MasukThe royal servants had long finished arranging our belongings by the time Lucretius and I were finally led toward the guest chamber prepared for us inside the palace. Until now, I still couldn't believe we were staying here.Originally, we had planned to simply rent a hotel near the capital after returning from Enoch and I's pack territory. But then, Rachelle insisted.Actually, 'insisted' was too gentle of a word. She practically claimed us. And somehow, none of us had enough strength left to refuse her.The moment the chamber doors closed behind us, silence finally settled around us once more. A long sigh escaped me before I immediately walked toward the massive bed near the center of the room. Then, without dignity, I threw myself face-first onto it. The mattress dipped softly under me as exhaustion instantly crashed into my body all over again. Today had been insane... I buried my face briefly against the sheets before letting out a muffled groan and laying on my back. "It s
A sharp laugh escaped Lucretius beside me. It sounded cold, disbelieving, and dangerous. I had never heard him laugh like that before. Even Claude's eyes narrowed faintly now."He's turning the tables," Enoch muttered under his breath, realization dawning across his face.And suddenly, everything clicked. Marcelo was moving first before rumors spread, before the truth about the assassination surfaced and before Euphyllia herself could speak publicly.He was trying to control the narrative.My chest tightened. Because it was smart.Cowardly, but smart."He's trying to paint Lucretius as the villain," I whispered faintly.The realization alone made me feel sick. Because in the eyes of the public, it almost made sense. I disappeared for weeks. Then suddenly returned that had been marked, married, and would soon be living with Lucretius in his pack.Fuck that man... Marcelo was trying to make it look like I had been kidnapped and manipulated all along.Rachelle clicked her tongue softly.
Rachelle grinned brightly at her son's excited reaction while little Crown Prince Claudian V clapped his tiny hands repeatedly inside her arms."See?" she said proudly before turning toward us. "Even Cloudy agrees."The little prince nodded enthusiastically despite clearly not understanding the full conversation. "Go see Grandmama!"I almost choked. Meanwhile, Enoch looked one sentence away from fainting. "Wait—" he started weakly. "We can actually go there?""Of course," Rachelle replied casually, as if she wasn't speaking about the celestial realm itself. Then she suddenly gasped dramatically before bouncing Cloudy slightly in her arms. "Alright then, little Cloudy."Her eyes sparkled mischievously. "Off we go!"Claude immediately sighed. "Love..."But she ignored him and just winked at him. What happened next made my breath stop. Because suddenly, the air around Rachelle shifted. There was a soft silver light slowly gather around her fingertips like flowing water, illuminating t
My breath faltered because the moment the familiar man lifted his head, his gaze landed directly on me. At the same time, the little crown prince wriggled excitedly in his arms before Father gently lowered him onto the floor.Crown Prince Claudian V ran toward Claude and Rachelle with tiny, hurried steps, giggling brightly. "Mommy! Papa!" he called happily before pointing behind him proudly after we greeted and bowed before him. "I brought Grandpapa!"The innocent excitement in his voice echoed warmly throughout the drawing room. But somehow, it all sounded distant to me. It felt like it was muted and faint because my entire world had already narrowed into one person standing near the doorway. Father...Esteban Caedex slowly turned fully toward me, and the moment he truly saw me, I watched his entire expression soften. It wasn't out of politeness and surprise, but it was a recognition.My chest felt like being squeezed painfully because I knew that look. I had seen it countless times
Everyone had taken their time to digest the information from the two monarchs' revelation. Even I was lost for words, and I still couldn't come up with what to say. Or perhaps, I was too cowardly to learn what else I should learn or taking my sweet time to understand what lay in front of me.Enoch was the one who was bold enough to break the silence. "Your Majesty, may I ask when this prophecy began?" Curiosity lingered in his face as he leaned forward, taking interest in the details he learned today.Claude didn't hesitate to answer him as his mood lightened up from Rachelle's words. "It began long ago," he explained. "...after the Moon Goddess proclaimed the lycans as the chosen royal bloodline of the mundane realm." He took Rachelle's hand and intertwined it with his. "A prophecy was left behind concerning Her daughters," he continued. "But there was never certainty regarding when they would awaken... or when they would return." I caught how his lips slightly frowned at the last wo
My question lingered heavily in the room. "Was I the one who caused this too?"Silence followed immediately afterward. It wasn't uncomfortable or tense, but careful.I noticed the way Luna Queen Rachelle's expression softened as her gaze instinctively shifted toward Alpha King Claudian beside her. Then toward Lucretius. The three of them exchanged a look, which one that lasted only for a brief second yet somehow felt like an entire conversation had already passed between them, and slowly, they nodded. My chest tightened. I even had to hold my breath for a second because suddenly, I realized they all knew this story already. Perhaps, far more deeply than I did.Beside me, Lucretius finally turned toward me fully. And the moment our eyes met, the warmth in his gaze immediately softened something inside me."No," he finally spoke as his fingers tightened gently around mine. "You didn't cause this," he paused for a moment. "I did."My breath hitched faintly as Lucretius lowered his gaz
"How may I help you, mister?" I asked politely.He stood just inside the entrance of my tent, no longer the quiet man leaning against a wooden post. In the lamplight, the tension I once sensed around him seemed sharper now. "I wished to thank you properly, Lady Euphyllia.""For what?" I asked."Fo
Before the advancement ceremony for the military soldiers who had been promoted, we held the mourning ceremony for our lost soldiers.It was brief, solemn, and heavy with the kind of silence that pressed against the chest. Names were read where some unfamiliar, others spoken with a pause that betra
"Ms. Euphyllia, come and visit us every Friday, please?" Cerys said as she helped me bring my things to my new workplace.Her voice sounded cheerful, but the way she was clinging to my arm made my chest tighten. Even though she already accepted that the records hall wouldn't be my workplace anymore
The faint morning light spilled through the curtains when I stirred awake. My body was heavy, but my thoughts were heavier. My chest felt so tight from crying to exhaustion last night. My last clear memory I had was the cruel laughter, Redmund's cold words, Lilith's malicious acting... and then...







