Chapter 5

A corner of the examination certificate was sticking out from my bag.

I noticed it immediately.

My heart tightened.

I quickly reached for it and pushed it deeper inside before Kael could see what it was.

I couldn't let him know.

Not about the Royal Academy.

Not about the offer.

And certainly not about the preparations I had already begun to make.

I wasn't ready to tell him that I was leaving.

Not yet.

Kael's eyes lingered on my bag.

"What are you hiding?"

"Nothing."

I forced myself to remain calm.

"Just some information a friend gave me."

He studied me for a moment.

Then, surprisingly, he didn't ask again.

Instead, his expression became serious.

"Why did you turn off your communication device?"

I looked away.

"And why did you stay outside alone for the entire night?"

I didn't answer.

Kael's voice carried a trace of frustration.

"You've always been sensible, Elara."

"I don't understand why you would leave home because of a joke."

A joke.

The word made my chest tighten.

I looked at him.

"So yesterday was my fault?"

Kael frowned.

I gave a bitter smile.

"Should I have walked into that room and praised Ronan for imitating the way I walk?"

"Elara, that's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?"

He sighed.

"People say things. We can't control every word that comes out of their mouths."

His voice softened.

"You shouldn't take a few words that weren't meant to hurt you so seriously."

I stared at him.

"You could control it."

Kael went silent.

"You're the Alpha."

My voice was quiet, but every word carried the pain I had been holding inside.

"If you had spoken up, Ronan and Darius would never have continued."

I looked directly at him.

"But you didn't say anything."

His expression changed.

"And Seraphina was there."

The moment I mentioned her name, Kael's expression hardened.

"She was leaning against you."

I swallowed.

"She was laughing with everyone else."

"Don't involve Seraphina."

His answer came immediately.

I froze.

There it was.

The difference.

The person he would never allow anyone to criticize.

The person whose name was enough to change his entire expression.

For the first time, I understood it completely.

Seraphina was different.

She always had been.

I turned around.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore."

I took a step.

"Elara."

Kael stopped me.

He moved in front of me.

"I apologize."

I looked at him.

"I shouldn't have spoken to you that way."

His voice was calmer now.

"I just don't want you to misunderstand Seraphina."

I said nothing.

"She has only just returned to the pack."

He paused.

"Her identity is sensitive right now. If inappropriate things are said about her, it could damage her reputation."

I stared at him.

So that was what he was worried about.

Her reputation.

Not mine.

Kael continued.

"I only see Seraphina as a childhood friend."

His expression was serious.

"She is no different from Darius or Ronan."

I lowered my eyes.

"I understand."

Kael seemed to study my face.

Perhaps he thought I was still angry.

After a moment, he sighed.

"Let's eat first."

I looked at him.

"I'll accompany you."

He softened his voice.

"You can eat whatever you want. Afterward, I'll buy you anything you like."

I hesitated.

There was something I wanted to tell him.

Something important.

Perhaps it was better to say it now.

So I nodded.

"Okay."

***

We entered a nearby restaurant.

The moment we walked inside, I instinctively lowered my head.

My steps slowed.

I wanted to hide behind Kael.

I wanted to make sure no one noticed the way I walked.

For years, I had been afraid of people's eyes.

Afraid of their whispers.

Afraid of being compared to other Lunas.

But I stopped myself.

Why was I still afraid?

I had already made my decision.

I was leaving Kael.

I was leaving this pack.

Soon, none of their opinions would matter to me.

If they thought I wasn't worthy of Kael, then so be it.

I no longer needed to prove myself to anyone.

I lifted my head.

Kael seemed not to notice the small change.

He led me to a table.

Then he began ordering.

One dish after another arrived.

I looked at the table.

My expression slowly changed.

Almost everything was spicy.

I stared at the food.

Kael looked at me.

"Why aren't you eating?"

I lowered my eyes.

"Nothing."

He picked up the fish.

Carefully, he removed the bones before placing the meat into my bowl.

"Eat."

His voice was gentle.

I looked at the fish.

Then at him.

Kael had always been good at taking care of me.

He remembered my medicines.

He made sure my rooms were warm.

He worried whenever I walked too far.

He always made sure I had everything I needed.

He was so good at making me feel cared for.

Sometimes, he had even made me believe that perhaps he loved me.

But now I understood.

Kindness wasn't the same as love.

And taking care of someone wasn't the same as choosing them.

If Kael truly loved me, perhaps I wouldn't have spent three years wondering whether I belonged in his heart.

I looked at the table again.

The dishes were all things Kael liked.

Spicy food.

He had never known that I couldn't eat spicy food.

It appeared on our table all the time because he enjoyed it.

And I had never told him.

I had simply endured it.

Just like I had endured everything else.

Kael pushed the bowl slightly closer to me.

"Eat."

I looked at him.

For one brief moment, I hesitated.

If I told him now, everything would change.

Perhaps he would ask me to stay.

Perhaps he would become angry.

Perhaps he would finally realize that I was leaving.

But I couldn't keep pretending.

I placed my chopsticks down.

"Kael."

He looked up.

"There is something I want to tell you."

His eyes met mine.

"What is it?"

I took a slow breath.

Then I said the words I had been carrying inside my heart.

"I want to end our marriage."

Kael froze.

I continued before I could lose my courage.

"I will also give up my position as Luna."