Chapter 2

2

Back at my estate, the bedroom had been decorated for the wedding night.

The room was draped in deep reds and gold. It should have been a celebration.

But as I looked at the bed, my stomach turned.

In my last life, Elara was obsessed with getting pregnant. She practically kept me chained to the bed.

Even though werewolves have high stamina, she drained me completely.

I became a ghost of myself, pale and thin. And instead of worrying, she just used my weakness as proof that I was "useless."

She started to enjoy the cruelty. It left me with deep scars that haven't healed.

I looked at Selene. She was fragile, but it was only natural for a wife to want an heir.

After all, that was the whole point of this political marriage.

I hesitantly lifted her veil. Her eyes were shimmering with a soft expectation.

I waited for her to pounce on me, to demand what she was owed, just like Elara used to.

But she seemed to read the tension in my shoulders. She didn't touch me. Instead, she moved to her side of the bed and lay down fully clothed.

I had been holding my breath, waiting for the inevitable.

But Selene never brought it up. We just lay there in the dark, sleeping side by side.

Over the next few weeks, I finally started to relax.

We lived like a pair of old friends who happened to be married.

Selene wasn't a tyrant like Elara. We actually liked the same things.

When she gardened, I helped her pull the weeds. When I played the lute, she was the perfect audience.

I heard rumors from the palace that Elara and Caden were inseparable.

They spent every waking moment behind closed doors.

Elara had even ordered rare treasures from the Silver Peak mountains to "boost" Caden's strength.

If Caden so much as sneezed, Elara would summon the royal healers in a panic.

The townspeople were talking about how they were the perfect, most passionate couple.

I remembered that in the past life, Selene got pregnant with Caden's child after about a year.

I figured Elara was still in her "honey moon" phase of being nice to him.

But I knew her. That kindness had an expiration date.

I put down my paintbrush. The woman in my painting looked like a willow tree in the wind―soft and graceful.

I could see that Selene had some underlying health issues. It was probably why the Silver Peak royals struggled to have many children.

I hadn't decided if I should help her yet.

After all, the price for that help in my last life was far too high.

Selene walked up behind me and looked at the painting. "Your skill is getting better every day, Silas."

I reached up and smoothed a stray hair from her forehead. "It's easy when the model is so beautiful."

Selene's face turned bright red. "Oh, stop," she whispered. Then she looked away wistfully. "If you want to talk about beauty, Elara is the one who truly shines."

My heart grew cold at the mention of her name.

Elara was beautiful, sure. If Selene was a quiet pond in summer, Elara was a wildfire.

She was so beautiful that I had fallen for her instantly in my past life. I loved her so much I was willing to suffer for her.

But she crossed the line when she murdered our innocent child for a crown.

I closed my eyes, forcing the anger down.

When I opened them, I saw the sadness on Selene's face. She was smart; she could sense the weird energy between me and her sister.

I took her face in my hands. "Selene, look at me. In my eyes, you are the only one who matters."

Our hearts felt like they were finally beating in sync.

Before I knew it, she was sitting on my lap.

But as things started to heat up, the disgusting memories of Elara flashed in my mind. Panic gripped my throat.

I began to shake. I pulled away, unable to look at the disappointment I expected to see on her face. "I'm sorry, Selene. I... I can't."

There was no judgment in her eyes. She just rubbed my back gently. "Silas, I don't know what happened to you, but I'm okay with waiting."

Our bond grew even stronger after that.

We spent our days playing music and chess.

A few months later, the news broke that Jade, the youngest sister, was pregnant.

My father was thrilled. It was his first grandchild. He showered them with gifts.

He also started sending me messages, telling me to "step up." I felt a massive wave of guilt.

He probably didn't realize that Selene and I hadn't even finished the job yet.