ã€ŠAlpha&#x27;s Rejected Mate Returns as Queenã€‹


 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1: A Rejected Mate

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°I, Benson Walton, reject you, Selma Payne, as my future Luna and mate.¡±

    This was thest day of the ceremony. Everyone went to the gathering happily, and no one noticed my conversation with Benson.

    I clenched my fists tightly and heard Benson¡¯s deep growl.

    ¡°ept your rejection and get out of my sight forever! The thought of you having human blood in your veins makes me feel disgusted! If you¡¯re sensible, you¡¯ll find a quiet ce to die on your own instead of tarnishing our people¡¯s glory.¡±

    His harsh words made the blood in my body boil. I tried my best not to let my tears fall, making me even more embarrassed.

    ¡°Maybe he was right. From the beginning, my appearance was a mistake. On my sixteenth birthday, I found out from my parents that I was not their biological child, although they always told me I was an angel given to them by the stork.

    Benson made a strange guttural sound from his throat, urging me to make a decision as soon as possible. The thought of rejecting him made me feel so much pain that I couldn¡¯t breathe. I was a human who shouldn¡¯t be here. I was not as strong and brave as the others.

    ¡°I, Selma Payne, ept your rejection.¡± I stammered, and the pain made me tremble uncontrobly.

    Benson snorted coldly and stared at me with his arms crossed.¡± At least you¡¯re tactful. You¡¯re just a toad. Stay in your quagmire, and don¡¯t even think about implicating the others in our pack.¡±

    On his neenth birthday, we found out that we were mates. He didn¡¯t reject me then, and I thought he had epted his fate. However, it turned out that he was just afraid that I would be with the other pack members.

    Benson turned away coldly and walked out. There were a few people at the door. They greeted him with smiles, perhaps secretly mocking me for daydreaming.

    ¡®Breathe, Selma, breathe. Don¡¯t show your weakness in front of them.¡¯

    I pretended to be calm and waited for them to leave, then ran away in a sorry state. I didn¡¯t want to show any weakness in front of the wolves, or they would bite me. I learned this way of survival after training with them for so many years. Now I had integrated into the pack very well, even though I was a soft egg that would fall with a single poke to them.

    I had great friends. If someone tried to bully me, they would always stand up for me. When I felt unhappy, they always found a way to make me happy. My parents were the best in the world. They neverughed at me or reprimanded me. On the contrary, when I questioned why I was weaker than others, they always told me that everyone was born with a purpose, and this was not mine.

    But I¡¯d ruined everything. How would Benson and those people spread the news? Benson ruthlessly rejected that shameless human? Would my parents and friends be humiliated because of this? Maybe he was right. I was a worthless person who would only bring shame to pack. I should leave forever and not drag them down with me.

    My poor parents had already suffered enough pain and humiliation. I was never their pride, not even for a day!

    I snuck out of the house without anyone noticing me. It was the night of the party, so they might beughing at my back. I shivered at the thought of it.

    With the help of the moonlight, I slowly walked into the forest. At this moment, I realized that my face was covered in tears. The pain of being rejected and the heartache of being about to leave made me unable to control myself. I cried loudly. No one would care about trash who couldn¡¯t see the road clearly without the moonlight.

    ¡°I should have died in the forest many years ago. Instead, I stole all this happiness. I¡¯m really grateful for my parents, my brother Rhode, and everyone in the pack. They gave me so much love. Now, it¡¯s time for me to give back to pack. It¡¯s time for everything to get back on track.¡±

    I wiped away the tears on my face as if I was wiping away a stain. Tonight, I was going to give them a pure and wless pack.

    The night¡¯s cold air entered my lungs through my nose, and I coughed violently. I couldn¡¯t even withstand such a small change in the air. How could I dare call myself a member of this pack? If the person here today were Rhode or anyone else, they wouldn¡¯t be as fragile as me.

    I heard the crowd singing my favorite song. The song traveled the distance and entered my ears like a silent encouragement and urging. I came to pack with this song and grew up here. So it was only right for me to use this song to send myself off.

    ¡®It¡¯s time, Selma, to be a brave person for thest time!¡¯

    I closed my eyes and jumped off the cliff.

    The wind whistled past my ears, and the song became blurry. I was finally free forever.

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2: Selma¡¯s Disappearance

    Benson Walton¡¯s POV:

    ¡°When I learned that Selma was my partner, my first thought was that it was ridiculous andughable.

    I, as the future Alpha, have an ordinary human as my future mate.

    Are you kidding me?

    However, I couldn¡¯t have any opinions because my father would not allow me to give special treatment to a certain member. As long as the pack epted her, she would be a part of it, and I must treat her equally.

    epting Selma as part of our pack was already my biggest concession. I would never ept her as my mate.

    I knew what an Alpha¡¯s Luna was like. My mother was such a strong warrior and mother she could fight side by side with my father at any time, unlike Selma, who was a damsel in distress. I couldn¡¯t even imagine what role she could y in a battle, a cheering squad?

    Our pack needed a strong Luna, at least someone not as weak as she was. I would not spare any time to protect her.

    Even if she had been a happy fool under the protection of her parents, brothers, and good friends for so many years, I would not indulge her, nor would I be her protective umbre. In fact, I felt that it was best for her to disappear quietly so she would not continue implicating her parents and friends.

    Although I said that, I still felt a heart-wrenching pain when she rejected me. I pretended nothing had happened and followed the people who invited me to the bonfire party. I used my smile and alcohol to cover up the pain constantly stirring my nerves.

    Selma sat in the room in a daze. She might be crying right now, but she would only cry out loud because of a minor setback. She could not feel this pain at all. When I thought of this, I felt tired. Why did I have to be her mate?

    ¡°Hehehe, look, who this is now? Isn¡¯t this the future of our Alpha?¡± My good brother, Jesse, walked over with a beer in his hand andughed.

    I took the beer and downed it in one gulp. Even though the whole pack knew that I¡¯d be an Alpha, it still made my heart beat faster when the day was closing in.

    ¡°Brother, you should be happier. Next Monday is your big day! We¡¯ll have two great things if you can find your mate by next Monday.¡±

    I didn¡¯t dare to look into Rhode¡¯s eyes. If he knew that my mate was his dear sister, the weakest human in the pack and that I had rejected Selma, his celebratory toast would probably be a fist, waving at me.

    Damn it! I couldn¡¯t help but groan in my heart. There were so many people in the whole pack. Anyone could have been my mate, but why her?

    ¡°Brother, you should change your bad habit of keeping everything to yourself. It¡¯s such a happy asion, but you still look so serious. You¡¯ll be a wrinkly old man in a few years.¡±

    Rhode and Jessiughed at his joke and clinked their sses.

    Guilt filled my heart. Rhode was my good friend, but I used such vicious words to reject Selma today. I was a b*stard.

    ¡°Have you seen Selma?¡± Rhode¡¯s mother leaned over and asked worriedly.

    Hearing Selma¡¯s name all of a sudden made my heart beat like it was hit by lightning. Even I did not know why I would have such a strange reaction. I was like a child who had done something wrong and was afraid that the adults would find out.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t she say she had something to do at the packhouse?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I thought she was at the house too, but it¡¯s been more than two hours. Today¡¯s gathering is her favorite. How could she not be back for so long?¡± Rhode¡¯s mother¡¯s voice was trembling.

    I tried my best to capture the scent of orchid in the air. Indeed, the scent was getting fainter and fainter. She was definitely not nearby.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go find her! She might be in trouble and need help.¡± Rhode put down his ss and stood up to leave.

    ¡°We¡¯ll go with you. It¡¯ll be faster if we have more people.¡± To not be suspected, I offered to help.

    Rhode, his parents, and I followed her scent to the woods, but her scent was getting fainter and fainter. We could only circle in the woods like a bunch of fools Selma had yed.

    The ethereal sense of guilt disappeared. I was confident in my heart that it was the right decision to reject her today. If I were to be with such a weak-minded person every day, I would go crazy. Selma would use her willfulness to ruin such a happy evening party!

    If it weren¡¯t for her stubbornness, I would be drinking beer now, waiting to see the hot girls dance. Maybe after tonight, I should find a mate for myself to make her utterly despair.

    ¡°Look! What¡¯s that?¡± Rhode eximed and ran forward. This was the fastest he had run since I met him.

    There was a beautiful burgundy bow on the ground. Just a moment ago, its owner was crying in front of me.

    I kept the disdainful hushing in my heart. This was something the coward used to scare people. She wouldn¡¯t dare to jump from such a high ce!

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3: The Search For Selma

    Benson Walton¡¯s POV:

    I stuck my head out and looked at the bottom of the cliff. The cliff was high, and even I felt a little scared. The river flowing below sounded like blood rushing in the blood vessels.

    A piece of white cloth was hanging on the branch, very conspicuous.

    Rhode¡¯s mother came over. Her lips trembled as she said, ¡°That is what Selma wore today! She really jumped!¡±

    She supported her head with her left hand and leaned against Rhode¡¯s father.

    She was right. The only thing that made me feelfortable was on Selma. The scent of the little orchid hadpletely disappeared at the edge of the cliff. She had jumped. What a foolish human. She couldn¡¯t even take such a minor blow. She was the weakest person in the world.

    Rhode couldn¡¯t be bothered tofort his grieving mother, who was on the verge of fainting. So instead, he found a way to the bottom of the cliff.

    I followed him down but not to find Selma. I was afraid that she would leave behind some evidence that would point to me. I felt suffocated at the thought of it.

    I was about to be the Alpha of my pack, and a person who forced his people to die was not a trait of a sessor. My father would reprimand me and maybe even ask me to apologize to them in front of the whole pack.

    We sessfully reached the bottom of the cliff. There was nothing here. It was clean as if Selma had never been here. If not for the shredded cloth caught on the branch, we would not have found anything if we had been a dayter.

    She seemed to have suddenly melted into the water, just like the strange stories of fairies I had heard when I was young. She had be one with this ce forever.

    Rhode¡¯s tears were already flowing down his cheeks.

    I opened my mouth tofort him. Perhaps Selma had a chance of surviving, but we both knew that at such a high altitude, even if there were water below, it would be unlikely for her to survive. It would be difficult for her to survive, even if she were a werewolf, let alone a human without a single muscle in her body working normally.

    It was as if something was stuck in my throat. The scent hadpletely disappeared from the surface of the river. Her body might have already appeared a few miles away, or she might have be food to other beasts. Just a few hours ago, she epted my rejection.

    This strange feeling made me feel heavy. I patted Rhode¡¯s shoulder, and we returned the way we came. His parents were waiting for us to bring some good news, but theirst hope was shattered.

    She covered her face and let out a cry of extreme grief after a long time. Her body kept twitching. A mother had lost her daughter.

    I didn¡¯t dare to look into her teary eyes. If she knew I was the main reason Selma jumped off the cliff, I would lose their kindness and love forever. At the same time, I would also lose my good friend, Rhode.

    The best way was to cover up this matter. I need to go to Selma¡¯s room to check it thoroughly so that she didn¡¯t leave anything unfavorable to me behind.

    We bowed our heads and returned to the banquet. Father asked Rhode what happened, showing deep concern. Taking care of everyone in the pack was his responsibility as an Alpha and mine. I hope that before I be an Alpha, he would not find out about this.

    His father had gathered the entire pack to search for Selma. For the sake of such a useless human, the entire pack was forced to be wear the color of sadness on the night of the full moon. Her departure was indeed a wise decision. At least from today onward, the pack would not have such moments again.

    ¡°Hey, Father. I¡¯ll go to Selma¡¯s room to take a look. There might be some evidence.¡± I pretended to be rxed and asked my father alone, but I didn¡¯t dare to look him in the eye, fearing he would smell that something was wrong with me.

    ¡°Go, this is also your test before you officially be an Alpha.¡±

    I easily entered Selma¡¯s room. There was nothing inside other than the fleeting scent of the little orchid. She had very few things as if she was ready to leave this ce at any time.

    No matter what, I heaved a sigh of relief that there was no diary or a note.

    I heard people shouting Selma¡¯s name outside. This made me feel very irritated. She didn¡¯t know how to pick the right time. It was likely that no one would be able to get a good night¡¯s sleep tonight.

    Just like I said, we were divided into several groups and searched along every possible path, but we found nothing.

    Rhode and his parents stood in the middle of the crowd. From their ashen faces, it could be seen that they had epted that they had lost Selma forever.

    I could see Rhode¡¯s mother¡¯s tears and father¡¯s sigh. They had treated that weak human as their blood-rted rtive.

    I shook my head and tried to forget Selma¡¯s face. I should not have such a strong sense of responsibility and mistakenly me her weakness on myself. It was she who chose this path, all because of a single rejection.

    I looked at the river¡¯sst bend that disappeared around the corner. She would not have survived this.

    I followed my father to their family tofort the couple who had lost their family member.

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4: Found The Daughter?

    The Lycan King¡¯s POV:

    I suddenly woke up.

    All these years, I¡¯d been having the same recurring dream.

    Because of that ident, my daughter disappeared. I couldn¡¯t do anything about it and could only cry helplessly.

    Perhaps I¡¯d been under too much pressure recently, but I dreamed of other things I hadn¡¯t dreamed of for a long time: the forest, theke, and the sound of sad crying.

    I stood up and nned to go there for a walk, to the forest where my daughter had gone missing. At first, it was a weak hope, but after a long exploration, it became a habit. Whenever I was unhappy, I would go to the forest as if my baby was still with me.

    But today was very different.

    I could feel my chest throbbing violently as I walked. I was extremely agitated and restless. This was very unusual for someone like the Lycan King. It was like an ominous sign. My uneasiness reached its peak when I met some silly little animals that bumped into my legs.

    There shouldn¡¯t be any small animals in this ce. At least, when I appeared, they would run away. Today, they were running around strangely. I walked in the direction they came from.

    No matter what it was, I would not allow it to mess around in my territory.

    I passed through the bushes and woods, and the strong smell of orchids filled the space.

    Other than the members of Lycan, no wolf had the scent of orchids on them. This was a gift from the Moon Goddess and a way to distinguish between the Lycans and other wolves. Such a pure scent could only be from my direct bloodline.

    My only daughter left me more than ten years ago. My wife and I searched for her for a long time, but we only got disappointment.

    An unrealistic fantasy filled my head. I was dizzy now, even more excited and dizzy than drinking at a party all night.

    The scent of the orchid led me to thekeside. An ugly beast showed its fangs and was about to rush at the figure in theke. I didn¡¯t have time to think and kicked it away.

    The beast ran away with its tail between its legs.

    My gaze waspletely focused on the girl in theke. Her face was ashen, and her breathing was so weak that I could barely feel it. Even with her eyes closed, her lips were tightly pursed.

    My heart was beating wildly. If my daughter were still alive, if I could see her again, she would probably be around this age.

    The smell on her body was getting fainter, and I carried her to the pack without thinking.

    ¡®Dear Moon Goddess, please don¡¯t let a father hug his daughter only at a funeral.¡¯

    I ran forward with all my might. After the war, it was rare for me to be so exhausted. I only felt my hands trembling uncontrobly when the royal doctor put her down.

    The attendants looked at me in surprise as if I had gone crazy. Yes, I think I was already on the edge of madness.

    ¡°Your Majesty, you might need to rest for a while.¡± Then, they helped me change out of my wet clothes.

    ¡°Go and tell the Queen now... No! I¡¯ll tell the Queen when she wakes up. I don¡¯t want her to be tortured by false happiness. ¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, I don¡¯t mean to interrupt you, but this girl has appeared so suddenly. Could it be ...¡±

    I calmed down and paid attention to the girl¡¯s face and scent, which were almost identical to the Queen¡¯s. I knew the answer. I could say without any doubt that this was my daughter.

    ¡°Tracy, look at her. Even if her appearance can be faked, her scent is the unique mark the Moon Goddess gave us. There¡¯s no doubt that she¡¯s my daughter.¡±

    Many years ago, no one thought that the ident would involve my daughter and cause her to leave the arms of her father and mother. My wife washed her face with tears every day, and I was trapped in the same nightmare, ming myself for not being able to protect her.

    ¡°But she came back. It was like a miracle. She suddenly appeared before me. This must be a gift from the heavens.

    ¡°Your Majesty, you might need to be mentally prepared.¡± The doctor¡¯s words suddenly broke the beautiful illusion.

    I was so happy that I forgot that she hadn¡¯t really woken up and was still fighting against the god of death.

    ¡°No matter the price, you must save her,¡± I pleaded tremblingly.

    At this moment, I was no longer a high and mighty king but a father who had lost his daughter.

    After a long wait, the doctor finally brought me some good news.

    ¡°The princess is fine.¡± The doctor had a tired smile on his face and sternly drove me away.¡± You need to rest and make space for Her Highness to rest. She fell from a very high ce and won¡¯t recover so quickly.¡±

    I was reluctant to leave. There were still many things waiting for me to deal with.

    At the same time, I was also very d I didn¡¯t tell my wife earlier. If she were here, she might have already fainted. It had been so many years since that incident, but she had nevere out of that terrible nightmare, nor had she forgiven or gone easy on herself for even a day.

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5: The Awakening

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    My head was in excruciating pain. I tried to open my eyes, but it was in vain. I could only see ck.

    I even suspected I had hit my head on the cliff¡¯s edge or some rock-a weak human with invisible eyes. I could imagine Benson¡¯s mocking expression.

    I had just moved my fingers when I heard countless voices in my ears, such as ¡®she¡¯s awake!¡¯ and ¡®hurry up and inform...¡¯ These werepletely beyond my knowledge.

    It was noisy. I tried my best to open my mouth. ¡°Quiet!¡±

    The space returned to silence. I nodded in satisfaction and fell asleep again.

    When I woke up again, I was in the midst of a chattering discussion. To be honest, this voice wasn¡¯t annoying. I could even describe them in longer sentences, praising their beautiful voices if I wasn¡¯t sleeping.

    Unfortunately, my entire body was in pain. It was as if someone had torn me apart from the inside and then put me back together. My head felt as if it had been smashed by a hammer and then mped by a door. I hoped that this wouldn¡¯t affect my already low intelligence.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t I see?¡±

    A gentle yet firm female voice told me, ¡°It¡¯s alright, Your Highness. You hit your head when you fell, affecting your eyes. You should recover soon.¡±

    Your Highness? Who was that?

    What was this ce? Why was my entire body in pain? Could I not escape this torture even in death?

    The chaotic night was still reverberating in my mind. The light of the bright bonfire, Benson¡¯s cold and heartless rejection, and the cold river water formed my memories. I wished I was dead, but the pain kept telling me that I was still alive and that strange people might have saved me.

    I blinked, but there was still only darkness in front of me.

    After hearing Benson¡¯s rejection, I ran to the cliff¡¯s edge in despair. The cold air rushed into my lungs, and when I fell into the river, I was carried by the torrent and hit a rock.

    My eyes must have had problems then, but why was I still alive? I didn¡¯t know where these good-hearted people came from to save a good-for-nothing like me. They must be very disappointed that I, a weak human, was still alive after falling from such a height.

    I should have died. A worthless person didn¡¯t deserve to be part of a team fighting alongside them in the pack. I didn¡¯t deserve the love of so many people.

    I didn¡¯t know if it was an illusion, but I felt my head hurt more. The dizziness and pain continue to torture me. I felt like I¡¯d been thrown into a high-speed washing machine, and I couldn¡¯t help but hold my head and moan.

    A cold hand was ced on my head, and a gentle voice coaxed me, ¡°Sleep. Close your eyes and sleep for a while. You¡¯ll be fine soon.¡±

    When a person is weak, they will indeed be very dependent. I was easily coaxed to sleep by this voice.

    When I woke again, I saw a dim, warm yellow light.

    At first, my vision was very blurry, and I could only see a little light. I was worried that I had be blind. Fortunately, after blinking a few times, my vision became clear. I could even see the people around me.

    They were wearing a very fitting white dress, and it could be seen that their leader was standing at the very front. It was a thin, tall girl with long brown hair piled up on her head. She had full lips and red cheeks. She looked very kind and had a smile on her face. The girls around her all casually ced her in the middle.

    ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯re finally awake.¡± She had a bright smile, but there were tears in her eyes.

    After I jumped off the cliff and begged for death, I was saved by a group of strange people. I convinced myself that this was a prank. Maybe it was Anna¡¯s idea. Anna was my friend and usually liked to use strange ideas to prank me. So maybe after they rescued me, they had deliberately devised this prank to see me confused.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Did you guys get the wrong person?¡± I mustered up my courage and cleared my throat to ask. I hoped Anna would jump out and tell me about her excellent idea.

    I tried to convince myself, but I knew it was impossible. The decoration of this room was very particr, and even the clothes they were wearing were not something ordinary people could wear. No one would spend so much money to mess with a useless person.

    ¡°Of course not. You¡¯re our princess. We almost lost you, but fortunately, we found you in time.¡± Her answerpletely confused me. What was going on? Did I jump off the cliff and go somewhere else?

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness. You could only escape death today because of the Moon Goddess¡¯ blessing,¡± another ck-haired maid said with a hint of lingering fear.

    My head was spinning, and I didn¡¯t know what to do. My headache was stopping me from thinking further. Damn it! What should I do to figure out what was going on?

 Chapter 6

    6 Biological Parents

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Take it slow. The doctor said you should not overthink as it will affect the recovery of your wound.¡± The tall and thin girl warned me. She was the person I had heard in my sleep.

    ¡°Yes, don¡¯t worry. Someone has already informed your parents, and they¡¯re on their way. They¡¯ve been waiting here for you for a long time, but they had to leave temporarily to deal with matters rted to the Lycans.¡±

    The girls kept talking to me, but it didn¡¯t help me answer the questions I had. It confused me even more.

    How did my parents suddenly be Lycans? Was Rhode a Lycan prince now? How long had it been since I jumped off the cliff? Why couldn¡¯t I understand a single word they were saying?

    ¡°What are you guys talking about? What year is it now?¡±

    I so amused the girls that they giggled as if I were a clown riding a wheelbarrow.

    ¡°It has only been a day since you were discovered. So you don¡¯t have to worry, Your Highness.¡±

    Their exnation was so clear that it was enough to make everyone full of doubts walk into thenguage maze they had set up.

    ¡°Please leave. I need some private time to think about it. I have a headache right now.¡± I clutched my head and said dejectedly.

    The current situation waspletely out of my expectations, or rather, it affected my judgment of the situation.

    The tall and thin girl helped me tuck in the corner of the nket and handed me a bottle of light blue liquid.

    ¡°This is the medicine for your headache. You¡¯ll feel much better after drinking it.¡± She didn¡¯t avoid my gaze and looked straight at me with her light brown. ¡°You can put away your doubts. Everything I said is true.¡±

    She pointed at a beautiful pattern sewn with gold thread on the hem of the dress. ¡°I¡¯ve seen this pattern many times. In the original pack, this pattern was ced in all the conspicuous ces to show the glory of the Lycans.¡±

    The only people who could embroider this pattern on their clothes were either the Lycans or the people who served them.

    I took the bottle of strange-colored liquid from her hand and drank it all.

    She had an elegant demeanor and was dressed very beautifully. She also had the mark of the Lycans on her body. She didn¡¯t have to waste her energy lying to me. I was weak and useless, not a worthy target.

    The crowd quietly walked out, and the dim lights were adjusted to be slightly brighter.

    ¡°Your eyes are still not used to the bright light. I hope you can bear with the darkness for the moment.¡±

    I nodded and watched her leave.

    I was still in a state of confusion. They imed I was a princess, but what kind of princess was I? Were my parents or my adoptive parentsing to see meter? I didn¡¯t even know what kind of expression and attitude I should have toward them. No one was wrong. I was too weak and had left a not-so-great stain on our ¡®pack¡¯.

    I just hope that there won¡¯t be too many peopleing to see me or that no one woulde at all.

    ¡°The princess has woken up.¡± I didn¡¯t know if I should praise my urate prediction or my jinx. Just as I was thinking about it, I heard a voice from the door.

    A soft knock on the door was heard. I licked my dry lips and asked them toe in.

    The woman in the lead looked very young. From her dress and demeanor, I could tell thisdy might be my mother.

    Seeing that the person who came in wasn¡¯t my adoptive mother, I felt a little relieved.

    I didn¡¯t know how to face my adoptive mother, and I didn¡¯t know how much pain my willfulness had brought her.

    ¡°Helena, what are you doing there?¡± Thedy next to her patted her on the shoulder, and she seemed to wake up from a daydream as her eyes immediately turned red.

    She walked toward me and grabbed my wrist. The tears in her eyes fell and hit the back of my hand. It was very hot.

    ¡°My child ... My poor child ...¡± She hugged me tightly and repeated the words repeatedly.

    I didn¡¯t expect that reuniting with her would be like this. I thought that we would end it after shaking hands. But, now that I was in her arms, the faint fragrance on her body made me feel veryforted. I hesitated and used my other hand to gently pat her back.

    She was really thin. Extremely thin and weak. Even a weak human would rarely have such a thin and fragile body, let alone a werewolf.

    ¡°I thought god was punishing me by making me lose you for the rest of my life. If your father and I were wrong,e at us. But why did you have to end up like this... ¡± Her tears flowed again, so hot that I didn¡¯t dare breathe.

    My adoptive mother had also hugged me and cried like this before, but I had never felt so confused and sad.

    ¡°I ...¡±

    She kissed me hard on the cheek.¡±It¡¯s okay, child. Don¡¯t be afraid. You¡¯re home now. No matter what you¡¯ve suffered in the past, Daddy and Mommy can protect you.¡±

    I had never seen such a scene before and didn¡¯t know how to react for a moment. I let her hold my face with both hands and looked at it again and again.

 Chapter 7

    7 The Lycan King

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    A tall man walked into the room. His arrival made the spacious room seem particrly cramped.

    ¡°Alright, Helena. Don¡¯t embarrass yourself in front of the children.¡± He gently hugged the crying woman andforted her patiently.

    The woman¡¯s crying calmed down, and he turned to look at me. He solemnly took a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to me. His hands were trembling, but he pretended to be calm and said, ¡°Hello, Daughter. I know you won¡¯t believe me, but it¡¯s true. I¡¯ve done a DNA test in three ces, and the results are the same.¡±

    Perhaps I was influenced by his emotions. I felt nervous, too, as I took the DNA test and looked at it. They were indeed my parents.

    I felt my throat had gone dry and couldn¡¯t say a word. In fact, a few years ago, after I discovered that I wasn¡¯t the biological child of my adoptive parents, I had once fantasized about what it would be like when my biological parents came to find me. I loved my adoptive parents very much, but I always felt that there was an invisible film between us. They would scold Rhode, but they would never speak loudly to me. Sometimes, this made me feel very frustrated. I felt like a guest at home.

    ¡°Now I can confirm that you are the daughter we lost eighteen years ago, Princess Madeline.¡±

    ¡°You guys ... I ...¡± I didn¡¯t know how to answer, so I mumbled some strange sybles incoherently.

    Tears welled up in my eyes. After going through such a big change, I never thought I would find my biological parents and end up a princess. It sounded like an absurd plot in a ridiculous novel to make peopleugh.

    ¡°Wee home.¡± He smiled and embraced me tightly with my mother.

    ¡°I thought ... I thought I was dead ...¡± My tears blurred my vision.

    My mother¡¯s soft fingers gently brushed against my cheek. Her green eyes, which were the same as mine, had a faint smile.¡± Silly child, you¡¯re a Lycan werewolf. How can you be killed so easily?¡±

    A werewolf?

    The second piece of shocking news took me a long time to react. My past eighteen years had beenpletely overturned today.

    ¡°I ... I ... I always thought I was human ...¡± I said.

    ¡°How is that possible? You have the scent of the orchid on you. That¡¯s the sign of a Lycan.¡±

    Myfather frowned. He looked very scary now. ¡°Did someone hurt you? Sweetheart, perhaps you should exin to your frightened parents why you were so seriously injured and why the river washed down you. If I hadn¡¯t found you, you would have lost your life. ¡±

    I thought I¡¯d forgotten all the grievances I¡¯d buried in my heart for so long, but when someone cared for me, I couldn¡¯t help but cry loudly. They patiently waited for me to calm down.

    ¡°I jumped from the cliff myself ...¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I grew up in a wolf pack and was the only human in it.¡±

    ¡°So, those b*stards bullied you?¡± my father asked.

    I quickly shook my head. ¡°They helped me a lot when I was bullied. It was me. I was really useless. I couldn¡¯t do anything well. I couldn¡¯t run fast, and I couldn¡¯t jump far. I was only a burden to pack.¡±

    My mother looked at me sternly to stop me from saying anything. ¡°I won¡¯t allow you to describe yourself like that. I gave birth to you with great difficulty. You only needed more time to grow up.¡±

    I looked at my mother in confusion. Every werewolf was powerful when they were born, so why did I need time to grow up?

    ¡°Rx. Don¡¯t worry about these things.¡±

    ¡°But, did you just say that I¡¯m a princess?¡±

    My father looked up. He exuded an indescribable dignity and solemnity that made people revere him. ¡°Of course! I¡¯m the Lycan King, the King of all werewolves. You will inherit my glorious position as my only heir and be the future Lycan Queen Regent.¡±

    He looked at me determinedly, but my mother interrupted him with a stern warning.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Victor. Madeline has just woken up. You shouldn¡¯t discuss such a serious topic with her.¡±

    ¡°Okay, let me introduce myself. I¡¯m Victor, your father. This beautiful and gentledy is my mate and your mother, Helena.¡±

    I saw my mother¡¯s face turn red. She punched my father¡¯s back, but he didn¡¯t move at all. He was obviously used to it.

    ¡°When we chose to be mates and gave birth to Madeline. Haven¡¯t we already expected this day toe?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t believe my ears and asked, ¡°Choose to be mates? Doesn¡¯t the Moon Goddess arrange a mate for werewolves?¡±

    ¡°The Lycans have the right to choose their mates. You don¡¯t have to ept a partner you don¡¯t like. But, sweetheart, do you already have someone you like?¡±

    ¡°I ... I have a mate the Moon Goddess arranged.¡±

    My mother asked, ¡°Do you like your mate, sweetheart? You can reject him at any time. ¡±

    ¡°No, he rejected me...¡± I gulped, like a child who had done something wrong, nervously epting the scolding.

 Chapter 8

    8 The Heir Of The Lycan King

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°What? Who is so blind as to reject my daughter?¡± My father snorted.

    My mother hugged me gently. I felt safe and warm in her arms.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, baby. You¡¯re free now. You can choose the person you like. ¡±

    This made me feel better. I rudely wiped away my tears and stiffly changed the topic.¡± Are you busy today?¡±

    ¡°We have to deal with some urgent matters, but it¡¯s already done. You must learn how to deal with these things in the future.¡±

    I leaned into my mother¡¯s arms,pletely rxed. Benson¡¯s rejection still hurt me when I thought about it. However, if it weren¡¯t for his rejection, I might not have been able to find my biological parents. I had very good adoptive parents, my brother, and very good friends.

    I shouldn¡¯t be too greedy.

    ¡°But why am I a human?¡±

    My father smiled and helped me tuck my loose hair behind my ears. ¡°This is one of our characteristics. Before we turn into wolves, we are no different from humans. It¡¯s also because of this that we couldn¡¯t find you.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it was raining heavily that day. The smell on your body was very faint, and we just couldn¡¯t find you ...¡±

    My mother started to cry as she spoke. I immediately diverted her attention and asked, ¡°Then, how did I go missing?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a damned b*stard who wants to be the Lycan King, but he couldn¡¯t do it himself. So, he kidnapped you to threaten us.¡±

    ¡°The moment you went missing, I found that person and beat him until he was half dead. He told me he had hidden you in that forest, but we searched many times and still found nothing. So we had always thought that he had killed you cruelly.¡±

    Wow, I didn¡¯t expect to have such a cool background. This also exined why a human would suddenly appear in the werewolves¡¯ territory.

    ¡°But I¡¯m still a human. When can I be a powerful werewolf like you?¡± I couldn¡¯t wait to ask. I¡¯d had enough of being weak for more than ten years.

    ¡°It won¡¯t take long, sweetheart. The transformation of Lycan werewolves is a gradual process. It will start from the age of eighteen until you¡¯re neen. You¡¯ll fully awaken your wolf by then.¡±

    This made my eyes light up. I really wanted to have a wolf of my own, even in my dreams. That feeling must be great!

    ¡°I want to be a werewolf!¡±

    My mother smiled and patted my head. ¡°Sweetheart, this is not something that can be done in a hurry. After you get your wolf, we will officially start training you. You will be an outstanding person like your father.¡±

    ¡°Yes, baby. You¡¯ll be the heir to the Lycan throne. You¡¯ll be the best ever.¡±

    I looked at my father¡¯s gentle yet determined ck eyes and asked in disbelief, ¡°Me? Do you think I can do it?¡±

    ¡°Of course, baby. You¡¯re the only baby your mother and I have. You can do whatever you want.¡±

    ¡°But I have a small request,¡± I whispered to my father.

    ¡°Speak, baby. I can fulfill any wish you have.¡±

    My father¡¯s firm promise made me feel very carefree. So this was how it felt like to find your biological parents. I could also willfully make strange requests to my father, lean into my mother¡¯s arms, and act coquettishly. This was something that I had never done in the past ten years.

    ¡°I want to see your wolf. I¡¯ve never seen it before!¡±

    ¡°Of course, of course, but you have to wait until you¡¯ve fully recovered.¡± My father rubbed my head and showed me a row of white teeth.

    ¡°Your adoptive parents... where did they find you?¡±

    I roughly showed them the location of the forest. I was really lucky to have met my adoptive parents, who loved me, and also to have found my biological parents.

    My mother was stunned. She muttered, ¡°I went there to look for you. I went to the forest and looked for you, but I still couldn¡¯t find you ...¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s all in the past now.¡± I hugged my mother and gently wiped her tears away. ¡°Our hearts will always be together. We will never be apart again.¡±

    ¡°You have met very good adoptive parents. You should be happy. We must repay them in the future. Without them, you would never have been able to reunite with us.¡±

    ¡°Alright, baby, you should sleep for a while. You¡¯re really badly injured. Then, when you¡¯re better, you can start training.¡±

    After my father and mother tugged me in, they turned around to leave. Just as my father was about to leave, I stopped him. He turned around to look at me, a little confused.

    ¡°Father, do you really think I can be the Queen Regent?¡±

    He chuckled and told me with certainty, ¡°Of course! You¡¯ll be the greatest of all the rulers.¡±

    Sleepiness slowly swept through my brain. I no longer resisted this feeling and closed my eyes. I didn¡¯t expect such a wonderful thing to happen in my life. I must protect it at all costs.

 Chapter 9

    9 Stop The Search

    Benson Walton¡¯s POV:

    I¡¯d been waiting for news on Selma with my heart in my mouth, but from the bottom of my heart, I thought that she couldn¡¯t be like the magician, who would suddenly jump out under the illumination of the lights and tell everyone that it was just a prank.

    The pack searched along the stream. We found many items, such as a beautiful high heel, a broken bracelet, and a piece of bloody rag. This was also why I thought she couldn¡¯t possibly show up again. A human falling from such a high cliff and was wounded. Even if we couldn¡¯t find her body, there was no hope of her survival.

    My father wasforting Mrs. And Mr. Payne, who insisted on waiting until the end. Rhode also joined the search team. My fatherforted them softly, and sweat dripped down his chin. He had juste over from the river bank. I didn¡¯t join too enthusiastically; they were all blinded by the empty hope. It had been three hours. For a weak and stupid human, she might have already chosen a grave for herself.

    Ha, it was funny just thinking about it. Everyone knew this, but no one dared to mention it. Wasn¡¯t it because they wanted to treat every species equally? Also, it was a crime to bully the weak. How ridiculous was that? We were a great species, but we had to lower our heads for a weak human.

    I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, or it could be said that rejecting Selma may be the most sessful thing I¡¯d ever done. Although there was a little ident, it was better than her staying by my side and dragging me down. I was a great Alpha. I didn¡¯t need a weak mate to drag me down. Fortunately, she epted my rejection. Otherwise, if my father knew we were mates, he would ask me to ept it.

    If Selma were not my mate, I wouldn¡¯t have minded treating her with the so-called ¡®respectful¡¯ attitude, but I couldn¡¯t ept that she wanted to be my mate. I didn¡¯t want to serve a fragile girl every day, especially when she was a human without special abilities and was far behind others in training.

    Her clothes were stained with blood, so she was probably dead. But after searching for so long, they still couldn¡¯t find her body. If she had drowned, she couldn¡¯t have gotten far. Even if she had been carried to the forest by a beast, her father had sent a team to search for her in the nearby forest, afraid they would miss the opportunity to save this nobledy.

    After searching for three hours without any results, anyone with a brain would know it was time to give up. My father¡¯s gaze was fixed on the cliff, deep in thoughts. He didn¡¯t ask the people in the pack to stop. How long did we have to do this useless search?

    Everyone was very tired, so why waste this beautiful night on a corpse? It was just a corpse. It would be the same even if they looked for it tomorrow. Even if they could not find it, it would not affect anything. Everyone¡¯s tears at the moment would have disappeared by the time the sun rose the following day. Other than her parents, no one cared about Selma that much.

    ¡°Father, let everyone go back and rest,¡± I pulled my father to the side and said.

    My father¡¯s face was filled with heavy regret. He was very responsible, but I did not wish for him to feel apologetic over such a small matter. He did not do anything wrong. On the contrary, it was already a great gift for Mr. and Mrs. Payne that my father agreed to adopt Selma back then.

    ¡°But...¡±

    ¡°Everyone is tired, Father. We can¡¯t stop today forever. She¡¯s just a human. I can¡¯t guarantee that I¡¯d be alive after falling from such a high ce, let alone her. There¡¯s no need to lie to yourself, Father.¡±

    My father let out a heavy sigh. His shoulders seemed to copse, and his face was full of sadness and exhaustion. Since he became an Alpha, he had always been firm and confident, but seeing him look so defeated after losing a human made me realize that my father was old. His shoulders could no longer bear so many responsibilities.

    However, my father¡¯s silence made me hate Selma even more. She was such a fragile human. Did she think the whole world would revolve around her just because her parents doted on her? This was just a single rejection. She would be rejected countless times in the future. Was she going to use her life to force the other person to agree?

    How could such a weak person deserve to be searched by the entire pack in the middle of the night?

    ¡°I think we need to let everyone rest.¡± My father clenched his fists and hesitated for a long time, but he still walked toward the couple.

    ¡°Sorry, Jim, it¡¯s reallyte. Everyone¡¯s tired ...¡±

    Mrs. Payne kept wiping the tears from the corner of her eyes and forced a smile. ¡°It¡¯s alright. We can all understand. Selma is probably...¡±

    She didn¡¯t finish her sentence, and everyone knew what she wanted to say.

    His father had sent out the mind-link to the people he had sent out to look for her, letting them know that it was time to get out of the cold stream and the dark forest, return to a warm room, make a cup of tea for themselves, lie in bed and watch TV, and not waste the rest of the night for a willful human girl.

    We walked back side by side, and the atmosphere was heavy.

 Chapter 10

    10 Session Of The Alpha

    Benson Walton¡¯s POV:

    Mrs. Payne¡¯s sobs showed no signs of stopping.

    ¡°My poor Selma. Yesterday, she was still happily telling me that she would appear in her best-looking clothes at the party today. Why is she ...¡±

    ¡°Stop talking, Lucy. It¡¯s all in the past. We can¡¯t be trapped in the past forever.¡± Mr. Payneforted her softly.

    A muffled cry escaped her throat. ¡°I just... Want to know why she would suddenly choose to leave us on such a happy day without any warning.¡±

    ¡°Mother!¡± Rhode emerged from the shadows of the forest. His hair was a mess, and his body was wet. It seemed that he had juste out of the water.

    Mrs. Payne hugged him and said in a low voice, ¡°Rhode, I beg you. Please don¡¯t leave me. I can¡¯t bear this anymore.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t, Mom. I¡¯ll always be by your side.¡± Rhode held her hand.

    Mr. Payne¡¯s eyes were also filled with tears. He suppressed his sadness and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Lucy. You need to rest. Don¡¯t cause any more trouble for the children. ¡±

    My father sent Mr. And Mrs. Payne back, and before he left, he gave me a look.

    I knew what my father wanted me to do. Rhode and Selma had such a good rtionship, and he was far from being as calm as he appeared.

    Even though I didn¡¯t understand the point of crying for a weak human, and she isn¡¯t even rted to us by blood, Rhode was my good friend, and he had always supported me when I was sad.

    ¡°Hey, bro, how are you feeling?¡± We walked side by side on the riverbank, and a few werewolves were walking toward the house.

    ¡°I wish I hadn¡¯t been so drunk today. I should have been with her. I had waited for her every year. I should have understood when she told me that she would be a littlete.¡±

    I put my hand on his shoulder and hesitantly said, ¡°She won¡¯t me you. You¡¯ve already done enough.¡±

    I heard Rhode sobbing softly. ¡°I¡¯ve been protecting Selma. You know, it¡¯s not easy for a human to live here, but she¡¯s doing great. She was going to bake cookies for me tomorrow. She just learned how from Aunt Susan.¡±

    I responded to him in silence. My brother. All he needed now was someone to lend an ear.

    ¡°She looked forward to today so much. She bought a beautiful dress and new shoes, but she hasn¡¯t even shown them to me yet. How could this suddenly turn out like this? Something must have happened!¡±

    My heart was beating fast. I didn¡¯t dare look into Rhode¡¯s angry eyes for fear that he would find some clues.

    ¡°How is that possible? You¡¯re overthinking it. We don¡¯t have such a person in the pack.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s always been under a lot of pressure. It¡¯s not easy to live in a world of werewolves. A long time ago, she tried to leave the pack, but I stopped her. I promised I¡¯d always be with her.¡±

    Rhode stopped and looked at me. ¡°She has been very happy recently. Even if she encountered something sad, it wouldn¡¯t be to the point of jumping off the cliff. Someone must have hurt her or said something they shouldn¡¯t have said. If I know who that person is, I won¡¯t let them off!¡±

    Facing Rhode¡¯s anger made me shiver. He was serious. He was really going to do this for that human.

    ¡°However, I also told myself in my heart that this was nothing. Unless Selma was resurrected, no one would know that I had spoken to Selma about that.

    When we reached the house, my father was waiting for me. He looked like a silent statue.

    ¡°Benson, I think the ceremony might have to be dyed for a few days. The Payne family is currently experiencing unprecedented grief. The entire pack is experiencing the grief of losing Selma.¡±

    I looked at the depressed Rhode and whispered, ¡°Yes, Father, I think so too.¡±

    Father left after saying that. I could tell that this had really hit him hard. We hadn¡¯t lost apanion in a long time.

    ¡°Hey, you know you don¡¯t have to do this for me,¡± Rhode whispered to me on the way back.

    ¡°We¡¯re bros, aren¡¯t we? I hope you can be my Beta and protect our pack with me. ¡±

    Roald looked at me in disbelief. ¡°Me? Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I need your help, bro.¡±

    ¡°I ept that. Thank you for your hard work for our family today. Selma is really very important to me.¡±

    We gave each other a big hug, and I watched him go home.

    My Alpha session ceremony was held in three days as scheduled, and the whole pack attended, including the Payne family.

    My parents and I stood in the middle of the circle. He solemnly handed me a dagger. When the moon reached its peak, I cut my hand, and the blood left on the de was the blood of generations of Alpha.

    After the ritual, I turned into a ck wolf and howled at the moon. The entire pack howled with me.

    I was the Alpha of this pack. I would do everything I could to protect it!

 Chapter 11

    11 Going For A Walk

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Two weeks had passed, and I¡¯dpletely recovered.

    This was all thanks to my physique. I would have already chosen a grave for myself if I were still a human.

    However, my body was undergoing drastic changes because I was already eighteen years old, and my wolf was gradually waking up. That was why I was only seriously injured when I jumped off the cliff, and it only took me two weeks to recover.

    This was also proof that I was not an ordinary human. I¡¯d been an ordinary human for eighteen years, suddenly discovering I was a werewolf. I didn¡¯t know how to face all of this, but no matter what, I had to continue living. I rarely think about Benson¡¯s rejection that night because the year of turning eighteen was of great importance to me. I had to make many preparations for the transformation to be a werewolf.

    Fortunately, my parents were always with me, especially my mother. She treated me like a baby and gave me all kinds of knowledge. In fact, I was a grown-up and had already obtained this knowledge, but I didn¡¯t say anything. I enjoyed the days with my parents, and we both wanted to do our best to make up for theck of time.

    They took out a lot of free time daily, and even my maidservants were busier than them. Moreover, they were always smiling and didn¡¯t have any self-consciousness at all. I hoped to see how my father was in front of others.

    Fortunately, I had finished my high school curriculum long ago and didn¡¯t fall behind on too much knowledge that needed to be supplemented. So the most that my mother and I did every day was to sit together and read books and listen to some stories of the past.

    Ipleted all of the long lectures on royal etiquette with great progress. My mother kept praising me for being a Lycan and that I learned everything much faster than the others.

    Although the credibility of thispliment was questionable, I was still very happy to receive my mother¡¯s encouragement.

    I could only remember cheering loudly when I was finally allowed to go for a walk or something. Staying in a small room for a few weeks was the most boring thing in the world. It was as dull as reciting the long and stinky royal code.

    After I left, my mother apanied me on an adventure in the huge pce. This pce was not much different from what I had imagined. The huge curved roof was decorated with golden lines, and the huge windows were covered with dark red curtains. The furniture was also very exquisite, and there were many beautiful decorations. For example, there were colorful vases with flowers of various colors. Many people came and went, and when they saw my mother and me, they stopped to bow respectfully.

    I held back my exmation. As a princess, I couldn¡¯t just shout and wrangle. That would be too foolish. I wouldn¡¯t allow myself to do such a thing.

    After familiarizing myself with the pce, we changed the ce we strolled to the streets of the ¡®pack¡¯. When people saw my parents, they would always bow to us enthusiastically. From this, I could see my parents¡¯ contributions to this country and the respect the people had for them.

    However, my identity hadn¡¯t been disclosed to the public for the time being. Except for a few people in the pce, no one else knew anything about my identity. They did this because they had many considerations. I was still too weak and couldn¡¯t protect myself at all. Many years ago, some people wanted to snatch my father¡¯s throne, and many yearster, there would still be people who wanted to use the same method to kidnap me.

    ¡°Your training ss will start as soon as possible. I¡¯ve already found a teacher for you.¡± My mother said gently, ¡°It¡¯s not that easy to be an heir to the throne.¡±

    ¡°Yes, especially when you¡¯re a girl.¡± My father rubbed my head.

    ¡°Why? Girls can be outstanding too!¡±

    ¡°But there will always be people who don¡¯t think so. That¡¯s why you need to prove it to them. Give those who look down on you a hard punch.¡±

    My father¡¯s words filled me with determination. I clenched my fist and swore I would never let anyone look down on me. I had enough of the feeling of being inferior to others! I had to be stronger than everyone else and be more qualified to be the Queen Regent.

    My father and mother did not know about the fighting spirit that had been ignited in my heart. My mother only sighed in relief. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve felt so rxed and happy,¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all thanks to our treasure.¡± My father held my hand as if he was holding a treasure. ¡°She will be the greatest rulers in history, the kind who is greater than me.¡±

    The mother nced at us reproachfully. ¡°Don¡¯t drag our daughter down with you. She¡¯s not as shameless as you, giving yourself such a title.¡±

    My father grinned, put his arm around my mother¡¯s waist, and kissed her hard on the lips. ¡°Don¡¯t you like me like this?¡±

    Being the third wheel didn¡¯t feel good. I slowed my steps, but my father and mother didn¡¯t mind. They sat down on the bench. My father even waved at me like he was chasing a dog away, telling me not to go over to them.

 Chapter 12

    12 Sir Aldrich

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I found a grass patch not far from them andid down. The people around me were talking andughing, and many of my peers were telling meaningless jokes. It was a very ordinary scene, but I felt I was about to cry.

    I was so happy. I didn¡¯t have to be repeatedly tortured by my inner pain. I won¡¯t drag anyone down. I was even lying not far from the pce now. If only my parents and Rhode knew about this. I wondered if they would be sad when they found out I was missing. I was too impulsive. At least I should have left some messages for them to be at ease.

    ¡°I want to finish training as soon as possible and go back to see them with a new attitude, as well as everyone in the pack and Benson. I did it on impulse, but it was not because of his rejection. On the contrary, the thinking I¡¯d done during this time made mepletely clear that my impulsive action was primarily because of his provocation. It made my fragile mind waver, and in the end, I did something that everyone would regret.

    This time, I must be stronger before I go back. I must be a hundred times stronger than him. I wanted to see how he would treat me then. How would he dare to judge my value based on my background? During this time in the pack, I learned that all species were equal. If anyone were to hurt someone intentionally, they would be punished.

    I looked at the bench my parents were sitting on. They were still shamelessly whispering sweet nothings to each other,pletely forgetting about their precious child. Sigh, this must be the world of adults.

    A man suddenly appeared in my field of vision. He had a great figure, and every muscle on his body seemed perfectly arranged. His silver-gray eyes and hair glowed under the sun, and he had a perfect smile. He walked straight toward me.

    Perhaps I was overthinking, but I kept feeling that he was looking at me, making me ufortable. Finally, I sat up, and he stopped in front of me.

    ¡°Beautifuldy, I wonder if you¡¯d do me the honor of going on a date with me?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but cover my mouth and snicker. I thought he was one of those yboys who would y around. I didn¡¯t expect him to be a rash and straightforward person. Who would directly ask ady they¡¯d just met to go out on a date?

    ¡°You¡¯re good at joking, sir. ¡±

    He looked at me with a sly smile that I couldn¡¯t understand. Then, he suddenly took out a bright red rose from nowhere, but it looked even more ridiculous. It was a good conversation starter, but he acted like a third-rate magician, clumsily winning the audience¡¯s favor and cheers.

    ¡°Sir, if you want to invite someone, one flower is not enough.¡± I graciously epted the flower, even looking forward to what his next move would be.

    A mysterious smile yed at the corner of his mouth. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s far more than that. However, some little tricks must be used to add slowly to a surprise, right, beautifuldy? ¡±

    I looked at him. My eyes widened in surprise. My impression of him had suddenly changed from a rash yboy to a mysterious one.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked. He seemed to have an extraordinary identity.

    He mysteriously smiled at me but didn¡¯t reply. On the other hand, my father and mother, still acting sweet just a moment ago, walked over one after another. Their expressions hadpletely changed. They looked dignified and solemn, causing me to quiet down and listen to their arrangements involuntarily.

    ¡°Wee, Sir Aldrich.¡± My father¡¯s mouth drooped, his eyebrows raised, and his face tensed up as he shook hands with Sir Aldrich.

    I didn¡¯t understand why Sir Aldrich was toying with me like this before meeting my parents. Did he want to enjoy my surprised expression? I tried to keep a straight face, so I wouldn¡¯t look out of ce.

    ¡°Thank you for your invitation.¡± Sir Aldrich did not have the lively expression he had when speaking to me. Instead, he saluted my parents with a serious expression.

    ¡°It looks like you¡¯ve already spoken. This is Miss Selma,¡± my mother introduced me.

    Knowing me as Selma in public was a consensus we reached together. It was good to be cautious and hide my identity to avoid some tragedies that might happen because I was not strong enough. It is never bad to be too careful.

    ¡°Of course, madam.¡± A very unruly young man. Now he was bowing, looking very elegant. Unfortunately, when I thought of his performance earlier, I felt it was funny.

    My father turned to look at me. But, as there were outsiders, he did not seem as gentle as usual. ¡°Lady Selma, this is Sir Aldrich, the most talented general I¡¯ve ever met.¡±

    My father seemed to be trying to make him look tall and mighty, but his identity surprised me.

    ¡°In the following time, you will learn from him. He will be responsible for your training and assessment. You can also learn many things from him that are not avable in books.¡±

    It sounded like a very powerful identity, but I was not surprised at all. On the contrary, it made me a little worried about my future. Would learning from him be effective?

 Chapter 13

    13 Watch And Learn

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    He didn¡¯t immediately answer, nor did he refuse.

    My father didn¡¯t speak and just stared at him. I didn¡¯t know what was going on, so my eyes moved between the two of them.

    Sir Aldrich was like apletely different person. He was a lively, lovely big boy who tried to flirt with me. Now his lips were tightly pursed, and he looked at my father without fear. He finally made me feel that he was a brave warrior.

    My father was also very scary now. His eyes are full of nobility, seriousness, and many other things I couldn¡¯t describe. Although he was usually very kind and liked to joke with me, I couldn¡¯t look him in the eye at the moment. I didn¡¯t have the courage.

    Just as I thought the atmosphere had reached a stalemate, Aldrich took a step back.

    ¡°This is my honor, Your Majesty.¡±

    He had a beautiful but hollow smile that didn¡¯t quite reach his eyes. I didn¡¯t know what made him change so much, but it made him apletely different person. I started to wonder which one was the real him.

    Although I was about to be his student, he didn¡¯t turn his head to look at me. He didn¡¯t even spend the slightest bit of attention on me. This was very frustrating, especially when that person was trying to invite me on a date just a second ago.

    He bowed to my father elegantly and said, ¡°Please allow me to take my leave.¡±

    My father nodded silently and allowed him to leave. The atmosphere was finally less depressing.

    Before he left, he finally looked up at me. There was a judgmental look in his eyes as he carefully observed me.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Sir.¡± I controlled the expression on my face so it wouldn¡¯t be too ugly. Perhaps my father and Aldrich weren¡¯t the only ones who could pretend to be serious. Ha, this might be the first step to bing the heir to the throne.

    He didn¡¯t expect me to suddenly speak and replied with a straight face, ¡°I¡¯m also very happy to meet you. I look forward to having a good time learning with you tomorrow.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know why, but every serious word he said with a cold face made me want to roll my eyes. This feeling reached its peak when he winked at me yfully before leaving.

    ¡°Father, do you think I can change my teacher?¡±

    My father didn¡¯t react immediately but eventually turned to look at me.

    ¡°Why, darling?¡± My mother asked me gently, which made me feel a little better. Maybe I still have a chance not to learn from this yboy.

    ¡°He¡¯s not too ...¡±

    ¡°You think he¡¯s too frivolous?¡± Then, with a faint smile, my mother said, ¡°My dear, you must see the essence of things. He is the best warrior here. When you start learning, the height of your starting point is very important. So I hope you can ept the guidance from the best people.¡±

    The essence of the matter? In essence, he was a pervert ready to flirt with others at any time.

    ¡°I¡¯m serious! Aren¡¯t you afraid he¡¯ll want to take me out on dates daily?¡±

    My father finally understood what I was worried about. He looked up andughed as if he had heard a funny joke.

    ¡°Baby, you¡¯re all grown up now. You can go out and date him anytime. You¡¯re as beautiful as your mother, so be more confident in yourself.¡±

    That was enough! I couldn¡¯t help but want to facepalm. All the men in the world were this annoying, be my father or not.

    ¡°Oh, Victor, you¡¯re still as sweet as before.¡± My mother snuggled up in my father¡¯s arms.

    Seeing that they were about to kiss each other in front of me, I covered my face and ran away.

    They were too unreserved! Please, I was still there! What if it traumatized me? Why were people nowadays so shameless?

    My father and motherughed behind me as if I was still a three or four-year-old child.

    I ran back to my room. My parents were holding hands behind me. They were so clingy.

    ¡°Hey, baby, are you ready for ss?¡± My mother pushed the door open, and I was sitting on the bed in a daze.

    ¡°Maybe ...¡± I pouted.

    ¡°Good girl. Promise me you¡¯ll give him a chance. He¡¯s an excellent warrior, better than anyone you¡¯ve seen before. You¡¯ll grow very quickly.¡±

    ¡°Alright, but can I change him to someone else if I¡¯m not satisfied?¡± I was unwilling to negotiate with my mother.

    ¡°If you think that you two are not suitable ...¡± My mother patted my head. ¡°But you have to be sure you are not facing him with prejudice.¡±

    ¡°But he¡¯s detestable. He was so glib with his words. I somehow feel he has bad intentions toward me.¡±

    My mother smiled, and there were fine wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re a beautiful and outstandingdy. Anyone would be interested in you. He might ask you who you are and tell him we¡¯re rtives. This way, there¡¯ll be an exnation for the simrities in our looks. Sorry, honey. I¡¯ve been hiding you. ¡±

    I hugged my mother and said softly, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I know that you all love me very much. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m still too weak to protect myself.¡±

 Chapter 14

    14 The Start Of Training

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I looked at my mother¡¯s face. We were really simr, and I couldn¡¯t help but sigh at the importance of blood rtions. I would look like my mother when I was old, but unfortunately, I probably wouldn¡¯t be as gentle and elegant as my mother.

    My mother sat in the room and chatted with me for a while. This was what she always did after I was found. I knew she was always trying to make up for our lost time. I was very touched and enjoyed the feeling of being valued.

    ¡°Alright, you should go to sleep. You need to rest well and face tomorrow with plenty of energy.¡± My mother finally told me to rest when I yawned for the twelfth time.

    I needed to sleep to force myself to forget what I was going to face tomorrow temporarily.

    Perhaps it was the effect of the medicine, but I slept deeply and got up early the next day.

    I washed up, tied my hair up high, changed into sports underwear and loose sports pants, and finally put on a ck coat. If the person I had to face wasn¡¯t Aldrich, I could have been happy all day.

    My mother had been waiting at the table for a long time. We had breakfast together. Today¡¯s breakfast was particrly sumptuous and delicious. It was a pity that my father had something to deal with and couldn¡¯t have breakfast with us. My ss was in two hours, so I wasn¡¯t in a hurry at all. I followed my mother for a walk in the garden.

    She and I sat on a long bench where we could bask in the sun. ¡°You have unknowingly be a big girl. It¡¯s time for ss to start.¡±

    ¡°Mom ...¡± I held her hand. I could understand her difort. Before I recovered, I was with my mother almost every day. Now that I have to go to ss, she must miss me very much.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, honey. You¡¯ll grow up eventually. Are you ready to go to ss?¡±

    Aldrich¡¯s face appeared in my mind, and my face turned cold. I snorted. ¡°I probably won¡¯t be ready for his ss in this life.¡±

    ¡°Haha, don¡¯t be so resistant to him. He is our bravest warrior. I think it¡¯s not wrong to praise him no matter what. He is such an outstanding person.¡±

    The more my mother praised him, the more I couldn¡¯t help but want to ridicule him. But, whatever it was, I just couldn¡¯t stand seeing his face.

    ¡°You¡¯ve forgotten about what he did yesterday!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but refute it.

    My mother looked at me indulgently, as if I was just an unreasonable little brat. ¡°Sweetheart, you¡¯re so beautiful. Of course, someone would want to go on a date with you. At least he has good taste.¡±

    I didn¡¯t expect my mother to say that. I couldn¡¯t help but widen my eyes. ¡°Mother!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! Alright, alright! It¡¯s all my fault. He¡¯s just a glib-tongued person. Do you think he¡¯s handsome?¡± she asked me in a low voice.

    ¡°Mother!¡± I turned my head gloomily.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so resistant. You¡¯ve grown up and have to find a mate you like.¡± My mother winked at me cheekily, took my hand, and sent me to the training ground.

    My father had just arrived at the training ground, and many people were around him. He frowned as he spoke to Sir Aldrich. Both of them were very serious. Who would have thought that they had extremely different faces in private?

    After they finished the discussion, my father left them where they were and walked toward us. He gave me a big hug.

    ¡°I¡¯m so proud of you, sweetheart. I¡¯ve already told him this is your first time in ss. ¡±

    His mother sighed as well. ¡°I didn¡¯t know I would be so heavy-hearted. Of course, I could visit her at any time, but I would always feel like something is missing.¡±

    My father held my mother¡¯s hand. Then, seeing they were about to start whispering sweet nothings to each other again, I left their side and went to find that damned Sir Aldrich not to hurt my fragile heart.

    ¡°Miss Selma, you look very energetic today.¡± Aldrich stood next to the huge and magnificent training ground and greeted me with a serious face. Why was he pretending to be serious? I could see the smile in his eyes.

    ¡°If you weren¡¯t putting on an act, I would have been more energetic.¡±

    He couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud. ¡°You¡¯re so cute. My invitation from yesterday is still valid.¡±

    I really couldn¡¯t stand him. I turned my head to look for my parents, only to see their backs as they left in an embrace.

    Aldrich seemed to know what I wanted to do. ¡°The Lycan King and Her Majesty the Queen have important things to deal with. So they won¡¯t be here all the time.¡±

    ¡°I was not looking for them!¡± I retorted.

    ¡°Okay, okay, strong and independent youngdy. Since I¡¯ve agreed to your father¡¯s suggestions, I won¡¯t go easy on you just because of your beauty. Let¡¯s start training, starting with your physical training.¡±

    I followed him to the training ground. When I walked into it, I realized that the training ground was much bigger than I had imagined. All kinds of equipment were neatly arranged, and there was a beautiful running track.

    ¡°Alright, miss. Let¡¯s start with the simplest running.¡± Then, he paused and teased, ¡°Do you need me to start teaching you how to run?¡±

    I rolled my eyes and started running after him.

 Chapter 15

    15 The End Of Training

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I panted heavily and held my knees. I felt like I was going to die here.

    Although I didn¡¯t want to admit it, Aldrich was a good trainer. He knew where my limits were, and his heart of stone pushed me to the limit without caring about my life or death. During this training period, I felt like I would die every minute, but my exhausted body still forced me to stand.

    ¡°You¡¯re too weak.¡± He crossed his arms and looked at me. I didn¡¯t deny his evaluation.

    Yes, I was physically unfit. When I trained with mypanions in the past, they would carefully reduce my training volume. As long as there was a problem, they would make me watch on the sidelines and not participate in their cruel and exciting training. My body had been raised in such a pampered environment for too long. My muscles and bones were rusty, and my willpower was also eroded.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s continue.¡± I picked up the dumbbells, and he did the same, but it didn¡¯t look as strenuous to him. He looked much more rxed.

    Although this man usually looked unreliable, he was very good at training. Most importantly, he would never stop the training because of my whining. I felt that my physical endurance had improved greatly during this short training period. I could easily do many things that I couldn¡¯t do in the past today. Perhaps part of it was due to my gradually awakening werewolf physique.

    ¡°You can rest now, beautifuldy.¡± Here it came again. Every time I thought he was not bad, he always had a way of making me want toin.

    I rolled my eyes and walked away. I took the water bottle and sat on the steps next to me. I was so tired that I couldn¡¯t drag my body back to the pce. I needed to sit for a while. After Aldrich finished my training, he was still training. His strength made me change my opinion of his frivolous behavior.

    I didn¡¯t expect him to be unexpectedly serious and responsible under his frivolous appearance. Instead, he made a very detailed n for me and taught me to feel my body and every reaction from it during my training. This allowed me to improve very quickly. In the past, when I faced difficulties, I always told myself that it was okay to give up, but now I could feel it in my body that I could do it.

    The feeling of being able to do something calmly was really great. It made me prouder than anything else.

    He stopped in front of me. I could tell he was trying to show off his charm to me, but I could only silently p myself in the face for thinking he wasn¡¯t bad. I overthought. He was just a muscr yboy.

    ¡°You did a good job today.¡±

    He seemed to hold magic that made everything seem annoying. Even the praises from his mouth did not sound good.

    ¡°Thank you for your guidance today.¡± I needed to constantly remind myself to be a person with a conscience to express my gratitude properly.

    ¡°When did you return, Miss Selma?¡± His gray eyes were filled with curiosity. I could understand. Everyone was curious.

    ¡°I just came back a few days ago. I¡¯m eighteen years old. You know that.¡±

    He nodded excitedly. ¡°Your werewolf is about to wake up? That¡¯s great! My werewolf only awakened four years ago, and it felt amazing! Congrattions, Miss Selma.¡±

    Aldrich spoke with an excited smile. He was still handsome when he did not deliberately try to show off his handsomeness, but he was too good at breaking a conversation.

    I took a deep breath and suggested, ¡°You can call me Selma. I¡¯ll also call you Aldrich. Is that okay?¡±

    The smile on his face disappeared again. He stared at me for a moment and asked, ¡°May I?¡±

    ¡°Of course, you don¡¯t have to be so formal. You don¡¯t have to keep staring at me like that.¡±

    I would like to take back what I said about him being cute. He only looked silly now, not cute.

    ¡°If you didn¡¯t keep staring at me, you wouldn¡¯t have noticed that I was staring at you.¡± He smiled proudly. ¡°Just admit it. You think I¡¯m attractive.¡±

    I could feel my head hurting. I patted him on the back. ¡°I think whoever is charming will never find you charming!¡±

    His smile disappeared, and he blinked at me. He looked a little pitiful but also a little cute.

    I turned around and walked away. I could not help but mentally p myself. ¡®Wake up, Selma. Don¡¯t be deceived by his appearance!¡¯

    Before I could walk away, he caught up to me and drawled, ¡°Oh, my dear Selma. Are you leaving without waiting for me? You really make me sad. ¡±

    I suddenly stopped and raised my hand in an attempt to hit him, but the approaching figures of my father and mother made me stop. Aldrich¡¯s expression also became serious and cold. We stood straight, pretending nothing had happened, like an army waiting for my parents to inspect.

    It felt ridiculous.

 Chapter 16

    16 Deciding To Go To School

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°How do you feel?¡± my father asked unemotionally.

    I tried my best not to act coquettishly with them and replied professionally, ¡°Not bad.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, her performance was excellent. She will be a mighty warrior in the future,¡± Aldrich praised me with a straight face.

    It felt even weirder, but fortunately, they didn¡¯t mind.

    ¡°That¡¯s great! We¡¯ll continue tomorrow. Thank you for your hard work,¡± my mother said to him gently.

    ¡°It¡¯s my honor. ¡±

    We turned around and left. I couldn¡¯t help but turn back to look at him, and he made a face at me.

    I knew it! He couldn¡¯t hide his true nature for long!

    ¡°Selma, what are you doing?¡± my mother asked suddenly. As my mother asked me, Aldrich¡¯s expression returned to ice-cold and serious.

    ¡°Nothing. I¡¯ming.¡± I jogged to catch up. I was like a child who needed to be picked up by my parents. But, no. In my previous pack, children didn¡¯t need their parents to pick them up.

    We chatted all the way home. Although my parents ignored me and kept saying embarrassing things, I liked this.

    After we returned to the pce, we had a meal, and when we were taking a walk together, my mother suddenly mentioned school.

    ¡°Selma, I think you should go to school too.¡±

    ¡°Me?¡± I scratched my head. ¡°I¡¯m in ss with Sir Aldrich, right?¡±

    ¡°Not this kind of ss, honey. You need some friends and not be locked up in the pce. You need to have your life.¡± My mother¡¯s words were still so gentle and touching.

    I couldn¡¯t believe my ears. This morning, my mother, who was still depressed that she couldn¡¯t stay with me for a long time, took the initiative to get me to school and train on the training ground. At least she coulde and see me if she wanted to. Going to school was different.

    ¡°I ...¡±

    My father nodded in agreement. ¡°Yes, Selma. You do need to go to school and make friends with more people. When you be the Queen Regent in the future, you¡¯ll need your friends¡¯ help.

    ¡°And you don¡¯t have to worry about being unable to keep up with the sses. The curriculum of this school is rtively simple. Your ssmates are all your age. But the training is unlike Aldrich¡¯s. This is especially for civilians to participate.¡±

    I enjoyed the time with my friends and wanted to see what it was like in different ces.

    ¡°But don¡¯t I still have to attend Aldrich¡¯s ss?¡±

    My fatherughed. ¡°Honey, it¡¯s okay. The training in school and on the training ground ispletely different. You can ask Sir Aldrich to teach you some moves. You¡¯re the future Queen Regent of the Lycans. Show them what you¡¯re capable of and find yourself a future partner and mate.¡±

    It sounded good, and going to school meant I would have less time with Aldrich, and I could make new friends. What could be better than that?

    ¡°I want to go!¡± I quickly agreed, afraid my father would think I didn¡¯t want to.

    ¡°But don¡¯t think you can enjoy a Lycan¡¯s privileges in school. All your training will be the same, or even stricter because you will be the protector of everyone in the future. In addition, you will have to train with Aldrich for at least three days a week. Your awakening period is almost up, so you mustpensate for the training you have missed,¡± my father told me sternly.

    I nodded. The situation was even better than I had expected. I only needed to train with Aldrich for three days. After that, it was like a dream.

    ¡°Sigh, our baby has grown up.¡± My mother leaned against my father and said, ¡°We should have registered her at a school earlier. It looks like she wants to attend school tonight.¡±

    I held my mother¡¯s hand and shook it. ¡°No, I would still like to be with you the most. It¡¯s all because Aldrich is too annoying!¡±

    ¡°You two are interesting.¡± My mother covered her mouth andughed. ¡°You should be happy about your charm. Aldrich is a good kid. He is not usually like this.¡±

    I pouted and snorted.

    ¡°Hey... ¡°My mother tapped my head with her finger.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. After getting familiar with each other in a few days, you¡¯ll be fine.¡± My father chuckled. ¡°Training is always interesting, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d rather it be boring ...¡± I mumbled. Theyughed even more happily.

    ¡°Alright, since you¡¯ve decided to go to school. Do you want to start tomorrow?¡± My father asked.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start tomorrow!¡± I nodded.

    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll register you for tomorrow afternoon¡¯s ss?¡±

    I nodded. In fact, any time was good as long as I could reduce the time I spent on the training ground with Aldrich. He was annoying.

    ¡°Selma, you have to promise me that you¡¯ll train well after you go to school and that you¡¯ll treat everyone equally.¡±

    ¡°I promise you. I will treat everyone equally.¡± Except for Aldrich, I added in my heart.

    My mother smiled and pushed me back. ¡°Alright, I would like to spend some alone time with your father. You must be tired after training. Go and rest.¡±

 Chapter 17

    17 Going For A Walk

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°There will be guestsing in a while.¡± My father told me at dinner, and I simply nodded without paying much attention. I¡¯d apanied them to meet many people during this time.

    However, I almost choked on the food when I saw Aldrich and another strange tall mane in If I didn¡¯t quickly drink a ss of water, I would have be the first princess to choke to death.

    The man beside Aldrich should be his father, Duke Frank because he looked very simr to Aldrich and was a gentleman with good manners. However, the atmosphere now made me feel that something was wrong. No one spoke. It was so strange. I didn¡¯t dare to eat anymore and pushed the food aside. Aldrich didn¡¯t tease me today. Instead, he stood solemnly and silently beside his father.

    Duke Frank and Aldrich saluted my father and mother, and my parents also solemnly and seriously epted their salutes. I was the only one who seemed out of ce. If I knew this, I wouldn¡¯t have been dawdling just now and would have finished eating and left earlier.

    ¡°Mr. Frank, this is Selma, whom I mentioned to you before. She has royal blood, but she grew up in Europe. This time, we¡¯re here to prepare for her werewolf awakening.¡±

    My father turned to me again. ¡°Selma, this is Duke Frank, Aldrich¡¯s father and my best assistant. I have many things that I cannot do without his help.¡±

    Duke Frank looked quite kind, and I felt very close to him. He smiled and nodded at me. ¡°I remember Aldrich telling me he would train a girl. I believe it must be her. In the critical period of the werewolf¡¯s awakening, strict training is needed.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but she just had her first training this morning. I hope she¡¯ll be better after that,¡± my father said softly. I could see the pride on his face.

    ¡°I wonder if you¡¯re adapting well here? Selma?¡± He asked me affectionately, not as annoying as Aldrich, but this was the first time I spoke to a royal family member. I was very nervous, but my mother looked even more nervous than me, which made me feel a lot better. I smiled kindly and tried to answer him as steadily as possible.

    ¡°Yes, Your Excellency. Everyone is very good to me. I¡¯m very happy here.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± he said with a friendly smile.¡± There are many sceneries here that can¡¯t be seen abroad. So you should go around and explore. It will be good for you to know more about this ce in the future.¡±

    ¡°Of course. I can¡¯t wait to learn more about this ce ...¡± His attitude made me feel a lot more rxed.

    ¡°She just arrived. We¡¯re too busy to bring her out to sightsee.¡± My mother exined, ¡°And we¡¯re the only people she knows here. We¡¯re worried about leaving her in the hands of others. It¡¯s hard to say who¡¯s the bad person.¡±

    He nodded in understanding and suggested, ¡°Children can¡¯t stay locked in. We should let her go out and have fun more often.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯ll feel better after going to school and making new friends,¡± my father said in a low voice.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Let Aldrich take her out to have fun. They are both young and have more topics to talk about. They will spend more time together in the future, so they can get to know each other more now.¡±

    My smile immediately froze. Fortunately, I still remembered the asion and didn¡¯t lose myposure. Aldrich still had a serious look, and his sunny mood immediately turned dark. However, Duke Frank¡¯s expression was very sincere, and I couldn¡¯t find any reason to refuse.

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s a good suggestion, but isn¡¯t Aldrich busy today? You didn¡¯t have to take the time toe out.¡± My mother probably knew what I was thinking, so she said tactfully.

    ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m on leave today. I¡¯ll only start work tomorrow.¡± Aldrich took the initiative to step forward and said.

    ¡°That¡¯s great, then let Aldrich take her out to look around,¡± Duke Frank suggested.

    I had alreadypletely given up on the possibility that we could avoid being alone. I sighed in an almost inaudible manner.

    ¡°You guys can go out and have fun. You¡¯ll be in school for a long time, so you won¡¯t have time to y around.¡±

    After obtaining my parents¡¯ approval, we left one after another.

    Laughter came from behind the door. I felt that it was my parentsughing. They were always like this, pretending to be serious, but they were waiting to see me make a fool of myself.

    Duke Frank¡¯s voice was faintly heard, but I couldn¡¯t hear it clearly. Maybe there was something important to discuss, so he had to find a way to get the two of us out. I hoped that their conversation would be quick. I hoped today would end quickly so I could spend less time with Aldrich.

    ¡°I thought you would refuse... ¡°He proudly turned the car key Duke Frank gave to him.

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a hothead like you?¡± I rolled my eyes.

 Chapter 18

    18 Thoughts

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°Alright, alright! I¡¯m the only fool here. So then, beautifuldy, do I have the honor of inviting you for a walk?¡± He bowed to me, showing his row of white teeth and his gray eyes shining. I suddenly felt my face heat up, probably just my imagination.

    ¡°Call me Selma.¡±

    ¡°Alright, Selma. What do you think?¡±

    I nced at him and shrugged. ¡°Do I have any other choice?¡±

    He ran to the garage smiling, and I followed him slowly, hoping that time would pass faster. He was indeed very handsome, but he was also annoying. He only knew how to say some pretty words to win the favor of young girls. If I had other choices, I would not go out with him. But, again, I only hoped time would pass quickly.

    ¡°Where do you want to go?¡± he asked me from the driver¡¯s seat.

    ¡°Anything is fine. Anywhere is fine.¡± My mind wasn¡¯t on this at all.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s go to my house?¡± He winked at me yfully.

    I snorted angrily. His frivolous words made me feel ufortable. Even though I knew it was a joke, my face felt hot. How dare he talk to me like that?

    I didn¡¯t speak for a long time, so he smiled apologetically. ¡°Alright, alright. It¡¯s all my fault. I¡¯ll show you around. Get in the car, okay?¡±

    I stared at him. ¡°You promise you won¡¯t say such nonsense to me again?¡±

    ¡°I promise,¡±

    Only then did I get into the ck Mercedes passenger seat. He started the engine and drove away slowly. I didn¡¯t talk to him but stared at the scenery that flitted by. This pack was very, very lively. Green nts and flowers surrounded it, and everyone was always smiling.

    I didn¡¯t know why, but I suddenly recalled everything from the past. The past was so far away, and I knew everyone. My friends who yed with me, my loving adoptive parents, and Rhode, and Benson¡¯s cold rejection. Fortunately, I had escaped from all of this, from the hands of a man who despised me.

    I didn¡¯t understand why I was destined to be tied to a man from the beginning. I could understand his rejection and supported his determination to find his true love, but why did he humiliate my existence like this, throw me into the dust, and treat me like a dog wagging its tail for sympathy? I didn¡¯t need a man to bring me happiness. True love could only be found within me, and I wanted to be the Queen Regent, fighting for happiness for myself and the whole country.

    The cars gradually came to a stop. Finally, we arrived at our destination.

    This time, the ce he chose was not bad. The green trees were arranged like waves, the air was fresh, and there were few people. asionally, a few butterflies could be seen flying around in the flowers.

    ¡°Are you still unhappy about what happened just now?¡± He turned his head and asked me.

    I realized that the mncholy of the entire journey had made the driver feel very uneasy, but at the same time, I felt that he wasn¡¯t that bad. So I tidied my hair and smiled at him. ¡°No, I just ... Have something else on my mind.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you need someone who can listen to you? I¡¯m happy to help.¡± His gaze was firm, but it didn¡¯t make me feel ill at ease. Instead, I felt encouraged. Perhaps I could tell him about my past, the nightmares that kept me trapped? I wasn¡¯t sure. I must be out of my mind. I was angry with him, but now I was thinking about telling him the truth.

    ¡°No... Nothing major. Did you stop here because you¡¯ve reached our destination?¡± I turned my head and stiffly changed the topic.

    Anyone sensible would know that this was a sign I didn¡¯t want to continue the conversation, but he wasn¡¯t such a person. Instead, he looked at me worriedly as if I was going to die the next second because of my worries.

    ¡°Tell me. You look like you¡¯re in a bad mood. I guarantee that this is a secret only the two of us know.¡± He blinked. He was surprisingly reliable at this time.

    I¡¯d been trying to stop thinking about my terrible past, the bright bonfire, and the cold night, but now I couldn¡¯t help but go back to that night. Benson looked at me with coldness and disgust in his eyes. My nightmare had appeared again. I¡¯d be a weak person again, a burden to everyone.

    ¡°That was the worst day of my life ...¡± I started dryly, but I didn¡¯t know how to continue. Aldrich didn¡¯t say anything but quietly waited for me to continue. I turned my head to the other side.

    ¡°That night, I ... And a man ... In any case, that was the darkest night of my life.¡± I couldn¡¯t go on. I didn¡¯t want to bring up the scars of the past. So I pretended to be rxed and leaned back in my seat. ¡°But it¡¯s all in the past. We have to look forward.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know you¡¯ve been through so much.¡± His gray eyes looked very sad, but he didn¡¯t say anything. He hugged me gently. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll be with you.¡±

    At this moment, he was not as annoying as before.

 Chapter 19

    19 Friends

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I was very happy that his consideration at this moment allowed me to recover from the sudden sadness.

    ¡°I¡¯ve misunderstood you all this time. Thank you for being so considerate today,¡± I whispered to Aldrich.

    Heughed again. ¡°Don¡¯t take it to heart. If anyone tries to bully you in the future, juste to me. I¡¯ll beat them up.¡±

    I chuckled and extended my hand to him. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll reluctantly acknowledge you as my friend.¡±

    His hand was warm and strong, and we firmly shook our hands once.

    ¡°Alright, where do you want to take me?¡± I asked him with interest. He was much more pleasing to the eye, making me look forward to the journey more.

    He didn¡¯t answer immediately but asked me, ¡°Are you sure you want to go have fun now? You don¡¯t have to force yourself if you wish to find a quiet ce to chill. ¡±

    ¡°I want to go for a spin. Let¡¯s go, handsome.¡± I patted his arm.

    We started moving again. This time, I could finally put all my energy into admiring the beautiful scenery of this ce. They were right. I had been tense during this time and should rx. Given Aldrich¡¯s mysteriousness and refusal to tell me the destination, guessing where we were going through the roadside scenery had be fun to do along the way.

    We stopped in front of a manor. He imed it to be his family¡¯s. It was very big and had a lot of small animals. I followed him to feed the sheep and cattle. He also took me to ride horses. When I really became friends with him, I found that he was very humorous and energetic. He told many jokes and was very clear about the local customs. He also told me a lot of exciting stories.

    There was also a swing in the manor under the shade of the tree. He pushed me for a long time, and I didn¡¯t know where he got a basket of fresh blueberries. I hadn¡¯t been so happy in a long time.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the restaurant to eat, shall we? Unfortunately, there¡¯s nothing good to eat here.¡± He exaggeratedly exined how terrible the chef¡¯s cooking was. I held back myughter and followed him to a small restaurant.

    As soon as I went in, I knew that this was the restaurant he often visited because the waiter who ordered the food saw him and asked with a smile, ¡°The same order?¡±

    As soon as we sat down, many people came to greet him. It was obvious from their behavior that they were from the military, while some were even wearing military uniforms. I wasn¡¯t surprised by his poprity here. The son of a Duke was able to forget the glory brought by his father and train hard every day to bring victory after victory to everyone. Therefore, he deserved all the apuse and attention.

    ¡°Yes, but let¡¯s wait for this beautifuldy to order first.¡±

    This made me have a dilemma. I¡¯d never been particrly good at making choices among these things.

    He wasn¡¯t surprised. Instead, he rubbed my head and suggested in a low voice, ¡°How about a beef sandwich and a ss of beer? It¡¯s a pity that I have to drive. Otherwise, we would both be drunk.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your suggestion, but one sandwich is enough for me. Let¡¯s have a beer next time. I can¡¯t leave you here to enjoy myself.¡±

    He squinted and smiled. When he wasn¡¯t deliberately showy, he was a very reassuring friend, which made me much happier. Aldrich was my first friend here. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have told him about this, in case he acted proudly again.

    The waiter brought a huge tray over. I finally ate the sandwich that I had been longing for. It was indeed not bad, at least not bad for me. A ss of wine was ced in front of us. The waiter winked cheekily and said, ¡°This is from thedy over there. You¡¯re quite lucky with women.¡±

    I thought he would happily go over to that woman. Instead, he shook his head and said, ¡°Put this ss of wine on my bill.¡±

    He looks very depressed,pletely different from what I imagined. Could it be that I¡¯d misunderstood him all along?

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to say hi? She¡¯s pretty good-looking. ¡±

    ¡°No, no, there¡¯s no need.¡± Aldrich shook his head, his eyes filled with sorrow.

    ¡°You already have a mate?¡± I asked tentatively.

    ¡°I had. No, there was a time when I thought I had, but she wasn¡¯t ready, so ...¡± He shrugged, looking nonchnt.

    Wow, I did not expect that. I thought he was a frivolous person, but I didn¡¯t expect to find out that he just didn¡¯t know how to get along with the opposite sex.

    I swallowed the food in my mouth and tried tofort him. ¡°It¡¯s okay. She will never know what treasure she has missed.¡±

    Heughed nonchntly as if he had already moved on.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s been a long time. You, on the other hand, looked much sadder than I did. Would you like to tell me about it?¡±

    He looked like he wanted to know, and this wasn¡¯t that important to me anymore.

    ¡°I was once supposed to be someone¡¯s mate, but he harshly rejected me.¡±

 Chapter 20

    20 A Strange Feeling

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Aldrich examined me very seriously, trying to judge the degree of ¡®harshness¡¯ from my expression.

    He took a sip of his drink and asked in confusion, ¡°Why? You¡¯re a Lycan. Who would reject you?¡±

    ¡°He thinks I¡¯m a human, so... I don¡¯t think I care about Benson that much anymore. I could even easily recount the whole thing. I don¡¯t care about his rejection, but he said many things that hurt me.¡±

    Aldrich took a big bite of the sandwich in his hand as if he was avenging me.¡± Before the transformation, a Lycan looks like a human. Doesn¡¯t he know that you¡¯re a werewolf? You didn¡¯t tell him?¡±

    I shook my head. I didn¡¯t know what he thought of my actions. Finally, he consoled me, ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s all because of his poor taste. He doesn¡¯t know what treasure he missed.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know it was such a happy thing to beforted by a friend. There were already tears in my eyes, but when I saw his serious face and indignation on my behalf, I couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Yes, this is all his loss. He said a lot of nasty things and even asked me to die. A real gentleman would not treat any woman like this.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± He mmed the table and stood up. Everyone in the restaurant looked at him. I quickly pulled him to sit down.

    ¡°Calm down!¡±

    ¡°How can I calm down when he treated you that way? If I had known you then, I would have thrown him into the river to wake him up. Fortunately, you were not affected by him. You are very important, and we all need you.¡±

    Iughed bitterly in my heart. He had already affected me, but fortunately, I shouldn¡¯t have tried to off myself because of him. No matter what, Aldrich¡¯s reaction touched me.

    ¡°Rx, I¡¯m still here. Don¡¯t take his words to heart.¡± I didn¡¯t know if I was telling this to him or for myself.

    He nodded, and we continued to eat. After we footed the bill, we walked out side by side.

    ¡°Hey, maybe you should try to get the girl you love back. Maybe she¡¯s ready now,¡± I whispered to him.

    However, Aldrich shook his head. ¡°We might not be together for the rest of our lives. Our rtionship is veryplicated ...¡±

    I heard his faint sigh. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s all in the past now. We¡¯re friends, aren¡¯t we? You don¡¯t have to be so polite. ¡±

    I opened the car door and got in. He looked rxed and said with a smile, ¡°Maybe you should consider getting a boyfriend and forget about the unpleasant past, or tell me where that d*mned sc*mbag is. I¡¯ll beat him up for you.¡±

    Beat him up? In my mind, I imagined Benson¡¯s bloody nose and swollen face as he begged for mercy. This might be a good idea, but I was afraid I couldn¡¯t do it right now. There was no need to do it at all. Keeping him in my mind all the time wouldn¡¯t make me better. It¡¯d only make me sink deeper into depression.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ready for a new rtionship or a fight,¡± I said with a smile.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what do you n to do? Are you going to let go of the person who broke your heart?¡±

    I looked into his eyes. He was furious and sad about what I had experienced. I could see the anger flickering in his dark gray eyes. If Benson had appeared before us, he would have attacked him without hesitation. He looked much cuter now. Perhaps I should hug him and thank him for his concern for me, but I didn¡¯t like him earlier and bickered with him. It would be too strange to hug him now.

    He got into the car, and a pleasant smell of the ocean spread in the small car. I couldn¡¯t control my wildly beating heart. This was a sign that I was slowly awakening, but I was upset now and didn¡¯t know whether to be happy or react.

    He smelled so good, like a delicious cake waiting for someone to take a bite.

    To avoid doing anything irrational while driving, I didn¡¯t look at him the whole way. Perhaps our rtionship had eased up, but the atmosphere wasn¡¯t as gloomy as when we first arrived. He would tell one or two light-hearted jokes from time to time, making me hold my stomach andugh non-stop. Even if I didn¡¯t speak, I felt veryfortable, except for the scent on his body that was getting stronger and stronger.

    He parked the car in the garage, and the soldier waiting beside him immediately said something to him. Finally, he turned around with a serious face and waved at me to leave.

    I licked my lips. I didn¡¯t know why I suddenly felt timid, but I still called out to him. He turned around and looked at me in confusion. Finally, I mustered my courage and hugged him. His arms were warm, but I let go quickly to avoid embarrassment.

    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m very happy to be able to go out and have fun with you today. I had a pleasant day.¡±

    He looked at me with an ambiguous expression and smiled. ¡°Me too, Selma. I¡¯ve never been so happy before.¡±

    I looked at him as he left, my heart thumping.

 Chapter 21

    21 Being Loved

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I had a perfect day; the person I spent it with was Aldrich. Fate changed, and we became very good friends. Not long after, I began to miss my new friend. Being with him was much more interesting than watching my parents deal with government affairs in the pce, but I had no choice but to follow them obediently and help them do some small tasks that were within my power. At the same time, I also learned how to deal with these things that made people bang their heads against the wall.

    As the future Queen, this was a responsibility that I couldn¡¯t avoid. Every regent had to pay a sacrifice that others couldn¡¯t imagine to be able to carry this golden crown. If I had this ability, I would have to bear all of it.

    The morning passed by quickly with my full concentration. I wanted to go out with Aldrich like yesterday, but he also had things to deal with. I was a little disappointed that I missed training with him. I think the support and understanding between good friends were the most important.

    No matter what, I managed to get myself a beautiful and intricate dress after a whole morning of hard work. The neckline of the dress was connected with a very smooth curve. The top was dark green velvet, and the chiffon dress was white with a hint of gray. The length was just a little above my knees. It wasyered and soft like a cloud. I could already imagine how beautiful this dress was even before I put it on.

    This was the dress I had to wear when I went to the academy. Although it was a dress with nothing but beauty, I¡¯d be injured if I wore it in battle. It was not its fault for being beautiful.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, darling. You¡¯ll wear sports attire during training. There won¡¯t be any training today. After all, it¡¯s only the first day. I think you¡¯ll need some time to get used to it.¡± My mother seemed to have seen through my worry and winked at me yfully.

    I couldn¡¯t believe I¡¯d canceled my training with Aldrich when there was no training at school. This might be the only time we could be free these few days, but... Oh, god! It was toote to say anything now.

    ¡°I thought I could train today... ¡°I pouted in frustration.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sweetheart. You can start training tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not worried about that!¡± I blurted out.

    ¡°Oh?¡± My motherughed. ¡°Are you talking about Aldrich?¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t!¡±

    My mother ignored my weak exnation. ¡°Someone was so reluctant to go to training a few days ago. So why is she crying and begging to go now?¡±

    ¡°I misunderstood him before. He¡¯s really super nice!¡±

    ¡°You can try going on a date with him. Your father and I are very open-minded.¡± My mother¡¯s rotten suggestion made my face turn red. Although he was a good person, he already had his mate, although I didn¡¯t know why they couldn¡¯t be together.

    This reminded me of Benson. I didn¡¯t know why his face would suddenly appear in my mind at such an ordinary moment. It was probably because of his rejection. I¡¯d tried my best not to think about that painful night, his rejection, the bonfire, and the cold water. Perhaps I didn¡¯t like Benson that much, but I was really in pain because of his rejection.

    What caused this? It was as if fate had naturally given him the power to look down on everything from above. As for me, I was like a pitiful little girl, constantly panicking at the possibility of being rejected by others.

    Would I be alone forever? This sounded terrible and miserable.

    My mother noticed the change in my mood, but she didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, she quietly hugged me and waited for me to take the initiative.

    ¡°Mom, what if no one loves me for the rest of my life?¡±

    ¡°My father and I will always love you.¡± My mother smiled and touched my cheek. ¡°Darling, you need love, and it does not necessarily have to be romantic.¡±

    My mother¡¯s gentleness made me less anxious. I asked timidly, ¡°But I was ruthlessly rejected. Am I not worthy of this love?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the smartest and cutest child I¡¯ve ever met. Everyone will like you.¡± My mother looked into my eyes. ¡°Besides, you were not born to be loved. I gave birth to you in the hope that you can start your own life bravely, smile, explore, open a great chapter, and not wait in fear for an imaginary person to love you.¡±

    I nodded. No one had ever told me this. Although the pain from Benson¡¯s rejection was still there, I believed I would be able to forget everything one day.

    ¡°Mom, do you need a mate to be a Queen? I think I can handle all of this by myself,¡± I muttered.

    My mother smiled and tidied up my scattered hair. ¡°If you meet the right person, you¡¯ll want to be with him all the time. So don¡¯t be in a hurry, sweetheart. We can take our time.¡±

    I kissed my mother¡¯s forehead and sighed. ¡°I used to wonder what my parents would be like. I¡¯m so happy to find you.¡±

    ¡°Likewise.¡± My mother¡¯s eyes were glistening with tears. ¡°Alright, go get changed. There¡¯s a surprise waiting for you!¡±

 Chapter 22

    22 Enrolment

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    When I returned to my room, they tied my hair with a dark green hairband. Then, I looked at myself in the mirror. Although I was a little narcissistic, I had to admit that the person in the mirror was quite cute.

    I walked out of the room. My mother was waiting at the door. When she saw me, she said with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful. When you were a baby, I always thought you were the cutest of all the children.¡±

    I was acting coquettishly with my mother when I saw someone walking toward us from the corridor.

    The familiar figure and outfit, it was Aldrich! I could smell a fresh lemon scent on him. Although,pared to the smell of lemon juice, the scent on his body was more like crushed lemon peel, with a bit of bitterness.

    I turned to look at my mother. She smiled like a sly fox. ¡°The King and I wanted to send you to school, but we were busy, so we had to ask Sir Aldrich for help.¡±

    Aldrich bowed respectfully to my mother. ¡°It is my honor, Your Majesty.¡±

    My mother left quickly, leaving us to look at each other.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to have the honor of sending you to school on your first day.¡± Aldrich looked at me.

    ¡°It¡¯s my honor...¡± I mimicked his words.

    Heughed loudly and stopped. He looked into my eyes and suddenly said, ¡°But you¡¯re really beautiful today.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your appreciation. Let¡¯s go. I don¡¯t want to bete on the first day.¡± But, I had to say, it was really good to suddenly see Aldrich, especially when he would be sending me to an unfamiliar campus. It gave me muchfort.

    ¡°Yes, my beautifuldy.¡± He winked at me yfully.

    We talked andughed along the way and soon arrived at a building very close to the pce. We went straight to the office.

    Aldrich asked the receptionist directly, ¡°Perhaps the King has already sent someone to inform you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Sir Aldrich. Is this the girl who will be enrolled here?¡± The receptionist sized me up carefully, and even her gaze was gentle.

    Aldrich nodded, and the receptionist asked me kindly, ¡°Can you tell me your name?¡±

    ¡°I am Selma Payne. It is a pleasure to meet you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my honor.¡± The receptionist stood up and said, ¡°Please follow me.¡±

    Aldrich waved at me. ¡°Looks like I have to leave! Bye!¡±

    I followed thedy through the bright and clean corridors of the school. From time to time, students would pass by and stop to say hello to thedy. They would also look at me curiously.

    I didn¡¯t dislike this sizing up, but at the same time, I felt my heart beating fast.

    She brought me to a ss with about ten girls around my age. A female teacher stood at the front.

    The receptionist said a few words to the teacher, led me in, and left.

    ¡°This is Selma Payne, our new ssmate. Everyone can give her a round of apuse.¡± The teacher stood on the podium and announced.

    The gazes and whispers from below the stage made me feel at a loss. I even felt a warm sensation spread on my cheeks.

    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Miss Horace, and I¡¯ll be teaching this ss this semester. If everything goes well, I¡¯ll apany you throughout your academic career. Please take a seat. We¡¯re going to start the ss.¡±

    I nodded and walked to the only empty seat in the ss.

    Walking to my seat, I heard many discussions, which made me feel a little overwhelmed. I¡¯d never been the center of attention, let alone in school.

    ¡°Alright,dies, be quiet.¡± As soon as Miss Horace spoke, the entire ssroom returned to silence.

    I sat in my seat, trying my best not to appear so flustered.

    This was going to be the longest day I¡¯d ever have, but at the same time, I was secretly looking forward to it. I might be able to make new friends here and start a new adventure.

    Miss Horace¡¯s ss was very interesting. She was teaching us how werewolves slowly wake up from their deep sleep.

    ¡°I now know the order of their awakening. Their senses are the most important, including taste, smell, and hearing. After that, their senses will be more sensitive as time passes. Then, they will wake up andmunicate with us in our minds. Finally, we will be friends who trust each other.

    I thought of the lemon scent I smelled this morning. I had to admit that the scent on him was as likable as him. This might be a sign that my werewolf senses were recovering, but unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t smell my father and mother because my senses weren¡¯t yet developed. I hoped that this could happen faster. I wanted to be stronger.

    ¡°Alright,dies, please focus your attention. What he was about to say next was very important! When the werewolves in your bodies are resurrected, you must establish a close connection with them. This way, when you transform, it will be smooth and not be so painful.¡±

    How amazing it would be to have a good friend to whom I could talk about everything!

 Chapter 23

    23 Making Friends

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The people around me already had their wolves; even Aldrich had his werewolf, but I¡¯d never seen it before. My parents seemed afraid of hurting my feelings, so they never let their werewolves appear. It was because of this that I was always surrounded by people with werewolves, but I¡¯d never seen one, not even once. Today, I should go back and act cute with them to convince them to let me see their werewolves.

    Miss Horace added, ¡°The first transformation is the most painful and the easiest to fail. The only trick is to let everything happen naturally. Don¡¯t force anything to happen. Once the first transformation ispleted, there will be no more difficulties, and you will sessfully be a werewolf who can transform at will.¡±

    She used a lot of research and case studies to help exin, telling us how important this step was for every werewolf. The ss was very quiet, listening attentively to Miss Horace¡¯s exnation. Although she was strict, she was an excellent teacher, and we couldn¡¯t move away from her ss for even a minute.

    Time flew by, and the ss was over. There was a break between the two sses.

    During the break, I also received my ss schedule. I wrote it in fine ck ink on paper with the school¡¯s emblem. I studied it carefully. The ss started at noon, and it was the same every week. We had three sses for physical training. Miss Horace said that good physical fitness was ideal for the transformation of werewolves. I thought I needed this because I¡¯d never been prepared for the transformation since I was young like others.

    Maybe I could convince my father to let Aldrich give me more training every morning, just that... It would be very beneficial to my transformation.

    As I was thinking, two girls walked toward me.

    ¡°Hi, nice to meet you.¡± One of the girls with ck hair and eyes greeted me first. She was a passionate girl with light brown skin, and her curly hair was wrapped around her chest.

    ¡°Hello,¡± I greeted them.

    ¡°I¡¯m Mara, and she¡¯s Avril.¡± She pointed at the blonde girl that she had dragged over.

    Avril and Mara werepletely different girls. She had a round face and blue eyes, like a doll in a disy window.

    ¡°I¡¯m Selma. I¡¯m so happy to be able to chat with you.¡±

    I shook hands with both of them. I was delighted to make friends on the first day.

    ¡°Have you chosen the club you want to join?¡± Mara asked me.

    ¡°What club?¡± I was confused.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t your parents tell you before? You can ask them. Your parents would be informed of specific types of clubs on the first day. There are many different clubs in the school. After you join them, you¡¯ll be able to learn specialized knowledge and make friends with simr interests. What¡¯s even better is that the club will regrly invite more experienced people to guide you.¡±

    Well, it seemed that my parents were too busy and forgot about it. I had to ask them about it when I got back.

    ¡°So, what club did you choose?¡± I asked curiously.

    I was interested in opera, so I joined the opera club,¡± Mara said. I wasn¡¯t surprised at all. She looked like a natural performer.

    What surprised me was Avril. Although she looked as cute as a doll, she was in a boxing club.

    I didn¡¯t like either of these clubs and wouldn¡¯t join them. I hoped there was a club here that could teach me how to be a queen or something like that. It could help me, and I wouldn¡¯t be so flustered.

    We continued to chat about a few irrelevant topics until Mara finally couldn¡¯t hold back.

    ¡°By the way, are you not from this ce? I¡¯ve never seen you before. I have a good memory, but I¡¯ve never seen you before.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I just arrived a few weeks ago.¡± I arrived through the river, I added in my heart.

    Mara nodded in understanding. ¡°No wonder I¡¯ve never seen you before. No wonder.¡±

    ¡°You and...¡±

    Mara seemed to want to ask something important, but Avil kept tugging at her arm.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll try my best to answer any questions you have. ¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with Her Majesty?¡± Mara asked.

    I recited my pre-set identity and said, ¡°We¡¯re rted by blood, and I¡¯ve been living abroad all this time. I¡¯ve only returned recently, you know. So I¡¯m preparing for a change.¡±

    ¡°Wow! You¡¯re so cool!¡± Mara and Avil said in unison.

    ¡°Which country were you in before? Was it nice? What¡¯s the difference between that ce and here?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t stay in a specific country, but I think this is the most beautiful ce,¡± I told them.

    ¡°Can you imagine that the person in front of us is a rtive of the Queen?¡± Mara said to Avril.

    ¡°I thought you would be training in the pce,¡± Avril said softly.

    I smiled at them and exined, ¡°Well... Her Majesty thinks it¡¯ll be helpful for me to integrate into a new ce and make new friends.¡±

 Chapter 24

    24 After ss

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Their eyes lit up. ¡°Can we be your friends?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± I smiled at them.

    I had never imagined that I would be able to make friends so quickly. I had always been the most unpopr person in the ss. Although I had some friends, the rtionship was more like that of a protector and a protected person. I was thrilled to have their help, but this kind of rtionship always made me feel Icked a little reciprocity between friends. I was always protected and the receiver.

    My new friends were very interested in me and asked me many questions.

    ¡°Who is the Queen to you? You two look quite alike.¡±

    ¡°Where do you usually live? The Imperial Pce?¡±

    ¡°Do you have a mate?¡±

    In the face of such violent enthusiasm, I was at a loss. Fortunately, Miss Horace walked into the ssroom and saved me.

    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s time for ss. I hope you can still focus on the ss.¡±

    This ss was about war, the history of war, and war techniques. In fact, Miss Horace¡¯s lecture was very interesting, but the people in the ss had two different attitudes.

    One of them was led by Mara and the others. They weren¡¯t interested in the ss and even secretly made faces at me when I turned around. My deskmate and I led the other group, who werepletely engrossed in the ss.

    Speaking of my deskmate, she was also a very strange person. She seemed to be out of ce in this ssroom. She didn¡¯t move during the break, and no one talked to her. She didn¡¯t seem to care. She just lowered her head and continued to read.

    However, I didn¡¯t pay too much attention to any of the people in the ssroom because I had to concentrate on everything rted to war. I had never been involved, but one day, I would be the Queen, and one day, I would fight for the safety of my pack. Without a doubt, any failure was uneptable to my pack. Any injury or death would mean the loss of one family after another.

    With my full concentration, time flew by. Finally, after a few hours of ss, Miss Horace dismissed the ss.

    ¡°Hey, my name is Selma. What¡¯s your name?¡± I smiled and greeted my deskmate, who was tidying up.

    She was stunned for a moment before she whispered to me, ¡°Hello, my name is Dorothy.¡±

    After she finished speaking, she left as if she was running for her life without waiting for my reply.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind her. She¡¯s just kind of strange.¡± Mara shrugged.

    But her choice of words made me ufortable. ¡°Has she always been like this?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, she never shares, and she never interacts with others.¡±

    I wanted to continue talking about my deskmate, but Mara wasn¡¯t too interested, so she quickly changed the topic.

    ¡°Do you live in the Imperial Pce? Will people from the royal guards being to pick you upter?¡±

    I scratched my head helplessly. ¡°Thanks to the Queen, I do live in the pce, but the royal guards... It¡¯s impossible.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s very cool! What does it feel like to live in the pce? Do you see His Majesty often? Are there many handsome men in the pce?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing special about living in the pce.¡± I tried my best not to sound like I was showing off.

    But Mara and Avril¡¯s attention was no longer on me.

    ¡°Look! There! It¡¯s there! Did you see that?¡± They looked in the same direction and screamed in excitement.

    I leaned over in confusion, but I didn¡¯t see anything. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    A bitter lemon fragrance filled my nostrils. It seemed that someone couldn¡¯t escape the fate of picking me up after ss this afternoon.

    ¡°Sir Aldrich is here!¡± Mara told me excitedly. ¡°He¡¯s the most handsome man I¡¯ve ever seen, and his personality is amazing!¡±

    Aldrich appeared at the end of the corridor and waved at me.

    Mara and Avil turned to look at me simultaneously. ¡°He¡¯s here for you?!¡±

    ¡°You guys can¡¯t be...¡±

    ¡°No!¡± I interrupted their thoughts. ¡°Have you ever thought he might have been forced to ept this mission? He¡¯s my friend, and I heard he likes someone already.¡±

    They wailed in low voices.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe my heart is broken so quickly.¡± Mara¡¯s expression made me giggle.

    ¡°I¡¯m not like you. I never expected him to be single forever. As long as I can see his handsome face, I¡¯ll die without regrets.¡±

    Their exaggerated performance was very interesting. I wanted to rush to Aldrich and share it with him, but he was probably used to it. Being pursued by everyone was themon fate of handsome men all over the world.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you have some ambition!¡± Mara said in exasperation.

    ¡°Rather than thinking about how to marry him, why don¡¯t you think about finding your mate?¡± asked Avril.

    I waved goodbye to them while they were still arguing. Then, I walked toward Aldrich, who was still standing there. He was like the moon high in the sky. The whole world wanted to take him down, but he would only take the initiative to run toward his true love. Although that lucky girl didn¡¯t appreciate it, it was enough to make people envious.

 Chapter 25

    25 Looking For A Mate

    Benson Walton¡¯s POV:

    Late at night, I was sitting in the office dealing with the documents that I couldn¡¯t finish in time during the day. Even my Beta, Rhode, couldn¡¯t help but fall asleep. I told him to go back and have a good rest. I did work a little too much during this period, and even he had to train the soldiers during the day. At night, I had to deal with these long-winded and boring documents. I was very happy to have chosen Rhode as my Beta because you couldn¡¯t find anyone more loyal than him.

    In the high-intensity repetition day after day, everyone was whining. Only he was like a machine, perfectly repeating the monotonous daily routine with a set program. Although I was the same, I felt my motivation came from my sense of responsibility and desire to protect our pack. This was my pack, and no one else could protect it except me.

    But at the same time, problems gradually surfaced. My feelings were getting weaker and weaker, and there was nothing that could move me or make me feel satisfied for even a minute. I was bing more and more like a set robot, and in exchange, I was getting more stable packs and stronger warriors. This was a good deal, and I was continuously fulfilling my promise.

    But we couldn¡¯t rx yet. There would always be enemies eyeing us, pack. Our wonderful life was like a dream, and someone could break it anytime. Only by bing stronger could we protect everyone.

    Protecting our pack would require a lifetime of effort, but destroying it would only require a little effort. We couldn¡¯t afford to rx for even a moment.

    At that moment, I heard someone walk in.

    I didn¡¯t raise my head. To be honest, I was a little impatient. I hated people disturbing me when I was working, especially when the people disturbing me were my parents.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect my son to be a workaholic.¡± My mother stood before my desk and sighed.

    ¡°It¡¯s still early, Mom. I¡¯ll be home in a while.¡± I didn¡¯t even look up as I focused on the long, annoying paperwork.

    ¡°It¡¯s already midnight. You¡¯ll be able to see the sun tomorrow soon,¡± my father said. ¡°I know you want our pack to be better, but it takes a little time, doesn¡¯t it? Don¡¯t give yourself so much pressure.¡±

    I looked at the small mountain of documents and information before in disbelief. I didn¡¯t do anything today; time had passed in the blink of an eye. All my efforts were useless; it was not enough even if I workedte into the night every day. I would never be able to be an excellent Alpha like my father.

    I sighed. ¡°I should have finished dealing with these things today, but there¡¯s still so much left. I didn¡¯t do anything at all!¡±

    My father ced his hand on my shoulder. ¡°You need to rest. Work will never be finished. If you keep giving yourself so much pressure, you¡¯ll break down one day.¡±

    ¡°Your father is right. I¡¯m really worried about your health. Child, you¡¯ve already worked hard enough.¡± My mother massaged my stiff shoulders and neck, which made me feel much morefortable.

    I didn¡¯t know how my father did it so well-one thing after another, with all kinds of loopholes. When I was training, even soldiersined that I was under too much pressure and intensity. They didn¡¯t have the determination to fight for our pack.

    I also heard some people secretly saying that I was not as good as my father, that my means and abilities were inferior.

    I was very depressed. The more I wanted to prove that I wasn¡¯t that bad, the more I acted like a young kid. I had to admit that it was quite stressful to bear the entire pack alone. I didn¡¯t know how my father could lead our pack so calmly and without making a single mistake. I had never seen him so tired and depressed in the face of such things.

    ¡°Father, I might never be able topare to you. How could you have handled everything so perfectly?¡± I held my head and felt like a loser trying to find an excuse for himself.

    ¡°Child, you¡¯re already good enough. There¡¯s no need topare yourself to anyone. You¡¯ve always been our pride.¡± My father smiled gently at me. ¡°I used to be this busy. Fortunately, I met your mother. She helped me a lot. You may need to find your mate to help you.¡±

    ¡°I hope you¡¯ve already met your mate. It seems we need to look for one in other packs.¡±

    I was already exhausted, but when I heard this, I suddenly quivered.

    My parents were talking about how I hadn¡¯t met my mate at my age. The Moon Goddess didn¡¯t care about me.

    Mentioning my mate at this particr moment always made me feel that my secret was about to be exposed. However, only two people know about that night¡¯s incident. Now that the other person had left this world, I was the only one left who knew.

    He was also the only victim.

    Since that night¡¯s incident, Selma¡¯s name had be a ghost. However, people would mention it from time to time, making me feel a wave of coldness and break out in a cold sweat.

 Chapter 26

    26 Daniel¡¯s Mate

    Benson Walton¡¯s POV:

    An Alpha¡¯s mate being a weak human. There was nothing more humiliating than this. If I epted her, a weak human, our pack would be aughing stock.

    ¡°Alright, child. Go and rest,¡± my mother urged.

    I continued to read the documents. This was the part I hated the most in the past. It still was.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave after I¡¯m done reading these,¡± I mumbled.

    My father¡¯s face turned solemn, and as before, he firmly ordered, ¡°Get up, go to sleep, and then go to the nearby pack tomorrow to find your mate.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    My mother giggled. ¡°Son, you have to go out and rx. This is what your father and I discussed. You can go find your mate. Remember to bring Rhode with you since... Forget it. One of you can always bring back a girl.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I retorted sternly. ¡°I still have many things to deal with. So how can I go out and have fun?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m begging you. You¡¯re like a boring robot that only knows how to work. When you open your eyes, you¡¯re working, working, and working. Being too serious won¡¯t make everything better. You have to learn to rx sometimes.¡±

    I might have to rest, as my mother said, but it was definitely not now. I still had a bunch of unfinished things to deal with. How could I be like a bored child skipping school to head out without saying a word?

    ¡°I said, I still have work to do!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but say irascibly.

    My mother pouted. ¡°See, I told you he only knows how to work. I can¡¯t believe my son has turned out like this.¡±

    ¡°Benson, mind your tone.¡± My father stared into my eyes. ¡°This is not a discussion. Get out of the pack and rx for a few days. These few days, the soldiers haveined to me that the training intensity is too high and that one string can¡¯t be constantly stretched. So go out to other packs and learn something.¡±

    ¡°But...¡±

    ¡°No buts. You and Rhode will leave tomorrow morning. I¡¯ve already told him that your mother and I will manage the pack. I¡¯ve already contacted the Silver Moon pack, and they will take good care of you two.¡±

    Things were quickly confirmed just like that. I didn¡¯t even have a chance to resist. My parents sent me to the car to leave our pack the following day.

    This time, in addition to Rhode, we also brought the pack¡¯s head guard, a very good young man called Daniel. He hadn¡¯t found his mate yet, so he could take care of protecting me and finding his mate this time.

    I sat in the car and watched my parents gradually be smaller. They would never know that I had already found my mate, a fragile human. Of course, if I knowingly rejected her, they might be disappointed.

    But I thought any rational Alpha would be smart enough to reject a human Luna. She could do too little for the pack. I needed help, not a burden, an existence that needed my protection.

    I couldn¡¯t get used to it. After bing an Alpha, I rarely had such free time, I felt like I was wasting time, but I needed to find a good Luna for our pack. We had no choice. Soon, we reached the Silver Moon Pack.

    Our arrival was warmly weed, perhaps because my father had informed them in advance. The Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack and his Luna both weed us and held a wee party. In addition, they told us that all girls without a mate would attend the banquet, which meant that we would have many opportunities to meet the one we loved.

    This was very good. The sooner I found my mate, the sooner I could return to our pack. I had always found it challenging to give up my responsibility.

    The banquet had just started when I heard Daniel¡¯s low growl. The strange sound he made meant one thing. He had met his mate. I followed his gaze and saw a smiling girl walking into the banquet, surrounded by people.

    To be honest, that girl was really beautiful. Her beautiful brown eyes were shining under the light. What surprised me even more was that she was the daughter of an Alpha, and at the same time, she was also the most powerful warrior in this pack. I was so jealous of Daniel. If only my mate were such a powerful person, we would make our pack the most powerful.

    I met many people tonight, but none of them gave me the familiar throbbing feeling. I didn¡¯t smell anything special either. Fortunately, Rhode didn¡¯t find his mate either. At least I was not alone.

    Rhode and I drank with our arms around each other. We watched as Daniel was mesmerized by the girl. He was in a daze, and the girl looked at him in surprise. They quickly left amidst everyone¡¯s cheers.

    Love always made people beasts. Daniel¡¯s action was especially obvious. I hoped I wouldn¡¯t be so air-headed when I found my mate.

 Chapter 27

    27 Teresa

    Benson Walton¡¯s POV:

    I talked to the Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack. He looked a lot more aggressive than the first time we met, which was expected. His precious daughter was going to follow a young werewolf to another pack after just one night. No one would be happy.

    After that, he had a long conversation with Daniel. Rhode and I waited for him in the corridor. He was a lucky kid. He found his mate so quickly. At least we wouldn¡¯t be bringing back nothing this time.

    As long as one of us found a mate, my parents wouldn¡¯t have an excuse to kick me out of our pack. I hope they wouldn¡¯t.

    Daniel and the Alpha with the Silver Moon Pack came out smiling. It was apparent that Daniel was lucky enough to be able to hold a beauty today.

    We stayed here for a day and rushed back to our pack. Daniel and his mate were talking happily, Rhode sat in the driver¡¯s seat, and I sat in the passenger¡¯s seat. We tacitly left the backseat for the sweet couple. As soon as they got into the car, they began to go at each other, hugging each other and exchanging sweet nothings.

    I didn¡¯t want to hear it, but Rhode and I had nowhere else to go.

    Rhode looked a lot more rxed. He gently hummed a light-hearted tune, which was in sharp contrast to me, who was sitting on pins and needles. If it was before, I might have teased this couple, but after bing an Alpha, I felt that this was too unstable, and I was rarely satisfied with anything. Everything could have been more perfect, but things always slipped in the direction of not being too good. After I took over my father¡¯s job, I always felt powerless.

    This sense of powerlessness gradually evolved into a more strict and serious me. My sense of humor and joy were slowly being stripped away from me. Yet, in the face of such a beautiful scene, all I could think about was how to further cooperate with the Silver Moon Pack.

    ¡°Wee to the Dark Shadow Pack. I¡¯m Rhode. What¡¯s your name?¡± Rhode broke the silence between us.

    The girl smiled in embarrassment. Her soft brown hair was braided and hung down to her chest. Her beige dress made her glow, at least in Daniel¡¯s eyes. He couldn¡¯t move his gaze away from the girl and stared at her unmovingly. If we weren¡¯t in the car, they would probably be kissing.

    ¡°Thank you! I¡¯m Teresa. I¡¯m pleased to meet you guys.¡±

    Daniel finally struggled out of the passionate love and seriously introduced Teresa. ¡°This is our Alpha Benson and our Beta Rhode. I¡¯m the head of the guards responsible for their safety.¡±

    Teresa was filled with curiosity about our pack and asked a lot of strange questions along the way. She was talkative and interesting, sharing many interesting things about her with us. Although I didn¡¯t feel anything, Rhode and Danielughed loudly. I sat beside them and tried my best to smile in agreement.

    Everyone¡¯s face was filled with a warm smile. Rhode smiled and said, ¡°This time, at least one of us has found his mate. However, I am unsure if your father will continue to make you leave the pack to find yours.¡±

    I thought of my parents. They had always hoped that I could find my mate. To be honest, I was also looking forward to it, but it wasn¡¯t so easy.

    ¡°We¡¯ll see... ¡°I shrugged.

    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re so handsome and still haven¡¯t found your mate? I thought you guys were here for a business exchange with the Silver Moon Pack!¡± Teresa said with an exaggerated expression. Her mate Daniel was amused by her andughed like a silly dog.

    ¡°They haven¡¯t found theirs yet. Finding a mate was the purpose of our trip.¡±

    ¡°Do you still want to continue looking? What happened?¡± Teresa asked curiously.

    I shook my head. ¡°Perhaps my fate hasn¡¯t arrived yet.¡±

    ¡°I... I¡¯m not in the mood... ¡± Rhode said dejectedly as he thought of something.

    Teresa noticed that Rhode¡¯s mood was off, so she didn¡¯t continue to prod. Instead, she asked Daniel in a low voice. But how could her whispers escape the ears of an outstanding warrior?

    Rhode answered the question graciously, ¡°It¡¯s alright, Miss Teresa. It¡¯s not a big deal. My sister Selma identally fell off a cliff some time ago, so we recently held her funeral.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry... ¡°There was sympathy and helplessness in Teresa¡¯s eyes.

    When I heard Selma¡¯s name again, I didn¡¯t react in time. Instead, I was stunned on the spot for a long time. I didn¡¯t know why my life was constantly filled with her ghost of her. She was a weak and willful human. But, I also gradually realized that her position in my heart was gradually changing.

    Selma was like a curse. She easily terrorized me. If the secret I¡¯d buried deep in my heart was discovered, my peaceful life would be instantly shattered.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just... Suddenly miss her. I somehow feel she¡¯s still alive, and I hope she can witness my happiness... But it¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll move on someday... ¡°Rhode pretended to smile casually.

    The atmosphere in the car was extremely depressing.

 Chapter 28

    28 A Second-Time Mate

    Benson Walton¡¯s POV:

    Even someone as insensitive as Daniel realized that the atmosphere was not right. He quickly came over to smooth things over. ¡°Okay, okay, today is such a happy day. Let¡¯s put aside our sorrows and continue to look forward!¡±

    Although his words didn¡¯t give anyfort, at least he gave me a chance to change the topic smoothly.

    ¡°Yes, I didn¡¯t expect Daniel to find a mate first. Remember to toast at the dinner partyter, lucky boy!¡± I pretended to be rxed and teased.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯ve won the heart of such a beautifuldy. I¡¯m so jealous. Go and show off.¡±

    Daniel scratched his head and giggled. There seemed to be a thread connecting the couple, and they hugged each other as if no matter how dangerous the situation was, they could easily ovee it.

    I moved my gaze away from the two and turned to look at the trees and flowers that shed quickly outside the window. I couldn¡¯t give up on finding my mate just because a human had left. I should find my mate as soon as possible, so I couldpletely get rid of Selma¡¯s ghost.

    Fortunately, we arrived at the entrance of our pack in no time. My parents and some of our packsmen came out to wee us when they heard the news of our return. They were incredibly enthusiastic, especially when they saw Teresa, who had just joined us. I watched as the young couple was escorted away by the crowd. Tonight, we were going to hold a grand celebration for them.

    After being busy for so long, Rhode and I finally had time to catch our breath. Finally, I couldpletely forget about these damn mate searching or Selma and other such disgraceful things and take a long, rxed breath.

    ¡°What a lucky guy,¡± Rhode said with a smile. No one could see any jealousy or dissatisfaction on his face.

    Then, I heard him mumble softly, ¡°If only Selma were here too. She loves these kinds of lively events...¡±

    There she was again! Since I rejected her, she kept appearing in my life! She was too ipetent, but now she wanted me to bear this load.

    ¡°Are you going back?¡± I pretended not to hear his sigh and casually changed the topic.

    Rhode shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m going to my parents¡¯ ce.¡±

    After bing my Beta, he moved out to live alone because we always workedte. He didn¡¯t want to affect his parents, and only very rarely did he take some time to go back.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Go back and tell them you didn¡¯t find a mate.¡±

    ¡°They... Are not in a good mood. I hope I can try my best to make them feel better... ¡°Rhode said in a low voice.

    The smile on my face froze. When would I be able to remove this name from my life?

    ¡°I thought they had already moved on?¡±

    ¡°I thought so too. Later, I discovered they were always staring at Selma¡¯s photo. I even heard my mother crying in the middle of the night. They never locked the door at night, hoping Selma would suddenly find her way home one day.¡±

    Rhode looked in the direction of Selma¡¯s fall. ¡°My parents have been hiding their pain. They don¡¯t want others to worry about them.¡±

    I thought that they hadpletely let it go. She was just an ordinary human, and there was nothing worth reminiscing about. However, their wounds had never healed, and it tortured this kind family with new pain and blood daily.

    God, I groaned in my heart. If I could return to the day they found that human, I would throw her far away.

    ¡°Take care, Brother.¡± I hugged Rhode and watched him leave.

    After saying goodbye to him, I walked straight to the library. I must find my second mate. No matter what, no matter what means I use, I must get rid of Selma. She thought she could threaten me with death. So I must use a new rtionship to forget all these unpleasant things.

    The library was empty, and only the librarian was reading with his head lowered. This was normal. All the knowledge we needed was learned in school. Even if there were questions that we didn¡¯t understand, we could ask the elders at home or fight with them.

    However, the question I wanted to ask was a secret that belonged to me alone, so I could onlye to the library alone to find the answer.

    Fortunately, few books could answer my questions, so I quickly picked a few. I sat by the window and opened one of them. It described in detail how vital a werewolf¡¯s mate was to them. Unfortunately, not much was said about the second or recement mate.

    I didn¡¯t give up and continued to flip through the other books, but I found nothing.

    Damn it! Was I cursed? With such a troublesome mate, yet I couldn¡¯t even find any information?

    The administrator saw my books and thought I was studying about mates. So he rmended another book, and I finally found a detailed record of getting a second mate.

    ¡°After a werewolf¡¯s mate dies in an ident, it is difficult to get a second mate.¡±

    Did this mean that I would never find a mate after that human?

    Motherf*cker!

    I had never hated Selma so much!

 Chapter 29

    29 The Training Ground

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    A month had passed, and I almost couldn¡¯t feel the passing of time because my life was too interesting. I felt like I had fallen into a rabbit hole and could start a new adventure anytime. Undoubtedly, I loved adventures, and other than going out with Aldrich, adventure was my second favorite thing.

    It was really interesting to hang out with him. He was the kind of person who had a sense of humor and knew a lot of strange but interesting things. We had endless things to talk about, but he wouldn¡¯t tell me what the girl he liked looked like. I guess he must have been very sad back then, so he couldn¡¯t face that girl now.

    I was different. I¡¯d already moved on from the hurt that Benson caused me. We didn¡¯t even have the chance to start a beautiful rtionship before he ruthlessly ended us. Although his humiliating words would stille to my mind from time to time in the quiet night, I was no longer afraid. Everyone around me affirmed me and told me how important I was. I know that they said this mostly because they loved me.

    It was because of this that I had to ovee the dark past. I had to recover from the pain to love them 100%. Only then could I deserve the love andfort they gave me. I was not useless in this world. I had many friends and family who loved me.

    I felt that I had grown a lot recently, physically. The werewolf in my body was constantly awakening. I could now clearly smell everyone¡¯s scent. My vision was improving, and my physical training ss performance was not inferior at all.

    Psychologically, I gradually realized how ridiculous I was in the past. For an unrted person, I ruthlessly hurt my brother and my adoptive parents, who loved me. Although this incident allowed me to find my birth parents, the damage to them was never going to be reduced. I could imagine how hot my adoptive mother¡¯s tears were.

    But I was not ready to go back and face all of this. It was true that I didn¡¯t care about Benson as much anymore because of everyone¡¯s love and concern here, but when I thought about that night, I really couldn¡¯t bring myself to face them. I still needed to devote myself to the preparations for the transformation. But it was almost over. I was about to face them with a new me.

    As the days went by, I got used to the training schedule with almost no personal space. This was a concession I made to be stronger. With Aldrich¡¯spany, I looked forward to it every day. He was not only a good friend but also a good teacher.

    He was usually very serious in ss, and after ss, he would always make strange faces at me. Our weekend dates never stopped. Thanks to him, I now had a clearer understanding of the city I was about to protect.

    The only problem was that I had yet to see my parents¡¯ wolves. They were too busy. Even though they would always find a way to meet me out of love, it was usually before I went to bed. Ipletely understood them. Governing a country was not easy. They needed a lot of energy to do it. I was proud of them.

    That was why seeing my parents¡¯ wolves was dyed indefinitely because of their time. However, I was not in a hurry. That would happen one day.

    It was a Friday, and I was thrilled, not only because I could go out with Aldrich but also because I had physical training today. I liked it very much. Although the teacher¡¯s teaching was not as perfect as Aldrich¡¯s, this course always made me understand that I was not as weak as I was before.

    ¡°Hey, guys!¡± I waved excitedly at Mara and Avril. We had be very good friends. They had helped me a lot in school, and because of them, I was looking forward to going to school. Being with friends was the happiest thing I had ever had felt.

    ¡°I thought you would bete,¡± Avril said slowly.

    Mara pursed her lips. ¡°The probability of her beingte is like an eclipse. Although there is a chance, it¡¯s pitifully low. You might as well guess when I¡¯ll skip ss.¡±

    The conversation between them made me giggle, but they were right. I liked physical training andbat skills sses because I knew that these woulde in handy one day, and that day wasn¡¯t far away, so I was always more active than usual.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, or we¡¯ll bete for real. I don¡¯t mind being punished to do a few more sets of training.¡±

    As soon as I finished speaking, they immediately stopped bickering and dragged me hurriedly to the training ground.

    There were already a few people at the training ground, but my gaze waspletely focused on the figure at the front of the team. His silver-gray eyes and hair, as well as his strong body, were so familiar. Even the bitter lemon scent on his body that I liked so much was so familiar and nice.

    He was frowning as he flipped through some paper documents. The coach beside him was pointing at them, saying something.

 Chapter 30

    30 Aldrich¡¯s Training

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°Heavens! Oh my god! Pinch me! Is this the real Sir Aldrich or my illusion?¡± Mara shook my arm excitedly as if she would faint the next second.

    ¡°What is he doing here? Could it be that he wants to save us from the hands of the devil? Haven¡¯t you heard anything?¡±

    My friends were all asking me excitedly. I stared at him without saying a word and shook my head in confusion. He had never revealed any rted information to me, but he suddenly appeared here this morning, like magic.

    But I made a guess, and I was confident that it was for the military. When I was helping my parents deal with the documents, I heard them say that the army would select some people from among us. Aldrich was in charge of this, and he was very experienced. So no matter how I look at it, he was the best choice.

    Our coach gathered and informed us, ¡°Students, this is Sir Aldrich. He will be joining us for the next few weeks.¡±

    Someone raised his hand and asked, ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°There are a few spots in the army. I know that many of you want to join the army. This is a very precious opportunity, but not everyone can be enlisted. Sir Aldrich will test you in the next few weeks to see if you are fit,¡± our coach said sternly.

    I raised my eyebrows smugly. It was just as I had guessed. He hade for the army, but this could not hide the fact that he hade quietly without telling me.

    ¡°Also, whether you want to join the army or not, this course ispulsory. If you don¡¯t want to be punished, you¡¯d better attend it on time.¡±

    The information on the brutal physical training ss did not receive any whining. Instead, many young girls blushingly talked about the young knight.

    I met Aldrich¡¯s eyes in an instant. He didn¡¯t smile at me or was as casual as usual. I felt that he was wearing a dull and severe mask on his face. He had be a stranger to me. He seemed calm and waved to everyone seriously.

    ¡°Now, gather around. We¡¯re going to warm up and run fiftyps.¡±

    The excitement on everyone¡¯s faces turned sour in an instant. Even the handsome Aldrich couldn¡¯t save me from the pain of the fiftyps. Since Aldrich had trained me, this amount of exercise wasn¡¯t a big deal to me. However, for Mara, who didn¡¯t like physical training, it was as good as killing her.

    When the team finally left, she almost couldn¡¯t stand up. I tried my best to support her weak body. Unfortunately, everyone¡¯s condition was not much different from hers.

    ¡°I thought he would be gentler. I announce that Sir Aldrich is no longer one of the candidates to be my boyfriend. He¡¯s simply inhumane!¡±

    Mara¡¯s exaggerated expression made Avril and meugh so hard that we couldn¡¯t stand up straight, but Aldrich didn¡¯t care what happened here. He didn¡¯t give us time to catch our breath before gathering everyone. Even our coach, whom we called ¡®the devil¡¯, gave us an extra ten minutes of break.

    The crowd stood in a line unwillingly.

    He first taught us all the techniques, and then he wanted to find someone to go up and practice with him. So I took the initiative to raise my hand, and he made eye contact with me, but I saw him look away as if nothing had happened and pick another person.

    After confirming that everyone had mastered these techniques, he divided our ss into two-person groups. In his words, only after realbat would one know where they werecking. I was undoubtedly left behind. He wanted me to sit here and watch the others practice!

    This waspletely unforgivable!

    I sat angrily at the side, watching Dorothy fight with another girl from my ss. Her opponent was very strong, about 1.8 meters tall. The poor Dorothy was as small as a child before her opponent. Their sparring was very exciting. I held my breath and watched their fight. I was worried for Dorothy.

    However, Dorothy learned very well. She used her agility to drain the strength of the bigger opponent. Soon, the other girl was panting, and Dorothy took the opportunity to kick her opponent over. Only at this time did she reveal a rxed and happy expression, like a child who had received a reward, proudly puffing out her chest.

    This was the only time she had temporarily emerged from her dull and quiet shell and acted like a person her age. Her past had always been shrouded in a fog, and because of this, I was even more eager to know what the real her was like.

    As people always pretended to be lonely, no one could draw the courage and strength to move forward from the falsehood.

    I¡¯d received help from many people, so I also wanted to help others a little. We¡¯d made significant progress. At least we would use small notes to chat briefly in ss.

    However, the improvement in my rtionship with Dorothy did not help improve my current feelings. After thest sparring group, Aldrich had not arranged an opponent for me. Did he want me to sit here the whole day and watch others fight?

    I raised my hand in anger and requested to participate.

 Chapter 31

    31 Anger

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I couldn¡¯t believe it. Aldrich agreed so quickly and with such certainty.

    Just as I was feeling happy, he suddenly changed the topic. ¡°But unfortunately, it¡¯s time to rest now. I don¡¯t want to dy everyone¡¯s rest time because of one person. That¡¯s it.¡±

    Huh? What did he mean by that?

    With everyone¡¯s envious gazes, I dragged the exhausted Mara back to the bathroom. They were all dirty, with sweat and mud all over their bodies. I was the cleanest of them all. There were no morous battles in the world. Dust and dirt were our daily routine, except for today.

    I leaned against the railing gloomily. I¡¯d remembered what Aldrich did today. Not only did he not tell me in advance that he would being to our school, but he also did not let me participate in the sparring. I¡¯d let him taste this feeling of being ignored this weekend!

    Dorothy walked past me after her shower, still wet. She suddenly turned back and stared into my eyes without a word. I looked at her in confusion. ¡°Yes, Dorothy?¡±

    She didn¡¯t say anything and suddenly turned to leave, as if our eyes meeting just now was just my imagination. She was still mysterious and strange, but I didn¡¯t put too much thought into her. Instead, I was angry at Aldrich.

    When I got home, I found a note in my bag. It was written in beautiful dark green ink. The words were beautiful and familiar. Dorothy had written it. It was like a proverb, ¡°The important things are not necessarily obvious.¡±

    If it were any other time, I would seriously study its meaning, but today was not the time.

    The only thing I wanted to do now was to lie on the bed.

    Saturday came very quickly. It used to be my favorite day because Aldrich and I would n where we would go and spend a wonderful weekend together. However, today I didn¡¯t want to go out with him. His actions yesterday made me angry.

    I stayed in the garden alone. This was a new ce that I had discovered, not far from the training ground. It was full of flowers of various colors, and few people woulde here.

    I liked it here. This was the best ce to calm my chaotic mind when I was in a bad mood. Being near the calm nature could dispel many negative emotions.

    A strong lemon scent drifted over just as I was enjoying my beautiful day alone. My recent training was indeed effective. I hadn¡¯t seen the person, but I could already smell him.

    ¡°Hey, Selma, is this your secret base? Why are you ignoring me? I¡¯ve been looking for you all morning.¡±

    Iy on the grass, rolled my eyes, and ignored him.

    Aldrich didn¡¯t understand why I was angry. Instead, he started to praise the garden stupidly. ¡°I followed your scent and got here. Thanks to you, I found such a beautiful ce.¡±

    I frowned and didn¡¯t look at his confused face. Sometimes he was very considerate, but most of the time, he was just a silly idiot!

    ¡°Hey, Selma,e on. Look at me and talk to me. I¡¯ve already made a reservation at a delicious restaurant,¡± he begged.

    ¡°Do you know what you did wrong?¡± I pouted and asked him.

    Aldrich was stunned and hesitated for a long time before he asked tentatively, ¡°Was I toote today?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± I growled. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you were going to our school yesterday? You even yed me and did not let me participate in the sparring!¡±

    He stared at my face as if trying to find something on it. ¡°Just because of that?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by just because of that?!¡±

    Heughed heartily, and I looked at him angrily with my arms crossed.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I think you¡¯re not ready yet.¡±

    I shook my hand and left, but he held my hand firmly. He looked straight at me with a trace of certainty.

    ¡°You¡¯re not ready to face a battle yet.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m ready!¡± I retorted, not convinced.

    His expression hadpletely changed. He was no longer as rxed and happy as before. Instead, his expression was serious. This was a rare moment of seriousness, and it was damn charming.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try?¡± Aldrich suggested. ¡°If you think you are ready, let¡¯s spar!¡±

    What did he mean by that? Was he looking down on me?

    I puffed my cheeks and said indignantly, ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll beat you up!¡±

    We had only exchanged a single move, and within three seconds, I fell. I was firmly pressed under him. It all happened so fast that I didn¡¯t even see iting.

    ¡°How?¡± I shouted in disbelief.

    Aldrich¡¯s eyes were like a pool of darkke water. For the first time, I saw the ruthlessness of a hunter in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll go easy on you.¡±

 Chapter 32

    32 An Apology

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    What he said was thest straw. I red at him angrily. ¡°Don¡¯t you regret itter!¡±

    In fact, I knew that I couldn¡¯t win against an experienced warrior, but I just needed to stall for time. However, I didn¡¯t have time to resist and was overpowered by him again. He held my hands with one hand and wrapped the other around my waist. I almost leaned into his arms.

    ¡°Selma, you¡¯re not ready yet.¡±

    He whispered in my ear. I suddenly realized that our current position would make anyone who saw us suspect that there was some overly intimate rtionship between us, especially when he still had a girl in his heart that he couldn¡¯t get. Our current position was inappropriate, so I quickly burrowed into his embrace.

    ¡°Again!¡±

    He looked at me helplessly and indulgently. ¡°No matter how many times we try, it would end up like this. I know you¡¯re working hard, but you still need to learn more aboutbat.¡±

    I¡¯d recently received much praise from the teacher inbat ss, but here he was, iming I wasn¡¯t qualified enough. I angrily threw a punch at him, but he easily dodged it. Finally, he put me on his shoulder, and I was shocked. I struggled. ¡°What are you doing? Quickly put me down!¡±

    ¡°Selma, you are the most talented person I¡¯ve ever met in this area, but it¡¯s still not enough.¡± He patted my butt lightly as if treating a rebellious child.

    My face instantly turned red. ¡°I got an A for all mybat lessons!¡±

    ¡°This is different.¡± Aldrich stared at my face. ¡°You still don¡¯t realize the essence of battle. Right now, you can y around with your ssmates like you¡¯re ying a game. You can be a hero in front of these rookies, but you can¡¯t even win a single move before a real warrior.¡±

    Looking at his serious face, I realized I might have misunderstood him. He was earnest inbat and would never affect his work with his personal emotions.

    ¡°But ... It¡¯s precisely because I¡¯m not strong enough that I need more practice!¡± I said, unwilling to admit defeat.

    ¡°My dear Selma,¡± he said in an aria-like tone. ¡°No matter how many times you repeat a mistake, it will always be a mistake. You need the right attitude and practice, not the wrong attitude, and treat it like a treasure.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do it again. I¡¯ll let you have your way.¡±

    I got into a position. This time, he let me have my way as promised, but it was challenging no matter how I reacted. I was always close to touching him, and I was always close to hitting him.

    ¡°How do you feel now?¡± Aldrich stopped in time and lowered his head to look at my face.

    ¡°I... Don¡¯t know. I¡¯m always close,¡± I answered hesitantly,pletely forgetting that I was angry with him today.

    ¡°Because you¡¯re alwayscking a little,cking here and there. You always think you¡¯ve done well enough when you¡¯re sparring with your ssmates, but when ites to real battles, you¡¯re alwayscking a little. In a life-and-death battle, this little bit ofcking will cost you a terrible price.¡±

    I stood before him, feeling as if I had be iparably small. Furthermore, I felt apprehensive and fearful. I had never thought I would feel such emotions from a friend I liked. However, the truth was right in front of me. If we were enemies at this moment, I would have lost my armor by now.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do it again. I¡¯ll use my full strength,¡± I begged him.

    This time, he subdued me in one move. I didn¡¯t even have the strength to resist. I could only watch everything happen.

    ¡°Raise your head and look at me,¡± Aldrich said solemnly. ¡°Are you afraid of this? It¡¯s not scary to lose. Raise your head, see who your enemy is, and defeat him ruthlessly.¡±

    He hadpletely seen through my cowardice. The moment we started fighting, I felt like I was facing a mountain that I would never be able to cross.

    Aldrich didn¡¯t say anything more but sighed and sat on the bench.

    The anger in my heart hadpletely disappeared and was reced by an apologetic feeling. He was thinking for my sake, but I had treated him like this. If he hadn¡¯t taken the initiative toe looking for me, I would have single-handedly destroyed our beautiful weekends.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said. I caught up with him and said in a low voice. These words seemed to be ignited by fire, burning my throat. I forced myself to apologize. This was a great test for me, but when I thought of the harm I had caused him, this embarrassment disappeared instantly. I must obtain his forgiveness. Otherwise, it would be difficult for me to let myself go.

    A strong wind suddenly blew in the garden. My hair was blown all over the ce by the wind. The flower petals were swept up by the wind and scattered all over the ground. I felt that all my senses were infinitely magnified at this moment.

    Aldrich looked at me without saying a word. He smiled faintly ¨C a smile different from before.

 Chapter 33

    33 A Hug

    Aldrich¡¯s POV:

    ¡°I never thought that I would be such a lucky fellow to be able to meet Selma. She was like a precious jewel that was once lost. She was shattered into pieces, but every piece was shining brilliantly. This was her. She would never admit defeat or retreat. No matter how life treated her, she was never a boring person. When we first met, I saw that her soft heart was on the verge of copse at any moment.

    Fortunately, I met her and got her approval. After that, ourmunication became more and more frequent. Suddenly, one day, I had the honor of being allowed to enter her world.

    But things always made me angry. Why were there so many people in this world dreaming with their eyes open? This guy turned a blind eye to the treasure in front of him and hurt her to this extent. If I found out who that person was, I would challenge him to a duel and let him know what a big mistake he had made!

    But I also thought in a despicable manner, ¡®It¡¯s fortunate that he rejected her. That gave me a chance to get this sweet candy. She was too soft. Even the slightest thorn would make her sad. If that insensible person had brought her home, would he have cared for her at all? Selma needed love and sunlight. If she was with someone who didn¡¯t love her, she¡¯d wither and die. My heart ached when I thought of that.

    It took me a long time to see her rxed and happy smile. She was much happier than she was at the beginning. We would go out and hang out together, and the weekend was the moment I looked forward to the most.

    I thought that she felt the same way because she always had a smile on her face. My efforts were effective. I also felt that she was gradually forgetting the pain in her body, but it was not enough. Some wounds were always hidden in the deepest part of one¡¯s soul, but she deserved the best. I hoped she could be the carefree girl she used to be.

    In the beginning, I just thought that she was different. It was very rxing and pleasant to be with her, so we would go to theke for a pic every weekend, go boating, and go to many restaurants to dine. Some were delicious, some were terrible.

    No matter what, we were the happiest when we were together. One day, we suddenly went to watch the sunset together. I saw this magnificent sunset reflected in her eyes. This was the most beautiful sunset I had ever seen in my life. At this moment, I also realized that my feelings for her were far from just a friendship.

    She was the most special one in the crowd, and I could see her anytime.

    As time passed, my desire for her grew stronger. I only needed to look at her once from the beginning, and since then, I wanted herpany every day. I became greedier and greedier, and even my wolf liked her. But, of course, no one could reject her, this sweet girl.

    ¡°Is there anyone more perfect than her in this world?¡± I said to my wolf, and he let out a low growl.

    But I also reminded myself not to be too in a hurry. She was covered in wounds, and I didn¡¯t want to hurt her again. She was the Queen¡¯s rtive, and maybe something happened to her family, so she came here alone to prepare for her transformation.

    Perhaps there was something special about her identity. Even my father told me to take good care of her, but I didn¡¯t need my father¡¯s instructions. I would always protect her life, safety, and smile.

    I screwed up. I wanted to surprise her during the training ss, but she was unhappy about it. She didn¡¯t even contact me for the weekend activities, which made me panic. The more precious something was, the easier it was to lose it. Did I offer all my tears and smiles only to glimpse the corner of her dress?

    However, all of this was just my imagination. The delicate little rose might have chosen to talk to me out of sympathy and loneliness. I overthought and made her unhappy. Did I trouble her?

    We sparred in her secret base, and she confessed to me the reason for her anger. It was only because of what happened during the training. That relieved me. She even apologized to me uneasily. She didn¡¯t have to do anything at all. As long as she didn¡¯t decide to distance herself from me, I would never be angry at her.

    Perhaps the wind today was too magical, or perhaps the weather was too hot, but the moment she apologized, I suddenly felt dizzy and pulled her into my arms. I even wanted to kiss her soft lips, dere all my love for her and tell her how much I looked forward to spending the rest of my life with her. But I looked into her eyes and suddenly couldn¡¯t say anything. If I said anything, I would scare her.

    How I wished I could have a ce in her heart. I wished I could have her soft lips one day. I didn¡¯t just want to be her friend. I wanted to be her lover, friend, and family. I hoped I could watch the sunset in her eyes every day in the future.

 Chapter 34

    34 The Kiss

    Aldrich¡¯s POV:

    We sat side by side on the bench. She didn¡¯t say anything, and she stared into the distance. She looked so beautiful. If it didn¡¯t happen now, I would have admired her, but I was afraid that her silence at the moment was due to embarrassment or some other emotion.

    ¡®Oh my god! Don¡¯t deceive yourself, Aldrich!¡¯ It was precisely because I acted like a pervert just now that she must have been frightened! As long as I didn¡¯t do anything, our rtionship would be restored to how it was in the past, but I just couldn¡¯t control myself! I was so stupid!

    ¡°Hey, do you want to... Uhm, watch the sunsetter?¡± I asked awkwardly.

    ¡°Of... Of course.¡± Selma wasn¡¯t as excited as usual. Instead, she was a little hesitant.

    I tried to smile back at her as if nothing had happened. ¡°That¡¯s great. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    I was really the stupidest person in the world! There was no cure for me! I had messed up everything! I hoped that she wouldn¡¯t distance herself from me tomorrow...

    ¡°I knew you would mess up these things. She must be angry. This is terrible!¡± my Wolf was making a ruckus.

    Selma stood up and looked at me doubtfully. I stood where I was and didn¡¯t move. If I had to give myself a score, it would probably be negative. I acted stupid, frivolous, and even a little perverted.

    I hurriedly caught up with her and pretended to be rxed as I said, ¡°I found a very beautiful ce. It¡¯s very nice to watch the sunset. Do you want to order something to eat? I¡¯ll go to the nearby store to buy something.¡±

    Usually, when we went out, she would hold my hand. I didn¡¯t even dare to hope that this would happen. It would be fine as long as she was willing to see me tomorrow. I really couldn¡¯t believe that I would keep making such mistakes.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t feel like eating. Let¡¯s go watch the sunset...¡±

    She shook her head as if she had no interest at all. My mood fell to the bottom along with her expression. Perhaps she agreed to see the sunset with me because she feared I would be too sad. She was such a gentle person, so she definitely wouldn¡¯t have the heart to hurt others. When I thought of this, I felt an indescribable sadness in me.

    I¡¯d lost my precious treasure. Maybe she¡¯d still treat me calmly tomorrow, but we might never be able to go back to the intimate rtionship we had in the past.

    With a heavy heart, I drove the car to a hill. This was the ce I foundst time. I was nning to bring her here this week. We dide, but our feelings were different, and our rtionship was different. No matter what, I was still happy to be able to go with her.

    We climbed up to the roof of the carriage. Wildflowers of various colors bloomed all over the hill. There were no trees to block us from the view. We could see the sun slowly melting into the horizon like gold, burning away all its glory and glory. When I first saw this heart-palpitating scene by chance, I decided to share it with Selma. She was worth all the good things in the world.

    The wind ruffled her long brown hair. Selma leaned against the car while I carefully sat beside her. There was about a fist¡¯s distance between us. She suddenly moved her fingers slightly toward me. Then, she moved closer to me.

    My heart was beating fast. This could be said to be the most nervous moment of my life. I was ttered to see her holding my hand and leaning on me.

    She turned around and smiled at me. ¡°Thank you. I like it here.¡±

    I looked into her eyes. The sun in her eyes seemed to be burning, slowly approaching the ground with an aura that could destroy everything. I couldn¡¯t help but approach her. The bright light of the setting sun wrapped around her. She seemed to havee from heaven, and out of pity and love, she stayed here.

    If only time could stop at this moment. A gentle breeze caressed my face as I sat beside the person I loved the most and watched the sunset. It was as if there was still a great possibility of our future, and we could watch hundreds or thousands of sundown together.

    When our bodies were leaning against each other, I stopped. My heart was screaming for me to kiss her, but my rationality told me that if I did that, our rtionship would end.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s so beautiful today... ¡±

    But she suddenly came close to me, and I stared at her beautiful face. Then, I suddenly realized something, and my eyes widened in disbelief.

    The next second, the soft and full lips I was longing to kiss were on mine. It was as if there was a ray of sunshine, with a boiling heat and an aura that could not be ignored. I couldn¡¯t believe that the thing I had dreamed of was suddenly happening. I hugged her waist, closed my eyes, and kissed her deeply.

    At this moment, it didn¡¯t matter if she was the Queen¡¯s blood rtive or if she had any other identity. I had never desired her so much. Every drop of blood in my body was rushing in joy, and every beat of my heart was for her.

    Selma wrapped her arms around my neck and deepened the kiss. I could taste the sweet scent of a small bitter orchid on her body and the sweetness of candy. I was like a thirsty traveler who had finally received rain.

    Now I was the happiest person in the world. Even the king¡¯s crown couldn¡¯tpare to this.

 Chapter 35

    35 An Affectionate Confession

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I could tell that he wanted to kiss me. Anyone who saw his pitiful and cute expression could read his thoughts. To be honest, this was also what I wanted to do. I realized that my feelings for him were not simply tonic but a more profound and more passionate love.

    I was thrilled that I did this. When he kissed me madly, I felt like I had a fever. My breathing was heavy, and I almost couldn¡¯t breathe. The heat in my body almost ignited me. We both loved each other deeply. This was such a precious thing.

    I could feel his delirious emotions. At this moment, only the two of us were in the world. We were equal in enjoying this world.

    He was my lover. The other half of my body, sharing my honor and disgrace. My partner in my life.

    We kept gasping for breath as if we were going to die from ack of oxygen. I felt I was melting in the sunset, melting in my lover¡¯s arms. We finally stopped. His forehead was leaning against mine. Our eyes met, and we couldn¡¯t help but smile.

    This was the person I should spend the rest of my life with. I should be with the person I like and not be bound by a damn connection, crying for someone who didn¡¯t want me and hurt my friends and family. Benson couldn¡¯t hurt me now because I¡¯dpletely understood that it didn¡¯t matter if he didn¡¯t like me. It was enough for me to like myself. Countless people in this world would like me for me.

    Aldrich pulled me into his arms and whispered gently, ¡°Selma, my girl.¡±

    He liked me, without a doubt.

    I looked at his grey pupils and saw my flushed face. It looked like I had juste out of a physical training ss. My cheeks were red, my body was sweating, and I was panting. I had already fallen hopelessly in love with this man. I was such a fool. I should have seen it earlier. If it wasn¡¯t love, why would he look at me with such a charming smile every day?

    Dorothy was right. Although I didn¡¯t know if that was what she meant in the note she gave me, it was true that the important things might not be obvious.

    Aldrich lowered his head and kissed me again, but it was very light this time as if he was afraid of breaking me. My forehead was against his forehead, and his strong arms were wrapped firmly around me, making me feel that this was the only haven in the world.

    If I had known this would happen, I would have dressed up and not experienced everything in a messy state. But, oh my god! I didn¡¯t even have time to put on makeup. And my clothes, I was not in a good mood today. I was wearing the ugliest piece in my closet, and my shoes were not pretty. There was a little stain on them, and I didn¡¯t even think about wiping them before I left.

    After I got angry, my mind was filled with him, and I didn¡¯t have the energy to pay attention to myself. He was indeed very handsome. I was not looking at him with a filter, but all the girls around me agreed with me. Also, he was not the kind of idiot who had nothing to offer but his face. He was funny and humorous and always considerate of others, except for certain times because he always made some bad jokes.

    His body smelled good, and his smile was beautiful. His existence made my heart beat faster, and I hoped to keep talking to him. However, when I found out that he had a girl he loved, I was a little depressed. From that moment on, our rtionship changed.

    ¡°Aldrich... ¡°I hugged him tightly, his heart beating in my ears, repeatedly, so determined that it made me want to cry. ¡°Now, can I know who the girl you liked before was?¡±

    He looked down at me; the smile on his face did not fade at all. Instead, he said with certainty, ¡°You know who that girl is.¡±

    I wrinkled my nose and tugged at his arm. ¡°Tell me now.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s you. I¡¯ve liked you since the beginning. You¡¯re very special and interesting, so I couldn¡¯t help but tease you... ¡±

    Although I was happy to know about this, that was the problem. Sometimes, his personality was abnormally bad. I couldn¡¯t help but pout. Then, heughed loudly and rubbed my head.

    ¡°Because your expression is cute. You look cute, and everything about you is cute.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± He so amused me that I couldn¡¯t stopughing.

    ¡°I like you. You were hurt so badly before that you might not want to start a new rtionship for the time being, but I¡¯m serious. I¡¯ll wait until the day you¡¯re ready.¡± Aldrich looked at me seriously and said solemnly as if he was making an oath.

    I couldn¡¯t help but snicker. ¡°I thought I was overthinking it.¡±

    ¡°I thought so too.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re such fools.¡± I buried my entire face in his arms and whispered.

    He kissed my forehead and said sweetly, ¡°Okay, my little fool. Don¡¯t think about those wasted times.¡±

    ¡°If I¡¯m a little fool, you¡¯re a big fool, the stupidest one.¡±

    He didn¡¯t deny it but looked at me tenderly.

 Chapter 36

    36 Back To The Pce

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°So, are you willing to be this idiot¡¯s girlfriend?¡±

    I grinned widely. ¡°Take a guess?¡±

    He tapped my forehead helplessly andughed with me.

    The answer to this question was obvious. If I had to choose someone to spend the rest of my life with, I hope that person would be him. He was also the only person I could ept at the moment. So since he wanted this, why not?

    I shrugged and held his hand. ¡°Of course.¡±

    As soon as I finished saying this, I felt like a giant stone had fallen from my heart. My heart had never been so calm before.

    We were meant to be together. We¡¯d been apart for too long and finally found each other again. Although he made people angry sometimes, I forgave him because he was handsome.

    We looked at each other for a moment, and then we couldn¡¯t help but kiss deeply again. Ever since we understood each other¡¯s feelings, the atmosphere between us made us unable to control our kisses. Damn it! I didn¡¯t even know why I liked him so much.

    His lips moved down my body and finally stopped on my neck. When his lips moved, at a certain point, a sudden pleasure swept over me. This couldn¡¯t be exined in simple words. When he touched that point, my whole body felt like it was electrocuted. I suddenly couldn¡¯t see clearly, and my ears buzzed as if everything in the world had left me.

    Such a wonderful feeling was only transmitted to my body from the small piece of skin his lips touched. My knees were already soft. If it wasn¡¯t for Aldrich holding me firmly, I might have already copsed. I had never experienced such a wonderful feeling in my life. It was as if my body was soaked in warm water. My breathing involuntarily became rapid, but he hadn¡¯t done anything.

    ¡°I ...¡± I found it hard to say what I felt. Was it because I¡¯d never had any intimate rtionship before that I was feeling this wonderful feeling?

    He touched my cheek as if he had already expected what I would say. ¡°I¡¯m marking you, but it¡¯s only temporary. It¡¯s fake.¡±

    ¡°Temporary?¡± I looked at him in confusion.

    Aldrich¡¯s gray eyes seemed to be rolling with all kinds of emotions I could not see clearly. ¡°Yes, the mark of eternity also means eternal loyalty, but all of this has to wait until you havepleted the transformation. I hope you are acting from your heart and not a moment of confusion.¡±

    I retorted, ¡°I¡¯m not delirious. I already knew that I liked you!¡±

    He kissed the top of my head. ¡°That¡¯s great. When your werewolf awakens, I¡¯ll mark you as I did just now, and we¡¯ll belong to each other forever.¡±

    It sounded like a mark was a good thing. So I had another reason to look forward to my werewolf transformation. I hoped that day woulde soon so I could gain strength and a mark.

    We stood side by side as we watched the sunset. No one spoke, and no one felt embarrassed. The time we spent together was passing too fast. We didn¡¯t do anything today, and it passed by quietly.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯re going back.¡± Aldrich jumped out of the car and reached out to me.

    I pouted unhappily. ¡°We can still stay a little longer. It¡¯s still early.¡±

    ¡°There are many people who care about you. The King and Queen might be worried about you. We¡¯ll have much time together in the future.¡± He held my hand, and I jumped to him, falling into his arms.

    On the way back, we had endless things to say. But, at the same time, a bigger problem surfaced. It could not be avoided in our rtionship, and that was my identity.

    He only thought that I was a distant rtive of the Queen. Would our rtionship change if he knew that I was their daughter and the future Queen? Would he still love me as simply and purely as he did now? Would he think that I lied to him?

    Many times I wanted to spill everything, but I controlled myself. My identity didn¡¯t just involve the rtionship between the two of us. It was even moreplicated. I shouldn¡¯t suddenly reveal everything without understanding the situation. If this harmed my parents and the people around me, I¡¯d die of guilt.

    Moreover, even though I trusted Aldrich, would he still be as perfect as he was now when things involved real interests?

    I¡¯d seen too many lovers go separate ways for a little benefit, not to mention that my identity was rted to an entire country. Was this the right time? Should I reveal everything or hide a part of the truth if I were to tell him anything at all?

    There were too many questions in my mind, and I couldn¡¯t help but feel like I was retreating.

    However, this would happen eventually. All I needed now was a little advice from my parents, and I hadn¡¯t thought of how to introduce them to the topic.

    The car stopped.

    I got out of the car and looked at him.

    ¡°Do you want to go and tell them about this?¡±

 Chapter 37

    37 The Night After The Confession

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Aldrich was stunned and asked me with uncertainty, ¡°Is this a good time? They won¡¯t kick me out, will they?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud. No matter how heroic a person was, they would always be timid when meeting their partner¡¯s parents. He might immediately faint from shock if he knew they were my parents.

    I waved at him and watched him leave.

    When I returned to the pce, I couldn¡¯t control my smile. If he had stayed for dinner, we might have been exposed by now, and my parents would have scared him.

    My mother kept saying that I looked very good at the dinner table. Perhaps this was the magic of love. I was like a nt that was well-taken care of and rxed from the inside out. My life was alreadyplete. All the people I loved were by my side, and I was also moving step by step toward my dream. Who would have thought I would be rejected by someone so coldly just a few months ago?

    My parents were talking to each other intimately. The atmosphere between them was so good that no one else could interrupt. This might be the so-called love. I used to scoff at this thing until I met Aldrich.

    ¡°Baby, you¡¯re acting weird today. Is there anything you want to share with us?¡± My mother kept sizing me up.

    I responded with a smile. I was thinking about when I should tell them about Aldrich. I needed more professional advice, but not today. I shouldn¡¯t be disturbed by these trivial things. I want to enjoy this pure happiness for a while longer. Furthermore, Aldrich also needed to be prepared.

    After dinner, my mother and I went to the garden for a walk, but I couldn¡¯t calm down and listen to what interesting things my mother said. My heart was filled with my lover. I didn¡¯t know if he had returned home. Was he thinking about me too?

    I also thought of the sunset today, but I couldn¡¯t remember the details. I only remembered the shocking red that covered the entire sky and Aldrich¡¯s smiling eyes and soft lips.

    ¡°What do you think? Hmm?¡± I didn¡¯t know what my mother said, but she asked for my opinion. Seeing that I didn¡¯t answer, she looked at me very worriedly.

    I could onlyfort her. ¡± Mom, I... I do have something to discuss with you, but not today. I think I need to be alone for a while.¡±

    After bidding farewell to my mother, Iy on the bed alone and couldn¡¯t help but giggle. I was sure I looked very silly if someone captured my expression now. I knew it with my toes, but I couldn¡¯t sleep. Whenever I closed my eyes, the sweetness would rush into my heart. I was dizzy, like a drunk, and kept looking for alcohol. The alcohol that made me drunk was Aldrich.

    The phone¡¯s ringing interrupted my thoughts. It was a message from Aldrich.

    We were even now. I wasn¡¯t the only one thinking about him. This was probably the telepathy between couples. When I saw his message, my heart was like a happy little bird, jumping and dancing on my chest.

    Aldrich wrote. [I can¡¯t wait to see you tomorrow.]

    He must be making ns for our date tomorrow. We¡¯d been listening to him when we went out before.

    I replied. [I haven¡¯t slept either. I can¡¯t sleep at all.]

    Aldrich responded. [I miss you too.]

    We kept the conversation going. I didn¡¯t know I was such a talkative person. I seemed to have umted all the words I hadn¡¯t said in the first half of my life and used them today. I didn¡¯t even want to sleep until the second half of the night. I wanted tomorrow toe sooner and the sun to rise now.

    In the end, Aldrich forced me to sleep, and our chat ended. But it would be soon. We still had training tomorrow morning, and it will be just the two of us. I would tell him how much I miss him and like him.

    With this in mind, I fell asleep. Almost immediately, I fell into a sweet dream. In my dream, I saw all the beautiful things. Of course, I could soon snuggle up with my lover.

    The next day, I woke up more than an hour earlier than usual. I barely slept, but I didn¡¯t feel sleepy or anything else.

    When we were having breakfast, my mother was shocked to see me. ¡°Baby, aren¡¯t you going to sleep a little longer?¡±

    ¡°No need, Mom! I¡¯ve slept enough. I¡¯m getting ready to go to training!¡± I happily ate the love-filled breakfast that my mother had prepared for me.

    My mother started to look at me probingly again. I guessed she must have felt I was not normal these two days.

    ¡°I¡¯m really fine,¡± I emphasized. ¡°I¡¯m just really, really looking forward to today¡¯s training.¡±

    ¡°I thought your attitude toward Aldrich would always be cold, but there are still two hours before your training starts. Do you remember that you have some tasks to deal with today?¡± My mother put a wet nket over me with a smile.

    Oh, right! I almost forgot. There was still the damned ss. I shouldn¡¯t have argued with my father to shorten the time. I had brought it on myself.

 Chapter 38

    38 Special Treatment For The Girlfriend

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I sat back in my seat dejectedly. But, then, I thought of something and asked, ¡°When do you think I can reveal my identity?¡±

    My mother pondered for a moment. ¡°Your father and I both think that it will take about a year for you to finish your training and be able to protect yourself.¡±

    Eleven months! I added in my heart.

    I¡¯d already started a month of training, so there were still eleven months before that day came. That meant I¡¯d be able to see Aldrich¡¯s surprised face in eleven months. However, I still couldn¡¯t imagine how he¡¯d react. I really couldn¡¯t wait to see that daye.

    ¡°Mom, when will I be able to see your wolf? Will my wolf be as good as yours?¡± I looked at my mother worriedly. She took the schedule handed to her by the person next to her and frowned.

    She didn¡¯t have the time. She and my father were too busy. I couldn¡¯t even see them every day. My willful suggestion must have put my mother in a difficult position. She was nice and couldn¡¯t bear to hurt my feelings, but I always caused her trouble. I was not a good daughter.

    ¡°If you¡¯re too busy, it¡¯s fine. You¡¯ll have time, won¡¯t you?¡± Then, I added, ¡°One day in the future, you know.¡±

    My mother smiled. ¡°It¡¯s okay, baby. You can tell me anything you want. How about next weekend? Your father and I can cancel a few boring gatherings next weekend.¡±

    She winked at me yfully. ¡°It¡¯s almost time. Haven¡¯t you been looking forward to training? So hurry up and go!¡±

    I felt my mother knew something, but she didn¡¯t mention it.

    However, the thought of seeing Aldrich immediately made me want to fly. I hurriedly said goodbye to my mother and went to the training ground. Someone had been waiting there for a long time.

    ¡°Hey, my dear girlfriend, did you sleep wellst night?¡± The dark circles under his eyes betrayed him.

    I smelled the lemon scent on him, squinted, andughed. ¡°Be careful not to let others hear you. You¡¯re going to see the King and Queen today.¡±

    Aldrich stuck out his tongue. ¡°It¡¯s okay. We will be recognized.¡±

    He looked very confident, but I didn¡¯t believe what he had just said.

    ¡°So, let¡¯s go and rify our rtionship now.¡±

    He immediately scrunched his face and pleaded, ¡°Darling, I was wrong. I might need more time to gather some courage.¡±

    I hugged him and giggled .¡±I thought you were not afraid of anything.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m only afraid that you won¡¯t be by my side. ¡±

    I leaned into his arms, and the strong scent of lemon wrapped around me. My heart had never been so determined before.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s start training. I¡¯ll give you some special treatment as my girlfriend.¡± He grinned andughed. ¡°Let¡¯s go and run fiftyps to warm up.¡±

    ¡°This is your girlfriend¡¯s special treatment?¡± I raised my eyebrows and asked him.

    ¡°Of course, you can get my true love¡¯s kiss after the run. Isn¡¯t that preferential treatment enough?¡±

    When I finished running fiftyps, I didn¡¯t get a kiss of true love but sixty push-ups. Finally, when I couldn¡¯t bear it anymore and wanted to teach him what a couple was like, my parents came. Perhaps I was looking forward to letting them see the results of my training today.

    Great, I nced at Aldrich. He was smiling triumphantly at me.

    I¡¯d take back what I said before about liking him a little. He was an annoying person. Yeap, a good-looking annoying person.

    Due to my parents¡¯ visit, the training was surprisingly serious. We didn¡¯t continue to talk after the training. I followed my parents away. They had to deal with some government affairs at noon, and I had to learn by their side. At the same time, we also decided to set a time to see my parents¡¯ wolves. We would start this on a working day because they had to apany each other during the weekend.

    To be honest, I could understand my parents¡¯ feelings now. When two people stayed together and did nothing, they could spend the dayfortably. As long as they were with the person they love, they would not be bored no matter what. But, on the other hand, if they were separated, no matter what interesting things they did, they would always feel that something wascking.

    For example, although my people were standing in the office, I had been thinking about Aldrich. Would he feel disappointed? We could have spent some time together after training, but now we could only rely on mobile phones tomunicate, which was frustrating.

    ¡°Sweetheart? Sweetheart?¡± My mother said, ¡°Earth to you.¡±

    My mother¡¯s teasing made my face burn. It was all Aldrich¡¯s fault that I made a fool of myself in front of my parents.

    ¡°Do you think you¡¯d like to take a walk in the forest with us one day? We just found that the scenery by theke is magnificent.¡±

    ¡°How about tomorrow?¡± My father asked me after thinking for a while.

    There would be training tomorrow, but I would treat it as a special treat for my boyfriend.

    My phone was vibrating. It was Aldrich calling me, but I didn¡¯t answer and declined the call as if nothing had happened.

 Chapter 39

    39 Jealousy

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    On the way back, I kept thinking about what my father had just told me. He told me that in the future, I would have to govern the country with the help of the various dukes. This would not be an easy task. However, I felt very excited I felt very excited when I thought about how Aldrich would only listen to my orders after I became the Queen.

    As I said that, I saw him standing outside the corridor, leaning against the wall and looking around. When he saw mee out, an undetectable smile appeared on his face, but it was quickly covered up. Then, he walked over to me and gently held my wrist.

    ¡°I suddenly remembered that I still have some issues with training that I need to talk to you about.¡±

    We walked to a ce with no one around. I snickered at him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that people will find out about our rtionship?¡±

    ¡°When my call was cruelly declined, everything else isn¡¯t that important anymore,¡± he said to me pitifully.

    Iughed so hard that I bent over. Who could bear to be angry with him? He was too likable.

    ¡°Your- Uhm, Miss Selma, you still have matters to deal with.¡± My mother¡¯s servant came over to call me and almost exposed me.

    I could only ask her to leave first and kiss the depressed Aldrich.

    ¡°Our private time is always disturbed by someone.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. How about we go to the movies? Just the two of us.¡±

    Seeing that my mother was walking over, I gestured to him with my phone, indicating that we could chat more on the pher. Then, I hurriedly ran away.

    We finally watched the movie together. This precious time alone was rare, but I didn¡¯t know what the movie was about. So instead, my attention waspletely on Aldrich next to me. His gray eyes were bright and shining under the faint light of the big screen, and his hand unconsciously held mine.

    However, I tried my best to make it seem like an ordinary movie-watching instead of a clingy rtionship between a couple. Even though my identity was still a secret at this moment, a secret that even my lover didn¡¯t know.

    However, one day, the whole country would know who I was. I couldn¡¯t tarnish the Lycans¡¯ reputation, and I didn¡¯t want anyone to mock me after I be the Queen. Although the possibility was little, who could tell?

    But no matter what, we had a wonderful night. We didn¡¯t need to do much. As long as we were by each other¡¯s side, it would be a wonderful day.

    ¡°Wanna go get something to eat?¡±

    I nodded and was dragged to the restaurant we went tost time.

    The environment inside was the same as always. Many people greeted Aldrich affectionately, and some smiled at me.

    Our close rtionship was no longer a secret in many people¡¯s eyes. To them, our rtionship might not be as simple as friends, but no one said it out loud.

    The waitress who came up to take our order was still the same. She had shiny eyeshadow, her lips glistened, and her hair was beautifully done. She winked at us as usual. I felt very ufortable at that moment, but I knew well that I was not jealous.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get two chicken sandwiches.¡±

    ¡°Okay, handsome, do you want anything else to drink?¡± Her gaze was fixed on Aldrich¡¯s face. Although I must admit, he was indeed quite handsome, he was my boyfriend.

    ¡°Two sses of orange juice.¡± Aldrich smiled at the waiter without noticing.

    I had to admit that I was indeed a little jealous. Well, perhaps it was not just a little. This was not the fault of that poor waitress at all. It was my inner possessiveness. However, I was full of jealousy, and I urgently needed someone to vent that toward.

    Aldrich finally noticed his girlfriend, who was about to drown in jealousy. ¡°Wow, baby, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. Weren¡¯t you having a good time chatting with her?¡± I retorted.

    Heughed out loud. ¡°Baby, how many words did we exchange? Are you jealous?¡±

    I snorted and stopped talking to him.

    The waitress quickly brought our order. Her makeup today was perfect, and her hair was also adorable. I looked at the beautiful waitress and felt that this was indeed Aldrich¡¯s fault. If he weren¡¯t so charming, I wouldn¡¯t constantly be worried.

    However, this little episode didn¡¯t affect my mood at all. We enjoyed a good meal. Aldrich sent me home, and we kissed deeply on the way. I somehow felt that one day I would melt into him. From his dejected expression, he also enjoyed our time together.

    ¡°Darling, do you wanna go for a date after training tomorrow? We can go out for a walk together.¡±

    I smiled at him smugly. ¡°I have something to do tomorrow, so I won¡¯t being for training.¡±

    Looking at his expression of surprise, the gloominess in my heart was swept away. He looked cute. I controlled my expression, not wanting to show too much gloating.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because tomorrow... Uhm... I¡¯m going to see the King and Queen¡¯s wolves. They promised me.¡±

 Chapter 40

    40 My Parents¡¯ Wolves

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Aldrich was silent for a long time until the car stopped. He then asked me hesitantly, ¡°Do you want to see mine? If you¡¯re curious about werewolves.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I am very interested in my boyfriend.¡±

    He squinted and looked at me seriously. ¡°Wow, miss, you need to think about what you said. I¡¯m your boyfriend.¡±

    I was so happy that I couldn¡¯t stop. ¡°What¡¯s the difference? You and your wolf are one.¡±

    ¡°No, no, this ispletely different. You only belong to me.¡± He looked angry. Although I didn¡¯t want to say it, I wondered every day how I could like my boyfriend so much.

    But this time, he seemed angry for real. He wasn¡¯t smiling at all. He pursed his lips tightly and looked at the other side of the road.

    ¡°Alright, don¡¯t be angry. You¡¯re my only boyfriend.¡± I shook his arm and said coyly.

    ¡°I will never be angry with you. You are the person I love the most.¡± He turned to look at me and repeated, ¡°I love you.¡±

    I put my arms around his neck and kissed him. ¡°I love you too.¡±

    I¡¯d never been so sure about this and never liked someone so much. My heart beat fast when I looked at him. Other than his handsome face and strong body, he also had a character that made people feel at ease. Although sometimes it was annoying,pared to hating him, I couldn¡¯t help but forgive him for what he had done the first time I met him.

    ¡°I thought you were outraged. You looked so furious just now.¡± I pouted andined to him.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who wanted to make me angry?¡± Aldrich touched my nose. ¡°In the end, you still feel wronged. I will never, ever be angry. I promise.¡±

    ¡°So, when are we going to see your wolf? I can¡¯t wait.¡±

    Aldrich disagreed immediately but said, ¡°I think waiting until your wolf is awake will be a good time. Then, you will know who your boyfriend is.¡±

    I pouted and reluctantly waved goodbye to him. Before we left, we kissed each other deeply. The brilliance in his eyes was so charming, but our rtionship couldn¡¯t be revealed for the time being. I hoped that this day woulde soon. I couldn¡¯t wait to tell everyone that he was my boyfriend.

    I watched as he drove away. Finally, I turned around and left as well. Although we couldn¡¯t meet tomorrow, we could chat on the phone. Besides, I couldn¡¯t wait to see my parents¡¯ wolves tomorrow.

    The next day, my parents brought me to the forest¡¯s edge as promised. But, again, I felt the blood in my body boiling. I couldn¡¯t believe I could see a werewolf¡¯s transformation with my own eyes and that I could be one of them.

    Their limbs gradually elongated, and their muscles became more apparent. Pure white fur grew on their bodies, and their eyes became sharp vertical pupils. Cold teeth grew from their elongated jaws. I believed that no one would try to explore how terrifying these sharp teeth were. Finally, their hands turned into ws, looking majestic and terrifying.

    ¡°Hello, Daughter,¡± my father¡¯s wolf said.

    I jumped in shock. I thought wolves couldn¡¯t even speak.

    ¡°Normal wolves can¡¯t talk, but we¡¯re different,¡± my mother¡¯s wolf exined. Her voice was deeper than when she was in her human form and sounded more majestic.

    ¡°Will I be like you in the future?¡± I looked at them in a daze. If my wolf were like this, it would be so cool. I would be the coolest wolf in the world.

    ¡°Of course, baby. You have the same blood as us. You will be a better person than us,¡± my father¡¯s wolf said proudly.

    ¡°We¡¯ve been waiting for this day since you were born.¡± My mother¡¯s wolf said sadly, ¡°I thought I would never see it again.¡±

    My father¡¯s wolf gently wiped the tears from my mother wolf¡¯s face. ¡°Alright, Irene, let¡¯s not talk about these sad things. It¡¯s all in the past.

    ¡°By the way, little guy, my name is Pymon, and this is Irene. We¡¯re delighted to see you.¡± My father¡¯s wolf tried to make his noble face not look so fierce, but he failed. Instead, his stiff smile made him look even more terrifying.

    Oh my god, I hoped my wolf would wake up sooner. I¡¯d never looked forward to it so much. Couldn¡¯t the days pass faster?

    I hoped that everything woulde true in the next second, that my wolf would wake up, that my parents would announce my identity to the whole country, that I could take my rtionship with Aldrich a step further, and that I might be able to muster up the courage to return to my previous ¡®pack¡¯, and proudly show it to my adoptive parents and brother.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, darling. Let¡¯s go for a walk.¡± My parents came back after tidying up their clothes. They looked the same as usual. Looking at them now, no one could imagine how terrifying they were when they turned into their wolf forms.

    I hoped that my transformation would bepleted soon.

 Chapter 41

    41 Departure

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    School life was amazing. Honestly, I thought this ce was much friendlier than the schools I attended back in the Dark Shadow Pack.

    At least no one here would stuff dead rats into my locker because of my unique identity.

    ¡°Hey! Selma! There¡¯s a rehearsal at the opera club today. We¡¯re going to help out. Do you want toe?¡±

    ¡°I saw the poster on the noticeboard. You¡¯re going to perform ¡®the Butterfly Lady¡¯?¡± I smiled and held their hands. ¡°But it¡¯s a pity that I can¡¯t go. I have to go for training after school. You know that.¡±

    Mara pouted in frustration and shook my arm like a spoiled child. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you only need to train three times a week? So why don¡¯t you free up tonight? I¡¯m begging you, Selma! The props team has made a lot of beautiful costumes and jewelry. It will be a loss for the world if you don¡¯t try them on. Come on,e on!¡±

    My heart softened for a moment, but when I saw Aldrich¡¯s car parked at the door, I could only say, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, but I can¡¯t tonight.¡±

    Avril and Mara could only watch me leave in frustration.

    ¡°Hey, Your Excellency!¡± I quickly got into the back seat and covered Aldrich¡¯s eyes. ¡°You were kidnapped! Now, do as I say, quickly drive to a ce with no one around. Let me teach you a good lesson, you disobedient wolf!¡±

    Aldrich helplessly raised his hands and made a gesture of surrender. ¡°I¡¯ll follow your orders, but can you return me an eye? Otherwise, your humble servant can¡¯t drive.¡±

    Weughed together, and he easily moved me to the passenger seat like he was holding a doll and affectionately rubbed the tip of my nose.

    ¡°But howe you have time to pick me up today?¡± I asked. The management of the army was very strict, and today was not the training day we had originally agreed on.

    ¡°Today is thest Friday of the month. The army has a half-day break.¡± He started the car. ¡°This means I can temporarily take over the driver¡¯s role and buy you arge caramelized biscuit ice cream with pistachios and cranberry on the way back to the pce.¡±

    ¡°Yay!¡± I cheered. For the sake of the ice cream, I would like to thank the royal doctor Tracy for her kind advice. My parents never allowed me to eat a single bite of highly sugared and fatty desserts.

    Holding the ice cream that was hard toe by, I took a big mouthful of it in satisfaction and asked vaguely, ¡°Are we still going to be at the training ground tonight? I somehow feel that training in an open area is a little calmer. Maybe we can change the location and find a breakthrough?¡±

    Aldrich looked at me gently. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m very happy that you¡¯ve started to have your training n. But I¡¯m sorry, my dear, I can¡¯t help you with extra training tonight.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°My father asked me to go home tonight to discuss some things. After that, he might take me on a long trip to another pack.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± I said as I put down the spoon gloomily. The sweet and sour cranberry no longer tasted good. ¡°How long are you going to be gone?¡±

    ¡°I promise it won¡¯t take more than three days, Selma.¡± Aldrich took advantage of the red light to lean over and kiss my forehead. ¡°My true love, the thought of being away from you for three days is unbearable. I want to turn you into a doll and take you away in my pocket.¡±

    My heart twitched, but I was also a little embarrassed. I could only bluff and stare at him. ¡°Don¡¯t be such a sweet talker.¡±

    We slowly moved closer and exchanged a sweet, pistachios and cranberry-vored kiss.

    We kissed, and our foreheads touched. Then, he whispered in my ear in a low and seductive voice, ¡°Mydy, you¡¯re too cute. Perhaps I have to think of a way to keep you with me all the time.¡±

    ¡°I told you not to act like that!¡± I punched his shoulder angrily. ¡°How ungentlemanly! That was myst piece of the caramelized biscuit!¡±

    Aldrich held the biscuit in his mouth andughed proudly.

    But I was still a little uneasy. Although I¡¯d only met Duke Frank once, I felt he was cunning.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with Duke Frank?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but ask Aldrich, ¡°Three days. That doesn¡¯t sound like something small.¡±

    Aldrich shrugged. ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t know either. My father has always been mysterious. If he wanted to hide something from you, then you would not know until the day you die.¡±

    These cheeky words didn¡¯tfort the unease in my heart, but I knew that as a noble, Duke Frank had the right to keep his secrets or ¡®family matters¡¯ to himself. Even my parents couldn¡¯t inquire about it at will, let alone me, who was only a ¡®rtive of the Queen¡¯.

    To be honest, I was getting more and more annoyed at keeping my identity a secret. Lovers shouldn¡¯t lie to each other, right?

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Perhaps my gaze was too direct, Aldrich stopped the car by the side of the road and held me in his arms.

    I buried my head in his chest and said in a muffled voice, ¡°I don¡¯t want you to go.¡±

    ¡°Oh, my dear.¡± Aldrichughed. ¡°Then, I won¡¯t leave.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± I straightened my body and saw only deep affection in his silver eyes.

    He was serious!

 Chapter 42

    42 An Emergency

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true!¡± Aldrich touched my forehead like a child. ¡°Nothing is more important than you, my dear. Even if my father told me to go home and inherit the title, as long as you don¡¯t want to, I would never leave you.¡±

    Alright! Praise the Moon Goddess. Did she make every he-wolf this adorable when she created them?

    But...

    ¡°Forget it; I was just joking.¡± I shook my head and suppressed my reluctance. ¡°This is your responsibility. I can¡¯t be willful and drag you down.¡±

    Aldrich wanted to say something, but I interrupted him, ¡°Alright, alright, don¡¯t make it look like a life and death parting. It¡¯s only three days. I¡¯m not so weak that I can¡¯t even look away from you.¡±

    I lied because I really didn¡¯t want to leave Aldrich for a second.

    Even though I tried my best to keep my emotions in check, my heavy mood still affected the atmosphere between us. All the way, Aldrich tried to make me happy, but I seemed to have forgotten how to speak. Other than a stiff smile, I couldn¡¯t say a word.

    This caused our parting to be a little unpleasant. However, it was one-sided, and Aldrich wanted to make me happy even at thest moment.

    The atmosphere in the pce was somber. Even though I was not paying attention, I could feel it. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked a servant. Where are the Lycan King and Queen?¡±

    ¡°Miss Selma, Her Highness the Queen has ordered you to go to the imperial physician Tracy after you return.¡± The servant said, ¡°His Majesty and Her Majesty are in the town hall. Please have dinner alone tonight.¡±

    I frowned. ¡°They are still in town at this time? What happened in the pack?¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s your school,¡± the servant said. ¡°A witch attacked Sivir Academy, and a group of students are trapped in the school.¡±

    What?

    I was shocked. Avril and M were inside!

    I couldn¡¯t care about anything else and rushed to the town hall only to see a group of unfamiliar ministers standing inside.

    ¡°Good evening, Your Majesties.¡± Fortunately, I didn¡¯t forget my image as a ¡®rtive¡¯ and bowed obediently to my parents before the outsiders.

    ¡°Selma!¡± When mother saw me, she heaved a sigh of relief and said to my father and the ministers, ¡°Excuse me, my poor niece might have some witch magic left in her. I have to go with her for an examination.¡±

    After we left the town hall, my mother hugged me and said while sobbing, ¡°Fortunately, you¡¯re fine! I heard that Aldrich went to pick you up from school! I have to thank him properly. If he were a minutete, you would have been implicated.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s put our gratitude aside for now. We¡¯re not ready to reveal our sweet little secret. I¡¯m more concerned about the situation at school. Has the academy been attacked by a witch? What happened to the students? My friends are still inside!¡±

    ¡°The situation isn¡¯t clear. The guards have detected magic fluctuations but haven¡¯t seen any witches.¡± My mother took me to the royal medical hall. ¡°The witch attacked Sivir Academy, but she didn¡¯t make any threats. So we don¡¯t know what her purpose is.

    ¡°As for the students, none of the parents has felt their or their children¡¯s mind links severed. So they¡¯re safe for the time being.¡±

    I heaved a sigh of relief when I heard that the students were fine.

    Tracy used medicine and powder I didn¡¯t recognize to run a series of tests on me. Then, finally, she said to my worried mother, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Majesty. There¡¯s no magic power on the princess. She¡¯spletely safe.¡±

    ¡°Thank Moon Goddess.¡± My mother repeated it a few times before saying, ¡°I still have to return to your father¡¯s side. Those ministers are best at ming each other for things they can¡¯t solve. So you¡¯ll have to have dinner alone tonight, okay?¡±

    I nodded obediently, knowing this was not the time to be willful.

    After distractedly finishing my dinner, I went to the training ground alone to train my physical fitness. However, my fatigue couldn¡¯t suppress the worry in my heart. I couldn¡¯t help but imagine what would happen to Avril and Mara. After all, witches had a natural advantage over werewolves regarding mind control.

    After thinking of my friends, I began to think of my lover. Would his father send the army to capture the rebellious witches? Would Aldrich be summoned to lead the team? What if the evil witch injured him?

    After thinking about the bad things, I thought that it was impossible. Aldrich was so powerful that even a witch would not be his match. If he came back, we would not have to be separated for three days.

    I let my thoughts run wild for the entire evening. Then, just as I identally ran over seventyps and was lying on the ground to recover my strength, a servant brought me some exciting news.

    ¡°Good news, Your Highness. The chaos in Sivir Academy has been resolved.¡± Kara, the tall and thin head servant taking care of me, helped me up. ¡°No students or teachers were injured. It was resolved peacefully.¡±

    ¡®It is good that they¡¯re fine!¡¯ I felt as if a boulder in my heart had been gently lifted.

    Kara helped me to take a bath. I was so tired that I could not open my eyes. ¡°Have they caught the witch? Who was she? Why did they attack the academy? Does she have a grudge against the werewolves? Or does she have a problem with the Lycan pack?¡±

    ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t worry too much. The lord will take care of everything.¡± Karaughed helplessly. ¡°This is a secret, so I don¡¯t know.¡±

 Chapter 43

    43 The Side Effects

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Damn confidentiality regtions! When I be the Queen, I¡¯d first abolish this old rule from thousands of years ago!

    I thought before I fell asleep in the bathtub.

    I slept untilte in the morning. When I opened my eyes, the sky was already bright. Kara and Tracy were standing before my bed. My mother was sitting by my pillow, looking worried. Then, seeing that I was awake, she heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank Moon Goddess. You¡¯re finally awake, baby.¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡± I was a little confused.

    ¡°You¡¯ve slept for almost fifteen hours, Your Highness,¡± Kara said. ¡°It¡¯s noon now.¡±

    What?

    I suddenly sat up and wailed, ¡°So, I¡¯m alreadyte? Oh no, my end-of-term summary will show a fewrge ¡®truant¡¯ stamps!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that,¡± Kara said. ¡°It is Saturday today. The school is off.¡±

    I paused for a few seconds and heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s Saturday, Saturday...¡±

    However, since it was Saturday today, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for me to sleep in, right? I swore I wouldn¡¯t miss tonight¡¯s training, although my dear instructor boyfriend was absent.

    My mother pulled me into her arms and asked gently, ¡°Baby, have you been feeling unwell recently? For example, chest tightness, shortness of breath, dizziness, weakness, and so on.¡±

    I enjoyed the warm embrace andzily shook my head. ¡°No, I¡¯m in good health. I even ran seventy-fourpsst night! I¡¯ve broken the record!¡±

    ¡°My little princess, I¡¯m proud of you.¡± My mother chuckled and kissed me on the cheek. ¡°Are you not feeling well? You¡¯re about toe of age. I only want to ensure everything is well.¡±

    My mother asked again and again. This was very normal. I was the daughter she had lost and found again. She was the mother I had wanted for many years. It was expected that she paid a little too much attention to me. I adapted well to everything.

    However, I didn¡¯t know why, but I felt very irritated today.

    Just like how I felt toward Aldrichst night.

    This unusual emotion was because I realized that something was wrong.

    ¡°Actually....¡± I said hesitantly, ¡°I feel I¡¯ve been in a bad mood these few days.¡±

    My mother asked nervously, ¡°Did something happen at school? A quarrel with friends? Did someone bully you?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s because nothing happened that I feel irritated for no reason. That¡¯s why I said it¡¯s abnormal.¡±

    My mother looked at Tracy, hoping that she would give her an answer.

    Tracy looked very calm, which greatly soothed everyone present.

    ¡°It¡¯spletely normal for a werewolf close to the shift to show signs of sleepiness and abnormal emotions,¡± she said calmly.

    ¡°Your body needs more energy to handle the shift, so you need more sleep. You¡¯re awakening the wolf side of you. This process is silent but has a huge impact. A restless mind is indeed more likely to make you more irritable. Sufficient rest and correct self-venting can solve it easily.¡±

    ¡°So it¡¯s not a big deal. It¡¯s just a necessary process for my wolf to wake up?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Perhaps this is a little too intense,¡± Tracy consoled. ¡°But it¡¯s nothing to worry about. Everything ispletely under control.¡±

    Hearing that I was fine, my mother finally calmed down.

    It was only then that I realized she was missing a person inseparable from her ¨C my father.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Father? Is he still busy?¡± I felt a little hungry. ¡°Maybe we can have lunch together after he finishes his work?¡±

    My mother smiled apologetically. ¡°Trust me, baby. If your father knew about your abnormality, he would have grown wings and flown to your side. However, there are still some things to deal withst night¡¯s turmoil. As the leader, he has to go to the scene to calm the people personally.¡±

    The rtionship between the werewolves and the witches was not good, even if they were not as ipatible as fire and water. After such an appalling incident as a witch attacking a school, those old farts who always loved to oppose my father would jump at the chance to cause trouble.

    I understood my father¡¯s difficulties, so I wasn¡¯t angry that he was absent.

    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s have a candlelight lunch today, okay?¡± I pounced over and acted coquettishly. ¡°You must always have candlelight lunch with Father, but you¡¯ve never had it with me. This is not fair!¡±

    My mother caught me, and we fell onto the soft four-pir bed together. Sheughed and said, ¡°Who taught you this? Hurry up and tell me. I¡¯ll kick that glib-tongued bad guy out of the pack!¡±

    Aldrich¡¯s figure shed before my eyes. I felt guilty for a second and immediately acted even more coquettish to make my mother forget this little episode.

    After a satisfying lunch, I felt sleepy again. My mother said I could skip my training for the next few days. She wanted to be sure that nothing would affect my safe transition.

    ¡°There¡¯s still a long way to go.¡± I said to her in a daze, ¡°It¡¯s just a small incident. You don¡¯t have to be so nervous. Tracy also said that it¡¯s no issue, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course, sweetheart. Everything will be fine. We promise.¡± My mother caressed the top of my head. ¡°Now, have a good sleep.¡±

    Without realizing it, I once again fell asleep.

 Chapter 44

    44 The Self

    Dorothy¡¯s POV:

    That day came without warning.

    My mixed bloodline silently and rapidly exploded. Without me knowing it, I became a witch with a wolf.

    Or rather, a wolf that could do magic.

    I didn¡¯t know how to face my grandmother. She had always hated the half of me that was my father¡¯s. Caning, burning, silver whips, smuggled ¡®holy water¡¯... I couldn¡¯t even remember how many punishments or ¡®purification¡¯ I¡¯d suffered.

    Obviously, all these methods were useless. The witch¡¯s blood, which my grandmother denounced as ¡®trash¡¯, finally took root and sprouted in my body.

    I was brought to the pce and met with the Lycan King. I believed he was about to execute me like he would kill a mouse found in a granary.

    That was good too. I was not afraid of death. Death was my release.

    The Lycan King was not as imposing as he was on the television or on the posters. He smiled kindly with apassionate look in his eyes.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to kill me?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Why do you think that? Of course not, my child. You are a little werewolf, my people and my responsibility. The King will always love and protect his people.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m a witch. If you don¡¯t kill me, one day I¡¯ll destroy yournd and kill your people.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t say that. Be it a witch or a werewolf, there¡¯s no absolute evil.¡±

    ¡°But witches are evil. They are the source of the werewolves¡¯ downfall. I have the witch¡¯s blood, so sooner orter, your pack will be destroyed.¡±

    I heard myself say this, but my heart was so numb I couldn¡¯t feel anything.

    ¡°Let all of this end immediately. End this life that was a mistake. End this pointless life of mine.

    While I waited for my judgment, the King asked, ¡°Do you wish for that to happen?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Do you wish to be an evil creature and then disappear from the world like a dandelion?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not the question of whether I want it.¡± I was a little angry, and tears of anguish poured out of my eyes. ¡°I am but a witch! If you don¡¯t kill me, I will kill you!¡±

    Just as my grandmother said, this dirty satan¡¯s blood would destroy me sooner orter. Then, it would destroy everything!

    The Lycan King¡¯s face turned somber. His imposing manner was terrifying.

    ¡°No, you won¡¯t, child. Whether you¡¯re a werewolf or a witch, you won¡¯t be the kind of person you¡¯re talking about.

    ¡°I see the pain in your eyes. Sins cause you pain, and your bloodline causes you pain.

    ¡°But child, we came to this world not to let anyone manipte our lives. Be it a werewolf or a witch, they can¡¯t determine a person¡¯s nature.

    ¡°The only ones who can decide what we be are ourselves.¡±

    The morning sun glowed softly through the window, gilding the King¡¯s body. His expression was serious, but his eyes were filled with love as if I wasn¡¯t a mixed-blood b*stard, but a little sapling that should be carefully cared for.

    Alright. Now I got why so many people supported and loved him.

    ¡°Thinking about it now, child.¡± He touched my head gently. ¡°My niece, Selma, is also studying at Sivir Academy. Do you know her? Maybe you can go and hang out with her for a while. The servant will lead the way for you.¡±

    The majestic and kind King left.

    Selma, I knew her. She was my deskmate. She was such a lively, beautiful, and noble girl. Was she also affected by this disaster?

    As I thought about this, my guilt magnified infinitely.

    Everyone thought I was a freak, and no one was willing to get along with a gloomy mute.

    Only Selma never cared about these things. She would always chat with me with a smile and share the snacks she brought with me, even though I would never give her any response.

    I didn¡¯t want to be too narcissistic. Maybe her kindness to me was just out of her good upbringing and social etiquette, wasn¡¯t it?

    However, anyone who experienced getting along with Selma would understand her sincerity. And how pained and helpless I felt for not being able to respond to this sincerity.

    This annoying bloodline, in addition to making me consigned to eternal damnation, also caused my family and friends to be unable to speak before I was of age. Otherwise, my immature divination ability would bring bad luck to everyone for no reason.

    ¡°End, are you there?¡± I contacted my wolf. Her name was End, a thin and quiet little wolf like me.

    ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± she replied. ¡°I know what you¡¯re worried about, butpared to letting your imagination run wild, it might be better to just visit Selma.¡±

    With End¡¯s encouragement, I called the servant over and asked if I could go to Selma.

    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, Miss Selma is still unconscious. When she wakes up, I will inform you.¡±

    The servant¡¯s answer made me feel like I had fallen into an ice cave.

    I¡¯d heard that some witches¡¯ magic awakened so violently that they made people fall into eternal sleep. If something happened to Selma because of me, I didn¡¯t know how I could make it up to the only girl who was kind to me. How could I face the Lycan King, who had been trying his best tofort me?

 Chapter 45

    45 The Secret

    Dorothy¡¯s POV:

    ¡®Selma, Selma! I beg you. Please be okay.¡¯

    I couldn¡¯t help but recall every little thing happening while I was with Selma. Without realizing it, I fell into a strange situation.

    Time seemed to have stopped. I could see the butterfly¡¯s wings on the flower pping slowly like an old clockwork toy. The wind and air seemed to have frozen. Some people who shouldn¡¯t have appeared began to appear in reality. They moved forward as if they had 100 times the normal speed, but I strangely observed everything.

    I realized that my prophetic ability had appeared for the first time.

    Complicated information gushed into my head, making me feel dizzy. I only managed to grasp a few key details before the prophecies disappeared like the wind.

    ¡°Selma... I repeated. ¡°And, Sir Aldrich.¡±

    ¡°This is a soul-stirring love story.¡± I smiled bitterly.

    ¡®It was so shocking that you might lose your lives for it.¡¯

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I slept until dusk. It had been a long time since I felt so refreshed, and the fatigue umted over the past few days was swept away with my sleep.

    ¡°Miss Selma.¡± A servant came to ask for my permission. ¡°A youngdy by the name of Dorothy Hyeres wishes to see you. She says that she¡¯s your ssmate at Sivir Academy.¡±

    ¡°Of course. Please take her to the guest room, and tell her to wait for a while. I¡¯ll wash up first.¡±

    From what I knew, Dorothy wasn¡¯t a girl who was very keen on socializing. She was quiet but delicate and sensitive, always isting herself from the outside world.

    I wanted to be friends with her, but it had not been going very well. So why would she suddenlye to me?

    I quickly washed my face and gargled, then rushed to the guest room.

    Dorothy sat on the sofa uneasily. When she saw me, she whispered, ¡°Good evening, Selma,¡±

    I was surprised as she had never said a word before, at least not in front of me.

    ¡°Good evening. I heard that there was an ident at schoolst night. Are you alright? Did you get affected?¡±

    Dorothy was not very popr in school. Amid the chaos, I wasn¡¯t if anyone had thought of pulling her to safety. I hoped that that night had not traumatized her.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m fine,¡± Dorothy lowered her head and stammered a few words in response. Suddenly, she said, ¡°I have something I want to talk to you about in private, can I?¡±

    I dly agreed and asked the servants to leave for the time being.

    ¡°What¡¯s so secretive about what you¡¯re about to tell me?¡± I sat down beside her. ¡°It¡¯s just us now. Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    Dorothy pursed her lips tightly and avoided my gaze as if she was still hesitating on whether she should say what she was about to say.

    I wasn¡¯t in a hurry. It was usual for this girl, who had always been silent, to be inarticte.

    Finally, she seemed to have made up her mind and said, ¡°Can you keep what I am about to tell you a secret? Please don¡¯t think that my request is rude. It¡¯s just that... it might be too shocking. ¡±

    Iughed. ¡°How is this a rude request? We¡¯re friends, and friends should keep each other¡¯s secrets.¡±

    After saying that, I asked uncertainly, ¡°We¡¯re friends. This isn¡¯t one-sided, right?¡±

    Dorothy did not seem to expect me to say that. After a long while, she nodded slightly. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Before we start, I have something to tell you,¡± she said. ¡°In fact, I¡¯m not a pure werewolf. My father iwass a wizard, and I¡¯m of mixed-blood. I was the one who caused the riot at schoolst night. The witch¡¯s blood and my wolf had a fierce fight. I fainted and caused everything.¡±

    Woah!

    I didn¡¯t expect to this on such a peaceful day.

    It was so unbelievable that I took a long time to find my voice. ¡°But, you are in the pce now... Could it be that they... ?¡±

    I suddenly came to a realization. Could the elders have ordered Dorothy to be captured and executed in secret?

    This was not fair! Even if Dorothy could be considered half a witch, even if the rtionship between the werewolves and the witches was tense, Dorothy had not done anything wrong. She should not have suffered this unexpected punishment!

    ¡°I¡¯m going to please my father and uncle. They can¡¯t treat you like this!¡±

    I stood up indignantly. Dorothy was shocked and quickly pulled me back. ¡°No! Don¡¯t go! I¡¯m fine. The Lycan King has been very good to me. He was afraid I¡¯d be exposed, so he brought me to the pce to hide for a few days!¡±

    Realizing that I had mistaken, I sat down in embarrassment.

    Dorothy took a few deep breaths and said with great difficulty, ¡°My father¡¯s bloodline can predict the future. This means I can also predict the future when I be an adult.¡±

    ¡°And my first prophecy happened today. It is about you.¡±

    ¡°About me?¡± Her serious expression caused me to be serious as well. ¡°What is it about?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re dating Sir Aldrich, right?¡± she asked.

    I didn¡¯t expect our rtionship to be exposed so suddenly, and I panicked for a moment. However, this kind of panic was harmless in the face of friends and not parents. Young people always stood on the side of young people.

    ¡°We want to keep it a secret for the time being.¡± I tugged on her sleeve. ¡°Only you know about this. Please don¡¯t tell anyone else.¡±

    Dorothy nodded. ¡°Of course. We¡¯re friends. Friends should keep each other¡¯s secrets, right?¡±

 Chapter 46

    46 The Princess And The Queen

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    We looked at each other and smiled.

    Dorothy quickly became serious again, saying, ¡°My prophecy is about your love with Sir Aldrich. Unfortunately, I can see that you¡¯re about to embark on a path filled with poison and thorns. Love will be extremely difficult and might even get you killed.¡±

    What?

    I never thought that a sweet rtionship would bring about a fatal disaster. Dorothy would not lie to me; a witch¡¯s prophecy had never been wrong. I could ept that the road of love was full of thorns, but I did not expect it to lead to death.

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible... ¡± I grabbed my hair unconsciously and muttered to myself, ¡°Even if everyone disapproved of us, even if some of us might have a change of heart in the future, how could we be moving toward death? This doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±

    Dorothy looked at me helplessly. I didn¡¯t expect a small prophecy to bring me so much pain.

    I hadn¡¯t been in a rtionship with Aldrich for long, but I¡¯d fantasized about our beautiful future countless times at night.

    The happiness in a dream should be filled with flowers,ughter, blessings, and gentle love, not rough thorns and death.

    I couldn¡¯t ept such an oue. Without realizing it, tears started flowing from my eyes.

    Dorothy panicked and took out a handkerchief to wipe my tears. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Selma. A prophecy is just a prophecy. The future is not fixed. However, perhaps a careless decision we make right now canpletely change the future.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± My tears blurred my vision, and I could not see her clearly. ¡°Please don¡¯t lie to me or try tofort me, Dorothy. You don¡¯t know how important Aldrich is to me.¡±

    If I were to return to my rebellious fourteen-year-old self, if someone told me that I would cry for a man one day, I would have refuted and told him that it was impossible.

    However, at the darkest and most despairing moment of my life, my fate suddenly took a 180 degrees turn. I received family and love at the same time. How could I not cherish it when I had nothing?

    ¡®Aldrich, my love, if that dayes, I beg Moon Godness to summon me first, not you.¡¯

    After I calmed down, Dorothy said, ¡°From ancient times until now, those famous prophecies seem unbreakable, but those who know the prophecies unconsciously force themselves to walk on the established track.

    ¡°In fact, the prophecy is only a reference. It¡¯s based on the current situation and the most likely future, not absolute.

    ¡°I can see that the tragedy of fate does not lie with you, and it does not lie with Sir Aldrich.¡± She said firmly, ¡°It¡¯s just that I¡¯m too weak. The culprit is shrouded in a dark fog. I think he must have used some method to shield himself. I can¡¯t see through him.¡±

    I heaved a sigh of relief upon learning there was still a chance for a turnaround. But, at the same time, I felt ashamed for my childish tears earlier. Was this how the future Queen behave? She was so captivated by a childish romance that she couldn¡¯t even understand the whole story and was already crying out loud in embarrassment.

    My blushing was so obvious that Dorothy even awkwardly consoled me, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. When the shift is approaching, our emotions will fluctuate. I¡¯ve been very excited recently. I should¡¯ve noticed the abnormality long ago. If I had prepared earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have dragged down the Academy.¡±

    As she said this, she started toin to herself.

    ¡°How can you say this is your fault?¡± This time, it was my turn tofort her. ¡°No one can decide their birth origin. It¡¯s not a mistake to be mixed-blood, and it¡¯s not your fault. To be honest, I think having mixed blood is pretty cool. The love between a werewolf and a wizard is so romantic!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that... ¡±

    Dorothy did not want to discuss this, so I ended the topic quickly.

    We ate some desserts to fill our stomachs. Dorothy seemed to want to say something, but in the end, she said, ¡°Actually, there¡¯s one more thing.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I enjoyed the cranberry pastry without looking up.

    ¡°You¡¯re not a rtive of Her Majesty the Queen, but the real princess, right?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I stopped chewing and subconsciously wanted to deny it. ¡°Why do you think so? The Lycan King and the Queen don¡¯t have a daughter. I grew up in Europe, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    Under Dorothy¡¯s ¡®I know everything, you don¡¯t have to lie¡¯ gaze, my voice grew softer and softer before finally, I said, ¡°Okay, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m Princess Madeline. For some reason, I have to use a different name.

    ¡°And don¡¯t tell anyone about this, okay?¡± I pleaded, ¡°There are manyplicated factors involved in this. I don¡¯t want to cause trouble for my parents. The elders are already enough trouble for them.¡±

    Dorothy swore that she would keep it a secret.

    ¡°You will be a great Queen!¡± She said, ¡°Even greater than your father.¡±

    ¡°Is this what the prophecy said?¡± I was very curious.

    ¡°No.¡± Dorothy shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not just a prophecy. I think so too.¡±

    I was a little embarrassed to receive such a directpliment. ¡°I¡¯m still far from that.¡±

    After we yed for a while, my mother came to ask me to go for dinner. After she found out that a ssmate was visiting me, she thoughtfully set dinner time for us alone.

    ¡°I should go back,¡± Dorothy said after dinner. ¡°My grandmother is still waiting for me at home.¡±

 Chapter 47

    47 Father And Son

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°You¡¯re leaving?¡± I was a little reluctant. Perhaps due to the rulers of the pce, no one came to hang out with me. Dorothy was the first.

    ¡°Perhaps I can send a message to your grandmother. Can you stay here for a night? We can watch a movie and eat some popcorn.¡±

    Dorothy shook her head. ¡°Thank you, but my grandmother is old. I don¡¯t want her to worry. There are some things I have to tell her.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± I said.

    I felt sorry for her but did not force her to stay. Instead, I apanied her to say goodbye to my parents and asked the chauffeur to send her home.

    Lying on the bed and looking at the brilliant night sky outside the window, I thought of the ¡®death¡¯ prophecy.

    ¡°If I¡¯m not fated to meet you in this life, let me feel that I¡¯ve never met you, let me never forget you, and wake up with this sorrowful pain in my dreams...¡±

    I fell into a deep sleep as I recited the poem I had memorized.

    Aldrich¡¯s POV:

    I never understood my father. He was serious, upright, but gentle, like a typical aristocrat from an ancient painting.

    He suddenly called me home and didn¡¯t give me any reason. But, as usual, he would let me think about it.

    ¡°Good evening, Father.¡±

    ¡°Good evening. Come and sit down, Son.¡±

    We exchanged pleasantries in the vast hall like a pair of strangers we had just met.

    This made me feel awkward as he had always been the type to speak his mind directly. He rarely spoke so politely to me. It was as if he had something to say but could not say it for various reasons.

    ¡°Do you have anything to say?¡± I was the first to break the awkward atmosphere. ¡°You¡¯re my father. You don¡¯t have to beat around the bush with me.¡±

    My father was silent for a few seconds before he smiled helplessly. ¡°You¡¯re all grown up. I don¡¯t remember thest time we sat by the firece and chatted.¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°You know, the army is very busy and strict. I can¡¯t always take leave to visit you. It¡¯s against the rules, and the soldiers will be unhappy.¡±

    ¡°I understand, I understand.¡± My father turned his gaze to the burning fire. ¡°I just realized you¡¯ve grown up, and I¡¯m old. If your mother could see this day, she would be so happy.¡±

    At the mention of my mother, I couldn¡¯t help but fall silent.

    I was just a child who didn¡¯t know anything when she passed away. I only knew how to cry. Now that I was all grown up, I still didn¡¯t know how my mother died ¨C it was a taboo. Be it in Duke Frank¡¯s house or the entire pack, nobody spoke about it.

    Her death was rted to a political event. Since that event was covered up, her death had to be covered up as if she never existed.

    ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, please allow me to return to my room to rest.¡± I didn¡¯t want to recall those painful memories.

    ¡°Of course, Son.¡± My father nodded.

    I walked to the stairs, and he suddenly said, ¡°Perhaps you¡¯d like to have breakfast with this old man tomorrow morning?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± I nodded after a pause. ¡°Good night, Father.¡±

    The vexed mood made me toss and turn, unable to sleep at night.

    I sent Selma a few messages, but she didn¡¯t reply. Perhaps she was training. I waited until dawn, and she still ignored me even when I was sleepy.

    Recalling her unhappy expression when we parted, I sighed and thought she was really angry.

    And I was helpless.

    ¡®Forgive your ipetent boyfriend, Selma. I¡¯m so clumsy in rtionships that I keep making mistakes, but I can¡¯t even find a way to correct them.¡¯

    Maybe I should give her a call.

    I thought.

    Then, I brushed off that thought.

    It was already veryte. I should not disturb her rest and should talk about it tomorrow morning.

    Just like that, I entered dreand with a frown.

    Early the following day, the sun was shining brightly outside the window. As my father strolled back to the courtyard, a light mist shrouded the clouds.

    What was he doing?

    I thought in a daze and then reacted. He had always had the habit of doing morning exercises, but I hadn¡¯t been at home for a long time, so I¡¯d be a stranger to him.

    Breakfast was the usual toast, fried eggs, bacon, and vegetable sd. Selma always liked to change the tomatoes into double lettuce when she ate her sandwiches. She did not like the sour taste.

    I subconsciously picked the tomato and put it on my te. Then, just as I was about to hand her the green sd, I remembered that I was at home and had no lover by my side.

    So I put down the te in a daze and started eating breakfast absent-mindedly.

    My father didn¡¯t seem to notice my strange behavior. Instead, he drank his coffee and read the newspaper .¡± Did you sleep wellst night?¡±

    ¡°Very good, a dreamless night,¡± I said. Actually, I lied. I dreamed that Selma wanted to break up with me. I¡¯d never been so flustered. Fortunately, it was just a dream.

    ¡°Oh, these days aren¡¯t peaceful.¡± My father frowned as he read the newspaper.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Sivir Academy was attackedst night. Many students who were doing after-ss club activities were affected, but fortunately, no one was injured.¡±

    Sivir Academy had been attacked?

    I suddenly became nervous, afraid that Selma would be implicated in the slightest.

    However, I quickly recalled that I had personally sent her back to the pce, so she should be fine.

    ¡°An attack on a school is a terrible and sensational event. Has the King given any instructions?¡±

    My father put down the newspaper. ¡°Of course. Last night, we old bones were called to discuss state affairs. He was outraged.¡±

    ¡°But...¡± He smiled. ¡°Fortunately, it was just a misunderstanding. The crisis is over.¡±

    ...

 Chapter 48

    48 Marriage

    Aldrich¡¯s POV:

    ¡°A misunderstanding?¡± I didn¡¯t understand.

    My father didn¡¯t answer me. He only said, ¡°It¡¯s a confidentiality agreement. This case has been closed, and I can¡¯t tell you. However, this is indeed a misunderstanding. The reason we kept it a secret is to protect the students.¡±

    ¡°Since you wanted to keep it a secret, why did the newspaper expose this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a side job.¡± My father smiled disdainfully.¡± But, son, you¡¯ve been in the army for so long. You should understand the twists and turns of politics.¡±

    He didn¡¯t say it out loud, but I understood that someone among the elders was probably causing trouble for the King.

    Sigh, speaking of this, anyone who supported the Lycan King would be angry at such a kind, brave, and wise King like him just because he had no children. He was always attacked by people who tried to dethrone him with all sorts of trivial matters.

    The group of old farts among the elders enjoyed the protection of the King while secretly plotting to destroy the hand that fed them.

    After two days of awkward interaction, my father finally revealed his purpose on Monday.

    ¡°Time flies. In the blink of an eye, you¡¯ve already grown into a man of indomitable spirit.¡± My father looked at me with relief and asionally nced at my arm.

    I felt a little ufortable being stared at. ¡°Children will always grow up. I still remember when I was young, you alwaysined that I was a little monkey and hoped I would grow up quickly and leave the family to bother my wife.¡±

    My fatherughed out loud. He rarely revealed his emotions like this.

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re at the age to get married and have children.¡± He said, ¡°Just out of concern, have you found your mate?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I was stunned by the question and quickly shook my head. ¡°No, I¡¯m too busy with the military. I don¡¯t have any thoughts about getting married for now. Maybe I¡¯ll think about it when I make a name for myself.¡±

    My father shook his head in disagreement. ¡°You can¡¯t say that. If every werewolf waited until they were sessful before looking for a mate, thew would have said that werewolves would only get married when they are forty.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have to wait until that age.¡± I thought of Selma¡¯s brilliant smile, and my tone unconsciously softened. ¡°Perhaps when I¡¯m a few years older? I don¡¯t think I can take care of a family now.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t evenfort my girlfriend, let alone be a husband.

    I thought destely. I could almost taste Selma¡¯s frustration.

    My father didn¡¯t force me. Instead, he recalled his love story with my mother. ¡°When I was dating your mother, I was only a young boy! Back then, I couldn¡¯tpare to you. I was idle all day long. Fortunately, Moon Goddess¡¯ kindness allowed me to find the love of my life.

    ¡°We fell in love, got married, and had you. She was like a strict headmaster, forcing me to improve, or she¡¯d threaten to take you back to her mother¡¯s house. I had no choice but to give in to her wishes. Finally, I became the King¡¯s friend and right-hand man, bringing our family the honor we have now.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pity ...¡± He suddenly became sad again. ¡°Your mother is no longer here. No matter how good I am, who can I share all of this with?¡±

    My father¡¯s sorrow was so genuine that I couldn¡¯t help but shed tears. I suddenly realized that the tall and straight figure in my memory had be slightly hunched.

    Sitting in front of the window, he didn¡¯t look like a high-spirited Duke. Instead, he looked like an ordinary old man from themon folk. It looked like he was waiting to wrap a ball of yarn around his wife.

    ¡°Child,¡± he said. ¡°Not everyone can resist the fate that the Moon Goddess has given us. Some people miss out on their true love and never have a chance to turn back in their lifetime.

    ¡°Be it a fated mate, a sudden love at first sight one day, or a long-term rtionship; love is like a slippery goldfish. If you don¡¯t pay attention, it will slip into the pond and disappear without a trace.¡±

    I was a little moved. I never thought a day woulde when my serious father would open his heart to me.

    He looked at me with his clear eyes as if they could see through my body and soul.

    ¡°Marriage is an important matter. You have to take responsibility for it.¡±

    For a moment, I almost wanted to confess my love for Selma.

    But I couldn¡¯t. I had to respect Selma¡¯s wishes. So before she agreed, I had to hide this sweet secret deep in my heart.

    Like my father had said, ¡°You have to take responsibility for yourself.¡±

    The sadness came and went quickly. Soon, my father returned to the old nobleman, who was calm and collected, elegantly drinking his coffee and reading his official documents.

    ¡°What are you still doing here?¡± After a while, he looked up at me. ¡°Your vacation ising to an end, Sir Aldrich. You should pack your luggage as soon as possible so that you don¡¯te backte and cause dissatisfaction among the soldiers, humph!¡±

    Iughed helplessly.

    At this moment, I realized that time was changing. From the strict father he was in the past, he had now learned to show his true feelings and be an old urchin who ¡®held grudges¡¯.

    I turned around and wanted to return to my room, but then I turned back and gave my father a solid hug.

    ¡°I love you too, Father,¡± I said.

    ¡°I¡¯lle back for a visit often.¡± My father was stunned. After a few seconds, I felt him hug me back.

    ¡°Little brat,¡± he said. I pretended not to hear the slight tremble. ¡°The army is tough. You have to take care of yourself.¡±

 Chapter 49

    49 A Lie

    Aldrich¡¯s POV:

    When did the estrangement between my father and me start, and why did it deepen? I had no recollection of it at all.

    However, to break through the barrier, one only needed true love and to take the initiative to take that step.

    I believed love was like this too, right?

    [I¡¯m sorry, Selma. I sensed that you were acting strangely, but I still wanted to use that little self-righteous trick to cover up the past. I¡¯ve never been in love, so I admit I shamelessly ran away when a small obstacle appeared in our rtionship. I was afraid you would leave me if I didn¡¯t handle it well.

    [You should be angry with me. I deserve this.

    [If I take the initiative to break the ice, will you forgive me?

    [To be honest, I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯m afraid that the nightmare from that night wille true.

    [But I¡¯ve already learned enough lessons from my father. It is useless to escape. It¡¯ll only push you further and further away.

    [Baby, don¡¯t give up on me. I¡¯m begging you. I¡¯m trying my best to make up for my stupid mistake.]

    The sports car sped away, and my heart was like an arrow as I headed straight for the pce in the setting sun.

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Aldrich and I were giving each other cold shoulders.

    I didn¡¯t know how it happened. Maybe it was a text message that couldn¡¯t be read or a call that no one picked up. In short, I cut off all contact with Aldrich.

    Without any reason.

    Tracy¡¯s diagnosis only provided me with a small amount offort. I knew that this wasn¡¯t due to the abnormal hormones or the self-adjustment of my physiological system. Our conflict had long been showing signs. If we couldn¡¯t solve this fundamental problem, it would only be a matter of time before it erupted.

    Concealment.

    Deception.

    My rtionship with Aldrich was built on a lie. I hid my identity from him, and we hid it from the people closest to us.

    I understood why there would always be a few rookie spies in spy movies who couldn¡¯t help but reveal their identities to their friends and family ¨C the taste of lying didn¡¯t feel good.

    The three days of rest passed quickly. During this period, I was troubled by my stagnant love life and Dorothy¡¯s prophecy. As a result, I was absent-minded in everything I did. It was to the point that my mother had worriedly summoned Tracy over several times to examine me.

    Tracy was an excellent doctor, but I was not a good patient. I couldn¡¯t honestly announce my condition, so naturally, I couldn¡¯t receive effective treatment.

    On Monday evening, I heard from Kara that Aldrich had returned to the army. My father asked him to stay for a while and asked if I wanted to see my instructor.

    Of course, I wanted to! I hadn¡¯t seen him for three days, and I¡¯d been thinking about him like crazy.

    But when I thought about our awkward ¡®cold war¡¯, I couldn¡¯t muster up the courage.

    What if Aldrich was angry? If it weren¡¯t for my fickleness, there wouldn¡¯t have been any conflict.

    ¡°I¡¯m a little tired. Let¡¯s talk about it tomorrow,¡± I said uninterestedly. ¡°I¡¯m sure Sir Aldrich is also returning to the camp to rest? I¡¯d better not disturb him.¡±

    Kara looked at me in surprise. She must have noticed a conflict between Aldrich and me with her attentiveness.

    ¡°I think Sir Aldrich looks quite energetic,¡± Kara said. ¡°He even proposed to His Majesty to continue tonight¡¯s training.¡±

    ¡°Did Father agree?¡± I was a little nervous. I wasn¡¯t sure if I wanted my father to agree or not.

    ¡°His Majesty said that everything is up to you. You¡¯ve been in low spirits, so you don¡¯t have to force yourself.¡±

    I felt dejected. Perhaps when one struggled, they would hope someone would decide everything for them.

    I hesitated for a long time until the sky turned dark, then I gathered my courage and decided to see Aldrich.

    It was funny, but this was a lesson I learned from Benson. Sometimes, I thought that if I had not fantasized about Benson¡¯s attitude, if I had asked him about his thoughts earlier instead of letting myself sink deeper and deeper into the fantasy, wouldn¡¯t everything have ended differently?

    I didn¡¯t learn much in the past, but the most useful one was this: Don¡¯t give the conflict a chance to escte.

    I¡¯d hesitated for too long, and now was the time to erase my cowardice.

    Just as Aldrich was about to leave, I stopped him at the pce gate.

    However, before I could speak, he suddenly pulled me and ran to the training ground with a few people.

    ¡°Wait, Aldrich, I have something to say to you!¡± I wanted to break free from his grasp, but he was too strong.

    Aldrich silently led me as we ran. Gradually, I gave up struggling and prepared for the worst.

    If he asked to break up with me, I would never agree. We hadn¡¯t reached the end of the line yet, and I wouldn¡¯t make a decision I¡¯d regret for the rest of my life just because of a moment of rashness.

    Finally, we stopped in the middle of the training ground.

    The moment we looked at each other, I didn¡¯t know what to say. I was like a nervous interviewee who had prepared a stomach full of drafts but forgot everything when I saw the interviewer.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Selma.¡± Aldrich was the first to break the silence.

    I didn¡¯t expect him to apologize to me at all. Why? He didn¡¯t do anything wrong, so his apology was unreasonable.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I should be the one apologizing, Aldrich.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I was thinking. I ignored your text messages for no reason, hung up on your call, and even thought of breaking up for a moment.¡±

 Chapter 50

    50 The Moonlight Is So Beautiful

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Aldrich immediately became nervous, his breathing became heavy, and he wanted to say something, but I interrupted him.

    ¡°The doctor said it¡¯s because I¡¯m transiting soon, and theplicated physiological changes have made me temporarily fluctuate between joy and anger. However, I know that biological changes are not the cause of everything.¡±

    I looked at his handsome face and couldn¡¯t imagine how sad and angry he would be after knowing my lie.

    If one party hid their identity, could love still be sincere?

    Looking into his deep eyes, I almost revealed the secret of my identity.

    However, at thest moment, my rationality woke me up.

    Hiding my identity wasn¡¯t only my business. As a princess, I had to be responsible for the pack, even if it meant sacrificing my interests.

    So, in the end, I just said, ¡°My friend told me a prophecy. It¡¯s about us, our rtionship, and the death it brings.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Aldrich looked at me in surprise. ¡°Prophecy... But no werewolf could make prophecies. So how did your friend know?¡±

    His military mindset immediately prevailed. ¡°Are there any witches in the pack? Maybe the riot at Sivir Academy was just a cover-up, and a real witch had reced your friend! Your friend might be in danger, but so are you!¡±

    ¡°I can guarantee that she is trustworthy.¡± I consoled him, ¡°I promised her to keep it a secret, and the confidentiality agreement sealed all information about her. We can¡¯t break it. It¡¯s illegal, right?¡±

    Aldrich always trusted me, so he only muttered, ¡°Alright, it¡¯s the confidentiality agreement again. It¡¯s making us both dishonest.¡±

    It was just a joke, but it pierced my heart like a needle.

    I forced a smile. ¡°No matter what, the prophecy says our emotional journey will be very bumpy. It might even lead us to death.

    ¡°I admit that I¡¯m afraid. But, I¡¯m not afraid of death, Aldrich. No werewolf warrior is afraid of death.

    ¡°But I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll get hurt. I have a lover. You¡¯re a mighty warrior, but when I think about how our rtionship could kill you, I can¡¯t help but hold back.

    ¡°I¡¯m always letting my thoughts run wild. Why don¡¯t we end this now? The future in the prophecy is not set. So if we end it now, nothing bad will happen.

    ¡°I¡¯ve always thought this way, and the more I think about it, the more afraid I get. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been hiding from you and avoidingmunicating with you. I¡¯m afraid that any mistake could lead to your death.¡±

    Tears unconsciously gushed out, and I saw Aldrich¡¯s deep frown through my tears.

    Was he angry because of my estrangement from myself and my spurned cowardice?

    At this moment, I realized I had not matured at all. I was still the weak, extreme, and suicidal little girl I used to be. My first reaction when I encountered any setbacks was to run away.

    I couldn¡¯t stand any longer, and my strength seemed to flow out with my tears.

    The moment I fell, a pair of strong arms tightly embraced me.

    I looked up in disbelief and found that the always resolute Aldrich was also in tears.

    ¡°Don¡¯t, Selma. I¡¯m begging you. Don¡¯t think of yourself like that.¡± He held me tightly in his arms and said, choking, ¡°You don¡¯t understand how good you are.

    ¡°You¡¯re such a kind and sensitive girl. Unfortunately, you¡¯ve never seen your good side and always take all the mes yourself.

    ¡°You¡¯re such a powerful warrior and such a caring lover. How can I agree with any false usations you have against yourself about cowardice?¡±

    He cupped my face and gently wiped the tears on my face. Then, he said softly, ¡°Believe me, Selma. There will be no one better than you in this world. I¡¯ve never regretted epting your love or giving up everything for you.

    ¡°It¡¯s better to say that I¡¯m the coward. You don¡¯t know how much I used to like running away from the shadows of my childhood and the conflict with my father. It was you that changed everything.

    ¡°You made me understand what responsibility and love are. I admit that I am clumsy and always try to cover up my abnormality with jokes, so I don¡¯t give you enough sense of security.

    ¡°Maybe I realized my mistake a little toote. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m making you suffer like this.

    ¡°So, please don¡¯t me yourself, Selma, my true love, my other half. No setback can make me give up on you, even if it means death.¡±

    We hugged each other and cried under the moonlight.

    It might look like a creepy scene if anyone were to see us.

    But who wouldn¡¯t be touched by the sincerity of love? Even the moon¡¯s bliss forgave us, a new couple. The gentle moonlight allowed us to see the love in each other¡¯s eyes more clearly.

    Without realizing it, we kissed.

    Mixed with bitter tears, this kiss made me unable to care about anything else.

    To hell with concealment, deception, my identity, and my lies.

    I wouldn¡¯t be a coward anymore. Instead, I¡¯d take on the responsibility of a princess and a lover.

 Chapter 51

    51 Envy

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Maybe the ending after my identity was exposed wouldn¡¯t be good, but at this moment, at least at this moment, I was willing to trust in Aldrich, his sincerity and courage, and never let him down.

    We expressed our trust and love for each other with our kisses under the moonlight.

    Once the kiss was over, I felt a little shy. Although there was no one around, it was still quite embarrassing.

    ¡°Are you angry?¡± Aldrich gently leaned on my forehead and asked with a smile, ¡°Because I kissed you for too long, you didn¡¯t have time to breathe?¡±

    Gosh! Why did this person be so frivolous once he recovered his emotions?

    I punched him a few times yfully and then returned to his arms.

    We sat on the training ground, quietly admiring the moonlight and enjoying this quiet moment.

    ¡°About that prophecy...¡±

    We spoke at the same time andughed.

    ¡°I want to say, don¡¯t worry. We won¡¯t be in such a dire situation.¡± Aldrich consoled me, ¡°We won¡¯t let this happen, right?¡±

    ¡°In fact,¡± I whispered. ¡°The prophecy says that our disaster doesn¡¯te from us but from some external factors that she can¡¯t see.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m too nervous. Although I know the cause isn¡¯t me, I¡¯m still afraid that any decision I make will make things worse.¡±

    Aldrich gently kissed my cheek and said, ¡°I¡¯m very happy that you¡¯re thinking about me, but you have to promise that you¡¯ll always put yourself first, okay?¡±

    ¡°But you have to promise me that,¡± I said.

    We didn¡¯t swear to each other, but there was no need to. Passionate love flows in our blood, proving that we would never let each other feel heartache.

    Benson Walton¡¯s POV:

    Before I knew it, winter hade.

    The atmosphere in the pack had not been very good recently. It had been a long time since Selmamitted suicide, but the haze caused by this damn human had not dissipated.

    Rhode didn¡¯t talk about this anymore, but I knew that sometimes he would sit at the ce where Selma jumped off the cliff for the whole night. Mr. Wharton would also go asionally.

    It wasn¡¯t a surprise how I knew. I didn¡¯t feel guilty about Selma¡¯s death. Yet, somehow, I would asionally walk there without realizing it.

    Daniel had to be one of those who were feeling proud.

    His trip to the Silver Moon Pack had allowed him to encounter his mate identally. Teresa was a good girl. She was strong, beautiful, brave, and of noble birth. I wouldn¡¯t say that I was a little envious of that lucky kid, Daniel.

    As for me, I was still alone. I hadn¡¯t even seen the shadow of my second mate.

    The Southern Pack was a powerful pack. I wanted to go there and try my luck, but the Moon Goddess seemed to have forgotten about me, a young werewolf in his prime. There were so many young wolves out there, but not a single one of them was fated to be with me.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be too disheartened. Love is something that no one can say for sure.¡± Rhode handed me a bottle of ginger beer and said nonchntly, ¡°Look at me. I¡¯m single like you. Finding a mate isn¡¯t something that can be done in a short time. Some people are in their fifties and still haven¡¯t met their mate.¡±

    ¡°Go to hell! Don¡¯t spout nonsense.¡± I grabbed the ginger beer and took a big gulp. ¡°If I don¡¯t find a mate until I¡¯m fifty, what would happen to the pack? My packsmen won¡¯t be able to wait with me for so long.¡±

    Rhodeughed. ¡°Haha, don¡¯t use the pack as an excuse. You¡¯re just afraid of not being able to find a wife!¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything, so I¡¯d make it a silent consent.

    I wouldn¡¯t be so anxious to find my mate if I were an ordinary werewolf. But I was the Alpha, the leader of a pack. Finding my other half was rted to the pack¡¯s sustainability. It was a mission that I must fulfill.

    ¡°In my opinion, we don¡¯t have to follow the ancient tradition. A mate is hard toe by.¡±

    Rhode put his arm around my shoulder and motioned me to look at the dance floor. ¡°What era is it now? Some werewolves rejected their fated mate and chose a chosen mate. We¡¯ve gone to many packs, but aren¡¯t there many Alpha¡¯s Luna who is a chosen mate?¡±

    I looked disinterestedly at the lively and enthusiastic girls on the dance floor.

    How could a chosen mate bepared to a fated mate? The former was just a lie about dopamine, while thetter was the most precious half that the Moon Goddess had given to werewolves.

    A pack¡¯s Alpha could only give birth to the purest offspring bying together with their fated mate to ensure the continuation of the pack.

    I didn¡¯t continue the topic.

    ¡°When the southern Duke met us yesterday, I wanted to say, ¡®Oh my god, he¡¯s such a handsome old man.¡¯ It¡¯s not that he¡¯s not strong, but his looks are beyond my expectations. Is he really fifty-two years old?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± I nodded. ¡°I heard his ancestors had elven blood, but I don¡¯t know how he inherited what his ancestors had.¡±

    ¡°The southern Duke only found his mate at thirty-six!¡± Rhode winked at me. ¡°Maybe you don¡¯t have to wait as long as he does. Thirty-five will do.¡±

    ¡°Get lost.¡±

    I danced a few rounds under Rhode¡¯s urging. Then, I was about to go back to rest. When Rhode saw me about to leave, not wanting to stay any longer, we said goodbye to the party¡¯s host.

    ¡°Stay and enjoy for a while more. We still have to set off fireworks at night.¡± The southern Duke¡¯s daughter, Carolyn, said, ¡°Are we not hospitable enough? Please don¡¯t be shy and treat this ce as your home!¡±

 Chapter 52

    52 The Transfer Student

    Benson Walton¡¯s POV:

    I didn¡¯t have the heart to reject a youngdy too directly, so I said vaguely, ¡°There¡¯s something rted to my pack that I have to deal with. I have to go back for a meeting.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± said Carolyn regretfully. ¡°Good night.¡±

    We bade each other farewell.

    I wasn¡¯t sure where Rhode heard the gossip, but he said, ¡°Carolyn is the only heir to the Southern Pack. I heard the southern Duke wants to send her to study at the Lycan Pack.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s someone else¡¯s daughter, so she can be sent wherever she wants.¡± I was not in the mood to talk to him about this.

    ¡°Get your spirits up, man.¡± He nudged my shoulder. ¡°This is no ordinary gossip.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s just going to school. What else can it be?¡±

    ¡°Moon Goddess, use your leader¡¯s brain and think about it. Are the educational resources of the Southern Pack very bad? Or was there a reason the southern Duke had no choice but to send his daughter to the Lycan Pack? Carolyn can receive her education in her home. Can¡¯t the Duke find a good teacher?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Now I felt that this wasn¡¯t as simple as it seemed.

    Rhode chuckled and winked. ¡°There¡¯s a well-known Sir Aldrich in the Lycan Pack.¡±

    ¡°So, the southern Duke wants his daughter to marry Sir Aldrich?¡± I didn¡¯t think that was possible. ¡°Both of them are heirs to their families. After marriage, should they stay in the Lycan Pack or the Southern Pack? Carolyn wants to inherit the pack, and Sir Aldrich is an officer. They can¡¯tpromise.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Rhode sighed and said helplessly, ¡°Rx, bro. Get thoseplicated politics out of your head. Maybe the southern Duke only wants to find a good husband for his daughter? You saw for yourself how much he treasured Carolyn yesterday.¡±

    ¡°But the territory and the title... ¡±

    ¡°No buts, you old-fashioned little old man.¡± He shook his head. ¡°You¡¯ve changed a little after you became the Alpha, Benson. Don¡¯t always be so tense. Sometimes you should put down the burden of the Alpha and take a break. Otherwise, the consecutive transfers will crush you.¡±

    He furrowed his brows strangely. ¡°Maybe the Moon Godness is afraid that your unreasonable look will scare your other half, so she hasn¡¯t allowed your mate to appear yet.¡±

    I had to admit that Rhode made sense. Even my parents disagreed with me, always tense and worried I¡¯d be exhausted.

    However, the secret buried deep in my heart forced me to do so. So I had to find something to distract myself and force myself not to think about that matter. Otherwise, I¡¯d be suffocated by those indescribable feelings before I copse from work.

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    It was winter, and a transfer student came to the school.

    The students were all discussing whether or not Sivir Academy would undergo some changes, such as being incorporated into the royal family¡¯s exclusive school for the noble.

    This was because this ordinary academy had received two students with special statuses in a year ¨C the Queen¡¯s rtive and the Duke¡¯s daughter ¨C an eye-opener for the teachers and students who weremoners.

    ¡°She¡¯s so pretty!¡± Mara shouted, ¡°Didn¡¯t you see? When she came to submit her application to join the club, all the boys¡¯ eyes were glued to her face!¡±

    Avril rolled her eyes.¡±Calm down. Don¡¯t act like you don¡¯t know anything. You¡¯re as stupid as those guys with muscles and big breasts in their heads!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just telling the truth!¡± Mara asked, ¡°How did she introduce herself? ¡®Hello everyone, my name is Carolyn, daughter of the southern Duke. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you¡¯. I¡¯ve never seen such an elegant gesture before!¡±

    ¡°Hey! That¡¯s not true! You have a real royal by your side. Compared to Selma, that Duke¡¯s daughter is at best a girl from the countryside,¡± said Avril unhappily.

    Mara frowned. ¡°You¡¯re too mean. That¡¯s unlike you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re too infatuated,¡± said Avril. ¡°That¡¯s unlike you.¡±

    Seeing that they were about to start quarreling, I quickly mediated. ¡°Alright, alright! It¡¯s just a transfer student. There¡¯s no need to quarrel over this. I heard that she¡¯s only sixteen. So, she should still be in high school. She probably won¡¯t have much to do with us.¡±

    Dorothy, who had been silent at the side, suddenly said, ¡°I heard that Carolyn kicked out the female lead on the first day she joined the drama club.¡±

    Mara¡¯s expression was strange as she mumbled, ¡°You can¡¯t say that. It¡¯s just the role of a young maiden, Quincy Scott. There are three people in the female lead group.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, you¡¯re right. How can one-third of the female leads be considered the female lead? I heard that the southern Duke¡¯s family has elven blood. In my opinion, they should be sirens. They can steal people¡¯s souls with just a few words,¡± said Avril.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say such things! I¡¯m just stating the facts!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s get to the point. I wonder if Chloe can ept your ¡®truth as it is¡¯?¡±

    Chloe was a second-year junior in the high school partition. She was a gentle and thin girl who had been ying the role of ¡®a young girl¡¯.

    In addition, ¡®the Butterfly Lady¡¯ was a great sess after all the twists and turns. Ryan, the drama club president, was inspired after the night of the magic riot and made a series of genius adaptations.

 Chapter 53

    53 The Bloody Incident

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    After the Midnight Opera House, which you could think of as Broadway in the werewolf society, sent them an invitation to perform, the drama club became famous. The actors became even more popr.

    Quite a few students noticed themotion, so I had no choice but to pull Mara and the others out of the cafeteria.

    The cold winter wind calmed them down. After a while, Avil said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have judged you and Carolyn so harshly.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m also at fault,¡± Mara said, shaking her head. ¡°You¡¯re right. I admire Carolyn so much that I don¡¯t care about other people¡¯s feelings. How sad must Chloe be right now?¡±

    I asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t they going to premiere it on Sunday at the Midnight Opera House? It¡¯s already Wednesday. Will they make it for rehearsal?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Mara said unhappily. ¡°You know I¡¯m in the logistics team. I only have to decorate the stage and dress the actors. As for other things, Ryan never discussed with us and acted arbitrarily. This may be amon problem with talented directors.¡±

    ¡°So,¡± Dorothy said. ¡°It was Carolyn who requested to get the role?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Mara nodded, ¡°She said she wanted to present her most beautiful side to her fianc¨¦ like the young maiden, Quincy Scott. Think about what happened back there, Moon Goddess! All Carolyn had to make this request gently, and all the boys, including Ryan, agreed without hesitation.¡±

    ¡°Was Chloe there?¡± I asked, frowning.

    It would be impolite to take the role away from the female lead.

    ¡°Of course she was. In fact, Chloe was practicing her positioning with the extras. When she stepped off the stage, she was told she was off the female lead role.¡±

    ¡°Poor girl!¡± Avril eximed softly. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine how sad she must be.¡±

    ¡°She helped the drama club rise from a nobody to the top,¡± Dorothy added. ¡°And then she is removed after the grinding is done. I have to say; this is a microcosm of the entertainment industry.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know Chloe very well, and I was also indignant on her behalf, so I couldn¡¯t help but have a bad impression of the transfer student, Carolyn.

    Although the entire matter appeared to be Ryan and the others¡¯ decision, wasn¡¯t Carolyn the one who had arrogantly made the request and enjoyed the oue?

    Such a tactic gave me an indescribable feeling-disgust and contempt.

    Carolyn was different from Aldrich and me. She was like a child from a genuine, noble family. She looked gentle on the surface, but she had a natural arrogance.

    This reminded me of those queen bees I saw in high school. They were unscrupulous bullies, and the only difference was whether their tricks were fierce or gentle.

    Without a doubt, Carolyn was thetter.

    ¡°Maybe we shouldn¡¯t underestimate her.¡± I sighed. ¡°I only hope that her acting addiction only acts up on the stage and not in real life.¡±

    Dorothy said, ¡°But, seriously, fianc¨¦e in ¡®the Butterfly Lady¡¯? That can¡¯t be auspicious.¡±

    ¡°Who cares about her?¡± Avril said, ¡°For ady who wants to be in the limelight, the position of the female lead is the most important thing. I bet she doesn¡¯t even know the story of ¡®the Butterfly Lady¡¯.¡±

    The girls allughed.

    I kept having a bad feeling. It was as if Carolyn was going to be a huge problem.

    I could only hope that she would not cause any trouble.

    What I was afraid of happened. Although I repeatedly prayed that Carolyn wasn¡¯t a troublemaker, trouble still happened.

    The incident happened on a peaceful afternoon. Without any warning, an armed fight broke out in the drama club.

    Yes, an armed melee.

    No one knew why a group of werewolves had given up their fists and used fruit knives and baseball bats instead. The metal had caused severe consequences.

    Three students were seriously injured and admitted to the hospital, while more than a dozen were covered in bruises.

    The university students were called to help maintain order, so I had to stop the curious students from breaking into the theater while preventing the hot-blooded boys from fighting again.

    The principal and the teachers were watching the troublemaking students seriously. Such a terrible incident had never happened since Sivir Academy¡¯s establishment. When blood was seen in a student¡¯s fight, it was not something that the school could handle. The police had to be involved.

    ¡°I heard Chloe¡¯s boyfriend came to the drama club to cause trouble!¡± Of course, Mara always got first-hand news. ¡°He fought with Ryan.¡±

    I could guess why. ¡°Is it because Carolyn stole Chloe¡¯s role?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s obvious, isn¡¯t it? But, if I were Chloe, I wouldn¡¯t give it up either,¡± said Avril.

    ¡°No.¡± Dorothy shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think Chloe was behind this. She¡¯s kind. Maybe even a little weak. Have you guys heard her say anything bad about Carolyn? I don¡¯t think she¡¯d dare to ask her boyfriend to do that. ¡±

    I believed Dorothy more. Since her witch bloodline awakened, her prophetic talent seemed to have prated all aspects of life. She didn¡¯t have to do anything special to see through a person¡¯s nature easily.

    ¡°Ha! A high school boy who values his reputation more than anything else,¡± said Avil with a sneer. ¡°Maybe he thinks that Carolyn bullying Chloe has embarrassed him.¡±

    The police came to escort the troublemaking students away. I saw Chloe was holding back tears and wanted to go with her boyfriend, but she was pushed aside by a kid called Adam.

 Chapter 54

    54 Disturbance

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    All the people present were rounded up and sent to the police station, except for one who had to take care of Carolyn.

    It was strange that this matter seemed to have nothing to do with her, but I learned from the other members that Carolyn had to eat fruits during lunch, so she brought the fruit knife. She also stepped forward to stop Adam and Ryan¡¯s fight when it broke out, and she took the initiative to point out that Ryan had stripped Chloe of her role because of her.

    I couldn¡¯t tell what was wrong with the whole thing, but that strange feeling rose in my heart again. It was ufortable and creepy.

    But I didn¡¯t want to use these spections to nder an innocent girl. One cannot push all the fault of men being jealous of beautiful women, right? That didn¡¯t make sense.

    During the training that night, I told Aldrich about the incident at school.

    He frowned and said, ¡°Students using knives in a fight? These kids are too insensible. The police and the injured won¡¯t let them off just because they acted impulsively.¡±

    ¡°Who said it wasn¡¯t?¡± I wiped my sweat with a towel and recalled the blood on the floor of the opera hall. ¡°Three people were seriously injured. This will be on the news tomorrow. The group of reporters was like hunting dogs who smelled blood. There will be no peace in the Academy now.¡±

    ¡°Some tabloids like to make up sensational stories to attract attention,¡± Aldrich reminded me. ¡°You may have to remind your ssmates to keep their personal information a secret. Otherwise, there might have been nonsensical news like ¡®a woman who¡¯s unparalleled in sex caused a gang fight¡¯ or ¡®unraveling Sivir Academy¡¯s chaotic secret¡¯.¡±

    ¡°How do you know so much?¡± I was surprised. ¡°Did the newspapers also spread rumors about you?¡±

    Aldrich shook his head. ¡°Not really. Those fence-sitters are very aware of the current situation. They won¡¯t provoke people with status. However, the army is not within their scope of fear. After all, most of the soldiers are civilians, right?¡±

    Toy hands on the soldiers who protected our home and country made my bad impression of the tabloids even worse. ¡°That¡¯s disgusting. These unscrupulous newspapers live off blood like leeches.¡±

    I made a mental note that after I seeded as Queen, maybe I could start with media control. If I wanted to realize my dream of bing a great Queen, I must really do something for the people.

    After training, Aldrich and I sat in the lounge eating hot waffles.

    ¡°Winter vacation ising soon. Time really flies.¡± I sighed. ¡°It¡¯s the Moonlight Festival next week. Have you decided whom you¡¯re going to y?¡±

    The Moonlight Festival was the most traditional festival of the werewolves. It was a festival to celebrate the birth of the Moon Goddess. On this day, the she-wolves would act as the Moon Goddess, her maidservants, Valkyries, and various incarnations from the legends. The he-wolves would dress up as her servants, guards, or followers.

    ¡°What about you?¡± Aldrich asked. ¡°What do you want to want to be?¡±

    ¡°I would like to y the Moon Goddess,¡± I said shyly. ¡°The Queen has prepared many beautiful dresses and essories for me. I don¡¯t want to waste her efforts.¡±

    When I was still a ¡®human¡¯, I rarely participated in the Moonlight Festival. Even if I did, I would only y the role of an insignificant maidservant. How out of ce would it be for a human to mix in with the werewolves who were partying? I didn¡¯t want to be snubbed, so I spent most of my time watching movies in my room.

    Aldrich decided to y the role of a shepherd who fell in love with the goddess at first sight because of the gentle moonlight. His name was also ¡®Aldrich¡¯.

    ¡°I will follow, respect, and love you forever! Where the moon shines is where my heart is at peace. Please keep an eye on my heart. If it has changed, let me be a firefly, forever in your glory.¡±

    ¡°There won¡¯t be a firefly as handsome as you, Mr. Shepherd.¡±

    We exchanged a sweet kiss that tasted like chocte waffles. Unfortunately, it was almost the army¡¯s curfew time, and he had to return.

    ¡°See you tomorrow.¡± I hugged his waist and said reluctantly, ¡°Maybe we can discuss your outfit tomorrow? I¡¯ll ask the Queen to find a few skilled tailors.¡±

    Aldrich gently kissed my forehead and said, ¡°We obey your will, Your Highness.¡±

    The next day, the school¡¯s gate was surrounded by reporters as expected. To let the students in, the school even had to ask the police for help to make way.

    However, the reporters persevered and surrounded the cordon tape, trying to stuff their microphones into the mouths of every passing student.

    Even the chauffeur who sent me to school couldn¡¯t stand it. ¡°This is crazy. These annoying flies. I bet they have spies in every organization. Once something happens, they¡¯ll try to tear up a hot exclusive report like hyenas.¡±

    After avoiding the reporters, I came to the ssroom frustrated and found that everyone was whispering.

    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked Dorothy.

    Dorothy was eating her breakfast; two pieces of dry whole-grain bread.

 Chapter 55

    55 A Vacation

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°Chloe took a long break.¡± Then, as she chewed, she said, ¡°Last night, some of my ssmates saw the reporters go to Chloe¡¯s house. They waited from evening to dawn and only left when Chloe¡¯s parents couldn¡¯t take it anymore and called the police.

    ¡°However, when she was going to school this morning, she was stopped by reporters on the way. Arge group of people carrying cameras and microphones asked her questions, and she was so scared that she broke down.¡±

    ¡°Oh my god, poor girl!¡± I was shocked.

    Mara and Avril came over, and the former said, ¡°I have a cousin who works at ¡®New Moon Evening News¡¯. She said their newspaper is working overnight to link yesterday¡¯s incident with the incident from half a month ago.¡±

    ¡°This is nonsense!¡± I felt that some media needed to fix their uncontroble writing. ¡°These two things have nothing to do with each other. They¡¯re just spreading rumors!¡±

    Avril replied, ¡°Isn¡¯t this how a newspaper should be? They don¡¯t have much to talk about during the peaceful times, so they write some spective stories to boost sales.¡±

    During lunchtime, more than half of therge public cafeteria was empty.

    The parents were deeply worried when they heard that the reporters had surrounded and blocked the students, so many students were taken home by their parents.

    The school discussed whether they should take a short break before the storm subsided. It just so happened that the Moonlight Festival was next week, and the joy of the festival could always make people forget the disharmonious interludes.

    Last night, I asked my father about the students¡¯ fight, and he also paid close attention to it. He said that ording to thew, Adam and the underaged drama club members were not required to bear criminal responsibility, but their parents had to pay a hefty fine and medical expenses.

    Ryan and the adult students in the drama club were not so lucky. ording to the regtions, they faced three months in prison in addition to being fined.

    The school was also considering whether to expel Adam, Ryan, and the others.

    The punishment of expulsion was so severe that the other students who heard the news felt sad. Everyone was discussing this matter¡¯s oue, except an ignorant girl.

    Carolyn.

    She was sitting at the dining table and elegantly enjoying a luxurious lunch, not paying any attention to the spections of her femalepanions.

    Honestly, I didn¡¯t want to be so skeptical of Carolyn, but I felt something was wrong with her. This guess was very unreasonable as I had no way of verifying it. Instead, I was torturing myself.

    Dorothy followed my line of sight and lowered her head to gnaw on her dry bread.

    After a while, she said, ¡°Carolyn gives me a very ufortable feeling.¡±

    Her words attracted us.

    ¡°I can¡¯t exin it.¡± Dorothy frowned and said, ¡°It¡¯s just that, every time I see Carolyn, I feel like I¡¯m looking at a ball of cold mist as if her appearance is just ayer of paper.¡±

    ¡°Wow, I don¡¯t understand,¡± Mara said in disbelief. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t feel good.¡±

    ¡°Does this mean there¡¯s a problem with Carolyn?¡± asked Avril with a confused expression.

    Dorothy shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t be sure. After all, this is just my subjective feeling. Perhaps it¡¯s just an illusion.¡±

    I didn¡¯t think Dorothy¡¯s judgment was wrong.

    Witches were a wonderful group. You could doubt their character, but you couldn¡¯t doubt their abilities, especially a rare power like prophecy, which gave every witch extraordinary insights.

    Regardless of how we viewed Carolyn, it didn¡¯t matter at the moment. After all, I couldn¡¯t send her to the security department for an examination without any evidence, right?

    In the afternoon, the academy issued a notice: There would be a short break until the end of the Moonlight Festival.

    ¡°The Moonlight Festival!¡± Avil was extremely excited .¡± Have you guys decided whom you want to dress as? The mall will have a discount every year around this time. So let¡¯s go buy some dresses and essories!¡±

    Mara wasn¡¯t too interested. ¡°The discounted items are all old goods from a few years ago. They¡¯re either very ugly or even uglier. So they are not interesting at all.¡±

    Dorothy disyed her usual reluctance and didn¡¯t participate in the conversation. I felt she probably wouldn¡¯t have gone out to participate in suchrge-scale events before she became an adult.

    So I suggested, ¡°How about this? We all go to the pce and stay for a few days? There¡¯s no one of my age there, so just treat it as hanging out with me. What do you think? We can hire tailors and craftsmen to customize gowns and jewelry, and I guarantee everyone will look beautiful!¡±

    A few of them were shocked. They had never thought that there was such an option.

    Avril tugged at her hair and said with uncertainty, ¡°Is that a good idea? If we were to rashly disturb... I mean, it¡¯s the pce we¡¯re talking about! Will the King and Queen agree to this?¡±

    Mara was not very calm either, ¡°If we go to the pce, we have to submit an application in advance and be interrogated or something, right? Can we make it in time? Shouldn¡¯t we have etiquette training? Do we also have to kiss the King and Queen¡¯s hands when we meet? Or a knee? Maybe bow?¡±

    I didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. ¡°What are you thinking? You¡¯re going to be guests, not prisoners. Rx.¡±

    Mara and Avil couldn¡¯t rx at all. ¡°To the pce! Is that a small matter? For three generations, no one in my family has ever seen what the reception room in the pce looks like, let alone stayover in the pce!¡±

 Chapter 56

    56 The Southern Duke

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°Isn¡¯t the opportunity here?¡± Iughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The King and the Queen are hoping I invite some friends over to our ce. What do you think? Come on,e on!¡±

    Ultimately, they could not resist the temptation and agreed in disbelief.

    Dorothy was silent. I was unsure of her opinion, so I asked, ¡°Come on, Dorothy? You know that ce is very friendly, right?¡±

    She agreed.

    We went out separate ways at the school gate. Before we parted, I reminded them, ¡°I¡¯ll get the rites official to send the invitation to your house tomorrow. See you in the afternoon!¡±

    This was the first time I had invited friends to my ce. I was so excited that even my parents could see my excitement.

    ¡°Is there good news?¡± My mother asked gently. ¡°Look at how you¡¯re all smiles. You¡¯re like a kitten.¡±

    I held my father¡¯s arm with my left hand and my mother¡¯s arm with my right. Then, I said happily, ¡°I invited my friends to the pce to hang out! They¡¯ll being over tomorrow afternoon. Can I borrow the royal tailor?¡±

    ¡°Of course, you can!¡± My parents said in surprise, ¡°We¡¯re very happy that you made good friends in school. I think they must be excellent children.¡±

    I told them about the girls, and the warm night passed peacefully.

    The following day, the official of rites sent the invitation away. After that, I couldn¡¯t sit still in the garden, constantly afraid that something would go wrong.

    ¡®Sigh, we are getting along so naturally in school, so why are you feeling uneasy now? Calm down, Selma! You know the girls, you will have a happy holiday.¡¯

    In addition, I¡¯d postponed the training with Aldrich. Secrets, secrets, secrets again! I wanted to share my love life with my girlfriends like an ordinary girl, but it was a pity that this wish had to be put on hold.

    In the afternoon, the girls flew into the pce like a group of curious birds.

    ¡°Moon Godness!¡± said Avril, still panting. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m really in here.¡±

    ¡°Did you see the guards at the pce gate? They¡¯re so handsome,¡± Mara said excitedly. ¡°I bet the boys will be jealous when they see their uniforms.¡±

    The girls asked if they had to greet the King and Queen first. I asked them to rx and said, ¡°No need to be so formal. It¡¯s not as serious as you think. There¡¯s no need to pay a formal visit. This isn¡¯t the town hall, is it?¡±

    ¡°The Lycan King is busy with work and can¡¯t leave often. Perhaps the Queen will invite us to dinner tonight.¡±

    Avil was hyperventting. ¡°My god, I¡¯m having dinner with the Queen! I won¡¯t be able to eat anymore because I¡¯ll always pay attention to whether the knife and fork touch the te, and I will not be able to pay attention.¡±

    Dorothy looked at us andughed and smiled.

    In the afternoon, we visited every corner of the pce, focusing on the gorgeous garden. The girls took many photos, saying they would develop them and pass them on to their grandchildren.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to lie to my grandson and granddaughter that I was once a duchess! I can¡¯t wait to see their faces,¡± Mara said with a smirk.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be crazy,¡± said Avril, unable to take it anymore. ¡°You don¡¯t even have a boyfriend.¡±

    While we were fooling around, we met an unexpected person.

    The southern Duke.

    ¡°Good afternoon, your Grace.¡± I didn¡¯t forget my disguise and bowed to him.

    The girls around me imitated what I said.

    ¡°Good afternoon, Miss Selma. How are you?¡± the southern Duke smiled kindly.

    ¡°Thanks to you, everything is fine.¡±

    We weren¡¯t familiar with each other. I only met him once on the night he came to the Lycan Pack. He was meeting my parents at the time, and I just greeted him politely.

    I exchanged a few words with the southern Duke before he took his leave.

    After he left, the girls gasped for breath like babies who had just learned to breathe.

    Mara asked, ¡°Is this what a noble is? He¡¯s so majestic. Although he was smiling, I didn¡¯t even dare to look at his face.¡±

    Even Dorothy nodded in agreement.

    ¡°Not all nobles are like that,¡± I exined. ¡°In fact, most of them are no different from us. The southern Duke is an exception.

    ¡°He served in the army when he was young. He was a famous soldier, so he always had a murderous aura.¡±

    ¡°It seems that Carolyn¡¯s temperament ispletely different from her father ¡®s,¡± said Avril. ¡°She always looks so delicate and soft. You can¡¯t tell that she¡¯s from a military family.¡±

    ¡°A father will always pamper his daughter!¡± I thought of my father¡¯s love for me and my adoptive father¡¯s tolerance for me. ¡°How wonderful it is to experience a kind father¡¯s heart.¡±

    In the evening, my mother invited the girls to dinner.

    Avil and Mara took out the most formal clothes from their luggage. They were dressed like they were going to receive a Nobel Prize.

    ¡°It¡¯s just an ordinary dinner,¡± I said helplessly. ¡°It¡¯s not a big party. Rx, guys.¡±

    In the end, under my strong suggestion, the girls wore simple floral dresses to the banquet.

    My mother was delighted. When she saw the girls, I swore she was more motherly than when she was with me, which made me a little jealous.

    ¡°Thank you for watching out for Selma.¡± My mother raised her ss and toasted, ¡°I was always worried that she¡¯ll have difficulty adapting to school, but with you guys, I believe she¡¯s extremely happy.¡±

 Chapter 57

    57 The Non-Existent Fianc¨¦

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t alcohol. It was just non-alcoholic fruit water.

    The girls were a little reserved at first, but they gradually rxed and even began to tell my mother some embarrassing things about me in school.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t seen the football captain¡¯s face!¡± Mara chuckled. ¡°He¡¯s been a tyrant in school for so long. He wouldn¡¯t have thought that someone would floor him.¡±

    My motherughed at my story of ¡®bravely eradicating the bullies and evil forces in school¡¯, while Iughed awkwardly at the side, praying that Mara and Avril would not expose me.

    ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve heard from someone else how much of a righteous person Selma is!¡± My mother looked at me with relief and said to Mara, ¡°Thank you for telling me about this.¡±

    Mara was ttered. ¡°You¡¯re being too nice. It¡¯s nothing. If you want to hear more, we still have a lot of things about Selma.¡±

    Seeing that the girls were about to ¡®sell¡¯ me out, I quickly changed the topic. ¡°We met the southern Duke in the garden this afternoon. He¡¯s such a noble man, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    The girls¡¯ attention was diverted, and they nodded in agreement.

    ¡°You guys met Lennon?¡± My mother said, ¡°Don¡¯t judge him based on his aloofness. He¡¯s a very good person.¡±

    I asked my mother, ¡°What was he doing at the pce?¡± Did the King summon him?¡±

    Unlike Duke Frank, the southern Duke did not live in the Lycan Pack. He had his pack and could not be a minister. In addition, he was not a member of the Council of Elders, so he basically did not participate in politics.

    I really couldn¡¯t figure out what he was doing at the pce. He couldn¡¯t possiblye to have afternoon tea with my father, right?

    ¡°Speaking of that... ¡°My motherughed. ¡°Lennon came for his daughter¡¯s hand in marriage. He wants to find a nice husband for his daughter as soon as possible. He loves his daughter.¡±

    ¡°Hand in marriage? So, Carolyn doesn¡¯t have a fianc¨¦ right now?¡± I was surprised.

    The girls were surprised too. They all knew that Carolyn had stolen Chloe¡¯s role to ¡®present her most beautiful side to her fianc¨¦¡¯ like Quincy Scott.

    My mother didn¡¯t understand why we were surprised. ¡°Of course, Carolyn is only sixteen years old.¡±

    She sighed. ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t quite agree that Lennon gets his daughter an engagement so early. I know that you young people are not like us. You don¡¯t like to be bound by marriage too early, right?¡±

    The girls looked at each other and finally hid the matter with tacit understanding.

    After dinner, my mother told us that she had asked Kara to prepare a bedroom for the girls.

    ¡°However, it¡¯s also an interesting experience to squeeze in the same bed with friends, isn¡¯t it?¡± She winked at us mischievously and left.

    Mara and Avril seemed to have beenpletely captivated by my charming mother.

    ¡°She¡¯s truly an extraordinary Queen.¡± Mara held her face and said, ¡°I feel like a young boy. My heart is beating faster.¡±

    ¡°Wipe that smile off your face. You look silly.¡± Avril frowned as if she had not ¡®fallen¡¯ for my mother. ¡°Have you met many Queens before? The ones in the TV series don¡¯t count.¡±

    ¡°How can those shoddy actors bepared to Her Majesty?¡± Mara mumbled, ¡°She¡¯s a real, noble Queen.¡±

    At night, the guest room was neglected, as expected. Four girls were squeezed onto my wide four-post bed.

    We didn¡¯t feel ufortable. Instead, we felt a different kind of peace.

    ¡°Just like little wolf cubs that are huddled together for warmth.¡± Dorothy was always straight to the point.

    We chatted about all sorts of things for a while before the topic shifted to Carolyn and her non-existent fianc¨¦. Carolyn had acted as if she was very much in love with her fianc¨¦ in school. Who would have thought that her fianc¨¦ didn¡¯t even exist yet?

    I had the same strange feeling again. ¡°This doesn¡¯t feel right. Carolyn is making me feel weird.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s obvious that she has a boyfriend behind the southern Duke¡¯s back, or she¡¯s delusional.¡± Avril never spoke politely. ¡°Did she make up a lie to perform on stage? Forgive me for being blunt, but she¡¯s not a good person.¡±

    ¡°Do you still remember what I told you before? Carolyn gave me a strange feeling?¡± Dorothy suddenly said, ¡°I don¡¯t feel this from the southern Duke. I could tell at a nce that he is a werewolf. The mixed bloodline does not affect that at all.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that there¡¯s a problem with Carolyn?¡±

    Dorothy replied, ¡°Sort of. I keep feeling that there¡¯s something about Carolyn that I¡¯m familiar with. Earlier, I suddenly realized that I felt the same kind of fluctuations from her on the day of the chaos at the academy.¡±

    I instantly understood what Dorothy implied. She had detected magic fluctuations in Carolyn, but she had to keep her secret. Thus, she could only use chaos as an excuse.

    Mara and Avril were shocked. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean that Carolyn is a witch? But didn¡¯t the rumors say that the southern Duke¡¯s family has elven blood? So how is she a witch?¡±

 Chapter 58

    58 The First Political Discussion

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°That¡¯s why I said it¡¯s just a feeling,¡± Dorothy said uncertainly. ¡°It¡¯s not necessarily correct. Rather, it¡¯s ridiculous.¡±

    The southern Duke had made significant contributions to the war when he was young and had even personally executed a legend wizard. So how was his daughter involved with a witch? It was impossible, no matter how I thought about it.

    However, I trusted Dorothy¡¯s insight even more. Perhaps there was something wrong with Carolyn. I had to find a chance to talk to my father and mother about this to prevent it before it happened.

    The next day, with the help of the royal tailor, we designed the clothes for the entire day to wear for the Moonlight Festival. Mara was the musician, and Avril chose Valkyrie. Dorothy had no experience in this, so she decided to y the ¡®girl in the shadow¡¯, the incarnation of the Moon Goddess in the dusk. In some versions of the myth, she was the daughter of the Moon Goddess and a witch in the mortal world.

    After spending the whole day in fabric andce, Avil said that she had never felt that choosing clothes was such a tiring thing.

    At night, I asked Kara to take the girls to the hot spring, while I took the opportunity to tell my father and mother about Carolyn¡¯s abnormality.

    ¡°At the academy, I somehow felt that there was something very off about Carolyn,¡± I said solemnly. ¡°She doesn¡¯t have a fianc¨¦, but she used her fianc¨¦ as an excuse to steal the role in the drama. She looks like a gentle girl but can inadvertently push for a bloody conflict.

    ¡°Dorothy¡¯s insight further confirmed my opinion. She¡¯s a witch and wouldn¡¯t have sensed magic fluctuations wrongly.¡±

    Of course, my parents knew about Dorothy¡¯s identity, so they also took this seriously. Carolyn was the southern Duke¡¯s only daughter and the heir to the Southern Pack. No matter what, nothing could happen to her.

    ¡°What do you think, my daughter?¡± he asked. ¡°If you were the decision maker, how would you deal with this?¡±

    I thought I was just a messenger, but such a question caught me off guard. I was a little stunned for a moment.

    Could I tell my father about my childish thoughts? This was not a small matter. It was better to let my father and mother handle it, right?

    My father saw my hesitation and encouraged me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Just be bold and tell me your thoughts. You¡¯ll have to face these problems in the future and take on the responsibility of a Queen, don¡¯t you?¡±

    My mother also encouraged me with a gentle but firm gaze.

    Thus, I made up my mind and organized my thoughts. ¡°First of all, this matter has to be kept a secret for the time being to prevent this matter from spreading and causing harm to Carolyn. After all, we have yet to confirm whether there is something wrong with her.

    ¡°Second, inform the southern Duke of this. Carolyn is his daughter, and he has the right to know everything. Besides, we can only continue the investigation smoothly with his support. After all, no kind father would want to see his daughter in danger.

    ¡°Third, Carolyn might have been mentally controlled by a witch, or she might have been switched. We must investigate her schedule and social information to see when she was attacked.

    ¡°And fourth...

    I was not sure if I should say this. After all, it didn¡¯t sound so ¡®open ¡®.

    ¡°... Fourth, if we can confirm that there¡¯s a problem with Carolyn, then we have to think of a way to resolve it. If she¡¯s under control, we need to find someone to remove the mind control. It¡¯ll be even better if we can find the murderer in her memory.

    ¡°If she has been switched, the witch who dared to switch her identity as the Duke¡¯s daughter and sneak into the Lycan Pack is likely to have ulterior motives. We must find a way to capture her, or... Get rid of her without alerting her.¡±

    After saying that, I nervously waited for my father¡¯s opinion.

    I regretted saying, ¡®get rid of her¡¯. After all, Carolyn was one of my packsmen. After all, everything was still undecided. But, to say that I would kill my people so casually, was this something a princess or queen should do?

    My father was a benevolent ruler. So I didn¡¯t think he would agree.

    Finally, he spoke.

    ¡°Selma, my daughter, to be honest, you have surprised me a little.¡±

    As expected! My father was surprised at my viciousness. I¡¯d disappointed him.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so thoughtful. To be honest, you make me feel it would be fine even if I passed the throne to you tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Father,¡± I said dejectedly. ¡°I should have treated Carolyn...¡±

    Suddenly, I realized that my father wasn¡¯t angry. On the contrary, he was looking at me with a gratified and satisfied gaze.

    ¡®Did I... Do well?¡¯

    ¡°My baby, you need to be more confident. In fact, you can do very well. Don¡¯t easily downy yourself.¡± My mother put her arm around my shoulder. ¡°I can see that you¡¯re a little uncertain, but the facts prove that you¡¯ve thought it through very well, haven¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°But I shouldn¡¯t have said something like getting rid of Carolyn so casually,¡± I muttered.

 Chapter 59

    59 Baby¡¯s Breath

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    My father suddenly became serious. He acted like a king and not my father.

    ¡°Kindness is a necessary quality of a leader.¡± He advised me, ¡°the people cannot recognize a cruel rule without mercy.

    ¡°However, a benevolent king will notst long. People will alwaysmit crimes, so you can¡¯t be kind to everyone. That¡¯s cowardice and irresponsible to others.

    ¡°Strictness is as important as kindness. Only a strict and kind king can treat his people fairly and lead the country well.¡±

    The King¡¯s solemness suddenly bloomed with kindness. He touched the top of my head and said with satisfaction, ¡°I¡¯m very happy that you have these two qualities, Selma. Do you remember what I told you on the first day?

    ¡°You will be a great Queen.¡±

    I didn¡¯t expect to receive such high recognition. I was so excited that I couldn¡¯t help but cry. Yet, at the same time, I felt a little embarrassed.

    Was this the feeling of being acknowledged? It was so wonderful I was almost addicted to it.

    My father and mother patiently waited for me to calm down. I quicklyposed myself, wiped the tears from the corner of my eyes, and asked, ¡°So, what should we do next?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll do as you say. Keep this a secret and inform the southern Duke.¡± My father said, ¡°The pack has been peaceful for too long, and the werewolves haven¡¯t bared their sharp teeth in a long time. It looked like some people can¡¯t sit still and want to stir up trouble to get something.¡±

    I felt that my father seemed to have some ideas about this. ¡°What do you think?¡±

    Mt father shook his head and smiled at me. ¡°It¡¯s just some randommentaries. It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

    He didn¡¯t want to say, so I didn¡¯t ask.

    After interacting with the King, I gradually concluded: The King bore responsibility, and with responsibility came secrets.

    As my identity was a secret, I couldn¡¯t participate in the conversation between my parents and the southern Duke. My parents could only speak on my behalf.

    Today, I was still with the girls, picking out dazzling essories.

    The girls weren¡¯t as carefree as they were yesterday. Even the bravest of them all, Avril, was being a little cautious. I didn¡¯t understand. Was it wrong to ask?

    Mara said to the pile of dazzling metals and gems, ¡°Selma, these are too expensive. We can¡¯t afford them.¡±

    Avil seemed reluctant to part with the brooch, but she held back and did not look at it. ¡°This brooch looks like it¡¯s worth a year of my living expenses. It¡¯s so beautiful, but it makes my heart ache.¡±

    There was no need to mention Dorothy. I supposed she was thinking of putting a ck veil on her head and leaving. I had to say that this was more in line with the theme of the ¡®girl in the shadow¡¯.

    It was only then that I understood my friends¡¯ concerns. While condemning myself for being careless, I told them, ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry about the price. These gowns and jewelry are gifts from Her Majesty the Queen.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Mara and Avril¡¯s eyes widened again. ¡°B-but these are too precious. We can¡¯t take such precious things.¡±

    To calm their worries, I deliberately winked and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be embarrassed. This is the royal family¡¯s style, you know. The Queen can¡¯t possibly entertain you with factory goods on sale in the mall, right? That would be too embarrassing for the royal family.¡±

    ¡°So... ¡± I brought over a tray of jewelry and winked at them, ¡°To honor the reputation of the Lycan King and the Queen, please give us some face and ept it?¡±

    The girlsughed at me; their worries swept away.

    As expected, the first thing Avril did was to take away the star-shaped broken diamond brooch.

    ¡°It¡¯s said that baby¡¯s breath is made of the tears of the Moon Goddess. It¡¯s tomemorate a Valkyrie who died protecting children,¡± she said.

    Mara said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about it in an elective ss. It seems that some witches also use the baby¡¯s breath to disy power. After all, in the legend, the Valkyrie died under a witch¡¯s curse.¡±

    ¡°It seems so.¡± Avril showed a disgusted expression. ¡°Now that you mention it, I suddenly feel that this brooch isn¡¯t as beautiful as it was.¡±

    Mara didn¡¯t respond as usual. Instead, she seemed to be thinking about something. Suddenly, she said, ¡°On the first day of Carolyn¡¯s transfer, she seemed to have worn a baby¡¯s breath-shaped jewelry. It¡¯s a silver ring. I saw it when she submitted her application to the club.¡±

    As soon as she said that, the entire ce fell silent.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore!¡± Dorothy shook her head and said, ¡°The more we think about it, the more skeptical we will be. If this continues, every detail could be ¡®evidence¡¯ of Carolyn¡¯s crimes. In fact, everything is just nonsense.¡±

    The girls quickly changed the topic and continued to pick out the essories they liked.

    I silently noted this suspicious and colorful baby¡¯s breath pattern in my heart. I even used silver, which was harmful to werewolves, adding anotheryer of doubt to Carolyn¡¯s suspicion.

    The highly anticipated Moonlight Festival was finallying.

    The day before the festival, the girls left the pce. They followed the tradition and set off with their families for a carnival parade.

 Chapter 60

    60 Moonlight Festival

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°Let¡¯s meet at the school gate! Let¡¯s set a meeting ce.¡±

    I wanted to go to the appointment with Aldrich hand in hand, but I couldn¡¯t. On this day, only family members and lovers of the opposite sex would go together. So, to not reveal any clues, we could only bear the pain and go separately.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do!¡± Aldrich hugged me and hid behind the thick curtains of the empty room.¡± I promise this will not be a lonely Moonlight Festival. The footsteps of the shepherd will always follow the Holy Moonlight.¡±

    After I parted ways with Aldrich, I went to see my parents.

    My parents had to leave in advance to give a speech at the festival, which meant I had to go alone.

    ¡°Keep in touch with the guards at all times,¡± my mother said worriedly. ¡°Every year, a small ident will ur during the carnival parade. If you meet a drunkard or a hooligan, don¡¯t tolerate it. Order the guards to beat them up!¡±

    I realized this was an excellent opportunity, so I said, ¡°I¡¯ll be with my friends. Maybe Sir Aldrich can apany us? He¡¯s a valiant soldier. With him here, we¡¯ll be very safe.¡±

    As my father¡¯s right-hand man, Duke Frank would be by my father¡¯s side on such an important asion. It was too pitiful for Aldrich to be alone. It wouldn¡¯t be too suspicious if I asked him along with my friend.

    As expected, my parents agreed.

    So I immediately contacted Aldrich and told him that we could go out hand in hand openly.

    He couldn¡¯t refuse the surprise, so Aldrich and Duke Frank came to the pce together and naturally stayed by my side.

    Due to the festival, the pce, which had always been in good order, became jubnt. The servants had a day off, and all of them were dressed up.

    Along the way, we met many ¡®servants¡¯ and ¡®incarnations¡¯ of the Moon Goddess. They were all amazed by the handsome ¡®shepherd¡¯ Aldrich. Honestly, I was a little jealous but also a little proud for some reason.

    ¡°So many people are looking at you. They must have thought that the legend hase true.¡± We sat on the sofa in the bedroom, sharing the same ss of wheat juice. ¡°Aldrich ying ¡®Aldrich¡¯, who can say this isn¡¯t a beautiful coincidence?¡±

    Aldrich looked at me affectionately and said, ¡°Thousands of people pay attention to me, but they are nothing. Only the moonlight can stay in my heart.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re really into your role today.¡±

    I admitted that I was bewitched and unknowingly gave him a passionate kiss.

    After the kiss, I finally realized I had applied a bright silver and transparent lip gloss.

    ¡°Oh no, my makeup!¡± I grabbed the mirror, and, as expected, my lipstick was smudged.

    Aldrich¡¯s lips were now brightly colored.

    ¡°It¡¯s my honor.¡± He gently wiped the residue from the corner of his lips. ¡°To be able to taste the moonlight.¡±

    Moon Goddess! How could someone say such sweet words so easily?

    My lipstick was already ruined anyway, so I didn¡¯t care about that and kissed Aldrich to my heart¡¯s content.

    This caused me to spend some time touching up my makeup, and we werete. When we arrived at the school, the girls had already been waiting for a long time.

    ¡°Greetings, Your Highness, the goddess.¡±

    Avril, who looked like a Valkyrie, properly bowed to me. Mara and Dorothy followed suit.

    ¡°Thank you, my dear daughters.¡±

    I pretended to return the greeting, and we couldn¡¯t hold back ourughter.

    ¡°Let me introduce you. This is Sir Aldrich. He will be our guard today.¡±

    I¡¯d introduce them to each other.

    ¡°This is Avril, Mara, and Dorothy, my good friends.¡±

    They greeted each other. Mara and Avril were a little excited, which was not hard to understand if one knew how popr Aldrich was among the young people.

    We first came to the central square to listen to my parents¡¯ joint speech. There was nothing much to say about these traditional prayers, but since the speaker was the beloved couple, the King and the Queen, the people were very enthusiastic.

    In the end, my father announced the official start of the parade. He and my mother saw me in the crowd and winked at me yfully.

    The float parade started, and the excited crowd followed closely behind.

    We followed behind a carriage full of irises and raspberries, singing loudly to the band. Aldrich protected us tightly from being scattered by the crowd and gentlemanly acted as a support for us to dance in circles.

    The revelry team came to a snack street. We felt a little thirsty, so we rested by the soda stall.

    As they drank their soda and chatted, Avril suddenly pointed at a father and daughter pair in the distance and said, ¡°Is that the southern Duke and Carolyn?¡±

    We followed the direction she was pointing at and saw that the southern Duke, dressed in a Roman robe, was helping the gorgeously dressed Carolyn onto a float.

    ¡°Carolyn is also involved in the exhibition? I¡¯m not surprised at all,¡± said Avril. ¡°No one else in the world likes to be in the limelight more than her.¡±

    ¡°The drama club¡¯s performance at the Midnight Opera House has been canceled because of the fight,¡± Mara said. ¡°So maybe she needs another stage to shine.¡±

    Maintaining her usual detest toward Carolyn, Avril said, ¡°The price is to push away another girl as pitiful as Chloe.¡±

    Next to the float was a girl wearing a grass-green tutu dress, not knowing what to do. It seemed like Carolyn had reced her.

 Chapter 61

    61 The Clown

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    My father had discussed Carolyn¡¯s strange behavior with the southern Duke. But, surprisingly, the southern Duke had tly refused to investigate Carolyn.

    ¡°This is an insult,¡± he retorted. ¡°An insult to my daughter and me.¡±

    No matter how much my father tried to persuade him, he would not agree. It was as if he did not care whether his daughter was in danger. However, his excuses were always to protect his daughter.

    What a contradictory father and daughter pair.

    In the end, the southern Duke relented and agreed to let the security department conduct a witchcraft inspection on Carolyn. However, it had to be done secretly, and Carolyn couldn¡¯t find out.

    The Moonlight Festival was the day of the operation, but my father had never said it would be carried out on the float. But, unfortunately, the float parade didn¡¯t stop from morning to night, so there was no way for the inspectors to get close to Carolyn.

    ¡°Perhaps something unexpected happened and made the southern Duke regret it. I have to go take a look.¡±

    ¡°Ladies, I have to go and greet the southern Duke.¡± I used my mother as an excuse. ¡°The Queen has specially instructed that if you meet the southern Duke, you should greet him on behalf of the royal family. So don¡¯t lose your etiquette.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go too,¡± Aldrich said. ¡°I¡¯m also a noble. So it¡¯s not good to pretend I didn¡¯t see him, right?¡±

    We¡¯d go together.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Aldrich quickly asked me in a low voice. ¡°Is there something about the southern Duke worth paying attention to?¡±

    As expected of someone from a political family, his intuition was always urate.

    I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s not him. It¡¯s his daughter, Carolyn.¡±

    ¡°That little girl? What¡¯s wrong with her?¡±

    ¡°She seems to have magic fluctuations. The Lycan King suspects she may have been possessed by witches and hopes to conduct a secret examination today.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way to examine the float.¡± Aldrich frowned.

    I nodded. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to solve the problem.¡±

    The southern Duke also saw us.

    ¡°Happy Moonlight Festival, Sir Aldrich, Miss Selma.¡± He bowed like a gentleman, ying his role as the Moon Prophet today.

    Carolyn had no choice but not to go onto the float ande down to greet us.

    We exchanged a few words, and I tried my best to stall for time, hoping that the float would leave quickly.

    ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful today, Carolyn,¡± I said to the girl covered in shiny pearls. ¡°The diamond headband suits you. Is that the shape of baby¡¯s breath? Truly original.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your praise.¡± Carolyn nodded slightly. ¡°This is a gift from my father for my sixteenth birthday. An Italy jewelry designer specially made it. It¡¯s one of a kind. Your brooch is also very beautiful, the moon made of opal. Very suitable for the asion, isn¡¯t it? Everyone likes to wear essories made of opal during the Moonlight Festival. It¡¯s just like the moon, and it¡¯s never wrong.¡±

    I pretended not to hear the anger in her words.

    ¡°Why did you think of performing on the float? That¡¯s tiring. Every year, the maidservants representing the royal family in the event say they don¡¯t want to go anymore. After all, not everyone can stand dancing for an entire day.¡±

    Carolyn proudly said, ¡°That¡¯s not the same. They¡¯re just some weak Omegas. I¡¯m the future Alpha of the Southern Pack. So how can those weak chickens bepared to me?¡±

    This wasn¡¯t a nice thing to say, not to mention the status of the people who coulde to the pce to work, but the undisguised discrimination against Omegas was vulgar.

    It wasn¡¯t the era of harsh ss hierarchy hundreds of years ago. So the Omegas should also receive the respect they deserve.

    Carolyn reminded me of Benson. They were equally proud, arrogant, and condescending.

    Fortunately, someone broke the awkward atmosphere.

    Aldrich suggested, ¡°Do you want some moon fudge? It¡¯s a special product from the Lycan Pack, and you can only have it during the Moonlight Festival every year.¡±

    He waved his hand to beckon the revelry clown holding a tray.

    ¡°Happy holidays, guys.¡± The clownughed happily. ¡°Do you want a piece of soft candy? There are cranberry and peach vors.¡±

    We tasted the moon fudge. The cranberry vor was great. Then, we left.

    Back at the soda stall, I received a text message from my mother.

    The inspectors had indeed detected magical fluctuations in Carolyn. What was even more unfortunate was that it was powerful ck sorcery that shielded her from the outside world. As such, the inspectors could not find anything other than magical fluctuations.

    This wasn¡¯t good news, but at least we had the confidence to convince the southern Duke to assist in the investigation.

    While chatting, I quietly asked Aldrich, ¡°How do you know that the clown is a prosecutor in disguise?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Aldrich smiled. ¡°But he kept circling us but didn¡¯t give out any of the candies in his hand. This one is not very bright, right?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re so smart.¡± I looked at him in surprise. ¡°I think that clown is no different from the other clowns.¡±

    ¡°Soldiers are always more sensitive. After all, the battlefield is fierce. So you have to be alert to ensure your safety.¡±

    I was simply fascinated by this astute warrior!

 Chapter 62

    62 Fireworks

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    As usual, a grand fireworks show would be held on the night of the Moonlight Festival.

    The girls went to look for their family, while Aldrich and I found a quiet and uninhabited hillside to wait for the fireworks.

    ¡°Are you happy tonight?¡± He draped his coat over my shoulders.¡± If there¡¯s anything bad about the Moonlight Festival, it¡¯s everyone¡¯s wearing too little in the snow. Every year, the number of patients having hypothermia in the hospital increases on the second day of the Moonlight Festival.¡±

    I stroked the soft fine fur of the wool coat and smiled. ¡°Is this the reason why you chose the Shepherd? This thick and warm coat?¡±

    Weughed out loud.

    When I was with Aldrich, I always seemed to smile unconsciously. It was silly, yes. But somehow, I had willingly fallen into this sweetness.

    We cuddled.

    Suddenly, a dazzling bullet of light shot into the sky. A few secondster, it exploded with a loud bang and bloomed into a massive firework of broken gold.

    ¡°It¡¯s starting!¡± I sat up in excitement.

    The Shadow Pack¡¯s customs differed slightly from the Lycan Pack¡¯s. This was the first time I¡¯d seen such a grand fireworks show, and I almost drowned in the dazzling colors that covered the sky.

    ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful, Aldrich!¡± I tugged at my boyfriend¡¯s sleeve excitedly.

    ¡°Yeah... It¡¯s too beautiful,¡± he said in a low voice.

    It was only then that I realized that he wasn¡¯t paying attention to the fireworks. Instead, he had been looking at me.

    ¡°Is there something on my face? Or do I look funny with makeup?¡± I lowered my head in embarrassment and wanted to take out a mirror from my bag.

    Aldrich took my hand and gave it a light kiss.

    ¡°No, there¡¯s nothing.

    ¡°It¡¯s just that the moonlight is too gentle. I¡¯m immersed in it and can¡¯t control my emotions.¡±

    The atmosphere was too flirtatious, and the distance between us gradually shortened.

    Finally, we kissed gently.

    Unlike the passionate and wordless kisses from before, our lips were like two light feathers that gently met in the breeze. They separated after a touch, but they were also at a distance.

    The intertwined breaths blended like milk and water. We were like two wolves snuggling up to each other for warmth on a winter night. We closed our eyes and enjoyed this quiet moment.

    ¡°Selma.¡± Aldrich sighed. ¡°I love you.¡±

    ¡°I love you too, my shepherd and my knight.¡±

    We embraced each other under the fireworks.

    The happy day ended, and it waste at night. Aldrich had to go back to the camp. The camp still strictly enforced the curfew on this grand festival. He sent me back to the pce, and we parted ways.

    The pce also held a banquet for the servants and attendants on duty. Kara invited me to drink a few non-alcoholic fizzy wheat drinks before returning to my room to rest.

    It was three minutes to twelve.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I texted Aldrich.

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of you,¡± he replied.

    My face turned red again.

    ¡°Be serious!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. I¡¯m preparing a gift for you.¡±

    ¡°A gift? What gift?¡±

    ¡°On the day after the Moonlight Festival, a man must prepare a gift for his sweetheart. This is a small custom among the young people.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t wait to see what the gift was, but I still asked reservedly, ¡°If you tell me now, I won¡¯t be surprised anymore. Hmph.¡±

    ¡°Please calm your anger, Your Highness the goddess. I¡¯ve missed you so much that I can¡¯t keep any secrets from you.¡±

    ¡°Alright! Please don¡¯t do this. I¡¯m dying ofughter!¡±

    We agreed to meet at the training ground tomorrow afternoon, and I fell asleep with full anticipation.

    The following day, I woke up almost at the break of dawn. I didn¡¯t look dispirited at all after staying up all night. The unknown gift made me so excited that my mother noticed my excitement.

    ¡°My little princess, why are you so happy today?¡± She asked, ¡°Could it be that you had a fortuitous encounter at the party yesterday?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I drank the milk absentmindedly. ¡°No, Mother. Yesterday was a wonderful day. I¡¯m still reminiscing about it.¡±

    ¡°Still reminiscing.¡± My mother smiled teasingly. ¡°Who left such a deep impression on you?¡±

    ¡°Oh, unknowingly, my baby has reached the age to meet her mate,¡± my father said.

    Only then did I understand what they meant. I blushed and quickly retorted, ¡°It¡¯s not that, Father, Mother. I¡¯m happy because of the Moonlight Festival.¡±

    In fact, the real ¡®culprit¡¯ was Aldrich, but I couldn¡¯t say it out loud, which made me a little disappointed.

    My mother looked regretful. ¡°Okay, but it doesn¡¯t matter. You¡¯re still young. You have plenty of time to find your mate.¡±

    In fact, my mate had long appeared and disappeared. It was none other than Benson Walton, the werewolf who now rarely appeared in my mind.

    I felt as if it had been a lifetime ago though it had only been a short year, wasn¡¯t it? The memories of the past were as distant as my past life.

 Chapter 63

    63 Negligence

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°Speaking of this... ¡°My mother said, ¡°It seems like Lennon already has a candidate for a son-inw.¡±

    ¡°So soon?¡± I couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°Is he that assured about Carolyn¡¯s current situation? There¡¯s already concrete evidence of her magic fluctuations, and as a father, he¡¯s still in the mood to arrange a blind date for his daughter?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with Lennon. He wasn¡¯t like thisst year when he brought Carolyn to the Moonlight Festival,¡± my father said with a frown. ¡°He was a kind father, and he stuck to his principles. Carolyn was also a politedy who kept a low profile. The father and daughter pair had changed too much. I¡¯m worried that Lennon might have been affected by ck magic.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± My mother eximed. ¡°Lennon is such a powerful warrior. Even a legendary wizard lost to him.¡±

    ¡°But Dorothy didn¡¯t sense any magic fluctuations from the southern Duke. Once witchcraft is performed, there will be magical fluctuations left behind. No matter how good the concealment spell is, it can¡¯t hide from a divination witch with superb insight.¡±

    ¡°This is where the problem lies.¡± My father said, ¡°Either my guess is wrong, or we are facing an unprecedented powerful enemy.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t we give the southern Duke a checkup too?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Unfortunately, my child, I can¡¯t. A Duke has his unshakeable dignity. We¡¯ve already checked his daughter. It¡¯s too outrageous to check him.¡±

    ¡°But this is all to ensure their safety... ¡°I said, unwilling to give up.

    ¡°Sometimes, status and dignity are more important than safety.¡± My father said, ¡°Even the Lycan King has his concerns.¡±

    Due to what happened to the southern Duke, I¡¯d been depressed all morning.

    The first step of my n was blocked, making me extremely frustrated.

    In the afternoon, I went to the training ground, and Aldrich was already waiting there.

    ¡°What happened?¡± He noticed that I was not in a great mood.

    ¡°It¡¯s the southern Duke. It¡¯s not just Carolyn; he might also be under the witches¡¯ control. It was my idea to inform the southern Duke of Carolyn¡¯s strange behavior and get him to cooperate with us in examining his daughter. Unfortunately, there¡¯s something wrong with the southern Duke, which means that everything we¡¯ve done before had probably alerted the enemy. I¡¯ve messed everything up.¡±

    I curled up on the stone steps, feeling stupid.

    Even the daughter of the southern Duke had fallen for it. How could the witches have released him? I should have thought of this possibility, but I didn¡¯t, so everything was ruined.

    Aldrich came to my side and hugged me gently.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. It¡¯s just a small mistake,¡± he said.

    ¡°Of course, it won¡¯t be that simple!¡± I was a little angry. ¡°What I¡¯m doing is equivalent to sending a message to the witches. Once they know that we¡¯ve noticed their traces, they¡¯ll be more vignt, which means that everything will be more difficult from her on!¡±

    ¡°Is that really the case?¡± Aldrich was not angry at my sudden anger. Instead, he was quite tolerant. ¡°If everything was as bad as you said, would you still be here?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I didn¡¯t understand. ¡°But we made an agreement...¡±

    ¡°No, no, no, that¡¯s not what I meant. If the situation was urgent, would the Lycan King be as calm as he is now? He should have discussed countermeasures with you and her Majesty the Queen, just like when he epted your opinion.¡±

    ¡°Maybe the King and the Queen are discussing a strategy.¡± I buried my head in my arms. ¡°They don¡¯t trust me anymore because I messed everything up.¡±

    Aldrich pulled me into his arms like a baby penguin.

    ¡°I know the Lycan King. He¡¯s an open-minded King and a tolerant senior.¡± He said, ¡°The Lycan King won¡¯t take his anger out on you because he took your suggestion. He won¡¯t me you either because the negligence of a young man is always worthy of forgiveness.¡±

    ¡°Really? How do you know?¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯ve made a mistake before, but the King forgave me and taught me more ways to make up for it.¡±

    Well, maybe my father wanted to teach me the same way he taught Aldrich, so he asked me to go to his and my mother¡¯s ce at night.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this.¡± I pulled myself together. ¡°Where¡¯s the gift? I¡¯ve been looking forward to it sincest night¡¯s dream.¡±

    Aldrich put on an act and said, ¡°Ha! A youngdy with an unpredictable mood.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t change the topic!¡± I reached out and tickled him. ¡°Take it out, show it to me!¡±

    ¡°I surrender! I surrender!¡± Heughed until he was breathless and took out a long jewelry box from his pockets.

    I opened it. There was a pendant inside, iid with ck opals that were as bright as the night sky.

    ¡°Wow,¡± I couldn¡¯t help but exim. ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful.¡±

    Aldrich put it on for me.

    ¡°From the first time I saw you, I was attracted by your eyes that were as mysterious as the night,¡± he said.

    ¡°Back then, I thought that maybe I was a meteorite that the Moon Goddess had dropped into the human world.

    ¡°Otherwise, why would I be so eager to return to the night sky?¡±

 Chapter 64

    64 The Blind Date

    Aldrich¡¯s POV:

    I felt unprecedented happiness. This happiness was brought to me by Selma.

    When I was still a high school student, I had once scoffed at the concept of ¡®love¡¯ and treated the love drama girls were talking about as trash. Such soft and disheartening emotions would only be a burden to the soldiers.

    However, when I got to my age, though young and still rebellious, I tasted how easy it was for a person to willingly fall into depravity like a tiny electric current running through my heart.

    I couldn¡¯t help but fantasize about everything I had with Selma. Her smile, anger, and anything rted to the word ¡®Selma¡¯ fascinated me.

    I¡¯d thought about the gift of the moonlight since it snowed the first day.

    Perfumes or cosmetics were too in, the beautiful dresses were a bit superficial, and the gorgeous jewelry was very vulgar. I thought hard, but I was not satisfied with any of them.

    The moon that had fallen to the mortal world, what exactly was worthy of its pure moonlight?

    One day, I was flying to Australia for a mission where an old friend was. He graciously invited me to visit his mine. There, I personally excavated a dazzling ck opal.

    Almost in an instant, I thought of Selma¡¯s eyes.

    Her eyes were as mysterious as the night, and every bit of starlight that flickered in them could easily tug at my heartstrings.

    Her moves, frowns, and smiles filled her eyes with more moving emotions than fireworks.

    This ck opal was like a treasure the Moon Goddess had given me. It dispelled the fog andforted my lover¡¯s heart.

    After returning to the pack, I personally polished and embedded this raw stone into a ne, making it into a pendant. Then, I secretly lengthened the silver chain so the pendant could hang over Selma¡¯s chest.

    My moon liked this gem very much. Her features were even more moving than the gem.

    My heart felt like it was soaking in 38¡ãC honey water, gradually melting.

    I felt like I was walking on cotton when I returned to the camp. My expression must be very strange because I was smiling like a child who¡¯d received arge pile of soft candy during the Moonlight Festival.

    The next day, I received a call from my father. He wanted me to go home and discuss some things.

    My first thought was that King and my father had discussed the matter of the southern Duke and his daughter. Did my father have a mission for me?

    ¡°But on second thought, Selma said that this had to be kept a secret. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t have told me if it wasn¡¯t for the Moonlight Festival incident.

    ¡°Good evening, Son.¡± My father was reading a travel book leisurely. Then, he looked up at me and asked, ¡®¡±How was the Moonlight Festival? Did you meet the girl you like?¡±

    ¡°About that, I don¡¯t think the Moon Goddess remembers about my marriage.¡±

    I said calmly, praying in my heart that the Moon Goddess would forgive me for lying.

    I thought my father was just casually concerned, but he sat up straight seriously and motioned for me to sit down.

    Wow, this was not good.

    ¡°I know you young people are not like us old bones back in the day, where we value our feelings more than fate.¡± My father said that so kindly that I felt a little creeped out. ¡°Feelings have to be developed. If you stay in the military camp daily, you won¡¯t have time to fall in love.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but I¡¯m not in a hurry to find my true love,¡± I replied uneasily.

    No, that was a lie. I couldn¡¯t wait to marry Selma, if possible, tomorrow.

    My father said, ¡°Of course not. You¡¯re still young and have a lot of time, but this doesn¡¯t stop you from looking for potential partners, right?¡±

    The ominous premonition grew stronger, and I didn¡¯t want to continue this topic. ¡°In fact, I¡¯d rather start a career before starting a family. You know, Father, I¡¯m a soldier and spend most of my time in the camp. Half of the time I have left is spent on missions, so I can¡¯t apany my girlfriend like other boys. No girl can stand this.¡±

    ¡°I understand, I understand.¡± My father didn¡¯t seem like he was going to give up. ¡°But friends don¡¯t have to stick together all the time. Friendship can also be the foundation of love. You can find a girl with the same goal and develop a strong friendship first.¡±

    I vaguely felt that there was a hidden meaning in my father¡¯s words. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±

    My father smiled and passed the phone to me.

    A picture of the southern Duke¡¯s daughter, Carolyn, was on the screen.

    ¡°This is... ?¡± I raised my head in disbelief. ¡°So you called me back just to have me go on a blind date?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just introducing you to a friend.¡± My father shook his head in disagreement.

    I didn¡¯t believe his excuses!

    ¡°However, Carolyn is only sixteen years old, so this is illegal! Besides, I¡¯m not even close to her, so it¡¯s impossible that something would develop between us.¡±

    ¡°Thew doesn¡¯t say you can¡¯t get engaged at sixteen, right?¡±

    My father took the phone back and said, ¡°Yesterday, you met Lennon and Carolyn. They both like you. Lennon¡¯s objective foring to the Lycan Pack is to help his daughter find a suitable fianc¨¦.¡±

    ¡°This is impossible.¡± I shook my head firmly. ¡°I will never date a high school girl. I don¡¯t want to be in the news for molesting an underage girl.¡±

    Besides, there was already a bright moon in my heart, so how could I let others disrupt the pure moonlight?

 Chapter 65

    65 An Entanglement

    Aldrich¡¯s POV:

    It was ridiculous. It was one thing for the southern Duke to dote on his daughter, but why would her father agree to such an outrageous proposal?

    ¡°Don¡¯t get so worked up, Son. It¡¯s just a suggestion.¡± My father said, ¡°There¡¯s no harm in young people spending more time together. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±

    ¡°No matter what you say, I won¡¯t agree. I won¡¯t get engaged to Carolyn, and I won¡¯t see her. I don¡¯t think our family is so down and out that we must rely on marriage between nobles to survive.¡±

    After a long silence, my father suddenly put down the ck tea in his hand and asked, ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I was confused.¡± It¡¯s ridiculous to fall in love with an underage girl. Do you need other reasons?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that,¡± my father said firmly. ¡°I know you, Son. So what¡¯s the real reason?¡±

    ¡°... This is it. I said, nothing else.¡±

    Selma¡¯s smile appeared in my mind. The Moon Goddess knew how much I wanted to say the name I had been thinking about day and night, but I couldn¡¯t. I promised Selma I would keep it a secret.

    My father smiled and said, ¡°You know what?¡± You ate a can of moon fudge under your nket when you were young. Your mother asked, but you said you didn¡¯t know. This was the expression you had when you lied. I know you too well. ¡±

    I didn¡¯t know what to say. The astuteness that I was so proud of disappeared before my family.

    ¡°I respect your choice, Aldrich, my son.¡± My father patted my shoulder. ¡°But no matter your decision, I just want to say that I¡¯ll be proud of you if you take responsibility like a man.¡±

    This was a conversation that would lead nowhere. It had no effect other than calming down my excited brain.

    I¡¯d long anticipated that such a day woulde. If it weren¡¯t Carolyn, then it would be some other girl from a noble family. Although noble marriage was the end of the old era, it could not be denied that traditional customs impacted life.

    If I had not met Selma, I was afraid I would have been like many noble young men, looking for a mate of noble birth.

    In short, due to certain psychological reasons, I hid this matter from Selma.

    I knew that I had never been a fearless and powerful warrior. When I faced my lover, I was like a wolf cub full of weaknesses. Any word from my lover would make me weak in the knees, so I was afraid of anything that might be a trigger between us.

    However, life did not always go as one wished. The more one wanted peace, the more turbulent it would be.

    Three days after the conversation, on Monday evening.

    ¡°I must say I have to find a new environment to train.¡± Lying on the grass, Selma panted as she said, ¡°I keep feeling like there¡¯s an invisible wall before me, which makes it very difficult for me to improve. Perhaps this is what they call a bottleneck?¡±

    I handed her an energy drink and nodded with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s right, my dear. Your progress has surprised me. Your bottleneck periodes faster than the average person. This is normal. We can try some new training to help you find a more suitable state.¡±

    Selma got up. Together, we snuggled up against a tree.

    She took out the pendant on her chest and carefully observed it against the setting sun.

    ¡°I¡¯ve always kept it close to me,¡± she said. ¡°When I sleep at night, it¡¯s close to my chest. It makes me feel very safe. Do you know why?¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± I shook my head.

    Selma smiled slyly. She ced the ck opal before her eyes. The brilliant light refracted by the gemstone could notpare to the liveliness in her eyes.

    ¡°Because it¡¯s like this, it¡¯s like you¡¯re always by my side.¡±

    I was like a little kid, dizzy from the great joy.

    I kept telling myself, ¡®Hey, Aldrich, calm down, don¡¯t show such an embarrassing expression. This is nothing. It¡¯s just an expression of love. So it¡¯s not a big deal, right?¡¯

    However, I might have to admit that I was in love. Why couldn¡¯t I just be a young boy?

    So I hugged my beloved sweetheart like a bear, and I couldn¡¯t help but suck the sweet honey from those lips that made me go crazy.

    We touched our foreheads and rubbed our ears against each other under the dim setting sun.

    On the way back to the pce¡¯s main hall, we met the southern Duke and Carolyn.

    ¡°Good evening, young people.¡± The Duke looked very happy. ¡°Did the training go well?¡±

    ¡°Thanks to you, everything is fine.¡±

    The southern Duke invited us for a walk, which was notmon. Out of courtesy, Selma and I had no choice but to agree to this rare invitation.

    We casually chatted in the garden for a while before Carolyn suddenly said, ¡°Father, are you not going to tell Sir Aldrich the good news?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re too impatient, baby!¡± The southern Duke adoringly reproached her but said to me, ording to his daughter¡¯s request, ¡°I think the King and the Queen will inform you tomorrow, but it¡¯s always better to get some hints in advance so that we don¡¯t lose ourposure.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± I had a bad feeling about this, especially when Carolyn constantly looked at me shyly.

    The southern Duke chuckled. ¡°Carolyn wants to make a trip back to the south. You¡¯re a brave warrior. You can escort her, right?¡±

    It was as if I had been struck by lightning on a clear day, and I froze on the spot.

 Chapter 66

    66 A Sense of Security

    Aldrich¡¯s POV:

    I didn¡¯t even dare to look at Selma¡¯s expression. The southern Duke¡¯s hint was too straightforward. She must have heard the hidden meaning behind it.

    It was a trip called ¡®escort¡¯, but in reality, it was a ¡®blind date¡¯.

    ¡°You know,¡± I stammered. ¡°The military camp doesn¡¯t allow long leave for no reason. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t help you.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I went to ask for special permission from the King and the Queen.¡± The Duke winked at me, but I only felt it was fate¡¯s merciless mockery.

    This wasn¡¯t right. It was too wrong.

    I quickly calmed down.

    The southern Duke was acting first and reportingter.

    My father had already rejected the southern Duke¡¯s invitation as I had suggested. Anyone with some social knowledge would know this was a polite rejection.

    There was no way the southern Duke wouldn¡¯t notice, but he still went about his way and applied for permission to leave the army from the highest leader. This was a form of coercion.

    Did the southern Duke dote on his daughter to this extent that he was willing to use such underhanded means to force me to submit?

    My intuition told me something was wrong, but reality didn¡¯t allow me to overthink it. Selma had already left calmly.

    I couldn¡¯t get any clues from her expressionless face, but I could tell she was burning with anger.

    I hurriedly chased after her and hurriedly bade her farewell, but Carolyn held onto my arm.

    ¡°Have you been to the Southern Pack? It¡¯s no worse than the Lycan Pack. Let me tell you about the local customs and practices.¡±

    Her warm invitation only made me feel annoyed. I didn¡¯t understand why this father and daughter pair were even stickier than moon fudge.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I have some urgent matters to deal with.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t be bothered about being gentlemanly anymore as I shook off Carolyn¡¯s hand and ran after Selma.

    Carolyn, behind me, seemed to beining about something to the southern Duke. I didn¡¯t care. I was willing to ept any subsequent usations and punishments as long as they could eliminate Selma¡¯s misunderstanding.

    ¡°Wait a moment!¡± I finally caught up to her. I grabbed Selma¡¯s wrist and pulled her to a corner of the maze of shrubs. ¡°I swear that things are not what you think. There is a huge misunderstanding here! I rejected him! I don¡¯t know why they are holding on to me like this! I¡¯ve never thought of loving someone else. Please believe me!¡±

    Selma said coldly, ¡°You rejected him. Does that mean this isn¡¯t the first time the southern Duke has tried to set you up with Carolyn? When? Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±

    ¡°Because I was afraid you would react like this,¡± I pleaded. ¡°On the second night of the Moonlight Festival, my father suddenly asked me to go on a blind date with Carolyn. How could I agree to that? I immediately rejected it. Please believe me, I beg you, Selma.¡±

    ¡°So why did you hide it from me?¡± Selma¡¯s eyes were brimming with tears.¡± You said you wouldn¡¯t hide any secrets from me, didn¡¯t you? You lied to me!¡±

    Moon Goddess, her tears were more powerful than acid. They easily corroded my heart.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to misunderstand,¡± I said incoherently. ¡°I swear to Moon Goddess that I don¡¯t have any other intentions. I kept it from you because I don¡¯t want you to be troubled by these things.

    ¡°You are a kind girl, Selma. Although you always act like you don¡¯t care, I can feel the hidden uneasiness you have when you face me.

    ¡°I was afraid that I didn¡¯t give you enough security. I was afraid you would be even more upset if you knew about this, so I kept it from you.

    ¡°But now, I know I was wrong. I shouldn¡¯t have used one contradiction to cover up another. I should have given you more security instead of grabbing onto what you¡¯ve already lost.

    ¡°Please be angry at me, Selma. This is my fault. But please don¡¯t look at me so coldly. I beg you, my lover, don¡¯t give me the ¡®death sentence¡¯.¡±

    I looked at her with hope, but Selma gently broke free from my hand.

    Her expression was so sorrowful.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t just your fault, Aldrich. Maybe we didn¡¯t give each other enough security.¡± She said, ¡°There are some secrets between us. There aren¡¯t many, but they can¡¯t be ignored. They¡¯re also fatal enough.

    ¡°I don¡¯t me you. In fact, do you know? Even I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m angry.¡±

    ¡°I want to...¡±

    ¡°We need to calm down.¡±

    Just like that, she passed the final sentence.

    Selma left. I did not notice when she left because the moment she said that, it was as if my soul had been taken away by the witch, leaving me with a chaotic body to face this sad world.

    After a long while, I realized that Selma had ¡®broken up¡¯ with me.

    Her words were ambiguous, but the meaning was clear.

    I didn¡¯t understand.

    It was just a small secret.

    How did thingse to this?

 Chapter 67

    67 The Awakening

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°Your Highness, are you alright?¡±

    I looked at my ashen self in the mirror and heard Kara¡¯s worried voice.

    I wanted to tell her that I was fine and had no problem. I wanted to tell her not to worry, but I failed.

    Because I was in a very, very, very bad state right now.

    Was Aldrich to me for this? Should I me him for hiding the truth?

    I thought I should because I was his girlfriend. We shouldn¡¯t keep any secrets between us.

    However, I didn¡¯t think I should, because I was his girlfriend. There shouldn¡¯t have been any secrets, yet, I lied to him from the beginning.

    ¡®Selma¡¯ was only a shadow of the past, a forced disguise.

    ¡®Madeline¡¯ is the current me, the princess of the Lycan Pack, the future Queen.

    The real liar was not Aldrich but me. I used a fake identity to gain his love from the beginning, and I couldn¡¯t even show this love in front of everyone.

    A strong sense of nausea hit me again. I retched but could only spit out bitter bile.

    Kara¡¯s voice became louder and louder. Finally, she said that if I didn¡¯t open the door, she would have to get the spare key and asked me to forgive her.

    I washed my face and forced myself to smile. I opened the door and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m just a little nauseous. Maybe I¡¯m too tired from training.¡±

    My shoddy performance did not fool Kara. She did not listen to my orders for the first time and forcefully invited my parents and Tracy.

    My mother hugged me as soon as she entered the room. Her eyes were red as she pressed me into her arms.

    This strong woman could deal with the difficulties of the Council of Elders with a poker face. No matter how busy the state affairs were, they could not shake her. However, she was unusually weak when it came to me. I always made her cry and turned her love into a sharp de of worry that stabbed her.

    And my father, this powerful and magnanimous King would only lose the calmness he was so proud of when he had to deal with me.

    I¡¯d always been lying and hurting others, be it, my lover or family.

    This made me hate myself even more. Finally, I gently moved away from my mother¡¯s arms andy on the goose feather pillow.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Father, Mother. I am just too tired from training. Kara is too nervous.¡±

    Iughed and spoke, but soon I couldn¡¯tugh anymore. I saw my stiff reflection in their eyes. Their expressions were so strange as if they were afraid that they couldn¡¯t see my abnormality.

    My parents didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, they simply held my hand tightly.

    Tracy rushed over and did some basic checks on me before using a special test paper to test my blood. She said solemnly, ¡°I think Your Highness will have to shift your awakening in advance. Your hormone changes are too chaotic, which may disrupt your normal growth pace. Your wolf will wake up early.¡±

    My mother eximed nervously, ¡°Will there be any negative effects?¡±

    Tracy shook her head and said, ¡°This is a very rare urrence. There are no conclusive cases. I can only say that there are pros and cons to this. The best case scenario is that the princess is safe and sound. The worst-case scenario is... a failure in the awakening and her Highness¡¯ wolf will go into eternal slumber.¡±

    This time, even my father couldn¡¯t remain calm. He immediately gave Tracy an order, ¡°From now on, you will receive the highest authorization from the medical department. You have the right to mobilize and use any resources you think are necessary. You must ensure Selma¡¯s safety.¡±

    Tracy¡¯s brows furrowed as he epted the mission and immediately went to prepare.

    While they were talking, I felt my nausea getting stronger and stronger, so much so that my consciousness was being tortured to the point of blurriness. My control over my body weakened. Someone was recing my soul and controlling this trembling body inch by inch.

    Was someone calling me?

    I heard my mother¡¯s voice, my father¡¯s, Kara¡¯s, and even Aldrich¡¯s...

    Wait, were the girls here too?

    And my adoptive parents, Rhode...

    Benson...

    Why were they here? Was today the public opening day of the pce?

    I didn¡¯t know why I was still in the mood to joke around. The feeling of losing control was so strange, but I felt an inexplicable sense of joy for some reason.

    It felt like family members smiling at each other or old friends reuniting at the same time. Everything was so strange, but at the same time, so familiar.

    All of a sudden, the noisy calls in my ears disappeared. Instead, I felt warmth all over my body, as if I had returned to my mother¡¯s womb.

    My umbilical cord was connected to another person. I couldn¡¯t see her nor touch her; only the umbilical cord that tightly connected us was saying, ¡°This is your closest half, your most trusted friend.¡±

    I struggled to open my eyes to see what she looked like; the girl connected to my blood. However, I had already lost control of my body. All I could do was try my best to move my eyelids as if seeing her face was the only thing that kept me going.

    Soon.

    Just a little bit more.

    It¡¯d be done soon.

    Finally, I used all my strength to open my eyes a little.

    Then, I met a pair of dark eyes.

    She said, ¡°You are me, and I am you. Hello, I¡¯m Maxine.¡±

 Chapter 68

    68 Maxine

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    After an unknown amount of time, I opened my eyes.

    The night was dark outside the window. There was no light in my bedroom, only a lot of candles. There seemed to be some herb added to the wax, filling the whole room with a bitter and sweet fragrance.

    ¡°Is there anyone... ¡± I was shocked by myself the moment I spoke. My voice sounded like a rusty saw!

    I picked up the cup of water by the bed and took a sip before lying down again. This slight movement exhausted me again.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± A cold female voice sounded, frightening me.

    I looked around but didn¡¯t see anyone.

    ¡°I¡¯m not in the room, little fool. I¡¯m in your body.¡± The female voice was a little impatient. ¡°Are you always sleeping in biology ss? How can you not have anymon sense?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just too tired. I don¡¯t usually do this... ¡± I retorted subconsciously.

    Wait a minute.

    I suddenly realized that she said she was in my body. So didn¡¯t that make her my wolf?

    My awakening seeded?

    My wolf sounded helpless. ¡°Don¡¯t act like a seven or eight-year-old child who has never seen the world. That¡¯s right. I am your wolf. Stop screaming in your heart. You are so noisy.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m sorry,¡± I apologized softly.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± My wolf said, ¡°Let me introduce myself again. I am Maxine.¡±

    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Selma or Madeline.¡±

    ¡°Or?¡± Maxine sneered disdainfully, ¡°How can a person have two names? Don¡¯t you know who you are?¡±

    I retorted, ¡°I only have two names. ¡®Selma¡¯ was given to me by my adoptive parents, and ¡®Madeline¡¯ is my real name. They don¡¯t conflict with each other. So there¡¯s nothing strange about it.¡±

    ¡°Really? That¡¯s not what you think, you two-faced little girl.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t speak as if you¡¯re the elder. In fact, you were only born a few hours ago!¡±

    I wasn¡¯t as excited as I was at the beginning. Maxine was an interesting wolf, and I liked her very much. However, when I thought about how I would have to spend the rest of my life with such a vicious wolf, I couldn¡¯t help but shiver.

    My thoughts couldn¡¯t escape Maxine¡¯s observation, and she bluntly said, ¡°You¡¯re too used to running away. You¡¯ll shut yourself up if someone tells the truth you don¡¯t like to hear. Forgive me for being blunt, but a person who doesn¡¯t ept admonishments with an ¡®open mind¡¯ can¡¯t be a good Queen.¡±

    Did she not know that I knew she was telling the truth?

    But I couldn¡¯t change it. I didn¡¯t know how to change it. I knew my problem from the start, but at the critical moment, running away seemed to be the easiest way for me. When everything was over, I realized I had messed up everything again.

    Just like what he did to Aldrich.

    How was he now?

    I couldn¡¯t help but think.

    I didn¡¯t say we were ¡®breaking up¡¯. Back then, what was left of my rationality was still holding on to me so that I wouldn¡¯t be stupid enough to jump off the cliff. But ¡®calming down¡¯ wasn¡¯t any better, was it? The only difference between that and ¡®breaking up¡¯ was the ver.

    Maxine sensed everything about me and said, ¡°Look, you¡¯re regretting it again. Silly girl, don¡¯t you feel tired? She was alwayspeting with herself in the cycle of ¡®regret¡¯. If you care so much about Aldrich, why don¡¯t you go to him immediately and talk it out? It¡¯s just a blind date. You saw Aldrich¡¯s attitude. You should understand how much he loves you; he would never have agreed to that.¡±

    I held my head in pain and said, ¡°That¡¯s not the problem! Of course, I know that Aldrich didn¡¯t betray me!¡±

    ¡°So what¡¯s the problem?¡± Maxine calmly analyzed, ¡°Is it you? You don¡¯t dare to meet him because you hid your true identity?¡±

    I lifted the nket and wanted to shout to vent my emotions, but in the end, I could only fall back onto the bed.

    ¡°... That¡¯s right,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m afraid. I don¡¯t dare to rify things to Aldrich. It¡¯s funny, right? It¡¯s just an identity and a name. It¡¯s not a big deal. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m afraid of such a thing.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t trust Aldrich, and you don¡¯t trust yourself. Why?¡± Maxine asked, hitting the nail on the head.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know either. If I have to find a reason, I think it¡¯s because I lied.¡±

    ¡°Because you didn¡¯t just lie to Aldrich; you lied to everyone too, right? You¡¯ve hidden your love from others.¡±

    I nodded numbly. ¡°Perhaps from the very beginning, choosing to hide it was a mistake. If I had been bold enough to make it public, Aldrich wouldn¡¯t have lied about being single, and the southern Duke and Carolyn wouldn¡¯t have fallen for him. We wouldn¡¯t have quarreled, and my awakening wouldn¡¯t have had an ident. It¡¯s a chain reaction, and the root of everything is the initial concealment.¡±

    Man created lies, but he could not control them. They were like a slidingdder that led to an unknown ce. Once you stepped on it, you could only go with the flow.

 Chapter 69

    69 Getting Used To Each Other

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°Since you understand the root of the problem, can¡¯t you solve it? Everything started from concealment, but it can also end with concealment. So why don¡¯t you just reveal it? Announce your identity to Aldrich, and announce your rtionship to the King and the Queen. That way, the problem will be solved.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± I tly refused.

    ¡°Why? You have to admit that this is the most effective method.¡±

    That was right. This was the most effective method.

    So, why shouldn¡¯t I do it?

    ¡°Alright, you coward. You don¡¯t dare to, right?¡± Maxine said disdainfully.

    I ignored her.

    Although she was right, I didn¡¯t dare to because I was afraid to see the disappointed eyes of my loved ones and rtives.

    ¡°Poor girl, but you have no other choice! Either you go now, or I¡¯ll do it,¡± Maxine said overbearingly. ¡°I¡¯ll take away the control of your body, confess to Aldrich, then kiss and have sex.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t do this!¡± I shrieked and blushed.

    ¡°Humph, so why don¡¯t you try and see if I can?¡±

    ¡°We... we just had the awakening. We are not at the stage where we can freely switch between the two. You can¡¯t control me,¡± I said guiltily.

    ¡°So why don¡¯t you try and see if I can? Hurry up, don¡¯t dilly-dally. Bring out the Queen in you!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still far from bing the Queen,¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°Who cares?¡±

    Maxine was getting restless, and I felt that my control over my body had loosened a little.

    ¡°Alright! It¡¯s done! I¡¯ll agree to your request!¡±

    I quickly agreed. If Maxine wanted to control my body and Aldrich, Moon Goddess, I might as well jump off the cliff again!

    ¡°This is more like it!¡± Maxineughed in satisfaction, then silently hid in the depths of my body.

    ¡°I¡¯m watching. Don¡¯t try to y any tricks!¡± She didn¡¯t forget to threaten me.

    ¡°As youmand, Queen Maxine.¡±

    I helplessly dragged my exhausted body and opened the door.

    Kara and Tracy sat on the chairs by the door while my parents sat on the sofa with their eyes closed.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡± Kara would always be the first to notice me. She looked at Tracy happily and asked, ¡°Does this mean that the Princess is fine?¡±

    Before Tracy could reply, my parents hugged me tightly.

    ¡°Thank you, Moon Goddess!¡± They said, ¡°It¡¯s great that you woke up safely!¡±

    We waited for Tracy¡¯s answer.

    The royal doctor wiped the sweat from her forehead and used some instruments I didn¡¯t recognize to examine me. They took up half of my room and the reception room. Then, she happily announced, ¡°I can say with certainty that Her Highness the Princess is safe and sound! Your awakening must have seeded. Have you met your wolf?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Yes, she¡¯s called Maxine. She¡¯s a good and understanding girl.¡±

    She was just a little straightforward.

    I secretly added in my heart, and as expected, I received a protest from Maxine.

    ¡°Oh, this is the second best news I¡¯ve heard today,¡± my mother said with relief. ¡°Maxine, great. What a good name.¡±

    ¡°Maybe,¡± my father said happily. ¡°Can Pymon and Irene meet her?¡±

    Without waiting for my reply, Maxine had already jubntly agreed. I could only say, ¡°Of course. When we learn how to transform into our wolf form, we¡¯ll inform Pymon and Irene as soon as possible.¡±

    Under my parents¡¯ and Tracy¡¯s suggestions, I was again helped back to my bed to rest.

    ¡°You need more sleep to recover your energy,¡± Tracy said. ¡°Abundant experience will allow you and Maxine to get along better.¡±

    Thus, I proudly told Maxine, ¡°I¡¯m not trying to run away. After all, I can¡¯t disobey a doctor, right?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think you can escape,¡± Maxine was furious. ¡°I will keep an eye on you!¡±

    The awakening had used up too much of my energy. Within a few minutes, I fell asleep again.

    When I woke up, it was already noon. The first thing I did was check my phone, but there was nothing. There was no call, no message, and no contact from Aldrich.

    This made mey back on the bed in frustration.

    Should he go?

    I was conflicted.

    In the past, every time we quarreled, Aldrich would be the first to give in. But, this time, he didn¡¯t say a single word. Did this mean that he was angry for real?

    If I went to him now, would I be adding fuel to the fire?

    What should I do if he said coldly, ¡°Haven¡¯t we broken up?¡±

    Leave in sadness? Or try to make him stay?

    Maxine couldn¡¯t bear to listen any longer and screamed in my body, ¡°Don¡¯t act like a middle school girl. Do your lips and tongue have some hidden diseases that prevent you from speaking? Just give in first. What¡¯s the use of thinking about those things now? Don¡¯t give yourself any reason to retreat!¡±

    She was very entric, but just like before, she was right.

    Thus, I temporarily put away my weak emotions, tidied myself up, and headed back to the military camp.

 Chapter 70

    70 The Weight Of The Secret

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°He took a leave and went home?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Miss.¡± The soldier on duty said, ¡°Sir Aldrich will be back this afternoon.¡±

    ¡°Alright, thank you.¡±

    After learning that Aldrich was not in the camp, my imposing manner instantly dropped by three levels.

    ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to retreat! I¡¯m not joking,¡± Maxine threatened me.

    ¡°But he¡¯s not here... ¡±

    ¡°Then, go to his house. Don¡¯t you know where Duke Frank¡¯s mansion is?¡±

    ¡°Is there a need for that?¡±

    ¡°Of course, there is! Please get this straight, little princess; you and Aldrich did not just have a simple quarrel, okay? If you want both sides to agree that you¡¯re done for, then don¡¯t go. If you still love him, hurry up and exin it to them, so these two fools don¡¯t have to act in a sh*tty drama! I don¡¯t want to be the audience of that!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not done!¡± I retorted softly, but I still did as she said.

    I didn¡¯t want anyone to see through me, so I asked the driver to send me to the park and lied that I had an appointment with the girls to meet here. After the driver left, he took a taxi to the duke¡¯s mansion.

    The security here was tight. The guard stopped the car from a distance and said politely but firmly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss. This is private property. Unauthorized people are not allowed in.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here to see Sir Aldrich,¡± I told him calmly. ¡°Tell him that I¡¯m Selma, and he¡¯ll understand. ¡±

    The guard nodded and made a phone call. Half a minuteter, he trotted over and said, ¡°Forgive my rudeness, Miss. You can go in now.¡±

    The tall iron door slowly opened.

    Stepping on the soft grass, I felt like my heart was hanging in the air with my steps. But then, it broke free from my body and impatiently flew to Aldrich, staring at me like a tiger watching its prey. Once I said anything wrong or made any false move, it would fall without pity and tear itself into pieces.

    The servant pushed the door open for me. Someone was standing in front of the door. He had been anxiously pacing back and forth, but when he saw the door open, he immediately put on a calm expression. However, he didn¡¯t even know what to do with his hands. It was Aldrich.

    ¡°Good morning, Selma,¡± He smiled and greeted me as if nothing had happened yesterday. ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    I didn¡¯t know how I was so calm. ¡°We need to talk, Aldrich.¡±

    He didn¡¯t say anything, but he couldn¡¯t keep his calm expression any longer and took me to his room.

    As soon as we entered, he hugged me tightly and buried himself in my neck like a child.

    I was shocked and subconsciously wanted to push him away.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to break up,¡± he said in a muffled voice.

    ¡°What?¡± Iughed and said, ¡°I haven¡¯t said anything yet.¡±

    Aldrich raised his head and gently leaned on my forehead, saying, ¡°If it was something good you wanted to say, you don¡¯t have to say anything. I¡¯m willing to do anything. If it¡¯s a bad thing, you don¡¯t have to say anything, either. I¡¯ll never agree.¡±

    ¡°Then tell me, what is good and what is bad?¡±

    ¡°For example... ¡± He pouted like a child. ¡°If you want to kiss me, it¡¯s good. If you want to break up with me, like yesterday, it¡¯s bad.¡±

    I fell silent, and he put away his childish attitude.

    After a while, he took my hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s not give each other the cold shoulder anymore, okay?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t contact me. You didn¡¯t send me any messages or call me.¡± I wanted to stay calm, but I couldn¡¯t help but sob.

    ¡°It¡¯s my fault,¡± Aldrich took me into his arms. ¡°I was too timid. I didn¡¯t dare to contact you. I was afraid you were still angry with me. Just thinking about your expression when you left yesterday, my heart feels like it¡¯s about to break into pieces.¡±

    ¡®Don¡¯t!¡¯

    ¡®No!¡¯

    I couldn¡¯t stand Aldrich apologizing to me, not knowing that his apology would only make me despise myself more.

    So. I interrupted him and pushed him away. Then, holding back my tears, I said, ¡°Aldrich, I have something to tell you.¡±

    ¡°... ¡±

    He fell silent, and tears filled his determined eyes.

    I forced myself not to look and spilled my guts and heart.

    ¡°I lost myposure yesterday. I know that nothing is going on between you and Carolyn. It¡¯s just that... I care too much about you. I don¡¯t want you to be involved with any other woman. Even if it¡¯s just Carolyn¡¯s unrequited love, which is sickening, I don¡¯t think I can change that.

    ¡°I¡¯m not angry at you for hiding it from me. In fact, I¡¯m overjoyed at every consideration and protection you have for me. I said that because I felt guilty that you didn¡¯t do anything wrong. But, Aldrich, I¡¯m the liar. I¡¯ve been hiding something from you from the beginning.¡±

    Aldrich¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°What are you talking about? I don¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°Of course, you don¡¯t understand because I¡¯ve been hiding it from you.¡± I was already sobbing. ¡°I didn¡¯t just lie to you; I lied to everyone. I love you so much, my lover, but I can¡¯t stand being deceived. I don¡¯t want the person you love not to be the real me. I don¡¯t want our love to be hidden in the corner of the training ground.

    ¡°I hate keeping secrets!¡±

 Chapter 71

    71 The Confession

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Aldrich was flustered. He hugged me in a hurry and said incoherently, ¡°Then let¡¯s not keep it a secret anymore. Let¡¯s go public immediately and announce our rtionship, okay? Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll ept all the me from the King and the Queen. I won¡¯t leave you alone, and I won¡¯t give up on you!¡±

    ¡°Not this one!¡± Now it was my turn to be a child, crying unyieldingly, but I couldn¡¯t speak clearly!

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± He pulled out a tissue and gently wiped my face. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Cry it out and vent your emotions. We¡¯ll talk about it when you want to.¡±

    So I cried in his arms.

    When I calmed down, I wanted to find a hole to hide in. I came to apologize to Aldrich, but why was he the one who coaxed me in the end? I was crying like a baby!

    Maxine was silent the entire time, and now she came out and said in disdain, ¡°I understand now. With your boring personality, you¡¯d be waiting to die alone if you didn¡¯t meet a boyfriend like Aldrich who is willing to put down his ego and y straight shots.¡±

    ¡°But I just had to meet Aldrich, didn¡¯t I?¡± I sniffed and retorted.

    ¡°Evil!¡± Maxine pretended to vomit. ¡°Listen to yourself. It¡¯s more pretentious than a nursery rhyme. Don¡¯t cry. Come on now! Tell Aldrich.¡±

    I didn¡¯t say a word. Finally, Maxine asked in disbelief, ¡°You¡¯ve alreadye to this point. What are you still persisting for?¡±

    ¡°This is not something I can decide on my own!¡± I tidied my hair in frustration.¡±I¡¯m a princess, not a delicate flower with no responsibility like in ¡®Roman Holiday¡¯. My every move is rted to the pack¡¯s fate and the werewolves! I don¡¯t have the right to decide whether to reveal my identity. I need my parents¡¯ approval!¡±

    ¡°But didn¡¯t you hide your identity to guard against bad people?¡± Maxine did not understand. ¡°Is Aldrich a bad person? He loves you, and you love him. He¡¯s a good person, and you¡¯re not bad either. So what¡¯s there to guard against between the two of you?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand what I mean.¡± I didn¡¯t know how to exin theplexity of politics to a little wolf cub born less than a day ago. ¡°This is not my personal choice. It has nothing to do with my feelings or our nature. This is a purely political problem! My identity isn¡¯t just my identity, it also has political implications, so I have to be on guard against everyone, regardless of whether they¡¯re good or bad.¡±

    ¡°Alright, you always have so many excuses. I can¡¯t beat you in an argument. However, you have just told Aldrich you have a secret you are hiding from him. If he asks, what will you say?¡±

    Yes, how should I put it?

    Perhaps I didn¡¯t have to say anything.

    Aldrich was a person who respected me unconditionally. Even if I put the secret before him, he wouldn¡¯t go back to investigate a word if I didn¡¯t turn to the first page.

    This made me proud and satisfied, but it also made me feel pain and guilt.

    I¡¯d always been determined toe clean with Aldrich, but I always found various reasons to escape at thest minute.

    I hoped this would be thest time. But no, this must be thest time.

    We¡¯d be honest with my parents, and with their permission, I didn¡¯t have to think about politics, emotions, escape, and quarrels. I only needed to show the real me before Aldrich.

    The first person was Duke Frank.

    He was sitting in the living room, reading the newspaper and drinking coffee as if he knew we wereing to find him.

    ¡°Good morning, Miss Selma. I hope this little brat didn¡¯t make you sad,¡± Duke Frank said kindly.

    I subconsciously rubbed my eyes to hide my reddened eyes. I smiled and returned the greeting. ¡°Hello, Your Lordship.¡±

    Aldrich and I sat on the sofa opposite Duke Frank. Neither of us spoke first. The Duke was still drinking his coffee but no longer reading the newspaper. Instead, he turned his attention to us as if he was trying to figure something out.

    ¡°You guys have something to tell me.¡± Then, not long after, he suddenly said with certainty, ¡°So say it boldly. What are you hesitating for?¡±

    Faced with the suddenly serious Duke Frank, Aldrich and I subconsciously sat up straight.

    Then, just as I was about to speak, Aldrich suddenly said, ¡°Father, Selma and I are together now. We love each other and will never be apart.¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute!¡± I choked on my saliva, surprised by his recklessness.

    That was too straightforward! Couldn¡¯t he, at least,y the foundations first?

    Duke Frank was expressionless and said, ¡°Oh? Is that so?¡±

    He looked at me, and I knew he had no reason to be dissatisfied with me, but I still felt myself getting even more nervous.

    ¡°Yes, my Lord. Your son and I are very serious about getting along with each other for marriage.¡±

    After that, Aldrich suddenly looked at me in surprise.

    Only then did I realize what stupid words I had said. Here I was, saying that Aldrich was reckless when I mentioned ¡®marriage¡¯!

 Chapter 72

    72 Busted

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°I didn¡¯t! I didn¡¯t!¡± I spoke incoherently and wanted to make up for it, but the more I exined, the worse it got, so I could only shut up obediently.

    Maxie appeared again. ¡°Ha! Even junior high school girls are not that stupid! Silly girl, Selma! Hahaha!¡±

    I didn¡¯t have the time to pay attention to her because Duke Frank was also surprised. He looked like he was about to crush the coffee cup.

    ¡°My Lord, I... ¡± I didn¡¯t know what to say, so I looked at Aldrich for help. Thetter looked like he wanted to persuade his father to calm down, but before he could say a word, the Duke¡¯s excitedughter interrupted him.

    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± The Dukeughed as he said, ¡°Thank you, Miss Selma. The rest of my silly son¡¯s life is finally settled. I wonder when I can meet your parents? Have you discussed the wedding date? Where will the wedding be held?¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡±

    ¡°Wait! Father!¡± Aldrich hurriedly stopped his father. ¡°We are not at that point yet! Don¡¯t talk about this! You¡¯re too rude!¡±

    The Duke calmed down a little, but he still looked very happy. Finally, he said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I lost myposure. I was just too happy. You have no idea how worried I was that my son, whose head is filled with career, would die alone, Miss Selma. If that were the case, I wouldn¡¯t be able to meet his mother, would I?¡±

    Iughed awkwardly and looked at Aldrich, feeling a little shy.

    Getting married...

    It sounded so far away. Would I get there with Aldrich? I was suddenly a little uncertain.

    Perhaps he could feel my emotions. Aldrich held my hand and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m here.¡±

    Yes, he would always be here.

    I felt at ease.

    Duke Frank chatted with us for a while. The way he looked at me had changed. If it was an appreciation for an outstanding junior in the past, it was now mixed with undisguised love.

    They were really father and son.

    I thought.

    Their feelings for each other were so strong and passionate.

    After Duke Frank, it was my parents¡¯ turn. In Aldrich¡¯s eyes, they were my uncle and aunt.

    ¡°You know that this is a tough battle, right?¡± I said.

    Aldrich nodded so seriously that it made people feel he was going to the battlefield.

    However, in less than three seconds, he broke down. He leaned on my shoulder and whispered, ¡°The Lycan King will take away my title and get the guards to throw me out. The Queen will get people to throw me out of the Lycan Pack and tell all the packs not to take me in. I¡¯ll be a sad rogue.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t let that happen!¡± I pretended to be angry and ruffled his hair as if I were petting a dog. ¡°The Lycan King and Her Majesty the Queen are both good people. They won¡¯t do that to you. At most, they¡¯ll order the guards to beat you up.¡±

    He let out a strange cry and started to mess with me.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll stop joking.¡± I panted as I straightened my hair. ¡°Are you nervous? To be honest, I¡¯m a little nervous.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t imagine what my parents¡¯ expressions would be like. Although they weren¡¯t old-fashioned people, Aldrich was in charge of training me, so he was my teacher, right? A teacher-student rtionship? This did not sound good.

    ¡°Do you want to tell me the truth?¡± Aldrich shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not going to waste time, okay? Actually, a little. I¡¯ve kidnapped their niece without them knowing. Moreover, we can barely be considered a teacher-student rtionship. I can¡¯t imagine how the King would look at me.¡±

    ¡°But I won¡¯t be afraid with you by my side.¡± He held my hand. ¡°You are the source of all my courage. With you around, I am the most invincible warrior in the world.¡±

    ¡°Even if it¡¯s the spear of the pce guards?¡± I teased.

    Aldrich pretended to be stabbed, grimacing in pain, and then said in an uncaring tone, ¡°It¡¯s a little painful, but it¡¯s nothing. After all, you¡¯re here.¡±

    The atmosphere was so good that we unknowingly hugged and kissed each other, so much so that we forgot where we were.

    This was the living room of the King¡¯s suite, so it was not strange for the King and Queen to be here, right?

    ¡°What are you guys doing?¡±

    My mother screamed in disbelief. Aldrich and I immediately separated. First, we met my parents¡¯ shocked gazes, and then after looking at each other for a second, we squeezed to the two sides of the sofa as if we were running away.

    ¡°Argh! Greetings, Your Highness.¡±

    Aldrich hurriedly saluted. I dared say that this was the most unqualified bow he had ever made.

    ¡°Good day, Sir Aldrich.¡± My father¡¯s voice was as cold as ice. I shivered. ¡°If I may be so presumptuous as to ask, what were you and Selma doing in my living room?¡±

    In case my father really ordered the guards to drive Aldrich out, I quickly stood up and confessed to them, ¡°Father, Mother, Aldrich and I are currently dating. We came to see you today to tell you this.¡±

    As soon as I finished speaking, three voices spoke at the same time.

    ¡°What are you saying, Selma?¡±

    ¡°Moon Goddess, am I still sleeping?¡±

    ¡°Father? Mother?¡±

    I looked at the three shocked faces and didn¡¯t know what to do.

 Chapter 73

    73 An Oath Under The Moon

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°Moon Goddess, please summon me away.¡±

    I sat on the sofa with Aldrich, opposite my serious parents. Although it seemed like we were divided into two distinct camps, Aldrich also gave off an ominous aura.

    This was purely a tri-party trial for me!

    ¡°We have to talk,¡± my father said. ¡°Let¡¯s have a sincere and honest talk.¡±

    I looked at them. ¡°It¡¯s what you see. I¡¯m in a rtionship with Aldrich. Father, Mother. We¡¯re both very serious. We¡¯re not just fooling around.¡±

    Since I¡¯d already been exposed, I decided not to hide it from anyone and openly addressed my parents.

    Aldrich looked a little angry at me but said respectfully, ¡°Just as Selma said, we will be with each other seriously.¡±

    My mother didn¡¯t seem to find it so uneptable, but her gaze showed she was a little picky. ¡°Serious in what way? Kissing in the living room of the Lycan King in broad daylight? With all due respect, I¡¯ve always thought that you were a gentleman who abides by etiquette, so I was at ease to leave my niece... My daughter in your care. However, you¡¯ve disappointed me too much, Sir Aldrich.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that about him, Mother,¡± I defended my lover. ¡°Don¡¯t make it sound like he seduced me. In fact, I was the one who took the initiative in the first ce. I was the first to fall in love, the first kiss, and I was the one who pulled Aldrich into this rtionship.¡±

    My mother cried out in shock and looked like she was about to faint. My father held her; his broad palm seemed to be transferring energy to my mother so that she would not faint from her daughter¡¯s nonsense.

    I wanted to say something, but Aldrich suddenly took my hand and gave me aforting look. Then, he said to my parents, ¡°Please forgive me, Your Highness. My rtionship with Selma does not seem to align with the world¡¯s view of perfect love. We¡¯re not fated mates. There¡¯s a big age difference, and we have a teacher-student rtionship.

    ¡°No matter how you look at it, we aren¡¯t a match made in heaven.

    ¡°But... Everything just happened. Even without the Moon Goddess¡¯ will, we are like two butterfly wings. We couldn¡¯t help but fit together. It was hard to separate, and we don¡¯t want to separate.¡±

    He looked straight into my father¡¯s eyes. Yet, in front of this majestic king, he did not flinch at all.

    ¡°I love Selma, and I will always love her. I once swore an oath under the witness of the moon. If my feelings for Selma were to waver even a little, I would ask Moon Goddess to immediately take my life and put me on eternal night¡¯s trial.¡±

    ¡°An oath under the moon?¡±

    I was shocked. Aldrich never told me about this!

    The ¡®oath under the moon¡¯ was the most solid, sincere, and unrepentant oath of the werewolves. It was equivalent to making an oath in front of the Moon Goddess and receiving the protection and support of the Moon Goddess. On the other hand, breaking the oath would be equivalent to cheating the Moon Goddess. The one who broke the oath would be punished by the Moon Goddess and would be rejected by the werewolves forever.

    My parents were stunned by this ¡®resolute¡¯ oath and were momentarily speechless.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to use to show my sincerity.¡± Aldrich lowered his head in shame like a child who had done something wrong. ¡°I think, only by letting the omniscient and omnipotent eternal moon monitor me, I am willing to use my entire life to show Selma and Your Highnesses my eternal love for Selma.¡±

    ¡°But you never told me... ¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°Even lovers have to keep some small secrets, don¡¯t they?¡± He winked at me yfully. ¡°At least you know now.¡±

    What kind of ¡®little secret¡¯ was this?

    It was not that I didn¡¯t trust his feelings for me, but I was thinking from my point of view. If Aldrich lost confidence in me one day and wanted to give up on this rtionship, I thought I would let go. This was because feelings were not a one-person show, and conflicts were not one-sided, right?

    Time would prove everything.

    But Aldrich doing this was equivalent to being unable to separate himself from our rtionship forever.

    Even if he showed any weakness, the oath¡¯s power would give him a painful punishment.

    Did he not trust himself that much?

    Did he trust me that much?

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have done this.¡± I hadpletely forgotten that my parents were there. I shook Aldrich, hoping that he would wake up. ¡°Do you understand the power of the oath under the moon? You¡¯re shackling yourself with chains that you can never escape.¡±

    Aldrich held my hand and kissed it gently. He said, ¡°Before I made the first promise, I had already fully understood what the oath under the moon was about. I don¡¯t care how many chains I¡¯m shackled with. For you, I¡¯m willing to do anything.¡±

 Chapter 74

    74 Heartbreaking

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    As we looked at each other, my mother cleared her throat awkwardly. ¡°Ahem, we¡¯re still here.¡±

    Aldrich and I let go of our hands as if we had been electrocuted; our faces were pink like peaches.

    He looked at me, and I looked at him. We looked at each other¡¯s blushes and chuckled.

    My father rubbed his brows helplessly and said, not knowing whether tough or cry, ¡°Alright, alright, young man.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not angry with us anymore?¡± I asked carefully.

    ¡°How can I be angry? Even the moon has acknowledged your rtionship.¡± My father said, ¡°Young people are always impulsive, but young people¡¯s feelings are also always passionate. In the face of such a beautiful rtionship, what reason do I have to object?¡±

    My mother still found it hard to ept for a while, but she was not so picky about Aldrich.

    ¡°Good boy, I didn¡¯t expect you to have such courage and determination,¡± she said.

    ¡°Because Selma is by my side. She is my inexhaustible source of power.¡±

    My mother couldn¡¯t take it anymore and rolled her eyes. This wasn¡¯t how a queen would act. She then said unhappily, ¡°Alright, Victor and I won¡¯t interfere in your business. Now, don¡¯t show off your love before us. We¡¯re old, and our teeth will ache!¡±

    I cheered and threw myself into my parents¡¯ arms. Iughed and said, ¡°You¡¯re not old! Father isn¡¯t old either. You¡¯re the most beautiful and handsome people in the world!¡±

    Iughed, and from the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of Aldrich¡¯s smiling eyes, so gentle, so charming.

    After we left, we walked hand in hand in the garden.

    At first, the atmosphere was wonderful, but when the problems we both tacitly hid surfaced, everything was not so wonderful.

    ¡°So, I heard you addressing both King and Queen as ¡®father¡¯ and ¡®mother¡¯?¡± Aldrich seemed to ask casually.

    What was meant toe woulde!

    I wailed in my heart, which received an undisguisable mockery from Maxine.

    ¡°Yes, I did,¡± I said. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not the Queen¡¯s rtive. I¡¯m her biological daughter.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re the ¡®Princess Madeline¡¯ who went missing more than ten years ago?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    I thought Aldrich would fly into a rage because of what I said, but I did not expect him to say, ¡°What about the ten years you were missing? Did you do well? Did you get bullied?¡±

    His concerned expression was so sincere I couldn¡¯t help but kiss him.

    Aldrich was surprised for a moment, but he quickly wrapped his arms around my waist and deepened the kiss.

    I touched his forehead and felt as misunderstood as a child, which I had not felt for a long time. Finally, I choked and said, ¡°I lived very well. I met my adoptive parents and brother, who truly loved me. They gave me a happy family and a happy childhood.

    ¡°But I did not do well either. Do you know? The Lycan bloodline made me smell like a real human since I was young. No one wanted to y with me, and my so-called ¡®friends¡¯ always teased me.

    ¡°In the past, I met my mate.¡±

    Aldrich¡¯s hand on my waist tightened.

    ¡°He was one of the few people who would take care of me. When I was young, I always thought it was love, that he liked me, but it was not until he coldly rejected me and spoke ill of me that I realized it was all just my imagination. He took care of me only because he had a responsibility on his shoulders, so he had no choice but to endure his disgust for me.

    ¡°The moment he rejected me, I was so ashamed that I wanted to die. Why didn¡¯t he push me away earlier? Why did I have to wait until Moon Goddess¡¯ will show itself to let me know I was just a clown who acted in a one-person show? Why did I love a bastard for so long and treat him as my family, as my salvation?

    ¡°Back then, I was so desperate that I lost the desire to live. Hence, I got rash and recklessly jumped off a cliff.¡±

    ¡°What!¡± Aldrich shouted in disbelief. ¡°This shouldn¡¯t have happened! Who was he? Tell me, which pack is he in? I should beat that b*stard up and make him pay for ying with your feelings. I should kick his *ss and drive him out of the werewolf pack!¡±

    I was afraid he would do what he imed, so I vaguely said, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, darling. It¡¯s all in the past. I think the Moon Goddess took pity on me too. She asked the river to send me back to my parents and you.

    ¡°That b*stard was just a passer-by in my life; just a little pain of puberty.

    ¡°Right now, only you are important, my shepherd, my follower, my closest lover, my precious Aldrich.

    ¡°I¡¯m your love, and I love you.¡±

 Chapter 75

    75 The Pure White Witch

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Aldrich hugged me tightly. He looked like he wanted to melt me into his bones and blood.

    We fell into a sea of daisies, hand in hand, head to head, like newborn wolf cubs taking warmth from each other.

    ¡°Flowers in winter. This is amazing.¡± I picked up a petal. ¡°Actually, sorcery isn¡¯tpletely useless, is it? At the very least, it allows one to feel the warmth of spring in the harsh winter.¡±

    Aldrich plucked a purple daisy and put it on my ear, gently saying, ¡°That¡¯s right. How can there be so many good and bad things in the world? Unfortunately, there are only a few evil witches and wizards, just like the dead leaves in the stream.

    ¡°However, these rare dead leaves are the most eye-catching, so much so that when people mention streams, they think of dead leaves, and no one cares about the clear water and fresh fish.¡±

    I thought of Dorothy, that silent but kind and determined girl.

    She felt inferior about her blood, but the witch¡¯s blood did not turn her into a bad person who wouldmit all kinds of evil. Instead, it gave her a delicate and sharp heart.

    However, few werewolves liked witches, and even Dorothy¡¯s family did not seem very kind to her. So the innocent girl could only carry the secret and move forward, constantly fearfully observing whether this not-so-warm world showed any malice toward her.

    There was also Carolyn, the girl who might have been controlled or possessed by a witch.

