CHAPTER 4: Rejected.

Me? What did I do this time?

Her trembling finger shot in my direction.

The room went silent again. All eyes on me.

“She’s the one behind all of this!”

My breath caught in my throat. All of what?

“She’s lying!” the maid screamed, her voice breaking as tears streamed down her face. “She has always envied our lady! Always!”

Gasps erupted.

“She couldn’t stand that Lady Jeanine was loved and blessed and chosen!”

I shook my head, each word striking like a whip. “Th–that's not tr—”

“And today—today was her last day!” the maid cried hysterically. “So she tried to deceive the Crown Prince!”

My heart stopped. What?!

“Deceive…?” someone whispered.

“Yes!” the second maid sobbed, clutching her chest. “She must have used some dark, forbidden method to fake a mate bond!”

My legs grew weak. What kind of logic was that? Who fakes a mate bond?

"Fake a mate bond? How is that possible?" someone who had a slight resemblance to my father asked.

It was my father's brother. I'd seen him and other members of the Lesley family a lot in the temple.

Only now did I realize that almost everyone in the Lesley family had arrived. The crowed had grown. I didn't even know when they arrived.

Suddenly, the Priest of Nadrasei spoke, frowning, "The method of faking a mate bond is a spell that is native to the people of Azure Kingdom, but forbidden in our Naderlands Kingdom." He paused, his frown deepening. "However, the people of Azure comes for pilgrimage in the goddess temple once every year. They must have taught you the spell when toy were still a servant at the temple."

All eyes rested on me, hot and vicious.

My mouth opened and closed. I was unable to defend myself.

True, many kingdoms came to Naderlands for pilgrimage every year, but I was never allowed to serve them, because the Oracle feared I'd jinx the visitors or cause trouble that could humiliate our kingdom.

“A fake mate bond?!”

“That’s treason!”

“How dare she!”

“No…” I shook my head weakly, stepping back. “That’s not–”

They don't let me speak.

“Isn’t it?”

My brother's cold voice cut through the noise.

He stepped forward, eyes blazing with fury and murderous intent as he looked at me like I was something rotten.

“It all makes sense now.”

My stomach dropped.

“You knew you would die today, so you made a desperate gamble,” he continued. “You fabricated a mate bond with His Highness, the crown prince… knowing that if you succeeded, you could replace Jeanine and rise from your shame.”

Murmurs of agreement rippled instantly.

“Yes… that must be it…”

“How scheming…”

“Shameless!”

"Malicious snake!"

My ears rang.

“I didn’t—” my voice came out hoarse, barely audible. “I didn’t do anything…”

“That's why she wore rags today. To gain the Crown Prince's sympathy!” the maid who slapped me doubled down on the lies.

“What? She has good clothes?” someone asked.

“Yes. My lady gave her new clothes to wear, yet she chose to wear rags today.”

I stood there, dumbfounded. I'd never seen something like this before. This level of lies and deceit being played so smoothly.

It was clear that this was planned. But why? I was already going to be killed today. What was the point of all of these?

My brother turned to the Crown Prince and bowed slightly.

“Your Highness is truly wise,” he said smoothly. “To see through such a vile scheme.”

All eyes shifted to him, to hear what he had to say.

Would he really not investigate, not even a little? Would he condemn me, his mate, like everyone else had done?

Mates were extraordinary. I heard that mates could feel each other’s emotions… their pain… their truth.

So… why?

Why was he looking at me like that?

Like I was filth.

My chest tightened so painfully I thought I might collapse.

“Help me,” I whispered behind my veil, summoning courage to look him in the eyes, hoping he could hear me.

His eyes were ocean blue. I could see the struggle in them, the frown of discomfort as he raked me with his eyes from head to toe. Perhaps, his wolf was rebelling.

Even though some mates don't want each other, they still treated each other with respect and mercy.

“Please, show me mercy, I'm your mate. You can feel my truth, right?” I pleaded, hoping he'd at least stand up for me. Just this once.

Suddenly, Jeanine slipped from his arms.

“No…” she whispered, shaking her head as tears streamed endlessly down her cheeks.

She stumbled toward me, each step unsteady, her expression shattered with heartbreak.

“My sister would never do something like that. Sister… is it true? Tell me they're lying.”

Her voice trembled.

Would she believe me if I told her they were lying? Wasn't she in cohort with all of them?

Still, I had that urge to explain. To clear the name I didn't have, to seek my mate’s sympathy. Even if he didn't want me, I wished he'd believe me. That someone would finally take my side, just this once.

“I—”

“After everything I’ve done for you…” my sister cut me off before I could speak. “But I understand why you'd do so… Unfortunately, I do. And I'm the reason you turned this way.”

She suddenly raised her dress and dropped to her knees before me.

The entire hall went berserk.

“My Lady!”

“What is Lady Jeanine doing?!”

“Sweetheart, you—”

They rushed forward. Her maids tried to pull her up, but for some weird reasons, they couldn't get her to stand up. Perhaps, her wolf had overpowered them. Or they had planned another scheme again...

