Chapter 3

Everyone was waiting for my answer, eager to see me humiliate myself. Right on cue, the grand doors flew open, and a suffocating, terrifying pressure swept through the entire hall like a tidal wave.

Cael had arrived.

He stood nearly six-foot-seven, with broad shoulders and a tapered waist, his custom suit barely containing his explosive muscle mass. But his crimson eyes were swimming with a dark, barely restrained urge for violence and slaughter. Just by standing there, his chaotic, raw magical aura made everyone's primal instincts scream run.

The crowd immediately scrambled away, terrified this ticking time bomb of a dragon would snap.

I opened my mouth to say, “I'm marrying Cael,” but the old King's warning flashed in my mind. “Since you chose the eldest, I will honor it. But keep your mouth shut until I officially announce it.” The power struggles inside the Dragon Fortress were lethal, and every faction had their eyes on the throne. I swallowed my words.

Cael didn't say a word. He just locked his oppressive crimson eyes onto me, a fleeting shadow of dark disappointment passing through them.

I ignored Aaron and turned to leave. But Rose wasn't done playing her games. She intentionally blocked my path, smugly flashing the Starlight Bracelet on her wrist.

“Lady Quinn, even if you do manage to trap Aaron into a marriage, you'll never have his heart.”

Rose always acted like a harmless little bunny in public, but the moment she thought nobody was looking, she bared her fangs. Looking at her, I flashed back to my past life—catching them red-handed in my own bed. She had cowered beneath Aaron’s dragon wings, trembling like a victim, while Aaron partially shifted into his dragon form, snarling savagely to protect her from me. That sight had literally made me faint from pure rage.

Later, the King exiled her to the Dark Lands, but Aaron never let her go, directing all his hatred toward me. Fine. In this life, I’ll gladly play matchmaker.

I let out a soft chuckle. “Yeah, if I don't have his heart, why the hell would I want his body? I hope you two are very happy together.”

Rose froze, then narrowed her eyes with a cold smirk. “Keep talking a big game. We all know you're just dying inside. Aaron only loves me.”

I had zero interest in entertaining her further and tried to step around her. But suddenly, her eyes brimmed with fake tears. “Lady Quinn, I just wanted to share my happiness with you. Why do you have to be so cold? I know you're jealous of me, but you can't force someone to love you.”

With that, she actually started crying. I instinctively reached out to push past her. Seizing the moment, she threw herself onto the floor, wailing at the top of her lungs, “Lady Quinn! How could you lay your hands on me?!”

Right on cue, Aaron charged into the scene.

“Quinn, what the hell is wrong with you?!” he roared, his dragon tail tearing through his trousers in fury. “Rose is your maid, not your slave! Who gave you the right to put your hands on her?!”

I looked at him, then down at Rose, and almost laughed out of sheer absurdity. “Rose, don't you get tired of acting?”

Slap!

A heavy backhand struck my cheek, leaving a burning sting. Aaron’s eyes were bloodshot as he bellowed, “I won't let you disrespect her!”