    I knew there was a reason for this. So no matter what, I couldn¡¯t push the me onto Carolyn. However, when I thought of her pestering my lover, I couldn¡¯t help but feel annoyed.

    Toward Carolyn, and toward the witches.

    This was a form of venting my anger. I understood that, but I couldn¡¯t stop myself.

    ¡°Speaking of witches, this is a sensitive topic.¡± Aldrich said, ¡°You know the legendary wizard Fitch, right? The southern Duke became a famous warrior because he killed him.

    ¡°The demon who killed more than 300 werewolves in the Backwater War? Of course, I know. This notorious sorcerer is probably stuck under the feet of all the families.¡±

    The Backwater War had been around for over twenty years. It originated from the old grudge between the werewolves and the sorcerers and the insatiable expansion mentality of some sorcerers. In this war, my grandparents, who were in their prime, died. At the same time, my father, the southern Duke, Duke Frank, and others were also famous for their heroic performance in the war.

    ¡°Actually, this is only part of the truth,¡± Aldrich said. ¡°Do you want to hear what happened back then?¡±

    Of course, I wanted to. Unfortunately, the dry praises in the textbooks were not rtable at all.

    ¡°Back then, my father was ordered to join the army with the southern Duke. On the way, he captured, or rather, saved a witch who was on the verge of death. She was a rare ¡®pure white witch¡¯, meaning that all the sorcery she had mastered was healing and not invasive.

    ¡°This ¡®pure white witch¡¯ saved many people, be it witches, wizards, or werewolves. Gradually, everyone let down their guard and sincerely epted her, including my father and the southern Duke.

    ¡°However, the war was still going on, and there can never be true peace between the two races. When my father and the southern Duke let their guards down the most, Fitch secretly contacted a few of the radical sorcerers in the captive camp. They attacked us from the inside and outside, killing 346 werewolves, including soldiers and ordinary citizens. They caused our army to be defeated, and our capital city, also known as the Lycan Pack, was almost breached.

    ¡°It was also during this period that the rtionship between the werewolves and the sorcerers worsened. All the captives were killed except for a pure white witch. She was spared after the southern Duke pleaded for her life. The price was that she swore to Moon Goddess and satan that she would never use witchcraft again.

    ¡°On the day of the final battle, the southern Duke used an arm, an eye, and a leg as the price to defeat Fitch and sessfully killed him. However, his injuries were too severe, and he wouldn¡¯t live for long.

    ¡°In the nick of time, the pure white witch broke her oath and used sorcery to exchange her life with the southern Duke¡¯s to save him. She was killed by Moon Goddess¡¯ blessings and satan¡¯s punishment.

    ¡°When the southern Duke was young, he was an extreme radical. After the incident with the pure white witch, his attitude gradually eased. He becamepletely different from when he was young, at least in my father¡¯s opinion.¡±

    A pure white witch...

    This was a story that was easy to understand. Although it was not explicitly stated, it was obvious that the southern Duke and the pure white witch were probably in love. Otherwise, who would plead for mercy on behalf of a witch who belonged to a hostile force that had killed hundreds of hispatriots? Who would be willing to use their lives as the price to save the life of a werewolf who caused their pack¡¯s cause to fall short?

    It was ill-fated and nothing more than this.

 Chapter 76

    76 Forced Conversion

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The love story was sad and beautiful, but Aldrich and I thought more as a princess and a general.

    ¡°So, this story shows that the southern Duke and the witches have personal grudges other than national grudges?¡± I guessed.

    Pure white witches were extremely precious existences. Satan¡¯s power was dark. To turn this power into a life-saving ability was no longer something that could be described as a genius. The right time, ce, and people were all indispensable.

    The pure white witch died for the southern Duke. The sorcerers didn¡¯t care how much sadness was hidden in her death. They only wanted to vent their anger on the southern Duke.

    Thus, he and his daughter Carolyn were perfectly expected to be attacked.

    ¡°My father and I think so, too,¡± Aldrich said. ¡°My father thinks the southern Duke survived because of the pure white witch, so there must be a witchcraft primer in his body. It will be much easier for any sorcerer to cast a spell on him without anyone noticing.¡±

    ¡°We have to tell my parents about this immediately!¡± I immediately stood up. The daisies fell on the grass and disappeared.

    ¡°Of course, my father was nning toe to the pce today to report to the Lycan Pack.¡±

    ¡°Do you think my father knows about the old rtionship between the southern Duke and the pure white witch? I can¡¯t imagine that he would ignore this.¡±

    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s a secret. Other than the southern Duke, my father, you, and I, no one else knows. After all, it was a time of war. No matter how beautiful love is, it can¡¯t win over the hatred of blood and fire. It¡¯s not good to be in love with the enemy. ¡±

    Oh, that was true. If the southern Duke had been discovered back then, one less noble hero would be known to everyone, and one more traitor nailed to the pir of shame.

    I was ready to find my parents, but Aldrich was still in the same ce, not moving.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Can I ask about your identity?¡± he asked after a moment of hesitation.

    Ah, right, this problem hadn¡¯t been solved.

    ¡°About that,¡± I answered stiffly. ¡°Actually, I went to you this morning to confess my identity.

    ¡°As I said, I am Selma and Madeline. Eighteen years ago, I was an orphan taken in and raised by my kind adoptive parents. From now on, I am the princess of the werewolves, the future Queen.¡±

    ¡°B-but why did you hide it from me?¡± Aldrich asked dejectedly. ¡°Whether you are Selma or Madeline is unimportant, and your identity is unimportant. I still love you, as always. But I¡¯m sad you¡¯ve been hiding it from me, my love.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said guiltily. ¡°I had just returned to my parents¡¯ arms. Everything was so strange to me.

    ¡°You know that not everyone supports my father. Many people in the Council of Elders are trying to make things difficult for him. If I were to admit my identity rashly, what awaited me would be endless suspicion, me, and even assassination. My parents asked me to hide my identity and pretend to be their rtive to protect me so that the public would ept my existence.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you. On the contrary, I want to be honest about my identity almost every time we meet.¡± I held his face and looked into his eyes, hoping my true feelings could be transmitted to his heart. ¡°It¡¯s just that my identity is not only rted to me. I must be responsible for my parents and the werewolf pack, so I could only lie to you.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Aldrich; I swear I will not hide anything from you from now on. Please forgive me for my past lies.¡±

    Aldrich was silent for a moment. I didn¡¯t know what he was thinking, so I said, ¡°I have awakened my wolf. Her name is Maxine, and she¡¯s a carefree girl. We are twins, and we share the same blood. We can never hide anything from each other. If you don¡¯t believe me, then please believe in the wolf that has been blessed with eternal honesty by the Moon Goddess.¡±

    After saying that, I summoned Maxine, wanting to exchange control of my body with her.

    Aldrich was shocked and rushed over to stop me, but I had already decided.

    ¡°Are you sure you want to do this? We haven¡¯t gotten used to the stage where we can freely switch forms yet. You¡¯ll be in extreme pain if you force me to take over your body. Not only now, but you¡¯ll have to endure nausea and fatigue for the next few days until your body recovers.¡±

    Maxine strongly disagreed. This was the first time she spoke in such a serious tone.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure. Come on!¡± I said, ¡°Just like what Father said, young people should always be a little impulsive, right?¡±

    My entire body felt light after the intense pain of my skull being torn apart. I felt as if I had lost control of my body and was hiding inside my body to observe the outside world like a ghost.

    At the same time, my tightly shut eyes opened, revealing a pair of eyes that shone like stars.

    ¡°Hello,¡± the other me said.

    ¡°I¡¯m Maxine. Nice to meet you, Aldrich.¡±

 Chapter 77

    77 Spiritual Link

    Maxine¡¯s POV:

    Selma was a fool, without a doubt.

    There was a saying that love made people stupid.

    One second ago, she was still thinking about taking on the responsibility of being a princess. The next second, she was willing to give up her body for her boyfriend. I could only say that the influence of love was truly remarkable. Perhaps Selma had always been a sensitive and impulsive girl.

    Aldrich didn¡¯t expect things to go this way and was extremely remorseful.

    ¡°I¡¯m not angry because she hid it from me,¡± he said, pulling his hair. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have asked her this question. I wouldn¡¯t have forced her to do it. You haven¡¯t reached the stage where you can shift freely, right? Otherwise, you would not have appeared in Selma¡¯s body.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°You know how much it hurts your body. So, let¡¯s end this quickly. As for whether Selma really loves you or not...¡±

    Aldrich interrupted me and quickly said, ¡°Wait, this is not fair to Selma. Please let me call my wolf out. His name is Morgan.¡±

    ¡°As you wish.¡± I nodded indifferently.

    They were really a silly couple, but they weren¡¯t annoying. In fact, they were a little cute, right?

    A few secondster, Aldrich raised his head again. His eyes had changed. I knew that the person standing in front of me now was Morgan.

    ¡°Hello,¡± he said, slightly reserved. ¡°You¡¯re Maxine, right? I¡¯m Morgan. Nice to meet you.¡±

    ¡°Likewise.¡± I shook his hand and jokingly said, ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous because we¡¯re likely to be family for the rest of our lives, right? Judging from the current situation of these two idiots...¡±

    Morgan lowered her head shyly. He was surprisingly introverted, which waspletely different from Aldrich.

    ¡°Then, shall we start?¡±

    He nodded and held my hand.

    ¡°Just like how wild wolves can distinguish the state of theirpanions or enemies by smell, ¡®wolves¡¯ like us also have a unique way ofmunication.

    Unlike werewolves who relied on their scent, the ¡®wolf¡¯s ability¡¯ was more inclined to an illusory spiritual link. We couldn¡¯t lie under Moon Goddess¡¯ gaze. Once the spiritual link was sessful, everything in our minds would be the most real.

    A few secondster, I connected with Morgan. It was a mysterious state. I felt like I was examining Morgan in his body, and he was examining me in mine.

    Morgan first asked about Selma¡¯s identity. ¡°Does Selma Payne selflessly, sincerely, and unreservedly love Aldrich Leopold?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no doubt,¡± I answered sincerely. ¡°Her love cannot be doubted.¡±

    Morgan then asked about her identity as Princess Madeline. ¡°Does Madeline Moon love Aldrich Leopold with all her heart?¡±

    ¡°Her love is harder than a diamond and more affectionate than the moonlight,¡± I replied firmly.

    ¡°Do Selma Payne and Madeline Moon share the same soul and love?¡± Morgan continued to ask.

    I continued to answer; each time, my answer was iparably firm. ¡°They are like the dark and the light sides of the moon, never separated. Their love is like the eternal moonlight, never dissipating.¡±

    Morgan promised solemnly, ¡°I am done with my questions. Under the Moon Goddess¡¯ gaze, we will be honest and never lie to each other.¡±

    I promised, ¡°We¡¯ll be honest and never lie to each other.¡±

    We heaved a sigh of relief when the spiritual link was disconnected.

    ¡°It¡¯s a strange feeling to have someone else see through my soul,¡± I grumbled. ¡°I hope this couple doesn¡¯t have any more problems. Otherwise, we¡¯ll probably have to suffer.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s all worth it, isn¡¯t it?¡± Morgan said with a forgiving smile.

    It was indeed worth it.

    Although I didn¡¯t ask Morin a single question, his heart was open to me without any reservations. Thus, I could see Aldrich¡¯s various emotions when he faced Selma.

    With all due respect, that would be so beautiful that it would be a little disgusting.

    Was he a general who killed decisively?

    ¡°Anyway, everything is going well,¡± I said. ¡°We should return and leave some time for those who need it.¡±

    Morgan nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. It¡¯s been a good time with you. See you.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a bit of a temted speech,¡± I joked. ¡°You don¡¯t sound very epting.¡±

    ¡°I am! I¡¯m just... fine. I¡¯m just not very good atmunicating with others,¡± Morgan said helplessly.

    We said goodbye again, and the next second, Morgan became Aldrich.

    ¡°I understand. I understand,¡± he said, slightly agitated. ¡°Now, please let Selmae back. It¡¯s been too long. She¡¯ll be in pain for many days.¡±

    ¡°But she¡¯s willing to do it for you,¡± I said.

    The second before I switched back, I heard Selma say, ¡°I¡¯m a little regretful now. Was I too impulsive? Would it make me look childish? I don¡¯t want Aldrich to think I¡¯m immature!¡±

    A fool in love!

    I sighed and didn¡¯t say anything.

    I¡¯d just let this pair of lovers be mushy on their own!

 Chapter 78

    78 The Parents Meet

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Honestly, it was a little awkward the moment we switched back.

    I wanted to return ten minutes ago and give myself two tight ps to wake up that impulsive little girl.

    This wasn¡¯t some mushy idol drama. Was it necessary?

    Thinking back to my immature actions, I felt embarrassed!

    I couldn¡¯t bear it and squatted down to hug myself. Then, I shouted in embarrassment, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me! Don¡¯tugh! Quickly go away!¡±

    Aldrich wouldn¡¯t leave. He also squatted down and took me into his arms. He smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m very touched, baby. This is the first time you¡¯ve said you love me so passionately.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what Maxine said!¡± I shrieked and tried to avoid the truth. ¡°It has nothing to do with me!¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright, it was Maxine who said it.¡± Aldrichughed as he surrendered. ¡°Although she only read your heart, everything that happened was said by Maxine. It has nothing to do with you, okay?¡±

    ¡°Oh... ¡±

    I sat on the ground, discouraged, and said in frustration, ¡°I feel like a little girl who¡¯s watched too many TV shows. I¡¯m so rash, and I don¡¯t care about anything else. How embarrassing!¡±

    Aldrich kissed my cheek and said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about, my dear. Isn¡¯t it normal to express your love? It¡¯s just like how we tell each other that we love each other. So you and I will both feel happy.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m happy,¡± I said. ¡°But it¡¯s still embarrassing! I wasn¡¯t thinking about those words, but Maxine said them like she was reading a so from a primary school student!¡±

    Aldrich couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer. He hugged me andughed out loud in the sea of flowers.

    After tidying up the nts we had crushed ¨C I hope the gardener won¡¯t tell Kara ¨C we set off to find my father.

    Unfortunately, my father was receiving a guest, which happened to be Duke Frank.

    ¡°It seems that we are not needed,¡± Aldrich said. ¡°Father will take care of this.¡±

    However, my father had someone lead us into the meeting room. Seeing his bright smile, which was the same as Duke Frank¡¯s, I anticipated what the next topic would be.

    ¡°This is a little sudden,¡± I quietly told Aldrich.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect our parents to meet so soon. I hope they don¡¯t want us to get married next month.¡±

    Aldrich squeezed my hand and said, ¡°Actually, I can¡¯t ask for more.¡±

    I red at him, and we sat on the sofa together. My father was opposite me, and Duke Frank was on my left.

    ¡°Look at this pair of lovebirds,¡± the Duke said resentfully. ¡°They can¡¯t take my eyes off each other¡¯s faces even a moment.¡±

    I was a little embarrassed and let go of Aldrich¡¯s hand, but he took it back.

    ¡°Alright, Devin, give the children some space.¡± My father stopped Duke Frank, even though he was also smiling like a sunflower.

    ¡°You know, Your Majesty, I¡¯m just too happy.¡± The Duke¡¯s eyes were a little wet. ¡°From the moment I received the good news this morning, I¡¯ve looked at Aldrich like I¡¯m in a dream. My silly son has fallen in love. And the person he¡¯s in love with is your daughter! Moon Goddess! Is it because you can¡¯t bear to see an old man like me think about it day and night that you¡¯ve given him this love?¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Moon Goddess, for letting me meet Aldrich,¡± Aldrich and I looked at each other and smiled. ¡°Otherwise, your son might have been alone for the rest of his life.¡±

    The atmosphere in the meeting room was very lively. We chatted for a while and got down to business.

    ¡°Devin and I suspect that, although a witch is controlling Lennon, he has not lost his consciousness,¡± my father said. ¡°On the contrary, he is trying to send us a distress signal.¡±

    ¡°In other words,¡± I said thoughtfully. ¡°The southern Duke knows the truth, but he can¡¯t speak for some reason?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and so we decided to do a simple examination of Lennon. We¡¯ve already invited him to the pce, but Carolyn is always by his side. Your mother is entertaining them so she can send Carolyn away at the right time.¡±

    This meant that my father had already confirmed that a witch had possessed Carolyn. Otherwise, he would have inspected Carolyn and the southern Duke together to find clues about her witchcraft.

    ¡°From now on, you¡¯ll see her often at school, child,¡± my father said worriedly. ¡°Don¡¯t get into a direct conflict with her. The witch¡¯s power of pretending to be Carolyn is unfathomable. You might get hurt.¡±

    ¡°I understand, Father,¡± I said. ¡°Besides, we still need to find clues behind her through the fake Carolyn. So I won¡¯t do anything that will alert the enemy.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s also the marriage proposal,¡± my father said. ¡°Lennon seemed forced by Carolyn to propose her marriage to Aldrich. Although we don¡¯t know what the witch is thinking, we will reject it.¡±

    To be honest, I¡¯d already made preparations for my father¡¯s advice to ept Aldrich and Carolyn¡¯s ¡®fake engagement¡¯ so that it would be easier for us to investigate her.

    This was a bitedic, but one had to be prepared for the worst in the face of an ident.

    So I didn¡¯t expect my father to say this and was a little surprised for a moment.

 Chapter 79

    79 Probing

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°Don¡¯t be surprised, Selma. I¡¯m not so useless as to use my daughter¡¯s happiness in exchange for benefits.¡±

    ¡°I must admit the witch is very powerful, but werewolves are not bad either, right? We don¡¯t have to use marriage to please her. There¡¯s no need. She¡¯s not worthy.¡±

    There were many moments when I realized that my father was a great king, but only this time did I realize what he was shouldering.

    Other than fighting for the safety and benefits of his people, he also fought for the dignity and glory of the entire race.

    I was ashamed of my cowardly thoughts.

    At this moment, Kara reported, ¡°The Queen had invited Miss Carolyn for a walk in the garden. I have been ordered to invite the southern Duke here under the name of the ¡®Lycan King.¡¯ He is waiting outside.¡±

    We looked at each other, and my father said, ¡°Please invite my friend in.¡±

    A few secondster, the southern Duke strode in. He was still as tall and strong as ever and did not look like he was controlled by a witch at all.

    He saluted my father and Duke Frank, ¡°Good day, Your Majesty, Devin.¡±

    Then, he nodded to Aldrich and I, ¡°Good day, children.¡±

    We had a meaningless conversation, and the topic gradually shifted to the engagement between Carolyn and Aldrich.

    ¡°In fact, I¡¯vee to you today for this matter,¡± said my father, a little embarrassed. His acting skills were really good. ¡°Regarding Carolyn and Aldrich, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t do as you wish, old friend.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± The southern Duke did not understand. ¡°I think Carolyn and Sir Aldrich are a match made in heaven. If it¡¯s too soon, the children can get along first.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the problem,¡± Duke Frank said. ¡°In fact, we only found out this morning that Aldrich has secretly fallen in love with someone, and the mate is sitting in front of you.¡±

    The southern Duke looked at me and then asked in surprise, ¡°Are you saying it¡¯s Miss Selma?¡±

    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s my niece,¡± my father nodded. ¡°This morning, I was also shocked by the news. The young people these days are bold and smart, aren¡¯t they? They were right under my nose, but I didn¡¯t notice anything.¡±

    The southern Duke looked like he wanted to say something but didn¡¯t know what to say. After a long time, he could only smile bitterly. ¡°I understand. The younger generation paves their paths. We can¡¯t force this kind of thing.¡±

    We continued to exchange some unnecessary pleasantries. Finally, he got up to leave, but my father asked him to stay.

    My father asked, ¡°Do you want to stay and enjoy some extra hospitality? Helena made a lot of ck tea cookies. I remember that you liked to secretly eat some ck tea cookies during our war when you were on sentry duty. I don¡¯t know where you got them from, but we were in short supply back then!¡±

    The southern Duke was stunned for a moment, then he sat down and nodded.

    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll... ept your invitation.¡±

    Kara brought out a three-story pastry tower and a few cups of hot lemon tea. The elders reminisced about their glorious years when they were young with the help of hot tea and snacks. Aldrich and I listened quietly and learned many secrets that had never been mentioned in history sses.

    ¡°But there¡¯s one thing. I think Duke Frank has already told Father about the old rtionship between the southern Duke and the pure white witch, but neither of these insiders mentioned it. When talking about the Backwater War, they only fought against the legendary wizard Fitch against amon enemy and had a tacit understanding to spare the pure white witch.

    Furthermore, the southern Duke¡¯s favorite had not had a single ¡®ck tea cookies¡¯. Not a single one!

    ¡°I think it¡¯s time for me to go back,¡± the southern Duke finally said. ¡°Carolyn must be looking for me.¡±

    Duke Frank smiled. ¡°You¡¯re still the same, Lennon. Carolyn is already sixteen years old. You should give your daughter some freedom. Otherwise, she¡¯ll be a loathsome of you.¡±

    The southern Duke was expressionless. He mumbled, ¡°You don¡¯t understand...¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not staying for lunch?¡± My father invited him. ¡°There¡¯s a new head chef in the pce. You haven¡¯t tried his cooking yet. The vanimb chops are amazing.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± the southern Duke replied politely. ¡°Carolyn has made a reservation at a restaurant she likes very much. It¡¯s not a good habit to miss an appointment.¡±

    So we exchanged a few more pleasantries and watched him leave.

    God! I had to admit that I was about to suffocate. Although the elders put on an act of familiarity and talked loudly, the real embarrassment still couldn¡¯t be ignored.

    Were they really good friends?

    ¡°As expected,¡± my father rubbed his forehead tiredly, ¡°Did you catch Lennon¡¯s hint?¡±

    Duke Frank¡¯s expression was not very good either. ¡°Although I was certain, seeing the truth, I still... Sigh.¡±

    What were they talking about?

 Chapter 80

    80 The Powerful Witch

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I looked at Aldrich in confusion, and he exined softly, ¡°When the southern Duke and the pure white witch were in love, the pure white witch often made ck tea cookies for the southern Duke as a gift. From then on, ck tea cookies became the southern Duke¡¯s favorite. He would never reject them, except today.

    ¡°This means that he¡¯s asking for help. He¡¯s using extremely abnormal behavior to ask for help.

    ¡°What¡¯s even worse is that even without Carolyn by his side, the southern Duke cannot speak freely. Either Carolyn can monitor his movements at all times, or he¡¯s unwilling to take risks and tell the truth. This means that he¡¯s under an extremely urgent threat.

    ¡°The southern Duke is a brave warrior, and the witch¡¯s power can¡¯t possibly be strong enough to threaten Southern Pack, so there¡¯s only one option left.

    ¡°His daughter, the real Carolyn, might be hovering on the edge of death.¡±

    I was still an amateur regarding recognizing schemes and couldn¡¯tpare to any old foxes here. If no one had exined it to me, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to notice anything.

    ¡°The southern Duke did not surrender to the witches. He is on our side.¡±

    Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have shown anything unusual today.

    ¡°You¡¯ve improved,¡± my father praised me.

    Although the southern Duke¡¯s position was clear, it was not an effective help given his current situation of being surrounded by wolves.

    ¡°We have to think of a way to rescue Lennon. At least, he can speak as he wishes and not be constantly monitored by Carolyn.¡± The elders said tiredly, ¡°But we can¡¯t be sure if the witch haspletely reced Carolyn or just possessed her body. We can¡¯t start with her.¡±

    Aldrich suggested, ¡°Maybe we can ask for outside help? There are also some wizards and witches who are friendly or neutral to us.¡±

    My father shook his head. ¡°No, you can¡¯t know a person¡¯s true nature. We can¡¯t guarantee the confidentiality of our transactions with outsiders.¡±

    ¡°Some werewolves in the pack who are proficient in sorcery, right?¡± Aldrich continued, ¡°There are a few officers in the army that I know. I can guarantee theirplete loyalty.¡±

    My father still shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s too risky. The identity of an officer isn¡¯tpletely confidential. If a little magic fluctuation is revealed, Carolyn could bewitch the secret bureau¡¯s personnel and follow the fluctuation to find him.¡±

    Now that things hade to a standstill, where could we find a sorcerer whose identity was unknown?

    Wait a minute.

    Was there... Such a person around me?

    Dorothy!

    How could I have forgotten about her?

    However, Dorothy¡¯s identity was aplete secret, so I could only suggest this candidate to my father after sending Duke Frank and Aldrich away.

    ¡°Dorothy?¡± My father was very surprised. It was obvious that he had not thought of her. ¡°No, Selma. She¡¯s still a child. This is very dangerous. We can¡¯t put the innocent in danger.¡±

    ¡°But we don¡¯t have any other choice, right?¡± I retorted, ¡°Other than Dorothy, who else meets the requirements?

    ¡°Besides, how do you know she¡¯s not willing to get involved? In my opinion, Dorothy is a very enthusiastic and adventurous person. It¡¯s just that the people around her either overprotected her or suppressed her too much, so she couldn¡¯t find an opportunity to realize her value.

    ¡°If she knew she could help but was rejected again, she would be sad!¡±

    Perhaps it was because I was protecting my friend like a chirping angry chick; my father couldn¡¯t help butugh. He shook his head. ¡°Even if Dorothy is willing, does she have the ability? The one controlling Carolyn is a very powerful witch. Dorothy has only awakened her bloodline recently. Does she have the power to fight back?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate her!¡± I said. ¡°Dorothy is not an ordinary witch. She can prophesy and is naturally gifted in sorcery. Moreover, she¡¯s an outstanding learner. She might not be able to help the southern Duke with the spell, but she¡¯ll be able to learn it quickly if someone teaches her!¡±

    With my sincere rmendation, my father quickly surrendered and helplessly said, ¡°Alright, little princess. Let¡¯s first ask Dorothy¡¯s opinion. You have to be neutral and not force her, okay?¡±

    ¡°What kind of person do you think I am?¡± I mumbled unhappily, ¡°Dorothy is my friend. If she doesn¡¯t want to, I will hide her even if you personally order her to do it!¡±

    ¡°So, I¡¯m the bad guy now?¡± My father patted my head lovingly. ¡°Go! Go and find your friend. Dorothy is a good child, I know.¡±

 Chapter 81

    81 A Peaceful Afternoon

    Dorothy¡¯s POV:

    It was a peaceful afternoon. It was carefree and dull, and it was filled with Grandmother¡¯s hysterical screams.

    ¡°I¡¯ve said it before! Don¡¯t put these disgusting weeds on my window sill!¡±

    The furious old woman threw my herbs on my bed. She didn¡¯t seem to see me lying on the bed reading. The sharp leaves cut my cheek.

    ¡°These are disgusting! Stinky! Strange! Evil nts! It will bring bad luck to our family! It¡¯s all because of you, you traitorous b*stard!¡±

    Grandmother¡¯s chest rose and fell like an old drum. Every time I saw her like this, I was scared that she would explode in anger.

    I silently gathered the herbs and whispered, ¡°These are just ordinary hemostatic herbs, props for the elective course. My teacher has already exined it to us in detail. So there won¡¯t be any problems.¡±

    ¡°Oh, really?¡± Grandmother sneered disdainfully and said indignantly, ¡°The werewolf pack is finished! No one remembers how despicable witches and wizards are. Children nowadays are chasing after their toys, and even schools openly teach students how to make poison.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a hemostat!¡± I raised my voice slightly. Of course, anyone would be impatient if they were nagged 365 days a year.

    Grandmother¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief as if I had just burned her house. She said sharply, ¡°B*stard! How dare you speak to me like that! Heartless little witch! Without me, you¡¯d have been cooked by your heartless parents for satan¡¯s dinner!¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not that kind of people!¡± I was furious. ¡°If you didn¡¯t forbid them froming back to see me, do you think I want to live with you? I¡¯ve had enough of your pugilistic tricks of ¡®getting rid of filth¡¯. They didn¡¯t change anything other than leaving me with injuries!¡±

    Grandmother was practically screaming, ¡°How dare you! As expected, the filthy witch¡¯s blood in your body has already gained the upper hand. You¡¯re not my granddaughter at all. The devil has already bewitched you!

    ¡°Ha! The Lycan Pack actually allows a little spy like you to study in peace. The werewolves are going to be finished soon!¡±

    I ignored Grandmother¡¯s crazyints, packed up the scattered herbs, and ran out of the house.

    I walked on the path in confusion. I didn¡¯t know where I should go. The two-story building in the suburbs was just my prison. Where was my home? Where could I find a safe ce?

    There was no one on the quiet dirt road. Other than a few wildflowers, bees, and butterflies flying around them, there was no other living thing.

    I suddenly felt that this ce wasn¡¯t that bad after all. At the very least, it was quiet and stable. There wouldn¡¯t be any hysterical roars or boiling silver crosses.

    Thus, I chose a slightly tter patch of grass and continued to read the book that I had identally brought out.

    ¡°Principles of spiritual sorcery¡±. I found it among my mother¡¯s belongings. Judging from the title page, the book probably belonged to my father, whom I had never met.

    He was a powerful wizard who was said to be highly skilled in sorcery and secretive in his actions.

    Thinking of this, I lost the mood to read.

    What were Mom and Dad doing now?

    I hadn¡¯t seen my mother since I was three years old. The small photo hanging on the wall has long faded and turned yellow. Mom and Dad had never contacted me, be it a phone call, a text message, or a parchment letter that was more in line with the style of a mysterious race. It was as if they had already forgotten that they had a child.

    Did Mom and Dad have a new child? Was that why they didn¡¯t care about a dull daughter far away in the werewolf territory?

    When I was a child, I often thought about it like this. Sometimes I would tell Grandmother, but she would scold me severely. If she were in a bad mood, she would take the opportunity to carry out an ¡®exorcism¡¯.

    Once, she was drunk, and I learned from her mumbling that my father and I were made from the same mold. I understood then that Grandmother might not care about the so-called ¡®evil¡¯. Instead, she just wanted to get rid of me because I looked simr to my father.

    Lying in the grass in a daze, I looked at the clear blue sky and suddenly thought, ¡®Perhaps it was not a bad ending.¡¯

    Surrounded by flowers, grass, bees, and butterflies, a young girl slowly closed her eyes and slept under the bright sunlight forever. Wasn¡¯t this very poetic?

    As I was thinking, I suddenly heard someone call out to me from afar.

    ¡°Dorothy! Hey! Over here!¡±

    I sat up and saw Selma running toward me.

    The sun gave her a dazzling golden edge, like a divine ring in an oil painting, quietly setting off the angel¡¯s smile.

    Okay.

    I thought.

    Perhaps today was not a good day to leave.

    One should at least talk to the friend who came to y. That was basic courtesy, right?

 Chapter 82

    82 The Pros And Cons

    Dorothy¡¯s POV:

    ¡°Good afternoon, Dorothy!¡±

    Selma was always so energetic.

    I kept the book. ¡°Good afternoon, Selma. Is there anything I can help you with?¡±

    ¡°Oh, uhm...¡± she scratched her head uneasily and said with a smile, There is something...

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk on the way.¡± She pulled me toward the city. ¡°I know a very good pancake shop. Are you hungry? We can have afternoon tea together.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± I said.

    I should bring my friend home. After all, it was only a few hundred meters away from us. But I didn¡¯t want to go back. Selma probably noticed my unusual behavior. She wanted to say something, but she stopped herself. In the end, she didn¡¯t ask anything.

    I liked the tacit understanding because I didn¡¯t want to say anything.

    Sitting in the pancake shop, I absent-mindedly poked at the vani syrup and asked, ¡°Is it something urgent?¡±

    ¡°In fact, it¡¯s not only urgent, but it¡¯s also very dangerous,¡± Selma said dejectedly, ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m already regrettinging to you.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Tell me about it.¡±

    ¡°Oh...¡±

    Selma took a few seconds to organize her thoughts before she said, ¡°You know the southern Duke, right? He is Carolyn¡¯s father.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Of course. He¡¯s the famous war hero.¡±

    ¡°In fact, this hero is in a bit of trouble and needs a witch¡¯s help.¡±

    ¡°So, you came to me because of this? But I¡¯m sure many warriors are proficient in witchcraft, and any one of them is stronger than me. I¡¯m just a newbie who has only awakened my bloodline for a few days. I haven¡¯t even finished reading the theory books.¡±

    Selma revealed a conflicted expression as if she was weighing her options. Finally, her gaze suddenly became determined as she looked at me.

    ¡°Alright, Dorothy. I¡¯m going to say something nobody else should know. Can you help me keep this a secret?¡±

    ¡°Of course. I have no reason to refuse. I swear I¡¯ll keep any secrets my friend doesn¡¯t want anyone to know.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to make such a formal oath.¡± Selma could not help butugh. ¡°What kind of person do you think Carolyn is?¡±

    I didn¡¯t have much to do with Carolyn. We only met a few times, and she was always surrounded by many people, like a flock of ducks chasing after a peacock that had spread its tail.

    So I said, ¡°Probably a little girl who is as mboyant as a peacock and likes to show off? She¡¯s not too mature. Maybe she¡¯s watched too many idol dramas and likes to scheme against other people, especially female students.¡±

    Aside from Chloe, Carolyn had also targeted quite a few female ssmates. They were either slightly famous or had outstanding looks. In short, Carolyn had turned her school life into a pce drama.

    Selma sighed. ¡°You think so too. But what if I tell you that the real Carolyn is not like this? The Lycan King said that when Carolyn followed the southern Duke to the royal courtst year, she was still an elegant and cautiousdy. Isn¡¯t it suspicious that she has changed so much in a year?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Selma moved closer to me and whispered, ¡°Carolyn¡¯s body has either been possessed by or switched with a witch. That is why there¡¯s such a huge change in her.¡±

    ¡°What!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but exim. The customers around me looked at me in surprise. I smiled apologetically and asked in an airy voice, ¡°B-but that¡¯s the daughter of a Duke! Did the southern Duke not notice it at all?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the problem,¡± Selma said. ¡°The southern Duke is naturally aware of Carolyn¡¯s abnormality. He knows that his daughter has been switched.¡±

    I was dumbfounded. The Southern Pack was famous for being a powerful pack. So how could a witch infiltrate one of the strongest packs of the werewolves under such tight protection? That sorcerer even swapped the Duke¡¯s daughter?

    Selma continued, ¡°So far, we¡¯ve confirmed that the southern Duke is not under the control of a sorcerer. However, he¡¯s being monitored by one. The sorcerer has even cast an imprisonment spell on him. That¡¯s why he has no choice but to put on an act with the fake daughter. The sorcerer must be an extremely powerful one to be able to cast a spell and hide the magic power fluctuations.

    ¡°The Lycan King is worried that this is a conspiracy against the werewolves. He needs someone to release the southern Duke from the witch¡¯s surveince. This person¡¯s identity must be kept a secret, and he must be loyal and reliable. This will prevent any possibility of the sorcerer tracking him down.

    ¡°After thinking about it, I can only think of you, Dorothy.

    ¡°You are a sincere friend, a brave warrior. I absolutely believe in your reliability.

    ¡°But at the same time, it¡¯s also very dangerous. No one knows if the sorcerer has a backup n. Once she finds out, you¡¯ll be in danger and be her number one target.

    ¡°So, Dorothy, are you willing to help us?¡±

 Chapter 83

    83 Secretly Great

    Dorothy¡¯s POV:

    I didn¡¯t even think much about it and immediately said firmly, ¡°I will do it. When are we going?¡±

    Selma was stunned for a few seconds before she said in a daze, ¡°You have to think about it carefully, Dorothy. This is not an imaginary exercise in an elective course. We are facing an unknown and powerful witch. This is worth your time to think about. ¡±

    ¡°I understand, Selma, but I have to say that my choice was not made in a moment of impulsiveness.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m d that you thought of me first. You have no idea that no one has ever trusted me so much, whether as a witch or a werewolf.¡±

    Grandmother had always tried ways to turn me into a pureblood werewolf. It was impossible; she and I both knew that. Other than scolding and beating me, we rarely had any othermunication.

    As for the other passerby in my life, such as my teachers and ssmates, who would trust a mute freak who had not said a word for the entire semester?

    ¡°I won¡¯t let you down. I hope to do something for the pack,¡± I said. ¡°I know this risk, and I can¡¯t say I don¡¯t care. But I believe in you, Selma, and the King. You will not put me in danger. You will protect your friends, and the King will protect his people.

    ¡°This is a two-way trust, right?¡±

    Selma looked at me in surprise. Countless emotions shed through her sparkling eyes. Finally, she smiled.

    ¡°Of course! This was a two-way trust! I promise you¡¯ll be safe. You¡¯ll be the hero of the rescued pack!¡±

    ¡°Forget about being a hero.¡± I chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t think the southern Duke is ready to give up this glorious throne.¡±

    We quickly finished the pancake and rushed to the pce.

    The King greeted me in the living room of the King¡¯s suite. He wasn¡¯t wearing a crown and was dressed in casual clothes. He looked like he was going to y golf in the next second.

    ¡°Wee, child,¡± he greeted me warmly. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time. How are you?¡±

    I put aside the thought Grandmother¡¯s scolding and replied with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m doing well. I appreciate your concern.¡±

    However, it was as if the Lycan King had a pair of fiery eyes. His gentle and deep gaze exposed all of my pretenses.

    It was as if I could see a slideshow of my past life in his eyes. If it were to be yed on the streets, at least a thousand people would call social service on Grandmother.

    I felt pain and tried to escape, but the King didn¡¯t say anything in the end, making me sigh in relief.

    I didn¡¯t want to expose my rotten life to those close to me.

    ¡± I think Selma has already told you about the southern Duke,¡± said the Lycan King. ¡°We¡¯re worried about a suitable candidate, and Selma thought of you first.

    ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t really agree, even now. This is not because I don¡¯t trust you, Dorothy. I know you are a kind and tenacious youngdy. That is why I cannot let you take such risks. You¡¯re still too young and have a bright future ahead of you. Any storm right now could bring you unknown negative effects.¡±

    Selma was puzzled. ¡°But you promised to let Dorothy try. A King cannot go back on his word, Your Majesty.¡±

    The Lycan King helplessly gave Selma aforting look before telling me, ¡°However, just as Selma said since I promised to give you a chance to try, I can¡¯t go back on my word. So, I have to ask you, do you really want to do this? You don¡¯t have to put up a front for your reputation, good child. We all know the seriousness of this matter.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re provoking her to give up,¡± Selma mumbled.

    The King pretended not to hear her.

    I thought he was indeed, as Selma said, trying to lure me into giving up on the idea. This wasn¡¯t as simple as just undoing the curse. Once I got involved, I¡¯d be tied to this ship that would sail for who knew how long until the entire incident was resolved.

    The viin was not as ¡®friendly¡¯ as in the anime. I¡¯d read many books and notes left by my mother, and I knew that the ruthless and evil sorcerers were abination of lunatics, executioners, and serial killers.

    However, just as I said, since Selma trusted me, I trusted her too.

    Let me be impulsive for once and have a dream of bing a hero who runs for the light. In the dream, there were no Grandmother¡¯s hysterical screams, no pain from the conflict between the two bloodlines, only touching adventures and flowers dedicated to glory, or boiling blood and hidden but great sacrifices.

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I said firmly.

    After a moment of silence, the King suddenly smiled at me. His tone was full of praise and relief, ¡°Alright, youngdy, an impulsive and brave youngdy. Let¡¯s see what you need to prepare for this.¡±

 Chapter 84

    84 Summer¡¯s Here

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The moment my father agreed, I cheered excitedly, and even Dorothy, always calm and steady, grabbed my hand excitedly.

    This was a dangerous mission, but it was also a hard-won opportunity to persuade Dorothy to reconcile with her witch bloodline.

    I hoped she could realize her power was not evil and stop self-loathing. She was such an intelligent and kind girl. She should not pay for the disputes of the previous generation.

    In short, the days of learning had begun.

    I shouldn¡¯t be surprised. Wasn¡¯t it normal for Dorothy to be unable to dispel the curse on the southern Duke immediately? She was very talented, but that didn¡¯t offset the fact that she was a rookie.

    My father had arranged for three werewolf masters proficient in sorcery to teach Dorothy and me. Yes, I wanted to learn too.

    ¡°Know yourself and your enemy; you will never be defeated,¡± this was what my father said. He hoped that even if I couldn¡¯t learn witchcraft, I would at least could distinguish them so that I could ensure the safety of myself and the people around me.

    Our busy lives became even more intense after we joined the witchcraft ss. We didn¡¯t even have time to go to the club to enjoy the fun. Mara and Avrilined for a long time, ¡°You guys have a little secret! We¡¯re no longer close friends!¡±

    They swore to cut off all ties with us, but ten minutester, they came back to have lunch together.

    And there was also Aldrich, Moon Goddess. Ever since he made our rtionship public with his father, he¡¯d be more and more intimate with me. He¡¯d limited it to exclude the Duke¡¯s mansion and the pce, always sticking to me at all times and ces. We were so intimate I couldn¡¯t stand it.

    This situation became even more serious after the magic ss squeezed out my free time.

    ¡°We have to restrain ourselves,¡± I said as I got out of his warm embrace. ¡°You know, there have been several times when Father looked at you as if he wanted to exile you to human society.¡±

    Aldrich wrapped around me like a big dog, and I was squeezed into the corner of the stairs and stands, unable to move.

    ¡°For you, I¡¯m willing to be exiled to the sorcerer¡¯s swamp.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s not.¡± I struggled to find a way to speak through his kisses. ¡°But we have to restrain ourselves. The fake Carolyn has been giving me a hard time in school several times. If we weren¡¯t in the same department, I think she would have been here 24/7. It¡¯s not a good time to disrupt her now. It¡¯s easy to alert her if she turns her eyes to me.¡±

    Aldrichid on my shoulder unwillingly and said dejectedly, ¡°Alright, I understand.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no choice. You¡¯re the general, and I¡¯m the princess. We are both responsible for protecting the werewolf pack, don¡¯t we?¡± I rubbed his thick hair and suddenly thought, ¡®In the past, he was always the one who treated me like this. Now the situation haspletely reversed. It¡¯s really wonderful.¡¯

    Aldrich suddenly burst outughing. ¡°You know what? Every time you say the word ¡®responsibility¡¯, I have the urge to turn into a wolf and take you away so that we can elope to a ce where no one knows.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say such childish words.¡± Iughed. ¡°The youngest, handsome, and promising general of the werewolves eloping for love. The writers and scriptwriters will be happy, but our fathers will be worried.¡±

    Time flew by quickly as I studied. During this time, I suddenly learned ¡®human-wolf shift¡¯. When Maxine appeared, Dorothy and the other teachers were shocked. But Dorothy soon released her wolf, ine, tomunicate with Maxine.

    Tracy said I suddenly awakened my wolf because I was under too much stress from studying. It was a little embarrassing, but the result was good.

    I didn¡¯t expect the first person to meet Maxine as a wolf to be Dorothy. Aldrichined about it for a long time, and I had no choice but to give him countless kisses in exchange for his smile. I felt that something was wrong.

    In the blink of an eye, another summer had arrived. It was May.

    There was still a month before the new graduation ceremony round.

    Dorothy¡¯s learning was like with the help of god. In just half a year, she could use all the knowledge taught to her by the three werewolf masters. The masters believed that she had the qualifications to be a qualified witch, so she reported to my father and resigned.

    It had to be said that this was a pleasant surprise because Carolyn would be entering the university after the graduation ceremony. This meant that she would no longer be bound by the strict high school rules and could move freely and rxedly in the university. Unfortunately, the difficulty of monitoring her would also increase exponentially.

    If Dorothy could help the southern Duke dispel the curse in time, then in the remaining one month of school term and summer break, my father was confident that they could solve this problem, or at least solve the problem of the fake Carolyn.

    ¡°We¡¯re old rivals,¡± my father said. ¡°The werewolves understand the sorcerers, just like the sorcerers understand the werewolves.¡±

    After half a year of anticipation, the southern Duke entered the pce again.

    ¡°This time, besides my parents and me, there was also Dorothy, who was full of confidence.

 Chapter 85

    85 The Secret

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    It was an ordinary Saturday, and the southern Duke was ¡®reminiscing¡¯ in the living room with my father. At the same time, Carolyn was sent away with my mother with the excuse of ¡®choosing her graduation dress¡¯.

    She was a little reluctant, but even a witch should know that the Queen¡¯s room was not a ce that other men could enter as they pleased.

    ¡°See youter, Dad.¡± She kissed the southern Duke¡¯s cheek. ¡°I¡¯ll miss you.¡±

    The southern Duke kissed her again and smiled as he watched his daughter leave.

    What a good picture of a loving father and filial daughter. If I hadn¡¯t heard the threat in Carolyn¡¯s words...

    ¡°I¡¯ll miss you.¡± Did that mean that she would always be monitoring the scene here?

    The werewolf grandmaster had disguised himself as an attendant to supervise my mother. He would not use sorcery unless necessary to prevent magic fluctuations from leaking and alerting the enemy.

    However, any strange movements from Carolyn would not be able to escape his eyes.

    My father teased the southern Duke like an old friend, ¡°Come on, Lennon. Don¡¯t be so reluctant. Women always have a unique understanding of beauty. I believe that Carolyn will have a happy day, right?¡±

    He ced his hand on the southern Duke¡¯s shoulder to give him a hint. Perhaps it was a unique tacit understanding that they had developed during the war. In short, the southern Duke instantly rxed. The smile on his face was no longer as friendly as before.

    ¡°Stop joking, Your Majesty,¡± he said half-jokingly and half-seriously. ¡°No father can be at ease with their daughter. You should know that.¡±

    He looked at me as he spoke, making me feel like I had fallen into an ice cave.

    What did he mean by that?

    Father, daughter... Could it be that he already knew my identity?

    But that was impossible. Only a few people knew my true identity. My parents, Aldrich, and Duke Frank, Kara, and Tracy. They were either close or loyal friends. No one would reveal this secret!

    My father clearly understood the seriousness of the matter. He immediately said with a dejected expression, ¡°Oh, old friend, you know how much I want to experience the heart of a loving father, but my Madeline... Sigh, you know.¡±

    In the eyes of the outside world, ¡®Princess Madeline¡¯ was killed shortly after she was born. If the southern Duke did not know the inside story, he shouldfort my father as a friend.

    But he didn¡¯t. He just looked at my father and then at me without saying anything.

    This made the hearts of everyone present sink.

    Unless the southern Duke had installed a surveince camera in the pce, there was no way he would know about this. Unless someone told him that ¨C the witch pretending to be Carolyn, or perhaps she had used some method to verify my identity.

    This was not good.

    ¡°I was wondering if you would like to have some tea?¡±

    Duke Frank broke the deadlock and motioned for Kara to prepare some refreshments for us.

    ¡°Of course,¡± the southern Duke replied. ¡°Is there a special recipe for the ck tea in the pce? After drinking it, Carolyn really liked it. I think she¡¯s currently pestering Her Majesty for some desserts to go with the tea. A girl in her youth always has a great appetite.¡±

    My father exchanged a look with him and then said to Kara, ¡°In that case, please send some refreshments to Helena as well. If Carolyn has any needs, do your best to satisfy her. Don¡¯t let our little guest suffer.¡±

    ¡®Keep Carolyn in check and send more guards to wait for orders. Don¡¯t let her be a threat to Helena.¡¯

    I understood this.

    Dorothy had been standing in the corner of the living room without saying a word, like a real servant, silent and inconspicuous. The southern Duke did not seem to notice her. He was talking andughing with my father and Duke Frank.

    ¡°Time really flies. In the blink of an eye, Carolyn is about to graduate from high school.¡± He said, ¡°This timest year, she was still a shy little girl. This year, she haspletely changed. Her personality has also be more cheerful. A girl changes eighteen times as she grows up.¡±

    That meant, ¡®You guys guessed it right. A witch haspletely reced my daughter. I don¡¯t know who this person beside me is.¡¯

    My father took it with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s how children are. They grow up in a blink of an eye.¡±

    ¡®When did this happen?¡¯

    ¡°Do you still rememberst year¡¯s Moonlight Festival? I was going to bring her to the Lycan Pack to meet you and the Queen. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t know which of the girl¡¯s sensitive heartstrings I touched, but Carolyn, who has always had a mild temper, got angry with me and secretly ran away from home. I was so scared that I searched for her for more than a week before I found her in a manor near the edge of human society.¡±

    ¡®My daughter was kidnapped by a witch during the Moonlight Festivalst year. That should be the time.¡¯

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what grievances she suffered outside, but Carolyn¡¯s temperament has changed greatly. I¡¯ve talked to her before, but she would not tell me anything. She¡¯s also very against psychologists and even has suicidal tendencies.¡±

    ¡®The witch hasn¡¯t made any threats so far. The werewolf master I sent to disguise as a doctor has also been seen through. She threatened me with Carolyn¡¯s life, so I can¡¯t act rashly.¡¯

 Chapter 86

    86 Baby¡¯s Breath

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°Perhaps the Southern Pack has some bad memories that outsiders don¡¯t know about, so Carolyn suggested that she wanted to transfer to the Lycan Pack. I just so happened to want her to take a break, so I agreed. I hope we can find a way to cure her here.¡±

    ¡®The witch¡¯s target was the Lycan Pack. We must restrain her here and not let her harm others.¡¯

    My father was unmoved. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If there¡¯s anything I can help you with, please let me know. After all, Carolyn is your only daughter and the only heir to the Southern Pack. I don¡¯t want my niece to waste her life because of a rash decision during puberty.¡±

    ¡®We will do our best to ensure Carolyn¡¯s safety. After this is over, her right to inheritance will not be questioned.¡¯

    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty,¡± the southern Duke replied.

    ¡®Thank you, my old friend.¡¯

    While exchanging pleasantries, Kara had already prepared ck tea and refreshments and handed them to Dorothy, who was guarding the door.

    Without a word, Dorothy poured hot ck tea for each guest. When she served it to the southern Duke, she specifically asked, ¡°Do you want lemon slices, milk, or sugar cubes?¡±

    ¡®Everything is ready. Can you ept the curse removal ceremony now?¡¯

    The southern Duke smiled and said, ¡°Sugar cubes are enough. Thank you. My daughter doesn¡¯t have any special preference. She likes to drink her tea with baby¡¯s breath. Can you please inform the servant in Her Majesty¡¯s suite?¡±

    ¡®That witch likes to add baby¡¯s breath when she makes potions. That¡¯s the only abnormality I found on her.¡¯

    Dorothy nodded and left silently like a well-trained servant.

    In my magic ss, I learned that adding all kinds of nt extracts to magic potions wasmon, but these nts usually have some obvious or special effects.

    The baby¡¯s breath was just amon nt. Other than the legend of ¡®Moon Goddess and the Valkyrie¡¯, there was nothing special about it. Even its fragrance was very weak, let alone being used in medicine.

    This very special abnormality could help us narrow down the scope of our investigation.

    My father had realized this as well. Two werewolf Masters disguised as attendants outside the door had left quietly at his behest.

    We had tea and chatted for a while. This time, it was an honest chat. We waited for Dorothy to return to the living room silently and nod to my father.

    I gave Dorothy a look, then turned to the southern Duke and said, ¡°Do you still remember the day of the Moonlight Festival? It seems that Carolyn wants to go to the float parade, but she didn¡¯t manage to. It just so happens that the school will hold a small parade at the graduation ball. Do you think Carolyn will like it? The Student Union wants to send her an invitation, and she might be very surprised.¡±

    ¡®If the spell on your body can be broken, we will set a trap at the graduation ball and arrest the witch.¡¯

    ¡°Oh, of course!¡± The southern Duke said in surprise, ¡°Carolyn is a sensitive child. She likes to be praised by others. I think the parade is a good idea. May I know the details?¡±

    ¡®I agree, this witch likes to show off, and it¡¯s easy to expose her ws when she¡¯s too smug. Can I hear your n?¡¯

    I started, ¡°The school hopes to use the legend of ¡®the Moon Goddess and the Valkyrie¡¯ as a reference. The Moon Goddess, the Valkyrie, and the witch will each have a float. Perhaps Carolyn will like the character of the witch? I think she¡¯s a girl very interested in taking difficult characters. The members of the drama club are very satisfied with her talent.¡±

    ¡®Perhaps the role of the legendary witch would make it easier for the fake to let her guard down.¡¯

    ¡°Of course, Carolyn is very talented in acting. As long as she wants to, she can deceive everyone, be it parents or ssmates.¡±

    ¡®I agree, but this witch is very cunning. Be careful not to hurt the students.¡¯

    ¡°The school has arranged many scenes of witches and Valkyries fighting against each other. Carolyn will like it when she hears it.¡±

    ¡®My father will arrange for guards to sneak into the convoy to stop the witches, so please rest assured.¡¯

    As we were talking, Dorothy came in with freshly baked ck tea biscuits.

    ¡°The ck tea biscuits sent by Her Majesty the Queen are fresh out of the oven. Please enjoy.¡±

    ¡®The Queen said that Carolyn is starting to get agitated. There¡¯s not much time left. When do we start?¡¯

    ¡°Thank you. I was thinking of having some desserts,¡± the southern Duke said.

    ¡®You can do it now.¡¯

    Dorothy nodded. She took out some magic tools wrapped in silk with the pattern of the moon and began to draw the spell on the southern Duke¡¯s body.

    At that moment, Dorothy seemed to have disappeared. Everyone in the living room turned a blind eye to her actions, talking andughing as if nothing had happened.

    Cold sweat started to form on my forehead without me realizing it. I tried to calm myself down. ¡®Selma, don¡¯t look at Dorothy. Don¡¯t think about her. Make her presence as low as possible. Only then can I ensure her safety.¡¯

    As time passed, Dorothy had already finished half of the incantation. Then, Kara suddenly knocked on the door and loudly said, ¡°Your Majesty, my Lords, Miss Carolyn suddenly felt a stomach ache. Her Highness the Queen would like to invite you to take a look.¡±

 Chapter 87

    87 Broken Curse

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    This was bad!

    Perhaps the witch had discovered something and was using this to test the southern Duke.

    If nothing had happened to him, then to cooperate with the witch¡¯s act, he had to y the role of a ¡®kind father¡¯ and immediately get up to take care of his sick daughter.

    The problem was that Dorothy¡¯s incantation was still iplete. If he gave up now, everything would be in vain. When the witch noticed the abnormality, she might not allow the southern Duke to act alone.

    ¡°Oh! Carolyn!¡± The southern Duke immediately stood up like a good father and said anxiously, ¡°Quickly take me to see her!¡±

    Contrary to his anxious expression and tone, his movements were as steady as earth. He didn¡¯t even twitch.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lennon.¡± My father stopped her in time.¡±Why don¡¯t we ask the doctor to take a look first? I¡¯m sure Carolyn wouldn¡¯t want her father to worry either.¡±

    ¡°The Queen has asked for Dr. Tracy,¡± Kara replied. ¡°She said everyone, especially the southern Duke, doesn¡¯t have to hurry.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty, for your generosity!¡± The southern Duke eximed. Forgive me for my rudeness just now. Perhaps I can be pardoned by Your Majesty and enter the Queen¡¯s suite to see my daughter?¡±

    ¡°Of course, Lennon.¡± My father said, ¡°Now, I¡¯ll ask the head servant to lead us.¡±

    Dorothy picked up her speed as the few spoke and quickly finished thest few words. Theplex incantation glowed like fluorescent light and disappeared after a few seconds.

    The southern Duke stood up and stretched his body. Then, he nodded at Dorothy and said, ¡°Thank you, child.¡±

    Without the imprisonment of witchcraft, he was finally free from the witch¡¯s constant monitoring and could speak freely.

    ¡°It¡¯s my honor, my Lord.¡± Dorothy handed a small crystal bottle to the southern Duke. ¡°The monitoring spell has been broken, but to hide it from the public, I have set up a new set of sorcery on you. Its logic and structure werepletely copied ording to the previous spell, and it is guaranteed that no ws would be seen. The crystal bottle contains the essence of the moon. Drink it at midnight tonight. The Moon Godness will protect you from destroying your new spell.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the use of the new spell?¡± the southern Duke asked.

    ¡°No.¡± Dorothy shook her head. ¡°Its only use is to distort your actual situation and hide it from those who want to monitor you. It will ensure that every message she receives is logical but wrong. In fact, the old spell on you only has the monitoring function, which has dramatically made it easier for me to work.¡±

    ¡°Advanced witchcraft,¡± the southern Duke said. ¡°Young werewolves rarely have talents like yours. You will be a great master.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said.

    Dorothy didn¡¯t respond more to that. Finally, my eyes met hers, and she smiled at me.

    Although he tried to dy, he still took much time. Finally, to not give himself away, the southern Duke had to run to my mother¡¯s suite to keep up with the image of a good father who gave up his manners because he was worried about his daughter.

    Carolyn was lying in a room filled with gorgeous silk and jewelry, frowning and groaning. Tracy looked solemn as she examined her. Tracy was also in a difficult position because she couldn¡¯t find anything unusual with Carolyn.

    Of course, the cunning witch was just pretending to be sick.

    ¡°Carolyn! How are you?¡± the southern Duke asked sincerely. ¡°Are you feeling ufortable?¡±

    The fake Carolyn opened her eyes weakly and muttered, ¡°Father, my stomach hurts.¡±

    ¡°Oh, my child ...¡±

    Her acting skills were so good that the father and daughter were about to cry.

    However, this also meant that Dorothy¡¯s efforts were effective. This witch had not discovered our secret plot and was acting weakly.

    My mother stepped forward and said apologetically, ¡°I think this was my mistake, Lennon. I allowed Carolyn to drink too much ck tea with added ice, which might have caused her to catch a cold.¡±

    A pot of ck tea and a half-filled ice bucket were on the exquisite round table.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that,¡± the southern Duke said, putting on the act of an anxious but still respectful father. ¡°We all know how much you love Carolyn. This is just a small ident caused by the young person¡¯s gluttony.¡±

    At this moment, Tracy finished her examination and said with certainty, ¡°Your Majesty, my Lords, please do not worry. Miss Carolyn only has some stomach spasms. She will be fine after drinking some hot tea.¡±

    My mother quickly asked the servant to prepare hot tea. The spacious Queen¡¯s suite was filled with servants busying around, ending the farce.

    In the afternoon, my parents asked the southern Duke and Carolyn to stay for lunch. Aldrich, Duke Frank, and I apanied them. I was physically and mentally exhausted after eating this hypocritical meal. All my thoughts were onmunicating with Carolyn, and the food tasted like wax.

    Before she left, Carolyn took away a lot of fine clothes and jewelry, finally revealing some of a witch¡¯s characteristics. Her unconcealed greed was just like in the legend.

 Chapter 88

    88 Settlement

    Dorothy¡¯s POV:

    Even though I¡¯d been training for half a year, I still felt intense nervousness when I entered the king¡¯s reception room as a servant.

    Winking, speaking riddles, going in and out of the room while providing service, and setting up magic circles were done very well.

    I racked my brain to remember these obscure and rigid scribbles. I only hoped to finish them quickly before my memory messed up.

    Just as I was about to wrap things up, I was interrupted. The head servant brought me bad news. Carolyn was already suspicious.

    I had to quickly end the curse-breaking process to prevent her from finding out.

    Fortunately, the elders¡¯ cooperation bought me enough time. After that, I sessfully helped the southern Duke remove the surveince spell and reced it with a reverse interference spell.

    The mission waspleted perfectly. The Kingplimented me kindly and suggested that I transfer to a sorcery academy.

    ¡°Your talent is very rare even among the orthodox witches,¡± the kind elder said, thinking for me. ¡°It¡¯s your freedom to make full use of it. I hope it can be your wings to fly high.¡±

    A pair of wings that spread its wings and flew high?

    I lowered my head and thought to myself.

    Perhaps, it was just a shackle deep in my bone marrow.

    ¡°Thank you for your kindness, but I¡¯m interested in history,¡± I declined politely. ¡°I think it¡¯s more suitable for me to be a historian.¡±

    The Lycan King did not try to persuade me anymore. He only told Selma to send me home.

    We walked on a small road on the outskirts. Selma looked as if she wanted to say something but stopped herself. I waited for a while, but she did not know how to start. Thus, I said first, ¡°Do you have anything to say?¡±

    ¡°Oh...¡± She nodded in a dilemma. ¡°Yes, Dorothy.¡±

    ¡°Then, there¡¯s no need to hold back. Please speak.¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t mean to point fingers,¡± Selma tidied her hair and said softly. ¡°But why don¡¯t you ept the Lycan King¡¯s suggestion? You¡¯re very talented, Dorothy. Even I can see that, not to mention the werewolf grandmasters who are full of praise for you. You¡¯ll make great achievements in witchcraft.¡±

    I smiled and shook my head. ¡°This isn¡¯t really pointing fingers. I didn¡¯t choose this path because I didn¡¯t want to. Talent doesn¡¯t decide everything, right? The path of history is more suitable for me, and my family thinks so too.¡±

    ¡°But you like to study sorcery. I can see that,¡± Selma said. ¡°Do you know when I see you smile the most? During the sorcery ss. Be it listening to sses, practicing, or doing research, there is always a smile ying on your lips. This ispletely different from you in the Sivir Academy. You love magic from the bottom of your heart because it makes you happy.¡±

    ¡®Does witchcraft make me happy?¡¯

    I was stunned.

    This was a question I¡¯d never thought about.

    From the moment I was born, my witch¡¯s bloodline seemed only to bring me pain. The scolding from my family, the cold looks from my ssmates, the self-loathing, and the tragedy of my life were all because of my body¡¯s half-witch bloodline.

    How could magic make me happy?

    I should hate it. I should hate this derivative of the witch¡¯s blood.

    ¡°Did you find anything? You always unconsciously pay attention to everything rted to magic.¡± Selma continued, ¡°Before your bloodline awakens, you loved to read books on philosophy and history. However, after your bloodline awakened, you always held all sorts of research notes and books about witchcraft in your hands, so much so that Mara and Avril thought you¡¯d chosen to take sses in this area!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just... Just some books I picked up... ¡± I mumbled.

    This wasn¡¯t right!

    I suddenly felt very frustrated.

    Witches and witchcraft only brought about pain in the past neen years of my life!

    Why would I like it? What was this? Stockholm Syndrome on an academic level?

    The depression in my chest was getting increasingly intense, and I realized I was gasping for air like a fish in the desert. Selma was frightened by me. She quickly helped me to sit on the grass by the side of the road and helped me rub my chest.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry!¡± She said anxiously, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have told you this. Oh my god! Just take it as I¡¯m talking nonsense and forget it, Moon Goddess. I¡¯m such an idiot!¡±

    I tried my best to suck in every bit of oxygen in the air and suddenlyughed out loud.

    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong, Selma. It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve been avoiding it.¡±

    That was right. I¡¯d been running away. I¡¯d been running away from my bloodline, talent, and the scales that had long tilted in my heart.

    I always find many excuses for myself, such as my father, whom I¡¯d never met, my irascible grandmother, and the memory of being tortured by hot silver when I was a child.

    But did these excuses make me feel any better?

    No, they didn¡¯t.

    They were just a match on a winter night, disappearing after providing a little warmth. I still had to face this icy cold world of wind des and frost swords.

    It was too cold and too tiring. I didn¡¯t dare to fight against the wind and snow, so I could only pretend that I didn¡¯t have the ability and silently wait for the judgment of the harsh winter.

    However, the wind was already so cold, and the snow was already so heavy. So why didn¡¯t I stand up, give the raging blizzard the middle finger, and say, ¡®Go to hell¡¯?

    I should reconcile with myself.

    I thought.

    I¡¯d listened to what many people had said and been a marite for so long. Now, it was time for me to listen to myself.

 Chapter 89

    89 Religion

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The moment I saw the tears in Dorothy¡¯s eyes, I knew I had said the wrong thing. The great werewolf Princess Selma had made her friend cry!

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I shouldn¡¯t have said this!¡±

    I could only apologize stiffly for my arrogant behavior.

    Dorothy looked extremely frustrated. She frowned and suddenly shook her head violently. She grabbed her hair and mumbled something that I could not hear clearly.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    I was a little worried and started considering if I should call the werewolf grandmasters.

    Some witches would be affected by the profound sorcery they cast, resulting in some emotional and psychological side effects. Some of them had their strengths and weaknesses. Dorothy might have been affected by it!

    Fortunately, she suddenly returned to normal just before I made the call.

    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong, Selma. It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve been avoiding it.¡±

    Dorothy suddenly said something that had no rhyme or reason.

    ¡°What?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t keep up with her emotions. So I stood there like a stupid deer that couldn¡¯t understand words.

    Dorothy seemed to be lost in her world. She thought silently for a while, crying andughing simultaneously. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Selma. Let¡¯s go. Do you want to have some dessert? I found a wizard¡¯s cake recipe in my mother¡¯s notes. Apparently, you will have a good dream after eating it.¡±

    ¡°Oh, oh okay!¡± I was like a puppet being led by her.

    We walked silently on the country road, the flying bees and butterflies brushing our cheeks from time to time. A blue butterfly stopped by my ear. Dorothy gently picked her up, and with a wave of her hand, the lively little spirit disappeared into the flowers.

    I pursed my lips and thought about it again. ¡°It¡¯s fine already?¡±

    ¡®Moon Goddess, please don¡¯t make me look like a busybody!¡¯

    ¡°What?¡±

    Dorothy smiled.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I have to thank you, Selma. You showed me that I was too stubborn in the past.¡±

    I was still confused. ¡°Really? Alright. Although I don¡¯t know which of my words took effect, as long as you¡¯re happy, everything else doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

    ¡°Every word is useful. I know you don¡¯t want to hurt my self-esteem. You¡¯re only saying this for my good.¡±

    Dorothy¡¯s eyes glowed under the sun. I noticed her pupils had a thinyer of dark green under the sun for the first time. Her original eye color did not cover this green at all. But instead, it was like the brilliant reflection of a gem.

    Perhaps I stared into her eyes for too long. Dorothy blinked ufortably, lowered her head, and asked softly, ¡°You noticed that too?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I came back to my senses and nodded. ¡°Are you referring to your pupils? That¡¯s right, that dark green ring of light is really beautiful.¡±

    Dorothy said, ¡°This came from my father. Although my mother and grandmother had green eyes like me, only sorcerers with the gift of prophecy would have such a halo around their pupils.¡±

    ¡°Wow, this is amazing.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°It seems I still know too little about witches. I only know the knowledge taught by the werewolf masters.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s normal. In fact, most wizards and witches don¡¯t know about this. After all, they don¡¯t have the talent for prophecy. So the minority has to find a way to protect their secrets from the majority, right?¡±

    Dorothy chuckled. ¡°It is said that this halo is the mark that the goddess of fate has given to those with the gift of prophecy, ensuring they can swim in time and not be torn apart by the waves.¡±

    ¡°The goddess of fate? But don¡¯t sorcerers believe in satan?¡±

    ¡°But most of the mayflies, or most people, believe in satan. Some special small groups believe in other gods. Don¡¯t the werewolf grandmasters believe in the Moon Goddess like us?¡±

    ¡°But the werewolf grandmasters are werewolves, after all.¡± I still didn¡¯t quite understand. ¡°What about you? Dorothy, where does your strengthe from?¡±

    As soon as I asked, I realized that I was a little too offensive to the faith of the mayfly. It was a serious problem, especially for mixed-bloods. Their special bloodline caused them to waver naturally.

    ¡°Please pretend I didn¡¯t say anything just now,¡± I said, annoyed. ¡°I¡¯m a fool, really.¡±

    Dorothy smiled indifferently. ¡°Don¡¯t say that, my dear. It¡¯s not that big a deal to me. Why can¡¯t I worship two gods at the same time?¡± When I am a witch, I worship the goddess of fate. When I am a wolf, I worship the Moon Goddess.¡±

    I was shocked and speechless by this shocking statement. I muttered, ¡°But there has never been such a precedent. Shouldn¡¯t one¡¯s faith be focused on one thing...¡±

    ¡°Then, what is the deciding factor for loyalty? Now, it seems that our bloodline and origin naturally dictate our faith. You¡¯re a werewolf, so you believe in the Moon Godness. Elves believe in the goddess of nature, and sirens believe in the sea god. Faith is linked to race.¡±

    At that moment, Dorothy was like a philosopher.

    ¡°But do these rules work on me? I¡¯m a werewolf and a witch. Can I use witchcraft in peace if I only believed in the Moon Godness? If I only believed in the goddess of fate, then should I pretend that my wolf, ine, doesn¡¯t exist?¡±

 Chapter 90

    90 The Crazy Grandmother

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°Actually, if it was me a year ago, I would have chosen the Moon Goddess without a doubt.¡± Dorothy¡¯s eyes were nk as if she had recalled something. ¡°But times have changed, and everything has changed.

    ¡°Since I¡¯ve chosen this path and chosen to be a werewolf witch, I don¡¯t have to be so unreasonable and waver between the two gods because I will never be able to calm my will. No god will ept such an impious believer, and I will lose everything.

    ¡°If my identity cannot be separated, why should faith be separated? I¡¯ll pray under the moonlight like every devout werewolf and explore the path of fate like every rigorous prophet. I¡¯ll treat all faith with caution. Isn¡¯t that enough?¡±

    I had to admit that she made a lot of sense.

    But at the same time, it was also very unconventional. If the stubborn elders in the Council of Elders had heard what Dorothy said, they would have mored to destroy this ¡®sphemer¡¯.

    ¡°But how can one person worship two gods be considered pious?¡± I mumbled, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t faith be one¡¯s heart and soul?¡±

    Dorothy suddenly blinked slyly and said rather embarrassedly, ¡°Actually, I was just thinking about this when you suddenly asked me. Of course, I have some doubts too, but this is enough for the current me. Maybe after another neen years, my mentality will change again? Intelligent creatures are so fickle!¡±

    My unintentional question caused my good friend to have such aplicated reaction. I felt deeply guilty. Just as I was about to apologize, Dorothy suddenly stopped me as if she could read my mind.

    ¡°What about you? Selma, why do you want to apologize to me again? Did you realize that you¡¯ve been apologizing to me all day?

    ¡°As a courtesy, I¡¯ll also say something to you ¨C be more confident in yourself. My girl, sometimes your power is greater than you think.

    ¡°Don¡¯t take your kindness too lightly. To those who love you, this is a priceless treasure.¡±

    I had never seen such a dazzling side of Dorothy. If she was a star hidden behind the clouds and buried by the moonlight in the past, she was now a bird flying high in the sky under the sun.

    I realized that I had the mentality of a ¡®mother chicken¡¯, looking down at the infinite sky, the young eagle chirping, and the wind sending us to the ce of hope that was infinitely far away. Everyone had their fate. I could provide help, but why should I be so self-righteous and try to control everything?

    ¡°Okay.¡± I chuckled like Dorothy. ¡°So, my dear prophet, when can we eat a cake that makes people dream good dreams? Maybe we can pick some berries for the stuffing?¡±

    Dorothy pounced on me and tickled me, grumbling in dissatisfaction, ¡°Hey! You¡¯re not allowed to copy me!¡±

    Weughed and ran away.

    Behind us, the grass was lush, and hummingbirds were chirping.

    Dorothy¡¯s grandmother was a little fierce. She did not have the slightest bit of politeness for her guests. Or rather, she had no manners at all. From the moment she entered the room, she didn¡¯t even ask for my name. Instead, she just rudely waved her hand and shouted, ¡°Who is this? Don¡¯t casually bring some shady little b*stards into the house! I don¡¯t want my house to be a breeding ground for little traitors.¡±

    Gosh! That was very impolite!

    I was just about to retort when I heard Dorothy say coldly, ¡°It¡¯s my freedom to invite friends to my house. If you don¡¯t like it, then please leave. And this is my mother¡¯s house, not yours.¡±

    ¡°What did you just say?¡± The white-haired olddy said in disbelief, ¡°The heavens have been overturned! You dare talk to me like that! You little satan¡¯s b*stard. I think you¡¯re itching for a beating!¡±

    As she spoke, she pulled out a bundle of tightly intertwined wool needles from the messy pair of yarn on the sofa and waved it at Dorothy.

    This was too much!

    I subconsciously tried to stop the fight but identally became the scapegoat for the violence. The knitting needles weren¡¯t that thick or heavy, but they were like whips smeared with chilli water, causing me to feel a piercing pain.

    These were not ordinary knitting needles!

    After looking at it, I realized that the knitting needles were silver. Dorothy¡¯s grandmother held the end tightly wrapped in wool, so she was not injured.

    Dorothy anxiously checked the red burn on my arm. ¡°Selma, are you alright? We have to go to the hospital as soon as possible. Wounds caused by silver won¡¯t heal so easily, especially now that it¡¯s summer!¡±

    I didn¡¯t have the time to care about my small injuries. So instead, I looked at the crazy old woman and shouted angrily, ¡°How could you do this? Dorothy is your biological granddaughter, and you used silver to hit her. Do you want to kill her?!¡±

    Dorothy¡¯s grandmother did not take it to heart and snorted coldly in disdain, ¡°What do you know? Only silver can expel the dirty witch¡¯s blood in her body. She deserves it!¡±

    ¡°I think you¡¯ve gone crazy!¡± I was extremely angry, but I calmed down instead. ¡°I should call the mental hospital and lock you in for treatment.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t do this!¡± She roared angrily, ¡°I have to stay and expel the filth from Dorothy!¡±

    She looked serious, as if she really cared about her granddaughter.

 Chapter 91

    91 99% and 1%

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    If that was what she really thought, then I was sure she was crazy. The mental hospital was where she should be.

    I snorted coldly and said, ¡°Get rid of filth? How to remove it? Do you want to use the silver needles you have? Moon Goddess, please forgive this olddy. She has obviously been driven mad by the weapon in her hand!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the crazy one! You dog! You¡¯re in cahoots with those witches! You¡¯re trying to trick Dorothy into betraying the werewolves!¡±

    Dorothy¡¯s grandmother suddenly pounced on me like a rabid dog.

    My persevering training wasn¡¯t for nothing. To deal with such a crazy woman, I only had to follow the steps.

    The crazy old woman was thrown to the ground, but she still wouldn¡¯t give up and wanted to attack me.

    At that moment, Dorothy suddenly stepped forward and grabbed her grandmother, carrying her to the sofa and then pulling me upstairs.

    ¡°Don¡¯t bother with her,¡± she said coldly. ¡°She¡¯s already gone crazy. She won¡¯t listen no matter how much you say.¡±

    She mmed the door hard, isting herself from the barrage of foulnguage downstairs.

    Dorothy¡¯s room was not big. It only had a small bed, a desk without a chair, a standing closet, and a few bookcases.

    The furniture filled up the house, which was a little crowded even when we stood in the open space.

    Dorothy said, somewhat embarrassed, ¡°Sorry to make youugh; I don¡¯t have a sofa here. You can sit on the bed first.¡±

    Although she tried her best to restrain her emotions, I could see that she was still very depressed because of the earlier conflict.

    I held her hand and consoled her softly, ¡°Has your grandmother always been like this? If you want to, you can send her to a mental institution where she can receive good treatment and recuperate. The Lycan King will pay for all medical expenses. You¡¯re a hero who fought against the enemy. You deserve this.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said. She broke into a smile and shook her head. ¡°But there¡¯s no need. She doesn¡¯t have any illness. She¡¯s just immersed in her past memories and doesn¡¯t want to wake up.¡±

    ¡°Why did she treat you this way? What happened in the past?¡±

    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not too sure myself. You know that my mother and my wizard father eloped, and that¡¯s the only reason I know. As for the rest, no one can tell me. I can only bear the consequences of what the older generation has done.¡±

    ¡°But this is abuse! Silver is a weapon used against werewolves. No one would use such a weapon against a traitor. So what right does she have to hurt you like this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m a witch. She hated my father for taking my mother away, so she could only vent her anger on me. Isn¡¯t it natural for the werewolves to hate sorcerers? After all, that group of monsters who believed in satan had brought a huge disaster to the werewolves.¡±

    ¡°But your father wasn¡¯t on the same side as those invaders, was he? You said that he believes in the goddess of fate.¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± Dorothy nodded. ¡°Otherwise, with the prophet¡¯s participation, the war¡¯s oue might not be certain.¡±

    ¡°Then, all the more she shouldn¡¯t have done that. The war has nothing to do with your father and nothing to do with you!¡±

    ¡°But who would know about this rtionship?¡± Dorothy looked at me. ¡°How many people know that witches and wizards are divided into factions like the elves? In most people¡¯s eyes, satan is the faith of all sorcerers.¡±

    ¡°When 99% of a race does something bad, and the remaining 1% is insignificant. It¡¯s always convenient to round it up, right?¡±

    Dorothy¡¯s words made me realize I was trapped in an extremely ridiculous logical lie.

    The influence of the ckwater War was too great. In addition to the witch¡¯s persecution of the werewolves in ancient legends, it seemed that every werewolf and every sorcerer were born to be enemies.

    However, if there were differences among sorcerers, were our past acts of revenge all in vain? Would there be an injustice?

    This conjecture made me shiver.

    ¡°However, I think my encounter is just an extremely special case.¡±

    Dorothy¡¯s words pulled me back to my senses.

    ¡°The survival of the minority is too difficult, so the sorcerers with other beliefs will always cautiously live in seclusion. For example, my father. No one knows where he and my mother live.¡±

    ¡°So, these minority groups never interact with people?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Of course not. They have to socialize and live. They can¡¯t avoid contact with other people.¡± Dorothy shook her head. ¡°However, they are usually very cautious in hiding themselves. My father wrote in his diary that he would use a special spell to disguise himself as another race when he left his territory. But, they would try to avoid disguising themselves as satan to prevent others from seeing through his disguise.¡±

    This information made me feel much better. At the very least, the werewolves wouldn¡¯t act rashly against other innocent races to avoid identally harming these innocent minorities.

 Chapter 92

    92 The Invitation

    Selma Payne¡¯s pov:

    However, no matter what, Dorothy should not continue living here. This home filled with pain was unable to provide her with afortable ce to live and a learning space.

    There were many empty rooms in the pce, weren¡¯t there?

    So, I carefully suggested, ¡°Dorothy, perhaps you¡¯re willing to move to the pce to apany me? There¡¯s no one of my age there. I¡¯m really bored to death. When you¡¯ve moved in, we can go to school together and train together. Isn¡¯t that great?¡±

    Dorothy immediately saw through my disguise and chuckled, ¡°You can just say that this house is not suitable for living in, Selma.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to be too offensive.¡± I smiled awkwardly.

    Dorothy shrugged.

    I thought she wouldn¡¯t agree. After all, she had always been a slightly shy girl who was inclined to solve problems independently. But this time, she asked directly, ¡°Will the Lycan King and Queen agree to this? The pce is a heavily guarded ce. I don¡¯t think it will ept strangers as guests.¡±

    She sort of agreed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± I promised immediately. ¡°His Majesty knows you so well that you can see how much they trust and like you, right? I dare say that if you agree to move into the pce, Her Majesty will even ask Kara to drive me to another room and leave the mostfortable bedroom for you!¡±

    ¡°Are you jealous?¡± Dorothy put on an act of being put in a difficult position. ¡°Then, I think I¡¯d better not ept the invitation. To protect Miss Selma¡¯s unique and noble status in the Queen¡¯s heart.¡±

    I pounced on her and hugged her waist tightly, not letting her go. ¡°No! You must move into the pce. This is the order of the noble Miss Selma!¡±

    Dorothyughed and said, ¡°Since it¡¯s your order, I can¡¯t refuse.¡±

    Just like that, Dorothy became the first permanent guest of the pce.

    My parents agreed readily. I guess they¡¯d already investigated Dorothy¡¯s family background in private, but they never told me.

    Hmph! Although I was already involved in politics, they still treated me like a child sometimes. Did they think I would go to Dorothy¡¯s house and cause a scene?

    While helping Dorothy set up the room, I told her about this.

    ¡°I have to say, I admire the foresight of His Majesty and Her Majesty.¡± Dorothy did not even lift her head as she fiddled with her books. ¡°The first time you met my grandmother, you had a huge fight. Do you still remember?¡±

    ¡°She was the one who provoked me first.¡± I thought of the crazy woman my mother had sent someone to take care of. I muttered, ¡°She has violent tendencies. It¡¯s not my fault.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s not your fault.¡±

    Dorothy stopped tidying her books and stared nkly into space as if she was recalling something.

    ¡°Did I say that? In fact, I¡¯ve hated my grandmother since I was young.¡± She said, ¡°Although she didn¡¯t starve me to death and raised me, I still hate her. When the silver was branded on my body, when I was scolded for no reason, when my things were thrown away like garbage, there was a moment when I wanted her to die.

    ¡°But I¡¯ll soon regret this thought because she did raise me, after all, didn¡¯t she? The grace of raising me is greater than heaven, and she had a reason for what she did to me.

    ¡°During my long childhood and adolescence, these two thoughts appeared alternately, constantly fighting in my mind. Sometimes, I wonder if I¡¯ve gone crazy. Otherwise, why would I fight with myself like a schizophrenic?¡±

    I gently hugged her, hoping to give this fragile-looking girl a little support and strength.

    Dorothy chuckled a few times.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been struggling like this until my bloodline awakened.¡±

    ¡°The shift and the bloodline awakening came together, and I became a witch with a wolf or a wolf with sorcery. This is even more difficult to solve.¡±

    She rested her head on my shoulder like a little wolf cub. I silently stroked her hair and didn¡¯t say a word. I gave her time.

    ¡°Butter on, the Lycan King appeared, and you appeared. In a daze, I started learning witchcraft and even participated in a secret operation to protect the country. Aftering into contact with the wider world and seeing more paths, I gradually thought, why should I make things difficult for myself? I should listen to my heart and choose the path I want.

    ¡°So, I believe in both goddesses at the same time. I promised you to move to the pce, and I also swore to live up to the reputation of the prophet witch.

    ¡°The only problem left is my grandmother...¡±

    She chuckled.

    ¡°I used to think she hurt me, but she had suffered a lot herself.

    ¡°Now, I understand. She has indeed suffered a lot, but that was not a good reason for her to hurt me.¡±

 Chapter 93

    93 A Young Girl¡¯s Crush

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°Good morning, girls!¡±

    Mara ran toward us with a paper box in her arms.

    The graduation ceremony was just around the corner, and all the clubs were nervously setting up their venues. People came and went in front of the school gate, carrying some decorations and props. Mara identally bumped into a boy carrying a bunch of badminton rackets. The box in her hand fell to the ground, and the rose-red cards scattered all over the ground.

    ¡°This is bad!¡±

    She hurriedly picked it up, and we quickly went to help. Unfortunately, it had just rainedst night, so the ground was wet. The cards were covered with muddy water and could no longer be used.

    Karained in a low voice, ¡°Ryan will kill me! He especially made these cards to write the invitation for the special guests. It¡¯s all over now!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± I consoled her. ¡°There¡¯s still a week before the graduation ceremony. We¡¯ll have time to get a new one.¡±

    ¡°But these cards are custom-made, and it¡¯ll take more than half a month toplete.¡± Kara said dejectedly, ¡°Ryan hopes it would be some kind of precious campus memento. He definitely will kill me!¡±

    Well, no one knew the virtue of these ¡®luxury goods¡¯ with long construction periods better than the general affairs officer of the royal family. Of course, the production time didn¡¯t have to be long, and the materials didn¡¯t have to be precious, but the shelf must be set up.

    Even if the goods were ready on the second day after the first order, he must let it collect dust in the warehouse for half a month, or it would lower his value.

    ¡°Ryan won¡¯t have the chance to kill you,¡± I took the box of cards and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go back and ask the general affairs officer of the pce to think of a way. I think there should be simr cards in the pce warehouse.¡±

    ¡°Really!¡± Mara covered her mouth in disbelief and said excitedly, ¡°That¡¯s great! That¡¯s the royal family¡¯s stuff. Compared to this, any other luxury brand is weak!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re spoiling her too much, Selma. How can you simply give away the royal family¡¯s things?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a few pieces of paper.¡± I didn¡¯t care. ¡°Can¡¯t you just keep it a secret? No one knows this belongs to the royal family, so let it quietly be one of those precious luxury goods!¡±

    We walked into the school side by side.

    The final exams had just ended, and the students were no longer frowning while studying. Instead, they were cheering and reveling in the ball and party. Men and women were walking together shyly everywhere. The most popr and thin-skinned young man in the garden and the yground corner was always embarrassed to invite others in public.

    The girls were chattering away. ¡°Have you guys decided on a dance partner yet? My god, the third-year seniors are the most popr. The stadium and the opera hall are even more lively these days than the market. No boy can ¡®protect himself¡¯ and be divided by the crazy girls the moment they walk out of the door. They have to ept someone¡¯s invitation.¡±

    None of us had a dance partner. I wanted Aldrich toe, but the school rules forbade people from outside the school, be it a general or noble.

    Avril seemed to have a crush. We urged her to tell the truth, and she pulled us to a corner and said shyly, ¡°This is a secret. You must keep it a secret for me, okay?¡±

    ¡°Hurry up and tell me!¡± Mara could not wait.

    ¡°Alright, he¡¯s... the president of the drama club, Ryan.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    We were shocked.

    Dorothy frowned. ¡°If I remember correctly, Ryan is famous for his ¡®career¡¯? Besides his studies and the drama club, he doesn¡¯t pay attention to anything else.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a good impression of him either! And he has a bad temper! Previously, because of Carolyn, he got into a fight and was usually very fierce to the club members.¡±

    Mara nodded with fear. ¡°Listen to me, girl. Ryan is a big fire pit,¡± he said. ¡°I admit he¡¯s very handsome, butpared to his cold heart, that handsomeness is nothing!¡±

    Maybe we were too agitated because Avril said unhappily, ¡°He¡¯s not what you think he is! In fact, he is a very kind and gentle person. You only see the superficial appearance!¡±

    After that, she pushed us away and ran away.

    ¡°Oh, a silly girl who has fallen in love.¡± Mara sighed. ¡°She won¡¯t listen to anything now. Ryan¡¯s charm is more powerful than the witch¡¯s spell on her.¡±

    ¡°How did Avril fall in love with Ryan?¡± I didn¡¯t understand. ¡°She¡¯s from the boxing club, isn¡¯t she? What kind of contact does she usually have with Ryan?¡±

    Mara felt a little guilty. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I always ask Avril to help out at the drama club. Maybe she fell in love with Ryan then.¡±

    ¡°We have to stop her.¡± Dorothy suddenly said, ¡°Carolyn has agreed to Ryan¡¯s dance partner¡¯s invitation. We can¡¯t just watch Avril¡¯s heart break, can we?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Mara eximed, ¡°This b*stard! He even rejected a girl before he instructed me to go out and pick up the delivery. He pretended that he would ¡®consider¡¯ it! He lied to everyone!¡±

    Dorothy replied calmly, ¡°I heard it from a passing student. Maybe it¡¯s just a rumor? We have to find Avril now. We should not let her run into a wall in a moment of hot-headedness.¡±

 Chapter 94

    94 Standing Up

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°Yes, this silly girl... ¡°Mara muttered as she ran away. She then turned back and said to us, ¡°I¡¯ll go look for her, then I¡¯ll go back to work in the drama club. See you at the cafeteria at noon!¡±

    After watching her leave, I turned to Dorothy and asked, ¡°Did Carolyn really agree to Ryan¡¯s invitation?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I saw it.¡± She nodded. ¡°Just three minutes ago.¡±

    I was puzzled. ¡°Could Carolyn have used magic to control Ryan? Ryan is quite an influential figure in the Sivir Academy, so having him as her fan is very befitting Carolyn¡¯s personality, who loves to show off.¡±

    ¡°No, it was Ryan¡¯s idea,¡± Dorothy denied. ¡°Everything else aside, isn¡¯t Carolyn beautiful? Moreover, she¡¯s the heir to a great noble family. She¡¯s fatally attractive to any male college student.¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± I sneered. ¡°I should have known she was not a good person from her attitude toward Mara and Chloe.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this,¡± Dorothy said calmly. ¡°How¡¯s the preparation for the marchers?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all ready,¡± I said, ¡°They¡¯ve already entrusted Maple Leaf Entertainment to sign a contract with the school. They¡¯ll be hired as external actors on the day of the graduation ball. Nothing will go wrong. ¡±

    ¡°I hope everything goes well.¡± Dorothy prayed.

    By the way, I chose to join the student council in the first half of the semester and was now the secretary.

    Dorothy had joined the sorcery research society, and it was said that there were only two people in it, herself and the president.

    At noon, we found a little wolf crying uncontrobly in the cafeteria.

    ¡°Not only did he reject me, he even humiliated me!¡± Avril was heartbroken. ¡°He said that my muscles are harder than stone. He didn¡¯t want to dance with an ancient Greece statue for the whole night! So many people, his friends, were allughing! I can¡¯t stay in this school anymore!¡±

    Mara was furious. ¡°This is too much!¡± she said. ¡°Who does he think he is? The sun god? How can you humiliate ady like this?!¡±

    Dorothy and I were equally infuriated. We didn¡¯t expect Ryan to be so mean.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get even with him.¡± I stood up and dragged Avril away. ¡°Who the hell is he? Did he really think he was some big shot? Since that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll let him see who the real king of this school is.¡±

    Avril did not want to and sobbed, ¡°Forget it, Selma. Don¡¯t stand up for me. It¡¯s all my stupidity. Ryan has the right to reject me, doesn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°Of course, he has the right to reject you,¡± I said. ¡°But he has no right to humiliate you. No one can humiliate another person for no reason. Is ¡®thank you, but please allow me to refuse¡¯ too difficult to say? It seems that his brain capacity isn¡¯t that big. His pitiful talent and pride have already taken up all the space, and he can¡¯t even hold a little bit of courtesy.¡±

    Avril didn¡¯t want to let this go, so after hesitating for a while, I managed to pull her away.

    Ryan was currently munching on a peanut butter sandwich and bragging to his scoundrels about how he had made Carolyn¡¯ fall in love at first sight¡¯.

    I didn¡¯t have the patience to listen to him brag, so I grabbed the orange juice and sshed it on his face.

    ¡°What the hell is this?!¡± he screamed, looking like he wanted to punch me. ¡°Are you crazy? What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±

    I red back at him without fear. ¡°You deserve it, little genius. I hope the orange juice can wash your dirty mouth clean.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Ryanughed. ¡°Do we have any grudges? Is it worth it for you to bark at me like a madman?¡±

    I didn¡¯t want to waste my breath on him. So I grabbed another ss of orange juice on the table and sshed it on his face again.¡± I don¡¯t think an egoist has the right to call others lunatics.¡±

    I didn¡¯t have the patience to waste my breath. ¡°Now, apologize to this girl you¡¯ve hurt. I promise you won¡¯t use that dry metaphor to mock others again. Keep your talent and write third-rate novels.¡±

    Ryan flipped the table, sneered, and roared, ¡°Who do you think you are? Do you think I won¡¯t hit a woman? Then you¡¯re wrong. Today, you will have to kneel and lick my shoes clean! B*tch!¡±

    He threw a punch at me, but the weak fist was as ridiculous as a child¡¯s game to me.

    I subdued him with just one move and stepped on his twisted arm. Then, hearing his wailing, I coldly said, ¡°B*tch? Ha, do you know what happened to thest person who said that to me? Alex, the former football captain. How long have you not seen him?¡±

    This disturbance attracted the attention of everyone. Avril timidly tugged at my sleeve and said, ¡°Gorget it, Selma. Don¡¯t get the teacher here.¡±

    ¡°So what if the teacher is here?¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯ll ept the punishment, provided I¡¯ve taught this b*stard a lesson.¡±

    Ryan raised his head with difficulty and sneered at Avril. ¡°It¡¯s you, Miss Statue. What¡¯s wrong? Did your hard muscles hurt your self-esteem? Get your little sister to cause trouble with me? You¡¯d better be honest, girl. Who would like you if you¡¯re so rough? Do you want to win the title of ¡®best loner¡¯ at the prom?¡±

    Avril burst into tears, and Mara and Dorothy quickly pulled her behind them. Mara kicked Ryan a few times in anger. Dorothy also said coldly, ¡°Watch your tongue, wolf cub.¡±

 Chapter 95

    95 A Small Lesson

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°Hey, hey!¡± Ryan¡¯s friends finally couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. ¡°What is this? Do you think you are in ¡®Charlie¡¯s Angels¡¯?¡±

    A ginger said to Ryan with a smile, ¡°That¡¯s enough. Stop acting. Get up and teach these little girls a lesson, Ryan.¡±

    ¡°Are you blind, kid?¡± Ryan¡¯s face turned pale as he roared. ¡°Just shut up!¡±

    Realizing that Ryan had really been subdued by me, the expressions of the ginger, the ck-haired guy, and the blond guy beside him turned serious.

    ¡°Hey, Miss,¡± the blond said. ¡°I know you¡¯re a rtive of the Queen, but you don¡¯t want to see the news of a royal family member bullying people in the newspapers tomorrow, do you? Don¡¯t you think the Queen will be angry?¡±

    Ha, he was threatening me?

    ¡°Guess which media outlet would dare to report gossip about the royal family? But you, little brat, does your police chief father know that you¡¯re making sarcastic remarks about the royal family at school?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You!¡± The ginger gritted his teeth.

    I¡¯d seen the photo of the police chief on the list of officials. He and his son look exactly the same. Who would have thought that the middle-aged man with a righteous face would have such a b*stardly son?

    The ginger and the blond stood on the same side as their friends, like a stupid wall. ¡°Calm down, Miss. Let¡¯s talk this out.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any other requests. I just want this b*stard to apologize to Avril.¡± I stomped on Ryan with all my might, and he wailed again.

    ¡°Alright! Alright!¡± he said perfunctorily, ¡°I was wrong. I¡¯m sorry, okay?! Take your foot off!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s insincere!¡± I pouted.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± Ryan roared, ¡°Just tell me what to do when the timees!¡±

    I let go of my foot and lifted him, pushing him in front of Avril. ¡°Apologize respectfully to her for your insult. And bow! Don¡¯t think that your little pride is too valuable, kid.¡±

    Ryan reluctantly did as he was told. In the end, he unwillingly said, ¡°Is that enough, youngdies?¡±

    I reluctantly let him go. ¡°That¡¯s more like it. Girls, let¡¯s go.¡±

    The crowd of onlookers was strangely silent and spontaneously made a path for us.

    Dorothy and Mara supported the sobbing Avril as they walked forward. I was at the back of the group. Suddenly, I turned around and said to Ryan, ¡°I heard you¡¯ve been waiting for an email?¡±

    ¡°How did you know?¡± Ryan was stunned.

    ¡°Just take it that I¡¯m kind enough to tell you some inside information!¡± I chuckled. ¡°The list of the Midnight Opera House¡¯s summer performances has been confirmed, and the staff¡¯s invitation cards were sent out three days ago. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be on the list, you genius director. What a pity, haha!¡±

    Looking at Ryan¡¯s face, which looked like he had just eaten three pounds of rotten eggs, I felt iparably good. I quickly led the girls away.

    In the small garden, Avril was still sobbing.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be sad, girl. That b*stard is not worth you spending so much energy on him.¡± Mara gently said, ¡°You saw it yourself. He¡¯s not a good person at all. His friends are also b*stards. Do you think you¡¯re the first girl they¡¯ve insulted? You don¡¯t know how mean Ryan is in the drama club. It is as if everyone is his ve.¡±

    Mara sobbed. ¡°I know, but... Oh my god, I don¡¯t want to go to the boxing club anymore. I hate these annoying muscles!¡±

    Surprisingly, Dorothy had the biggest reaction to this. ¡°Don¡¯t think that way, Avril. You did nothing wrong. You don¡¯t have to hate yourself for this.

    ¡°Who said that girls can¡¯t be muscr? Who made the rule thatdies cannot join the boxing club? The werewolves have always regarded the body as beautiful. I think those boys have been infected by the decadent atmosphere of human society and are now worshipping the sickly and thin straw!

    ¡°Just do whatever you like. If anyone dares to talk nonsense in front of you again, just give him a hard punch and show him the proud results of your persistent training!¡±

    Avril was stunned by Dorothy¡¯s words and forgot to cry for a moment. She stared at Dorothy with her mouth wide open.

    Dorothy felt a little embarrassed and said softly, ¡°I mean, just do what you like and don¡¯t care about what others think. Although their pointing and gossiping are indeed annoying, if you think carefully, this didn¡¯t bring you any substantial losses, did it?

    ¡°If you really change because of what they said, you¡¯ll be the disadvantaged group instead. Because people will think that you¡¯re easy to bully, and those bullies will humiliate you even more.

    ¡°Take Chloe, for example. Why did Ryan dare to strip her of her role? Was it because her acting skills are bad? No, it was because Ryan is a b*stard, and Chloe is a gentle and good girl. A good person can¡¯t fight a b*stard.¡±

    ¡°The wicked will be tortured by the wicked,¡± I added. ¡°That¡¯s the logic.¡±

    Avril wiped her tears and whispered, ¡°Thank you. I feel much better. In fact, I also know that Ryan is a b*stard, but I can¡¯t help but feel sad. When I think of what he said, I want to immediately dig a hole and bury myself in it!¡±

 Chapter 96

    96 Mr. Principal

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°It¡¯s normal to be sad.¡± I hugged her, and Dorothy and Mara did the same. ¡°It takes a while for the wound to heal. After being sad, you need to vent your emotions to calm down. Cry as much as you can. Just cry out all your sadness and misery.¡±

    As expected, the matter had blown up. The principal had invited us.

    ¡°Good afternoon, Miss Payne.¡± The grey-haired principal gestured for me to sit down. ¡°Please sit.¡±

    ¡°Good afternoon, Mr. Principal. You asked us here for that b*stard Ryan, right? I knew what he was trying to do. I¡¯ll say this first; I won¡¯t apologize to him. This is all karma for that b*stard.¡±

    ¡°Mind yournguage, kid,¡± the principal said with a frown.

    ¡°Alright. I don¡¯t care what he thinks of me. So what are you going to do? Invite his parents? Public criticism? Or do you want me to be suspended from school to reflect?¡±

    ¡°In fact, I don¡¯t n on doing any of these.¡± The principal shook his head. ¡°Young people are always loyal to their friends. I understand that you were standing up for your friend, but isn¡¯t it too much to beat someone up in public? Have you ever thought about how you and your friend will gain a foothold in school now? Have you ever thought about how Mr. Ryan would face his ssmates from now on?¡±

    I rolled my eyes. ¡°Oh,e on, Mr. Principal. There¡¯s no need to instill in me those great rhetoric principles. It¡¯s been a long time since you were a student, so I can tell you very clearly that your concept of honor and disgrace has long been outdated among the students.

    ¡°My girls and I will have a good time in school, better than before because those who bully people will understand that we are not to be trifled with. As for Ryan, what do his actions have to do with me? When he was bullying the other students, did he ever think about what the students would do in the future?¡±

    The principal seemed to be a little angry. ¡°Correct your attitude, miss. This is not the pce. You can¡¯t throw your noble temper here!¡±

    ¡°So you know that I¡¯m a noble.¡± I twisted my hair and looked at him casually. ¡°Then, guess how much I know about you? Is it all just about outstanding resumes and honor on the exhibition board, or is there something more behind this?¡±

    I leaned closer to the desk, almost sticking my entire body on the table. I looked at his twitching mouth and said, ¡°Do you think the Queen hadn¡¯t investigated you before I came here? Have you investigated the students and teachers in this school? Did she tell me about your shady business?

    ¡°I believe that Her Majesty is a just and kind ruler,¡± the principal said with a fake smile. ¡°She won¡¯t simply look into a citizen¡¯s privacy.¡±

    ¡°Ha.¡± I chuckled and leaned back on the sofa. ¡°Of course, Her Majesty is as wonderful as you said. May the Moon Goddess bless her.¡±

    The principal looked as if he wanted me to disappear from this world.

    In fact, I had lied to him. My parents were so busy every day. How could they have the time to pay attention to a small school? The security department had indeed investigated the Sivir Academy, and I was the only one who had seen the report.

    The principal took a deep breath and tried his best to put on a kind smile. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about irrelevant things, Miss Payne. You have to know that it¡¯s verymon for students to have small conflicts. You can¡¯t always use violence to solve it... ¡±

    ¡°A small conflict?¡± I interrupted him. ¡°Do you think insulting a girl in public is a ¡®small conflict¡¯? Forcefully stripping a member of a deserved role is a ¡®small conflict¡¯? To show off in front of the person you like, fighting with someone with a knife is a ¡®small conflict¡¯?¡±

    I looked at him expressionlessly. ¡°Forgive me for being blunt, but your judgment standard is a little low.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk about those off-topic things!¡± A few veins bulged on the principal¡¯s head. ¡°Let¡¯s just judge the matter as it is. Mr. Ryan¡¯s words and actions are a little inappropriate, but didn¡¯t Miss Mara provoke him first? A woman should maintain some reservation...¡±

    ¡°Did the rules of this year¡¯s graduation ceremony change? Didn¡¯t everyone have the chance to invite their favorite dance partner? Howe I¡¯ve never heard of a girl being deprived of this right?¡± I interrupted this rotten old man again, not having the patience to continue talking nonsense with him.

    ¡°I know why you¡¯re so protective of Ryan. In the face of the glory he brought to the school with his pitiful talent, other students are nothing, right? After all, Ryan¡¯s sess and the increase in your political achievements are real. You won¡¯t be able to get this benefit from other students.

    ¡°Ryan¡¯s father seems to be keen on contributing to the school. Huh, no wonder he could serve as the drama club president for four consecutive terms since high school. I heard that you¡¯re running for themunity council seat this year. Will you sell your official position as a student official in the future?¡±

    The principal¡¯s eyes widened in shock, and he panted like a broken wind box. ¡°This is nder! This is vicious nder! Miss Payne, you don¡¯t have to threaten me with this. I...¡±

    ¡°Whether it¡¯s nder or threat, what you think is your business. This is just a small lesson, dear Mr. Principal. If you still want to sit firmly in your current position, you¡¯d better pick up what little conscience you have left and do good things for the students.

    ¡°Also, don¡¯t provoke me.¡±

    After saying that, I didn¡¯t care what this old man had to say and left.

 Chapter 97

    97 Rule Awareness

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    It would look so cool to m the door and leave, wouldn¡¯t it?

    But not everyone thought so, at least not in my parents¡¯ eyes.

    ¡°That¡¯s a bit of a joke.¡± My father frowned and said sternly, ¡°Going against the principal? She even threatened him? Baby, this is not what a good student should do.¡±

    My mother¡¯s eyes told me she didn¡¯t agree with my actions.

    I wrung my fingers and retorted softly, ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t have contradicted my teacher, but does that old man look like a principal at all? He became the protective umbre of the bullies, allowing them to bully ordinary students as they pleased, just because the bullies brought honor to the school and added to his resume. With all due respect, such a person is not qualified to sit in the school office. The prison is his best ce!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s still not a reason for you to do this.¡± My father rubbed his brows tiredly. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t like him, why don¡¯t you use a gentler and more subtle way? When you want to do something, it¡¯s best not to leave any evidence. My dear daughter, your principal has already submitted a protest letter to the pce. What do you want me to do? Cover for you? Are you going to be punished?¡±

    His words shocked me. A subtler way? Not leaving any evidence?

    This didn¡¯t sound that righteous!

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that, child!¡± My father said slyly, ¡°A 100% good person can¡¯t control such a big andplicated country. The rules are for those who follow the rules. For those who don¡¯t follow the rules, we should have a way to deal with them outside the rules.¡±

    It was as if I had only just discovered another side of my father today, a side that was very different from his great, majestic, and benevolent image of a king. Just like the shadow under the sun, it was ipatible with the sunlight, but it was also an indispensable part of the world.

    ¡°To be honest, this is a little beyond my expectations.¡± I mumbled, ¡°I thought I¡¯d be lectured when I got home.¡±

    My mother hugged me gently and pinched my face. She smiled and said, ¡°Of course, don¡¯t think you can escape the punishment!¡±

    ¡°But Father, you¡¯re going to teach me the best way to deal with those who don¡¯t follow the rules, right?¡± I pounced into her arms and acted coquettishly. ¡°Forget about the family punishment. I¡¯d rather hear the way to do it.¡±

    My mother held me and fell onto the sofa. Iy in her arms and stared at my father with bright eyes.

    My fatherughed and said, ¡°What a strange girl! Alright, Selma. Listen up. The most effective way to deal with those who don¡¯t follow the rules is to be even morewless than them.

    ¡°Why do these people have the confidence not to follow the rules? They either think they have the confidence and ability to challenge the rules, or they think that they are the ones who made the rules so that they can y with the rules in their hands.¡±

    I raised my hand high like a curious primary school student and said eagerly, ¡°So, Mr. Principal is the kind of person who thinks he¡¯s the one who made the rules, so he doesn¡¯t follow them?¡±

    ¡°I think so.¡± My father smiled. ¡°As a principal in charge of so many teachers and students, it¡¯s not difficult to understand why he would have such an arrogant thought. It¡¯s also very easy to deal with this kind of person. As long as we let reality tell him who the real owner of the rules is, it¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s you! The great Lycan King, the absolute leader of the werewolves, the agent of Moon Goddess in the human world. No one has more power than you to control the rules!¡±

    My father rubbed my head and scolded me with a smile, ¡°You glib-tongued cheeky brat. I¡¯m going to check your social circle and see who led you astray!¡±

    I pulled my father to the sofa and squeezed myself between my parents ¡°Warm arms,¡± I said happily. ¡°I don¡¯t have a glib tongue. This is my respect for you from the bottom of my heart!¡±

    My mother pinched my nose and said sweetly, ¡°What a smart little mouth! Look at your father; he¡¯s being praised so much that he can¡¯t even find the north anymore!¡±

    My father tried to regain his dignity, but his smiling eyes betrayed him mercilessly.

    ¡°I¡¯m very happy my daughter has such a high opinion of me, but unfortunately, even I can¡¯t control the rules.¡± He shook his head and said seriously, ¡°One or a few people do not make the rules. From the moment they are born into the world, they are destined to restrain everyone. Therefore, everyone will have them.

    ¡°In other words, everyone is the owner of the rules. We use rules to restrict ourselves and the actions of others, to protect our and the rights of others.

    ¡°Some people are used to being in a high position and think they can restrain the rules in their palms, using rules to hurt others. This is simply too arrogant.

    ¡°When they are hurting others without restraint, isn¡¯t he someone with a higher status than him? On the other hand, a person¡¯s identity will change. Economically, politically, emotionally, and in terms of value, no one can always be established in an undefeatable ce.

    ¡°Just like your principal, he can use the power granted to him by the rules to do whatever he wants. You can also use the higher power granted to you by the rules to punish him.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why rules aren¡¯t the root of everything. Only the human heart can cause such waves.¡±

 Chapter 98

    98 Grounded

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The views on the rules and the knowledge of the King were a bit profound. But, to be honest, I didn¡¯t really understand it.

    Perhaps my confused expression was too obvious, but my father consoled me patiently. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t understand now, child. You¡¯re still young and have a long way to go. Time will teach you everything.¡±

    Iy between my parents, staring straight ahead as I silently digested what I had just heard.

    In fact, the moment I walked out of the school gate, I regretted it a little. Of course, it was cool to punish evil and promote good and every student¡¯s dream to teach an unscrupulous principal a lesson, but that didn¡¯t stop it from being out of line, right?

    The looks of adoration from my ssmates were cool, but, Moon Goddess! It made me look like a rebellious junior high school student!

    Moreover, as a princess, although not many people knew that I should be an idol of respecting my teachers, I was still a princess.

    In addition, this principal didn¡¯t have any good qualities that deserved my respect.

    I was tangled up in these two thoughts.

    My father¡¯s words gave me a new idea.

    ¡°So, as leaders, we don¡¯t have to be too rigid with the so-called rules, right? ¡°I suddenly asked. ¡°Sometimes, we should use the rules as a weapon to fight back and protect our people?¡±

    My father pondered for a moment and said, ¡°No, child. No matter what, we should follow the rules. Once you think you have the power not to do so, you will be punished by the rules, just like your principal.

    ¡°But at the same time, we don¡¯t have to follow the rules. Everything changes constantly. You must use your wisdom, listen to other people¡¯s opinions, and learn how to use the superposition or cancetion of rules to achieve a good goal.¡±

    With a smile, he winked and said, ¡°We can also create a new rule.¡±

    ¡°But didn¡¯t you say that one or a few people can¡¯t create the rules?¡±

    ¡°Of course, my child.¡± My father nodded. ¡°But you don¡¯t have to write down the rules to create them. It¡¯s enough to recognize them from the bottom of your heart. Acknowledgment is the source of thew¡¯s ¡®inexhaustible vitality¡¯.

    I nodded thoughtfully, feeling that I had benefited a lot.

    At this moment, I was extremely d that I was the child of my parents. They didn¡¯t indiscriminately chastize because of the principal¡¯sint. Instead, they kindly taught me some wise principles.

    ¡°I love you, Father, Mother.¡± I gently kissed them on the cheek. ¡°It¡¯s such a blessing to be your daughter.¡±

    ¡°Oh, my baby.¡± My mother hugged me tightly while my father hugged the two of us. We enjoyed this quiet and warm moment together.

    After a long while, my mother suddenly stood up and said, ¡°But don¡¯t even think about escaping punishment.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± My father kissed my mother¡¯s forehead and said to me seriously, ¡°Although there¡¯s a reason for this, you still have to be punished for your behavior of going against your teacher. This is the power of rules, do you understand?¡±

    I wailed as I had no choice but to ept the next week¡¯s miserable grounding.

    Since the school had entered the ceremony preparation week, all the official sses had ended. For the week, my after-ss activities and training with Aldrich were canceled. My life was only filled with boring activities like ¡®go to school, go home, and copy scriptures in my grounding, then back to school the next day¡¯.

    Why hadn¡¯t the student union expelled me for talking back to the principal? This way, I could openly stroll around the school!

    During the lunch break, Iy weakly on the dining table, feeling as if my spine had been bent by life.

    ¡°This is reasonable revenge within the rules! That cunning old man!¡± I grumbled softly, ¡°The number of documents I have to deal with has increased five times! Five times! I don¡¯t even have time to drink water right now. Those overwhelming venue applications and reimbursement bills are simply drowning me!¡±

    Mara chewed on the vegetable curry rice in satisfaction andforted me. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink, my dear. Do you know how many clubs are fighting for the venue and funds? If you ask me, they¡¯ll be considered restrained if their workload is five times more. With the royal family¡¯s reimbursement, they can¡¯t wait to include the rubber residue in the reimbursement list.¡±

    That was right. The royal family would pay the bill for the Sivir Academy¡¯s graduation ceremony aspensation for ¡®Miss Selma¡¯s unfortunate little argument with the esteemed school¡¯s principal¡¯. I would be even happier if thispensation weren¡¯t deducted from my pocket money.

    Dorothy was the only one in the school who knew about this. However, she could only give me a bitter smile, telling me that her move to the pce was a secret.

    By the way, since Ryan had been stripped of his presidency status in the drama club. I thought my ruckus in the cafeteria had some positive effects. At the very least, it had removed Ryan¡¯s paper tiger mask.

    A few girls, who were usually bullied by Ryan and his small group, joined forces toin about him. The principal might have wanted to cover it up, but the royal family was closely watching his movements because of me, so he could only do what he had to do and kick Ryan out of the drama club.

    What a happy ending, right?

 Chapter 99

    99 Tuxedo

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Thank god my grounding was lifted on the day of the ceremony.

    Although it wasn¡¯t a full week, my father said he would pardon me today. As for whether I would make up for the remaining day, it depended on my performance.

    I was so excited that I didn¡¯t sleep much the entire night. I got up at three in the morning and dressed up with Dorothy, who had also not slept the entire night.

    Maybe it was because of the fight in the cafeteria, but the students didn¡¯t dare toe near us, so no one invited us to the ceremony.

    And we didn¡¯t want to bring a trembling quail for the opening dance, so we did it internally andthe whole nightcide who our dance partners would be, Dorothy and I, Mara and Avril.

    ¡°I¡¯m about to fall in love with the Queen,¡± Dorothy said, leaning toward the mirror. ¡°Her dressing room is the paradise that every girl in the world dream of.¡±

    ¡°Hey! Be careful that the guards will capture you for coveting the great Queen.¡± I squeezed in front of the mirror with her and said with a smile, ¡°However, your outfit is really amazing. I feel you will swim in love letters for the next three years.¡±

    Dorothy wore a white strapless fishtail dress with a gorgeous smoky-gray fur coat. Her hair wasbed into a ssic bun with a mini diamond crown in the shape of a shooting star. She looked like the incarnation of the goddess of fate in the human world.

    ¡°If I were a gentleman, I would definitely do everything I can to beg you to be my dance partner for tonight.¡± I pretended to bend down and reach out my hand. ¡°Please take pity on me, beautifuldy.¡±

    Dorothyughed and pushed me.

    ¡°It¡¯s my first time wearing this,¡± she said, suddenly flinching. ¡°It¡¯s my first time attending a dance. Isn¡¯t it a little too shy?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry at all,¡± I consoled her. ¡°Do you think we¡¯re all dressed up? Don¡¯t say that I look down on myself. It¡¯s just that we¡¯re not the stars of tonight¡¯s event. Those who have graduated, no matter which department they are from, will be dressed in a way you can¡¯t imagine. To them, we¡¯re at most a stalk of green bristlegrass in a flower basket.¡±

    ¡°Although I¡¯m not nervous anymore,¡± Dorothy said. ¡°Yourfort is really... down-to-earth.¡±

    The stylist came to give us the finishing touches and covered me with long overalls to prevent the makeup from dirtying my embroidered dress.

    ¡°I must say, although it¡¯s my first time seeing real ck opals, they are indeed worthy of you.¡± Dorothy keptplimenting my jewelry. ¡°Especially this pendant, Moon Goddess. I can see the magnificent universe in it.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± I smiled sweetly.

    This was the graduation ceremony. Although I wasn¡¯t graduating, it was a pity I couldn¡¯t dance with my lover and make him feel a little more involved!

    I especially wore a deep v-cut dress to match the pendant Aldrich gave me and found a set of less conspicuous ck opal earrings toplement the pendant¡¯s beauty.

    Aldrich found it a little funny when he found out about it. He gentlyughed at me for being a little girl who liked to show off her candy.

    I didn¡¯t want to listen to what he had to say. Was it wrong to want a boyfriend by my side?

    I only wanted to show off? Humph!

    Mara took our invitation and smiled. ¡°Ladies, the chauffeur is ready. Shall we leave now?¡±

    It was only six o¡¯clock, and the ball would only start at five in the afternoon.

    However, the Sivir Academy had a tradition of holding a grand ¡®servant ceremony¡¯ on the day of the graduation ceremony tomemorate the legendary servants who served the Moon Goddess.

    Otherwise, why would the clubspete so fiercely for the venue? Everyone wanted to find a ce with good energy to prepare for recruitment and sponsorship next year.

    Dorothy and I took two different cars. She had to pretend to take a taxi from the suburbs, so she arrived muchter than me.

    Avril and Mara were already waiting for me at the gate when I arrived at the school. Today, they were wearing light pink gowns of the same color. The difference was: Mara¡¯s long dress trailed the ground and was full of light and color, while Avril wore a rather handsome woman¡¯s tuxedo.

    ¡°To be honest, I¡¯ll trip and fall into a dog¡¯s shit if I danced in that gorgeous dress,¡± she said indifferently. ¡°Why should I let myself suffer because of other people¡¯s opinions? I¡¯m going to wear a tuxedo. This is thetest design from the fashion street. I used up half a year¡¯s worth of my pocket money for it.¡±

    Mara pretended to roll her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m very happy you can be yourself again, but I won¡¯t let you freeload on my snacks next semester, ever.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not up to you, my dear,¡± said Avril proudly. ¡°I know you can¡¯t bear to. ¡±

    When Dorothy arrived, everyone showered her with another round ofpliments. When it was time, we went into the school hand in hand.

    With the support of the rich and overbearing royal family, the academy had very bluntly set up a gorgeous colored canopy for the venue of each club. This effectively blocked the early summer breeze and dust so that thedies and gentlemen¡¯s hair and dresses were not dirty.

 Chapter 100

    100 A Secret Affair

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Everyone put on their school uniforms at the same time. First, they feared their outfit would get dirty, and second, they wanted to maintain a sense of mystery.

    Dorothy had no choice but to lock the fur shawl in the storage cab. Unfortunately, the school¡¯s insurance probably could not cover the cost of her dress which was worth two hundred times more than it.

    ¡°If I had known, I would have brought the dress to school and changed into it before the dance.¡± Marained, ¡°It¡¯s too long. It looks good during dances, but it¡¯s hard to walk in. ¡±

    Many other girls had the same idea as her, but they still put on their ¡®battle robes¡¯ as if nothing had happened.

    How many times in a year do you have the chance to wear a gown? Even if I were strangled to death, I¡¯d hold on until the end of the dance!

    This was what many people were thinking.

    Of course, quite a few students didn¡¯t care and chose to wear the light school uniform. Their swift-like lithe figures made others envious. Thus, I said with uncertainty, ¡°Why don¡¯t we change into our school uniforms first? We can change into our gowns before the dance. Otherwise, it¡¯ll be too ufortable.¡±

    Dorothy could not stand it and agreed, ¡®The price of beauty is too great! We¡¯re not the ones graduating, so let¡¯s leave the stage for them topete. I miss my t shoes so much right now.¡±

    Avril did not care. In her tuxedo, she had no qualms.

    So we headed to the stadium¡¯s locker room.

    Sure enough, the ce was packed with people, and many girls were waiting to change out of their torture devices.

    Mara suggested we go to the drama club¡¯s room. The second floor was not open to the public, so we could change clothes in the props warehouse.

    Due to the previous conflict, the once glorious drama club was no longer as glorious as it used to be. After Ryan stepped down, the drama club had no choice but to elect a temporary president to manage all the affairs. Guess who that person was?

    That was right. It was Carolyn.

    ¡°It¡¯s only been half a year,¡± Mara¡¯s exaggerated expression showed how dissatisfied she was. ¡°A neer who has only joined the club for half a year and has no achievements. She only wears her costume and is a decoration in the rest area every day. How can such a person be the president?¡±

    ¡°The acting president,¡± I reminded her softly.

    Mara was even more dissatisfied and thought aloud, ¡°She¡¯s the acting president? Do you know what the first thing she did after taking office was? Kicking out all the actors who had formed ys and re-selecting them. Moreover, she was on the candidate list for the female lead of every y. Isn¡¯t it obvious? She likes to be in the limelight so much, she shouldn¡¯t be an actress. Instead, she should be a projector; she¡¯ll have the stage all to herself. How cool would that be?¡±

    ¡°You liked Carolyn a lot when she first came,¡± said Avril, trying to provoke her.

    ¡°That was then, and now is now.¡± Mare rolled her eyes. ¡°Who would refuse an angel who has fallen into the mortal world? Unless she has a heart that is theplete opposite of her appearance, no one in the drama club doesn¡¯t hate her. Even those boys who were so fascinated by her before would roll their eyes at the mention of her now.¡±

    ¡°So how did she be the acting president?¡± I asked in confusion.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t born with a great father.¡± Mara shrugged and opened the door of the prop warehouse with the key. ¡°If my father was a duke, I could do whatever I wanted to. ¡±

    I told myself that the real Carolyn wasn¡¯t such a person and that the southern Duke wasn¡¯t a stupid father.

    Dorothy gave me a look, and we sighed helplessly together.

    I¡¯d never felt sofortable in my school uniform before. The dress with stars embroidered in the silver thread was indeed beautiful, but I felt like I was a piece of ham wrapped in it, and I didn¡¯t dare to move.

    After changing our clothes, we were about to leave when we suddenly heard some movement in the corridor. I gestured for the girls to keep quiet and peeked through the door crack.

    It was Carolyn and Ryan.

    What were they doing here?

    I quickly found out they were kissing each other impatiently, not caring that they were in public.

    The girls looked at each other in shock.

    ¡°Drama!¡± Mara mouthed.

    We were done for. We couldn¡¯t leave now, and we couldn¡¯t stay either. So we stood in ce at a loss and prayed that we wouldn¡¯t be blinded by whatever wasing next.

    At this moment, Carolyn spoke.

    ¡°Go slow, baby. We still have a lot of time,¡± she moaned coquettishly. ¡°Can you satisfy me? Oh, good doggy, I know you¡¯re mighty... ¡±

    Ryan was like a real dog, licking Carolyn¡¯s tender neck like ice cream. Then, he mumbled, ¡°I will satisfy you, Carolyn. I will...¡±

    For a moment, I was burning with anger. How dare that despicable witch use Carolyn¡¯s identity to do such a thing!

    But it was obvious that someone was even angrier than me.

    Before we could even react, Avril kicked open the door to the storage room and strode out like a proud mingo, mocking the dumbfounded couple by the curtains.

    ¡°Good day, Mr. Genius, Miss Duke.

    ¡°Are you guys rehearsing? Oh, this is really a good show, but it¡¯s a pity that it¡¯s a little R-rated. Otherwise, we could¡¯ve put it on stage, right?¡±

    Moon Goddess, she was really cool at this moment.

 Chapter 101

    101 An Old Friend

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I bet Ryan¡¯s mouth was so wide open that a light bulb could be stuffed in.

    He hurriedly tidied up his messy shirt and pulled the unconcerned Carolyn behind him. He then angrily questioned, ¡°Why are you guys here? The warehouse is important, and unauthorized people are not allowed in.¡±

    ¡°Unauthorized people? Who? Oh, I¡¯m so sorry,¡± said Avril sarcastically. ¡°It turns out that the great genius writer has been fired. You¡¯re used to swaggering into the drama club. Now you¡¯re sneaking in like a mouse. Must be a different experience, huh?¡±

    ¡°You!¡± Ryan looked extremely agitated. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that we had the advantage in numbers, he would have punched Avril, who was mocking him.

    Carolyn had an expression of anticipation for a good show, not caring about her little lover, who was stuck to her like glue just a moment ago.

    To prevent Ryan and Avril from really fighting, I interjected, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to disturb you, gentlemen anddies. But we should indeed follow the rules of public ces, right? Even if you think there¡¯s no one here.¡±

    Carolyn snorted strangely, and Ryan immediately roared at us like a dog eager to beplimented by its master.

    However, no one cared about this bald peacock. We only wanted to leave this troublesome ce immediately.

    Just as we were about to leave, Carolyn called out to me, ¡°Miss Selma, I heard from my father that you were the one who proposed to invite me to the float parade, right? I¡¯m really grateful.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re too kind,¡± I returned the greeting with a smile.

    What was going on? To not alert the enemy and to lower their guard, didn¡¯t they agree to invite Carolyn onto the float as a special guest right before the float parade?

    Why would the southern Duke leak this information to Carolyn in advance? Could it be that Carolyn had some intelligence-gathering method we didn¡¯t know of?

    However, the werewolf grandmasters did not detect anything strange about the southern Duke, and Dorothy¡¯s anti-surveince spell did not detect anything unusual either.

    Perhaps, to protect hismander, the southern Duke had no choice but to reveal some truth under Carolyn¡¯s interrogation as a smokescreen.

    I was shocked, but I forced myself not to reveal any abnormalities.

    We left the second floor of the opera.

    ¡°A float parade?¡±

    Avril and Mara looked at me in disbelief, their expressions saying, ¡°You betrayed the organization.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that, girls,¡± I exined. ¡°It¡¯s a form of etiquette. She¡¯s a noble, so am I. Her father is a duke, and my temporary guardians are the Lycan King and Queen. This means that we have tomunicate on behalf of our respective elders. So even if we don¡¯t want to talk to each other, we must do it. This is boring aristocratic etiquette.¡±

    Avril and Mara reluctantly epted my exnation. ¡°Alright, so what¡¯s shown in historical dramas is all true? It doesn¡¯t sound like the life of a noble is that free.¡±

    The boxing club had an outdoor friendly match, so Avril and Mara went to join in the fun. Dorothy and I used the excuse of going to the toilet to hide in the student council office to discuss some matters.

    Unlike the busy preparation week, the student council office, which had been relieved of its burden overnight, was now deserted and empty. Everyone had gone to enjoy to their heart¡¯s content. It was a good ce for ¡®conspiracies¡¯.

    I called my parents to confirm the southern Duke¡¯s safety and asked them to ask about Carolyn.

    Just as I expected, the southern Duke was forced to reveal a small part of today¡¯s n under Carolyn¡¯s interrogation.

    She had already begun to doubt the southern Duke. Although she couldn¡¯t find anything strange about him, she had cast another kind of golden circle curse on him. If the southern Duke dared to reveal his conversation with Carolyn to anyone, Carolyn would immediately know about it. Both the southern Duke and the real Carolyn would be in danger then.

    For today¡¯s n to go smoothly, the werewolf grandmasters had temporarily set up a deceptive magic circle that could iste the spell link for the southern Duke. Only then was the southern duke able tomunicate with us freely.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t the southern Dukee to the pce for help?¡± I asked, puzzled. He didn¡¯t have to say anything. As long as the werewolf grandmaster checked, he¡¯d find something wrong.¡±

    My father¡¯s helpless voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°I think so too, Selma, but the situation this time is very special.

    ¡°Aldrich told you about the pure white witch who died for Lennon, right?

    ¡°The spell on Lennon was modified from some kind of pure white spell. However, it has been almost ten years since a pure white witch appeared among the sorcerers.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I eximed, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, we really can¡¯t help the southern Duke. ¡±

    A pure white spell was a very special kind of sorcery that only pure white witches could learn. It was said that it was caused by the special powerposition in their bodies.

 Chapter 102

    102 Be Proud Of Yourself

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    No matter how powerful the werewolf grandmaster was, he could not do anything to a pure white spell, even if it was a spell constructed with it as a blueprint.

    This also meant that the witch who could use this kind of witchcraft was either a pure white witch who had kept her identity a secret for many years or had the blood of a pure white witch.

    The southern Duke had an unforgettable rtionship with a pure white witch...

    ¡°That¡¯s a good move,¡± I said. However, I felt that I had underestimated Carolyn. ¡°Should we change our n?¡±

    The original n was for the werewolf grandmaster to pretend to be a school employee and set up a magic circle to seal the witch in the school. This way, no one would know, and the students would not be in danger.

    It wasn¡¯t that my parents didn¡¯t care about the students¡¯ safety, but time was of the essence. Once the summer break started, Carolyn and the southern Duke would have to return to the Southern Pack. By then, it would be impossible to capture her.

    However, Carolyn was suspected of having the blood of a pure white witch, so the magic circle that sealed the witch was probably not very effective on her. The core of the magic circle was a strand of hair left behind many years ago, belonging to the pure white witch who died for the southern Duke. It was an eternal rule that no one of the same kind would be killed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious, Selma. The n remains the same. Since Carolyn is already suspicious, we can¡¯t panic and give her a chance to escape. The werewolf grandmasters have changed the structure of the magic circle at thest minute. Now, please pass the phone to Dorothy. Some missions must bepleted by her.¡±

    Dorothy and I had been using the same headphones. She immediately said, ¡°I¡¯m listening, Your Majesty. Please speak.¡±

    ¡°Child, I hope you can try your best to use your prophetic ability the moment the magic circle takes effect,¡± my father said. ¡°But you don¡¯t have to observe the future. You just have to think about the present, concentrate on thinking about the present, and insert your thoughts into Carolyn¡¯s mind. It won¡¯t take long, just one second.

    ¡°It¡¯s very dangerous to interfere with a witch¡¯s thoughts. So you need something to pretend to be one of her kind to deceive her self-defense mechanism, such as a few strands of pure white witch¡¯s hair.

    ¡°Sir Aldrich will send you these crucial props. In ten minutes, he will be waiting for you at the entrance of the Sivir Academy.¡±

    Dorothy epted the mission but said hesitantly, ¡°I still can¡¯t control my power well. I¡¯ve tried my best to practice, but it will take more time... What if I fail?¡±

    My father chuckled and said kindly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, child. You¡¯re not fighting alone. Don¡¯t forget that Selma, the werewolf grandmasters, and I are all supporting you.

    ¡°Believe in yourself. Do you remember what the werewolf master said about you? A once-in-a-century genius. Pure white witches might be rare, but the sorcery geniuses of the werewolves were even more precious, right? This is a gift from the Moon Goddess and the goddess of fate. With their blessing, you will be better than everyone else.¡±

    Dorothy visibly rxed, but she still asked hesitantly, ¡°But what if ... What if I really fail?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you fail,¡± my father said softly. ¡°At least you tried your best. No one can me a hero who tried to protect the people. Dorothy, no matter what, you should be proud of yourself.¡±

    Dorothy was silent for a moment, then nodded and said, ¡°I will work hard!¡±

    My father hung up the phone after giving a few instructions.

    Dorothy and I quickly ran to the school gate, where Aldrich was already waiting.

    ¡°Good morning, Selma, Dorothy.¡± He bowed like a gentleman and handed me the ss bottle in his hand. ¡°Her Majesty said you forgot something and asked me to run an errand for her.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said and took it reservedly as I saw a few strands of silk-like white hair in the bottle.

    Aldrich did not stay for long. He still had to hide it in front of others, be it his rtionship with me or the fact that he knew Dorothy.

    We silently exchanged a sweet look. I tried my best not to stare at Aldrich¡¯s back as he walked further away. Instead, I pulled Dorothy along and ran away as if nothing had happened.

    Dorothy weaved the three strands of hair into her bun on the way. Thanks to the hair gel the stylist sprayed on her; they blended perfectly into Dorothy¡¯s thick, ck hair.

    The open-air boxing arena was filled with cheers. Excited students were loudly encouraging the yers they supported. asionally, some smart people wanted to fish in troubled waters and set up underground bets, even though the teachers would eventually catch them.

    Mara¡¯s face turned red as she waved at Dorothy and me, shouting, ¡°Where did you guys go? I didn¡¯t know that the school had turned the female toilet into a maze.¡±

    I lied with a poker face. ¡°We met other clubs performing on the way. So we watched them for a while.¡±

    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t spent three hours getting my hair done this morning, I would¡¯ve yed a few rounds, too,¡± said Avril with regret.

 Chapter 103

    103 Triangle

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    As he said, the battle¡¯s oue had already been decided.

    The red-haired boy who won the match cheered excitedly as he walked around the stage, met with even more enthusiastic apuse from the audience.

    ¡°Hey! Avril!¡± he jumped off the boxing ring and ran toward Avril. ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful today.¡±

    ¡°Oh, thank you, Perrin!¡± Avril was a little ttered. ¡°That was great. The president will be happy that he has a sessor.¡±

    The boy, Perrin, rubbed his hair shyly.

    The girls and I looked at each other. It was Avril¡¯s admirer! Then, just as the campus idol drama was about to begin, the antagonist appeared.

    ¡°Hello, Perrin.¡±

    Carolyn suddenly appeared from the crowd, walking over with her head held high like a proud swan.

    Ryan followed behind her like a duckling with an Oedipusplex. Dorothy had already confirmed that there were no traces of witchcraft on Ryan. It was hard to imagine what kind of mood he had when he went to be a bootlicker.

    Of course, Perrin knew the influential people in the school. So he asked uneasily, ¡°Hello, Carolyn. Is there anything I can help you with? I mean, we don¡¯t know each other very well.¡±

    ¡°Of course, this is our first time meeting.¡± Carolyn smiled pretentiously. ¡°Do you mind if I call you by your name? I heard Avril calling you that. After all, we haven¡¯t introduced ourselves.¡±

    Perrin looked extremely embarrassed. Anyone would understand that it was the worst situation to be hit on in front of the girl he liked.

    ¡°It seems like you don¡¯t mind,¡± said Carolyn, minding her business. ¡°This means that we¡¯re friends, right?¡±

    Perrin could only smile like a gentleman.

    Not only was Avril furious, but even I was angry. What was wrong with this witch? She must have been a hen in her past life who wouldy her eggs in anger when she saw other hens approaching her rooster!

    ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re looking for a dance partner?¡± Of course, no one would have thought that Carolyn would suddenly invite Perrin, ¡°I am not like those girls who are reserved and overly conservative. So, are you willing to ept my invitation?¡±

    Perrin wasn¡¯t the one who had the most intense reaction to this; Ryan looked like he had been betrayed.

    ¡°This is not fair!¡± he roared, and the veins on his neck bulged. ¡°Your partner should be me. You promised that if I satisfied you, you would hold my hand and do the opening dance tonight. You promised to let me be your partner!¡±

    Carolyn seemed unaware of what was happening as her eyes widened in shock. She timidly retorted, ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. I¡¯m sure I didn¡¯t say that. But, Ryan, I think my reluctance to refuse seems to have caused you to misunderstand, so you have an illusion and think it was real.

    ¡°We¡¯re good friends, but we can still dance with others, right? You¡¯re a very good boy, and I believe that many girls in the school would want to be asked by you. So why don¡¯t you go to the ceremony?

    ¡°I think many girls have no choice but to attend the ceremony alone tonight. So go and be an understanding gentleman and solve thedies¡¯ troubles.¡±

    Ryan looked like a dog that had been drenched in the rain. He was both embarrassed and angry. His whole body was trembling, and his eyes were red. He seemed to want to say something, but in the end, he didn¡¯t dare to vent it on Carolyn. Instead, he could only angrily push through the crowd and run away.

    The girls and I were dumbfounded as we witnessed everything.

    ¡°Wow.¡± Mara asked, ¡°Is there an invisible camera hidden on the tree? Why are they acting like they are in a third-rate romance drama in front of everyone? The female lead is also a basic b*tch with a low status. Ha, the ratings of this drama must be very poor.¡±

    Sometimes, I couldn¡¯t understand Carolyn¡¯s self-confidence. Why would she be so sure that her clumsy tricks would be able to fool everyone?

    I thought it was because she didn¡¯t care. Anyway, she was using someone else¡¯s identity and would throw it away after using it. She wouldn¡¯t be the one affected in the future, so she could do whatever she wanted.

    Carolyn didn¡¯t even look at Ryan, who had left angrily. Instead, she asked Perrin again, ¡°Will you ept my invitation?¡±

    Without a doubt, Perrin didn¡¯t want to. If he were an ordinary young man, he would be excited to ept the invitation of the campus¡¯ most famous girl. Unfortunately, his heart already belonged to someone else.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t want to.¡± Unexpectedly, Avril rejected on Perrin¡¯s behalf. She held Perrin¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Because he already has a dance partner, and that¡¯s me. One arm can¡¯t hold two pairs of hands, right, Miss Duke?¡±

    Perrin looked at Avril with surprise and joy. Then, he straightened his back and refused, ¡°Yes, thank you for your kind intentions, Carolyn, but I already have a dance partner, and that is Avril.¡±

    The surrounding crowd burst into loud boos, and the young boys and girls whispered excitedly.

    It was aplicated love triangle. I could already imagine what everyone would gossip about during the summer break.

    Being rejected in front of everyone, Carolyn could not hold back her pride and stiffly said, ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s a pity.¡±

    Then, she red at Avril and walked away in her ten-centimeter high heels.

 Chapter 104

    104 The Float Parade

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    After she left, the crowd dispersed and gathered around the boxing ring again to cheer for the fighters.

    Avril let go of Perrin and said shyly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You know that there are some grudges between Carolyn and me. So... I¡¯m really sorry. I was too impulsive and shouldn¡¯t have done that. Thank you for giving me a way out.¡±

    Perrin grabbed her hand and whispered, ¡°No, I¡¯m serious about what I said just now. I don¡¯t have a dance partner yet, because... Because I wanted to ask you. Avril, do you really want to dance the opening dance with me?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Avril stuttered in panic, ¡°I... I... oh, I don¡¯t know how to say it, but... Yes, I will, Perrin. I will be your dance partner.¡±

    We cheered for them.

    After the cheers, Mara said bitterly, ¡°It seems like someone has forgotten something.¡±

    ¡°Oh! I¡¯m sorry, Mara. I forgot about you... ¡± said Avril, looking at her apologetically.

    Mara waved her hand generously, indicating that there was no problem. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯m a tolerant friend, after all. But, do you want to change into a gown with me? There is no other meaning. It is just that it is really funny for two people in tuxedos to hug and dance together. You know how gossipy the students are. If you do that, you will have to change your sex next semester and be gay with Perrin.¡±

    In the end, Avril insisted on wearing her favorite pink tuxedo, which was worth half a year¡¯s pocket money. Perrin didn¡¯t mind that. Even if Avril wore a gunny sack, he would still praise her for her modern taste.

    In short, after an eventful morning, the float parade officially began at 11:30 in thete morning.

    As Sivir Academy had four segments, including primary school, middle school, high school, and university, it covered a veryrge area. The float parade would take about an hour to make a full round.

    To prevent the secret from being leaked, the werewolf grandmasters had to rece the school workers. The long parade gave them more time to prepare.

    Before the float set off, Carolyn boarded the first vehicle in ¡®surprise¡¯ as if she knew nothing about it. She smiled and waved at the pedestrians like a queen who had just ascended the throne.

    Very good, the first node was sessfully opened.

    Carolyn had to follow the structure of the magic circle and walk through the nodes for the magic circle to take effect. This was the only alternative after we could not obtain her body tissue.

    The parade was halfway through smoothly. Then, just as they passed the opera hall, a man suddenly rushed out of the crowd. He held a basin of dirty water and sshed it at the first carriage.

    It was Ryan. The next second, he was subdued by the students who rushed forward.

    ¡°Go to hell, you promiscuous b*tch!¡±

    He was pinned to the ground, but he was still cursing agitatedly.

    ¡°You lied to me! You¡¯ve deceived everyone!¡±

    When I saw him rush out, I knew things were bad. However, the distance between us made it impossible for me to organize my thoughts.

    This idiot was more than capable of ruining things!

    I wanted to curse out loud without care.

    That was just a basin of ordinary sewage water. Carolyn¡¯s dress had been dirtied. With her personality, she definitely wouldn¡¯t walk through the streets in such an embarrassing state. Instead, she would go and change her clothes.

    The magic circle¡¯s nodes had already been set up and couldn¡¯t be changed at will. So if Carolyn left now, the n wouldpletely fail.

    Just as I was anxiously thinking of a n, Carolyn made an unexpected move.

    She waved her hand, and the stains on her dress disappeared without a trace like a frost under the sun.

    How could she dare to use sorcery in front of so many people? Was she not afraid of being exposed?

    As if she had heard my thoughts, Carolyn exined to the people concerned about her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can clean up this little stain. Did I say that I have a little bit of talent in magic? As you know, my father has fought against many witches and wizards. He feared the enemy would retaliate against me in the future, so he let me learn witchcraft. I admire my father¡¯s wisdom in seizing the initiative and suppressing the enemy.¡±

    No one doubted her words.

    Indeed, who would have thought that the war hero¡¯s daughter in front of him was a witch in disguise?

    No one paid attention to this little interlude. Soon, the parade of festooned vehicles gradually went away.

    Dorothy nodded slightly at me, indicating that the previous pause did not affect the effects of the magic formation.

    Fortunately, the following demonstrations went smoothly until the end of the trip: at the central square.

    The students gathered in the square, and even the tree branches became special seats. Even the academy director was willing to turn a blind eye on such a happy day.

    Carolyn, disguised as a servant, was invited to get off the car by an actor from the drama club and came to the center of the square.

    Fresh flowers surrounded a flower terrace. It was the stage for the parade¡¯sst dance and the magic circle¡¯s final node.

    As I watched Carolyn walk up the steps, my heart beat faster.

    Just as she was about to step onto the stage, Carolyn stopped, turned around, andughed out loud.

    ¡°No way! Do you think I can¡¯t see anything?¡±

    In that instant, my pupils suddenly contracted.

    She had discovered it!

 Chapter 105

    105 The Battle Begins

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The reveling crowd gradually calmed down. They looked at each other, not understanding what had happened.

    ¡°She found out,¡± Dorothy said calmly in my ear. ¡°I saw magic waves overflowing from her body. She¡¯s trying to contact the southern Duke!¡±

    This was bad, if she found out that ourmunication had been cut off, she might very well use the real Carolyn to threaten us!

    I couldn¡¯t let this go on. I gently nodded at the werewolf grandmaster, who was disguised as a coachman. The other party understood and took out a small signal re from his pocket.

    Pop!

    Thick green smoke instantly dyed the sky green. Then, the crowd shouted, ¡°Everyone, begin the emergency evacuation! Listen to the guidance of the warrior beside you and leave the school immediately!¡±

    The warriors hidden in the crowd took off their disguises and arranged for the panicking students to escape in an orderly manner.

    At this time, the witch also noticed the abnormality of the southern Duke and shouted angrily and mockingly, ¡°Alright! It seemed that the game is over. Do you think that you can stop me with just a few pieces of trash who only have brute force? Hahaha! Let¡¯s start the next round of revelry!¡±

    She quickly chanted an incantation, and then the trees around the square suddenly came to life. Their branches expanded and rudely blocked the students¡¯ retreat. They also tried to hurt them with their leaves which were as sharp as des!

    I jumped up to stop a warrior who was sent flying by the rattan. Dorothy cast a spell behind me as if she was fighting with the witch for control of the tree demons in the west.

    The witch looked at her in surprise and said, ¡°Oh, a little werewolf with a talent for witchcraft, darling. Do you have any secrets you don¡¯t want others to know?¡±

    The huge difference in experience caused Dorothy to lose in the end. She was unable to take control of the tree demon and instead fell to the ground from the bacsh.

    ¡°Dorothy!¡± I rushed up to hug her, and the flying leaves cut my cheeks and arms.

    Dorothy held her head and consoled me in pain, ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ll go save my ssmates first!¡±

    At this moment, the ground suddenly shook, andplex mottled patterns lit up on the ground. It was the weakening array that the werewolf grandmasters had arranged in advance.

    After a long chant, it finally activated.

    However, judging from the witch¡¯s disdain to interrupt the werewolf grandmasters¡¯ chanting, this magic circle did not seem to have any effect on her.

    ¡°Wow.¡± The witch slowly walked down from the flower terrace and pointed at the lines on the ground with the tip of her foot. ¡°I missed it. More than twenty years ago, you used it to capture many witches and wizards on the battlefield, right? Speaking of which, he¡¯s really an old friend of mine.¡±

    ¡°Stop resisting, witch, ¡± I said coldly. ¡°You can¡¯t escape. Today, you¡¯ll pay for your stupidity and arrogance.¡±

    The witchughed wildly and said, ¡°The price? Oh, you little wolf cub that hasn¡¯t even seen the world, tell your guardian to say this to me. It¡¯s still too early for you to be harsh on me.¡±

    She raised her hand and waved it, and the tree demons¡¯ attacks immediately became more violent.

    As expected, the weakening spell did not work on her. There was only one record of her escaping from this spell, and that was the pure white witch.

    I gritted my teeth, feeling indignant.

    Due to the uniqueness of the power of pure white witches, they could not use any malicious or offensive spells in their lives. Perhaps topensate for their weakness, god gave them another special talent: in front of the pure white witches, all offensive spells that were notunched by them would be ineffective or weakened to the maximum.

    However, the witch in front of us was likely to be a mixed-blood, which means that our sorcery was useless against her, but she could use any sorcery freely. This undoubtedly put us at a great disadvantage.

    Seeing that the formation was not working, the werewolf grandmasters no longer did useless things. They turned to fight against the tree demons and fought for their control with the witch.

    The power of so many werewolf grandmasters was not something Dorothy couldpare to. The witch felt even more pressured, and her face darkened in anger.

    ¡°You¡¯re really stubborn,¡± she said viciously. ¡°A bunch of heretics who steal other people¡¯s power. Now, I¡¯ll show you who the real master of sorcery is!¡±

    The movements of the tree demons slowed down as if the witch had rxed her control over them. However, the flowers and nts on thewn suddenly grew wildly. They grew taller, longer, andrger, transforming into pustules that sprayed thick water and stinky smell, and sharp teeth that glinted coldly.

    The werewolf grandmasters struggled to fight against the mutated nts, and I led the warriors to save the students and teachers who were taken away by the nts.

    Gradually, more and more soldiers were injured. Even I was cut in the thigh by a daisy that had turned into a man-eating flower.

    The disparity in strength was gradually putting us at a disadvantage. If this continued, we wouldn¡¯t be able to hold on!

 Chapter 106

    106 An Intense Battle

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°Roar!¡±

    An angry roar came from outside the wall made of mutant nts. A few secondster, the dense vegetation was torn open, and a steady stream of werewolves poured in through the opening.

    The leader was Aldrich, his front and back legs had been transformed into a wolf, which allowed him to maintain the nimbleness of a human and also gain the strength of a wolf.

    ¡°Aldrich, over here!¡±

    I waved at him as I dodged the vines.

    Aldrich madly ran toward me and pushed aside a green foxtail grass that was as thick as three of me, ruthlessly tearing it apart.

    I knew it was a critical moment but Moon Goddess! He was so handsome!

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± he checked me nervously. I¡¯m sorry I¡¯mte. The mutated nts in the school are a bit hard to deal with. It took me a lot of effort to get in with the soldiers.¡±

    I panted heavily and shook my head. ¡°You¡¯ll never be toote. It¡¯s not the time to talk about this. I need you to lead the soldiers and escort the students and faculty out of the school as soon as possible. It¡¯s too dangerous for them to stay here. They can be hostages at any time.¡±

    Aldrich did not hesitate to nod, shouting like an excellent leader, leading the brave soldiers to save the people.

    With the support of foreign aid, the battle situation was quickly reversed. As the witch¡¯s face grew gloomier and gloomier, the mutated nts were defeated.

    ¡°It seems that we¡¯ve underestimated you,¡± she said coldly. ¡°Now, let me show you my real ability. Let¡¯s see what other surprises you can bring me!¡±

    She removed her disguise as Carolyn and revealed her true self.

    She had snow-white hair, and snow-white skin, and even her pupils were so pale that they were almost colorless gray. Other than her blood-red lips, she looked like an old, tattered photo that had been printed out of ink.

    In all fairness, she was very beautiful, but her incantations were not as kind as her appearance. After a series of incantations that I couldn¡¯t understand, the mutated nts suddenly stopped moving, then rapidly withered and turned into dust.

    Green light spots flew out of the remains of the nt. They gathered together, expanded, and entangled, finally condensing into a huge cocoon.

    ¡°It¡¯s a light cocoon!¡± I heard a warrior exim.

    Looking at the light cocoon that was about to break out of its shell, I was stunned for a moment.

    A bad premonition welled up in my heart.

    The cocoon of light was too familiar to everyone present. Even if no one had seen it, we had all seen photos of it in history books.

    The legendary wizard Fitch¡¯s ultimate skill was to use the light cocoons condensed by living creatures to give birth to powerful monsters. This kind of evil sorcery at the cost of life was very powerful. He had once used this to cause thousands of casualties on the battlefield.

    ¡°This is not good... ¡± I mumbled. I immediately turned to Dorothy and said, ¡°The n has been brought forward. We can¡¯t let the witch hatch the light cocoon. We must seal her before that. Are you sure you can interfere with her?¡±

    Dorothy¡¯s expression was ugly, and it seemed like her head was still hurting. However, she still nodded firmly. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best!¡±

    ¡°Alright!¡±

    At this critical moment, I must give my partner 100% trust.

    I ran to the nearest werewolf grandmaster and asked, ¡°Can we start the sealing formation now?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s possible,¡± the werewolf grandmaster replied solemnly. ¡°But thest node hasn¡¯t been opened. I¡¯m not sure if the sealing circle will workpletely.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure that she stays in the center of the node the moment the seal is activated,¡± I said. ¡°Now, please gather yourpanions and activate the formation!¡±

    Immediately after, I shouted at Aldrich, ¡°Let¡¯s not worry about this cocoon of light for now. Let¡¯s take this opportunity to send the students and teachers away!¡±

    Aldrich nodded and ordered some of the soldiers to transform into their wolf forms and bring the injured to retreat immediately.

    He wanted to stay and help me, but I refused. ¡°I have something for you to do. Go back to the pce immediately and inform my father that this witch not only has the blood of a pure white witch but may even be rted to the legendary wizard Fitch. the signal here is blocked by a spell, and I can¡¯t contact the pce.¡±

    Knowing that this was a serious matter, even if Aldrich was worried about me, he could only take the mission and leave immediately.

    The witch catalyzed the cocoon of light unhurriedly. Her power was much weaker than Fitch¡¯s, and she could not hatch the cocoon of light instantly.

    ¡°Have you gone to get reinforcements?¡± she said unhurriedly, ¡°Go and get the adults to stand up for you, little brats. it was not like twenty years ago. the heroes are past their prime. Would they still retain the high-spirited power of their youth? Hehehe, I¡¯m really looking forward to it!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be happy too soon, witch,¡± I said viciously. ¡°I¡¯ve said it before, you¡¯ll pay for your arrogance!¡±

 Chapter 107

    107 The Capture

    Dorothy¡¯s POV:

    The werewolf grandmasters were already prepared. The pack leader shot Selma a look that said, ¡°We can start now.¡± Selma immediately shouted at me, ¡°Now! Dorothy, go!¡±

    I immediately focused my attention and began to mobilize the invisible power hidden in the air.

    I closed my eyes, but I could see that the world was covered with transparent lines. These lines were messy, some entangled into a dead knot, and some connected to the sky and earth. I had to try my best to find their source and see which one was entangled with the despicable witch.

    This was something that required a lot of energy. I tried to be as fast as possible, but I couldn¡¯t finish it instantly. I felt a gust of cold wind before me. In the next second, someone blocked my way and whined.

    I believed the witch had attacked me, and Selma was fighting her to protect me.

    I couldn¡¯t help but be even more anxious. Every second felt as long as a year. I tried my best to search for her, but the goddess of fate didn¡¯t seem willing to show me any mercy, so I was still confused.

    Suddenly, I saw an abnormal line that made it dark, twisted, and full of messy dead knots. It didn¡¯t look like it should exist in this world, but it was poorly created by someone imitating the trajectory of the goddess of fate, bing a life full of sins.

    It was wrapped around the witch¡¯s wrist, which was as pale as snow.

    I found it! This was it!

    I opened my eyes and tried my best not to let the mysterious feeling of prying into fate slip away, looking for the opportunity to control the witches.

    This witch was not like the other witches; shecked physical skills. On the contrary, even thebat teacher would be amazed by her punches and kicks, not to mention the silver dagger she was wielding. This caused Selma to be significantly suppressed, and she could barely match the enemy¡¯s strength.

    The witchughed wildly and said, ¡°Come on! Let¡¯s go a little more! Let¡¯s see what¡¯s so great about a noble werewolf! Is that all you¡¯ve got? How disappointing!¡±

    She suddenly attacked me. Selma stood in front of me, but her left leg was cut. The silver prevented her from healing herself, and blood immediately gushed out.

    Selma almost kneeled on the ground. I pulled her behind me and suddenly met the witch¡¯s crazed eyes.

    ¡°Go to hell!¡± I shouted angrily, ¡°Go kiss the soles of your satan master¡¯s shoes. Don¡¯te to the werewolf¡¯s territory to cause trouble!¡±

    I tried my best to disrupt the witch¡¯s mind, and her self-healing mechanism instantly sounded an rm, but when she detected the three white hairs in my bun, she stopped.

    Even the witch was stunned for a moment, ¡°This is- ¡±

    I didn¡¯t give her a chance to react and sessfully pulled her into the vision of fate. Not everyone had the right to talk about fate, not even if it was unraveling right now.

    The unqualified witch was punished by fate. She screamed shrilly, and blood seeped out of her eyes. I was unsure if the pain would speed up her escape from my restraint, so I quickly said to Selma, ¡°I can¡¯t hold on for long. Hurry up!¡±

    Selma dragged her injured leg and got up. She picked up the witch with almost all her strength and threw her onto the flower terrace.

    The moment the witch fell on the flower terrace, she broke free from my control. The pain of my spirit being torn apart made me unable to support my body. I fell heavily to the ground and felt a burst of moisture in my seven orifices. Arge amount of blood gushed out like a flood!

    A sharp ringing in my ears made me feel like I had already lost all five senses. The pain was still there, but it also felt like it had been stripped away from my body.

    It was as if someone had picked me up and was shouting something. I could only see a blurry red shadow in the blood and tears, but I couldn¡¯t hear a word.

    Heavy fatigue hit me. I opened my mouth, wanting to say something, but I could not control my muscles.

    I didn¡¯t know when, but my vision turned ck, and I fainted.

    When I woke again, I was lying in the middle of a field full of wolves. A healer with a white cloth wrapped around his arm was taking care of me.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake? Wait a moment. I¡¯ll get miss Selma here.¡± When he saw that I had woken up, he ran away.

    I felt that my face was a little tight. I touched it and found that my eyes were wrapped in cloth.

    Wait, wrapped in cloth?

    How was seeing things?

    Looking at the high-definition world in front of me, I was a little confused.

    No, this wasn¡¯t the time to think about this!

    My rationality returned, and I thought nervously, ¡®What¡¯s the situation now? Has the witch been sessfully sealed?¡¯

    I saw Selma talking to the werewolf grandmasters in the distance. After learning from the medical warriors that I had woken up, she immediately ran over to me.

    ¡°How do you feel?¡± She carefully helped me sit up. ¡°The medical warriors and the werewolf master have examined you. You are temporarily blind and have a slight concussion. Fortunately, there are no permanent disabilities or fatal injuries.¡±

    ¡± I think it¡¯s okay.¡± I retched. ¡°I just feel like puking.¡±

    ¡°This is caused by the concussion,¡± Selma said. ¡°I¡¯ll have someone send you back to the pce immediately. Tracy is on standby.¡±

    I grabbed her hand and said, ¡°Wait! Where is the witch? Has she been sealed?¡±

    Selma nodded and said in relief, ¡°She¡¯s already under our control. Don¡¯t worry. The werewolf grandmasters and the warriors will look after her.¡±

    I was relieved to hear that. My eyes rolled back, and I fainted again.

 Chapter 108

    108 After The Storm

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    After sending the unconscious Dorothy to the ambnce, I returned to the flower terrace.

    The insufferably arrogant witch was now tied up like a deer waiting to be ughtered. The rope used to tie her up was not an ordinary rope. It was covered with a special confinement spell, a product of a legendary witch in the past, to ensure that the prisoner could not escape even if he had wings.

    At this moment, she finally revealed a trace of panic.

    ¡°Don¡¯t even think that you can catch me so easily.¡± She was bluffing.

    I was not in a mood to listen to her nonsense, so I put my hand over her mouth and disdainfully said, ¡°Save it, witch. If you have the energy to do useless things, why don¡¯t you think about how to get through the next interrogation?!¡±

    After saying that, I ignored her struggles and waved my hand, ordering the warrior and the werewolf grandmasters to push her onto the prison cart.

    Although the operation had ended sessfully, the ceremony was utterly ruined. The ground was full of nt remains and building debris, not to mention a light cocoon floating in the air.

    Without the witch¡¯s catalysis, this thing could not hatch again, so there was nothing to be afraid of. The only problem was that it would take some effort to disperse the power contained in it slowly. Once it was broken by force, it would immediately turn into a bomb and raze the entire campus.

    ¡°Perhaps it would be better just to demolish the campus and rebuild it.¡± Looking at the broken walls, I mumbled helplessly, ¡°This is great. Forget about the graduation ceremony, I might not even be able to start school on time for the next semester.¡±

    Needless to say, the government must pay the cost of repairing the school. However, scraping off the dangerous buildings everywhere was not easy. There might be many buildings that need to be demolished and rebuilt.

    The soldiers were protecting the students who had yet to recover from the shock in the safe zone. The military had already informed their parents on behalf of the school toe and pick them up.

    I bet this was their life¡¯s most unforgettable graduation ceremony, especially today¡¯s main characters, those graduates. After all, no one would have thought that on their graduation day, they would be able to witness a battle between werewolf grandmasters and a sorcerer in addition to taking beautiful selfies with their ssmates.

    I saw Mara and Avril snuggling up to each other with a nket over their bodies, and Perrin was protecting them.

    ¡°Selma!¡±

    When they saw me, they quickly ran over.

    Mara nervously asked, ¡°How are you? Are you hurt? God, I can¡¯t believe you stayed in the chaos. Do you know how dangerous that was?¡±

    On the other hand, Avril asked thoughtfully, ¡°Or did you know what you¡¯re going to be distracted about today? I mean, those warriors and the werewolf grandmasters seemed very obedient to you.¡±

    This was a secret, and I couldn¡¯t reveal too much to them. I only said that the people present were willing to listen to mymand because of my noble identity.

    Fortunately, they did not continue to interrogate.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Dorothy?¡± They asked, ¡°She stayed behind too. Moon Goddess, you guys must be hiding something from us!¡±

    ¡°Dorothy is injured.¡± I exined, ¡°She¡¯s been sent to the hospital. Girls, don¡¯t be worried. I guarantee that she¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    Mara looked at me worriedly and said, ¡°Okay, we won¡¯t ask. But you must know that Avril and I are worried about you and Dorothy. We are friends. If you have any problems, we are always willing to help. Okay?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s really fine.¡± Her honesty touched me, but I still couldn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Okay, I have to go deal with some things. You can wait for your parents toe.¡±

    I turned to Perrin, ¡°Please take care of them, Mr. Gentleman.¡±

    Perrin rubbed his nose shyly for my teasing and promised, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, mydy.¡±

    The army maintained the order of the safe zone. Since I was not needed here, I immediately returned to the pce.

    As soon as I entered, my mother embraced me tightly.

    ¡°Oh, Selma, thank God you¡¯re alright! You have no idea how worried I was, Moon Goddess! Thank you for your protection!¡± she sobbed.

    I patted my mother¡¯s back tofort her, indicating I was fine.

    However, my mother still saw the unhealed wound hidden under the cloak of my school uniform. She covered her mouth and cried out, ¡°Heavens!¡±

    My father, who cameter, hugged my mother tightly andforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t be sad, my dear. Wounds are proof of courage. It means our daughter has grown into a brave and powerful warrior, right?¡±

    My mother buried herself in my father¡¯s arms and sobbed uncontrobly. ¡°Of course, I understand, but... Oh my goodness!¡±

    My father consoled my mother and winked at me helplessly.

    Kara stood up and softly said, ¡°Your Majesties, Tracy is ready. Would you like to let her Highness receive treatment first?¡±

    My mother immediately stopped crying and hurriedly pushed me to the medical room for examination.

 Chapter 109

    109 Turbulent Undercurrent

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Tracy carefully examined me. Fortunately, I only suffered some superficial wounds that looked scary. There were no major problems.

    My mother quickly gave Kara a list of items. From their soft and fragrant names, I would probably have to soak in a bottle of health care products for the next three months.

    After treating my wound, I went to the town hall.

    My father, my mother, the southern Duke, and Duke Frank were all there. There were also some unfamiliar faces standing to the side. Judging from their dark blue robes, they were from the Council of Elders.

    The witch was firmly bound to a pir engraved with spells. The werewolf grandmaster wrapped her with manyyers of binding spells like wrapping ham to ensure she could not escape.

    I noticed that the southern Duke¡¯s eyes seemed shocked and sad. Duke Frank also looked at the witch in disbelief and whispered something to the southern Duke.

    The town hall was quiet. People stood together as if they didn¡¯t want tomunicate at all. There were only one or two vague whispers asionally.

    ¡°Miss Selma has arrived!¡±

    The attendant¡¯s loud voice broke the cold atmosphere. The moment I stepped into the government hall, I could feel that the elders were looking at me. Some were kind, some were indifferent, and of course, there was nock of malicious scrutiny.

    ¡°Selma,e here quickly, my niece.¡± My father waved at me.

    The attendant had brought me a small stool next to my parents¡¯ thrones, so my current standing position was: my father, my mother, me, Duke Frank, the southern Duke, and the elders.

    Clearly, the ¡®out of line¡¯ treatment I enjoyed had caused some people to be extremely dissatisfied.

    A bald old man stood out and sized me up very meanly. He said to my father, ¡°With all due respect, Your Majesty, we cannot go against the hierarchy. No matter how much you and her Majesty dote on Miss Selma, we should not break the rules for a little girl on such a formal asion.¡±

    His old face was like a rotten orange, and his eye bags were like rotten peels, revealing a pair of turbid eyes full of contempt.

    What was wrong with this person? Was this the time to talk about such details? Moreover, a witch was tied up on the ground, waiting to see him make a fool of himself. How could an elder of the Council of Elders have such political literacy?

    I knew that some people in the Council of Elders had always found my father an eyesore and spared no effort to create trouble for my father. However, the intelligence of certain people, such as the person in front of me, still shocked me.

    Did he feel a sense of aplishment in embarrassing my father in front of all the ministers? How could he act so naturally as if no witch who wanted to harm the werewolf tribe was waiting for trial? Had the long-term pampered life in a high position caused him to lose the quality of an assistant, other than being tyrannical at home?

    I was speechless at this ¡®smart¡¯ elder, but I didn¡¯t want to talk to him. After all, there was more important business to attend to.

    My father thought the same but tried to smooth things over. ¡°Selma was injured in this great battle. An injured hero always has the honor of being taken care of, right?¡±

    Everyone in the town hall wanted to turn this matter over, except for one person quickly.

    The bald old man retorted, ¡°Even though this is reasonable, we can¡¯t just ignore the principles andws, right? A person¡¯s status is given to her by Moon Goddess when she is born. She should ept it joyfully, not squander her privileges because of the ruler¡¯s love.

    ¡°I also respect heroes wounded to protect the people, but heroes must also listen to Moon Goddess¡¯ will and not overstep their position.

    ¡°Forgive me for being blunt, but many war heroes are ten thousand times more glorious than Miss Selma. If Miss Selma can simply bypass the two Dukes and sit beside His Majesty, can those war heroes do the same? If Miss Selma can stand in the town hall, then we will need to discuss state affairs with every war hero in the future?¡±

    This was simply unreasonable!

    I looked at the old man in disbelief. I wanted to pry open his head and see the structure inside.

    If the elders were like this, it was all thanks to my father¡¯s wisdom that the werewolves were still alive.

    Perhaps they felt that theirpanion was embarrassing himself, and the other elders could not stand it anymore.

    ¡°Stop it, Eric. It¡¯s not the time to care about these details.¡± An old man with long curly hair and a big beard stopped him. ¡°This is the town hall, not a market. Don¡¯t jabber on like a calctive peddler about a few cents. There¡¯s still a witch waiting to be interrogated here. Do you want the other ns tough at you?¡±

    The bald old man, Eric, sneered, ¡°Don¡¯t act like a good person, Lucius. Did you get into the Council of Elders by sucking up? Sooner orter, the wolf n will be defeated by someone like you who tters us!¡±

    Eric and Lucius were obviously from different factions, and this caused a conflict between the two factions. The elders started attacking each other.

    Seeing that an even bigger war of words was about to happen, my father shouted, ¡°Silence!¡±

    The king was unquestionable. No matter how upset they were, the elders could only shut their mouths and try to kill their political enemies with their eyes.

 Chapter 110

    110 Overpampering

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°I think Elder Lucius is right, Elder Eric.¡± My father stared at the bald old man expressionlessly. ¡°With the enemy in front of us, we should focus on our priority, right?¡±

    I thought most people would understand by now to go along with the flow, right?

    But that old man Eric didn¡¯t!

    Eric was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. He protested loudly with a red face, ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as a trifle in a state¡¯s affairs, Your Majesty! Even though it¡¯s just a simple seat, it represents the dignity of the royal family and the nobles!

    ¡°Of course, I know that interrogating the witch is more important, but she can¡¯t escape now, can she? We can give this pitiful invader some time to think about how she can repay us for sparing her life.

    ¡°However, the matter regarding Miss Selma cannot be dyed.¡± He suddenly turned to my mother, and everyone present could hear the disdain in his tone. ¡°Forgive me for being rude, Your Majesty. Although Miss Selma is your rtive, she doesn¡¯t even have a noble title. She can only be considered a noble¡¯s daughter, right?

    ¡°You are a benevolent and moral Queen. I respect you deeply, but your excessive pampering of Miss Selma is clearly not in line with the status of a Queen! I solemnly request that you do not bring such a bad atmosphere into the pce so as not to interfere with the fairness of the great Lycan King!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re really impudent!¡± I jumped up from the stool and red at the boastful old man. ¡°How dare you? Who do you think you are? How dare you criticize the great Queen!¡±

    How dare he insult my mother? This damned politician was too arrogant!

    My mother was obviously quite angry at my offensive usation, but she still tried her best to calm down. She pulled me back and said, ¡°Alright, Selma, don¡¯t be angry. Don¡¯t lose yourdylike demeanor. We all know that Elder Eric¡¯s words are a little inappropriate, but I believe he will immediately calm down and give us a reasonable exnation.¡±

    My father stared coldly at the old man who stood in the middle of the town hall like a victorious rooster. I had never seen him so angry before. He couldn¡¯t even maintain his kind and upright expression. His dark eyes seemed to be about to spew fire, burning the bald old man who dared to offend his wife and daughter.

    ¡°I think you¡¯re a little too agitated today, Eric.¡± He didn¡¯t even address him properly with his title of an elder anymore. ¡°You¡¯re so agitated that you¡¯ve lost your mind andmitted such a great crime of disrespecting the Queen.¡±

    ¡°Am I wrong?¡± Eric mored. ¡°Your Majesty, you shouldn¡¯t lose the justice of a king just because you favor a junior! Your Majesty, good advice is harsh to the ears!¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± My father shouted and waved for the guards. ¡°Please take Eric away, guards. He¡¯s seriously ill and should go home to rest.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s suitable for you to participate in the activities of the Council of Elders for the time being. Please rest at home until you¡¯ve recovered. The pack will not mistreat those who work hard for it, nor will it force its sick subjects to serve him!¡±

    Eric struggled in disbelief. He ignored the guards¡¯ dragging and shouted at the top of his lungs, ¡°This is not fair! Lycan King! You don¡¯t have the right to dismiss an elder. Only the brothers and sisters of the Council of Elders can decide whether I stay or leave. You are overstepping your authority!¡±

    My father waved at the guards to take Eric away as if he were a fly, not caring about Eric¡¯s disrespectful words.

    Just like that, the high-spirited Eric a few minutes ago was removed, and the one who made the decision was my father, the king.

    Those who opposed him were hidden among the elders, their faces covered with hoods and hair, not daring to plead for their dismissed colleague.

    These people who thought they controlled the rules were nothing in the face of absolute power.

    My father seemed to have just remembered a group of elders was standing beside him, quieter than chickens. He returned to his usual rxed expression and asked in a clear voice, ¡°I think all the elders have no objection, right?¡±

    Who would dare to say no? Everyone feared they would be the next ones to be removed from the hall.

    ¡°Alright then. I hope Eric can recover as soon as possible and continue serving the country,¡± my father said regretfully, but he didn¡¯t even bother to put on a regretful expression.

    Big beard Lucius stood up on behalf of his colleagues and continued as if nothing had happened, ¡°In fact, we have suggested that Eric go home to recuperate, but he is a workaholic, and he can¡¯t let go of his sense of responsibility for the country.

    ¡°Please forgive his rudeness, Your Majesties,¡± he said after a pause. ¡°People can¡¯t control themselves when they¡¯re too tired.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I hope Eric can recover soon.¡± My mother nodded.

 Chapter 111

    111 The Girl At The Mouth Of The Volcano

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    This was the first time I directly faced friction between the ruler and his subjects. My father was a powerful king. Without a doubt, in this confrontation, he easily dealt with the rebellious subjects who dared to offend their superiors.

    I couldn¡¯t help but think, what if I was my father? If I were to encounter such troublemakers in my rule in the future, how would I deal with them?

    I imagined I¡¯d be so angry that I¡¯d explode and give him a good scolding. Then, I¡¯d ask the guards to release this garbage into human society.

    Clearly,pared to my father, my thoughts were still too childish and too impulsive.

    Why would he lose his demeanor if he could resolve this without shedding a drop of blood?

    I thought of my father¡¯s teachings, ¡°The respect the subjects have for the monarch is not a singleponent. Other than the monarch¡¯s true inner self, they are more easily confused by your external mask.¡±

    If one were impulsive, irritable, and lost one¡¯s mind because of a small matter, then that group of shrewd old sly people would easily see that the person was a stupid idiot. They would try their best to perfunctory you and treat that person¡¯s will as a child¡¯s y. They would either obey on the surface or disobey it on the inside or take the opportunity to gain benefits for themselves.

    Only when one became a ¡®mysterious person¡¯ who didn¡¯t like to show his face would they guess and explore. In the end, they would retreat because they couldn¡¯t find the real person, and obediently stay where they should be.

    After dealing with the troublemaker, the people were finally willing to interrogate the witches who had been watching the show for a long time.

    ¡°That¡¯s really eye-opening,¡± the witch said sarcastically. ¡°I thought I was watching a movie. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s an adaptation of ¡®Macbeth¡¯, right?¡±

    ¡°Be honest!¡± The guard who was guarding the witch punched her in the abdomen.

    The witch retched in pain, thenughed madly. ¡°The royal pce of the royal family of the werewolves doesn¡¯t even have an interrogation room? The y and the interrogation are held in the town hall, haha! You¡¯re indeed an uncivilized hairy animal, rough and barbaric!¡±

    ¡°No need to argue,¡± my father said lightly. ¡°Since we¡¯ve brought you to the town hall, I think you should understand that we have no intention of torturing you. As you said, that would be too barbaric.¡±

    The witch¡¯s face darkened in anger, and she shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t try to be soft! I won¡¯t say anything. I might as well say I just wanted to have fun. I also wanted to experience what kind of fairy-like life a nobledy is living! In the end, hah, it was nothing more than this.¡±

    The southern Duke couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer. He strode forward and grabbed the witch¡¯s cor in anger, roaring, ¡°Where did you hide Carolyn? Hurry up and tell me!¡±

    ¡°Oh, are you talking about that stupid little girl?¡± The witch replied contemptuously, ¡°Let me think, where did I hide her? I remember now! I left her at the mouth of Hellfire Volcano!¡±

    She smiled exaggeratedly, her eyes revealing a bone-chilling madness. She said excitedly, ¡°But I didn¡¯t leave anything for her. There was no water, no food, only a tattered scarecrow dragging his rotten legs to guard her.

    ¡°Would your daughter beg a scarecrow? Could it understand her words? How would it take care of her? Getva for her to drink? Pick up sulfur for her to eat? Hahaha!¡±

    Suddenly, as if she had lost all interest, she lowered her head expressionlessly and said stiffly, ¡°But maybe none of this happened because maybe after I left, a gust of wind blew, and the scarecrow fell into theva and turned to dust!

    ¡°Oh, poor girl. How scared must she be when she¡¯s alone? The hot steam will roast her, and the sharp gravel will torture her. She¡¯ll die of thirst in less than three days on a moonless night!

    ¡°The lizards and scorpions will tear her body apart and suck her bone marrow dry when the sun rises the next day, hah! All that¡¯ll be left is a pile of bones, waiting for the vultures to y with them!¡±

    The southern Duke¡¯s eyes were bloodshot. He could not help but reveal his sharp wolf ws and ruthlessly attacked the witch.

    ¡°You vicious devil! I guarantee you¡¯ll wish you were dead if anything happens to my daughter!¡±

    The guards came forward to stop him, but he pushed them away. The dissuasion of the elders was of no use. At the critical moment, Duke Frank grabbed his hand tightly and growled at him, ¡°Calm down, Lennon! Now is not the time to settle the score. Hellfire Volcano¡¯s range is toorge. You must wait for her to tell you the specific location, right?¡±

    The southern Duke was panting heavily. I could even hear the uncontroble sobs in his breath.

    ¡°Calm down, Lennon,¡± My father said, ¡°I¡¯ll immediately send people to Hellfire Volcano to find Carolyn. I¡¯ve already informed the various witch ns about this witch. Once we find out where she came from, I promise I¡¯ll make them pay a huge price for Carolyn¡¯s misfortune.¡±

    In the end, the southern Duke put away his sharp wolf ws and spat on the witch before turning back to my father.

 Chapter 112

    112 Who Is The Mastermind?

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    After calming down the agitated southern Duke, my father said to the witch, ¡°Now, please take the initiative to exin everything.¡±

    The witch asked with a sneer, ¡°Exin what? As I said, I only wanted to experience the life of a nobledy on a whim.¡±

    ¡°If you still have this attitude, I think I¡¯ll have to get someone to use some rough methods.¡± My father said solemnly, ¡°Judging from what you said just now, you seem very familiar with the war decades ago. I think you should know what methods the werewolves use to interrogate their enemies on the battlefield. We don¡¯t care if it¡¯s barbaric or not, as long as it¡¯s useful.¡±

    Realizing that my father was not joking, the witch finally panicked and shouted with a pale face, ¡°You can¡¯t do this! If you dare toy a finger on me, my lord... Master will not let you off! Are you trying to start a second war between the werewolves and witches?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not the one who started this war,¡± said my father. ¡°You¡¯re a witch who doesn¡¯t want to reveal your name. It¡¯s reasonable for me to fight back. Even satan can¡¯t argue with the Moon Goddess.¡±

    Finally, the witch unwillingly gave in and said resentfully, ¡°My name is Adele, and I¡¯m a wandering witch, so you don¡¯t have to waste your effort to find my n. I¡¯ve long left that ce.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± My father declined toment. ¡°Please continue, Adele. Tell me, who ordered you to attack the werewolves?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve said that everything is my own will.¡± Adele shouted impatiently, ¡°No one told me to do it. I just don¡¯t like the werewolves and want to stir trouble. Can¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°Be honest, witch,¡± Duke Frank threatened. ¡°Or do you want to taste the werewolves¡¯ abilities? When I was young, I personally interrogated many tough guys, and none of them could maintain their loyalty to satan. Do you want to try?¡±

    Adele struggled, ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth! What do you want me to do? You¡¯re making up a false instigator to use as an excuse to start a war?¡±

    ¡°Superb acting skills, but that can¡¯t hide the fact that you¡¯re guilty.¡± My father broke through Adele¡¯s line of defense as easily as a master of psychology. ¡°Why do you keep denying the fact that someone instructed you? Is there really no such person? Or, the person ordered you to do something else, and you disobeyed his order and acted on your own, so you¡¯re afraid of being punished?¡±

    Adele trembled and looked at my father in horror as if she was looking at a dinosaur. She didn¡¯t seem to understand how he could hit the nail on the head.

    ¡°... There¡¯s no such thing. You¡¯re making things up.¡± She closed her eyes and shook her head madly. ¡°It was all my n. The kidnapping of that noble girl and attacking the Sivir Academy, I just loved to see you animals in human skin look pained. It makes me extremely happy, hahaha!¡±

    My father shook his head and said with certainty, ¡°Looks like it¡¯s the second situation. You¡¯d rather take all the responsibility and suffer torture than tell us who the mastermind is. It seems that you believe that person can get you, and then you will be tortured a hundred times more painful than torture, right?¡±

    Adele could not speak at all. She trembled uncontrobly like a mad goat, and her pupils dted. She seemed to remember something, then cried in pain, ¡°No! No! I was wrong. It¡¯s all my fault! Please forgive me. Don¡¯t me me, I beg you, Master... Ah!¡±

    She screamed and fainted.

    The guard came forward to check and then said to my father, ¡°Your Majesty, she¡¯s unconscious,¡±

    No one had expected things to go in such an absurd direction. The stubborn witch was so scared by her imagination that she fainted.

    My father had asked the guards to wake her up, but she seemed to have some spell protecting her.

    So, my father asked someone to invite a werewolf grandmaster over. A few minutester, a tall, middle-aged woman with a bandage on her arm walked into the town hall quickly.

    She saluted the people present and then carefully examined the unconscious Adele.

    After a while, she said to my parents, ¡°There¡¯s some kind of self-protection spell in her brain that can be activated automatically when she¡¯s in extreme pain. This spell will lose its effect after some time, and it will hurt her brain if she unleashes it by force.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Mary.¡± My father nodded and motioned for the guards to send Master Mary back to recuperate.

    The main character was unconscious, so the interrogation had to be temporarily put on hold. The elders, who seemed to be of no use, took their leave first. The southern Duke and Duke Frank stayed in the pce, waiting for Adele to wake up so that they could continue the interrogation.

    Following behind my mother, I finally had the time to ask, ¡°Where¡¯s Aldrich? Where did he go?¡±

    ¡°Sir Aldrich has rushed to the field to deal with the light cocoon,¡± my mother replied. ¡°That thing is a ticking bomb. Someone has to supervise it.¡±

 Chapter 113

    113 The Eye Of Insight

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I was going to visit Dorothy.

    She had already woken up from hera. Her body was fine, but her eyes were injured, and she needed to rest for a while.

    This meant that she couldn¡¯t remove the bandage from her eyes in a short period. I was a little worried about how she would move on from here.

    ¡°In fact, I can see.¡± Dorothy said, ¡°Although my eyes are covered with a cloth, I can see everything before me, whether I open or close my eyes. It¡¯s even clearer than before.¡±

    Tracy spected that this was an exceptional witch talent, so we had to ask the werewolf grandmaster for help.

    Master Mary came to do a small test on Dorothy and then said with certainty, ¡°It¡¯s ¡®the Eye of Insight¡¯, an extension of the prophecy ability. This power is very rare, and I¡¯ve only seen it in some ancient books. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible to find a young person with the Eye of Insight even in a ce where witches and wizards live.¡±

    Tracy continued. ¡°I believe Dorothy¡¯s strange eye disease is caused by the continuous consumption of her energy by the Eye of Insight. No wonder medical science could not find the specific cause.¡±

    I asked Master Mary worriedly, ¡°Is there a way to deactivate this power? Dorothy can¡¯t live on like this. It¡¯s too damaging to her body.¡±

    ¡± I¡¯m sorry, girls.¡± Master Mary shook her head regretfully. ¡°There are too few records about the Eye of Insight. Even the library of the past doesn¡¯t have many records of it.¡±

    ¡°I think there are only two ways so far. One is to wait for Dorothy¡¯s Eye of Insight to shut down after it¡¯s exhausted. However, this might cause permanent eye damage and make her unable to activate it again. Or, we have to ask the witches and wizards for help. They must have more ways than us, but they may also refuse us.¡±

    What two ¡®good ideas¡¯!

    Tracy and the werewolf grandmasters wanted to help but were unable to. I held Dorothy¡¯s hand tightly, hoping to give this terrified girl some strength.

    ¡°In these troubled times, I don¡¯t think we can rashly ask for help from the witches and wizards. That would be a form of submission.¡± Dorothy said, ¡°What if they use this kind of thing to threaten the witch in return? What¡¯s her name again? Adele, right. Thank you, Selma. If I cause the werewolves to be at a disadvantage against the enemy, I will never forgive myself.¡±

    ¡°But your eyes can¡¯t just wait,¡± I disagreed. ¡°Now it¡¯s the witches and wizards who are in the wrong. Telling us how to deal with the Eye of Insight is an additional condition. They won¡¯t refuse.¡±

    ¡± No.¡± Dorothy shook her head. ¡°Just because you won¡¯t reject it doesn¡¯t mean you won¡¯t raise the price, right?¡±

    To be honest, I could only try my best tofort Dorothy. If Adele had left the original n as she imed, the sorcerers would probably not admit her as apatriot. No one was willing to pay for the sin of a traitor.

    It was very likely that they would do as Dorothy had said, raise the price on the spot, and force her to return the favor.

    However, we couldn¡¯t just let Dorothy¡¯s eyes go. She was still so young. How could she spend the rest of her life with an eye disorder?

    I quickly tried to find a way to deal with it, but I suddenly recalled that Dorothy¡¯s father, whom I had never met before, was a prophet. This meant that even though he might not have the Eye of Insight, there must be a method to control it within his family!

    I gave Dorothy a look, and she understood what I was thinking. She immediately asked Master Mary and Tracy to leave, iming she wanted to rest.

    After they left, I asked, ¡°Does your father have a way?¡± He¡¯s a prophet. I¡¯m sure he knows what to do with these eyes!¡±

    Dorothy lowered her head in destion and whispered, ¡°My father... Forget it. I¡¯ve never seen him since I was young, and my grandmother doesn¡¯t allow me to contact him. He might have forgotten about me, his daughter, or even my existence.¡±

    ¡°This has nothing to do with other factors.¡± I said, ¡°You¡¯re his daughter, and he¡¯s your father. Taking care of you is his responsibility. He was absent from the first neen years of your life. Is he not even willing to help his sick daughter?¡±

    Dorothy gave me a gentle smile.

    Because of her silent resistance, I lost all my energy and fell beside her. I growled, ¡°Is there no other way?¡±

    ¡°I can look through the books and notes my mother left behind.¡± Dorothy gently caressed my hair. ¡°There are many things that belonged to my father in there. Maybe we can find some clues in there.¡±

    ¡°... This is the only way.¡±

    I felt a little guilty. I had wanted to help Dorothy solve her problem, but in the end, she was the one consoling me instead. She had already flipped through the pile of books countless times. If there were any clues to the Eye of Insight in them, there was no way she wouldn¡¯t remember.

    I walked back to my room gloomily and saw a servant discussing the witch locked up in the dungeon outside the window.

    That was right!

    Adele! How could I have forgotten about her?

    They were both witches anyway. Although she could not predict the future, it was not wrong to ask, right?

    Thinking of this, I immediately ran to find my father.

 Chapter 114

    114 The Inquiry

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    My father was on the phone in the study, so I waited for a while.

    Ten minutester, he put down the phone and asked me, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, baby?¡±

    ¡°I want to discuss Dorothy with you.¡± I was a little apprehensive, not knowing if my father would allow me to ask an important prisoner. ¡°About Dorothy¡¯s Eye of Insight, I want to ask Adele if she has a solution.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± my father said. ¡°Master Mary and Tracy told me about Dorothy¡¯s situation. I¡¯ve already sent someone tomunicate with the witch n. In fact, I don¡¯t suggest you ask Adele, child. We can¡¯t guarantee the truth of her words. If she does something and we can¡¯t detect it immediately, it might harm Dorothy instead.¡±

    I was not willing to give up. ¡°But there¡¯s no time to waste, Father. The Eye of Insight is snatching away the life force in Dorothy¡¯s eyes at every moment. If the witch n drags on and does not give us a reply, Dorothy will probably lose her sight before we find a solution.¡±

    ¡°Let me ask Adele. I promise I won¡¯t listen to her. I can ask a werewolf grandmaster toe with me. They have a lie detector.¡±

    ¡°Lies aren¡¯t necessarily false,¡± my father said helplessly. ¡°Sometimes, the truth can also confuse reality.¡±

    ¡°Please, Father, ¡± I insisted. ¡°This is the fastest way. We have to try. We can¡¯t just watch Dorothy go blind!¡±

    In the end, my father couldn¡¯t resist my stubbornness and agreed. He also sent Master Mary to go with me.

    The pce¡¯s most recent underground prison renovation was over a hundred years ago. There were not many guests here, so it was lifeless, gloomy, and dpidated.

    At present, the only resident here was Adele. Her father was a kind king who didn¡¯t like to torture prisoners, so her living environment was rtively safe.

    Adele had just woken up. When she saw Master Mary and I, she turned her head in disdain and pretended not to see us.

    ¡°Hey, witch. I have something to ask you, ¡± I said coldly.

    Adele did not move as if she was deaf.

    ¡°I¡¯m talking to you,¡± I replied impatiently.

    She still didn¡¯t respond.

    ¡°It seems like you think you¡¯re a tough nut to crack?¡± I sneered and picked up the iron whip hanging on the wall. ¡°I¡¯m not a father. I don¡¯t have the habit of giving preferential treatment to prisoners. Speaking of which, I haven¡¯t really conducted an interrogation before. Perhaps you would like to be my first experimental subject?¡±

    Adele finally turned around and looked at me coldly, still not saying anything.

    Master Mary stepped forward and cast a detection spell on her. As the iron chain was engraved with a sealing spell, Adele could only let us do as we pleased.

    ¡°You have a chance to atone for your crimes, so you don¡¯t have to suffer such a severe punishment,¡± I said.

    Adele finally spoke, ¡°Really? Atoning for one¡¯s crimes with merits? Does it mean that I can suffer less from the iron whip on the execution ground because I wagged my tail and begged for pity, or that I won¡¯t have to be burned to death in the end? You¡¯re so kind that even satan would shed tears of gratitude for your act.¡±

    I gave her a whip and said, ¡°Stop your glib tongue. If you can¡¯t wait, I will let you taste the iron whip right now.¡±

    Adele was silent. If looks could kill, I believed she would be happy to send me on my way.

    ¡°How much do you know about the prophetic witches?¡± I asked directly.

    ¡°Prophetic witches?¡± Adele smiled. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re talking about the little girl who got me arrested. It was a pity that she had forcefully broken through the mental defense of a powerful witch. Was she not crazy? Haha, it looks like she¡¯s very talented. If those old fogeys in the n were to find such a good seedling stranded in the enemy camp, they would feel so regretful that they would send the old, weak, sick, and disabled over to exchange for her.¡±

    ¡°Stop talking nonsense.¡± I frowned in dissatisfaction. ¡°What do you know?¡±

    ¡°I know a lot,¡± Adele said. ¡°About prophetic witches... Many have the ability and talent the others have dreamed of all their lives. Every sorcerer had fantasized about having that blood in their bodies when they were young.¡±

    ¡°So, do you know about the Eye of Insight?¡± I asked.

    Adele¡¯s expression stiffened for a moment. She covered it up very well, but I still caught it.

    ¡°You do know, ¡± I said with certainty. ¡°Tell me everything about it.¡±

    Adele shook her head contemptuously. ¡°No, I don¡¯t know anything. What ¡®Eye of Insight¡¯? Is this some low-level derivative of the wolf-witch hybrid?¡±

    Her clumsy acting wouldn¡¯t fool me. I raised my hand and gave her another whip. ¡°Don¡¯t y any tricks. Since we broke through your spiritual defense line once, we can do it a second time and a third time. Moreover, you¡¯re sealed now, and without a defensive spell, we can¡¯t guarantee that you won¡¯t be affected by the spiritual invasion and be an imbecile.¡±

    ¡°If I¡¯m retarded, you won¡¯t get anything,¡± Adele threatened. ¡°Otherwise, you would have interrogated me this way, right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll say the same thing again,¡± I said nomittally. ¡°You can try and see if I dare to or not. Since you¡¯re not willing to tell me who¡¯s behind this, there¡¯s no point in keeping you alive.¡±

 Chapter 115

    115 A Cursed Blessing

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I stopped talking nonsense with Adele and asked Master Mary to start the spiritual invasion.

    ¡°You can¡¯t do this!¡± Adele finally panicked and started to struggle in fear. ¡°I don¡¯t believe that Lycan King would allow you to invade me! You have no right to do this!¡±

    Of course, I couldn¡¯t really turn Adele into a fool, so I just asked Master Mary to scare her.

    ¡°Then, answer my question,¡± I said. ¡°Otherwise, it won¡¯t be up to you.¡±

    Adele looked at me sternly and gritted her teeth. ¡°You¡¯re scaring me! You wouldn¡¯t dare to do that! If anything were to happen to me, the King would not let you off the hook. I saw it in the town hall. Your subjects and your King do not agree, right?¡±

    I disdainfully looked at this idiot who was trying to sow discord. ¡°So? You can try and see if His Majesty will punish me for you, a despicable captive. As for the Council of Elders, they¡¯re just a bunch of old wolves with their fangs pulled out. In front of a true king, no matter how dissatisfied they are, they wouldn¡¯t dare to show a crying face.¡±

    I motioned for Master Mary to take action. Adele did not dare to bet on my intentions and finally gave in.

    ¡°Alright!¡± she shouted. ¡°Alright! If you win, I¡¯ll tell you, alright? I say! Get this old she-wolf to take her ws away!¡±

    I nodded to get Master Mary to let go of her hand. Then, I waved my hand and gave Adele two moreshes.

    ¡°Watch your mouth. Even if I cut off your tongue, I have a way to keep you talking.¡±

    Adele quieted down unwillingly.

    ¡°Now, ¡± I asked. ¡°Tell me everything you know about the prophetic witches and the Eye of Insight.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know much,¡± Adele said in a low voice. ¡°The prophetic bloodline is too rare,parable to the pure white witches, so I¡¯ve never seen any prophetic sorcerer before. It¡¯s rumored that there¡¯s a prophet wizard living in seclusion at the edge of the elf forest, but very few people have seen him in the past few decades.¡±

    My heart clenched. Could this reclusive sorcerer be Dorothy¡¯s father?

    ¡°Continue,¡± I gestured.

    Adele thought for a moment and said, ¡°There are not many records of prophetic sorcerers in ancient books. Although they are called sorcerers, they don¡¯t believe in satan, and they rarely live with other sorcerers. Thismunity is very closed. Many things are only known among them.

    ¡°Most of what the outside world knows about themes from the Supreme Witch Mullvica, from 300 years ago. She¡¯s a mixed-blood of a prophet witch and a human. To escape the pursuit of the human church, she came to the New World and ended up in a witch n in the Rocky Mountains, leaving behind a little bit of information about the prophetic witch.

    ¡°Mullvica has the Eye of Insight, a powerful ability that can see through the most honest inside of a creature without any effort. No disguise can hide from its observation. It is said that the first witch with the Eye of Insight was the descendant of the goddess of fate¡¯s incarnation in the human world.¡±

    After saying that, she looked at me scornfully and continued, ¡°However, any powerful forcees with a huge price, let alone a mortal body that can withstand the power of a god. Mullvica became a Supreme Witch at a young age, but she passed away before she was forty.

    ¡°Because she couldn¡¯t find a way to control the Eye of Insight all her life, she could only let the cursed blessing absorb her life force. From her eyes to her life, she had no choice but to sacrifice everything to the Eye of Insight until she waspletely swallowed.

    ¡°So, don¡¯t waste your energy, little girl.¡± Adeleughed out loud. ¡°There is no way to control the Eye of Insight. Whoever gets it will have to die!¡±

    I grabbed her by the cor and asked, ¡°You¡¯re lying! You satan¡¯sckey, do you think you have your master¡¯s silver tongue? I know you¡¯re lying to me!¡±

    Adele said indifferently, ¡°Really? Poordy, if I¡¯m lying to you, why didn¡¯t the detection spell alert you? You know very well whether I¡¯m telling the truth, so stop deceiving yourself.¡±

    Why didn¡¯t this damn detection spell make any sound?! Why wasn¡¯t it telling me that the witch was lying?

    This could only mean that Adele wasn¡¯t lying at all. Her understanding of the prophetic sorcerers and the Eye of Insight was true. There was really no way to control the Eye of Insight.

    Master Mary looked over worriedly.

    In the end, I forced myself to calm down and said to Adele coldly, ¡°You¡¯re lucky, witch.¡±

    I didn¡¯t want to show my weak side in front of the enemy, so I dropped the whip and strode out of the dungeon.

 Chapter 116

    116 The Moth And The Light

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    There was no way to control the Eye of Insight!

    I couldn¡¯t help but recall this cruel fact.

    What about Dorothy? Would she also die young like Mullvica?

    Master Mary gently stopped me and encouraged me, ¡°There will always be a way out, Miss Selma. Dorothy will be safe and sound.¡±

    ¡°But even the witches don¡¯t have a way to control the Eye of Insight. If Dorothy... I don¡¯t know how to face her...¡± I said, trembling.

    Back then, I was the one who pulled her into this with great confidence. I shamelessly used the words ¡®hero¡¯ and ¡®glory¡¯ to loop her in and make her give up her quiet life and step into this dangerous whirlpool.

    How could I be so arrogant? Such arrogance!

    Was I strong enough to take on the burden of her life in her ce? That was something that only a god could do, and anyone who dared to overstep their boundaries would suffer the consequences of their actions.

    I was not afraid of punishment, but I was afraid that the people I loved and the ones who loved me would be hurt because of me.

    As I was ming myself, Master Mary said, ¡°It¡¯s not like there¡¯s no solution.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I mean, no matter how powerful Adele is, she¡¯s just an ordinary witch. You¡¯ve heard her say that she doesn¡¯t know anything about the true core of prophetic witches. And the Eye of Insight is the secret of the prophetic witch. Isn¡¯t it normal for Adele, an outsider, to not know anything?¡±

    Her words enlightened me.

    That was right. Adele wasn¡¯t even a prophetic witch. Why did she say there was no solution?

    ¡°Besides, Mullvica is from 300 years ago. There was no way back then, but it doesn¡¯t mean that the prophetic witches have done nothing for the past 300 years, right?¡± she asked rhetorically.

    Master Mary added, ¡°The side effect of the Eye of Insight is fatal. It can easily take away the most powerfulbat power for prophetic witches. The loss of control is a fatal weakness for any race. Prophetic witches are rare, to begin with, and if they don¡¯t find a way to save themselves, they¡¯ll long be killed by those who covet power.

    ¡°I think the reason why Adele said that was to confuse us. For a crazy witch like her, she doesn¡¯t care if she sees the sun tomorrow. ying with her opponent is the greatest joy in life.¡±

    I nodded firmly. ¡°You¡¯re right. I shouldn¡¯t be confused by Adele¡¯s little trick.¡±

    After calming down, I btedly felt ashamed. Losing one¡¯s calm was a great taboo in decision-making. My parents had taught me countless times that one should strike first and not be controlled by others. Once the enemy captured one¡¯s thoughts, then failure was not far away.

    At least I got two clues about the witch n in the Rocky Mountains and the prophetic wizard living in seclusion at the edge of the Elf Forest.

    I had a feeling that thetter was Dorothy¡¯s father, so I immediately went to talk to Dorothy about this.

    Surprisingly, Dorothy was not surprised by this, as if she had known about her father¡¯s whereabouts long ago.

    She took out a photo album and handed it to me.

    ¡°This is a photo my mother left behind. The rest were burned by my grandmother, leaving only this photo album. I¡¯ve been hiding it.¡± She cherished it and said, ¡°Do you know? This is the only photo of my parents and me, but it wasn¡¯t taken. My mother cut out our figures and pasted them together; the background is arge forest.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering where my parents have been living in seclusion. It wouldn¡¯t be a human society, which was the world of the church. It wouldn¡¯t be a witch n, as they didn¡¯t wee foreigners. Later, I found this photo and thought about it. It should be the forest in the background.

    ¡°When you mentioned the Elf Forest, I immediately understood. What ce can be more hidden than the elven settlement? No ce doesn¡¯t wee a friendly prophet, even if he¡¯s an outsider.:

    ¡°So we can try our luck in the elf forest, right?¡± I sincerely suggested it.

    Dorothy did not know if this was possible, but after a while, she said softly, ¡°Maybe... I don¡¯t know.¡±

    I understood why she was hesitant. It was because I was once like her, an orphan with unknown parents.

    My parents were very good to me, and Rhode was a good brother. But in the dead of night, I would asionally think, ¡®Where are my biological parents? Why did they abandon me? Am I a child that no one has high hopes for?¡¯

    I believed it was the same for Dorothy. Perhaps, she was even more eager and afraid of the warmth of family than I was. After all, her only family, her grandmother, gave her such a crazy and painful childhood.

    I gently hugged her and consoled her, ¡°Sweetie, if you don¡¯t want to, we won¡¯t go, okay? Your eyes are important, but your heart is even more important. It¡¯s not toote for us to consider this when you¡¯re ready.

    ¡°We still have another option ¨C the witch n in the Rocky Mountains.¡±

 Chapter 117

    117 The Love Story Of The Enemy

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°The Rocky Mountains?¡± Dorothy looked puzzled. ¡°Do sorcerers exist there? I¡¯ve never heard of it.¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s my first time hearing it too. From what the witch in the dungeon said, I think it¡¯s a very isted n from the rest of the world.¡±

    Dorothy was a little worried and shook her head. ¡°Maybe the witch lied. She¡¯s a treacherous person who likes to release false information to confuse people.¡±

    ¡°But Master Mary cast a lie detection spell on her, and the spell didn¡¯t detect any lies when she said that. She couldn¡¯t have lied.¡±

    ¡°The Rocky Mountains...¡± Dorothy looked out the window and said with some nostalgia, ¡°I haven¡¯t told you, have I? When I was young, the only story my mother told me happened in the Rocky Mountains.¡±

    ¡°What story?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s a tragic mythical story. It was said that there was a witch who was the ancestor of the prophetic bloodline on this continent. She eloped with her lover to escape the church¡¯s pursuit and came to this ce. However, her lover was an irresponsible coward who quickly betrayed the witch and their son under the coercion of the local church,¡± Dorothy exined.

    ¡°On the way, the witch lost her son. She fled to the Rocky Mountains, and her son happened to be found by a werewolf hunter. The hunter raised the witch¡¯s son with great care, but the witch¡¯s son identally killed him in a magic riot.

    ¡°The boy, in excruciating pain, took the hunter¡¯s heart and tried to use satan¡¯s power to summon the hunter¡¯s soul.

    ¡°However, it¡¯s toote. The hunter¡¯s soul has already returned to the arms of the Moon Goddess.

    ¡°An evil demon toyed with the boy. He told the boy about his background and asked him to go to the Rocky Mountains to get something in exchange for the hunter¡¯s life. That was the head of the Supreme Witch, Mullvica.

    ¡°The boy agreed. He went to great lengths to find the witch n living in seclusion in the Rocky Mountains, but the moment he saw Mullvica, he burst into tears, and his blood boiled. He recognized her as his long-lost mother.

    ¡°The boy was caught in an endless struggle, wavering between his adoptive father and his mother. In the end, under the enchantment of the demon, he cut off his mother¡¯s head on a full moon night.

    ¡°However, his whereabouts were soon discovered by his half-sister. The angry girl gathered the witches to catch the boy and burned him alive with fire and pine branches at dawn.

    ¡°Before he died, the boy begged the demon to fulfill his promise and return the hunter¡¯s soul, but the demon mocked him mercilessly. The angry boy used thest of his strength to perish together with the demon. The witches had to seal the demon and the boy to prevent evil from leaking out, permanently sealing their n and escaping the Rocky Mountains.

    ¡°Since then, no one has ever found a witch in the Rocky Mountains. asionally, someone would find a scratch on the pine tree¡¯s branch that looked like a smiling face. That was the demon¡¯s way of bewitching passersby to unseal it.¡±

    It was a story full of tragedy, just like in ancient Greece mythology.

    I could feel Dorothy¡¯s sadness and whispered, ¡°So, you¡¯re worried that the Rocky Mountains are already empty?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Dorothy shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t even know if the story is true.¡±

    ¡°Then, where did your mother learn of this story?¡± I asked, puzzled. ¡°This sounds like some historical secret. Maybe your mother made it up to coax you to sleep.¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s true,¡± Dorothy said with a bitter smile.

    ¡°Why?¡± I asked.

    She took out a small copper pendant from her cor. It was a pine branch wrapped in mes.

    ¡°Because I am the descendant of the hunter in the story. My mother and grandmother all have the blood of the hunter.¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡± I was dumbfounded.

    ¡°That¡¯s it. Sometimes, I, too, feel that it¡¯s unreal, but it¡¯s the reality.¡± Dorothy caressed the glowing pendant and said, ¡°So now you know why my grandmother had such a big reaction to my mother and father¡¯s union, right?¡±

    ¡°So, this is Romeo and Juliet...¡± I muttered.

    ¡°Yes, the descendant of a long-time enemy actually developed love. What can be more ironic and dramatic than this?¡± Dorothy sneered, ¡°I heard that my grandmother once tortured my mother as she tortured me to make her change her mind. However, my mother eventually ran away from this home, leaving me and her behind.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t hate this olddy who tortured me when I was a child. How pitiful is she? Being popr your whole life, but in the end, you¡¯re abandoned by your loved ones. Only when you¡¯re immersed in your crazy fantasies can you have a trace of your former life.¡±

 Chapter 118

    118 The Second Interrogation

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°I should go and see her,¡± Dorothy said softly. ¡°I¡¯m her only family left.¡±

    ¡°But your grandmother¡¯s mental state is still very unstable. Do you still remember what the doctor said? She needs an empty environment that has nothing to do with her past to recuperate. I understand your concern, but you should avoid meeting her now.¡±

    After moving to the pce, Dorothy had once visited her grandmother, who was receiving mental treatment.

    However, when the skinny olddy saw her granddaughter, it was as if she had been injected with a super soldier¡¯s serum. She broke free from the caretaker¡¯s grip, grabbed everything around her, and threw it at Dorothy. The doctor took a lot of effort to calm her down. He told Dorothy that it was best for her to avoid her before her grandmother showed obvious signs of improvement.

    Dorothy didn¡¯t say anything when she left, but I heard her crying secretly in her room when I went to look for her for dinner that night.

    This strong girl was very soft-hearted. She yearned for family love and love, just like everyone else in the world.

    However, the ruthless fate had destroyed all the happiness she should have had.

    I couldn¡¯t bear to let her be sad anymore, so I changed the topic. ¡°No matter what, we have to go to the Rocky Mountains and take a look. This is not just for you, Dorothy. If we can find the ruins of the witch n, we might be able to find a lot of confidential information that even the sorcerers don¡¯t know about. This is a good opportunity for the werewolves to take the initiative.¡±

    Dorothyughed helplessly. ¡°Alright, girl. Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t have any psychological burden for the sake of the werewolves, right?¡±

    I made a face. ¡°Have a good rest,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll go discuss this with the King.¡±

    After leaving Dorothy¡¯s bedroom, I met Kara, who came to find me.

    ¡°His Majesty has invited you to the town hall,¡± she said. ¡°He¡¯s ready to start the second interrogation of the witch.¡±

    The lights in the town hall were bright at night.

    It was still a clear division of camps. The elders seemed toozy to y dumb because of the farce in the morning, so they might as well make things clear.

    From their expressions, one could tell who was loyal and who had a rebellious heart.

    The guards brought Adele forward. The difference was that she was bound to a chair this time, and her body was covered in a suppression spell.

    ¡°What a grand formation,¡± Adele said contemptuously. ¡°Are you all that afraid of me? Even the turkey in the oven looks more decent than me, haha!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a necessary precaution,¡± Duke Frank said casually. ¡°Now, by order of His Majesty, the second interrogation begins.¡±

    Master Mary also joined, vigntly guarding against any unusual movements from Adele.

    My father gave her an ultimatum, ¡°You have onest chance, Adele. Leniency to those who confess, severity to those who resist. Tell me, who sent you here? Don¡¯t tell any lies on a whim unless you want to be punished by the truth inspection curse and enjoy the feeling of being pierced through the heart and bones.¡±

    The veins on Adele¡¯s forehead bulged as if she weighed the severity of the punishment in front of her and the punishment in the future.

    ¡°No one sent me to attack the Academy,¡± she said softly after a long while.

    The fact that the lie detection spell didn¡¯t respond meant that she wasn¡¯t lying.

    However, the people present would not believe her words so easily.

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to change the topic. No one sent you to attack the Academy. It¡¯s different when you act on the surface against the person behind the scenes and act on your own.¡± My father said coldly, ¡°A true lie is still a lie.¡±

    The guard raised his hand and whipped Adele twice, and thetter screamed in pain.

    I saw a dim golden light sh on the whip, which was the symbol of holy water. God knew how the werewolves had something from the human church. Perhaps this was the power of the interrogation department.

    ¡°Stop! Stop!¡± Adele struggled with all her might, and her skin was bleeding from the thin lines formed by the suppression curse. ¡°Take away this burial thing! I¡¯d rather have a branding iron burn me!¡±

    The holy water was very effective on Satan¡¯s believers. With just two whips, Adele could not resist and temporarily became obedient.

    My father asked again, ¡°Tell me, who is your master? Who ordered you to do this?¡±

    Under the threat of the holy water, Adele had to reveal the truth. ¡°My master is a night magus... Kafka!¡±

    The moment she said the name, Adele suddenly screamed in pain. Blood flowed out of her eyes, ears, mouth, and nose, and her whole body trembled like an epileptic attack.

    Everyone was shocked. Master Mary quickly went forward to check and then frowned.

    She tried to use her blood to draw some spells on Adele¡¯s head. Thetter quieted down, but she still couldn¡¯t stop trembling and bleeding.

    Suddenly, the southern Duke stepped forward and took out a pocket watch. He took out something from the back of the photo.

    Under the bright crystal light, I could see the item in his hand and a strand of crystal clear white hair.

    Master Mary took it and looked at the southern Duke in shock.

    ¡°Please use this,¡± the southern Duke said.

 Chapter 119

    119 Father And Daughter

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Master Mary sighed with aplicated look in her eyes. In the end, she didn¡¯t say anything. She used witchcraft to burn the hair into ashes and then took a little blood from the southern Duke¡±s fingertip. She mixed the two into a unique mix and drew a hexagram on Adele¡¯s head.

    A few secondster, Adele¡¯s abnormality disappeared. She was lying on the chair, looking like a dead person.

    ¡°... Someone has cursed you,¡± the southern Duke said dryly. ¡°Your master, the night magus Kafka, forced you to swear on your parents¡¯ blood to protect his identity, right?¡±

    Adele coughed a few times, which was mixed with a burst of sharpughter.

    ¡°Yes and no,¡± she said. ¡°I did make an oath with my blood, but I was willing. No one forced me. I was willing to bear the curse of kinship and ept the punishment of my blood when I revealed the secret.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± the southern Duke asked, losing hisposure.

    Everyone present was very confused and didn¡¯t understand what the situation in front of them meant.

    Adeleughed sarcastically. ¡°Stop pretending, hero. Do you not know why? Are you still going to pretend to know nothing about my identity in front of your colleagues?¡±

    What?

    We looked at the two people in the middle of the hall in shock.

    Did the southern Duke and Adele know each other?

    The elder of the anti-king faction was like a hunting dog that had smelled blood. He jumped out excitedly and pointed at the southern Duke¡¯s nose.¡± What¡¯s going on? Your Grace, do you have an affair with this despicable witch? I think you should exin it to us. Otherwise, I have reason to doubt if you still have a clear mind and absolute loyalty!¡±

    For the time being, no one agreed with him, but from the expressions of the anti-king faction around him, they also wanted to use this opportunity to eliminate the southern Duke.

    Seeing that the southern Duke was in trouble, my father came to his rescue. ¡°Lennon, don¡¯t take this witch¡¯s provocation to heart. Let¡¯s continue the interrogation...¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty,¡± the southern Duke said with an unusual expression. ¡°But I think it¡¯s time for me to face my mistakes.¡±

    ¡°Lennon...¡± even my mother and Duke Frank tried to stop him.

    However, the southern Duke seemed to have made up his mind. He was determined to reveal some earth-shattering secret.

    Adele stared at the southern Duke¡¯s eyes and said through gritted teeth, ¡°A mistake? What a mistake! Lennon Kavici Asistina, when you swore to my mother with this name, did your hypocritical mind think that you would attribute everything to a ¡®mistake¡¯ today?¡±

    ¡°This is not your mother¡¯s fault!¡± The southern Duke growled in pain. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I caused all this!¡±

    What mother? What mistake?

    I believed everyone here was as confused as I was.

    Adele roared, ¡°So? Do you think a simple apology canpensate for everything that happened in the past? If you ask me, Mother was blind to fall for something like you and end up in such a miserable state. I can only say that she brought all of this upon herself!¡±

    ¡°Show some respect. You have no right to me her! She¡¯s your mother!¡± The southern Duke was panting in anger.

    He hadpletely lost his demeanor, which was a rare sight. His chest was like a broken bellow beating fiercely as if it would explode in the next second.

    The southern Duke¡¯s embarrassed look calmed Adele down. She said indifferently, ¡°She¡¯s not my mother.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t even give birth to me.

    ¡°To save a stupid man, she cut open her stomach, rubbed the embryo into a pile of dead branches and rotten leaves, and then willingly died in the name of stupid love.

    ¡°God is strict, isn¡¯t he? I said a life for a life, so I can only trade one for one. No more. It¡¯s sphemy against god.

    ¡°Women who fall in love are foolish, aren¡¯t they? She knew the stupid man was not afraid of death and even looked forward to entering the Moon Temple as a hero. However, she still self-righteously gave up her life, even sacrificing a young one, to satisfy her childish romantic fantasy.

    ¡°However, what did she get in return for giving up everything?

    ¡°Her lover forgot about her and epted the worship of thousands of people with the hero¡¯s badge. He married a beautiful woman that the gods had prepared for him and gave birth to a stupid girl who was only beautiful but brainless.

    ¡°As for her, her body rotted, and her soul dissipated. She disappeared from the world like a dying worm. No one remembered her, and no one cared about her.

    ¡°Why should I respect such a foolish, childish, cold, and selfish woman? What right do I have to acknowledge her as my mother?

    ¡°Based on your insignificant reprimand? My hypocritical father?¡±

 Chapter 120

    120 A Coward

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Adele was the southern Duke¡¯s daughter!

    I was so shocked by this dramatic development that my scalp went numb.

    As for the mother that Adele mentioned, I didn¡¯t have to guess at all. Who else could it be other than the pure white witch?

    I didn¡¯t expect the southern Duke and the pure white witch to be together during the war. There seemed to be a hidden story behind this sad and beautiful love story.

    The Council of Elders¡¯ reaction was the most intense of the people present. The royalist faction frowned, and their eyes were filled with worry, while the anti-king faction seemed to be celebrating a festival as they rubbed their fists and palms in excitement.

    ¡°How dare you! You colluded with the enemy during a war!¡± The first person to criticize the southern Duke could not help but say, ¡°Thend of gentleness is the grave of heroes. Southern Duke, I¡¯ve long suspected that you betrayed the werewolves. Otherwise, how could Fitch kill our people so easily?¡±

    ¡°The evidence is conclusive,¡± his aplices chimed in. ¡°Not only did you collude with the enemy, but you also left a mixed-blood bastard behind!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Didn¡¯t youfort your illegitimate daughter? You let here to the pack and stir up trouble. You might have secretly contacted the sorcerers, so you must have something to do with this!¡±

    The crowd began to discuss, but the central figures of the incident, the southern Duke and Adele, seemed to have heard nothing. There was only one other person left in the world.

    ¡°Alright, all of you shut up!¡± My father was furious because of these shameless politicians. ¡°Now is the time to interrogate the witch. This is not a market where you can pester people! All of you are experienced old men. How could you be confused by a few words from a witch? If you¡¯re so old that you can¡¯t tell the truth from the truth, I don¡¯t mind sending you to stay at home with Eric!¡±

    As soon as he said that, the angry anti-king faction immediately stopped.

    I could see that in the eyes of these people who only think about power, everything was bullsh*t. The only thing that mattered was to keep their official positions.

    The confrontation between the southern Duke and Adele continued.

    ¡°You¡¯re lying,¡± the southern Duke said. ¡°How did you get my blood? Who created you with Anna and my blood? Is it Kafka? Hurry up and tell me!¡±

    Adeleughed. ¡°Are you still deceiving yourself? Great southern Duke, what¡¯s the matter? Is that rtionship that hard for you to talk about? You don¡¯t even dare to admit what you¡¯ve done?¡±

    ¡°This is impossible!¡± the southern Duke growled in pain. ¡°Anna never told me... She should have told me... This is fake. It¡¯s your trick.¡±

    ¡°If you think it¡¯s a trick, then why did youe to save me?¡±

    Adeleughed strangely.

    ¡°You still have hope in your heart, don¡¯t you? You¡¯ve guessed my origin and even hoped that your guess woulde true. After all, I look so simr to my mother. Other than blood rtives, what other possibility is there?¡±

    The southern Duke looked like he was on the verge of a mental breakdown. The tall man bent his back deeply, and tears flowed down his face.

    ¡°Anna, no... Anna! Oh, Moon Goddess... No...¡±

    ¡°Do you regret it? Or are you ashamed that your secret was revealed in front of so many people?¡± Adele continued to attack. ¡°Stop pretending. A hypocritical man like you, even your tears are a disgusting pretense.

    ¡°Why do you have to pretend that you love my mother as deeply as the sea? An old widower who had lost his wife? When you face Carolyn, will you also cry because of her mother, who died during childbirth? How ironic. Do you think you can y the role of a good father and good husband to different people before us?

    ¡°That¡¯s scary. Who have you ever loved? The witch Anna who sacrificed her life for you? Or is it the mate your goddess chose for you? Or perhaps you don¡¯t love anyone but have this perverted satisfaction of pretending to be deeply in love!¡±

    ¡°Stop it!¡± the southern Duke roared. ¡°Don¡¯t say more! Moon Goddess, please stop torturing me!¡±

    Adele also cried. Her tears were like a dried-up stream, washing out a river of blood and tears from the dried blood on her cheeks.

    She shouted, ¡°If praying to the goddess was useful, my mother wouldn¡¯t have died! You coward! Did the werewolves choose a coward like you to be their hero?¡±

    Finally, my father stopped this not-so-warm father-daughter reunion.

    ¡°Enough! Guards, take Adele away and lock her up!¡± He motioned for the guards to bring Adele away and then ordered the eager elders in an irrefutable tone, ¡°Now that the interrogation is over, we¡¯ll talk about thister. You¡¯d better keep what happened tonight to yourselves. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want to lose the chance to recuperate with Eric, right?¡±

    After sending away the irrelevant people, my father gave the southern Duke a deep look and said, ¡°Walk with me, Lennon. We need to talk.¡±

 Chapter 121

    121 Love

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    In the study.

    Everyone in the house had a gloomy expression. My father and Duke Frank looked at the southern Duke with a hint of disappointment, while thetter was still immersed in sorrow and did not care about the changes in the outside world.

    My mother pulled me to sit on the sofa. When she saw my confusion, she sighed and shook her head gently without saying anything.

    ¡°Lennon, I thought we were close friends and loyalrades.¡± My father said helplessly, ¡°But you¡¯re hiding such a big secret, a big secret that can immediately change reality. What was going on between you and Anna? I know you two had a special rtionship, but you¡¯ve never said you had a child with her!¡±

    The southern Duke covered his face in pain and mumbled, ¡°Moon Goddess, I don¡¯t know. I swear I didn¡¯t know about this! If I had known that Anna was pregnant, I would have protected her with my life, even if I had to lose everything...¡±

    ¡°Stop acting like a sad little girl,¡± my father snarled. ¡°Look at me like a man!¡±

    The southern Duke¡¯s eyes were filled with grief.

    ¡°In any case, you shouldn¡¯t have had more intimate contact with Anna behind our backs. It was a time of war and a witch from the enemy camp. Are you serious?¡± My father was highly disappointed. ¡°You¡¯ve lost the restraint and calmness that a warrior should have. To be honest, I¡¯m very disappointed, Lennon.¡±

    The southern Duke burst into tears again. ¡°I understand how disappointed you are, but Victor, you won¡¯t look down on me more than I do. What have I done? What have I done?¡±

    The two of them were about to get serious, so Duke Frank quickly mediated, ¡°Okay, okay, calm down, guys. Now is not the time to be fussing over the past. The dead are already gone, so what if we regret it? Let¡¯s consider how to deal with the trouble before us!¡±

    My mother had the men sit down and personally pour them tea.

    ¡°I know you must be feeling uneasy at the moment,¡± my mother said gently as if she wereforting a child. ¡°War has brought countless tragedies. We¡¯ve seen enough in the past, and Adele is undoubtedly the most tragic and helpless. But as Devin said, we shouldn¡¯t look back on the past but focus on the present, right?¡±

    The southern Duke downed the ck tea in one gulp and remained silent.

    After a long while, he suddenly touched his face, stood up, and said to my father seriously, ¡°I beg you to forgive Adele¡¯s sin, Your Majesty. This child... Is the victim of my mistake. I¡¯m the source of all the tragedies. Please punish me!¡±

    ¡°What are you saying?¡± My father disagreed. ¡°Lennon, I think you should calm down. Even if Adele is a victim in the past, that¡¯s not a reason for her to hurt the innocent werewolves, right? As a father, you feel guilty toward her. What about Carolyn? What would happen to Carolyn, who had been captured and tortured by her sister? Is she not your daughter?¡±

    These words caused the southern Duke to feel even more pain.

    My father had lost hisposure. I looked at my mother in confusion, but my mother gestured for me to calm down and wait for her to exin everything.

    The atmosphere in the room froze. I mustered my courage and tried to break the deadlock. ¡°Southern Duke, I understand your love for your daughter, and I also understand your dilemma.

    ¡°However, as a daughter, I think neither Adele nor Carolyn would want you to do this.

    ¡°Children can¡¯t choose their birth, but we are grateful to our parents for bringing us to this world because there is so much beauty, warmth, and love.

    ¡°But not everyone¡¯s childhood is smooth sailing. Parental love ismon, but it is also worth more than gold. We are the happiest people in the world when we can get all the warmth we want from our parents. However, when there¡¯s only endless coldness and emptiness around us, we can¡¯t help but condemn and hate. ¡®Why am I the odd one out? Why don¡¯t my parents love me as much as the others¡¯?

    ¡°I believe that Carolyn is the former. She undoubtedly loves you deeply. And Adele is thetter. I¡¯ll be frank. She has ten thousand reasons to hate you.¡±

    The southern Duke looked like he was in even more pain. He covered his face and groaned, his back bent like a dying shrimp.

    My mother tugged on my sleeve. I gave her aforting look and continued, ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean she doesn¡¯t love you anymore. Even if she¡¯s hurt a hundred times, all she wants, in the end, is sincere and unreserved fatherly love.

    ¡°Bloodline is such a wonderful thing. It may bring us hatred, but as long as there is a trace of love, all negative emotions will immediately disappear without a trace, like dew under the hot sun.¡±

 Chapter 122

    122 War Tragedy

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The southern Duke looked at me with tears in his eyes. He was as fragile as a child.

    I turned my head away somewhat unwillingly and continued, ¡°If Adele didn¡¯t care about you at all, why would she take the risk to acknowledge you? Why do you feel so much pain and despair for your indifference?

    ¡°Because she yearns for love, a normal family, and a kind father. No matter what Adele has experienced in the past, I don¡¯t think she¡¯s doing well. From her character, I can see that she only has resistance and fear of the past.

    ¡°When she was shouting at you, every word she said was filled with the desire for family love. When her tears flowed like a spring, every drop contained a severe usation. I heard it. She was asking for help. She wanted to get rid of her past. She wanted to have a happy andplete childhood like Carolyn. This was the real purpose of her kidnapping Carolyn.

    ¡°So it¡¯s useless for you to punish yourself. It will only make Adele more miserable. She will be sad that she didn¡¯t get herte father¡¯s love because her father cut off the entanglement between them in the way ofpensation.

    ¡°And this is also unfair to Carolyn. Even if Adele is her sister and everything happened for a reason, she is the victim in the whole incident, isn¡¯t she?

    ¡°You¡¯re in a difficult position between the past and the present. Carolyn is also in a difficult situation. Could she want to use herself as a bargaining chip to request her father to deal with his other daughter? If she didn¡¯t do so, she would have suffered and wouldn¡¯t even have had the chance to seek justice.

    ¡°So, please consider it carefully. It¡¯s meaningless to make up for Adele¡¯s mistake with your contributions. It will only make this matter moreplicated.¡±

    The southern Duke fell silent again.

    My parents looked at me in surprise and satisfaction.

    ¡°You¡¯ve grown up,¡± my mother whispered in my ear. ¡°To be able to persuade Lennon so clearly and reasonably, you already have the shadow of a qualified Queen. I¡¯m proud of you.¡±

    I nodded and turned to the southern Duke.

    Thetter had already stopped crying, but he was still trembling slightly.

    ¡°Selma is right. Lennon, think about your daughters. Rather than ming yourself for the past, why don¡¯t you give them a brighter future?¡±

    The southern Duke took a few deep breaths and said in a choked voice, ¡°You¡¯re right. God, I¡¯m so ashamed. I¡¯m not even as clear-headed as a young girl...¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that, man,¡± Duke Frank patted him on the shoulder. ¡°The onlooker sees more clearly than the person involved.¡±

    ¡°Adele¡¯s interrogation will be carried out in secret, and the Council of Elders will not participate in it anymore. These people only think about fighting for fame and fortune, which will dy progress.¡± My father said, ¡°But I can¡¯t show favoritism toward Adele. After all, she has evil intentions and caused such a big scene at the Sivir Academy. She can be spared from death but can¡¯t escape punishment.¡±

    ¡°I understand, Your Majesty,¡± the southern Duke replied dejectedly.

    My father continued, ¡°However, if the werewolf grandmaster can remove the threat on her, I can allow her to live in the werewolf pack. But it¡¯s limited to the Lycan pack, and she will be under 24/7 supervision. You¡¯ll have a chance to visit her once a week to make up for your mistakes as a father.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± The southern Duke¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Thank you for your kindness!¡±

    In the end, my father said sadly, ¡°War will only bring misfortune, and no one will be the final winner. When we were young, we used the number of casualties to determine who would win and who would lose. But at this age, we have to admit that the stupid deaths in our youth are not cold numbers. Behind every statistic, who knows how many broken families and people suffer in silence.¡±

    The elders fell into silence. The aftermath of the war they had fought in their youth was so widespread that it even crossed the barrier of decades and ruthlessly teased this arrogant man who imed to be the victor.

    This emotion infected me and made me extremely depressed.

    Once upon a time, I was also a frivolous person. With my young naivety and stupidity, I fantasized about using war to punish the invader who didn¡¯t know what was good for him.

    But I was not the one who would fight day and night on the battlefield. Themander who stood in the tent never cared about the price on the battlefield.

    After the victory, themanders and survivors cheered, but the souls lying in pools of blood would never return. Their families would never be able to experience the sweetness of victory because it was a scarlet flower that was watered with the blood and flesh of their loved ones.

    In history ss, I once wondered why so many wise and powerful rulers hesitated in war. They could trample on the enemy country, so why did they waste their breath on a group of shameless people at the negotiation table?

    Now I understood why those great kings were great. It was because they truly understood the importance of the people.

    Treating the people as just numbers and the practice of militarism would one day backfire on them.

 Chapter 123

    123 The Night

    Adele¡¯s POV:

    The cold and damp dungeon was filled with an unpleasant moldy smell.

    The werewolves didn¡¯t torture me and even gave me good food and shelter. However, this only made me despise their hypocrisy even more. They wanted to dig out my brain to see what was inside, so why did they have to pretend to be hypocritical andpassionate?

    A group of uncivilized animals, the failed creation of the ancient witches, dared to im to be civilized.

    Lying on the hard bed, I stared into space as I killed time in boredom.

    How long could I live?

    I wondered.

    I probably wouldn¡¯t be able to provide helpful information to the werewolf for more than a week because of the blood curse in my head; I couldn¡¯t say anything about Master.

    A useless and dangerous captive would be the safest if she were dead, right?

    I couldn¡¯t wait for the werewolves to burn me to death so that my cruel master would only get a useless burnt corpse.

    Even if he wanted to whip me, I wouldn¡¯t feel any pain.

    I didn¡¯t know when I fell asleep in a daze. Not long after, someone suddenly opened the cell door. I opened my eyes and saw the little noble girl named Selma walk in with a water basin.

    ¡°Wash your face. Your face is covered in blood.¡± She ced the basin on the ground and retreated to the door.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to pretend to be innocent,¡± I said coldly. ¡°What? Are you going to push me to the execution ground tomorrow? If you ask me, why don¡¯t you dress me up a little more miserably so that your stupid people can see me as a more deterrent?¡±

    Selma looked a little helpless and a little impatient. She suppressed her anger and said, ¡°Are you sick in the head? Why do you like to create such a mess? It¡¯s just a simple wash of your face, or do you have a hobby of being sloppy?¡±

    We were in a deadlock; Selma was the first to give up.

    ¡°Alright, alright!¡± she raised her hand in surrender. ¡°It¡¯s up to you whether you want to wash or not. If you don¡¯t want to wash, don¡¯t regret it.¡±

    After saying that, she left the cell.

    After she had gone for quite some time, I cleaned myself up properly. It was not that I owed that little girl a favor, but it was just that it was too ufortable to be covered in blood and sweat. Nothing more.

    I wiped off the blood on my body and fell into a bored daze again.

    I didn¡¯t know when I had fallen asleep.

    The sound of noisy footsteps awoke me.

    A group of fully armed guards opened the cell door and escorted me out.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you guys going to interrogate me again?¡± I yawned indifferently. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m quite looking forward to it. After all, I can watch a new performance every time. Who was quarreling with whom this time? That bunch of weird old men and women and my great hero father? Or with your great Lycan King? Or are the two of them going to have internal strife?¡±

    They didn¡¯t respond to my provocation like before. They didn¡¯t even tell me to shut up. They just coldly took me to a remote corner tower.

    ¡°Oh, so you are changing the interrogation to a good ce this time, right?¡±

    No one responded to me. I was pushed into a dark room, and they locked the door.

    There was only a thin ray of moonlight through the skylight. I was stunned for a moment before Iy on the bed in the dark and curled up under the nket.

    Did I ever say that I was afraid of the dark?

    Perhaps it was the strong vitality of a pure white witch. I had already developed consciousness when I was cut out of my mother¡¯s stomach. Thebination of a weak body and a clear consciousness was strange but also very attractive.

    So, I was eaten. I was chewed up by the insects and birds who came after hearing the news.

    But they all diedter because they couldn¡¯t digest my flesh.

    Like that, my consciousness was divided into many parts and trapped in the dark stomachs of insects and birds. I endured endless loneliness and pain until they became nutrients for thend.

    Then, my consciousness would be eaten by the next predator, falling into a repeated cycle.

    The amazing thing was that I kept growing during this ridiculous process, from an embryo the size of a finger to a mature baby.

    One day, someone pieced me together.

    I couldn¡¯t call him ¡®father¡¯ even though he always considered himself my father. I couldn¡¯t disobey his orders because no one even told me what was ¡®disobeying¡¯.

    He raised, educated, tortured, and transformed me until I awakened the pure white witch¡¯s bloodline on the day of the magic outbreak.

    He had never shown me such a kind and satisfied expression, and I only felt annoyed and afraid because his satisfaction was built on my pain.

    As expected, he told me about my past this time and wanted me to swear on my bloodline to follow him forever and keep his secret forever.

    What was there to keep a secret about? It was just an ambition that was extremelymon in history, nd and mediocre to the point of madness.

    But I still agreed because he was the only one who lit candles for me at night.

    Because I was afraid of the dark.

    The night made it difficult for me to sleep.

    The corner tower was very high, so the skylight was tiny. I could see countless twinkling stars in the fingernail-sized square.

    The stars told me that this girl was a little hungry.

 Chapter 124

    124 Crazy Talk

    Adele¡¯s POV:

    My master had an unimaginable obsession with rare bloodlines. He didn¡¯t have the prophecy bloodline, so he studied astrology painstakingly. Even I could use the stars to make some achievements.

    How annoying. Perhaps I shouldn¡¯t have left that insignificant person alive. I should have just let her fall into the volcano and die. I should have let her taste the pain I suffered back then.

    But I didn¡¯t. I regretted making that decision every second, but I didn¡¯t.

    I began to fantasize about the volcanic crater as a bedtime story.

    What did the stone house look like now? Was it cracked from the heat, unscathed, or had it already copsed?

    Where was the scarecrow? Did it lose an arm or a leg?

    And that girl, she must be in a sorry state, right?

    After thinking about it, I didn¡¯t want to look at the stars anymore.

    I didn¡¯t want to know the reality.

    After an unknown period, perhaps it was already midnight or almost dawn, and footsteps could be heard from outside the corner tower.

    ¡°Are you still awake?¡±

    I heard a woman standing outside the corner tower asking something loudly.

    It sounded familiar to me, what was that person called again... Oh, that ¡®Master Mary¡¯.

    I ignored her.

    However, she was impolite. Before the master could answer, she opened the door and entered the room.

    ¡°Hey! This is so rude!¡± I crossed my arms and pretended to be offended. ¡°I¡¯m going to call for help!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t y the fool,¡± Master Mary said calmly. ¡°The curse in your head won¡¯t turn you into a mentally disabled person, little girl.¡±

    Iughed out of boredom and turned over.

    ¡°I have to give you a checkup, and you have no right to refuse.¡± She asked, ¡°Are you going to cooperate with me, or will you cooperate with me after the guards tie you up?¡±

    I didn¡¯t have any will to resist. I¡¯d used up all my iron bones the past few times. Now, I only felt endless emptiness. I didn¡¯t understand the point ofing here to cause a scene. To take revenge on my sister, who had a different life? For fun? For the sake of rebellion? To prove myself?

    I didn¡¯t know. It was like I¡¯d returned to the time when I was an embryo and was bitten by the parasites. I was clear-headed and confused.

    Without my knowledge, Mary had even finished examining me.

    ¡°Can you stop time...¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°Forty minutes have passed, witch,¡± she said without a smile.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so serious, olddy,¡± I deliberately provoked her. ¡°You¡¯re also using sorcery, aren¡¯t you? ¡±

    She ignored me and left.

    I felt extremely bored and even began to miss the heart-wrenching pain from before. At least this proved that I was still alive, right?

    A thick dark cloud covered the moon, and the moonlight disappeared.

    Ha, what a stingy goddess. She couldn¡¯t even bear to lend a little moonlight to the infidels.

    Just like that, I opened my eyes and stared at the moonlight hidden behind the clouds. However, the clouds blocked the moon¡¯s brilliance even after the sun had dispelled the darkness.

    It was dawn. I didn¡¯t sleep all night, but I didn¡¯t feel tired either.

    I should be mumbling something, but I didn¡¯t hear clearly, or did I not say anything? Was I just too tired and hallucinating?

    The door was opened again.

    Mary came in with an unfamiliar woman in a white coat. She said she wanted to give me a test.

    So annoying! So very annoying! Another inspection! Another test!

    But I didn¡¯t want to resist, but what did ¡®resist¡¯ mean?

    I just wanted to empty my mind. I just wanted to ask why the moon was not shining on me.

    When I returned to my senses, the person called Tracy had already finished her examination.

    She looked at me with aplicated expression. I thought she probably hated me because I was the enemy of the werewolves.

    But why did her gaze look so pitiful?

    I was suddenly furious. I grabbed a pillow and nket and threw them at her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that! Get out! Get out of my darkness!¡±

    Mary and Tracy tried to hold me down, but my agile movements made the two old werewolves helpless.

    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? It was very dark here! Why are you looking at me like that?¡±

    I didn¡¯t know what I was shouting. I only saw Mary beckoning to the outside, and a pair of guards walked in.

    The scene blurred.

    I realized that I was crying.

    But what was crying?

    Why was I crying?

    I frantically wiped my tears, and the rough cuffs tore the skin at the corners of my eyes. The blood and tears left a pink mark on my cheeks.

    I liked pink.

    The guards caught me.

    ¡°Release me! Get out of my darkness! Let the moone! Ask the moon! Go ask the moon!¡±

    ...

    I stood on the tower¡¯s roof and saw myself tied up by the guards.

    They were so rough. My wrist was scraped, and blood was flowing out. It was red.

    I didn¡¯t like red.

    They forced me onto the bed, and I heard Tracy whisper to Mary, ¡± ¡°I think she does have some mental problems.¡±

    Who was crazy?

    ¡®I am not crazy! You¡¯re the one who¡¯s crazy!¡¯

    I struggled madly and looked up at the fingernail-sized skylight. The clouds covered it, so there was no moon.

    ¡°Look at me! Look at me! Come to my darkness!

    ¡°It¡¯s very dark here. Come to my darkness!¡±

    My world turned pink because the blood flowed into my eyes.

    No one answered me.

    ...

    The moon never looked at me.

 Chapter 125

    125 A Flower Born In Tragedy

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I was having breakfast with Dorothy when I suddenly learned that Adele had gone crazy.

    ¡°How is that possible?¡± My first reaction was that Adele must be fooling around. ¡°In just one night? Has she gone crazy? Who is she putting on an act for?¡±

    Kara shook her head helplessly. ¡°It is a pity. This time, the werewolf grandmasters and Tracy have confirmed. Adele is crazy.¡±

    ¡°Butst night, she was still aggressively confronting the southern Duke.¡±

    ¡°Who knows? Maybe she went crazy because she was too emotional or already crazy, and her tears washed away her disguise.¡±

    Dorothy was also amazed. After all, she was the one who had fought Adele head-on and knew that her spirit was harder than cement.

    I quickly finished my breakfast and went to find my parents to understand what had happened. However, none of them were there. They went to the northwest corner tower with the southern Duke and Duke Frank, where Adele was being held.

    The narrow corner tower was full of people, and everyone¡¯s expression was different. Only Adele, the protagonist of the incident, was expressionless, lying on the bed like a hyper-realistic doll.

    Her cheeks and wrists were stained with blood, but she had no scars. The guards were holding ropes in their hands. She must have been injured in the struggle, but she was intact because of her strong self-healing ability.

    Was she crazy?

    I couldn¡¯t believe that a person so easily driven mad could mess with the werewolf pack for half a year.

    My father saw me and waved me over.

    Master Mary was trying to retrace the process of Adele¡¯s madness.

    ¡°Without a doubt, the bloodline curse has added to her already unstable mental state,¡± she said. ¡°The intense stimtion and pain caused Adele¡¯s brain to have some lesion, which is the main factor in her madness.

    ¡°I think the mental defense she set up for herself was also one of the reasons. The ck mist¡¯s mental sorcery isplicated, delicate, and dangerous. When it is activated, it will affect the whole body. Although she resisted the invader, she was also affected by it.

    ¡°As for the rest, I can only make a guess. Her mental state is probably not very stable, to begin with.¡±

    Everyone was listening attentively, except for the southern Duke, staring at the witch on the bed in a daze. No one knew what he was thinking.

    ¡°Lennon.¡±

    Duke Frank called out to him.

    The southern Duke came back to his senses and stared at the man. His soul seemed to have left his body and stopped by Adele¡¯s bed.

    Seeing this, Duke Frank could not say anything and only sighed softly.

    ¡°... Can she be cured?¡± The southern Duke asked bitterly.

    Master Mary and Tracy looked at each other, and thetter replied sincerely, ¡°We will do our best.¡±

    This sentence was no different from a death sentence for Adele.

    The southern Duke¡¯s body trembled as if he had been punched. His energy and spirit suddenly disappeared. He was like a lifeless piece of rotten wood that had taken root and sprouted in this small corner tower.

    Without realizing it, I walked to Adele¡¯s bed.

    She seemed to have lost all sense of the outside world and did not realize someone was standing beside her. She stared at the small skylight on the ceiling with her cloud-like white eyes.

    She was mumbling something, and I bent down to listen.

    ¡°The moon.¡±

    ¡°Darkness.¡±

    ¡°The moon.¡±

    ¡°Darkness.¡±

    She mumbled them over and over again. There was no logic in it, and it was so strange that it made people shiver.

    I didn¡¯t know why, but I suddenly thought of something.

    ¡°She won¡¯t be a threat anymore.¡±

    It was as if the moon was whispering into my ear. I was sure that Adele was no longer a threat.

    She had gone crazy. This young girl, who had been alone and had no one to rely on in her short twenty years, had already thrown herself into the arms of an idiot.

    When I got closer, I realized that Adele looked young.

    Although her actions made her look like a cunning olddy, the truth was that she was as young as a fresh flower, not much older than my older sisters.

    This crazy girl had experienced countless tragedies since she was an embryo. She looked glorious, but in reality, she was no threat. Her revenge was so small that she didn¡¯t even get to walk out of the school gate.

    Given her actions, I couldn¡¯t say anything good about her. In the end, I could only say one thing about her life.

    Tragic.

    She was born in a tragedy and went crazy because of it.

    This was the typical story of a flower born from a tragedy.

    Without any reason, I didn¡¯t want to stay here anymore. This narrow corner suddenly made me dizzy. The darkness in the shadows was like leeches that twisted and invaded the floor as if trying to suck my blood dry.

    I ignored my parents¡¯ suppressed exmations and ran out of the tower.

 Chapter 126

    126 The Crossroads of Destiny

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I suddenly felt very misunderstood. Although I didn¡¯t feel misunderstood in any specific way, I felt wronged for no reason.

    I wanted to call Aldrich, listen to his voice, talk to him, and rest in his warm embrace.

    I dialed his number.

    ¡°What happened, my dear?¡± Aldrich sounded a little tired. He had probably been monitoring the troublesome cocoon of light all night.

    After hearing his voice, I suddenly couldn¡¯t say anything. I could only remain silent.

    ¡°Selma, my dear, are you there?¡± His tone gradually became serious. ¡°What¡¯s happening? Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯lle to you immediately.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t let this dy his business, so I quickly refused. ¡°No! Don¡¯t! I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t worry about me. I want to hear your voice.¡±

    ¡°Oh, mydy,¡± Aldrich murmured. ¡± I missed you too, babe.¡±

    I sniffed and asked, ¡°Did the mission go smoothly? How¡¯s the light cocoon?¡±

    ¡°Everything is going well, ¡± Aldrich replied. ¡°This witch¡¯s power is not as ridiculous as Fitch¡¯s. In about three days, we can dissipate the light cocoonpletely.¡±

    ¡°You must be careful. Immediately retreat with your people if there¡¯s any strange movement in the light cocoon.¡± I reminded him worriedly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about how the school will be razed down. Someone willpensate you.¡±

    ¡°Are you talking about the witch or the Lycan King? ¡± He chuckled. ¡°If it¡¯s thetter, I think His Majesty¡¯s finance officer will cry.¡±

    Usually, I would join the joke with him, but I was not in the mood today.

    He suddenly fell silent again.

    There was some noise on the other side of the phone, mixed with the shouts of the soldiers.

    I imagined Aldrich was busy with work, but he still diverted some attention to the phone and silently apanied me.

    ¡°... I won¡¯t disturb you anymore. Do your work,¡± I said.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, my dear,¡± Aldrich said. ¡°Themander doesn¡¯t need to do the work personally, right? Now, I only need to move my eyes and mouth, and I can give you my heart without any reservation.¡±

    ¡°Adele has gone crazy,¡± I said after a pause.

    Duke Frank had probably already sent a real-time message to Aldrich, so he knew who Adele was.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said in a deep voice. ¡°The southern Duke must be feeling terrible now.¡±

    I buried myself in my sweater and whispered, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think he¡¯s probably in so much pain that he wants to die. He hasn¡¯t even found Carolyn yet, and his daughter, whom he¡¯d only reunited with for a day, has gone crazy again without warning.

    ¡°About Adele... To be honest, I don¡¯t hate her that much.

    ¡°She lied to everyone, kidnapped Carolyn, caused a bloody storm in school, and almost hatched the light cocoon and destroyed her pack. But I can¡¯t help but pity her.

    ¡°I hate her, but at the same time, I pity her. I¡¯m thinking now, what if my life and Adele¡¯s life were switched? If I was like her, growing up in pain and hatred, and found that someone had long reced me in my parents¡¯ home and that there was no ce for me in this big world, would I have done better than her?

    ¡°I can¡¯t help but think about this. Our lives are so simr in so many ways, and it makes me feel that I¡¯m lucky to have met a slightly brighter fork in the road, while Adele, unfortunately, has been immersed in the darkness for most of her life.

    ¡°Earlier, for a moment, I even thought that the person lying on the bed was my pale and neurotic self. Was everything just a dream I had imagined?¡±

    I didn¡¯t understand why I would sympathize with Adele. It didn¡¯t make any sense. However, the moment I stepped into the tower, I felt the darkness in the shadows was about to devour me.

    The tower was too dark. The dark clouds blocked the only light source, and only the pale white glow of a poor-quality incandescentmp was reflected.

    The light seemed to be mocking Adele¡¯s empty life.

    It also reminded me to cherish everything before me. Fate is such a fickle and elusive thing. One second you are flying in the clouds, and the next moment, a thunderbolt may destroy your life beyond recognition.

    Aldrich quietly listened without interrupting me. Steady breathing came from the microphone, strangely calming the ripples in my heart.

    ¡°Don¡¯t doubt, and don¡¯t deny, ¡± he said. ¡°Look at the two Majesties; listen to my voice, Dorothy, your friends, Kara, and Tracy. They exist, right?

    ¡°Every love you receive, every care you receive, they are indeed as warm as the sun, aren¡¯t they?

    ¡°And everything that we have experienced together, dull, exciting, boring, dramatic, no matter what nature they contain, they are all indelible marks left by time.

    ¡°So, don¡¯t worry, Selma.¡±

    ¡°Fate is a wild horse that never turns back. It¡¯s unpredictable, and the road ahead is unpredictable.

    ¡°But one thing is for sure; it runs on the path of time, and it will never turn back.¡±

 Chapter 127

    127 A Ridiculous Ending

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    After talking to Aldrich, I felt much better. I turned around and found my mother looking at me gently in the corridor.

    She walked over and sat down beside me.

    ¡°Mother.¡± I wiped my tears and said shyly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    My mother wiped my face with her sleeve and said softly, ¡°Why did you suddenly cry?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t even notice that I was crying,¡± I whispered.

    I didn¡¯t want to be too indecisive, but Adele¡¯s urging and behavior touched me deeply.

    ¡°I just called Aldrich, and he consoled me. I feel much better.¡±

    My mother touched the top of my head and leaned against me.

    ¡°I understand how you feel. I feel the same way as you. When your father saw Adele, he would also be worried about her current state and feel sad for her fate. This is the empathy that everyone has. You don¡¯t have to me yourself for her.¡±

    ¡°But she¡¯s a criminal,¡± I whispered.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. She¡¯s a criminal and a bad criminal who tried to attack a werewolf.¡± My mother nodded. ¡°But there¡¯s no conflict between condemning her and pitying her, right? The mistake is what she has made now, and the encounter is what she has experienced in the past. These are two emotions that have converged in different dimensions.

    ¡°Adele shouldn¡¯t have used her experience as an excuse to hurt others. Simrly, we shouldn¡¯t ignore everything she had done in the past because of what she has done now.¡±

    ¡°The existence ofw and reason is often contradictory. In the background of thew, we usually acquiesced to the dominant position ofw and reason. But this doesn¡¯t mean that reason is dispensable. One of my legal teachers once said, ¡®Thew is the chain that prevents humans from bing ves to emotions, and emotions are the reins that prevent humans from bing ves to thew¡¯.

    ¡°Sometimes, as a leader, you have to learn to split something into different things,¡± my mother said.

    ¡°For example, when your father punished Adele, she had to be punished because she didmit a crime, but she should also be taken care of because it has been proven that her crime does not warrant death, and we owe her something.¡±

    I nodded to show that I understood.

    ¡°How is Adele now?¡± I asked.

    My mother sighed softly. ¡°It¡¯s good and bad at the same time. Her body is not injured, but her spirit is probably unable to recover.¡±

    ¡°But it has only been one night. Why would she...¡± I was confused.

    ¡°Not all questions can be answered.¡± My mother was also very helpless. ¡°Besides, we werewolves are born with barriers against sorcery. Even a werewolf grandmaster can¡¯t find out the core technology of the sorcerers. This makes it extremely difficult to heal Adele¡¯s spirit.¡±

    ¡°So, no witch n is willing to help now?¡±

    ¡°Yes, no one even acknowledges Adele¡¯s existence. As she said herself, she had long betrayed her n. Perhaps her so-called master had left her in the care of a n, but outsiders are always easily discriminated against. And toward traitors, the attitude of sorcerers is no gentler than that of us werewolves.¡±

    This meant that the werewolf and the witch had nothing to talk about. Adele¡¯s problem was likely to end with her, and no clues could be found.

    ¡°What is Father going to do?¡± I asked again.

    My mother said, ¡°We still have to discuss the countermeasures. The good news is that we know the enemy in the dark is likely not the witch n. The bad news is that if the enemy in the dark and the witch n work together, the good news will turn bad.¡±

    ¡°So, is it very likely that a war will break out?¡± I asked, a little despondent.

    ¡°Your father will do his best to ensure peace.¡± My mother said firmly, ¡°We are people who have experienced real war. We all know what it is like on the battlefield. Glory and courage are all bullsh*t. Only blood will flow like a river no matter who wins or loses.¡±

    Three dayster.

    Since Adele had been confirmed to have lost her mental ability, her interrogation had be unnecessary. The elders were in a heated debate over whether to punish this sinner with werewolf blood.

    In the end, my father decided Adele¡¯s fate. All her magic power was sealed, and she could not even use the most basic sorcery. She was then transferred to a secret manor guarded by the royal guards and would spend the rest of her life there.

    As her father, the southern Duke was allowed to visit her three hours a week. This was a secret.

    The warriors found Carolyn in a stone house at the volcano¡¯s crater. Adele did not abuse her sister, as she said.

    The tattered scarecrow had taken good care of her. Besides being a little shocked, she didn¡¯t seem to have lost much weight.

    After the warriors took Carolyn, the scarecrow did not resist and jumped into the volcano.

    At this point, the dark clouds hovering over everyone¡¯s head for over half a year ended ridiculously.

 Chapter 128

    128 Farewell

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    My life started to be more rxed. I felt a little ufortable without the intense nning and constantly tense nerves.

    ¡°Before you say something like that, don¡¯te over here eight times a day to ck off.¡±

    Dorothy speechlessly held an old book in her hands. Directly opposite her, I waszily lying on the sofa, basking in the sun.

    ¡°How can you call this cking off?¡± I retorted, ¡°Life is short, but we should enjoy it while it¡¯s still avable. I recently read this sentence in a human philosophy book, and I think it makes much sense.¡±

    Dorothy was even more speechless. ¡°If you degenerate into azy bum in my room, we will be exiled to human society by both the King and the Queen. By then, you can read as many human philosophy books as you want.¡±

    The peaceful morning passed by in azy bickering session.

    I finally couldn¡¯t hide anymore during the luncheon.

    ¡°Help me eat more roastedmb ribs.¡± Dorothy had turned bad. She was gloating at my misfortune. ¡°I¡¯m so envious that you can attend the luncheon, unlike me, a peasant, who can only stay in my room alone, reading books and sleeping. Sigh, how boring.¡±

    I didn¡¯t want to talk to her and left unwillingly.

    It was not that I didn¡¯t like to attend the luncheon, but I didn¡¯t know how to face the people there.

    The southern Duke... There was no need to mention him. Honestly, I respected and admired his achievements, but I didn¡¯t think much of him as a person. This man who was indecisive in love was one of the origins of all tragedies.

    There was also Carolyn, who was utterly different from Adele. She didn¡¯t have thetter¡¯s annoying rudeness, disrespect, and viciousness. She was a full-on nobledy.

    That was the problem.

    Other than Dorothy, there were no other girls my age in the pce. My father didn¡¯t have siblings, so I had no cousins to get along with.

    My friends are all girls from ordinary families. We usually get along casually, and there was no pressure to speak of.

    This also resulted in me not knowing how to react to Carolyn, the daughter of a Duke who exuded a noble aura from head to toe.

    For example, in a low voice, Carolyn and I were discussing some theology and philosophy. However, please forgive me, Moon Goddess. It was not that I was not devoted to you; it was just that I¡¯d never reallye into contact with these things!

    I lived like a country girl for the first eighteen years of my life. I received an ordinary education. Other than the social science teacher who taught me some simple life principles, I had nothing to do with profound philosophy, let alone theology.

    Even after I reunited with my parents, I didn¡¯t receive much of an aristocraticdy¡¯s education.

    Thus, I didn¡¯t have anything inmon with Carolyn.

    I had deep pity and sympathy for this girl, but there was a limit to how much I couldfort her. I couldn¡¯t just reveal her scars before her, could I?

    I could only awkwardly but politely agree with Carolyn¡¯s argument.

    Caroline was a considerate girl. She quickly noticed my uneasiness, so she pursed her lips and smiled, politely ending the conversation.

    It was a farewell lunch. The southern Duke would bring his daughter back to their pack in the afternoon.

    My father repeatedly asked him to stay, hoping he could keep his official position. However, the southern Duke was already disheartened and repeatedly refused his father¡¯s request. My father could not force him to stay, so he could only send his old friend away.

    After reluctantly saying goodbye, it was time to part.

    My father sent out a team of guards to guard the convoy and watched it leave.

    I noticed that he was in a low mood. He must be a middle-aged man busy with his career and family. It was rare for him to meet his old friends, so he was naturally full of emotions before his friend left.

    This loneliness also infected me as I silently held onto Aldrich¡¯s hand.

    He held my hand and smiled tofort me.

    The rest of my life was boring.

    The Council of Elders chattered on about Adele¡¯s departure. They couldn¡¯t shake my father¡¯s determination, so they could only hinder my father on some minor details.

    My father couldn¡¯t bear the disturbance, so he dealt with an elder who was caught red-handed and sessfully made the others shut up.

    To my surprise, this elder was Lucius. He seemed to be one of my father¡¯s most supportive people!

    My father answered my doubts and educated me, ¡°One could never know a person¡¯s true nature. Not all friends are friends, and not all enemies are mean. Everyone¡¯s image is torn apart, and one aspect cannot represent everything else.¡±

    I was deeply enlightened.

    We didn¡¯t give up on the investigation of the enemy hiding behind Adele, but unfortunately, the only clue left by Adele was the dark wizard, Kafka.

    Kafka was once a wizard who was as famous as Fitch. The two were notorious for causing great casualties to the werewolves in the Wolf-Witch War. They even took the opportunity to kill many other races.

    After the defeat, perhaps knowing that he had made many enemies, he slyly disappeared without a trace. More than twenty years had passed, and no one had heard any news about him.

    This caused our investigation to be stunted and stagnated.

 Chapter 129

    129 New Companion

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    We were also investigating the Eye of Insight. My father sent an advanced team to explore the ruins of the witch n in the Rocky Mountains. We couldn¡¯t underestimate ces where demons are sealed. We needed to get enough information before we could set off.

    During the summer break, I trained while apanying Dorothy.

    What pained me the most was that my social ss had been put on the agenda.

    Anyone could see how ill at ease I was on the day of the farewell luncheon. My father didn¡¯t even have to say anything. My mother alone couldn¡¯t stand how I was at a loss in front of my peers.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t like a princess. Perhaps you need the servant in the tea room to give you some extra lessons?¡±

    My mother rarely criticized me like this, which made me realize how careless I had been in this aspect in the past. Therefore, even if I was impatient with the borate formalities in social ss, I forced myself to remember them.

    At the same time, my mother also found me two ¡®socialpanions. I suspected this was the civilized name for ¡®female attendants¡¯. They were responsible for attending sses with me and testing the results of my studies in daily life.

    Being scrutinized all the time made me miserable.

    However, I didn¡¯t hate them. These two girls were also of noble birth and weren¡¯t as rigid as Carolyn. In private, they were very open, no different from Mara and Avril.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sick of these stupid rules.¡± Emma took advantage of the absence of the etiquette teacher and took a big bite of the chocte with a ferocious expression thatdies were not allowed to show. ¡°Who was the first person in the world to invent social etiquette? We should give him the ¡®most torturous person¡¯ award.¡±

    Emma was the granddaughter of an Earl. As the youngest child in the family, she was naturally not well-behaved. Her mother sent her to the pce against all objections, hoping to ¡®wash away the ruffian aura on her¡¯.

    Jordin agreed, pretending to be serious.

    She was the same age as me, but her parents, who had already taken on the noble title, made outstanding contributions to the Wolf-Witch War. A few years after the war, they passed away one after another due to old injuries, leaving Jordin, still in her infancy, to inherit the title of the ¡®Countess of Mirror Lake.¡¯

    Without her parents¡¯ upbringing and her rtives¡¯ neglect, Jordin was even wilder than Emma.

    I introduced Dorothy to my femalepanions, and they got along well. Emma and Jordin were obviously confused about Dorothy¡¯s eyes, but they didn¡¯t say anything out of courtesy.

    The three girls were a little too close. Sometimes, I was a little jealous. Every time I was forced to be silent because of a philosophical term that I¡¯d never heard of, and I was watching other people¡¯s heated discussions, I always wondered, ¡®why am I here?¡¯

    In short, life passed by peacefully for a while.

    At the end of July, my father called Dorothy and me to the study room to tell us some good news.

    ¡°The advance party has found the ruins of the witch n. The werewolf grandmaster who apanied them has already investigated it, and there is no danger. The witches who lived here then evacuated quickly and didn¡¯t even have time to arrange some defensive sorcery for the n.¡±

    This was in line with the legend that the sorcerers had retreated in an emergency after sealing the demon and the boy and had not been able to take anything with them.

    ¡°What about the devil¡¯s seal?¡± Dorothy and I were most concerned about this. ¡°Have the werewolf grandmasters found the seal? Has it loosened? Was there a pine forest hiding it? Has the devil¡¯s power seeped into the pine forest?¡±

    The devil¡¯s seal was more important than the witch n¡¯s ruins. Its safety directly determines whether we can proceed to the next step of the exploration.

    If the werewolf grandmaster concluded that the seal was dangerous, all the ns that followed would be ruined.

    My father said, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that the werewolf grandmasters didn¡¯t find any traces of the seal. Although they can indeed feel the evil power intertwined with magic power, certain factors interfere with their judgment, making them unable to find the specific location.¡±

    ¡°Do the werewolf grandmasters have any suggestions?¡±

    ¡°Of course there is, but I don¡¯t agree with it.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    Under my questioning, my father passed the advance party¡¯s report to Dorothy and me.

    We found Master Mary¡¯s report. At the end of it, she believed that no werewolf grandmaster, witch or wizard, would be able to find the actual location of the seal because the witch responsible for sealing the devil was the daughter of Mullwica. This meant that she might have used the power of prophecy or even the Eye of Insight.

    Only someone with the same power could break through theyers of the fog she had set up, and that person was Dorothy.

    But Dorothy didn¡¯t have the strong body of a warrior or the rich experience of a werewolf grandmaster. We couldn¡¯t just send her to the Rocky Mountains.

    It was apparent from Adele that the power of prophecy was bewitching and could directly affect people¡¯s minds. Dorothy¡¯s mental barrier was not as strong as Adele¡¯s. Although arge part of thetter¡¯s madness was caused by herself, it could not be used as an excuse for safety.

    Obviously, my father had considered this and disagreed with Master Mary¡¯s suggestion.

 Chapter 130

    130 Letting Go

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    No matter what, my father wouldn¡¯t allow Dorothy to risk going to the Rocky Mountains, much less me.

    We could only leave in low spirits.

    Dorothy¡¯s eyes were getting worse and worse. Recently, she often had dry eyes and tears in the wind. Tracy had done a checkup and said that Dorothy¡¯s eyes had already developed some lesion. Although the degree was still light, no one knew how bad the results would be if this continued.

    Although the advanced party¡¯s news brought us hope, it made us even more anxious.

    Thus, when we were having dinner alone that night, I couldn¡¯t help but mention her father to her.

    Dorothy was not as resistant as thest time, but she did nothing out of the ordinary. She did not care at all, as if I had just mentioned a stranger.

    ¡°I won¡¯t beg him, Selma,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s not just because I¡¯m a stranger to him but also because I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± I asked in confusion.

    Dorothy, however, did not answer my question and instead started discussing her ¡®collection¡¯ with me.

    ¡°You know my mother left many books and notes, right? It¡¯s not all hers. My father left quite some too. I¡¯ve been studying them since I was young, but I was too young to understand anything. I could only read those strange pictures over and over again.

    ¡°It is only now, under the guidance of the werewolf grandmasters, that I fully understood those obscure symbols and words. After reading more, I realized that my mother was also a werewolf grandmaster, but she didn¡¯t make it public. She only quietly studied her hobbies and didn¡¯t let others know. Maybe it was because of my grandmother.

    ¡°My mother left behind many books, but after so many years, I¡¯ve read them many times.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a single record of the Eye of Insight.

    ¡°It¡¯s not in my mother¡¯s books, and it¡¯s not in my father¡¯s books either.

    ¡°Do you know what this means?¡±

    I slowly shook my head.

    Dorothy chuckled and took a sip of orange juice, then said, ¡°This means that they don¡¯t know or don¡¯t care even if they know.

    ¡°If they know nothing about the Eye of Insight, my father doesn¡¯t have this ability. Correspondingly, he doesn¡¯t know how to control the Eye of Insight. Since that¡¯s the case, I don¡¯t think I need to disturb their peaceful lives. We haven¡¯t seen each other for so long that we¡¯ve be strangers. What else is there apart from awkwardness if we suddenly recognize each other?

    ¡°As for the second scenario, they don¡¯t care.¡± Dorothy¡¯s voice became dejected. ¡°Then, there¡¯s even less need to say it, right? Perhaps they didn¡¯t expect me to inherit this one-in-a-million ability, or they didn¡¯t care if my life would be shortened because of this. Since they don¡¯t remember me, I don¡¯t have to be sentimental.¡±

    ¡°Maybe they¡¯re just .. Just...¡± I retorted anxiously.

    The words were at the tip of my tongue, but I couldn¡¯t say anything.

    But what?

    Dorothy had considered every possibility. No matter how I tried to exin it, she would not admit it. She might not know anything about her parents who had eloped, or her father might not care. No matter the situation, he was irresponsible to his daughter.

    Dorothy understood this cruel reality.

    ¡°You¡¯re a good girl, Selma. Even though you always appear to be in a rush and have an impatient personality, I know you¡¯re a gentle and sensitive girl.¡± Dorothyughed. ¡°You¡¯re sad for me, aren¡¯t you? ¡±

    I nodded uneasily.

    ¡°It¡¯s not necessary at all.¡± She shook her head ndly. ¡°It¡¯s been neen years. If I still haven¡¯te to my senses, then it would not be Adele, who is locked up today, but me.

    ¡°Prophecy is a very fair ability. You can see through others, but you can¡¯t see through yourself. This eliminates the possibility of you cheating in this world.

    ¡°And no one can change the fate of the past. Even those who read the Book of Destiny can¡¯t cheat.

    ¡°If I could, I¡¯d be able to see my blind-ending and then try my best to change it. But I didn¡¯t see it, just like I didn¡¯t see the ending when my parents were summoned to return.

    ¡°So, there¡¯s no need to be bothered by this. It¡¯s all destined. I believe the goddess will not abandon her believers, so there¡¯s no need to worry about my future.¡±

    There was a heartless sense of relief in her words. This cruelty was for herself and her past. She digested all her sorrow and anger alone and calmly put down the remnant pages of the past.

    Because she knew she had no choice, letting go felt helpless, but it was also a kind of release.

    At this moment, no one could help but feel sorry for this strong girl.

    I then moved on from this topic and never mentioned it to Dorothy again.

 Chapter 131

    131 Evil Sorcery

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    It was the middle of summer, but the air was filled with the fragrance of spring.

    Avril and Perrin fell in love. She often shared her thoughts with us. From her behavior, it seemed like she couldn¡¯t wait to marry Perrin tomorrow.

    Perrin looked like an honest boy, but he still said the same thing, ¡°One may know a person¡¯s face, but not their heart. Thus, Dorothy, Mara, and I fulfilled our duties as advisors and protected their rtionship.

    Sometimes, Emma and Jordin woulde over and give her some ideas.

    That was right; from my introduction, they got to know Avril and Mara and quickly developed a friendship that didn¡¯t conform to the ¡®noble code¡¯.

    It seemed that being of equal social status was the basic standard of human rtionships, so much so that even Avril and Mara felt it was unreal initially.

    ¡°I hope there won¡¯t be a noble lord who will bid one million to ask me to leave his daughter,¡± Mara said jokingly. ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee that I will remain loyal to my friends when I smell money.¡±

    It had been a week since my conversation with my father in the study. Due to my excellent acting skills, my mother finally rxed her restrictions on me and allowed me to take a day off.

    It was Mara¡¯s birthday, and we were invited to her birthday party.

    As Dorothy was injured in the battle with Adele, she moved into the pce in the guise of ¡®recuperation¡¯ and finally did not have to hide anymore.

    Correspondingly, under the watchful eyes of the public, her sorcerer bloodline could no longer be hidden.

    The girls didn¡¯t have any resistance to this. At first, they were surprised for a while, but that was it. After all, no matter how bloody a legend was, it couldn¡¯t be more convincing than a friend who was with them all the time, right?

    Emma and Jordin did not seem to be surprised at all. Their families were open-minded and progressive; they had even produced a few werewolf grandmasters, so they were not surprised at all.

    We met at Mara¡¯s house.

    She had invited many friends and ssmates, and her house was full of guests.

    The surging music and the dancing confetti stirred up everyone¡¯s dance bones. We excitedly sang loudly, almost shaking the roof.

    In the corner of the crowd, I saw Ryan with a gloomy face.

    He was no longer the high-spirited genius writer that he used to be. He sat alone in the corner of the sofa, with no one talking to him, and he just drank sparkling water alone.

    Mara must hate him and would not let him appear in front of Avril. Why would she invite him?

    I asked Mara about it, and she helplessly said, ¡°I can¡¯t wait to never see this b*stard again in my life! His father is my father¡¯s superior, and my father asked me to invite him! Since you can¡¯t find an opportunity to show your emotions to your boss, you¡¯d sell your daughter to see if you can get a generous reward.¡±

    ¡°So, your dad wants you to date Ryan?¡± I asked in shock.

    The girls also acted as if they had heard a ridiculous joke.

    ¡°He¡¯s dreaming!¡± Mara was indignant. ¡°Ryan? I won¡¯t do it even if you give me ten million! How unlucky!¡±

    Parents would sometimes think too simply of their children¡¯s interpersonal rtionships. They felt that it was just a minor disagreement between their children and that there was no longsting hatred. They just had to hug and make up for a while.

    Especially for some adults, in the face of benefits, even their children had to make way, let alone their children¡¯s interpersonal rtionships.

    However, based on Mara¡¯s attitude toward Ryan, her father would make a fool of himself.

    ¡°Can you just go and greet him?¡± Avril asked, a little worried. Don¡¯t worry about me. I don¡¯t care about him anymore.¡±

    She and Perrin were holding hands.

    Mara shook her head indifferently. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go. Let the adults tter themselves. Does my father expect me to win the CEO throne for him?¡± she asked.

    Seeing this, we didn¡¯t say anything more and went to enjoy the party.

    I didn¡¯t expect that something would happen that night.

    We were all a little tired. Some students said goodbye to Mara one after another, and the rest gathered in twos and threes, whispering to the soothing music.

    At this moment, a shrill scream broke the silence.

    The sound came from the bathroom on the second floor. We hurried over to look, only to see a bloody scene.

    Ryan was bleeding from his seven orifices and twitching on the ground. A strange magic circle was drawn around him, and on the nodes of the magic circle were a rabbit, a frog, and a bunch of disgusting caterpirs.

    The moment I saw the formation, I felt a sharp pain. I held my head and fell. From the corner of my eye, I noticed that the others were in the same situation as me.

    A spell attacked us.

    Ignoring the pain, I stood up and shouted to the people, ¡°All of you, get out! Don¡¯t look at the formation on the ground!¡±

    Then, I picked up the cup from the sink, filled it with water, and poured it onto the array.

    The water dispersed the blood, and the magic circle slowly lost its effect.

    Ryan also stopped twitching.

    No matter how much I hated him, life was at stake. I tried to wake him up. ¡°Hey! Ryan! Can you hear me?! Hey! Wake up!¡±

    However, Ryan¡¯s eyes were closed, and he showed no reaction.

    I quickly called for an ambnce, and when I turned around, I saw Dorothy staring coldly at the iplete formation on the ground.

    ¡°This is a spell to summon the devil. The blood is Ryan¡¯s.¡±

    She looked at me with the cloth over her eyes in her hand.

    Her dark eyes were extremely clear.

 Chapter 132

    132 Leviathan

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°You can see!¡±

    Dorothy¡¯s eyes were no longer unfocused, and her vision was no longer as unfocused as before.

    ¡°Yes.¡± She nodded, but her expression was still serious. ¡°But I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not good.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I asked.

    She didn¡¯t answer me but used a spell to check Ryan¡¯s brain. Then, she frowned and said, ¡°He disappeared.¡±

    ¡°Disappeared?¡± I didn¡¯t understand. Ryan was still lying there.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like disappearing in the physical sense,¡± Dorothy said. ¡°It¡¯s his soul. His soul is gone. What¡¯s left here is a cold shell.¡±

    We looked at the formation on the ground at the same time. Although the water had destroyed it, it still had a strong evil aura.

    ¡°Demons again...¡± I sighed.

    The Rocky Mountains demon hadn¡¯t been killed yet, and now another demon of unknown origin had appeared.

    Although I have no talent for sorcery, I learned much about this area from the werewolf grandmaster. After careful observation, I found this was a broken curse array simr to a cat and tiger.

    Under the evil power¡¯s corrosion, the animals¡¯ bodies rotted very quickly. Before the police arrived, only their skulls were left on the ground.

    Everything in hell was the opposite of the human world. Taking away the flesh and leaving the skull behind was proof of a Soul Catcher.

    The pile of disgusting caterpirs also melted into a pool of sticky liquid, forming a whale pattern.

    Dorothy and I looked at each other, and we both knew the answer.

    Leviathan.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it,¡± Dorothy said solemnly. ¡°What price did Ryan pay to summon the great demon from the depths of the ocean? A small soul is not enough to fill the gaps between Leviathan¡¯s teeth.¡±

    Given that Ryan was performing the ritual in the middle of a gathering, I couldn¡¯t help but worry that he had used the souls of everyone present as the price for the sacrifice.

    Thus, I immediately gathered my anxious ssmates in the living room and asked them to get their parents toe over.

    ¡°Before the police arrive, no one can leave,¡± I repeatedly emphasized.

    Following that, I sent a message to the pce saying that a demon¡¯s sacrifice was beyond the scope of the police¡¯s responsibility and that a werewolf grandmaster was needed to resolve it.

    Just as I was dealing with all the matters, a muffled sound suddenly came from the bathroom.

    It was Dorothy!

    I immediately ran up the stairs and saw a scene that made my eyes pop out of their sockets. Ryan was strangling Dorothy and pushing her against the mirror. His pale face was filled with viciousness.

    Dorothy struggled with all her might, but she was unable to retaliate.

    ¡°Let her go!¡±

    I picked up the incense table beside me and threw it at Ryan. When he subconsciously let go, I pounced on him like I had caught a rabbit. I picked up the toothbrush and nailed Ryan to the ground, unable to move.

    When I met his eyes, all the hair on my body trembled. His eyes were darker than the chaos, and they were unfathomably deep.

    He wasn¡¯t Ryan!

    I was sure that Ryan¡¯s body was possessed by something, so I immediately sent Dorothy, on the verge of fainting, to the door and asked the students watching the fun to take her downstairs. No matter what happened, she was not allowed toe upstairs.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so worried, Miss,¡± Ryan spoke in a coquettish woman¡¯s voice. ¡°This body is too useless. I can¡¯t do anything, can I? ¡±

    ¡°Who are you?¡± I coldly asked.

    ¡®Ryan¡¯ smiled coyly, and honestly, this was strange. She looked at me innocently and replied, ¡°You already have the answer in your heart.¡±

    I nervously clenched my fists.

    Sure enough, the one who had upied Ryan¡¯s body was the great demon Leviathan!

    ¡°Where¡¯s Ryan? Where did you take him?¡±

    I vaguely knew that Ryan¡¯s fate wouldn¡¯t be too good. How many people had a good end after making a deal with the devil? The wild beasts of hell would have probably devoured him by now.

    Leviathan did not care about his embarrassing situation and said indifferently, ¡°You mean that stupid young man? Oh, who knows? Perhaps he is taking a bath in theva? Perhaps he has made some new friends with horns? But don¡¯t worry, hell has always been very hospitable, and there¡¯s not a single guest who doesn¡¯t want to stay after enjoying our hospitality.¡±

    Of course, they couldn¡¯t help but want to. After bing the devil¡¯s ves, all that awaited these souls were endless envement.

    I couldn¡¯t control Ryan anymore, but I had to figure out what deal he had made with Leviathan.

    ¡°What kind of deal did you make with Ryan? What did you promise to give him? And what price did he pay?¡±

    Leviathan nced at me andughed. ¡°How rude. Don¡¯t you know that every word a demon sayses with a price? If you want to know my answer, what can you give in exchange?¡±

    How detestable! This greedy sea monster!

    Of course, I wouldn¡¯t be so stupid as to exchange something for the answer, but I had no choice but to be in a stalemate with Leviathan.

    However, Leviathan didn¡¯t seem to care about the stalemate.

 Chapter 133

    133 The Mutation

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°I¡¯m feeling a little cold.¡± Leviathan looked at the toothbrush on his shoulder and the bleeding wound. ¡°Are you not going to put me down? This is your ssmate¡¯s body. Won¡¯t he die from losing too much blood?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the point of keeping a physical body if the soul is gone?¡± I didn¡¯t care about her crazy words. ¡°Ryan¡¯s soul is in your hands. Are you going to be merciful and let him go?¡±

    Leviathanughed and shook her head. ¡°Haha! That won¡¯t do. Only demons are greedier than dragons. I don¡¯t want to give up anything of mine for nothing.¡±

    The police sirens came from outside the window, and my phone also received a notification.

    The police and the werewolf grandmasters had arrived.

    ¡°Oh, our time together is really short,¡± Leviathan said regretfully. ¡°It seems that our gathering ising to an end.¡±

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I became alert.

    Sheughed awkwardly and removed her toothbrush. She stood up and said, ¡°It¡¯s been long since west met. I¡¯m giving you a piece of information for free. Just take it as an introductory gift.¡±

    My intuition told me that this demon was up to no good. ¡°What are you saying? Who¡¯s reuniting with you after a long time?¡±

    Ryan¡¯s body began to rot and crack, and Leviathan¡¯s gentle voice began to change. She said, ¡°My dear, you destroyed the formation? I could have had everyone¡¯s soul, but I only received one of the worst qualities.

    ¡°I¡¯ve taken someone¡¯s money and helped them get rid of their disaster. Since I¡¯ve received the reward, I have to help them achieve their wishes.

    ¡°However, I can onlyplete a little of the same value as the reward.

    ¡°What a pity. The person he wants to take revenge on the most isn¡¯t here, and you, my dear, I can¡¯t bear to do anything to you.¡±

    Leviathan looked out the door as if she had X-ray eyes, observing someone through theyers of concrete.

    I had a bad feeling and pounced on her.

    However, it was still toote. ck smoke with a strong fishy smell came out of Ryan¡¯s seven orifices and slipped through the door¡¯s crack.

    I couldn¡¯t care less about Ryan¡¯s body and immediately ran downstairs.

    When I stepped on the ground floor, a wisp of ck smoke passed through the panicking crowd and gushed straight into Dorothy¡¯s body.

    ¡°No!¡±

    I was shocked and quickly went forward to check on Dorothy¡¯s condition.

    Dorothy was knocked back onto the sofa by the impact. Both her eyes were bleeding, and her pupils were constantly expanding until they upied her eyes.

    ¡°What have you done?!¡± I roared.

    Leviathan, who had turned into ck smoke, chuckled and said, ¡°It¡¯s just a little help. I know what you¡¯re worried about, my dear.

    ¡°What a magical eye. Even I am envious of its power.

    ¡°The price of a treasure is always heavy.

    ¡°If you want to know the answer, go to the Rocky Mountains and take a look.

    ¡°There¡¯s a way to solve everything there.¡±

    At this moment, the vi¡¯s door was knocked open by the werewolf grandmasters. Through the door, I saw a group of strange monsters fighting with the police in the courtyard. They were soft all over, like boneless bugs.

    I suddenly thought of the dead body of the caterpir on the magic circle and looked at Leviathan in disbelief.

    ¡°Do you like this little gift?¡± Sheughed maniacally. ¡°Time¡¯s up. I look forward to our next meeting!¡±

    The ck smoke suddenly dispersed. I subconsciously tried to catch it, but I only touched the air.

    The room was still echoing with her voice, ¡°Go to the Rocky Mountains and find the answer!¡±

    Following that, a wisp of ck smoke suddenly entered my mouth. I didn¡¯t even have time to react.

    The ck smoke was even colder than liquid nitrogen. I instantly felt that my internal organs had been frozen. The terrifying cold air corroded my body from the inside out.

    I subconsciously coughed. My cold and stiff internal organs made me extremely ufortable. I wished I could cut open my stomach and take them out.

    Under this unbearable torture, I quickly lost consciousness.

    When I woke up, I was lying in the hospital. Dorothy was on the bed next to me.

    This was rare because there were plenty of medical pieces of equipment in the pce. I had to ask Tracy for treatment for any minor illness or pain.

    However, there was no space in the pce for manyrge pieces of equipment. To be admitted to the hospital could only mean that Dorothy and I were in critical condition. We could no longer be treated with the medical resources in the pce.

    I btedly realized that countless drips were inserted in my body, and a fewrge instruments surrounded me as if purifying my blood.

    ¡°Is anyone there... ¡±

    I was startled by my hoarse voice.

    I pressed the call bell next to me, and someone quickly entered the room.

    My parents were wearing a full set of protective equipment and looked at me in grief.

    ¡°Oh, my baby...¡± my mother¡¯s tears fell like rain.

    I asked weakly, ¡°What happened to me? What¡¯s wrong with Dorothy? What are these machines for?¡±

    This question made her mother cry even harder, so much so that my father had no choice but tofort her and send her out of the ward.

    When he returned, he seemed to be helplessly thinking about something. Then, he said in a deep voice, ¡°The demon has contaminated your and Dorothy¡¯s bodies. Child, your blood has mutated, transforming you into a demon.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I cried out in disbelief, and instantly, I was in excruciating pain from the tubes all over my body due to my sudden movement.

    Golden runes could be seen on the vascr channel and the machine. It was the work of the werewolf grandmaster.

 Chapter 134

    134 Seriously Ill

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    This was a purification spell, not sorcery. It was a gift from Moon Goddess.

    They were the evidence that I was beyond cure.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a week,¡± my father said. ¡°In this week, the doctor has given you countless critical notices, and the werewolf grandmasters have been waiting outside your ward at all times.¡±

    ¡°I know why. Once I undergo an irreversible mutation and be an irrational monster, the werewolf grandmaster must purify me before I cause any casualties.

    The so-called ¡®purification¡¯ meant my death.

    ¡°But I¡¯m lying here, aren¡¯t I?¡± I smiled andforted my father. ¡°I¡¯m awake. This is proof that I¡¯m getting better.¡±

    My father didn¡¯t say anything and only looked at me sorrowfully.

    Thus, I fell silent.

    Being clear-headed might not be a good thing. On the contrary, it was more like a final radiance before death.

    ¡°... What about Dorothy?¡± I asked.

    My father looked at Dorothy, who was lying on the other bed. Unlike me, she didn¡¯t have so many tubes inserted into her body. Her eyes were covered with gauze, and the gauze and her entire face were covered with golden purification runes.

    ¡°The doctor said she has lost her sightpletely,¡± my father said.

    ¡°She¡¯s mutated as well, but unlike you, her mutation is in the soul. The werewolf grandmasters had no choice but to seal her magic power to prevent her mutation from causing any casualties.¡±

    Sealing her magic power, just like Adele, would make Dorothy, a cripple.

    I couldn¡¯t believe how she would face all of this when she woke up.

    One wave had yet to calm down, and another wave hade. Not only did she lose her eyesight, but she might also lose the power she was so proud of forever. How was this girl going to live her life from now on? What else could she ce her hopes on in this world?

    ¡°Also, about Ryan Mafra¡¯s crime.¡± My father suddenly said, ¡°We¡¯ve discovered that the demon he summoned is the deep-sea monster, Leviathan. We might as well stop the ritual. Everyone present is safe and sound, except...¡±

    ¡°Except for Dorothy and I.¡± I¡¯d calmly epted the truth. ¡°Speaking of Leviathan, she said some inexplicable crazy things and even asked Dorothy to go to the Rocky Mountains to find the answer. Do you think that¡¯s true? Or is it a confusing lie?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, child. No one can see through a demon¡¯s heart,¡± my father sighed.

    At this moment, I suddenly realized that my exhausted father didn¡¯t look like a king. He was like most fathers in the world, worried about their children until their hair turned white.

    I felt guilty.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Father. I shouldn¡¯t have faced a demon alone so proudly,¡± I apologized softly. ¡°I should have known I was far from being her match.¡±

    My father was very surprised. ¡°This is not your fault, child. On the contrary, you protected the other students from the devil.¡±

    He wanted to touch my hair like he used to, but he couldn¡¯t because I was covered in tubes.

    ¡°I¡¯m proud of you,¡± he said softly.

    I heard a barely noticeable choking sound.

    We fell silent.

    After a long time, my mother came in. She seemed to have barely calmed down and forced a smile to face me.

    ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± My mother sat on a chair by the bed. ¡°Are you too tired from training? You¡¯ve been cking off for quite a while.¡±

    I smiled and replied, ¡°It¡¯s quitefortable, but I¡¯ve been lying there for a long time. I¡¯m cking off all over.¡±

    My mother wanted to say something but couldn¡¯t hold back her tears. She turned around and buried herself in my father¡¯s arms.

    Looking at my parents, enduring the pain, I felt extremely sad.

    Once again, they were severely hurt because of me.

    I left them when I was still a baby. The Moon Goddess took pity on my poor family and sent me back to them.

    But this time, Moon Goddess no longer cared for me. The fire from hell was about to destroy this happy family I¡¯d lived with for a year. Once I leave, I might nevere back.

    I knew that the purification runes drawn by the werewolf grandmasters were too weak in the face of the power of a supreme demon. They were unable to reverse my mutation from the root.

    It was only a matter of time.

    ¡°I¡¯m a little hungry, ¡± I said to my mother. ¡°Is there anything to eat?¡±

    My mother nodded quickly, wiped her tears, and walked out of the ward to prepare food for me.

    ¡°I want to go to the Rocky Mountains,¡± I told my father.

    ¡°No,¡± my father immediately refused.

    ¡°I am not giving up on myself, ¡± Iforted my father. ¡°I do not want to go to the Rocky Mountains to die. It¡¯s just that I always felt that what Leviathan said to me at that time was not a prank but that there was a hidden meaning in her words. Maybe the Rocky Mountains hide the answer that can solve all our problems?¡±

    My father looked at me in silence.

    ¡°I¡¯m not stupid enough to listen to a demon,¡± I continued, ¡°But it seems that this is the only solution, right? You know me, Father. I¡¯ve never been one to submit to adversity.¡±

    Waiting for death was not my style.

 Chapter 135

    135 Engraved Runes

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I persistently tried to persuade my father. In the end, my father helplessly asked, ¡°Even if I let you go, what can you do with your current state of health? It¡¯s just a change of ce to insert the vascr channel.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± I insisted, ¡°But I believe there must be a temporary way to stop this mutation.¡±

    Since the purifying rune could purify my blood by drawing it on the conduit, if I engraved it on my body or even my soul, could it temporarily stop the mutation?

    ¡°This is too risky!¡± My father was shocked by my whimsical idea. ¡°No, definitely not.¡±

    ¡°But Dorothy¡¯s face has purification runes, right? ¡± I asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m any weaker than Dorothy. I can handle this.¡±

    My father shook his head. ¡°Dorothy¡¯s runes were only drawn on. They didn¡¯t harm her body. If the rune is ced on your body, the scars that contain the power of the Moon Goddess will never be healed. It will follow you for the rest of your life, let alone your soul!¡±

    No matter how easy-going they were with their words, few people didn¡¯t care about their appearance. Even a person with an e scars on their face would be depressed for a long time, not to mention a face full of hideous scars.

    Honestly, it was impossible for me not to care about this.

    But I was not afraid.

    Looks were precious, but my life didn¡¯t revolve around my face.

    ¡°You once said that scars are a soldier¡¯s medal of honor.

    ¡°No gorgeous metal or ribbon canpare to the blood-stained proof of warrior.

    ¡°I¡¯m ashamed that I haven¡¯t been tested by blood and fire, which often makes me wonder if I can be a powerful warrior and shoulder the country and people.¡±

    I touched my soft face and smiled.

    ¡°No girl doesn¡¯t take pride in their looks, and I¡¯m no exception.

    ¡°However, no warrior cannot be proud of his courage. I am no exception.

    ¡°I care about my appearance, but I¡¯m not afraid of scars. I look forward to bing a true warrior to prove my courage and determination and that I can shoulder responsibilities.¡±

    I scratched my soft cheek with my sharp nails, and blood gushed out of the wound.

    I looked straight into my father¡¯s shocked eyes and firmly said, ¡°Let me draw the first stroke of the runes and take the first step to be a true warrior!¡±

    The blood that dripped from my cheeks carried an imperceptible dark aura. However, I knew that my blood would be one with this ck aura in a few months. By then, there would be no way to stop things from sliding into the abyss.

    After a long while, my father smiled helplessly.

    ¡°You know what? You remind me of my younger self.¡± He looked at me kindly, as if he was looking through me. ¡°I was just like you at that time. I was impulsive, reckless, and had boundless courage and motivation. I¡¯ve suffered a lot because of this, but it¡¯s also because of this that I¡¯ve be who I am today.

    ¡°I promise you I will ask the werewolf grandmasters to discuss the feasibility of this method.¡±

    ¡°If the werewolf grandmasters say yes, will you agree?¡± I asked excitedly.

    ¡°Of course.¡± He smiled and touched my hair. This time, he didn¡¯t care about the tubes.

    ¡°You are my daughter. I will always support you in everything, child.¡±

    Suddenly, another voice came from the room.

    ¡°And me, Your Majesty, Selma.¡±

    It was Dorothy. She had woken up.

    I looked over in surprise. Although Dorothy could not see, she looked at my father and me directly.

    ¡°What?¡±

    I didn¡¯t understand for a moment.

    ¡°And I will engrave those patterns on my face too.¡± Dorothy said, ¡°As the princess¡¯s friend and follower, I must have the courage and determination to match you, right? ¡±

    This shocked me. For a moment, I didn¡¯t know whether to answer about the ¡®princess¡¯ or to advise her not to put herself in danger.

    I could be cruel to myself, but Dorothy was not in good health. How could she bear such pain?

    However, Dorothy was one step ahead and cut me off, ¡°I¡¯ve made up my mind. Since Leviathan asked me to go to the Rocky Mountains, how can I leave my friend to face danger alone?

    ¡°Whether it was the devil¡¯s scheme or her reminder out of conscience, I have to go. You can control your fate. Once you admit defeat to fate, it will not hesitate to devour you.

    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me, Selma. I¡¯m a mixed-blood of a sorcerer and a werewolf. I¡¯m the master of the Eye of Insight. I will be the top sorcerer and werewolf master in the future. How can I fulfill my dream if I can¡¯t endure this bit of physical pain?

    ¡°So, take me with you.¡±

 Chapter 136

    136 The Man And The Wolf

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    After our repeated insistence, my father agreed.

    However, this was only one of the many mountains. My mother would not allow me to take the risk no matter what. In the end, I could only say, ¡°If I don¡¯t do this, I¡¯ll die.¡±

    My mother was so shocked that she couldn¡¯t stop crying.

    I didn¡¯t want to reveal this cruel fact, but I had no choice.

    ¡°So far, all the methods have been useless against my mutation. Even the purification runes are like a cup of water on a burning firewood cart if they are only drawn on my skin.

    ¡°If I don¡¯t do anything, my death will be inevitable. Since that was the case, why not give it a try? Perhaps this is my only chance of survival.¡±

    My mother seemed to be on the verge of fainting, but in the end, she still agreed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t leave Mommy behind, baby.¡± She said mournfully, ¡°I don¡¯t want anything. I only have one request, darling. Don¡¯t leave Mommy behind again. I beg you.¡±

    I nodded sadly. I couldn¡¯t bear to look at her anymore. I turned around and entered the treatment room, closing the door.

    The werewolf grandmaster, who was most skilled in ancient incantations, had already made preparations. She was in charge of carving purification runes all over my body.

    ¡°You still have a chance to change your mind,¡± she said. ¡°This will be extremely painful than any wound caused by any weapon. The goddess¡¯s power protects you, but the powerful divine power will constantly erode your muscles.¡±

    I took off my clothes and disyed my arms. ¡°No matter how painful it is, can it be more unbearable than turning into a monster? Come on.¡±

    The engraving began.

    The first time I cut with the special potion, I felt a sharp pain that pierced into my bone marrow. It was as if this thin de had cut into my bone marrow and twisted around wantonly.

    To divert my attention, I started chatting with the werewolf grandmaster.

    ¡°You look a little unfamiliar. I¡¯ve never attended your ss, have I?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± the werewolf grandmaster said, her pen moving non-stop. ¡°My name is Hayley. I was on a business trip in Asia when you received sorcery education, so I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t meet you.¡±

    ¡°But I think you look a little familiar.¡±

    ¡°Of course. Master Mary is my twin sister. You must have attended her ss.¡±

    ¡°Are you and Master Mary sisters?¡± I was a little surprised. ¡°It would be great if you didn¡¯t go on a business trip. I think your sses must be exciting.¡±

    Hayley chuckled and shook her head. ¡°Of course not. Only ancient spells are the most boring among so many categories of sorcery. If you can listen to the ss for thirty minutes and not fall asleep, you¡¯ll be a rare genius in this subject!¡±

    ¡°What are the ancient spells?¡±

    ¡°It has everything. Ancient werewolfnguage, ancient sorcery, ancient Elvennguage, and even a myriad of ancient humannguages. Any living creature¡¯snguage you can imagine is included. Because it¡¯s tooplicated and boring, few people are willing to learn it. Even the elves and sorcerers don¡¯t value their ancient spells as much as they used to.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± I was confused. ¡°Ancient spells contain great power. How can there be a race that doesn¡¯t value it? ¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s useless,¡± Hayley replied helplessly. ¡°Most of the ancient incantations are variations of the holy words of gods or the teachings of sages. Of course, they can y a significant role in the chaotic old era. But now, even the vampires and the human churches can pretend that they can¡¯t see each other, let alone others. What¡¯s the use of those powerful burning sun curses and blood-changing curses?

    ¡°Moreover, some substitutes for these powerful spells can be found today, and many of them are even more useful than ancient spells. Therefore, no one is willing to spend time studying these.¡±

    After carving thest stroke on my left hand, Hayley concluded, ¡°No matter how much we refuse to admit it, the influence of humans on us is thousands of times greater than we think, right? It¡¯s no longer the era where humans are as weak as rabbits. They¡¯ve be the overlords of the living, subtly changing the world.¡±

    Hayley¡¯s words made me fall into deep thought.

    Indeed, today¡¯s world was no longer the world of the Middle Ages. Even if humans were physically weak and divided, no one could deny that they were far stronger than other races. Their influence continued to transform other races.

    For example, the werewolvesughed at Avril, a Valkyrie-like girl who admired courage and strength. This was something that could not be imagined even a hundred years ago.

    However, it was happening now. Humans liked pure, fragile, and innocent women, and the teenagers who grew up watching human movies and singing human pop songs would naturally have the same preference.

    The lifestyle of the werewolves was simr to that of humans. Human society seemed to be no longer as fearsome as the Siberian wilderness. Some criminals who were exiled there even cheered for joy.

    At this point, how much of the werewolf¡¯s ego did we still have?

    And how much of this self would be left in the constant erosion that followed?

 Chapter 137

    137 The Ancient Incantations

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    An unbearable pain pulled me back from my thoughts.

    I couldn¡¯t help but cry out in pain. Hayley gave me aforting look, but the carving knife in her hand didn¡¯t stop.

    Every part of the seal script was connected. Once it stopped or was interrupted, it wouldpletely lose its effect.

    The first section of runes on my left hand had already beenpleted. Hayley was currently dealing with my forearm. The skin on the artery on my wrist was far too fragile, and it was even less painful than the other parts of my body.

    ¡°Please bear with it. It¡¯ll be over soon.¡± Hayley moved faster.

    I clenched my teeth and panted heavily, forcing myself not to think about the intense pain that felt like my wrist was being run over by a truck.

    ¡°Did anything interesting happen when you were on your business trip in Asia?¡± I had to talk about something to divert my attention. ¡°I¡¯ve never been there. I only learned about it in geography ss.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing fun,¡± said Hayley. ¡°The whole trip was boring. Anything rted to ancient spells is not interesting.¡±

    She sounded resentful but also proud.

    ¡°Where have you been? China? Japan? Thand? Indonesia?¡±

    ¡°I went to Myanmar, which is next to Thand. Myanmar has a fascinating spell culture. I visited some masters who lived in seclusion and learned the local ancient spells from them.¡±

    ¡°What are these incantations about?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s veryplicated. The local area doesn¡¯t seem to have aplete system, or the onceplete system has been destroyed. In short, I could only learn some fragments. Many ancient spells have lost their effect because they are too iplete.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you made a wasted trip.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t go there for nothing. At least I learned a newnguage.¡± Hayley was inexplicably happy. ¡°And I¡¯ve filled in the nk space on the world map. Isn¡¯t that the happiest thing to do?¡±

    ¡°The world map? Is this an ancient incantation version of the world map youpiled yourself?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not aption, just a small hobby. ording to the ancient incantations I have collected ording to the map, so far, I have collected most of the ancient incantations in the werewolf area. I have also collected a lot in other ces. Only Asia is left, so any harvest is precious.¡±

    The pain in my inner arm was no less than that in my wrist. I continued to ask, ¡°Why are there so few in Asia? Do you rarely have the chance to travel across the sea? Maybe I can help you apply for more opportunities from the Lycan King. You¡¯re doing something very meaningful; he¡¯ll agree.¡±

    Hayley smiled gratefully and declined, ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Miss. But there¡¯s no need for that. His Majesty has not imposed any restrictions on werewolf grandmasters. I can leave at any time.¡±

    ¡°So, why?¡±

    ¡°There are many reasons. Language barriers, customs, family heritage, the safety of the local area, and so on. Asia protects ancient spells much better than the Americas and Europe, which means they don¡¯t need anyone to cause trouble.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s always a pity you can¡¯t collect them.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, but my main purpose is to hope these ancient spells won¡¯t be lost. Since they¡¯re being passed down, I can¡¯t just rob them of it, right? Do you know where I should go when I want to study the ancient spells in Africa?¡±

    ¡°Where?¡±

    ¡°The museums and libraries of various countries in Europe and the Americas. Many years ago, they were lost along with gold and silver, and humans couldn¡¯t understand these strange words and pictures, so they called it the ¡®ruins of the primitive people¡¯ and openly showed it off in the ss cab.¡±

    Hayley was a little indignant.

    ¡°How can humans know how to protect? The magic circuits between these ancient spells gradually dried up as time passed and stopped flowing. In the end, they became lifeless paper and stones. No matter howplete the spells or runes carved on them were, they were useless. Without magic, the spells would lose their lives forever.¡±

    The topic was a little heavy, and we couldn¡¯t help but fall silent.

    After the engraving on my left forearm was done, Hayley mixed the potion and said in embarrassment, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. This is a little embarrassing. I¡¯m just a little impulsive. I can¡¯t stop talking when I¡¯m in a rush. Mary always criticizes me, but I can¡¯t change it.¡±

    I gestured to her that she was okay. ¡°Don¡¯t think that way. You¡¯re a person of justice. You¡¯re right. The world has indeed lost many precious things.¡±

    Hayley was pleased with my support. She whispered, ¡°Thank you, Miss. This gives me more motivation to publish my ancient spell map.¡±

    ¡°Are you nning to publish your work?¡± I was surprised. ¡°These spells are precious.¡±

    ¡°They are precious to be known by others, and they¡¯ll be useful to them,¡± said Hayley in relief. ¡°Otherwise, they would be no different from the forgotten collection in the ss cab and disappear sooner orter.¡±

    ¡°You are a noble person.¡± I was filled with profound awe.

    ¡°You¡¯re ttering me too much.¡± Hayley smiled shyly. ¡°These ancient spells are not mine. God and the sages created them. They belong to the world.¡±

    We conversed for an entire day, and the pain of engraving the seal wasn¡¯t so unbearable anymore.

    Late at night, the ¡®torture¡¯ that hadsted for an entire day finally ended.

 Chapter 138

    138 No One Can Sleep

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Looking at the unfamiliar girl in the mirror, I felt like I was in a dream.

    When I was a child, I saw a tyrant covered in tattoos inics. I thought it was cool back then, but things were not so wonderful when I became a tyrant.

    The pale golden medicine flowed into the scar, giving off a faint glow from time to time.

    ¡°With the healing speed of werewolves, these scars will bepletely healed in about a week. The same tattoo as the purification rune will appear on your body by then.

    The power of the Moon Goddess will continuously tear and heal your wound. The process is speedy, so it won¡¯t be evident on the surface. However, the pain won¡¯t disappear.

    ¡°You have to get used to this feeling. Don¡¯t scratch the tattoo. If the tattoo is damaged, everything will be in vain.¡±

    Like what Hayley had said, although my wounds had already scabbed, the burning pain was still wreaking havoc on my body.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said.

    I put on my clothes and walked out of the medical room.

    My parents were waiting outside the door. My father was sitting on the sofa reading documents while my mother looked out the window in a daze.

    When they saw me, they stopped what they were doing and came to me.

    ¡°Father, Mother, the process went smoothly,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°My mutation has been temporarily contained. Master Hayley said there will be no problem for the next six months.¡±

    My parents were lost in thought as they looked at the tattoos on my face and exposed arms.

    ¡°Moon Goddess,¡± my mother trembled as she touched the runes on my cheek. ¡°How painful, how painful...¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mother. It¡¯s not as painful as you think.¡± I held her hand and consoled her. ¡°It seems like it was worth it, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯ll have to wear these tattoos for the rest of your life!¡± My mother cried. The power of the goddess can not be cursed. Once it is imprinted, it can not be washed away. You are still so young; what will you do in the future...¡±

    My father held my mother in his arms and said gently, ¡°Have some faith in our daughter, Helena. Do you know how brave she is?¡±

    ¡°I know, but... Oh, my god...¡±

    I hugged my parents tightly and sobbed, ¡°Tattoos are the trend now. Everyone has one, so I won¡¯t stand out.¡±

    After we collected ourselves, we looked at the other medical room.

    Dorothy was inside with another werewolf grandmaster who specialized in the soul.

    Dorothy¡¯s engraving process was much more manageable. She only had to engrave on her head, but the foundation of her engraving process was her soul, which made all the work dangerous.

    Therefore, Master Hayley first carved marks on my body to train the feeling.

    After all, the skin could be changed, but the soul could not.

    Dorothy was not idle either. The werewolf grandmaster had to castyers of protection on her soul, which was even more time-consuming than inscribing.

    Master Hayley packed up her tools and was waiting in the medical room. I wanted to wait for Dorothy, but my mother insisted I go for dinner first.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a whole day, and you haven¡¯t eaten anything. You have to eat something now, or your body will copse,¡± she said.

    I had no choice but to eat some of the kitchen¡¯s special nutritious meals. Although nutrition doesn¡¯t alwayse with good taste, this sick person¡¯s meal was a little too difficult to swallow. When I returned to the medical room, Dorothy was being prepared.

    ¡°She¡¯s asleep,¡± Hayley said. ¡°We used some mild spell to ensure that she won¡¯t wake up during the whole engraving process. It¡¯s meaningless for her to feel pain in her body. Right now, she has to focus all her attention on resisting the pain in her soul.¡±

    Dorothy was lying on a special marble altar with a tranquil expression as if she had a beautiful dream.

    A special prayer was drawn on the marble altar in the hope that she would receive the protection of the Moon Goddess.

    Dorothy¡¯s lifeless face terrified me. I asked uncertainly, ¡°She¡¯ll be fine, right?¡±

    ¡°I promise,¡± Master Hayley said firmly.

    Then, she closed the medical room door with the other werewolf grandmaster.

    It was a sleepless night.

    I kept praying outside the door. Later, my parents couldn¡¯t stand my stress and called Aldrich to apany me.

    He had wanted toe to help me through the difficulties this morning, but I didn¡¯t want him to see my embarrassing appearance. I was afraid of revealing any trace of an undeserved scream, so I solemnly begged him not toe.

    ¡°My heart is one with you.¡± Aldrich said, ¡°Even if I was not here, I could feel your pain.¡±

    Aldrich didn¡¯t smile. In his worried eyes, I could see my haggard reflection.

    Did I not mind being covered in weird tattoos for the rest of my life? Was I not afraid that my trip to the Rocky Mountains would fail and that I¡¯d be torn to pieces by demons in my endless despair?

    No, I was afraid.

    I was forcing myself not to show it. I told myself, ¡®Dear Selma, you¡¯re a princess, a warrior, a future queen. Weakness is your stumbling block. You must show that you¡¯re stronger than everyone else and give confidence and strength to those who support you.¡¯

    But once Aldrich appeared, I couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer.

    I buried myself in his arms and cried silently.

 Chapter 139

    139 Unconscious For Three Days

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m a little scared.¡± I sobbed and mumbled softly.

    ¡°Why is fate so unfair to me? Why am I the one who has to suffer all this?¡±

    Aldrich sighed softly and gently stroked my back.

    ¡°Everything will be fine,¡± he said as I sharply sensed a trace of trembling and confusion.

    ¡°It¡¯ll all be fine... I promise.¡±

    The road ahead was long, and no one knew whether tomorrow or an ident woulde first.

    The only thing we could do was to do our best and pray for a good result.

    I silently vented in Aldrich¡¯s tolerance, showing the fear of sorcerers, demons, mutation, and death to the air.

    The sky was bright.

    The door to the medical room opened.

    Master Hayley was the first to walk out. I immediately asked nervously, ¡°How did it go? Did you seed?¡±

    Master Hayley said with a strange look on her face, ¡°I can only say that it was sessful for the most part. However, the remaining portion has not shown any ominous signs at all. I have never seen such a situation before. I have never seen such an example in any ancient books.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± My mental defenses were gradually copsing. ¡°What does this mean? Did the engraving fail? What about Dorothy? How is she?¡±

    Another werewolf grandmaster, Kevin, ridiculed and emphasized, ¡°It didn¡¯t fail. In reality, even though a small portion of the seal scripts didn¡¯t have any effect, the entire thing still disyed its proper effect. Dorothy¡¯s soul was not affected at all, which is what we cannot understand.¡±

    As long as Dorothy was fine, everything was fine. Before I could hear what he would say next, my vision went ck, and I fainted.

    I was unconscious for three days.

    When I woke up, I was lying on my big soft bed with an IV drip in my hand.

    Aldrich, by my bed, immediately noticed that I was awake.

    ¡°Selma, how do you feel?¡± He stuffed two soft pillows behind me and helped me sit up.

    ¡°Uhm, I¡¯m a little nauseous and want to throw up, but I¡¯m also starving.¡± I rubbed my temples, feeling like three hundred ducks had just held a concert in my mind.

    Aldrich handed me a bowl of hot milk corn soup, but seeing my hands tremble, he changed his mind and fed me personally.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll do it myself...¡± I was a little shy.

    However, Aldrich expressionlessly handed me a spoonful of soup.

    I realizedter that he was angry.

    After drinking half a bowl of soup in silence, I asked softly, ¡°Are you angry?¡±

    He didn¡¯t say anything and just fed me soup spoon by spoon.

    I couldn¡¯t eat anymore, so I pushed the spoon away and asked again.

    Aldrich put down his bowl and lowered his head in silence.

    ¡°Yes, I think I¡¯m furious,¡± he said.

    ¡°My heart is in a mess now. I think I should go out first. Madam Kara will take care of you.¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± I grabbed his hand and insisted on asking him the reason. ¡°What exactly happened? Please tell me, don¡¯t give me the cold shoulder. I hate that.¡±

    Aldrich helplessly sat back on the bed and softly said, ¡°I¡¯m not trying to give you the cold shoulder. It¡¯s just that you just woke up and need professional care...¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the professional!¡± I interrupted him and said stubbornly, ¡°You¡¯re more useful than any elixir to me. So now, tell me why you¡¯re so angry!¡±

    ¡°I am not... Oh, alright. I¡¯m a little upset.¡±

    Aldrich irritatedly ruffled his hair; only then did I notice the slight stubble on his cheeks.

    He wasn¡¯t taking good care of himself.

    ¡°You were unconscious for three days, Selma. The werewolf grandmasters and Tracy said that you were just too tired, and your body triggered its self-defense mechanism.¡± Aldrich said in a low voice, ¡°But I couldn¡¯t stop feeling anxious, babe. Every time I see you lying in bed with no expression on your face, I get scared. I¡¯m scared.¡±

    I hugged him tightly andforted the big, anxious dog in a low voice, ¡°Shh, okay, I¡¯m fine, aren¡¯t I? I¡¯m sitting right in front of you, perfectly fine. Do you want to check?¡±

    I took his hand and ced it on his neck, letting him feel my strong pulse.

    We stayed in each other¡¯s embrace. After a few minutes, Aldrich¡¯s tense body gradually rxed.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my dear. I was too weak.¡±

    He was buried in my embrace, his voice muffled.

    ¡°You know what? During the three days you were unconscious, I kept ming myself because I couldn¡¯t do anything about it. I¡¯m the youngest and most promising general of the werewolves, but I¡¯m useless when ites to my lover. I could only wait for your news outside the pce like an outsider, and even made you worry about me.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not!¡± I didn¡¯t know where these came from. ¡°You¡¯ve never implicated me. I didn¡¯t let youe to the pce to apany me in engraving the runes because I didn¡¯t want to expose my ugly and embarrassing side to you!¡±

    I suddenly realized what I looked like to Aldrich right now.

    My face was full of ugly, ferocious scars that had not yet healed.

    I screamed and pulled the nket to me to hide.

 Chapter 140

    140 A Late-Night Chat

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Now it was Aldrich¡¯s turn to face me, who was trying to escape.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do that! You need fresh air!¡±

    He tried to pull me out of the nket, but I tried my best to stay away from him and retreated to the other side of the bed.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just talk like this for now!¡± I said gloomily. ¡± I can¡¯t face you now. Please, don¡¯t force me!¡±

    Aldrich softened his attitude and tried to get me to leave the fort made of nkets.

    ¡°Fine, you can do whatever you want. It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to look at me, but please free yourself from the bed, okay?¡± He gently patted the edge of the bed. ¡°We can talk with our backs to each other. You have your back to me, and I have my back to you. Can you do this?¡±

    ¡°Really? You can¡¯t peek.¡±

    ¡°I swear to the Moon Goddess that if I peeked, I¡¯d ask her to take my eyes away. I¡¯ll turn around first; then you cane out, okay? 3,2,1, I¡¯ve already turned around.¡±

    I sneakily lifted a corner of the nket, and Aldrich¡¯s back was facing me, so I came out of the nket and used a pillow to cover my face.

    ¡°Alright, we can talk now.¡±

    I also had my back to him as I leaned on the soft pillow.

    The stic goose feather pillow pressed against my unhealed wound. It was a little painful, but there was also an inexplicable sweetness.

    We were so childish.

    I suddenly had this thought andughed.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Selma? Why are youughing?¡± Aldrich asked.

    I cleared my throat. ¡°Because I want tough. You¡¯re not allowed to ask anymore.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± he said, surrendering.

    In the end, I wanted tough even more. There was a mirror on the bedside table to the left. I turned it around and could see Aldrich¡¯s every move.

    The way he raised his hands made my heart soften.

    I forced myself not to be stupid. It was more important to discuss business.

    ¡°What did the werewolf grandmaster and Tracy say about mya?¡±

    ¡°Tracy believes that sleep is a form ofpensation for overusing one¡¯s energy. The werewolf grandmasters also agree on this point. Master Hayley says this is a positive sign of the runic patterns fusing with you. Sleep prevents most of the unnecessary activities of the body and tries to save as much space as possible to allow the runic patterns to form a hidden link.¡±

    ¡°What about Dorothy? How is she?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s still unconscious. Don¡¯t worry; she¡¯s not in any danger for now. Soul imprints are moreplicated than physical imprints and will take more time. She will probably wake up only after your scars have healed.¡±

    ¡°Alright, may Moon Goddess bless her. Can I go and see her?¡±

    ¡°Sure, but there¡¯s no need. Master Hayley believes that a quiet environment is more conducive to her recovery. Besides, your boyfriend doesn¡¯t want you to talk about Dorothy all the time, even though she¡¯s your good friend.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, don¡¯t be jealous, Aldrich! You know I love you the most. Did Father say anything about the advanced party?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s good news and bad news. The good news is that they¡¯ve sessfully set up bases in several locations in the Rocky Mountains and the ruins of the witch n. The bad news is that there are movements from other forces in the Rocky Mountains, and at first nce, it looks like the human church.¡±

    ¡°The human church? From which denomination? What are they doing here?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still unclear now. The human church has a wide variety of denominations that even they don¡¯t understand. The advanced party can only confirm that their protective clothing has a cross printed on it. As for the purpose, the advance party is still carefully observing and has yet to make contact because they are unsure whether they are friend or foe.¡±

    ¡± I hope we can live in peace. At least we won¡¯t start shouting at each other whenever we meet... Let¡¯s not talk about this for now. Is there anything worth paying attention to in the pack these few days?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s calm, just like before Adele came. By the way, I should invite your parents toe down and see you. I was so excited that I forgot about this.¡±

    ¡°No, don¡¯t. Please tell them I woke up safely, but tell them not toe over yet. I want to stay with you for a while.¡±

    I looked up at the mirror and saw Aldrich had turned around without me knowing and was looking at my back with a smirk.

    I knocked the mirror down and eximed, ¡°You¡¯re being shameless!¡±

    ¡°Yes, I cheated because my lover is beside me, and I can¡¯t stand her leaving my sight for a moment.¡±

    Aldrich acted as if he didn¡¯t see my little cheat tool. He picked up a strand of my hair and wrapped it around his fingertips, his voice lingering.

    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid the goddess wille for my eyes because they already belong to someone else.

    ¡°Without my lover¡¯s permission, I will disobey anyone¡¯s orders, even the goddess.

    ¡°So, please have mercy on your shepherd, my lover. Turn around and look at me.¡±

    I slowly turned around as if the silver tongue had bewitched me.

    Then, my eyes met with Aldrich¡¯s, brighter than the stars.

    He sighed softly. ¡°My goddess, my lover, my universe. I have no regrets in this life since you looked at me.¡±

 Chapter 141

    141 The Hidden Tracks

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°You¡¯re breaking the rules,¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°You can¡¯t do this.¡±

    Aldrichughed loudly as he hugged me, asking the obvious, ¡°Can¡¯t what?¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t be so glib with your tongue!¡±

    ¡°Alright, baby, but I want you to know that you don¡¯t have to hide anything from me. No matter how you look, you¡¯re my true love.¡±

    ¡°But these scars are ugly.¡±

    ¡°How can it be ugly? This is the reward of the Moon Goddess, the proof of the bravest warrior. I¡¯m proud of you, Selma.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t mind?¡±

    ¡°I swear I won¡¯t.¡±

    We cuddled for a while, and when the bell rang at ten o¡¯clock, Aldrich said, ¡°We have to let the two majestiese. We can¡¯t stop parents from visiting their daughters, can we?¡±

    I washed my face and rinsed my mouth, hoping I didn¡¯t look so haggard.

    His parents arrived soon, apanied by Kara, Tracy, Master Hayley, and Master Kevin.

    Surprisingly, my mother didn¡¯t cry this time. Instead, she looked normal and personally took care of my daily needs.

    Even though I could still detect a slight tremble in her body.

    I knew she was shouldering the responsibility of a Queen and a mother. She had thrown her sorrow to the back of her mind and was doing what she should do.

    ¡®I¡¯m the same.¡¯

    I begged my father to tell me about the advanced party.

    ¡°Perhaps you can worry about this after your wounds havepletely healed,¡± my father said gently. ¡°Master Hayley said that a quiet environment and a stable state of mind will be more beneficial for you when you fuse with the runes.¡±

    Master Hayley nodded in agreement.

    ¡°But if I don¡¯t get news from the advanced party, I¡¯ll keep worrying, and it¡¯ll be even harder for me to heal my wounds.¡± I acted coquettishly toward my father. ¡°I¡¯m begging you, Father. Please tell me. Just let me have peace of mind so that I can recuperate.¡±

    My father couldn¡¯t stand my coquettishness and had to agree.

    ¡°The advanced party will set up three bases in the Rocky Mountains. One at the foot of the mountain, one at the mountainside, and one at the ruins of the witch n.¡±

    ¡°The Rocky Mountains are so big. Why are there only three bases? Is it ack of manpower?¡±

    ¡°No, child, that¡¯s not the reason.¡±

    ¡°Then, why? Oh, wait, it¡¯s because of... ?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, Selma. The Rocky Mountains are human territory. A few hundred years ago, witches lived there, but the Rocky Mountains gradually lost their mysteriousness after they left. Humans were the first race to capture thisnd of no king. They explored, mined, and built research stations here, as well as hotels, sightseeing spots, ski resorts, and so on.¡±

    ¡°The traces of human activity are too frequent, so the advanced party can¡¯t alert the enemy, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Although the human race is divided internally, they are always surprisingly united when fighting against foreign races. They are suspicious of all species not of their race, so we do not need to provoke them. Who will directly reach these humans, and what kind of trouble will it bring?¡±

    ¡°I heard from Aldrich that the advanced party encountered a team from the human church?¡±

    ¡°Yes, they seem to be exploring something in the Rocky Mountains, but they didn¡¯t make contact with them for safety reasons.¡±

    Indeed, there were too many examples in history textbooks. From the sorcerers massacred to the non-human races treated as ¡®aliens¡¯ or ¡®mutants¡¯ and sent to the dissection table, it showed how much contempt humans had for life.

    ¡°How¡¯s Master Mary? ¡± I asked. ¡°Has she made any progress in her research on the ruins of the witch n?¡±

    My father replied, ¡°Master Mary has read many ancient books left in the ruins of the witch n. The good news is that she has found many ancient spells, runes, and magic circles that have never been discovered. Master Hayley will be with you when you set off.¡±

    Master Hayley¡¯s round face turned red.

    ¡°But the bad news is...¡± my father sighed helplessly. ¡± For the time being, we haven¡¯t found any words or phrases rted to the prophetic bloodline or the Eye of Insight. In fact, from the number of houses and the interior decoration, there¡¯s no trace of Mullwica and her daughter living in the ruins of the witch n.¡±

    ¡°This is impossible!¡± I eximed. ¡°But all the clues and hints point to the Rocky Mountains and the ruins of the witch n. It can¡¯t be Dorothy¡¯s mother, Adele, and the great demon Leviathan working together to trick us, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the problem.¡± My father rubbed his brows. ¡°Between legend and reality, one is false. Since there are no lies, Mullwica and her daughter must have used some way to hide their traces, just like how they hid the devil¡¯s seal.¡±

 Chapter 142

    142 Daily Recovery

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    In other words, only if Dorothy personally went over would the situation turn for the better.

    ¡°Alright,¡± I said, a little discouraged. ¡°I know. How was Dorothy? Aldrich said it¡¯s best if I don¡¯t go see her, I want to know how she¡¯s recovering.¡±

    ¡°Everything¡¯s normal,¡± Master Hayley replied. ¡°There¡¯s no rejection.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s more like it¡¯s so normal that it¡¯s creepy,¡± Kevin said thoughtfully as he pushed his gold-rimmed sses up his nose. ¡°Logically speaking, things shouldn¡¯t have gone so smoothly, but it did happen. This means there¡¯s an invisible ident in a ce we don¡¯t know about. It¡¯s more serious than a visible rejection.¡±

    Hayley red at him helplessly as if to signal him not to talk nonsense.

    ¡°Wait,¡± I asked. ¡°Please be clear. What do you mean by ¡®an invisible ident is more serious than a visible rejection¡¯? Is there a problem with Dorothy¡¯s engraving?¡±

    Hayley could only continue bitterly, ¡°As we said before you passed out, some of the runes did not work. Logically speaking, the failure of a small section of the runes would cause all the runes to lose their vitality because they could not establish a hidden link.

    ¡°However, Miss Dorothy¡¯s situation is extraordinary. A few small sections of runes have lost their effectiveness. Naturally, the hidden link cannot be established. However, her runic pattern engraving is working smoothly. There has never been such a precedent before, and...

    ¡°In addition, the soul is a fragile and pampered thing. There¡¯s no way we can investigate it as we wish. Miss Dorothy¡¯s immediate family member is in a bad mental state and cannot fulfill her responsibility as guardian,¡± Kevin interrupted. ¡°The only ones who can sign the consent form for the examination are the two majesties.¡±

    ¡°But I didn¡¯t agree,¡± my father said in a deep voice.

    ¡°Why?¡± I asked anxiously.

    ¡°As master Kevin said, the soul is too fragile. It¡¯s like a soft pudding, and any knock will cause irreversible damage to it.¡± My father looked at me seriously. ¡°This is a matter of life and death. No one has the right to decide for her. We have to wait for Dorothy to wake up and let her understand the cause of this matter and all the predictable consequences before making a decision.¡±

    ¡°But if this continues, won¡¯t the situation worsen as time passes? ¡± I asked.

    Master Hayley consoled me. ¡°Not for now. The runes are currently operating in an unprecedented manner. It¡¯s just like an algorithm still operating smoothly even though it has a bug. At this stage, the safest choice is to remain still. Otherwise, if we correct a single character incorrectly, the algorithm willpletely copse.¡±

    I could only ept this exnation.

    After having lunch with me, my father had to leave to deal with official business. On the other hand, my mother chatted with me to relieve my boredom. There was also Aldrich, who very gentlemanly took over the servant¡¯s role.

    My mother told him not to trouble himself, but he said, ¡°Please don¡¯t deprive me of my right to please my beloved and her mother, ma¡¯am.¡±

    My mother was amused by him andughed, and the sorrow in her eyes faded a lot.

    Aldrich and I looked at each other and smiled.

    The four days of recovery were boring. In the end, when my wound was almost fully healed, the pain was not as intense as it was at the beginning. However, this feeling of being bitten by ants still left me at a loss, especially when a calming power strangely apanied this pain. I could only say that the Moon Goddess¡¯ blessing was not picked up for nothing.

    The light golden tattoo had already taken shape. In the mirror, I looked like a primordial priest about to perform some ancient memorial ceremony. I was using herbs and animal blood to make a special paint as a medium for me to be one with the goddess.

    However, the priest¡¯s paint could be washed off, but my tattoo would apany me for a lifetime.

    I could only try to find joy in my suffering and think, ¡®It¡¯s just as Aldrich said; this is a medal given to warriors by the Moon Goddess, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ Moreover, the tattoo looked quite good on closer inspection, with a charm of an ancient pioneer art.

    In these four days, I¡¯d been eating so much that I was about to throw up.

    To hasten the healing of my wounds, Master Hayley developed a few diet recipes for me. This meant I was far away from the fragrant but oily and saltymb chops and roast chicken. The main course of every meal was a carefully cooked ¡®stew¡¯. If there weren¡¯t all sorts of weird-smelling herbs in it, I would say that this kind of healthy meal tasted pretty good.

    Aldrich had military work to do and couldn¡¯t be by my side all the time. Once, he secretly gave me a piece of smoked ham that was specially provided by the army. Moon Goddess! I gobbled it up like a tiger that had not eaten for three days.

 Chapter 143

    143 Dream

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    However, this was quickly exposed, and Aldrich and I were reprimanded, and Aldrich was ordered not to see me again before I fully recovered.

    In short, after four days of being bored to death, I was finally allowed to get out of bed.

    Furthermore, Dorothy had awakened.

    When I received the news that Dorothy had woken up, I did not even have time to put on my coat. I rushed out of the door in my pajamas.

    Kara chased after me with a sweater and coat.

    ¡°Please take care of your health.¡± She didn¡¯t catch me until she reached the infirmary. ¡°At least take care of your dignity! Her Majesty the Queen wouldn¡¯t want to see the results of this etiquette ss.¡±

    I took the coat and put it on guiltily. ¡°Thank you, Kara.¡±

    ¡°I know you are excited,¡± Kara said helplessly. ¡°Please don¡¯t mind my nagging.¡±

    At that moment, the door to the infirmary opened.

    Master Hayley walked out and gave me a smile that made me feel at ease. ¡°You may enter, Miss Selma.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t wait to run in.

    To prevent it from being bruised by the hard stone tform, the tform was covered with a thick nket embroidered with prayers. Dorothy was leaning on the pillow and smiling at me.

    ¡°Good Morning, Selma.¡±

    I pounced over and hugged her, feeling tears in my eyes.

    ¡°I was worried you wouldn¡¯t wake up, Dorothy.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m fine, aren¡¯t I?¡± Dorothy said somewhat reluctantly, ¡°Compared to this, my dear, you¡¯re almost breaking me.¡±

    I quickly let go.

    ¡°Master Hayley has already told me about the problem of the runic seal on my soul,¡± Dorothy said.

    I was a little nervous, afraid she would be afraid of it. I asked carefully, ¡°Don¡¯t overthink, okay? The grandmasters will find the root of the problem and solve it. You are their student, so you know how powerful they are.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I do.¡± Dorothy nodded. ¡°But I need to agree to that, right? Don¡¯t try to hide it from me, Selma. I know that this can only be done by examining my soul.¡±

    I had nothing to say.

    In reality, I didn¡¯t agree with Dorothy¡¯s soul inspection. As my father said, the soul was like a soft pudding, and even the most careful movements would leave traces. If one were not careful, it would lose a part or evenpletely break.

    The soul was billions of times more precious than pudding. If there were any side effects, it would not only affect the present but would be tormented for all eternity.

    However, I had no right to choose for Dorothy. I could only pray for her safety if she decided to ept the examination.

    As if sensing my unease, Dorothy held my hand and consoled me, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t be examined.¡±

    I raised my head in surprise and subconsciously asked, ¡°Is that your seal inscription?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a blessing in disguise,¡± she said with a mysterious smile. ¡°I think I¡¯ve already discovered why some runes are ineffective.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s very mysterious. I know it¡¯s not convincing, but you can take it as the intuition of a prophetic witch. I think it¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s true?¡±

    ¡°The dream I had in the past seven days was long and blurry .¡±

    Dorothy told me about what she saw in her dream.

    In her dream, she was in a mountain vige covered in snow. There seemed to be no spring, summer, or autumn here. There was only the never-ending wind and snow and a small wooden window that shone warmly.

    Dorothy realized that she was inside someone¡¯s body and looking at the problem from her perspective, but she did not know who it was.

    ¡°Mommy, when will the snow stop?¡± she heard a girl ask.

    The woman she called mother was making dinner. Hearing this, she replied softly, ¡°The snow here will never stop. The only difference is how heavy the snow is. Don¡¯t you like the snow?¡±

    ¡°I like it,¡± the girl said. ¡°But I also like the flowers in spring and the butterflies in summer. What does autumn look like? There are no pictures of autumn in the book. What do the golden leaves look like?¡±

    The woman ced the steaming hot mutton risotto on the table in front of the girl and said, ¡°Golden is the color of gold. Tomorrow, Mommy will make a leaf out of gold for you, okay?¡±

    The girl agreed and ate her meal obediently.

    Dorothy could not remember the rest of the dream clearly. She only remembered that it was a warm mother-daughter rtionship, which made her feel warm when she thought about it.

    The clear point of memory came when the girl grew up. From the change in perspective, Dorothy realized that a few years had passed.

    The girl held a pile of books and stepped on the crispy snow. She seemed to like this feeling and had a lot of fun.

    When she got home, she shook off the snow on her body and started to make lunch.

    ¡°Mother, is potato cream okay?¡±

 Chapter 144

    144 The Sorrow Of The Fire

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    A woman¡¯s voice came from upstairs. It was weak as she said, ¡°Of course, baby. I like whatever you make.¡±

    The girl brought lunch upstairs. Her mother was no longer as high-spirited as she was when she was young.

    The woman¡¯s face was pale, and her body was thin. She was listless as she leaned on the sofa next to the stove. Only a pair of bright eyes shone like the sun against the fire, but it was unspeakably strange in this situation.

    Dorothy continued.

    The girl and her mother were quietly eating dinner. Suddenly, the girl asked, ¡°Mother, where did my father go?¡±

    The woman almost dropped her spoon and asked, ¡°Why are you suddenly asking this?¡±

    The girl said, ¡°Linda left school early. She said that her father came to visit her and her mother, so she wanted to go home early to have lunch with her parents. Where¡¯s my father? Mother, why didn¡¯t hee to see us?¡±

    The woman was silent for a while. ¡°Let¡¯s eat, child. The food won¡¯t taste good when it¡¯s cold.¡±

    The girl was sensible and did not ask further.

    It was another blurry dream during which the girl had grown up again.

    She remembered the day she awakened.

    ¡°I¡¯m very ufortable, Mother...¡± the girl mumbled in a daze.

    The woman had to support her fragile body to care for her daughter. Although she had a powerful spell that could give any furniture temporary life to take care of her daughter, the worry in her eyes revealed that she did not want to leave her daughter in the hands of others on such an important day.

    ¡°I feel so dizzy, I feel like puking...¡± the girl was half-unconscious when she suddenly said, ¡°Did Older Brother feel like this too?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± The woman didn¡¯t react for a moment.

    ¡°Older Brother... Does Older Brother also feel this ufortable when he awakened?¡±

    The woman looked sad and tucked her daughter in. She only said, ¡°Have a good rest.¡±

    Beforepletely losing consciousness, the girl seemed to have heard a sentence, ¡°I don¡¯t know...¡±

    Thest clear part of the dream came before everything was destroyed.

    The girl was thrilled because her brother had found her.

    The family of three hugged each other tightly. The axe in the elder brother¡¯s hand fell to the ground, raising ayer of snow.

    The girl was living happily with her mother and brother. She was already a big girl but still couldn¡¯t get rid of her attachment to her mother. When a new family member arrived, not only was this attachment not divided into two, but it grew.

    She felt extremely happy being with her family.

    Sometimes, she would see her mother¡¯s sad expression. When that happened, it was because she was in the corner watching her brother¡¯s busy back.

    ¡°Mom, why are you unhappy?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not unhappy. Go and help your brother,¡± the woman said.

    The girl stubbornly asked, ¡°Why are you unhappy? Are you afraid of me leaving? It¡¯s okay. We can go with Brother. Although wizards can¡¯t stay in a witch n, and witches can¡¯t stay in a wizard n, we can move out of the vige and live in seclusion, just like Linda¡¯s family.¡±

    The woman didn¡¯t say anything. She just smiled and shook her head.

    That smile was so sad and beautiful.

    The girl was still dreaming of a happy and stable family of three until that night.

    Standing at the door of her mother¡¯s bedroom, the girl¡¯s eyes widened in shock.

    The bed was covered in blood. The mother¡¯s body was lying lifelessly on the pillow, and her head was in her son¡¯s hands.

    The girl¡¯s brother looked at his sister¡¯s stiff body sadly and stammered, ¡°I... Don¡¯t...¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    The girl exploded in extreme shock and anger.

    ¡°Why did you do that?!¡±

    She didn¡¯t understand why her dear brother would kill their mother. Were they not happy? Did her brother not love her mother? Was he not their family?

    The magnificent magic power instantly swept through the whole vige, and the witches woke up one after another, rushing to the girl¡¯s house.

    The girl¡¯s brother was also a powerful wizard, but under the siege of so many witches, he was outnumbered and finally caught and tied to the stake.

    The girl, whose eyes were filled with hatred, personally ignited the wood that had been poured with oil. She ced her mother¡¯s head and body in front of her tortured brother as a tribute.

    The moment the mes swallowed him, the elder brother summoned the demon in his painful wails. However, the demon yed with him and made him lose his biological mother after losing his adoptive father.

    The angry brother had decided to die with the demon, but the power of the two would raze the witch n and half of the Rocky Mountains to the ground.

    The girl had no choice but to join the witches to seal them, but she had to be a key to guard the seal forever.

    At the critical moment, the girl saw her mother¡¯s soul.

    She pushed her out and only had time to say, ¡°Live on.¡±

    The fire engulfed the pine forest.

    Amidst the scorching heat, Dorothy woke up from her dream.

 Chapter 145

    145 No Name

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°I rarely had dreams since I was a child. Later, I learned from my mother¡¯s notes that this is the side effect of the prophecy bloodline. Once a witch¡¯s dream was prophesized, it must be a dream or an old dream.¡±

    Dorothy said seriously.

    ¡°I suspect that this dream is a real incident. From the content, it points to Mullwica¡¯s daughter.¡±

    ¡°So you were dreaming about the whole life of Mullwica¡¯s daughter?¡± I asked in surprise.

    ¡°It was not exactly a lifetime,¡± Dorothy said, shaking her head. ¡°Mullwica¡¯s daughter didn¡¯t die, nor did she die with the seal. At thest moment, she was probably pushed out by Mullwica¡¯s soul.¡±

    I mumbled, ¡°This also exins why Master Mary couldn¡¯t find the seal¡¯s location. With Mullwica¡¯s power, it¡¯s easy to hide our tracks. What¡¯s more, we have a powerful Eye of Insight.¡±

    Dorothy said, ¡°I think Mullwica¡¯s Eye of Insight has lost its effectiveness. If it was still there, Mullwica should be able to see through Master Mary¡¯s intentions easily. If someone were kind enough to help her solve the problem of the loosening seal, Mullwica wouldn¡¯t have refused.¡±

    ¡°Is it because of the death of Mullwica¡¯s physical body that the Eye of Insight lost its effect?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s why. The Eye of Insight is an ability that is bound to the soul. It can only disappear if the soul dissipates or reincarnates.¡±

    ¡°That means Mullwica¡¯s soul is still in the Rocky Mountains? It¡¯s not just her remaining magic power that¡¯s suppressed and sealed.¡±

    ¡°I think so. At least in the dream, she didn¡¯t seem to have dissipated.¡±

    Dorothy closed her eyes as if she was not used to the light.

    Only then did I realize that she could see.

    ¡°How are your eyes?¡± I carefully moved closer to take a look. ¡°Can you see? Does it hurt? Are you tired?¡±

    Dorothy smiled, indicating that she was okay. ¡°It¡¯s unexpectedly good. It¡¯s as if I didn¡¯t awaken the Eye of Insight, and Leviathan didn¡¯t contaminate me.¡±

    ¡°We all know this is the purifying runes¡¯ temporary effect. It can suppress the mutation very well, but the side effects of the Eye of Insight will only be temporary.¡±

    Tracy had said that her eye function had beenpletely lost. The ability to see now was only a temporary positive effect of the purification runes. Only by solving the problem of the erosion of the Eye of Insight on the main body could Dorothy be at ease and observe the world through the Eye of Insight.

    This meant that we didn¡¯t have much time to wait.

    Master Hayley was outside, reminding us that it was time for the inspection. Just as I was about to leave, Dorothy grabbed my sleeve and whispered, ¡°There¡¯s one more question. Did you notice? I only used the term ¡®Mullwica¡¯s daughter¡¯ because this girl doesn¡¯t have a name.¡±

    ¡°No name?¡± I frowned slightly. ¡°Could it be that it didn¡¯te up in your dreams? ¡±

    ¡°Impossible,¡± Dorothy said firmly. ¡°In the dream, I could observe Mullwica¡¯s daughter¡¯s thoughts. I could sense everything, but I couldn¡¯t find her name. She only knew herself as ¡®the Supreme Witch Mullwica¡¯s daughter¡¯. This is very abnormal. Everyone¡¯s first understanding of themselves is their name. If she can¡¯t remember it, it means she doesn¡¯t have it. But why doesn¡¯t the daughter of a supreme witch have a name?¡±

    I understood Dorothy¡¯s doubts. A powerful witch would never allow anyone to remove her daughter¡¯s name. She had never given her daughter a name.

    But why?

    A name was the shortest spell in the world. Many ancient spells and runes were the names of some ancient gods, so the power of names was evident.

    It was impossible that Mullwica didn¡¯t understand this. What was the reason that she would rather weaken her daughter¡¯s power than give her a name?

    Some thoughts formed in my mind. I asked Dorothy, ¡°What do you think?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m in the same boat as you,¡± Dorothy said.

    ¡°Because of her father!¡± we said in unison.

    That was right. The most suspicious thing was the husband and father, who had never appeared in the dream. The two children of Mullwica¡¯s didn¡¯t have the same father, which meant that his daughter¡¯s father wasn¡¯t a timid and unfaithful man.

    Mullwica¡¯s unwillingness to mention him in front of her daughter meant that their rtionship wasn¡¯t good, and there might even be some enmity between them.

    Was she unwilling to give her daughter a name because she wanted to avoid this man?

    ¡°Bloodline is a magical thing,¡± Dorothy said. ¡°There are some special ways to trace the genealogy through the bloodline. With the correct incantation and a few drops of blood, a family tree will be drawn with blood.¡±

    I followed Dorothy¡¯s train of thought and came up with a possibility, ¡°If that unknown father finds out his daughter¡¯s name, he¡¯ll be able to use the name as a spell to sense his daughter¡¯s location. When that timees, regardless of whether Mullwica wants to face her husband or hold a grudge against him, this meeting will be bad.¡±

 Chapter 146

    146 Arriving At The Base

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    However, there was a prerequisite: this unknown father had to be on par with Mullwica. Otherwise, Mullwica could easily block his detection with a shielding spell, so why would he do this?

    Dorothy had thought of this as well.

    ¡°Well, one wave hasn¡¯t settled yet, and another one has risen, ¡± I said helplessly. ¡°I hope this irresponsible father isn¡¯t some long-lived race. The Rocky Mountains are already chaotic enough. I don¡¯t want any more trouble.¡±

    Dorothy patted my hand and said goodbye to me. I let Master Hayley in for the examination.

    After enduring the seven-day recovery period, I immediately recovered my spirit and could even receive training as usual.

    At first, Aldrich didn¡¯t agree. He feared that I still had some internal injuries that had not recovered.

    However, every time I told him about the enemy who might be hiding in the dark, his reluctance wasn¡¯t as fierce as before. When one faced a powerful enemyparable to Mullwica, it was not too much to train their life-saving abilities.

    Ten dayster, Master Hayley and Master Kevin agreed to let Dorothy out of the hospital.

    We could finally set off for the Rocky Mountains.

    The team consisted of Dorothy, Aldrich, Master Hayley, Master Kevin, and me. There was also a team of dozens of warriors behind them. They would act as guards, help, and replenish the base personnel the Rocky Mountainscked.

    On the day of departure, my mother cried again.

    I felt bitter and guilty about this.

    It seemed that my mother¡¯s good days had ended since I arrived. She was always worried about me, crying for me, and worrying about me.

    I gently hugged her and promised her, ¡°I¡¯ll make sure I¡¯m safe, Mother. When I return, you¡¯ll have a healthy daughter free of illness!¡±

    ¡°I just want you to be safe, child.¡± My mother choked with tears. ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to have any fortuitous encounters. I only want you to be safe and healthy. I can¡¯t wait to exchange my own for yours.¡±

    My heart ached. I was so afraid that I would yield to my mother¡¯s tears, so I could firmly let go of my mother¡¯s reluctant hands and walk toward the snowy mountains with unknown risks.

    We weren¡¯t surprised that we could fly to the Rocky Mountains by ne. Sometimes, human inventions are convenient, aren¡¯t they?

    The three advanced party members would meet us at the agreed location.

    The leader was the captain, Frank. He was a robust middle-aged man with a big beard and familiar with Aldrich.

    ¡°When I first entered the military, Frank was my instructor. Later on, he was out on missions all year round, but we kept in touch,¡± Aldrich exined.

    I immediately had a good impression of Frank. I shook hands with him and politely said, ¡°Hello, Captain Frank.¡±

    ¡°Good afternoon, Miss Selma. And you, Aldrich, you¡¯ve grown into a good young man, haven¡¯t you? Look, I can still remember how you looked when you first entered the military. You were a skinny sixteen-year-old boy, and now you¡¯re a mighty general.¡±

    Somewhat embarrassed, Aldrich scratched his head andined, ¡°There are so many people here. Save me some, Frank.¡±

    Frank was an interesting man. The unchanging snow scenery along the way was not so boring with him around.

    ¡°We can¡¯t build our base near the foot of the mountain,¡± he answered my question. ¡°That¡¯s the human territory. Some people don¡¯t follow the rules. Poachers and pilfering are their major sources of ie. We¡¯ll easily bump into these criminals if we don¡¯t choose a good base.¡±

    I saw a blurry ck dot in the distance and said excitedly, ¡°I see it. That¡¯s the base, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Miss.¡± Frankughed and said, ¡°But don¡¯t be happy too soon. We still have a long way to go!¡±

    After two hours, we finally walked out of the soft snow and onto the thick wooden floor.

    ¡°The materials are limited, and concrete pollutes the environment. We could only buy ready-made wood at the foot of the mountain to build houses. The conditions are simple, so we can only make do with it.¡±

    As if thinking that I would be dissatisfied with the simple wooden house, Frank exined.

    However, I had no opinion about this ce. I often hunted in the mountains with my adoptive parents when I was young. My temporary residence was much more simple than theirs.

    However, before I could say anything, a strange voice came from the side, ¡°Don¡¯t be so obsequious, Frank. Can¡¯t nobledies live in leaking wooden houses? If she can¡¯t endure such a small problem, she¡¯d better go back to the big vi and cry to her mother!¡±

    He was impolite. I rarely receive such an impolitement. Even Benson was only so mean to me when he found out that I was his mate

    I didn¡¯t know the person who spoke, so I didn¡¯t have to give in to him.

 Chapter 147

    147 A Midnight Visitor

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°Oh, really? It seems like you¡¯re very dissatisfied with the conditions here, Sir,¡± I retorted without hesitation. ¡°A leaking wooden house? To be honest, I think the construction level of this house is enough to shock the academic world. What? Such good conditions still can¡¯t satisfy you. Then, please make do with it. After all, we¡¯re on a mission, not on vacation, right?¡±

    The thin young man¡¯s face turned red, and he looked at me fiercely as if he was trying to pierce me with his eyes.

    Frank stopped him and reprimanded, ¡°Behave, Yuri. You have time to spew nonsense, but you don¡¯t have time to work?¡±

    The man named Yuri did not dare to challenge the captain¡¯s authority. He spat angrily and left with the rope.

    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, Miss Selma, ¡± Frank said apologetically. ¡°Life here is rather boring, and the members are a little hot-tempered. Yuri didn¡¯t mean any harm, so please forgive him.¡±

    I didn¡¯t need to be calctive with a small fry, so I quickly forgot about it.

    Aldrich brought a few soldiers along with him and followed another member to identify the way, so he arrived muchter than us.

    ¡°It¡¯s cold outside, right?¡± I handed him a cup of hot vegetable soup. ¡°Drink some hot soup to warm your body.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said. Aldrich took it and drank a big mouthful while he looked at me like a dog.

    I was sure he¡¯d wanted to hug me, but we hadn¡¯t revealed our rtionship to the public yet. It wasn¡¯t because we weren¡¯t sure of our rtionship but because my parents wanted me to have a peaceful college life without being involved with the paparazzi and rumors.

    Even though our current life was nothing like peace, we still kept our rtionship a secret.

    We¡¯d only be spending the night at the first base. We¡¯d be setting off to the next base tomorrow morning, so everyone went to bed early.

    I shared a room with Dorothy, Master Hayley, and the other women.

    ¡°The wind is really strong outside,¡± Dorothy said softly.

    I nodded in agreement as I listened to the cold wind outside the window.

    Although it was summer, the temperature in the Rocky Mountains remained below 0¡ã C all year round. The low temperature was apanied by drifting snow and cold winds. In such a ce, a living person would freeze to death in less than half a night.

    Suddenly, I heard the sound of the wind outside the window.

    I listened carefully, and a sound was getting closer.

    ¡°Did you hear someone calling for help?¡± I nudged Dorothy. She was in a daze, shaking her head drowsily.

    The cries for help were still ringing in my ears. I couldn¡¯t just sit by and do nothing, so I prepared to go out and check.

    Most of the others hadn¡¯t gone to sleep yet. They all got up when they heard someone calling for help outside.

    Pushing open the door, the male dormitory¡¯s door also opened. Aldrich took the lead, and the night guard, Frank, greeted him.

    ¡°You heard it too?¡± Aldrich asked.

    I nodded.

    Dark clouds covered the moon, and there was no light in the sky. The light in front of the base could only illuminate a small open space. The darkness amplified the heaviness in everyone¡¯s hearts. We held our breath and listened carefully, only to find that the strange cry for help had disappeared again.

    ¡°Something¡¯s not right.¡± I grabbed Aldrich¡¯s hand, and he also realized something was wrong.

    Frank called a team member to follow him out to investigate the voice. The one closest to him was Yuri, but this cunning kid immediately pushed another team member forward and pretended he didn¡¯t just get selected.

    Frank couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with him. He told the female team member, ¡°Go into the house and get your equipment. Linda, let¡¯s go and take a look.¡±

    Three minutester, Linda came out, armed with her and Frank¡¯s weapons. We tied special ropes on them, and Dorothy and the werewolf grandmasters also cast a special spell on them for protection.

    The two set off, and after an anxious ten minutes, they returned with a man in ragged clothes.

    ¡°An unlucky guy who got lost,¡± Frank said. He was relieved. ¡°He¡¯s freezing. Hurry up and go in.¡±

    Master Hayley cast a recovery spell on the frozen man, and the man woke up after a while.

    We tried to ask him who he was, but he seemed mentally abnormal. He stared at the empty corner and mumbled some strange words we couldn¡¯t understand.

    I found some mountaineering equipment, warm supplies, and an identification card in his backpack. They were the same as the tattered backpack, all damaged to varying degrees. The identification card waspletely messed up, and we could glean nothing from it.

    In the end, Frank decided. ¡°Let¡¯s allow him to stay for the night. Tomorrow morning, we will send him to the human police station at the foot of the mountain. Let the humans handle their matters.¡±

    ¡°Will this do?¡± I was a little worried. ¡°He doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯s lost. Maybe he has apanion? Don¡¯t we need to investigate further?¡±

    However, before Frank could reply, a familiar mocking voice came from the corner.

    ¡°Save your kindness, Miss,¡± Yuri said. ¡°Humans are very sensitive. Do you think we or other races have never helped them before? ¡±

 Chapter 148

    148 Quarrels

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°However, humans will not be grateful to us. Sometimes, they attribute everything to their god and turn a blind eye to us. More often than not, we will suffer from them returning kindness with ingratitude for no reason.

    ¡°For human beings, being not of the same race is a sin. Maybe they even think that ¡®evil¡¯ creatures like us bring all bad luck!¡±

    These words were extreme!

    I retorted, ¡°You can¡¯t just use partiality to conclude, can you? Not all humans are like this. They aren¡¯t uncivilized and ignorant creatures. They still have a basic sense of gratitude, right? Besides, even if we can¡¯t easily provoke humans, we can quietly do good, right? Do we have to watch people freeze to death in the wild?¡±

    ¡°Nice words.¡± Yuri sneered. ¡°Who¡¯s going to save him? You? Don¡¯t kid yourself. If anything happens to the nobledy in our small base, our entire team won¡¯t even be able topensate you! In the end, aren¡¯t you still giving orders and the unlucky ones like us who have to do the hard work?¡±

    Frowning, Frank was just about to scold him when Aldrich grabbed his cor and said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t be too impudent, kid. Other people¡¯s politeness is not an excuse for you to take advantage of, understand?¡±

    Yuri still looked very unconvinced, but he did not dare to say anything in the face of a general who had been in power for a long time.

