Chapter 2

By noon the next day, I walked out of the inner hall, wrapped in my torn sacred robe.

The golden threads dragged across the marble floor. Every tear in the fabric was a testament to the night's ferocity.

As soon as I crossed the threshold, a familiar voice rang out.

"Well, if it isn't our Star Priestess."

Lyra stood there, chin held high, holding a bowl of soul-soothing divine wine.

There were fresh red marks on her neck. Every single one stung my eyes.

Looks like Cassius was busy last night too. He finally got what he wanted.

"Look at you. Did you do something dirty? Seducing a God King old enough to be your grandfather for a taste of power... truly pathetic."

I took a deep breath, looking at her, keeping my dignity. "Are you talking about yourself?"

Lyra scoffed. "Don't try to be smart, Selene. I'm not like you."

"I'm going to marry Cassius. You're just his whore for the night."

I pulled my robe tighter.

A whore for the night?

In my past life, Theron used magic to summon a nymph. She couldn't handle his brutal lightning power and almost died.

Afterward, Theron gave her a fortune to keep her mouth shut forever.

But this life was different.

As the Star Priestess, I knew better than anyone. The "Stellar Alignment" on the night of the Holy Banquet was the most fertile time in the Divine Realm in ten thousand years.

Last time, it only took one night for me to get pregnant with Cassius’s child.

This time, having Theron’s baby would be a sure thing.

When the time comes, the war for the throne is about to get bloody.

I glanced at the bowl in her hands. "Then you better go inside and serve Prince Cassius."

I was about to leave when I saw Cassius walking toward us.

Seeing his familiar, cold face, my heart still stung like needles, even though I thought I was numb.

He snaked an arm around Lyra’s waist and claimed her lips in a deep kiss.

"Lyra, you were so tired last night. Why didn't you sleep in with me?"

Lyra pouted her swollen lips. "I have to go to the Sea Realm to hear the mortals' prayers. I can't stay with you all the time."

Then she looked at me. "Selene looks so free though. I'm jealous."

Cassius sneered. "She’s a nobody. Baby, forget the prayers. You belong to me now."

He turned his gaze to me. It was freezing cold.

"You're the one who told the Priestess to bring Lyra to me last night? Smart move. But remember your place. Stop dreaming about things that aren't yours."

His cold words stabbed my heart, making me feel like a pathetic clown.

So my secret love for him was that obvious.

In my past life, Cassius saved me from monsters. I fell in love with him and always used stargazing as an excuse to be near him.

After graduating from the Divine Academy, I became a Star Priestess just to stay close to him.

I once asked if he really wanted to marry me.

He nodded and comforted me, "Of course I do. Just focus on the baby."

But the moment he fully took control of the lightning magic, he lost all patience with me.

I swallowed the bitterness in my throat and forced a natural smile. "I know."

This time, with Lyra curing his curse, I wondered if they would become the true lovers from the oracle.

I was turning to leave, but Cassius blocked my way.

He stared dead at my arm, where bruises from a magic grip still showed.

"Who did this?"

He suddenly grabbed my arm hard. "Are you that desperate for a man? You couldn't hold it in for one second?"

He gripped me so tight that my torn robe slipped. I quickly used my other hand to cover up.

Fighting the pain, I looked at him. "My Prince, let go!"

His face turned slightly red. He gripped tighter.

"Who was it? The Centaur guards? Are you that thirsty?"

He glared at me like he wanted to kick me out of the palace right then.

I was about to tell him to back off when Lyra screamed.

"Ah!"

Lyra dropped her bowl. The hot divine wine splashed all over her arm, turning it red instantly.

"Cassius! It burns!" She looked at him pitifully, tears in her eyes.

Cassius immediately shoved me away and rushed to her.

"Why are you so careless?" He checked her burn, looking heartbroken. "Come on, I'll take you to the Healing Priests."

Lyra rested her chin on his shoulder, clinging to him. She gave me a smug look.

In my past life, Lyra didn't just sleep with Cassius. She secretly hooked up with several ancient gods, some of them very old, just to marry into the main temple.

Later, when Cassius married me, she turned around and seduced a sea monster king. She even crossed the sea to bear his monstrous offspring.

She got beaten every day, couldn't escape, and finally killed the sea monster king before drowning herself in the deep sea.

Cassius always believed Lyra died in that storm because of him.

I looked at my reflection in a water mirror, feeling a strange warmth in my belly.

If I was right, a true royal bloodline was already growing inside me.

When my secret is revealed, Cassius’s claim to the throne will become a joke.

I chuckled, but there was no smile in my eyes.