Chapter 2

2

Father was stunned, while Stepmother beamed and showered Merrick with praises.

"I know you are all wondering why I didn't choose Calla," Merrick said, bowing slightly toward the clan elders.

My eyelids twitched.

"I refuse to marry a promiscuous, unfaithful female."

Merrick pointed an accusing finger at me with righteous fury, sparking instant commotion in the hall.

"What nonsense are you spewing!" Father snapped, stepping in since I was still his eldest daughter.

"Do not be hasty, Father-in-law," Merrick sneered. "I have personally seen her fooling around with low-tier black dragons multiple times. I will not take such a filthy female as my wife."

"Do you have any proof before tarnishing my reputation?" I asked, playing the innocent persona of my youth so he wouldn't realize I had reincarnated.

"Why would a proud gold dragon need to frame you?" Merrick sneered.

Father looked at me with hesitation, while Stepmother shot me a venomous glare, blaming me for embarrassing the family.

Before I could speak, Merrick added, "A female of loose morals, even with amber blood, will only spawn defective low-tier trash. Mark my prophecy today and see if I am proven right."

A gold dragon could make prophecies by expending vital blood, though few ever did.

Hearing this, the elders and relatives began whispering and pointing at me.

"Fine," I said calmly. "Let's wait and see."

I swallowed my anger. The day his egg was laid would be the day I tore off his hypocritical mask.

Gemma married him in an extravagant ceremony that became the talk of the realm.

Meanwhile, my reputation was completely ruined because of Merrick's slander.

Suitors who once lined up at my door vanished overnight. Rather than caring about my supposed infidelity, they feared fathering a low-tier dragon with me.

In our realm, a gold dragon's prophecy carried absolute weight.

Fueled by Merrick's rumors, the gossip grew wilder, with people claiming I shared a bed with three dragons at once, spinning colorful tales about my private life.

Stepmother gave me the cold shoulder every day, and Father was at a loss.

I didn't care at all; my previous life had already cured me of any desire for marriage.

Three days after the wedding, Merrick brought Gemma back to visit, mocking me the second he saw me.

"Well, Calla, looks like no decent dragon will touch you now, huh?"

"Thanks to you, I finally have some peace and quiet."

Merrick scanned me up and down with a scoff.

"Without a mate, your heat cycles will become unbearable. Forget wild dragons―you might get so desperate that you mate with a common snake and lay some monstrous freak."

"Sister, don't be picky," Gemma chimed in. "Just find an ugly black dragon to marry, or our entire realm will laugh at you."

She had only been married for three days and was already acting as his loyal parrot.

My relationship with Gemma had never been good anyway; she was just my half-sister from Father's second wife.

"Save your worries for your own belly," I said with a smirk, glancing down at Gemma's stomach. "After all, like father, like son. Let's see what quality of dragon you actually produce."

Merrick's gaze turned icy with murderous intent.

"How dare you!" Gemma raised her hand to slap me. "Merrick is a rare gold dragon! His bloodline will produce nothing less than gold! You're just jealous!"

I stepped back, dodging her swing, not bothering to waste my breath.

"Useless female who can't even lay an egg," Merrick spat behind me.