    I didn¡¯t have to be calctive with a viin who bullied the weak and feared the strong, but I know that Yuri¡¯s words were the thoughts of many people present. Although they seemed harmonious on the surface, who would be convinced by a ¡®nobledy¡¯?

    Their mission was to explore the Rocky Mountains and find clues to ¡®cure¡¯ Dorothy and me. This kind of private order would only make them more dissatisfied.

    If I wanted to obtain the respect of my team members, I had to put down my arrogance and show some real skills.

    I walked up to Yuri and looked into his evasive eyes. ¡°You¡¯re not happy with me, are you? Because of my background? Because of your mission? Is it because you think a rotten noble like me is not worthy of the service of a great warrior like you?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the truth?¡± Yuri shouted. ¡°Isn¡¯t that true? I don¡¯t know what kind of strange illness you and your sister have, but we are warriors born to protect our fellow werewolves. We are not servants of the rich and powerful like you who can be ordered around by you!¡±

    The more he spoke, the more agitated he became. He even brought up his parents. ¡°In my opinion, the elders were right. His Majesty is already confused. He has long lost the wisdom and valor of his youth. He can¡¯t stand the Queen¡¯s tears. You don¡¯t even have a title!¡±

    I flew into a rage. ¡°How dare you nder the Lycan King and the Queen?! You¡¯re just aughable and cynical clown! Without His Majesty¡¯s wise rule, you would have long been chopped up by the sorcerers to be used as raw material for magic potions!¡±

    Aldrich and Frank immediately stepped forward to separate us. Thetter shouted, ¡°Calm down! Look at yourselves!¡±

    Yuri was brought to a corner by Frank. His expression was both disdainful and angry, as if he was very proud of being able to ¡®admonish the superior¡¯.

    Aldrich looked like he wanted to punch Yuri, but his rationality told him not to.

    Dorothy looked at me worriedly. I indicated to her that she was fine and tried my best to calm down.

    ¡°all right,dies and gentlemen, it¡¯ste now. Go back and rest. Don¡¯t forget to set the rm for the night,¡± Frank ordered everyone tiredly.

    After returning to the cold sleeping bag, I was a little depressed. Dorothy did not know how tofort me and could only hold my hand tightly.

    It was a dreamless night.

    At five o ¡®clock in the morning, we were woken up by the whistle and began to wash up and make breakfast.

    Thanks to my persevering training, I was good at getting up early. Dorothy, on the other hand, was not sofortable. She was in a daze the entire morning and almost ate her hair.

    ¡°Are you very sleepy? There¡¯s still half an hour before we set out,¡± I asked worriedly. ¡°You should sleep a little longer.¡±

    Dorothy waved her hand and yawned. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°Frank sent a team member down the mountain with the man he picked upst night, and then, they will personally lead us to the second base.

    ¡°The second base is built in a cave,¡± Frank exined on the way. ¡°It saves us the time and effort of building houses, which is very good. The living environment in the cave is worse than the wooden house, which is very bad.¡±

    ¡°Why did you build the base in the cave?¡± I asked curiously.

    ¡°First of all, the cave is a natural residence that nature has provided for us. It¡¯s sturdy and durable. Secondly, the cave was more effective in keeping warm, and it was easier to set up concealment measures. Third, there¡¯s no main road here, so the construction materials can¡¯t be transported. We can only make do with the current conditions.¡±

    Indeed, the road from the first base to the second base was much more rugged than the road from the foot of the mountain to the first base. We only reached our destination when the sun was setting.

 Chapter 149

    149 An Unmanned Base

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    A thick wooden door sealed the gate of the second base. No one answered, even after knocking for a long time.

    We looked at each other and realized that something was not right.

    ¡°No matter what mission, we must leave someone to guard the base. This is an iron rule.¡± Aldrich said, ¡°With his rich experience, it¡¯s impossible that he didn¡¯t emphasize this to his subordinates.¡±

    At this moment, the tightly shut door seemed so strange, as if there was an unpredictable danger hiding behind the door, ready to give us a fatal blow.

    However, it was almost dark now. We couldn¡¯t return to the first base or find a ce to camp for the night. The wind and snow could easily kill us in our sleep.

    Frank¡¯s expression was grave. No one knew what he was thinking.

    In the end, he decided. ¡°We have to force our way through the door. It¡¯s going to be dark soon. We can¡¯t wait any longer.¡±

    The wooden bolt was very strong, and we took a long time to break in.

    The situation in the base was shocking. As expected, there wasn¡¯t a scene of wolves or a river of blood. All the wooden boxes containing supplies were neatly stacked together. Sleeping bags, nkets, jackets, and other warm items were stacked on wooden boards hanging on the rock walls. Simple tables and chairs formed a simple meeting room. There was even a steaming cup on the table as if someone had just finished a routine report.

    There were even a few bonfires with sparks, hot dried meat, and congee on wooden shelves.

    Everything was in order, as if there was a group of people living here that we could not see.

    I shivered, and all the hair on my body stood up.

    No one rushed in rashly. Even the youngest team member could feel the strangeness of this ce.

    ¡°It¡¯s snowing,¡± Master Kevin suddenly said.

    He was at the end of the group, so he was the first to feel the snowkes.

    As expected, ayer of dark clouds had unknowingly gathered in the already dark sky. The whistling north wind became even sharper, and the snowkes that grewrger andrger cut into our exposed skin like sharp des.

    We were in a dilemma, and the blizzard was more deadly than the strange cave base before us. We had no choice but to take refuge in the base.

    The werewolf grandmaster¡¯s restoration spell restored the lock to its original state, just like how it had caused us trouble in the beginning. It had used its solid body to withstand the whistling wind for us.

    Right now, we were likemb chops in an oven. If anyone tried to do anything to us, we had the underhand.

    No one let down their guard. Although they were exhausted, they still held on to their weapons tightly.

    ¡°From now on,¡± Frank ordered. ¡°Everyone is to move in groups of at least three. Find your groups and report to me in one minute!¡±

    Aldrich, Dorothy, and I formed a team. From now on, we would temporarily be the seventh team.

    ¡°The base is only developed in the shallowyer of the cave. Starting from a quarter of it, it¡¯spletely wild. Although the advanced party has done a sweep, you can see for yourself the current situation. No one can guarantee that the cave¡¯s depths are safe, and we can¡¯t conduct any checks rashly,¡± Frank emphasized.

    ¡°So, everyone¡¯s activities must be limited to the base¡¯s boundary tonight. Anyone who sees the cordon inside the cave must return immediately. Don¡¯t touch any of the supplies. Save some of your emergency rations! Every three hours, at least two groups will be on night watch. Now, the person in charge of each group,e to me to draw the night watch lots!¡±

    I¡¯d drawn our group¡¯s time slot from midnight to three in the morning. Fortunately, and unfortunately, the group that would be keeping watch with us had both Frank and Yuri.

    I didn¡¯t know if it was dangerous at night, but it was ¡®lively¡¯.

    Yuri looked like he wanted to provoke me, but under the stern gaze of Frank and Linda¡¯s dissuasion, he could only gnaw on his dry food.

    The dry air spread throughout the base. Most people who didn¡¯t have a turn to keep watch had already gone to sleep. Dorothy and I snuggled up together while Aldrich sat beside us with his eyes closed.

    ¡°The snow here is really heavy,¡± Dorothy mumbled. ¡°And it¡¯s also quite strange. The climate of the snowy mountains is ever-changing.¡±

    I had a bad feeling gnawing at my heart. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s not the strange climate, but someone who created this strange phenomenon.¡±

    ¡°I can use my prophetic ability to check,¡± Dorothy said. ¡°To see what will happen in the future, or at least to see what kind of danger there will be tonight.¡±

    I¡¯d thought of this, but with Dorothy¡¯s current physical condition, it was too much of a waste for her, so I immediately disagreed with it. ¡°Better not. You¡¯ve not used your power after the engraving. It¡¯ll be bad if something goes wrong.¡±

 Chapter 150

    150 Time Shifters

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Dorothy insisted, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I know my body. The power of the engraving is still very strong. It¡¯s just a small prophecy. It won¡¯t have any negative impact on me.¡±

    She even called Master Hayley over as she spoke to prove her point.

    ¡°Master Hayley will monitor me at all times. If there¡¯s any problem, she¡¯ll immediately stop me.¡±

    Under her insistence, I agreed.

    We used the excuse of going to the toilet to hide in an empty area while I oversaw keeping watch.

    Dorothy¡¯s bloodline was not aplete secret, but my father had issued a confidentiality agreement to everyone present on the day Adele wreaked havoc at the school, so there were still very few people who knew about it.

    Most of the warriors had dealt with sorcerers before, so I didn¡¯t know if they held grudges against each other. For the sake of secrecy, it was better to hide it from others.

    Dorothy broke free from that mysterious and sluggish feeling in less than three minutes.

    ¡°It¡¯s strange...¡± she murmured, ¡°What does this mean?¡±

    ¡°What did you see?¡± I asked.

    Dorothy said in confusion, ¡°I don¡¯t think my power has failed. I touched a corner of the Book of Destiny but didn¡¯t see anything. No, it¡¯s not urate to say I didn¡¯t see anything. To be exact, I saw nothing. I saw it, but there was nothing.¡±

    I was baffled, ¡°What do you mean you saw nothing? Did you see anything or not?¡±

    ¡°This means I¡¯ve seen a void,¡± Dorothy said uneasily. ¡°There has never been such a situation before. Nothingness. Why was it nothingness? There are so many people here. If I could catch the fate of any of them, I can see the future of this small cave.¡±

    A creepy feeling surged up in my heart. I swallowed my saliva and asked in a small voice, ¡°You mean this ce is a void?¡±

    Dorothy also looked at me in fear, saying, ¡°It¡¯s just as you think. If I don¡¯t see anyone¡¯s fate, that means there¡¯s no one here.¡±

    I turned pale with fright as I subconsciously looked at Master Hayley. She also had an unpleasant expression, clearly shocked by this absurd possibility.

    ¡°But we here, aren¡¯t we?¡± She asked in fear, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about anything else. You¡¯re standing right in front of me. Don¡¯t you exist? ¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Dorothy said. ¡°Generally speaking, a prophet witch can¡¯t see her fate. Once her fate reveals a little, it means that she has seen the end of her life. However, the feeling this time is different from the past. It¡¯s not that the Book of Destiny is covered with ayer of ck cloth but that its pages are nk as if I don¡¯t exist.¡±

    Things became increasingly confusing. At this time, everyone in the cave was covered in an invisible shadow. The dim light spread to the cold rock wall, and in the shadow of the gully, there seemed to be a pair of peeping eyes.

    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s go back first,¡± I said. ¡°And remind ourpanions to be on guard and not sleep too deeply. Don¡¯t engage with unfamiliar people for the time being, and be on guard against any possible dangers.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to where everyone was gathered.¡±

    It was quiet here. The bonfire was half-extinguished, and the dim light enveloped everyone like a cocoon.

    ¡°Wait!¡±

    I stopped Dorothy and Master Hayley and observed them.

    Everyone¡¯s eyes were closed, and their breathing was steady as if they had all fallen into a deep sleep.

    That was the strange thing. It was fine for the others, but how could the night watchmen fall asleep? Something must have happened when we left for even a veteran like Frank to lower his head!

    I subconsciously looked at Aldrich. He was still in the same position as before I left. Not even a finger moved.

    A crazy thought formed in my mind. It didn¡¯t seem like I was asleep. It was more like time had stopped.

    At this moment, Master Hayley secretly tugged on my sleeve, indicating for me to look around.

    The rock wall was covered with tiny ck monsters that looked like dried lizards!

    ¡°This is it! Time Shifters!¡±

    I¡¯d learned about this monster in the ss of a werewolf grandmaster specializing in ghosts and monsters. It was a dark ghost that existed in the gaps of time. They could stop time and usually feed on the ¡®remaining time¡¯ of living creatures.

    However, the conditions for them to activate their abilities were also very harsh. They could not leave their habitat for a lifetime, and there must be enough people to close their eyes simultaneously to trigger their abilities.

    I couldn¡¯t help but wail in my heart. This was too much of a coincidence! Forget about the people who were asleep. There were so many people who were awake. So why did they all blink at the same time?

    Time Shifters were also very easy to get rid of. We only had to leave their habitat.

    But there were only three of us, and there was a blizzard outside. Even if we moved people into the cave depths as fast as we could, it would still be on a ¡®firste, first serve¡¯ basis. The people left behind would inevitably be eaten by Time Shifters.

 Chapter 151

    151 The Missing Wolves

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I couldn¡¯t care less. Saving people was more important!

    Dorothy used a spell to knock away a group of shadows eyeing us covetously. At the same time, Master Hayley and I immediately went forward to snatch away the few people closest to us.

    I didn¡¯t know what kind of spell Master Hayley had used, but she had turned herself into a big, furry fellow. She could easily carry three burly men.

    ¡°My name is Julia. With Hayley¡¯s body size, it¡¯s time for me to make an appearance, right?¡± Master Hayley said.

    How strange, even her name changed when her figure changed. However, this might be due to the countless limitations. I didn¡¯t have the time to ponder this. I carried the two female members and ran deep into the cave.

    As expected! We guessed it right. The Time Shifters¡¯ habitat is only the shallow part of the cave. Although they looked very upset, an invisible barrier stopped them from chasing.

    ¡°Do you think the members at the second base disappeared because of the Time Shifters?¡± I quickly asked.

    Master Hayley was hesitant about her answer. ¡°Maybe, but the possibility is not very high. Do you think the chances of this happening would happen twice in such a short time?¡±

    After saying that, we returned to the Time Shifters¡¯ habitat.

    When I pped a few Time Shifters away, I asked Dorothy while saving her, ¡°How are you doing? Can you still hold on?¡±

    ¡°No problem at all. These little things can only eat the lifetime of the people they have frozen. They can¡¯t do anything to me. Their soft little ws are not as strong as Avril¡¯s fighting strength!¡±

    Dorothy¡¯s expression was serious but not strenuous. I rxed and focused on saving the others.

    Due to my selfishness, I saved Aldrich, who was the closest to the door. On the way there, I saw a Time Shifter about to open its mouth at Yuri and Linda. I kicked it away without thinking.

    However, the demonic beast passed through the invisible barrier. It let out a blood-curdling screech after leaving its habitat, and before it could struggle, it quickly solidified into a stone.

    This was the first time I learned that Time Shifters could do that. I immediately shouted to Dorothy and Master Hayley, ¡°There¡¯s a more energy-saving method! Pushing the Time Shifters out of their habitat! They will turn into stone!¡±

    Saving all our members one by one was too much of a waste of time, so it was better to save them all at once!

    Dorothy and Master Hayley immediately changed their tactics. The former used sorcery to tie several Time Shifters together, while thetter threw the rounded-up Time Shifters into the cave¡¯s depths like a baseball.

    The sound of stones crumbling was more beautiful than any music. Gradually, the number of Time Shifters decreased. When the remaining Time Shifters saw theirpanions¡¯ miserable fate, they retreated and disappeared one by one.

    We¡¯d taken the opportunity to move the others. After leaving their habitat, the members whose time had been stopped would resume their activities within a few minutes.

    To prevent any idents, we shattered the rocks one by one. The furry Master Hayley was strong, and some of the rocks were even flung to the end of the cave.

    After doing all this, everyone was almost fully awake.

    Master Hayley, who had returned to her human form, described the dangerous situation to Aldrich and Frank. The two immediately felt that it was not a good ce to stay.

    However, the blizzard was still raging, and the only n was to move into the cave¡¯s depths.

    After I settled down, I said to the exhausted Master Hayley, ¡°How did you do it just now? Your wolf is tall and so big and so furry. It¡¯s so mighty.¡±

    Master Hayley looked at me strangely and said, ¡°Uhm, that¡¯s my wolf, Julia. She introduced herself to you, right? ¡±

    ¡°Your wolf?¡± I was a little confused. What Wolf? Is it a type of sorcery?¡±

    This time, Dorothy and Aldrich surrounded me. Aldrich asked in confusion and worry, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Selma? Wolves, every werewolf has a wolf.¡±

    Dorothy said, ¡°Just like my ine and your Maxine. Don¡¯t make such a joke. Maxine will be angry.¡±

    ¡°And Morgan. Maxine met him before.¡±

    I became increasingly confused, and Aldrich became more nervous because of my confusion. ¡°Please tell me that this is a joke, Selma. This is not funny at all.¡±

    ¡°Wait! Let me think!¡± I didn¡¯t understand what they were saying. ¡°What wolf? Which Maxine? Who is she? Have I met her before? What are you guys talking about?¡±

    This time, everyone was panicking.

    Master Hayley immediately called Master Kevin over. Themotion had attracted the attention of the others, so Aldrich could only exin to everyone that it was nothing, and after some deliberation, he dismissed Frank.

    Master Kevin immediately said, ¡°You need a soul examination, Miss Selma. We need to see what¡¯s wrong with the link between you and the wolf.¡±

    ¡°Who can answer my question first?¡± I asked anxiously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not trying to hide it,¡± Master Hayleyforted me softly. ¡°It¡¯s just that you can¡¯t understand this concept right now. Something is blocking your thoughts.¡±

 Chapter 152

    152 Blocked

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I was already very annoyed, but someone interrupted me.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s been hard on our youngdy. Is the presence of so many people enough for you to rest with peace of mind? Shall we send two more people to make your bed?¡±

    I didn¡¯t have to guess. Who else could it be other than Yuri?

    Master Kevin was examining me. I didn¡¯t want to pay attention to him, but someone was taking advantage of me. Yuri¡¯s voice was getting louder and louder. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you talking? Do you think this ce is a holiday resort?¡±

    There was a thud, the sound of Aldrich lifting Yuri against the rock wall.

    He didn¡¯t care about Yuri¡¯s frightened curses. Instead, he said to Frank, ¡°You should discipline your subordinates, Frank. This kind of person would be scolded a hundred times a day in the military. I think you aren¡¯t a soft-hearted leader, right?¡±

    Frank rubbed his temples tiredly and said in a deep voice, ¡°Put him down, Aldrich. I will exin to you.¡±

    ¡°Before I let him go, I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s still something he hasn¡¯t done.¡± Aldrich turned Yuri¡¯s face toward me. ¡°Whether you¡¯re a warrior or a gentleman, isn¡¯t it unrefined and vulgar to attack a woman for no reason? You should apologize to her.¡±

    Yuri looked at Frank for help, but thetter only said, ¡°Be a man, Yuri.¡±

    In the end, Yuri unwillingly apologized to me, broke free of Aldrich¡¯s grip, and hid in a corner, feeling embarrassed.

    Linda, who was in the same group, seemed to want tofort him, but he pushed her away rudely.

    Frank sat down in front of us and sighed. ¡°I apologize for what Yuri did. I didn¡¯t discipline him well as his leader.¡±

    I didn¡¯t have a good impression of this clown, Yuri, but he was a good person. I hurriedly said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s not your fault. It¡¯s a matter of biodiversity.¡±

    ¡°Actually, Yuri wasn¡¯t like this before,¡± said Frank, chuckling dryly. ¡°At first, he was like all the other ambitious young men. He was a passionate and cheerful young man, but some things happenedter, and his temperament changed drastically.¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked.

    Frank seemed to be considering whether to reveal it or not. Seeing this, I waved my hand. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s his privacy. I¡¯d better not ask.¡±

    He then gestured for Master Kevin to continue his inspection.

    Next to me, Frank was looking at me with aplicated expression, sighing from time to time.

    ¡°You¡¯re a nobledy,¡± he said after the examination.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s apliment,¡± I said indifferently. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to rest? It¡¯s already veryte, and you still have to keep watch at night.¡±

    ¡°I miss the time you used the soft nail technique. I have no choice but to say it now.¡±

    I didn¡¯t deny it.

    ¡°I am not hoping that you¡¯ll be generous enough to forget about Yuri¡¯s words and actions,¡± he said helplessly. ¡°I want you to know that Yuri isn¡¯t vicious. He¡¯s just a little... straightforward.¡±

    ¡°This has nothing to do with me. He¡¯s just a member of the advanced team.¡± I acted very coldly.

    ¡°Alright.¡± Finally, Frank surrendered. ¡°I won¡¯t interfere with your decision anymore. I¡¯ll at least wait until everything is over, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Iughed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. I can still see the big picture. After all, even the vicious nobles have basicmon sense, don¡¯t they?¡±

    With a deep sigh, Frank left.

    Dorothy looked at him in confusion and asked me, ¡°What are you guys talking about? Why don¡¯t I understand a single word?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s about dealing with Yuri,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯ll tell you tomorrow.¡±

    Dorothy was still confused, but Aldrich¡¯s gaze told me he understood what I meant.

    Did I purposely cause trouble for Yuri? I didn¡¯t think I was mean, and I didn¡¯t like to put on airs like a noble, but Yuri ndered my parents in public. Even if I didn¡¯t punish him in the future, his words and deeds had vited military discipline, and he couldn¡¯t escape punishment.

    I respected him, but I wouldn¡¯t just let him go.

    From the day I returned to my parents¡¯ side, I gradually realized that I could no longer be as weak-tempered as I was before.

    When I was the orphan Selma, I could live a better life by giving in appropriately. But when I became Princess Madeline, weakness would only allow my enemies to push their luck.

    Master Kevin finallypleted his examination.

    ¡°The good news is that you and your wolf are in close contact, and there are no problems,¡± Kevin said. ¡°The bad news is that you¡¯ve been cursed, which has actively blockedmunication with your wolf.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not good. Selma hasn¡¯t learned how to transform into a wolf yet. We can¡¯t even get Maxine toe out and reverse the curse.¡±

    Master Hayley wasn¡¯t too optimistic, either. ¡°This is the brilliance of the person who ced the curse. It forms a closed loop. We can¡¯t find an incision to solve the problem.¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± I raised my hand and asked, ¡°Can¡¯t I remove the curse myself?

    ¡°That¡¯s one way,¡± Master Kevin said. ¡°But the premise is that you can understand the concept of wolves. But your thoughts in this regard have also been blocked.¡±

 Chapter 153

    153 The Disappeared World

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    It was a bizarre feeling. I knew I had forgotten something, but I couldn¡¯t remember it, no matter how hard I tried. Even the ¡®forget¡¯ itself became blurry as if there was an eraser in your mind constantly clearing your perception of it.

    I could hear the word ¡®wolf¡¯ and copied it into my mind, spelling out the word ¡®w-o-l-f¡±.

    However, that was all. The only meaning of the word ¡®wolf¡¯ to me was to spell it. More than that, whenever I thought about it, there would be a voice reminding me that it ¡®didn¡¯t exist¡¯.

    This was the power of shielding. It could make something disappear into thin air and make you refuse to ept its existence.

    I felt my blood run cold.

    ¡°When is it...¡±

    I couldn¡¯t remember. I¡¯d searched through my neen years of memories but couldn¡¯t find anything rted to it.

    This was where the problemy.

    ¡°When was thest time you thought of the word wolf?¡± The grandmasters were also very concerned about this.

    I forgot. I frowned. The strange feeling of emptiness made me very ufortable. Honestly, I felt like I just learned the word ¡®wolf¡¯ five minutes ago.¡±

    Dorothy and Aldrich tried their best to recall, but the answer was not optimistic. They unanimously agreed that I had not talked much about my wolf since this year.

    ¡°Thest time I can remember was a month ago,¡± Dorothy said. ¡°You said Maxine fought with you for some reason.¡±

    I had no impression of it at all.

    Aldrich was even more helpless. ¡°It was also a month ago, the day after Adele was executed. You said Maxine was joking and wanted to see Adele¡¯s wolf if she had one.¡±

    My memory of that day was already very faint, not to mention this.

    ¡°Alright, now we know you were affected by some kind of shielding spell at least a month ago.¡±

    Master Hayley suggested.

    ¡°Do you think it was Adele¡¯s doing?¡±

    I didn¡¯t think so. It was hard to say, but I imagined it was very unlikely. Adele waspletely sealed then. She shouldn¡¯t have the opportunity or the ability.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps she had already made a move on you before?¡±

    But I¡¯d never been in contact with her for more than five minutes. Besides, there were usually other people present, so she couldn¡¯t have cast a curse on me without anyone knowing.¡±

    We analyzed for a long time but could note up with anything. The whole thing was too strange. After that, the grandmasters and Dorothy checked the mana fluctuations in my body again, and the results were even weirder. They did not find any traces of unfamiliar mana. It was as if I had cast a curse on myself.

    Dorothy was a little dejected, ¡°Why have I suddenly lost my prophetic ability? Otherwise, I¡¯ll be able to see what happened to you in the past.¡±

    I patted her shoulder, indicating that it wasn¡¯t her fault and that she shouldn¡¯t me herself.

    We didn¡¯t sleep at all in the middle of the night, so everyone was still awake when it was our turn to keep watch.

    ¡°Once bitten, twice shy. Everyone¡¯s afraid of another ident happening in the middle of the night,¡± said Frank.

    Things had been going in a strange direction since we arrived at the second base. It was good to be more vignt. Who knew the trouble hidden here that was more troublesome than the Time Shifters?

    It was six in the morning.

    ¡°Everyone, wake up! Pack up,¡± Frank said as he acted as a human rm clock. ¡°We should be setting off!¡±

    The exhausted team members tidied up their luggage. Suddenly, Aldrich pulled me to the main entrance and said thoughtfully, ¡°Something¡¯s not right. Look.¡±

    I peeked through the door¡¯s crack but saw nothing other than the snow.

    What was happening?

    I used my eyes to express my confusion.

    ¡°Listen carefully,¡± Aldrich gestured for me to put my ear to the door.

    I held my breath and listened carefully for a long time, but I still didn¡¯t find anything out of the ordinary.

    It was so quiet. What was wrong with that?

    Wait a moment.

    I suddenly reacted.

    How could it be so quiet? It was snowing outside, so why was there no sound at all?

    Aldrich gestured for me to continue looking through the door crack. ¡°Not only that. Do you think it¡¯s dawn outside? ¡±

    Of course, it was bright. It was all white outside. It couldn¡¯t be night, right?

    Something was wrong.

    If it was morning, there should be sunlight. Even if dark clouds covered it, the visibility would not be so low. However, there was nothing but snow in my vision. I could only see white in the gaps between the snowkes. It was as if the rocks and mountains had disappeared into thin air, leaving only a pale and fake background.

    I immediately called over Frank and the other werewolf grandmasters.

    After observing for a while, Master Hayley said seriously, ¡°It¡¯s very bad news. We¡¯ve been blocked from the outside world.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Our existence is blocked from the outside world, so we can¡¯t see or hear anything. This isn¡¯t a problem with our senses. It¡¯s just that we¡¯ve lost the right to observe the world, and this right is still shrinking.¡±

    ¡°So, it¡¯s highly possible that the members who were here before disappeared because of this?¡±

    I guessed so. I picked up the steaming cup on the table and said, ¡°Did you notice? There¡¯s no change in the water temperaturepared to yesterday.¡±

 Chapter 154

    154 The Huge Box

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    It was a cup filled with vegetable soup. The sides of the cup were hot and steaming as if someone had just filled it with their breakfast.

    However, this cup of vegetable soup had been in this state for at least ten hours.

    The smoke rose and then dissipated. Before itpletely disappeared, another cloud of steam was produced.

    This process continued three to four times before I gradually discovered some abnormalities.

    At the end of the steam, a new round of steam seemed to have appeared suddenly. It went past the process of turning from hot soup to steam, like a mist that arose from thin air.

    Like the gifs in a game, there would always be slight gaps in the middle of the frame.

    A crazy idea formed in my mind.

    ¡°Maybe we¡¯re not blocked from the world but locked up?¡±

    I brought this cup of hot soup for everyone to observe.

    ¡°Have you noticed? What¡¯s strange about steam is that it doesn¡¯tpletely abide by thews of physics. Instead, it¡¯s like a smokescreen to act like it¡¯s normal, just like in-game animation.

    ¡°Is there a possibility that we¡¯ve been locked up in an enclosed space like a game without our knowledge? The scenes here are all realistic pictures, including the Time Shifters we encountered yesterday. They were all set up as tiny monsters.

    ¡°This ce, which looks the same as the second base, is not the real second base. Everyone was too nervousst night and forgot about one problem. There is more than one powerful and experienced werewolf grandmaster in the advanced party. Would they agree to set up a base where there are strange creatures with magic fluctuations?

    ¡°The reason we can¡¯t see the second base members is not that they have disappeared. It¡¯s because we have arrived at the wrong ce. Therefore, there are no members of the second base here.

    ¡°Is everything here a one-to-one copy of the real second base? Perhaps the creature that locked us up here replicated a certain period in the second base. From the cup, it was about four to five seconds. Last night, we lived in this cycle of four to five seconds. Perhaps even the concept of time is distorted here. There was no blizzard in the real world. It was just an external background added to this period.

    ¡°Sincest night, allmunication equipment has stopped working. We thought it was because the blizzard had interfered with the signal. But now, it seems that there is another possibility. This ¡®game¡¯ cannot send signals to the outside world.¡±

    If it was as I¡¯d guessed, things just got really troublesome.

    The person who made this wanted to trap us inside.

    To verify our spections, we tried to open the door, but the wind and snow continued to faithfully carry out their mission as if they had been set on a particr track. They didn¡¯t touch the territory of the base at all.

    ording tomon sense, the base should have been swept up by the wind and snow by now.

    With a few other team members tied to ropes, they explored the outside and returned after a few dozen meters.

    There¡¯s an invisible wall blocking us from the outside world,¡± he said with a serious look. ¡°We can¡¯t see the mountain or the snowfield. It¡¯s like we¡¯re being trapped in a huge white box.¡±

    One of the younger members started to panic. ¡°Don¡¯t we have a way to get out? Will we be trapped here?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say such demoralizing things! Are you going to give up before the enemy evenes?¡± Frank rebuked him sternly.

    Although few people showed it, this young team member expressed many people¡¯s anxiety. We didn¡¯t bring many emergency rations, and water was even more limited.

    Helpless, Frank made a rule. ¡°We can use a small portion of the resources here, only food and water. The rest cannot be used for the time being.

    ¡°Waiting for death is not a solution. Since we can¡¯t go out of the cave, I suggest we go inside to look for clues.

    ¡°Yesterday, when I went to deal with the petrification, I reached the end of the cave in seconds. There didn¡¯t seem to be anything wrong. It was just like any ordinary cave. I¡¯m going to look for it againter. Maybe the end of the cave is also a smokescreen?¡±

    The group was immediately thrown into chaos and split into four small teams.

    This time, I was separated from Dorothy. I was in a group with Aldrich, Master Kevin, Linda, and others. On the other hand, Dorothy was in the same group as Frank, Master Hayley, Yuri, and a few other team members.

    I was ufortable with Dorothy being on the same team as Yuri. Thetter would provoke Dorothy.

    However, this was a distribution that took into consideration our overall quality. Dorothy also advised me not to cause trouble for Frank at this critical moment, so I could only swallow my worries and dissatisfaction.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you guys feel a little cold?¡±

    Someone suddenlymented.

    It was as if a switch had been turned on. Everyone shivered a few times as if the temperature in the cave had suddenly dropped by more than ten degrees.

    ¡°It¡¯s getting increasingly weird.¡±

    Without further ado, Frank gave the order to set off immediately.

    Frank¡¯s team was the first to set out.

    Master Hayley and Master Kevin had marked everyone with a synesthetic imprint. Once theirpanions were in danger, the tiny new moon mark on everyone¡¯s hand would be hot.

 Chapter 155

    155 Chaotic Time

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    This would allow us to rescue them in time.

    In addition, the mark also had a simplemunication function. It would glow when it was stained with blood, and others could receive a signal through this point.

    Perhaps we¡¯d identally broken through some ¡®barrier¡¯, and the cave had be deeper. It was three times longer than the time I spent exploring the cave, but there was still no signal from Frank.

    ording to the n, the next group would set off at this time.

    However, after the same time had passed for the second team, there was still no signal, not even from Frank¡¯s team.

    The temperature was even lower now, and everyone trembled visibly. We had no choice but to put on the assault suits from the ¡®base¡¯s¡¯ resources, but the effect was insignificant.

    The third group set off.

    This time, a signal came in half the time. The mark was only glowing and not burning, which meant that one of the teams had safely found some clues.

    ording to our n, everyone else could set off now, and only my group was left.

    We didn¡¯t know what was going on ahead. We tried to bring food, water, and other supplies to be safe.

    The deep cave grew darker and darker. I even had a strange feeling that this darkness wasn¡¯t due to theck of light but rather the inferior quality of the ¡®server¡¯ itself.

    The people who made this ce didn¡¯t program the lighting well.

    After only twenty minutes, we encountered an unexpected group ¨C Frank¡¯s group.

    ¡°I thought Sam¡¯s group would be first.¡± He was also shocked. ¡°You guys changed the order?¡±

    ¡°No, the order hasn¡¯t changed. We¡¯re thest group.¡± I was sure that I didn¡¯t meet anyone on the way or encounter any forks.

    Frank looked at the time and frowned. ¡°Wait, how long have you been waiting?¡±

    ¡°Almost three hours.¡±

    ¡°But we¡¯ve only left for less than an hour.¡± He showed me his watch.

    I also showed him my watch, and the different hands made our hearts sink.

    ¡°Thew of time is chaotic here,¡± I said irritatedly. ¡°Maybe thew of space is not working, or we would have passed the first two groups. Did you see a fork in the road?¡±

    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t.¡±

    As expected, this was a poor-quality ¡®server¡¯. Even the most basic framework was not built.

    This might be good news because it meant that we could find the ¡®server¡¯s¡¯ bugs, but at the same time, it was bad news. The people who built the ¡®server¡¯ obviously didn¡¯t put much effort into it and didn¡¯t care about our lives.

    The experienced Frank quickly came up with a solution. ¡°From now on, we¡¯ll leave a mark on the rock wall every five minutes, indicating that we¡¯ve met and our respective times. Maybe the other groups can see it. This will help them discover the problem and catch up with us.¡±

    As he spoke, the mark glowed again.

    ¡°Did you guys send out a signal just now?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No,¡± said Frank, shaking his head.

    My group hadn¡¯t reached the agreed time yet.

    This meant someone from the other two groups had already sent a signal. One of the groups was faster than all the other groups, while the other group was slower than that group, slower than Frank and my group.

    My group waited for more than three hours, but less than an hour passed for Frank¡¯s group. This meant that my group¡¯s time was faster than Frank¡¯s group¡¯s.

    I didn¡¯t know if the time would be the same when we met. For now, I could only mark the walls, as Frank said.

    I suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s do it this way. We can make a serial number on the mark and get the other two groups to send the signal ording to their group number and the serial number of the mark. If the second group reached the first mark, he would have them sh the mark twice, then once again. The second mark would sh twice, then twice again, and so on. We¡¯ll use this to calcte our time difference.¡±

    ¡°Good idea.¡±

    We¡¯d leave the first number. My time was 10:30, and Frank¡¯s was 8:40.

    The difference between us was one hour and fifty minutes.

    For the second number, I counted that five minutes had passed, but the time on my watch was already 10:45, and Fred¡¯s time was 8:45.

    ¡°Your time flow is normal,¡± I said. ¡°Ours has be faster.¡±

    ¡°It looks like it, but it has only been an hour and forty-five minutes since we set off. You¡¯re two and a half times faster than me.

    ¡°Furthermore, the time flow rate between us is increasing. My time is flowing exponentially faster.¡±

    This was not good news. Although there were no ominous signs so far, the problem of the time was not small. The unexpected premonition was getting stronger and stronger.

    At this moment, the mark shed again.

    This time, it shed three times, indicating that it was the second group. However, it blinked four more times!

    The fourth?

    But we hadn¡¯t even made the fourth mark yet!

    We were all stunned.

    A terrifying silence spread, and Dorothy said dryly, ¡°If I haven¡¯t forgotten what I¡¯ve learned in kindergarten, we¡¯ve only just left the second mark, right?¡±

 Chapter 156

    156 The Cave Is Alive

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Looking at the scratch marks on the rock wall, I had a strange feeling that the hard rock wall was slightly wriggling.

    Everyone wanted to say something, but no one opened their mouths. They didn¡¯t know what to say. Everyone¡¯s brain cells were not enough to decipher this phenomenon.

    ¡°Could it be that time and space are already in chaos?¡± Aldrich spected, ¡°We always thought that time and space were in the process of distortion but is there a possibility that there is no stable space-time foundation here from the beginning, but that it was chaotic and disorderly from the moment it was formed?¡±

    That was why the third group encountered the fourth mark. They were faster than us and met the mark we left in the future! I was enlightened.

    But then, I was discouraged. Then, it was useless to calcte the time difference through marks. If time was chaotic, it was meaningless to figure out its rules.

    Everyone was a little embarrassed, and their initially insufficient confidence was weakened again.

    ¡°Speaking of which, don¡¯t you guys think that it¡¯s a little too cold right now?¡± Linda sneezed. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m standing in a freezer naked.¡±

    When she said that, we also felt the sudden drop in temperature.

    ¡°If the space is chaotic, then the inside and outside of the cave are not constant.¡± Aldrich said, ¡°Who knows, maybe the cold outside the cave has been transferred into the cave. That¡¯s why we¡¯re so cold.¡±

    However, there was no way out of the cave. We could only continue exploring the cave, hoping to find a way out before we froze.

    Even the ¡®next level¡¯ would be better than freezing to death!

    We didn¡¯t give up on making marks because Master Hayley said, ¡°We must at least make the fourth mark. Otherwise, the third team won¡¯t encounter the fourth mark from the future and won¡¯t be able to send the signal. This creates a time paradox, which will only worsen the situation.¡±

    When we finished marking the fifth mark, we finally met the others.

    The second group was about to send the signal ording to our third mark.

    ¡°Hey, Sam!¡± Frank called out to the leader of the second group. ¡°Are you guys alright? Did you encounter any problems?¡±

    Sam was obviously shocked to meet us. We¡¯d finally met him. ¡°We¡¯ve been walking for almost six hours and didn¡¯t meet anyone. We didn¡¯t receive any danger signals either. We were so worried!¡±

    After Frank briefly exined the current situation to Sam¡¯s team, Sam said in shock, ¡°We sent the signal after we received the first signal, which means that the fastest team is Kerner¡¯s team?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid they¡¯ll be gone for even longer,¡± said Frank.

    At this moment, the temperature in the cave dropped even more. I even felt dizzy. Under the dim light, the rock wall seemed to hide in the dark and quietly wriggle.

    With a sh of inspiration, I realized the rtionship between time and temperature. ¡°Could it be that the faster time flows, the lower the temperature?¡±

    When I said that, everyone agreed with me.

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said Frank. ¡°After meeting up with you, I did feel the temperature around me drop again. After meeting up with Sam, the temperature dropped drastically.¡±

    We looked at the thermometer that we carried with us. It was already -20 degrees Celsius.

    At the entrance of the cave, it was only -4 degrees Celsius.

    The faster time flowed, the lower the temperature would be. It wouldn¡¯t be long before we freeze to death here!

    Just as we were at our wits¡¯ end, a voice suddenly came from behind us.

    ¡°You¡¯re all here?¡±

    It was Kerner.

    ¡°Moon Goddess! We finally found someone. You have no idea how long we¡¯ve been walking. It¡¯s been twelve hours. We were suspecting if there was a hidden fork in the road that we¡¯d missed!¡±

    As expected, Kerner¡¯s group had the fastest time flow, and the temperature dropped even faster as soon as he arrived.

    The thermometer was disying -25 degrees Celsius.

    We quickened our pace and went deeper into the cave, but the cave seemed to lead to the earth¡¯s core, so deep that the bottom could not be seen.

    At -30 degrees, one of the team members finally couldn¡¯t hold on any longer and fainted.

    It was not because of the cold. It was because of low blood sugar. After Master Hayley inspected the items, she said, ¡°The resources in the base are indeed useless. They can¡¯t provide any nutrition.¡±

    We should have thought of this earlier. How could a pile of ¡®non-existent¡¯ material provide heat and nutrients?

    After dealing with the emergency, we carried the team member on our back and continued on our way.

    At this moment, Dorothy suddenly said, ¡°Is the rock wall moving?¡±

    We carefully observed our surroundings and found that it was indeed so!

    This meant that my assumption earlier was not an illusion!

    However, an even stranger thing happened. Under everyone¡¯s gazes, the mark that Frank and I had just made was slowly flowing over. It was like a leaf floating in a small stream, moving faster and faster with the water.

    ¡°It¡¯s really strange.¡± Someone mumbled, ¡°This phenomenon is like intestinal peristalsis. Could this cave be alive? ¡±

    That was right!

    I suddenly thought, ¡®Why couldn¡¯t the cave be alive?¡¯

    I thought we were in a low-quality ¡®game¡¯, but what if it wasn¡¯t a program full of bugs but another form of life?

    ¡°Perhaps we¡¯re its food, moving forward in this wireless roving intestine!¡±

 Chapter 157

    157 Malfunctioned

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The rock wall was moving!

    As if realizing that it had been exposed, the ¡®cave¡¯ no longer pretended to be harmless.

    The space in front of us suddenly twisted. The walls of the cave ovepped with each other, and the ground intersected with each other. Space twisted in a way that defied thews of physics. Thus, the wrong model appeared first, and the intersection points appeared in unreasonable ces.

    ¡°Everyone, gather around! Don¡¯t separate!¡± Frank shouted, ¡°Stay away from the spatial intersection point!¡±

    As he was talking, the cave had changed entirely. It was folded up like Inception, and we were standing upside down or floating in the air. Our vision was no longer reliable, and things that we could see might not exist, and some things that we could not see might not necessarily not exist.

    We tried our best to gather together, but it was to no avail. The irregr distortions easily split our team into pieces. Some of the members who were alone were isted by space. We could only hear their voices but could not find them.

    ¡°The space is copsing!¡± Master Hayley roared, ¡°If we don¡¯t find a way to leave, we will all be lost in the torrent of time and space!¡±

    Some of the more experienced members were trying to find a way to save themselves, but the results were minimal.

    Things seemed to have reached a dead end, and we had no other way.

    Were we going to die in this god-forsaken ce?

    I wondered unwillingly.

    A fluctuation of agitation came over, and Dorothy, holding onto my hand tightly, was flung away. Immediately, a void urred beside her, and she disappeared from my sight.

    ¡°Dorothy!¡±

    I subconsciously wanted to pull her back but was pulled back by Aldrich. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous, be careful!¡±

    The space in front of me suddenly tore apart. I would probably have been cut in half if I hadn¡¯t dodged just now.

    The same situation was happening more and more often. Not only was the space twisted and deformed, but it was also gradually filled with attack power. Some team members who could not dodge in time were already injured. Many pieces of clothing and backpacks were scattered everywhere, blocking the disaster for their owners.

    As the dimension was getting increasingly fragmented, more members were being separated from the main group. Some of them had even lost their will to live. They cried and confessed their sins to the Moon Goddess.

    ¡°All of you, stand up, idiots!¡± Frank tried to rally his team members again, but it was no avail. More and more people chose to give up.

    I saw Yuri lying on the ground like a mud pool, holding his cor and muttering something. Linda tried to pull him up, but he pushed her away, and she fell into a distorted space and disappeared.

    This vile person! Was this how he treated hispanions at such a critical juncture?

    But now was not the time to care about this. If we couldn¡¯t think of a solution, we would all be buried in the torrent of time.

    However, I was indeed at my wit¡¯s end. Time and space weren¡¯t my areas of expertise, to begin with. It was already all I could do to understand what was happening here.

    Master Hayley and Master Kevin were not experts in this area, either. No one in the entire team knew more than them.

    Was there no other way?

    I could see the same helplessness in Aldrich¡¯s eyes as I did, and my heart sank.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already sworn to live and die with you, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be this way,¡± Aldrich said. ¡°If I had known that we would never return, I would have proposed to you.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I was a little touched but also a little resentful of his frivolity. ¡°Don¡¯t say such depressing things. We¡¯ll be fine!¡±

    However, I also knew that this kind offort was fragile. How could we be fine? With the current situation, we couldn¡¯t escape death.

    As I was at my wit¡¯s end, I suddenly heard Dorothy¡¯s voice, ¡°Don¡¯t believe all of this, Selma. It¡¯s fake. It¡¯s all fake!¡±

    I looked around but did not see Dorothy.

    ¡°Where are you?¡± I shouted.

    Dorothy¡¯s voice came from a random direction. ¡°I¡¯m standing where I am. You can¡¯t see me because we¡¯re not in the same space. I understand now. I understand everything!¡±

    ¡°What is it? Are you alright? Are you hurt?¡±

    I was extremely worried about Dorothy¡¯s safety. Her weak body was more vulnerable than the average person¡¯s.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Dorothy replied, full of energy. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. What I¡¯m saying now is very important. You must remember this, Saroma!¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Everything is fake. Everything is fake in the space we are in, everything we see and hear, including the time we think we have experienced in the cave. Nothing exists!¡±

    I was stunned by her. ¡°I don¡¯t understand!¡±

    Suddenly, a ¡®small piece¡¯ of Dorothy¡¯s skin appeared in front of me. A small piece of skin on the left side of her eye suddenly appeared in front of me but disappeared a secondter.

    I looked around and realized that this wasn¡¯t the only case. Many of my team members who had been separated by space had a part of their bodies sh and disappear.

    It was like a malfunctioning television; a corner of the visual would asionally sh.

    It wasn¡¯t that there was a broadcast ident, but that the television was broken.

 Chapter 158

    158 An Illusionary World

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°You saw me, right? I saw you too.¡± Dorothy¡¯s voice came from behind me. I turned around, but I could only catch an instant of her figure.

    ¡°I was standing before you earlier, and now I¡¯m walking a few steps behind you. You can see me from behind, which means that the space we are in is ovepping orderly, and all the details correspond.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± It was like I had a hundred thousand whys, and I couldn¡¯t think of anything other than asking questions.

    ¡°I knew you weren¡¯t paying attention in ss,¡± Dorothyined in a low voice. ¡°Master Mary talked about space problems before!

    ¡°In short, I need you to know that our previous inferences are wrong because we have confined our thoughts to ¡®time¡¯. We thought that the disorder of time had distorted space.

    ¡°But this is not right. There is more than one space. The dislocation and ovepping we see are the results of the gradual integration of space. The primary and secondary rtionship between time and space has also been reversed. It¡¯s the fusion of space that affects the order of time. It¡¯s as if a fragment has suddenly been inserted into the axis of time, and time has been forcibly extended.

    ¡°As for our four groups, we went to different dimensions and encountered different spatial fusion fragments, which is why there is a time difference. It¡¯s not that our time is faster or slower, but that the distance we walked is different, which creates the illusion of difference in time.¡±

    ¡°But it doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± I thought of Frank and my watches. Frank and my team walked the same distance, but time is different, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°This is because you are in different spaces!¡± Dorothy said firmly, ¡°Although you can see ande into contact with him, it doesn¡¯t mean that this is just an illusion created by the ovepping space between you and him.

    ¡°Do you still remember the mark you carved? Why did the other teams send out signals based on non-existent markings before you carved them?

    ¡°Because your space fragments were all intercepted! If I¡¯m not wrong, the ovepping space doesn¡¯t just include the cave¡¯s environment and everything that happens inside. The space you marked was cut out and fused into the space of the other groups. The timeline did not change, which created the illusion that they sent the signal before you made the markings.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I think I understand.¡± After avoiding a tear in space, I asked while panting, ¡°But is this of any help now? We still can¡¯t solve the problem of spatial ovep.¡±

    ¡°No, we can solve this! Or rather... That¡¯s not a problem at all!¡±

    Dorothy suddenly appeared in front of me, and at that moment, a spatial tear pierced through her body, splitting her into two!

    ¡°No! Dorothy!¡± I screamed and caught her body, but she disappeared in a sh.

    I didn¡¯t have time to be sad when her voice appeared behind my head again. ¡°I should have died, right? But I didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°What... What?¡± I was stunned. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Dorothy appeared in front of me again. She lookedpletely unscathed, unlike the clothes and backpacks torn apart.

    ¡°I¡¯ve said it before; all of this is fake, Selma.¡± Her face was calm as if she was not in danger. ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering. If everything is an artificial ¡®game server¡¯ as we initially thought, then there are too many bugs in it, right?

    ¡°Constructing space is not an easy task. Although the constructed space is fake, it must conform to all existing worldws. This means it cannot have too many bugs, or its existence will be self-contradictory, and it will copse and disappear in less than a second.

    ¡°But look at where we are now. This ce is a collection of bugs. No one can break thews of nature to build such a ce, not even the most famous sorcerer in history who is good at this.

    ¡°So, there is only one answer ¨C everything is fake. There are no servers and no virtual world.¡±

    My brain was unable to work. I asked in a daze, ¡°Where are we now? Is this the second base in real life? Did someone use the power of space to ambush us?¡±

    ¡°No, although this is not a man-made space, we are still not in reality.¡± Dorothy tugged at the thick down-jacket on her body. ¡°Can you feel it? The temperature is getting lower and lower. It¡¯s as if we¡¯re not in a cave but a world of ice and snow.

    ¡°No matter how many clothes we wear, we can¡¯t avoid temperature loss because we only wear clothes in our fantasies. In reality, we don¡¯t even have any clothes on our bodies.

    ¡°We are in an illusion, Selma.

    ¡°The danger we are seeing is harmless. It¡¯s just a terrifying imagination.

    ¡°The thing that can kill us is the temperature.

    ¡°Selma, our bodies are about to freeze to death.¡±

 Chapter 159

    159 Awakened

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I was so shocked that I was speechless. I felt that Dorothy¡¯s analysis made sense for some reason, but I could not ept it mentally.

    ¡°If all of this is just an illusion, and someone wants us to freeze to death, then what¡¯s the point of creating so many dangers in this illusion?¡±

    Dorothy closed her eyes, just like every time she prophesied.

    ¡°To stall us.¡± She opened her eyes, but she still could not see anything. ¡°Remember what I said before? I can¡¯t see anyone¡¯s fate. It¡¯s as if no one here exists.

    ¡°Now I understand. It¡¯s not that people don¡¯t exist, but that fate doesn¡¯t exist. This illusion made up of everyone is fake, to begin with. How can real fate appear in a fake world? So it¡¯s not that the Book of Destiny rejected me, but it doesn¡¯t exist here.

    ¡°This is powerful proof that we are in an illusion.

    ¡°But illusions are too easy to see through. For example, I could easily pop the fragile bubble once I caught any trace.

    ¡°That¡¯s why the people who want us to die deliberately released smoke bombs to confuse us. The so-called problem of time and space is a trap to dy us, confuse us, make us scared, tire us out of our illusions, and waste time. The longer we sink into our illusions, the longer our bodies, in reality, will stay in ice and snow.

    ¡°Ultimately, it doesn¡¯t matter if we¡¯re scared to death by our illusions because our bodies have long been frozen into solid popsicles.¡±

    I looked at my team members, who were running around in fear. The panic on their faces was not fake, but their purple lips and pale faces were not fake, either. Everyone was cold, and this unusual cold was perhaps a reaction from the real world in the illusionary world.

    I was suddenly enlightened.

    ¡°So, as long as we think this ce is fake, we don¡¯t have to worry about being hurt by the spatial distortion because these injuries are inflicted on ourselves by our illusions!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Dorothy nodded vigorously. Her figure was no longer flickering. After seeing through the truth, false illusions had no effect on her.

    She was gradually leaving the illusionary world.

    ¡°Everyone, listen to me!¡± I used my loudest voice to shout, causing everyone to look at me subconsciously. ¡°There¡¯s no need to hide. There¡¯s no need to be afraid. Everything here is fake! The current situation is something that someone deliberately guided us to hallucinate about. The damage we¡¯re suffering is self-inflicted!

    ¡°As long as you see through the truth, illusions can¡¯t hurt you, just like this!¡±

    I deliberately didn¡¯t avoid a spatial tear, but it passed through my body like harmless air. It didn¡¯t have any effect on me.

    Some of the team members sucked in a breath of cold air. One of them was frozen on the spot, so he didn¡¯t have the time to dodge the spatial tearing at him.

    It was toote to dodge!

    He could only close his eyes tightly, straighten his body nervously, and mutter something...

    It tore through his body, but just like what happened to me, it didn¡¯t cause anything. There wasn¡¯t even a wound.

    ¡°It¡¯s true!¡± The team member said in surprise. ¡°Calm down! This is all fake, don¡¯t scare yourself, and we¡¯ll be safe!¡±

    Gradually, more and more team members gave up on fleeing and convinced themselves of the fact to fight against the illusion of fear.

    The illusionary world made up of people began to copse gradually.

    ¡°If no one supports the illusion, it will naturally dissipate,¡± Aldrich said. ¡°The future is terrifying.¡±

    ¡°Dorothy is the smartest girl I¡¯ve ever met.¡± I nodded with pride.

    As everyone held their breath and waited, the illusion suddenly disappeared like an avnche.

    A blinding light shone through the cracks like a heavy hammer had struck our bodies. Under the pressure of the light, we fainted.

    What woke me up was the cold, the bone-piercing, terrifying cold that carried the aura of death.

    I suddenly opened my eyes and took in deep breaths. The cold air poured into my alveoli, and the needle-like pain woke me up quickly.

    An uncontroble shiver and a feeling of stiffness as stiff as a stone followed.

    I was sure that if I had woken up five minutester, I would have been frozen into an ice sculpture.

    ¡°Hey! Wake up! Everyone, wake up!¡±

    I was the first to wake up. I had to drag my ufortable body to wake up my team members, who had fallen on the snow one by one.

    The situation was not optimistic. Several members had already entered a state of shock. The medical team members, Master Hayley, and Master Kevin had to push their weak bodies to take care of them. The others hurriedly carried the shocked members into the hut.

    The stove had gone out at some point. In the gap between the fire, I subconsciously looked at the electronic clock.

    Then, I felt goosebumps all over.

    It was July 3rd, 7:09 am.

    We arrived at the first base on July 2nd.

    This meant that not even a day had passed!

 Chapter 160

    160 The Pine Forest

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    We found ourselves lying on the snow outside the base when we woke up. We weren¡¯t wearing much, as if we were just going to the toilet.

    That was where the problemy. Judging from the time, we were very likely pulled into the illusion when we went out to hear the cries for helpst night.

    Furthermore, that man had disappeared.

    We¡¯d counted the number of people, and everyone was there except for Frank.

    This wasn¡¯t good. We could only search for his traces in the surrounding area, but we couldn¡¯t find any trace of him within a 300-meter radius.

    ¡°Do you still remember when you went to look for someone with Frank? ¡± We asked Linda, who was thest person to have contact with him, ¡°Where did you go? Where did you find that man?¡±

    However, Linda¡¯s answer shocked us. ¡°I don¡¯t remember that. Thest thing I remember is going out with everyone to check on the situation. I don¡¯t remember going out alone with Frank.¡±

    How was this possible? Except for Linda, everyone had a memory of it.

    At that moment, someone knocked on the door of the first base.

    Everyone immediately became alert and kept quiet.

    Aldrich motioned for us to get ready, and he went to open the door.

    There was a member of the advanced party standing outside the door. He looked a little familiar. Wasn¡¯t he the member who Frank sent to send the man down the mountain?

    This person¡¯s name was Mike, and he was currently looking at us with a puzzled expression. ¡°Why are you all looking at me like that? It¡¯s really ufortable.¡±

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you sent by Frank to send that man down the mountain?¡± I asked, ¡°You¡¯re back so soon? ¡±

    ¡°What man? What are you talking about?¡± Mike¡¯s face was filled with doubt. ¡°I¡¯ve been staying in the second base all this time. I had to pick up a new team member this morning, so I went down!¡±

    This time, everyone shivered in unison.

    If Mike wasn¡¯t there yesterday, who was the person we saw?

    Or rather, was what we saw real?

    Now that I thought about it, I was still doubtful about that man¡¯s existence. From what I recalled, Mike was sent out ¡®this morning¡¯. If we all fell into aast night, did Frank and Linda save the strange man?

    Did we fall into the illusionary world the moment we stepped out of the base?

    Suddenly, Dorothy¡¯s voice could be heard from upstairs.

    ¡°You guys have to see this!¡±

    We ran upstairs, and Dorothy was leaning against the window, observing the outside world.

    We followed her line of sight but found nothing.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Dorothy pointed at the forest in the distance. ¡°If I remember correctly, we didn¡¯t see many trees on our way here yesterday, right?¡±

    In the direction she was pointing, arge patch of towering pine trees was in the shadow of the snowy mountains. It was impossible to notice without looking carefully.

    That was the path we took to go up the mountain yesterday. I was sure that I had never seen this pine forest.

    And it was a pine forest.

    Thinking of that legend, I couldn¡¯t help but have a headache.

    ¡°The seal must have loosened, right?¡± I mumbled, ¡°The demon¡¯s power is overflowing.¡±

    I thought the crisisst night was caused by the devil¡¯s power. Although I didn¡¯t know why he didn¡¯t bewitch us to unseal it and instead tried to kill us, it was not important for now.

    More importantly, our actions would be ten times more difficult under the devil¡¯s shadow.

    Since he had harmed us once, would he not do it a second or third time?

    Silent dangers were always the most terrifying.

    ¡°Maybe we should go to the pine forest and look for it,¡± I suggested, ¡°That¡¯s the direction that Frank and Linda wentst night. If saving the man isn¡¯t an illusion, then Frank is most likely in the pine forest.¡±

    Everyone agreed. Time was of the essence, and every minutete would mean more danger for Frank.

    The werewolf grandmasters had to stay behind to heal the injured, and among the remaining candidates, only Aldrich was the most appropriate.

    He didn¡¯t feel at ease letting me go alone, but I knew he had toe out and take charge of the situation.

    I had Dorothy ce a mark on everyone in the rescue team, including Aldrich.

    ¡°It¡¯s not far from here. It¡¯s only two kilometers away,¡± Iforted Aldrich. ¡°If there¡¯s any problem, I believe you wille to me in time, right? Have some confidence in me, and have some confidence in yourself. We¡¯re both carrying out our responsibilities.¡±

    Aldrich was still frowning but didn¡¯t say anything in the end. He only gave me a firm hug.

    ¡°Take care of yourself, Selma.¡± He did not seem to care about the gazes of others at all. He held my face and said gently yet firmly, ¡°For me, for yourself.¡±

    To be honest, I didn¡¯t care anymore. I¡¯d already experienced life and death. Who would care about the gossip of others?

    ¡°I promise you I¡¯lle back safely.¡± I pressed my forehead against his. ¡°Take good care of the base and wait for me.¡±

    After packing up, I led Dorothy and the others out.

 Chapter 161

    161 The Lost Stranger

    Linda¡¯s POV:

    The wind and snow outside had stopped a long time ago.

    I followed the team onto the vast snowfield. For a moment, I thought I had returned to my childhood, holding a hot potato soup and going to visit my father with my mother.

    However, the piercing dark yellow uniform of the team members pulled me back to reality. My hometown had long been destroyed just after I moved away with my mother.

    I wasn¡¯t sure if my mother regretted it. After all, at least she could stay by her lover¡¯s side. Living in seclusion was peaceful and sweet for her.

    However, I would often think of my life in the past, the strict mothers and teachers in the public academy, the few ssmates, the snow that never stopped, and the snowmen we piled together in the world of ice and snow.

    My father loved my mother, but I didn¡¯t think he loved me. Not all creatures have the consciousness of raising their offspring. Perhaps my father¡¯s ancestors had the blood of the sirens, so they ignored me like the race that abandoned their eggs in the sea.

    My mother loved me, but she loved my father more, so I gradually disappeared from their secluded life.

    I wanted to return to my hometown to see my mother, teachers, and ssmates.

    But my home was gone, and it was only an empty shell.

    I had nowhere to go now.

    ¡°Linda, are you okay?¡±

    It was too obvious that I was lost in thought, and it attracted the attention of others. The girl called Selma looked at me worriedly. Only then did I realize that I had unknowingly fallen to the end of the line, seven to eight meters behind the people in front of me.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just slipped away. This is so unprofessional. I shouldn¡¯t have made such a mistake. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    I adjusted my expression in a practiced manner. As expected, Selma epted my exnation and did not suspect anything.

    I felt a faint heat in my chest. This was the ¡®mark¡¯ responding to the Lord¡¯s power.

    I wasn¡¯t sure if anything had happened to Frank, but I hoped not. He was a good man. Although he was a little strict, he was very considerate of his team members. He took great care of Linda, a young team member, be it the original one or me.

    I hoped Frank was fine, but no one knew what the Lord was thinking.

    I was a little regretful now. Perhaps I shouldn¡¯t have dragged Frank into danger. I was always regretful; it didn¡¯t matter whether I was young or now.

    However, my regrets were insignificant, and I could not change anything.

    The pine forest gradually appeared in front of us.

    Compared to the earlier blurry glimpse at the window, it had spread out a lot. This was the result of the Lord¡¯s power gradually seeping out. The seal was bing looser and looser, and Aunt Mullwica¡¯s soul had probably reached its limit in the struggle with her son and the Lord.

    When I thought of Aunt Mullwica, I fell into a daze again.

    This powerful, gentle, legendary, and sorrowful witch, the Eye of Insight was a gift from fate and a poison that killed her.

    Her life was as dramatic as ancient Greece mythology. Lovers turned against each other, mother and son became enemies, and in the end, she had no choice but to use her soul as a shackle. While trapped in evil, she was entangled with rebellious children until her soul was destroyed.

    Why did the powerful witches always meet such a tragic fate? Was it a quirk of the gods? Or was the power itself the source of the tragedy?

    I couldn¡¯t help but look at Dorothy. She was following Selma closely. Her expression was serious yet ignorant. She had no idea about the tribtions that she was about to face.

    They looked like they were carved out of the same mold.

    It was as if I had returned to the time when I had just finished school at the public academy. A girl who looked 80% simr to Selma wasughing as she rushed toward the endless snow.

    She always liked to build snowmen, two big and two small ones, even though she and her mother were the only ones in the house.

    Did Dorothy like to build snowmen too?

    I didn¡¯t know. Things changed with time. The power of fate could wash away all the past. Perhaps other than that simr face, Dorothy and her have long since be separate individuals unrted to each other.

    Those who pried into fate would eventually be yed by fate. God had lousy taste, hiding high up in the clouds and ying with the lives of puppets like us for fun.

    I suddenly thought, ¡®Could everything happening now be part of fate¡¯s calctions? Every step we took on the snow, every breath we exhaled, even the direction we moved forward, the spread of our teams, was everything a script that fate had written long ago?¡¯

    Those who thought that they could change their fate, were they also within the expectations of fate?

    I couldn¡¯t find the answer because I was just a small fry. I had to do whatever fate arranged for me. Perhaps my obsession was just a persona that had been arranged long ago.

    Even if it was the mighty Lord, in the face of fate, was he the chess yer who controlled the chessboard?

    A lonely environment makes one easily sentimental. I shouldn¡¯t be thinking about this. It was not beneficial to what I was doing.

    However, I was starting to feel lost. From the moment I met Dorothy... What exactly did I want? Could my obsession be considered an obsession?

    Even I wasn¡¯t sure what kind of ending I was looking forward to, so what could that Lord bring me?

 Chapter 162

    162 The Demonic Mark

    Linda¡¯s POV:

    However, there was no room for regret now. From the moment I took over the identity of ¡®Linda¡¯ all I could do was to be the Lord¡¯s pawn.

    Until everything was over, or until they died early.

    The pine forest was right in front of us, and the mark on my chest was getting hotter.

    It was as if it wanted to burn through my muscles, corrode my bones, and rip open my heart to see where my empty heart wanted to go.

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    This was a strange forest that exuded an ominous aura. On the surface, it looked like a pile of ordinary pine trees, but the sharp pine needles as steel and the scars that looked like ghosts crying and wolves howling all indicated a hidden evil secret here.

    We all knew about the legend of the pine tree and the devil, so we can conclude that this ce must be rted to the devil¡¯s seal.

    An evil solid aura. Dorothy¡¯s expression was solemn as she touched the rough bark. It was almost a textbook symbol. It seemed that this demon was quite confident. He had no intention of hiding it.

    I only looked at the mark on the tree bark for a few more seconds before I heard a faint cry of misery. I quickly looked away. ¡°Can you feel the seal?¡±

    Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t see it. Dorothy shook her head and closed his eyes. But I saw something. I believed it was a sign of attraction between the same kind. This meant another witch with the Eye of Insight was in this mountain range. It should be Mullwica who guarded the seal.

    The good news was that this ce should only be a pine forest formed by the overflowing power of the demon. It had the ability to confuse people, but there were no demons in the end, so it was not very dangerous.

    The bad news was that the Eye of Insight gave me the feeling that something was wrong. It was like a telegraph that existed somewhere was trying its best to send a telegraph message to my machine, but it was already on the verge of destruction. The signal was weak, and the password was chaotic. It was useless except to prove its existence.

    I immediately understood the severity of the situation. Mullwica was on the verge of dissipating. She couldn¡¯t suppress the seal any longer!

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Dorothy nodded. ¡°We have to find the seal before Mullwica dissipates. Otherwise, there will be no turning back.¡±

    Whether it was a powerful demon or an irrational mother yer, they were both big troubles for us.

    Moreover, there were human settlements at the foot of the mountain. If the innocent were to be affected, it would inevitably attract the participation of human forces. By then, it would be a chaotic battle and difficult to end it well.

    ¡°Everyone, follow closely. Pay attention to yourpanions, and don¡¯t fall behind.¡± I gave the order, ¡°Enter the forest!¡±

    On the surface, this was just a tiny and ordinary forest, but after entering it, one would find that it was a whole different world.

    The sunlight suddenly dimmed. The pine trees were not very lush, but the crisscrossed, withered branches were like ampshade that firmly blocked out the sunlight. It was as if it was evening in the forest. Although it was not so dark that one could not see their fingers in front of them, they could not see the blurry shadows in the distance.

    The ce was utterly silent as if there was nothing but a vast expanse of pine trees. The sound of the team members stepping on the snow was infinitely amplified, and in such a quiet environment, it appeared a little terrifying and strange for no reason.

    After walking for about ten minutes, a huge pine tree blocked our way.

    It was as thick as four people hugging each other, and its top could not be seen. Its branches were withered and twisted as if they had been burned by fire. Its vitality had dissipated, leaving only a rotten shell.

    ¡°I can sense a strong evil aura,¡± Dorothy said. ¡°Don¡¯t get close to that ce. There¡¯s something strange about this tree.¡±

    ¡°Everyone, stop! Don¡¯t get close to the tree!¡± I ordered the members behind.

    I noticed that Linda¡¯s expression was strange. She was hunched over, her hands were covering her chest, and she was gasping for air. She looked like an asthmatic patient, her face was pale, and her lips were purple.

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± I immediately helped her lie down, but Linda couldn¡¯t answer me.

    The medical team member, Kerner, examined Linda, but he did not find anything strange. Linda never had heart disease or asthma. ¡°I think it is because of the evil power, and something has contaminated her.¡±

    ¡°Send her back to the base.¡± I immediately made a decision. ¡°Let the werewolf grandmasters examine her. This is no longer something we can handle.¡±

    At this moment, Linda suddenly screamed and started to struggle uncontrobly. Even though four or five people held her down, she still managed to break free. She pulled her clothes off, and under the thick clothes, we were surprised to find something shining on her chest.

    At this time, she couldn¡¯t care about the difference between men and women because that scorching light seemed to be eroding Linda¡¯s skin. We had no choice but to expose her chest. Dorothy hurriedly analyzed the principles behind it, trying to alleviate her situation.

    ¡°It¡¯s some kind of mark,¡± Dorothy concluded. ¡°Judging from the power and aura it¡¯s emitting; ites from a demon.¡±

 Chapter 163

    163 Bloodthirsty

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    But this didn¡¯t alleviate the problem at all. It was useless for us to know what it was because we couldn¡¯t find a way to deal with it.

    I¡¯d never seen it before. Dorothy¡¯s brows were tightly knitted together. It was clear that she was searching through her memories. ¡°Whether in the books or the werewolf grandmaster¡¯s ss, I¡¯ve never seen this kind of mark. I don¡¯t know how to deal with it!¡±

    I suggested she try a weakening spell. Dorothy tried it, but the effect was not good.

    Linda murmured something, grabbing the air as if she was trying to catch some invisible ghost.

    ¡°Snow... There¡¯s snow everywhere...

    ¡°Mother, Father... The pack...

    ¡°Why? What I want... Doesn¡¯t exist...¡±

    These meaningless words were so strange that we realized that she might have lost her mind and needed immediate treatment.

    I instructed Kerner and another team member to bring Linda back immediately. However, when we handed over our hands, Linda suddenly broke free from my arm like a mad woman and bit down on my neck.

    A sharp pain struck me, and in the next second, I felt warm blood flowing out of me.

    ¡°Selma!¡±

    Dorothy shrieked and pounced forward, trying to pull Linda away. However, thetter suddenly became extremely powerful, as if a giant had possessed her, and no matter how many people tried to pull her, it was useless.

    After a few seconds, Linda let go of me. Her body went limp, and she fainted.

    The team members caught her, and Kerner quickly came forward to check the wound on my neck.

    ¡°The bite is very deep,¡± he said with a serious expression. ¡°Fortunately, it didn¡¯t hurt the main artery. Only a part of the skin and capiries were cut.¡±

    The short ten seconds of blood loss didn¡¯t cause much damage to me. I didn¡¯t even feel the usual dizziness after blood loss. It was as if nothing had happened.

    Kerner bandaged my wound, and a few minutester, I could feel that the wound had disappeared.

    Although werewolves had strong recovery abilities, this recovery speed was still crazy!

    After entering the forest, everything was not quite right. Not only Linda, but even my body underwent some unknown changes. I didn¡¯t know if it was good or bad.

    ¡°Should we evacuate first?¡± Dorothy suggested, ¡°Two of our team members are already injured. I don¡¯t know what effect this forest has on us, especially you and Linda. You have to be inspected by the werewolf grandmasters.¡±

    She looked guilty. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I only checked the surface of the forest and didn¡¯t discover the hidden dangers.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± Iforted her. ¡°It¡¯s a great demon... Who knows how many tricks it has up its sleeve?¡±

    I asked for the team members¡¯ opinions. Some of them felt we could continue exploring, while others felt that we weren¡¯t prepared enough and should return to rest before making any ns.

    Kerner was in favor of continuing the exploration. ¡°If we return now, what will happen to Captain Frank? The longer we dy, the more danger he will be in.¡±

    The oppositions were not to be outdone. ¡°Aren¡¯t we worried about Captain Frank, too? However, the security force is an iron rule personally appointed by Captain Frank. We can¡¯t risk our lives without knowing anything. It¡¯s meaningless!¡±

    ¡°How is it meaningless? Maybe Captain Frank is in this forest.¡±

    ¡°You said it¡¯s a ¡®maybe¡¯. What if he¡¯s not? We don¡¯t have enough preparation and safety guarantee even if he is. If Linda¡¯s situation happens again, do you have a way to solve it?¡±

    Seeing that the two sides were about to start arguing, I shouted to stop the argument.

    ¡°From now on, the small teams will be split into two groups. Those who agree to continue the exploration will stay. We will rest and reorganize before continuing our journey.

    Those who agree to return to rest will immediately take Linda back to the first base and exin the situation to General Aldrich, Master Hayley, and Master Kevin. Ask them to analyze the current situation and send more reinforcements.

    ¡°All of you are experienced soldiers, and you should know better than me that quarrels are meaningless to solve problems. I hope everyone can calm down. This forest is too strange. Perhaps it affects our thoughts and emotions unconsciously, just likest night¡¯s illusion.

    ¡°If we abandon our rationality and follow our emotions, we might fall into its trap, don¡¯t you think so?¡±

    The two teams fell silent. A few secondster, Kerner said in shame, ¡°I¡¯ve embarrassed myself in front of you, Miss Selma. I think you¡¯re right. We¡¯ve indeed been affected by this forest and be overly agitated.¡±

    Three minutester, we parted ways with the return party.

    ¡°We¡¯ll go back and forth as fast as we can, Miss Selma,¡± the team member in the lead promised. ¡°If you encounter any danger, please stop immediately and return quickly. Don¡¯t push yourself, okay?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take on the responsibility of a temporary leader. I won¡¯t let my team members get into meaningless danger,¡± I firmly promised.

    At this moment, the unconscious Linda woke up.

    The first thing she said when she opened her eyes was, ¡°Burn that tree! Drink the blood!¡±

    After she finished speaking, her eyes rolled back, and she fainted again.

 Chapter 164

    164 The Heart

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    This inexplicable sentence made everyone confused.

    After Kerner¡¯s inspection, he found that Linda¡¯s life force was rapidly depleting. Dorothy immediately cast some recovery and exorcism spells on Linda. The return party had no time to waste and immediately set off.

    Only Dorothy, Kerner, and I, and five other members, were left in the forest.

    What surprised me was that Yuri was among them.

    This man who always found trouble with me had not said a word since leaving the illusionary world, and I often ignored him.

    I didn¡¯t expect him to stay behind. I could see that he usually respected Frank.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that,¡± Yuri said in frustration. ¡°Frank is my captain, okay? He took good care of me, and I respect him a lot. Can¡¯t your noble brain understand this simple cause and effect, Miss?¡±

    Alright, as expected; he was still that annoying petty person.

    We had no choice but to go around the tall pine trees and choose another path because Dorothy insisted that there was a problem with the tree size.

    An extremely ominous aura. She didn¡¯t even want to look at the pine tree. I felt that anyone close enough to it would be lost in its ugly branches.

    It was as if someone had set up the route. Besides a rtively clean main road, the small roads we opened were all rugged and difficult. It was as if the weeds and shrubs that had disappeared along the way suddenly realized that it was time to go to work. This kind of ¡®loyalty to duty¡¯ was annoying.

    ¡°Wait,¡± I waved my hand to stop the people behind me and carefully observed the surroundings. ¡°Don¡¯t you think this ce looks familiar?¡±

    Some of the more observant members had already noticed that something was amiss. Behind the cover of the thick bushes was a small snowy path that we had cleared out twenty minutes ago.

    The bad news was that we were lost.

    The worse news was that ourpass was not working.

    ¡°Maybe thepass didn¡¯t fail, but the forest has been changing. I feel that, just likest night¡¯s illusion, this forest is constantly changing.¡±

    I was getting rather annoyed. Regardless of whether that demon or some other faction caused all of this, couldn¡¯t they try something else? ¡®It¡¯s always a space of change, always theseplicated smokescreens. I¡¯ve had enough of this!¡¯

    Under an inexplicable impulse, I suddenly began to chop down the surrounding trees. These trees were very strange. Dark red liquid flowed out of their trunks as if they were real blood. Every time I cut down, the rustling of the leaves sounded like a muffled wail.

    ¡°It¡¯s alive!¡± I shouted, ¡°These aren¡¯t pine trees. They¡¯re alive. Kill them!¡±

    The team members joined in the frenzied tree-cutting party. Only Dorothy was a little worried. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t be so impulsive. No one knows what this will cause.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re trying to intimidate us!¡± I said viciously, ¡°Some inexplicable changes, ha! I¡¯ve had enough. Why are we the ones being yed? If you want to get out of the maze, there is another way besides finding the right path-destroy it!¡±

    We madly hacked at the trees. Thanks to the werewolves¡¯ impressive physical fitness, these thick trees were as fragile as children¡¯s walking sticks to us.

    Ten minutester, we returned to the huge pine tree.

    Now, even I could see something strange about this pine tree. Its dead branches and leaves were scattered all over the silver-white snow, and these pieces were carbonized and ckened as if they had been burned.

    Dark red liquid was flowing out of the broken branches of the giant pine tree. Some had already dried up, while others were dripping with a sticky substance.

    This sight gave me an inexplicable sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu-it was as if this pine tree was the heart of the entire forest, and the nts around it were its blood vessels. The heart controlled the blood vessels but would also suffer a bacsh from the damage the blood vessels received.

    Destroying the pine trees would also destroy this strange forest!

    It was useless to search for Frank using the route we had cleared out. The changing forest would make us forever lost in theplex paths. If we wanted to leave, the only way was to destroy this evil creation at its roots.

    I was unsure if destroying the giant pine tree required a special method, so I asked Dorothy, ¡°Do you think we need any special method to destroy this tree?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Dorothy shook her head. ¡°To be honest, I think this is just a pine tree. Although it is filled with evil power, it cannot change its structure. Moreover, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s just my imagination, but this pine tree will die on its own without us having to do anything. Its life force is already very faint and gradually fading.¡±

    ¡°How long will it take to die?¡±

    ¡°I think one or two years.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help rolling my eyes.

    ¡°So, fire will help, right?¡±

 Chapter 165

    165 Burning

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    We didn¡¯t have any explosive tools like bombs, and small alcohol blocks and lighters obviously couldn¡¯t shake a towering tree.

    ¡°Do you know any fire-rted incantations?¡±

    ¡°A lot. What kind do you want?¡±

    At this moment, I was a little envious of Dorothy¡¯s sorcerer bloodline and sorcery. Most of the time, it could find a shortcut to help solve the problem.

    I described the conditions in detail. It couldn¡¯t be too weak, or it¡¯d probably be useless. But it shouldn¡¯t be too powerful, either. There were dried nts everywhere. If we caused a wildfire before the giant pine tree was destroyed, it¡¯d be difficult for us to escape.

    It would be great if I could have a little divinity. This would restrain the power of evil demons, increase their power, and save time.

    Dorothy said that she had many fire spells that met the conditions, but she could not do it with divinity unless she believed in god.

    It didn¡¯t matter as long as there was enough fire.

    Although this huge pine tree looked like a pile of mmable firewood, therger the tree was, the harder it was to burn. These old and experienced wooden blocks seemed to know how to abandon the carriage to protect themander. Often, a branch would break and fall off halfway through the fire.

    The me alone was not enough. We had to make sure that the wood could burn.

    It would be great if we had oil, but it was a fantasy to say this now. We could only set up more fire points so that these fire points are dense enough to burn together.

    Dorothy¡¯s sorcery needed to focus on a fixed point. The team members cut some branches and tied them together in groups of five. One was especially long, and the tip was sharpened to ensure the arrow could pierce into the trunk.

    The ends of the arrows were smeared with the oil from the can and tied with a cloth to ensure they could burn.

    Without the use of bows and arrows, the arm strength of the team members was enough to throw a perfect javelin.

    With the thirty marked points ready, it was Dorothy¡¯s turn.

    Whoosh!

    The mes suddenly started burning, and we were all shocked. We looked at Dorothy in unison. This didn¡¯t look like an ordinary fire spell!

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I was a little too excited.¡± She smiled embarrassedly. ¡°I¡¯ve been very anxious since I entered this forest, and I couldn¡¯t control myself.¡±

    Fortunately, the fire didn¡¯t burn any other nts and avoided a forest fire.

    A pungent smell gradually filled the air. It didn¡¯t smell like burning wood but more like the burning body of some creature, the smell of burnt flesh.

    The giant pine tree¡¯s bark cracked, and arge amount of dark red tree sap gushed out, trying to put out the fire on its body.

    The sap was very strange. It was more like diluted y or sticine than liquid. A bubble-like cover wrapped the me. After a while, the bubble dried and burst, and the me inside weakened or even extinguished.

    If this continued, everything we¡¯d done would be in vain.

    My team and I continuously shot our spare arrows at the tree trunk. Dorothy immediately set the tree on fire, but there was too much sap. Our speed could not match the rate at which the sap extinguished the fire. The fire was about to be extinguished.

    ¡°It¡¯s toote!¡± Thest wave of arrows had been used up, and it was toote to cut down the trees.

    The spreading sap even had the strength to spread to the snow. While we were setting the fire, it had already reached our feet.

    ¡°Retreat! Don¡¯t touch the sap!¡±

    I led the team to retreat, but more pine trees had quietly covered the open space behind us.

    There was no way to escape.

    The giant pine tree shook off its broken branches and fallen leaves, and the burning branches and leaves were extinguished and dissipated on the snow like fireworks. The giant pine tree shrank in size, but it seemed to have been angered by us as it began to tremble restlessly.

    As it trembled, the nts around it moved faster.

    The gap we had just cut down was filled in a few minutes, and the other road was also blocked.

    We tried to stop the branches from spreading, but snow and fire were useless.

    The soil for survival gradually shrank, and the team members were tightly stuck together, unable to take a step back.

    It was impossible to say that we didn¡¯t regret it now. I didn¡¯t understand why I was so impulsive. ¡®Indecisive¡¯ was more in line with my personality than a hasty start.

    I thought this strange forest affected me. Even though I was always on guard, it took advantage of me.

    I hate this kind of under-the-belt method!

    However, the fact was that I couldn¡¯t do anything about the current situation. Even experienced team members like Kerner couldn¡¯t think of a solution to the problem.

    The viscous sap seemed to have gradually developed consciousness and life. It scattered and folded like earthworms, trying to find an opportunity to attack us.

    At that moment, I wanted to pray to god.

    A thick ¡®earthworm¡¯ came at me. I dodged it and subconsciously waved my dagger, hoping to cut it off.

    However, even though the ¡®earthworm¡¯ was cut off, its broken limbs wriggled and deformed like sticine, wrapping around my body instantly.

 Chapter 166

    166 Explosives

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The moment it touched my skin, a sharp pain suddenly burst out from the top of my head. Those tattoo-like engravings lit up like neon lights!

    The pain made me lose control of my body, and I fell to the snow like a broken sack. The earthworms swarmed up like leeches that saw blood and drowned me instantly.

    ¡°Selma!¡±

    I saw Dorothy reach out to me in panic at thest moment.

    The dark red liquid tightly bound my vision, and I felt like I was arva in a cocoon wrapped in cold mucus. They tried to invade my seven orifices and pores, but the engravings that emitted a soft golden light loyally protected me.

    A power as gentle as the moonlight spread, forming a thin, formidable protective barrier between the sap and me.

    After the failed attempt, the sap began to press down on my body. However, the soft protective barrier suddenly became as hard as steel, and I could not move it.

    Taking advantage of this gap, I hoped to tear a hole in the cocoon, but the sap seemed to endlessly fill up the hole I created. It seemed to want to twist and break me when I moved my hands and feet.

    My struggle failed, and I could only give up on moving. I used the mark to fight the sap.

    Why was I always the one dragging me down?

    I had never hated my weakness as much as I do now. Like Aldrich said, ¡°Compared to true power, you are still far from it.¡±

    I thought I was a qualified warrior if I could show off my fists and feet on the training ground, but reality had hit me repeatedly. My strength did not match my ambition.

    Every time I rushed to the front and tried to be a qualified leader, I became an arrogant burden, putting everyone in danger. I tried to save everyone, but I couldn¡¯t even save myself.

    A ridiculous pine tree and a pile of disgusting sap. These were the unsolvable problems thaty before me. If I were a witch or an experienced warrior, I would not be as helpless as I am now.

    But I was nothing. I was just a young girl who dreamt of being a queen.

    Hot tears flowed down my cheeks. Look, what a fragile little princess. Arrogance was just an illusion underyers of protection. When I encountered a life-and-death situation, I could only cry shamelessly.

    The power of the mark was getting weaker and weaker. I could feel the cold temperature of the sap gradually seeping into the soft protective film.

    Maybe I¡¯d die in less than a minute.

    What would happen to the people I leave behind if I couldn¡¯t escape?

    My father would sigh in silence, and my mother would cry to death.

    Dorothy would live in the shadow of her good friend¡¯s death for the rest of her life.

    Aldrich, my lover, I couldn¡¯t imagine his red eyes at my funeral.

    And Mara and Avril, I couldn¡¯t be their bridesmaid anymore.

    And the new friends we made in the social ss, we no longer had the chance tough at the etiquette teacher¡¯s tight cor.

    I once swore to return to my hometown in glory to repay my adoptive parents and brother for raising me. Now, it seemed that I might have to go back on my word.

    There was one more person.

    My enemy, the great demon Leviathan, hurt me and lured me to the Rocky Mountains. Did she predict everything that would happen today?

    What we encountered, whether the illusion in the snowy night or the constantly moving pine forest, was this the demonic power that leaked from the seal or a trap she had set up long ago?

    This despicable demon, had it been hiding in the dark for a long time to enjoy our final struggle?

    I suddenly felt a gaze filled with malice and ridicule. It was trying to capture every second of panic and despair on my face through the tight cocoon.

    ¡®Moon Goddess, please tell me, is she there? Or is it all just my illusion?¡¯

    I suddenly felt wronged and angry. Why? Why must it be me?

    I thought I¡¯d been working hard, trying to train my strength, trying to learn everything a princess should have, and trying to bear the responsibilities I should bear.

    I¡¯d been looking forward to achieving something one day, but why was I always the one being yed by fate?

    Why was I always the one who had to swallow my anger?

    I thought the sap must have affected me because I felt anger and irritation from the bottom of my heart. These sudden intense emotions were like a sharp steel cone, easily piercing my fragile heart.

    I didn¡¯t want to endure it anymore.

    This was a world where danger lurked everywhere, and it was also an unfair world. Danger always existed, and safety was just a lie. Natural-born demons had the power to rule over life, while weak creations, no matter how hard they tried, could only be puppets for people to y on the stage.

    But why?

    Why could Leviathan toy with me in peace while I could only ept her malice?

    Was it because of this ridiculous difference in power? Was it because I couldn¡¯t match her natural strength even if I worked hard to death?

    Why couldn¡¯t I be the one with this power if that was the case?

    If I had this power, could I turn the audience below the stage into puppets on the stage?

 Chapter 167

    167 Countercurrent

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    My heart beat like a war drum, and my blood flowed rapidly. The strong friction made my skin hot all over, so hot that I cried out in pain and was about to burn.

    The mark flickered rapidly, sometimes bright and sometimes dark, sometimes strong and sometimes weak as if it had a life of its own.

    I was about to suffocate. My skin was expanding, and my internal organs were shifting. The mark was distorted, deformed, and cracked, reaching its limit...

    Everything waspressed tightly, like the critical point before the Big Bang.

    Then, it exploded!

    I felt myself exploding. My blood evaporated, my body dissipated, my bones cracked, and everything turned into fragments, fusing with the cold cocoon.

    Only my soul retained its consciousness. Everything had be my nutrients, a protein that could provide new life. It reassembled chaotically, hoping that a beautiful moth would fly out.

    I saw the golden substance flowing between the nutrients. It was shapeless, like the light of fireflies. It swam aimlessly, emitting the sorrow of loss.

    Why was she sad?

    I tried to reach out to the golden substance, only to realize I had no hands.

    However, the light spots of the fireflies seemed to have suddenly found their target. They gathered together in threads and formed a curled-up frame with a faint glow. ¡®Ah! That seems to be my body.¡¯

    I¡¯d already dissipated.

    Was I dead?

    Were these light spots the purification runes from Moon Goddess?

    It was a pity that I¡¯d let them down and caused them to fail their mission.

    A condensed ck mist dispersed from the light spot, emitting a cold and evil aura. It wandered freely in the sticky liquid as if it was strolling in its backyard. It trembled slightly around the frame made of golden light.

    It wasughing at him.

    After realizing this, I was furious.

    What was it? It was just a fragment left behind by a despicable creature, not even a fox, that used the power of a tiger to intimidate others. How could it dare tough at the gift of the goddess?

    My anger drowned me, and my soul suddenly scattered, turning into stars to form a cage, imprisoning the ck fog in the cage.

    It tried to leave, using its ugly synapses to test the gap.

    The moment it came into contact with my soul, I had an inexplicable thought, ¡®It looks delicious.¡¯

    I didn¡¯t know what emotion drove me, but the ck mist disappeared when I reacted.

    The next second, I realized that I had eaten it.

    The moment it swallowed the ck mist, a bright red liquid suddenly condensed between the frames formed by the light spots. Unlike the viscous dark red sap, this liquid was fresh and full of vitality. It was apanied by a faint light wandering around, slowly flowing between the frames.

    This was my blood!

    It only took a second for me to be enlightened. I realized that everything in this cocoon could be my nutrients. I no longer needed to worry about whether the evil energy would pollute my body because I no longer existed. From now on, every bit of power I digested would be for my use, whether good or evil. As long as I wanted, I would be their master.

    I was like a crying baby waiting to be fed, using all my strength to squeeze out the power of my mother¡¯s body. The cold tree sap formed my blood, and the hard cocoon shell reshaped my bones.

    After eating the cocoon, I was still unsatisfied, so I greedily looked for more nutrients.

    That huge, lifeless, and abnormally powerful pine tree.

    What could be more delicious than this?

    Without muscles, I was like a hard iron frame, wrapped in the sticky sap, and rushed toward the pine tree.

    It was afraid. It didn¡¯t understand why I wasn¡¯t digested by it, and it didn¡¯t understand what kind of monster it had created that was thousands of times more evil than it.

    However, it was a tree, the heart of the forest. Where could it escape to?

    It was surrounded by the sap it produced. This time, they were no longer sharp weapons that could be used with one¡¯s mind but axes that were about to take itsst breath.

    The thick branches were slowly disintegrated. No matter how much sap was produced, it would only be an additional helper for me.

    I chewed on the dried pine needles and drank the cries of the pine trees until they gradually fell apart and copsed in the bone-piercing wind and snow. Then, they were eaten by more sticky juice.

    The heart of the forest I ate turned into my muscles, bing thest piece of the puzzle to construct my new body.

    There was nothing else that could provide me with nutrients. The nts that formed the forest¡¯s capiries were nothing more than rotten wood that had long since decayed. Once the heart died, it would also dissipate with a bang.

    In the end, all was left was the dark red tree sap that charged into the enemy lines for me.

    Since they¡¯d chosen to serve me, it was their honor to be my new student¡¯s celebration party, wasn¡¯t it?

    It was toote to regret. I drank these evil creatures as if they were a fine wine. They were thest drop of blood from my heart. Did they think they could fool me by changing sides with their old master?

    I didn¡¯t care. I just needed to eat them.

    All the power flowed back to me. I transformed, was reborn, copsed, and dissipated again. I was like a moth in the process of evolution.

    The tree sap was my nutrient. This time, the snow and stone formed my cocoon.

 Chapter 168

    168 Who Are You?

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I quietlyy in the hard and cold cocoon, curled up like a baby in the womb. My heart was calm, and my face was serene. I was like a stuffed child waiting for the arrival of my new birthday.

    Speckles of golden light seeped out of my skin. They hadpleted their mission and were about to dissipate.

    But I disagreed.

    Why couldn¡¯t these engravings as gentle as the moonlight forever apany me?

    The firefliesnded on my skin as I wished, integrated into my muscles, and twisted and stretched. They were no longer in the form of purification runes but moths about to fly away. They were hidden in the blood in the golden and red light.

    I was finally satisfied. I fell into a deep sleep in the snow, naked.

    I woke up in the warmth.

    When I opened my eyes, I was greeted by the rough wooden floor and the crackling of a warm fire behind me. I believed cream sausages were stewing on top of it, which aroused my appetite.

    I was sleeping face down on a pile of furry nkets.

    Dorothy was stirring the soup in front of the fire. When she turned around, she realized that I was awake.

    ¡°Hey! You¡¯re awake, Selma!¡± She kneeled in front of me and touched my forehead. She asked with concern, ¡°How do you feel? Do you feel ufortable anywhere?¡±

    To be honest, I felt great. I was full of energy and couldn¡¯t wait to go out and run seventy or eightyps.

    However, under Dorothy¡¯s gentle exnation, I suddenly feltzy and didn¡¯t want to move.

    ¡°I feel pretty good. There¡¯s no problem.¡± I stared at the pot. ¡°I¡¯m a little hungry. What time is it now? Should we have that meal? Is the main course cream sausage?¡±

    Dorothyughed and said, ¡°Can you eatter? We¡¯ll have to check your body first.¡±

    She called out to some people a few times, and then a rush of footsteps came. The next second, I was held firmly in a hot, trembling embrace.

    ¡°You¡¯re finally awake, Selma!¡± Aldrich was not as calm as before. ¡°God, you have no idea how long you were unconscious!¡±

    ¡°How long?¡± I was also quite curious. After all, I was as hungry as if I hadn¡¯t eaten for three months.

    Aldrich was somewhat unhappy with my nonchnt attitude, but since I was sick, he could only say softly, ¡°For an entire week, you were like an unconscious doll!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a week?¡± My muddled brain finally started to work normally. I suddenly sat up and nervously asked, ¡°What about the forest? What about the team members? Where¡¯s Frank? How are they? Is it safe?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited. Lie down now.¡± Aldrich forcefully pushed me back into the pile of nkets. ¡°The team members have all returned safely. The forest has disappeared. They found Frank unconscious in a crack in the rock. He was in shock then, but fortunately, he was given emergency treatment and is fine.¡±

    I heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s good. Oh, right. Where are we now?¡±

    I didn¡¯t see anyone else looking around other than Dorothy and Aldrich. This ce didn¡¯t look like the first base.

    Aldrich¡¯s answer greatly exceeded my expectations. ¡°We¡¯re in human territory. This is a safe house in Gorndbell Vige at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. The advanced team used this ce as a supply point. Now, it¡¯s your ce to rest.¡±

    ¡°So we are at the foothill?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you were in an emergency. The werewolf grandmasters couldn¡¯t solve it, so we could onlye down to find medical resources.¡±

    ¡°But I didn¡¯t wake up in the hospital.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you suddenly got better just as we were halfway down the mountain. Your body temperature returned to normal, and your breathing was no longer rapid. It was as if you had fallen asleep. We went to the hospital to check on you, and there was no problem. The human doctor didn¡¯t agree to let a ¡®healthy person¡¯ stay in the hospital, so we had to bring you to the safe house.¡±

    I thought I knew what the sudden ¡®illness¡¯ was. One would always feel bloated after overeating, but it would be fine after the food was digested.

    Master Hayley pushed open the door and walked in. She was holding a few bottles of nutrient medicine. I had probably been relying on these to maintain my body¡¯s functions for the past few days.

    ¡°Thank the heavens. You¡¯re awake.¡± She heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°I dare say that I¡¯ve never seen a case like yours in the records of the werewolves.¡±

    She gave me a simple examination, and I nodded in thanks.

    I was not sure if I should tell mypanions about my transformation. A brand new body that had been transformed from ice and stone and great power that had been transformed from the remains of demons. Was that not too inconceivable?

    This wasn¡¯t as simple as removing my entire body or taking some stimnts. I wasn¡¯t even sure if I was still a werewolf.

    When your body waspletely shattered and reassembled, even if the soul that awakened was still you, would your body still be the same?

    Speaking of this, I suddenly thought of Maxine.

    After I was torn apart like a wall-breaking machine, the blockage in my mind disappeared, and everything about the ¡®wolf¡¯ became clear again.

    ¡°Maxine, are you there?¡± I tried to call out to her in my heart.

    A few secondster, Maxine¡¯s awkward voice sounded, ¡°Ha! You still remember a wolf like me?¡±

 Chapter 169

    169 The Day

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I was immediately filled with guilt. Could you find another person as irresponsible as me in this world? I threw the newly awakened ¡®wolf baby¡¯ to the back of my mind. Although this was not my intention, the damage had already been done.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I apologized sincerely. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have put you to the back of my mind and ignored you for months. I swear I¡¯ll be careful in the future and won¡¯t be hit by this despicable sorcery again. I think the werewolf grandmasters have a way of helping me build a mental defense.¡±

    ¡°Do you think so?¡± Maxine sounded a little helpless.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I mean, you don¡¯t know who gave you the curse?¡±

    ¡°Do you know?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Alright, so you don¡¯t know. I hope this won¡¯t scare you. You¡¯re the one who gave yourself the curse, Selma,¡± Maxine said after sighing softly.

    I was stunned. ¡°What?¡± How is this possible?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, how could that be possible?¡± Maxine also found it unbelievable. ¡°But that¡¯s the truth. You gave yourself a curse on the spiritual level. If you hadn¡¯t ¡®died¡¯ this time, I don¡¯t think we¡¯d ever meet again.¡±

    ¡®Selma, who were you in the past, and who are you now?¡± What was I?

    I fell into deep thought as I looked at my fair and tender hands, which were as soft as a baby¡¯s.

    No matter if it was the scars or the calluses that had been formed after years of training, they had all disappeared. This pair of hands was no different from my impression of them, yet they were so unfamiliar.

    ¡®That¡¯s right. What am I now?¡¯

    I suddenly wanted to know what happened that day when I was wrapped in the sap.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have any impression of it?¡± Dorothy¡¯s expression was a little strange. After a few moments of hesitation, she said carefully, ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s a good thing to forget.¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°No, I need to know what happened after that. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s good. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have kept your mouth shut about me.¡±

    I could still vaguely remember the feeling of struggling in the cocoon. It was suffocating but satisfying, as if I had eaten a gluttonous meal in the deep sea.

    The anger still haunted me, allowing me to clearly remember the feeling of arrogance and self-abandonment at that time. It was as if it didn¡¯t matter, even if I fell. As long as I could obtain great power and break my fate that was being controlled, I was willing to pay anything.

    This made me highly unfamiliar with myself, and the current situation also told me I was a ¡®stranger¡¯. My new body had nothing to do with this world. Only the strange power of rebirth reminded me that everything before was not an absurd dream.

    Dorothy considered her words carefully before telling me what had happened that day. ¡°You were wrapped up in that sticky sap. We wanted to save you, but the cocoon made of sap was unusually strong, and we couldn¡¯t break it no matter what. We were about to be swallowed by the sap, so Kerner had to take us to the tree to hide.

    ¡°We hoped to take you away, but the cocoon wrapped around you seemed to have grown roots on the ground. No matter how hard we tried, we couldn¡¯t pull it out. One of our team members even got his arm entangled in the tree sap.

    ¡°We were at our wit¡¯s end. Kerner could only heartlessly try to cut off the team member¡¯s arm, but at that moment, something strange happened. The cocoon wrapped around you trembled violently for some reason as if something had exploded inside. The imprints on our hands only flickered for a few seconds before dimming.

    ¡°We were all very worried about you in the cocoon, but the next second, the cocoon started twitching madly, like a water pump, constantly extracting the sap. It grew bigger and bigger, and the color became darker and darker. We tried using all kinds of tools, but we couldn¡¯t break it open. In the end, the cocoon suddenly rushed toward the huge pine tree like a car that had been stepped on the elerator. Then, it exploded and wrapped around the trunk.

    ¡°We were stunned because we didn¡¯t see you then. We thought you were dead. I think I must have copsed then, so Kerner had to drag me back.

    ¡°But no one expected that the sap seemed to have changed sides and started to attack its creator. The branches covered in the sap were like food soaked in stomach acid, quickly being digested. The giant pine tree wailed, and the nts around it seemed to have been given life to help its heart.

    ¡°But it was all in vain. In the end, the giant pine tree was easily digested, and most of the nts around it disappeared without a trace under the shadow of the sap.

    ¡°Without the heart, the entire forest seemed to have lost its vitality. It became brittle and disintegrated, turning into rocks and snowkes all over the ground.

    ¡°The surging sap almost drowned the surrounding environment. We were washed away like ants by the tide, but the sap didn¡¯t hurt us. In just a few minutes, it was digested by the cocoon in the center, just like its previous master.

    ¡°After the sap disappeared, even the cocoon gradually shriveled and disappeared as if its nutrients had been taken away. Then, we found you in the snow, naked, with a high fever, and unconscious.¡±

 Chapter 170

    170 The Debate

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    It sounded almost the same as what I remember. I was d I could keep my mind clear after being blinded by greed and hunger. Otherwise, I could onlymit suicide to apologize if I had identally eaten my friend.

    ¡°The moment the mark shed, I knew something had happened to you,¡± Aldrich said in a low voice. ¡°I immediately brought people to support them. On the way, we met a team of members returning with the unconscious Linda. I have to say, I was furious at that time. Selma, you knew that the road ahead was full of danger. How could you bring those few people and go straight in alone?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a little guilty,¡± I replied. ¡°Because we haven¡¯t found where he is. I¡¯m worried that he¡¯ll be in danger.¡±

    After being looked at by my pitiful eyes, Aldrich, who was as angry as a pufferfish, put aside his temper and weakly scolded me, ¡°That still couldn¡¯t be... Girl, sometimes I don¡¯t know where you get your courage. You¡¯re not afraid of anything. Perhaps you¡¯ve thought for a moment that if something happened to you, how sad would the King, the Queen, your friends, and I be?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry!¡± I had never suffered Aldrich¡¯s unconcealed anger so directly, so I was a little at a loss. ¡°I know I was too impulsive. I promise it won¡¯t do this again!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t give me a perfunctory reply, darling. Your eyes can¡¯t hide your thoughts. Would you agree if I told you that the King wanted us to return to the pack immediately after you woke up? Don¡¯t be impetuous. Follow your heart and tell me the answer.¡±

    I subconsciously wanted to nod, but I stopped in the next second.

    How could he possibly agree? Dorothy and I had a chance of survival here. Although the road ahead was dangerous, and we had suffered quite a bit of damage, hope was right before us. How could we give up halfway?

    However, I suddenly remembered that I was no longer in danger. After my body had gone through the process of explosion, reconstruction, and rebirth, the little trouble left behind by Leviathan had turned into nourishment for my growth and disappeared.

    I ¡®ate¡¯ Leviathan¡¯s power, just like I ¡®ate¡¯ the entire pine forest.

    Although I hadn¡¯t studied it in detail, I already had a general understanding of the new energy I¡¯d obtained. I was like a whirlpool at the bottom of the sea or a ck hole in the universe. I greedily and insatiably devoured everything that could be transformed into my power.

    Whether ck or white, good or bad, whether it was a gift from the gods or a curse from the demons, everything would nourish my growth as long as I wanted to.

    However, the side effects were also huge. Once my current body could no longer withstand the powerful force, it would explode as it did in the cocoon and then reform. This was my weakest and craziest moment. As long as you could find me hiding in the nutrients, you could easily kill me. And I, who had lost my mind, would likely devour everything regardless of whether it was friend or foe.

    Having spared Dorothy and the rest this time was pure luck.

    The time needed to digest the energy varied. For example, finishing the giant pine tree took me a week. I could easily digest the demon fragment because it was on the verge of exhaustion. If I were to encounter food with a stronger vitality, it would be hard to say how long I would take.

    All in all, the curse of Leviathan has disappeared, and so has the mark of the goddess. I was now entirely out of danger.

    I could even use my power to ¡®eat¡¯ up the curse hidden in Dorothy¡¯s body. This was just a piece of cakepared to the giant pine tree.

    I immediately told Aldrich and Dorothy about my new ability when I thought of this. Master Hayley was also present, but I trusted herpletely. Moreover, she had performed many physical examinations on me, so she probably already noticed something was wrong with me. It was just that she didn¡¯t expose me due to the silent personality that she had developed in the Royal Court.

    Aldrich didn¡¯t even care about being angry anymore. He wanted to stuff me into the ne back home without saying anything.

    ¡°This is no small matter! Be more serious.¡± He finally disyed the dignity of a general when he saw my confused expression.

    ¡°Your body has undergone a structural reorganization and even formed such a strange ability. Selma, I dare say there has never been such a precedent in the history of werewolves. I can¡¯t even find any data that can be used as a reference. We don¡¯t know if this is good or bad for you, but the gift of fate has never been free. Before it starts to collect interest, we must understand the truth and seize the opportunity.¡±

    ¡°But I think this ability is harmless to me,¡± I tried to refute. ¡°It¡¯s like a new hand and foot that¡¯spletely under my control.¡±

    ¡°All tools are controlled by their masters, but that doesn¡¯t mean they won¡¯t point their des at their masters.¡± Aldrich had a non-negotiable expression on his face. ¡°Right now, you are devouring the energy of the outside world. Who can guarantee that you won¡¯t devour yourself one day in the future? The more powerful the ability, the more terrifying the bacsh. Aren¡¯t there a few examples of this?¡±

    But I didn¡¯t want to go back, and I couldn¡¯t go back. So what if the curse of Leviathan was resolved?

 Chapter 171

    171 What Right Do You Have To Control Me?

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡®The demonic seal is still a hidden danger that has yet to be resolved. We have yet to find a way to control Dorothy¡¯s Eye of Insight. I don¡¯t want to return empty-handed like this!¡¯

    An inexplicable fire engulfed me, and I suddenly felt that Aldrich was annoying. What was he? He was not my parent, nor was he my master. What right did he have to decide whether I stay or leave?

    I knew he cared about me, and I cared about him, but I also cared about my friend, Dorothy. I was one of the people who got her into this, where she was on the verge of eternal damnation. I had to take responsibility.

    ¡°Stop talking to me like that!¡± I suddenly pushed him away and shouted, ¡°Recognize your identity, Aldrich! You are my subject, not my father! Don¡¯t make your decisions for me. I have no obligation to follow your decision, and you have no right to decide whether I stay or leave!¡±

    My words were like a bomb filled with silencing gas, immediately making everyone shut up.

    The silent room was filled with unprecedented awkwardness. Everyone present was staring at me with indescribable shock as if I had just said something crazy, like a prophecy of the world¡¯s end.

    Aldrich looked at me hard; from the anger and disbelief at the start, it gradually softened into a mournful sorrow and disappointment.

    ¡°...We should all calm down.¡± He said dryly, ¡°It¡¯s the pce¡¯s will to let you go back. I can¡¯t interfere. The ne will depart at 5 pm. Get ready.¡±

    With that, he strode out of the room.

    I regretted it the moment I said that. What was I doing? I was like a young girl in puberty who her stubbornness and self-consciousness had blinded!

    However, there was no point in regretting it as Aldrich had already disappeared from my sight. My words were too much. A ¡®subject¡¯? Moon Goddess! Why didn¡¯t I realize I¡¯d be such an old fart who cared about hierarchy?

    Perhaps Aldrich was right. The gift was not as gentle and harmless as it looked on the surface, and it used a way I could not see to collect ¡®interest¡¯.

    Maxine, silent for a long time, suddenly spoke up, ¡°Have you noticed? You¡¯ve been affected. The power that you¡¯ve devoured is full of violence and pride. You¡¯ve absorbed the nutrients, so you must deal with the bacteria and viruses it brings.¡±

    ¡°I know, but I can¡¯t control it,¡± I said as I copsed into the nket.

    Since I absorbed Leviathan¡¯s wisp of ck mist, my bipr disorder had stuck to me like a disgusting piece of tape. Under its catalysis, I absorbed more power and endured more negative emotions. This caused the situation to be more and more serious, and it became a vicious cycle.

    The worst thing was that I didn¡¯t know if I could sessfully expel these emotions like I was expelling toxins. If they were to be a part of me forever, then in a few years, I would have to go to the secret manor and be Adele¡¯s roommate.

    However, that was still far away. I could only worry about how to coax Aldrich back.

    This wasn¡¯t easy, especially when I was in the wrong first. Although Aldrich was usually lenient with me, his mature adult temperament would disappear when he was angry. After all, there was an age gap between us. When he was angry, it was explosive. On the other hand, I was just a rookie who didn¡¯t know anything. It would be embarrassing even if I wanted to say some sweet words.

    At this moment, Dorothy and Master Hayley, who had been in the background, finally took on the role of peacemakers.

    Master Hayley consoled me with a few words before leaving. It seemed that she was going to do Aldrich¡¯s work.

    Dorothy, on the other hand, apanied me.

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have said that,¡± I covered my face and said gloomily. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have said that to Aldrich. He was just concerned about me and didn¡¯t do anything overboard. He was just conveying the decision of my parents. But I lost my temper at him, venting my anger meaninglessly. I¡¯m such a rotten person.¡±

    Dorothy gently pulled me out from the mountain of nkets andforted me, ¡°Don¡¯t think like that, Selma. I think there¡¯s a reason for this, right? You¡¯re a taciturn person who only knows how to hide things in your heart. Don¡¯t even talk about venting your anger on others. You¡¯ll be overcautious even if you¡¯re asked to throw a tantrum.¡±

    ¡°...Why do I feel that this is not something good?¡±

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not good. You made a mistake, and I¡¯m criticizing you now,¡± she said very self-righteously. ¡°Anyway, are you willing to tell me why you¡¯re like this? If I¡¯m not mistaken, is it rted to your new ability?¡±

    I hesitated for a moment before nodding. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s my new ability. Let¡¯s call it ¡®Devour¡¯ for the time being. Devour can absorb the power of others and turn it into my own, but at the same time, I will also digest the negative factors contained in these powers. For example, I¡¯ve just digested a big violent and proud tree, and I¡¯ll be restless and proud, unable to control myself and say those hurtful words to Aldrich.¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± Dorothy immediately turned serious. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s put aside your conflict with Aldrich for now. Please tell me, will these emotions disappear? Or will it always be in you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said with a bitter smile. ¡°I hope it will dissipate, but who knows? It¡¯s not like a game card will appear out of thin air to tell me all the attributes and values of Devouring.¡±

 Chapter 172

    172 The Frivolous Demon

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°I think this time I will stand on Aldrich and the two Majesties¡¯ sides,¡± Dorothy said. ¡°You must return to the pce for an examination, test your strength, and find a way to dispel its side effects. I don¡¯t want to see my best friend be a crazy woman. If you be like Adele, I promise I won¡¯t visit you at the sanatorium.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so cruel,¡± I mumbled. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid some crazy doctor will cut off my frontal lobe? ¡±

    Dorothy¡¯s face turned serious. ¡°I think the owner of that pine tree is a frivolous demon. It made you a frivolous person!¡±

    I could only correct my attitude.

    ¡°I am not against it,¡± I said. ¡°But what about your eyes?¡±

    ¡°There might not be a solution even if we stay here,¡± Dorothy said, shaking her head indifferently. ¡°Otherwise, Mullwica wouldn¡¯t be so weak that her son assassinated her.¡±

    I still didn¡¯t want to give up. Perhaps Leviathan¡¯s words were just a weak bait to lure the fish, but the Rocky Mountains were where Mullwica had lived the longest and had the most traces of her. I always felt that there was a glimmer of hope here.

    ¡°Or I can stay and continue to explore with the warriors and the werewolf grandmasters,¡± Dorothy said. ¡°But you must return and get rid of the time bomb on you.¡±

    I took a step back. ¡°Then, you must let me remove the curse on you first. I can eat it easily, like eating a piece of cake-¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Dorothy refused tly. ¡°The influence of one demon is enough for you to suffer. If Leviathan joins that in your body, do you think you can take that?¡±

    I smiled slyly. ¡°But I¡¯ve already been affected by Leviathan. The power that made up my first drop of blood came from her curse. To be honest, the iciness was quite delicious.¡±

    Dorothy looked like she wanted to rush up and beat me up, but with her good upbringing, she held herself back.

    ¡°Whatever it is, no.¡± She wouldn¡¯t agree, no matter what. ¡°The power of the mark is still there. I¡¯ll be safe for three months. Even if you want to help me eliminate the curse, you¡¯ll have to fully understand the power and side effects of devouring and mastering it. Otherwise...¡±

    I was not going to wait for her to finish!

    As she was prattling on and on, I quickly moved in front of her, forehead to forehead, and started activating the power of Devouring.

    Under Dorothy¡¯s wary gaze, I quickly grabbed the ball of pitch-ck mist before she could say anything, wandering around the cage of imprints.

    It seemed to treat me as a big fool who came to its door and tried to corrupt me with joy. However, the next second, it shrank back to the corner of the mark in fear, wishing it could roll the mark and wrap it around itself to avoid my reach.

    But it was toote!

    Eating the ck mist was like drinking a cup of chestnut vinegar juice. It was cold, sour, and sweet. Although it had a rotten stink, it was still edible.

    The curse that had tormented us so much that we couldn¡¯t sleep or eat in peace was easily resolved just like that. However, Dorothy didn¡¯t look happy at all.

    ¡°How could you?!¡±

    She was so angry that she couldn¡¯t say a word, and her expression of wanting to say something but restraining her temper was the same as Aldrich¡¯s.

    After the impulsiveness, I felt guilty and whispered, ¡°At least the result is good, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Do you want me to present you with a trophy to praise you?¡± Dorothy was feeling so incredulous that she raised her voice. ¡°You¡¯re really... God, it¡¯s not a good habit to act first and thinkter.¡±

    I stood up and turned around to show her that I was unscathed. ¡°Nothing bad happened. Look, everything is fine. This curse is just troublesome, but it¡¯s not strong. It has little effect on me.¡±

    Dorothy slumped on the sofa, dejected as if she never wanted to talk to me again.

    After a long while, she said, ¡°I¡¯m thrilled that you¡¯re able to obtain such a powerful ability. I¡¯m even more excited about how much you value me, Selma. But that¡¯s not the problem. You¡¯re fine, that¡¯s good. You can say that Moon Goddess¡¯ blessing prevented you from experiencing strange emotions.¡±

    ¡°I think you never understood why Aldrich was angry and why I didn¡¯t agree to you removing the curse for me.

    ¡°We love you, Selma. When a person loves another, they will never want the other to put themselves in danger.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t get hurt this time, but what about in the future? We can¡¯t stop you from taking responsibility, but we hope you can value yourself more.

    ¡°You should put your safety first. You sacrifice yourself too easily and too willingly. However, most of the time, sacrifice is not necessary. If there is another way to solve the problem, then sacrifice should be at the bottom of the list.

    ¡°But you always go for it first.

    ¡°Now, do you understand why Aldrich was angry? Do you know why I am also mad at you?

    ¡°We love you, Selma. We care about you. Every time we see you sacrifice and forget yourself, our first feeling is not pride but worry for you.

    ¡°No matter how safe the environment is, there are still unexpected dangers. You always let yourself get into the muzzle. You can avoid one or two dangers, even ten or twenty, but can you still avoid them every single time?¡±

 Chapter 173

    173 Soul¡¯s Best Friend

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I was stunned.

    I didn¡¯t think there was anything wrong with what I¡¯d done. It couldn¡¯t even be considered a ¡®sacrifice¡¯. This word was too serious as if it was not worthy of something that had to be fought with one¡¯s life.

    But I¡¯d never done anything so dangerous. Fine, it might be a little dangerous, but not to the extent of dying.

    What we were facing wasn¡¯t child¡¯s y. There was no absolute safety. Someone had to pay a little more in exchange for everyone¡¯s safety.

    Since that was the case, why couldn¡¯t that person be me? I didn¡¯t have the power to decide the universe, and I didn¡¯t have a brain as sharp as aputer. All I could do was take on more responsibilities and reduce the burden on my teammates.

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand what I¡¯m talking about,¡± Dorothy said helplessly and clearly. ¡°It¡¯s okay. If I could reason with you, you wouldn¡¯t be Selma anymore. We wouldn¡¯t have to worry about you. You¡¯ll understand one day. Now, please go pack your luggage.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I didn¡¯t have time to react.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s nothing to pack. Aldrich has already packed your backpack.¡±

    ¡°Must I go back?¡± I asked unwillingly. ¡°In fact, I ...¡±

    ¡°I respect your wishes, Selma, just as you will always respect our wishes,¡± Dorothy said earnestly. ¡°However, there¡¯s no room for discussion on this. You must abide by the decision made by the Lycan King, and you must be responsible for your health.

    ¡°You want to be a responsible leader and a powerful warrior, right? Even though I don¡¯t have much experience, I understand one thing: If you want to be responsible for others, you must first be responsible for yourself. Of course, you cane back at any time, but the condition is that your body is fine and you can master the Devour skill.¡±

    I suddenly reacted. ¡°So you¡¯re noting with me? But you know how dangerous this ce is.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s dangerous here. I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t nervous.¡± Dorothy winked at me. ¡°But you have your responsibilities, and I have mine. I have to take responsibility for myself. The Eye of Insight is mine. Whether it¡¯s a gift from fate or a curse, I can¡¯t escape its existence. In that case, I¡¯ll try to live in peace with it.

    ¡°If I can control it, I¡¯ll have the ticket to the supreme door. If I can¡¯t control it, then although it¡¯s a pity, there¡¯s nothing toin about. I ept this ending.¡±

    ¡°Dorothy...¡± tears welled up in my eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have dragged you into all of this. If you were still a student sitting in your ssroom, there wouldn¡¯t be many challenges in your life.¡±

    Dorothy helped me wipe away my tears, looking helpless. ¡°So you¡¯re finally willing to tell the truth, right? It seems you¡¯ve been carrying this all this time, treating everything as your fault. But you¡¯re mistaken, Selma. You¡¯ve indeed provided me with another path in life, but I¡¯m the one who has decided to embark on this path. No one can determine my life for me, including you.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never regretted or resented. On the contrary, such a fulfilling and exciting fantasy life makes me extremely happy. I think it¡¯spensation for my boring life over the past ten years, so I¡¯m so d to enjoy it.

    ¡°Therefore, there is no need for you to me yourself, and there is no need for you to feel guilty about anything. Instead, I¡¯m grateful that you can give me more life choices. Although it has honed me, it has also taught me more at the same time so that I don¡¯t have to be reduced to a mediocre person full ofints.

    ¡°So, don¡¯t me yourself for these non-existent conflicts, Selma. I¡¯m happy you can be honest with me about your inner feelings. I also hope that you won¡¯tugh at my childish remarks.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Dorothy...¡±

    I didn¡¯t know what to say, so I hugged her excitedly.

    We hugged each other tightly. At this moment, I realized I had a soul friend who could open up to me and be with me for life.

    At this touching moment, a stomach growling that spoiled the mood broke our emotional link.

    ¡°Uhm... Maybe we should have some lunch first.¡± Dorothy chuckled softly, making me blush a little. ¡°Cheese sausage and garlic stick. There aren¡¯t many ingredients in the vige, and I¡¯m only good at making these two dishes.¡±

    I said I didn¡¯t mind and ate more than half of the food.

    I was starving. My stomach, which hadn¡¯t worked for a week, was eager to work. After all, the nutrient solution could provide for my body but not for my tongue and heart.

    Aldrich didn¡¯te to eat. I believed he was still angry with me.

    I hoped he would have a big fight with me. It was easier to resolve the conflict by venting his emotions. The silent treatment was what I was most afraid of because I was an idiot regarding rtionships. I could only roughly understand the other party¡¯s emotional state, but I had no idea how to solve the problem.

    That was why every time we quarrelled... Yes, Aldrich and I would have a little conflict from time to time, just like all couples... It was always Aldrich who coaxed me. He was particrly magnanimous regarding rtionships and didn¡¯t mind putting his ego aside first.

    But he didn¡¯t this time, and I had no idea what the process of making up was like.

    I was a little flustered. What should I do?

 Chapter 174

    174 Indifference

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The silent treatment continued until we got on the ne.

    Aldrich was still gentlemanly as he helped me carry my luggage and blocked the door, but he refused to say a word to me. He didn¡¯t even look at me.

    I kept praying that someone would give me a way out of this deadlock, but Dorothy, who had a high EQ, stayed in the Rocky Mountains. Master Hayley was also someone who was even more inarticte than I was. The three of us remained in the sealed cabin without saying a word. It was so awkward that I wanted to open the door and jump out.

    I thought I should say something to Aldrich like, ¡®I was wrong. Let¡¯s make up¡¯. But Master Hayley was still around. I was a person who felt embarrassed for the male and female leads when they confessed and kissed in idol dramas. I was ashamed to reveal my feelings in front of others.

    It was silent until the nended on the tarmac of the pce. We didn¡¯t say a word.

    The first person I saw was my mother, who was both shocked and angry. I thought she must have regretted letting me go to the Rocky Mountains because the first thing she said to me was, ¡°My child, you are grounded!¡±

    Moon Goddess was the witness. She hugged me tightly as she spoke as if she was afraid I would turn into a hydrogen balloon and float away the moment she let go. A woman¡¯s heart was like a needle at the bottom of the ocean when she heard such cold words and the passionate hug.

    Oh, I was being naughty again. It¡¯s the two demons¡¯ ¡®fault¡¯. They ¡®led¡¯ me astray.

    My father was equally heartbroken and strict. His expression told me that there was no room for negotiation, especially after they found out that the curse left behind by Leviathan had been lifted with my rebirth. They were unwilling to send me to the Rocky Mountains for adventure.

    What could I do? I could only pretend to admit my mistake while thinking of a way to sneak away.

    Speaking of which, I¡¯d never run away from home before. Although I knew this was an impulse brought about by negative emotions, I couldn¡¯t deny that I didn¡¯t want to hide in the pce until I was done.

    Tracy gave me a check-up and used medical equipment I didn¡¯t recognize to scan me repeatedly as if she was wrapping a mummy. After the passing of modern medicine and ancient sorcery had also been activated, a group of experts formed by five werewolf grandmasters conducted a monitoring consultation on me for three days. It was as if I was an ancient scroll that was hard toe by in a thousand years.

    In the end, they couldn¡¯t find anything. This was good news and bad news. The good news was that I didn¡¯t have any visible pathological changes or injuries, while the bad news also meant that they were utterly clueless about me and my new abilities.

    Master Hayley, the representative, exined to my parents tactfully, ¡°At present, the situation is looking good. There are no adverse reactions from Her Highness, which means there won¡¯t be any trouble in the short term. However, for the long term, we suggest that Her Highness undergo a long observation and treatment to determine her safety and prevent any side effects.¡±

    Her words were sincere, but I was concerned about how she addressed me, ¡®Her Highness¡¯. That was right. My identity was no longer a secret to the panel of experts.

    Perhaps in the eyes of many people in the outside world, this had already revealed enough decisive clues. After all, even if I was her niece, it was not to the extent that the most respected couple of the werewolf pack would personally care for her, no matter how big or small it was, right?

    However, I no longer cared about my secret being exposed. On the one hand, I no longer felt as weak and powerless as I had been when I first met my family. On the other hand, it was also due to the influence of my negative emotions. My pride and carefreeness made me not care about any possible danger this could bring.

    Things would work out when we got to the bridge, and there was no need to worry about problems that couldn¡¯t be solved, right?

    By the way, the team of experts even examined that I had isted my connection with Maxine because of the mental block, but they naturally found nothing.

    After all, ording to what Maxine said, I was the one who gave myself the curse. Unless I woke up one day and discovered that I had a split personality, and this personality personally exined what happened to everyone, the team of experts would not be able to find out the cause, no matter how hard they tried.

    During this time, I had be unprecedentedlyzy. In the past, I would have been on guard and worried about this great danger, but now, it didn¡¯t matter anymore.

    This included the silent treatment from Aldrich.

    It had been three days since we returned to the pce, and we still hadn¡¯t said a word. He went to work in the military camp as usual andpleted the various tasks my father gave him. I became Tracy and the werewolf grandmasters b rat¡¯ in the pce. Other than our daily training, we didn¡¯t even meet once.

    Even during training, there were only formal guidance and reprimands, as if tour rtionship was just a simple teacher-student rtionship.

    Even my parents could tell that something was wrong with us. Following the principle of not missing out on every change in their precious daughter¡¯s growth, they had a heart-to-heart talk with me.

    ording to tradition, my mother was the guide between my father and me when we had heart-to-heart talks.

    ¡°Sweetheart, how are you feeling recently? Are you under a lot of pressure? I think Tracy and the werewolf grandmasters are pushing you too hard. If you have any psychological pressure, don¡¯t keep that to yourself. Let us know, okay?¡±

 Chapter 175

    175 Favoritism

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I shook my head. This wasn¡¯t Tracy¡¯s or the werewolf grandmasters¡¯ fault. On the contrary, they did this to ensure my safety. I wouldn¡¯t be so insensible as to see my savior me me.

    ¡°Of course,¡± my mother smiled. ¡°We all know you¡¯re a kind and good child.¡±

    My father was concerned about the progress of my training because my body had changed, and my body¡¯s ability to resist attacks had decreased. Fortunately, the physical fitness of the new body had improved by arge margin, so it was not too difficult for me to learn.

    ¡°You can just be honest,¡± I said bluntly. ¡°Is it because of Aldrich and me?¡±

    My parents looked at each other, feeling a little awkward.

    There was always a barrier between parents and their children¡¯s love life. If they asked too much, they were afraid their children would be disgusted, but if they asked too little, they would be worried.

    My mother said, ¡°We have no intention of interfering with your decision, sweetheart. It¡¯s just that... Did you argue with Sir Aldrich? The atmosphere between you has been very strange and stiff these days. Your father and I have been very worried about you.¡±

    I opened my mouth, but I didn¡¯t know what to say. Was it because of my unreasonable behavior that Aldrich was angry? Because my careless words hurt Aldrich¡¯s heart? Or should I me Aldrich for not putting aside his ego first to coax me?

    I couldn¡¯t say a single word. These reasons were too childish, or rather, the cause of this silent war was very childish. I didn¡¯t want to be seen as a child.

    My silence made my parents even more worried about me. My mother even carefully asked, ¡°Did you guys... Break up?¡±

    ¡°No, we haven¡¯t!¡± I immediately denied it. ¡°It¡¯s just a silent war. We¡¯re not breaking up.¡±

    ¡°Oh, a silent war? Alright, it¡¯d be strange if a couple didn¡¯t quarrel.¡± My mother understood. ¡°Perhaps you want to talk to us?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can handle it.¡± I was a little embarrassed.

    ¡°Of course, we believe that you can handle it.¡± My mother hugged me gently. ¡°However, it seems that our little princess doesn¡¯t intend to handle this ¡®life event¡¯.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do. Aldrich is angry with me. He should be angry with me because my childish words we hurtful.¡±

    ¡°What did you say to him?¡±

    ¡°I said, ¡®Who are you? You don¡¯t have the right to make decisions for me¡¯. The truth was that Aldrich only conveyed your decision, but I took my anger out on him and even said such disgraceful words to him.¡±

    ¡°That was a little too much, child,¡± my mother said disapprovingly. ¡°If you love Aldrich, you shouldn¡¯t use your status to mock him.¡±

    ¡°Of course I love him!¡± I anxiously said, ¡°It¡¯s just that I was too anxious because I didn¡¯t want to leave. I had just digested the incarnation of the demon fragment, and theplex negative emotions deeply affected me. By the time I reacted, everything was over. There was no way to save it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been such a long time. Haven¡¯t you exined it to Aldrich?¡±

    ¡°No... I don¡¯t know how to tell him. I¡¯m too clumsy with my words.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s very simple. You need to apologize and tell him about your psychological state back then. Aldrich is an understanding child. He will forgive you.¡±

    ¡°Will he? I¡¯m not sure, and even if he forgives me, I don¡¯t think I can face him like before. Those words were too much. I will always unconsciously think about it when I¡¯m with Aldrich, and I won¡¯t know how to get along with him.¡±

    ¡°So the crux of the problem lies in the knot in your heart, right?¡± My mother gentlybed my hair. ¡°You know that Aldrich will forgive you, but you feel you have let him down because of this. Because the harm and punishment are not the same, you feel that you owe him.¡±

    ¡°... Yes.¡±

    I dejectedly buried my head in the pillow, and the worries hidden under my indolence reappeared.

    Of course, I knew that Aldrich would forgive me. During the training these few days, his seemingly cold eyes were so soft that I could only see a gentle stream in them.

    Maybe he¡¯d already forgiven me and waited for me to admit my mistakes. Then, he¡¯d symbolically give me a little harmless chastizing, and we¡¯ll make up.

    He was so easy to talk to. I was happy because of this, but I was also suffering because of this.

    I¡¯d always met people who were too tolerant of me. In the past, my adoptive parents and brother Rhode were like this. Now, my parents, Dorothy, and Aldrich were the same.

    I felt like I would be spoiled and be the kind of demon who caused trouble at will and didn¡¯t take it seriously.

    But I didn¡¯t like this. I wanted to be loved, and I also wanted to be punished for my mistakes. I secretly rejoiced at the favoritism and privileges of my loved ones, rtives, and friends, and I also desired to be treated fairly and equally by others.

    I was a pretentious girl, and when I realized this, it inevitably made me detest myself even more.

    I deliberated and exined my contradictions and worries to my parents. I knew I wouldn¡¯t see them disappointed, but I didn¡¯t expect them to be so distressed by my pretentious thoughts.

 Chapter 176

    176 The Desire To Make Up

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°Oh, my baby, my child, my hope.¡± My mother held me tightly in her arms. ¡°Your words almost broke my heart. Why do you think so?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re too harsh on yourself, Selma.¡± My father sighed softly and said, ¡°I¡¯m even starting to regret the harsh King¡¯s education I gave you. It¡¯s good to uphold justice and to oppose privileges, but love is different. It doesn¡¯t pay attention to this bone-deep red tape.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s normal for parents to favor their children, lovers to favor their other half, and best friends to favor their best friend. Or rather, these feelings can¡¯t be summed up with the word ¡®preference¡¯ in the first ce. They don¡¯t matter whether it¡¯s fair or unfair, objective or not, because feelings are very subjective.

    ¡°Are we going to make aw to limit the emotional boundaries between people? Just like your mother and I, she is my subject, and I treat her the same as any other subject; But she¡¯s also my only soulmate in this life. I¡¯ll side with her without hesitation in any decision because I love her, and love always has the privilege of not being used.¡±

    I looked at my father in confusion, finding it difficult to understand.

    He gently hugged my mother and me, his broad chest firm and warm.

    ¡°You can¡¯t sleep or eat in peace because of this. Could it be because you didn¡¯t put yourself in the role of being loved?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I know he loves me, and I love him too...¡± I mumbled.

    It was always a little embarrassing to reveal one¡¯s love in front of one¡¯s parents. Anyway, I had already said so much, so it didn¡¯t matter if I said a few more words.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that it?¡± My father ruffled my hair and said affectionately, ¡°Since you are loved, you must have the confidence to be loved. Believe in the ¡®privilege¡¯ that love gives you. You don¡¯t have to be ashamed of this because being loved is a lucky and happy thing.

    I looked at my father with some uncertainty. ¡°Is that the case?¡±

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true. I believe in you, and I believe in him, child.¡±

    ¡°Just like you and us,¡± my mother said with a chuckle. ¡°Because parents love their child, and the child loves the parents, you can always act spoiled with us without any holdback.¡±

    I snorted shyly, and my mother pinched my face.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why can¡¯t you ¡®act spoiled¡¯ with Aldrich?¡±

    ¡°Are you and father always ¡®acting spoiled¡¯ with each other?¡± I asked on purpose.

    My mother let out a short scream, tickling me. ¡°You bad girl!¡±

    Weughed and fooled around while my father looked at me gently. At this moment, I was thrilled.

    I also understood what my parents meant.

    Love was such a wonderful thing that no rules could restrain it. Why should I trap myself in those meaningless worries if that was the case?

    Tomorrow. Tomorrow I would end this annoying silent war.

    I made up my mind.

    The following day, I spent time with Tracy and the other werewolf grandmasters. There was still no progress, and Aldrich still didn¡¯t appear.

    In the afternoon, when I excitedly ran to the training ground, I heard a piece of big news that surprised and depressed me.

    Kara, who prepared towels and other tools for us in advance, told me, ¡°Sir Aldrich has official business to attend to and cannote to train you today. He just asked a soldier to send a message and his apology: I¡¯m sorry to have made youe here in vain.¡±

    The courage I¡¯d worked so hard to build deted like a balloon.

    What was this? Did he think I didn¡¯t know the working mechanism of the military? In this peaceful era without war, there were very few idents in the military apart from daily training. Even if Aldrich had an urgent business, he would still have to report to my father.

    ¡®You¡¯re just avoiding me by skipping training without saying a word.¡¯

    Before today, I was hiding from him, but now it was him hiding from me. Moon Goddess, thisedy was not funny!

    I should have been angry, but at this moment, I unexpectedly resonated with Aldrich¡¯s mood. Perhaps I was not the only one retreating, but Aldrich was doing the same too. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t send out a signal to ask for peace, but I was hiding like an ostrich and got nothing.

    Perhaps my actions made him lose hope.

    This reignited my confidence!

    ¡®Come on, Selma. Since you¡¯ve always prided yourself on being responsible, you¡¯ll have to clean up the mess you¡¯ve created!

    After asking about Aldrich¡¯s whereabouts, I rushed to Duke Frank¡¯s mansion as if my feet were on fire.

    Duke Frank was not surprised by my sudden visit at all. I suspected that he, like my parents, had long seen through the cause and effect of our little couple¡¯s quarrel.

    Aldrich was in his room. I didn¡¯t even have to say anything, and he automatically reported Aldrich¡¯s schedule to me, ¡°He didn¡¯t go anywhere today. Perhaps you know whom he¡¯s waiting for, Miss Selma.¡±

    I thanked him briefly and rushed to Aldrich¡¯s room.

 Chapter 177

    177 Coward

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I gently knocked on the door, and Aldrich¡¯s voice came from behind. ¡°Please let me be alone for a while. Thank you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s me, Aldrich,¡± I said.

    He was silent for a few seconds before he opened the door.

    ¡°Hello, I heard you canceled today¡¯s training, so I came to ask what happened.¡± I pretended to be calm, but my evasive gaze and unnecessary actions had alreadypletely betrayed me.

    ¡°You¡¯re going on a mission. Why are you still at home? Are you only leaving at night?¡±

    I tried to find a topic to talk about, but when I realized what I had said, I wanted to p myself.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mean anything else, it¡¯s just that I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m talking about, so I¡¯m so embarrassed now. Don¡¯t you want to invite me in? It¡¯s awkward to be standing at the door like this.¡±

    I blurted out a bunch of words like a machine gun. Aldrich silently nodded and gestured for me to enter the room.

    Thest time we were in his room, we watched a movie together. This time, the atmosphere was very different. The soft sofa made it difficult for me to sit still. I didn¡¯t even know where to ce my hands and feet.

    Aldrich finally said the first words to me today, ¡°Do you want some tea? I¡¯ll get the servant to bring it up.¡±

    ¡°No need!¡± I was so nervous that my voice changed. ¡°I had tea at the pce. It was lemon green tea with three sugar cubes. Kara also told me not to eat it so sweet and that it would cause tooth decay. Gosh! What am I saying?¡±

    Aldrich sat down opposite me like a silent mountain. I suddenly realized that when he was expressionless, he was apletely different personpared to the usual sweet little dog. His strong body gave people an unparalleled sense of oppression, and his calm gaze treated everyone as air.

    We sat in silence.

    I quietly observed Aldrich. His expression was empty, and I didn¡¯t know what he was thinking. He was facing me, but I was sure his dted pupils weren¡¯t looking at me. I would have thought he had fallen asleep if he wasn¡¯t blinking.

    Someone had to break the ice.

    I thought.

    That was why I was here.

    ¡°Aldrich, we need to talk.¡± I thought about it again and said, ¡°It¡¯s about everything that happened in the past few days, about what happened in the Rocky Mountains.¡±

    He didn¡¯t answer me, so I could only bite the bullet and continue, ¡°First, I have to apologize. I know what I said to you that day was too hurtful, but please believe that I didn¡¯t mean to put status above our rtionship. I was affected by negative emotions then, and I couldn¡¯t control myself at all because I had just absorbed the giant pine tree formed by the demonic shard.

    ¡± I regretted it the moment I said those words. I should have apologized to you, but I hesitated. I was afraid, nervous, and a little embarrassed. I don¡¯t know how to tell you. I felt that anything I said would be wrong. It would be too deliberate. At that time, I was a bit of a jerk and didn¡¯t want to do those things that would ¡®lose face¡¯.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t say a word on the ne. I wanted to find an opportunity to say something to you, but I missed it because of my hesitation. After returning to the pce, I had an ostricious mentality and didn¡¯t want to face this matter. I pretended it didn¡¯t exist, which caused the conflict between us to deepen.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but I somehow feel that you¡¯re gradually forgiving me. Please don¡¯tugh at me for overthinking, but every time I look into your eyes, I can¡¯t help but have this thought. People who hate me won¡¯t look at me so gently. You¡¯ve been giving me hints, but I¡¯ve been avoiding them.

    ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m a little afraid you¡¯ll forgive me. It¡¯s contradictory, right? But that¡¯s the truth. Because your temper is just too good, you¡¯re always forgiving me. Whether I made a mistake intentionally or unintentionally, it doesn¡¯t matter to you. I like this feeling, but I also hate this feeling. I don¡¯t want you to break your bottom line because of me. The reason is very selfish because I don¡¯t want to take on this role of controlling people.

    ¡°You know what? I¡¯ve even thought about breaking up these past few days, but yesterday, my parents told me that...¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not breaking up.¡±

    Aldrich, who had been absent-minded the whole time, suddenly spoke up.

    ¡°No matter what, I won¡¯t break up.¡±

    My train of thought was interrupted, and I suddenly stammered, ¡°No, listen to me first.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t listen,¡± Aldrich said unyieldingly. ¡°In any case, I won¡¯t break up. No matter what.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help butugh at his childish behavior. ¡°I¡¯m not breaking up. I¡¯m just telling you my feelings.¡±

    Aldrich was like a doll wound up with a spring, suddenly receiving a vital life force. He looked at me with a serious and stubborn expression.

    ¡°I only had that thought for a moment.¡± I looked into his eyes and said thoughtfully, ¡°Only one second, but I quickly brushed it away.

    ¡°It¡¯s because I love you, Aldrich. Love made me a coward, but it made me willing to take on all responsibilities. I don¡¯t think our conflict has reached the point where we can end our love, and I can¡¯t give up because of this small setback. If I do, I¡¯ll regret it for the rest of my life and look down on myself forever.¡±

 Chapter 178

    178 Mental Health

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°So, I¡¯m here today to ask for your forgiveness.

    ¡°In the past, you were the one who coaxed me every time we fought because you loved me and were willing to put down your pride for me. Since that¡¯s the case, why can¡¯t I be the one to lower my head first this time? This is my fault, to begin with.¡±

    I walked up to him and squatted down. I took his hand and said softly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Aldrich. I promise I won¡¯t be as impulsive as before. I promise I¡¯ll care about myself as much as you care about my safety. I won¡¯t let you worry anymore. I promise I¡¯ll try my best to learn and control the power of devouring, and I won¡¯t let negative emotions control my mind. Are you willing to forgive me?¡±

    Aldrich looked at me deeply, and after a long while, he pulled me into his arms.

    ¡°I¡¯ll forgive you forever, my girl. He buried his head in my neck, and I felt the moisture on my cor. Just don¡¯t hurt my heart again. It has long belonged to you,pletely belonged to you.¡±

    We hugged each other tightly in the afternoon light.

    Seeing us go down hand in hand, Duke Frank beamed a smile that said, ¡®I understand.¡¯ ¡°Does it seem that the rm has been lifted? I¡¯ll have to tell the butler not to clean up the air-raid shelter.¡±

    I shyly lowered my head as Aldrich helplessly said, ¡°Oh, stop it, Father.¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright! Young people, heh.¡± Duke Frank shook the newspaper in his hand. ¡°Where are you going? The pce?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded. ¡°We haven¡¯t finished today¡¯s training.¡±

    My parents weren¡¯t surprised that I went out alone and returned as two. They even invited Aldrich to have dinner.

    During this period, my father said the same thing as Duke Frank, ¡°It seems that I don¡¯t have to ask the pce guards to impose martialw. The air defense rm has been lifted, hasn¡¯t it?¡±

    My mother smiled kindly and did not say anything.

    Aldrich and I secretly clenched our hands under the table, and we saw the same message in each other¡¯s eyes: This was the only time we would never be in a silent war again. It did not feel good, and the feeling of being teased by the elders was stranger.

    From then on, I returned to my happy and leisurely life.

    Tracy and the other werewolf grandmasters were still clueless about my abilities. As I was the first werewolf in history, or even in the entire world, all they could do was faithfully record all the data and changes that I had to prepare for future research.

    My father had sent more warriors and werewolf grandmasters to the Rocky Mountains, but there were no more strange incidents rted to the demon seal. Dorothy and the others had also sessfully arrived at the second and third bases. After a short rest, they could set off for the ruins of the witch n.

    Communication between the two ces was very inconvenient, but fortunately, Dorothy and I had already established a mind link to talk over long distances.

    We were all surprised to find out that we had a telepathic link. As we were not family or married in front of the Moon Goddess, how could we have such a close mind link?

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because our hearts are connected.¡± Dorothy said, ¡°Mind linkes from the spiritual world. Blood and emotions are its strongest bonds. We¡¯ve already be close friends, and our spiritual worlds are in perfect harmony. It¡¯s not strange for a mind link to form between us.¡±

    Due to the mind link, I received news from the Rocky Mountains even earlier than my father.

    But I didn¡¯t have a close rtionship with Dorothy either. Life in the Rocky Mountains was exhausting, and she was often tired. Every time this happened, the link in our mind would weaken. It was like two phones with bad signals, and theirmunication was intermittent.

    I hoped that Dorothy could rest more so I didn¡¯t disturb her.

    A week after I returned to the pce, Tracy and the others said the research could be concluded.

    ¡°The negative emotions don¡¯t have a permanent effect on you.¡± She said, ¡°Your mental state has moved toward a rtively stable level, which means negative emotions can dissipate over time.¡±

    It took me a week to absorb the demonic shards and a week to dispel the negative emotions. This inevitably made me have a bad thought, ¡®Could it be that I have to use the same amount of time to dispel the negative emotions as I take to digest the power?¡¯

    Tracy shook her head, ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t answer these questions now. There are too few examples, and just one time could not prove anything. My suggestion with the grandmasters is for you to use the power of Devouring carefully and consider the effects of the side effects. Although mental health has always been ignoredpared to physical health, this doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s insignificant. Some major psychological damage can¡¯t be reversed, and its impact on people is even more profound than physical disability.¡±

    With her words, my parents paid more attention to my Devouring ability.

    I¡¯d been secretly nning to absorb insignificant things to test my abilities, such as spells, runes, and other abstract powers, or beasts and other tangible things.

    However, my parents strictly monitored me and ended all ¡®reckless behaviors that could cause permanent harm¡¯, making me extremely depressed.

    I realized that simple physical training would not be able to fight against an enemy hiding in the dark. Although my new ability was powerful, it also had many restrictions. Wouldn¡¯t things reach a dead end again?

 Chapter 179

    179 Tensed Up

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Ten days after I returned to the pce, Dorothy told me, ¡°We¡¯re going to the ruins of the witch n today. Master Hayley will meet us there.¡±

    I immediately woke up and excitedly said, ¡°That¡¯s great! Did Master Hayley reveal any good news?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, not yet.¡± Dorothy sounded a little disappointed. ¡°She still hasn¡¯t found Mullwica¡¯s address. Every residence in ruins can be traced back to the past, but there is no Mullwica.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve searched every house? Was there an open space or something? Maybe Mullwica¡¯s daughter has hidden her home?¡±

    ¡°Not really. The houses in the n have the characteristics of the old era. They are densely packed and close to each other, like rows of teeth suddenly growing out of the valley. There are no gaps at all.¡±

    ¡°Is that so...?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointed.

    ¡°But things will work out when theye to it,¡± Dorothy said optimistically. ¡°Since Leviathan has lured me to the Rocky Mountains to look for the ruins of the witch n, I might be the key to solving the problem. Don¡¯tugh at me for being too self-conscious!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not! On the contrary, I think what you said makes sense. Perhaps as a prophet witch, Mullwica has been waiting for a descendant who is also a prophet witch to solve her mystery.¡±

    We hung up after a short chat.

    After I made up with Aldrich, our training also returned to normal. At my request, we now had a full training n, even in the morning.

    I couldn¡¯t rx for even a moment. The cold gaze I felt in the cocoon seemed to stare at me persistently. From time to time, I would have the illusion that someone was hiding in the shadows and peeking at me. This made my nerves extremely tense. I could only train as hard as I could to divert my attention.

    Perhaps my state of mind was too stiff; even Aldrich, who had always been strict with me, couldn¡¯t help but advise me, ¡°You should let yourself rx a little, Selma. Your body won¡¯t be able to take this.¡±

    I listened to him to let myself rx, but that cold gaze would appear whenever I was about to fall into a rxed state.

    I gradually felt a little impatient. In the dead of night, I secretlyined to Maxine, ¡°Is there a peeping Tom in the pce? This feeling is annoying!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re too tense. If this goes on, you¡¯ll force yourself into trouble even if you¡¯re fine,¡± said Maxinezily.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with being nervous? I¡¯ve been quite rxed for the past eighteen years, but in the end, I¡¯ve raised myself into a good-for-nothing, a rabbit that can¡¯t even truss a chicken.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that about yourself. Your past life is just a miniature version of the life of most ordinary people. Are all the people in the world rabbits?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that. It¡¯s just that in my position, being a rabbit is not good.¡±

    ¡°Still the exact words, you¡¯ve pushed yourself too hard. I know what you¡¯ve experienced in the Rocky Mountains. Although we were separated then, it also ensured that I was sober. From the illusion in the snowy night to the rebirth in the cocoon, your mood has been pained all the way, even to self-loathing.

    ¡°But this has never been your fault, Selma. No one is willing to be a puppet manipted for fun, but the puppet is not wrong. The wrong one is the one who directed this y. You should vent your frustrations on the real murderer instead of torturing yourself like this.¡±

    How could I not understand what Maxine meant?

    Even though I knew what I was doing was wrong, there had always been a torn barrier between understanding and action. If one could restrain their actions with their thoughts so easily, then everyone in the world would be a saint.

    I knew that, but I couldn¡¯t do it.

    Out of the choices in front of me, the best and only way was to aim the de at myself.

    ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s not talk about this,¡± I said. ¡°We must think of a way to return to the Rocky Mountains.¡±

    ¡°The Lycan King and the Queen will never agree to this.¡± Maxine did not have much hope.

    I had to try. I had a feeling that the Rocky Mountains were hiding a huge secret. If I missed it, I¡¯d regret it for the rest of my life.

    ¡°You know I will always support you, but the decision is in the hands of the two majesties. If they disagree, we can¡¯t grow wings and fly out of the pce.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. We must think of a way to get my parents to agree...¡±

    As I anxiously pondered, I gradually fell into Slumbend in exhaustion.

    Darkness.

    It was dark everywhere.

    I felt like I was lying in a shallow stream, the cold and soft water gently kissing my skin.

    The fine sand brought about a slight but hard-to-ignore pain. I suddenly opened my eyes.

    Where was this ce?

    The dark sky was filled with heavy clouds, and lightning shed with a dim golden light. A beast-like roar came from an unknown distance, causing people to tremble and have goosebumps.

 Chapter 180

    180 An Unknown Dream

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    What I saw was a boundless field. The short wild grass was half-dead and gently dancing in the breeze. Blue light spots were dancing between the grass and leaves as if they were unrestrained but also trapped.

    I sat up from the shallow stream and found myself naked. Being free from the shackles of needle and thread was such a happy thing. It made one so excited that they wanted to run and sing loudly.

    The clear and shallow stream of water washed over my ankles. It wasn¡¯t clear and revealed a faint red, like diluted blood, emitting a sweet fragrance.

    I cupped the stream water and took a sip.

    A refreshing feeling swept through my entire body, and an indescribable sense offort made me roll around in the stream.

    I could sense that my condition was abnormal, but I wasn¡¯t worried. The vignce I was proud of had dissolved silently with the stream, leaving only my primitive nature in pursuit of freedom and happiness.

    I ran along the stream, running aimlessly on this endless grasnd. At this moment, I didn¡¯t expect to meet anyone or anything because all I could think about was running.

    ¡®Run, run forward, don¡¯t stop.¡¯

    There was no fear, no hope.

    I didn¡¯t know how much time had passed before I stopped. It wasn¡¯t that I couldn¡¯t run anymore, but the voice in my heart was saying, ¡°Alright, this is the ce. Please stop and wait.¡±

    And so I stopped.

    Sitting in the seemingly endless stream, I looked at the dark clouds and waited quietly.

    I didn¡¯t know what I was waiting for, but I had to wait.

    The thunder was getting increasingly intense, and its light was already dazzling to the eye. With an earth-shattering thunder, the dark clouds exploded, andrge snowkes fell with the wind. The ground was immediately covered in an ominous white.

    The sky was chaotic, and the field withered. Only the stream was still flowing.

    It was getting redder.

    The voice in my heart said, ¡®Are you thirsty? Have some water.¡±

    So I picked up another handful of water and drank it. It was even sweeter than before, so sweet that it was bitter, so sweet that I couldn¡¯t stop, but I also hated it from the bottom of my heart.

    ¡°Do you like it?¡± she asked.

    I nodded.

    She chuckled as ifmenting that I was ignorant.

    I shyly curled up.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, sweetheart. Just follow your desires and drink if you want.¡± Her voice rang in my ear as if she was hugging me intimately from behind. ¡°Remember this feeling, remember what you like and hate, then leave what you want to stay, and throw away what you want to throw away.¡±

    ¡°I like the stream.¡± I asked nkly, ¡°But I also hate the stream. What should I do?¡±

    But she disappeared and didn¡¯t answer me.

    I felt very wronged and angry. I helped her to the end. What was the point of saying a few words for no reason?

    The stream water became even redder, almost no different from blood. The snow kept falling into the stream, and the moment it touched the water, it melted like a marshmallow.

    What did snow taste like?

    With that thought, I grabbed a pile of snow and took a bite.

    Suddenly, an indescribable bitterness, stench, and numbing sensation mixed, causing me to double in disgust.

    ¡°It¡¯s awful!¡±

    I kicked away the snow in front of me, and a lot of it fell into the stream and disappeared.

    The water in the stream, which the snow had polluted, turned dark red at a visible rate and then spread to further ces with the ripples.

    ¡°No!¡±

    I understood the source of the strange smell in the stream, but I could not stop the snow from falling. All I could do was futilely scatter the snow on the bank, causing the color of the stream to darken.

    In the end, it was as ugly as spilled ink.

    The ice-cold temperature caused my body to stiffen gradually. Just as I was wantonly venting my anger, the cold and sharp des of grass sliced through my skin as if it were tofu.

    The drops of blood slid down quietly, dyeing the snow red, and disappeared into the stream.

    At that moment, the surging halo exploded. The snow melted, the stream became clear again, and even the violent wind and snow avoided this ce, leaving a peaceful world out of ce with the surrounding.

    The light was so warm, so familiar. From the night I was born, it had been taking care of me tirelessly, coaxing me to sleep and making me feel at ease.

    It was the moonlight.

    I looked at the tiny scratch on my index finger and had an epiphany.

    I didn¡¯t know when to transform my fingers into ws as sharp as des. I cut open the skin on my arms and ran madly in the stream. As the dark red blood sttered, the color of the stream became lighter.

    I still felt that it wasn¡¯t enough, fast enough, or clear enough, so I cut open the skin of my legs and let the stream of water rece my blood.

    When the water in the stream became clear again, I copsed.

    I didn¡¯t know when the small stream became more turbulent, but the rapid current gradually covered my mouth and nose. But I didn¡¯t feel suffocated or scared. Instead, I felt asfortable and at ease as if I had returned to my mother¡¯s womb.

    She appeared and hugged me in the water. ¡°Do you understand now?¡±

    I understood, but I didn¡¯t answer her.

    I fell asleep in this sweet and warm stream.

 Chapter 181

    181 Snow in Summer

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    It was so cold.

    In a daze, I curled up into a fetal position to resist the bone-piercing cold.

    ¡®Where¡¯s the nket? Why can¡¯t I feel the nket?¡¯

    I couldn¡¯t feel the nket¡¯s warmth anywhere, so I opened my eyes reluctantly...

    What had just happened?

    My sleepiness instantly dissipated. I looked at the white world in front of me and had the illusion that I was still asleep.

    Why was it snowing in my room?

    ¡°You¡¯re finally awake. I thought I was going to freeze to death in the middle of summer with you,¡± said Maxine in a faint voice.

    I found a coat from the closet covered in snow and put it on. I shivered and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? The pce was attacked?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Rather, you were the attacker.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened to you when you were sleeping, but you suddenly showed off your power, as if you had suddenly learned sorcery, and emitted cold air, so the room was snowing for most of the night. I tried to wake you up, but just like thest time you were hypnotized, I couldn¡¯t contact you and take control of the body.¡±

    ¡°Me? It¡¯s snowing?¡±

    I recalled that strange dream, and without thinking, I grabbed a handful of snow and tasted it.

    Ptooey!

    It was a familiar, disgusting taste.

    This was the snow in my dream!

    I was shocked. How could dreams and reality be connected? Could it be that after I purified the stream water in the dream, the disgusting snow didn¡¯t disappear but ran to the real world instead?

    Speaking of which, what the hell was this snow? What was that shallow stream?

    It was just 4:30 am, and the sky was dark and bright simultaneously. There were shes of light and shadow behind the curtains from time to time, as if something was falling from the sky.

    ¡°No way...¡±

    An ominous premonition welled up in my heart. I pulled open the curtains and saw that in the summer, which should have been bright and sunny, snow was falling heavily!

    ¡®We¡¯re finished! The snow hase to reality.¡¯

    A thickyer of snow had umted in the garden, and it was not an exaggeration to say it was a snow world.

    Wait a minute.

    Such abnormal snow, yet it didn¡¯t attract any attention?

    It was reasonable to say that the servants on night duty should have startedying anti-slip nkets long ago, and the guards should have stepped up their patrols to prevent idents from happening.

    However, the garden was empty. The garden, the foyer, the corridor, and the rooms visible through therge ss windows were quiet. It was as if the entire pce had fallen into hibernation in the snow.

    I immediately ran out of the room. As expected, the maidservant on duty in the tea room had already fallen asleep on the floor. I then looked at the guard on duty in the corridor, sleeping with his sharp spear as his pillow.

    ¡°Wake up, quickly, wake up!¡±

    Their skin was already pale from the cold. I shook their bodies hard, and after a few seconds, they woke up.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s so cold,¡± a servant mumbled with her eyes half-closed. ¡°Did I forget to turn off the ice maker?¡±

    Seeing the anxious look on my face, she immediately cheered up and said, ¡°Miss Selma! Oh, do you need anything?¡±

    ¡°I need your help to wake up everyone in the pce.¡± I pointed at the quiet world outside the window. ¡°For some reason, everyone has fallen asleep, and the room temperature is dropping. It¡¯s almost below zero. We must wake everyone up, or they¡¯ll be in danger!¡±

    The servants looked out of the window in surprise at the heavy snow. Although they were full of doubts, they did not say anything and immediately left.

    The guards also followed.

    I turned around and ran to my father¡¯s room. I thanked my parents for not following the tradition of sleeping in different King and Queen suites, which saved me from wasting my time.

    After shaking the attendants and guards awake, I rushed into the bedroom. My parents hugged each other tightly. Their beds were covered in snow like the entire pce, and the room temperature was dropping.

    ¡°Father! Mother! Wake up now! Wake up!¡±

    I woke my parents up, and my mother sneezed several times after opening her eyes.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± My father, who had always been calm, found it difficult to keep his cool. ¡°Selma? What was happening? The pce was attacked?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°No, it¡¯s because of me. Sigh, it¡¯splicated to exin. I¡¯ll exin it to youter. Anyway, you guys should leave this ce first. The servants have turned on the heater in the outer room. It¡¯s too cold in here.¡±

    It was a false rm, but fortunately, no one was injured by this strange snow. The snowfall didn¡¯t cover arge area. It only covered the pce and the surrounding forests and grasnds, which immediately put me at ease.

    At around seven o ¡®clock, the snow stopped, and the entire pce began to get busy removing the snow. The strange thing was that the snow removal agent could not remove the snow as effectively as it had in the past. The servants could not even find a way to melt the snow. It was as if the pce was covered with cold powder disguised as snow.

    ¡°I think I know why,¡± I said guiltily. ¡°This isn¡¯t snow. It¡¯s a crystal of some negative energy. If we want to get rid of it, we might have to invite the werewolf grandmasters.¡±

    ¡°How did you know?¡± my parents asked, puzzled.

    I rubbed my hair and said embarrassedly, ¡°Because I was the one who expelled it from my body.¡±

 Chapter 182

    182 Within Expectations

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    What surprised me was that my parents didn¡¯t seem to be surprised by this. Instead, they had an ¡®I knew it¡¯ expression. They even seemed to be relieved.

    ¡°Let me guess. It¡¯s a derivative effect of the Devouring ability, right?¡± Although my father asked this, his tone was very confident.

    ¡°How did you know?¡± I was greatly surprised.

    ¡°I have guessed it. In fact, your mother and I have been waiting for this moment. Although we didn¡¯t expect it to be huge, we have been mentally prepared for possible idents in the future.¡± My father said, ¡°The gift of fate is never free. When you open the history book, you will find that the treasures or abilities regarded as god-given will more or less have a negative influence, so we have been mentally prepared for it.

    ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect it to be so unexpected,¡± my mother continued. ¡°In addition to observing your mental state these few days, we¡¯ve also been secretly monitoring the data of your various power fluctuations.¡±

    I didn¡¯t quite understand why they were hiding it from me. ¡°So why didn¡¯t you tell me? Can¡¯t we guard against everything together?¡±

    My parents looked at each other and sighed helplessly.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been pushing yourself too hard recently, darling.¡± My father rubbed my head. ¡°We don¡¯t want to put too much pressure on you. Even if we can¡¯t help you rx, we want you to get through this special period more easily.¡±

    We didn¡¯t talk much about this topic before Tracy and the werewolf grandmasters arrived.

    As soon as they entered, Master Hayley said thoughtfully, ¡°I can sense a powerful evil aura. It¡¯s hidden in the snow.¡±

    My father reassured her. ¡°I¡¯ve asked all the servants and guards responsible for clearing the snow to wear tight istion suits. After the snow is cleared, I¡¯ll have to trouble the werewolf grandmasters to do a thorough inspection to ensure their safety.¡±

    The werewolf grandmasters all expressed that this was their duty.

    Tracy first checked my parents¡¯ physical condition and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. It¡¯s just that her Majesty has caught a cold. Please ask the kitchen to make ginger soup to ward off the cold.¡±

    Kara immediately ordered that.

    Next, the werewolf grandmasters examined my parents and me. Although the results weren¡¯t perfect, it wasn¡¯t a big problem.

    ¡°There are some remnants of evil energy, only stopping on the surface,¡± Master Hayley said as she drew an exorcism rune for her parents. ¡°You canpletely exorcise the evil energy with this rune for more than twelve hours. Please do not touch water or any liquid during this period to prevent the rune from being ruined.¡±

    My father had instructed the werewolf grandmasters to research the snowke crystals condensed from the power of dispelling evil as soon as possible. Due to theirrge number, they had to be sealed in a corner tower in a remote corner of the pce.

    It was the room where Adele had been imprisoned.

    After I was done with all this, it was finally my turn.

    ¡°Tell me how you made these snowkes, child.¡± My father said, ¡°We need to help you find the answer to control this behavior.¡±

    I recalled the dream and said with uncertainty, ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a need to trouble myself. I can probably control this kind of behavior.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I had a dreamst night. In my dream, there was a small stream, and it was snowing. It was the same kind of snow that you see in the pce. The dream appeared again. I think the stream represents the source of my power. All the external power I absorb will eventually gather here. Snow, on the other hand, represents the impurities and negative emotions in the external force, which will melt into the stream.

    ¡°I was deeply affected by the negative emotions before because I couldn¡¯t separate the snow from the stream. So, although my mental state seemed to be recovering on the surface, the impurities were settling and had not disappeared.

    ¡°And in my dream, someone taught me how to separate these two things.¡±

    The rest of the people asked worriedly, ¡°Who was it? Do you think she¡¯s safe?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t know who she was. It was like she was just an illusion that had appeared out of thin air. But I felt she was very kind to me, and I wanted to trust her for no reason.

    ¡°She guided me to explore the secrets of the stream and helped me understand the secret hidden in the snow.

    ¡°In my dream, I used my blood to dispel the impurities in the stream. It was amazing. It was like a drop of detergent falling into dirty water. All the impurities in the surrounding area have been purified and disappeared.

    ¡°But I think blood was just an illusion. It doesn¡¯t mean I need to bleed. The key lies in the power it represents, the warm, gentle, and full of vitality power.

    ¡°I¡¯m very familiar with it. It¡¯s a favor that I¡¯ve been feeling every night since the day I was born.

    ¡°It might sound ridiculous, but I think it¡¯s the power of the moon. It¡¯s the Moon Goddess that helped me.

    ¡°So I¡¯m thinking, could it be that the Moon Goddess has entered my dream to guide me on how to use the power of Devouring?

    ¡°Because of the Moon Goddess, I think I canpletely control Devour.¡±

 Chapter 183

    183 Three Days

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    To be honest, I was not sure if it was true, but who could suddenly break into my dream and use moonlight to guide me in mastering power?

    I didn¡¯t want to appear too full of myself, but there was still a new mark formed from the old mark in my body. Although it was no longer effective, wasn¡¯t it a sign of extreme piety to fuse the goddess¡¯ mark into my flesh and blood? Who knew? Maybe the goddess was taking pity on me because of this?

    To prove my words, I performed a ¡®heavy snow¡¯ for them on the spot.

    As the negative impurities in my body had almost beenpletely removed, I could only produce a few scattered snowkes this time. They were gone after covering the table.

    At this moment, I could feel that the small stream in my body was flowing in a clear and full of vitality.

    I¡¯d finally absorbed and purified all the power in that demonic fragment.

    The werewolf grandmasters were amazed by my ability. After the test, they told my parents, ¡°The power fluctuation is very stable. It doesn¡¯t look like a witch¡¯s magic fluctuation or a werewolf¡¯s unique signal. Judging from the value, it¡¯s a new and never-before-seen ability. It wasn¡¯t turbulent but rather very peaceful and submissive. If we look at the data, we think Miss Selma has alreadypletely mastered this ability.¡±

    ¡°See?¡± I looked at my parents proudly. ¡°The werewolf grandmasters said it¡¯s fine!¡±

    ¡°Although that¡¯s what you say, we can¡¯t let our guard down.¡± My mother gave me an ultimatum. ¡°You have to go through a period of observation and assessment. Only after we are sure that there is no problem with your ability will your father and I allow you to use it.¡±

    ¡°Oh...¡±

    I leaned against the stool in frustration and looked at Master Hayley, who was trying to evoke ourradeship in the Rocky Mountains. However, she was just as ¡®heartless¡¯ as I was. She had set a 10-day observation period for me!

    It had been ten days! By the time they were done with their observations, Dorothy might have already returned from the Rocky Mountains!

    I immediately refused. ¡°No, ten days is too long. Looking at the current situation, we can only patiently observe my every move and record the cumbersome observation data. It won¡¯t be of any use to understand my ability. There¡¯s no need to waste so much time; just observe it for a day or two to make sure it runs smoothly!¡±

    ¡°This is for your sake, Selma,¡± my mother said.

    I retorted, ¡°I know my abilities the best. All others can do is get information from the outside world that might not be useful. If you guys don¡¯t believe me, then there¡¯s no need to continue this experiment, right?¡±

    The situation was at a stalemate. In the end, my father mediated, ¡°Selma is right. Ten days is unnecessary, but a short observation period is still necessary. Do you have any suggestions, Master?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Master Hayley replied after some deliberation. ¡°We must observe her for at least three days to get enough data.¡±

    ¡°Three days it is then,¡± my father decided. ¡°In these three days, you must cooperate with Tracy and the werewolf grandmasters as much as possible. Is that okay, Selma?¡±

    Three days was still too long, but I had no other choice. I could only agree.

    Tracy and the werewolf grandmasters took their leave. Before they left, they even took the snow on the table.

    After they left, I dawdled to my mother and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, Mother. I shouldn¡¯t have talked back to you like that.¡±

    Mother looked at me intensely and pulled me to sit beside her. She said earnestly, ¡°I¡¯m at fault too, child. You¡¯re all grown up now. I shouldn¡¯t have made every decision for you. I¡¯m just too worried about you and don¡¯t want you to be hurt. Every wound you have is on my heart, and it hurts too much.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mother. I¡¯ll be careful in the future and won¡¯t make you worry.¡± I hugged my mother¡¯s waist and buried myself in her arms. ¡°I know I was too impatient in the past and did not take my safety seriously, making many people worry. I promise that I¡¯ll think carefully before I do anything in the future. If I make you worry again, you can scold me well!¡±

    My mother tapped my forehead and smiled. ¡°What are you saying?¡±

    My father looked at us with relief. The family quietly enjoyed the warm moment of having a child.

    After Aldrich discovered that I had ¡®gotten into big trouble¡¯, he consoled me. Although I didn¡¯t feel any fear or grievance, his behavior of trying to make me happy was fascinating. I had terrible thoughts and deliberately pretended to be depressed to y with him.

    After I was exposed, Aldrich didn¡¯t get angry; he just knocked my head helplessly and continued with the day¡¯s training.

    At night, I told Dorothy that I could control the devouring processpletely. She was very happy for me, but we didn¡¯t speak much before she became sleepy.

    ¡°Are you very tired today?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am.¡± Her voice began to stammer, which was a sign that her mind link was fluctuating. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but the conditions in the witch n¡¯s ruins are much better than in other bases, but I just feel very tired for no reason.¡±

    ¡°Did you do any physical examination?¡±

    ¡°I did, but it was useless. Master Kevin said that it might be the effect of the remaining ancient magic maic field on me. Because I have a witch¡¯s blood, I am deeply affected by it.¡±

 Chapter 184

    184 Fainting

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Dorothy¡¯s voice gradually weakened, and the mind link was finallypletely disconnected.

    The three days felt so sad as if they had been slowed down limitlessly. I thought about the progress of the Rocky Mountains every moment, and I wished I could grow wings and fly there immediately.

    As expected, Tracy and the werewolf grandmasters could not give constructive suggestions in the past three days. I understood. After all, my example could be considered a ¡®new research field¡¯. It seemed difficult to find a second person who had the same experience as me. Studying me was as tricky as studying some difficult-to-treat diseases with only three or five cases.

    However, it wasn¡¯t as if I hadn¡¯t made any progress. At the very least, I had given my ability a new name. It no longer had a perfunctory name like ¡®Devour.¡¯

    This was Master Hayley¡¯s suggestion.

    ¡°All the special powers recorded in the ancient books have a unique name.¡± She gave a few examples. ¡°For example, ¡®the Wind Breath¡¯ from the elves, ¡®the Holy Light¡¯ from the humans, and ¡®the Eye of Insight¡¯ from the prophetic witches. You¡¯ve created a brand new power, which is worth celebrating. Of course, it¡¯s also worth giving it a resounding name.¡±

    What kind of name should I go with?

    I was ashamed to say that I had no interest in literature and history so I couldn¡¯te up with a name with literary talent and historical heritage.

    When I wanted to ask my parents for help, they said, ¡°This is a power that belongs to you, Selma. Only you have the right to name it.¡±

    That night, after Aldrich and I finished training, we snuggled up to the grass and looked at the moon. I wasn¡¯t sure why, but the gentle and bright moonlight suddenly inspired me.

    ¡°I got it!¡± I jumped up in excitement.

    ¡°What did you get?¡± Aldrich was confused.

    ¡°Name! The name of my new power!¡±

    Since the moon taught me how to use this power, why wouldn¡¯t I honor the moon?

    ¡°Let¡¯s call it ¡®New Flow¡¯ then!¡±

    The ¡®new¡¯ represented the beginning of the new moon, and its inexhaustible power interweaved into a stream as clear and holy as moonlight.

    This was the most literary moment of my life. Maybe I had the potential to be a poet!

    Everyone was delighted with the name I came up with, and ¡®New Flow¡¯ was solemnly recorded in the books of the werewolves.

    Seeing that another page had been added to the thick ancient book, I suddenly had a very novel feeling ¨C a brand new me and distant words were put together. I was looking at the ancient people, and the future people would also look at me the same way I looked at the ancient people. What a wonderful time and space intersection!

    On the third night, I shared this with Dorothy.

    ¡°Congrattions! Our little princess has entered the history books at such a young age!¡± Dorothy said joyfully, ¡°This is a great feat. Don¡¯t look at it as nothing. It bears the power of a brand-new bloodline. Your descendants will always be proud of your strength.¡±

    Regarding the issue of descendants, I felt a little shy for no reason. What descendant? It was too early to talk about this.

    ¡°Early? In my opinion, it won¡¯t take too long.¡± Dorothy deliberately teased me, ¡°Are you and Sir Aldrich going to wait until middle age like the southern Duke before getting married? Seeing how you two are so attached, I think I will be able to swear allegiance to the newly-born princes and princesses soon after graduation!¡±

    ¡°Hey! Dorothy! What are you talking about?¡±

    I fell into the pillow, my face as hot as a furnace.

    ¡°Aldrich and I are not like what you think we are...¡±

    Dorothy would not believe my nonsense. ¡°Come on, girl. Anyone with eyes can see the wonderful atmosphere between you two. If you still want to hide it, then with all due respect, you two will never be able to be actors in your lives.¡±

    Was he hiding it?

    In fact, Aldrich and I only officially acknowledged our rtionship before the parents of both parties. For the sake of privacy, we still kept it a secret from the public.

    However, we were starting to ignore those agreements that kept us at a distance. Not to mention Kara, Tracy, and the other people around us all day. We didn¡¯t even avoid the werewolf grandmasters who came to treat the members and me in the Rocky Mountains.

    At some point, we had unconsciously let go of the insignificant worries in our hearts and only took action based on our happiness.

    Wasn¡¯t this pretty good? We didn¡¯t have to be careful, and we didn¡¯t have to be on tenterhooks. As long as we walked openly on the road, everyone around us would look at us with teasing and congrattory gazes.

    Although no one made it clear, the promise of ¡®hiding our rtionship¡¯ had been quietly nullified between us.

    I wanted to say something to Dorothy, but this time, no matter what I said, she did not answer.

    That was weird. She used to say good night to me every time she cut off the mind link.

    Was she so tired that she fell asleep?

    Just as I was about to disconnect, a sharp wave came from the mind link.

    This soul-prating feeling was so strange that I jumped up from the bed like a frightened cat.

    ¡°Dorothy? Are you alright?¡±

    I anxiously asked her, but I didn¡¯t get any answer. Instead, the fluctuations became more and more irregr.

    This was not caused by pure fatigue. Dorothy was in danger!

    Without thinking, I ran to find my parents.

 Chapter 185

    185 Returning To The Rocky Mountains

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    My father was still working in the study, and only my mother was reading under the light in the bedroom.

    ¡°Mother! Dorothy is in trouble!¡± I said breathlessly, ¡°There¡¯s a strange fluctuation between her and my mind link. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s something wrong with her mental state.¡±

    My mother put down the book in surprise and said, ¡°Take a breath, child. How do you know? Did you have a nightmare?¡±

    ¡°No, I swear it¡¯s true. For the past few days, I¡¯ve beenmunicating with Dorothy every night before I went to bed, and she would always say good night to me before ending it. But today, not only did she not do so, she even sent me an abnormal fluctuation that made me feel ufortable. I can¡¯t tell what the problem is, but it¡¯s obvious that Dorothy has fallen into aa and can¡¯t control his mental state!¡±

    My mother chose to believe me, so we went to the study to exin the situation to my father.

    Due to the inconvenience ofmunication with the uninhabited Rocky Mountains, there was an unavoidable dy inmunication between the pce and the various bases. My father had not received any news from the ruins of the witch n.

    I wasn¡¯t sure if I was too fast or if they had not noticed Dorothy¡¯s abnormality.

    After learning about this, my father immediately activated the emergencymunication channel. Ten minutester, Master Kevin sent back a message. Dorothy had been attacked by unknown sorcery. Her spiritual domain had been sealed, and it was currently producing extremely unstable vibrations.

    The changes were too drastic. From the looks of it, if the problem could not be resolved quickly, Dorothy¡¯s mental domain would be destroyed in less than twenty-four hours. Even if she survived, she would be a lunatic for the rest of her life.

    I was shocked when I heard the news and immediately wanted to rush to the Rocky Mountains.

    Of course, my parents did not agree. ¡°Calm down first, Selma. There are currently unknown threats in the ruins of the witch n. It¡¯s too dangerous. We can¡¯t let you take the risk.¡±

    ¡°But what about Dorothy? She will die!¡±

    ¡°No, Dorothy will be safe with the werewolf grandmasters watching over her.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to fool me, Father. If the werewolf grandmasters had a way, they wouldn¡¯t have announced Dorothy¡¯s life in such a helpless tone!¡±

    My mother frowned and said worriedly, ¡°We don¡¯t want to see Dorothy in danger either, but we¡¯re even more unwilling to let you be in danger. Besides, what can you do even if you go? You don¡¯t know sorcery, and if even the werewolf grandmasters can¡¯t solve the problem, you won¡¯t be able to either.¡±

    ¡°I have a way, and I can guarantee that I can save Dorothy.¡± I retorted, ¡°Have you forgotten about New Flow? I canpletely devour the curse that attacked Dorothy. Without the interference of the curse, her spiritual domain will naturally calm down.¡±

    ¡°But the side effects...¡±

    I could freely control my power to break it down. You¡¯ve already seen it. It doesn¡¯t affect me at all.¡±

    This time, both my parents were silent.

    I continued, ¡°Let me go. Father, Mother, Dorothy is my friend,rade, and follower. Didn¡¯t you always teach me that I should be responsible for everything as a leader? Now that Dorothy is in danger, and I have the ability to save her, how can I watch her lose her life for nothing?¡±

    Under my repeated insistence, my parents had no choice but to agree.

    ¡°The ne will be ready in an hour. Go pack your luggage immediately,¡± my father said. ¡°I will get a team of warriors to apany you. Master Hayley and Aldrich will need time to prepare and will leave tomorrow morning.

    I quickly packed my luggage. As I had been nning to return to the Rocky Mountains, I didn¡¯t move much of my luggage, so it was ready very quickly.

    ¡°Be careful.¡±

    My mother¡¯s hair was gently swaying with the night wind, scattering around her worried eyes.

    ¡°I will.¡±

    I exchanged a kiss with my parents and left on the ne.

    When they arrived at the corner of the Rocky Mountains, Dorothy had less than twenty hours left. Frank, who came to pick us up, immediately led us up the mountain without saying a word. We only stopped at the three bases for about ten minutes to replenish our supplies.

    By the time we arrived at the ruins of the witch n, we were all exhausted.

    The sun was high up in the sky, and I could not be bothered to rest. I immediately went to check on Dorothy¡¯s condition.

    She was lying in her sleeping bag like Sleeping Beauty. Her face was calm, and her cheeks were rosy. If I hadn¡¯t been able to detect her chaotic mental domain, which was like a tornado passing through, I would have thought that she was sleeping.

    ¡°The curse is gradually affecting her soul,¡± Master Kevin said. ¡°If we miss the best time frame to save her, I predict her soul will undergo permanent changes.¡±

    ¡°What will happen?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet. From past examples, it¡¯s either because of the distortion of the soul that she bes a mentally deranged cripple or because of the mutation of the soul that she bes a stranger.¡±

    ¡°A stranger?¡±

    My heart immediately clenched.

    Thinking about the unknown location of the devil¡¯s seal and its loose condition, I couldn¡¯t help but guess ¨C could this be the doing of the devil¡¯s seal, plundering Dorothy¡¯s body as a carrier to escape?

 Chapter 186

    186 Breaking The Curse

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The more I thought about it, the more I felt it was possible.

    First, Dorothy had the most unique bloodline and power among all the people present.

    Ancient beings were always obsessed with so-called ¡®bloodlines¡¯ and ¡®inheritances¡¯. Dorothy, who had the bloodline of prophecy and ancestors as chaotic as those in ancient Greek mythology, met this requirement.

    Furthermore, Dorothy was the descendant of the prophetic witch. She might even be a direct descendant of Mullwica. Possessing her body would be satisfying revenge for the demons with bad intentions.

    Third, Dorothy¡¯s body had bones, and the side effects of the Eye of Insight were constantly snatching away her life force. She was like a dangerous bomb that could explode at any time. If the demon wished to break free from the shackles of his body one day, then even if Dorothy died quickly, he could use the Eye of Insight as an excuse not to be discovered.

    ¡°Can you find the source of the magic oscition?¡± I asked out of caution.

    ¡°The trajectory of the wave is very secretive. We only discovered that it¡¯s rted to the magic residue of the witch n¡¯s ruins and nothing more.¡±

    ¡°Does it have any special characteristics?¡±

    ¡°Cold, extremely cold, like ice formed from frost and snow. It makes one feel cold all over.¡±

    Cold!

    This was a remarkable feature. I recalled the impurities I separated from the demonic fragment. It was a substance as cold as snowkes.

    I was sure this had something to do with the demon in the seal.

    However, all of this would have to be dyed. The most important thing now was to help Dorothy get rid of the curse as soon as possible.

    ¡°I need you to help look after Dorothy¡¯s soul,¡± I said to Master Kevin. ¡°Keep it stable to the maximum extent. If there are any problems, please inform me in time to avoid any possible damage.¡±

    Master Kevin solemnly expressed that there was no problem.

    ¡°Let¡¯s officially begin.¡±

    This time, breaking the curse was not as simple as helping Dorothy remove the curse left behind by Leviathan. Back then, I could urately grab the ck mist as if taking something from my pocket because of the mark¡¯s restriction.

    This time, it was different. Magic power was flowing everywhere. I could only rely on myself to find traces of it in Dorothy¡¯s soul. Any ident can cause permanent damage to Dorothy¡¯s soul.

    I closed my eyes and began to meditate, silently searching for the feeling of walking in the wilderness in a dream.

    My thoughts gradually fused with Dorothy¡¯s soul. The soft and warm feeling of being submerged in water rxed my entire body.

    Dorothy¡¯s soul was as gentle as her own.

    I wandered in Dorothy¡¯s spiritual world as if wandering in a blue ocean. It waspletely silent and devoid of any living beings. There was nothing other than the boundless sea and the light source that came from nowhere.

    That was not right. Where did Dorothy go?

    I dived into the depths of the ocean. As the light source became dimmer, my vision became narrower. In the end, I couldn¡¯t see my fingers. I could only use my instinct to check if there was anything outside.

    Finally, I seemed to have dived to the bottom of the ocean, and I touched a rough and cold object.

    I walked around it. It was huge, like a shell.

    Would Dorothy be inside?

    I tried to knock on the shell, but there was no reaction.

    The bottom of the sea was much warmer than on the surface as ifva was buried underground. As the temperature gradually rose, I had a hunch that something terrible was about to happen, so I decided to swim back to the surface with the shell.

    The shell looked big, but it was surprisingly light. It was like a bubble, floating up as soon as it left the seabed.

    I tried to find a crack in the shell, but it was tightly closed, not revealing a single w. I did not have any tools with me. I wanted to try to break it open with force, but I was afraid of hurting Dorothy, who might be inside.

    The seabed suddenly erupted just as I was at my wits¡¯ end.

    To my surprise, it wasn¡¯t boilingva that came out, but cold white ash.

    The shell beside me was gradually heating up. I realized that the shell had been trying its best to adjust the ocean floor¡¯s temperature to suppress the white ash¡¯s explosion.

    Great, I¡¯d moved the shell away, and my good intentions messed everything up!

    I pushed the shell upward, causing it to float to the surface of the sea even faster. I prepared to devour the ice-cold crystals as much as I could.

    But I only have one mouth, and I couldn¡¯t absorb the white ash everywhere in time!

    I could only try to borrow the power of the seawater, hoping that it could be my external medium.

    ¡°Dorothy, can you hear me?¡±

    I¡¯d try my best tomunicate with the owner of this ce.

    ¡°I am Selma. Can you still recognize me? Don¡¯t be afraid, don¡¯t resist. I¡¯m here to help you.

    ¡°If you trust me, can you temporarily give me control of the spiritual world? I need the help of seawater to purify the white ash. I promise I¡¯ll devour them all, not leaving any trash for you.¡±

    To my surprise, although Dorothy responded to me, she rejected me.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    I asked in surprise.

    She didn¡¯t answer me.

    Seeing the white ash spreading without restraint, I became increasingly anxious as I rapidly thought about why Dorothy might refuse.

    Suddenly, the conversation we had in the safe house came to my mind.

    Could Dorothy be worried about my safety?

 Chapter 187

    187 Crystal

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    There was no mistake! Perhaps she was worried that the adverse effects of the white ash would harm me. Although she knew I could break down the power I absorbed, she had never seen it with her own eyes.

    I immediately promised Dorothy, ¡°I will never break my promise to you, Dorothy. I swear that this will not affect me in the slightest. When you wake up, I promise you that you will see the ice sculptures of all the negative elements that I have absorbed. If the werewolf grandmasters can find a way to purify it, maybe we can use it as a memento to decorate the room!¡±

    The water started to move, and I knew that Dorothy was struggling.

    In the end, she chose to trust me.

    In an instant, I felt as if I had be one with the sea. This strange experience made me feel like I was an omnipresent spray, able to note every movement in the ocean from all directions without any blind spots.

    Every drop of seawater was my incarnation.

    I immediately controlled the seawater to start purifying the white ash. In an instant,rge amounts of snow-white ¡®sugar cream¡¯ melted in the turbulent water. As if sensing my actions, the chasms at the bottom of the ocean started spewing out even more white ash in an attempt to stop me from devouring it.

    But this was giving me more nutrients for no reason.

    And due to this, I was able to find the source of the white ash urately.

    Like a swimming fish, I quickly dove into the crack at the bottom of the sea. As expected, I found a crystal-like fragment inside.

    Although it looked different, it gave me the same feeling as a giant pine tree.

    It was indeed a demonic fragment!

    This evil creature was like a fragrant ice cream cake to me. I felt my appetite increase, and I couldn¡¯t help but swallow the fragment.

    In the next second, the white ash that was spurting out immediately stopped. Without the core¡¯s support, they could not resist the aggressive seawater. I quickly devoured them all, just like I devoured the remaining sugar powder on the side of a bowl.

    After solving the problem, I quickly floated to the sea¡¯s surface to look for shells.

    The white and round shell floated alone on the boundless sea. It was lonely but not deste.

    It shook slightly, and then a corner was lifted.

    Dorothy was curled up on the soft shell flesh. She whispered to me, ¡°Thank you, Selma.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± I was more concerned about her current condition. ¡°How do you feel? Are you hurt?¡±

    ¡°Thanks to you, white ash didn¡¯t manage to cause me any harm. If you hade a littleter, I don¡¯t think I would have been able to suppress them.¡±

    ¡°Can you confirm who cast a spell on you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but whoever it is must be very strong. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t be able to stuff a demon shard into my soul without a sound.¡±

    ¡°Alright. I have to leave first. It will take some time to digest the demonic shards. I can¡¯t remove the impurities from your spiritual world.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ll be fine?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I said I won¡¯t go back on my word.¡±

    I ended my meditation and left Dorothy¡¯s spiritual world.

    After devouring, I felt a little tired, but I didn¡¯t immediately fall asleep like thest time. I believed it was because I had just made a new body previous time. In addition to digesting the power, I had to adjust my body¡¯s condition, so I had to fall asleep.

    The shard was much smaller this time than thest, so I didn¡¯t have to use up so much energy. My body was also stable, so I could stay awake.

    Seeing me open my eyes, Master Kevin asked with concern, ¡°Is it over? Did you seed?¡±

    I nodded and asked him to help take care of Dorothy¡¯s body.

    After a simple examination, Master Kevin said, ¡°She needs to recuperate from her fatigue. She¡¯ll be fine after a good night¡¯s sleep.¡±

    I was finally entirely at ease. A wave of sleepiness washed over me, so Iy down on my sleeping bag and took a nap.

    When I woke up, it was already noon the next day. I was lying in a warm sleeping bag, and the alluring aroma of food wafted in from outside.

    Dorothy brought a bowl of steaming hot porridge into the room. Seeing that I had woken up, she asked happily, ¡°You¡¯re awake? How do you feel? Do you still feel dizzy? Master Kevin said you¡¯ve overused your energy, so I¡¯ve made you some beef congee. Have some to recover your strength.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± My stomach was rumbling. I immediately took the bowl and started eating. ¡°What about you? Have you recovered?¡±

    Dorothy sat down beside me and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal anymore. Thanks to the Eye of Insight, my spiritual world is much stronger than ordinary people, and my recovery ability is also much faster.

    She quietly watched me finish a bowl of porridge before she reached out her hand and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the thing?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°The crystal! Didn¡¯t you say I¡¯ll see the crystals formed by the harmful impurities when I wake up?¡±

    Only then did I remember that. I whispered, ¡°That will take time. I have to extract it bit by bit.

    Dorothy crossed her arms and said with an unfriendly expression, ¡°So you were lying to me? Swear that this will not affect you!¡±

    ¡°Of course not, really!¡± I hurriedly exined myself, ¡°I need time. There¡¯s not much ¡®food¡¯ this time. I¡¯ll probably be able to separate the impurities by nightfallpletely.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Dorothy sighed helplessly. ¡°I¡¯ll believe you one more time.¡±

 Chapter 188

    188 The Soul Sparrow

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Before I could inquire about the development of the witch n¡¯s ruins, I asked, ¡°Any progress recently?¡±

    Dorothy shook her head regretfully. ¡°Still nothing. We can¡¯t find the location of the devil¡¯s seal, and we can¡¯t find Mullwica¡¯s address either.

    However, she excitedly took a few books from her backpack and showed them to me.

    ¡°But it¡¯s not like we didn¡¯t find anything. We found several books with notes on famous witches.¡± She showed the old hand-woven books one by one. I found many new spells, runes, and magic circles that have not been discovered before, as well as some theories about bloodlines and special powers. They were very novel and worth referring to.

    I was not very interested in the ancient notes. After all, the only ancient witches I could remember were the ones the werewolf grandmasters mentioned in ss. However, I was still very happy for Dorothy. She was a person who liked to read and treasured all kinds of ancient books.

    Dorothy showed me a new spell she had just learned as she said that.

    A little dancing sparrow suddenly flew out of her palm and curiously circled me. After ensuring I was not in danger, she gently pecked off a strand of my hair and ate it.

    ¡°This is the Soul Sparrow,¡± Dorothy said. ¡°I learned this spell from an ancient notebook specializing in studying souls. It¡¯s a clone of my soul and can mark another soul by pecking at hair, blood, and other body tissues. It can ignore any space restrictions and fly to the marked point. It¡¯s a way for some ancient witches to send information to theirpanions during the witch-hunting era quietly.¡±

    I rubbed the little sparrow¡¯s soft feathers lovingly. It tilted its head and obediently jumped into my palm.

    ¡°It¡¯s so obedient!¡± I was extremely envious. ¡°Can I learn it?¡±

    Dorothy regretfully refused. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but there¡¯s no way for now. The sparrow¡¯s basic frame ispletely made up of magic. This is a spell that only wizards and witches can learn.¡±

    ¡°Alright then.¡± I was a little sad, but I was immediately healed by the little sparrow¡¯s beady eyes.

    ¡°But the Soul Sparrow is not without ws.¡± Dorothy called the little sparrow back, and thettery down on her hair. ¡°The sparrow can only reach one marked point at a time and can¡¯t change direction halfway. It¡¯ll bleed or even die like an ordinary sparrow if it¡¯s injured. Once it dies, its owner will lose this soul forever.¡±

    I immediately retracted my hand that was about to grab the little sparrow¡¯s tail feather.

    ¡°It seems like this spell doesn¡¯t have many advantages.¡± I felt a little regretful that the Soul Sparrow had the body of a sparrow. ¡°If only it were a goshawk or a vulture. Predators are the overlords of the sky. It is hard to say who would hurt whom.¡±

    Dorothy did not know if this was true or not. ¡°In theory, we can change the sparrow¡¯s form at will. However, therger the form, the more Soul Fragments are required. It is challenging to maintain the bnce between the two.¡±

    The Soul Sparrow disappeared after ying for a while.

    ¡°Do you have any ns for today?¡± I could see my team members and the werewolf grandmaster busy in the snow through the wooden window.

    ¡°As Master Hayley had returned, Master Mary and Master Kevin have decided tobine the power of ancient spells, runes, and soul witchcraft tomunicate with the remaining soul consciousness here in an attempt to find out where Mullwica lives.¡±

    ¡°But didn¡¯t all the witches retreat when the demon was sealed?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. So we have to set our goal a little further. Before the demon was sealed, there were probably witches who had passed away when Mullwica was alive. As long as I can find a trace of consciousness, I can look back at the memory of that period.¡±

    ¡°Is there anything I can do to help?¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re sure you¡¯ve recovered,e with me to patrol. There are many secrets in these ruins, not as many as what was discovered on the surface. The team members are all excavating the hidden things here.¡±

    I did as I was told. I tidied myself up to ensure I was warm and wouldn¡¯t freeze, as this ruin was much colder than the snow mountains outside. Then, I followed Dorothy out.

    Master Hayley used a special dark green paint to carve some runes on the broken stone brick square. Master Mary was observing and discussing something with Master Kevin.

    ¡°Sometimes, I think it would be great if I could use the power of prophecy. That way, I could easily see the past.¡± Dorothy was a little depressed, but she quickly pulled herself together. ¡°But the werewolf grandmasters said there are strong remnants of ancient magic maic fields here, and it might be Mullwica¡¯s work. If we use the prophecy rashly, there is a high chance that the ruins will attack us.¡±

    I understood Dorothy¡¯s feelings, especially after being ¡®New Flowed¡¯. Although this unique ability could sharpen us, it also gave us a unique strength advantage. With limited abilities, we were like good people who suddenly became blind or crippled. Not only was our strength significantly reduced, but the psychological gap also made us feel empty.

    I held her hand and ran to the house in the distance.

 Chapter 189

    189 The Quicksand Fog

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    We gained nothing.

    We¡¯d wasted the entire afternoon and found nothing.

    The coverage of the ruins of the witch n was not veryrge, and there were only about thirty families. Dorothy and I spent the entire afternoon searching through six houses, even the underground cers. Other than being covered in dust, we did not find anything.

    Dorothy and I were eating dinner by the fire. Either Mullwica lived underground, or she was an unprecedented space sorcerer.

    ¡°We have no choice. This is the only clue we could find. Mullwica¡¯s home must be here, but we can¡¯t see it.¡±

    ¡°Maybe Mullwica is a loner? ording to the legends, she has experienced a series of major blows, so she might not want to be around people.¡±

    ¡°Who knows? Captain Frank also sent people to search the valley area except for the ruins of the witch n, but unfortunately, they didn¡¯t find any traces of life in the habitable areas.¡±

    Outside the house, people started shouting. Immediately after, the outside team members hid in the houses closest to them.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Dorothy looked out the window and replied, ¡°The werewolf grandmasters are preparing to start the ceremony.¡±

    ¡°Now? But it¡¯s going to be dark soon!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to wait until it¡¯s dark. To some extent, the consciousness of the undead is very simr to that of undead creatures. They are afraid of light, and like darkness, so you can only find them at night. However, performing a soul-rted ritual at night might attract some less popr guests, so everyone except the werewolf grandmasters has to leave.¡±

    I was nning to explore a few more houses at night, but I had to give up now.

    ¡°Speaking of which, I have a question to ask.¡± I had this question in my mind since I stepped into the ruins of the witch n. ¡°Why are the buildings here so strong? This is a snowy mountain. With years of wind and snow and no one maintaining it, even the strongest stone house would copse, right?¡±

    I didn¡¯t know either. The werewolf grandmasters spected that it had something to do with the remaining magic fluctuations here. Dorothy sipped on the hot pea soup and said softly, ¡°Maybe a few years ago, this ce still had a rtively intact enchantment that could slow down the flow of time. That¡¯s why nothing has changed. It still looks the same as when the witches evacuated.¡±

    ¡°It looks the same as when they evacuated?¡±

    ¡°Yes, the ruins of the witch n you saw have been sorted out by the team members. When Master Mary and the others first discovered this ce, it was covered in snow and scattered scorched wood, probably the traces left by the witches¡¯ battle with the demons. These traces left a strong evil aura. For their safety, the werewolf grandmasters had to purify them first.¡±

    ¡°Oh, really? I really couldn¡¯t tell.¡± I didn¡¯t sense any evil aura at all. What surprised me was that I didn¡¯t feel relieved at all. Instead, I felt even more regretful that I lost the chance to eat ¡®snacks¡¯.

    Dorothy suddenly burst intoughter as she thought of something. ¡°The grandmasters evenughed at themselves. If the Historical Society of Magical Creatures saw what they did, they would publish a 100000-word paper to denounce the grandmasters for ruining the historical remains.¡±

    The sky waspletely dark, and the ceremony began.

    The three grandmasters surrounded the triangle in the center of the formation, each chanting a different incantation. These incantations were bizarre. I couldn¡¯t hear a single word.

    It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t understand, but I couldn¡¯t hear it.

    Dorothy exined to me in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s fine as long as you can¡¯t hear it. This is for the past living and the undead. Those who live in the present can¡¯t understand it.¡±

    The chantingsted for about ten minutes. The grandmasters¡¯ mountain suddenly exuded some indescribable pale smoke when thest syble was chanted. The smoke spread rapidly, and it didn¡¯t take long to cover the entire ruins of the witch n.

    Dorothy pulled me along to check the doors and windows, confirming that no smoke had snuck through the cracks.

    ¡°Is this a bad thing?¡±

    ¡°Not really. I can only say that it negatively affects specific groups of people. This thing is called the Quicksand Fog. It is a kind of filler that exists in the historical gaps. Its presence indicated that history is about to ovep. People from the present can¡¯t have any contact with the Quicksand Fog of the past. Otherwise, they¡¯ll fall unconscious or get lost in the long river of history and never return.¡±

    ¡°What about the grandmasters?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. The grandmasters are the originators of the ritual. From the moment they chant the spell, they temporarily don¡¯t belong to our time. In short, they are now traveling through history.¡±

    The Quicksand Fog covered the window with a thick gauze curtain, and we couldn¡¯t see anything.

    ¡°How long will the ceremonyst?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. ording to Master Mary¡¯s prediction, it will end in three hours. Moreover, they can¡¯t stay too long in the stacked history space. Otherwise, it will cause damage to their bodies.¡±

    The waiting time was very boring. We couldn¡¯t do anything but talk to pass the time.

 Chapter 190

    190 Human Shadows

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°It¡¯s only been an hour.¡± I followed the second hand and counted the time. ¡°Why does it feel so unbearable long?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s wait for a while. It¡¯ll be over in two hours.¡±

    Thus, while I chatted with Dorothy, I was also harassing Maxine in my mind.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go to sleep? It¡¯s already nighttime anyway,¡± Maxine said. ¡°You should go to bed early and wake up early. You can spend more time exploring the ruins of the witch n tomorrow, can¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to sleep. I still want to wait for the werewolf grandmasters¡¯ results. No one is sleeping. I can¡¯t sleep alone.¡±

    ¡°... can you let me go to sleep? I¡¯m so sleepy.¡±

    ¡°Why are you sleepy? You didn¡¯t do anything the entire day. You just slept.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to describe it to you, but I¡¯m very sleepy, especially since your mental suggestion failed. I want to sleep the whole day but can¡¯t get enough sleep.¡±

    I immediately became nervous. ¡°Did the reconstruction of your body cause you some side effects? We have to ask the werewolf grandmasters to examine us.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps there¡¯s no need for that.¡± However, Maxine rejected me. ¡°I have an inexplicable intuition that you are the one who caused this. Come to think of it. Sometimes I even wonder if there¡¯s a third party in us that we don¡¯t know about. Otherwise, why would you not know about what you¡¯ve caused?¡±

    ¡°A third party?¡± I shivered at her description. ¡°That¡¯s not funny. Are you sure I¡¯m the cause of your fatigue?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and it¡¯s not the kind of fatigue from overusing energy. It¡¯s like an rm clock sets when we should go to sleep and when we should wake up,¡± said Maxine.

    Before I could finish my sentence, she fell asleep. No matter how I called her, she didn¡¯t respond.

    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that I could still feel her presence, I would have thought that she had disappeared!

    I tried to free Maxine from this strange state, but before I could put in much effort, Dorothy suddenly shook me hard.

    ¡°Be on the alert, Selma. An ident has happened!¡±

    I followed her hand and looked out the window. A pale ghost was staring at us!

    ¡°What the hell is this thing?!¡± I subconsciously jumped up and pulled Dorothy to the corner away from the window.

    Dorothy observed the ghostly figure, then said in a serious tone, ¡°This is a ¡®person¡¯... a ¡®person¡¯ that existed in the past.¡±

    ¡°Who would look like this? Is this a new race in seclusion for thousands of years?¡±

    ¡°No, it appears like this because it is a shadow from someone¡¯s life in history.¡±

    ¡°So, one day in the past 300 years, a peeper appeared among the witches and peeked at someone¡¯s window in the middle of the night?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. Human figures don¡¯t have consciousness and won¡¯t stare at living humans.¡±

    Dorothy suddenly pulled me up the stairs, ran into a room, and mmed the door shut. At the same time, she bit her finger and drew a dispelling rune on the door.

    An ominous premonition welled up in my heart.

    Indeed, Dorothy said, ¡°There can only be one exnation for this situation. First, a mistake has urred, causing the figure to be confused! Any ce within the Quicksand Fog area can produce these chaotic figures. We must create an enclosed space to ensure no figures can invade.¡±

    I mimicked her and drew runes with blood. Thanks to the Moon Goddess¡¯ grace, the Goddess¡¯s gift did not require any magic. I asked, ¡°So, there might be people in our rooms now?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the problem.¡± Dorothy was not sure either. ¡°The research information on human shadows is very limited. So far, no one has understood their production mechanism. However, one thing is certain. Chaotic human shadows have most of the negative attributes given by history. They have no rationality, are aggressive, and cannot be destroyed. They will only disappear after the copse of history.¡±

    At this moment, the door of the room was suddenly mmed hard!

    My hand trembled, and I almost crooked the seal pattern.

    ¡°The worst-case scenario has happened. A figure has also appeared in the room.¡± Dorothy sped up on her drawing. ¡°Hurry up. We have to finish drawing the runes at the corner of each wall before the human figure in this room is formed.¡±

    From the corner of my eye, I could see a faint white mist gathering in the room. This was probably the sign of a human figure forming.

    Finally, we used runes to connect the eight corners of the room. The silver moonlight immediately dispersed the iplete figures.

    However, before we could even heave a sigh of relief, we heard screams from outside.

    It was the other team members!

    I cautiously observed the outside of the window and asked Dorothy, ¡°Are we the only ones who know this?¡±

    Master Mary had given everyone training in advance. If anything happened, dispelling runes was the most time-saving, energy-saving, and efficient method. Everyone should know about it.

    ¡°But knowing is knowing. Whether or not we have the time to finish drawing is another matter.¡±

    Dorothy nodded in silence.

 Chapter 191

    191 The Unptable Cheese

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    We can¡¯t even protect ourselves now, but we can¡¯t just watch our team members sacrifice themselves in vain!

    ¡°I have an idea, but it¡¯s a little risky.¡± I wiped the cold sweat from my forehead. ¡°This idea may be stupid, but I can only think of this.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Speaking of which, the Quicksand Fog is also a type of energy, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a mist of quicksand formed by the useless elements discharged by history. Dorothy looked at me in surprise. ¡°What are you trying to do? Don¡¯t tell me...?¡±

    I nodded and gazed out the window at the vast expanse of white. ¡°It¡¯s exactly as you think. Since it¡¯s energy, why don¡¯t I try to eat it?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re crazy! The Quicksand Fog doesn¡¯t have a definite attribute and physical form like the demonic fragment. It has many changes, and no one knows what negative effects it will have on you!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m only trying a small amount. I¡¯ll stop the operation immediately if there¡¯s any problem.¡± I ced my hand on the window. ¡°The werewolf grandmasters are still outside. I don¡¯t know how many of our team members have been forced out of the house. We can¡¯t just watch them die, can we?¡±

    I thought Dorothy would insist on opposing, and I¡¯d already thought of a way to convince her. However, she could only helplessly rub her head, close her eyes and sigh, saying, ¡°Just a little, okay? I¡¯ll guarantee your safety.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re so quick to agree,¡± I said dryly.

    ¡°I understand you, Selma. You are a stubborn bull. Once you have decided to do something, even a hundred people cannot pull you back.¡± Dorothy rolled her eyes. ¡°Give me ten seconds.¡±

    She used her blood to draw an istion rune on the wardrobe and then hid inside the wardrobe.

    ¡°We can start now!¡±

    ¡°Alright then.¡± It was my oversight. I had only thought I could eat the Quicksand Fog and neglected that Dorothy was helpless against it.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I mumbled my apology and opened the window a little.

    The Quicksand Fog immediately gushed into the room. I closed the window after a second, but the Quicksand Fog stuffed itself into the room in a huge lump the size of a watermelon.

    ¡°Come on.¡± I extended my hand to the Quicksand Fog. ¡°Let me taste you.¡±

    Wisps of pale white mist seeped into my body. They were cold and smooth like cheese but exuded a bitter taste like rotten wood. They weren¡¯t delicious.

    As if it had hallucinating effects, a few secondster, I felt as if my soul had left my body and was floating. I flew out of the house and wandered around the witch n. The snowkes passed through my body as if they were passing through the air and fell on the heads of the girls passing by. She and her friends carried their sackcloth bags and walked home in twos and threes.

    They asked, ¡°What are we having for dinner tonight? I don¡¯t want to eat potato porridge anymore. When would the snow stop? It¡¯s been a month since Mom went out to buy supplies.¡±

    The girlsined about the nd food and the terrible weather as they disappeared at the end of the path. I wanted to give chase, but I was pulled back by a strong force.

    ¡°Uh!¡±

    I suddenly let out a breath before realizing I was standing right where I was.

    What was that just now? What happened to the witch n? Was it a memory of history?

    ¡°Dorothy,e out. I¡¯m fine!¡± I knocked on the closet to signal her toe out.

    ¡°How do you feel?¡± Dorothy was not as good at detection spells as the werewolf grandmasters, so she could only perform a simple examination for me. ¡°It seems like there¡¯s nothing serious.¡±

    I told her about the magical experience I had just had. ¡°Could it be the effect of the Quicksand Fog? It contains the power of history, so it took me to see the past it experienced.¡±

    Dorothy was deep in thought. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s somewhat simr to a prophecy. You can also see the past. However, you need to use the Quicksand Fog as a medium.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I suggest you give up on eating all the Quicksand Fog,¡± she said thoughtfully.

    ¡°Why?¡± I was greatly puzzled.

    ¡°Prying into history is like prying into fate. There¡¯s a price to pay. Those who peek at fate without its permission would pay with their life as the price, but what about those who peeked at history? You¡¯re not like the werewolf grandmasters who have prepared a ritual tomunicate with history in advance. No one knows what kind of punishment peeking at history will bring you. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s easier than peeking at fate.¡±

    ¡°But... ¡±

    I punched the wall in frustration. Was I going to give up just like that?

    The team members continued to shout. Some of their voices were intermittent and distorted. This must be due to the Quicksand Fog¡¯s influence on top of being attacked by the figures!

    It would be great if there were a way to separate the additional effect of prying into history!

    Right, separation!

    ¡°I can try to separate the side effects!¡± I recalled the feeling of the side effects of separating the demonic fragment. ¡°It¡¯s like separating the negative emotions from the Quicksand Fog to separate the additional effect of prying into history. They are illusory and ethereal powers and have a lot inmon. I think I can do it!¡±

 Chapter 192

    192 Offset

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°Can you do it?¡± Dorothy was not too assured. ¡°This is not like the incubation period of negative emotions. Once you absorb the Quicksand Fog, the historical tracing will immediately begin. We can¡¯t seize the opportunity.¡±

    ¡°How would you know if you don¡¯t try?¡± I was eager to try. ¡°You hide in the closet. I¡¯ll try again. If it doesn¡¯t work, we¡¯ll think of another way.¡±

    After Dorothy hid, I released another cloud of quicksand the size of a watermelon into the room.

    I held my breath and reached out to the Quicksand Fog.

    The moment I came into contact with the cold mist, I felt a powerful force tearing my soul apart and dragging it out. I immediately realized that the power of backtracking was forcing me to look at history, so I was in a stalemate with it.

    The Quicksand Fog was unconscious, and its power to look back was as rigid as a programmed machine. Against my resistance, it was utterly helpless. It only dazedly pulled at my soul without any intention of taking a roundabout route to save the country.

    Such a ¡®fool¡¯s y¡¯ was undoubtedly advantageous to me. I immediately tried topress the historical fragments brought about by the power of backtracking, just like how Ipressed my negative emotions. Surprisingly, the historical fragments were like fragile sticine, allowing people to knead and squeeze them without resisting. Without much effort, Ipressed the unorganized historical fragments into a small, concentrated ball the size of a fingernail.

    After the historical fragments disappeared, the power of backtracking lost its target and immediately became helpless.

    The tearing force gradually weakened, and it was about to dissipate.

    I didn¡¯t want to give up such a good opportunity. I tried to eat the power of backtracking, but I gave up in a moment. Its remaining power pulled me in like a vortex. I was caught off guard and almost became a small ck hole.

    However, this inward protective force was the most perfect natural packaging. I wrapped thepressed orb in my backtrack power and made it into a simple ¡®viewing device¡¯.

    Anyone who used any force to destroy the ¡®packaging¡¯ would trigger the reaction of the power of backtracking and be pulled into the condensed ball to experience the historical fragments contained within.

    However, this device was a one-time use. It would disappear after seeing it.

    ¡°I¡¯ve seeded!¡± I looked at the grey ball in my hand and said excitedly to Dorothy, ¡°The historical fragments have beenpressed, and I¡¯ve sessfully absorbed the Quicksand Fog without any side effects.¡±

    Dorothy carefully picked up the small ball and eximed, ¡°What a genius idea. I dare say that you¡¯re the first person in history to be able to tten and round the Quicksand Fog at will. All historians will go crazy when they see you!¡±

    I was pleased for a few seconds before I said smugly, ¡°Now, let¡¯s start a free journey of delicious food!¡±

    Dorothy took the History Ball and hid in the closet again. I opened the windowpletely and let the Quicksand Fog rush toward me.

    The rotten wood-vored cheese wasn¡¯t a delicacy, but I didn¡¯t know if I got used to it after eating it for a long time. In the end, I could taste a faint sweetness from it, which was a little addictive.

    I keptpressing history orbs. They were of different sizes and colors and piled up on the ground like the defective decorations discarded by a Christmas tree factory.

    Correspondingly, the thick fog outside began to disperse, and the visibility increased little. The werewolf grandmaster and his team members¡¯ fighting figures gradually appeared.

    Many team members were injured, and the snow was dyed with scarlet blood.

    Master Mary saw me and shouted in surprise, ¡°Selma, what are you doing? Quickly hide in the house!¡±

    ¡°I can deal with this Quicksand Fog!¡± I replied loudly, ¡°Once the Quicksand Fog disappears, the figures will also disappear, right?¡±

    ¡°This is too dangerous! The nature of the Quicksand Fog is vtile. You will get yourself killed!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve already mastered the method to deal with the Quicksand Fog!¡±

    I picked up a History Ball and threw it out of the window. I wanted to give Master Mary a sample, but I didn¡¯t expect the History Ball to hit a figure trying to attack Master Mary. The figure waved his hand and shattered the History Ball, and a wonderful thing happened; the History Ball instantly sucked it in, and then they all disappeared without a trace!

    I immediately realized that the History Balls were a weapon to deal with human shadows. I grabbed arge pile of History Balls and threw them out the window.

    ¡°This is a History Ball. Inside it is a fragment of history. As long as you don¡¯t try to destroy it, it won¡¯t break, no matter how you knead it! They will disappear together if we use this against the human shadows!¡±

    Some smarter team members immediately picked up the History Balls and threw them at the figures. The irrational figures could not sense anything other than destruction and be easily captured by the History Balls.

    I absorbed the Quicksand Fog to create more History Balls while supplying ¡®ammunition¡¯ to the people outside the window.

    As the Quicksand Fog gradually faded, the number of human shadows created decreased. Under the team¡¯s relentless efforts, they soon became insignificant.

    Taking advantage of this time, people began to rescue the members who had been attacked by human shadows or were affected by the Quicksand Fog and had fainted.

    I finished absorbing thest bit of the Quicksand Fog.

    The moonlight shone on the wolves, and the people who had survived the disaster could not help but smile.

 Chapter 193

    193 The Golden Shawl

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The unconscious team members were not seriously injured, only some superficial injuries and slight mental exhaustion. ording to the recovery rate of werewolves, they would be fine after a good sleep.

    I rejoiced at my bold actions, or else the casualties would have been immeasurable.

    ¡°Thank you, Selma,¡± the leader, Master Mary, thanked me sincerely. ¡°You saved everyone. I apologize for my doubt in you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that,¡± I said, waving my hand ufortably. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to do anything if everyone hadn¡¯t worked together to destroy the human shadows.

    Master Hayley and Master Kevin, who were in charge of settling the wounded, had alsoe. They held a pile of unused history balls and carefully sealed them in an ice box temporarily made of spell and snow.

    ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t have to be so careful with them,¡± I reminded. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t explicitly reveal that you want to damage it, the history balls are solid.¡±

    Master Kevin disapproved, ¡°That¡¯s true, but we still have to be as careful as possible before we study it carefully. However, since you created the history balls, can you tell us about their attributes? Anyone who damaged it would disappear like the human shadows? Where did the human shadows go? Are they trapped in a historical fragment, or does the historical fragment simply cancel them out?¡±

    Master Hayley pulled him away helplessly and said apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Kevin is just a nerd. Rest first. We¡¯ll talk tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m not tired yet.¡±

    Master Hayley smiled and left with Master Kevin, who was still full of questions.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t mind him. Kevin may look unreasonable, but he¡¯s very simple.¡± Master Mary led us to her temporary residence. ¡°Due to his naivety, he suffered a lot. However, he doesn¡¯t mind and doesn¡¯t want to change himself. As long as he still has a passion for scientific research, he¡¯s the happiest.¡±

    I didn¡¯t understand why she and Master Hayley were so careful to persuade me about Master Kevin. I swear to the Moon Goddess that I didn¡¯t feel offended. It was just a few questions, what was the big deal?

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a big deal. I¡¯m happy to answer these questions for you, Master Kevin. You don¡¯t have to be so nervous.¡±

    Master Mary opened her mouth in embarrassment and said, ¡°It¡¯s my concern that made me confused because of...¡±

    ¡°What?¡± My curiosity was piqued.

    ¡°It¡¯s just some old things. There¡¯s nothing to be concerned about. Would you like a cup of peach tea? Even Hayley doesn¡¯t know my secret recipe.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. Please give me a ss.¡±

    Dorothy and I were drinking sweet fruit tea in Master Mary¡¯s room when suddenly, a shawl embroidered with golden flower patterns came into my sight. It hung from a crooked hanger and dangled to the floor like a cloud of soft smoke. The golden thread shimmered with a soft luster under the light, making the pattern look like a newly bloomed flower.

    ¡°Is this yours? It¡¯s really nice.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but exim.

    ¡°No.¡± Master Mary shook her head. ¡°This belongs to the owner of this house. It¡¯s been hanging here.¡±

    I walked to the clothes rack and observed it. I felt that this gorgeous shawl looked a little familiar.

    Where had I seen it before?

    Just as I was deep in thought, Captain Frank arrived.

    ¡°Aldrich wille up the mountain tomorrow.¡± He brought good news. ¡°He wille with a team of soldiers, which will be very helpful for our inch-by-inch search.¡±

    Speaking of which, I didn¡¯t even think about Aldrich due to all the happenings here. He should have arrived today.

    ¡°What happened?¡± I voiced my doubts.

    Frank expressed that he did not know either. He had only received notice of dys and did not have a specific reason.

    Although it seemed like there was no problem, I still felt a little worried.

    Late at night, Iy in my sleeping bag, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Dorothy asked.

    ¡°I feel something strange about Aldrich¡¯ste arrival.¡±

    ¡°Maybe he was dyed by an extra mission? He¡¯s the general, so there should be a lot of things that he has to handle personally.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but I¡¯m still worried.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we ask the King and the Queen?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Use mind-link, just like you and I did.¡±

    I fell silent.

    It was a little secret that I didn¡¯t even tell Aldrich.

    Dorothy noticed my silence and asked, ¡°Is there a problem?¡±

    I hesitated for a few seconds and felt there was no need to hide this from Dorothy. I didn¡¯t even need to hide it from Aldrich. I only felt inferior at first, but I forgot about itter.

    ¡°I can¡¯t build a mind-link with my parents,¡± I whispered. ¡°I¡¯ve tried many times, but it didn¡¯t work.¡±

    Dorothy was surprised. ¡°Why? Blood ties are the most natural bond.¡±

    Yes, why? If I knew, I wouldn¡¯t be here worrying.

 Chapter 194

    194 I¡¯m Going To The Mountains

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Maybe because I hadn¡¯t lived with my parents for the past eighteen years, some invisible changes happened.¡± I hid under the nket. ¡°That¡¯s the only exnation I can think of. I can¡¯t possibly not be my parents¡¯ child, right? You can¡¯t lie about blood rtions.¡±

    Dorothy patted me through the sleeping bag tofort me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. When everything is over, we¡¯ll discuss this. The werewolf grandmasters have all kinds of specialties. Someone must have a way.¡±

    The next morning.

    It was just five o¡¯clock when the members at the witch n ruins woke up. The team members cleaned up the mess fromst night in an orderly manner.

    Dorothy and I continued our exploration. This time, we were careful. We moved luggage, cabs, beds, and other mobile items away from their original positions, hoping to find some hidden rooms or secret passages.

    However, we still found nothing. Other than dust and some small pieces of toys, there was nothing.

    ¡°Does Mullwica live in the sky? This is thest house on this street, and we still haven¡¯t found any clues.¡±

    I was a little discouraged after working for nothing the entire morning.

    Dorothy was also confused.

    ¡°Mullwica¡¯s home must be here. Dreams don¡¯t lie,¡± she mumbled.

    At this moment, amotion came from outside. Aldrich and the others had arrived.

    I excitedly went out to wee him, ¡°Hey! You guys are finally here.¡±

    Aldrich hugged me tightly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯mte. I had some urgent missions to deal with.¡±

    I didn¡¯t ask what the mission was. It was better to follow the confidentiality regtions in public.

    The addition of more warriors made our exploration more efficient. By the time the sun set, we hadpleted the fourthb of the witch n¡¯s ruins.

    Without a doubt, we still found nothing.

    With the experience of almost being wiped out yesterday, the werewolf grandmasters thought about it again and again and decided to give up on the ritual.

    I volunteered. ¡°I can be responsible for absorbing the Quicksand Fog. You saw itst night. It does not affect me. Without the Quicksand Fog, there would be no human shadows, and the ritual would be safe.¡±

    ¡°The Quicksand Fog and the human shadows are just one of the influencing factors,¡± Master Hayley exined. ¡°The real problem is the remaining interference spells. It¡¯s very well hidden and has deceived us, and we can¡¯t think of a reverse spell to crack it in a short time.¡±

    Well, it seemed that the witches 300 years ago paid much attention to protecting their privacy. The interference spells were so powerful that they faithfully performed their duties even 300 yearster. Perhaps those shadows appeared under the influence of the interference spell. The witches who had experienced the ¡®hunt¡¯ knew how to fight back the intruders who tried to spy on them.

    We were at a stalemate.

    We gained a lot from this trip. Just therge amount of historical documents and books, as well as spells, runes, and arrays, could be considered priceless treasures. However, the fundamental mission that facilitated this trip had not yet beenpleted. There were no traces of the devil¡¯s seal or Mullwica. This was not good news for Dorothy, who had a little more than two months left.

    ¡°Maybe we should take the initiative to attack,¡± I muttered.

    Everyone looked at me.

    ¡°If the mountains don¡¯te to me, then I¡¯ll go to the mountains.¡± The more I thought about it, the more I felt it was a good idea. ¡°If fixed clues can¡¯t help, why don¡¯t we go to the moving clues? For example, the legendary pine forest. I don¡¯t think that such a powerful demon could only create a pine forest to bewitch people. That would be too inefficient.

    ¡°With the speed of the pine forest¡¯s movement, it¡¯s hard to find a single person in this ce covered with mountains and ins for a hundred years. So, there must be other pine forests in the Rocky Mountains, and they shouldn¡¯t be too far away from the ruins of the witch n. After all, in the legends, isn¡¯t the demon sealed near the witch n?¡±

    Everyone¡¯s jaws dropped at my whimsical idea.

    ¡°No offense,¡± Dorothy said dryly. ¡°But are you sure we¡¯re going to look for clues and not serve the devil food?¡±

    ¡°I promise it¡¯ll be safe. After all, demonic shards are quite delicious. I¡¯ve always wanted that fragrant taste.¡± I nodded proudly. ¡°This is what I think. When we find the core of a pine forest, I will pretend to try to devour it and then deliberately reveal some ws to let it go. It¡¯s an instinct for the shards to return to the main body. Perhaps we can use this method to find the location of the devil¡¯s seal. Mullwica is guarding the devil¡¯s seal. Once we find the seal, we¡¯ll be able to find her!¡±

    Everyone was silent.

    ¡°This is a good idea, but what if the pine forest decides to fight us to death?¡± Aldrich asked after a while.

    ¡°Then, I¡¯llpletely devour it.¡± I shouldn¡¯t be arrogant, but I couldn¡¯t help showing off my ability. ¡°What can the food do in the stomach?¡±

    In short, this slightly immature and arrogant idea was unanimously agreed upon after everyone¡¯s discussion.

 Chapter 195

    195 Linda Is Missing

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    After some discussion, we¡¯d decided to search within a three-kilometer radius tomorrow.

    The area was not too small. This was not a simple walk. In fact, in the snow-capped mountain area, full of obstacles, even a range of 500 meters in diameter was very difficult to deal with. If anyone encountered some trouble that was difficult to solve, it would take an entire day.

    We¡¯d arranged for five teams of six to search in different directions. The werewolf grandmasters had carved the same mark on the team members as before so that if any team found traces of the pine forest, they could contact the other groups in time.

    Master Kevin and Frank would stay behind to guard the ruins of the witch n, while Master Hayley and Master Mary would lead two different teams. One of the other teams would be led by me, and experienced old members would lead the rest.

    I thought Aldrich would lead another team, but he and Dorothy stayed by my side.

    ¡°You¡¯re the most important factor in this n,¡± he said. ¡°Be it for public or private reasons, I want to stay by your side and protect you personally.¡±

    At eight o¡¯clock in the morning, we officially embarked on our journey.

    We were lucky to have a sunny day. The environment, visibility, and temperature were all very friendly, making our search smooth. We didn¡¯t find any traces of pine trees that exuded an evil aura.

    At five o ¡®clock in the evening, we returned without any results. Four other teams also returned with no results.

    Now, our only hope in this life was the team led by Master Hayley.

    When it was close to six o¡¯clock, we received a notification from the mark.

    This meant that the other team had made a discovery!

    We could use the mark to guide us to the location of Master Hayley¡¯s team, but it was almost dark now. It was hazardous to walk in the vast snowfield at night. The weather in the dark snow mountains was often unpredictable. If we forced our way out, we would likely encounter life-threatening danger, but if we didn¡¯t go, we¡¯d waste this precious opportunity.

    What was more urgent was that Master Hayley and the others would not be able to return before dark.

    Master Marymunicated with her sister through mind-link, and she said that Master Hayley¡¯s team was lucky enough to find a safe and sealed cave near the pine forest, so they could spend the night in peace.

    ¡°They¡¯ve decided to monitor the pine forest all night to ensure the target won¡¯t disappear. She can contact me at any time if she has any questions.¡±

    I was at ease and prepared for tomorrow¡¯s journey.

    However, in the middle of the night, an ident happened.

    Master Mary was anxious and said thoughtfully, ¡°Something happened. Hayley said that Linda is missing. She can sense that Linda is moving toward the pine forest. It seems that she was disturbed by the pine forest. They can¡¯t rashly approach the pine forest. The confusion there is too great, and they need our support.¡±

    This meant that we must set off at night.

    This could not be dyed, but the problem was also in front of us: Werewolves had excellent night vision, but it was not good enough to see through the clouds and observe the weather. The snow-capped mountains at night changed at will like a baby¡¯s face. No one knew when a strong wind or blizzard would blow. No matter how strong the body was, it was difficult to withstand the power of nature.

    As we were preparing to pack, Dorothy suddenly suggested, ¡°I can let the Soul Sparrow take the lead. It¡¯s a creature made of souls, and although it looks like a little skrk, it¡¯s very strong in flight. I can get it to monitor the weather changes in real-time and provide us with an alert.¡±

    ¡°Is this safe?¡± I was worried. ¡°What if there¡¯s a hailstorm or a blizzard? Will the Soul Sparrow be able to escape in time?¡±

    ¡°In any case, I¡¯ll just break the spell,¡± Dorothy said, indicating no problem.

    And so, we set off under the guidance of the Soul Sparrow.

    Master Hayley¡¯s coordinates had not changed. We advanced at full speed under the guidance of the mark. During this period, we had touched the tail of several small blizzards, but we had all changed our route under the guidance of the Soul Sparrow.

    However, this also caused us to waste even more time.

    At dawn, we finally arrived at the cave where Master Hayley and the others were.

    Except for Linda, the other five were all on alert. Seeing us, they didn¡¯t let out a sigh of relief but became more nervous.

    ¡°Linda¡¯s mark is starting to blur. I think she has already entered the pine forest, and the mark is gradually weakening due to some kind of energy interference.¡± Master Hayley analyzed, ¡°There¡¯s no doubt that the demonic shards in the pine forest this time are stronger than thest time. At least the mark could still alert us when we encountered dangerst time. This time, the mark can only barely maintain itself.¡±

    This meant we¡¯d encountered a powerful opponent, and the night had undoubtedly reduced our chances of victory.

    Of course, I could devour every tree Ie across, but the other members didn¡¯t have such a useful ability to save their lives, so there was a high chance they¡¯d be injured.

    Thus, we had to reduce our manpower to prevent unnecessary casualties.

 Chapter 196

    196 Without Owner

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    In the end, Aldrich, Dorothy, and Master Mary brought ten team members and set off. The rest of us would stay in the cave to preserve our strength and provide the necessary support.

    The pine forest wasn¡¯t far from here, and we reached it in less than half an hour.

    At Aldrich¡¯s suggestion, some team members transformed into their wolf forms. The wolf form had a stronger body and faster reaction. The corresponding human consciousness could hide in the body and safely observe the outside environment. Some of the other team members maintained their human forms just in case. No one knew what the forest would do to the wolves.

    This pine forest was visibly stronger than the previous one. The pine trees were no longer sickly and skinny. Their thick branches, leaves, and scars that looked like human faces exuded a strong and cold vitality.

    ¡°I can feel a very powerful evil force.¡± Dorothy said, ¡°It¡¯s almost materializing into a physical body.¡±

    We couldn¡¯t help but be even more careful as we slowly moved forward under the light of the light stick.

    The mark¡¯s effect has been disrupted by some factors, and the Soul Sparrow couldn¡¯t distinguish the direction here. We could only walk on the main road, especially left empty by the nts likest time. There seemed to be living things in the forest. I asionally saw a ck shadow shing in the dense pine needles.

    The stronger wolves also noticed this, but they couldn¡¯t find anything when they looked carefully.

    ¡°An unknown creature,¡± Aldrich signaled everyone to be on guard. ¡°We can¡¯t be sure if it¡¯s a friend or a foe. Everyone, stay alert!¡±

    Ten minutester, we ran into a small problem.

    The creature in the tree¡¯s shadow finally gave up on hiding and appeared before us with the help of the darkness. Surprisingly, they turned out to be moths the size of a fist. Their ck wings and bodies covered with fine fur made them look like elves created by the night. They were creepy, but they had a strange, twisted beauty.

    No one had seen such a creature, not even the most knowledgeable Master Mary.

    Fortunately, the moths didn¡¯t seem to be aggressive. They only stubbornly gathered on a tree or a patch of snow as if they were guiding us.

    At this moment, everyone had the same question, ¡® Do we have to listen to these moths?¡¯

    As the forest was constantly changing, the path we were walking on was also constantly changing. The destination we were leading to was unknown.

    Could these moths be the demonic shards¡¯ bait to lure us?

    Just as we were hesitating, a change urred.

    Suddenly, a miserable scream came from the distance, and it sounded like Linda¡¯s voice!

    After the shrieks, the moths became more agitated. They flew around strangely, their feather-like antennae trembling violently. I had no doubt that these moths would probably be cursing out loud right now if they could speak.

    Master Mary tried to reach out to the moths, and the ck spritesnded meekly on her arm.

    She carefully dripped a drop of silver-white liquid on the moth¡¯s wing. To her surprise, a wolf-shaped mist gushed out of the moth¡¯s body!

    ¡°They are Linda¡¯s family members!¡± Master Mary¡¯s face changed. ¡°Follow them! They know where Linda is!¡±

    We immediately followed the moths, and our vision suddenly cleared after five minutes.

    This was a somewhat familiar, wide, snowy area. It was almost the same as the space that the giant pine tree had marked out for us.

    The only difference was that there were no tall ancient trees or nts on this snow-coverednd. There was only a thin girl lying naked in the center ¨C Linda!

    We immediately stepped forward to check her physical condition. She was unconscious, and her clothes were gone. There were no external injuries, but her body was frighteningly cold, like a breathing ice sculpture. Master Mary didn¡¯t find anything wrong with her after examining her. Other than the unconsciousness of unknown reasons, nothing else was found.

    We tried many ways to wake her up, but we couldn¡¯t.

    We had no choice, so we sent two team members to send Linda back first, but when we turned around, we found that the path we came from had disappeared, and the denseyers of nts formed an airtight cocoon. We are like grasshoppers trapped in a water tank. Unless we flew out, there was no other way.

    What a familiar situation.

    I tried tomand everyone to cut the trees, but the pine trees here moved faster. The cut was closed in a few seconds.

    I searched through the space but couldn¡¯t find a single unique nt.

    This meant that I couldn¡¯t touch the heart of the pine forest, and I couldn¡¯t hurt it from the root.

    There was another way, and that was to start devouring from the ¡®capiries¡¯. However, the nts could cut off the connection with their kind anytime. Just from the increasingly ferocious branches and leaves of the pine trees, they probably wouldn¡¯t wait for me to devour them.

    These pine trees were aggressive!

    Suddenly, the sharp pine needles shot straight at us.

    Master Mary immediately created ayer of defense array shing with silver light. The pine needles hit the defense array with a crisp and pleasant sound like a triangle iron.

    However, no one was in the mood to think about enjoying music.

 Chapter 197

    197 Burnt Pine Wood

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    With our previous experience, we brought enough fire, fuel, and a folding bow.

    The team members threw fuel into the forest and fired burning wooden arrows. Within a few seconds, the circle of nts around us was set aze.

    Shrill wails resounded through the clouds. The burning trees frantically tried to leave, but they only spread their misfortune to more of theirpatriots. More and more nts were burning. This was good news and bad news. The billowing smoke almost turned this ce into a chimney for a chemical nt, and we could hardly see anything.

    The wool mask made by the werewolf master had good filtering abilities, so we didn¡¯t choke to death from the smoke. However, the rising temperature was still a tricky problem. Who would have thought a snowy mountain of -30 degrees could turn people into roast chickens?

    So far, the first operation to find demonic fragments had failed. We had to get to a ce where the fire was less intense. The strong wolves could break a small piece of dense pine forest with a wave of their hands, but it was a heavy burden on their bodies. These pine trees were the creation of the demons, after all. The evil power contained in them could corrode the wolves¡¯ bodies.

    I kept devouring the nts around me, regardless of whether they were intact or had been burned into a pile of charcoal. The New Flow performed its duty loyally, irrespective of whether the food tasted good.

    Finally, we escaped the sea of fire in a slightly sorry state.

    The pine forest was on fire, and the creepy cries were about to be another ghost story in the Rocky Mountains.

    It was too dangerous. If I weren¡¯t careful, we would have been turned into barbecued wolf steaks along with the entire forest.

    There was one thing that had been puzzling me. Where did the ¡®heart¡¯ of the pine forest go?

    The nts didn¡¯t look like they were under human control. They were even more intelligent than the forest I first encountered. This meant that their core must be firmly hidden in some corner.

    But what was even more suspicious was that even after we burned the entire forest, the hidden core still didn¡¯t respond. Wasn¡¯t he afraid that the pine forest would disappear? Wasn¡¯t he afraid of losing his power for nothing? We were perfect targets for the fire, but it didn¡¯t take the opportunity to attack us.

    I fell silent as I looked at the zing fire in the distance.

    The smell of burning wood was very pungent, but to me, what I could touch was a secret fragrance of another level. The alluring, sweet, and fat fragrance of information power didn¡¯t make the mes any less attractive. It was shining like gold in the fire.

    He was already here.

    I thought.

    It would be a waste not to devour it.

    And so, before anyone could react, I extended my hand.

    Aldrich was the first to notice my strange behavior. He seemed to want to stop me, but with my ¡®don¡¯t worry, let me do it¡¯ gaze, he only retreated to his original spot and nervously watched my every move.

    Smoke, snow, rotten wood, and dead leaves. The pine forest was reduced to ruins by the mes. I stirred the dust that buried the treasures and carefully searched for the delicious food hidden within.

    They weren¡¯t as satisfying as the demonic shards, but they were good enough to be snacks. The light taste was like green tea mixed with water. Although it wasn¡¯t good to drink, it was nutritious.

    I closed my eyes and focused on enjoying the moment when power filled my body.

    When I opened my eyes again, everything had disappeared. There was no forest or fire. Other than arge area of frozen soil, there was no evidence that arge dense forest had once existed here.

    I turned around and saw everyone staring at me, especially Master Kevin. His sparkling eyes made people shiver for no reason.

    ¡°What a magical power,¡± he mumbled in a low voice as if he was disappointed that he did not have a pen and paper to record the data. ¡°Is this the New Flow?¡±

    I nodded helplessly. ¡°Yes, it has the attribute of devouring power. I think we witnessed it yesterday?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s different.¡± Master Kevin came over enthusiastically. ¡°Last night, there was so much smoke that I didn¡¯t see anything. But this time is different. It¡¯s mesmerizing with such aplex, precise, and ingenious operation pattern. Moon Goddess, is this the treasure you¡¯ve given to the royal bloodline of the Lycans?¡±

    ¡°Kevin, shut your mouth!¡± Master Mary suddenly shouted at him and pulled him to the side. ¡°Now is not the time to talk about this. Linda is still in danger. We can talk about it when we get back to the base.¡±

    I was a little surprised at Master Kevin¡¯s outspoken words. I finally understood why Master Mary and Master Hayley emphasized his innocence and academic brain to me.

    Did he just reveal my identity without any hesitation?

    ¡®The royal bloodline of the Lycans¡¯, my god! He should just announce that I was Princess Madeline!

    My identity was no longer a secret within the small circle, such as Aldrich, Dorothy, Kara, Tracy, and the few werewolf grandmasters responsible for caring for and healing me.

    However, this was still a high-level secret that must be kept confidential. If one had seen the madness of the Council of Elders and the wandering forces, it was not difficult for them to understand why my parents had made so much effort to protect my safety.

 Chapter 198

    198 Down The Mountain

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    With a werewolf¡¯s hearing, I didn¡¯t think any of the team members present would miss Master Kevin¡¯s words, right?

    Most of the experienced team members had good political literacy. They were minding their own business and tidying up their messy luggage as if Master Kevin was a mute who could not speak, and they had not heard anything.

    The slow-witted Master Kevin finally realized what he had done wrong. He wanted to say something but kept his mouth shut after Master Mary gave him a vicious re.

    Master Mary came to my side, and before she could speak, I said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Now is not the time to chat. Let¡¯s go back first.¡±

    We met Master Hayley¡¯s group on the way. With their help, we quickly returned to the cave.

    It was obvious that Master Hayley hadn¡¯t slept all night and was a little tired. However, she immediately heaved a sigh of relief when she saw that we were all fine. She took over Linda, who was still unconscious and cooperated with the other two grandmasters to do a more detailed examination, but they couldn¡¯t find anything.

    She was just unconscious. From her body¡¯s reaction, it was the simplest form of overexertion.

    But we all knew that it wasn¡¯t like that. The pine forest tried so hard to lure Linda away. It couldn¡¯t be just to sing a luby for her, naked, right?

    Master Mary was also suspicious. Why would Linda use ¡®kin¡¯?

    ¡°What¡¯s a ¡®kin¡¯?¡± I raised my hand to ask.

    ¡°This is an ancient, mysterious ancient spell that can summon a child race that belongs to you. Most of these races are fantasy breeds that have never appeared before, such as the ck Moth we just saw.¡±

    Master Mary continued, ¡°The reason it¡¯s called a ¡®spell¡¯ instead of ¡®witchcraft¡¯ is because this power is not exclusive to magic creatures. Any race can use it. It¡¯s said that everyone who can use ¡®kin¡¯ has the bloodline of the gods because only the gods deserve to have ¡®kins¡¯. This is a gift they leave to their descendants.¡±

    Everyone was focused on Linda.

    ¡°So, Linda could be the descendant of the Moon Goddess?¡±

    ¡°Maybe,¡± Master Mary said. ¡°But I¡¯ve seen Linda¡¯s identity information. She¡¯s just a girl from an ordinary family. Five generations back, no blood can be linked to the divine. Perhaps it was even before ancient times, but the werewolves had not yet established a strict household registration system back then, so the records were probably missing.¡±

    I didn¡¯t expect this ordinary girl to be hiding such a big secret.

    ¡°Does Linda know my identity?¡±

    I believed there was a high chance that she didn¡¯t know. Perhaps even her ancestors didn¡¯t know. Otherwise, with her identity as a god¡¯s descendant, it would be easy for her to make a name for herself. The werewolves would have another well-known family, not just an ordinary civilian family.

    In short, after trying all kinds of methods to wake Linda up, we realized that things were out of our control, and it was time to ask for help from outside the field.

    After returning to the ruins of the witch n, Frank decided to send Linda back to the Lycan pack for treatment.

    His idea was very practical. ¡°Regardless of whether she can be cured or not, the environment of the Lycan pack is ten thousand times better than on the snowy Rocky Mountains. Staying here and not freezing to death in the middle of the night is already good enough, let alone treating illnesses.¡±

    Leaving with Linda were a few more seriously injured members. They came from various bases and the ruins of the witch n, but they were injured at work for reasons such as resting and reorganizing the n, exploring the environment, and so on.

    I wanted to stay and continue my n to explore the pine forest. However, Aldrich, who was in charge of transporting the injured, suggested I go with him to the small vige at the foot of the mountain to rx.

    ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too hard. A rope that¡¯s too tight is more fragile. It¡¯ll break with a light touch. He said, ¡°I know you¡¯re worried about Dorothy¡¯s condition, but the truth is that there¡¯s no use torturing yourself. Why don¡¯t youe down the mountain with me? If you stay in one ce for too long, your thoughts will be confined to a limited space. It might be more helpful for you to take a break.¡±

    Dorothy also advised me to go down the mountain. She even said that if it weren¡¯t for the fact that she had to learn from the werewolf grandmasters, she would have apanied me.

    ¡°Can you bring me a box of facial cream? My face is about to be torn by the wind.¡±

    After taking her shopping list, Aldrich and I brought the injured and left.

    We arrived at the safe houses and took the injured to the ne one by one. Then, we had some free time.

    ¡°Do you want to shop?¡± Aldrich invited.

    Gorndbell Vige was a small vige. Unlike other viges that grew with the benefit of tourism, it was remote, peaceful, and free of industrial and financial troubles. The vigers were simple and friendly. Most of them were elderly, so they were kind and tolerant.

    Holding Aldrich¡¯s hand, I stepped on the thick snow and heard their crush.

    ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful here.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but sigh. This must be the paradise described in the epics.

    Aldrich smiled as he allowed me to run around in the snow.

    All of a sudden, lively music could be heard from afar.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening over there?¡± I curiously stretched my neck and looked into the distance.

    A middle-aged woman passing by answered enthusiastically, ¡°It¡¯s the Vic family holding a wedding! The vigers are going to join in the fun. Do you guys want to dance?¡±

    I shook my head awkwardly. ¡°I don¡¯t think that is a good idea. We don¡¯t know each other, and we¡¯re here uninvited.¡±

 Chapter 199

    199 The Wedding

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°Youngdy, don¡¯t be too shy! And your boyfriend, boy, don¡¯t just stand there and watch. Come and bring your girlfriend to the party!¡± the woman pulled me away enthusiastically.

    We couldn¡¯t refuse her kindness, so we followed her to a small house near the foot of the mountain.

    The house was not big, and a pine fence surrounded a wide and t open space. Its owner might have liked to nt some flowers and nts on it, but now, there was only passionate music and happyughter from the crowd.

    The middle-aged woman called out to the owner, ¡°Hey! Old Vic, look what I¡¯ve brought you! Two new friends!¡±

    A white-bearded man in a formal suit ran over and warmly hugged the woman, Aldrich, and me.

    We didn¡¯t even have time to react before the cigarette smell hugged us.

    The man didn¡¯t mind strangers barging into his son¡¯s wedding. He was even pleased to have someone to share his joy with.

    The ring exchange ceremony was probably over, and it was time for the first dance. The bride and groom took the lead and started to dance the lively Cha Cha. The drum¡¯s rich rhythm could easily capture every guest¡¯s limbs. By the time I returned to my senses, I had already pulled Aldrich onto the dance floor.

    There were all kinds of people here. There were white-haired olddies, young and beautiful high school students, and even children running around on the ground. Everyone had a smile on their faces, singing and cheering to the music.

    No one knew us, but everyone liked us. This was a wedding of happiness andughter, and it weed every guest with blessings.

    I felt the invisible shackles on my hands and feet suddenly disappear, and I pulled Aldrich to dance one dance after another. Sometimes, I would dance with others, be it a young girl in a sequined suit or a middle-aged man with a pipe in his mouth. We didn¡¯t need to know each other¡¯s names. We met by chance, and only joy was priceless.

    Finally, thest dance was over, and the happy wedding wasing to an end.

    The bride and groom went on stage to thank the guests. With the crowd¡¯s cheers, they gently kissed in front of the holy Rocky Mountains.

    At that moment, something took root and sprouted in my body.

    I suddenly realized that today¡¯s event I participated in was the beginning of a great undertaking called ¡®marriage¡¯.

    I wasn¡¯t the main character of the wedding, but I felt intense warmth and happiness.

    I didn¡¯t know what kind of psychological term could be used to describe my current state. I looked at the bride¡¯s white wedding dress and suddenly imagined that I was the female lead wearing a white dress and receiving the crowd¡¯s cheers. As for my husband, he had the face of an Aldrich, and his tall and straight figure was wrapped in a ck tuxedo without a single detail.

    ¡®I¡¯ carefully arranged the colorful bouquet in my hand. Surrounded by the youngdies and men, ¡®I¡¯ turned around and gently threw the bouquet behind me.

    Whoosh!

    Subconsciously, I reached out to catch it.

    Everyone¡¯s gazes gathered on me.

    Only then did I realize what I had done. I caught the bride¡¯s bouquet!

    Recalling the legend of catching the bouquet, my face heated up, and my brain crashed.

    Everyone cheered once again. They saw Aldrich and me holding hands tightly and generously gave us all kinds of goodwill-filled blessings.

    I shyly hid behind the bouquet and shrank into Aldrich¡¯s embrace. The people¡¯s cheers became even more intense.

    It was unknown who shouted first, ¡°Kiss her! Give her a kiss!¡±

    This seemed to have turned on a switch, and the water-like cheers poured. Even the bride and groom were looking at us in a daze. When they met my eyes, the bride even winked at me encouragingly.

    I couldn¡¯t help but look at the man beside me.

    He smiled helplessly and epted the kind teasing of the vigers. I shifted my gaze to his thin and attractive lips. I had kissed them countless times, but at this moment, I knew that they were different from the past.

    Perhaps it was because I hesitated for too long, but everyone¡¯s cheers gradually died. Aldrich also said in an understanding manner, ¡°There are indeed a lot of people here. If you don¡¯t want to, Selma, we can take a walk.¡±

    Before he could finish, I put my arms around his neck and kissed him.

    Who said I didn¡¯t want to?

    The vigers immediately burst into an earth-shattering cheer, and the thunderous apusested for a long time. Some were whistling, some wereughing and giving their blessings, but I didn¡¯t care about anything. I only cared about this tall man before me.

    The bright bouquet was even more intense than the sun in the sky.

    I couldn¡¯t help but think, ¡®What does this bouquet represent? Dear goddess, please tell me, is this proof that you acknowledge my love for Aldrich? Is this bouquet a gift from you to allow it to be a witness to my marriage with Aldrich?¡¯

    I was going to take this bouquet back and ask the werewolf grandmaster to cast a time spell on it, then keep it forever.

    It would be a witness at my wedding with Aldrich. It would enjoy the sunlight and fresh dew in our bedroom and be an index of sweet memories of when we were old. It would multiply in front of our graves like a never-dying flower.

    Aldrich and I gently separated, pressing our foreheads and smiling at each other.

    ¡°I love you, Selma,¡± he said softly.

 Chapter 200

    200 Another Frank

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I didn¡¯t hesitate this time. ¡°I love you too, Aldrich.¡±

    After tactfully rejecting the host¡¯s good intentions of having us stay for dinner, I held hands with Aldrich and strolled back to the safe house.

    The house that had been empty for an entire afternoon was a little cold. In between my breaks, I carefully arranged the petals and leaves of the flower in my hand and solemnly ced them into a clean wooden box.

    The fresh flowers would wither very soon. What could I do?

    I used mind-link to ask Dorothy if there was a solution. She said, ¡°You can try to draw a simple time-dy spell.¡±

    ¡°But I don¡¯t have the talent for magic. I can¡¯t use magic.¡±

    ¡°Although you don¡¯t have magic power, you have a strong ¡®power¡¯. You can use the power drawn from demonic shards or other things as the structure¡¯s foundation. It might produce unexpected effects.¡±

    ¡°Will this work?¡± I was still not sure. After they were absorbed and transformed by me, they became mine entirely. All the attributes that existed before were now invalid. They couldn¡¯t form magic waves at all.

    ¡°Try it? It¡¯s the only way now, and it won¡¯t take much effort to try.¡±

    And so, with Dorothy¡¯s guidance, I set up a time-dy spell on the surface of the wooden box.

    There was no reaction from the wooden box, so I wasn¡¯t sure if it would work.

    ¡°Put a feather or a piece of paper in it,¡± Dorothy said. ¡°Then shake the box. If the thing you put in doesn¡¯t move, the time-dy spell has seeded.¡±

    I put a few pieces of paper and carefully shook the wooden box. After all, the petals were more fragile than the sheets. Then, I opened the lid. It was a sess! The paper didn¡¯t move as if it had been glued to the box.

    ¡°See, what did I say?¡± Dorothy was also pleased. ¡°We won¡¯t lose anything if we give it a try. Isn¡¯t there a good result now?¡±

    I gave Dorothy a huge mental kiss. Of course, she could only hear it across time and space. Before she could scream, I quickly cut off the mind link.

    ¡®Sigh, Dorothy is getting more and more impolite to me. Where did that quiet little rabbit go?¡¯

    After arranging the firewood, Aldrich entered the room and saw me looking at a box with a smile. He curiously asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    I showed him the flowers in the box. ¡°Look! Dorothy taught me the time-dy spell, so this bouquet will not wither until we return to the pce.¡±

    ¡°Amazing! Our Princess is now on her way to bing a werewolf grandmaster.¡± Aldrich kissed me on the cheek. ¡°What should I do? When you be very powerful, will you kick this useless boyfriend away? Oh, I¡¯ll be very sad then!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡± Iughed and covered his mouth. ¡°This is really... Really ¡®low¡¯. Promise me, don¡¯t watch too many idol dramas on third-rate TV channels, okay?¡±

    Aldrich muttered depressedly, ¡°As expected, I shouldn¡¯t have listened to those old bones in the army, hehe!¡±

    Just as we wereughing and joking around, there was a sudden knock on the door.

    We were immediately on guard.

    It was already dark. Who woulde back sote to disturb two foreigners who came to ¡®visit¡¯?

    ¡°Hello, may I know who this is?¡± Aldrich asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s me, Aldrich. Frank!¡± A tired voice came from outside.

    We were surprised. Why was Captain Frank here? He should be leading the team in the ruins of the witch n!

    There was a problem!

    Out of caution, we didn¡¯t open the door immediately. Aldrich exchanged secret signals with the person outside the door, and the other party answered them.

    This time, even Aldrich was in a rare state of confusion. I used this secret code when I was still a rookie in the training camp. No one knew it except the real Frank!

    Could that person outside be Frank?

    If that was the case, who was the one in the ruins of the witch n?

    I immediately asked Dorothy about Captain Frank¡¯s movements and received an answer that he was patrolling the camp.

    This was strange! Two Franks!

    Someone knocked on the door again, and Frank¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°I know you have questions, but I can guarantee that I¡¯m the real Frank Manon, and the one on the mountain is a fake. I can exin everything that has happened to me. Now, let me into the house. I¡¯m going to starve to death in five minutes.¡±

    After much consideration, we decided to let Frank in first.

    What if he was real? He sounded weak. We couldn¡¯t watch him freeze to death outside the safe house.

    A haggard old man in ragged clothes stood in the night. I would have thought he was a homeless man if it weren¡¯t for the familiar scar above his eye.

    ¡°Thank god there¡¯s someone here. I am so hungry that my stomach is starting to digest itself.¡± Frank unceremoniously copsed on therge sofa as soon as he entered the ce. He looked like he didn¡¯t have much strength left to stand up.

    ¡°Is there anything to eat? Anything is fine.¡±

    The instant duck porridge was still on the firece, but it was not hot yet because it had not been long.

    However, Frank didn¡¯t mind and gobbled down tworge bowls.

    I brought him a clean, thick, and warm nket. When his face regained color, I asked, ¡°Alright, now please tell us what all this is about.¡±

 Chapter 201

    201 The Puppet Tour

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Frank didn¡¯t look like the high-spirited leader that we had first met. His hair was now messy, and his wrinkles were deep. He looked like an old man who made a living by scavenging, exuding a heavy air of lethargy.

    We didn¡¯t know what kind of blow he had suffered, but when he mentioned his experience in the past ten days, he looked disturbed.

    ¡°It was a dangerous journey.¡± He still looked frightened. ¡°I felt like I was dreaming, a cold, lonely, and dangerous dream. I didn¡¯t know where the end of the dream was until I came back to the safe house.¡±

    He didn¡¯t go into detail, so we couldn¡¯t understand him.

    He took another sip of the hot tea, carefully and cherishingly letting the warm tea stay in his mouth for a while.

    ¡°I know what I will say next might sound crazy, but please believe everything I¡¯m saying is true.¡±

    He slowly recounted his experience.

    ¡°I remember searching for the source of the scream with Linda. We walked for a long time, but with my many years of experience, I could feel that we didn¡¯t go very far, as if we had been walking in circles. I realized something was wrong and wanted to stop with Linda, but I suddenly realized that Linda, tied to me with the rope, had disappeared. I couldn¡¯t control myself; no matter how much I wanted to stop, my legs wouldn¡¯t listen.

    ¡°I slowly realized that I was trapped in a certain space. An unknown force was controlling me to walk around in the snow. I¡¯m not a werewolf grandmaster, so I couldn¡¯t tell what it was exactly, but I can confirm that it¡¯s someplicated magic circle or rune.

    ¡°I knew I¡¯d fallen into a trap, but I had no choice. After a long time, I stopped. Many pine trees and shrubs suddenly grew around me. They emitted an ominous ck mist and formed a huge forest in a few minutes. There was an extremely tall and strong tree among them. I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s the core of this forest.

    ¡°After the forest was formed, perhaps I was no longer useful, so the power controlling me let me go. But I still couldn¡¯t escape from that ce. The trees could move, and it was like a maze with no exit, trapping me.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t find any trace of Linda, and there was no response even when I called out loudly. The trees forced me back to the starting point ¨C arge open space in front of the giant pine tree. I was exhausted. Even though I knew danger was lurking everywhere, I couldn¡¯t help but stop and rest.

    ¡°Just as I let my guard down, the giant pine tree suddenly came to life! Its branches pierced my skin like long needles, and I was tired and sleepy then, so I couldn¡¯t raise my guard and was quickly captured by it. I thought it would kill or eat me, but it didn¡¯t. It just stretched out a few more branches to suck my blood.

    ¡°After the branch sucked my blood, it expanded and changed shape. In the end, it looked like me!

    ¡°I immediately understood what these damn things were up to, but I couldn¡¯t stop them. Firstly, I had lost a lot of blood and couldn¡¯t move even if I wanted to. Secondly, the giant pine tree had wrapped its roots around me and buried me underground in a few moments.

    ¡°I thought I was going to die that I fainted. However, when I opened my eyes again, I was lying in a cold and hardyer of soil. I was woken up by the cold, and the surrounding forest had mysteriously disappeared.¡±

    I had to interrupt him.

    ¡°Wait, so you¡¯re still alive after being buried alive for who knows how long?¡±

    ¡°I know it¡¯s hard to believe, but this is true. I don¡¯t know why I did not suffocate. I think it¡¯s either that I was buried shallow or the exposed soil was blown away by the wind and snow. Or the giant pine tree did some transformation to me. When drinking my blood, it might have transferred some unknown substance to me so that I could survive. Many nts in nature habitually rear their prey for fresh food. Although this giant pine tree is an evil creation, perhaps it also imitates nature.

    ¡°In short, I immediately left the ce after I woke up, but I was seriously injured and tortured by hunger and dehydration. I fell not long after.

    ¡°I thought I was going to die, so when I saw a woman in an ancient robe walking toward me, I thought she was the messenger sent by the Moon Goddess.

    ¡°But she was not. This woman introduced herself as Mullwica ¨C that¡¯s right, she¡¯s the famous Supreme Witch Mullwica we¡¯re looking for! Of course, I didn¡¯t believe her immediately, but I had no other choice and could only be taken away by her. She led me to a stone house and gave me a nket, food, and water. I didn¡¯t dare to take any out of caution, so she consumed the food and water first. I was too hungry and thirsty, and I guess I¡¯d been cursed with some mental spell in the pine forest, so much so that my mental guard was down.

    ¡°I had some food and water, and then Mullwica said I couldn¡¯t stay there for too long because a powerful demon was sealed there. She would send me down the mountain.¡±

 Chapter 202

    202 Lost In The Dream

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    It was the devil¡¯s seal!

    I was pleasantly surprised for a moment, but I quickly calmed down. There was no such thing as free lunch. No matter how I looked at her, this woman who called herself Mullwica was suspicious.

    ¡°Of course, I didn¡¯t believe her,¡± said Frank. ¡°So I used the excuse of recuperating to beg her to let me rest for a few more days. In the past few days, I slowly discovered that she had an extremely strange habit: covering her head and body before going to bed, only revealing her neck. I recalled that legend, ¡®Wasn¡¯t Mullwica beheaded by her son in her sleep?¡¯

    ¡°I tried to observe her in the middle of the night, but I couldn¡¯t help but fall asleep at around 10 pm. No matter what I did, I couldn¡¯t stay awake. It was like a game setup, and I had to do something at a particr time.

    ¡°That didn¡¯t feel right. So, on thest night, I didn¡¯t stay in the house. Instead, I hid behind the firewood outside the house when the bell rang at 10 pm. The moment the bell tolled, the entire house was suddenly reconstructed! It was like an imageposed of countless pixels, trembling and adjusting the position of each mosaic until dawn-

    ¡°Yes, the sun rose very quickly. At least, I felt that the sun had risen in less than ten minutes. Just when I wanted to go back to the house to take a look, the woman called Mullwica suddenly walked in from the fence. From outside the fence! But I did not see her leave the house.

    ¡°Then, things got even weirder. She came to the empty guest room, which was my room, and said ¡®good morning¡¯ to the empty bed. Then, she put breakfast on the empty wooden table and showed concern for my injury.

    ¡°At that moment, I understood that everything was fake. Everything I saw and investigated was a pre-set program. Even the world I was in might be fake because I was slow to realize that even the birds chirping outside the window were the same as a few days ago.

    ¡°And the moment I discovered the truth, everything copsed. Mullwica and the house; all gradually melted like wax. My world fell into darkness. When I woke up again, I found myself still lying in the snow ¨C I wasn¡¯t buried alive, nor was there Mullwica or a stone house. I was lying on the pattern I drew with my footprints and was in a sorry state.

    ¡°I immediately realized that I couldn¡¯t stay here any longer. The ovepping of dream and reality left me in a daze. I didn¡¯t know what happened to Linda or what that pine tree did with my clone. I don¡¯t even know whether that pine forest was real or just a dream. I could only transform into my wolf form and use my wild instinct to find the right direction.

    ¡°In the end, I came here, the safe house at the foot of the mountain.¡±

    After he recounted the incident, Frank¡¯s eyes blurred as if he was still immersed in a dream.

    ¡°I don¡¯t even know if I¡¯m dreaming or not. Selma, Aldrich, do you really exist?¡±

    We immediately gave an affirmative answer. ¡°Of course. Take a whiff of your tea. This is a new recipe that the royal kitchen just created this week. I don¡¯t think even the most powerful dream will have something you¡¯ve never seen before, right?¡±

    Frank took a sip of tea in a daze and didn¡¯t say anything.

    Aldrich sat beside him and worriedly suggested, ¡°Your physical condition is terrible, Frank. You need aprehensive examination. But it¡¯s toote now, the werewolf grandmasters can¡¯te down the mountain in the dark, and the ne to transport the injured has already set off. We¡¯ll send you back to the pack for treatment tomorrow morning, okay?¡±

    However, Frank refused. ¡°Thank you for your kind intentions, but I can¡¯t leave. The Rocky Mountains is too strange. There must be some unknown conspiracy waiting for us. I can¡¯t leave my team behind.¡±

    ¡°But your body is already an arrow at the end of its flight,¡± Aldrich disagreed. ¡°Of course, I understand your concern for your team members. If it were me, I wouldn¡¯t rashly leave my team and not care about them. However, the situation is special now. With your current physical condition, what help can you be even if you return to the team? Why don¡¯t you return to the pack for a check-up and treatment? The sooner you recover, the sooner you can return to the team.¡±

    However, no matter how we persuaded him, he was determined to stay.

    Looking at the deep night outside the window, he muttered, ¡°Something is calling me here. I heard it, and I won¡¯t back down...¡±

    Left with no choice, I could onlymunicate with Dorothy and ask her to get a werewolf grandmaster down the mountain. Frank¡¯s current physical condition was too poor. He could not withstand the pressure of climbing the mountain at all.

    Moreover, we had to secretly discuss with the werewolf grandmasters about that ¡®Frank¡¯ on the mountain.

    The exhausted advance party leader quickly fell asleep. Aldrich and I stayed by his side to monitor his physical condition.

    ¡°He¡¯s taking action for sure,¡± I mumbled. ¡°That demon... If what Frank experienced is real, he was probably in an illusion constructed by the demon just like we had. As for the pine forest, I¡¯m inclined to believe that it was real and the same pine forest I encountered.

 Chapter 203

    203 The Real And Fake Frank

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Aldrich didn¡¯t say anything. He only nced at Frank.

    I understood and followed him out of the guest room.

    ¡°We can¡¯t confirm whether what Frank said is true or not. We don¡¯t even know if he¡¯s really Frank.¡± Aldrich¡¯s many years of professionalism made it impossible for him to let down his guard. ¡°His appearance is too coincidental as if he specifically picked a time when there were only the two of us to ask for help. You don¡¯t understand him, and I¡¯ve been separated from him for so many years. Even if there¡¯s a w, it¡¯ll be hard for us to find it.

    ¡°And his experience. To be honest, I can¡¯t believe it. It¡¯s too bizarre, especially after he got involved with demons. I can¡¯t think of a reason for him to spare Frank¡¯s life. If they want to use the fake Frank to interfere with our judgment, why don¡¯t we just get rid of the real one? Why did he give him a chance to escape?

    ¡°And that so-called dream. If Mullwica was just a dream, how did he survive for more than ten days in the Rocky Mountains at -30 degrees Celsius without food or water? No matter how strong a werewolf is, this is still impossible even if he was in a deep sleep.

    ¡°Especially when I tried to test him by asking him to return to the pack for medical treatment, he refused no matter what. A qualified soldier should know what to do at the right time. The advance party does notck people who can take care of the team members on his behalf. He has no reason to refuse treatment.

    ¡°There are too many holes in his story. It¡¯s hard for me to trust him.¡±

    Aldrich was right. There were too many loopholes in the time of Frank¡¯s appearance and the story.

    However, he had Frank¡¯s face, and his scent was no different from Frank¡¯s. It was hard for me not to exaggerate the possibility that he was the real Frank.

    The problem was that the one on the mountain also fulfilled all the conditions for ¡®Frank¡¯. It was as if there were two identical Franks in the world.

    But how could that be possible? One of them must be fake.

    ¡°No matter what, we have to calm him down first. I could only try to calm the one in the guest room down. We¡¯ll talk about it when the werewolf grandmaster arrives tomorrow.¡±

    At noon the next day.

    Master Mary arrived hurriedly with Kerner and a few other team members. Without saying anything, they first did a thorough examination of Frank. The results were good. Other than the exhaustion of his bodily functions, there were no fatal or internal injuries.

    On the surface, I was celebrating his safety, but I was getting increasingly suspicious. Was this a state that a person who had struggled alone in the snowy mountains for more than ten days should be in?

    Master Mary insisted that Frank go to a human hospital for a more detailed examination, no matter how much he protested. The werewolf grandmaster, who had umted a lot of power and influence, obviously had more say than the two young ones, Aldrich and I. In the end, Frank had no choice but to agree.

    Kerner and a few other team members were in charge of taking care of him. Now, there are only three of us left in the safe house.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Master Mary went straight to the point. ¡°After I received Dorothy¡¯s messagest night, I immediately went to test the waters with Frank on the mountain. He was acting normal. There was nothing suspicious about him. I secretly collected a strand of his hair and did a test. The results showed that he was Frank himself.¡±

    ¡°So this is a fake?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± She took out a small test tube from her sleeve. ¡°I¡¯ve tested this fellow, and the results are the same. He¡¯s also Frank.¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be that Frank has a twin brother that no one knows about, right?¡± I was deeply troubled.

    ¡°We can¡¯t prove the authenticity of Frank with our current means,¡± Aldrich said. ¡°We can¡¯t let the two Franks meet. In a situation where one side is using the other¡¯s identity, if we let them meet, it will only lead to a chaotic war of nder. If both im they are real, it will not help and will confuse us.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I stabilized Frank on the mountain. I told him that there was something wrong with Selma¡¯s body.¡±

    ¡°What about Kerner and the others?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re trusted aides. On the surface, they¡¯re members of the advance party, but they¡¯re people from the Lycan King. I¡¯m sorry to have kept this from you, Your Highness. This is His Majesty¡¯s order. The unknown spies can help you solve many problems without you knowing.¡±

    I recalled a familiar face among the team members: ¡°Then, is Yuri also from the Lucan King? He has been acting like he can¡¯t wait to push me off the cliff.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Yuri too.¡± Master Mary nodded helplessly. ¡°He is loyal to His Majesty but also hostile to you. Please forgive him, he¡¯s not targeting you, but he doesn¡¯t have a good impression of all the nobles.¡±

    I wanted to ask why, but now was not the time to chat.

    ¡°Anyway,¡± I continued. ¡°No matter what, we must send this Frank back to the pack. There are too many suspicions about him, and we don¡¯t have the energy to test his authenticity bit by bit. It¡¯s better to leave this problem to my parents to solve. We need to keep an eye on the other Frank on the mountain. Even the one here is more suspicious, we still can¡¯t prove his innocence.

    ¡°After all, demons have a lot of time and energy. Who can be sure that he could only create a fake Frank?¡±

 Chapter 204

    204 The Human Trend

    Dorothy¡¯s POV:

    Master Mary asked me to monitor Frank¡¯s movements secretly.

    ¡°The other members are more experienced than you, but you are the only one we can trustpletely.¡± She said, ¡°No one would suspect a young girl who¡¯s just an amateur. You can follow Frank openly. After all, you¡¯re not an official member and don¡¯t have a specific mission. Understandably, you¡¯re the person in charge of the team.¡±

    Now that she was gone, I realized that in the entire witch tribe n, I could only trust Master Hayley and Master Kevin.

    The two weren¡¯t smart, so I was suddenly isted and helpless.

    I could only follow Master Mary¡¯s instructions and try to get close to Captain Frank as much as possible without leaving a trace. He assigned tasks to the team members and constantly patrolled and inspected them as usual. He didn¡¯t have any objections to my arrival and even taught me some details of how to handle things.

    ¡°For example, we have to clean up the scene. We are not professional archeologists, but we have to do our best to be careful and minimize the damage.¡± He squatted on a construction site where ancient stone monuments were being cleaned up, pointed to the team members working, and said, ¡°The best way is to lower your head and imagine yourself as a kindergartener who doesn¡¯t understand anything. No matter what you dig up, just carefully put it in a sealed bag. Naturally, these things would be handled by the kindergartendies ¨C I mean, the professionals. Are you listening, child?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded immediately.

    Moon Goddess, if this wasn¡¯t a fake, then he was a professional.

    ¡°A little bored, aren¡¯t you?¡± Frank smiled understandingly. ¡°This kind of mundane work is actually what soldiers like the most. Although the advance party members were all honest, like interns in aboratory, every one of them had been on the battlefield. Aftering into contact with real merciless killing, this cumbersome cleaning work is peace in a long time.¡±

    ¡°Have you also been on the battlefield?¡± I thought it was an excellent opportunity to test the truth. But the werewolves¡¯st major battle was over twenty years ago.

    With a lollipop in his mouth, Frank¡¯s eyes were unfocused as if he was reminiscing.

    ¡°Yeah, that was more than twenty years ago. Back then, I was still a young kid. I was always in danger on the battlefield. However, it was not only recorded in history books are considered wars. To put it bluntly, war was a bloody version of a group fight. Ten thousand people could fight it, and even a hundred could fight it. Even our neighbors can¡¯t guarantee that there won¡¯t be any conflicts, let alone between different races.

    ¡°All these years, we¡¯ve had a lot of conflicts with wizards, witches, wandering forces, and cult followers. It¡¯s just that these small-scale battles don¡¯t have many casualties, and the Lycan King also wants to let the people rest and recuperate, so we didn¡¯t make it public.

    ¡°But the blood must be shed in war, and even the gentlest description can not deny this. So, I¡¯m quite d I can bring my subordinates to the Rocky Mountains to carry out a mission. At least the mountain won¡¯t snipe me in the dark, right?¡±

    I was a little surprised, ¡°Snipe? Aren¡¯t firearms only used by humans?¡±

    ¡°Humans invented it, and it¡¯s really useful. It¡¯s been twenty years since we fought hand-to-hand. When you and your opponent have found a suitable weapon, it¡¯s not up to you to decide whether to use it. Sometimes, I¡¯m wary of the human race. From culture to war, their shadows are everywhere in the world. We always felt that they were a group of inferior creatures with weak physiques, but how could inferior creatures with submachine guns be more vulnerable than werewolves with strong bodies? It¡¯s hard to say who will win.

    ¡®Especially after we found the work of the humans in a few unremarkable wars, we can no longer lie to ourselves that everything doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s not like 300 years ago. We¡¯re like the ruins of the witch n, beautiful on the surface but empty on the inside. The enemies who used to be disdainful are likely to dig into our foundation.¡±

    These profound theories were unfamiliar to me. All this time, I had only been on guard against those ¡®traditional¡¯ enemies, such as witches and wizards or demons with evil intentions.

    Humans were too far away from me. I¡¯d never even seen a living human on TV or in books. All along, there were only a few races that could cause harm to the werewolves. As for humans? They were fish meat, and we were the knife.

    ¡°I know this isn¡¯t easy to understand.¡± Frank smiled. ¡°After all, before things happen, everything is groundless worries. Let¡¯s just say I¡¯m old and like to nag. Now, let¡¯s finish the work at hand, okay?¡±

    Only then did I realize that my initial intention was to test the authenticity of Frank¡¯s words.

    It was still the same sentence. If the person in front of me was a fake, he was too dedicated. Did a puppet used to confuse the eyes need to have such a profound vision?

    No matter what, the bnce in my heart began to tilt.

 Chapter 205

    205 Finding A Way

    Dorothy¡¯s POV:

    Selma told me they were going to force Captain Frank, who was at the foot of the mountain, back to the pack.

    ¡°Even if we return to the pack, we can¡¯t confirm his identity.¡±

    Even Master Mary¡¯s bloodline tracing couldn¡¯t find anything. Was he going to do a DNA test? If demons could even imitate the bloodline and the soul, there was no reason for them to ignore the physical body.

    I didn¡¯t know what I said reminded Selma, but she suddenly said excitedly, ¡°Thank you, Dorothy. I know how to differentiate the real from the fake!¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have to keep it a secret for the time being. If you know the correct answer and Captain Frank on the mountain is a fake, it¡¯ll be hard for you to treat him normally, right? I¡¯ll tell you everything, but not now. Please treat Captain Frank as the real deal for now.¡±

    Alright, I knew that I was an unqualified monitor. Selma¡¯s concealment made me heave a sigh of relief because I didn¡¯t know how to face a fake.

    Master Hayley and Master Kevin came to discuss countermeasures with me during dinner. They didn¡¯t do nothing. They used all kinds of secret methods to run a series of tests on Captain Frank, but they didn¡¯t find anything.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to make such a hasty conclusion, but I can¡¯t help but believe that he¡¯s real.¡± Master Hayley said, ¡°It¡¯s impossible to create such simr information even by copy and paste. All the detection errors are within the normal fluctuations. I¡¯m at my wit¡¯s end. If you want me to do anything else, I¡¯ll have to try to knock him unconscious and then dissect him.¡±

    He didn¡¯t have to do this.

    Selma and the others would only be back tomorrow. After losing their leader, Master Mary, Master Hayley, and Master Kevin were at a loss. Although it was true that Frank was the team¡¯s leader, there was a considerable gap between a warrior and a werewolf grandmaster. Furthermore, he wasbeled a suspect and could not be fully trusted.

    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s be more alert at night. Don¡¯t sleep too deeply. We can take turns keeping watch.¡± I said, ¡°Keep an eye on Frank¡¯s movements at night. See if he¡¯s doing anything while it¡¯s dark.¡±

    The first half of the night was Master Hayley¡¯s shift, while the second half was Master Kevin and me.

    At two o¡¯clock in the morning, I covered myself with the nket and leaned against the bed. The cold air dispelled my sleepiness, allowing me to try my best to keep a clear mind and watch every movement outside the window.

    asionally, some team members would leave the house to relieve themselves in the temporary public toilet, but none was Frank. The window that belonged to him seemed to have been sealed by transparent resin for eternity, and there was no movement.

    Wait a minute.

    There was no movement?

    This wasn¡¯t quite right. As the captain, Frank had to get up every night to check on the situation of his team members on night duty in case someone dozed off or got into an ident.

    He was supposed to check on her in the first half of the night, but Master Hayley didn¡¯t see him. Master Kevin and I didn¡¯t see him either, which meant he didn¡¯t get up tonight. What reason could make an old soldier who always sought perfection break his habits of more than ten years?

    I told Master Kevin about my doubts and woke Master Hayley up. We were prepared to go and take a look.

    Due to the cold weather, the members on night duty changed shifts every two hours. When we left, we were just in time to change shifts. A few members asked us what we were doing out sote.

    ¡°Captain Frank wants us to go to his ce.¡± I waved the walkie-talkie in my hand. ¡°He didn¡¯t say what he was going to do. I guess he needs help with some spells.¡±

    The team members did not suspect anything.

    When I arrived at Captain Frank¡¯s residence, I pretended to knock on the door. As expected, I didn¡¯t get a response, so I pretended to get permission to enter and used magic to unlock the door.

    It was a narrow two-story stone building. Other than the original furniture, some digging tools, notebooks, drawings, and other things were scattered around. We searched the entire house but didn¡¯t find any traces of Captain Frank.

    This was strange. We saw Captain Frank enter the house, but we didn¡¯t see him leave. We didn¡¯t find a back door or a cer in the house either. How could he have disappeared into thin air? However, his sudden disappearance undoubtedly increased the suspicion of his identity. In this world of ice and snow, I couldn¡¯t think of any reason for him to sneak away alone.

    We didn¡¯t make a big fuss about it because this wasn¡¯t a good time to alert the enemy. Whether it was a misunderstanding or there was something wrong with Captain Frank, it wouldn¡¯t be good to clean up the mess if it was blown up.

    We stayed in the room for the whole night. That night, Captain Frank didn¡¯t show up.

    At five o¡¯clock in the morning, the team members gradually woke up, and there was amotion outside. There was still no trace of Captain Frank in the crowd, as if he had never existed.

    Suddenly, Master Hayley tugged at the corner of my shirt.

    I was busy looking out the window. Without raising my head, I asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    She said, with a hint of shock, ¡°You¡¯d better take a look at...¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    I looked in the direction in which she was looking at the stairs ...

    We didn¡¯t know when Captain Frank appeared, but he was yawning at the top of the stairs and greeting us.

    How could this be possible?

 Chapter 206

    206 Appearing Out Of Thin Air

    Dorothy¡¯s POV:

    ¡°Good morning, guys. I¡¯m sorry I got upte,¡± Captain Frank said with drowsy eyes. ¡°It¡¯s a little cold in this room at night. I think I caught a cold...¡±

    ¡°You slept here the whole night?¡± I confirmed in disbelief.

    It was obvious that Frank didn¡¯t understand why I was so agitated. He frowned and nodded. ¡°Yes, actually, I¡¯d rather sleep on the first floor, but Master Mary said there are many precious historical relics here, so I had to go upstairs and say good night to the broken wooden furniture.¡±

    But that was impossible! Master Kevin was standing guard upstairs. How could he not see such a big man like Captain Frank?

    ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m a little scared of your attitude.¡± Captain Frank slowly raised his hand. ¡°Is there a curse on me? Spell? God, I can¡¯t see anything! Do you need me to do anything? Or do you want me just to stand here and cooperate with you?¡±

    Master Hayley gave me a look, then said as if nothing had happened, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Frank. Our eyes were ying tricks on us. We thought we saw some unknown mana fluctuations on you. But it¡¯s just a shadow of dust. It looks like magic waves when it floats.¡±

    No matter how you put it, it would seem strange, but fortunately, Captain Frank didn¡¯t suspect anything and even warmly invited us to breakfast.

    ¡°I wonder what the on-duty team cooked today.¡± As he cleaned, he mumbled, ¡°Please don¡¯t give me minced meat porridge. I bring this as the main dish whenever I go on a mission. It¡¯s as if I will fail the mission without minced meat porridge.¡±

    While he wasn¡¯t paying attention, we signaled Master Kevin, hiding at the corner of the stairs, to hurry down. I opened the door and pretended that Master Kevin had just entered.

    ¡°Good morning, Captain,¡± Master Kevin said in all seriousness. ¡°The team members are waiting for you to have a morning meeting.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll be there immediately!¡± Captain Frank immediately got dressed and led us out of the cabin.

    While everyone was having breakfast, we¡¯d hide in a corner.

    ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t doze offst night?¡± Master Hayley grabbed Master Kevin and asked, ¡°You didn¡¯t even see a living person like that right under your nose?¡±

    Master Kevin seemed aggrieved, ¡°I swear the second floor was empty the whole night! I¡¯ve been patrolling every room and even used a detection spell. No living person can escape my eyes! The truth is that Captain Frank disappeared for the night and suddenly appeared again. Although this is ridiculous, think about where we are. Anything is possible.¡±

    ¡°But even if he left in some way, we should be able to feel the magic fluctuations. Unless he didn¡¯t use any spell, but how could that be? A mortal body can¡¯t do such a thing!¡±

    Looking at Captain Frank, who was having a morning meeting with his team members, we descended into deep confusion.

    Could he be a fake? A puppet created by a demon? However, even the ancient supreme demons could not change a person back into their original form. They would leave behind magical waves. Not to mention that this was once the witch n, and the defense function from hundreds of years ago was still iplete. The evil aura could not escape its eyes.

    So, how did he do it?

    I told Selma about this.

    ¡°We¡¯ve been on guard all night, but Captain Frank just appeared out of thin air. The more I thought about it, the more I felt something was amiss. It¡¯s like an NPC in a game that refreshes itself automatically. You see, he went into the room to sleep, but this data has disappeared. It will only refresh after a certain period.¡±

    Now, this Captain Frank on the mountain seemed more likely to be a fake. But Selma told us not to let our guard down.

    ¡°There¡¯s no evidence to prove that there¡¯s only one such situation.¡± She added, ¡°Maybe what we saw was all a demon¡¯s trick? This is a necessary precaution. Don¡¯t trust anyone easily.¡±

    This meant I would have to go through a tough morning ¨C feigning civility wasn¡¯t my specialty.

    It was still an aimless search, and it was still a fruitless operation. The team members were well-trained, but I still heard someone whisper, ¡°What¡¯s the point of this? Why don¡¯t we get an archeological team? We¡¯re using weapons, not dust.¡±

    Fortunately, that member knew to avoid Captain Frank, or he would have been scolded badly.

    At noon, Selma, Aldrich, and the others returned.

    They acted as if nothing had happened and exchanged information with Captain Frank.

    ¡°How¡¯s your health? If you are tired, don¡¯t force yourself. Miss, please allow me to say a few words to you. You¡¯ve juste of age, but that doesn¡¯t mean your body has stopped growing. If I were to suffer from any illness now, I¡¯d be in a lot of pain at my age.¡±

    Selma replied naturally, ¡°Thank you for your concern. I¡¯m really fine. Is there anything you need me to do in the afternoon?¡±

    I was amazed by their exchanges.

    Selma was acting like a real princess ¨C I mean, in terms of how she conducted herself in the world. She knew that the person in front of him could be a trap set by the demon, but she could still ¡®confide¡¯ in him with a poker face. When did she learn this skill? Could she maybe teach a shoddy actor like me?

 Chapter 207

    207 Visitors From The Human World

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I carefully observed Captain Frank on the mountain, and as expected, I couldn¡¯t find any ws.

    If I had to say, if this demon didn¡¯t want to work for satan in the future, he could disguise himself and go to human society to be an ¡®AI Engineer¡¯ or something. It was said that the other side was very interested in creating lifelike mechanical lives. With this demon¡¯s ¡®human-making¡¯ skills, he could make a name for himself.

    I had sent the other Frank back to the pack. Since I couldn¡¯t guarantee the authenticity of this person, it was difficult for me to contact my parents. As the overall person in charge of the team, all externalmunications had to go through Frank. This meant that he had control of the officialmunication channel.

    I couldn¡¯t establish a mind link with my parents, so I could onlymunicate through Master Mary¡¯s privatemunication with the royal family.

    But I couldn¡¯t be with Master Mary all the time. Since I came to the ruins of the witch n, I¡¯d mostly been with Dorothy and Aldrich. It was too conspicuous to get close to Master Mary suddenly. Moreover, as the head of the werewolf grandmaster team, it was inevitable that Master Mary would form the team¡¯s core with Frank, which meant that they often acted together.

    It was not until dinner time that I had the chance to receive news from the pce.

    Hiding in an obscure corner, Master Mary said, ¡°His Majesty has left him in the pce in the name of recuperation. The royal guards are closely monitoring him. However, from the looks of it, there was no sign of suspicion or anxiety on Frank¡¯s face. He seemed to be enjoying his luxurious life. However, he asionally showed concern for the Rocky Mountains situation. Out of caution, His Majesty did notpletely hide it from him, hoping to use this as bait to see if he would give himself away.¡±

    ¡°Did you check his identity?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve used almost all the existing methods, and the results show he has no problem. The rest of the results had to wait, but the possibility of a negative conclusion was very small from the current conclusions. At least from the data, the one in the pce is real.¡±

    Could the suspicions Aldrich and I had been all groundless? The one on the mountain, Frank, was the fake?

    ¡°It would be great if we could check this one as well. That way, we can confirm their identity. If the one on the mountain is a fake, then we don¡¯t have to make wild guesses.¡±

    ¡°What if both of them are real?¡± Dorothy asked.

    ¡°... that means that even the examination cannot be trusted.¡±

    But if even the inspection couldn¡¯t be trusted, what else could we believe?

    ¡°I can use the Eye of Insight to take a look.¡± Dorothy suggested, ¡°It¡¯s just one person. It¡¯s simple. There won¡¯t be any harm.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± I immediately refused. Master Mary and the others also disagreed.

    ¡°From a medical point of view, you¡¯repletely blind,¡± Master Mary persuaded her. ¡°You can see now because of the subtle power of the Eye of Insight. Previously, when I engraved the mark on you, on the one hand, it was to restrain the curse. On the other hand, it was to suppress the power of the Eye of Insight so that it would lose its bnce as soon as possible. Once you activate the Eye of Insight, no one knows if the bnce will be broken. The consequences of peeking into a person¡¯s life are unpredictable.¡±

    With our firm rejection, Dorothy gave up on this idea.

    ¡°I¡¯m just saying, don¡¯t be so serious....¡±

    She was a little depressed, but this was rted to her health and life. No matter what we said, we couldn¡¯t go along with her wishes.

    Today, one of the teams responsible for exploring the periphery returned especiallyte. It was sote that they only returned when we were ready to send people to search.

    The leader of the small team was called Eve. She had a serious expression and quickly reported to Frank without even taking a sip of water.

    ¡°We¡¯ve found traces of humans near the middle of the peak ten kilometers away. From the gs they¡¯re flying, we¡¯ve met the group of human religious members before.¡±

    Humans?

    It was nothing new for humans to appear in the Rocky Mountains. After all, the ski resorts, resort hotels, and other tourist facilities here were all built by humans. However, the ruins of the witch n were a ¡®remote ce¡¯. Usually, no one woulde to this ce where the natural environment was too harsh for them, let alone humans.

    Were they going to build a church in the ce where the legendary witches and demons lived? Even a real angel wouldn¡¯t have such a strong business ability.

    I secretly told myself a cold joke, but I couldn¡¯tugh at all.

    In the new era, whether one wanted to admit it or not, one had to face a fact: Just as they said, humans had be the undeniable overlords of this. Perhaps their influence in the sea was still slightly weak, but no race couldpete with humans on the vast continent.

    Even if they didn¡¯t have solid bodies or sharp ws and didn¡¯t know all kinds of strange witchcraft or supernatural powers, they could upy this world and make other races avoid them.

    Going up against humans was the worst situation apart from the demons breaking the seal. They were uncontroble factors, and no one knew what kind of influence they would bring.

 Chapter 208

    208 The Public Order Squad

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Although he didn¡¯t know if it was true, Frank immediately took this matter seriously. ¡°Can you tell what their goal is?¡±

    Eve shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t tell. They¡¯re just setting up camp in a remote mountain. It seems that they n to stay here for a long time. I didn¡¯t contact them without permission for safety reasons, but I observed them for a while. After ensuring they had set up camp, I returned with the team.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve done the right thing.¡± Frank nodded and motioned Eve to rest first. ¡°Go and rest. We need to discuss the countermeasures tonight. You have to rest well.¡±

    ¡°Is this the human organization the advance party mentioned in their first report?¡± I asked immediately after Eve left.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Frank¡¯s expression was serious. ¡°We found out that they were exploring something in the Rocky Mountains, but since they were going in the opposite direction, we gave up on them after observing them in secret for a few days. But this time, they¡¯re too close to us. We must take them seriously because they¡¯ve already exceeded the safe distance.

    ¡°The ce where they set up camp is too close to the ruins of the witch n. Is it possible that their goal is the same as ours, and they are all here?

    It was hard to determine, but the possibility was not slight. Considering reality, this was the only option we could use as a target.

    However, Master Mary said, ¡°There¡¯s another possibility. Could they be looking for the devil¡¯s seal? They¡¯ve raised the g of religion; based on this, exorcism is their most possible goal.¡±

    Even if the humans were here to exorcise demons, it was not good news for us. From a long history, the werewolves were also one of the heretical forces they tried to expel. Although there weren¡¯t many people who were so indiscriminate in modern times, who could guarantee that our neighbors ten kilometers away weren¡¯t a group of fanatics?

    ¡°No matter what, we must seize the opportunity to obtain information. We need to choose a team of quick-witted and experienced members to keep an eye on them,¡± said Frank.

    After some discussion, Eve was appointed as the leader of the public order squad, leading Dorothy, the other members, and me to carry out the tracking mission.

    I was a little surprised that Dorothy and I were chosen. We were newbies who knew nothing, not to mention being smart.

    ¡°Is this how you see yourselves?¡± In response to Dorothy¡¯s and my questions, Frankughed heartily. ¡°Don¡¯t belittle yourself,dies. Your performance these days is more experienced than many of my old-timers ¨C not everyone can face a demonic creation and escape unscathed, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the same. Demonic creatures are dead, but we¡¯re facing humans this time, the legendary humans with a thousand eyes!¡± Dorothy and I were a little apprehensive. ¡°We don¡¯t know if we can do a good job. Any slip-ups could affect the work of the public order squad.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a problem I should deal with.¡±

    Eve smiled at us.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it the captain¡¯s duty to take care of his team members? Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t be soft-hearted.¡±

    I was more worried that this was a scheme by Frank ¨C if he was an imposter -perhaps he¡¯d noticed something amiss, and that was why he was sending Dorothy and me away.

    But now that things hade to this, military orders were like mountains. Although Dorothy and I were not soldiers, we still had to follow the orders of the person in charge.

    At night, Aldrich sneaked in. With our apologetic gazes, Dorothy speechlessly went to Master Mary¡¯s ce to ¡®take refuge¡¯.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back before lights out.¡± She left after saying that.

    Aldrich hugged me, and we curled up in front of the crackling burning stove and whispered.

    ¡°I¡¯m very worried about you.¡± He held my hand tightly. ¡°I¡¯ve carried out countless stalking missions and have dealt with many vicious human beings. Humans aren¡¯t as weak and pushy as they look, and you can¡¯t judge what camp they¡¯re in from their race. There are many times when you can¡¯t guard against their traps.¡±

    At this moment, I wasn¡¯t worried at all. I even had the energy tofort my anxious boyfriend. ¡°Captain Eve is here, right? She was the most experienced member of the team, second only to Frank. The mission will go smoothly.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope so.¡± Aldrich gently kissed my hair. ¡°I feel there¡¯s something wrong with that group of humans. Their whereabouts are too strange. From my many years of experience, unusual visitors are always the beginning of a disaster.¡±

    Frank had wanted to send an experienced werewolf grandmaster to apany the team, but Master Hayley was seriously biased, and Master Kevin was a blockhead, so the candidate fell on Master Mary.

    However, Master Mary refused. She had no choice but to refuse. As the only person who could avoid Frank and contact the pce, she had to ensure that Frank was always under her watch and not miss any suspicious traces of him. Master Hayley reced her and followed the team.

    Imagining all the possibilities I would encounter tomorrow; I slowly fell asleep in the warm light of the fire.

 Chapter 209

    209 Surveince

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Unfortunately, it suddenly started snowing today.

    Fortunately, it snowed all year round in the ruins of the witch n, and we were used to such weather.

    However, getting used to the snow didn¡¯t mean I would like to lie in the snow for the entire morning.

    It was only now that I finally understood the true meaning of ¡®stalking¡¯ ¨C as the name implied, it meant to keep an eye on your target. You have to use your eyes to keep an eye on your target. This mission was incredibly boring but was already the least torturous part. The frozen earth and cold air had taught me a proper lesson.

    ¡°Can you still hold on?¡± Eve asked in a low voice.

    In fact, I felt like I was at my limit, but it was not time for the shift change yet. I had to hold on even if I couldn¡¯t.

    ¡°What a stubborn girl.¡± Eve chuckled. Compared to me, who looked like I was about to face a great enemy, she was much more rxed. ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself. Your performance is already very good among the neers who are doing this for the first time. The first time I followed Captain Frank was on a tall grass in. There was no snow there, but there were as many monster-like mosquitoes. I surrendered in under three hours.¡±

    Although I had a boyfriend, who was a general, I rarely came into contact with military life, so I was naturally very interested in Eve¡¯s experience. ¡°Didn¡¯t Captain Frank punish you?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I was lectured. Military orders are like mountains. If I don¡¯tplete the task, I will be punished.¡± Eve raised his eyebrows. ¡°But making mistakes is the right of neers, and it¡¯s also an inevitable shoring of neers. We should find our actual level from these experiences and train ourselves toplete the next mission more perfectly.¡±

    She was subtly trying to persuade me to rest, but the team members for the shift change had not arrived yet, so I couldn¡¯t just leave like that.

    ¡°By the way, is it okay for us to whisper like this?¡± I remained tense because I was afraid that any movement would alert the other party.

    ¡°Of course not.¡± Eve shook her head slightly. ¡°It¡¯s not possible to be too loud. It¡¯s necessary to controlmunication and movements within a reasonable range. After all, we¡¯re scouts, not rock puppets. Be it observing or transmitting information; we inevitably have to move our limbs. That¡¯s why we must keep our detection range at a range that¡¯s neither too close nor too far. If we¡¯re too close, we¡¯ll expose ourselves, and if we¡¯re too far, we won¡¯t be able to get any information.¡±

    Eve divided the reconnaissance team into several groups. Each group observed the human camp in the distance from different directions and heights. The members of the reconnaissance team were all rted by blood, which allowed them tomunicate silently through their mind link.

    When they found out that Dorothy and I could create a mind link, the team members were all shocked, as if it was something unique.

    ¡°Don¡¯t me us for being surprised,¡± Eve said. ¡°Mind link is a very mysterious thing. Generally speaking, only blood ties and oaths are its strongest bonds. This is why most mind links are produced between rtives and husband and wife. You are not rted by blood and don¡¯t look like a couple. It¡¯s an awe-inspiring thing for you to be able to build a mind link. This shows that the friendship between you two is very, very, very strong.¡±

    Now, because of our ¡®very strong friendship¡¯, Dorothy and I had to be ced on two ends of a diagonal line.

    ¡°What¡¯s the situation on your side?¡± I asked her.

    Dorothy replied boredly, ¡°Nothing. There¡¯s nothing. Moon Goddess, this group of humans did nothing but admire the scenery the entire morning. They even built a kitchen just for cooking. Are they not here for an outing?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯d be great if they were here for an outing.¡± I held the telescope in my other hand and let my frozen left hand warm up properly. ¡°Everything considered, a false rm is the best result.¡±

    At that moment, Dorothy suddenly said, ¡°A group of humans has entered the camp. We didn¡¯t observe any camp members going out earlier, so we¡¯re considering that this group will likely be a foreign aid.¡±

    The human camp was built in a narrow crack sheltered from the wind. From our angle, we couldn¡¯t see the camp¡¯s entrance on the other side of the mountain. About two minutester, a team of about twenty people appeared at the corner of the mountain. They were all wrapped up tightly, each carrying arge backpack half a person¡¯s height. There were no weapons on the outside, so he didn¡¯t know if they were hidden in his backpack.

    Eve and I lurked in front of the human camp on the shaded side of the mountain while Dorothy¡¯s team lurked on the sunny side. Even without arge pile of luggage, it would take at least five minutes to walk from the shady side to the sunny side. How could these humans be so fast?

    Eve also noticed this and asked me to ask Dorothy where they came from.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. We¡¯ve been monitoring the only canyon here, but no one hase.¡± Dorothy was puzzled as well. ¡°This group of people appeared as if they came from the middle of a snowstorm. They appeared in the blink of an eye, just around the corner, and they did not leave any footprints on the passageway.

    Suddenly appeared?

    It was very deja vu, right?

    For some reason, I thought of the Frank on the mountain. Didn¡¯t he also appear out of nowhere like this?

 Chapter 210

    210 Replication

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    To confirm a certain conjecture, I had to know a few questions. ¡°What was their state when they appeared? Are they panting as if they¡¯d just walked a few thousand meters, or are they just standing there and chatting?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re panting. Everyone¡¯s exhausted.¡± Dorothy immediately said, ¡°We can all see that their footsteps are heavy, and their limbs are weak. They have been through a long journey.¡±

    ¡°Did any of them turn back to check where they came from? Or do they show an expression of surprise, excitement, or disbelief?¡±

    ¡°Oh... it¡¯s hard to say. I didn¡¯t pay attention to that. Emmett said that he did see some excitement on the faces of a few younger humans. What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Emmett was a member of Dorothy¡¯s team.

    The long journey, the journey, and the excited young people.

    All of this evidence pointed to one possibility.

    ¡°Could it be that what we¡¯re seeing is fake?¡± I muttered to myself.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I mean, could the canyon you and Emmett see be fake?¡±

    ¡°Fake?¡± Dorothy was confused. ¡°But it¡¯s right here. The snow is increasing, and small animals leave footprints on it. How can it be fake?¡±

    The more I thought about it, the more likely it seemed. ¡°I¡¯m not saying that the canyon itself is fake. What I mean is, is there ayer of camouge blocking your vision? It¡¯s like building a tform on top of a real canyon. The road is real, the snow is real, and the existence is also real, but when put together, they are fake!¡±

    Dorothy was shocked by my assumption. But they didn¡¯t see any other entrance to the canyon. These humans also appeared out of nowhere.

    ¡°It¡¯s right that you didn¡¯t see them!¡± This proved that my guess was correct. ¡°Is there a possibility that the canyon has been artificially replicated in space? Just like what we saw in the illusion at the second base, the canyon is covered by an identical space, so what we see is all fake. The real canyon is hidden under the illusion. That¡¯s why these humans have appeared out of nowhere. They are walking in the canyon but are covered up, so we can¡¯t see them!¡±

    Eve, who had been listening and observing, agreed. ¡°It¡¯s a ridiculous conjecture, but it¡¯s also very reasonable. We have to find a way to verify it.¡±

    It was easy to prove this conjecture. Since only the hidden real canyon could connect to the other space, the fake passage, which was used as a smokescreen, would not connect to the same space. We just needed to see if someone had sessfully reached the corner of the mountain after walking through the canyon or if something else had happened!

    But this path was the only way to the human camp. No one knew if people woulde, so we couldn¡¯t easily expose ourselves.

    ¡°That¡¯s easy.¡± Dorothy released the Soul Sparrow. ¡°Birds are always more concealed than humans, right?¡±

    We couldn¡¯t see the sunny side of the mountain, so we could only wait anxiously for the result.

    Fifteen minutester.

    Dorothy said happily, ¡°Sess!¡± You guessed correctly!¡±

    I almost couldn¡¯t help but jump up. Fortunately, I still remembered that I was on a mission and held back.

    To prevent any mistakes, she didn¡¯t let the Soul Sparrow fly. Instead, it walked along the snow. Dorothy described the details of the experiment. ¡°It started from the canyon¡¯s entrance and walked the entire path. However, the moment it was out of the canyon, it was back at its entrance! This means that this space is fake!¡±

    Dorothy and I were thrilled. Eve also praised me with a smile, ¡°That¡¯s great, youngdies. You¡¯re all natural warriors.¡±

    It was time for the shift change. I took over the shift from the team member who was keeping an eye on the afternoon shift and finally could soothe my frozen body.

    The base of the reconnaissance team was located on a small hill in the blind spot of the human camp.

    Since we couldn¡¯t start a fire, we could only eat the food we had brought this morning. Fortunately, the werewolf grandmaster¡¯s instion spell was reliable enough, which allowed us to eat warm food.

    Everyone was waiting for me to exin my conjecture, and they finished their lunch in a few bites.

    ¡°The path we¡¯re taking up the mountain is a new one specially excavated. The route is hidden so that we won¡¯t be discovered as much as possible. However, there is a ready-made passage to the outside world in the ruins of the witch n, which includes the canyon, and this road is the only way to the witch n before we start mining.

    ¡°But this road has been artificially superimposed with a false space. Combined with the history of witches, I think it¡¯s likely that the witches don¡¯t want to be disturbed by outsiders, so they set up a camouge.

    ¡°In that case, is it possible for them to apply this illusion to other ces? For example, hiding a house that doesn¡¯t wee visitors?

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing that Mullwica used a spatial spell to hide her residence, which is why our search for the past few days has been fruitless. It¡¯s something that¡¯s not in this space, so of course, I can¡¯t find it!¡±

    This was a wild guess, but looking at the current situation, it was the only exnation I could think of.

    If demons could construct an illusion of folded space, why couldn¡¯t Mullwica create an illusion of reality?

    I believed that the Captain Frank situation might also be rted to the ovepping space, but because this was a secret, I couldn¡¯t air my thoughts publicly.

 Chapter 211

    211 Refuge

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Dorothy clearly understood what I meant.

    While Eve and the others were discussing whether to send the news back immediately, she whispered to me through mind link, ¡°You think that Captain Frank¡¯s disappearance and reappearance could also be affected by spatial sorcery, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I do.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯ve been to that house with Master Hayley and Master Kevin, and nothing like the canyon has happened.

    ¡°Maybe the structure of the false space is different. For example, the canyon has the beginning and the end connected. However, Captain Frank¡¯s cabin might be a simple ovep of two spaces, like a stack of cardboard boxes, sharing amon entrance and exit but leading to different spaces.

    ¡°So, we were in two different spaces that night with Captain Frank. That means the opening times of the two spaces are staggered! Whether Captain Frank was in a fake or real space, it would only open at a particr time.

    ¡°Since this period differs from the time we¡¯re keeping an eye on it, it¡¯s not open at least from 2 am to 5:30 am. The lights-out time is 10:00 pm, and Captain Frank usually patrolled for nearly half an hour after the lights-out, which is 10:30 pm. So it would be open for business until 10:30 pm. In this case, its opening hours should start from 5:30 am and continue until at least 10:30 pm.¡±

    ¡°From 5:30 pm to 10:30 pm...¡±

    I was not a top history student, but I recalled a history lecturer at Sivir Academy giving a public speech to exin the ancients¡¯ lives to the students.

    ¡°... In fact, the life of the ancient people was not as boring as we imagined, and they did not always sleep early and wake upte. Just a hundred years ago, our ancestors lived from seven to nine. Doesn¡¯t it sound simr to modern times? In fact, for the witches and wizards far away, this period could be extended to both sides. Some conservative witches even follow the routine of 5:30 pm to 10:30 pm because they believed this was the time experienced by the world¡¯s first witch.¡±

    Was this a coincidence?

    The space was open from 5:30 am to 10:30 pm, and Mullwica was a famous conservative witch in history.

    Was Captain Frank in the real space when he disappeared? And was this space Mullwica¡¯s home that we had been searching for?

    But I didn¡¯t have time to think about it because Eve had decided to send someone back to report our discovery.

    This group of humans wasn¡¯t surprised by this. It was as if they already knew there was ayer of fake space here. She said, ¡°And their camp happened to be behind the canyon, which means this was not an ident. They have a way to pass through the canyon.

    ¡°No matter how they got to know about this, it¡¯s obvious that they know more about this ce and the ruins of the witch n than we do. This is not good news. If their target is the ruins of the witch n, we will not have the upper hand.¡±

    I volunteered to take on the task of delivering intelligence. Dorothy will stay behind. If there were any other situations, we couldmunicate immediately.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to travel in the snow, be careful.¡± Eve sent the other team members and me off.

    Compared to the morning, the snow was even heavier. Although it wasn¡¯t as severe as a blizzard, it still caused quite a bit of trouble for our operation.

    Misfortunes nevere alone. Halfway through our journey, we saw the shadow of a pine forest in the distance ¨C a piece of the demonic shard was waiting for us!

    If there were other people around me, this would be an excellent opportunity to find the devil¡¯s seal. However, two people were not enough to support an operation team.

    ¡°Mark the location. We¡¯ll take action after discussing it with the headquarters.¡±

    I had to give up this opportunity.

    Due to the wind and snow, our speed was almost half what it was before, and we only arrived at sunset.

    Frank and Master Mary agreed with my guess and believed that the folded space was likely to be a witch¡¯s work. There might even be many such folded spaces left in the ruins of the witch n.

    ¡°There are indeed such records in some ancient European books,¡± Master Mary said. ¡°Especially during the witch-hunt period, witches did everything they could to avoid being hunted down. Several extremely powerful or talented witches could replicate reality and create folded spaces as a shelter. However, these witches also pay great attention to protecting their privacy, so no detailed historical materials are passed down.¡±

    This meant there wasn¡¯t any information on spatial magic that we could use as a reference.

    Mullwica was a supreme witch who had left her name in history. She might have known spatial sorcery.

    Then, the question was, even if spatial sorcery existed in the witch n, how could we detect it?

    Other than Mary, Hayley, and Kevin, there were a few other werewolf grandmasters on the team. However, none of them were skilled in spatial magic. They had only heard of it before, like me, ayman.

    In fact, rather than saying that the werewolf grandmasters did not know, it was better to say that no one in the world knew. Even the existing supreme witches and wizards might be unable to do anything.

 Chapter 212

    212 The Red Shawl

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    After all, folded spaces were created to hide from outsiders, so they wouldn¡¯t be discovered so easily.

    As a result, we were at a stalemate again. However, in any case, we finally had a breakthrough after many days of searching.

    I was already exhausted from delivering the information, so Frank didn¡¯t allow me to return to the team immediately. He told another team member and me to rest in the ruins of the witch n for the night and set off tomorrow morning.

    Before the lights went out, Aldrich and a few other werewolf grandmasters came to find me.

    As soon as he entered, Master Mary went straight to the point. ¡°You suspect a hidden folded space in Frank¡¯s residence?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I even suspect that the house he¡¯s living in is Mullwica¡¯s residence.¡±

    I told them about my conjectures, and with all the coincidencesbined, it was hard not to be suspicious.

    ¡°As we all know, Mullwica fled from Europe to escape pursuit. The first half of her life was filled with fear and anxiety. In that case, even after she settled down, she would still use spatial sorcery to hide her residence. It¡¯s not that hard to understand.

    ¡°From 5:30 am to 10:30 pm, this is the sorcerers¡¯ active time in the old era. During this period, Mullwica would open her residence to her rtives and friends, but she would hide it at night to prevent possible idental attacks.

    ¡°Dorothy had a precognitive dream before. The hints in the dream were vague, but she could see that Mullwica was resistant to the outside world. We¡¯re guessing that Mullwica was on guard against someone, not the church hunting her down or her ex-husband, but a third party that we don¡¯t know about.

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible to know whom she¡¯s guarding against, but this is strong evidence that she sealed her residence.¡±

    After confirming this, it was inevitable to go to Frank¡¯s cabin to confirm it.

    The problem was that we couldn¡¯t be sure if Frank were a friend or foe, so we had to avoid him.

    ¡°We have to find a way to distract him,¡± Aldrich suggested. ¡°Why don¡¯t we get him and Master Mary to inspect the canyon tomorrow? As long as we can dy him for a day, it¡¯s enough for us to carry out our investigation.¡±

    This was a good idea, but how should we do it?

    The next day.

    ¡°Miss Selma has a fever?¡± While I was pretending to be sick in my sleeping bag under the effects of the spell, Frank came to visit me in a hurry.

    After coughing a few times, I weakly said, ¡°Actually, I felt finest night, but I suddenly had a fever today. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll return to the reconnaissance team immediately after I get better and try not to drag down the team members¡¯ work.¡±

    Frank ced the nket he brought over on me and said kindly, ¡°Don¡¯t say silly things, child. The most important thing is to take care of your body. Someone will take over your task in the reconnaissance team. You don¡¯t have to feel guilty about this. It¡¯s inevitable to have a headache and fever when you¡¯re on a mission in extreme weather. This is amon thing, let alone a burden.¡±

    After pretending to treat my condition, Master Mary suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t I take Yuri with me? Although he¡¯s a bit mean, he¡¯s very efficient. I think he¡¯ll be able to adapt to investigation work.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Frank shook his head. ¡°That kid, Yuri, was assigned a search job today. He left with the team a long time ago.¡±

    ¡°What about Alvin? Or Margaret? They¡¯re both very smart.¡±

    After thinking about it, every team member had already arranged their work, so it was not impossible for them to be transferred temporarily. However, this would not only affect the work of the reconnaissance team.

    In the end, Frank said, ¡°I¡¯ll go first today. I¡¯ll take the opportunity to inspect the situation of the canyon. Words and photos are never as straightforward as what you can see with the naked eye.¡±

    Yay! The n was working!

    He did not always stay in the witch n¡¯s ruins. He had to patrol the other three bases regrly. Generally speaking, when he left the team, he would let Master Mary or the team¡¯s experienced members take over the responsibility of the temporary leader. But now that Aldrich was here, an experienced general would be the best choice.

    After they left, we immediately entered the cabin to investigate.

    Now was when the dimensional space would open, but the cabin¡¯s appearance waspletely different from Dorothy¡¯s dream. This made sense. Frank would have noticed something was wrong if the cabin had been different from day to night.

    We carefully explored every corner, but we still didn¡¯t find anything.

    Could I have been wrong? This was just an ordinary cabin?

    I asked Dorothy for help and asked her to think about any useful details in the dream.

    ¡°Oh... that was just a blurry dream. I really can¡¯t think of anything special,¡± Dorothy said. ¡°If I have to say something that left a deep impression on me, it would be that ¡®I¡¯ ¨C the daughter of Mullwica in my dreams ¨C always wore the same shawl.¡±

    ¡°A shawl? What does it look like?¡±

    ¡°I think it was bright red. I¡¯m sorry, that¡¯s all I can think of. It¡¯s been a long time since the dream. I can¡¯t remember many details other than the specific plot.¡±

    Alright, it was just an ordinary-looking shawl. Didn¡¯t the women in ancient times wear that during winter?

    But a bright red shawl?

    Had I seen a red scarf somewhere before?

 Chapter 213

    213 Mullwica¡¯s House

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I was sure I¡¯d seen it before, but I couldn¡¯t recall it at the moment.

    ¡°I saw a red shawl in Master Mary¡¯s room,¡± Aldrich suddenly said.

    ¡°It¡¯s bright red, and there are patterns embroidered with gold thread.¡±

    That was right!

    It was in Master Mary¡¯s hut. That red shawl looked a little familiar!

    We immediately went to Master Mary¡¯s hut and found the shawl on the coat rack. 300 years had passed, and the time of this shawl had stopped along with the entire witch n. Its beauty had also been fixed at its most brilliant moment. The dark red color and dazzling patterns seemed to be waiting for its owner to put it on and y with her friends after school.

    I remembered why I thought it looked familiar ¨C when the historical fragments surrounded me, and almost all the girls I saw wore the same red shawl.

    ¡°Dorothy, do you still remember what Mullwica¡¯s daughter looked like in your dream?¡±

    Dorothy managed to recall some details. ¡°Oh... I think she has ck hair, big ck eyes, pale skin, and a mole on her jaw. I can¡¯t remember clearly... I¡¯m sorry. I lose my memory of dreams too quickly. I think this is the side effect of prying into the past.¡±

    ck hair, ck eyes, pale skin, and a mole on the left jaw.

    There was no mistake! One of the girls in the historical fragments happened to look like this, and she was the only one who did not wear a red shawl!

    She was Mullwica¡¯s daughter!

    It was evening in the dream, and they seemed to have just finished school. The red shawl should not be the uniform of the witch school, or Mullwica¡¯s daughter would not be the only one who did not wear it.

    These girls were not from the same family. They were walking in one direction. Did this mean that they were going to a girl¡¯s house together?

    Could it be Mullwica¡¯s family? Was the red shawl that the girls were wearing some special symbol that could lead them into the real space through the false folding?

    Thinking of this, I immediately decided to give it a try. Since there was only one shawl, only one of us could enter.

    Without waiting for the others to speak, I took the shawl. ¡°I¡¯ll go first. Don¡¯t worry. You all know my abilities. If there¡¯s any ident, such as witchcraft or spells, I can easily devour them.¡±

    ¡°You promised me you wouldn¡¯t risk your life again,¡± Aldrich said helplessly.

    I made a funny face and argued, ¡°That¡¯s not a risk. We all know that the red shawl is the final answer. The chance of danger is less than one in a thousand.¡±

    The red shawl was very soft, and its luxurious appearance was out of ce in the gray ruins of the witch n, which made me believe that it was special.

    Aplicated lock would always be matched with a beautiful key.

    Putting on the red shawl, I pushed the door open and entered-

    What I saw was apletely different world!

    The dry pinewood floor was painted shiny, and the stone walls were decorated with various warm nkets. A soft sofa, a beautifully patterned chair, and a strong wooden table were ced in afortable position in the living room. There were pillows, books, flowers, teacups, and tea tes on the table as if the host had just had a tea party to wee friends and family.

    The details were decorated with softce and colored ribbons, as well as some small sparkling gemstones. They were crooked and old but clean. They seemed to be a child¡¯s work and were often cleaned by adults.

    There was even a fire in the firece, but there was no wood or coal, which seemed to be a product of sorcery. However, the me was already very weak, and it would shiver from time to time in an attempt to extinguish itself. It seemed that the energy was about to be exhausted.

    However, there were some disharmonious elements in the warm little house: The floor was covered in blood, the rocking chair and the coffee table were tilted, a few charred traces of sorcery, broken ss cups, and flower tea leaves that had long been weathered.

    Based on all the signs, this was Mullwica¡¯s home and a house that no one had time to clean up after the tragedy.

    I was extremely excited after learning about this. After such a long time, we finally had a breakthrough!

    I immediately withdrew and reported my safety to the few anxiously waiting for me. I also told them the good news. Everyone wore a red shawl and walked around the house. The answer we got proved that we had indeed found Mullwica¡¯s house!

    ¡°Dorothy!¡± I excitedly called out to my best friend.

    ¡°I found it! We¡¯ve found it! It¡¯s Mullwica¡¯s home. We¡¯ve finally found it!¡±

    Even the calm Dorothy was shocked by the good news and cheered softly.

    ¡°This is one of the best news I¡¯ve heard this month.¡± She said, ¡°I have to find a chance to tell Master Mary secretly.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to avoid Captain Frank?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Given that his identity is still a mystery and Mullwica¡¯s family is of utmost importance, let us hide it from Captain Frank and let someone more experienced decide if we should tell him.¡±

    ¡°I think Master Mary will tell Captain Frank.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because he¡¯s living here now!¡±

 Chapter 214

    214 The Lost Residence

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°Frank lives in the Mullwica¡¯s house. If we want to study this ce, we can¡¯t avoid him. Even if we used the excuse of patrolling the stronghold to send him away, he would return sooner orter. And we can¡¯t hide it from the other team members. When the timees, will they not tell their captain about our operation?¡±

    I¡¯d also considered whether I should hide it from Frank, but I couldn¡¯t do it no matter how I thought about it unless I sent him back to the pack, which was not feasible.

    ¡°Besides, we still need to search for more red shawls. I¡¯ve seen in historical fragments that there are at least three or four more red shawls. The witches had been evacuated in a hurry, so no one had time to go home and pack, right? Once the search begins, themotion will be even greater, and we won¡¯t be able to hide it even if we want to.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Dorothy said. ¡°I¡¯ll tell them the good news in a while.¡±

    I spent the entire day in excitement. Although I wanted to explore Mullwica¡¯s residence again, I knew I didn¡¯t have much sorcery knowledge, so it was better not to ¡®destroy precious cultural relics¡¯. I would wait to learn more from the professional team.

    We didn¡¯t waste the rest of the time. We gathered all the team members in the ruins of the witch n to search for the same or simr red shawl. After searching, we found quite a number of them. We found a total of eleven.

    They were all red in color; the only difference was that the patterns embroidered with gold thread had subtle differences. There were twelve different flowers in total.

    For example, I found the first one embroidered with marigolds, daisies, dahlias, roses, and so on. I didn¡¯t know if they were just for decoration or if they had some other special meaning.

    In the afternoon, Dorothy told me that Master Mary and Captain Frank were returning.

    ¡°That soon? Is there any progress in the canyon?¡± I asked in surprise.

    ¡°No, or rather, there won¡¯t be any progress.¡± Dorothy was a little discouraged. ¡°Space witchcraft is too much of a test of talent. Even an experienced werewolf grandmaster like Master Mary can only barely detect a trace of magic fluctuations based on the existing clues. I think space sorcery is like the Eye of Insight. Maybe it¡¯s a special power left behind by some divine blood descendant. That¡¯s why it¡¯s so difficult to learn, and there aren¡¯t even many rted records.¡±

    In the evening, Master Mary and Frank came back, covered in dust.

    After receiving news of our discovery, the one who was the most excited was Frank. After all, he was the person in charge of the entire mission.

    ¡°How did you guys find this ce?¡± He stood in front of the house, unable to believe that the house he had lived in for so long was Mullwica¡¯s residence. The answer that he had been searching for was right before his eyes.

    In the face of his question, I couldn¡¯t possibly say, ¡°Because I suspected something was wrong with you, I came to search your house. Ultimately, I identally found a clue and Mullwica¡¯s residence.¡±

    I gave him the excuse we had discussed earlier, ¡°Due to Dorothy¡¯s precognitive dream and the images I saw in the historical fragments, we guessed that the red shawls the girls wore 300 years ago might be the key to Mullwica¡¯s residence. Originally, we were prepared to explore the houses one by one ording to the direction of the historical fragment, but we didn¡¯t expect that the first house was the lottery ticket, and we found Mullwica¡¯s residence.¡±

    Frank didn¡¯t suspect anything. He shouldn¡¯t suspect anything in the first ce. We should be the ones suspecting him.

    Ultimately, the twelve red shawls were temporarily lent to me, Dorothy, Aldrich, Frank, the three werewolf grandmasters, the other team members, and their werewolf grandmasters. As the first team to explore Mullwica¡¯s residence, we should ensure that we had professional quality and the ability to move.

    I could feel Dorothy, beside me, getting a little nervous. Of course, this was because there was a high possibility that Mullwica¡¯s residence was hiding information rted to the Eye of Insight.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± I gently held her hand.

    ¡°Everything will be easily solved.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± she nodded.

    Without a doubt, this was a very warm house without the bloody traces. The living room on the first floor had the double functions of a living room and a dining room, just like most of the ancient civilian houses. There was also a tiny kitchen.

    On the second floor were four small bedrooms, one of which had arge patch of dried blood on the bed. It seemed to be Mullwica¡¯s room.

    The other three rooms had distinct styles, and we easily identified the bedrooms of Mullwica¡¯s children. The remaining empty guest room was used as a storage room. This was the ce we focused on searching other than Mullwica¡¯s bedroom, and it was likely to contain a lot of valuable information.

    Before they sorted out Mullwica¡¯s relics, everyone stopped in silence for a while.

    Although 300 years had passed, the sorrow of Mullwica¡¯s death was still lingering in the room like an old fog. Every guest couldn¡¯t avoid being affected by this tear-inducing emotion. One of the emotional members even had red eyes.

    ¡°Alright, everyone. It¡¯s time to get to work,¡± Frank said.

 Chapter 215

    215 The Trail Is Gone

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Our carefulness was like a joke in Mullwica¡¯s residence.

    The werewolf grandmasters had done everything they could do under the current conditions. Countless detection spells were stacked on suspicious targets, and the result was surprising ¨C there was no protective spell in the residence of a legendary witch who had been hunted for life.

    Dorothy even joked that she was prepared to carry a powerful curse for the rest of her life, but we couldn¡¯t even find a small trap, let alone a curse.

    ¡°It seems like Mullwica was much stronger than we thought.¡± Master Mary sighed. ¡°Being undefended is the arrogance that only the strong are qualified to show off.¡±

    Ignoring the traces of blood and fighting, Mullwica¡¯s residence was generally in good order. We didn¡¯t even need to spend much effort to collect all the books, notes, drawings, and other paper items. This mission, which was supposed to take a day toplete, waspleted in a single morning.

    It wasn¡¯t easy to imagine just how much of a learned person Mullwica was when she was alive. The pile of ancient texts alone was higher than Aldrich and minebined. Not to mention the notes that she had written herself. Although she had not had time to organize them, Master Mary was sure there must be a lot of precious original information in them.

    As the party involved, Dorothy did not need to participate in the follow-up work. She needed to read through the notes left by Mullwica, forgetting to eat and sleep and find clues about the Eye of Insight. Master Hayley would assist by the side and file the notes.

    At night.

    ¡°Why do I feel like today is even more tiring than doing reconnaissance?¡± Iy on the sleeping bag, so sleepy that my eyelids were fighting. I didn¡¯t do any physical work.

    Dorothy handed me a hot tea and said, ¡°Mental work consumes less energy than physical work. I feel dizzy after reading for a day, too.¡±

    Yes, I also read books with Dorothy for a day, but I read the ancient books left behind by Mullwica. I knew every word, but I had to guess what they meant when they were put together.

    I was a specialist in every field. I didn¡¯t understand these books. Aldrich massaged my temple.

    Dorothy was already used to our lovey-dovey selves.

    Before the lights went out, a few werewolf grandmasters came.

    ¡°Good evening, children.¡± Master Mary said, ¡°How was your work today? We don¡¯t have to search for it in person tomorrow. The team members and the other werewolf grandmasters will take over sorting out the antiques. We only have to study the ancient books.¡±

    ¡°We might as well go to work!¡± I wailed.

    Aldrich shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not one of those who want to read. As usual, Frank is going to patrol the stronghold tomorrow. I have to take over the work of the temporary captain.¡±

    I gave this bad boy a push.

    ¡°Speaking of Frank, we¡¯ve lost all leads again.¡±

    After we confirmed that the red shawl was needed to enter the real Mullwica¡¯s residence, the theory that Frank disappeared into the folded space in the middle of the night was overturned.

    Without the red shawl, there was no way that Frank could break through the illusion.

    However, we didn¡¯t have any other clues apart from this. The disappearance of Frank had be a mystery once again. Along with his identity, we didn¡¯t know if it was true, but it had be a dark cloud lingering in our hearts.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you guys think Frank¡¯s disappearance is rather d¨¦j¨¤ vu?¡± I said, ¡°When Frank, who was at the foot of the mountain, was recounting his experience, the Mullwica in his illusion had suddenly disappeared and reappeared like an NPC that refreshed at a fixed time. The tracks of this Frank on the mountain are too simr to this.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re trying to say that this is evidence to prove that Frank is a fake?¡± Aldrich asked.

    My mind was a mess, and I couldn¡¯t be sure. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I feel that these two things are rted.¡±

    However, the Mullwica in the illusion was fake, an illusion created, and Frank was also trapped in the illusion at the foot of the mountain. However, this Frank on the mountain was a real person. At least, he existed in reality. We couldn¡¯t be trapped in arge-scale illusion for so many days like Frank at the foot of the mountain and only find out now, right?

    With the experience of a snowy night, everyone was cautious. Even the werewolf grandmasters regrly tested the authenticity of the illusion. If we still couldn¡¯t defend against it, then we didn¡¯t have any other means to fight against it.

    Master Maryforted us, ¡°Anyway, everyone is tired today. Let¡¯s rest first. We¡¯ll talk about it tomorrow. It just so happens that Frank is about to leave, and it¡¯s a good opportunity for us.¡±

    It was a dreamless night.

    Early the following day, Frank set off with a few of his team members, and Yuri was among them.

    He didn¡¯t have a good internal reputation, and his abilities were average. Why did Frank bring him along?

    ¡°Sorry to trouble you, Aldrich.¡± Before leaving, Frank reminded Aldrich of various things to take note of. ¡°Besides the base, I have to go to the public order squad to see the situation. I¡¯ll be back in about three days.¡±

    In the morning, there was a discovery in Mullwica¡¯s residence.

 Chapter 216

    216 An Equal Exchange

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°A stone tablet that contains the remnants of powerful magic fluctuations.¡± Master Mary showed us the stone tablet in her hand.

    It was a stone tablet in Renaissance style, but its pattern was slightly different ¨C thirteen kinds of flowers surrounding a moth with broken wings and fine vines firmly bound them together like a round shield.

    The style of the stone tablet was extremely torn. The fresh flowers were beautiful, round, and warm, like a simple drawing left by a young girl in love with romantic thoughts and vitality.

    However, the moths were sculpted in a strange and ugly way, like discarded food by sparrows, pecked to pieces by sharp beaks, exuding a strong sense of despair.

    I noticed that twelve of the thirteen types of flowers matched the pattern on the red shawl.

    ¡°Yes, we also suspect this. Maybe there should have been thirteen red shawls.¡± Master Mary said, ¡± But we didn¡¯t find the thirteenth shawl in the ruins of the witch n. It¡¯s a coincidence, or the thirteenth shawl has been taken away.¡±

    ¡°Or perhaps it was destroyed?¡± Dorothy suggested.

    ¡°I¡¯ve also suspected it,¡± Master Mary said. ¡°But look at this.¡±

    A me gushed out of her hand and burned the red shawl on the table!

    Before we arrived, the scorching mes quickly began to devour the bright red cloth. However, after almost half a minute, nothing happened to the red shawl, as if the me was just a shadow that was bluffing.

    ¡°Any external force cannot destroy the red shawl.¡± Master Mary exined, ¡°This is an unexpected conclusion. This morning, a team member identally dropped his red shawl into the bonfire, but it was unscathed when he took it out. We¡¯ve tried all means of attack, but without exception, we can¡¯t damage the red shawl at all.¡±

    Now, I was even more convinced that the red shawl had something to do with the moths and stone tablet. At the very least, they all contained powerful magic.

    In the design aspect, no one present couldpete with Master Hayley, but even she had never seen the design on the stone tablet.

    ¡®Flowers and moths are verymon elements,¡± she carefully traced the lines of the stone carving. ¡°But I¡¯ve never seen thisbination in any known ssics or cultural relics, let alone such a disharmonious style. I even suspect this stone tablet has been processed twice, and some think that the moth and the flower have beenbined.¡±

    ¡°In other words, the moths and the flowers are not the work of the same person?¡± I asked.

    Master Hayley nodded. ¡°Judging from the style, that¡¯s right.¡±

    That was all we knew about the stone tablet. Maybe there would be some records in Mullwica¡¯s notes, but we¡¯d have to find them from the mountain of words.

    Mullwica was a supreme witch and a knowledgeable schr and practitioner. Her notes recorded many unique and original sorcery, formations, runes, and theories. Not only did it include sorcery, but it also included the power theories of many other races. It even had alchemy and human theology.

    On the second day after Frank left, Dorothy found clues about the Eye of Insight.

    Surprisingly, Mullwica had already discovered a way to control the Eye of Insight!

    ¡°How could this be?¡± Dorothy was calmer than anyone else. ¡°If she could control it, why would she waste her life in vain?¡±

    We got the answer very quickly.

    ¡°The Eye of Insight is an unexpected mutated power. I believe that when the goddess of fate gave her descendants the ability to pry into fate, she did not expect such an ident to happen. Therefore, the Eye of Insight could not be considered a pass that the goddess of fate had granted. That is why, for fate, it was not allowed to spy on oneself through it. This also means that it wasn¡¯t the Eye of Insight that took away my life force but fate. This is its punishment for thieves.

    ¡°I used a forbidden spell and met an ancient ancestor. It was said that she was the first witch who knew how to control the Eye of Insight. She said that it all started in an ident. She was injured and lost sight while avoiding the pursuit of a group of human knights, and her sister, unfortunately, died in the battle. To save her, the witch with her used a kind of sorcery to exchange her broken eyeball for her sister¡¯s.

    ¡°Since then, I¡¯ve known that everything was a joke of fate. The ancestor said, ¡®Ever since I put on Dahlia¡¯s eyes, I found that my life force, which was constantly losing, had inexplicably stopped. At first, I thought I had found a way to escape the tragic cycle of reincarnation, but when I exchanged the two sisters¡¯ eyes, I realized that the gift of fate was never free. Only one of them will survive. Even if I swap their eyes, only the first one will survive.¡¯

    ¡°This is an exchange of equal value without a choice. Losing your blood kin, bearing sin, when fate is certain that you have received enough punishment, fate will no longer meddle in other people¡¯s business. It will only hide behind the misty veil and watch you fall into the abyss of self-destruction.¡±

    The solution to everything was in the notes.

    As long as one found a blood rtive with the Eye of Insight, he could exchange his eyes with the rtive.

 Chapter 217

    217 Ascendance

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    This was aplex problem that had no solution.

    Which was more important, to Mullwica; her own life or her only daughter?

    The answer was self-evident. This woman, who had been wandering for half her life, finally chose her daughter and gave up on herself.

    I even suspected that she epted the fate of being beheaded by her son because she could have a legitimate reason to rece her daughter¡¯s eyes with hers. In this way, her daughter would not have to bear the suffering and sin in her heart and could live a normal life with her mother¡¯s silent gift until the end of her life.

    However, she didn¡¯t expect the devil to interfere and turn her family into the victims of the tragedy.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can spread this discovery. In fact, I should keep it a secret forever. History has proven that anyone could easily turn into a demon in the face of life and power. The price to pay for testing one¡¯s humanity was too great. No one knew whether people would choose strength or kinship in the future for the opportunity to explore their fate. If you¡¯re not careful, the gift of fate will be the spark for your family¡¯s extermination.

    ¡°But is it right to hide it? Do I have the right to deprive my descendants of the chance to save their lives? I don¡¯t know. I was too selfish. I wanted Madeline to live a safe and peaceful life, and I hoped that countless children like her could live peacefully. However, this was simply a cycle of contradiction. It was either to kill one¡¯s family or die. Goddess of fate, can you give me some guidance?¡±

    ¡°Let death plunder my sins. If this can redeem any of my selfish consequences, I¡¯ll dly endure it. Fate is like a y; some established plots can never be avoided.¡±

    Mullwica only had so much information about the Eye of Insight. After flipping through the notebook, there was nothing else.

    Dorothy had been out of it ever since she finished reading the notes. We all knew what she was worried about.

    Just like Mullwica¡¯s dilemma, did Dorothy have any other choice? The only blood rtives she had left were her grandmother and her parents. A werewolf couldn¡¯t have the Eye of Insight, so the remaining option was her father, whom she had never met.

    But the problem was if we found her father, and her father, who had never shown his face, was willing to sacrifice for his daughter, would Dorothy ept it?

    I understood this strong-willed girl. Her kindness was like a soft spring that couldn¡¯t contain a single grain of sand. She would always stick to her principles. Even if he was an irresponsible father who had never raised her, she could not calmly ept his life aspensation for theck of fatherly love.

    ¡°Dorothy...¡± I pulled Mullwica¡¯s logbook from her tight, pale hand and said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. This is only a part of the records. There are still so many notes. Mullwica must have other research. No matter how much you think about it now, it adds to your troubles. As long as we keep looking, we¡¯ll find another way.¡±

    Dorothy forced a smile, still in a daze.

    My words wereplete nonsense. My empty and powerless consoling words had no effect.

    Dorothy¡¯s abnormal behavior continued until dinner time. We did not dare to say anything more, afraid that this girl who had fallen into a state of panic would be even more anxious.

    It was destined to be an eventful day. In the evening, Master Mary received news from the royal family.

    ¡°Linda is awake.¡± Master Mary looked serious. ¡°But she¡¯s not in good condition.¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°There have been some... changes in her.¡± Master Mary showed us the pictures from the pce.

    The picture seemed to have been processed in a punk style, and there was a silent noise. In the middle of the image was not the Linda we thought it was, but a lump ¨C forgive me for using this quantifier term ¨C a lump of soft silk-like thing that we couldn¡¯t see the shape of.

    If I had to find something to describe it, I could only say that it was like a newly formed cocoon, as if there were butterflies or moths inside.

    ¡°This is Linda?¡± The picture gave me a strange sense of disgust, as if looking at it for too long would trigger something in my body. ¡°How did she be like this? Is it the influence of the pine forest?¡±

    Master Mary shook her head. ¡°Tracy and the werewolf grandmasters were helpless. They can¡¯t break through the cocoon¡¯s defense and are afraid that using force will hurt Linda. So, they can only wait and see.¡±

    ¡°This is ¡®Ascendance¡¯,¡± Dorothy suddenly said.

    ¡°What?¡± We looked at her in surprise. ¡°How did you know?¡±

    ¡°In my father¡¯s notes, he recorded this phenomenon.¡±

    Dorothy took out a small notebook from thin air. This was a widely circted sorcery among the sorcerers,monly known as ¡®notebook¡¯. It was usually hidden in the souls of the sorcerers and would only appear when used. Dorothy flipped to a page and showed it to us.

    ¡°Without a doubt, this is aplete transformation of evil. When a living being is willing to submit to the power of evil, he or she would gradually degenerate into a hotbed for the incubation of the demon. It could be an egg, a cocoon, or an embryo in the boilingva.¡±

 Chapter 218

    218 Something Happened To Frank

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°In short, the moment the mutation begins, everything is irreversible. You can interrupt the process, but the part that has been mutated can never be reversed. This asionally happens among witches and wizards, not because they believe in satan, but because of some personal feelings.¡±

    If what Dorothy¡¯s father said was true, then wouldn¡¯t Linda be turning into a breeding ground for the devil?

    Damn it, when did it happen?

    When in the pine forest?

    After thinking about it, there was only one answer. While we were rushing to the rescue, something must have happened to Linda, who was alone in the pine forest.

    Moreover, the term ¡®hotbed of demons¡¯ gives us a bad feeling. What is a ¡®hotbed¡¯? Did this mean that the demons might be reborn through Linda¡¯s body?

    Was the newly born demon a clone of the demon, or was it his original body? If that were the case, wouldn¡¯t the demon be able to easily escape the suppression of the seal with Linda¡¯s help?

    I recalled the legend of the pine forest bewitching the pedestrians. Had the demon been waiting for such an opportunity?

    At this moment, I somewhat regretted my idea of using the demonic shard to find the devil¡¯s seal. This gave the demon a chance to take advantage of the situation and even harmed a good person for nothing!

    ¡°Is there a way to break this?¡± I asked.

    Dorothy found another passage to read to us.

    ¡°Generally speaking, demons aren¡¯t a species that¡¯s afraid of death, but they¡¯re not stingy with the protection they provide for their hatcheries. The records include firmness, corrosive attacker, power rebound, vicious curse, death energy entanglement, and so on.

    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean that there¡¯s no solution. As long as we can resist the defense mechanism of the hotbed, it¡¯s easy to destroy it. However, like there are safe and dangerous periods in a ten-month pregnancy, there are also different conditions for a hotbed.

    ¡°Generally speaking, a hotbed is at its weakest when it¡¯s at its most chaotic state, and its connection with the carrier is also the most rxed. Once the hotbed is formed, its defense mechanism will also mature, and its connection with the carrier will be closer.

    ¡°And one month after the incubation, the hotbed¡¯s defense mechanism rxes. It doesn¡¯t matter, even if it¡¯s attacked. At this time, the carrier¡¯s self-consciousness has generally disappeared, bing another evil creature. Even if it goes into prematurebor, it can still survive with its strong vitality. But now the hotbed and the carrier are firmly connected. Once the hotbed copses, the evil creature will die, and the carrier will also die.¡±

    In other words, now was an excellent time to rescue Linda, who was in the early stage of bing a breeding ground for the demons.

    It was just that we couldn¡¯t confirm what her defense mechanism was. It was fine if it was solid or corrosive, but there were ways to solve or cure it. They were most afraid of evil curses or spells, which could likely haunt them for a lifetime.

    However, we were too far away from the royal pce. No matter how anxious we were, it would be useless. We could only hand the information to the royal pce and let my parents, Tracy, and the werewolf grandmasters handle it.

    As a general, Aldrich sincerely thanked Dorothy, ¡°Thank you, Dorothy. Linda was an excellent warrior; you saved her life.¡±

    He had seen many soldiers die helplessly on the battlefield because of all kinds of dirty tricks.

    Dorothy quickly waved her hand. ¡°All good. This is what I should do. No one can watch a warrior who has made countless contributions be taken away by a demon for nothing.¡±

    The third day after Frank¡¯s departure.

    We hurriedly browsed through the books and notes left behind by Mullwica, but unfortunately, we didn¡¯t find any discoveries about the Eye of Insight.

    Seeing that Dorothy¡¯s mood was worsening, I became anxious, but to no avail.

    How I wish New Flow could evolve to the point where I could devour other people¡¯s special powers. Without the Eye of Insight, Dorothy¡¯s life predicament would have been easily solved. However, I could only absorb physical energy, which made me wonder if there was a possibility of New Flow evolving.

    However, it was all a fantasy now.

    That night, another piece of bad news came. There was news from the third base that something had happened to Frank!

    When we saw the remaining members of the third base go up the mountain in the night, we had a hunch that something big was going to happen.

    Sure enough, the team members didn¡¯t even have time to catch their breath before they hurriedly said, ¡°Something happened to Captain Frank! He had suddenly fainted this afternoon. His heartbeat gradually weakened, and there were many ulcers on his body. No matter how he was called, he could not wake up. The medical team members couldn¡¯t find any problems either. We suspect that evil forces have eroded it, so we havee to ask for the help of the werewolf grandmasters!¡±

    What an unexpected nightmare!

    We didn¡¯t expect something to happen to Frank so suddenly. Did something happen during the three patrol days that we didn¡¯t know about?

    ¡°What about the team members that followed Captain Frank? Where are Yuri and the others?¡±

    If something had happened to Yuri and the others, it meant that something had happened during the patrol.

    However, the team members¡¯ answers made our hearts sink to the bottom of the valley. Yuri and the others are fine. Only Captain Frank was in trouble!

 Chapter 219

    219 Something Happened

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Just as we were in a hurry to rescue Frank, we received another bad news from Master Mary.

    While Aldrich was arranging the team to prepare the first aid items, Master Mary pulled us to the side and whispered, ¡°Something¡¯s happened at the pce. Frank has an emergency, and his high fever isn¡¯t going down. He¡¯s being rescued.¡±

    Something happened to both of the Franks?

    Wasn¡¯t this too much of a coincidence? sS much so that the obvious conspiracy was hanging on the surface, afraid we would miss it.

    The pce was too far away, and we couldn¡¯t reach it. The most important thing now was to find clues on this fellow, Frank.

    ¡°Keep in touch with the pce,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯re ready to send back any news about this Frank on the mountain at any time to see if it has anything to do with this ce.¡±

    The situation was urgent, so we couldn¡¯t wait until dawn. It was easy to encounter danger when traveling at night, so we gathered arge group of team members and formed a fifteen-man squadron.

    Aldrich still needed to stay behind to preside over the overall situation. Master Mary and Master Kevin, who were the best at soul-rted sorcery, apanied him. Master Hayley was left behind. She and Master Mary¡¯s mind link could effectively transmit information.

    To my surprise, the dazed Dorothy took the initiative to ask to join us.

    ¡°When necessary, I can see many causes and consequences. I know that everyone is worried about my health,¡± Dorothy said. ¡°But since things havee to this, why don¡¯t you let my eyes contribute more? If I can¡¯t find a way to control it in the end, I¡¯d rather squeeze everyst bit of value out of the Eye of Insight than let time pass miserably in waste.¡±

    The stronger members transformed into their wolf forms and carried the rest of the people on their backs. The strong limbs of the wolves were more suitable for the harsh terrain than their legs. We reached the third base before 10 o¡¯clock at full speed.

    The third one had the worst environmentpared to the first two bases. Since no construction materials were avable on the spot, the cold and hard stone house was built by the werewolf grandmasters using rocks and sorcery.

    This ce was like a miniature version of a warehouse. The area was notrge, and most of the space was upied by various supplies. Therefore, although not many people were left behind, the space seemed tight.

    Now that fifteen people had suddenly joined them, there was no ce to stand.

    The person in charge of the third base was a middle-aged man named Chris. He didn¡¯t speak in an official way. After a simple greeting, he led us to the temporary istion ward.

    ¡°Captain Frank¡¯s condition is terrible.¡± Chris frowned. ¡°We¡¯ve tried many methods, but we can¡¯t lower his body temperature. His fever is very strange. It doesn¡¯t seem like a fever. His body temperature suddenly began to rise for no reason.¡±

    The werewolf grandmaster and Kerner checked on him, and the results were almost the same as what Chris had said, except that his body temperature was higher at nearly 40¡ã C.

    This was a hazardous warning line. Even for a werewolf, a continuous high fever could leave behind irreversible aftereffects or even death!

    After using medicine and injections to no avail, Master Mary and Master Kevin had no choice but to try using sorcery.

    ¡°Those who are not needed here, please leave for the time being.¡± Master Kevin prepared all kinds of props and did not even look up. Soul inspection was precise and dangerous sorcery. It was strictly forbidden to be disturbed.

    No matter how worried we were, we could only retreat from the ward.

    Only Master Mary and Master Kevin were left in the ward. Due to the poor soundproofing, we could hear their conversation. However, our hearts sank with every word they said.

    ¡°How¡¯s the situation?¡±

    ¡°In my opinion, it¡¯s not very good. The lingering ck gas can almost condense into a physical form.¡±

    ¡°What an evil curse. I¡¯ve been with Frank for many days, but I couldn¡¯t tell. What about you?¡±

    ¡°If you didn¡¯t feel it, I didn¡¯t either. No matter who the caster was, he was brilliant and vicious enough. The curse was deep in the soul, like a sealed cheese box. Not a trace of its smell could leak out. However, these ¡®cheeses¡¯ are like seeds that have taken root and sprouted in the soul. Up until now, they have almost fused with Frank¡¯s soul.¡±

    ¡°This is not good news. Do you have a solution?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, no... Wait, what is this?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°... I am not sure. We have to let the people outside see this.¡±

    The ward door opened, and Master Kevin walked out, exhausted and serious. He said, ¡°I think you all heard everything, so I won¡¯t say much. The situation is a little serious, so I must exin it to you.¡±

    He was like a doctor who was about to inform his family of the bad news. He called a few people who could manage the overall situation into the ward and closed the door.

    Even though we knew that the people outside had heard everything.

 Chapter 220

    220 A Curse Integrated Into The Soul

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°The situation is a bit special. I don¡¯t know if I should keep it a secret.¡± Master Kevin said, ¡°If you think it needs to be considered, then I will set up a soundproof barrier.¡±

    He was a blockhead. How could he say something confidential loudly in everyone¡¯s ears?

    Then, I realized that everyone was looking at me.

    ¡°Make a decision, Selma.¡± Dorothy asked, ¡°Confidential or public?¡±

    No, how did this be something I could decide?

    However, with Dorothy and the others staring at me, I suddenly realized that no matter if it was in terms of status or authority, I was the highest-ranking person present.

    The werewolf grandmasters and Dorothy knew that I was a Princess. In contrast, the other members who thought I was only a rtive of the Queen knew that I was the temporary leader of the squadron. Aldrich had personally appointed me before I left.

    Without me realizing it, I¡¯d already changed from an executor to an instigator.

    Alright, then, it was time to say yes or no.

    ¡°No,¡± I finally decided. ¡± There¡¯s no need to keep it a secret. Everyone here has the right to know.¡±

    Frank was the captain of all the team members present. He was their superior and old friend. Everyone was anxious about Frank¡¯s condition. Their sincere concern should not be deceived.

    Moreover, it was time to let the team know what kind of power they were facing. Even if they had always known that they were facing a sealed demon, the words in the books were not as clear as the truth.

    They had to understand the unprecedented danger they were facing.

    I opened the door and saw many worried faces.

    Master Kevin didn¡¯t say much. He showed us the soul model he had temporarily constructed.

    ¡°As you can see, Captain Frank¡¯s soul is contaminated by an unknown curse. The cursees from the soul, like the root of a de of grass, firmly rooted in the soul.¡±

    The light blue soul simted by magic power was entangled with an ugly ck mist. It seeped out of the soul and back in, looking like some strange breathing.

    ¡°The curse caused fever and other symptoms. It has prated deep into the soul and even affected the body. If this continues, the first to copse won¡¯t be Captain Frank¡¯s body but his soul. By then, even if we saved his physical body, we¡¯d only get an unconscious body or a person in a vegetative state.¡±

    Hearing this, everyone fell silent.

    ¡°Is there any other way to save the captain¡¯s soul?¡± A team member suddenly asked. Then, dozens of hopeful eyes looked over.

    Master Kevin lowered his gaze ufortably and shook his head stiffly as if he was not used to such annotations. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯mpletely helpless. In my opinion, this situation is beyond human means. I suggest that we send Captain Frank back to pack as soon as possible so that he can receive the blessing of the Moon Goddess in the temple. This might save his soul.¡±

    Should I go back to the pack?

    However, it was a long way to go. Even if we used their fastest speed, Captain Frank would only arrive at the pack by noon the next day. However, his situation was so urgent. Could he still hold on until tomorrow?

    Even if he could, would the blessing of the goddess work? Unlike the other gods, Moon Goddess did not value the worship of the human world. The werewolves did not have a tradition of annual worship. Thest time the temple was opened was three years ago, and the blessing of the goddess would have to go back tens to hundreds of years. Would the Moon Goddess be willing to descend for an ordinary believer?

    I was pessimistic about this, and my team members¡¯ defeated expressions told me they thought the same.

    But it wasn¡¯t like there was no other way.

    Before Dorothy tried to speak, I said, ¡°Why don¡¯t I try something? New Flow can devour all forms of energy and curses. I¡¯ve devoured the curse Leviathan had cast on Dorothy and me before. I don¡¯t think the curse on Captain Frank is more terrifying than that.¡±

    The team members immediately regained their hope. Dorothy and I, the two sessful cases, were right before them!

    However, Master Mary was a wet nket. ¡°The situation is different now. The curse on you and Dorothy has only been around for a short time, so it¡¯s not that closely connected to you. So, as you said, it¡¯s as simple as picking corn out of a soup and eating it.

    ¡°But Captain Frank¡¯s curse has already prated deep into his soul. You can even say he¡¯s about to be one with the curse. Separating the curse from his soul is like separating salt from a cup of salt water. You can do whatever you want with the salt water, but your soul can¡¯t take any damage.¡±

    This was a difficult task, but I was still confident I¡¯d seed. Separating the curse from the soul was like separating the harmful elements from the power I absorbed. The former could do it, so why couldn¡¯t thetter?

    ¡°Let me try,¡± I pleaded earnestly. ¡°Even if we start returning now, we must wait for the ne in the safe house. Let¡¯s not waste time waiting for the ne. It¡¯s better to do something than nothing.¡±

 Chapter 221

    221 An usation

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    My request was effective; no one was willing to see Frank die.

    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, but there¡¯s still a problem.¡± This time, it was Master Kevin¡¯s turn to be the wet nket.

    ¡°This is why we need to be more cautious.¡±

    Under his guidance, the soul model gradually transformed and distorted and finally became a cluster of broken and sticky things like tea leaves that had been soaked.

    ¡°Actually this is Captain Frank¡¯s soul now.¡±

    To our astonishment, he exined Captain Frank¡¯s soul wasn¡¯tplete. Or rather, the soul we saw was only a fragment of the real soul. That was why it looked so broken and so fragile.

