Chapter 2

By the time I got home, the lights in the living room were already on.

Freya stood in front of the full-length mirror in a silver-white wedding dress.

It was the very dress Roland had personally chosen for me in my previous life, yet he had never actually seen me wear it.

The hem swayed gently beneath the lights, making her look even more delicate and frail.

Roland stood beside her with one hand firmly supporting her by the waist. It was as if he feared she might collapse at any moment.

Hearing my footsteps, Freya instinctively tried to turn around, but her legs gave way, and she fell against him.

"Don't push yourself." Roland steadied her in a deep voice before looking up at me. He immediately frowned out of habit.

"Freya has an irregular heartbeat and needs to be monitored. I brought her home so I can take care of her for a while. She saw this wedding dress when she came into the room and wanted to try it on, so I let her."

In my previous life, he had brought Freya straight into the manor without even asking me. I had lost my temper then.

That argument became definitive proof in everyone's eyes that I was too possessive, cold-hearted, and couldn't tolerate the person who saved Roland's life.

This time, I simply hung up my coat and replied calmly, "It's fine. She can stay. Besides, the dress looks beautiful on her."

Roland was clearly stunned for a moment. He couldn't even say the soothing words he had prepared.

Freya looked up at me. Her voice was so soft I could barely hear her. "Aurora, I didn't mean to do this. I really just wanted to try it on."

"If you want to wear it, go ahead." I gently adjusted the strap on her shoulder. "Make yourself at home."

Roland stared at my face for several seconds as if searching for any trace of sarcasm. Only after confirming that there was none did his shoulders gradually relax.

"I knew you'd understand. You're always so reasonable."

There was a time when words like those could make me feel giddy for days. Now, they only sounded ridiculous to me.

To him, being 'reasonable' had always meant convenience. He wanted me to conveniently ignore every grievance and allow him to shift his attention back to Freya whenever he pleased.

The wolf inside me was strangely quiet.

In my previous life, every time Freya approached him, it would claw frantically at my ribs until I could barely breathe.

Now, it simply curled into a ball as if it had finally accepted a truth I had stubbornly refused to face. Roland might have been my fated mate, but he had never truly been mine.

Late that night, I was organizing my research notes when someone gently knocked on my bedroom door.

Freya walked in with the crescent moon pendant in her hand.

"Aurora, can I put this on?" she asked softly while her lashes lowered in a pitiful expression.

The crescent moon pendant was something only the true Luna was supposed to wear.

Apparently, Roland had completely forgotten that.

He immediately stepped forward while shielding Freya behind him. His tone was obviously protective.

"It's just a pendant. Aurora, don't make things difficult for her."

As he spoke, he gently patted Freya's shoulder like he was comforting someone who'd been frightened.

I took the pendant from her and fastened it around her neck myself. The chain rested against her collarbone, and the crescent moon swayed gently beneath the light.

"You should keep it on. It was always meant to be yours anyway," I said.

Freya's smile disappeared for a moment.

Roland, however, seemed relieved. He approached me and spoke in what he thought was a gentle tone.

"You've really changed a lot lately. I like the way you are now. Once our mate bond status is confirmed, we won't have to argue over her anymore."

I glanced at my half-packed suitcase in the corner.

"Indeed, we won't."

In seven days, there would be nothing left to argue about.

As they walked toward the end of the hallway, I heard Freya ask softly, "Will the future Luna really be okay with me staying here all the time? What if she gets upset and leaves you?"

Roland answered without the slightest hesitation, "Aurora loves me too much. At most, she'll sulk for a couple of days, but she'll never leave me."

I continued organizing my employment documents while smiling.

For the first time, his confidence didn't hurt me. It only made him seem a little ridiculous.