Chapter 3

After obtaining the crystal, I returned to the forest near the estate and sent a mind-link to Rita.

"Rita, I have the Luna Ring. If you want it, come alone to the forest to find me."

"Cynthia, you're still alive? Why should I believe you? And why would you give it to me?"

"You can choose not to believe me, of course. But there's no changing your half-wolf lineage. If you don't have the Luna Ring, everyone will question your authority behind your back.

"I'm too weak right now, so I need you to safely escort me back to my pack. The other werewolves see me as a traitor and won't help."

Sensing her silence, I continued to plead, "I'm no longer a threat to you, and I won't come back either. In fact, I'm as good as dead."

After a moment of silence, Rita's arrogant laughter echoed through the mind-link.

"Who would have thought the once-noble Luna would one day beg me for help? But if you try any tricks, I'll tear you apart this time."

Before long, Rita appeared in the forest.

"How come you're still alive?" she asked spitefully.

"I escaped and found the antidote myself," I fabricated a hasty excuse.

Surprisingly, Rita didn't press further and simply advanced toward me.

"Not that it matters anyway. With you looking like this now, Fenrir won't give you a second glance. Hand over the ring now!"

She leaned in close to my face, as if admiring her own handiwork. The glint of satisfaction in her eyes stung my pride.

But I didn't flinch. Instead, I continued to play the part of someone scared and weak in an attempt to lull her into complacency.

"Rita, I was always good to you before, so why do you hate me so much?"

She let out a snort of laughter, a flicker of sorrow flashing in her eyes.

"Because you are the daughter of a Moonlight pack elder, born with noble blood. You used that to seduce Fenrir, and then pretended to be magnanimous while ignoring my existence!"

I shook my head, unable to accept that she blamed others for her own inferiority complex.

"But you colluded with the enemy and betrayed Fenrir."

Rita became even more worked up. "That's because you drove me to do it. Even when I used your brooch, got your promoted guard drunk, or kicked over the brazier, Fenrir never punished you! So, I figured I'd just do it for real this time."

The fury in Rita's eyes gradually turned into smug satisfaction.

"You didn't expect that after I escaped, I'd go straight to Fenrir, did you? When I pretended you had dosed me with heat-inducing herbs and showed him that enemy pack's thank you letter to you, the veins on his forehead nearly burst.

"After all, we suffered heavy losses in that last battle."

The truth left me shaking with rage.

Seeing my pale face only seemed to heighten her amusement. She derived a sick pleasure from mocking me, then continued viciously, "And those two warriors loyal to you?

"Their bodies were thrown to the wild dogs because Fenrir thought they were trying to rape me. Enough talk, just give me the Luna Ring!"

I clenched the crystal tightly in my hand. Now that the whole truth was out, there was no need to tolerate this psychopathic she-wolf any longer.

"You want to get the ring and then kill me to silence me? Well, you can dream on, because you're not worthy of it!"

I took out the silver powder I had prepared earlier and hurled it straight at Rita.

She clutched her eyes in agony, and the poison-tipped blade hidden in her sleeve clattered to the ground.

"Warriors, the Rogue has returned for revenge!"

Rita's enraged cry rang out behind me. Werewolves were skilled at tracking their targets by scent, but when the Moon Goddess granted me life, she also took my scent away.

I successfully evaded the warriors searching everywhere and vanished into the pitch-black night.

I was waiting for an opportunity to expose the truth.

When the moonlight once again bathed the land, the marking ceremony for Fenrir and Rita began.

The warriors raised their glasses and cheered for Rita, while the elders chanted songs of praise for her. But she, dressed in her finery, seemed distracted and uneasy.

"Cynthia is no longer here. Even I, her former husband, cannot catch a single trace of her scent," Fenrir said comfortingly to her.

The next moment, I appeared among the dancing crowd, disguised as a bard and wearing a mask.

I called out flatteringly in an altered voice, "Noble Luna, I have traveled the world to find you the most suitable gift. Please allow everyone to behold it at this joyous ceremony."

Everyone was captivated by my words, their eyes fixed eagerly on the small box in my hand as they cheered and clamored.

Even Fenrir was completely without wariness. He raised his glass to me, signaling for me to open the box.

Only Rita slowly rose to her feet with a look of suspicion, though she couldn't find a suitable reason to counter the crowd's overwhelming curiosity.

I walked to the center of the ceremony and opened the box.

In that moment, the moon happened to be obscured by dark clouds, and the crystal shone brilliantly in the night.

Our conversation in the forest—Rita's jealousy, persecution, madness, and betrayal—gradually resurfaced.

Instantly, the once lively ceremony fell into a deathly silence.