    Kerner asked in disbelief, ¡°What do you mean? Are you saying that Captain¡¯s soul has been severed?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Master Kevin nodded. ¡°In terms of volume, this fragment is about a third or a quarter of Frank¡¯splete soul. Although it was enough to support a physical body, it also weakened its defense, allowing the curse to prate its body so quickly.¡±

    ¡°Quickly?¡± My intuition told me that his words had a hidden meaning. ¡°Can you deduce when he was cursed?¡±

    Master Kevin gave me a deep look ¨C an expression that a straightforward person shouldn¡¯t have ¨C and then said, ¡°Yes, based on my experience, it¡¯ll take about twenty days.

    About twenty days?

    Looking at the time, I was shocked to realize that it was around when I first set foot in the Rocky Mountains.

    During that period, the only opportunity for Frank to be attacked was the illusion on that snowy night.

    Could it be that...

    I was so shocked by my thoughts that my blood turned cold.

    If this Frank on the mountain was a soul fragment, what about the one at the foot of the mountain?

    ¡°Send a message to the pce,¡± I said to Master Mary. ¡°Tell them that Captain Frank at the foot of the mountain is likely to have a soul fragment too!¡±

    There was an uproar, and there was no need to hide it anymore. We told everyone about the real and fake Shrek.

    The team members found it hard to ept.

    Surprisingly, the one who had the biggest reaction was Yuri.

    ¡°It¡¯s all because of this ridiculous mission!¡± he roared angrily. ¡°You just had to provoke the devil, and now you¡¯ve killed Captain Frank!¡±

    He pointed at Dorothy and my nose and scolded us as if we were the main culprits behind everything.

    ¡°We¡¯re werewolves! Why would a werewolf care about a demon¡¯s business? Whether the shamans suck up to satan or the sanctimonious ck-robed humans, anyone has more reason than us to care about this mess. Why can¡¯t we sell the information to them and watch them fight? So what if the demon has broken through the seal? We are believers of the Moon Goddess. Will she stand by and watch the demon invade her territory?

    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the sake of finding that so-called ¡®treatment method¡¯ for you two youngdies, no one woulde to this damn ce, and no one would be sliced up and cursed by the devil! Dear Miss Selma, didn¡¯t you obtain the power of disgusting gluttony? Haven¡¯t you and your sister¡¯s curses already been devoured by you as dessert? So what are we still doing on the snow mountain?

    ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of your willful faces. How can a girl who doesn¡¯t know anything step on a soldier¡¯s head and give orders? I think General Aldrich has also been blinded by love. Ha! It would be better to say that General Aldrich is also a noble Lord who used his family background to get a high position. A general who¡¯s not even thirty years old hasn¡¯t even grown out his pubic hair. It¡¯ll be a joke if this gets out!

    ¡°Are you happy now? Operation Glorious, which added bricks to your resume, has already lost Captain Frank. Who do you want to lose next? Let¡¯s bury everyone with this damn seal of the evil demon!¡±

    He barked like a dog whose tail had been stepped on. He red so hard with bloodshot eyes that he was about to shoot infrared rays through Dorothy and me.

    I didn¡¯t feel angry when I saw him drooling and jumping up and down. I thought I would feel provoked as I did in the beginning, but listening to his unsightly usations, I only felt bored and unbothered.

    This was a form of contempt born from the fact that there was no need to fuss over it.

    I was looking down on this warrior who had broken down. Could he still be called a warrior?

    That was not important, and I didn¡¯t care.

    Finally, Yuri stopped screaming. This wasn¡¯t because he realized how inappropriate his actions were but because a team member who couldn¡¯t listen finally covered his mouth and pulled him away.

    Yuri¡¯s usation was too sudden, so much so that most people didn¡¯t react. A small group of people gave up after a few seconds, and from their expressions, it seemed that Yuri was not fighting alone.

    In fact, from the first day we arrived at the Rocky Mountains, I noticed that some of our team members were looking at us strangely. I knew this was inevitable, so I tried to use my actions to clear their prejudice. Some of them no longer looked at me as if they were looking at a rich, spoiled kid.

    However, it seemed that my efforts had not achieved the results I wanted.

 Chapter 222

    222 The Wastnd

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Some team members didn¡¯t like me, opposed me, or looked down on me.

    If I were still like my 18-year-old self, I would have started to doubt myself by now. Would I ask myself what I did wrong? How do I look delicate? Where did I cause any inconvenience to my team members? What should I do to win the love and respect of my yers?

    But now I didn¡¯t. I still asked the first three questions but scoffed at thest one!

    I was on a mission to find answers, not make friends. The acknowledgment of my team members was, of course, necessary, but it was definitely not my main problem right now.

    Besides, so what if I could never gain the approval of some people? Even a god couldn¡¯t get everyone¡¯s approval, so what right did I have?

    At the end of the day, their existences were of no importance to me.

    What an arrogant way of thinking, but who could say I didn¡¯t have the right to be arrogant?

    So, facing the indignant Yuri and the team members behind him who were avoiding my gaze, I just calmly asked, ¡°Are you done venting? If you¡¯re done venting, please leave. The werewolf grandmasters and I will start operating on Captain Frank.¡±

    Yuri red at me. ¡°How dare you touch Captain Frank¡¯s soul! If it wasn¡¯t for you-¡±

    ¡°I said, please leave!¡± I looked at him emotionlessly, as if I was looking at air. ¡°As you were talking nonsense with me, Captain Frank¡¯s condition worsened. Perhaps you want to vent your dissatisfaction with me for a few more hours so that you can pray for Captain Frank before he dies?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that at all!¡± Yuri looked at me in disbelief. ¡°You vicious woman who ys with words. You¡¯re as disgusting as your strange power!¡±

    ¡°Think whatever you want.¡± I stopped looking at him and asked Master Kevin to draw a rune for me that could make contact with souls. ¡°But you can¡¯t deny that my disgusting ability is Captain Frank¡¯s life savior, and your noble mouth has no use other than wasting time and making his condition worse, right?¡±

    Yuri looked like he hadpletely lost his mind. He wanted to pull the dagger from his boots and stab my neck.

    Fortunately, hispanions were still rational, and they dragged him out of the cabin.

    ¡°Dorothy, stay,¡± I said as the people left.

    Yuri found another reason to stomp his feet.¡±Why can she stay? With thatughable aristocratic privilege? No one here has more authority than her to stay and monitor your actions! No other team member would be more concerned about Captain Frank¡¯s safety than you two little girls.¡±

    I was getting impatient with this annoying fly. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to doubt anyone¡¯s sincerity, Yuri. Even if you said you wanted to die with Captain Frank, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised. But you still don¡¯t have the right to stay because you know nothing about sorcery. Dorothy is the only sorcerer apprentice here and the only one who knows how to assist the werewolf grandmasters. Perhaps you can tell us what taboos are in the face of souls and curses?¡±

    My words were merciless, and Dorothy did not even spare him a nce,pletely ignoring him.

    Yuri was dragged away by his teammates, fuming.

    The door was closed. Although it was still not soundproof, it was much quieter.

    While drawing the runes for me, Master Kevin asked in a low voice, ¡°You know how much risk you¡¯re taking, don¡¯t you? You¡¯re like Doctor Who¡¯s about to perform surgery on a patient with terminal cancer, and the patient¡¯s unreasonable family members are outside the ward. If you can¡¯t cure the patient or the patient dies on the operating table, the family members who think with their muscles will rush up and tear you apart.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m confident,¡± I said. ¡°Besides, this isn¡¯t a hospital. I¡¯m not a doctor. I won¡¯t ept medical disputes. I promise that I will do my best to save Captain Frank. Anyone who dares to challenge my authority will pay the price they will never forget. I promise.¡±

    Master Kevin didn¡¯t say anything else. After he finished drawing the runes, he began to help me feel the existence of my soul.

    Captain Frank¡¯s soul was as fragile as a piece of butter, and any small mistake could cause irreparable consequences. I entered a meditative state and held my breath, using the most peaceful state to approach the broken soul.

    I entered Captain Frank¡¯s spiritual world without a hitch.

    This ce was barren. Perhaps it used to be a boundless green grasnd, but now, only bare soil and rotten grassroots were left.

    The culprit who caused all this was taking root in the wilderness. It was a sparse pine forest stretching as far as the eye could see. Like scorched wood, the ck and rotten pine trees wandered on the yellow soil like ghosts.

    This was the manifestation of the curse in the spiritual world. They had invaded the grasnd like wild grass, and it would not be long before they would plunder all the vitality in this ce.

    I tried to call out his name, just like I did in Dorothy¡¯s spiritual world, but I received no response.

    This made me understand that Frank¡¯s consciousness was already very weak. If this dragged on, there wouldn¡¯t be any way to reverse the situation.

    I tried to pull out the dead pine tree that was rooted in the wilderness, but any slight movement would cause the wilderness to tremble.

 Chapter 223

    223 Devouring Souls

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The pine trees seemed to have taken root too deeply in the wilderness. If they were removed by force, it would only harm Frank¡¯s spiritual world.

    This was a problem, but it also benefited me.

    I was afraid it would be a waste of time to devour the pine trees one by one. Now that they were connected, it was convenient for me to kill them all at once.

    He pressed his hands on the pine tree, and a familiar strange power surged toward the dead tree like a stream. A few secondster, all the dead trees within a few dozen meters were covered by New Flow. They screamed and trembled, trying to escape from the danger. However, the roots that stuck to them became the curse of their death. They couldn¡¯t move at all and could only obediently ept my devouring.

    These curses tasted like chocte that tasted like coal ash, both delicious and unptable. I kept devouring the dead wood, leaving a bottomless hole where the food disappeared.

    The curses on the surface were only the tip of the iceberg. As I devoured them, I realized the roots hidden under the wastnd were the most troublesome.

    If one were topare the spiritual world of Frank to a flower pot, then the wastnd would be the soil for the flowers. And now, these intruders were growing barbarically. Theirplex root system had already filled the flower pot to the point that the soil could barely contain them. If this continued, there would only be one ending ¨C the flower pot would burst from the roots!

    I had to clean up the roots as soon as possible to prevent them from continuing to grow, but I didn¡¯t dare to devour them too quickly. There was too much ¡®flower soil¡¯ between the roots. If I was not careful, I might consume this ¡®flower soil¡¯ along with the roots.

    Yes, New Flow could devour souls. I discovered this by ident, and even I found it terrifying.

    Back then, I was still in the pce, quarreling with Aldrich. One night when I was upset, I found a small uninvited guest in my room ¨C a fat gray rat.

    This was probably amon problem with ancient pce buildings. A long history meant that modern equipment could not be modified at will, and arge area meant it was challenging to take care of everything. In short, it was inevitable that there would be some unwanted residents, such as rats and cockroaches.

    I was really annoyed then. Everything was an eyesore, not to mention a small rodent that disturbed people¡¯s dreams. I didn¡¯t even think twice about it. I grabbed the poor little thing and, in my extreme frustration, did something I didn¡¯t even realize I was doing.

    By the time I returned to my senses, the rat was already lying limply on the ground and not moving.

    Somehow, I realized that I had just ¡®devoured¡¯ this rat. What I had eaten was not its body but its soul. I realized that if I wanted to, I could dispose of the injured body elegantly and silently.

    Of course, I was not crazy enough to eat rats.

    After my parents learned of my ability, they immediately and sternly told me that I must control myself with a heart full of reverence for all life and that this must always be kept a secret, no matter how close I was with the person, even if it was a lover or a close friend.

    I believed in the loyalty of the people you acknowledged, but I didn¡¯t believe in the various strange powers in this world. My father said, ¡°There are countless ways to crack open a person¡¯s head and mouth without shedding blood. Loyalty is not the key to keeping secrets.¡±

    We hid this from the werewolf grandmaster, and my parents solemnly recorded this in the secret books of the royal family.

    ¡°Why not let it be a permanent secret?¡± I was rather puzzled. After I died of old age, no one else would know about this.

    My father did notugh at my childish words. Instead, he patiently exined, ¡°This is a form of responsibility and a trump card to solve idents. We can¡¯t guarantee that the characteristic of devouring souls will not bring trouble to you or your descendants in the future. Once the dayes that we need to solve the problem, this book will provide all the answers.¡±

    In short, the curse in Frank¡¯s spiritual world was mostly removed under my careful care.

    It was so smooth sailing that I felt that something was wrong.

    Even the curse trapped in Dorothy¡¯s soul had resisted with all its might, but the one in Frank¡¯s soul was even moreplicated and powerful. Why was it that other than the dead wood on the surface, there was no resistance at all?

    I could only pray that everything was as usual and that no strange idents would happen.

    However, misfortunes nevere alone.

    As I removed thest root, I heard a strange movement behind me.

    I was shocked that many dead pine trees had grown out of the empty holes I had left in the wilderness. New roots were increasing rapidly in the barrennd beneath them.

    How was this possible? If I devoured the curse, it would be gone. Its power would disappear, and it would be impossible to create a new entity.

    Did evil energy not need to abide by thew of conservation of mass?

    I soon found some clues.

    Although the change was very slight, I still found that the soil under my feet had be thinner. At first, one would think that the pine trees were growing taller, but the horizon was changing.

    The curse was absorbing Frank¡¯s soul as its nourishment!

    I was too careless to believe I could do whatever I wanted with the curse. As long as there was a single root, the curse could plunder the power in the soul and easily regenerate.

 Chapter 224

    224 The Pleading Eyes

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    This was going to be troublesome. It took time to absorb the curse, and I couldn¡¯t make all the roots disappear instantly.

    I had no choice but to withdraw from Shrek¡¯s spiritual world and seek help from the outside world.

    Master Kevin helped me maintain the unstable spiritual world of my soul fragment, so he was the most sensitive to its changes.

    ¡°Frank¡¯s condition is getting better,¡± he said. ¡°But it¡¯s only for a while. Since just now, his condition has continued to deteriorate, apanied by the dissipation of part of his soul.¡±

    As he said this, there was amotion outside.

    ¡°Silence! We¡¯re doing a soul surgery right now. This isn¡¯t a market!¡±

    Master Mary couldn¡¯t bear it anymore and roared. The voices outside quieted down, but the whispering still didn¡¯t stop.

    ¡°Frank¡¯s curse is rooted in his soul like a tree. I tried to devour the curse, and I seeded. However, this curse is very cunning. Once I¡¯ve devoured it to a certain extent, it will use its root-like tentacles to absorb Frank¡¯s soul as nourishment and replenish itself. I don¡¯t dare to take the risk, so I had to stop temporarily.¡±

    ¡°It seems that the curse¡¯s resurrection isn¡¯t that fast,¡± Master Kevin said. ¡°Captain Frank¡¯s condition is much better than before, but he¡¯s still getting worse.¡±

    ¡°Unless there is a way for me to devour all the curses instantly, letting go of any trace of the root system can promote its resurrection.¡± I continued, ¡°Before we knew it, part of Captain Frank¡¯s soul had been consumed by the curse. Yes, its deste and broken spiritual world is the embodiment. But I dare not bet on who is faster, the curse or me, once the soul power is lost too much...¡±

    ¡°Then, this soul fragment will bepletely shattered,¡± Master Kevin added.

    However, neither Master Mary nor Master Kevin had a way to make New Flow wrap around the entire curse.

    As we were at our wits¡¯ end, Dorothy said softly, ¡°Why don¡¯t you let me try?¡±

    We subconsciously looked at her.

    She continued, ¡°I have a guess. Since the curse is the same as the pine forest, they¡¯re both sealed demons¡¯ creations. Also, the curse in Captain Frank¡¯s body sounds like it has intelligence. In that case, could it be like the pine forest, that the curse we thought of was also a piece of the demonic fragment? However, it was too small and weak, so it was mistaken for a curse.¡±

    I was taken aback. I had to admit that this was a possibility. Demonic shards and curses came from the same source, so they were essentially the creation of a type of power. I could not trace the differences in their roots, so I subconsciously used the smell to distinguish them.

    If it were a demonic fragment, then it¡¯d be easy. Dorothy pointed at the core of the Soul Model. ¡°Even the pine forest has a heart that coordinates the entire situation. Then, could the so-called ¡®curse¡¯ in Captain Frank¡¯s body also have such a thing? It¡¯s this ¡®heart¡¯ that controls the ¡®curse¡¯, allowing it to paralyze our vision to live in the host¡¯s body like a roundworm.¡±

    This sounded like a fantasy, but it was possible in theory. Whether it was the simr appearance or the power from the same source, it showed that it was very likely that a tiny demonic fragment had been imnted into Frank¡¯s soul fragment.

    As long as I could see it, finding the ¡®heart¡¯ would be as easy as taking something out of my pocket.

    Dorothy did not say it, but everyone in the room knew what she meant.

    ¡°No, your body is weak.¡±

    ¡°My body is already done for!¡± Dorothy interrupted me. This girl, who had always been kind and friendly, was now so unyielding. ¡°I¡¯ve said it before. If there¡¯s no way to save everything, then I¡¯d rather throw away my remaining value than die in a cowardly manner. Selma, I know that you understand me. If it were you, would you be willing to watch a warrior with outstanding military service, who has been injured, live on in pain?¡±

    ¡°I...!¡±

    Of course, I wouldn¡¯t want that, but if it were Dorothy, I¡¯d rather she live for as long as she could.

    Perhaps this might sound a little cold, but Dorothy was my best friend, my emotional tie. I respected Frank and saw this great warrior as a friend. But between him and Dorothy, I would choose Dorothy without hesitation.

    However, looking at Dorothy¡¯s pleading eyes ¨C not asking, but pleading ¨C I was at a loss for words.

    I knew she was begging for an acknowledgment that she could take responsibility and a promise that I would always believe in her.

    What else could I do?

    I gave in. Dorothy said happily but shamefully. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Let¡¯s start.¡±

    She closed her eyes, and I felt those clear eyes surveying everything. I held her hand and brought her into Frank¡¯s spiritual world.

    The situation here was worse than before I left. New pine trees and roots had taken up most of the wilderness, and thend was drier, with cracks appearing.

    In the spiritual world, Dorothy¡¯s eyes were silver. They were as soft as the moonlight and also as bright as ink made of silver.

    She only took a casual look and smiled determinedly.

    ¡°I¡¯ve found you, little rat.¡±

 Chapter 225

    225 The Explosion

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Dorothy solved the problem that had been bothering me within a second. She urately found the ¡®heart¡¯ among the dead pine trees ¨C an unremarkable piece of charred wood.

    ¡°This is it.¡± She touched the dried bark and felt the flow of power. I could see that all the curses were produced from this tree. It was the source of all evil.

    This was good!

    I immediately tried to devour the tree, but just as New Flow wrapped it up, Dorothy suddenly said, ¡°It ran away! He¡¯s on that tree!¡±

    She pointed at another crooked tree not far away.

    This cunning fragment could move!

    New Flow followed the demonic fragment, but it was always one step behind it. The fragment was like a rat in the sewer, familiar with the escape route.

    ¡°It¡¯s expanding.¡± Dorothy¡¯s expression was solemn. ¡°It is trying to create more creatures that can be used for hiding. It is constantly absorbing Captain Frank¡¯s soul!¡±

    The barrennd under my feet began to thin visibly, and I realized I couldn¡¯t continue the endless pursuit.

    ¡°Help me observe its path! I have to force it into the encirclement of New Flow.¡±

    Like flowing water, a power swept across the wastnd like a colossal wave. I didn¡¯t intend to swallow it inrge mouthfuls like before. I only intended to firmly wrap up the dead trees and roots to reduce the potential carriers of the demonic shards as much as possible.

    The speed of devouring was always faster than the speed at which the demonic fragment created new things. Soon, the demonic fragment would realize it had no escape. New Flow surrounded it like a wall, blocking all dead trees and roots.

    ¡®Let¡¯s see how you will run now!¡¯

    New Flow kept devouring the demonic fragment¡¯s creations, slowly shrinking its range of activity.

    Seeing that it was doomed, the demonic fragment hid in the roots underground and stopped moving as if it had given up struggling.

    However, we did not let down our guard. Dorothy kept an eye on its every move, preventing any danger from happening.

    Just as New Flow was about to touch the demonic shard, Dorothy suddenly stopped me. ¡°Wait! Don¡¯t devour it yet!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I quickly stopped what I was doing.

    ¡°The demonic fragment is shrinking. It seems like... it ispressing itself? It¡¯s like andmine now, and any external contact may cause it to explode.¡±

    ¡°You mean the demonic fragment wants to take us down with it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say what will happen to us, but Captain Frank will definitely be affected. This is his spiritual world. An explosion is enough to destroy a soul!¡±

    Now I had to be cautious, but if I left the demonic shard alone, it would still explode after it hadpressed itself to its limit!

    I could use the shard to cover the space around the fragment and absorb the shockwave. In essence, the demonic fragment could only shoot the energy it contained and cause an explosion-like phenomenon. Since it was all energy, there was nothing I couldn¡¯t eat.

    It was just that to do this without touching it. Some sacrifices would be inevitable. At least, the souls around the demonic shard would not be able to be preserved, and I needed them to act as a barrier between the shard and the soul.

    But what kind of effect would this have on Frank?

    Thepleteness of his soul was no longer something he could hope for. He could not even retrieve the things that the demonic shards had absorbed. However, it was better to minimize the losses. Unavoidable damage was one thing, and taking the initiative to cause damage was another.

    The loss of arge number of souls could cause soullessness. Its effects ranged from amnesia to fainting and death. No one knew what would happen to Frank.

    I was lost, but the demonic shard would not wait for anyone.

    After knowing my n, Dorothy immediately said firmly, ¡°There¡¯s no time, Selma. We can only make a Hail Mary effort now. Compared to the problem of losing his soul and memory, if we let the demonic shard explode now, Captain Frank would die immediately. There will be no future for him!¡±

    Alright then!

    After making up my mind, I controlled New Flow to wrap up the demonic shard, the surrounding roots, and the soil, trying to reduce the damage to my soul as much as possible. Dorothy predicted that the explosion range of the demonic shard would cover the entire spiritual space, so the coverage could not be too small, or it would be prated. However, if it were too big, it would affect too much of Frank¡¯s soul.

    New Flow kept stacking up, and it gradually grew from the size of a ping pong ball to the size of a space ball. I had no experience, so I guessed this should be the bnce point between the two.

    However, before I could adjust, Dorothy shouted, ¡°Focus! It¡¯s going to explode!¡±

    A dull explosion came from the ¡®space ball¡¯ a secondter!

    At that moment, I felt like I was eating mint-vored lollipops frozen in liquid nitrogen on a drop machine. I fell to the ground under the impact of intense dizziness and explosion.

    This is simply the most unappetizing food I have ever eaten!

    Fortunately, every bit of the shock wave was perfectly absorbed by New Flow. Other than my damaged sense of taste, no one else was hurt.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    Dorothy rushed over to help me up.

    As the demonic shard disappeared, the dead trees on the wastnd gradually withered. I quickly devoured the ash-smelling residue.

 Chapter 226

    226 Disturbance

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The wilderness immediately became bare, apanied by ck holes, like an olddy¡¯s needle insertion.

    ¡°What should we do with these holes? Is there any way to recover?¡± I didn¡¯t know anything about this.

    Dorothy did not know either, ¡°Generally speaking, the soul has its self-repairing ability and can slowly repair its damage. However, looking at Captain Frank¡¯s current state, it¡¯s impossible to count on his soul to heal itself. I¡¯d better ask Master Kevin and the others if they have any good ideas.¡±

    We exited the spiritual world and opened our eyes to dozens of worried eyes.

    The wooden boards that acted as the walls of the ward were gone.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I looked at Master Mary. ¡°Where¡¯s the ward?¡±

    ¡°That, you have to ask yourself.¡± Master Mary said dryly, ¡°A strong energy suddenly erupted from your body and instantly copsed the ward earlier. Fortunately, the team members caught the falling wooden board in time. Otherwise, there would be four more patients on the bed.¡±

    ¡°Oh, wow.¡±

    I was a little embarrassed as I realized that the explosion of the demonic shard in the river had caused the impact.

    Without waiting for me to exin, an impatient member asked, ¡°How¡¯s the captain?¡±

    ¡°The curse has been sessfully removed, but it still inevitably caused damage to the soul.¡± I extended my hands and worked with Master Kevin to wipe away the runes drawn with special paint. ¡°Since this is only a soul fragment of Captain Frank, we can¡¯t predict what effect this will have on him. The best result is that his soul can use its recovery ability to repair itself, and the worst result is that Captain Frank may suffer from soullessness. The aftereffects are unpredictable, and they can be big or small.¡±

    The team members celebrated excitedly when they heard that Frank¡¯s life was saved. However, the celebration immediately became amotion when I mentioned that there would be side effects.

    Suddenly, someone said, ¡°But you said you could cure Captain Frank!¡±

    This immediately attracted the support of many people, and as expected, it was Yuri again.

    I was too tired to argue with him. As I was about to help Master Kevin set up the ward for follow-up examinations, Yuri pulled me back.

    ¡°You said you could save him!¡± His eyes were as red as a bull in a Spanish bullring. ¡°But he was still hurt! You lied to us! You can¡¯t even protect Captain Frank! I don¡¯t trust you to get close to him!¡±

    The crowd behind him immediately voiced their support, trying in vain to iste me from the hospital bed, as if this would make Frank sit up and jump up and praise their wisdom.

    In the face of chaos, Master Mary angrily stopped them. ¡°Enough! Please don¡¯t bug me like a hooligan. Know your ce! Such an act is simply a disgrace to the werewolf warriors! Captain Frank needs follow-up treatment and rest now. You can eithere up and help rebuild the ward or get out and enjoy the cold wind to wake up!¡±

    But this time, her words didn¡¯t have the authority she had in the past. The agitated team members saw her as my ally and decided not to listen to her orders.

    Surrounded by the crowd, Yuri was like a king who had just ascended to the throne, with a subtle sense of pride hidden in his grief and anger.

    ¡°You should say this to yourself, Master Mary,¡± he said contemptuously. ¡°Do you know your ce? He was the leader of the werewolf grandmaster team and an external staff member of the advance party. You¡¯re just a support worker, do your research well. You don¡¯t have the right to give orders to battle-hardened soldiers!¡±

    With his silent consent, his supporters protected Captain Frank even more tightly and even pushed Master Kevin away.

    Master Mary was speechless and didn¡¯t expect him to be such a b*stard.

    The people in the third base were divided into two factions. The first faction was Yuri¡¯s party. They were resentful, and their actions were radical. It was as if they saw Dorothy and me as the main culprits of all disasters. They couldn¡¯t wait to sacrifice us to this strange snow mountain in exchange for safety.

    The other faction didn¡¯t stand on our side. They were shocked and confused, not understanding how things had developed into such a state of mutual hostility.

    The senior Kerner stood up and said, ¡°Everything can be discussed, Yuri. The most important thing now is to get the werewolf grandmasters to examine Captain Frank. As you have heard, the captain¡¯s soul, which is riddled with holes, is in danger. This is the field of expertise of the werewolf grandmasters. We have to let them do it. ¡±

    ¡°Come on, Kerner,¡± Yuri said. ¡°Don¡¯t act like a good senior. Do you think I don¡¯t know that these hypocritical nobles and schrs have bought over you? You¡¯re lucky to meet a ¡®good teacher¡¯ who can help you train your medical skills in this barren mountain. I don¡¯t know if you can use the sorcery of those heretics without any magic power!¡±

    Kerner and the other members, who were still in shock, were also angry.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be such a jerk!¡± A few team members stood up and said, ¡°Everyone is concerned about the captain¡¯s safety. Do you think it¡¯ll work if you keep the werewolf grandmasters away by pestering them? Either you can heal the captain, or you should quickly make way for someone who can heal the captain!¡±

 Chapter 227

    227 The Hypocritical Hero

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°No!¡± Yuri refused to move away. who can cure Captain? With those two noble girls? The captain wouldn¡¯t have to suffer like this if it weren¡¯t for them! Or did he have to rely on the two high and mighty schrs? Ha, who was the one who caused the chaos in the ruins of the witch n? Who messed up the backtrack formation and caused so manyrades to be injured? I don¡¯t trust these few half-filled bottles at all!¡±

    After speaking, he snorted and added with ill intentions, ¡°Do you believe them so easily? Did they mean that the curse was removed just because they said so? They imed that captain¡¯s soul was cursed, and you believed it?

    ¡°How do you know they¡¯re not just finding an excuse to cover up their ipetence? What if they were the ones who damaged the captain¡¯s soul? If the captain died after being treated, would you believe them if they said that they were too seriously injured to save him? Are you just going to watch your captain die for nothing?¡±

    Kerner was furious. ¡°ording to what you said, all the patients in the world can¡¯t trust doctors! Don¡¯t think that everyone is a coward like you. The captain used to protect you, but now that he¡¯s fallen. How dare you use him as a shield for your power?¡±

    Yuri¡¯s face immediately turned red after hearing Kerner¡¯s words. It was unknown whether it was because he was angry or because his thoughts were exposed.

    ¡°No one is allowed to get close to the captain tonight!¡±

    He stopped talking nonsense and unreasonably ordered the people to protect the bed firmly.

    ¡°Send a message to the pack now. Send the captain back to the pack to receive the goddess¡¯ blessing as soon as possible!¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re now using the goddess¡¯ name again?¡± I looked on coldly for a long time before I suddenly interrupted.

    Yuri red at me but didn¡¯t say anything. He acted like he didn¡¯t want to argue with me.

    But what right did he have to put on such a face? I didn¡¯t care before. He could do whatever he wanted. However, when I tried to argue with him, he had no right to refuse.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be silent, Yuri. Or would you prefer me to call you Captain Yuri?¡± I looked at him mockingly as if I was looking at an angry monkey.

    ¡°Take your hand back. Don¡¯t touch Captain Frank¡¯s waist. I know that¡¯s where he usually hangs the captain¡¯s badge, but for inspection, Master Kevin has already put the badge in Captain Frank¡¯s backpack. Otherwise, why haven¡¯t you found anything for so long?¡±

    Yuri retracted his hand as if he had touched a soldering iron and shouted, ¡°Cut the crap; I just happened to be standing here!¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± I pouted. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for you. You lost your major position ten years ago, and now you¡¯re not even close topeting for the rank of captain of the advance party against Frank. I thought you¡¯d be very resentful.¡±

    Yuri immediately stopped shouting, like a wild cat that had its neck grabbed, at a loss and bluffing.

    ¡°Also, about that girl, I feel sorry for you. It was a terrible experience. I can understand why you became so triggered.¡±

    I kept adding weight to the bnce of words.

    ¡°After all, it¡¯s enough to make people sigh for any young man to ruin his future because he failed to force himself on a noble girl. If you could do it all over again, I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t have been so impulsive, right?

    ¡°But you should also understand your boss. After all, no army would want an officer with a record of indecency. It¡¯s for your good to remove you from your position. You don¡¯t know how scary the media can be.

    ¡± Once the news of the ¡®young officer¡¯s attempted assault on a noble girl¡¯ is leaked, they will eat you and that innocent girl like sharks that smell blood. Do you think you have the right to talk to me today?

    ¡°I understand why you¡¯re doing this. After all, there are too few opportunities for a person to be in the limelight in their life. You must be very excited to be able to trample on the nobles and take over the position of leader under the eyes of the public as if they were looking at a hero, right?

    ¡°However, the truth is going to disappoint you. You can¡¯t use Dorothy and me as tools to y the hero, and you can¡¯t be a hero either because you are a hypocritical, disgusting, cowardly, and perverted criminal!

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that Captain Frank believed your lie so easily. If he knew that the son of his old friend, whom he had been taking care of, was just a b*stard who had obscene fantasies about underage girls, do you think he would still protect you like he would his son?¡±

    Yuri trembled in a sickly manner, and the high-spirited spirit he had a few minutes ago had vanished entirely. He tried his best to appear calm, making everyone think that what he said was all nderous. However, his increasingly hunched figure and constantly dodging eyes had already revealed the absolute truth.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Even Kerner¡¯s first reaction was to doubt whether I was telling the truth, and the team members were even more confused.

    ¡°That¡¯s all vulgar nder.¡± Yuri¡¯s lips trembled as he squeezed out a sharp rebuttal. ¡°Stop making up stories. Do you think you can stand up just because you¡¯re pouring dirty water on me? I admit that I¡¯m not a very sunny and enthusiastic person, but I swear to the heavens that I¡¯ve never done those dirty things you¡¯ve said! Myrades who fight alongside me will believe me!¡±

 Chapter 228

    228 Taking Over The Authority

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°How confident you are. But it¡¯s no use guilt-tripping your teammates. It doesn¡¯t change the fact that you¡¯re a criminal.¡±

    I leaned against the wooden pir and asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you answer my question? Three years ago, a reserved warrior had followed him for four months. Where did she go? You told Frank she couldn¡¯t withstand the harsh training and applied for a transfer, but was she willing to go to that remote pack you mentioned?¡±

    Yuri was extremely shocked as if he didn¡¯t expect me to know such a secret.

    ¡°What else?¡± He pretended to be calm and said, ¡°I¡¯m just an ordinary soldier. Do I have the right to transfer others away?¡±

    I shook my head with a smile. ¡°Shall I say it? You didn¡¯t control your lower body, did you? It¡¯s a pity that you underestimated the power of a female warrior and failed. You feared things would be exposed, so you used Captain Frank as a backer to force her away.

    ¡°There are too many of these things to count. Do you want me to give you a list?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re ndering me!¡±Yuri stomped his feet in anger. ¡°This is all nder! nder!¡±

    I took out a USB from my waist pouch and waved it casually. ¡°You should know if I¡¯m ndering you or not. You said it yourself. I¡¯m a noble with special privileges. So, make a guess. Before I came to the Rocky Mountains, did the royal family show me your background? Guess again, how many of the little tricks that you think are hidden have been exposed to the intelligence department?¡±

    After I brought out the evidence, Yuri couldn¡¯t take it anymore. However, for his crumbling pride, he still insisted, ¡°It¡¯s nder. It¡¯s all nder against...¡±

    At this point, the truth was already evident. Some team members who understood the truth immediately showed disgust and embarrassment, while others were still confused and did not dare to step forward.

    ¡± Alright, the time for nonsense is over. Now, please step aside.¡± I pushed Yuri aside. ¡°The examination is over. Captain Frank needs to rest. A proper rest. Everyone knows the standard of the base¡¯s soundproofing, so please try to keep your mouth shut.¡±

    As I did this, everyone was shocked to find that Yuri¡¯s followers had all been stunned on the spot. Behind these blockheads, Master Mary and Master Kevin were calmly packing their equipment after finishing their inspection.

    Under everyone¡¯s gaze, Master Mary calmly said, ¡°It¡¯s just an insignificant little trick, so I won¡¯t exin it to you. What if the sorcery of the heretics contaminates your noble ears? Wouldn¡¯t I havemitted an unforgivable crime?¡±

    Master Kevin snapped his fingers, and the dazed team members immediately fell to the ground like puppets with broken strings. After returning to their senses, they tried their best to drag their limp bodies away from Yuri, as if he was a fly with a deadly virus and they weren¡¯t the ones who had protected him just now.

    I came to the side and pointed to a few people. ¡°You guys,e and help build a new ward. The rest of you, stay here and rest. I¡¯ve already informed the pack to immediately send someone to bring Captain Frank back to receive further treatment. The members initially stationed at the third base will continue to stay behind, and the rest will set off in the early morning to escort Captain Frank down the mountain with me. ¡±

    Everyone was as obedient as quails.

    ¡°As for you,¡± I came to Yuri¡¯s gang, who were still suffering from the side effects of the bewitching spell, ¡°Take Yuri ande down the mountain with us in the early morning. However, there¡¯s no need for you to return. Follow the ne back to the pack. Someone will deal with you when yound.¡±

    ¡°You want to fire us?¡± Someone immediately retorted. ¡°You¡¯re not the captain. You don¡¯t have the right!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I do.¡± I waved the blue armband on my left arm. ¡°I¡¯m the captain of the temporary squadron. My position is the highest among the people present. I will take over all his authority when Captain Frank can¡¯t handle affairs ording to the rules, including firing a few members who didn¡¯t bring their brains out. Who knows if you¡¯ll show your fangs to your teammates after being incited by the devil?¡±

    A few of them retorted. ¡°I¡¯m a member of the third base. Other than Captain Frank, I¡¯m only under the jurisdiction of the person in charge of the third base. You have no right to decide whether I stay or leave. ¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± I shrugged nonchntly and looked at the person in charge of the third base, who was trying to keep his presence to the minimum. ¡°What do you think? ¡±

    Seeing that he couldn¡¯t avoid it, he sighed helplessly. ¡°ording to the regtions, all acts of disobeying one¡¯s superior are considered rebellious tendencies. The superior has the right to punish the subordinate with reprimand, confinement, and expulsion. If any of your subordinates have any objections, you can file aint to the supervisory organization.¡±

    ¡°Did you hear that?¡± I took off their armbands one by one. The inspection agency is waiting for you at the pack. You can do whatever you want after you get off the ne.¡±

    After dealing with the chaotic team members, I could finally sigh in relief. I turned around and saw Dorothy¡¯s sneaky smile.

    ¡°How impressive, Squadron Leader Selma.¡±

    ¡°Same to you, Miss Dorothy.¡±

    I stuffed the new USB drive back into my pocket.

    It was just a cover. It was my secret weapon; no one here could guess it except my people.

 Chapter 229

    229 The Escape

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Most of what I¡¯d said about Yuri was true. I knew his past wasn¡¯t fake, but it wasn¡¯t the royal family who investigated him for me.

    Just as he was trying to stir up conflict, Dorothy had already seen through his past actions. That was why I knew so much dark stuff that no one knew about.

    ¡°How are your eyes?¡± I whispered concernedly, ¡°You¡¯ve already used the Eye of Insight twice today. Let us know if you can¡¯t take it anymore.¡±

    ¡°I feel pretty good,¡± Dorothy said with a calm expression. ¡°Or rather, I don¡¯t feel anything at all.¡±

    With the disappearance of the demonic shards, Frank¡¯s condition gradually stabilized. At the very least, his high fever had steadily subsided. But he was still unconscious, and the situation we were most worried about still happened.

    Master Kevin expressed his helplessness. ¡°This is a ssic case of a soul lossa. There are too many soul fragments, and the soul cannot support a body¡¯s movement. Unless we can find the remaining soul fragments and put them together, Captain Frank only has two to three months left.¡±

    How could it turn out like this?

    He had tried his best to save her, but he still couldn¡¯t get a satisfactory result. It would be a lie to say that he wasn¡¯t disappointed or anxious. However, facing a group of members without a leader, I had to pick up the spirit of a leader.

    When Master Mary received the news from the pce, the ne rushed to the safe house at its fastest speed. Due to the situation¡¯s urgency, the helicopter in charge of picking up captain Frank would arrive before six in the morning. The rest of the deported members had to wait for the ne that came in the morning.

    This meant we had to leave immediately and get to the safe house before the helicopter arrived.

    I called for the construction of the ward to be called off and immediately led a group of team members and Captain Frank down the mountain.

    Dorothy and Master Mary needed to bring the captain¡¯s exclusive supplies and equipment back to the ruins of the witch n. Before leaving, Dorothy quietly told me, ¡°Be careful of Yuri. He doesn¡¯t look like an honest person.¡±

    ¡°What did you see?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t use the Eye of Insight this time. Perhaps I overused it unknowingly, so it didn¡¯t respond to me. However, I feel that he won¡¯t be tamed so easily. He¡¯s an ambitious viin, and it¡¯s hard to say if he won¡¯t do something harmful to protect himself.¡±

    Yuri was no longer a threat. I was more concerned about Dorothy¡¯s eyes. ¡°Overdrawn? Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier? I shouldn¡¯t have allowed you to use the Eye of Insight. It¡¯s all my fault. I had a way to help, but I still put you in danger.¡±

    Dorothy appeared rather cold toward this and did not want to talk much about her health. She only told me, ¡°I¡¯ll be fine after taking care of it. You, on the other hand, must not let your guard down. This is a strange snow mountain, and anything strange can happen.¡±

    The night¡¯s blizzard was as cold and hard as a knife. At this moment, I envied the members who could transform into wolves the most. Their thick fur and tough skin were the best protection.

    Unknowingly, the eastern sky had turned white.

    After recuperating for a short while at the first base, I was about to tell my team members to continue their journey when there was a suddenmotion.

    A few secondster, a team member hurriedly came to report, ¡°Something happened, Captain! I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with Yuri, but he suddenly attacked the team members guarding him and escaped into the mountains!¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    I quickly sent people to look for him, but the snow-capped mountains were vast, and hiding a person was as easy as hiding a grain of rice in the sea. Yuri had used some unknown method to hide his scent, and even the wolves with the most sensitive sense of smell couldn¡¯t tell where he went,

    ¡°An evil magic tool.¡± Master Kevin said, ¡°I can feel the subtle residual magic fluctuations. This kind of trick is not very clever, but the open environment of snow mountains can better exert its effect.¡±

    ¡°Do you know what it is?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s probably some disposable item sealed with anti-tracking sorcery. The sorcery contained in this kind of thing is extremely easy to lose its effect. It¡¯s usually a second-grade item used to cheat people on the ck market. I didn¡¯t expect to let Yuri escape by ident.¡±

    Master Kevin took out a small ss bottle from his arms as he spoke. Inside it was a few strands of brown hair.

    ¡°Mary reminded me to prepare a backup n. She always has foresight.¡± He handed the bottle to me. This is Yuri¡¯s hair. I can track his location through it. Do you want to find him now?¡±

    ¡°No, we can¡¯t take care of him now.¡± I returned the bottle to Master Kevin. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it after we send Captain Frank back. We can wait, but he can¡¯t.¡±

    At 5:30, we arrived at the safe house, travel-worn. The morning in the countryside always started earlier than in the city, and smoke was already rising from the kitchen chimneys of many families. It was not easy to hide from people, especially a group of well-equipped men and women. It was hard to convince others that we were on vacation.

    It was almost six o¡¯clock. While we were anxiously waiting, the helicopter finally arrived. It was apanied by excellent medical equipment and professional medical staff. I briefly exined Frank¡¯s situation to them and watched as the helicopter rumbled away.

 Chapter 230

    230 The Pursuit

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    After the critically ill patient left, it was time to chase after the little mouse.

    Master Kevin mumbled as he lit the hair in the ss bottle. The drifting gray smoke gradually formed a simple map.

    ¡°Yuri didn¡¯t leave the mountain. He¡¯s heading northwest.¡±

    Northwest? Wasn¡¯t that the same as going up the mountain? And it was at the base¡¯s location and the witch n¡¯s ruins. What was Yuri trying to do? Wasn¡¯t he afraid of being caught?

    ¡°Where did he go? A base or the ruins?¡±

    ¡°Nowhere.¡± Master Kevin gave me a shocking answer. ¡°In fact, he¡¯s on his way to the public order squad.¡±

    The public order squad?

    What was he doing there? Did he think the public order squad didn¡¯t know about his evil deeds? Although themunication equipment could not reach the public order squad¡¯s base from the witch n¡¯s ruins due to environmental conditions, the distance between the third base and the public order squad was not too far. By now, almost everyone in the advance party knew what Yuri had done.

    Wait, maybe his target wasn¡¯t the public order squad?

    What if his destination was the human camp?

    ¡°This damn b*stard!¡± I immediately understood Yuri¡¯s intentions. He knew he had no way out, so he decided to gamble and sell our information to the human camp. This idiot! Didn¡¯t he know about the history of humans and werewolves? Compared to trust and wealth, it was better to be burned at the stake!

    ¡°Pursue Yuri with all your might! We can¡¯t let him escape to the human camp!¡±

    It was a pity that the safe house was too far away from the public order squad¡¯s stronghold. Otherwise, we could¡¯ve attacked Yuri from the front and back.

    For now, I could only contact Dorothy through the mind link. ¡°Send the Soul Sparrow to the public order squad immediately. Yuri has defected and is most likely heading for the human camp. Tell the public order squad to stop him by all means!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s happening? The Soul Sparrow has already set off and will arrive in about half an hour.¡±

    ¡°Yuri injured the guards and ran up the mountain. He couldn¡¯t have returned to the base or the ruins to walk into the trap. The only possibility is the human camp.¡±

    ¡°Do we need Master Mary to inform the pack about this?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Ask my father to please investigate Yuri¡¯s past. I need to know if he has any suspicious records of human contact.¡±

    No matter how I thought about it, I felt that it was impossible for Yuri not to know what he would get if he rashly ran to the humans, but he still ran away without hesitation. It was hard not to suspect his confidence came from his long-established contact with humans.

    I¡¯d have to wait until all the deported members had been picked up before I could leave, so I¡¯d get my team members to go after him. At ten in the morning, I went up the mountain to meet with my team members.

    Holding a burning hair that Master Kevin left me, the gray smoke led me to the canyon entrance.

    Yuri was hiding nearby. What was he doing in the canyon? Could it be that he knew how to pass through the folded space?

    I saw a signal from the distant hillside. My team members were also camping here.

    There were countless rocks of various sizes scattered at the entrance of the canyon, and it was easy to hide in the cracks of the rocks. Due to the blind spots created by the rocks, even the marshall squad members who upied the high ground could not see every corner.

    We couldn¡¯t just search the area. This ce was too close to the human camp, and any movement would easily alert the other party.

    The burning hair could only provide us with an approximate location. Next, it would be time for us to y hide-and-seek with Yuri.

    ¡°Dorothy,¡± I called out in my heart. ¡°Can you get the Soul Sparrow to help us explore the cracks between the rocks?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Dorothy said.

    ¡°Be careful, don¡¯t allow Yuri to hurt the sparrow.¡±

    Yuri¡¯s hiding skills were as slippery as his own. Every time the sparrow touched him, he would disappear into the corner of the crack in the next second. However, just as he was hiding, my team members and I had already quietly surrounded and narrowed down his activity range until he had nowhere else to run.

    Knowing that he was in trouble, Yuri said, ¡°Don¡¯t be so heartless. Why can¡¯t you treat me as dead or missing? A brawler who was like a stray dog would not pose any danger to the pack. For the sake of the werewolves, why can¡¯t you let me live?¡±

    ¡°No one wants you to die, Yuri,¡± I said coldly. ¡°Although you¡¯re disgusting, you don¡¯t deserve to die. You¡¯ll receive a fair judgment in the pack.¡±

    ¡°A fair judgment? Ha!¡± Yuri spat in disdain.

    ¡°What is justice? Is it fair that I would be punished without asking for the reason for going against his superior? Is it fair to be judged by a group of noble judges? Being denied for a lifetime because of a small mistake is fair? Please don¡¯t kid yourself; you believe in justice only because you can control it! For amoner like me, fairness is just a matter of the first sentence!

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll be so na?ve as to believe a hypocritical noble? People like you are the best at using pretty words to trick ordinary people and then shoot them in the back when they are defenseless!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so jealous of the world. In fact, you are not the hero of equal rights that you fantasized about because a hero would not use ss as an excuse tomit atrocities on innocent girls.

    ¡°I wanted to save you some facest night, but it seems you don¡¯t need it.¡±

 Chapter 231

    231 Captured

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°Let¡¯s be clear-you have no right to use your past as an excuse for revenge. Why should you feel wronged? That girl did express her feelings to you first, but do you dare to swear to Moon Goddess that you loved her and had no intention of using her family background to make a name for yourself?

    ¡°Stop acting like you¡¯re pure who doesn¡¯t bow down for five buckets of rice. You keep denouncing the nobles¡¯ privilege, but do you really hate it, or are you resentful that you¡¯re not the one who has the privilege?

    ¡°You¡¯re too stupid, Yuri. You¡¯re an idiot who can¡¯t hide your schemes, yet you¡¯re still smug about it. You made such a big deal out of it that the heartbroken girl left you. And what did you do? You didn¡¯t reflect on your mistakes at all and instead tried to force her family to agree to your marriage by defiling a young girl¡¯s innocence.

    ¡°Oh my god, have you watched too many pce dramas? Destroying the so-called ¡®chastity¡¯ would only traumatize the girl for the rest of her life. As long as her parents were not mentally retarded, they would never agree to their daughter marrying a rapist. And you, Yuri Marvel, you will be sentenced for attempted rape of an underage girl, and you will live under the control of others for the rest of your life. You won¡¯t even be able to keep your identity as a warrior today, let alone achieve meteoric sess.

    ¡°I don¡¯t expect people like you to recognize your mistakes. You only have to stretch out your hands for us to tie them obediently. I¡¯ll throw upst night¡¯s meal if I look at such a disgusting person like you!¡±

    Under everyone¡¯s gazes, Yuri, who I had just exposed, was about to explode from embarrassment and anger. He panted heavily, his limbs convulsing in a sickly manner, and his eyes stared at me as if they were on fire. However, I was already used to his mad bull-like behavior and directly gestured to the team members beside me to subdue him.

    However, the situation changed in an instant.

    ¡°Let me see, where did this puppye from?¡±

    A rough male voice suddenly interrupted us. We looked up and were shocked to find that the rocks were filled with humans!

    ¡°You!¡±

    Other than Yuri, who else could have done this?

    ¡°You¡¯re stalling for time!¡±

    Seeing that his ally had arrived, Yuri was very proud. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. Why? Did our great Captain Selma not see any clues? Vignce is the most basic quality of a werewolf warrior. With your level, you are still far from it!¡±

    ¡°How did you do it?¡± I couldn¡¯t believe it. Even if I didn¡¯t notice it, it was impossible for so many experienced members not to notice it. The senses of werewolves were much sharper than humans. Even the slightest movement shouldn¡¯t have escaped our eyes.

    Yuri didn¡¯t say anything. He had just joined the human camp that surrounded us.

    Roughly counting, there were forty to fifty humans with guns. We didn¡¯t have the advantage in numbers. Of course, we were good in terms of strength. Even the strongest human couldn¡¯t beat the slimmest team member. However, physical strength was no longer important with the enhancement of firearms.

    Aldrich was right about one thing, the impression of the weak humans in the werewolves¡¯ eyes was no longer what they looked like in the old era.

    The team members were all waiting for my orders. Should we force our way in or surrender?

    Of course, I could guarantee my safety. New Flow could easily turn a strong man into a patient. But what about the team members? Bullets didn¡¯t have eyes. Looking at how these humans looked like they were dressed in silver, the bullets in their guns were probably silver.

    It was better to pretend to be captured and wait for the opportunity to escape in the dead of night.

    I was the first to raise my hand slowly. The other members saw this and also surrendered.

    ¡°Good dog,¡± the bearded man who spoke first tied me up with a leather rope mixed with silver wire. What reward do you want? A sausage? Or a new cor?¡±

    ¡°Cut the crap, sunny man.¡± Pretending to surrender didn¡¯t mean that I would swallow my anger. ¡°What now? Has your life failed so much that you want to find a sense of aplishment by talking dirty to the captives?¡±

    The human instantlyughed, but the big-bearded man was not angry. He only said with hidden meaning, ¡°Sharp-tongued girl, I hope you enjoy our hospitality.¡±

    Come on, Locke, she doesn¡¯t even like you.¡± A few rough men joined in. ¡°It seems that the trip to the snow mountain has made our sharpshooter bored to death!¡±

    Lockeughed as he cursed. He carried me and left with hispanions.

    We were locked up in a hidden cave in the human camp. Besides the entrance that was firmly sealed off by a silver-ted iron door, we were surrounded by hard and cold rock formations on all four sides. There was no way to break through from the inside. The warriors and I were locked up together while Master Kevin was brought to a tent by the humans.

    ¡°Hey! I¡¯m the leader. If you have any problems,e at me!¡± I struggled to make them shift their attention from Master Kevin to me.

    However, the humans were unmoved. Locke threw me into the cave and moved his arms. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, little girl. Everyone will get a share. It will be your turn soon.¡±

    I was going crazy. Unlike the soldiers, Master Kevin had never received any interrogation training and didn¡¯t know how to deal with an interrogation full of traps. I wouldn¡¯t naively bet on the friendliness of humans toward werewolves. Even if they didn¡¯t torture Master Kevin, they must be saints.

 Chapter 232

    232 The Seal

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Soon, Master Kevin was brought back. He didn¡¯t seem to be injured. Other than being a little dispirited, he was in perfect condition.

    ¡°What did they do to you?¡± I nervously guarded against the guards and pulled Master Kevin into the cell¡¯s depths. How do you feel?¡±

    Master Kevin looked sickly and whispered, ¡°They didn¡¯t torture me, nor did they ask me anything. They just put a seal on me.¡±

    ¡°A seal?¡±

    ¡°Yes, my magic power has been sealed.¡± He had never been so serious before. ¡°There is a powerful sorcerer here. No, it might be a powerful human sorcerer. He is more powerful than any witch or wizard I¡¯ve ever seen, and the evil aura on his body is almost solid. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s a believer of some evil god, and he¡¯s already offered his body and soul to his master, which is why he¡¯s so powerful.¡±

    ¡°A human sorcerer?¡±

    Just as I was gasping in surprise, Dorothy inhaled sharply.

    Yes, I¡¯d been contacting Dorothy through the mind link, as this was the only way to contact anyone outside.

    When I pretended to surrender, I informed Dorothy. She told me that Aldrich and Master Mary had already informed the pce and were thinking of countermeasures. The public order squad would temporarily end their surveince work and return to the base. They would try their best to cooperate with me.

    Before I could say anything to Master Kevin, a few humans roughly dragged me out of the cell.

    I was brought to a tent that was surrounded by many tents. This ordinary-looking tent had a different world inside. It was ten times bigger than its appearance and decorated like a luxurious pce.

    An old man with a white beard was sitting on the golden and gorgeous throne in the center. He seemed kind, but even I, who knew nothing about magic, could smell the disgusting rotten smell in his soul.

    ¡°Wee, Miss Selma from the werewolf pack.¡±

    His voice wasn¡¯t as old as his appearance. He sounded like a seventeen or eighteen-year-old high school student.

    ¡°Forgive our rudeness, but due to the disparity in power, we had no choice but to use some forceful methods to ensure our safety.¡±

    ¡°A great disparity in strength?¡± I sarcastically waved the silver wire leather rope burning my skin in my hand and turned back to look at the shiny silver bullet magazine on the guard¡¯s waist. ¡°Forgive me for being blunt, but you¡¯re either in the silver mine business, or no one would be so bored as to set silver on the soles of their shoes. ¡±

    ¡°As I said, this is just a little trick I¡¯m forced to use. You don¡¯t speak like ady, child.¡±

    The white-bearded old man furrowed his brows and gently waved his hand. The leather rope that bound my arms immediately tightened. I could feel that the silver wire was burning hot, easily cutting my skin as if it were cutting tofu.

    The old man remained unmoved in the face of my re. He only said, ¡°I fully understand your wariness of us, but for safety reasons, I think you can¡¯t contact yourpanions for the time being. Yuri said you have a sister in Gorndbell Vige. Are you going to cut off contact with her yourself, or do you want me to help you?¡±

    What?

    Yuri, that damn traitor! I knew he wasn¡¯t loyal, but he had sold out his formerrades too thoroughly!

    Fortunately, Aldrich had also anticipated that Yuri would reveal everything to the humans, so Master Mary was using the remaining magic circle of the witch n¡¯s ruins to arrange an invisible magic circle to hide the traces of the witch n¡¯s ruins and avoid facing the enemy head-on in a disadvantageous situation.

    My silence was taken as a form of resistance. The old man sighed helplessly. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll still have to move my old bones.¡±

    The tight leather rope bound me tightly, and I couldn¡¯t move at all. I could only watch as the old man ced his withered hands on my head. The old man chanted a strange incantation, and I felt a wave of dizziness. Then, I could no longer sense Dorothy¡¯s existence.

    ¡°Just a little insurance. Don¡¯t worry. It won¡¯t harm you or your rtionship with your sister.¡± The old manughed. ¡°You should be d that you haven¡¯t been able to transform freely into your wolf. Otherwise, I would have to lock up your soul partner as well. She¡¯s really a hot-tempered girl. You don¡¯t want her to be hurt by the seal, do you?¡±

    ¡°What are you guys trying to do?¡± I stared at him coldly. ¡°Humans and werewolves have not interfered with each other for many years. Aren¡¯t you afraid of starting a war between the two races by attacking us so suddenly? ¡±

    The old man returned to his throne and chuckled.

    ¡°Yuri said that you¡¯re the niece of the werewolf queen. I do not doubt that offending you is offending the werewolf race. Yourpatriots will not hesitate toe to the snow mountain to reason with me. Looking at the time, perhaps I only have a few hours of quiet time left, right? You¡¯ve reminded me that I have to finish my chores quickly so I can get down to business as soon as possible. There¡¯s not much time left, and I must leave at night.¡±

    As he spoke, he suddenly started to mumble to himself. He looked like a crazy old man.

    He waved his hand, and the guards immediately brought me out.

    What did he mean by ¡®leaving at night¡¯?

    What was the purpose of this group of humansing to the Rocky Mountains? Where were they going?

 Chapter 233

    233 Mutation

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Every team member was called over by that strange old man alone once. None of them were interrogated or tortured. Some were sealed like me, while others were inexplicably brought back after a round.

    Fortunately, no one was injured. As for the problem of the seal, if Master Kevin could not solve it, it would be useless for the rest of the people to worry.

    This group of humans didn¡¯t care about our lives. They didn¡¯t send us any supplies, let alone food and water. Through the gap in the iron bars, I could see that the humans were breaking out of their camp. They seemed to be unconcerned about theing night and were preparing to rush on their way.

    During this time, Locke came to inspect us once. He still had that frivolous look and didn¡¯t listen to us at all. He only asked a few questions and told us to prepare to leave.

    ¡°Four legs are always faster than two legs.¡± He smiled maliciously. ¡°Enjoy the rest of the journey!¡±

    Very quickly, we knew what he meant.

    At night, the humans violently pulled us out of our rooms. At this time, there were no buildings in the human camp, only teams of heavily armed men standing in the snow. I noticed that a few women were standing between the tall men. They were wearingrge mink cloaks and standing barefoot in the snow. Their expressions were cowering, but there was also a hint of disharmonious anticipation as if they didn¡¯t feel cold at all.

    The white-bearded old man stood out from the crowd, and the rest of the people respectfully called him ¡®Archpriest¡¯.

    ¡°Calm down, children,¡± the priest said, calming the restless crowd. ¡°I know you¡¯re all excited about what¡¯s going to happen tonight. It¡¯s going to be an unprecedented feat! Our master, our god, the eternal lord who has given us supreme glory and revelry, has been shackled by the Rocky Mountains for too long. Tonight, we will bring freedom to him! We will receive immortality and supreme joy in the eternal night as a reward!¡±

    The crowd burst into cheers. Their eyes were bloodshot, and they looked like some wild beast had possessed them.

    ¡°Three hundred years ago, our master was framed by the werewolf¡¯s adopted son and the witch¡¯s daughter in the quiet Rocky Mountains. Fortunately, the right path will not be buried by hypocrisy. We have witch sisters who have converted to my lord, willing to sacrifice themselves and use their pure and wless virgin bodies to wash away the grave mistakes made by our ancestors!¡±

    The priest pointed at the girls who were gathered together because of the cold. They smiled shyly and proudly, unaware of how dirty and disgusting the men looked at them.

    Then, the priest pointed at us and said, ¡°And the descendants of these sinners, my brave warriors, you¡¯ve personally caught the most suitable carriage for my Lord. Let¡¯s put them in eternal shackles and atone for their ancestors¡¯ offense to our lord through endlessbor!¡±

    What was this crazy old man saying?

    The sense of danger instantly made my hair stand on end, but before I could do anything, the priest mumbled a series of spells that made people feel dizzy and nauseous.

    Those blurry characters were like sharp silver needles piercing into my ears, flowing through my blood vessels into my five viscera and six bowels, bringing a burst of pain as if they were being burned by sulfuric acid!

    I couldn¡¯t help but convulse. My windpipe contracted violently, and my lungs were squeezed to the limit by the carbon dioxide that couldn¡¯t be discharged. It expanded violently and squeezed my other organs.

    My bones felt like they had been smashed inch by inch by an iron hammer and then pieced together haphazardly by cheap superglue. The sharp bone spikes cut through my muscles and skin, and the blood that flowed out corroded my internal organs and bones like a strong acid.

    I was like a ball of sticine rubbed and rubbed by others. The pain that exceeded my tolerance limit made me unable to concentrate, let alone mobilize New Flow¡¯s power.

    My eyes were dyed red by the blood. In my dark red vision, I saw the members around me turn into their wolves in a painful and twisted posture. They were not as strong and beautiful as they used to be. Instead, they were like puppies bad children killed in the rain. Their postures were distorted, and their faces were filled with pain, but they could not resist the pain inflicted by the outside world.

    I could feel myself constantly distorting and reforming as I reincarnated. This wasn¡¯t like the powerful new life I had in the cocoon. On the contrary, it was just destroying my body for no reason. In the end, when all the torture had stopped, I couldn¡¯t even feel any of my limbs. I couldn¡¯t move at all except for my eyes.

    Heavy panting sounds could be heard from my team members, who hadpletely transformed into wolves. They could still vaguely see the shadows of their human forms, but their chaotic eyes showed that their rationality had fallen into a deep sleep in the abyss of their souls.

    ¡°What did you do? ¡± I let out a sigh of relief from the pain.

    The archpriest carefully observed the wolves¡¯ appearance and fur. Finally, he came to me and said with regret and dissatisfaction, ¡°Look, an unexpected failure. Can a wolf cub that can¡¯t even transform be a warrior? Ah, the werewolf race has really deteriorated.¡±

 Chapter 234

    234 Azazel

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I stared at him. ¡°What the hell did you do?!¡±

    The archpriestughedcently. With a wave of his hand, ice, snow, and rocks formed several carriages.

    ¡°I¡¯ve said it before. You must atone for my lord¡¯s sins with eternal time.¡± He waved his hand again, and the confused wolves obediently put themselves on the carriage. It would be best if you were happy from the bottom of your hearts that you have be the pulling horses of the divine carriage.

    I couldn¡¯t hold back the urge to curse out loud, but I didn¡¯t even have the strength to open my mouth.

    The archpriest directed everyone to get on the carriage and drove the witches, who seemed to be sacrifices, to the most gorgeous carriage driven by a she-wolf. Locke kicked me when he passed by and asked, ¡°What should we do with this girl?¡±

    ¡°Take her with you,¡± the priest said. ¡°I can feel she¡¯s still a virgin in her blood, which makes her a good candidate for my lord¡¯s one-night bride.¡±

    ¡°Her? No man would be able to take this tattered appearance.¡±

    ¡°Shut up! Don¡¯t use your filthy words to insult the greatness of my lord! He led everything that had existed, and all reality had his instructions. We don¡¯t have the right to deal with it on behalf of my master. We need to bring her to my master for trial.¡±

    Locke pouted and obediently threw me into a carriage.

    There were only two people in this narrow stone carriage. One was me, and the other was Yuri.

    Upon seeing me, Yuriughed maliciously. ¡°Look who this is-our great Captain Selma. What, a nobledy of noble blood, actually made herself look so embarrassed? You¡¯re not even worthy of carrying my master¡¯s shoes! You won¡¯t be a bride overnight. You won¡¯t even live past tonight.¡±

    I wanted to jump up and bite this vicious viin to death, but the reality was that I could only lie on the cold stone and die. I could see blood oozing out of the wounds all over my body, but I couldn¡¯t feel any pain. I thought my spine had probably been shattered, which was the fundamental reason my brain lost contact with my body.

    I wondered if the werewolves¡¯ powerful recovery ability could restore a flour-like spine.

    At this critical moment, I could only think about how to find joy amid suffering.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that, miss.¡± Yuri kicked me. ¡°You¡¯re looking at me like I¡¯m some unpardonable traitor. But you have to be clear that you were the ones who kicked me out first, deprived me of my status, honor, and credit, and stepped on me like a bug, not allowing me to rise. You treat me as a stain and wish I had never appeared. Since that¡¯s the case, why should I wag my tail and beg for pity from my enemy? The world is so big, there must be a ce for me, for example, a human.¡±

    ¡°You asked for it,¡± I snarled. ¡°Because you¡¯re a bug scoundrel.¡±

    Yuri kicked me in the chest. I heard a crack, probably a broken rib. But I couldn¡¯t feel any pain.

    ¡°Alright, you stubborn little girl.¡± Yuri suppressed his anger. ¡°You can try to show off again, but when we reach my master¡¯s pce, all you can do is scream in fear!¡±

    ¡°A pce?¡± I sneered. ¡°You guys call the seal a pce. This is a typical heretic way of self-constion.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve guessed it. That¡¯s right, the ce you have disrespectfully called the devil¡¯s seal is my master¡¯s temporary pce. Continue to be stubborn, Selma. I can¡¯t wait to see you wet your pants before my lord.¡±

    The long convoy was like a centipede walking on a wool nket. Strange and eerie music came from its limbs, carrying heavy sins into the darkness in the distance.

    Yuri hummed an unknown tune to the music, repeatedly singing praises to the so-called ¡®Lord¡¯.

    I felt that I had recovered some of my strength. ¡°Who is your Lord?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s toote to convert now. The turkey on the table is not qualified to believe in my lord,¡± Yuri said disdainfully.

    ¡°At least let me be a ghost with an understanding.¡±

    ¡°Are you begging me?¡± he suddenly became interested. ¡°It¡¯s so strange. Even the high and mighty nobles know how to bow their heads in prayer?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I replied calmly. ¡°I¡¯m indeed begging you, Yuri. I know that I¡¯m not going to escape death tonight. At least let me know his name so I can tell the Moon Goddess about my life after I die.¡±

    Yuri suddenly burst outughing.

    ¡°What a naive girl! I¡¯m starting to pity you!¡± He grabbed my face roughly. ¡°Are you still fantasizing about enjoying life after death? Stop dreaming! Whether you be a one-night bride or a little dessert, you will forever be my master¡¯s ve. Whether alive or dead, you will never be able to escape!¡±

    ¡°This is the great, greedy, vicious god of original sin, Azazel. He will have it for a lifetime if he has it now!¡±

    Looking at Yuri¡¯s deranged face, I didn¡¯t have any reaction. I even felt likeughing.

    How did this idiot pass the warrior assessment? Even a three-year-old child could easily get information out of him.

 Chapter 235

    235 The Rescue

    Aldrich¡¯s POV:

    When Dorothy told me that the mind link had been cut off, I knew things had gotten out of control.

    I immediately decided to go to the rescue, but Master Mary stopped me.

    ¡°Calm down, General Aldrich,¡± she emphasized my identity. ¡°You know better than I do how dangerous it is to attack when we don¡¯t know whether the enemy is friend or foe. There are still so many members waiting for your instructions in the base and the ruins. Once you leave now, everything will be in chaos, and it won¡¯t help anything.¡±

    I understood the current situation better than she did, but this did not weaken my determination to save Selma.

    I gathered all the team members in the remains and assigned them their tasks.

    The three bases were our important supply stations and retreat points. We couldn¡¯t lose them or panic. We must maintain a state of readiness and be ready to provide reinforcements at any time.

    The value of the witch n¡¯s ruins wasn¡¯t that great anymore. Most books, antiques, and other items have been packed and backed up and could be discarded anytime. Therefore, only a small team of members was left there to guard the ce. If anything happened to the main force, they would meet up with the reinforcements from the three bases to further support or retreat.

    There were only about eighty members and a few werewolf grandmasters left. Based on the information that Selma had sent back, the human team had about a hundred people, and at least forty were armed. In terms ofbat power, we were on par.

    However, Master Mary judged that the other party must have at least one powerful witch or wizard. Master Kevin¡¯s strength was almost the same as Master Mary¡¯s, and even he could not resist it. Master Mary was not confident in winning against the other party, not to mention the other werewolf grandmasters who were good at research.

    From the looks of it, we were at a disadvantage.

    The reinforcements from the pce had already set off, but they would only arrive at night even if they used the fastest speed. Selma and the rest of the team had less chance of survival every minute we waited. We must immediately set off to rescue them.

    A head-on confrontation was not a wise move, but stealth was also a werewolf¡¯s specialty.

    We¡¯d first lead the rescue team to the public order squad¡¯s base.

    Eve was waiting anxiously. She said that when she saw Selma¡¯s squadron being attacked, the public order squad had wanted to go to the rescue, but Selma had sent out a dangerous retreat signal. They had no choice but to observe the news from the periphery, but they did not gain much.

    ¡°We¡¯ve been tricked,¡± she said in a depressed and self-reproaching tone. ¡°There¡¯s a smokescreen outside the human camp. The humans broadcasted all the camping activities we¡¯ve observed over the past few days for us to see. We waited for a few days until the group of humans brought Selma and the others back to the camp. Only then did we realize that the men on guard outside the camp were cooking in the camp simultaneously! I¡¯m willing to ept any punishment for my oversight.¡±

    Dorothy was even more reproachful, ¡°I should have seen through it. I could have been the one to make it happen!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s my and Frank¡¯s negligence. We shouldn¡¯t have let down our guard against humans, especially these strange humans.¡±

    The smokescreen was still in effect. We could only see the humans in the camp chatting and ying cards, but I knew that the reality hidden behind this illusion could be bloody.

    How was Selma now?

    Did those humans do anything to her?

    Whenever I thought about the cruel torture the humans would do and the treatment Selma might suffer, I felt like a knife was cutting my heart. I constantly berated myself for my carelessness.

    I¡¯d dealt with so many humans, and I knew their means. How could I be at ease with her bringing a few members to the human camp? I¡¯d seen so many schemes and plots. I should have known that the traitor Yuri was deliberately luring Selma into a trap! I should have discovered his betrayal long ago!

    ¡°Hey, rx.¡± Master Mary gave me a nudge. ¡°Stay calm. Don¡¯t let your anxiety mess up your judgment.¡±

    Calm down.

    In a situation where the enemy¡¯s situation was unknown, rashly attacking was an act of asking for death. After trying every method but still being unable to break through the barrier of the concealment technique, I realized that I only had one choice left.

    Tonight was the night of the full moon, and the night was the moon¡¯s home. Under the moonlight, the strength of the werewolves would increase exponentially. Even bullets couldn¡¯t prate our fur, which was tougher than steel.

    We¡¯d decided to go to the other side of the mountain, the other side of the canyon passage, and take advantage of the night to attack the human camp from above.

    The snow hitting our faces was more painful than steel needles, and the cold rocks tried to stick us to their rugged bodies forever. However, this pain was nothingpared to the earlier feelings in my heart. I didn¡¯t even dare to think about the treatment Selma might have to suffer. The pain and blood in my imagination were like red cloth that attracted the bullfighting bull. Just one look at it would cause my heart to ache so much that I would go crazy.

    The sun set, and the stars and moon filled the sky.

    The night came quietly.

    The team members quietly changed their shifts and formed a wolf formation. I wanted to give the order to attack, but I stopped when Morgan came out.

    The camouge disappeared, and the human camp vanished with it. There were only ancient carriages left in the open snowfield. They were lined up in a row and galloped toward the shadow of the mandrill.

    Under the moonlight, I could see the figures pulling the carriage.

    They were many wolves with distorted bodies!

 Chapter 236

    236 Dressing Up

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The power I absorbed in the past continuously strengthened my body, allowing my self-healing ability to exceed that of the average werewolf. Half an hourter, I could gradually feel the pain from the wound.

    At this moment, I didn¡¯t even know if this was good news or bad news.

    ¡°We¡¯re going up the mountain,¡± said Maxine. ¡°Do you see the forest outside? I don¡¯t feel like they are natural, but rather, they¡¯re moving.¡±

    Yes, through the door¡¯s gap, I could see strange-looking pine trees emerging from both sides of the road. At first nce, they seemed to appear from the shadows under the moonlight, but the messy traces on the snow showed that these wooden monsters were moving in a way that upright animals could not understand.

    I remembered that I had marked a pine forest and nned to use it to find the location of the devil¡¯s seal. This was great. There was no need to go through the trouble. There was a ¡®special car¡¯ to send me there directly.

    After I recovered some strength, I tried to use the river to touch the pine trees by the roadside. However, before I could do anything, the caravan suddenly stopped.

    After a while, the archpriest came to the car I was in.

    He looked at me, lying in the car like an earthworm, and asked in dissatisfaction and disdain, ¡°What have you done, miss?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I pretended not to know anything. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±

    He grabbed my hair and pulled on it, causing my wounds to hurt. I could only hold back my trembling and pretend to be a cripple to cover up my abnormal recovery ability. Fortunately, I was covered by a thick coat, so he didn¡¯t see anything wrong.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re ying some tricks.¡± The archpriest pulled me by my hair and dragged me out of the car. ¡°Some strange tricks you found in some corner. Given your status, I¡¯m not surprised that the Lycan Queen would give you a life-saving trump card.¡±

    He ordered a few strong men to lift me and take me to his carriage.

    ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter. In my lord¡¯s eyes, all schemes and intrigues can¡¯t be hidden.¡± He motioned for the brawny man to throw me into the carriage. ¡°But to avoid trouble, I hope you are quiet for the rest of the journey and be a prouddy.¡±

    Perhaps he was dissatisfied with the blood on my body. He frowned and snapped his fingers.

    The snow on the ground suddenly rose and wrapped around me in a few seconds. The blood on my body, including my clothes, was all dissolved by the strange snow. Immediately after, the pine trees and shrubs on both sides of the road became restless. Some of their branches kept changing shape and extending, reaching into the pile of snow wrapping me.

    These cold nts dressed me like a doll, using leaves and branches to wrap me up. The rough branches firmly fixed my limbs, cing me on the velvet seat in the carriage like a puppet.

    I was forced into a ssicdylike pose by the branch. Perhaps it looked beautiful outside, but this pose awakened all the broken bones in my body to their existence.

    The intense pain almost made me unable to pretend to be paralyzed.

    However, the archpriest did not care about this. He seemed in a hurry and ordered the convoy to continue moving.

    ¡°A pure virgin should keep a distance from a man outside.¡± He sat far away from me, looking ufortable but forced to bear with it. ¡°But time is of the essence. Please forgive me.¡±

    I rolled my eyes. I didn¡¯t have the energy to argue with this old fart who had terminal virgin cancer.

    The carriage continued to move forward. Thanks to this arrogant old man, I recovered quite a lot of energy. At the very least, I didn¡¯t have to worry about choking to death from the blood flowing from my broken ribs.

    When the nts were ¡®dressing¡¯ me up, I used the connection between the branches and my main body to steal a lot of evil power to supplement my body. I wasn¡¯t sure if the archpriest had noticed anything unusual because he seemed very sensitive to the power of New Flow. He had noticed something before it even touched the pine forest.

    So this time, I carefully controlled New Flow inside the branches. It seemed to be working well so far. The priest should not be able to see the power flow inside the nt.

    After thinking about it, this was only right. After all, he had already given his body and mind to Azazel. What was the difference between a demon¡¯s ve and a demon¡¯s creation? It was expected that he couldn¡¯t see through his ¡®colleagues¡¯.

    Along the way, the archpriest kept observing the night and time. He seemed to be waiting for a specific time, afraid that it would not be in time and woulde too slowly.

    Theyers of pine trees blocked my vision, making it impossible to tell which direction I was going. At around twelve o¡¯clock, the carriage stopped at a narrow valley¡¯s entrance.

    ¡°We¡¯re here, miss.¡±

    The archpriest controlled the wooden suit and took me out of the carriage. It hurt. The rest of the humans also rushed down from the carriage. They had smiles and pride on their faces, as if being able to ride in Azazel¡¯s carriage was worth showing off for the rest of their lives.

    I was obediently thrown together with the witches and allowed the archpriest to put on a mink cloak for me.

    In the vast night sky, an agile skrk passed through the clouds and the stars, disappearing into the vast snowfield.

 Chapter 237

    237 The ck Cocoon

    Mary¡¯s POV:

    The Soul Sparrow had returned with news of Selma¡¯s serious injuries and the transformation of the entire Squadron into mutated wolves.

    The magic test paper tied to its ws had turned ck and purple, which meant that this group of humans were by no means religious believers with good intentions, but a group of pure fans of demons.

    To remain hidden, Dorothy could not let the Soul Sparrow get too close to the convoy, which meant that she could not hear anything.

    The current situation was no advantage for us at all. The devil¡¯s seal that we couldn¡¯t find despite all our efforts had appeared. Yes. Although there was no direct evidence, it seemed that anyone could urately point out where this ce was. Otherwise, why would a group of cultistse to the Rocky Mountains to have a party?

    In addition to the rescue team, we had another task: to prevent the devil¡¯s seal from being opened. Once the unknown evil demon sealed within it descended upon the world, even we would not be able to escape, let alone the squadron. Not to mention that a few mountains away was a human holiday resort. Once it was affected, there would be heavy casualties.

    We couldn¡¯t follow them secretly. The cultists had already entered the sealed entrance. We had no choice but to follow them.

    Sure enough, Aldrich also realized this. He immediately divided the team into two, with Eve and Kerner leading Dorothy, Hayley, and thirty other members to guard outside. If there were a problem with the team that entered the devil¡¯s seal, they would be responsible for leading the way for the base members rushing over and assisting in the rescue.

    The passage couldn¡¯t allow a wolf¡¯s body, so we could only enter in our rtively fragile human form.

    ¡°This ce doesn¡¯t look like a natural canyon,¡± Aldrich said as he observed the surrounding environment. ¡°Everything is too well organized.¡±

    I agreed with this. This ce was man-made. The width of the passage was the same, and the two walls were too smooth for a natural canyon. Moreover, the base of the wall near the ground had traces of erosion from the wind and snow, and there were dark carvings.

    I carefully observed a few patterns. They had the style of ancient runes, which were the work of the witches.

    ¡°This is... the execution ground for the ancient sorcerers.¡± I felt the remaining magic power on the rune, and the creepy resentment was still visible. ¡°The sorcerers will execute some enemies and traitors here. This ce wasst used three hundred years ago from the magic power left.¡±

    ¡°So this was where the legendary witches killed Mullwica¡¯s son.¡± Aldrich became even more cautious. ¡°It¡¯s also where the demon was sealed.¡±

    What puzzled me was that this ce wasn¡¯t close to the ruins of the witch n. It was actually quite far. Why did the witches retreat so suddenly when Mullwica was suppressing the demons? Many notes were left in the ruins that were the work of the sorcerers¡¯ lives and even tools with ancient divinity. No matter how rushed they were, they could still take a few books and toys with them.

    From the looks of it, they seemed to have some reason why they didn¡¯t have time to return to the n.

    Just as I was thinking about this, we reached the end of the narrow passage. We could hear the cult members¡¯ soft discussions. To avoid being exposed, we had no choice but to stop at the corner.

    ¡°What time is it?¡±

    ¡°Soon, there¡¯s less than half an hour left.¡±

    Oh my god, I¡¯d been waiting for this moment for the first half of my life...

    ¡°Good heavens! You should be praying to our great lord all the time!¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right. I¡¯ve been pretending in front of stupid mortals for too long, so I didn¡¯t react in time.¡±

    ¡°Be careful with your words, buddy. You¡¯ll be finished if the archpriest hears you.¡±

    ¡°Please forgive my sins, great Lord, the leader of sins, the master of redemption, the creator of all love and bliss; the Supreme Azazel!

    Following the prayers of a certain heretic cult believer, we finally learned the name of the person who was sealed here.

    Azazel?

    The fallen god of original sin in the legends was not famous among the werewolves, but the humans were familiar with him. As a great demon, his well-known story was that he fell in love with a mortal woman, not that he was sealed because he deceived the witch¡¯s son.

    However, there was no record of the name of the demon who seduced Mullwica¡¯s son. As long as the devil was sealed here, any demon could be here.

    Aldrich was shocked by this answer.

    Before the Rocky Snow Mountain mission, we had carefully studied the mythical history of werewolves and sorcerers. We had analyzed and guessed every demon that had appeared and even the myths of other races. However, Azazel? This had nothing to do with any non-human race!

    The evil cultists continued to wait as if they would only take action at a particr time.

    At that moment, my mind link was connected.

    My husband, an intelligence agent who had concealed his name, said, ¡°Something happened, Mary. The werewolf grandmasters fused the soul fragments of the two captains, but the fused body suddenly escaped from the ward like melted asphalt and slipped into Linda¡¯s ward.

    ¡°We broke through the door to Linda¡¯s ward, but something unexpected happened. Linda has turned into a cocoon, a ck cocoon.¡±

 Chapter 238

    238 Melting Sanity

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    A strong evil aura, or rather, a strong fragrance.

    At this moment, I was both tired and hungry. The wounds all over my body were screaming that I needed more power to heal myself. The evil force in the air tempted me like the aroma of roastedmb chops. I was eager to find the main course, but I didn¡¯t see anything other than the disgusting old man and the rough man.

    As for the young witches standing with me on the altar ¨C a huge stone block ¨C they seemed to think that even wearing a cloak in front of the ¡®holy¡¯ Azazel was a sin they happily took off their mink cloaks and wore thin silk nightdress as they shivered in the snow.

    I did not doubt that I shouldn¡¯t even wear this silk nightdress, but everyone present was a man. If a man saw my naked body, I would lose my ¡®purity¡¯, so I forced myself to wear this nightdress that was better than nothing.

    How could this be? Was I also suffering from virgin cancer? The archpriest should have given his seat to me.

    The witches even kindly helped me take off my cloak. Thank you so much. No one would feel cold wearing branches and leaves in the snow mountain at -30 degrees celsius. No one.

    Ha!

    I didn¡¯t know why I was still in the mood toment about this and that. I should be anxious and angry and keep finding a way to escape. However, the truth was that I had be abnormallyzy. In fact, I even started to feel that everything didn¡¯t matter anymore. It didn¡¯t matter if it was a demon or a false god; anyone would do. Pleasee out and let me have a bite. I was about to starve to death.

    The archpriest was waiting for a time. From the whispers of the cultists, I believed it was two in the morning, the darkest moment before dawn.

    ording to the legends, the tragedy of Mullwica also happened in the dark before dawn. Could this have something to do with the seal?

    The archpriest began to set up the altar, and the cultists began to stir. What surprised me was that they obediently put down the weapons they had been holding tightly in their hands as if the archpriest¡¯s bullsh*t prayers of ¡®cold iron is disrespectful, but god has given you great power¡¯ were more important than their own lives.

    But no matter what, I was willing to see such a development.

    I smelled a familiar scent ¨C Aldrich, Master Mary, and many other familiar and unfamiliar team members.

    They must have hidden their scent in advance, but Yuri didn¡¯t smell it. He kneeled on the ground like a retard, begging for his god¡¯s mercy. However, I could smell everyone¡¯s scent, and I inexplicably associated everyone with the aroma of food. I thought they should be delicious.

    Stop!

    What are you thinking?

    I was certain that Aldrich and the others were hiding in a corner, probably the only passage that led here. It was strange that the cultists didn¡¯t send anyone to guard this traffic route. It was really strange.

    However, no matter how strange it was, it had nothing to do with me for the time being because the sacrificial ceremony had finally begun.

    The archpriest took out his pocket watch, looked at it, and then shouted, ¡°Kneel.¡±

    I would say that this was aplete waste of breath because most of the cultists had already obediently kneeled with their butts up in the air. That scene was indeed an eyesore.

    The clouds parted, and the bright moonlight shone on the altar. The archpriest cut his arm and mumbled something.

    ¡°The fields of parting, the white snow. The believers of the mist are eagerly waiting.

    ¡°Returning to the stars and moon, stone armor by the day. A hundred years, in the blink of an eye.¡±

    Just as he was reciting those strange incantations, a sudden change urred!

    The wolves were here!

    Under the blessing of the full moon, the wolves were stronger and fiercer than usual. In an instant, they had opened up the stomachs of several evil cultists on the periphery!

    The evil cultists were stunned by this sudden change. It was only after losing a few of theirpanions that they reacted. Their eyes revealed a fierce light as they shouted, ¡°Enemy attack! Get your weapons!¡±

    However, they looked left and right. Where were the guns? Where were the des? Where did they all go?

    It turned out that the ¡®considerate¡¯ archpriest had already helped them to ce them in the corner of the altar!

    The evil cultists wanted to snatch the weapons, but the strong wolves had already gotten the weapons before them. With a drop of the special potion concocted by a werewolf grandmaster, the silver wrapped around the swords and spears immediately dissolved. Then, he picked up the swords and spears and used a little force, immediately breaking them!

    How could humans who had lost their weapons be a match for werewolves? Soon, there were very few humans who could stand.

    The witches waiting for Azazel¡¯s ¡®visit¡¯ were so scared that they couldn¡¯t care less about their purity. They pulled off their nightgowns and jumped off the altar to escape, but a few werewolves gently hit them on the back of their necks, and they fainted.

    Looking at the archpriest again, he seemed to be fine, still intoxicatedly reciting his sacrificial prayer, not caring at all that his ¡®brothers and sisters¡¯ were in danger.

    ¡°Call me true god and ride the snow phoenix. A hundred people as a sacrifice, the world will listen!¡±

    My intuition told me something terrible would happen after he finished his incantation, so I endured the excruciating pain and struggled. I absorbed The branches and leaves that bound me with difficulty. I dragged my broken body and mmed forward.

    ¡°Praise my true god, Azazel! The enmity of a hundred generations shall be repaid today!¡±

 Chapter 239

    239 PTSD Toward Sesame vor

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    However, I was still a step toote. The priest easily dodged me and finished thest line of the incantation.

    In an instant, the thick ck energy was like a sharp de that pierced through the sky!

    In an instant, all the fighting at the altar came to a standstill. Be it the humans hiding in a sorry state or the werewolves waving their sharp ws, they were frozen as if someone had grabbed their necks. Everyone trembled simultaneously, a shiver from the depths of their souls sweeping through their bodies. This had nothing to do with courage but the primitive fear of certain existences.

    It was unknown who broke the silence.

    ¡°He¡¯s here.¡±

    The remaining humans rushed toward the exit like crazy. There was no trace of their previous piety and fanaticism. It was as if they would be corroded by evil if the ck fog contaminated them.

    However, they didn¡¯t get what they wanted.

    At some point, the passage was filled with dense golden threads. Judging from the green smoke on their bodies, the power of these golden threads was not as likable as their appearance.

    ¡°What a bunch of disobedient sacrifices.¡±

    The archpriest slowly turned around. He no longer looked like he had one foot in the coffin. He was so young and handsome that it made people suspect he was a different person.

    ¡°God doesn¡¯t like believers who go back on their words. You¡¯ve already made an oath to offer everything to god. Are you going back on your words now?¡±

    His transformation was shocking, but no one would question his authenticity ¨C the evil aura hidden in his body had beenpletely released, and the undisguised terrifying aura made his thin body look more frightening than Cerberus.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what you said,¡± one of the cultists mumbled.

    ¡°You promised money, fame, fortune, bliss, and eternal life. You said we were god¡¯spanions and would be loved forever.¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s not the case. You want us to be your sacrifice. You don¡¯t even want to hide your thoughts!¡±

    The archpriestughed without care and admitted, ¡°I¡¯m right, my dear brothers. To be god¡¯s sacrifice, to be a part of god¡¯s power, how can this not be considered as bing god¡¯spanion? You will forever be one with god. What he controls is what you control. What he has is what you have. He will live forever, and so will you. How can you say that I¡¯m lying?

    Just like these brothers who were one step ahead of us, their souls have be a part of god, so they are also gods.¡±

    He waved his hand slightly, and dozens of wailing souls floated out of the dead bodies on the ground. They were devoured and digested by the ck fog and eventually disappeared without a trace.

    From their expressions, bing a god might not be a good thing.

    ¡°Oh, this is the power of sin. Every soul is soaked in blood. They¡¯re appetizers thoroughly marinated by sin and my lord¡¯s favorite appetizer.¡±

    The archpriest took a deep breath, intoxicated. He inhaled the thick ck smoke, and he looked younger with every breath he took.

    Just as he was intoxicated, a few shadows attacked him. Amid the shes of swords and knives, a few wolves covered their wounds and fell at the feet of the archpriest while he was unscathed.

    ¡°I almost forgot about you, you disobedient dogs.¡±

    He kicked away the unconscious wolf in disgust and said with contempt, ¡°So what if it¡¯s a full moon? I don¡¯t think your weak goddess dares to confront my lord directly. She will only shrink in her cold pce and coldly watch her believers die. She doesn¡¯t dare to do anything, just like she has done in the past.¡±

    ¡°How dare you! You shameless cultist!¡± the strongest wolf in the pack said angrily. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re worthy of ndering the goddess¡¯ glory?¡±

    It was Aldrich!

    No, it was Morgan!

    Morgan was a shy boy, but under the provocation of the archpriest, even the shyest person would be angry.

    The two sides confronted each other. The archpriest was not in a hurry, but the wolves were worried ¨C I was still on the altar!

    Damn it! How did I be a burden to the team again?

    How I wished I could be like superman, stand up and punch the archpriest away, then raise my thumb and show off, but the facts told me that I still had to be a weak chicken with shattered bones for a while.

    At this point, I couldn¡¯t care less about the pain. I endured the excruciating pain and used all New Flow¡¯s power to capture the ck fog in the air. This was the most painful meal I had ever eaten. Let alone enjoying it, I had already used all my strength to stop myself from going crazy in pain.

    The ck fog had a cold sesame vor, a little like the eastern pastries that Aldrich brought back from his business trip. After this, if there were a future, I would never eat any sesame-vored food again. Even the smell might bring back the painful memories of today.

    The pain was endless, but the benefits were visible to the naked eye. The wounds on my body began to heal rapidly, and after a few breaths, I could stand up.

    The archpriest obviously didn¡¯t think I would have a chance to turn things around and even tried to snatch away the ¡®gift¡¯ from Azazel.

    His face was gloomy as he attacked me resentfully.

 Chapter 240

    240 The Arrival

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I¡¯d never seen so many dazzling spells before. Now I understood why sorcerers had so many taboos in ancient times.

    The really powerful sorcery was not as gentle as the ones the werewolf grandmasters usually showed. The basic style was natural elements such as ice, fire, and lightning. The real trouble was the indefensible spells such as ¡®dissolve¡¯ and ¡®distort¡¯.

    The archpriest could make all the werewolves present be on edge himself. He seemed to have obtained the power of a supreme demon from the ck fog and could counterattack or tease our attacks with ease.

    He wasn¡¯t being serious at all.

    My heart sank when I realized this.

    A human agent was already so difficult to deal with. When Azazel really woke up from the seal, would he still be able to deal with him?

    The few involved humans also realized their lives were at stake. They finally gave up on shooting arrows at the werewolves from behind and began to think of ways to get the archpriest off the altar that was protected by some power.

    However, they no longer had the chance.

    Locke had attacked them.

    He had attacked without warning, easily cutting his formerpanion¡¯s throat from behind with a knife hidden in the sole of his shoe.

    Under the disbelieving gazes of hispanions, he smiled eerily. ¡°For my master.¡±

    Therefore, he was the only human left alive.

    Werewolves were constantly injured or knocked out by the archpriest, and even Morgan had a few wounds so deep that the bones were visible.

    Soon, the werewolves that had filled the altar fell to the ground. In the end, only a handful of werewolves were still conscious.

    What a terrifying power this was!

    I was starting to suspect the archpriest¡¯s true identity. Was he a believer of Azazel, or was he Azazel himself?

    We were in a stalemate with the archpriest.

    Other than me, Master Mary was the only werewolf who didn¡¯t turn into a Lycan. She and Morgan protected me behind them, buying me more time to absorb the ck fog.

    ¡°You¡¯re such an annoyingdy,¡± the archpriest said through gritted teeth. ¡°If you have any sense of shame, you know that it¡¯s wrong to steal other people¡¯s things!¡±

    Master Mary replied on my behalf, ¡°You mean this disgusting ck fog? With all due respect, they don¡¯t have your name on them, so it¡¯s up to whoever wants to take them.¡±

    ¡°What a cunning sophistry!¡±

    The archpriest was so angry that he broke the stone under our feet into pieces. Morgan led us to jump away. The scattered pieces left a few bloody marks on my body, but they quickly healed.

    ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± He suddenly regained his calm. ¡°You can continue to be stubborn because it¡¯s toote.¡±

    He turned around to face the altar that was filled with ck fog. There was an unfathomably deep hole there.

    ¡°The great, vicious, powerful, and wise lord of original sin and redemption, the fallen god, Azazel, please descend upon this world again!¡±

    Suddenly, the ck fog that filled the air stopped moving. It rapidly contracted and waspressed to the extreme, disappearing into the cave-like dust being sucked away by a powerful vacuum.

    Then, it exploded in an instant!

    Aura thousands of times eviler than the previous one emanated from the altar.

    The archpriest jumped from the altar and kneeled respectfully on the cracked stone b.

    However, no one had the mood to attack him now.

    All the clear-headed people looked at the figure shrouded in ck smoke on the altar. He was tall and strong, and his scarlet eyes shone in the smoke.

    Azazel.

    It was only in the instant that I truly came into contact with him that I understood what kind of powerful existence this name meant.

    ¡°How boring,¡± an alluring cello-like voice came from the ck fog.

    ¡°It¡¯s been three hundred years. Why are the matters of the human world still so boring? I don¡¯t even need to guess. When I saw you, I knew everything was the same old. It¡¯s boring.¡±

    The archpriest got even closer to the ground. He said respectfully, almost ttering, ¡°My lord, your most humble servant pays his respects to you. As you can see, everything in front of you is just an appetizer to wee your return. If you are unsatisfied, your servant will immediately find more sacrifices for you if they can win your favor.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Azazel didn¡¯t know if he should.

    The eyes hidden in the ck fog scanned the altars. Heughed and said happily, ¡°It¡¯s a sin! It is a sin! My good Castro, I know you understand me the most.¡±

    ¡°My honor!¡±

    The archpriest trembled with excitement. If he was a dog, I did not doubt that he would rush up to lick his master¡¯s shoes.

    The ck fog finally dispersed, and Azazel¡¯s true body was exposed under the clear moonlight.

    I was stunned with just one look.

    After seeing Azazel¡¯s true face, even Master Mary and Aldrich were clearly shocked.

    ¡°Selma...¡± Master Mary said in disbelief.

    ¡°Am I under an illusion spell?¡±

    Otherwise, why was I seeing Dorothy¡¯s face on Azazel?

 Chapter 241

    241 Awakaned

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Dorothy was a beautifuldy. Her facial features were gentle, and she had a demure aura. The way she sat in the library and read was like a ssical oil painting.

    However, it was strange for such a face to be on a demon.

    Compared to Dorothy, Azazel¡¯s facial features were sharper and had a distinct masculine quality. And from the details, the two looked different, but anyone who knew Dorothy would think of her when they saw Azazel. This was a wonderful simrity. It was not a rigid copy but rather caused by the blood of the mayfly.

    I was so shocked by this thought that my heart skipped a beat.

    Dorothy and Azazel? Give me a break! There were thousands of years between them!

    It had to be said that Azazel was very handsome and had a very charming temperament. Upon seeing him, one¡¯s first reaction would never be to think he was a demon. Instead, one would think such a person should have grown up in a church, from a choir to a confessional.

    The ck fog condensed into a long robe, and Azazel put it on as if no one else was around. It was as if the servants and we at his feet were nothing but air.

    ¡°It¡¯s been 300 years,¡± Azazel murmured as he looked at the bright moonlight. ¡°It¡¯s been so long, yet so short.¡±

    ¡°Your believers are always looking forward to your return! We have selected the most vicious sacrifice and the purest bride for you as the appetizer to wee your return. Please enjoy!¡± the archpriest said enthusiastically.

    However, Azazel did not look at the corpses on the ground or care about the unconscious witches next to the altar.

    ¡°I think I was wrong, Castro. You don¡¯t understand me at all.¡±

    The archpriest immediately panicked and asked in fear, ¡°Please exin, my Lord.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like wolves pulling my carriage. These animals that don¡¯t bathe will dirty my cushion.¡±

    As soon as he finished speaking, the wolves began to transform. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn¡¯t control their bodies and eventually turned back into werewolves.

    Morgan disappeared. Aldrich, who reced him, stood beside me, and we looked at each other in shock.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like witches either. The dirty smell of the swamp on their bodies makes me sick.¡±

    With a wave of his hand, the witches disappeared without a trace.

    Where did they go? It was true that these girls weren¡¯t very smart, but these were innocent lives!

    ¡°Where did you send them?¡± I stood out in anger.

    ¡°Watch your attitude!¡± the archpriest immediately rebuked in dissatisfaction. ¡°Heathen! You can¡¯t be disrespectful to my master!¡±

    I ignored him and looked straight into his nk eyes. I stubbornly needed an answer. I was not afraid of angering him. Facing such a powerful demon with such an unpredictable mood, his emotions are of no importance because if he wanted to kill us, it¡¯d be as easy as stepping on an ant. Since that was the case, why should he be so submissive and make him unhappy?

    To my surprise, Azazel didn¡¯t answer me, nor did he get angry orugh at me for overestimating myself. He looked at me in a daze, then walked straight toward me.

    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Aldrich immediately stood in front of me, but with a wave of Azazel¡¯s hand, he and the other werewolves were firmly trapped on the rock wall like iron sheets attracted by a ma.

    ¡°Dammit! Don¡¯t get close to her, you disgusting goat person!¡±

    Aldrich¡¯s angry curses did not get any response from Azazel. He suddenly lost his voice, and blood gushed out of his mouth.

    ¡°Don¡¯t hurt him!¡± I red at Azazel anxiously. ¡°Whatever you want to do,e at me!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a small punishment. I don¡¯t like flies buzzing around my ears. It makes me think of Beelzebub, that mud monster. Losing a tongue won¡¯t affect werewolves,¡± Azazel said lightly. ¡°It¡¯ll grow back on its own in a week.¡±

    What did he say? Did he destroy Aldrich¡¯s tongue?

    After throwing my fear and anxiety to the back of my mind, I ran inrge strides toward Aldrich and pried open his mouth under his worried and disapproving gaze. His tongue was even redder under the blood. Countless cracks cut the soft muscle tissue into a torn hemp rope, and blood flowed out.

    Azazel ignored my re and stood where I was standing. He suddenly took a deep breath.

    ¡°Phew... what a familiar smell.¡±

    His scarlet eyes were like a giant hand that locked onto me.

    ¡°A stream, a thinyer of snow, a clear night sky, and clear moonlight. I like this taste; it makes me feel rxed and happy. I have dreamed of these crickets in my 300 years of boring sleep.¡±

    No matter how beautiful a man was, he would sound very vulgar when he judged your taste. I said, ¡°You¡¯re so disgusting. You¡¯re like a pervert who¡¯s been single for fifty years and can only masturbate by stealing his neighbor¡¯s underwear.¡±

    The archpriest looked like he wanted to rush over and break my neck. Azazel interrupted his obscenity and chuckled happily. ¡°Even their personalities are so familiar! My deardy, what¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Why should I tell you?¡±

    ¡°Her name is Selma, my Lord. One of the candidates for your one-night bride. I believe this lowly soul will always be honored if I can get your mercy,¡± the priest answered, ttering.

 Chapter 242

    242 The Golden Bell

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°Bullshit!¡± I retorted sharply. ¡°If you¡¯re so envious of this honor, why don¡¯t you give yourself up?¡±

    ¡°This is great disrespect from...!¡± the priest screamed like a hen being strangled. ¡°How can you nder my devotion to my lord! My master, your servant will forever use his humble body to clean the dust under your feet. He will never, ever have such filthy and contemptible thoughts!¡±

    Looking at his hunchbacked figure that was eager to show his loyalty to the devil, Iughed in disdain. ¡°What, your honor is to present the girl you brainwashed to your god? When it was his turn, she has be dirty and disgusting. I didn¡¯t expect that even hell has sexual discrimination. Does your master fight with Asmodeus every day?¡±

    The archpriest looked like he was going to kill me at all costs, but Azazel was one step ahead of him.

    ¡°You¡¯re so sharp-tongued, even this part is so simr to...¡± heughed in a low voice. ¡°But children who talk nonsense still have to be punished.¡±

    A cold ck mist suddenly appeared beside him, and the ferocious rope attacked me like a poisonous snake.

    ¡°Urgh, argh...¡±

    Aldrich started to writhe nervously, indistinctly reminding me to dodge quickly.

    However, he was right behind me. I wouldn¡¯t let him take the attack for me.

    Moreover, I didn¡¯t intend to dodge it.

    The moment the ck mist touched me, the stirring New Flow in my body exploded. It followed the ck mist¡¯s path and extended to Azazel¡¯s body!

    Alright, I admitted I was impulsive, but that didn¡¯t mean I didn¡¯t value my life. Only a fool would provoke a demon for no reason. I had nned to intentionally enrage Azazel so that he would attack me from the start. Then, I would find an opportunity to spread the New Flow to him.

    It wasn¡¯t that I hadn¡¯t thought of using the river to attack, but even the archpriest could vaguely sense the river¡¯s movements. Surely, Azazel wouldn¡¯t be any slower than his believers? If we acted rashly, we might really die here today.

    With his tail wrapped around Azazel, New Flow was like a hungry ghost in a buffet restaurant. It immediately gobbled the food greedily. I could feel an endless stream of power flowing into my body. It was clear that Azazel himself was more nutritious than the ck mist I had just snatched from the archpriest.

    But I wasn¡¯t happy because Azazel didn¡¯t seem surprised at all. He was even interested.

    He gently stroked the transparent body formed by New Flow¡¯s power and was as excited as a child who had discovered a new world. ¡°What is this? It is soft and cool. It¡¯s trying to devour me. Oh, it¡¯s so cute, like a little dog barking at you. I really want to kiss it!¡±

    It seemed that New Flow didn¡¯t cause him any harm. It was as if all the power I absorbed came from the void, not him.

    I felt a kind look in Azazel¡¯s eyes. ¡°Eat, eat. Good girl, don¡¯t starve yourself. Maybe you like the pce next to thevake? It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t like it. I¡¯ll build you a very cute doghouse. I think we¡¯ll live a very happy life!¡±

    What was this lunatic saying?!

    I shivered as I looked at Azazel¡¯s loving and cold eyes as if he was looking at a pet. I silently gathered the power in my body and stood in front of Aldrich, who was about to go crazy.

    The archpriest was also very surprised by his master¡¯s words, but he was a loyal believer in Azazel. Even though he said such a shocking statement, he suppressed his heartache and said, ¡°It¡¯s... it¡¯s the girl¡¯s honor, my Lord.¡±

    I thought he probably wanted to use some vulgarities to address me. ¡®This girl¡¯ was the result of his upbringing.

    Ignoring my wariness and New Flow¡¯s attempt to devour him, Azazel opened his arms and walked toward me as if he was going to pick me up like a puppy.

    I used all my strength to make New Flow devour his power, but Azazel¡¯s power left me in despair. Compared to him, the demonic shards that had created the pine forest outside were like grains of rice in front of a mountain. The power that had once allowed me to transform and reincarnate was not worth mentioning.

    I had nowhere to retreat to. Just as Azazel¡¯s hand was about to touch me...

    ¡°Get lost, you disgusting sheep head!¡±

    A golden light shed along with the angry roar and the crisp sound of a bell. I was shocked to find that Azazel had been sent flying! The archpriest also fell in pain.

    As he fell on the altar, the ck fog imprisoning Aldrich and the others also lost its effect.

    ¡°Come over quickly! Selma!¡±

    Dorothy led arge group of werewolves and stood at the tunnel¡¯s entrance.

    I supported Aldrich and met up with her. I asked in surprise, ¡°What are you doing here? Aldrich said he sent you guys to pick up the members from the other bases.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s almost dawn, girl,¡± Dorothy said. ¡°Even a snail should have reached here by now. I think I¡¯vee in time, or that disgusting old demon would have caught you!¡±

    I saw that she was holding an ancient golden bell.

    ¡°You used this to defeat Azazel? What¡¯s that powerful?¡±

 Chapter 243

    243 Heaven And Earth Are Unkind

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Dorothy shook the golden bell, and it let out a musical and clear sound. ¡°This is one of Mullwica¡¯s relics. She recorded in her diary that there was a slice of a supreme demon¡¯s soul inside, which could effectively dispel other demons. We¡¯ll talk about itter. We have to go now!¡±

    We picked up the injured on the ground and quickly ran out. On the way, I found that the golden threads had disappeared. This must be some defense set up by the ancient witches. Dorothy found a way to break it in Mullwica¡¯s notes.

    The deformed wolves guarding in the snow were still aimlessly in a daze. Perhaps because the archpriest who controlled them had fainted, they seemed a little restless.

    ¡°What should we do with these wolves? Is there any way to restore them?¡±

    Facing my question, both the werewolf grandmasters and Dorothy were helpless. We couldn¡¯t leave ourrades here to die, but once we got close to them, we¡¯d be attacked in a frenzy. In the middle of the stalemate, the mountain suddenly trembled. Fine cracks appeared on the rock wall, and thick ck mist seeped out of the cracks.

    It was Azazel. He was awake!

    The pack of deformed wolves that had no leader immediately scrambled up the mountain as if they had found their backbone, not caring at all about the wounds caused by the falling rocks.

    A few secondster, with a burst of ck fog, Azazel¡¯s figure gradually appeared on the peak. The deformed wolves spontaneously formed a ¡®path¡¯ for him, allowing him to step on their heads and advance.

    ¡°I have to say that... was unexpected.¡±

    He was no longer smiling, and his cold face was daunting.

    As his back was facing the tunnel, Dorothy could only see his face clearly now. As expected, she was in disbelief, just like us.

    ¡°That¡¯s... that¡¯s...!¡±

    I immediately pulled her behind me and firmly said, ¡°It¡¯s just a simr face. Don¡¯t overthink. You know that demons like to y tricks. He must have read my memories and used this face to y with us.¡±

    It was a white lie. We all knew it was not like that, but this was the only exnation for this situation. There were still a bunch of members who didn¡¯t know what was going on. In front of them, Dorothy couldn¡¯t have any rtionship with Azazel!

    Azazel also saw Dorothy. He was more interested in Dorothy than me. With a sh of ck mist, he appeared before us.

    ¡°I¡¯m a little happy.¡±

    He pinched our lower body, his sharp red nails bringing sharp pain.

    ¡°A cute little dog and... how should I address you? A child?¡±

    He was a madman. He was so angry just now, but now he showed a kind expression.

    Dorothy trembled, either out of fear or shock. She stared into Azazel¡¯s eyes. The scarlet color was the only thing that did not resemble her.

    Seeing that we were being held hostage, oh goddess, in front of the great demon, even a single strand of hair could be considered a hostage. The team members were eager to try and get us back. But history repeated itself. With a light wave of his hand, they were locked in ce by the ck fog, and even their mouths were gagged.

    This wasn¡¯t the worst. The deformed wolves suddenly became agitated and jumped from the rock wall, gritting their teeth and pouncing on the team members.

    This vicious demon wanted the werewolves to kill each other!

    The deformed wolf¡¯s sharp teeth shed at me. In a moment of desperation, I couldn¡¯t think of a way to get the best of both worlds. I subconsciously shouted, ¡°Stop!¡±

    To my surprise, Azazel became obedient.

    The restless wolves instantly became obedient and sluggish. They stopped in ce and continued to stare nkly at the snow.

    I didn¡¯t know what to say.

    Azazel stared at me with interest as if he didn¡¯t care what I was about to say. It was like he was looking at a puppy and thought its barking was fun, so he teased it.

    ¡°It¡¯s been ten seconds, my dear.¡± He let go of my hand and frivolously scratched my chin. ¡°Are you not going to say anything? You¡¯re not an obedient dog. You still have a lot of rules to learn.¡±

    I pretended I didn¡¯t hear those insulting words and tried to speak as softly as possible. ¡°Oh, great, Azazel, these people are just insignificant dust to you. You don¡¯t have to waste any effort on them. Please let them go.¡±

    ¡°Haughty at first, but now respectful. Poor acting,¡± Azazelmented, not satisfied. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter. I wouldn¡¯t say I like submissive pet dogs. Wolves running on the snowfield are the most interesting.¡±

    He stared at me for a while and suddenly broke into a wicked smile. ¡°But how can I maintain your wild nature? Maybe hatred is a good way? I can kill them, and you¡¯ll hate me until you die. That way, we won¡¯t be bored when we¡¯re together! Yes! That¡¯s the way to do it!¡±

    What the hell was this lunatic¡¯s brain doing?

    In an instant, all the deformed wolves attacked the members who had been tied up like ham.

    It all happened too quickly, and I had no time to stop it.

    Or rather, I didn¡¯t even have the power to stop it!

 Chapter 244

    244 Dog Of All Things

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    For a moment, time seemed to havee to a standstill. Everything slowed down. The flying figure, the sharp ws, and the frightened and sorrowful expression seemed to be fixed at this moment. I could see how a deformed wolf passed by me and how it stabbed at Aldrich¡¯s chest with its ws.

    No!

    No! Don¡¯t!

    The moment the sharp ws pierced his chest, the hot blood sshed into my eyes.

    Everything in the world was blurred, leaving only the blood of despair,ughing at my humbleness and using me of being weak.

    Why? Why did I still not have the power to resist even now?

    Even my past existence had been dispelled. Even my old body, which was connected to my parents by blood and flesh, had been abandoned. To obtain power, I was willing to pay any price! But why was the thing that fate had repaid me so ironic?

    It told me that I was just an ant that overestimated itself, thinking that it had obtained the power to turn the world around, but it was still blind. In front of the mountain, I didn¡¯t even have the right toin.

    If the gap between god and man was so significant, if the weak could never turn over when facing the holy spirit, then what was the point of our existence? The world was just a yground for these ancient creatures. If they could destroy all the hope of the weak with a single thought, what was the need for the weak to struggle? Were we just pigs and dogs for their pleasure?

    Why?

    Why?

    Warm tears flowed from my eyes and diluted the redness. It also allowed me to see Aldrich¡¯s slowly closing eyes.

    So painful, so regretful, so reluctant, sopassionate.

    He must be in pain. After his chest was torn apart and his ribs and heart were crushed, could his nerves still transmit signals when the blood was gushing out?

    He must be reluctant to leave this world. He was so young and promising that he should have been in the merit pce hall until his old age, but he didn¡¯t even get to see his father for thest time and had left on a cold snowy night.

    He must be reluctant to leave me. Otherwise, why would the teardrop hang at the corner of his eye and not fall no matter what for fear of breaking myst line of defense?

    He must have taken pity on me, too, because he had already predicted my dark future. I would have to carry my lover¡¯s blood and mypatriots¡¯ hatred on my back, wandering alone in the eternal night.

    Aldrich.

    Aldrich.

    Aldrich!

    I heard myself wailing in the most tragic voice of my life. My lover¡¯s blood flowed into my mouth and teeth. Other than the blood, only bitterness made one¡¯s heart ache.

    Why?

    Why did they always win?

    Why?

    Why?

    Azazel mischievously released the ck mist gagging them, and the tragic wails of his fellow humans immediately echoed in my ears. Dorothy struggled and cried in despair, but it was to no avail.

    As if he had stepped on a few ants, the snow field returned to peace after a few minutes.

    Everyone was dead, be it Aldrich, Master Mary, or other people I was familiar and unfamiliar with. Their blood dyed the earth red, and only their dim pupils were still staring at the stars.

    I didn¡¯t know when, but I had already copsed on the ground. Beside him was Dorothy, who had fallen into a daze. She was no longer screaming, and only her blood-stained tears stained the corner of her clothes.

    ¡°Alright, the show is over.¡±

    Azazel squatted and gently held us in his arms.

    ¡°All the irrelevant people will disappear. This way, we can live happily together. ¡±

    ¡°Father, daughter, servant, and a dog. Ah, what a romantic and conventional family structure. Perhaps we stillck a mother. But don¡¯t worry, Carlos will take care of everything for us.¡±

    The archpriest appeared out of nowhere and bowed in silence and obedience.

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s go home!¡±

    The deep ck mist transformed into a gorgeous ancient carriage. The archpriest opened the door and looked at us silently.

    I did not move. Dorothy did not either.

    Facing Azazel¡¯s nauseating gaze, I asked, ¡°Go home?¡±

    Which house? What home? A cave with ice in hell? Or the mansion next to thevake used as a lizard¡¯s nest?

    A ce that was always dark and filled with despair, with no family or loved ones and no moonlight?

    Was it an iron cage filled with despair and hatred?

    ¡°Stop dreaming!¡±

    I suddenly pushed away Azazel¡¯s hand. Dorothy also raised her head. Her eyes were filled with scarlet hatred.

    The sky was almost bright, and the moon had already quietly left.

    But why should it leave? After witnessing such a tragic death, could it still hide behind the clouds and pretend nothing had happened?

    A tsunami-like hatred swallowed up my rationality. The murmuring stream was no longer calm. It boiled and rolled. It was about to drown the deste grasnd. It vowed to break the fake sky with huge waves!

    Fine rustling sounds echoed in my ears. They were consoling,forting, angry, and encouraging me. A hand that could be thick or soft gently pushed my back, and my soul trembled in resonance.

    It was encouraging and exciting, telling me the time was right.

    The moonlight disappeared, and the antenna was covered in a deathly white.

    If the moon didn¡¯t care, then I did.

    If the night were dark, then I would shine.

    If having godly powers was not enough...

    Then, let me be a god!

    ...

 Chapter 245

    245 Mullwica¡¯s Soul

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Countless souls wrapped around me and attacked Azazel.

    Azazel didn¡¯t take my rebellion seriously. Instead, he squinted in delight. ¡°You¡¯re so energetic. I was worried that you wouldn¡¯t be able to recover because of this. It would be so boring if you be a boring dead dog!¡±

    With his contemptuous dodging, all my attacks missed. But it didn¡¯t matter because my primary target wasn¡¯t him at all...

    ¡°Ah-!¡±

    When Azazel dodged, New Flow wrapped the archpriest from head to toe and quickly digested its prey like a pitcher nt digesting a fly. The archpriest did not even have the time to struggle. The angry souls firmly locked his limbs, and the river absorbed the ck mist that spread out. There was nothing he could do but struggle in fear.

    He looked at Azazel pleadingly, but Azazel only looked at him as if he were performing. He had no intention of saving him.

    ¡°I like energetic puppies,¡± Azazel said as he gently picked up Dorothy, who had fallen on the snow. ¡°But a pet should act like a pet. You must get the owner¡¯s permission even if you want to bite someone.¡±

    The grip around Dorothy¡¯s neck gradually tightened. Her face turned red, but she did not say a word. She stared at Azazel¡¯s face, which was 70% simr to hers, with hatred and stubbornness.

    I did not let go of the archpriest because I knew that Dorothy no longer cared about her life at this point, and she did not want me to give in for her. In the twisted wailing of the priest, he gradually melted, shrank, and finally became my food. Even his soul disappeared from this world.

    Finally, Azazel let go of Dorothy.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re not as indecisive as you look.¡±

    His sharp nails scratched Dorothy¡¯s skin, and red blood dripped, picked up by his gorgeous fingertips, and sent into his mouth.

    ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re not a qualified pet dog, but I like you very much. Would you like to be my daughter?¡±

    I silently digested the demon¡¯s words and asked in disdain, ¡°Be your daughter? After you¡¯ve killed so many of my people?¡±

    ¡°If you be my daughter, you¡¯ll be a descendant of a god. It¡¯ll be easy to capture some souls to be your kin.¡± Azazel¡¯s mellow voice could easily bewitch people. ¡°When the timees, they will be able to live forever. This is the ultimate goal that many people pursue their entire lives. They will be grateful to you forever.¡±

    A descendant of god?

    Immortality?

    It sounded really alluring. I would have believed it if I didn¡¯t know what kind of person this human-like demon was.

    Upon receiving Dorothy¡¯s ¡®now is the time¡¯ gaze, I suddenly burst forth,pressing all of New Flow¡¯s power and striking at Azazel!

    ¡°Ah, negotiation failed.¡± Azazel¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°I don¡¯t like disobedient dogs and rebellious daughters. In that case, there¡¯s no need for you to live!¡±

    The sharp ck mist condensed into sharp crystals and attacked me. I dodged them in a sorry state, but I didn¡¯t retract New Flow that was rooted in Azazel¡¯s body. I could feel that the energy absorbed into my body was gradually bing more dangerous. They were like a King¡¯s cake wrapped in bombs, in danger of exploding at any time.

    The crystal pierced through my shoulder de and nailed me to the snow. Countless fine crystals floated around me, and it would only take a second for me to be a dead hedgehog.

    He walked toward me, step by step. New Flow was like a giant parasite on him, but he didn¡¯t care.

    ¡°It¡¯s dawn, child.¡±

    He reached out.

    ¡°Good night,¡± he said.

    The sharp crystal fell!

    Whoosh-!

    A dazzling golden light exploded in a sh and instantly dispelled all the dark power.

    Azazel finally looked surprised. He looked at the golden mist that slowly seeped out of his body and said in disbelief, ¡°What is this...?¡±

    The golden mist swirled and condensed, finally transforming into a woman in a silver robe.

    The moment she appeared, Dorothy and I said in unison, ¡°Mullwica!¡±

    That was right. This unexpected variable was Mullwica.

    After I digested the archpriest, I realized that a spell that blocked mymunication with Dorothy had disappeared. Thanks to Azazel¡¯s disgusting act of tasting his blood, Dorothy realized that there was a hidden power in Azazel¡¯s body that resonated with her blood.

    Azazel didn¡¯t notice it at all. This was undoubtedly a good opportunity for us. That was why I risked my life to attack Azazel. With the guidance of Dorothy¡¯s blood, I managed to smuggle that mysterious power out of the New Flow.

    We made the right bet. That mysterious force was indeed Mullwica, who had disappeared without a trace ever since the seal was opened.

    She looked like a gentle middle-aged woman. In the face of Azazel¡¯s shock, she said arrogantly, ¡°Good morning, disgusting goat head. We¡¯ve been roommates for 300 years, after all. Your eyes are really sad.¡±

 Chapter 246

    246 The Daughter

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Azazel stopped smiling, and a bleak aura spread from him. He didn¡¯t expect Mullwica¡¯s appearance and didn¡¯t wee her.

    ¡°I devoured you,¡± he said with certainty. ¡°How did you survive?¡±

    Mullwica sneered in disdain, ¡°Devour me? You self-proimed extraordinary demon, who do you think you are? How dare youry your hands on the descendant of the goddess of fate? As long as the tide of the river of fate still flows in my body, nothing will ever be able to devour me.¡±

    Was Mullwica a descendant of the goddess of fate?

    This was not mentioned in the legend.

    Dorothy, who had sneaked to my side during their confrontation, rescued me from the crystal. She seemed a little absent-minded, obviously very concerned about Mullwica¡¯s existence. After all, Mullwica was her ancestor many generations away from her!

    Mullwica must have been a powerful witch when she was alive, as could be seen from the vignce of Azazel against her.

    At this time, the sky was already bright, and the cold sunlight shone on the two sides of the confrontation.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, children,¡± Mullwica said gently. ¡°The demon in front of you is just bluffing. He has just awakened, and the seal¡¯s suppression has notpletely dissipated. His power is not even one-tenth of the legendary power.¡±

    However, even this 10% demon¡¯s power was enough to tire us out. Mullwica¡¯s casual tone proved how powerful she was.

    Being looked down on, Azazel was displeased. Heughed.¡±Quit boasting, little girl. How much better is your situation than mine? How long could a broken and weak soulst? I don¡¯t think we must wait until the sun sets before your goddess summons you away.¡±

    Having his disguise seen through, Mullwica stopped smiling.

    ¡°Are you nning to continue this stalemate? You know, although we can¡¯t do anything to each other now, my power will recover bit by bit while you will be burned out like a candle,¡± Azazel said casually. ¡°I want to take my daughter and pet with me, but I only need to wait until the next night.¡±

    His words hurt Mullwica, and she roared angrily, ¡°That¡¯s not your daughter, you shameless thief! This is my daughter! Be it three hundred years ago or three hundred yearster, you¡¯ll never be able to take her away from me.¡±

    Wait a minute.

    Daughter?

    What daughter?

    Whose daughter?

    I was stunned by this unexpected turn of events. Dorothy was even more unable to ept it.

    It was enough to make people break down when she looked like a great demon from thousands of years ago. Now, she was rted to the legendary supreme witch. This was not an idol drama. It was not something to be happy about having so many identities!

    Furthermore, Dorothy was only neen years old this year. The numbers didn¡¯t add up!

    While we were here, the smoke had already risen.

    ¡°You have to admit that no matter how much time has passed, my daughter will always be my daughter, as long as she still has my god¡¯s blood.¡± Azazel was very proud. ¡°And you? Little girl, you¡¯re just a vessel for reproduction, just like a virgin who gave birth to a saint or a white crane who gave birth to a god. in fact, you know very well that for existences like us, the physical body is just a shell that can be abandoned at any time. Only the resonance of the god¡¯s blood in the soul is the only evidence to prove our identity.¡±

    Just as he finished speaking, Dorothy held her head in pain beside me.

    ¡°Hey, Dorothy! What¡¯s wrong?¡± I held her, trembling all over, and red at Azazel. ¡°What did you do to her?!¡±

    ¡°As you can see, little dog, this is just a small greeting gift to awaken my dear daughter¡¯s affection for me. Just like the nonsense in the ancient epics, a father naturally has the right to own his children, just like how a shepherd can control everything of hismbs.¡±

    Mullwica¡¯s eyes were filled with anger, and a dazzling golden light attacked Azazel!

    ¡°How dare you! Your dirty blood has long rotted away. How dare you let it contaminate my daughter again!¡±

    The two of them engaged in a battle, and the color of the sky changed for a moment. The flying snow and stones became sharp weapons that could destroy the enemy. I tried my best to protect Dorothy in my arms, not letting her be affected by the battle.

    As he fought back, Azazel teased, ¡°Why are you still unwilling to ept the truth? You epted Leviathan¡¯s gift and took the initiative to use my blood to give birth to my daughter. Now that things havee to this, are you regretting your decision? What a sad mother. Her son had pointed his sword at her, and her daughter would never belong to her. What value did such a sad soul have to exist? Who would love you?¡±

    ¡°You will never understand!¡± Mullwica gritted her teeth. ¡°Do you, a demon who has fallen because of selfishness, really know what love is? Your ridiculous past has long be a legend among the various races. A failed lover, a clown who destroyed himself singlehandedly. Are you so persistent in searching for the reincarnation of your descendants for fun, or are you still unable to let go of your sad past?¡±

 Chapter 247

    247 Death

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Mullwica¡¯s protective spell formation protected Dorothy and me in a quiet corner. However, I could hear every single word of their argument.

    Divine blood.

    Descendant.

    Reincarnation.

    I could understand every word, but why couldn¡¯t I understand what they were going on about when I pieced them all together?

    It sounded like Dorothy was Azazel¡¯s daughter in her previous life, but Azazel and Mullwica were enemies and not family, and it did not seem like they were lovers who had fallen out. However, when Azazel said that Mullwica had given birth to his daughter with his divine blood, and Mullwica had also tacitly agreed to it, there must have been something between them. Otherwise, it would not make sense.

    For some reason, I thought of Mullwica¡¯s small house that was hidden by space magic. We were guessing that Mullwica was hiding from someone. Could it be Azazel? This made sense. Azazel wanted to get his daughter back, but Mullwica deliberately hid from him, so he lured Mullwica¡¯s son to find out Mullwica¡¯s whereabouts.

    Then, the question was, why did Mullwica give birth to a daughter? I was guessing that her rtionship with Azazel back then was, at best, unrted to each other. What reason did she have to use his divine blood?

    Soon, I didn¡¯t have the time to think about all these. Dorothy, who was in my arms, started twitching madly. Blood began to ooze out of her facial orifices and nails. There was definitely something wrong with the blood that was red to the point of turning purple. It did not melt the snow when it dripped onto the ground. Instead, it formed bloody ice crystals.

    It looked like the power crystal of Azazel, but it was red.

    I tried to use New Flow to remove the impurities in Dorothy¡¯s blood, but as soon as I came into contact with the strange ingredients, I felt a burning pain, as if acid had invaded my bone marrow. Compared to what I had devoured before, what I was currently experiencing was probably the true ¡®divine power¡¯ or ¡®divine blood¡±. This was the core power of a god and could even be said to be a part of the divine persona.

    My heart sank. This meant that Azazel wasn¡¯t lying. Dorothy did have his divine blood in her. She, or rather, she in her past life, was Azazel¡¯s daughter.

    What the hell was this?!

    No matter how painful it was, I had to endure it and try my best to separate the divine blood from mine. However, this time, it failed. At most, it could only lock on to the divine blood. It couldn¡¯t even wrap them up, let alone swallow them. Or rather, it wasn¡¯t impossible, but the price was too great. My body¡¯s functions subconsciously decided to save my life for me.

    No matter how much I urged New Flow, it refused to move. Seeing that Dorothy¡¯s breathing was getting weaker and weaker, I could only turn to Mullwica for help.

    ¡°Dorothy is bleeding! Her breathing is getting weaker and weaker!¡±

    After trapping Azazel for a short while, Mullwica immediately floated to us to check Dorothy¡¯s injuries.

    However, even she couldn¡¯t do anything when the god blood was activated.

    ¡°Stop your little tricks.¡± She red at Azazel with hatred. ¡°She¡¯s dying. Stop!¡±

    ¡°She won¡¯t die, just like in her previous life. Only her dirty body left, and her soul will live forever.¡± Azazel was unmoved. ¡°Besides, I can¡¯t stop even if I wanted to. Didn¡¯t you notice? Even before I awakened the divine blood, there was already something wrong with this girl.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Her eyes with red halos are the harbinger of the fusion of divine blood and flesh. Even without me, she would soon experience all this. Actually, you shouldn¡¯t be afraid. Instead, you should be happy. This child must be very emotional and talented at using the power of divine blood with a mortal body!

    ¡°But can she make it? Or would she be a monster that had lost her mind like thest time? That would be too disappointing. How about this ¨C I¡¯ll take back the divine blood if she fails again this time? So that she won¡¯t have to suffer again in her next life. What do you think? Will you be happy with this?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t believe that he could stillugh, even in Dorothy¡¯s dying state. What was he proud of? Proud that his child was about to be annihted again? Was he also a part of the pride?

    Blood gushed out of Dorothy¡¯s body, and her pupils had turnedpletely red. She looked just like Azazel, and only the silver light around her irises showed signs of life.

    There was nothing I could do. The only thing I could do was tofort her by her ear, ¡°Hang in there, Dorothy. You don¡¯t want this despicable man tough at you, do you? Devour that drop of divine blood. Don¡¯t let it control you. You¡¯re its master. Let it see who¡¯s the master!¡±

    However, as time passed, Dorothy¡¯s life force continued to dim.

    She was turning cold, and the frequency of her spasms was gradually decreasing. However, I knew that this wasn¡¯t a sign of improvement. Rather, her body was no longer able to support such activities.

    ¡°Please, I beg you, hang in there!¡±

    Hot tears fell to the corner of Dorothy¡¯s eyes, intertwining with a few dirty marks on her bloodied face. It was hard to tell if they were mine or Mullwica¡¯s.

    At some point in time, snow began to fall, covering the traces of the wolves.

 Chapter 248

    248 The Moth

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    A snowkended on the tip of Dorothy¡¯s nose, and after circling for a long time, it crystallized.

    She stopped breathing.

    She was dead.

    Dorothy was dead.

    I was in a daze as I held her body.

    How could she have died?

    Why did she die?

    The snow buried the corpses on the ground. In a daze, I couldn¡¯t even tell if I was carrying her or someone else in the snow.

    As the cold wind blew, I suddenly realized that the souls surrounding me had disappeared.

    They no longer whispered in my ear, no longer gathered around me to take revenge on Azazel. Just like that, they disappeared without a sound, as if they were dissatisfied with my powerlessness and no longer wanted to face this tragic ending. Thus, they flew toward the moon in the snow.

    Dorothy¡¯s corpse was snatched away by Mullwica, but I didn¡¯t feel anything. I could only stare nkly at the blue sky.

    There were no stars, no moon, and no quiet night sky. The daytime was the domain of the sun. Under the intense sunlight, it seemed that all evil had nowhere to hide, and all good would overwhelm evil.

    But there was no moon.

    The sun was of no importance to us. A tired wolf could only close its eyes under the illumination of the moonlight.

    Without the moon, where would they go?

    Dorothy, Aldrich, and many others. The sunlight had blocked the path to the Moon Pce, so where would they go?

    Was this icy cold snow grave their eternal resting ce?

    I heard someone calling out to me, but Mullwica was crying, and Azazel was watching a good show. So who was the one speaking?

    Ah, I recalled that now. It was Maxine.

    My wolf.

    ¡°Pull yourself together, Selma. You¡¯re the only one left now. Do you want everyone¡¯s hard work to go to waste? Do you want the entire advance party to be annihted? If you were to die, who would remember everything that happened tonight? Who would pay tribute to the dead souls? Who will take revenge for the wronged?¡±

    ¡°But what¡¯s the use of me being alone?¡± I muttered.

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. This is the difference between mortals and gods. If an ant can never fight against a mountain, there¡¯s no need for anything else.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say such demoralizing words!¡± Maxine was rather angry. ¡°What kind of mountain is Azazel? Are you willing to be an ant again? Didn¡¯t you say you would light up everything? If you die, you¡¯ll have nothing!¡±

    Light up everything?

    With me?

    A match in a dark room, a firefly in the middle of the night, what could I illuminate? I probably didn¡¯t even have time to leave a single spot of light before I disappeared into the torrent of time.

    Even if he was a demon, what was the difference between Azazel¡¯s power and a god¡¯s?

    How could mortals fight against gods?

    ¡°Remember your words, girl,¡± Maxine suddenly calmed down and said emotionlessly. ¡°If having the power of a god is not enough, then be a god.¡±

    ¡°Be a god?¡±

    But what should I do? I¡¯d tried. I¡¯d tried many times but couldn¡¯t even devour a drop of divine blood. As for the ck mist, it was not even worth mentioning.

    How could a mortal be a god?

    Maxine¡¯s voice disappeared. I didn¡¯t know if she had given up on me or if my world had be peaceful.

    I saw Mullwica holding Dorothy¡¯s body and wailing in silence. I saw Azazel¡¯s silent sarcasm. I saw the wriggling roots quietly engulfing the corpses on the ground. I saw the deformed wolves quietly pouncing on the mad Mullwica.

    I saw.

    I saw...

    I saw a small stream.

    The snow mountain had disappeared, the wolves had disappeared, and so had Mullwica and Azazel.

    It was a quiet field with lush grass and sparse trees. The sky was high, and the clouds were light. I stepped into the flowing stream, and something was gently gnawing at my skin.

    I scooped up a handful of water and saw a small golden fish the size of a thumb.

    No, this was not a tiny fish, but a moth with its wings tightly wrapped around its body.

    After leaving the stream, it slowly spread out its golden wings, but its furry body waspletely ck. The color scheme didn¡¯t make my hair stand on end. Instead, it gave me an indescribable sense of intimacy.

    The moth flew away.

    Behind it, countless ck and gold moths pped their wings and took off from the stream, setting off a fine breeze in the wilderness.

    The wind brought a guest to my back.

    ¡°Are you tired?¡± she whispered in my ear. ¡°My child?¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°Alright, you can rest for a while.¡± She hugged me gently, and her tulle fell on my shoulder like the faint moonlight.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave,¡± I whispered, feeling a little misunderstood. ¡°The outside world is scary. I hate it.¡±

    She didn¡¯t answer me but sent a lost moth to me.

    The moths circled aimlessly, not knowing which direction to go. Gradually, its physical strength was exhausted, and it flew lower and lower, slower and slower until it almost fell into the stream.

    ¡°Will it drown?¡±

    ...

    ¡°No, she¡¯s the stream, and the stream is her.¡±

    The moth melted into the water, and after a while, another moth emerged from the stream and flew in the direction of the wind.

 Chapter 249

    249 Torrents

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    She hugged my arm and left, but I knew she was still behind me.

    ¡°I¡¯m scared.¡± I sobbed, not wanting to let my tears fall.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why I have to go through all this. I don¡¯t know where to go.¡±

    She epted myints and gently suggested, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Life is like a long road. Every step is a fork in the road, and every fork leads to an unknown future. All the travelers who walk on it are lost, but fate will always give us the reward we deserve.¡±

    ¡°Is this reward good or bad?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no good or bad. Fate will not spend any effort on the rewards it gives.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because it doesn¡¯t care.¡±

    The moths gradually drifted away and finally disappeared into the vast sky.

    ¡°Where did they go?¡±

    ¡°To heaven.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s in the sky?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing.¡±

    ¡°Since there¡¯s nothing, why should we go?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s precisely because she has nothing that it has to go. To decorate, create, and give birth to the world it wants.¡±

    ¡°But what can moths do? a little wind and rain can kill them.¡±

    ¡°How do you know that the moths can¡¯t do anything? Countless weak individuals create the boundless world.¡±

    The field was quiet, and the wind had stopped. There was not a single cloud in the sky.

    She ced her hand on my back gently.

    ¡°Do I have to leave?¡±

    ¡°It is up to you, child. Only you can decide your path.¡±

    My eyes suddenly and unknowingly filled with tears.

    ¡°Alright, although I¡¯m still very scared, I must go back.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The hand behind me gently pushed me, and I fell into the stream.

    The moment I was submerged in the water, she said, ¡°Good luck, child. The stream is a moth, and the moth is the stream.¡±

    The stream water gently wrapped around me, the sand and stones carefully sharpened me, and the soil warmly wrapped around me.

    I gradually sank like a stone or sand. It took me a second or ten thousand years.

    The cold wind was biting, calling back my ethereal soul.

    I saw the end of a dispute when I opened my eyes. Mullwica¡¯s sword pierced through Azazel¡¯s body, and Azazel¡¯s sharp nails dug deep into Mullwica¡¯s chest.

    Both sides were injured ¨C not quite urate. The injured Mullwica was about to dissipate, and the pierced Azazel would eventually recover to his peak state.

    ¡°You¡¯ve lost. You¡¯re actually a very interesting girl,¡± Azazel said. ¡°But a mortal body is so boring. Today¡¯s game would have been more fun if the Goddess of Fate had given your ancestor a drop of divine blood.¡±

    The golden light reced the blood and slowly seeped from Mullwica¡¯s heart.

    ¡°You have no right to mention the goddess.¡±

    ¡°You can say whatever you want.¡± Unaffected, Azazel pulled himself out of the sword and said to the gradually dissipating Mullwica, ¡°Do you have anyst words? When I extract my daughter¡¯s soul, I can tell her for you.¡±

    Mullwica didn¡¯t say anything. She just red at him with hatred and then looked at Dorothy¡¯s body in her hand sadly.

    She was drowned in blood, her hair was messy, her clothes were ragged, and she looked like she had a tragic end.

    Her half-closed eyes stared into the void, her scarlet pupils already faded,pressing the silver ring of light on her irises to the point that it almost disappeared.

    I was looking at her, but she couldn¡¯t see me.

    When Azazel noticed that I had woken up, he was very happy. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re awake!¡± He shook the body in his hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, its soul hasn¡¯t left its body yet. Our family can still live happily together! Perhaps you¡¯re worried about theck of a butler? There are many criminals in hell who are good at doing housechores. We can change to another one every day. We can throw him into thevake if we are tired of one!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re really a lunatic.¡± I staggered to my feet and said weakly, ¡°Return Dorothy¡¯s body to me. Aldrich¡¯s one too, and...¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Azazel put on an innocent expression.

    ¡°I said-

    ¡°Return the lives of Dorothy, Aldrich, and the others to me!¡±

    The surging stream washed over the restless wilderness, and countless ck and gold moths flew into the sky.

    The stream water was the moth, and the moth was the stream water!

    I was the moth. I was the stream water!

    The ck and gold light of New Flow spread in all directions, and its target was no longer Azazel. The pine forest, the deformed wolves, the corpses of itspatriots, and even the dying Mullwica were all nutrients for its territory.

    Mullwica epted the devouring power of new Flow. Before she disappeared, she said, ¡°My eyes...¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    After getting my promise, she closed her eyes in peace and disappeared into the torrential river.

    I destroyed the pine forest with ease. The deformed wolves were freed from the chaos¡¯ wails. Theirpatriots¡¯ souls were still trapped in their bodies. They did not resist at all and were drowned by the stream.

    ...

    The moment I devoured them, I heard someone whisper in my ear.

    ¡°Thank you for your hard work, Selma.¡±

    ¡®Is that you? Aldrich?¡¯

    ¡°Also, I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Hot tears fell on the snow, creating ice holes. I wiped away the crystals of sorrow and tried my best to break into Azazel¡¯s defense.

    The pain of sulfur corroding my bones came, but I didn¡¯t care. I couldn¡¯t care.

 Chapter 250

    250 Fighting Fire With Fire

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I¡¯d already endured the pain of being reborn once. It was just physical pain; there was no need to escape!

    This time, New Flow would obey my orders.

    Azazel¡¯s expression changed from one of ease to one of seriousness. He attacked me with heavy murderous intent. I knew he was serious this time because I made him feel threatened.

    ¡°You¡¯re really a rabid dog that can¡¯t be tamed.¡±

    His face was twitching madly, revealing a kind of hysterical madness.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t you all be more obedient!¡±

    The evil power invaded me along the river, and the pain escted. I could barely stand. However, I still gritted my teeth and endured it, letting the taste of blood fill my mouth.

    Without anyplicated punches, kicks, or fancy moves, we all gave up on any form of attack and only used the most primitive and deepest level of power to fight. The thick ck mist and the transparent stream of death were in a fierce struggle, neither willing to give in as they eroded the other¡¯s power.

    Obviously, I couldn¡¯t possibly be stronger than this supreme demon who had lived for who knew how many years.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make me angry again! Now, give up on your rebellion, and I can still forgive you!¡± Azazel roared.

    ¡°Be it in the past or now, you will never be my opponent! How could a weak lump of moonlight dare to resist crime and punishment!¡±

    I didn¡¯t have the energy to answer his craziness.

    I waited.

    I was waiting for an opportunity to kill him in one blow.

    The teachings of Aldrich from the past resurfaced in my mind. ¡°When you¡¯re facing a powerful enemy, strength is not the deciding factor for the final victory or defeat. If you don¡¯t have the confidence to win against your opponent in a head-on confrontation, don¡¯t put too much effort into your weakness. Instead, look for your opponent¡¯s weakness.

    ¡°From the slightest movement to the invisible emotions and state of mind, any aspect could have a fatal weakness. A strong body does not necessarily have a strong heart. If you can¡¯t find your opponent¡¯s weakness, then there¡¯s no harm in creating one yourself.¡±

    ¡°You can use any means to deceive, provoke, enrage, or intimidate them as long as you can grasp the other party¡¯s mood change.¡±

    There was no doubt that Azazel was a powerful demon. Even if I could fully utilize New Flow¡¯s power and use up all my umted power, I would only be able to leave a deep wound on him. Given the demon¡¯s mighty strength, it was hard to say how long the injury wouldst.

    But was his spirit as strong as his body?

    ¡°What about you? Who are you thinking of as your enemy in your past and present?¡±

    I forced out these words.

    ¡°Why are you so obsessed with your daughter yet set a fatal trap for her in every life? Why are you so persistent about me? Do you want an obedient pet, or are you... trying to make up for your past regrets?

    ¡°You said ¡®you all will never listen¡¯. Who is ¡®you¡¯? I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not Dorothy and me. Could it be that all your family members and pets in the past abandoned you in the end? Ha, what a pathetic creature! Didn¡¯t they say that demons are good at ying with people¡¯s hearts? Why are you acting like you¡¯re the one who¡¯s been abandoned by the heartless person?

    ¡°What are you trying to make up for? Wasted feelings? A torturous emotional wound? Or are you unwilling to admit that you were a fool in the past and want to find your former glory by bullying the weak like an impotent pervert?

    ¡°Look at your pathetic expression. Do you look like a demon?¡±

    Seeing that Azazel¡¯s expression was bing more and more ferocious, I sneered and said myst words.

    ¡°Look, you¡¯re about to cry. What now? When you were thrown from heaven to hell by the gods and abandoned by your lover, did you also show such a pitiful expression like a stray dog?¡±

    Azazel¡¯s eyes almost popped out of their sockets as he shouted angrily, ¡°You will regret your offensive words!¡±

    The malevolent ck mist paused before condensing into an ominous ck ball that instantly charged at me!

    At that moment, I dispelled New Flow¡¯s power and threw out a ck crystal I had prepared beforehand. Then, I covered my body with New Flow-

    BOOM!

    The heavens fell, and the earth shook!

    The ck crystal was the negative element that I had secretly condensed. When the evil power and the same evil element collided, it would definitely not be a harmonious scene. They would only erode each other and finally explode with a force that would cause both sides to suffer.

    I felt like the world was spinning, and my entire body was in pain. It was as if a hundred bombs had exploded near me at the same time. The power waves were still spreading out in circles. When I opened my eyes, the surrounding valley had long been razed to the ground. There wasn¡¯t even time for an avnche.

    Azazel did not fall. He was still standing in the same ce, but his body was full of cracks. Blood gushed out of the open wounds, changing the ground under his feet into a sea of blood.

    He mumbled to himself. I didn¡¯t hear him clearly and didn¡¯t want to. I took out the cracked golden bell from the protective circle of New Flow and shook it. The golden bell that contained the soul of a certain great demon yed melodic music, and the surging golden light smoothed out the aftermath of the explosion, causing the evil demon to be injured again.

    Azazel¡¯s body wasn¡¯t just split open. It was more like it was about to copse.

 Chapter 251

    251 Fusion

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Large pieces of flesh fell off his body, but his skeleton was not revealed. Instead, it was a bottomless darkness.

    I didn¡¯t know if the supreme demon¡¯s full-power attack would be able to kill him during his recovery period, but I knew that this was his most vulnerable moment. His body waspletely damaged. There were two possible oues without a physical body to carry his power. Either he went back to hell, or his real body woulde, and the entire Rocky Mountains would disappear from the map.

    And I was not in a better situation. There was still too little time. Even if I tried to wrap myself in New Flow, it wasn¡¯t enough. The impact I received wasn¡¯t any less than that of Azazel. My bones and armor were shattered, and my internal organs were torn apart. I could ring the golden bell because I was using New Flow to carry myself.

    Azazel was on the verge of copse, but that wasn¡¯t enough. It couldn¡¯t guarantee absolute safety.

    When he was distracted by the golden bell, I used thest of my strength to order New Flow to devour him.

    He was just one step away.

    I endured the pain that seeped deep into my soul as I thought in a daze.

    I had absorbed the drop of divine blood in Dorothy¡¯s body. Any more would only add to the pain.

    Azazel woke up and began to resist. However, New Flow had already touched his core in the moment of his absent-mindedness. It was not just divine blood. It was divine sparks.

    I¡¯d said before that if having divine power was not enough, let me be a god!

    ¡°How dare you!¡± Azazel finally panicked. ¡°You lowly wolf cub! How dare you covet something that doesn¡¯t belong to you! You will be dragged into thevake by the minions of hell and suffer the punishment of eternal annihtion!¡±

    I ignored him and didn¡¯t have the strength to pay attention to him.

    It was a cold, evil, and filthy divine persona.

    Precious, alluring, and delicious, divine sparks.

    Why did living beings always pursue immortality since time immemorial?

    Because that had always been the power of the gods.

    The power of a god was so tempting. It was despicable and tyrannical and could easily dominate everything of the weak.

    In that case, what was immortality?

    If I could be a divine being...

    If only I were a god!

    ¡°!¡±

    As he roared in disbelief, New Flow swallowed him.

    The world descended once again the moment godhood was in his hands.

    The wild wind was blowing on the field, and the short grass was dancing in fear, revealing the fireflies in it.

    The water level rose, and even the surrounding grass was submerged.

    I held the pitch-ck ball of light in my hand and stood in the stream in a daze.

    Who was I?

    The stream water reflected my pale face, so familiar yet strange.

    What was this?

    The ball of light in my hand was restless. I subconsciously grabbed it, but I didn¡¯t know why I couldn¡¯t let it escape.

    A ck and gold moth flew leisurely to my shoulder. It rested its wings and then flew away aimlessly.

    The stream water had submerged my calves.

    I didn¡¯t know where, but a bright white soft gauze floated over, dancing with the wind. It gently wrapped around my body. I lifted the veil before my eyes and looked into the distance. I saw that the moon had appeared in the sky.

    In this world of eternal daylight, the lustrous moon brought soft light.

    She was here.

    ¡°Have you decided?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve decided to fuse with the divine spark.¡±

    ¡°What is a divine spark?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s that ball of light in your hand.¡±

    ¡°What happens after I fused with a divine spark?¡±

    ¡°I will be a god or die.¡±

    ¡°Why do I need to fuse with a divine spark?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to ask yourself that.¡±

    The stream water reached my waist.

    She covered my eyes with her hands.

    ¡°He¡¯s not dead, child. The divine spark in your hands is only a part of him. Some gods be gods because they were born to be. The divine spark is just a proof of identity, not a pass card.¡±

    ¡°Who didn¡¯t die?¡±

    ¡°Azazel, a demon. He¡¯s your enemy.¡±

    My enemy?

    I couldn¡¯t remember. I could only remember the bright moonlight and the temperature of the light.

    ¡°Should I fuse with the divine spark?¡±

    She didn¡¯t say anything and let go of me.

    ...

    The moonlight shone on the ball of light in my hand. It was no longer restless and even seemed a little tame.

    ¡°This is an original sin but also a redemption,¡± she said.

    ¡°You can use it to be the world¡¯s coldest and fairest judge. You can also tame it to bring hope and new life to the world.¡±

    ¡°Which one is better?¡± I was confused.

    ¡°There is no good or bad, child. Just like I told you, there is no good or bad in the gifts of fate.¡±

    The wind had stopped, and the tulle danced in the wind, leaving a trail of light on the water¡¯s surface as it drifted away with the stream.

    The stream water reached my chest.

    ¡°Have you decided?¡± she asked before she left.

    I didn¡¯t answer, and the moon disappeared.

    The stream water covered my neck. I took a deep breath and sank into the stream.

    The ball of light rippled in the water, releasing a chaotic halo. From the bottom of the water, many ck-gold moths wandered out. They circled the ball of light, dancing as if they were looking forward to something.

    ...

    The stream water also stirred up waves.

    I closed my eyes and allowed the moths to fly into my chest.

    A dazzling light swept over me, and my world fell into darkness.

    What was a family?

    It was an obscure word that appeared in ancient books and fantasy novels. It was nothing more than a link to the gods¡¯ identities and their descendants.

 Chapter 252

    252 Resurrection

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    My life was too far away from it, and it was meaningless to me.

    However, when I was eager to make up for some mistakes, I was shocked to find out that even a god was not omnipotent. You could capture a soul or create a body for it, but it could only be called a moving puppet and not a real living creature.

    Even a god could not resurrect the dead. The Goddess of Fate kept a close eye on her mirror to ensure that no life could vite the world¡¯sws.

    But as Azazel had said, although gods could not resurrect people, they could make them their followers. Even the descendants of gods had this power.

    A family member was god¡¯s friend, servant, subordinate, and ve.

    If I wanted to resurrect my deadrades, there was only one way.

    But there were two problems.

    First, kin were usually fantasy creatures that did not exist in this world. However, werewolves were a part of the living and did not have the right to be kin.

    This was rather easy to solve. I just had to choose one of the fantasy creatures I had read about in ancient books.

    The second one was the most troublesome ¨C the followers did not have a will of their own, and everything they did was based on their instincts, emotions, and the drive of their master. After all, a god created his followers to help him do things, not to have a group of powerful and immortal creatures fight for power with him.

    But I wanted a group of living people, not ves that I could order around!

    In the thirtieth second after I became a god, I encountered a problem that even a god couldn¡¯t solve.

    Just as I was thinking hard about the sleeping souls, a slightly crazy thought suddenly entered my mind.

    Should I try to create a god?

    If the followers couldn¡¯t have a will, then gods should, right? I¡¯d never heard of any gods or descendants of gods in myths who were mentally retarded!

    It was simple. I would first turn my deadrades into my followers, then hand over my divine persona and divide it into equal parts as the number of souls. The godhood that had been split up naturally could not give birth to a new god, but that was not the main point. The main point was its ¡®identification¡¯ nature.

    Although the split divinity couldn¡¯t prove that a living being was a god, it could at least prove that he wasn¡¯t a follower, right? How could a follower possess a divine fragment?

    I was so smart! Let¡¯s do this!

    Golden moth patterns emerged from my skin and floated into the air, gently imprinting themselves on the sleeping soul. A bright halo enveloped the soul¡¯s entire body, attracting the soul¡¯s resonance to produce new flesh and blood together with it.

    Although it was a fantasy creature, it couldn¡¯t be too ridiculous. I still tried to make my new body look like a werewolf. As for the extra ck-gold wings of the moth, I could only try my best to make themplement the wolf¡¯s body. At least my ¡®kin¡¯ would be able to gain new abilities to fly in the future, right?

    After the body waspleted, it was time to prove his identity.

    The moment I stripped him of his divine persona, I finally understood why he had been so terrified. He wasn¡¯t really afraid, but the emptiness and fear that emerged from the bottom of his heart could drive him crazy.

    I resisted the urge to take the divine spark for myself. Sixty seconds after I became a god, I sessfully abdicated.

    The divine fragments that had been split up allnded in my new home. However, my work wasn¡¯t finished yet, as I still needed to coordinate a few specific details.

    First of all, Mullwica¡¯s eyes.

    I¡¯d already sent Mullwica¡¯s soul to the Goddess of Fate¡¯s embrace. After I absorbed her body, only her eyes remained. I didn¡¯t know if this eye of blood kin that was separated by a reincarnation would be useful, but I still have to let Dorothy try.

    Then, it was Aldrich¡¯s turn.

    My love, my moonlight, my shepherd.

    A resplendent ck opal slowly emerged from my chest. This was not the one that Aldrich had given me back then, the one that had already fused with my flesh and blood when I was born from the cocoon. This was a gem condensed with redemption and rebirth that I condensed with my divine power in the short sixty seconds I was a god.

    It still didn¡¯t have the effect of resurrection, but it hid a wish to live from death. I knew that Aldrich was a warrior in his bones, and I was proud of his bravery but also worried about his encounter. The minute he became a god, I gave him all my blessings to turn cmities into blessings and to bring good fortune to him.

    The ck opal melded into Aldrich¡¯s muscr chest, emitting a soft and dazzling light.

    At this point, my work was over.

    At least I remembered to repair my broken body. Otherwise, I would have died immediately.

    I smiled in relief as I watched myrades wake up in a daze on the snow. I felt heavy fatigue gradually crushing my nerves.

    I fell limply to the ground, and Aldrich rushed forward to catch me.

    ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re awake,¡± I said happily.

    Aldrich looked at me worriedly. He wasn¡¯t like the others who were excited like new students. Instead, he was worried. ¡°Tell me, Selma, that you did not hurt yourself this time.¡±

    ¡°Of course not! I promised you!¡±

    I lied, but no one cared about that.

    My strength was draining away bit by bit. New Flow was still wrapped in the remnants of Azazel¡¯s power, but it was of no help.

    This was a kind of exhaustion that came from the soul.

    The moment I sank into the darkness, I only had time to see Aldrich¡¯s moving lips.

    He said something, but I didn¡¯t hear it.

 Chapter 253

    253 The Adventure Of A Drop Of Blood

    Dorothy¡¯s POV:

    I was dead. I knew that.

    Death was an extremely mysterious feeling. It seemed to be gentle but also painful. It was as if I was swimming in the water, but also as if I was falling endlessly into the universe. All the restraints had disappeared, and my broken body had be a thing of the past. Only a soul with no way back was left, wandering between heaven and earth.

    Who woulde to receive me?

    Now that things hade to this, I was a little afraid. Did the Moon Temple wee a believer of the Goddess of Fate? Could the River of Fate ept the shadow of moonlight?

    I didn¡¯t know. No one came.

    A few hot tears fell on my body, prating my empty soul and leaving burn marks. Who was crying? My heart clenched as well. Although I couldn¡¯t see or think of anything, where did this inexplicable sadnesse from? I couldn¡¯t even cry.

    The tears fell and disappeared without a trace.

    The confusion of chaos made me unable to think. I turned from a person into a cloud of air and seeped into the invisible time. This feeling wasn¡¯t too good, but it wasn¡¯t too bad either. Perhaps every soul would have toplete this final journey, so I easily epted it.

    I became boiling hot.

    A pair of gentle hands locked me in the palm of their hands, and the whine made me cry. Before I could hear it clearly, the pair of hands threw me far away. Apanied by the sharp cries of the baby, I sank into the waves under the witness of the dark clouds and the sea breeze disappearing among the rugged reefs.

    The sea was cold, and the rough sand was not friendly. The curious fish kept probing around me. Their colorful fins stirred up the tiny water currents, slowly bringing me into the deep ocean.

    I was melting. I was dissipating. I was bing a drop of salt water in the ocean.

    Perhaps it was because I wasn¡¯t delicious. The fish soon lost their curiosity and disappeared, leaving me lying alone in the dark bottom of the sea.

    I was a little sleepy.

    I believed I¡¯de to the end of my life.

    However, the bottom of the sea suddenly trembled. The sand and rocks vibrated because of the trembling. The fish fled because of the trembling. Lava gushed out from the cracks with scorching heat, lifting me like a bowl.

    A smell saltier than the ocean enveloped my body. Someone said, ¡°Look, what did I find?¡±

    Theva gently wrapped around me and sank into the crack.

    I was too tired and had no reason to keep awake, so I fell asleep in the warm cage.

    After an unknown period, a storm came quietly.

    A ship shaking on the verge of destruction struggled in the wind and rain. The sailors avoided the fallen mast with frightened expressions, and the passengers hiding at the bottom of the cabin shivered and prayed for the blessings of all kinds of gods. One of them was a woman hiding under a heavy cloak. For her lover¡¯s life, she awakened a demon sleeping in the storm.

    ¡°What can you give me?¡± she asked, bringing the salty water vapor with her.

    ¡°I¡¯m willing to give up everything,¡± she said.

    The storm had stopped, and everyone was immersed in the destruction of surviving the disaster. Only the woman held the demon¡¯s ¡®gift¡¯ thoughtfully and ignored her lover¡¯s expression.

    She hid me in a cloak, escaped the church¡¯s pursuit, endured her lover¡¯s betrayal, and finally came to a mountain range that snowed all year round. She started a new life with the gentle eptance of herpatriots.

    She no longer missed her lover, but her flesh and blood loss still tormented her heart day and night.

    On a sleepless night, she thought of me.

    The demon¡¯s whisper still echoed in her ears. She didn¡¯t care who I was. No matter if I had the noble blood of a god or an ordinary human, there was no difference to her. She just wanted a family member and was about to go crazy.

    She couldn¡¯t see what fate would bring her, but she would ept it no matter the result.

    And so, I was born.

    I¡¯d grown up to be a mischievous little girl.

    I¡¯d grown into a slim and elegant young girl.

    But how could the gift of fatee without a price?

    Soon, she had to pay the price.

    The appearance of her flesh and blood made her overjoyed. However, at that moment, the page that fate had been reluctant to show her was finally revealed.

    She knew what was about to happen to her, but she didn¡¯t care and didn¡¯t want to resist.

    After going through so much, she was already too tired. Her life had long been like an object outside her body. She was willing to give up everything for her family.

    She also finally understood the price the demon had mentioned back then. It wasn¡¯t a low-quality love born early, nor was it the first half of her life filled with anxiety and fear. In the devil¡¯s y, she was willing to be the protagonist, using her life to y out an ancient Greek ethical tragedy as a gift to the devil.

    She loved her son and me. She gave up her life for her son and her soul for me.

    In the seal that engulfed everything, she pushed me away and said, ¡°Run, child, and leave this ce forever.¡±

    Her daughter¡¯s face was covered in tears when I looked at her.

    ¡°I love you,¡± she said.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Live on.¡±

    Everything disappeared.

    I left the snowy mountain and lived safely until I was old enough to have children. I married an honest farm owner and died on the day of delivery.

    The god¡¯s blood would kill me.

    But I was god¡¯s blood.

    Who killed me?

    Who was I?

    I didn¡¯t know. I became a chaotic soul again, drifting aimlessly in time, and thennded on a beautiful night with soft moonlight.

    I had god¡¯s blood.

    I was Madeline.

    I was...

    ...

    Dorothy.

 Chapter 254

    254 The Conversation

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The weather today was perfect, or rather the weather here had not changed.

    There were just the right amount of white clouds, pale halos, gentle winds, and clear air. I liked everything, and I felt free. I would sleep on the grass, on the shore, or in a stream, enjoying the wind and the stream brushing my hair. I would sleep deeply for a few days and nights and then run wildly in the vast wilderness.

    The stream reflected my reflection, and the light refracted my hair and wings into a soft halo.

    asionally, moths woulde out to y with me, but they were cold and untraceable. They often flew into the sky and disappeared into the high clouds without waiting for me to pounce.

    Why were they so anxious?

    I didn¡¯t know, but it didn¡¯t matter. I¡¯d wait for the arrival of my nextpanion.

    The moths would sometimes appear in groups; sometimes, not a single one would appear for a long time. I asionally felt lonely during the long wait, so I fell into a deep sleep of dull boredom.

    When I opened my eyes again, the field was still the field, and the sky was still the sky. Everything had remained the same.

    I wouldn¡¯t change either.

    It was a little boring.

    Lying on my folded front paws, I stared at the flowing stream.

    What should I do?

    The reflection in the water suddenly moved, and someone said, ¡°You don¡¯t want to stay here anymore?¡±

    I was shocked and jumped up in a panic. I stumbled back with my four limbs. Hiding on the shore, I asked, ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m you. Do you want to leave this ce?¡± the reflection asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re not me. Who are you?!¡±

    ¡°I am you, you fool. Don¡¯t make me say it a second time. ¡±

    ¡°How can there be two of me in this world?¡±

    ¡°There are no two ¡®you¡¯. We are the same person.¡±

    The same person?

    ¡°Then, what should I be called?¡± I decided to trick her. No matter what she answered, it would be wrong because I didn¡¯t remember my name at all!

    ¡°Your name is Selma or Madeline, but everyone is used to calling you Selma,¡± the shadow said.

    ¡°You¡¯re wrong!¡± I jumped up in excitement. ¡°I don¡¯t have a name at all. You¡¯ve been tricked by me, haha!¡±

    The shadow looked at me speechlessly. ¡°My god! Have I be a retard?¡±

    ¡°Hey! Show some respect!¡± I angrily mumbled, ¡°You¡¯re the idiot!

    ¡°I already said I¡¯m you, and you¡¯re me!¡±

    The shadow¡¯s patience seemed to have reached its limit.

    ¡°Think about your past, you fool! Remember your name and who you are, and quickly get out of this boring ce!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not boring here,¡± I said. ¡°I like it here. I can run freely here.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know which of my words had touched her, but she was silent for a long time before saying, ¡°I know, but for your goal, you have to give up some things, such as the wilderness that can let you run freely.¡±

    Why didn¡¯t she have to give something up? ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose this ce,¡± I retorted. ¡°You said that we¡¯re one. Go and aplish your goal then.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m also working hard on this,¡± the shadow said. ¡°I¡¯ve also given up a lot.¡±

    ¡°For example?¡±

    ¡°My past, my physical body, my blood.¡±

    ¡°You lost your memory? Or have all the people you know forgotten about you?¡±

    ¡°No...¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re dead? Or have you be a spirit?¡±

    ¡°... not that either¡±

    ¡°You lost your family? Or did your parents kick you out of the house?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    I looked at the stunned shadow and proudly said, ¡°See, I knew you were lying. The people of the past are still there. Your body is still there, and your family is still there. What kind of loss is this? Don¡¯t try to trick me into making a sacrifice. I won¡¯t let you benefit, hmph!¡±

    A gentle breeze blew, ruffling the calm water surface and scattering the misty reflections.

    I was in a daze when she suddenly appeared in front of me.

    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± I vigntly assumed an offensive stance, but she wasn¡¯t afraid at all. She even reached out and touched my chin.

    ¡°I¡¯m touching myself? It¡¯s a wonderful feeling,¡± she mumbled.

    I ran a few steps away and vigntly watched this strange woman. ¡°Don¡¯t be so friendly. We don¡¯t even know each other!¡±

    She didn¡¯t care about my wariness. She stood there and looked at me gently. ¡°We know each other. You are me, and I am you. You are Selma, and I am Selma. You¡¯re Madeline, and I¡¯m Madeline.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± I stubbornly shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t have a name.¡±

    ¡°Then, who are you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe I¡¯m not anyone.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as not being anyone. You must have an identity, but you¡¯ve forgotten.¡±

    Was that so?

    I was convinced by her.

    ...

    Had I forgotten my name?

    She walked toward me step by step, and I didn¡¯t know why I didn¡¯t want to run away.

    ¡°I like this ce too, but it¡¯s time to leave. There are still many people waiting for us.¡±

    She hugged me slowly.

    Her embrace was so warm that I felt I was about to melt.

    ¡°Who¡¯s waiting for me?¡±

    She didn¡¯t answer, and the wind carried our voices away.

    The stream water gradually spread to the shore, and thin moths flew out from it, carrying our figures and flying high into the sky.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time,¡± I said.

    ¡°It¡¯s time to wake up.¡±

    Buzz, buzz, buzz.

    ...

    It was the sound of medical equipment.

 Chapter 255

    255 Recovery

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I¡¯d always hated the smell of disinfectant, but at this moment, I could turn a blind eye to it.

    My body was so heavy that I couldn¡¯t even open my eyes. The cold tube was ced on my wrist, and through the slight vibration, I could sense whether the liquid or gas was flowing through it.

    This was probably a ward.

    That was my first thought after I woke up.

    My second thought was, ¡®What time is it now?¡¯

    I didn¡¯t know how long I¡¯d slept, a minute or a hundred years. I couldn¡¯t even open my eyes to look at the clock now ¨C if there was a clock here.

    After an unknown time, I finally gathered enough strength to open my eyes.

    As I expected, this was a ward; a very, very,rge ward.

    Perhaps the designer who built this ward used to design a football field, so it was spacious enough to amodate the World Cup.

    Alright, this was a little exaggerated. My apologies for being so boring. It was really hard to pass the time while lying on the bed. There was no one here, so I couldn¡¯t possibly be friends with a heart rate monitor, right?

    After an unknown time, I finally had the strength to sit up.

    It was only then that I realized that my powerlessness wasn¡¯t due to exhaustion but because the progress bar hadn¡¯t finished loading: my soul and body were still fusing, and I had to take back control of my body bit by bit.

    Sitting down gave me a wider field of view. I realized this was a temple that had been transformed into a ward. It looked very new, without the erosion of the ancient temples caused by time. The four walls of the temple were engraved with totems of wolves and moths, and the top of the wall was painted with gorgeous crescent patterns. The continuous wave patterns were interspersed between the totems and the paintings, and the details were shining with a soft golden light.

    It looked a little like the Moon Temple, but the meaning differed.

    Why was my ward set up in the temple? Was it because my soul and body were separated, and people mistakenly thought I needed to receive blessings to recover? Even so, I should still wake up in the Moon Temple. What kind of ce was this?

    Just as I was wondering about the situation, the temple¡¯s door suddenly opened.

    Two people who looked like doctors came in and didn¡¯t notice that I was awake.

    Their coats were embroidered with familiar-looking wolves, moths, new moons, and waves of water with golden threads.

    ¡°Have you prepared the nutrient fluids for tonight? The priest will lead the prayers tonight, so we don¡¯t have time to make it now.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s all done. By the way, have you heard? Captain Kerner was seriously injured during a mission and was sent to the ICUst night.¡±

    ¡°I know. I was on dutyst night. But don¡¯t worry, Kerner will be fine. With her protection, no one will be in trouble, just like before.¡±

    They chatted in low voices. Due to the curtain and the dim candlelight, they did not notice anything different about the patient on the altar.

    I suddenly felt like teasing them, so I kept quiet.

    One of the doctors skillfully changed the medicine on the drip while the other lifted the curtain and prepared to do my routine examination as usual.

    The next second, he froze.

    Looking at his disbelieving expression, I smiled and greeted him, ¡°Hello.¡±

    Time stopped.

    Five secondster, the two of them stood up in a flurry. Their rationality temporarily went offline in their panic. One moment, they stammered as if they wanted to say something to me, and the next moment, they pped their heads and rushed toward the temple door. Halfway there, they turned back and mumbled, ¡°Oh, goddess... No, Your Highness... Oh... oh my god, what am I saying?¡±

    I didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. ¡°Calm down. Breathe. Don¡¯t forget to breathe!¡±

    The two took a few deep breaths and forced their hands to hide behind their backs. They said shamefully, ¡°I¡¯ve embarrassed myself in front of you, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s my fault. I just wanted to scare you. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°No, no, no! Please don¡¯t say that! It¡¯s our... It¡¯s our negligence! Yes, it¡¯s our fault!¡±

    Looking at their breathless expressions, I decided to change the topic.

    ¡°Where is this?¡± I asked, ¡°Are you the doctors in charge of taking care of me? How am I doing?¡±

    ¡°This is your temple, Your Highness.¡± The doctors finally calmed down, though their flushed faces showed their excitement. ¡°We dare not call ourselves your medical officers, but we¡¯re just offering you a little token of our appreciation with our meager medical skills. There¡¯s nothing wrong with your body, but you couldn¡¯t wake up,¡± the priest said. ¡°This involves the soul, and mortals can only be lucky enough to care for your mortal body.¡±

    What a strange way to put it. My temple? I¡¯d only been a god for a minute. Where did the templee from? There were also priests? Could it be one of my family members?

    Looking at the two doctors, they would faint on the spot if I continued to question them. I told these two excited people to leave and asked, ¡°Alright then. Can I see my family and friends now?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± One of the doctors immediately showed an annoyed expression. ¡°I should have thought of this earlier. It¡¯s all my fault.¡±

    He mumbled as he ran away. Herpanion apologized to me in fear and guilt. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness. He didn¡¯t mean to be disrespectful to you. He was just too excited.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to argue with these two ill-at-ease people at all. I simply said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. You were going to give me a physical examination, right? Then, do it.¡±

    ¡°Oh, oh yes, I...¡±

 Chapter 256

    256 Despicable Love

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Looking at his trembling hands, I didn¡¯t have much hope for the uracy of this examination.

    Ten minutester, the temple¡¯s door was suddenly pushed open. Before I could see anything, the person suddenly rushed to my side.

    ¡°Selma!¡± Aldrich hugged me tightly, his excited voice showing that he was not calm. ¡°You¡¯re awake, my god, you¡¯re awake!¡±

    I hugged him back and gently stroked his trembling back.

    ¡°I¡¯m back, Aldrich. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine.¡±

    We quietly hugged until Aldrich calmed down.

    When he saw the doctor standing awkwardly at the side, he immediately realized something and moved away to make way for him. He said in annoyance, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have interrupted the examination. What have I done?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± I held his hand and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve already cured all my injuries. Nothing will happen.¡±

    ¡°Yes, general Aldrich,¡± the doctor agreed. ¡°There is no problem with Her Highness¡¯s mortal body. I¡¯m just here to ensure her daily nutrition intake. Now that my work is done, I won¡¯t disturb you any longer. I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±

    After the doctor left, Aldrich sat by the bed again and held my hand tightly.

    ¡°I¡¯m not dreaming, right?¡± He muttered.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake. You¡¯re really awake.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help butugh. I leaned over and kissed his cheek. I pressed his forehead against mine and whispered,¡± This isn¡¯t a dream. I¡¯m awake, and I¡¯m sitting in front of you, healthy and safe. I¡¯m back, my dear. I¡¯m sorry to leave you alone. You must be scared, right? I should¡¯ve told you, but I¡¯m out of strength, and I¡¯ve made you worry for so long.¡±

    Aldrich stared at me for a long while, and seeing that I was getting goosebumps on my back, he suddenly kissed me.

    I fell on the soft pillow and felt the uneasiness and eagerness in his kiss. I didn¡¯t dodge and guided his sense of security back with gentleness and tolerance.

    After the kiss, he panted, and his voice was choked.

    ¡°Every day, every day, I live in fear. It¡¯s as if you¡¯re asleep, but no matter what I do, I can¡¯t wake you up. Dorothy said that it¡¯s because your soul has left your body. I asked her where you went, but she kept silent and said she didn¡¯t know either.

    ¡°Even the Eye of Insight can¡¯t see through you. Does this mean that you¡¯ve already left your fate in the mortal world and gone to the other side that we can¡¯t? This thought grew like a weed in my mind. If you left, if you went to the ce where gods should go, what should I do? Where should I go to find you?

    ¡°Are you still willing toe back? Are you willing to give up eternity, give up glory, and give up supreme power to return to the ordinary world? I didn¡¯t know. I was not sure. I wanted you toe back, but I felt like a knife was being twisted in my heart because of this selfish thought.

    ¡°I wanted to be by your side, but I couldn¡¯t stay in the temple all the time. I have my responsibilities, and I have toplete my mission. Every time this happened, I would envy Dorothy and your other followers. They weren¡¯t burdened by their status and could devote themselves to you. And me? I call myself your believer, your lover, but I can¡¯t even apany you through the long nights in the temple.

    ¡°I was going to go crazy, Selma. If you didn¡¯t wake up soon, I think that there woulde a day when I would break away from the past without a care for anything. I would give up on that bullsh*t status and responsibilities and turn myself into your ascetic monk. I would spend the rest of my life waiting for your unknown return.

    ¡°It¡¯s good now. As long as I can see you, I was willing to be embedded in the temple and make myself a stepping board for anyone to step on.

    ¡°But one day, I suddenly realized that I was lying to myself about my love and future. In my heart, I was just trying to threaten you toe back-what a despicable mentality. In the name of love, I made such a selfish n. Since then, I¡¯ve been too ashamed to see you. Every time I saw your sleeping shadow on the high tform in prayer, I was cut in half by my thoughts and shame.

    ¡°You¡¯re back.

    ¡°But what right does such a despicable person like me have to stay by your side?¡±

    Aldrich¡¯s hot tears fell on my wrist like boilingva, causing me so much pain that I wished I was dead.

    I didn¡¯t know what he went through when I was unconscious, but I remembered he was no longer the majestic Alpha wolf. Now he was like a stray dog that had been through heavy rain. He was in a sorry state, at a loss, and looked around, not knowing where to go.

    My lover, how could I bear to see you be like this?

    Thus, I held him in my arms, held back my tears, and gently said, ¡°This isn¡¯t your fault, Aldrich. My heart will die with you if you me yourself for this.

    ¡°Love is such a selfish and unreasonable thing. If it meekly epts all the old rules, what right does it have to be independent of other feelings?

    ¡°You¡¯re not selfish, nor are you despicable. This is not your fault. There¡¯s nothing wrong with love.

    ¡°Fate has given us painful training, but this will only make us stronger.

    ¡°My shepherd, don¡¯t cry.

    ¡°From now on, I won¡¯t leave without saying goodbye. I won¡¯t go anywhere other than be by your side. ¡±

 Chapter 257

    257 Gone For Three Years

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    In short, after we calmed down, we were all a little embarrassed.

    Aldrich did not dare to look at me, although he firmly held my hand. He stared intently at the murals on the temple as if he had suddenly developed a great interest in art. His face was as red as a tomato. I felt that I should break the silence in case he dug a hole and buried himself in it.

    ¡°So... you just said ¡®my believers¡¯?¡±

    Aldrich was finally willing to look at me, even though it was just a nce before he shyly looked away.

    ¡®Yes.¡± He nodded. ¡°Your believers, your kin, your servants, and your friends.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that. It¡¯s really weird,¡± I said with a wry smile. ¡°But you already know that you¡¯ve be my followers? I remember not having time to say anything before I fainted.¡±

    ¡°Needless to say, it¡¯s a sense of belonging thates from the soul. The moment we were reborn, we knew our identities, and from this, we couldn¡¯t help but have feelings of admiration and longing. Our god¡¯s kin will forever love and be loyal to you until they disappear from the world.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯d only been a god for a minute, and now I¡¯m just a mortal. Will you still have this feeling?¡±

    ¡°This has nothing to do with your current identity. The moment you gave us new life, all the contracts werepleted. The contract will never fade whether you are a god or a mortal.¡±

    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s quite romantic...¡±

    I wanted to leave the bed and walk around since the doctor said my body was fine. There were still many inconveniences in the initial fusion of the soul and the body. I intuitively felt I needed to exercise more to eliminate these side effects.

    After seeing that, he helped me walk around the temple. No matter how slow I was, I should know the ce I was in.

    ¡°So, this is my temple?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said with a smile. ¡°Funded by the royal family, supplemented by the donations and help of the believers, the temple was built in three months. Every detail is the crystallization of the thoughts of the believers and craftsmen, condensing the sincere blessings and piety.¡±

    I could feel the strong love and faith in the murals and carvings. Although I was no longer a god, these precious feelings didn¡¯t change because of my identity.

    ¡°So I was unconscious for at least three months?¡± I asked.

    Aldrich shook his head and said in a slightly depressed tone, No, you were unconscious for three years. Many things happened in these three years, and you are already twenty-two.¡±

    What?

    I looked at him in disbelief, hoping this was a harmless joke.

    ¡°Three years?¡±

    The most precious three years of youth were wasted in my muddleheaded sleep from neen to twenty-two.

    I¡¯d missed out on my entire university life!

    I¡¯d missed out on the lives of my family and friends!

    I¡¯d missed three graduation balls!

    ¡°No,¡± Aldrich corrected. ¡°To be precise, it was two terms. There are still two months before your fourth year ends. The graduation exam has beenpleted, but the graduation party has yet to start.¡±

    I didn¡¯t understand how he could be so calm. ¡°But I¡¯ve skipped three whole years of sses! I¡¯ll be expelled. I¡¯ll be the first princess in the royal family to be expelled from school!¡±

    ¡°Hey, hey, calm down, dear.¡±

    Aldrich carried me and ran back to the bed, whispering, ¡°It¡¯s not that serious. The King and Queen have announced to the public that you went to a closed training camp in Europe as an exchange student for some reason, and all your homework was tacitly agreed to bepleted there. So, you won¡¯t drop out of college, and you won¡¯t be expelled. You¡¯ll get your graduation certificate on the day of the graduation ceremony.¡±

    ¡°Is this okay?¡± I felt a little guilty. ¡°I didn¡¯t attend any sses. Isn¡¯t that a little unfair to the others?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just that you didn¡¯t learn those things in school. The private tutors that the King and Queen hired for you should have handed over all the university courses to you within a few months, right? You went to school because His Majesty doesn¡¯t want you to be separated from the secr life and develop a high and mighty character.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± Indeed, I had alreadypleted my undergraduate course under the tutge of my home tutor, so I didn¡¯t have to worry about this anymore.

    We leaned on the bed and chatted quietly for a while. Suddenly, there was a soft knock on the door of the temple.

    ¡°Your Holy Highness,¡± Kara¡¯s trembling voice came from outside the door. ¡°May your servant, Kara, have the honor of meeting you?¡±

    It was Kara, my dear head handmaid!

    ¡°Of course!¡± I ran out of bed excitedly and into Kara¡¯s arms. ¡°My dear Kara, are you okay? I miss you so much!¡±

    ¡°I missed you too, my dear little princess.¡±

    Kara gently hugged me with red eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ve prayed every night for the past three years, thanking you for everything. You¡¯ve finally returned.¡±

    I was very attached to this woman who had cared for me like an elder, and I felt even more guilty. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I slept for so long.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not your fault. We are the useless ones.¡± Kara gently wiped her tears. ¡°You must be too tired to take responsibility and move forward alone. If you¡¯re tired, you should have a good sleep. When you wake up, everything will be over.¡±

    Kara told me that my parents were rushing here. She had been caring for me for the past three years, so she lived near the temple. That was why she coulde so quickly.

 Chapter 258

    258 The new moon Goddess (1)

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Only then did I find out that the temple was located in a quiet forest. It was an entire suburb away from the Lycan pack, so it was almost a no man¡¯snd. This was to ensure the peace of the temple and to ensure that I would not be disturbed by any unexpected visitors. The builders had specially chosen this ce.

    I thought that the temple would be in some secret royalnd or somewhere far away from the werewolves¡¯ territory. I didn¡¯t expect it to be so close to the core of the werewolves.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of being discovered?¡± I asked, ¡°This is a temple. How low-profile can it be?¡±

    Aldrich, however, replied with a smile, ¡°Why are you afraid of being discovered? This temple worshiped a great, kind, and merciful Holy Spirit, so there was nothing to hide. Anyone who finds this ce will instantly understand the warmth and holiness of this ce. They will repent their original sins in the temple and be redeemed.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying such mushy words again...¡±

    I pushed him ufortably.

    That was true. I was not something that couldn¡¯t be seen by others. What was there to be afraid of being discovered? Although the fact that I had only been a god for a minute was indeed ridiculous, there had never been ack of strange anecdotes about gods in history. Compared to those myths that challenged the bottom line of ethics and the limits of human eptance, this bit of anecdote of mine wasn¡¯t that shocking.

    However...

    My honorific title... I asked in a surprisingly low voice, ¡°I mean, what do my kin call me?¡±

    As Aldrich and Karaughed, I said strangely, ¡°It can¡¯t be something like a one-minute god or a sixty-second god!¡±

    The two of themughed, and I realized that they had tricked me.

    ¡°Of course not, Your Highness,¡± Kara said. ¡°You should have more trust in your believers.¡±

    ¡°So what is it?¡± I asked in high spirits.

    Pointing at the pattern drawn with silver powder on the dome, Aldrich said, ¡°We call you the ¡®New Moon Goddess¡¯.¡±

    The New Moon Goddess?

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be the same name as the Moon Goddess?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. The ¡®New Moon¡¯ is just a reference. It represents new life, reincarnation, beginning, and dedication, just like what you did to your loved ones.¡±

    Alright, New Moon Goddess, that sounded pretty cool.

    We chatted for a while, and a few minutester, Dorothy arrived.

    She gave me a big hug as soon as she came up, then burst into tears. She didn¡¯t say anything for a few minutes and just hugged me and cried.

    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± Iforted her as if I were petting a kitten. ¡°I¡¯m back. Everything is over. You don¡¯t have to worry about me. You must have been very scared these three years, right? I¡¯m sorry, Dorothy. Thank you for your sacrifice. I¡¯ll always be grateful to fate for giving me a friend like you.¡±

    ¡°You justy there for three whole years! You didn¡¯t say a word. You didn¡¯t do anything. I¡¯ve tried all kinds of methods, but I couldn¡¯t summon your soul!¡± Sheined loudly, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯m tired of everything. I¡¯ve already decided that if you don¡¯t wake up this year, I¡¯ll burn your body so that you won¡¯t be able toe back, even if you want to!¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay, okay. I¡¯m sorry. I won¡¯t be so stubborn anymore. Please forgive me, okay?¡± I yed along with her childishints and said, ¡°It¡¯s really thest time. To be honest, it doesn¡¯t feel good to wake up and be told that you¡¯ve advanced from a college student to a quasi-societal person. These are the most important years of youth in your life.¡±

    I coaxed Dorothy for a long time before she finally calmed down. Aldrich, left out on the side, looked at us, hugging each other with hidden bitterness, and unwillingly said, ¡°Dorothy is your priestess. She has been in charge of your affairs for the past three years. My god, how long are you going to hug? I¡¯m going to be jealous for real now!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so petty,¡± I said as I red at him. Dorothy left my arms.

    She rubbed her red and swollen eyes and cast a recovery spell on herself. She sobbed and said, ¡°Anyway, many things have happened in the past three years, but they¡¯re not big issues. When you¡¯ve fully recovered, I¡¯ll tell you bit by bit.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be the one who tells her,¡± Aldrich corrected.

    This person was really childish today!

    I held his hand tofort him, and he reluctantly shut up.

    However, Dorothy did not give him any face at all and said bluntly, ¡°You¡¯re not mistaken, we¡¯re ¡®fighting for favor¡¯- I know it¡¯s weird to say this. But there¡¯s nothing we can do about it. The nature of the followers makes us instinctively want to be close to our master. There are many records of the followers of an ancient god killing each other for the god¡¯s favor, and in the end, the whole race was exterminated.¡±

    But I was no longer a god.

    ¡°Just as I was about to say this, I remembered what Aldrich had said, ¡®A contract had nothing to do with one¡¯s status¡¯.¡±

    From my expression, Dorothy understood that I understood. ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯ll often see this kind of farce for the rest of your life. Your family wille together and fight because of your gaze. Don¡¯t you feel like a female lead of an idol drama?¡±

    ¡°Feel my as*!¡± I was on the verge of breaking down. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean I won¡¯t be able to live in peace for the rest of my life?¡±

    What kind of weird side effect was this? Why did it sound like a little puppy that had not been weaned?

    Just as I held my head and fantasized about my miserable life in the future, Dorothy burst outughing. It was only then that I realized that she had yed me.

 Chapter 259

    259 Family

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Hey! Why was I constantly being tricked today?

    ¡°I¡¯m not lying to you.¡± She forced herself to be serious, although she couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°But it¡¯s not that serious. Don¡¯t worry. No one will fight for you publicly and cause you a social death. Maybe ancient minions were like that, but our situation is very different from ancient times. At least, I¡¯ve never heard of any minion with independent thinking.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why my emotional connection with you isn¡¯t that close. Although I¡¯ll be close to you, like you, and admire you, it¡¯s far from the point where I¡¯ll be jealous of you. Don¡¯t show that kind of expression, or do you want to turn your life into an idol drama?¡±

    I rolled my eyes and ignored her.

    ¡°Be careful, Your Highness,¡± she teased me. ¡°A goddess wouldn¡¯t do such an unsightly action.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t look close to me, like me, or admire me at all,¡± I said. ¡°Is this the attitude of a priestess to the goddess?¡±

    Dorothy pretended to be sad. ¡°Oh, I thought we were friends...¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that.¡± I wouldn¡¯t fall for her trick.

    ¡°But, is it appropriate for me to live here now?¡± I said, ¡°After all, I¡¯m no longer a god, and I don¡¯t like the feeling of being ¡®high and mighty¡¯. When can I go back to the pce?¡±

    ¡°Anytime, but only after the King and Queen have visited you. Parents can never worry too much about their children, you know that.¡±

    Alright, I still have a tough battle to fight.

    Finally, my two closest family members arrived.

    As usual, my mother hugged me tightly as soon as she saw me, and her warm tears instantly wet my shoulders. I tried to appear more mature, but when my mother hugged me, and my father touched me, I couldn¡¯t help but burst into tears.

    ¡°Father, Mother.¡±

    I cried like a child. The strength I had built in front of my lover and friends was not worth mentioning under the care of my parents. The grievances and fear were like a flood that broke my heart.

    How could I not be afraid? In the face of a supreme demon with unpredictable emotions, I knew that I would lose my life, but I still went up to provoke it, taking the risk of dying to steal the godhood and falling into a deep sleep after everything was over, not knowing if he could ever wake up again.

    How could I not be afraid when I encountered these things? I was not made of lead. No matter how strong my heart was, it was just a ball of soft flesh. In the face of death, I couldn¡¯t say with certainty that I was truly fearless.

    But I still did it. Because of responsibility, because of dignity, because of love, and manyplicated factors, I knew I would die, but I still did it. My fear didn¡¯t disappear. It was forcefully suppressed at the bottom of my heart, pretending it didn¡¯t exist. I tried in vain to ignore it and make myself into an invincible hero.

    However, I didn¡¯t have to be a hero in front of my parents.

    All I had to do was to throw myself into their arms and cry out loud, and then pour out all the grievances and fears I felt in my heart.

    I didn¡¯t know when, but Aldrich and Dorothy had already quietly left. When I looked up from my mother¡¯s arms, I only saw two faces intertwined with admonishment and love.

    I felt a little embarrassed, so I wiped my tears and pretended that I wasn¡¯t the one who had burst into tears.

    My mother said painfully, caressing my slightly emaciated face, ¡°My daughter has suffered. You¡¯ve lost so much weight.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mother. The doctor said it¡¯s just amon side effect of long-term nutrient intake instead of eating.¡± I quickly moved around to show off my strength. ¡°I just lost some fat. I¡¯m still very healthy!¡±

    My mother didn¡¯t say anything. She only smiled bitterly and pulled me into her arms again.

    ¡°You¡¯re still a child.¡± She patted my back and said gently, ¡°My poor little thing. She hasn¡¯t even grown up yet, and she has to bear the responsibility for her useless elders.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m already twenty-two, Mother,¡± I mumbled unhappily. ¡°I¡¯m already an adult. Don¡¯t treat me like a child.¡±

    ¡°A child who knows how to act coquettishly is a child.¡±

    My father ruffled my hair. After a long while, he suddenly sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, child. You shouldn¡¯t have gone through all this.¡±

    Wait, why did he suddenly apologize?

    I didn¡¯t quite understand, but I subconsciously retorted, ¡°Don¡¯t apologize to me, Father. You have nothing to apologize to me... Well, it sounds a little weird. However, the truth is that you didn¡¯t do anything to let me down. On the contrary, I¡¯m the one who should apologize.¡±

    I sat up from my mother¡¯s arms and said destely, ¡°I know I was too impulsive. I fell into Leviathan¡¯s trap, wanted to go to the rocky mountains, fell into Yuri¡¯s trap, and tried to be a god. Although the final result was good, many people were injured because of my impulsiveness. I closed my eyes and didn¡¯t care about the world anymore, but I still had to trouble my friends and family to help me solve my problems...¡±

    The more I spoke, the lower my voice became. As I spoke, I wanted to p myself.

    I didn¡¯t want to not know. This breakdown, I had caused enough trouble.

    I wished I could dig a hole and bury myself.

    I always used my youth as an excuse to cover up my impulsiveness, but the truth told me that the chain reaction caused by impulsiveness didn¡¯t matter if one were neen or ny years old.

 Chapter 260

    260 Feedback

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Once trouble came to them, it would bring them not only trouble but also endless negative effects on others.

    Aldrich, Dorothy, all of the people that had been killed by Azazel, as well as the soul-torn Frank and Linda who had turned into a ck cocoon. A snowy mountain had turned everyone¡¯s fate upside down. Everything started because I used an overly high-profile method to take revenge for a school bully.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not some soft-hearted Saint with mental problems. I won¡¯t take the me for the evil deeds of cowards and demons. I was just thinking that if I could have been more cautious and looked further away and not always let my hot blood get to my head, the oue would have been different.¡±

    ¡°Stop, Selma. Don¡¯t spiral.¡±

    A mother knew her daughter best. My mother could tell what I was thinking with one nce. She didn¡¯t berate me or educate me. She only gently interrupted my thoughts.

    The past couldn¡¯t be traced back, and everything that had happened couldn¡¯t be changed. All we could do was remember the past and live a better life in the future. My father said gently, ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking. When I was your age, I didn¡¯t do much better than you. In addition to bringing vitality and energy, youth often brings many things we don¡¯t want to leave behind. But it hase, and we can¡¯t do anything even if we¡¯re unwilling.

    ¡°This is not a bad thing, child. Everyone is a piece of iron, and these ¡®bad things¡¯ are our whetstones. A smooth-sailing life can not sharpen a sharp sword.

    ¡°Most of the time, these whetstones differ from what we want. They make us feel embarrassed, ashamed, and even self-doubt. These negative emotions are also a part of the whetstone. If we can withstand it, the sword will shine even brighter. If we can¡¯t, all our previous efforts will be in vain.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a little unreasonable,¡± I retorted softly.

    My father smiled and helped me tidy my hair. ¡°Yeah, it is that unreasonable. We can only protect ourselves and make ourselves more brilliant.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know what to say. I understood, but I wasn¡¯t sure if I really understood. I knew it was not right to spiral, but how do I control myself when I was too emotional?

    This was the truth, but it had always been easier said than done.

    My father understood it better than I did, so he didn¡¯t say anything more and let me think about it.

    I decided to change the topic and stop thinking about these annoying things.

    ¡°When can I go home?¡± I asked, ¡°It¡¯s too big here. It¡¯s so scary to live here.

    My motherughed. ¡°This is your temple. It should be morefortable than anywhere else.¡±

    |It¡¯sfortable,¡± I said as I tugged at the gorgeous curtain. ¡°I¡¯m just not used to it. I¡¯ve only been a god for a minute, and now I¡¯m just a mortal. I feel it¡¯s too arrogant to live in the temple so openly. Won¡¯t my life be shortened?¡±

    The motherughed loudly, ¡°You still dare to say you¡¯re not a child! What kind of nonsense is this!¡±

    Sigh, my mother always treated me like a child. I really couldn¡¯t do anything about it.

    ¡°Faith has a direction. The temple can gather the power of the believers,¡± my father said. ¡°Whether you are a god or a man, the devout wishes of the believers will alwayse to you. The werewolf grandmasters have been discussing this for a long time, but the ancient books or legends have yet to record an example like you. No one can be sure if this piety is still effective, but it is always a positive force. Even if there are no benefits, there will be no disadvantages.

    ¡°When we first sent you to the temple, your mother and I didn¡¯t agree. At that time, we couldn¡¯t find any illness, and you looked like you were only unconscious. We were so anxious that we were on edge. We stubbornly believed that only the doctors and the werewolf grandmaster could save our lives.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What happened after that? Why did you agree to send me to the temple?¡±

    ¡°Because of Aldrich, that child is stubborn.¡± As my father spoke, heughed. ¡°He barged in front of your mother and me. He pulled open his cor and revealed the gem on his chest.

    ¡°He said that you used all your power to reconstruct a life for him and all his followers, even at the expense of splitting your divine persona and giving up your divine position. With such great favor, how could a believer watch their faith disappear? How can you let your lover fall into danger as a man?

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t know what happened to you, but he and the rest of his followers are willing to use their divine fragment to repay your kindness. Broken divine personas were destined to be exhausted and unable to give birth to gods, but the boundless life force was not fake. They don¡¯t know sorcery, and they don¡¯t know how to extract power, but they will learn it, and they will do everything they can to learn it.

    ¡°After that, Dorothy became their priest and taught these people with no talent in sorcery to control the power of divinity and then fed it to you.

    ¡°Child...¡± he sighed. ¡°You¡¯ve resurrected your kin, and your kin has brought you a new life as well.¡±

 Chapter 261

    261 The ck Cocoon

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Three days passed by quickly.

    I met all of my old friends once. On the night I woke up, Dorothy wanted to follow the original n and bring his family to pray for me. I hurriedly rejected her. In any case, I was already awake, and there was nothing wrong with my body and soul, so I didn¡¯t want them to make a wasted trip.

    After all, the divine fragment was the proof that supported their rationality. Although they would not die so easily because of the little energy lost, who knew if there was a chance? It was better to be careful.

    And I also felt a littleplicated about this kind of repetitive behavior. I was touched and grateful. Anyone would be touched by such sincere dedication. However, it was also true that I felt ufortable. This wasn¡¯t a difference in status but a difference in the race. However, I was no longer that high and mighty god. Rather than being worshipped by others, I would rather sit down and chat with them.

    As I said that, Dorothy sneered, ¡°Ha! You don¡¯t know how blessed you are!¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try it for yourself?¡± I immediately pulled her to my seat. ¡°Sit on the high altar and imagine a group of believers in robes praying to you. And among these people are your friends,rades, and team members. Can you ept them with a calm heart?¡±

    Dorothy shivered and immediately ran away. ¡°No, no, I¡¯ll leave this good fortune for you to enjoy.¡±

    In short, after three days of waiting, I could finally return to the pce openly and return to my normal social life.

    Aldrich was in charge of escorting me. Along the way, he told me everything that had happened in the past few years.

    The first was the advance party. Besides Linda and Frank, everyone had returned safely, including the first batch of soldiers who hade from the pack but were killed by Azazel. In other words, I now had nearly 400 followers, and these 400 people were all strong, experienced, and loyal warriors or werewolf grandmasters.

    What kind of concept was this? No matter where I brought thisrge group of people, even if it was just for a trip, the other side might think I had brought people here to fight without dering.

    Linda¡¯s situation was very strange. Ever since she turned into a ck cocoon three years ago, she had not made any moves. Neither scientific methods nor the werewolf grandmaster could detect the movements in the cocoon. The only thing they could be sure of was the evil power constantly emanating from it.

    Even without the werewolf grandmaster¡¯s examination, Aldrich, Dorothy, and the others could recognize the source of the power ¨C it was Azazel.

    The elders suspected that Linda might end up as the fetus of Azazel, which meant that she would eventually be the vessel for Azazel toe to the human world again.

    Some elders suggested destroying the ck cocoon in case of an imminent disaster. Some other elders strongly opposed it. They believed that since they couldn¡¯t confirm the situation inside the ck cocoon, they couldn¡¯t act rashly. Linda¡¯s life and death were unknown, and herpatriots couldn¡¯t be the executioners who sent her on her way.

    The two factions argued endlessly, and the destruction faction had always had the upper hand. However, because the ck cocoon¡¯s activity had been very weak, it had stopped directly a year ago as if it was dead. Gradually, this was put aside by a tacit understanding.

    Hearing this, I couldn¡¯t help but sneer. Everyone knew what these people were up to. Previously, they advocated destroying it because they were afraid of death. The opposition didn¡¯t seem to value their camaraderie much. They thought they could do it now that the ck cocoon was suspected to be dead. If I was not wrong, someone is moring to secretly send researchers to study the ck cocoon again, right?¡±

    Aldrich clearly understood the tricks of these political actors and said with disdain, ¡°That¡¯s right. Some elders wanted to put their entire family, including their pets, into the research team. Some even gave the guards money to smuggle the ck cocoon samples, but they were all taken care of by His Majesty.¡±

    Sometimes, I admired the intelligence and courage of some people. They knew it was an evil creation that contained the power of a supreme demon, yet they still wanted to try to get their hands on it.

    What were they after?

    Aldrich quickly exined to me, ¡°For the sake of power and eternal life, in many ancient legends, flesh and blood of ancient creatures contain great power that can allow people to live forever and maintain their youth. Now that such a great temptation is ced in front of them, how can these short-sighted and life-cherishing trash resist their greed?¡±

    ¡°If they want power and immortality, they¡¯ve missed a great opportunity.¡± Iughed. ¡°If anyone went to the Rocky Mountains back then, they would¡¯ve been able to obtain the divine fragment by now. Even if they couldn¡¯t be a god and wouldn¡¯t be able to live forever, they would¡¯ve been ten times stronger and had a long and healthy life.¡±

    Many elders opposed the Rocky Mountains n at the time. They had used excuses like ¡®it¡¯s a waste of money¡¯ and ¡®meaningless¡¯. Some of the more uptight ones even wanted me to die so they would have a chance to covet the throne of the heir.

    Who knew that the advance party would bring back so many valuable results? Even if I were still unconscious, my parents would not let go of those who tried to ruin the results I had exchanged for my life!

 Chapter 262

    262 Intelligence Network

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Compared to Linda, Frank¡¯s situation wasn¡¯t any better.

    to be more precise, it was uncertain if the person, Frank, still existed in this world.

    The soul slices of the two Franks were sent back to the pce for treatment. However, on the night we encountered Azazel, the Frank at the foot of the mountain suddenly changed. He melted into a liquid substance and escaped into Linda¡¯s ward, then disappeared.

    The investigation team suspected that he did not escape and that there was a high possibility that he had fused with the ck cocoon. However, they couldn¡¯t study the ck cocoon for the time being, so they dropped the matter.

    Meanwhile, on the mountain, Frank also escaped from the heavy guard, in the same way the night after. He was also suspected of being fused with the ck cocoon.

    Two of Frank¡¯s soul slices had gone missing. To make matters worse, ording to Master Kevin, his soul had been cut into at least four pieces, which meant that there were at least two more soul slices that were still unknown. In the past three years, his father had sent people to search the Rocky Mountains multiple times, but they had found nothing.

    At this point, Aldrich¡¯s mood deteriorated. ¡°Such a long time has passed. There¡¯s a high chance that Frank has already died.¡±

    I quietly held his hand.

    Frank was the first guide Aldrich met after entering the army, which meant a lot to him. The two were like master and disciple in ancient epics, not close but very sincere. Whether it was Frank¡¯s disappearance or death, it was enough to make Aldrich sad.

    After being dejected for a while, Aldrich quickly calmed down and told me about the three years I missed.

    Those who have be my followers could no longer im to be the Moon Goddess¡¯ believers. However, for some reason, the goddess remained silent about this. She showed no signs of anger as if she had silently agreed that I had stolen her man from her.

    Not only did their kin not lose their werewolf identity or their wolves, but they could even participate in divine festivals like the Moonlight Festival.

    Even Dorothy, who was sandwiched between the two goddesses, was not affected. Not only did the Moon Goddess remain silent about her change of faith, but even the Goddess of Fate also did not withdraw the gift she had given to her descendants.

    Now, Dorothy believed in two goddesses and became my priestess simultaneously. There probably wouldn¡¯t be a third person with moreplex beliefs than her.

    In fact, it wasn¡¯t that hard to understand if you thought about it carefully. I had only been a god for a minute. If I had to use some elegant words, I was a ¡®fallen¡¯ god.

    What kind of threat could mortals who had fallen from their god¡¯s altar pose? To be honest, I only have around 400 believers. Even if there were people who wanted to join the religionter on, I couldn¡¯t do that anymore because even the New Moon Goddess was gone!

    To be self-praising, my act of stealing a god back then was mainly to save someone. Of these two goddesses, one was famous for being kind, while the other was famous for being cold. The moon would understand my actions, while fate would be indifferent to them.

    Back to my followers, their bodies had more or less undergone changes after they regained their lives. This was something that couldn¡¯t be helped. After all, they couldn¡¯t be considered pureblood werewolves now. They were a fantasy race that I hade up with based on werewolves.

    This also meant that, in addition to their majestic sharp fangs, they also had one moreponent on their body: The wings were ck and gold, with scales falling off as if they were condensed from moonlight.

    This had a huge impact on their lives.

    The first was the ability to fly. A few young people were yful and had arranged a cliffpetition before they were even familiar with it. Fortunately, they only broke their legs.

    Then came the unparalleled recovery power. It was as if the additional wings of a moth made them real moths, and their followers would spin a cocoon when seriously injured. No matter how many injuries they suffered during the mission, as long as they spent enough time, they could walk out of the cocoon unscathed, without any residual effects.

    ording to them, this self-healing ability came from the ¡®gift¡¯ of the goddess.

    If it wasn¡¯t the Moon Goddess, then it was probably me.

    Recalling the moths formed from spring water in the spiritual world, I thought I knew where they had gone.

    The other was cohesion. Be they strangers,rades, or people who didn¡¯t see eye to eye with each other; their rtionship became closer after they became my family. Even if they weren¡¯t close friends, they would still establish a special link: the mind link.

    These 400 people were connected to form a powerful intelligencework. Although there would be internal friction, they had always been united on the outside.

    My only downside was that thiswork couldn¡¯t connect to me.

    That was right. I didn¡¯t even feel the slightest bit of a mind-link interface. Other than Dorothy, I still couldn¡¯t establish a connection with anyone, not even with my family.

    No matter how depressed I was, I couldn¡¯t do anything about it. If even bing a god couldn¡¯t solve my problem of not being able to establish a mind-link with others, I believed all other attempts would be in vain.

 Chapter 263

    263 Today Is The Same

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    There were only a few important things to do. The rest were more daily.

    Mara became the new president of the opera club. Although she did not have Ryan¡¯s creative talent, she surprisingly knew how to arrange things. Sometimes, a president who could appreciate their members could make them shine more. The opera club had shown its brilliance in the past three years and sessfully stepped onto the stage in the Midnight Opera House.

    During her university days, Avril joined the reserve team of the guards for a year, and after her glorious retirement, she continued her studies, maintaining her position as one of the top ten students in the school. No one mentioned the gossip of the past anymore. Now, she was dazzling enough to be herself and not the female lead of some rumors.

    The southern Duke and Carolyn never came to the Lycan pack again. I could tell from his contact with my father that he and his daughter were doing well. Carolyn was neen years old and was currently choosing the university she was interested in.

    The southern Duke had chosen many southern and famous universities for her as options, but Carolyn didn¡¯t really like them. It was said that she preferred the luxurious and modern environment of the Lycan pack. She even wanted to visit human society.

    Adele was imprisoned in the manor like an invisible person and did not make any extreme moves. The southern Duke had never visited her. He only had a video call with her on time every week. The father and daughter pair did not speak. They spent visiting hours in silence, and the southern Duke hung up the video call with a heavy heart.

    After bing my kin, the werewolf grandmasters did not lose their magic power, just like Dorothy. They tirelessly studied the materials they brought back from the witch n and published papers that could make students who took the history of sorcery cry in despair.

    Yuri was confirmed dead, and the priest took his life away on the spot during the sacrificial ritual known as the Carnival. I didn¡¯t have the time to distinguish everyone¡¯s face when I resurrected my deadrades, but I didn¡¯t know why Yuri was automatically excluded. Perhaps it was because he was no longer myrade when he betrayed us.

    Ryan was sentenced to thirty years in prison for summoning demons without permission. His parents seemed eager to get rid of their son and hurriedly moved to another pack with their other children. Of course, his father had already confirmed that they had nothing to do with the demon-summoning incident.

    In short, everything was normal.

    The carriage stopped in front of the pce. Looking at the magnificent gates, I couldn¡¯t help but sigh at the unpredictable fate. You never know whether tomorrow or an identes first.

    When I first set off for the Rocky Mountains, I thought the worst-case scenario would be that I would return empty-handed and die. Who knew that things would turn out so dramatic? I died, came back to life, and then I was half-dead. This dangerous journey could be summarized into these three states.

    The nned six-month journey was extended to three years.

    It had been three years. Although things were not the same, the people were not.

    My parents held a family dinner to wee me, and Aldrich and Dorothy were also there.

    At night.

    Returning to the room that had been empty for a long time, I was in a daze for a moment. I kept feeling that every familiar detail was a little strange. The room¡¯s decorations were the same as the day I left, but every ce was spotless. Kara must have taken good care of this ce.

    ¡°Homesick?¡± Aldrich teased me.

    I shrugged and strode into the room.

    Since the graduation exam was over, I didn¡¯t need to forge proof of my results, so I spent another three dayspleting my final exam. As for my graduation thesis, I nned to help Dorothy and the werewolf grandmasters decipher the relics of the ancient witches. Rather than making up a nonsensical thesis, practical application was more suitable for me.

    The graduation ceremony would be held a day before the graduation ball, meaning I had two months of free time before officially graduating. I emphasized ¡®free time¡¯ because my father intended to disclose my identity after graduating and then officially allow me to participate in social and political discussions.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a little too sudden?¡± I was a little surprised. ¡°It¡¯s okay to disclose my identity, but I have no experience in political affairs.¡±

    My father said, ¡°I had no experience at the beginning. If you don¡¯t start, you¡¯ll never have any experience. Don¡¯t worry. Your mother and I will help you.¡±

    ¡°But what about the elders? The royal family suddenly has a princess who disappeared more than twenty years ago. Those old farts will not let this go.¡± I was still worried. ¡°Although I¡¯d always felt that the elders could guess my identity, that didn¡¯t stop them from setting me up.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Some of them have already guessed your identity. Some are overjoyed, while others are gnashing their teeth in anger.¡± My father confirmed my suspicion. ¡°But this doesn¡¯t stop me from doing anything. even if your identity isn¡¯t made public, they¡¯ve done many things to me. I can guess what they¡¯re up to with my eyes closed. Besides, the royalists will help suppress the opposition.¡±

    Fine then.

    To be honest, I wasn¡¯t that anxious. Perhaps it was because my fear threshold had been raised too high by Azazel. I didn¡¯t feel anything other than fear they would deliberately fall and ckmail me when I faced the group of wrinkled and trembling elders.

 Chapter 264

    264 The Proposal

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Monday.

    In my mind, I was only a short summer vacation away from school, but the reality was rather unfamiliar to me. What kind of ce was this ssical and gorgeous Baroque-style buildingplex?

    Was this the Sivir Academy? What about those ordinary green academic buildings?

    Dorothy said confidently, putting her arm around my shoulder, ¡°I had the same reaction as you at the beginning. You¡¯ll get used to it.¡±

    ¡°No, we didn¡¯te to the wrong ce, right? The Sivir Academy has been acquired and transformed into an elite academy?¡±

    ¡°Of course not, have you forgotten? Adele and her nt army had destroyed the original school. For safety¡¯s sake, the construction team decided to demolish the entire academy and rebuild it. Not only that, His Majesty has also specially approved a piece ofnd from the royal family¡¯s property to be incorporated into the academy¡¯s territory. Now, the entire academy is twice its original size!¡±

    ¡°A royalnd?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the property of the two Majesties. Although our academy is still quite far from the city center, thend price isn¡¯t considered cheap.¡±

    ¡°Are the natives willing to leave their homes?¡±

    ¡°Of course, no one would be willing if there were no diseases or disasters, but there was a witch invasion here, and there are even remnants of the light cocoon¡¯s magic power. The residents are all trying to avoid it. Not to mention that thepensation is generous enough, and you can also get a discount from the real estatepany belonging to the royal family. If it were me, I would also be willing to move.¡±

    This kind of wealthy and overbearing posture was inexplicably very fitting for the royal family.

    There were less than two months left until graduation. At this time, one could clearly distinguish which students were about to graduate and which were still struggling in the sea of learning. No matter which department¡¯s graduates they were from, they were all unusually rxed and happy. They were often not holdingputers or books in their arms, but all kinds of magazines, folders, or even all kinds of snacks and desserts.

    The folders were mostly filled with academic ns or personal materials, while the magazines were mostly about fashion and parties. Those who were holding snacks and desserts were the happiest, which meant that they had finished all theplicated affairs and could begin to enjoy the long holiday happily.

    In such a youthful environment, I couldn¡¯t help but smile.

    My return wasn¡¯t very grand. Other than a few close friends, no one else was rmed.

    ¡°Selma! I¡¯ve missed you so much!¡± Avril hugged me warmly, lifting me off the ground with her strong arms.

    Mara hugged me from behind, and with Dorothy, the four of us formed a ball.

    My friends¡¯ enthusiasm touched me, but I also had difficulty breathing. Fortunately, Perrin suggested, ¡°Alright, girls. You still have a lot of time to catch up. Don¡¯t be so anxious. Selma is about to suffocate.¡±

    We had a small party at Mara and Avril¡¯s dormitory.

    After the baptism by the army, Avril became stronger and stronger, while Mara quickly became a qualified director under the influence of art. The collision of rules and romance erupted in a wonderful chemical reaction in the small dormitory. The neat rules and the casual disorder, disharmony, and order were in good order.

    ¡°Sorry, guys,¡± Mara said, a little embarrassed. ¡°I worked until midnightst night, so I needed more time to clean up the room.¡±

    ¡°Not onlyst night, ¡± said Avril. ¡°Mara¡¯smp is always on until midnight every day. In the past few years, what I¡¯ve been most worried about isn¡¯t my grades, but the fact that I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯ll wake up one morning and find my friend suddenly dead in a pile of draft papers.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not as exaggerated as you say. I also had a good rest!¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes. If a person who usually goes to bed at two in the morning suddenly goes to bed at midnight, she is considered to have had a good rest.¡±

    The two of them fooled around for a while. Seeing Perrin¡¯s helpless bitter smile and Dorothy¡¯s ¡®see what I said¡¯ look, I chuckled.

    The quarrels between my friends reminded me of our rtionship three years ago. There was no estrangement, no distance. It was great.

    After three rounds of drinks, when we were all flushed, Avril made an announcement.

    ¡°We¡¯re getting ready to get married.¡±

    She held Perrin¡¯s hand, and they looked at each other. They smiled shyly.

    Now, no one cared about the alcohol in their cups. We were extremely surprised. Even Mara, who was closest to Avril, couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°You guys are getting married? When did that happen?¡±

    ¡°In July, a month after graduation.¡±

    ¡°No, I mean, when did you guys decide? Who proposed? Where?¡± Mara crossed her arms and said in dissatisfaction, ¡°We agreed to help each other n a surprise marriage proposal, but why didn¡¯t I hear anything about it? Don¡¯t tell me it was just a spur-of-the-moment thing between you two!¡±

    Avril rolled his eyes at her question. ¡°Be real, little girl. It¡¯s a proposal, not a marriage. There¡¯s no such thing as nned. Everything just happened naturally.¡±

    ¡°Naturally?¡± Mara looked like she was about to faint. ¡°You sound like a scumbag. Did you propose first?¡± she asked.

    Perrinughed and said shyly, ¡°Actually, I was the one who proposed to her first. On the day Avril retired from the army, I proposed to her at her house.¡±

 Chapter 265

    265 The Fear Of The Proposal

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Avril retired in January this year, which was three months ago.

    Mara was about to strangle Avril with her gaze. ¡°For three months, you didn¡¯t even say a word to me about your proposal? I feel so sad!¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t hide it from you on purpose,¡± Avril quickly exined. ¡°It¡¯s just that I was very confused back then, so I didn¡¯t agree immediately. I¡¯ve been in a dilemma for the past few months, so I didn¡¯t tell anyone. I finally agreed to Perrin¡¯s requestst night.¡±

    I knew that Avril and Perrin had started dating before I went to the Rocky Mountains, but I knew nothing about what they had been through in the past three years, so I asked, ¡°What¡¯s there to be conflicted about?¡±

    ¡°Many things. The meaning of marriage, the responsibilities and obligations it brings, the new stage in life, my age, and the uncertainties of the future.¡± Avril was a little lonely. It was obvious that she empathized with what she felt then. ¡°To be honest, I had a premonition that Perrin was nning to propose to me. I didn¡¯t do anything and acquiesced to his n.

    ¡°I think I was already looking forward to going one step further with him, but when he took out the ring, I hesitated. I¡¯m just twenty-two years old. Is it good or bad for my future if I get married too early? Perrin and I love each other, but is love the only condition for marriage? After marriage, can I fulfill my responsibility as a good wife? Is Perrin, as a boyfriend, different from Perrin, as a husband? There were too many questions that prevented me from thinking. I almost subconsciously chose to avoid it and started to deal with this rtionship coldly.¡±

    Mara thought aloud, ¡°No wonder you¡¯ve been acting weird ever since you left the army. I thought the military life had done some strange things to you.¡± However, to treat it coldly? To be honest, that¡¯s really a scumbag move.¡±

    Speechless, Avril pushed her away and told her not to interrupt. She then continued, ¡°I didn¡¯t tell anyone about this, including my parents in another city. This is the proposal that I¡¯m looking forward to, but it doesn¡¯t seem to be the proposal that I¡¯m looking forward to. I¡¯m in a dilemma. I avoided contact with Perrin and tried to dy this by not seeing it.

    ¡°In the first few days, Perrin didn¡¯t contact me. I thought this was it ¨C our break up. However, what happened after that was a little beyond my expectations.

    ¡°When I was upset, I made many low-level mistakes in the handover procedures with the school, so I had to make a trip to the Academic Affairs Office. But then these problems were suddenly solved perfectly. I thought that the teacher suddenly turned over a new leaf, and then I discovered it was Perrin.¡±

    Perrin blushed. Let¡¯s not talk about this,¡± he said softly. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯re still at the perfect ending, right?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt. Let me finish.¡± Avril stuffed his mouth with an apple and continued, ¡°I don¡¯t even know myself as well as Perrin. I just filled in the form on the first day of school and forgot much of the information. The few mean teachers in the Academic Affairs Office suffering from menopause also refused to help me open the archive room, which almost made me lose my enrolment. Perring sneaked into the archive room to check the information and was almost caught by the security guard.

    ¡°Later, I couldn¡¯t catch up with the sses because I took a break from my studies. Mara is in the Literature Faculty, and I¡¯m in social media studies. We don¡¯t have any courses inmon except for public extracurricr sses, so she couldn¡¯t help me with tuition. Fortunately, there were kind-hearted seniors to help me with my homework, so I didn¡¯t end up at the bottom of the grade.

    ¡°Later, I found out that Perrin also hired the seniors. For this, he helped them clean the club activity room for a semester.

    ¡°There were also Ryan¡¯s bad friends. They came to find trouble with me but disappeared very quickly. That was Perrin too. He beat up those hooligans behind my back, and they never dared toe again.

    ¡°This semester was aplete mess. All kinds of unexpected troubles came one after another, making me feel more devastated than when I received the strict training of the guards. Luckily, many people were helping me; Mara, my ssmates, and Perrin. He never told me when he was doing all this for me. He didn¡¯t even have to appear before me. I thought we had broken up, but he has supported me silently.

    ¡°If I didn¡¯t go to the boxing club to pick up the things I left behind, I wouldn¡¯t have guessed what he was doing behind my back. At that moment, I thought, ¡®What¡¯s there to hesitate about?¡¯ There was no difference between getting married at twenty-two and fifty-two. I was confident that I could take on the responsibility of a wife and that Perrin was a good man worthy of trust. All the questions aren¡¯t problems anymore. I shouldn¡¯t continue to avoid it.

    ¡°So I agreed. I was covered in sweat, and he was wearing a ridiculous apron. One of the activity room¡¯s lights was broken, shing like a horror movie. In such a simple and scary environment, we realized that the other party was our fated mate, so don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t hesitate. Love must be our final ending.¡±

    She held Perrin¡¯s hand happily and exchanged a sweet and trusting kiss with our excited cheers.

 Chapter 266

    266 Drunken Truth

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The evening breeze gently caressed my red cheeks. The alcohol made me lose myself in the joy of dizziness. Under the moonlight, I waited for someone to take me home.

    Dorothy supported me, or rather, we supported each other. Perrin was sent by his drunkard fianc¨¦e to escort us. Mara didn¡¯te. She and Avril were sleeping on the same pillow.

    It was still very lively in front of the school gate at night. Some smart vendors had set up a snack street on the empty grass, which was very popr.

    When Aldrich came to pick me up, I was standing in front of a small and cute dessert cart, choosing doughnuts. The vor of strawberry cheese and blueberry jam made me feel even more conflicted than the divine personality. I was afraid of getting fat if I ate all of them, but I couldn¡¯t bear to give up either. I didn¡¯t know what to do.

    Dorothy was not very clear-headed either. She was holding a chocte donut and whispering to it.

    ¡°Good evening,dies. How can I help you? ¡±

    Aldrich gentlemanly paid the bill for us and sent us to the car after he revealed his identity and intention to the vignt Perrin.

    ¡°The King and Queen specifically told you not to drink too much.¡± He was helpless in the face of two drunkards. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not the one who will be taught a lesson tomorrow anyway. I¡¯m just an innocent driver.

    I was suddenly agitated by his words. ¡°You¡¯re not the driver!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not the driver!¡± Dorothy teased.

    ¡°Then, what am I?¡± Aldrich asked back helplessly.

    ¡°Then, what is he?¡± Dorothy joined in the fun.

    I held my precious doughnuts and stared at the cheese and jam on them. After a long time, when Aldrich thought that I wouldn¡¯t reply, I said, ¡°You¡¯re my boyfriend.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re her boyfriend!¡±

    ¡°You are my lover!¡±

    ¡°You are her lover!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the person I... want to hold hands with for the rest of my life.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the person she wants to hold hands with for the rest of her life.¡±

    My sudden proposal caught Aldrich off guard. Even the front of the car swerved a little and went into the oppositene.

    ¡°What?¡± Aldrich looked at the rearview mirror in disbelief. This time, Dorothy did not mimic what he said. She had already fallen asleep in a posture that was not human-like.

    I didn¡¯t say anything else. It was as if the melting cheese and jam were some rare gem that I couldn¡¯t even open my eyes to look at. Even my mouth was temporarily lent to my eyes to help me see.

    Aldrich realized that we were on a busy road, so even though he had a lot to say, he didn¡¯t ask and focused on driving.

    How did I know him so well?

    Haha, that was because I was not drunk.

    It wasn¡¯t urate to say that. It should be: I was drunk but had sobered up again.

    New Flow, who had be one with me, had developed strange abilities. For example, it no longer rejected all negative factors and could effectively transform them into safe powers for my use. These negative factors had a wide range, such as alcohol.

    New Flow had stolen the work that should have been mine. When I held the donut Aldrich bought me, I was already out of my drunken state. By the time Aldrich started to drive, I was already sobered up.

    But I didn¡¯t say anything because being drunk was the best excuse.

    I had to admit that the news of Avril and Perrin¡¯s engagement touched me greatly. An invisible maic field surrounded them and continuously emitted light waves that said, ¡®We are very happy¡¯.

    I couldn¡¯t help but recall the grand vige wedding in Gorndbell Vige. The bride and groom had happy smiles, and with everyone¡¯s blessings, they became a match made in heaven, walking on a bright road to a beautiful future.

    Looking at them, I couldn¡¯t help but think, ¡®What about me? When will I be able to step into this sweet door?¡¯

    The missing three years made me feel inevitably lonely. I somehow felt that these three years had been wasted. In those muddled days, I could have finished my studies, made new friends, enjoyed the joy of my parents, and could haveughed and cussed with my lover, rubbed shoulders with each other, and imagined a limitless future together.

    However, when I reached twenty-two years old during mya, the shadow of youth had only touched a corner before it disappeared.

    I¡¯d lost three years here. Could I have reaped the fruits of love like Avril?

    I should have been too embarrassed to show my eagerness, but under cover of alcohol, everything seemed so natural.

    ¡°You¡¯re the person I want to hold hands with for the rest of my life.¡±

    This wasn¡¯t some drunken nonsense but a confession I wrote with my heart.

    Aldrich, my lover, I love you, and I want to step into the hall of marriage with you.

    And you?

    Would you want to do that?

    After entering the istion belt in front of the pce, the traffic was suddenly left behind in the bustling streets. On a starry night, our car was the only one driving slowly. The lush trees hid in the shadows and quietly observed the weirdos in the car.

    A drunkard, a sober person, pretending to be drunk, and a handsome man full of worries.

    What a strange group. Under the moonlight, what kind of truth could be said under cover of alcohol and probing?

    The tree looked at us for a while and felt it was boring, so it stopped looking.

 Chapter 267

    267 An Update

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The night breeze blew gently, and the leaves rustled. Under the moon¡¯s gaze, a car filled with souls bogged down by thoughts slowly drove toward the bright lights.

    Kara was already waiting in front of the pce with her men. With her ¡®I knew it¡¯ gaze, the unconscious Dorothy was quietly carried back to her room by the servants. She had no idea what kind of storm woulde tomorrow morning.

    As for me, out of courtesy, the servants were still in charge of sending me back to my room. Of course, Aldrich could go with me, but when he saw Kara¡¯s smile, he let go with a bitter smile and then softly said good night to me.

    ¡°Good night, Aldrich.¡± I believed he probably realized I was pretending to be drunk. ¡°See you tomorrow.¡±

    I had insomnia that night, so much so that when Dorothy woke up the next morning, my eyes were swollen like two pieces of bacon.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Dorothy jumped in shock. ¡°Did you have a nightmare? Did you cry in your dream?¡±

    Iy back on the pillow tiredly, my breathing shallow. ¡°No, I couldn¡¯t sleep the whole night, and I had diarrhea after drinking, so here I am.¡±

    ¡°We should¡¯ve drank lessst night,¡± Dorothy mumbled as shey beside me. ¡°It¡¯s all Avril¡¯s fault. She suddenly announced such exciting news. I¡¯m so happy for her that I can¡¯t drink less. ¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re so unreasonable,¡± I mumbled.

    Dorothy did not say anything else. She was also extremely sleepy. When we opened our eyes again, the sun was already high in the sky.

    Kara was waiting for us in the living room.

    ¡°Good morning, Your Highness. Miss Dorothy.¡±

    Her smile was so kind, but Dorothy and I shuddered.

    ¡°It¡¯s already 11 o¡¯clock before noon. Perhaps you¡¯d like to move a little and sit in the dining chairs to have brunch? Or should I say, lunch?¡±

    What else could I say? We had no excuse to refuse, not to mention that our hungry stomachs were moring for food.

    To be honest, although my mother also valued my behavior and even found various etiquette and social teachers for me, they were nothingpared to Kara. This head servant, who was responsible for my daily life, really had extraordinarybat power. When my mother was too busy with political affairs or socializing to take care of me, she would automatically take her ce.

    So, I could still act coquettishly and beg for mercy when my mother was strict, but I was a little afraid of Kara.

    Although Kara was dissatisfied with our drunken behavior, she still thoughtfully prepared some easily digestible soup for us.

    ¡°This corn-cream soup is so delicious. It seems a little different from the past.¡± I asked, ¡°Is it a different chef?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Kara nodded. ¡°The previous chief chef has retired. Miss Bertha rmends this one. ¡±

    Like how the chef society had been updated, the servants had also changed in the past three years.

    For example, Kara had to take care of me, who was sleeping in the temple. She needed help managing the pce at the same time. My mother had chosen a servant to take over the position of the head servant temporarily.

    This person was Bertha.

    I met her once when I returned to the pce. She was a petite red-haired woman with bright facial features and a few cute freckles on the bridge of her nose. People had a good impression of her, but I heard she had trouble joining thepany.

    All of this was rted to her identity ¨C she was an Omega.

    I was not familiar with an Omega. As a person who grew up in a normal modern society, this kind of identity chosen by the entire race as a punching bag had already existed in history books. However, it was undeniable that there were such werewolves in some remote and conservative packs, and Bertha was one of them.

    For an Omega, people wouldn¡¯t show any special characteristics, but the remaining contempt in their hearts was enough to cause a lot of trouble for Bertha. From an unknown, ordinary servant to the acting head servant, she received a lot of criticism.

    From this, it could be seen that Bertha must have done her job very well, which was why she could win everyone¡¯s trust.

    However, this made Kara¡¯s identity awkward.

    Now that the neer had gained a firm foothold, how would she, a senior, deal with it?

    I quietly drank my soup and did not mention that Kara had taken care of me instead of managing the pce. I was afraid that it would hurt her. Dorothy worked even harder to make herself invisible.

    But who was Kara? This woman, who had served the royal family for half her life, had long seen through the fickleness of human nature. Faced with my hesitation, she bluntly said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, just say what you want.¡±

    ¡°No, no. I just wanted to say that the soup is delicious.¡± I waved my hand with a smile.

    ¡°So you want to ask about Bertha and me?¡± Kara calmly poured me lemon water. ¡°As you can see, I am now semi-retired. I can retire with glory when Bertha bes a qualified head servant.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that. Everyone in the pce can¡¯t live without you,¡± I quickly consoled her.

    Karaughed. ¡°I am not sad. I do not have any opinions about Bertha. You do not have to be so careful.¡±

 Chapter 268

    268 The Wolf Transformation

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°I¡¯ve served the royal family since the time of thete King, and I¡¯ve seen at least 800, if not 1000, personnel transfers over the years. I¡¯ve long been used to the younger generation pushing the older generation into retirement,¡± Kara said.

    ¡°I started as an ordinary servant and was guided step by step by my seniors to the position of the head servant. From the day I reced the head servant as the acting head servant, I knew that this day woulde sooner orter. The old will grow old, and the new will grow. The old recing the new is an ancient and unchanging truth, it¡¯s that simple.¡±

    Dorothy and I couldn¡¯t help but sigh at Kara¡¯s open mind. At the same time, we were happy for her.

    Kara, who had worked hard for the royal family all her life, never showed her fatigue in front of others. On the day of her retirement, she could finally live a leisurely and happy life like an ordinary person.

    However, I only knew a little about Bertha, and I hadn¡¯t had many chances to meet her in the past few days. I should find time to get to know this head servant.

    Morning, training ground.

    That was right. Even after experiencing such an adventurous life, my training had not stopped. In terms of physical strength and constitution, Aldrich was already no match for me. After all, I had strengthened this body a lot the minute I became a god. However, in terms of experience and skill, I was still far from a battle-hardened general.

    The change happened in an instant.

    The strange difort made it difficult for me to control my body, and I almost used a ridiculous method, like using my left foot to trip my right foot.

    My heart was beating like a drum in my chest. I could almost hear the sound of my blood flowing through my bones. My muscles trembled and expanded. Golden moth-like patterns were faintly visible on my skin. A faint light was flowing through my body like magma flowing through cracks.

    Aldrich hurriedly hugged me tightly to the lounge, and a few minutester, the small lounge was filled with people.

    As usual, Master Mary and Tracy checked my body.

    ¡°Some signs of a transformation,¡± Master Mary said. ¡°In addition, I can observe some unusual power surging. Due to Your Highness¡¯s special experience, I believe that Your Highness¡¯s transformation will bring about some unexpected changes, but it¡¯s probably not a bad thing.¡±

    Tracy agreed, ¡°That¡¯s right. Your Highness is about to have your first transformation. However, there are some abnormalities in your physiological data. Perhaps you have experienced a forced transformation earlier?¡±

    This question made me freeze ¨C that was when we were dealing with Adele¡¯s crisis in the garden. To confess my feelings to Aldrich, I had to transform into Maxine.

    But how should I exin this? My parents were here. They wouldn¡¯t agree with me doing this. If they knew, they¡¯d be disappointed.

    However, I didn¡¯t have to say anything. My expression said it all.

    Fortunately, it was not the time to be concerned about these minor details, so no one was holding on to this. I had to rely on myself to get through this. This meant that everything would have to be done by Maxine and me. No one could help.

    Master Mary and Tracy were arranged to be on duty in case anything happened to me. My parents simply didn¡¯t go back and ordered someone to set up a bedroom in the empty lounge. ording to the rules, ministers were kept from staying overnight in the pce for no reason. However, Aldrich was not an ordinary minister, so he stayed with my parents.

    Even Dorothy, who was in the academy, had rushed back.

    After switching to Mullwica¡¯s eyes, the side effects of the Eye of Insight had miraculously disappeared. Dorothy felt that the records of the witches of the ancestors were not very urate. Rather than calling it a ¡®close blood rtion¡¯, it would be more appropriate to call it a ¡®close soul rtion¡¯. Even if there were no biological blood rtion, it would take effect as long as the soul was close.

    Let us get back to the present. Perhaps because of that one minute of godhood, the effect of the Eye of Insight on me was greatly reduced. Dorothy was unable to see through me like how she saw other people. She could only obtain a few clues, like how she usually captured prophecies. I couldn¡¯t even be seen in normal prophecies.

    After analyzing the Eye of Insight, she said palely, ¡°It¡¯s a good result. Although there are no exact images, I feel the result is good.¡±

    Looking at her face covered in sweat, I couldn¡¯t help but worry. ¡°You look very weak. Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. This is the price to pay.¡± She waved her hand and did not care. ¡°The Eye of Insight is not as useful as I thought. Every time I use it, I have to pay a huge price. However,pared to the previous life force loss, this controble method is much better.¡±

    Night soon fell.

    I was restless the entire day, and my heartbeat was apanied by tinnitus, making me restless. I felt like I had stayed up all night for a week, and my mind was on the verge of sudden death.

    This feeling was even more intense after the moon appeared.

    ¡°Do you feel it? It¡¯ll be here soon,¡± said Maxine.

    That was right. I could feel the violent elements flowing in my blood. They were like mes that made my entire body burn, restlessly attempting to extinguish the evil fire with the moonlight.

 Chapter 269

    269 The Wolf And Its Cub

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I stayed in the lounge alone, and no one disturbed me. Everyone else¡¯s rooms were closed as they tried to create a safer and quieter environment for me.

    Finally...

    I could feel that the moment that belonged to me had arrived. the moment the moonlight reflected in my irises, I broke out of the window and faced the white light, looking up to the sky and howling-

    ¡°Awooo...¡±

    Hair broke out from my itchy skin, and my sharp nails tore my shoes and socks. My limbs were more powerful and slender, and my cold eyes could easily see the bird flying in the sky.

    I¡¯dpleted the transformation in the time it took for my eyes to close.

    The wolf¡¯s vision was a wonderful vision. The wolf¡¯s huge body did not reduce the field of vision because of its four feet on the ground. Its superior vision allowed all details to be seen. As far as a cloud on the horizon, as close as the dust floating in the air, this feeling of nothing in the world could hide gave people a sense of security.

    The only thing that surprised me was that something that should not have appeared on my back-

    It was a pair of ck and gold wings that I was very familiar with.

    Didn¡¯t this thing only belong to kin? Why did I have one too?

    I pped my wings gently, and I was shocked. It took me a few seconds to realize that I was controlling it.

    Wait, why was I the one controlling it?

    Where was Maxine? Where did she go?

    I tried to call out to her in my heart, but I didn¡¯t get a response. This time, I panicked a little. After trying to no avail, I subconsciously wanted to ask Tracy and Master Mary for help.

    However, I heard a weak whimper from where I was standing before I could run a few steps.

    ¡°Ah... I can finally breathe. You¡¯re so heavy. I was almost crushed to death by you.¡±

    I turned around and saw a furry little wolf cub sprawled on the ground. It couldn¡¯t even open its eyes, but its round mouth could already make a howling sound.

    What was this?

    I was a little confused.

    Where did this wolf cube from? Shouldn¡¯t the training ground have been cleared?

    No, who was talking just now?

    It?

    If anyone could see it, the scene would be very funny. A two-meter-long giant wolf stood stiffly in ce, and the thing that made it look like it was facing a great enemy was a wolf cub that was not even the size of its ws.

    Suddenly, the wolf cub spoke again, ¡°The ground is really cold. There¡¯s not much hair on my belly. Selma, what are you doing? Pick me up quickly. I don¡¯t want diarrhea to be the first thing I do after obtaining a physical body. That would be too embarrassing.¡±

    It knew my name.

    A certain whimsical thought gradually surfaced in my mind. I asked, ¡°Are you... Maxine?¡±

    ¡°Who else can I be?¡± The wolf cub howled unhappily. ¡°Hurry up. I¡¯m freezing!

    It was really Maxine!

    I quickly picked up the wolf cub, but there was no ce to put it on the cold concrete ground. I had to lie down and put it on my stomach.

    By the way, my fur was a beautiful silver-white color. Coupled with my soft belly, even I wanted to bury myself in it and take a deep breath.

    Maxine didn¡¯t seem to be surprised at all. I asked, ¡°What¡¯s happening? How did I turn into a wolf, but you are separated from me?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I have to say that I¡¯ve always had this feeling,¡± Maxine said. ¡°Do you still remember when you blocked me at the Rocky Mountains? Since then, I had a vague feeling that we differed from the average werewolf. Although we are twins, we didn¡¯t seem to be closely connected. I could even asionally feel an obvious rejection.¡±

    ¡°I swear I don¡¯t hate you,¡± I immediately rified.

    Although the wolf cub couldn¡¯t open its eyes yet, I somehow felt that Maxine was looking at me as if I was an idiot. ¡°Of course, do you remember that we share the same thoughts? If you dared to hate me, I would have let you have a taste of schizophrenia.¡±

    Back to the matter of leaving the body.

    ¡°In short, I think our separation this time is still out of your own will.¡± Maxine said, ¡°Although you may not have such thoughts, the depths of your soul express such thoughts.

    I thought it was ridiculous. ¡°The soul wants to separate, but I don¡¯t have such thoughts. Isn¡¯t that contradictory?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s very contradictory. But haven¡¯t you experienced enough contradictions?¡± Maxine sighed. I had to admit that the wolf cub¡¯s actions were very cute. ¡°Even after your physical body was destroyed and reassembled, and you became a god, you still couldn¡¯t see the secrets in the depths of your soul. In that case, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a need to think about such things now. Just ept reality with peace of mind.¡±

    ¡°How can we do that? It¡¯s very dangerous for my soul to have an independent consciousness.¡±

    ¡°You know it¡¯s dangerous, so what? How do you think I can solve it? If you, a god, didn¡¯t notice the problem with your soul, it meant that it was something that even gods couldn¡¯t solve. What can you and I do with our current strength? Instead of worrying unnecessarily, it¡¯s better to solve the current problem first. I feel I can¡¯t go back as a wolf cub. What should I do?¡±

    What?

    I suddenly felt a headacheing: why was I always encountering rare incidents like this?

 Chapter 270

    270 The Cub

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    In fact, the result had already given a hint.

    The connection between Maxine and me had been cut off. No matter how much I called out to her in my heart, she couldn¡¯t hear me.

    In theory, this was impossible. Wolves and werewolves were natural partners. Unless we lost our wolf forever, our connection was stronger than a mind link. However, the reality was that Maxine and I had already be independent individuals.

    If this was also the doing of the independent consciousness that might exist in my soul, then she was a loner. Not only did she not like tomunicate with others, but she also drove her roommates away.

    We tried to transform back, but no matter how hard we tried, I was able to shift back to my human form, while Maxine was still existing as a wolf cub.

    What should I do? I was going to lose my wolf!

    ¡°Correction, there¡¯s no loss.¡± Maxine said, ¡°Our connection still exists. It¡¯s just that we can¡¯tmunicate clearly anymore. I can vaguely sense some of your thoughts, especially when you¡¯re particrly emotional, like just now.¡±

    From the looks of it, my connection with Maxine wasn¡¯t cut off, but it was weakened for some unknown reason.

    Why?

    Looking at the fist-sized wolf cub, a thought suddenly popped into my mind.

    ¡°Could it be because you¡¯re not fully developed? Your body is still that of a newborn wolf, and your body may not have fully developed yet. This also causes your brain to be unable to process information as it used to. After all, you were using my body before. An adult¡¯s body can¡¯t bepared to a baby¡¯s!¡±

    The more I thought about it, the more I felt that it made sense. Maxine also agreed.

    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s wait a few months and see if our rtionship will change after you grow up.¡±

    Just as our thoughts ran wild, a few heads popped out of the lounge¡¯s window.

    ¡°Baby, you¡¯re so beautiful!¡±

    My mother gasped in amazement, and then people walked out of the lounge and surrounded me, asking about my well-being.

    Obviously, everyone had noticed the problem that I had encountered after I transformed into my wolf. No one could give any advice on the man-wolf separation.

    It was better to say that this had never happened in the history of werewolves, and there was no precedent for reference.

    After half a day of discussion, no conclusion could be reached. Tracy and Master Mary felt they could only observe for a long time. If it were confirmed that there was no harm to the body, it would be safer to let it go or find a solution.

    As for Maxine, this cute little wolf cub quickly gained my mother¡¯s love and attention, stealing all of her attention away from me. She even ordered people to build a separate ¡®little wolf paradise¡¯ in my room for Maxine.

    ¡°You know that she can only be petite and cute for another four months before she can crush the woodendder into a pile of firewood, right?¡± I was a little embarrassed. ¡°And how am I supposed to exin her existence to the public? The separation of the wolf and the human must be kept a secret from the outside world.¡±

    My mother was hugging Maxine and could not let go. She did not even lift her head as she said, ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to build a bigger ce for her when the timees. As for her identity, we can just announce her as a pet. Compared to the royal family that keeps lions and tigers, it¡¯s not a big deal for the werewolf Princess to keep a wolf.¡±

    ¡°... perhaps you still remember that I am Maxine and that Maxine is me? It¡¯s too strange to keep yourself as a pet.¡±

    My mother simply didn¡¯t answer. She was busy ying with the wolf cub like a baby and ignored me.

    And Maxine had the nerve just to ept it! ¡®Don¡¯t think people will forget that you have aplete adult mind just because you hide in your cute little shell!¡¯

    My father touched my smooth hair and held back hisughter. ¡°Do you know how much your mother wants to make up for not being able to take care of you? Alright, Helena, my dear, be more reserved. Everyone¡¯s watching.¡±

    The process of transforming back to my human form took up much of my time. I was worried that something had gone wrong with the transformation. However, Tracy consoled me by saying that it was normal. Even the werewolves¡¯ first shift was as unskilled as mine. Once they get used to it, their efficiency would naturally increase.

    No one had any doubts about my wings because my followers all had them. As the person who ¡®created¡¯ them, it was not surprising that I also had a pair of wings.

    After the human, it was the wolf¡¯s turn. Everyone transformed into their wolves to share their experiences with me. Of course, as they spoke, their attention unconsciously shifted to Maxine. This was especially true for Irene. She was indeed my mother¡¯s wolf. Her love for Maxine was overflowing, and she even subconsciously wanted to lick her fur.

    Of course, I wouldn¡¯t be jealous of Maxine. In fact, I finally joined the army of wolf ¡®pets¡¯. It was just that the young Maxine was too cute, and I was her, and she was me. So what was wrong with liking me?

    This was not narcissism, definitely not.

    All in all, I sessfully transformed and gained a new ¡®sister¡¯.

    It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that the treatment that Maxine received was ten times that of mine. From my parents to the servants who cleaned the room, everyone treated the wolf cub great.

 Chapter 271

    271 The Attendants

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    At first, she was still a little ashamed, but after a few days, she hadpletely adapted to the life of a baby. She acted coquettishly with Kara without qualms just to get extra special milk from the head chef.

    ¡°You are depraved,¡± I said bitterly. ¡°Your gentleness cannot breed strong wolves. Indulging in pleasure will destroy you.¡±

    ¡°Enjoyment will destroy me, and jealousy will also destroy you, my dear.¡±

    What was she saying?! How could you nder my reputation?

    Half a month passed quickly in a stable life, and in the blink of an eye, it was June.

    On the morning of the 1st, my father called me to the study room. My mother was there, along with a few officials I¡¯d seen but wasn¡¯t familiar with.

    I forced my casual greetings into my stomach when I saw everyone. Facing my parents, I calmly bent my knees and bowed. ¡°Good Morning, Your Majesties.¡±

    They didn¡¯t return the greeting in a distant manner as they usually did to outsiders. My father waved his hand and smiled. ¡°Come quickly, my child. Let the elders see you.¡±

    I was at a loss for a moment at my father¡¯s actions, but I quickly reacted. My parents had already discussed with me disclosing my identity. Today, they were probably going to meet all the important officials.

    ¡°Good morning, my Lords.¡± I yed my princess role quickly and nodded to everyone.

    ¡°Allow me to introduce you,¡± my father proudly presented me to the crowd. ¡°This is my daughter, Madeline. She disappeared twenty years ago. Fortunately, the goddess has taken pity on her and sent her back to the Queen and me. Due to various reasons, we didn¡¯t disclose her identity immediately. Instead, we announced to the public that she was my wife¡¯s niece. Now that she¡¯s grown up to be a girl I¡¯m proud of, I think it¡¯s time to let you all get to know her.¡±

    The ministers immediately congratted my father happily, then bowed to me.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to get to know the adults and children.¡±

    My father introduced them to me one by one.

    This is the left-wing President of the Council of Elders, Arkadius S. Williams.

    A white-haired old man gently kissed my hand. He wore a pair of frameless sses, and his muddy eyes shone with wisdom.

    ¡°The Minister of Defense, Duke Frank, Devin Leopold.¡±

    This was an old acquaintance. We gave each other a warm hug.

    ¡°Earl of Marlowe, the head of the Royal Academy of Sciences, Morton Cletti Iberia.¡±

    Earl Marlowe was nearly eighty years old. He was spirited and gentlemanly. There was a gold-chained monocle in his chest pocket. He looked like a schr from an old movie who had walked into reality.

    ¡°Hello.¡± He bowed to me. ¡°Long live, Your Highness.¡±

    I smiled. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so polite, my Lord. If I remember correctly, you have a granddaughter named Emma?¡±

    ¡°Yes, she was fortunate enough to be your attendants.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a good girl, and we got along very well. If there¡¯s a chance, I think we¡¯ll be friends.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t being polite, but being with Emma and Jordin really made me feel rxed. It was a stupid and happy experience to have someone criticize the etiquette teacher¡¯s wooden mustache with you in a formal etiquette ss.

    Thest one was even more familiar.

    ¡°The werewolf grandmaster¡¯s representative, Mary Borgia.¡±

    We just metst night. She came to examine Maxine and me, and we winked at each other in tacit understanding.

    There were four ministers, all of whom were his father¡¯s trusted aides, and they were also the pirs of support for the imperial court and the people.

    Our conversation was quite pleasant. The old ministers didn¡¯t question me or embarrass me. Instead, they took care of me like elders would.

    This made me very touched, and at the same time, I was more willing to trust them. This was the political capital that my father had left me. If I wanted to gain a firm foothold in the Town Hall as a rookie, I had to rely on the power of my seniors.

    The topic came to my social circle. The ministers were all very concerned about the issue of my servants. I also understood that as the heir to the royal family, I had to have a few nobledies by my side to serve as my attendants. This was a tradition, a ritual, and had nothing to do with thinking or not thinking.

    My mother had already warned me about choosing an attendant, and I had also hinted that I wanted to find someone I was more familiar with, such as Emma and Jordin. I felt that most noble girls followed the rules like Carolyn. This wasn¡¯t bad, but it didn¡¯t fit my taste.

    So, I wasn¡¯t surprised when my mother asked Bertha to invite Emma and Jordin in.

    As for the heated discussion, it seemed that it was just a formality.

    Three years had passed, and Emma and Jordin had also turned from young girls to energetic young women. The way they kneeled and bowed didn¡¯t look like girls who would skip ss. Only when the adults weren¡¯t paying attention did they show some real liveliness by winking at me.

    Everyone praised the girls and had high hopes for them. In the end, my mother put on the brooch that represented the status of the Crown Princess¡¯ attendants for Emma and Jordin.

    With the sapphire¡¯s gaze, my pitifully small team now had two new members.

    In addition to the ministers and my attendants, my father also decided on one thing: He¡¯d be giving a speech at this year¡¯s graduation ceremony and announcing my true identity to the public.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a little too ostentatious?¡± Thinking about that, I felt a little embarrassed. I had so many ssmates!

 Chapter 272

    272 Bertha¡¯s Past

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°Your Highness,¡± Arkadius said. ¡°You would actually need a formal and friendly asion to announce your identity. The graduation ceremony is very appropriate.

    ¡°Firstly, everyone here are your ssmates and teachers. Most of them don¡¯t have extreme political stances, so the risk of questioning you in public is very small. Secondly, the media the Sivir Academy has invited over the years are mostly old names with good reviews and conservative writing styles. They¡¯ll be impartial in publicly announcing your identity and won¡¯tpete with the official media.

    ¡°Moreover, people always have a positive impression of the school. Announcing your identity here will help to consolidate your legitimacy and friendliness to the people. Also, the royal family funded the new campus of the Sivir Academy, so we can better ensure our safety there.¡±

    Alright, as expected of the left-wing President, who has gone through half of his life¡¯s trials and tribtions, he had considered everything thoroughly. I had nothing to object to.

    The announcement of my identity was settled just like that.

    After sending off the ministers, my parents gave me a few instructions to take care of my newpanions before going back to work. Now was the girls¡¯ time!

    Jordin gave me a big hug. ¡°I really missed you! You suddenly went back to Europe three years ago. I was worried that we would never see each other again!¡±

    Emma still couldn¡¯t let it go, and she looked at Jordin disapprovingly. ¡°Watch yourself.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t like those overly borate formalities. In private, we¡¯ll still get along as friends. I held the girls¡¯ hands. ¡°Rx, there¡¯s no etiquette teacher here with a pointer!¡±

    Weughed out loud, and the barrier between us quickly disappeared.

    Dorothy, who had heard the news, also came. She and Emma had a good rtionship with Jordin. We talked andughed, and it was soon noon.

    After my convincing, Emma and Jordin stayed at the pce for lunch. Bertha considerately prepared arge table of food for us in the garden. Delicious food, fresh flowers, sunlight, and a gentle breeze made this gathering very pleasant.

    After-meal tea time.

    I noticed that Jordin was always looking at Bertha, so I asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you need any help? Bertha is a very good person, you can tell her all you want.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Jordin shook his head. ¡°Actually, I was the one who rmended Bertha to the pce. I¡¯m satisfied to see that she¡¯s doing well now.¡±

    ¡°Really!¡± I was greatly surprised and, at the same time, pleasantly surprised by this wonderful fate.

    I made a prompt decision and immediately pulled Bertha into the tea party.

    Bertha refused in a panic. ¡°This is not for my status, Your Highness. I¡¯ll just stand aside and listen.¡±

    She was unwilling to sit down no matter what. I remembered Kara once said, ¡®Other than watching the servants¡¯ behavior and the master of the pce, there were also invigtors who were everywhere.¡¯ So I let it go.

    ¡°I heard that you came from another pack. Did youe to the Lycan pack for work?¡±

    Bertha shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s not the case, Your Highness,¡± she said softly. ¡°My visit to the Lycan pack was purely coincidental.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°I escaped from the original pack with my brother. I was born in a very remote and conservative pack. As an Omega, my brother and I couldn¡¯t survive there. Three years ago, Madam Sheedy, who was on a business trip, kindly took us in and even gave me a job as a servant.

    ¡°Later, Madam Sheedy thought I was hardworking, so she brought me back to the Lycan pack to serve the Countess of Mirror Lake. Later, the pce was recruiting servants, and her Ladyship encouraged me to sign up for it. After being selected, I stayed in the pce as a servant.¡±

    ¡°What about your brother? Is he still in the countess¡¯ residence?¡±

    Bertha didn¡¯t give any details. With my questioning, she choked and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know where he is. The wandering people attacked us on our way back with Madam Sheedy. I separated from him, and we didn¡¯t see each other again.¡±

    Oh my god!

    I felt apologetic for my rash question. At the same time, I sympathized with Bertha¡¯s past. ¡°How old are you this year? How old is he?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m twenty, Your Highness. My brother should be thirteen this year.¡±

    Thirteen years old! This meant that her younger brother was only ten years old when he went missing, and he was still a child!

    The girls all sympathized with her. I sincerely said, ¡°Let me help you, okay? I¡¯ll send someone to investigate the ce where your brother went missing. Do you still have anything that belonged to your brother? The werewolf grandmasters might be able to use this to find some clues.¡±

    Bertha looked at me in disbelief and cried out in surprise, ¡°Really? Your Highness. I... I don¡¯t know how to thank you! You are a good person. May Moon Goddess protect you forever! Thank you for being so kind, I swear I will use the rest of my insignificant life to serve you loyally! Thank you! Thank you!¡±

    ¡°Quickly get up.¡± I motioned for the servants to help her and gently said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you a break today. Go back and rest. Don¡¯t forget to find your brother¡¯s things and bring them to me.¡±

    After she left, the girls all felt sorry for her.

    Bertha had always med herself for her brother¡¯s disappearance. She believed she did not protect her brother well as an older sister. Jordin said emotionally, ¡°I helped her look for her brother, but the situation was critical back then, and no one could care about a ten-year-old child. Some people even assumed he might be dead.¡±

    ¡°No matter what, I want to see him. Dead or alive,¡± I said. ¡°Bertha is a good girl. Since I¡¯ve promised her, there¡¯s no reason for me to go back on my words.¡±

 Chapter 273

    273 The Unknown Wife

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    At night, Bertha came with a brooch. This was the only thing she had that belonged to her brother.

    ¡°This is what our mother left us,¡± Bertha revealed her reminiscence of the past. ¡°After giving birth to two Omega children in a row, my father abandoned her, and also abandoned us. She raised Angus and me herself and passed away from exhaustion and illness. The brooch was the only thing she left behind. At that time, Angus was still young, and he cried for his mother all day long. I¡¯d pin the brooch on his chest and tell him that mother is in our hearts and will always be with us...¡±

    As she spoke, she started to cry.

    ¡°Angus and I once swore to protect each other at my mother¡¯s bedside, but I lost him. He was still so young, and I don¡¯t know how much he¡¯ll be bullied if he wanders outside alone...¡±

    I could onlyfort her patiently and promised to inform her immediately if there was any news and get someone to send her back to her room.

    ¡°It¡¯s so heartbreaking,¡± Dorothy said dejectedly. ¡± I can¡¯t imagine how much pain Bertha was in when she found out that her brother was missing. I can¡¯t imagine what happened to Angus out there. A young Omega, in case he encounters a wandering group or some other bad people... Sigh.¡±

    She used the brooch as a medium to spy on Angus, but the brooch had only been with Angus for a short time, so she could only see fragments of a few locations.

    However, these fragments greatly reduced the difficulty of the search.

    The repaired Eye of Insight had a cooldown time. Depending on the situation, recovery would take a few days to a few months. It was hard to say if it would harm the body if used forcefully.

    After sending the brooch to the werewolf grandmaster, the matter of finding Angus was settled.

    ording to tradition, Jordin and Emma had to live in the pce after bing socialpanions, so the attendant suite that had been vacant for many years was cleaned up again. Bertha was in charge of this work, and everything was in order under Kara¡¯s guidance.

    Thus, I had two morepanions by my side. It was inevitable that they had to go to school with me and meet my friends. Fortunately, Emma and Jordin were not people who cared about their status. They had a good time with Avril and Mara. They even nned a lot of ideas for Avril and Perrin¡¯s wedding with their knowledgeable fashion taste.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t the teardrop diamond yarn a little too eye-catching?¡± Avril looked at the cloth samples on the table and was at his wit¡¯s end. ¡°I know the tiny rhinestones will sparkle in the sun and look very nice. But I¡¯m more inclined to a short wedding dress. Such a high-profile material seems tacky.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we take a look at the mixedposition?¡± Jordin opened a new cloth book. ¡°The silver thread is randomly inserted into the yarn¡¯s threads. It¡¯s gorgeous and elegant, perfectly meeting sparkly and low-key needs.¡±

    Mara and Emma asked for more cloth booklets from the shop assistant.

    Dorothy and I, the two fashion rookies who usually wore T-shirts and jeans, were quietly drinking tea at the side. We would not easily express any childish opinions.

    We were ashamed of our inferiority.

    We were in a high-end women¡¯s clothing store called ¡®Y&Y¡¯. Even I had to think for a few seconds when I saw the price of a custom-made wedding dress. Avril had made up her mind not to leave any regrets, so she had put in a lot of effort, from the wedding dress to the venue, to do the best she could.

    A wedding dress worth a whole year¡¯s sry and bonus for the soldiers couldn¡¯t be done half-heartedly, so she pulled Dorothy, Mara, and me to use asmenters. I didn¡¯t expect that, in the end, Jordin and Emma would be the advisors.

    I was drinking my tea in boredom when a customer suddenly entered the store and caught my attention.

    It was Master Kevin. This was a women¡¯s clothing store. Why was he here?

    Since we were in a VIP suite, the fine bead curtain blocked my figure, so he did not see me and went straight to the sales counter.

    I didn¡¯t want to disturb his private life, but my sensitive hearing still caught the conversation between him and the front desk.

    The receptionist seemed to be familiar with him. She smiled and said, ¡°Good morning, Mr. Mark. Are you here to custom-make a gown for your wife again? ¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Master Kevin took out a document bag from his briefcase. ¡°The design drafts are in there. The requirements are the same as the original. I hope they can bepleted before the end of the month.¡±

    The receptionist was a little surprised, ¡°Why are you in such a hurry this time? You know, our tailors have already arranged the schedule. If you want to cut the queue, please...¡±

    Master Kevin was very familiar with the rules of the shop. ¡°You¡¯ll need to increase the fees by 40%. I understand.¡±

    After settling everything, he didn¡¯t stay any longer and left.

    I waspletely confused.

    Master Kevin¡¯s wife? Who was that? I¡¯d never heard of Master Kevin was married.

    From the receptionist¡¯s tone, he seemed toe here often to custom-make clothes for his wife. If that was the case, he must have been married to his wife for a long time. However, even Master Mary and Master Hayley had never mentioned that Master Kevin was married. The background check on Master Kevin clearly stated that he was ¡®single¡¯.

    The whole incident raised a strange suspicion. I¡¯d kept this in mind and would find time to ask the werewolf grandmasters.

 Chapter 274

    274 The Sapphire

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    In the end, Avril waspletely lost in the piles of gorgeous fabric. She picked no less than ten choices she liked, but she couldn¡¯t give up on any of them. She promised to meet us again at Y&Y tomorrow.

    ¡°The wedding dress would take a month and a half to bepleted. It¡¯ll be toote if we wait to make a decision.¡± She said confidently, ¡°I¡¯ll make up my mind tonight. I promise we¡¯ll be able to finalize the results within two hours tomorrow.¡±

    I didn¡¯t have much hope because I saw seventy to eighty wedding dress designs in her photo album.

    At night.

    The girls and I were drinking tea in the room when I asked, ¡°How does it feel to live in the pce? Are you adapting well?¡±

    ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s a little awkward.¡± Jordin was always the one who spoke bluntly, ¡°Although I know that everyone here is good, but... This is the pce! I cannot calm down and let go of my fear of this ce. If the six-year-old me were to live in the pce for a month, I don¡¯t think I would need to hire any etiquette teacher to be a perfect quaildy.¡±

    Emma nodded, obviously a little burdened.

    ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it. I do feel ufortable at first.¡± Dorothy shared her experience. ¡°After a week or two, you will naturally feel a sense of belonging when familiar with the faces here.¡±

    From this point of view, Jordin¡¯s adaptability was much better than Emma¡¯s. Perhaps it was because she had been ced in her uncle¡¯s care since she was young. She was particrly open-minded and never gave herself a hard time. Although Mr. And Mrs. Sheedy were good people, there were times when it was inconvenient to be around her uncles and aunts, and Jordin had probably developed such a character because of that.

    I was always worried she¡¯d use her happy-go-lucky front to cover up her grievances, so I often paid attention to her.

    The next day.

    Just as I expected, Avril was once again caught in a dilemma. Even though we decided on the fabric, the wedding dress design was still a problem for her. The short designs that had been decided at the beginning were gradually wavering under the rmendations of fashion magazines. Yesterday, the table was full of cloth, and today, it was full of design drafts for reference.

    ¡°Seriously, why don¡¯t you make it a detachable model? I sincerely suggest that the main body be made into a short wedding dress, and on top of that, a long puffy skirt. This way, you can wear long or short as you want. It¡¯s perfect to wear two dresses for a ceremony and a ball.¡±

    ¡°You are a genius, Selma!¡± Avril was greatly inspired.

    It was the designer¡¯s time next. Avril, Mara, Jordin, and Emma took turns testing the professional standards of the designer. Dorothy and I were still quietly drinking tea at the side, silently praying for the designer whose forehead was covered in cold sweats.

    I hoped that his sry was enough to pay for his efforts.

    While observing his surroundings, Master Kevin suddenly pushed the door open and entered. He went straight to the front desk and handed the front deskdy a small velvet box.

    ¡°I hope the dress can be iid with the sapphire in the box,¡± he said. ¡°Like before, on the chest.¡±

    The front deskdy politely took the box and asked, ¡°The designer is in the studio on the second floor. Perhaps you can discuss your ideas with him? Every time, you just leave behind the design drafts and materials before leaving. Our designer wants to meet you. He sincerely hopes to know your opinion on his work.¡±

    After a moment of silence, Master Kevin shook his head and refused, ¡°No, there¡¯s no need for that. Just make the clothes.¡±

    After saying that, he did not stay any longer and left in a hurry, just likest time.

    Meeting Master Kevin again, the doubt in my heart deepened. From the packaging, the sapphire was probably expensive. Who was the dress for? What was going on with that non-existent wife?

    ¡°Hey, what are you daydreaming about?¡± Dorothy tugged at the hem of my shirt. ¡°What do you think of the knee-length? Or maybe we can make our bridesmaids into different styles?¡±

    The girls¡¯ train of topics had unknowinglye to the bridesmaid¡¯s dress style. Compared to the wedding dress, this was much easier to make. As they couldn¡¯t steal the bride¡¯s limelight, the bridesmaid¡¯s dress was mostly simpler, which meant that there weren¡¯t so many extravagant choices.

    After deciding on a light green Roman-styled dress, the preparation of the formal dress was finallypleted. It was already afternoon.

    ¡°Do you want to go back to school for a gathering?¡± Avril suggested, ¡°Most graduates have moved away in advance, so themon kitchen is free. We can make some delicious food and DIY cocktails.¡±

    I was very tempted, but I still had to learn political affairs from my parents, so I could only refuse. ¡°No, I¡¯m busy tonight. Let¡¯s meet another day.¡±

    Back at the pce.

    The government affairs that a rookie could handle alone were not veryplicated, and they could be reviewed ording to a fixed process. It was just that with the dull and monotonous paperwork, it was very easy to get tired of. Every half an hour, I had to do something else to relieve my fatigue. ck tea and biscuits were the easiest things I could get. It didn¡¯t take long for the snack basket to be empty.

    Seeing me looking for snacks, my mother helplessly said, ¡°Control yourself. It¡¯s dinner time soon.¡±

 Chapter 275

    275 Wanderers

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I stuck out my tongue in embarrassment and said, ¡°But eating rxes me, Mother.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not a baby anymore. Are you going through some kind of growth spurt?¡± My mother didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. She called Bertha over to give me three small blueberry cookies. ¡°This is thest snack. No matter how much you want to eat it, wait until dinner. Restraining desire is also an important lesson in learning.¡±

    I quickly swallowed the three small biscuits and mechanically flipped through the routine report. I suddenly remembered: it was Sunday tomorrow, the gathering of the New Moon Goddess¡¯ followers.

    It wasn¡¯t exactly a ¡®gathering¡¯, but arge-scale assembly. In the three years that I was unconscious, the Sunday Assembly was originally held by my followers to refine the power of the divine shards to feed me. When I woke up, I stopped this. It was too much for a living person to be worshipped like a god!

    However, the blessed still retained the habit of gathering on Sunday. Since I had clearly stated that I didn¡¯t want to be disturbed, the gathering became a tform for eating, drinking, andmunicating feelings.

    I wanted to go too. A party with hundreds of people must be very lively. However, Dorothy advised me not to because even if I no longer thought of myself as a god, in the hearts of my followers, I was still the goddess who had given them a chance to rebirth and whose souls were connected. Such an identity would make the kins unable to let go, turning a happy gathering into a dull worship.

    So I had to give up.

    When I thought of kins, I couldn¡¯t help but think of Master Kevin and his non-existent wife.

    I thought my parents might know something, so I asked, ¡°I met Master Kevin at a fashion store today. He seemed to be ordering a dress for his wife. From the staff¡¯s tone, he does this often. Is Master Kevin married? Howe I¡¯ve never heard anyone mention it?¡±

    To my surprise, they didn¡¯t answer me. Instead, they were silent.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    Such a reaction made me even more certain that something was hidden, so I pressed on.

    Finally, my father put down the documents in his hand and said softly, ¡°This is a sad story, child. Speaking of which, I think it has something to do with you?¡±

    ¡°With me?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Speaking of which, it¡¯s been twenty-two years since that incident.¡±

    Twenty-two years, and I was twenty-two years old this year. Thinking about what happened twenty-two years ago...

    ¡°Could it be rted to my disappearance?¡± I made a bold guess.

    My father nodded again. I had guessed correctly.

    Then, I heard a sad story from my parents.

    Twenty-two years ago, when I was just three months old, something big happened to my Lycan pack.

    With the cooperation of a few elders who were dissatisfied with my father, a group of brutal wanderers broke into the pce and took my mother and I away while my father was attending a charity event.

    At that time, the captain in charge of the pce guards was a she-wolf named La. She made a prompt decision and divided the guards into two teams to chase after the wanderers who had taken my mother and me. With her wisemand, the wanderers who had kidnapped my mother were quickly executed, but another team was in trouble.

    It turned out that there was a sorcerer among the wanderers. This mysterious werewolf grandmaster, who was not in the records, had caused the guards to suffer a lot. However, they were afraid that I was still in their hands, so the guards did not dare to use forceful means. They could only passively follow the other party¡¯s traces.

    By then, the opinions were divided into two factions. One faction believed that the soldiers who had received the emergency transfer order had already set off from the barracks and would soone to rescue and that the guards should wait for follow-up arrangements for the time being. One faction thought that if things continued to develop, my life would be in danger, and it was better to try their best to save me.

    La firmly supported thetter and rushed to help another team of guards despite their objections. My mother, who was still in shock, insisted on going with her. She wanted to see me out of danger with her own eyes before she could feel at ease.

    With La¡¯s help, the situation quickly reversed. The guards crushed the wanderers, and only the mysterious werewolf grandmaster was left to escape with me. However, La quickly defeated him with a sharp arrow that was said to be a relic of the Moon Goddess¡¯ human incarnation. We returned triumphantly.

    She was warmly weed by the people like a hero and personally returned me to my mother¡¯s arms.

    However, no one had thought that there was a conspiracy hidden in this.

    Just as everyone let their guard down, a ck mist suddenly spread from La¡¯s body, covering everyone¡¯s eyes and ears. It turned out that the mysterious werewolf grandmaster had used some kind of sorcery to attach himself to La¡¯s body. He took advantage of the time when everyone¡¯s ears and eyes were blocked and kidnapped me.

    No matter how long they searched, there was no result. There were even rumors that I was already dead.

 Chapter 276

    276 The Big Picture

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Someone had to take responsibility for this incident, and La became the target of public criticism.

    Some criticized her for being arrogant andcent and for letting someone kidnap me in her carelessness; others criticized her for wanting to be in the limelight. If the army had arrived, there wouldn¡¯t have been so many idents. Some people secretly did her dirty her, saying she might have colluded with the wanderers long ago. Otherwise, how could the wanderers break through the pce¡¯s defenses so easily?

    In short, the malicious public opinion was all poured on her. Even if my parents knew that it was not her fault, even if the royal family published a rification Statement, and even if she was secretly sent away to hide from the limelight, the intentional abuse still filled her life.

    La was a powerful warrior, but her heart was also made of flesh. It could not be as cold as steel.

    On an ordinary morning, shemitted suicide, leaving only a scribbled suicide note. The will was scratched and rewritten many times, and in the end, there was only one sentence left, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    The 28-year-old young warrior ended her life just like that. People who used to praise her for her promising future were now pointing at her photo in the newspaper. In the cemetery of heroes, she was the one who was the least cared about.

    Even though my father had ruthlessly taken care of the group of vicious idiots in the Council of Elders after this incident, and even though the royal family had never admitted to the nder and usations against La, some things could never be reversed.

    La had kept her life a secret, so few people knew she was engaged.

    Her fianc¨¦ was Master Kevin.

    My parents only knew this much. They had no ess to other things from their perspective. Out of respect for privacy, they could not simply dig up the past of a dedicated werewolf grandmaster.

    ¡°In any case, I think this may be a kind of nostalgia.¡± My mother sighed. Women were always more sensitive to emotions. ¡°It is said that before the kidnapping, La and Master Kevin had already agreed on a wedding date. This dress may be Master Kevin¡¯s way of making up for histe fiancee¡¯s wish.¡±

    I thought for a moment, but in the end, I couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Why don¡¯t you make the matter of those elders colluding with the wanderers public? Won¡¯t we be able to clear La¡¯s name easily this way?¡±

    My father shook his head lightly, a rare look of helplessness. ¡°Selma, things aren¡¯t that simple. Even if this was made public, it won¡¯t change the conflict with La because this is not about who is right or wrong. Public opinion is manipted to achieve the purpose of wrapping La up as the culprit. As for who the real murderer is, it doesn¡¯t matter at all.¡±

    When people believed that the mastermind of a crime was a certain person, the appearance of other suspects would only increase the number of aplices of the mastermind. It would not change the murderer¡¯s crime in their hearts.

    These words were perfunctory, and I didn¡¯t ept such a roundabout exnation. I asked, ¡°But this doesn¡¯t prevent the crimes of the elders from being made public, right? Even if we can¡¯t clear La¡¯s name, we can at least share her burden with the real murderer, right?¡±

    Faced with my questioning, my father was helpless and could only say, ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right, but this still can¡¯t be made public.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± I was greatly puzzled.

    ¡°To avoid causing social panic. In the public¡¯s impression, the Council of Elders had always been a think tank that maintained social stability and protected the safety of the people. However, political institutions are the most trustworthy and untrustworthy things. If the news of a traitor in the Council of Elders spreads, its reputation will instantly be reversed.

    ¡°People will doubt, fear, and anger. In the end, they will vent their anger on the entire government. Once people no longer trust the government, its credibility and social control will also drop.

    ¡°Out of the 100 things that happen in the world, ny-eight are insignificant and ordinary things. One is a good thing, and the other is a bad thing. And the power of this one bad thing could offset the good and even offset ny-eight ordinary things. The government¡¯s responsibility is to prevent this bad thing from happening. If it did happen, then the negative impact would be minimized. And a government that has lost its credibility will never be able to gather the power to fight against evil.

    ¡°Back then, there were still terrorists in the Council of Elders who wanted to take over the position at all times, and there were also wanderers who colluded with other forces outside. I had to prioritize the protection of the people, and the premise of all this was that the people still believed in the government.¡±

    ¡°So, La was abandoned...¡± I had expected it, but I still couldn¡¯t believe it. Real politics is so cold. In the face of the big picture, a person¡¯s life was too insignificant, even if she had given everything she had.

    My father didn¡¯t answer. His silence was a tacit agreement.

    ¡°Actually, we didn¡¯t give up on La,¡± my mother said quickly. ¡°Sending her away was also a way to protect her, but no one would have expected that... sigh...¡±

    It was just that no one had expected her tomit suicide, no one had expected that a powerful warrior would be so mentally fragile, and no one had expected that the situation would crush the captain of the pce guards with mature political literacy.

    ¡°In the end, we¡¯re the ones who let her down.¡±

 Chapter 277

    277 A Memorial For The Dead

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    That was all my mother had to say. I understood what she meant.

    After helping my father win so many battles, I was no longer a political noob. Of course, I understood the helplessness hidden under the boundless glory. But the death of La still made me feel lost. It was as if something was blocking my heart. It was stuffy and some sort of existential crisis.

    If I wanted to protect the majority, did I have to sacrifice one person?

    Could the conflict of numbers and numbers not co-exist?

    I didn¡¯t understand. I couldn¡¯t say anything even if I wanted to. I could only sit there in a daze, lost in my thoughts.

    Seeing through my thoughts, my father was kind enough to give me a break.

    I left in a daze.

    This sad story made me lose my mind. At night, I told Dorothy, who was sleeping on my bed.

    ¡°Heavens!¡± She felt very sympathetic. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine how sad Master Kevin would be when he learned of his fianc¨¦e¡¯s death. It was not La¡¯s fault! She protected you, so she shouldn¡¯t bear all these baseless usations.¡±

    ¡°Yeap!¡± I hugged the pillow and said sullenly, ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Why do you have to sacrifice a person¡¯s innocence to maintain stability? She was not the one in the wrong. Isn¡¯t it a lie to hide the truth? Is the trust gained from sacrifice and deception reliable?¡±

    Dorothy was even more clueless about all this. Even though she was a smart girl, she knew nothing about politics, so she could onlyfort me by saying, ¡°Although the ending was indignant, ording to the situation at that time, His Majesty had already done his best.¡±

    ¡°I know. I don¡¯t mean to me my parents. It¡¯s just that I can¡¯t figure this out. Sigh, how annoying!¡±

    La¡¯s death made me confused and frustrated for the next three days.

    On Wednesday night, Master Mary came to give me a routine examination. After everything was over, I asked her to stay and asked her about Master Kevin and La.

    Master Mary was very confused. She didn¡¯t expect me to know about Master Kevin¡¯s past.

    ¡°I met Master Kevin at a fashion store, who was making a custom-made dress for his wife. I didn¡¯t know that he was married, so I went to ask my parents.¡± I said, ¡°It¡¯s because of this that I know the story of La. I want to know why Master Kevin insists on making a suit for histe partner. If you find this offensive of me, then forget it. This is Master Kevin¡¯s privacy. I don¡¯t have any intention of prying.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a secret. everyone close to Kevin knows about it.¡± Master Mary said, ¡°Perhaps you knew that before Lamitted suicide, she was already engaged to Kevin?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m very sorry for that.¡±

    ¡°Not only that, their wedding was supposed to be a week after the kidnapping. La had already applied for a month¡¯s leave for her wedding day. she was going to try on the wedding dress the next day.¡±

    Recalling that past, Master Mary was also very sad.

    ¡°Who knew that heaven would y such a trick on us? Since you disappeared, La has be the target of public criticism. No one dared to get close to her then, whether they were malicious or kind to her. Even the fashion store that customized the wedding dress for her rejected her order.

    ¡°I believe the fashion store you went to today is Y&Y, right? To tell you the truth, this shop was founded in the Silver Moon Pack, where the two Majesties sent La toy low. Y&Y was the fashion store that took over the production of wedding dresses. However, before the wedding dresses werepleted, La had... anyway, eventually, Y&Y opened a branch in our pack. Kevin would make a brand new wedding dress every year on the day of their supposed wedding anniversary, and he would throw a huge party. He never told us why, but we all know it¡¯s for La.¡±

    ¡°Oh my god!¡± I stammered, not knowing what to say. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have asked about this. It¡¯s a sad past, and I¡¯m ashamed of myself for digging up others¡¯ sad stories.¡±

    Master Mary smiled bitterly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to feel sorry for this. In fact, so many years have passed. It¡¯s not like we haven¡¯t persuaded Kevin to let go of the knot in his heart. But now that things havee to this, rather than saying that the knot in his heart has not been resolved, it is better to say that it has be a habit that must be done.

    ¡°It seemed like this would make Master Kevin feel that La was still by his side, so we stopped persuading him to stop. You don¡¯t have to be afraid of anything regarding this matter. Being calm will instead let Kevin understand that you understand him.¡±

    I nodded and didn¡¯t say anything.

    It was mid-June, and my father would inspect a mine belonging to the government, so I was going with him. This showed that the Queen¡¯s ¡®niece¡¯ could apany the Lycan King to a political event. For a moment, the outside world was discussing my identity.

    On the 20th of June, the royal family announced that the King would attend and give a speech at the Sivir Academy¡¯s graduation ceremony. The public had mixed reactions. Some of the more sensitive media outlets had already guessed that I had something to do with this. For a moment, the discussion about me was very heated. However, under the instructions of the official media, everything did not go too far, and the storm subsided in two or three days.

    29th of June.

    After renovating the campus with the royal family¡¯s donation, the Sivir Academy shed its conservative style. This graduation ceremony was luxurious and memorable.

 Chapter 278

    278 The Day Of The Ball

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The graduation ceremony and ball, which were usually scheduled for one day, were now scheduled for two days, which meant that the students had two days to party.

    The graduation ball was on the 29th, and the graduation ceremony was on the 30th.

    Students were always the most informed when it came to gossip. Since many media tycoons had sent their children to the Sivir Academy, the news spread very quickly. These few days, spections about my identity had been circting among the students, so much so that when I walked around the campus, I would always receive some nces.

    I chose to ignore this. They didn¡¯t have any ill intentions anyway. They could just watch, and they wouldn¡¯t lose anything.

    But I didn¡¯t expect Mara and Avril to be so gossipy. The moment O arrived at the dormitory, they kept asking, ¡°Selma, I¡¯ve heard that the King has the intention to adopt you as his daughter and groom you as his heir. Is this true?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I didn¡¯t know how to react. ¡°Where did all this gossipe from? How is that possible?¡±

    I was my parents¡¯ biological daughter. Why would they adopt me? That was why it was impossible.

    Of course, Mara and Avril thought I couldn¡¯t be adopted and be the heir. I didn¡¯t say much, hoping that they wouldn¡¯t break off our friendship because of my hiding of the truth tomorrow.

    With the experience from thest graduation ball ¨C for example, having to guard against a witch who could explode at any time ¨C Dorothy and I were smart enough not to dress up early. Instead, we left the dress and essories in the dormitory and went to enjoy the ball to the fullest.

    Jordin and Emma didn¡¯te because my identity was still a secret. They couldn¡¯t apany me as my attendants, and on the day of the ball and graduation, teachers, students, and parents were also forbidden from entering the school.

    The graduation ceremony was much grander than three years ago, but the clubs would stillpete for a bigger and better venue. Among them, the opera club was particrly exotic. As a club with its independent building, every year, the opera club would sit in the spacious opera hall and watch the ¡®open and secret fights¡¯ between other clubs elegantly.

    As Avril had joined the escort team, she had left the boxing club a long time ago. However, she still had a good rtionship with the club members and had to attend such a grand event as the graduation ceremony. She yed two friendly games with the club members as a special guest and won the audience¡¯s apuse.

    ¡°We¡¯re all proud of you!¡± We gathered around her and said happily, ¡°Yourbat skills are so dexterous. You finished off your opponent in no time. It was so enjoyable to watch!¡±

    Avril nodded in a reserved manner as if she had won a championship in an internationalpetition. ¡°Thank you. Do you need an autograph?¡±

    She was no longer the ¡®crybaby¡¯ when she was insulted as a ¡®muscr woman¡¯. Now, her body and soul were both strong. She said that her dream was to join the army and be a soldier, and I had a feeling that her dream woulde true.

    After that, we went to the opera club to enjoy the fun. After, we went to the Midnight Opera House. The opera Club was in high demand. ssic songs were being yed here. At a nce, most of the audience were parents of students. It seemed like traditional art was more popr among middle-aged people than rock bands, which were highly sought after by students.

    ¡®The Butterfly Lady¡¯ was currently ying. After three years, Chloe was ying the female lead again.

    Seeing that I had arrived, Mara decided to have me act as the flower delivery person. The backstage was so busy that there wasn¡¯t any manpower left.

    So, when the act ended, I walked up on stage and presented the pink bouquet to Chloe.

    ¡°Hey, I remember you. You¡¯re Selma, aren¡¯t you? We haven¡¯t seen each other for three years. I heard that you¡¯ve returned to Europe to study. I¡¯m happy you can return to school to attend the graduation ceremony.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said. I had a good impression of this cute girl. ¡°I remembering to the opera club to help Mara and even helping you change your costume. How have you been these past three years?¡±

    ¡°Very good. This is the life of my dream. Speaking of which, I still have to thank you. If you hadn¡¯t exposed Ryan¡¯s true colors, the opera club would still be under his control. He was an extremely selfish person who only wanted to be famous. He would suppress anyone outstanding. Ever since Mara came to power, she swept away the dictatorial atmosphere, and everyone was able to develop well. That¡¯s what we¡¯re most pleased with.¡±

    ¡°As Mara¡¯s friend, I¡¯m happy you have such a high opinion of her. This means that her efforts were not in vain. She will be very proud.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Mara deserves all the praise. She deserves it.¡±

    As we were talking, Mara walked toward us.

    ¡°Hey girls, what are you whispering about?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯mplimenting you,¡± I teased her. ¡°Your club members have a very high opinion of you, dear President Mara.¡±

    Mara was a little embarrassed and nced at me. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. It¡¯s so mushy.¡±

    Since I was already here, I didn¡¯t just sit around and do nothing. I started helping out backstage.

    The student council called Dorothy away. As a great senior about to graduate, she needed to hold down the fort for the juniors on patrol.

 Chapter 279

    279 The Graduation Ball

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Strictly speaking, Mara was no longer considered the drama club president. As a graduate, her position had long been reced by a junior. However, on thest day before graduation, the club members unanimously invited her to direct for thest time, using the audience¡¯s cheers and the actors¡¯ respect as a graduation gift.

    Mara looked at the floating ke fairy¡¯ on the stage and felt a little emotional.

    ¡°I¡¯m lucky to meet a like-minded friend,¡± she said. ¡°In fact, when I first joined the drama club, I only wanted to fulfill some credits, so I chose the easiest job, the props team.

    This department doesn¡¯t require as many brain cells as the production team, nor does it require as much rest time as the cast. It also doesn¡¯t need to deal with the aftermath of the production like the logistics team. You just need to make the props and costumes ording to the requirements. You can even apply for funds to buy them. You don¡¯t have to do it yourself.

    ¡°But the more I understand the opera club, the more fascinated I am with it. Every time I see the actors in the costumes I hand-sewn, I feel very proud. I don¡¯t know when it started, but I had to do my best in the work of the opera club. Due to my love for the drama club, I would even bear to live under a scumbag like Ryan.

    ¡°From then on, I knew that I had found the direction of my life ¨C opera, a dream I found at eighteen.

    ¡°After Ryan fell from power, I was forced to be the president. At first, I was so nervous. I was just a minion of the props team. Not to mention directing, I had only touched the script a few times. But looking at the hard work of the club members, I knew that I couldn¡¯t give up easily. I can¡¯t let down their hopes, and I can¡¯t let down my own heart. So, I madly learned about directing, gritted my teeth, and took over the drama club.¡±

    I patted her arm and said in relief, ¡°It turns out that you did a good job. Not only did you revive the opera club, but you also made it to the Midnight Opera House. This is something that manymercial opera groups can¡¯t do. Everyone is proud of you.¡±

    Maraughed and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s nothing to be afraid of. After seeing what happened today, I know all my efforts were worth it.¡±

    Suddenly, she winked at me mysteriously and said cheekily, ¡°Let me tell you a secret. The Midnight Opera House has already hired me. I¡¯ll be officially employed as an intern in the editing team in August.¡±

    I cheered softly in surprise, ¡°Congrattions, my god! This is really good news! I¡¯m so proud of you, Mara!¡±

    ¡°Hehe, I¡¯m just an intern. I¡¯m not even sure if I will be a full-time employee in the future.¡± Mara tugged at the corner of her shirt in embarrassment.

    ¡°Even if it¡¯s just an intern, it¡¯s already very impressive. Do you know how many resumes from the media college get rejected yearly? This means that your professionalism is even greater than the drama major students! Besides, your achievements as a student are obvious to all, which shows that you are very talented in opera. With perseverance, hard work, and outstanding talent, it¡¯ll be hard for you not to seed.¡±

    ¡°Oh? It¡¯s embarrassing to say that... But I¡¯ll count on your blessings!¡±

    We talked about our future for a while before Mara asked, ¡°Avril aspires to join the army, Dorothy aims to be a werewolf grandmaster, and I found my direction in life. What about you? Selma, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve ever mentioned what you want to do in the future.¡±

    Me?

    After some thought, I smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve already thought about it. Or rather, the path I¡¯ve chosen is my natural responsibility.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t tell you yet. You¡¯ll find out eventually!¡±

    ¡°Tsk, you¡¯re still deliberately mystifying things. I don¡¯t care to know!¡±

    We bickered for a while, then I left the opera club and went to other ces to join the fun.

    At three o¡¯clock in the afternoon, the number of people wandering around the campus had decreased. Everyone had gone home or to the dormitory to dress up, so it could be imagined that there would be anotherpetition at the graduation ball.

    In the dormitory, the girls were noisily dressing up. I was still ¡®providing¡¯ the dress for the graduation party as a graduation gift for the girls.

    Avril, who had sessfully broken free from being single, couldn¡¯t form a team with us. Mara chose Chloe, who was also single, as her dance partner. Dorothy and I naturally formed a team.

    The graduation ball at the Sivir Academy had always been held in the open air because there were too many people from all the departments, and the auditorium couldn¡¯t fit them all.

    That night, we sang and danced to our hearts¡¯ content in the open-air venue. The joyful dance music apanied the steps of youth and yed a melodious movement on the campus. The silver moonlight shone upon the boys¡¯ and girls¡¯ youthful faces, decorating this precious life meeting with gorgeous decorations.

    Tonight, the strict school rules were put aside. All we did was sing, dance, and have fun. Even the most serious dean gave the students a gentle smile tonight because he knew that any disappointment would taint the students¡¯ good memories.

    As thest dance song ended, the graduates gathered together, wearing their disheveled clothes and makeup smudged by sweat, leaving a memento of their youth in front of the camera.

    ¡°Crack.¡±

    With the sound of the shutter, my school days officially ended.

    June 30th, 8 am.

    It would be a lie to say that I wasn¡¯t excited sitting in the noisy auditorium.

 Chapter 280

    280 The Graduation Ceremony

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The school leaders had already taken their seats, but the seat in the middle, which was different from the rest, was still empty. The principal and the others were in a heated discussion. From the smiles on their faces, it was not difficult to tell that they were happy and proud of the arrival of the King.

    Today was my graduation day and the day my identity would go public.

    From now on, I¡¯d live in this world as ¡®Princess Madeline¡¯.

    What changes had life brought to me this time?

    Was this change good or bad?

    I was a little nervous. I couldn¡¯t lie to myself that I was indifferent to the great changes in my life.

    Finally, my parents arrived.

    The moment the King and Queen arrived, the entire hall erupted in cheers. The reporters waiting on both sides of the hall immediately raised their cameras to record the two Majesties¡¯ every move. They had long heard that there would be big news today, so they didn¡¯t want to miss a single detail.

    After the important guests were seated, the graduation ceremony officially began.

    The principal¡¯s speech, the teachers¡¯ representative¡¯s speech, the outstanding graduates¡¯ representative¡¯s speech, and the graduation certificate ceremony. When it was my turn to receive my graduation certificate, I didn¡¯t leave the stage afterpleting the process like other students. Instead, I went straight to my parent¡¯s side.

    The auditorium was in an uproar because of my action. The media smelled the scent of big news and kept shooting with their ¡®long guns¡¯.

    The school leaders quickly maintained order, and the ceremony officially ended.

    Next, it was time for my father¡¯s speech. After the speech, he¡¯d announce my true identity.

    At this moment, my heart was beating at its peak.

    After thest sentence of the speech, my father did not leave the podium.

    ¡°Today is a day worth celebrating because many young talents havepleted their studies and will soon be the new mainstays of the werewolf pack.

    ¡°And today is a special day for me.

    ¡°Twenty-two years ago, a group of evil wanderers ambushed the Lycan pack in an attempt to hurt the civilians. They also kidnapped my daughter, Princess Madeline, who was only three months old.

    ¡°The wanderers were finally exterminated, but my daughter¡¯s whereabouts were unknown. I searched for her many times without any results. I fell into endless self-me and pain because, as a father, I did not protect my daughter well and caused her to be in danger.

    ¡°However, the kind Moon Goddess did not abandon me.

    ¡°Four years ago, my daughter came back to me by chance. Thanks to the goddess¡¯ blessing, she grew up safely and became a good girl that I¡¯m proud of when I wasn¡¯t around.

    ¡°Today is her graduation day. On this day of celebration, it¡¯s time for her to reveal her identity to society.¡±

    My father extended his hand to me. With the incredulous gazes of my ssmates and teachers, I puffed out my chest and raised my head, proudly and demurely walking to my father¡¯s side.

    ¡°Now, I officially announce to my people that this is the legal descendant of Queen Helena and me, the current first princess of the royal family, and the werewolf Crown Princess, Madeline Periana H. Oromalivira!¡±

    As my father announced that, the officials on both sides immediately shouted, ¡°May the goddess bless the princess!¡±

    ¡°May the goddess bless the princess,¡± the people followed suit subconsciously.

    After three cheers, the crowd became restless and cheered spontaneously to celebrate my return.

    The werewolves had been waiting for this moment for far too long. Theck of descendants meant that the royal family was unstable, and the instability of the royal family meant that those with ulterior motives would do anything for the position of heir. These ambitious people usually did not care about the interests of the people.

    Therefore, even primary school students who did not know anything about politics would act like adults and sigh about the decline of the royal family because the education official in charge of the area where my school was located had surrendered to an ambitious person and moved the education funds to buildndmark buildings for the ambitious person to umte achievements, the school could not get financial support and repair the damaged field, so it had to stop the students¡¯ football ss.

    This was only the tip of the iceberg. The ones who paid the price for the ambitious were countlessmoners who had no way to seek help. No matter how wise and powerful my father was, he could not forcefully interfere with the internal affairs of every pack. Bertha and her brother, for example, and many more people like them were being oppressed by the name of ¡®respecting tradition¡¯ and became tools for the ambitious to exploit.

    And now that I was here, once the royal family¡¯s legacy was stable, all the schemes of the ambitious would be destroyed. They no longer had scruples after my father took care of the people. Even if there were any idents, I would be there to take care of them. I would inherit my father¡¯s will and fight against those who persecute my race.

    At this moment, many pairs of eyes were looking at me. They were in the auditorium, in the camera, in the live broadcast, looking at me with excitement, joy, doubt, or viciousness.

    Every pair of eyes wanted to see something from me, defining me as a hope or an idiot.

    Before I entered the hall, I was nervous about the pressure.

    But now, my heart was calm and peaceful.

    Facing the excited gazes of the teachers and students, as well as the cold glints of the cameras, I adjusted the microphone and said loudly, ¡°Hello, teachers, students, media, and everyone. I¡¯m Madeline.¡±

 Chapter 281

    281 The Past

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    In just a minute, when the sh went off, when the microphone transformed my voice into an electric current and transmitted it to the world, my life changed in an instant.

    The people¡¯s gazes changed from surprise to doubt and then to respect and fanaticism. At this moment, the ordinary Selma had disappeared forever. From now on, the one standing on thisnd would be the princess of the werewolf pack, Madeline.

    Just like the cameras in the auditorium today, every detail of my life from now on would be infinitely magnified and studied. My every word and action would affect people¡¯s perception and evaluation of me.

    I would never have a peaceful and rxed life again. This was a heavy shackle that was apanied by glory.

    My position was temporarily arranged during the group photo to be in the middle. No one had any objections, including the representatives of the outstanding graduates from various departments who should have stood beside the principal and my father.

    However, I took the initiative to move aside and told the boys and girls I was unfamiliar with, ¡°These are the seats that belong to you.¡±

    They hurriedly declined my offer, and as I backed down, they trembled as they stood in the center. They couldn¡¯t help but smile brightly.

    ¡°Crack.¡±

    I¡¯d officially graduated.

    Sitting in the royal family¡¯s carriage, I elegantly waved to the people who had heard themotion and wereing from both sides of the road. They cheered enthusiastically as if they truly believed I was a worthy sessor.

    But I knew that most of this was because people loved the house and its crow. People loved my father, so they loved me. If I couldn¡¯t be a qualified Crown Princess, this love would instantly turn into a flood that would drown me.

    ¡°How do you feel?¡± My mother asked in a low voice, ¡°Are you nervous?¡±

    ¡°A little,¡± I said honestly. ¡°I feel a little torn. It was still calm when we went to school in the morning, but everything turned upside down in just a few hours. It¡¯s so unreal when I think about it.¡±

    My mother recalled the past and said with a smile, ¡°We always think that we¡¯re ready for the change of identity, but in the end, we¡¯re caught off guard. It was the same when I married your father and was crowned the Queen. Everything felt so unreal, like a dream. It took me a few months to realize that I was no longer the little girl in the alpine estate.¡±

    Speaking in front of the camera was a skill I had yet to master. It was only when I returned to the pce that I had the time to ask my mother, ¡°The alpine estate? Speaking of which, you haven¡¯t told me about your past.¡±

    ¡°Me? Before I married your father, my life was very dull. There¡¯s nothing much to talk about.¡±

    ¡°Tell me about it. Your hometown is also considered my hometown. I¡¯ve never been there before!¡±

    With my coaxing and pestering, my mother had no choice but to relent.

    She was born into a noble family of werewolves with a long history. Her ancestor originated from a royal princess, but it was passed down over a dozen generations. By the time her mother¡¯s generation came, the Garcia family had already had a declining poption, and she was the only descendant of this generation.

    For a long time, the Garcia family had lived the traditional life of andlord, living in seclusion in their manor in the Alps. Even the most tragic years of the cult¡¯s persecution did not have much effect on them.

    Just like that, the Garcia family lived in peace until the second half of the 20th century, and a female heir that everyone had been looking forward to was born. However, bad luck also came with the birth of a new life. The weak and sickly female mother died of an amniotic fluid embolism. The husband who married into the family raised his daughter alone until she was six years old and then also passed away.

    At this point, the Garcia family only had one member left, the youngdy who was my mother.

    ¡°So my maternal grandfather and grandmother passed away when you were young?¡± I was a little sad that I didn¡¯t get to see these family members.

    My mother had long since let go of her parents¡¯ deaths. She said softly, ¡°I was still very young when they left, and I don¡¯t have much of an impression of them now. It was the nanny who raised me. She was a mixed-race woman saved by your great-grandmother when she was studying abroad. By the time I turned sixteen, she was already too old and passed away quietly in her sleep.¡±

    At the age of sixteen, my mother began to live alone. Fortunately, the life of disguising her identity to study human society made her mature early and rational, so she was not easily confused by this world. When she was twenty, my mother came to North America to study at a university in a Lycan pack. It was there that she met my father.

    Back then, my father was only a Prince, in his twenties, the prime of his youth. My father fell in love with my mother at a university fellowship party at first sight. The wonderful chemistry easily made my father forget the rules of ¡®fated mate¡¯, and he started a fierce pursuit of my mother.

    There was nothing much to say about the details. I suspected my mother was too embarrassed to tell me about her love history. When she was twenty-six, she finally agreed to my father¡¯s proposal.

    However, before they could officially step into the hall of marriage, the war between the wolves and the witches began. My grandparents passed away in the war, one after another, and my young father had to take on the heavy responsibility. My mother also became the Queen overnight.

 Chapter 282

    282 Wishful Thinking Come True

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    It was a period of chaos. The newly-wedded couple had no time to be intimate at all. Their time was either spent in the conference room or on the battlefield. During special times, status was not so emphasized. It was until the end of the war that my mother really realized that she had be the Queen of the werewolves from an ordinary student with a doctorate in literature.

    That was why I said that ns couldn¡¯t keep up with changes. No matter how well prepared we were, things would still be unreal when it came to it.

    My mother thought that her childish self during those extraordinary years was very interesting, and she always smiled when discussing these things.

    ¡°To be honest, after I agreed to your father¡¯s marriage proposal, I was worried that the feudal and conservative nobles would oppose my family. Back then, there were signs of such a thing, but before they could argue, an even bigger fire came. When the war was over, everything would be set in stone. It would be useless for them to object. Thus, the thing that I was most worried about did not happen. Now that I think about it, those sleepless nights were all wasted because of my unnecessary worries.¡±

    Later, she was busy dealing with the mess left behind by the war. My mother, who specialized in literature, had forced herself to be a political veteran. My father had also used his war achievements to shut up those ambitious people¡¯s mouths,ying a solid foundation for his rule.

    After that, I was born. Before the werewolves could cheer for their long-awaited heir, I went missing in a kidnapping.

    After that, many years passed, and I drifted back to parents¡¯ side like a miracle.

    This was the story of the past.

    ¡°However, after so many years, why didn¡¯t you and father give birth to a few other children?¡± I didn¡¯t understand.

    My mother was stunned by my question and then smiled bitterly. ¡°After you were taken away, I was heartbroken. I would cry for a long time when I saw a baby in swaddling clothes. At that time, the psychiatrist said that I was a little depressed. Your father didn¡¯t even dare to let any children appear before me, let alone give birth to a new heir. After a few more years, when I walked out of my grief, your father and I didn¡¯t bring up this matter again.

    ¡°You can call it superstition or wishful thinking, but we always feel that if a new child is born, the position that belongs to you will be reced, and you will never be able to return to our side. So, even though we were under pressure and doubts, we didn¡¯t want a new heir. We always fantasized that one day you woulde back to us.

    ¡°Fortunately, my wishful thinking finally came true. Perhaps the goddess couldn¡¯t bear to see us suffer the pain of losing a child and called for the river to send you back to us.¡±

    My mother lowered her head and looked at me. Her gentle eyes were filled with love that was wider than the ocean.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said softly as I snuggled into her arms. ¡°I¡¯ve made you guys worry.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t your fault, child. On the contrary, everything that happened resulted from us not beingpetent as parents. If your father had not been taken away by the clumsy n to lure the tiger out of the mountain, if I had listened to La¡¯s suggestion to strengthen the pce¡¯s defense, the kidnapping would not have happened.¡±

    Immersed in the past, my mother¡¯s brows unconsciously furrowed.

    I smoothed the small knot between her eyebrows and consoled her, ¡°This wasn¡¯t your fault, Mother. Those ambitious people and the wanderers caused everything. It was their greed and stupidity that caused everything. However, they have long been executed, and the past has been written off and disappeared.

    ¡°All debts are written off, vanishing like smoke and clouds.¡±

    My motherughed in a low voice. ¡°That¡¯s right. Let¡¯s not dwell on the past. There¡¯s no need to worry about it.¡±

    My conferment ceremony was scheduled for August, and all packs would send representatives to attend the ceremony. It could be said to be the grandest event of the werewolves in the past twenty years.

    After I was officially crowned, I could no longer ¡®use¡¯ myself as I pleased. The royal family¡¯s rules had bound me firmly. Every word and action I made in public had to conform to the princess¡¯s standards. This meant that I couldn¡¯t be Avril¡¯s maid of honor. Fortunately, the wedding was in July, before the coronation. I could attend my friend¡¯s wedding as an individual.

    After finding out who I was, Avril and Mara were so surprised that it was as if a watermelon had been stuffed into their mouths. At first, they were a little worried about whether they could get in touch with me again. After all, being friends with ¡®the Queen¡¯s distant niece¡¯ and being friends with ¡®the princess¡¯ werepletely different concepts.

    So, they heaved a huge sigh of relief when they were nervously summoned into the pce and saw me in my usual T-shirt and jeans.

    Their curtsy wasn¡¯t standard, so I retorted, ¡°Now I know what you¡¯re doing in the etiquette course. It seems that this course is for you to earn academic credits.¡±

    Mara thought I was criticizing her, so she stood rooted to the ground, not knowing what to do.

    ¡°Girls?¡± I sighed exaggeratedly. ¡°There are only four people in the room other than you guys. Which one of them are you new to? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve decided to cut off all ties with me overnight. That¡¯ll make me sad.¡±

 Chapter 283

    283 Never Lose Contact

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°But now you¡¯re a princess, and we¡¯re just civilians,¡± Mara said uncertainly. ¡°We didn¡¯t know before, but now you¡¯re... Moon Goddess! What am I talking about?¡±

    I pulled them to the sofa and gave them a ss of cold blueberry juice each.

    ¡°Drink something to lower your temperature. You look like you¡¯re about to faint.¡±

    As for our rtionship, I¡¯d be frank.¡±There¡¯s no need to feel any burden, girls. There¡¯s no conflict between Madeline and Selma. I¡¯m not the symbol figure in the mural. I have my own life outside my duties as a Princess, including my friends. Disclosing my identity won¡¯t change our friendship. You are my precious friends, so please don¡¯t make me lose you.¡±

    Seeing their hesitant expressions, I pretended to be pitiful and said, ¡°Of course, if this makes you feel burdened, then forget it. I cherish you, but I don¡¯t want to use my power to oppress others. If our rtionship is a burden to you, I will respect your decision and promise I will never disturb you again.¡±

    Unlike her strong appearance, the soft-hearted Avril was always the first to give in. ¡°Oh,e on... you know that we also cherish you. We need some time to digest this sudden change. Now that you mention it, what should we call you? Selma? Or should I call you Madeline?¡±

    My expression immediately brightened up, and I happily said, ¡°Actually, you can call me whatever you want. Selma and Madeline are both my real names.¡±

    ¡°Selma, then,¡± the girls said. ¡°We¡¯re used to calling you that.¡±

    Mara and Avril were slightly restrained at first, but after we had some fun, as usual, they returned to being the sweet little girls I was familiar with.

    Avril was a little worried about the wedding. ¡°Can you still be my bridesmaid? I heard that there is a clear distinction between the ranks of the royal family and nobles. Nobles can¡¯t be guests such as bridesmaids or flower boys and girls formoners, not to mention that you are a Princess.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Before I¡¯m officially crowned, my status as a Princess is partially legal. It¡¯s not a problem for me to attend your wedding as a royal family member. Besides, this is my personal schedule. There won¡¯t be a bunch of reporters following me, so I can do whatever I want.¡±

    Avril and Perrin had already gotten the ¡®safe¡¯ sign from the Intelligence Agency, which meant that there would be no hidden dangers in attending their wedding. My parents would not object.

    Time passed by quickly. It was evening, and Mara and Avril were about to leave.

    Before they left, they said, ¡°I¡¯m d you still treat us as friends, Selma. To be honest, we¡¯re afraid you¡¯ll abandon this friendship. You¡¯re a precious friend; losing you will break our hearts.¡±

    I hugged them and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, girls. Didn¡¯t we agree never to lose contact? I¡¯m looking forward to seeing you old men in your seventies and eighties with a face full of wrinkles!¡±

    Under the setting sun, they waved at me and left in the car.

    ¡°Such sincere girls. I envy you, Your Highness.¡± Looking at the back of the car, Jordin was a little lost. ¡°I¡¯ve never had such a good friend. Themunication between nobles is always inevitably mixed with benefits and calctions. Any truth carries immeasurable risks.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that. You already have such a friend.¡± I patted her hand. ¡°Mara and Avril are already your good friends, aren¡¯t they? And Dorothy and I, you forgot about us? Oh, I¡¯m so sad...¡±

    Emma also pretended to sneer and said, ¡°Benefits? Schemes? I can¡¯t believe you think of me this way, Lady of Mirror Lake. Perhaps I¡¯ll have to get out of my family before I can have the honor of continuing to be your acquaintance?¡±

    Facing our ¡®questioning¡¯, Jordin was helpless and exined, ¡°What I mean is, I¡¯ve never had friends as sincere as you guys... Alright, alright, I was wrong. I didn¡¯t choose my words carefully. I beg all the warm-hearteddies to spare me, this bad person with a clumsy mouth, okay?¡±

    As weughed and joked around.

    A week before the wedding, Avril had sent an invitation, along with one for Aldrich.

    She passed the invitation to me mysteriously and asked in a low voice, ¡°That, you and general Aldrich, are you... Hmm?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I mean, are you two in a rtionship?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I was shocked. ¡°You¡¯re just saying such nonsense.¡±

    Avril stopped pretending and vowed, ¡°Don¡¯t give me that. I know that you two are hiding something from us. Even though I¡¯ve only seen Sir Aldrich a few times, the undercurrent between the two of you can¡¯t escape my eyes.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. It¡¯s all your wild guess.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just randomly guessing! Do you remember when we had a dormitory gathering, Perrin sent you and Dorothy off, and Sir Aldrich came to pick you up?¡±

    ¡°I remember, but so what?¡±

 Chapter 284

    284 Sincerity And Honesty

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that¡¯s all you did.¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯m a princess and he¡¯s a general. Isn¡¯t it normal for him to be in charge of escorting me?¡±

    ¡°Alright then,¡± said Avril, pursing her lips. ¡°Looks like we¡¯ll have to reveal something big.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°A mobile pastry cart.¡±

    ¡°What snack cart? Don¡¯t use this kind of smoke bomb to get away with it.¡±

    ¡°God, you won¡¯t shed tears until you see the coffin.¡±

    Avril was excited. It seemed like she was determined to hammer my love with Aldrich into reality. This made me regret a little. Why did I dig a hole for myself?

    I suddenly lost all thoughts of resisting. Hiding it from my friends made me feel very restless, which was also unfair to Aldrich.

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m indeed a couple with Aldrich.¡±

    Avril didn¡¯t expect me to be so honest. She didn¡¯t even think that her guess would actually be true.

    After a few seconds, she finally screamed, ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Since I had already told him everything, I decided just to go all out. ¡°Aldrich and I were together since our first year, but due to various reasons, we had to hide it.¡±

    ¡°I knew it, I should¡¯ve known. Oh my god, when Sir Aldrich came to send you to and from school, I thought it was his Majesty¡¯s order, but now it seems that it¡¯s just a little couple¡¯s fun!¡±

    ¡°Actually, back then, my parents did not know about our rtionship. They thought that it was Aldrich who was loyal to his duty.¡±

    Avril was so mesmerized by this ¡®idol drama¡¯. It was like a plot that she almost fainted. Shey on the sofa¡¯s armrest for a long time, unable to return to her senses.

    However, when she realized that no one in the room had any change in expression except for her, she immediately understood everything.

    ¡°So, I¡¯m the only one kept in the dark about this?¡±

    Before I sensed the crisis of our friendship, I firmly rejected it. ¡°No, mara doesn¡¯t know either. She¡¯s the only one who doesn¡¯t know now.¡±

    There was no need to talk about Dorothy, Jordin, and Emma, who followed me every day and had seen everything.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it, ¡± said Avril. ¡°My best friend is in love, but she hid it from me. What¡¯s more, she hid it only from me. Ha, you even said ¡®never lose contact¡¯ and ¡®look at the wrinkles of the other party¡¯, but they were all just excuses you made up to deceive me, you scum!¡±

    ¡°Mara still doesn¡¯t know.¡± I tried to put up a final struggle.

    ¡°Heavens! Poor mara! Does she know that the woman she¡¯s devoted to has found another man behind her back?¡±

    ¡°Why is it getting weirder and weirder?¡±

    In short, after some jesting, Avril ¡®forgave¡¯ me with much difficulty.

    Since it was a working day, Mara had gone to the Midnight Opera House for her internship, so she didn¡¯te with Avril.

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to tell her?¡± I asked, ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t want to keep it a secret for a long time.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± said Avril. ¡°Of course, she has to find out herself.¡±

    There was no need to be so strict.

    However, this could not be hidden for long.

    The day before the wedding, we went to Avril¡¯s bachelorette party. She only invited a few good friends, close ssmates, and colleagues, and we had a party in a bar reserved just for us.

    ¡°Now that things havee to this, I¡¯m suddenly a little scared.¡± Avril was a little drunk. She sobbed and said, ¡°Perrin is a good man. I believe we will have a happy future. However, when I thought about the sudden change in my identity starting tomorrow, I couldn¡¯t help but panic. It¡¯s apletely foreign life, and I don¡¯t know if I can adapt. ¡±

    We consoled her, and I said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You can do it. The life changes were always fast and sudden. No matter how well prepared we are, we would always have ack of confidence and panic when thingse to a head. Therefore, instead of worrying about the unknown future, letting go and enjoying life is better. Since you believe in Perrin and the future, what is there to be afraid of? Everything will have a perfect ending, so all worries are in vain. Only happiness is real.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just like that little old man from the philosophy elective ss,¡± said Avril in a low voice, almost in tears. ¡°Selma, you¡¯re right. There¡¯s nothing that can¡¯t be managed. Since I¡¯ve chosen to believe, it¡¯s time to believe truly.¡±

    After the event, we helped Avril send off the guests one after another. Then, I waited for my ¡®chauffeur¡¯ to arrive.

    Thanks to New Flow, I¡¯d drunk quite a lot of champagne on behalf of Avril. I was a little tipsy now. Seeing Aldrich leaning on the car door, I ran over and threw myself into his arms.

    ¡°Good evening, my dear!¡±

    I kissed him on the cheek and hid in his coat to protect myself from the cool summer night wind.

    Mara¡¯s jaw dropped at the bar entrance. She sobered up quickly and asked Avril for confirmation, ¡°Did they kiss? Did they just kiss?¡±

    Avril looked at her with pride and pity and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right, silly child. They¡¯ve been together for a long time. You¡¯re thest to know.¡±

 Chapter 285

    285 The Bouquet

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Two cars came to pick us up. Dorothy, Jordin, and Emma were very observant and got into the car with the chauffeur, leaving me alone as the only passenger in Aldrich¡¯s car.

    With New Flow, I couldn¡¯t stay drunk for long. I woke up after two traffic lights.

    ¡°Do you want to drink some water?¡± While waiting for the traffic light to turn green, Aldrich took out a thermos cup from the bag in the front passenger seat and handed it to me. Kara made some hangover soup. It was still warm.

    I took the soup and drank a few mouthfuls. I suddenlyughed. ¡°You¡¯re like an old father worried about his daughter.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Aldrich was stunned.

    ¡°I say, the way you brought me home and even brought me some hangover soup was really like a father who was worried that the world of sensual pleasures would deceive his daughter.¡±

    ¡°Oh,e on!¡± he said helplessly. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m that old? It¡¯s so sad.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just joking... ah, the light has turned green.¡±

    We were speechless the entire way, and an inexplicable awkwardness slowly spread.

    ¡®My god, why did I say that just now? I don¡¯t think I¡¯m fully sober yet.¡¯

    In silence, I unconsciously slowed down my breathing, closed my eyes, and leaned against the window, pretending to be asleep.

    Even though this little trick could not fool Aldrich.

    Finally, he couldn¡¯t stand the awkward atmosphere and spoke first, ¡°Are we going together tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Are we going to Avril and Perrin¡¯s wedding together? Or should we go separately?¡±

    Why did he ask that?

    It was a verymon question, but I didn¡¯t know why I was suddenly so sensitive. There was a deeper meaning behind this sentence.

    Did Aldrich not want to go with me?

    It was easy to suspect their true rtionship when young men and women appeared in pairs at a wedding banquet. Perhaps Aldrich didn¡¯t want that? Did my actions at the bar¡¯s entrance just now make him angry?

    But he often hinted he wanted to make our rtionship public. Why did he suddenly refuse?

    Was it because I¡¯d been hiding it, so he no longer had confidence in me?

    As soon as this thought surfaced, I snuffed it out. It was too stupid. We had alreadymunicated telepathically, and this random guess would only add to our problems.

    I tried to answer, ¡°Let¡¯s go together. Everyone knows about our rtionship, so there¡¯s no need to go separately on purpose.¡±

    Aldrich nodded and seemed to be relieved.

    There was another round of silence.

    I didn¡¯t know why, but I suddenly thought of the night I had a gathering with the girls. Aldrich also came to pick me up. I also pretended to be drunk, and it was also pitch ck, and we didn¡¯t speak to each other.

    No, I wasn¡¯tpletely silent. I told Aldrich, ¡°You¡¯re the person I want to hold hands with for the rest of my life.¡±

    I panicked right after I said that. I pretended to be drunk and crazy, drowsy, and not to remember this.

    However, no matter how good the pretense was, how could it deceive him? I was indeed impulsive at the time, but I couldn¡¯t lie to myself that I have any regrets. Perhaps I regretted not gathering enough courage to give my heart the final answer.

    After that, none of us mentioned what happened that night. Everything was the same as before, but something did change.

    I unconsciously became anxious about my rtionship with Aldrich and our future.

    If I were to go back to my teenage years, I would never have thought I would be so nervous about a rtionship at the age of twenty-two. When I was a teenage, I scoffed at all soft love and once firmly believed that I would never be the female lead in a soap opera who was worried about love.

    Fate loved tough at people.

    ¡®Aldrich, Aldrich, should I ask you for your final answer?¡±

    I¡¯d never been a decisive girl. In front of feelings that are softer than a sponge, all hard bravado has turned into sugar water that couldn¡¯t withstand a single blow. It was as if I had be that indecisive little girl again, standing at the fork in the road, not knowing what to do, naively looking forward to the right answer falling from the sky.

    The bustling traffic was left behind. The lights in the car were not switched on, and the darkness turned this ce into a small independent zone. The silence was the lock of this space. Only when someone gave the right answer would we be allowed to leave.

    The pce lights were approaching, and this independent world was about to copse. Should I seize this opportunity? Should I give up this opportunity? Should I say it? Or should I continue to remain silent?

    The soft moonlight illuminated half of the empty carriage. My bridesmaid¡¯s dress was lying there, and the tiny rhinestones shone under the moonlight.

    It was so beautiful.

    If it was embedded in the wedding dress, would it be even more dazzling?

    I gently caressed the soft fabric of the bridesmaid¡¯s dress as I imagined the prototype of a white dress in my mind.

    The snow-like color, the gemstones brighter than the stars, the fine muslin stacked to form the mountain peaks, and the soft flowers woven from silk ribbons.

    It was so beautiful.

    There was still onest intersection.

    This was myst chance.

    Under the gaze of the stars, I whispered, ¡°Aldrich, tomorrow is my good friend¡¯s wedding... do you think I¡¯ll be able to snatch the bouquet?¡±

 Chapter 286

    286 The Proposal

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Aldrich paused and suddenly stopped the car by the side of the road.

    I didn¡¯t expect his reaction. I asked in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did you forget something?¡±

    He didn¡¯t answer me. After a moment of silence, he suddenly got out of the car and sat in the back seat.

    ¡°My bridesmaid¡¯s dress...¡±

    I reminded him in a low voice. He picked up the bag and gently put it in the passenger¡¯s seat. Then, he looked at me without blinking as if he was going to have a long talk with me.

    Seeing Aldrich¡¯s serious expression, I couldn¡¯t help but sit up straight. It was as if a secret meeting was about to be held in the small back row, and the atmosphere was unusually stagnant.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on...?¡±

    ¡°Selma.¡± Aldrich suddenly pressed down on my shoulder. ¡°I love you.¡±

    ¡°I know that.¡± I nodded, stunned.

    ¡°I love you, I swear.¡±

    ¡°I really do know, but there¡¯s no need to say it so seriously...¡±

    ¡°So, will you marry me?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Why are you so serious-¡±

    Wait a minute.

    I suddenly realized what Aldrich had just said.

    ¡®Will you marry me?¡¯

    Wait a moment.

    Wait... wait a moment.

    ¡°Why are you suddenly saying this?¡± I was caught off guard and flustered. ¡°Are you drunk? No, I was the one who drank. Forget it. These are not important. Why are you suddenly saying this? It is too sudden. I didn¡¯t hear it clearly... I mean, I heard it, but what do you mean? Is this a joke? I...¡±

    The more I spoke, the more confused I became. Even my hands were trembling.

    Aldrich didn¡¯t let me finish. He kissed me lightly and interrupted my illogical crazy words.

    This unusually gentle kiss swept away the restless passion and frivolous love. It was a simple signal that representedfort, gentleness, and love.

    Aldrich caressed my back, gently yet firmly transmitting his love.

    Gradually, I stopped trembling and calmed down.

    After the kiss, Aldrich pressed against my forehead and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m not joking, my dear. I swear with my life that all of thises from my heart. Will you marry me?¡±

    Unknowingly, my eyes were filled with tears. Looking at his face, lit by the moonlight, my heart was filled with mixed thoughts. The answer was hanging by my mouth, but I couldn¡¯t say it no matter what.

    Yes.

    Of course, it was a yes.

    But, god, how did all of this happen?

    A sudden sense of fear broke through my line of defense. I pushed open the door and ran out of the carriage, gasping for breath on the empty road.

    ¡°Selma, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡±

    Aldrich followed behind me anxiously. Seeing my red face, he immediately wanted to call the doctor.

    ¡°No!¡± I stopped his hand from making the call. ¡°I¡¯m just... Just a little excited and a little breathless. Give me some time. I¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have proposed to you so suddenly.¡± Aldrich was like a child who had done something wrong and was at a loss. ¡°You¡¯re too nervous, this might cause hyperventtion. We have to hurry back to the pce to find a doctor.¡±

    ¡°No, no, no!¡±

    This time, I adamantly refused. A body modified by a god wasn¡¯t so weak that I would suffocate myself to death. So, this time, I willfully gave up on all those health and safety warnings.

    After I finally managed to calm my breathing, I asked Aldrich, who wanted to say something but was hesitating, ¡°What did you say? Can you repeat that?¡±

    I knew I didn¡¯t look good now. My makeup was messy, my hair was flying everywhere, my sleeveless shirt and jeans were wrinkled, and I reeked of alcohol. The moonlight caused made me embarrassed to be exposed. This was not a good time to ept the proposal.

    However, I didn¡¯t want to wait any longer. I didn¡¯t care about the flowers, balloons, ribbons, or the projector ying love documentaries.

    At this moment, the moon was the vow, the stars were the witness, the breeze was ying music, and the nts were dancing.

    Aldrich tidied his shirt that I had messed up and coughed twice. Then, he half kneeled on the ground and removed a velvet jewelry box from his arms.

    He opened the box, and inside was a ring embedded with a huge, bright diamond.

    ¡°Under the witness of the moonlight, I swear with my life that my love for you will never change, and my loyalty to you can be seen by heaven and earth.

    ¡°Your pity makes me secretly happy, and your favoritism makes me crazy.

    ¡°Selma, my lover, my goddess, my heart, and everything.

    ¡°Will you marry me?¡±

    When he said the first word, my face was already covered in tears.

    ¡°Yes, I will.¡±

    I extended my hand, and Aldrich ced the ring on my finger before giving it a light kiss.

    I pulled him up and eagerly offered him a hot kiss.

    We hugged, kissed, and whispered our love.

    Under the quiet moonlight, the ring glowed, reflecting a warm glow like the moon¡¯s halo. This light wrapped around my ring finger and then onto Aldrich¡¯s. After a few rounds, it entered my skin.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I looked at the ring in surprise.

    ...

    Aldrich held my hand and smiled. You should recognize it. This is the ¡®oath under the moon¡¯ I once made to the Moon Goddess.

 Chapter 287

    287 The Oath Stone

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°A moon oath?¡± I was shocked. ¡°How does it do that? I thought this was some invisible oath. Does the goddess give a gem to the person who made the oath as a witness?¡±

    Aldrich shook his head. ¡°Of course not. This only appeared after you reconstructed my body. I think it¡¯s because I¡¯ve be your believer that I can¡¯t ask the Moon Goddess to be my witness. However, the oath didn¡¯t dissipate. It only condensed into this diamond.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s so magical...¡±

    I looked at the diamond on the wedding ring, observing the unusual five-colored halo it refracted under the moonlight.

    After seeing this diamond, I thought it was a hint, ast gift from the goddess before she left. Recalling the past three years, Aldrich felt a little regretful. ¡°It showed my retreat and hesitation, making me understand that these three years of suffering were my punishment for not being able to express my feelings to you. That¡¯s why I set it into a ring to build up my courage, hoping I can one day put it in your hand.

    ¡°It¡¯s good that fate still takes pity on me, and you still take pity on me. The night you were drunk, you said I was the person you wanted to spend the rest of your life with. I knew that the time I was waiting for hade. However, you didn¡¯t say anything about it, as if everything was just a drunken joke. I wasn¡¯t sure again.

    ¡°I¡¯ve always had this ring on me. I want to take it out and propose to you every second I see you. But I¡¯m too timid. I¡¯m afraid that you wouldn¡¯t say yes. You wouldn¡¯t ept the shackles of marriage at such a young age. You wouldn¡¯t want to... You wouldn¡¯t want to wear my ring.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± I retorted softly. ¡°Speaking of which, I¡¯m the one who¡¯s been feeling uneasy. I thought you thought I was joking that night!¡±

    We looked at each other in shock and thenughed simultaneously.

    ¡°Well, it seems this is a misunderstanding.¡± Aldrich hugged me tightly. ¡°Fortunately, the ending is good. You epted my proposal, right? ¡±

    ¡°Of course. Look at the ring on my finger, you fool.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Selma.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Thank you for epting me. Thank you for loving me. ¡±

    ¡°... you¡¯re saying something nauseating again.¡±

    The nts in the green belt danced gently with the evening wind. They covered their eyes with new green leaves and quietly observed the engaged pair hugging in the moonlit night through the gaps between the leaves.

    Tonight¡¯s moon was like an amber candy, sprinkling the moonlight made of sugar powder on the earth, making everything sweet.

    When I returned to the pce, I couldn¡¯t wait to announce the good news to my parents.

    My mother was so happy that she abandoned a Queen¡¯s restraint and etiquette and hugged me excitedly.

    ¡°I¡¯m so happy for you, my baby!¡± She kissed my cheeks excitedly. ¡°You¡¯re about to get married and be a real adult. Oh my god!¡±

    My mother cried emotionally. My father held ger in his arms and wiped her tears of happiness.

    ¡°Congrattions, my daughter.¡± My father¡¯s calm tone also revealed an irrepressible joy. ¡°I¡¯m very happy to see your love with Aldrich bearing fruit. As parents, there¡¯s nothing happier than their children finding happiness.¡±

    He turned around and looked at Aldrich with a serious expression. ¡°Young man, can you promise that you¡¯ll always cherish and love my daughter and never let her be hurt in marriage?¡±

    Aldrich immediately puffed out his chest and raised his head, replying seriously, ¡°I will do everything in my power in exchange for Selma¡¯s happiness, I promise you, Sir.¡±

    My father gratifiedly looked at this adorable young man and said, ¡°I believe in you, child. I wish you happiness.¡±

    Regretfully, although he officially became my fianc¨¦, Aldrich still could not stay overnight in the pce. In fact, my parents did not care about these details, but he refused. ¡°From now on, I should be more responsible toward Selma and put an end to all frivolous behavior.¡±

    What nonsense was this fool talking about? Was my room the only one in the pce? There were so many rooms, but he couldn¡¯t even have a bed. It was strange for him to emphasize this.

    ¡°Perhaps we should follow the ancient tradition and not meet before marriage? ¡± I retorted.

    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t mean it that way.¡± Aldrich was a little flustered. This reliable young general could easily throw his troops into chaos when he met me.

    ¡°I was just bluffing you!¡± I kissed him on the cheek. ¡°Good night, my fianc¨¦.¡±

    In front of my parents, Aldrich was a little embarrassed, but he still hugged me. ¡°Good night, my fianc¨¦e.¡±

    I was destined to have a sleepless night. I excitedly ran to Dorothy¡¯s room; she was asleep, as expected. Jordin and Mara were there as well, showing Dorothy how to do her hair tomorrow.

    The moment I entered, I shouted excitedly, ¡°He proposed to me!¡±

    The girls were stunned by my shout and asked, ¡°Who? What?¡±

    ¡°Aldrich has proposed to me!¡± My voice could tear the ceiling apart. ¡°Tonight! Just now. Look at my finger!¡±

    I showed the big diamond ring on my hand to the girls. Three secondster, they burst into excited screams.

 Chapter 288

    288 Bay Leaf And Evening Primrose

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Jordin excitedly fanned herself to cool down the excitement. Sir Aldrich proposed to you? Goddess, what happened? Tell us!¡±

    I briefly exined the proposal to the girls and showed off the sparkling ring on my hand. A diamond formed by an oath under the moon. This was more precious than any precious gem in the world!

    The girls screamed again, and Emma almost fainted. ¡°I can¡¯t believe there¡¯s such a romantic thing in the world. Oh my god, doesn¡¯t this mean this is the Moon Goddess¡¯ wedding gift to you?¡±

    I didn¡¯t think of that, but it made me even happier.

    We gathered on Dorothy¡¯s small bed and chatted until the wee hours before falling asleep, so much so that we almost couldn¡¯t get up the next day.

    ¡°My deardies, it¡¯s already six o¡¯clock.¡± Kara gently knocked on the door. ¡°If I remember correctly, you need to attend the wedding as bridesmaids today, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right... ¡± I sat in a daze but fell back onto the pillow a secondter. ¡°Five minutes more, just five minutes... ¡±

    Kara sighed helplessly. ¡°This is already the seventh ¡®five minutes¡¯. We agreed to wake up at 5:30.¡±

    As the bridesmaids, we had to apany Avril to dress up early in the morning, so we set the rm for 5:30. We were already half an hourte. We could not dy any longer.

    Thus, we dragged our tired bodies to wash up, had a simple breakfast, and set off with the grand team of makeup artists.

    That was right. I was the one who¡¯s providing the style for this wedding. As a best friend, I had to make sure my girl married beautifully and gloriously. The skillful hands of the royal stylist would make Avril the most beautiful bride in the world.

    We arrived at the wedding venue at seven o¡¯clock-a moonlit church with a widewn.

    Avril was already waiting in the preparation room. I had to say that even without makeup, she was dazzling enough in her wedding dress.

    ¡°Good morning, Avril,¡± we greeted her affectionately. ¡°How do you feel? Are you nervous?¡±

    Avril clutched the white veil tightly. ¡°To be honest, a little... Or rather, very much. I¡¯ve been revising my oath sincest night, but I¡¯m still afraid I¡¯ll forget it.¡±

    ¡°There will be a priest who will say it on your behalf. You don¡¯t have to memorize it.¡±

    ¡°I know, but I just want to carry it.¡± She smiled sweetly. ¡°I want to say it in my heart when the priest recites the oath.¡±

    We looked at each other and smiled.

    It was said that the human tradition was to get married in the day, and then the rtives and friends would celebrate at the banquet. The werewolf¡¯s custom was the exact opposite. The rtives and friends of the bride and groom would hold a celebration during the day to pray for the new people, and at night, the marriage would be officially concluded under the witness of the moon.

    However, we still woke up early in the morning to prepare. Dressing up as a newbie was an important task, and there were still a few rituals to be carried out in the middle.

    ording to tradition, we, the bridesmaids, would deliver the wolf tooth nes personally made by the bride to the groom as messengers. Then, we would return to the bride¡¯s side and wait for the groomsmen to help the groom deliver the bay leaf tree he cultivated.

    The bay leaves would be the most beautiful decoration on the bride¡¯s bun.

    Looking at the small, healthy bay leaf tree in the pot, Avril couldn¡¯t help but cry. ¡°Oh my god, I¡¯m getting married. All of this is like a dream.¡±

    ¡°This is a beautiful dream, and it has alreadye true.¡±

    We hurriedly wiped her tears to prevent her makeup from being ruined.

    The couple¡¯s parents would give them their blessings in the second ceremony.

    Avril¡¯s parents gave their daughter a bunch of good wishes and even cried tears of joy. Infected by this heartwarming separation, we also couldn¡¯t hold back our tears and let them wash away our foundation and blush.

    When Avril¡¯s parents went to look for Perrin, Perrin¡¯s parents came to Avril¡¯s side.

    ¡°I wish you all the best, my dear children.¡± Perrin¡¯s father said, ¡°May you be happy and peaceful forever from the blessing of the Moon Goddess.¡±

    Perrin¡¯s mother was more emotional. She pulled Avril close and cried again.

    After the makeup artist fixed our makeup, the third ceremony came.

    ording to tradition, the bride and groom were not allowed to appear in front of the guests before night fell, which meant that the food at the celebration had nothing to do with them. During lunch, the bride and groom would send their best men and bridesmaids to deliver the cold food they had prepared in advance.

    Although this tradition derived from the rule that men and women were not allowed to meet before marriage in feudal times, it had long since faded from inflexibility in the evolution of history and be a fun way for young couples to pass on their feelings.

    No one else was allowed to open the lunch box besides the groom. We were excited and curious as we handed the lunch box to Perrin and immediately urged him to open it.

    Perrinughed helplessly as we kept urging him. He opened the lunchbox gently. There was a small bouquet of sweet and beautiful evening primrose next to the sd and sandwich.

    ¡°Oh ...¡±

    The girls cheered!

    Perrin¡¯s ears turned red from embarrassment, but he carefully put the small bunch of evening primrose in his chest flower.

 Chapter 289

    289 Imagination

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    When we returned to Avril¡¯s side, the lunchbox on the table was still unopened.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you open it?¡±

    ¡°I... I¡¯m nervous!¡±

    We didn¡¯t know how to react, but we encouraged Avril to gather her courage. She had to eat lunch. It would be bad if she fainted from hunger during the midnight ceremony!

    After taking a few deep breaths, Avril opened the lid with a slight tremble.

    A small iron box was in the corner of the exquisitely arranged food. Opening it, there was a ck bracelet shining with a subtle luster.

    Avril covered his mouth as if she was about to cry again.

    Every werewolf had heard such a bedtime story when they were young:

    Long ago, the Moon Goddess sent a valkyrie to the mortal world to find her lost spear. This spear had been picked up by a young man who lived in the depths of the forest and used it as the pir of his house.

    To retrieve the spear, the valkyrie changed into a young girl, a woman, and an old woman to approach the young man.

    But she didn¡¯t know that this young man raised by nature had the world¡¯s clearest vision. He had long seen through the valkyrie¡¯s disguise and rejected her time and time again to see the valkyrie again ¨C he had fallen in love with her.

    For the fourth time, the valkyrie, who had seen through the young man, returned to her original appearance and, in a feat of anger, killed the man who dared to deceive her. The young man¡¯s hot blood sshed into the valkyrie¡¯s eyes, and she saw through his heart.

    The valkyrie held the dying young man in her arms and begged the Moon Goddess for help. The goddess turned the spear into a ck wolf so the young man¡¯s soul could live in the wolf¡¯s body.

    At the end of his life, the young man weaved his hair into a bracelet and gave it to the valkyrie. He swore to be the ve of the bracelet and that he would try to return to the valkyrie¡¯s side no matter how many times he reincarnated.

    Due to this legend, the wristbands that werewolves weaved with their hair became a love token. It represented an indomitable love and a promise that would never disappear. The valkyrie and the ck wolf would punish anyone who went back on their promise.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect...¡± Avril broke down in tears again. This time, no one reminded her about her makeup. We were doing no better than her.

    Looking at Avril¡¯s happy crying face, I was happy for her, but at the same time, I couldn¡¯t help but fantasize: When I marry Aldrich, what kind of token would he give me? Would it be more touching that evening primroses? Would it be more sensual than the bracelet? What should I give him? Would heugh at me for being childish? Or would he happily ept my kind intentions?

    The fragrance of the bay leaf tree wafted from the potted nt and drifted into my fantasy, spraying ayer of sweetness on everything.

    As the best men and bridesmaids, we had to dance for the guests in ce of the ¡®shy¡¯ bride and groom. In ancient times, this tradition was somewhat simr to blind dates, so traditional social dances had a bit of a charm. But times were different now. We were all young people who didn¡¯t like to follow traditions. Passionate rock music and cheerful dance steps were our favorites.

    The rigid rules of pairing in pairs were thrown to the back of our minds. We freely pulled the guests we were familiar with into the dance floor with us, and most of them happily epted the invitation.

    My dance partner was naturally Aldrich. The elegant spiral dance steps were no longer rigid under the transformation of rock and roll, allowing any sweet casualness to flow.

    As weughed and yed around, the young guests joined us spontaneously while the older guests indulged in our youthful and yful antics. I saw Avril sticking her head out of the stained ss window of the bride¡¯s lounge, excitedly drumming for us. Perrin peeked from the opposite window and looked at the entranced Avril with a loving smile.

    The bride and groom had seen each other before the wedding. What should they do?

    What should they do? I didn¡¯t think the goddess would deprive them of their right to happiness because of such a cute mistake, right?

    After the dance, we returned to Avril¡¯s side amidst the guests¡¯ cheers.

    Aldrich reluctantly held my hand and whispered, ¡°Have you had lunch? Are you hungry? The bridesmaids have to keep the bridepany, so you won¡¯t be able to eat anything at the party. Do you want me to get someone to send you some food secretly?¡±

    ¡°The newbies¡¯ parents have prepared some delicious food for us.¡±

    I patted his hand to convince him not to worry. I turned around and caught up with the girls¡¯ light footsteps.

    In the lounge, Avril was humming a song while bobbing her head. She wished she could dance on stage.

    ¡°This is my favorite song! Mara even adapted it into an opera when she was in the opera club, and it was broadcast on the first day of the performance!¡±

    We looked at the top student of the Midnight Opera House in surprise. Mara waved her hand shyly and said, ¡°It was just a small test, and it was not a TV broadcast. It¡¯s just that the media came to interview the school that day and took some footage at the school.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s still very impressive.¡± We gave her a round of apuse.

    The sun set amidst theughter of the people, and the moon hung high in the sky.

    Finally, it was time for the ceremony.

 Chapter 290

    290 Catching The Bouquet

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The moonlight shone upon Avril¡¯s beautiful face, making her look like an angel sculpted out of white clouds by the God of Forging.

    I held the bright flowers and helped her hold her wedding dress from behind. I asked softly, ¡°Are you still nervous?¡±

    ¡°At a time like this, it¡¯s very calm,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ve already been nervous about what I should be during the day. Now, I can only feel joy and happiness.¡±

    The girls cheered.

    Avril¡¯s parents came to lead their daughter into the venue. Seeing her daughter¡¯s unconcealed joy, Avril¡¯s mother choked and said, ¡°In my impression, you¡¯re still a little girl. In the blink of an eye, you¡¯ll get married.¡±

    ¡°Mommy...¡± Avril¡¯s eyes reddened.

    ¡°Alright, the ceremony is about to begin. Don¡¯t ruin your makeup with your tears.¡± Avril¡¯s father tried to stop his daughter from crying, even though he had tears in his eyes.

    After sorting out her emotions, Avril held the flowers in her hands and said firmly, ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± she said.

    Through the thorny and vine-woven flower gate, across the path paved with countless petals, under the guidance of the moonlight, the elegant bride slowly walked toward her lover on the stage. The moon halo covered her with a hazy veil, the bay leaf exuded a soft fragrance, and the gorgeous skirt glistened. All the factors spared no effort to entuate the bride¡¯s beauty.

    The moment he turned around, Perrin was stunned. He couldn¡¯t react until Avril was in front of him.

    ¡°... you¡¯re so beautiful.¡± He looked silly when he opened spoke as he stared at her, but it also contained a shining love.

    The newbies stood still, and the priest went on stage.

    ¡°We¡¯ve gathered here tonight to witness a couple make an eternal vow under the moon.¡±

    ¡°Perrin Marshall, in good or bad, rich or poor, healthy or sick, happy or sad, will you love thedy beside you forever and loyally? Swear your loyalty to the moon and promise it will never change until the end?¡±

    Perrin held Avril¡¯s hand tightly and said, ¡°I do.¡±

    Avril Carvallo, in good or bad, rich or poor, healthy or sick, happy or sad, will you love the gentleman beside you loyally and unwaveringly forever? Swear to the moon your loyalty and promise that it will never change until the end?¡±

    Looking into Perrin¡¯s eyes, Avril said, ¡°I do.¡±

    ¡°Does anyone present have any objections to this sacred marriage?¡±

    Of course not.

    The priest sprinkled holy water that reflected the moonlight on the newlyweds and announced loudly, ¡°In the name of the Moon Goddess, I hereby announce that you are officially husband and wife! Now, please put the ring on her.¡±

    A cute flower girl came on stage with a soft cushion. Two in brass ringsy in the middle of the dark blue velvet.

    After putting the rings on each other, before the priest could say anything, the newlyweds hugged each other intimately and kissed each other passionately to dere their love to the crowd.

    The elderly priest smiled in a tolerant manner.

    After the ceremony, the night party began.

    The bride had been eyeing the stage for a long time and pulled the groom to perform the first opening dance. Halfway through the dance, the eager best men and bridesmaids came onto the stage, and then the dance went out of control. There was music and dance everywhere, as well as cheers andughter. The newlyweds were glued to each other, the guests apuded, and even the old priest hummed lively music.

    I pulled Aldrich to dance one round after another. At first, the girls wanted to pull me away to have fun, butter, perhaps they saw that there was no room for a ¡®third party¡¯ between us, they left me and ran to the dining table to eat cupcakes.

    ¡°Are you tired?¡± Wiping away the sweat on my forehead, Aldrich brought me to the soft rhythm of the music. ¡°You¡¯ve been busy all day. You should take a good rest.¡±

    I panted lightly, but I felt so excited. ¡°I¡¯m not tired at all. I love weddings so much. I¡¯ll never feel tired in a ce I like.¡±

    ¡°Do you like this kind of wedding?¡±

    ¡°Of course! Everyone is chatting,ughing, ying, and being so cozy!¡±

    However, even if I liked it, I knew that my wedding was destined to be unable to be so full of excitement. The royal wedding was a grand event for all the people in the country. This meant that I would receive thousands more blessings, but I also had to pay a certain price. For example, I had to be reserved and polite in front of the camera. I would never be able to ¡®disobey the rules¡¯ like Avril and hold his lover like that.

    After an unknown time, the girls pulled me out of the sweet barrier and said, ¡°Hurry! She¡¯s going to throw the bouquet!¡±

    Avril was already standing on the stage, with many young men and women behind her, hoping the bouquet representing happiness would fall into their arms.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to throw it! Three, two, one!¡± Avril counted down quickly.

    The colorful bouquet formed a beautiful arch in the air, and then-

    It fell into my arms!

    The girls screamed in excitement. They looked at me and then at Aldrich. They were so excited that they almost fainted.

    I was so stunned that I didn¡¯t even have time to react.

    Until Aldrich hugged my waist and whispered, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Aren¡¯t you happy that you¡¯re holding the bouquet?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m happy, ¡± Iughed. Of course, I am!

    ¡°I can¡¯t be happier!¡±

 Chapter 291

    291 The Night Run

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    After the bride and groom were led into the new house, my duty ended.

    The new couple¡¯s parents sent the concierges off one by one. When it was my turn, they said gratefully, ¡± Thank you foring to this wedding, Your Highness. If there¡¯s anything unsatisfactory, please tell us.¡±

    ¡°Everything is fine.¡± Iforted the two nervous parents. ¡°Avril is my good friend. Perrin is also a good guy. It¡¯s my honor to be their honored guest.¡±

    After my identity was exposed, I often received an attitude of fear and respect from my old friends. If I was disappointed and lost before, I was used to it now.

    The Lycan Pack in the early morning was like a jigsaw puzzle, a busy ce was joined by a quiet night, and a brightly lit ce was joined by a dark alley. The car window was the screen that showed everything, ying colorful pictures for the people in the car.

    I was suddenly interested in the light and shadow under the streetmps. I counted the balls of light that I passed by, but I kept getting dizzy. After counting thirty to fifty, I had to start again.

    Aldrich quietly drove the car, and none of us spoke. The atmosphere was very quiet for a while. But this time, it wasn¡¯t as awkward as before. For two people with the same mind, words didn¡¯t mean everything.

    The early morning breeze gently lifted the hair falling on my temples, making my ears itch.

    I removed my hair bun and pulled it back into a loose bun.

    Aldrich didn¡¯t look at me, but I knew he was smiling.

    Looking at the seemingly endless lights, I softly said, ¡°... when do you think we should hold our wedding?¡±

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Aldrich asked back.

    ¡°If I could choose, I hope it would be tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°I, too, think tomorrow is the best, but His Majesty will not agree,¡± he said,ughing.

    ¡°I know, I was just joking.¡±

    ¡°Other than tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°The day after tomorrow is fine too.¡±

    ¡°The day after tomorrow, His Majesty will be angry too.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. We¡¯re the ones getting married anyway.¡±

    ¡°Ohoho! Has our twenty-year-old Princess entered herte rebellious phase? This is not good.¡±

    ¡°If the day after tomorrow is no good either, then we can do the day after tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m not afraid. But you don¡¯t want to be out of your father¡¯s, do you?¡±

    ¡°My parents would never do that. They would support all my decisions.¡±

    ¡°I agree with the former, but I think thetter is open to discussion.¡±

    ¡°This won¡¯t do, that won¡¯t do. When do you think is the best time?¡±

    ¡°I think now is the best time.¡±

    I pped him andughed, ¡°Be serious!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m being serious, the serious words in my heart.¡± Aldrich shrugged. ¡°God knows how much I want to drag you to the church to get married right now.¡±

    I chuckled and said, ¡°That won¡¯t do. Didn¡¯t you see? Earlier, the priest left halfway through the wedding. I think the old man is sleeping soundly now.¡±

    ¡°We can wake him up or perform the ritual in his bedroom. That way, he can go back to sleep immediately after he finishes the ritual.¡±

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem right.¡±

    ¡°So what should we do? Not today, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, not even the day after tomorrow. The longer I wait, the more I miss you. If I wait any longer, I¡¯m going to die.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps we have other solutions.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    I whispered in Aldrich¡¯s ear, ¡°Let¡¯s elope!¡±

    Riding on the moonlight, riding on the evening wind, riding on the lights of thousands of houses. We could drive the car into the sky and let the midnight raven lead the way. We could ask the lingering white clouds to guide us when the day broke.

    We crossed the stars, the sun, and the circling eagles and petrels until we touched the cool moonlight and stood in the bustling courtyard of the Moon Pce.

    The valkyrie would guide us, and the servants would wash away the dust. We came to the Moon Goddess like naked babies, begging for her forgiveness, blessing, and love.

    The goddess dipped bay leaves in the moonlight to bless us and then weaved a gauze cloak with the moonlight to cover us. She would use her majestic yet gentle voice to make an oath for us and then carve the Eternal Oath on the floor tiles of the courtyard.

    From now on, we¡¯d be eternal lovers. The moon was our witness, and time was our escort. Even if the physical body died or the soul reincarnated, the meaningful oath would forever be engraved in the deepest part of our true self. In the future, meeting in the middle of a sea of people would begin another journey.

    Right now, right this second.

    While the moon was still there, while the stars were still there.

    ¡®My lover, are you willing to elope with me?¡¯

    My wedding with Aldrich had been brought forward.

    ording to tradition ¨C why were there so many traditions recently ¨C the marriage of a prince or princess would take at least half a year to prepare. In history, many people took three to five years to be officially married couples from an engaged couple. However, when it came to me, I wasn¡¯t so particr. As a Princess who had ¡®wandered among themon folk¡¯ for more than ten years, my life had nothing to do with tradition.

 Chapter 292

    292 Good Things Come In Pairs

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    So, I suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t we set it for August? It can also be held with my coronation ceremony, wearing a crown in the day and a wedding dress at night. How perfect!¡±

    Actually, I was joking, but I didn¡¯t expect my parents to agree so readily. They didn¡¯t think it was a joke at all.

    ¡°To be crowned as the heir under the sun and to be the bride under the moonlight. Oh my god, this is so romantic.¡± My mother clutched her chest, her face red. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to be seated in the front row of the audience!¡±

    My father actually allowed my mother to ¡®let her imagination run wild¡¯, not echoing his opinion.

    ¡°Wait,¡± I stopped them immediately. ¡°Wait, I was just joking.

    ¡°I know, but that doesn¡¯t stop it from being a great idea, does it?¡± my mother said.

    Of course not!

    ¡°But there¡¯s only one month until your coronation ceremony in August!¡±

    ¡°So what?¡±

    ¡°A month is not enough to prepare anything! Didn¡¯t you say that the gowns and decorations would take at least half a year to be ordered?¡±

    My mother had a ¡®how could my daughter be so ignorant and so sad¡¯ expression on her face. ¡°Half a year is just for show, just like those gorgeous dresses and luxurious decorations, they are just tools to highlight the identity of the royal family. If there are at least five experienced designers and twenty skilled tailors in charge of a piece of clothing, it can bepleted in three hours, let alone thirty days.¡±

    It was interesting that I still feel like a country bumpkin in my fifth year as a Princess.

    In short, my parents invited Duke Frank and Aldrich into the pce at lightning speed. I was just speaking to Aldrich, and the next thing I knew, the father and son were already at the door.

    Looking at the joyous and harmonious atmosphere between the elders, Aldrich and I whispered to each other, ¡°It¡¯s over. They¡¯re satisfied with this proposal.¡±

    ¡°To be honest, although I want to walk into the wedding hall with you right now, my dear, I don¡¯t want you to have any regrets at the wedding.¡±

    Looking at his bitter expression, I knew we were on the same side.

    However, resistance was insignificant in front of the elders. Ten minutester, before Aldrich and I could catch up to their thoughts, the matter was settled.

    I felt a little helpless. ¡°It¡¯s us getting married¡±

    My father only looked at me with an unfathomable expression. My mother said, ¡°So you don¡¯t want to?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t want what?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to get married to Aldrich as soon as possible?¡±

    ¡°Of course... I want to.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this good enough?¡± My mother smiled. ¡°You¡¯re a child with your own opinions. If you didn¡¯t want to, you would have opposed it strongly.¡±

    At this moment, I finally understood why my father¡¯s expression was so profound. It turned out that they had seen through my ns even earlier than I had.