“I’m so sorry!” she sobbed, hitting her forehead on the floor repeatedly while everyone screamed. “I’m sorry I was born the blessed one!”

“I’m sorry you had to suffer all these years!”

“I’m sorry Mother and Father were deceived and they didn't find you earlier on!"

"I’m sorry you were hurt! I’m sorry you were alone!”

Her voice cracked over and over again, raw and broken.

However, I stood there, staring at her behind the veil. Even though this was all an act, I deserved this apology.

“But… but I loved you genuinely…” she whispered weakly. Her forehead must be hurting because she stopped banging it on the floor. “I always loved you… I thought you loved me too…”

My hands trembled.

“So, why…?” she looked up at me, eyes full of pain. “Why did you do it…?”

“I didn’t do anything!” for the first time in my life, I yelled. "You're—"

“You still dare to lie?!” My father thundered.

However, Jeanine wasn't done.

She finally allowed her weeping maids help her up. “If my existence causes you this much pain…” her voice suddenly steadied.

Something about her shifted.

“Then I’ll disappear.”

My blood froze. What was she trying to do?

Before anyone could react, Jeanine yanked a golden hairpin from her hair.

“Wait—!”

But it was already too late. She drove it straight into the side of her neck.

“JEANINE!”

“MY LADY!”

“LADY JEANINE!”

"Cousin Sister!"

Screams tore through the hall. Blood spilled instantly, staining her pale skin, dripping down her fingers like crimson ribbons.

Time stopped. My vision blurred. My blood ran cold.

“No… no…”

The Crown Prince caught her before she hit the ground, his face completely drained of color. Earlier, he was just standing there, watching the chaos in confusion. Now, his stance was clear.

“Are you insane?!” he roared, careful not to touch the hairpin that was half buried in her neck.

Jeanine smiled weakly, blood coating her mouth as she tried to speak.

“If I die…” she whispered faintly, her voice barely there, choking on blood. “She can finally have the life she thinks I stole from her…” tears ran down the side of her eyes.

BANG!

My brother kicked my stomach, sending me flying through the hall and slamming into the wall behind me.

“You…” The Crown Prince’s voice came out low and deadly.

Pain exploded through my body. I spat out blood, laying there and barely breathing, as I was unable to move. My stomach hurt. My bones were on fire.

A kick from a powerful werewolf was nothing an ordinary human like me could endure.

When I looked toward them, as they crowded around Jeanine, another stab of pain hit my chest and I spat another mouthful of blood.

“You dare…” the crown prince continued slowly, his voice shaking with rage, “drive her to this point?”

My heart shattered. A hollow, dull pain traveled up my throat. Tears welled up in my eyes.

He rose with Jeanine in his arms. “I, Crown Prince Vince of Naderlands, reject you as my mate!”

The hall froze. The air stilled.

Someone sucked in air through their teeth.

"This is the first time in centuries that a mate was rejected. She's truly unlucky."

That person was right. Instead of rejection, the undesired female mate could be taken as a concubine or compensated in monetary value. The undesired male could live on with his unrequited love, or also be compensated in monetary value.

A verbal rejection was the height of humiliation for a mate.

“Accept the rejection!” my brother barked.

“Or, are you scared that your little lie will be exposed?” another person chimed in.

“That's right. The rejection wouldn't hurt if the mate bond was fabricated,” the priest explained.

My fist clenched, because I knew it would hurt. I didn't fabricate anything.

But how hurtful could it be? Stronger than what I've endured all my life?

“I– I accept your rejection.”

Something inside me snapped immediately.

I folded as a scream ripped from my throat before I could stop it.

It felt like my already battered heart was being torn open from the inside. I collapsed fully onto the floor, my fingers clawing at my chest as if I could tear the pain out.

It burned.

Everyone stared at me, stunned.

“Make it stop… please—!” I choked, my body convulsing violently.

Perhaps, it was this excruciating because I had no wolf. Or because I was already too weak.

Gasps echoed around the hall.

“The bond… was real…?”

I saw a flicker of unease in the crown prince's eyes.

However, someone scoffed, “She's a scheming witch. If she can fake a mate bond, she can definitely fake everything that pertains to it.”

Another said, “She's probably taking advantage of the pain from Master Alfred's kick!”

"Even now, she's not stopping her schemes. I hope this teach you all to know who you bring into your homes."

"She truly is badluck."

"She has committed all the sins in the book of deception!”

"Just kill her already. She's a disgusting schemer!"

My eyes blurred with tears and pain, I saw them point fingers at me, yelling over each other to have me killed.

“Take Lady Jeanine to the healer,” The crown prince ordered, handing Jeanine to my brother. “I don't want to stain her sight with blood.”

My brother carried my sister and rushed off with her maids and my mother.

Lying on the floor, soaked in my own sweet and blood, I waited for my judgement.

Would he kill me himself or let others do it?