Chapter 2

“Look how considerate Alora is to give up Roscoe for you. As her older sister, you should share half of your spirit treasures with her. The carp lineage needs careful nurturing.”

So Mother was well aware that the carp lineage required careful nurturing.

A dull ache settled in my chest.

Mother had never said anything like that in the previous timeline. Instead, she constantly insisted that the carp was useless and demanded that I give half of my spirit treasures to Alora.

I finally realized that Mother had never loved me, and choosing Roscoe or Marin would not change anything.

Since that was the case, I would choose neither of them.

I walked to the far end of the hall and picked up a black wolf that no one wanted.

I chose a mate who was loyal and ruthless, not an ungrateful carp that bonded with someone else before I was even dead.

Holding the black wolf in my arms, I said calmly, “Mother, I refuse to take what Alora rejected, and I won’t share my spirit treasures.”

“You used to share half of everything with Alora. Who taught you such selfishness? Have you no sense of sisterly affection?”

Mother never cared who was around when she reprimanded me.

Several students of the school nearby even snickered under their breaths.

I lifted the head I had always kept lowered in front of her. My normally gentle gaze hardened into something sharp.

“You did, Mother.”

She had taught me with my own death that blood relations amounted to nothing.

“Don’t regret this, Yvonne! One day, Marin will become a lucky carp. Mother, I’ll take good care of you then.”

Alora’s taunting voice rang out behind me as I carried the black wolf out of the hall.

I simply ignored her.

Just you wait and see. Without me carrying the burden, they would probably have to tighten their belts just to support Marin.

A carp would struggle just to leave the water without a good supply of spirit treasures. Even if a rare opportunity came, Alora would not have the chance to seize it.

Back in my room, the instant an orb of light sank into my forehead, Ralph, the black wolf, shook out his fur and transformed into a handsome man.

His luminous green eyes locked onto me, and I briefly forgot how to breathe.

Had I known he was this handsome, I would have brought him home in the previous timeline.

“D-Do you want something to eat?”

I swallowed hard, trying to hide my improper thoughts.

Ralph narrowed his eyes slightly, and I could not help drawing in a breath.

Somehow, he looked even more handsome than before.

Could I handle someone like him with that brooding, domineering presence?

“Don’t move.”

I instinctively held my breath as he suddenly leaned closer.

“We wolves only choose one mate in a lifetime. It’s a bond of life and death. I will etch you into my memory so I never forget you.”

“In that case, you should take it seriously.”

With that, I pinned him down onto the bed.

As expected of the black wolf lineage. They were all extremely strong and well-built. The sensation was exhilarating.

“W-What are you doing?”

Ralph’s face flushed deep red. His wolf ears popped out on top of his head, twitching slightly.

I let out a mischievous smile and tugged at his wolf ears. “Call me darling.”

“Darling,” he blurted out.

With a soft pop, he turned back into his small black wolf form.

I burst out laughing and buried my face in his chest fur.

At first, he tried to push me off. But he did not exert his real strength out of fear that he might hurt me.

I refused to get up. When he realized he could not push me off, he tilted his head back and simply gave up.

I had only ever heard that the black wolf lineage was the most loyal to their mates, but I had not expected it to be this appealing.

He looked so fierce, yet he was surprisingly mild-mannered.

In the previous timeline, I had chosen Marin and spent several days persuading him before he finally agreed to form a bond.

That ungrateful carp had a foul temper and was extremely spoiled.

Alora would never have the patience to deal with him, so I had no idea how the two of them got along.

The more I thought about it, the more I felt like I had struck gold.

I hugged Ralph and rubbed against him again, as if I could wear him down entirely.

“Ah!”

A sudden scream echoed outside, followed by a loud crash.