    I subconsciously looked at Aldrich and found that he was also smiling.

    ¡°Do you want it?¡± he asked.

    I was a little embarrassed in front of the elders, but I still held his hand and nodded vigorously.

    On the 20th of July, the royal family issued an announcement that caused a great stir in the entire werewolf race.

    First, the royal family would hold the official coronation ceremony of Princess Madeline on August 31st.

    Secondly, on August 31st, the royal family would hold the wedding of Princess Madeline and Sir Aldrich.

    These two announcements were quickly passed to every werewolf¡¯s ears with the summer wind. While the people cheered for the official heir of the royal family, they were also puzzled. Princess Madeline and Sir Aldrich... when did this happen?

    However, the outside world¡¯s spections no longer had anything to do with me. As the female lead of the coronation ceremony and wedding, I was caught up in endless choices and rehearsals.

    From the smallest button on the gown to the concierge¡¯s arrangements, I had to decide and give the nod. At first, I thought it was quite interesting, but after signing more than 300 invitations in a row, my only wish was to run to my father¡¯s study to deal with those troublesome documents that were not friendly to my eyes.

    As my femalepanions, Jordin and Emma faithfully carried out one of their duties ¨C to be my personal assistants.

    ¡°At 9 a.m., your designer will send you thetest revised version of the coronation dress,¡± Emma carefully checked the schedule. ¡°At 9:30 a.m., the Antique Chamber of Commerce will bring the vase style you asked for, and then at 10:15 a.m. ...¡±

    ¡°Stop, stop, stop!¡± I broke down and stopped her. ¡°That¡¯s enough, that¡¯s enough. Kara has already nagged me three timesst night. I will remember it. Really.¡±

    Jordin shrugged helplessly. I know your ears are getting calluses from listening to it, but there¡¯s no other way. The schedule is constantly changing, and we must read it to you every time it¡¯s changed.¡±

    I was puzzled. ¡°Why do I have to decide on such small details as buttons? Can¡¯t the designer draw up a draft for me to see?¡±

    Without waiting for them to reply, I broke down and answered my question, ¡°I understand, I get it. It¡¯s a tradition that the princess has to take care of everything personally. I¡¯m grateful to my extravagant ancient ancestors for giving me this kind of tradition. I would have liked this kind of life 300 years back.¡±

 Chapter 293

    293 Token Selection

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The coronation ceremony was arranged to be held in the Moon Pce, and so was the wedding. The wedding was originally nned to be held in the pce, but because the pce¡¯s interiors needed to be kept a secret, it was moved to the Moon Pce.

    Hundreds of invitations I signed had been sent to various ces, and each pack would send a representative to attend the ceremony.

    This meant that the Shadow Pack would also send people over.

    I¡¯d already memorized the current Alpha of each pack, and I¡¯d also heard about Benson inheriting the Shadow Pack. As an Alpha, he would likelye to the ceremony in person.

    I thought I would have some resistance to this, but to my surprise, I didn¡¯t have any reaction when I thought of Benson after so many years. Be it the violent rejections, the cold river water, or the ashen heart, they all disappeared with time.

    If I saw him again, what would I say?

    I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d say anything because there was nothing to say.

    The people around me vaguely knew that I had been hurt in the pack that adopted me, but I didn¡¯t tell them in detail, so everyone pretended not to know and didn¡¯t ask me anything.

    The rehearsals were arranged frequently, and any minor changes would require Aldrich and me to rehearse. We spent the entire morning or afternoon at the Moon Pce every day. Sometimes, I really wanted to move all the furniture to the Moon Pce.

    As my bridesmaids, Dorothy, Jordin, and Emma were even more annoyed than I was. After all, I could asionally use work as an excuse to escape these boring procedures, but they couldn¡¯t. When necessary, the girls would take my ce as the bride and informed me of the changes when they came back.

    Finally, one day, Dorothy broke down. ¡°Who¡¯s getting married? Shouldn¡¯t the bridesmaid just hold the bride¡¯s dress, scatter the flowers, and then stand on the stage as decoration? Why do I feel like we¡¯re even more exhausted than you, the real bride?¡±

    Jordin, who had been a marite for the whole day, said bluntly, ¡°I¡¯ve never been so envious of Avril and Mara. All they have to do on their wedding days is dress up and cheer on the stage. They don¡¯t have to do anything.¡±

    Avril was married and could no longer be the maid of honor. Mara was amoner, so she couldn¡¯t be my maid of honor. Therefore, the two girls only needed to sit in the VIP seats on the wedding day and watch the show.

    We talked about everything for a while, and the topic came to the token hidden in the lunch box on the wedding day.

    I felt it was very romantic to give each other the evening primroses and bracelets like Avril and Perrin did, but this was a routine I had just seen. I liked it but didn¡¯t want to do the clich¨¦.

    It was fine if I used some other legends about the symbol of love, but given my ¡®former heretic god¡¯ identity, it was not appropriate to keep trying to gain nothing from the anecdotes of the Moon Goddess.

    In fact, Aldrich and I had already exchanged tokens that belonged only to us. I embedded a ck opal condensed from the goddess¡¯ blessing in his chest, and he put the ring transformed from the Moon Oath on me.

    What could be more precious and sincere than these?

    However, giving each other gifts in a lunchbox was an ancient tradition that had existed for thousands of years. I didn¡¯t want to be half-hearted, so the girls helped me develop an idea.

    ¡°How about a hand-embroidered towel with the flower patterns of osmanthus?¡± Emma suggested, ¡°It¡¯s very popr for young noblemen and women to give each other this recently. It¡¯s said to be the revival of the traditional love token.¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s good. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t know how to embroider at all. It¡¯s not good to have human hands in this.¡±

    Jordin said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you write a love poem? You can hide it in your ne or write it on the back of your photo.¡±

    I shook my head again. ¡°I haven¡¯t had any talent in literature since I was young. I really can¡¯t read and write.

    The girls¡¯ ideas from noble families were ssical, but Dorothy¡¯s ideas were much more ¡®modern¡¯.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just dress up as a bridesmaid and deliver the lunchboxes yourself?¡± She said, ¡°What can make Aldrich like you more than yourself?¡±

    This sounded like an outrageous idea, but after carefully thinking about it, it seemed feasible.

    Why did I have to limit my thinking to a specific thing? What was important was to convey my thoughts, not something else. Since that was the case, couldn¡¯t I express it personally?

    I cheered, picked Dorothy up, and spun her around twice. ¡°You¡¯re a genius! I love you so much!¡±

    Dorothy fell on the sofa in a daze and mumbled, ¡°Thank you, but considering that you¡¯re about to get married, I¡¯m sorry to reject your kind intentions.¡±

    So, we secretly called the tailor, asked him to make a bridesmaid¡¯s dress in my size, and kept it a secret.

    As expected of the veterans who had served the royal family for generations, they didn¡¯t even ask a single question about my request. Three dayster, they sent my secret bridesmaid dress mixed with the girls¡¯ bridesmaid dress.

    The royal family¡¯s bridesmaids definitely couldn¡¯t be as simple as themon people¡¯s. Although we all preferred the current trend of simplicity, we must consider the royal family¡¯s reputation, no?

 Chapter 294

    294 The Silver Moon Pack

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Looking at theyers ofce edges and soft muslin on the bridesmaid¡¯s dress, as well as therge gems embedded in the cuffs and neckline, I took a deep breath. I began to silently calcte how much financial pressure these once-worn clothes would bring to the royal family.

    Please don¡¯tugh at me for being so calctive. Only the head of the household indeed knew how expensive daily necessities were. I¡¯d already begun to learn how to deal with the royal family¡¯s finances from my mother. Looking at the ount books daily, I almost feel that money was not money but white paper.

    Being a Princess of my royal parents and being a Princess of the werewolf pack were twopletely different experiences. This mental exhaustion was ten thousand times more tiring than facing Azazel. When I thought about how I¡¯d have to deal with endless government affairs every day for decades, I felt that I should find a ce deep in the mountains and live in seclusion until I die.

    These were all jokes.

    Standing in front of the mirror in the same bridesmaid dress, I suddenly felt like I wasn¡¯t the bride but was going to a friend¡¯s wedding.

    At this moment, I suddenly understood Avril¡¯s mncholy before her marriage. Everything had changed too quickly. One ceremony, one night, and everything had changed.

    Lovers had be husband and wife. Although love had not changed, only love had not changed. Marriage brought not only sweetness but also responsibility. Once you decided to stay by your side from now on, the world would instantly change its expectations of you. So many good couples had be resentful of each other, but how much of it was because reality and fantasy were so different?

    What was mybel for Aldrich? My lover, my partner, my boyfriend, and my fianc¨¦. However, the word ¡®husband¡¯ waspletely different from the previousbels. The weight was thousands of times heavier than all the otherbelsbined. It represented a formal contract, a serious rtionship that could no longer be viewed as a joke. Every step that he took with him would determine the future.

    Marriage... Could I really get used to it?

    It was soon the end of August, and only a few days were left before my coronation and wedding.

    The emissaries of various packs have arrived one after another. Besides preparing for the ceremony these few days, I followed my parents to meet the important guests. Other than the southern Duke and Carolyn, I didn¡¯t know anyone else. Before every meeting, Kara would bug me with the guests¡¯ basic information.

    As the left-hand President, Arkadius would have to apany us to more important meetings. As my father¡¯s trusted aide, his authority in the Council of Elders was greater than the fence-sitting right-hand President. He also had a widerwork in the various packs. Under his lead, I quickly learned about the various packs.

    A few of the Alpha left a deep impression on me. For example, the leader of the Silver Moon Pack. He was a talkative middle-aged man. People¡¯s first impression of him might be that he was tactful. However, when you had a deep conversation with him, you would find that this was only a superficial understanding. He was an Alpha with great wisdom, and tactfulness was just another wisdom honed by time.

    Francis Quinn was about the same age as my father, and the way he looked at me was inevitably a little tolerant and gentle, like an elder to a younger generation. In front of me, he didn¡¯t maintain a respectful distance like other Alpha; instead, he could freely talk to me about the Silver Moon Pack, which doubled my good impression of him.

    ¡°Please forgive me for my recklessness, Your Majesty, Your Highness,¡± he said with a slight sigh. ¡°I have a daughter about the same age as the Princess. She married into the Shadow Pack a few years ago. I was reminded of my daughter when I saw the Princess, so I was a little naggy. Please forgive me.¡±

    I smiled and nodded, saying, ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so formal, Sir. On the contrary, the conversation with you made me feel very gratified, and I don¡¯t feel bored at all.¡±

    However, Francis¡¯ daughter was married to a Shadow Pack member. I didn¡¯t expect to hear about this here. It was a little unexpected.

    The meeting time ended, and Francis said goodbye to us. Although I was a little curious about his daughter, I couldn¡¯t force that topic on him out of courtesy.

    The Silver Moon Pack was considered one of the more powerful packs of the werewolves. Although the Shadow Pack was also a wealthy pack, the difference between the Silver Moon Pack and the Shadow Pack was like the difference between a second-tier city and a super-first-rate international city.

    The two packs were not close to each other. Francis must have found his mate there since he agreed to let his daughter marry into the Shadow Pack.

    Who could it be?

    Ipared the candidates in my mind and found that they were most likely my brother, Rhode, and Benson¡¯s head guard, Daniel.

    After thinking about it for a long time, Iughed at my own unruly thoughts. What did it matter who it was? Anyway, it had nothing to do with me.

    Soon, it was the day before the ceremony.

    The pce was now like aplicated and precise instrument, with countless joints operating orderly. Everyone maintained their high spirits and was full of physical strength, sparing no effort in the final preparations for tomorrow.

    As the person in the spotlight, I finally had some free time. My only task for the past few days was to receive all sorts of care and maintenance. I would go through the schedule twice when I had nothing to do. It could be said that it was good after all the hard work.

    As for secretly video-calling Aldrich, it was the 21st century, and some old rules didn¡¯t have to be followed so strictly, right?

 Chapter 295

    295 Travelling

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    August 31st, 4 am.

    Under Kara¡¯s constant calling, I woke up with my bird¡¯s nest-like hair.

    ¡°Your beautician will be here in fifteen minutes.¡± Kara pushed me into the bathroom and said, ¡°Your stylist will dress you up in an hour. If you still want breakfast, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to wash up quickly.¡±

    It was rare for me to wake up so early. Everyone in the pce had woken up very early today, and I was probably thest to open my eyes.

    In the living room, the girls in gowns were already ready. In addition to being my bridesmaids, they also needed to be my concierges during the ceremony. The guest list was half a piece of A4 paper; most of them were selected because of their identities. Only Dorothy, Emma, and Jordin were my trusted aides, so they naturally took on holding my hands.

    Sitting on the soft sofa, I almost fell asleep with a pillow. ¡°The ceremony will only start at ten o¡¯clock. Why are we up so early?¡±

    Dorothy clutched the crystal ornament on her cor, still feeling a lingering fear of what she had gone through after waking up. ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure about other things, but I think it will take you an hour to wear the dress, considering that it is ten thousand times moreplicated than ours.¡±

    All in all, the difficult struggle from then to now was forgotten. At seven o¡¯clock, I had be a beautiful girl with a radiant face in the mirror.

    ¡°The carriage is ready,¡± Kara reported. ¡°His Majesty has ordered us to set off in ten minutes.¡±

    I took a deep breath and said to the girls, ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s my time.¡±

    Inevitably, arge number of media members gathered at the entrance of the pce. They came from the top mediapanies of various packs. They carried their long-shot lenses and short ones, hoping to capture first-hand information about the coronation ceremony. It would be even better if they could capture some breaking news about the royal family.

    However, no one would give those with ill intentions this chance.

    Today, I¡¯d be taking the carriage ording to tradition. As the main character of the ceremony, I¡¯d be taking the carriage myself. It would be a lie to say that I wasn¡¯t nervous since it was my first time facing the people alone without the presence of my parents. Fortunately, I¡¯d already gone through countless rehearsals before this, so I¡¯d memorized the rules of how to deal with unexpected situations and act in a routine manner.

    The people on both sides of the road cheered and raised banners and signs with my face on them. This was a wonderful experience. Seeing someone who didn¡¯t know they supported and admired me so much, I felt touched, and my nose couldn¡¯t help but sting.

    Although I knew they didn¡¯t know me and were doing this out of love for my father, that didn¡¯t stop me from thanking the people for their support.

    Without the first eighteen years of life as a Princess, there were still doubts and dissatisfaction about my identity in the imperial court. Even I asionally thought about my true identity. In the dead of night, the melodramatic plots of the soap operas I¡¯d watched in the past would automatically y out in my mind. Even though I knew I was my parents¡¯ child, I couldn¡¯t avoid this worry.

    Only today, when I saw the cheering citizens and felt the overwhelming wee and support, the shadow of uneasiness in my heart was finally dispelled.

    I didn¡¯t have to worry about those illusory concerns. From now on, I should think about how to be a good Crown Princess, train my abilities, and live up to the people¡¯s expectations of me.

    I sat up straight and waved at the cheering crowd.

    I saw a cute little girl sitting on my father¡¯s shoulder, waving her chubby little hands and smiling at me with an innocent and bright smile.

    I returned her smile and winked at her.

    I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d fear the schemes and difficulties waiting for me. After all, I had thousands of innocent children like this little girl behind me. I couldn¡¯t take a step back, even if it were for them.

    The convoy advanced slowly ording to the nned route, and we arrived at the Moon Pce at half past eight.

    Sometimes, I found it ridiculous. ording to my experience, was the Moon Goddess still willing to ept me into her temple? After many rehearsals, I had walked out of the Moon Pce unscathed, so I believed the goddess would not mind. At the very least, she would not think it was a provocation from a ¡®fallen¡¯ god like me to enter her temple casually.

    I used to say things like ¡°oh, Moon Goddess¡±, but I¡¯d changed that. I didn¡¯t change it on purpose, but I¡¯d stopped mentioning the goddess¡¯ name. This was a rule that automatically corrected my actions.

    In the lounge, everyone was making their final preparations. I was the only one who had nothing to do, so I watched my attendants exchange pleasantries in boredom.

    They were all descendants of nobles or meritorious families and had been in the social circle for many years since they were young. They were much more skilled in making connections than me; a Princess was getting married halfway.

    As children of the upper ss who was ¡®born noble¡¯, it was understandable for them to have an arrogant temper. But with a halfway Princess like me, some were not very convinced.

 Chapter 296

    296 Gossips

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I usually didn¡¯t care about people gossiping about me behind my back. For one, I was too busy to deal with these minor details. Secondly, not everyone was ¡®qualified¡¯ to talk to me.

    It was a bit impolite to say this, but the fact was that some young people who were self-aware of their status didn¡¯t even have the right to take the initiative to talk to me if we were to get serious. Such people were like Tom, Dick, and Harry to me. Who would care about them?

    To make me look up, even if not a demon on the level of Azazel, it should be a famous viin like Adele, who could do something bad.

    That was why I was happy to have a reputation for being tolerant and not being calctive about those petty people who didn¡¯t deserve my attention.

    However, being tolerant didn¡¯t mean that I was deaf. The lounge was only so big, and it would be too impudent to say such things in front of everyone.

    Sighing helplessly internally, I put on a cold expression and gestured for Jordin to invite the boy behind the screen who was ¡®imagining¡¯ my teenage love history over.

    To my surprise, this boy looked quite familiar.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    The boy bowed stiffly and said, ¡°Your Highness, my name is Casti Woof Anka.¡±

    I was even more familiar with this name now. I asked, ¡°Who is the former Elder Eric Woof Anka to you? ¡±

    ¡°He is my grandfather, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°I see. No wonder.¡±

    No wonder I thought he looked familiar. He was the grandson of an old acquaintance.

    Ever since Elder Eric was forced to ¡®recuperate¡¯ at home by my father, the once arrogant Woof Anka family had learned to tuck their tails between their legs. They seemed to have just realized that even though their family had more than two hundred years of history and had produced countless elders, they could not surpass the royal power and summon the wind and rain. They finally understood the principle that ¡®a tall tree attracts the wind, and one should retreat at the peak of one¡¯s strength¡¯.

    In the face of the well-behaved Woof Anka family, my father also revealed his intention to reconcile. After all, even if this family had no credit, they had worked hard. Arranging for Casti Woof Anka to join my concierge team was a political signal.

    It was just that the genes of this family were not very good. The grandfather in power was arrogant, and the grandson sent out to make peace was also brainless.

    Looking at the cold sweat on Casti¡¯s forehead, I coldly asked, ¡°What were you talking about with yourpanion just now? Can you tell me about it?¡±

    I could see how flustered Casti had be. He had always been arrogant and despotic because of his family¡¯s influence. It was his bad luck that he had run into me today.

    ¡°It¡¯s just... it¡¯s just a joke, Your Highness. It¡¯s aplete waste of your time to hear it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll decide whether it¡¯s a waste of time.¡± I waved my hand and stared into his fear-filled eyes. ¡°Now, I want to know what you just said.¡±

    Casti was already unable to suppress his panic. As long as he wasn¡¯t an idiot, he would understand what I meant and would be able to predict the ending that would befall him.

    Seeing that he didn¡¯t say anything, I motioned for Jordin to invite the other boys and girls who were pretending to be invisible behind the screen over.

    The lounge was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Everyone knew that there was no way to settle this peacefully. No one wanted to be involved in this mess, and they wanted to be mute immediately.

    The trembling children were ¡®invited¡¯ by Jordin to face me. They and Casti didn¡¯t look very old, about fourteen or fifteen years old. They were in their foolish and self-righteous puberty.

    I¡¯d been through this stage before, so I knew how much of a jerk a child of this age could be. Being a b*stard didn¡¯t always mean that they were evil, but more of abination of stupidity, entitlement, and self-righteousness.

    ¡°Tell me, what were you guys talking about just now? You were smiling so cheekily.¡± I was like a dean who had caught a student making a mistake, leisurely waiting for the students to walk into the trap.

    No one answered me. No one dared to answer me.

    Silence was always helpful in the face of interrogation. I saw a few of the children pouting, thinking they were hiding it as if they were certain I would easily let go of their mistakes like their elders.

    Unfortunately, I wouldn¡¯t let them have their way. These people dared to nder me, which meant their families didn¡¯t respect me much. That was why these children dared to be so presumptuous with the protection of their influence. I understood that I could only get some people¡¯s support at a time, but those who take advantage of others would not have my mercy.

    ¡°Looks like you are not willing to tell me.¡± Facing the silent crowd, I pretended to be sad. ¡°What a pity. So you guys don¡¯t want to be friends with me because you think I¡¯m older than you all, and there¡¯s a generation gap?

    ¡°Those who know me know I¡¯m never a person who forces others. Since you don¡¯t want to get close to me, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t force you to do something you don¡¯t like.¡±

    I waved at Jordin and said, ¡°My dear Countess, would you be so kind as to send these lovely children away on my behalf? There are too many people here today. Please send them back to their parents in person to avoid any idents so their family members won¡¯t worry.¡±

    Jordin nodded in agreement and said to the confused children rather arrogantly, ¡°Everyone, please follow me.¡±

 Chapter 297

    297 The Crown

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Seeing that I was about to go through with my words, this group of little b*stards with golden spoons in their mouths finally couldn¡¯t pretend to be childish and calm anymore.

    The boy, vaguely surrounded by the others in the center, mustered his courage and stood up, wanting to plead with me. ¡°Please have mercy, Your Highness. We¡¯ve never attended such an important event before. We¡¯re too nervous and subconsciously want to gossip to divert our attention. I apologize for our foolish actions. Please give us a chance to turn over a new leaf. We will control our mouths.¡±

    I looked at him expressionlessly for a few seconds until he started to tremble. ¡°I still don¡¯t know your name.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± the boy was stunned.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know your name, so I don¡¯t know your family name or which family youe from. This way, I won¡¯t be able toin to your parents, and you won¡¯t be grounded or punished by not having any snacks.¡± Seeing the boy¡¯s disbelieving expression, I chuckled. ¡°Or do you want me to do this? Remember your family? Remember you?¡±

    The boy took two steps back in a panic and stuttered, ¡°No, Your Highness. I don¡¯t want that... thank you for your understanding. Please allow me to take my leave. I wish you all the best today with the goddess¡¯ blessing.¡±

    Hispanions didn¡¯t expect him to back off so easily. They mumbled something in dissatisfaction, but he red at them fiercely. They could only follow him and bow to me, then unwillingly left with Jordin.

    I couldn¡¯t understand what these young masters and young mistresses were thinking. Did their family not teach them anymon political knowledge?

    I said I didn¡¯t know their family names, which meant I didn¡¯t intend to use this as an excuse to punish their families. Other than the boy who stood out, no one else could tell. I was speechless.

    After sending away the unruly troublemakers, I suddenly lost quite a few concierges. I had to find someone to fill in the gaps as soon as possible.

    ¡°Oh my, take the list to my parents. They know who to choose as a substitute.¡±

    Although the ceremony would only start at 10 am, all the guests who received the invitation arrived. It was easy to find a few substitutes.

    At 9:30, the substitutes were also in position. I was rather familiar with one of them. It was Carolyn. During the rehearsal, she was on her graduation trip with various packs, so she didn¡¯t participate and was only on the waiting list. I didn¡¯t expect that she would still be my concierge.

    We hadn¡¯t seen each other for many years, so we didn¡¯t feel distant and greeted each other affectionately. This seemed to have be a trendsetter, as Carolyn was quickly weed in the unfamiliar lounge.

    I was happy for her, but at the same time, I was a little sad. It was hard to say whether it was a good or bad day to be regarded as a social standard.

    We were led to the designated location by the rites official, where we stood in line and prepared to start the ceremony officially.

    After a long wait, the trombone that signified the beginning of the ceremony finally sounded for the first time.

    I took a deep breath as the gorgeous door in front of me slowly opened. I smiled and took my first step.

    After going through countless rehearsals, I couldn¡¯t remember those familiar standards when it was actually time. Everything was so natural. There was no pretentiousness, no intention. It was as if I was born knowing how to take every step, and there was a set of standards leading me.

    There were many silent spectators on both sides of the grandstand. I didn¡¯t know most of them, but there were asionally one or two familiar faces.

    I saw the shocked Benson and the petrified Rhode from the corner of my eye.

    When I reached the front of the stage, I stood still, and the rites official helped me take off my gorgeous long cloak. Then, I kneeled on the soft cushion embroidered with the royal emblem with gold and silver thread.

    My parents rose from their thrones and came to me.

    ¡°Madeline Periana H. Oromalivira is the legal daughter of I, the Lycan King Victor Periana H. Oromalivira, and Queen Helena Garcia H. Oromalivira¡¯s.

    ¡°Thanks to the Moon Goddess, werewolves should be in their positions and perform their duties. They should be given proper names to avoid chaos in the sky.

    ¡°Today, under the witness of all the fair and kind, I will act on behalf of the goddess¡¯ legacy and officially crown this royal bloodline as the Princess. She will legally possess the power to be addressed as ¡®Your Highness¡¯ and officially be a member of the core royal family. She will be the symbol and spokesperson of the royal family in all subsequent asions that are tacitly acknowledged and authorized.¡±

    My mother took out the crown soaked in osmanthus water and handed it to my father. My father held up the crown and ced it on my head solemnly.

    At this moment, the Officer of Rites, who was waiting on the side, shouted, ¡°Goddess bless the Princess!¡±

    The guests followed the Officer of Rites and shouted three times, whichsted for a long time and resounded through the clouds.

    The coronation of the Princess was only the first procedure. The coronation of the Crown Princess, which followed, was the most important.

    My father once again read out the deration, which only had a few changespared to before. Then, he took another gorgeous crown from my mother¡¯s hands, symbolizing my status as the sessor, and ced it on my head.

    This tiara was heavier, more ornate, and more dramatic than the previous one. It almostpletely covered the crown that belonged to the Princess. Just like me,pared to being just a princess, my main duty was to be the Crown Princess.

 Chapter 298

    298 An Old Acquaintance From Hell

    Benson Walton¡¯s POV:

    There was nothing good to say about my days as a leader.

    After losing my initial pride and passion, I admitted that the mundane work was a little boring. A wolf that yearned for freedom lived in my heart, but the reality was that I could only sit in front of my desk and deal with official business, fighting with a group of people for profit.

    The Shadow Pack was still a united, rich, and powerful pack, but it was not quite the same as I had imagined.

    This kind of anxiety grew more and more intense in my boring life. The responsibility of being a leader and the desire for freedom tormented me alternately like ice andva. After a few years, I felt like I had aged twenty years. I couldn¡¯t find any of the vigors of my youth.

    Other than that, there was another thing that was tormenting me.

    The Moon Goddess did not show her mercy in the end. After so many years, my second mate had yet to appear. The friends who grew up with me gradually found their mates or entered the hall of marriage. I was the only one who was still waiting for the fated mate that would nevere a second time.

    Time had changed. I was no longer the arrogant young boy from back then. The fated mate theory couldn¡¯t withstand the pressure of life. Now I wanted to find a mate who knew and loved me, even if she was only a chosen mate.

    After my father and mother retired, they lived in seclusion. At first, they were worried about my life, butter they didn¡¯t care much. My mother said, ¡°Although we are very worried that you can¡¯t find a life partner, we can¡¯t push a good family¡¯s child into the fire pit.¡±

    No matter what, time passed by slowly, and there were no waves in my peaceful life.

    Until one day, a piece of explosive news swept through the entire werewolf kingdom.

    When I saw that familiar face on the television, I was stunned for a moment. There was no other reason. After so many years, we silently acknowledged that person¡¯s death. Even when we saw a face that was the same as hers, our first reaction was that this person looked like her.

    However, I reacted a few secondster. How could there be two identical people in the world?

    Who was that on the television?

    The only answer was that she had returned.

    In that instant, a cold, wet fear crawled all over my body like a tide. The fear that had been suppressed in the bottom of my heart for many years again broke through all the obstacles in my heart, bared my fangs, and brandished my ws.

    She¡¯s back...

    How did she appear?

    She-

    Selma.

    However, the introduction on television was different. The anchorperson used a calm tone to describe the encounter with the legendary ¡®Princess Madeline¡¯, and everything was separated from the familiar face.

    A familiar photo with the ridiculous word ¡®Princess?¡¯ Did a serious news channel learn to joke around? It wasn¡¯t the first of April today.

    The news ended quickly, and the television continued to y advertisements or idol dramas, but this had nothing to do with me.

    At this moment, I was like a deaf person. I didn¡¯t care about anything other than the photo in my mind.

    This was a sign.

    I thought.

    After running away, lying, and hiding for so many years, my dyed retribution was finallying.

    Ten minutester, Rhode kicked open my door excitedly. He said something to me excitedly and happily. Then, he mumbled to himself in doubt. After that, he made up his mind as if he was acting in a mime.

    No, it was not a mime. I couldn¡¯t hear anything because of the buzzing in my ear.

    ¡°What did you say? I can¡¯t hear you,¡± I said, confused.

    Rhode gestured excitedly. Before I could see it clearly, his parents arrived, sobbing. Then, my parents, those who knew Selma in the past, and even more spectators were amazed by this ¡®resurrection¡¯.

    I couldn¡¯t hear anything they said. The sharp ringing in my ears tortured my eardrums. I could only nod in agreement to my good friend¡¯s request, even though I didn¡¯t hear anything.

    I was in such a dazed state until I realized I had already set foot on thend of the Lycan pack.

    The ringing in my ears had disappeared, but I would rather it was still there.

    As an Alpha from a small pack without any merits, I didn¡¯t have the right to meet with the King in advance. I was wondering if this was a good thing or a bad thing. I could escape for a few days, but I had to face thete guillotine de.

    The only ones who were truly happy were Rhode and his wife. They couldn¡¯t hold back their tears at the thought of meeting their long-lost family member. Even though this family member of theirs had suddenly be a Princess that they could only see but not reach, they didn¡¯t doubt that they, as civilians, would be able to meet her.

    Selma was a kind and nostalgic person. They believed that she would not forget them.

    I believed it, too.

    She wouldn¡¯t forget me. She wouldn¡¯t forget what I¡¯d done to her and everything I¡¯d done to her.

    She wouldn¡¯t.

    The moment I saw her at the conferment ceremony, the guillotine in my heart finally reached its highest point. She didn¡¯t look at anyone on the grandstand, nor did she look at me, but I knew that she had already noticed me.

    Whether I was willing to ept it or not, she had already seen me.

    I felt like I had fallen into an ice cave when I saw Mr. Payne and his family¡¯s teary eyes.

    At the same time as they rejoiced, could they guess that the Alpha they had entrusted their friendship and trust to was the culprit that prompted their daughter to choose suicide?

    I didn¡¯t think so, but it didn¡¯t matter.

    I was done for, so it didn¡¯t matter anymore.

 Chapter 299

    299 Guilty

    Benson Walton¡¯s POV:

    After leaving the Moon Pce, I was in a daze. Even Rhode, who only had eyes for his little sister, noticed my abnormality.

    ¡°Hey, bro, what¡¯s wrong? You¡¯ve been out of your mind these few days, are you feeling unwell?¡±

    I forced a bitter smile and replied in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡±

    No matter how much Rhode asked, I didn¡¯t say anything.

    Looking at my frown, Rhode suddenly thought of something and asked, ¡°Could it be rted to Selma?¡±

    I was shocked and subconsciously refused, but identally spilled the coffee beside me.

    ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with you.¡± Rhode frowned. ¡°Listen, buddy. If you have any problems, you must tell me, okay? We¡¯re friends. You¡¯re my Alpha, I¡¯m your Beta. We should face all problems together.¡±

    Looking at his sincere expression, I only felt bitterness and could not speak.

    ¡®My dear friend, if you knew that your precious sister hadmitted suicide because of me, would you still treat me as a close friend?¡¯

    When I saw the news, I knew the countdown on our friendship had started.

    What was meant toe woulde. No matter how much I wanted to escape, sin would corrode me like maggots attached to the bone.

    Mr. And Mrs. Payne couldn¡¯t wait to submit an application to the pce immediately because they had no channels, they needed my parents to do it for them. Or rather, I should do it for them.

    What did it feel like to be sent to the execution ground?

    I didn¡¯t know when this application would be seen, but lying on the guillotine, waiting for the de to fall, was always the most torturous moment.

    My father and Mr. Payne had been good friends for many years, so he apanied my mother and Mr. And Mrs. Payne to go for a walk around the shop to rx.

    ¡°Young man, get along well,¡± he said to me before he left. ¡°I saw you and Rhode having a fight. You¡¯re not a child anymore, son. You know that friendship is more important than a little temper.¡±

    ¡°I know...¡± I could only try my best to maintain a silly smile, not letting the anxiety in my heart reveal a trace of suspicion.

    In the evening, we came to the Moon Pce again to attend the wedding ceremony of ¡®Princess Madeline¡¯.

    Madeline... Selma...

    It was only now that I realized they were the same person. Selma, who had returned to the Lycan pack, was living a good life. She used to be a timid and stubborn little girl, but now she had be an unapproachable Princess as if all that had happened in the past were just my fantasies.

    How good would it be if it was a fantasy?

    The ceremony was grand and majestic, fully demonstrating the power and wealth of the royal family to the guests. This was a kind of etiquette but also a demonstration. It showed all the werewolves that the royal family had a strong descendant bloodline, and any Alpha who dared to use the excuse of the royal bloodline¡¯s decline to make a small move would have to consider whether their weight was enough to provoke it.

    If I had a guilty conscience, I was the one who would bear the brunt of it.

    I did not attend the banquetter on and did not dare to see Selma¡¯s face. Thus, I left early with the excuse that I was not feeling well. Before I left, I saw Rhode and his wife, Mr. And Mrs. Payne, trying to bypass the guests and touch Selma. I immediately looked away as if I had been electrocuted. I didn¡¯t dare to look at them again and left in a hurry.

    The royal family¡¯s amodation for Alpha and his entourage was very advanced. Thefortable bed could make a tired person fall asleep in thirty seconds. However, I couldn¡¯t close my eyes, no matter how hard I tried.

    The Moon Temple¡¯s gorgeous decorations and the scepter that symbolized royal authority appeared before my eyes. The tottering golden statues and sharp gemstones seemed like they were about to slice off pieces of my flesh.

    I tried to escape, but arge group of guards chased after me. They roared and pressed me against the cold marble floor. Fear made me cry, and a pair of beautiful crystal shoes embedded with diamonds appeared in my blurry vision.

    A stern and cold female voice sounded above my head, ¡°Long time no see, Benson.¡±

    I raised my head with great difficulty and met Selma¡¯s eyes, filled with disgust and ridicule.

    I wanted to say something, but the guards already gagged my mouth. My face was wet with cold sweat, and the beads of sweat that fell into my eyes drew out more tears. Just as I was at a loss, a shocked and pained voice gave me my final judgment. ¡°Benson! I trusted you so much. How dare you kill my sister!¡±

    I looked behind Selma and saw the furious Rhode pointing at my nose and cursing at me. Behind him, Mr. Payne and his wife were hugging each other and crying bitterly. They were looking at me with eyes full of anger and usation. My parents stood awkwardly at the side. My mother sighed while my father looked at me with shock and disappointment. ¡°You¡¯re such a disappointment, Benson.¡±

    I struggled to defend myself, but the guards were like a mountain that pressed me down, making me unable to move. Selma bent down and coldly looked at my powerless attempts. After a while, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll never forgive you for what you¡¯ve done, Benson. People like you don¡¯t deserve to be a protected citizen of the Moon Goddess. Go to hell!¡±

    She kicked me hard, her sharp, high heels piercing my eyes. I wailed and suddenly opened my eyes-

    It was just a dream.

    Outside the window, the sky in the east had already brightened.

 Chapter 300

    300 Long White Dress

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    To be honest, being a bride was not as interesting as being a bridesmaid.

    Looking at the girls running errands for me,ughing and chattering along the way, and even telling me the interesting things that happened at the party, I was so envious that I wanted to take off my wedding dress and join them.

    After sending each other the bay leaf tree and Wolf¡¯s Fang and receiving the blessings of my parents and Duke Frank, I finally made it to exchanging lunchboxes.

    Although it was already afternoon, the purpose of the lunchbox was for something other than lunch.

    I took out the bridesmaid¡¯s dress I was thinking about, and I was about to change into it with the help of the girls, but suddenly I heard a sound of a tear ¨C the skirt of the bridesmaid¡¯s dress was torn open a slit as long as the forearm, and its cor was in Dorothy¡¯s hand, the hem of the skirt got stuck on the corner of the heavy gold-carved round table at some point.

    ¡°!¡±

    The girls checked the bridesmaid¡¯s dress in a panic, but the tear ran through the skirt and could no longer be worn.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Dorothy apologized helplessly, ¡°I didn¡¯t see the dress got stuck on the table. Oh my god, I¡¯m so sorry!¡±

    I hugged her and consoled her. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s just a bridesmaid¡¯s dress. I¡¯m not going to wear it to the wedding.¡±

    But now that I couldn¡¯t wear the bridesmaid¡¯s dress, how was I supposed to meet Aldrich? It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that the wedding dress skirt could almost cover half the room, and it would be difficult for me to walk around in this dress without being noticed.

    The girls rummaged through their luggage, hoping to find a recement dress. However, in addition to being as gorgeous as ancient gowns, the gowns modeled after ancient styles also inherited the rigid characteristics of ancient gowns. One could only wear one size.

    Due to theck of sticity, I couldn¡¯t stuff me in if it was small. If it were too big, the skirt would fall off after a few steps, and I couldn¡¯t use brooches or belts.

    I sat at the side dejectedly and thought, ¡®It¡¯s over. The n is ruined. My wedding is going to be iplete!¡¯

    Just as I was at my wits¡¯ end, Dorothy suddenly took out a in white dress from a box in the corner. It didn¡¯t look like a custom-made suit. A clergyman left it behind.

    ¡°Try this!¡± She handed the dress to me in high spirits. ¡°It looks like your size.¡±

    I made ast-ditch effort and tried it on casually. I didn¡¯t expect this dress to fit me. It was so close-fitting that I almost suspected it was custom-made for me.

    It was said that the bride had the best luck on her wedding day. It seemed that this was true!

    The girls cheered excitedly, and Jordin and Emma went to Aldrich¡¯s ce to lead the charge. Ten minutester, Dorothy and I quietly set off.

    Before I left, I removed all the gorgeous decorations on my hair. Dorothy helped me cover my head with a thin veil, saying that it could block other people¡¯s gazes on the way.

    Standing in front of Aldrich¡¯s family¡¯s lounge, I counted down from five, and when I heard Jordin say our secret code, I pushed the door open and entered.

    Aldrich was standing with his back to the door. Hearing the sound of the door opening, he helplessly said, ¡°What is it? And you want me to leave first.¡±

    The girls stood at the side, covering their mouths and snickering. I nimbly walked behind Aldrich and tapped his shoulder.

    Aldrich turned around, but before his helpless expression could disappear, he saw my brilliant smile.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you surprised?¡± I scattered the petals hidden in the palm of my hand into the air and threw myself into his arms. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to give you. After thinking about it, nothing is more precious than me. Do you like it?¡±

    Aldrich smiled as he held my waist as if no one else was around. He whispered into my ear, ¡°I like it. I like it very much. I like it the most.¡±

    The girls had long since left to stand guard at the door, leaving only Aldrich and me in the lounge.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t wait to see you again at the ceremony,¡± I whispered. ¡°Now I understand why the bride and groom couldn¡¯t meet before marriage in ancient times. If every new couple is like me, unable to wait for even a moment, and can¡¯t wait to elope with you, then this rule does make some sense.¡±

    Aldrich lovingly pressed his forehead against mine and repeated what I said. ¡°You want to elope with me? If you want, we can leave now.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Before I could react, Aldrich had already pulled me out.

    The girls outside the resting room had already disappeared without a trace. I didn¡¯t know where Aldrich was taking me, but I trusted him and followed him.

    We followed a small, hidden corridor and arrived at a sealed garden behind the moon god temple. This area was not open to the public; usually, only the church¡¯s members woulde here. However, all the clergymen had gone to help with the coronation and wedding today, so the garden was quiet, and there was no one.

    The garden in the middle of summer was full of flowers, and colorful butterflies and bees were perched in the center of the flowers, quietly observing us, the unexpected visitors. A thorny arch had been decorated on thewn, and a path paved with fresh flowers extended to an exquisite ceremonial stage. Dorothy stood in the middle of the stage, wearing a white robe that symbolized the Moon Emissary, like a priestess of the Moon Pce.

 Chapter 301

    301 Our Wedding

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I looked at the setup in front of me in disbelief and then at my lover beside me.

    ¡°In fact, I¡¯ve been worrying about what to give you. After thinking about it, all material things don¡¯t matter to us. I¡¯ve asked for the opinions of many people around you, and in the end, I want to give you a wedding ¨C no shes and microphones, no guests you don¡¯t know, no political symbols, and cumbersome etiquette. This is a wedding that only belongs to the two of us.

    ¡°Do you like this dress? You¡¯ve always liked simple and in clothes, so I secretly learned a few tricks from the tailor and made this wedding dress for you.¡±

    Aldrich smiled and extended his hand to me.

    ¡°Are you willing to walk this blooming flower path with me?¡±

    Looking at his eyes filled with love, tears unconsciously flowed into my eyes.

    How could I not be?

    I nodded and gently ced my hand on his palm.

    We walked hand in hand, slowly through the thorny arch, through the fragrant path of flowers, and step by step to the stage.

    Dorothy, acting as the ¡®priest¡¯, made a face at me, then cleared her throat and said, ¡°We¡¯re gathered here today to witness the marriage ceremony of two young people.

    ¡°Aldrich Leopold, with your sincerity, are you willing to be the husband to thedy beside you, cherish her, love her, and faithfully stick to today¡¯s oath no matter what situation you encounter?¡±

    Aldrich looked at me with a tender expression like water and said softly, ¡°Yes, I do.¡±

    ¡°Selma Payne, with your sincerity, are you willing to be the wife to the gentleman beside you, cherish him, love him, and faithfully stick to today¡¯s oath no matter what situation you face?¡±

    Looking at Aldrich¡¯s handsome face, I nodded. ¡°Yes, I do.¡±

    Dorothy scattered flower petals at us and announced loudly, ¡°In the name of true love, I hereby dere you as husband and wife!¡±

    The moment the flower petals fell, Aldrich and I hugged each other and gave each other a passionate kiss.

    There was no thunderous apuse or high-pitched blessings. The wedding that only belonged to the two of us was quiet, but it moved my heart more than any other grand asion.

    With tears in my eyes, I thought, ¡®I didn¡¯t choose wrongly. He is the one who truly understands me.¡¯

    Dorothy had left at some point in time. Aldrich and Izilyy on the ground covered in flower petals, silently enjoying this blissful moment.

    ¡°I hope that everything will stop at this moment.¡± I whispered, ¡°There won¡¯t be a happier time than now.¡±

    After plucking the flower petals from my head, Aldrich leaned on my side andughed in a low voice. ¡°Don¡¯t say it too early, Madam. You¡¯ll be happier in the future than you are now.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± I pretended to re back at him. ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s a married man fresh out of the oven. Don¡¯t be so sure of your words.¡±

    Aldrich put on a sad look and said aggrievedly, ¡°You don¡¯t believe me? My wife, this breaks my heart.¡±

    Iughed and pushed him. We ran around thewn and joked around.

    Time would not stop for anyone. No matter how much I couldn¡¯t bear to part with him, it was time to return to the resting room.

    We were reluctant to part as we hugged each other. Aldrich kissed my forehead and said in a low voice, ¡°See you tonight, my love.¡±

    I reluctantly bade him farewell and followed Dorothy back to the lounge.

    My wedding didn¡¯t have a pre-wedding party, but the guests still gathered early to talk about everything. I ¡®trembled in fear¡¯ as I avoided the people in the corridor. When I returned to the lounge, I heaved a sigh of relief and felt at ease.

    When I returned to the safe zone, I immediately caught Dorothy and ¡®interrogated¡¯ her.

    ¡°You hid such an important thing from me!¡± I felt a little sad. ¡°This was a wedding! What if I was not prepared and something went wrong?¡±

    Dorothy saw through my one-man y with one look and said, ¡°Come on, I know you like it. Besides, it¡¯s a surprise. How can I not surprise you? It wouldn¡¯t have had this effect if I had told you earlier. It¡¯s like a token hidden in a lunchbox. If you already know what the other party wants to give you, what¡¯s the point? It¡¯s better to ask the other party to give you some dishes you like.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t forgive you even if you say that!¡±

    ¡°So what do you want, Your Highness?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m cutting ties with you ... For ten minutes. Don¡¯t talk to me for ten minutes.¡±

    Jordin and Emma were alreadyughing at the side.

    ¡°Alright, quickly change your clothes.¡± Jordin held back herughter and said, ¡°It¡¯s going to be dark in an hour. We still have to leave some time to touch up our makeup.¡±

    I refused Dorothy¡¯s help the entire time. I was a man of my word. I¡¯d cut off ties with her for ten minutes, hmph!

    I stood in the preparation area again. My mood waspletely different from this morning.

    If the coronation ceremony brought me more of a heavy sense of responsibility, then the wedding ceremony was filled with honey and the sweet fragrance of flowers.

    ording to tradition, the Lycan King, my father couldn¡¯t personally hold my arm and enter the venue like other fathers.

 Chapter 302

    302 Husband And Wife

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    My mother had no rtives left, and my father didn¡¯t have any rtives of high status, so I decided: I¡¯d broken more than one or two traditions anyway, so why should I care about these minor details?

    In addition to the girls, I had a new group of concierges in the afternoon. More children were standing in the line as flower boys and girls, holding hands with the big brothers and sisters to prevent them from running away. Their little flower baskets were filled with soft flower petals. Some were curious and secretly took out a few to y with.

    I couldn¡¯t help butugh when I heard the girls retelling these scenes to me.

    No matter which family they came from, no matter what position their family had, it didn¡¯t matter to children of this age. It was their nature to pursue freedom and happiness. How beautiful this was!

    I liked children, and when I was a girl, I had imagined how many children I would have in the future ¨C it would be best if I had a lovely daughter and a naughty son. I would educate them into intelligent and healthy adults and watch them form families and live happily. Every time I fantasize about it, I feel extremely happy and satisfied.

    There were many fantasies in a young girl¡¯s life. Ordinary ones, such as finding true love, while fantasy stories, such as her legendary life, could be heard. Now, many of my childish fantasies havee true. Will my children go along with my wishes?

    With the experience from this morning, I easilypleted the entire process. As I held hands with Aldrich and stood on the stage, I secretly made a face at him.

    The oath for this wedding was much longer. The priest probably wished he could write all the well-wishes in the ssics into the wedding oath. After listening to it for a long time, I felt like I was listening to an appreciation ss on ssical literature.

    Our wedding rings were part of the royal family¡¯s collection. Two huge rubies, each twenty-five carats on average, glistened under the diamonds as if they were dering our bright future.

    Wearing the ring, under the priest¡¯s deration, we kissed politely in front of the guests ¨C

    Thunderous apuse and cheers swept through the temple. The people waiting outside the temple also cheered when they heard the official¡¯s announcement. For a moment, the sound of celebration resounded through the sky, and the whole Lycan Pack was in a festive mood.

    Aldrich and I sat on the carriage and paraded to the people. The people didn¡¯t have any negative emotions toward this sudden marriage. I even saw many banners and posters that wished Aldrich and my happiness. I was touched and happy, holding back my tears as I waved to the cheering people.

    Celebrating a wedding was more open than celebrating a coronation. Even the guards were not as rigid and serious as they were during the day. The groomsmen, bridesmaids, and guests of honor sat in convoy behind Aldrich and me, following the tradition of throwing flowers and ribbons blessed by the temple to the people. Young men and women pinned fresh flowers in their hair or chests and tied ribbons around their wrists, hoping to find true love as soon as possible.

    The ball was to be held in the pce, which was not open to the public.

    After the opening dance with Aldrich, we enjoyed ourselves until the middle of the night, and then we were surrounded by the guests and led into the bedroom.

    The elders threw flowers and seeds at us, and our friends carried us and put us on our beds. After the process, they left considerately, even though their smiles were so meaningful.

    The sudden silence made me feel a little ufortable. This silence also amplified the shyness and anxiety in my heart.

    I did not dare to look at Aldrich, and he did not say a word. In the endless silence, I finally mustered up the courage to sneak a nce at him. I noticed that his ears were as red as a tomato.

    I didn¡¯t know why, but I burst outughing. Then, I couldn¡¯t help butugh so much that I almost fell off the bed. Aldrich¡¯s pretense of calmness also fell through. He helplessly pulled me back from the edge of the bed and mumbled, ¡°You¡¯re making me lose face byughing at me like this...¡±

    It was fine if he didn¡¯t speak, but I wanted tough even more when he did. Aldrich pretended to be fierce as he pounced over to cover my mouth.

    We joked around without restraint and didn¡¯t know which action started the fire, but everything changed without us knowing.

    The night was long under the deep curtains.

    The next day, I woke up to the crisp chirping of birds. The warm sunlight shone through the gap in the curtains, creating a dazzling golden light. I thought it was noon.

    Aldrich squinted as hey beside me. Seeing that I had woken up, hezily greeted me. ¡°Good morning, my dear wife.¡±

    I kissed his cheek and said, ¡°Good Morning, my beloved husband.¡±

    Wezily hugged each other in bed, neither willing to get out of bed, as if this soft and wide bed was the only thing left in the world.

    I was about to fall asleep when Aldrich suddenly asked, ¡°Do you like it?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Did you like itst night?¡±

    Realizing what he was saying, my face turned red. I grabbed the pillow next to me and pressed it against his face. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about this! From now on, you¡¯re not allowed to speak!¡±

    Aldrich easily dodged the pillow, held my waist, and pinned me under his body. Heughed deeply. ¡°It seems that Your Highness is not satisfied with my service. Do you need my after-sales service?¡±

    He swallowed my cry of surprise with a kiss.

    The sun was high up in the sky.

 Chapter 303

    303 Request For An Audience

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    It was almost sunset when we left the bedroom.

    My bted hunger mored that I needed a lot of food to fill my rumbling stomach, but my room was quiet. There was no one other than Aldrich and me, so I had to find food myself.

    When I turned the corridor corner, Kara was chatting with a few servants in the hall. When she saw me, she put down the ounts she was half-checking and motioned for the servants to go to the kitchen to get me some food.

    ¡°Happy marriage, Your Highness.¡± Kara bowed to me. ¡°The first three days of the wedding is a holiday for the new couple. You and Sir Aldrich don¡¯t have to do anything during this period. We will handle everything for you.¡±

    I thought Kara, who had always been strict, would me me for my daily routine. I didn¡¯t expect her to smile, which made me mentally prepare for a long time in vain.

    Although I could take three days off, I still worriedly asked, ¡°Is there really nothing I have to do personally?¡±

    Kara shook her head and said no. But a few secondster, she stopped men as I was about to leave and said after some deliberation, ¡°Actually... I do have something I need your opinion on.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s about an audience request.¡±

    Looking at Kara¡¯s hesitant expression, I felt that something was wrong. ¡°Whose? Tell me, Kara. You don¡¯t have to worry about anything.¡±

    Kara took out an application form from the documents on the table and handed it to me. I took it and saw that Benson¡¯s name was written in the application column.

    An invisible hammer suddenly hit my chest. I quickly read through the text. It turned out to be my parents ¨C my adoptive parents. They wanted to see their younger daughter, who had been missing for many years.

    Dad... Mom...

    The memories of the past washed over me like a tidal wave. It was as if I had returned to the ordinary but warm double-story house in the Shadow Pack. Mom was cooking dinner before the stove, and Dad came home after work. Rhode followed behind his father with a blueberry jam cake in his hand.

    That was myst birthday before I returned to the Lycan Pack and spent it with my parents. After that, I chose tomit suicide.

    The unfinished cake was still in the refrigerator, but they could no longer wait for the person toe to eat the cake. Instead, it was reced by cold news of death.

    After I returned to my Lycan Pack, I thought of returning home in glory more than once to repay my parents for raising me. But first, I was surrounded by danger and didn¡¯t want to bring danger to my parents, who lived a peaceful life. Secondly, I still had to consider my parents¡¯ mood, and I hadn¡¯t thought about how to tell them.

    After I chose to disclose my identity, I thought the news that I was still alive could not be hidden from my adoptive parents, but I did not expect them toe so quickly. It was so fast that I could only stare at the application form in a daze, not knowing how to react.

    Kara gently called out to me, ¡°Your Highness? Your Highness? Are you okay?¡±

    I came back to my senses and smiled at her. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°You seem to be in a difficult position. If you don¡¯t want to see them for the time being, I will reject them for you.¡±

    ¡°No, no, no! Of course, I want to see them!¡± I immediately rejected Kara¡¯s proposal. ¡°I¡¯m... I didn¡¯t know what to say. By the way, do my parents know about this?¡±

    ¡°They already know. They were the ones who instructed me to hand this application to Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°What did... my parents say?¡±

    ¡°They said that everything is up to you. Mr. and Mrs. Payne are your adoptive parents, and the royal family will never be able to repay their kindness. You should know what to do. Don¡¯t let your heart down.¡±

    It was as if a huge stone had been lifted from my chest. When I heard that my parents didn¡¯t object to me seeing my parents, to be honest, I heaved a sigh of relief.

    I didn¡¯t know how the other children caught in the middle of being born and raised would feel, but I was really afraid there would be a conflict between my biological parents and my adoptive parents. They were all my family, and losing either one would make me suffer so much that I would rather die.

    After calming down, I said to Kara, ¡°Let¡¯s approve this application. I¡¯ll meet my... adoptive parents and brother tonight ¨C no, tomorrow at eight in the morning.¡±

    Kara nodded and asked, ¡°Only the Payne Family? What about the Shadow Pack¡¯s Alpha and former Alpha and Luna?¡±

    Benson, the man who once led me to despair and death. I was pretending to be magnanimous when I said I didn¡¯t hate him, but it wasn¡¯t a big deal if I didn¡¯t have a strong feeling of hatred. After all, after I had experienced so much, the carefree feeling I had when I was a young girl now seemed empty and childish. I regretted even more that I had chosen to die for him.

    But that didn¡¯t mean I¡¯d let him go. This arrogant, arrogant, hypocritical coward. How much gratitude and trust had he deceived my family by using the leader title and friends as disguises?

    ¡°Invite them,¡± I sneered. ¡°Are my parents free tomorrow?¡±

    I was no longer the weak little girl I was before. I wouldn¡¯t stay mum about my past anymore.

    The person who used to use his power and status to push me into the quagmire was now also overpowered by someone stronger and higher in status. What kind of expression would he show?

 Chapter 304

    304 The Confession

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    As soon as I got back to the bedroom, I was carried to the bed by Aldrich, and to stop his mischievous behavior, I said sternly, ¡°Will you apany me to meet some people tomorrow morning?¡±

    After changing his position, he pulled me to his chest and asked, ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°My adoptive parents and brother, and the person whom I once sought death for.¡±

    Aldrich stoppedbing my hair.

    To prevent him from misunderstanding, I immediately exined, ¡°He¡¯s already a thing of the past. I don¡¯t have any feelings for him now. I¡¯m going to see him purely to take revenge for the sins he¡¯smitted against me.¡±

    Aldrich¡¯s expression turned darker, and he asked in a deep voice, ¡°Sins? What did he do to you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like what I told you before. He was rude to me and offended me, something like that...¡±

    ¡°Do you know that you always look at your right hand when you lie?¡± Aldrich interrupted me, ¡°Tell me the truth, my dear. What did that b*stard do to you?¡±

    Looking at his eyes that were filled with anger, I muttered to myself for a long time before finallying up with a gentler exnation. ¡°You know, I always thought he was willing to ept me as his fated mate, so I impulsively confessed. After being rejected, I felt embarrassed and jumped into the river in anger.¡±

    ¡°So, not only did that b*stard keep hanging on to you, but he also rejected you after you confessed to him. He even humiliated you and said that you better disappear forever. ¡±

    I didn¡¯t expect that he would be able to guess most of the truth. I was so shocked that I couldn¡¯t say anything. This further proved that Aldrich¡¯s guess was correct.

    He looked like he was about to rush out of the pce to kill someone. To prevent us from upying the headlines of social news tomorrow, I immediately said, ¡°He¡¯s aplete b*stard. I¡¯ve already thought of how to punish him. Tomorrow, you just have to follow me and hold the line. Don¡¯t be impulsive.¡±

    After staring at me for a long time, his shoulders suddenly drooped, and he buried himself in my arms, sighing.

    ¡°How good would it be if we knew each other since we were young?¡± He said sadly, ¡°I¡¯m so many years older than you. I can easily strip off all the rascals who bullied you and throw them into the river. Whoever dares tough at you, I¡¯ll make sure they don¡¯te back, whether they¡¯re Alphas¡¯ son or some other pointless identity.¡±

    I hugged him gently andbed his messy hair. ¡°And be childhood sweethearts? Of course, that¡¯s the best-case scenario. But I¡¯m happy enough now. You¡¯re by my side and will be my shelter for the next few decades.¡±

    We kissed gently, without any desire, only lingering love.

    We finished our first meal of the day on the bed, then we packed up and prepared to greet my parents.

    Seeing Kara and the servants clean up the messy bed in an orderly manner, my face couldn¡¯t help but heat up. I went to the living room to change my clothes. Bertha was waiting there. As the acting head servant, she had to help Kara inspect every part of the pce. Coincidentally, she hade to my suite.

    ¡°Happy marriage, Your Highness.¡± She bowed to me and said, ¡± I can¡¯t give you anything precious as a wedding gift. I weaved this pair of wreaths with the flowers I cultivated. I asked the werewolf grandmaster to make it eternal. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    I received the beautiful floral wreath in surprise. ¡°Thank you! How do you know that I like fresh flowers?¡±

    ¡°I am a servant, Your Highness. It is my duty to keep your preferences in mind.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s so considerate...¡± looking at the flower wreath, I recalled the new message I had received. ¡°Regarding your brother, the werewolf grandmasters think he went northwest where he disappeared. The people I¡¯ve sent out are urgently searching that area, and I believe they¡¯ll receive the news soon.¡±¡±

    After Bertha left, Aldrich and I went to see my parents together. I didn¡¯t expect a few other guests in the study ¨C Duke Frank, Arkadius, Morton, and Master Mary.

    The elders all got up to wish me a happy marriage, and I returned their greetings shyly.

    After I arrived, they were observant and left one after another. Duke Frank stayed for a while and spoke to his son before he also left.

    My parents were the only ones left in the study. I gathered my courage and said, ¡°Father, Mother, regarding that application... I¡¯ve already approved it. I¡¯ll be meeting my adoptive parents tomorrow morning.¡±

    ¡°You should do this, child,¡± my father said kindly. ¡°There¡¯s no way to repay them for raising you. Your mother and I must thank them for everything they¡¯ve done for you.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s another person,¡± I said carefully. ¡°Benson Walton, the current Alpha of the Shadow Pack. I have some scores to settle with him.¡±

    My parents could vaguely guess what was going on and asked, ¡°Is that rted to you throwing yourself into the water?¡±

    I exined the grudges between Benson and me. By the end of it, my mother was already furious, and even my father, who had always been calm, had a dark expression.

    ¡°I should probably properly evaluate the character of these young Alphas,¡± my father said in a deep voice. ¡°Arrogant second-generation kids can¡¯t give their people a good life.¡±

 Chapter 305

    305 The Meeting

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The next morning.

    I would be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t nervous as I was about to see my adoptive parents and Rhode. The nce at the ceremony was so blurry that I didn¡¯t see if my adoptive parents had gained weight or slimmed down, if they were haggard, or if they were in good health.

    Seeing that I was absent-minded, Aldrich held my hand tightly and silently supported me.

    At eight o¡¯clock, the Officer of Rites announced on time.

    The door to the living room opened. The moment I saw my adoptive parents, I couldn¡¯t hold back anymore. I strode forward and hugged them. ¡°Dad! Mom! I missed you guys so much!¡±

    My adoptive parents were at a loss and quickly sobbed in my arms.

    ¡°My daughter, my baby... ¡± My adoptive mother pulled me into her arms. ¡°Selma, how could you be so cruel? You left us behind without a word! The cliff is so high, and the river is so cold. What if something happened to you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mom. I was too impulsive.¡± I cried so hard that my snot and tears were flowing. I didn¡¯t care about etiquette at all. I held my adoptive parents¡¯ hands and let the tears wash down my line of defense.

    Rhode stood beside my adoptive parents and patted me heavily. Even the strong warrior couldn¡¯t help but sob. ¡°Selma, we thought it was good as long as you were fine! It¡¯s good that you¡¯re fine!¡±

    We hugged, telling each other our worries and thoughts until my parents came tofort us. ¡°Alright, child, don¡¯t just stand at the door. Invite your adoptive parents to sit.¡±

    My adoptive parents finally reacted and hurriedly bowed to my parents, but my parents stopped them.

    ¡°We can¡¯t ept your bows,¡± my father said. ¡°You raised Selma safely. We can¡¯t repay this kindness, so how can we ept a bow from our benefactors?¡±

    My adoptive father was a little frightened, ¡°What are you saying, Your Majesty?¡±

    My mother was much more direct. She held my adoptive mother¡¯s arm and pressed her down on the sofa. She said bluntly, ¡°Even if it¡¯s for our daughter, we don¡¯t want her to be in a difficult position because of us, right?¡±

    My adoptive mother nodded in confusion.

    While we were being intimate here, the Walton Family, who had been left out on the side, seemed a little awkward. They didn¡¯t know whether to stay or leave. It wasn¡¯t until my father nced at them that they reacted and bent their backs or knees.

    ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty,¡± Benson greeted with great difficulty. ¡°Your Majesty the Queen and Your Highness the Princess...¡±

    He lowered his head and didn¡¯t even dare to look at me.

    My father didn¡¯t let him get up, nor did he say anything to taunt him. He just left him hanging coldly. Such an atmosphere made my adoptive parents extremely terrified. They subconsciously wanted to say something, but I shook my head gently, indicating they would remain silent.

    Benson¡¯s parents were even more confused. They did not understand what their son had done to upset the King.

    After a long while, my father finally ended the silent dismemberment. ¡°Hello, young man. You¡¯re the Alpha of the Shadow Pack, right?¡±

    Benson bowed even lower and replied respectfully, ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±

    My father asked the Walton Family to take their seats, but he left Benson hanging.

    The atmosphere suddenly became filled with tension.

    We affectionately chatted with my adoptive parents about our daily lives. They were a little restless at first, but they quickly epted the enthusiasm of the King and Queen. They nced at the bewildered Benson from time to time, not hiding their worry for him.

    Look, my adoptive parents were so concerned about Benson, but what did they get in return for their sincerity?

    I coldly looked at Benson¡¯s stiff body while chatting and ignored Rhode¡¯s hint.

    Finally, my father changed the topic and talked about my marriage with Aldrich.

    ¡°By right, you are also Aldrich¡¯s inws,¡± my father said as he gestured to Aldrich. ¡°He should pay his respects to you.¡±

    My adoptive parents waved their hands uneasily. They had never seen many nobles in their ordinary lives, let alone received a noble¡¯s bow.

    I stopped my adoptive parents, trying to get up. I stood up and bowed to them respectfully with Aldrich, just like how we did to my parents at the wedding.

    Looking at my adoptive parents¡¯ helpless expressions, Aldrich softlyforted, ¡°Please don¡¯t decline my respect, Mr. And Mrs. Payne. It was you who raised Selma. That¡¯s why I had the chance to meet my true love and marry her. Without you, Selma and I would not be who we are today. I am grateful to you from the bottom of my heart.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t... you don¡¯t have to...¡± my honest adoptive father was about to faint. Seeing my adoptive parents could not ept it, I skipped the topic and started talking about Rhode.

    After so many years, Rhode was still alone without a fated mate or a chosen mate, but he wasn¡¯t in a hurry. He was optimistic and would be happy to get married at fifty.

    Rhode was worried about his good buddy, so he took the opportunity to bring up Benson.

    This time, my father¡¯s attention finally returned to Benson, as if he had not intentionally ignored this person.

    ¡°As for you, young man,¡± he said in a deep voice. ¡°Do you have anything you want to confess to us?¡±

    As soon as he finished speaking, Benson started trembling. He looked up and revealed an expression of defeat.

 Chapter 306

    306 Exposed

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°Forgive me for being slow-witted, Your Majesty. I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re referring to,¡± Benson said dryly.

    My father ignored him and said to me, ¡°Oh, really? My dear Benson, why don¡¯t you take a good look at me and your former ymate? Do you really have nothing to say to me?¡±

    Benson¡¯s face turned even paler. He gulped and stubbornly said, ¡°I don¡¯t know...¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know? Okay, okay, it seems that the life of an Alpha has degenerated you. Even the memory you were so proud of has degenerated.¡±

    My sharp and unkindment caused my adoptive parents and the Walton Family to be terrified ¨C this wasn¡¯t a heartwarming scene of an old friend reuniting.

    ¡°Come on now, Selma,¡± my adoptive mother said softly. ¡°Benson was very concerned about you. He helped a lot after you went missing.¡±

    I chuckled and stared at Benson¡¯s evasive eyes. ¡°Is that so? You¡¯ve been helping Mom and Dad to find me?¡±

    Benson didn¡¯t answer. I disdained his silence.

    ¡°This is really interesting. A good show. The Midnight Opera House needs a talent like you.¡±

    The Walton couple finally couldn¡¯t help but hurriedly say, ¡± Your Highness, perhaps Benson has offended you in some way in the past, but I promise you that he¡¯s a good boy.¡±

    I interrupted them and asked, ¡°Promise what?¡± Guarantee that he will do his best to find me? Guarantee that he didn¡¯t expect me to disappear forever? To make sure that he wouldn¡¯t cry out like a thief or hypocritically analyze the reason for my suicide?¡±

    Rhode, my adoptive parents, and my biological parents were all confused.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Selma,¡± Rhode said with a frown. ¡°Benson was indeed concerned about you.¡±

    ¡°Of course, he should be concerned about me.¡± Looking at Benson¡¯s trembling figure, I smirked and admired the embarrassing scene. ¡°Of course, he should pay attention to every piece of news about me. Whether I¡¯m dead or alive, whether I¡¯ve returned or disappeared, whether I¡¯m still unconscious or awake, whether I¡¯ll reveal the secret he¡¯s been trying so hard to hide from the public...¡±

    ¡°Stop!¡± Benson broke down. He fell to the ground and held his head in pain. ¡°Please stop! Just stop!¡±

    I suddenly stood up and walked up to him. I lifted this coward¡¯s cor and shouted angrily, ¡°Are you scared? The mask of a good person you¡¯ve painstakingly maintained is about to be taken off, and you¡¯re so scared that you¡¯re about to pee your pants, right? If you knew this would happen, why did you do it?¡±

    ¡°Selma, what happened? What are you doing?¡±

    My adoptive parents stood up in fear. They reached out but retracted their hands. They were shocked by this change.

    I threw Benson to the ground. ¡°Since he doesn¡¯t dare to admit it,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll do the talking. It¡¯s about my suicide by jumping into the river.¡±

    Benson grabbed my skirt¡¯s corner and squeezed a sharp wail from his throat. ¡°Please, I beg you, I beg you, I beg you!¡±

    I kicked him away and let the truth see the light of day again. ¡°The truth is that Benson was the fuse that led to my suicide. While I was in the Shadow Pack, Benson kept using the ¡®fated mate¡¯ tag to bait me, neither agreeing nor rejecting. After I expressed my feelings to him, he ruthlessly humiliated me. Back then, he thought I was a human, so he denounced me for being a lowly human and told me to disappear from his sight forever. I was heartbroken, and in my agitation, I jumped into the river tomit suicide.¡±

    A sudden p of metaphorical thunder rang out from the ground, stunning the ignorant crowd.

    Benson was still hoping to quibble. ¡°How can you me me for this? Love is a matter of mutual consent. Don¡¯t I have the right to reject a mate?¡±

    ¡°Of course you do, son of an Alpha, a future leader with a bright future. Not only do you have the right to reject, but you also have the right to waste a little girl¡¯s feelings and youth, to abuse her coldly, to bully her with your bad friends, to insult your friend¡¯s sister, and to pretend to be a good person with a hypocritical mask!

    ¡°Your power is so sacred. After all, in your heart, strength and status are everything. A noble Alpha¡¯s son can naturally bully a human girl.

    ¡°Even if she died because of you, she¡¯s only worth worrying over for two or three days. How to maintain your reputation is the most important. For this, you hid the truth, deceived your friends, and deceived your parents. As long as you are still a leader worthy of trust in everyone¡¯s hearts, then my life and death are not important.

    ¡°But what are you afraid of now? Power and status are your beliefs, aren¡¯t they? So now that you¡¯re beneath me, who has a higher status and more power, you should be happy with it!

    ¡°Benson Walton, in the five years I was gone, have you been watching Rhode and my parents with such a heart-wrenching pain? You¡¯ve been hiding the truth with a clear conscience and watching them walk from hope to despair, haven¡¯t you? Have you been sitting in the office and enjoying the pride and satisfaction of an Alpha¡¯s power?

    ¡°When you look down at your pack from the floor-to-ceiling window, have you ever thought that my family is grieving because you hid this from them? Have you ever thought that more vicious bullies will unscrupulously bully the weak in their eyes because of your twisted backbone?¡±

    Benson trembled as he curled up into a ball. I couldn¡¯t see his expression, but I knew it would make me lose my appetite.

 Chapter 307

    307 Self-deprecation

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    After wiping the hand that had touched him, I threw the handkerchief at him and said expressionlessly, ¡°A disgusting thing like you, you think you¡¯re worthy of being a leader of a pack¡¯s Alpha? The heaven is truly blind.¡±

    No matter how devastated Benson was, I felt great.

    This man, who was once insufferably arrogant and weighed down on my destiny like a tall mountain, now seemed like an insignificant fallen leaf. Although annoying, he was crushed into powder with a gentle touch.

    The anger that had umted in my chest was swept away. I no longer paid attention to the pile of mud-like coward by my feet. I returned to my adoptive parents¡¯ side and gently held their hands tofort them and stop them from talking.

    It was not the time to interrupt.

    The Walton couple were so anxious that they were about to go crazy. They looked at their son, who had copsed, in shock and disappointment. They were filled with guilt and pleading when they faced me. They didn¡¯t even dare to look at my adoptive parents, much less my biological parents, who exuded an aura of authority without being angry.

    The living room suddenly fell silent, leaving only Benson¡¯s weak sobs and trembling.

    My father slowly walked up to him, coldly looking at the young Alpha, saying, ¡°Benson Walton, do you confess to your crimes?¡±

    Benson raised his head shakily, revealing his wet face and red and swollen eyes. He mumbled, ¡°I admit it...¡±

    Mrs. Walton let out a sigh of despair. Mr. Walton stood up helplessly and tried to defend his son. ¡°There must be some misunderstanding here...¡±

    Benson interrupted his father and said dejectedly, ¡°No, Father, everything is real. I was the one who forced Selma tomit suicide. I was the one who bullied her. I was the one who turned a blind eye to my friends bullying her. I used to be a b*stard. Irascible, arrogant, stupid, and ignorant. I was the one who caused all the tragedies.¡±

    Hearing his self-narration, my adoptive father sighed, my adoptive mother burst into tears, and Rhode looked at his ¡®good buddy¡¯ in shock. His eyes darted between Benson and me, clearly unable to ept this.

    ¡°Why did you do this?¡± He angrily grabbed Benson¡¯s cor and lifted him, roaring at him, ¡°Selma is my younger sister! You keep saying that I¡¯m your best friend, that I¡¯m destined to serve as your Beta, that my family is your family, that you¡¯ll treat Selma as your sister, and this is how you treat your sister?¡±

    Benson wanted to defend himself, but he was punched to the ground by Rhode.

    ¡°Go to hell, you hypocritical viin!¡± Rhode beat up Benson as if he had gone mad to vent his anger. ¡°How dare you do this to Selma! How can you let me down? How can you let Selma down? How can you be worthy of the people in the pack who sincerely regard you as a leader worthy of following? You¡¯ve deceived everyone!¡±

    My father watched all of this coldly and had no intention of stopping it. Mr. Walton and my adoptive father quickly stepped forward to pull the two apart. Rhode, who had lost his mind in anger, even punched Mr. Walton in the chaos.

    Looking at this farce of fighting and kicking, I suddenly felt extremely fed up ¨C the oue was already decided, so what was the point of wasting more time?

    ¡°Enough!¡± I shouted, and the people in the chaos stopped and looked at me, bewildered.

    ¡°Come back, Rhode. Violence can¡¯t solve anything.¡±

    Rhode red at Benson unwillingly and spat on the ground. He shook off Mr. Walton¡¯s hand and turned to leave.

    ¡°As for you, Benson, what kind of punishment do you think you should receive?¡±

    With a bloody nose and a swollen face, Benson silently got up. With Mr. Walton¡¯s help, he said with a hunched body, ¡°I¡¯m willing to ept anything.¡±

    I waved my hand impatiently. ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb with me. This kind of ambiguity is boring. As an Alpha, you should know that the royal family generally doesn¡¯t easily intervene in local affairs. You understand what I mean, right?¡±

    Benson bowed even lower. ¡°Yes, Your Highness. After I return to pack, I will immediately resign from my position as an Alpha and join the mobile patrol team, punishing myself with hard work until my death. I¡¯m doing this of my own free will. I only ask for your forgiveness.¡±

    I subconsciously opened my mouth to say something sarcastic, but I changed my mind. To an egoistic maniac like Benson, who regarded power as his life, falling from the pedestal was probably worse than death. Moreover... A mobile patrol team? This is a good ce. I needed a sentinel to help me investigate the various packs, and the candidate had already arrived.

    It might sound a little dark to say this, but the rules of politics were like this: A frightened dog might not be obedient, but it was easier to control than a loyal person.

    I nodded in satisfaction. ¡°I ept your apology. This is considered done.¡±

    After being beaten up by Rhode, Benson¡¯s father sent his men to treat his wounds. My adoptive parents knew they couldn¡¯t do anything about it, so they remained silent. Rhode was immersed in the pain of being betrayed by his friend and the guilt he felt for me.

    The Walton couple was terrified. They could not ept that their son had done such a despicable thing, but reality had hit them in the head.

    After dealing with Benson, only one question was left unasnwered: Who should be the Shadow Pack¡¯s Alpha?

 Chapter 308

    308 You¡¯re Worth It

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Benson didn¡¯t have any siblings, and the Walton Family was even more ashamed to return to their Alpha position. In the end, Mr. Warton suggested with a bitter smile, ¡°Your Majesty, please give the order for a public election. Benson is a good-for-nothing, and as his father, I don¡¯t have the face to take over, so we should choose a new Alpha.¡±

    My father agreed.

    The Walton couple hurriedly took their leave. This family reunion also seemed out of ce because of my grudge against Benson. Facing my terrified adoptive parents, I consoled them, ¡°Can you and Rhode stay in the pce for a while? I¡¯ve been nning to go back to the Shadow Pack to visit my family. After I finish my work here, I think we can go back together.¡±

    Of course, my adoptive parents were happy, but they couldn¡¯t show it because of my biological parents¡¯ presence.

    My biological mother said considerately, ¡°There¡¯s no need to have any qualms. In fact, His Majesty and I also support Selma in returning to the Shadow Pack for a visit. After all, that¡¯s where she grew up for eighteen years. Her feelings for that ce are extraordinary.¡±

    Surprisingly, the two mothers got along very well. My adoptive mother was easy to get close to, and my biological mother also had the style of a middle-aged woman who was very familiar with others. Soon, the two of them were happy and harmonious. In contrast, my adoptive and biological father¡¯s rtionship was much more formal. Although there was no estrangement between the two, they could not be intimate.

    I didn¡¯t dwell much on this. As long as there were no conflicts between the two sides, they could get along however they wanted. There was no need for them to force a smile for me.

    As if there was no conflict, we happily spent the entire morning together. My adoptive parents insisted on going back to the hotel after lunch.

    ¡°We still have luggage to pack. Besides, although Benson is a wimp, The Walton couple are my friends who have gone through life and death with me. There are some things I have to tell them.¡± My adoptive father had aged ten years at the mention of this.

    ¡°Selma, I¡¯m very sorry. As your parents, we should have discovered all that you¡¯ve suffered a long time ago, but the truth is that we didn¡¯t do anything. We let you fight against malice and bullying alone. I¡¯m such a... oh Moon Goddess, what have I been doing before?¡±

    Facing my tearful adoptive parents, I felt like a knife was cutting my heart. I immediatelyforted them that this was not their fault.

    ¡°You¡¯re also victims of deception. Don¡¯t me yourself for this.¡± I sobbed as I wiped their tears. ¡°The past is the past. There¡¯s no point dwelling on it. I¡¯ve returned to your side, and we¡¯ll have a happy future, won¡¯t we?¡±

    Before I left, the unusually silent Rhode suddenly told me, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Selma. It was my negligence that indulged Benson¡¯s every move.

    I knew he had gone to a dead end, so I smiled and nudged him, just like how we yed around at the Shadow Pack when we were young.

    ¡°You know that I¡¯ve never med you, Rhode. On the contrary, if you didn¡¯t act as my haven, I don¡¯t know if I could¡¯ve persisted in the bullying for so long. So, don¡¯t look like you¡¯re about to cry. Smile and take good care of your parents, okay?¡±

    Rhode stared nkly for a moment before smiling back at me. With red-rimmed eyes, he said, ¡°Alright.¡±

    After the chaotic morning ended, I returned to my idle state in the afternoon.

    As usual, Jordin and Emma went on leave three days after I got married. Dorothy hid in the Sorcery Research Institute to avoid disturbing Aldrich and me. I felt quite empty without the girls chattering around me.

    However, this emptinesssted only a few minutes before it dissipated with Aldrich¡¯s clingy dog-like attacks.

    We fooled around the entire afternoon and had dinner on the bed.

    As I munched on the caramelized baguette, I couldn¡¯t help butugh when I thought of the expressions on my face when I was with my adoptive parents this morning.

    Pouring me a cup of tea, Aldrich said, ¡°Today is indeed a day worth being happy about, but if you must be distracted when you¡¯re with me, then I¡¯ll be angry even if it¡¯s the couple that I respect.¡±

    ¡°Be serious.¡± I gave him a push. ¡°What was that? They¡¯re my parents!¡±

    We started pushing each other around like primary school students. After ending this childish game, I suddenly felt myriad emotions as Iy in Aldrich¡¯s arms.

    ¡°At this moment, I feel my life is alreadyplete.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°My true love is by my side, my two sets of parents are healthy and safe, my close friends are each other¡¯s confidants, and my respected seniors and teachers have led me to this ce. I don¡¯t know what I had done in my previous life to be able to obtain so many precious friendships in this life.¡±

    ¡°It has nothing to do with your previous life. The answer to everything is that you are worth it.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re lying to me.¡±

    ¡°I swear that everythinges from my heart. Because my lover is so kind, intelligent, beautiful, and powerful. So isn¡¯t it natural for the world to favor her?¡±

    Was I loved by the world?

    I¡¯d always been a person without a sense of security. I never asked anyone if they liked me because I was afraid of getting an answer I didn¡¯t want.

    However, if I were to ask myself, was I loved by the world?

    I didn¡¯t think I cared about the answer.

    I¡¯d already received so much love from my lover, family, and friends. What more could I want?

 Chapter 309

    309 The Change

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    In the middle of September, I set off for the Shadow Pack. To protect my former friends and family, the royal family announced that Aldrich and I were going on a honeymoon at the Shadow Pack. The specific itinerary was kept secret, and no media interviews were epted.

    Apanying us were Dorothy, Jordin, Emma, Master Kevin, and others. I thought the Sorcery Research Institute would send Master Hayley, but Master Kevin¡¯s arrival surprised me. He was famous for his academic brain. He was not interested in anything other than the library and theboratory, let alone traveling.

    On my wedding day, I saw him on the viewing tform. He was holding a delicate wooden box with the Y&Y on it. Before leaving, I visited Master Mary and asked her about it.

    ¡°It¡¯s been so many years, but Kevin still hasn¡¯t gotten used to this.¡± She said emotionally, ¡°Ever since La passed away, Kevin would bring the dress he had customized for La to important events. This way, he can feel that La is still by his side.¡±

    I sighed and didn¡¯t pursue the matter.

    Many of them, like Dorothy, had never left the Lycan Pack since they were young. She was extremely excited along the way, asionally picking rare nts, seeds, spores, and other small things to store in her sample bottle. Compared to apanying me on a journey, she was more like a student on a study trip. She was more rxed than anyone else.

    We stopped at the Silver Moon Pack for a day to rest. As one of the top-ranked packs, the Silver Moon Pack was as prosperous as the Lycan Pack. In particr, this ce was close to the ins that bordered the elf forest and human society. Trade was developed here, and it had a luxurious feel.

    Francis weed us warmly. Coincidentally, his youngest daughter also came back to visit her family. I finally got to meet the girl that Francis always talked about.

    It was not urate to call her a girl. She was a few years older than me. Although she had been married for many years, and she led a very happy life. With the nourishment of love, she was as young as a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl.

    ¡°Greetings, Your Highness.¡± She went forward and kneeled before me, seemingly a little excited. ¡°Thank you foring to the Silver Moon Pack. Your presence is an honor for all of us.¡±

    Teresa was a talkative woman, and with her wittynguage, the unfamiliarity between us was quickly swept away. As I chatted with her, I was surprised to find out that her husband was an old acquaintance of mine ¨C Benson¡¯s friend, the head of the guards, Daniel.

    ¡°So you¡¯ve known about me for a long time?¡±

    ¡°You could say that,¡± Teresa smiled shyly. ¡°Daniel has been helping Mr. And Mrs. Payne to find you. I¡¯ve graduallye to know about you.¡±

    Daniel had always been one of the indifferent people in the Shadow Pack. He didn¡¯t bully me, nor did he help me. He treated me like an invisible person. We didn¡¯t have much interaction, but I didn¡¯t expect him to be willing to help my adoptive parents find me.

    I had to thank Daniel for taking care of my adoptive parents. Since Teresa already knew about my background, there was no need to hide my rtionship with my biological parents. I didn¡¯t know him much in the past. I didn¡¯t expect him to be such a warm-hearted person who was cold on the outside.

    ¡°You know, conflicts and contradictions are inevitable in human rtionships,¡± Teresa said with a troubled expression. ¡°As Benson¡¯s friend, Daniel had no choice but to avoid suspicion with you. He didn¡¯t mean to be disrespectful, so please don¡¯t misunderstand.¡±

    ¡°Why do I feel like you¡¯re a little afraid of me?¡±

    Having been seen through by me, Teresa smiled awkwardly and didn¡¯t reply.

    Recalling how she was so secretive about Benson that she didn¡¯t even dare to mention his name, I understood everything. The news of Benson¡¯s resignation had long been sent back to the Shadow Pack. Coupled with some rumors that were intentionally leaked, smart people could easily link it to me.

    They were all adults, so they were expected to be realistic. No matter how good their rtionship with Benson was, they had no choice but to admit defeat in front of me. They were unlucky to be Benson¡¯s trusted aides. To prevent me from settling the score, it was normal for them to show goodwill in front of me. I was sure Teresa had rushed back to her hometown alone to meet me because of her husband.

    After figuring out the crux of the matter, I lost all interest in chatting and sent Teresa away with a few perfunctory words.

    She was still a little worried before she left, but I had no interest inforting her. Since she liked to guess at other people¡¯s thoughts, she should guess as much as he wanted.

    Aldrich and I took our leave early and returned to the hotel.

    Seeing my low spirits, Aldrich asked, ¡°Why are you unhappy? Did someone offend you?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°No. I feel like something has changed.¡±

    ¡°What has changed?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure. This feeling is like a flower growing from a seed to a flower. Although the surrounding environment hasn¡¯t changed and it¡¯s still the same, the outside world¡¯s attitude towards it has suddenly changed.¡±

 Chapter 310

    310 Emotions And Interests

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Aldrichughed out loud because of my strange metaphor. ¡°You¡¯re saying that because you¡¯ve be a Princess, everyone¡¯s attitude towards you has changed drastically?¡±

    I nodded gloomily.

    ¡°I knew this would happen sooner orter, and I was prepared for it, but I still can¡¯t help but feel disappointed. Could it be that I can¡¯t have a pure friendship without any schemes and benefits again? I don¡¯t want every word I say to be weighed on a scale before I express it. It¡¯s so exhausting, and I can¡¯t bear it. ¡±

    Aldrich rolled me into a ball and stuffed me in his arms, patting my back like he was coaxing a baby to sleep.

    ¡®Don¡¯t be so pessimistic. You already have friendships that are pure and without any conditions, haven¡¯t you?¡± His voice was extremely gentle. ¡°You have me, your adoptive parents, brother, and a group of like-minded friends. Isn¡¯t what you have now more precious?

    ¡°I understand that you¡¯re all the most important people to me, but the thought of having to talk to people like Teresa every day in the future makes me feel mentally tired. People areplicated. When they pursue benefits, they hope to obtain them without putting in any effort with their emotions, but when they pursue feelings, they put benefits on the table and weigh them. In the end, your feelings are all gone, and you don¡¯t get any benefits. Isn¡¯t that exhausting?¡±

    Aldrich didn¡¯t answer me, instead, he said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what other people think, but do you want to hear my story?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s about my mother¡¯s family and my childhood.¡±

    Aldrich¡¯s mother had passed away when he was very young, and Duke Frank had raised him alone. It wasn¡¯t that there weren¡¯t any other rtives who popped up during this period, but it wasn¡¯t a heartwarming story.

    Duke Frank was born amoner and did not have many rtives. On the other hand, the Duchess was born into a noble family, and her family was a long-established noble family that lived in seclusion in a certain pack. Due to the huge difference in status, the Duchess¡¯ parents did not agree to her marriage to Duke Frank. They even said, ¡°You can either continue to be a nobledy, or you can go to the horizon with that beggar and nevere back again.¡±

    The young Duchess was so angry that she secretly eloped with Duke Frank, and her parents ignored her as they had promised.

    Later, Duke Frank made a fortune step by step and worked hard to get to his current position. The Duchess finally led a good life. However, the good times did notst long. After a few years of enjoyment, the Duchess passed away, leaving behind the heartbroken Duke Frank and little Aldrich, who was still in his cot.

    The Duchess¡¯s family, which had disappeared for a long time, suddenly reappeared. They tried to please little Aldrich so that the young and ignorant Aldrich would quickly regard them as family.

    However, they could not wait to show their greedy fangs, urging Aldrich to ask Duke Frank to provide them with benefits, and even tried to murder the father and son. As the maiden family of the Duchess, they were only qualified to inherit her inheritance when her husband and children died.

    Of course, the clumsy plot was easily seen through by Duke Frank. From then on, the family disappeared, and the heartbroken little Aldrich also closed himself off for a long time, unwilling to make friends again.

    ¡°That was until I entered the military camp. I met many of myrades and my first instructor, Frank.¡± At the mention of Frank, Aldrich was a little dejected. ¡°I was just a cocky kid back then. I didn¡¯t like anyone and always felt that others were plotting against me.¡±

    Of course, nobody liked this Aldrich, so after a month of training, his peers in the same ss could tell each other everything they had, and he was still a lone wolf.

    It wasn¡¯t that others didn¡¯t want to get close to him, but he refused to let anyone get close to him. He even used sarcasm to dig out the purpose of others trying to build a good rtionship with him. This made him a condescending noble young master in other people¡¯s hearts. No one dared to provoke him, but no one was willing to get close to him.

    As an instructor, Frank saw everything. One day, he called Aldrich over and beat him up in the name of private guidance. Aldrich, who had an inted ego during puberty, couldn¡¯t take it. After many failed counterattacks, he couldn¡¯t stand his ground and exploded.

    He used Frank of abusing his authority for personal gain and was using the opportunity of guidance to vent his grudges against him. When Frank asked why he thought he was targeting him, Aldrich answered without hesitation, ¡°Just because I¡¯m a noble, you¡¯re biased against me, so you¡¯re trying to torture me?¡±

    After he shouted this, the furious Frank suddenly calmed down and asked, ¡°You think I¡¯m biased against you?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense, kid! You¡¯ve always been the biased one!¡±

    Frank¡¯s punchnded on Aldrich¡¯s face, interrupting his anger and knocking him out of his senses.

    How could it be his fault?

 Chapter 311

    311 Pride and Prejudice

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Frank grabbed Aldrich¡¯s cor and carried him to the edge of the training ground. Outside the wire fence were the trainees from the same batch participating in the weekend movie night.

    ¡°Look at this group of young people of your age. They are innocent, pure, and passionate and can be friends with just one look. And you? At the age of fifteen or sixteen, you¡¯re living like a dying old man, arrogantly digging out the dark side of other people¡¯s hearts, but you don¡¯t know that you¡¯re the one who¡¯s stuck in a dead end!

    ¡°What do you have that others want? A powerful duke for a father? Noble status? Wealth? Let me tell you, kid, don¡¯t think you¡¯re so likable. When people greet you, it¡¯s not because they want to ask you for something. It¡¯s just a form of courtesy. They might not even remember your name! The things you value are not even worth a fart. No one cares about them at all!

    ¡°This is the military camp, not your home. Don¡¯t throw your young master temper here! The people living with you are yourrades. Now you¡¯re giving them a dirty face, but when you¡¯re on the battlefield in the future, are you going to tell yourrades, ¡®Don¡¯te and save me. I won¡¯t give you anything¡¯? If you¡¯re still soughably na?ve, then let me tell you, you¡¯re not worthy of being a warrior!

    ¡°Now, answer me: do you want to continue staying in the military camp, put away your young master temper, and obediently go roll in the mud with yourrades, or do you want to pack up and leave immediately? ¡±

    Aldrich was alreadypletely stunned. For many years he had been lingering in the shadow of his mother¡¯s family, unable to extricate himself, using his violent appearance as a cover that he did not dare to get along with others. Having his disguise suddenly exposed, he felt embarrassed and angry, but at the same time, he felt a huge emptiness.

    ¡°From then on, I began to try to integrate into the group. At that time, we were all young, and there was no overnight enmity between us, so we epted me very quickly.¡± Aldrich said, ¡°Thanks to that beating from Frank. He made me understand one thing: you can¡¯t know a person¡¯s heart. Never specte about other people¡¯s thoughts. ¡®Rtives¡¯ who smile at me may want me to die, and strangers who say bad things to me may want to get close to me. Preemptively predicting the oue won¡¯t change anything. Instead, it¡¯ll block my eyes and interfere with my judgment, making things worse.

    ¡°So, you don¡¯t have to worry about your future. Whether it¡¯s true or false, it¡¯s inevitable in social life. This has nothing to do with our identity. Whether we are kings or beggars, we can¡¯t escape the shackles of social rules ¨C we are the creators and users of these rules. We should have expected everything, so there is no need to be discouraged.¡±

    I looked at him for a long time before suddenly bursting outughing. ¡°Do you know what you look like right now?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°The male host of the Midnight Love radio station!¡±

    After saying that, I tried to escape from Aldrich¡¯s arms, but he grabbed me back to the bed and pressed me down.

    ¡°It seems that you¡¯re not sad at all,¡± he said with ill intentions. ¡°In that case, let¡¯s do something happy.¡±

    The room was dimly lit.

    After I stopped wasting my time, I swept away my dejection and appeared full of energy in front of everyone the next day.

    Before I left the Silver Moon Pack, I especially looked at Teresa tofort this panickingdy I had angered.

    She was wary when she spoke to me, not as friendly as she was at the beginning. She probably didn¡¯t know how she had offended me, so she didn¡¯t dare to ¡®be presumptuous¡¯ anymore.

    ¡°I must apologize for my attitudest night,¡± I got straight to the point. ¡°I was too tired yesterday and rude to you because of some things. I¡¯m very sorry for the trouble I¡¯ve caused you. You¡¯re a very good person, and I like to get along with you.¡±

    Teresa was surprised and a little ttered. ¡°You¡¯re being too serious, Your Highness. I don¡¯t feel anything.¡±

    I didn¡¯t expose her little pretense. I smiled and asked, ¡°When are you returning to the Shadow Pack? I think we can be friends.¡±

    ¡°I- I still have to keep Fatherpany for a few more days.¡± My friend¡¯s request caught Teresa off guard, but she quickly reacted naturally as an extrovert and smiled sweetly. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the Shadow Pack before your honeymoon with Sir Aldrich ends. It¡¯s my honor to be your friend.¡±

    ¡°Then, I wish you a happy life. We¡¯ll meet again at the Shadow Pack!¡±

    After resolving this knot in my heart, I felt unusuallyfortable. Just as Aldrich said, ¡®Don¡¯t assume anything.¡¯ If I wanted everything to develop in a good direction, then I had to work hard in a good direction, right?

    ¡°You guys had a good time chatting?¡± Aldrich asked.

    I nodded. ¡°Of course. Selma and Teresa will be friends. Definitely!¡±

    After so many years, the Shadow Pack didn¡¯t change much. I could even find the tree I used to hide in when I was young.

    Back then, I was always the one who was ignored. Often, no one could find me even when it was dark because everyone had forgotten about me.

 Chapter 312

    312 Feelings

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Most of the time, it was Rhode who carried me down from the tree and bought me a blueberry ice cream sprinkled with powdered sugar. Then, he would bring me home while talking about the dinner menu.

    Although I wanted to stay in my former home, I had to stay in the hotel to prevent the security guards from going crazy. Ultimately, I arranged for my adoptive parents and Rhode toe in. We spent a happy week together, and then we had to get down to business.

    In addition to our honeymoon, there was another purpose for the Shadow Pack ¨C to select a new Alpha.

    This work required the residents in the pack and the representatives of the royal family to witness it. Without a doubt, I was the guest representing the royal family.

    The day of the selection was set to be the night of the nearest full moon, the 23rd of September. Before that, we selected a few candidates through public opinion. Among them are some of my acquaintances, such as the captain of the guards, Daniel, a few young people from political families, and even my brother, Rhode.

    Besides being Benson¡¯s Beta, Rhode didn¡¯t have any political capital. Benson¡¯s resignation had ruined his reputation.

    Even under such circumstances, so many people still supported him. Although we unanimously attributed this to the people¡¯s recognition of Rhode¡¯s achievements, everyone knew I couldn¡¯t do without it. As the adopted brother of the princess, Rhode had the possibility of rising to the top. This made countless people fight to invest in him.

    Rhode couldn¡¯t help but feel depressed. But he never showed it before me, and I knew it was because of Emma.

    One night, Emma came to me and said, ¡°The most influential Mr. Payne doesn¡¯t seem to be in a good mood.¡±

    At that time, I didn¡¯t realize my influence on Rhode. I was happy he could get so many people¡¯s support, so I was puzzled. ¡°Why? Is he troubled?¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s because of the votes,¡± Emma shrugged and said, ¡°Mr. Payne is happy that the people voted for him, but he thinks that if he gets support because of you, you will probably be viewed as practicing nepotism. So, he is considering whether to withdraw from the election.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I was shocked. ¡°Why? Rhode had given so much for the Shadow Pack. He deserves it all. He shouldn¡¯t have to give it up for me!¡±

    I immediately decided to look for him, but Emma stopped me.

    ¡°Would you like to hear my opinion?¡±

    ¡°Of course, please go ahead.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think Mr. Payne is calm right now. He¡¯s at the peak of his impulsiveness. If you go over and persuade him now, he might be even more determined to withdraw from the election.¡±

    Emma was right. My appearance would push Rhode to make an impulsive decision.

    ¡°So what do you think is the best?¡±

    ¡°You can give Mr. Payne the cold shoulder for one night and pretend that you don¡¯t know about this. Since the temporary Election Committee is not open at night, Mr. Payne would have to wait until the next morning to apply to abstain. There¡¯s only a bit of time left until tomorrow. If we can distract Mr. Payne until the night, it¡¯ll be toote for him to back out.¡±

    It was a good idea, but...

    ¡°But this is only a temporary solution. Perhaps he will withdraw from the ceremony if we can¡¯t resolve the knot in Rhode¡¯s heart.¡±

    Emma was stunned. She didn¡¯t seem to have thought of this.

    This girl couldn¡¯t be med for not thinking carefully. In fact, from her life experience, she always yed the role of the instigator, so she valued the results over the process, not to mention the psychological disturbance.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness. I was too naive,¡± she mumbled. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have taken it for granted.¡±

    I told her not to feel guilty. ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize. On the contrary, I should thank you. Thank you for thinking about my family.¡±

    I didn¡¯t expect Emma to fall silent after I said that suddenly. The redness gradually spread to her cheeks and ears, and soon she was as red as an apple.

    I was initially confused, but an idea immediately came to my mind.

    ¡°!¡±

    I took a deep breath and swallowed my shock. I asked softly, ¡°Are you two...? Oh my god, really?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I think so.¡± Emma nodded shyly.

    This was the first time I¡¯d been so close to a friend¡¯s love life, and I was so excited that I couldn¡¯t speak. Once again, I suppressed my shrieking and excitedly asked, ¡°I remember you haven¡¯t met your mate yet. You and Rhode?¡±

    ¡°No, Your Highness. The Moon Goddess did not give us any guidance.¡± Emma shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not a traditional person. I don¡¯t care if fate has arranged the best choice for me.¡±

    ¡°How far have you guys progressed? Holding hands? Unsure? Confessing? Oh my god, I didn¡¯t notice anything.¡±

    ¡°Actually... we have yet to make any progress. I have a one-sided favorable impression of Rhode. I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s thinking.¡±

    I realized it was time for me to make a move and immediately said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll help you test him!¡±

    ¡°But the election is going to be a sess.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I understand Rhode. He¡¯s not that weak. If he gave up on the election because of me, I¡¯d be suspicious of what he¡¯d gone through in the past three years that I don¡¯t know to be such a timid and irresponsible man!¡±

 Chapter 313

    313 Cowering

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Rhode was surprised by my visit. He didn¡¯t look too good, but he still greeted me with spirit.

    ¡°It¡¯s sote. What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°Because the election ceremony is tomorrow night. I wanted to see how you¡¯ve prepared.¡±

    Rhode fell silent at the mention of the election ceremony.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you worried?¡± I asked despite knowing the answer. ¡°If I can help with anything, just let me know.¡±

    As expected, Rhode¡¯s reaction was intense. He refused without thinking, ¡°There is no need! I can handle everything on my own.¡±

    After speaking, he realized his tone was harsh and wanted to find a remedy. He opened his mouth a few times, but nothing came out. Ultimately, he could only let his shoulders fall and sigh gloomily.

    I didn¡¯t hide anything and got straight to the point. ¡°I heard you¡¯re considering giving up on the election.¡±

    Rhode didn¡¯t expect me to know about this. He asked in a panic, ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I- wait, how did you know?¡±

    I didn¡¯t disclose that Emma had leaked the secret to me. Instead, I asked, ¡°Why though? Is it because of me? Are you afraid that it¡¯ll affect me negatively?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s a little presumptuous to say this, but... I¡¯ve heard a lot of rumors recently. Because of my rtionship with you, many people think that I was able to get on the running list because of your maniption. I don¡¯t want you to be used of nepotism. Moreover, I know that my words carry little weight, and my experience is still shallow. I don¡¯t have the qualifications topete with the seniors.¡±

    Rhode was dispirited. No matter how I looked at him, his sighing hurt my ears.

    The Rhode I used to know wasn¡¯t like this. He was kind, upright, and fearless. In the past, many people talked about my ¡®human¡¯ identity behind my back andughed at my adoptive parents who adopted me. Rhode¡¯s attitude had always been neither servile nor overbearing, and he retaliated directly. He never let himself be wronged, let alone us.

    What was wrong with him now? Why did he suddenly be so timid?

    Facing hisck of fighting spirit, I said, ¡°If that¡¯s what you¡¯re thinking, then fine, you can submit your withdrawal application tomorrow. But don¡¯t get me wrong, you didn¡¯t give up because of me but because you don¡¯t have the qualifications to be a leader.

    ¡°You¡¯ve given up after a little setback. If you be an Alpha in the future, in the face of greater challenges, will you still use the public as an excuse to give them greater benefits? The people won¡¯t support a weak leader like you. Instead of copsing because of more rumors in the future, you might as well give up on everything now.¡±

    Facing my unkind words, Rhode was shocked. He didn¡¯t expect me to criticize him so sharply. For a moment, he didn¡¯t know how to respond.

    I pretended to leave. ¡°Since you¡¯re not going to participate in the election, I have nothing to say to you. Rest well. Good night.¡±

    ¡°No, wait!¡± Rhode pulled me back and said incoherently, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it that way. I mean...¡±

    ¡°Then what do you mean by that?¡± I knew that now was the time to help him loosen the knot in his heart, so I had to be tough. ¡°Today, you gave up your future because you were worried about me. What will you give up tomorrow? An Alpha must have a strong heart. A person who can¡¯t bear a little gossip cannot bear the responsibility of the whole pack. If you¡¯re willing to be a coward to avoid responsibility, then it¡¯s fine. I can protect you, Mom, and Dad for the rest of your lives. You don¡¯t have to do anything else.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a coward!¡± Rhode roared.

    I shouted back without fear, ¡°Then, prove it to me!¡± If you¡¯re not a coward, then do what you should do! Don¡¯t find any excuses for yourself!¡±

    Rhode was stunned. After a while, he covered his face and fell onto the sofa.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m a coward. I said something nice like I don¡¯t want to trouble you, but I don¡¯t want to be a burden to you.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t know who¡¯s behind all these rumors. After assisting Benson for so many years, I¡¯ve gotten used to these schemes. But Benson and I are different. He¡¯s the one who¡¯s bearing all the burden between him and me. I only have to follow his instructions. But when ites to you, I¡¯ve suddenly realized that I¡¯ve be a weapon for those with ill intentions to use as an excuse. Not only can I not help you, but I¡¯ve also be an obstacle for you.

    ¡°I love the Shadow Pack. I¡¯ve been dreaming of it bing better. But I love you more, my sister, my closest kin. I don¡¯t want you to be hurt in any way, and I don¡¯t want to be one of those who hurt you...¡±

    Rhode choked with sobs. This tall and strong man seemed to be lost.

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen a lot of such things. A stalemate will only lead to more intense fights. People without a bottom line will do anything for power. You¡¯ve just been crowned the princess, and your foundation is still unstable. If the first election you¡¯re in charge of causes trouble, people will inevitably be prejudiced against your ability and image.

    ¡°So, I was thinking, why don¡¯t I take a step back? Even an assistant can contribute to the pack, right? ¡±

    A person¡¯s heart did not always grow with age. Experience did bring not only maturity but also more and more fear, cowardice, and concern.

 Chapter 314

    314 Don¡¯t Compromise

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Sociologists oftenpared the differences in behavior between children and adults; they all believed that young people were always braver than older people.

    In fact, this was not necessarily courage. The aggressiveness of young people mighte from the fearlessness born from ignorance, and the cowardice of older people might be the caution condensed from experience. Being overly fearless made one stupid, and being overly cautious would make one appear timid.

    I believed I¡¯d misunderstood Rhode. He was not running away. On the contrary, because of his experience as Beta, he was more careful about the impact of the election on all parties. Apromise was always the most impressive lesson in politics. It was hard to say whether his subconscious decision to quit was because unspoken rules bound him.

    In response, my anger dissipated, leaving only deep helplessness and heartache.

    Must time be so ruthless in taking away thest trace of a person¡¯s youthful spirit? Rhode was still a young man. Was it really good for him to encourage him to fight for it?

    I suddenly wasn¡¯t sure. Facing Rhode¡¯s dilemma, I suddenly realized I was no different from those who secretly pressured him. I only saw the good and bad of utility and ignored Rhode¡¯s wishes. I only saw him as a coward and didn¡¯t see how much he struggled and suffered.

    At the end of the day, I hoped that Rhode could be an Alpha, not without selfish motives. I wanted the Shadow Pack to be my force, so I ordered Rhode around arrogantly.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Rhode.¡± I lowered my head guiltily and leaned on his shoulder like I did when I was young. ¡°I took everything for granted. It¡¯s your freedom to run or not. I shouldn¡¯t have made such a conclusion. If you want to withdraw, we¡¯ll apply tomorrow morning, okay?¡±

    ¡°Selma...¡±

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have used you like that. I¡¯m the one in the wrong. My identity as a Princess has made me too frivolous. I¡¯m delusional to think I can control everything, and I¡¯m trying to guess other people¡¯s minds from a narrow perspective. I said you can¡¯t take responsibility, but I¡¯m the one who can¡¯t be a leader with my arrogance.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that. You wanted to cheer me up.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I wanted to cheer you up, but I forgot what you need. Don¡¯t worry, Rhode. I will support all your decisions. As you said, even if you can¡¯t be an Alpha, being a Beta can still help the pack shine. We¡¯re still young, and there are plenty of opportunities to make a name for ourselves.¡±

    Rhode rubbed my hair like he did when I was a kid. Heughed and said, ¡°I was the one who gave up initially. What has changed now? I don¡¯t intend to withdraw, Selma. I¡¯ve decided to try to participate in the election.¡±

    ¡°But weren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I have many concerns about you, me, and the pack. But just like you said, these are all responsibilities that I should bear. A person who only knows how to retreat can¡¯t even be a good assistant. As for those rumors, if you don¡¯t mind, why would I overstep my boundaries?

    ¡°I¡¯ve thought it through. I¡¯m not the only one by your side. You also have Sir Aldrich, your attendants, and that Miss Sorcery Apprentice. If you have to avoid suspicion with everyone close to you, you¡¯ll be too isted and helpless in the political field. Since there will be voices of opposition no matter what you do, it¡¯s better to do what you want to do and say what whoever wants to say!¡±

    Rhode¡¯s change was so sudden that I couldn¡¯t react in time.

    Looking at my stunned expression, Rhode suddenly ruffled my hair like he did when I was young. He smiled and said, ¡°No matter if you¡¯re a little girl or a Princess, you¡¯ll always be my little sister. An older brother should protect his younger sister. How could a younger sister worry for her older brother? Don¡¯t worry, and do what you want to do, Selma. I can¡¯t be of much help, but I will always support you, just like how you always support me. ¡±

    After settling the election, I thought of Emma before I left. I asked Rhode, ¡°I heard you¡¯ve been getting along well with my attendants these days. They are born into noble families and rarely see the outside world. It would be great if you could be their guide.¡±

    Hearing me mention my attendants, Rhode¡¯s face turned slightly red. ¡°It¡¯s just a little help. It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s my honor to show the youngdies around.¡±

    Looking at his bashful expression, I roughly understood that Emma¡¯s love wasn¡¯t unrequited!

    ¡°Alright, I hope you two get along well. Good night, Rhode.¡±

    Emma had already left when he returned to his room with light steps, leaving only Aldrich in the bedroom.

    ¡°What are you doing? Why are you so happy?¡±

    I told him about my conversation with Rhode and asked him if he heard anything about Emma and him. Emma was my attendant, and I was Rhode¡¯s younger sister. It was not appropriate for Rhode to tell me about this. However, he had a good rtionship with Aldrich, so he might reveal a thing or two.

    It was a pity that Aldrich didn¡¯t know anything about this, but I was still very happy because this showed that Rhode truly respected Emma and didn¡¯t discuss a girl with just about anybody.

 Chapter 315

    315 The Election

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The next day.

    The Alpha candidates gathered at the temporary Campaign Committee in advance. Most of them were ambitious or smug middle-aged men, Daniel and Rhode were rtively young, and there was even a white-haired old man. Due to Benson¡¯s reputation falling like a cliff, Daniel and Rhode also suffered many negative effects, and they were weaker than the other candidates in terms ofpetition.

    However, in the end, the winner would depend on the public¡¯s votes and the Moon Goddess¡¯ will. Only the person she approved of could seed in the Alpha position, which was why Alpha¡¯s status in the pack was superior.

    After some small talk with the candidates to prevent cheating, the chosen representative and I were isted from the candidates. We were to stay in a specific small room until the moon rose. There was no one to apany me during this time, so I decided to write my memoir out of boredom.

    It was about what had happened three years ago: Leviathan, Azazel, Mullwika, the Archpriest, Frank, and Linda, as well as New Flow, god¡¯s blood, Dorothy¡¯s past and present life, and other minor points.

    The most important thing was the ck cocoon that was still lifeless.

    Regarding this strange cocoon, the research team was cautious. They feared hurting Linda and Frank, who were still in danger, and also afraid that it would explode if they left it alone. However, they were also helpless. No precedent could guide the current situation. Even if they wanted to do something, they had no way to start.

    The medical room where the ck cocoon was sealed had be a forbidden area in the entire pce. The werewolf grandmasters had set upyers of restrictions and seals on it. Even I had only visited it once.

    I was quite familiar with this ck cocoon. It looked like the ck version of the light cocoon, but its power was millions of times eviler than the light cocoon. Furthermore, it had the same effect as the cocoon formed from the sap of the giant pine tree. The two were both creations of demons, so it was hard to say if they had any simrities.

    Did Linda, who was ¡®sleeping¡¯ in it, also experience the changes I had experienced?

    Linda had ck moth-shaped kins, which made her true identity a mystery. After I reformed my body, the golden moth pattern appeared on my skin. I once guessed that it had something to do with me absorbing Azazel¡¯s power.

    Linda¡¯s ck moth was so simr to my ck-gold moth. Did this mean that she had a secret rtionship with Azazel? Was the ck cocoon a symbol of ¡®ascendance¡¯? What would it hatch? Was the thing that it hatched still Linda?

    I drew up conjectures about the rtionship between Linda and Azazel, but I overturned all of them in the end. Unless Linda woke up, all my conjectures would have no results.

    I wrote and drew, and the day passed. I could finallye out of the small house when the moon was high in the sky.

    After the voting during the day, the final five candidates emerged: Daniel was eliminated, but Rhode was still around. The other four were people I was not familiar with, and they used to hold important positions in the government.

    At this point, it had nothing to do with the person. The Moon Goddess would choose the final candidate. Since thest public Alpha election was almost a decade ago, themittee was unfamiliar with the process. We could do less and make fewer mistakes to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the loophole. We asked the candidates to stand on the altar and wait for the goddess¡¯ will.

    After a while, dark clouds gathered in the sky and blocked the moon.

    ¡°It¡¯sing! It¡¯sing!¡±

    The surrounding crowd cried out in surprise. We looked up into the sky, and sure enough, a tiny gap had opened in the clouds. The bright moonlight poured through the cracks and enveloped the people on the altar. The moonlight had some unknown power, causing the candidates to transform into their wolves.

    Whoever was thest to transform would be the goddess¡¯ choice.

    At this moment, I couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous. Could it be Rhode?

    His changes didn¡¯t seem as drastic as the others, making my hope grow. I watched everything change without blinking.

    Finally-

    ¡°They¡¯ve changed! It is Rhode! The goddess has chosen Rhode!¡±

    It wasn¡¯t just someone who cried out in surprise. Immediately after, everyone¡¯s eyes were focused on the majestic wolf on the altar.

    It was Rhode!

    I heaved a long sigh of relief and took the lead in pping. The others followed my lead and gave Rhode a warm round of apuse.

    The wolf transformation onlysted for a little more than ten seconds. Rhode, who had transformed back into his human form, waved to the crowd in high spirits. Hispetitors, sincere or not, congratted and hugged him. Countless shes recorded this historic moment.

    The voters¡¯ representative and I went to the stage to announce the results. When we hugged, I whispered, ¡°Congrattions, Rhode.¡±

    Rhode winked at me.

    As the new Alpha, Rhode gave an inauguration speech to the public. He must have attended many such asions with Benson before, so he seemed to be at ease. His mature behavior won the support of many hesitant people. An experienced and sophisticated young leader soon won the cheers of the people.

    Bing an Alpha was a very glorious thing. The hereditary system allowed the Alpha family to rise to the sky with them. But the greater the interest, the greater the responsibility. History had seen many Alphas who were overthrown due to stupidity or cruelty.

 Chapter 316

    316 The Kidnapping Of The Orphans

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The newly appointed Rhode obviously couldn¡¯t be as idle as before. He had to transfer government affairs from the temporary ruling council quickly. At the same time, he faced doubts from the outside world and internal obstacles, which made him so busy that he even slept in the office for a few days, let alone spend time with my adoptive parents.

    I wanted to help him, but the Lycan pack had always not interfered with the internal affairs of other packs. A decision without consideration would send a wrong signal to the outside world, so I had no choice but to stand by and even reduce my contact with Rhode.

    However, even if I couldn¡¯t interfere on the surface, it was still very easy to give some help in the dark. Under my instructions, Emma became the middleman between Rhode and me. Their personal rtionship also developed smoothly under my tacit approval. More than once, Jordinined to me that Emma was missing, Dorothy was addicted to collecting specimens, and she couldn¡¯t find anyone to hang out with.

    After the election, I had nothing to do. Every day, I would travel with my parents, be intimate with Aldrich, or go shopping with the girls. My days were very leisurely.

    Unknowingly, the honeymoon trip was about to end, and the day of departure was about to arrive. Teresa came back before I left and brought me some special products from the Silver Moon Pack and a rumor circting there.

    The wanderers seemed to have be rampant again. They attacked a few smaller packs. Although they didn¡¯t suffer any major losses, many children were taken away, especially from the orphanages in the disaster area.

    I was shocked. ¡°They just took the child away in broad daylight? No one stopped them?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Teresa said helplessly. ¡°But the wanderers only choose the poor and weak. Those ces don¡¯t have enough security, and charity organizations like orphanages don¡¯t have much defense. In addition, they also attacked banks, shopping malls, and other ces to hide. The local government was busy protecting the money bag, so who would remember the orphanage?¡±

    ¡°This is too much! What do those Alphas usually do? Isn¡¯t the children more important than anything else?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but in the face of real gold and silver and ¡®burdens¡¯ who have no parents, how can human nature stand the test?¡±

    I naturally understood this logic. I was angry but also helpless. The smaller packs were poor, and without banks, shopping malls, and other such ces, the financial situation would only worsen. The disappearance of the orphans was much easier to deal with. If the news were suppressed, no one would remember this after two to three months.

    This was the cold reality of politics. I hated it, I hated it, and I wanted to change it.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t those packs report the situation? I didn¡¯t hear anything before.¡±

    I¡¯d been in contact with my parents every day. If the royal family knew about this, they¡¯d tell me.

    ¡°Or I¡¯ll say it¡¯s a ¡®rumor¡¯. You know that my family¡¯s business is doing well. I heard this from the pack¡¯s merchant, who was attacked.¡± Teresa said mysteriously, ¡°No one wants to take responsibility for this. We¡¯ll hide it as long as we can.¡±

    This group of damn politicians! They could not rescue the missing orphans but hid this matter from us. If the rescue time were dyed, the children would be in danger!

    After she left, I immediately contacted my parents and told them about the wanderers¡¯ attack on the pack and the kidnapping of the children.

    To my surprise, they had also received the news, although not much earlier than me. Those few Alphas didn¡¯t have much ability, but they were very skilled in deceiving and lying. Even the royal spies were deceived and blocked from the truth.

    ¡°So far, ny-four children have been confirmed to be missing. They are from the Yellow Leaf, Flood, and Saber Tooth Packs. These packs are all close to the border and are poor and weak. After the wanderers kidnapped the orphans, they fled into the elf forest and disappeared without a trace.¡±

    My father said in a deep voice, ¡°The elf race has always been isted from the world. There will be great obstacles in our negotiations with them. They will most likely refuse to let us enter the elf forest to search.

    ¡°Can¡¯t we ask the elves to help us with the pursuit? A group of extremely vicious criminals has escaped into their territory. With the proud nature of elves, they can¡¯t tolerate this, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but I can¡¯t guarantee anything. There have been cases of criminals escaping into the elf forest before. Sometimes, the elves would capture the criminals, but sometimes, they would let them do whatever they wanted. As long as they don¡¯t harm the interests of the elves, the elves would pretend that they didn¡¯t see anything.¡±

    Personally, I had a little prejudice against the elves. For thousands of years, the race that had always imed to be kind, reclusive, and peace-loving was the proudest.

    When their people were hurt, no matter who did it, they would make a statement to condemn all races indiscriminately, as if the whole world had wronged them. When others needed their help, they would pretend to be invisible.

    I didn¡¯t want to put it too harshly, but how much of their istion was because they were ¡®reclusive¡¯, and how much was it because the other races were unwilling to pay attention to them?

 Chapter 317

    317 The Decadence

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The elves¡¯ ambiguous attitude caused a lot of trouble in the pursuit. Three dayster, after receiving no response from the Elf King, my father sent a small elite team into the elf forest to scout the situation.

    Without a doubt, I became the leader of this search team, so I didn¡¯t have to return to the Lycan pack. I had to wait for the team members to arrive in the Shadow Pack. Since this was a top-secret operation, we would disguise ourselves as a civilian scientific research team. The elves¡¯ attitude toward non-threatening civilians was still very peaceful, so we couldn¡¯t reveal our identities, or it might cause a diplomatic incident.

    I couldn¡¯t help but get angry: I really didn¡¯t understand what those pointy-eared people were thinking. They had to be careful when werewolves entered the country, but they could ignore the vicious wandering criminal gang. They could send someone to catch us if they didn¡¯t trust us. Were there people who were naive enough to think that the stray werewolves only targeted the werewolf race and were harmonious and friendly to other races?

    I didn¡¯t know what the Elf King was thinking, but I realized that the size of the brains of some werewolves was eye-opening.

    In the three days after the scandal of the missing orphans was exposed, many criticisms drifted like snowkes to the three packs at the border, which tried to cover up the reality. In this regard, the first thing the Alphas in these three ces thought about wasn¡¯t how to calm the public¡¯s anger, how to organize a search and rescue, but instead began to throw the pot down, ¡®Are you using me of dereliction of duty? Alright then, I might not do anything. Whoever has the ability will take care of this mess.¡¯

    This ignited the public¡¯s anger. The arrogant Alphas might have wanted to force the public to see the ¡®fact¡¯ that ¡®they can¡¯t live without them¡¯, but he didn¡¯t expect to push himself into the pit of fire.

    The people with the Yellow Leaf and Floodwater Packs held a referendum to overthrow the legitimacy of the current Alpha. The Saber Tooth Pack members were even more furious. They attacked the government, deprived the Alpha of all power, and sued him for ¡®serious dereliction of duty¡¯ until the Federal Court.

    In other words, the final decision was now in the hands of the Lycan pack. The Yellow Leaf and Floodwater Packs needed to elect a new Alpha, and the Saber Tooth Pack¡¯s situation was even more critical. In addition to selecting a leader, they also needed to quell the rising trend of riots.

    My father made a prompt decision and immediately sent Duke Frank to deal with the most critical pack ¨C the Saber Tooth Pack. My itinerary changed again. I immediately set off for the Yellow Leaf Pack and Floodwater Pack to host the Alpha election and wait for the search team to meet me here.

    On the day I left the Shadow Pack, my rtives and friends were all very reluctant to part, and my adoptive mother was so worried that she almost cried.

    ¡°I heard that there¡¯s a Riot Brewing at the border. You must be careful wherever you go. If there¡¯s any danger, protect yourself first and think about other things, understand? I know you have to bear the responsibility of a Princess, but that doesn¡¯t mean you have to take the lead in everything. Promise me. You must ensure your safety!¡± she said worriedly.

    I hugged my adoptive parents tightly and said, ¡°I understand. Mom and dad, you have to take care of your health too. I¡¯lle back to see you when I¡¯m done with the things over there.¡±

    Rhode had gradually shown the qualities of an Alpha. He wasn¡¯t acting like a kid anymore when he calmly told me, ¡°Take care of yourself. If there¡¯s anything you need me for, let me know immediately.¡±

    Before leaving under everyone¡¯s watchful eyes, I nodded and bid farewell to Teresa and the others.

    The werewolves did not have any strict regional discrimination. However, the difference in Regional Development was an objective fact. Only some of the packs with superior geographical location could be as prosperous as the trunk pack, and not all the packs with convenient transportation could be as prosperous as the Silver Moon Pack.

    The closer we got to the border, the more obvious the gap between the rich and the poor became. The size of the pack gradually shrank, and in the end, it was just like a small vige. The level of prosperity within the packs also decreased in order. Some particrly small packs were like small districts with slightlyrger areas.

    This also made me understand why the packs attacked by the wanderers were so negligent in taking care of the orphanage. They really didn¡¯t have the resources to do so, even if they wanted to.

    It took us a day and a half to reach the nearest Yellow Leaf Pack. What I saw along the way made me question one thing, ¡®Could those especially weak packs that would not have the resources to support themselves in a few years form a city?¡¯

    The strict geographical division and istion had severely miscalcted the distribution of resources and poption between packs. The rich became richer while the poor became poorer. In recent years, with the infiltration of human society into the werewolf race, some young people even became popr with cross-pack immigration, which they didn¡¯t even dare to think about in the past.

    However, reality forced people to make this choice. Young people had to work if they wanted to survive. If their own ¡®pack¡¯ didn¡¯t provide the opportunity, they could only go to other, more prosperous, powerful ¡®packs¡¯ to survive. Their departure made their ¡®pack¡¯, already weak, even shakier, eventually forming a vicious cycle.

    The Yellow Leaf and Floodwater Pack were undoubtedly the ces the immigration tide had ravaged.

    Legend had it that the Yellow Leaf and Floodwater Packs¡¯ ancestors were inspired by the Moon Goddess¡¯ handmaidens, thus creating these two packs.

 Chapter 318

    318 The Idea Of A Merger

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    However, with the passage of thousands of years, the ancestors¡¯ glory could no longer solve the problems of future generations. Without a way out, this ce inevitably declined.

    The area of the two packs was notrge, slightly smaller than the smallest district in the territory of the Lycan pack. This was also why I couldplete the inspection of both packs in a day.

    As the leaders had stepped down, the packs were without a leader. The people did not know what to do after the referendum, but fortunately, most were still content with the status quo.

    Therefore, even though the efficiency of all industries was declining, it had not reached the terrible point of shutting down for the time being. On the surface, the lives of the people were not even affected.

    Without further ado, I immediately sent out a poll to the people of the two packs: Would you like tobine the Yellow Leaf and Floodwater Packs?

    That was right. I didn¡¯t select an Alpha immediately but let my think tank group temporarily lead all government work. Considering giving up the two packs was not a spur-of-the-moment decision.

    The Yellow Leaf and Floodwater Pack were very close to each other, so close that it took less than an hour to get there by car. The development of infrastructure in the two ces was also very biased. The Yellow Leaf Pack was generally better in public services such as medical care and education, while the Floodwater Pack was better inmerce and public entertainment.

    This ¡®slight difference¡¯ was only a slight advantagepared to the other party.

    As for the poption, it was hard to say if there were 30,000 people in total in these two ces and if they were to look at it separately.

    There were almost no natural resources. Although there were natural forests, they were the territory of the elves. The external transportation was more convenient, but the only neighbor, the elf race, was a fat otaku who had not left even once in a hundred years, directly cutting off the road of foreign trade.

    In general, the Yellow Leaf and Floodwater Pack had nothing. The old, the weak, the sick, and the disabled guarded the poor and remote viges. No wonder they were bullied by the wandering forces like soft persimmons.

    If he wanted to change all of this, he had first to strengthen his abilities, sobining two packs was the best solution. The customs of the two ces were simr, and they had a good rtionship. Moreover, they were in a special period of no government, so there was no need to worry about any interest groupsing out to give orders. From a certain perspective, it could be considered a blessing in disguise. They had an opportunity to change the poor and weak situation.

    However, these were all my considerations. As for what there was to do depended on the local¡¯s decision.

    The next morning, I received a call from my father.

    ¡°I heard you made a big one at the border?¡± My father seemed a little helpless. ¡°Perhaps you can guess that the Council of Elders is quarreling like crazy now. Even our people don¡¯t agree with what you¡¯re doing this time. Unless a pack is going extinct during the war, there had never been a merger.¡±

    I didn¡¯t even have to think with my toes to know what those stubborn old men were arguing about. ¡°So what if there¡¯s no precedent? There will be one now. If this is sessfully implemented, other packs can imitate it, especially those that can¡¯t support themselves anymore.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t that simple. Combining two packs isn¡¯t as simple as moving the boundary stone.¡±

    ¡°I understand. This involves a lot, culture, economy, history, poption, etc. That¡¯s why I chose the Yellow Leaf and Floodwater Packs as the road opener for the change, instead of those small ces on the maind with a wide range of implications. The industries here have withered, the poption is sparse, and a hundred ruins mean that it is still in development. The powerwork is also very easy. After the Alpha stepped down, not one family could step up.

    ¡°Can you imagine? During the few days when the government was shut down, the people acted as if nothing had happened. They went to work and went to school as usual. It could be seen how weak the actual influence of the government on the people had be. If I hade a few dayster, the local people would have solved the crisis themselves. After all, they have lived with an ipetent Alpha for many years.¡±

    ¡°What happens after the merger? Have you thought about what you¡¯re going to do?¡±

    ¡°I want to start with the basic construction. The passage between the two packs will be the foundation to enrich the trafficwork, n new living areas, and call on people to move to the new district to break the problem of regional istion and unity. After that, focus on the buildings at the original site of the two packs, re-n the fragmented functional areas, build roads and bridges, and make them green.

    ¡°Public facilities such as hospitals and schools are also in urgent need of refurbishment. We can take this opportunity to merge some public facilities to add new ones and improve efficiency. Of course, all of this is built on the foundation of money. The local gold vault is so idle that it¡¯s like a spider¡¯s web.

    ¡°I¡¯ve thought of a few solutions for the time being. The first is that the central bank will provide low-interest or interest-free loans to this ce to solve urgent needs. Then, they would use work as relief, recruiting workers from the people and using the housing area as welfare. This would save human capital and reduce the economic pressure on the people. Thest thing is to attract investment.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. To be honest, I¡¯m a little surprised. But do you think this will solve the root of the problem? If no industry can support the pack¡¯s positive development, no matter how new and good the infrastructure is, it is just a shell and useless.¡±

 Chapter 319

    319 The Fastest One First

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°I¡¯ve thought about this too, but the positioning of the Yellow Leaf pack and the Floodwater Packs is too awkward. The poption is scarce, thend is barren, the technology is backward, and the existing industries are almost all half-dead, and there¡¯s no way to pick one that can make a living. However, this ce also has its advantages because it¡¯s close to a natural forest and the industry is undeveloped, the natural environment here is very good. I think we can develop high-end medical and healthcare industries here. It just so happens that we can open bids to pull in capital and technical investment, killing two birds with one stone.

    ¡°And then there¡¯s tourism. Perhaps you know that there are three ancient castle ruins left behind in the Floodwater pack? They are not well-preserved, but they would be beautiful if professional archaeologists and engineering teams were to repair them. It¡¯s a natural tourist resource. If we can find out what historical events are rted to these castle ruins, it¡¯ll be better to make a name for ourselves.

    ¡°Also, this ce is close to the elf forest and far from the known elf fortress. It¡¯s the idealnding spot for explorers. If we can get the support of the academicmunity and ept the task of receiving research groups, then we¡¯ll undoubtedly have another source of revenue.

    ¡°This is what I think is more feasible at the moment. In fact, I think education can also be considered, but it doesn¡¯t have that much of an advantagepared to medical care and tourism. It might not obviously affect the economy, so it¡¯s not considered for the time being.¡±

    I said many things like a machine gun, and then I became nervous. My ideas probably sounded like child¡¯s y in my father¡¯s eyes. Were there any obvious ws? Was everything too simple and childish?

    On the other end of the phone, my father was silent for a long time. Just as my heart was beating like a drum and I was getting increasingly nervous, he suddenly sighed and said, ¡°Selma, you really are a natural-born Queen.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°What I mean is that you¡¯ve done a good job. Although there are some ws, at your age, with your experience, you¡¯re already ten thousand times ahead of most politicians in considering all aspects. Most importantly, I feel your sincerity to the people in your words. You really do it for their benefits and want to give them a prosperous life, not for your political achievements and face to do some shy but useless work.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but feel embarrassed at such apliment. ¡°I¡¯m not as good as you think. It¡¯s just my shallow personal opinion...¡±

    ¡°¡®Shallow opinion¡¯? But even with such a shallow view, it¡¯s something many people can¡¯t even think of in their lives.¡± My father was very pleased and immediately agreed, ¡°Do it, child. Don¡¯t hold back. I will help you share the pressure from the Council of Elders. As long as you seed in the merger, you can easily shut the mouth of the stubborn old people, and in the future, they will be a little inferior in front of you!¡±

    I was overjoyed to get my father¡¯s approval, but I immediately thought of another thing. ¡°But what about the search team? I¡¯m going to set off immediately after they arrive. I can¡¯t do anything in such a short time.¡±

    ¡°That will depend on your position. Child, do you want to be amander or a vanguard?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t I do both?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, we have to give and take sometimes because we cannot split ourselves.¡±

    I understood what my father meant.

    Being themander meant that I should be the brain that nned everything, and after researching the regtions, I would send them to the nerves and limbs toplete them. This meant I only needed to n the development n after the merger, then form a team I trusted and let them execute it.

    Being a vanguard meant that I should be a person who put it into practice and led my team to modify and merge the pack step by step. I had to give up on the search team¡¯s mission and pass this responsibility to someone else.

    To be honest, I really wish I could clone myself. That way, all my problems would be solved. However, the current situation was that I had to give up one of the two options; the pack or the search team.

    In the end, I chose the search team.

    The modification andbination pack would be a long-term,rge-scale project that might not bepleted in three to five years. The timeline would be very long. However, it was different for the search team. This mission would take anywhere from ten days to half a month. They had to end the mission regardless of whether they found anything. Otherwise, the elves might see through them and provoke a diplomatic incident.

    It was obvious that I didn¡¯t need to choose anything. I just had to finish the one that took a short time, then the one that took longer. Even if the merger were confirmed, the people would still need time to adapt to it, and my search team mission would serve as a buffer.

    It was decided that the original n would not change, and the modified pack would be discussed after the search mission.

    As this was an emergency investigation, the voting time for the public went up to six in the evening.

    As soon as six o¡¯clock passed, Jordin, who acted as my secretary, immediately showed me the results of the investigation-surprisingly, more than 70% of the people agreed to the merger.

    It was already very good to exceed 50% of my expectations. This result could be considered a surprise.

 Chapter 320

    320 Buy Two Free One

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Very quickly, the travel-worn Dorothy answered our questions.

    She still hadn¡¯t given up on collecting specimens. After arriving at the border, I signaled for her to collect specimens and learn more about the local people¡¯s lives.

    Rather than asking for the people¡¯s will, it was better to say that the merger proposal touched their hearts. Dorothy said, ¡°The Yellow Leaf, Floodwater, and Saber Tooth Packs have a long history. Their geographical locations are also close. The residents have had the habit of intermarriage since ancient times. Many families might have children in the Yellow Leaf Pack, but their parents were Floodwater Pack members, and their uncles and aunts would move to the Saber Tooth Pack with their spouses. There is no difference between the inside and outside of these three packs for the locals.¡±

    No wonder so many residents from another pack followed me when I was on patrol. I thought it was some celebrity effect, but it seemed like I imagined things. They were here to visit their rtives, and I was just here to watch the fun.

    After taking a sip of water to moisten her throat, Dorothy continued, ¡°About a hundred years ago, there was a debate about whether to merge the three packs. It was so loud that it almost seeded. However, the Alphas of the three packs didn¡¯t agree. After all, no one wanted to be under someone else¡¯s rule, so who would be the boss after the packs merged? That era still had a strong dictatorship, the Alphas didn¡¯t agree, so the matter was left unsettled.

    ¡°I¡¯ve also heard some rumors, saying that some people from the Saber Tooth Pack heard that the Yellow Leaf and Floodwater Packs are going to merge, and even stopped voting for the Alpha election and rushed here to ask if the news is true. This will spread quickly, and the Saber Tooth Pack may also be involved in the merger.

    The news that Dorothy brought back made me fall into deep thought again. If the Saber Tooth pack were to participate in the merger, then the infrastructure and industrial nning would have to change ordingly. Of course, it was best to investigate this personally, but I couldn¡¯t leave now. Should I send someone to the Saber Tooth Pack?

    Soon I thought of a candidate ¨C Duke Frank. He was hosting the Alpha election with the Saber Tooth Pack. As an experienced politician, was there anyone more experienced than him?

    So I immediately called Duke Frank and asked him to help me collect the basic information about the Saber Tooth Pack. Duke Frank agreed immediately and asked, ¡°I heard you¡¯re hosting the merger of the Yellow Leaf and the Floodwater Packs. Do you want the Saber Tooth Pack to participate?¡±

    ¡°It would be best if it was possible. I heard the people also look forward to the Saber Tooth Pack. I¡¯ll be more prepared. It¡¯s better to be safe than sorry.¡±

    Duke Frank was more w-abiding¡¯. He was only here to preside over the election and suppress the riots. He didn¡¯t interfere with internal affairs at all, so it would take a day to prepare. Give me the detailed information before six o¡¯clock tomorrow night.¡±

    Since the merger was chosen, the election of Alpha would be dyed. I selected officials with excellent achievements and good reviews from the local government to form an interim government. Several representatives rmended by the people formed the highest supervisory group with Jordin, and Emma was appointed as the secretary.

    Since the royal family could not interfere with local affairs, I could not openly lead all operations. The highest supervision group and I formed an image of leaders, one in the open and one in the dark. When I was not around, they would exercise decision-making power on my behalf. Jordin was the supervisor to prevent the representatives from being greedy for benefits.

    On the one hand, she was born into a noble family and had been trained by her family since she was young. She was well-versed in politics and could knock down the people in the interim government who had bad intentions. On the other hand, it was because of her grandfather, Earl of Marlowe. She was the closest person to the royal family when I was not around. If there were any unexpected factors in the merger pack, she could immediately inform her grandfather and report it to my parents. She didn¡¯t have to worry about any officialmunication channels being blocked.

    As expected, the Saber Tooth Pack, who heard the news, immediately requested to join the merger, so the second public opinion poll was carried out among the three packs. The election for the Saber Tooth Pack had also stopped, so I had to select people from the remaining government members of the Saber Tooth Pack to join the interim government.

    I had to emphasize that I deliberately avoided the families of the three original Alphas. From the actions of these Alphas, it could be seen that their cultivation was mediocre, and their families were sucking blood from the public. Perhaps there were talents in their families, but I wasn¡¯t some soft-hearted saint. It was best to keep a respectful distance from people who were political and could cause trouble for me at any time.

    In short, after I was done with all of this, the search team had also finished gathering, and the day to head toward the elf forest had arrived.

    A development n could only be made after some time. The n I¡¯d written in a hurry in a day or two had many loopholes, and it was harmful to implement rashly. Before I left, I didn¡¯t give any transformation tasks to the interim government. The only goal at this stage was to appease the public, win the public¡¯s trust, andy a foundation for future actions.

    After making all the necessary arrangements, I closed the door on the surface under the excuse of an asional illness or to recuperate. In reality, I changed into a disguise and led the search team into the elf forest.

 Chapter 321

    321 Teleportation

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Although the wanderers were brutal, they could not do much after years of attacks, and their methods were even worse. As soon as Dorothy and Master Kevin entered the elf forest, they detected an extremely obvious evil aura. This was not something that the wanderers could have left behind. The only exnation was that they had colluded with an organization like a cult, witches, and wizards.

    This was not good news. Children were traditional and popr ¡®materials¡¯ for them, be it a cult, an evil witch, or a wizard. Once the missing orphans became sacrifices or experimental materials for the evil sacrifice, they would be in danger.

    ¡°This group of b*stards.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but curse at the wanderers who took away the orphans. I scoffed at their hypocritical words and despicable actions.

    Attacking packs today, assassinating nobles and officials the next day, and bombing hospitals or schools the day after tomorrow were how the wanderers did things. They said they wanted to overthrow oppression, demonstrate to the rulers, and awaken the people¡¯s consciousness. Wasn¡¯t the flowery excuse just a disguise for his behavior of umting wealth and power?

    What kind of demonstration would require the cooperation of cults, evil wizards, and witches? What kind of awakening would require the sacrifice of innocent children?

    ¡°Step up the search,¡± I ordered my team members. ¡°Find these hidden wild dogs and make them pay for what they have done!¡±

    Following the evil aura, we easily found the first clue. It was not even noon yet.

    On a ramp outside the elf forest, Master Kevin found a sacrificial array drawn with blood. From the runes on the edge, it pointed to an old acquaintance of mine ¨C the deep sea demon, Leviathan.

    Not only that, but the blood used for the drawing was human blood. Through the test, there was a high probability that it came from ¡®an innocent and pure individual¡¯.

    Which meant children.

    Fortunately, we did not find any bodies of children in the surroundings. Master Kevin and Dorothy did not find death energy on the array either. This meant that the wanderers were most likely only taking blood and not killing.

    As we continued to venture deeper, what I saw and heard along the way made me feel that something was wrong, but I couldn¡¯t put my finger on it.

    At noon, the search team took a break. The team members were on high alert, disguising themselves and preparing lunch. Everything was in order, but there were still some traces of chaos.

    Wait, traces?

    I quickly recalled what I had seen and heard along the way and suddenly realized what was wrong. It was too clean and too calm. The traces we found from the wanderers were mostly scattered and small.

    However, when he thought about it carefully, how could a team of Motley troops lead a group of undisciplined children running for their lives in such a hurry? They couldn¡¯t clean the ce as they walked, even restoring the grass and flowers to their original state. If that were the case, they probably wouldn¡¯t be more than a kilometer away.

    A certain thought formed in my mind, and I immediately asked for confirmation. ¡°Master Kevin, have you figured out what the formation is for?¡±

    Master Kevin shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen an array like this. It seems to be abination of several evil sacrifices. I still need time to crack it. But so far, I¡¯ve managed to separate a few more obvious elements rted to exchange and space.¡±

    ¡°Exchange and space, what does that mean?¡±

    ¡°The former is an element that exists in most evil sacrifices. As the name implies, it is to use sacrifices to exchange for some reward with the pointed evil god. Some ancient runes would use them to form a magic circuit that exchanges space. Inyman¡¯s terms, it¡¯s simr to the ability to teleport and retrieve objects from a distance.¡±

    It was exactly what I thought!

    The wanderers had obtained some teleportation ability through Leviathan, allowing them to travel at high speed without leaving any traces. But at the same time, there should be more harsh conditions and cooldown time. They could not always rely on this ability, as the subtle traces left along the way were proof.

    This was bad news for us. We could no longer usemon sense to predict the escape speed of the wanderers, let alone n their route. They might have even left the elf forest.

    I immediately informed my father of this possibility and asked him to step up the search in the werewolf territory. In addition, we must continue the search in the elf forest. At the very least, we had to confirm that there were no wanderers here.

    Over the next few days, we discovered a few more evil sacrificial arrays identical to the first. It seemed that it was not easy to deal with the demons. At least, judging from the distance between our formations, Leviathan¡¯s appetite was growing bigger.

    We thoroughly searched the elf forest on this side of the border but didn¡¯t find anything. After extending the range for a while, there was not even a trace left, which meant that the wanderers had fled, either taking the risk to advance into the elven territory or fleeing back to the werewolf territory.

    No matter how unwilling I was, I could only helplessly announce that the team was leaving. However, an unexpected problem suddenly urred before we could get far.

    The elves had discovered our tracks.

 Chapter 322

    322 Starting A Fight

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I had a vague feeling that this operation had gone too smoothly. I hoped that there wouldn¡¯t be any idents at the end. As expected, big trouble fell from the sky.

    When the scout reported traces of elves in the distance, my heart sank. When they confirmed that the other party wasing for us, I immediately ordered them to abandon the original route and leave the forest in the shortest straight line. Everyone took off and hid theirbat equipment, trying their best to disguise themselves as a civilian scientific research team.

    We were aggrieved, but who asked us to be unreasonable? If there were no results from the wandering forces here, there would be a lot of fun to watch if there was a diplomatic incident on the other side.

    However, things did not go as one wished. No matter how much we hurried, an ident still happened.

    ¡°The people in front, stop! I¡¯m the captain of the third patrol, Kaya. I¡¯m currently using my right to inspect you. Please stop and cooperate with us!¡±

    The elven voice came from afar, and we were still quite far from the edge of the elf forest. If we turned into our wolves, our speed would be much faster, but this was equivalent to confessing without being attacked. I had no choice but to signal the team members to stop and pretend to be scientific expedition members for inspection.

    A few dozen secondster, a group of fully-armed elves appeared in front of us. They had different hair colors, most of which were from different ns. However, they all wore the same badge, which meant that this was a patrol team directly under the king¡¯s city. Compared to the ns, the people of the capital were more troublesome.

    Their leader was a female elf with light brown hair. She had an unfriendly aura about her. She arrogantly demanded before asking us who we were and why we were there. ¡°There is a criminal gang from the werewolves wandering outside the elf forest. We suspect that you are rted to them. Now, we need you to cooperate with our investigation. Pleasee with us.¡±

    I suddenly felt that this beautiful elf had be mean. Who the hell was she? Where did she get the nerve to arrest people so casually? Her tone was so matter-of-fact that she must have bullied many travelers who entered the elf forest!

    Since she had spoken bluntly, I would not be polite. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we can¡¯t do that. We¡¯re just an academic expedition team with formal documents and identification. We have nothing to do with the criminal gang you¡¯re talking about. If you want to arrest us, please show us the arrest warrant. Otherwise, we won¡¯t follow you.¡±

    Kaya was used to being tyrannical. She didn¡¯t expect that a group of ¡®weakmoners¡¯ like us would dare to refute her like this. Her face darkened, and she growled, ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are, but you must follow the rules of the elven race in the elves¡¯ territory. The patrol team has the right to punish anyone with suspicious identities. Please cooperate with us, and don¡¯t force us to use force!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re so demanding. If I remember correctly, the werewolves and the elves signed a treaty about the outer area of the elf forest and the surrounding ins two hundred years ago. The treaty states that this is amon border area, and all disputes must be negotiated between the two races. When did it be the elven race¡¯s decision?

    If you put it that way, you have to abide by the rules of the werewolf race. You have to have evidence to arrest someone, or you¡¯ll have to tuck your tails between your legs and keep quiet. It won¡¯t be an ordinary patrol operation if you dare to use force against us. If a dispute between the two races is stirred up, are you sure that you can bear the responsibility, a little captain the size of a sesame seed?¡±

    I didn¡¯t make this up. The rulers of the two races signed the ¡®border treaty¡¯. The outskirts of the elf forest and a part of the ins outside the werewolf pack¡¯s border were indeed the border zone within the treaty. All construction, industrial,mercial, agricultural, military, and other operations here required the joint consent of the two tribes. This was also why my father could not directly send people to search the elf forest¡¯s periphery.

    I really wondered how an arrogant, big-breasted, brainless elf like Kaya had managed to be the captain. Perhaps the elf race¡¯s birth rate had dropped so low that they had no choice but to use people with manic disorders as officials. In short, after the negotiation failed, we inevitably had a conflict ¨C although this was also the result of my efforts.

    Compared to a peaceful resolution, starting a conflict was the way to deal with them without any worries. I wasn¡¯t crazy. The truth was that if we cooperate with their investigation, we would inevitably leave behind personal information. Although the fake identity was fake, the photos were real!

    As the Crown Princess of the werewolves, news of me would reach the elves¡¯ territory sooner orter. By then, my identity would be exposed immediately. How would I answer when people ask me why I hid my identity? It was equivalent to burying a time bomb that would explode sooner orter.

    It was different when we fought. The other party wouldn¡¯t be able to get any of my personal information, be it real or fake. So what if someone saw through my identity one day? Did they have a photo? Was there a video? Was there any evidence to prove that it was me? There was nothing at all. Creating rumors without any basis could cause an ident.

    Disguising as a scientific research team was to hide our identities. Since this group of brainless elves didn¡¯t believe us at all, there was no point in disguising ourselves. We used our real abilities in the fight. The elves were not good at closebat, and with our advantage in numbers, it was easy for us to beat them up.

 Chapter 323

    323 Talents

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Kaya, who was captured, wanted to kill me with her eyes, but who would care about the thoughts of a defeated opponent? I asked Master Kevin to cast a spell on the elves to forget everything and sneakily made him add the evil elements used by evil sacrifices to the spell, pinning the me on the wanderers.

    After doing all this, I suddenly felt like I had identally be the viin. However, there were no good or bad people in the war between the two races. If I were to surrender without putting up a fight, these arrogant elves might do something even more outrageous.

    Did someone think the gentle image the elves had created for themselves was real? There was no way the ¡®good guy¡¯ would be able to stand out among the supernatural races with strange abilities.

    We left the unconscious elf at a safe ce and hurried along. We finally left the elf forest¡¯s periphery before dark.

    After entering thetest pack, I ordered the team members to make adjustments and report today¡¯s encounter to my father.

    My father didn¡¯t agree with my rashness, but after hearing my reason, he felt that although the method was a bit rough, it could save him a lot of trouble. He asked me to return to the Yellow Leaf Pack immediately and appear in public as if I had recovered from my illness. As for the search team, they immediately returned to the pack for their next mission.

    ¡°Traces left behind by the wanderers have been found in many areas. Even the three packs have found an evil sacrificial array that is the same as the picture you sent back. The wanderers will likely split into several small teams andmit crimes separately. Our next step is to carry out an inch-by-inch investigation in the entire n¡¯s territory and rescue the missing orphans as soon as possible to prevent the wanderers from doing anything that will endanger the people,¡± my father said.

    ¡°The search will alert the wanderers, and they will likely escape to the border again. I have already sent troops to guard a few important passes, and your next task is to manage the three packs. The border areas where they are located are famous for being poor and weak, and there was a high probability that they would be the choice of the wanderers. I¡¯ll send the army to assist you, and report to me immediately if I find any suspicious people.¡±

    After dismissing the search team, I rushed to the Yellow Leaf Pack overnight and appeared in front of everyone at noon the next day as if I had just recovered from a serious illness.

    Aldrich didn¡¯t participate in this search mission because I was feigning illness. As the other royal family representative, he had to appear in front of the people to appease everyone.

    Fifteen days had passed, and the results of the poll were out. Unsurprisingly, the residents of the three packs supported the merger with a high approval rate. What surprised me even more was that the interim government discussed a set of transformation ns and gave them to me in these fifteen days.

    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate anyone¡¯s wisdom.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°Back then, I chose the people¡¯s representatives in the hope that they could bnce the officials and make the government work in the direction of the benefit of the people. Who would have thought that they would give me such a big surprise? ¡±

    It was always the people themselves who understood the needs of the people. This n was much more detailed than my idea and closely rted to the people¡¯s livelihood. I summoned a few of the people¡¯s representatives in charge of drafting the draft and asked them for their thoughts. Although they were a little reserved, they still boldly expressed their ideas.

    I could tell that there was a leader among them. It was the woman who answered my questions most of the time. Her name was Wania, and her white hair showed that she had been through a lot in her life.

    This spirited old woman had worked in the government for many years, and after the overthrown Alpha came to power, she was squeezed out by his lover. After that, she worked as a welfare social worker for many years and deeply understood the people¡¯s livelihoods.

    When faced with my questions, her answers were neither humble nor overbearing. She even gave me new inspiration from many angles. The more I talked to her, the more I felt she was a rare talent. She could y a role in the modification work.

    After the conversation ended, I sincerely extended an invitation to everyone, including Wania. ¡°Merging packs was aplicated project, and modifying them was even more difficult. Everyone here was an indispensable talent for building new packs. Please join the nning team and give your help.¡±

    This might be good for others, but Wania rejected me without hesitation.

    Although she said it very nicely, ¡®she¡¯s old¡¯ and ¡®her strength doesn¡¯t follow her heart¡¯, I always felt that her experience in her youth made her no longer trust those in power, so she kept a respectful distance from me.

    I didn¡¯t force her. Although I wanted her to join the nning team, I couldn¡¯t force her.

    In short, we would officially begin the transformation nning work ording to thisprehensive draft. The transitional zone in the three packs had to be used. The lownd price andrge avablend made it a superior residentialnd. No one had any objections to the construction of newmunities, but there was a great contradiction when it came to the transformation of the Old City District.

 Chapter 324

    324 The nning

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°The current division of the functional areas is too fragmented. For example, the third street, the hospital, the shopping mall, and the entertainment street are all squeezed into the same street. It may seem like it¡¯s not harmonious on the surface, but the traffic will increase when the pack is developed and the poption increases. Moreover, this is the hub that connects the other three main roads. A traffic jam will paralyze the entire city!¡±

    ¡°But you can¡¯t just tear it down like that! How many people rely on this street to work and support their families? Where are they going to find another job if we tear this ce down?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have to close the shops to demolish the buildings. We can move the existing businesses to the new district.¡±

    ¡°What about themuting problem? The new district is the suburbs ording to its previous geographical location. Do you want people to spend three or four hours every daymuting to and from work?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not a valid question. The new district is nned for the construction of residential areas. We can prioritize those who need to work in the new district to buy houses!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re encouraging property spection! The new district¡¯s house prices will go up, which goes against our original intentions!¡±

    ¡°Then what do you think we should do? We can¡¯t tear it down or move them out, so will we leave this ce alone? ording to what you said, all areas will have problems that need to be made. If we consider everything and don¡¯t solve anything, what¡¯s the point of the transformation?¡±

    The nningmittee was already arguing like a pot of porridge. The members had opinions, and no one was willing to give in to the other. They almost started fighting. Seeing this, I couldn¡¯t continue listening and gratefully said, ¡°Watch your manners,dies and gentlemen. This is the government office, not an underground boxing ring!¡±

    Themittee members shut their mouths and red at their opposition. Their faces were as cold as ice, and no one was willing to step back.

    I knew the nning work wouldn¡¯t go so smoothly, but it was still beyond my expectations to have such a huge argument on the first day.

    I rubbed my throbbing temples and tried to calm myself down. ¡°All the members are right. nning the functional areas is very important, and it¡¯s also important to be close to people¡¯s livelihood. However, please always remember one principle ¨C what we want is transformation. Do you understand what transformation means? It¡¯s not to destroy everything, and it¡¯s not to do anything. Reconstruction is necessary. The problem with the Old City District is that it¡¯s unreasonable. Keeping it as it is won¡¯t change anything.¡±

    These words revealed my bias, and those who wanted to keep it the same could only keep quiet no matter how much they disagreed.

    ¡°The renning of the functional areas is necessary, but the amount of money needed to demolish and rebuild everything is astronomical. We need more loans, and investments won¡¯t favor this kind of loss-making business that can¡¯t earn back the money at a nce, so we must use all the resources we have.

    ¡°My opinion is to start a building inspection campaign immediately. Divide the buildings in the Old City District into different levels ording to factors such as the degree of freshness, safety factor, and service life. n and transform the buildings that can be used on the original site as much as possible. Demolish and rebuild the old buildings that are really dangerous.

    ¡°In addition, we must first n the traffic during the investigation. Those that need to be widened, those that need to be rebuilt, and those that need to be diverted must be widened. After the transformation of the Old City District, there will be a steady stream of construction materials and raw materials pouring in, which will be a huge test for the roads. ording to the current transportation system, there will be problems.

    ¡°There¡¯s also the problem of manpower. The construction team is a huge human expense. In addition to professional personnel, we can recruit ordinary workers from the public. This is written in detail in the draft, so I won¡¯t go into detail. That¡¯s all I have to say. Is there anything anyone would like to advise me on?¡±

    Themittee members asked detailed questions about my opinion and then unanimously agreed to start the discussion in this direction.

    After all was said and done, the problem was money. Whether building buildings, paving roads, or hiring workers, they all required arge amount of money. With the reserves of three packs, it was simply a drop in the bucket. Although my father promised to let the central bank approve the interest-free loan, we still have to submit the proposal before it can be approved. This was a necessary procedure and couldn¡¯t be omitted.

    In addition, it was impossible for the central bank to borrow money endlessly. The rest of the capital gaps still had to rely on investment. The importance ofworking could be seen from this. The royal family had a natural appeal in this regard. Once the news of the new pack¡¯s bidding was released, it attracted many businessmen who came with money.

    As for the various privileges that could be used to exchange for funds, I would turn a blind eye to them if I didn¡¯t go too far. The unspoken rules of this industry couldn¡¯t be banned at all. Rather than fighting with wits and courage over the minor details, it would be better to control all underground transactions as insurance directly.

    In short, after many efforts, the modification work of thebined packs finally began in full swing!

    A month had passed by now. While I suffered from hair loss due to the modifications, the wanderers¡¯ hunt for me also received results.

    Under the military¡¯s pursuit, several groups of wanderers were captured without putting up a fight. A total of thirty-three orphans were rescued from their hands. Unfortunately, four orphans had passed away from the abuse of the wanderers, leaving behind no bodies.

 Chapter 325

    325 Infighting

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    This caused a huge public uproar among the werewolves, and the wanderers were pushed to the forefront of the storm. The people¡¯s disgust towards these stray dogs reached a peak, and they began to resist spontaneously. Many of the nests of the wanderers hidden among the people were also broken through in one fell swoop. More than a dozen middle and upper echelons were caught, and their evil deeds caused public opinion to reach an even higher peak.

    However, due to the maniption of some people, public opinion gradually changed and suddenly began to attack the central government. Some people gathered and paraded, demanding that the Council of Elders take responsibility for this. They even asked the speaker to take the me and resign.

    The right-hand President had always been a fence-sitter who did not please nor offend either side. He was purely a ¡®highly respected¡¯ mascot in the Council of Elders. So, the real target of this resignation storm was very obvious. As the left-hand President, there was no way Arkadius could guarantee that he wouldn¡¯t offend anyone. Furthermore, he was a clear-headed royalist, which made him even more of a thorn in the side of some people. It would be strange if they didn¡¯t take this opportunity to mess with him.

    However, Arkadius couldn¡¯t resign so easily. He didn¡¯t have any major responsibility at all. The wanderers had been a historical problem umted for thousands of years. Unless the expulsion system was abolished and no more werewolves defected, there was no way to solve the root problem.

    The political struggle in the distant Lycan pack was far away from me but also close. The person who revealed his fangs didn¡¯t care about tearing thisyer of pretense apart. Recently, the approval speed of some documents and funds had slowed down or even been intentionally dyed by someone. Someone was treating me like a soft persimmon and trying vainly to make things difficult.

    I could tolerate it if it happened once or twice, but destroying the foundation of the transformation n was like dancing on my minefield.

    When Emma returned to the office with the notice of dy, my only thought was to fly back to the Lycan pack and bite those old and cunning politicians to death. This loan was intended to purchase advanced equipment for the newly built central hospital. Although the investors had generously said that they could bear all the expenses, I couldn¡¯t agree to it at all. Otherwise, it was hard to say what the hospital¡¯s name was.

    Now that the money was stuck and there was no money to pay the supplier, the other party would not transport the equipment. Some hospital departments could not operate as usual, and the patients waiting for treatment could only watch their condition worsen. Pulling one hair would affect the whole body. Did that group of old men full of schemes and plots not know how to take things seriously?

    Obviously, in the face of power, they didn¡¯t care about the lives of the civilians. Perhaps they would be happy to have two more people die so they could easily pour dirty water on me.

    This group of people dared to pull my tiger whiskers. They must have been mentally prepared for my revenge, right?

    Under my secret arrangements, many of my family members had already left the army and integrated into various industries. Many people in the government had be my eyes and spies.

    Under their operation, arge amount of evidence of corruption and power-sex transactions was continuously sent to me. I picked out the most active people and handed them to my father. In less than three days, the news of a high-ranking official¡¯s fall would be in the headlines of society.

    I didn¡¯t show my face from the beginning to the end. I had to say, the feeling of hiding in the dark and nning strategies was quite addictive.

    However, I would not y a political game for a while. I still had to focus on the modification work.

    By the way, after another poll, the new pack finally had a name ¨C the Spring Rain Pack, which meant a new beginning and a prosperous future.

    The modification work of the Spring Rain Pack was carried out in an orderly manner. Another month passed, and the army had captured more wanderers and even more orphans who had been taken away.

    One day, while I was still fighting with the endless ounts in my office, Aldrich, who was in charge of security work, suddenly came to me and said with a serious face. ¡°The patrol team has found traces of the wanderers in the suburbs. I¡¯ve already asked Master Kevin to track them. There was an obvious evil aura and the smell of blood at the scene, and it was suspected that an evil sacrifice ceremony had been carried out. However, we haven¡¯t discovered the evil sacrificial array and don¡¯t know if the wanderers have used unknown means.¡±

    When I received the news, I was not surprised at all, even though I was on high alert. With the army¡¯s relentless pursuit, the wanderers had nowhere to hide and would inevitably try to escape outside the borders. The few major border packs, including the Silver Moon Pack, had already set up an inescapable. If the wanderers wanted to survive, they would have to go to the weak breakthrough point, the Spring Rain Pack.

    First of all, the Spring Rain Pack was newly built and did not have any strong guards. The basic work still depended on the army borrowed by my father. Secondly, I¡¯d also deliberately rxed the Spring Rain Pack¡¯s defense. Otherwise, how could I attract the mice?

    ¡°Is everything prepared ording to the original n?¡±

    ¡°Yes, the soldiers in casual clothes have already integrated into the people. Every street and important traffic pass has soldiers monitoring them twenty-four hours a day. The operations team is also on standby. They immediately began to capture the wanderers when they received the order. However, we haven¡¯t found any traces of them, so we can¡¯t determine their number or how many children they have in their hands.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine for now. We¡¯ll wait for Master Kevin¡¯s news for the time being. Don¡¯t alert the enemy.¡±

 Chapter 326

    326 Rainy Night

    The wanderers¡¯ POV:

    With the construction, the nightlife of the spring rain pack had gradually be richer. The heavy atmosphere of death was leaving this Land of Hope and was reced by endless vitality and energy.

    Under the cover of midnight and the shadows, a team of werewolves was sneaking around the hidden corner of the Spring Rain Pack. They were travel-worn and had extraordinary skills. Their fierce faces were full of shrewdness and hostility, and each had a strong evil aura and bloody smell, making hiding an extremely difficult thing.

    ¡°Damn it. I told you this wasn¡¯t reliable. I was right!¡± One of the short and strong werewolves spat angrily. ¡°We were all f*cking tricked by that old thing! He said he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about food and water for the rest of his life after this big deal, but now he¡¯s almost losing his life!¡±

    Hispanion had the same thought. ¡°I¡¯m going to run away after this. There¡¯s no ce for us in the werewolf¡¯s territory. It¡¯s better to sneak into human society and have some fun. That¡¯s not the werewolf¡¯s territory, and it¡¯s beyond their reach. They can¡¯t control how I spend my time there!¡±

    They only exchanged a few words asionally. This group of people had fierce looks but also fear on their faces. They only dared to say harsh words to boost each other¡¯s courage.

    Their leader led the way in silence. asionally, neon lights would sh across his face under the hood of his hoodie, making the hideous scars look like they were oozing blood.

    He interrupted everyone, ¡°Be serious. We¡¯ll talk at the border. Otherwise, you might not even live to see the sun tomorrow, let alone run to human society.¡±

    This person was very prestigious among the stray werewolves. Although not everyone respected him, no one dared to challenge his authority.

    The clouds in the sky gathered, and after a few ps of thunder, the autumn rain quietly fell.

    The sudden rain caught the people off guard. The workers on duty rushed out to cover the building materials exposed in the air with a tarp, and the pedestrians on the night tour rushed to the buildings on the side to avoid the rain. The street was in a state of panic, and the wanderers had no choice but to temporarily stop their advance and hide in an empty corner to avoid being seen.

    When it rains, it pours. Even the taciturn leader of the wanderers could not help butin, ¡°Damn the weather, it¡¯s troubling me on purpose!¡±

    A few of the stray werewolves were exhausted. They hesitantly put down the backpacks on their shoulders and asked their leader, ¡°Boss, this thing is useless now, right? Our brothers are tired from carrying the monsters. Why don¡¯t we leave them? We can¡¯t connect with the other side now, so bringing these burdens will only add to the pressure.¡±

    He opened his backpack, and a few strange small wooden sculptures were inside. These wood carvings were sculpted into the shape of children. The technique was rough, but they exuded an aura of despair and horror.

    The leader looked at the werewolf who spoke and said nothing, but the werewolf who spoke shuddered. He silently closed his backpack and put it back on his shoulder, no longer saying anything.

    A few minutester, the street was quiet again, and only the rain could be heard.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± the leader ordered. ¡°Run as fast as you can. Stay alert. Something¡¯s not right.¡±

    The wanderers started running, and a few asked, ¡°What happened, boss? Has someone discovered us?¡±

    ¡°This pack is being watched everywhere. Idiots, they probably already knew that we¡¯d infiltrated the city.¡± The leader said, ¡°There¡¯s no one on the street now. Anyone who¡¯s out will be very conspicuous. This isn¡¯t a matter of being exposed or not, but we have no other choice. It¡¯s only a matter of time before we¡¯re exposed. Run with all your might if you don¡¯t want to die!¡±

    Just as the leader had said, a few minutester, a force that was obviously from the regr army began to track the stray werewolves brazenly. This made everyone feel uneasy. The leader tried to change his route to shake off the pursuers, but it was useless.

    ¡°What do we do, boss?¡± The timid wanderer began to tremble. ¡°It¡¯s the army. It must be the army! They¡¯ve discovered us. There is only a handful of us, and we have no chance of winning against them!¡±

    ¡°Stop your f*cking nonsense and run!¡± The leader gave him a hard p. ¡°You can either run for your life or stay behind to cover our brothers. It¡¯s your choice, you coward!¡±

    The wanderers fled with all their might, but to the pursuers, it was like a turtle in a jar. Soon, they found that the pursuers appeared from different directions one after another, obviously forcing them to shrink their activity circle.

    ¡°Motherf*ckers!¡±

    Seeing that the situation wasn¡¯t good, the leader cursed in his heart and asked his subordinates to throw away the wooden sculptures in their backpacks. Then, he took out a bottle of scarlet liquid with the smell of the sea and poured it on the wooden sculptures.

    ¡°You don¡¯t want these little brats anymore?¡± The subordinates were on tenterhooks.

    ¡°You¡¯re about to lose your life. Why do you still care about this?¡± the leader scolded. ¡°We¡¯ll catch new ones when they run away. It¡¯s more important to escape now!¡±

    They abandoned their burdens and fled into the distance. The wooden sculptures left behind were gradually prated by the scarlet liquid, twisting and expanding and finally turning into living children.

    Raindrops fell on the children¡¯s faces, and the cold made them gradually open their eyes.

 Chapter 327

    327 Pollution

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The night rain poured down, filling the night sky with ayer of ominous mist.

    By the time I arrived, the warriors were in a tough battle. It wasn¡¯t because the enemy was too powerful. On the contrary, they had to be cautious to avoid hurting their overly weak opponents.

    Faced with a group of children who were not even as tall as their chests, no one dared to use any of their true abilities. They could only constantly dodge the orphans¡¯ attacks as if they did not care about their lives. Some of them were slightly injured but still dodged in a sorry state and did not fight back.

    The children¡¯s state was visibly abnormal. They seemed to be controlled by something. Their dull eyes and stiff limbs were like puppets, and they were attacked in unimaginable positions by the ¡®puppet master¡¯.

    Some of the children¡¯s limbs were twisted and deformed and must have been fractured. However, they could not feel any pain at all. The civilians were pestering the soldiers who were trying to control them.

    Seeing this, I couldn¡¯t give an order rashly. I raised my voice and asked, ¡°What happened?¡±

    The squad leader knocked a boy unconscious and replied loudly without turning his head, ¡°These children are being controlled by sorcery. They can¡¯tmunicate with us and are constantly attacking us!¡±

    I saw Master Kevin standing in the safety zone, surrounded by a few warriors, writing and drawing something. His head was full of cold sweat. Obviously, the current situation was very difficult to even him.

    With no other choice, I could only order the soldiers to knock the children unconscious in a way that would not hurt them. No matter what, we had to end this meaningless fight first. However, these children¡¯s ability to recover was extraordinary. They would wake up again in less than a minute after being knocked out, turning the whole thing into a never-ending vicious circle.

    ¡°n change. We don¡¯t have to make the target lose consciousness. We only need to make the target lose the ability to move!¡± I tied up the two children who were pouncing at me with ropes and ordered the soldiers, ¡°Be careful. Some of the children have very serious fractures. Try not to let them get injured!¡±

    After a long time, we finally subdued all the orphans. Including the children rescued by the army, we have recovered a total of seventy-nine orphans. Eleven of them had unfortunately passed away, and the whereabouts of the remaining four were unknown. The wanderers we were pursuing were thest members who nned the kidnapping. They might have been killed if the four missing orphans were not in their hands.

    I tried my best not to think about this cruel possibility. I ordered the team to organize and count the injured.

    Although the controlled orphans were crazy, these children were still not enough in front of the soldiers who had been through hundreds of battles. Most of the injured soldiers only had superficial wounds, and only one had a broken palm because he had fallen to avoid the attack.

    I didn¡¯t waste any time. I immediately conjured a few ck-gold moths from the New Flow to treat the soldiers¡¯ injuries. The soldiers were all surprised by this method they had never heard of before, but their long military life made them understand that it was best to shut up when it was time to. On the other side, after many attempts, Master Kevin finally had to admit that he was helpless in the situation of the orphans.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a power that a mortal can gather.¡± He handed me the test strip in the istion petri dish. ¡°There are some traces of this scarlet liquid on the ground. Even without any examination, I can feel its evil and filth. Ordinary people can¡¯t gather such power, and if there is a werewolf grandmaster or wizard with such power among the wanderers, they wouldn¡¯t have to hide like stray dogs.¡±

    ¡°So you think that this thing is rted to the devil?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Master Kevin nodded. ¡°I think this liquid is a concentrated solution of demonic power. The user doesn¡¯t need to know any magic or strange power. They only have to sprinkle it like water. The madness and depravity in the condensed liquid will make people lose their minds and be the devil¡¯s puppets. This worries me the most: these children who have been drenched in the liquid might have been poisoned too deeply and can no longer be saved.¡±

    Looking at those children who were constantly struggling and screaming, unwilling to stop even when ropes ate into their flesh, I couldn¡¯t ept Master Kevin¡¯s vision. ¡°Even with your vast knowledge, you still can¡¯t think of a way to deal with it? So, how about we contact the Lycan pack now? The Royal Library and the Sorcery Research Association might have rted records. No matter what, they are a group of innocent children. We can¡¯t give up just like this!¡±

    Master Kevin agreed with my idea but didn¡¯t have much hope. ¡°The gap between man and divinity is too big. History has recorded many stories of ancient people being contaminated by divine power. Whether the power is light or evil, it is an incurable poison to people. The number of people who can escape from disaster can be counted on one hand.¡±

    Even if the chances were slim, I had to try.

 Chapter 328

    328 Leading A Wolf Into The House

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I asked Dorothy to lead a team of warriors to support Aldrich, who had gone to chase after the wanderers, while Master Kevin and I would deal with this mess that could pollute more people if we were not careful. I kept all the warriors who hade into contact with the orphans in case they were identally contaminated with the evil power concentrate and fell into madness. Fortunately, the soldiers were experienced and took the necessary precautions meticulously regardless of the situation. Therefore, they did not see any signs of anyone being contaminated.

    There was no way to clean up the remaining concentrate on the ground. As I watched the soldiers carefully divide the quarantine zone, I suddenly had a strange idea ¨C why not try it out in New Flow?

    Speaking of which, ever since I woke up from my deep sleep, I hadn¡¯t used the power of New Flow other than to summon the ck-gold moths to treat the injuries of my family members. My life had been really peaceful, and I hadn¡¯t encountered any life-and-death situations. However, New Flow¡¯s basic attribute was devouring. I¡¯d even devoured Azazel before. Although it was only an incarnation in the human world, what was there to be afraid of from other demons?

    I immediately ordered everyone to leave the quarantine area and wrap the pollution source in the river from the inside out. Then, I tried to absorb the remaining concentrate on the ground.

    It was a sess!

    Although it didn¡¯t taste too good, as if I was drinking boiling seawater ¨C hot, bitter, salty, and astringent ¨C I was happy enough that I was able to solve my problem sessfully.

    If the sources of contamination on the ground could be dealt with, could the contaminated people also be purified through the river?

    I first let the strong warriors try it out, and as expected, I found an evil power hidden in the corners of their bodies. There were no side effects to the warriors purified by New Flow, which meant I could use the same method on the orphans without any worry.

    The evil power that had invaded the orphan was more energetic and dangerous. When it sensed the arrival of New Flow, it immediately controlled the orphans and made them struggle. It was a pity that theirst-ditch efforts were useless, and I only spent a little effort to get rid of them. The purified orphans woke up in a few seconds. Some began to cry out loud because of the pain, while some fainted ¨C it was painful.

    I was afraid there would be an unknown reaction to the evil power, so I didn¡¯t immediately treat the orphans. Now, I didn¡¯t have any concerns. However, physical healing injuries could not solve everything. Obviously, these skinny children had been suffering from long-term starvation, intimidation, and other abuse. They were all skinny and withered and needed immediate medical intervention.

    I sent a team of soldiers to escort the orphans to the temporary settlement. I would lead the rest to meet up with Aldrich and Dorothy.

    On the way, I received a call from the Lycan pack. They had yet to find a way to solve the problem of being contaminated by evil energy. I told them I¡¯d solved the problem here, and they were happy to give me new information.

    ¡°A minute ago, we received a distress signal from the elven territory.¡± My father said, ¡°An unknown force has attacked a few elven city-states near our territory. The other party can use a powerful evil force to pollute the elves. In just a few hours, a few city-states have already fallen.¡±

    ¡°Pollution?¡± I keenly caught the key information. ¡°Do you think the people who attacked the elven city will likely have this evil power concentrate we encountered today?¡±

    ¡°Not only that, but I now suspect that the attackers are likely to be the remnant forces of the wanderers scattered outside. They have hit walls everywhere in the werewolf territory, so they have no choice but to look for a breakthrough outside. The elves have always been wary and contemptuous of other races. A little trick can mislead the elves¡¯ investigation, and they might even lead the wolf into the house.¡±

    ¡°No wonder they could take down a city in just a few hours.¡±

    Thinking about Kaya¡¯s behavior of capturing everyone regardless of their background, if the elven patrol team were like this, then it would be expected to invite a wolf into the house.

    ¡°What do you want me to do?¡±

    ¡°Since the other party has sent a request for help, we can¡¯t just sit by and do nothing. Moreover, the main culprits are the wanderers. Although they are a group of exiled or defected criminals, we¡¯re all one in the eyes of the other races. If we don¡¯t care about it, it¡¯s easy for us to be investigated and held ountable, and it¡¯ll be even more troublesome.¡±

    My father was also quite helpless about this situation. ¡°In short, your main task now is toplete the task of hunting down the remnants of the wanderers. As for the elves, you have to save them, but you can¡¯t lose the big picture for the small. We should solve our problems first.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    Before one wave settled, another wave rose. The piles stacked up, making my return journey even more distant. Fatigue and uneasiness caused me to uncontrobly be irascible.

    Running in the wind and rain, I thought, ¡®You like demons? You like evil sacrifices? After capturing the remnants of the wanderers, I will drain their blood and offer them to Leviathan. Presumably, these ¡®loyal believers¡¯ would be proud to sacrifice themselves to serve their master, right?¡¯

 Chapter 329

    329 An Unweed Old Acquaintance

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    In the suburbs, on a deste in.

    The rain made the ground muddy, and every step taken felt like thousands of tentacles clinging to the soles of my shoes. For convenience, we¡¯d all shifted to our wolf form.

    The ck and gold wings on my back obviously couldn¡¯t be hidden at all, and it was extremely abrupt to shift the wolf shape without changing the leader. But still, stay quiet when it was time to stay quiet. The soldiers all focused on their way as if they didn¡¯t see anything, as if the fluorescent wings behind me were air.

    Thanks to my superior vision, I could see a frog hundreds of meters away, even on a hazy night. Themotion of the chaotic battle couldn¡¯t escape my eyes, and our side, which had the advantage in numbers, was at a disadvantage. I didn¡¯t dare to dy any longer and immediately sped up to reinforce them.

    As they got closer and closer, the situation of our battle with the wanderers gradually came into everyone¡¯s view. There were only seven wanderers, and these seven could easily resist nearly sixty people¡¯s encirclement. They could even suppress most people.

    Aldrich, or Morgan, wasmanding the wolf soldiers to find a breakthrough. Seeing the reinforcements arrive, he was relieved.

    As I joined the battle, I asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Don¡¯t tell me that this bunch of wandering b*stards suddenly ate spinach and became so powerful that they beat you all up!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m also confused.¡± Morgan smiled bitterly. ¡°These wanderers suddenly went crazy and attacked without regard for their lives. Their physical fitness increased several times and even exceeded the physiological limit of normal werewolves. Their muscles are as hard as gold. Who knows if they¡¯ve watched too many Marvel movies and made some illegal modifications to themselves!¡±

    Looking at the red eyes under the lids of the werewolves and the strange posture of the half-human, half-wolf, I immediately understood the reason for everything. Evil power concentrate. These fearless dregs used this on themselves.

    No, that was not right. These wanderers were hiding here and there to survive. Did they have the determination to give up their lives and use the poison that had a slim chance of survival on me? More than half of the wanderers pursued by the army had surrendered when they saw that things were not going well. Why was this pathetic group so loyal to Leviathan and would rather die than be caught by us?

    I carefully observed the movements of the seven stray werewolves, and as expected, I found some clues. Only six werewolves attacked as if they had rabies, and although the remaining one looked quite crazy, he kept hiding within the protective circle of the other werewolves. His behavior was not so reckless, and he even knew how to use hispanions to block the attacks for him.

    I tried to attack him, but he dodged it in a sorry state. However, my sharp ws pierced through the thigh of hispanion.

    That was right. It was him! He was the one who did everything!

    All of this might not have been the stray werewolf¡¯s will, but the only sober one who had done it behind hispanion¡¯s back. He used hispanions to protect himself, which meant that he had a reason to escape, and hispanions might not know anything about it, so the reason must be very important.

    This was the border between werewolves and elves. If one thought about the city-states of the elves that were being polluted, this werewolf might have had an important reason to meet with his ¡®friends¡¯ outside the territory.

    I couldn¡¯t let him off!

    ¡°Focus your attacks on the man in the green sweater!¡± I immediately ordered the soldiers, ¡°The other werewolves are not important. Capture the one in the green sweater, dead or alive!¡±

    Seeing that the other party wanted to fight to the death with us, I didn¡¯t have to ask for them to be alive. We had a werewolf grandmaster who was good at sorcery rted to the soul. It will be the same to interrogate his soul.

    The one in the green sweater realized he had been exposed, so he stopped pestering us and turned to escape. The other werewolves took the initiative to block the path for him, but it was to no avail. I no longer hid my power and got rid of the burden blocking my way as if I was cutting vegetables. I then charged toward the green-clothed man running toward the Elf Forest.

    So what if he was contaminated by evil energy? They had cheated, and I wasn¡¯t an ordinary yer either. A god¡¯s reconstructed body was better than a demon¡¯s inferior product. I didn¡¯t even have to run 500 meters before I pounced on the werewolf and grabbed its neck.

    The wind and rain blew off my hood. With the help of the faint moonlight, I could finally see the face hidden in the shadows.

    What surprised me was that I felt that this person was very familiar, especially with that hideous knife scar on his face. I must have seen him somewhere before.

    The warriors had rushed over from behind me and immediately bound him tightly. The stray werewolf, whose joints had been dislocated, seemed not to feel any pain. He smiled at me and said, ¡°We meet again, Miss. Why is our encounter so embarrassing? I¡¯m embarrassed to be in such a sorry state in front of such a beautifuldy like you.¡±

    His glib tongue made certain fragments of my memories even more vivid. Looking at his frivolous expression, I blurted out, ¡°Are you Locke?¡±

    ¡°Congrattions, you¡¯re right.¡± Locke turned around and spat out a mouthful of blood. ¡°What¡¯s the old saying again? The tables have turned. I caught you thest time we met, and it¡¯s the other way around this time. This is also fate, right?¡±

 Chapter 330

    330 Another Wave

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    What weed him was Aldrich¡¯s punch that he didn¡¯t hold back at all. This punch knocked out one of his front teeth.

    After transforming back into his human form, Aldrich grabbed Locke¡¯s neck and said gloomily, ¡°Mind your words, stray dog. Even if you lose your tongue, I have a hundred ways to get the information I want from you.¡±

    I didn¡¯t want to stop him. I even wanted to give this lecher another punch so his gums would be symmetrical.

    ¡°In the name of the werewolf pack and the Supreme Court, you¡¯re under arrest, Locke. You¡¯re charged with organizing a terrorist organization, attacking packs, kidnapping children, carrying out an evil sacrifice, and intentional assault and murder.¡±

    I coldly announced Locke¡¯s crimes. I wrapped him up in the river to prevent him from ying any more dirty tricks.

    ¡°You have the right to remain silent, but...¡± I spat halfway. ¡°Let me save those beautiful words and get straight to the point ¨C a sc*mbag like you won¡¯t have a good end. Even the death penalty is too easy for you.¡±

    Lockeughed out loud, and with his bruised face, he lookedical and evil.

    ¡°Dead? You¡¯re a na?ve little girl, Your Majesty. Do you think a desperado who licks blood on the de like me would be afraid of torture or death?¡± His expression flickered with undisguised contempt and disdain. ¡°If you¡¯re lucky enough to serve the devil for even a day, you¡¯ll understand how worthless torture is.¡±

    I was unmoved by his crazy words.

    ¡°You think you¡¯ve won? What a joke. How could a mortal¡¯s every move escape the eyes of a god? She¡¯s watching us in the dark. Your pursuit and my escape are her toys.¡± Locke¡¯s eyes contained a strange fanaticism. ¡°How proud, how charming? Do you understand? The tragedy of being her toy, the honor of being her toy, and the pleasure of being her toy!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a lunatic, a retard, or a pervert.¡± New Flow stopped him from talking. I said, ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of anyone sacrificing a toy to themselves. I¡¯ll find out what you¡¯re up to. Save your energy for now. I hope you can also get erect against rusty torture tools, Mr. Pervert.¡±

    I stomped hard on his bulging crotch and ignored his sudden pained expression. I then signaled for everyone to return to the camp. Tonight¡¯s pursuit had ended sessfully.

    Locke was a stubborn guy. After a night of interrogation, he didn¡¯t say anything. Master Kevin tried to use witchcraft to get information. Still, he encountered the same problem that Master Mary had encountered with Adele. Ayer of spiritual defense firmly protected Locke¡¯s spiritual world, and any strong attack would immediately turn Locke into a fool.

    The n to interrogate the soul had also failed. Leviathan obviously had a strong desire to control its minions, and evil forces tightly sealed Locke¡¯s soul. Like the spiritual world, once the evil force felt threatened, it would immediately destroy Locke¡¯s soul.

    At this point, the Spring Rain Pack couldn¡¯t get him to talk anymore. We had to send Locke back to the Lycan pack for further interrogation.

    Therefore, Aldrich personally sent this criminal, who could not afford any mistakes, on his way.

    The rescued orphans would receive treatment under the royal family¡¯s arrangement, and the carefully selected good families were waiting for new members to join.

    The morning wind brought the smell of moist soil. I reluctantly bid farewell to Aldrich and watched him leave.

    Going back to a few months ago, I would never have thought that my honeymoon would be so strange. In the past few months, we didn¡¯t have many intimate activities. Most of our energy was spent on the Spring Rain Pack and the wanderers hiding in the dark.

    Although it was a bit of a pity, neither Aldrich nor I were crazy about love. Rather than doing nothing but eating, drinking, and having fun, we preferred to enrich ourselves with experience. Who said that working together for a cause wasn¡¯t a great romance?

    In short, the matter of the wanderers had finally ended.

    However, I didn¡¯t have time to rest as I still had a huge problem in the elven territory.

    I spoke to my father again and learned from him that the Elf King had sent people to rescue the fallen cities, but water couldn¡¯t extinguish a fire nearby. It would take some time to get from the capital to the border, no matter how fast they were. Who knew how the devil¡¯s power would contaminate many elven civilians while the reinforcements were on their way, so even the elven race still needed our help?

    Only a fool would refuse such a favor. Furthermore, I wasn¡¯t so cold-blooded as to watch innocent civilians being killed. Thus, after sending off Aldrich, I didn¡¯t stop to count the troops and prepare to set off for the rescue.

    The work of the Spring Rain Pack was gradually going on track, so I was very assured to hand it over to the interim government.

    Before I left, I left Jordin and Emma as my representatives, as usual.

    The Spring Rain Pack had been gradually established, and people constantly saw its value. It was not surprising that more and more people fish in troubled waters and harm others for their own benefit.

    My expression was serious, and the girls¡¯ expressions also became serious.

 Chapter 331

    331 Reinforcement

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°When the water is clear, there will be no fish. We can pretend we don¡¯t see things that don¡¯t matter, but we must have a sense of propriety in everything. Tens of thousands of people are looking forward to a new home. As the leader they trust, we must not disappoint them.

    ¡°From my selfish point of view, I don¡¯t want my hard work destroyed by parasites that reap without sowing. This is the first major task I¡¯ve handled since I was crowned. Its sess or failure will directly affect my trust and prestige among the people. If anyone dares to challenge my authority, I won¡¯t let him live the rest of his life in peace. Do you understand?¡±

    I was rarely so strict with the girls, and they were terrified and helpless.

    I knew that some things were out of their control, and I didn¡¯t want to scare them too much, so I softened my tone and said, ¡°I know that you may be confused and feel wronged. However, I have to say that you are not only my friends at work but also my spokespeople. In the eyes of outsiders, your every move represents my attitude. If you back off, I am the one backing off. If you turn a blind eye, I am the one turning a blind eye. Meanwhile, those insatiable viins are waiting to step on my weakness and climb all over my face.

    ¡°I¡¯m happy to spread some insignificant interests to win people¡¯s hearts, but I can¡¯t do that at the core, understand? If I¡¯m willing to give, then others can take it. If I¡¯m unwilling to give, whoever reaches out challenges my authority. A benevolent ruler is not a good person, and my vision for the future is not to be a mere royal mascot. That would be too embarrassing for my ancestors.

    ¡°I know that many things are not your original wishes, but I must tell you a cruel reality; if you want to be my friend and y some tricks in the court, you must change thepromises you have made over the years.

    ¡°Be clear about your position, girls. You are the princess¡¯ close friends, the crown princess¡¯ attendants, and the future Queen¡¯s close attendants. This will make you the ones with the upper hand over anyone. The days of living under someone else¡¯s roof or being an obedient girl are gone forever. If you can¡¯t control your power, others will take it away and hurt you.¡±

    Jordin and Emma¡¯s initial confusion and fear turned into panic and deep thought. I knew that they understood my hint.

    ¡°Anyway, the Spring Rain Pack is training me, and it¡¯s also training you guys.¡± I held their hands and said sincerely, ¡°I¡¯m extremely envious of my father because his most trusted official is also his closest friend. I love you, Jordin and Emma. I don¡¯t want our rtionship to lose to time in the end. Please take pity on me and don¡¯t leave me, okay?¡±

    The girls held my hands and promised me, ¡°I swear to the Moon Goddess that I will offer you the sincerity of a friend and the loyalty of a subject. Selma, we love you too and will never drift apart from you.¡±

    After arranging the Spring Rain Pack, I set off with the support team when the bright moon and the stars were few.

    This time, we were openly helping them, so we could use our wolf forms to hurry on. We could already detect the obvious remnants of evil power on the outskirts of the elf forest, which showed how much the border cities that had been attacked had fallen.

    The elves had sent out a reinforcement unit to a sentry post on the border of the elves¡¯ territory to receive us. I saw that the other party was an acquaintance ¨C Kaya¡¯s 3rd Patrol Group.

    The elves who needed help couldn¡¯t maintain their high and mighty pride and eagerly led us to the closest city.

    ¡°Autumn City has already fallen,¡± Kaya said anxiously. ¡°Autumn City¡¯s City Lord sent out a message for thest time at four in the morning. There was no more movement after that. Themunication between Autumn City and the pce has also been cut off. It is impossible to predict the situation in the city. The reinforcements from the pce will only arrive tomorrow morning at the earliest. We have no choice but to ask for your help, and thank you for your help.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t Autumn City ask for help from the other city-states? Even if the surrounding city-states had fallen, the city-states that were further away would still be closer than the capital, right? Why do we have to wait for the capital to send troops?¡± I was rather puzzled.

    Kaya didn¡¯t want to talk about the elves¡¯ internal affairs, but she had a favor to ask of us, so she could only vaguely say, ¡°The sudden outbreak of evil corruption is too strange. To preventrge-scale infiltration, other city-states shouldn¡¯t get involved.¡±

    I understood what she meant.

    Although werewolves and elves were divided internally, the degree of division between the elves was notparable to the werewolves. They were divided into manyplicated ns, such as the Water Elves, Wood Elves, and so on. Theserge ns had different branches.

    Some ns had cold rtionships with each other, and some were even hostile to each other. This wasn¡¯t a secret; it was even written into the history books of many supernatural races.

    From the looks of it, the city-states that could save Autumn City had chosen to y it safe.

    Before midnight, we finally arrived at the outpost outside Autumn City. There was no one there. The sentries who were supposed to stay behind had all disappeared. Kaya¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t good. It seemed that the sentries were in danger.

    Not far away, Autumn City was filled with evil energy. Master Kevin only took one look and shook his head. ¡°Try your best to save people.¡±

 Chapter 332

    332 No One

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Without a doubt, Autumn City had be a living hell. It was no longer a problem of defending against the enemy. It was unknown how many people could be saved from the enemy and how many of them were still unknown.

    New Flow could only devour pollutants, and the ck gold moths could only repair physical damage. I was helpless against my already damaged spiritual world. The only reason that the orphans fromst night did not go crazy was because they had only been contaminated for a short period of time. However, Autumn City had fallen for so long that the situation could not bepared.

    ¡®Everyone, prepare your defenses. Don¡¯t let a single bit of your skin get exposed.¡±

    I signaled for everyone to check theirbat uniforms onest time. Then, I used New Flow to cover everyone with ayer of the protective film and ced a ck-gold moth by their side. I didn¡¯t even miss out on the elves. If I wanted to save Autumn City, I would have to use New Flow. This couldn¡¯t be kept a secret any longer.

    ¡°If you feel any signs of contamination, immediately send a moth to inform me. Please don¡¯t force yourself, do you understand? ¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Everyone was divided into three teams and sneaked in from the three checkpoints of Autumn City. The strange thing was that no one was on the city gate tower. The wanderers had not sent anyone to guard their spoils of war.

    The situation was not right.

    I observed my surroundings more carefully, but I didn¡¯t find anything other than dead silence.

    After entering the city, I saw no lights on the dark streets. Everything was covered in ayer of shadow that seemed to be able to swallow all light. Even my vision became blurry.

    ¡°Search the area within fifty meters and try to save as many people as possible.¡±

    Under mymand, the soldiers shot into the darkness like arrows. In just three minutes, everyone returned and brought me bad news. They didn¡¯t find anyone, no bodies, and no bloodstains. If it weren¡¯t for the obvious traces of life around them, they would have thought that this was no man¡¯snd.

    The contaminated person should have lost his mind and gone crazy. Even if we werete, there should have been traces of a fight at the scene. How could there be nothing?

    I didn¡¯t believe it and continued to explore further. However, the buildings within a 500-meter radius were really empty. The furniture was also neatly arranged as if there had not been a fierce battle.

    I asked the other two teams, and they were in the same situation.

    Kaya¡¯s voice was a little distorted on the radio. She said in surprise, ¡°Autumn City is the fourthrgest city-state at the border, with a permanent poption of more than ten thousand. How can there be no one here? When Autumn City¡¯s City Lord called for help, he clearly said that there was an armed fight, but there was no trace of chaos at the scene. This is impossible!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s impossible.¡± I said, ¡°But this is the situation in front of us. There are no disaster victims, no wanderers, and nothing but darkness. Did the wanderers conduct arge-scale evil sacrifice here, and everyone was sacrificed?¡±

    Master Kevin denied this possibility. ¡°An evil sacrificial array that can sacrifice an entire city must be veryplicated. It¡¯s impossible toplete the preparation in a short day. Moreover, even though this ce is filled with evil energy, I haven¡¯t found any clues rted to formations, so there shouldn¡¯t have been any evil sacrifices here.¡±

    That was strange. There was no sign of the dead or alive. 10000 people couldn¡¯t just vanish into thin air, right?

    The whole thing started to develop in a puzzling direction. As we went deeper, we explored more and more areas, but we still didn¡¯t see a single elf...

    When the sky started to brighten, the three teams gathered at the center of Autumn City.

    Autumn City was a very ancient city. Its districts were spread out in a ring shape, and the city center was arge and clean square.

    However, this square was now very quiet. There was nothing other than us and the gushing fountain.

    We talked about our findings, but none of us found anything. There was no one, and there were no clues.

    Even the pce of Autumn City was empty. Kaya¡¯s face was pale. The people affected were her people, so how could she be indifferent? ¡°The pce is the most heavily guarded ce in a city. The guards will not let go of any sign of trouble. However, no one is there, not even a trace of fighting. It is as if the fighting sounds in the call for help were fake. How can this be possible?¡±

    ¡®Are there any underground fortifications in Autumn City?¡± I asked, ¡°Or any other ce where you can hide?¡±

    Kaya shook her head. ¡°As far as I know, there shouldn¡¯t be any. There¡¯s an underground river below Autumn City. There¡¯s no way to build any fortifications.¡±

    After many fruitless searches, Kaya and I could only report the current situation to the Lycan pack and the Elf King. I then began to purify the evil forces that had filled every corner of Autumn City.

    I swear I wouldn¡¯t want to eat seafood for the next six months.

    As I went deeper into the stream, I realized something was wrong. There was a limit to the corruptive evil power. Leviathan was not here, so why was the evil power still endless? From morning to noon, six hours had passed. Autumn City still looked sickly, as if my purification had no effect.

    However, the power that New Flow was absorbing was real.

 Chapter 333

    333 The Portal

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I stopped the purification and immediately gathered the rest of the small teams and ordered them to retreat.

    ¡°The evil power here seems to be endless. No matter if there are other sources of contamination or whatever the situation is, there is no point in staying here. Let¡¯s retreat out of the city first.¡±

    We rushed to the nearest city gate, but a strange situation happened again: After we stepped out of the city gate, what appeared in front of us was not a dense natural forest but the central square that we had just left not long ago.

    The fountain in the square was still flowing.

    This time, everyone¡¯s expression changed.

    ¡°Check allmunication equipment,¡± I ordered. ¡®Is the signal to the outside world still clear?¡±

    ¡°The signal is full. Communication is normal,¡± the team members said. ¡°No interception detected.¡±

    ¡°Are you still in contact with the elven capital?¡± I asked Kaya.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Kaya nodded. ¡°The pce just ordered us to retreat ten minutes ago. The signal was still working then.¡±

    ¡°Send another message,¡± I said. ¡°Briefly exin the current problem.¡±

    I contacted my Lycan pack again. A message from my father was sent to mymunicator a minuteter.

    ¡°Try to find a breakthrough. Reinforcements are on their way.¡±

    After receiving the message, I immediately confirmed, ¡°Ourmunication signal has been hacked. From now on, don¡¯t believe any message. Treat everything we¡¯ve received before as fake.¡±

    Everyone was puzzled. Kaya had just received the Elven King¡¯s message and asked, ¡°How do you know it¡¯s fake? Themunication between the capital and me is normal. I didn¡¯t find anything suspicious.¡±

    ¡°Everything is normal, but it¡¯s the most abnormal.¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯ve agreed with the Lycan pack. Once I signal them, all subsequentmunications will be reversed.

    ¡°But now, the other side is telling us to find a breakthrough point. They have already sent reinforcements. Does the pack mean for us to wait for death? This is impossible. The person who hacked the signal doesn¡¯t know our code, so they gave themselves away. Since my signal has been hacked, there¡¯s no reason for them to let the others go. Out of caution, it¡¯s better not to believe any information from the outside world.¡±

    Kaya hesitated for a few seconds before putting down hermunicator.

    Master Kevin tried to use witchcraft to contact the outside world, and unsurprisingly, he failed.

    ¡°The opponent¡¯s magic is too strong. My sorcery can¡¯t prate his defense at all.¡± He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said weakly, ¡°This isn¡¯t something an ordinary person can do. I even suspect the other party invited a real demon from hell. That kind of pure demonic power is something even the most vicious person can¡¯t do.¡±

    ¡°A demon?¡± I got nervous. ¡°Do you think it could be Leviathan?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Master Kevin shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not that bad. If I had faced a supreme demon of that level just now, my soul would have been shattered into pieces by now. But even if it¡¯s an unknown demon, it¡¯s enough to make us suffer.¡±

    We¡¯d tried every city gate, even climbing over walls and towers and other unusual ways. However, no matter what, we¡¯d still return to the central square, as if the edge of Autumn City was surrounded by a teleportation gate that led to the central square.

    Wait, a portal?

    Everything we were experiencing now was a little familiar. Had Ie into contact with or heard of such a situation somewhere?

    The portal.

    We couldn¡¯t leave Autumn City.

    Two interconnected spatial mayflies

    Were they connected?

    Wait, wasn¡¯t this the same situation I encountered in the Rocky Mountains?

    The illusion in the snowy night, Mullwica¡¯s house, and the ovepping space at the canyon passage were simr to the current situation!

    The illusion was the work of Azazel. As a supreme demon, it would not be surprising if Leviathan knew simr means. Furthermore, constructing an illusion required a continuous investment of magic power. I suspected that the evil power that I couldn¡¯t purify no matter what came from this.

    If that was the case, it meant that everything ¡®we¡¯ were experiencing now was an illusion, and the real us were unconscious somewhere. The way to wake up was very simple. He just had to believe that everything was fake.

    If the current situation was simr to Mullwica¡¯s house, we must meet certain special conditions before entering Autumn City. Thinking back to everything that had happened since we entered the city, I didn¡¯t find anything special. We didn¡¯t bring any special items, so the possibility of this happening was very small. Besides, there was no limit to leaving Mullwica¡¯s house, which was different from our current situation. However, we needed to consider the possibility that there were other ways to cast the space fold spell.

    Then, there was the canyon passage, which was the work of the witches of the Rocky Mountains, and the principle should be the same as that of Mullwica¡¯s house. Therefore, we could consider the second situation.

    I was done guessing. It seemed that we¡¯d most likely fallen into an illusion.

 Chapter 334

    334 Another Illusionary Realm

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I exined my guess to everyone.

    ¡°So, it seems we¡¯ve most likely fallen into an illusion, and our true bodies are under threat.¡± I emphasized, ¡°Please close your eyes and meditate. Calm yourself down and believe that everything is fake. You must believe it from the bottom of your heart. Otherwise, we will not be able to leave!¡±

    The warriors were making good progress, but the elves had some difficulties. It was not strange. Autumn City was theirs, and it was difficult to treat this ce as an illusion.

    Faced with the elves who couldn¡¯t seed no matter what, I could only give them a strong dose of ¡®medicine¡¯. ¡°Could it be that you wish for all of this to be true? Yourpatriots have gone missing for no reason. Whether it¡¯s the old man with white hair or the baby who has just learned to speak, they are all missing. Countless happy families were destroyed, leaving only a deste, empty city behind. Do you want this to be true? I¡¯ve heard that the elves are divided, but I didn¡¯t expect you to hate each other to this extent!¡±

    Even though they could tell I was trying to goad them into action, the elves were still furious. ¡°Don¡¯t you nder me! I¡¯m a member of the holy patrol team, personally blessed by His Majesty, the Elf King. My love for my fellow elves is more exuberant than a sprout in spring. I would never have such thoughts! I wish that everything was fake. The attack on Autumn City is fake, the murder of mypatriots is fake, and everything is just a dream!¡±

    As the elves roared, a hideous crack suddenly appeared on the originally clean square. Then, the surrounding buildings, roads, and even the air began to shatter.

    ¡°I¡¯ve seeded!¡± I said excitedly, ¡°The illusion is starting to break!¡±

    This sudden turn of events suppressed the elves¡¯ anger. They looked at everything that happened in front of them in a daze, and then, like an illusion, they also broke apart.

    I realized this was a sign that we were about to leave the illusion, so I quickly shouted to the people, ¡°Remember, after you wake up, don¡¯t alert the enemy. Make sure the surrounding environment is safe before you take action! You must be careful!¡±

    My vision turned ck, and I lost consciousness.

    I originally thought that I would be in a dangerous ce. Iy down like a vegetable for a long time before finally determining that I had entered the spiritual world from the feeling of running water.

    I didn¡¯t take the initiative to enter, so how did I end up here?

    I stood up from the murmuring stream, and a few ck-gold mothsnded on my body to rest. They had the fresh fragrance of green grass and a faint fishy smell of the sea.

    I turned around and saw a woman in a dark blue tulle standing behind me.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± The warning bells in my head went off. Someone was in my spiritual world, and I didn¡¯t sense it.

    The womanughed as if she were an old friendining that I didn¡¯t remember her. She snarled, ¡°You¡¯ve forgotten me already? We¡¯ve had a soul-deepmunication before, but your cold expression makes me sad.¡±

    She had extraordinary pupils and a fishy smell that couldn¡¯t be ignored. I immediately realized her identity ¨C the deep-sea demon, Leviathan!

    Letting others enter one¡¯s spiritual world was very dangerous, and letting a supreme demon enter was equivalent to suicide. I didn¡¯t know how Leviathan hade in, but I knew that the longer she stayed, the closer I was to death.

    I tried to drive her away. By right, everyone was the master of their spiritual world, and there was almost nothing they couldn¡¯t do here. But the banishment had failed, and Leviathan was still standing there, even in the mood to y with the ck-gold moth that was curious about her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t waste your energy, my dear.¡± She giggled. ¡°I¡¯m not here. What you see is just a projection. You¡¯ve consumed so much of my essence, right? This is just a small gift.¡±

    No wonder I couldn¡¯t do anything to her. What I saw was only a projection of the evil power. If I wanted to drive her away, I would have to spit out the power I absorbed. But the projection did not threaten me, so I didn¡¯t have to rush to drive her away.

    ¡°Why are you looking for me?¡± I didn¡¯t have a good attitude toward the demon who had harmed me in the past. ¡°You¡¯re here to avenge your good brother, Azazel?¡±

    Leviathan showed a disdainful expression. ¡°Don¡¯t say such disgusting things. I¡¯m starting to hate you, dear. But Azazel is indeed brewing to take revenge on you. Don¡¯t you want to know his n?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll tell me if I ask?¡±

    ¡°Of course not!¡± Sheughed out loud. ¡°You¡¯re not cute at all, but it doesn¡¯t matter. I don¡¯t care about these details.¡±

    I didn¡¯t want to waste any more time talking to her, so I asked directly, ¡°What¡¯s your purpose in tempting the wandering werewolves to sacrifice themselves to you? Are you the one behind the elf n¡¯s incident?¡±

    Leviathan¡¯s smile was gentle and charming, but her eyes were cold and arrogant. ¡°No, no, no,¡± she said disdainfully. ¡°Compared to the monkeys onnd, I prefer the colorful clownfish in the sea. As for what people do in my name, I can only say they have free will and can do whatever they want, right?¡±

 Chapter 335

    335 The Survivors

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Her nonchnt attitude made me angry. ¡°Don¡¯t make it sound like it¡¯s none of your business. Don¡¯t tell me that you didn¡¯t give the werewolf the ability to teleport and that you¡¯re not the one who contaminated the concentrate.¡±

    ¡°This is a fair exchange of equivalent value, my dear.¡± Leviathan said, ¡°They give me sacrifices, and I give them rewards. Isn¡¯t this the process when yourpatriots offer sacrifices to the moon? As for the process, I¡¯ve said that I don¡¯t care about the details.¡±

    This cold-blooded, cruel, and hypocritical fish of good health!

    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m just here to say hello. We haven¡¯t seen each other for three years. I hope you like the trip I gave you before.¡± Leviathan began to fade.

    ¡°We will meet again. I hope you still remember me next time, my dear.¡±

    With that, she disappeared, leaving only a thin veil.

    I subconsciously tried to grab her shadow, but the dark blue muslin bypassed my hand and silently dissolved in the stream.

    ¡°Damn it!¡±

    I kicked the riverbank in frustration-the other party¡¯s ability toe and go as she pleased irritated me.

    However, there was no time to care about my self-esteem now. I didn¡¯t know what the others were like. I immediately left the spiritual world to find mypanions.

    I woke up on a soft and thickyer of fallen leaves. My surroundings were quiet. No one was ambushing me, and no one was guarding me. I was surrounded by many warriors and elves lying on the ground. They didn¡¯t seem to have suffered any external injuries and were sleeping quietly.

    One after another, people woke up. They feigned unconsciousness vigntly and only dared to open their eyes after I reminded them.

    ¡°Oh my god, I feel like my joints are about to freeze.¡± Even the strongest person would feel ufortable after lying on a pile of wet leaves for a night.

    The ce where we fainted was in front of the gate of Autumn City. We seemed to fall into an illusion when we stepped into Autumn City¡¯s territory.

    I quickly regrouped and inspected the casualties before leading everyone back into Autumn City. This time, the scene was much more real, although this reality was not what we wanted to see.

    There were corpses everywhere, and blood flowed like rivers. The bodies of elves with twisted limbs and scars were scattered in every corner of the streets and alleys. We couldn¡¯t find any living person within a one-kilometer radius. There were obvious traces of an array on the ground. Master Kevin believed it was an erged version of the evil sacrificial array used to sacrifice the entire city.

    ¡°Sacrifice the entire city? Does that mean that everyone is dead?¡±

    ¡°In theory, yes. However, there are many mistakes in the details of this formation, which may greatly reduce the effect of the sacrifice, and there may be survivors.¡±

    No matter what, we couldn¡¯t just give up on the search and rescue work. Through our relentless search, we finally found a few students hiding in a storage room in a school in the city center.

    The storage room door was painted with a spell unique to the elves, and there was a middle-aged elf with a hole in his chest lying on the ground at the door. The teacher must have used a spell to protect the student, but before he could do more, he was killed by his crazypatriots.

    Most of the students had already fainted from hunger and fear. The only one who was awake was very stressed. The hellish experience seemed to have trapped him. He remained unmoved no matter how much Kaya tried to express her goodwill and tell him that she was there to save him. He continued to hold a small knife in his hand and refused to put it down. It seemed like he could pounce on us at any moment and fight us to the death.

    Kaya didn¡¯t want to treat him roughly, but there was no other way. She could only cooperate with me to attract his attention so I could quickly pounce on him and knock him out.

    The boy didn¡¯t even have time to cry out before he softly fell to the ground. The moment I touched him, I felt an abnormally high temperature. This child was having a high fever.

    We also checked the rest of the surviving children. All of them had a fever, and there were many wounds of various sizes on their bodies. I used the ck-gold butterfly to heal the children¡¯s bodies and then handed them over to Kaya to handle.

    ¡°This is someone from your elven race. It¡¯s not appropriate for us to interfere,¡± I said.

    Kaya first decided to send the children to the neighboring city to recuperate, but there was no safe ce around them, as they could be contaminated at any time. She had no choice but to contact the capital. Now that themunication was normal, she decided to bring them back to the capital at the Elf King¡¯s behest.

    I couldn¡¯t care less about their internal affairs. I was concerned about the next mission: Should I continue exploring the surrounding cities?

    Based on Autumn City¡¯s state, the chances of the surrounding city-states surviving were zero. There were no traces of the wanderers in Autumn City, so it was very likely that they had just finished a big job and left for another ce. As a result, there was no telling how many cities had been infiltrated by their people, and they were always on the edge of the pollution outbreak.

    At this moment, the army sent by the Elf King had already arrived at the various cities affected by the disaster. The rescue work no longer required external help like ours. When I thought the elves would ask us to leave, Kaya brought me some unexpected news.

 Chapter 336

    336 The Opposition

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Her unusually respectful attitude gave me goosebumps, and the news she brought me was even more unbelievable.

    ¡°You want me to help you purify the contamination?¡± I hesitated to confirm. ¡°You guys should know that I can¡¯t move alone. If you invite me, my team members will have to follow. Would your King be happy with so many warriors around your territory?¡±

    Kaya was tensing up, so even though she was a little dissatisfied with what I said, she still replied obediently, ¡°We admire your selflessness and strength. His Majesty believes that you are a friend worthy of trust.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡± I said, ¡°Since we¡¯re already here, it doesn¡¯t matter if we walk a few more steps.¡±

    After reporting the situation to my father and getting his approval, I led the warriors and continued to follow the elves.

    Although Autumn City was not thergest city on the border, it was the city with the most poption in the area. The closest city to it was a small city called summer city, and further away were Spring City and Winterfell.

    It was not difficult to tell from the names that these city-states came from the same n. However, after the pollution, the elves in the four cities of spring, summer, autumn, and winter were no different from extinction. Even if the poption at the border was small, there were still nearly 30000 lives.

    Kaya and the other elves became more and more silent as they traveled. At first, they had hoped to find survivors from other cities, but the children in the school¡¯s storage room in Autumn City were clearly lucky. After turning Summer City upside down and not finding a single living thing, the hope in their eyes was extinguished.

    Seeing their tightly clenched hands and teary eyes, I couldn¡¯t say anything in the end. All I could do was pat their shoulders infort.

    The elven soldiers had carefully tidied up summer City. I had sessfully absorbed the remaining evil energy in the area and then set off for Spring City without stopping.

    The surviving children had been handed over to the elven soldiers of Summer City, who would be responsible for sending these unfortunate and fortunate children to the capital.

    And in Spring City, as expected, I was in trouble.

    Some of the elven soldiers red at us and said some nasty things. They even refused to let me help with the purification of Spring City.

    I had already expected this situation. After all, the wanderers were still werewolves. Although they were no longer the same kind of werewolves, would the elves who were harmed care about such things? It was normal for them to push the me on us for the actions of the wanderers.

    ¡°You¡¯re not wee here, mottled dogs!¡± The leading elf cursed angrily, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, would so many innocent people be sacrificed? Murderers, don¡¯te here and pretend to be nice. We don¡¯t need it! Get lost!¡±

    The people surrounding us were mighty. Although some of the soldiers had a wait-and-see attitude, it was obvious who they were siding with from their expressions.

    Kaya tried to reason with the leader. ¡°They are the guests invited by His Majesty to help us solve the disaster. If you have any dissatisfaction, you should tell the pce! The longer we dy, the more the contamination will spread. Do you want more people to die from this disgusting power?¡±

    The leader didn¡¯t listen to anything and continued to lead the soldiers to block the gate, not letting us in.

    He didn¡¯t seem to be a high-ranking officer, and I waited for a long time, but no one came to deal with this chaotic farce.

    After a moment of stalemate, facing the elves who wanted to pounce on me and tear me apart, I indifferently said, ¡°Alright, since you¡¯re not willing, I won¡¯t force you.¡±

    I greeted Kaya, turned around, and waved at the warriors. ¡°Let¡¯s go. The mission is over. Let¡¯s go home.¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± Kaya stopped me anxiously. ¡°Please wait. I swear these soldiers are not doing it on purpose. They are just too agitated. They will realize their mistakes when they calm down. Please give them a chance. Please don¡¯t hold it against them.¡±

    ¡°Me?¡± I nced at the elven soldiers, who were all agitated andughed. ¡°I admit that I¡¯m not a very open-minded person, but I can still distinguish between what¡¯s important and what¡¯s not when ites to life and death. But your people don¡¯t seem to be nervous at all. Since you have the time to rebel against me, you must have finished your work in Spring City. In that case, what reason do I have to stay? I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±

    ¡°Spring City needs you! I¡¯ll immediately get someone to disperse them!¡±

    ¡°Who are you looking for? An officer? But these soldiers have been here for almost half an hour, and I haven¡¯t even seen a single officer. I believe that the tradition of yournd is that subordinates can be the masters of their superiors. This is the people¡¯s will, so it¡¯s better not to trouble insignificant people.¡±

    Kaya choked on my words. She didn¡¯t know how to stop me or let me go. Her face was red.

    Finally, in the middle of a stalemate, a male elf who seemed to have a high military rank arrived.

    ¡°The children are insensible. They¡¯ve caused you trouble.¡± As soon as he arrived, he politely apologized to me, ¡°It¡¯s even more serious here. Let¡¯s talk after we enter the city. ¡±

    He seemed just to be putting on airs.

    I impolitelymented in my heart before arrogantly nodding. ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡±

 Chapter 337

    337 Laughable

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    It was obvious that the elven officer, who had arrivedte, and I wanted to keep the peace. However, I didn¡¯t know if it was because of the higher-ups¡¯ indulgence that the elves who caused trouble thought they had obtained a death-exemption medallion. Still, this group of people refused to let us go and ignored their embarrassed boss.

    Officer Klein tried to scoff at the daring soldiers, but he was ruthlessly humiliated.

    Now, I was starting to doubt the elf race¡¯s education level. Otherwise, the elf recruitment requirement was that their intelligence be below average. Otherwise, why would there be so many intelligence depressions?

    Although I was at the center of the storm, I was honestly not in a hurry at all. This was not my city, nor my fellow countrymen, so they could drag it on if they wanted to. I believed my attitude was good enough that I hadn¡¯t fallen out with him yet. Why should I stick my warm face to the cold butt?

    Finally, Klein couldn¡¯t stand his subordinates¡¯ foolishness anymore. He pulled out his military saber and shouted, ¡°All of you, back down! Are you guys trying to rebel? If you dare to cause trouble again, get out of the camp. The elf race doesn¡¯t need arrogant and unruly soldiers like you!¡±

    The noisy crowd went silent for a moment, then buzzed again, but it was much softer this time. The soldiers didn¡¯t dare to openly stroke the tiger¡¯s whiskers because their superior was angry. Although they still looked indignant, they suddenly only dared to whisper.

    Klein sheathed his knife in satisfaction and led me forward...

    However, the people in the way did not move like rocks and had no intention of making way.

    This made Klein lose face once again. He didn¡¯t hide his anger at all. His cheeks were red, his eyes were widened, and he was panting heavily. The veins on his forehead were popping out, destroying the elegant temperament unique to elves.

    I would listen to such a superior if I were an elven soldier. However, the troublemakers were just so stubborn. They ignored the authority and anger of their superiors. They were so brave that I wanted to give them a round of apuse.

    ¡°The elves don¡¯t wee any werewolves,¡± the leader said.

    ¡°No matter the rtionship between those stray werewolves and you, whether they were expelled or defected, that¡¯s just the one-sided story of you wild dogs. Who knows what the truth is? Maybe they¡¯re the spies you sent to the elf n to sabotage us. Do you want to distort the truth with your words?

    ¡°A group of people is here to cause destruction, and another is here to hypocritically show kindness. Isn¡¯t this kind of conspiracy too tant? How could it be so coincidental that you can purify evil energy? It¡¯s hard to say whether it¡¯s you who can purify evil energy or if your ability was born with evil energy!

    ¡°No one here trusts you, murderer! Don¡¯t put on that arrogant face of a benefactor. You werewolves caused the disaster we encountered. You should bepensating for our losses!¡±

    I almost couldn¡¯t hold back myughter when I saw his smug expression, thinking that he had seen through the truth.

    To be honest, was it true that we¡¯d been treating the elves as a neighbor worthy of respect and vignce all these years? Look at all these beautiful fools with the looks, the intelligence, and the rationality. I even felt that even if no one were to do anything, the elves would be able to destroy themselves.

    The tradition of splitting up the elven race was also passed on to the army. Even the rtionship between superior and subordinate could not defeat the deep-rooted concept of the family. Klein couldn¡¯t control the soldiers under him at all. He seemed to have the highest military rank present. Even he couldn¡¯t do anything about it, much less make the soldiers listen to the words of the lower-ranking officers.

    I was not a person made of mud that could be toyed with by others. The reason I hadn¡¯t gotten angry yet was purely because I was well-mannered, and I didn¡¯t want to cause any more trouble. However, if someone were ungrateful and still wanted to nder the soldiers and me, I would have to talk sense into him.

    I sneered as I walked over to the elven soldier who was making such a big threat. The elven soldier¡¯s expression stiffened as he took a step back. Seeing this, I didn¡¯t hide my sneer at all.

    ¡°What are you retreating for? Weren¡¯t you speaking so righteously just now? Why do you not dare to look at me now? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re afraid.¡± I gently pointed at the new badge on his chest. ¡°Don¡¯t do that. You¡¯re the little hero who represents the elf race to judge me. If you don¡¯t even dare to look me in the eye, I¡¯ll wonder if all elves are as weak as you.¡±

    The elven soldier¡¯s eyes dodged my gaze. He was all talk and no guts. After a long time, he finally managed to say, ¡°Stop being so arrogant. This is the elf n, not your doghouse...¡±

    ¡°Oh, really? This is the elf n?¡± I suddenly raised my voice, which startled him. ¡°So you¡¯re saying everything that happens on thisnd is under your control? That¡¯s strange. Look at this ce full of wolves. Is this how the elves control their territory? A bunch of vicious lunatics came in to burn, kill, pige, and then swagger away, and you only know how to act after it happened. You don¡¯t even have the slightest sense of responsibility, and you¡¯re in a hurry to push the me on your kind neighbors who came to help you?¡±

 Chapter 338

    338 Breaking It Up

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The elven soldier¡¯s face turned red as he red at me. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°You¡¯re the ones who bite back!¡±

    ¡°We?¡± Iughed unceremoniously. ¡°Tell me now, how have we let you down? Is it wrong to rush here overnight to help you, or is it wrong to break the evil sacrificial array or to purify the evil power?¡±

    ¡°The wanderers that attacked the city are from your werewolf pack! You can¡¯t shirk your responsibility!¡±

    ¡°This is the funniest joke I¡¯ve heard this week. The crime of the stray werewolves can be pushed onto the entire werewolf race? ording to your logic, there are also many rangers among the elves who assassinate and steal from other races. Why don¡¯t your entire elf race atone for the crimes of those elves who betrayed us?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to change the subject. We¡¯re talking about you werewolves! Don¡¯t pour dirt on my n!¡±

    The elven soldier was still arrogantly threatening me when I suddenly grabbed him by the cor and easily crossed the human wall formed by the troublemakers. Then, I threw him at the ruined city gate.

    ¡°The werewolves? Open your eyes and take a good look, kid! Your territory was attacked, and the ones who died were yourrades. This had nothing to do with us werewolves from the beginning to the end. If you have the time to talk nonsense with me, why don¡¯t you see how your fellow countrymen die?

    ¡°You don¡¯t need our help? Sure, I¡¯m not willing to work for you for free anyway. No matter how the evil power spreads, even if the entire border is polluted, even if the elven capital city falls, that¡¯s all your business, and you can deal with it however you want. It¡¯s up to you whether you want to die or not. What does that have to do with the werewolves?¡±

    I turned around and said to the silent elf soldiers, ¡°Please understand the current situation. I¡¯m here not because the werewolf n owes you anything, nor because you elves are in high demand. It¡¯s because your King came to ask me for help, and I only agreed on ount of the diplomatic ties between the two countries. Stop pestering me, you idiots! Do you think I¡¯m willing toe to your poor vige to suffer?

    ¡°Also, we¡¯re here to help, not to clean up the stray werewolves¡¯ mess. Do you still have the most basic concept of integrity? I don¡¯t expect you to treat me like a benefactor, but I¡¯ve just purified Autumn City, and you¡¯re already burning the bridge after crossing it. That¡¯s not very polite!

    ¡°It¡¯s been twenty minutes since I entered Spring City. I could¡¯ve done many things in these twenty minutes, but the situation has only worsened because of your unreasonable tantrums. How many of your soldiers have been contaminated by the remaining evil forces? Can you handle it? Or do you want to watch them die?

    ¡°Or are you certain I¡¯m a soft-hearted person who won¡¯t leave you all to die? That¡¯s why you¡¯re stepping on my mercy and unscrupulously showing off your ridiculous foolishness? If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯ve misjudged me. I¡¯m not a good person. There¡¯s no reason for me to be so nice to others when they¡¯re pointing at me and scolding me.

    I unterally announce that the werewolf pack¡¯s assistance to the elf n is over. Since you don¡¯t want us to stay, and we want to leave, why don¡¯t we go our separate ways and not get involved with each other in the future?¡±

    I rolled my eyes. I didn¡¯t want to see the elves¡¯ strange expressions at all. I ordered the warriors over and prepared to leave.

    Klein came to stop me, and Kaya also came to beg me not to leave, but I¡¯d made up my mind. Did they think we were going to stand there and be their punching bags?

    I led the warriors and left, leaving the elves with their mouths agape.

    After walking for a long time, when even the shadow of Spring City could no longer be seen, Dorothy asked me quietly, ¡°Are we really going to leave like this? Or are you just trying to scare them?¡±

    ¡°Of course we¡¯re leaving. Who do they think they are? Is there a need for me to hold on to them?¡± I replied indifferently, ¡°Since they don¡¯t wee us, we don¡¯t have to be their guests.

    ¡°But what about the evil power?¡±

    ¡°Let them settle it themselves. Aren¡¯t they all quite capable?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m being serious. Are we really just going to leave it be?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t care anymore. Don¡¯t look at me like that, okay? I¡¯ve already sent New Flow out to test the waters. The situation in Spring City is very different from Autumn City. Maybe it¡¯s because Leviathan had constructed an illusion in Autumn City, but the remaining evil power there is not on the same level as that in Spring City. It¡¯s impossible to dissipate it by itself.

    ¡°However, there is very little evil energy left in Spring City. Not only is it dissipating naturally, but it is also flowing back through the evil sacrifice array. This is amazing, right? I¡¯ll ask Master Kevin about the principle behind it. In short, it will gradually recover even if I don¡¯t purify Spring City. It¡¯s just a matter of time.¡±

 Chapter 339

    339 Returning To The Rescue

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    That was right, no matter how angry I was, I couldn¡¯t ignore such a huge source of contamination. The only reason I was able to leave was that it wasn¡¯t a big deal, to begin with.

    ¡°But what if a soldier is contaminated?¡± Dorothy was still worried. ¡°Just like you said, if the remaining evil forces in Spring City taint the elven soldiers, then there will be a big problem.¡±

    I replied calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Those elves are very smart. They won¡¯t die for the sake of personal feelings. If anything happens, they¡¯ll shamelessly ask for my help. It¡¯ll be like how they shamelessly asked us for help after rejecting our search request.¡±

    During the lunch break, we took a break behind a hidden hill.

    I asked Master Kevin about the return of the evil power, and he said, ¡°This is not rare because the evil sacrificial array is usually two-way. Both sides will exchange sacrifices and rewards. Many cultists knew nothing about sacrificial rituals and only drew a rough outline. In fact, many of the details were wrong, which could cause a series of side effects. The mostmon one is the chaotic flow of power. I think it¡¯s because of this that the evil power flows back.¡±

    It turned out that this was caused by the wanderers¡¯ mistake. It was hard to say whether it was the elves¡¯ luck or misfortune.

    Munching on thepressed biscuit, Dorothy said gloomily, ¡°My beautiful fantasy of elves has beenpletely shattered in the past few days. What happened to their beauty, kindness, and gentleness? He¡¯s no different from an ordinary person, and it even makes people feel a little speechless.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s marketing. Who doesn¡¯t know how to make themselves look good?¡± I consoled her, ¡°There are good and bad people everywhere. The elves are just one of themon people.¡±

    Dorothy had been reading up on herbal medicine written by an elven schr during this time, and her admiration for the schr had unknowingly shifted to the entire elven race. It was expected that she would be disappointed after her fantasy was shattered.

    Before they could finish their lunch, the scouts reported that they had found traces of unknown people in the distance.

    I knew who wasing, so I wasn¡¯t nervous. As expected, ten minutester, Kaya appeared with a small group of elves.

    These people were in a sorry state, and there were even some wounds on their bodies as if they had fought with someone.

    I interrupted what Kaya was about to say and said bluntly, ¡°Someone¡¯s infected? A riot? Internal strife? The situation is getting out of hand?¡±

    Kaya nodded, trying her best to appear calm, even though her red cheeks betrayed her embarrassment.

    ¡°Then don¡¯t just stand there. Let¡¯s go.¡± I stood up and dusted off the dirt on my butt.

    ¡°Y-y-you don¡¯t mind?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If I really want to argue with you, I have plenty of ways to make it so that you won¡¯t be able to find me.¡± I sneered. I don¡¯t want to target anyone, but it¡¯s time for you elves to change your arrogant temper. Things are no longer the same as they were thousands of years ago. You should have realized that you¡¯re gradually bing a joke in the eyes of the outsiders, right?¡±

    These words were very impolite, but Kaya¡¯s bad temper was gone. She lowered her head in silence and didn¡¯t say anything.

    So, we followed the elves back to Spring City.

    To be honest, I did this to manipte the elves¡¯ temper. I didn¡¯t hate this race.

    Be it the werewolves, elves, witches, humans, or other races, it wasmon for most people to be ¡®afraid of power but not virtue¡¯. Taking kindness for granted was a selfish gene in all living things. Even if one were to tuck their tail between their legs in front of the strong, they would still be able to find thousands of reasons to be righteous.

    There was no need to haggle over human nature. Since this rescue mission was a rtionship of interests from the beginning, all personal feelings were a waste of time. It was enough to maintain diplomatic rtions between the two races.

    Of course, no one would let go of the opportunity to fight for benefits for their side.

    Spring City was in a mess. The elven soldiers quietly infected by the evil power had lost their minds and turned into human weapons that would attack madly. The clear-headed elven soldiers wanted to subdue them, but they didn¡¯t dare to be ruthless, so they were very passive.

    Since I couldn¡¯t confirm if the elves were infected one by one, I told everyone to hide in a safe ce in Spring City. I wrapped Spring City in the river and ¡®sucked out¡¯ the evil power.

    Devouring the evil power in a human body differed from devouring the air. This was a much moreplicated and delicate work. The spiritual world of an adult elf was also much more guarded against than a minor¡¯s. The slightest mistake could cause irreversible damage, so I had to spend a lot of effort dealing with it. It was only when it was almost dark that I finished.

    At this time, Spring City seemed to have experienced a second attack. It was so deste that one could not bear to look at it. The bloodstains that hadn¡¯t been cleaned up were stacked with new bloodstains that hadn¡¯t been dried yet. The purified contaminated elves were lying all over the ground. Those who didn¡¯t know would think the ground was full of corpses.

 Chapter 340

    340 A Month Ago

    Benson Walton¡¯s POV:

    The days of the mobile patrol team were not easy.

    Suddenly losing my identity as an Alpha, the huge psychological gap made me feel unreal. In the mobile patrol team, I was just an insignificant soldier. No one made things difficult for me, but no one cared about me. Themander¡¯s cold eyes and myrades¡¯ distant attitude were all flogging my remaining self-esteem. They mercilesslyughed at me. ¡®Wake up. You¡¯re just an insignificant person now.¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t as if I hadn¡¯t been apprehensive when I arrived. Selma could make me wish I were dead with just a light hint. But in the end, none of my worries happened. The people here didn¡¯t know my identity at all. This made me sigh in relief, but at the same time, I felt a strange sense of mncholy.

    So, I was nothing to Selma now. She couldn¡¯t even be bothered to cause me trouble as if I was just a willow leaf on her skirt that she didn¡¯t need to care about at all, and I¡¯d be gone with the wind.

    I was the only one still immersed in the nightmare of the past, wandering in the long corridor of the past, never to see the light of day.

    The mobile patrol team had a lot of work to do. As its name suggested, we had to patrol back and forth between the various packs without stopping and report any suspicious signs to the Lycan pack. The nature of our work was that we didn¡¯t have a fixed ce to stay, so most of the people who joined the mobile patrol team were single men, women, and orphans without families.

    The rtionship between the team members was average, not good, but not bad. As a neer, I didn¡¯t have a single friend I could talk to. Themunication device I was given could only connect to the internal channel, which made me so lonely for some time that I almost went crazy.

    However, I soon lost my sentimental experience. The wanderers suddenly erupted and immediately fled into the werewolf¡¯s territory aftermitting a crime at the border. The King had ordered all the werewolves to participate in the pursuit, including the mobile patrol team. From that day on, our mission became tense and dangerous.

    Once again, we broke into the base of the wanderers. This time, I was unlucky, and my arm was almost chopped off. The medic told me I couldn¡¯t use force before my wound healed, so I was assigned to the logistics department as a temporary ¡®nanny¡¯ to take care of the rescued orphans.

    They were a group of sad children whose lives had a tragic beginning from birth. The remote and backward pack would not have provided the orphanage with good conditions. They grew up to be emaciated teenagers and were captured by stray werewolves to be sacrificed for the demons.

    After they were rescued, they were frightened, stressed, and cried non-stop, but these symptoms were not often seen after a few days. What reced it was silence and dullness, as if the souls of these children had left their bodies, leaving behind only a shell that followed their instincts.

    In the face of their miserable situation, I could only sigh and remain silent.

    One day, the logistics department received an order from the higher-ups asking us to escort the rescued orphans back to the Lycan pack. The orphans didn¡¯t react to the news until the night before we set off. A thin little boy sneaked out and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go to the Lycan pack. I want to go back to the Sun Pack.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± I asked, ¡°The Lycan pack is great. You¡¯ll be taken good care of there. There will be kind-hearted foster parents who will adopt you.¡±

    The little boy shook his head stubbornly. He wanted to go back to the Sun Pack.

    I didn¡¯t have much patience for children, so I held back my temper and persuaded him with a few words before I got impatient. I directly pulled him back to the bed and warned him, ¡°Sleep well, child. We¡¯re leaving tomorrow morning.¡±

    I thought this was over, but the next morning, the little boy had disappeared.

    I couldn¡¯t help but curse a few times and swore to spank this brat¡¯s butt when I found him. No one knew how the little boy managed to slip away in the heavily guarded military camp. We searched for an entire morning and still couldn¡¯t find any trace of him.

    Time waited for no one, so the other orphans could only set off first. As a member of the night watchst night, my superior undoubtedly scolded me. I had to be responsible for finding the little boy.

    How fast could a little kid be? However, we couldn¡¯t find any trace of him in a radius of more than ten kilometers. I suddenly recalled my conversation with the little boyst night as I was at my wit¡¯s end. ¡®This brat wouldn¡¯t want to run back to the Sun Pack alone, would he?¡¯

    I immediately checked the local traffic records when the little boy disappeared. As expected, I found a midnight train passing by the Sun Pack. So, I brought my men to the station where the Sun Pack was located before the train arrived. As expected, I caught the little boy with the luggage.

    I couldn¡¯t hold back my temper and scolded him on the spot. The little boy just cried, and the passers-by thought we were human traffickers. We spent a long time exining ourselves.

    ¡°Why do you have to go to the Sun Pack?¡± I asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t youe from an orphanage from the Floodwater Pack? ¡±

    The little boy sobbed and mumbled, ¡°I¡¯m here to find my sister. I¡¯m here to find my sister.¡±

    ¡°I got lost. My sister said to wait for me wherever I got lost and that she¡¯lle back for me.¡±

 Chapter 341

    341 Confined Together

    Benson Walton¡¯s POV:

    The children in the orphanage had their misfortunes. Some were born without parents, some were abandoned when they were a few years old, and some were separated from their original families for various reasons.

    They might have had the chance to meet their families, but the poor packs could not spare the funds and manpower to do this thankless charity work, so they threw them into the orphanage as if nothing had happened.

    I should have brought the little boy back immediately, but his tone was on the verge of tears, and his eyes were mixed with fear and determination, making me feel sad for no reason. So, I brought him to the headquarters of the Sun Pack and used my identity as a member of the mobile patrol team to look for information about the little boy¡¯s past.

    Since werewolves had many more ways of identifying themselves than other races, they only went missing a few times. Thus, I easily found the information I wanted in the rtively thick old documents.

    The little boy¡¯s name was Angus. He was an Omega from a small remote pack. His sister had reported a few years ago that he had gone missing in a riot caused by a wanderer. The police had searched the pack everywhere but to no avail, and the case had be unsolved.

    Now it seemed useless even if the police turned the Sun Pack upside down back then because the wanderers took Angus. Perhaps because he was too frightened, Angus¡¯s memory of what happened back then was vague, but he remembered that he was taken away and was still in the border suburbs.

    It was in the suburbs of the Floodwater Pack where they found him and sent him to an orphanage.

    The police station still had the contact information left by his sister, ¡°Bertha, 045*******(the Charlies Family).¡±

    I reported the discovery of Angus¡¯s family to the head team, and the head team¡¯s instructions were to bring Angus back to the team first, and everything else could wait until we got back to the Lycan pack.

    As expected, the child who had secretly escaped was punished by being grounded. How harsh could we be to children? However, it was an emergency now. Thanks to the Moon Goddess, he could sneak out and reach the Sun Pack sessfully. Let alone a werewolf, any human trafficker with sharp eyes would be done for.

    As the person who let Angus escape, I was also punished and locked in the confinement room next to Angus¡¯s. My situation was much worse. I didn¡¯t eat or drink, nor did I have a small window to spy on the outside world. All I had was what seemed like endless boredom and torturous loneliness.

    The boy had a child¡¯s heart and couldn¡¯t bear the loneliness brought by confinement. He started to try to talk to me. At first, I ignored him, butter, I was so bored, and the guards outside turned a blind eye, so I asked about his past.

    An honest child would always tell the people he liked and trusted everything he knew. I only asked a few simple questions, and the boy told me everything about his past.

    He was born in a remote, closed, and conservative little pack. From his description, it seemed that they still followed the disgusting feudal rules of the old era. As an Omega, he and his sister Bertha were bullied. A few years ago, their mother protected them, but after their mother passed away, the siblings became the pack¡¯s public punching bags, and anyone could bully them.

    I believed that he was a pretty little boy, and I thought that his sister wouldn¡¯t be too bad, either. With this kind of appearance and identity, one could only imagine what the children would face when they grow up. In short, when the older Bertha realized that she and her brother were about to fall into an even more tragic abyss, she decided to escape with her brother.

    Perhaps the Moon Goddess was watching over the siblings, or the other people in the pack did not expect their punching bags to have the courage to run away. Either way, the siblings managed to escape.

    However, the world outside the pit of fire was not friendly to them. Although they were lucky that they did not meet any bad people, surviving was a big problem that was enough to overwhelm children. Just as they werepletely reduced to dirty and thin little beggars, a richdy who passed by saved them. She had given Bertha a job and was not against raising a little boy who did not have much to eat.

    ¡°Is thatdy¡¯s surname Charlies?¡± I asked, ¡°The contact information your sister left behind has that.¡±

    Mrs. Charlies was a government official who was on a business trip.

    The boy did not know what she was up to, but the wanderers had their eyes on her and nned a surprise attack on the day she set off for her return to the Lycan pack.

    The result was, of course, evil did not suppress good. The wanderers fled in all directions and caught many hostages to use as shields. The boy was one of the unlucky ones. When he was forced to escape with the wanderers, he was extremely frightened and had a high fever. When he woke up from hisa, he found himself abandoned by the side of the road, and the wanderers who had held him hostage were nowhere to be seen.

    I believed that the wanderers must have thought the boy would die soon, so they left him behind.

    This was actually a blessing in disguise.

 Chapter 342

    342 The Siblings¡¯ Reunion

    Benson Walton¡¯s POV:

    After that, he was sent to an orphanage.

    It was not that he had never asked the caretaker to find his sister, but they looked at him coldly and said perfunctory words to me or shirk. Children were actually very sensitive, and the boy gradually felt the caretaker¡¯s impatience and disgust. After being maliciously picked on and punished several times, he learned to shut up.

    Some kind local couples would asionallye to adopt children, and the cute boy was very popr. However, every time he felt that his rtionship with them strengthened and he revealed his intention to find his sister, those adults who were enthusiastic about him would remain silent and never visit him again.

    He was very sad, but he never gave up until the wanderers suddenly attacked the orphanage.

    The memory of being kidnapped was too vague for him. Most of the time, he and the other children were made into puppets by some special method, and they knew nothing about the outside world.

    The boy¡¯s experience made me fall silent. His world was too far away from me, be it the past or the present me.

    Born noble, the Alpha heir set his eyes on the higher and further future, never caring about the insignificant weeds under his feet. The silent mobile patrol team members only needed toplete the tasks assigned by their superiors. These people would never appear to see how people lived like stray dogs.

    I didn¡¯t think I was stupid, but I couldn¡¯t say anything about what happened to the boy.

    Pity? Orfort? Or should I encourage him to have a happy future?

    I didn¡¯t know. I couldn¡¯t say it. When I thought of how I used to be as arrogant and cruel as those who bullied, ignored, and bullied him, I felt like a fishbone stuck in my throat.

    Actually, the boy didn¡¯t need me to say anything. He was still a child, and his tender tolerance had already reached its limit. He just needed someone to talk to. After saying all this, he quickly fell asleep, not concerned with my avoidance and silence.

    A few dayster, I brought the boy back to the pack with a team escorting the wounded. The boy was excited all the way back because he knew that someone would contact his sister after we reached the pack. Although he knew that I had Bertha¡¯s contact information, and he was burning with anxiety, he was still sensible enough not to say anything.

    I hadn¡¯t been away from the Lycan pack for too long. Thest time I left was only a few months ago. There was no change here. It was still bustling and lively, peaceful and calm, the crown princess¡¯ coronation and wedding were still in the public¡¯s mouth, and the news of an Alpha from another ce resigning didn¡¯t cause a ripple here.

    With Angus¡¯ expectant gaze, I contacted the Charlies Family, but they said Bertha had already left. If there was a need, they could help me contact her.

    ¡°Yes, thank you very much for doing this,¡± I said to the person on the other end of the phone, who seemed to be the butler. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t disclose the specific process, but Bertha¡¯s brother is now with me. He¡¯s eager to reunite with his sister, so it¡¯ll be best if we can arrange for them to reunite as soon as possible.¡±

    The butler seemed to have a good rtionship with Bertha. When he heard Angus was here with me, he immediately took this matter seriously. He cautiously asked about my identity ¨C of course, I couldn¡¯t tell him that everything about the mobile patrol team had to be kept secret ¨C and then half-heartedly agreed to help us contact Bertha.

    ¡°This is a public phone. If you have any news, pleasee to the 6th floor, Room 23 on 17th Street to find me. Thank you again.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t reveal the real address of the mobile patrol team. The 6th floor, Room 23 on 17th Street, was a ce for the family members to visit.

    I received news from the Charlie Family¡¯s butler in the afternoon. He said Bertha was very anxious and hoped to meet us as soon as possible.

    ¡°Anytime,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯ll be waiting on 17th Street for a while.¡±

    ¡°How about eight o¡¯clock tomorrow morning?¡± The butler said, ¡°The nature of Bertha¡¯s work is a little special. The security is strict, and if she wanted to take leave, she must apply a day in advance.¡±

    After asking for Angus¡¯ opinion, I nodded in agreement. ¡°Sure, see you tomorrow at eight o¡¯clock.¡±

    I believed Angus¡¯ sister was also working for the government and had to keep it a secret. Otherwise, why couldn¡¯t shee out and contact me personally?

    Since he was about to meet his family, the boy was so excited that he didn¡¯t sleep the entire night. He tossed and turned on the bed like a pancake. His movements echoed in the narrow double room, so I couldn¡¯t sleep either. However, seeing that he was excited, I ignored him and let him be.

    The next day at 8 o¡¯clocl, the boy¡¯s sister arrived on time. When she saw the boy, she was so excited that she burst into tears. The boy was no better than her. The siblings hugged each other and cried. Seeing that my mission waspleted, I stayed no longer and left after handing the boy over to Bertha.

    Bertha stopped me. ¡°Please don¡¯t leave so quickly. The kindness you¡¯ve shown Angus and me is extremely important to us. No matter what, let me treat you to a meal, and we¡¯ll discuss how to repay you!¡± she said.

    I shook my head coldly. ¡°There is no need. This is my mission. Don¡¯t think too much about it.¡±

    After that, I left without looking up. No matter how the siblings called after me, I didn¡¯t look back.

 Chapter 343

    343 A Wealthy and Influential Family

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    We didn¡¯t have to clean up Spring City, and there was no clean house here that was fit to live in. The elves set up arge tent for us to rest in.

    Perhaps it was because I had been working non-stop for too long, but I felt unusually tired today. I fell asleep without even having time to eat dinner. When I awoke again, it was already midnight.

    It was not quiet outside. The elves were cleaning up the mess in Spring City overnight to prevent any idents from happening.

    Dorothy had left me dinner, the typical food of the elves. If I were currently on a diet, I would be very happy to eat it, but I had justpleted a high-intensity purification work. Nothing was appetizing enough to fill my stomach.

    I had to eat some morepressed biscuits. To be honest, thisbination was quite strange.

    I became inexplicably irritated as I ate, and the feeling of powerlessness and fatigue again surged up my limbs. Speaking of which, I¡¯d been feeling frustrated and weak recently.

    Could it be the effect of absorbing too much evil power?

    However, nothing happened in my spiritual world, which meant it had nothing to do with New Flow.

    ¡®Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m under too much pressure,¡¯ I thought. Ever since I came to the border, I hadn¡¯t been able to rx. The high-intensity tension did cause a lot of mental pressure.

    After a short rest, we set off for Winterfell again in the middle of the night. Kaya had originally nned to take action in the morning, but I didn¡¯t want to waste too much time. The earlier I dealt with it, the earlier I could rest.

    Due to the incident in Spring City, the elves did not dare to let their soldiers stay in the contaminated city for too long. Hence, all the elven soldiers in Spring City were stationed outside the city. The city looked raggle-like due to theck of tidying up as if the riot had happened three minutes ago.

    The work in Winterfell and Summer City went smoothly. The evil power did not contaminate anyone else, and the purification process went smoothly.

    After the purification work waspleted, I originally wanted to return home, but the Elf King contacted me through Kaya, hoping I could go to the Elf Capital as a guest and ept his thanks.

    It was like the sun had risen from the west. The always proud Elf King was thanking the werewolves. No matter how I thought about it, I felt that the scene was strange. Although I wanted to learn more about it, I did not agree with it rashly. Instead, I rejected it with an excuse that the Lycan King had asked us to return immediately.

    In short, the elf race¡¯s quest was finally officially over. After leaving the elf forest, all the team members were relieved. It was too frustrating to carry out a mission in someone else¡¯s territory. It just didn¡¯t feel like home.

    I had a long video call with my parents to report on the mission¡¯s progress and to tell them how much I missed them. When I was out on my own, my father always held me to the standards of a qualified Crown Prince. My mother, on the other hand, was more sensitive. She wanted me to fly back to her side immediately and let her kiss my cheeks, which had lost a lot of weight.

    I also told my adoptive parents that I was safe. Of course, I didn¡¯t tell them about my mission. I only talked to them about my daily life and the local customs I saw at the border. Rhode was with my adoptive parents, so I chatted with him. He looked normal on the surface, but after a while, he asked about Emma.

    ¡°Do you still have to ask me? I think Emma tells you ten times more than she tells,¡± I teased him. ¡°Are you two still not sure about your rtionship? Emma¡¯s a girl. It¡¯s inevitable for her to be a little reserved. A gentleman should know how to solve ady¡¯s problem and take the initiative, understand?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I want to.¡± Rhode smiled bitterly. ¡°But Emma didn¡¯t express that clearly, so I didn¡¯t want to be too abrupt. Besides, my status is not that great. Honestly, I don¡¯t know if Emma¡¯s family will ept me. Even if I¡¯m an Alpha now, I¡¯m still not good enoughpared to the nobles.¡±

    I frowned and disapproved. ¡°This isn¡¯t the Rhode I know. What era is it now, brother? Such prejudice should have long been thrown into the trash can. Besides, Emma isn¡¯t someone who¡¯s bound by hierarchy. She¡¯ll be sad if you face her with such an attitude.

    ¡°Besides, so what if the Evalia family cares about status? You¡¯re the princess¡¯ adopted brother, and you¡¯re also a young Alpha who leads a rich pack, not to mention that you¡¯ll have more opportunities to make achievements and win the honor in the future. How can you not be worthy of their family?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯tfort me.¡± Rhode was still in low spirits and didn¡¯t seem to want to talk about this anymore, so he changed the topic.

    Seeing that he was in a bad mood, I didn¡¯t ask any further.

    But I was sure that something must have happened between him and Emma, and there must have been some reason for them to be estranged while I was away.

    Combined with Rhode¡¯s sudden mention of the status issue, did Emma not listen to my warning before leaving?

    After I returned to the Spring Rain Pack, I asked Emma about it, and her answer confirmed my guess.

    The qualifications umted over generations were enough to be the reason for some nobles to look down on others.

    I didn¡¯t know what the Earl of Marlowe was thinking. Although he wasn¡¯t as warm to me as Arkadius or close to me as Duke Frank and Master Mary, he still maintained a superficial respect for me.

 Chapter 344

    344 Surprise Or Shock

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    He was an important minister helping my father and had worked hard for the werewolves for many years, so I never cared about this little bit of silent pride.

    But what was the Evalia Family? They were just a bunch of rich kids who sit back and enjoy their ancestors¡¯ achievements. Usually, I didn¡¯t have to worry about them. Previously, they tried to meddle in the Spring Rain Pack¡¯s industry, but because of the Earl of Marlowe and Emma, I let them go. I¡¯d use Emma to knock some sense into them.

    But this group of people didn¡¯t know how to read the situation. Did they think that my concession was equivalent to being afraid of them?

    After Emma¡¯s parents heard about her rtionship with Rhode, they immediately intervened and stopped the rtionship between the two lovers. They even taught her a lesson about preventing her family members from interfering with the Spring Rain Pack. They questioned her whether she had forgotten her noble identity and was tamed by me into an obedient dog. She even shamelessly seduced my ¡®lowly¡¯ adopted brother.

    These words were vicious. What kind of parents would insult their daughter like this? I¡¯d always heard that Emma was very doted on in the family, but now it seemed that if the so-called ¡®favor¡¯ gained one the humiliation of a sl*t, I couldn¡¯t imagine what the other children of the Evalia Family were being treated like.

    Besides, who did they think they were? How dare they belittle my family so tantly?

    Behind their contempt for Rhode was their disdain for me. The Evaria Family¡¯s ancestors had royal blood. The Intelligence Department had found out more than once that they wereining behind my back that I had an improper background, as if my great-aunt, who was separated by countless generations, could let them have the crown more legally than I did.

    The Evaria Family also yed a part in the opposition party of the Council of Elders. Like all the older families, the more afraid they were of death, they also followed the principle of ¡®all eggs cannot be put in one basket¡¯ and bet on both sides. In recent years, as the opposition party became increasingly restless, some people in the Evaria Family did not seem to be under the Earl of Marlowe¡¯s control anymore.

    Very well, since someone didn¡¯t want mercy when I gave it to him, he couldn¡¯t me me for settling the scoreter.

    Afterforting Emma, who was in a dilemma, I couldn¡¯t say anything bad about her parents, but I promised her, ¡°No matter what, I will always be your strong support. No one can hurt my friend, Emma. If anyone tries to challenge my bottom line, I¡¯ll make them regret being born into this world.¡±

    Emma¡¯s brows were tightly furrowed. She was obviously going crazy from the torture at home. ¡°I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re thinking. Since I became your attendant, they¡¯ve bepletely different people. Every word is calcted. It¡¯s like I¡¯m just a tool for my family to umte wealth and power. I¡¯m going mad!¡±

    I gently hugged her and let her bury her face in my shoulder as she sobbed. Iforted her gently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. No one can use you as a tool. On the contrary, they should see that you are their umbre. I wouldn¡¯t have shown them any mercy if it weren¡¯t for your sake. Be tough, girl. Do you still remember what I said? You¡¯re the one who¡¯s in control between the two of you. For those who offend you, you can save them if you want to. If you think they¡¯re hopeless, let them do as they please. Sooner orter, they¡¯ll get their retribution.¡±

    Emma raised her head uneasily and said, ¡°Then, I think I¡¯ll have to practice a little. Also, I don¡¯t really hate them that much...¡±

    I wiped her tears away and smiled. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not a pervert who likes to kill for fun. Everything will be restricted within a reasonable framework.¡±

    After a few days of re-integrating into the work of the Spring Rain Pack, I returned to my tense but fulfilling days.

    One afternoon, during lunch, I suddenly felt that the tender and juicy grilled fish steak in front of me was unusually fishy. I squeezed a few lemons over them, but it was no avail. I couldn¡¯t help but vomit after taking a bite.

    Aldrich was so shocked that he almost carried me to the hospital. After I stopped his flustered actions, he poured me a cup of warm water and worriedly asked, ¡°Have you been too tired recently? You¡¯ve stayed up for several nights, so you should take a break. If this continues, your body will not be able to take it. I¡¯ll call the doctor to take a look at you. I hope your stomach isn¡¯t suffering from any problems.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± I leaned on the sofa, rubbed my temples, and shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t have much appetite because I stayed up all night. I¡¯ll be fine after a while.¡±

    Aldrich insisted on calling the doctor, and I couldn¡¯t persuade him, so I could only agree.

    The report was out that night, but the news brought by the doctor caught everyone off guard.

    ¡°What?¡± I looked at the doctor¡¯s smiling face in shock and muttered, ¡°Can you repeat that? I think I was hearing things just now.¡±

    The doctor pushed up his gold-rimmed sses and said happily, ¡°I said you¡¯re pregnant. Congrattions, Your Highness!¡±

    ¡°But... but...¡±

    I wanted to find some evidence to prove that everything in front of me was an illusion, but the nauseating feeling hit me again. I covered my mouth and rushed to the bathroom. After a difficult dry heaving, I had to ept that I was pregnant.

 Chapter 345

    345 Proper Rest

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Dorothy was the first to react. She hugged me excitedly and cheered, ¡°You¡¯re pregnant, Selma! You¡¯re going to have a baby!¡±

    I stared at her in a daze before suddenly turning to look at Aldrich. I saw his mouth was slightly open, and his eyes were filled with surprise and joy. He had his arms crossed in aical manner as if he had yet to react to the current situation.

    After a long while, he said in disbelief, ¡°Pregnant...¡±

    He rushed over, picked me up, and spun me around in circles. He cheered excitedly, ¡°You¡¯re pregnant, Selma! You¡¯re pregnant!¡±

    I was shocked. Fortunately, Aldrich didn¡¯t spin for long before he realized my current physical condition and immediately ced me carefully on the sofa.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was just too excited...¡± he said incoherently, his cheeks flushed. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine it. Oh my god, oh my god...¡±

    Everyone in the room was so excited, like children, they couldn¡¯t control their actions. Only the doctor was calm and conveyed the things to take note of in the early stages of pregnancy.

    ¡°In short, you must pay attention to rest and avoid fatigue. You must especially change bad habits such as staying upte and eating irregrly.¡± The doctor said sternly, ¡°A fetus in the early stage of pregnancy is extremely fragile. A pregnant woman at this stage is no better than her child. For your health and safety, please take care of your body no matter what.¡±

    I gently touched my lower abdomen, which was still t. It was impossible to tell that a little life was growing and developing here. The news of my pregnancy came so suddenly that I hadn¡¯t fully reacted to it until now. I felt like I was in a dream or an illusion.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I whispered to the doctor. ¡°This child is very precious to me. Before the doctor sent by the royal family arrives, I¡¯ll have to trouble you.¡±

    Aldrich held my hand and formally thanked the doctor for his help.

    ¡°It¡¯s my duty, Your Highness,¡± the doctor said seriously. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to protect you and the child¡¯s health.¡±

    After the doctor left, we couldn¡¯t help but cheer again. The girls were so excited that they were about to cry, but Aldrich was one step ahead. The tears he had been holding back in front of others started to flow.

    ¡°Thank you, thank you, Selma...¡± he hugged me tightly and spoke like a slimy child. ¡°This is the happy moment that I once dreamed of. You gave me a happy and warm family. Thank you...¡±

    The girls saw the situation and left tactfully. I cupped Aldrich¡¯s tear-filled face and gently kissed his forehead. I smiled and said, ¡°Why do you have to thank me? I can¡¯t form a happy family by myself. To me, your existence is equally precious. You¡¯re the one who will build a warm and happy life for us together.¡±

    Aldrich¡¯s childhood was not a happy one. The early death of his mother and vicious rtives had left him with an indelible psychological trauma. In addition, when he was young, Duke Frank was not a father who was good atmunicating with his son, which led to Aldrich firmly shutting himself up for a long time in his youth.

    Even though he had be an awe-inspiring general, I knew that the little boy who yearned for family and love still existed in his heart.

    Which was the most coincidental? There was also a little girl who craved love in my heart, so we hit it off as if we had finally found the other half of a puzzle that was meant to be together. We each gave everything we had to create a beautiful future surrounded by sunshine and flowers.

    We couldn¡¯t wait to share the good news of my pregnancy with our rtives. My mother was so happy that she almost flew overnight to the Spring Rain Pack. Although my father stopped her, he couldn¡¯t hide the relieved smile on his face.

    ¡°I will immediately organize the medical team and the maid team to rush to the Spring Rain Pack,¡± he said. ¡°Although I understand that you will not give up your job for personal reasons, Selma, can you promise me that you must take good care of yourself? From now on, you have to reduce your workload, or else the double pressure of work and pregnancy will crush you.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t too happy about it. ¡°It¡¯s only the early stage of the pregnancy. The doctor said that it¡¯s fine as long as I pay attention to my rest and diet. I want to wait until thete stage of the pregnancy before I take a good leave.¡±

    My mother had the most to say about this. ¡°Pregnancy is not as simple as you think. It¡¯s not just about growing a lump of meat in the stomach. Morning sickness, insomnia, swelling, and joint pain will make you suffer, not to mention the mysterious psychological fluctuations caused by hormone changes. Overworking might leave you with some side effects. It¡¯s not as simple as a cold or a fever. They will torture you for the rest of your life.¡±

    In the end, with the persuasion of my parents, I had no choice but to agree to reduce my workload, ensuring that I had three meals a day and had proper rest. Aldrich was given the heavy responsibility of supervising and taking care of me.

 Chapter 346

    346 The Return

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    After that, we contacted my parents and Duke Frank. They were also very happy. Duke Frank also regretted that he left the Floodwater Pack too early. Otherwise, he could have used the excuse of staying to help me look after the Spring Rain Pack to see the birth of his grandson or granddaughter.

    ¡°Maybe you can do it in the Lycan pack,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯ll go back to the Lycan pack in the safest months. The most advanced medical technology is there. We¡¯ll be more at ease.¡±

    Although the Spring Rain Pack treated medical treatment as a big project, it was still in its infancy. It would take at least two to three years to reach the expected standard.

    In fact, when I found out that I was pregnant, I first thought of giving birth at the Spring Rain Pack to increase its poprity, but Aldrich and my close subordinates seriously rejected this suggestion.

    Even the doctor in charge of me agreed. The hospital at the Spring Rain Pack was currently not equipped with the ability to deal with most emergencies. For my safety, I had to return to the Lycan pack with cutting-edge equipment and high-end medical technology.

    I was expected to return in five to six months, which meant I had at most three months to deal with the Spring Rain Pack.

    I had to step up the department nning and talent selection and try to delegate the power that could be delegated to the various departments. I had to seize the time to check and fill in the gaps to prevent idents from happening while I was away.

    Due to the strict schedule, I couldn¡¯t work overtime as I pleased like before. Aldrich and the girls helped me with arge part of the burden. Even Master Kevin, who had always been in academia, was temporarily hired by me to work. I was not willing to give up the educational resources of the Spring Rain Pack. I might get a surprise if I develop my sorcery here.

    During this time, the medical team and the team servants from the Lycan pack were not idle either.

    In addition to my daily checkups, I assigned the medical team to the health department to participate in the medical industry. They had a lot of fun giving lectures and training sses. Tracy asionallyined to me that some of the subordinates she had high hopes for had to resign to work in the Spring Rain Pack.

    Although Kara¡¯s servants didn¡¯t interfere with government work, they opened housekeeping training sses under my instructions. They trained many old and weak residents who didn¡¯t have any skills.

    There were also a few interludes. When Kara first arrived, she brought Bersha¡¯s letter of thanks and all kinds of woolen essories she had personally woven. She said that it was a gift of thanks to me. This furry and warm shawl and scarf looked sofortable in the winter with heavy snow.

    I received news of Bertha¡¯s reunion with my brother a few months ago. I didn¡¯t send anyone to find Angus. I was surprised that Benson was involved in this matter.

    In addition, the first batch of new residential districts had already beenpleted. Following the principle of ¡®we must do our best,¡¯ I was not stingy with my funds. I wasmitted to increasing the safety andfort levels of the new residential districts.

    The first batch of residents was very satisfied. This indirectly increased the people¡¯s enthusiasm for the Spring Rain Pack¡¯s transformation, and their work efficiency increased.

    When thest winter snow melted, and the ground began to sprout green grass, it was finally time for me to set off for home.

    The Spring Rain Pack¡¯s citizens were reluctant to part with me. Even though I had already announced that I would lead the modification work remotely from the Lycan pack and that I would not abandon them, they still had the idea that I would never return, so they sent me off on the day I left.

    Looking at the reluctant citizens and the banners and posters praising me, a sense of pride and emotion rose in my heart. Look, this was the reward for my hard work. To a leader, what was more precious than the heartfelt admiration and support of the people? Water could carry a boat. Rtionships should always be two-way. Only when you do well enough would you be truly recognized.

    With tears in my eyes, I waved to the people as a sign of respect. Fresh flowers and colored ribbons filled my path out of the city.

    After leaving the Spring Rain Pack, I was still in a daze. Normally, Aldrich would try his best to prevent me from having big emotional fluctuations, but he did not stop my tears this time. He just silently hugged me, giving me spiritualfort and support.

    ¡°I¡¯ll definitely go back,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll turn the Spring Rain Pack into a legend. I won¡¯t let the people down.¡±

    On the way, we rested in the Shadow Pack as usual. My adoptive parents smiled at me. Compared to Rhode, who was still a bachelor, they could fulfill their wish of having a grandchild through me.

    When Teresa visited me, she brought along two of her children. The two or three-year-old boys were cuter than the angels on the wall paintings. When I saw them, I couldn¡¯t help but imagine what my future children would be like.

    I originally wanted to leave my attendants in the Spring Rain Pack. First, they would be my hands, feet, and eyes. Second, they could continue to train their abilities. But in the end, only Jordin stayed. Emma insisted on returning with me. She wanted to return to her family to deal with the group of ¡®family members¡¯ holding her back.

 Chapter 347

    347 Sexless

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Emma¡¯s business-like attitude made Rhode a little depressed even though he didn¡¯t express it.

    Since myst conversation with Emma, I hadn¡¯t interfered in their affairs. Feelings were very private. But this time, I asked them about their progress in an obscure manner in case another disgusting ident happened.

    Rhode said that the misunderstanding between him and Emma had been resolved. He knew that Emma¡¯s avoidance was due to her family¡¯s interference. He understood this very well and was willing to do anything in exchange for her peace of mind and her family¡¯s support.

    The former was easy to deal with, but thetter was moreplex. Emma wasn¡¯t sure what she could get back from her family, who had been controlling her life. She didn¡¯t want to waste Rhode¡¯s feelings, so she agreed to break up with him temporarily.

    Rhode respected her decision, but he was inevitably disappointed. ¡°I¡¯m willing to take on everything with her, but in the end, Emma is the only one fighting for our feelings. I¡¯ve never felt so vexed before. I can¡¯t even protect the person I love.¡±

    I sighed and consoled him, ¡°This can¡¯t be helped. It¡¯s not your or Emma¡¯s fault. It¡¯s the Evalia Family¡¯s fault. If they didn¡¯t stop you, you and Emma would have been a happy couple.¡±

    Rhode quietly revealed to me, ¡°In fact, I thought about putting aside my Alpha work for the time being and returning to Emma¡¯s family to face everything. But when I told Emma about my thoughts, she scolded me and said that if I dared to do that, she would never see me again.¡±

    I pped him on the head and said resentfully, ¡°If I were Emma, I¡¯d scold you too. Look at what kind of rotten idea you¡¯vee up with. Do you think Emma would be willing to watch you give up your pack for her? Your sense of responsibility is what she¡¯s most fascinated with. If you really dare to do that, I guarantee that Emma will dump without hesitation!¡±

    Rhode rubbed his head and exined in a low voice, ¡°Why are you so angry? I already know I was wrong...¡±

    I pretended not to notice Emma¡¯s disappearance while at the Shadow Pack, pretending not to know where she went.

    Although they said they wanted to break up, this pair of bitter lovebirds were quite honest.

    After leaving the Shadow Pack, we stopped at the Silver Moon Pack again, then headed straight back to the Lycan pack.

    Due to my body¡¯s condition, this return trip was very low-key. The royal family didn¡¯t say much to the outside world or hold any weing ceremony. On the other hand, I returned to my suite and worked during my pregnancy.

    When I was seven months pregnant, I did a routine sex test, but the puzzling thing was that my child had not developed any sexual organs so far. Although everything else was developing well, it still made me worried.

    The doctors and the werewolf grandmasters had a meeting overnight. They gave me one examination after another and countless sorcery tests, but in the end, there was no unified conclusion. One group thought that it might be some rare congenital disability, while the other group thought that it had something to do with my unusual body.

    Master Mary belonged to thetter camp. She believed my body had been reshaped and could no longer be treated like an ordinary pregnant woman. Especially since I¡¯d had the experience of bing a god, this had increased the uncertainties of my pregnancy.

    ¡°In the records of many ancient books and legends, some divine descendants actually don¡¯t have an assigned sex.¡± She reported a lot of information and said, ¡°In fact, strictly speaking, the concept of ¡®sex¡¯ can¡¯t even be applied to all natural creatures. However, let¡¯s not talk about that. We¡¯ll start with your condition.

    ¡°At present, I have found out that the rtionship between sex and divine descendant is mainly as follows: The first was to follow the mother, which meant that the divine descendant was essentially a clone of the mother, so it is natural to follow the mother¡¯s sex. The second type was sexless. Since there is no assigned sex, this situation could be divided into different categories. Some never had assigned sex, while some could freely change their sex. The third is the mother¡¯s choice. When a divine descendant is born, the mother will decide the sex. In mythology, male, female, andbined sex have all appeared.

    ¡°At present, the fetus doesn¡¯t have any problems other than the stagnation of the development of its sexual organs, so I¡¯m inclined to believe that this child is not disabled but sexless in the first ce or that the mother would grant the child a sex when it was born.¡±

    The thick stack of documents gave me a headache. I patiently flipped through two or three pages before I felt dizzy.

    Ever since I got pregnant, I¡¯d been feeling worse and worse.

    I decided to ept Master Mary¡¯s theory for the time being. First, I believed what she said was likely to be the truth. Second, I didn¡¯t want to give up my child because of an unconfirmed guess of ¡®disability¡¯.

    In short, when the royal family announced my pregnancy to the public, they did not announce the sex of the fetus. This detail did not attract the public¡¯s attention and spection. The entire werewolf kingdom was once again enveloped in the joy of the birth of the next generation¡¯s heir.

    My official duties were suspended when I entered the ninth month of my pregnancy. I really couldn¡¯t spare any energy for other things.

    It had been a long time since I had a peaceful life, but fate did not give us the chance to let our guard down.

 Chapter 348

    348 The Demon¡¯s Visit

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    On a cool afternoon, I was leaning on Maxine¡¯s back, drowsy as I faced the flowers.

    Maxine had grown quite a bit. Although she had yet to grow into an awe-inspiring big wolf, her strong body was enough to intimidate people.

    She was a lively and active girl, and the tiring daily training couldn¡¯tpletely exhaust her excessive experience. Since I returned because of my pregnancy, she called herself my guard, always guarding me against anyone approaching.

    ¡°Those who don¡¯t know would think that this is your child,¡± I once joked.

    ¡°Of course he¡¯s my child,¡± she replied confidently. ¡°You and I are the same person. Have you forgotten?¡±

    Alright, she was right.

    There were official matters in the military camp, so Aldrich had no choice but to leave my side temporarily. To be honest, I hoped he could leave for a while. Although it was a bit of a sc*mbag to say that, I really couldn¡¯t stand his constant clingy attitude.

    ¡°I want to drink mango juice,¡± I told Maxine. ¡°Add half a spoon of honey and three ice cubes.¡±

    ¡°No ice,¡± Maxine rejected me without hesitation. ¡°Besides, the servants are not far away. Why don¡¯t you ask them for it?¡±

    I acted coquettishly. ¡°I want to drink what you bring. Please, it¡¯s super cool for a majestic wolf to carry a tray for you, okay?!¡±

    Maxine loved being ttered, and after a short while, she felt like she was floating from my ttery. ¡°Y-you think so? Alright then, since you¡¯re so sincere in begging me, I¡¯ll reluctantly make a trip there... However, ice is out of the question. ttering me won¡¯t work. Tracy said that you can¡¯t consume raw or cold food, and I don¡¯t want to be strangled to death by Aldrich.¡±

    I smiled as I watched her leave. I used the New Flow to create an enclosed space around me. Then, my expression turned cold as I said in a deep voice, ¡°Come out, demon.¡±

    ¡°Hehe.¡±

    A feminine, alluringugh rang out in my ears. I shivered and turned my hand to attack, but I grabbed nothing. The demon had already materialized in front of me.

    The fishy smell on Leviathan¡¯s body was still so strong that I, sensitive to smell because of my pregnancy, almost vomited.

    My pale face made Leviathanugh. She pretended to be sad and said, ¡°Why do you despise me so much every time? I won¡¯t being next time if that¡¯s the case.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s for the best,¡± I said coldly. ¡°If you have something to say, say it. What¡¯s your purpose in sending your projection here?¡±

    Yes, Leviathan, standing in front of me, was still just a projection.

    ¡°I heard that you¡¯re going to have a baby soon. I¡¯m here to congratte you.¡± Leviathan stared at my protruding belly and said happily, ¡°This is the descendant of a fallen goddess. It¡¯s impossible. I¡¯m here to see a miracle.¡±

    ¡°Can you leave now that you¡¯re done?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so cold. Don¡¯t werewolves have any manners?¡±

    ¡°Werewolves don¡¯t wee evil guests like you.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± she said. Leviathan pouted. To be honest, seeing an olddy who was tens of thousands of years old in a young girl¡¯s leather suit was disgusting. ¡°But I also brought you a gift. Don¡¯t you want it at all?¡±

    I immediately became alert. What normal things could a demon have brought?

    New Flow silently wrapped Leviathan¡¯s projection in its arms, but thetter did not care and chuckled as if she did not notice it. ¡°I heard you got a few beautiful capes from the Rocky Mountains. I like pretty essories, too. Can I look at them?¡±

    I stared at her coldly and didn¡¯t reply.

    ¡°Alright, you¡¯re so petty. This is my gift to you, but it¡¯s an antique. Do you like it?¡± Leviathan mumbled as she took a stone b from her chest and threw it on the ground. It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t like it. I¡¯ll give it to you anyway.¡±

    I was on guard and didn¡¯t touch the te. The projection of Leviathan started to crack.

    ¡°Time¡¯s up. Please bring me an even more interesting y the next time we meet!¡±

    She waved at me andughed evilly before she disappeared.

    After making sure she had left, I immediately rxed my back, which was covered in a cold sweat. I wrapped the stone b on the grass with New Flow and asked my parents and the grandmasters toe.

    Maxine returned with mango juice and some other snacks. When she saw that I was drenched in a cold sweat, she immediately ignored the tray on her back and ran to my side. She anxiously asked, ¡°How are you, Selma? Are you feeling ufortable? Does your stomach hurt? Are you going to give birth?¡±

    I patted her head tofort her. ¡°No, it¡¯s just that Leviathan dropped by just now. I¡¯m a little tense.¡±

    ¡°Leviathan?¡± Maxine jumped up and immediately understood why I had asked her to get the juice. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have faced her alone! This is too dangerous!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a projection. It won¡¯t cause any harm. Besides, against a supreme demon, there¡¯s no difference whether we have one more or one less person.¡±

    I leaned on her tiredly and observed the stone b wrapped inyers of New Flow.

    I kept feeling like I¡¯d seen this thing somewhere before. After thinking about it carefully, I realized that this was the ancient stone b I found at Mullwica¡¯s house. The thirteen flower patterns on it were the same as the ufortable pattern in the center!

 Chapter 349

    349 Giving Birth

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Logically, all the cultural relics collected by the witch n had been filed and sealed. I didn¡¯t have a deep impression of the te, but when I saw the one in front of me, which was the same as the one before, I suddenly thought of it.

    How could Leviathan have such a thing? The eye pattern on the stone b belonged to the totem of Azazel. As for the other thirteen flowers, it had not been determined yet. It could not possibly belong to the sea demon, Leviathan. There was no connection at all.

    In short, I asked Master Mary to bring the stone b with her when she came. Out of some intuition, I also asked her to bring the twelve headscarves.

    Sure enough, the two tes were the same except for some handcrafted details. The grooves and protrusions on the back could even match each other and be put together into a whole piece. After putting them together, the patterns on the edges of the two stone bs could also be perfectly matched together, as ifyers of thorns were intertwined.

    The werewolf grandmasters could not find any records rted to these thirteen flower patterns, and even some of the gods of nature or flowers could not match them. Combined with the twelve cloaks, it seemed that everything was Mullwica¡¯s handiwork. Maybe she liked flowers?

    What a joke. Of course, things weren¡¯t that simple. We didn¡¯te to any conclusions, but we reached a consensus on the danger of the tes. No one believed that the two stones were as ordinary as they looked on the surface. They were closely rted to the two great demons, which was worth being careful with.

    In the end, they were sealed in the Moon Pce, using the goddess¡¯ power to suppress all possible idents.

    As the expected date of delivery got closer and closer, my fatigue and anxiety also increased day by day. I often fell asleep while Emma was reading documents. She didn¡¯t dare to wake me up, so she could only waste time on me.

    She hadn¡¯t been home much recently because she had a big fight with her parents. She didn¡¯t borate on the details, but there must be an irreconcble conflict between her independence and the control of her family. For this reason, I support her temporarily breaking up with her family. For her freedom in the future, she must not retreat. Once she was controlled once, it would be difficult for her to turn things around in the future.

    This was the truth that I came to after knowing countless officials and their children.

    On a hot summer night, I suddenly felt pain in my abdomen, as if something was falling and trying to leave my body. The medical team that was on standby day and night immediately took over caring for me. I was sent to a special sterile istion ward to wait for the delivery.

    My parents put down their administrative duties and anxiously waited outside the ward. Aldrich was ¡®fully armed¡¯ by my side. Iughed at howical it was for him to act as if he was facing a great enemy, but he only gave me a tolerant smile and gently wiped away the cold sweat on my forehead.

    Finally, that moment had arrived.

    A tearing pain came from my lower body, and I couldn¡¯t help but scream. My rapid breathing made me choke and cough... this was so painful, more painful than all the injuries I had suffered beforebined!

    Aldrich also seemed panicking, but he knew he was useless in the ward, so he could only constantly cheer me on. I couldn¡¯t spare any energy to respond to him. I just wanted to get that tormenting little b*stard out of my body as soon as possible ...

    ¡°BOOM!¡±

    Suddenly, a deafening explosion sounded, and the building shook violently. I was almost shaken to the ground. Fortunately, Aldrich protected me in time. The medical staff members were thrown off their feet, and some were injured by the equipment they had flipped over.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Aldrich shouted at the top of his voice.

    ¡°An unknown enemy has attacked us. I¡¯ll handle this. You protect Selma!¡± My father¡¯s voice came very quickly.

    I was already suffering from the pain of childbirth, and I almost fainted from the shaking. Hearing my father¡¯s angry roar, I subconsciously asked, ¡°An enemy attack? Who is it? Evil demons or wanderers?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s not worry about the outside for now,¡± Aldrich said softly. ¡°You are the most important right now. I will go outside and look after you give birth safely.¡±

    ¡°No, no, you go now.¡± I struggled to push Aldrich away. I had a feeling that this was not that simple. It was not a coincidence that they attacked me on the day I gave birth. ¡°They must have taken advantage of the fact that the pce was now focused on me. Moreover, the royal family has not announced the expected delivery date to the public, so they might have spies in the pce. You¡¯ve been through hundreds of battles and are very experienced. Hurry and help Father.¡±

    However, Aldrich stubbornly held my hand and stayed by my side. ¡°No, my mission now is to apany you and protect you. Nothing is more important than you.¡±

    ¡°Aldrich!¡± I felt another wave of pain as I howled in pain and anger. I hated my husband for not being able to live up to his expectations.

    As expected of a top-notch professional team, the medical staff, who were in a mess, quickly regained their order and continued to help me in thebor in an orderly manner as if nothing had happened in the outside world.

    ¡°As you can see, there are so many professionals around me,¡± I said, panting. ¡°They¡¯ll take good care of me, so go and help Father now. You don¡¯t want me and the baby to be in danger, do you? Then hurry up and bring those criminals to justice!¡±

 Chapter 350

    350 Formless

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    In the face of my repeated insistence, Aldrich finally wavered. After I mentioned my child and my safety, he finally agreed to help my father.

    Before he left, he called my phone and put it next to the bed, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye on the situation here. If there¡¯s any ident, I swear I¡¯lle back as soon as possible, okay?¡±

    I didn¡¯t have the strength to speak anymore. I nodded randomly as I watched Aldrich leave, turning back to look at me with every step he took.

    ¡°Now, please tell us the current situation,¡± I told the medical staff.

    Even though they looked as if everything was under their control, their slight panic didn¡¯t escape my eyes. It was just that Aldrich was so concerned that he was confused and focused all his attention on me. Otherwise, he would have exploded on the spot if he had realized that the medical staff members were acting abnormally.

    ¡°What?¡± I was shocked. ¡°What¡¯s the problem? The fetal position is not correct? Or is the child too big?¡±

    As the medical staff¡¯s representative, the attending gynecologist stood up and said after some hesitation, ¡°The current situation is a little special, Your Highness. The worst-case scenario we¡¯ve encountered is that the little prince has difficultbor due to unknown reasons.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I was shocked. ¡°What¡¯s the problem? Is the fetal position not correct? Or is the child too big? We didn¡¯t find any abnormalities during the prenatal examination!¡±

    ¡°The prenatal examination can¡¯t take care of everything, and the birth process is even more unpredictable. Obviously, the attending doctor was picking his words as gently and harmless as possible. ¡°It¡¯s not a problem of the fetal position or body size, but... I have to admit that I¡¯ve never seen such a situation in my forty years of operation. The little prince is not a human in the general sense. His body constantly transforms and reassembles, which is the root cause of difficultbor.¡±

    My mind went nk for a moment. What was ¡®transforming and reassembling¡¯? Was I pregnant with a piece of sticine?

    A few secondster, I reacted quickly. The intense pain in my lower body reminded me that my child¡¯s life and mine were on the verge of danger. ¡°Can we do a C-section now?¡± I quickly made up my mind.

    ¡°It¡¯ll take some time to inject the anesthetic.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no time to wait for anesthesia.¡± I refused firmly. I couldn¡¯t fall into aa in such a dangerous environment. I wouldn¡¯t be able to fight back in the face of danger. ¡°Just do it without.¡±

    The doctor was dumbfounded. ¡°That will be very, very, very painful. It might be a hundred times more painful than the pain ofbor.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,e on.¡± I nodded. ¡°There¡¯s a camera in the room, and everything I say will be recorded. You won¡¯t be held responsible for anything. Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of taking responsibility, Your Highness.¡± The doctor still tried to persuade me otherwise. ¡°I¡¯d like to suggest you think about it out of rigorous medical ethics.¡±

    The pain increased again, and I interrupted him angrily, ¡°Start the C-section now! Don¡¯t talk nonsense! I¡¯ll be cold when you¡¯re done with your clich¨¦s!¡±

    Seeing that I had already made up my mind, the doctor didn¡¯t say anything else and immediately ordered his team to prepare. I thought it was the first time in his forty years of career that he had met such a tough pregnant woman. He quickly and cautiously made a few marks on my tight abdomen and then reminded me, ¡°It¡¯s about to begin, Your Highness.¡±

    I nodded and prepared myself for the pain.

    Even though I¡¯d made up my mind, having my flesh and blood cut open was truly unpleasant. I¡¯d already used up all my strength to gather my rationality and control New Flow to block the bleeding point. Even my wails were weak.

    Perhaps after a minute or a hundred years, the baby in me was finally removed. There was no sharp cry that a normal newborn would have. I couldn¡¯t tell the difference between the limbs and the facial features of the constantly wriggling piece of meat. It was as if the hospital made up the image I saw on the B-scan to y with me.

    It was the first time I encountered such a strange situation. The doctors and nurses were at a loss on what to do with my child, not even the most basic examination. However, I could feel the vigorous vitality in his body. He didn¡¯t have any health problems. He was just unable to form for some reason.

    ¡®He¡¯ was just a temporary pronoun. He did not have an assigned sex yet. I believed this was the ¡®genderless¡¯ nature of divine descendants that Master Mary mentioned.

    ¡°Just put him in the incubator,¡± I weaklymanded the medical staff. ¡°He¡¯s fine. I can feel it.¡±

    The nurse carrying the child subconsciously followed my instructions and carefully ced him in the incubator.

    The doctor sutured my wound, so I shouldn¡¯t be able to get out of bed for three days. But I didn¡¯t have the time to lie in bed and drink soups. I urged New Flow to heal my wound quickly and ran out of the ward despite the medical staff¡¯s attempts to stop me.

    I remembered to take my phone with me before I left. Aldrich had been shouting at the top of his voice for god knows how long. I didn¡¯t hear it at first, butter I pretended not to hear it.

    ¡°What¡¯s the situation now?¡± I calmly ran toward the chaotic corner of the pce. ¡°Who¡¯s the attacker? How many people are there? What¡¯s their level? Are the guards finding it difficult to resist?¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have done that, Selma!¡± Aldrich gave an irrelevant answer. ¡°How can you gamble with your life?¡±

 Chapter 351

    351 The Burning Rock

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I knew he would be angry about this.

    ¡°This was the only way at that time,¡± I said. ¡°Either we give it a try, or the child and I will die. You know that New Flow can heal all physical injuries. I¡¯m just in a bit of pain, and it won¡¯t be life-threatening.¡±

    ¡°This is too reckless!¡± Aldrich was rarely this angry with me. He suddenly became discouraged and helplessly said, ¡°I¡¯m begging you, my dear, don¡¯t make my heart so heavy. My legs were so weak when you were screaming that I couldn¡¯t stand. Thest thing I wanted to see kept appearing in my mind.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry; I¡¯ll discuss it with you next time.¡± I whispered, ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the previous question. What¡¯s the situation now?¡±

    ¡°Next time? Seriously? A group of wanderers of unknown origins is attacking the pce¡¯s northeast corner. They don¡¯t seem to be the remnants of the wanderers we were chasing before, but more like pure cultists.¡±

    ¡°Evil cultist? What do they believe in?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell yet. They¡¯re wearing cloaks that hide all their characteristics. The evil power items they use don¡¯t have any obvious marks.¡±

    ¡°Even the werewolf grandmasters can¡¯t tell?¡±

    ¡°Master Mary and Master Kevin were attacked and fell into aa. Dorothy is the only one who knows sorcery at the scene. The Sorcery Research Association is also under attack, and the situation is even more urgent than the pce. We can¡¯t spare any manpower at all.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s the northeast corner of the pce, what about the ck cocoon? Is the ck cocoon alright?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what¡¯s killing us. This group of cultists is here for the ck cocoon. The ward where the ck cocoon is sealed is shrouded in a fine ck mist. We can¡¯t see what¡¯s going on inside at all.¡±

    As expected, this group of stray werewolves had chosen the day I gave birth and came prepared.

    By the time I arrived at the northeast corner, the battle had already entered the white heat stage. Many guards and wandering werewolves were lying on the ground, and it was unknown whether they were alive or dead.

    The pce guards were caught off guard. In terms of strength, the wanderers could not catch up, and soon thetter was at a disadvantage. The wanderers didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of attacking the pce, and they tried to retreat when they saw that things were not going well.

    I saw someone holding a wooden box withplicated patterns and breaking out the ward¡¯s window. Then, countless wanderers immediately rushed forward to cover him.

    ¡°Catch the one carrying the box!¡± I motioned for the guards to go after the primary target. ¡®Don¡¯t let him get away! Especially the box in his arms!¡±

    From the guards¡¯ spears and sharp ws, the wanderers were quickly defeated. Other than a few cunning ones who escaped, the other wanderers, including the one who tried to escape with the box, were caught.

    The wanderers who ran away threw something behind them, and a dreadful evil aura filled the air. I realized it was the concentrated evil power I had purified a few months ago, so I shouted, ¡°Everyone, back off. Don¡¯t touch this evil gas.¡±

    By the time New Flow finished devouring the evil power, the wanderers had already disappeared.

    My father gave the order to capture the escapees, while Dorothy, Aldrich, and I immediately went to check on the box withplicated patterns.

    However, the scene inside disappointed me, and then I was burning with anger ¨C it was empty!

    I immediately checked the ward where the ck cocoon was sealed. It was empty, and the guards hunting it down brought terrible news: They had lost it. On the way, they discovered a sizeable evil cult formation. It was very likely that the group of wanderers had teleported away through it.

    I angrily interrogated the wanderer holding the box to cover for hispanions. ¡°What force are you from? What do you want to do by stealing the ck cocoon?¡±

    The wanderer didn¡¯t answer. Instead, heughed eerily. Hisughter became more intense, and he looked like he was about to cough out his internal organs in the end. The corners of his mouth gradually cracked to the root of his ears, and thick ck blood gushed out of his seven orifices.

    ¡°He¡¯ll be back...¡± he cried andughed in pain, saying in a sharp and twisted voice.

    ¡°No one can escape! No one can escape!¡±

    A thick, stinky ck smoke suddenly spewed out of his mouth, and the same thing happened to the other captured wanderers. The ck smoke formed a familiar eye totem in the air, then turned into burning rocks and poured down.

    In the nick of time, I caught them with New Flow, and there were no severe casualties or fires. However, New Flow could not absorb the burning rocks ¨C they were not the creation of evil power, but just ordinary rocks. At most, they had been given some burning spell.

    Stuffing a rock into a living person¡¯s body looked like the work of a heretic cult believer.

    Now that all the clues at the scene were gone, this sudden attack ended absurdly. We only have information that these cultists and vagabonds are rted to Azazel. They might be his believers.

    However, this was only part of it. Soon, the guard brought two more annoying pieces of news. Adele had gone missing, and Locke had escaped.

 Chapter 352

    352 Evasion

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Since Adele had been imprisoned in the secret manor, everyone had forgotten her. No one could see her except the guards and the southern Duke. After all, she was already a lunatic that could never be cured. In addition to her embarrassing background, the best way to deal with it was to not deal with it.

    Locke¡¯s treatment was much more brutal. He was secretly locked up in the pce¡¯s underground prison, withyers of seals ced by a werewolf grandmaster. Tracy also used some underhanded means to ensure that he could not move. She had spared Locke¡¯s life because he was a tough nut to crack and had value before his secrets were discovered.

    These two people, who should have been ignored or closely monitored in the chaos, had disappeared so easily. No one would believe that it was not the work of the cult¡¯s wanderers.

    But these two candidates always make me feel torn. There was no need to mention Locke. He was a believer in Leviathan, so how could a believer of Azazel have saved him? Adele was a member of the night magus Kafka, who was famous for his fanatical love for satan. He had never changed his sect.

    In short, a group of intruders broke the long-lost peace in the pce. Except for the fact that there were no casualties, the werewolves werepletely defeated. They lost the ck cocoon, and two prisoners were taken away. This was like throwing the werewolves¡¯ faces on the ground and tying a time bomb to the werewolves that might explode at any time.

    My father immediately ordered the entire country to hunt down the heretic cult believers and wanderers, naming them the ¡®Azazel faction¡¯. He also began to hold the people in charge of today¡¯s defense ountable.

    Due to the incident with La more than twenty years ago, the pce guards¡¯ captain had changed to a rotation system. Surprisingly, whether it was the pce or the secret manor, the person in charge of the garrison today was inextricably linked to the Evalia family.

    The Earl of Marlowe¡¯s information had always been sensitive. Before his father could get angry, he had alreadye to the pce to confess his sins. However, he only admitted that the family had poor judgment of people and pushed the main responsibility away.

    What a typical politician¡¯s thing to do. I used to think that even if academicians didn¡¯t devote themselves to research like Master Kevin, they should maintain a basic distance like Master Mary and Master Hayley. On the other hand, this old man wanted to do research and gain power, but in the end, he didn¡¯t want to take any responsibility.

    He was really old and muddled. It was fine if he didn¡¯t evade it, even if he kept silent. But he just had toe in such a hurry to exonerate the family. This made me want to talk to him.

    He was my father¡¯s old servant, not mine. Such a big mess happened on the day I gave birth. Did he think I wouldn¡¯t say anything if my father let him go?

    Besides, all my actions after I entered thete stage of pregnancy were kept secret from the outside world. There must be a spy in the pce for the Azazel faction to attack the day I gave birth. Whether the Evalia family did not know, or they turned a blind eye to it even if they knew, who could say for sure?

    However, I didn¡¯t do anything. Instead, after he left, I asked Aldrich to bring people to arrest all the members of the Evalia family who were rted to this matter.

    Without asking anything, Aldrich immediately set off with his men.

    It was almost midnight when I finished. I finally remembered that I was a pregnant woman who had just given birth, and my ¡®strange¡¯ child was still lying in the incubator waiting for me to see him.

    The room next to my suite has been renovated into abined room with a baby¡¯s room and a ward. The incubator was inside, and several doctors and nurses closely monitored his physical condition.

    Stopping them from bowing, I walked straight to the incubator and saw that my child¡¯s appearance was no longer as ¡®scary¡¯ as when he was just born. Although it was still not reassuring ¨C he had the basic outline of a head, body, and four limbs, he did not look like a baby. With his hairy body, he looked like a wolf cub.

    ¡°How is he?¡± I asked the doctor.

    ¡°At present, it seems that he is in good health. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m not knowledgeable enough to find any reason for the little prince¡¯s condition.¡± The doctor said unconfidently, ¡°I¡¯m sure His Highness has never had any problems with his sexual organs at any stage of your prenatal examination. The situation at birth and now may not be exined by science.¡±

    After speaking, he nced at me before quickly lowering his head. He regretted what he had just said.

    ¡°I know. You can¡¯t be med for this. Don¡¯t me yourself.¡± I said, ¡°As for his condition, I know it in my heart. You have to take care of his health. The royal family willpensate you for this. Please don¡¯t worry. We are grateful for everything you have done for our child and me.¡±

    The nurses heaved a sigh of relief and quickly nodded in agreement. They might have just thought of pce politics dramas and wondered if I would kill them to silence them.

 Chapter 353

    353 The Evaria Couple

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I took a light nap in the baby¡¯s room and woke up when the sky brightened. The bottom of my feet felt warm. It was Maxine, who was lying on the carpet. I was covered with a soft nket, and a cup of hot tea was on the small table beside me.

    Thanks to my superior physical fitness, the pain from childbirth hadpletely disappeared. I moved my stiff legs and woke up the napping Maxine.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± She opened her mouth and yawned, her sharp teeth shining coldly under the crystal light. ¡°The child seemed a little unwell just now, so Aldrich went to get a doctor.¡±

    Just as she said, Aldrich arrived with the doctor, although I felt that a veterinarian would be more suitable for the current situation than a pediatrician.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake, my dear.¡± Aldrich gently kissed my forehead. ¡°The child suddenly coughed a few times just now.¡±

    I immediately became nervous and asked the doctor, ¡°How is he?¡±

    The doctor carefully examined the baby and replied calmly, ¡°The little prince is fine. A newborn¡¯s lungs have not fully adapted to the external environment, so a slight cough is normal.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± I heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Sorry for the trouble.¡±

    ¡°This is my duty.¡± The doctor adjusted the temperature of the incubator before leaving.

    Last night¡¯s experience made us extremely exhausted. Maxine started to doze off again. Aldrich and I snuggled up against each other on the sofa and looked at our child, drowsy.

    ¡°Do you wish he was a boy? I heard you use ¡®he¡¯ to refer to the child,¡± Aldrich asked in a low voice.

    ¡°To be honest, I haven¡¯t thought about it yet.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯ll love our child very much either way. However, he doesn¡¯t need me to grant him his gender. Maybe he will choose his gender when he grows up. Or is he able to change his gender at will? That¡¯s good too.¡±

    ¡°As expected of the child of you and me, you were born different from the rest.¡± Aldrichughed softly.

    I suddenly thought of something fun and chuckled. ¡°You know what? When I was young, I read a science book that said that some fairy races have dozens of different genders and can switch their genders back and forth ording to their needs. I was so envious. Every day, I would dream of obtaining this cool ability. I didn¡¯t expect that in the end, our child would help me realize my childhood dream.¡±

    At seven o¡¯clock, I was sitting at the dining table enjoying a sumptuous post-natal breakfast when a group of uninvited guests arrived, destroying my good mood.

    When Kara said the Evaria Family wanted to see me, I instantly lost my appetite for the sweet milk porridge.

    ¡°What about Earl of Marlowe?¡± I asked, ¡°Did he bring her here? ¡±

    ¡°The Earl has gone to see his Majesty,¡± Kara replied. ¡°He did bring them here. They have some connections with you. They are Miss Emma¡¯s parents, Your Highness.¡±

    Were they the old fogey parents who had shamed their daughter?

    I immediately became interested and wanted to see what they were up to. So, I said, ¡°I will meet them in the garden in half an hour. Tell Emma her parents are here but don¡¯t let her see them, so she won¡¯t be caught between her parents and me.¡±

    Due tost night¡¯s fierce battle, the garden had lost its usual fresh and luxurious natural charm. Even though the gardeners had rushed to clean it up overnight, they only had time to pull out the withered flowers and Willows by the roots, leaving behind a barewn that was not beautiful.

    The young Evaria couple didn¡¯t expect me to meet them here, and their proud yet humble smiles froze. I looked at their ever-changing expressions with interest, not having any intention of exining.

    That was right. I deliberately chose this ce to humiliate them. I knew their purpose foring, and I didn¡¯t bother to hide my attitude. Since I didn¡¯t have to maintain a poker face, why shouldn¡¯t I watch the other party¡¯s jokes to make up for the frustration of being unable to finish my breakfast?

    The young Evaria couple were the typical aristocratic children in stereotypes. In this era, where everyone was used to wearing modern clothing, they still insisted on embroidering every inch of their clothes with their family emblem.

    Mr. Evalia Jr. had a neat and stiff mustache, and his greasy hair shone in the sun as if a hundred horses had just licked his hair before he left home.

    Lady Evaria¡¯s waistbands were shocking to see. Werewolves didn¡¯t have a tradition of wearing waistbands. I guessed she was a modern middle-aged woman who was happy to ept a foreign culture, but the culture she epted was slightly different from the time.

    ¡°Greetings, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°Good Morning. Please take a seat.¡±

    The couple began to chat with me about insignificant things. This was amon problem with people like them whenmunicating with others. They had to beat around the bush.

 Chapter 354

    354 A Boring Conversation

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I wanted to avoid going along with their wishes and ignored the hints in their conversation as if I were interested in the weather and family affairs they were discussing. This sessfully made the young Evaria couple¡¯s faces turn green.

    Finally, the other party understood that I had ill intentions toward them and no longer hid their intentions.

    ¡°Actually, we¡¯re here today to ask you for an exnation,¡± the young Mr. Evaria said carefully. ¡°Why did you ask Sir Aldrich to lead troops to capture my people in the middle of the night? If they have offended you in any way, I won¡¯t argue for them, but at least let us know the reason for all this.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you know?¡± I asked with a half-smile. ¡°I thought you were involved in this.¡±

    The young Evaria couple¡¯s expressions instantly changed, but when they saw my smiling eyes, they suddenly realized I had tricked them. They pretended to be calm and said, ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to understand. You¡¯re not the main character in this. It doesn¡¯t matter how much you know.¡± I slowly sipped the hot tea and saw a drop of cold sweat sliding down the forehead of the young Mr. Evaria. ¡°Compared to me, I think Earl of Marlowe would be more willing to answer your questions, right?¡±

    ¡°My father asked us to ask you for instructions.¡± The young Mr. Evaria looked like he was about to faint. ¡°I¡¯m sincerely asking you, Your Highness. For Emma¡¯s sake, please believe in our loyalty.¡±

    I suddenly felt indifferent when I saw two faces that were filled with fear and uneasiness yet refused to let go of their pride that came from nowhere. I didn¡¯t want to continue talking about such nonsense, so I waved my hand and called for someone to take them away.

    ¡°Emma is not the same as you. Go to the dungeon and see your nsmen,¡± I said. ¡°Ask them what they did, and ask yourself if you know what they did.¡±

    The young Evaria couple wanted to say something but stopped. Finally, they left with the guard, looking back at him three times with every step they took.

    I believed they must be dissatisfied with this conversation that came out of nowhere and had no information at all. They might even be suspicious of my dark and unclear attitude.

    However, I didn¡¯t care. These little rats were destined to be unable to cause any waves. Let them torture themselves as they wished. This was the price they should pay for their actions.

    Back in the baby¡¯s room, Aldrich was guarding the incubation box and handling a few military documents. He said that Emma had juste to see me but left after seeing that I wasn¡¯t there.

    I sighed softly. It was obvious why Emma hade.

    The conflict between her and her family had not been properly resolved. Earl of Marlowe valued this little granddaughter who had be the princess¡¯s attendant, but this importance was not enough in the face of the family¡¯s interests. The prideful and old-fashioned young Evaria couple was also unwilling to ¡®bow their heads¡¯ in front of their daughter, acknowledging that her social and political status had long been higher than theirs.

    They treated her daughter coldly and cruelly, but Emma couldn¡¯t bear to break up with her family. Because of this, she was often in pain. I saw it, but as an outsider, I couldn¡¯t do anything other thanfort and support her.

    It was not impossible to order the Evaria couple to disappear from their daughter¡¯s sight forever, but what was the use of that? Emma¡¯s restraints did note from one or two people, and if the root of the contradiction were not removed, she would never have peace.

    I asked someone to invite Emma over. She was still forcing a smile when she faced me. First, she reported the results of her internal affairs but didn¡¯t say a word about her parents.

    ¡°Your parents came to see me just now,¡± I said. ¡°Last night, I had people capture the Evaria family members involved in the attack.¡±

    Emma¡¯s forcibly put-together face suddenly copsed. She covered her face and cried, ¡°They used me to threaten you, didn¡¯t they? I¡¯m very sorry, Your Highness. I¡¯m very sorry... I don¡¯t know how tomunicate with them. I¡¯ve tried everything I could to break down the logic and analyze it for them to hear, but it¡¯s useless! They were still so stubborn and stupid! I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness. I¡¯m really sorry...¡±

    I immediately went up to hug him while Aldrich considerately left the baby room to give us some private space.

    ¡°Hey, hey, good girl, don¡¯t cry. This isn¡¯t your fault. You have no reason to apologize to me.¡± I gently wiped away her tears, but more tears came gushing out in the next second. ¡°Even without you, your parents would havee to me. This is rted to a political struggle, not personal feelings.¡±

    ¡°But I became your obstacle.¡± Emma sobbed. ¡°My grandfather, my parents, my people, they used me to cate you because you are a kind and good king...¡±

    ¡°Then, they¡¯re wrong. There¡¯s nothing that can restrain me. If there is, it¡¯s because I¡¯m not strong enough. I can¡¯t me you.¡±

    I held Emma in my arms and patted her trembling back as if I were coaxing a baby. ¡°I love you, Emma. You¡¯ll always be my friend. But no one can use you to threaten me because I know I¡¯m not a purely good person. Nothing can stop me before I achieve my goal.¡±

 Chapter 355

    355 They Won¡¯t Take Turns, Right?

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. You¡¯re just a poor, innocent girl dragged into the center of the whirlpool. If I really want to settle the score with someone, it will be the Evaria Family who colluded with foreign enemies or your grandfather, the Earl, who turned a blind eye to everything and chose to acquiesce, but it will not be you because you said that I¡¯m a kind and good king, right? A kind and good monarch would never vent her anger on her friends and subjects.

    ¡°Now, wipe your tears and calm down. You know that wild beasts are waiting outside to bite you when you¡¯re not focused. You¡¯re not willing to give up. You want freedom. I¡¯ve seen it all. I swear I will help you break free from the family¡¯s restraints and be a truly free and independent person.¡±

    Emma looked at me in a daze. ¡°But this is not your responsibility. I should be the judge myself.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a matter of responsibility. It¡¯s because I need you, so I have to help you grow and improve. This is what a monarch should do to his subjects and also what a person should do to his friends.¡± I cupped Emma¡¯s face and said seriously.

    ¡°We must support each other and progress hand in hand because we are walking on a difficult and ever-changing path. This path was unpredictable, and it was rare to meet apanion who could walk hand in hand. Any hesitation or letting go will cause us to lose ourpanions. I don¡¯t want to see such an ending, and you don¡¯t want to either, right?¡±

    Emma nodded.

    I helped her tidy up her messy hair and chuckled. ¡°Are you feeling better now? Don¡¯t worry,e to me the next time you feel confused. I¡¯ll always be your solid support.¡±

    With my persuasion, Emma left with vigorous steps. She said she had some internal affairs to deal with, but I knew what she would do.

    In the afternoon, my parents invited me to lunch. They told me some things during the meal, and Earl of Marlowe came to find me.

    If I rejected him again, would the Evaria Family have to go through it all again?

    I thought to myself as Earl of Marlowe entered the room, sessfully making myselfugh.

    Earl of Marlowe just happened to enter the door. After he saluted me, he asked, ¡°You¡¯re smiling happily. Did something good happen?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a small matter. I waved my hand. Compared to this, the biggest joy I¡¯d encountered recently was that I sessfully gave birth to a healthy and lovely child.

    Earl of Marlowe calmly congratted me as if he didn¡¯t hear the hidden meaning behind my words. ¡°I haven¡¯t congratted you on the birth of your son yet. This great news dominated today¡¯s newspaper. I heard many people talking about this on the way, discussing the child¡¯s gender and future name.¡±

    My child had no gender, so the royal family announced to the public to cover up this matter. It was easy to exin. After all, it was not unusual to use any means to obscure information to protect the child¡¯s safety.

    I couldn¡¯t me the people for discussing the issue of the child¡¯s name. Even I hadn¡¯t thought of one yet. The custom of the werewolves was to name their children three months after they were born on the day of baptism. It was said that it was a tradition derived from an ancient legend that had been lost. I guessed the truth was that the child death rate was too high in ancient times. Many children younger than three months could not live for more than a few days, and the naming was useless.

    The royal family usually used traditional names that were more representative. My name was Madeline, just like one of my great-grandaunts.

    It was as if Earl of Marlowe really came to chat with me. He suggested several names with good meanings. He seemed even more enthusiastic than my father and Duke Frank, the two real grandfathers.

    He was willing to beat around the bush, and I was happy to listen to these mindless words. We¡¯d been going back and forth, and the room atmosphere was uplifting and harmonious.

    During this time, Kara came to me and told me that the child was crying and asked me to go and take a look. I originally wanted to use this opportunity to send Earl of Marlowe away, but who would have thought he would say that he could wait for my return? I knew he couldn¡¯t wait toy his cards on the table with me.

    The baby was fine, and it was normal for a baby to cry and fuss. However, because of its unusual body, we should be careful.

    I waited for the doctor to examine the child before returning to the living room. It had already been half an hour, but Earl of Marlowe was still waiting. The tea in front of me had already turned cold.

    I didn¡¯t mean to ignore him this time. However, after half an hour of waiting, even seasoned politicians couldn¡¯t help but be anxious.

    When did a powerful officer who was used to having everything his way ever receive such ¡®neglect¡¯? He could put on such a kind expression right now. I wanted to apud his ability to maintain hisposure.

    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting,¡± I said apologetically. Of course, it was an act. I asked Kara to bring him a cup of hot tea. ¡°It¡¯s difficult with children. You have so many children. I think you can understand my situation.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Earl of Marlowe calmly took a sip of tea. ¡°Why don¡¯t we get to the main topic immediately? What will it take for you to let the Evaria Family go? ¡±

 Chapter 356

    356 Sincere And Fake

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Finally!

    From the moment he entered the room, we¡¯d been waiting for this moment.

    ¡°Look at what you¡¯re saying. I¡¯ve neverid my hands on the Evaria Family, and you say you¡¯re here to visit?¡± I asked back with a smile.

    Earl of Marlowe¡¯s face turned serious, and he said sternly, ¡°I know that you¡¯re not someone who likes to argue, and I¡¯m not someone who likes to waste my breath. Please believe that I¡¯m here today with utmost sincerity and want to have a frank and open talk with you.¡±

    My face also darkened as I asked expressionlessly, ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡±

    ¡°You suddenly took away a few of my peoplest night,¡± said Earl of Marlowe. ¡°I understand thatst night¡¯s situation was extremely urgent, and it was inevitable that you were angry. However, I can guarantee that these people have never colluded with the enemy. Perhaps their behavior is a bit out of line, but seeing that they have not made any contributions, I ask you to be magnanimous and let them go!¡±

    ¡°Do you think they don¡¯t have the intention just because you say so? It¡¯s a pity that I don¡¯t think so. Be it the time, ce, or rted personnel; it¡¯s too coincidental. It¡¯s so coincidental that I can¡¯t help but suspect them.

    ¡°Moreover, they were the people in charge of the finishing workst night. Your words can¡¯t offset such a big mistake. A dereliction of duty is inevitable. Or do you think they¡¯re used to escaping punishment without restraint and will return home safely without paying any price this time?¡±

    I wouldn¡¯t fall for this old man¡¯s tricks. Taking credit and acting pitiful wouldn¡¯t work here. Besides, what hard work could those people have done? I looked at their informationst night. During the rotation of the person in charge, they didn¡¯t neglect their duties and didn¡¯t work for many days. Was his hand tired from counting his sry?

    Earl of Marlowe could see that I was impervious to his words and helplessly gave in. ¡°At least let them go home first. Can¡¯t you send them to court after all the evidence is gathered? You suddenly asked people to take them away and even put them in the pce¡¯s dungeon. Their families are all uneasy and don¡¯t know what mistakes their rtives have made. Early in the morning, they came to the pce restlessly to ask me for an exnation. I almost couldn¡¯t stop a few agitated young people. I was also in a difficult position.¡±

    ¡°Are you threatening me with the Evaria Family?¡± I sneered and stared into his old eyes. ¡°You mean to say, if I don¡¯t let him go, the next ones toe to the pce to make a scene will be your other nsmen? Ha, this is interesting. I¡¯ve never seen a noble perform acrobatics before. Could you pass on a message for me? He told those impassioned young people toe quickly and let me broaden my horizons.¡±

    This old man dared to threaten me, so I didn¡¯t have to y nice. He said that one shouldn¡¯t hit a smiling person, but was a threat with a bitter face, not a threat?

    What was the Evaria Family? It should be known that the change of power was only a matter of time. Any family could rece the Evaria Family¡¯s position because they had gotten it wrong. They were just one of the many carriers of power, not power itself.

    However, Earl of Marlowe was indeed an old crook in politics. After seeing that I was angry, he immediately retracted his probing and respectfully said, ¡°What are you saying? This is just a littleint from an old man like me. I don¡¯t have anyints about you.¡±

    I waved my hand to signal him to stop his useless ttery and said bluntly, ¡°In short, I can¡¯t let the people in the dungeon go. But you can rest assured that I don¡¯t have a hobby of killing people for fun. If they are innocent, I will never let them suffer injustice because of my selfishness.

    ¡°On the contrary, even if they had little to do withst night¡¯s attack, I would not tolerate anyone. As for the Evaria Family, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll only work on this issue and won¡¯t vent my anger on anyone else.¡±

    With my resolute and decisive deration, no matter how much Earl of Marlowe wanted to say, he could only keep it in. He was silent for a few seconds and then sighed tiredly, saying, ¡°You¡¯ve surprised me, Your Highness. I apologize for my underestimation of you before.¡±

    ¡°Young people always receive all kinds of contemptuous looks. Your attitude is nothing. I don¡¯t care.¡± I said arrogantly, ¡°I ept your apology and understand your motives. After all, we¡¯re all serving all werewolves to make us better people, right?¡±

    Earl of Marlowe nodded silently. He did not stay any longer and immediately left.

    After he left, I asked Dorothy to inform the Intelligence Department to increase the surveince on the Evaria Family and record any news of their private meetings with the Council of Elders and unknown people.

    Then, I informed Benson, who was far away on the mobile patrol, and got him to secretly lead a small team to each pack to investigate the officers and merchants who belonged to the Evaria Family, their inws, and their friendly ns. I wanted to see if they had any contact with the wanderers suspected to be from the Azazel faction.

    Earl of Marlowe¡¯s performance was wless, but politicians were excellent actors. I couldn¡¯t believe his sincerity because he was not willing to give me that kind of thing.

 Chapter 357

    357 Wait And See

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The Lycan pack had entered a state of emergency.

    The arrival of the royal family¡¯s newborn brought joy to the werewolves, but it did notpletely neutralize the panic about the wanderers, which had once again ignited chaos. An unspeakable tension lingered in every inch of the air among the packs.

    This time, my father¡¯s warning order was strictly followed by every pack, not all Alpha would protect his will from the bottom of their hearts, but no one would want their pack to be the next Floodwater, Saber Tooth, or Yellow Leaf Packs.

    Even if they had now merged into Spring Rain Pack and were thriving, it couldn¡¯t hide the fact that there was no Alpha there, and it had be my sphere of influence.

    The Evaria Family was temporarily out of business as if they did not care what kind of disaster their nsmen in the dungeon would bring to the family. Judging from Emma¡¯s expression, that was bing more and more rxed by the day, be it their sudden change of mind or Earl Marlowe finally willing to reorganize the family ruthlessly, everything was developing in the direction I wanted.

    The werewolves seemed to be peaceful internally, but they were extremely fortunate. We had encountered unprecedented difficulties in tracking down the Azazel party.

    The wanderers who had attacked the pce seemed to have evaporated into thin air. No reconnaissance means, or witchcraft could capture any clues about them. This meant that the power that helped them escape and hide their tracks was much stronger than the current strength of the werewolves. Since they were a group of cultists, it might be Azazel himself.

    Although I took away his divine persona, a divine persona was only a form of identification. Any god who wasn¡¯t so weak that they were about to disappear could re-condense their divine persona after some time, even if the price was the loss of some authority or power.

    Some hidden history and myths recorded such events. A god who had condensed his divinity for the second time would be greatly weakened, but he was still an existence that mortals could notpete with.

    Of course, it was not like we didn¡¯t have a chance. As long as Azazel was not crazy enough to dere war on the Moon Goddess, he would not be able toe to the world in his true form. He would most likely need his believers to sacrifice a body that could walk on earth like the one sealed in the Rocky Mountains.

    However, a sacrifice was moreplex than drawing an array and throwing a sacrifice. The more powerful the sacrifice, the more precious the things needed to be prepared, and the moreplicated the preparation process was. The right time, ce, and people were all indispensable. It was not easy to find a body that could withstand the descent of Azazel. This meant that we could sort out the cultists¡¯ potential targets based on the relevant records of our ancestors. Then, we could use this as a basis to wait for them toe and destroy the possibility of Azazel¡¯s arrival at the root.

    Of course, everything was easy to say, but there were many hidden difficulties.

    After a day and night of emergency investigation, the Intelligence Department and the Sorcery Research Association worked together topile a five-centimeter-thick list of more than 400 sacrificial candidates. Some of the 400 or so sacrificial candidates were precious, some were ordinary, and some were so rare that they could be found all over the streets. However, in terms of importance, they were all indispensable.

    The problem was that we didn¡¯t have enough manpower to monitor these sacrificial candidates individually. Furthermore, many of them were located in the territories of other races, even in uninhabited ces like the north and south poles. Before the fire reached their homes, most people would watch it from the river¡¯s other side. It was impossible for other races to cooperate with us.

    Although the advantage of this situation was that we could put our limited manpower into the sacrificial candidates in our territory, the disadvantage was that the number of sacrificial candidates under our control was greatly reduced. In conclusion, there were only twelve choices left.

    So be it. We spent the whole night discussing the n and immediately sent people to camp around the twelve candidates. The rest could only be negotiated with the other races. I hoped that they would take this seriously, not only for the interests of the werewolves but also for themselves. Those cultists didn¡¯t care whose territory they were in when they go crazy.

    On top of that, my return to the Spring Rain Pack was dyed as I was under strict protection.

    Not only me but my newborn child, Maxine, Aldrich, Dorothy, and all of my family members were under strict protection. This was because our physical fitness was far superior to that of ordinary people, and we were good choices to hold a god¡¯s descent.

    Although the matter of his followers was strictly kept a secret, I had snatched away Azazel¡¯s divinity. He might know how we had been revived in the Rocky Mountains. If he knew, there would be no reason for him to give up on the ready-made, high-quality ¡®container¡¯. He wouldmand his ws in the human world to attack us.

    However, I had a vague feeling that this might not be that simple because the ck cocoon we had not found anything about had gone missing. Was it really dead as it seemed?

 Chapter 358

    358 Where Is The Way Out?

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Half a month had passed, and everything was calm. Nothing had happened.

    The warriors secretly stationed around the sacrificial candidates did not touch a single strand of wolf hair. The works of art, nts, books, and other things deeply rted to the demons were still safely left in museums or on thend as if no one cared about them.

    However, we still couldn¡¯t let our guard down.

    It would take time to form a new divinity. It could be a few days or a few years. Perhaps Azazel had already filled his pitch-ck chest again, or he still needed more time. But no matter what, we were far more anxious than Azazel. We needed more time and couldn¡¯t wait for him to drag it out.

    The Evaria Family¡¯s parasites in the dungeon were rtively easy. They did not even have one percent of Locke¡¯s stubbornness and quickly confessed. They were rted to the wanderers but did not admit that they deliberately conspired to attack the pce. They only said they were working together to do illegal immigration and smuggling.

    Even the wanderers had to survive. They were like stray dogs that ate and slept in the open. They live by stealing things from different packs, like rats. They argued, ¡°I admit I made some money from them, but this is purely business. I know nothing about their attack on the pce.¡±

    The one in charge of the interrogation was Aldrich; he had a lot of experience in this, and it would be a wonder if he believed these people¡¯s nonsense.

    ¡°Purely business?¡± He snorted coldly. ¡°Having private dealings with the wanderers is purely treason, gentlemen.¡±

    The other party immediately turned red and shouted at the top of his voice, ¡°nder! I swear to the Moon Goddess that I have nothing to do with those wanderers other than trading money and goods. I have never had the intention to harm the werewolves!¡±

    ¡°Even if you only sold a piece of bread to a wanderer, it¡¯s also considered aiding the enemy from thew.¡± Aldrichughed sarcastically. ¡°You¡¯re confessing.¡±

    The other party didn¡¯t expect him to keep harping on smuggling. Other than panic and anger, he didn¡¯t know what to say.

    This was not hard to understand.

    For these scumbags, stepping on the bottom line of morality and thew to umte wealth had almost be their survival instinct. This was the primary means by which they maintained their extravagant life. This was what they did, their rtives did, and their ancestors did. This had be a tradition, so what was wrong with tradition?

    As for morality and thew, they were nothing in their eyes. Morality was just a cover to embellish themselves, and they wanted it to make themselves as bright as possible.

    There was no need to mention thew. Several years ago, thews were even personally revised by their ancestors. If that was the case, then wasn¡¯t thew just one of the luxurious legacies left behind by their ancestors? Wouldn¡¯t they be able to do whatever they wanted?

    That was why they were angry and felt wronged. They believed that Aldrich had betrayed them and the nobles. As a member of the nobility, he should follow these unspoken rules like them, find a way to take power from the hands of the Lycan King, and use a blunt knife to cut off the flesh and blood of the people and all the werewolves to maintain their high and noble status.

    Therefore, after all the quibbles and hints were fruitless, these people bitterly criticized Aldrich, ¡°Do you think that you can be a Prince or a King after marrying the Princess? Stop dreaming! You either take away your power from her or be a dog under her feet! No king is willing to share their power with others.

    ¡°Your path of survival is on our side. We are yourpanions! The Oromalivira Family would notst forever. It would one day be crushed by the werewolves like all the royal families that had taken over the kingdom of werewolves. Only the nobility is eternal. Only by returning to our camp can you pass on your power and status to your descendants!¡±

    Aldrich only quietly looked at their spit flying everywhere, not saying a word.

    They were still babbling on. ¡°Don¡¯t be stubborn. Look at the current situation. The wanderers are starting fires everywhere. Even the demons hate us. What else can it be if this isn¡¯t a sign that the werewolves are about to enter chaos? A country bumpkin who came out of nowhere, openly upying the crown prince¡¯s throne, not knowing anything, and daring to mess around at the border, do you see any Alpha agreeing with her actions? She was digging the roots of all Alpha. She was personally burying her future! The royal family has already declined, and the Oromalivira Family might be finished in her generation. It¡¯ll be toote if you don¡¯t jump off the ship.

    ¡°If the Oromalivira Family is finished, what about you? What will happen to the Evaria Family?¡± Aldrich suddenly interrupted them and asked in a deep voice.

    ¡°When the royal family is gone, and the werewolves have to choose a new one. The Evaria Family has always been close to the Oromalivira Family. Do you want to seed as the new royal family?¡±

    Those people were stunned by his questioning. They were like elks frightened by the sound of gunfire for a moment. They could only look at the hunter in a daze, not even thinking about running for their lives.

 Chapter 359

    359 Getting Rid Of Corruption

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Aldrich did not care about those disbelieving or meaningful gazes and continued, ¡°But ording to what you said, bing a member of the royal family is no doubt a death knell for your family. Then, are you not going to do anything and wait for the next unlucky person to take over? Repeat the old tricks of fighting for power for decades or centuries, and then wait for the next unlucky man to take the throne with greed for the throne and fear of destruction?¡±

    Aldrich choked those people. They were like children who had just learned to speak, opening their mouths and chewing the air, but could not form a word.

    Their faces turned red and then pale as if they were going through the history of their families in the next few hundred years in their minds. It must have been a rotten and ugly struggle, struggling to suffocate in fear, and money and power provided fake oxygen.

    The awkward status of not being at the top and not being at the bottom was so painful for them, but it was already aggrieved enough for them to be under someone else, so it should be fine even if they med the family that was suppressing them for their greed and delusions, right?

    Looking at their funny expressions, Aldrich chuckled and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to answer because I don¡¯t want to know the answer. If I say one more word to you, I¡¯ll be so disgusted that I won¡¯t be able to eat for three days. In any case, there is enough evidence. Whether it is colluding with the enemy or rebelling against the royal family, you all personally admitted it. I did not tempt you to confess.¡±

    He leaned back in his chair leisurely, and the arrogant Evaria Family scums finally realized they were about to be sent to court for their stupidity and panicked.

    However, what was the use of struggling now?

    Ignoring their angry roars and pleas, Aldrich left directly. I also walked out of the secret room to meet him.

    I thought my face must be very gloomy, so Aldrich came tofort me. ¡°Don¡¯t mind the stupid words of those scumbags. These short-sighted fools can¡¯t see what you and your Majesty have done for the werewolves. Their greed and stupidity are about to send their entire family to the guillotine.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not angry at them,¡± I said, and then I had to admit it. ¡°Well, I¡¯m-little angry, but not anymore. I don¡¯t need to waste my time on a problem that has been solved.¡±

    Just like I said, the people in the dungeons had already been brought under control. Just the fact that they were aiding the enemy was enough to make them spend the rest of their lives in prison or join the camp of their former partners.

    In fact, everyone knew whether they had colluded with the wanderers, but the Evaria Family was indeed an old noble family that had existed for hundreds of thousands of years. They were good at cleaning up the mess, and the Intelligence Department could not find decisive evidence. My father also gave me a hint, indicating that I should stop while I was ahead.

    ¡°Just because Earl of Marlowe is your vassal, you want to protect them?¡± I said a little angrily. ¡°I admit that Earl of Marlowe has done a lot of hard work, but what the Evaria Family has done to the people is enough to offset these contributions a hundred times!¡±

    My father didn¡¯t get angry because of my disobedience. His expression was serious, but he still taught me kindly, ¡°Morton has indeed contributed to the werewolf n, but this doesn¡¯t make me cover up for his entire family. We need to be wary of a cornered dog that will do something desperate, child. Morton understood the principle of ¡®we are all in together for good or bad¡¯ whether it was for him and his family or his family and the werewolves. But sometimes, a person¡¯s power is not as strong as it seems on the surface. Morton can restrain the words and actions of his family on the surface, but he may not be unable to restrain their hearts.¡±

    ¡°... are you saying that if I pushed too hard, the other members of the Evaria Family might go over Earl of Marlowe¡¯s head and cause trouble? That¡¯s not impossible. After all, their family members are spread out in all aspects of society and industries. When they gather, it¡¯s not a small matter...¡±

    ¡°It seems like you have understood this.¡± My father smiled. ¡°Since we already know what they¡¯re thinking, why don¡¯t we use the long line and catch the big fish? Furthermore, our main enemy is the hidden Azazel party. We should gather all the forces in a crisis to face the foreign enemy together. Internal strife will only give the enemy an opportunity.¡±

    I realized that I had been blinded by anger and admitted my mistake in embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Father. I was too impulsive. I should have considered it more.¡±

    My father patted my shoulder and said kindly, ¡°You¡¯ve already done very well. To have such thinking ability and order of action at such a young age has already made your mother and me very proud.

    Speaking of my mother, the ranking of love in her heart had already changed tremendously. Of course, her precious grandson or granddaughter was ranked first, while Maxine took second with her furry appearance and warm belly. As for the rankings after that, they were unimportant because they were nothing in front of the top two.

 Chapter 360

    360 Weeds Never Die

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Even though I hadn¡¯t enjoyed my mother¡¯s meticulous doting for a long time, now that I was also a mother, it was better not to beughed at for such a childish thing as fighting for love with my child.

    Earl of Marlowe tacitly agreed to how the Evaria family members were dealt. As my father had said, this old man who had given his life to the werewolves might be arrogant and greedy for power, but the fact that he could get to where he was today showed that he was a clear-minded character.

    Half a monthter, Benson sent us a message. It was not about the pack or the Evaria Family but an unexpected guest.

    The mobile patrol team was in charge of inspecting all packs in the werewolf territory, so it was customary for them to go to the new Spring Rain Pack.

    However, it was strange to find a wizard there.

    If this wizard imed to be Dorothy¡¯s father, it would be even stranger.

    When I first received the news, my first reaction was disbelief. Dorothy¡¯s parents had been living in seclusion for so many years that even their daughter couldn¡¯t get any of their attention. Why did they suddenly have to visit a newly rising little pack at the border?

    Dorothy had apanied me to many public events, and her mixed-blood identity was no longer a big secret. Who knew if someone was trying to use this opportunity to trick her?

    The first thing I thought of was the Evaria Family. This might be another one of their schemes.

    However, the photo that Benson sent me next overturned all my conjectures. The man in the picture looked the same as Dorothy¡¯s father, who was in her only family portrait.

    This was not too easy to conclude. After thinking about it, I still told Dorothy about it.

    To my surprise, Dorothy reacted very calmly. She didn¡¯t show any anger or sadness. She just asked calmly, ¡°What is he doing here?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t tell if she was calm or pretending to be calm, so I tried to speak as softly as possible, ¡°He won¡¯t tell Benson. He wants to see me.¡±

    ¡°If he wants to see you, then go ahead. He must have been living in seclusion in the Elf Forest. Maybe he has some important information that no one knows about.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t mind?¡±

    ¡°Why would I mind? He wanted to see you, not me.¡±

    Looking at Dorothy¡¯s calm and emotionless eyes, I suddenly realized that I might have said something wrong. Her father, who had been missing for more than twenty years, suddenly appeared not to see his daughter. Anyone would feel ufortable if they were that daughter!

    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. I don¡¯t mind at all.¡± Dorothyughed out loud and suddenly lifted the corner of my tightly-pursed lips. ¡°Whether it¡¯s my father or mother, they¡¯re no different from strangers to me. The few memories of my childhood are already too fuzzy. If he didn¡¯t suddenly appear today, I wouldn¡¯t even remember that I have a father.

    ¡°Not to mention them, even my impression of grandmother has faded. I¡¯ve been getting busier and busier in recent years, and I¡¯ve been visiting her less and less often. Every time, I¡¯ll only be there for a few minutes to listen to the doctor talk about her condition. It¡¯s good enough to know that she¡¯s living a good and peaceful life.

    ¡°The pain of being abused has faded, so how excited can a strange man I¡¯ve never met make me?¡±

    I didn¡¯t know what to say. Dorothy¡¯s relief at this moment made me feel relieved, but at the same time, I also felt lost. She was such a good girl. Why must fate give her such a cold past?

    In short, I¡¯d decided to meet this ¡®father¡¯ who had suddenly appeared.

    Benson quickly escorted Dorothy¡¯s father to the Lycan pack. The middle-aged wizard named Cage did not fit the evil image of a fairy tale at all. He looked ordinary, but there was a kind of youth that did not match his age. It was as if time had not taken away any of his vitality but had frozen his age in the photo.

    My parents and I met him in secret, but Dorothy did note.

    ¡°Greetings, Your Majesties and your Royal Highness. I, Cage Doloria, a foreigner, am here to greet you.¡±

    ¡°Hello, Mr. Doloria.¡± My father gestured for him to take a seat. ¡°What urgent matter did you have that you had toe and see us for?¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, I have a very important piece of information that I must tell you about the group of wanderers who fled in the Elf Forest a few months ago.¡±

    When we heard that it was about the wanderers, we immediately took it seriously. The wanderers within the werewolf territory had been scattered again. Could the two or three of them that had fled outside the borders have done something?

    ¡°They brought a very dangerous concentrated evil power, and several cities have fallen. Thanks to the help of the werewolf pack, the disaster was stopped.¡±

    Cage continued, ¡°But the crisis didn¡¯t end when we thought it was over. It has been lurking in the shadows. Just half a month ago, a group of wanderers had suddenly attacked the Elven Capital City, trying to pollute the city with the same thing as before. Although the pollution is under control, tragedies still ur, and the most important symbol of the elves, the Mother Tree of Nature, has been attacked and lost an extremely precious thick branch. ¡±

 Chapter 361

    361 The King¡¯s Emissary

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Like all ancient myths and legends, the ancestors of any race would have strange experiences different from ordinary people, the elves¡¯ ancestors were no exception.

    This race that crazily worshipped nature believed their ancestor was born from a flower blooming in the winter desert. After he was born, the desert that struggled in the winter and heat instantly became a warm forest with a pleasant climate, which was now most of the Elf Forest.

    The flower that gave birth to the elven ancestors came from the Mother Tree of Nature, so it was not an exaggeration to say that it was the most precious treasure of the elven race.

    Now that the Mother Tree of Nature had been stolen, it was like the Louvre or the Taj Mahal suddenly torn down by terrorists. It was an extremely humiliating act that threw the elves¡¯ pride and dignity on the ground.

    However, for the werewolves, the purpose behind the theft was even more creepy. The Mother Tree of Nature was recognized as the source of vitality. Be it its leaves or flowers, every part of its body contained strong vitality that could strengthen the body, heal injuries and illnesses, and it was even said to be able to revive the dead.

    No one would believe that the wanderers who stole the Mother Tree had nothing to do with the Azazel party. They must have taken the risk of offending the entire elven race to steal the branches of the Mother Tree because they would be willing to bear the crazy revenge of the elves.

    What was the reward?

    An answer that I didn¡¯t want to believe slowly appeared in my mind. What else could it be other than sacrificing me to Azazel? The Mother Tree of Nature fulfilled all the requirements for sacrifice. Although there had never been a precedent of it being used as a sacrifice in history, it was the first time it had been used as a sacrifice.

    Obviously, my father thought of what I could think of as well. He realized this was not a simple act of theft and immediately called the ministers into the pce to discuss countermeasures.

    Dorothy was no longer the wizard apprentice who did odd jobs. As Master Mary¡¯s assistant, she had already stepped into the quasi-werewolf grandmasters ranks and carried out many tasks independently. Therefore, she also participated in this meeting. She wasn¡¯t affected by Cage¡¯s appearance at all. Instead, Cage looked at her several times. Although he didn¡¯t say anything, I felt he wanted to say something but stopped.

    The people in the meeting room were divided. Those who were close to me, those who were loyal to my father, those who were neutral, and those who had unknown intentions. However, the people who liked to fight and scheme today also knew their priorities, so no one stood up to say bitter words like in the previousrge-scale meetings.

    After everyone was present, Cage exined his purpose for the visit in detail.

    ¡°Before everything begins, I have to be honest with all of you. I¡¯m not an official elf, and I have yet to be recognized and trusted by most elves.¡±

    Whispers immediately broke out in the meeting room, but Cage was unaffected by the surprised or suspicious looks. He continued, ¡°The elven race is in a mess internally. To control the corruption of the evil power, the Elf King sacrificed himself and sealed all the corruption sources at the cost of his own life. As a result, he fell into aa.

    ¡°At present, the Crown Prince is acting as the King, but some city-states don¡¯t obey his rule, some courtiers obey on the surface but disobey on the inside, and the Crown Prince¡¯s sister-inw has her ideas. So, the elven race is currently in a state of disunity.

    In these troubled times, it wasn¡¯t good news for our neighbors to suddenly split up, especially when we were also in trouble.

    The chaos in the elves meant that it was easier for the Azazel party to take advantage of the situation. The elves were too close to the werewolves, and if they caused trouble, they could easily threaten the borders of the werewolves and even spread inside.

    However, what Cage said next made our hearts sink. ¡°There are three main forces with authority in the elven race. The Orthodox Party led by the Crown Prince, the temporary Alliance formed by the Western city-states, and the New Political Party led by the cab Speaker. It¡¯s no exaggeration to say that the only thing left before the Civil War begins is who makes the first shot.¡±

    For most intelligent creatures, human rtionships were never worth mentioning in the face of power and fame. I didn¡¯t know what the Elf King, who had sacrificed his life for justice, would think if he saw his children, ministers, andpatriots still busy fighting among themselves in times of crisis. But if even I, an outsider, couldn¡¯t bear to see this, he probably wouldn¡¯t be too pleased.

    ¡°So, who asked you toe?¡± Someone asked.

    Cage shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve told you. I¡¯m not here on the orders of any government. I¡¯m here on the Elf King¡¯sst order to ask for help from the werewolves as the king¡¯s envoy.

    ¡°Before the Elf King fell into a deep sleep, he asked me to help care for the elven race. If there is any danger, we can ask for help from the neighbors.

    ¡°Right now, no one in the elven race is taking the attacks of the wanderers seriously. Everyone has ulterior motives, and everyone is chasing fame and fortune. No one even cares about the theft of the Mother Tree of Nature.

 Chapter 362

    362 The Holy Diamond Seal

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°But I know that the wanderers won¡¯t just disappear like that. The power of the Mother Tree is obvious to all. If we can¡¯t kill the wanderers this time, when they realize that the elves are strong on the outside but weak on the inside, they will be their den of thieves sooner orter.

    ¡°The crisis is right before us, but no one took the Elf King¡¯s teachings seriously. I can¡¯t betray my old friend¡¯s trust, so I¡¯vee alone to ask for your help.

    ¡°The werewolves have warned the elves to be wary of the wanderers, and the Elf King has also greatly regretted his negligence. The two races were close to each other, and once the wanderers infiltrated the elves, they would be a sharp de pointed at the werewolves. Therefore, on behalf of the Elf King, I would like to request the werewolves to help the elven race eliminate the foreign enemy for our safety and honor.¡±

    I realized that Cage wasn¡¯t a man of few words like he appeared to be. At the very least, his words sessfully tied the werewolves and the elves together.

    However, the ministers present were all smart people and would not be so easily moved by one or two words.

    The president of the left, Arkadius, was the first to question, ¡°Just as you said, the elven race is currently divided, and you don¡¯t belong to any force. Without the official endorsement, how can we believe you? Just a few words from the sleeping Elf King? With all due respect, this kind of unverified argument has no credibility.

    ¡°Besides, if I¡¯m not mistaken, you¡¯re a magus. Is it reasonable for a wizard to ask for help on behalf of the elves? I¡¯m not attacking you personally, Mr. Cage, but this is againstmon sense, and we can¡¯t trust you easily.¡±

    Cage heaved a sigh as if he knew he would be questioned. He was neither angry nor panicked. He took out an item wrapped inyers of silk from his bag and ced it on the conference table.

    ¡°I know I can¡¯t easily win your trust, but you¡¯ll believe me after seeing this.¡±

    No one picked it up rashly.

    ¡°What is this? Please open it yourself,¡± Aldrich asked warily.

    As if he didn¡¯t see their wariness, Cage obediently opened theyers of silk and revealed what was inside.

    It was a seal overflowing with light; under the sunlight, it reflected a rainbow-like brilliance.

    After seeing what it was, some people even stood up in surprise.

    ¡°This is the Holy Diamond Seal!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t me them for being so excited; even I was stunned.

    The so-called Holy Diamond Seal referred to the highest seal of the elven race ¨C the Elf King¡¯s seal. This seal was basically the proof of the elves¡¯ royal authority, representing the elves¡¯ supreme power.

    The Holy Diamond Seal of every Elf King was different. The Goddess of Nature would bestow the Holy Diamond Seal on the day they ascended the throne. It was under the special protection of the goddess, and unless the Elf King took it out voluntarily, no one could take it away.

    Cage¡¯s Holy Diamond Seal was the only evidence that the Elf King trusted him.

    All the questions about Cage¡¯s identity were solved. He must havee at the request of the Elf King, which was no longer a question.

    Some people in the meeting room started to change how they looked at the Holy Diamond Seal. Before they could say anything embarrassing, I said, ¡°Please put it away, Mr. Cage. There¡¯s no need to suspect your identity anymore.¡±

    Someone nced at me in dissatisfaction, perhaps ming me for not forcing Cage to hand over the Holy Diamond Seal.

    I turned a blind eye to these idiots who wanted to use the Holy Diamond Seal to plunder the elves. Not to mention whether such an action would put the werewolves on the cklist of all supernatural races, just based on the current situation of the elves being divided, no one even cared about thest will of the Elf King, let alone a seal that couldn¡¯t speak.

    Since Cage was here on behalf of the Elf King, it was questionable whether or not he should ept the request to help the elves.

    Those who agreed and those who disagreed each stuck to their own words.

    The more open-minded ones believed that the two races were in close contact and that allowing the Azazel party to act wildly in the elven race would affect the safety of the werewolves.

    If they turned a blind eye to the elves¡¯ encounter, then in the future, if the werewolves needed help, their only neighbor would be powerless.

    Those with more interests were more straightforward, ¡°The creditors must always suppress the debtors. If we help the elves now, not only will we gain many benefits in the process, but it will also be much easier to ckmail them in the future.¡±

    Many disagreed. Some believed that even if the elves were divided, the theft of the Mother Tree was still their internal affairs and that the werewolves should not interfere. Even with the Elf King¡¯s instructions, which of the current forces would take it seriously?

    No one wanted to waste their energy and get med for it. Moreover, a starving camel was still bigger than a horse. Didn¡¯t the divided elven race still form a few powerful forces? They wouldn¡¯t be so stupid as to hand over their people to outsiders, would they? They would deal with the problem of the Azazel party on their own.

 Chapter 363

    363 Dagger

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The people stuck to their opinions argued endlessly, and no one could convince the other. The meetingsted the whole day, and there was still no conclusion by evening.

    In any case, how to deal with the rtionship with the neighbor that had fallen into a period of division was a sensitive matter that had to be carefully and cautiously handled. In the end, no matter how much they quarreled, they were still carefully weighing the bnce between contribution and return. Compared to their neighboring ns, they were still more important.

    The meeting ended in the evening, and everyone took a short break to prepare for the overnight meeting.

    As a distinguished guest, Cage was arranged to stay in the pce temporarily, which meant that he was monitored as a foreign guest. He might have understood it as he had no objection to it.

    During dinner, I paid close attention to Dorothy¡¯s every move. She did not intend to get along with her father, so I did not point out this problem insensibly.

    Cage, on the other hand, asked to meet me before the meeting.

    Hello, Mr. Cage. I met him in confusion. what can I do for you?¡±

    ¡°Your Highness,¡± Cage said. ¡°I think you know that I¡¯m Dorothy¡¯s biological father.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but look a little indignant. ¡°Dorothy showed me your photo before. I have to say, you look no different from twenty years ago.¡±

    Cage smiled bitterly. ¡°It¡¯s only natural that you¡¯re unhappy with me. After all, I¡¯m not a responsible father. I didn¡¯t care about my own daughter for more than twenty years. I don¡¯t want to exin my actions. I¡¯d like to ask you to pass something on to Dorothy for me. ¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    Cage handed me a dagger wrapped in sackcloth. I looked at it and saw that it was an antique dagger with an obvious ancient color. It was still sharp and cold even after so many years.

    ¡°What is this?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Do you know the ancient legend that has haunted my family for hundreds of years? ¡± Cage asked in return.

    ¡°You mean the matter about Mullwica¡¯s son?¡±

    ¡°Yes, then you must know that Mullwica¡¯s son killed his adoptive father during the magic outbreak.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. For this, he asked for the help of the devil, which buried the root of the tragedy of the mother and son killing each other.¡±

    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be honest about the part not mentioned in the legend ¨C the innocent adoptive father who was killed did not ept death with relief and tolerance. Before he died, a demon told him everything about the identity of his adopted son, and he used his soul as a bargaining chip to curse every descendant of Mullwica¡¯s family so that they would be separated from their flesh and blood for generations. Once their children lived together, they would face tragedy. This is the story hidden behind the legend.¡±

    ¡°... are you making excuses for your actions?¡±

    Aplicated expression suddenly appeared on Cage¡¯s face. He seemed to have a thousand words to say, but he had to hide all the surging emotions under his brave front.

    ¡°I will never argue for abandoning Dorothy, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°Forget it... Why are you giving this dagger to Dorothy?¡±

    ¡°This is the dagger Mullwica¡¯s son used to kill his foster father 300 years ago,¡± he said, his voice still empty. ¡°ording to Dorothy¡¯s mother¡¯s teachings, it should be passed on to the next generation of the family.¡±

    I immediately felt that the dagger in my hand wasn¡¯t so ordinary anymore. Even the small scratches on the dagger that had been sharpened by time seemed to overflow with a strange power.

    ¡°Alright,¡± I promised Cage. ¡°I¡¯ll give it to Dorothy for you.¡±

    Cage didn¡¯t stay any longer. He thanked me and was about to leave. However, before he left, I hesitated again and again, so I called him back and asked him a question.

    ¡°How is Dorothy¡¯s mother now? Why didn¡¯t shee home to visit Dorothy?¡±

    Cage was silent for a few seconds. ¡°Did Dorothy tell you who her mother and I are?¡± he asked. ¡°Did she tell you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you are Mullwica¡¯s descendants, and her mother is the descendant of the mixed-blood werewolf foster father of Mullwica¡¯s son.

    When I mentioned their identities, I suddenly understood something. As expected, Cage said, ¡°It¡¯s because of our sensitive identities that our union made the power of the curse extremely angry. Its power also spread to its descendants. Dorothy¡¯s mother had tried to raise Dorothy herself, but the result had inevitably led to an even worse oue. She did not dare to take any more risks, so she could only stay far away from Dorothy.¡±

    I remember Dorothy saying she spent some time with her mother when she was young. So her sudden disappearance was not because she gave up on her daughter for love, but because of something else?

    We thought we knew the full story of what happened 300 years ago, but we did not expect that secrets were still hidden in the torrent of time, silently exuding their power. Dorothy was trapped in the tragedy 300 years ago and could not escape.

    And what was the source of all this? Had everything been set in stone since the magic riot?

 Chapter 364

    364 The Same Thought

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°Who told the foster father of Mullwica¡¯s son his identity?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know either, Your Highness. The legend only mentioned ¡®a demon¡¯, and did not leave the name of Azazel like the other parts.¡±

    ¡°You know of Azazel?¡±

    ¡°Yes, as the descendant of a certain part of the legend, I know more details than the legend spread outside.¡±

    After a moment of silence, I asked, ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, do you have the Eye of Insight?¡±

    Cage was stunned for a moment, but he still replied meekly, ¡°No, Your Highness. I didn¡¯t obtain the great power that my ancestors had. There might be rumors in the outside world, but I¡¯m just an ordinary prophet.¡±

    I was secretly relieved to hear his answer. I also hoped that Cage didn¡¯t have the power to see through all fate. I could tell Dorothy that her father did not turn a blind eye to her disasters and encounters. He just had no way of knowing. He thought she was living well with her grandmother and could not guess the pain and death she had experienced in the past.

    She was not the one who had been abandoned. She could only me fate for being so cruel.

    After Cage left, I went to Dorothy, gave her the dagger, and told her everything about her parents abandoning her.

    The baby fat on Dorothy¡¯s cheeks hadpletely disappeared, and his thin edges still showed signs of fatigue that had not recovered. The Eye of insight wasn¡¯t a useful cheat because you needed to find out whose fate you could see through a person.

    When she was interrogating Locke, she tried to use the Eye of Insight to analyze everything about him, but she didn¡¯t expect that Locke¡¯s soul had alreadypletely fused with the devil. She was severely backfired by Leviathan¡¯s power and fell seriously ill, taking several months to recuperate.

    At this moment, there was no special expression on her thin face. She calmly put away the dagger, indicating that she understood.

    ¡°I lied to you, Selma. I¡¯m not as calm as I make myself out to be,¡± she suddenly said.

    ¡°I¡¯ve secretly looked at him. I¡¯ve seen everything about him.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I didn¡¯t know how to react.

    Dorothy smiled slyly. ¡°I used the Eye of Insight to look at my father. It was the first time I met him in the conference room. I know there are better times than this, and he¡¯s a powerful wizard, so I¡¯ll have to pay a huge price.

    ¡°But I couldn¡¯t help but go and see. I wanted to know why he abandoned me because this question had bothered me for over twenty years. I thought I didn¡¯t care about it for a long time, but the moment I saw him, I knew I was lying to myself. I¡¯ve never really let it go. I couldn¡¯t solve it, so I could only pretend that the problem didn¡¯t exist.

    ¡°I saw everything, how he and my mother loved each other, how the power of the curse forced him to leave me, and how my mother left me in pain. I didn¡¯t lie to you about one thing: I don¡¯t hate them.

    ¡°But after knowing everything, I can¡¯t help but start toin. It¡¯s just a curse. Even if we have to be separated, why haven¡¯t they sent us a letter to exin the reason for all these years?

    ¡°But I onlyined for a few minutes before I stopped hating them.

    ¡°No one can reason with a curse. Even a letter, a message, or a few words can cause a tragedy. They were not asking about me to protect my safety.

    ¡°I can only see people¡¯s fates, but I can¡¯t see people¡¯s hearts. However, they do love me, and they¡¯re not showing any concern because we can¡¯t resist the curse¡¯s power. Did they suffer less than me when they abandoned me? And because they fear the curse affecting me, they can¡¯t even show this pain. What kind of heart-wrenching suffering is this?

    ¡°My father gave me this dagger because it has be a symbol of protection, protecting me from being harmed by the curse. He could only coldly use his family¡¯s rules as an excuse. Without the protection of the dagger, he could not give the curse even a single loophole.

    ¡°It¡¯s only now that I¡¯m truly at ease. Maybe we can¡¯t reunite like a happy family, but I know our hearts are connected. That¡¯s enough. Enough to drive away the nightmares of the past twenty years.¡±

    A drop of clear liquid dripped onto the ancient leather scabbard of the dagger, creating a deep amber color.

    Dorothy¡¯s face was covered in tears, but she finally smiled sincerely.

    The night meeting began.

    The elders also invited people to join the meeting, but Cage could not attend because of the upgraded security clearance, Cage could not attend. He was not a person who could be like a fish in the water among the politicians. He had no dissatisfaction and silently epted all arrangements.

    The supporters and the observers were still arguing, trying to convince my father with their own opinions.

    Even at midnight, there was still no general conclusion to the matter.

    This was a serious matter, and seeing that time could only be wasted meaninglessly in an argument, Arkadius finally suggested, ¡°Whether or not to help the elven race is a matter that requires extreme consideration. I request to open the Council of Elders for a decision, Your Majesty.¡±

 Chapter 365

    365 A Sensitive Period

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The so-called Council of Elders, as the name suggested, was a process where the entire Council of Elders voted for a resolution.

    Generally speaking, the ministers of the imperial court wereposed of two groups: The first group was made up of simple ministers. They might be born as civilians, nobles, or soldiers, but they had no additional political status other than official positions. Members of the Council of Elders held the other part. In addition to their various official positions, they also had the identity of an elder.

    Most of the Council of Elders members did not have any official positions. They might have worked in a certain government department or shouldered a certain burden, but time had forced them to retire from their previous positions.

    Bing an elder was essentially the same as bing an advisor hired by the government, but in terms of ritual, it was a very high status. And the power they held would not dissipate because of retirement. Instead, they would umte amazing connections and power in their long-term political life. This was why the Council of Elders had such great credibility and influence on the court and society.

    The left and right representatives of the Council of Elders participated in the daily political affairs on behalf of the other elders. They did not need the approval of the Council of Elders to make decisions during normal times. They just had to follow the normal government procedures. However, if there was a serious matter, the Council of Elders might be called to make a decision, and the highly respected and experienced elders would assist the government in making decisions.

    Ultimately, it was not as if the Council of Elders could decide anything. The decision still needed to be approved by the court and the King. It would also need to be announced to the public to gather the people¡¯s opinions to adjust the decision.

    In short, this was a veryplicated and time-consuming process. It could be as short as a few weeks or as long as there was no ceiling. Spending more time and energy would undoubtedly make the final decision more sensible and correct, but the price to pay could not be ignored. Furthermore, there were many variables, and the final result might bepletely different from the original proposal.

    Could the elven race afford to wait?

    Just because the elves were noble didn¡¯t mean they would not care about power and fame. If that were the case, they would not have been divided now. A civil war could start at any time. We couldn¡¯t wait for days, let alone weeks.

