Jessica, how can you just give it away to someone else?”

I smiled. “But I do not think Lilith counts as someone else to us.”

I snatched the bone ring and slid it directly onto Lilith's hand.

Lilith giggled as she flaunted her hand toward Alexander.

“Alexander, it fits me perfectly too!”

Alexander looked at Lilith, his eyes completely filled with doting fondness. Then, he turned back to me with a guilty conscience, lowering his voice.

“Next time... once we reach the northern ancestral lands, I will carve an even better one for you. I will use the tooth of a red fox, or the rib of a snow leopard.”

It did not matter to me. His words went in through one ear and straight out the other.

I heard plenty of his promises in my time, but when did he ever fulfill a single one?