The truth behind

Eirlys Lumi,

I sat there, stunned. My eyes widened when realization hit me, the muscles around them tightening before I could stop it.

For a brief moment I simply stared at them, unmoving. I shifted slightly in my seat, my fingers curling against the armrest as I suddenly noticed the small crack in my composure.

Then a short, controlled and icy laughter escaped from me.

The sound was sharp in the quiet room.

"You are joking, right?" I asked, my voice tight as the last trace of laughter left my throat. My lips were still curved, though the smile didn’t reach my eyes. "You, of all people, want me to take your beloved daughter's place and become the Queen of this territory? The one that you have been dreaming of for your golden child?"

I laughed again as I spoke, the sound echoing louder this time. My shoulders trembled slightly with each laugh, my head tilting back a little as if the absurdity of it all was simply too much.

I meant, how could I not?

Those people, my so-called parents, had made sure I knew where I stood in this place. Every single day of my life.

I wasn't wanted by them from the beginning.

They had gotten accidentally pregnant with me when Pearl was five years old. She was already thriving at that point, the center of their world, that they didn't want to give their attention to another child.

However, when they tried to abort me, my mother was already far along. Also, a wolf's pup grows fast.

It wasn't possible for them to do it legally anymore.

Since it was a matter of my father's reputation and my mother's need to save face in front of her elite group of friends, they decided to keep me.

Except every single day my mother would drink random herbs meant for abortion, hoping to delete me naturally. Making it look like an accidental miscarriage.

Well, as you can see, I was too resilient to die that soon.

In fact, I was born with all the limbs in my body.

Except... the moment I was born, everyone knew.

Judging by my size, I was an Omega. A very backfired effect of those herbs that my mother drank. Now, not only did they fail to get rid of me, thanks to their stupidity, I was born Omega. A weak, meek and unwanted child in the family of Strong Warriors.

And my parents, growing up, never once shied away from reminding me all of those things they'd done to get rid of me.

My lips pressed together faintly as the memories surfaced.

I got the room next to the servant's quarters. A narrow space that always smelled faintly of soap and old wood. My servants treated me as if I was just an unwanted guest, barely giving me the respect I should have as the young lady of this house.

My clothes were all hand-me-downs. My shoes were those that Pearl didn't want to have. Sometimes I had to say thank you hundred times to her just to get her shoes.

And my education? God.

It was all thanks to my grandparents, who knew exactly what kind of horrible parents they were.

So them telling me about taking Pearl's position didn't just make me laugh. It made me suspicious. Very suspicious.

Because they were the kind of people who would rather watch me die than see me take something that was meant for Pearl. Let alone the throne of the Queen.

"Can you stop laughing?"

Pearl's voice cut through the room.

She looked irritated by my reaction, her brows pulling together as her fingers tightened around the fabric of her dress.

My laughter slowly died down. I wiped the corner of my eye with the back of my finger, though there were no tears there.

"Why?" I asked, my voice calmer now, the amusement still lingering faintly in it. I leaned back into the chair and folded my arms across my chest, my gaze settling on Dad. "It's funny, isn't it? Dad. Or perhaps, there is more to this story?"

My eyes darkened slightly as they met his.

His jaw muscles feathered under the skin. He rubbed both hands over his face slowly, as if trying to gather his patience, his fingers dragging down his cheeks before falling back to his lap.

"That's it," he said. "There is nothing more to this. We realized that you deserve better as well. Caroline is trying to get her medical certificate and we also want you, as our daughter, to be in a position where I could—!"

"Medical certificate?" My brow raised immediately. My head tilted a fraction to the side.

"Isn't Caroline studying Management? Also she is doing PhD."

The words hung in the air. Silence fell across the room.

Caroline was twenty five years old. Even five years ago she rejected her own mate, just to be with His Majesty. But the candidates were far more good than she was that time. Since all the Luna Queen's candidates were either Billionaire's daughters or Minister's, they didn't have any chance for Pearl.

Dad swallowed, the movement visible in his throat. Mom's eyes flickered away for a second, her fingers tightening over Pearl's hand as if she suddenly wished to disappear from the conversation entirely.

Being a hunter for five years, I knew that face.

That hesitation, the shifting eyes and the tightening of the jaw... I was right.

There was more to this story.

"That..." Dad hesitated, his lips parting slightly before closing again.

I leaned forward a little in my chair, my gaze steady.

"First of all, Dad," I said calmly, my voice losing the last trace of amusement. "I am not a fool." I lifted one finger slowly. "Second of all, it's me who is studying medicine."

Another finger lifted.

"And third..."

I leaned back again, crossing one leg over the other.

"What made you think that I will agree just because you are saying so?"

The last sentence made them visibly pale.

Dad opened his mouth as if to speak, but no words came out. His lips pressed together again.

Mom, who had been sitting impatiently next to Pearl, looked like she had just been slapped. The shadow of irritation flashed across her eyes as she inhaled deeply and then exhaled sharply through her nose.

"Look," Mom finally chimed in, leaning slightly toward me, her fingers pressing together tightly. "We all want you to have a good life and—!"

I tilted my head slowly. "Be honest." My voice was quiet, but the edge in it was unmistakable. "Because I am getting irritated by your stupid word game here."

My eyes were sharp when they met hers. I didn't blink.

"You are being disrespectful!" Dad snapped.

The sudden burst of his voice made Pearl flinch slightly beside him.

"Okay," I said simply, already pushing myself to my feet.

"I am done. See you later."

The chair scraped lightly against the floor as I stood up. I turned without waiting for a response and began walking toward the stairs.

"Stop there. We aren't done yet!" Dad shouted.

His jaws clinked as he spoke.

I didn't say anything. My footsteps remained steady as I headed toward the staircase and stepped onto the first step.

Then Dad shouted again. "We want you to check what exactly His Majesty does with his Lunas!"

My foot froze mid-motion. The house fell silent. Even the servants stilled,

Slowly, I turned toward them. They looked as if they wanted the floor to open beneath them so they could hide inside it.

"What did you say?" I asked. My voice was cold.

Dad gritted his teeth, staring directly at me as if forcing himself not to look away.

"We want to send you to check the situation first," he said. "Every single Luna has disappeared or something has happened to them. So to understand if... if Pearl will be safe or not..."

He paused, his throat tightening before he finished.

"We want you to check the situation first."