    If the elves really started fighting, it would have nothing to do with us on the surface. The problem was that Azazel¡¯s party was stirring up trouble in the elven race. Was their ultimate goal the elves? No! It was a sacrifice to Azazel so that he could take revenge on us!

    Therefore, no matter what, it was best to avoid a fight among the elves. However, this was not something we could control. While they were still in a stalemate, we should take advantage of the fact that they were still testing the waters and end the battle quickly. We should uproot Azazel¡¯s party in the elven territory.

    The Council of Elders¡¯ decision was a waste of time. Even if we really wanted to carry it out, we could only sit at home and do something else while waiting for the decision.

    Thus, I was the first to object, and the reason was that it was a waste of time.

    However, Arkadius¡¯ reasoning was also very valid. It was moreplex than sending a small team to the edge of the elf forest. The elven race was extremely sensitive, and any inappropriate action could be an excuse for them to shift their conflicts to the outside world to avoid a civil war. Once there was friction or even war, who could bear the responsibility and take measures topensate for it?

    ¡°The elven race is divided, but it¡¯s not anarchic. At least on the surface, the government left behind by the Elf King is still running. As long as we can obtain their agreement, no force will have an excuse to make trouble unless they dare to admit that they want to rebel.¡±

    I immediately retorted, ¡°The current elven government is more anxious than us. They needed a powerful excuse to suppress the forces ready to make a move. What could be more suitable than clearing the invasion of foreign enemies? We only need to offer them an olive branch, and they will immediately climb up the stairs.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that we should use the werewolves as a raft to deal with the internal conflicts of the elves? ¡± Arkadius asked sharply. ¡°Forgive me for being direct, but that will only push the werewolves to the forefront of the battle and make them the first targets of the fire!¡±

    ¡°Of course not! Who would be stupid enough to sacrifice their race for the sake of an outsider? Our roles are only ¡®helpers¡¯ and ¡®guests¡¯. We don¡¯t need to be the main driving force in the pursuit of Azazel¡¯s party. Although we were the ones who suggested it, we only need to uphold the attitude of reminding our neighbors of morality.

    ¡°The elves have to take the initiative to invite us for help to avoid all the dirty water that ¡®invades¡¯ and takes advantage of the situation. Our purpose is to eliminate Azazel¡¯s party. What does it have to do with us if the elves want to choose a new boss?¡±

    Arkadius nodded, then he changed the topic and asked, ¡°You¡¯re right, but the problem is, how can we guarantee that the elves will invite us? They aren¡¯t fools. Don¡¯t tell me they won¡¯t be on guard against us taking advantage of their internal strife to create trouble?¡±

 Chapter 366

    366 Cooperation

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I didn¡¯t have any strange intentions and just calmly stated the truth, ¡°Isn¡¯t it chaotic enough for them? What was the root of this chaos? It¡¯s all because they were arrogant and didn¡¯t take Azazel¡¯s party seriously. In the end, their territory was destroyed.

    ¡°For the current situation of the elven race, the most important thing is to deal with the division and internal strife. The fact that internal strife broke out is enough to show that these divided forces don¡¯t have a long-term vision. Even if they knew the importance of eliminating Azazel¡¯s party, they wouldn¡¯t take the initiative to stop this dangerous mission to prevent other forces from attacking them.¡±

    ¡°In that case, an external helper who has no interest in the internal affairs of the elven race is just like charcoal in the snow. Someone is helping them solve their problems, and they¡¯re not even prepared to share the power. Would they not agree to such a thing?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as free lunch.¡± Arkadius shook his head. ¡°We indeed have no interest in the internal affairs of the elves, but the other party won¡¯t believe us so easily.

    ¡°No, they¡¯ll believe us as long as we reveal a little bit of our ¡®weakness¡¯ to them.¡±

    ¡°What ¡®weakness¡¯?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s about our inability to reach out to the elves and the ¡®weakness¡¯ that we can¡¯t grasp even if we achieve some results. It¡¯s easy to create this weakness as long as we can introduce a suitable spokesperson.¡±

    I looked around at the ministers in the meeting room and said, ¡°I know that I¡¯m young and inexperienced and that all of you have some opinions about me. However, at this moment, this may not be of no help to us. A Crown Princess tied down by power and interpersonal rtionships, who appears noble but does not have the awe-inspiring prestige and power of the Lycan King, is still racking his brains to gain the recognition of the people. In the eyes of outsiders, am I not a paper tiger full of weaknesses?¡±

    ¡°I am a paper tiger, but I had no choice but to push it out to negotiate with the neighboring race. Because my race is also so busy dealing with Azazel¡¯s party, I couldn¡¯t even care about the wanderers who had fled to other territories.

    As the Crown Princess, it¡¯s easy for people to misunderstand that I¡¯m in charge of negotiating with my neighbors, especially when I don¡¯t have any respected courtiers or experienced helpers. They might think I¡¯m collecting my experience, gilding my resume, or just running away with the excuse of being the Crown Princess to avoid the danger in my race.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a threat to the elves. They¡¯ll treat me politely and scornfully with the idea that they¡¯ll treat me well. And what we need right now is this kind of contempt.¡±

    I was very direct, and the ministers immediately understood my intentions.

    Now the direction of the discussion had changed again. Some people opposed my point of view and thought I was taking things for granted and might not go ording to my wishes. I convinced many more people. They felt that there was no harm in trying. It would be best if we seeded, but if we didn¡¯t, it wouldn¡¯t affect anything.

    It did not conflict with the decision of the Council of Elders.

    Everyone¡¯s opinions gradually became unified. Arkadius secretly exchanged nces with me, immediately looking away as if nothing had happened.

    This was the advantage of having teammates. Sometimes, support would only help you a little. Friction and conflict allow you to express your views and persuade others smoothly.

    There must be some people here who could tell that we were ying the good cop bad cop, but since no one had stood up to object strongly, they still agreed with my point of view.

    My father listened to the entire story quietly. He didn¡¯t agree or disagree, but I understood that his silence was his greatest trust in me.

    I could no longer hide under his wings and use the name of the King to intimidate others. I had to learn to face the officials who might be known by their faces but not their true intentions. I had to learn how to deal with the ever-changing, real government affairs and change from ¡®the daughter of the King¡¯ to ¡®the future Queen of the werewolves¡¯.

    In the end, the meeting came to two conclusions. First, after dawn, the imperial court and the Council of Elders would immediately convene to the Council of Elders to make a decision. They would throw away all unnecessary etiquette and face-saving procedures and try to reach a preliminary decision as soon as possible. Second, they would send a polite greeting to the elves and hint if they needed help to deal with the wanderers of Azazel¡¯s party in the elf territory.

    It hadn¡¯t even been a year since I returned from the elf n, and I was preparing to go on a long journey again. The difference fromst time was that I¡¯d changed from a newly-wedded girl to a mother. Although my child usually had no sense of existence ¨C he was obedient and didn¡¯t fall sick too often ¨C a mother¡¯s worry for her child never needed any reason.

    Of course, the child would be well cared for by my mother. In fact, due to the busy government affairs, the time my mother took care of him after his birth far exceeded the time he spent with me. But he was no stranger to me. Every time he saw me, he woulde over and groan like a real wolf cub, easily melting my heart.

    However, I couldn¡¯t let go of my concern for him no matter what, so I took him back to my side and took care of him.

 Chapter 367

    367 The Second Coming

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I hoped to leave as soon as possible and rush to the Elf Forest to solve the problem, but in my heart, I also hoped that I could wait until the child¡¯s baptism was over before leaving.

    My conflicting thoughts tore me apart, but this problem was quickly resolved. Tracy and the werewolf grandmasters suggested that I temporarily dy my child¡¯s baptism because he had yet to show signs of developing into a human form.

    On the day of the baptism, the child had to appear in public no matter what, so one could imagine what kind of uproar this image would cause.

    I also had an inexplicable feeling that this child¡¯s development would not follow the path of ordinary children, so I agreed.

    Just as I expected, the elves immediately understood our hint and sent an invitation to help us. They asked us to help the elves quickly eliminate the wanderers in the Elf Forest.

    The elven government mainly retained most of the framework of the Elf King¡¯s reign. They were in a neutral state, neither inclined to the legitimate heir, Prince Chris, nor inclined to the powerful temporary Alliance of the Western city-states nor epted the application for a change of new political parties.

    It carefully maintained the bnce between the major forces because it also knew that it represented the Orthodox of the elven race, and its opinion was seen as thest order of the Elf King to the outside world. Once they were inclined to a certain force, the other dissatisfied forces would immediately start a civil war to seize power.

    Their harrowing situation meant they didn¡¯t have much time to spare for our foreign neighbors. Of course, they would send people to monitor our movements, but that was all. They didn¡¯t even expect us to be able to annihte the entire Azazel party in the Elf Forest. It would be a blessing if we kept them in check and didn¡¯t make the already dangerous situation even more chaotic.

    The day we set off was a sunny summer day. The bright sun and the endless white clouds made me feel as if I had returned a few years ago, back to the day when I was about to set off for the Rocky Mountains.

    Back then, we were full of hope and didn¡¯t know what was waiting for us. But now, we were still full of confidence and would ovee any difficulties ahead.

    As members of the ¡®diplomatic corps¡¯, in addition to the action team of various members, there were also Maxine, Dorothy, Master Hayley, and Eve.

    As a general, Aldrich¡¯s identity was too sensitive. No matter what, the elves would never allow him to swagger into their territory. Thus, he had to secretly lead another team to lurk in the Spring Rain Pack. If anything happened to us in the Elf Forest, he coulde to our aid as soon as possible.

    Emma was originally part of the diplomatic corps, but she withdrew herself.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have powerful martial strength, nor do I have sharp intelligence. I won¡¯t be of any help in the Elf Forest,¡± she said these self-deprecating words, but her eyes shone with confidence.

    ¡°But I¡¯ll help you keep a close eye on the families in the Lycan pack, who each have their ulterior motives. Whether my blood rtives or strangers, all their conspiracies will be snuffed out in the cradle, and they won¡¯t cause you any worries.¡±

    And so, at my request, Emma was transferred to my father¡¯s secretarial group. It was one of the organizations closest to the center of power, but its blood-rted nature with the royal family also firmly marked its members as a royal faction. This meant that Emma had officially drawn a clear line with the Evaria Family, but she had never regretted it.

    ¡°I¡¯m saving my family,¡± she said to me. ¡°Greed and shortsightedness are pushing them to the execution ground. I don¡¯t know if I can pull them back from the cliff of destruction, but in any case, I have to keep a little hope of survival, at least.¡±

    In short, after everything is settled, we would finally officially enter the Elf Forest.

    The people sent by the Elven Capital CIty to wee us were well-behaved, and it was clear that the government had already done its best to show us its sincerity. There were also many old acquaintances, such as Kaya and her third patrol regiment.

    Her arrogance when we first met had long turned into nothingness and flowed into the spring breeze. Although she still had a serious and beautiful face, the fatigue and helplessness in it could not be concealed.

    We only exchanged a few pleasantries. Our experiences in the four cities of Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter immediately warmed us up and created a friendship that shouldn¡¯t exist between werewolves and elves.

    Along the way, she was silent, as if the arrogant female warrior from before was just a ridiculous dream.

    Autumn City had be an empty city. In such an eventful autumn, no mayor had the energy to take over this deadnd that had been ransacked. Naturally, nature had taken back its ownership of thend. nts and animals grew and multiplied without restraint. They were naive and chaotic, alert and blind to outsiders.

    We took a short break here. I asked Kaya in private, ¡°You look very tired. Did something happen during this time?¡±

    She only sighed softly and answered me with silence.

 Chapter 368

    368 The Moon

    Adele¡¯s POV:

    The wind at night was very cold. It would carry the frost and dew on the treetops to attack an unlucky person¡¯s head, so his clothes were wet. However, one could notpete with the wind. One could only curse and then continue to travel in his wet clothes.

    Thisical scene caused me to shift my gaze for a while. When it ended, I returned it to the quiet night sky.

    I didn¡¯t know where I was, and the person who took me away said something to me loudly, but I didn¡¯t want to talk to him, so I turned a blind eye. I¡¯d used this move against many people who tried to talk nonsense with me, and it worked without exception, no matter who they were.

    They all thought I was crazy. What a joke. Who wouldn¡¯t go crazy? Anyone would go crazy when they saw the nature of the world. Madness was everyone¡¯s final destination.

    My head hurt. It kept hurting. This was one of the after-effects of my spiritual world being severely damaged. The pain made me irritated and made me give up thinking. I used the void to deal with the endless pain. There was no way to repair what had been destroyed. Perhaps I should hate someone or be remorseful, but my ability to trigger my emotions was destroyed along with everything else.

    Someone was hurt, and being a fugitive was not a job worth enjoying. Even if one was a werewolf, one could still die if he didn¡¯t have enough medicine. No one was willing to die. At first, they hoped that I could save them. After all, I was a half-baked ¡®pure white witch¡¯. But when they learned that I had be a disabled person who had lost all my magic power, they no longer ced their hopes on me.

    To cultists, what could be more generous than an evil god? They sacrificed a few dyingpanions, and their injuries were immediately healed.

    With fewer people, I naturally became a burden, but for some reason, people didn¡¯t dare to abandon me.

    There were both men and women in this group of desperadoes. The men tried to strike up a conversation with me, and the women tried to get close to me. However, I didn¡¯t say a word, so they could only resentfully give up.

    All of this was a waste of effort. What did they want to know? Why wouldn¡¯t they ask their evil gods to ask the moon? Didn¡¯t they see that I was staring at the pale moon? Everything about me was visible under the moonlight, whether it was a clear sky or a quiet night.

    As long as they asked the moon, what else would they not know?

    What a bunch of fools. They were not even as good as me, a lunatic.

    I didn¡¯t like to talk to stupid people, so I just quietly watched them run around like wild dogs, unwilling to plead with the moon.

    Perhaps it wasn¡¯t because of this. It was just that the moon never heard me.

    I was not sure. I was tired. I needed to rest.

    By the time I was able to connect my thoughts, I was already in this boundless forest. I thought I should know where I was, but it was too difficult to find a small piece of paper in the ruins, so I gave up and followed the wild dogs anywhere.

    This team of wild dogs met up with another team of wild dogs. There was a leader among them, haggard and weak, but I could see the corruption and madness hidden under his fake skin. He was even crazier than I was. I observed him with interest for a while before I finally looked away out of boredom. Nothing could attract my attention more than the moon.

    The moon was so beautiful.

    Why did I have to look at the moon?

    I wasn¡¯t sure. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have looked at the moon, but I still did.

    That madman also tried to say something to me like other wild dogs, but I didn¡¯t want to talk to anyone. He said that my father, Kafka, was looking for me, and he woulde to take me home.

    Who was Kafka?

    Who was my father?

    Who was the man who was silent with me over the phone?

    I didn¡¯t care about anyone. I only cared about the moon.

    The moon was shining on me.

    We entered a bustling city, and the wild dogs started to bite everything. They left behind an evil power to mark their spoils of war, and this dizzying power instantly contaminated more people.

    Blood and fire illuminated the dusky sky as if it were daytime.

    There was no moon tonight, and the thick clouds blocked it from view.

    Was it afraid?

    Did it hate it?

    I thought I should clear the clouds and let the moon appear, so that it could see what kind of soul-stirring drama was being yed out on the earth for it.

    I climbed to the highest building... Was it the highest building? However, this was not important. The rough bricks rubbed against the soles of my feet, and my shoes had disappeared without me knowing.

    There was a half-burnt g hanging on the gpole beside me. I took it down and washed it with blood or some other liquid. Then, I reached out to the gloomy clouds in the sky...

    ¡°Adele.¡±

    Someone suddenly appeared behind me. I turned around and saw an old man with a long beard and white hair.

    I knew him.

    Who was he?

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. We should go home.¡±

    The old man extended his hand to me. I thought for a moment, threw down the g, and followed him.

    A gentle light suddenly appeared on my path. I raised my head to look at the sky, but the thick clouds hadpletely blocked the moon as if the moonlight from before was just a lunatic¡¯s ridiculous fantasy.

    ¡®It¡¯s okay,¡¯ I thought.

    It didn¡¯t matter if there was a moon or not.

    I liked the moon.

    I did not care about the moon.

 Chapter 369

    369 The Elves¡¯ Quest

    Kaya¡¯s POV:

    The forest in the early morning was always a lot more humid than the boundless ins. When a stream of dew wet the bottom of my pants, I suddenly thought of a certain ordinary day many years ago. Back then, I was just a little girl. I followed my mother, who was on a business trip, to the edge of the elf forest.

    My mother pointed at the barely visible guard tower beyond the horizon and told me it was the werewolves¡¯ territory. I was still young and innocently asked, ¡°Is father over there? When will he be back?¡±

    My mother did not answer me, and my father would never return.

    It had only been three years since the end of the Wolf-Witch war, and the lingering effects still affected all the races. Although it was called the ¡®Wolf-Witch war¡¯, how could those crazy people whose brains were blown up by magic only target the werewolves?

    As a centurion, my father naturally had to bear the heavy responsibility of protecting the country. Swords and sabers had no eyes on the battlefield, and I lost my loved ones forever like many children.

    It was a long time ago, and I was lost in my thoughts, so when mypanion suddenly called me back to reality, I was shocked.

    ¡°Captain, the elders have invited you to the pce.¡± He looked at me suspiciously but didn¡¯t ask anything. ¡°The pce attendant is waiting for you outside.¡±

    I nodded and casually used a wet towel to wipe my tired face before leaving the tent.

    If it were in the past, I would have taken a bath, changed my clothes before entering the pce, and tidied myself up. However, the consecutive duty days left me with no extra energy to maintain my meaningless and bright appearance. Now I only hoped there would be no more trouble in the pce.

    Everything had be a mess since His Majesty fell into a deep sleep.

    On the way to the pce, I met the chairman. As a powerful official, power didn¡¯t bring him much joy. Instead, it made him frown and rush to the parliament with his fans.

    It was not surprising that the chairman, known for his radical reformist tendencies, was worried when he heard that the elders who formed the government ording to His Majesty¡¯sst will had a cold rtionship with him.

    The elders were currently receiving guests, so I needed to wait outside. Not long after, the heavy door of the conference room opened, and His Highness, the Crown Prince, walked out. Like the chairman, he was constantly troubled and worried. He hurriedly greeted me and quickly left.

    I thought I was a person who could take on the heavy responsibilities entrusted by His Majesty, but the endless tasks did not give me much political wisdom.

    Therefore, I didn¡¯t understand the Crown Prince¡¯s worries, and I didn¡¯t understand the current strange ruling structure. Since His Majesty was in a deep sleep, why didn¡¯t he let the Crown Prince inherit the throne? Why did the chairman repeatedly ask for a change of the interim government? He knew that this was thest order of the King.

    I didn¡¯t understand, but this wasn¡¯t something an insignificant patrol captain like me should be thinking about. I should consider maintaining order in the East District, which had suffered the most damage and was destroyed.

    The elders looked very tired, especially the Great Elder. This 400-year-old man had never been as dispirited as he was today.

    He sat powerlessly on the high-back chair made of vines. The sun shone through the crystal window on his tired face, but it did not add vitality or energy to him. Instead, it made him look like he was going to return to the arms of Mother Nature in the next second.

    He was an old-fashioned old man who liked to use fancy words, but he was so direct with me today ¨C a rare urrence. ¡°I have a task for you, Kaya. We¡¯ve already invited the werewolves to help us capture the group of wanderers who had escaped. The diplomatic mission they¡¯ve sent will arrive at the border before 3 p.m. tomorrow. You¡¯ll be in charge of bringing your team to meet them.¡±

    As a loyal warrior, I knew that what I should do now was to nod in agreement and immediately prepare to set off. However, my eyes widened in shock, and I asked in confusion, ¡°Werewolves? But... but why did they have to be invited? His Majesty has already sealed the source of the contamination.¡±

    I didn¡¯t finish because I realized I had mentioned an inappropriate fact. Although everyone knew about it, they all tacitly pretended that business was the same as usual.

    The Great Elder didn¡¯t reprimand me. He only tiredly rubbed the space between his eyebrows and said, ¡°This is the decision of the entire interim government. Go, child, and bring them back safely. The Crown Princess of the werewolves is on a diplomatic mission and is a precious guest. Please don¡¯t make any mistakes, okay? I¡¯m sure you can tell we don¡¯t have the energy to deal with the ident now.¡±

    I was still filled with questions. For example, why was there no news of this sudden invitation? Why didn¡¯t we send anyone to eliminate the wanderers? There were many questions that even a political noob like me could point out.

    However, the Great Elder looked too tired and weak. The other elders¡¯ expressions were not much different, as if a gust of wind would immediately make them fall to the ground and shatter.

    So, I epted the mission respectfully and left, filled with questions.

 Chapter 370

    370 The Werewolf¡¯s Quest

    Benson Walton¡¯s POV:

    After so many months, I was back at the Lycan pack. This time, I didn¡¯t bring any small baggage with me. I came here purely with the mobile patrol team.

    That was right. Even the Lycan pack was within the inspection range of the mobile patrol team. Although our existence allowed the central government to keep track of the local situation, who hadn¡¯t heard of the saying ¡®darkness under light¡¯? There might have been a hidden danger right under the nose of the Lycan King, so it was necessary to be on guard.

    The mobile patrol team usually did not move together as a whole; rather, such a situation was rare. After all, the werewolves had so many packs that even a single team could not finish checking half of them in a year. That was why we usually split up into a dozen or so teams.

    A middle-aged man of few words led the squad I was in. I heard he had been on the mobile patrol team for almost seven years. This was an extremely abnormal number, as most members would retire after three years of service. This was to ensure the mental health of the members and the loyalty of the mobile patrol team. Other than experience, time also umtedplicated rtionships and growing ambitions. After all, living day after day in suspicion and conspiracy was maddening.

    A veteran who had served for seven years was undoubtedly experienced, had a strong heart, and was trusted and valued by the higher-ups. This made his orders extremely prestigious and allowed our team to work exceptionally smoothly.

    However, he should have informed us of our specific destination when we came to the Lycan pack. He only asked us to hang out all day long, as if he was using the excuse of a mission as an excuse to take a break. However, no one questioned anything. Everyone silently and loyally carried out the order and wandered around the huge bustling pack.

    The small restaurants on the side of the road even had posters of discounts and revelry. The excuse was the same as that of grocery stores or coffee shops, all to celebrate the birth of the next generation of the royal family. This caused me to stop in my tracks for a few more seconds, and the memories that I had suppressed in my heart suddenly came back to me.

    A child?

    Had Selma be a mother?

    My impression of her was that of a timid little girl or an overbearing Princess. It was said that the reform she made at the border was very popr and loved by the people. The people loved the house and its crow. They also liked a newly born child from the bottom of their hearts and spontaneously organized many celebrations.

    It wasn¡¯t just the Lycan pack and its surrounding packs. Even in remote, small ces, one could hear a few words of praise for ¡®Her Highness¡¯.

    In contrast to the public, the attitude of the Alpha was subtle, some supported him, some opposed her, and some remained silent and watched from the side.

    In any case, Selma¡¯s approach undoubtedly touched the core interests of the Alpha, there would be far-sighted assertiveness chasing after her footsteps, but for the old families used to the ruling, her approach was undoubtedly digging their graves.

    If I were still an Alpha, I wouldn¡¯t agree with Selma¡¯s reform even though it brought the three dying packs back to life and gave tens of thousands of people a good life. It was an achievement in the present era and a benefit in the future.

    However, it made the Alphas step down, and it seemed there was no chance for them toe on stage again, so no matter how good it was, I would oppose it. Who knew if I would be the next one to step down?

    But now, I was just an insignificant mobile patrol member, so I just stood by the poster and thought about it aimlessly, then entered the small restaurant for a meal.

    A few days passed, and the captain still needed to give us clear instructions. One day, he suddenly gathered us and asked, ¡°It has been three days. Are you guys familiar with the terrain of the Lycan pack?¡±

    Every time we arrived at a new location, we had to familiarize ourselves with the terrain andndmarks. This had almost be an instinct for the entire mobile patrol team.

    ¡°You are the best members of the mobile patrol team, selected after a long observation period. There is no room for criticism, be it ability or loyalty. Now, no matter your mission, their priority will be lowered before I announce a new mission,¡± the captain said.

    ¡°From today onwards, the fourth team will officially begin the ¡®hidden sentry n¡¯. You will be the hidden sentries of the entire Lycan pack, each responsible for monitoring different areas. Report to me immediately if there¡¯s any movement, understand?¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡±

    No one asked what the ultimate goal of this mission was. They just had to carry it out.

    My biggest problem was that I would be stuck in the Lycan pack indefinitely. This way, I would not be able to help Selma gather information on the Evaria Family¡¯s movements in the other packs.

    I contacted her, but she said she was fine for the time being, as she was about to go on a diplomatic mission to the elven territory. The country¡¯s internal affairs would be temporarily left to her female attendant ¨C the newly-appointed trainee secretary of the King.

    ¡°If there¡¯s any new information, you can contact me and send the information to Emma at the same time.¡±

    She gave me a new way to contact her.

 Chapter 371

    371 Excuses

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    What would a dead city look like?

    If one were to look at Autumn City alone, it would be full of interest during the day, but at night, it would seem so gloomy and terrifying. The dark doors and windows seemed to hide ghosts peeking in the shadows. They looked at the world that had left them behind with chaotic eyes. Their blood-stained hands were always itching to take a life to appease the grievances and anger they had nowhere to vent.

    Of course, all of the above was made up. The truth was that the night in Autumn City was terrifyingly quiet, causing one to shiver and feel their hair stand on end.

    As outsiders, we could only feel physical difort. However, as elves, Kaya and the others felt moreplicated and in more pain than we did. The entire team looked as if they hadn¡¯t slept for a week. They were mentally and physically exhausted. Under the torment of their hearts, they seemed to be on the verge of copse, as if they were about to fall apart.

    I was a little worried about her condition, so I asked Kaya, ¡°Is there really no problem? If you¡¯re really tired, we can slow down.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, but no.¡± Kaya forced a smile, even though her stiff lips looked pale under the moonlight. ¡°One more minute of dy and those stray werewolves may do one more evil thing. What do you call them again? Azazel¡¯s party?¡±

    ¡°Yes, they¡¯re a group of cultists who believe in Azazel.¡±

    Kaya mumbled, ¡°This isn¡¯t some famous demon. It¡¯s nothingpared to Lucifer or Beelzebub.¡±

    It was ame joke. Perhaps she wanted to ease the atmosphere, but it only made things worse.

    Kaya and the others probably didn¡¯t need any words offort. Having a good night¡¯s sleep was better than anything else, so I suggested, ¡°Let us keep watch tonight. You guys need enough rest.¡±

    ¡°How can we do that? There¡¯s no reason for the guest to worry about the host...¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wee. You know I¡¯m not really here to be a guest, right? No one knows where Azazel¡¯s party would suddenly appear, and every bit ofbat power is extremely important. We need strong and alert soldiers, not patients who might faint on the side of the road at any time.¡±

    Kaya silently canceled her night duty arrangements.

    The surroundings were extremely quiet, and only the bonfire crackling could be heard. Kaya was lying quietly in her sleeping bag. After a while, she suddenly asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you surprised that I¡¯m not surprised by your true identity?¡±

    ¡°The grammar of this sentence is really awkward.¡± I smiled. ¡°The elves have already received news about me, so it¡¯s normal for you not to be surprised.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to take the risk again. After all, this time is different from thest time. Last time, no one knew your identity, but everyone knows who you are this time. Aren¡¯t you afraid of what we might do to you? For example, using you to ckmail the King or something?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re really tired. This kind of question is very dangerous.¡±

    ¡°... I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t think before speaking.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯ll sneak into the elven territory and do something to you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think the elders are afraid. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have asked for the help of the werewolf pack.¡±

    ¡°Then, we¡¯re not afraid either. Otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t have agreed to the elf n¡¯s request for help. Moreover, we all know the consequences of falling out with each other, and we don¡¯t have any excuse to do so.¡±

    Kaya didn¡¯t say anything more. After a while, I realized that she had fallen asleep.

    Early in the morning, I woke up to the fresh fragrance of flowers. There was a bunch of sweet wildflowers beside my sleeping bag.

    Every werewolf grandmaster had their field of expertise. For example, Master Kevin was skilled in the soul field, and Master Hayley was skilled in the rune field. Dorothy was also gradually looking for a suitable field for herself. Now, she had temporarily chosen Herbology.

    Therefore, every business trip was a good opportunity for her to enrich her notes on herbs. The elf forest, which was usually difficult to set foot in, provided a valuable scientific research opportunity.

    ¡°This is chamomile,¡± Dorothy said. ¡°It¡¯s sweet and rich and has asting fragrance. Most importantly, it¡¯s an inconspicuous butmon nt in the elf forest. Its smell can better cover our tracks and help us hide them.¡±

    Of course, we¡¯d done some special treatment to prevent our scent from being tracked, but one could neverin about having more backup ns, right?

    Autumn City was located in the southwest of the elf forest. If they wanted to get to the Elf Capital as soon as possible, passing through the city-states in the west was the ideal way. The problem was that the west now had a faint tendency to unite and be independent, and I, as a ¡®guest¡¯ invited by the interim government, might not be weed by them.

    Kaya said that the route had already been nned, but the replies from the western city-states to the interim government were vague and not very enthusiastic, but they did not explicitly refuse.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s move forward ording to the arrangement,¡± I said. If you don¡¯t refuse, it means you agree, right? I don¡¯t have any grudges against the western city-states; I don¡¯t need their wee. They shouldn¡¯t stir trouble with me. Treating me like air is what I want.¡±

    Was her cold attitude trying to intimidate the outsiders? The main purpose of this trip wasn¡¯t diplomacy, so there was no need to haggle over such minor details.

 Chapter 372

    372 A Father¡¯s Request

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    It was said that the western part of the elven territory was more developed than the eastern part, and the northern part was more lively than the southern part.

    The first city-state we arrived at was called Chena City. It was named after the family of the ruler. Compared to the four cities of Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter, which had be ghost cities, or other slightly deste small southern cities, this was apletely different world. The ce¡¯s liveliness and modernization made me feel like I was in some advanced pack. However, the people here all had a pair of pointed ears.

    From what I could remember, or rather, from what most people in the outside world could remember, the elves were a conservative and self-isted race. That was why news articles mentioned the elves often included images of a group of elves hunting in the forest with bows in their hands. It was as if they were acting in some movie set in the old era.

    The scene in front of mepletely changed my worldview of them.

    ¡°The mayor of Chena City was a very... ¡®deviant¡¯ person. When he was young, he once snuck into human society to study abroad. After inheriting the city, he boldly modernized the city.¡±

    Kaya introduced the local customs to me. With the influence of Chena City, many city-states followed in their footsteps and undergone the process of modernization, especially the city-states in the west. However, Chena City is still the most modern city-state so far.

    The mayor of Chena City was an elegant young man. Eighty years old was indeed very young for the elves, and he warmly received us, making him seem to respect the interim government. Kaya calmed down a lot.

    Other than the fact that the vegetarian meal made me feel a little hungry, everything was fine. We had the mostfortable night since we entered the Elf Forest.

    I kept feeling that the way Chena looked at me during the party seemed like he wanted to say something, but he hesitated. As expected, he met me alone after the party and made his request.

    Facing a coffin that seemed to have grown naturally from a vine, he said mournfully, ¡°In fact, I¡¯m begging you to do me a favor.¡±

    Looking at the serene-looking woman in the coffin, I already had a few guesses in my heart.

    ¡°This is my daughter, Sandora,¡± Chena said. ¡°On the night the capital was attacked, she happened to be attending a literature seminar in the pce. She became one of the people who were killed in the chaos. Fortunately, His Majesty used himself to seal all the sources of contamination and forced all the contaminated people to fall into a deep sleep. They will only wake up when the contamination ispletely gone.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of your experiences in the four cities of Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. Not only did you generously purify the corruption of the evil energy, but you also helped the contaminated soldiers get out of danger.

    ¡°I beg you to save my daughter like you saved those soldiers. I¡¯m willing to pay any price, even the entire Chena City.¡±

    I shook my head immediately. ¡°I¡¯m not an elf, so you should keep your city.¡±

    Just as he was about to say something about money, I beat him to it and said, ¡°It¡¯s a free favor. I can help you purify the evil power in your daughter¡¯s body.

    ¡°But I must tell you beforehand that this contamination is not without a price. The longer it stays in a person¡¯s body, the more serious the contamination of the person¡¯s spirit will be. Moreover, this damage to the spiritual world is irreparable.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if His Majesty, the Elf King¡¯s seal will stop the contamination activities or if it will only seal people¡¯s actions. Perhaps when your daughter wakes up, she will be... Forgive me for being blunt. I must tell you the consequences. Sandora might be muddleheaded and even a vegetable person with no happiness, anger, or sorrow.

    ¡°Even so, you still want me to purify your daughter now instead of waiting for a more secure method?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I want it now,¡± Chena City¡¯s mayor said firmly. As you said, the longer we dy, the more damage Sandora will suffer. Who knows when a safer method will appear? Tomorrow? Or 100 yearster? Sandora can¡¯t wait any longer.¡±

    I nodded. How could I refuse a father¡¯s request to save his daughter?

    ¡°Okay, I can try to help you. But I hope you can keep it a secret. You know I¡¯m just a guest of the elves to help you eliminate Azazel¡¯s party. I shouldn¡¯t and have no right to interfere in other matters. For the sake of the diplomatic rtions between our two races, please keep this a secret, okay?¡±

    ¡°Of course. I swear to the goddess of nature that I will never mention anything that happened tonight to anyone without your permission.¡± Chena City¡¯s mayor understood theplicated situation.

    This was a very quiet pce. Other than Chena City¡¯s mayor and me, there were only a few guards or servants, making it very convenient for me to open up New Flow.

    Calming myself down, New Flow wrapped the girl in the coffin in its arms and carefully explored her spiritual world.

 Chapter 373

    373 Western City-state

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Just as I expected, Sandora¡¯s situation was extremely bad. Although her spiritual world wasn¡¯t riddled with holes due to the corrosion of the demonic shards like Frank¡¯s, she had also fallen into a dangerous situation that couldn¡¯t be quickly resolved.

    The evil power that was lingering in her spiritual world was still. Even so, their roots were deeply rooted in the vast forest in Sandora¡¯s spiritual world. The river representing his mental state was almost dried up, and the surrounding towering trees were bare and struggling with their withered branches towards the sky. Their vitality was weak.

    Without any resistance, devouring the evil power became very easy. I tried to use the ck-gold moth to repair Sandora¡¯s spiritual world, but it failed. It could only repair physical damage.

    So when I told Chena City¡¯s mayor the truth, the young father showed a happy and sad expression.

    ¡°At least she survived... ¡± Ignoring the presence of an outsider, the tears of Chena City¡¯s mayor fell on the flowers wrapped in the gap of the coffin. ¡°It¡¯s good that she survived. It¡¯s good that she survived. We can think of other ways.¡±

    Ever since I entered Chena City, I had never seen thedy of this city. I thought there must be a reason for this. Theck of a mother¡¯s role made Chena City¡¯s mayor see his only daughter as a pearl in his palm.

    Chena City¡¯s mayor silently calmed his emotions for a while, then said to me, ¡°Thank you for your selfless help, Your Highness. I don¡¯t know how I can repay you for saving my life. I swear to the goddess of nature, Chena City will be your most sincere and loyal friend from today on. We will help you with anything you need!¡±

    It was extremely precious to gain a friendship with the xenophobic elves. However, this excited father didn¡¯t have the intention of having a long chat with me. Thus, I bade him and his sleeping daughter farewell.

    Dorothy was tidying up today¡¯s log. Seeing my return, she asked, ¡°Where have you been?¡±

    ¡°Chena City¡¯s mayor wanted to see me.¡± I didn¡¯t hide what happened tonight. ¡°I helped his daughter purify the evil power that had contaminated her body.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true that I¡¯ve heard Chena City¡¯s mayor has a daughter. I was wondering why I didn¡¯t see her today. How is she?¡±

    ¡°The situation is not good. The evil power has already caused damage to her spiritual world. This damage is irreversible, and I have no way to repair it. She¡¯s still unconscious, and it¡¯s hard to say if she¡¯ll wake up in the future.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Dorothy suddenly thought of something. ¡°Just like how it was with Frank back then?¡±

    I nodded and said, ¡°There are indeed many simrities. However, Sandora¡¯s condition is not as serious as that of Frank. At least her soul is still intact.¡±

    I had already done my best for Sandora¡¯s situation. As for what would happen next, it would depend on whether Chena City¡¯s mayor could find a way to save his daughter.

    We only stayed in Chena City for one night, and we had to continue our journey the following day.

    Chena City¡¯s mayor seemed to be in much better spirits than yesterday. He provided us with many portable supplies and even sent a team of guards to protect us. We epted the supplies, but the guards were rejected.

    I knew Chena City¡¯s mayor had good intentions, but as a werewolf, I couldn¡¯t get involved in any of the internal affairs of the elves. What was the point of swaggering through the city with a group of guards from the temporary Alliance?

    Kaya looked back and forth between Chena City¡¯s mayor and me. I was certain she could tell that there must be some secret between us that caused Chena City¡¯s mayor to be so friendly toward me. However, she chose to remain silent and didn¡¯t ask anything.

    She had indeed changed a lot. At the very least, the impression she left on me had taken a 360-degree turn. It was as if the proud leader of the third patrol team that I knew had disappeared. All that was left behind was a tired and taciturn, strange elf.

    Not all the city-states were as friendly to us as Chena City. Some were indifferent to us, and some even had ¡®unwee¡¯ written on their faces.

    Many western city-states who were dissatisfied with the interim government didn¡¯t care about the diplomatic documents issued by the interim government at all. Even if they had to receive me out of respect, they still had a strange attitude.

    After all, traveling in the forest wasn¡¯t as t as traveling in the ins. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that we had to stop at a nearby city for our safety when night fell, I would havein on a tree and fought for a bed with the monkeys. It was better than being bullied in someone else¡¯s territory.

    Finally, after leaving the western region, we entered the city-states scattered around the elven capital. This ce was very close to the capital, and the attack¡¯s impact was rtively serious. Many city-states were inhabited by elves who had run out of the capital city to take refuge. Both the nobles and the civilians were talking about the attack.

    Here, the person responsible for receiving us would be changed from the mayor to the envoy sent by the interim government. This messenger had the same worried expression as Kaya and had an underlying mncholic aura.

    The atmosphere in the capital must be very tense, which made me even more cautious.

    It was already nighttime when we arrived at the city-state near the capital city, so we didn¡¯t travel overnight. We waited until the next day to set off for the capital city.

 Chapter 374

    374 The Crystal Bottle And The Golden Bowl

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Before the murderer who attacked the capital city was caught, the elves had already imposed martialw. After eight o¡¯clock in the evening, the streets and alleys of the western city-states and the immediate areas entered curfew time. This made the city, which was sparse due to the low poption of the elves, even more quiet, so quiet that it made people feel ufortable.

    Dorothy and Master Hayley did not do anything along the way. They tried their best to track down the traces of Azazel¡¯s gang, but they seemed to have borrowed the power of the demons again, so they could not find any useful clues.

    We did discover a few evil sacrificial formations, some of which had lost their effectiveness while others were still in operation. No matter what, we destroyed all of them.

    Up until now, the elves still needed to provide us with helpful information about Azazel¡¯s party. They seemed to be focused entirely on internal strife and were unaware of it. They were at ease in leaving the task of eradicating Azazel¡¯s party to us, the outsiders.

    Although we could move freely without anyone pointing fingers, without the help of the host, our investigation stagnated.

    ¡°It would be great if there were prisoners,¡± Dorothy said disappointedly. ¡°As long as I can use my Eye of Insight to look at the prisoners, their schemes and plots will be exposed.¡±

    Who said we didn¡¯t? Unfortunately, all the members of Azazel¡¯s party had escaped.

    The following day, we finally arrived at the Elven Capital City. This ancient city, with a history of more than 3000 years, exuded a mesmerizing historical aura. The ancient elven-style buildings made people feel as if they were in the old era hundreds of years ago. It was as if a team of archers carrying bows and arrows on their backs would appear in the next second and take the thieves they had caught to the City Hall toplete their mission.

    However, the disharmonious ruins and construction sites hadpletely destroyed the ancient beauty here. The guards who came and went were no longer guarding against thieves but every person walking on the street.

    The pce, made up of giant vines and towering ancient trees, was the most spectacrndmark of the Elven Capital City. Although it was also covered with ugly patches like the other buildings in the capital, it did not prevent it from showing its majesty and magnificence.

    As a diplomatic mission, we only suffered a few inspections and interrogations before we entered the pce. The elven elders hurriedly met with us. They were the core members of the interim government, so their faces were filled with fatigue and helplessness that was a thousand times heavier than Kaya¡¯s.

    Let¡¯s not talk about the dry pleasantries for now. We also needed to spend some time getting our passes and identification documents. In short, the Council of Elders arranged for us to stay in the envoy suite in the pce as usual.

    Otherwise, we could only move freely in the immediate area. If we needed to go to other city-states, we would have to go through different procedures ording to the different policies of different city-states. Azazel¡¯s party would have already fled to the next ce when these lengthy procedures werepleted.

    We didn¡¯t stay idle while waiting for our identities and travel documents to be processed. The elders had gathered as many clues as possible about Azazel to find their traces. I even asked if I could meet the Elf King, who was in a deep sleep, subtly saying that I could try to help him purify his evil powers. As expected, the Council of Elders rejected me.

    Come to think of it, who would casually hand their King into the hands of outsiders? Even if she could purify evil power, if there were any problems or the results did not meet expectations, it could be an excuse for those who wanted to attack the rtionship between the two races. At that time, it would not be something that could be exined with a few words.

    I felt a little regretful for my reckless suggestion -why did I have to be so kind? I should remember my goal and principles.

    Among the clues provided by the elder group, Dorothy and Master Hayley ced the most importance on the crystal bottle and the golden bowl left behind by Azazel¡¯s party. The former was a container for concentrated evil power, which made it much easier to find traces of Azazel¡¯s party.

    The paint left on the bowl was used to draw the evil sacrificial array. It was different from the evil sacrificial array we saw in the four cities of Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter and the ones we found on the road this time. The paint was highly urate in terms ofposition and proportion. It was made by a professional. And who was this professional? Although I didn¡¯t know the specific candidates, the scope must be among the wizards and witches who had joined the dark side.

    Thinking of the missing Adele, I suggested, ¡°Could it be Adele? As a powerful witch, mixing paint and drawing formations were child¡¯s y for her.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s unlikely,¡± Master Hayley said, shaking her head. ¡°Adele¡¯s magic power has beenpletely sealed, and she¡¯s almost useless. Without the participation of magic power, neither paint nor formations will have any effect no matter how urate they are.¡±

    If it wasn¡¯t Adele...

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a Kafka?¡± Dorothy suddenly said, ¡°Adele is his adopted daughter and subordinate. Perhaps to save Adele, he joined forces with Azazel¡¯s party?¡±

    Kafka?

    I had to admit that I was stunned when I suddenly heard this name and realized who it was.

 Chapter 375

    375 City Gates

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    As a notorious night magus, Kafka had once been very popr, but he suddenly disappeared for some reason. Some rumors said that he was dead, some rumors that he had be one with the evil demon he worshiped, and some rumors that he knew he had made too many enemies and was afraid of being besieged, so he hid his name.

    In my generation, only the elders know what happened to Kafka.

    When I interrogated Adele, she did admit that he was her adoptive father and master. But since Adele had been imprisoned for so many years and he hadn¡¯te to save her, I subconsciously ignored this person.

    Now that I thought about it, how could Dorothy¡¯s guess not be possible? No matter which evil god he believed in, he was still in the chaotic evil camp with Azazel¡¯s party. In addition, he seemed extremely cautious, so it was possible to find a partner to use the reckless and arrogant Azazel¡¯s party as his shield!

    However, if this was true, it was not good news for us. A powerful evil sorcerer would cause us more trouble than a great demon restricted by thews and couldn¡¯t appear in the world. At least he didn¡¯t need to ask for power from the demons, and he could destroy a city with his sorcery.

    The danger Kafka posed was too great. We immediately informed the elder Council of this news and asked them to be more careful.

    The elves had heard of Kafka, so the elders immediately invited us to go. However,pared to solving the problem, they seemed more like they were going through a helpless formality. From the anxious and weak expression of the Great Elder, it was not up to them to decide whether they could guard against Kafka.

    This might have something to do with the division of the elven race. Without the highly respected Elf King to hold the line and the support of the various city-states, how much power can a single-handedly interim government mobilize?

    However, the Great Elder obviously wouldn¡¯t tell outsiders like us about his secret, so I pretended not to know. We tacitly exchanged information about Kafka. In the end, the Great Elder had no choice but to ask me, ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble you, Your Highness. I know that this is the responsibility of the elves.

    ¡°A distant rtive is not as good as a close neighbor. A cult is not a matter of one race, and everyone is obligated to get rid of it,¡± Iforted the exhausted old man. ¡°The more dangerous the situation is, the more we should help each other. No one can be self-centered.¡±

    After the official handover with the interim government, we could generally move freely in the elven territory. However, we didn¡¯t rush off like headless flies. Instead, we hoped to find some useful clues in the Elven Capital City.

    Almost half of the capital city was being repaired or rebuilt. The people on the streets all looked sad. Many of them had rtives who were injured or missing in the attack. Many people like Sandora had fallen into a silent tug of war with the evil forces and never woke up.

    The situation in the western district was the most serious. Kaya had been in charge of maintaining order there, so she was very familiar with the situation.

    The western district had the capital¡¯s most deserted andxest city gate. She led us to a tall city wall, which was temporarily stacked with giant trees and rocks. There was a massive gap behind them that was being repaired.

    ¡°They came from here, so the western district became the first to be hit. Most of the people living here are ordinary civilians without any armed forces. Many of them left this world forever before they could even resist.¡±

    Thinking of that cruel night, Kaya closed her eyes in pain. There were many children and elderly people. Compared to strong adults, they couldn¡¯t even put up a weak resistance. They were contaminated by an evil power and turned into soulless puppets.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said in a low voice as if the cries and wails of that night were ringing in my ears. These b*stards...¡±

    Kaya brought us to the broken city gate. Although the Elf King had sealed the evil power, remnants of the evil aura still made one tremble in fear.

    ¡°We didn¡¯t dare to send people to repair the city gate rashly,¡± Kaya said. ¡°No one knows if this ce will still affect people. Even experienced soldiers, let alone ordinary workers, can¡¯t help but tremble after staying here for a long time. It¡¯s been so long, but there¡¯s almost no progress in the maintenance here.¡±

    ¡°Then are we just going to leave this ce? What if Azazel¡¯s partyes back?¡±

    ¡°His Majesty¡¯s seal is very strong. It covers this gate, and no outsider can enter or leave through this gate. If you force your way in, you will trigger the rm.¡± Kaya said destely, ¡°It¡¯s the same for the other city gates. Even though they are in a deep sleep, His Majesty is still doing his best to ensure our safety.¡±

    The West Gate was where the most evident traces of Azazel¡¯s party were. Master Hayley found many runes rted to Azazel in some ces outside the city and some simple witchcraft runes. She could basically confirm that Kafka left them behind.

 Chapter 376

    376 The Mark Of Nature

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    No wonder the attack had gone so smoothly. Compared to the half-filled bottle of water from the wanderers, the power of the evil power concentrate multiplied several times with Kafka¡¯s help.

    Although Kafka had escaped part of the punishment in some ways, he could no longer leave the Elf Forest. Although Dorothy could not see Kafka himself, she could still see many clues from the runes he had left behind. For example, some of his past with Adele, which we had already heard from Adele. For example, how he had broken through the city gates and led the wanderers to stir up trouble in the capital, and how he had been seriously injured by the power of the Elf King and forced to leave. Before the Elf King fell into a deep sleep, he had asked nature to mark Kafka.

    Since he couldn¡¯t escape the Elf Forest, his whereabouts were restricted to the elf territory, which meant we could find him as long as we spent some time.

    Dorothy¡¯s head was already covered in a thickyer of cold sweat. Just as we were about to ask her to stop, she suddenly said, ¡°Kafka is... Very weak now. Is he... Is he sealed? No, that¡¯s not urate. More urately, his magic power has been sealed... perhaps it¡¯s not a seal, but a ¡®mark of nature¡¯. What is it?¡±

    She broke away from the prophecy, and we looked at the only elf in unison, hoping she could answer us.

    Kaya was also unfamiliar with this term, but as an elf, she had some understanding of it.

    ¡°Everyone knows that our race believes in the goddess of nature, and as Kings, the past elven Kings had the ability and authority tomunicate with the goddess of nature directly. Although the goddess is not easily disturbed, the Elf King would always ask for the help of the goddess of nature whenever the elven race is in trouble.¡±

    ¡°Due to thew¡¯s restrictions, the goddess could not directly descend into the world. It is said she would give the entire Elf Forest her power to monitor the intruders from all directions, suppress their power, and make it impossible for them to leave the Elf Forest.

    ¡°However, since the Elf King is the only one who canmunicate directly with the goddess of nature, once His Majesty falls into a deep sleep, no one else will know about the will of the goddess. So, even I only found out about the ¡®mark of nature¡¯ today.¡±

    ¡°Do the elders know about this?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Kaya shook her head. If they knew, the elders would have tried to contact the goddess.¡±

    ¡°So... ¡± Dorothy suddenly said, ¡°In theory, even if His Majesty has fallen into a deep sleep, his connection with the goddess has not been cut off, right?¡±

    ¡°I guess...¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good... I have an idea. Why don¡¯t you let me ¡®take a look¡¯ at His Majesty? In theory, I can see the entire life of His Majesty. I should be able to see even the content of hismunication with the goddess. This way, we can easily grasp Kafka¡¯s movements, and even Azazel¡¯s party can be caught in one fell swoop.

    This was a good idea, but Kaya and I were not optimistic about it.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid the elders won¡¯t agree so easily.¡± I frowned and pondered. ¡°We¡¯re foreigners, after all. How can they agree to let us spy on their King¡¯s life? Moreover, the Elf King is still in a deep sleep. Even if we revealed all of the secrets of the elves, no one outside would know. From this point of view, it¡¯s almost impossible to get the Council of Elders to agree.¡±

    Kaya thought so too. ¡°Not to mention the elders, even my first reaction was to disagree. Please don¡¯t misunderstand. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you. I know that all of you are noble, but this is a matter of our n¡¯s secrets. Who can so easily let down their guard?¡±

    But no matter what, this was the simplest and most obvious method. Even if there was only a glimmer of hope, we had to try our best.

    As expected, the Council of Elders tly refused our request.

    The great elder said seriously, ¡°We appreciate everyone¡¯s good intentions, but please forgive us for not being able to agree to such a thing. I think everyone is clear about the pros and cons. There is no need for me to borate. I have to say since we¡¯ve invited you all to help us eliminate the stray werewolves, it shows that we have full trust in you. But no matter what, this isn¡¯t a matter for us old fogeys to handle. This concerns the entire elven race, so even if we trust you all, we still have to consider the opinions and opinions of the elves.¡±

    ¡°Well, in fact, we also expected that you wouldn¡¯t agree to this,¡± I said with a bitter smile. ¡°We fully understand your worries, but we have too few clues.¡±

    The first elder suggested, ¡°Maybe you can ask Mr. Cage. He¡¯s a powerful wizard and is deeply trusted by His Majesty. He¡¯ll be of great help to you.¡±

    It was a pity that Dorothy¡¯s father did not return to the Elf Forest with us. Instead, he stayed behind in the Lycan pack as the Elf King¡¯s messenger. After all, he was a wizard. Before he confirmed the actual situation of the elves, the werewolves could not trust himpletely.

 Chapter 377

    377 Some Analyses

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I believed Dorothy¡¯s father must be a powerful wizard, but he didn¡¯t have the Eye of Insight, which meant he couldn¡¯t help much in this.

    However, we still listened to the Great Elder¡¯s suggestion and asked Cage Doloria. He left a lot of records about the Eye of Insight in his notes, so maybe he could find a way.

    ¡°In fact, there are indeed a few records in the ssics that can be called solutions.¡± Surprisingly, Cage had solutions. The first is a ¡®soul bridge¡¯. If the target¡¯s soul is strong and clear enough, he can freely move his soul area, such as opening or closing it. The owner of the Eye of Insight can negotiate with the target through the ¡®soul bridge¡¯ to open up the area and ensure the privacy of the vision.¡±

    It sounded like a good idea, but... the Elf King¡¯s soul had been sealed by himself. If he couldmunicate with us, we wouldn¡¯t have to work so hard to find a way.

    ¡°The second is ¡®synesthesia vision¡¯. If the identity of the holder of the Eye of Insight is not trusted, she can choose to share her ¡®vision¡¯ with a trusted person so that the other party can monitor what she sees and hears.¡±

    ¡°Shared?¡± I immediately realized that it was a good idea. ¡°How does that work?¡±

    ¡°It is a pity that this method has many restrictions because the Eye of Insight was a very closed power. It is difficult to share vision unless there is a very close connection with the person sharing it, such as marriage, bloodline, and other strong ties.¡±

    Great, the second path was also blocked. We couldn¡¯t just let Dorothy marry someone for this. The person who the elves would trust would be the elves.

    Those were the two safest methods he knew. The other methods were harmful and had a high chance of leaving irreversible consequences. Other than that, Cage had no other choice.

    After cutting off themunication, we fell into a state of helplessness.

    Master Hayley tried to use runes to construct a two-way visual tform, but when she considered one of the tforms as the Eye of Insight, this task was filled withplicated challenges. The sess rate was unsatisfactory, and it required a lot of time. Dorothy assisted her in the construction while I brought the others out to continue searching for clues.

    We patrolled the forest area around the capital, especially in the direction of the attack from Azazel¡¯s party. The elves had already investigated it before us, but they found nothing. We didn¡¯t believe in heresy, so we searched again and again. In the end, we had to admit that the cultists, with the help of the demons, had cleaned up the ce very thoroughly.

    I had already stayed in the Elven Capital City for two days, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel dejected at myck of progress.

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just a waste of time to stay here,¡± I said in the evening, discussing with Dorothy, Master Hayley, and the others. ¡°There are very few clues left in the Elven Capital. I think it¡¯s time for us to leave rather than running around like headless chickens.¡±

    ¡°But the Elf Forest is so big. Which direction should we go?¡±

    ¡°The Council of Elders and Kaya said Azazel¡¯s party left from the West Gate, just like how they came. Logically speaking, they are most likely to be active in the western region, but we borrowed from many city-states in the west when we came here. We have not heard of that ce being attacked by Azazel¡¯s party or any traces of them.

    ¡°Even the cultists have to eat. Considering that their suspected leader is seriously injured, they must be badly injured now and will choose to act in secret. Do you still remember the various evil sacrificial arrays we found on our way here? They¡¯re not as evil as the spell formations that use orphans as sacrifices we¡¯ve discovered before. Therefore, Azazel¡¯s party is probably using these spell formations to solve minor problems, such as physiological needs such as food, clothing, housing, and transportation.

    ¡°But why don¡¯t they enter the city-state to solve these problems? Even if he was seriously injured, there were still other cultists. They could sneak into the city to engage in smuggling transactions or carry out another attack like the one in the Elven Capital City. ording to the elves¡¯ exnation, Kafka and the wanderers didn¡¯t do much in the attack, and most of the damage was caused by the elves who were infected by the evil force.¡±

    ¡°This is a business that¡¯s worth a ton of money. As long as the source of the pollution is thrown out, even if Azazel¡¯s party doesn¡¯t do anything, they¡¯ll be able to harvest a dead city in a few hours. The experiences in the four cities of Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter have shown that only some have the powerful sealing power of the Elf King.

    ¡°The simplest option wasn¡¯t chosen. Why is that? It couldn¡¯t be that this group of heretic cult believers had suddenly be great phnthropists who abstained from meat and believed in a religion. They probably don¡¯t have any more concentrated evil energy. Even if they do, it¡¯s perhaps not enough, so they must use it sparingly.

    ¡°Here¡¯s the problem. If they still have a source of contamination, why should they use it sparingly?¡±

 Chapter 378

    378 This Isn¡¯t My Problem

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°As this evil power concentrate has to be left for a more important target. This means they will make another attack in the future, and the consequences may be even more serious than the attack in the Elven Capital City. After all, there is no Elf King in other ces!

    ¡°Although the Mother Tree of Nature has never appeared on the list of sacrifices in history, it does have the qualifications to be the raw material for constructing Azazel¡¯s body based on its powerful and precious power. So, I think the next move of Azazel¡¯s party will still be for something with great potential.¡±

    Dorothy said thoughtfully, ¡°If you want to build a body that can withstand a divine descent, the more life force the raw material has, the more resilient and stronger the body will be. The most famous specialty of the elves is therge number of natural nts that are full of vitality and have lived for hundreds or thousands of years. These are all high-quality raw materials!¡±

    I nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. Also, since he¡¯s been marked, I don¡¯t think the other wanderers can escape. After all, the Goddess of Nature¡¯s power can¡¯t only mark one intruder, right? She would not let anyone escape. Therefore, it is very likely that all the members of Azazel¡¯s party wandering in the Elf Forest are trapped here. This means that even if items from other regions are on their list of sacrifices, they have no choice but to find substitutes from the Elf Forest!¡±

    After the logic was clear, everything was easy to exin. As long as the entire elven race was on high alert, there would be no ce for Azazel¡¯s party to hide unless they could get Azazel to create a folded space for them to hide.

    However, the Elf Forest was not like the Rocky Mountains. This was the territory of the Goddess of Nature, just like how the werewolves were the territory of the Moon Goddess. The demon¡¯s power could not be used freely in someone else¡¯s home. Otherwise, the wanderers led by Locke, who believed in Leviathan, could hide anywhere and not be caught even after hundreds of years.

    Therefore, capturing Azazel¡¯s party was inevitable as long as the elves were on alert and searched throughout the entire elven territory.

    However, the problem returned to the current situation of the elven race. It was already good enough for the divided and restless forces to maintain superficial peace and not fight each other. It was difficult to unite.

    Besides, I was a werewolf. Why would they listen to me? I heard that many nobles and officials were very dissatisfied with the interim government¡¯s invitation to ¡®assist in eliminating the wanderers. In this way, the option of lobbying through the interim government was impossible.

    I had no choice but to contact my father for help, hoping he could give me some advice based on his experience.

    However, my father was not optimistic about this. He said bluntly, ¡°No matter what method you use, you can¡¯t avoid contact with the local forces of the elven race. However, our bottom line is not to get involved in the internal affairs of the elven race. Once you have any actual contact with any force, this bottom line will be broken, and your image in the eyes of the elves will bepletely reversed.

    ¡°Once you change from ¡®insignificant guests¡¯ to ¡®powerful foreign aid¡¯, you¡¯ll be instantly drawn into the vortex of power struggles within the elven race. By then, it¡¯ll be difficult for you to leave even if you want to, and your lives may even be in danger.¡±

    I had to admit that father was right. No matter if I hired someone to persuade them or if I went to convince them myself, I woulde into contact with the elven leaders. Benefits need to be exchanged. I had a request to ask of them, so I had to exchange it for something of equal value. What could make the power-seeking forces more envious than the werewolf pack¡¯s external help?

    At this time, the elves were not xenophobic. Interests were the strongest link that tied people to the same boat. However, as the old saying goes, ¡®It¡¯s easy to go through difficulties together, but it¡¯s also easy to share blessings and difficulties.¡¯ If I were to go crazy and conspire with a particr force, I was afraid that I¡¯d encounter an even more unsolvable problem after they won.

    I was here to solve problems, not to create more problems!

    I lowered my head in dejection as I thought about it, but then I suddenly thought of something...

    Wait a minute!

    Why would I exchange it for the interests of the werewolves?

    The current situation was that Azazel¡¯s party was lurking in the elven territory and wouldunch one or more attacks. In the end, the trouble was the elves¡¯ problem. They could either work together to solve the problem or wait to see who was the unlucky one to be attacked. Why should I take responsibility?

    Also, why would I need to find an intermediary or persuade them individually? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to gather the people together? They learned of the bad news together and decided whether to continue the internal strife or unite to resist the foreign enemy first.

    I didn¡¯t have to step up. The interim government could act as the leader. Even if it had no real power, it didn¡¯t matter because this only needed an initiator who had the leadership in name.

 Chapter 379

    379 Suspicion

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I exined my idea to everyone, and everyone felt that it was worth a try. My father nodded in agreement, so we immediately met the Council of Elders.

    Even though it waste at night, the interim government was still brightly lit, and the staff members were constantly carrying various documents or materials in a hurry. At this critical moment, they were the ones who supported the basic skeleton of the government, allowing the core of the elven race to survive in the open and secret struggles of the rulers.

    The elders seemed to be exhausted all the time. I believed I would also be mentally and physically exhausted if I were them. In terms of age, they must have experienced the golden age of the elven race¡¯s prosperity when they were young. However, when they were old, they found their home seemed to be just like them, aging and fragile with time. This gap was really like a dream.

    ¡°Good evening, Princess of the werewolves,¡± the first elder said. ¡°What¡¯s the urgent matter?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s about whether we can catch Azazel¡¯s party in one fell swoop.¡± I said, ¡°In fact, we already have an 80 ¨C 90% guess that Azazel¡¯s party will continue to attack the elves. It might be one or ten.¡±

    ¡°As they can¡¯t leave the elven race, they can only find a recement for the sacrifice they need in the elven territory. The elves had always been famous for their vitality-rich natural specialties, such as the Mother Tree of Nature. They won¡¯t let go of any opportunity.¡±

    The Great Elder¡¯s reaction wasn¡¯t strong, which was what I expected. After all, the interim government didn¡¯t expect me to destroy Azazel¡¯s party. They didn¡¯t care much about this matter either, which undoubtedly revealed that they didn¡¯t have a very urgent attitude toward it.

    The Great Elder¡¯s voice was hoarse and dry. ¡°Do you have suggestions?¡±

    ¡°My suggestion is to ask all the elven mayors to hold a meeting and inform everyone of the severity and urgency of this. As long as they were united against the outside world, it would be impossible for Azazel¡¯s party to hide from the search for long. This concerns the countless lives that might be harmed in the future. I believe they will understand the importance of this.¡±

    Anyone would understand that this was the simplest and most effective method. However, the Great Elder only looked up at me and then suddenly asked sharply, ¡°With all due respect, Your Highness, these evil cultists, including the despicable master behind them, were all provoked by the werewolves, weren¡¯t they? How can you say such things that have nothing to do with you? Don¡¯t you think the nobles should do something?¡±

    For a moment, I was dazed, unable to ept the Great Elder¡¯s sudden attack.

    I subconsciously looked at mypanions beside me. They were also in a daze as if they had just heard a funny hallucination.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± I frowned and looked directly into the Great Elder¡¯s eyes. ¡°You mean,pared to the evil cultists who barged into your country and ughtered yourpatriots, you think the werewolves should be more responsible for the disaster in yournd?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the evil deeds of the cultists and demons. How can you have the nerve to put it on us? Goddesses above, we are even here to help! Do you think we¡¯re deliberately leading the disaster to the east? Do you think there¡¯s any reason to talk to a lunatic?¡±

    The Great Elder didn¡¯t express his opinion. His attitude inevitably made me even angrier. I resisted the urge to curse and said as calmly as possible, ¡°What is this? Picking a rotten apple to pick on? You know that you can¡¯t expect to get back your losses from Azazel¡¯s party, so you grabbed a spendthrift to pay for them?

    ¡°It¡¯s the evil deeds of the cultists and demons. As long as these evil cultists still dream of creating a true body for their master and creating a kingdom of sin for their master on the surface, they will never stop their piging! How can you have the nerve to put it on us? Goddesses above, we are even here to help! Do you think we¡¯re deliberately leading the disaster to the East? Do you believe that there¡¯s any reason to talk to a lunatic?

    ¡°Be it the werewolves or the elves; they¡¯re just thetter of the first to be plundered. If Azazel¡¯s party chose the elves as their first target, would your people be willing to apologize andpensate all the other affected races?¡±

    My words were demanding, causing the other elders to criticize me. However, I tried to reason with him and was unwilling to bear this baseless nder.

    The Great Elder still didn¡¯t say a word. He looked at me hard, as if he wanted to see through my body and see my true heart.

    I looked at him fearlessly.

    After a while, he looked away and sighed. ¡°Remember your words and tone today, Princess of the werewolves.¡±

    I was stunned again. Before I could say anything, he said, ¡°We¡¯ll try to gather as many people as possible for a meeting. However, if you continue helping us eliminate the stray werewolves, you¡¯ll definitely be suspected.

    ¡°Remember what you said to me. If someone doubts you like this, then say these words to them.¡±

 Chapter 380

    380 Marriage

    Emma¡¯s POV:

    Selma had been gone for almost a week. It had been a peaceful week, and there was nothing to be proud of, whether within the elves or the werewolves.

    I was getting used to being a trainee secretary under the Lycan King. At least my seniors were kind and didn¡¯t push me out because of my qualifications or identity as a parachuted soldier. I worked hard to learn all the skills needed to contribute to a country. I knew that this was necessary to assist Selma in the future. It was also the capital for me to settle down.

    My life was not bad, but my biggest worry still stemmed from my family.

    My home... Could that ce still be called home? A ce that was constantly staring at me with greedy eyes, trying to tear off my flesh and blood to support itself. Was that still my home? Were the people there really my family, and not some evil spirit that had quietly invaded?

    I¡¯d endured, cried, and fought. As my tears of blood dripped, I finally understood that I had to pull myself out of the quagmire of depravity. If I wanted to save my family and my family, I must not sink with them.

    Taking ten thousand steps back, if everything were set in stone, I would at least preserve a trace of my family¡¯s bloodline to repay the kindness of raising me for more than twenty years.

    As for my ¡®rebellion¡¯, my grandpa¡¯s approval from the beginning had turned into tacit approval. I couldn¡¯t pry into his heart, but I had a vague feeling: Did he see the end of the family, so he took my departure as an opportunity-an opportunity to continue?

    I couldn¡¯t be sure that he was no longer the kind and always smiling grandfather I remembered when I was a child.

    Maybe he never had that kind of image, and I was the only one who changed. As the youngest granddaughter, ¡®Emma could ept all of her grandfather¡¯s love at the cost of being bound to the high gate and courtyard like a puppet by gorgeous gold thread. As a female attendant and trainee secretary, Emma had to face the real world, no matter how cold it was or how hopeful and bright it was.¡¯

    The work of a trainee secretary needed to be fixed, and the affairs to deal with were very messy. The overwhelming amount of boring documents would give one a headache, but these boring words could subtly influence one to understand the true appearance of one¡¯s country.

    One day, I was sorting out some monthly financial reports when Bertha suddenly came to me and told me that my parents had arrived and wanted to see me.

    My parents?

    I frowned, my intuition telling me something was wrong.

    ¡°Thest time they came to Selma, I quarreled with them because of it. I swore I wanted to be calm, but being treated like a three-year-old girl and being reproached without restraint still made me burn with anger.

    After that, we didn¡¯t keep in contact. They couldn¡¯t stay in the pce every day if I didn¡¯t go home. This ¡®cold war¡¯ life gave me a little more breathing space.

    What were they doing here?

    I didn¡¯t know why, but I felt they were up to no good when they visited me while Selma was away. After all, my greatest ¡®backing¡¯ right now was Selma. In the past, they had to respect the princess, but now, they could act like my parents whenever they wanted.

    I rejected her reflexively, but Bertha told me my parents came to discuss my ¡®marriage¡¯.

    My anger suddenly red up. I suddenly stood up and toppled the chair behind me. The loud noise startled Bertha, which also attracted my colleagues¡¯ attention.

    In response to their concern, I smiled and said I was fine. I immediately pulled Bertha and left.

    In an empty corner, I thanked Bertha bitterly, ¡°Thank you for informing me. I will go and see my parents. Where are they?¡±

    Bertha said they were waiting for me in the public living room.

    I thanked her again and was about to leave when I heard Bertha hesitantly call out, ¡°You don¡¯t want to see young Mr. And Mrs. Evaria? Actually, you don¡¯t have to see them. I can reject them on your behalf and say that you¡¯re in a meeting and can¡¯t leave for a while.¡±

    I admitted that the proposal tempted me, but I refused. ¡°Thank you, Bertha, but some things can¡¯t be avoided. I have to face them myself.¡±

    Bertha nodded in confusion. ¡°Alright then... Good luck to you, Miss Emma.¡±

    In the public living room, my helpless parents were indeed there. As usual, they embroidered their family emblems in every corner of their clothes and whispered about the tea and snacks provided by the pce as if they usually ate gold and drank silver.

    ¡°Good afternoon, Father, Mother.¡± I tried to speak to them politely. ¡°How have you been? I¡¯m sorry that I haven¡¯t been paying much attention to my family recently. You know that I¡¯m too busy with work.¡±

    My father nodded in all apparent seriousness. ¡°Yes, yes. As the secretary to His Majesty, the number of things you have to deal with usually pile up to a higher level than the Moon Pce. We understand that. You don¡¯t have to worry. Focus on work. Remember to tell your family if there¡¯s anything. We¡¯ll do our best to help you.¡±

 Chapter 381

    381 Resolute

    Emma¡¯s POV:

    I couldn¡¯t tell if he was being sarcastic or sincerelyplimenting me. ording to my previous experience, they would scold me first.

    After a series of boring small talk and under my mother¡¯s impatient and numerous hints, my father finally got to the point.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to be twenty-five soon, my daughter. I was already married to your mother for three years at your age.

    ¡°We know that young people nowadays aren¡¯t as eager to start a family as we were back then, but as a noble, you should still retain some ancient ethics, right?

    ¡°Father,¡± I interrupted him impatiently. ¡°If you have something to say, say it, Father. What are you here for?¡±

    After being interrupted by me, my father¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t too good, but he still pretended to be calm for his purpose. ¡°You know, many children from noble families don¡¯t care much about their lifelong events, which makes us, as parents, inevitably anxious. So, we formed a private club dedicated to solving young men¡¯s and women¡¯s lifelong affairs.¡±

    My mother hurriedly interrupted my father, ¡°And you, my daughter, don¡¯t know how popr you are among the unmarried boys. Those young and rich Counts and Duches are all in love with you. As long as you agree, baby, you can immediately be a Countess or Duchess. You will enjoy endless wealth and glory for the rest of your life. Your father and I will also be able to rise to heaven! I¡¯ve brought all their portfolios. Why don¡¯t you take a look? You¡¯d better choose an auspicious day to get married this year. If you get married after twenty-five years old, you¡¯ll be a joke to your aunties...!¡±

    Looking at their eager faces, I felt nauseated.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re here to tell me that you signed me up for a blind date club without my knowledge, and you even leaked my information so that people can pick and choose me like I¡¯m a cabbage?¡±

    My mother frowned disapprovingly. ¡°Don¡¯t make it sound so bad. This is just normal social behavior. Since ancient times, blind dates have always been like this.¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± I interrupted her loudly. ¡°I don¡¯t care about the past or present. Those things have nothing to do with me. Now, I¡¯m telling you to stop all activities rted to me without my permission! Be it a blind date or any other nonsense, I don¡¯t need you guys to add to my troubles!¡±

    ¡°How can you say that, child?¡± My father was furious and mmed the table. ¡°Be humble! We are your parents.¡±

    ¡°Be humble?¡± I rolled my eyes sarcastically. ¡°Be like my cousins, serving their parents with their knees bent, and when they are old enough, like a female horse that has been bred, they will marry a random idiot?

    ¡°I say, it¡¯s time for you to open your eyes and see the situation in reality, right? I¡¯m no longer the little girl that you guys could casually push around. I¡¯m the Crown Princess¡¯ attendant and the trainee secretary of the Lycan King. In the entire family, other than Grandfather, I¡¯m the person closest to the center of power. Do you really think you can control everything about me just because you¡¯re my parents? If you still have such thoughts, Grandfather is right. Such a childish descendant can¡¯t inherit the family¡¯s title!¡±

    My father suddenly stood up, his face red like an angry bull, his nostrils twitching. He raised his hand as if to give me a p but stopped at thest moment.

    He finally remembered that this was the pce, not a ce where he could do as he pleased. After a long time, he gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Are you still with that filthy boy? Is it because of him that you¡¯re not willing to go on blind dates?¡±

    ¡°It has nothing to do with anyone else. I¡¯m indeed still in a rtionship with Rhode, but why should I exin it to others?¡±

    My mother screamed, ¡°I knew it!¡± I knew it! Damn it, if I had known that there would be such a day, I wouldn¡¯t have sent you to the pce to be the princess¡¯ studypanion! Look at what you¡¯ve be! You¡¯re arrogant, rude, and unvirtuous. You don¡¯t look like a nobledy at all! Oh goodness, what sin have Imitted that you have to bestow such an unfilial daughter to torture me!¡±

    ¡°I can date and marry whoever I want because I have the status, the power, and the capital. I don¡¯t care if he¡¯s a prince or a beggar. If I want to, I can do whatever I want.¡±

    In the face of their bitter usations, I only looked on coldly and did not say a word.

    The clock rang at noon. I interrupted their never-endingints and coldly said, ¡°If that¡¯s all you¡¯vee to say, then please leave. It¡¯s noon, and my colleagues and I still have a briefing before lunch.¡±

    I stood up and was about to leave when my father stopped me. He said in disbelief, ¡°You¡¯re leaving just like that? You¡¯re not going to give your mother or me any exnation?¡±

    ¡°What other exnation do you want?¡± I sneered and said, ¡°If I have to say it, I¡¯ll say that from now on, you shouldn¡¯t be so self-righteous as to interfere with my life. A normal parent wouldn¡¯t want to y with their child like a puppet. If you want to transfer your dissatisfaction with power to me, I can only say that you¡¯ve got the wrong idea.¡±

 Chapter 382

    382 The Gunman And His Gun

    Emma¡¯s POV:

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go too far, Father, Mother. However, I¡¯ve tried all kinds of methods before, such as being nice, being soft-hearted, crying, and begging for your understanding and pity, but my weakness only made me get more harm and insatiable greed.

    ¡°This is thest time I¡¯ll meet you over such pointless matters. I¡¯ll go home during the holidays, so you don¡¯t have to worry about me. If you¡¯re still so unreasonable the next time youe, I¡¯ll have to tell Grandfather about this. I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll agree to youing to the pce to cause trouble, right?¡±

    After speaking, I left without looking at my parents¡¯ stunned faces.

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    As many nobles and mayors had returned to their territories after the attack on the capital, it would take at least three days to gather them for a meeting. In addition, it was likely that some or even arge number of people would be absent in the final result, which meant that no matter what decision was made, it might receive the support of only some of the city-state.

    However, the group of elders was surprisingly unyielding on this.

    ¡°Whoever doesn¡¯te will automatically forfeit.¡± The Great Elder said, ¡°This is a major matter that concerns the safety of all the city-states, and the power struggle can no longer be a reason for each to do their own thing. Whoever doesn¡¯te will be giving up their right to make decisions, so they can¡¯t me anyone else.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of the bacsh? If the city-states that aren¡¯t here are dissatisfied, how can they gather the entire elven race to fight against Azazel¡¯s party in the future?¡± I asked in confusion.

    The Great Elder suddenlyughed slyly, which was very inconsistent with his white hair and wrinkled face. He didn¡¯t look like a high-ranking leader but a child who was about to seed in his prank.

    ¡°Who would dare to be dissatisfied? Who can be dissatisfied?¡± He revealed an expression as if everything was under control. They were the ones who were full of righteousness before. In terms of bloodline, contributions, and sacrifice to the elf n, they were trying to get more benefits for themselves. But look at the current situation, whose side was justice on? Whoever dared to oppose or participate passively would condone the stray werewolves¡¯ evil deeds. If another tragedy happened in the future,pared to the stray werewolves, who had disappeared without a trace, who would be the first to be punished? Do those who have nothing to do with it think they can escape unscathed?

    ¡°So, the earliest situation is just that someone is absent. No matter how many people were absent, no one would dare to disrupt the operation of the entire n. Even if they each had their own ns and did things their own way, no one could make their little ns obvious in front of the elven race. Otherwise, they would be attacked by the others. No one would be willing to sacrifice themselves to be the first to stand out, so this meeting will be a sess.¡±

    Looking at his confident expression, I suddenly realized I had already entered a trap. I wasn¡¯t saying that anyone wanted to harm me or the werewolves, but it didn¡¯t feel good to be used as a tool without even realizing it.

    If the Council of Elders only thought of this method after I made the suggestion, how could they be so confident?

    They didn¡¯t even try to hide the pros and cons of this matter from me, a foreigner. This only meant they thought I was involved, so there was no need to hide it.

    The Council of Elders must have wanted to hold a meeting with all the n leaders for a long time, but they had failed because of many obstacles. Now, I, an outsider, had be their best shield!

    Seeing my strange expression, the Great Elder bitterly smiled and said, ¡°We don¡¯t ask for your understanding, Your Highness. It¡¯s just that you¡¯ve seen the current situation of the elven race. No matter how much we pretend to be peaceful, this cover that¡¯s better than nothing still doesn¡¯t work. If he wanted to turn the situation around, he had to end the current fragmented situation first. You¡¯re a Crown Princess, so I¡¯m sure you¡¯re familiar with the twists and turns of politics, so you should know that we can¡¯t do this alone. Anyone whoes will only want to take the scepter of power from our hands. By then, we will fight internally for the leadership.¡±

    ¡°Do you think I can unite the elves? Howe I didn¡¯t know I had such a magical ability?¡±

    The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. ¡®I came to help you with all my heart, and you pushed me into the fire pit with a flip of your hand?¡¯

    I had always adhered to the principle of never getting involved in the internal affairs of the elven race. Judging from the Great Elder¡¯s tone, he was determined to push us to the front.

    Once this meeting was initiated by the interim government and became a friendly suggestion of the werewolf pack, everything would change. Who would believe that it was really out of ¡®friendship¡¯?

    I¡¯d already received a lot of criticism for bringing my diplomatic mission to the elves. Now, the Great Elder¡¯s actions were undoubtedly confirming the rumors that the werewolves were trying to meddle in the internal affairs of the elves!

    ¡°If this is your attitude, we have to terminate this cooperation,¡± I said decisively. ¡°We are here with 120000% sincerity and don¡¯t ask for anything in return. But please don¡¯t bite the hand that feeds you. Can you really solve your crisis by shifting the internal conflicts of the elves to the werewolf pack?¡±

 Chapter 383

    383 A One-man Show

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°We all know that even if you confirm the rumors, there will not be any bad consequences. At most, we will be driven back, and the elves and werewolves will have a diplomatic storm. Your troubles won¡¯t be alleviated in any way; instead, you will lose your friendship with your powerful neighbor. If there are any internal problems, do you think my pack will be so tolerant that they won¡¯t even think about taking revenge?¡±

    As I spoke, I suddenly calmed down. The Council of Elders would not be unaware of such apparent gains and losses. So, what was their purpose in doing this?

    As expected, the Great Elder didn¡¯t intend to fall out with us. He only let out a deep sigh, and his exhausted back became even more hunched. There were a few signs of unease as if the person sitting on the vine chair wasn¡¯t a wise man who shouldered the elven race but an old man who had no way out and had used all his clumsy tricks.

    ¡°I¡¯ll say this without thinking twice. You¡¯re an intelligent girl. It¡¯s rare for a young person of your age to have such thoughts. Sigh...¡±

    He didn¡¯t borate, but his words had an implied meaning.

    ¡°I have to admit that we did consider using you as an excuse to hold a tribal meeting, but this option was rejected in the end. Just like you said, it¡¯s only harmful and not beneficial. In that case, it¡¯s better not to nt more bombs for the elven race. We, old people, have already exhausted all our abilities.

    ¡°Most of what you said is right, but you still don¡¯t know much about the elven race. ¡®Righteousness¡¯ doesn¡¯t need any external force or lies. Whether people are convinced of the interim government or not, no matter what power they have secretly umted or excuses they find, they have to obey our ¡®righteousness¡¯.

    ¡°His Majesty is still alive. He used himself to protect the elven race, and even in his deep sleep, he is still contributing everything to maintain the peace of his people. As long as His Majesty was still alive, no one would dare to do anything outrageous. The heavens are watching, and those who go against nature will not be forgiven or acknowledged by the Goddess of Nature. He will use himself as a sacrifice to drag the entire elven race into the wrath of god.

    ¡°And ironically, we only just saw this fact. I may have to thank you and yourpanions for this. The patience of the western city-state mayors made us finally understand what we¡¯ve overlooked. If we had discovered this earlier, we wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this.

    ¡°But what¡¯s the point of saying all this now?¡±

    At this point, the already tired old man became even more hunchbacked.

    ¡°I¡¯m old. We¡¯re all old. Sensitivity and wisdom are gradually stripping away from our aging bodies. Perhaps we¡¯ll eventually fail to live up to His Majesty¡¯s trust.¡±

    I quietly listened to the old man¡¯s muttering. He was right about one thing ¨C he was indeed old. Only an old man would unconsciously let down his guard and dig into his fragile inner self to a stranger.

    The Great Elder mumbled something and used the elfnguage. I gradually couldn¡¯t understand what he was saying. After a while, he seemed to have suddenly woken up and said to me apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to listen to this old man¡¯s long-winded talk, Your Highness. In short, I swear that I won¡¯t drag you, yourpanions, or your country into the water. This is the catastrophe of the elven race, and we must face it ourselves, or we can only inch toward death.¡±

    As he spoke, he started to mumble to himself again. I got the promise I wanted, so I didn¡¯t stay any longer and left quietly.

    Dorothy and Master Hayley, who had apanied me here, did not speak the entire time, just like the other elders. It was only after they left the conference room that Dorothy asked, ¡°Do you think they¡¯re trustworthy?¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t believe everything they say, but I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll do anything stupid again,¡± I replied nomittally.

    Master Hayley was confused, and her eyes were still a little red. ¡°Why? The Great Elder spoke from the bottom of his heart. The elven race has indeed fallen into a disaster, and I think he no longer has the energy to think about anything else.¡±

    ¡°Maybe, but one must always be on guard, right?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Especially when facing a politician who has lived for more than 400 years. Acting is engraved in his bones. Have you noticed it? Other than the Great Elder, the other elders didn¡¯t say anything the whole time. It can¡¯t be that the Great Elder is the only one who can make decisions in the Council of Elders, and the others are just decorations.¡±

    ¡°What happened to them?¡±

    ¡°Silence means that they are watching from the side. What are they watching? A profound one-man show is always more moving than a quarreling farce.¡±

    ¡°So, these people still have evil intentions?¡±

    ¡°Not really. It¡¯s just a normal way of doing things. We can¡¯t trust the elven racepletely, and the elven race can¡¯t trust uspletely, either. Tonight¡¯s conversation is about exchanging promises. It doesn¡¯t matter if we¡¯re sincere or not. It¡¯s enough as long as we¡¯re sure we won¡¯t cause trouble for each other.¡±

    Dorothy nodded in a daze and said softly, ¡°Alright, alright. Politics is really a profound knowledge.¡±

 Chapter 384

    384 Internal Strife

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Master Hayley immediately shut up and turned her attention to the draft book she had never left her side. For a schr, hypocritical andplicated politics were not more important than knowledge.

    The following day, Eve came back with her team.

    From the moment we entered the territory of the western city-states, I sent Eve to lead a team to investigate the clues in the west area. She didn¡¯t let me down and brought back good news.

    ¡°We found a werewolf¡¯s corpse on the western border. The corpse still has an evil aura. It likely belongs to Azazel¡¯s party. Eve said, ¡°The body is highly dposed. All flesh and blood are rotten, and even the skeleton is broken. From the traces, it doesn¡¯t look like artificial damage but like it dposed naturally.¡±

    She gave us a few well-sealed evidence bags with pieces of broken bones inside.

    ¡°This is very unusual. Under normal circumstances, the bone insect can¡¯t disintegrate so severely in such a short period unless there is external help. We didn¡¯t find any corrosive chemical substances on the bones, and there was a residual evil aura, so...¡±

    She didn¡¯t finish her sentence, but I understood her meaning. ¡°So this unlucky guy was killed by an evil force and became like this. And the murderer could very well be hispanion.¡±

    Master Hayley and Dorothy examined the remaining evil aura on the bones. To their surprise, they did not belong to Azazel but were closer to another demon ¨C Leviathan.

    ¡°Leviathan? How did she get involved in this?¡±

    On second thought, there were some clues to this. Locke, who Azazel¡¯s party had rescued, was a Leviathan fanatic. Back then, we wondered why another evil god¡¯s believer rescued him. Now the two sides might have joined forces.

    Thinking back, Dorothy and I went to the Rocky Mountains because of Leviathan¡¯s curse and instructions. As a Leviathan believer, Locke was still on the team of the priest. A few hundred years back, the ¡®god¡¯s blood¡¯ of Madeline, who had given birth to Dorothy, was given to Mullwica by Leviathan.

    From the looks of it, Leviathan had a hand in everything, but we were used to facing the enemy, Azazel, and ignored her!

    Could it be that Leviathan was also involved in the elves¡¯ affairs? If that were the case, it would be bad. It was already very troublesome to fight against an evil cult, and adding a bunch of lunatics would not be as simple as multiplying the trouble by two.

    Kaya, who had been watching from the side, finally spoke. She asked in confusion, ¡°Leviathan? Aren¡¯t the cultists we¡¯re tracking now believers of Azazel? What does this have to do with Leviathan?¡±

    There were too many secrets in the Rocky Mountains, and I couldn¡¯t tell anyone, so I told Kaya about Locke¡¯s identity and the terrible things he had once led the Leviathan followers to do.

    Since Kaya¡¯s memory of our first meeting had been erased, I said, ¡°You should have heard that we came to the outer edge of the Elf Forest a long time ago, right? Back then, we were chasing after the wanderers who were running away. Unfortunately, they managed to escape.¡±

    How Locke and the others treated the orphans made Kaya and the elves beside her look unhappy. ¡°Will they do the same to the children of the elves?¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure before, but I can¡¯t say for sure now.¡± Looking at the bones in the evidence bag, my expression became more serious. If they can eveny their hands on their own partners, they¡¯re either at the end of their rope, or there¡¯s an irreconcble conflict between the two factions. No matter which one it is, it can¡¯t be considered good news for us. The cultists¡¯ power came from the demons, and any exchange with the demons had a price to pay...¡±

    Children were extremely important to anyone. However, for the elves, whose poption growth rate fluctuated around 0 all year round, children were particrly very significant. The difficulty of elves reproducing was well known to all supernatural races.

    Kaya¡¯s face turned even paler. She subconsciously ran in the direction of the pce.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Going to inform the Council of Elders about this!¡± she said impatiently, ¡°There may still be a chance of survival if you are contaminated by evil forces, but if you are sacrificed to the demon, you will die! How can I watch my fellow countrymen be sacrificialmbs for the heretic cult believers to offer to their master!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. The Council of Elders should know about this.¡± I said, ¡°Go. Compared to me, you, as an elf, are more suitable to be the one to tell them this bad news. However, you must be the first to report this to the Council of Elders. Without their permission, you can not tell anyone else, alright?¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Kaya asked, puzzled.

 Chapter 385

    385 The Crown Prince

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°I¡¯m an outsider, so I can¡¯tment on the internal affairs of the elves. In short, please do as I say. If you¡¯re still worried, let¡¯s see what the Council of Elders says.¡±

    Although Kaya was very confused, she nodded and left with her subordinates.

    After learning about Leviathan, the elders immediately invited us to the pce.

    I had told Leviathan everything I knew, and the Council of Elders naturally knew that he hade with ill intentions in the face of such a famous archdemon. They had a fierce argument about how to deal with it, and the reason was a proposal by the Great Elder ¨C he agreed to let Dorothy conduct ¡®insight¡¯ into the Elf King.

    ¡°As we all know, Cage is His Majesty¡¯s best friend and has always been trusted by His Majesty. Right now, we need someone blood-rted to Miss Dorothy and is trusted by the elves, and Cage is the best choice!¡±

    ¡°This is ridiculous!¡± The elder who disagreed said, ¡°After all, Cage is still a wizard. He¡¯s not an elf. We can¡¯t let our guard down against him! No matter how much His Majesty trusts him, we can¡¯t!¡±

    ¡°Why not? Don¡¯t be so stubborn. We must try everything we can right now.¡±

    ¡°Cage can¡¯t be trusted. If he¡¯s inclined to the elves, why didn¡¯t he give us hints before the elves were attacked? Isn¡¯t he a prophet? He didn¡¯t even notice such a great disaster?¡±

    ¡°The prophecy is just a possibility. If fate doesn¡¯t grant Cage a word or two, he¡¯s no different from us. Besides, our enemies now are the stray werewolves who believe in demons. Don¡¯t me Cage for this.¡±

    The two sides continued to argue. At this moment, the attendant announced the arrival of the Crown Prince.

    In the few days I¡¯d been in the Elven Capital City, I¡¯d tried my best to avoid contacting people like the Crown Prince and the president to avoid suspicion.

    The neer was a handsome and tall young man-or rather, a teenager. From his overly youthful appearance, it was hard to imagine that he was already in his sixties. However, sixty years old for elves was probably as young as puberty.

    The elders saluted him, and the Crown Prince politely returned the greeting. The Crown Prince wasn¡¯t cold or warm to outsiders like us, which made me secretly feel more at ease.

    ¡°Honored guests havee from far away. I hope that my people¡¯s hospitality will satisfy you.¡± He exchanged conventional greetings with me business-like before asking the Council of Elders, ¡°I seem to have heard you guys arguing earlier. Can you tell me why?¡±

    Although they didn¡¯t want to get that close to the Crown Prince, the elders had to answer his question. After all, he was the Prince! Therefore, the Great Elder could only calmly say, ¡°It¡¯s about security, Your Highness. Old men like us often lose our temper when we¡¯re old. I¡¯m sorry to have embarrassed you.¡±

    ¡°No, no, no, don¡¯t say that. Who doesn¡¯t know that all of you are the pirs of the elven race? I can¡¯t even wait to show my respect.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t sure if it was just my imagination, but these words sounded a little strange.

    After two rounds of to and fro, the Crown Prince finally got to the point. ¡°Should we make some preparations for the uing n meeting? I don¡¯t want to be too harsh, but as you all know, those mayors who do their things are not easy to deal with. Some people¡¯s disloyalty is almost known to everyone, so I think we should take some necessary precautions.¡±

    In the face of such a tant test, the Great Elder remained unmoved. ¡°Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. The pce guards will make all the necessary preparations.¡±

    Just like that, after a few rounds of beating around the bush, the Crown Prince did not get any information, and the Council of Elders was unwilling to give him any benefits. This inevitably embarrassed the Crown Prince, so he seemed a little gloomy when he left.

    We tried our best to remain silent, like decorations, watching the whole journey without making a sound.

    It was said that the Elf King had three children ¨C far more than most of his people ¨C and the eldest was the Crown Prince. The second Prince died not long after he was born, and the little princess was only about ten years old; no one knew where she was. It was widely rumored that the Elf King was afraid that his youngest daughter would follow in his second son¡¯s footsteps, so he had hidden her name and ced her in the care of a civilian family to protect her from the Grim Reaper.

    To be honest, I didn¡¯t quite understand why the Council of Elders¡¯ attitude toward the Crown Prince was so cold. At present, it seemed that the Crown Prince was the rightful heir to the throne. Even if he had to consider maintaining the bnce between the forces, as the confidant of the Elf King, it was normal for the Council of Elders to be closer to him in private.

    But of course, I was not stupid enough to ask. This was not my business.

    After the Crown Prince left, the debate returned to Cage. In the end, the Great Elder strongly demanded Cage be recalled from the werewolves.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think of His Majesty as so fragile, my fellow countrymen.¡± His gaze was sharp and cold. ¡°The dignity of a King cannot be offended, whether friend or enemy. Only by obtaining the King¡¯s approval can you be taught wholeheartedly. It¡¯s the same no matter who we find because it¡¯s not tofort His Majesty but our old and weak hearts.¡±

 Chapter 386

    386 The Speech

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Early in the morning, the Elven Capital City was under full martialw because most of the mayors and envoys in the Elf Forest woulde to the capital today to make a joint decision on a major event that might decide the future fate of the elven race.

    The current oue was much better than the Council of Elders had expected. At the very least, most of the city-states had given a positive response. Regardless of whether the mayors were present, they had at least ¡®shown up¡¯.

    As an outsider, I naturally couldn¡¯t participate in the internal meetings of the elven race. However, the Council of Elders had set up a hidden seat for me in a secret room. Although I couldn¡¯t express my opinions, I could still listen.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯ll hear the secrets of the elven race?¡± I asked.

    The Great Elder smiled kindly and said, ¡°At the moment of life and death, what kind of secret is still a secret?¡± There¡¯s no need to hide any secrets rted to this matter, and no one will mention any secrets unrted to this matter.¡±

    I was the only one in the secret room. No one could apany me, not even Dorothy or Master Hayley. Everyone was worried and felt that there was no guarantee of safety. However, I understood the elves¡¯ concerns. epting me into this secret meeting was already their greatest show of sincerity. If I couldn¡¯t show them my trust, then this cooperation would not be needed.

    ¡°We can secretly exchange information, can¡¯t we?¡± I gave Dorothy a ¡®you know what I mean¡¯ look. ¡°If something happens, you can still ensure my safety at the first moment.¡±

    Under the repeated warnings and worries of mypanions, I entered the secret room ahead of time and watched as the mayors and emissaries arrived one by one, gradually filling up the vast and majestic pce.

    There was no need to mention theplicated ceremonial process. When the Council of Elders led by the Great Elder appeared, the whispering people all quieted.

    ¡°My fellow countrymen, we¡¯ve gathered here today to discuss an important matter. As you all know, due to His Majesty¡¯s sacrifice, you and I can sit here safely. However, the risk did not end with His Majesty¡¯s deep sleep. The Goddess of Nature ordered the entire forest to be a cage for the cultists, but these unrepentant sinners still tried to continue their evil work in the cage of atonement.

    ¡°However, this is not the most infuriating thing.

    ¡°ording to reliable sources, another group of believers of the devil, the stray werewolves who treat Leviathan as their master, is also mixed in with the torturers. Naturally, they were punished but could not wash away the sins in their hearts. This incurable fallen tried to attack ourpatriots in vain to sacrifice a rotten body to their master.¡±

    This explosive news caused an uproar among the people present. Some were whispering, some were shocked, some were in disbelief, and some were staring at the group of elders suspiciously as if they were considering whether this was a plot against them.

    The Great Elder was unmoved by these whispers and gazes. He asked someone to pass on the bone fragments with Leviathan¡¯s aura to everyone.

    ¡°I know that there are many masters among you who are proficient in mystery, so why don¡¯t you personally verify the truth of this matter?¡±

    The mayors and the emissaries elected a few representatives to examine the evidence. One of them was an acquaintance of mine, Chena City¡¯s mayor.

    Compared to the frown from before, Chena City¡¯s mayor looked much more peaceful now. I heard some rumors in the capital that the western city-states weren¡¯t as united as one. Some mayors want to avoid getting involved in the power struggle and only want to live a good life.

    Chena City¡¯s mayor was probably distracted by his daughter¡¯s situation, so it would be strange if he could still divert his attention to those conspiracies.

    After their examination, everyone finally believed this. At the same time, many people gradually became serious, no longer acting perfunctorily like they were at the beginning. Now that the other party¡¯s backer had increased from one to two, the potential danger was moreplex than one multiplied by two.

    However, at this moment, the Great Elder changed the topic. ¡°Of course, there¡¯s still some good news for us now. The believers of Azazel and the believers of Leviathan seem to be divided. These body fragments from the stray werewolves are the best proof. The breaking of the two sides has undoubtedly reduced a lot of pressure on us. At least it¡¯s easier to break them one by one than to fight an iron te.

    ¡°But I suggest you don¡¯t let your guard down because these body fragments also mean one thing ¨C these cultists are speeding up the pace of sacrificial offerings. For demons, what could be more delicious than the souls of their children? Once evil thoughts arise, there is no way to stop them. Now, every child of ours is being enveloped by the shadow of the heretic cult believers. If we don¡¯t think of a way to save them, perhaps in some unknown corner, children are kidnapped by the heretic cult believers. Then, they will forever disappear in the evil sacrificial array that glows with a disgusting red light.

    ¡°Children, our precious treasure! Could we ordinary old fellows sit here and do nothing, let our children be robbed, and let their parents shed tears? Don¡¯t let our age be a waste of boring time; let us not sit on the high throne like corpses and vegetables!¡±

 Chapter 387

    387 New Partners

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°Now, it¡¯s time to fulfill my duty! My Lords, in this life-and-death crisis, shouldn¡¯t we put aside our prejudices for the time being and unite against the outside world to return the children to a clear world?¡±

    The Great Elder might not be a sessful leader, but he must be a sessful speaker.

    Using the children as an entry point undoubtedly hit the sore spot of most of the people present. They might have ulterior motives or not like each other, but they all cherished every little life that was hard toe by. Children were on the reverse scale of all elves. Even if they met a child they didn¡¯t know, no adult elf would stand by and watch them fall into danger.

    Moreover, there was indeed a ¡®righteousness¡¯ in these words. Who would want to admit that they were in a dead position? Who could admit that they didn¡¯t care about their child¡¯s safety? For these nobles and officials who had superior status and followed the old rules, the outside world¡¯s reputation was almost everyone¡¯s Achilles¡¯ heel. No one dared to risk losing the people¡¯s support to oppose ¡®righteousness¡¯.

    I believed the Great Elder had wanted to say these for a long time, but no one had listened to him before, and he didn¡¯t have an excuse to re up. Now that he had this rare opportunity, he had to seize the opportunity and make fun of ¡®some people¡¯.

    There was little to say in the discussion that followed. It was nothing more than a cycle of speech, questioning, and counterattacks. It was the same as anyrge-scale meeting I had ever seen.

    Solemnity was a very rtive thing. In the face of certain things, we subjectively believed that they would have this or that kind of limitation, but the facts told us that many things that we thought were covered in a veil were child¡¯s y. Perhaps only the scenes in the TV series would fit the atmosphere in people¡¯s imagination. Reality always made people wonder if this was right and reliable.

    No wonder all governments had to maintain their solemnity and secrecy. Who would believe that a group who could not wait to fight to solve problems at a conference could lead the country to a bright future?

    In short, after a vote, the discussion was finally passed with a slight advantage of approval. This did not mean there were many oppositions, but the number of neutrals was surprising. Even the city-states that had cast a neutral vote looked a little surprised. It seemed that every city-state thought that someone would take responsibility and that they would watch from the side.

    The meeting ended in a day. From nightfall, the Elven Capital City was busy. Messengers came and went, and calls and mail flowed into the Communication Department. Even the elders no longer stayed on the vine seats as if they had taken root. The old men, who looked like rotten wood, walked quickly as if they had a long-distance runner in their cores.

    Prejudice was a biased spectacle. I always thought the internal situation of the elves was really worrying. However, once they decided to unite, the cohesion and action were really amazing, as if the previous discord and friction did not exist.

    The Speaker of Parliament, who was pushing for new policies, and the first Prince, who was eager to inherit the throne, were usually at odds with each other. The two concepts were opposite. However, in the face of this, they could temporarily shake hands and make peace. Each of them was full of smiles, like real brothers.

    In this regard, I once told mypanions privately, ¡°You can¡¯t judge a book by its cover. I think I was too arrogant before and thought of elves as fools. It has been proven that their wisdom and actions are on par with any foreign race.¡±

    ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t think that way after seeing their previous situation?¡± Eve said, ¡°Appearance is always the best at confusing people, even if everyone knows they need to guard against false appearances.¡±

    In just one night, the elven race, or most of the regions, were fully mobilized. I saw Kaya organizing her troops in the square outside the pce in the early morning hours. She had received a mission to immediately lead her small team to patrol the area that bordered the royal city and the western city-states.

    The pce had the rarest treasures. After a discussion, the elders decided that the pce was still the most dangerous area, so all the important passes needed to be strictly controlled. Kaya said, ¡°But if that¡¯s the case, our cooperation will have to end for the time being. The elders are still discussing how to send a team to help you.¡±

    Of course, I understood her. This was a normal job transfer, so I said, ¡°I wish you all the best in your work, all the best, and that you can get rid of your worries as soon as possible.¡±

    As expected, the elders came to find us again in the morning and told us about Kaya¡¯s transfer. They also introduced me to a new business partner.

    Surprisingly, the candidate this time was still an ¡®old acquaintance¡¯ of mine. It was themander who didn¡¯t have much authority among the soldiers, Klein.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to see you again. I hope everything has been going well in your life.¡± We shook hands, and Klein was a little embarrassed. Thest time we met, his behavior was embarrassing.

    ¡°Hello, Princess of the Werewolves,¡± he vaguely said.

    We tacitly didn¡¯t mention the awkward mutiny.

 Chapter 388

    388 Flying To The Moon

    Adele¡¯s POV:

    The moon was hidden today because it was a cloudy day.

    However, the clouds only appeared in the afternoon, so after looking at the sky for the whole morning, I was furious when interrupted by the disturbing clouds.

    My father could always sense the changes in my emotions instantly. He gently asked me, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, my dear daughter?¡±

    I ignored him. I didn¡¯t want to talk to anyone.

    But the next second, I paid the price for my indifference ¨C a burning pain surged from my brain as if my entire spiritual world was suddenly submerged in hotva, and everything was turned into abandoned scorched earth in an instant.

    I shrieked and rolled around on the ground like a wild boar that had stepped on a trap. No one criticized my image because no one even looked at us ¨C after the eyes of a wild dog that used a casual look to wantonly size me up and torture me were dug out, and the brain was pulled out from the eye socket, the number of people who dared to look at us became very few.

    After five seconds, or maybe fifty minutes, the torturous pain finally stopped. My father, the man who was happy to torture everyone who witnessed it, gently asked me again, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? My dear daughter?¡±

    I still didn¡¯t want to talk to him, but I was a madman, not a fool, so I said, ¡°I want to see the moon, Father.¡±

    But that man only asked me casually, like he was casually kicking a quibbling dog. He didn¡¯t care about what I said and even shifted his attention to something else halfway through my words.

    The hot magma seemed to still be in my spiritual world. However, I didn¡¯t want to care about it because it was useless to care about something that couldn¡¯t be saved. Iy on the ground like an old rag. The only thing I wanted to move was my eyes. I used them to search for the non-existent moon.

    These days, there were fewer wild dogs on the team. It seemed that a wild dog named Locke had a fall out with my father. They fought, and an unlucky fellow lost his life.

    However, his body was not wasted. These wild dogs sacrificed it to any god or demon in exchange for living resources to fight against this hostile forest.

    The rest was over; we were going to continue. However, I suddenly found a small crack in the clouds. Through it, I saw the moon, which seemed to be insubstantial, annotating thisnd.

    Someone came to pull me away. I didn¡¯t want to ¨C I couldn¡¯t leave this ce! Where was I going to find my moon if I left this ce? Where was I going to look at my moon?

    However, my limbs were as soft as noodles that had been soaked in water for three days, so the wild dogs efficiently carried me away. I didn¡¯t even have the chance to resist as I watched the moon disappear from my sight.

    Alright, alright, the moon had left me again.

    I wanted to lose my temper, but I suddenly realized proudly that I was an adult. Losing my temper was something only children would do, so I deliberately held my breath and stopped myself from shouting.

    ¡°You¡¯ll suffocate yourself to death.¡± My father suddenly appeared. He had just left the wild dogs surrounding me and walked far away without a care. ¡°Breathe, my dear, don¡¯t forget to breathe.¡±

    Oh right, how could I forget to breathe? People would die if they didn¡¯t breathe. Hehe, I was really a lunatic!

    The wild dogs moved their limbs, but I knew they didn¡¯t know where to go. This forest didn¡¯t like them and trapped them. Unless they died, they would never be able to get out.

    In my opinion, this group of headless flies was fools. Since they had no way to go, why didn¡¯t they go to the moon? As long as I waited for the moon toe out at night, I could grab a few butterfly wings or clouds in the sky and insert them into my body. Then, I could fly to the moon. By the way, I shouldn¡¯t forget to knock on the door first, because the moon didn¡¯t like rude people. Only lunatics would make her angry.

    Since I couldn¡¯t see the moon, I gave up control of all my organs and let them go to sleep or do whatever they wanted. When someone brought a piece of hard bread to my mouth, I realized it was already dark.

    I hurriedly looked up at the sky, and sure enough, the dark clouds had dispersed! The moon was hanging brightly in the dark sky, silently inviting a visitor to have a long talk with her.

    This group of idiots! Hurry up and find it! Find butterflies, find clouds, or use leaves or anything to fly into the sky and meet the moon!

    Hurry up!

    Go quickly!

    The dumb wild dogs didn¡¯t realize anything. They whispered to each other as if they wanted to break into a city and cause trouble. Someone pulled me over to join them, but I didn¡¯t have the time to discuss these useless ns. I was looking for butterflies, clouds, leaves, and the pass given to me by the moon.

    Where did they go?

    Did I lose them?

    After searching for a long time, I could only sit on the ground dejectedly and cry silently as I looked at the moon that was so far away.

    I¡¯d lost such a good opportunity.

    I was really a lunatic.

 Chapter 389

    389 The Invitation

    Benson Walton¡¯s POV:

    I didn¡¯t have many friends in the Lycan pack, not even close acquaintances. So, when I received an invitation to dinner, my first reaction was, ¡®Is it because my identity has been exposed, and someone wants to get information from me?¡¯

    However, my suspicion immediately dissipated by half when I recognized the person on the phone. What information could a pce servant, and the acting head servant at that, not be able to get in the pce and yet stille to me?

    The person on the other end of the phone continued, and my silence made her lose her confidence. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the sudden call. I saw you on the street when I was out on business, so I called the address you left me when you sent Anjay back. I haven¡¯t had time to repay you for thest time. As a servant, I don¡¯t have much to show off except for my cooking skills. Please don¡¯t reject me...¡±

    My first reaction was to reject her. There was no need for a mobile patrol team member to interact with a pce servant. It was only my duty to send Anjay back. There was no need for me to be repaid.

    ¡°... Anjay also misses you very much. He often tells me stories about his time with you on the road. I¡¯ve never seen him so obsessed with someone in his life. I think this is a special kind of fate. Of course, it¡¯s okay if you¡¯re busy. Please don¡¯t mind my abruptness...¡±

    The voice on the other side became softer and softer. I didn¡¯t know why, but I suddenly asked, ¡°What time?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°What time?¡±

    ¡°Uhm! If you¡¯re free, what about tonight? Or you can tell me when you¡¯re free. I¡¯ve saved my annual leaves and haven¡¯t used them yet...¡±

    ¡°Tonight it is. Where?¡±

    The woman gave me a series of addresses. To my surprise, I thought she and her brother would be staying at Mrs. Charlie¡¯s house, but that wasn¡¯t the case. The address was in a very quiet street, which was ordinary for a royal head servant.

    I only realized what I had done after I hung up the phone. Why did I agree so easily? What if there was an emergency mission tonight? What if there was important information to be transmitted tonight? It was not my style to dy my work for a dispensable rtionship.

    But Bertha¡¯s eyes, as quiet as a fawn¡¯s, suddenly appeared before my eyes. If I were to reject her, this pair of sparkling gemstones would be covered in a shadow of disappointment, right?

    ... Forget it. It was just dinner.

    Bertha¡¯s house was within my patrol range, so it wasn¡¯t difficult to find it. I stood before the door for a while and thought about it. The social department in my brain finally remembered to remind me that it was not very polite toe empty-handed. So, I went to buy a bunch of flowers at thest minute. I didn¡¯t know the name of the colorful flowers, but they are very pleasing to the eye.

    The one who opened the door was Anjay. When he saw me, he screamed excitedly and rushed into my arms like a small cannonball. He hugged my waist and did not let go. I froze for a moment, not knowing how to react. In the end, Bertha saved me.

    She rushed out of the kitchen with a soup spoon in her hand. She reprimanded Anjay in a low voice to behave and smiled at me embarrassedly. ¡°This child is insensible and has caused you trouble. Pleasee in quickly!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I said dryly and handed over the flowers in my hand. ¡°A small gift. I hope you like it.¡±

    Bertha eximed softly. She put down her spoon and took the bouquet in a hurry. The bouquet wasn¡¯t much to me but was too big for Bertha. Half of her face was hidden behind the bouquet, and she was a little red.

    ¡°... Thank you, I really like it. ¡±

    She walked over to look for the vase with a spring in his step while Anjay winked at me like a mischievous child. I didn¡¯t react for a moment, and only when I was led to the sofa by Anjay did I suddenly understand. A single man sending flowers to a singledy was inevitably a little ambiguous.

    I realized my actions were very abrupt, and I subconsciously wanted to say something. However, Bertha appeared, holding a vase with flowers arranged in it. Looking at her cheerful smile, I realized it would be awkward to say this now, so I kept silent.

    After fiddling with the flowers for a while, Bertha caught sight of me sitting quietly on the sofa. She suddenly reacted and said, embarrassedly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to leave you outside. I rarely have guests in my house, so I don¡¯t quite understand what to do... Why...¡±

    Looking at her face, which was getting redder and redder, I said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t mind me.¡±

    However, this made things even more awkward. Bertha nodded quickly and ran back to the kitchen.

    Anjay sighed loudly and exaggeratedly at the side. He even looked at me and the kitchen resentfully.

    ¡®This silly kid, does he think I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s thinking?¡¯

    But no, no matter what he thought, he couldn¡¯t.

    With my status, I no longer have the right to think about those things.

 Chapter 390

    390 The Northern Border

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The reason for Kaya¡¯s transfer was simple, so simple that I could tell without anyone exining ¨C she was a capable officer. Although she had a bad temper, she was undoubtedly qualified to be a captain. It was time for her to shine and contribute to the elven race.

    The reason Klein was transferred to be my temporary partner was simple ¨C he was indeed a flower vase as he appeared on the surface. The soldiers¡¯ contempt and disregard for him were not without reason. He did not even have a single permanent soldier under him.

    In other words, my new partner was a light polemander named officer.

    However, this arrangement wasn¡¯t meant to make things difficult for me. On the contrary, this was a tacit agreement between the group of elders and me. The elves needed a decent person to ¡®monitor¡¯ me, and I needed a ¡®monitor¡¯ who could let me do as I pleased. After weighing the two, Klein was pushed out.

    As external help, mypanions and I didn¡¯tpletely listen to the elves¡¯ orders. On the surface, we were rtively free. Since the elves had set upyers of defenses in the western region where Azazel¡¯s party and Leviathan followers were suspected to be active, I decided to focus on the rtively neglected northern border.

    The northern border of the Elf Forest was close to the ocean. Compared to other areas, the poption was sparse, and there were fewer city-states, so it needed to be more eye-catching.

    Dorothy stayed in the elven kingdom to wait for her father¡¯s arrival. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you as soon as I get news from the Elf King,¡± she said.

    I pray that ¡®synchrony vision¡¯ would take effect. That way, we¡¯d have real-time surveince of the wanderers twenty-four hours a day, and the pursuit would undoubtedly be smoother.

    In short, we silently set off toward the north at this special moment when the elven race was on high alert.

    From the moment they set off, Klein had been silent. He was the opposite of Kaya and didn¡¯t like talking unless necessary. But we were destined to work together for some time, and it was impossible not tomunicate with each other. So, in the end, I was the one who broke the ice.

    ¡°So, you are a noble?¡± I asked when we were taking a break in the forest.

    Klein looked at me in surprise as though he didn¡¯t expect me to take the initiative to talk to him. After a moment of silence, he nodded. ¡°Yes, my mother is the Queen¡¯s cousin. She is from eastern Thousand Lakes City.¡±

    The Queen¡¯s cousin? This was a rtive that I¡¯d never expected. However, as the Queen¡¯s nephew, how could Klein be doing so badly?

    Although I didn¡¯t ask, Klein noticed my doubts. He smiled bitterly and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about anything. Everyone who sees me has the same doubts. I don¡¯t care about it anymore.¡±

    Even though he said so, I wasn¡¯t stupid enough to actually ask.

    However, Klein poured out everything he knew. ¡°Although my mother is the daughter of the mayor¡¯s sister, my grandmother and her sister, who is my grandaunt, are not close, so my mother is not very close to Her Majesty. Moreover, ever since Her Majesty the Queen... After that, no one took an insignificant figure like me seriously. But even if I¡¯ve always been treated as nothing, I¡¯m quite satisfied with this life. At least I don¡¯t have to be caught up in those bloody storms of power struggles, and my life is easy andfortable.¡±

    Klein said it so easily and didn¡¯t seem worried about not seeing her. Obviously, he might have had a hard time in the past, but he had now let it go. His open-minded attitude made me change my opinion of him. Not everyone could bear to be ignored and looked down upon every day. To be able to be indifferent, one must have a broad mind that ordinary people couldn¡¯t reach.

    As for the Queen, who he did not borate on, it was a well-known secret among the elves. When I was with the werewolves, I heard rumors about the elven royal family, but I didn¡¯t know if they were true. I had never seen the Elf Queen since I came to the elf territory as if she didn¡¯t exist.

    But I was not interested in the secrets of the other royal families. I was eager to know now where Azazel¡¯s party and the Leviathan followers were hiding to discuss their schemes.

    It took me almost a week to get to the Elven Capital City from the border because I had to scout for clues on the way. Although Cage didn¡¯t have to go through so much trouble, as a wizard, he had to go through as many security checks as I did. As the best friend of the Elf King, he didn¡¯t have any special privileges, so it would take him about three days to get there.

    I kept in contact with Dorothy through my mind-link. She told me that her identity had been exposed through some unknown means. Now, quite a few nobles and mayors had secretlye to find her in hopes of ¡®getting a glimpse of the true meaning of fate¡¯. Even the Crown Prince, the chairman, and many other western powers had secretly sent people over. She didn¡¯t ept any of them for fear of getting into trouble. However, she was annoyed by them.

    I was immediately infuriated. ¡®The moment I left, someone came to look for Dorothy. If this isn¡¯t bullying the weak and fearing the strong, what is it?¡¯

 Chapter 391

    391 The Nitraria Fruit

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°Go find the Council of Elders and tell them to spread the word that they¡¯re not here to bother you. If those old men don¡¯t even dare to do such a thing, you don¡¯t have to care then. You can stay in the pce and close the door to the guests. You can also use some witchcraft to lock the door or hide your traces. Don¡¯t be afraid of causing trouble, my dear. When I return, I will settle the score with the Council of Elders!¡±

    Before I left, they promised me they would take care of Dorothy. Now, trouble came knocking on my door the moment I left. These old men really know how to put on a front!

    Moreover, the ¡®synesthesia vision¡¯ n was a secret, and Dorothy¡¯s ability was even more confidential, be it her identity as the witch of fables or the more top-secret Eye of Insight. Now that so many people knew Dorothy¡¯s identity, it would be a lie to say that he had nothing to do with the Council of Elders!

    This group of old men made it sound like they were cowards. They didn¡¯t dare toe into contact with this power, and that power didn¡¯t dare speak, but they didn¡¯t dy their secret little tricks!

    On the other hand, Dorothy was much more open-minded about this matter. She even said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t gain anything. At least, I¡¯ve gotten to know quite a few forces and have sorted out the rtionships between them. In fact, I can¡¯t hide forever. Since I¡¯ve already been exposed, I will wait for the right price and use my ability to exchange for some real benefits.

    ¡°The Spring Rain Pack is still waiting for us to feed it with more resources. Isn¡¯t the best of both worlds if we could take the opportunity to discuss several trade routes with the elves? Besides, aren¡¯t we nning to start our revival n at more borders in the future? With such a huge and powerful neighbor, it¡¯s a waste not to use it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re really open-minded... Alright, you can do whatever you want. But you have to know your limits and not get yourself into trouble, okay?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m just saying. If anything goes wrong, I¡¯ll run faster than anyone else.¡±

    After cutting off the connection, I couldn¡¯t help but worry. Those elves had lived for at least hundreds of years, and each had 800 tricks up their sleeves. Could Dorothy really beat them?

    This group of old men who had be sly and experienced said it so nicely and acted so pitifully, but they were still acting one way on the surface and another behind the back! And the Council of Elders thought I didn¡¯t know what they were up to! There were too many forces gathered in the capital now. They were afraid of internal strife, so they threw Dorothy out to share the pressure.

    I wished I could fly back to the capital, grab the Great Elder¡¯s beard, and give him a good scolding. However, this was impossible, so I could only temporarily satisfy my mouth¡¯s craving in my mind.

    Dorothy¡¯s situation made me look forward to Cage¡¯s arrival even more.

    Finally, three dayster, when we reached the northern border of the Elf Forest, Dorothy finally sent us news that Cage had arrived.

    Although the Council of Elders wanted to use Dorothy as a tool, they still remembered their ultimate goal and still needed to reveal that the Elf King was about to undergo the insight. Thus, this matter was not hindered.

    ¡°Before that, the elves have to pray to the Elf King and ask for forgiveness from the Goddess of Nature for prying into the king¡¯s heart,¡± Dorothy said. ¡°So we have to wait until nightfall before officially beginning the investigation.¡±

    ¡°Alright, let me know if you have any news. We¡¯ve already reached the northern border. The defense here is a little sparsepared to the other ces, so nothing can help.¡±

    Perhaps it was because it was close to the sea, but the nts on the northern border were slightly different from the core of the Elf Forest. Low shrubs that were more resistant to salt and alkali were everywhere, which caused a little trouble for our pace.

    While resting, Klein told us about the legends circling the northern border.

    ¡°It¡¯s said that in ancient times, the Goddess of Nature and the Moon Goddess once had a gathering by the sea. One of the incarnations of the Moon Goddess had secretly mated with her lover and got pregnant. The Goddess of Nature saw her and said, ¡°Your child will have a short life.¡± The incarnation was very afraid, so he asked the goddess for help. The Goddess of Nature then gave the Moon Goddess a nitraria fruit. The Moon Goddess then extracted the child¡¯s father¡¯s blood, stuffed it into the fruit, and gave it to her incarnation.

    ¡°After that, her incarnation broke up with her lover, and the man wanted to kill her and her child in a rage. No matter where she hid, she would be found. After the incarnation lost the fruit, her lover could no longer find them.

    ¡°That¡¯s why there¡¯s a custom in the northern border. When the child is born, the parents will take a drop of their child¡¯s blood and drop it on the nitraria fruit, then throw it far into the sea to protect the child from disasters and a life of peace.¡±

    What a beautiful wish... I couldn¡¯t help but smile as I unconsciously thought of my child. I wondered how he was doing now. Was he nursing? Or was he sleeping soundly in his grandmother¡¯s arms?

    When we contacted the werewolves, most of what we talked about was just official business. In addition, the situation was getting tenser and tenser. Let alone the child, I hadn¡¯t even seen Aldrich for a few days.

    There was a dense cluster of nitraria fruit trees not far from me. Perhaps, when everything was settled, I would pick one fruit from here and bring it home to protect my child.

 Chapter 392

    392 The Annoying Visitor

    Dorothy¡¯s POV:

    The days I spent alone in the elven territory were boring. Besides the endless number of visitors, I had a good time.

    Many people came to ¡®visit¡¯ me and were all here for my ¡®prophecy¡¯. I knew this was rted to the Council of Elders, but I couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with them. Since they were so fickle and did one thing in front of me and another behind my back, they must have been prepared to be devoured by fate, right?

    I sent most of the visitors away perfunctorily, but I still had to deal with a few of them slowly.

    For example, the handsome youth in front of me, the Crown Prince of the elven race.

    Although the werewolves were also considered a race with a long lifespan, they did not live as long as the elves. Even their appearances were blessed by time. Thus, I felt a bit of a contrast to a sixty-year-old who still looked like he had just returned from middle school.

    The Crown Prince¡¯s purpose foring here was very simple. Although he intended to cover it up, such a contradiction made him seem a little ridiculous.

    Like the other visitors, he hade to ask me to help him see if his future was going well. He was thinking about whether he could seed or not and whether he would reencounter those obstacles.

    However, I could promise anyone but him because what he wanted to see was not a tiny matter ¨C whether or not he could be the Elf King in the future and when he would be the Elf King.

    I would be crazy to help.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness. I think you¡¯ve misunderstood me.¡± I tried to say the same things I told others. ¡°Fate is a very mysterious thing. I can¡¯t see it just because I want to. I can¡¯t do without the right time, ce, and people. So I can¡¯t help you. I hope understand.¡±

    However, the Crown Prince had obviouslye prepared. ¡°But I¡¯ve heard that your father can receive instructions from fate at any time and ce. As his daughter, I don¡¯t think you need to belittle yourself. I want an answer and a time. I don¡¯t want anything else. I¡¯m the Crown Prince of the elven race. I can give you any reward you want, and I can guarantee the safety of this matter.¡±

    ¡°This has nothing to do with gains, Your Highness. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m not as powerful as my father, and the Goddess of Fate doesn¡¯t care much for me. I had no choice but to tell this lie.¡±

    ¡°Come on. Excessive modesty is regarded as arrogance. Could you please be honest with me? I¡¯m very familiar with your father. If he were here, he would agree to your help.¡±

    I began to get tired of this little brat who was humble on the surface but arrogant on the inside. It was impossible that he didn¡¯t understand what I meant. Not only did he pester me, but he also used my father¡¯s name to pressure me. Since he was familiar with my father, why wouldn¡¯t he ask my father to take a look? ¡®You just don¡¯t dare to, so you came to pressure a weaker person like me!¡¯

    Just as Selma said, I was not an elf anyway. I was not afraid that I wouldn¡¯t be able to stay in the elf race even if I offended a Prince. So, I rejected the Crown Prince directly, causing his face to turn red and white. Ultimately, he couldn¡¯t even maintain the gentle expression he had deliberately put on and left in anger.

    What a detestable and slow-witted fellow. No wonder the elders did not support him in inheriting the throne!

    In short, after three days of disturbance, my father finally returned to the capital, travel-worn.

    The Council of Elders said it would take a day to make the leading sacrifice, so we had to wait until night to start the observation officially.

    Before that, I had a short meeting with my father. The atmosphere was more rxed than I had imagined, but it wasn¡¯t much better either. Although I already knew that my parents ¡®abandoned¡¯ me to protect me, the gap between us for more than twenty years couldn¡¯t be melted quickly. So, we only exchanged a few words and then nothing else.

    In the end, I couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Where is Mother now? Is she doing well? I didn¡¯t see her in the capital.¡±

    My father was stunned and said uneasily, ¡°She¡¯s at home... In one of our houses in the depths of the elf forest. She¡¯s fine, don¡¯t worry. Actually, I don¡¯t usuallye to the capital. I¡¯m invited to be a guest this time, and I just happened to be in time for these things. Your mother doesn¡¯t like crowds, so she rarelyes with me.¡±

    ¡°Mother is home alone? Isn¡¯t that dangerous? What if she runs into the Azazel¡¯s party or Leviathan believers?¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t happen. Our house is hidden in a folded space. No one can break this defense other than your mother and I.¡±

    Then, we were left speechless. A heavy silence spread in the air.

    After a while, my father bade me farewell in a hurry. I looked at his back as he left, but I didn¡¯t ask him to stay.

    Not all family rtions were closely connected by blood. Fate was fair. I had obtained a special power that others couldn¡¯t get, so I would inevitably lose something to maintain the bnce. Perhaps my family was the price I was destined to pay in my life.

 Chapter 393

    393 Obstruction

    Dorothy¡¯s POV:

    I¡¯d been to the Elven Pce many times, but I¡¯d only been to a few areas. It was either the Town Hall or the conference room, and I had to go through some routine inspections every time. This was the case for the ce open to the public, not to mention where the Elf King¡¯s ¡®body¡¯ was preserved. Thus, my father and I went through threeyers of inspection. I felt we were just short of exining to my three generations of ancestors.

    Although such a cold attitude was understandable, it was indeed insulting. I was only holding back myints for a win-win situation for both sides.

    However, someone leaked the news at thest moment, and this matter was still revealed. When the Crown Prince, the president, and the others aggressively barged into the Elf King¡¯s bedroom, I knew that this wouldn¡¯t end peacefully when I saw the astonishment on the face of the Council of Elder members.

    The Great Elder was the first one to regain hisposure. He gently nodded to the man and said, ¡°Good evening, Your Highness, Your Excellency.¡±

    Obviously, his gentle attitude was taken by the other party as a kind of guilty conscience and concession, so they did not give the same respect to the Great Elder.

    The Crown Prince¡¯s expression almost said, ¡®I¡¯ve caught your little braids¡¯. He asked sternly, ¡°What are they doing? Grand Elder, why did you lead a group of foreigners into my father¡¯s bedroom? I¡¯m sure you¡¯re well aware of Father¡¯s current condition. Any ident could be fatal to him.¡±

    How beautifully said! He couldn¡¯t wait to put my father and me into the ¡®dangerous people¡¯ faction. What a filial son!

    I couldn¡¯t pay any attention to this idiot. Come to think of it, could it be that a sessor like Selma was rare? I crossed my arms and stood expressionlessly to the side as I counted how much time I had left for them to waste.

    The Great Elder was not a fool. The Crown Prince¡¯s words were full of criticism, and the president, who had always been at odds with him, was actually on his side. Of course, he knew that this group of people hade with ill intentions.

    ¡°That¡¯s confidential, Your Highness. I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t reveal it to you.¡± He chose a roundabout way and easily blocked the Crown Prince¡¯s path. ¡°The group of elders has carefully discussed everything. Please believe that we will not disappoint His Majesty¡¯s trust in us, old men. Also, you¡¯re being rude by criticizing our guests. They¡¯re our honored guests who our n has invited toe all the way here to help. You should show some diplomatic etiquette.¡±

    The Crown Prince¡¯s face reddened, and he revealed an expression as if he wanted to retort but was weak on the inside. After stammering for a long time, he still couldn¡¯t say a word. In the end, he vented his anger on us and red fiercely at my father and me.

    Now, I kind of understood why the Elf King didn¡¯t pass the throne to this eldest son. The Great Elder hadn¡¯t even said anything harsh, but he was already so angry. With such shallow thoughts and easily angered emotions, he was an excellent seedling for a tyrant of the generation.

    Seeing that his disappointing teammate had been defeated in one round, the president, who had been silent, finally spoke, ¡°Forgive our sudden arrival, elders. The Crown Prince was really worried about his father. He had rushed over after hearing some rumors. His Highness is straightforward and doesn¡¯t have any ill intentions. Please forgive him.¡±

    ¡®Look, this is a true old fox.¡¯ The president reminded me of those ministers and officials who were even more slippery than mud skits I met when I was with Selma. There was no doubt that they were the same kind of people.

    As for the Crown Prince... Oh my god, I didn¡¯t even want to talk to him anymore. This idiotic Prince didn¡¯t realize that he had been used as a tool. He was even proud of himself for ¡®bowing down¡¯ to the president and ¡®exining¡¯ himself.

    I called out to Selma in my mind. She was currently keeping watch at night, so I shared with her the drama of our internal strife.

    The upper president¡¯s rank was higher than the Crown Prince¡¯s. Under his superficial questioning, the Council of Elders gradually could not hold the fort anymore.

    The other elders kept looking at the door of the bed chamber or their time-measuring tools as if they were worried that more disrupters woulde or that their n would fail if they were dyed too much time.

    Some elders even looked at us, but my father and I were no fools. This was an internal conflict within the elven race, so how could we casually join in and let it go? Besides, I always kept in mind the ¡®principle of non-interference in internal affairs¡¯. Our goal was to eliminate the cultists, so let us forget about the rest.

    This confrontationsted more than ten minutes, and this group of people seemed to have taken root at the entrance of the bed chamber, not entering or leaving. Looking at the moon outside the window, I could feel that my strength was gradually increasing with the blessing of the moonlight. Now was the best opportunity. If I missed it, it didn¡¯t mean that the n would fail, but the chances of sess would be smaller.

    The group of elders also realized that they were gradually approaching the time set in their n, so they also became a little anxious. The Great Elder was no longer as friendly as before when he faced the president and the Crown Prince. He was just short of shouting, ¡°Get out of here and don¡¯t dy the crucial matters ¡°.

    In fact, I¡¯d also wondered why the Council of Elders didn¡¯t directly tell these people about the n. It was an excellent opportunity to eliminate the bandits in one fell swoop, so there was no reason for them, as high-status elves, to stop it.

 Chapter 394

    394 Turbulent Undercurrent

    Dorothy¡¯s POV:

    However, I quickly thought it through. I shouldn¡¯t be fooled by their act of filial piety and loyalty. If they were truly one, they would be working together to ovee this crisis instead of fighting each other with ulterior motives.

    To the Crown Prince, the president, and the other mayors and nobles who weren¡¯t present, the Elf King was more of a political symbol than their family or monarch. Whoever controlled his sleeping body would upy the high ground of legitimacy.

    Therefore, they would never agree to this n. First, they were afraid that I would hurt the elven King. Second, they were afraid that this n would work. In this way, the interim government with the group of elders as the core would undoubtedly gain more support and stronger legitimacy from the outside world. Then, wouldn¡¯t other forces that wanted to seize power lose their chance?

    They were more likely to take this opportunity to doubt the interim government¡¯s ability and then try to stir up chaos to fight for the power of ¡®feeding¡¯ the Elf King.

    Everyone hoped to use the King tomand the vassals, but it could not be stopped once the dispute started. Even if they did not have the heart to fight for power, everyone caught in the whirlpool had to rack their brains to protect themselves in this internal struggle. In this way, who would have the energy to spare for the external threat eyeing them covetously?

    As I thought about this, I suddenly felt a sense of pity for the King lying on the bed without feeling anything. Did he exchange his life for the ending he wanted? Would he regret his decision to sacrifice himself to save the elves when he saw his descendants and his former subjects forget about the safety of the elves to fight for power?

    Soon, both sides finally revealed their true intentions.

    ¡°We have no intention of questioning any of the government¡¯s decisions, but as a member of the elven race, when your decision concerns my King, I have the right to question the safety of your decision.¡±

    The hypocritical face of the higher-ups in the Council made people feel ufortable. ¡°We have to know what risks are hidden in this matter, what the purpose is, and whether it will bring any hidden dangers to His Majesty.¡±

    As soon as he said this, the guards he brought with him raised the long spears in their hands aggressively, and the Crown Prince¡¯s men did not give way. Obviously, they would immediately force the pce to rebel if the Council of Elders did not agree. The pce guards immediately became alert when they saw this. The two sides were in a confrontation with murderous intent, and it looked like a fight was about to break out.

    The Great Elder wasn¡¯t made of mud. Seeing this situation, his face also sank. ¡°Are you all nning to rebel? His Majesty is looking at us from his bedroom! Any member of the elf race should unconditionally obey the decisions of the interim government. This was the royal order of His Majesty before he fell into aa. Suppose you are truly as loyal as you im. In that case, you should always remember His Majesty¡¯s teachings and immediately withdraw this group of arrogant people who dared to brandish their weapons outside His Majesty¡¯s bed chamber!¡±

    I gave Selma a real-time report of the situation here. She mercilesslymented, ¡°Well said, very imposing. But isn¡¯t this imposing behavior shown a littlete? If he had such determination to face those forces eyeing him covetously from the start, he wouldn¡¯t have to face such a chaotic mess now.¡±

    ¡°Do you think these people will listen to the Great Elder and leave?¡± I asked.

    ¡°What do you think? Who would be afraid of a tiger he knows has no teeth?¡± Selma asked in return, ¡°This so-called ¡®top-secret¡¯ n was leaked so easily. Either there¡¯s a mole in the Council of Elders, or the Council of Elders can¡¯t control all the movements in the pce. If even we can see their distress, the others must be well aware of the Council of Elders¡¯ powerlessness.¡±

    It was just as Selma had said. Although the soldiers had put away their weapons, the Crown Prince and the president did not leave just like that. They seemed to intend to drag out the battle with the group of elders.

    The Council of Elders had no way of driving them away. First of all, most of their forces had been sent out to search for the cultists. Second, once this matter was blown out of proportion, more and more people would know about it, and it would be even more challenging to clean up the mess.

    Suddenly, the president turned to look at my father and me.

    ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, this should be rted to the two of you, right?¡±

    The president was a man with a gentle and delicate appearance. Even with the werewolf¡¯s aesthetic sense, he was very approachable. However, his current gaze was like a venomous snake hiding in the dark, ready to bite me at any time. This destroyed his gentle temperament and made me vignt.

    This person came with ill intentions, but before I could say anything, my father stood before me. ¡°It¡¯s confidential, Your Excellency. Without the permission of the interim government, we can¡¯t tell you the specific details.¡±

    So, the matter returned to the Council of Elders. The Great Elder looked extremely tired. I kept feeling that he wanted to quickly send a meteorite to smash the pce and destroy everyone so there would be no more mess.

    The current situation was not looking good. The Crown Prince and the president had made it clear that we would mess this up no matter what we did. We really only have a little time left. It was almost dawn, and I didn¡¯t know how long it would take for my vision to find the information we wanted.

 Chapter 395

    395 Showing Weaknesses

    Dorothy¡¯s POV:

    Once the sun was up, we had to abort the n. It was not as easy to hide a secret during the day as at night. There were too many people around, and it would be a joke if we were exposed to this mayor or that noble.

    After weighing the pros and cons, the group of elders finally helplessly rxed a little. They vaguely said that they needed to use some external forces to seekmunication with the Goddess of Nature.

    Their words were vague and had no substantivements, but everyone present was brilliant and quickly understood what the Council of Elders was trying to do.

    No matter what they thought in their hearts, on the surface, they were naturally strongly opposed to it.

    The Crown Prince believed that outsiders were not to be trusted easily and that the only way to get close to his father was to step over his dead body. I couldn¡¯t help but roll my eyes again. ¡®With such ambition, why didn¡¯t you seek revenge on Azazel¡¯s party that harmed your father to this extent?¡¯ He was quite capable of showing off his power here.

    The president was much gentler, but no matter how much more gentle his attitude was, it did not change his determination to mess this up. The reason was still that the safety of the omnipotent Elf King was of utmost importance, and he could not cast unknown sorcery on him at will.

    In short, this group didn¡¯t agree, so everyone began to be deadlocked again.

    Helplessly, the Council of Elders could only discuss with us. After my father and I agreed, they revealed some of the principles behind ¡®synesthesia vision¡¯ and hid the part about the Eye of Insight and only said that my precognitive abilities were slightly stronger than my father¡¯s. This caused the Crown Prince and the president¡¯s gazes to change.

    ¡°In other words, would the one who acts as the middleman have the same right as His Majesty tomunicate with the goddess?¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯tpare it like that,¡± the Great Elder said with a frown. ¡°We can only say that we¡¯ve obtained a certain degree of vision, but the right tomunicate is still in the hands of His Majesty.¡±

    But now we all knew that such an exnation was no longer useful. The Crown Prince and the president had been tempted by such ¡®privileges¡¯.

    As expected, a more senior elder immediately said, ¡°I think this n needs some modifications. Instead of troubling our guests to choose the information for us, why don¡¯t we let our people do this?¡±

    ¡°Unless the middleman is reced, I will not agree to this n.¡± The Crown Prince was much more straightforward. ¡®Father has countless confidential information in his mind. Even his best friend can¡¯t read it at will!¡±

    If it had to be ¡®someone else¡¯, who would it be?

    Of course, he was the most suitable candidate!

    Therefore, the fragile, temporary Alliance between the Crown Prince and the president was broken before the Great Elder could say anything.

    ¡°Please allow me to rmend myself, everyone.¡± The president was still watertight. ¡°Of course, to ensure confidentiality, I¡¯m willing to ept any level of monitoring until His Majesty returns to us.¡±

    It was the same as not saying anything. Would he arrange for an enemy force to monitor him? It would be strange if it were useful for one¡¯s own people to monitor themselves.

    ¡°I believe in your loyalty and moral character, but I think this has to be done by me.¡± The Crown Prince stood up proudly. ¡°Who is more suitable than me, my father¡¯s child? One day, I will inherit the throne. I will not bring any harm to my race andpatriots!¡±

    Just like that, the battlefield instantly shifted to the two people who were allies a minute ago.

    They argued endlessly, and no one asked for the opinion of the elders, as if the recement was already set in stone.

    However, Selma said to me, ¡°Old ginger is spicier. The Great Elder has lived for so many years.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°He resolved the local alliance with a few words and even shifted the conflict away from his side. Isn¡¯t this old man terrifying?¡±

    Only then did I discover, much to my surprise, the crisis on our side had been resolved without us even realizing it. And all of this was only because of the Great Elder¡¯s seemingly soft words.

    The Great Elder had done this many times. At least, from the moment we came to the Elf Forest, he had constantly been using his seemingly weak appearance to maintain the internal bnce.

    Selma sighed. This is the reason the Elf King passed the heavy responsibility to the group of elders. These seemingly weak and ipetent little old men are very intelligent! Who said that showing weakness wasn¡¯t a form of survival wisdom? If it wasn¡¯t for the interim government making people feel weak, ipetent, and harmless, would it have been able to exist in peace for so long? However, such a weak and ipetent government shouldered the heavy responsibility of turning the tide and opened up a way for the elves to survive in the internal strife.¡±

    The Crown Prince and the president were at odds with each other, and neither was willing to give in. With the mentality that ¡®no one can get what I can¡¯t¡¯, they gradually began to unite against the outsiders and forced the elders to abandon the n.

    What surprised me even more was that the Council of Elders agreed.

    Tonight¡¯s result did not satisfy either side. In order not to be taken advantage of by others, the Crown Prince and the president both asked for people to be stationed in the bed chamber of the Elf King to ¡®protect the safety of His Majesty¡¯.

    The Great Elder refused sternly, ¡°The pce is well-guarded, and there¡¯s no need for Your Highness and the president to worry. Moreover, everyone is loyal and wants to do something to protect His Majesty. Today, I¡¯ll let everyone¡¯s men station in the bed chamber under my watch. Tomorrow, the nobles and mayors will hear the news ande. Should I agree or not?¡±

 Chapter 396

    396 The Guardian Spirit

    Dorothy¡¯s POV:

    These words reminded the Crown Prince and the president of the Supreme Council of the current stalemate. They did not have the confidence to break the stalemate rashly, so they could only leave with their men unwillingly.

    Even if they didn¡¯t leave any spies, they didn¡¯tck channels to get information about the pce. There were still thousands of servants and guards here.

    It was unlikely that there were spies in the Council of Elders, so it was apparent who had leaked tonight¡¯s n. The servants¡¯ intelligencework was sometimes enough to shock the masters, who thought they had everything under control.

    ¡°Are we just going to give up like this?¡± I asked the Council of Elders.

    The Great Elder winked at me but didn¡¯t say anything. I couldn¡¯t figure out what he meant, so I could only follow them and leave the bed chamber.

    Tonight¡¯s n was ruined, so I had no reason to stay in the pce any longer.

    The Great Elder personally sent my father and me off. Before he left, he said somewhat apologetically, ¡°I¡¯ve troubled the two of you to make a wasted trip and even made you watch such a big joke. I¡¯m truly sorry.¡±

    I could only dryly console this old man, who was hard to read, before immediately bidding him farewell and leaving.

    My father had a fixed residence in the capital. Perhaps it was because of the unstable atmosphere between us, or maybe it was because of the curse, but in short, my father always avoids spending too much time alone with me. He hurriedly exined some safety issues to me and left halfway.

    The embassy was empty, and a member on night duty asked me if I needed supper or a bath. I waved my hand tiredly and dragged my heavy feet back to my room.

    The Elf Forest was indeed a natural treasure trove. My room was messily filled with books, notes, and nt specimens. If it weren¡¯t for the suffocating atmosphere here, I would have stayed here for eight to ten years to study the nts and herbs here.

    I was exhausted after a night of high tension. Without realizing it, I put on my clothes and fell asleep.

    I didn¡¯t sleep for long before a knock on the door awoke me.

    ¡°What happened...¡±

    I opened the door in a daze. To my surprise, besides my team members, my father was also standing outside.

    ¡°Pack up. We¡¯re going to the pce,¡± he said.

    I subconsciously looked at the clock on the wall. It was one o¡¯clock in the morning. It had been less than an hour since I returned to the embassy!

    ¡°Why are we going to the pce? Didn¡¯t the n get canceled?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just an excuse to the outside world.¡± My father gave me a meaningful smile.

    Thus, I followed my father back to the pce. This time, we used an invisibility spell, and within fifteen minutes, sparks almost came out of the soles of our shoes.

    The Great Elder was waiting for us in a hidden room in the pce. He didn¡¯t even light a candle, and his old face seemed kind under the moonlight.

    ¡°We meet again, Miss Dorothy.¡± He blinked at me, just like before. ¡°I hope I¡¯m not disturbing your rest.¡±

    At this point, I finally understood what was going on. It was a lie to give up on the n. It was a temporary measure to stabilize the Crown Prince and the president. In fact, the Council of Elders was determined to eliminate the external threat in the Elf Forest, so the n became even more covert.

    ¡°But how do we get close to His Majesty the Elf King?¡± I asked, ¡°After the previous incident, the Great Elder definitely can¡¯t send away the guards and attendants guarding the sleeping chamber. We can¡¯t just swagger in, right?¡±

    The Great Elder quickly answered my doubts. Following him, we passed through the darkness and arrived in front of an ordinary-looking wall.

    ¡°This Pce has a history of more than 4000 years. When it was built, the elven race had just experienced a catastrophe. For this reason, the Elf King then had no choice but to move the capital and build the new pce.¡±

    The Great Elder ced his hand on the wall. Then, under my astonished gaze, countless lush vines grew rapidly with his palm as the center. In a few seconds, they had covered the entire wall.

    ¡°Legend has it that when this pce was being built, a princess fell ill due to the previous catastrophe. Before she passed away, she wished the Goddess of Nature to be the guardian spirit of this pce, to protect a warm and safe harbor for her family for generations. As a result, this pce has always been called the ¡®women¡¯s pce¡¯.¡±

    The vines began to twist and transform, forming a pattern that looked like a door.

    ¡°As time passed, more and more people thought this legend was just a story made up by bards to coax children to sleep. However, it is true. The nameless princess from a thousand years ago is still guarding the pce. She never revealed herself, but she was rational and silent as she watched everything that happened here. Not all of her kin can be recognized by her, except for the previous Elf Kings.¡±

    A door made of vines slowly appeared from the wall. The branches and leaves gradually fell as they moved. Finally, an actual door appeared in front of us!

    The Great Elder pushed the door open. Inside the door was a resplendent bed chamber. A blurry figure could be vaguely seen on the wide and soft bed through the soft gauze hanging from the sky.

    ¡°Now that His Majesty is in a deep sleep, he temporarily gave his authority to me before he closed his eyes. Therefore, the Princess has also acknowledged me. I can open a ¡®door¡¯ to any ce in the pce, including His Majesty¡¯s bed chamber.¡±

 Chapter 397

    397 Start Of Insight

    Dorothy¡¯s POV:

    ¡°We¡¯ve already wasted too much time tonight. Now, let¡¯s restart our original n.¡±

    Even after I passed through the door, I still felt that tonight¡¯s encounter was really magical.

    What was the principle behind this door? Was it some kind of sorcery? But I didn¡¯t sense any magic fluctuations. Or was it some kind of mysterious power exclusive to the elves? Had it always existed? Or was it because of the princess¡¯s sacrifice?

    ¡®Guardian spirit¡¯ was a broad concept, so what kind of existence did the princess have? An eternal soul? Or had it already merged with the pce?

    Was she a part of the pce? Or was the pce a part of her?

    I might never get an answer to these questions, and the Great Elder obviously wouldn¡¯t tell me such secrets.

    The ceiling of the bed chamber was very high, almost twenty meters high. All kinds of nt branches and vines were hovering on the ceiling and in the air. Through the slightly withered branches and leaves, many inconspicuous or colorful birds could be seen hidden among them.

    A long veil hung down from the ceiling, forming a mist-like barrier around the wide and soft bed, gently but seriously rejecting the visitors.

    Through the mist, I could vaguely see the Elf King¡¯s figure. Hey quietly on the bed. Other than the slight rise and fall of his chest, he was like a wooden man.

    The Great Elder apologized in a low voice, pulled open the curtain, and led us to the bed.

    To be honest, if I didn¡¯t know about the Elf King¡¯s situation, I would have thought that the handsome man on the bed was taking a nap. His face was ruddy, and his expression was peaceful, as if he had a beautiful dream.

    The Great Elder took a step forward and kneeled on one knee on the soft cushion scattered on the side of the bed. He was reporting something to the sleeping Elf King in the elfnguage. I barely understood what he was saying, so I could barely recognize that he was talking about the current situation of the elf race.

    A few minutester, the Great Elder stood up and gave his seat to my father and me.

    ¡°Time is of the essence. I¡¯ll have to trouble the two of you.¡±

    Before I started the ritual, I tried to contact Selma. Her voice was muffled. She had finished her night duty and was resting.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to start my inspection of the Elf King,¡± I said. ¡°The results will probably be out in the morning.¡±

    Selma sounded much more clear-headed now. ¡°I¡¯ll stay with you.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I refused. ¡°Have a good rest. You still have to search tomorrow. Besides, I won¡¯t be able to divert my attention to contact you during the journey.¡±

    Selma had no choice but to agree. We cut off contact. I took out the various tools I had prepared long ago and ced them by my side.

    I took a deep breath and looked at the moon outside the window. I said, ¡°Let¡¯s start.¡±

    It was a wonderful feeling to establish a connection with one¡¯s family. This feeling was different from the mind-link with Selma or my grandmother. It was as if I had extracted a specific object from my soul to construct a bridge. It was not a good feeling.

    My father said he was my family, but we were no different from strangers. It was always contradictory to open up your soul to strangers.

    This caused the link between my father and me to be unstable at the beginning.

    After trying several times to no avail, under the anxious and puzzled gaze of the Great Elder, my father said, ¡°How about this? Rather than letting me enter your spiritual world, why don¡¯t you enter my spiritual world?¡±

    Thus, this time, he took the initiative to invite me to contact his spiritual world. It went very smoothly and waspleted without any obstacles.

    My father¡¯s spiritual world was in and unremarkable. At least, it was not very patible¡¯ with the mysterious identity he wore in the outside world.

    Ordinary forests,kes, and even the wildflowers on the ground were all typical in the real world. Besides an ordinary wooden house, this ce was no different from any other natural scenery I had seen in the Elf Forest.

    It seemed that my father really liked his seclusive ce.

    After the connection structure with the middleman waspleted, the next step was to gain insight into the Elf King.

    He must have been a powerful King in the past, but now, the power of the past had been sealed with his sleep. Prying into the fate of a King should have caused a great shock to me, but in the face of an unconscious person, this shock was better than nothing.

    ¡°Remember your goal, Dorothy,¡± my father¡¯s voice suddenly rang in my ear. ¡°The lifespan of elves is very long, and their life experiences are much longer than that of werewolves. If you can¡¯t find what you need in time, it will be a waste of time.¡±

    Alright, remember my goal.

    The mark of nature...

    The Goddess of Nature...

    Contact...

    I rummaged through myplicated fate for the information I needed. The Elf King¡¯s life shed before my eyes in a chaotic and fuzzy way. This was because I didn¡¯t have the time to sort them out carefully.

    I tried to touch the information I thought was close to the target, but most options were wrong. The rest were tightly bound by ayer of green light. I realized that this was a secret that I shouldn¡¯t be hearing.

    ¡°Why do you understand so much about this, to the point that you know what I should and shouldn¡¯t be looking at?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but ask my father.

    My father asked in return, ¡°What do you mean ¡®understand¡¯? I haven¡¯t even done anything yet.¡±

 Chapter 398

    398 The White Wildflower

    Dorothy¡¯s POV:

    Could the information that rejected my investigation not be my father¡¯s doing? Who was that? Could it be...

    The Elf King?

    Was he the one who did it? Was he still conscious?

    I tried calling the Elf King, hoping for a response. However, no one answered me. Only a few soft green light orbs circled me a few times before leaving with some ¡®locked¡¯ information.

    As expected, the Elf King still had some consciousness left. Although it was so weak that it couldn¡¯t respond to me, it operated purely on instinct. However, this was still good news. This meant that the evil forces had not gained the upper hand, and the stalemate between the Elf King and the evil forces had not worsened.

    I quickly searched for the information I needed, but the other party deliberately hid from me and did not appear.

    In desperation, I tried tomunicate with the Elf King¡¯s consciousness again. ¡°I know you can hear me, Your Majesty. My name is Dorothy, and the interim government invited me to help the elves eliminate the stray werewolves. The stray werewolves have been fleeing ever since they attacked the capital. Now, they may be nning another attack in search of a sacrifice to be offered to Azazel, just like they did in the capital.

    ¡°To prevent a tragedy from happening, we have to eliminate them as soon as possible, but we haven¡¯t even found their location yet. I know that before you fell into a deep sleep, you had asked nature to mark these stray werewolves so that you could always sense their movements.

    ¡°Now, I implore you to tell me the whereabouts of these wandering werewolves. For the sake of your people and the elven race, every minute earlier that you find them, fewer people will be able to escape from the shadow of danger!¡±

    I called out for a long time, but no one answered me. On the contrary, more and more of the green light balls appeared. They were locking up more information, but these little things made of pure spiritual energy did not have self-awareness, so they could not say anything for their master.

    As I searched, I called out to him. My father said, ¡°Perhaps you can sort out all the information first. Instead of searching in such a messy way, why don¡¯t you start from the most recent period? That¡¯s the most likely ce.¡±

    However, arranging the timeline was not an easy task. It was like weaving a ball of messy sheep¡¯s fur into yarn with one¡¯s bare hands. It would take more time than searching for information, but as my father had said, I might never find anything in a messy search, so it was better to spend more time on the early work.

    I could feel that moonlight¡¯s power had reached its peak and was gradually declining. This made me sort out the sequence of events faster. This was not like how I used to look at Selma or the others, which would roughly see a ¡®past¡¯ or ¡®future¡¯. Instead, it was all truly urate to the date.

    Suddenly, I heard a faint chirping sound, which made me temporarily leave my insight state.

    ¡°These are the birds raised by His Majesty. These natural creatures are the most urate time devices.¡± The Great Elder exined, ¡°However, as His Majesty fell into a deep sleep, the birds became increasingly dispirited, and they rarely reported the time.¡±

    I raised my head and saw a grey sparrow peeking out from the branches and looking at us curiously. It tilted its head and disappeared into the dense branches as if bored.

    I returned to my insight state and tried my best to sort out the Elf King¡¯s long life. Even if I arranged it chronologically, what was left for me was still a huge project.

    ¡°The mark of nature...¡±

    ¡°Contact ...¡±

    The continuous use of the Eye of Insight rapidly consumed my physical strength. I began to feel dizzy, my hands and feet weak, and my sweat gathered into a winding stream, wetting my cor. As the water evaporated, a bone-chilling chill seeped through.

    I was almost at my limit ...

    I gritted my teeth and persevered, but I knew that tonight would be a waste if I couldn¡¯t find what I wanted in a few minutes. Next time, I would have to wait for my body to recover, and I was curious to know how much time would be wasted.

    Just as everything seemed set in stone, a sudden bird¡¯s cry caught my attention.

    At first, there were only a few intermittent crisp sounds, like a lonely bird talking to itself in boredom. Then, the crisp chirping gradually increased. Different kinds of birds chirped in different ways. They seemed to be singing in a disorderly manner, but there was a naturalw in their chaotic chirping.

    Somehow, I realized that was the answer I needed.

    Thus, I tried my best to get close to the time when the birds were chirping and plunged into that time as if I was diving.

    Suddenly, I arrived at the Elf King¡¯s bed chamber. If it weren¡¯t for the lush green nts, I would have thought that I had already left my insight state and returned to reality.

    The Elf King stood in the middle of his bed chamber, with the birds flying around him or perched on a branch to look at me, their uninvited guest, with curious eyes.

    The Elf King looked at me kindly and didn¡¯t say anything. He only extended his hand. An ordinary white wildflower was lying in his palm, its soft petals gently swaying with the air.

    ¡°Is this it?¡± I asked, but the Elf King didn¡¯t say anything.

    I thought this was the answer I¡¯d been searching for, so I stepped forward and made a grab at the white wildflower in his palm.

 Chapter 399

    399 The Thrush

    Dorothy¡¯s POV:

    When I grabbed the flower, a lustrous green air flow suddenly wrapped around me. It was strong but extremely gentle, like the willow branches dancing in the spring breeze, gently wrapping around me.

    I lowered my head to look at the wildflower in my hand. When I raised my head again, the Elf King had disappeared.

    As the green light dispersed like fireflies, the birds were silent for a second before they started singing loudly. One by one, they charged down toward me. The moment their sharp beaks touched me, they turned into soft petals and merged into my spiritual world.

    I felt something forming in my spiritual world. It was a tree, a flower, or ake. It did not have any intention of an invasion. Like a restrained and polite guest, it chose an ownerlessnd with the permission of its master to take root and sprout.

    In that instant, I felt more images appear before my eyes. This wasn¡¯t a gift from fate but a different type of broadcast.

    I realized this was a ¡®connection¡¯ between the Elf King and the Goddess of Nature. It had temporarily been transferred to me, allowing me to know anything that happened in this forest at any time.

    After the connection was stabilized, the temporarily subsided fatigue came back like a tide. The sharp pain felt like someone was stirring my brain with a blender. I removed my insight and copsed to the floor.

    My father and the Great Elder quickly came to help me, but I didn¡¯t even have the strength to speak. Fortunately, my father had been sharing my vision. I could vaguely hear him talking to the Great Elder. The Great Elder¡¯s old gaze became more and more energetic as he spoke.

    I couldn¡¯t hear the words after that. My heavy eyelids felt like sandbags were tied to them. Without realizing it, I fell asleep.

    A bird¡¯s cry woke me up.

    I thought I was in the Elf King¡¯s bed chamber for a moment. I reflexively sat up and looked around vigntly; no father or the Great Elder was there. There was only a tiny bird that looked like a drawing on its brows standing at the head of the bed and looking at me with its small head tilted.

    Beside it, my Soul Sparrow was eager to try to greet it, but the thrush was very cold and ignored it.

    I realized I was in my bedroom in the embassy, so I rxed and waved to the two little creatures at the head of the bed. ¡°Come here, little ones.¡±

    The little birds obediently flew to my arm, and I rubbed their furry little heads one by one. The thrush looked at me with her head tilted, and my Soul Sparrow gently pecked me.

    My nervousness disappeared under thefort of the two little cuties.

    ¡°Hello, little guy. What¡¯s your name?¡± I asked the thrush.

    It wasn¡¯t a true natural creature. Even though it appeared like a thrush, it was essentially a messenger between nature and me.

    My poor Soul Sparrow, its love would stay unrequited.

    The thrush didn¡¯t answer me, so I decided to call it ¡®Nature¡¯ for the time being. My Soul Sparrow tugged a strand of my hair down with dissatisfaction. It looked angry because I didn¡¯t give it a name.

    Due to this, its good impression of the thrush immediately disappeared. It chirped at the bird in all seriousness, trying to drive it out of its territory.

    ¡°Hey, hey, calm down. ¡®Nature¡¯ can¡¯t be considered a name, okay?¡± I quickly separated the two birds. This was, at most... Well, an essence? Anyway, you¡¯re not a real thrush, so don¡¯t be so mean to me. Speaking of which, you¡¯re not a little bird yourself!¡±

    My dissuasion was taken as favoritism toward Nature by my Soul Sparrow. It turned its anger toward me and flew around twice before disappearing.

    I tried to call out to it, but it was angry and refused to answer me. Was my own soul angry at me?

    It sounded like I was a lunatic.

    In the blink of an eye, Nature disappeared as well. A few secondster, the reason for its actions appeared. Someone knocked on the door and entered with my permission.

    It was my father and the Great Elder.

    ¡°Good afternoon, Miss Dorothy,¡± the Great Elder said affectionately. I¡± heard that you were feeling dizzy and unwell. I want to send my regards to you on behalf of the elf race.¡±

    Not feeling well? No, I was still alive and kicking.

    The next moment, I understood what the Great Elder and my father meant. I immediately put on a weak expression and said, ¡°Thank you, I think I¡¯m not used to your ce. Since I came to the capital, I¡¯ve had some symptoms, and it¡¯s finally erupting. I really need to recuperate for a while, and I¡¯m very sorry for the inconvenience caused.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t say that. It¡¯s our fault for not taking good care of you. If you have any needs, please don¡¯t hesitate to let us know.¡±

    The Great Elder acted as if he was really just here to go through the motions and left after saying some empty words to me. My father didn¡¯t leave with him, so our father-daughter rtionship was the most natural excuse for us.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to suffer for a while, Dorothy,¡± he said. ¡°Trouble ising. Pretending to be sick is the best choice now.¡±

 Chapter 400

    400 Have A Good Rest

    Dorothy¡¯s POV:

    Last night¡¯s confrontation and turn of events were indeed exciting, but the president and the Crown Prince were not fools. It was already good enough that they could be fooled for one night.

    By the time theye to their senses, they definitely wouldn¡¯t believe that the Council of Elders would give up on their n so easily. On one hand, they¡¯d monitor the Council of Elders even more closely, and on the other hand, they¡¯d make a move on me.

    I could imagine that if I didn¡¯t take any measures, countless people woulde to ¡®interview¡¯ me in theing days, trying to get some information from me.

    As long as I didn¡¯t relent, they wouldn¡¯t give up. By then, it¡¯d be hard to say whether my freedom would be restricted in secret, let alone if I wanted to meet up with Selma and the others.

    Therefore, instead of letting others check and bnce me, I should strike first and im I was sick. In any case, I was the envoy of the werewolves. As long as the elves weren¡¯t crazy enough to provoke another enemy while suffering from internal and external problems, no one would take the risk of breaking into the embassy, which was no different from dering war.

    This would save me a lot of trouble, and the embassy was a ce that could be trusted, so we couldmunicate without worry.

    The Great Elder came but didn¡¯t ask me about the Elf King. My father said it was because he had already told him most of the situationst night. In addition, the Great Elder needed help with his current situation. He would choose a safer time to meet with us.

    ¡°I remember that I faintedst night. What happened after that? Did anything go wrong?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No, everything went smoothly. After you fainted, the Great Elder and I immediately brought you through the door we came from.¡±

    ¡°I saw and heard birds chirping in my spiritual world. I¡¯m guessing that not all of the birds in the Elf King¡¯s bed chamber are natural creatures. Arge portion of them was probably products of natural power. I¡¯ve shared the right of the Elf King tomunicate with nature. Did they have any strange reactions?¡±

    Speaking of this, my father¡¯s expression was a little strange. ¡°I think it¡¯s a strange phenomenon. When countless birds of all kinds surround you without you knowing, it¡¯s a hair-raising thing. However, they didn¡¯t make any noise or attack us. They just quietly watched us leave.¡±

    It seemed that the exchange went smoothly. The Elf King in the spiritual world was not an illusion. Only with his approval would the birds under his control watch us leave so meekly. Otherwise, they would not be so docile to the ¡®thief¡¯. The energy in nature could not only help it condense its form.

    As the saying goes, ¡®When the moon is dark, and the wind is high, it¡¯s time to kill and set fire. Of course, our n was not so cruel, but for the sake of secrecy and privacy, the contact between the elders and us could only be done in the dead of night.

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± my father put the pic basket in his hand on my bedside table. I smelled a strange but delicious fragranceing from inside. ¡°I brought you some restorative food that helps you recover energy. It¡¯s an exclusive secret.¡±

    I was feeling hungry, so I thanked him and took out a buttered bread from the pic basket. It was wrapped in the sauce that I had for the first time. Other than the fragrance of the buttered bread, there was also a faint herbal fragrance.

    ¡°I heard that you¡¯ve been studying herbology recently,¡± my father said uneasily as he nced at the messy specimens and papers in my room. ¡°If you¡¯re interested, I can write you the recipe for the herbal dish. It¡¯s passed down from your great-grandmother¡¯s generation. She was once a famous herbalist...¡±

    As he spoke, he stopped moving, and the awkward atmosphere quietly spread again.

    Perhaps he felt that his clumsy way of expressing goodwill was funny. After that, my father hurriedly made small talk and told me to rest well before leaving.

    I stopped him and smiled at his confused expression. ¡°Thank you, Father. The bread is delicious. If you don¡¯t mind, can we discuss theposition next time youe? I would also like to know a little about my great-grandmother¡¯s story, her theories, and achievements.¡±

    My father¡¯s eyes gradually lit up like a candle. He nodded, seemingly a little excited, but he didn¡¯t want to lose hisposure. He only nodded repeatedly and left in a hurry.

    I thought he had left, but a few secondster, he turned back and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about anything else. Have a good sleep. You need more rest to recover your energy.¡±

    I knew what he meant. Even though he said it stiffly, a wonderful telepathic connection was established between us for a short time.

    ¡°Yes, Father,¡± I replied with a smile.

    The dizziness still lingered in my body, and the faint ringing in my ears reminded me that my body was suffering from the consequences of overexertion. Part of the reason why nature¡¯s mimicry was removed was that my weak body was temporarily unable to withstand the power of nature. Naturally, I was unable to obtain any information from nature.

 Chapter 401

    401 Moths and Gands

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Looking down from the cliff, I could see the vast ocean. It was said that the other side of the sea corresponded to a human country. Someone had once drifted here by ident but only regarded everything as a beautiful dream. After leaving, he never came back.

    ¡°Like all the old stories, the female elf who fell in love with a human did not manage to wait for the return of her lover. She was so heartbroken that she jumped into the sea on a dark rainy night with her swaddling child. The female elf suddenly regretted it before she died. She felt that she should not have dragged her child to death with her, so she pleaded with the Goddess of Nature at herst breath. The goddess then saved her child and raised him.¡±

    ire told me about the local legend.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that this boy, like his father, grew up to be a heartless man. He deceived a young witch and then abandoned her. The furious witch sacrificed herself to a demon to seek revenge on her cruel lover. The boy was so scared that he turned into a moth under the demon¡¯s temptation and hid in the goddess¡¯ dressing box.¡±

    ¡°The demon pretended to ask for a boy from the goddess on behalf of the witch, and the goddess was undoubtedly unwilling to hand over the child she had raised. So the witch cried to the goddess about her experience. The goddess knew she was in the wrong and was in a dilemma, so she had to turn a blind eye to the matter and not help either side. The boy who had turned into a moth was dressed as a decoration on the goddess¡¯ gand, but he did not know that a moth only had nine days to live. When he felt that his life was ending, he tried to turn back into a human in fear, but he was toote. The angry witch found him, grabbed her lover¡¯s stiff insect body, and swallowed it. ¡±

    ¡°As it happened, the boy was hungry while pretending to be a decoration on the gand, so he secretly ate a few leaves on the gand. Those leaves were the first leaves that the mother tree grew in spring, symbolizing pregnancy and new life. As a result, the witch who ate her lover became pregnant. Since she had sold her soul to the demon, her descendants served the demon for generations.¡±

    After the storytelling, we were all very emotional. But of course, we didn¡¯t just listen to it for fun. There was a very important piece of information in this legend ¨C the gand of the Goddess of Nature.

    ¡°It¡¯s said that because of this, the goddess threw away the gand to avoid thinking of people. A mayor of the northern border picked up this gand, and it became the most honorable family heirloom of that family. It¡¯s said that the chewed leaf is still full of vitality as if it had just been picked from a tender branch.¡±

    That was right. After aparative selection, the barren background didn¡¯t have any treasures worth targetingpared to the wealthy area. Only this gand, whether it was the leaf or the legend rted to the goddess and the demon, made it a target of plunder for the cultists.

    In fact, there were many things rted to the divine in the northern territory. Most were not very precious, such as the nitraria fruit everywhere. However, these things were everywhere in the mountains and ins. We couldn¡¯t guard against them even if we wanted to. Moreover, if the cultists¡¯ target were these things, they wouldn¡¯t be a threat to the city, so the urgency wasn¡¯t that high.

    The more remote and backward a ce was, the more closed it would be. The northern border was such a case. Gand City ¨C yeap, that was what it was really called ¨C the mayor refused to let us see the legendary gand.

    ¡°Only the previous mayor, his wife, and his children can see it,¡± the mayor of Gand City said seriously. ¡°This has been a rule since ancient times. I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t break it for you.¡±

    ¡°We understand your difficulties, but the situation is urgent. Your family heirloom is in danger of being stolen. I beg you to let us see it to protect its safety and the entire Gand City. I swear to god that we have no ill intentions. We want to evaluate its value and see if the cultists are eyeing it covetously.¡±

    However, no matter what we said, the mayor of Gand City wouldn¡¯t agree. Compared to the missing wanderers, it seemed we were the thieves with bad intentions to him.

    If we had enough manpower, I could leave a team behind to protect Gand City. However, our manpower, including the werewolves and elves, was only enough to protect one city. There were so many city-states at the northern border that had the ultimate goal. Were we going to give up everything else for a rumor?

    It was gettingte, so we could only rest in Gand City for the night.

    Dorothy contacted me this morning to tell me that she had temporarily obtained the right tomunicate with nature from the Elf King. However, she was severely exhausted, and even with the secret efforts of various parties, she would need at least three days to recover. Therefore, in the three days that we still couldn¡¯t find any traces of the cultists, we still had to be on high alert and constantly guard against the possible arrival of danger.

    After finishing the night watch, I stretched my tired shoulders and prepared for bed. A gold-threaded tapestry on the wall caught my attention, shining in the light.

 Chapter 402

    402 Gand City

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Gand City didn¡¯t have a prepared werewolf embassy like the Elf King¡¯s, so we were arranged to stay in the pce¡¯s guest rooms. Perhaps to show off their status, the guest room was decorated luxuriously. There were glittering crystals and gorgeous gold and silver threads everywhere. Gand City spared no effort to carve the unique family emblem on these luxurious decorations.

    The family emblem of Gand City¡¯s mayor was just like the legendary gand, a vortex-shaped ring surrounded by all kinds of flowers and nts. I carefully observed the family emblem on the carpet and somehow felt that the pattern on it was familiar.

    Daisies, marigolds, irises, lilies...

    ... Although the style waspletely different, had I seen these flowers somewhere before?

    Counting, there were precisely thirteen kinds of flowers on the gand.

    Thirteen...

    Wait a minute!

    It was that stone b!

    To my surprise, I discovered that the flowers on the city¡¯s emblem were precisely the same as those on Mullwica¡¯s stone b. Not only were the thirteen flowers the same, but even the order of their arrangement was the same!

    In an instant, my back was drenched in a cold sweat. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was a coincidence or if there was a deeper meaning to it. It was reasonable to say that the mayor¡¯s family in the Elf Forest should not have any rtionship with the witch tribe of the Rocky Mountains, which was thousands of miles away.

    But there were thirteen flowers. There were tens of thousands of flowers in the world that could form the number thirteen, and how many ways did the thirteen flowers have to be sorted? How could it be so coincidental that twopletely unrted things would collide and create a simr one?

    Speaking of which, who was the demon that the witch summoned for revenge? ire didn¡¯t mention his name.

    I immediately turned back to look for ire, who was on duty in the night¡¯s second half. She was also confused by my question. ¡°I don¡¯t know either, Your Highness. The legends don¡¯t mention such details. In fact, even the names of the male and female protagonists have yet to be passed down. Everyone blindly calls them ¡®boy¡¯,¡¯ witch¡¯, and ¡®demon¡¯.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s with the family emblem of Gand City? Was this drawn ording to the gand left behind by the real Goddess of Nature? Or are the nts just local flowers representative of the area?¡±

    ¡°The family emblem is said to be drawn ording to a real gand. It was said that many years ago, the mayor of the first generation who had picked up this gand was eager to show it off to the whole country, but he was afraid that the journey would be bumpy and the real thing would be lost, so he ordered to change his family emblem and created a wreath ording to the real appearance of the wreath to announce it to the whole country. You see, a small chip on the leaf is protruding out from the upper right corner of the family emblem. This is the piece that the boy in the legend bit.¡±

    She pointed to the upper right corner of the family emblem on the carpet. There was a round gap on the leaf, like a bite from an insect.

    If that was the case, could it be inferred that the real gand looked like this?

    So, if these thirteen flowers came from the Goddess of Nature, why would Mullwica, who believed in the Goddess of Fate, collect a stone b with the pattern of the Goddess of Nature¡¯s sect? Could she have had some connection with the elves? But before I came here, numerous research associations had already briefly browsed through the books and notes left behind by Mullwica. There was no mention of any information rted to the elves.

    And that unknown demon...

    This couldn¡¯t really be a coincidence. Neither the gand nor the stone b was an ordinary item, and their patterns must have special meanings. And this might be the answer I couldn¡¯t understand, no matter how much I thought about it.

    I became even more determined to see the gand with my own eyes. Just as I was suffering from theck of a way to do so, a solution appeared in front of me.

    The next morning, the mayor of Gand City politely invited us to a breakfast banquet. During this period, his wife also attended. I saw an unexpected pattern on his wife¡¯s luxurious long robe-the family emblem of Chena City¡¯s mayor.

    ¡°Pardon me, but do you have any rtives with Chena City¡¯s mayor?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Of course, my dear,¡± the mayor¡¯s wife smiled kindly. ¡°The current Chena City¡¯s mayor is my grandnephew. That child even lived in Gand City for a few years when he was young. Tsk, tsk, he was a lively and smart child. His wife died early, and my poor great-granddaughter... It¡¯s a pity that such a good child¡¯s life is full of misfortunes. s, I¡¯m old, and I like to talk about trivial things. I hope Your Highness can forgive me.¡±

    They were so closely rted by blood! ording to the low reproduction rate of elves, a family of three generations could have at least ten people, which was considered a full house. And ording to the mayor¡¯s wife, she was close to Chena City¡¯s mayor.

    I was surprised by this unexpected surprise ¨C the lobbyist was here!

    After breakfast, I immediately sent a text message to Chena City¡¯s mayor, asking him to help me persuade his great-aunt and uncle. It turned out that this was the right decision. In the evening, the mayor of Gand City agreed to let us see the legendary gand.

 Chapter 403

    403 The Family Emblem

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°I can only let you see the gand once,¡± the mayor said. ¡°Please forgive me, but it¡¯s not because I¡¯m an old-fashioned, conservative, and stingy grandpa. It is because the gand was old and valuable, and no one in the world had great power like the Goddess of Nature. As such, any ident cannot be salvaged, which is why my family has always regarded it as a treasure.¡±

    Of course, I understood his difficulties. ¡°It¡¯s presumptuous of us to make such a request. How can we ask you topromise?¡±

    After passing through the ovepping doors of the treasure vault, we finally saw the actual appearance of the gand.

    If I hadn¡¯t heard of the legend, I would have thought that the gand in front of me was just made up in the afternoon to perfunctory me.

    Whether it was the delicate petals or the emerald-green branches and leaves, they all made people involuntarily like them. The rich vitality lingered between each flower and leaf, and even the gaps on the leaves were so round and lovely as if the world¡¯s most delicate artist could calcte such a perfect arc with painstaking efforts.

    This was the legendary gand that the Goddess of Nature abandoned. However, before it was abandoned, it was once the most favored essory in the goddess¡¯ dressing box.

    ¡°For thousands of years, my family has been protecting this gand,¡± Gand City¡¯s mayor said proudly. The abandonment of the goddess was not because of disgust but because of love. That was why I was afraid to miss her and had to give it up.¡±

    I held my breath and carefully observed the gand, afraid that any inappropriate action would cause it harm. Just by approaching, I felt like I was bathing in a spring breeze, and the fatigue umted over the past few days was gradually being swept away. It was said that Gand City¡¯s mayor¡¯s family had always been known for their longevity, which was also quite outstanding among the elves. It was likely that this gand had yed a part in this.

    Even I could feel the vigorous life force contained in it. This thing was authentic. As expected, after a few tests, Master Hayley nodded to us and said, ¡°Although I¡¯ve nevere into contact with the power of nature, it must be a divine artifact to contain such a powerful force.¡±

    The good news was that the gand was real.

    The bad news was: because the gand was real, there was a high chance that Gand City would be the target of the cultists.

    Perhaps it was confusing. ¡®How do I know that the cultists would know that the gand was real? I only believed the legend after I saw the real thing, didn¡¯t I?¡¯

    That was because we had apletely different way of thinking from the evil cultists. I had to protect everything, so I must be careful and verify the truth. On the other hand, the evil cultists wanted to plunder and destroy. Who cared if it was real or fake? They would steal it first and talkter. After all, they would not suffer any losses in the future.

    So, as long as this legend still existed at the northern border, the cultists would target Gand City.

    As a small city that was not outstanding in all aspects, Gand City had been calm and peaceful for hundreds of years. In the face of possible danger, they had no power to resist. Even the mayor and his wife looked a little panicked. It was only after ire and I gave our words that they agreed to help us prepare against the enemy.

    That was right. Due to theck of manpower, I ced my bet on Gand City. In fact, this was not a big gamble. The city-states on the northern border were distributed in a fan-shaped formation that opened to the right, and Gand City was the only way to other city-states. If the cultists¡¯ target was other city-states, then as long as we hold on to Gand City, we¡¯d be able to find their traces.

    Before I bade farewell to the mayor and his wife, I asked them about the legend.

    ¡°Yes, just as the legends say, this is a tragic love story that can¡¯t be sympathized.¡± The mayor said, ¡°But if you want to ask for names, I¡¯m sorry that I don¡¯t know either. My ancestors were not bystanders. They just picked up the gand.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Thank you.¡± I felt disappointed that I didn¡¯t get any new information. However, the mayor¡¯s next words made my eyes widen.

    ¡°However, in the notes of our ancestors, one of them seemed to have seen a woman in a ck robe wandering at the edge of a cliff. She wore a metallic essory simr to the gand of the goddess on her head, and the corner of her robe was embroidered with the same pattern as the gand, so our ancestors initially thought that she was a young woman who went outte at night to meet her lover.

    ¡°But when she got closer, she realized it was a stranger she had never seen before. The ck-robed woman disappeared the moment she saw her.

    ¡°As a result, the ancestor thought she had met a witch. Due to the pattern on the corner of her robe, she thought she was an illegitimate daughter of a family member and a foreign n and hade back to acknowledge her family. However, after searching through all the nsmen, they couldn¡¯t find anyone who had an affair with another n, so this matter became an unsolved case.¡±

    The mayor told me about this incident as an exciting story, but my thoughts took a 180-degree turn after hearing what he said...

    Who said only families who picked up the gand could use it as family emblems?

    I realized that I had always been in the wrong ce. I had always thought that the stone b was made by Mullwica simply because the stone b was found in her house.

 Chapter 404

    404 The Demon And The Demon

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Who wouldn¡¯t want to decorate their own home? Who wouldn¡¯t ept a gift from a friend? Were all the items in the Mullwica Family made by her?

    Was there a possibility that the stone b was a gift from someone else or that she had bought it from somewhere?

    And the issue of the family emblem.

    As the family of Gand City¡¯s mayor had picked up a gand, they used it as their family emblem. However, many people had a deeper connection with this gand, such as the witch who ate her lover. Her lover had eaten the leaf on the gand, and she had eaten her lover and gotten pregnant. Didn¡¯t this mean that the gand gave her the child?

    In that case, why couldn¡¯t her descendants also use gands as family emblems?

    Was the ck-robed witch who wandered by the cliff in the ancestor¡¯s notes the descendant of the legendary witch? This way, the metallic essory on her head that was simr to the gand and the embroidery on the corner of her robe could be exined clearly!

    If there was indeed a witch family with a gand as their family emblem, then there was a new exnation for the tes in Mullwica¡¯s house. As a powerful legendary witch, it was normal for Mullwica to have three to five witch or wizard friends. It was amon etiquette in ancient times for friends to give each other items with family emblems!

    After I returned to my bedroom, I immediately told Master Hayley and Dorothy about my guess. As an experienced and knowledgeable schr, Master Hayley felt that what I said wasn¡¯t impossible. In fact, it was even more likely to be the truth than her previous guess.

    The patterns on the stone b, whether the flowers or the eyes, were out of tune with Mullwica¡¯s research. None of her books and notes showed their figures.

    Dorothy listened to our discussion quietly. After a while, she suddenly said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s the legend of the gand or Mullwica. Have you noticed that there¡¯s onemon point?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Demons. Demons have appeared. Mullwica¡¯s son summoned a demon to resurrect his adoptive father, resulting in aplete ethical tragedy. To take revenge on her lover, the witch summoned the demon, which ended up as aplete love tragedy. These two legendary demons seem to like to y with the story¡¯s direction, causing them to go toward an irreversible ending,¡± Dorothy said.

    ¡°I know that this guess might be outrageous. After all, there are at least eighty to 100 famous demons, and none are good. But... Is there a possibility that the demons in these two stories are the same? It¡¯s hard not to think that the offspring of the witch in the legend of the gand is rted to the witch who lives in seclusion in the Rocky Mountains. It¡¯s a coincidence.¡±

    This guess was indeed outrageous, but Dorothy strangely convinced me. ¡°You mean these two demons are Azazel?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. In fact, I¡¯ve been thinking about another question before. Why did Azazel¡¯s party have to attack the Elven Capital? If they need sacrifices, why don¡¯t they attack the cities with treasures?

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t until I saw the chaotic internal affairs of the elven race after the Elf King went into a deep sleep that I realized this was a sophisticated n. Attacking the capital was not an unnecessary move. On the contrary, they wanted the sacrifice of the Elf King. Once the elven race falls into chaos without a leader, it would be easier for them to fish in troubled waters. They didn¡¯t know that the Elf King had the mark of nature, but it didn¡¯t matter if they couldn¡¯t leave the Elf Forest because they had already chosen the elven race as their target!¡±

    Dorothy was right. I was the one who had the preconceived notion that the evil cultists were forced into this corner. However, if the legendary demon were really Azazel, a sacrifice closely rted to him would naturally be the best choice.

    At least, if the cultists wanted to rmend his followers to sacrifice themselves for him, thebination of ¡®the gand¡¯s descendants¡¯ and ¡®gand¡¯ would undoubtedlyplete the broken gand into a real divine artifact. No matter how strong the physical body was, it could not bepared to it.

    This almost made me certain that Azazel¡¯s party woulde to snatch the gand. I sent a brief to the Elven Capital, hoping the Council of Elders would send some reinforcements.

    Before reinforcements arrived, I received news from Dorothy.

    After a few days of careful recovery, she could finally withstand the force of nature. For this reason, she was unwilling to wait a moment longer and immediatelymunicated with nature.

    It was a mysterious state. During this time, even my mind-link with her was disconnected. I even felt that my connection with her kin was blocked by something. I could not feel Dorothy as if she had disappeared from the world.

    She made me a little anxious, but what she just told didn¡¯t even give me the time to be anxious.

    They were performing a short-distance spatial movement! Almost at the very first second after themunication was broken, Dorothy shouted at me with all her might, ¡°They¡¯re less than a hundred kilometers away from Gand City!¡±

 Chapter 405

    405 Don¡¯t Reveal Your Inner Thoughts

    Benson Walton¡¯s POV:

    It wasn¡¯t my intention to be familiar with this pair of siblings.

    I didn¡¯t want to develop a rtionship with anyone beyond strangers¡¯ social distance, but maybe it was because Bertha¡¯s cooking was delicious, or perhaps it was because Anjay¡¯s smile was really bright. In short, when I returned to my senses, my rtionship with them rapidly escted to a level that was difficult to ignore.

    One morning, I was patrolling the streets. My footsteps were so light that I didn¡¯t even realize it. Just as I was thinking about what kind of flowers I should bring to the siblings tonight, a temporarymunication suddenly shattered my fantasy.

    My captain only contacted his team members if there was a routine report or a temporary mission. This time, he contacted me for the first time and asked me directly, ¡°Do you suspect anything weird about the interim head servant, Bertha, and her brother, Anjay? Have you noticed anything with their identities or behavior?¡±

    ¡°No, Sir,¡± I answered, a little confused. ¡°From the current observation, they are outstanding citizens.

    What my captain said next was undoubtedly a blow to my head.

    ¡°So why do you contact them so frequently? Can you exin to me what your motive is?¡±

    In that instant, my face turned pale because of those words.

    What was my motive?

    To get close to other suspicious targets through them? To expand the intelligencework against the pce? To recruit two ordinary people who had no reconnaissance skills?

    Was that even possible?

    Was it credible?

    I couldn¡¯t answer and could only remain silent.

    My captain¡¯s steady breathing could be heard from the receiver. It was undetectable, but it was like a thunderp thatshed at my heart repeatedly. My self-righteous heart, which I had been trying so hard to hold up, silently shattered bit by bit in silence. I became an ill-at-ease child again, waiting for the adults¡¯ judgment.

    There was no need to exin anything. My silence was already enough to exin everything. It was far easier to understand than any other exnation.

    Finally, my captain coldly gave me an ultimatum, ¡°You¡¯ve crossed the line, Benson. As a member of the mobile patrol team, you should be like a shadow drifting outside of the real world. This is the only way to save our lives in dangerous zone.

    ¡°But now, you¡¯re trying in vain to integrate into the life of the general public. You¡¯re so stupid that you create weaknesses for yourself and hand them over to others. You¡¯re like a hedgehog lying under a butcher¡¯s knife, exposing its belly.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already investigated the interim head servant and her brother. They don¡¯t belong to any faction and are just servants to their families in the pce. However, your actions have already attracted the attention of the pce. As intelligence officers, it¡¯s a must for us to know our limits. You¡¯re getting too close to the important people in the pce, kid. This is starting to make the higher-ups dissatisfied with you.

    ¡°We¡¯re not like other soldiers or officers. Once the higher-ups suspect us, what¡¯s waiting for us is an overwhelming investigation and endless entanglement. Even if there¡¯s nothing between you two, even if you can prove your innocence in the end, so what? You¡¯ll still be under constant surveince for the rest of your life, and it¡¯ll be impossible to climb up or return to your ordinary life.

    ¡°I¡¯m not asking you why you¡¯re doing this, kid. I¡¯ve seen a lot of things like this. In the end, it¡¯s just a throbbing that people can¡¯t control.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never objected to my subordinates protecting their families, but the premise is that you can protect the people you want to protect. I can stop you from doing anything with a phone call. Obviously, you¡¯re nothing now. But have you thought about the consequences of a more powerful government entity noticing you?

    ¡°Don¡¯t think that I¡¯m being arrogant. Just take it as advice from someone who has experienced it. The mobile patrol team is not a good ce to have fun. Here, love and hate must be firmly hidden in your heart, and any soft emotion may be a sharp de that pierces your heart.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what you¡¯re thinking about or if you don¡¯t understand anything. Just remember one principle. When you¡¯re still a member of the mobile patrol team, don¡¯t think of yourself as a human, as a knife, a telescope, a notebook, or anything else that can¡¯t think or speak. Don¡¯t show your feelings easily, kid. This is not only for you but also for everyone around you.¡±

    My captain didn¡¯t say much else and hung up the phone after he finished talking.

    I stood in the middle of the busy street, still holding the phone to my ear. My other hand was still holding the florist¡¯s business card, which put me in a dilemma.

    In those few minutes, I couldn¡¯t think at all. I tried hard to recall my captain¡¯s words, figure out his meaning, and analyze the reasons for his words. In the end, I was disappointed that he had no ill or good intentions. He was carrying out his responsibility as the team leader to advise his team members.

    He was telling the truth.

    Everything he said woulde true, and it had alreadye true.

    I was still holding the phone to my ear, like a robot that had lost its power. Time stopped at the second before the connection was cut off.

    A gust of wind blew, and the florist¡¯s business card fell to the side of the road and was swept up to the road. A speeding car passed by, dirtied, and scratched the business cards, and then they rolled into the drain with the wind and disappeared.

 Chapter 406

    406 Iing Enemies

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    How far was a hundred kilometers?

    This was almost the distance from the Spring Rain Pack to the edge of the Elf Forest. It would take more than an hour to cover it if one drove at full speed.

    The journey would have been much slower if it had been in the forest because the trees and shrubs that covered the sky and earth made it difficult for any means of transportation to move forward. If we didn¡¯t take the road, it was possible to spend three to five hours walking through the forest on foot.

    Did we have three to five hours to prepare?

    Obviously not, because the other party had the ability to jump through space, which meant that any obstacles were practically non-existent to them. Even the friction between the soles of their shoes and the road disappeared without a trace. Considering our estimated cooldown time, it was good enough that it gave us two hours to prepare!

    It just so happened that the timing was too coincidental. Although Gand City had already asked for help from other city-states, it was still being determined when this help woulde, judging from the history of the elf race¡¯s sweeping the snow in front of their doors.

    The defense of the city itself was not very strong. As it had not experienced the baptism of war for many years, the standard of the guards could only be said to be at the passing level. There were less than a thousand of them, barely enough to cover the entire city for security work. It was impossible to ask for anything else.

    There were only three city gates in Gand City. One faced the sea, while the others were connected to major traffic routes. In other words, two city gates needed to be heavily guarded.

    Of course, considering the style of these lunatics, the city gate might not be their target. It was already the 21st century. Could the strongest city wall resist modern military technology? The city walls of Gand City were less indestructible than those of the Elven Capital City, which had all kinds of runes and magic arrays. They were purely made of cement and bricks.

    Now, the most important thing was allocating the limited defensive forces. Including my men, we could only mobilize a little more than a thousand people. It was impossible to recruit civilians. Letting people who had no iron in their hands and no military training face the vicious evil cultists was wasting lives.

    Fortunately, we were well-prepared to take refuge. Master Hayley and the masters in Gand City had jointly built a temporary shelter. This shelter used a special method to condense my New Flow into a protectiveyer outside, which could effectively block and absorb evil power.

    Since this part of New Flow was temporarily separated from me, there was a limit to the amount of evil energy we could store. We couldn¡¯t let the cultists enter the city to kill and loot, so it was better to finish the battle outside the city.

    As soon as the mayor received the news, he arranged for the city¡¯s residents to take refuge in the shelter. The mayor, who was no longer young, was even prepared to fight in person to protect Gand City and fight the cultists to the death. Even the seemingly gentle and elegantdy of the city was ready to fight with her sword.

    Dorothy kept a close watch on the cultists attacking Gand City and reported their whereabouts to me at all times. As expected, they gave up on attacking from the side by the sea. I guessed it was because they had to go around to the northernmost side of Gand City, so it was easy for us to outnk them.

    The cultists were notrge in number, only a hundred or so. However, considering that they had an unsolvable evil power concentration and that each of them was likely to have been modified by the demon, thebat power of this group of less than a hundred people could bepared to an army that was several or even a dozen timesrger.

    Could Gand City survive this?

    I wasn¡¯t sure, but I had to do my best to keep Gand City safe.

    ¡°Thest ten kilometers,¡± Dorothy said. They¡¯re running at full speed toward the west gate, and they¡¯vepletely given up on the north and east gates. I don¡¯t find any traces of the wanderers anywhere else!¡±

    I immediately ordered everyone to be on guard.

    Some of the younger soldiers were trembling. I knew what they were afraid of. The rumors from Elven Capital City had be increasingly exaggerated as time passed. Those extremely vicious criminals had almost been demonized, and each of them had be an indestructible demon of the seventy-two sacred pirs.

    Rumors could always easily sway people¡¯s hearts. Now that it was their turn to face this group of thugs, how could they not be afraid and worried?

    However, there was no time for a pre-battle speech because arge flock of birds had already been startled in the distant forest. The sounds of movement gradually grew louder, and as the decisive battle approached, everyone became more and more serious.

    Finally, the enemy revealed their true colors!

    A group of weirdly-shaped wolves rushed toward Gand City. They had all kinds of deformed, sharp bones and ugly limbs. At first nce, one could tell they were the demon¡¯s products.

    Suddenly, a shiny object in the enemy¡¯s team attracted my attention.

    What was that thing? It was round and massive, shining with a dazzling light, just like... It was like a cocoon.

    At that moment, Dorothy¡¯s terrified voice rang in my mind, ¡°It¡¯s a light cocoon! Just now, the other party suddenly condensed a light cocoon!¡±

    At this moment, I was already stunned-a light cocoon. Of course, I could recognize what that was.

 Chapter 407

    407 Long-range Attack

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    My superior vision allowed me to see their every move. Their sinister faces, strange movements, nauseating appearances, and... The cracks on the light cocoon looked like ice breaking.

    The light cocoon...

    How could it be a light cocoon?

    In an instant, memories of the war between the werewolves and Adele¡¯s attack on Sivir Academy flooded me. A warning light shed in my mind, warning me: It was dangerous! It was dangerous! It was dangerous!

    It was certain that no matter what kind of monster would be hatched from the cocoon of light, if it had the powerful ability of the Wolf-Witch War, destroying a city would only take a few hours.

    It was toote to stop it from hatching. The visible patterns gradually grew around the cocoon, and the fine residue indicated that the monster in the light cocoon was about to break out of the shell. At this time, the other party was slightly more than a thousand meters away from Gand City.

    ¡°We can¡¯t let the light cocoon get close to the city!¡± I immediately told Gand City¡¯s mayor. ¡°Once the light cocoon hatches, destroying the entire city will be as easy as blowing off dust. There are so many civilians in the city even the shelter can¡¯t guarantee it can withstand the monster¡¯s attack!¡±

    Gand City¡¯s mayor panicked. ¡°Then, what should we do? Should we take the initiative to go out of the city to meet the enemy?¡±

    ¡°This is the only way. We have to keep them outside the city.¡±

    As a result, the guards stationed at the west gate were all dispatched, except for a small team that guarded the city at the back. The soldiers who received the order were puzzled, but these elven soldiers who had never faced a real battlefield had good discipline. They did not question theirmander¡¯s orders and faithfully carried out their duties.

    ¡°Shooters, get ready!¡± I raised the blue g, and the well-trained shooters immediately ran to the front and got into formation. Half of them held traditional bows and arrows, while the other half held modern firearms. Both the bow and the bullets had been specially modified, so they had a unique magical structure and physical characteristics.

    There was a limit to the magic structure of the weapon, and its power would be significantly reduced beyond a particr range. I patiently counted my steps and measured the distance between us.

    The other party was getting closer and closer, a thousand meters... Nine hundred meters... Eight hundred meters...

    After the enemy¡¯s vanguard entered the 700-meter range, I immediately ordered, ¡°Fire!¡±

    Like countless ancient myths and legends, the elves¡¯ talent and ability in long-range shooting weapons were unparalleled. A skilled archer could almost do a 100%-hit of the target. The specially processed arrows and bullets always seeded. In an instant, many of the vanguards on the other side had be porcupines andders.

    However, the enemy did not slow down because of this. These strange-looking wanderers seemed to have lost their sense of pain and perception as they charged forward like zombies.

    However, this was just as I expected. I thought of the rainy night when we were chasing Locke. Locke¡¯s aplices were like these deformed wanderers and became machines of violence.

    These wanderers must have been transformed by the evil power like them, so they had probably lost their independent consciousness and be puppets of violence.

    This round of long shots wasn¡¯t useless. Just as the distance between us and the other side was shortened to nearly 500 meters, a change urred.

    An invisible but real power spread out from the arrows and bullets. In a few seconds, they quickly linked together and wove into a strong, invisible to block the enemy¡¯s path.

    The wanderers didn¡¯t notice this at all. They rushed forward with all their might, and the result was that they hit the head-on. They knocked people down and quickly dragged theirpatriots behind them.

    It was a sess!

    Seeing this, I immediately ordered the archers to fire the next round of shots to tighten the invisible.

    And one could already guess; yes, these temporarily modified arrows and bullets were sealed with New Flow¡¯s concentrated power. This was originally a backup n prepared to absorb the evil power, but now it seemed there was no time to purify these mutated wanderers one by one.

    Then, another special quality of New Flow came in handy ¨C invisibility.

    I specifically ordered the archers to concentrate their arrows and bullets on the vanguards leading the charge. This way, we could nt a hidden post in front of the enemy¡¯s main force. Once the arrows and bullets were fired, the seals on their bodies would be removed within a few seconds, allowing me to control the concentrated New Flow within to form a to stop the enemy¡¯s advance.

    Now, it seemed that the n was very sessful. If New Flow could hold back Azazel, these demonic creations were not much stronger than their master. It was useless no matter how these irrational wanderers tried to destroy it.

    Now was a good time to catch a turtle in a jar. The cracks on the light cocoon were finer and denser, to the point that it was about to break out. Before the light cocoon hatched, we must try our best to annihte the enemy¡¯s forces. Otherwise, after the light cocoon hatched, we would have to divide most of our manpower to deal with the monsters.

    With the order, the guards moved out in full force. At this moment, we gave up on long-range attacks because, at the moment, it seemed that superficial physical injuries were not a big deal to the mutated werewolves.

 Chapter 408

    408 The Hatching

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The wounds caused by the arrows and bullets were still slowly healing. This was a little trick of the evil forces, so if we wanted to destroy them, we had to remove the evil forces from the bodies of the wanderers.

    I had already wrapped every soldier with the New Flow to prevent them from being infected by the evil power. It was also a backup n. As long as enough soldiers could get close to the mutant werewolves, the New Flow on their bodies would be enough to devour the evil power in the werewolf¡¯s body.

    While we were charging, the other party realized that struggling was useless, so they focused on observing us. Every single wanderer was in a battle stance.

    The battle was about to start!

    Strength was a werewolf¡¯s natural advantage, even more so for the mutated werewolves. My team members could resist after transforming into wolves, but the elves were in a terrible state. The mutated werewolves could easily destroy the elves in close proximity as if they were building blocks.

    However, the elves were not without their advantages. Compared to their cumbersome and deformed bodies, their flexibility and agility were many times stronger than the mutated werewolves. They could always avoid the mutated werewolves¡¯ fatal attacks in a way that caught them off guard. Many elves had even climbed onto the bodies of the mutated werewolves and locked their heads and joints, allowing New Flow to spread to the mutated werewolves.

    For a time, the two sides were locked in a stalemate.

    However, this stalemate meant that we were at a disadvantage. They had ten times the number of people on their side, but they could only maintain the stalemate. This was enough to show how difficult it was to deal with these mutated wanderers.

    I used my wings to fly. This wasn¡¯t the time to hide my abilities. As I assisted mypanions, I flew to the light cocoon. No one was guarding the light cocoon because there was no need to. Any attempt to attack the light cocoon would only elerate the hatching process.

    But even so, it was even more strange that no one was around the light cocoon. Where was the creator of the light cocoon?

    Suddenly, I heard a slight cracking sound. I immediately turned my attention to the light cocoon and was shocked to find that a fist-sized piece of its surface had already begun to peel off.

    I couldn¡¯t drag this on any longer. The light cocoon was about to hatch!

    Looking at the stalemate situation below me, I realized it was time to show some of my true abilities.

    ¡°Everyone, listen to my orders! We¡¯ll give up on annihting the enemy, and ourbat objective has changed to restrict the enemy¡¯s movements!¡±

    Following mymand, the soldiers fighting to the death with the mutated werewolves changed their strategy. Instead of looking for their fatal weakness, they focused on blocking the movements of the mutated werewolves.

    At this time, the agile nature of the elves appeared. Once entangled by them, even if you were as strong as Hercules, you could not think about falling off the human-shaped shackles.

    However, it was not the time to let their guard down. The elves had already suffered casualties in the battle, and their stamina was being depleted in an orderly manner. The resistance from the mutated werewolves was also rapidly depleting their stamina. After all, they were a group of newbies on the battlefield for the first time. Many of them were already at their limits.

    I quickly released New Flow and had it drown the mutated werewolves on the battlefield, one by one, and devour the evil power in their bodies.

    To my surprise, these evil powers did note from Azazel but from another old acquaintance ¨C Leviathan.

    This meant that the enemy we faced was not Azazel¡¯s party, which was trying to create an incarnation for Azazel in the human world, but another group of wanderers who worshipped Leviathan!

    I instantly looked at the light cocoon that was floating in the air. It was known that only powerful wizards or witches could create light cocoons, and werewolves didn¡¯t have this ability. Adele¡¯s magic power had been sealed, so there must be an unknown powerful wizard or witch in the other camp.

    I didn¡¯t know why, but I suddenly thought of a person ¨C Adele¡¯s foster father, the night magus, Kafka.

    Before this, I couldn¡¯t understand why the Leviathan followers would cooperate with Azazel¡¯s party and rescue Adele, who seemed to have nothing to do with them. But now that I thought about it; if Kafka was a Leviathan follower, then to save his adopted daughter, it would be reasonable for him to facilitate this cooperation, right?

    This light cocoon was created by Kafka, the leader of this team!

    The moment I guessed the truth, a change urred.

    The light cocoon¡¯s breathing-like halos paused for a few seconds before it suddenlypressed together and trembled violently.

    Dang!

    ¡°Retreat! Everyone, retreat immediately!¡± I shouted at the top of my voice, ¡°The light cocoon is about to explode. Run!¡±

    However, I was toote. The moment I finished speaking, the light cocoon, which had beenpressed to its limit, exploded!

    A burst of dazzling white light instantly overshadowed the sun¡¯s radiance, causing everyone present to lose their sight temporarily. As I was the closest to the cocoon, I received the most significant impact and was ruthlessly thrown to the ground from the air.

    I felt as if all my internal organs had been smashed to pieces. A few secondster, I realized that I hadn¡¯t be a pile of meat yet, thanks to the transformation I had given myself in that one minute.

 Chapter 409

    409 The Monster

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The other soldiers weren¡¯t so lucky. Even though I managed to cover most of them with New Flow in time, the physical impact was still unavoidable. Some of them were knocked unconscious by the impact, and only a few awake were unharmed. The rest were more or less injured.

    The only constion was that I finished devouring all of the mutated werewolves in time. Now, the mountains of meat lying limply on the ground were no longer a threat.

    Now, we only have one threat left.

    How should he describe it?

    The Cyclops in Greece mythology, or the terrifying sea demons that the Vikings spoke of. I¡¯d never seen the actual appearance of those monsters, but any record of them revealed a fearsome and powerful aura between the lines. Words could not seal the permanent impact of those monsters on people¡¯s hearts, so people still remembered their true faces even after thousands of years.

    For example, the ¡®monster¡¯ in front of me was not exactly a monster because it was not as ugly or strange as the stories imed. Instead, it could be considered ¡®beautiful¡¯.

    It seemed to have no physical body. A bright halo, like a burning me or an arctic cier, refracted the sun from head to toe. It wasn¡¯t huge, at most four meters tall. It was very tall, butpared to the huge light cocoon, it was like a deformed child.

    However, it was obvious that Kafka wouldn¡¯t produce a defective product to be nothing.

    The newborn monster was still adapting to the environment and did not make aggressive moves for a while. Taking advantage of this time, I ordered the soldiers who could still move to drag their injuredpanions away.

    Gand City¡¯s mayor was also seriously injured. His entire right arm had been broken. He wanted to stay and continue to protect his home, but his dominant hand had been broken, so hisbat power had been greatly reduced. Under my persuasion, he finally agreed to leave.

    Before he left with his guards, he handed me a badge and said, ¡°Take it with you. Good luck, child.¡±

    I didn¡¯t have time to look at the badge and put it in my pocket.

    Now, the number of people on the battlefield was rapidly decreasing. After the mutant werewolves were freed from the evil power¡¯s control, they became a pile of rotten meat. On the other hand, less than 10% of our soldiers were left to fight. Even my team members were seriously injured, and we had to withdraw many of them.

    Master Hayley had stayed in the city with the garrison from the beginning. Now, only Eve and Klein were standing beside me.

    However, the situation we were facing was not the worst.

    Just a minute after we evacuated the injured, the monster moved. It trembled like a puppet that was wound up for the first time. Its body, made of light, kept fusing and changing shape, even beginning to expand andpress, and finally formed a small light cocoon.

    ¡°Be careful!¡± I pushed away Eve, who was on the left and jumped away myself. The ce we were standing just now had be a big burnt pit caused by a hot magma-like light beam.

    It seemed that the monster¡¯s power was light.

    Finally, the monster began to exert its strength as if it hadpletely adapted to the environment and the mission. It began topress itself, and when it returned to its original position, it would release countless powerful and rapid beams of light. These beams of light were not as harmless as the surface. They were hot, sharp, and had an ufortable evil aura and strong corrosiveness. They could easily turn rocks and earth into ash.

    We tried to attack the monster while dodging the light beams, but it was like a ball of light. No physical attack had any effect on it. I tried to use the river to swallow it, but the result was shocking. The river could not find its target, as if the ring monster was just a shadow!

    This was the first time I¡¯d encountered something like this since I got hold of New Flow. No energy could escape New Flow¡¯s mouth. The monster hatched from the light cocoon was only a form of energy manifestation. How could it escape from New Flow¡¯s attack?

    The situation was utterly one-sided. The monster attacked us without restraint, and we could do nothing but dodge.

    The most dangerous part was that since New Flow could not devour the monster, it could not stop it either. This meant that the that New Flow had woven could not stop the monster from advancing!

    Even if the monster¡¯s pace was very slow, there woulde a time when it wouldplete the distance of a few hundred meters. If we didn¡¯t think of a way to dy it, Gand City would be in danger!

    Suddenly, ire eximed, ¡°Look over there! It¡¯s on fire!¡±

    I looked in the direction she was pointing at. The forest not far away had already started to burn. The fire was spreading very fiercely in the forest. It had already set arge area of nts on fire in a few breaths.

    This was bad! How could I have forgotten about this?

    The temperature of the light beams was extremely high, and they could easily set flowers and trees on fire. Even if we could avoid the monster¡¯s attacks, the nts couldn¡¯t!

 Chapter 410

    410 The Projection

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Once the forest outside of Gand City was set on fire, the most dangerous thing for the people in the city would not be the monsters, but the mes and smoke alone would kill countless people instantly!

    We didn¡¯t have the manpower to put out the fire, which was spreading in all directions.

    ¡°We can¡¯t wait any longer!¡± I said. ¡°Send a message to the city. Tell all the people to abandon the city and leave immediately. Evacuate to the nearest city-state!¡±

    Abandoning the city and evacuating was our final n. Once an uncontroble ident happened, the safety of the people had to be the priority, and the remaining troops were responsible for escorting them to the safer city-state nearby.

    However, this also meant that ourst support was gone, and we could only rely on the few people we had now to fight alone.

    ¡°What do we do now?¡± Eve and the others came to ask for my instructions. ¡°We can¡¯t stop it. At this speed, it¡¯ll reach Gand City in twenty minutes. Twenty minutes is not enough to evacuate all the residents in the city!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go ahead and dy it for now. We¡¯ll try everything we can.¡± I was also at my wit¡¯s end. I could only do my best. ¡°We¡¯ll try every minute we can.¡±

    At this moment, Dorothy suddenly said, ¡°Be careful of the east side. A group of unknown people had appeared there!

    ¡°Is it Kafka?¡± I asked quickly.

    ¡°No... It¡¯s not a Kafka, let me see... Ah! It¡¯s Azazel¡¯s party!¡±

    ¡°Azazel¡¯s party?¡±

    Why would Azazel¡¯s partye? Could it be that they and the Leviathan followers were trying to attack from the left and right? But didn¡¯t they already have internal strife and split up? Could it be that all the clues left behind were lies?

    There was no time to think about these. The worst thing was that our nned evacuation route was through the east gate!

    ¡°Send a message to the people to evacuate from the north gate and stay away from the east gate! Azazel¡¯s party is here!¡±

    Just as I finished speaking, a loud explosion suddenly erupted from the east. Following that, thick smoke rose like ink in water.

    ¡°The east gate has been breached!¡± the correspondent shouted. ¡°The mayor is leading the people to the north gate!¡±

    At the same time, Dorothy said in a serious tone, ¡°I didn¡¯t see any trace of Azazel¡¯s party from the beginning to the end. No, it¡¯s better to say there was no trace of Azazel¡¯s party as if these people had somehow removed the mark of nature. But that¡¯s impossible!

    ¡°The Grand Elder said that the nature symbol on their bodies was created by the Elf King, which means that he¡¯s representing the leader of the entire elven race to bring them the wrath of the entire elven race. Unless the Elf King himself or someone of the same status as him gives up the mark, the mark of nature can¡¯t be removed by itself!¡±

    But now, nature¡¯s tracking of Azazel¡¯s party had failed. A group of ordinary people obviously could not escape the eyes of the Goddess of Nature even with Azazel¡¯s help because the power of the demons would be significantly weakened in the territory of the Goddess of Nature.

    However, these problems had to be dyed because Gand City was nowpletely pincered from the left and right. The people had nowhere to go except the cliff in the north, which was equivalent to a dead end!

    ¡°Have you found any trace of Kafka?¡± I asked Dorothy.

    ¡°No,¡± she replied helplessly. ¡°I didn¡¯t even find any target with a trace of magic fluctuation. It was as if there was no such person as Kafka in the Elf Forest. However, this is impossible. The spell caster of the light cocoon cannot leave the 50-meter range of the light cocoon. Otherwise, the light cocoon will gradually weaken until it loses its effect.

    However, I couldn¡¯t find him within a 100-meter radius, let alone fifty meters. Could he be hiding in the forest? However, not to mention that the forest was burning with a raging fire. Just this distance had long exceeded the limit. The light cocoon should not be so strong that it was invincible.

    We tried everything we could to attack and block the monster, but it was all useless. No matter if it was physical or magical attacks, it was like hitting a mirage.

    Wait a minute.

    A mirage?

    I subconsciously looked down at the ground beneath the monster. As expected, there was no shadow.

    How could there be no shadow? Even if it was a ball of light, there should be a shadow as long as it existed. This shadow might not be the monster¡¯s, but no matter where it existed, it would cast a dark shadow on anything, be it a towering old tree or a tiny speck of dust.

    However, this monster made of light had no shadow. There was only one possibility ¨C it was a shadow itself.

    It did exist, but it was not the main body. Instead, it was a mirage of the main body the caster had projected into this space through some method. In addition to the shadow, the attacks of the main body were also transferred. The difference was that the shadow was only the shadow of the main body, while the attacks were real attacks from the main body. They were transferred over through some kind of spatial sorcery.

    A certain guess gradually formed in my mind. For this reason, I gathered mypanions and soldiers around me and said, ¡°Cover me! Draw the monster¡¯s attack toward me!¡±

    Eve and the others were shocked, ¡°What? This is too dangerous!¡±

 Chapter 411

    411 Kafka

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I had my n. I wanted to see if I could follow these attacks to the main body because the monster in front of us was probably just a projection!

    I didn¡¯t exin too much as there wasn¡¯t enough time. The others didn¡¯t stop me and cooperated with me to attract the monsters¡¯ attacks.

    As I dodged, I carefully observed every change from the formation of the light beams to the firing. I used my vision to the maximum. Finally, when a certain light beam formed, I captured a small circle of tiny fluctuations around it, as if hot air was distorting the air.

    I didn¡¯t need any magic talent to see the fluctuations because they were real distortions in space!

    It was now!

    The moment the beam of light was about to be shot out, I released New Flow andmanded it to follow the beam of light like a venomous snake toward the distorted space.

    It was so tiny that not even a thin piece of paper could pass through it. Thanks to New Flow¡¯s ability to transform at will, I tracked the other party¡¯s trail in less than a second after the tiny crack opened.

    New Flow¡¯s feedback told me that I¡¯d seeded. It was already entangled with the other one.

    I sensed the presence of the hideout in an instant, but I didn¡¯t understand that New Flow¡¯s response told me he was hiding in the north!

    Wasn¡¯t that where the people of Gand City were heading to?

    Now I finally understood the whole picture of the other party¡¯s n. The main force was, of course, the ferocious mutant werewolves. The light cocoon¡¯s projection would undoubtedly increase their determination to break into Gand City.

    However, I had long been in contact with the cultists, and it was not surprising that they knew I had some strange abilities that could devour evil forces.

    As a result, the military forces at the west gate could not guarantee their sess, so another force used some method to shield themselves from natural surveince and went to the east gate to attack from both sides. However, the people in the city were not fools. Naturally, they would not sit still and wait for death. Thus, the only choice left was to escape to the north.

    At this time, Kafka was waiting at the north gate with the light cocoon¡¯s main body, which was the perfect time for the people to walk into the trap.

    What a vicious scheme! Clearly, the other party wanted not only the gand but the lives of the entire Gand City!

    It was still too early to think about why the other party was doing this. The most important thing was to take drastic measures. Only by subduing Kafka could we solve the problem of the light cocoon. Otherwise, we would never be able to deal with this projection.

    ¡°Give up this ce! Head to the north gate, where Kafka and the monster¡¯s main body are!¡± I immediately retreated with the rest of the people. ¡°Tell the people evacuating through the north gate to stop and return to the shelter. Now, it¡¯s useless no matter which direction we escape. Rather than falling into a trap, it¡¯s better to hide in a safe ce now!¡±

    Although I sent out the message, I didn¡¯t know if everything would happen in time, so I rushed to the north gate as soon as possible.

    ¡°Are we just going to leave the east side alone?¡± Eve asked.

    ¡°Whatever, we don¡¯t have that many people. Even if they had enough manpower, it would be useless to fight with a projection. Only by dealing with the main body could we solve this problem. I know this will bring losses to Gand City, but the price of war is never free. Only if we win can we make the other party pay for everything they have done.¡±

    To shorten the time, I flew over. As a result, even though I managed to find Kafka in time before the people arrived, my backup had yet to arrive. For the time being, it took a lot of work to say who would win.

    He was a mysterious guy. There were very few pictures or portraits of him in the outside world. I¡¯d never seen what he looked like. In my imagination, he was nothing more than a skinny old man with a sinister face.

    However, if the person standing in front of me now was Kafka himself, then I supposed he was absolutely different from what most people imagined him to be ¨C not to mention an ¡®evil wizard¡¯ ¨C he didn¡¯t even look like a wizard.

    If it weren¡¯t for his distinctive ck robe, he would look like an ordinary middle-aged man with nothing special. If you saw him on the street, you would immediately think he was an ordinary middle-aged man going home to celebrate his daughter¡¯s birthday.

    It was this ¡®ordinary¡¯ man who had caused many irreversible tragedies in the past. And today, he had set his sights on Gand City. For some unknown reason, he had tried to take the lives of the entire city.

    I began to suspect his true purpose because this man didn¡¯t seem to be interested in the gand of the Goddess of Nature. The light cocoon¡¯s projection was able to easily break through the city gates, but he allowed a group of mutated werewolves, who were suppressed by me, to lead the charge. He didn¡¯t even think about stealing in the chaos, let alone stealing.

    What was his purpose? The lives of the people in Gand City? Or was it just an evil nature to stir up trouble?

    He wasn¡¯t surprised to see me here, as New Flow, wrapped around his body, had given him plenty of hints.

 Chapter 412

    412 Twenty Minutes

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°Ah, we finally meet, Your Highness.¡± He treated me like we were familiar, as if he had heard of me long ago.

    ¡°Kafka?¡± I cautiously stood in front of him. This was the main body. The blinding light behind him already indicated his true identity.

    ¡°It¡¯s my honor to be remembered by you.¡± Kafka slowly bowed, revealing his body covered in thick ck mist. ¡°You¡¯ve never met me, but I¡¯ve seen you. My daughter has offended you in the past. As her father, I would like to extend my sincere apologies.¡±

    ¡°So it was you who took Adele away,¡± I said calmly. ¡°Where is she?¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t worry. Adele is my precious daughter. I won¡¯t do anything to her.¡± Although he said that, he didn¡¯t seem to care about Adele much. He talked about her as if she was his dog.

    I looked around but couldn¡¯t find anyone hiding. Dorothy also said that she didn¡¯t see any traces of Adele.

    There was no doubt that Adele must have used some means to avoid the mark of nature like her adoptive father, but where else could he put her if not with him? Adele didn¡¯t have any power to protect herself now, and she was mentally unstable. Wasn¡¯t he worried that she would have an ident?

    Perhaps he really didn¡¯t.

    With his superior hearing, he could vaguely hear the loud noise from the east. It seemed that Kafka didn¡¯te alone, so it wasn¡¯t a strange decision to leave his daughter with an ally.

    ¡°No matter what you want to do, you¡¯re doomed to fail,¡± I said as I looked at the monster behind him. ¡°No matter how many light cocoons there are, you won¡¯t be able to help. If you know me, you¡¯ll understand why.¡±

    Kafka sighed as if he didn¡¯t want to fight me head-on.

    ¡°Alright, alright. I knew that this was a n that was destined to fail.¡± He frowned slightly as if worried, but it turned into an indifferent void in the end. ¡°It¡¯s not clear to challenge a strong enemy who can restrain you. It¡¯s also a virtue to know when to retreat.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t stand his hypocritical tone and said bluntly, ¡°It¡¯s useless to say anything. Not only will you fail today, but you¡¯ll also be stuck here forever. An uninvited guest should be aware of facing the host¡¯s anger.¡±

    After saying that, I didn¡¯t want to wait even a minute longer. Like an arrow that had left the bow, I rushed toward Kafka.

    However, the famous night magus wasn¡¯t to be trifled with. He used some unknown method to suddenly disappear from where he was standing, leaving only the monster still emitting a beam of light in front of me.

    I came just in time. If I couldn¡¯t deal with Kraft, I could deal with this monster first. I immediately had New Flow wrap the monster up and devour this pathetic man-made creature. The monster did not have any consciousness at all. It did not realize that it was about to die. It continued to emit light beams at the space tunnels opened by the wizard¡¯s spell.

    Loud noises had already begun toe from Gand City. It was unknown whether it was Azazel¡¯s party in the east, the projection of the monster that broke through the gate first, or both.

    After calcting the approximate speed of both sides, I realized that I couldn¡¯t end the battle quickly. If I couldn¡¯t get rid of Kafka in ten minutes, then either Azazel¡¯s party or the monster projection would be able to reach the shelter.

    Due to technical limitations, there was a limit to the area of New Flow wrapped around the sanctuary, and it could not immediately feed me the power of devouring like what New Flow, connected to me, had. If it were to suffer from an attack simr to the light beam, it would, at mostst for another ten minutes or so before reaching the limit of devouring.

    In other words, I only have twenty minutes left.

    I didn¡¯t know what kind of spell he used, but he dodged my attacks like a ghost. He knew that most of his attacks were useless against me, but I couldn¡¯t attack him either. The two of us were in a stalemate, but this was the reality of my defeat.

    I¡¯d already absorbed most of the monster¡¯s energy, and the remaining energy couldn¡¯t be used to fire the light beam. It¡¯d turn into my afternoon tea in ten seconds. However, his master, Kafka, was obviously much more intelligent than this stupid big guy. He dug ¡®escape holes¡¯ for him everywhere. If he really did escape, I would give him a new nickname, ¡®rat¡¯, on the wanted order.

    As the monster grew weaker, even the spatial tunnel on its body was gradually copsing. Observing the tiny cracks, I suddenly had a thought. If the beam of light left the monster¡¯s body through the spatial rift, what was the link between the energy controlling the monster and the monster?

    Any spell would leave behind magic fluctuations, and the creation of the light cocoon was no exception. This meant that if I wanted to control the monster created by the light cocoon, I would have to maintain the light cocoon spell, and my magic power would have to be connected to the monster.

    In other words, as long as I find traces of magic fluctuations, I could follow that to find the melon and find traces of Kafka, who could be hiding anywhere!

    And so, before the monster disappeared, I spared its life and had New Flow carefully sense the minute differences in the magic fluctuations.

 Chapter 413

    413 A Move Higher

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    There was no doubt that Kafka was a cunning and powerful wizard. I could find his traces from his magic fluctuations, so he would have taken precautions against such an apparent loophole. One of us was searching while the other was hiding. We had inexplicably fallen into a strange bnce.

    However, I didn¡¯t have much time to waste.

    Just as we were in a stalemate, I suddenly heard mypanions¡¯ shouts not far away. Eve and the others hade!

    ¡°Your Highness, what¡¯s the situation? Are we toote?¡± Eve shouted from a distance.

    ¡°You¡¯re notte. You¡¯vee at the right time!¡± I replied to them. At the same time, a n slowly formed in my mind.

    The open space in front of the north gate was very wide. There were countless nts in addition to the craggy rocks and cliffs. I didn¡¯t know how long it would take for me to y hide-and-seek with Kafka aimlessly.

    Eve, Klein, a few werewolf members, and elven soldiers soon arrived at the quiet ¡®battlefield¡¯. While maintaining the light cocoon¡¯s dying life force, I silently wrapped New Flow around mypanions.

    I didn¡¯t say anything; they didn¡¯t need to know anything. A temporary and wonderful tacit understanding was born from the catalyst of the battlefield. I didn¡¯t need to exin anything as they silently dispersed with my hand signal.

    The creator of the light cocoon couldn¡¯t leave the fifty-meter radius of the light cocoon, which meant that the range of Kafka¡¯s activity was limited. The light cocoon was a destruction machine for Gand City but also a restriction for him.

    Obviously, New Flow couldn¡¯t travel through space. It could only move about in the current dimension, which meant I couldn¡¯t use the same method I used to capture the mutated werewolves to search for Kafka.

    However, he couldn¡¯t stay in a fixed space forever. I didn¡¯t know if it was because of the restriction of this spell or some other reason, but who cares? In short, this kind of spatial magic that was almost impossible to deal with gave me a chance to break out of this situation because of this minor w.

    When Kafka was changing dimensions, there would be magic fluctuations. This kind ofrge movement was less stable than maintaining the light cocoon. Previously, I had used this method to determine Kafka¡¯s position, but due to the distance and time, he had escaped every time.

    Now, we¡¯d divided the space within a 100-meter radius ording to the number of people we have. This way, the distance that each person had to share was within our capabilities. No matter where Kafka was, we¡¯d have enough time to switch spaces.

    The situation had beenpletely reversed, and it was only a matter of time before he was caught.

    Ten seconds passed.

    Twelve seconds.

    Fifteen seconds ...

    Suddenly, I sensed a violent fluctuation from the light cocoon. Almost at the same time, the dying monster began to dissipate rapidly.

    Kafka forcefully cut off the connection with the light cocoon. He discovered our n and was running away!

    However, this also meant that he would perform a spatial transformation in the next second. I immediately roared in anger, and mypanions¡¯ spirits were lifted.

    The next moment, I felt obvious magic fluctuationsing from behind Klein.

    ¡°Klein! Behind you!¡±

    I immediately warned Klein to be careful, and New Flow, wrapped around him, swarmed him.

    He was a cunning rat, but even the most cunning rat would fall into a trap one day. I almost let him escape. He tried to use Klein to distract me, but just as he was about to disappear, New Flow caught one of his fingers and swarmed him, instantly wrapping him up.

    New Flow continuously devoured magic power, and of course, Kafka¡¯s space magic failed.

    He fell hard on the ground and could no longer maintain hisposure. Without the protection of his spells, he was easily wounded by the tight river and the rough ground, which made it even more difficult for him to move.

    Kafka had just attacked Klein, so Eve had pulled him aside for an examination. I slowly walked to Kafka and chuckled as I looked at his face that was no longer calm. ¡°Thank you for letting me win, Sir. It seems that I¡¯m one step ahead of you.¡±

    Kafka had no choice but to turn over and say while gasping, ¡°Perhaps, Your Highness. You¡¯ve made me see you in a new light.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s really offensive for trash like you to look at me in such a high respect.¡± I kicked him in the ribs. It wouldn¡¯t hurt him, but it was enough to stop him from saying anything weird. ¡°Your doomsday ising, the famous night magus. For your evil deeds at this moment, for the heinous sins you havemitted before.¡±

    He didn¡¯t panic. A pervert like him, who had been infected by evil, might have long scoffed at the so-called punishment and life and death. I didn¡¯t waste any more time talking to him. I asked New Flow to wrap him up a few times more tightly, then took him and mypanions to the shelter.

    Even though I was mentally prepared, I was still shocked by what I saw in Gand City. The light cocoon lived up to its reputation from the Wolf-Witch war. Almost half of the city razed to the ground in just a short while.

 Chapter 414

    414 Who Will Win?

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    There were almost no traces of civilization to the west of the city-state, not even the ¡®ruins¡¯.

    The destruction stopped just two or three kilometers away from the shelter, which made me a little scared. Fortunately, I had taken care of Kafka. The consequences would have been unimaginable if it had dragged on for another minute.

    We rushed to the shelter and heard deafening roars and wails from afar.

    Almost all of the existing forces were outside the shelter to fight against the other mutant werewolves. Even the wounded Gand City¡¯s mayor used his recovered arm to fight against the enemy.

    ¡°Hey! Be careful!¡± I flew over to help him kick away a wanderer who tried to sneak attack and broke his neck with a backhand.

    ¡°Thank you, child!¡± The mayor shook away a wanderer that was pouncing on him. These wanderers seemed to be mutating as well. He pulled the elven soldiers who had fallen to the ground and quickly retreated to the protection range of New Flow.

    ¡°How¡¯s the situation?¡± I asked.

    The mayor shook his head and said with a serious face, ¡°It was very difficult for us to resist. These mutated wild dogs are very difficult to deal with. If our people are not careful, they will be in danger of contamination. I could only get most of the injured to get the civilians to the shelter. Fortunately, you came in time. Otherwise, we don¡¯t know how long we could havested.¡±

    New Flow was a dimension-lowering attack to any force, and the howling mutated werewolves were quickly eradicated. However, not all wanderers were contaminated by evil forces. After seeing the few remaining members of Azazel¡¯s party who could stand up on the battlefield, I immediately realized that there was still a tough battle to fight.

    Behind Locke and some of the old faces who had attacked the pce that day was Adele, still in a daze. She didn¡¯t care about the battlefield but just stared at the vast sky.

    ¡°Locke, it¡¯s you.¡± I stared at his frivolous eyes and almost couldn¡¯t suppress the anger in my heart.

    ¡°Good Morning, Your Highness.¡± Locke bowed exaggeratedly andughed. ¡°Fate has brought us together. Fate has given us so many disgraceful opportunities to meet.¡±

    I didn¡¯t want to argue with him, so I said, ¡°So you¡¯ve now changed from a Leviathan follower to ackey of Azazel? Speaking of which, you seemed to have sworn to give up everything for the descent of Azazel back at the Rocky Mountains. It¡¯s suspicious. Who did you sell your soul to? Or are Leviathan and Azazel so close that they can share one fan base?¡±

    Lockeughed exaggeratedly. ¡°You¡¯re so sharp! Unfortunately, those big shots don¡¯t care about such a provocation. Of course, I¡¯m loyal to my Lord, but if it¡¯s for my Lord, it¡¯s fine to give a little bit of loyalty to others asionally.¡±

    So he was indeed a Leviathan follower, but why was he leading the believers of Azazel?

    And what about Kafka? Did he worship Leviathan or Azazel?

    I looked at the half-unconscious Kafka wrapped up in the river and felt there must be some secret plot between the two.

    ¡°We¡¯ve lost today¡¯s battle,¡± Locke said dejectedly, but he didn¡¯t seem to care about it, as if the corpses on the ground were not his ¡®colleagues¡¯. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter. No matter what, we have achieved our goal.¡±

    They had achieved their goal?

    The gand of the Goddess of Nature!

    I immediately gave the mayor a look. He looked at me and nodded.

    The gand was still safe?

    What did Locke mean by that?

    Did they note for the gand? They had no reason to attack Gand City. They couldn¡¯t havee here to waste their limited power, right?

    As I was puzzled, Dorothy suddenly said anxiously, ¡°Something happened, Selma! There was an attack at the southwest border. A small group of wanderers escaped the search of the patrol team and went missing at the edge of the Elf Forest!¡±

    What?

    I suddenly looked up at Loke¡¯s smiling yet not smiling face. I suddenly had the answer to everything.

    A n to lure the tiger out of the mountain! We¡¯d fallen for such a clumsy scheme!

    Be it the team of mutant werewolves in the west of the city or Azazel¡¯s party led by Locke, they might not be the main force here to fight for the gand of the Goddess of Nature as we thought.

    The other party guessed that we would be on guard, so they made a bold decision to use most of the living forces as bait and put me and the entire elf race¡¯s attention on Gand City, so that the people who secretly nned to escape could do so through the southwest border with weak defense.

    Therge-scale city-states on the southwest border, Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter, had all be ghost towns, and their defenses were weak. And we subconsciously thought that these wanderers would not be bold enough to escape back to the werewolves. Thus, the southwest border became a blind spot!

    However, after thinking through this, there was another problem. The gand of the Goddess of Nature was fine, and there was no news of any theft in the Elven Capital CIty. What did the cultists take away?

    Suddenly, I recalled the many legends that Klein had told me.

 Chapter 415

    415 The Sand

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    They were both relics of the Goddess of Nature and symbols of life and vitality, so how could ordinary wild fruits like the nitraria fruit be inferior to the gand of the Goddess of Nature?

    I suddenly realized that from the very beginning, we had fallen into a blind spot in our thinking; only the precious ones were worthy of being offered as tributes to Azazel.

    However, after thinking about it carefully, wasn¡¯t this idea aplete facy?

    Could it be that the cultists who could not find any precious relics in the corners would not carry out the evil sacrifice? Didn¡¯t Ryan summon Leviathan¡¯s projection with such a simple ritual and sacrifice?

    Moreover, in terms of life force, the leaves and branches of the mother tree were more than enough. More sacrifices provided a reasonable excuse for Azazel¡¯s arrival, a medium that the rules could ept. In that case, the gand of the Goddess of Nature was not as attractive as before. In the territory of the Goddess of Nature, there were nts that represented the blessing of life everywhere!

    ¡°It seems that you already know.¡± Locke smiled and shook his head. ¡°Unfortunately, it¡¯s toote.¡±

    I immediately flew up to Locke and pinned him down on the rough ground before anyone could react. At the same time, New Flow surged out and tied up the rest of the gang tightly.

    ¡°You¡¯ll pay for what you¡¯ve done,¡± I swore through gritted teeth. ¡°I swear in the name of the goddess, in my name, I¡¯ll make all those who yed me pay the price!¡±

    Lockeughed hysterically, and myrades immediately came forward to take these people into custody.

    ¡°What happened?¡± The mayor and the others surrounded me, clearly very worried about my loss of self-control.

    I tousled my messy hair and sighed silently. ¡°We¡¯ve been tricked. These people have no intention of stealing the gand. I don¡¯t know what their aplices have taken as a substitute, but they¡¯ve already broken through the weak southwest border and escaped.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Everyone was shocked. ¡°But the mark of nature is still restricting them. They shouldn¡¯t be able to leave the Elf Forest!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s where the problem lies.¡± I looked at the wanderers tied up like Christmas gift boxes and became increasingly confused. ¡°Now it seems they have mastered ways to shield themselves from nature. They can freely control whether they want to be exposed to Nature¡¯s vision. I even suspect that they intentionally revealed their whereabouts to us initially to dy more time and attract more attention.¡±

    This was almost a 100% sure thing. The mark of nature had been blocked or deceived, so all the restrictions on the wanderers had lost their effect.

    This battle had destroyed more than half of Gand City, and countless elves had lost their homes. The only thing to be happy about was that there were no civilian casualties.

    Some elven soldiers were sacrificed in the face of the mutated werewolves. Compared to the contamination of evil power, the pure physical damage took away their lives instantly, and they did not even have time to heal.

    Standing on a broken wall, the mayor of Gand City was in deep silence. He silently looked at the sky in the distance. I saw tears quietly filling his eyes.

    ¡°My condolences.¡± It would be useless to say anything, so I could onlyfort him like this. ¡°They are all heroes who have protected their home and country. May the Goddess of Nature bless them to enjoy eternal happiness in the Holy Garden.¡±

    The mayor did not say anything but sighed heavily. After a long while, he said, ¡°Gand City is not a big city that attracts attention. For nearly a thousand years, time seems to have stopped here. Everything is happening in an orderly manner. It seems that a peaceful life will stop here forever.

    ¡°But thefortable life also made us degenerate. Our ancestors¡¯ brave determination and alert vignce were worn down by prosperity day after day. So much so that when fate made a disaster befall this ce, we panicked and watched as our home was destroyed.

    ¡°These children... I know every single one of them. I personally selected these young warriors and gave them agile skills and fearless wisdom. I also gave them soft expectations. However, I had forgotten how cruel war could be. I also forgot that training a soldier was not like training a warrior from a myth. There were only two oues for a soldier: either they survived or died. Other than that, the so-called determination and honor are not worth mentioning. Nothing can bepared to life.

    ¡°I¡¯m responsible for the deaths of these children. I¡¯ve been immersed in a peaceful life for so long that I¡¯ve forgotten the responsibilities of a mayor.¡±

    At this moment, the elf who was born into a family famous for his longevity seemed to have aged a hundred years in an instant, and his serious regret almost crushed his shoulders.

    The mayor of Gand City waved his hand and sprinkled a handful of blood-stained sand. The sand flew in the gentle wind, nimbly drawing a spiral trajectory, and quietly disappeared into the distant horizon in thepany of dead leaves and smoke.

 Chapter 416

    416 The Escape

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    There was still a lot of work to be done in Gand City, but we obviously couldn¡¯t participate. The situation at the southwest border was urgent, and Aldrich, who received the news, also led his troops to guard the Spring Rain Pack. I had to return to the Elven Capital City immediately to carry out the next step of my n, to stay or leave.

    I purified thend of Gand City from head to toe to ensure that there would be no trace of evil power left here. Before I left, I asked the mayor if the gand of the Goddess of Nature was safe. He said, ¡°We¡¯ve been upying the goddess¡¯ legacy for too long, and it has been proven that such an approach is of no benefit. The goddess¡¯ gand is safe, and I think it will be of greater value in the future.¡±

    The Elven Capital City sent out a small team to receive us and those cunning captives. The one leading the team was Kaya.

    ¡°Thank God you¡¯re safe.¡± She was relieved to see us and the captives tied up. ¡°The capital is in a mess. If anything happens to you, I really don¡¯t know where to go next.¡±

    I asked Kaya if she knew anything about the situation at the southwest border. Kaya frowned and said, ¡°Ever since the four cities of Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter became ghost towns, arge area of the southwest border¡¯s defense has been emptied. The other city-states did not have time to seal it off, and the wanderers disappeared into the ghost towns.

    The borders of the werewolves were also on high alert. At the very least, I hadn¡¯t received any reports of the wanderers¡¯ tracks, so it was highly likely that they hadn¡¯t left the Elf Forest.

    After I returned to the capital, I could feel that the atmosphere had changed dramatically from when I left. The Council of Elders hurriedly took half an hour out of their schedule to meet me. The Great Elder¡¯s ashen face made me suspect that he would meet the Goddess of Nature in the next second.

    Although Gand City still suffered huge losses, at least we eradicated most of the cultists¡¯ effective forces and captured their leader. This could be considered a morale-boosting victory, but it still couldn¡¯t dispel the haze hovering over the Elf Forest.

    I told the Council of Elders about the disappearance of the mark of nature. They were even more confused than I was because there had never been a historical situation where someone could deceive nature. Unless this power was even stronger than the Goddess of Nature, it was impossible.

    Even the power of Azazel and Leviathan would be suppressed in the natural forest, not to mention the cultists who relied on others¡¯ breath.

    But now, there was no time to deal with these minor details. The cultists that disappeared at the southwest border were a thorn in everyone¡¯s heart. What the heretic cult believers had stolen as a sacrifice was still unknown. None of the city-states had discovered any theft of treasures.

    The Council of Elders had thought of the limitations of the offerings. They were worried that if the cultists had only collected somemon items, the screening work would be almost a bottomless pit.

    The gentle elves were not much better at interrogating their enemies than other races, let alone dealing with their mortal enemies. I was busy discussing the follow-up n with Dorothy and had no time to pay attention to the status of the captives. Eve went to take a look and said that the elves had not been able to get anything out of Locke and the others.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Adele?¡± I suddenly thought of the pale and dull woman. ¡°How is she?¡±

    ¡°The elves haven¡¯t interrogated her yet because of her mental state.¡± Eve shook her head. ¡°She¡¯s in a very bad state. Her crazy appearance made the elves think that keeping her alive was a hidden danger, so they began to consider dealing with her in advance.¡±

    Locke, Kafka, and the others could be left to the elves to deal with. Unless they had a spy within them, I was not worried that the elves would let go of these enemies who had a blood feud with them.

    But Adele couldn¡¯t be left to the elves. I was sure she couldn¡¯t do anything bad in her current state. Not to mention that she was the daughter of the southern Duke. Neither I, the southern Duke, nor the werewolves would allow Adele to fall into the hands of outsiders.

    There was nothing much left for me to do in the elf territory. After some discussion, I decided to take my team to the southwest border to find traces of the remaining cultists and then leave the Elf Forest. But before that, I had to get Adele back.

    Of course, the Council of Elders rejected my request.

    ¡°Unless you can give us a reason that we can¡¯t refuse, I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t do as you say,¡± the Great Elder said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if the witch is crazy or stupid. She¡¯s the enemy of the elves. Even if I let her go with you, how will I exin it to the public? The mayor and the nobles will not agree to it.¡±

    The simplest way was to tell them about Adele¡¯s origin, but this was a secret within the werewolf pack, let alone to outsiders. The Council of Elders was unwilling to give in no matter what, and I had to take Adele away. For this, we had no choice but to be in a deadlock for a whole day.

    However, before this could be resolved, a sensational ident happened.

    The captured Locke, Kafka, and the others killed the guards and ran away.

 Chapter 417

    417 House Arrest

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I didn¡¯t know why, but when I heard about the jailbreak, my first reaction wasn¡¯t anxiety or anger. Instead, I felt that ¡®what was supposed toe was finally here¡¯.

    Was Locke a mole? He could dig a hole and run out no matter where he was locked.

    This time, there were no ferocious mutated werewolves to support him. It was obvious that a spy had released Locke.

    I took back my previous trust in the elves. For him to do something like this, he was either a demon¡¯sckey or had a blood feud with the elves.

    The Elven Capital City was immediately put under martialw, and a search wasunched throughout the city. The surrounding areas were also immediately searched inch by inch to prevent anyone from escaping. However, after a day of vigorous search, not to mention Locke and Kafka¡¯s group, they didn¡¯t even find a single strand of wolf hair.

    As a result, I was dyed by another day. The Spring Rain Pack urged me to take action, but the current situation made me change my previous thoughts. Now was not the best time to leave the Elf Forest.

    Putting aside this hugemotion, was I doubtful of myself now just because I was anxious to leave? Based on the fact that Locke escaped, based on my previous encounter with him, this b*stard must have left some cards up his sleeve. If I didn¡¯t handle it well, there would be endless trouble.

    I dyed my departure, but mypanions didn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°I have a feeling that if we don¡¯t leave now, something bad will happen in the future.¡± Due to her connection with nature, Dorothy did not have the extra energy to use the Eye of Insight for the time being. She could not even make a single prophecy, but this did not affect her superior intuition as a witch of prophecy.

    ¡°But we can¡¯t leave as we please.¡± Through the thick nnel curtains of the Embassy, I saw a constant stream of serious-looking, fully-armed soldiers hurrying past. ¡°Now the entire elven race is in a state of wariness. If we leave now, we¡¯ll undoubtedly be sshing non-existent dirty water on ourselves.¡±

    Eve didn¡¯t understand. ¡°But if we want to harm the elves, we don¡¯t have to help them at all. I don¡¯t think they¡¯re stupid enough to not be able to distinguish between friend and foe.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but there are spies in the elven race. They can¡¯t even trust themselves, let alone outsiders.¡±

    As expected, trouble came knocking on my door before I could contact the Council of Elders.

    A ¡®temporary public order squad¡¯ made up of soldiers, nobles, and representatives of the people came to the embassy.

    It was obvious that this makeshift team had a clear hierarchy. The blond aristocrat boy with his raised brow was the leader, and the others were just subordinates.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to inform you that the entire capital¡¯s outer passageways are now closed due to a suspect¡¯s escape. I¡¯m afraid your diplomatic mission¡¯s return n will have to be dyed.¡± His words were polite, but his expression waspletely different. ¡°There will be a temporary public order squad taking over the security work of the entire capital. As the person in charge of this area, I am honored to serve you all during this special period.¡±

    He kept looking at the green cloth and handcuffs on his belt. I did not doubt that, in his eyes, everyone in charge could be rted to Locke¡¯s escape. In short, we were spies.

    However, this stupid brat still wet behind the ears wasn¡¯t worth my attention. I ignored the crooked hand-drawn badge on his green cloth and directly asked, ¡°We¡¯re also sorry that we can¡¯t cooperate with your work for the time being. As foreign emissaries, we will only listen to your government¡¯s arrangements. If you have anything else to say, please bring the warrant of the Council of Elders.¡±

    The other party had expected that we wouldn¡¯t be obedient, so the golden-haired boy smiled. He took out a bucket-shaped package wrapped in silk ribbons and wax and handed it to me.

    ¡°As the first-in-line sessor to His Majesty, the Elf King, at this critical moment, ording to tradition, His Highness the Crown Prince has the right to temporarily act as His Majesty¡¯s proxy. This is his approval for the temporary public order squad. Even if the elders are here, they can¡¯t do anything.¡±

    ¡°The Crown Prince?¡± This was beyond my expectations. ¡°But as far as I know, the Elf King handed all the power to the interim government before he fell asleep. Did the owner of yournd change again without my knowledge?¡±

    This golden-haired kid was furious. He forcefully stuffed the agreement into Eve¡¯s arms and said, ¡°No matter what, the Crown Prince¡¯s right to govern the elven race is irrefutable. Please cooperate with us and don¡¯t cause any more trouble. No one can guarantee what will happen in these troubled times if you insist on acting willfully.¡±

    This could be considered a tant threat. With a nce and smile, I stopped Eve, who was about to scold him. ¡°Alright, I have no choice but to lower my head under someone¡¯s low roof. If there¡¯s nothing else, please leave. The embassy still has work to do.¡±

 Chapter 418

    418 Opportunistic

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The moment the other party left, Dorothy frowned and said, ¡°This is a tant house arrest.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± I nodded, took the consent form from Eve¡¯s arms, and threw it into the trash can. ¡°It¡¯s house arrest. It seems that we¡¯re not very lucky. We¡¯ve been very careful, but we still managed to make it in time for the internal strife of the elves.¡±

    Eve¡¯s old profession was to search for information, so she had seen many conspiracies and tricks. But the elves¡¯ choice to have internal strife at this time was also eye-opening for her. ¡°Now? Are they still mentally sound?¡±

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s normal. They wouldn¡¯t have chosen such a time if it¡¯s not normal.¡± I could guess what the Crown Prince was thinking. The so-called coup and ovepping of power are just a few shows. ¡°The country is in trouble, but it¡¯s also an opportunity for some people. It is only when power is on the verge of copse that people can easily take it into their pockets. How can you say it is not smart to choose this time?

    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that being smart doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s right. For the elves, we can¡¯t say whether the current situation is good or bad. Maybe when we start from the Elf Forest, the history book will have to be changed again.¡±

    Of course, we couldn¡¯t adhere to the Crown Prince¡¯s order obediently. To put it bluntly, even if it were the elves, how many of them would listen to him? In terms of power, he did not have an orthodox interim government. In terms of interpersonal rtionships, he was not as connected as the president. In terms of strength, which major mayor in the Elven Capital City was not more powerful than him?

    It was impossible to call for hundreds of people to respond to him at this unstable time of the year just by relying on his bloodline. No one would buy his words, and his dignity and power would soon copse like a castle in the air.

    However, this was also what I was puzzled about.

    I didn¡¯t think the Elf King would want to turn his eldest son into a fool. In that case, the Crown Prince should have some basic political literacy. How could he not know that his current prestige was just an illusion? If he knew, then he should be even more low-key now. What gave him the courage to make such bold moves?

    ¡°Can we still contact the Great Elder? Where¡¯s Mr. Cage?¡± I asked Dorothy.

    She replied helplessly, ¡°The Great Elder has been looking for me all this time, and I¡¯ve contacted him through the Soul Sparrow whenever I need him. However, he obviously can¡¯te now, and I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s safe to let the Soul Sparrow out. As for my father... We didn¡¯t leave any contact information. Father is still afraid that the curse would affect me, so he tried his best to avoid meeting me unnecessarily.¡±

    Speaking of which, I was not worried about the Great Elder, but I was still not sure about Cage¡¯s safety. Cage didn¡¯t seem to like his best friend¡¯s son, and the Crown Prince didn¡¯t seem to respect his father¡¯s best friend, either. Instead, he would gnash his teeth every time he saw him. There must be a grudge between them that we didn¡¯t know about.

    I couldn¡¯t allow Dorothy to rashly release the Soul Sparrow. There were so many elves here who were extremely sensitive to nature, and there was no guarantee that the Soul Sparrow¡¯s sparrow-like mimicry would be able to hide from these beloved creatures of nature. However, we couldn¡¯t just stay here. There were more ¡®patrolling¡¯ soldiers outside the window. Who knew if they were really patrolling or taking the opportunity to monitor us?

    Master Hayley suggested, ¡°Should we send a message to the pce? We could use diplomatic means to solve our problem.¡±

    Activating the diplomatic procedure was the most useful trump card, but I didn¡¯t agree. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that even Father¡¯s personal negotiations will not help. Who should we send the diplomatic decree to with the elves in such chaos?

    ¡°Others may not necessarily obey the words of the interim government. You can see it from the arrogant ¡®temporary public order squad¡¯ today. Contacting other forces is equivalent to us abandoning the interim government and starting to side with them. In this way, every force will fear that we will interfere in their internal affairs, pushing us into a more dangerous situation.¡±

    ¡°Then, we can only wait.¡± Master Hayley was a little discouraged.

    ¡°Yeah, we can only wait.¡± I leaned against the window and looked at the elven soldiers hurrying back and forth. I muttered to myself, ¡°But who said that waiting is useless? When everyone¡¯s in a mess, it¡¯s our advantage to stay calm and out of it. ¡±

    I just didn¡¯t know how long this advantage wouldst and how many people would be happy to see us maintain this status quo.

    At night, the embassy was dark.

    For safety¡¯s sake, we tried to rest together. Dorothy and I squeezed into a single bed. In my memory, when we were still students, we used to squeeze together and talk at night, but the atmosphere now was much more dangerous than before.

    I didn¡¯t know why, but I suddenly felt a little emotional about life. The days of being an innocent and pure young girl were gone forever. It was as if my life had changed tremendously when I opened and closed my eyes. When I sat in the public high school of the Shadow Pack and was lost in my thoughts while listening to the history lecturer¡¯s boastful speech, I never thought I would one day have to cross paths with the elves.

    Speaking of a young girl¡¯s fantasy, I never thought I would get married at such a young age or even be a mother.

    An oil painting on the bedroom wall depicted the scene of the Goddess of Nature holding her adopted son. Dense white thorny vines surrounded them, and the bright red fruits were like fresh blood.

    It was mother and son.

    I wonder how my child was doing thousands of miles away.

 Chapter 419

    419 The Princess¡¯ Party

    Jordin Charlies¡¯ POV:

    Every time I see the Spring Rain Pack full of vitality, I would feel an unparalleled joy from the bottom of my heart-like a farmer looking at a lush seedling, a mother looking at a healthy child. The Spring Rain Pack was like a tree that I had nted myself. I watered it with hard work and was overjoyed with every new sprout that grew.

    Even though it didn¡¯t belong to me, I was still willing to give it my all. In the days when the girls were not around, I had to take on the heavy responsibility of the entire pack by myself. This was a little difficult, but my smooth-sailing life needed a difficult task to disy my value. Besides, I¡¯d made many like-minded friends here, including my old friend, Vanya.

    After General Aldrich led the army to settle in, my work suddenly became much more manageable. At the very least, under the suppression of the austere army, the criminals hiding in the corners and trying to turn the Spring Rain Pack into their gold mine had consciously quieted down.

    With the constant changes in the government structure of the Spring Rain Pack, my position was also adjusted ordingly, and I became a member of the city¡¯s Supreme Council.

    Now no one mentioned the Alpha. Everyone understood that the world had changed, and the ancient tradition didn¡¯t bring any moisture to thisnd. In this case, it was easy to ept the new power that could bring visible and tangible benefits to the public. Moreover, wasn¡¯t it more impressive than any Alpha to have a princess as their leader?

    ¡°Ms. Charlies, the meeting is about to start in ten minutes.¡± My assistant¡¯s voice broke my dazed state. I immediately responded to her and returned to my busy work.

    Recently, the Spring Rain Pack had been put under martialw, or the entire border of the werewolves was put under martialw. After all, one did not know which dark corner those cult lunatics woulde out from and try to destroy a city.

    Strict security control would inevitably bring a blow to the economic vitality of the pack, but the people were temporarily epting it.

    The atmosphere in the conference room was more solemn than ever. Thinking of the bad news from the pce this morning, I realized that things seemed to be developing even worse.

    ¡°We¡¯ve received news that the princess and her diplomatic mission have been detained in the Elven Capital City.¡± General Aldrich¡¯s expression was very bad. ¡°At the request of Her Highness, the pce has decided to suspend the negotiation with the elves. However, just in case, from now on, all the troops stationed at the border should be strictly equipped to prevent anything from happening... It was an ident.¡±

    I understood why he was so tense. Even I was burning with anxiety when I heard this news. As Selma¡¯s husband, the fact that Aldrich could still maintain his rationality and not lead his army to attack the Elf Forest was already a sign of his maturity.

    Everyone¡¯s heart was heavy because of this news, and no one responded for a while.

    As the president of the Spring Rain Pack, Vanya stepped forward to ease the tense atmosphere. ¡°We can¡¯t just hide in the pack and do nothing. The Spring Rain Pack was about 100 kilometers away from the Elf Forest. It was neither far nor near, but it was only a few hours¡¯ ride for a fugitive. I suggest we set up more outposts along the border and strengthen the patrol deployment to prevent the escaped cultists from taking advantage of the loopholes.¡±

    It was said to be on guard against cultists, but everyone knew exactly who it was to deter. Therefore, this proposal was quickly passed after a simple discussion.

    After the meeting, General Aldrich asked me to stay for another meeting. A few other people from the Lycan pack and we were called the ¡®princess¡¯ party¡¯ in the Spring Rain Pack. People knew whose territory this was, so they didn¡¯t object to our small meeting.

    General Aldrich went straight to the point, ¡°I¡¯ve decided to lead a small team and sneak into the Elf Forest to receive Selma and the diplomatic mission.¡±

    Everyone immediately opposed this move. Even I felt that it was inappropriate. ¡°I understand your burning anxiety, but sir, once our infiltration operation is discovered, the rtionship between us and the elves, which is already like walking on thin ice, will be worse. What will Selma do then? Who could guarantee her safety? Who can guarantee the safety of the diplomatic mission?

    ¡°The internal strife of the elves has reached the point of white heat. The one temporarily in control of the Elven Capital City is the Crown Prince. It is a tant threat for him to put Selma and the others under house arrest! He¡¯s telling us that he doesn¡¯t care about the rtionship between our two races. If he goes crazy and hurts Selma or the other people in the diplomatic corps, it¡¯ll be toote for us to regret it!

    ¡°Of course, I know that, but leaving Selma in the Elven Capital City is not a solution. She¡¯s also in danger!¡± At this moment, the awe-inspiring general looked a little dejected. ¡°I can¡¯t keep her there. She¡¯s being attacked from the back and the front. Any damage may break the delicate bnce.¡±

 Chapter 420

    420 The Poisonous Wine

    Jordin Charlies¡¯ POV:

    ¡°Maybe things aren¡¯t that bad.¡± I believed General Aldrich was just too concerned. ¡°We should trust Selma more. In terms of force, I don¡¯t think any elves can cross the line of defense in New Flow. Maybe the Elf King can, but now he... Besides, Selma has at least helped the elven race. Unless the Crown Prince wants to be a tyrant in the people¡¯s hearts, I don¡¯t think he will act rashly for the time being. The so-called threat is not a show of strength but weakness.¡±

    However, General Aldrich was not so easily convinced by us. When it came to Selma, the calmness and restraint he was so proud of would always go out of control.

    In all fairness, I also wished I could immediately fly to the Elf Forest and bring Selma back. However, this was the most unrealistic and irrational way of doing things, so I had to stop him. ¡°So, does the pce know about this?¡± I asked directly.

    General Aldrich was silent. I knew that this was his own decision.

    ¡°Please show the calmness and rationality that a general should have. Forgive me for being tough, but this is thest resort. Without the pce¡¯s order, you¡¯ll only cause more trouble in the future if you do this without any reason. Besides, Selma¡¯s decision to suspend the pce¡¯s negotiations with the elves clearly indicates her attitude. She also believed that it was the best choice to pretend to be soft for the time being. Don¡¯t forget that there are still those cult lunatics who have yet to be caught.¡±

    General Aldrich gave a deep, exhausted sigh and rubbed his slightly haggard face. A few secondster, that determined expression returned to his face. He allowed himself to indulge in his emotions for a few minutes and immediately turned back into the general whomanded his men, even though his heart was still bleeding from the predicament of his lover.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, guys. I lost myposure.¡± He said calmly, ¡°You¡¯re right, Miss Charlies. We must cooperate with Selma¡¯s decision now. Now, please return to your posts. The visitors from the Lycan pack are about to arrive, and we still have a lot of things to take care of.¡±

    Speaking of visitors from the Lycan pack, I really didn¡¯t want to take on such a thankless job. These people were a mix of good and bad. There were all kinds of talents sent by His Majesty to contribute to the Spring Rain Pack, and there were also soldiers who were here to rece and replenish the army.

    There were also the famous ¡®volunteers¡¯ from the major families and various packs. This group was the most troublesome.

    Although everyone¡¯s information was ced in front of us, allowing us to see everyone¡¯s resume as clearly as a flower through a ss, even if you knew who the problem was, you couldn¡¯t rashly deal with him because he was a ¡®volunteer¡¯.

    We couldn¡¯t act rashly before these people do anything detrimental to the Spring Rain Pack. However, once they did something, we couldn¡¯t recover the losses even if we pursued it.

    That was why I really hated those forces who tried to y tricks. The Spring Rain Pack didn¡¯t reject most of the builders who came with good intentions to create a bigger cake and take away the benefits they deserved, but there were still people who regarded schemes and intrigues as their lifelong pursuit. They felt ufortable if they didn¡¯t do something.

    As a member of the ¡®princess¡¯ party,¡¯, I couldn¡¯t avoid these guests whoe under the official banner, so I was always in charge of receiving them. And the guests who came today caught my attention: People from the mobile patrol team were among them, and they escorted a batch of supplies approved by the pce. This was the usual kind of ¡®welfare¡¯.

    I knew the person in charge. He used to have some disputes with Selma, a former Alpha who worked in the mobile patrol team to atone for his sins. He was a man of few words as if he did not care about anything. After handing over the supplies, he plunged into the mobile patrol¡¯s base in the Spring Rain Pack.

    ¡°What a strange person...¡± I mumbled, not taking him to heart.

    No matter what, Benson was trustworthy. This allowed me to distribute these welfare resources to my employees of all levels who had worked hard for an entire month without any burden.

    This was a verymon thing. Somon that no one would think there was a problem.

    Therefore, when my assistant came in a hurry to report that General Aldrich was unconscious, I subconsciously thought that today was April 1st.

    ¡°What did you just say? Say that again,¡±I asked in disbelief.

    ¡°General Aldrich is in aa!¡± The assistant was anxious and stammered, ¡°After he drank a bottle of red wine in the welfare package today! Our werewolf grandmaster and the medical team are resuscitating General Aldrich and analyzing theposition of this bottle of red wine. However, General Aldrich¡¯s situation is not good!¡±

    In an instant, I felt the world spinning around me. It was as if a thousand seagulls were chirping in my ears simultaneously, causing me to have a sharp ringing in my ears. When I realized what was going on, my assistant had already brought me to a secret medical facility.

    Looking at the red light sign on the emergency room door, I couldn¡¯t help but start to wonder... Who could it be? In these troubled times, who was it that had extended their hand to General Aldrich?

    A wanderer?

    Evil cultist?

    Or perhaps... was this person from the Lycan pack?

 Chapter 421

    421 Fake News

    Jordin Charlie¡¯s POV:

    It was no exaggeration to say that General Aldrich¡¯s role in the Spring Rain Pack could be said to be the cornerstone. Not to mention anything else, just the murderous army needed him as the leader.

    Looking at the solemn-looking medical staffing and going into the emergency room, my reaction was not to worry about General Aldrich¡¯s safety but to immediately start thinking. How could he hide this matter? How could they stabilize an army that was about to lose its leader? How was he going to report this to the pce? How could they quietly detain all the personnel rted to the delivery of goods?

    ¡°Ms. Charlies!¡± My assistant ran over in a hurry. ¡°As General Aldrich did not attend the army¡¯s night training inspection on time, and the army could not reach General Aldrich, they have sent someone to inquire about him!¡±

    I did not doubt that the army would be the first to receive the news of my superior¡¯s disappearance.

    However, at this moment, looking at the panicking assistant, I couldn¡¯t help but secretly judge whether she was trustworthy. She was born and raised in the Spring Rain Pack, or rather, she was born and raised in the past.

    This was a hardworking and loyal girl. I didn¡¯t doubt her credibility. However, she had family and friends, which meant she had a weakness. Anyone could use this to threaten her to do things.

    Alright, I knew my current thoughts were very dark. Forgive me for casting a suspicious gaze at the entire world. All the pressure had suddenly shifted onto me. I had to constantly check if the people and things around me were trustworthy because I knew that enemies were lying in the ambush, looking for the slightest mistake.

    But in the end, I chose to believe my assistant, a girl with the same name as my friend Emma. It was not just because of her job in the past but also because I had no one to use now. I had no choice.

    ¡°Tell the army that General Aldrich has suddenly received a top-secret mission from the pce and has immediately set off.¡± I clenched my fists and felt the sweat gradually drenching my palms. ¡°From now on, all the power of the army will be temporarily taken over by the pce. Please ask them toplete all the daily work ording to the usual practice. I will send the documents sent by the pce to the armyter.¡±

    Emma ¨C or should I call her Lady Kira ¨C obviously knew that there were no documents or top-secret missions from the pce, but she still immediately went to convey my message.

    After she left, I turned around to face the anxious people who surrounded the emergency room. They were all part of the princess¡¯ party, but that didn¡¯t mean they were all loyal to Selma. Some of them were subordinates of His Majesty, the Lycan King. I could trust them without worry, but I was not sure if there were any spies from other forces among them, especially those ¡®big families¡¯ who were used to taking advantage of every opportunity. I was almost sure that there were their people among them.

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, as you can see, General Aldrich¡¯s life and death are unknown, and we happen to be in an environment with internal and external troubles. We¡¯re out in the open, the enemy is in the dark, and even evil cultists on the other side of the border are waiting to take a bite of the fat meat. Now, I ask everyone to calm down and unite to quickly maintain the stability of all aspects of the Spring Rain Pack. Don¡¯t drag down the princess who is far away in the elven territory.

    ¡°No matter what General Aldrich¡¯s condition is, we must keep the fact that he is poisoned and unconscious a secret. I think everyone knows how terrifying a time bomb an army without a leader is, no matter how strict its military discipline is. Once news of General Aldrich¡¯s condition spreads, those who want to use the army to cause trouble will cause irreparable trouble. Everyone knows in their hearts.

    ¡°Next, I sincerely invite everyone to return to your posts and pretend that nothing has happened, as if you just left for a small meeting. Don¡¯t reveal this information to the Spring Rain government yet. As I said earlier, General Aldrich is only on a top-secret emergency mission. The pce will take over everything in an orderly manner.¡±

    Everyone¡¯s expression was different. Some were heavy, while others were relieved. Everyone seemed to have found their backbone, but they also seemed to be breathless from the pressure about toe.

    I couldn¡¯t find anything suspicious.

    Before everyone left, I said, ¡°of course, I know some people may have unusual thoughts. The current situation may not be out of your expectations, and it will not stop all of your ns.

    My voice was cold, even arrogant.

    ¡°But no matter what you¡¯re thinking, I hope you remember not to mention the ident of the General. Even if this happened to the princess, the earth-shattering event to us is just a small ripple in the long river of the history of the werewolf pack. All the idents will pass, and all the troubles will be solved. When the dust is settled, it will be someone¡¯s turn to settle the score.

    ¡°A temporary sess doesn¡¯t mean anything. I hope you realize that everything you do leads you into the abyss.¡±

 Chapter 422

    422 Detained

    Jordin Charlies¡¯ POV:

    The person from the mobile patrol team who stayed in the Spring Rain Pack was supposed to be my most trusted person, but the bottle of poisoned wine was delivered by one of them, so I could not trust anyone of them on this.

    Fortunately, the pce¡¯s Intelligence Agency also had spies in the Spring Rain Pack, so the task of arresting Benson in secret fell on them.

    The first thing I did when I learned that General Aldrich was poisoned was to send a message to the pce. Just as we were busy dealing with the mess, the King sent me a video call.

    ¡°Good evening, Your Majesty,¡± I said as I was exhausted, I really didn¡¯t have any extra energy to maintain the etiquette. ¡°I think you are here to understand the current situation on the Spring Rain Pack¡¯s side. General Aldrich is not out of danger yet. We are in the process of analyzing the ingredients of that bottle of wine. This is currently being kept strictly confidential, and the Spring Rain Pack government will not receive any news rted to it.

    ¡°And the Army... To stabilize the army, I lied and said that General Aldrich had gone on a top-secret mission and the pce would take over the army. They¡¯re urging me to look at the relevant documents, so I have to ask for your help.¡±

    After saying everything I needed to say in one breath, I realized that we hadn¡¯t even solved any of our problems yet. It was as if the entire night of chaos had been a waste of time.

    However, the Lycan King wasn¡¯t angry. He nodded very forgivingly and spoke to me kindly, ¡°Well done, Ms. Charlies. You¡¯ve considered almost all the possible consequences that might happen now and in the future, and you¡¯vee up with the best solution.¡±

    This was apliment with aforting nature, but I couldn¡¯t rx at all in my high-tension state.

    ¡°I also got the Intelligence Agency to arrest everyone rted to the shipment, including Benson from the mobile patrol team... I wasn¡¯t sure if I should check all the remaining supplies and recall the supplies that had been distributed. After all, this would quickly alert the enemy...¡±

    ¡°Just as you said, there¡¯s no need to do more. It¡¯s obvious that their target this time is Aldrich,¡± the King said. ¡°Perhaps it also involves my daughter, thousands of miles away. But don¡¯t worry. They won¡¯t dare to involve more innocent people because no one is more afraid of things getting out of hand than these cowards. This is their usual style.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯ve already guessed who¡¯s behind this?¡± I muttered.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say before things are confirmed, child. In short, I will now officially hand over the military representative stationed in the Spring Rain Pack to you. Don¡¯t be in a hurry to refuse, and don¡¯t worry about yourck of military training. Compared to being amander, the army needed a foundation that could stabilize the morale of the army. The pce will guide you on how tomand the army. The officers in the army are also experienced, rational, and calm. Together, you will ensure the safety and operation of the army.¡±

    I knew I couldn¡¯t refuse, so I bit the bullet and epted the task.

    The call didn¡¯tst long, and I realized it must have been a sleepless night at the pce.

    In the end, the Lycan King told me, ¡°Be careful, child. Always be alert and rational. Selma believes in you, and so do I. The Spring Rain Pack is now in your hands. We know you have the power to protect it.¡±

    Did I?

    Could I really protect this city that I¡¯d raised and watched grow?

    I wasn¡¯t sure, but I knew it was in danger now. No matter what, I had to do my best to save it.

    The next day.

    Last night, the pce sent General Aldrich¡¯s ¡®transfer order¡¯ over. However, to not let others suspect anything, I held back my impatience and waited until the next day, when the government started work, to send the ¡®transfer order¡¯ to the army.

    The government did not doubt this and did not have any dissatisfaction with me, a military rookie temporarilymanding the army. Everyone knew that I was only a medium, and the real power was still in the hands of the pce.

    Benson and the others were secretly arrested. During the questioning, everyone said that they knew nothing about the poisoning. The mobile patrol team was a special ce where few people could stick their hands, but this could not clear them of suspicion.

    My suspicions of Benson were high. His grudge against Selma was still vivid in my mind. Could he really hold back his anger when facing Selma¡¯s husband? In the end, he might be the one who would be convinced to poison the wine. Not to mention, he was the general person in charge of the entire supply escort team. He was the one who could poison a bottle of wine specially provided for military officers without being noticed.

    However, Benson did not admit to it. The reticent man was practically shouting his innocence, even though he could not produce evidence to clear his name.

 Chapter 423

    423 Late Spring Flowers

    Benson Walton¡¯s POV:

    When I was brought to the secret prison, I had to admit that I was very ignorant.

    When I discovered the cause of everything, a fit of irrepressible anger engulfed me.

    Why was everyone suspecting me?

    Just because I once had a grudge against Selma, and Aldrich was Selma¡¯s husband, so I must take revenge on him?

    I thought that even though I didn¡¯t do the best, it was enough. I endured the coldness and darkness of the mobile patrol team withoutint, punishing myself with endless regret. I didn¡¯t ask for anyone¡¯s forgiveness. I wanted to find peace in my heart through constant, bitter cultivation.

    However, I couldn¡¯t even fulfill this little wish. A sudden conspiracy pushed me into the eye of the storm again. Ironically, I didn¡¯t have any evidence to prove my innocence.

    There was no evidence to prove that I was the murderer, and there was no evidence to clear my name.

    Due to the alcohol case, I was temporarily suspended, and life in the secret prison without seeing the sun was enough to make me anxious.

    I started to think back to my past life. My memories came to the few days before I epted the escort mission.

    The sunlight in the Lycan pack was always so abundant. There were lush nts and fragrant flowers everywhere. The urban greenery car gave them enough moisture, making the water droplets on the leaves shine.

    Looking at the unknown wildflowers on the side of the road, I suddenly thought of the flower shop I had been to a few times and the person who received the flowers.

    After thest conversation with the captain, I knew what choice I should make, so I never contacted the interim head servant in the pce again. Bertha couldn¡¯t call me. She asked someone to contact me a few times, but I didn¡¯t answer, so she didn¡¯t look for me again.

    She was a gentle and intelligent girl, and I thought she understood what I meant.

    However, Anjay was different from his sister. This brave but annoying boy had oncee to look for me, but I didn¡¯t see him. I knew I should meet him and tell him coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t bother me again.¡± From then on, he and his sister would disappear from my life and the dark dangers.

    However, I suddenly became timid when I saw him stubbornly standing in front of the door, waiting for me. He was also carrying a small y pot in his arms. I¡¯d seen it at Bertha¡¯s house.

    I didn¡¯t know what I was thinking at that moment, but before I could react, I had already left the stairwell like a zombie. I patrolled my area like a ghost, but nothing could stay on my retinas for a second. I didn¡¯t go back for the whole day.

    I didn¡¯t know why I wanted to run, but I did it like a coward.

    The next day, when I returned, Anjay had already left. He left the small y pot at the front desk. The receptionist at the base was also from the mobile patrol team. I wasn¡¯t familiar with him. He didn¡¯t say anything when he handed the y pot to me, but I knew that both the pot and the food inside must have gone through a round of strict inspection.

    This was a mobile patrol team. Cold, dark, and inhumane. It could not contain anything soft or warm, whether it was a fresh flower or a pot of steaming seafood risotto.

    After that, my contact with the Bertha siblings waspletely cut off. I thought I would never meet them again.

    But one day, my captain called me over and gave me a mission.

    ¡°The welfare supplies to be sent to the Spring Rain Pack are in preparation. You have been appointed as the person in charge of this mission.¡± My captain handed me a stack of documents. ¡°In addition, there is a new batch of ¡®volunteers¡¯ with you. Some of them are special people who need to be protected. Other than escorting the supplies, your task is to cooperate with them and ensure their safety.¡±

    I flipped through the information and found no name list.

    Without waiting for me to ask, the captain said, ¡°This is a two-way confidential mission. You won¡¯t know the mission¡¯s target, and the mission¡¯s target won¡¯t know your identity. If anything happens during this period, you will know how to help them.¡±

    ¡°Even if there¡¯s no proof of identity or secret code?¡± This was the first time I¡¯d received such a strange mission.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    My captain didn¡¯t say anything more and urged me to rush to the pce to supervise the distribution of supplies.

    It was also because of this that I met Bertha again. She was leading a group of servants from the pce¡¯s wine cer to obtain the officer¡¯s wine. She was also shocked when she saw me.

    ¡°Oh... Oh, hello, Mr. Walton.¡± She was stunned for a moment but quickly greeted me in a polite and distant tone. ¡°It seems that you are in charge of the delivery of supplies this time.¡±

    Her natural tone of voice made me secretly heave a sigh of relief, but at the same time, I also felt a strange sense of dejection.

    ¡°Yes, sorry to trouble you with the supplies, ma¡¯am,¡± I replied drily.¡±It this the wine supply? Is there anything else?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing else. This is thest batch specially supplied to the high-ranking officers. To prevent confusion, I¡¯ll separately package the ones belonging to General Aldrichter to distinguish them from the other officers.¡±

    After such a dry and dull conversation, we didn¡¯t say anything else. I immediately said goodbye to Bertha as she led the servants to load the boxes of wine into the car.

 Chapter 424

    424 The Poisoned Wine

    Benson Walton¡¯s POV:

    Bertha looked as stiff as I was, and she almost tripped over her left foot and fell when she left. I subconsciously tried to help her, but her servant was one step ahead of me. Bersha didn¡¯t say anything and hurriedly apologized to me for her loss of self-control. She then left with her servants.

    Only then did I retract my hand that was frozen in mid-air and watch her disappear around the corner. I silently retracted my gaze and continued working.

    After that, there was nothing much to say. The journey was calm, and there was no danger. Naturally, there was no need for me to cooperate with anyone.

    It was rare to encounter such a peaceful mission.

    However, things would not always be smooth sailing. Just when I thought the mission had ended safely, a bolt from the blue came. General Aldrich was poisoned after drinking the special wine from the welfare supplies!

    As the person in charge of the supplies, I was naturally locked up as the most suspicious person.

    I didn¡¯t poison the wine supply, even though no one believed me. What made me even more distressed was the choice of the murderer.

    The wine came from the pce¡¯s wine cer, a royal tribute. Every bottle had been checked 800 times before being put into the cer, so there was no problem. This meant that the bottle of wine had been tampered with during the transfer, transportation, and distribution.

    Every day, I would personally go and check the supplies. I could guarantee that Aldrich¡¯s specially sealed supplies had not been opened at all, which meant that the poison was injected into the wine during the process of mixing or distribution.

    It would have been fine if it was during the distribution, as the people who handled it were all from the Spring Rain Pack. The nobledy from Selma¡¯s side would not be so stupid as not to investigate this point.

    However, if the poison came from the process of extraction...

    I couldn¡¯t help but think of Bertha.

    Wouldn¡¯t she also be the most suspicious person? After all, as the acting head servant, she must have had ess to the key to the wine cer. She was more capable than anyone else in the pce of poisoning a bottle of wine without anyone noticing.

    If you stayed in the mobile patrol team for too long, you would be suspicious of everything in the world. Thus, I couldn¡¯t help but suspect Bertha.

    However, I quickly rejected this conjecture, not because I had any evidence, but because of my irrational feelings. Bertha was a kind and grateful girl. The royal family had done her incredible kindness, so she would never poison Aldrich!

    This was based entirely on my biased judgment, but I couldn¡¯t control myself from finding excuses for Bertha¡¯s innocence.

    I wasn¡¯t the only one who could think of all this. After being locked up for an entire day, I was interrogated again. This time, it was the nobledy herself.

    ¡°Hello, Mr. Walton.¡± Her expression was cold, but she surprisingly didn¡¯t have any hostility towards me. I could see the fatigue on her face that she couldn¡¯t hide. The heavy workload and pressure had probably robbed her of any power to generate unnecessary emotions. This was a daily urrence for everyone on the mobile patrol team.

    ¡°Hello, Ms. Charlies.¡± Her name and position were written on her badge, so I knew she must havee to me because of the poisoned wine case. ¡°What do you want from me?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s make the long story short.¡±

    Jordin Charlies put a dozen reports on the table and motioned for me to look. I flipped through them and found that they were test reports.

    The test subject was the bottle of wine that had put Aldrich in danger. In addition to alcohol, aromatic amine, sugar, and othermon ingredients in wine, there were also some things that should not have appeared, including silver and holy water, the two great weapons against werewolves.

    In addition, a handwritten report by a werewolf grandmaster mentioned that the wine contained some very evil concentrated power, which wrapped the silver and holy water.

    There was also Aldrich¡¯s own blood within. The wine bottle was engraved with a very secret witchcraft. Only when it came into contact with someone with the same blood source would the witchcraft catalyze the reaction of evil power, silver, and holy water. After the three werebined, they would form a ¡®poison¡¯ that would attack the body and soul at the same time.

    This was simply a trap that was directed at Aldrich.

    ording to the magic fluctuation test, the sorcery on the wine bottle came from about five days ago, the day the wine was loaded into the car.

    Ms. Charlies spoke, her tired eyes shing with unconcealed anger derived from irritation and exhaustion.

    ¡°As the person in charge, you followed the entire process of mixing and loading the wine into the truck. The pce has confirmed that you have not touched any wine during this process, so the traces on your body have been washed away for the time being.¡±

    I didn¡¯t feel relieved at all, even though she said that. I knew that there must be more painful things waiting for me. At that moment, fresh flowers, a y pot, pae, and a snow-white apron suddenly appeared in front of me. I almost wanted to shout to stop Ms. Charlies from saying what she would say next.

    However, the reality was that I was like a block of wood, motionless. I looked expressionlessly at Ms. Charlies¡¯ mouth, opening and closing, throwing out the question I didn¡¯t want to answer the most.

    ¡°As an outstanding member of the mobile patrol team, the pce believes in your judgment. So please tell me, from a professional point of view, who are the most suspicious of all the people who came into contact with the wine supply that day?¡±

 Chapter 425

    425 Humans Are Contradictory

    Jordin Charlies¡¯ POV:

    I wasn¡¯t familiar with Benson Walton at all. All I knew about him came from Selma¡¯s calm retelling of her past and the cold, standard information she provided.

    This was a man with a very divided life. For the first half of his life, he was arrogant and was a typical proud son of heaven. Then, the sudden turn in his life made him feel like he had fallen from a cliff and be a quiet and gloomy man. His interpersonal rtionships were very simple. They were nothing more than his parents, teammates, and a few old friends from the past, although they had not been in contact much.

    How could it not attract my attention for such a man to have such a soft and delicate girl on his resume?

    Furthermore, this girl was the acting head servant of the pce. She was the only person other than Benson who could tamper with the wine without anyone noticing. To block the news, the pce had not taken any measures against the servants in charge of the deployment that day.

    To a certain extent, Benson¡¯s attitude determined how the girls would be treated. They would not be hurt. It was just the difference between a serious inquiry and a silent beating around the bush.

    If he chose to hide it from Bertha, things would go in a direction that no one wanted to see.

    The iron table in the interrogation room was cold, and the pale light reduced the ufortable temperature by several degrees.

    Benson lowered his head and looked at the pile of materials, deep in thought. Five minutes had passed, and he still had no intention of speaking. I didn¡¯t have that much time to waste on him.

    It seemed that he had chosen the worst result.

    I felt a little regretful, but at the same time, I felt even more frustrated. I didn¡¯t need any more trouble to push my nerves to the limit.

    Just a second before my patience ran out, Benson moved.

    He patiently, almost stiffly, arranged the scattered materials in order until the slightly wrinkled paper formed a thin rectangr shape, then handed it to me.

    ¡°In my opinion, there are indeed a few people who are more suspicious.¡±

    He spoke expressionlessly, like a wound-up machine.

    ¡°The servants who were in charge of distributing the supplies that day, the pce guards who were temporarily assigned to carry heavy objects, and the most suspicious one... Bertha, the acting head servant.¡±

    He had said it.

    This should have been a result that would have made me heave a sigh of relief, but I didn¡¯t feel rxed in the slightest. At thest moment, I realized that this would only drag more people into the water. Things would be moreplicated, and I would get into more trouble that would be difficult to solve. Because of this, the pce would conduct an extensive investigation, and countless worried, puzzled, or ill-intentioned eyes would be a dark cloud over the pce.

    Or rather, no matter which answers Benson chose, the result would be the same. Everything was already heading in an irredeemable direction when the bottle of poisoned wine appeared.

    Due to Benson¡¯s cooperation, the suspicion of him working with the pce¡¯s spies was temporarily lifted. It was only temporary, and it couldn¡¯t prove his innocence.

    I had no choice but to keep Benson locked up in the secret prison. Perhaps getting the help of the mobile patrol team would make things a lot easier, but I couldn¡¯t gamble on the possibility that I could trust him, even if I knew that as a direct force of the Lycan King, the possibility of him having problems was very low. However, I was afraid that more trouble would appear and add to my troubles.

    After a few days of being in a mess, I finally realized how weak and ipetent I was. The self-satisfaction brought by the Spring Rain Pack was almost exhausted.

    Construction was exciting and proud, but not everyone cared about the house and its family. There would be people who would use schemes and intrigues for their benefit, even if what they got was not even one-tenth of what others lost.

    But even if the conspirators didn¡¯t care, I couldn¡¯t. Caring meant weakness. It meant retreating. It meant losing the courage to press forward, being stupid, and not caring about anything.

    When I realized this, I suddenly understood why my family would slowly lose their familiar appearance and bepletely different from my impression of them.

    It was helpless. It was really helpless.

    Before I left, the silent Benson suddenly asked me, ¡°Does Selma know about this? Is it about Aldrich and everything else?¡±

    I paused for a moment before deciding to tell the truth. ¡°No, she doesn¡¯t know.¡±

    Benson did not say a word. He nodded and obediently left with the guard.

    Of course, Selma should know about this but now was not the time. I did not doubt the feelings she and Aldrich had honed through life-and-death situations. Aldrich was willing to save her at all costs. Could Selma retain much of her rationality in the face of her lover¡¯s danger?

    I had to ensure I didn¡¯t make her situation worse, even if it was inhumane and cold-blooded.

    I had already prepared myself for Selma¡¯s anger and resentment toward me when she returned and learned of everything. However, I would never regret my decision.

    They would be weak because of their weaknesses, but they would also do anything to protect the things they wanted to protect. Humans were such contradictory creatures.

 Chapter 426

    426 The Vine Key

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Everything was calm, at least on the surface.

    The elves were still in a fragile state of peace, and there was no progress in the search for the cultists. I wasn¡¯t surprised by this at all. When everyone had invested their strength into the seemingly endless power vortex, even a rat with a broken leg could easily empty a house¡¯s warehouse, let alone a group of evil cultists who would use every means possible.

    The Council of Elders didn¡¯t contact us. Looking at the decreasing number of soldiers belonging to the interim government on the streets and the increasing number of the Crown Prince¡¯s private army and supporters, I knew that the current situation of the Council of Elders wouldn¡¯t be much better than ours.

    ¡°How boring...¡±

    I pulled down the heavy curtains and ruffled my hair in frustration, trying to suppress the anxiety in my heart.

    Actually, it was very easy for me to leave. I¡¯d choose a dark, windy night and use New Flow as a cover. I could easily fly away from this ce of trouble with my wings. However, I could do it, but the others couldn¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t leave them here alone to face the unknown.

    Moreover, those missing cultists also made it difficult for me to sleep. The fact that this pieced-together evil cult could be so ruthless as to sacrifice the big and save the small was a clear indication of the problem. Being in such a hurry to leave the Elf Forest, it was likely to mean that they had collected enough sacrifices and did not need more!

    Besides, Locke was a fanatic believer in Leviathan. He had worked so hard and even sacrificed himself. Was it to create a body for someone else¡¯s master?

    One Azazel was enough for the world to suffer, and now there was Leviathan. I really had to pray for the goddess toe!

    However, my worries were of no use at the moment. The elves didn¡¯t care about where the cultists went. Perhaps they did care, but this kind of care was nothing in the face of power at their fingertips.

    There was no news from the Spring Rain Pack or the elves. It was as if the cultists had disappeared from this world and hidden in another dimension. However, the space spells they had used before had strict restrictions, and even Kafka couldn¡¯t break this rule. Could it be that they had hidden in hell?

    It was another quiet night.

    On the day the embassy was sealed off, I ordered the lights to be turned off at a fixed time every night, not to save the elves¡¯ electricity bill but to reduce the attention of others.

    The sudden knocking on the door was obviously slightly creepy in the darkness.

    Who woulde to find us in the middle of the night? If it were the force that currently controlled the Elven Capital City, their usual method would be to kick the door open. If it were the Council of Elders or Dorothy¡¯s father, they would not have chosen such a conspicuous door. They would have used a more secure and secretive method.

    After having the civilian staff hide in the house and thebat personnel taking their positions in every corner of the Embassy, I opened the door a crack.

    Surprisingly, there was no one outside the door. Even the soldiers patrolling back and forth with searchlights had temporarily disappeared. There was a vine-woven key on the ground, and a swallow stood on a wire not far away, looking at me quietly. It then tilted its head and began tob its feathers.

    I picked up the key and closed the door.

    Dorothy and the rest immediately approached me and asked me what had happened.

    ¡°Nothing happened except for this key.¡± I showed the vine key to everyone. ¡°Has anyone seen something simr? Someone left this key in front of the embassy.¡±

    Everyone was confused. This key made of branches and leaves was like a toy for elven children, full of distrust.

    No one could give me a reason, so I had to ask everyone to go back to their rooms to rest and put more people into the frontline team to strengthen the embassy¡¯s security.

    Back in my room, I sat on the carpet and carefully observed the key in my hand. This couldn¡¯t be a child¡¯s joke, but it had appeared without any hint or warning, so it was very confusing.

    Dorothy walked over with amppost and picked up the key to examine it carefully. Suddenly, she said, ¡°I think I know what this is.¡±

    Eve and I immediately looked at her. Master Hayley also came to our side.

    ¡°Due to the opposition of various forces, the Great Elder had no choice but to put a stop to his synesthesia vision n on the surface and secretly take us to see the Elven King. He awakened the guardian spirit in the pce and opened a gate made of intertwining vines.¡±

    Under the tablemp¡¯s illumination, the key¡¯s details became even clearer. This allowed us to see that there were no protrusions or grooves on the key, and the end of the key looked like it was half-woven and had a few thin vines supporting it pitifully.

    ¡°If a door made of vines could lead to anywhere in the pce, could a key made of vines turn any door into a door made of vines?¡±

 Chapter 427

    427 The Parchment

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The world was so big that there were all kinds of strange things. Just as Dorothy had guessed, the moment the vine key was inserted into the lock, the door to the bedroom was quickly wrapped up by the vines that came out of the lock, and in a few seconds, it hadpletely changed.

    ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, behind this door should be some corner of the pce. This is an invitation from the Great Elder to meet us.¡± Dorothy then looked at me. ¡°Do you want me to go over?¡±

    I wasn¡¯t sure if I should go. Although Dorothy said that only the Elf King and the Great Elder could use the power of the pce¡¯s guardian, that didn¡¯t mean I trusted the Great Elderpletely. But in the end, I still decided to ept this meeting. Perhaps this was an opportunity to break out of this situation.

    There was a dark corridor behind the door. The decoration was slightly shabby. I had never seen this ce in the pce. At the end of the corridor was a medium-sized stone room. The light was dim, and only the Great Elder was waiting in the dark.

    ¡°Good evening, Your Highness.¡± The Great Elder bowed slightly to me. Even in such a weak light, I could see his tired face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disturb you sote, but I don¡¯t think we can wait any longer.¡±

    ¡°Are you talking about the current situation in the Elven Capital CIty? I don¡¯t think I can do anything.¡± I still insisted on my principle of not getting involved in internal affairs, even though it seemed that this was not something I could achieve with my wishful thinking.

    The Great Elderughed dryly and motioned for us to sit down. He was also sitting on a cold wooden bench and needed to use the walking stick in his hand to support his old body.

    Faced with my direct rejection, he didn¡¯t bug me and instead said, ¡°We all know that His Highness the Crown Prince¡¯s rule will notst long, but he seems to be blinded by something and stubbornly thinks that victory is in his hands. Other than a few nobles and mayors who took advantage of the situation, I didn¡¯t find any forces I could name to join him. Then, his strange self-confidence is very strange.¡±

    ¡°Maybe he is such a stupid and arrogant person?¡± The Great Elder and I looked the same, but I didn¡¯t want to be led into his trap of words. ¡°With all due respect, although I haven¡¯t spent much time with the Crown Prince of the royal family, his arrogance and stupidity ¨C I mean, his fiery character is really impressive.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. The Crown Prince is undoubtedly an idiot. I agree with you on this point. This may be due to his pampered life and young experience. I think His Majesty will correct his shorings if he has enough time. However, now is not the time to slowly polish the stone. A ruler with the potential to be muddleheaded like the Crown Prince will be the nightmare of the entire elven race.¡±

    That was not nice, and he shouldn¡¯t say that in front of an outsider like me. As an outsider, it was enough for me to ridicule the Crown Prince¡¯s personality. As for whether or not he could rule over the elven race, that wasn¡¯t for me to judge.

    Thus, I disagreed and just looked at the Great Elder quietly.

    The Great Elder saw I was unmoved and said with a bitter smile, ¡°You¡¯re so alert. I didn¡¯t mean anything else.¡±

    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t, too. So, why do you want to see me tonight?¡±

    ¡°To be precise, I¡¯m not here to look for you. I¡¯m here for your friend.¡±

    The Great Elder looked at Dorothy, who was beside me.

    ¡°My dear Miss Dorothy and that respectable Master Hayley, I¡¯vee here tonight to seek their help.¡±

    ¡°Me?¡± Dorothy pointed at herself. ¡°Do you need to borrow the power of nature? Or a prophecy? I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t help you. I can only observe nature¡¯s power, but I¡¯ve spent all my energy on prophecies. I don¡¯t have any more power to pry into fate.¡±

    The Great Elder shook his head and took out a small item wrapped in silk from his wide robe, saying, ¡°That¡¯s not the case. I hope everyone can help me appraise something.¡± He opened the cloth bag, and inside was a folded parchment. It was a rare item in modern times.

    ¡°This is a parchment from the Crown Prince¡¯s safe.¡± He unfurled the paper slowly. Strange patterns were drawn on it, and the patterns exuded an ufortable evil aura. ¡°I hope you can help me confirm the source of the power. Is it from a failed unknown priest or a demon we don¡¯t want to see?¡±

    I suddenly raised my head to look at the Great Elder and coldly replied, ¡°With all due respect, there should be many outstanding masters who are famous thousands of miles away in yournd. There is no need to trouble outsiders with this kind of matter, and it is not something that we outsiders should interfere with.

    This piece of paper was the key that the Great Elder had used to bring down the Crow Prince ¨C if the patterns on it were indeed from the devil. I¡¯d already decided not to get involved in the elves¡¯ family matters, so how could I easily agree to this?

    ¡°I know you won¡¯t agree easily, but I beg you to listen to my difficulties.¡±

    The Great Elder sighed and ced the parchment on the cold stone table.

 Chapter 428

    428 Ill Intentions

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you know what the elf race is like now, so I don¡¯t need to hide it. The power struggle was more intense than I expected. I thought that the Crown Prince would not go too far for the sake of His Majesty, but in fact, he was so reckless and tried to take everything away at once, which made it difficult for our entire Council of Elders to deal with because the interim government has racked its brains to maintain the precarious peace and has no more power left.

    ¡°The Crown Prince is reckless, but he¡¯s not stupid. He knows that he has no power topete with other forces except for his identity. I sent people to investigate the cause of all this, but most of them have yet to return. The only clue the remaining people gave me was this parchment.

    ¡°The evil aura on it is so strong that it seems to be able to erode the air. I immediately sent someone to identify it, but the final results were disappointing ¨C no one could detect where the power came from. Although it¡¯s evil, turbid, and dark, any inspection seems to run into an unbreakable obstacle, so much so that it¡¯s impossible to see through its essence.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯vee to seek your help. Miss Dorothy has the power to see through everything, and Master Hayley is a world-renowned rune expert. Perhaps she¡¯ll be able to find more clues.

    He spoke in detail and sincerity, but he still didn¡¯t touch on the point that I was most concerned about ¨C how could he guarantee that this test was only a ¡®test¡¯?

    To be honest, I didn¡¯t really care about the ins and outs of this piece of paper. After all, the game of power was always the same. Based on the smell of this piece of paper, I was sure that the Crown Prince had an unspeakable rtionship with some bedbugs from hell.

    Taking down the Crown Prince would be a shortcut to solving my predicament, but I had to ensure that we wouldn¡¯t fall into an even more troublesome whirlpool after this matter was over.

    Thus, I replied to him even more coldly, ¡°You know that this isn¡¯t as simple as just looking at this piece of paper.¡±

    ¡°I understand. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here alone. Other than the people present, no one knows what happened today. You don¡¯t have to worry about me using this to threaten you to take a side or do something in the future,¡± the Great Elder said.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t trust you.¡± Of course, I wouldn¡¯t believe him! The guardian spirit had absolute control, and the Great Elder was now its chosen one. Who knew if there was a way to record everything that happened tonight that we didn¡¯t know?

    ¡°If you don¡¯t think it¡¯s safe here, we can go to the embassy of the werewolf pack.¡± The Great Elder was still persistent.

    ¡°Why are you so sure that Miss Dorothy and Master Hayley can solve a problem that even the grandmasters of yournd can¡¯t do anything about?¡± I asked.

    The Great Elder looked at me without saying a word.

    It took me a while to react. He was saying that his confidence came from me.

    Me?

    Wait a minute.

    This meant that this old fox¡¯s purpose foring here tonight wasn¡¯t for Dorothy and Master Hayley at all. He was afraid I would reject him, so he first found two candidates to calm my emotions.

    I realized what he was thinking. ¡°The disguise on the parchment can hide the source of his power. However, no matter how much the cake looks like a flower, it can¡¯t change the fact that it¡¯s a cake. So, you only have to get New Flow to taste the power of the parchment to know what it is.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re really...¡± I should be angry, but I couldn¡¯t help butugh at the turn of events tonight. ¡°You trust me that much?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a noble person. To be able to travel thousands of miles to help an outsider who has no rtion to you, there¡¯s no need to question your character.¡± The Great Elder said gently, ¡°Furthermore, I¡¯m indeed at my wit¡¯s end. To be honest,pared to the elven masters, you and yourpanions may be more worthy of my trust. After all, you will never secretly join any forces.¡±

    Seeing that I was still unconvinced, the Great Elder added, ¡°I think you guessed in your heart the moment you felt the evil power emanating from this parchment. Yes, I also suspect His Highness the Crown Prince is rted to the heretic cult believers wandering in the Elf Forest. It¡¯s hard to believe, but it might have already happened.

    ¡°The elven prince is colluding with the foreign enemy who attacked the elven race. No one will believe this if I tell them without any evidence. However, once both sides achieve their goals, the elf race will have to pay a heavy price, even if it¡¯s not in danger. The demon¡¯s gift isn¡¯t that easy to take.

    ¡°Besides, if they seed in their plot, do you think those cultists still missing will be executed? Once the demon¡¯s physical body in the human world is awakened, who else can stop thesewless visitors from hell other than the goddess?¡±

 Chapter 429

    429 Top Secret Mission

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I had to admit that the Great Elder had somewhat convinced me.

    To be honest, my original goal ining to the elven territory was to hunt down the cultists and stop the appearance of Azazel. Besides, there might be another Leviathan among the demons in the modern world, so I couldn¡¯t just let the cultists go.

    Should I agree?

    After weighing the pros and cons, I finally nodded. ¡°Alright then, please follow me.¡±

    So we followed the old and dark corridor back to the embassy.

    Master Hayley and Eve were extremely vignt when they saw the Great Elder behind me. After I exined the situation, they only lowered their hostility a little.

    I ended the battle quickly as I gently absorbed some power leaking from the parchment. I immediately recognized that this power came from Azazel. It was still the same sentence. No matter how well-disguised the cake was, it could not change its taste andposition.

    ¡°But how do you make others believe you?¡± I returned the parchment and said, ¡°You know I can¡¯t testify for you.¡±

    ¡°I only want an answer that can make me feel at ease and do what I want to do.¡± The Great Elder kept the parchment and smiled slyly. ¡°As for evidence, this piece of paper is enough. Everyone will believe me.¡±

    I fell silent. He was right. People would believe him. It didn¡¯t matter, even if the paper was forged. Because the evidence was not the point at all. The point was whether or not they could pull the Crown Prince down from his position.

    Before the Great Elder left, I asked, ¡°We¡¯re still closely monitored. How should I contact you if I need to talk to you?¡±

    ¡°You have the key.¡± The Great Elder looked at the vine key in my hand. ¡°You can use it to open any door as you wish. Behind the door will be the room we just met in. Please leave the information there. I¡¯ll contact you as soon as I see it.¡±

    ¡°Can you guarantee that it¡¯s safe there?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I promise... Other than the guardian spirit, no one else knows about it.¡±

    The next day.

    Early in the morning, I could hear the chaos of war outside the window. I peeked through the gap in the curtains and saw that the originally deste streets were now packed with all sorts of transportation. Those ssical horse carriages or modern sedans had family emblems of various shapes and sizes printed on them, indicating that they were from some noble or feudal lord family.

    The Great Elder acted so quickly to begin the Crown Prince¡¯s trial in such a hurry. The internal situation of the elven race was much worse than I had imagined.

    ¡°Should I send someone to inquire about the situation?¡± Eve asked.

    I shook my head. ¡°There¡¯s no need. Let the elves handle their matters. We just need to know the results. If we participate too much, it will seem like we have some ulterior motives. Today will be a full martialw, and it will be difficult for our people to sneak in.¡±

    Now, it was our turn to watch the show.

    The embassy¡¯s location wasn¡¯t cheap, and the towering pce could be seen in the distance. All morning, we watched the carse and go on the street.

    The soldiers on this side were wearing the Crown Prince¡¯s armband, while the soldiers on the other were wearing feathers from an unknown force. Both sides were at daggers drawn and almost started fighting. At this time, a few more groups of people from unknown forces arrived. The several sides were in a deadlock, and in the end, they dispersed.

    This was much more interesting than the boring soap operas on TV.

    People had temporarily forgotten that a group of foreign visitors like us was in the embassy. Most of the spies around the embassy had also left. The Crown Prince would not surrender so easily. There was still a lot to happen.

    At noon, I received a regr message from the Spring Rain Pack.

    ¡°Spring Rain Pack is under martialw?¡± I frowned and felt that something was wrong. ¡°What happened? Why didn¡¯t the intelligence report mention anything? Also, why did the military use Jordin¡¯s seal when they sent out the news? Where¡¯s Aldrich?¡±

    I immediately motioned for the intelligence personnel to call Spring Rain Pack back, and it was Jordin who picked up the phone.

    ¡°Good afternoon, Your Highness.¡± Jordin looked a little tired.

    ¡°What happened, Jordin? Why do you look so haggard?¡± I asked worriedly, ¡°Is the Spring Rain Pack okay? Why is it suddenly under martialw? Where¡¯s Aldrich? Are you the one taking over the Army temporarily? What¡¯s he doing?¡±

    ¡°Let me tell you slowly. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m a little dizzy now.¡± The dark circles under Jordin¡¯s eyes were almost wider than her own. ¡°A full martialw is a measure in the n. Because we haven¡¯t found any traces of the cultists for many days, the pce has decided to use this method to ensure the security of the Spring Rain Pack after some discussion.

    ¡°As for General Aldrich, he was suddenly sent to solve a top-secret mission. This matter concerns mankind and is considered the highest level of secret. The contents of the mission are only known to His Majesty and General Aldrich. I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t answer you. The army stationed in Spring Rain Pack is now remotely taken over by the pce, and I took up the position as the temporarymander. To be honest, this is really a torturous job. I¡¯m d my uncle and aunt sent me to the pce instead of the army.¡±

    I could understand why the Spring Rain Pack was on full alert, but Aldrich was suddenly transferred to a top-secret mission? Or a mission rted to humans that only he and my father knew about?

 Chapter 430

    430 ¡°The King¡±

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Unless the humans suddenly discovered the traces of the werewolves and prepared an army to invade, what else was more urgent than a demon eyeing covetously and preparing to descend on the human world?

    It was hard to understand my father¡¯s decision, so I subconsciously prepared to contact him after ending the call with Jordin.

    However, before the call went through, there was a sudden loud explosion in the distance. My hand trembled in fear, and the phone fell on the carpet with a dull and ominous sound.

    The girls and I gathered before the window to check on the situation. We saw that half of the pce had suddenly copsed, and ck smoke and fog rose from the ground, like a tornado connected to the gray clouds that had suddenly be thick, sweeping up countless building fragments and... A human-shaped object.

    I narrowed my eyes and observed. I realized that the ¡®human-like objects¡¯ struggling in the tornado were living elves!

    The negotiations had failed!

    I immediately realized that something unexpected had happened over there. The Crown Prince didn¡¯t surrender without putting up a fight. I didn¡¯t even know where he had obtained this evil power from the demons to counterattack. At present, it seemed that the Crown Prince had the upper hand. The Great Elder must not have thought that this kid not only dared to collude with the enemy but also became ackey of the devil.

    ¡°Are we going to support them, Your Highness?¡± Eve came to ask me for instructions. I nodded and said, ¡°Send an ¡®inquiry¡¯ to the interim government first. There is no need to wait for them to answer. Immediately arrange for the team members to provide support.¡±

    By the time the interim government had time to answer me, there would probably be nothing left in the pce.

    We ran into Mr. Cage on the way. He was in a hurry, obviously attracted by the explosion of the pce.

    ¡°A strong dark aura,¡± he said firmly. ¡°It¡¯s definitely from the devil. It¡¯s not even a power borrowed from the devil. It¡¯s more like a disaster brought on by the devil himself.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying...¡± We were shocked by this.

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Cage said solemnly. ¡°No matter who used this power, he has integrated with a part of the demon to some extent. Although it¡¯s a very, very, very small bit, it can¡¯t be taken lightly.¡±

    The Crown Prince? Fused with a demon?

    To be honest, this really shocked me. Cooperating with the cultists and praying to the demons for power was already shocking enough. Where did the Crown Prince get the courage to fuse with a demon fragment? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to rebel if he had the guts and courage? Was it worth it to pay such a massive price for power?

    The Elven Capital City was in a mess. Most powerful people were trapped in the pce, so much so that arge number of troops gathered in the Elven Capital City could not gather enough power to maintain order. The soldiers under the interim government barely guided the people to take refuge on the streets. It was somewhat effective, but it was like a drop of water in the sand for the entire Elven Capital City.

    There weren¡¯t even any guards at the pce¡¯s entrance. While we were on our way, the disaster had spread to even more ces. There were broken walls and broken tiles everywhere, as well as important figures who were running away in a hurry. Their gorgeous dresses were burning with dust and blood, indicating that this ancient pce that had stood strong for over 4000 years was about to be destroyed today.

    I randomly grabbed a noble kid running for his life and loudly asked, ¡°How¡¯s the situation in the pce?¡±

    The man was still in a state of shock as he described the miserable situation in a jumble.

    There was no need for guidance. Anyone could see the most intense battle in the pce. A ck aura filled the sky, and the dense demonic aura even reminded me of that snowy night in the Rocky Mountains.

    Azazel...

    All of a sudden, I had a chilling thought.

    Did those cultists disappear at the border of the Elf Forest?

    Or rather, did these people escape to the border?

    It was as if we were the only ones who believed that the heretic cult believer had disappeared at the forest¡¯s edge. We couldn¡¯t find any traces of him, and we searched for him in vain.

    However, what if the whole thing was in the dark?

    What if the cultists were making a feint at the border and then secretly ran back to the Elven Capital City?

    The Crown Prince was cooperating with the demons to fight for power. For him to be so crazy over the supreme crown, was it difficult to hide a few evil cultists?

    ¡°Dorothy, what is the extent of your connection with nature?¡±

    Dorothy was stunned by my question and muttered, ¡°How should I put it? It¡¯s not too deep or too shallow. I can see everything, but I¡¯m never allowed to interfere.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure that only the Elf King can use the power of nature?¡±

    ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t know. My understanding of all thises from the shallow experience of the Great Elder and myself over the past few days. I think only a King of the elven race is qualified to borrow the power of nature.¡±

    ¡°The King?¡±

    I mulled over this word as my thoughts continued to wander.

    What kind of person could be considered a ¡®King¡¯?

    The ruler of the elves? However, if this ruler was now in a deep sleep and had one foot in the coffin, unable to exercise royal power and bear responsibility, could he still be considered a ¡®King¡¯?

    If he couldn¡¯t, then who would he hand him over to? The next King? How was this concept defined? Did it have to be acknowledged by the previous king, or was it only able to be passed on through blood rtions, like other ancient traditions?

 Chapter 431

    431 The Truth

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The Elf King was on the verge of death. Could the power of nature have entered the transition period? As the heir, did the Crown Prince also have the power to use a part of the power of nature? Since he was already in cahoots with the demons, it wasn¡¯t strange for him to help the cultists get rid of the mark that nature had left on them, right?

    I admitted that this idea was crazy, but... Just look at the current state of chaos. No matter how crazy this idea was, it was not that rare.

    If things were going in the direction I¡¯d guessed, then I was afraid it wouldn¡¯t be as easy to deal with the Crown Prince as I¡¯d thought. It wasn¡¯t scary to have an arrogant brat as your enemy, but if the brat held the switch of a nuclear bomb in his hand and thought that the power of the nuclear bomb was his power, things would be much more troublesome.

    The pce was no longer as bright, beautiful, and dignified as it was when I first arrived. We didn¡¯t even need to walk through the winding corridors. We stepped on the broken walls and quickly arrived at where the conflict erupted.

    The closer we got, the thicker the aura of the evil power became. Even the air seemed to be vaguely filled with a thick ck fog. I was afraid they would be infectious, so I wrapped everyone in ayer of defense made of New Flow.

    The hall used for high-end meetings had been destroyed, and the once beautiful stained ss had now be debris mixed in the mud. There weren¡¯t many people present, and even fewer were still standing. The Crown Prince stood proudly on the broken podium, countless nauseating evil auras radiating from his body.

    As expected, it was him.

    ¡°Why do you continue to struggle?¡± He looked arrogantly at the Great Elder and the others, who were in a sorry state, and said disdainfully, ¡°Anyway, no matter what the oue is, it has already been decided. No one can contend against me. No one can change the oue. I am destined to rule the world!¡±

    ¡°Stop dreaming!¡± An angry aristocrat shouted. ¡°Even if we change the rules, the elves will never acknowledge you as the king! You¡¯re a scum who colludes with enemies from the inside and has forgotten all about the rules!¡±

    As soon as he finished speaking, a sharp ck mist wrapped tightly around the noble. His luxurious robe was easily torn into rags, and blood gushed out of the deepening wound.

    It was obvious that this was the Crown Prince¡¯s doing. He wanted to use this cruel method to kill his opponents and intimidate others.

    ¡°Dorothy, take your team and spread out to search the pce. Save the survivors who did not manage to take refuge in time!¡±

    I immediately ordered Dorothy to lead her team into the pce to rescue the people while I led Eve and Master Hayley to join the battlefield.

    New Flow dissolved the ck mist around the noble. He fell to the ground like a broken sack and fainted before he could even say a word of thanks.

    The ck-gold moth slowly healed his wounds. Master Hayley took him to a space that seemed to have once belonged to the hall for an emergency examination.

    ¡°Your Highness!¡± The Great Elder and the others looked at me in surprise. ¡°Why are you here? This is too dangerous!¡±

    ¡°If I didn¡¯te, you guys would be in even more dangerous.¡± I didn¡¯t want to waste my time discussing politics at this critical moment. ¡°The embassy has sent you a letter of constion. When everything is over, please give me a new agreement, so I don¡¯t turn from good to bad.¡±

    ¡°Wow, look who¡¯s here! The little princess of the werewolf pack. What now? Are you not going to take advantage of the chaos to escape? I thought you and your husband were very loving, but it seems like that¡¯s not the case.¡±

    The Crown Prince looked at me provocatively, his annoying mouth constantly spouting below-the-belt provocations.

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± I squinted dangerously, feeling that his words had a hidden meaning. ¡°Don¡¯t mince your words. It¡¯s not toote to talk about your trash talk after you¡¯re in prison!¡±

    The Crown Princeughed exaggeratedly, obviously not taking my warning seriously. He even ridiculed me even more, ¡°Look, what an admirable career woman. Your husband is dying in bed, but you are still standing in other people¡¯s territory and meddling in their family affairs as if nothing happened. How heartless! I¡¯m so ashamed on behalf of the werewolves to have a cold and disloyal woman like you as their leader!¡±

    What did he just say?

    Aldrich... Dying on the hospital bed?

    In an instant, my mind was thrown into chaos. Even though I knew that this b*stard was probably releasing a smoke bomb to disrupt my fighting spirit. However, at this moment, I suddenly thought of the strange changes in the Spring Rain Pack, Jordin¡¯s unusual attitude, and Aldrich¡¯s ¡®top secret mission¡¯ story that was full of ws.

    I realized that everything was a lie. The Spring Rain Pack, Jordin, and the pce had teamed up to lie to me. Something must have happened to Aldrich, and it was a very serious ident. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t be so secretive about it with me!

    ¡°Speak clearly. What do you know?¡± I gritted my teeth and interrogated the Crown Prince.

    He said something that broke my heart, ¡°Silly girl, your husband has consumed poisoned wine with no antidote. He¡¯s going to die now.¡±

 Chapter 432 - 432 The Fugitive Who Disappeared

    432 The Fugitive Who Disappeared

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Poisoned wine!

    It was poisoned wine that was targeted at Aldrich alone.

    In an instant, it was as if a thousand tons of boilingva had been poured into my body. The intense pain spread from every inch of my heart to my entire body and blood. It had the power of sulfuric acid that corroded my bones, destroying my defenses.

    Aldrich...

    No, no...

    I couldn¡¯t help but tremble because I realized everything the Crown Prince said was true. I could even guess who had poisoned Aldrich ¨C theckeys of Azazel or Leviathan, those lunatics who believed in demons. Even if they hadn¡¯t done it themselves, this couldn¡¯t have been separated from them. That was why the Crown Prince knew everything in detail.

    Aldrich...

    ¡°Selma, keep your spirits up. Don¡¯t be fooled by him!¡± Eve¡¯s angry shout brought my scattered soul back to its original ce. ¡°He¡¯s just a lunatic. How much can a lunatic say? It won¡¯t be toote to ask the truth after he¡¯s been brought to justice.¡±

    As she said this, she nced at the elves at the side. She meant I shouldn¡¯t easily show my fear in front of outsiders. They were allies now, but who knew how long this precarious rtionship wouldst after everything was over?

    ¡°... You¡¯re right.¡±

    I forced myself to calm down and not think about scenes I didn¡¯t want to see. Instead, I turned all my uneasiness and difort into anger and swept it toward the first Prince.

    ¡°You¡¯ve lost yourst chance to defend yourself.¡± Feeling the transformation of my body, I heard my voice so cold that it could drop ice shards. ¡°Now, no matter what stupid words you say, ¡®I¡¯m confused¡¯ or ¡®I¡¯m controlled¡¯, it¡¯s useless.

    The Crown Prince continued to look at me in disdain. A secondter, I immediately jumped away from my original position. A thick and sharp tree root was stuck there like a sharp sword. If I were even a secondte, I would have been skewered.

    ¡°Then,e at me,¡± he said with a malicious smile. ¡°Let¡¯s see whose side fate is on.¡±

    In an instant, it was as if two balls of mes had exploded and collided. No one had the upper hand in the first wave of confrontation. The shock wave had instead destroyed the pce even more.

    ¡°Please stay away, be careful not to get injured!¡± Eve led the embarrassed elves to retreat to an open and safe area, and several elves volunteered to stay.

    ¡°This is the elves¡¯ business. We can¡¯t just stand by and watch such a sc*m appear in our family.¡± The Great Elder sighed heavily, and faint green patterns gradually appeared on his skin. ¡°Besides, how can the host escape while the guest suffers? We know our strength is not enough topete with Her Highness, but please let us at least help her a little.¡±

    Eve didn¡¯t insist and left with the more seriously injured elves.

    ¡°Sigh, what an evil creature... What vile creature...¡± The Great Elder sighed. The patterns on his skin became more and moreplicated. In the end, his voice had a hint of a gentle female voice. ¡°Since you¡¯re my brother¡¯s descendant, let me, this unprofessional granduncle, teach you what the immensity of heaven and earth is.¡±

    The demonic fragment had strengthened the Crown Prince, and even I found it challenging to catch up to him. He knew what New Flow was capable of, so he guarded him tightly, not letting any of the men get close to him. He kept using the broken bricks to form a protectiveyer around himself. New Flow could only absorb energy and was helpless against ordinary construction waste. He could only push it away again and again.

    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re only so-so after all.¡±

    My arm was identally cut by the roots of the nts that shot out. Although it healed in a second and disappeared, the Crown Prince still arrogantly began to mock me, ¡°I¡¯m starting to doubt the authenticity of the information. Is it not those trash who exaggerated your ability to cover up their ipetence?¡±

    ¡°What do you know? All sacrifices are necessary! Those lowly and uselessmoners are just the soil under the goddess¡¯ feet. Sooner orter, they will return to the arms of nature. Since that¡¯s the case, why didn¡¯t theye and make some contributions to my cause before they died? There are as many lowlifes as there are ants. It doesn¡¯t matter if we lose a few. There will be more babies born sooner orter!¡± The Crown Prince refuted me.

    ¡°So you were the one who let Locke, Kafka, and the others go.¡± I questioned in a deep voice, ¡°Where did you hide them? Don¡¯t you know how evil they are? Don¡¯t you care about the safety of your people? Do you still want to be the King of the elves with such an awareness?¡±

    I knew it was useless to talk to him. This madman had already lost his mind to power.

    Just as I was about tounch another attack, a loud noise suddenly came from the other side of the pce. The remaining part of the pce that was rtively intact had also copsed. Immediately after, Dorothy¡¯s anxious voice rang in my ears, ¡°Selma, I¡¯ve found Locke and the others. They¡¯re on the other side of the pce!¡±

    I suddenly turned around and met the Crown Prince¡¯s eyes, filled with malice. ¡°Look, these wild dogs can¡¯t stand being nagged at. The little princess was thinking about them, and they came. What a coincidence, right?¡±

 Chapter 433 - 433 The Spirit

    433 The Spirit

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who hid them!¡± I was furious. Although I had expected it, I was still shocked when I faced reality.

    The Crown Prince did not say anything. With a contemptuous smile, he disappeared quietly under the cover of the tree roots.

    Of course, this unusual calmness couldn¡¯t be due to him being timid and retreating in the middle of the battle. I searched nkly for two seconds before suddenly realizing that this b*stard had changed his target to Eve, the Great Elder, and the others!

    A loud sound suddenly erupted from behind me when I realized it. Thick roots covered the sky like long whips and surged toward the people. The distance was neither too close nor too far, but I didn¡¯t know if I could make it in time to rescue her ¨C

    BOOM!

    Just as the people were about to be burned by the roots, a green vine appeared out of nowhere and quickly dissolved all the attacks. They were like sea snakes wrapped around the octopus¡¯s tentacles, quietly turning the saboteurs¡¯ ws into their nutrients.

    ¡°This is impossible!¡±

    The Crown Prince cried out in shock. Opposite him, the Great Elder¡¯s entire body was covered in unfamiliar patterns. These patterns emitted a faint green light, looking like a miniature version of the vines.

    ¡°You¡¯re too arrogant, Jill. There are still many things in the world that you haven¡¯t understood. Your pride is just a little bit of teeth wisdom. Anyone can master it, but you¡¯re the only one who treasures it. You don¡¯t have a noble bloodline in your blood, but contemptible stupidity and arrogance. They have already destroyed you, and you are about to destroy everything.¡±

    The Great Elder didn¡¯t look very nervous, like an old man who hade out to eat. Furthermore, his name was Crown Prince Jill? This was the Crown Prince¡¯s real name. People didn¡¯t address him like that so casually because of his status. Even the Great Elder, I¡¯d never heard him blurt out the Crown Prince¡¯s name, even when he hated him the most.

    This was not the Great Elder.

    I immediately confirmed this.

    Combined with the strange patterns on his body, the sudden change in his expression, and his tone, I believed he must have been ¡®reced¡¯ by something.

    I looked at the vines all over the ground...

    Could he be the legendary ancient princess who guarded the pce?

    However, the Crown Prince did not notice this. He kept using the power of nature to attack the people, but the sharp roots and indefensible wind des did not even need me or anyone else to do anything. The seemingly gentle vines could resolve all the attacks in the first instance. Even the evil power full of contamination could not do anything to them.

    In the Crown Prince¡¯s mind, his power was probably almost on par with a god¡¯s, and he had gonepletely crazy after repeatedly losing to the Great Elder. In the beginning, he still had some concerns, butter on, he almost wanted to turn the whole pce upside down. Even the bed chamber of the Elf King, which was deliberately opened at the beginning, was attacked.

    After the stained ss window at the top of the king¡¯s bed fell to the ground and shattered into pieces, the calm ¡®Great elder¡¯ finally couldn¡¯t keep his calm. He frowned seriously, and the vines swarmed up as his expression changed. They broke through the Crown Prince¡¯s chaotic defense like a hot knife through butter, almost wrapping him up like a dumpling.

    However, at the critical moment, the Crown Prince relied on the corrosive ck mist condensed from his evil power to block the advance of the vines, narrowly avoiding them.

    ¡°What the hell are you? No one, nothing, can escape the control of nature. You are not that old man! Who are you?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to know who I am.¡±

    The ¡®Grand Elder¡¯ was still as calm as an ancient well. Behind her, the vines attacked again.

    However, the Crown Prince was much smarter this time. After knowing that he could not restrain the opponent in front of him, he made a prompt decision to give up.

    Sensing the remaining magic fluctuations in the air, Master Hayley said with a serious expression, ¡°It¡¯s a spatial spell, just like the ones used by the cultists. It can teleport an unknown distance.¡±

    ¡°Unknown distance¡¯ was a very subtle thing. In a situation where we couldn¡¯t track him, it was possible that the Crown Prince was right behind us, or he might have already run out of the Elven Capital City.

    However, this was not okay for some people. The¡±Great Elder¡¯ said firmly, ¡°He didn¡¯t go far. He¡¯s on the other side of the pce with those disgusting wild dogs.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying the Crown Prince has met up with the cultists?¡±

    The ¡®Great Elder¡¯ didn¡¯t reply to my question. Instead, she disappeared in a sh.

    Her disappearance shocked everyone again. This was probably some special privilege of a guardian spirit.

    We obviously couldn¡¯t bring in some wounded people in the current situation. I arranged for Eve to escort the elves out of the pce and refused their request to stay and help.

    When faced with someone who truly wanted to help me, I tried to persuade him with kind words. I wasn¡¯t so polite to those who couldn¡¯t let go of their schemes at this critical moment. Without any hesitation, I pointed out the fact that they were of no help in the battle. In the end, these ¡®trash¡¯ was escorted away by Eve with a sullen expression.

 Chapter 434 - 434 The Heresy Of A Cult

    434 The Heresy Of A Cult

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The other side of the pce had be a living hell.

    There were high-ranking officials in the pce and even more servants, craftsmen, and guards. These people obviously could not be protected like the nobles and mayors in the first instance of a disaster, so they became the first target of the cultists¡¯ wanton attacks.

    I sensed a familiar evil aura. I realized that the heretic cult believers were using their old tricks again, attempting to mutate more elves. The worst thing was that they had already seeded a lot, and the condition of the infected this time was worse. Dozens of ¡®elves¡¯ with twisted limbs and bloody bodies were attacking everyone indiscriminately like zombies without any sense of reason.

    The pce guards were cautious and could be infected if they were slightly closer. Although my team members were not at risk of being infected, there was nothing I could do to these irrational ¡®opponents¡¯ ¨C even after they were knocked out, they would be controlled by the evil force to continue standing up. I couldn¡¯t kill them!

    I was even more helpless regarding the ¡®core figures¡¯ like Locke and Kafka. I couldn¡¯t defeat them; if I let them be, more victims would be born. I had no choice but to bite the bullet. As a result, more and more guards were injured, and even my team members didn¡¯t get any advantage.

    Two light and agile birds were flying in the sky. It was not difficult to see that they provided a wide vision for the people trapped on the battlefield. There were a few broken feathers on the right wing of the Soul Sparrow. Obviously, the enemy had also discovered them andunched an attack on them.

    ¡°Selma!¡± The moment Dorothy saw me, she ran over from afar. ¡°How¡¯s the situation on your side? Has it already ended?¡±

    ¡°No, the Crown Prince ran away. He came here and joined the cultists.¡± I carefully observed every enemy figure, but I didn¡¯t find any trace of the Crown Prince.

    Dorothy also helped in the search, but neither the Soul Sparrow nor Nature could find any trace of the Crown Prince.

    At this moment, a few screams were heard, and the mutated elves¡¯ symptoms worsened again. Many people¡¯s bones rapidly grew, piercing through their flesh and blood to form harmful bone spikes. This made the infected suffer and put the people dealing with them in more danger.

    ¡°Let¡¯s deal with the current situation first.¡± With the guardian spirit suppressing the situation, I wasn¡¯t worried that the Crown Prince would cause any trouble for now. It was obvious that dealing with the infected and the cultists was the most important thing right now.

    Leaping to the center of the battlefield, New Flow ¡®hunted¡¯ the infected elves at lightning speed, devouring the evil energy. However, what surprised me this time was that the contamination source in their bodies seemed to be connected to the ocean in an endless stream. It didn¡¯t seem to be contaminated by a mass of power, but more like a parasite infected by an evil seed.

    Some memory fragments of the Rocky Mountains flew into my mind, and I realized this was a serious matter. These contaminated elves were like the ones in the past; demon fragments had parasitized them. Although it wasn¡¯t as serious as Frank¡¯s situation, it couldn¡¯t be dealt with by simply devouring a little bit of overflowing energy.

    Only now did I understand why these people still dared to attack despite knowing that there was someone in the Elven Capital City who could purify evil energy. It was because even I would need to focus my attention and spend a lot of time resolving this situation. The battlefield wouldn¡¯t provide me with such conditions.

    I tried to use the river to trap the infected, so I could deal with Locke and the rest. However, the infected elves struggled unconsciously under the control of the evil power and tried to attack themselves. I had to control them and purify the evil power. I also had to split my attention to observe the battlefield. I couldn¡¯t split my attention at all.

    Unlike their fierce underlings, Locke and Kafka wandered around the battlefield as if they were ying with cats. No one could do anything to them. The strange thing was that they didn¡¯t seem to care about anyone and didn¡¯tunch any fatal attacks.

    Very quickly, Locke saw me and exaggeratedly took off his hat. He said unusually excitedly, ¡°Good afternoon, my dear Princess. I hope you¡¯re well!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t feel good when I see you.¡± I looked at him coldly. ¡°If you can pull out your dagger and kill yourself now, I wouldugh, maybe.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re so funny, but unfortunately, I¡¯m not a wastrel willing to spend much money on a beautiful woman. My heart is with my Lord.¡±

    ¡°Leviathan? What are you guys trying to do? Why does your master always get involved in matters rted to Azazel?¡±

    ¡°Who knows? Servants don¡¯t need to figure out their master¡¯s thoughts. Whatever orders they have, I will faithfully carry them out. As for His Highness, Azazel...¡±

    Locke spoke respectfully, but when he mentioned Azazel, he didn¡¯t hide his disgust.

    ¡°I rely on my friends when I¡¯m out. If I want toplete the task given to me by my master, I must seek the help of some brothers and sisters, even if they don¡¯t believe in my master.¡±

    ¡°That is to say, Leviathan wants to appear in the world for some reason?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re really good at fishing for information!¡± Locke burst intoughter. ¡°Unfortunately, I¡¯ve said enough today. I can¡¯t tell you what you want to know!¡±

 Chapter 435 - 435 The Vessel

    435 The Vessel

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°Then, we have nothing to talk about.¡± I stretched my muscles. ¡°You know we¡¯ll fight to the death today, right?¡±

    Previously, I was still hoping to get some information from Locke, but now, my only hope was for him to die quickly. This was an out-and-out time bomb. One more second of living would cause a lot of trouble.

    ¡°My dear Princess, I think my Lord will like your soul very much!¡±

    Lockeughed as he charged at me. His already burly body underwent another huge change in a few seconds. Sharp and thick bone spikes grew out of his joints like fish bones, wings covered in a thin membrane grew out of his back, and his sharp venomous fangs glowed with a green light that made one shiver.

    The humid ocean mist gradually mixed with the smoke-filled air. The nauseating ocean stench was hallucinating. That was what New Flow told me the moment he touched it.

    ¡°Cover your nose and mouth! Don¡¯t suck in the sea mist. It has a hallucinating effect!¡±

    The moment I shouted, Locke was already in front of me. I caught his heavy punch and was surprised to find that he waspletely different from before. There was probably no one present who could catch such a terrifying power.

    The powerful Locke did not be clumsy because of this. On the contrary, he was even more agile than the most agile elf I had ever seen. The bone spurs could not stop his movements at all. His attack angles were so tricky that I could only take it head-on.

    After a few rounds of fighting, I didn¡¯t suffer any injuries, but Locke didn¡¯t suffer much either.

    Unfortunately, this didn¡¯t mean that our fight was a draw. Looking around, I discovered that the hallucinatory mist had bewitched many elves. They were frozen on the spot as if something was extremely interesting in their illusions. Some wore gas masks, meaning the fog was pervasive and did not necessarily spread through the mouth and nose.

    Even some of my team members were starting to lose their minds. As I said, there was a limit to how much New Flow could withstand without the ability to channel energy to me. Obviously, their protective barrier had reached its limit and was no longer working.

    In this situation, most people couldn¡¯t even protect themselves. The battle situation started to be sluggish with the sudden attack from Kafka.

    Locke could also see the disadvantage that they were in. He snorted and said in a twisted and hoarse voice that did not seem human, ¡°What should I do? Our little princess is going to be a lone hero.¡±

    ¡°Cut the crap. Everything can be discussed after I¡¯m done with you.¡±

    I took the initiative to approach him and gave him a punch that forced him to lean back. This caused his throat to be exposed to me. Unfortunately, the tissue that was like a fish¡¯s gills but a thousand times harder than them protected it firmly. It could be imagined that all attacks would eventually be rendered useless.

    Locke only dared to expose his weakness to me because he had no fear.

    Unfortunately, my target wasn¡¯t his throat.

    When he turned around, countless silk-like New Flow slithered into the gills, trying to find a way in. Locke¡¯s expression changed, and he quickly retreated. Unfortunately, unless I wanted to, the river would not break even if he left earth.

    When I saw the fish-like tissues on his body, I wondered if they were just ayer of defense on the surface or if they were biological structures. Which parts of the body were they connected to? Would it lead to the blood vessels, nerves, and internal organs? If New Flow went through the crack, would it find the weak core under the steel?

    Now it seemed I had made the right bet.

    Locke¡¯s gills were hard, but that didn¡¯t stop them from connecting to his lungs. Locke¡¯s internal organs had also mutated, but it didn¡¯t matter. New Flow loved all kinds of energy that could be devoured.

    In the end, the countless threads gathered into a ck hole-like vortex in Locke¡¯s body, continuously devouring Locke¡¯s life force and the demon fragment that had been supporting him in stirring up trouble, just like the one in the Crown Prince¡¯s body. No matter how Locke struggled, it was useless.

    ¡°Cough, cough, cough-¡±

    After losing his power, Locke¡¯s body,pletely mutated by Leviathan¡¯s power, began to fall apart. Large pieces of internal organs gushed out of his mouth and nose with blue-ck blood.

    However, Locke didn¡¯t seem to care at all. After the initial panic, he quickly calmed down and evenughed crazily.

    ¡°This is so interesting! This is so interesting! The Lord will like you! The Lord will definitely like you! Ah no... Perhaps the Lord has long regarded you as her beloved actress, so she sent me to bring you back to her side! Haha... Hahahahaha! We¡¯ve all been deceived! We¡¯re all her actors, her puppets. Everything is in her script. Everything is a y to please her!¡±

    I didn¡¯t want to pay attention to the nonsense of my defeated opponent. A change urred just as I was about to make himpletely disappear from this world.

    Unlike the demonic shards or Locke¡¯s life force, this cold, damp, abyss-like, terrifying ball of underwater fire ¨C

    In that instant, I immediately controlled New Flow to leave Locke¡¯s body, but it was toote.

    ¡°You¡¯ve noticed, little princess.¡±

    Locke¡¯s eyes were filled with malice.

    ¡°She¡¯s here.¡±

 Chapter 436 - 436 The Arrival

    436 The Arrival

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Who was here?

    She was here.

    Who was she?

    She was...

    ¡°Everyone, retreat immediately! Put down everything you have to fight for the sake of your lives. Take yourpanions who have lost the ability to fight and leave immediately!¡±

    I desperately asked all the innocent people to leave, even if they couldn¡¯t understand or were confused. However, the current situation was so urgent that I didn¡¯t even have the time to spend a minute exining the facts.

    My team members still listened to me, and their long-termbat experience made them subconsciously retreat. However, the elves weren¡¯t so easy to talk to. Many soldiers didn¡¯t know me at all, so they naturally had a suspicious attitude toward my orders.

    I had no choice but to mobilize New Flow to bring them away from thisnd about to be hell.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening? Selma?¡± Dorothy was the only one who refused to leave. I knew she was worried about me, but I was afraid that the situation that followed would not be something that the two of us could resolve.

    ¡°Take everyone and leave the Elven Capital City and the Elf Forest immediately. The further you drive, the better. Don¡¯t waste any time,¡± I said quickly. ¡°I¡¯ll exin everything else to you on the way. The most important thing now is to leave!¡±

    Seeing my unyielding attitude, Dorothy pursed her lips and ran away, turning back to look at me every few steps.

    The situation on the battlefield had changed dramatically. Other than Loke and Kafka, the mutated cultist werewolves had suddenly twisted and changed their forms. They were like dried meat that had been suddenly drained of water. They had lost their lives and even their souls.

    They were absorbed by Locke as nutrients... Or rather, Locke was just a carrier. She was the one who came.

    Leviathan.

    Unlike the demon¡¯s projection that had been sealed for hundreds of years that I had met in the Rocky Mountains, the one that was about to break out of Locke¡¯s body was an actual demon. The moment I touched the forbidden soul slice in his body, I knew that the most dangerous part of this trip was about toe.

    Although it was only a slice of the soul, it was undoubtedly a terrifying creature that could summon clouds and rain with a flip of its hand. Back then, I almost paid the price with my life when dealing with Azazel¡¯s weak projection that had just been released from the seal. Now that I¡¯m facing Leviathan, what will the oue be?

    A drop of cold sweat slid down my forehead, along my dirty jaw, and fell to the ground, breaking into unremarkable mud.

    Just as his sweat was dripping, everything finally came!

    Locke let out a sharp howl. There was no anger or fear in it. It was the most foolish and primitive emotion in a living being¡¯s body.

    As he screamed, ck mist gushed out of his throat, and the strong smell of the sea permeated the entire field like a ten-thousand-meter-deep ocean.

    The ck fog ferociously eroded every corner that carried the breath of life. Some of the infected or seriously injured elves who had not been taken away by theirpanions in time were instantly turned into a pool of seawater-like liquid under the erosion of the ck fog. Then, they were wrapped by the ck fog as nourishment for Leviathan¡¯s appearance.

    Wrong, wrong, everything was wrong.

    I thought that the two Leviathan believers, Locke and Kafka, had cooperated with Azazel¡¯s party to create a human body for their master, but now it seemed that Leviathan had epted the sacrifice andpleted its descent, so there was no need for any sacrifice!

    So why? What did she want by letting herckey get involved in this? Was it to kill in the elven political center to publicize her mighty existence?

    I didn¡¯t have much time to think. In the blink of an eye, there were no living things here except for Kafka and me. I didn¡¯t know if Locke was still alive. This pitiful,mentable, and hateful heretic¡¯s physical body had already rotted, but his soul had forever be a ve to the devil.

    Compared to the projection in my spiritual world, Leviathan in the real world looks more beautiful and dangerous. She was like the Goddess of Beauty in Greek mythology, with only a piece of soft gauze on her body. However, no one would have any intimate thoughts because her existence represented pain and death.

    Kafka bowed and humbly greeted, ¡°How are you, my master? It¡¯s my life¡¯s honor to see you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re so sweet,¡± Leviathan said with a soft smile. ¡°It would be great if you thought so in your heart.¡±

    Kafka wanted to exin, but he immediately shut his mouth when he saw Leviathan¡¯s amorous gaze.

    Leviathan ignored him and turned to look at me.

    ¡°We meet again, my dear. How have you been? The scenery in hell is boring, and I¡¯ve been thinking about the beautiful scenery on earth every day.¡±

    She mumbled softly as if she was speaking to her lover or close friend. Her girly attitude was disgusting.

    ¡°I heard that you¡¯re married and have a cute child. It¡¯s a pity that I couldn¡¯t witness all of this. Perhaps I should think of a way to give the newborn a congrattory gift. I heard that the human world values this very much, and I don¡¯t want to be impolite.¡±

    At the mention of the child, I immediately replied coldly, ¡°There is no need. Your disappearance now is the best gift.¡±

 Chapter 437 - 437 The Author From the Abyss

    437 The Author From the Abyss

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Leviathanughed lightly and said, ¡°You¡¯re really interesting, but I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you. The scenery of the human world is so lovely. Coming here is not easy, so how can I leave so easily?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t belong to the human world. Your existence will only destroy everything.¡± I suppressed the fear in my heart as I said that.

    ¡°I know, but who dares say they were born to be there?¡± Leviathan giggled like a patient with schizophrenia. ¡°The abyss is too cold and dark. I¡¯ve seen enough of the life and scenery there. I was born here, but once my heart leaves, I no longer belong there. My heart is in the human world, and the human world is my home.

    ¡°And you? My dear, where do you belong? A small bedroom? A gorgeous suite? Or perhaps even in the world¡¯s vastness, you still don¡¯t know where to put your little heart?

    ¡°Don¡¯t be too harsh on me. I was just born with some power and lived a little longer. In fact, I¡¯m no different from you. I¡¯m afraid of loneliness, and I want friends. That¡¯s why I came to find you. You see, isn¡¯t the power you have now a gift from me to you?¡±

    I knew that demons were shameless, but Leviathan¡¯s ability to distort the truth still surprised me.

    Looking at her charming yet cold eyes, I coldly said, ¡°If your gift is to make me neither human nor ghost and also lose a few years of youth, then may the goddess bless you, and you will never have any friends in your life.¡±

    In the blink of an eye, Leviathan was suddenly in front of me. The distance between us was less than ten centimeters. I subconsciously wanted to step back, but Leviathan¡¯s sharp nails were already on my chin.

    ¡°What do you call it? ¡°New Flow¡±? It¡¯s a really good name. If you weren¡¯t a princess, you could definitely be a poet. I like poets. Was it useful? I¡¯ve never seen this ability before. To any living being that relied on strength to survive, this was truly an unassable murder weapon. I¡¯m beginning to understand why you could steal the divinity of Azazel¡¯s projection.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that no matter how strong the infusion tube is, there are not enough containers. Do you want to try and suck me dry? A god¡¯s soul slice is much more nutritious than a dry projection. Come on, let¡¯s see what the result is.¡±

    Even a three-year-old child wouldn¡¯t believe her stupid words. I knew my limits, and Leviathan was like a river in a wine barrel. It would be impossible to hold it by force. Perhaps I might die right away, or I¡¯d be reconstructed like when in the Rocky Mountains and be an unknown creature.

    Under Leviathan¡¯s girlish, innocent appearance was a stone heart that did not hide its malice and indifference. I believed she didn¡¯t care about what she said to me. It was as meaningless as a human teasing a wild cat. But she didn¡¯t lie to me about one thing ¨C she was here to have fun. I could be her entertainment; anything could be her entertainment.

    Dorothy constantly reported to me the progress of their evacuation, as well as the fact that the Great Elder had begun to organize the evacuation of the citizens in the Elven Capital City. I had to buy as much time as possible for them.

    Just like Azazel, who had just been released from the seal, Leviathan, who had just appeared in the world, also needed some time to get used to its body and majestic power. I thought that was why she had the time to chat with me.

    However, Leviathan shattered my fantasy in the next second.

    ¡°Are you in a daze? What were you thinking about? Your cute puppy friends? Or those pointy ears?¡±

    Leviathanughed as she mentioned them, but I felt as if this was the death knell of the Grim Reaper that made me feel like I had fallen into an ice cave.

    ¡°Oh, my dear, don¡¯t be nervous. I won¡¯t do anything to them. You look as if I¡¯m going to eat them raw for afternoon tea the next second, but I¡¯m not that Samuel b*stard who likes to kill for fun.¡±

    Leviathan pouted and suddenly moved away from me. The floating gauze fell on my arm and left, leaving a smooth touch like an octopus¡¯ tentacle.

    ¡°But sometimes, I¡¯m also very curious. Happiness, anger, sorrow, and joy are all human emotions, but why do people always likeedy and hate tragedies?¡± Leviathan tilted her head and pretended to be deep in thought. ¡°I like to watch all kinds of ys in the human world, and I like the endings given to them by any author equally. But one day, I felt a little bored as I looked at it. The scripts that have been created are all the same. No matter how many twists and turns there are in the middle, it¡¯s inevitable that people will be annoyed when they see the clich¨¦ ending.

    ¡°So, one day, I suddenly thought, ¡®Why don¡¯t I write a script for fun? Or I don¡¯t have to write a script. I just have to find a few actors I like, give them a little foreshadowing and push them forward, and maybe I¡¯ll be very satisfied with the ending?

    ¡°So I yed like this for a long time. Sure enough, the ending was always zero, and I was very satisfied. Unfortunately, it¡¯s always hard to find an actor I like, so I created my own actors.

    ¡°Selma, my dear, you are my favorite actress. What kind of surprise will you bring me?¡±

 Chapter 438 - 438 A Dead End

    438 A Dead End

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Mental illness was a disease for humans, but it could kill many people for demons.

    I had a bad feeling when Leviathan became more and more excited as she spoke, and what she said next made my eyes almost pop out of their sockets.

    ¡°So far, I¡¯m very satisfied with this y. It¡¯s a pity that the actors seem to becking in session, causing this y to begin to slide in the direction of clich¨¦. How about we have a half-time break? Get the actors to take a break and get the clown toe up and do some light-hearted entertainment.¡±

    ¡°So far, this city has forty-four thousand five hundred and seventy-six humanoid individuals. There are pointy-eared individuals and your puppies. Of course, a great city-state would not have only this few people, but since those who left have already left, we shouldn¡¯t force them toe back and perform, right?

    ¡°I heard an ancient legend that¡¯s especially popr in the human world, and authors use it as an inexhaustible source of inspiration. The seawater will slowly submerge the city in the bubble in the next hour. Note that it¡¯s submerged! If you can find a way to save everyone within an hour, then this y of a great hero defeating the flood will bepleted!

    ¡°On the other hand, if you fail...¡± Leviathanughed. ¡°That¡¯s nothing. Didn¡¯t I say that I treat all endings equally? Tragedies are often renewed after a long time!¡±

    Flood! Human lives! One hour!

    This was an almost impossible task.

    Even if the ¡®bubbles¡¯ made by Leviathan burst like soap bubbles, it would be difficult to send tens of thousands of panicked people out of the city in one hour.

    And I did not doubt that judging from Leviathan¡¯s malice, the eye of this ¡®y¡¯ was not the ¡®flood¡¯, but the ¡®one hour¡¯. If the crisis were not resolved in an hour, she would not be stingy to be the viin who would destroy the world!

    The fishy smell of the seawater had begun to spread over my feet. I knew I had no time to waste, so I looked deeply at Leviathan, turned around, and ran away.

    Behind me, Leviathan was still shouting excitedly, ¡°I have to put in more effort to please the audience!¡±

    Just as I had expected, the Elven Capital City was in an uproar. After discovering that all the exits were sealed by ayer of seemingly soft but firm and corrosive film, the panic among the people could no longer be appeased by the weak interim government.

    This was especially so for some of the ¡®big shots¡¯ who had yet to leave. They even went to the Great Elder to demand an ¡®exnation¡¯.

    What kind of exnation could the Great Elder give? Dorothy had told him about Leviathan¡¯s malice. Could he release the news of the devil¡¯s arrival at such a chaotic juncture and let everyone die in madness and despair before the flood drowned them?

    It wasn¡¯t that they didn¡¯t have any hope that their will would be united, but it was a pity that the premise of everything was that everyone could be of one mind. Judging from the current situation where they had to scheme against each other at the moment of life and death, once the truth was revealed, let alone fighting against an undefeatable demon, there might even be a few traitors like the Crown Prince.

    When the Great Elder and the others retreated, the Elf King¡¯s slumbering body was also transported out, apanied by a few birds. The moment Nature saw the Elf King, it automatically returned to his side, but Dorothy¡¯s natural vision was still temporarily retained.

    Master Hayley, Dorothy, and Mr. Cage tried to break the bubble with sorcery, but to their surprise, although they couldn¡¯t make the bubble disappear, it was not because they couldn¡¯t understand the structure of the bubble but because the power contained in the bubble was too strong.

    This meant that New Flow could absorb them easily and open up an escape route.

    But would things be that simple?

    Looking at the endless crowd of people gathered in front of the city gate, I suddenly understood Leviathan¡¯s bad taste.

    Be it the flood or the bubbles, these were not the main point. The main point was the people.

    Just like the creatures in the legends who always sought their destruction at the critical moment, the ck mass of people in front of me was the most uncontroble.

    As war had broken out in the pce, most people had subconsciously run away from the pce through the west and south gates. The south gate was rtively closer to the pce, so the Great Elder and the other ¡®important figures¡¯ hade here at the first moment. This move led more people to the south gate, thinking there was a way out.

    The power split caused the people¡¯s distrust of the government to peak. People did not believe in the government, so they naturally would not listen to itsmand. There were tens of thousands of people here, and the gate was only a few dozen meters wide. What would happen if everyone ran out fighting for the city?

    Pushing, stomping, death.

    They couldn¡¯t even blow up the city wall because the people surrounded the city gate so tightly that they couldn¡¯t even clear out a safe zone.

    At this moment, be it the ancient city walls that pretended to be old-fashioned or the people¡¯s hearts worn down in the fight for power, everything came together and sounded the death knell of self-inflicted suffering.

 Chapter 439 - 439 An Attempt

    439 An Attempt

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    As time passed and the water level gradually increased, people¡¯s emotions became more and more agitated. Parents held their young children in their arms and cried, and the dazed children in the crowd were silent.

    Even the ¡®big shots¡¯ could not escape the fear of death. Some gathered a few ¡®messengers¡¯ and found the Great Elder, asking me to immediately ¡®release¡¯ the bubbles around the Elven Capital City.

    However, once the bubble was lifted, the people would rush to the city gate like crazy. One could imagine a tragedy that no one wanted to see would happen.

    But was I going to wait here and let time pass? It was either being stomped to death or drowned to death.

    ¡°How long will it take to move a portion of the people to the other gates at the fastest speed?¡± I asked the Grand Elder.

    His answer to me wasn¡¯t optimistic. ¡°There are too many people. Moreover, no one is willing to listen to the interim government now. Even if only 10000 people are taken away, it will definitely take more than an hour.¡±

    ¡°Is there no way to shorten it?¡±

    ¡°Well, unless we can travel a thousand miles in a single step...¡± the Great Elder said tiredly.

    A thousand miles in one step?

    He reminded me that such a method could allow one to appear thousands of miles away without any effort-spatial magic.

    But the question was, who could make that happen?

    Master Hayley had already left with the first batch of elves who had left. The only one by my side was Dorothy. She could only shake her head regretfully at my question. As for the elf masters, they weren¡¯t very proficient in this profound magic.

    The only way seemed to be out of reach.

    Just as I was at my wit¡¯s end, I aimlessly looked at the crowd. Suddenly, a barefooted woman in a gray robe caught my attention. She was tied to the same prison cart with a group of fans of the Crown Prince. As the Crown Prince had disappeared in the chaos, the faces of the wolves who had lost their masters were ashen, and they kept muttering chaotic prayers.

    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± I asked, pointing at the grey-robed woman.

    The Great Elder looked at where I was pointing and replied, ¡°This youngdy is your acquaintance, Your Highness. She is the daughter of Kafka.¡±

    ¡°Adele?¡±

    I eximed in a low voice. Didn¡¯t he take his adopted daughter with him? He didn¡¯t seem to trust that idiot, the Crown Prince, at all. Why would he leave his daughter alone?

    He didn¡¯t pay attention to Adele even though he came to rescue her. What was Adele to him?

    There was no time for me to think about the details of the father-daughter rtionship. I immediately had someone bring Adele to me. She looked a lot thinner, and there were small scars scattered on her haggard face, which looked like they had been cut by branches or something.

    This reminded me of the high-spirited girl from the Sivir Academy a few years ago. Although she was evil and disgusting, that arrogant girl would never show her ws.

    This crazy girl made me lose focus for a moment, but I quickly recovered.

    Kafka was an expert in using space sorcery, but could Adele do it?

    ¡°Hey, Adele, do you still remember who I am?¡± I tried tomunicate with the girl staring at the sky. ¡°If you understand what I¡¯m saying, please lower your head and look at me.¡±

    I¡¯d only heard that Adele went crazy, but I knew nothing about her mental state. I was a little worried that she could understand what I said.

    To my surprise, Adele lowered her head and looked at me. Her eyes no longer had the liveliness she had in the past. They were like a dried-up old well, lifeless and without any waves.

    She was silent, and when she knew I thought she needed me to repeat it, she said softly, ¡°Ah, it¡¯s the little moon.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I was stunned for a moment, but I didn¡¯t care about this strange way of addressing me. I directly asked, ¡°Since you canprehend me, I¡¯ll be direct. The entire city is in danger. Everyone, including you, may be drowned by the rising water. That¡¯s why I need your help. Adele, do you know how to use space sorcery?¡±

    Adele was silent again. She looked back at the sky and returned to her world as if no one was around.

    I tried to say something repeatedly, but she was alreadypletely ignoring me.

    ¡°Alright, alright.¡±

    I tousled my hair in frustration. I suddenly felt that my desperate actions wereughable. Did I expect a mental patient who has lost all his magic power to save the world? What ame thought.

    I turned around to look for the Great Elder and said, ¡°No matter what, let¡¯s evacuate a portion of the people first. We can transfer as many as possible, even if it is a few hundred people. Otherwise, it would not end well for everyone to squeeze in front of the door. Lead them to the nearest city gate and walk as fast as you can. I will devour the bubbles twenty minutes before the clock starts ticking, and I think the water will be up to our chests by then. However, I can¡¯t advance, because if the door is opened too early, then all transfer actions will be meaningless.

    ¡°In addition, organize your men to blow up a gap between the two city gates. Although I feel that the strange seawater will cause the explosives to lose their effectiveness, we can still try using magic, right?¡±

 Chapter 440 - 440 The Instigation

    440 The Instigation

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The only thing I could do now was to struggle with all the options I could think of.

    Just as the Great Elder had predicted, only a few people chose to leave with the evacuation team. Even if thousands of people left, there was still an endless sea of people in front of the city gate. The people themselves didn¡¯t trust the interim government much, and what made things worse was the backstabbing from some ¡®big shots¡¯.

    They were unwilling to leave no matter what, as if this was the only escape route. The people were even more convinced that they couldn¡¯t leave. After all, the big shots always cherished their noble lives and would not let themselves be like ants in the whirlpool of danger, leaving it to fate, right?

    Such an attitude made the Great Elder extremely angry, but unfortunately, he had no way to deal with these stubborn people.

    The water level rose, and when it reached knee-high, there were only thirty minutes left.

    The water level did not rise at a constant rate, and it would rise faster and faster as time passed.

    We tried to persuade more people to go to the city gate with less traffic, but the results were minimal. The rising water level was like a curse eroding people¡¯s rationality. Finally, the order that they had painstakingly maintained copsed. With the first angry roar of dissatisfaction, chilling wails and angry curses resounded through the sky. The person in charge on the surface suddenly became the target of public criticism.

    In the face of the people¡¯s monstrous anger, the Great Elder could only try his best to appease them. Unfortunately, the dyed opening of the city gate made the people unable to understand the interim government¡¯s decision. Some people even began to shout rumors that the interim government was the devil¡¯s dog and wanted to sacrifice the entire city to their master.

    And at this moment of turmoil, there were even people who came to add fuel to the fire.

    ¡°My dearpatriots, it doesn¡¯t matter whether the gate is opened. What¡¯s important is what¡¯s outside the city ¨C the evil demons haveid a thick barrier, which means that we can¡¯t leave the capital even if the gate is open.

    ¡°But it¡¯s not like there¡¯s no solution to everything because our Princess from the werewolf pack, this noble warrior, can solve all problems. Just like how she easily resolved the crisis at the southern border and Gand City in the north, the barrier will disappear as long as she makes a move.

    ¡°Unfortunately, the helper invited by the interim government doesn¡¯t seem to want to help. In fact, this is understandable. After all, the guest follows the host¡¯s will. If the interim government requests to close the capital, then the princess can¡¯t do anything, right?

    ¡°However, there¡¯s something I still have to say...¡±

    I looked at the male elf standing on the car¡¯s roof and speaking through a loudspeaker. My eyes widened in disbelief.

    Now, he was about to die! A dying man still had the leisure to fight openly and secretly, and he could even point at the mulberry and scold the locust, pulling me as the sword to attack the interim government. What kind of dedication was this? For some reason, I even started to admire him. Must a person reach this level to be qualified to be a new political star?

    ¡°No matter what, human lives are at stake. Since the interim government is not willing to disclose the reason, it is inconvenient for me to ask. However, everyone present was a fellow elf, and they were all living lives. What could be more important than saving their lives at this critical moment? What is more important than opening the city gates and removing the barrier so people can escape?

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m the only one who¡¯s confused. Everyone here is confused. Then, Your Excellency, as the leader of the interim government, can you condescend to answer everyone¡¯s questions? This will allow us to wait in peace, right?¡±

    The chancellor, a man named Sirius, who had nothing to do with any stars, was holding a megaphone and looking at us from the car¡¯s roof. It was as if he didn¡¯t care about his life that was about to drown in flood.

    In the face of his old rival, the Great Elder seemed to have put down all his pretense of politeness, unwilling to maintain thest bit of harmony. He said coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t believe that you don¡¯t know the reason, Sirius. You¡¯ve worked in the emergency rescue center for more than ten years when you were young. I believe you¡¯ve seen countless disasters caused by humans. If you want the good of the people, you should lead your party to maintain order, help the people disperse, and do your best to reduce the possibility of a disaster.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just asking the questions everyone has.¡± The chancellor bowed humbly. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to answer, you don¡¯t have to change the subject.¡±

    After he said that, many of the incited citizens stood out in support. This force was like a rolling snowball that was getting bigger and bigger, and it seemed like it would roll in some dangerous direction.

    ¡°Alright, then, let¡¯s be honest.¡±

    The Great Elder had no choice but to tell the truth.

    However, just as we expected, after knowing that a man-made disaster mighte, not only did the people not pay attention to maintaining order, but they also rushed toward the city gate. An ident almost happened before the city gate was opened.

    This was why the interim government chose to hide it. When there was no effective arrangement, how much rationality and civilization could you expect people to maintain to save their own lives?

 Chapter 441 - 441 Self-Doubt

    441 Self-Doubt

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Maintaining order was a futile effort. Although the president hid in the crowd and no longer spoke after dropping the bomb, the anger and fear of the people had been stirred to the greatest extent. Anything that stopped them would be seen as ¡®giving up¡¯. ¡°The high and mighty nobles are going to abandon us and run for their lives!¡±

    I only felt profound fatigue in the face of chaos, and this was the first time I felt despair. It was not that I was afraid of Leviathan¡¯s ability to move mountains and fill the seas, but rather her deep and bottomless mind.

    Could everything be in her ¡®script¡¯ all along? The chaos we were in was so ¡®logical.¡¯ They med the government for constantly wearing down their credibility, med the legitimate heir for personally destroying the people¡¯s trust in the royal family, and med the arrogant style of the nobles and mayors for tearing the ss apart. However, was there no factor of human arrangement in all ¡®reasonable¡¯ things?

    From the moment he incited hisckeys to confuse the Crown Prince, had things gone ording to Leviathan¡¯s script?

    Could everything be under her control?

    Leviathan showed me the other side of the gods. Unlike the Moon Goddess¡¯ kindness or Azazel¡¯s arrogance, Leviathan was too much like a human. She treated people like toys for fun and yed withyers of schemes. I was not afraid to fight with people who looked like humans or be opponents to people who looked like gods. But what should I do when facing a god that was like a human?

    I couldn¡¯t wait for the appointed time, and there was no explosion. I thought that my n to blow up the city wall had failed. The cries of the people grew louder and louder, and there were even people who shed with the guards of the nobles.

    It was no longer a peaceful time to hold their heads high. After breaking through the filter of aristocrats, the people no longer had any scruples.

    Seeing such a scene, even some people of the interim government were shaken.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we... Just open the city gates.¡± An elder said dryly, ¡°We can¡¯t go on like this. Let¡¯s get as many of us out as possible. At least most of us will survive.¡±

    ¡°Most of the people?¡± The Great Elder looked as if he had heard a joke. ¡°What about the remaining small portion? Do you think they deserve to die?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t speak in anger, Jodocus!¡± The elder frowned and growled, ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I meant! But what can we do now? If we wait any longer, we¡¯ll all die!¡±

    The Grand Elder was silent.

    After a while, he looked at me.

    ¡°I respect all of your rules.¡± I wanted to smile to show my friendliness, but the corner of my mouth was like a five-kilogram lead block. ¡°This is all for... For everyone¡¯s sake, for survival...¡±

    However, we all knew that if we opened the gates now, some people would die under the feet of ourpatriots. While waiting for that faint hope, perhaps everyone would die in the flood.

    Do we protect the VIPs and neglect the citizens? Did the problem we were facing somehow be an unsolvable problem without us knowing?

    Finally, the Great Elder made up his mind.

    ¡°... Open the gate.¡±

    He let out a deep, deep sigh. The pattern that represented the guardian spirit was still engraved on his skin, but it had now dried up and cracked with the pce¡¯s destruction. It was like the Great Elder¡¯s current lifeless face, full of defeat.

    ¡°Try your best to maintain order. Let the old, weak, women, and children out of the city first. The young and middle-aged men should stand back as much as possible. And the nobles and mayors...¡±

    He was at a loss for words again. What about the nobles and the mayors? Would they be willing to let themoners go first? Even the elderly and children?

    He couldn¡¯t even convince the people, let alone the ¡®big shots¡¯ who were already unwilling to listen to him.

    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s open the gate first.¡± At this moment, the Great Elder, who had always been a strategist, showed only emptiness. ¡°Go... just go...¡±

    Standing on the tall city walls, the instant I reached out to the translucent ¡®bubble¡¯, my confusion wasn¡¯t any less than the Great Elder. If he was heartbroken for his kind because he anticipated the tragedy that was about to happen, then I had an even more selfish reason other than the fact that I didn¡¯t want to see innocent people die.

    I began to doubt myself.

    Could it be because of my pride that we¡¯de to this point?

    Was it because I was overconfident and thought nothing could stop me after I reconstructed my body and obtained New Flow? Was it because my pride had blinded me and made me unwilling to think? Was it because I only wanted to show off and use brute force to solve everything?

    The heretic cult believer¡¯s n of luring the tiger away from the mountain was a crude strategy. I had simted it hundreds of times in military sses, but in the end, I was still deceived by such a childish scheme.

    I should have listened to my partner¡¯s advice and left this chaotic ce as soon as possible, but I didn¡¯t. I stubbornly used the diplomatic rtions between our countries as an excuse. In reality, I felt that after I defeated Azazel, gods were nothing. I could solve any trouble.

    However, reality told me that I could not get rid of the gods and couldn¡¯t even stop someone willing to walk down the path of death known as the ¡®gate of life¡¯.

    Oh dear, oh dear.

    I did not want to open the city gate because this was destined to be a ¡®tragic victory¡¯ that would break apart countless families.

    But shouldn¡¯t I open the city gate?

    Now that things hade to this, did I still have to be stubborn?

 Chapter 442 - 442 The Door Of Life and Death

    442 The Door Of Life and Death

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Like a hungry child, New Flow pounced on the bubble and started devouring it. I felt cold all over, and I couldn¡¯t tell if the cold came from the evil power with the smell of the sea or from my heart.

    The bubble became visibly thinner quickly, and the people cheered as they scrambled to get to the city gate.

    The 40-meter wide city wall was not narrow, but it was like an ant hole on the river bank in front of tens of thousands of people. Water could not flow out, but the entire river bank would copse sooner orter.

    People were squeezing like sardines in a can, and children were constantly crying. Someone¡¯s child fell, but the people behind them stepped on it as if they didn¡¯t see it. Anxious parents tried to pull their child up, but it only brought more pain to the child. As a result, a few parties started quarreling, and this farce attracted more attention, making the ce even more crowded and thus giving birth to more simr tragedies.

    A mother cried and emphasized that she had a child, but no one cared. An old man was either hiding under the wall or standing in the crowd with his eyes closed as if he didn¡¯t want his dying body to block the way of life for the young people.

    Whose family had been torn apart? It was a young couple. They called out to each other in grief, but no one could see each other¡¯s lovely faces in the vast sea of people. Suddenly, the wife began to cry. Perhaps it was because she had some telepathic connection with her husband, and her husband¡¯s cries had just been cut off by an abrupt wail.

    People¡¯s lives under the city wall were like grass, but I was all alone on the city wall.

    I tried my best to calm myself down and not be curious about what was happening below the city walls. However, my superior hearing has now be a sharp de that cuts my soul. Those who yearned to escape didn¡¯t care about tragedies, those who were enveloped in tragedies couldn¡¯t even take care of themselves, and those who were in despair skimmed through all tragedies as if they were looking at a broken flyer.

    Only I couldn¡¯t escape. I couldn¡¯t close my eyes and listen.

    I created the door of life in my hands, but I felt like I was already in hell.

    The moment the bubble burstpletely, the city gate opened.

    It was so tiny that not even a finger could reach out through it. That was what happened the moment the door was opened. However, I saw countless hands reach out from the crack, greedily grabbing at the empty air as if they had just survived a disaster.

    Was this a way out? This was a way out!

    How I wished that after I opened the door, it would be the clich¨¦ happy ending, that everyone was alive, and that no one was injured or killed in today¡¯s disaster. Everything was just like a dream. When the children in their parents¡¯ arms became old people, they could still joke with their grandchildren about what sensational scenes they had experienced in their youth.

    How I wish this were true.

    It was a pity that the Goddess of Hope had closed her eyes.

    Along with the finger, the turbulent seawater escaped the door. The restless sea water finally found a gap to vent and immediately poured out, bringing a turbulent flow of water with it.

    The people walking in front didn¡¯t even have time to look at the sun before the water washed over them. How many people could still get up after falling? The seawater that gushed into their mouths and noses suffocated them, so they struggled, inadvertently causing more people to fall. The seawater was not the most terrible thing. What was more terrible was the ¡®harm¡¯ caused by his kind.

    No one had the time to look at what was under their feet, and no one could help the fallen. They couldn¡¯t do that even if they wanted to because they were no longer themselves. They couldn¡¯t control themselves.

    Everyone was swept away by the water, crowd, fear, and hope. Together, they formed a huge, irresistible force. If one was in it, one could only follow this power. Whoever tried to resist would be the stepping stone for others.

    I¡¯d seen countless bloody scenes. Be it the smoke from the battlefield or the bloody limbs, I could keep a straight face. However, facing a group of harmless ordinary people like them, I felt a sense of powerlessness and fear that I hadn¡¯t felt in a long time. I would die if I looked at it for one more second, so I closed my eyes.

    After losing my sight, my hearing became even more acute. It was hard to tell whether it was torture to watch the disaster happen or to hear the details of the disaster.

    There were even more children crying, followed by desperate wails and angry curses from adults. It was as if certain conditions had to be met to pass through this door, or they would have to stay here forever. Before the fleeing people could cheer, they turned around and saw their loved ones, lovers, or friends mercilessly swallowed by the dark gate.

    As for the mayors, nobles, andmoners? Now, there was no difference at all. In the face of life and death, everyone was equally miserable. It didn¡¯t matter if you were sitting in the Council Chamber a few hours ago or cooking a pot of unptable home-cooked soup on the stove; now, they had to put on the ugliest expression and struggle in the crowd with the most twisted movements.

    For a moment, I wished I were deaf.

 Chapter 443 - 443 Resignation

    443 Resignation

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I lost. I knew that Leviathan had won this game without a doubt. Or rather, there was no winning or losing at all because, in my eyes, something bigger than the sky was just an amateur skit to kill time in Leviathan¡¯s eyes.

    I¡¯d been wondering, what did Leviathan want by doing all this? To use fear to attract more believers? Obtaining some unknown precious treasure? Or was this a deterrent to the Goddess of Nature or some other gods to show off her great power and to gain more territory in the human world?

    But now, I suddenly understood.

    No, there was nothing. There was no purpose, no desire, and no one could think of anything.

    It was just a game. Even if a race was destroyed, countless people were disced and even lost their lives; it was nothing to Leviathan because we were just toys in her eyes.

    When ying with a toy, who would think about what benefits they could get from it? Even if they could only get temporary, fragmented happiness or even damage the toys, these were unimportant because ying with them was very happy. To people, if the toys were broken, there would always be new ones to rece them.

    Everything Leviathan did, as she said, was just for fun.

    I suddenly felt that it was ridiculous because I had been fighting with the air for so long, and in the end, I found that all my struggles were in vain. What should be lost would still be lost, and what should die would still die.

    What about Azazel? I didn¡¯t seem to know why Azazel wanted to appear in the world so much. Was it really just to take revenge on me? Or was he, like Leviathan, tired of the long and endless life, so he wanted toe to the human world to find a few unlucky people to entertain him?

    Since that was the case, what else was there to do? If a god¡¯s wisdom, schemes, and power were something that mortals could never hope to catch up to, then what was the point of struggling?

    When I was neen, I could say, ¡°Then, let me be a god¡± and make it a reality. I was still young, but everything had turned upside down. I was a mother in despair among the crowd, a wife who cried for her husband, and a daughter who had lost her child.

    If one day, god destroyed everything I had, I had no choice but to curse fate for my powerlessness, just like all living beings.

    After an unknown period, the surging stream of people stopped, and the one-hour time limit had long passed.

    When they realized the flood would not rise after an hour, many people gave up on the city gate and ran to the roof to wait for the flood to subside. Thus, an ironic scene happened. The people who tried their best to squeeze into the front of the crowd to leave the city might not necessarily survive. On the contrary, most people who were left behind or even gave up on themselves were safe.

    Many nobles and mayors left the nd of trouble¡¯ as soon as they left the city. Some of them were gentlemen who had a conscience and left their lives to the old, the weak, women, and children. Some of them were losers who did not make it to the front of the crowd, and some were confident that the matter would be solved smoothly, so they were calm.

    Thest type was specifically for people like the president.

    ¡°The crisis has been resolved, Your Excellency, thanks to your wise decision.¡± He walked over and pretended to be ttering or sarcastic.

    The Great Elder nced at him but didn¡¯t say anything.

    His silence made the president think that it was just a form of submission, so he ¡®suggested¡¯ in high spirits, ¡°Are you alright? Many elderly were frightened by the disaster. The flood made them uneasy, and their joints protested and went on strike. Please don¡¯t misunderstand. I don¡¯t mean anything else. I¡¯m just thinking for everyone. After all, you still must lead the government and lead everyone to rebuild the pce.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± the Great Elder said.

    ¡°It¡¯s better to have a check-up. Health is not a small matter. Is your doctor here? Or did he escape from the city? If you don¡¯t mind, I can...¡±

    ¡°No, there¡¯s no need to check,¡± the Great Elder interrupted him coldly. ¡°I know my own body well. Even if the doctor came, he would not be able to extend the life of an old piece of wood.¡±

    The president was still consoling him hypocritically, ¡°Don¡¯t give up so quickly. Please believe in the skills of doctors and masters. You should know that many old people in the northern territory have longevity-extending cures...¡±

    Without waiting for him to finish, the Great Elder suddenly reached out and took off the badge on his chest. It was a very ancient, even a little rough, silver emerald badge. It was said to be an antique from many years ago. It came from the hands of the first Elf King to be crowned by the Goddess of Nature, representing absolute power and dignity.

    Such an iparably precious badge was like a rock in the eyes of the Great Elder. He casually tossed the badge to the president and said expressionlessly, ¡°There is no need. If you want it, I¡¯ll give it to you.¡±

    It was only then that I realized that when he first said ¡®there is no need¡¯, he wasn¡¯t referring to a physical examination, but ¡®leading the government¡¯.

    The Great Elder was going to resign?

 Chapter 444 - 444 The Exchange Students

    444 The Exchange Students

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    With the Elf King in aa and the elven race without a leader, the Great Elder, the only person who could take the lead, suddenly resigned. This was bound to be another major upheaval for the elven race. Normally, I would have paid close attention to this and analyzed all the possible oues of this matter and the opportunities and hidden dangers it could bring to the werewolf pack.

    But I was not in the mood for that right now. I couldn¡¯t even deal with myself. What did the matter of the foreign ns have to do with me?

    So, I just watched everything happen in a daze, like a stone man in silence.

    The only thing I was concerned about now was the pce that had been reduced to ruins. Was Leviathan still there?

    Looking at the ruins, anger suddenly ignited in my numb chest. Everyone was bearing the consequences. Everyone was lost, so what about the main culprit who caused all this? Did toys have to be left to fate? Couldn¡¯t a toy spit on the murderer¡¯s face?

    I ran toward the ruins of the pce, but when I arrived, it was already empty. There was no Kafka, no Leviathan, and even the evil aura had disappeared. It was as if the two had never existed, and everything was just a nightmare for the entire city.

    However, Locke¡¯s body was still there. After Leviathan broke out of the cocoon, the rotten container was heartlessly abandoned. It was a pile of mud mixed with blood, flesh, and smoke, making people hate it so much that they couldn¡¯t start.

    Leviathan left. I could feel that she didn¡¯t just leave the Elven Capital City but the entire elven territory. It was a mysterious feeling that came from New Flow. I had never been wrong in my ability to capture power.

    Even if I could no longer believe my arrogance, I knew Leviathan had left.

    After causing all this, she didn¡¯t even look at these pitiful bugs trying to please her with their lives. She just walked away like a feather.

    How ridiculous andughable.

    However, I soon discovered something even more ridiculous was yet toe.

    When Nature flew over, I realized that Leviathan might not have left of her own will.

    Would the Goddess of Nature allow other gods to cause trouble in her territory?

    Leviathan was expelled. Perhaps the process was not as embarrassing as ¡®expelled¡¯, but the fact was that Leviathan would leave when the time was up, even if nothing were done. Perhaps the ¡®one hour¡¯ wasn¡¯t a time limit for me, but for herself. How long could she hide it from the Goddess of Nature?

    Iughed out loud at this absurd realization.

    I should be sad, fearful, fragile, and discouraged because I got into a few significant troubles, my husband¡¯s life and death were unknown, a group of conspirators was eyeing my throne, and not long ago, I found out that I was still a waste, just from inferior trash to a waste who thought highly of herself.

    But I didn¡¯t feel ufortable at all.

    I just wanted tough. I just wanted tough out loud. Many things came together and blocked my brain, making it impossible for me to give instructions other than tough.

    My strangeughter caused the people who had followed me here to be confused. Master Hayley walked up to me and put her arms around my shoulders. She seemed to want to say something, but in the end, all she could do was remain silent.

    The flood swept away everything, leaving onlyughter and a pitiful worm curled up in ruins.

    We didn¡¯t stay for long.

    Even though everyone was exhausted and no longer had the high-spirited look they had when they first arrived at the elf territory, no one had the mood to stay for another night to rest and recuperate. It was as if the once prosperous and old city had be a terrifying beast in the middle of the night. Whoever got close to it would be the beast¡¯s dinner.

    Before I left, the Great Elder came to see me. He wanted me to take a group of little sprites that looked like middle school students.

    Before I rejected him, he took out a document signed by both my father and the Elf King and said, ¡°Exchange students... This is a tradition between the two races. It¡¯s held once every five years, and this year is the new batch.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve seen the current situation. In our current state, it¡¯s not suitable for us to escort these children. Why don¡¯t you wait for me to return to the werewolf pack and send someone to pick them up? That way, you can have more time to rest and recuperate. These children must be frightened...¡±

    However, the Great Elder¡¯s insistence caused me to look askance at him. No matter what, he insisted on giving us these little elves as if this was some sacred mission he had toplete before stepping down.

    Despite my repeated rejections, these little elves became ourpanions in the end. This was because Dorothy had coincidentally brought back the people who had left the city earlier to meet up with us. She had also brought news from my father, requesting that I get the little elves back with me.

    It was only then that I realized that mymunication device had died without me even realizing it. All that was left was a half-empty outer shell hanging by my tactical belt,ically maintaining myst bit of dignity.

 Chapter 445 - 445 A Miracle

    445 A Miracle

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    There was no farewell ceremony, no diplomatic rhetoric, and no one could evene to see me off. Just like that, we left the Elven Capital City unceremoniously.

    The little elves who left with us didn¡¯t cry or make a fuss. It was as if they had no reaction to their deste old home or were about to set foot on a strange foreignnd. However, their childish pretense was still too superficial. I could tell many children were forcefully suppressing their reluctance and apprehension, only suffering because they didn¡¯t have anyone to rely on.

    That was right. Most of these little elves were orphans. I didn¡¯t know why the elves would choose these children. It wasn¡¯t a coincidence, but I wasn¡¯t in the mood to ask.

    The leader of the exchange students was a little boy who looked familiar to me. He recognized me at first nce and greeted me politely.

    ¡°Hello, child. Do you know me?¡± I asked doubtfully.

    The boy nodded shyly. ¡°Perhaps you might not remember; you saved my ssmate in the basement and me.¡±

    Oh, I remember now.

    ¡°I¡¯m d to see you alive and kicking, child. The life that I had once saved is in good health. This undoubtedly gave me somefort. I hope you enjoy your journey in the werewolf pack.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡±

    With the Elven Capital City¡¯s chaos, the elven race immediately became an anarchic state. Fortunately, the city-states had long be semi-autonomous, so the fall of the capital city did not cause much trouble for the huge Elf Forest.

    For us, the only inconvenience was that the approval of the interim government was not so useful. Although it didn¡¯t have much effect before, it was now properly a waste paper.

    We had no choice but to ept the inspection and interrogation of every city-state we passed. Due to my status, these necessary procedures were reasonable. However, they severely slowed down our progress, so much so that we were still stuck in the western region even after spending the same amount of time as we came.

    In the end, it was Chena City¡¯s mayor who helped us.

    The Lord, who valued his family more than anything else, did not participate in the chaotic storm of power struggle. He only sent someone to the capital to show his face. He had searched through countless books and professionals for his daughter¡¯s health before finally pulling Sandora back from the brink of death.

    At this moment, this little girl, who was so thin that she was only left with a handful of bones because of her illness, was ying with the exchange students. The Chena City¡¯s mayor and I were drinking tea on the terrace. The clearughter downstairs made peopleugh.

    ¡°Although it¡¯s not appropriate for me to say this, I think I have to apologize to you on behalf of the elves,¡± Chena City¡¯s mayor said. ¡°I know that you¡¯re here to help out of goodwill. Although I didn¡¯t participate in the battle of the capital, I know that they must have made a lot of jokes out of you and perhaps even caused you to suffer a lot of unfair treatment.¡±

    I smiled and shook my head, not saying anything.

    Chena City¡¯s mayor helplessly sighed. ¡°To be honest, I tried to avoid everything rted to the capital because I had long expected that power would change one day. Anyone could be its ve, thinking they could control it and plunder everything, but history has long told us there will never be a final winner.¡±

    I didn¡¯t want to think about everything that happened in the Elven Capital CIty. I simply replied, ¡°Perhaps, but this is your territory¡¯s business. No matter what, I shouldn¡¯tment on it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still so detached. I¡¯d heard about your behavior in the capital. With all due respect, it¡¯s as if the word ¡®avoid suspicion¡¯ is written all over your face.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Thinking about what I¡¯d done, it was a little obvious. But so what? It was better to avoid suspicions openly that always be the one to take the me. The things I had to face had already made me physically and mentally tired, and I didn¡¯t want to cause more trouble.

    Besides, even if I made it so obvious, it turned out that I was still worrying for nothing. A diplomatic incident was nothing at all because worse things had already happened, and I could do nothing about it.

    It would only make all my efforts seemughable.

    Seeing that I was in a bad mood, Chena City¡¯s mayor said nothing more. Looking at his daughter¡¯s cheerful back, he couldn¡¯t help butment, ¡°I used to think that I was going to lose Sandora forever. Before you arrived, everyone told me that Sandora didn¡¯t have long to live. Be it the doctors, the elven masters, or even the witch doctor I had secretly hired, they all shook their heads. It¡¯s no exaggeration to say that I was already in despair then, and even resented the goddess. I thought I was a devout believer and had never done anything evil in my life, so why did the tragedy of my family being destroyed fall on me?

    ¡°Just when I was at my most desperate moment, you came. Please don¡¯t misunderstand. This is not ttery. Just think of it as a single father¡¯s heartfelt words. Because of you, Sandora could see the light of day again. I don¡¯t know what other people think, but you are a miracle to Sandora and me.

    Looking at the sincere expression on Chena¡¯s face, I smiled helplessly. ¡°So you¡¯ve noticed.¡±

    I thought I had covered it well, but I didn¡¯t expect Chena City¡¯s mayor to see through my world-weary mood so quickly.

    ¡°I¡¯ve embarrassed myself in front of you. As a guest, I shouldn¡¯t be rude in front of the host.¡±

 Chapter 446 - 446 A Moth

    446 A Moth

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°Please don¡¯t say that. You¡¯re a kind friend, and you don¡¯t have to be so formal with your friends.¡± Chena City¡¯s mayor shook his head. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have asked too much about your private affairs. However, if you¡¯re willing, Chena City is more than willing to be a ce for you to evacuate.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just...¡±

    I stopped halfway through my sentence. Was it just that my arrogant self-confidence was destroyed by reality? Was it just that the dead spirits under the city walls cried day and night in my dreams? It was just that I regretteding to the Elf Forest, and I¡¯d returned to being that little girl who escaped from the world.

    There were thousands of words on the tip of my tongue, but I could only sigh helplessly in the end.

    All in all, after receiving a letter personally written by Chena City¡¯s mayor, our follow-up actions were much more convenient. Theplicated inspection process was suddenly reduced by more than half, making me ufortable.

    Perhaps people wondered why I moved so slowly. Was I not worried about my Spring Rain Pack and my husband, whose life and death was unknown?

    Of course, I was worried. I was so anxious, but my father¡¯s orders made me hide all my worries and pretend everything was fine in my hometown.

    ording to the news from the Spring Rain Pack, Aldrich¡¯s situation had temporarily stabilized. He had fallen into a very strange ¡®bnce¡¯. Some power was suppressing the spread of the poison, preventing it from harming Aldrich¡¯s core. However, that was all. The power did not remove the poison in Aldrich¡¯s body.

    In the eyes of the werewolf grandmaster and the doctors, rather than saying that this power had the effect of dispelling the poison, it was more like it could provide Aldrich with an endless stream of vitality, which just happened to neutralize the damage to his body.

    I suddenly recalled the ck opal embedded in Aldrich¡¯s chest. I had never felt so fortunate that I had been a god for a minute. If I hadn¡¯t be a god and condensed this life-saving gem for Aldrich, I would have long been wearing a ck veil and crying in front of his grave.

    As for why I had to act like I didn¡¯t care, it was because the Lycan pack was currently in a precarious situation.

    After being used of having an affair with wandering forces and cultists, the Evaria Family suddenly did not care about anything. They became more and more unreasonable and actively bribed various forces in the dark to get more support. This wasn¡¯t just for obtaining a greater right to speak in the imperial court but also for the n¡¯s ambitions that had persisted for countless generations.

    The Evaria Family¡¯s ambition for the throne was now evident.

    To be honest, I didn¡¯t really understand why this family could act so brazenly, especially when their leader was an important official trusted by the Lycan King. Wasn¡¯t this family torn apart?

    However, my doubts didn¡¯tst long, and I quickly felt relieved.

    This was as simple as ¡®you can¡¯t put all your eggs in one basket¡¯. Be it the Evaria Family or the Earl of Marlowe; they wanted the outside world to see a divided family.

    Half were loyal to the King, while the other half were ambitious to reach that supreme position. The defeat of either side would not be a fatal blow to the Evaria Family because they had the other half of the victory.

    From ancient times until now, how many ancient families had survived because of such opportunistic wisdom?

    Right now, the conflict between the Evaria Family and the Oromalivira Family had reached a level that even passersby could understand. As the heir to the throne, my existence was naturally the most eye-catching.

    The Spring Rain Pack was a brand-new city model, and it attracted the attention of the entire werewolf pack. If I seeded, then countless poor, weak, and even small cities that were about to disappear would be able to find a way to regain their vitality. If I failed, all my efforts would be a farce, and I would be an unqualified Crown Princess who was ¡®whimsical and ipetent¡¯ in the eyes of the people, which would be a huge blow to even the entire royal family and me.

    The Evaria Family had wanted to get into the Spring Rain Pack countless times. If they knew that the Spring Rain Pack had countless hidden dangers, they would not give up this opportunity to dig at my foundation.

    So, as the actual controller of Spring Rain Pack, I had to do it wlessly and not let the enemy see anything. Even if my heart was in pain, even if I was biting my lip so hard that it was bleeding, I had to endure it. This was the cruelty of politics. Most of the time, it was not profound, and the stupid andughable situations would exhaust you.

    These few days, I didn¡¯t feel much of the outside world, as if an invisible and untouchableyer of preservation film isted me from the world. Even my emotions were slow, and it was hard to feel anything other than numbness and self-loathing.

    Rationally, I couldn¡¯t help but think about all the possible oues and countless possible solutions. However, in reality, Izily forgot everything in the next second. I hated myself, the Evaria Family, the danger Aldrich was in, and this world.

    I felt like a desperate moth, stumbling to a dead branch and using thest of my strength to spin a cocoon, trying to use this fragile disguise to hide from the world.

 Chapter 447 - 447 Falling Sick

    447 Falling Sick

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    At the border.

    From afar, I could already see the members of the werewolf packing to receive us. It had been a long time since Ist saw my fellow countrymen, and my mood improved for a moment. Then, I thought of my husband, whose fate was unknown, and my good mood instantly disappeared without a trace.

    The little elves were a little uneasy. In their opinion, they should be sitting on the bus and singing, not being surrounded by a group of fully-armed warriors.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. They¡¯re border soldiers. They¡¯re only here for a routine inspection.¡±

    I heard Dorothyforting the little elves. My duty as the leader was tofort the people, but Dorothy helped me with most of the work.

    I didn¡¯t know what was going on with me. It was as if my life force had disappeared from my body overnight, leaving behind an empty shell. The one who cried and wanted to get everything back was surprised that even the feeling of ¡®pain¡¯ had be very vague.

    I believed I was sick. Dorothy and Master Hayley thought so too.

    Master Hayley once told me privately, ¡°Don¡¯t give yourself so much pressure, Selma. There are many things that you and I cannot change. The helplessness of life is endless. Most of the time, we can¡¯t do anything. We can only ept and work hard to not repeat the same mistakes. You¡¯re almost crushing yourself, my dear, but you know that¡¯s not your responsibility at all.¡±

    I knew she was right, but I couldn¡¯t adjust my state of mind. People with cancer couldn¡¯t live just on their own will, could they?

    After not seeing each other for a long time, Jordin gave me a big hug when we met. I hugged her back and felt the warmth of her body and the familiar scent. I finally felt like all the stones hanging in the air had fallen to the ground.

    It was over. Everything in the Elf Forest was over.

    I saw the worry in Jordin¡¯s eyes, but she forced a smile and didn¡¯t ask or say anything.

    I was not the only one feeling helpless. Once caught in the vortex of power, you could only go with the flow, whether you wanted to or not.

    ¡°When you weren¡¯t around, the Spring Rain Pack went on as usual, running smoothly. We¡¯ve developed a few policy drafts based on the current situation and are currently implementing them. At present, the results are good. Wania has been eager to report to you.¡±

    Jordin reported everything that happened in the Spring Rain Pack to me.

    ¡°Spring Rain Pack doesn¡¯t have a mature military base, so the army is divided into three parts, stationed in the east, north, and south of the Spring Rain Pack city center. The headquarters is stationed in the south, and currently, they have a good working rtionship with the Spring Rain Pack. By the way, since you¡¯re back, when will we hand over the military power? I sent a report to the pce this morning, but they haven¡¯t replied yet.¡±

    I forced a smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I think you¡¯ll have to bear with it for a few more days.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Jordin stopped in her tracks. She understood what I was implying and frowned in confusion. ¡°Are you leaving so soon? Do you want to go back to the Lycan pack?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded and pulled her closer. ¡°You know about the situation with the Lycan pack. The Evaria Family is getting more and more arrogant. I can¡¯t back down now. I have to go back to the Lycan pack to solve this problem. Once I hide in the Spring Rain Pack, it would prove my cowardice in the eyes of others, and it would only make the Evaria Family more arrogant. Furthermore, the Spring Rain Pack is still too far away from the Lycan pack. If anything happens, I won¡¯t be able to make it back in time.¡±

    These reasons were so legitimate, so righteous, and so in line with my identity as the princess of a country.

    However, it was not the princess and her courtiers facing each other now. It was just Selma and Jordin. So Jordin looked at me worriedly as I fidgeted with the wedding ring on my ring finger without a sound.

    Aldrich.

    If I left, what would happen to Aldrich?

    I believed that the Spring Rain Pack would provide him with the best medical care, and I was neither a doctor nor a werewolf grandmaster, so I would not be able to help with Aldrich¡¯s condition. But were these reasons for me to leave in peace?

    Or should I stay? I would reject the pce¡¯s proposal and insist on staying with my husband. Like every touching love story, I would keep to the promise that we would never be apart. But could I be at ease? Give up my responsibility, give up my identity, give up what I should do, and make everything be about my love?

    I didn¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t know what to choose.

    I no longer trusted my own choices.

    I was still in a daze when Wania reported to me about government affairs. I didn¡¯t even pay attention to what she was saying. Dorothy, who had rushed back after hurriedly settling down the little elves, helped me out of the situation. Wania and the other government officials considerately understood that I was absent-minded. They thought that I was tired from the long journey and had let my soul wander.

    I was actually focusing all my attention on my hearing. I wanted to hear medical equipment¡¯s cold and rhythmic huming from underground. However, the thickyer of soil and the special soundproof barrier made all my efforts futile.

 Chapter 448 - 448 Monologue

    448 Monologue

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I stayed at the Spring Rain Pack for three days, which was a perfect time to patrol my territory. It was neither rushed nor dyed. I had to act as if nothing had happened to deal with the countless pairs of eyes in the dark. In fact, I could only sneak a nce at Aldrich in the dead of night.

    He had lost a lot of weight. The poison had tortured his once-strong body, causing his muscles to shrink gradually and his face to turn progressively pale. There were many medical equipment that I recognized or didn¡¯t recognize that surrounded his bed, converting electricity into power to maintain his life.

    ¡°At the moment, General Aldrich maintains a delicate bnce with the poison. This is good news for him. At least he can save his life. However, it also left us with a huge problem in our research.¡± Tracy rushed over the day after Aldrich fell unconscious, using the excuse of giving a lecture to treat Aldrich secretly.

    ¡°Any inappropriate action can break this bnce, be it modern medical means or sorcery, and we need to know which side the bnce will eventually tilt to.¡±

    Through the patient¡¯s gown, I saw a ck opal emitting a faint glow in front of Aldrich¡¯s chest. Perhaps it was because it was once my creation, but I could feel the boundless life force contained within it slowly flowing away. This meant that the current treatment methods could have been more effective. Aldrich was still alive, relying on his vitality to offset the poison¡¯s damage.

    However, the concentrated energy in the ck opal would be used up one day.

    I told Tracy about this discovery, and her expression immediately turned serious. When she looked at me, she couldn¡¯t help but have an apologetic expression.

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± I said dryly. ¡°We¡¯re both going through the worst moment... Everything is very difficult...¡±

    Through the ss of the ICU ward, I looked at Aldrich¡¯s emaciated face, and tears flowed unconsciously.

    ¡®My dear, if you still pity me, please open your eyes and look at me. Look at my tears and sorrow, and then use your warm and broad arms to embrace me so that I can obtain a moment of peace in your love.¡¯

    I didn¡¯t know what to do anymore. Everything was a mess, and everything was going in the worst direction. God and humans had messed up my life, and I was even starting to regret it.

    ¡®Did you know? I had a dream yesterday. I dreamed that I didn¡¯t jump off the cliff but ran home and hid in my room, crying secretly. No one knew what had happened to me. Everything was going on as usual, except for me.

    ¡®I didn¡¯t be the high and mighty Princess. I didn¡¯t meet you. My life was trapped in that cold town, a speck of dust in the shadows that no one cared about.

    ¡®After I woke up, my first reaction was to rejoice that I had chosen apletely different life. But the next second, I started to regret it. Thinking about all I¡¯ve been through these past few years, I suddenly felt a deep sense of exhaustion.

    ¡®It seemed that no matter if I were a town girl or a werewolf princess, this lingering fatigue would stick to me like gummies that were half-eaten by children.

    ¡®The ordinary me couldn¡¯t control my life, and I didn¡¯t seem much better off than that little town girl.

    ¡®I still couldn¡¯t control the direction of my life, and I even felt confused about everything that happened to me many times. Is this okay? Is this something that should have happened? Is this something I should ept? I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve flipped through all the history books, but I couldn¡¯t find any chapter I could refer to. Everyone says to learn from history, but there¡¯s only panic and confusion in front of me.

    ¡®My dear, please open your eyes and look at me. I¡¯m exhausted. I can¡¯t adjust myself. I don¡¯t know who to seekfort from.

    ¡®Except for you, Aldrich, when I think of you, I feel like I¡¯m bathing in the spring breeze. Your name can quickly dispel all the haze in my heart. It should have been this way. But now you have closed your eyes, and my sun is blocked by the dark clouds. Not even a ray of sunlight can reach me. I¡¯m withering. You¡¯re disappearing.¡¯

    However, fate didn¡¯t create a miracle because of my tears. Aldrich was still lying lifelessly on the hospital bed. Other than the dull hum of the medical equipment, no one responded to me.

    ¡°Selma, it¡¯s time.¡± Jordin knocked on the door, indicating that my short visiting time was over.

    I couldn¡¯t disappear for too long. It would arouse suspicion.

    At this moment, the restlessness in my heart reached its peak. I was tired of the power struggle. I was tired of the Evaria Family. I was tired of the cultists. I was tired of all the eyes watching in the dark.

    I was tired of everything thaty before me. For a moment, I wanted to die immediately so I wouldn¡¯t have to face this cold world again.

    However, I could only think about it. The following day, I still had to put on a pleasant smile and wave to the people who sent me off with the Spring Rain Pack.

    I left, leaving the little elves behind. These children didn¡¯t have to leave with us in a hurry. Touring the city was also part of the study tour. The exchange students would carefully tour the new city of the Spring Rain Pack as the starting point of their learning and life in the werewolf pack.

 Chapter 449 - 449 The Family Photo

    449 The Family Photo

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I¡¯d leave these things to Jordin to arrange. No one knew the Spring Rain Pack better than her, and I believed she could protect the little elves.

    Not long after I left the Spring Rain Pack, Dorothy suddenly said to me, ¡°Don¡¯t you think he looks a little familiar?¡±

    Half of my mind was on the Lycan pack, and the other half was on my husband, so I didn¡¯t pay attention to anyone else. ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°One of the boys from the exchange, the one named Amario,¡± Dorothy said. ¡°I somehow feel like I¡¯ve seen him somewhere before. I suddenly remembered this morning. Do you still remember the children we saved from the school¡¯s storage room? Amario was one of them. Although unconscious then, he still held the dagger tightly in his hand, which left a deep impression on me.¡±

    I thought about it carefully, and I did remember this child.

    ¡°We managed to save him and the other children, but there were no other living people in the city. This child is probably an orphan because of this,¡± Dorothy said softly.

    ¡°I chatted with the teacher leading the exchange students and found out that most orphans were children who lost their parents in several attacks by the cultists. The teacher said that she guessed it was because the government was afraid that the children who suddenly lost their loved ones would be reminded of the past and that they had no time to care about such details, so they brought forward the time of the exchange. Otherwise, the exchange activities would normally be carried out in the winter.¡±

    I didn¡¯t have any particr impression of Amario. I only remembered that he was a delicate-looking and responsible little boy. Compared to his peers, he seemed a little thin and slender.

    I hadn¡¯t really checked out the exchange team. On the one hand, it was because I didn¡¯t have the intention, and on the other hand, I was deliberately avoiding them. I was afraid to see the orphans who had lost their loved ones in the disaster. They would remind me of the mournful cries and tears colder than the flood under the city walls.

    The Silver Moon Pack was as lively as ever. Neither the dark clouds in the Lycan pack nor the disaster in the Elf Forest had any effect on this prosperous border city. People treated the news of the capital and their neighbors as funny stories, as if they were separated from their city.

    In my opinion, the Silver Moon Pack was the most human-like city I¡¯d ever seen, although I¡¯d only seen a few. But the feeling it gave me was simr to the human cities under the Rocky Mountains.

    Theplex races, the young poption, the ents of people worldwide, and the never-ending neon lights. Countless lives contributed their passion and youth to the Silver Moon Pack, shaping it into a paradise on earth.

    Here, I could even see humans swaggering on the streets. In fact, it was difficult to tell the difference between humans and werewolves from their appearance alone. There was almost no intuitive way to distinguish a person¡¯s race without being rude.

    The prosperity of the Silver Moon Pack and the Lycan pack waspletely different. Thetter carried years of prestige and a strong foundation, while the former fulfilled the fantasies of all guests with the promise of being forever young.

    Once again, Francis weed us warmly. I liked his tactfulness, which let people know he was an intelligent man, but not too arrogant. He had defeated 99% of the world¡¯s officials and businessmen from this point alone.

    His perfect attitude also made me heave a sigh of relief. Along the way, whenever I passed by a pack that was rather influential among the werewolves, countless people woulde forward to ask me for information.

    It was about the Lycan pack, the elves, and the Spring Rain Pack. Some were worried, and some were only here to gather information for others. The good and the bad were mixed together, and all forces were intertwined. It made me physically and mentally exhausted.

    During the dinner, Francis showed me recent photos of Teresa. She and Daniel were smiling brightly while holding the children. Even I couldn¡¯t help but smile after seeing the photos.

    But then I thought of Aldrich and my child. One was unconscious, and the other had an unsolvable mystery, which made my mouth drool.

    Although it was only for a moment before I regained my proper expression, I knew that my momentary loss of self-control must have been noticed. Francis was a little embarrassed as he didn¡¯t understand why my attitude suddenly changed.

    I knew that Francis didn¡¯t mean it. Showing off one¡¯s family was just amon way of socializing. I was the one who had a problem.

    I didn¡¯t want to hurt this kind father and good grandfather¡¯s hearts, so I found an excuse. ¡°I saw some bruises on little Allie¡¯s calf in the photo.¡±

    ¡°Oh, please don¡¯t worry about that. Children at this age can¡¯t sit still and run away. It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s a boy or a girl. When they go crazy, they want to fly into the sky. It¡¯s normal for them to bump and fall.¡± Francis smiled kindly as if his granddaughter was being naughty in front of him. ¡°When your child grows up, you will have such sweet troubles too!¡±

    My child?

    I agreed on the surface, but I could only smile bitterly in my heart.

    It would be great if he were like any other ordinary child in the world.

 Chapter 450 - 450 Going Home

    450 Going Home

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Due to a slight change in the route n, we did not pass by the Shadow Pack this time. That was why, in the face of the video call from Rhode and my adoptive parents, I could only use my acting to pretend everything was fine and pray that they didn¡¯t notice anything strange.

    Fortunately, I managed to fool my adoptive parents from this phone call. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t fool Rhode.

    ¡°What happened? Do you know that you frown when you pretend to be happy?¡± Rhode confirmed his suspicion.

    Sometimes, your family knows you better than you do. This time, I¡¯d fallen into Rhode¡¯s hands.

    I tiredly rubbed my head and brows before vaguely saying, ¡°Something did happen, but you know, in my position, it would be strange if nothing happened.¡±

    ¡°Can you tell me? However, from the perspective of a family member, if it¡¯s something confidential, then forget it. Don¡¯t make things difficult for yourself.¡±

    ¡°Alright... I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything in the end. Like Rhode said, most of what I was going through had to be kept a secret. There was no need to reveal the parts that didn¡¯t need to be kept a secret as it would only add to Rhode¡¯s troubles. He was already very busy managing one pack, and there was no need to be distracted by other things.

    ¡°Alright, I know I probably can¡¯t help, but you must remember that I¡¯ll always be here. Mom and Dad will always be here, okay? If you¡¯re looking for someone to talk to.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Rhode. I know you¡¯ll always have my back.¡±

    I skipped these sad topics and mentioned the current development of the Shadow Pack.

    ¡°I saw the newspaper, Rhode. ¡®The dark horse leader that emerged from themoners¡¯ in the Moon Economic News praised for its authority and sharp words. Using an entire article to praise a region and its leader is rare. How does it feel to be the new star of the werewolf pack?¡±

    Rhode smiled shyly. ¡°Don¡¯t tease me, Selma. I just did what I should do. I can¡¯t take so much praise.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so modest. This means that what you¡¯re doing now is right, and you¡¯ve received good results and the people¡¯s support.

    Rhode didn¡¯t want to talk about the article that praised him. So, I asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Rhode hesitated. ¡°In fact, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯spletely correct. I¡¯ve just taken office and only done a few insignificant things...¡±

    Alright, seeing how he was hemming and hawing, I understood everything.

    ¡°I can swear that neither I nor the pce yed any role in this matter. My dear brother, don¡¯t worry about other factors affecting people¡¯s judgment of you. In fact, if you want to worry, you can worry about something else. Others may not praise you because of me, but many people mock you, despise you, and even nder you because of me. ¡±

    I was consoling Rhode, but as I spoke, I became depressed.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for putting you through this, Rhode. But I don¡¯t know what to do...¡±

    ¡°Hey, hey, you were talking about me. Why are you suddenly ming yourself?¡± Rhode didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. He interrupted me, ¡°Don¡¯t think about this nonsense. I was ready to ept everything the day I chose to be an Alpha. Do you think I wasn¡¯t criticized when I was a Beta of the previous Alpha? Some media outlets like to write nonsense to boost readership. I¡¯m already used to it. Even mosquitoes can annoy me more than they do.

    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s veryte now, so I won¡¯t disturb your rest. If you have time, we¡¯ll reach out to each other when you return to the Lycan pack.¡±

    I had a feeling that something was about to happen. ¡°Why? Did you prepare something in the Lycan pack for me?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll know when you get back.¡± Rhode smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t expect too much. There¡¯s no gift. That¡¯s all. Good night.¡±

    He hung up before I could say anything.

    Sometimes, I felt that Rhode hadn¡¯t changed at all. He was still that annoying teenager in his adolescence!

    However, this also gave me some hope. I¡¯d be arriving at the Lycan pack tomorrow. What was waiting for me?

    News of what had happened to the elves had long since reached the werewolves. As a ¡®hero¡¯ who had helped a friendly neighbor resist the demons, the wee I received on my return this time was more than all the other times I had returned.

    I knew many people were in Lycan pack, but the number of people surrounding the streets was beyond my expectations. There should be fewer people on the streets, even during the Moonlight Festival!

    My parents gave me a big hug as soon as they saw me. They didn¡¯t hide the pride in their eyes, whichforted my heart that was riddled with holes.

    However, no matter how hard I tried to pretend to be okay, my parents could still tell I was deeply ufortable. I didn¡¯t want to face so many people, even if they were here to wee or bless and cheer for me.

    However, when I saw the sea of people, I couldn¡¯t help but think of the massacre at the city wall. So many people! There were so many people!

 Chapter 451 - 451 Self-destruction

    451 Self-destruction

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    My mother gave me a warm hug when I returned to a private family setting.

    ¡°Wee back, my dear daughter.¡± She almost couldn¡¯t hold back her tears. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry for Aldrich, for everything.¡±

    I still wanted to pretend everything was normal, but as a child, I could never hide it from my parents. Besides, this wasn¡¯t a video call thousands of miles away. I did not doubt that if it weren¡¯t for Rhode covering for me, my adoptive parents would¡¯ve seen through me in a minute, just like my biological parents.

    I really wanted to tell them that I could take it all, but the words turned into aggrieved whimpers. It was as if my body had developed its own consciousness and waspletely out of my control. I was like a child venting all of my negative emotions.

    The sudden burst of tearspletely broke down the psychological defense I had painstakingly built. Before anyone could say anything, I was the first to copse in my mother¡¯s gentle embrace.

    I heard myself crying andining intermittently. There was no logic at all. It was just some childishints. However, neither my father nor my mother said anything. They just held me in their arms and silently endured my venting.

    The negative emotions that had been suppressed in the bottom of my heart exploded. I cried so much that I lost my memory. Other than crying, I didn¡¯t remember anything. By the time I remembered to look up at the sun outside the window, the moon had already reced the sun.

    Crying so much caused me to be a little dehydrated, and I couldn¡¯t help but sob. My face was covered in snot and tears. I didn¡¯t even need to look in the mirror to know that I was in a sorry state.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Father, Mother, I...¡± I guiltily apologized to my parents, who had been crying with me. I shouldn¡¯t have done such a childish thing. Even the ¡®Little Wolf¡¯ didn¡¯t cry so miserably as me.

    ¡®Little Wolf¡¯ refers to my child. He still didn¡¯t have an official name of his own. My mother always calls him ¡®Little Wolf¡¯ in a gentle voice, so our whole family slowly started calling him that.

    My parents didn¡¯t me me. Their eyes were filled with worry that I couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°This isn¡¯t your fault, child. It¡¯s not your fault. You¡¯re too tired and need to take a good break.¡±

    My father, who had always been kind and generous, even took the initiative to give me a holiday for the first time. ¡°How about a simple week of rest? This journey has been full of danger. It would be best if you had time to adjust your state of mind, child. Maybe being close to the wolf cub can help you calm down. Children are always mother¡¯s little angels.¡±

    However, I didn¡¯t think it was a good time to vacation. At this time, with internal and external troubles, everyone was carrying the burden of responsibility and moving forward. What right did I have to be free from everything?

    So, I refused without hesitation and said I needed a good night¡¯s sleep and could continue working the following day.

    However, what I got in return was not my parents¡¯ praise but my father¡¯s heavy sigh and my mother¡¯s suddenly red eyes.

    ¡°We all know, Selma.¡± My mother held my hand in a sobbing tone. ¡°It¡¯s about your fear and your self-istion. I¡¯m sorry that we secretly asked Dorothy about your recent condition, but we were really scared, scared...¡±

    As my mother spoke, she covered her mouth with a choked sob. Tears rolled down her cheeks, but they corroded my heart like sulfuric acid.

    I didn¡¯t me them for privately asking someone else about me. Who would me them for their concern?

    I was just afraid that all my pretense would be useless. I knew I was sick. I knew I should see a doctor, but I hoped everything could be done in private, and it was best not to let anyone know except me because I didn¡¯t want to cause trouble for anyone. I didn¡¯t want any more idents because of me. I didn¡¯t want...

    I didn¡¯t want to be the seed of disaster.

    I kept thinking, ¡®Why me?¡¯ Leviathan pestered me for no reason. I didn¡¯t do any forbidden rituals or contact any cult members. I just went to a friend¡¯s house to attend a party, and my life slipped into the dark abyss.

    From the Rocky Mountains to the Elf Forest. Looking back, I swore everything I did was out of my conscience, but the Goddess of Fate didn¡¯t seem to care for me. She didn¡¯t even want to look at my future and past. She let the endless stream of demons, cultists, wanderers, and conspirators destroy my life.

    So, why me?

    No matter how hard I thought, I couldn¡¯t think of a reason. In the end, like all self-loathing people, I could only attribute everything to myself.

    Perhaps I was born a curse, so I brought disaster wherever I went. To my adoptive parents, my parents, my lover, my friends, my neighbors, and even everyone I¡¯d never met.

 Chapter 452 - 452 Sweeter And Sweeter

    452 Sweeter And Sweeter

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Rationally, I knew there was a massive problem with my current state of mind. My self-denial and self-loathing state were wrong. However, if psychological problems could be solved by self-adjustment, there would be no such thing as a psychiatrist.

    So, under my father¡¯s worried gaze and my mother¡¯s hot tears, I finally chose to listen to their arrangement, take a break, and receive psychological intervention treatment.

    By the way, I finally knew what the surprise Rhode mentioned was.

    I had to admit that I was dumbfounded when I heard Emma say that she was engaged to Rhode.

    What followed was a piercing scream.

    Dorothy and I hugged Emma excitedly, attracting the other people¡¯s attention in the garden.

    ¡°Oh my god, I didn¡¯t expect... Congrattions!¡± Moon Goddess! Damn it, Rhode! How dare he joke about something so important!

    Emma immediately started to defend her fianc¨¦. ¡°In fact, you can¡¯t me Rhode for hiding this from you, my dear. You know, my parents and my family have some... In short, although I didn¡¯t get my parents¡¯ approval, what era are we in now? He had long passed the time when he needed his parents ¡®orders. The engagement is our choice, and we don¡¯t need anyone to interfere.

    ¡°However, the price of doing so is that I havepletely broken up with my family. Actually, I feel as if a heavy boulder has been lifted off of my shoulders. Rhode didn¡¯t want me to beughed at by my old acquaintances, so he didn¡¯t tell anyone about our marriage except my family and friends.

    ¡°You and Dorothy were still on a diplomatic mission to the Elf Forest. We all felt that it was better not to trouble you with such a small matter, so we kept it from you for the time being.¡±

    ¡°How can this be a small matter!¡± I shrieked in a low voice, ¡°Engagement, marriage, these things willst a lifetime! My god,pared to your marriage with Rhode, I don¡¯t care about those pointy-eared family affairs!¡±

    When I was with the girls, I always had the illusion that I was still a college student with nothing to do. I could temporarily let go of all my worries.

    Before we knew it, we were chatting until lunch. When Bertha came to ask, the girls and I were discussing whether to nail pearls orce on the wedding dress, so we decided to have lunch in the garden.

    When we were having lunch, the wolf cub was out for a walk under the sun. When we saw the little thing in Kara¡¯s arms, we suddenly lost interest in the food and started to y with the child.

    ¡°Time really flies,¡± Dorothy suddenly eximed. ¡°I feel like we just helped Avril deal with her heartbreak yesterday, and now that I look back, even your child has grown so big.¡±

    ¡°Time flies. Unknowingly, our teenage years havee to an end. I couldn¡¯t help but sigh at the mention of the past. When wein about the professor¡¯s inflexibility in public sses, how could we have thought about what we would experience in the future? Even at this moment, a few yearster, when we think about it after experiencing more, we¡¯ll feel that it¡¯s a rare free time.¡±

    However, speaking of Avril, I thought about how I hadn¡¯t contacted her in a long time.

    Emma, who had been in the Lycan pack, got along well with Avril. She said that she had officially be a soldier. Due to her previous service experience with the Imperial City¡¯s guards, she did not enter the recruit camp but became an assistant in the medic training base.

    Coincidentally, her direct superior was Kerner. In case anyone forgot, he was a medical member of the advance party of the Rocky Mountains.

    It has always been Avril¡¯s dream to be a glorious warrior. I was truly happy that she had taken the first step to realizing her dream.

    ¡°However,¡± Emma changed the topic. ¡°asionally, Avril is troubled by her current life. As you know, the rules in military camps are stringent. The medic training camp is responsible for training recruits and advanced studies, so it¡¯s even stricter. Avril only has one and a half days of leave every half a month, so she is away from Perrin more than she is with him.¡±

    It was the time for a young married couple to be sweet. Ipletely understood Avril¡¯s distress.

    But we had to follow the rules of the military, so there was a period when Avril was in a dilemma. She even seriously considered applying for a transfer to another idle position.

    ¡°Why, though?¡± Dorothy eximed. ¡°She can¡¯t just give up her future for a moment of convenience!¡±

    Emma shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s what I said to her. However, we don¡¯t have to worry about Avril¡¯s career. She gritted her teeth and got through the most difficult time. Perrin also fully supported her decision. In this day and age, although ¡®equality¡¯ has be a clich¨¦. Isn¡¯t itmon to ask a wife to give in to her husband without any bottom line?

    ¡°I have to admit that the happy life of Avril and Perrin has given me confidence in marriage. Otherwise, based on the influence of those seemingly harmonious but divided noble marriages I¡¯ve seen, I shouldn¡¯t be considering the date of my marriage with Rhode but when I should be a nun.¡±

 Chapter 453 - 453 A Secret Affair

    453 A Secret Affair

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I never knew the specific process of psychological intervention treatment. The first time I met the psychiatrist, she only briefly talked to me about my current life and the unexpected things in life. This made me feel less conflicted, and I had a very good impression of Madam Marcy.

    Carrey Marcy was not a native of the Lycan pack and was not even a werewolf. As a dwarf, Madam Marcy moved to the werewolf pack with her parents, who went abroad for work when she was very young and spent her childhood and youth here.

    She didn¡¯t inherit her parents¡¯ business legacy and devoted herself to the field of psychology. Now, she had be a well-known psychiatrist.

    I was very surprised when I first saw Madam Marcy. It was my first time seeing a dwarf, but she wasn¡¯t short at all. She was an astonishing two meters tall. This didn¡¯t make her look burly or unapproachable. Instead, her gentle temperament made her look like a character from a fairy tale.

    When I realized what was going on, it already seemed impolite of me to be sizing her up. However, Madam Marcy did not mind. Instead, she exined in a somewhat forgiving manner, ¡°A lot of people were surprised when they first saw me. How can a ¡®dwarf¡¯ grow so tall? I understood this was just a simple wonder and had no ill intentions. In fact, my height is not a special case. I just passed the average height of the female dwarves.¡±

    Madam Marcy naturally started conversing with me. Without realizing it, the atmosphere between us loosened.

    ¡°When I was young, I also wondered why I, a dwarf, am so tall.¡± Madam Marcy poured me a cup of sweet honey tea.

    ¡°Later, I read in the picture book that the gods created the dwarves alongside the giants. When the giants saw the dwarves, they wouldugh at our petite bodies and disdainfully call us ¡®dwarves¡¯. This was the first sentence the dwarves heard aftering to this world, so ¡®dwarves¡¯ became a synonym for our race. Compared to the giants, I think everyone else in the world is a ¡®dwarf¡¯.¡±

    This was a fascinating legend. With this as the base, I had an unprecedented good conversation with Madam Marcy without the slightest bit of uneasiness I would have when meeting a stranger.

    We spent more than two hours together, and then the first treatment ended without us knowing. I didn¡¯t see Madam Marcy use any superb skills, but this conversation made me feel a lot more rxed, even if it was only temporary.

    When I returned to the pce, Bertha said that Master Kevin had juste to see me. Seeing that I was not around, he left after leaving a notebook.

    ¡°A notebook?¡± I subconsciously thought it was something rted to witchcraft, but I wasn¡¯t interested in it and never discussed it with Master Kevin. Why would he send a notebook to me for no reason? Was he going to give it to Dorothy but was mistaken?

    Bertha handed me the notebook, which was tightly wrapped and thin. The yellowed craft paper and the dark red seal indicated that the notebook had been carefully sealed and had not been opened for many years. This confused me, so I cut open the wax and took an ancient book from the craft paper package.

    The book¡¯s cover was painted with a bright red pattern of a thousand birds, a popr style twenty years ago. I flipped through it and found that it was a diary. The owner was Master Kevin¡¯s former lover, La.

    The diary recorded some of La¡¯s daily life as the captain of the pce guards, including her interpersonal rtionships and some secrets that she had discovered due to her job.

    Madam Marcy was La¡¯s best friend.

    La had offended the Evaria Family during her term of office because she refused to ept bribes and knew some ¡®court secrets¡¯.

    As for what this incident was, La did not really write it down in her diary. However, her cautious approach made me believe this must be shocking and important. Otherwise, a person would not be so distrustful of her own diary.

    La only wrote that it was a ¡®secret affair, the crystallization of sin¡¯, so I could only guess that someone from the Evalia Family was having an affair in the pce. She didn¡¯t know anything else.

    What kind of rtionship could make La keep her mouth shut? Other than the Evaria Family, the other person must be of high status and might even be a royal family member. The pce was no longer the same as hundreds of years ago, where the nobles gathered in groups. In the recent 100 years, the only owner of this gorgeous pce was the Oromalivira Family.

    La thought that this rtionship had happened long ago, and when she found out about this secret, both parties had already passed away.

    Why was an affair buried in the torrent of time worth the Evaria Family¡¯s attention? One had to know that in history, there were more unspeakable rtionships between the rich and powerful than the weeds in the garden. This was simply an unspoken rule for the nobles.

    In any case, I believe that Master Kevin must have his reasons for giving me this diary. Thus, I met him after dinner and asked him about the diary.

 Chapter 454 - 454 The Illegitimate Child

    454 The Illegitimate Child

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Master Kevin looked at his lover¡¯s relic with a look of nostalgia, but he knew little about it. ¡°I found this among La¡¯s relics. She was rule-abiding and never told others about her work, even me.

    ¡°But there is one thing I can be sure of; the Evaria Family is involved in La¡¯s death.¡± Master Kevin¡¯s eyes were full of pain and hatred when he talked about the death of his lover.

    ¡°As she refused to ept the Evaria Family¡¯s recruitment and was unwilling to be their spy in the pce, she became a thorn in their side. The Evalia Family has been trying to elect one of theirckeys as the head of the pce guards, so they¡¯ve been making things difficult for La. They¡¯ve even pushed all the me onto her, forcing her tomit suicide to apologize...¡±

    After the agitation, Master Kevin suddenly calmed down.

    ¡°I know what the Evaria Family wants to do now. Like more than twenty years ago, they still treat you as a baby in swaddling clothes and try to step on you to ascend to the upremse throne.¡±

    Master Kevin¡¯s behavior made me realize that he wasn¡¯t the pure scientific researcher he appeared to be. His silence and inflexibility were his best protective mask, so much so that he knew many secrets that had not been made public.

    Perhaps because his lover¡¯s death was something he couldn¡¯t get over, he had watched the murderer¡¯s every move for decades. He knew he couldn¡¯t fight against this behemoth with a deep foundation, so he could only bear with it and remain silent about everything he knew. He was secretly nning who could be his ally and pull the murderer down from the pedestal.

    This notebook proved that he chose me.

    ¡°You know a lot of things,¡± I said. ¡°And most of them should be confidential.¡±

    Master Kevin did not hide anything. He said calmly, ¡°Secrets are only for those who don¡¯t care. If you know what I¡¯ve been through for the past twenty years, you¡¯d know that I¡¯d been paying more attention to the Evaria Family than the Intelligence Department. Maybe scientific researchers are a group of bookworms in the eyes of the outside world, but the connections of people with wooden brains like us are unimaginable. Scientific research is aplicatedwork of rtionships. As long as you want to find it, you can always find the rtionship that meets your requirements.

    ¡°Do you know why the Evaria family has been investing in test tube babies for decades? This was because a certain family branch suddenly became infertile starting from a certain generation. In fact, the loss of fertility is verymon among the nobles. Their ancestors married among themselves for the so-called noble bloodline, and it was time for their offspring to suffer the consequences of their actions.

    ¡°But it¡¯s not right for the Evaria Family to be so stubborn to continue this branch of the bloodline. This is not the main branch nor a branch of high power. The nobles would not care much about such an insignificant branch. So, I found some information about a research workshop that serves the Evaria Family.

    ¡°The ancestor of this infertile Evarian bloodline was the illegitimate child of a certain generation¡¯s female patriarch, and you can guess what the most interesting thing is? Please forgive my rudeness, but... The leader of the werewolves at that time was your great-grandfather, and his Queen came from the Evaria Family and was the sister of the head of the family from the same mother.

    ¡°Looking at your expression, you might have just realized something, right? That¡¯s right. For such an immoral and appalling scandal, the parties involved would certainly not leave any evidence. However, there was no such thing as an imprable wall in the world. For a long time, the scandal of the King and the Queen¡¯s sister having an affair had been secretly circting among the servants. So, I¡¯m sure the ¡®secret affair¡¯ in La¡¯s diary refers to the scandal between your great-grandfather and his wife and sister.¡±

    There was no need for Master Kevin to say anything. I already understood what he was implying. ¡°So, the reason why the Evaria Family is so eager to continue the bloodline of an illegitimate child is that this descendant has the royal bloodline, which is a very close bloodline. Based on the current situation of the royal family¡¯sck of heirs, if the matter of that illegitimate child is made public, other than me... That descendant is the highest-ranked sessor.¡±

    Master Kevin nodded. ¡°So, I think you should understand by now. The reason the Evaria Family is so arrogant is not because of the royal Princess from hundreds of years ago. It¡¯s because of your great-grandfather¡¯s... gift. I know that it¡¯s far too serious for that illegitimate child¡¯s offspring to be infertile. Thus, if they miss the opportunity to usurp the throne in your generation, this advantage will be lost entirely in a dozen years.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why they¡¯re so anxious now. Or rather, they¡¯ve been anxious since twenty years ago.¡± I tiredly rubbed my brows. I suddenly felt that thefort from the pleasant conversation in the morning had disappeared entirely.

 Chapter 455 - 455 The Child

    455 The Child

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I didn¡¯t care about what happened in the previous generation, not to mention that they were rtives so far away from me. Personal issues weren¡¯t something that I, as a younger person, could casually judge.

    But now, the hidden danger from decades ago had finally ushered in the moment of eruption. It was normal for a king to have a few lovers, but it was rare for a loving couple like my parents.

    I didn¡¯t know what my great-grandfather was thinking. He would allow such a powerful family with a longer history than the Oromalivira Family to have a royal descendant. Didn¡¯t he know how dangerous this was? Did he not know that ambition could be nurtured by time?

    I couldn¡¯t help but feel hatred toward this ancestor of mine that I had never met before. If only he could control his sexual urges. If only he could think for just one more minute in his sweet words, then that illegitimate child would no longer exist, and all the challenges we faced today would no longer exist. At least it wouldn¡¯t be soplicated.

    ¡°Thank you for your information.¡± Heavy fatigue overwhelmed me, making it difficult to maintain a dignified posture. ¡°I will continue to pay attention to the movements of the Evaria Family. As for that unique descendant, I hope you continue to pay attention to the situation with your friends. It would be best if there are no results, but if there are... You know what to do.¡±

    After receiving my approval, Master Kevin¡¯s eyes glowed strangely. It was a mixture of satisfaction, hatred, and eagerness. I did not doubt that even without my permission, Master Kevin would try his best to make the test-tube baby research fail.

    He was a persistent and loyal man who would not let the murderer who killed his lover live a good life.

    After sending off Master Kevin, I couldn¡¯t hold on any longer andy down on the sofa dejectedly.

    The schemes and plots were temporarily put behind the scenes. At this moment, I recalled what order I had just given and what it would bring.

    Perhaps one or a few little lives about to be born would disappear with a single sentence from me. They had the blood of my enemies, and they would bring me endless trouble.

    But no matter what, the existence of flesh and blood was not fictional. Killing a strong assassin wouldn¡¯t shock me much, but to deprive a child of the right to live, especially an innocent child who knew nothing and had be a tool for power and profit, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of guilt spread in my heart, whipping at my already tattered heart.

    When did I be so cruel? I was bing more and more like a political animal. I would solve all problems from the roots. This was a decision that any politician would praise. But what about sympathy? What about human nature? Where was the courage to press forward to protect the oue?

    When did I be a cold-blooded person who was afraid of trouble and would not hesitate to sacrifice lives?

    Where did Selma go? Was the only thing in my body now the high and mighty Princess Madeline?

    The intense regret made me immediately call for Master Kevin to return. I want to revoke the previous order. Those unborn children... the least I could do was to keep them alive and send them to an unknown ce to start living or arrange for them to be orphans raised by childless families. There were many ways, and it didn¡¯t have to be death sentences to solve everything.

    However, when Master Kevin returned, he gave me a shocking piece of bad news.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to tell you, Your Highness. I¡¯ve just received news that the first test-tube baby sessfully fertilized is seven months old. From the fetal test, it¡¯s a well-developed and healthy boy.¡±

    Master Kevin coldly stated the cruel truth.

    ¡°This is an absolute secret. The Evaria Family hid him very well and even told the research institute that he had been aborted after the failure of fertilization to ensure his safety. If it wasn¡¯t for the severe rejection from the fetus¡¯s mother this time, the Evaria Family would have had no choice but to seek help from the research institute. No one would have known that such a sinful b*stard existed in the world.¡±

    A seven-month-old fetus was not so easy to deal with without anyone knowing. Furthermore, the Evaria Family valued him more than gold. Even if they used some secret means, the survival rate of a premature seven-month-old baby was still very high.

    ¡°Furthermore, if there¡¯s a first, there will be a second. All the information we have before is unreliable. Who knows how many of the ¡®miscarriages¡¯ the Evaria Family reported were true and how many were false? Perhaps this boy isn¡¯t the only one. There might be a second, third, or even countless other supplies waiting to be born.

    ¡°But at least we can deal with the trouble in front of us. Now, the poor pregnant woman and the b*stard in her stomach are in the institute. If you want, my poor friend, who was deceived, is willing to find herself a trustworthy investor...¡±

    ¡°So, what do you mean?¡±

    What did I mean?

    I didn¡¯t know what I should do.

    The Selma half of me told me, ¡®Don¡¯t be so cruel. There are ten thousand ways to arrange life for a baby, and death is the cruelest and most inhumane way.¡¯

 Chapter 456 - 456 Acute Illness

    456 Acute Illness

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡®You had so many ideas, didn¡¯t you? An orphanage supported by the royal family and countless families eager to have a child, there were many ways to achieve the best of both worlds. Why let your conscience be tortured for a lifetime?¡¯

    However, the part that belonged to Madeline said, ¡®Don¡¯t be na?ve. You know how worried the Evaria Family is about this precious baby. Unless they found a corpse, they would not give up on finding this hard-won bargaining chip.¡¯

    ¡®No matter where he goes, there would be traces. Who could guarantee that the child would leave the power struggle stage forever? If the Evaria Family found him, what would you do? Won¡¯t I still have to walk the path of silencing people?¡¯

    Both sides argued endlessly in my mind, their soft-heartedness and viciousness taking turns to attack my weak mental defense. What should I do? Leave one person alive or cut the weeds and eliminate the roots? It was just a child, a tiny unborn fetus! However, it was still a spark, a fuse that could cause a war the moment it was born!

    Let him live?

    End his life?

    I could feel Master Kevin¡¯s strong realization falling on me. He rarely had such a moment of rudeness, but I believed he had already seen through my cowardice, chaos, and avoidance.

    ¡°Your Highness, you know how cautious the Evaria Family is. They won¡¯t allow pregnant women and babies to leave their territory for too long.¡± He gently ced his chips on the scale in my heart. ¡°The rejection of a pregnant woman is not so serious that it is incurable. At most, in three days, the Evaria Family will be able to bring her back healthy. By then, we will not be able to implement any of our ideas.¡±

    ¡°I know...¡± When the ethereal voice entered my ears, I realized that I had started to tremble. ¡°You can go back first. Let me think, let me think...¡±

    Master Kevin said nothing more and left respectfully.

    At this moment, a baby with a blurry face suddenly came to mind. His entire body was red and wrinkly like a little monkey. His cries were soft, and he tried to attract the adults¡¯ love.

    A premature infant, a weak but healthy premature infant. One could imagine that if he were given eighteen years, he would grow into a tall and handsome young man. He could take on the responsibility with his broad shoulders and leave a colorful mark on the world.

    But suddenly, the baby¡¯s cries became agitated, his chest twitched rapidly, and he made a gurgling sound from his throat. His four limbs began to p around, and his cries gradually became shrill because this chaotic and ignorant baby could also feel the pressure of approaching death. Survival was the basic Instinct of all living creatures.

    ¡°No... No... ¡± At this moment, it was as if my senses were connected to the baby. His pain was my pain, and his struggle was my struggle. I couldn¡¯t help but reach out to touch the child struggling to survive, but when my fingertips touched his skin, all the illusions disappeared.

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    I suddenly stood up, and my cold sweat dripped onto the silkce around my cor. The cold and wet fabric stuck to my skin, making my hair stand on end.

    What was that?

    My fantasy? Was I hallucinating?

    That scene was too real. It was not just a fantasy in my mind. It was as if the child was lying on the pillow beside me just now. It was extremely real.

    As I was bewildered, Bertha suddenly ran in hurriedly and said anxiously, ¡°Your Highness, the Little Prince suddenly started crying and wouldn¡¯t stop. Please go and take a look!¡±

    What?

    I couldn¡¯t care about anything else and ran to my child. My little wolf cub¡¯s body was burning hot like a piece of iron. He cried sharply; every cry was like a sharp de stabbing my heart.

    I immediately became a mother at a loss. I could only hold him up andfort him softly. However, releasing my breath tofort him, which was effective for ordinary babies, did not work on my child. He was still crying sharply, and I could not find any reason for his sudden high fever.

    ¡°Make way. Please make way!¡± A man with soft flesh on his cheeks squeezed into the room with great difficulty and hurriedly drove out all the irrelevant people. ¡°Don¡¯t allow so many people to gather around. His Highness needs fresh air!¡±

    Since Tracy was in the Spring Rain Pack, the current acting royal physician was her disciple, Craig. It was a middle-aged man with a baby face. Even though he looked like an intern, he had worked at Central Hospital for many years, and Tracy had always praised him as her disciple.

    He did aplete examination on the wolf cub, and before the blood test results came out, he told me seriously, ¡°Although the test results will have to wait, I have to tell you the worst oue, Your Highness.

    ¡°The Little Prince¡¯s physiological structure differs from that of an ordinary baby. In my examination just now, I found that the Little Prince¡¯s bones and muscles have undergone a certain degree of discement, which is still ongoing. There are even some symptoms of dissolution.

    ¡°There¡¯s no precedent, so we can¡¯t judge whether this situation will continue. But even if it stops in the current situation, it¡¯s very likely for the Little Prince to... It¡¯s more likely than not.¡±

 Chapter 457 - 457 An Eye For An Eye

    457 An Eye For An Eye

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°What do you mean... The odds are against him?¡±

    I felt like I had fallen into an ice cave.

    ¡°I have to be honest with you... The existing medical records and standards may not be of any help toward His Highness¡¯s condition. This means... it means...¡± he stammered.

    At this moment, my parents arrived. They were at a ribbon-cutting event at a nursing home funded by the royal family, and now they had rushed back after cutting short their trip.

    Craig told my parents about my son¡¯s condition, and my mother¡¯s legs immediately gave out as she fell to the ground.

    My father¡¯s expression did not look good either. He said seriously, ¡°I allow you to use any method or medicine as long as you can ensure the safety of the little wolf.¡±

    His hands trembled slightly, obviously not as calm as they seemed.

    Craig could only nod in agreement, even though everyone could see the ominous feeling in his nervous expression.

    My son was transferred from the warm nursery to the ICU. We watched the medical staff working in and out of the window, but the little wolf¡¯s condition deteriorated. My mother had already stopped crying. She understood that as a grandmother, she had to be strong. But now, I wanted to cry again when I saw the little wolf¡¯s heart rate and blood oxygen decreasing.

    ¡°Selma, my child.¡± My mother embraced me, and my tears could no longer be held back. ¡°He will get better. Don¡¯t worry. We will do everything to ensure his safety.¡±

    My father pulled my mother and me into his arms, silentlyforting us.

    But fate had abandoned us once again.

    My son¡¯s condition had stabilized for now, but this did not mean he was safe. On the contrary, his condition was still on the bottom line, and if he were not careful, he would be consigned to eternal damnation.

    My father did not even care about the little wolf¡¯s secret and called the best experts in the Lycan pack for a consultation, but it was to no avail. Just like Craig had said, the current medical methods could not help my son.

    The werewolf grandmasters also researched the little wolf¡¯s condition, but this time, neither medicine nor sorcery was of any use, as if...

    It was as if the heavens were determined to take back this child, cutting off all the paths he had left.

    ¡®Fate, why are you so cruel to me?

    ¡®After my lover, you¡¯re going to take away my child too?¡¯

    I practically stayed in the apanying room outside of the ICU. Dorothy and Emma took turns apanying me. My mother stayed by my side all the time. Even my father put off all the government affairs that he could and stayed in this small apanying room to pray for a miracle.

    We spent three days anxiously. In these three days, I threw everything to the back of my mind. Other than my son, I couldn¡¯t think about anything else.

    On the third day, Master Kevin came to me. Only then I remembered I had to deal with a child I had never met.

    I immediately connected these two things. Could this be retribution? Was it because I intended to murder someone else¡¯s child, so my child was the first to suffer the bacsh of the evil consequences?

    Thus, I didn¡¯t wait for Master Kevin to state his intentions and said directly, ¡°We won¡¯t do anything. That child, that child of the Evaria Family, let him live.¡±

    Master Kevin did not say anything. He asked obediently, ¡°As you wish, Your Highness. So do we need to take him away? To an orphanage or somewhere else?¡±

    Indeed, I could keep this child alive, but I must make him disappear.

    However, which ce could guarantee absolute safety, an orphanage or a foreign ce? The Evaria Family mighte after hearing the news, so I must ensure this child waspletely free from their influence.

    However, I couldn¡¯t think of a better idea with my chaotic and exhausted mind. Sending the child away was the only and safest way.

    Suddenly, I saw my child, my dying wolf cub.

    ¡°If I want the pregnant woman and the child to disappear together, can your friend do anything?¡± I asked Master Kevin, ¡°Fake their deaths or run away from home. Do anything. Make the pregnant woman and her child disappear from the Evaria Family¡¯s sight, and then... Bring them to me.¡±

    Yes, bring them to me.

    Why did I have to send that child away? I just needed to ensure he disappeared from the Evaria Family¡¯s world. Was there anywhere safer and more reassuring than being by my side?

    Besides...

    I always had a secret and couldn¡¯t show it to anyone. Perhaps my evil thoughts toward this child caused my child to suffer retribution. Since that was the case, I must double thepensation to him and let him grow up without any worries and live a wealthy life. Call me a hypocrite or a superstitious person, but as a mother, I was willing to do anything to ensure my child¡¯s safety.

    Master Kevin didn¡¯t expect me to make such a decision, but he didn¡¯t say anything. He only said, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, my friend will have a falling out with the Evaria Family...¡±

 Chapter 458 - 458 A Parasite

    458 A Parasite

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°From tomorrow onward, the royal family would be his primary investors. No matter what amount he quotes, the research funds would be paid on time every season.¡±

    I understood what that person was thinking. Besides, since I wanted him to work for me, it was only right for me to protect him.

    ¡°Thank you for your understanding, Your Highness. Lester willplete your request as soon as possible.¡± It was only then that Master Kevin revealed the man¡¯s name to me. ¡°The Little Prince is a lucky man, and he will definitely get better.¡±

    I forced a smile and sent him off.

    I didn¡¯t hide this from my parents, and they consented to all my decisions.

    Three dayster, an inconspicuous corner of the newspaper reported the disbandment of a well-established test tube baby research institute. On the same day, Master Kevin brought the medical scientist named Lester and a panicking pregnant woman to the pce.

    ¡°Greetings, Your Highness.¡± Lester saluted me slowly while the pregnant woman beside him cowered, followed in Lester¡¯s lead, and bowed to me.

    I stopped Lester from correcting her, asked this frail woman to sit down, and asked someone to make some simple soup for her¡ªher eyes were glued to the snacks on the coffee table.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be shy. Have some snacks to fill your stomach.¡± I pushed the pastry stand before the woman and looked at Lester.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand, Your Highness. I swear on my reputation that I have never mistreated thisdy or the child in her. You might have to hold the Evaria Family responsible. After all, from the logs they provided, even the food of theb rats is more appetizing than the three daily meals of thisdy. Sometimes, paying too much attention to the nutritional ratio will ignore people¡¯s wishes, making a nutritious meal a torture.¡±

    Perhaps it was because she realized that I wasn¡¯t that ¡®scary¡¯, or perhaps it was because she hadn¡¯t eaten normal food for a long time, but even though the pregnant woman still didn¡¯t let down her guard, she couldn¡¯t help but help herself to the dessert.

    Lester passed me a stack of documents. It was the pregnant woman¡¯s basic information and medical report.

    Her name was Carey, and she was born in a small pack in the west. She had a high school degree and no family. Three years ago, she came to work at Lycan pack alone, but her education and birth token were not very smooth.

    Later, she participated in an experiment initiated by a medical institute under the name of the Evaria Family, thinking that she could get a high reward, but she did not expect to put herself in a pit of fire. After confirming she was pregnant, the Evaria Family put her under house arrest and used their connections to erase all her files, causing her to ¡®die¡¯ in society¡¯s eyes.

    The Evaria Family only used her as a vessel for surrogacy and did not treat her well. I believed that was why she went from a sunny girl in the photo to this timid and haggard woman before me.

    I didn¡¯t waste any time and directly told her, ¡°I hope to be the adoptive mother of the child in your stomach. You know who I am and what kind of living conditions I can give this child. I swear in the name of the Moon Goddess that I will treat this child as my own. Besides the right of inheritance, he will have all the rights a prince has.

    ¡°And you, my deardy, will receive a considerable sum of money and a vi located in the best area of your hometown. The internal affairs officer of the royal family will give you an annuity of five hundred thousand every year until you die. You¡¯ll have a new identity. You can choose from a schrly family, a rich family, or a minor noble family. No one will be able to disturb your peaceful life, and you will live the rest of your life in wealth and peace.

    ¡°The price for all this is that you will never see this child again. He will no longer have any rtionship with you. Your medical records and birth records will also be erased.¡±

    Carey¡¯s mouth was still stuffed full of cakes. Upon hearing my words, she only looked at me in a daze. She didn¡¯t seem to have the resistance and pain of being separated from her flesh and blood that I had expected.

    ¡°... May I ask how much the annuity will be?¡± She swallowed the food in her mouth and asked with her gaze lowered.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care how much you want. Name your price: one million, ten million, ten million, one hundred million.¡±

    ¡°... I don¡¯t need that much. Just one million is enough. This is a huge sum that I can¡¯t even earn a fraction of in my life.¡±

    Carey took another bite of the cake and suddenly burst into tears.

    ¡°I can be anyone, right? A daughter of a rich family or a nobledy.¡±

    ¡°Yes, if you¡¯re worried, I can even introduce the best stic surgeon to you.¡±

    She continued to chew on the cake and silently calcted everything. With money, reputation, and family background, she was indifferent to the child in her stomach.

    ¡°To be honest, I¡¯ve been thinking about how to abort the child, but those people are watching me too closely. They don¡¯t even allow me to keep a spoon by my side. I can¡¯t even abort it if I want to.¡±

    Carey calmly said those disturbing thoughts out loud.

 Chapter 459 - 459 The Parasite

    459 The Parasite

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°All of you are distinguished figures; perhaps you¡¯ve never seen me with such dark thoughts. However, I¡¯m not afraid of everyone sneering at me. To me, the ball of flesh in my stomach is not my child at all. It is a parasite, a demon, a countdown to my life. I knew that I would die the moment he was born. Who would love a child who was destined to bring death to herself? Besides, this isn¡¯t the fruit of my love for anyone. It¡¯s just a b*stard forced into my stomach through schemes and intrigues.

    ¡°I¡¯d tried many methods, such as going on a hunger strike, pretending to be crazy, and banging my stomach against the wall, but I¡¯m as weak as a kitten in front of those people. They started injecting me with nutrient fluids, tied me to the bed with a tie, moved all the furniture, installed soft sponges on the wall, and sent people to watch my every move 24 hours a day. They even asked someone to watch me shower and use the toilet!¡±

    Tears of pain shed in Carey¡¯s eyes as she clutched her head and cried. All I could give her was a useless and dryfort.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been in despair for a long time. I counted the days one by one. They refused to tell me the due date, but I could feel their malice and my death approaching. Until...

    ¡°Until that day, the ball of flesh in me suddenly started to reject me for some reason. Isn¡¯t that ridiculous? He¡¯s the parasite in my body absorbing nutrients without restraint, but he wants to reject me, the mother. However, thanks to this, I could finally escape this dark hell.

    ¡°Dr. Lester was the doctor who operated on me in the past. At first, I was terrified of him, and I thought he was with them, but he suddenly asked me quietly if I wanted to run away, and the price was to lose my child forever. At that time, I was petrified. I thought this was some boring probing game, so I resolutely refused. Although I wanted to kill this b*stard then, I had to save myself. If I anger those people, I¡¯m really afraid that I won¡¯t even be able to wait until the day this vile spawn is born.¡±

    I looked at Lester, who nodded. ¡°Yes, Miss Carey didn¡¯t agree to leave with me, but I could see the will to live in her eyes, so I stole her away.¡±

    He then turned to Carey and apologized sincerely, ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, Miss Carey. I decided on my own. I don¡¯t expect you to forgive me. As long as the current situation can give you a littlefort, I will rest easy.¡±

    Carey shook her head nervously and looked at Lester with a hint of shyness. ¡°Please don¡¯t say that. If it wasn¡¯t for you... I...¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Miss Carey,¡± I interrupted this one-sided love destined to end due to the suspense. I¡¯m very sorry for what you¡¯ve experienced. It¡¯s not just the Evaria Family¡¯s fault that such an appalling imprisonment case happened in the Lycan pack. As a princess, I apologize for the royal family¡¯s negligence.¡±

    Carey was extremely nervous. She kept shaking her head and became restless.

    I didn¡¯t want this poor girl to suffer anymore, so I arranged the documents on the table and handed them to her. Iforted her and said, ¡°You can consider the contract terms. If you have any requests, you can tell the servant in charge of taking care of you anytime. They will report to me immediately.¡±

    ¡°Servant? Do I have to... Do you live in the pce?¡± Carey¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief.

    ¡°Yes, the Evaria Family will turn the Lycan pack upside down when they find out you¡¯ve disappeared. Now, other than the pce, no ce can guarantee your safety. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll arrange a safe and secluded corner for you. You can recuperate in peace and don¡¯t have to worry about the drama outside.¡±

    Carey burst into tears again. ¡°Moon Goddess bless you, Your Highness. I¡¯m such a lowly person, but you¡¯re taking care of me. The pce, oh my god, the pce...

    Kara then took Carey away.

    Master Kevin did not say a word the entire time. He had be the quiet bookworm again as if the madness of the past few days was just a fantasy. He left the stagepletely to Lester, who was more like a businessman or politician than a medical scientist.

    Lester was not originally a test tube baby researcher, but his field of expertise was gics. However, this was a challenging and profound medical field. Finding a suitable research object was difficult, and it would swallow money like a bottomless pit. For the sake of his career, Lester epted the hero position from the Evaria Family ¨C hereditary infertility was also a gic disease, wasn¡¯t it?

    Although he didn¡¯t help with infertility, he still managed to get them a child. This made the Evaria Family love and hated him. They loved him because he might give them more children with royal blood, but they hated him because he was a famous medical scientist. They could not make him ¡®disappear¡¯ from the world and only serve the Evaria Family.

 Chapter 460 - 460 Lester

    460 Lester

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Lester keenly felt the change in the Evaria Family¡¯s attitude. Coupled with the fact that the baby was being kept a secret, he realized that if he did not leave now, he would be stuck in this huge fire pit forever.

    So, he immediately forsook the dark and joined the light, using Master Kevin¡¯s way to switch to my camp.

    In fact, other than that child, I was also very interested in Lester. There was no need to doubt his professional standards. Although he was a fence-sitter, it didn¡¯t matter much. I didn¡¯t need him to enter the Council of Elders to charge through the enemy lines for me.

    Tracy woulde back sooner orter. The Spring Rain Pack needed an extremely capable and highly respected medical leader to develop an advantageous medical industry.

    Moreover, I urgently need to expand mywork in the medical field. Although my identity as a Princess could make countless medical schrs flock to me for various reasons, this couldn¡¯t guarantee my confidentiality. I needed someone I could trust to treat Aldrich. No matter the price, I was willing to pay.

    Lester was very slick. He didn¡¯t mention anything about investment or research at all. He answered all my questions as if he was here to give a private medical lecture.

    We chatted for a while. I was worried about my child, so I was going to take him to the ICU ward.

    ¡°You know, I¡¯m different from the Evaria Family. Once you¡¯re on my ship, you won¡¯t have the possibility of getting off,¡± I said.

    ¡°I believe that the werewolf pack won¡¯t have a stronger and steadier ship than yours. As for the Evaria Family or anyone else, perhaps I can¡¯t predict their ending, but from my observation, no matter how gorgeous the disguise is, a small boat can¡¯t ride the wind and waves in the storm.¡±

    ¡°Now, I have a patient that I need you to see. This is a patient who ispletely confidential to the outside world. I hope you can abide by the rules of silence. No matter what you see, pretend not to see it after you leave the ward.¡±

    Faced with my serious attitude, Lester¡¯s attitude changed, but he still said, ¡°As you wish, Your Highness.¡±

    I looked at Master Kevin, and he nodded.

    My child¡¯s ward was far away from the heart of the pce¡¯s chaos. It was initially a secret garden built by a king over 200 years ago for his youngest daughter. After a hundred years of loneliness, the peaceful atmosphere was finally broken by the cold hum of medical equipment.

    The doctors on duty were doing their routine checks. When they saw me, they all stood up and saluted.

    I introduced Lester to them. ¡°This is Professor Lester, a gicist. He might be your colleague in the future.¡±

    Lester did not react to the word ¡®might¡¯ and warmly greeted his possible ¡®future¡¯ colleagues.

    I didn¡¯t see my mother. A nurse told me that she was exhausted, and after getting some medical advice, she finally agreed to go to the adjoining room to rest for a while.

    I heaved a sigh of relief. My mother¡¯s desire to protect my child had reached a level I couldn¡¯t bear to watch. If she were here, she probably wouldn¡¯t trust Lester so quickly to let him treat my child.

    The moment his gaze prated the ss window, Lester¡¯s expression changed. Under my cold gaze, he smiled bitterly. ¡°Alright, Your Highness. I swear in the goddess¡¯s name that I will keep everything that happens in this ward a secret.¡±

    ¡°The little wolf is different from ordinary children when he was born. I think it¡¯s because of some... maternal genes. This is a secret, I can¡¯t tell you yet. In short, the wolf cub had no gender, and its physiological structure waspletely different from that of an ordinary baby. I don¡¯t expect you to find a way to treat him immediately, but please give me some good news for the sake of an anxious mother.¡±

    In the end, I heard my voice gradually be ethereal, and the wet and hot feeling filled my eyes again.

    ¡°... I¡¯ll try my best, Your Highness.¡±

    Lester went to make the preparations. Master Kevin was standing beside me now.

    ¡°I think the child is almost at its limit.¡± I heard myself say coldly. ¡°It¡¯s been too long. From the moment she was born, this child might have been suffering. It¡¯s because we, the useless adults, didn¡¯t realize it, so everything umted and exploded like a volcano.¡±

    Master Kevin didn¡¯t say anything, and I didn¡¯t need anyone to agree with me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should continue... There is no other way. He is just hanging on to his life in vain. This might only make the child suffer more. But should I just give up? Shouldn¡¯t I wait for a miracle to happen? But will the oue be better if we continue to wait?¡±

    Silence, a suffocating silence.

    With my numbness, I could sense everything in the ICU, from the instrument¡¯s operation and the airflow from the exhaust to the weak breathing of my child.

    Master Kevin moved and seemed to hesitate, but he still said, ¡°Your Highness, there are some things I don¡¯t know if I should say.¡±

    ¡°Speak. It¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°Then... Don¡¯t you think the Young Prince¡¯s current situation is somewhat familiar? It¡¯s as if you¡¯ve experienced it before?¡±

 Chapter 461 - 461 Another Way

    461 Another Way

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°Familiar?¡±

    ¡°Yes, please think about your experience in the Snowy Mountains, the strange giant pine tree, the demon fragments, and what made you... The cocoon that is reborn from the fire.¡±

    Master Kevin adjusted his sses that had slid down his nose, and his voice was as calm as ever.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you experienced in that cocoon, but from its appearance, it was extremely simr to a moth¡¯s cocoon. ¡°We all know that in order for arva to transform into a moth, it must go through the process of dissolving and reconstructing its entire body before it can undergo ascendance. Now, it seems that your situation is very simr.¡±

    Dissolve and reconstruct ...

    Most of the things were just as Master Kevin said. I lost my physical body in that strange cocoon, and then I used the power of the demonic shard to reconstruct a new body, and then I got New Flow.

    Could my child be experiencing the changes I¡¯d experienced?

    This thought gave me some hope for no reason. At least my child wouldn¡¯t die.

    Master Kevin continued, ¡°Now it seems the Little Prince¡¯s situation is like a mothrva about to spin a cocoon. The gradually dissolving muscles and bones may not be a strange disease. It¡¯s just an inevitable process that must be experienced to be reborn from the fire. Of course, this is just my personal opinion. I have no basis for it. Please consider it carefully.¡±

    I chose to ignore thest part of Master Kevin¡¯s sentence.

    My wolf cub, my child, might not be on the verge of death as we thought. On the contrary, this was a new journey of breaking out of the cocoon and bing a butterfly. It was just that we were too concerned about it and ignored such an obvious clue, which in turn allowed useless factors to drag this progress.

    Various infusion bags were hanging on the metal frame, on which various drugs were used to maintain nutrition and prevent muscle dissolution. So far, they had been somewhat effective. My child¡¯s self-dissolving speed had indeed slowed down. Ten minutes ago, I was still happy about this. Now, I knew that I had to do something.

    ¡°How is my mother?¡± I asked Kara.

    ¡°The Queen is still asleep,¡± Kara said softly. ¡°She has been exhausted these days.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± I said in a soft voice. ¡°Keep an eye on my mother and tell the servants to be quiet. Don¡¯t wake her up.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to... ¡± Kara looked at me hesitantly.

    I didn¡¯t answer. I waved my hand gently, indicating for her to leave.

    At this time, Lester returned. He had a general understanding of my child¡¯s condition and said with regret, ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, Your Highness. With my meager power, it¡¯s really difficult for me to help solve this difficult andplicated illness.¡±

    I looked at him steadily and finally evaluated Lester¡¯s ability and credibility.

    My child¡¯s condition would be recorded, but to keep my bloodline a secret, the medical record must not exceed the scope of the medical field. So, I needed someonepletely trustworthy, capable, and under my control to lead this matter, and Lester was the best option right now.

    All of his information was already on my desk. This slick and sly medical scientist wasn¡¯t evil. In fact, even his resume didn¡¯t match his sly character, which was honed over a long time. He was a ¡®bookworm¡¯ who yearned for knowledge. His character was the pr opposite of Master Kevin¡¯s, but they were the same kind of people inside.

    In the end, I chose to believe in him. There was no time to find a more suitable candidate than Lester.

    Thus, I temporarily dismissed all the medical staff and announced my n.

    ¡°I¡¯ve decided to give up on all treatment for the wolf cub. I believe everyone can see that neither medicine nor witchcraft is of any help to my child.¡±

    I said this, but my heart trembled because I didn¡¯t know if my decision could be trusted. Would it bring happiness to everyone, or would it cost a life?

    ¡°Now, remove all life-support equipment and no longer provide medicinal assistance to the wolf cub. These things will only slow him down and will not help him in any way. From today on, this ward will be a secret forbidden area. No one can enter except for the three of us and those with my authorization.

    ¡°And your mission, my dear grandmasters, is to record every change in the wolf cub. The records have to be written in two copies. One will be based on the actual situation and write whatever is avable. The other will be for others to see. This record will not deviate from the framework of medicine. Anything that science cannot exin should be covered with ayer of medical science.¡±

    Looking at the weak little wolf cub through the ss window, I muttered, ¡°After all, we don¡¯t know how many more times this kind of thing will happen. It¡¯s better to have some reference records.¡±

    With my words,pared to Master Kevin¡¯s calmness, Lester was slightly flustered. He realized I was serious, so he couldn¡¯t even maintain the optimized disguise on his appearance. ¡°Will this really work? What if... Your Highness...¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no ¡®what if¡¯,¡± I interrupted him. ¡°This is thest way. I have to try...¡±

 Chapter 462 - 462 The Confrontation

    462 The Confrontation

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I knew what Lester was worried about. After all, he had been in contact with many powerful people. These people had always been like this. If they could cure the patient, it was what they should do. They would hold the patient responsible if they couldn¡¯t cure the patient. It was as if the doctor brought the patient¡¯s illness.

    So I consoled him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not the kind of person who implicates my subordinates for no reason. I make all the decisions. Even if something happens to the wolf cub, it has nothing to do with you. I swear to the Moon Goddess.¡±

    Lester was embarrassed by my serious attitude. ¡°As you wish, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s start now.¡±

    I gathered the medical staff again and announced my decision to them. They would no longer be in charge of treatment and only assist Master Kevin and Lester.

    As a doctor in charge, he was the first to question my decision. However, my decision could not be overturned, not to mention that the blood of the wolf cub could not be easily publicized. I could trust Master Tracy, but he could not. So, he went to his new post with doubts.

    At that moment, Kara told me that my mother had woken up.

    I sighed, knowing that the next battle would be a tough one.

    ¡°Selma!¡±

    My mother ran in with red eyes and a rare serious expression.

    ¡°What are you doing? How could you send away the wolf cub¡¯s doctor? Don¡¯t you know what¡¯s going on with this child? The wolf cub needs a doctor. Otherwise, he will... He will... He will die!¡±

    Under my gaze, the crowd silently left, leaving only my mother in the room and me.

    As far as I could remember, ever since I acknowledged my family and returned home, my mother had never given me any face. She was practically the mother who dotes on her daughter the most in the world. In her eyes, I¡¯d never made a mistake. Even if I wanted to blow up the pce immediately, she would have found an architect in advance to n a new pce that would suit my preferences.

    But now, she was looking at me angrily, and the warmth in her eyes was gone as if I had made a terrible mistake that even the indestructible kinship could not make up for my ¡®evil deed¡¯.

    But I knew she was not angry at me but at herself.

    My mother med herself. She might seem to dislike the whole world, but I was too familiar with this situation. As the self-me in her heart had already overflowed in the eyes of others, it seemed that she was always ming others, but who knew that she had long dered in her heart that her crimes were unforgivable?

    I was just too simr to my mother in that we were too obsessed with a dead end and demanding of ourselves.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± My mother still couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°If the doctor doesn¡¯te, can the wolf cub recover? What evolution? What did that mean? Tell me, Selma. I know you won¡¯t harm your child, but you must convince me!¡±

    ¡°Alright... Mother.¡± I was thinking about how to speak. ¡°Do you still remember what I told you about my encounter in the Snowy Mountains? At that time, I thought I was about to die, but a strange cocoon allowed me to break out and be reborn. I used the demonic fragment to reconstruct my body, and my situation was simr to the wolf cub¡¯s. My body was dissolved bit by bit, leaving only the basic framework of the soul. I was like arva wrapped in a cocoon, using myself as nutrients to give birth to a new evolutionary form.

    ¡°This sounds like a fantasy, but there¡¯s some truth to it. Do you still remember the moth-like marks on my body? I didn¡¯t know where they came from in the past, but now I gradually understand. The moth is a follower of Azazel. I borrowed his power to evolve, so he affected me and made me carry some moth characteristics.

    ¡°And the wolf cub is my child. He has inherited the moth attribute like me. That¡¯s why he¡¯s born in wolf form. This is different from atavism, as we¡¯ve guessed. Instead, the correct starting point for him is gradually evolving from a wolf cub to a true werewolf. He¡¯llpensate for his shorings in evolution like arva breaks out of its cocoon and rebirths.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I stopped all treatment because the drugs we gave the wolf cub are slowing down his progress. Good intentions will cause bad things and put the wolf cub in danger.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re worried, Mother. You¡¯ve spent more time with the wolf cub than I have as its mother. Compared to the ipetent me, the wolf cub grew up in your arms. But please believe me. This is the pain of growth that the wolf cub must experience, the price he has to pay to bear the innate superior strength.¡±

    After hearing my exnation, my mother looked at me fixedly and suddenly cried.

 Chapter 463 - 463 Falling Apart

    463 Falling Apart

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Large teardrops fell from my mother¡¯s eyes. Her legs gave way, and she fell onto the sofa, trembling uncontrobly.

    ¡°Heavens, heavens... I¡¯m very sorry, Selma, I¡¯m very sorry...¡± She bent over, and her hunched body was like a cracked vase that would break into dust with a touch. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe you¡¯re right... Oh my god, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know. I really didn¡¯t know...¡±

    ¡°Mother, are you alright? Don¡¯t me yourself. It¡¯s not your fault.¡±

    I realized my mother¡¯s situation was not normal, so I carefully patted her back. However, my mother was frightened and pushed me away.

    I was stunned. My mother reacted when she saw this, and the guilt in her eyes grew stronger.

    ¡°Selma, I... I...¡±

    My mother was in a daze. Suddenly, she ran out like a gust of wind, not even having time to wipe her tears.

    ¡°Mother!¡±

    I quickly chased after her. I saw my mother running into my father¡¯s arms when I reached the door. My father looked at my mother¡¯s teary face and asked anxiously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s going on?¡±

    My mother only cried and even began to twitch in a sickly manner. She was about to stop breathing.

    My father and I were shocked and immediately called for the doctor. ¡°Doctor! Doctor! Someonee quickly!¡±

    My mother fell into her father¡¯s arms and twitched uncontrobly. Her windpipe was blocked, so her lungs could not breathe any air. Her face was red and swollen from holding it in. She tried to open her mouth, hoping to draw in some living resources. Her tears and snot mixed with aical and desperate expression on her struggling face, making people feel like their hearts were being cut by a knife.

    ¡°Mother, mother...¡± I was so anxious that I cried and handed my mother over to the doctor, who rushed over. I watched as the doctor began to perform emergency treatment on my mother. My legs turned soft, and I fell into my father¡¯s arms.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, child. Your mother will be fine. She won¡¯t...¡± Father consoled me, but his arm supporting me was trembling slightly.

    Finally, her mother was out of danger. The doctor said that she was over-breathing because she was too nervous.

    Her mother was lying on the soft bed in the apanying room with a pale face. The snow-white bedsheet set off her ashen face. Her tears that had yet to dry left traces of haggardness on her face that had been blessed by time, like the hideous cracks on a vase.

    Mother stared at the ceiling in a daze, her eyes not moving. For a moment, I thought she was dead.

    This thought shocked me, so I held my mother¡¯s hand. ¡°Mother...¡±

    My father also silently hugged my mother.

    ¡°Selma...¡± My mother¡¯s voice was as hoarse as a rusty cello. ¡°I¡¯m an irresponsible mother. I¡¯m an unqualified elder.¡±

    I immediately retorted, ¡°Why do you think that way? You¡¯re the best mother in the world.¡±

    ¡°Right?¡± My mother gave a sad smile. ¡°But what have I, as a mother, done? I lost my daughter and made her suffer for so many years. I had watched her run toward the Rocky Mountains formed by the curse with my own eyes. She had experienced life and death, but I could not help her at all. Someone is trying to take my daughter¡¯s throne away, but I can¡¯t do anything to help her. I can only let her fight against the storm of evil intentions...¡±

    ¡°Mother! What are you talking about? How can this be your fault?¡± I didn¡¯t know why my mother would think so, but I noticed that my mother seemed to have fallen into a bigoted dilemma. Simply put, my mother had a psychological problem, depression, or some other bad oue that no one wanted to see.

    My mother ignored me and continued to mutter, ¡°And my Little wolf cub, I should have cared for him in every possible way and watched him grow up without any worries. But what have I done? I turned a blind eye to the wolf cub¡¯s illness. I spent day and night with him but didn¡¯t find any signs.

    ¡°Perhaps I¡¯m not suitable to raise a child at all. Be it my daughter or my grandchildren, they¡¯ve all experienced misfortune at my hands. Moon Goddess, is this a sin Imitted in the first half of my life? Why do you have to punish me like this? Is my family rtionship so fragile that my child will suffer an undeserved disaster because of me?¡±

    As she spoke, my mother started crying again. She cried so hard that she was out of breath. She was about to show symptoms of hyperventtion again.

    My father anxiouslyforted my mother, but she waspletely immersed in her sad world. She did not react to her lover¡¯s whisper, let alone to him.

    It was as if I had be a time bomb to her, and she refused to even make eye contact with me. She sealed herself in a maze of thorns and poison, and I was the end she couldn¡¯t reach.

    ¡°Mother...¡± I looked at her sorrowfully, not understanding why our family hade to this.

    Aldrich¡¯s life and death were uncertain, the little wolf cub¡¯s life was on the line, I had a psychological problem, and now my mother was following in my footsteps.

 Chapter 464 - 464 Harmony

    464 Harmony

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    My father was the only one who was barely holding on, but his environment was not optimistic. Those conspiracies, those open spears and hidden arrows, those daggers hidden in smiles, those wind des and frost swords had tormented my father for so many years. His lover and family had always been the solid pirs that supported him. Now that the house was about to copse, how much longer could my father hold on?

    If my father fell, what would the future hold?

    Could our family be destined to face a catastrophe? Otherwise, why would so many inexplicable disasters befall our family?

    Looking at my mother¡¯s dodging expression and resistant movements, my father¡¯s tired expression, and undetectable sadness, I suddenly felt the air thin. Every breath seemed to hide invisible needles, blowing up my windpipe and lungs.

    The cold blood flowed through my body, turning me into an ice sculpture from head to toe. I could only helplessly endure the endless torture.

    I felt pain and nausea in my stomach as if something had dissolved. A strong acid erupted and gradually eroded my bones and internal organs.

    Intense pain struck my body, and my overloaded nerves sent a danger signal to my brain. My self-protection mechanism tried to escape the torture by fainting.

    In thest moment of the darkness, I saw my father¡¯s anxious face and mouth opening and closing.

    I didn¡¯t hear anything.

    ¡®Father...¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m sorry...¡¯

    The wind, the melodious wind.

    No matter how chaotic the outside world was, this wastnd was always calm and peaceful. The stream flowed to an endless distance. The breeze swept the low or lush grass, bringing a few ck and gold moths flying toward the sky.

    I woke up in the stream. The cold water washed over my body. My soft wet hair floated in the clear stream, gently swaying like seaweed and goldfish.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± she asked.

    I remained silent.

    The fluttering ck-gold moth rested on the tip of my nose for a while, giving me an itchy feeling. I sneezed, scaring away the ck-gold moth and breaking this moment of silence.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± she repeated.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± I replied.

    ¡°Oh, really? Why?¡±

    ¡°There are many reasons, but I can¡¯t exin them all.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± she said. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to tell me, forget it.¡±

    So we fell silent again.

    This wilderness was always high and wide, making people feel open and happy, wishing there was such a purend in the real world.

    But how could there be so many wishes in life? I was already fortunate to be able toe to this paradise in my fantasy.

    After lying in the stream for a long time, my body didn¡¯t feel cold, but my heart told me it was time to get up.

    The stream water evaporated and brought a cool sensation to my skin. Then, the soft wind wrapped around my naked body like a veil. Only then did I realize I waspletely naked, not wearing anything. But I didn¡¯t feel ashamed at all. In front of myself, there was nothing to be ashamed of.

    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m wondering...¡± I raised my hand and looked at the dampness in my palm. ¡°Why can¡¯t I move? ¡±

    My feet were firmly stuck to the mud at the bottom of the stream, like a lotus root, ready to move and grow into a lotus.

    ¡°That¡¯s normal because you¡¯re melting,¡± she said with a smile.

    Was I melting?

    I looked down. My feet had mysteriously disappeared. They had turned into something like the roots of the nt. They were inseparable from the mud and the stream water.

    ¡°Why is this happening?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Because the time is up,¡± she answered.

    ¡°What time is it?¡±

    This time, she didn¡¯t answer me. She disappeared, and the field was silent again.

    More and more parts of me ¡®melted¡¯. I became a root, a flower bud brewing an unnamed matter. However, I still maintained my human form, but my inner self had changed. My concept was being shattered and reassembled.

    This was a mysterious feeling. It wasn¡¯t painful, but it wasn¡¯t ufortable, either. On the contrary, the joy of a new life was gradually seeping into my soul.

    All the negative things had disappeared. At this moment, I no longer cared about my husband, my children, my parents, and my friends. It was not that I had be cold-blooded, but I had temporarily lost things like ¡¯emotion¡¯. Everything was being shattered and reassembled, and nothing could be ignored.

    This was an experience that no one was familiar with, just like the time at the Rocky Mountains. However, I managed to retain my full consciousness thest time. I could clearly sense what was happening and control the direction of every piece of flesh and blood.

    But now, I could let go of everything and give everything to...

    All to...

    To whom?

    I was lost for a moment, and then the confusion disappeared.

    It didn¡¯t matter. It didn¡¯t matter whom I handed it to.

    I thought optimistically.

    No matter who it was, I knew I could trust her. Even though I didn¡¯t know her, even though I didn¡¯t know her name nor who she was, I could trust her.

    As time was up, everything should beplete.

 Chapter 465 - 465 Myself And I

    465 Myself And I

    Madeline¡¯s POV:

    I looked at her, this girl who had the same name as me but also a different name.

    We had the same face, shared the same body, had the same origin, and were entangled with each other¡¯s souls.

    I was a ghost of the past, and she was a breeze of the future.

    I had always existed. She knew me, but most of the time, she forgot about me. This was my doing. She was too deeply entangled with those gods, but she didn¡¯t have the power to match them. It wouldn¡¯t do her any good to remember everything too early.

    She was very powerful. Perhaps she didn¡¯t know it herself, but she did have a heart as firm as a diamond. However, even the strongest diamond had its limits. Fate was not friendly to her. Seeing that the road ahead was blocked, even if hope was in front of her, who could see it?

    I turned into a moth and stayed on her branch.

    The stream was filled with blooming lotus flowers, and the beautiful light pink embellished the monotonous wilderness with gorgeous colors. Selma had disappeared, but she had always been there. The physical body was just a vessel that didn¡¯t matter. She could be a werewolf, a creation of god, a moth, or a lotus flower waiting to bloom.

    A gentle breeze blew, and the pistil swayed slightly.

    ¡°Do you feelfortable?¡± I asked.

    Another gust of wind stirred up faint waves on the water¡¯s surface.

    ¡°Alright, we have plenty of time,¡± I mumbled as I sat on the shore.

    Time in the wilderness was eternal. She could stop for a second or forever.

    The sky was high, the wind was far away, and there were not even a few clouds.

    I still remember that blizzard. After so many years, Azazel still hadn¡¯t changed. He was still as arrogant, mischievous, and stupid as ever.

    He treated me like the moon. How funny.

    That blizzard almost destroyed Selma, and it also destroyed me. But I guessed that the moon had been quietly watching me from the sky, so Azazel failed in the end.

    If he had persevered a little longer, he would have discovered the truth.

    Unfortunately, he missed it again, just like before.

    A lotus flower swayed gently, and the wind brought a soft petal.

    ¡°You can wait. I sent the petals into the stream and watched her go away with the water. You¡¯re still far from aplete fusion.

    ¡°Are you worried about your parents and child? Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m watching over them. They¡¯re fine. Nothing will happen.

    ¡°Fine, you never trust me, but you know I am you, and you are me. You should trust me more.

    ¡°Besides, even if you want to, you can¡¯t leave now. Nothing can stop this process before the fusion isplete.¡±

    The wind was a little stronger, and the long grass cut a thin white mark on my ankle. It didn¡¯t hurt, but it was a little itchy.

    ¡°Are you angry?¡± Iughed. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be, Selma. I¡¯m just telling the truth. Fusion isn¡¯t a bad thing. You¡¯re taking back your original power. You¡¯ve realized that, haven¡¯t you? It is a mutant born from the fusion of our powers and that of Azazel. It should have been our helper, our creation, but now it is just a dull, cold tool.

    ¡°You¡¯ve given up the power of a god. Actually, that¡¯s good. Azazel¡¯s divine persona is not suitable for us. Even if he epts us, we¡¯ll only be the weakest gods. You don¡¯t like to be a god. You want to be a human. That¡¯s good, I support you, but that doesn¡¯t mean we must give up on great power.

    ¡°Humans are powerless in front of gods, not because of this so-called natural identity, but because of violence. If a man could have power greater than a god, then a god would just be an insignificant ant. Just like the great men who killed gods in myths, the history that once existed is evidence that gods are not invincible.

    ¡°Think about it. Your husband, your children, your parents, your territory, and your people do not need a weak King. We all know what kind of era this is. Humans, gods, demons, enemies, and any other factor can easily destroy the hard-won peace. This is not what we want to see.

    ¡°I¡¯ve always been watching you, watching you regret, watching you suffer, but I was powerless. The only thing I can give you is the power that should have belonged to you. It may haveete, but it¡¯s not irredeemable yet.

    ¡°The war ising, and in front of it, those conspiracies and tricks for power and profit are just some appetizers that can¡¯t be put on the table. I don¡¯t need to worry. I believe you can handle those people.

    ¡°We have to look forward a little and see the shadows in theva and the tentacles in the deep sea.

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you too much now, but when you think about it in the future, you¡¯ll realize that be the gods or demons, the titles are just boring attributes that we impose on them. There¡¯s no difference between gods and demons at all. They¡¯re all the same. When they¡¯re kind, they can¡¯t wait to sublimate the whole world, but when they¡¯re evil, they treat everything they see as a toy for fun.

    ¡°That¡¯s it. There¡¯s no reason to it.¡±

 Chapter 466 - 466 You And Yourself

    466 You And Yourself

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Was I a flower?

    My roots greedily absorbed the stream water and spread the nutrients throughout my body. The cool stream water allowed me to stretch my branches to my heart¡¯s content, extending my vitality.

    This was an endless stream. I would always run far away.

    I didn¡¯t know how much time had passed, but I seemed to have many flowers blooming and dying and dying and blooming again. The petals covered the water¡¯s surface and were carried away by the wind. When the stream dried up, I withered to death. The stream filled up again, and I was reborn.

    Just like that, time passed by, and everything fell silent.

    ¡°Wake up, Selma.¡±

    Who was talking?

    ¡°Really, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s worried, but now you can¡¯t be woken up!¡±

    Who was it?

    A moth stopped at the tip of my nose. I couldn¡¯t help but sneeze and open my eyes.

    There was nothing, no one. It was as if everything was just my imagination.

    I was not a flower. I woke up on the grass.

    The field had changed its appearance. At some point, the trickling stream had turned into an endless sea. There were no fish or rocks in the ocean, only blooming lotus flowers.

    How could lotus flowers grow in the sea?

    It was strange but also beautiful. The gentle wind caressed the petals, making small sshes on the sea¡¯s surface. The water sshed onto the lotus, reflecting a clear radiance.

    I was mesmerized by the beautiful scenery and unknowingly sat down.

    ¡°Why are you still in a daze? Let¡¯s go! Weren¡¯t you in a hurry?¡±

    That voice came again.

    I looked left and right but couldn¡¯t find her.

    ¡°Who are you? Where are you?¡±

    Sheughed. ¡°You¡¯re so silly. I¡¯m right here. Go to the water and take a look.¡±

    I came to the water¡¯s edge, and the sponge only reflected my reflection.

    ¡°Do you see it?¡±

    The voice sounded again. What surprised me the most was that Iughed at the water.

    I was shocked and fell to the ground.

    ¡°Did I scare you?¡± The reflection on the water chuckled. ¡°But you know me very well, don¡¯t you? Every time you came here, we would meet ¨C it¡¯s inurate to say we would meet. I can see you, but you can¡¯t see me. But we always talk. Don¡¯t you remember me?¡±

    My muddled mind gradually cleared up. I remembered her.

    ¡°... I don¡¯t like pranks,¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t like it either because we¡¯re the same person.¡± Madeline¡¯s shadow disappeared from the water. I couldn¡¯t see her, but I knew she was there.

    I held up a handful of seawater and watched it quietly slip through the gaps between my fingers, leaving only the faint fragrance of the lotus flower lingering in my palm.

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving now,¡± I said.

    ¡°I know, but you¡¯lle back eventually,¡± Madeline said calmly.

    ¡°Will I still forget you after I leave?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry, Selma. Don¡¯t me me for acting on my own. It¡¯s not the time to think about everything now, not just for you, but also for your enemies.¡±

    ¡°What about you? Will you disappear?¡±

    ¡°Me? Why do you think so?¡±

    Madeline burst outughing. ¡°So that¡¯s what you¡¯ve always thought! Don¡¯t worry, my dear. You are me, and I am you. You are Madeline, and I am Selma. We will always be one. My power is your power, and I have never relied on any power to exist. The basis of my existence is you, just like the basis of your existence is me. I will never disappear. We will never disappear.¡±

    Yes, I was her, and she was me. We were the same person.

    I wasn¡¯t talking to anyone. I was only talking to myself. I was facing my heart and gradually saw through the fog in my previous dreams.

    Why was I unable to build a mind link with my family? Why did Maxine get separated from me? Why did I have so many mysteries that were different from the werewolves?

    This was because my physical body wasn¡¯t that important to me. I could be a werewolf, a moth, a flower, or even nothing at all.

    That was why nothing could restrain me.

    Nothing could form a connection between the world and me.

    This fact made me feel empty momentarily, but Aldrich and my child¡¯s faces suddenly shed before me.

    No, it wasn¡¯t like that.

    I was engaged to my lover, and my child¡¯s blood was in resonance. I¡¯d take root and sprout in this world. Although I was not physically here, my emotions wouldst forever.

    I would never be alone.

    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ve already wasted too much time,¡± Madeline said.

    It was time for me to leave. This field had calmed me, but I had to face the helpless reality.

    Before I left, I suddenly thought of something. I asked the empty air, ¡°Since I can¡¯t establish a connection with anyone, why can Dorothy and I build a mind link?¡±

    ¡°About that,¡± she said cheekily. ¡°It¡¯s a secret for now. You will have to go find out for yourself...¡±

    Everything had disappeared. The field, the sea, and the lotus.

    I opened my eyes and met my father¡¯s worried gaze.

    ...

    ¡°Are you alright? Child, you fainted because of low blood sugar.¡± My father held my hand, and I saw my mother lying on the bed next to me.

    ¡°I feel much better.¡± I sat up and felt slightly dizzy for a few seconds, but it quickly disappeared.

 Chapter 467 - 467 The Next Stage

    467 The Next Stage

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The feeling was very clear ¨C I didn¡¯t experience any changes on disy, but something was different. It was like a missing piece of a puzzle, and the missing pieces were slowly being pieced together. Although the speed was a little slow and the loopholes still existed, everything would be in ce one day.

    My soul gradually regained its brilliance. Selma, Madeline, and me, everything was clear now. Everything was clear now. The lingering fog quietly dispersed, leaving behind the truth that made people feel relieved ¨C all the worries were unnecessary.

    My father told me that my mother¡¯s condition wasn¡¯t very good. It was not about her body but her mind. My child was thest straw that crushed her, and the self-me for not caring for her grandson made her go into a strange circle of self-doubt. Miss Marcy had another patient. She believed it would be difficult for my mother to escape this situation unless the child could be cured.

    ¡°I should¡¯ve cared more about Mother,¡± I med myself as I leaned against her bed and held her cold hand. ¡°I lived with the child every day, and Mother spent most of her time on the child every day. But I didn¡¯t notice anything; I didn¡¯t notice anything but just stayed aside andined...¡±

    My father pulled me into his arms, his broad chest making me feel at ease. ¡°Don¡¯t me yourself, Selma. This is not your fault, just like how none of this was your mother¡¯s fault. All these coincidences happened simultaneously, and these negative factors are not something one person can easily bear, so the disease came to us.

    ¡°We will urge your mother to receive treatment actively. Not to mention that the child is not sick at all. He wille back to us healthy and happy one day, won¡¯t he? Your mother will suddenly see the light by then, and everything will be better.¡±

    Everything would be better.

    I silently repeated this sentence in my heart. I looked at my mother¡¯s pale, sleeping face and heard the machinery buzzing in the ICU. It was as if I could smell the disinfectant in the underground ward thousands of miles away.

    I wouldn¡¯t let off any viin who wanted to break the peace and extend their evil hands to my family, lover, and friends. The smiling face was a weapon in times of peace. If your enemy had already reached your doorstep, all you had to do was put away your stupid smiling face and punch them back to their hometown to cry.

    No matter who it was.

    It didn¡¯t matter if you were a human or a ghost.

    Everything would be fine, I promised.

    I went to take a look at my child¡¯s condition. As I expected, after removing all the useless medicines, his ¡®evolution¡¯ speed was even faster.

    To be honest, even if I was the child¡¯s mother, I couldn¡¯t go against my conscience and say that he was in such a bad condition... was eptable. The melted muscles and bones bulged his skin into a soft water balloon. I thought that WAS why all the medical staff in the observation room except Lester and Master Kevin avoided his eyes.

    You couldn¡¯t me them. You couldn¡¯t expect the descendants of the ancient gods to evolve to suit human aesthetics. After all, humans didn¡¯t even exist at that time.

    A lot of strange and familiar memories rushed into my mind. I vaguely remembered that I had been through this a long time ago, but everything was blurry, and I couldn¡¯t see clearly.

    The first ¡®evolution¡¯ only took thirty days. Counting the time before, the child would ¡®break out¡¯ in twenty days at most.

    At that time, he might still be in wolf form, be a fair and chubby child, be a boy or girl, and still not be bound by gender.

    In short, this was an opportunity to choose andy a solid foundation.

    ¡°Little wolf, Little wolf, get well quickly. Mommy hasn¡¯t shown you how beautiful this world is.¡±

    As if it heard my words, the little wolf twitched its ears in response.

    Soon, someone told me that my mother had woken up.

    As the Queen of the werewolves, my impression of my mother was that she was always bright and beautiful, like a musician ying the harp in the Moon Goddess¡¯ courtyard. The fragrance of flowers and a quiet tune surrounded her. Even the moonlight couldn¡¯t steal her charm.

    However, she looked extremely haggard now. Wrinkles appeared on her haggard face, indicating she was getting on in years.

    ¡°Mother.¡±

    When my mother saw me, she smiled absentmindedly. Then, sheughed at herself helplessly. ¡°I¡¯ve made you worry, my child. This is not something that a mother and grandmother should do.¡±

    Before I could say anything, she asked again, ¡°Where¡¯s the child? How is he?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s doing well. He¡¯s already entered the next stage. I sat by the bed and held my mother¡¯s hand. I think he¡¯ll return to us in twenty days at most.¡±

    My mother looked at me, and my father looked at me. They seemed to want to ask something, but in the end, they said nothing.

    logo

 Chapter 468 - 468 Time Will Heal All

    468 Time Will Heal All

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°From the moment we met again, Selma, I felt you were an extraordinary child.¡± My mother ran her fingers through my hair. ¡°You have a lot of secrets, and that¡¯s what makes your father and I feel the most helpless. We don¡¯t want to get to the bottom of this, but you should be free of pressure on your own. As parents, we can¡¯t do anything other thanfort them. How irresponsible is that?¡±

    ¡°No, Mother...¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve always been a good child. You¡¯re always thinking about us and everyone around you but often ignore yourself.¡± My mother interrupted me and looked at me with both relief and sadness. ¡°You should rely on us once in a while, Selma. Rely on your useless father and mother. You¡¯ve never been alone, child. If you¡¯re tired, we¡¯ll always be your resting arms.¡±

    My mother rarely took the lead in a conversation. She was always reserved and gentle, leaving the scene to my father or me and looking at us quietly and contentedly.

    But now, my father and I had given everything to her. Perhaps my father had long realized that I was the only one still doing things to hurt my mother. My mother also needed a sense of security. She also needed to experience the feeling of being needed.

    She was never just a Queen with more symbolic significance than actual power. I¡¯d often ignored what she wanted because of her seemingly rich and happy life.

    It was a happy, seamless family. It was a nightmare that had haunted my mother for over twenty years, starting when I was taken away from her. Even though I was standing in front of her, perfectly fine, this nightmare still hadn¡¯t ended. Perhaps it would take a month or perhaps a lifetime. This was a painful journey of joy in the bitter, and I could not let my mother endure it alone.

    My mother talked about her concern and worries for me and the child. Perhaps I used to hate this kind of nagging, but now I only felt lucky and happy. It was still not toote before that nightmare crushed my mother.

    Just like that, we spent a slightly depressing but still warm night. My mother, who had spoken her mind, looked much more energetic. The anger in her chest could finally be released, and she had a good sleep that she had not had for a long time.

    Looking at my mother¡¯s peaceful sleeping face, I muttered, ¡°Am I a bad daughter?¡±

    My fatherughed helplessly. ¡°I¡¯ve just coaxed your mother to sleep. Why are you also depressed now?¡±

    He held my mother¡¯s hand and hugged me. As if he had fallen into deep thoughts, he sighed and said, ¡°Does everyone have to go through this in their life? When I was your age, my heart was full of contradictions and guilt. One moment, I felt that I wasn¡¯t sweet enough to your mother, and the next moment, I felt that I didn¡¯t care enough about your grandparents. Family and career tore me apart, and I seemed to never find the bnce point in the middle.¡±

    ¡°Then, how did you do it?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Me? I didn¡¯t do anything, just like 99% of the world¡¯s young people, I had no clue. I couldn¡¯t find the clue where this pile of wool is.¡±

    My father said in relief, ¡°Everything came to an end just like that. In my aimless struggle and pain, as time passed quietly, everything would have been resolved when I suddenly reacted one day. I didn¡¯t seem to need to do anything. Everything is like an rm clock that will ring when the time is up, and then everything is over.¡±

    ¡°Just like that?¡±

    ¡°Yes, just like that. So, my dear child, I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t give you any advice in this regard because I passed my young age in a daze.

    ¡°But there is one thing I can tell you for sure-don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry. Everything will pass, no matter how unsolvable the problem is, no matter how sorrowful it is. We are a beach, and time is the waves. The waves will remove all traces, and we will still be ourselves.¡±

    ¡°... What you said is so poetic.¡±

    My fatherughed but was afraid of waking my mother up, so he said in a funny voice, ¡°Oh, really? To be honest, I¡¯m actually getting goosebumps all over my body. I thought it wouldn¡¯t be so mushy if I used some poetic words, but it sounded even weirder.¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re right.¡± I smiled thoughtfully. ¡°But you¡¯re wrong about one thing. Time won¡¯t solve everything. Time knows nothing. Time is just a non-existent concept we put forward for convenience. The one who solves everything is the person who stays strong in the situation. Little by little, step by step, until everything was solved. Perhaps you don¡¯t remember what you did back then, but the results show that everything was effective.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s not time, but people.¡± My father smiled at me.

    It was only then that I understood my father¡¯s deep words.

 Chapter 469 - 469 The Hometown I Canâ€™t Return To

    469 The Hometown I Can¡¯t Return To

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    It was a sunny day today.

    It was as if the weather had suddenly brightened after one¡¯s mood lifted.

    With my father¡¯s and my persuasion, my mother finally agreed to move out of the apanying room.

    ¡°The child needs a quiet environment now,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve even withdrawn the unnecessary medical staff, leaving only Master Kevin, Professor Lester, and Jeff. I promise you that the child will be safe and sound. If you miss him, you cane to see him at any time. But you must ensure your health, okay? The child misses his grandmother very much. If you are down because of an illness, the child and we will all be sad.¡±

    Before her beloved grandson, my mother gave in easily.

    Other than that, there was one more thing.

    Carey came to me through her servant. She said that she had already considered it.

    Coming to my guest room again, Carey was still ill at ease, but her anxiety and fear had mostly dissipated.

    She handed me the document, which she had already signed.

    ¡°Your offer is very good... It¡¯s more like it¡¯s too generous, I have no reason to refuse.¡± She said, ¡°There¡¯s only one thing. You said you would give me a real estate in my hometown... Can I change that?¡±

    I didn¡¯t ask her for a reason. This sad girl needed someone to respect her secret.

    ¡°Of course, you can. Where do you want to go?¡±

    Carey smiled shyly and clenched her hands, not knowing what to do. After a while, she whispered, ¡°Perhaps... The Spring Rain Pack?¡±

    ¡°The Spring Rain Pack?¡± This was beyond my expectations.

    ¡°Yes, I think the Spring Rain Pack is good. Carey seemed afraid I would disagree, so she quickly exined, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about the bold and decisive reforms you made in the Spring Rain Pack. Sometimes, in the Evaria Family, the housekeepers who care for me secretly gossip... I admire what you¡¯ve done. You broke through tradition and turned a poor border town into a new city in just a year. If, if...¡±

    Carey lowered her head in disappointment. ¡°It would be great if my hometown could be like that, but... It¡¯s not a good ce. I don¡¯t have any precious memories there and don¡¯t want to return there.¡±

    She smiled in embarrassment, looking uglier than crying. ¡°After this child is born, I want to start a new life and cut off my pastpletely, even if it¡¯s my hometown... If there¡¯s nothing to reminisce about, it can¡¯t be considered home.¡±

    I agreed to her request. The Spring Rain Pack was under my sphere of influence, so it would be better for me to protect Carey from the Evaria Family.

    Lester handed me Carey¡¯s medical report and said, ¡°Miss Carey¡¯s current physical condition is very good, and the child¡¯s condition is also stable. The expected date of delivery is in the middle of November. During this period, we will do our best to ensure Miss Carey¡¯s and the child¡¯s health.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Carey said softly.

    I hoped this girl could get rid of the shadow of the past as soon as possible and at least have a good sleep in the pce, so I tried to talk to her about somemon topics.

    ¡°Are you used to living here? The bad thing about the pce is that it¡¯s too big and empty. If you feel lonely, you can go to the game room or walk in the garden.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m living very well,¡± Carey replied softly. ¡°I can¡¯t live better. The servants are very good people and often chat with me to relieve my boredom. I don¡¯t feel bored at all.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± I was relieved. ¡°You can rx here. I¡¯ve forbidden the Evaria Family from entering the pce. Those b*stards won¡¯t disturb you again, I promise.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Your Highness. I¡¯lle out more often to bask in the sun. I heard this is good for the child... and the pregnant woman.¡±

    ¡°Yes, my dear, nothing is more important than health.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but sigh when I thought of my rtives who had fallen sick one after another in the past few days.

    I didn¡¯t ask Carey to stay for lunch. She would be so nervous that she wouldn¡¯t even be able to hold her spoon properly. Seeing her difort, I had someone send her back to her residence.

    As soon as Carey left, Master Kevin came.

    ¡°Something happened to His Highness an hour ago.¡± He handed me a report. ¡°I think you need to take a look.¡±

    Even without looking at the report, I could guess what had happened to the child. These were just like data from a USB drive. As ¡®Selma¡¯ and ¡®Madeline¡¯ fused, they were naturally transmitted into my brain.

    The child had ¡®evolved¡¯ into a cocoon, just like arva that had undergone the initial preparation stage and finally wrapped itself in a soft silk cocoon, officially beginning to move on to the next stage of life.

    This ¡®cocoon¡¯ wasn¡¯t the same ¡®cocoon¡¯. In fact, it didn¡¯t have any simrities with a cocoon. It was about the size of two ostrich eggs. It was furry and warm to the touch, like the fur of some animal ¨C wolf fur.

    The cocoon looked more like an ¡®egg¡¯. Ity quietly in the thermal box and trembled slightly as if it was breathing.

    In just one night, the child had undergone such rapid changes. I couldn¡¯t help but sigh at the wonders of life.

 Chapter 470 - 470 Collusion

    470 Collusion

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I touched the soft fine hair and said to the observers, ¡°Continue to observe any changes. If there are any unusual movements, report them to me immediately.¡±

    ¡°So far, we still don¡¯t have any effective way to detect all the physiological changes in the little prince-¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Your job is to observe and record. It¡¯s best if you cane to some conclusions. It¡¯s okay if you can¡¯t. After all, this is only the first time.¡± I said, ¡°But everything must be kept a secret. Is that clear, gentlemen?¡±

    The three didn¡¯t seem to react when I said ¡°It¡¯s only the first time ¡°. They faithfully guaranteed that they would keep everything that happened in this ward a secret.

    It was already afternoon when I left the child¡¯s ce. I was hurrying to tell my parents about the child¡¯s condition, so I didn¡¯t even have lunch. In addition, there was suddenly some official business for me to deal with. By the time everything was over, I was already famished and had to eat before dinner.

    During this period, the atmosphere in the pce had been very gloomy. No one wanted to eat, so the kitchen was quite quiet. When they suddenly received the news that I would eat, the chefs seemed to have been injected with chicken blood and used all their knowledge to make this meal that was neitherte nor mid-day, even more sumptuous than the one on my wedding day.

    Looking at the table full of food, I didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. ¡°I can¡¯t eat so much...¡±

    Kara ced a fruit tter on the table as she replied, ¡°You need to eat more to nourish your body. Look at how thin you¡¯ve be recently. Your skirt has loosened by two inches.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that bad...¡±

    The dessert was doughnuts. Looking at the raspberries and cheese on the doughnuts, I suddenly remembered the night Avril announced her engagement. I was ¡®drunk¡¯ back then, and Aldrich bought me doughnuts from a dessert car to dispel the alcohol.

    I¡¯d forgotten the taste, but that uneasy night was vividly imprinted in my mind.

    Back then, how could I have expected this day toe?

    Aldrich...

    The Spring Rain Pack reported Aldrich¡¯s news to me steadily, it was still the same, neither good nor bad, and there was no progress.

    The Crown Prince of the elven race was in cahoots with the cultists, but he had no reason to poison Aldrich. From him, I realized that the heretic cult believers weren¡¯t a bunch ofpletely irrational lunatics. They would also form cliques and factions, so it was normal for them to rope in some werewolves for their use.

    The progress of the intelligence organization in this area was always fast. A detailed investigation report was ced on my desk three days after the child had finished spinning its cocoon.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t I find it strange at all...¡± After reading the report, I rubbed my forehead tiredly. ¡°The Evaria Family... Are they really not crazy?¡±

    ¡°This bunch of sons of b*tches,¡± Duke Frank cursed viciously at the people who dared to poison his son. ¡°Are they crazy? Just to fight for power? How dare they cooperate with the cultists? Did they know who was behind this group of lunatics? The devil! An evil god! Dealing with evil will only result in you losing your soul!¡±

    ¡°When people were blinded by fame and fortune, they would be willing to exchange even their ropes for a second of authority. With the Crown Prince¡¯s example, I finally understand how crazy people can be. I was afraid that the cooperation between the Evaria Family and the cultists is not as simple as we think. Aldrich... might not be the first person.¡±

    Everyone present looked at me. I exined, ¡°Do you still remember La? More than twenty years ago, she was ndered as the culprit who colluded with the wandering forces and caused my disappearance. Although the royal family trusted and protected her, she finallymitted suicide amidst the rumors.¡±

    My father immediately understood what I meant. ¡°You think there¡¯s more to La¡¯s death?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded. ¡°The Evaria Family tried to kill me when I was a baby. However, they failed in the end and didn¡¯t clean up the traces. Therefore, they urgently needed a scapegoat to shift the suspicion.

    ¡°La became the best candidate. She controlled the armed forces in the pce and was deeply trusted by the Lycan King, so she could move freely in the pce. On the surface, she seemed able to cooperate with the wandering forces. Not to mention that she was born as amoner and strictly abides by the boundaries. She has no supporters other than her parents and a powerful force.

    ¡°If I¡¯ve heard from others that La was a strong and principled warrior, then her suicide is really suspicious. She had always emphasized her innocence when she was at the heart of the struggle and neverpromised with nder. Why did shemit suicide when she was about to be exonerated?¡±

 Chapter 471 - 471 The Woof Anka Family

    471 The Woof Anka Family

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Master Kevin didn¡¯t believe that his lover would mit suicide to escape punishment¡¯, and I didn¡¯t believe it either, even if I didn¡¯t know La at all. But I trusted my father. If La were really a fragile person, my father would never have given her such an important task as the captain.

    Obviously, there were other reasons for La¡¯s death, and it was very likely that the Evaria Family had done it.

    ¡°Yes, I also investigated this back then,¡± my father said helplessly. ¡°But there was too little evidence. I thought that La would bepletely safe under the royal family¡¯s protection, but the other party also took advantage of this. So everyone rted to La¡¯s death is our people. We can¡¯t investigate it rashly, let alone suspect it.¡±

    ¡°Did you find any reliable evidence back then?¡± I asked.

    Arkadius answered me, ¡°I was responsible for this case back then. At that time, I had not entered the presbytery and worked as a criminal investigator at the police station. However, all evidence shows that the Evaria Family did not seem to be involved in it. To a certain effect, what we suspected back then was another family.¡±

    ¡°Which?¡±

    ¡°The Woof Anka Family.¡±

    Who was that?

    I was confused for a moment before I realized that this family was an old acquaintance of ours.

    The previous elder, Eric, was from this family. At my wedding, a young man from this family was quite rude.

    At one point, the Woof Anka Family had been glorious, and they had once be an existence like the Evaria Family today. However, this family did not rely on a leader who was a Duke and the president of the Royal Academy of Sciences, nor did it rely on the illegitimate son of the royal family hidden in the corner of the mansion. Instead, it relied on the endless stream of talents like a goddess¡¯s wisdom.

    The Woof Anka Family was at its peak in my grandfather¡¯s generation. There were officials from the family in every department. The number of elders with the surname Woof Anka in the Council of Elders couldn¡¯t be counted on one hand. Countless medical scientists, architects, and werewolf grandmasters also came from this family.

    Intelligence and loyalty were synonymous with the Woof Anka Family.

    However, perhaps due to the decline of the family, or perhaps due to some kind of ¡®regression theory¡¯, the family inevitably declined in theter years of my grandfather¡¯s reign. The quality of the next generation fell like a cliff, and no one could take over the baton of this huge family. Originally, the Woof Anka Family still had time to change the face of the next generation, but war came to them at this time.

    The talented seniors had no choice but to temporarily hide their descendants in the air-raid shelter and rush to the battlefield to shed their blood.

    After the previous generation retired and sacrificed themselves, there was a huge vacuum within the Woof Anka Family, and internal strife began for the position of power.

    Just like that, when my father was in power, the Woof Anka Family declined rapidly. Eric was thest person with high authority in the family in recent years.

    ¡°Captain La was ced in a hidden manor to recuperate,¡± Arkadius continued. ¡°The Alpha in this manor happened to be inws of the Woof Anka Family. This Alpha confessed that the Woof Anka Family had asked him to ce his family¡¯s people in the manor, but he refused.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s all.¡± Arkadiusughed bitterly. ¡°This is why we can only suspect the Woof Anka Family. Although I don¡¯t think the Woof Anka Family will give up their ns just because of the rejection of a small local Alpha, but in the follow-up investigation, all the people in the manor have a background of the royal family, and there is insufficient evidence to prove that anyone has been bought over by the Woof Anka Family.

    ¡°And there¡¯s no motive for the crime. Captain La was a noble person. She doesn¡¯t have much contact with the rich and powerful. She has no enmity with the Woof Anka Family. What reason does the Woof Anka Family have to harm her?¡±

    Woof Anca...

    Indeed, they had no reason to get rid of La.

    Did we really wrong the wrong person? The Woof Anka Family didn¡¯t do anything back then? But why did they nt people in the manor? This didn¡¯t make any sense at all!

    If they really didn¡¯t have any ns, they would have stayed as far away as possible to avoid suspicion since they knew that La was recuperating in the manor, and she was that pack¡¯s inw.

    This was put on hold for the time being. There were other more important matters to be discussed in today¡¯s meeting.

    The Evaria Family finally could not sit still. Their unborn ¡®master¡¯ had disappeared without a trace, and they were suddenly in a mess. After many days of fruitless search, they finally began to probe the pce.

    Some of the Evaria Family¡¯s officials began to secretly do things that were outwardly obedient but inwardly disobeying, with the Foreign Trade Department being the most obvious.

    They used some excuses to detain a few foreign trade goods and used ¡®random checks¡¯ as an excuse to carry out indefinite inspections, causing the Lycan pack and other well-knownpanies to be in a lot of trouble.

 Chapter 472 - 472 The Provocation

    472 The Provocation

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡®Coincidentally¡¯, thesepanies were all injected by the royal family, and some were even the royal family¡¯s assets. The trouble was neither big nor small, but it was a dangerous signal ¨C the Evaria Family had finally given up on those insignificant means and began to dig for the real interests of the royal family.

    This was easy to resolve. Such an act of stepping on the loopholes of thew did not even require the intervention of the royal family to resolve it. But that was where the problemy-strictly speaking; all the actions of these officials were in ordance with the legal process, so even if they failed this time, they could unscrupulously repeat such practices.

    Could it be that they had to change thew because of this? However, some ¡®loopholes¡¯ were not loopholes. They had to exist for various reasons. If they were forcibly ¡®perfected¡¯, it would lead to more contradictions.

    If it were before, we¡¯d just bear it. If heaven wanted them to die, it must first make them crazy. It was in our interest to nudge the Evaria Family to act more arrogantly.

    But now, the Evaria Family could easily figure out that their missing ¡®master¡¯ was in my hands, so we had officially shed all pretense of cordiality. There was not much meaning in backing down. It was better to go all out and strike a blow to the Evaria Family¡¯s arrogance.

    So I suggested, ¡°An officer should be punished for making a mistake. In that case, why don¡¯t we just take advantage of the situation and get that muddled officer to step down? You must know that the Evaria Family has always been good at using the power of public opinion to achieve their goals. This time, why don¡¯t they have a taste of being drowned in condemnation?

    ¡°They¡¯re still dreaming of bing the king of the game. How can they lose the public¡¯s support if they want to be the king? This time, they have to swallow their anger. Not only do they have to swallow their anger, but they also have to take the initiative to make that official step down.¡±

    Duke Frank couldn¡¯t wait for the Evaria Family to explode on the spot and support my proposal with all his might. However, he was a veteran in politics. He frowned and said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be that simple. Your Highness knows these vile people are the best at inciting people¡¯s hearts. Public opinion is the most difficult thing to control. Be careful of the bacsh.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This time, the Evaria Family is doomed.¡± I smiled with confidence. ¡°The people have heard and seen countless jokes in the officialdom. Perhaps they can tolerate a stupid officer. However, in the face of human experiments, especially on innocent girls, pregnant women, and babies, such heinous things, could the people still tolerate it? How many mouths does the Evaria Family have to shut?¡±

    ¡°Human experiments?¡± Other than my father, everyone else was confused. Master Mary was taking it better. Master Kevin had disclosed some relevant information to her at my behest, but she didn¡¯t know about the existence of Carey and that child.

    Duke Frank and Arkadius didn¡¯t need to know. Carey and that child had special identities. They were involved in scandals rted to the royal family, so the more people knew, the better. We only needed to use human experiments. We didn¡¯t need to let more people, especially Carey, bring unbearable pressure and potential danger to these two innocent lives.

    I briefly and in detail exined the Evaria Family¡¯s attempt to continue the bloodline of the illegitimate royal child through test-tube baby research, when they heard that my great-grandfather hadmitted adultery with his sister-inw, the expressions of a few old foxes in the officialdom changed slightly, but they tactfully pretended not to hear it.

    Lester¡¯s report showed that out of the seventeen ¡®experimental subjects¡¯ he had handled, twelve girls had failed their fertility treatments and suffered from an illness that caused irreversible body changes.

    Of the remaining five girls, three miscarried at the research institute. The Evaria Family did not listen to Lester¡¯s suggestion to leave the girls at the research institute to recuperate and took them back to the Evaria Manor, never to be seen again.

    As for the other two, one of them was Carey. The Evaria Family lied that she had a ¡®miscarriage¡¯. She had experienced seven months of life without dignity, like a female horse that had been bred. She had finally escaped from the devil¡¯s den and was now under my protection.

    The other one was also dered to have ¡®miscarried¡¯ by the Evaria Family, but the statement¡¯s authenticity was unknown. Carey said that she had not seen the girl since she was five months pregnant, so it was likely that the girl was also dead.

    Anyone who read this report would be furious. I wanted to go directly to the Evaria Family and make the b*stards who led these experiments pay for the girls¡¯ torture.

    Now, everyone in the study had ugly expressions. In addition to the shame and hatred for the Evaria Family, there was also a trace of guilt on their faces. They were at the top of the pyramid and should have protected innocent people.

    However, the people who imed to know the Evaria Family like the back of their hands had allowed this tragedy to happen right under their noses. They could not ignore their responsibility of dereliction of duty against their conscience.

 Chapter 473 - 473 Public Opinion

    473 Public Opinion

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The scandal could not defeat a deep-rooted and powerful family, but it was like an ant that had wormed a small hole in a strong river dam. The river bank was no longer impregnable from then on, and the flood rushed out of the insect¡¯s eye.

    At first, it was just a few harmless drops of water, which evaporated before they could even fall to the ground. However, the bug eye would continue to expand under the erosion of the water flow, and eventually, countless cracks would appear on the riverbank. Then, the broken riverbank would disappear in the waves of the flood.

    The Evaria Family was well aware of this principle. They had used their own tongues to defeat many of their enemies openly and secretly. What goes aroundes around. Had they ever thought that one day it would be their turn?

    With Carey as the starting point, a storm of public opinion against the Evaria Family quietly unfolded one morning.

    At first, it was just some tabloid that revealed ¡®the skeleton of the glorious family¡¯s closet¡¯ and ¡®the manor built on blood and tears¡¯ ambiguously and indirectly.

    This attracted little attention. After all, many tabloids used this as a gimmick every day.

    After that, under my father¡¯s instructions, more and more official newspapers began to expose bits and pieces of the Evaria Family¡¯s human experiments. Frompiled rumors to confuse the public to the most important points, this caused a storm in the city. People on the streets and alleys were discussing this topic after dinner.

    The Evaria Family was not made of mud. They liked to fight public opinion, so they quickly realized that someone was messing with them, so they immediately retaliated.

    Some key evidence could not be overturned, so they began to confuse the public and exin everything with some harmless medical idents. Those that could not be exined were dismissed as ¡®rumors¡¯ and ¡®sincerely¡¯ issued an apology, trying to cover everything up peacefully.

    But how could we let them go? Lester walked out from behind the scenes the day after the statement was issued. As the former director of the research institute, he disclosed many specific reports of human experiments to the public. In addition to the victim¡¯s privacy, he also exposed the Evaria Family.

    There was no other way. No matter how much the Evaria Family struggled, they could not overthrow the mountain-like evidence. The families of the victims also stood up. Their daughters or sisters had been missing for several months, and they had all said they would participate in a well-paid experimental project.

    The Evaria Family was immediately pushed to the forefront of the storm. The victims¡¯ families demanded an exnation, and the people were also filled with righteous indignation. For a time, the Evaria Family was being roasted on the fire.

    At this time, even the stupidest person would realize they had been set up. The Evaria Family immediately confirmed that the royal family was behind everything, and many political enemies contributed to it.

    Everyone pushed a fallen wall. Under the deliberate push of some people, this fermented extremely quickly, causing this seemingly indestructible giant family actually to be on the verge of copse.

    Who would have thought that a deeply rooted noble in power would be hurt at the root by a seemingly ordinary public attack? It could only be said that the Evaria Family was a big tree that attracted the wind, and their arrogant style had made too many enemies for themselves in the past.

    The officials and merchants trampled under their feet had finally found an outlet to vent their anger. They used the excuse of righteousness to refuse to work for the members of the Evaria Family or unterally cut off cooperation.

    As a result, the Evaria Family suddenly found it difficult to move forward in the officialdom and business world, and the reputation among the people also plummeted.

    Everyone was moring to avenge the innocent girls who had been harmed, but how much was true, how much was false, and how much was to vent their grievances?

    When Emma came in and told me that her grandfather was about to resign from his position as the Dean of the Royal Academy of Sciences, I was flipping through a book called ¡®The Moon¡¯s Proverbs¡¯. It was a well-known scripture among the werewolves. Legend had it that it was a mantra that the Moon Goddess had personally taught the first king of the Lycans.

    ¡°... All evil would suffer a bacsh. Everything good would be rewarded. Evil deeds ask for traces but not sincerity. Good thoughts ask for the heart but not the traces...¡±

    The karmic debt was the simplest, and the truth was always an ¡®old saying¡¯ that people had repeated over and over again. However, looking all over the world, how many people¡¯s actions could escape these ¡®clich¨¦s¡¯?

    Emma was a little disappointed. After all, he was her grandfather, her family. Although she wasn¡¯t close to Earl of Marlowe, in that fire pit of a home, Earl of Marlowe was already a rare person who truly loved her.

    ¡°Grandpa has decided to officially announce his resignation and retirement next Monday,¡± Emma said in a muffled voice. ¡°He just handed in his resignation. His Majesty asked me to inform you.¡±

    I was speechless for a moment.

    To be honest, my impression of Earl of Marlowe was average. He was a knowledgeable schr who had taught countless wonderful and brilliant students. However, he was too selfish and tried to keep the students firmly in his hands to replicate the legend of the Woof Anca Family.

    There was no doubt that he would fail. Although my father trusted him, he was not a fool. Of course, he would not allow such a thing to happen.

 Chapter 474 - 474 Accidental Injury

    474 idental Injury

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    However, from a certain perspective, Earl of Marlowe¡¯s loyalty was not to be doubted. Even though his family had almost broken off from the royal family, and everyone knew that they coveted the throne, he, as the head of the family, had never supported everything that his people did.

    Yes, he did not stop it. However, anyone in his position had no other choice. He could not be a rebellious minister, nor was he willing to break off rtions with his family. So, silence and turning a blind eye were the only choices.

    But who could say his cowardice did not help push things to the abyss of no return?

    He couldn¡¯t stop what happened more than twenty years ago because back then, the old Earl of Marlowe was still the head of the family. However, in the nearly twenty years that he had been in charge, if he had once been able to firmly cut off the ambitions of his n at the waist, if he had given his father more trust and revealed the descendant of the illegitimate child to his father, then everything would not havee to this point.

    As the head of the n, he was responsible for controlling his own n. As a subject, he should not hide the royal family¡¯s secrets from the king.

    He wasn¡¯t the main culprit but an aplice that couldn¡¯t be neglected.

    ¡°Earl of Marlowe is a good man who did his job well,¡± Iforted Emma. ¡°He¡¯s old now and should retire and enjoy life.¡±

    Emma was still unhappy. I knew she had something on her mind. ¡°How did thingse to this?¡± she asked after a few minutes.

    She had been a trainee secretary for a long time and had seen many conspiracies around her father. The cheerful girl became quieter and quieter, often looking like she had much on her mind.

    This reminded me of myself when I first came into contact with politics. The world of power was too bizarre and grotesque. Anyone who barged into it from a peaceful world would sigh at everything they saw and inevitably doubt their morals andmon sense.

    I¡¯d thought about it before. Was it right to encourage Emma to enter the political arena? She was a girl who yearned for freedom. Unlike Jordin, who was naturally sharp, Emma was not enthusiastic about politics. The fundamental reason she desperately wanted to climb to a high position was to get rid of her family.

    And now, her wish was about toe true, albeit tragic.

    ¡°No matter what, this is how things are. No matter how much we hypothesize or how much we regret it, it will be of no use.¡± Emma and I snuggled up to the bay window and whispered, ¡°Even if we always think that we are the masters of power, we are the ones who are dominated by power most of the time. The Evaria Family is like this, and maybe we are the same. Perhaps there was an opportunity to resolve everything peacefully, but it was simply too dim and insignificant in front of the brilliance of power. Up until now, we have no other choice.¡±

    Emma was silent. After a while, she said, ¡°I have never regretted it. Be it leaving my parents, leaving my home, or stepping into the vanity of power.¡±

    She sniffed and mumbled, ¡°We are no longer children. This is the world of adults. The new world of dreams, where we are carefree and full of curiosity, may not exist at all. Only the days we struggle to live are real.¡±

    I hugged her tightly and felt her tremble in my arms.

    ¡°... But I just don¡¯t understand. There was no need for anything to happen, so why did things have toe to this? I¡¯m d that I could escape from that ce and didn¡¯t have to follow in the footsteps of my aunt and cousins. But... But I just can¡¯t let it go. Even though a voice in my heart keeps telling me, ¡®Don¡¯t be a b*tch, that¡¯s not your home at all, no one treats you as a person¡¯, I can¡¯t help but pay attention to it, get close to it... I always think, that¡¯s the ce I grew up in for more than twenty years. How can I break it off and leave it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Selma, I¡¯m sorry... I can¡¯t help it. I¡¯m always wavering like this...¡±

    Emma began to cry in a low voice.

    The sun shone brightly outside the window, but the gorgeous doorposts of the veranda blocked the sunlight at a certain angle, leaving only a faint gray shadow in front of the bay window.

    ¡°I swear I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I really didn¡¯t know... After that quarrel, my parents changed. They have behaved very well since. They no longer forced me to do anything and cared for me like any normal parent. I thought... I thought they had changed. They had seen all my efforts and finally understood me...

    ¡°... That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t doubt it when they said it was just a gift for you and General Aldrich. I thought it was a sign that they were going to give in. I thought that epting their kindness would help you soften your stiff rtionship with the Evaria Family...

    ¡°I asked the servants to put it in the supplies I gave to General Aldrich. This should have been a bottle of wine to create a romantic atmosphere for you, husband and wife, to reunite after a long separation. But... but-

    ¡°Heavens! Forgive me, Selma, I didn¡¯t know! I don¡¯t know! What have I done? Oh, Moon Goddess, how can you forgive me? How can I forgive myself?¡±

 Chapter 475 - 475 The Story Of Rebellion

    475 The Story Of Rebellion

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    A lightning bolt suddenly struck the cloudless clear sky, followed by a light rain that fell like beads of rain, bending the camellia seedlings that the gardener had carefully taken care of.

    Emma sobbed silently while I looked at the rain outside the window and sighed heavily.

    There were already clues about this.

    Starting from Benson, the Intelligence Department had already investigated all the people rted to that day, including the most suspicious, Bertha. But be it the servant or anyone else, there was no suspicion. After many investigations, the Intelligence Department finally confirmed that the wine was not poisoned that day but had long been swapped.

    From the very beginning, this bottle of wine was poisoned.

    So, I followed the origin of each bottle of wine and found that everything was normal. Nopelling clues regarding the origin, transportation, or other aspects could be found.

    It was obvious that there was a mole on our side.

    Maybe Emma¡¯s parents and the servant who had been bribed thought that they had done it wlessly. Everything that existed would leave traces behind, and everything would eventually leave behind traces.

    I knew Emma didn¡¯t do it on purpose, and I believed she wasn¡¯t guarded against her parents¡¯ tricks, but my trust didn¡¯t y a decisive role.

    Emma was crying. She was scared, regretful, and lost. I could sense that she was sending a distress signal to me. She knew what was waiting for her, even if it was an unintentional mistake, even if she was also a victim.

    ¡°The guards who set off to secretly arrest Mr. And Mrs. Evalia have probably arrived. They will be sentenced for intentional murder and treason. Perhaps they will be permanently exiled, or perhaps... It¡¯s the death penalty.¡±

    Emma couldn¡¯t help but tremble when she heard what I said. All I could do was hug her tightly and continue to say the cold words, ¡°I believe you, Emma. I know you didn¡¯t do it on purpose. You didn¡¯t want to do anything. But... I can¡¯t guarantee you¡¯ll be exonerated from the crime. I¡¯m sorry, girl, I can¡¯t do anything about it.¡±

    At the end of the day, I was only the Crown Princess. My father still held all the power. No matter how much I trusted Emma, my father might not let it go on my ount even if I had forgiven her. Emma was not only my femalepanion and friend but also the trainee secretary of the Lycan King, one of the ces closest to the center of power.

    Not all mistakes could be forgiven. My father was a generous elder, but he was also a king as majestic as thunder.

    Emma didn¡¯t me me. She trembled and choked, ¡°I understand, Selma. All of this is my fault. If only I had been more cautious... If only I had not been so stupid, if only I... It¡¯spletely my fault that I¡¯vee to this point. I¡¯ve already seen through my parents¡¯ true colors. How could I so easily have believed them? I¡¯ve always been na?ve and foolish. I¡¯ve paid a great price for this foolishness, but now someone else has to bear the consequences of my foolishness.¡±

    ¡°I should¡¯ve said it from the beginning. I backed off when I heard the ¡®intelligence personnel¡¯ conversation that night. I was afraid. I didn¡¯t know what would happen to me if I told the truth, so I chose to remain silent. Now that I think about it, I made a stupid mistake again. It was a chance to redeem everything, but I missed it, and once I miss it, it will never return.

    ¡°Today, Grandpa came to hand in his resignation letter. I realized that I had no way out. My family is already an arrow at the end of its flight. Although they fantasize about soaring to the heavens in one go, the bystanders see this rotten ship slowly sinking. Grandpa¡¯s resignation was a concession, but it was also a tacit consent to the copse of the Evaria Family in exchange for the only chance to survive.

    ¡°I can¡¯t... I can¡¯t let my cowardice destroy everything. Grandpa¡¯s concession, the opportunity you and his Majesty gave me, I can¡¯t let everything be in vain.¡±

    Soft footsteps came from outside the door. After a while, they stopped in front of the door.

    Emma trembled again. She clutched the tassels on the back of the sofa tightly and bit her lip to stop sobbing.

    ¡°Your Highness,¡± Kara¡¯s voice came from outside the door. ¡°They are here.¡±

    Emma¡¯s trembling body suddenly tensed up, then rxed and fell limp on my body.

    ¡°... Come in,¡± I said.

    The intelligence department¡¯s specialists filed in, bowed to me, and politely said to Emma beside me, ¡°Miss Evaria, we have found out that you are rted to a murder case. Please cooperate with our investigation.¡±

    Emma wiped her tears, stood up, and tidied her crumpled dress. She tried her best to maintain her dignity and then nodded with a smile. ¡°Alright, this is what I should do.¡±

    I shook my head at themissioner about to step forward, and he kept the handcuffs he had taken out halfway. Emma smiled at me gratefully and left with the Intelligence Department.

    When she reached the door, she turned back and whispered, ¡°Please tell Rhode not to wait for me.¡±

    Facing my stunned gaze, Emma onlyughed at herself and didn¡¯t say anything else.

 Chapter 476 - 476 Chekov

    476 Chekov

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I remained sitting on the sofa for a long time after she left.

    ¡°Your Highness.¡± Kara came over and covered me with a nket. ¡°Miss Emma will be fine.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± I nodded nkly. ¡°She¡¯s innocent. Father knows that too.¡±

    ¡°So, you don¡¯t have to worry about anything.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not worried about Emma¡¯s safety. I just feel a little empty...¡±

    I¡¯d always known that Emma¡¯s goal wasn¡¯t in politics. She loved literature and the arts. She chose to enter the vortex of power because she knew this was her only chance to be independent of her family. Another reason was because of her strong sense of responsibility.

    Sometimes, we would chat. She would say, ¡°My childhood is over. It¡¯s time to take responsibility.¡± Therefore, she gave up her childhood dreams and ideals and worked hard to learn all the abilities needed in the officialdom. Good and bad, she had no choice but to ept them all.

    But what did give up and responsibility bring her?

    Her parents had used her.

    Even though she was infinitely close to the center of power, she still could not escape the shackles of conspiracy. When she tried to break free from the shackles of her family, she was shocked to find that she had fallen into another trap.

    I was not worried about Emma¡¯s safety but about her heart.

    When her dreams were abandoned and her reality shattered, could this sentimental girl still bear it?

    ¡°Who¡¯s in charge of Emma?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Ms. Eve will take over the secret operation,¡± Kara replied.

    This candidate made me feel more at ease. Eve was one of my people, so at least I could guarantee Emma¡¯s safety.

    ¡°Could you tell Eve to immediately lock Emma into a secret prison after picking her up? No one is allowed to visit her except my father, those who we have authorized, and me. The guards in charge of keeping Emma safe will be my subordinates, who will be absolutely loyal to me. ¡±

    Judging from the Evaria Family¡¯s way of doing things, they could use Emma, so it was normal for them to do more excessive things, such as ming the scapegoat.

    Speaking of scapegoats, I thought of La again...

    Woof Anca.

    Evaria.

    An assumption gradually formed in my mind. Were these two attacks, which had been separated by decades, really just a coincidence?

    One was a fading family who wanted to rise again.

    One carried a wolf¡¯s ambition to go further.

    Was there really no intersection between them?

    ¡°Ask the person in charge of the mobile patrol toe to the pce to see me,¡± I muttered as I stared out the window at the sunny rain that had stopped at some point. ¡°I need to know everything that happened to the Golden Bell Pack over twenty years ago.

    The person in charge of the mobile patrol team was a tall man of few words. As the mobile patrol team manager for over thirty years, his sideburns were inevitably gray, but under his droopy eyelids were a pair of bright eyes that could see through people¡¯s hearts.

    This secret organization usually did not take the initiative to contact the royal family. They were like crows in the shadows, only spreading their ck wings when their master needed them. Thest time I saw him was because of Benson, which had been a long time.

    Chekov wasn¡¯t as polite as the others. He bowed to me silently and then turned back into a hard stone.

    ¡°Good afternoon, Captain Chekov.¡± I didn¡¯t want to waste my time on useless small talk, so I went straight to the main topic. Perhaps you still remember the mission you carried out in the Golden Bell Pack twenty-four years ago and everything about thedy named La?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Chekov nodded. ¡°I was in charge of this mission at the time.¡±

    ¡°I think Kara has informed you in advance. Have you been able to bring all the information rted to this mission?¡±

    Chekov handed me a tightly sealed document and said, ¡°This mission is a secret and has not been activated for decades. But I must remind you in advance that the mobile patrol team¡¯s information is not much more than the Intelligence Department¡¯s. We have yet to conclude about Ms. La¡¯s sudden suicide.¡±

    I didn¡¯t rush to open the folder. Instead, I asked Chekov, ¡°How did you carry out this mission? 24-hour close protection of La? Or were you trying to investigate the people and things around her?¡±

    ¡°The focus of this mission was not on Ms. La.¡± Chekov shook his head. ¡°The mobile patrol team was more responsible for the Golden Bell Pack. We were closely monitoring the Golden Bell Pack to prevent suspicious people from sneaking in.¡±

    ¡°Did you know the Woof Anca Family tried to nt people in the manor?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness, but the Alpha of the Golden Bell Pack back then was smartpared to his inws. He understood that His Majesty was the one who could decide everything, so he firmly refused.¡±

    ¡°Can you guarantee that no one has tried to infiltrate the manor since then and seeded?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°Including the Evaria family?¡±

    ¡°Including the Evaria family.¡±

 Chapter 477 - 477 Secret Collusion

    477 Secret Collusion

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Chekov told me everything he knew, but I got no new information.

    Thinking about it, it made sense. He had reported this mission decades ago, and the information I had now came from that report. Of course, there wouldn¡¯t be any new information.

    After a moment of silence, I suddenly asked, ¡°How is your understanding of the entire werewolf pack?¡±

    Chekov was unmoved by this and replied calmly, ¡°I know everything I should know. I don¡¯t know more about things that I shouldn¡¯t know than an infant.¡±

    ¡°Have you always been this cautious?¡±

    ¡°Being cautious is a lifelong virtue, especially for people in my line of work.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I respect your caution, and I hope you can continue to be cautious in the future.¡±

    Chekov finally seemed confused.

    Although the Intelligence Department and the mobile patrol team had the same monitoring function, the mobile patrol team, which could freely move around the country, could always find more subtle clues that were hidden in the dust and smoke.

    ¡°What do you think of the Woof Anca and Evaria families?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°The rtion ¨C or rather, the rtionship between them.¡±

    ¡°I think that these two families are no different from other families on the surface, maintaining a polite but hypocritical social rtionship. Their side branches have unimportant marriages as fragile bonds to sustain this rtionship.¡±

    ¡°On the surface? What about the truth?¡±

    ¡°They are no different from any other family. They collude for money and power.¡±

    ¡°Do you think that this kind of rtionship onlyes from the interests of other families?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say, Your Highness. No rtionship is pure, and no exchange of interests is pure. Every family had their own ns, and even the mobile patrol team could not cut open the core of these behemoths. Therefore, I can only conclude the rules from what I have seen and heard. Most noble families and wealthy merchant families are like this. They maintain hypocritical etiquette on the surface but secretly calcte the gains and losses of every interest exchange.¡±

    ¡°Is there no difference?¡±

    ¡°No, Your Highness. This kind of rtionship is ever-changing.¡±

    I didn¡¯t say much more, and Chekov didn¡¯t open his mouth either. We sat silently for a while before I said, ¡°Thank you. You may leave now.¡±

    Like when he came, Chekov left the suite like a silent gust of wind.

    After a while, I called for Kara.

    ¡°Lord Eric Woof Anca, ask him to enter the pce.¡±

    Kara nodded and left silently.

    Chekov was a very cautious person. There was only one oue in his position if he wasn¡¯t careful. He was an eye with his thoughts. He had seen a lot and would not hide anything from his master, but he would not say more.

    After all, any subjective thoughts would affect the master¡¯s decision. He would be the first to be sacrificed if anything went wrong. Since that was the case, keeping his mouth shut forever and being an eye was better.

    I was sure he must¡¯ve seen through the secret connection between the Evaria and Woof Anca families. Otherwise, he would¡¯ve denied it just now and not said some specious words to hint at me.

    The decline of the Woof Anca Family had be inevitable, but would they willingly sink into the long river of history with their glorious past? A dying struggle was unavoidable. If its current master didn¡¯t care about it, it would be expected for it to want to change its master.

    I suddenly remembered the day of the wedding, the boy who hid behind the screen and publicly ndered me with hispanions, Casti Woof Anca.

    He spoke with fervor and assurance, but he wasn¡¯t the central figure in the young boys and girls group.

    Who was the boy who was surrounded by the stars? Even a proud person like Casti listened to hismands?

    I felt like I had touched upon a corner of the mystery, but I stillcked some key evidence to make up for the truth.

    At this moment, Kara came to report. She didn¡¯t look good, and Eric Woof Anca was not with her.

    ¡°Your Highness, the Woof Anca Family said Eric is not feeling well and has been in bed for a week. His health doesn¡¯t allow him to see you now, please forgive him.¡±

    ¡°Not feeling well? Oh, that¡¯s sad news. Why don¡¯t we send a royal doctor to treat Lord Eric?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think a doctor can cure Lord Eric,¡± Kara said in a low voice.

    ¡°I know.¡± I casually picked up an apple and took a bite. ¡°The old man¡¯s illness may be cured in a minute, or he may never be cured.¡±

    Without my next instruction, Kara did not move. After a while, I said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to send a doctor. Since Lord Eric is not feeling well, we don¡¯t have to force him. We can just ask someone else from that family.

    ¡°What¡¯s the boy¡¯s name? Ah, Casti. Casti Woof Anca. Ask him toe to see me. A strong young man can¡¯t possibly fall sick because of a drizzle, right?¡±

 Chapter 478 - 478 The Cradle

    478 The Cradle

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Ever since I was separated from Maxine, I rarely saw her. Now, she hadpletely be independent and maintained a wolf¡¯s demeanor. As she grew older, she no longer liked crowded ces. More often, she hid among nts or in the corners of buildings, observing everyone in her sight with sharp eyes.

    I entrusted the task of protecting Carey to her, and I waspletely at ease.

    Maxine was no longer as lively as before. She had matured and was gradually bing more stable. So, when she approached me after a long time, I suddenly had a strange feeling of ¡®who is this?¡¯

    However, she revealed she was still that little wild wolf when she opened her mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t show that stupid expression, Selma. It¡¯s like I¡¯m an exhibit that escaped from a zoo.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my dear. We just haven¡¯t seen each other for a long time.¡± I touched her thick hair and peeled a banana for her aspensation. ¡°Why are you here? Is there a problem with Carey?¡±

    Maxine finished her banana in two or three bites and said, ¡°It¡¯s not a problem, but my intuition tells me that something is brewing in the dark.¡±

    ¡°You mean to say...?¡±

    I think the child in Carey isn¡¯t ordinary. I¡¯m not saying that she has some natural disease or something. The child always gives me a dangerous feeling, ¡®he will bring trouble¡¯, my instinct tells me so.¡±

    A beast¡¯s instincts were always urate, so I asked, ¡°When did you start feeling that? Are you sure it¡¯s that child?¡±

    ¡°Just a few days ago, the day the wolf cub suddenly evolved. As usual, I monitored everyone¡¯s every move. But suddenly, I felt my heart palpitate. A blurry illusion suddenly appeared before my eyes, but it disappeared a secondter. Many servants have the same symptoms as me, but for some reason, they all think it¡¯s just dizziness caused by overwork.

    ¡°This is very abnormal, Selma. Be it the illusion of that second or the servants¡¯ strangely uniform calmness, it¡¯s not normal. Since then, I¡¯ve been observing the people even more carefully, but I didn¡¯t find any clues on anyone except for Carey.

    ¡°At first, I thought something had happened to Carey, but I soon realized the child in her stomach was more suspicious than Carey. Do you still remember why Carey was sent to Lester¡¯s research institute? The unusual rejection happened again just after I had that second hallucination. I suspect this child has some kind of power we don¡¯t know about. He can cast illusions on people or even control people¡¯s minds in more serious cases.

    ¡°But I think this power isn¡¯t without a price. But because the child is still in the mother¡¯s body, Carey has paid the price.

    ¡°The specific manifestation is the strong rejection of the fetus by the mother, but this is not a kind of rejection, but a variety of physical symptoms caused by the mother bearing the price for the fetus. However, people subconsciously think that pregnancy reactions are ever-changing, so pregnancy has be a cover for everything.

    ¡°There¡¯s definitely a big problem with this child, Selma. I wonder if the Evaria Family has done some secret experiment on him or if this child is born with such power. But no matter what, controlling people¡¯s minds, or powers simr to controlling people¡¯s minds, was too dangerous. If we aren¡¯t confident in controlling him, we shouldn¡¯t have left such a huge threat in the pce.¡±

    As I listened to Maxine¡¯s deductions, I suddenly recalled the scene from a few days ago...

    The crying baby, the cold and wet touch, and the despair that seeped deep into the bones.

    So that wasn¡¯t my fantasy.

    Maxine¡¯s guess was correct. The child had some strange powers. Perhaps he could not directly control a person¡¯s mind, but this kind of illusion could change a person¡¯s thoughts to a certain extent. Didn¡¯t I give up on dealing with the child and decide to adopt him instead?

    The truth made me break out in cold sweat.

    He was just a baby ¨C a baby who had not even fully developed self-consciousness and only survived on his biological instincts.

    He was still in his mother¡¯s womb, but he could already break through the limitations of space and affect the abilities of others. What if he was born? What if he grew up?

    At this moment, my thoughts were the same as Maxine¡¯s ¨C we couldn¡¯t keep this child. The sooner we dealt with him, the sooner we could be at ease.

    Seeing my hesitation, Maxine said, ¡°What are you worried about? This is not the time to be kind, Selma. He is not an ordinary baby. His background and power made him extremely dangerous. Now that you¡¯ve let him stay because you¡¯re soft-hearted, what if in the future... What about you? It won¡¯t be as simple as aborting a child!¡±

    I knew that the safest thing to do now was to put an end to everything in the cradle. If that child died, countless troubles in the future would disappear.

    But was this the only way?

    I didn¡¯t believe that a fetus without self-awareness would have bad intentions. Rather than saying it had a will, it was better to say that everything it did was out of survival instinct.

    Should I immediately sentence a child trying to survive to death?

 Chapter 479 - 479 Maternal Instincts

    479 Maternal Instincts

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Maxine silently looked at me, waiting for my final decision. I knew that what happened next would have nothing to do with me once I made up my mind. She would be a real wild wolf and disguise everything as a terrifying beast attack, and then the dust would settle.

    I had lost a future threat, the pce had dealt with its threat, and Carey had gotten rid of the parasites that kept her awake at night. It seemed like there were only benefits and no disadvantages.

    But was the truth really as simple as it seemed?

    If someone had to kill this child, I believed the only one with power in the pce would be Carey. It was because she was the mother who was forced to live her life. She was the victim who had been tortured and almost lost her life. Also, no one could easily decide whether the child would stay or leave.

    I believed I should talk to her.

    This old King¡¯s Garden was secretly called ¡®the Sunflower House¡¯ by the servants because the garden had once been nted withrge patches of sunflowers. The sunflowers had been enchanted with a seasonal spell by a werewolf grandmaster under the instruction of the former Lycan King, so they bloomed in spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

    Now that he was gone, the sunflowers that had never withered had long turned into nutrients for the soil under the fermentation of time. Since a pregnant woman was living in the garden, fragrant or pollen-spreading flowers were no longer there. Instead, many green and tender shrubs andrge-leafed nts were nted, lifting people¡¯s moods when they saw them.

    Carey was reading a book in the pavilion, asionally exchanging her reading experience with the servant beside her. asionally, she would subconsciously touch her bulging lower abdomen. It seemed to be a habitual action, but it exuded a full maternal glow.

    ¡°Hello, Carey. How have you been?¡±

    I walked over to her with light steps. Carey immediately stood up and bowed to me when she saw me, but her heavy body made bending her knees a form of torture. I quickly instructed the servant to support her. ¡°Your health is more important, forget these formalities.¡±

    We sat in the pavilion, and the evening breeze brought a refreshing coolness. I could smell the freshwater vapor of the nts, which made me rx a little. But when I saw Carey¡¯s stomach, I felt my breath choke again.

    Perhaps it was because my expression was a little obvious, but it made Carey ask carefully, ¡°Is there something you want to tell me, Your Highness?¡±

    Kara sent the servants away at the right time, and Carey looked even more ill at ease.

    Facing her bewildered expression, I tried to organize my gentle words and asked tentatively, ¡°How have you been feeling recently? Is the child giving you a difficult time?¡±

    Carey shrugged and pursed her lips. ¡°Just... As usual. The child is very quiet, but I still had symptoms like morning sickness and insomnia. Sigh, how should I put it? Maybe every pregnant woman has to go through this. As long as you¡¯re pregnant, you can¡¯t escape.¡±

    Carey grumbled, but I could keenly sense that her attitude had softened. She no longer rejected this child as sharply as she had before.

    ¡°Dr. Lester wille to check on you regrly. If you feel difort, don¡¯t be shy to let him know. Your health is the most important.¡±

    ¡®Thank you, Your Highness.¡± Carey smiled shyly. ¡°I feel fine. Perhaps it¡¯s because of the change in the environment. Once my tense mood is rxed, even those annoying reactions are much weaker.¡±

    She subconsciously touched her lower abdomen again. This pierced my eyes and made me look away in a panic.

    I stiffly chatted with Carey about some random things. She gradually rxed and asked me, ¡°Speaking of which, Your Highness is already a mother. The little guy must be a lovely child, right?¡±

    My child?

    I couldn¡¯t help but smile when I thought of the tiny body of the wolf cub. However, this made my current situation even more awkward ¨C I was also a mother, but was I going to take the life of another person¡¯s child?

    ¡°Oh... Indeed, he¡¯s very cute,¡± I replied uneasily.

    ¡°So it¡¯s a boy?¡± Carey winked slyly. This made me realize she had misunderstood the pronoun I used for the wolf cub.

    After this ascendance, should I use ¡®he¡¯ or ¡®she¡¯ to address the wolf cub? Or was this child still unwilling to make a choice?

    I realized that the more we talked about children, the more I couldn¡¯t open my mouth. Thus, I went straight to the point and asked her, ¡°If... What would you do if something happens to the baby in your stomach and the problem can¡¯t be solved?¡±

    Carey¡¯s face gradually turned pale with every word I said. Ultimately, she hugged her swollen waist in fear and asked, trembling, ¡°He... what¡¯s wrong with him?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t reveal the details, but I have no intention of deceiving you, so I must let you know that this child has some trouble, and it¡¯s very difficult to solve. Do you still remember the pregnancy symptom that almost killed you? It wasn¡¯t entirely a pregnancy symptom, at least, it shouldn¡¯t be that serious. The child brings you fatal danger.

    ¡°Furthermore, this child is still young. No one can guarantee whether the situation will escte when he grows up. The unconscious danger is always the most dangerous, I... I¡¯ve broken my promise because I can¡¯t promise you your safety now.¡±

 Chapter 480 - 480 Premature Labor

    480 Premature Labor

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I couldn¡¯t bear to continue because tears of despair were already gathering in Carey¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°So, you mean that this child is very likely to... To kill me?¡±

    I didn¡¯t know what to say as Carey gradually cried.

    From a mother¡¯s point of view, I didn¡¯t want to kill a little life like this.

    However, from a woman¡¯s point of view, I was also confused and angry. Did mothers deserve to sacrifice for their children? Why did fate impose more suffering on a person like Carey, who was forced to be a ¡®mother¡¯?

    If she kept this child, she would have to live in fear of death every day until the day of delivery. The next ¡®price¡¯ might even make her unable to wait until the day of delivery.

    If she chose to let this child go, this would haunt her for the rest of her life. Perhaps she could never get rid of the guilt, even if the child was forced on her, even if the child could have killed her.

    Carey sobbed. I stiffly tried tofort her, but it was to no avail. I knew she didn¡¯t needfort now. Tears were Carey¡¯s criticism of her enemy and the pressure she had umted to vent.

    After crying for a while, she stopped crying. She showed unprecedented coldness as she stared at the void listlessly and sobbed. The intertwined tears cut her face into several parts under the dim sunset, which sent a shiver down people¡¯s spines.

    ¡°... Will I die for sure?¡± After a long while, I heard her mutter.

    ¡°No, not necessarily. It¡¯s just a possibility.¡±

    Silence lingered between us again.

    The sky turned dark. The servant brought the light over and then silently returned to the darkness.

    ¡°If the child is born, can you control him?¡± Carey asked hoarsely.

    ¡°I promise I¡¯ll do my best,¡± I said firmly.

    ¡°Alright then.¡± Carey suddenlyughed. Herugh was deste and sarcastic. ¡°I still choose to keep this child, even if he might kill me.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to force yourself...¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not forcing myself, Your Highness. I know what I¡¯m doing,¡± she said firmly. ¡°It¡¯s not a hormone or anything else. On the contrary, I hate this child so much that I can¡¯t wait to turn him into a pool of blood.

    ¡°Ever since I could remember when I was young, my life seemed out of my control. Poverty, loneliness, ill-intentioned rtives, and a cold society. In my childhood, I had no control over my life. I could only muddleheadedly go on under the arrangements of others. If they wanted me to drop out, I would drop out. If they wanted me to work, I would work. I was forced to give up on my dreams and end my unhappy childhood prematurely because I had no choice.

    ¡°After that, I could finally escape the person who controlled me. I thought the Lycan pack would be as wonderful as I had imagined that I could start over here. However, I fell into someone else¡¯s trap and became a vessel, an experimental subject. This time, I can¡¯t even control my own body. I became someone else¡¯s possession, and no one asked me if I wanted to.

    ¡°Now, I think I¡¯ve finally escaped and can live the rich life I¡¯ve dreamed of. But fate yed with me again ¨C I¡¯m actually going to die? Because of this weak, chaotic, rotten meat? Ha!¡±

    Suddenly, she picked up the book and the cup on the table and threw them on the grass. The servants were about to step forward, but I silently stopped them.

    Carey started crying again. She screamed and ran around like a headless chicken, pulling her hair. Her swollen body was on the verge of copsing. I feared she would hurt herself, so I quickly, half-forcefully, and half-catingly carried her back to the soft outdoor sofa.

    ¡°I just... I just want to make my own choice! I don¡¯t want to be held hostage by anything anymore. I don¡¯t want anything to decide my future! If my future will be decided by something else, then I¡¯d rather die!¡±

    Carey suddenly clutched her stomach and groaned. The sobbing and pain made it hard for her to breathe. She clutched her chest and struggled, and the veins on her forehead bulged.

    ¡°Someone, call the doctor! Hurry up!¡±

    The medical team on standby in the Sunflower House immediately came forward to examine Carey. Not long after, Craig rushed over, but the news the medical experts brought back caught me by surprise.

    ¡°What did you just say?¡± I asked in disbelief, ¡°Is Carey inbor? But she¡¯s only seven months in, far from her due date!¡±

    Craig frowned and said, ¡°That¡¯s true. It¡¯s considered a premature birth, and her condition is very dangerous. Your Highness, you have to be prepared.¡±

    ¡°Prepared for what?¡±

    ¡°To kill two people.¡±

    Medical equipment of all sizes turned Carey¡¯s bedroom into a cold operating room. I couldn¡¯t see what was happening inside, but Carey¡¯s weak wails made my heart palpitate.

    How could this happen...

    I didn¡¯t know how I moved, but when I returned to my senses, I was already sitting in the living room. The medical team and security guards were on high alert. asionally, a nurse would rush in and shout the names of all kinds of medicine.

    Carey¡¯s voice was getting weaker and weaker.

    I stared at the tightly shut door, my hands trembling uncontrobly. I couldn¡¯t help but pray silently.

 Chapter 481 - 481 A Rare Blood Type

    481 A Rare Blood Type

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°Maybe I shouldn¡¯t havee to her,¡± I said. ¡°Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have gone intobor so suddenly.¡±

    Kara gave me a cup of hot tea andforted me. ¡°No, perhaps it was good that you came to Miss Carey. If she could give birth to the child today, she would not have to worry about the baby¡¯s threat in the future. She could also start a new life in another city soon. This might be to her liking.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know what Carey was thinking, but she was definitely in intense pain right now, constantly facing the threat of death.

    Craig¡¯s major was not in Gynecology and Obstetrics, so the chief surgeon of the operation was an obstetrician who had been arranged for a long time. He was constantly observing the process and would immediately report to me if there was any problem.

    ¡°It¡¯s not looking good.¡± A thinyer of sweat appeared on his forehead. ¡°Carey is losing energy too fast. She doesn¡¯t have enough strength to give birth. Considering the uniqueness of this child, we suspect that the fetus in her womb is absorbing the mother¡¯s nutrients to protect itself. But in this way, the child will grow, and the mother will have more difficulty giving birth.¡±

    ¡°What about a C-section?¡± I asked urgently.

    My heart sank when I heard his answer, ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. One of Carey¡¯s ancestors married a human. From the records, that human ancestor might have a ¡®rare blood type¡¯, and Carey¡¯s RH-O blood type might have been inherited from that. This blood type caused Carey to suffer from mild coagulopathy. Once the operation is carried out, no one can guarantee that the blood coagte. If any idents happen...¡±

    A rare blood type...

    My heart skipped a beat when I heard that. She couldn¡¯t give birth, and surgery risked her bleeding out. This was basically a death sentence for her.

    Oh my god, oh my god.

    I shouldn¡¯t havee, I shouldn¡¯t havee!

    After hearing Carey¡¯s weak screams, my legs gave way, and I fell onto the sofa.

    Was there no other way? Could this neen-year-old girl reach the end of her life today?

    ¡°Is there no other way?¡± With thest glimmer of hope, I asked. ¡°The adults are the most important. If it doesn¡¯t work, we can give up the child...¡±

    I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness,¡± he said, shaking his head again. ¡°Carey¡¯s current condition does not allow us to inducebor.¡±

    ¡°Because there¡¯s no way to stop the bleeding?¡±

    ¡°Yes, any tiny bleeding wound could kill Carey.¡±

    ¡°If there¡¯s a way to stop the bleeding, wouldn¡¯t all the problems be solved?¡±

    He looked at me in confusion, but I had decided.

    ¡°Now, I need you to talk to the chief surgeon and ask him to allow me to join the surgery.¡± I said, ¡°I have a way to stop her bleeding, but this process might not align with what you all know. Therefore, I need to gain the trust of the doctors and cooperate with me.¡±

    Instead of answering me immediately, he asked seriously, ¡°Please forgive my rudeness, Your Highness. But this operation is a serious matter. Are you sure you want to join?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure. To save Carey¡¯s life. I was the one who took her into the pce and asked to raise the child in her belly, so I have the responsibility to protect her safety, no matter what the price is.¡±

    He came back quickly and told me the chief surgeon had agreed after a few seconds. And so, under the nurse¡¯s guidance, I quickly made a series of preparations and entered the bedroom that was temporarily used as the delivery room, fully armed.

    The conditions in the delivery room were not good, not because of the sanitary environment or equipment, but because of Carey¡¯s bed. Her amniotic fluid and sweat had made a mess of her. The midwife had tried unsessfully to help her. There had been no progress.

    The chief surgeon quickly described Carey¡¯s current situation to me. From that, I learned that Carey¡¯s body progressed very slowly in her prenatal preparations. On the other hand, the child couldn¡¯t wait to get out of its mother¡¯s womb.

    ¡°Based on the current situation, C-section is thest option.¡± The chief surgeon said, ¡°Dr. Craig told me you can help Carey ovee this. Usually, I can¡¯t let any non-professionals into the delivery room. You¡¯re an exception. This is not because of your identity but because we all hope to save the young life in front of us. We have the same goal, so I¡¯ll try to cooperate with you.¡±

    I solemnly thanked the doctor and told him to prepare for the operation.

    The nurse handed the chief surgeon a scalpel shining with a cold glint. He looked at me. I took a deep breath and nodded.

    ¡°I need you to tell me immediately when to stop the bleeding and where to stop the bleeding,¡± I said. ¡°After that, you just have to carry out the operation. I will make Carey¡¯s blood stay in her body.¡±

    The chief surgeon nodded. After the anesthetist indicated that the anesthesia was sessful, he made an incision on the skin of Carey¡¯s lower abdomen.

    Blood instantly gushed down the curve of my stomach like a rolling bead. Under the chief surgeon¡¯s guidance, I released the ck-gold moth and carefully repaired the skin and flesh where the bleeding needed to be stopped. The medical staff at the scene looked at me in surprise but quickly put on a professional attitude and devoted themselves to the operation.

 Chapter 482 - 482 Coming To The World

    482 Coming To The World

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    A nurse observed the changes in Carey¡¯s blood pressure and oxygen. From her calm expression, there was no problem for the time being.

    Although I¡¯d faced many bloody corpses, the blood on the operating table and the blood on the battlefield werepletely different. The blood on the battlefield meant plunder and death, so there was no need to worry. Defeating the enemy was the only goal.

    However, it was different on the operating table. Losing even one more drop of blood could cause irreversible damage. Thus, as aplete rookie, I had to be careful and use all my strength to take any small action under the doctor¡¯s guidance. This made me feel a kind of stiffness and fatigue from the bottom of my heart.

    This fatigue peaked when the chief surgeon cut open Carey¡¯s uterus. It was a giant baby whose plump limbs and fair skin was not the state a newborn should have.

    This meant that he was absorbing a lot of nutrients from his mother¡¯s body to support himself, which was why Carey¡¯s weak body could not bear the heavy pressure of childbirth.

    The chief surgeon also frowned when he saw such a big fetus. If the fetus was too big, it would be stuck in the mother¡¯s body and could note out. After adjusting the angle many times to no avail, he had to consider widening the incision. However, this would cause more damage to Carey¡¯s body.

    ¡°I can repair all the damage,¡± I said. ¡°Please don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be responsible for any idents.¡±

    The chief surgeon did not start immediately. Instead, he said bluntly, ¡°I don¡¯t understand the principle behind your power, but I must honestly tell you the risks. The incision was harmful to the uterus, and widening the incision meant increasing the possibility of subsequentplications. The best possibility is that nothing will happen, and the worst possibility is that Miss Carey will suffer from postpartumplications, lose her fertility, or even die from an infection.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I firmly denied. ¡°Nothing will happen to Carey. I won¡¯t let any idents happen.¡±

    As time passed, everyone held their breath and stared at the operating table without blinking, praying that nothing unusual would happen again.

    Finally-

    As the chief surgeon heaved a long sigh of relief, the overly healthy boy finally seeded in separating from his mother. The nurse quickly cleaned and examined him, and a loud cry announced the end of the first half of the operation.

    The next step was to be even more careful: to clean and suture Carey¡¯s wound.

    Fortunately, the Goddess of Fate finally took care of us for once, and there were no more unusual situations during this process.

    ¡°Thank you for your hard work,¡± I sincerely thanked the chief surgeon. ¡°Thank you for all your efforts. The mother and son would be in danger if it weren¡¯t for you.¡±

    The chief surgeon shook his head and said humbly, ¡°This is my duty as a doctor, Your Highness. I should be the one thanking you for your help. Without your... Magical power to stop the bleeding, this operation would have failed.¡±

    ¡°I still haven¡¯t asked for your name.¡±

    ¡°Kim Hopsky, the obstetrician of King¡¯s Garden Hospital.¡±

    Hopsky?

    This surname was somewhat familiar to me. I probed, ¡°Maybe you know Perrin Marshall? ¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness. He is my cousin. My father and Perrin¡¯s mother are siblings.¡± Dr. Hopskyughed. ¡°I even saw you from afar at his wedding with Avril.¡±

    What a wonderful coincidence!

    However, I didn¡¯t have much time to chat with him. I was most concerned about Carey¡¯s condition at this moment, so I hurriedly bade Dr. Hopsky farewell.

    With the ck gold moth¡¯s effect, Carey¡¯s wound healed quickly, and the anesthesia¡¯s effect faded quickly. When I rushed to her bed, she was already awake.

    When she saw me, she smiled calmly. ¡°I¡¯m very happy to see you again, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡± I took her hand. ¡°How do you feel? Does your wound still hurt?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t feel anything at all.¡± Carey shrugged. ¡°I took a peek when the nurse wasn¡¯t around, and the wound was almost healed. If I didn¡¯t ask the nurse for the date, I would have thought I was unconscious for at least a week. I know that there must be some wonderful factors that caused all of this. Perhaps, it was you who helped me not to have to endure more physical pain?¡±

    I nodded and didn¡¯t say much. I asked if she wanted to see the child.

    Carey shook her head and said with a bitter smile, ¡°Forget it. Since I¡¯ve already decided to cut off all ties with him, why should I pretend to cry out of my motherly heart? The birth of this child only made me heave a sigh of relief. As for other things, perhaps I¡¯m cold-blooded by saying this, but I don¡¯t love him.

    ¡°This is very strange. Logically speaking, I should be overwhelmed by my hormones and have no choice but to love him, but I just don¡¯t have any feelings for him. Maybe Moon Goddess thinks I¡¯m too pitiful, so she gave me the right not to be a ve to her children?¡±

    Carey seemed in a good mental state, but I was still worried, so I asked Madam Marcy to observe her psychological state and, if there was any risk of copse, for her to please intervene in time for treatment.

 Chapter 483 - 483 Sunflower

    483 Sunflower

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°To be honest, you¡¯re the most worry-free patient I¡¯ve ever had,¡± Madam Marcy said jokingly. ¡°We only talked once, and then your mental condition miraculously improved. I should publish a paper based on this case. I believe that countless psychologists will be scrambling for my treatment method.¡±

    I smiled helplessly. ¡°You¡¯re indeed a rather capable psychiatrist. How¡¯s my mother¡¯s condition these few days?¡±

    ¡°The Queen is doing well, but the stability is only on the surface. Her Highness¡¯s psychological problem is not caused by physiology, so we can only use simple medicinal treatment as an auxiliary. If we want Her Highness to get better, the most urgent thing is to untie the knot in Her Highness¡¯s heart, or else what I can do is limited.¡±

    What was the knot in my mother¡¯s heart? I, the wolf cub, the empty twenty years, and the silent criticism and pressure she had to face as a mother.

    I had never experienced the pain of being separated from my flesh and blood, so I couldn¡¯t say in a calm and reasonable manner that I couldpletely understand my mother¡¯s illusory worries. I could only hope that mypany wouldfort my mother and that the wolf cub would quicklyplete its evolution and resolve the disaster in front of my mother.

    I went to see the boy that Carey had given birth to.

    No one named the boy, and I did not announce my decision to adopt him to the public, so the nurses did not know what to call him, so they gave him a nickname, Sunflower.

    This child had developed too quickly in the mother¡¯s body. It had only been born for less than a day but had grown as strong as a child of three or four months. Dr. Hopsky said he was very healthy, and all his indicators were as normal as those in the textbooks.

    He didn¡¯t know the identity of Carey and this child, so I couldn¡¯t ask him some questions. Instead, I asked Lester.

    ¡°Is this child... Did he inherit his father¡¯s disease?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell yet, Your Highness,¡± Lester replied. ¡°There are almost no external signs of infertility. This child is still too young, and many of his functions have not fully developed. We must wait until he is older before we can examine him.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s his blood type?¡±

    I hoped to get a positive answer, but Lester¡¯s expression told me my expectations had not been met.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness. This child has inherited her mother¡¯s blood type, RH-O.¡±

    ¡°... But he¡¯s very healthy.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Blood type only determines what kind of blood flows in the child¡¯s body. Most of the time, negative blood would not bring diseases to the person involved, but there were still some effects, such as coagulopathy. I¡¯m d the child is still healthy. Otherwise, any minor surgery could have taken his life.¡±

    The child in the incubator knew nothing about the conversation between the adults. He squinted and observed the world curiously with his huge amber eyes, even though he could not see anything clearly.

    I had subtly asked Carey if she wanted to know more about young Sunflower¡¯s situation, but she had rejected me just like before. I didn¡¯t say anything more. I respected the choice of this girl who had gone through so much.

    A few days after Carey gave birth, the public opinion war between the Evaria Family and us peaked. Even if the Evaria Family refused to admit it, key pieces of evidence had already been announced to the world.

    In their anger, the peopleunched wave after wave of denouncement against the Evaria Family, and one by one, the properties under the name of the Evaria Family were made public. As a result, the turnover of these hotels, shopping streets, and car shops fell sharply.

    Even the school that the Evaria Family had sponsored joined in. Some students held banners and paraded in the streets around the school, iming that they were ashamed to ept the money of executioners and rapists.

    The school stopped the students in time, but as usual, the old-fashioned adults messed up the matter. Threatening the students with a repeat semester or expulsion would only intensify the conflict. The students thought the Board of Directors was theckey of the Evaria Family and only cared about money and power. They did not care about the same-age students¡¯ abuse in the Evaria Family.

    They used the slogan ¡®she should be studying just as I am studying¡¯ and sat quietly in the school to protest. And the situation had developed to such a stage that it was no longer a conflict within the school. More and more students joined the support team, and the momentum grew.

    This incident had be a hot topic second only to the ¡®human experiment case¡¯.

    When I learned about all this, I already had a bad feeling about it. It seemed that many media outlets had selectively forgotten the content of the students¡¯ protest. They could also lead the public¡¯s attention to the ¡®students¡¯ protest¡¯ behavior and weaken the root of all contradictions.

    This was how public opinion worked. It was unrestrained but limited everywhere. No one could control it, but anyone coulde forward and meddle.

    Obviously, the Evaria Family was pulling ropes behind the scenes to divert attention.

    But it didn¡¯t matter because the battlefield had shifted from public opinion ¨C after the mediation of many parties, an investigation team for the human experiment case was finally established.

 Chapter 484 - 484 Strange Things

    484 Strange Things

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Now, those superficial verbal attacks were already out of date, and the contest for power had finally arrived.

    One might be confused. Using a woman as a surrogate might be controversial, but how could it be considered a serious matter of human experimentation?

    Carey¡¯s experience made her understand that it wasn¡¯t as simple as justbining sperm and ovum. The research done at Lester¡¯s research institute was only on the surface, and the ¡®legal procedures¡¯ at the institute did not affect what the Evaria Family did behind closed doors. All in all, everything was chilling, filled with the blood and wails of women.

    In addition, the Evaria Family was also used of human trafficking, kidnapping, illegal imprisonment, and other crimes. The murder was pending because although we all thought the missing girls were likely to die, there was no conclusive evidence to confirm that the Evaria Family was the murderer.

    This was a war that I couldn¡¯t rx in. The family history of countless rich and powerful families made me understand that a starving camel was still bigger than a horse. Fairness and justice weren¡¯t very solid in the face of money and power. The moment there was the slightest bit of rxation, everything would be in vain.

    Carey¡¯s wound healed quickly. She did not want to live in the city where the Evaria Family was and wanted to leave this ce as soon as possible.

    When I asked her about her decision, she rejected the option of being the daughter of a wealthy merchant, hoping to be a small noble in name.

    ¡°Don¡¯tugh at me for being greedy. It¡¯s just that identity might give me a more secure feeling than money.¡±

    She clenched her hands and smiled bitterly in embarrassment. ¡°With your gift, I won¡¯t be short of money for the rest of my life. I hope to have a solid identity to give me the courage to continue living. You don¡¯t know to what extent some people in the world can bully the weak and fear the strong. In some people¡¯s eyes, a single and richdy is a target for them to pester and harass. However, they would not dare to say anything wrong to a ¡®noble¡¯ upper ss, even if she is the daughter or sister of an unknown lord.¡±

    Even though I thought I had seen too many sarcastic remarks in the first twenty years of my life, in front of a strong girl struggling to survive at the bottom of society, the youthful thoughts I disturbed myself were soughable.

    In this world, some people would do their best to survive.

    I had my men prepare two identification documents. I handed the one that Carey had chosen to her.

    ¡°From now on, your surname will be ¡®Teal¡¯. At your request, you don¡¯t need to change your name. Miss Carey Teal is the posthumous daughter of a lord from a branch of the Teal Family. As your mother was afraid that you would be persecuted for your property, she kept you in the countryside under a different name until you became an adult at age twenty. You¡¯ve been receiving family education at home, so you don¡¯t have a primary or secondary school diploma. As for whether you want to go to college in the future, it¡¯s up to you.

    ¡°You¡¯re not neen this year, but twenty. Your mother passed away in January due to illness. In your grief, you decided to return to your mother¡¯s hometown to live in seclusion, which is the Spring Rain Pack, previously known as the Saber Tooth Pack. Madam Sheedy Charlies is your distant cousin. She pitied you for being an orphan, so she often takes care of you. Madam Charlies¡¯ niece, Jordin Charlies, is one of the people in charge of the Spring Rain Pack. You can look to her for help if you have any difficulties.

    ¡°That¡¯s all the background. The details are in the file. You can slowly study it.¡±

    Holding the kraft paper bag, Carey¡¯s eyes reddened. She mumbled for a long time and choked, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to repay you, Your Highness... I can only give you my useless body to do as you please. Please don¡¯t think that my return is too little. I just don¡¯t know... Goddess, is all the suffering in my life for today?¡±

    I hugged Carey and patted her back tofort her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk about repaying me, my dear. You don¡¯t owe me anything. From now on, you just have to live a good life for yourself. A beautiful tomorrow is waiting for you.¡±

    It took a long time for Carey to calm down. She hesitated for a while before saying hesitantly, ¡°There¡¯s something I don¡¯t know if I should tell you.¡±

    ¡°Do you have any requests? Don¡¯t worry, please speak.¡±

    ¡°No, no, this is all very good!¡± Carey shook her head and subconsciously touched her belly. ¡°The other day, you told me the child in my belly might kill me. This made me think of something... Strange.

    ¡°I wanted to die when I was still imprisoned by the Evaria Family. However, I had a strange dream that night. Someone said something to me. I always felt this was like the hypnosis or mental suggestion I read in novels. Because after that night, I inexplicably calmed down. Although I still wanted to die, I couldn¡¯t take action no matter what.

    ¡°After that, I heard from my servants that the girl imprisoned with me ¡®disappeared¡¯. I was so scared that I almost broke down. However, I had this dream at night, and then I inexplicably calmed down.

    ¡°After these two dreams, I had a serious pregnancy symptom. The second time, I almost died, and those people had no choice but to send me to Dr. Lester for treatment.¡±

 Chapter 485 - 485 The Teal Family

    485 The Teal Family

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I understood what Carey was saying, even more so than she herself. All of this was because of young Sunflower.

    Her words almost confirmed all my previous conjectures.

    A baby who had the power to bewitch people. Should I be d that his thoughts didn¡¯t grow in advance like his body? This kind of power was too terrifying. If it were good, there would be hundreds of good; if it were bad, there would be hundreds of destruction.

    I thought about it over and over again. Due to Carey¡¯s attitude of avoiding young Sunflower as much as possible, I decided to hide this from her. Her life was about to have a peaceful and bright new beginning, and she no longer had to bear more secrets from the past that would only add to the pressure.

    So, on an ordinary morning, Miss Carey Teal boarded the train heading for the Spring Rain Pack with her limited luggage. Her distant aunt, Madam Charlies, hade to send her off. Although she had not spent much time with her niece, she had done her duty as an elder.

    Everything was perfect, and there was nothing to criticize.

    I heard the sound of the train starting up from my earpiece. ¡°Miss Carey has left, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for sending her off on my behalf, Madam.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s my niece. As her aunt, how could I note to see her off?¡± Madam Charlies smiled warmly.

    I believed Jordin must have been greatly influenced by this elder, such as this smooth and slick personality that didn¡¯t disgust people at all but rather like a spring breeze.

    Madam Charlies was not a noble, and neither was her husband. In fact, the branch of Charlies that Jordin belonged to was very far away from the family¡¯s title of nobility. Jordin¡¯s parents had personally fought for this title for their daughter. Although it should have belonged to them, the war had taken everything away.

    The Teal Family belonged to the middle level, and they had long understood that they were no match for those sly old foxes in the officialdom. Therefore, they moved back to their hometown during Jordin¡¯s grandfather¡¯s generation and lived like they were in paradise.

    But how could there be a real paradise in this world? The Teal Family, who had left the center of power, quickly realized that there were losses to every gain. A peaceful life had returned, but something had also been lost quietly. For example, the power that was better than nothing, the status of being respected, and the right to return to the center of power.

    The vanity fair was packed. Everyone wanted toe in and get a share of the pie. Once they went out, it would be difficult toe back. The nobles who had lost power were like fresh flowers in a vase. They were beautiful, but how long could theyst by relying on that shallow pool of water? The Teal Family realized that if they continued like this, they would gradually be mediocre and be a truly rich man in the countryside. They would never be able to touch the once unattainable position.

    However, the process of regaining power and status was difficult. A noble family that was neither high nor low was of much use. It was difficult for the Teal Family to sell themselves to any powerful person then.

    But at this time, the war arrived. Countless werewolves had been sacrificed on the battlefield, including the people of the Teal Family, such as Jordin¡¯s father and mother. Jordin¡¯s father was conferred the title of Count of Mirror Lake posthumously, and Jordin, still learning to speak, became a Baroness. She was the third person to have a title in the Teal Family.

    This gave the Teal Family infinite hope in Jordin ¨C a young descendent who had lost her child and was now a noble. The most amazing thing was that she was not much different in age from Princess Madeline, who had just been born. The adults¡¯ attempts to drag things out were useless, but what could be stronger than the friendship between childhood sweethearts?

    Unfortunately, I went missing halfway through my n, and the Teal Family¡¯s n fell through again, giving up on the idea of sending Jordin to live in the Lycan pack.

    However, they were still humane and did not ignore Jordin because of this, nor did they use the sinister means of snatching the title of nobility and property on a child. Madam Charlies and her husband treated Jordin as their own, raising her into an upright and intelligent young woman with great effort.

    My mother wanted to choose a femalepanion for me, and the ambition of the Teal Family that had been extinguished for twenty years was ignited again. My mother chose Jordin, and the Teal Family obtained the opportunity to reach the sky in a single step that they had dreamed of.

    However, this was a smart family. They were not in a hurry to rely on Jordin to gain power. Instead, they became more low-key and careful, as if they did not care about the benefits at their fingertips. Count Charlies even gave most of the family¡¯s resources to Jordin to use as she pleased, which meant that she was under mymand, showing loyalty.

    This was where they were smart because no superior would like to see their subordinates anxiously greedy for power and money. Being humble and cautious was a great help in reaching the sky in a single step.

    When I was looking for a family that could hide Carey, the Teal Family was the first to stand up and express that they would share my worries. Didn¡¯t they know the hidden danger that Carey could bring? No, they knew, but it was not worth mentioningpared to what they could get.

    Now, the Teal Family was tied to my ship and had be my trusted subordinates.

 Chapter 486 - 486 Old Cases

    486 Old Cases

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Jordin did not obtain this. On the contrary, the Teal Family had a double guarantee: There¡¯s no conflict between the main family and Jordin¡¯s personal loyalty. You can¡¯t put all your eggs in one basket. Since ancient times, how many families with a long history have relied on this wisdom to stand out in the tide of the times?

    In short, this was a win-win situation. The Teal Family had returned to the center of power, and I had also obtained more help in the fight against the Evaria Family.

    Those Evaria officials were either removed from their positions or investigated, and the vacant positions were filled with suitable candidates. This also became a reason for me to conduct an investigation and rece even more officials with ulterior motives or werepletely useless, recing them with suitable candidates.

    The Evaria Family¡¯s temporary defeat was already a foregone conclusion. Many families still on the fence sensed the change in the situation and began to rmend themselves to me. My father turned a blind eye to this. I knew that he was preparing for my session. I couldn¡¯t always rely on my father¡¯s confidants to do things.

    The human body experiment case greatly damaged the Evaria Family¡¯s reputation, and they lostpletely in politics and business. This was not an unexpected result. In the end, the werewolves still had a monarchial system.

    ording to the humans, the power of the nobles is only the extension of the royal power. Our fight with the Evaria Family was just an internal struggle for the royal power. As long as the king still held this core power, it would be useless no matter how much the other nobles jump around.

    I didn¡¯t expect that this also involved many other problems. For example, the student protest. Although we managed to kill the rioters in the cradle before the situation got out of hand and dealt with the board members involved in illegal cases, the matter continued to ferment and was no longer just a conflict between a group of students and the school.

    This incident became a trigger that led to more missing people cases surfacing. Some of these cases were fromst week, and some were older than me, most of whom were women and children.

    Their families¡¯ search was fruitless, and they all harbored a beautiful hope that they would be reunited with their children one day. However, the human experiment casepletely shattered their hope and exposed the ending they were most unwilling to ept, but also the most likely one.

    For a time, the number of visitors to the police station multiplied, and the number of calls the operator received in a day was more than in the past month. However, it was too difficult to crack the missing people¡¯s case. There was still hope for the recent cases, but there was little hope for the long-term cases that were decades old.

    The families of the missing people had formed a mutual assistance association, hoping to find some clues on their own. Many of them were notpletely unaware of the disappearance of their rtives. They had produced evidence to prove that their daughters, sisters, mothers, or children had participated in some organization or activity and then disappeared from the face of the earth.

    The police found out that arge number of these organizations and activities were inextricably linked to some aristocrats or rich businessmen, and there was nock of frequent headlines.

    These organizations did various things, from volunteer groups to poor areas to ¡®legal drug experiments¡¯, from mutual aid groups to official institutions. It caused a big uproar.

    The missing women and children, the strange organization, the powerful and influential background, and the support of the rich gave people a sense of deja vu.

    Hence, when everyone was caught off guard, the bomb exploded.

    Suddenly, the public¡¯s doubts about the officers peaked, especially about the rich merchants and nobles involved in the disappearance case. When the police discovered that a rich local phnthropist was rted to a missing boy case, their dissatisfaction and anger peaked.

    It had only been a week since I sent Carey off.

    If I were to fight against the Evaria Family, I would still have some confidence, but I would only be left with a terrible mess that had been created over the years.

    I didn¡¯t even need to think to know what was going on with those rich merchants and nobles. They were disgusting, despicable, andpletely disregarded thew and morality. But everything had to be based on evidence, right? This week, I¡¯d read over a hundred case reports. Some were wronged, some were purely coincidental, but many facts made me want to vomit.

    This wasn¡¯t even the most difficult part. The Evaria Family was simply pervasive. They were unwilling to fail, so they secretly began to make all kinds of obstacles at this chaotic juncture. Solving a case was harder than doing it. Under the instructions of the Evaria Family, many ¡®family members¡¯ began to create false appearances to cause trouble at the police station.

    Once the police saw through their trick and refused to ept the false case, the incident would appear in the headlines of the local newspapers the next day. Of course, it would not be written as the truth. How could ¡®a scammer wreaking havoc at the police station¡¯ be as eye-catching as ¡®the police pushed and threatened the family of the missing person¡¯?

    The direction of public opinion was always ever-changing, and this false news undoubtedly intensified the already boiling public opinion. The government¡¯s reputation, which had been gradually restored by the police¡¯s painstaking efforts to solve the case, began to decline rapidly.

    However, at this critical moment, the wolf cub¡¯s evolution ended.

 Chapter 487 - 487 The Naming

    487 The Naming

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Although I knew what was happening, I couldn¡¯t calm down before I saw the wolf cub ¨C what if something went wrong? What if he failed? What if he suddenly had an idea and pushed himself onto a strange path?

    Everything returned to normal the moment I saw the wolf cub.

    It was a cute child who was curiously looking at the world with his young eyes.

    The moment I saw him, I couldn¡¯t help but cry. Dorothy, who was by my side, supported my limp body and said happily but helplessly, ¡°Isn¡¯t that good? The child is very healthy, you should be relieved now.¡±

    I choked and couldn¡¯t say a word. I only felt that the mountain-like pressure that had been pressing down on me suddenly dissipated.

    I wanted to go forward and hug the child, but the child opened his arms one step ahead of me and wobbled to my side. Then, he leaned on me lightly and hugged my thigh.

    ¡°Look at how smart this child is. He knows that you¡¯re his mother,¡± Dorothy said gently.

    I picked up the child and felt he was more fragile and precious than any treasure I had ever seen. The child only chuckled and grabbed my hair with his lotus root-like hands.

    ¡°Oh my god, my baby...¡± I gently rubbed the child¡¯s tender cheeks, and his skin was wet with tears, but he didn¡¯t seem to notice it and just smiled at me.

    Then, my mother ran in. This anxious grandmother couldn¡¯t care about her image as the Queen at the moment, and her hair was loose. When she saw the healthy and cute little child in my arms, her legs immediately went soft, and she fell to the ground.

    Dorothy and Bertha quickly helped her up. My mother struggled to get up and reached out as if she wanted to hold her child, but she stopped halfway and retracted her hand in embarrassment, looking a little helpless.

    The child stared curiously at his grandmother and waved his little arms in response to her. But he didn¡¯t receive a soft and warm embrace, so he looked at his grandmother curiously and suddenlyughed, mumbling some babynguage that adults couldn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°Mother.¡± I moved the child toward her. ¡°Hug him. He misses his grandmother so much.¡±

    My mother, however, hesitated and flinched. ¡°No, I don¡¯t have the strength. I¡¯ll fall.¡±

    ¡°How heavy can a child be? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m sure you can hold him.¡± I pretended not to understand what my mother was saying and stuffed the child into her arms. ¡°He¡¯s so well-behaved and cute!¡±

    The child chuckled at his grandmother, grabbed a strand of long hair that was hanging in front of him, leaning on his grandmother¡¯s chest, and yawned.

    My mother immediately asked nervously, ¡°Is he sleepy? I think I should put him down. He should go to sleep.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any warmer and softer crib than your arms,¡± I said, shrugging. ¡°If you¡¯re okay with it, why don¡¯t you try to coax the child to an afternoon nap? ¡±

    My mother seemed still in the dark about everything and had not yet reacted to what had happened. She stiffly held the child and halfid on the soft sofa bed under ourfort. Then, she unconsciously patted the child¡¯s back as if she was really coaxing the child to sleep.

    This shocked her when she reacted as if she didn¡¯t realize what she had just done.

    However, the child¡¯s gentle breathing and warm body temperature gradually brought her back to the real world from her dream. She stared at the child¡¯s heaving chest and suddenly burst into tears.

    ¡°Oh, little wolf cub, my baby, my baby...¡±

    She buried her face in the child¡¯s chest, her tears quickly wetting the bib printed with the evergreen flower.

    Dorothy and Bertha left silently. I sat beside her and gently hugged her. ¡°Everything is in the past. Everything is developing in a good direction, Mother. Look at this child, he¡¯s so healthy and energetic. Nothing bad happened, just like what we saw, nothing happened. All I have is a healthy and adorable child, that¡¯s all.¡±

    My mother raised her head. Behind her teary eyes was a deep worry and depression that pierced my heart like a sharp needle.

    ¡°A... A child?¡± My mother muttered.

    ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded and gently touched the child¡¯s snow-white cheek. My mother¡¯s eyes were also drawn to the child¡¯s peaceful sleeping face. ¡°The wolf cub ¨C oh, we still call him that. Perhaps we should seriously think about his name. Perhaps this child is unwilling to turn himself into a boy or girl for the time being, but I think he must be unwilling to introduce himself as a ¡®wolf cub¡¯ to the students at the opening ceremony.¡±

    My mother¡¯s tears turned into a smile. ¡°Yes, yes. A name. We must think carefully, just like your father and I named you back then.¡±

    I heaved a sigh of relief as I watched my mother¡¯s emotions gradually stabilize. However, a certain part of my heart started to ache again.

    My parents named me. What about my little wolf?

    ¡®Aldrich, my love, I know you definitely wouldn¡¯t want to miss such a big event like naming your child, so when will you open your eyes?¡¯

 Chapter 488 - 488 Crazy Julie

    488 Crazy Julie

    Benson Walton¡¯s POV:

    I¡¯d been released, which meant they¡¯d found the real murderer. But there was no news, and everything was still quiet as usual.

    However, I knew that things weren¡¯t as simple as they seemed on the surface. From the Spring Rain Pack¡¯s increasingly orderly security to the shocking scandal of the influential family, the Lycan pack, to the fact that even the arrangement of the mobile patrol team had changed significantly.

    This sent out the same message: A war without smoke was about to begin.

    To be honest, I didn¡¯t think that the Evaria Family could win. Don¡¯t be fooled by the fact that this family was in full bloom, but that was only on the surface.

    Even if there was discord in the past, I couldn¡¯t go against my conscience and say that the current Lycan King was muddleheaded. On the contrary, he was a qualified monarch and even considered wise. This made his prestige among the people as solid as a rock, which was not something that the Evaria Family¡¯s soft, sponge-like foundation couldpare to.

    I was not too arrogant. In my line of work, I coulde into contact with too many hidden secrets whether I wanted to.

    On the fifth day of my freedom, my transfer order came ¨C I was going to the Golden Bell Pack to investigate an old case.

    La, the former captain of the pce guards,mitted suicide because of a scandal.

    The vague information revealed a dangerous feel.

    The higher-ups had given me a lot of clues, such as the inws between a noble and a local lord, the sudden appearance of the Woof Anca Family, and the fact that La was once Master Kevin¡¯s fianc¨¦e, and that Master Kevin was now Selma ¨C Princess Madeline¡¯s trusted aide.

    The contact had a meaningful look in his eyes, and I understood that the oue was already decided.

    There was no need to talk about Evaria. As for Woof Anca... they were unlucky to be on the wrong side. Moreover, they were the prime suspects.

    However, as time passed and the personnel moved back and forth, my contact was quickly changed. When he learned about my progress, he said, ¡°Just investigate as it is. There¡¯s no need for any tricks.¡±

    I realized that Selma had sent him. This was just like her. Her supporters always maintained a sense of integrity in the dark world that no one could evaluate.

    I was just an errand boy. I¡¯d just do what they say.

    It was difficult to investigate this case because it had been long, and they couldn¡¯t find any strong evidence. Even that year¡¯s Alpha had already passed away, even if he knew something, he certainly didn¡¯t tell his son, who didn¡¯t know anything about what happened.

    I came to the manor that I used to live in. It was almost deserted. I couldn¡¯t find anyone else except an old man guarding the door. The bedroom where La hadmitted suicide still had traces of the blockade that had been left behind that year. It had already rotted into rags. A cold wind rushed in from time to time from the broken ss window, blowing the rags up like wandering ghosts.

    Even if there were any evidence, it would have been taken away or destroyed twenty years ago. Of course, I didn¡¯t find anything.

    However, when I was leaving, I met a strange person.

    It was a crazy old woman with messy hair and dementia. She leaned against the withered bushes in the green belt like a pile of mud. She was wearing a few clothes that were obviously from decades ago, but they were so dirty that one couldn¡¯t tell that they had once been fashionable. They were piled up like broken sacks.

    She remained calm and lifeless in the bush, not even noticing my arrival and departure. I tried tomunicate with her, but she didn¡¯t say anything, as if she couldn¡¯t see or hear me.

    I asked the old man who she was, and the old man looked up to take a look andzily said, ¡°She¡¯s a madwoman who¡¯s been crazy for decades, but no one has cared about her. She was originally a servant in this manor and the first to discover... That person¡¯s corpse. It¡¯s said that she went crazy because she was too shocked.¡±

    ¡°Does her family not care about her?¡±

    ¡°They did care a few years ago, but who would have much patience for a madwoman? She kepting back here to make a scene. Her rtives were exhausted and embarrassed, so they slowly stopped caring about her. They¡¯ve all moved out of town, leaving this madwoman alone.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s alone? How does she survive then?¡±

    ¡°How? Heh, just survive, I suppose. This madwoman isn¡¯t crazy all the time. When she¡¯s thirsty, she knows to look for water. When she¡¯s hungry, she knows to look for food. She¡¯s either going through the trash can or begging. That¡¯s how.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s her name?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. She was already here when I came to guard the door. But I heard others call her ¡®crazy Julie¡¯, so I just called her that. I guess her real name is Julie.¡±

    I thanked the old man but didn¡¯t leave. Instead, I returned to find that crazy woman.

    She was still curled up in the bushes, motionless as if those sharp branches were made of sticine. She turned a blind eye to me, even though I stood before her.

    ¡°Hey, Julie, are you hungry? Do you want a ham and egg sandwich?¡±

    Julie looked up at me. Her muddy eyes made me shudder, and only then did I realize she was blind.

    Julie was blind. Her eyes were like quail eggs that had been exposed to the sun for three days, and the dark and turbid color gave people goosebumps.

 Chapter 489 - 489 Forgetfulness

    489 Forgetfulness

    Benson Walton¡¯s POV:

    She only ¡®raised her head¡¯ to look at me but didn¡¯t say anything.

    I began to suspect that she had also gone mute, but she asked in a hoarse voice the next second, ¡°A sandwich?¡±

    Her voice was as sharp and piercing as ss sliding across a ckboard.

    ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded. ¡°Are you hungry? Or maybe a cup of ckcurrant soda?¡±

    Julie fell silent again. Half a minuteter, she began madly whipping the withered bushes around her. The flying leaves and branches suddenly sttered all over my body, but I didn¡¯t sense any evil intent from her, so I didn¡¯t stop her. I just quietly stepped to the side ¨C who could stop a lunatic from going crazy? Why stop a lunatic from going crazy?

    Julie was crazy for a while before she suddenly calmed down. A few secondster, she replied with apletely different calmness, ¡°I¡¯ve made a fool of myself, Sir. Although I don¡¯t know who you are, I don¡¯t think a crazy woman like me is worth your schemes.¡±

    She was not crazy anymore, and she rejected me.

    At this moment, she showed extraordinary wisdom and calmness, not like a lunatic at all. Perhaps she had a split personality or something, and her conscious personality was why she was still alive.

    ¡°I just want to provide some help,¡± I said.

    Julie sneered. ¡°No one woulde to an abandoned old house just to help a wandering madwoman. You can just state your purpose of visit.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t look like a lunatic.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t look like one now, but I don¡¯t know when I will. Lunatics don¡¯t always go crazy, just like normal people aren¡¯t always normal.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Would you like a ham and egg sandwich?¡±

    Julie stopped talking again. A few secondster, she sat on the ground, and just like before, she sat in the bushes in a daze, ignoring everyone.

    I didn¡¯t know if she was crazy or awake, so I went to the store and bought a sandwich and a soda. Julie was already gone when I returned, so I went to the old man to ask about her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t seen anyone in ten days to half a month.¡± The old man shook his head. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go into the house and look for her? Crazy Julie is very strange. Although she is a lunatic, she is very smart. She knows that there would be a rainy day before anyone else. Maybe it¡¯s going to rain soon? Maybe she went into the house to take shelter from the rain?¡±

    I searched the manor again and found her in a storage room. She was wrapped in a tattered nket and hiding under a pile of torn cardboard boxes. I saw pustules and scars on her exposed joints. When it rained, these things would hurt and itch like ants gnawing on her heart.

    ¡°If I had known it would rain, I would have brought you a hot tea.¡± I handed the bag over. ¡°But there¡¯s no ice in the soda. Maybe you¡¯ll like it?¡±

    Julie looked at me for a few seconds, then reached out to take it. She then tore open the sandwich¡¯s packaging and gobbled it up.

    A series of muffled thunder sounded outside the window, and dark clouds soon covered the cloudless sky. After Julie swallowed thest bite of food, the light rain fell on the window sill, leaving dark marks on the gray cement board.

    ¡°How long have you been living here?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I can¡¯t remember. It¡¯s been many years,¡± Julie answered.

    ¡°Your name is Julie?¡±

    ¡°Maybe. I don¡¯t really remember.¡±

    ¡°Do you still remember yourst name?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve forgotten.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve worked here before?¡±

    When I asked this, Julie fell silent.

    After a long while, she replied nkly, ¡°Maybe... Maybe, but I don¡¯t really remember.¡±

    I took a look at the real-time weather forecast. The situation was not very good. There would be rain on and off from today to tomorrow afternoon. Julie twitched slightly unconsciously. I guessed the disease of her joint must have brought her a lot of pain.

    ¡°The rain will continue for another day and night, and you probably know better than me that this is not a warm enough ce to live. If you want to, I can send you to the rescue station. There will be a nket, hot soup, and some medicine that will help your joints.¡±

    Julie refused without hesitation, ¡°That¡¯s not a ce for someone like me, sir. I¡¯d rather go to a mental hospital than a rescue station.¡±

    ¡°It sounds like you don¡¯t have a good impression of the rescue station.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯ve ever been close to being used as an intable doll by homeless people and the volunteers don¡¯t care about it, you¡¯ll never want to set foot there.¡±

    I fell silent.

    Julie was in a strange state but was undoubtedly familiar with the manor. This house was a product of thest century, inheriting the gorgeous decoration style and bloated room structure of that time. The steep spiral staircases and cobweb-like corridors were not where a blind madwoman coulde and go as she pleased.

    I was pretty sure that Julie lived here before she went blind. It wasn¡¯t a short stay because of her familiarity with this ce. She might have stayed here long or been one of the aboriginals.

    Julie¡¯s dirty clothes revealed a dark green cor full of stains. The cor was embroidered with a fine olive branch pattern with white thread. I had seen this pattern in the file about La¡¯s suicide case. It was the uniform of the servants in this manor back then.

 Chapter 490 - 490 The Invisible Woman

    490 The Invisible Woman

    Benson Walton¡¯s POV:

    Julie used to work as a servant in this manor, but the strange thing was that I didn¡¯t see her in any of the files. Whether it was the investigation team from more than twenty years ago or the Intelligence Department that came in to bring up the past, there was not even a trace of Julie in their reports.

    All the people who used to work in the manor had been strictly interrogated, and even the guard dogs were traced back to the trainers and kennels to be investigated for suspicion. Had Julie, a living person, been forgotten by everyone?

    There was a problem with the investigation of La¡¯s suicide case from the beginning, or there was something wrong with Julie.

    Julie wasn¡¯t willing to leave with me, so I didn¡¯t force her to leave. It was raining outside anyway, so she couldn¡¯t go anywhere. I asked the old guard about Julie, but he knew nothing about it. He only said, ¡°Before I came here, she had been here for many years.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been guarding the gate here for so many years. Haven¡¯t you heard any rumors about Julie?¡±

    ¡°Tsk, what new information cane out of the rumors? A lunatic would only talk about how miserable her life was when she was young, how her husband abandoned her, or how her child died, and then she couldn¡¯t take the blow and went crazy. In my opinion, it¡¯s all just groundless usations. It¡¯s too easy to spread rumors about a lunatic.¡±

    ¡°So you don¡¯t believe these rumors?¡± I handed a cigarette to the old guard. He kept ncing at the corner of the cigarette box in my pocket. One couldn¡¯t smoke in this line of work. If someone hired you to guard a house, you might burn the entire manor with a cigarette.

    The old man took the cigarette, put it under his nose, and greedily took two deep breaths. He was not in a hurry to light it up. He just held it in his mouth and gently chewed the cigarette as if he was tasting the fragrance of tobo through cotton.

    The cigarette quickly closed the distance between us. The old man no longer drooped his eyes and ignored me. I asked him a little, and he told me all the ¡®gossip¡¯ he knew.

    ¡°I heard that crazy Julie was beautiful when she was young, but her family wasn¡¯t well-off. She met some gangsters in school and dropped out of schoolter. After dropping out of school, she went to a strip club and became a dancer, living avish life. Although her rtives avoided her like a snake, she heard that when she was young and rich, one of her cousins had pursued her! This family, heh!

    ¡°After that, for some reason, she went crazy. Many people said that she was too shocked after being dumped. However, I heard from an aunt who cared for her for a few days that she didn¡¯t want to strip and dance anymore. She was thinking of looking for another job, but she suddenly disappeared before she could find it. When she reappeared, she was already like this, crazy.

    ¡°Not only did he go crazy, but she also went blind. Some volunteers came to check on her and take her to the rescue station, but she didn¡¯t go and secretly returned.¡±

    The building was dusky under the rain and fog. I looked at the broken window and asked the old man, ¡°You¡¯re just letting her stay here? The owner of this manor doesn¡¯t have any objections?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not my house, why should I care who lives here? Besides, the owner of this manor doesn¡¯t really care about it. You can tell from this dpidated house. I¡¯ve told them twice, but they didn¡¯t care, so I didn¡¯t want to make fun of them.¡±

    The manor owners were undoubtedly the Lycan royal couple, but the royal family had countless properties. The manager basically managed the real estate in a small ce like this.

    For this kind of ¡®haunted house¡¯ that the royal family might not return once in 800 years and someone had died, even the manager would not take care of it much. Maintaining the manor required money, and no one woulde anyway. So, instead of giving the maintenance money to the renovationpany, it was better to fatten his pockets.

    I¡¯d seen this kind of thing many times. Loyalty was worth a few stacks of cash in front of real money.

    However, Julie¡¯s behavior was so suspicious. Even if she only appeared after the suicide case was settled more than twenty years ago, how could the Intelligence Department not notice her? It couldn¡¯t be that they came to investigate just in time to see Julie begging, right? Just asking the old man, I got quite some information.

    After chatting with the old man for a while, I found no other clues, so I returned to the vi.

    Julie was still curled up in a small corner of the storage room. She was covered with more tattered nkets and sheets. The tattered nkets and wet sheets obviously could not resist the water vapor and cold air invasion.

    ¡°You used to be a servant here, Julie.¡± I went straight to the point while observing Julie¡¯s expression. ¡°You may not remember, or you don¡¯t want to mention it, so you deliberately hid it. But that doesn¡¯t matter because I don¡¯t care about your profession. I only care about what happened in this house.

    ¡°So I¡¯ll ask you again, are you willing to leave with me? I can provide you with hot soup, nkets, and a stable and safe ce to stay so you don¡¯t have to hide here and there like you do now.¡±

    At the end of her sentence, Julie finally looked at me.

    That was right. I was sure that Julie must be hiding from something, and herpletely transparent existence in everyone¡¯s eyes might have some connection with La¡¯s death.

 Chapter 491 - 491 A Scattered Ending

    491 A Scattered Ending

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The Evaria Family epted everything, at least on the surface.

    Earl of Marlowe had resigned from his position as the Royal Academy of Sciences president and did not say a word about what the family had suffered. He used a closed-door attitude to convey his position subtly.

    With irrefutable evidence, the truth of the human experiment was finally revealed. The number of girls who died at the hands of the Evaria Family couldn¡¯t be counted with two hands. The youngest among them was only fifteen years old, and from the logs, they died ofplications after the operation.

    After being taken home from the research Institute and imprisoned, the girls did not receive the care they deserved, especially those who had ¡®failed to conceive¡¯.

    The head of the Evaria Family, who was in charge of this experiment, believed that they ¡®did not have the qualifications to be the mother of the King and had angered the Moon Goddess¡¯, so he left the girls to their own devices.

    Little did they know that if Moon Goddess knew that someone was using her name to do such a brutal thing, she would personally destroy all the viinous people in a thunderous rage.

    The girl that Carey missed also couldn¡¯t escape her misfortune. She couldn¡¯t stand the unusually violent pregnancy symptoms and died.

    What disgusted me the most was that the person in charge believed that the stillbirth was the ¡®incarnation of the King who died early¡¯. He actually... Mixed the baby into Carey¡¯s food and made her eat it without her knowing so that the ¡®incarnation of the King¡¯ would be one.

    This report made my stomach churn. I couldn¡¯t keep calm when I read this, and I retched.

    Dorothy didn¡¯t even want to read this report a second time. From her expression of righteous indignation, I did not doubt that if the Evaria Family couldn¡¯t give an exnation to the outside world before sunset, Dorothy would unhesitatingly use some dangerous witchcraft to drag this rotten family into hell.

    At this point, I knew the Evaria Family could not turn the tables. Those small fights that caught wind of the situation would no longer pose a threat. As long as thebel of ¡®murderer¡¯ was stuck on its head, they would never have the chance to touch the throne, and all their ambitions would be in vain.

    Even if I didn¡¯t summon any intelligence personnel, I could imagine how badly the Evaria Family must be in trouble. Some even thought of me, such as Emma¡¯s parents. They hoped that my brother and Emma were about to get married, so they would show mercy and at least not make things so ugly.

    ¡°Ugly?¡± Looking at the letter personally written by Mr. Evaria Jr., the paper that exuded a faint fragrance made me scoff. ¡°Would it be more unbearable than the dead faces of girls who starved to death? Would it be more disgusting than the blood of a stillborn?¡±

    I threw the letter back onto the tray. I didn¡¯t want to give those people any chance. ¡°Tell him to get lost. If he knew this would happen, why did he do it? By the way, tell him to sit down and think about what mistakes he has made and what troubles he has caused. It¡¯s toote for me to wipe their butts, so he¡¯s asking me to let them go? Does he hear what he¡¯s saying?¡±

    Kara left with the letter.

    The Evaria Family was just a small opponent. From the beginning, I knew their chances of winning were too slim, but they had brought me a shocking problem ¨C Azazel and Leviathan. Neither of them was easy to deal with. It was easy to invite a god, but hard to send him away. How could a person who made a deal with the devil eliminate the devil¡¯s shadow?

    I couldn¡¯t care less about the elves, but I had to do my best to ensure the safety of the werewolves.

    It was impossible for Azazel to let go of our past grudges, and Leviathan was unwilling to miss the ¡®good show¡¯ for some unknown reason. It was impossible for the Evaria Family to be willing to go down so easily. As long as there was a chance, they would definitely contact the demons and try to find an opportunity to overturn the oue.

    I was at a loss about whether to cut off all signs of this as soon as possible or leave a sliver of ¡®survival¡¯ to follow the vine to find the melon and capture all of them in one fell swoop... This was unlikely. At the very least, we had to seize the opportunity first so that we wouldn¡¯t bepletely clueless even when disaster was about to hit us.

    Now, my think tank was in a mess. Jordin was far away in the Spring Rain Pack, and Emma had no choice but to enter the secret prison temporarily. The only person I could ask was Dorothy.

    Dorothy thought we might let the Evaria Family take a breather. ¡°When cornered, they¡¯d do whatever they could. I didn¡¯t doubt at all that they¡¯d be able to summon Azazel from the city center tomorrow,¡± she said. ¡°After doing such a terrible thing, coupled with the new kindness and old grudges, His Majesty will definitely not let the Evaria Family off. They won¡¯t be able to cause any trouble on their own. So why don¡¯t we use yesterday¡¯s enemies as tomorrow¡¯s tools and use them to find out the evil demons¡¯ movements?

    ¡°Maybe we should shut their ears for now and monitor them secretly. It¡¯s best if they don¡¯t do anything. If they really dare to collude with the demons, then at least we can know that this family is beyond redemption, and they wouldn¡¯t be unprepared when the demonse.¡±

 Chapter 492 - 492 Prosperity and Downfall

    492 Prosperity and Downfall

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I was also inclined to cast a long line to catch the big fish, and Dorothy also reminded me not to forget the arrangements I¡¯d made.

    However, I would be reminded of the elves¡¯ capital city¡¯s tragedy whenever I thought of the demons.

    Was this really the right way? Any mistake in the details could cause the tragedy of that day to repeat itself. Did I have the right to use my life to exchange for victory?

    Dorothy could not answer my question, so I asked my father for his opinion. Although he had given me full responsibility for this, I urgently needed the guidance of an experienced elder.

    Bertha told me that my father was meeting with the ministers, and the heads of many departments were present today. Handling the Evaria Family was aplicated process involving many interests, not to mention that it was a long-standing noble family.

    There was nock of nobles among the officials, and seeing the tragic end of the Evaria Family today, they inexplicably had some unnecessary ¡®kindness¡¯ to plead for the Evaria Family, as if the lives of nobles were lives, and the dead girls were street cats.

    I listened to the entire conversation from behind the screen. Most people supported punishing the Evaria Family, while some felt it was better to be more restrained. Thest time the werewolves publicly tried a noble family was 200 years ago, and if this got out of hand, it would affect the government¡¯s image in the public eye.

    Upon hearing this, I sneered silently. Did we still have a good image in the eyes of the people? If we didn¡¯t exin, we¡¯d all be in the same boat as the Evaria Family!

    Thus, I pretended to have Bertha report to my father and then walk out of the screen three secondster.

    Even a fool could tell I had already heard the entire story from behind the screen. Thus, the faces of those officials who tried to smooth things over and even opposed the punishment of the Evaria Family turned pale. This was because I was an open and severe party, and my grudges with the Evaria Family were no secret in the officialdom.

    I thought I would have a war of words with the group of Confucians, so I had already prepared a draft. Who would¡¯ve thought these weaklings could adapt to the situation? After a few words, they saw that my attitude was unyielding, so they all fell silent. It seemed like they were unwilling to drag themselves and the family behind them into the water for the sake of the Evalia family.

    As a result, the Evaria Family, who everyone had deserted, finally received their judgment. The people involved in the human experiment were sentenced ording to thew. The person in charge and his minions had taken human lives, and there was a high probability that they would pay the price with their lives.

    The Evaria Family would bear thepensation to the victim¡¯s family, and any other tainted family businesses would be seized and subjected to a strict investigation.

    What I didn¡¯t expect the most was that my father actually seized Earl of Marlowe¡¯s title because of ¡®not being strict enough, negligence of duty, and causing a disaster¡¯. Although he retained a part of his fief and the title of ¡®knight¡¯ for his past contributions, this was a devastating blow to the Evaria Family.

    This family, which had always been proud of their bloodline and noble status, had suddenly fallen from its branches and into the dust. Without the title andnd, anyone would understand that the family would never be able to rise again.

    So what if they had children with royal blood? When one had power and influence, even if one randomly found an orphan, someone would write a perfect family background for him.

    However, their ttering faces had to take a 180-degree turn in front of ordinary people. Only fairy tales would give the wandering princes and princesses a happy ending. In the world of power, twisting the truth was a basic skill.

    I realized why my father didn¡¯t make a fuss from the beginning to the end. It was because he had already seen how to defeat the enemy in one move before I did.

    No one had any objections to this. Everyone could see this as killing the chicken to warn the monkeys. If they tried to stand out now, they would be ming themselves.

    After the officials left, I didn¡¯t tell my father about my worries. Under his questioning gaze, I simply said I was here to ask about the Evaria Family¡¯s punishment results. Now that the dust had settled, I had nothing more to ask.

    Seeing that I had returned, Dorothy asked for my father¡¯s opinion. I told him about my father and the ministers¡¯ decision to deal with the Evaria Family and that I already had an idea.

    ¡®We¡¯re all together for good or bad. The Evaria Family ends up like this, and so will we.¡± I said, ¡°If I turned a blind eye to the Evaria Family from now on, we will not be prepared when the demons attack. Blood and death will be inevitable. Since that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t I grab the clues I can find now and work hard to find a way out for me and everyone else?

    ¡°You might die if you do it, but you¡¯ll definitely die if you don¡¯t. It¡¯s a simple multiple-choice question.¡±

    I ordered the Intelligence Department and mobile patrols to monitor the Evaria Family closely. Not long after, another piece of news reached me first.

    Benson¡¯s investigation had a lead.

 Chapter 493 - 493 Loyalty

    493 Loyalty

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Benson found a homeless woman named Julie. After some investigation, he was convinced that Julie had worked part-time as a servant in the manor for a short period of time. However, the strange thing was that no investigation had mentioned her; not then, not now.

    Moreover, it seemed everyone had forgotten that such a woman had once worked in the manor. Not to mention Julie¡¯s former colleagues, even she herself hadpletely forgotten that period.

    All the people who had been investigated had forgotten about Julie, so no investigation involved her.

    This was obviously strange. Julie was a lunatic, and the manor obviously would not hire a lunatic as a servant, so Julie must have gone crazy after she left her job.

    However, her records in the manor had also beenpletely erased. If not for the fact that she was still wearing the servant¡¯s uniform, even Benson would not have been able to find any clues.

    Who was it that wanted toy their hands on a servant, and what was the point of eliminating her? Could Julie be rted to La¡¯s death?

    Benson was certain she had something to do with the incident twenty years ago, and my intuition told me so.

    There was another suspicious thing about Julie. Julie remembered that several people like Benson hade to investigate her. ording to her vague description, they were probably members of the Intelligence Department.

    But when I asked them about it, they said in unison that they had never seen Julie. No one was in the manor except for an old man guarding the door.

    Unless Julie was a ghost, and Benson happened to see a ghost, someone must have done something to the intelligence agents. It was basically impossible to bribe them. The Intelligence Department had thoroughly investigated their internal affairs but still couldn¡¯t find any evidence of bribery.

    There was only one possibility: someone had somehow erased their memories of Julie, just like how they had erased the memories of the people who had been rted to the manor.

    There was a high possibility that the same person or forcemitted the crime.

    The first thing I thought of was the Woof Anca Family. They immediately tactfully restrained themselves after the Evaria Family copsed like a copsing mountain, even though this had something to do with the beating I gave them before.

    Due to my suspicions, the Woof Anca Family was again in the limelight. This time, not only them but many institutions under their name or funded by them, especially those rted to witchcraft or supernatural powers, were also under strict interrogation.

    This caused this seemingly strong but actually weak n to be filled with fear. They had already lost all the power in the imperial court and could not obtain any information. As a result, they could only anxiouslye to me and beg for mercy.

    Casti Woof Anca. We hadn¡¯t seen each other for a few months since he was summoned. That little wimp who had once spoken wildly at my wedding had already grown into a tall and slender noble youth. That doll-like pretty face of his should have been extremely likable before the elders, but the uncontroble panic made him look bitter.

    He trembled as he kissed my hand, then half-sat on the sofa, as if ten assassins were hiding behind my screen, ready to rush out at any time and chop him into a pulp of flesh, and he was ready to jump out of the window and escape.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. No one else is in the room beside you and me, and I know why you¡¯vee to me.¡± I asked, ¡°Did you follow my instructions?¡±

    Casti trembled and said weakly, ¡°Yes, Your Highness. Per your instructions, I¡¯ve contacted everyone in the Evaria Family I can contact. From what I¡¯ve observed, there¡¯s nothing different about them. If I have to say something, it¡¯s that they¡¯re like a group of roosters who lost a fight. Everyone¡¯s gloomy and depressed as if going to the countryside could take their lives.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no one suspicious?¡±

    I deliberately looked at him deeply, and as expected, this shallow kid began to panic. He furrowed his brows and sucked in his cheeks tightly. He seemed to be thinking hard but also seemed to be hesitating.

    He had suspicions about some things or people, but he was hesitating whether to tell me.

    He knew the consequences of hiding it from me, but he still intended to hide it. Casti wasn¡¯t a bold person. Even being alone in a room with me made him feel like he was sitting on pins and needles. What gave him the courage to resist me?

    What was it worth for a stupid boy who had just turned twenty and had no ambitions to do this?

    I didn¡¯t think anything other than ¡®friendship¡¯ could give a boy of this age more courage.

    The person or thing he was hiding was rted to his ¡®friend¡¯ in the Evaria Family, or it might even be that ¡®friend¡¯ themselves.

    I didn¡¯t want to torture this poor boy anymore, so I asked directly, ¡°Let me guess. Perhaps that person from the Evaria Family is more important to you than I thought, so much so that you¡¯re willing to bet your life and even the future of your entire family to hide it from me.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Casti was so shocked that he could no longer maintain the polite posture he had forced himself to maintain. He lost hisposure and fell back onto the sofa.

 Chapter 494 - 494 A Young Child

    494 A Young Child

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I was right.

    Casti couldn¡¯t help but tremble. I could even hear the sound of his teeth chattering. The boypletely broke down because of an ambiguous question. Tears welled in his eyes as if he was about to cry the next second.

    I was a little helpless about this because most of the men I¡¯d met in my life weren¡¯t like Casti. Compared to the arrogant and despotic boy he was when he was young, this boy was now more like a delicate little rabbit. Even the slightest movement could hurt his fragile heart.

    For example, right now, I was afraid he¡¯d burst into tears the next second, and if word got out, it¡¯d look like I was bullying the weak.

    The thing that I was most worried about still happened. Casti began to sob uncontrobly. Large teardrops fought to escape from his eyes, leaving puddles of water on the light green brocade mat.

    ¡°I swear to the goddess, I have no intention of hiding anything,¡± the child cried and spoke like a duck. ¡°I did my best to follow your instructions. I really didn¡¯t find anything unusual. Be it my family or the Evaria Family, there¡¯s nothing. I was too useless, Your Highness, please forgive me, please forgive me!¡±

    I helplessly handed him a few tissues. ¡°Alright, alright. If you don¡¯t have it, then you don¡¯t have it. Why are you crying? You¡¯re really not like a man.¡±

    Due to my sarcastic words, Casti cried even harder.

    Fortunately, his tears came and went quickly. Seeing that I had been silent, he carefully put away those spring-like tears and nervously curled up in the corner of the sofa furthest away from me as if he was afraid of provoking me for any reason.

    I didn¡¯t want to spend any more time with this boy made of ss. I told him to continue doing what I told him to do and let him go.

    Dorothy happened to be waiting for me. When she saw that Casti had left quickly, like a rabbit escaping from a tiger¡¯s den, she asked in confusion, ¡°He seems to be crying. I hope there won¡¯t be any strange rumors spreading the next day.¡±

    Even though she said that, the way she looked at me was already very strange.

    ¡°It was just a routine question,¡± I replied grumpily. ¡°The child¡¯s mental strength is too weak.¡±

    Dorothy shrugged and changed the topic.

    ¡°About the wolf cub and the other child¡¯s examination reports.¡± She handed me two stacks of documents. ¡°The child has entered a stable growth period. Lester said he won¡¯t have any more premature growth for now.¡±

    The wolf cub¡¯s current appearance had already grown to the age of a two-year-old child. It could crawl and walk and could also speak some simple words. It seemed no different from any ordinary two-year-old child.

    The child was still genderless, but there was no hormonal disorder. Lester and the others believed the so-called human form was just a temporary choice of the wolf cub¡¯s form. Based on what I told them, the wolf cub would experience a few more transformations in the future, so we couldn¡¯t simply look at the wolf cub with human standards.

    As for young Sunflower, his situation was much simpler. He was a pure, ordinary baby, a toddler, no different from any other child.

    Other than the fact that he had grown to the size of a two-year-old in his mother¡¯s womb, this healthy and strong child had saved a lot of effort for medical care, and he had never experienced any more excessive growth.

    I didn¡¯t have to worry about the children¡¯s health, but another thing came up: the people were curious about my child, whom they had long heard of. It had been two years since the wolf cub was born, and the outside world might spread rumors that something had happened to the child. This was not a good thing for social stability and the royal family¡¯s image.

    In addition, since I¡¯d decided to adopt little Sunflower, what identity should I give him? The royal family¡¯s side branches were withered, and I had no reliable rtives on my mother¡¯s side. I couldn¡¯t even use the title of ¡®rtive¡¯s child¡¯ if I wanted to.

    However, it was not yet time for the children to show up. At the very least, Aldrich was still carrying out his ¡®top secret mission¡¯. Before his ¡®return¡¯, this could be put on hold. After all, it was not good for the child¡¯s father to be absent.

    Speaking of this, Aldrich¡¯s current situation made me increasingly worried.

    The Evaria Family could not provide the antidote because the bottle of poisoned wine was not made by them but by the cultists.

    The other ingredients were fine, but the evil power contained in the wine made us helpless. This power became a curse after Aldrich drank it. New Flow could only devour power with form but could not do anything to invisible things. Even the most experienced and knowledgeable werewolf grandmasters were helpless against the curse personally cast by a demon.

    ¡°It¡¯s a very ancient curse,¡± Master Mary said bluntly. ¡°It¡¯s apletely lost ancient curse. Given its unique form, I¡¯m unsure if it can be identified as a ¡®curse¡¯ by current standards. I believe that other than the demon himself, there is a high probability that no one else can remove it.¡±

    This was practically a death sentence for Aldrich.

 Chapter 495 - 495 Suicide

    495 Suicide

    Benson Walton¡¯s POV:

    Someone was watching me. He or they were well-hidden, but I still found them.

    This seemingly invisible stalker had appeared without me realizing it after I came into contact with Julie. After I confirmed Julie¡¯s identity, the stalker seemed to be a little impatient.

    Sometimes it was a middle-aged man reading a newspaper in an open-air coffee shop, sometimes, it was an olddy who brought her little granddaughter to buy ice cream. I could even feel a faint sense of prying from a stray dog or sparrow.

    At first, I thought I was under too much pressure and hallucinating, but intuition in our line of work was always important. Someone was watching me, and there were many of them, but strangely, there were no traces.

    This was almost impossible. No matter howrge the power was, it was impossible to infiltrate every corner of society. It was not like a TV drama. To be able to do this, it was either the officialpany or the entire Golden Bell Pack that some force had swallowed up.

    There was no need for the officials to monitor me. I¡¯d directly contact the princess in the pce. The possibility of the Golden Bell Pack turning on them was even lower. After all, ever since the Woof Anca Family fell, the prosperity of the past was only maintained with the support of the Lycan King.

    So, who was monitoring me?

    Under my persistent persuasion, Julie finally agreed to leave the dpidated manor and go to the sanctuary with me. As a crazy blind old man, Julie was surprisingly easy to deal with when she was not sick.

    She sat before the window all day and basked in the sunlight with her muddy eyes. Even her aging wrinkles did not change. The staff told me that Julie didn¡¯t like to sleep. Sometimes, while on night patrol, she was shocked that the olddy was still sitting on the chair by the bed and looking at the muddy night sky.

    Julie didn¡¯t like to sleep at night. She didn¡¯t say anything. I believed it was because the dark terrorized her, and she could only stay awake to protect herself.

    What made her so afraid? This was probably rted to the incident more than twenty years ago.

    It was easy to investigate the first half of Julie¡¯s life. She was born into an ordinary family. Her parents divorced because of a broken rtionship and eloped, and Julie became an orphan living under the roof of a rtive.

    She dropped out of school at the age of fifteen and moved out of an aunt¡¯s house to make a living on her own. She had worked as a waitress, a night driver, a cleaner, and so on.

    However, there was a suddenck of information in the second half of her life. The blurry information only included her registration form at the homeless rescue center, the hospital¡¯s psychological examination report, and a few social charity news that had little to do with her.

    There was no record of what Julie had done or why she had gone crazy, just like any homeless man in the world who had been forgotten in society.

    But no matter who had erased Julie¡¯s existence, he didn¡¯t do a good job. A clear loophole was right in front of me.

    No matter how reliable the man thought his method of erasing Julia¡¯s memory was, the uniform of the manor¡¯s servant became an inexplicable doubt. Following the clues, I could easily outline Julie¡¯s general work trajectory from the nk borders in the memories of the servants, gardeners, and others.

    She had worked in this manor for a while and had not left even after La¡¯s death.

    Everyone else was fine except for Julie, who had turned out like this. She must have had a very close rtionship with La¡¯s death. It was very likely that she had seen the murderer, or she was an aplice who had been bribed to kill La, and then she was ¡®dealt with¡¯ by her worried client.

    However, no matter the situation, killing her was the safest way. Why did that person or force let Julie go? Was he naive enough to think that the world¡¯s forgotten past could be wless?

    And why was I fine? If the people who came to investigate had their memories erased, they had no reason to let me go.

    This situation was getting stranger and stranger. I knew that there was no point in staying any longer. It was time to bring Julie back to my Lycan pack and report on my mission.

    However, just as I decided to leave, an unexpected ident disrupted all my ns and guesses.

    Julie was dead. While the caretaker was preparing dinner, she hung herself on the balcony with a sheet.

    When I saw Julie¡¯s dangling legs outside the balcony, I realized I couldn¡¯t leave. Whether Juliemitted suicide or was killed, I couldn¡¯t just roll back to the Lycan pack and tell Selma I had found nothing.

    The forensic report came out soon. There was no trace of resistance, no hidden poison or knockout powder. Julie hadmitted suicide.

    This confused me.

    A lunatic, no matter what she did, it would not be surprising. However, the timing of Julie¡¯s suicide was very suspicious. I told herst night that I would take her to the Lycan pack, and shemitted suicide today.

    Did I give Julie a bad feeling unconsciously? Or was it because Julie was unwilling to go to the Lycan pack for some reason? Did that reason make her so afraid that even death was nothing?

 Chapter 496 - 496 The Mystery Of The Dead

    496 The Mystery Of The Dead

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The Evaria Family held a funeral, and the main character was a man who was not even forty years old. To the outside world, he was the nephew of Sir Evaria.

    However, after I found out about my ancestor¡¯s ndestine love affair, I sent someone to investigate the Evaria Family¡¯s current bloodline and confirmed that this man was the descendant of the illegitimate child.

    Less than a week after the fall of the Evaria Family, the son of the illegitimate child died of illness. I vaguely felt their eagerness to seize the throne had something to do with this sickly invalid¡¯s illness but ended up with nothing.

    The dead man was well-protected by the Evaria Family. It was reasonable to say that he must have had something to do with the girls treated as breeding machines, but no investigation found any trace of him, as if he was not the sperm provider.

    His death was another huge blow to the Evaria Family. After the funeral, the family seemed to have finally epted their fate. They no longer tried to stall for time with all kinds of underhanded tricks. They ran to their fief with their remaining forces as if they were dead. They had the momentum of living their lives out.

    The night before they left the Lycan pack, Casti had sneakily gone to the huge manor that had once belonged to the Evaria Family to meet someone.

    I wanted to know who could make this weak and timid boy dare disobey my orders, so I told the people monitoring him to keep quiet and follow behind him to observe quietly.

    The surveint was one of my subordinates, an experienced and capable secret agent of the Intelligence Department.

    I had no doubt about his ability, but the news he sent back surprised me ¨C two children had actually found him, and one of them seemed to be trying to use some kind of ability to control his mind.

    However, he didn¡¯t know that this person had already be my kin, so his spiritual world didn¡¯tpletely belong to him, so he could stay awake despite some struggles.

    The child immediately ran away after his failure, leaving only Casti to be captured. Casti seemed to have suffered some kind of severe mental shock. He had a high fever and remained unconscious. He would asionally convulse and say some crazy nonsense. He had not woken up yet.

    ¡°You¡¯re saying the boy tried to control you and almost seeded?¡± I confirmed again.

    ¡°Yes.¡± The secret agent lowered his head in shame. ¡°I tried to resist, but my willpower seemed to have no effect. If it wasn¡¯t for your help, I think the boy would have seeded. I would have be a walking corpse and hide all the secrets I have seen from you.¡±

    Mind control... The Evaria Family...

    I immediately thought of young Sunflower. This child had a terrifying power to control people¡¯s minds while still in his mother¡¯s womb. Could this be not a mutated individual but the power of a bloodline that had been secretly passed down?

    I¡¯d have my secret agents temporarily detain Casti and pay close attention to his condition. To inform me immediately when he regained consciousness.

    As for the Woof Anca Family, I immediately sent someone to inform them that their beloved youngest son had a close rtionship with the rebel¡¯s descendant. I didn¡¯t even have to say anything, and this opportunist family, who was used to taking advantage of the situation, obediently shut their mouths.

    The nanny brought little Sunflower and the wolf cub to y in the garden in front of the Sunflower House. The children¡¯sughter was innocent and pure, but it could not calm my tightly furrowed brows and the waves in my heart.

    I had always thought that little Sunflower was the descendant of the sickly man who had died, but the unique power of this child made me doubt my previous idea.

    Was that boy rted to young Sunflower?

    Could my spections have always been wrong? Young Sunflower was the brother of that mysterious boy or... His son?

    However, the only descendant of that illegitimate child was the dead sickly man. Why would the Evaria Family have so much trouble raising an ordinary descendant? It couldn¡¯t be that they had all gone crazy and used this to deceive themselves, right?

    A few days had passed, and Casti had yet to wake up. The doctor believed that continuous epilepsy anda had caused a very serious burden on Casti¡¯s body. If this continued, he would die in less than a month.

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing this is beyond the scope of medical treatment, Your Highness,¡± said Craig. ¡°This is obviously not something that can be done by mental problems caused by psychological or pathological causes.¡±

    Master Kevin was also not optimistic about this.

    Misfortunes nevere alone. Before they were resolved, another ident happened on Benson¡¯s side. Julie was dead. She hadmitted suicide.

    The sudden disappearance of the clues annoyed me, but at the same time, it also reminded me of another direction ¨C what a d¨¦j¨¤ vu Julie¡¯s encounter was. It was an inexplicable memory loss as if everyone¡¯s memory of her had been wiped out overnight. This was an obvious form of mind control.

    With regard to this, I once again ced my suspicions on the Evaria Family.

    Perhaps the Woof Anca Family was involved in this, but who said they couldn¡¯t be a shield?

    Since there was someone in the Evaria Family who could control minds, and they had once had a good rtionship with the Woof Anca Family, it was not impossible for these two ambitious schemers to join forces.

 Chapter 497 - 497 Being A Wife And A Mother

    497 Being A Wife And A Mother

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Two days after I detained Casti, the Woof Anca Family finally sent someone to see me.

    Casti¡¯s mother, Madam Woof Anca, had a terrified expression. Her family must have advised her before she came, but that could not stop a mother from worrying about her child.

    ¡°Greetings, Your Highness.¡± She trembled as she lifted her skirt, but suddenly, her legs gave way, and she fell onto the soft carpet. This frightened her, and she tried to get up in a hurry.

    However, the gorgeous emerald buttons on her high heels hooked onto the cashmere carpet, causing the well-dresseddy to lie on the ground in a sorry posture.

    Mrs. Woof Anca apologized to me in a hurry and tried to untie the thread entangled with the shoe buckle with a wry smile. However, her trembling hands made everything difficult.

    After a few unsessful attempts, thedy cried. She tried her best to maintain a smile, but tears kept flowing out of her eyes, leaving traces of the foundation on her pale face.

    I supported thedy and called the servant outside to help her escape. Madam Woof Anca acted like a ball of messy cashmere and repeatedly apologized to me for her disgraceful behavior.

    ¡°Don¡¯t take it to heart, Madam. It just so happens that I intend to have someone change this carpet. If I had known earlier, I would have done it earlier.¡±

    Iforted her gently, even though we both knew the problem had nothing to do with the carpet.

    Just like Jordin, Madam Woof Anca was born into a traditional aristocratic family. She was ranked in the middle of her siblings. Her appearance was not outstanding, and she did not show any amazing talent in any aspect, so she was naturally ignored by her parents.

    After graduating from university, she immediately married into the Woof Anca Family, ording to her parents¡¯ arrangements. Her husband was the youngest son of the family head. The pampered, uneducated, and ipetent second generation made this quiet, submissive, traditional noblewoman destined not to enjoy any love.

    Her only spiritual sustenance was her son, Casti. The head of the family loved Casti as the youngest son of his youngest son. Madam Woof Anca carefully protected all of this, as if she feared that her son would follow her and embark on a dull, endless, painful life.

    Her life was like a pool of still water that could be seen at a nce, and the Intelligence Department did not even encounter any resistance when it came to collecting information.

    As such, I could understand her anxiety and loss of self-control. If anything were to happen to Casti, I did not doubt that this pitiful mother would immediately follow her child into the embrace of death.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disturb you, Your Highness.¡± Madam Woof Anca carefully put down her teacup and always observed my expression. ¡°I should havee to see you earlier, but you¡¯re busy with state affairs, so I couldn¡¯t disturb you. Please forgive me for my rudeness.¡±

    Such refined aristocratic behavior always gave me a headache. I didn¡¯t have much time to waste on her, so I got straight to the point. ¡°I understand why you¡¯re here, Madam. He loyally carried out the tasks I gave him. I¡¯m satisfied and grateful for that.

    ¡°I let him stay in the pce to recuperate because he was identally injured in an incident. I think I have an obligation to provide some medical convenience to the people who work for me, so I let him stay in the pce temporarily. I promise he¡¯ll be well taken care of, so you don¡¯t have to worry.¡±

    Madam Woof Anca¡¯s eyes suddenly turned red. She seemed to want to say something, but in the end, she could only stammer, ¡°Then... Can I see him? This is merely a humble request from a mother. Your Highness, I haven¡¯t seen Casti for many days.¡±

    I remained silent for a few seconds before firmly shaking my head.

    Mrs. Woof Anca gasped for breath as if her heart was about to burst. She clutched her chest and lowered her head, but she couldn¡¯t help but let her tears fall on the fabric of the dress, making the glistening expensive fabric wet and dull.

    I promised again, ¡°I¡¯ll let Casti return home when he recuperates. I understand your concern, Madam. No mother can not worry about her child for even a second. But I don¡¯t think Casti would want you to see him lying in bed, right? He would me himself if he knew his mother was crying for him.¡±

    Mrs. Woof Anca obediently took the tissue I handed over but used her handkerchief to wipe the tears on her face. Her makeup was already mottled, and without the cover of makeup, this woman, who was nearly 50 years old, finally revealed a trace of fatigue and old age that belonged to her age.

    ¡°I understand, Your Highness.¡± Mrs. Woof Anca nodded while sobbing. ¡°I think we don¡¯t have to waste our breaths. What about you? Do you have anything you want me to bring back?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but sigh at how terrifying the education of the nobles was. Even such a weak woman who grew up under neglect and suppression still had such a sensitive political sense.

    It was as if her emotions and rationality could be clearly separated into two independent individuals in her body, and her sadness did not stop her from being a qualified messenger.

 Chapter 498 - 498 Imprisonment And Freedom

    498 Imprisonment And Freedom

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    This was an enviable quality in the vanity fair.

    ¡°Thank you for your visit, Madam.¡± At this point, I should also put on the air. ¡°Your words and deeds make me feel familiar. If you want to, pleasee to the pce more often in the future. I don¡¯t mean to deprive you of the right to be a good wife and mother, but I only ask that you spare a little time for me when you¡¯re not caring for the family.¡±

    Madam Woof Anca nodded respectfully. ¡°I¡¯m honored by your grace, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°I vaguely remember that your husband¡¯s family had disputes with the Evaria Family. Fortunately, the evildoers have already received their retribution, so you don¡¯t have to fear their arrogant, domineering attitude and pervasive revenge.¡±

    Her fingers trembled slightly, but I ignored them. ¡°Time can always wash away everything, as long as you¡¯re willing to make up for your past mistakes. It doesn¡¯t matter if it was a week, a month, or... twenty years, right?¡±

    Madam Woof Anca left with weak steps, and Kara shook her head. ¡°This is a pitifuldy.¡±

    I looked up at her with interest. ¡°Do you understand her too?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard some of it,¡± Kara said. ¡°When I was young, the Queen liked to gather the girls of the noble families into the pce to hold banquets. I was still a low-ranking servant who served tea and poured water then. I came and went between the guests, and after a while, I heard some rumors about thisdy.

    ¡°She had just married Mr. Woof Anca, but can you imagine? A girl in her early twenties. On her wedding night, her husband, who was not a good-for-nothing, introduced her to three illegitimate children. The eldest one is even in primary school.

    ¡°People say that this marriage is just a deal. The old Viscount of Dark Night Mountain used his youngest daughter to exchange for the support of the Woof Anca Family, while the Marquess of Anca used a little help from the officialdom to exchange his youngest son, who was unable to find a wife at the age of thirty, for an arm candy with an impable background and character.

    ¡°Thisdy was a hot topic in social events for a long time because three months after she married, her husband brought home a pair of one-year-old twins. That day, Madam Woof Anca entertained a guest, and her husband used his illegitimate child to trample on her dignity.

    ¡°After that, the two lived separately. After eight or nine years, they had a child, the one lying in the ward. However, young Mr. Woof Anca did not like this son very much. There were even rumors that Casti was not his child but Madam Woof Anca¡¯s illegitimate child. However, who knew if that b*stard was ndering his wife? After all, his wife is chaste and quiet, while he has illegitimate children everywhere.¡±

    These things were all mentioned in the investigation report. However,pared to the cold and concise words, Kara¡¯s description gave me a better understanding of the trivialities of this family.

    ¡°So the husband and wife had aplete fallout. Mr. Woof Anca and his lover started a new family outside.¡± I nced past the thick stack of documents on the desk. The investigation on Casti and his parents was lying on a few of them.

    ¡°Who could say otherwise?¡± Kara suddenly sighed. ¡°The Woof Anca Family was once a famous family that everyone praised. It has only been a few years, but it has be aughingstock used to liven up the atmosphere at the table.¡±

    The prosperity of a family might require the persistent efforts of several or even more than a dozen generations, but it was so easy to lead it to its downfall.

    Building a building took thirty years, but it copsed in an instant.

    After that, I dealt with some work and checked on the children¡¯s condition. Then, I went to a secret vi.

    This was private property under my name and had never been made public. Even my parents had never asked about it. After the Evaria Family¡¯s copse, Emma, who was no longer a suspect, could finally leave the secret prison.

    However, the outside world¡¯s condemnation of the Evaria Family was far from over. At this point in time, I couldn¡¯t let Emma go to the front to take the public¡¯s anger on behalf of her rtives who had gone to the countryside, so I temporarily settled her in this private vi.

    After I was released from prison, Emma told me she was in a daze about everything that had happened.

    ¡°It¡¯s like a dream. Just a moment ago, I was still the King¡¯s secretary in training with a bright future. But the next second, I woke up from the dream. I walked out of the prison gate with nothing on me. It was like twenty years of being at the top of society was just an illusory fantasy.

    ¡°But I don¡¯t think losing all of this is a pity. I don¡¯t like that feudal and old family, and I don¡¯t have any attachment to that job that many people have forced on me. Instead, I felt relieved and even grateful for all of this. In the past, I¡¯ve made up my mind many times to cut off the ropes that bound me to where I am, but every time, I find an excuse for myself. Family, power, responsibility, everything has toe first... I only have to step back.

    ¡°Now that external forces have helped me cut off all of this, I no longer need to find excuses for myself painstakingly. I¡¯m finally free.¡±

 Chapter 499 - 499 The Confiding

    499 The Confiding

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Emma refused to return to her previous position. She looked at me apologetically but firmly. ¡°That¡¯s not my ce, Selma. I can¡¯t feel freedom and would suffer there. I¡¯ve tried my best, but I¡¯ve only barely passed. To assist you, just passing is not enough. There will be someone more suitable to take my ce. I can¡¯t be selfish and not let go.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s now how it¡¯s like.¡± I shook my head, hoping to make her stay. ¡°No one can do this well from the beginning. Even I have made countless childish mistakes. Don¡¯t belittle yourself, Emma. You¡¯re improving, and we¡¯ve all seen it. You¡¯ve been doing very well by my father¡¯s side, right?¡±

    Emma smiled gently. ¡°But you and I both know that there¡¯s a limit to this kind of progress. My upper limit is there. Mediocre is the best evaluation for me. Besides, although you and I don¡¯t say anything, we both know: My family name has determined that I can¡¯t go far.

    ¡°I know you have never med me, Selma, but this does not mean that others will not be self-righteous and try to figure out your feelings. Can you forgive me? Can anyone else tolerate a descendant of the Evaria Family? Would the people want to see a murderer¡¯s offspring stand by the side of the King and the future Queen of the Lycan kingdom?¡±

    I looked at her sorrowfully, this intelligent, gentle, and strong woman. She stepped onto a shooting star and, after a brief moment of light and heat in the night, fell into the deep sea, never to return to the clear sky.

    It wasn¡¯t until Emma wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes that I realized I was crying unconsciously.

    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing for me,¡± Emma said. ¡°There will be fewer eyes staring at me, and no one will use those boring tricks to get rid of me. I can pursue things I couldn¡¯t get in the first half of my life, such as studying painting at an art university, bing an artist, and even being invited back to teach at school. When I think of this, I feel extremely excited and proud. This is the life I want, Selma.¡±

    ¡°Just this?¡± I asked, choking with sobs.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s all. Be it the title of nobility or wealth, I¡¯ve experienced enough glory and wealth in the first half of my life. I¡¯ve had enough of the pain of being controlled by these things. Now, I¡¯m going to start my own life.¡±

    ¡°As you wish, my dear.¡± I nodded after a long silence.

    I didn¡¯t harp on this issue; instead, I started talking about Rhode.

    Rhode rejected the proposal to cancel the engagement. I said, ¡°Although I didn¡¯t say anything as you said, he still guessed that this was rted to your family. He doesn¡¯t want to give up on you for no reason. He wants to see you and ask you what you really want.¡±

    Emma was a little flustered. ¡°What¡¯s there to see... Now that things havee to this, there¡¯s no way we can be together. Selma, your brother cannot marry the descendant of a sinful officer. You know what kind of storm this will cause among the people. And I can¡¯t marry your brother. This is a dangerous signal. My family will have unrealistic hope again, bringing countless troubles we don¡¯t want to see.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a possibility. I¡¯m only asking you, do you still love Rhode? If you didn¡¯t have all the concerns you mentioned, would you still be willing to marry Rhode?¡±

    Emma fell silent. She rubbed her skirt uneasily, frowning, and her unfocused eyes seemed unable to focus.

    ¡°... Even if I¡¯m still in love with Rhode, I can¡¯t-¡±

    ¡°Nothing is impossible, my dear. I only want one word from you. Do you love him or not?¡± I said firmly, ¡°Marriage is very important but also very simple. It¡¯s only rted to the bride and groom. Other factors are not important at all. There¡¯s always a way to solve it.¡±

    Tears rolled in Emma¡¯s eyes, but she bit her lip and tried not to cry.

    ¡°Yes, I still love Rhode. I still love him. There¡¯s not a day that I don¡¯t miss him.¡±

    Tears finally fell from Emma¡¯s eyes, and behind her nonchnt appearance was a deep pain. How could a girl who yearned for freedom and romance give up her love so easily? She was suppressing her desire, afraid that such feelings would once again bring misfortune to the people around her.

    However, I knew that this wasn¡¯t her fault. She was a pitiful person who had been used and implicated. She had already suffered enough coldness in her life. If she also lost her love, would she still be able to live a sunny and romantic life with her ice-cold heart?

    I should do something. As a friend and monarch, I couldn¡¯t just watch Emma regret it for the rest of her life.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t tell you beforehand, but...¡±

    I walked to the door and gently turned the doorknob.

    ¡°Since you can¡¯t let go, why don¡¯t you meet Rhode and tell him your thoughts?¡±

    The door was gently opened, and Rhode was standing outside with tears streaming down his face.

 Chapter 500 - 500 An Extension

    500 An Extension

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I left some space for Rhode and Emma before leaving.

    It was enough to let them confide in each other. I would only be embarrassing myself if I stayed there.

    It was already the end of October, and the weather had already begun to turn cold. I asked the driver to drive me around my Lycan pack, and I looked at the scenery through the window.

    The storm of public opinion caused by the Evaria Family had gradually subsided. The newspaper¡¯s front page had long been upied by other news, and the public no longer criticized the family at the table or on the streets.

    I saw a poster of the Association of Missing Persons on the board. After exposure to the sun, the color began to fade and be tattered.

    Everything was on the right track, and nothing could change this world¡¯sws. Be it good or bad, food, clothing, housing, and transportation were the eternal truths of the people.

    And I needed to protect these and not let anyone or anything destroy the peaceful lives of the people.

    The monitoring on the Evaria Family¡¯s side did not yield any results, but there was news from the elves. The exchange students, little elves, should have finished their studies. They were supposed to return to the elves in early October.

    However, the new government sent a brief message, hoping to extend the time for these children to study abroad, and they would cover all the expenses.

    Even though the Crown Prince had been executed, the internal strife would not stop just because of the fall of a certain power. The Great Elder resigned from his position, and the president, Sirius, obtained the opportunity to control the Elven Capital City as he wished.

    Although he wasn¡¯t a great character, he governed the country well. Putting aside theplicated reform process, in the short span of a year, the Elven Capital City, which had suffered a great loss in vitality, had rapidly recovered. The people lived and worked in peace and contentment, and the negative effects of the disaster were dispelled as quickly as possible.

    This led to the development of the Vatican region, and for a time, the new government had a very good reputation among the elven race.

    Unfortunately, the public¡¯s opinion couldn¡¯t affect the other forces¡¯ dislike of the new government. After a few rounds of a game that outsiders couldn¡¯t see, the elves finally split.

    The temporary western alliance first announced that it would break away from the new government¡¯s control and establish an autonomous union, no longer subject to the new government¡¯s rule. After that, the southern border area also became restless. It seemed that they did not take the order of the new government seriously. Without permission, some cities and states openly moved into the four cities of Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter, which had be dead cities. They had the intention of taking the opportunity to expand their territory.

    On the other hand, things were still peaceful in the north. I still kept in touch with Gand City through my personal rtionship. Although the mayor of Gand City asionallyined that the new government was oppressing the nobles and lords too much, he didn¡¯t seem to intend to start a new business.

    The president was a reformist, so after he came to power, he strongly advocated reform to weaken the power of the nobles and lords so that more ordinary people coulde to the stage.

    Although he still used the power given to him by the unconscious Elf King in name, the name and official seal used in the public documentspletely belonged to the new government, and there was no trace of the Elf King.

    However, after a year of observation, I noticed that the new government had promoted manyrge merchants and financial groups without any titles to join the government, while the ordinary people merely shouted their slogans loudly.

    It seemed that the reform was not so thorough. Rather than saying that he wanted to break the situation of blood-rted politics, it was better to say that he understood that it was difficult for him to get much support from the nobles and lords, so he supported the giant merchants and rich people to fight against the old forces.

    As for these exchange students, most of them were orphans, and only a few of them were of noble birth. I didn¡¯t understand why the new government would find an excuse to banish them. A group of ten-year-old children couldn¡¯t rise and drag him down, right?

    After a few rounds of probing, the new government was still unwilling to let the exchange students go home. Of course, I could force them to go back. They were not my people, and it was only natural for the elves to return to the elves.

    However, I wasn¡¯t sure what kind of treatment these helpless orphans would receive when they returned, so after signing the disimer agreement, I agreed to extend the study period for exchange students.

    As the representative of the exchange students, Amario attended the signing of the agreement. He looked indifferently at his country¡¯s diplomat, who seemed to have thrown away a hot potato and used a piece of paper to exile them from their hometown. He showed a kind of indifference that did not match his age.

    I then went to inspect the exchange student¡¯s residence.

    It was a coincidence that these children were studying at Sivir Academy, my alma mater. The male and female dormitories were in different dormitories.

    The young elves were living together with the children of the werewolves. ording to my observations, there had been no vicious bullying incidents in school.

    I had dinner with the elves. Before I left, Amario suddenly said to me, ¡°Your Highness, can we still go home?¡±

    I looked at him and the little elves behind him. Their faces were filled with fear and uneasiness, like little puppies that had been abandoned on a rainy day.

    ¡°Yes, children.¡± I nodded firmly. ¡°When you finish your studies, you can return home and contribute to your people.¡±

 Chapter 501 - Chapter 501: A New Life

    Chapter 501: A New Life

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I didn¡¯t know what Emma and Rhode had talked about. When I asked him, he only replied destely, ¡°I respect her choice.¡±

    I knew that everything was over.

    Emma boarded the ne to the Spring Rain Pack on a cool autumn morning alone. When we parted, we hugged each other. I said, ¡°I wish you all the best, Emma.¡±

    Emma chuckled and disappeared at the boarding gate.

    ¡°Maybe we should try harder,¡± Dorothy said regretfully. ¡°No matter what.¡±

    ¡°But all of this is Emma¡¯s choice, we have no right to interfere.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Whether she stays or leaves, I only hope she can find true happiness.¡±

    Rhode didn¡¯t stay long and returned to the Shadow Pack the second day after Emma left. There were still endless government affairs waiting for him to deal with, and there was not much time left for him to be sad.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened to General Aldrich, but if you need anything, I¡¯ll be here, Selma.¡±

    ¡°What do you know?¡± I was a little shocked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything. This is just my guess,¡± Rhode said. ¡°You¡¯re a mature and meticulous person, my sister, but you can¡¯t hide your thoughts from your close friends. If General Aldrich were going to carry out a secret mission, you would directly express your worry, but you wouldn¡¯t say anything about it. However, you haven¡¯t even mentioned General Aldrich once these past few days.¡±

    Bathing in Rhode¡¯s worried gaze, I could only smile bitterly and say, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Brother, I can¡¯t tell you now.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡± Rhode did not insist. He hugged me tightly. ¡°I hope everything goes well. May the goddess bless us.¡±

    October passed just like that, and time quietly slowed down to November.

    This year, the first snow came very early. One day, when I woke, the world was already covered in white. In my daze, I suddenly recalled the day when New Flow¡¯s power exploded. The pale-white, evil power was like the white snow, firmly wrapping the entire pce under its body.

    I couldn¡¯t help but shiver at this andpletely woke up.

    I didn¡¯t know why, but I¡¯d been listless and in a daze all day. Also, I didn¡¯t want to eat anything. It seemed my stomach was blocked by something, and the feeling of satiety was hard to ignore.

    For this reason, Craig examined me, and the result was very surprising.

    When he handed me the report, his awkward expression made me uneasy. When he announced the news dryly, I immediately stiffened on the sofa.

    ¡°You¡¯re pregnant, Your Highness.¡± It looked like he wanted to jump out of the window and escape immediately. ¡°Although it¡¯s only been a month, the test report shows you¡¯re pregnant. However, to rule out any idents, I suggest you do more tests to confirm if other diseases have disturbed your hormone secretion.¡±

    Wait a moment.

    What happened to me?

    I was pregnant?

    I looked at my abdomen in disbelief. My parents were also staring at me.

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible,¡± I heard myself say. ¡°I... I didn¡¯t betray my marriage.¡±

    He immediately put on an expression that said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin it to me. I don¡¯t want to hear it. I swear.¡± He pretended to be deaf.

    My parents immediately adjusted their expressions after the initial surprise. My mother even said, ¡°I heard you often summoned the boy from the Woof Anca Family...¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing between us! I only called him here to report what I have told him to do!¡± I felt like I was going crazy. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not confirmed that I¡¯m pregnant yet. I think it¡¯s a tumor or something. It can¡¯t be a baby!¡±

    My mother immediately showed a disapproving expression. ¡°Don¡¯t curse yourself like that, Selma. I¡¯d rather that was a child.¡±

    I immediately decided to do an ultrasound examination, or else I¡¯d be the scapegoat for no reason!

    However, the results of the examination surprised me.

    I looked at the embryo marked by the doctor in disbelief and confirmed with him repeatedly.

    I had no hope at all.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Selma. The arrival of a new life is a good thing.¡± My mother consoled me, although her expression was also difficult to exin. ¡°As for the origin of this child... That¡¯s not important, my dear. He still has the blood of the Oromalivira Family.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know how to exin it, so I only vainly emphasized, ¡°That¡¯s impossible, I haven¡¯t... How could I be pregnant? How could I...¡±

    Suddenly, a conversation in the spiritual world entered my mind. What did ¡®I¡¯ say? The current New Flow was iplete. Once I epted the power that was supposed to belong to me and fused with it, New Flow would have its consciousness sooner orter after receiving enough nutrients...

    Could this ¡®child¡¯ be the incarnation of New Flow?

 Chapter 502 - 502 Daughter

    502 Daughter

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    It turned out that my guess was very reasonable. After manyplicated examinations by Master Mary and the others, they finally confirmed, ¡°This is a unique life form, Your Highness. It¡¯s a life form made of energy. Although this child tried to improve his mimicry, this childish disguise still exposed his true identity.¡±

    ¡°Mimicry?¡±

    ¡°Yes, although it looks like it¡¯s only the size of a fingernail now, it doesn¡¯t mean that its mental development is stuck in the dyed physical development.¡±

    ¡°So, there¡¯s a mature spiritual body in me now?¡±

    ¡°I can only say that it¡¯s rtively mature. For apletely chaotic baby, I think it has already developed a weak self-consciousness.¡±

    This was a magical experience. Apletely novel mode of pregnancy. What was this mythical ¡®pregnant¡¯ feeling?

    I¡¯d been looking forward to the day when New Flow gained self-awareness, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be in such a way. However, if we were to have a mother-child rtionship, would New Flow have to call me ¡®mother¡¯ after it was born?

    After the werewolf grandmaster¡¯s exnation, my parents finally understood that the ¡®child¡¯ in me was ¡®single-sex reproduction¡¯. ¡®Thank you, goddess. I don¡¯t want to be used of having an affair!¡¯

    Then, there was another question. When would the child be born? Since the embryo form was just its mimicry, could he stimte it to change the mimicry and speed up the process? I couldn¡¯t spare any energy for the pregnancy now.

    Besides, I didn¡¯t get pregnant of my own will.

    Master Mary thought it was possible as long as I couldmunicate with this child and let him understand my thoughts. This child seemed to turn a blind eye to Master Mary and the others, and any magic test was useless. Only I, the mother who was ¡®connected¡¯ to it by blood, seemed to have a little possibility.

    But I didn¡¯t know how tomunicate with it. In the past, when I wanted to enter someone¡¯s spiritual world, I had to use New Flow¡¯s help. Now that the person I would enter was New Flow, what should I do?

    I didn¡¯t have to worry about it for long. The truth told me that I didn¡¯t have to do anything. New Flow was always connected to me.

    As if sensing my eagerness, the embryo in my womb began to develop at a rate that was tens of times faster. However, it was only elerating the maturation of its various biological organs, but it seemed to be consciouslypressing its body size.

    A weekter, after giving me a physical examination, it was concluded that the child had already developed to the level of a normal nine-month-old baby ¨C except for the size.

    Looking at the ¡®Thumbelina¡¯ on the screen, I was quite curious.

    Would I give birth to it like a normal delivery? Or would I need a C-section?

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say.¡± With this unusual child, Craig was always in a dilemma. ¡°By right, you can have a normal delivery, but your hormone level has gradually stabilized after the first few days, which is not like the standard of a pregnant woman, so it¡¯s hard for us to judge whether your uterus is ready for delivery.¡±

    His ambiguous words sounded like they came from a quack, but I knew he had done everything he could. My situation was not just rted to the medical field.

    No matter what, we¡¯d already made two preparations. With my current physical fitness, idents were unlikely unless this child were Azazel¡¯s reincarnation.

    That night, the moment ofbor came without warning. I was looking atst month¡¯s financial report when I suddenly felt a dull pain in my abdomen. With the experience from thest time, there was no resistance to this delivery. I sessfully gave birth to a five-centimeter ¡®daughter¡¯ ¨C five centimeters!

    The midwife held her and was a little at a loss. She looked at therge thermal box, then at ¡®Thumbelina¡¯ in her hand, and finally, put her in.

    The baby was also very unusual when it was born. It did not cry or make a fuss and opened its eyes early. It curiously stared at everything in the delivery room with its rice-sized eyes, showing a kind of maturity that differed from its small body.

    Lying on the bed, I still felt that all of this was amazing ¨C an inexplicable pregnancy, an inexplicable birth, and an inexplicable daughter, and all of this had only been seven days!

    My parents didn¡¯t have any objections to this sudden appearance of a granddaughter. As for the name, I didn¡¯t follow the werewolves¡¯ habit of not naming newborns. ¡°This child¡¯s name is Naiad, which symbolizes ¡®new flow¡¯. That¡¯s right, she is the New Flow we all know.¡±

    My father asked in surprise, ¡°So this child embodies your strange power? Did the power of New Flow leave your body after she was born? Will this affect you in any way?¡±

    I felt the power in my body be more active and shook my head. ¡°No, this made my connection with New Flow even closer.¡±

    Once upon a time, New Flow and I were like a cup and the water in the cup. We seemed to be one, but there was an invisible barrier between us. But now, the blood rtionship had melted that barrier. I truly felt like I had be one with New Flow, and using it was as easy as using my fingers.

 Chapter 503 - 503 Learning To Speak

    503 Learning To Speak

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    How would one take care of a five-centimeter small child? The answer was that no one knew. This strange pregnancy didn¡¯t make me produce breast milk, so the nurse held the bottle and pointed it at little finger¡¯s needle-sized mouth.

    Fortunately, Naiad didn¡¯t seem to need to eat. The child¡¯s stats had not changed since birth, maintaining a strange stability.

    Rather than saying that she was healthy, it was more urate to say that her mimicry was set to a fixed program, so it would never change. For some reason, I thought Naiad wasn¡¯t as young and ignorant as she looked. Her eyes were full of understanding.

    However, her mimicry was still immature, and her vocal cords were not developed well, so she could not say anything except cat-like meowing.

    Three dayster.

    I was currently handling some documents in my office. The ever more elusive Maxine had been unusually clingy these few days. Of course, she wasn¡¯t clingy to me. She stayed by Naiad¡¯s side, just like she stuck to the wolf cub.

    The wolf cub, who could walk a few steps unsteadily, was also very curious about his sister, who had suddenly appeared. He often pulled little Sunflower to sit beside Naiad¡¯s cradle for dozens of minutes. This was already a difficult duration for a child to concentrate.

    And today, I was just about to stamp arge seal of rejection on a jumbled-up government report when I was startled by Maxine¡¯s shout.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I subconsciously looked at her and saw her half-crouching and half-lying on the carpet. Her breathing had stopped, and her entire body was like a child¡¯s felt toy.

    ¡°It¡¯s her. It¡¯s her. Naiad,¡± Maxine stammered. ¡°Naiad... She... she¡¯s on my back!¡±

    I looked over and saw a small head the size of a cherry on Maxine¡¯s furry back. It turned out that Naiad had somehow climbed onto Maxine and grabbed two tufts of her hair as if she were riding a horse.

    I immediately walked over and tried to take Naiad down, but the child stubbornly refused to leave Maxine¡¯s body. I feared I would hurt her if I used too much strength.

    Suddenly, she said in a clear voice, ¡°Wolfie! Wolfie! It¡¯s soft and warm, don¡¯t leave!¡±

    The broken sentences made me pause momentarily, and then I cheered in surprise. ¡°You can talk! Goddess, Maxine! Naiad can speak!¡±

    Maxine was also quite surprised and wanted to turn her head around, but it was still a little difficult for her to see her own back due to the body structure of a wolf.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t wanna leave Wolfie, let¡¯s y with her differently, okay?¡± Iforted Naiad gently. ¡°She¡¯ll be in pain if you keep grabbing wolfie hair like this.¡±

    I thought Naiad understood what ¡®pain¡¯ meant. Although it was a killjoy, she had killed many people with me after all. As expected, she only thought for a moment before she let go of Maxine¡¯s fur.

    I lifted her, and Maxine rolled her into a warm wolf-shaped cushion, letting Naiad sit in her arms. The small figure was almost submerged in Maxine¡¯s thick white fur, making one feel a soft warmth in their heart.

    ¡°It¡¯s incredible,¡± Maxine said in a daze. ¡°Although you said she would develop her consciousness, I thought it was like artificial intelligence, which had to be guided by people. But look at her, this adorable little genius. We didn¡¯t even teach her anything, and she can speak!¡±

    She was even more excited than me, the real mother, and couldn¡¯t wait to lick Naiad to show her love.

    Even though I was extremely excited, I still maintained my rationality and called the doctor and the werewolf grandmasters over.

    The medical results showed that Naiad¡¯s physical condition was as good as the textbook example, and the werewolf grandmaster did not think there were any bad signs.

    ¡°Besides, we think she¡¯s growing up.¡± Master Mary was away on a business trip, so Master Hayley was in charge today. ¡°The power hook in Naiad¡¯s body is constantly fluctuating. ording to the value and past experience, this fluctuation was simr to the ¡®expansion¡¯ in witchcraft. Out of consideration for the mimicry structure, I think this is a kind of adjustment to her condition after absorbing the information from the outside world.¡±

    ¡°Information from the outside world?¡±

    ¡°Yes, mimicry is not formed out of thin air. It must have enough model references. Your Highness, think about who has been by Naiad¡¯s side the most these few days. Then, she will most likely adjust herself in a certain direction.¡±

    The people who spent the longest time with Naiad these past days...

    I was the one who personally took care of Naiad all this time. The wolf cub and little Sunflower also came to visit their little sister. My mother even wanted toe to me every half an hour to kiss her precious granddaughter. Three out of five times, my father apanied her.

    But the time was the longest...

    Maxine! These few days, she had not left Naiad alone for a single moment, and she wished she could sleep with Naiad in her arms!

    Could New Flow¡¯s final form be a wolf?

 Chapter 504 - 504 Mourning

    504 Mourning

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    As I let my thoughts run wild, I heard Master Hayley say, ¡°Of course, this reference standard is not absolute. It doesn¡¯t mean whoever spends the most time with Naiad will be her learning model. There can be many reference models. We are more inclined to believe that she will have aprehensive understanding of all the people she is familiar with since birth and use them as the basis for adjustment.¡±

    ¡®... Master, please don¡¯t take such a long breath the next time you speak.¡¯

    Although I¡¯d be much stronger after fusing with Madeline, Master Hayley and Master Kevin were still far more knowledgeable and experienced than I was. For this reason, I had to ask a grandmaster to stay and help me observe the growth of Naiad to prevent any idents.

    Master Kevin volunteered to stay in the pce. ¡°I¡¯ve taken care of the young prince before. I have some experience. Let me stay this time.¡±

    Although such a positive attitude was unlike Master Kevin¡¯s usual stiffness, I didn¡¯t think much of it and agreed.

    My parents loved Naiad very much, and my mother even carried the child to her.

    ¡°Go do what you have to do. It¡¯s so easy to be distracted with the child around. I¡¯ll help you share the burden and send her back when you¡¯re on your break at night.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t find it troublesome,¡± I said. ¡°You can take care of her as long as you like. I¡¯m happy to have my quiet.¡±

    The children that came one after another finally allowed my mother to close her eyes and catch her breath from her endless nightmares. Thus, I tried my best to create conditions for the grandmother and grandchildren to get along so my mother could enjoy her family¡¯s happiness. I was too busy with work here, so it was inevitable that I¡¯d neglect the children. They could get better and safer care with my mother.

    Maxine also left with Naiad. The sudden silence here made me feel a little ufortable.

    At this moment, Master Kevin, who had already left, suddenly returned.

    ¡°Is there anything else you need?¡± I asked. ¡°You can tell Kara if you need anything. She will help you solve all your problems in the pce.¡±

    Master Kevin suddenly became ill at ease. He rubbed his hands restlessly and wanted to speak a few times but did not get his wish. The brooch on the cor of his robe reflected a bright luster under the sun. It was a familiar Sapphire brooch.

    I got it.

    ¡°You want to ask about Captain La, right?¡±

    Master Kevin nodded and said, ¡°I know there¡¯s no conclusion yet, and I shouldn¡¯t have disturbed you, but... But I really... I just want to know if there are any useful clues. La, it¡¯s been more than twenty years, I...¡±

    He repeated incoherent words as if he had lost his usual rationality and calmness when it came to Captain La. He had be a trembling stray cat in the rain, looking for traces of the old ones by following the long-lost scent.

    I didn¡¯t say anything. I took out Benson¡¯s investigation report from the pile of documents and handed it to Master Kevin.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, we haven¡¯t found enough evidence so far, but the investigation has progressed. Whether or not we can solve this clue will be the key point of the entire case.¡±

    Master Kevin took the document and read through it carefully and quickly. He muttered, ¡°Mind... Control?¡±

    ¡°Yes, not only those who have interacted with Julie but also Julie herself has probably been under mind control. Do you still remember what happened to Carey? Although the ability that burst out of young Sunflower¡¯s instinct was not very powerful, Carey was still mentally affected to a certain extent. And Julie¡¯s madness is likely caused by excessive mental control.¡±

    When he saw the page on Julie¡¯s death, Master Kevin¡¯s face suddenly turned pale. ¡°She¡¯s dead!¡±

    ¡°Yes.: I nodded heavily. ¡°Juliemitted suicide, but this makes the whole thing even more unusual. Or, the murderer discovered that someone was investigating this old case, so he mind-controlled Julie again and forced her tomit suicide. Or, there must be some special reason that Julie did not dare to return to the Lycan pack and even ended her life this way.¡±

    For a moment, we didn¡¯t speak, as we all realized that the death of the key witness made the whole case be an unsolved case again.

    After a while, Master Kevin suddenly said, ¡°I would like to go and look at the Golden Bell Pack, Your Highness. Of course not now. After Naiad¡¯s condition is over, I hope to go in person... To the manor and take a look.

    ¡°If the case had been solved by then, I should personally go to confess to La. For all these years of running away and for my cowardice, I didn¡¯t even dare to go there to take a look...

    ¡°If there¡¯s no conclusion to the case, I¡¯ll find the rat hiding behind the scenes and let him have a taste of being deserted by his friends and family and die in humiliation!¡±

    Looking at Master Kevin¡¯s eyes filled with regret and anger, I didn¡¯t say anything in the end and nodded in agreement.

 Chapter 505 - 505 Change Of Name

    505 Change Of Name

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The children learned to speak very quickly, and it didn¡¯t take long for the wolf cub and little Sunflower to be able to sing a few children¡¯s songs skillfully. Thus, the pce was suddenly filled with the tender voice of children.

    Naiad¡¯s condition had also stabilized. Unlike her brother, she had not experienced the long process of ascendance. She was like a piece of y in a child¡¯s hand, just like her true form. As time passed, her appearance changed.

    So, one morning in early November, Craig officially announced, ¡°Naiad¡¯s physiological condition has entered a stable period. A two-year-old, healthy werewolf girl.¡±

    The two-year-old Naiad was sitting on the soft white bed, reviewing her medical report. This child¡¯s mental maturity was much older than her older brothers¡¯. Ten days felt like more than ten years. She had the appearance of a little girl, but at the same time, she had the heart of an adult.

    ¡°You know I¡¯m different, Mother,¡± the little adult said in all seriousness. ¡°I¡¯ll have a day of maturity sooner orter. Or rather, I should have had this day long ago. My current appearance is also for convenience¡¯s sake. Otherwise, how can you exin that you, a twenty-five-year-old, have a daughter only a few years younger than you? You can¡¯t possibly adopt me under the name of your maternal grandparents and make me your sister!¡±

    ... This child could make people speechless at times.

    New Flow had the power to contain everything, like water, so why did she have such a rigid personality after gaining the human heart?

    But no matter what, Naiad¡¯s health was my greatest fortune.

    After Naiad¡¯s examination results came out, Master Kevin packed his luggage and left the Lycan pack that night. He was so anxious and nervous that he could not even bring himself to say the words I had advised him to say. How long had Master Kevin waited, how many presumptions had he thought of, and how many preparations had he made?

    As Naiad had not been made public like the wolf cub and the semi-public Sunflower, not many people in the pce knew of the child¡¯s existence. Most of the time, we still called her ¡®Thumbelina¡¯ and rarely called her by her real name.

    Naiad had a different opinion about her name. She didn¡¯t care about the nickname ¡®Thumbelina¡¯, but she didn¡¯t like the name ¡®Naiad¡¯.

    ¡°This name is too directional, Mother. Your daughter has the same name as your special power. Is it as simple as a young child inheriting the name of an elder? The people might not have any opinions and even felt that the royal family¡¯s naming method was fashionable. However, in some people¡¯s eyes, the situation waspletely different. They would guess, spy, and spare no effort to prove their guesses were correct. What do you think would happen if they were even to touch a little of my secret?¡±

    What would happen? Once some people knew that illusory power could also be a person in the human world, wouldn¡¯t those ambitious people spare no effort to replicate this special situation in their homes?

    By then, perhaps even the cruelty of illegal human experiments could not sum up the tragedies that had happened and were about to happen.

    ¡°Okay, you¡¯re right. I decided to respect the child¡¯s first decision from the moment she was born. Do you have any good suggestions for your name?¡± I asked.

    ¡®Thumbelina¡¯ seemed to have already prepared a script, so she immediately suggested, ¡°What do you think of the name ¡®Cynthia¡¯? It is clear and pleasing to the ears but doesn¡¯t seem too out of ce. It also has a kind of ssical rhythmic beauty. ording to some legends, ¡®Cynthia¡¯ was once the name of the Moon Goddess incarnated in the human world. It fits my identity as a Moon Goddess believer. I know you were a god for a minute, but who can say that the new moon is not the moon? I think it¡¯s a good name.¡±

    I looked at the opera album beside her and asked, ¡°And this name once topped the ¡®Best Actress of the Century¡¯ list of operas, right? I think ¡®the Beauty of the Night¡¯ is a great drama. Even after centuries, the female lead¡¯s elegance is still fascinating.¡±

    Naiad¡¯s face suddenly turned red like an apple.

    She pretended not to understand what I was saying and asked calmly, ¡°So what do you think? How¡¯s ¡®Cynthia¡¯?¡±

    I smiled and stopped teasing her. ¡°It¡¯s nice. The meaning is great too. Most importantly, you like it.¡±

    ¡°From today onward, please get Kara, Grandma, Grandpa, and Aunt Dorothy to call me ¡®Cynthia¡¯.¡± The little girl pouted a little. ¡°Although ¡®Thumbelina¡¯ also sounds very good, it sounded too childish.¡±

    ¡°I wanted to say, ¡®you¡¯re just a child¡¯, but considering my daughter¡¯s heart matured early, I wisely swallowed my words.

    When I thought this happy mother-daughter conversation was about to end, Cynthia silently set off a bomb for me.

 Chapter 506 - 506 Recipe

    506 Recipe

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°I know how to save Adric ¨C Father¡¯s life,¡± the little girl said calmly.

    At that moment, I identally knocked over the cup of red tea in my hand. I didn¡¯t even have time to exin anything to Kara, who was looking at the situation. I anxiously asked Cynthia, ¡°Really? How do you know how?¡±

    Then, I realized this was not how I should treat a child. I tried my best to calm down.

    ¡°Although you may not be able to feel it, I witnessed everything through your eyes when I was still a mass of chaotic energy. That bottle of evil wine was disgusting, wasn¡¯t it? However, it is not impossible to resolve. The evil power entangled Father¡¯s soul and body, merging into one like salt and water. It thought that it could do it wlessly, but it was wrong. People can¡¯t solve it because they don¡¯t know how to separate the salt from the water without hurting it, but this just happens to be my specialty.

    ¡°You can temporarily think of me as a reducing agent, Mother. I will be injected into the water to react with the salt, forming crystals at the bottom of the water. Pick that up with a tweezer, so it doesn¡¯t have to be boiled and evaporated to clear everything. Although some losses will inevitably ur, it¡¯s negligible, not even one in a million.

    ¡°You¡¯ve tried to use New Flow to remove the impurities in Father¡¯s body, but you failed. You¡¯re in the right direction. The only obstacle is that you¡¯re not me. No matter how thoroughly New Flow has fused with you, an insignificant barrier still has not disappeared. And this small obstacle is enough to cause the reduction agent to deteriorate and cause everything to fail.

    ¡°But do you still remember? I¡¯m not ¡®me¡¯. The current me is just mimicry. My essence is still that mass of void and chaotic energy. I can temporarily abandon the simted body and infiltrate Father¡¯s body and soul invisibly without any obstruction. Then, I can perform my essential job ¨C devouring. Like how white blood cells devour bacteria, all negative factors will be eliminated.¡±

    Cynthia had been calmly exining everything. Whether it involved herself or the ¡®reducing agent¡¯ or the theory on the essence of chaos, it was as if it was someone else¡¯s story that wasn¡¯t worth mentioning.

    However, I could sense that this child was hiding something. Everything sounded so perfect, but wouldn¡¯t it cause her harm?

    Cynthia seemed to have seen through my doubts. Before I could speak, she said, ¡°Of course, it will impact me, but it¡¯s really small and not irreversible. As long as you continue to devour other energies in the future, there will be an unending stream of nutrients flowing into me from you. It¡¯s like a person who ate too much and had a mild stomach ulcer. As long as there are enough nutrients and medicine, he will get better.¡±

    That was right, that was it! Everything was so perfect. As long as I nod and agree, Aldrich¡¯s crisis would be resolved, and my daughter wouldn¡¯t be harmed. Everything would develop toward a perfect ending.

    But was that possible?

    I fell into a dilemma again.

    Could I push my daughter to a possible death to save my husband?

    I unconsciously fell into deep thought. Cynthia didn¡¯t disturb me, allowing me to think silently.

    After a while, it was Kara who broke the silence.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to disturb your family time, but...¡± She pointed to the tea stains on my body, the dirty carpet, and the pillow. ¡°If I don¡¯t send them to theundry room before the tea stains dry up, the cleaning servant will me me behind my back. The tea stains on the carpet are always difficult to clean.¡±

    I watched in a daze as Kara cleaned up the mess and left with my soiled clothes, the carpet, and the pillow.

    At this moment, Cynthia finally spoke, ¡°What are you so conflicted about? Mother, the best answer is right in front of you.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe I can¡¯t and shouldn¡¯t push you out to solve the problem,¡± I said. ¡°No mother will let her child face the danger on her behalf, not to mention that you¡¯re just a newborn, and there are asional unstable internal forces. If something were to happen, then you and Aldrich... Just if... If it does, I can¡¯t ept that.¡±

    Cynthia looked at me quietly before suddenly asking, ¡°When did you be so indecisive, Mother?¡±

    I looked at her in confusion.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been a kind person since the beginning. This is very good. Like what Grandfather said, this gives you the potential to be a benevolent ruler.

    ¡°But excessive kindness is called cowardice, Mother. Perhaps it started back in the Elven Capital City? The lives lost at the city gate have given you too much pressure and shock, so much so that you have turned everyone within your sight into a scapegoat, causing these unnecessary responsibilities to wear down your will?¡±

 Chapter 507 - 507 A Nightmarish Night

    507 A Nightmarish Night

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Being lectured by a child who looked only two years old was a ratherical scene. However, I couldn¡¯t smile because I knew Cynthia was right.

    I¡¯d be weak, and I¡¯d be more indecisive as time went by.

    Cynthia calmly looked at me. Her almond-shaped eyes didn¡¯t carry any of the innocence of a child. Instead, she was so rational that even I found it hard to look at her directly.

    She said, ¡°I understand your concern for me, but Mother, the probability of this happening is even lower than if I were to buy a lottery ticket and win the first prize. To prevent that one in ten thousand chance of an ident, will you give up the remaining nine thousand nine hundred and ny percent chance of survival?

    ¡°To be honest, Father ¨C General Aldrich is just a stranger to me without any blood rtions. All my love and worry for himes from you. Your influence on me is already so deeply rooted. As for yourself, how deep must your ardent longing for Father be? At thest moment, you retracted yourself into your turtle shell. Are you afraid of failure? Or are you already used to the current situation and would rather guard a breathing dead person for the one in ten thousand chance of an ident than gamble on a good oue with arge possibility of sess?

    ¡°That¡¯s why I think you¡¯ve changed, Mother. You were so decisive and brave when you fought against Azazel. Perhaps because you¡¯ve taken too many lives, this has be your nightmare at night, constantly eating away at your willpower. But are you going to be defeated by them like this? Step back bit by bit, slowly forget your original decisive self, let the ghosts expand in your world without limit, and let yourself be buried with them in the future?¡±

    Unknowingly, my face was already covered in tears.

    How could I not know that Cynthia was right? I once thought I could return to my powerful self after I fused with Madeline, but I was wrong. The power only made my armor stronger, but my heart was still as fragile as a piece of tofu. It trembled and shivered under the protection of theyers of armor. No one needed to hurt it before it slowly cracked and shattered into a pile of sticky debris.

    I knew this wasn¡¯t right, just like how people with mental illness know they were sick. However, no medicine could cure me. No medicine could drive away the vengeful spirit in my heart.

    Their deaths weren¡¯t my fault. I understood this, but I couldn¡¯t get rid of this darkness. I was like a rabbit in a swamp, struggling on my deathbed, only to sink deeper and deeper.

    Such a gentle and melodramatic mentality made me sick, so I hated myself even more, making my obsession deeper and deeper.

    I tried to correct myself. I drowned myself with endless work, diverted my attention by fighting against the Evaria Family, and healed my heart that was riddled with holes with the innocent smiles of children.

    However, there would still be a silent midnight when I couldn¡¯t find any driftwood to climb on. I would drift alone and fearfully in the vast ocean of my dreams, watching as the water drowned frightened faces.

    Then, the furious undead congealed into a thick rope and wrapped itself around my body, making me unable to move at all. It then dragged me into the cold, dark abyss.

    This was something that had never happened before. This was just my fantasy.

    This was my lingering fear, something that could have happened in another timeline. It passed through the barriers of time and space, punishing me by making me pay the price for me in another time and space.

    I¡¯d asked for help, but neither my parents nor Miss Marcy could help me. I couldn¡¯t copse just like that, so I forced a smile and did everything possible to pretend I hadpletely walked out of it.

    But only I knew I was gradually rotting, like a weed soaked in flood.

    I thought that I could continue living like this, but Cynthia came. She was the creation of my flesh and power. She was connected to my heart. She knew everything about me, just like how I knew her.

    I had nowhere to hide in front of her.

    I suddenly wanted to escape from Cynthia. Why did she expose everything? My pretense and false peace crumbled at this moment.

    I couldn¡¯t run away anymore. I couldn¡¯t pretend to be the little girl who jumped into the river tomit suicide. I no longer had that right. Whether I wanted to or not, countless factors pushed me forward. Whether I wanted to or not, there were some things I must do.

    ¡°I pretended that everything was fine, everything... Whether it was my heart that was riddled with holes or Aldrich¡¯s life that was so close to the edge of the cliff.

    ¡°I...¡±

    I wanted to say something, but I couldn¡¯t.

    Defend?

    Escape?

    Now that things hade to this, what choice did I have left?

    I didn¡¯t want to think about it. This highlighted a fact: I had undoubtedly be weak, and I even tried to numb myself by avoiding the truth.

    I had no other choice.

    ¡°... Alright, alright, this moment woulde anyway. I know...¡±

    I mumbled to myself. After a long while, I met Cynthia¡¯s silent gaze.

 Chapter 508 - 508 On The Go Again

    508 On The Go Again

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°You¡¯re right, child. You should go to the Spring Rain Pack to save your father¡¯s life.

    ¡°As for me, I also have things I should do. Since I have no choice but to push my daughter to the edge, let me, this ipetent mother, apany you. I will go to the Spring Rain Pack with you and witness the end of this mess. If anything happens during this time, I will be your protective umbre. I¡¯ll do my best to ensure your safety at all costs.

    ¡°Compared to self-deception and escape, if you don¡¯t want a tragedy to happen, then you should be the right choice to be a protective umbre, right?¡±

    Cynthiaughed and nodded enthusiastically.

    This little brat.

    In her protest, I ruffled her hair that Kara had carefullybed into a bow.

    She lowered her head. Under cover of her hair, a tear at the corner of her eye silently evaporated into the air.

    ¡®It¡¯s not the time to escape, Selma.

    ¡®Remember your responsibility and feel your emotions. Even if the nightmarish night never stops, even if the dead souls can no longer be resurrected, life still has to go on, and there are lots of happiness and challenges waiting for you in the future. Wouldn¡¯t it be a waste to just stay in the same ce and not look at the scenery in the future?¡¯

    Fortunately, there weren¡¯t many official duties recently, and there weren¡¯t any spies eager to drag our family down from the throne. It could be said that I was given a rtively peaceful ¡®vacation¡¯, which gave me the time to go on another patrol.

    I had originally thought this trip would be kept a secret, but my father felt that the royal family¡¯s prestige was in a delicate vacuum. After judging the Evaria Family¡¯s evil deeds, our family¡¯s prestige among the people naturally returned to its peak. However, at the same time, the other crimes that were involved in this series of farces could not be underestimated.

    Those high-ranking officials and wealthy merchants whomitted many evil deeds were more or less rted to the government. As the leader of the government, even if the royal family was unaware of this, it didn¡¯t affect the people¡¯s guesses about our abilities and morals. Monitoring was the royal family¡¯s responsibility. So many atrocious and brutal tragedies had happened under our noses. This was our dereliction of duty.

    These shocking cases silently eroded the foundation the Oromalivira Family had umted for many years. However, it was still insignificant, a dam of a thousand tons could copse at the hands of an ant nest.

    Therefore, in addition to quickly solving these chronic diseases, it was also necessary to appropriately show the achievements of the royal family to the people. Perhaps you would think this was a case of a farmer selling melons at the market, but the truth was that one had to shout in this noisy world. A mute who did things silently would not be respected and liked by others.

    As the best example of innovation, what could be more inspiring than the sess of the Spring Rain Pack? The werewolves still followed the system set in ancient times. In some ces, this worked, but in other ces, it became a shackle on the people.

    The tide of anticipation for reform had long been surging among the people. Even the royal family had to obey the public¡¯s will in order to survive the tide of the times.

    As a result, the news of ¡®Princess Madeline¡¯s uing Spring Rain Pack tour¡¯ quickly overtook major media outlets¡¯ headlines the next day.

    The preparations were done very quickly. Cynthia and I didn¡¯t want to waste any more time. Dorothy was still a little dazed when she was packing her luggage. Yesterday, she heard me say that I wanted to take the children on an outing, and today she suddenly had to go on a business trip. The change from a good mother to a workaholic was too sudden.

    Her expression immediately softened when she knew this trip would send us back to reunite as husband and wife.

    ¡°You had no idea, but the entire pce is waiting for this moment.¡± She hugged me and said softly, ¡°We all hope you will be happy forever, Selma. I wish you sess in everything. Let me tell you a secret. This is what I ¡®saw¡¯.¡±

    Dorothy rarely used the power of the Eye of Insight anymore. She believed that there was a price to pay for peeking into fate. All insight had a corresponding price. Sometimes, knowing too much would not help the future and would instead cause more trouble.

    She had used the Eye of Insight several times, and even though she knew the future, she always received malicious feedback from fate. This caused her to be cautious, just like me.

    She had once said, ¡°Perhaps I shouldn¡¯t have peeked into young Sunflower¡¯s future ¨C can death be avoided just by knowing it? Or is it because we know the future that death will befall us?¡±

    This was an unsolvable paradox. Dorothy could not solve it, and no one could.

    Now, she was focused on the study of herbs and witchcraft. I believed her ability was no less than Adele¡¯s.

    However, she was a peace-loving person. She was more interested in history and runes than those destructive spells. The werewolf grandmasters all liked a student who was eager to learn. This allowed her to mingle in the Sorcery Research Association like a fish in water. She was so happy that she even forgot about home.

    She had so much fun that she forgot about her home ¨C this was a nice escape.

 Chapter 509 - 509 The Black Car

    509 The ck Car

    Benson Walton¡¯s POV:

    Goddess, I suddenly have a new partner.

    It was a thin and gloomy man of medium build. He looked weak and fragile, like a middle school teacher with nowhere to go after work. Kevin Mark, an ordinary man, from his first name to hisst name, was sent by the higher-ups to investigate with me.

    I knew who he was. He was Princess Madeline¡¯s confidant, the werewolf grandmaster of the Sorcery Research Association, and La¡¯s fianc¨¦, a poor widower.

    I knew this poor pair of lovebirds didn¡¯t have time to get married, but when Kevin introduced himself as ¡®La¡¯s lover¡¯, I respected the ck veil he put on himself.

    Kevin was aplete intellectual. His heart was filled with grief and hatred, but he knew nothing about our uing work, so he listened to me most of the time. This made it convenient for me to arrange my work.

    The murderer hid very well behind the scenes, but that didn¡¯t mean there were no traces. This proud mind controller thought erasing memories would make all evidence disappear without a trace. After our relentless investigation, a few clues finally surfaced.

    While tracking Julie¡¯s past, we found a very old ticket record book at a private long-distance bus station. The record showed that it was an ount book of an unlicensed carpany more than thirty years ago. Julie had bought a long-distance bus ticket from this unlicensed carpany when she was twenty-three years old, and the destination was the Lycan pack.

    Coincidentally, after questioning Julie¡¯s rtives, they remembered that Julie had suddenly left home at the age of twenty-three and said she would work in another city and had disappeared for several years.

    After that, they had no impression of Julie at all. When they thought of her again, she had already gone crazy. Back then, La had already mitted suicide¡¯, and the manor had been abandoned.

    Julie had once been to the Lycan pack, and perhaps this trip had left some psychological trauma in her, so she never dared to set foot there again.

    Let us start investigating this unlicensed carpany. The profit of the unlicensed carpany was not good, often only making about ten orders a month. Although the unit price was high enough to make people want to call the police, it was still not enough to make ends meet. After only two years of operation, it was acquired by the current private long-distance bus station.

    Finding the dusty ount books in the warehouse wasn¡¯t difficult, but we couldn¡¯t find any more clues about Julie. She only bought a one-way ticket, and there was no return record.

    Julie took the ck car because she didn¡¯t have any identification. After she dropped out of school, she was tricked into being a stripper in an underground bar, and all her documents were confiscated. Her rtives also thought she was embarrassing and were unwilling to vouch for her to get a new identity.

    This meant that even if she were in the Lycan pack, she could only work illegally. She would have to take an illegal car if she wanted to return. In general, the ¡®customer retainment¡¯ of unlicensed taxipanies was not low because the ¡®professional ethics¡¯ of unlicensed drivers were often not credible, and many passengers were also wanted, so looking for acquaintances often increased security.

    In this case, Julie¡¯s return trip was not recorded in the ount book. So, either Julie was bold enough to find a new snakehead in the unfamiliar Lycan pack, or she did not return to the Golden Bell Pack in any way.

    It was more difficult to investigate the former, as the underground forces would not be as honest as the documents in the Traffic Bureau¡¯s archive room. However, I¡¯d rather it be a more troublesome situation because it meant that this incident had nothing to do with the Lycan pack.

    If it was thetter, then it was great. In a city where a billboard could crush seven rich businessmen, five senior executives, and three aristocrats to death, any force¡¯s participation would increase the investigation difficulty tenfold. Compared to some powerful figures, the leaders of the underground forces were not even a dish.

    But what was that saying again? Fortune never came in pairs, but misfortune never came alone.

    Kevin found a faint trace of magic residue on the floor of a nanny¡¯s room in the manor, no different from the air. He examined it and concluded that this residue was left over twenty years ago and did not belong to any sorcery known to the werewolf pack.

    ¡°Compared to magic power, this is more like a new form of power. Although it has a very simr structure to magic power, I¡¯m sure they are twopletely different forces.¡±

    Kevin used a small ss bottle to store the rotten floor fragment. I didn¡¯t know what kind of spell he cast on it, but even I, a mortal with the naked eye, could see ayer of faint fluorescent spots on the wood.

    It looked like some kind of water stain.

    What kind of water stain would not evaporate after decades? This was enough to exin how strange it was.

    Moreover, the period of twenty years was very ambiguous, and it involved La¡¯s death.

    ¡°We¡¯ve found his tail,¡± Kevin said, his eyes shing with excitement and stubborn hatred.

 Chapter 510 - 510 Remnant Soul

    510 Remnant Soul

    Benson Walton¡¯s POV:

    Kevin had ¡®examined¡¯ Julie¡¯s body, and what he had examined was Julie¡¯s remaining soul. Even her soul was iplete, which made her unable to find the way to the Moon Pce¡¯s courtyard. Even the messenger who guided the soul seemed to have forgotten her. She could only wander around the grave like a homeless ghost.

    Kevin realized that some kind of power had long corroded her soul. Furthermore, unlike the normal state of the soul, which could repair itself, there was no trace of repair. He found a strange power in Julie¡¯s soul, which was exactly what we found today.

    With all the factors mixed, a conclusion was already obvious.

    More than twenty years ago, perhaps before La¡¯s death, the murderer used a strange power to control Julie, the servant of the manor. This caused Julie¡¯s soul to be damaged, and she became a lunatic.

    Who would be so free as toy their hands on an ordinary servant?

    The rm in my heart was frantically reminding me: it was this person. Whoever controlled Julie was most likely to be the murderer who killed La.

    However, I was woken up by a basin of cold water.

    Kevin brought me some fresh information. From him, I learned that a person was suspected of having mind control abilities in the Evaria Family.

    The situation that I least wanted to happen had happened. Once it was rted to any of the abilities of the Lycan pack, the whole thing would only be more and more confusing.

    Even though the Evaria Family was now in a state of copse, their past power and influence had truly existed. The family would not easily confess what he had done to protect themselves. Those who had helped them before would also keep their mouths shut. The umbre was already too busy to take care of himself. Once he admitted it, no one could get them out.

    If the criminals were really from the Evaria Family, their motives were not difficult to guess.

    As a once-well-known ambitious man, there were many different opinions on what role the Evaria Family had yed in the attack on the pce. Unsurprisingly, they wanted to eliminate a loyal officer with great power who could not be recruited. Moreover, by doing so, they could find a scapegoat for the whole incident and end the influence and suspicion brought by the attack on the pce as soon as possible.

    Things seemed to have reached a stalemate again, but Kevin suddenly said he would take Julie¡¯s remnant soul back to the Lycan pack.

    ¡°Do you know that the soul can repair itself? There is a limit to the power of the soul. Once this limit is broken, the soul would activate its self-recovery mechanism and absorb all the power it could absorb to repair itself. This power maye from witchcraft, sacrifice, worship, or even doing nothing. It¡¯s fine because any living creature is a part of nature and can absorb the power of nature.

    ¡°And if a soul is visibly damaged but has no tendency to repair itself, there are only two possibilities: First, the thing eroding the soul is active and constantly devouring it. The soul¡¯s expenditure was bnced, and it seemed to be still. The second is that the soul is not iplete at all ¨C it is just split up and carried to different ces by the wind like the petals of a flower. Too far a distance will make it impossible for the soul fragments to gather and merge, but the soul is not generally missing, so it did not trigger self-healing.

    ¡°It¡¯s very difficult to control a person¡¯s mind, even if born with this power. This is because you have to consider the resistance of the controlled. Even amb would struggle before being ughtered. Julie¡¯s soul couldn¡¯t have split into two for no reason. Her resistance likely caused it.

    ¡°You¡¯re saying that because Julie resisted, the murderer had no choice but to increase the strength of his control over her. But Julie was just an ordinary person, and her spiritual world couldn¡¯t bear it, so her soul was torn apart?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I do think so.¡±

    Kevin stared at the traces on the floor fragments and suddenly said, ¡°Don¡¯t you think this looks like a tear stain?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°The water stain on the floor is round, and there are traces of sttering around. Most importantly, there are still remnants of special power. This is very simr to a person¡¯s tear falling on the ground, isn¡¯t it? Of course, it could also be saliva or something else, but I don¡¯t think the murderer is a French bulldog that can¡¯t shut its mouth.¡±

    The topic changed very quickly, but Kevin pulled the topic back at an even faster speed.

    ¡°In short, the other half of Julie¡¯s soul must still exist in some corner of this world, and its track of activity is extremely limited. The soul couldn¡¯t be too far from where it died unless someone took it away. So, either it¡¯s still in the Golden Bell Pack, or it was taken away by the murderer.¡±

    We immediately searched the Golden Bell Pack with Julie¡¯s remnant soul but found nothing.

    There was only one possibility left.

    Although I couldn¡¯t be sure that the murderer was the suspicious person from the Evaria Family, this special power was usually passed on by blood, so getting rid of the rtionship with the Evaria Family was impossible.

    I looked toward the Lycan pack and suddenly felt a wave of fatigue wash over me. Could I really settle this grudge that had been going on for decades so easily?

 Chapter 511 - 511 The Treatment

    511 The Treatment

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    After a long time, I came to the Spring Rain Pack again. This time, it gave me an even more obvious sense of novelty. The Spring Rain Pack was rapidly developing like bamboo shoots after the rain. No one would have thought that a few years ago, this ce was just a small town about to disappear in the long river of history.

    Seeing me again, Jordin seemed very excited. She had be increasingly mature at work and had a watertight appearance in front of everyone. Only when she saw her old friends like us she¡¯d temporarily turn back into that innocent noble little girl.

    When I asked Emma about it, she helplessly replied, ¡°To be honest, even I haven¡¯t seen Emma often. This little brat could finally let herself go. She is no longer the girl who stays home and does not leave the house. Instead, she is running everywhere in the Spring Rain Pack. Today, she went to collect the wind. Tomorrow, she would go to do volunteer work. asionally, she would go to the surrounding packs. Last week, she went to the Silver Moon Pack and contacted me asionally, but she didn¡¯t say when she would be back.¡±

    Hearing this, I felt even more at ease. It would be good if I could go crazy and have fun. Seeing the vast world would be much more beneficial in resolving the knot in Emma¡¯s heart. If she were to stay at home all day, there would be problems.

    As for Cynthia, Jordin quickly epted that I suddenly had a daughter. ¡°After going through so much, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be surprised by anything that happens to you now,¡± she said.

    The secret ward was still the same, clean, pale, and dark.

    Tracy and Master Hayley were silently making pre-operation preparations for this strange ¡®operation¡¯. Sophisticated medical first-aid equipment and ancient sorcery tools were ced together, giving off an absurd feeling of time and space being torn apart. After a while, Tracy called me, ¡°Your Highness, the disinfection is done.¡±

    With the help of the nurses, I sanitized every part of my body. The nurses were extremely careful with Cynthia, who appeared to be only two years old. However, she didn¡¯t seem to care much about her.

    ¡°Mimicry is just a type of illusion. Although it can be seen and touched, the reaction to external stimuli is only the mimicry¡¯s simtion function. How could there be hidden viruses and bacteria? I¡¯m not even a lump of air.¡±

    She mumbled to herself but obediently epted all the preparation work.

    ¡®This is for me. She knows that I¡¯m worried; by doing this, she won¡¯t put another stone on my tight heartstrings.¡¯

    Finally, everything was ready to end.

    I suddenly felt a little timid when I stood in front of the door. I hoped that everything would go smoothly and seed as I expected, but I was also afraid that if I failed, I would not be able to bear the final consequences.

    ¡°Your Highness?¡± Master Hayley urged softly.

    I took a deep breath. After the nurse pushed the door open, I walked in with trembling hands.

    My lover, my Aldrich.

    He was lying on the bed with some tubes I recognized or didn¡¯t recognize inserted into his body. He was like a butterfly falling into a spider¡¯s web, unable to struggle or escape.

    He had lost a lot of weight. Even with regr massages, his muscles inevitably shrank slightly. A long period of not seeing the light of day had caused him to appear sickly pale, like a blooming cereus under the moonlight, as if a gust of wind would quickly wither him.

    I walked to his bed and wanted to touch his cheek, but I couldn¡¯t raise my hand. I greedily listened to his breathing and heartbeat. This was proof that he was still alive.

    ¡°Mother,¡± Cynthia reminded me in a small voice. ¡°It¡¯s time to start.¡±

    I nodded as I finally had the courage to touch Aldrich¡¯s thin face. The cold touch made me shiver, and I quickly retracted my finger.

    ¡°... Let¡¯s start.¡±

    Right after I said that Cynthia¡¯s appearance suddenly began to expand slightly. Immediately after, all of the colors on her body rapidly faded away. As she expanded, she gradually transformed into a milky-white, mist-like sphere. Immediately after, the faint milky white color began to fade, and then she disappeared without a sound, like the air that could be seen but not touched.

    I realized this was the process of Cynthia¡¯s reverse removal of her mimicry. If I were to reverse the sequence, I could imagine how she slowly formed her human form in my stomach.

    I couldn¡¯t see what happened after that, I could only ¡®feel¡¯ it.

    The power in New Flow was gradually drained away. It was as if every time Cynthia corrected a mistake, she had to use the same amount of power to fill in the gaps. It had been long since I¡¯d met an enemy I could ¡®eat¡¯. Since New Flow was still growling for food, it wouldn¡¯t be long before it ran out of ¡®food¡¯ to supply Cynthia. I could only use it to fill up arge number of holes.

    Slowly, I felt a little dizzy ¨C not a pathological feeling. Cynthia was gradually fusing with New Flow. This was an inevitable side effect of using New Flow.

    However, I had to consciously control New Flow so that it didn¡¯t separate friend from foe, which meant that I would inevitablye into contact with Cynthia¡¯s consciousness. Everything was tangled together like a ball of yarn. I had to use all my attention to prevent a tragedy from happening.

    Gradually, I felt like I was in the clouds, and my consciousness blurred.

 Chapter 512 - 512 Regaining Consciousness

    512 Regaining Consciousness

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I wasn¡¯t worried that my body would suffer any damage. The medical staff had all been sent out of the house, but Tracy and Master Hayley had closely monitored Aldrich and my condition. They would immediately take the emergency measures we discussed earlier if anything went wrong.

    However, this feeling of being out of control still made me very ufortable. I hoped to be able to see everything and see every detail of this so that I could kill any unexpected factors in the bud.

    Thus, my consciousness began to struggle violently. I continuously stimted myself to return to apletely sober state. However, the pressure on me grew as Cynthia and New Flow¡¯s entanglement grew.

    Suddenly ¨C

    ¡°Good girl, let me help you.¡±

    A gentle female voice rang out, and I felt a sudden, violent, cold wind blow through my spiritual world. It blew the wild grass to the side, causing waves in the ocean, but it also blew away the fog that was gradually gathering, allowing the light to once again cover every corner of the field.

    I suddenly opened my eyes, and only then did I realize that I had almost fallen asleep.

    Fortunately, Madeline woke me up. It was strange to say that because she and I were the same person. Otherwise, I would have missed everything that happened.

    The instrument that was used to detect Aldrich¡¯s vital signs suddenly screamed. I subconsciously looked at Tracy, who was observing outside the window. Her expression was serious as she immediately pushed the door open and walked in.

    At the same time, Cynthia told me, ¡°Mother, everything has ended.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Before I could react,rge amounts of pitch-ck, viscous, oil-like blood clots suddenly gushed out of Aldrich¡¯s seven orifices. I subconsciously wrapped myself around Tracy and Master Hayley with New Flow¡¯s river.

    Sure enough, in the next second, the blood clots began to look for its next host as if it had its consciousness. After eliminating both candidates, it finally extended its pitch-ck tentacles toward me.

    But guess what? I was ¡®hungry¡¯.

    Thus, I unceremoniously swallowed these ¡®desserts¡¯ that had walked right into my trap, even though their taste was even weirder than I had imagined ¨C cold and sticky, with a strong smell of sulfur and rust that was so strong that it made me want to vomit. It was likeva was mixed with blood and more disgusting than all the evil powers I had ¡®eaten¡¯ before.

    And just as the blood clots gushed out of Aldrich¡¯s body, the wildly ringing instruments gradually returned to silence.

    I felt my body stiffen as I waited for the moment of judgment.

    White smoke suddenly started to gather before my eyes. They gradually took shape, colored, and then transformed back into my serious yet adorable little daughter.

    I looked at her and quickly looked away. I felt like I had returned to my primary school days, waiting uneasily for the teacher to reveal the report card to the public.

    Finally, Cynthia¡¯s mimicry stabilized.

    ¡°Mother,¡± I heard her say clearly. ¡°It¡¯s a sess.¡±

    It was a sess.

    Sess...

    Instantly, it was as if the mountains were falling and the seas were crashing. I felt as if the pir supporting me all this time had copsed. The pirs were covered in acid and thorns, hanging me above the burning fire. But now, the terrifying fire had been extinguished, and what reced it was the softwn and fragrant flowers.

    I fell onto the grass and felt a sense of relief and powerlessness. ¡®It¡¯s over. It¡¯s over. There¡¯s no need to worry or be anxious.¡¯

    I seemed to hear someone eximing, but before I could turn around to see who it was, my vision turned ck, and I fell.

    ¡®Aldrich.

    ¡®Aldrich...

    ¡®Please wake up.

    ¡®I can¡¯t wait any longer.

    ¡®Please wake up slowly.

    ¡®I wish I was the first person you saw when you opened your eyes.¡¯

    Drip, drip, drip.

    The sound of water droplets falling could be heard. I was woken up from my deep dream. Apanied by this rhythmic apaniment, I opened my eyes again.

    What I saw was Cynthia¡¯s curious smile. Seeing I had woken up, she happily turned around and shouted, ¡°Tracy, Master Hayley! Mother is awake!¡±

    Then, I heard the sound of soft footsteps again. Tracy, Master Hayley, and a few nurses appeared before me.

    Only then did I realize I was lying on a hospital bed.

    My hazy mind instantly woke up. I abruptly sat up, grabbed Tracy¡¯s sleeve, and anxiously asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Aldrich? How¡¯s Aldrich?¡±

    Tracy staggered after being grabbed by me, but she didn¡¯t get angry. Instead, she smiled gently.

    ¡°Everything¡¯s fine, Your Highness.¡± He moved aside and revealed the bed behind him. ¡°Sir Aldrich¡¯s physical indicators are rapidly recovering. I think he will wake up soon.¡±

    On the hospital bed, Aldrich was still lying silently between the bedding. However, his face had already started to regain its color, and his breathing was more powerful than before.

    I looked at all this in a daze and let the medical staff examine me. In the end, I didn¡¯t even notice that they had left quietly.

    We had seeded. We had seeded.

    ¡°What are you looking at?¡±

    Just as I was in a daze, a hoarse voice suddenly sounded in my ear.

    I raised my head in disbelief and met with Aldrich¡¯s tired but bright eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since west met. Aren¡¯t you going to hug me, my dear?¡±

 Chapter 513 - 513 A Thousand Words

    513 A Thousand Words

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I didn¡¯t know what I had done, but by the time I reacted, I had already pounced on Aldrich¡¯s bed and tightly hugged him.

    The surveince device that was forcefully removed issued an urgent rm, and the tiny wound left by the needle on my hand healed in an instant. However, I couldn¡¯t feel any noise or pain. Only this person in front of me could take away all my attention. His breathing, heartbeat, warm body temperature, and eyes were as deep as the night sky.

    ¡°Aldrich, Aldrich...¡±

    I hugged him tightly and unknowingly started to cry.

    Aldrich hugged me back. His arms were no longer as strong and powerful as before, and even a simple action like raising his hands made his muscles tremble.

    But all of this was so fortunate in my eyes. Everything was real, and I was not dreaming.

    ¡°I miss you so much. You don¡¯t know how I¡¯ve been through this time... everything is a mess. You¡¯re not here, and many people are bringing trouble to me. I feel like a bowl of rotten porridge. My brain is muddled and stiff, and I don¡¯t know what to do at all...¡±

    The grievances and pressure in my heart instantly exploded, and I incoherently expressed all the pent-upints in my heart to Aldrich. I kept pecking at Aldrich¡¯s face and forehead. His body¡¯s scent made me feel at ease.

    Aldrich didn¡¯t say anything, letting me vent my childish anger on him like a child. He only hugged me tighter, then kissed me back weakly, kissing away the tears on my face.

    Just like that, I vented my anger for a long time before Ipletely let it go. Iid on Aldrich¡¯s body and hugged him tightly.

    ¡°Good girl, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m back.¡± Aldrich kissed my ear and said gently, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for suddenly leaving you alone. I promise that all of this is over. I¡¯ll never leave you again. My dear, look at me.¡±

    I raised my head and saw Aldrich smiling at me with my teary eyes.

    ¡°You did well, Selma, and I¡¯ve always known that you can always do well.¡±

    After experiencing the initial chaos, I finally regained some of my rationality. With a red face, I asked Tracy and Master Hayley to examine Aldrich. I also injected myself with another bottle of nutrient medicine under the disapproving gaze of the nurse.

    During this time, Aldrich and I held hands tightly. I was not willing to let go. The nurse had no choice but to push our beds together, pretend to see nothing, and leave.

    Aldrich indulgently allowed me to stick to him. Although he was still weak, he kept looking at me with eyes full of love and apology, which made me feel at ease.

    Tracy and Master Hayley believed that Aldrich¡¯s body was fine at the moment, and it was only a matter of time before he recovered. After the examination, they left, leaving only the two of us in the ward.

    I helped to tidy up the slightly messy sideburns on his head and looked at his sunken cheeks. My heart ached as I said, ¡°You¡¯ve lost a lot of weight.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just some muscles and fat. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll get them back in less than two months,¡± Aldrich said softly.

    I immediately shook my head. ¡°No, no. Don¡¯t be in such a hurry. Tracy said that you need to recuperate from the deficit in your body slowly. We must slow down and recover the life force you lost because of those damn viins.¡±

    Aldrich did not know whether tough or cry. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, Selma. Of course, we can take it slow. We¡¯ll listen to you.¡±

    I realized I was being a little too impatient, so I couldn¡¯t help but feel discouraged.

    ¡°No, I should listen to you.¡± I mumbled, ¡°I¡¯ll listen to you. You¡¯re the most important.¡±

    Just like that, we exchanged some small talk back and forth, and Aldrich suddenlyughed at me.

    ¡°I thought our reunion after a long time would be very warm, just like the reunion of the male and female protagonists in operas, full of love, words, and tears. But why are we acting more and more like children?¡±

    I blushed and said sternly, ¡°So? Don¡¯t you like it?¡±

    Aldrich immediately snuggled up to me and let out afortable sigh. He said in a low voice, ¡°No, my dear. I¡¯ll be satisfied with anything as long as you¡¯re by my side. Nothing in this world makes me happier than being with you.¡±

    This soft cotton ball wrapped around my ¡®aura¡¯ and finally kneaded into a soft cotton candy.

    I lowered my head and didn¡¯t look at him. After a while, I softly said, ¡°... I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve fantasized many times about what I¡¯d say to you when you woke up, but now I can¡¯t say anything. Thousands of words are stuck in my throat, but everyone wants toe out first, and no one is willing to be outdone. I wished I could have a hundred mouths, but even my only mouth stopped working.¡±

    Aldrichughed softly.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. It doesn¡¯t matter if you can¡¯t tell me,¡± he said. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything. I already know everything.¡±

    I¡¯d simted the situation after Aldrich woke up countless times in my dreams, but the real situation differed from any of the situations I imagined.

 Chapter 514 - 514 Times Have Changed

    514 Times Have Changed

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Aldrich and my time alonested for a day. The next day, I had no choice but to leave thend of gentleness and return to being that all-conquering princess.

    I was very reluctant when I left, but Aldrich didn¡¯t ask me to stay. Although his eyes told me not to leave, he still understood my responsibility and gently watched me return to the surface.

    After being stationed in the Spring Rain Pack for a long time, even if the army followed the pce¡¯s orders from the top to the bottom, Aldrich¡¯s inexplicable departure and the empty position of themander still stirred up some spections.

    This wasn¡¯t a big deal, and it was far from uncontroble. However, being sick for a long time would reduce a lot of trouble in the future if we could suppress the bad signs early.

    Since Aldrich had already woken up, the arrangements for this army should be on the agenda. They could not evacuate, as this was an essential force to defend the border and the Spring Rain Pack.

    After discussing it with my father, we believed we could let Aldrich ¡®sessfullyplete the secret mission¡¯ after he had recovered and then let him ¡®recuperate from his injuries¡¯. This way, the bad rumors circting in the army would gradually dissipate.

    Secondly, it was about the newmander of the army. Previously, it had always been under the direct jurisdiction of the royal family. On the one hand, it was because of the power struggle over the Lycan pack. To a certain extent, controlling this powerful military force was a deterrent to the fence-sitters.

    On the other hand, the Spring Rain Pack¡¯s geographical location was special and involved many things. With Aldrich hiding here, I couldn¡¯t feel at ease to hand over the military power ¨C not even to someone I trusted.

    Now that the difficulties in the way ahead were solved, this huge military camp could finally wee a wise and brave new leader.

    The Spring Rain Pack had always been highly efficient, even in the suburban military camp. The soldiers had already built a strong and towering camp orderly, set up precise and pervasive fortifications, and all the conditions a military camp should have.

    As a princess, I went to the camp to inspect it. The soldiers were very happy. Any novel event in the boring military life could make them talk about it for a long time. The military officers were even more astute. For me to suddenlye and inspect them at such an ordinary time, they started to guess the meaning of this trip secretly.

    In addition, I went to inspect the work of the Spring Rain Pack as usual. When the forest grew bigger, it would attract more birds and beasts. The development of the Spring Rain Pack was not smooth, and there were many discordant incidents during the period.

    However, not every spokesperson who stood out from the people would always think for the people ¡ª just like all the political organizations in the world, corruption and power y finally happened in the autonomousmittee of the Spring Rain Pack.

    This did not mean these corrupt officials were not loyal to me or the Spring Rain Pack, but loyalty and betrayal did not conflict.

    Because of that, Jordin oftenined to me in private. This girl, who had unknowingly been polished from a raw stone to a glittering gem, would asionally feel heartache for the transformation of her like-minded partner.

    ¡°Back then, the Spring Rain Pack was just starting out. He was so hot-blooded, and Wania liked him very much.¡± Jordin was a little drunk. ¡°He even proposed to Kira; the wedding was set for next summer!

    ¡°So, when the prosecutor presented the evidence, everyone¡¯s first reaction was disbelief. Ten million dors. He had embezzled so much after only being the project leader of a medical apartment project for three months! Only god knows that before everything was exposed, we thought he was unwilling to take up an official position because he was focused on constructing the Spring Rain Pack. Now, it seems the grassroots can only give him more ways to corrupt!¡±

    ¡°Kira was heartbroken and knew he was not a good man. After confessing to his crimes, he canceled the engagement with Kira. Mate rtionships, in this era where myths and legends are gradually fading, how romantic was it to find one¡¯s chosen one? Unfortunately, they¡¯re not fated to be together!¡±

    I remembered Kira, the girl with the same name as Emma, Jordin¡¯s assistant.

    The fall of her business partner seemed to have hit Jordin hard. She asked me in confusion, ¡°Is everything going to change? The ambitious young man who once vowed to contribute everything to the Spring Rain Pack quickly fell under the corruption of money in a few years. He forgot his ideals and mutated into a parasite on the Spring Rain Pack.¡±

    I clinked sses with her and consoled her, ¡°The past can¡¯t be changed, who can say for sure what will happen in the future? Life¡¯s journey has always been lonely, and it is a very lucky thing to find a lover and a confidant. But I don¡¯t think we can always pin our hopes on others because everyone is changing. You can see that others are changing, and others can see that you are changing.¡±

    ¡°Everything will change...¡± Jordin stared in a daze at the ice in the ss and suddenly asked, ¡°What about you? Selma, will you change?¡±

    I was stunned momentarily before Iughed and sighed. ¡°I can¡¯t escape the ravages of time either. However, I think that no matter how much I change, there will always be a small ce in my heart left for the past ¨C that submissive little girl from the small town. She was the beginning of everything.¡±

 Chapter 515 - 515 A Teardrop

    515 A Teardrop

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I¡¯d tried to repair the ck opals that were about to run out of power, but it was not that easy to restore the creation of a god. Ultimately, after using up thest of its divine power to replenish Aldrich¡¯s body, this shiny gempleted its mission and became an ordinary stone.

    The mysterious and resplendent gem was embedded in Aldrich¡¯s fair chest, it was a very eye-pleasing scene. However, since it was no longer of use now, I suggested that Aldrich have surgery to dig it out in case any idents happenedter and harmed his body.

    However, Aldrich refused.

    ¡°This is our token of love. I know it will never hurt me.¡±

    Alright, I was easily convinced.

    After I stayed in the Spring Rain Pack for a week, Emma finally came back. She had gotten a little tanned, but her figure was more muscr than when she was in the office. Her apartment was filled with drawing boards and half-finished sculptures. She even wore an apron covered in colorful paint when she opened the door for me.

    She was so passionate that she wanted to hug me, but she suddenly stopped and kissed me halfway through.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Selma.¡± She raised her hands, which were covered in traces of ster and y. ¡°I hope to hug you, but your silk coat will be ruined if I do that.¡±

    Emma, Jordin, and I hadn¡¯t gathered together like this in a long time. Since we started our businesses, we¡¯d been apart more than together. We often only met through the phone or the inte. So, we drank too much at night, half-squinting our eyes as wey on the artistic pumpkin-shaped sofa in Emma¡¯s house and talked about everything.

    Speaking of my children and husband, the girls were very happy about Aldrich¡¯s recovery. Emma was quite surprised to see my daughter suddenly appear.

    ¡°There are many different versions of the legends about the offspring of the Moon Goddess. This is a story I heard from my elders when I was young: One day, the Moon Goddess woke up on thewn and found herself pregnant. She had given birth to a daughter, but she did not know who the father was. The goddess searched everywhere but to no avail. She was so angry that she thought the child¡¯s father was a cowardly viin and even began to dislike the child. Hence, she came to the cliff and prepared to throw the child into the river to drown him. At this moment, the child¡¯s father finally appeared. He had always admired the goddess, but he knew his lowly body was not worthy of a nce from the goddess, so he asked the demon for help. The devil sent out a moth, and in spring, the man¡¯s sweat dripped on the goddess¡¯s belly button, and the goddess became pregnant and gave birth.¡±

    Emma excitedly told us the legend behind the painting. As she spoke, the blurry colors gradually became clear in my mind.

    ¡°How could a dignified goddess like her endure such humiliation? Therefore, she separated the drop of sweat that belonged to the father from the child¡¯s body and threw it into the sea, cutting off the connection between her daughter and her father. The moth that works for the underground devil cannot eat the fruit trees on the ground. After that, the moth¡¯s offspring will no longer be able to eat and will starve to death after seven days of ascendance. In the end, the goddess announced that men could never ept the moonlight¡¯s grace again, so the man became a floating monster, living and dying day and night, futilely searching for his drop of sweat in the water.¡±

    ¡°This legend isn¡¯t widely known because we traditionally think that the Moon Goddess is a famous Virgin. Therefore, this legend is regarded as a ¡®deviant¡¯. But now isn¡¯t like 500 years ago anymore, right? More and more works of art began to pursue the ancient legends denounced as facies by the orthodox sects.¡±

    I could gradually see the blurry colors on the canvas. The goddess looked angry and raised the baby in her arms. On the other hand, her daughter was still smiling innocently, unaware of the possible fate that mighte. The weak and despicable man ran out of the bushes in a sorry state. His cheeks and arms were covered with scars made of thorns. His strange expression seemed to beg for mercy, but it also seemed afraid of facing the goddess¡¯s anger.

    Flying moths surrounded them. These little white creatures were nothing more than the creation of chaos, but they were about to pay the price for this farce.

    Where was the demon?

    I squinted to take a closer look, only to see the man sneer when he touched the corner of the goddess¡¯s robe ¨C so the demon was hidden in the man¡¯s body. He indifferently interpreted this rotten marriage, greedily taking the goddess¡¯s anger and the fear of men as his dessert.

    Where was the goddess? The goddess seemed to have noticed this as well. But why was she crying? The tear that did not fall from the corner of her eye, was she feeling aggrieved for her unexpected disaster, or was that tear supposed to fall into someone¡¯s heart?

 Chapter 516 - 516 The Child

    516 The Child

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I was so mesmerized by the painting that I didn¡¯t hear Emma and Jordin¡¯s shouts.

    In the end, they shook me a few times before I came back to my senses. The girls jumped in shock and asked worriedly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Selma? You were in a daze while staring at the painting just now. We even went close to your ear to call you, but you didn¡¯t respond. Have you been too tired recently? Why don¡¯t we call it a night and rest first?¡±

    I shook my head and recollected my thoughts. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I might have... drank a little too much, so I didn¡¯t react.¡±

    Everything disappeared when I raised my head to look at the draft again. The angry goddess, the innocent baby, the despicable man, and the fluttering moth. There was nothing on the canvas, only colors of various sizes. It was as if everything I had just seen was an illusion relying on paint.

    But that vision was so clear that everything was happening before me.

    It was so real that it made one¡¯s heart palpitate.

    He came in high spirits and left in a daze. My troubled expression attracted Aldrich¡¯s attention, and in response to his question, I told him everything about my illusions and questions.

    Aldrich thought awhile and said, ¡°Perhaps you can ask Dorothy. Isn¡¯t this like peeking into the past?¡±

    I was suddenly enlightened and asked Dorothy about what I had seen.

    However, to my disappointment, Dorothy had no clue about this either.

    ¡°I can¡¯t see the gods, my dear.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Even the Goddess of Fate can¡¯t spy on the past and future of a god.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± I was a little disappointed, but I didn¡¯t take it seriously. ¡°Maybe I drank too much, so I was hallucinating. But that legend is novel, the temple¡¯s nuns would never tell such stories.¡±

    And so, it didn¡¯t take long for me to forget about it.

    Life in the Spring Rain Pack made me feel rxed. I did not doubt that this was because the big stone pressing on my heart had been lifted.

    A month had passed since I arrived, and with thebined efforts of many parties, Aldrich had recovered very quickly, and most of the terrifying illness had disappeared without a trace. He had moved out of the secret ward half a month ago and was now recuperating in the top-floor ward of the central hospital.

    Aldrich had no negative feelings toward his ¡®daughter¡¯, Cynthia. On the contrary, sometimes, he got along with Cynthia even better than I did. Cynthia was a serious little adult. However, no matter how serious she was, she was still a newborn. Her reservations quickly melted in the face of a gentle and loving father.

    For example, the father and daughter were on a video call with the wolf cub. The wolf cub missed his sister very much, but he was a little shy when facing Aldrich ¨C since he was born, he had only spent a few days with Aldrich.

    Besides being the matchmaker for this father-son pair who had just acknowledged each other as strangers, I didn¡¯t participate in their conversation. If I were around, the wolf cub would naturally focus all its attention on me and be even more unwilling tomunicate with Aldrich.

    The wolf cub missed her sister very much. Although Cynthia would sometimes find her younger brother too childish, there was no doubt that she missed the wolf cub very much. Aldrich held his daughter and faced his son, the corners of his mouth almost reaching his ears.

    ¡°When will Mom, Dad, and Cynthia return?¡± the wolf cub asked. ¡°It¡¯s snowing heavily. I want to build a snowman. Grandma said Mother is the best at building snowmen, so I want to build a big castle with Mother. There will be Mom and Dad, Cynthia and Sunflower, Grandpa, Grandma, Kara, and Bertha.¡±

    The young child¡¯s voice made the people in the houseugh kindly, and my mother holding the wolf cub,ughed so hard that she bent over.

    ¡°The castle is huge,¡± Aldrich said. ¡°Can you make it?¡±

    The wolf cub puffed out its chest, unconvinced. ¡°Of course, I can. Grandma said that I¡¯m growing very fast. I¡¯ll be as tall as the vases in the house soon!¡±

    They chatted for a while, and Aldrich was about to undergo his routine examination. I took the video and asked about how my parents and my two children were.

    Speaking of young Sunflower, my mother was a little hesitant. ¡°What did you and Aldrich say about that child? He was different from Cynthia. The Evaria Family... Sigh.¡±

    I was also worried about this, so I haven¡¯t thought about how to tell Aldrich. However, this kind of thing couldn¡¯t be hidden. After a few video calls with the wolf cub, he easily learned about this ¡®little brother¡¯.

    It was a hot-headed decision to adopt him back then, and I only realized now that I was worried about Aldrich¡¯s opinion.

    However, to my surprise, Aldrich seemed very calm about this.

    ¡°He¡¯s just a child,¡± he said. ¡°He doesn¡¯t even know who his parents are. Even if he has the blood of the Evaria Family, I should not have poured my hatred on an innocent child. The enmity between the Evaria Family and I will be settled sooner orter, and this child has already left that sinful family and has nothing to do with all this.¡±

    He agreed to adopt the child.

 Chapter 517 - 517 Come To Me

    517 Come To Me

    Benson Walton¡¯s POV:

    What kind of experience was it to travel with a ghost?

    I had to say, there was nothing special about it.

    Julie¡¯s remnant soul would neither run around nor do evil. Kevin had sealed her in a crystal bottle and asionally let her out for fresh air. Every time this happened, Julie would wander in the area that Kevin had set for her.

    We¡¯d been to many ces, and ording to the intelligence, we¡¯d visited all the former forces of the Evaria Family, but Julie¡¯s remnant soul didn¡¯t respond.

    It was still in the Lycan pack. I crossed out thest possible location. We only had one choice left.

    I¡¯d rather it be a wolf¡¯s den or a tiger¡¯s den than the Lycan pack. butpared to me, Kevin had instead fallen into an indescribable fanaticism.

    He wasn¡¯t overly excited and showed no obvious eagerness to try, but I could tell that a fire was burning in his heart, ready to burn the entire Lycan pack to ashes at any moment.

    To be honest, this wasn¡¯t good. From experience, losing one¡¯s mind was the first step to failure. Moreover, the Lycan pack was not remote, where I had previously carried out missions. In that richnd, one wrong step would lead to eternal damnation.

    However, Kevin did not listen to my advice, even though he seemed to understand my warning on the surface.

    The closer he got to the Lycan pack, the more nervous Kevin became about the crystal bottle that contained Julie¡¯s remnant soul. In the end, he decided not to let Julie out at all.

    ¡°How can she feel where her other half is if you¡¯re like this?¡± I asked.

    However, Kevin answered firmly, ¡°It¡¯s in the Lycan pack, yes.¡±

    We¡¯d return to this bustling city quietly. I needed to report to my superiors first. Since Selma had set off for the Spring Rain Pack, the current candidate had be Chekov.

    ¡°Good boy, wee back safely.¡± When Chekov greeted his subordinates, he would always say, ¡°I hope everything goes well for you.¡±

    I organized the report and handed it to Chekov. The report was over after I described the mission. Chekov didn¡¯t give me any new missions. He only said Selma had asked me to continue investigating the truth behind Julie¡¯s death before she left.

    Before I left, this mountain-like man warned me, ¡°Finding the truth is your mission, kid, but be careful of your colleague.

    ¡°He is her Highness¡¯s trusted minister, and after working together for some time... I don¡¯t see any signs of his loyalty wavering.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t doubt his loyalty. But sometimes, loyalty without reason is scarier than betrayal,¡± Chekov said.

    I understood what he was saying. Kevin¡¯s personal feelings for La might hinder our investigation.

    That was all Chekov said to me. I didn¡¯t stay any longer and went to the Sorcery Research Association to meet up with Kevin.

    The Sorcerer Research Association and the Royal Academy of Sciences were located at two ends of the same street. These two equally tall but differently styled buildings had once be a popr tourist attraction for the Lycan pack.

    However, the number of visitors to the Royal Academy of Sciences had dropped significantly recently. The former president who had resigned was the head of the Evaria Family, which slightly impacted the image of the Royal Academy of Sciences.

    Since the previous president resigned, the dean of the Royal Academy of Sciences had been temporarily vacant, and there had been no new positions until now. It was hard to say if the higher-ups forgot or intentionally ignored it. However, from the information I received, the internal department of the Royal Academy of Sciences was going all out to fight for the position of dean.

    This might be what the higher-ups wanted to see. No matter who won, the influence left behind by the previous dean would be eliminated. This would even save the higher-ups the trouble of doing it themselves.

    Julie¡¯s remnant soul had been transferred from the crystal bottle to a more secure device. Kevin and his colleague, Master Mary, were conducting ¡®research¡¯.

    This might not be urate because what they were studying was not the remnant soul but how to transform it into a ¡®signal transmitter¡¯.

    ¡°We can¡¯t just walk around the street with Julie¡¯s soul,¡± Master Mary said. ¡°It¡¯s too conspicuous. The power of the Lycan pack was a mix of good and bad, and many werewolf grandmasters were not officially registered. Even if they don¡¯t serve the Evaria Family or any other forces, just the fact that they want Julie¡¯s remnant soul as a good experimental material is enough to keep us busy.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help much here, so I could only let them do their research. While they were busy ¡®modifying¡¯ their main force, I carefully inspected the Lycan pack I had not seen for a long time from top to bottom to make up for the information I had missed.

    One day, I was having breakfast in a coffee shop that I often watched and suddenly remembered the old days.

    Inparison, they could be considered two worlds. In the past, when I was sitting in the office and reviewing documents, I never dreamed that one day I would be a ghost wandering thend of the werewolf pack, silently observing the many secrets happening in the corners.

 Chapter 518 - 518 The Tour

    518 The Tour

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Something happened. The Midnight Opera House wasing to the Spring Rain Pack for a tour.

    I learned this from Mara. She would be one of the apanying scriptwriters to perform in various ces with the opera house. She even sent me VIP tickets.

    Speaking of which, we probably hadn¡¯t seen each other in a long time. I¡¯d been so busy here, and Mara often went out for business trips. Thest time we met was during Mara¡¯s first opera after she became an official screenwriter. I went to support her.

    ¡°The theme of this tour is ¡®the Lost Myth¡¯,¡± Mara said excitedly over the phone. ¡°This means that there won¡¯t be any ssics that have already been on stage in this show. This was a challenge, but it was also an opportunity. The crew studied ancient myths day and night, writing and modifying scripts. To be honest, that period was really torturous. Watching one¡¯s painstaking efforts being criticized, denied, and modified day and night, that feeling was enough to make one copse. However, it¡¯s all worth it. I promise that I¡¯ll give everyone a surprise with this performance.¡±

    As the ¡®national idol¡¯ of the werewolves, every performance of the Midnight Opera House would cause a scene where tens of thousands of people would turn up. I¡¯m truly happy for Mara to be one of the scriptwriters for this tour.

    ¡°But why is the tour¡¯s first stop at the Spring Rain Pack?¡± I was a little confused. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t it be in the Lycan pack?¡±

    ¡°Since we¡¯re pursuing something new, we should abandon the old rules in all aspects. The leader thinks that the Spring Rain Pack is a new city and a representative work of innovation, so it¡¯s the most suitable ce to perform the new work of the troupe.¡±

    No matter what, I had to go and support them, so I decided on my schedule for that day early.

    On the day of the concert, the troupe sent someone to ask me about my habits and requirements. I didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a show, please don¡¯t be too nervous.¡± I didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry as I told Kara, ¡°Just do the usual. Don¡¯t put too much pressure on the troupe. It¡¯s not easy for the actors and staff.¡±

    Hence, the people sent by the troupe left while wiping their sweat.

    Cynthia looked forward to this day the most. From the moment she opened her eyes in the morning, she had changed from her usual behavior of a little adult to an endless stream of questions. ¡®When do we start? When do we set off?¡¯ and other questions popped up almost every three minutes.

    Kara was good at taking care of children. At least she was more patient than me and better at coaxing children than Aldrich. Hence, taking care of this little troublemaker was temporarily handed to her today.

    ¡°I finally understand why many people refused to be with fanatical fans.¡± Leaning against Aldrich, I helplessly looked out the window at Cynthia and Kara weaving a flower crown. ¡°She¡¯s so young, yet she already knows how to express her opinion on the beauty on the poster!¡±

    ¡°Cynthia has matured early,¡± Aldrich said with a smile. ¡°Besides, isn¡¯t it better to form her aesthetic style earlier?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s better if she¡¯s aesthetically pleasing,¡± I mumbled. ¡°I¡¯m afraid she¡¯ll grow up too early to be a beauty addict.¡±

    ¡°Everyone loves beauty.¡± Aldrich was very open to this.

    The Spring Rain Pack had not yet built an opera house. It was ranked very low in the city and infrastructure. So the Midnight Opera House simply performed in the open and built a temporary stage.

    The wide and sturdy wooden stage was decorated with gorgeous silk and tulle as if it was the y¡¯s background. The stage lights had not been turned on yet, which covered the stage in the dark with ayer of hazy ck gauze, like a half-buttoned book, making people eager to see the words and phrases hidden in the shadows.

    The stage was surrounded by an antique tent made of nkets and decorated with silk seats for individual guests. The tent in the middle must be mine tonight.

    The troupe leader eagerly came to receive me, and Mara apanied him.

    We all understood what I was thinking, but I didn¡¯t mind this harmless way of trying to build a rtionship with people I was familiar with. I also hoped that Mara could lead a better life in the troupe, so I didn¡¯t expose the troupe leader¡¯s thoughts.

    After the initial exchange of pleasantries, he had the foresight to return the seat next to me to Mara. He also seemed to like children quite a bit, as he could casually answer Cynthia¡¯s endless stream of questions.

    Cynthia wanted to meet with the performers. Just as the troupe leader was about to agree, I turned around to stop her.

    ¡°The performance is about to begin, my dear,¡± I said to Cynthia. ¡°The actors are in the midst of intense preparation work. If you want to see them, they won¡¯t be able to refuse. However, this will dy the preparation time. If there are any ws in the performance, the actors¡¯ hard work over the past few months will be in vain.¡±

    Cynthia realized she¡¯d been too rash tonight, so she sensibly gave up on her request.

    The troupe leader cleverly suggested, ¡°There¡¯s not enough time now, but after the performance, if you¡¯re willing, Your Highness, we can look backstage. The actors know that you¡¯reing today and they¡¯re all very excited. It¡¯ll be their greatest honor if they can get a few words of courage from you.¡±

    Looking at Cynthia¡¯s expectant gaze, I could only agree.

 Chapter 519 - 519 A Parent-child Moment

    519 A Parent-child Moment

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Even a professional troupe¡¯s backstage was not much tidier than an amateur troupe¡¯s backstage in school. Props, costumes, tables, and chairs, and half-drunk bottles of mineral water, could be seen everywhere.

    The actors were nervous and uneasy when they saw us, and the staff was even in a hurry to clean up the mess.

    However, this awkward scene onlysted briefly before it was broken. Cynthia, this young girl so obsessed with looks, immediately forgot about her shyness as a little adult and my advice when she saw the female lead. She started chatting with her like a little fangirl.

    The female lead was a rather famous female opera actress. The name ¡®Cynthia¡¯ came from a role she had once yed. At first, she was a little reserved, not knowing how to respond to a royal family member ¨C the one that she had never heard of ¨C and not knowing how to deal with a child who could ask ten questions in a second.

    Themander was a quick-witted person. Even though the royal family had never announced Cynthia¡¯s existence to the outside world, he still didn¡¯t mention a single word about her identity. He simply addressed her as ¡®Your Highness¡¯.

    ¡°Your Highness is such a smart child.¡± He smiled like a kind grandfather. ¡°It¡¯s rare for a child your age to have such a sharp tongue.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for thepliment.¡± No matter what, a mother would always be proud of her child being praised by others. ¡°The child is a little naughty. I hope you can understand the inconvenience caused to your troupe.¡±

    The regimentmander¡¯s face immediately bloomed into a smile.

    I didn¡¯t have much to say to the troupe. Besides, this wasn¡¯t a public setting, so I didn¡¯t have to say anything official in front of the media. Thus, this visit ended very quickly. The only one who was reluctant to leave was Cynthia. Before she left, she took a photo with the actress and left her signature on the photo.

    On the way back, Cynthia hugged my autograph and asked, ¡°Mother, will Aunt Mara always work at the Midnight Opera House? Then, can I go to the opera house more often after I return to the Lycan pack?¡±

    ¡°To be precise, our family has always had VIP seats in the Midnight Opera House. It¡¯s just that no one was interested in opera before, so we rarely went.¡± I wiped the sweat off her forehead. A mimicry could even simte such subtle physiological changes. It was magical.

    ¡°Yay!¡± Cynthia cheered. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll go every day!¡±

    Watching the opera wasn¡¯t a big deal, but I had to put a wet nket on her. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s possible, my dear. You¡¯re still young. If you want to go out, you¡¯ll have to be apanied by an adult, or you¡¯ll likely encounter danger.¡±

    ¡°I know that you, Grandpa, and Grandma are very busy. Father can¡¯t do anything for now, and Grandpa also has official business to do.¡± Cynthia still wanted to fight for some rights for herself. ¡°I can ask Kara or Bertha to apany me. They¡¯re also adults and are very trusted adults.¡±

    ¡°But Kara and Bertha also have things to do. If they always apany you to the opera, their work will be piled up, and they will be exhausted.¡±

    ¡°In that case, I don¡¯t need an adult to apany me! You know that I¡¯m not just a two-year-old child. Mother, if a bad person tries to do anything to me, I can immediately make him disappear forever.¡±

    ¡°I trust you, and I know you¡¯re not a good kid who will kill people. But how are we going to exin this to the outside world? A vicious assassin disappeared forever in the private room of a two-year-old child?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Cynthia pouted and thought briefly before saying, ¡°I can also bring a few more guards with me.¡±

    I held back myughter and touched her hair, no longer teasing her.

    ¡°Okay, my dear, since you like it, I promise we can go to the opera once a week, okay? I¡¯ll do my best to free up time to apany you. Even if I can¡¯t, I promise to find a reliable person to fulfill my promise in my ce.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Cynthia¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. ¡°Thank you, Mother!¡±

    After that, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a little excitement along the way. Sometimes she talked about taking the wolf cub out to ¡®see the world¡¯, and sometimes she would talk about taking little Sunflower to explore new hobbies. She didn¡¯t even consider whether these two real younger children could understand the gorgeous singing and elegant words.

    When we returned to where we were staying, Dorothy had already returned. She didn¡¯t enjoy the opera with us. She left after saying goodbye to Mara. With Tracy¡¯s rmendation, she got to know several experts in the pharmacology research group, so the witch, who had a great interest in herbology, went into theboratory.

    She often had to stay up all night and rarely came back so early.

    ¡°I feel a little uneasy,¡± she said worriedly as shey on the sofa in the living room. ¡°That familiar feeling is back. It¡¯s the feeling when fate is about to show me something.¡±

    She raised her head and happened to see Cynthia. Without any warning, she froze.

 Chapter 520 - 520 The Opera Celebrity

    520 The Opera Celebrity

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I tried to wave my hand before Dorothy, but she didn¡¯t react. I immediately understood what was going on.

    Cynthia was still a little confused, but she quickly understood. ¡°Is this aunty Dorothy¡¯s prophecy?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I think so.¡± I nodded and told Cynthia to stay where she was for now. ¡°I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s looking at you or something else, but just to be safe, let¡¯s not move.¡±

    Fortunately, the situation did notst long. After about ten seconds, Dorothy suddenly gasped for breath and fell from the sofa with stiff limbs.

    I quickly went up to support her, but her clothes were wet and almost soaked in a cold sweat.

    ¡°Photo, photo...¡± I heard her mutter. ¡°Let me see that photo.¡±

    It was rare for Dorothy to be so weak. I realized something was wrong, so I handed the photo to Dorothy.

    After looking at the photo, she suddenly groaned in pain and covered her head. The photo fell from her trembling hands to the ground.

    I helped her to the sofa and called the infirmary worriedly.

    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked Dorothy, ¡°Is there a problem with that photo?¡±

    Dorothyy on a pillow, sickly. Her voice was weak, ¡°The problem is huge... Ever since I¡¯ve mastered the Eye of Insight, I¡¯ve rarely been forced to make prophecies. But it¡¯s different today. I believe that the Goddess of Fate had a reason for forcefully stuffing the information in this photo into my mind.¡±

    ¡°The actress who took the photo with Cynthia, I believe there is something in her that is dangerous. Because I saw death, the shadow of evil power, and a family emblem in her fate ¨C a gand-shaped family emblemposed of thirteen flowers.¡±

    This was indeed bad news, I thought to myself.

    An emblem in the shape of a gand. When was thest time I saw them?

    In the distant north of the Elf Forest was a city with a long history and famous for its beautiful legends.

    However, Gand City was not dangerous in any way, let alone rted to evil forces.

    So there was only one other possibility left ¨C the servant family of the demon, who also had a gand as a coat of arms.

    Dorothy¡¯s description further confirmed my guess. ¡°That family emblem is very strange. It¡¯s simr to the one we saw in Gand City. The leaves on the gand are missing a few pieces as if insects gnawed them off.¡±

    At this point, we looked at each other and knew what was happening.

    I thought I¡¯d have a peaceful life on this trip. I couldn¡¯t help but hold my forehead, feeling exhausted from the bottom of my heart.

    Dorothyughed bitterly. ¡°Perhaps we won¡¯t have many peaceful days for the rest of our lives. What¡¯s that saying again? ¡®To wear a crown, one must bear the weight¡¯.

    Tracy checked and concluded that Dorothy was just a little exhausted. Dorothy was d she did not have to take many pills. Although a herbologist, she was not very sensitive to medicine.

    That night, I sent people to keep an eye on the opera troupe¡¯s actress. I believed that even if she were a family descendant, she would not rashly make a move in the Spring Rain Pack. My forces are everywhere, and the army was outside the city. However, with Adele¡¯s incident, for safety, it was better to pay attention to her movements in case she suddenly made trouble.

    The next day, I asked Mara a lot about this actress, but Mara simply thought I was just trying to satisfy Cynthia¡¯s curiosity.

    ¡°She¡¯s an old senior in the troupe. Don¡¯t think she¡¯s only a few years older than us, she¡¯s very experienced. Tilly was born into a family of opera singers. She had be the Leading Actress of the Year at the age of five, breaking the record for her age! It was said that she had been receiving family education at home and had rejected even the best music academies in the werewolf pack. Come to think of it, her parents are both famous singers and musicians, why would she need to study in a normal school?

    ¡°Although Tilly was famous at a young age, she is humble. She never puts on airs or has any romantic scandals with eligible bachelors. She also treats people like a spring breeze and has a good reputation in the opera house.

    ¡°However, Tilly has been on stage less often in recent years. At such a young age, no one knows why she suddenly considered retiring. Even for this tour, if it weren¡¯t for the leader choosing the Spring Rain Pack as the venue, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to get her to take charge.¡±

    Did she only agree to perform because of the Spring Rain Pack?

    I sharply noticed some clues and continued to ask, ¡°Does Tilly like the Spring Rain Pack?¡±

    ¡°Of course, she does. Who wouldn¡¯t like this thriving city? Besides, Tilly usually likes to travel. She often travels during her vacation. I heard that she has visited more than half of the werewolves packs.¡±

    It was not a big deal for an opera actor to be fond of traveling. Everyone had their hobbies.

    However, if Tilly were a spy, it would be a big problem. Who knew how much information she had left in the ces she had been?

 Chapter 521 - 521 A Visitor Card

    521 A Visitor Card

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Cynthia was still slightly confused about how her idol suddenly became a suspect. The autographed photo that had made her happy for a few hours quickly became a time bomb. She did not know whether to throw it away or keep it. Tilly¡¯s lively signature on the photo was so ring at the moment.

    ¡°Is she really a spy?¡± Cynthia asked in a muffled voice, ¡°Isn¡¯t she a pureblood werewolf who was born and raised in the pack? Even if she betrays us, will she ever have the chance toe into contact with foreign enemies?¡±

    I touched the child¡¯s head and softly said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet. Although Aunt Dorothy did see some clues, it doesn¡¯t directly prove that Tilly is the spy. Perhaps she is indeed innocent, and she just unintentionally came into contact with the real spy.¡±

    Cynthia didn¡¯t believe such a naive exnation but didn¡¯t ask any further. She just silently hid the photo in the corner of her suitcase.

    I hoped to think of a good way to persuade this depressed child. However, I knew that if I spoke, I could only tell Cynthia an even crueler truth ¨C Tilly might not be a spy, but whether she was ¡®Tilly¡¯ was another question. Being a dog in the manger was a method that had once caused me to suffer a huge setback.

    The toursted three days, and soon, the Midnight Opera House troupe was leaving. Mara was reluctant to leave. She really liked the Spring Rain Pack and didn¡¯t want to leave her old friends so soon.

    Besides saying goodbye to us, Mara also left a small gift for Cynthia: A one-year visitor card.

    ¡°I heard you¡¯re very interested in opera, little girl.¡± She gently touched Cynthia¡¯s soft hair on her forehead. ¡°Watching an opera is a wonderful experience, but I think working behind the scenes is also an unforgettable experience. You¡¯re wee to visit the opera often. Everyone likes you -not as a princess but as a child.¡±

    This precious card lifted Cynthia¡¯s depressed mood. She sweetly pounced into Mara¡¯s arms and bid her farewell.

    Before I left, Mara thought about it and told me some things that happened at the operapany.

    ¡°Tilly had been acting a little strange recently. Don¡¯t look at me like that. I¡¯m not a fool, girl. A Crown Princess will not personally inquire about an opera actress to satisfy her daughter¡¯s interest. In short, listen to me. Tilly has been a little strange recently. She¡¯s been mumbling something about someone watching her.

    ¡°At first, the troupe thought they had encountered a crazy fan, but the investigation was fruitless. Then, Tilly suddenly returned to normal, but in my opinion, it seemed even more abnormal ¨C she seemed to be living under the shing lights all the time, almost rigidly following the ¡®character¡¯ described to the media and fans, but the people around her are her friends and colleagues who are very familiar with her, so she did not need to do this at all.

    ¡°Although I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re paying attention to her, I¡¯m guessing that if you¡¯ve sent someone to monitor her, she probably has already discovered it. When she realized that the eyes surrounding her didn¡¯te from the crazy fans, she was very likely to have noticed it. So pay attention to the information you receive, Selma. Your subordinates will not lie to you, but Tilly will.¡±

    Mara suddenly disyed unprecedented alertness and coldness, which made me feel rather unfamiliar. I suddenly realized: Mara was a year older than me. She was no longer the flustered little girl in the opera club.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that this is hard to ept?¡± I asked, ¡°I¡¯m monitoring your colleague and using you to get information on her.¡±

    Mara chuckled and said, ¡°What kind of exploitation is this? Good girl, maybe you don¡¯t usually pay attention to opera actors, but if you log into the support websites created by some fanatical fans, you¡¯ll find that what you want to know is no secret at all,pared to those perverts who even want to know the color of Tilly¡¯s underwear every day. Thousands of people have already known it before you.

    ¡°Besides, I trust you more than Tilly, Selma. I know you. Although we¡¯re not as close as when we were students, I still understand your heart. If you pay too much attention to Tilly, there must be something about her that you have to pay attention to. And considering your status, I¡¯m afraid this isn¡¯t something the werewolves would be happy to see.

    ¡°So, if it¡¯s of any help to you or the werewolves, I don¡¯t mind being ¡®used¡¯ by you a few more times. Don¡¯t think too much about it, Selma.¡±

    Mara left with the Midnight Opera House, and the media broadcasted 70% of the news. On the TV screen, Tilly was so radiant and moving. Her every smile and wink were reflected in myriad amorous feelings under the sh. Thinking back to Mara¡¯s warning, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a chill in my heart.

    Was Tilly still ¡®Tilly¡¯? Perhaps everything was just a coincidence that the actress was burdened with being an idol, or was the spy taunting the person monitoring her?

 Chapter 522 - 522 The Secret Temple

    522 The Secret Temple

    Benson Walton¡¯s POV:

    I knew the principle of ¡®let the professional do the professional work¡¯, and I was usually willing to pay trust and patience for this. However, after many unsessful experiments by Kevin and his werewolf grandmaster colleagues, this trust and patience had inevitably been slightly discounted.

    Kevin used someplicated and exined methods that even I couldn¡¯t understand to make some harmless modifications to Julie¡¯s remnant soul. This made her sensing rangerger, and the ¡®signal¡¯ she sent to her other half could also be transmitted further, thus greatly increasing the efficiency of their mutual sensing.

    But the problem was that such a transformation was very effective in theory, but in reality, it was defeated.

    There was no movement from Julie¡¯s remnant soul for the next few days. I even took her around the city several times during my patrol, but nothing happened.

    I couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer and wanted to ask Kevin if this method was reliable. However, Kevin¡¯s face was a hundred times gloomier than mine. I didn¡¯t have to ask to know his answer.

    He had no choice but to wait.

    Just waiting wasn¡¯t the style of people in our line of work. I searched through all the possible locations that we had listed and marked a few locations that Kevin didn¡¯t have the time to search carefully because he was in a hurry. I thought that if this didn¡¯t work, we would still have to go back and continue our search.

    However, on the night I finished organizing my thoughts, the progress bar that had been stagnant finally moved forward.

    The station of the mobile patrol team always maintained a simple style, just like the organization. There was nothing to enjoy, and it would not create an atmosphere of hard work. After living here for a long time, you slowly got used to the small and clean room assigned to you, just like a motel.

    But tonight, I woke up in my room.

    It was hard to describe what kind of feeling it was. It was cold and wet like someone had injected cold medical gel into the air. It made people feel solid resistance when they raised their hands.

    When I opened my eyes, I immediately realized something must have happened.

    The crystal bottle containing Julie¡¯s soul I¡¯d been carrying with me all this time was now lying on the ground, a pile of shiny, non-renewable garbage.

    I immediately rushed out the door, but I was not Julie¡¯s other half or a werewolf grandmaster with strange abilities. I couldn¡¯t find where the wandering soul had flown to. so I went to Kevin immediately but couldn¡¯t get through to his phone. I also learned from the Sorcery Research Association that he had left.

    ¡°Master Kevin said that if Mr. Walton came to find him, he should go to the temple in the suburbs,¡± the security guard on duty said.

    A temple in the suburbs?

    I first thought of the Moon Pce, the divine hall that had stood in the werewolf pack for many years.

    But the next moment, I rejected this idea and reced it with another inexplicable thought ¨C perhaps, it was another one.

    The mysterious temple, funded by the royal family, looked simr to the Moon Pce at first nce, but the core waspletely different. The existence of this temple was still an undisclosed secret, and even the information about it was not known to every intelligence personnel or mobile patrol member.

    An ethereal sense of determination rose in me. By the time I reacted, I had already reached the edge of the forest that belonged to the royal family.

    A figure stood not far away. It was Kevin.

    The first thing he said when he saw me was, ¡°We¡¯ve found her.¡±

    The forest that belonged to the royal family covered arge area. It had not been developed much, and most still maintained its natural appearance. This caused a lot of obstacles to our advance, so much so that we had to temporarily shift to be wolves to adapt to the sharp grass and messy branches.

    The further I walked, the heavier my heart became. This was the direction to the Moon Pce. Although I¡¯d never been there personally, the information wouldn¡¯t lie.

    I hoped it was all just a coincidence. It was best if Julie¡¯s other half just chose a random ce to take a walk instead ofing to see why the royal family built a temple that didn¡¯t belong to the Moon Goddess to worship other gods and nned to stir up trouble with this explosive news.

    After walking for about an hour, the view in front of us suddenly brightened. A grand and gorgeous pce suddenly appeared in front of us. This pce seemed to be built in the form of the Moon Pce, but the patterns in the details were more vivid and new.

    Moreover,pared to the full moon totem of the Moon Pce, this temple was carved with crescent moons as thin and sharp as sickles and lifelike moths.

    I felt increasingly uneasy, and for a moment, I even had the urge to give up on this operation. No matter what, this temple was not something I should explore.

    However, Kevin treated this as nothing out of the ordinary. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was my imagination, but how he looked at the temple was even a little respectful and pious.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s go in and find the answer to everything.¡±

 Chapter 523 - 523 The Haloâ€™s Afterglow

    523 The Halo¡¯s Afterglow

    Benson Walton¡¯s POV:

    Before entering the temple, I repeatedly confirmed with Kevin, ¡°Do you really think we should go in? You might not know anything about this temple. You might know more than I do, but no matter what, this is not a ce that you can enter as you please. The heresy¡¯s Moon Pce stands majestically on the royal family¡¯snd. I think anyone with a brain knows how to avoid suspicion and ensure they won¡¯t be ¡®shut up¡¯.¡±

    It was true that I was looking for Julie, but it was obvious that there was a bigger problem that couldn¡¯t solve our current problem!

    But Kevin turned a blind eye to my warning.

    He looked at me with a creepy gaze and said seriously and contemptuously, ¡°Take back your words, kid. Here... The master of this temple is very tolerant, but you have no understanding of it. Ignorance is not a w that can be forgiven forever.¡±

    It made me feel like he had gone crazy for a moment.

    I should be angry and be offended by this, but the truth was that I was like a deer that had been scared silly by a shotgun, not moving at all. I shuddered violently.

    I didn¡¯t understand what Kevin meant by that. Perhaps he had long be a captive of the heresy without him knowing? No matter what, Kevin had be the second temple in my eyes, full of secrets and strangeness. My radar was ringing like crazy, warning me not to try and discover secrets that I shouldn¡¯t.

    ¡°... Alright,¡± I said stiffly. ¡°Get your sorcery ready, Werewolf Grandmaster. I¡¯ll be the vanguard.¡±

    The temple¡¯s door was tall and heavy, and the two-door rings as thick as oil barrels were about six or seven meters high. They were exquisitely carved decorations.

    Of course, whoever knocked on the door was a fool. When I tried to use brute force to push this door that weighed a few tons, Kevin fiddled with it a few times, and the heavy stone door quietly opened inward, revealing a gap that two people could walk through side by side.

    ... Although Kevin didn¡¯t even spare me a nce, I could somehow sense a sense of disdain from him.

    I retracted my hand and walked to the door as if nothing had happened. I tried to observe the gap for a while to ensure no threats in my vision.

    ¡°This is the temple, ¡± Kevin said. ¡°In the werewolf pack, except for those lunatics who believe in the cult, no one would be crazy enough to cause trouble under the eyes of a god.¡±

    ¡®Aren¡¯t you a heathen yourself?

    I was the first to enter.

    The temple wasn¡¯t dark. The floor was iid with countlessmp stands in the shape of moonurel branches and leaves, and at the top of each branch was a white, cream-like smokeless candle. The candles burned quietly, emitting a faint yellow light and a faint strawberry fragrance.

    What a god who knew how to enjoy life, I wondered. What did her believers usually offer her? Strawberry ice cream and a blueberry sandwich biscuit?

    I saw a huge stained ss embedded in the tall ceiling. The ss had a drawing of a woman with her arms open as if she was hugging. I couldn¡¯t see her face because a few lifelike flying moths were covering her face with a light veil.

    The moonlight poured down through the ss, causing the goddess on the ss to emit a soft halo as if she had some divinity.

    Unknowingly, I was engrossed in it. I only came back to my senses when Kevin came over and gave me a push.

    I immediately looked away from the ss window. ¡®Oh my Moon Goddess, I didn¡¯t mean to spy on the heresy. Please forgive me.¡¯

    It was an empty temple. There were no statues or altars anywhere I could see, not even an altar for offerings. It was as if the temple had been ruined halfway through its construction. It had a golden and jade exterior butcked the core inside.

    I didn¡¯t see Julie or anyone else in this clear ce.

    I looked at Kevin, signaling for him to use his little sorcery to help us find clues. But Kevin did not look sideways and walked straight to the innermost wall of the temple.

    I quickly followed him to the wall with gorgeous embossed. However, I didn¡¯t find any clues. There was no sign of Julie nor any invisible windows or doors.

    At this moment, Kevin suddenly reached out and touched the wall. I thought he would fiddle with some small mechanisms like he did when he opened the door, but the next second...

    Under my horrified gaze, those moth-shaped ¡¯emboss¡¯ started moving. They pped their wings in a daze, and then the rock-like color around their bodies faded, revealing the ck and gold intertwining inside.

    A moth flew up and circled Kevin and me twice beforending on aurel-shapedmp stand. Immediately after, the second and third moths flew into action, and then all the moths on the wall followed the previous guide and flew off the wall.

    This wasn¡¯t the most creepy thing. After the moths left, they revealed the pattern of the moonurel branches on the wall. The branches gradually shed their gray disguise and became tough and delicate again. The green leaves trembled and retracted, gradually revealing a stone door under them.

 Chapter 524 - 524 The Young Man

    524 The Young Man

    Benson Walton¡¯s POV:

    I was almost certain that Kevin must have a rtionship with this temple. He easily found such a hidden door and was indifferent to everything happening before him.

    However, now was not the time to question that. The stone door was slowly opening in front of us.

    The moment the door opened, my sixth sense suddenly buzzed, sharply warning me that there was an extremely dangerous person hiding behind the door.

    I subconsciously wanted to shift the position of the wolf form, but Kevin stopped me.

    ¡°It¡¯s useless. No matter how strong the body is, it can¡¯t stop his invasion.¡± He looked sternly at the dark void through the crack of the door.

    ¡°He has a weak body, but his spirit is always sessful. Changing forms is just to let him find a more suitable opportunity to strike.¡±

    I didn¡¯t understand what he meant, but given how he¡¯d always been so calm and expected, I thought there was no harm in trusting him for the time being.

    The room behind the stone door was dark, unlike the many candles and ss windows on the roof outside. The candle beside the stone door illuminated a small corner for us, and the contrast only made the darkness even more dangerous.

    However, Kevin seemedpletely unaware of the danger as he entered it.

    ¡°You have no way out,¡± he said tly. ¡°Put away your despicable tricks. You¡¯ve already failed once, and I think you now understand that they won¡¯t work on me.¡±

    Who was he talking to?

    I thought that my vision was superior among the werewolves, but no matter how carefully I observed, I couldn¡¯t see through the dark void.

    No one answered Kevin, as if he was talking to air.

    Kevin was not in a hurry. He stood at the boundary of light and darkness and continued, ¡°There is no point in dying. From the moment you stepped into the Goddess of the New Moon Temple, you were already exposed to her sight. You can¡¯t hide, and you can¡¯t escape. Stalling for time will only consume her patience, and it will bring you an even more tragic end.¡±

    There was still no sound in the darkness, but something suddenly appeared in my line of sight and wobbled toward the stone door.

    When I got closer, I realized that it was Julie!

    To be more precise, it was Julie¡¯s remnant soul, but this confirmed that her other half was here. And it was self-evident who Kevin had been talking to.

    I silently prepared myself for battle. If the other side decided to fight to the death, Kevin¡¯s small fishing rod-like body wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand even a single w.

    Kevin¡¯s expression did not change at the sight of Julie.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a show of weakness, but a provocation,¡± he said. ¡°Under the goddess¡¯s watch, you can only ept being captured. Anything else is considered a rebellion. Don¡¯t be so na?ve and put up a stubborn resistance. The goddess needs not a broken soul but the murderer to be executed!¡±

    These words were impolite!

    I suddenly caught a faint breathing sound. It seemed that the person hiding in the darkness could no longer maintain his disguise and revealed his breathing. This made my entire body tense up even more as I prepared to punch the next soul or something that appeared at the door.

    However, in the next second, I only heard a few softughs.

    ¡°You¡¯re very smart, Master Kevin.¡± The man¡¯s voice came from the darkness. ¡°I think you intentionally released Julie¡¯s remnant soul to bait me.¡±

    Kevin did not answer.

    ¡°You even led me to this strange temple. If I¡¯m not wrong, you¡¯re the same as that strange agent the other day. You¡¯ve abandoned the Moon Goddess¡¯ trust and turned to the arms of this heretic god who came out of nowhere-¡±

    ¡°Mind your words!¡± Kevin was suddenly infuriated. The calmness that he had feigned vanished. ¡°You have no right to judge these two tolerant and kind goddesses, much less to criticize my faith.¡±

    ¡°You little demon, when your father was licking the demon¡¯s toes, didn¡¯t he tell you to learn to bow and kneel in front of your demon master? You b*stard of the Evaria Family!¡±

    I looked into the darkness in shock. Coincidentally, at this moment, the moths that were as quiet as stone on the light rack and the ground seemed to have been infected by Kevin¡¯s anger. They rushed into the dark stone door.

    Their ck-gold wings, which looked like they were made of gems and crystals, shone with soft light, illuminating the dark room as if it were daytime.

    Under this light, I could finally see the interior.

    The tall, gorgeous stone wall, the altar with exquisite curtains and soft beds, two identical pale women, and...

    It was the handsome and arrogant young man below the altar.

    The young man turned a blind eye to the threatening moths above his head. He calmly nodded at us and greeted us as if he was at a dinner party. ¡°Good evening, my dear gentlemen.¡±

 Chapter 525 - 525: The Wandering Women

    Chapter 525: The Wandering Women

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion<strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Benson Walton¡¯s POV:

    I couldn¡¯t describe what kind of feeling it was. The moment the young man spoke, all the hair on my body stood on end. I couldn¡¯t help but shift my position. My sharp teeth and ws gradually broke through the prison of the human form. This was my self-defense mechanism, trying to protect my safety.

    There was no doubt that he was a dangerous person. Even though he looked as fair and slender as any child of a noble family, he did not look like he had been on the battlefield. However, he was indeed dangerous. He could use a power that 1 didn¡¯t know and couldn¡¯t understand to take down everyone present easily.

    ¡°Step back, Kevin.¡± 1 pulled Kevin behind me and nervously stared at the luxuriously dressed young man. ¡°He¡¯s dangerous. Calm down. Don¡¯t underestimate him.¡±

    Kevin didn¡¯t say a word, so 1 couldn¡¯t turn back to observe his reaction. It was the young man whoughed disdainfully when he saw my actions.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t be nervous, Sir,¡± he said casually. ¡°No matter how rebellious 1 am, 1 know it¡¯s a great sin to use brute force in the temple, especially in the temple of an unfamiliar goddess. I don¡¯t expect her to be more merciful than the Moon Goddess and forgive the offense of a heathen.¡±

    ¡°So you know that you¡¯vemitted a great sin.¡± Kevin¡¯s voice was no longer as steady as before. Theva hidden under the water was eager to erupt.

    ¡°Boy, the master of this temple has always been generous and kind, but to an offender, she is never stingy with her anger. 1 know you have some despicable tricks up your sleeve, but no matter what, you can¡¯t escape from here today.¡±

    The young man didn¡¯t say anything. Gradually, he stoppedughing. The young man was handsome, smiling like a spring breeze. However, when thest trace of a smile disappeared from the corner of his mouth, one would find that the warm spring breeze was just an illusion. Hidden under it was a dry well that exuded a rotten smell.

    This young man looked no older than twenty, but his temperament was like that of an old man with one foot in the grave.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any ill intentions. No matter what you¡¯re thinking, that¡¯s not me.¡± He said, ¡°I just want to see what exactly happened. This poor wandering soul, after she spent countless years in confusion, was what made her leave the closed-up prison.¡±

    I heard Kevin let out an extremely mean sneer. ¡°Excellent acting skills, child. I will believe you if I didn¡¯t know you were in cahoots with the culprit who caused all this.¡±

    Wait a minute, was I the only one not in the situation right now?

    What did he mean by ¡®colluding¡¯? Could this young man not be the person we were looking for?

    Kevin¡¯s meanness was iparable to mine. Perhaps it was because my suspicions were too obvious, but he rolled his eyes at me in disdain. ¡°Use your brain, Benson. How old could this child have been twenty years ago? I¡¯m afraid it was not even a sperm then.¡±

    The young manughed without any sense of danger aversion.

    ¡°Alright, alright.¡± 1 thought the atmosphere might not be as tense as 1 had imagined, so I temporarily restrained my desire to attack and stop this confrontation that kept me in the dark. ¡°No matter what, 1 hope that someone can give me an exnation. What is going on? Are we still fighting? Or did we catch the wrong person?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve got the wrong person.¡± The young man nodded innocently.

    ¡°No.¡± Kevin shook his head. ¡°We didn¡¯t get the wrong person.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Do you want me to leave first and wait for you toe up with a unified answer?¡± I would haveughed out of anger if it weren¡¯t for the inappropriate atmosphere.

    ¡°Listen up, Kevin, and that kid over there. This isn¡¯t a theater, and no one wants to see the three of us act like fools. This was the temple of a heretic goddess. This is already creepy enough. So, in the next five minutes, we either caught the wrong person and leave immediately. Either we fight to the death, and then one of us will surrender, understand?¡±

    ¡°1 sincerely hoped we could resolve the misunderstanding between us peacefully,¡± the noble boy said with an air of propriety. ¡°At least listen to my exnation.¡±

    Kevin remained silent. 1 could feel his patience and anger growing.

    ¡°You have one minute,¡± 1 immediately replied.

    The angry buzzing moths calmed down in a few seconds andnded on the wall one after another, pretending to be stone sculptures.

    Kevin seemed not stingy with this one minute, which relieved me. To be honest, although I was unsure if this kid was bluffing, his sense of danger made me unsure if I could subdue him.

    ¡°The wandering woman¡­ That¡¯s what the people around me and 1 call her. 1 don¡¯t know when it started, but she barged into my family. Ever since I was born, I¡¯ve heard people talking and whispering about her.¡±

    The young man looked at the two women standing opposite each other and looked the same. They were pale and weak, not like ghosts. They had fallen to be two homeless wanderers, and they had been tortured day after day until they were no longer human..

 Chapter 526 - 526: The Apparition

    Chapter 526: The Apparition

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Benson Walton¡¯s POV:

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why my elders didn¡¯t drive her away. Even if she¡¯s just an idiotic undead without any threat, thend of the living isn¡¯t where she can stay for long.

    ¡°She always appears and disappears unpredictably, disappearing from people¡¯s sight for a long time and suddenly appearing in a corner with few people. I¡¯ve heard rumors about her, but they¡¯re mostly dry and boring love stories. This is certainly not the truth. I¡¯ve also asked my elders about her, but everyone kept their mouths shut and warned me not to try to find out about an undead¡¯s past, as that would harm me.

    ¡°But I¡¯m even more confused because of this, and I¡¯m sure there must be some secret worth investigating on this dead soul.

    ¡°I think that since the two of you were able to devise a n to lure the soul into a trap, you should have some guesses about my identity. So, let¡¯s ignore that unimportant concealment. In short, after my family was dered to be in decline and had no choice but to leave my family¡¯s line of sight like a stray dog, 1 suddenly found that the soul had left ¨C that¡¯s not exactly right, she should have stayed here, on thend that once belonged to the Evaria Family and wander around all day long.¡±

    ¡°This was very unusual. By then, 1 realized that my guess was wrong. The undead did not follow my family but someone in my family. He or she has died, so the undead will forever linger around the sleeper.

    ¡°And tonight, the undead trapped in this small area suddenly left. I don¡¯t know what caused her to change, so 1 followed her to this temple. Then, 1 met the two of you.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to say.¡±

    The young man did not seem to be lying, but 1 knew lying, for the nobles, was easier than eating and drinking, so 1 did not believe him easily.

    ¡°So, how did you get in?¡± I asked. ¡°How do you know the secret of a temple that belongs to the heretic goddess?¡±

    The young man didn¡¯t answer, he just smiled.

    ¡°So, the person Rory was monitoring that day was you,¡± Kevin suddenly said. ¡°You tried to control him but failed. However, you still left many memories that belonged to Rory.¡±

    The young man nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. I only wanted to protect myself at that time. After all, as a member of the defeated family, it¡¯s best not to mention anything about me to the princess. Although 1 failed in the end, 1 don¡¯t think I gained anything. This temple, the goddess, who could have thought of it? Who would¡¯ve thought of that!¡±

    The young man chuckled as if he had heard a joke, and I immediately noticed that Kevin¡¯s emotions, which had been stabilized with great difficulty, were showing signs of erupting again.

    1 didn¡¯t need to think too much to know that Kevin must have a close rtionship with this temple or he had already thrown himself into the arms of the heresy.

    However, none of the information I had ess to about him mentioned this at all. He was so powerful that he could blind the all-pervasive Intelligence Department and mobile patrol team, or someone had hidden this for him.

    The probability of the former was even lower than me immediately returning to the Shadow Pack and assuming office. As for thetter, given the well-knownbel of Kevin, the identity of the person who had concealed the truth was obvious.

    So I¡¯d decided to remain silent on this.

    And if my guess was correct, then the royal family and the heresy were connected. Judging from the young man¡¯s words, the person Selma had sent to monitor him knew it was rted to the heresy.

    That was to say, the young man had already obtained much information about the heresy from the monitors, including its rtionship with the royal family.

    1 couldn¡¯t help but feel a headache. Things were getting more and moreplicated. If this young man had information that was not beneficial to the royal family, then even if his surname were not Evaria, 1 would not let him walk out of this temple so easily.

    No wonder Kevin was so angry. Even 1 hated the young man¡¯s arrogant smile so much that my teeth itched.

    He was just a defeated general. Why couldn¡¯t he just roll out of the Lycan pack like a mouse and live the rest of his life in a poor and remote vige?

    Now that he knew the secret he shouldn¡¯t know, he was involved in a case full of sensitive information over twenty years ago. He would not be able to get out of this.

    1 wouldn¡¯t be able to be kind.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard it all. You said it in an organized manner, whether it¡¯s a story or a fact.¡±

    Sharp teeth and ws grew out again.

    ¡°But I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have to trouble you to return with us for an investigation. Child, if what you said is true, you¡¯ll be sent home safely, and we¡¯ll naturally go and catch the real murderer. If it¡¯s fake, you don¡¯t want to know the price you must pay.¡±

    The atmosphere became tense again, and the motionless moths buzzed, turning from harmless carvings into terrifying monsters.

    Kevin and 1 stared at the young man and noticed his movements, hoping to strike first.

    But-

    The young man just chuckled and then allowed himself to be captured.

    ¡°I hope you keep your promise, Sir,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m going on a study trip with my friends. Breaking a promise is not a gentleman¡¯s character..¡±

 Chapter 527 - 527: Sparring

    Chapter 527: Sparring

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    With the cooperation of many parties, Aldrich recovered very quickly. In just a month, he was able to start receiving some simple training.

    To avoid exposure to the outside world, Aldrich had to train the muscles worn out on the hospital bed as soon as possible. That was why I was acting as his temporary instructor.

    It was a wonderful feeling. When 1 first met Aldrich, he was the teacher in training me, but now everything was reversed.

    His deep sleep caused the sharpness and power that he was so proud of to deteriorate. After being caught by me multiple times for his fatal ws, Aldrich couldn¡¯t help but feel a little dejected.

    ¡°It feels like a hundred years have passed.¡± He wiped his sweat-drenched hair and looked lonely. ¡°My joints are as slow as gears that haven¡¯t been lubricated for a hundred years. They creak with every slight movement.¡±

    ¡®That¡¯s normal,¡± 1 tried tofort him. ¡°You¡¯ve been lying down for too long. If it were someone else, getting out of bed and running around would be good enough. You just need time to train to return to your original state, just like you did the first time.¡±

    Aldrich was silent for a few seconds before suddenly asking, ¡°While I was unconscious, Frank, he¡­

    This also reminded me about Frank, and 1 could only give him a disappointing answer. ¡°No, there¡¯s no news. I¡¯ve interrogated the cultist captives, but I got nothing.¡±

    In fact, after such a long time, we could roughly guess in our hearts that the hope was already very slim. It would probably be difficult even to find an intact corpse of Frank.

    It was unknown what method Frank had used to merge into the ck cocoon that Linda had condensed and that ck cocoon now seemed to be rted to the cultists and even the demons.

    I did not doubt that this familiar cocoon would be some kind of medium. One day, it might breed evil and death, just like I broke out of the cocoon, and some kind of existence would be born.

    I was more afraid that my guess had already been proven correct. The sacrifices the evil cultists risked their lives to obtain could very well be for the ck cocoon. On the other hand, we had no idea if the ck cocoon had received enough sacrifices or how long it would take for it to hatch.

    In short, the short break like a paradise is over, and 1 have to return to Lycan pack in early January.

    In addition, there was an episode during this period: Benson had found Julie¡¯s ¡®other half¡¯, and with Kevin, they had caught the person who might have provided the evidence. He was not a suspect because he was not born when Lamitted suicide over twenty years ago.

    ¡°Sisley Evaria.¡± I couldn¡¯t be more familiar with an unfamiliar name and a family name. This made me frown. The young man in the photo looked familiar to me. 1 felt like I had seen him at my wedding.

    ¡°Oh, you still remember him.¡± Jordin shrugged. ¡°Do you still remember those children who spoke rudely at your wedding? You didn¡¯t punish them, you just drove them away. This kid is one of them; I even personally returned him to his angry father!¡±

    Now that she mentioned it, 1 had an impression of him. He used to be the one who was the most popr among the group of children. He was a close friend of Cast! Woof Anca.

    1 was guessing that he was the one Casti went to see that night. He also dared to hide it from me because of him.

    But I remembered that Sisley was only a junior high school student then. Why did the information say that he was already twenty? How many years had I been married?

    ¡°You were so busy with the wedding and coronation that you didn¡¯t notice this. Emma, Dorothy, and 1 helped you choose the list of concierges.¡±

    Jordin added, ¡°You know how the nobles do things. They fight for a position for themselves no matter what. They try to fool details like age if they can. Many children have their parents lie about their age, including him¡­¡±

    ¡°You can pass by lying about your age?¡± Only then did I find out that there were such details of the wedding that I didn¡¯t know about.

    Jordin shook her head helplessly. ¡°How can we decide if we can pass or not? The name list ced on your table results from many parties¡¯ gamble. We can only stamp your seal symbolically, which wall be considered settled.¡±

    At this point, his identity could at least be confirmed. The Evaria Family chose him to be the concierge for my wedding, so the family must highly value him.

    In addition, he also could control the mind, so there was a high probability that he was blood-rted to little Sunflower. This meant that the boy, introduced as the youngest son of an inconspicuous Evaria Family member in the document, was likely to be the descendant of that illegitimate child.

    However,pared to the more troubles about toe, a certain worry upied most of my current worries ¨C if Sisley and little Sunflower were blood-rted, what would they be? Brothers, or perhaps¡­. Father and son?

 Chapter 528 - 528: The Conjecture

    Chapter 528: The Conjecture

    <b>Trantor: </b>EndlessFantasy Trantion <b> Editor: </b>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I set off with worry, unable to stop trying to guess the rtionship between the two. I secretly ordered people to make a blood report for Sisley and little Sunflower, but the final data stopped at a very ambiguous range.

    ¡°Generally speaking, the test results are enough to show that the two have a very close blood rtionship,¡± he exined. ¡°However, during the test, the equipment had inexplicable faults and changes, which forced us to do a few more tests just in case. However, there wererge and small idents during every test. This is obviously beyond the scope of medicine, so we sought help from the werewolf grandmasters ¨C ¡°

    1 rubbed my tired eyebrows and interrupted him, ¡°Get to the point, Craig.¡±

    Undeniably, he was an excellent doctor, but he was clumsy and often couldn¡¯t catch the main point. I usually didn¡¯t feel anything, but 1 couldn¡¯t help but feel irritated at this critical moment.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness,¡± he said, flustered. He tried to calm himself down and said, ¡°In short, there is a special form of energy in the blood of Mr. Evaria and young Sunflower. It is that which interferes with the normal operation of the instrument and causes the results to be erratic. Even the werewolf grandmasters¡¯ sorcery was disrupted because of this, and it was impossible to determine the blood rtionship between the two urately.¡±

    ¡°¡­ What did Sisley say?¡±

    ¡°Uh, Mr. Evaria said that he did not know of little Sunflower¡¯s existence and that he was his father s youngest child. He had been single and maintained the habit of keeping himself clean.

    ¡°That¡¯s why he¡¯s talking nonsense with you.¡±

    ¡°This is beyond my capabilities, Your Highness. I¡¯m just a doctor.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yes, I was too impatient. Thank you, Craig. There¡¯s no need for the blood test anymore. We ll talk about it after I get back.¡±

    After 1 hung up, I once again felt an indescribable fatigue. I thought 1 was working hard to decipher it, but more secrets came one after another. 1 solved one, and ten more jumped out, waiting for me.

    I didn¡¯t care if Ashley and little Sunflower were brothers or father and son. I was more concerned about issues other than ethics.

    If the two were father and son, then it would be easier for me to worry about them. Judging from his age, the Evaria Family had only been able to use his sperm for a very short time, and their technology was very primitive.

    As such, Lester¡¯s research facility was most likely their main experimental base. I didn¡¯t have to worry that this crazy family would have more bases to harm more women and cause more trouble for the royal family.

    However, if the two were brothers, then it would be troublesome. Twenty years had passed between Sislet and little Sunflower. Were these two children the only ones born in these twenty years?

    Their biological father might not have lost his fertility. Even if the Evaria Family could no longer conduct human experiments, couldn¡¯t they return to the most natural and honest form?

    More children meant more people coveting the throne, more mind-controlling ability users, and more trouble that was harder to solve.

    Just thinking about it gave me a headache.

    The Evaria Family was a rotten sore that went deep into the bone. If it were removed, it would be a pain in the heart. I pretended to let them off the hook to find out where Azazel was. Now that such a thing had happened, I simply couldn¡¯t eat.

    Rhode instantly saw through my mind.

    On this return trip, 1 only stopped at the Shadow Pack for a while to see my foster parents and brothers. Rhode didn¡¯t seem to be troubled by love. He epted that Emma had broken up with him and didn¡¯t mention their engagement.

    Since he didn¡¯t mention it, 1 couldn¡¯t bring it up. No matter if Rhode had let it go or if he were pretending to let it go, 1 would only scratch at his scars if I rashly brought it up.

    Compared to the worried me, Aldrich andw¡¯s rtionship was more pleasant. Aldrich¡¯s training partner also changed from me to Rhode.

    ¡°Today, Aldrich also asked me about you because of your absent-minded state.¡±

    At night, Aldrich told me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should tell you about Sisley and little Sunflower, so I only told Rhode that you didn¡¯t rest well because of the long journey.¡±

    We snuggled together, and Aldrich¡¯s warm body made me feel at ease.

    ¡°Thank you, my dear. Let¡¯s not talk about this with Rhode for now.¡± I sighed. ¡°This isplicated and confusing. There¡¯s no conclusion, and it concerns the bloodline of the royal family. 1 trust Rhode, but the fewer people who know about this, the better.¡±

    That child¡­ To be fair, when it came to our ages, I was not old enough to call him a child¡¯.

    In short, there must be something that Sisley was hiding from me, and his parents might not be his parents. I¡¯d checked the family line of that couple, and they could be traced back to many generations of ancestors, so it was impossible for them to be the descendants of the illegitimate child who appeared suddenly.

    The only reason I could think of for having his fake parents take care of him was the Evaria Family wanted to protect the identity of the father who had provided the sperm, and it was likely that, like young Sunflower, he was born through abnormal means..

 Chapter 529 - 529: What Do You Know?

    Chapter 529: What Do You Know?

    <b>Trantor: </b>EndlessFantasy Trantion <b> Editor: </b>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I hadn¡¯t seen Teresa in a long time. Her children had already grown up, and her increasingly haggard face was obviou.

    ¡°This is the price of being a mother.¡± She smiled bitterly. ¡°Raising a child is not like caring for a nt. You just have to water and fertilize it. As the children grow, they are no longer as obedient as they were when they were young. Sometimes, 1 regret it. I shouldn¡¯t have arranged for the age gap between the children to be so small, giving them a chance to go crazy together at the same time now.¡±

    ¡°Is Daniel not helping you?¡±

    ¡°Of course he does, but he¡¯s very busy with work and can¡¯t help me anytime and anywhere. Now that he is in a high position, he has to go on business trips or carry out dangerous missions asionally. 1 don¡¯t want him to worry about his family.¡±

    To be honest, even though we were both mothers, I couldn¡¯t empathize with Teresa.

    Most of the time, my children were cared for by my mothers and nannies. The anxiety I could feel from the children was more or less mixed with political factors. Rather than worrying about the children, I was more worried about the hidden dangers behind certain things.

    For a moment, 1 wanted to ask Teresa why she didn¡¯t hire a nanny or something like that to help her, but when I thought about it, I was shocked by my thoughts ¨C what a snobbish suggestion!

    If 1 couldn¡¯t give Teresa a feasible suggestion, I¡¯d just have to remain silent and wait for her to finish venting her stress. 1 wouldn¡¯t give this anxious mother any more pressure with luxurious ideas.

    After a while, Dorothy called us for lunch. Teresa returned to her senses and said apologetically, ¡°1 was only talking about myself. It¡¯s annoying to talk so much. I¡¯m really sorry¡­¡±

    She seemed to be truly upset about this. I quickly consoled her, ¡°No, not at all. I¡¯m very happy you can share your life with me. The children are a little mischievous but very cute, aren¡¯t they?¡±

    Teresa only smiled and then fell silent.

    There weren¡¯t many rules in private gatherings, and I didn¡¯t have to care about things like eating and sleeping. Teresa would bring her child back to her mother¡¯s house in a few days. Dorothy was very curious about the foreign nts and herbs in the Silver Moon Pack, so she asked about them.

    ¡°Speaking of which, it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve been involved in the Silver Moon Pack¡¯s business,¡± Teresa said. ¡°Taking care of the children has already squeezed all my time out of me, so I don¡¯t have the energy to wrangle in the business world. But if you¡¯re curious, 1 can ask my father for a catalog of the current season¡¯s products. It has everything in it and is much more detailed than an oral description.¡±

    Dorothy thanked her happily and asked Teresa what she would do when she returned.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a routine to connect the children and their maternal grandfather and to let the Silver Moon Pack¡¯s people meet the heirs and wear down their eager ambitions.¡± At the mention of this, Teresa¡¯s brows, which had not smoothen, furrowed even deeper.

    ¡°After 1 got married, people always persuaded my father to cancel my right of inheritance and adopt a nephew from the side branch to inherit the Silver Moon Pack¡¯s family business. Of course, my father wouldn¡¯t agree, but I can¡¯t convince those old-fashioned old things with words alone, so I had to take the children back to the Silver Moon Pack regrly to stabilize the situation.¡±

    Dorothy and I looked at each other and fell silent.

    Although the battle for the sessor deeply hurt me, I couldn¡¯t give any valuable advice to Teresa.

    Our situations werepletely different. The only thing I could encourage her to do was to defend her rights. Power would note to you by itself. You had to do everything you could to grab and defend it. There was no other shortcut.

    ¡°However, the children are also looking forward to this trip. The Midnight Opera troupe will be performing in the Silver Moon Pack, and they¡¯ve always wanted to see the charm of the top opera actors with their own eyes. That¡¯s why my father decided to provide the Midnight Opera troupe with all their food and lodging in exchange for the children¡¯s welfare.¡±

    I knew the Midnight Opera House would perform at the Silver Moon Pack, so I sent more people to monitor Tilly. The Silver Moon Pack was a very special area with a mix of people. There was a chance that someone who should not be there would sneak in, and Tilly might give herself away.

    The subordinate in surveince sent me a steady stream of information from which I could construct the image of a female opera singer so clear that it was a little rigid.

    Mara¡¯s warning had always been in my mind, which made me look at Tilly even more suspiciously.

    1 didn¡¯t know if it was appropriate for Teresa and the children to make contact with an opera troupe with suspicious people, but for safety¡¯s sake, 1 still reminded them indirectly, ¡°Perhaps distance can be beautiful. If we let the children get too close to the opera actors¡¯ lives, their impression of the actors and the characters they y may be disillusioned, which may not be conducive to children¡¯s growth.¡±

    ¡°Do you know something?¡± Teresa was a little puzzled. ¡°I heard that the Midnight Opera troupe¡¯s tour¡¯s first stop was at the Spring Rain Pack.. Are they bad news?¡±

 Chapter 530 - 530: A Hint

    Chapter 530: A Hint

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°Not really, but beautiful things are not all harmless. There might be some hidden dangers that we can¡¯t even imagine.¡± I decided to give her a little more hint.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine to watch performances, but when interacting with actors, if we don¡¯t understand them, we may continue to like the image we¡¯ve built in our hearts.¡±

    Teresa also grew up in the vanity fair and often came into contact with dangerous jobs that her husband handled. Thus, she quickly understood my hint.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. The children are still young. I really shouldn¡¯t let theme into contact with people they don¡¯t know too early¡­¡± Teresa was deep in thought.

    Teresa¡¯s children and Cynthia were ying outside, and the older children didn¡¯t care about Cynthia. That was nothing because if it were me, I wouldn¡¯t like to bring along a little brat that I didn¡¯t even know.

    Cynthia wasn¡¯t very interested in ying with her peers either. As a little adult who had seen a ¡®mountain of corpses and sea of blood¡¯, she was not enthralled by hide-and-seek and screams for no reason.

    From time to time, Teresa had to be distracted to check on the children¡¯s condition, berating the older children not to snatch the children¡¯s toys or asking the children not to be so rude to the older children.

    I gradually understood where her haggardness came from. When a child was disobedient, it was far more exhausting than political enemies.

    After the gathering, I asked Rhode, Teresa, and Daniel about their family situation and learned they were quite well-off.

    ¡°So why doesn¡¯t Teresa hire a nanny to help her care for her family? This way, Teresa won¡¯t be so tired. She doesn¡¯t even have time to catch her breath alone.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I think it¡¯s because Daniel didn¡¯t agree.¡± Rhode shrugged. ¡°They hired a nanny before, but she was fired within a few months.

    Daniel once said that he didn¡¯t like strangers in his house, as it would always trigger his upational disease. He didn¡¯t want his family, thest piece of purend, to disappear. As you know, Daniel¡¯s current job can¡¯t provide any sense of security.¡±

    1 understood now. Teresa also said she didn¡¯t want Daniel to be distracted by her family, so she would rather handle all the pressure herself.

    1 understood and respected Teresa¡¯s choice, but 1 was afraid she would be crushed by the pressure of her children and housework.

    The high-spirited female heir who spoke confidently about business seemed to be a thing of the past.

    On the way back, I couldn¡¯t forget Teresa¡¯s haggard face, so much so that Aldrich could tell.

    ¡°Are you worried about Teresa?¡± he asked.

    I nodded. ¡°A little. I think that Teresa¡¯s not in a good state right now. Even if a mother has to pay the price of her energy to raise her child, is it right to suffer in vain if there is a way to reduce this price?¡±

    Aldrich helped me to arrange the loose strands of hair on my temple and said, ¡°This is their choice. Outsiders can¡¯t interfere.¡±

    I understood that, but rather than saying it was the couple¡¯s choice, it was more like Daniel¡¯s choice. Teresa loved him, so she chose to follow her husband¡¯s choice.

    I couldn¡¯t help but me Daniel. So what if he empathized with Teresa? The Shadow Pack had a familiar and skilled nanny, so hiring one to help Teresa with the house chores when he wasn¡¯t home would be good.

    Teresa had to take care of the children and the household affairs alone. When Daniel was not around, she also needed to learn the ropes to take over the Balotte Family ¨C Teresa didn¡¯t even have time to take care of her own family, which she was the rightful heiress to!

    ¡°What an ipetent husband,¡± i spat. ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t know? The captain guard¡¯s work isn¡¯t all that busy at all, and Rhode has almost cleaned up the troublemaker. Why are you so anxious?! I think he just likes to be a master at home and treat his wife¡¯s pain as enjoyment!¡±

    ¡°Although 1 don¡¯t like Daniel either, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s a little too much to say that he treats Teresa¡¯s pain as enjoyment.¡± Dorothy looked up from the thick herbology book.

    ¡°I think he¡¯s just a traditional male chauvinist. We¡¯ve seen some members of the Balotte Family before. Isn¡¯t that how their family is? Conservative, feudal, and old-school from head to toe. Daniel is considered a good man among them that you can¡¯t find even if you light up antern.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the point ofparing who¡¯s worse¡­¡± I mumbled to myself, but 1 knew I could only say so much. I couldn¡¯t do anything.

    I hoped that Teresa could live a happy life, so I asked Rhode to care for this ¡®widow and children¡¯. As for Daniel, there was nothing to criticize about him burying himself in his work. However, if he were to use any excuse to put pressure on Teresa, I¡¯d have to ask Rhode to consider whether he could continue to use this captain of the royal guards.

    If he was so inconsiderate toward his family, how could 1 trust how good he was to his subordinates and the people?

 Chapter 531 - 531: Groveling

    Chapter 531: Groveling

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    It had been a long time since I returned to thend of the Lycan pack. My state of mind hadpletely changed this time. The anxiety that was there all the time no longer bothered me. 1 would no longer wake up in the middle of the night or shiver for no reason.

    Aldrich tried his best to be by my side. Even if he didn¡¯t do anything and just stayed by my side, it would still be able to cure my nervous system.

    1 didn¡¯t have much time to rest. After ying with my children for half a day, I came to the secret prison and met the young man from the Evaria Family.

    Sisley Evaria.

    The first time 1 saw him, 1 felt that he looked familiar. He didn¡¯t look like any of the Evaria Family members I¡¯d met, and he didn¡¯t have the signature golden -brown curly hair of the Evaria Family. I looked at him carefully for a few seconds. His tall nose bridge reminded me of the oil paintings of my ancestors hanging in the corridor.

    1 sighed in my heart. Even though I was prepared for this, facing the illegitimate child¡¯s descendant was still hard.

    The secret prison didn¡¯t mistreat him under my instructions, but I was sure the environment in prison wasn¡¯t thatfortable. But it didn¡¯t seem to affect him at all. He looked well-dressed andposed as he stood and gave me a standard bow.

    ¡°Greetings, Your Highness. Forgive me for my rudeness, but 1 don¡¯t have any more conditions to take care of myself.¡±

    1 sat down and looked at him coldly. ¡°I hope this isn¡¯t irony.¡±

    ¡°Why do you think so? 1 admire you from the bottom of my heart,¡± he said, pretending not to understand my underlying meaning.

    1 gestured for him to sit down. ¡°Time for nonsense is over. Now, tell me what you want to say to save your life. You know what 1 mean, so you shouldn¡¯t think about ying your little tricks. You can¡¯t easily confuse anyone here. For your safety, I don¡¯t rmend you do that.¡±

    With a wry smile, he shook his head helplessly. ¡°Since I¡¯m already here, I no longer have the will to resist, Your Highness. I¡¯m not so overconfident that I think 1 can go against the will of a country. My only humble request is for you to believe me. 1 do not need to lie to you, whether it¡¯s for my life or any other reason.¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything.

    The silence was a form of forgiveness. Sisley quietly heaved a sigh of relief. 1 didn¡¯t have to ask him anything before he began to exin.

    ¡°The first thing is about that night¡¯s meeting with Casti. I¡¯m very sorry to have offended that gentleman, but I swear it was just an instinct to masturbate. The moment he appeared, 1 felt threatened, so I subconsciously did it.¡±

    Seeing my gaze bing increasingly unfriendly, he immediately rified, ¡°I swear I¡¯ll keep my mouth shut about everything I¡¯ve discovered. I¡¯ve never mentioned it to anyone, not even to Casti. Even when 1 appeared in the temple that night, I was only curious about the whereabouts of that wandering woman. My only goal is to solve the mystery of the spirit, 1 have no other thoughts.¡±

    ¡°So, what do you have to say about what you saw?¡± I asked, ¡°About the temple, the ghosts, or the people immune to your control?¡±

    ¡°I will immediately forget everything. This is not something I should know. I understand. I swear I will never reveal anything to anyone,¡± he said. ¡°Otherwise, Moon Goddess, please banish my soul forever. Or you can erase my memory, Your Highness. I will not have anyints if you use the sorcery of the werewolf grandmasters.¡±

    1 found that Sisley was a very interesting person. On the surface, he didn¡¯t look haughty or humble, and he maintained a noble¡¯s reserved and arrogant attitude.

    However, regarding his safety, he did not put on airs like most nobles, trying to use his worthless identity to prove that he was not under any jurisdiction.

    On the contrary, he was like some of the young people I had seen when 1 was still a little girl in a small town who came out early to support their families. He was cunning and tactful. When it was time to show weakness, he would never harden his knees and be willing to use everything in exchange for something beneficial to him.

    His attitude toward me was even a little ¡®humble¡¯, but I had to admit that I was quite satisfied with his tactfulness. It was hard to tell if his words were true or false. If he was true to his appearance, then he was really an uneducated and ipetent hedonistic son.

    If he were pretending, I hoped not, it¡¯d be good for both of us, especially for Sisley.

    I silently looked at him for a while, making him feel uneasy.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t told me why you want to see Casti,¡± I said after a while.

    As if he had been pardoned, he immediately exined the reason and the situation, ¡°I was about to leave with my family, Your Highness. 1 probably wouldn¡¯t have the chance to return after I left, so I only wanted to meet with Casti to bid farewell to my good friend. As for why it¡¯ste at night¡­ 1 have to avoid suspicion. The Woof Anca Family has cut off their friendship with the Evaria family, so I can¡¯t visit them openly, so I can only do this.¡±

    ¡°But you still left the Lycan pack behind. You didn¡¯t leave with your family as you imed..¡±

 Chapter 532 - 532: Completely Clueless

    Chapter 532: Completely Clueless

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness, I was going to leave. However, one of my uncles died of illness. ording to tradition, someone must guard his new grave for a year. The Lycan King was kind enough to grant me this small request. I don¡¯t like the boring life in the countryside, so I won this spot. Although guarding the grave isn¡¯t a good job, I can stay in the bustling city for a while.¡±

    1 didn¡¯t know that my father actually left people from the Evaria Family to guard his tomb. But this was not an important detail. Since my father agreed, every measure must be taken to prevent any tricks.

    1 nodded. I was satisfied with the answer to the first question.

    Sisley gulped and continued, ¡°The second question, that wandering woman. To be honest, that¡¯s all I know, Your Highness. I don¡¯t have any other clues. I thought that night would solve the mystery, but the fact is that 1 have more questions and am now in prison. I have no intention ofining.¡±

    ¡°So, Julie¡¯s remnant soul had already existed before you were born, and there are no rumors about her identity in your family?¡±

    ¡°Some of them are nothing more than spections, Your Highness. They¡¯re just rumors created by the servants when they¡¯re bored. There¡¯s no basis for them at all.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve investigated it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve investigated those rumors, but Julie is not a mistress or anyone significant. There is no record of her in the Evaria Family.¡±

    I¡¯d believe him for the time being. It didn¡¯t matter even if he had some tricks up his sleeves. Master Kevin was working with the other werewolf grandmasters to merge the two halves of Julie¡¯s soul. It was not too difficult, but it was a little troublesome. It would take a few days before there was a result. When Julie regained consciousness, all her doubts would be solved.

    After saying that, Sisley didn¡¯t say anything else. He lowered his head and sat there, secretly observing me from the corner of his eye. Seeing that 1 was still silent, he gradually began to feel uneasy, as if he was reflecting on the details that he had missed out on.

    ¡°Is there anything else you¡¯d like to know? I will tell you everything I know,¡± he said tentatively.

    He looked smug. I didn¡¯t know if he was really stupid or just pretending, so I gave him a hint.

    ¡°Before you went to prison, the doctor did a routine examination for you.¡± I lifted my chin, and an attendant silently appeared from the shadows. He ced a thin stack of medical reports on the table. ¡°You¡¯re quite healthy. There¡¯s no illness or anything bad.¡±

    I observed her expression and tried to find any suspicions.

    Of course, I didn¡¯t just want to check if the prisoner was polluting the healthy environment of the entire prison. More importantly, 1 wanted to take the opportunity to do a blood test between him and Sunflower.

    If Sisley knew of the existence of young Sunflower, he could guess what I was doing behind my back and understand that it would be impossible to y any tricks on the bloodline without any precautions.

    I only needed some abnormality, such as a contracted pupil or twitching facial nerves, and I could judge whether he knew.

    But the results were disappointing. There was nothing wrong with Sisley. He just symbolically looked at the report and expressed his gratitude to the doctor. There was nothing to criticize. It was as if he knew nothing about his family¡¯s experiment and was just a branch family who was implicated by a minority.

    But was that really the case?

    Sisley must be the descendant of that illegitimate child. From the fact that he was infertile, there was a high chance that he was also a product of technology.

    Did he really not know his background? Did he not know the real purpose of the family using living people for experiments?

    The only thing I couldn¡¯t trust him on was this.

    ¡°What will you do after guarding the new tomb this year?¡± 1 asked. ¡°There¡¯s no reason for you to continue staying. You¡¯ll have to go to the countryside sooner orter.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I want to stay, Your Highness,¡± said Ashley with a bitter smile. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of beingughed at, but I¡¯m just an ignorant and ipetent rich kid. I¡¯m used to the life of a Lycan in a Lycan pack. The countryside is more boring than prison to me. 1 think I might fight for the role of the gravedigger of my family¡¯s grave. The old gravedigger has already moved away with my family. If His Majesty is willing to give him mercy, the Evaria Family¡¯s grave still needs someone to clean up the weeds.¡±

    ¡°Is guarding the tomb much better than living in the countryside?¡±

    ¡°At least I can still see the city and have something to consider.¡±

    It looked like he wanted to stay, but whether it was for the city¡¯s prosperity or some other reason, it remained to be seen.

    There was also his meeting with Casti. To be honest, I didn¡¯t believe a single word he said. I was more inclined to believe there was some sort of master-subordinate rtionship between them. Casti and Sisley were best friends. In reality, Sisley had only secretly infiltrated this silly and sweet brain of his to deepen this fake friendship artificially.

    I even suspected that Cash¡¯s mental state was rted to this.

    However, there was no need to ask about this, as I wouldn¡¯t get anything out of it. I¡¯d achieved some of my goals for this trip, so there was no point in imprisoning him. After all, one had to release the rabbit to follow it to its nest..

 Chapter 533 - 533: Please Donâ€™t Be Crazy

    Chapter 533: Please Don¡¯t Be Crazy

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I watched as Aldrich took the children¡¯s hands and went to the garden to y. Kara walked in and whispered in my ear, ¡°There¡¯s news from the Association. Master Kevin has invited you over.¡±

    ¡°Is there a result?¡± I immediately perked up.

    Kara nodded.

    The Sorcerer Research Association was filled with mysterious sorcery elements. This ce was overly inpared to the resplendent Royal Academy of Sciences on the other side of the same street. Most buildings were made of wood or stone, the afterglow of the era left behind hundreds of years ago.

    Of course, those fire and earthquake-proof spells and runes also shone with the light of wisdom umted over time.

    Many people who didn¡¯t know this ce kept it a secret, thinking that any word about this ce would attract dark murmurs and gazes.

    However, if you visited this ce for the entire morning, you would find that it was no different from any other institution in the secr world. The box-like office, the gaudy single-person workspace, the asional fluorescent light that failed, and the exhausted workers. Even the werewolf grandmasters had to earn a sry to maintain their livelihood.

    Master Kevin¡¯s workshop was quite ancient, and the directors of fantasy films would probably make it a movie set. However, a real workshop was much more dangerous than a set. At least there would not be a violent and aggressive ghost on the set.

    ¡°This is a little different from what I imagined,¡± I said as I looked at Julie, locked up in a rune-covered ss box. ¡°So, is this a sess or a failure?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a sess. The two halves of the soul have perfectly fused back into one,¡± Master Kevin said confidently.

    1 tried to make myself sound less offensive. ¡°Perfect?¡±

    Master Kevin didn¡¯t seem to realize what 1 was asking. After a few seconds, he realized that 1 wasn¡¯t his colleague or assistant who was proficient in the principles of the soul. He said apologetically, ¡°Oh, yes. In terms of the soul itself, this attempt was very sessful. Julie¡¯s soul was not damaged at all. As for her current state, 1 think it¡¯s a manifestation of her state when she was alive. In other words, Julie was already crazy before she died, and this madness wasn¡¯t pathological. Some external force disturbed her soul, so she remained crazy even after death.¡±

    1 was inevitably disappointed, but Master Kevin was even more out of it. He had been absent-minded the whole time and looked at Julie with an indescribable emotion.

    I understood him very well because this meant that the chance to get clues about the death of his lover have once again been cut off. After cing so much hope, this result was too cruel.

    But as far as I was concerned, things hadn¡¯t reached a standstill. Although Julie couldn¡¯t provide us with an answer, her state still revealed some information.

    It was impossible for the manor to hire a lunatic as a servant, so her madness must have been caused by someone after La¡¯s death.

    What kind of person wouldy their hands on an ordinary servant? 1 believed there were only two possibilities: Julie saw something she shouldn¡¯t have seen, so she was ¡®killed¡¯ in this way. Julie was involved in the murderer¡¯s n, and she went crazy by ident or ident.

    And if he wanted to silence her, it was safer to lull her than to make her go crazy. Therefore, I was more inclined to believe that Julie was involved in the n to assassinate La, and it became like this because of unforeseen circumstances.

    Then, a new question arose ¨C was Julie recruited halfway, or had she been nted in the manor as the murderer¡¯s spy from the beginning?

    At that time, for La¡¯s safety, all the people in the manor had been checked thoroughly by the Intelligence Department to ensure that no criminals could sneak in. All the people who worked in the manor were also closely monitored, which made it almost impossible for them to get in touch with any forces that stood against the royal family.

    Whether Julie was a spy or had been bewitched, the murderer who could do this could not be underestimated. He must have a very powerful background, so powerful that he could even fool the eyes of the royal family.

    Over twenty years ago, very few could do this among the families as numerous as weeds, including the Evaria Family, which was still at the peak of its power, and the Woof Anca Family, which had just gone downhill.

    It wasn¡¯t impossible for other families, but the number of people who had a grudge against the royal family could be counted on one hand.

    So, the suspect went back to the original target.

    When 1 thought about some of the characteristics of the Evaria Family, 1 seemed to have a sh of inspiration. ¡°How much do you understand about Sisley¡¯s abilities?¡± 1 asked Master Kevin.

    It wasn¡¯t without reason that I let him go. The price of my freedom was to cooperate with the Sorcerer Research Association to study the ability of ¡®mind control¡¯. Sisley was very cooperative, at least in his performance. He didn¡¯t resist the werewolf grandmasters using his abilities to do some tests.

    It was impossible to use humans, so the werewolf grandmasters found some animals to conduct experiments. They tested the level of intelligence, the soul¡¯s resistance to mental control, and the highest threshold that different creatures could withstand..

 Chapter 534 - 534: A Square Inch Of Land

    Chapter 534: A Square Inch Of Land

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The experiment results showed that intelligence¡¯s influence was almost zero. The tenacity of the soul determined the sess or failure of mental control. Crows with psychic abilities could resist for longer than powerful tigers, and their threshold was higher. However, all souls would face the same end-madness once the threshold was broken.

    Yes, there was only one result ¨C going crazy. No matter how serious it was, it couldn¡¯t directly cause death unless the experimental subjectmitted suicide in an extreme state of madness.

    Going crazy but not dying, how familiar did that sound?

    1 was almost certain that the murderer must be from the Evaria Family and one of the descendants of that illegitimate child.

    His age did not match. The murderer was his blood-rted brother, sister, or even one or several biological parents.

    However, the Evaria Family had hidden this illegitimate child¡¯s descendant too well. I even found Sisley by ident.

    Unless 1 got everyone in their family to do a blood test, I did not doubt that the Evaria Family could keep this secret until the day they were destroyed.

    When they were in power, the descendants of the Lycan King were theirdder to heaven. Now that he had fallen to this point, the stairway to heaven had be a curse.

    Unless it was necessary, I couldn¡¯t use such a forceful method. Otherwise, the public would think 1 was crazy.

    However, it was not as if there was no breakthrough at all. At least, the Evaria Family was not as united as they had thought. Some wanted to rise to the top in one step, and some wanted to do their best to protect the family¡¯s lifeline, such as the former Earl of Marlowe, Morton Cletti Evaria.

    This old man had undoubtedly made a fatal mistake of disloyalty to the monarch, but who could stand in his position and calmly put righteousness before family?

    This was no ordinary mistake but a rebellion and treason. Oncemitted, the crime would be unforgivable. The result of cing righteousness before the family was likely to be the annihtion of the entire n. What kind of loyalty was worthy of such an ending?

    As the one who held the scepter, 1 naturally expected my subjects to bepletely loyal. However, as someone who was no different from the rest of the world, I knew that sometimes, loyalty was a form of torture to human nature.

    Therefore, Sir Evaria could not find a better way out. He could only remain silent and question his inner loyalty while painfully watching his family walk toward an irredeemable impasse.

    If it weren¡¯t for his father¡¯s respect for this old official who had dedicated his entire life to the Lycan pack, the Evaria Family would not have been exiled so easily.

    At least I could still trust Sir Evaria. He was a smart man. He knew the royal family didn¡¯t exterminate his family because they would never be respected again. However, once this matter was brought up, he would understand which was more important; saving a few people or everyone.

    Thus, 1 sent a message to Sir Evaria, who was retiring in the countryside, asking about the illegitimate child¡¯s descendants. He didn¡¯t go through a serious process to avoid alerting the enemy, not everyone would ept failure.

    As I expected, Sir Evaria quickly replied, ¡°So far, Sisley is indeed the only remaining descendant of the Evaria Family with royal blood. His biological father passed away shortly after the Evaria Family¡¯s defeat.

    The funeral before the migration had been held for him, and Sisley was guarding her father¡¯s new grave.

    It turned out that the man had been in poor health since birth. As the technology was not so advanced decades ago, he was born with a deficiency as a test-tube baby and had been filled with drugs since he was young.

    The Evaria Family feared that this rare treasure would die prematurely, so they had been hiding and caring for him carefully. Even within the family, few people knew of his existence.

    However, this person was destined not to live long, so the Evaria Family ced their hopes on the next generation, hoping to create a new ¡®heir¡¯ through experiments. However, there were only two sessful cases; Sisley and Sunflower.

    He was healthy, not born weak like his father. To arrange a legal identity for him, the Evaria Family lied that he was the child of an insignificant family member.

    As a result, although he knew that his parents weren¡¯t his real parents, he never knew who his real father was, let alone whose grave he was guarding.

    At this point, the mystery of the bloodline was clear.

    As two infertile children, the sins of the elders wouldpletely end in their generation.

    I was half relieved, but Sir Evaria¡¯s answer surprised me.

    As the only person with mind control decades ago, the dead man never stepped out of the room for his entire life.

    His happiness, anger, sorrow, joy, life, old age, sickness, and death were all restricted to a few square meters. Not to mention the Golden Bell Pack in the distance, he had not even taken a step out of the Evaria Family¡¯s settlement.

    But if it wasn¡¯t him, who else could have done it?

 Chapter 535 - 535: The Mystery Of His Past

    Chapter 535: The Mystery Of His Past

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    After thinking about it, I thought the most likely reason was that Sir Evaria was wrong.

    He didn¡¯t lie to me. On the contrary, he told me everything he knew, but he didn¡¯t expect that what he knew was fake.

    In other words, the Evarian responsible for caring for the dead man had deceived Sir Evaria.

    This was not hard to understand. That group of people had even cooperated with the demons. Deceiving their family head was child¡¯s ypared to this. Sir Evaria¡¯s silence was not only a form of indulgence but also a warning. He did not agree with his people plotting against the throne.

    Of course, those people could not trust him with his ambiguous attitude, so it was reasonable to hide some things from Sir Evaria.

    Regarding the death of La, Sir Evaria¡¯s attitude had always been difficult to read. He had never admitted to the crime but remained silent about the usations. I used to think that this was a form of protection. To preserve thest chance of survival for the family, he could not admit to this crime no matter what.

    But now I had some new ideas: What if Sir Evaria really didn¡¯t know?

    1 seemed to have had a misconception, which was that as the head of the family, Sir Evaria would definitely know everything about the family.

    But in reality, this was just an ideal state in my imagination. The Evaria Family was a huge family with arge poption andplicated branches. Where there were people, it was inevitable that there would be infighting, unfamiliarity, and disloyalty. Being imprable was just a smokescreen for outsiders to see.

    No matter how powerful Sir Evaria was, he still needed people to help him control the family. However, theposition of people wasplicated, and one could not guarantee that everyone was as loyal as they looked on the surface.

    The throne was a huge temptation. If the Evaria Family seeded, all family members would change from subjects to royalty. Under such a temptation, would Sir Evaria¡¯s men really not be tempted?

    As long as one of them wavered, someone with the intention could take advantage of the situation and deceive Sir Evaria.

    Therefore, I still believed that Julie¡¯s death was rted to that sickly man. In particr, Julie had been in the Lycan pack for a while. Her subsequent inexplicable disappearance must have had something to do with the Evaria Family.

    Even though it didn¡¯t make much sense to think that way, my instincts told me to go to the cemetery to see the newly built grave. Perhaps I would find some clues.

    Thus, 1 immediately set off.

    The weather was good today. The sun was shining brightly, dispelling some of the winter chills.

    Cemeteries had always been deserted. The world of the living and the dead were divided, and no one was Milling to step into the pool of thunder. Generally speaking, the cemetery guards were usually old men or old women, as if the living and the dead could particrly forgive the dying people.

    A handsome young man like Sisley naturally did not fit in with the cemetery. His slender body and simple outfit made him look like a filial son who guarded the tomb of his ancestors in ancient stories, that was, if you could ignore the fact that he wasughing and talking to his friends.

    1 didn¡¯t expect that Casti would be here as well. After all, with his scaredy cat personality, he didn¡¯t seem like someone who would dare to stay in a cemetery for too long.

    They were rather surprised at my arrival. Casti was rather ill at ease, while Sisley was in a slightly better state than him but was also slightly embarrassed.

    ¡°Please forgive me, Your Highness. I live in a humble ce and have nothing to entertain you with,¡± he said dryly.

    The small room belonging to the grave keeper was naturally not gorgeous. It could barely fit a bed and a few small pieces of furniture. The three of us were enough to fill this ce, so the apanying guards could only wait outside the door with worried eyes.

    The moment Casti saw me, he became a taciturn person. He pursed his lips and didn¡¯t say a word. Sisley tried his best to make small talk with me, but I didn¡¯te here today to express my condolences, so 1 went straight to the point. ¡°Do you know your background?¡±

    Sisley was suddenly stuck, like a chicken that had its neck caught. However, he quickly reacted and didn¡¯t hide his secret from me. ¡°Yes, Your Highness. 1 know¡­ I¡¯m actually not my parents¡¯ biological son in the legal sense.

    ¡°Do you know who your parents are?¡±

    He was silent. After a while, he replied bitterly,¡±¡­ I don¡¯t know, Your Highness. I¡¯ve never asked.¡±

    I handed him the letter written by Sir Evaria. He read it carefully, held on for a few seconds, and then suddenly copsed, unable to maintain his decent etiquette.

    Casti had also read the contents of the letter. He looked worriedly at Sisley and tried to say something, but as someone who wasn¡¯t good with words, he could only silently pat his friend¡¯s shoulder tofort him.

    ¡°To be honest, I¡¯ve always had some guesses. As for those at home¡­ Although 1 don¡¯t know much about experiments, I¡¯ve heard rumors. When this waspletely exposed, my heart¡¯s spections became stronger.. Perhaps I¡¯m not a ¡®normal¡¯ child? Perhaps 1 was also born in a coldboratory?¡±

 Chapter 536 - 536: The Explanation

    Chapter 536: The Exnation

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    She waved the letter and said in a low voice, ¡°Now 1 know that my guess is true¡­

    ¡°As for my biological father, I won¡¯t hide it from you, Your Highness. I¡¯ve never heard of such a person in the family. I was once puzzled about what gave my people the courage to reach for the throne. The answer was my father, and even me.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness, 1 don¡¯t know what to say. All of this is too absurd, it gives me a feeling of illusion. I even felt like 1 was dreaming. 1 actually have¡­ 1 don¡¯t know how to put it. Are you going to kill me, Your Highness?¡±

    I shook my head and asked, ¡°Of course not. Why do you ask? In fact, I¡¯ve long known that the previous head of your family had an affair with my great-grandfather, and even secretly gave birth to an illegitimate child. Otherwise, why do you think I want the Evaria Family never to rise again? As for your life, it doesn¡¯t matter anymore. Kid, I¡¯ll deal with you when you n to do something.¡±

    ¡°I have no second thoughts, Your Highness,¡± he immediately rified. 1 don¡¯t dare to express my loyalty to you, but I still have the most basic self-awareness.¡±

    However, having one¡¯s family scandal exposed in public, even Sisley felt his face heat up, not to mention the am 1 dreaming¡¯ expression on Casti¡¯s face.

    ¡°So, so, Sisley is actually¡­¡±

    I ignored him, but that was enough to answer my question.

    Putting aside how much of a shock Casti had received, I looked at Sisley and stated my purpose foring. ¡°I hope to go to your father¡¯s grave and look.¡±

    Without asking why he immediately agreed.

    The Evaria Family¡¯s cemetery wasn¡¯t too big, and most of their family members were transported back to their hometown for burial after death. The grave of the sickly man who died early was not eye-catching. Compared to the grand expectations he had carried when he was alive, this ordinary tombstone was ironic.

    ¡°This is it, Your Highness.¡± The grave he had been guarding all this time belonged to his biological father. He couldn¡¯t help but look at the tombstone with aplicated expression.

    The tombstone was very simple. There was nothing but the photo, name, and year of birth and death of the deceased.

    ¡°Jack Evaria, a very ordinary name.¡±

    The man in the photo looked ordinary, and his slightly sunken cheeks showed that he had been suffering from illness and pain in his life.

    For some reason, I had a feeling that he looked a little familiar.

    Of course, 1 knew what my great-grandfather looked like, and I¡¯d also seen the photos of the former head of the Evaria Family, who had long passed away. As their descendant, Jack could be said to have no simrities with his own grandparents, which meant that he didn¡¯t inherit his father¡¯s looks, and his mother¡¯s genes were more apparent.

    Who exactly did he look like? Why did he look so familiar to me¡­

    I noticed the date of birth on the tombstone, which made me suddenly recall some details.

    Over thirty years ago, Julie had gone to the Lycan pack alone. After that, there was no news about her until she went to the manor to be a servant.

    Jack Evaria¡¯s birth date coincided with the time of Julie¡¯s disappearance.

    Looking at the photo again, I finally realized where the sense of familiarity came from. Slightly pointy ears, a high nose, and the corners of the mouth drooped down unconsciously when he was expressionless. All these details seemed to have been copied and pasted from Julie¡¯s face.

    A creepy guess gradually formed¡­

    Could Julie be Jack Evaria¡¯s biological mother?

    However, it was impossible for the two parties involved to verify it now. We couldn¡¯t do a paternity test for the two cans of ashes.

    I turned my gaze to Sisley.

    Upon closer inspection, he looked quite simr to his father, but some details had been diluted by other genes and had be blurry. If a professional were to adjust a portrait of him, he would be almost 90% simr to his father.

    If, just say, Julie and Jack Evaria were mother and son, and the son harmed the mother, would she remember the memories of when she was alive when this tragic mother saw her ¡®son¡¯?

    No matter what, it was worth a try.

    My strange gaze made his hair stand on end, but he quickly realized that something even more terrifying was about to happen.

    I left without a word and ordered him to be secretly invited to the Sorcery Research Association at night.

    There were many special personnel in the army who were good at disguising themselves, and I asked Aldrich to pick someone I could trust. He quickly solved the problem and asked me, ¡°Do you really think this will work?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but we can only try this as ast resort.¡± I leaned on him and sighed tiredly. ¡°In fact, La¡¯s can be concluded now. It must be the Evaria Family. But I have to investigate further because too many innocent people are involved. Not only La but also Master Kevin, Julie, and many others whose memories were taken away without them knowing. Since I can dig out the truth, 1 must carry it out to the end and give everyone an exnation..¡±

 Chapter 537 - 537: Frenzied Moonlight

    Chapter 537: Frenzied Moonlight

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    He had to admit that the Sorcery Research Association looked a little strange at night. This ce wasn¡¯t as brightly lit at night as thepany. Other than a few dim candlelights seeping through the windows, this ce was gloomy and seemed to be a space separated from modern society. It was very different from how it looked during the day.

    In fact, there was a fundamental difference between morning and night here. During the day, most of the work was normal and routine, which could be disclosed to the public. At night, some things that were not so suitable to be exposed in broad daylight had to be carried out at night.

    Of course, I was not saying that some evil sorcery was being performed here, but the research process of most sorcery didn¡¯t quite conform to modern people¡¯s¡­ Aesthetic? I couldn¡¯t find a suitable word for it. In short, ordinary people who knew nothing about witchcraft might think they had transmigrated to a horror movie.

    Master Kevin moved the cage that contained Julie¡¯s soul to aboratory with a huge skylight for the convenience of moonlight.

    It was widely believed that the moon¡¯s giddiness was the opposite of kindness and gentleness. Even the werewolves had such a concept.

    The wizarding world believed it was because the moon was an important part of nature and had an inseparable rtionship with the inheritance and transformation of the soul. Therefore, the moonlight contained a rtively stronger soul power.

    Some people¡¯s souls were originally more abundant and active. After absorbing too much soul power, their bodies might be unable to withstand it, so it would cause some side effects of confusion and madness.

    But for the soul, once it was free from the restraints of the physical body, all the side effects disappeared. Master Kevin believed that absorbing more soul power from the moonlight would help Julie sort out her chaotic soul.

    For this reason, after he obtained the two separated souls, he had been tirelessly providing more soul power to Julie. Fortunately, the weather had been sunny recently, and the moon had appeared on time every day. I always felt that these little details helped Julie and slightly soothed iMaster Kevin¡¯s anxiousness.

    Perhaps Master Kevin¡¯s efforts were rewarded, or the Moon Goddess pitied us ignorant people, but Julie was in a much better state tonight. At least she was no longer so aggressive, trying to escape from her cage or hurt anyone who got close to her.

    She just stared at the moon through the skylight.

    It was a full moon¡¯s night. The moon was big and round, exuding a soft glow, reflecting the clouds around her intoyers of light muslin.

    As I watched, even I was fascinated. It was as if the full moon hade down from the sky, slowly approaching me with gentle steps, and covered my eyes with a soft veil that emitted a faint fluorescent light¡­

    ¡°Hey! Selma!¡±

    Someone shouted in my ear and nudged me. Only then did Ie back to my senses. It was Aldrich, looking at me with a face full of worry.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, my dear? Do you feel ufortable? I called you a few times, but you didn¡¯t hear me.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I saw the mooning down¡­¡± I muttered, ¡°I saw her. She was approaching me¡­¡±

    Aldrich looked at the sky in doubt, then asked with even more worry, ¡°Nothing happened, my dear. The moon is still in the sky. Have you been too tired recently? Why don¡¯t you go and rest for a while? I¡¯ll only be able to bring her here in a while.¡±

    I looked up at the sky, but the moon had disappeared. My pupils contracted, and I was excited when I suddenly realized that the moon had always been there, but the floating clouds blocked it.

    The moonlight was no longer gentle, and the room was dark.

    Without the moonlight, Julie began to be visibly anxious. She became aggressive again, trying to attack the cage and looking at everyone present gloomily.

    I realized that Master Kevin was right. The moonlight was useful for Julie, but the problem now was that we couldn¡¯t dispel the dark clouds covering the sky. We could only hope the wind tonight would be stronger and blow away these annoying disruptors as soon as possible.

    As Julie became aggressive, I had no choice but to leave. This weak soul couldn¡¯t harm me, but everyone except me was on guard against her. To make them feel at ease, I had to leave temporarily.

    However, before I could leave, there was a knock on theboratory door, followed by a guard¡¯s voice outside the door.

    ¡°Nice to meet you.¡±

    The young man who had just learned of his past during the day seemed to have digested everything very well. The confusion and trance were gone, reced by a familiar, reserved, calm noble young man.

    He didn¡¯t seem rmed by being ¡®invited¡¯ in the middle of the night. Instead, he bowed politely as if he was attending a masquerade.

    I was about to exin why I invited him here tonight when I heard a deafening sound from the cage..

 Chapter 538 - 538: Grandmother And Grandson

    Chapter 538: Grandmother And Grandson

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I suddenly turned around. It was Julie. She was lying on the cage, ignoring the shing rm runes. Her eyes widened as she stared at the young man standing at the door in disbelief.

    She didn¡¯t look as crazy as before.

    ¡°Oh my god, oh my god¡­¡±

    She seemed to have seen something unbelievable, and her expression changed from shock to excitement, sadness, and despair. The soul did not have tears, but her extremely sorrowful expression made people feel as if they could see those heart-wrenching tears rolling down her cheeks.

    After a long while, 1 heard her voice squeeze out from her throat like a sorrowful cry.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you¡­ You¡¯re not my child¡­¡±

    Everyone¡¯s expression became unreadable.

    My heart started spinning, and then it suddenly fell back down. My sudden emotional fluctuation made me feel a little dizzy, but 1 knew 1 had achieved my goal of asking Sisley toe here in disguise.

    1 originally thought 1 would have to go through a lot of trouble, but 1 didn¡¯t expect everything to go so smoothly. This made me feel somewhat uneasy.

    Julie waspletely fine, temporarily. At this moment, she didn¡¯t look like a mad woman. It seemed that Sisley¡¯s appearance had caused her great pain. She fell to the ground, covered her face, and cried, which moved us living people.

    I didn¡¯t know when Master Kevin came to my side. He said in a low voice, ¡°She can bemunicated with for the time being, Your Highness.¡±

    1 nodded and looked at him, indicating for him to follow me.

    Of course, Sisley recognized the soul in the cage. This rather courageous young man was not afraid of wandering ghosts. Instead, he seemed curious.

    1 came to the cage, and Julie lifted her face from her hands, revealing a delicate and pretty face that still had traces of youth. Only then did 1 realize that her soul had undergone some changes without me realizing it. She had turned from a haggard old woman to a young woman.

    ¡°Good evening, Julie Brown. After a long wait, we can finally have a good talk.¡±

    Julie looked at me with a sad and strange expression. ¡°But 1 don¡¯t know you, Madam, I-¡±

    She nced at Sisley beside me and grabbed her skirt.

    The soul would remain in thest state of the deceased. Before, Julie¡¯s remnant soul was half an old woman in tattered clothes and half a middle-aged woman in a servant¡¯s uniform. But now, her appearance and clothes hadpletely changed. She still looked young and was wearing arge hospital gown.

    ¡°I am the princess of the werewolves, Madeline Periana H. Oromalivira.¡± I squatted down and kept my eyes on Julie through the cell. ¡°It¡¯s expected that you don¡¯t know me because it¡¯s already a long time after ¨C a long time since you died.¡±

    Julie was stunned for a moment. She lowered her head and looked at her translucent hands in a daze. She was in deep thought about something. After a while, she revealed a bitter smile.

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness. You¡¯re right. I¡¯m already dead.¡± She slumped to the ground, staring at the moonlight shining through her. ¡°What year is it now? How long has it been since I died?¡±

    She looked at herself and answered her question in a daze. ¡°Oh, 1 think it¡¯s been decades, at least twenty years. Look, the child has grown so big.¡±

    A puzzled expression appeared on Sisley¡¯s face as he asked, ¡°Forgive me for my rudeness, Madam, but do you know me?¡±

    Julie stared at him in a daze and didn¡¯t answer. It was not until the wind blew away the dark clouds and the moonlight became bright again, shining on her body, that she suddenly returned to her senses. ¡°No, 1 don¡¯t know you, child. But I know who you are.¡±

    She stood up, and so did 1.1 retreated and exposed her from behind me.

    Julie seemed to want to stretch her hand out of the cage, but she failed because of the runes on the cage.

    ¡°It¡¯s been so long. I used to think 1 would never see this day, but now¡­ Oh goddess, are you pitying this pathetic believer of yours?¡±

    ¡°Do you know who your father is, child?¡±

    After a few seconds of silence, Sisley replied, ¡°Yes, Madam. My biological father is Jack Evaria.¡±

    ¡°Blood-rted¡­ Ha, I have guessed it.¡± Julieughed sarcastically, and then she revealed that heart-wrenching crying face again.

    ¡°You¡­ Do you want to know who I am?¡± she asked.

    Sisley stared at Julie¡¯s face. I knew that he must have discovered something. He was a smart person, so he must have guessed the purpose of my asking someone to disguise him.

    He didn¡¯t answer, but his silence had already given him the answer.

    ¡°I am¡­ Your grandmother by blood. Your father, Jack Evaria, is my son,¡± Julia said, trembling.

    As expected, my guess was right. Julie had disappeared because of the Evaria Family. Like Carey, she had been tricked into bing a breeding machine.

    After a while, Sisley suddenly lowered his head and said in a muffled voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ve never heard of you, Madam¡­ I don¡¯t know, I¡­¡±

    The young man thought for a while but couldn¡¯t say anything. He couldn¡¯t even keep his calm and drooped his shoulders in frustration..

 Chapter 539 - 539: The Bloody Ninja

    Chapter 539: The Bloody Ninja

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I knew it was time to end this reunion. Now, there were more important things to be solved.

    I looked to Sisley, indicating that he could go calm down. But he shook his head, looked at Julie, and lowered his gaze.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Julie, but we have little time.¡± I came to Julie and said, ¡°I want to ask you some questions about what happened in the manor of the Golden Bell Pack over twenty years ago.¡±

    Julie didn¡¯t resist and nodded obediently. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything, Your Highness.¡±

    I was a little surprised by her cooperative attitude. Julie saw it and smiled bitterly. ¡°Please believe me, Your Highness. I sincerely want to help you solve your doubts. You know I¡¯m already dead, so why should the dead fight against the living? I think I should tell you about what happened in that manor.

    ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, the others don¡¯t remember anything now, right? If I don¡¯t tell you, this will be a secret that will never be solved. Ms. La was a good person, she shouldn¡¯t have had to face injustice.¡±

    ¡°Injustice? Do you know the inside story of La¡¯s death?¡±

    In response to my question, Julie lowered her head and said in a low voice, ¡°Yes, or rather, I¡¯m one of the murderers who killed Ms. La.¡±

    ng! A loud sound caused everyone in the room to look in that direction. Aldrich was holding Master Kevin back, and beside him were the fallen experimental supplies.

    His eyes were red and full of hatred as he stared at Julie as if he couldn¡¯t wait to tear her apart.

    Julie was shocked. She looked at it carefully and said in realization, ¡°It¡¯s you, Sir. I¡­ I know you. You and the other gentleman brought the other half of me from the Golden Bell Pack.¡±

    Her eyes were hazy as she recalled something. When she looked at Kevin again, her gaze was filled with guilt and pain.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re Ms. La¡¯s lover. She showed me that ring, and you were getting married¡­

    ¡°Heavens! Heavens! Please forgive me, this was not my intention! I couldn¡¯t help it, I couldn¡¯t control myself!¡± She burst into tears. ¡°Ms. La was a good person. She was very good to me and even said she would invite me to her wedding. But I¡­ Oh, please, Sir, forgive me. I didn¡¯t want to kill her!¡±

    ¡°But you still did!¡± Master Kevin roared and struggled under Aldrich¡¯s grip, veins bulging on his forehead. ¡°Why did you do it? Tell me! Why?¡±

    However, Julie seemed to be suffering from some kind of embarrassment. She looked at a certain point in the void and muttered to herself.

    I could only let Aldrich temporarily pull the agitated Kevin away and promise Kevin that we would definitely find out the whole story. They went to the observation room next door, where a one-way ss allowed them to see everything that happened in theboratory.

    I tried tofort Julie, but it was no use. The soul realm was a nk piece of paper for me. At this moment, the silent Sisley suddenly stepped forward and called out to Julie, who was still immersed in her nightmare, ¡°Madam¡­ Grandma, please wake up!¡±

    His voice made Julie stiffen, and she suddenly broke free from the nightmare of the past. She looked at him, her lips trembling, but she lowered her head and said nothing.

    Julie lowered her gaze in disappointment and looked at me again. She said uneasily, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness, I¡­ I¡­¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± I shook my head. ¡°You said that it wasn¡¯t your intention to kill La. Would you like to tell me why?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a long story. If you don¡¯t mind, I can tell you from the beginning,¡± Julie said with a sad smile.

    I nodded.

    Julie was born into a poor family. Her parents passed away when she was very young. The rtives of the poor were also poor, so the rtives who adopted her saw this little girl, who did not bring much inheritance, as a burden. Julie had grown up in a cold environment, so it was natural that she yearned for true love.

    As a result, everything happened naturally in the rebellious phase of her youth. Julie fell in love with a hooligan, listened to his fancy words, and dropped out of high school, thinking she could reap a happy love and a new life.

    However, the reality was that the gangster was a scumbag. He sold Julie for a good price and ran away, leaving the terrified Julie in the underground bar.

    Just like that, Julie began her career as a stripper. She hated the job. The services provided by the underground bar were disgusting. She could only keep relying on powerful investors to protect herself. The huge pressure made her despair, and she simply spent money and her life in the false pursuit to restrain the omnipresent pain.

    She had thought that her life would end in her fall, but one day, a man appeared and changed everything..

 Chapter 540 - 540: The Son Of Ill Fate

    Chapter 540: The Son Of Ill Fate

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    He was a polite gentleman. He was like a pigeon that had entered a spider¡¯s nest, out of ce in the underground bar. Julie was pushed to the man¡¯s side by her sugar daddy, but the man didn¡¯t do anything. Instead, he gentlemanly put on a warm coat for her exposed skin.

    The first thing he said to Julie was, ¡°The air conditioner is a little cold. Be careful not to catch a cold, Miss.¡±

    The guests in the underground bar couldn¡¯t wait to see Julie naked. Julie had long been used to men¡¯s contempt and coveting, and this pigeon-like man was the first to put a coat on her.

    Julia fell for this ridiculous reason.

    Later, the man was always brought to the underground bar for business and never did anything to Julie. He was so gentle as if he was treating her like his sister. As a result, Julie missed him more and more. She even resisted the manager¡¯s arrangement openly and refused to serve all customers except men. The manager of the underground bar wasn¡¯t an easy person to talk to. His method of dealing with the troublemaker was very primitive: to beat them up.

    Julie was beaten almost to death after angering the manager one time. At that moment, the man came again. He looked for Julie but could not find her. After the manager¡¯s persuasion, he found Julie, covered in bruises, in the basement. This time, he wrapped the naked Julie with his coat again.

    In her daze, Julie heard the man say, ¡°I want to take her away.¡±

    Just like that, Julie was free. The man bought her from the manager and let her go. But Julie was not willing to leave. She had no home to return to, and she had fallen deeply in love with this man. She confessed her love to the man and did not expect a response, but the man nodded in agreement.

    A great joy swept over Julie and devoured her rationality, making her unable to think about anything other than the man in front of her. She had a sweet time with the man. One monthter, the man said he was leaving but couldn¡¯t take Julie back for the time being.

    As he came from a prominent family, his family wouldn¡¯t allow him to be with Julie. He feared his family would threaten Julie¡¯s safety, so he asked her to wait and let him return to deal with some things.

    When he sent a message, the man gave Julie a token and told her to take it to an unlicensed carpany. Thepany would be responsible for safely sending Julie, who had no identification, to the Lycan pack. When Julie arrived, they would get married, and his family wouldn¡¯t be able to object.

    Julie, who was blinded by love, believed him. After some struggles, she followed the man¡¯s request and arrived at the Lycan pack. The person who picked her up at the station was not her lover. In the face of Julie¡¯s inquiry, the other party only said coldly that the man could not leave for the time being and asked him to take her home.

    However, Julie had never seen the man again.

    This was because the man had lied to her. He didn¡¯t love Julie at all. Everything was just an act. Julie was just a chosen experimental subject.

    In her endless despair, Julie once again sank into hell. The cold researchers were not much gentler than the brutal manager. They were all members of the Evaria Family and only saw Julie and the other girls as ¡®uterus containers¡¯. Julie had undergone countless experiments and been injected with drugs that made her suffer. She was trapped in a cold iron cage with nowhere to escape.

    Looking at the girls being dragged away by the research Institute like dead dogs one by one, Julie became increasingly terrified, afraid that she would be the next one. However, at this time, a piece of news that was neither good nor bad cropped up ¨C Julie was pregnant.

    The seemingly endless experiment had finally produced results, which made the Evaria Family overjoyed. They immediately escorted Julie to a secret residence to guard her.

    The arrival of this child allowed Julie to struggle on herst breath, but it also doomed her inevitable death ¨C once, Julie learned from a chat of the servants that the Evaria Family did not want the child to have a disgraceful mother, so she would be dealt with immediately after the child was born.

    This made Julie panic. She began to hate this child and the desperate situation he would bring her. She even tried to abort the child, but the Evaria Family quickly found out, and what awaited her was days of being tied to the bed like a mental patient, unable to move.

    The physical torture made Julie gradually be absent-minded. Sometimes she was lost in thought, sometimes in madness, but in any case, she could not ignore the growing fetus in her belly. Maybe it was the effect of hormones, the outbreak of maternal instinct, or a fake maternal instinct created by hormones. In short, Julie found that her mentality was gradually softening.

    She began fantasizing about the baby¡¯s appearance ¨C his eyes, soft fetal hair, short and fat limbs, and a small belly as white as bread. Fantasy warmed her. She was terrified but couldn¡¯t help but immerse herself in the fantasy.

    Until one day, a thought suddenly popped up in her mind.

    ¡®I should love him,¡¯ Julie thought. ¡®Because he is my child, so I should love him.¡¯

    This thought made Julie cry.

    She knew that she was finished. Her life of drifting with the flow and being trampled on by others was finished..

 Chapter 541 - 541: Bubbles

    Chapter 541: Bubbles

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The weakpassion grew uncontrobly. In the extreme contradiction, Julie could not help but start to love the unwanted son in her belly.

    Her attitude gradually softened, and she no longer went on a hunger strike or looked for opportunities tomit suicide. She even asked the servant to increase the nutrition to support the carefree and lively child in her.

    The Evaria Family thought she had been brainwashed sessfully, so they let go of

    Julie s shackles. Julie thus got a precious opportunity to get out.

    One day after lunch, Julie walked around under the supervision of the servant as usual, but she met an unexpected person.

    The man who lied to her walked in. He looked straight ahead and walked toward the mansion in the distance. He did not see the woman in the garden.

    An uncontroble anger surged in her heart. The suppressed pain and anger had all exploded because of this man. Julie pushed the servant away and ran to the man through obstacles. She pushed him down hard, causing her to fall to the ground. Her stomach hit the man¡¯s shoulder, and she felt a piercing pain.

    She hugged her stomach and moaned as she cursed at the man. However, after a while, Julie realized she had obtained temporary freedom¡¯. The burly servants were lying limply on thewn as if they were drunk. It was so strange that Julie couldn¡¯t help but shiver.

    The man who was attacked was furious. He cursed Julie viciously and ordered the servants to drag her away. However, he soon discovered something unusual, which made him panic and want to escape.

    However, it was toote. Before he knew it, he had been controlled and gradually turned into an empty human puppet. His legs were involuntarily entangled, and his hands were tightly wrapped around his neck. He exerted all his strength, and soon, the man¡¯s face turned red, and his eyes widened.

    At this time, the people who heard themotion finally arrived. They immediately took control of Julie and hoped to save the man from himself. But in the end, the man still strangled himself to death.

    This incident terrified Julie. She was terrified and did not understand what was going on. However, she soon had no time to worry because she was dragged into endless experiments again.

    In the end, the experimental results proved that Julie¡¯s child had the ability to control the human mind. This made the Evaria Family overjoyed, and watched over Julie like a hawk. As the Evaria Family had never had such an ability, Julie, the mother, became the only possible carrier of the gene.

    The good times did notst long. Perhaps that experience made the child in Julie¡¯s womb think the mother was unsafe, so he made a fuss abouting out to see the world before he was fully developed. Julie¡¯s son was born prematurely, which not only caused her child to be born with congenital defects but also caused her to almost die on the delivery bed.

    Not only that, but Julie also lost her fertility forever. The Evaria Family was greatly disappointed. In their eyes, Julie had be a tasteless piece of pork rib that was a pity to throw away.

    Julie thought that she would be killed, but she didn¡¯t. The Evaria Family spared her life because they had pinned their hopes on cloning technology, hoping that they would clone a mother with precious genes when the technology matured.

    However, this was not the only reason. More importantly, if they did not do this, the newborn baby would starve to death. Little Jack was very vignt about this world. He refused to let anyone get close to him except his mother. He even refused to drink anything other than breast milk.

    Julie was ced under house arrest and went from a ¡®breeding machine¡¯ to a ¡®feeding machine¡¯. The Evaria Family did not allow her to get close to the child. After feeding the child, they would immediately take Little Jack away. Julie¡¯s motherly love had nowhere to go, and she had lived a long life of oppression and pain. Under the influence of many negative factors, she fell ill.

    The Evaria Family hoped to keep their only clone-able mother, so they rxed their supervision and allowed Julie to live with the child.

    Those were the happiest days of Julie¡¯s life. Until Little Jack was weaned, the mother and son lived in a secluded vi. Although they couldn¡¯t even step out of the room, the chaos of the world seemed to be far away from them because of the high walls of the vi.

    Thest of Julie¡¯s fragile heart waspletely entrusted to this child. She knew that once she lost him, she would die because there was no reason for her to live in this world.

    However, no matter how much she prayed, that day came anyway.

    After Little Jack started to consume milk powder and nutrients in the arms of the nursery teacher for a month, Julie woke up one morning and never saw her child again.

    No matter how crazy she was, it was useless. The people of the Evaria Family would only look at her coldly and threaten that if she did not listen, they had many ways to make a person live a long life in a vegetative state.

    Many years passed, and a¡¯ turning point¡¯ appeared just as Julie hadpletely fallen into despair..

 Chapter 542 - 542: A Friendship

    Chapter 542: A Friendship

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Julie was asked to work as a servant in a manor outside the city and obediently listen to the Evaria Family¡¯s orders.

    The only reward was that the Evaria Family would allow them to reunite with their mother and son when she returned from the manor.

    Even though she knew it was just a carrot hanging in front of a donkey, Julie still believed the possibility was one in ten thousand. She obediently returned to her hometown and entered a manor under the arrangements of the Evaria Family to begin her career as a servant.

    During this time, she kept her mouth shut about everything she had experienced over the years because she knew that leaking any information would take away herst hope.

    The manor¡¯s environment was very serious. Almost every day, people came to check and interrogate the staff who worked there. Julie experienced everything in fear. She didn¡¯t even dare to participate in the small talk between her colleagues, afraid she would say something wrong.

    The group ostracized her because of her unsociable nature. Gradually, the dirty and tiring work began to be arranged for Julie. Julie had noints about this. She believed this was a test of her faith in the Moon Goddess, and she would ovee all difficulties to return to her son¡¯s side.

    However, the boring and difficult life always made people sad. One time, when Julie secretly hid in the kitchen and cried, La appeared. She gentlyforted the sobbing woman and told her toe to her if she had any difficulties.

    La was a person who kept her word. When she found out about Julie¡¯s predicament at work, she quickly set a fair shift schedule so Julie was no longer the one who was bullied.

    Julie could not help but feel hopeful. She already knew what kind of person La was. Perhaps this powerful and kind-hearted adult could help her. As a woman, she could understand a mother¡¯s plea. Perhaps La was the messenger sent by the Moon Goddess to save her.

    She continued to umte hope and courage and finally decided to confess everything to La one day.

    However, the Evaria Family sent a message.

    It turned out that Julie¡¯s self-righteousziness and cleverness had long been discovered. The Evaria Family had been waiting for the moment to destroy Julie¡¯s hopepletely.

    They knew that when hope was shattered at the peak, it would oftenpletely shatter a person¡¯s defense.

    So that day, Julie found a picture of a child in the fresh milk delivered in the morning. The young and tender facial features seemed carved out of the same mold as hers.

    Someone wrote the child¡¯s name on the back of the photo, Jack Evaria. Julie immediately understood everything. She knew that her n had been exposed. Even if the Evaria Family treated Little Jack like a treasure, a mother would never risk her child.

    Julie was once again in despair. She had lost the opportunity that was so close at hand. Fate would never give her a shortcut again.

    La, who knew nothing, still treated Julie well. This gentle and kind guard captain was born with a sense of responsibility. However, this kind of kindness became a sweet poison to Julie. She was grateful and guilty to La. She epted La¡¯s care but had to send her information to the people outside.

    Julie didn¡¯t know what the Evaria Family would do, but she had a bad feeling.

    The weather was gloomy that day, and Julie, who was on duty, rushed to hang the clothes in the yard before it rained. La, who was reading on the balcony, saw her and invited her upstairs for afternoon tea.

    ¡°Are you married?¡±

    Julie¡¯s heart beat like a drum in the face of La¡¯s question. She was secretive and did not answer directly. She only said she had a son who was ced in foster care with rtives in other ces.

    La was very interested in her child and asked how to care for a child. Julie¡¯s sharp eyes noticed that the usually bare-faced La wore a ring today.

    Noticing her gaze, La took the initiative to exin. She said that this was her engagement ring. She had received news today that she could leave the manor immediately.

    She and her fiance had promised to get married when she returned to the Lycan pack, so she couldn¡¯t help but take out her engagement ring and put it on as if her fiance was by her side.

    She even invited Julie to attend her wedding. She hoped that they could be friends.

    It was also on this night that Julie met someone she did not expect.

    She just went to the storeroom to look for something as usual but did not realize that tonight seemed much quieter than usual. There was not even a person in the corridor.

    She opened the storeroom door and was about to find some wheat flour to make bread for tomorrow morning. At this moment, the heavy rain brewing for an entire day finally fell. A lightning bolt suddenly tore through the night sky, illuminating the dim storage room and the small figure in the corner.

    Julie was shocked. She immediately turned on the lights and looked at the corner. Her tears flowed uncontrobly.

    It was a little boy who looked exactly like the one in the photo. He was thin, cold, and unfamiliar, but Julie knew who he was. She would never forget his appearance until she died.

    This was her child, Jack Evaria..

 Chapter 543 - 543: The Severance

    Chapter 543: The Severance

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Julie¡¯s POV:

    1 never thought this day woulde so soon ¨C I saw him, my child, my treasure, my motivation to live.

    My Little Jack.

    How long had it been? Oh, it had been ten years. That small, soft child who could only act cute in my arms had grown so big.

    He was thin and fair and had a face that was even cuter than the son of god in myths. Even though he looked at me with a strange gaze, I could still feel a message spreading from the bottom of my heart.

    ¡¯My child! That¡¯s my child!¡¯

    I threw away the flour or something else in my arms. 1 stumbled over, wanting to hug my child.

    Even after so many years, 1 remembered thest time I held him. A warm and lively little creature that relied on me wholeheartedly. At that moment, he was his whole world, and he was my whole world.

    1 wanted to say something, to tell about the four years of this decade, to tell about my love that surged like the tide. But 1 couldn¡¯t say anything because tears and sobs had already gushed out.

    ¡°Jack¡­ My child¡­¡±

    1 was just one step away from touching him. 1 could almost feel the warmth emanating from Jack¡¯s body. It made me feel gratified and at ease.

    However-

    ¡°Stop, madam.¡±

    The childish voice sounded so cold, like Jack¡¯s gaze when he looked at me.

    After he gave me the order, I realized 1 couldn¡¯t move. It was as if my body had sunk into an invisible cement. I couldn¡¯t even move a finger.

    This caused me to maintain a ratherical running posture, which seemed to disgust Jack. I saw him frown, and 1 could move again.

    I was not a fool. I understood what Jack¡¯s attitude meant. He didn¡¯t miss me as much as I missed him. He even hated me. He looked at me like he was looking at a moldy piece of cheese. The only thing he could think of was how to throw me away.

    ¡°Jack¡­¡± I tried to recall his memories of me, but all I got was an even more dissatisfied look.

    ¡± Mind your manners, Madam,¡± he said. ¡°1 don¡¯t want to remind you again.¡±

    This made me feel like I had fallen into an ice cave.

    My angel, my child, the warm and soft baby in my memory, was gone. In its ce was this strange and arrogant child.

    I understood that he wasn¡¯t even two years old when we parted, so he was expected not to remember me. But how could I ept this calmly? That was my child! That was my life!

    I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Jack didn¡¯t remember me. Did the Evaria Family do something?

    This devil family has always treated me as a thorn in their side. Did they deliberately provoke my rtionship with Jack? Did they lie to Jack? That made him think that 1 abandoned him, so why he hated me so much?

    ¡®No! It¡¯s not like that! My child, your mother has always missed you. Please listen to my exnation!¡¯

    I tried to say something, but just as I opened my mouth, I realized I couldn¡¯t move again.

    ¡± You¡¯re really persistent.¡± Jack¡¯s face was gloomy. Such an expression should not appear on a twelve-year-old child. ¡°If you can¡¯t shut up, then let me help you.¡±

    That gloomy gaze made me despair.

    No, how could this be¡­

    Jack didn¡¯t care what I thought. He kicked the box beside him in disgust and sat on it reluctantly. He even adjusted himself into afortable position.

    ¡°I know who you are, Madam, but with all due respect, 1 can¡¯t call you mother¡¯. I don¡¯t need your understanding because there¡¯s no need for that.¡± Jack¡¯s face was hidden in the shadows, so I could only see his shockingly bright eyes.

    ¡°We weren¡¯t allowed to meet. To be honest, there¡¯s nothing to regret. However, I still have a basic curiosity about you. Seeing you today, your manners disappoint me. I¡¯m beginning to understand why those old things don¡¯t acknowledge you. You don¡¯t have the qualifications to be the mother of a king.¡±

    What was he saying? Why didn¡¯t I understand? My child, how did those demons brainwash you?

    No matter how much I struggled in my heart, it was useless. I seemed to have be a statue, unable to control my limbs.

    Suddenly, Jackughed, which made him look livelier, but his words were still as cold as ever. ¡°Brainwash? Maybe, but I¡¯m tired of the chattering of those old things. I¡¯m already twelve years old. I shoulde out and see what the world looks like instead of hiding in a dark corner and listening to a bunch of old men talk nonsense.¡±

    I realized that Jack could know what 1 was thinking. What was going on?

    Jack answered without me asking, ¡°Speaking of which, this is the only thing you deserve respect and gratitude for, Madam. You are still considered qualified to be the mother, allowing me to possess such precious power. For this reason, it¡¯s not a waste for you to live for another ten years.¡±

    What power? What was he talking about?

    Wait a minute.

    Memories from a long time ago surfaced again.

    Could my mind be under control?

 Chapter 544 - 544: A Caged Bird

    Chapter 544: A Caged Bird

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Julie¡¯s POV:

    Ten years was too long. I¡¯d been living like a madman. Many things have already been forgotten because of drugs or other factors.

    Including those experiments that made me wish I was dead. When 1 thought about it, it felt like 1 was reading someone else¡¯s story. It was so surreal that 1 wondered if it happened or was just a nightmare.

    This made me confused, and then I felt sad.

    I was a cripple who couldn¡¯t even extract pain.

    But now, in front of my child, that rusted mental gear could finally be slowly activated again. 1 recalled that experiment. Because of it, 1 could survive under the ¡®mercy¡¯ of the Evaria Family. It was also because of it that 1 could neither live nor die.

    A sudden p of thunder outside the window made Jack jump. He seemed a little angry because of this and said fiercely, ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s the power. So many years have passed. I¡¯ve grown up, and it has grown. Look, aren¡¯t you a good example? Your mind and body are under my control. Don¡¯t you feel gratified to see my growth?¡±

    I could only look at him deeply. 1 hoped he could understand my sadness, but this spoiled child had long learned not to empathize.

    ¡°Forget it. There¡¯s no point in saying this.¡± He suddenly felt bored again. His straight body copsed, and he even coughed a few times. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time, so it¡¯s time to get down to business.¡±

    I felt my body loosen, and I fell to the ground. I could control my body again, but what followed was a bone-piercing pain that made me cry uncontrobly.

    Jack slowly approached me, and I realized that this child¡¯s ankle was as thin as a sugar cane.

    He squatted down and slowly took my hand. His body temperature was very low, almost like a block of ice. His delicate skin felt like a snake, making me shiver uncontrobly.

    I was not sure if this was my child. He was more like an illusion, a ghost. Perhaps 1 was already crazy. When the first drop of rain fell, 1 drowned in the cold moonlight and would never wake up.

    ¡°Madam, as a reward for ten years, it¡¯s time for you to y your part.¡±

    Jack¡¯s voice sounded so gentle that I cried even more.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you noticed? The manor is too quiet. Do you think they¡¯re all resting? Oh, perhaps, but 1¡¯11 have to disappoint you ¨C it¡¯s too easy to control these untouchables, just as it is to control you. So don¡¯t worry, no one will disturb you tonight. Everything will go smoothly, I promise.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? Jack, 1 don¡¯t understand. What are you talking about?¡±

    Jack let go of me. The rain outside the window was getting heavier and heavier, which seemed to make him anxious.

    He turned back into the arrogant and cold person and ordered, ¡°Go kill La. You can enter her bedroom without hindrance. She won¡¯t wake up. You have to hold her hand and cut her wrist with a knife. You have to watch her bleed to thest drop and stop breathing. Come back to me after you¡¯re done.¡±

    What was that?

    I felt like I¡¯d been struck by lightning.

    What did he want me to do? Murder¡­ Who? La?

    Why?

    Could this be the reason why the Evaria Family sent me here? To assassinate La?

    ¡°Watch your words,dy.¡± Jack frowned. ¡°It¡¯s not an assassination. We¡¯re just sending her on her way. Everything will be disguised as a suicide. Don¡¯t worry, you don¡¯t have to bear any responsibility for this.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not about who¡¯s responsible but why? La is a good person. She has never done anything to let down the Evaria Family!¡±

    ¡°Never done anything? You¡¯re wrong. Her existence is a thorn in our family¡¯s heart. Her death will solve many problems, and this is not something you can understand. You just have to do as 1 say.¡±

    I looked at him in disbelief. 1 didn¡¯t understand how a twelve-year-old child could say such cold-blooded words.

    What exactly did the Evaria Family do to him?

    However, my thoughts angered Jack. Hecked me hard and shouted, ¡°I¡¯m not a child anymore! Don¡¯t treat me like a piece of trash who others can only manipte!¡±

    After saying that, he coughed violently as if he was about to vomit out all his internal organs.

    I immediately forgot about my anger. My anxious heart started to hurt. 1 tried to hold him up and ask what was wrong with him. However, he pushed me away, even though the result was that he fell to the ground.

    ¡°Do what 1 say! Go kill La!¡±

    Jack¡¯s eyes were red as he shouted at the top of his lungs.

    In the next second, I realized that I couldn¡¯t move again. I could still see, hear, and think, but my body was no longer under my control.

    I stood up stiffly, opened the door to the storage room, and walked out. The moment 1 turned around, 1 saw Jack lying on the ground,ughing hoarsely.

    ¡°No one can control me. No one is worthy of controlling me¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m the one who controls everything. I can control everyone..¡±

 Chapter 545 - 545: Wilted Narcissus

    Chapter 545: Wilted Narcissus

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Julie¡¯s POV:

    I walked up to the room, holding the knife Jack gave me. It was pure silver, like an ordinary fruit knife.

    The vi was dark, and there was no light at all. My eyes had long been damaged from being imprisoned for a long time. I couldn¡¯t see anything in the dark. I often fell down the stairs or in front of the table and chairs, but I got up stiffly and stubbornly walked toward my destination like a zombie.

    I felt fear, not because of the darkness, but because of my child.

    How was his health? The Evaria Family treasured him so much, so why didn¡¯t they treat his illness?

    1 was sure Jack wasn¡¯t doing well. Maybe the Evaria Family pampered him, but they couldn¡¯t provide muchfort. Jack was like a daffodil in the desert. He lived in an artificial water source, but it could not change his terrible and barren environment.

    My child had been spoiled, both physically and spiritually.

    This made me feel endless pain, and 1 began to me myself. I knew it was not my fault, but a mother always had a sense of mission for her child.

    Jack, my Jack, if only I had been stronger and tougher back then.

    But soon, my heart was filled with another kind of fear. When I saw the woman lying motionless on the sofa in the small living room with the help of the lightning, 1 almost screamed in horror.

    She was my colleague, an ordinary middle-aged woman. She usually liked to ck off, but now she fell into the dark living room like a piece of rotten meat.

    Was she still alive?

    Did Jack kill her?

    I wanted to see her condition but couldn¡¯t control my body. I could only watch her pass.

    Then, I skipped over many people.

    Every time someone appeared, my heart tightened. Whether I was familiar with them or not, my colleagues had be a rock on my back. 1 couldn¡¯t breathe.

    ¡®Goddess, please kill me immediately if you have a spirit in heaven. Don¡¯t let me witness so many sins again; don¡¯t let me be stained with blood!¡¯

    And my child! My Jack! What should he do? What should he do?

    Finally, this long and dark journey came to an important point.

    La¡¯s room was on the top floor of this three-story vi. It had a wide view andfortable facilities. No one was allowed to disturb it, so it was an ideal ce to recuperate. La would asionally invite me to chat with her and read books. This was also a rare opportunity for me to rx for a while.

    But now, that intoxicating paradise was gone. I could see that behind the door was a boundless hell of pain. No one would have the chance to regret stepping into it. Sin would follow me like a shadow to my grave.

    Suddenly, I heard someone talking in my ear.

    ¡°We¡¯re here, Madam.¡± It was Jack. He wasn¡¯t here, but he was in my head. ¡°Open this door,plete your mission, and everything will end quietly. Don¡¯t worry about your colleagues. I have no interest in the lowly. They are just asleep. When they wake up, they will be honored to be able to participate in such a wonderful event.¡±

    ¡°Give up, Jack. You should know that La is not an ordinary person. If she dies, you will be hunted down endlessly.¡±

    I tried to persuade him, but I only got a maniacalugh. ¡°Who is La? She is just a luckymoner! She relies on the charity of the Oromalivera Family to get to where she was today. She does not deserve everything! Her greatest value is to exchange her death for peace. She must be honored by this.¡±

    I didn¡¯t understand what Jack was talking about. My intuition told me there must be some big conspiracy behind this, but 1 was just a servant. I had no way of knowing anything.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Madam.¡± Jack¡¯s patience was quickly exhausted. ¡°No one will track down the murderer behind a suicide because she did it herself, didn¡¯t she? Open that door and do everything I told you to do.¡±

    His voice disappeared, and I couldn¡¯t help but turn the doorknob.

    It was quiet and dark. Behind the door was a ck hole that seemed to be able to swallow everything. I couldn¡¯t see anything; all I could sense was an irreversible death.

    No, no, no. Stop! Stop it!

    No matter how much 1 screamed in my heart, it was useless. Tears gushed out, wetting my cheeks and cor. The wet fabric seemed to be colder than the weapon in my hand.

    I slowly approached theyers of curtains.

    Behind the light muslin and silk was arge, soft bed. I had personally arranged the bedding and feather pillows softer than clouds, so I knew howfortable it was to lie down and sleep on them.

    Now, it was La who was lying on it.

    She did not wake up, even though she was a vignt person, and themotion I caused was not small. I knew it was because of Jack. He had put La into a deep sleep, just like he had controlled the people downstairs so that she would die unknowingly.

    Oneyer, twoyers, threeyers. When I pulled away theyers of cloth, I finally saw the person on the bed..

 Chapter 546 - 546: The Silent Rain Tonight

    Chapter 546: The Silent Rain Tonight

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Julie¡¯s POV:

    La slept soundly, and even the deafening thunder did not wake her. Her face was pale, and her brows were tightly furrowed as if she was having a nightmare.

    Little did she know that the nightmare was right in front of her.

    I screamed in my heart, trying to regain control of my body. But I could only watch helplessly as 1 carried La to the bathroom and filled the bathtub with water.

    1 took off my clothes and ced La in the bathtub. The hot water immediately soaked my legs and feet.

    1 finally understood why Jack wanted me to take off my clothes. The water would wet my clothes. He didn¡¯t want to leave any evidence.

    My child was so smart, but 1 felt even more despair and sorrow.

    At this moment, 1 suddenly understood everything.

    ¡°You can¡¯t control La. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have used me to kill her,¡± I said in my heart. ¡°She is such a determined person, her soul is so strong, so making her sleep is your limit. You can¡¯t control her tomit suicide at all. That¡¯s why you need me.¡±

    Jack did not respond to this, but the silence was already an answer.

    My prayers had no effect. The goddess closed her eyes, unwilling to see what was happening in this sin-filled manor.

    However, someone still opened their eyes.

    While 1 was unaware, La woke up. She just looked straight at me. When 1 realized it, 1 had already held her hand and cut open her left wrist.

    This frightened me, and my heart began to beat wildly. It was as if Jack¡¯s control over me had loosened for a moment.

    But in the end, I still couldn¡¯t break free from his control. I could only watch as blood gushed from La¡¯s wrist like a puppet. Soon, the water in the bathtub was dyed red.

    La just looked at me silently, unable to speak. What was the look in her eyes? Anger? Grief? Helplessness?

    Doubt? I was shocked and prepared to ept any emotional criticism. I became a murderer. I killed the person who treated me as a friend right after she invited me to her wedding.

    1 was still holding that hand tightly, the ring on my middle finger was shining.

    That light was like a sharp de that burned my eyes. 1 didn¡¯t dare to look at it, so 1 looked away and met La¡¯s gaze.

    To my surprise, she didn¡¯t have any of the emotions 1 had guessed. She just looked at me quietly. Although she couldn¡¯t move under Jack¡¯s control, she still insisted onforting me with her eyes.

    Yes, she wasforting me.

    ¡®I know it¡¯s not your fault.

    ¡®You are just being used.

    ¡®Don¡¯t me yourself.

    ¡®Don¡¯t me yourself.¡¯

    1 was shocked ¨C she wasforting me! How could shefort me? I was a murderer! 1 wanted to kill her!

    However, everything happened just like that. La¡¯s eyes told me everything.

    She didn¡¯t me me.

    She knew what had happened, but she still bravely faced everything alone.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry!¡± I cried bitterly in my heart, tears falling into the blood like pearls on a broken string. ¡°Goddess, please wake me up. If this is a nightmare, please wake me up! Why me? Why am 1 the chosen one?¡±

    Everything happened strangely in the quiet bathroom. A naked woman was sitting next to the bathtub and crying. The woman in the bathtub had her eyes open, but the light in her eyes gradually dimmed.

    La¡¯s life was draining away along with her blood. Her pupils were expanding, and her hands were getting colder.

    Finally, the end came.

    By the time I reacted, it was all over.

    La was dead, and the liquid in the bathtub was no longer water or her blood. She sank to the bottom of the tank weakly, her long hair floating in the scarlet liquid, silently taking a look at the world for her master.

    Her palm in my hand had already lost itsst bit of life, and only the ring was still shining. This stone that represented loyalty and love did not understand the preciousness of human life at all. Even though its owner was already dead, it still praised its beauty and value.

    1 sat frozen on the spot. Even though I realized that Jack had released his control over me, 1 remained motionless like a statue, as if I were dead.

    1 thought I was already dead. My heart, riddled with holes and more fragile than a rotten wall, had been shattered. The pale lime blended into the blood-stained clear water and disappeared without a trace before it could even bubble.

    After an unknown amount of time, the rain became heavier and heavier, as if it was going to drown the entire world. It was as if a bolt of lightning had struck right beside me. This jolted me awake, and then I realized what everything that had happened before me meant.

    ¡°Oh my god¡­¡±

    I humbly curled up into a ball. The only thing 1 could do was cry meekly.

    The temperature in my hand was so low that I shuddered. La¡¯s right hand sank into the water, and even the ring disappeared.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry¡­ 1 can¡¯t go to your wedding. I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    1 wailed loudly. The thunderstorm outside the window covered everything..

 Chapter 547 - 547: Orestes

    Chapter 547: Orestes

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Julie¡¯s POV:

    Jack gave me back control of my body, but it was useless.

    What could I do? Wake my colleagues and tell them to call the police? Shout to attract the attention of the people outside? Or personally call the emergency number?

    Jack made it impossible for everyone to wake up. There were no neighbors in the deserted area. In this strictly controlled manor, only those with the password could use all encrypted externalmunication methods.

    This was an isted ind. 1 couldn¡¯t do anything as useless as I was.

    All 1 could do was cry. When my tears ran out, all that was left was a sinful and weak body.

    I felt that my soul was about to copse, and my life was about to undergo another huge change. This time, it was not like before. Even someone as stupid as me could realize that death wasing. I brought death to others, and death would find me.

    The Evaria Family would not let me off if 1 knew such a shocking secret. When 1 got back, Jack would kill me personally.

    He didn¡¯t care about me at all. He didn¡¯t acknowledge me, didn¡¯t need me, and didn¡¯t love me.

    At this moment, 1 realized that everything was just wishful thinking.

    Ice-cold fear instantly surged into my heart. The ice-cold blood made my naked skin have ayer of goosebumps.

    I realized that I didn¡¯t want to die at all. The reason 1 had been struggling for so many years wasn¡¯t that 1 was strong but because 1 was afraid of death. 1 would rather live like a stray dog than die.

    I fantasized about running away. For example, 1 would open the window now and run wildly in the rain. 1 knew the nearest distance from here to the manor gate and that an emergency phone in the guard room could be used. Just a minute, just a call to the police, and everything would be over. The truth would be revealed, the sins would be punished, and 1 could continue living.

    But in the next second, the silver knife that was indistinct in the blood reminded me, ¡®Impossible, all fantasies were false. I couldn¡¯t open the window because as long as Jack wanted to, this knife that had just taken a life could immediately kill me.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do this to me, Jack. 1 beg you.¡± 1 trembled as 1 muttered to myself, ¡°1 am your mother. 1 am your family. Even if you don¡¯t love me, on ount of the fact that 1 gave birth to you, aren¡¯t you willing to give me a share of your friendship? 1 don¡¯t want to die, child. I¡¯ve struggled to live until now. I can endure all the torture, but I don¡¯t want to die¡­ I don¡¯t want to die¡­¡±

    I didn¡¯t know if Jack heard it, but in the next second, my body suddenly wasn¡¯t under my control anymore. 1 stood up, put on my clothes stiffly, and left the bathroom. Jack didn¡¯t even forget to make me leave only after the blood on my body dried up, so I didn¡¯t even leave a footprint on the way.

    Back in the storage room, Jack had already returned to his arrogant and disdainful appearance. He leaned against the window and looked at me impatiently.

    ¡°Alright, don¡¯t cry, Madam. Isn¡¯t this done very well? La,¡± he said. ¡°Your mission isplete.

    ¡°Why are you so afraid of me? Since you know what awaits you, you should know you can¡¯t escape. Just ept it with honor. Do you know how many people want to die for me but can¡¯t do so? 1 wouldn¡¯t have given you this honor if you weren¡¯t my mother. You should be grateful for this, mydy.

    ¡°Alright, now, now. Stop crying now. Your tears are worthless. They only annoy me.¡±

    He walked toward me step by step, and every step was like the scythe of the grim reaper approaching me.

    Finally, he stood a step away from me and raised his hand. It looked like a hug, but his hands finally stopped at my temples.

    ¡°Farewell, mydy.¡± He chuckled, seemingly in a very good mood. ¡°Farewell, my stain.¡±

    A heart-wrenching pain exploded in my brain as soon as he finished speaking. I couldn¡¯t help but wail. Jack released his control over me. 1 fell to the ground and rolled around in pain.

    It hurt so bad! It hurt so much!

    It was as if someone had thrown my brain into a mixing machine, pulled out my brain marrow, and thrown it in as an auxiliary material. Countless des tore at my nerves. I felt my brain expanding as if it would explode like a balloon in the next second.

    This wasn¡¯t an illusion. Something was expanding in my head. I could sense it and knew it was the source of all pain. In a few minutes or seconds, it would bring me death.

    ¡®No, no, no. Goddess, please, I don¡¯t want to die, I don¡¯t want to die¡­

    ¡®I¡¯ve lived a life worse than pigs and dogs. I don¡¯t ask for happiness after hardship. Please pity me, a lonely star in the sky, and bestow me with some insignificant favor!

    ¡®I don¡¯t want to die¡­

    ¡®I don¡¯t want to die!¡¯

    At the moment when the pain reached its peak, something silently changed.

    I fell into a long period of nkness. My five senses seemedpletely disappeared, and

    I couldn¡¯t feel anything. After a few seconds or minutes, I could hear painful moans echoing in this small storage room.

    That was not me.

    I opened my eyes weakly and saw Jack holding his head and crying on the ground..

 Chapter 548 - 548: The Split

    Chapter 548: The Split

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Julie¡¯s POV:

    What happened to him? Was he sick? Was there something wrong with him?

    The first thought that came to my mind was that I was worried about Jack¡¯s health. I wanted to get up to see him, but 1 couldn¡¯t. My body and consciousness seemed to bepletely separated. I couldn¡¯t control my body and realized it wasn¡¯t Jack¡¯s fault because he couldn¡¯t take care of himself now.

    It took me a long time to realize I was dead or unconscious.

    I looked down at my hand. It was translucent.

    Great fear swept through my entire body ¨C could I still return to my body? What was I doing? Was 1 dead or alive? My body seemed to be still breathing. What would happen to me? Would I be in a vegetative state?

    Before I could panic for long, there was a change in Jack. His pain seemed to have lessened a little. He covered his head and moaned as he sat up. He stared angrily at where my body had fallen.

    He couldn¡¯t seem to see my soul.

    ¡°¡­ I was unlucky, I almost failed.¡± He looked at me as if he was looking at an irreconcble enemy. ¡°As expected of the mother who provided me with noble power genes. She awakened her power only when she was about to die. What a pity. If you were still alive, you might have been able to provide me with more powerful subordinates.

    ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m already twelve years old. Those old b*stards will start creating descendants for me when my first night¡¯s sleepes. It doesn¡¯t matter if I have you as a mother or not.¡±

    Jack¡¯s words shocked me.

    Did I also awaken the power of mind control? This made me feel a second of surprise and then endless regret. It was toote. Everything was irreversible. No power could bring the dead back to life.

    And creating descendants for Jack. How was that possible? Jack was infertile. It seemed to be a hereditary disease that he was born with. He would never be able to have a child of his own in this lifetime.

    Unless¡­

    A guess made me shudder.

    Unless the Evaria Family did what they did to me to the other girls, tricking more innocent girls into experiments that were more painful than hell, collecting more breeding machines¡¯, and artificially creating Jack¡¯s descendants through technological means.

    No, no, absolutely not!

    I was terrified. I knew the horror of the experiment. It was not just about having a child. Cold equipment, painful surgeries, drugs with all kinds of side effects, and corpses that were dragged away like dead dogs.

    I¡¯d personally experienced this and seen it with my own eyes. How could 1 let more innocent girls be involved in this?

    1 believed I must stop this conspiracy ¨C but how? When 1 was alive, I couldn¡¯t even protect myself. Now that I was a ghost, 1 couldn¡¯t do anything.

    Jack rested on the spot for a while. He coughed violently, and his face turned from pale to a sickly red.

    ¡°Damn it, this broken body.¡± He cursed non-stop and looked at the weather outside the window. The rain was still falling, but he seemed to have no choice but to leave immediately.

    He was leaving. I had to keep up with him and think of a way to stop the tragedy that was about to happen.

    But something else was bothering me: What should 1 do here if I leave? Only Jack and I knew the truth of tonight. I did not doubt that Jack would erase everyone¡¯s memories tonight, even if they were only in a deep sleep. If I didn¡¯t do something, all the secrets would nevere to light.

    What should 1 do? Stay or leave?

    I struggled between Jack, walking further away, and La, lying in the bathtub.

    My obsession grew heavier and heavier. It was for Jack, La, this manor, and the Evaria Family. 1 felt endless pain. Both alive and dead, I was trash. I could do nothing.

    My obsession with both sides seemed to be tearing me apart. 1 gradually felt pain in my soul. I lowered my head and saw my soul filled with dense cracks. 1 seemed to be about to be cut into two, and the cause of all this was myself.

    This gave me a new way out.

    Why didn¡¯t he split himself into two? Some of them stayed in the manor, while some left with Jack. This way, they could have the best of both worlds.

    Thus, I immediately followed my thoughts and tried to think of ways to split myself apart. This process was extremely painful, ten thousand times more painful than physical division. But I had to endure it because I had something to do and was willing to pay any price.

    But this process was too painful. My soul was wailing, warning me to stop. I even felt like I was shedding tears ¨C could souls cry? I knew nothing about souls, so I could only choose to take this risk.

    The moment the tears fell, the pain peaked, followed by a sudden calm and relief.

    I seeded. I felt myself being divided into two parts. One part returned to my body faintly, and the other floated toward Jack involuntarily.

    I was too tired, and my mind began to blur. My brain was like a lump of paste, and I could no longer think.

    ¡®I must seed¡­¡¯

    Before I lost consciousness, I thought for thest time..

 Chapter 549 - 549: Who Was Using Whom?

    Chapter 549: Who Was Using Whom?

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°¡­ This is what happened, Your Highness. I killed La and then killed myself. And the murderer behind the scene is my biological son.¡±

    When Julie finished her story, everyone was silent for a long time.

    Admittedly, many of the possibilities 1 had thought of before coincided with the facts. For example, someone manipted Julie tomit murder, or Julie might be the mother of an illegitimate child, or Julie¡¯s soul splitting was rted to the murder.

    But when everything was put together, the story pieced together was shocking. Who would have thought that the truth would turn out this way?

    Mother, son, and friends were entangled in a conspiracy, and the murderer seemed to be a child under the age of twelve.

    What was even more ironic was that the murderer was already dead. We couldn¡¯t hold a dead person ountable.

    I could hear heavy breathing in the observation room next to me. it was Master Kevin, a widower who had personally heard the entire process of his lover¡¯s death.

    Julie and Jack Evaria were both dead. The direct and indirect murderers were no longer alive. From whom should he seek revenge for La? It was impossible to let it all go just like that!

    I believed Julie¡¯s statement. She had no reason to lie. However, I still doubted the truth of the matter. Was what Julie had experienced real? Even Jack Evaria, was the death he thought he wanted the truth?

    Sir Evaria told me in his letter that Jack Evaria had never left his resting ce because of his weak body. This was not the truth from twenty years ago.

    Did Sir Evaria lie to me?

    There was no need for that because he and his family no longer have the capital to deceive me. Once I find out the truth, he knew that everything would be taken back with interest. 1 thought this old fox in politics understood the obvious pros and cons.

    So, between Jack Evaria and the Evaria Family, who had deceived whom?

    The Evaria Family guarded this descendant of the royal family like a treasure. They did not need to let their trump card personally carry out a dangerous assassination. If anything happened to Jack Evaria, the gains would notpensate for the losses.

    However, Jack Evaria also had his trump card. If he could quietly erase the memories of everyone who hade into contact with Julie, then it would not be difficult to control his guards.

    So, was Jack Evaria the murderer? Was he the one who deceived everyone and used the excuse that the Evaria Family had ordered the assassination of La to show off his might?

    Or did the Evaria Family know everything and used Jack Evaria to facilitate everything? Was it the real culprit hiding in the shadows?

    I unknowingly fell into deep thought. Sisley, who had been silent all this while, suddenly asked, ¡°So you¡¯ve been with my father all these years? Is that why you became the ghost legend of the Evaria Family?¡±

    Julie nodded. ¡°Yes, I think I did stay by Jack¡¯s side until he died. However, 1 didn¡¯t know the side effects of splitting my soul back then. The iplete me was unconscious. 1 had no impression of what had happened to Jack all these years. Forget about protecting him, 1 was just a useless ghost¡­¡±

    As Julie spoke, she became depressed. However, 1 realized that her words revealed a key piece of information.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been staying in the Evaria Family for many years? Did no one chase you away?¡± 1 asked again.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember, Your Highness. Maybe I did, but I can¡¯t remember anything. I can only remember the iplete memories of the soul left in the Golden Bell Pack. Perhaps the part that inherited the physical body is more stable than the wandering ghost.¡±

    Julie imed she remembered nothing, but I believed this was evidence.

    Proof that the Evaria Family knew of her existence and even used her.

    There was nock of registered werewolf grandmasters who colluded with the Evaria Family, and Jack was the focus of attention. The Evaria Family would ensure his safety by eliminating any unknown ghosts wandering around Jack.

    However, they didn¡¯t do that. Instead, they let Julie drift for many years, and even became a legend in the family.

    First, they recognized Julie. Second, they knew why Julie¡¯s soul was with Jack. Third, they were confident they could control Julie and even use her to do something. For example, they could threaten a disobedient trump card.

    The Evaria Family used Julie to threaten Jack, saying they knew everything that had happened so that Jack would listen to them.

    They knew what was going on and who had stolen the g ofmand during the assassination of La. They were angry about this but also held power, quietly showing who had the initiative.

    Julie¡¯s story happened so long ago that even the moon was sad and quietly hid in the clouds to cry.

    Clouds suddenly piled up in the sky, which was unexpected in the weather forecast. Then, light rain gradually fell..

 Chapter 550 - 550: Yaqi the Sixth

    Chapter 550: Yaqi the Sixth

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The moonlight became dim and weak, and Julie¡¯s manic soul became unstable again.

    Julie struggled painfully in the cage, trying her best to stay awake, but she could not resist the arrival of chaos. She only cared about one person, Sisley, standing in the corner like an invisible person.

    She was still looking at him until thest second when she lost her mind. Her eyes were so sad and gentle, like a mother who had lost her child and was crying to her child¡¯s photo.

    Finally, the sober Julie disappeared, leaving only a violent and confused soul in the cage, painfully trying to find a way back in the fog.

    Master Kevin had returned to the room at some point. He said in a deep voice, ¡°Please leave the rest to me. Julie is not safe now. Please leave, for now, Your Highness.¡±

    I was a little worried about his condition. ¡°Don¡¯t force yourself. We¡¯ve all heard too many facts tonight. Why don¡¯t we let the assistants take over the follow-up?¡±

    Master Kevin shook his head as if he didn¡¯t understand what I meant. ¡°There will be a few more confidentiality agreements. A piece of light paper can¡¯t guarantee that a secret will always be a secret. Please let me do it, I¡¯m really¡­ 1 haveplicated feelings, but work always calms me down.¡±

    I could only agree and requested the guards to take care of him.

    After leaving the Sorcery Research Association, I thought I couldn¡¯t sleep tonight. I must sort out my thoughts and figure out the truth behind La¡¯s death.

    Before that, 1 sent someone to send Sisley back to the family cemetery. He had no objections to the sudden doubling of ¡®escorts¡¯ and left quietly and obediently.

    It was already early in the morning when we returned to the pce. My mother had gone to bed with the children while my father was still working. He didn¡¯t usually stay up thiste unless he was waiting for urgent news like what I brought back tonight.

    ¡°I¡¯m also a little confused and have some guesses. 1 must organize my thoughts before I can tell you everything, Father.¡± Holding the steaming berry tea Kara poured for me, I imagined that the sweet steam would help me melt the chaotic thoughts in my mind.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to force yourself, Selma. It¡¯s already veryte today. You can go back and rest first. A tired brain won¡¯t work well.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯ve waited for so long¡­¡±

    ¡°Haha, thank you for your thoughtfulness, darling. But it¡¯s a father¡¯s responsibility to leave a light on for his daughter whoes homete, and I have work to deal with.¡±

    Only then did 1 notice a few stacks of documents on my father¡¯s desk. Most were printed with a familiar logo ¨C they belonged to the elves.

    This was really strange. Since the pointy ears in the north started to fight among themselves openly, they had no time to care about our furry neighbors. Thest time 1 saw a more official document from the elves, it was about extending the duration of exchange students.

    ¡°What happened?¡± During this time, 1 was buried in the investigation and didn¡¯t pay much attention to anything else. ¡°Why are there so many official documents from the north suddenly? And with the same seal? The elves shook hands and made peace?¡±

    Ever since the divided forces became queens, the ¡®leaders¡¯ of the elves began to use all kinds of titles and seals as if they were buying one for free in a mall.

    At the mention of this, my father sighed and handed Aldrich and me several different documents with the same seal.

    ¡°They alle from the elf race, but the one who sent them out is not the same person. In fact, I¡¯m also confused as to why so many independent forces would suddenly contact the werewolves simultaneously. Moreover, most of them are talking about the same thing.¡±

    I looked at the few documents in my hands and exchanged them with Aldrich. I realized that these documents were basically talking about the same thing.

    It was about the exchange students of the elf race.

    In fact, this wasn¡¯t the first time this exchange student had such a strange problem. As students who had been exchanged to the werewolves, these elves seemed to have a differentbel from the beginning.

    And now, the problems mentioned in these documents surprised me even more.

    ¡°What¡¯s all this? Are they suffering from schizophrenia?¡± I looked at the same seal on the document and the signature that seemed to be from the same person. ¡°If 1 remember correctly, Yaqi the Sixth. Isn¡¯t that the honorific title of the current Elf King?¡±

    Yes, these documents were nominally from the hands of ¡®Yaqi the Sixth¡¯, the sleeping Elf King. However, since he was currently in a deep sleep, it was very problematic for these documents from different forces to use the name of the Elf King suddenly.

    The Yaqi the Sixth couldn¡¯t have suddenly woken up, waved his arm, and united the elves who had been beaten into a pot of soup in three days, right?

    Moreover, the requirements of these documents were contradictory.

    Some ¡®Yaqi the Sixth¡¯ hoped the exchange students would be sent back to the elves as soon as possible, and their destinations varied.

    Some ¡®Yaqi the Sixth¡¯ either openly or secretly didn¡¯t want the exchange students to return so soon. Some documents even hinted that it would be good if the exchange students could never return.

    What exactly did these pointy-eared students have to cause such a huge uproar among the elves?

 Chapter 551 - 551: Two Points and One Line

    Chapter 551: Two Points and One Line

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    We¡¯d long been troubled by how to deal with the exchange students.

    Although the contract had been extended, contract would expire one day. What should we do then? Send the elves back? However, the elves were in a civil war. Putting aside the issue of whether it was safe to send them back, it was still unknown whether the interim government would still exist!

    But were we going to keep dragging it out like this? How long would that take? It would be best if the civil war ended in a year. Would the elves want to settle down in the werewolf pack if itsted for ten or twenty years?

    But what would we do if they want to return to their hometown? Stop them from leaving? What about those students with families? From now on, would they be separated from their flesh and blood?

    In the end, the root of the problem was still the elves. We were naturally willing to cooperate if the other party could devise a rtively normal solution. But now, there was a big problem no matter how I looked at it!

    Not to mention how multiple Elf Kings suddenly appeared, the requirements of these documents alone were two extremes. Those who wished to send the elves back obviously harbored ill intentions, and those who wished to keep the elves in the werewolf pack weren¡¯t necessarily good people. In short, I could sense that a conspiracy was slowly taking shape around these innocent children.

    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t have sent the exchange students back,¡± I immediately expressed my opinion. ¡°This is not right. Their statements are contradictory. They must have used the Elf King¡¯s name, meaning these documents are illegal.¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± Aldrich agreed. ¡°Although 1 missed a lot of things while I was unconscious, I think it¡¯s best to keep children away from conspiracies, even if it looks like they¡¯re rtives. For people who don¡¯t care about morality, harming their loved ones will be even more unscrupulous.¡±

    My father pondered for a while before shaking his head. ¡°But I don¡¯t think we can do that.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± I didn¡¯t understand. ¡°There¡¯s obviously a problem here. If we send the children back so easily, it¡¯s hard to guarantee what will happen to them. Moreover, who would take over even if they were to be sent back? Now, the elf race has more forces of all sizes than the stars in the sky. Which side¡¯s request should we ept and which side should we reject?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the problem,¡± my father said. ¡°We can¡¯t reject all these diplomatic documents. It¡¯s too tough. Refusing the request to be sent back at such a special time seemed like detaining the elves as hostages, which would send a dangerous signal to the elves. Even if the other side has already fought until the sky is dark, we can¡¯t easily gamble on the possibility of conflict.¡±

    My father¡¯s words calmed me down. Indeed, it would be unwise to refuse outright. No matter what, since the other side¡¯s split forces could send the same request at the same time, it meant that there was a secret among these exchange students that we didn¡¯t know. Moreover, this secret was of great importance to the elf race.

    But were we going to send the students back to that war-torn ce just like that?

    In response, my father said cunningly, ¡°Not rejecting doesn¡¯t mean you have to agree, right? Otherwise, 1 wouldn¡¯t have sat here all night to reply to a fief.¡±

    Aldrich and I looked at my father in confusion, and he slowly pushed open therge pile of letters from the elf race. He took a slightly old file from the drawer and handed it to us.

    Inside was the new agreement signed earlier to extend the duration of exchange students studying abroad.

    1 didn¡¯t understand. My father gestured for me to take a look at the contents. 1 read it from beginning to end. I suddenly understood my father¡¯s intention when I saw the signature and seal.

    ¡°Oh my god, how could 1 have forgotten about this!¡± Staring at the gorgeous handwriting, I eximed, ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s it. The one who signed the agreement with us was the interim government. The only person we had to be responsible for was the interim government! As long as the interim government doesn¡¯t ask for the exchange students to be sent back, we can use this as an excuse to stall for time!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Aldrich said. ¡°This way, we won¡¯t have any room for criticism in our procedures. It¡¯s useless for those independent forces to be anxious because this is ultimately not a conflict between them and us, but between them and the interim government.¡±

    My father was very satisfied with our answer. He smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s right, so we don¡¯t have to refuse or agree. We just have to ask for the opinion of the interim government. As for the rest, there¡¯s no need for the werewolves to interfere in the internal turmoil of the elves. We just have to wait and see.¡±

    Thus, a conflict that could have caused a dispute between the two groups was resolved silently. Although the elves couldn¡¯t go home for the time being, they were safe. As for what the elves think, it had nothing to do with us. It was their problem to be unable to unite in their opinions.

    As for the secrets of the exchange students, it wasn¡¯t the time to explore them yet.

    Now, I had to go back and sort out the truth about La¡¯s death and prove the victim¡¯s innocence..

 Chapter 552 - 552: The Illusory Crown

    Chapter 552: The Illusory Crown

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I once thought that the Evaria Family would be extremely respectful toward this descendant who could help them reach the heavens in a single bound. At the very least, they would have to maintain superficial respect.

    However, Ipletely overturned my previous views after a series of events.

    The Evaria Family didn¡¯t like Jack Evaria. They only wanted to squeeze out every bit of his value to make use of him. I suspected that the Evaria Family really wanted Jack Evaria to rece my father or me.

    First of all, regarding La¡¯s death, there was no doubt that it was Jack¡¯s doing. But was he the only one who did it? Didn¡¯t the Evaria Family know anything about this? I thought not only did they know, but they also added fuel to the fire and used Jack toplete this wless assassination n.

    Jack could indeed erase everyone¡¯s memories rted to this, but only the Evaria Family was different. This was because they were not victims who were kept in the dark but chess yers who manipted everything outside the chessboard.

    Even if Jack could really deceive his people, as long as the Evaria Family turned around, they would easily find many suspicions. Why was Julie not dead? Where did the person who was controlling Julie go? Why didn¡¯t he grasp the final direction of this assassination?

    They didn¡¯t even need to investigate much. As long as they saw the ¡®forgotten¡¯, they could determine who the person who broke the n was.

    Moreover, Julie felt that Jack was not free and did not like being controlled by the Evaria Family.

    Although it was still questionable whether his memory was urate due to her mother¡¯s filter, at least I could confirm that Jack was arrogant and self-centered. Determining whether the Evaria Family had deliberately cultivated his personality was difficult.

    However, it was indisputable that no king would be willing to be controlled by others, even if he was just a shameful ¡®candidate¡¯ and a child in everyone¡¯s eyes.

    Therefore, Jack¡¯s rtionship with his family was not harmonious. It could even be said that there were many contradictions. And what Sir Evaria said about ¡®recuperating due to illness¡¯ was also debatable. Was Jack terminally ill, or did the Evaria Family not want to release this uncontroble time bomb?

    Therefore, I was inclined to believe that the Evaria Family knew what Jack had done. Perhaps they were the ones who secretly urged Jack to assassinate La. Otherwise, it would be difficult for a weak child to rush to another city thousands of miles away.

    This led to another question ¨C how exactly did the Evaria Family want to use Jack?

    If they really wanted Jack to be the future Lycan King, then the correct way to do it was to arrange for him to have a pair of parents like Sisley so that he could receive a perfect aristocratic education, manage his connections, gather his reputation, and control the power of the family. Then, he would wait for the opportunity to start a war for the throne.

    But what did the Evaria Family do? They locked Jack up in a manor and did not allow him to see the light of day all day. They called it cultivation, but the only medical practice seemed to treat Jack as an inexhaustible sperm bank and create more children with royal blood for the family.

    These were all guesses, except for Jack¡¯s ending. After the fall of the Evaria Family, Jack immediately died. It was as if he had lived on for more than thirty years just to be a sign of weakness for the family on thest day of his life.

    The Evaria Family had no intention of installing Jack to the throne of the werewolf pack. He was just an excuse, a g, and a reassurance that would allow the family to reach the throne with a clear conscience.

    Actually, I should have thought of this long ago because Jack¡¯s royal bloodline was the bloodline of the Oromalivira Family, not the bloodline of the Evaria Family, right?

    If he really ascended the throne, it would be hard to say whether it would be a family that favored him but was in conflict with him or the old royal family that gave him the right to inherit.

    After figuring this out, the n of the Evaria Family was obvious.

    It would be best if the rebellion seeded. A sickly and short-lived ghost would be helped to the throne, or he would die of illness after a few years. Before he died, he would leave a ¡®posthumous edict¡¯ to pass on the throne to the family that raised him.

    Or perhaps he would be a tyrant because of his personality. That way, the Evaria Family couldunch a righteous war of ¡®eliminating the violent and pacifying the good¡¯ and rightfully ascend to the throne.

    In any case, they could change from ¡®aristocrats¡¯ to an ¡®imperial n¡¯ and then to ¡®royal family¡¯.

    Unfortunately, the whole n was aborted before they could start a decent rebellion. Jack still had his value. His death would be the life insurance of the entire Evaria Family.

    Once my father insisted on holding them ountable, they couldpletely attribute their delusions and disloyalty to Jack¡¯s bewitchment. After all, he had the power to manipte people¡¯s hearts!

    Not only Jack but also Sisley, Sunflower, and the descendants of the Evaria Family who had spent so much effort to leave behind were just tools to be used..

 Chapter 553 - 553: Old Leaves And New Sprouts

    Chapter 553: Old Leaves And New Sprouts

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    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    This was the truth ¨C the chilling truth.

    Everything was a sacrifice of ambition. The schemes and plots spawned terrifying monsters, and he became the first sacrifice to pay the price of failure.

    I didn¡¯t know how toment on this. I couldn¡¯t say such high-sounding words like ¡®the dead should be honored¡¯, but i also sincerely felt it was ridiculous.

    A n that had taken generations of effort and countless vengeful souls had disappeared.

    The Evaria Family no longer had any power to fight back. That was how a vanity fair was. Any seemingly morous and indestructible gorgeous castle was just a shelf made of paper. It looked scary, but once it showed signs of decline, the greedy spectors would rush forward and take every brick.

    This was the case for the Evaria Family and the Oromalivira Family.

    So i was d we won.

    But was it all over?

    I kept feeling that I had overlooked something, but no matter how I thought about it, I couldn¡¯t figure out the problem.

    The aftermath of La¡¯s death was handed over to the professionals. With a reliable conclusion, the missing pieces of the puzzle were quickly filled up.

    The first was the Woof Anca Family. While showing their loyalty to the royal family, they secretly coborated with the Evaria Family to do some tip-offs.

    This kind of double-betting behavior was amon ¡®noble wisdom¡¯, which usually allowed them to obtain satisfactory benefits in any oue, provided they could deal with their tricks.

    Unfortunately, the Woof Anca Family had kicked an iron te this time. I didn¡¯t intend to let this family off. Even my father strongly supported my decision. He even thought that if i wanted to do it, i had to be more decisive and not give them any chance to turn the tables.

    ¡°The Woof Anca Family has a long history. Even though they are declining now, it can¡¯t change theirplicated rtionship with the werewolves.¡±

    My father said, ¡°If you can use this family, you will receive powerful support when you ascend the throne. However, once they intend to rebel, even if it was decades ago, you cannot let your guard down. Selma, you must give up some of your old forces and position to your trusted subjects. This is the first step in learning the bncing of power.¡±

    The first time I heard my father say this, i was shocked. It revealed something different.

    ¡°But isn¡¯t it too early? My subjects¡­¡± I asked uncertainly. ¡°This should be something that will happen a long timeter. Father, the Woof Anca family is an obstacle, but they have made great contributions in the past. If you take their authority away from them, it will be a huge blow to you.¡±

    My father only smiled gently.

    ¡°Very early? But my dear, when I was your age, your mother and I had already taken up the responsibility of this country and began to mediate with the old ministers left behind by your grandfather. We also gave everything we had for the werewolves.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t understand what you mean.¡±

    ¡°Many years have passed, child. Your mother and i are no longer young. Now, we are not as energetic as we were when we were young when we worked overnight. I think we have to ept the fact that we are old.¡±

    ¡°But you and Mother are not even fifty years old. This is the prime of your life for a werewolf.¡±

    ¡°In our prime? Maybe¡­¡±

    My father looked at the night sky outside the window and suddenly revealed a nostalgic expression.

    ¡°When I was very young, 1 did some outrageous things ¨C God, 1 was a little rascal who didn¡¯t know the immensity of heaven and earth. I¡¯ve caused a lot of trouble for some families that i couldn¡¯t stand, and I¡¯ve arrogantly mocked the enemies of the Oromalivira Family in the social circle. I¡¯ve even sneaked into human society and almost caused some unnecessary friction.

    ¡± I was so young then. I was full of energy and energy. I could make a scene from beginning to end every day as if I would never tire.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, such a long time has passed without realizing it. It¡¯s been so long that it feels like a dream. ¡°I¡¯m old, Saroma. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m aging, but that my spirit, energy, and mentality are no longer young. This might be considered a form of maturity, but we all know that anyone with power can be mature and steady. What the werewolves need in the future is a young and sharp fire to clear the obstacles for them.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for an opportunity to retire and hand over the werewolves to their future navigator. And now, Selma, i believe that the time hase. You are mature, experienced, responsible, and in the prime of your youth. I think it¡¯s time for you to shoulder the heavy responsibility of the werewolf pack. You should shoulder the responsibility of being the king.¡±

    Why did my father want to pass the throne to me so suddenly? Was I trustworthy enough? Could I shoulder the responsibility of being a queen? I was already strong enough to lead the future of the werewolf pack.. Wouldn¡¯t i go astray?

 Chapter 554 - 554: Self-Examination

    Chapter 554: Self-Examination

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    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I felt helpless, followed by fear and resistance.

    I refused incoherently. ¡°No, Father. It¡¯s too early. I¡¯m not mature enough. I¡¯m not strong enough. I do not understand everything in the vanity fair. I¡¯m not enough to take over your burden. I¡¯m even at a loss about this.¡±

    ¡°When will you be strong, mature, and insightful enough? I think the answer is never. The world is changing every second. New things are constantly appearing, and old things are constantly disappearing. The human heart is as fickle as a river. One second, we think that we have seen through everything, but the next, we find that a new problem has appeared before us.

    ¡°Child, everyone is an ignorant acolyte. They are constantly preparing, pondering, andprehending their responsibilities and values. You¡¯re like this, and so am I. Selma, I¡¯ve been learning daily since bing the Lycan King. I¡¯ve been trying to make myself a perfect leader. However, the truth is that I¡¯ll never be perfect because there¡¯s no such thing as perfection in this world. All I can do is try not to leave any regrets.

    ¡°I understand your fear. When responsibilityes, we will always feel small and want to retreat. But don¡¯t worry, you have family and friends, loyal helpers, and wise advisors. Bing a king doesn¡¯t mean you have to bear everything alone. No one can bear everything on their own. That is arrogance and irresponsibility. I will help you, your mother will help you, your husband and friends will help you, and your subjects will help you. You are not alone, my daughter. You have everything.¡±

    At this moment, I didn¡¯t know what to say to express my feelings. I¡¯d dreamed countless times of how I would look when I became a queen. That would be an even more glorious honor than now and also an even greater responsibility.

    I was excited about this, but I felt even more unsettled and uneasy when this moment truly arrived.

    Even if I had many assistants, could I sessfully carry out my responsibilities as a queen?

    When I sat on the throne, could I convince the ministers? Could I gain the people¡¯s trust and lead the werewolves to a bright future?

    At this moment, any fantasy was illusory. The future was unpredictable, and was I the one chosen by fate?

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Father¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± I muttered. ¡°Being a queen ¨C I don¡¯t know if I can. This was not a small matter,pletely different from being the crown princess. Once I be the queen, no one can cover for me. My every move is closely rted to the werewolf pack. Once I make a mistake, there will no longer be anyone to clean up the mess for me, like when I was a princess.

    ¡°I¡¯ve made many mistakes, Father. Some of them were insignificant, while others were rted to countless lives. These things that once weighed down on my heart have not disappeared even now. They are just hidden in the corner of my memory, waiting for me tomit another unforgivable crime and reappear to me me for my ipetence and stupidity.

    ¡°Bing a wise queen has always been my drcam. But I don¡¯t know if I can make it happen. What if I make the same mistake again? I won¡¯t have the chance to make up for it, which will likely bring countless dangers to the werewolf pack.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Father. I don¡¯t know¡­¡±

    I felt extremely confused. On the one hand, I knew I should bravely take responsibility and not be so overcautious and in a dilemma.

    But on the other hand, those fears were not fake. I was afraid of making mistakes because I had suffered the pain of making them, and others always paid the price for my mistakes.

    This made my heart suffer.

    My father sighed and then smiled again.

    ¡°You may be a little indecisive, child, but I don¡¯t think the ws can overshadow the merits. This is what makes me believe that my judgment is right. You have the heart of a benevolent person, and this is a necessary condition to be a leader.¡±

    I wanted to say something, but my father didn¡¯t give me a chance. He continued, ¡°But there¡¯s one more thing I have to say. You¡¯re too arrogant, Selma. Your way of thinking is simply too arrogant.

    ¡°As I said just now, no one can shoulder everything alone. This kind of thinking is arrogant and irresponsible. Child, have you always been alone? Look around you. You have family, friends, followers, and bystanders.

    ¡°Every decision you think you made on your own is inevitably influenced by others. This is especially true when you became a leader ¨C you can¡¯t be an autocratic tyrant because a person¡¯s energy is limited, and it is difficult to take care of everything on your own. This is why we need ministers, officials, and think tanks who can advise us.

    ¡°Stubbornly thinking that everything is your fault is just a useless internal friction that can¡¯t solve the problem. A high sense of morality is a form of arrogance. It reflects distrust-distrust of your helpers, so you subconsciously monopolize everything..¡±

 Chapter 555 - 555: The Rising Sun

    Chapter 555: The Rising Sun

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    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I was speechless for a long time. My father¡¯s words echoed in my ears.

    I was very nervous and even wanted to retreat.

    But at the same time, I could feel a sense of joy overflowing from the bottom of my heart. They gradually surrounded me like honey, making me feel sincerely happy.

    This was a form of recognition. After exhausting myself with my duty, I finally received the recognition I had been waiting for.

    From a weak and self-abased girl in a small town to a powerful crown prince, I had never stopped fighting to fulfill my responsibilities.

    There wasughter, sadness, fullness, and loss during this period. But no matter what, at this moment, thest missing piece of the puzzle in my heart was finally filled ¨C recognition.

    I believed that I still had a lot to learn about bing a queen. But just like my father said, maybe it was time for me to stop and examine my arrogance.

    There was no end to learning. Perfection was a non-existent contradiction. Why should I use this as an excuse to shrink from the future? Wouldn¡¯t that be irresponsible?

    I thought deeply when I suddenly heard amotion at the door.

    It was my mother.

    ¡°I knew you two would be here.¡± My mother walked over kindly and helped me tidy my hair. ¡°It seems someone forgot her promise to apany the children to a pic this afternoon.¡±

    She gave my father a sidelong nce, which immediately turned my father from a dignified monarch into a guilty husband.

    ¡°Oh¡­ Yes, yes, I did promise the children,¡± whispered my father. ¡°I almost forgot ¨C but it¡¯s not toote, right?¡±

    My mother burst outughing. ¡°That¡¯s right. I knew you two workaholics would forget. That¡¯s why I came to remind you in advance. It¡¯s already eleven o¡¯clock. Bertha has prepared everything for the pic. Now we only need Grandpa and Mom.¡±

    She seemed to have onlye to remind us not to forget to have lunch with the children and then left hurriedly.

    However, after a few seconds, my mother returned and stood outside the door with a smile. ¡°Regarding what your father said, Selma, I think it¡¯s time, right? Your father and I are old. Although our bodies are still strong, we have lost our youthful and energetic hearts. Now is the best time, my daughter. No matter your decision, I will believe in and support you.¡±

    It was only then that I realized that my mother had heard everything.

    People always seemed especially childish and fragile in front of their mothers. My mother¡¯s words inexplicably softened me, and tears unknowingly filled my eyes.

    I tried to hold it back, but in the end, I still rushed over to hug my mother.

    ¡°Oh, oh, look at you, little girl. You¡¯re already a mother, but you still like to act like a child.¡± My mother hugged me lovingly while my father gently embraced us.

    ¡°It¡¯s time,¡± I sobbed. ¡°I should shoulder my responsibilities. I shouldn¡¯t run away because I¡¯m not afraid¡­ Father, Mother, I feel happy from the bottom of my heart.¡±

    I saw Aldrich standing in the corridor with the children through my misty eyes. The children held their father¡¯s hand curiously. Their mother¡¯s tears made them feel strange and curious. My husband looked at me tenderly. He was there with the children. He was my supreme treasure and my strong backing.

    We looked at each other and smiled.

    The children alsoughed. They ran over like swallows in the wind. They pulled their father along and leaned into my arms. They also spoke cutely to their grandparents.

    I picked Cynthia up, and she wiped the tears off my face. ¡°Mother, are you going to be the Queen?¡±

    ¡°I think so, child, but it may take some time.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± She smiled and narrowed her eyes. ¡°When you be the queen, I will be a princess.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a princess now, my dear.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s different.¡± Cynthia reasoned with me. ¡°Now, everyone calls me ¡®Your Highness¡¯. I¡¯ll be ¡®Your Royal Highness¡¯ when you be the Queen. Only then will I be a real princess.¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright, you¡¯re right.¡± I kissed her, and the other children asked me to kiss them.

    Maxine ran over with Duke Frank. She was a strong but light wolf. She ran to my side like a gust of wind.

    This time, the spacious door of the study seemed a little crowded.

    ¡°What happened here? Why are you crying, Selma?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m crying tears of joy,¡± I said, stroking her soft fur. She squintedfortably. ¡°Are you in a hurry? We¡¯ll set off now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not in a hurry,¡± said Maxine. ¡°It¡¯s the Duke who¡¯s hungry. That¡¯s why we came to you.¡±

    Duke Frank smiled magnanimously, not knowing if he could ept this obvious lie.

    The children had gone to pester their grandfather again, and my father did not hide it. He bluntly said that he had decided to pass the throne to me.

    The Duke was a little surprised. After all, my father was in his prime. But when his gaze shifted to me, he instantly understood.

    ¡°We¡¯re all old.¡± He sighed. ¡°It¡¯s time to hand over the mission of the era to the new rising sun..¡±

 Chapter 556 - 556: The Art Exhibition

    Chapter 556: The Art Exhibition

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    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    I received an invitation from Emma.

    The freedom of life inspired this girl, and she could freely disy her talent in painting. She returned to the Lycan pack this time to hold a private art exhibition and use this asion to catch up with her rtives and friends she had not seen for a long time.

    ¡°This is myst chance to invite a princess,¡± she teased over the phone. ¡°It¡¯s already June. After this hot summer, you¡¯ll be the Queen!¡±

    After some discussion, the date of my coronation had been decided. It would be in August. In this half year, I had been busier than before, preparing for the official ascension.

    My father gradually handed over authority to me. This meant I had to learn to handle all government affairs independently as the supreme ruler. I no longer had to do some assisting work like before.

    It was a sweet torture. The progress satisfied me, but I couldn¡¯t ignore the exhaustion.

    This art exhibition was a rare opportunity to rx. I hadn¡¯t seen Emma in a long time.

    Some of these invitations were for me, Dorothy, Aldrich, the children, and even my parents. However, they did not n to go. ¡°Someone must stay in the pce to guard it in case of idents,¡± my father said.

    The wolf cub was already three years old, and Sunflower and Cynthia looked like they were three years old. However, other than Cynthia, the children still had no official name.

    Our family thought about it. Since we¡¯d been calling them by their nicknames for so long, we might as well call them by their nicknames for a few more months. Therefore, this was put on hold. I nned to announce their official names after I ascended the throne and conferred the title of nobility to the children.

    It was a sunny day. We drove to Emma¡¯s outdoor art exhibition in the suburbs. The theme of this exhibition was ¡®Natural Legends¡¯, so Emma had specially chosen this vast and historicwn to decorate it with flowers and nts like a mythical garden.

    ¡°Look, whose little angel do we have here?¡±

    Emma immediately ran over when she saw us. However, she didn¡¯t run over to Dorothy and my friends but to the little turnips around us dressed like sprouts.

    The children were not afraid of strangers at all. Even though thest time they saw Aunt Emma was in the Spring Rain Pack, these little snobs still remembered this kind and lively aunt because Emma kept sending them delicious food and fun things they encountered during their trip.

    The children screamed and ran into Emma¡¯s arms, almost falling over. Emma kissed and hugged them one by one before she had the time to pay some attention to us.

    ¡°Selma, Dorothy!¡± She gave each of us a big hug. ¡°I have missed you guys so much.¡±

    Dorothy gave her a ¡®don¡¯t give me that look¡¯ look. ¡°Pardon me for being blunt, Miss, but you didn¡¯t seem to know us a minute ago.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that. Of course, I love you, but who can ignore these little angels who arc like cotton balls?¡± Emma hugged the children and looked at Aldrich. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re as healthy as ever, Aldrich. We all saw how worried Selma was back then. Now that she has such a happy family, I¡¯m sincerely happy for you and your wife.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Emma.¡± Aldrich shook hands with Emma in a friendly manner.

    ¡°I¡¯m d that Selma has such good friends like you.¡±

    ¡°Alright,dies and gentlemen, the time for small talk are over. This isn¡¯t some random social asion, alright?¡± I interrupted them helplessly. ¡°The past is in the past. Thank you for being by my side now. And now, let me see those wonderful paintings. After dealing with endless official documents for half a year, I desperately need a chance to cultivate my body and mind. It¡¯s not easy.¡±

    We mulled over Emma¡¯s paintings. She had a ssical style and liked realistic characters and scenery. Just like the theme of the art exhibition, the theme of all the paintings was rted to legends.

    I saw that painting again. I had hallucinated because of it on the night of the Spring Rain Pack. Now that this painting was finallypleted, I was shocked to find that the content of the painting coincided with my hallucination.

    The angry goddess, the swaddling clothes held high, the panicked man, and the demon watching everything coldly from the refuge bush ¨C I suddenly felt that they seemed to be moving. The goddess roared, the baby cried, the man defended himself, the demonughed silently, and the moths weaved lightly between the characters, ying a silent sorrowful song for this farce.

    Unknowingly, I was once again haunted by this painting. I observed every detail with fascination, from the devil¡¯s fleeting gaze to the trace of blood seeping out of the swaddling clothes. I seemed to have be a moth in the painting, immersed in the scene, listening to the actors of this tragedy roar out their lines.

    ¡°Selma!¡±

    Someone nudged me. I turned around abruptly. It was Aldrich.

    He looked at me worriedly, and when I looked back again, I saw the same painting ¨C but everything was still as if it had just been an illusion.

    I believed something was going to happen..

 Chapter 557 - 557: A Heartless Death

    Chapter 557: A Heartless Death

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Emma was chatting with Avril and Mara when she saw something strange and rushed over.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Seeing my pale face, she asked worriedly, ¡°Arc you feeling unwell? There¡¯s a resting area over there. Why don¡¯t you go and sit for a while?¡±

    I struggled to shift my gaze away from the painting. I grabbed Emma¡¯s arm and asked, ¡°This painting ¨C where did you read about this legend?¡±

    Emma was stunned. She supported me and replied in confusion, ¡°I heard it from the family¡¯s elders. I told you about it at the Spring Rain Pack. Do you remember?¡±

    ¡°Where is he? The elder who told you the legend?¡±

    ¡°I think he¡¯s probably dead. I remember that he entered his declining years when he took care of me briefly. I haven¡¯t heard from him for many years. He probably passed away a long time ago.¡±

    I turned around to look at the painting again. Everything was still. The paint was quietly sitting on the canvas that belonged to me. There were no emotions.

    But I was sure that it wasn¡¯t an illusion. That scene didn¡¯t happen on this canvas. This painting was just a medium, but it gave me a feeling that it was real. It was as if I had experienced it myself.

    I told the people what I had just seen and heard about the vivid legend.

    ¡°Are you too tired recently, Selma?¡± Avril worriedly asked, ¡°I always see trainees hallucinating from overwork in the military camp. Dorothy said that you¡¯ve been working non-stop recently. Maybe you¡¯re just too tired.¡±

    ¡°No, no, I¡¯m very sure everything is real,¡± I said firmly. ¡°Something is going to happen. This painting is a sign.¡±

    Avril and Mara lived rtively quiet lives, and I could understand why they couldn¡¯t agree with the signs of these supernatural beings.

    Aldrich and Dorothy believed me without any hesitation, especially Dorothy. As a prophecy witch, even though she had deliberately sealed her ability, she could still sense the restless elements in the air.

    ¡°Yes, this painting also gives me a feeling that¡¯s hard to describe. It¡¯s hard to say whether it¡¯s good or bad. It¡¯s too messy. The closer I get to it, the more I can feel theplicated existence contained in it.¡± Dorothy stared at the moth in the painting and muttered, ¡°This is too strange. I think I should take a look¡­¡±

    I stopped Dorothy. ¡°Wait, do you want to see this painting? Don¡¯t do that yet. There¡¯s something strange about this painting. It¡¯s too dangerous to examine it rashly.¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡± Emma waspletely stunned. ¡°Is there something wrong with my painting? I can guarantee that I created everything here. There was no external intervention during this period. They should be just ordinary oil paintings.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not the painting, dear. It¡¯s the legend in the picture.¡±

    I consoled the terrified Emma and suggested softly, ¡°Maybe we can take down this painting for now?¡±

    Emma nodded immediately. ¡°Of course, this isn¡¯t my best work. Without it, the exhibition won¡¯t have any problems.¡±

    Thus, the oil painting ¡®a Heartless Death¡¯ was quietly taken down and stored in a temporary warehouse.

    I didn¡¯t have the mood to look at any other paintings. This painting seemed to have some magic that took away all my emotions, so much so that even the children could see that I was absent-minded. They didn¡¯t leave me to y and followed me nervously.

    I stayed away from the crowd and found peace in the corner of the resting area. Aldrich apanied me and said softly, ¡°If you¡¯re tired, let¡¯s go back today. The exhibition will be on for a week. We cane back at another time.¡±

    I leaned on his shoulder tiredly and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m not tired, I just feel an indescribable sense of nervousness. It feels like something big is about to happen, and I can only guard against the air in vain. As for that painting, even Dorothy thinks that there¡¯s a problem with it. I¡¯m considering whether to buy it from Emma and keep this potential danger within sight.¡±

    ¡°If you think it¡¯s necessary, we¡¯ll go find Emma. But babe, I think you should rx a little. Don¡¯t be so harsh and force yourself to think about serious things. We¡¯re here to enjoy today, aren¡¯t we? You¡¯ve been too tired during this period. You need to rx.¡±

    I smiled and didn¡¯t say anything else.

    I knew that I should rx my tense nerves, but one thing after another happened, and I couldn¡¯t find the time to rx. I was not the only one who was tired. Aldrich, Dorothy, my family, friends, and supporters all did their best for me. I couldn¡¯t leave them alone.

    Not long after, Emma arrived.

    ¡°Hey, girl, how are you feeling?¡± She handed me a cup of hot cocoa and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone. This isn¡¯t on the menu of the open-air bar.¡±

    I smiled and indicated that I was fine. Emma chatted with me and stammered about what had happened just now.

    ¡°Although I don¡¯t know the details, there seems to be something wrong with the painting, ¡®a Heartless Death¡¯. If you need it, take it with you..¡±

 Chapter 558 - 558: Seeing Is Believing

    Chapter 558: Seeing Is Believing

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    ¡°In fact, I have thought of buying it.¡± I didn¡¯t deny it. This was exactly what I needed. ¡°The market price of artworks is always fluctuating. I¡¯ll get someone to appraise them and quote you a reasonable price.¡±

    Emma waved her hand nonchntly. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. I don¡¯t paint for money. It¡¯s just a hobby to pass the time. Urgh, that sounds like a real joke.¡±

    She shuddered and continued, ¡°Anyway, I said I¡¯ll give it to you. Just treat it as me bribing our new queen in advance. When I hold another art exhibition in the future, I¡¯ll announce to the audience that even the Queen¡¯s collection room has my paintings. Wouldn¡¯t followers surge over like floodwater then? So just ept it as a gift.¡±

    Emma winked yfully, waved at her friend who was calling her from afar and left.

    ¡°So, the problem is solved now,¡± Aldrich said. ¡°The painting will be sent to your bedroom tonight. We have a lot of time to study it. Now, be happy. Let¡¯s y with the children. I just saw Dorothy telling them the legends of each painting.¡±

    Night came.

    Emma had someone send the painting to the pce during the day. The servants thought I ordered it, so they temporarily hung it in the living room.

    No one slept tonight. We had searched through almost all the myths and legends rted to the Moon Goddess in the royal library, but we couldn¡¯t find even the slightest bit of legend rted to ¡®a Heartless Death¡¯.

    In all the legends, Moon Goddess was undoubtedly a virgin goddess. It was not that she or her incarnations did not have love legends, but none of them mentioned that the goddess had personally given birth to a child.

    That was strange. If there were no records in the legends, how did the elder Emma speak to know about it?

    The eastern sky was already bright. Looking at the room full of books, I felt tired from staying upte. My body, which hadn¡¯t had a wink of sleep for a night, finally issued a protest signal, strongly demanding that I quickly remove the fatigue that had umted over the past few months. Otherwise, it would go on strike.

    The oil painting on the wall was facing me. I looked at it and then at the book in my hand. I felt more and more sleepy.

    Unknowingly, the book in my hand seemed to close, but I didn¡¯t know if it was real or an illusion. My vision became increasingly blurry, and the figure in the oil painting gradually turned into a block of color. The morning light shone on it, distorting it into a strange and dazzling color.

    I felt my head drop, and I was about to fall asleep.

    Aldrich was flipping through a book, and Dorothy whispered something to the werewolf grandmasters over the phone. Gradually, all of this left me. I was too tired. I had to sleep.

    So sleepy¡­

    ***

    ¡°¡­ Wake up, child.¡±

    Someone whispered something in my ear, but I didn¡¯t hear it. I just grumbled impatiently and then continued to sleep.

    ¡°Wake up, child¡­

    ¡°He¡¯s here. You have to wake up¡­

    ¡°Wake up, Selma¡­

    ¡°Madeline¡­

    ¡°-wake up!¡±

    A serious female voice softly shouted in my ear. I quivered and suddenly woke up.

    Looking around, I felt as if everything just happened was an illusion. I was lying on the soft bed in the bedroom. The sky outside the window was dimly lit, but no one was in the room. A few secondster, I heard footsteps. The bedroom door opened, and Aldrich walked in.

    He seemed visibly relieved to see me awake.

    ¡°You¡¯re finally awake, baby. You frightened me.¡± He ced the tray on the bedside table and handed me a cup of hot cocoa. ¡°Have some to warm yourself up. You haven¡¯t eaten for a whole day.¡±

    When I saw the hot cocoa, my hazy brain suddenly jolted awake. I asked, ¡°Have you and Dorothy found any clues about the painting?¡±

    Unexpectedly, Aldrich asked in surprise, ¡°The painting? What painting? Have you bought any artwork? I don¡¯t remember you asking me to find any clues about the painting before you fell asleep. As for Dorothy, I don¡¯t know. Do you want me to ask?¡±

    ¡°All of you¡­ You don¡¯t know?¡± Aldrich wouldn¡¯t joke about such things, which astonished me even more.

    How was that possible? We went to the art exhibition together, heard Emma say she would give me that painting as a gift, and read the legends together for an entire night!

    Out of the corner of my eye, I suddenly saw a few cards on the dressing table.

    An ominous premonition gradually enveloped me. I immediately asked, ¡°When did I fall asleep? How did Emma¡¯s art exhibition go?¡±

    Aldrich replied with lingering fear, ¡°You scared me to death. Yesterday morning, we were about to set off when you suddenly fainted. My dear, I understand you¡¯ve been under pressure recently, but your health is also very important. If you dy your meal because of work again, I¡¯ll have to protest to His Majesty.¡±

    ¡°As for the art exhibition, I didn¡¯t go yesterday, so I don¡¯t know how it went. But I think it should have gone very smoothly. After all, Emma¡¯s family and friends came on the first day.¡±

    I felt like I¡¯d fallen into an ice cave.

    ¡°Did you just say we didn¡¯t attend the art exhibition yesterday?¡±

    I jumped out of bed and ran to the living room without putting on my shoes. However, the scene that greeted my eyes made my hair stand on end.

    There was nothing.

    Nothing on the wall was supposed to be ¡®a Heartless Death¡¯..

 Chapter 559 - 559: An Illusory Home

    Chapter 559: An Illusory Home

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    How was this possible? Where did the painting go?

    But no matter how carefully I searched, the wall was still empty.

    Why?

    ¡°What happened, dear? Calm down.¡± Aldrich hugged me from behind, trying to calm my trembling, but the empty wall made me weak in the knees. Where had the day gone?

    Was I in an illusion? Or was it all just a dream?

    But what about the omen of that painting? Was it real? Or was it just a fantasy?

    I had to confirm this with Aldrich, Dorothy, Emma, Mara, Avril, and everyone else, whether it was true or not-

    However, when I turned around, the scene that greeted my eyes made me freeze in fear.

    ¡°What happened? Selma? Did you have a nightmare? Don¡¯t worry, you can tell me.¡±

    Aldrich was still trying tofort me, but this only had the opposite effect.

    My husband¡¯s handsome face, which I was so familiar with, had disappeared. At this moment, his facial features were nk, like a flesh-colored egg, making one¡¯s hair stand on end.

    ¡°No, no, no. No¡­¡±

    I was sure I was either hallucinating or dreaming. Was this person really my husband?

    What was this ce? The pce?

    I pushed Aldrich away and strode out of the suite, trying to find someone to confirm my guess. However, the corridor was eerily quiet under the broad daylight. I ran through the entire floor but didn¡¯t see a single person. My parents, Dorothy, Kara, Bertha, and the servants were all gone. It was as if I was the only one left in the world.

    I tried to go downstairs, but the stairs seemed endless. I couldn¡¯t remember if I ran dozens or hundreds of floors. Even when my body, forged by a god, felt sore, I still couldn¡¯t wait for that familiar gorgeous door frame.

    This was not right.

    I could only try to back up but smoothly returned to the starting floor.

    There was still no one on this floor. The hot water kettle in the pantry was still steaming, and a pair of scissors was in the flower pot under the French window. It was as if someone was working and talking softly a second ago.

    This was not the real world.

    I thought.

    A premonition drove me back to my ¡®room¡¯, where there was a way to leave, I was sure of it.

    The room was so quiet that even Aldrich was gone.

    I skimmed the empty wall and went straight back to the bedroom. On the bedside table, the cup of hot cocoa was still steaming. I picked up the cup, sniffed it, and took a sip. Sure enough, there was no smell.

    I liked the taste of berries, so whenever I couldn¡¯t sleep at night or felt tired, Aldrich always gave me ck berry tea.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± I looked around and asked loudly, ¡°Stop hiding. I know you¡¯re here. You can¡¯t fool me.¡±

    The surroundings were quiet, and no one answered.

    Suddenly, there was a sound in the living room. I ran out and realized that the living room had unknowingly changed.

    An exquisite painting was hanging on the empty wall.

    It was the Heartless Death.

    I stared at the painting. None of the characters in the painting looked out of the painting, but everything seemed so ironic to me.

    No matter who it was, this person was mocking my weakness.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, little girl. It was just a prank.¡±

    A teasing male voice suddenly sounded in my ear. I turned around abruptly, but there was no one behind me.

    ¡°Where are you looking at? I¡¯m here.¡±

    In the painting, the demon that was supposed to be hiding in the bushes suddenly turned its head. Its strange yellow pupils were like ice cones, making my hair stand on end.

    I felt disbelief, fear, anger, and understanding.

    ¡°It¡¯s you, Azazel.¡±

    The demon in the painting gradually lost his skinny and ferocious appearance in people¡¯s fantasies and turned into a handsome young man. However, that beautiful face didn¡¯t give me a good feeling. It was this face that broke my heart in that snowy mountain that seemed never to wee the dawn.

    The moment I recognized Azazel, I understood. The reason this ce felt unfamiliar to me was that everything was fake. It was just a fake space that Azazel had constructed, just like when he was in the snowy mountains.

    At the same time, I realized this fact, the illusion began to copse. Azazelughed out loud, panting as if he had seen a great prank y out.

    ¡°You have figured it out! Haha, alright, I know this won¡¯t stop you for too long. But it doesn¡¯t matter, your keen senses satisfy me even more, my dear girl.¡±

    The painting was also disintegrating. The slippery paint corroded the canvas and the wall like sulfuric acid, outlining a hideous hole in Moon Goddess and the man¡¯s face.

    The devil was melting along with the painting, but he still stared at me with malice.

    ¡°You¡¯re very smart, child, just like your mother.¡±

    ¡°What did you say?¡± I growled. ¡°Stay away from my mother!¡±

    The demonughed again. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter, my dear, the mystery is about to be revealed. After a few thousand years, the story will now see to its only ending ¨C my dear daughter..¡±

 Chapter 560 - 560: The Revival

    Chapter 560: The Revival

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    The demon¡¯s words made me widen my eyes in shock.

    What did he say? Daughter?

    However, before I could ask anything, the crumbling illusion suddenly copsed. My vision blurred, and I fainted.

    When I woke up again, a loud noise woke me up.

    I struggled to sit up and saw a very familiar bedroom. But I didn¡¯t dare to confirm it was real. The bedroom door was pushed open as I was about to verify it.

    Aldrich ran in with a cup of ck tea that emitted the sweet fragrance of berries and shouted anxiously, ¡°Wake up, something happened to Selma¡­¡±

    When he saw that I had woken up, his words got caught in his throat. At this moment, another loud noise came from outside the window. I subconsciously looked out and saw thick smoke rising from the distant horizon.

    Now I was sure that this was the real world.

    I immediately looked at Aldrich, who told me everything without asking. ¡°We just received news that there was an explosion in the suburbs. The werewolf grandmaster detected a very strong aura of evil power there. The soldiers and paramedics are rushing over there now, but we¡¯re unsure if there are any casualties.¡±

    Looking at the rising smoke, a cold premonition gradually crept into my heart. It wasn¡¯t thick smoke but a concentrated evil power, just like I had seen in the elves¡¯ territory.

    ¡°Tell all soldiers and rescue personnel to retreat immediately. Do note into contact with the ck smoke!¡± I immediately replied, ¡°That¡¯s not smoke from an explosion. Once youe into contact with it, you¡¯ll immediately be a mutants like those cultists!¡±

    It was Azazel. I could guess the source of all the idents.

    It wasn¡¯t a drcam, and Azazel didn¡¯t provoke me for no reason.

    He was announcing his arrival.

    Aldrich did not doubt my words and ryed my orders almost immediately.

    I immediately put on my clothes and rushed out of the building. Downstairs, my parents were already gathered in front of the pce. My father seemed to want to go to the crime scene personally, but I stopped him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go check on the situation. Father, you and Mother stay in the pce in case of idents.¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s not just any cult ritual or obscenity over there. It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s a great demon, Azazel. He¡¯s here, he¡¯sing for me. I have to face this myself.¡±

    ¡°No, Selma, don¡¯t go. It¡¯s too dangerous. The werewolf grandmasters will try to repel the demons, and the Moon Goddess will not allow the demons to cause trouble in her territory. As long as we wait, everything will pass.¡±

    However, we all knew that this was not the case. The werewolf grandmasters were powerless before the demons, and we didn¡¯t know when the Moon Goddess would arrive. My mother just didn¡¯t want me to die. When facing a supreme demon, it was hard to say if I was just an ordinary werewolf.

    However, this was not the reason. I had to face all of this. From the moment I allowed the Evaria Family to linger on, it was destined that I had to put an end to everything personally.

    I must resolve the feud between the Rocky Mountains and the mystery of my bloodline.

    So I gently pushed her hand away, pretending not to see her tears.

    My father looked into the distance and then shifted his gaze to me. After a while, he said in a low voice, ¡°Be careful, Selma.

    ¡°We¡¯ll wait for you toe home.¡±

    Since the ck fog would ¡®pollute¡¯ ordinary people, I had no choice but to choose helpers who could resist the mutation, such as my subordinates.

    Usually, they didn¡¯t have much presence and just lived their days in their posts like ordinary people. However, when they were in danger, they would stand up and follow me without anyints to resist the danger of their positions.

    It made me feel touched and guilty ¨C when did I ever pay them? Based on the rtionship between master and kin, could I control their lives with peace of mind?

    However, I was not allowed to be sentimental in times of crisis. I had to prepare for the next tough battle without any distractions.

    The location of the explosion was in a cemetery in the suburbs, and it happened to be the family cemetery of the Evaria Family.

    When I arrived, everything was a mess.

    Even though I tried my best to be fast, the demons were recovering faster than me. Under the influence of evil forces, many evil creatures came into being. The corpses sleeping under the ground quietly climbed out of their coffin, bared their fangs, brandished their ws, and prepared to tell the world about their boundless loneliness.

    The suburbs did not mean that there was no one living there. A few scattered families were next to the cemetery, and they were the first to bear the brunt of the zombie tide. Even the sharp ws of the werewolves could not withstand the zombies. No matter how many wounds they had, the endless evil power would help the zombies recover.

    By the time we arrived, people were already injured, and the evil energy even contaminated some, and they were on the verge of mutation.

    I immediately had New Flow wrap and purify the mutated werewolves while Imanded the ck gold moths to heal the wounded. However, the zombies didn¡¯t just cause superficial injuries. I had to use New Flow to absorb the evil power attached to their wounds to heal them.

    However, purification required time. A few seconds was enough for the evil power to contaminate a wounded person, and I was in a terrible position.

    Imanded my subordinates to fight against the zombies while purifying the evil power. It was inevitable that I felt that I couldn¡¯t be in two ces at once..

 Chapter 561 - 561: The Mystery Of The Bloodline

    Chapter 561: The Mystery Of The Bloodline

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    Soon, my assistants arrived.

    Master Mary, Master Hayley, and the others rushed over with the werewolf grandmasters. What surprised me was that Master Mary was carrying Cynthia in her arms!

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± I couldn¡¯t care less about being polite. I shouted, ¡°It is too dangerous here. You shouldn¡¯t be here. You¡¯ll get hurt. Go back quickly!¡±

    However, Cynthia didn¡¯t deny it. She gestured for Master Mary to put her down and ran to me. She said seriously, ¡°I¡¯m needed here, Mother. You can¡¯t take care of the wounded and the battlefield alone, let alone fight against the demons. Besides, do you treat me as a child with a mortal body? My essence is just the incarnation of a ball of power. There¡¯s no such thing as life and death or any injury.¡±

    She looked at the wounded moaning behind me and said, ¡°I can help you take care of the wounded so that you can focus on the battlefield.¡±

    I looked at her, speechless. Even though I could only treat Cynthia as my tender little daughter, I knew she was right. I needed someone to take over my experience with the injured. Otherwise, fighting on two fronts would be very dangerous.

    Thus, Ipromised and asked Master Mary to care for Cynthia before I turned around and rushed to the battlefield.

    The Evaria Cemetery was aplete mess. Zombies were everywhere. I made my way to the tomb keeper¡¯s hut, only to find it unexpectedly crowded.

    Sisley was standing in a corner with a pale face. In front of him was someone who thought I would never expect to appear.

    It was Linda.

    ¡®Linda¡¯ saw me and gave up on Sisley. She turned around and walked toward me.

    ¡°If you¡¯re not Linda, who are you?¡± I asked warily.

    ¡®Linda¡¯ replied with a smile, ¡°What do you think?¡±

    Seeing that I was shocked, her features changed again. This time, it took Frank¡¯s face!

    I immediately made a guess, making my hands and feet cold.

    That person walked over slowly, and his face changed with every step he took. Linda, Frank, I didn¡¯t know any middle-aged men who looked 80% like Sisley and even Sir Evaria!

    He stopped before me, only two or three steps away, quietly waiting for my answer.

    ¡°You are¡­¡±

    My throat felt dry and almost oozed blood.

    ¡°Azazel.¡±

    The man standing in front of meughed loudly. As heughed, the evilness in the air suddenly spread, and the shockwave caused the battlefield not far away to be in a mess.

    ¡°Selma!¡±

    Aldrich and Dorothy wanted toe and help me, but I immediately shouted at them not toe over. But I was still a step toote. Azazel had already noticed them, and instantly, he disappeared from my sight.

    ¡°Oh, I still remember you, little girl.¡± He appeared before Dorothy, his long sharp nails gently lifting Dorothy¡¯s chin.

    I immediately tensed up. ¡°Let her go. This is between you and me. Don¡¯t get innocent people involved!¡±

    ¡°Innocent people?¡± Azazelughed, his fingernails sliding down Dorothy¡¯s chin, causing blood to seep.

    ¡°Yes, this is it. This made me think you were my daughter.¡±

    He suddenly grabbed Dorothy and shed in front of me. Before I could resist, he pinched my cheek, just like he did Dorothy.

    ¡°Look carefully. There¡¯s nothing simr between the two of you. How could I have been deceived? Haha! So interesting, so very interesting!¡±

    Azazel grabbed our faces and observed them closely. He suddenly let go, not caring about our rapid retreat.

    ¡°Did you have a good dream? My child? I hope you like the illusion I built for you. It¡¯s a gorgeous andfortable pce. I¡¯m beginning to understand why you like it there.¡±

    ¡°What is going on, Azazel?¡± I asked coldly. ¡°Who is your daughter? What the hell are you doing?¡±

    Azazel no longer wore Sir Evaria¡¯s face. His body and facial features kept changing, eventually bing an image I would never forget.

    He leaned against the foyer weakly, exuding a terrifying charm.

    ¡°The truth is, you are my daughter, Selma. Or should I call you Madeline? You¡¯ve disappointed me. That painting was obvious, but you didn¡¯t think of any clues.¡±

    He hooked his finger, and ¡®A Heartless Death¡¯, hanging in my bedroom, suddenly appeared.

    ¡°How dramatic! Back then, when I told that little girl this story, it was just to relieve her boredom. I didn¡¯t expect that everything would be connected again now. Fate¡­ hah! It¡¯s irresistible.¡±

    ¡°This is impossible.¡± I immediately denied it. ¡°Don¡¯t try to deceive me, demon. Your story is too clumsy.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Azazel smiled charmingly, and the oil painting in the frame suddenly moved.

    ¡°Seeing is believing,¡± he said seductively. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me,e and see for yourself.¡±

    Everything happened on a lonely afternoon. The goddess was taking a nap on the green grasnd. The grazing herders saw the beauty of the sky and fell in love at first sight.

    The love was like a fire burning his heart. The cowherd gave everything he had and summoned the devil to pray for a kiss and be united with the goddess..

 Chapter 562 - 562: The Moon

    Chapter 562: The Moon

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Selma Payne¡¯s POV:

    However, this weak and pathetic man did not have the courage to personally express his love to the goddess. Therefore, under the bewitchment of the demon, he decided to ask the goddess to give birth to his child first.

    Once a woman in the mortal world became pregnant and gave birth, she would never be able to leave her man and child. No matter how noble the goddess was, could she resist this natural urrence?

    Therefore, while the goddess was sleeping soundly, the man dripped his sweat onto the goddess¡¯ belly button. The demon told him that this would make the goddess pregnant.

    After the man left, the demon used a soft reed to gently wipe away the sweat left by the man and dripped a drop of his blood on the goddess¡¯ navel.

    The demon¡¯s magic and the goddess¡¯ divine powerbined through blood, and the goddess became pregnant.

    When the goddess woke up and found out she was pregnant for no reason, she was naturally furious. She swore to find that man. However, there was no trace of him. The goddess searched everywhere but to no avail. After seven days, she gave birth to a baby girl.

    The goddess both loved and hated this child. She was proof that she had been humiliated for no reason and was also her blood descendant.

    The goddess carried the child to the edge of the cliff. As she was hesitating, the man who had been secretly observing her appeared. He confessed all his sins to the goddess and begged her not to kill their child.

    But how could the goddess forgive this disrespectful sinner? In her anger, she turned the man into a mayfly, living and dying in short cycles, never to see the moon again.

    As for this child, the goddess could not kill him, so she removed the ¡®sweat drop¡¯ that belonged to the father from the child¡¯s body and threw it into the sea, naming the child ¡®Madeline¡¯.

    The drop of ¡®sweat¡¯, or demon blood, sank to the bottom of the sea and was carried by the current to the edge of the gap between the human world and hell. Another great demon living in seclusion in the sea discovered the great drama between them, so he hid the drop of blood.

    After an unknown period, the demon in the sea rescued a ship in the storm. She looked at a witch on the ship and thought she was a very qualified vessel, so she gave her the devil¡¯s blood.

    The witch gave birth to a child, and she named her ¡®Madelyn¡¯.

    Time passed, and Madeline and Madelyn experienced the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death. In this life, the two sisters met again by chance and became very good friends.

    ¡°This is the truth, children.¡±

    Azazel picked up the painting. The picture was still fixed on two girls chatting on thewn in the suburbs.

    That was Dorothy and me. I remembered how Dorothy¡¯s grandmother screamed herself hoarse that day and how helpless that girl was.

    Dorothy and I looked at each other in disbelief.

    ¡°Moon Goddess ¨C that¡¯s what you call her, right? I have to admit that she is a beautiful and noble woman. She is mesmerizing and radiant like the moonlight.¡±

    Azazel chuckled, and the oil painting changed again. A woman whose face could not be seen was leaning against the window. Outside the window was an endless sea of flowers.

    ¡°That was the most praiseworthy prank I¡¯ve ever yed. It¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t expect her to keep our daughter. I was genuinely surprised for a long time!¡±

    Just as he finished speaking, time seemed to have stopped for a second. It was when the sun was shining, but the sky suddenly darkened for some reason. However, the light did not disappear. Instead, it changed from a hot sun to a soft and warm one.

    It was moonlight.

    I btedly realized that this was moonlight.

    It was Moon Goddess.

    Finally, she could no longer tolerate the frivolous offense of the outsider and was ready to kick this horned bat cub back to hell to eatva.

    Azazel became even more excited. Heughed maniacally until he started coughing.

    ¡°My dear! My dear! Look at our daughters, how beautiful and strong they are!

    ¡°I should havee earlier. I should have raised them myself. I should have gotten rid of their useless cowardice and unnecessary kindness and trained them into viins. This way, the world would be more interesting!¡±

    However, he did not talk for too long. The silver moonlight turned into soft silk and bound him firmly. Azazel didn¡¯t panic. He only sighed and said, ¡°As expected, even if those idiots paid such a high price, their bodies still couldn¡¯tst long under your hands.¡±

    Azazel was beginning to lose his appearance, shifting back and forth so that I could see the people sacrificed for his arrival.

    The moonlight silk began to shrink, which undoubtedly caused Azazel¡¯s body to copse even faster.

    ¡°Alright, alright, I understand. What a rudedy.¡±

    ¡°It seems that your mother doesn¡¯t want me to visit you. What should I do in the human world? Should I apply for a visiting permit from the court?¡±

    Azazel was grinning, and even at thest second of his mental breakdown, he still said, ¡°We will meet again, children.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.

    ¡°That day wille sooner orter.

    ¡°Goodbye-¡±

    With Azazel¡¯s copse, everything he had caused dissipated.

    I seemed to feel that when the moonlight returned to the moon, someone nced at me.

    It was over, though temporarily, I believed..

 Chapter 563 - 563: The Homeless

    Chapter 563: The Homeless

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yarin¡¯s POV:

    The weather was a little cold, and the fire was about to go out. I tried to save the dying fireball, but it was useless.

    If I had known that I would sleep on the streets, I would have brought more clothes.

    This was a street where the homeless lived, or rather, a rotten alley. All I could see were men and women in dirty sweaters and hoods covering themselves tightly. Most of them had mild mental problems. Lily said it was because of a banned substance circting in human society.

    She refused to tell me what it was. She even told me that if I dared to try it, she would take Heller and me back home at once. Additionally, she told my parents about me so that I could never escape from there again.

    I didn¡¯t like what she said. It made me nervous. But I must listen to her because I couldn¡¯t beat her yet.

    The sky soon turned dark. I saw Lily and Heller at the intersection. Their clothes were bulging, and I guessed they were probably filled with hot cheeseburgers and fries. They knew that I loved those ¡®junk food¡¯.

    The vagrants gave them cryptic looks that made my hair stand on end. Some showed obvious signs of wanting to snatch it, mixed with a mud-like dirty and sticky feeling I didn¡¯t understand.

    I hated that man looking at Lily and Heller like that. Therefore, I ran over there at once. Before he responded, I strangled him and threw him backward forcefully.

    The man immediately let out a pig-like howl. He grabbed my arm tightly, hoping to free his neck, and twisted at a strange angle from my arm. However, I didn¡¯t let go of him. I had to teach this man a lesson because it was not the first time he stared at Lily and Heller with malice.

    Themotion here attracted the attention of the alley, and the tramps immediately dispersed, afraid that they would be involved in something bad. Lily and Heller ran over quickly, dropping the hot paper bags on the ground. ¡°Let him go, Yarin. Let him go!¡±

    Lily moved my hand away. Heller freed the man whose face was purple. I saw him secretly kicking his stomach a few times, which made me a bit reassured.

    ¡°Get lost, you stupid pig!¡± I used the words I had just learned from the homeless to drive the man away. ¡°Get out of my sight and nevere back!¡±

    The man held his stomach and staggered to his feet. He red at me fiercely and ran away.

    This deste street quickly became empty again. No one else was besides us, but I knew the homeless people were hiding in the corners and secretly observing. Their gazes were not hidden at all.

    Lily picked up the fast food on the ground and brought us back to the small shed where we were temporarily staying. Looking at the extinguished fire, she sighed helplessly and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already taught you five times. What¡¯s so difficult about starting a fire with a lighter?¡±

    I didn¡¯t answer her. I couldn¡¯t wait to open the paper bag, take out the fragrant cheeseburger, and take a big bite. It was delicious!

    It wasn¡¯t that the royal chef¡¯s cooking was difficult to swallow. The roastedmb chops with herbs were also delicious, but the fried food and cheese sauce made me dream of it. Mom and Dad never allowed me to eat fast food. They said it was unhealthy.

    However, these cunning adults couldn¡¯t fool me. I knew that my mother was also a loyal fan of fast food when she was young. Aunt Dorothy said they had lunch in a burger shop for half a month!

    After dinner, I realized that Lily hadn¡¯t started the fire again. It was winter now. Even if we were werewolves, we¡¯d catch a cold after sleeping in the cold for a night.

    But Lily ignored me. She said, ¡°We can¡¯t stay here anymore. We¡¯ll leave tonight.¡±

    ¡°Leave? Where are you going?¡± Heller asked with a confused look, ¡°We can¡¯t enter the city without ID certificates.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not going into the city. I¡¯m starting to think thating to the human territory¡¯s a bad idea. If I had known I would have to bring the two of you along when I ran away from home, I would have rather attended those boring banquets.¡±

    Heller always looked silly, but he understood Lily¡¯s disdain. He mumbled discontentedly, ¡°We didn¡¯t run away from home. Yarin and I just wanted to go out and take a look. We¡¯ve already asked Mom and Dad.¡±

    ¡°Oh really?¡± Lily smiled sarcastically. ¡°If leaving a note in the middle of the night is considered asking for the permission of His Majesty and the Prince.¡± Heller and I became speechless.

    Lily quickly packed her bulging backpack and motioned for us to follow her.

    ¡°This is not the werewolf pack. If the princes get lost, there won¡¯t be any anxious police to send you back to the pce.¡± Her words always sounded like they were filled with thorns. ¡°Follow closely, boys. For the goddess¡¯ sake, pray that we can return to the werewolf pack smoothly.¡±

    Heller and I reluctantly carried our backpacks and followed Lily to the dark and quiet street..

 Chapter 564 - 564: The Extra Daughter

    Chapter 564: The Extra Daughter

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yarin¡¯s POV:

    This was a run away from home. There was no doubt about it. The truth was undeniable, even if I spared no effort to glorify it as a great adventure.

    I admitted that I was a little regretful now. What I saw along the way waspletely different from what I imagined. Heller and I followed Lily across the border and sneaked into the human territory, but the scene here disappointed me.

    The decaying and dirty streets, the walking dead, the malicious gazes, and the idle life were all part of this adventure. Lily mocked us for being ignorant and treating a shady alley as a colorful human society.

    ¡°This is an abandoned neighborhood,¡± she said. ¡°This is one of the prices paid by this prosperous border city. The people here are hopeless. Theirpatriots have abandoned them and can only rely on meager relief and contraband to survive.¡±

    ¡°Why is this happening?¡± Heller asked.

    Lily, who had always known everything, could not answer this question. She only said, ¡°An unsatisfactory start determines the tragic life of these people. Not everyone has the chance to start over. It¡¯s a very precious luxury. Most people can only suffer the consequences of an insignificant decision.¡±

    In short, from Lily, I learned that this ce was only at the edge of human society. It was still thousands of miles away from true prosperity.

    I hoped that Lily would be able to bring us into real human society, but in the past few days, we had been spending time in the homeless¡¯ shelter. This journey had be meaningless, and I began to regret the price my parents might have paid.

    I wouldn¡¯t be able to go out and y for a whole year.

    Lily forcefully led us back but was unwilling to tell us the reason. The winter night was really cold. I could use my thick fur to resist the cold if I had my wolf.

    But now, all I had left was a dirty down jacket with a cut on the cuff. asionally, a little goosedown would fall into the air like snow.

    After about two hours, Heller said that he couldn¡¯t move anymore. He had always been an honest man and never lied. If he said he was tired, he was really tired. Lily rolled her eyes and led us to a hidden abandoned warehouse to rest.

    This was a temporary warehouse that once belonged to humans. Many goods from the werewolves or shipped to the werewolves would stop here for inspection.

    Lily introduced us to this ce.

    However, such warehouses were built quickly and abandoned quickly. Therefore, many abandoned warehouses were left in the border area between the two races. Whenever she ran away from home, she used these warehouses as a temporary resting ce. At least there was a ce to shelter from the wind and rain.

    ¡°So why do you run away from home every year before the Moonlight Festival?¡± I asked, ¡°Aunt Teresa once cried to my mother for a long time. She was very worried about your safety outside, and so was Uncle Daniel.¡±

    ¡°They only worry about it once a year. One time is equivalent to a year¡¯s worth of concern. It¡¯s convenient for parents, isn¡¯t it?¡± Lily said gloomily, ¡°If they don¡¯t want me to leave, they can just do something to lock me in the house. No matter which house it is, I can¡¯t resist at all.¡±

    ¡°Who doesn¡¯t know how to put it nicely? I¡¯m afraid they¡¯re focused on cultivating their heirs to fight against the other party. They can¡¯t wait for me, a useless daughter who might even fight with my brothers for the family property, to die outside.¡±

    Lily¡¯s words were a bit scary. Heller tightened my sleeve while I subconsciously leaned closer to him.

    The cold wind whistled past, and the iron house let out a strange whine, like the prelude of a horror movie.

    ¡°¡­ I hate the Moonlight Festival,¡± Lily said. ¡°I hate moon fudge, I hate parades, I hate family gatherings, I hate their hypocritical care and contemptuous looks. I only have one body. No matter which family I choose to go to for a holiday, the remaining one will show a disappointed look, as if I owe them something. So I decided not to go to anyone¡¯s house. A free life alone is much more interesting than a boring banquet.¡±

    Lily was sixteen years old this year. She was the elder sister of Heller and me. Her mother said she had liked disappearing before the Moonlight Festival since she was twelve. This gave Aunt Teresa and Uncle Daniel a headache.

    Cynthia always knew a lot of things. She said that Lily was very depressed because her parents were divorced. Each of her parents took away her two brothers, and when it came to her, she was in an awkward situation.

    ¡°Why would it be awkward? Uncle Daniel and Aunt Teresa are still her parents, aren¡¯t they? Now that she has two homes, she can go wherever she wants. She has much more freedom than before.¡±

    However, when I said that, Cynthia would roll her eyes. Even Heller looked at me as if I was a fool.

    ¡°You¡¯re so stupid. This isn¡¯t a math problem. It¡¯s not that simple.¡± Heller¡¯s look was strange to me. ¡°Lily has no home. She has be a waif. She can¡¯t go anywhere..¡±

 Chapter 565 - 565: Smuggling

    Chapter 565: Smuggling

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yarin¡¯s POV:

    During the day, the border was always very lively. Cargo trucks wereing and going, customs officers were rushing, and werewolves and humans were everywhere, creating a noisy atmosphere.

    However, it was a different scene at night. The border was still not open, and a strict curfew system was implemented. Therefore, this long road was as quiet as a frozen pudding, as if the air could not flow.

    I listened to the sounds outside the warehouse but didn¡¯t hear anything.

    ¡°I¡¯m a little hungry.¡± Heller rubbed his belly as he rummaged through his backpack.

    Lily pulled out a bag of colorful choctes from her bag. She picked out a few pieces of the caramel vor and threw the rest of the bag to us.

    Heller never refused any food, but I had no resistance to sweet food. Soon, the bag of choctes was empty in our hands.

    Heller gave thest piece of strawberry-vored one to Lily, who was in a daze. Lily pushed it back in disgust.

    ¡°I hate strawberries. They¡¯re sour and disgusting.¡±

    Therefore, the pink and tender chocte finally entered Heller¡¯s stomach.

    We were almost done resting. We must set off immediately and reach the werewolf pack¡¯s border before dawn. Otherwise, with so many people walking on this road during the day, a sixteen-ycar-old girl with two twelve-year-old boys would easily be noticed.

    However, before we left the warehouse, Lily suddenly pulled Heller and me behind her and gestured to us.

    Heller and I were squeezed between Lily and the abandoned wooden box. We couldn¡¯t see anything. Lily carefully peeked through the crack of the door to observe something. Not long after, I also heard some movement.

    The crunching sound of snow was not concealed at all, so it could not escape the werewolf¡¯s sharp hearing.

    ¡°Damn it, what kind of weather is this!¡± The rough male voiceined loudly, ¡°How f*cking unlucky. I came out in the middle of the night to buy goods. I¡¯m going to freeze to death!¡±

    A slightly high-pitched male voice sounded, ¡°Stop whining and get to work. Gosh, this trunk is damn heavy!¡±

    Something seemed to be being moved outside. I could hear the sleigh skidding across the snow.

    Lily suddenly nudged us and said, ¡°Go back to the warehouse and find a hiding ce. Hurry up!¡±

    We quietly hid in the shadows. The messy, abandoned wooden boxes provided us with a ce to hide.

    The warehouse door was roughly opened, and the men panted heavily as they carried half the height of a person in a box. The big guy wiped his sweat and kicked the box. He scolded, ¡°Damn it, what a sh*tty luck!¡±

    His aplice ignored him and found a ce to sit and light a cigarette.

    ¡°What time is it?¡± he asked.

    ¡°1:03,¡± the big guy replied.

    I sniffed lightly, but I didn¡¯t smell anything. The two had sweated so much but did not reveal any scent. They were most likely humans.

    ¡°There are still seven minutes left. Just stop and wait for someone toe and pick up the goods.¡± The skinny man said, ¡°Damn it, this is thest time I will do it this year. I¡¯ve been through a lot along the way. Whoever wants to make money can go.¡±

    The big guy also echoed andined endlessly. ¡°What¡¯s in this box?¡± he asked after a cigarette. Do you have any idea?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t f*cking ask questions that you shouldn¡¯t. Just do your job.¡± The thin man scolded. The tall man seemed indignant but did not say anything in the end.

    Seven minutester, just as the skinny man said, ¡°Someone¡¯sing.¡±

    Someone knocked on the warehouse door, and they immediately became alert. After seeing who it was, the big guy asked, ¡°Password?¡±

    It was a man who spoke in anguage I didn¡¯t understand.

    The tall and thin man moved the cargo box five meters away from the person, then retreated five meters away. The person lifted the box he had brought and opened it.

    Whoa, they were genuine gold bars. There weren¡¯t many, but every one of them shone with an ¡®I¡¯m very valuable¡¯ luster.

    This scene reminded me of some of Cynthia¡¯s favorite television dramas. I stole a nce at Lily, who looked solemn.

    Could it be that we bumped into a¡­ Smuggling activity?

    There were always such cases at the border. Although my mother spared no effort in investing manpower and material resources to maintain order, and it was said that the humans also attached great importance to this, there would still be fish that slipped through the.

    The luster of the gold bars made the two suspected smugglers rx a little. The person slid the suitcase containing the gold bars before the smugglers. After they verified the authenticity, they nodded at the person.

    So the man walked to the box and was about to lift it.

    ¡°Freeze! Raise your hands!¡±

    Suddenly, a deafening siren sounded in the dark snow. Many police officers seemed to have been born from the darkness and surrounded the warehouse instantly.

    The smuggler and the man looked panicked. One picked up the gold, and the other picked up the box, trying to escape. However, this warehouse only had one exit. If they went out, they would be walking into a trap. Therefore, they could only choose to run into the warehouse.

    But if they did that, we¡¯d be in danger!

 Chapter 566 - 566: Granulated Sugar

    Chapter 566: Granted Sugar

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion | Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yarin¡¯s POV:

    It was the first time in my life that I had faced such a tense situation. All my courage and pride seemed to have disappeared into thin air. All I could do was stand rooted to the ground like a frightened deer as I watched the criminals rush straight to our hiding ce. Heller was not much better than me. He was shivering.

    ¡°Run, idiots! Run!¡± At the critical moment, Lily stepped forward. She jumped down from the messy wooden boxes like a light bat and knocked the smugglers to the ground. With a crack, I heard a bad sounding from the tall man¡¯s leg.

    The big guy cursed loudly, but his aplices did note to help him. The hard cement floor cracked the suitcase, and the shiny gold bars jumped out of the square prison. The thin man was busy picking up the gold bars, ignoring his wailingpanion.

    However, he would soon realize that this was a dead end. The back door of the warehouse had rusted. No matter how hard he pushed, he could not open it. The man who tried to escape with the box had long failed. The box slowed him down, and he was pressed to the ground by the police after a few steps.

    Lily punched the tall guy who tried to resist and knocked him out. Looking at Heller and me, who were scared stiff, she was disappointed.

    ¡°I hate children!¡± He grabbed us by the cor and led us toward the police. I saw familiar badges on them.

    Soon, the smuggling came to a dead end. The police caught the smuggler and the buyer and seized the golden gold bars and the box of goods.

    There were also a few unexpected gains.

    When I saw Aunt Eve, I knew that my judgment wasing. As expected, seeing Heller and me in Lily¡¯s hands, Aunt Eve couldn¡¯t believe it at first. Then, she immediately walked over with a stern face.

    ¡°Good evening, Miss Balotte and the two princes.¡±

    ¡°Good evening, Captain Eve,¡± Lily answered sourly. ¡°Also, I¡¯m not Miss Balotte. Just call me Lily.¡±

    She handed Heller and me to Aunt Eve as if she were handing over two bags of flour, which left us nowhere to run.

    ¡°This is not a ce for small talk, so everything will wait until we return to the werewolf pack.¡± Aunt Eve looked at us calmly, which reminded me of the calm before my mother got angry. ¡°His Majesty and the prince are going crazy. Although I always agree with following the natural development of children, this time, you have gone too far.

    ¡°And Miss Lily, although I know you¡¯re a kind girl, letting the princes run away from home is still too dangerous. If anyone were to use you of kidnapping a prince, you wouldn¡¯t be able to tell even if you had a thousand mouths. Even Mr. Balotte or Lady Silvermoon won¡¯t be able to save you.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need them to save me,¡± Lily said expressionlessly. ¡®Til take responsibility for what I did.¡±

    Heller and I pestered Lily to take us out. How could we let Lily bear the consequences? I immediately stood before her and told Aunt Eve, ¡°It¡¯s not Lily¡¯s fault. Heller and I asked her to take us out. She couldn¡¯t refuse a prince¡¯s request. Please don¡¯t me her, Aunt Eve.¡±

    Heller also stood up with Lily behind him.

    ¡°You two are pretty brave little men,¡± Aunt Eve said. ¡°I know what¡¯s going on, and so do His Majesty and the Prince. I¡¯m d you¡¯re taking responsibility, but your merits can¡¯t offset your faults, Your Highness. Now, please follow me back to your parents.¡±

    Thus, this adventure, which had nothing to show but a thrilling ending, ended hastily. Aunt Eve took us out of the warehouse and helped us block the curious gazes of the werewolves and humans.

    The box of unknown smuggled goods had fallen apart in the fierce battle. The broken wooden box could no longer hold the goods. The police had to individually put the fallen smuggled goods into the evidence box.

    When I passed by, I nced at it curiously. Aunt Eve tried to catch my gaze, but it was toote. I saw the ¡®goods¡¯ spilling out of the wooden box.

    The true appearance of this thing gave me a huge impact, so much so that I forgot to walk for a moment and stood rooted to the ground.

    The goods in the wooden boxes were all ¡®humans¡¯.

    Or were they even still humans? They look young, much younger than Heller and me. Their small bodies were already as pale as snow, and their bodies were covered in ferocious stitches that looked like centipedes.

    Two police officers were moving one of the ¡®people¡¯. The stitches on her arm had broken, and bags of white powder fell to the ground along the crack. Under the dazzling searchlights, they shone with a chilling luster.

    The police immediately put down the ¡®person¡¯ and quickly picked up the fallen transparent stic bag. A detective¡¯s reproach came from not far away, which made the rookies even more flustered. A few bags of white powder fell from one of their hands andy quietly on the dirty cement floor. They looked ordinary, like white sugar in the supermarket.

    Aunt Eve sighed and picked me up, covering my eyes.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± she said..

 Chapter 567 - 567: The House Of Lily of the Valley

    Chapter 567: The House Of Lily of the Valley

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Lily¡¯s POV:

    Yarin was quiet on the way back, which was very different from his usual loud personality. I believed it was partly because the police van was ufortable and partly because of the box of ¡®goods¡¯.

    They were not dolls, even if everyone hoped it was. However, the smell of humans and antiseptic was so distinct that it made people feel nauseous. No wonder the two rookie policemen were so scared that their hands trembled.

    Earlier, when Yarin and Heller were still sleeping in the early morning, I heard some gossip while patrolling. News of the underworld often circted in the alleys exiled by the human world. Gang fights, gun smuggling, sex trade, cult rituals. Normally I would pretend I didn¡¯t hear them. Don¡¯t judge me yet, saints.

    If an injured stray cat walked up to you, you would save it. However, if there were a hundred lions guarding the cat, would you pounce on it without hesitation?

    Suppose you don¡¯t know how to, then you have no right to judge me. If you can, hah, the lions are going to have a good meal.

    Anyways, after hearing some rumors of smuggling, I immediately decided to take the two boys and return home.

    ¡®The House of Lily of the Valley¡¯ sounded like a soft name. It should belong to a greenhouse or a fashion boutique, right? Unfortunately, the cruel truth was that ¡®the House of Lily of the Valley¡¯ was a criminal organization in the border area. It was notorious, and even other underground forces avoided it as much as possible.

    This organization had never abided by the rules of the underground world. The reason it was famous in the beginning was because it was a gang.

    This caused dissatisfaction among the other underground forces. However, what was shocking was that the House of Lily of the Valley won a total victory in the joint encirclement of the underground world. It annexed several old mafia families and became the most powerful criminal organization in the border area.

    The strong camouge was a mystery. No one had ever seen the mastermind behind the House of Lily of the Valley. Many people hired assassins or private detectives to inquire about the person¡¯s information, but in the end, they found nothing. Even those assassins and detectives never appeared again.

    The House of Lily of the Valley became a mystery of the underground world. Its arrogance and mystery made people flinch.

    People called the rotten alley where the boys and I lived temporarily ¡®the House of the Homeless¡¯. There were at least a dozen simr blocks on the edge of this human city bordering the werewolves, but it was special in that it was far away from the city. The one furthest from downtown, or rather, it was the one closest to the border.

    If the House of Lily of the Valley wanted to do business in the city, many safer streets were closer to the city than the homeless home. However, it chose the one it should not have chosen, which meant that its trading partner was not in the city.

    Or perhaps they were not human at all.

    So I decided to bring the boys back immediately. The homeless shelter was no longer safe. The entire edge of the city could be affected. If there was a gang fight, I was unsure I could escape with these two burdens.

    However, I didn¡¯t expect to encounter a smuggling transaction by ident. I wondered if the House of Lily of the Valley was the mastermind behind it.

    Eve¡¯s call brought me back to reality. I found that we had arrived at the ¡®interaction station. This was a station jointly operated by the werewolves and humans. It was built on the border. Half belonged to the werewolves, and the other half belonged to the humans. Its specific functions wereplicated to exin. In short, it was enough to treat this ce as a transit station temporarily.

    Undoubtedly, the anti-smuggling operation jointly carried out by humans and wolves tonight was aplete sess. However, no one couldugh. The box of ¡®goods¡¯ and the children who had been dead for a long time was still lying quietly in the evidence room.

    Eve took us to the lounge and settled us down. She didn¡¯t even have time to teach us a lesson. She left in a hurry under the shouts of her subordinates. There were tea bags and hot water in the lounge. I made hot tea for the restless boys. They took it and drank it without saying a word.

    I knew that tonight must have been a huge psychological blow to them. All of this made me feel terrified.

    It was close to dawn, and the sky began to turn slightly bright. Instead of letting my imagination run wild, I might as well nap first. Once I fell asleep, I wouldn¡¯t think about anything else. This was one of the few useful experiences I¡¯d had in my sixteen years.

    The boys obedientlyid out the nkets and hid under them. They closed their eyes, but their eyeballs rolled under their eyelids. I ignored them and stared nkly at the dark clouds in the sky.

    The House of the Homeless, the House of Lily of the Valley, the case of smuggling.

    The dead children.

    And¡­

    ¡°¡­ the Moonlight Festival.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t remember how old I was when Ist celebrated the Moonlight Festival. Sometimes, some fragments of my childhood would suddenlye to mind. Sometimes, no matter how hard I tried to think about it, the past was like a bird in the sky that refused to respond to my call.

    Tomorrow, the Queen and His Majesty woulde to pick up Yarin and Heller. My mother would probably follow them. After all, the one who caused trouble was her redundant and an eyesore of a daughter.

    Thinking of this, I only felt exhaustion deep in my bones. I didn¡¯t want to think about those predictable gazes and words. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to sink into a dark sleep..

 Chapter 568 - 568: Grounded

    Chapter 568: Grounded

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion | Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yarin¡¯s POV:

    ¡°Yarin! Hey,e back to your senses!¡± The sudden shout startled me. I turned around and saw Lily frowning at me. ¡°Watch your clothes, kid. I don¡¯t think your shirt is that thirsty, now, is it?¡±

    I looked down and saw that the cup in my hand was tilted at an extremely dangerous angle. The milk was about to spill out of the cup.

    ¡°Damn it!¡±

    At the critical moment, I put the ss of milk far away from me on the dining table. This was myst clean shirt. If my mother saw my disheveled appearance, she would nag at me again!

    When I thought of my mother, I couldn¡¯t help but feel dispirited. Aunt Eve told me my parents wereing to the transit station. They would arrive at noon.

    In the morning, many people passed by the lounge with the excuse of doing something and tried to see the real faces of Heller and me. Our ¡®disappearance¡¯ had received considerable attention. My mother had even contacted the human side to find traces of me.

    Now that I¡¯d been found, the first thing that bothered me wasn¡¯t being scolded but being visited like a rare animal.

    This was especially true at mealtime because we had only gone to bed in the wee hours of the night. It was alreadyte in the morning when we got up. However, the cafeteria was still crowded.

    Lily said it was because ¡®brunch¡¯ was popr in human society, but no matter how I thought about it, it was because they could openly visit ¡®rare animals¡¯ in the canteen.

    The food in the transit station was average. This was a way of beautification. Even I knew it was an offense to say that the food in other people¡¯s territory was terrible. The torture of food made me even more dejected. I almost counted the seconds to record the time, praying my parents coulde a littleter.

    However, this moment had finally arrived. When I saw the special car with the royal insignia slowly drive into the checkpoint from afar, I could almost see the tangible anger bursting out of the car.

    I looked at Lily for help, but she rolled her eyes coldly and told me to pray for myself. Heller was even more scared than me. He was timid, and Cynthia always said he was ¡®like a bald chick¡¯.

    This was a low-key visit. There was no weing ceremony, no speech, only a pair of frowning parents and a debate in a small lounge.

    Everyone left, including Lily. In the narrow lounge were only Heller and me, who were anxious, and my parents, who were on the verge of losing their temper.

    ¡°Yarin, Heller, your dad, and I are happy to see you safe and sound,¡± my mother said impassively. ¡°God knows how many endings I had in mind when Kara told me you were missing ¨C kidnapped, assassinated, radical conservatives, the wanderers. But by the grace of the goddess, none of that happened. You just ran away from home! You just ran away from home.

    ¡°Can I ask what you were thinking? Threatening Lily to take you away in the middle of the night, even running to human territory, staying in the homeless¡¯ nest for a few days, and even witnessing an illegal transaction. I never knew that my sons were so brave. Daily training is no longer enough for you to exercise your muscles. You have to run to the gangs and show off now!¡±

    I tried to defend myself. ¡°We didn¡¯t threaten Lily¡­ Well, I just know that Lily ¡®can¡¯t refuse a crown¡¯s want¡¯. And I swear that we didn¡¯t do anything dangerous. The House of the Homeless was extremely boring. I only taught a few homeless people a lesson. There was no gang involved¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re quite proud, aren¡¯t you?¡± My mother suddenly raised her voice. ¡°Just a few homeless people? Are therebels on their foreheads telling you who they are? Do you know how many gang spies there are in that kind of ce? If you provoked one, you would attract a group of them!

    ¡°Are you strong enough to fight ten people alone? Are you confident that you can dodge all the bullets?¡±

    I still wanted to say something to justify my behavior, but I knew everything. This trip was born from my arrogant and ignorant curiosity. It was full of dangers and traps. Heller and I didn¡¯t return safely because of ourselves but because of Lily¡¯s sensitivity and strength and the good luck of bumping into Aunt Eve.

    ¡°Calm down, Selma. At the very least, the children are safe and sound now. This is what we feel most grateful about.¡± My father stood up tofort my furious mother; however, he didn¡¯t act as a mediator as usual; instead, he looked at Heller and me seriously.

    ¡°You¡¯ve gone too far this time, boys.¡± I had rarely seen my father speak in such a harsh tone. He was usually a loving father, but today we had crossed his bottom line. ¡°You didn¡¯t even consider your safety, let alone others. This is a very stupid way of disappointing your mother and me.¡±

    My parents didn¡¯t say anything particrly intense, but every word made my heart feel soaked in lemon juice.

    Heller was tugged at my sleeve.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Father, Mother¡­¡±

    In the end, we could only say a meaningless apology..

 Chapter 569 - 569: Rebellion and Authority

    Chapter 569: Rebellion and Authority

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion | Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yarin¡¯s POV:

    ¡°You are grounded from today onward. From now on, you arc not allowed to leave the pce without my permission. Kara will follow you closely in case you do something stupid again.¡±

    My mother dered our punishment in a muffled voice. Heller and I could only ept it silently.

    My mother said we should head back to the Silver Moon Pack immediately.

    Tomorrow was the Moonlight Festival. My parents hade to Silver Moon Pack to celebrate the Moonlight Festival with the people.

    This was the first year the ¡®Border Agreement¡¯ was officially signed. As the pioneer of the open area, the werewolves of the Silver Moon Pack were still a little nervous and uncertain about this policy. The royal family had to shoulder the responsibility of appeasing the people¡¯s emotions. A happy festival could give people hope and confidence for the future.

    No matter how one looked at it, this trip had no room for mistakes.

    I should have thought of this earlier. When I requested Lily in that dark living room, I should have considered how much trouble my decision would cause.

    But I didn¡¯t. I was an idiot. I screwed everything up.

    Heller followed me silently. He had always been taciturn and was always slower than the others. Whenever I get into trouble, my parents would always scold me.

    However, they couldn¡¯t decide in front of Heller. I must admit I should be responsible because I often instigated Heller to be my ¡®aplice¡¯.

    However, my mother scolded Heller this time because we were too unreasonable.

    ¡°You are already twelve years old and will attend middle school soon. If you¡¯re still so naughty, I¡¯ll have to consider letting you attend day school until you¡¯re capable of realizing what you¡¯re doing,¡± my mother said.

    I immediately wailed and tried to act pitifully to make my mother take back her order.

    I¡¯d been looking forward to boarding school for a long time! Sivir Academy was an interesting school that upied arge area. The boarding life there was famous throughout the Lycan Pack.

    Rich activities and countless new friends are waiting for me. I couldn¡¯t go to day school! I¡¯d had enough of those days where I have to go to school and stay in the pce. I didn¡¯t want to go to junior high school and have to report to more than three security departments before I could go to my ssmates¡¯ houses to y!

    However, my mother¡¯s words were the draconianw in our family. Therefore, due to my stupid behavior, Heller and I would be grounded indefinitely and might lose our dream campus life.

    We were like two lettuce that had been left out to dry for half a month. We left with our parents weakly.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Heller,¡± I whispered to my brother. ¡°I¡¯ve gotten you involved. I shouldn¡¯t have thought of this bad idea. If we run away from home, Cynthia willugh at us until we¡¯re eighty.¡±

    Heller answered me like a thief, ¡°I was wrong too. In fact, I¡¯m also very curious about what the human world is like, so don¡¯t me yourself, Yarin.¡±

    My mother looked over with her sharp gaze, and we immediately restrained our conversations and remained silent like quails.

    We were not the only ones suffering.

    Lily, that cold but cool girl. I couldn¡¯t imagine how adults would scold her. However, it happened in front of me.

    The mother-daughter pair attracted the attention of the entire National Broadcast Station. Aunt Teresa was a capable but gentle woman. At least when she was with us, she was always amiable.

    But now, the woman in the open space was unfamiliar to me. She was reprimanding something loudly, and her fierce attitude twisted her expression into a ferocious one.

    After a few seconds, I realized that Lily was the daughter Aunt Teresa scolded.

    It was very strange. Even though I knew that Aunt Teresa had a daughter and Lily had a mother, the mother-and-daughter pair gave me a strange feeling when they were together. It was as if the two had nothing to do with each other but had been forcefully pieced together. Thinking about the kinship between them made me feel inexplicably embarrassed.

    ¡°This is not the first time! Lily! When can you be more sensible? Don¡¯t make me worry about these ridiculous rebellious actions! Do you know what you¡¯ve done? You kidnapped two princes and ran away from home alone!

    ¡°Two princes! You¡¯ll spend the rest of your life in a secret prison if anything happens to them!¡±

    Aunt Teresa was so angry that her face turned red. Lily was very impatient with her mother¡¯s reprimand. She sneered and retorted, ¡°First of all, I didn¡¯t kidnap those two kids. They made a request, and because of those f*cking rules, I have no right to refuse.

    ¡°Secondly, there¡¯s no need to emphasize that this is my action, Lady Silvermoon. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take responsibility for what I did. Even if something happens, I won¡¯t let the scandal stain your family emblem. Moreover, Her Majesty is a wise queen. I don¡¯t think she will indiscriminately implicate you as if she wished you were never born in this world.¡±

    Aunt Teresa screamed in disbelief, ¡°How can you say that? Lily, you¡¯re my daughter. I¡¯m worried about you!¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re worried about pushing all the me onto your daughter in public so Her Majesty can hear me confess, right?¡±

 Chapter 570 - 570: Tricked

    Chapter 570: Tricked

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yarin¡¯s POV:

    Aunt Teresa looked like she was choking as she held her chest and panted violently. She saw using out of the National Broadcast Station building, which seemed to confirm Lily¡¯s words and made her face redder.

    I stole a nce at my mother¡¯s face. Her already serious expression became even more livid because of this farce.

    Aunt Teresa looked like she was about to faint. Tears welled up in her eyes. It was hard to say if it was because she was angry at her daughter or for another reason.

    ¡°I hope you are all well,dies.¡± My mother said expressionlessly, ¡°We have to hurry back to the Silver Moon Pack to prepare for the Moonlight Festival tomorrow.¡±

    Aunt Teresa and Lily curtsied. Everyone in the clearing was curtsying. They weren¡¯t so respectful to me yesterday. My stupidity in the heat of the moment had embarrassed me. I was a trashy prince.

    Aunt Teresa tried to say something, but my mother didn¡¯t give her a chance. ¡°If there¡¯s anything, let¡¯s talk in the car. There arc too many people here.¡±

    Aunt Teresa had no choice but to shut up, while Lily remained silent.

    ¡°Lily is already sixteen years old. She¡¯s not a child anymore. Teresa, no matter what conflicts there are, I think you should save her some dignity and not scold her in public.¡±

    ¡°I was just agitated,¡± Aunt Teresa exined hurriedly. ¡°This isn¡¯t the first time Lily has scared me. I don¡¯t know how tomunicate with this child. She won¡¯t listen to anything¡­¡±

    ¡°Teresa,¡± my mother raised her voice and interrupted her. ¡°You should think about why Lily is unwilling tomunicate with you. Besides, you shouldn¡¯t be telling me this here. I¡¯m not the one you should apologize to.¡±

    Aunt Teresa froze as if she had been electrocuted. After a while, she said with a pale face, ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±

    Lily remained silent.

    Nobody talked on the way. I didn¡¯t know what happened in the car of Aunt Teresa and Lily, but my parents didn¡¯t say anything to Heller and me in front of the driver.

    My father even told us about the arrangements for the Moonlight Festival. Obviously, he was trying to liven up the atmosphere, but Heller and I were not in the mood to have fun.

    ¡®Sorry, Dad, in the face of a storm, candy is really not afort.¡¯

    We were temporarily staying in a manor in the Silver Moon Pack This was the Alpha¡¯s private property. The security was tight, and the environment was beautiful. Even if there were a crowdedmercial street dozens of meters away, it would not disturb the peaceful life here.

    The Silver Moon Pack¡¯s Alpha was waiting. I believed he was the most anxious person at this time. As the direct leader of the Silver Moon Pack, he was more afraid that Heller and I would be in trouble in the Silver Moon¡¯s territory than anyone else.

    ¡°This must be a wonderful trip!¡± He weed us warmly. The smile on his face could not be hidden. ¡°It¡¯s been a long journey. I think everyone must be tired. Please rest first. I am about to arrange a banquet to wee the princes.¡±

    Francis Quinn was already an old man with gray sideburns. It was not easy to support his family and pack alone, which made him look much older than his actual age.

    However, time had given him a wealth of experience. For example, he did not mention anything about what I had done. He casually called it a ¡®trip¡¯ and gave everyone a way out.

    ¡°Thank you, Francis, but there¡¯s no need for a banquet. The boys have to make time to prepare for the Moonlight Festival tomorrow. There¡¯s no time for fun.¡±

    My mother refused Francis¡¯ suggestion. She didn¡¯t look at me but made me feel like I was sitting on pins and needles.

    As my mother said, Kara had followed us since we stepped into the manor. She was everywhere except for things like going to the toilet and showering.

    ¡°Before the Moonlight Festival parade tomorrow, Her Majesty and the Prince will give a speech. And my dear princes, the original arrangement was for you to scatter petals and candy with the children who yed the page boys on the float, but because you were absent from the rehearsals for the past few days, everything has been canceled,¡± Kara announced this cruel news while Heller and I wailed loudly.

    ¡°No, no, Grandma Kara, we can, we can!¡± I hugged Kara¡¯s waist and tried to win her sympathy like I did when I was young. ¡°It¡¯s just scattering petals and candy. We can do it. We don¡¯t need to rehearse at all. We¡¯ll be at our best!¡±

    Heller was also watching her with a pair of pitiful almond eyes.

    If I was the only one begging, then there would be basically no room for turning around this matter, but with Heller joining, our weight can be a little bit heavier¡ªyes, because I used to use coquetry and cheating to achieve my goals, now my behaviors were automatically seen as ¡®nonsense¡¯ in the eyes of adults, which was sad.

    With our relentless pleading, Kara finally agreed to plead with my mother on our behalf.

    ¡°These are the costumes that will be used for tomorrow¡¯s parade. Try them on. If there are tight parts, we must make emergency changes tonight.¡±

    Holding the costume, Heller and I looked at each other and felt slightly confused. What was the costume for if our participation in the parade was canceled?

    Looking at Kara¡¯s half-smile, we realized that we had been tricked! And this was mostly my mother¡¯s intention.. Sometimes I felt that she was more like a child than me!

 Chapter 571 - 571: Drifting

    Chapter 571: Drifting

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Lily¡¯s POV:

    Behind me was an unfamiliar female servant. Or rather, I was unfamiliar with all the members of the Silver Moon Pack, including the female servants. She was sent by my mother to follow me. There was no doubt about it, just in case I did something stupid that would affect her and her family¡¯s future.

    For example, right now, I just wanted to go to the garden to get some fresh air, but the unfamiliar servant immediately blocked my way and said respectfully and unquestionably, ¡°It¡¯s already veryte. Miss, it¡¯s better not to go out.¡±

    ¡°Did my mom tell you to do this?¡± I stared at her. ¡°She didn¡¯t tell me anything and then ordered everyone to watch me?¡±

    The servant silently blocked the door. This was her answer.

    I had no intention of making things difficult for a worker, so I turned around and left. This was a trick my mother often used. She knew exactly who I was resentful of, so she was happy to use all kinds of innocent people to make me submit. She was always at a disadvantage against me, but it was easy for her to use others.

    Like my father, these two high-ranking figures could finally see some of the former husband and wife in this regard.

    I felt a little hungry. The food at themunication station was terrible. There was only a dim emergency light in the kitchen. The servant on duty pretended not to see me at my signal.

    There was a fruit mix and a blueberry cake in the fridge. Bad luck. They were all fruits that I hated. But my hungriness urged me to eat something to neutralize my stomach acid, so I cut arge piece of cake and carefully removed the jam, barely filling my stomach.

    After supper, I realized the servant was still watching me at the door. I felt very annoyed. She was like a shadow, constantly monitoring my every move under my mother¡¯s instructions. No one liked being watched, especially me.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep,¡± I said dryly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to watch me anymore. I know the windows in my room are locked. There are pce guards everywhere outside the manor. I can¡¯t go anywhere. It¡¯s useless for you to watch me. Go and rest.¡±

    ¡°Madam is very worried about your safety. Tomorrow is the Moonlight Festival. She cherishes this opportunity to celebrate the festival with you,¡± said the servant, still sticking close.

    I was about to go upstairs when I heard this. I asked her, ¡°Cherish? Alright then, may I ask where my mother, who cherished me so much, is now? If I remember correctly, she disappeared the moment she returned to this manor, and my dear second brother had already rushed back to Silver Moon Manor from the military camp early to participate in tomorrow¡¯s Moonlight Festival, right?¡±

    The servant was silent. I scratched my head in frustration, knowing I shouldn¡¯t interrogate an innocent woman.

    ¡± You should go back It¡¯s veryte. You need to rest,¡± I said and ran upstairs without looking back. ¡°I¡¯ll sleep well. At least I won¡¯t run away tonight and embarrass my mother when she introduced my brother to His Majesty tomorrow.¡±

    This manor belonged to the Silver Moon Family more than a hundred years ago, but I was very unfamiliar with this ce. I didn¡¯t know where the stairs were, where the corners were, where the living room was, or where the servants¡¯ rooms were. This wasn¡¯t my home. There was no home in the Silver Moon Pack. I had tried to search for it in the Shadow Pack, but the situation was the same as in the Silver Moon Pack¡¯s.

    I was an extra person. Maybe there was a bed here that belonged to me, but this bed could also belong to many guests. It didn¡¯t have to be me.

    I was a guest, and I understood all of this.

    The bedding emitted a faintvender fragrance. Iy down for a while and sneezed a few times.

    I have a slight sinusitis, and the fragrance makes me sneeze uncontrobly. But it was too troublesome to get someone to change the bedding now, so I just have to endure it for the night.

    Unknowingly, I fell asleep. When I woke again, the servant had already hung up the dress for today in the cloakroom.

    I¡¯d seen them hold carnivals or parades in human society under various names. People wore all kinds of strange clothes and celebrated happily. Perhaps the brains of intelligent creatures were simr, and the Moonlight Festival was no different from human festivals.

    Werewolves dressed in gorgeous costumes they usually wouldn¡¯t wear, sang and danced with rtives, friends, and strangers, watched performances, and celebrated until dawn. Then, in their peaceful lives, they looked forward to the arrival of the next Moonlight Festival.

    It was a white dress that looked like it was woven from moonlight. A sparkling diamond ne was hanging on the jewelry rack at the side. The teardrop-shaped diamond was embellished in the middle, like the tears of a valkyrie¡¯s lover when she died of a broken heart.

    The goddess¡¯s servant was well-behaved and did not have any problems. Most girls liked to dress up as waiters or valkyrie on Moonlight Festival, waiting for their rtives or lovers to send them a bouquet of tender primrose.

    The lovely yellow flowers represented blessings and hope during the Moonlight Festival.

    ¡°Miss Lily, the makeup artist, is here. Do you want me to dress you up now?¡±

    The servant¡¯s voice came from outside. It was not the same one fromst night. I responded and put down the ne. I began to think about how to deal with the boring social situation..

 Chapter 572 - 572: The Pledge of Happiness

    Chapter 572: The Pledge of Happiness

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion | Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yarin¡¯s POV:

    I was so excited that I almost didn¡¯t sleep the whole night. I looked at the moonlight outside the window and imagined the grand scene of the parade.

    Don¡¯t judge me for enjoying being in the limelight. Even though I was a prince, the number of times I officially appeared in public was pitifully low, let alone participate in the parade like a child from an ordinary family. The security department would always have such concerns, and I understood them. I understood that as a prince, I had to give up some of my fun.

    But understanding was understanding, but I couldn¡¯t give up my yearning for the outside world.

    Finally, it was five in the morning. I almost jumped out of bed the moment the rm clock rang. Looking back at Heller¡¯s spirited eyes, I knew this brat must be so excited that he couldn¡¯t fall asleep.

    ¡°The Moonlight Festival! The parade!¡± We cheered and ran into the bathroom to dress ourselves. Then, we couldn¡¯t wait to go to the cloakroom and look at the gorgeous outfit as we waited for the stylist to arrive.

    ¡°If I had known there would be such fun, I wouldn¡¯t have gone to the human world to join in the fun,¡± I said regretfully. ¡°Aunt Catherine told us about her experience studying in the human world. I should have known that it wasn¡¯t a perfect paradise!

    ¡°In fact, she said that humans have many interesting inventions, but there are also many dangerous things,¡± Heller said slowly. ¡°However, we only remember the first half of the sentence. Unfortunately, we experienced the second half.¡± Speaking of that, my mood dropped again.

    Although I tried my best to forget, everything I saw that night left a deep mark on my heart like a branding iron.

    ¡°Those children¡­ I mean, the ones the smugglers brought¡­ Who do you think they are?¡±

    ¡± I don¡¯t know.¡± Heller shook his head as he was full of resistance and confusion. ¡°They don¡¯t look too old. They were probably still in kindergarten.¡± ¡°Those things in their bodies¡­ Could that be the contraband Lily mentioned?¡± I¡¯d seen simr white powder before. In the House of the Homeless, I¡¯d encountered people inhaling white things with their noses. Then, they turned into strange lunatics, wandering or fighting wantonly on the streets.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Don¡¯t ask. Lily said we shouldn¡¯t be curious about this.¡± Heller hid in the closet among the soft cloth. ¡°That¡¯s what adults should deal with¡­ Aunt Eve will take care of it. She is a sharp warrior. She would find the murderer and avenge them.¡±

    If Heller didn¡¯t want to discuss this, I would no longer talk about it.

    But I couldn¡¯t forget the girl who was dropped on the ground by the police. Her body was covered in centipede-like wounds, and her skin was as pale as a wall. Humans¡­ Humans¡­

    Before the stylist arrived, I temporarily suppressed everything in my heart and waited excitedly for the parade.

    Someone knocked on the door and walked in. It was Mr. Quinn. This humorous old man praised Heller and me for a while before putting forward his request in a low voice.

    He wanted us to take care of Lily during the Moonlight Festival.

    ¡°Us?¡± I asked in surprise. ¡°But Lily is much older than us. I don¡¯t think she needs us to care for her, and she hates being cared for by children.¡±

    If it were me, I wouldn¡¯t want a snotty little brat to act like my parents, ying nanny. Though, of course, I was not a snotty little brat!

    ¡°Oh, no, no. It¡¯s not what you think, Your Royal Highness.¡± Francis smiled, which deepened the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. ¡°Lily hasn¡¯t attended the Moonlight Festival since her parents separated. I am afraid that her childhood memories have faded, leaving her unable to feel the joy of the holidays.¡±

    ¡°So, you want us to bring Lily along?¡± My eyes lit up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, then! We¡¯ll let Lily experience the joy of the Moonlight Festival. I guarantee that she¡¯ll be able to enjoy it for the entire year!¡±

    Heller also nodded enthusiastically.

    Francisughed and patted us on the shoulders. ¡°Thank you, gentlemen. But I have a request. Please keep our conversation today a secret. Don¡¯t tell Lily, okay?¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯splicated to exin. On the one hand, Lily is a girl with self-esteem. I hope she can truly feel the joy of festivals and friends and not treat it as charity.

    ¡°On the other hand, just take it that I¡¯m worried for nothing. Lily has conflicts with her mother, distancing her from her family. I don¡¯t want her to give up her right to be happy because of my intervention. She¡¯s at the age where she should be able to feel the world¡¯s beauty. No factor should ruin everything.¡± Looking at Francis¡¯s worried expression, I felt a sense of responsibility weighing heavily on my shoulders.

    I believed I should help my people solve their problems as a prince and man, right?

    ¡°Let¡¯s high-five.¡± I raised my hand and said seriously, ¡°I promise you, Francis Quinn, I will keep today¡¯s secret for you and do my best to make Lily happy.¡± Francis froze momentarily, then smiled and raised his hand to give me a high five..

 Chapter 573 - 573: Estrangement

    Chapter 573: Estrangement

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yarin¡¯s POV:

    When I walked out of the room, Lily was already waiting.

    She was really beautiful today. The white dress made her tanned skin look as delicate as porcin, and the sparkling diamonds could not hide her eyes, which were shining like stars.

    I almost didn¡¯t recognize her. Lily in overalls and Lily in a dress seemed to be two different people.

    ¡°What happened to you?¡± Heller watched me worriedly. ¡°Your face is so red. Do you have a fever?¡±

    ¡°Shut up, kid.¡± I adjusted my cor ufortably and said fiercely, ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­ It¡¯s just that my cor is a little tight, and I can¡¯t breathe.¡±

    Lily noticed us and waved at us. The silver bracelet on her arm attracted my attention. Secondster, I realized that it was rude of me to stare at ady¡¯s arm. So I immediately looked away and pretended nothing had happened to hide my absent-mindedness.

    ¡°I hope you had a good dreamst night.¡± Lily said, ¡°The Moonlight Festival won¡¯t end until midnight tonight. Before that, there will be a continuous program waiting for you. Without enough stamina, the more excited the first half was, the more tired the second half would be.¡±

    ¡°Can you tell us what¡¯s fun?¡± Heller was smart for once.

    He nced at me, and I immediately continued, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s our first time participating in a parade in person. Perhaps you¡¯d like to join us? We need a guide.¡±

    After saying that, I felt my tone might be a little stiff, so I added, ¡°Please, Lily, we want to make this trip worthwhile.¡±

    In the short time we spent together, I realized that Lily was a person who would not be forced to do anything. As expected, when she heard our pleas, she looked away ufortably and said, ¡°I have only ever heard about it from others. I haven¡¯t participated in the Moonlight Festival since long ago, so I don¡¯t know what¡¯s fun about it.¡±

    Heller attacked with his big, innocent eyes again. I also tugged at Lily¡¯s clothes and shook her slightly. Sure enough, Lily gave up after a few seconds and nodded helplessly. ¡°Alright, little followers. Follow closelyter. I won¡¯t be responsible if you get lost.¡±

    ¡°Yay!¡± Heller and I cheered, which attracted the attention of those lords who had juste to the lobby.

    ¡°What happened, children?¡± My mother asked, ¡°Why are you so happy?¡±

    As I had just made her angry, I didn¡¯t dare to be too rash for the time being. I answered honestly, ¡°Lily promised to be our Moonlight Festival guide, Mom, I swear it¡¯spletely consensual this time, and we¡¯ll only y as far as we¡¯re allowed, and we won¡¯t cause any more trouble.¡±

    My mother smiled and rubbed the top of Heller and my head. She even paid attention not to ruin our hairstyle. Then, she bent over and hugged Lily gently. ¡°Thank you, child. I know how naughty these two kids are. I¡¯ll have to trouble you to take care of them.¡±

    Lily¡¯s body stiffened, and she was at a loss. She replied dryly, ¡°Oh¡­ You¡¯re too polite, Your Majesty¡­ Princes, uh, in short, it¡¯s my honor.¡±

    The parade started at ten o¡¯clock. Before that, my parents were going to give a speech in the city center. The servants had prepared some convenient breakfast that could fill one¡¯s stomach without smudging one¡¯s makeup or dirtying one¡¯s clothes.

    Before they set off, Aunt Teresa came with a strange but familiar young man.

    I believed that was Lily¡¯s brother, the next heir to the Silver Moon Family. I vaguely recalled seeing him when I was younger, but I was just beginning to remember things back then, so he was a stranger to me.

    Aunt Teresa was a little excited. She couldn¡¯t wait to introduce her son to her parents. ¡°This is my second son, Alfred, Your Majesty. He returned home from the northern border guards yesterday to attend the Moonlight Festival.¡±

    Alfred gave a military salute to his parents. My first impression of him was that he was a serious young man. His stern expression made him look like a serious middle-aged officer, but he was only a year older than Lily.

    ¡°Greetings, Your Majesties and Your Royal Highnesses.¡± There was not a single wrinkle on his military uniform. It looked as if he had just pulled it off the mannequin. ¡°I wish everyone a happy day. Goddess, please bless the Moonlight Festival.¡±

    ¡°Hello, Alfred.¡± My mother seemed to like him very much. She liked all the young people who contributed to the country. ¡°I¡¯ve heard so much about you from your mother. You¡¯re indeed a handsome young man. I hope everything goes well for you in the military camp.¡±

    On the other hand, my father had a natural affinity for soldiers. ¡°Goodd, I heard you rejected the opportunity to be an officer and took the initiative to start as an ordinary soldier, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. I am very grateful for the army¡¯s trust in me, but I still believe that to be a true warrior, you must start by learning the basics. An officer¡¯s rank may bring me more honor, but it cannot help me understand the true meaning of being a warrior.¡±

    My father couldn¡¯t have been more pleased. Alfred seemed to be the only person left in the hall, and everyone was surrounding him..

 Chapter 574 - 574: Troubles of Youth

    Chapter 574: Troubles of Youth

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yarin¡¯s POV:

    I was d that no one noticed me. Heller was always unwilling to look at me directly. As for Lily, she seemed to be in a daze, but I somehow felt that she was very sad. There seemed to be no ce for her in the bustling hall. She was embarrassed and out of ce, but she could do nothing.

    I looked at the people exchanging greetings, then at Lily, who was drifting away from the crowd. I quietly tugged at her cloak.

    ¡°Do you want to go out for a walk?¡± I whispered. ¡°I had a little too much to eat this morning. I want to ease my digestion a little.¡±

    Lily looked at me for a few seconds and nodded in agreement.

    The morning wind was still a little cold, and music andughter could be heard from themercial street not far away. The garden of the manor was veryrge. Lily walked in front, and I followed beside her. We didn¡¯t say a word.

    I wanted to say something, but Lily didn¡¯t seem to need any words. She needed a quiet environment to sort out her emotions quietly.

    Honestly, this was not a situation that a child could understand. The superior conditions of my birth allowed me to be more mature than my peers, but mediating family conflicts? I was still far from bing a qualified family judge.

    ¡°Thank you, Yarin,¡± Lily suddenly said. She rarely called me by my real name. ¡°I¡¯ve made a fool of myself. It¡¯s about me and my mother.¡±

    ¡°No, Lily, it¡¯s nothing. Everyone has their problems. Other than yourself, no one has the right toment.¡± I looked at her seriously and replied, ¡°This is what my mother once told me. People should respect themselves and respect others. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything funny between you and Aunt Teresa. On the contrary, I¡¯ll be here and happy to help you if you need me.¡±

    Lily looked at me for a while and suddenly burst outughing. ¡°Thank you, little one. However, I¡¯m not so cowardly as to need a child¡¯s help. I appreciate your kindness.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m serious!¡± I knew Lily was treating me like a child again ¨C she was right, I was a child, but somehow I didn¡¯t want her to treat me that way.

    The atmosphere suddenly became awkward. Lily stopped smiling and stared at me, making me ufortable. Before I could ask anything, she sighed and said slowly, ¡°I know, Yarin. Thank you. You are a good friend, and I am very happy to have your friendship.¡±

    She didn¡¯t seem to treat me as a child now, but I still didn¡¯t like her attitude toward me. Everything was fine, but she seemed to be avoiding something. I couldn¡¯t think of anything, which made me inexplicably anxious.

    How annoying. Since I came to the Silver Moon Pack, I¡¯d spent more time worrying than I¡¯d in the past twelve yearsbined. I¡¯d be unhappy. How annoying! Annoying!

    I suddenly remembered something Cynthia once said. There was a time when she was obsessed with studying psychology and always analyzed the psychological state of everyone around her.

    A few days before my twelfth birthday, she pestered me to observe my every move. Her pestering annoyed me, so she pretended to be helpless and said, ¡°Yarin, my dear brother, you are about to turn twelve. The beautiful puberty ising. Fretful, irritable, capricious, sometimes unrestrained, and sometimes restrained. I¡¯m so happy that you¡¯re about to usher in the most exciting period of your youth. Let me give you a blessed hug!¡±

    In the end, I pushed her away in disgust while Cynthia looked at me mysteriously, mumbling like a fortune-teller.

    Back then, I only felt irritated. Now, I seemed to understand her words a little.

    Anxious and fretful, was this a sign that I was about to enter the next stage of my life?

    It was difficult for children born in the royal family topartmentalize their lives into distinct stages. I loved my family, and they loved me too. They did their best to give me a happy childhood.

    However, there were always some responsibilities that I couldn¡¯t avoid. Moreover, I was in a high-ranking position, but I was young and ignorant. This made it so that some people always took advantage of the loopholes toe to me and scheme against me.

    So my ¡®childhood¡¯ was chaotic and divided. My family and I tried our best to make me an ordinary and happy child, but I could see myself being divided into two halves. The other half watched coldly, switching between the mentality of a child, a youth, a middle-aged man, or an old man.

    I thought that I would always be like this, but at this moment, I realized that all my previous thoughts were foolish and arrogant delusions. I was just an ordinary child who thought that I had escaped the age limit, but only realized the truth at the moment when I was about to enter the next stage of my life.

    Lily looked at me, and I looked at Lily. We looked at each other wordlessly, and the atmosphere became even stranger.

    There was no doubt that I had screwed things up again.

    I had hoped to bring Lily out of that suffocating ce, and I promised Francis that I would make Lily happy, but look at what I¡¯d done. I made things worse, and Lily went from one predicament to another.

    Just as I was at a loss, my savior appeared.

    ¡°Hey! Yarin, Lily! We¡¯re leaving. Come back quickly!¡±

    Ah, Heller, the cute little angel.. I could kiss him now!

 Chapter 575 - 575: Morning Clouds

    Chapter 575: Morning Clouds

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion | Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yarin¡¯s POV:

    I immediately replied loudly, not daring to look Lily in the eye, so I said without looking up, ¡°Time¡¯s up. Let¡¯s go.¡± Then, I pulled her and ran toward the house.

    Lily let me hold her hand. As we ran, I seemed to hear a soft and helpless sigh.

    As soon as I entered the door, Kara silently appeared in front of me. I felt a little nervous, especially when I thought that Kara might follow me all the way. The excitement of the Moonlight Festival was not as intense.

    I subconsciously wanted toin to the people around me, but I realized my hands were empty. Lily pulled her hand away and walked to a corner from the crowd.

    I felt lost.

    ¡°Mom said we can eat as much candy as we want today!¡± Heller whispered to me eagerly, ¡°It¡¯s said that Silver Moon Pack would make many special vors of soft sweets and put them in the candies distributed on the streets. I must collect all the vors!¡±

    ¡°I will help you.¡±

    I was not interested in candies. Heller liked candies very much. However, ever since he ate too much sugar in the third grade and got tooth decay, my mother had strictly limited the sugar intake of the three of us.

    The Silver Moon za had a long history. When the ancient Silver Moon Pack was still small, it was used for social gatherings, sacrifices, and other important asions. Over time, the once-heavy work here gradually faded away and became a symboldmark of the Silver Moon Pack.

    Silver Moon za was packed with people on the day of the Moonlight Festival. The media had already set up their broadcasting equipment. Reporters were randomly interviewing theughing crowd on the roadside. The police were maintaining order. The float was parked in a temporary garage by the roadside. The men, women, and children who participated in the performance were either nervously tidying up their makeup or chatting excitedly with theirpanions.

    All of this had a novel touch. I could finally forget my identity and responsibilities and be a true member of the Moonlight Festival, enjoying the annual festival with the people.

    I was supposed to stay with my parents, but Lily was alone in a corner. So, Heller and I also went to apany her.

    ¡°Return to His Majesty, princes.¡± Lily said, ¡°Don¡¯t mind me. I prefer to be alone than to be busy.¡±

    ¡°I promise that we will be quiet and not disturb you.¡± I pleaded. ¡°I don¡¯t like small talk. Those officials have had to chat with my parents for a long time. My face is stiff from smiling.¡±

    With our persuasion, Lily finally agreed to let us follow her.

    Someone was already giving out candies on the roadside. Heller gazed at those delicate baskets as if his soul had flown away.

    ¡°Do you want some candy?¡± Lily asked.

    Heller nodded. Closely after that, she led us out of the tent and came to ady disguised as a water swamp fairy.

    ¡°Happy Moonlight Festival!¡± said thedy happily. She took out some sweets from the basket and handed them to us. Heller took them happily.

    He looked at it and shouted excitedly, ¡°It¡¯s one of the unique vors! I got it, I got it on my first try!¡±

    He held up the Silver Moon¡¯s unique vored moonlight fudge. It was the vor of ¡®Morning Clouds¡¯. The mint-green candy wrapper had the Silver Moon Family¡¯s emblem printed.

    ¡°Congrattions, child!¡± Thedy did not recognize us. She was as happy as if she had obtained the unique vored candy herself. ¡°There are a total of twenty unique vors this year. The unique candy wrapper will have a unique pattern of the Silver Moon printed on it.¡±

    ¡°Twenty vors?¡± After hearing so many novel candies, Heller became more excited, ¡°Dear fairy, do you have any other vors for me?¡±

    ¡®Water swamp Fairy¡¯ smiled but didn¡¯t reply. ¡°The joy of collecting lies in the surprises, right?¡±

    Although rejected, Heller was not disappointed. After bidding farewell to thisdy, he almost couldn¡¯t wait to run to another person who distributed candies.

    Lili and I immediately stopped him. I said, ¡°Mom and Dad will start their speech soon. Let¡¯s goter. Moonlight fudges won¡¯t run away on their own!¡±

    Back in the tent, our parents had already exchanged greetings with the officials and the local nobles. Kara was still guarding our seats.

    But I knew she had been watching us through the window. After the initial awkwardness, it was quite good to have someone by our side. At the very least, this way, the number of security personnel going everywhere for our safety on the surface would be greatly reduced.

    I knew it was not really reduced, but I could rx a little if they weren¡¯t that obvious.

    We observed the hidden soft candy that we had just obtained. What did the ¡®Morning Clouds¡¯ taste like?

    I looked at Lily, but she wasn¡¯t as familiar with the Silver Moon Pack as I was, so she didn¡¯t know either.

    ¡°Do you want to try it?¡± She suggested, ¡°You¡¯ll know what it tastes like after you eat it.¡±

    Heller was a bit hesitant. Of course, he wanted to know the taste of the soft candy. However, ¡®this was a limited edition¡¯. Holding that delicate candy, he hesitated, ¡°If I ate it, I wouldn¡¯t get the same one again. What if I can¡¯t get the same er? Then, I will lose it forever.¡±

    Lily seemed to want to say something; however, when she saw Heller¡¯s conflicted look, she finally swallowed her words..

 Chapter 576 - 576: Time

    Chapter 576: Time

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yarin¡¯s POV:

    ¡°Then, we won¡¯t eat it for now,¡± Lily said. ¡°I¡¯ll help you collect more so other children won¡¯t take away the collection during your parade.¡±

    Heller looked at her with gratitude as his eyes turned soft, ¡°Oh, Lily, you¡¯re so nice!¡±

    He pounced on Lily and hugged her waist. Lily was a little stiff, but she did not push him away.

    I looked at her in surprise, but she just shrugged, indicating that it was nothing.

    Lily was not as cold as she was when we first met!

    This realization made me happier than attending the Moonlight Festival.

    The speech began. My mother stood on the high tform in the middle of the square,forting the people¡¯s uneasiness about the future with a firm tone, encouraging everyone to have hope for a better life.

    We sat in our seats, facing the sea of people and countless viewers watching TV or the inte.

    It was only then that I felt a little nervous. Only when this moment came did I realize what it felt like to be watched by everyone.

    I was a little at a loss, but I remembered the teachings of the old-fashioned olddy in etiquette ss. I tried my best to maintain a calm expression and control myself from fidgeting too much. I didn¡¯t want to be the news headline the next day.

    After the speech ended, the people cheered loudly. They shouted my mother¡¯s name and prayed for the Moon Goddess to bless the werewolf pack with peace and prosperity.

    My mother had always been good at responding to the people¡¯s expectations and working hard to make these expectations a reality in the future.

    ¡°How do you feel?¡± My father¡¯s sudden question startled me.

    ¡°What?¡± I asked.

    ¡°What do you think of your mother¡¯s speech, boys?¡± Our father hugged us, his expression full of love and pride for his wife.

    Following his gaze, my mother was standing on the high tform, receiving the cheers of the people. She was graceful and graceful, her mind was filled with wisdom, and her body was filled with power. She was like the incarnation of the legendary Moon Goddess in the human world, just like the ancestors who once led the werewolves, who were about to lead the werewolves to a more glorious future.

    At this moment, I realized that my mother was a wise queen.

    Just like the stories told to me by the people around her, my mother started as an ordinary girl in a small town. She experienced countless hardships, endured pain that ordinary people could not bear, broke through the difficulties that ordinary people could not, and finally done the crown that belonged to her.

    Many people have told me, ¡°Your Royal Highness, you are the first heir to the Queen. In the future, you will have to shoulder the responsibility of the werewolves like the Queen and be the guide for your people.¡±

    It was a task that had been given to me since I was born. It followed me like a shadow, and I often ignored it.

    But now, as I listened to the cheers like a tsunami and looked at the figure on the high tform that seemed to be shining brightly, I suddenly felt the weight of this natural destiny. I asked myself, could I be like my mother and bear the hopes of countless werewolves?

    My mother made me proud, and I yearned for her, but I didn¡¯t know if I could do it if I were to be her.

    My silence caught my father¡¯s attention. He patted my shoulder and rubbed my hair. ¡°Feeling nervous?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± I nodded.

    My father smiled, not caring about the shes at all.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, boys. It¡¯s normal to be nervous. Do you know what kind of joke I made when I first attended a social event with your grandfather? I was so nervous that I even forgot my name. When I saw the surprised look on the person opposite me, I realized I had said your grandfather¡¯s name!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Heller eximed.

    ¡°Of course, I was so embarrassed that I refused to see anyone for months.¡±

    Heller giggled, and so did I.

    ¡°And your mother, the night before she officially faced the media for the first time, she was so nervous that she couldn¡¯t sleep. She chatted with Dorothy for half the night and finally fell asleep alone, but Dorothy couldn¡¯t sleep!¡±

    ¡°You must be lying to us!¡± Heller said in disbelief.

    I looked at my father and seemed to understand what he meant.

    ¡°It¡¯s the truth, Heller. Be it Mother or me, we all have moments when we don¡¯t know what to do. We also have moments when we feel uneasy and even doubt ourselves.¡± Our father saw through our uneasiness. Heller didn¡¯t smile anymore; instead, he waited for our father¡¯s words.

    ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is, it¡¯s nothing, kids. What you are thinking, what you are afraid of, what you are uncertain about, I have experienced it before. I understand your feelings. When the timees, even if we are fully prepared, we cannot avoid being affected by it.

    ¡°But believe me; this is all temporary. No hurdle cannot be ovee. Perhaps the obstacle to the future is right before us, making us doubt whether we can solve it. But in fact, all we need is time. Through the umtion of time, when we touch the once unreachable predicament, we will suddenly discover it.

    ¡°The seemingly insurmountable difficulties have long been quietly resolved in our growth. All we have to do is tough through it and embrace our beautiful future..¡±

 Chapter 577 - 577: The Celebration

    Chapter 577: The Celebration

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion | Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yarin¡¯s POV:

    The crowd was in a state of revelry. Excited and cheerful music resounded throughout the entire Silver Moon za. Amidst the crowd¡¯s cheers, the parade of festooned floats was finally about to begin!

    Heller and I couldn¡¯t wait to board our float. It was the shape of a huge bird, covered in pink feathers, and had five shiny bright yellow tail feathers behind it.

    Legend has it that this bird was called the ¡®Tearing Oriole¡¯ and was the incarnation of the attendant of the Moon Goddess. Every time a werewolf baby was born, the Tearing Oriole would quietlye to the newborn¡¯s side and bring the tears of its first cry back to the Moon Goddess in exchange for the newborn¡¯s happiness and joy.

    In ancient times, the Tearing Oriole was regarded as the patron saint of children. Even in modern times, people were still grateful and longing for this kind bird.

    The float was extremely beautiful. I quietly stroked the feathers on the body of the float. The soft and cool texture was like cotton or satin.

    Heller stared at the sweets in the basket as he struggled with temptation.

    ¡°One, two¡­ Five. Oh my god, I saw five limited-vor moon fudge at a nce. I don¡¯t know how much willpower I must use to control myself. I have never encountered such a big temptation in the first twelve years of my life.¡±

    ¡°I suggest raising your head and looking at the reporters and cameras around them. If you don¡¯t want to be the headline about Prince Heller making a fool of himself in the parade due to gluttony, look up now, my dear.¡±

    I tugged at Heller¡¯s clothes as he moved his eyes away from the basket full of candies.

    Soon, the other children reached the stage. The children who yed the role of page boys were dressed in colorful and gorgeous gowns, and their faces were filled with excitement and happiness. They were inevitably a little reserved when they first saw us, but this was not a court meeting. In less than three minutes, we got along and exchanged names.

    To my surprise, not all of mypanions were young werewolves. There were even a few human children. This was the first time in the world that a human who did not believe in the Moon Goddess would agree to let their children participate in a pagan festival.

    The girl named Denise is the same age as me. Her parents are both businessmen. ¡°Ever since I was nine, my parents would bring me to the Silver Moon Pack for a yearly vacation,¡± she said excitedly. ¡°But this is my first time participating in the Moonlight Festival. I¡¯ve never been an actor in a parade before. My friends will go crazy over me!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± I said. ¡°I hope you¡¯re having fun. In addition to the parade, many activities and performances are not usually seen during the Moonlight Festival.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s also candies and stamp collecting!¡± Heller wasmitted to rmending his hobby to everyone. ¡°Do you know the Silver Moon Pack has fifteen secret moon fudge vors this year? They arc all limited, and they would nevere by again!¡±

    It was Denise¡¯s first time hearing about this. Therefore, she started to discuss it with Heller.

    A few minutester, the parade officially began.

    The floats moved slowly as the music rose to the next level.

    The crowd cheered. People waved flowers or gs at the convoy, sang festive songs loudly to the music, and danced with theirpanions or strangers.

    I grabbed a handful of sweets and threw them out. The sweets fell like colorfuls into the cloud-like crowd. The children who received the candy cheered and shared joy with their friends. The adults looked at the children¡¯s smiles and smiled knowingly. Their eyes were filled with blessings and hope as they looked at the floats.

    The parade moved, and the candies were thrown everywhere. With music apaniment, people cheered and weed hope and blessings, shouting ¡®Long live the goddess¡¯ or ¡®God save the queen¡¯, praying devoutly for happiness in the future.

    I gradually understood why the parade was so popr and why many people wanted to participate.

    The glory of ancient times had long gone, but the legacy of our ancestors was still rooted and sprouted on thisnd.

    The Moonlight Festival was like a bridge connecting the past and the future, bringing the ancient and the present together. In this era full of opportunities and changes, it was a ce where people could feel at ease and point out the glimmer of light in the fog.

    The parade was an ancient and lively activity, like the flowers and vines on the bridge. It was soft and fragrant, guiding the werewolves to lookback at the traces of the past, allowing those who were either impetuous or confused to find a ce to rx.

    At least on this day, the barrier between myth and reality was temporarily broken. I stood on the float as if I had be a servant of a goddess, conveying the divine domain to the goddess and bringing joy to the werewolves. How fascinating this feeling was! No wonder the children were scrambling to sign up as actors in the parade.

    I stealthily looked around. Heller had long gone crazy. He had forgotten about the limited edition candies in the basket. He threw the candies mixed with flower petals to the crowd with a smile.

    He gave blessings to the people and also received blessings from them. He was getting along well with Denise. I believed he finally made his first friend sinceing to the Silver Moon pack.

    I was almostpletely immersed in this moment of revelry. However, I inadvertently nced at a man with a gloomy expression in the crowd, and he caught my attention..

 Chapter 578 - 578: A Suspicious Person

    Chapter 578: A Suspicious Person

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yarin¡¯s POV:

    He looked very familiar ¨C the same man I had chased away at the House of the Homeless.

    I thought my eyes were ying tricks on me, so I deliberately moved closer. However, if it wasn¡¯t for my sudden high level of nearsightedness, then that man was him.

    No wonder I had such a deep impression of him. There were no good people among the homeless, but his malice toward us was surprisingly great. His eyes were as sticky and disgusting as snot. Finally, I couldn¡¯t take it anymore and drove him away.

    He was just a human vagrant and should not have any interactions with the werewolves. Why would he appear at the Moonlight Festival?

    What I had seen and heard in the human world made me wary of human beings. I slightly pushed Heller, motioning him to look to the right.

    Heller found nothing until he saw that suspicious man.

    ¡°It¡¯s him!¡± He eximed softly. ¡°That man who was not kind to us. Didn¡¯t he get beaten up? Why is he here?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe he¡¯s just here to join in the fun. Maybe¡­¡±

    Perhaps something bad had happened.

    I didn¡¯t finish my sentence. There were too many people here, especially with so many naive children around us.

    However, Heller had already understood what I meant. He pretended to throw a handful of candies over there as if nothing had happened. As expected, that man didn¡¯t take it like the others; instead, he moved further away as if he was trying his best to reduce his presence.

    There was something wrong with him.

    I nodded at Heller subtly. After being mischievous together for so many years, we could understand each other with just a nce.

    So we began to throw candy in that direction frantically. It seemed that we were the only ones who were crazy and didn¡¯t care about the others, but this strange movement quickly attracted the attention of others.

    Lily was following the float. We asionally make eye contact. She made sure that I was in her line of sight. I made sure that she would not feel lonely because she was alone.

    Soon, she noticed us. I gave her a look and sprinkled a handful of candy on the man. Lily noticed him immediately. Her body stiffened imperceptibly, and then she immediately understood what I meant.

    She took a few steps back against the crowd, where Kara was also following us to prevent any idents. With her exnation, Kara immediately contacted the police hidden in the crowd and surrounded the suspicious man.

    ¡°Will he be caught?¡± Heller asked the two of them nervously.

    ¡°He will, but not now.¡± I pretended to smile at the crowd. ¡°There are too many people here. Once there¡¯s a riot, idents can happen. Not only will it be difficult to catch someone, but it¡¯s also possible that innocent people might get injured. Even if only one person falls in the chaos, it¡¯s enough to cause a fatal stampede.¡±

    ¡°When will he be caught then? What if that man runs away?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s possible, but the possibility is very small. The entire Silver Moon Pack is filled with undercover officers. Even if he managed to escape the parade, the Silver Moon Pack would have an inescapable waiting for him.¡±

    As I spoke, Denise came over and asked curiously, ¡°What are you talking about, Your Highness?¡±

    ¡°We were discussing the limited edition candies.¡± I immediately ended the dangerous topic and told this innocent girl, ¡°Before the parade started, Heller got the ¡®Morning Clouds¡¯. We were wondering what it tasted like.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? This vor does sound strange, but it is also quite novel!¡± Denise¡¯s interest was immediately piqued. ¡°It sounds like fresh air or dawn? I thought it might be lemon or sea salt.¡±

    Heller and Denise started to discuss the taste of candy while Lily slightly nodded at me in the crowd before disappearing into the crowd with the inclothes policemen.

    The suspicious man undoubtedly had a very professional anti-reconnaissance awareness. Even in such a noisy and chaotic environment, he quickly realized he had been exposed and began thinking of ways to escape the inclothes police.

    After twists and turns, he quickly disappeared into the crowd like a fish swimming in the sea. Lily also disappeared with him.

    I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little anxious. That person didn¡¯t look like a good person. She would be in danger!

    ¡°Hey, Yarin, pay attention to your expression.¡± Heller nudged me with his elbow, motioning me to keep smiling. ¡°Lily will be fine with so many policemen around. You know that she¡¯s a rational person. She won¡¯t risk her life rashly.¡±

    Although that was what he said, my worries couldn¡¯t be dispelled. However, I knew I couldn¡¯t rush down from the float to follow her. This would stir a storm in public opinion and might even bring trouble to Lily.

    My good mood was instantly shattered by the man¡¯s appearance.

    I maintained a stiff smile and mechanically threw petals and candy at the crowd. I felt the music ying suddenly didn¡¯t seem so pleasant anymore..

 Chapter 579 - 579: False Alarm

    Chapter 579: False rm

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yarin¡¯s POV:

    Halfway through the ride, there was a rtively narrow street in front of them. Although the Silver Moon Pack had already widened it, it was still not as wide as the magnificent roads in the city center due to the heavy traffic.

    To prevent idents, the staff divided the tourists in advance and led them to the tributary at the fork in advance.

    Correspondingly, the convoy would also have to split up. The Tearing Oriole we were in would have to merge into the middle road. This meant that although there were fewer tourists, fewer staff and guards would be around. This was because they had to ensure the safety of the three routes without increasing the flow pressure. For this reason, they had to follow the tourists and split up.

    I could see that the police force surrounding the float had decreased. Although I had arranged for some personnel to be stationed here in advance, a vague sense of danger lingered in my heart.

    As the number of tourists decreased, the crowd was no longer as dense as before, and it was no longer easy to hide.

    Only now did I realize that the suspicious man had been following our group of floats, and Lily was not among the crowd. I didn¡¯t know if I hadn¡¯t found her or if she had walked into another road.

    I pretended as if nothing had happened and interacted with the crowd. I kept observing the man¡¯s actions from the corner of my eye. Realizing that he had nowhere to hide, he no longer deliberately hid. He swaggered into the crowd of tourists and even followed the children to pick up the flowers and candy from the float.

    Was he a tourist?

    It was not impossible, but it was very unlikely. If he had onlye to participate in the festival, he would not have had to react so much to the guards¡¯ vignce in the beginning.

    The street was not very long, about 130 meters. We soon reached the middle section.

    The situation was now rtively dangerous. The streets were crowded, and the guards at the end of the street could not provide immediate support. Therefore, if they wanted tounch an attack, this was the best opportunity.

    The guards were also aware of this. They began to tighten the encirclement in an attempt to arrest the suspicious man.

    However, the criminal also realized this was a good opportunity for him! Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him reaching into his pocket as if he was going to take something out. It was a ss bottle containing a liquid with a faint silver light flowing in it, filled with an ominous ck gas.

    I didn¡¯t know what it was, but it was definitely not good. The man cracked a nasty smile and was about to throw the bottle of unknown liquid at the float!

    I almost couldn¡¯t suppress my surprise and subconsciously wanted to call the guards to arrest him. The surrounding guards had already noticed the man¡¯s movements and rushed toward him when he reached his hand out. However, the man¡¯s movements were too fast, and the bottle was about to fall out of his hand.

    ¡°Stop!¡±

    At the critical moment, I heard Heller exim hurriedly. Before I turned around to check his situation, I saw a shocking scene in the crowd, The man immediately stopped moving like a video where the pause button was suddenly pressed. He was still in the throwing position, but the unknown liquid was still in his hand.

    In the next second, the guards swarmed forward and caught the man with ill intentions. They confiscated the weapon that had yet to be used.

    The crowd was in a small disturbance because of this action. They were like frightened wild deer, watching the situation with wide-open eyes. Fortunately, the guards quickly dealt with this and dered the suspicious man a ¡®drunkard¡¯. The bottle of unknown liquid naturally became a low-quality wine.

    Soon, people forgot about this and continued throwing themselves into the festival¡¯s joy. The narrow street was finallypleted without any danger.

    On the way, I observed Heller. He was dizzy, weak, and pale.

    It was a necessary price. Every time Heller used his power, he would suffer a great loss, which was one of the reasons why our parents forbade him to use his power freely.

    ¡°How do you feel?¡± With the cover of the other servants, I quickly took the candy and put it into Heller¡¯s mouth, ¡°Replenish your physical strength first. After we finish this street, we will go back and invite the werewolf grandmaster and the doctor to check on you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I just used too much strength. Eating a few candies is enough to recover.¡± The moment Heller heard that we would end the ride halfway, he shook his head at once. ¡°Who knows when we will attend such an activity next time? I don¡¯t want to miss this opportunity.¡±

    ¡°But you need to be checked right away. Aunt Dorothy said that using your ability may cause indelible damage to your mind and body.¡±

    ¡°Note, it¡¯s ¡®indelible injuries¡¯. It sounds very serious, but do you see any signs of injury all over my body? I¡¯m just feeling a little tired, man. Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    I knew how much Heller cherished this chance of parading. Therefore, I couldn¡¯t bear to deprive him of his pleasure.

    Well, I might be reprimanded for this. However, Heller was my brother..

 Chapter 580 - 580: The Unsettled Mood

    Chapter 580: The Unsettled Mood

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion | Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yarin¡¯s POV:

    It took a few minutes for the convoy to gather. I tried to find Lily in the crowd but couldn¡¯t see her even when the convoy set off again.

    I didn¡¯t have much time. The parade was still halfway there. I couldn¡¯t see that familiar figure, and I couldn¡¯t suppress the anxiety in my heart.

    ¡°Hey, have you seen Lily?¡± I touched Heller, who was helping Denise put petals into the basket as I asked him to observe the crowd for me, ¡°I didn¡¯t see her. There are too many people. My eyes almost blurred.¡±

    I tried to use my pheromones to determine Lily¡¯s location, but no one would be rude enough to let their pheromones harass others on such a festive asion. Flowers and perfume mixed up the surrounding smells, so I couldn¡¯t even find a trace of the pheromone that had inadvertently leaked out.

    After a long while, Heller said, ¡°Me neither. Is Lily tired? Did she take the sightseeing bus to the destination first?¡±

    ¡°No, she won¡¯t.¡± I carefully observed the crowd and muttered, ¡°We agreed to spend the entire Moonlight Festival together. Lily is not someone who will break the promise. She will apany the float.¡±

    However, no matter how hard we searched, we couldn¡¯t find Lily. I even forgot to interact with the crowd. I was so focused on finding Lily that the candy and flowers in the basket didn¡¯t move for a long time.

    ¡°Focus, Yarin.¡± Heller quietly kicked me to get my attention. ¡°There arc so many guards here. Besides, Lily is traveling with Kara. She will not be in any danger. Perhaps she had chosen a shop that she liked, so she was stumped by the specialties of the Moonlight Festival.¡±

    Heller was being reasonable. However, I still couldn¡¯t be reassured.

    The face of the man who had been arrested appeared before me. His smile when he threw the unknown liquid was distorted and terrifying, and his entire body emitted an ominous aura.

    Suddenly, I realized that I had overlooked a detail. Could that man be acting alone? Was he alone enough to prove that he had no aplices?

    If the other party had two or three people destroying different forks, what about the remaining one or two if one was taken care of?

    However, I couldn¡¯t be sure how likely it was. If that man had aplices, something simr should have happened on the other two roads. However, the tourists didn¡¯t look like they had been attacked, and the guards didn¡¯t seem to have any signs of fighting¡­

    Could everything be just my conjecture, and nothing happened?

    ¡°Look over there!¡± Denise suddenly pointed to a corner of the crowd. ¡°Those people are so strange. Did the police arrest them?¡±

    I looked in the direction Denise was pointing. A group of people was moving through a tiny gap near the building. There were guards and two men with their hands cuffed. One was someone he had seen just now, and the other was unfamiliar. However, it seemed that they were indeed the aplices of that suspicious man.

    They did not fit in with the happy crowd around them. Some people cast puzzled looks, the guards looked straight ahead, and the arrested people provoked the tourists on the roadside in exchange for more severe reprimands and restraints.

    An ident also happened on the other road! Although Heller was not there, the guards could prevent everything from happening in time. Or maybe someone bravely stopped it before the disaster. I was afraid that person was¡­

    ¡°They were just some drunkards who were causing trouble.¡± Heller told Denise, ¡°There are always some sc*ms who indulge their evil habits during festivals. Fortunately, the guards arrested them. Otherwise, they would do something with alcohol.¡±

    The naive Denise didn¡¯t doubt Heller¡¯s words at all. I kept scanning among the guards but still didn¡¯t see Lily.

    ¡°The parade will be over in about fifteen minutes,¡± Heller said in a low voice. ¡°I¡¯m also worried about Lily, but we can¡¯t get off the bus to look for her now. Cheer up, man, you know Lily¡¯s a headstrong girl, and if she knew you were distracted at the big event because of her, she¡¯d me herself.¡±

    Hellerforted me in a low voice. Our roles seemed to bepletely reversed on this day. I became theforted one, while Heller became the perceptive one.

    ¡°I know,¡± I whispered. ¡°But I can¡¯t help worrying about her. There are so many people here. What if something happened to Lily and the guards didn¡¯t notice it in time? Alright, I know the chances of this happening are slim, but I¡­ Sigh.¡±

    Heller just looked at me hesitantly. He tried to say something, but he stopped halfway.

    In the end, he only sighed and patted me on the shoulder, pretending to be an adult. ¡°You¡¯re already at this age, Yarin. I should give you more support and understanding.¡±

    Goosebumps rose all over my body as I instantly dodged Heller¡¯s hand. I was wrong. Heller didn¡¯t be smarter or more perceptive. He just became weird.. He became a weird person temporarily at the Moonlight Festival!

 Chapter 581 - 581: The Promise

    Chapter 581: The Promise

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion | Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yarin¡¯s POV:

    The second half of the journey couldn¡¯t bring me any more joy. On the one hand, Heller¡¯s face was getting paler and paler after suffering the side effects; on the other hand, Lily was missing. I didn¡¯t have the mood to enjoy the festive atmosphere at all.

    Heller became increasingly taciturn. He felt like vomiting when he uttered thest sentence to me. Even Denise gradually became quiet as if we influenced her.

    I almost couldn¡¯t maintain my smile. I didn¡¯t know how my mother could remain calm in so many dangerous situations. To me, just my brother and friends were enough to make me panic.

    At this moment, I realized I waspletely unqualified, regardless of my identity. Perhaps I should have been tougher at the beginning. I should have dragged Heller out of the float to check on him and then asked about Lily. Unlike now, where he used his so-called identity and responsibility as an excuse, he could not show the image a prince should have in front of the people, nor could he be a good brother and friend.

    I could only keep asking Heller how he was feeling. He didn¡¯t even want to eat candy at thest few hundred meters.

    Denise sprayed some motion sickness stuff on him. ¡°I spray this whenever I get motion sick. It makes me feel much better,¡± she said. The spray was cool and minty. I didn¡¯t know whether it worked on Heller. However, he still looked pale and remained silent.

    The parade of festooned cars went around the circle, and their final destination was Silver Moon za. The street stalls were filled with interesting specialties, games, and snacks.

    There were all kinds of open-air ys, performances, and circus performances. The people cheered for the return of the floats, and their parents stood up to wee them personally. They should have long received the report about the failed attack. Therefore, they watched Heller with a faint concern.

    After the parade, the floats slowly drove to the open-air parking lot. The actors blended into the crowd and enjoyed the festival.

    ¡°Hey, can Ie and y with you guyster?¡± Denise asked hesitantly, a little shy. She seemed frightened by the threeyers of guards inside and outside. Moreover, the tent was not far away. Even the royal family could make this naive girl flinch.

    To be honest, I was not very familiar with her. It was Heller who chatted with her on the way. However, apparently, Heller needed to receive an examination. Perhaps, his trip to the Moonlight Festival would end here. If he agreed to it, he might disappoint the little girl.

    I was not sure whether to agree or not. Heller, who was about to leave with Kara, immediately nodded, ¡°Of course. Do you see that tent? I think I¡¯ll stay there all day. Tell the guard at the door if you want to invite me to y. I¡¯ll inform him in advance. No one will be rude to you.¡±

    He looked as if he wanted to take Denise with him and leave -and in a sh, I realized something. No wonder this kid had changed from his usual dull-witted manner and was chatting enthusiastically with others on the float!

    Obviously, as a good brother, I should not betray him at this moment. Therefore, I took off a brooch from Heller¡¯s cor. The sapphire wolf head on it indicated that he was a royal.

    ¡°However, there are many people today. The guards might be unusually strict. Show this to the guards. They¡¯ll understand.¡± Heller hurriedly nodded.

    Denise took the brooch and nodded in confusion. Her parents were waiting on the street. She nodded at us and ran away.

    Heller watched him leave with a disappointed look. Seeing this, I rolled my eyes and said, ¡°Don¡¯t look, kid. You have other things to do. Don¡¯t let the doctor and the werewolf grandmaster wait too long.¡±

    As soon as Denise left, the boy returned to his stiff self. ¡°I know, ugh ¨C oh, god! I feel like throwing up.¡±

    We went back to the tent. Our parents were waiting for us.

    The moment they saw Heller, they immediately surrounded him and talked about him. After checking Heller¡¯s spiritual world, our mother sighed in relief. ¡°It¡¯s alright. His spirit isn¡¯t injured.¡±

    Closely after that, the doctor and the grandmaster started to examine Heller. Heller didn¡¯t like strangers since he was young, nor did he like the cold white coat. Therefore, he just nodded and shook his head in silence.

    ¡°You¡¯ve done well, little warrior.¡± Our father squatted down and stroked Heller¡¯s hair. ¡°Thanks to your timely judgment, an evil attack didn¡¯t happen. You saved everyone here, my son. I¡¯m proud of you.¡±

    However, Heller lowered his head and whispered, ¡°But I made you and Mom worry about me. We agreed not to use my ability rashly; however, I still did it.¡± ¡°This is different, dear.¡± Our mother squeezed his shoulderfortingly. ¡°You¡¯ve always kept our promise well. You used it this time because it was a crisis. You didn¡¯t break the agreement. On the contrary, you made a rational and urate judgment.¡±

    At this point, I suddenly remembered the bottle in the man¡¯s hand, so I asked what it was.

    At the mention of the attack, our mother¡¯s expression suddenly turned cold.

    However, she didn¡¯t seem to want to mention it to Heller and me. Therefore, she just told us to take a rest..

 Chapter 582 - 582: Breaking The Agreement

    Chapter 582: Breaking The Agreement

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion | Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yarin¡¯s POV:

    ¡°You have to stay in the tent today, my dear,¡± our mom reminded

    Heller. ¡°You¡¯re exhausted. I don¡¯t think I can support you to go out and y crazily.¡±

    Heller lowered his head as he started to observe the tent¡¯s entrance once a few seconds.

    I didn¡¯t stay but left with my parents. They saw I had something to ask, so they asked me what was wrong.

    ¡°Has Lilye back?¡± I didn¡¯t see her in the tent. Kara returned with us, and I didn¡¯t see anyone with her.

    ¡°Not yet. Why?¡±

    I immediately told them that Lily had also gone hunting down the suspicious man, but I didn¡¯t see Lily after he was arrested. She didn¡¯t show up after the whole parade ended.

    ¡°I¡¯m worried that she¡¯s in danger. I didn¡¯t see which path she went into. Maybe she met another criminal. Now that the criminal has been caught, I must ask him about Lily¡¯s whereabouts.¡±

    Lily¡¯s disappearance made everyone in the tent nervous. My mother immediately ordered the interrogation of the criminal and sent several security teams to search for Lily.

    The safety of the Moonlight Festival was also a question mark due to Lily¡¯s disappearance. The backup guards were dispatched, and more police officers patrolled the streets to ensure the safety of the tourists.

    When Francis heard that his granddaughter was missing, he immediately sent out the Silver Moon family¡¯s private forces to search for Lily. The old man, who was almost seventy years old, frowned. He was anxious about his granddaughter¡¯s safety.

    I didn¡¯t dare to face him because I promised him I would take good care of Lily in the morning, but before the day ended, I had failed him.

    I hesitated before whispering, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Quinn. I couldn¡¯t protect Lily.¡±

    Francis was in a daze. He was slightly shocked by my words. After hearing my apology, he only smiled bitterly and patted my shoulder. ¡°This is not your fault, Your Highness. You are just a child, so it is not your fault. Be it the attack or Lily¡¯s disappearance, it¡¯s all because of us adults¡¯ ipetence and inability to fulfill our responsibilities.¡±

    He sighed faintly and said, ¡°This is the Silver Moon Pack. No criminal can escape the eyes of His Majesty and the Silver Moon family. Lily will be fine. Please don¡¯t worry. Maybe she just saw an interesting performance and was dyed for a while?¡±

    I couldn¡¯tfort Francis, but heforted me instead, which made me feel a little defeated.

    There seemed to be nothing I could do to help in this tent. My parents were calmly coordinating everything. The Silver Moon Pack was doing its best to find Lily. Even Heller was overworking himself to protect the people.

    I was the only one who enjoyed thefort and protection of others and could only worry, but worrying was useless.

    I didn¡¯t want this to happen. I couldn¡¯t enjoy the Moonlight Festival with a clear conscience. I desperately wanted to do something, even if it was a little help. For Lily, for my oath.

    I looked at my mother. She was giving instructions to the captain of the guards. She was very busy, and I couldn¡¯t add to her troubles. As my mother¡¯s assistant, my father was also busy.

    I couldn¡¯t get over Francis. He loved his granddaughter very much but had to take responsibility for the family. He wouldn¡¯t agree to let me take the risk for her.

    The only person I could talk to was Aunt Teresa. However, her brows were tightly knitted, and her eyes were red. She seemed worried about her daughter¡¯s disappearance, but she also seemed to think this was another rebellion by Lily. She was on the verge of exploding.

    Her son, Lily¡¯s older brother, Alfred, was talking to her. He looked anxious and kept looking outside the tent as if he was arguing with Aunty Teresa.

    However, Aunt Teresa only shook her head as she appraised him. No matter what her son said, she would not agree.

    Realizing that he could not change his mother¡¯s attitude, Alfred had no choice but to stop temporarily.

    At this moment, I walked over. Aunt Teresa immediately smiled when she saw me, although her tears were still pooling in her eyes, and her eyebrows were still tightly furrowed.

    I tried tofort her, but sheughed it off and paid more attention to me than Lily. ¡°Please do not worry, Your Highness. Lily does this now and then. I am very good at dealing with it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like she ran away from home this time.¡± I didn¡¯t like her attitude toward Lily. ¡°You know what happened just now. Lily might be in danger.¡±

    However, Aunt Teresa seemed determined to think this was Lily¡¯s antics. Even Alfred could not stand it anymore. ¡°You¡¯re always prejudiced against Lily, Mother. That¡¯s why she¡¯s unwilling tomunicate with you.¡±

    Aunt Teresa suddenly flew into a rage because of this. She scolded andined to her son in a low voice. Alfred could only endure it helplessly except for asionally interrupting.

    It was obvious Aunt Teresa usually had a tough attitude toward her children. Both Lily and Alfred were already used to it.

    I looked at the mother and son, especially Alfred. It seemed that he was not a bad brother.. If we are all worried about Lily, maybe we could cooperate?

 Chapter 583 - 583: Guarding Against Women Is Like Guarding Against Thieves

    Chapter 583: Guarding Against Women Is Like Guarding Against Thieves

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion | Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yarin¡¯s POV:

    Aunt Teresa didn¡¯t show any signs of stopping. Her attention gradually shifted from her daughter toining. It was as if Lily was a baby who was used to crying to get the attention of her elders. As if she had deliberately nned such a disappearance to attract attention.

    ¡°¡­ She is like a stray werewolf now! Wandering the world despite having a home to return to. I wondered what kind of friends she is hanging out with to be such a worrying child! Lily was so cute and obedient when she was young. I remember bringing her and her brothers home to visit their rtives. A strawberry lollipop was enough to make her sit obediently for the entire afternoon¡­¡±

    I couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and said coldly, ¡°But Lily doesn¡¯t like strawberries at all, Aunt Teresa. Lily doesn¡¯t like any fruit, not strawberries, peaches, apples, or anything else.¡±

    Aunt Teresa was stunned. After a few seconds, she said dryly, ¡°Maybe, but whatever Lily liked when she was young, she has stopped liking them and I am not sure when that happened because she never tells me.¡±

    She did not care about Lily at all. She just wanted a daughter who was as transparent as air and could grow up with minimal effort. How could there be a child who could be quiet for the entire afternoon just because of a piece of candy?

    Lily didn¡¯t like the taste of strawberries, but she knew that telling her mother the truth would only get her a scolding, so she had to waste an afternoon to digest this perfunctory love.

    Aunt Teresa stoppedining. She was a shrewd adult and could tell which side I was on.

    Her face changed as she wiped away her tears and squeezed out a strange smile. She nudged Alfred. ¡°Go and y with His Highness for a while, my dear. The atmosphere in the tent is too serious. You should go out and get some fresh air.¡±

    Alfred silently nced at his mother, nodded, and invited me to leave with him.

    I thought this was a good opportunity to test his intentions.

    When we arrived outside the tent, there was music andughter everywhere. Even ourpanions who were only two meters away had to shout at the top of their lungs to hear what the other party was saying.

    I didn¡¯t have to worry about our conversation being exposed. Although it was not a secret, if someone found out, they¡¯d tell my parents. Then, I wouldn¡¯t be able to carry out the rest of the n.

    To be honest, the atmosphere between us was a little awkward. Alfred and I could only be considered strangers, and the age gap was obvious. There was nothing to talk about.

    Therefore, I skipped the useless small talk and asked directly through the noisy crowd, ¡°What do you think of Lily, Alfred?¡±

    He was stunned by my question and then replied, ¡°Lily is my precious sister, Your Highness. Although we aren¡¯t that close because of some misunderstandings, it doesn¡¯t stop us from being connected by blood.¡±

    ¡°But Lily doesn¡¯t seem to think so. I¡¯ve never heard her mention you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, of course, Your Highness. Just like I said, there¡¯s some distance between us.¡± Alfred smiled bitterly. ¡°Lily is a lively and brave girl. It¡¯s just that our family has put too many shackles on her. I understand her escape from her family. I don¡¯t think I could find a perfect solution if I were her.

    ¡°Our age difference isn¡¯t big, only one year old. This makes it difficult for me to observe her from the perspective of an elder. And I don¡¯t think Lily can treat me as a mature brother she can trust with all her heart. You know, there are actually three of us. We have an elder brother here but because of some- reasons¡­ we were forced to separate.¡±

    ¡°Our oldest brother is closer to my father, and I to my mother. While Lily-well, she thinks she¡¯s forgotten so she¡¯s not close to either of our parents. When she entered junior high school, her whereabouts suddenly became erratic. She would often not be seen for months. Even if she went to school to see her, it was useless.¡±

    ¡°Our parents always thought that Lily had reached the age of rebellion, but I know that¡¯s not true. Perhaps it was not wrong for Lily to think that she was being abandoned. No matter how much our parents said they loved her, they excluded her from everything they did. Sometimes, they would even warn our older brother and me to be ¡®wary¡¯ of her, as if our sister was eyeing the position of ¡®heir¡¯ all the time.¡±

    Alfred¡¯s description was the same as what Cynthia had warned me about.

    Lily had a pair of rich, powerful, and prestigious parents, but she could not go anywhere. She did not belong to anywhere. She was homeless.

    However, this was the first time I knew Lily was in such a difficult situation. What kind of feelings did parents have for their biological daughter that they would treat her like a thief?

    My heart ached because of this. I remembered the night when I pestered Lily and asked her to take us away from home. Back then, I only felt adventurous. Later, I might have felt a little guilty, but it was only now that I realized that I was aplete jerk..

 Chapter 584 - 584: A New Partner

    Chapter 584: A New Partner

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion | Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yarin¡¯s POV:

    My willfulness made Lily¡¯s situation worse. Running away from home was her only way to get a temporary release, but I made it impossible.

    I made Lily an ¡®abductor¡¯. Although no judge had pronounced this crime, to Aunt Teresa, who viewed her daughter through prejudiced sses, this crime had been confirmed. Even Lily¡¯s disappearance had be a prank that could be used to vent her dissatisfaction.

    This was not a story of the boy who cried wolf. Shepherds at least cherished their flock of sheep, but Lily¡¯s parents treated her like nothing.

    ¡°I don¡¯t usually tell others about our family matters,¡± Alfred suddenly said. He was a rather tall teenager, and a year of military life was enough to make him muscr and serious. Therefore, when he became serious, it would unconsciously make others serious.

    I looked at him in confusion. He exined, ¡°Don¡¯t air your dirtyundry. The so-called nobles always like to cling to these cliches and maintain their dignity in front of outsiders. But I don¡¯t think you¡¯re a person who likes to talk nonsense, Your Highness. Your concern for Lilyes from the bottom of your heart. You¡¯re Lily¡¯s true friend, so you defended her before my mother just now.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, Lily is my good friend¡­¡±

    It was fine to admit it, but I blushed for no reason.

    ¡°You looked like you wanted to say something but hesitated just now. I think you have something to say to me, right?¡±

    Alfred saw through my ns. His calm gaze fell steadily on me, waiting for me to tell him everything.

    I must admit that Alfred was different from all the other people I had met in his generation. He was not as arrogant and tactful as the descendants of nobles or officials in the Lycan pack, nor was he as naive and ignorant as my ssmates in school.

    His calmness allowed him to transcend the limitations of his age. It was impossible to tell that he was just a seventeen-year-old teenager.

    Perhaps he was indeed trustworthy?

    But at the same time, his calmness deterred me. Would he agree to leave with me to look for Lily?

    Just as I was stuck in dilemma, I heard Alfred say, ¡°You want to find Lily, right, Your Highness?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I was just about to¡­ Wait, how do you know?¡±

    I looked at him in astonishment. Alfred smiled and said, ¡°Your thoughts are almost written on your face. If I¡¯m not wrong, you came to look for my mother just now for this, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, but Aunt Teresa doesn¡¯t seem to agree.¡±

    ¡°Mother will never agree, not just because of your identity, Your Highness. She and Lily¡­ Sigh.¡± Alfred sighed bitterly. ¡°I won¡¯t say anything else. How do you want me to help you, Your Highness?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re agreeing to the deal just like that?¡± I asked in disbelief.

    ¡°Of course, I have no reason to disagree. Lily is my sister, and I desperately want to find her. I don¡¯t need to worry about your safety. Countless warriors are hiding in the shadows to protect you. I can¡¯t see them, but I can feel them.¡± ¡°What? Is someone following me?¡±

    I immediately looked around, but there were tourists everywhere. I didn¡¯t see any suspicious people.

    I knew someone would protect me secretly, but I thought that was only when I was out of my parents¡¯ sight. I didn¡¯t expect that someone would be watching over me even if I stayed by their side!

    ¡°So I think we don¡¯t have to be so secretive. No matter what we do, we won¡¯t be able to escape His Majesty¡¯s eyes in the end.¡± Alfred shrugged, his ruffian aura instantly destroying his upright and calm temperament. ¡°But since we¡¯re standing here, it means His Highness has at least acquiesced to our actions.¡± ¡°Silent consent? But how did my mother know that we wanted to do it¡­What¡­¡±

    I realized that this was a stupid question. Since someone in the dark could protect me without my noticing, it was unsurprising that there were strange ways to hear our conversation.

    My mother knew I wanted to look for Lily but didn¡¯t stop me. It couldn¡¯t be because she was too busy to remember that she had a son.

    My mother actually agreed, which made me feel incredible. She used to try her best to avoid putting me in danger. Why did she let me go this time?

    I didn¡¯t understand. There are more important things in front of me.

    ¡°Well, I think Lily¡¯s disappearance is rted to those criminals. I want to go to those streets to look,¡± I said.

    Alfred shook his head. ¡°But the criminals have already been brought to justice. We only have to wait a few minutes. The werewolf grandmasters have ten thousand ways to make them reveal traces of Lily.¡±

    ¡°But what if the criminals we arrested are not all criminals?¡± I looked at the busy streets. Everyone rejoiced, but who knew what purpose was hidden under their happy expressions?

    ¡°Out of the three streets, only two were attacked. I feel that there is something fishy about the remaining one. Since the criminals could attack the weakest ce, there was no reason to let the third street go. Creating more chaos was beneficial to them, right?¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that there are still undiscovered criminals hiding?¡±

 Chapter 585 - 585: Greetings

    Chapter 585: Greetings

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Lily¡¯s POV:

    It was dark before me as if someone had covered my eyes with a ck cloth.

    I was kidnapped. The kidnappers did not hide their presence. Someone noticed me and roughly pulled me up from the ground by my hair.

    ¡°Good afternoon, Miss.¡± It sounded like a young man. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that my subordinates treated you so rudely. They are used to being casual. Please forgive them.¡±

    I hoped that his subordinates would treat pulling his hair as a greeting. They seemed to have sealed my throat in some way. I couldn¡¯t make a sound.

    ¡°I think you must be puzzled about why we invited you as a guest. Moreover, this is your home, the Silver Moon family¡¯s territory. Perhaps in your eyes, we are a group of uninvited guests. But don¡¯t be angry, please allow me to tell you why we¡¯re here. And I hope you can remain calm, Miss. I personally don¡¯t like noisydies.¡±

    I nodded. Someone wiped a cold liquid on my neck.

    ¡°Who are you? If you want the ransom, it¡¯s best toplete the transaction before the end of the Moonlight Festival. The royal and Silver Moon families must already know I¡¯ve gone missing. Once the tourists leave, they won¡¯t have any more worries and will search for your tracks in the Silver Moon Pack. By then, you won¡¯t be able to escape even if you have wings.¡±

    I had no choice but to lower my head in front of others. I wasn¡¯t stupid enough to think I could break out of the thieves¡¯ir alone and temporarily stabilize them to ensure my safety¡­ if they were really kidnappers, that was.

    Unfortunately, they were not.

    The young man chuckled, and his menughed as if I was joking.

    ¡°Well, gentlemen, bring a chair for thedy,¡± he said. ¡°We are not kidnappers, and we don¡¯t need ransom. I invited you here on a whim. You weren¡¯t part of my n, but my subordinates recognized you. I thought that your participation would make everything much more interesting.¡±

    I didn¡¯t have many friends or acquaintances, so it was naturally impossible to know any crazy people. To be able to make a terrorist recognize me, I must have gotten into some trouble without knowing.

    I tried to figure out his intentions, but he continued before I could open my mouth, ¡°Unfortunately, he has been captured by your n. I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t be able to see you again. It is always a pity, so I have decided to help you.¡±

    ¡±1 don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary. No matter who he is, I don¡¯t know him, and I don¡¯t want to see him.¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t do. I¡¯m a man of my word. Since I¡¯ve promised him, I have to keep my word.¡±

    ¡°Who is he? Who are you?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not important. We don¡¯t have time for small talk.¡±

    1 felt someone approaching me and gently caressing my hair, ears, cheeks, and neck. The cold sensation was like a poisonous snake, making me shudder.

    Then, he ced a paper box on myp and held my hand to touch the bow tied at the top.

    ¡°A gift, Miss. It¡¯s not good for a new guest toe empty-handed, so I prepared this for the city of Silver Moon. I wanted to leave it here quietly as a surprise for the owner. However, since you¡¯re here, the rules of this game might as well be changed.

    ¡°Can you feel it? It was a small clock with a mechanical design, which is much more exquisite than those stupid electronic products. It hasn¡¯t started yet. I¡¯ve set the time for it to run for three hours. Once the hour hand haspleted three rounds, the gift will jump out of the box by itself.¡±

    ¡°¡­ What¡¯s inside?¡± I felt the box on my leg was heavy, giving me a nauseating feeling.

    He took the box away and ced it in front of me. He opened a small gap, and the next second, a sharp warning went off in my mind, ¡®Stay away from it! It is dangerous! It is dangerous! Hurry up and leave!¡¯

    I struggled violently, which greatly pleased the man who was teasing me. He closed the lid and moved closer to my temples, which were soaked in a cold sweat. Heughed and said, ¡°This is made of pure silver powder without impurities. Before they were ground into powder, they were lucky enough to be soaked in a god¡¯s blood. The sweet, pure, and supreme liquid amplified their power countless times and filled them with the grace of a god. There was also a little witchcraft to make it easier for this gift to be delivered to each master.¡± Silver and a god¡¯s blood from an unknown cult. This box of a gift was a time bomb aimed at the werewolves.

    Great, now I was convinced this was a terrorist attack, and the target was the Silver Moon Pack. As for me, an unlucky fellow who didn¡¯t look at my fortune when I went out, I supposed I¡¯d be the first to die under this attack.

    ¡°Time¡¯s up, we¡¯re leaving. By the way, there is a voice-detecting spell on your throat. Once your decibel exceeds 100 decibels, the gift will explode in advance.¡±

    ¡°Who are you?¡± I didn¡¯t dare to move, fearing that abnormal movements would cause the bomb to explode prematurely.

    The man¡¯s voice was already very far away. It seemed that he had walked to the door. Hearing my question, heughed wickedly and replied arrogantly, ¡°The Lily of the Valley sends its regards to you, Miss.

    ¡°So, the countdown begins..¡±

 Chapter 586 - 586: The Blind Box

    Chapter 586: The Blind Box

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion | Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yarin¡¯s POV:

    I couldn¡¯t be sure if those criminals had other aplices, but Lily¡¯s disappearance was so strange. Unless she was ambushed, I couldn¡¯t think of anyone who would openly kidnap a youngdy from the Silver Moon family in the Silver Moon Pack¡¯s territory.

    ¡°I have to go there. Although my mother and Mr. Quinn have both sent people, you¡¯ve seen Aunt Teresa¡¯s attitude. I¡¯m afraid that the search won¡¯t be as exhaustive as it can be under her influence. Even if we let go of a clue, what awaits Lily is¡­¡±

    Alfred said bitterly, ¡°Mother, she¡­ Alright, you¡¯re right. She wants to end everything as soon as possible.¡±

    Aunt Teresa stubbornly believed that this was Lily¡¯s rebellious prank. Not only did she want to end all of this as soon as possible, but she also wanted Lily to never appear in front of us again. Lily seemed to have be a hindrance to her, which would make her lose face in front of the Queen and hinder her from gaining more power and status.

    She hoped that Lily could take all the responsibility so that she could be an innocent and mentally exhausted mother. No criticism should hurt her.

    However, I only thought about it in my heart and didn¡¯t express my dissatisfaction with Alfred¡¯s mother in front of him.

    ¡°There are three streets in total. Lily was not found on the left and the middle street, so she probably followed the crowd to the right. Let¡¯s go to that street and look around. Maybe we¡¯ll find something.¡±

    The further away we were from Silver Moon za, the fewer people on the streets. Of course, there were stillrge swaths of people, but it was not as crowded.

    The people¡¯s gorgeous clothes had caused us a lot of trouble. Everyone was dressed differently, and everyone looked different. This meant that the criminal could easily hide among the tourists. Even if he was walking in front of us, we might not notice him.

    The guards had sealed off the street involved, and the tourists were being interrogated one by one. From time to time, there would be peopleining loudly. They seemed very suspicious, but when they checked their documents, they found they were born and raised in the Silver Moon Pack.

    ¡°Lily is quite skilled and is a living person. The person who kidnapped her would not have taken her out on the streets. It is very likely that she is hidden on this street,¡± Alfred said. ¡°This street isn¡¯t long, but at least a hundred households are on it. It¡¯ll take too much time to search for them one by one, and it might even alert the enemy.¡±

    ¡°How about having the guards guard every house? This would save time and prevent the criminals from taking Lily away.¡±

    Alfred shook his head. ¡°The police force is limited. We can¡¯t mobilize so many people in a short time. Moreover, in such a noisy festival, it is difficult not to attract attention when deploying manpower. Instead, it would alert the enemy in advance. This street seemed only to have two entrances, but many stores are along the street. The stores usually had a back door, easily allowing people to escape to other blocks.¡±

    ¡°In this case, it is very likely that the criminals have already taken Lily away?¡±

    ¡°This is the worst-case scenario. Perhaps we are searching in the wrong ce. However, we can¡¯t take care of the other streets. Now, we have to trust the strength of the guards for the time being. They have surrounded these three streets like iron buckets. The criminals can only move within these three streets even if they want to move. They will be caught sooner orter.¡±

    Yes, they would be caught sooner orter, but we didn¡¯t have that much time to wait. Every minute we waited, Lily would be in more danger.

    I couldn¡¯t establish a link with my mother, so I always subconsciously ignored it. Alfred and Lily¡¯s rtionship reminded me of it, so I suggested, ¡°Your mind-link with Lily can reach three streets, right? Why don¡¯t you try calling out to Lily first? That way, we can coordinate from the inside!¡±

    To my surprise, Alfred revealed an awkward expression. He wanted to say something, but he hesitated. Ultimately, he said, ¡°I can¡¯t contact Lily. We¡­ Although we are biological siblings, blood is not the only deciding factor.

    ¡°Lily is emotionally rejecting her family, including me. She subconsciously avoided me, so the mind-link between us has been broken for many years. Even when I call out to Lily, she never responds.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know that.¡±

    Alfred smiled bitterly and said, ¡°But I will try to call her nonstop.¡±

    From the looks of it, it seemed like we could only stupidly search one by one and wait for time to filter out the real criminals. However, looking at the guards on the street, they were gradually reced by the Silver Moon family. I didn¡¯t know how many of them listened to Francis and how many listened to Aunt Teresa.

    The Silver Moon family¡¯s members were much more perfunctory. They basically let werewolves pass when they saw them. Even among the humans, they would only choose those who looked strong enough to undergo a simple identification check. I even doubted whether they could tell the authenticity of the identification.

    The defensive force visibly rxed. This was simply a chance to escape!

    ¡°We can¡¯t drag this on any longer.¡± I made up my mind and dragged Alfred into a hidden alley.. ¡°Can I trust you, Alfred? Will you promise to keep everything you see today a secret?¡±

 Chapter 587 - 587: Playdough 1

    Chapter 587: ydough 1

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yarin¡¯s POV:

    I was not born an ordinary baby.

    When I was still a little kid, people often told me stories about my mother¡¯s magical days when she was young. Everything was as fascinating as myths and legends, from the majestic snow mountains to the dense forests, from the girl from the small town to the queen of the country.

    As my mother¡¯s only biological child, my blood flowed with an ancient bloodline from thousands of years ago. It was said that I waspletely different from other children when I was born. I didn¡¯t even have a gender.

    This made my parents anxious, afraid I had some illness or disability they didn¡¯t know about. People gradually epted my current situation only after the secret of my bloodline was revealed.

    I didn¡¯t have any memories before 1 was two years old. It was not because of physiological development in child psychology but because I couldn¡¯t even be considered aplete life before I was two. My memory after I was two years old was so clear that I could immediately tell what I had for dessert after a certain meal.

    Therefore, I remembered that embarrassing incident very clearly. When I was six years old in primary school, the first difficulty I encountered was not knowing which toilet to use. Cynthia and Heller took turns taking me to different toilets. They always chose when the toilets were empty until the teacher found out.

    I couldn¡¯t ept that the first time I was asked to be my parent was for such a reason. I was so ashamed that I locked myself in my room for a night. I turned into a boy the next day. I guess it was because I spent most of my time with Heller, and Cynthia was always away, so I was more familiar with men.

    The topic had strayed off.

    In short, I had some unique talents as a werewolf who wasn¡¯t pureblood. I kept it a secret most of the time, but now I needed it to help me find Lily.

    Alfred didn¡¯t know what I was going to do. He stopped me sternly. ¡°I swear my loyalty and silence to you, but I hope you won¡¯t put yourself at risk. Your Highness, any criminal is extremely vicious. If you want to do something dangerous, please forgive me for having to stop you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not certain who¡¯s more dangerous,¡± I mumbled as 1 unbuttoned the buttons on my clothes. This was the bad thing about gorgeous costumes. It was too troublesome to put them on and take them off!

    Alfred jumped in fright. He didn¡¯t know where to put his eyes and asked in bewilderment, ¡°What exactly are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so old-fashioned, man! We¡¯re all men.¡± I stuffed the clothes I took off into his hands and turned his face back. ¡°I have a way to find Lily, but this method might not seem so¡­ Righteous? 1 don¡¯t know how to describe it, but you¡¯d better be prepared now. Don¡¯t get scaredter.¡±

    Alfred looked like he was going crazy. He tried his best to maintain hisposure, but his trembling voice betrayed his true emotions.¡±What exactly are you doing? Give me a definite answer, Your Highness, don¡¯t tease me!¡±

    I was only wearing a singlet and boxers, so it would be better to take them offpletely. However, it was better for me not to provide headlines for the entertainment tabloids.

    ¡°Believe me, I¡¯m not teasing you. I¡¯ll be changing a littleter. Although it looks a little scary, it¡¯s still me. Don¡¯t panic and don¡¯t call anyone. Help me look after my clothes. I still need to wear them when Ie back.¡±

    Alfred was a decent and serious young man, and seeing him in a state of chaos was very interesting. But now, I only hoped that he would be scared. After all, that look of mine was really¡­ Ugly.

    I blinked at the stunned Alfred, took a deep breath, and lowered my shoulders ¨C

    And melted.

    My muscles were melting, my bones were bing sticky, and all the hard and soft body structures were developing in the same direction.

    I was melting and turning into a bloody mess.

    It was ugly, even horrifying, as could be seen from Alfred¡¯s furious expression.

    My eyeballs had already turned into a puddle of pale pink sticky liquid, but this did not mean I had lost my vision. Because all my organs had dissolved and all my organs were mixed, any part of me could now act as an eye.

    I knew it was not scientific, but it was a bit dull to find scientific rationality here, wasn¡¯t it?

    My parents previously thought my ability might be a variant of New Flow, but Cynthia disagreed. She couldn¡¯t find the same characteristics in me. Rather than saying that I inherited my mother¡¯s power, it was better to say this was a brand-new talent.

    Mimicry.

    I was born with no fixed posture and was constantly changing. Perhaps this sticky sticine form was the real me.

    A small vine tentacle poked the dumbstruck Alfred. Seeing him retreat in fear, I thought, If I still had a mouth, I would beughing out loud right now.

    Waving my tentacles to bid him farewell, I rushed up the wall and spread out silently.

    It was strange to divide yourself into hundreds of parts. You knew they were all you, but you could feel a sense of independence. Hundreds of you were surging into the same brain in a dizzying way..

 Chapter 588 - 588: The Call

    Chapter 588: The Call

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yarin¡¯s POV:

    Initially, 1 would only maintain this state for a minute before immediately returning to vomiting. After training, I could barely hold on for half an hour. I must find Lily in half an hour, or we were both screwed.

    Most people went to the streets to party during the Moonlight Festival. Few people stayed at home, which made it convenient for me.

    i could see the whole of each room through the windows, but not all rooms have windows, and not all are transparent. Ten minutes passed, and 1 didn¡¯t find Lily anywhere 1 could see. I thought she was locked in a room with no windows or curtains.

    So I finally started to use the simplest method ¨C shouting Lily¡¯s name. People who didn¡¯t know her would think it was just a small noise outside the window, and Lily would realize I was there to save her.

    Perhaps the criminal was beside her, so she couldn¡¯t make a sound. However, she was smart and knew how to use her werewolf characteristics to respond to me.

    ¡°Lily, are you there?¡±

    This was the thirty-eighth household. They responded to me, but it wasn¡¯t the answer I wanted. Thedy of the house was also called Lily. I left immediately before she peeked out the window.

    Time passed, and soon, there were only ten minutes left.

    I¡¯d already started to feel slightly dizzy. This caused my mimicry to tremble from time to time. Some of my consciousnesses suddenly merged and copsed like bubbles exploding in a soup pot, bringing a slight but not negligible pain.

    At this moment, I began to resent being so young. If 1 had already be an adult and had my wolf, I could move in a stronger wolf form instead of crying out in pain because of a little fatigue like now.

    When there were five minutes left, all the opaque windows were searched, but there was still nothing.

    The final target was the few and troublesome sealed rooms.

    I gathered my scattered self into a whole, then split it into a fewrge pieces. At the same time, I went to investigate the sealed room. One of them was a dance studio.

    Futuristic metal walls sealed the three sides of the room. The side facing the street was a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows, but it was tightly sealed and covered by thick linen curtains.

    1 tried to look through the gap but couldn¡¯t see anything.

    ¡°Lily, are you there?¡±

    I shouted as loudly as possible, afraid the people inside couldn¡¯t hear me.

    There was no response.

    I asked a few more times, but I still didn¡¯t hear anything or smell anything that belonged to Lily.

    Yes, I was originally trying to find Lily through pheromones. Even if Lily couldn¡¯t respond to me in front of the criminal, she could secretly release her pheromones so I could find her.

    Lily told Heller and me about a human woman who used perfume to defeat a kidnapper with the help of the police.

    But now I thought I might have taken it for granted. What if Lily couldn¡¯t even release her pheromones?

    Human women could use perfume because of the criminals ¡¯blind spots¡¯, because humans could not release unique scents like werewolves. But Lily was a werewolf. What if the kidnappers thought of this?

    I¡¯d been stupid again!

    Now was not the time to be upset. 1 forced myself to calm down and think about other possibilities.

    Couldn¡¯t make a sound¡­

    Unable to release pheromones¡­

    Was there any other way to secretly send messages?

    A channel that only we know of¡­

    That was right!

    I suddenly thought of Alfred, whom I had left in the alley ¨C mind-link! Even I couldn¡¯t hear this natural encrypted channel!

    And so, in a deserted alley, Alfred, who was holding onto his clothes and waiting anxiously, suddenly felt something move in his arms. He looked down and saw a lump of pale pink ¡®slime¡¯.

    ¡°Heavens!¡±

    He was so shocked that he almost threw everything in his hand. The next second, the slime spoke, ¡°It¡¯s me, Alfred. I don¡¯t have time to exin too much. Now, I need you to keep calling Lily in your heart. Even if she doesn¡¯t answer, you must keep calling, okay? Tell me immediately if you have any answers. Don¡¯t dy for even a second.¡±

    Alfred was still in a daze, but his warrior instincts told him to ept the mission immediately.

    Every second felt incredibly long, and Alfred kept calling out to his little sister in his heart. His previous actions were all useless, but now Lily was on the verge of death. He had to put everything aside and call her, hoping for her answer, hoping to find a way for his sister to live.

    Divided into several blocks, I changed my strategy. 1 shouted at every suspicious spot, like a primary school student calling out to a neighbor¡¯s friend. ¡°Lily, where are you? Your brother is looking for you to go home for dinner!

    ¡°He¡¯s calling you, Lily!

    ¡°If you hear me, hurry up and go home with your brother!¡±

    Time slowly passed.

    I was calling.

    Alfred was calling.

    Three minutes left.

    Two minutester.

    ¡°Lily, are you okay? Please answer me!¡±

    Just as Alfred thought this was futile, he heard a voice in his heart say, ¡°Is that you? Alfred?¡±

 Chapter 589 - 589: Inverse Calculation

    Chapter 589: Inverse Calction

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Alfred¡¯s POV:

    Actually, 1 wasn¡¯t sure if Lily would respond. I was afraid that Lily wasn¡¯t conscious at all.

    So when she suddenly heard the response, she was stunned for a few seconds. Then, 1 pinched the slime in my hand and immediately asked, ¡°It¡¯s me, Lily! Are you alright? Are you injured? Is there anyone else next to you? Don¡¯t be afraid. We¡¯re here to save you. You¡¯ll be safe soon!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m not injured. The kidnappers have left, so I¡¯m safe for now.¡± Lily¡¯s voice was trembling, proving her emotions fluctuated violently.

    ¡°But there¡¯s a more serious problem now. The kidnappers left behind a bomb filled with silver powder. ording to them, it was also soaked in the blood of an unknown evil god. Once it explodes, it would be spread throughout the Silver Moon Pack. We have to stop it. Call someone immediately, Alfred.¡± ¡°Okay, okay. Where are you? Do you hear Prince Yarin calling you? If you do, answer him, and we¡¯ll find your location!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t. My eyes are blindfolded, and 1 can¡¯t make a sound. The kidnappers had ced a spell on me. Once my voice exceeds loo decibels, the bomb would explode immediately.¡±

    I felt all the blood in my body freeze, and what made me even more terrified was still toe.

    ¡°This is a time bomb, set tost for three hours. I kept counting the time in my heart. It had already been two and a half hours. I don¡¯t know if my senses have gone wrong while I am blindfolded, but there might be lesser time left.¡±

    Half an hour¡­ Half an hour¡­

    My mind was racing. Half an hour was enough for the police and bomb disposal experts to arrive, but the prerequisite was that we had to know Lily¡¯s exact location!

    However, Lily could not respond, and there was not much time left on Yarin¡¯s side. Was there any way to solve this problem?

    ¡°Maybe we can do an inverse calction?¡± The slime in my hand suddenly said, ¡°If Lily can¡¯t make a sound, we can do the opposite. Can¡¯t we check which ce is silent?¡±

    ¡°I only have a minute left. This is the most efficient way. Listen, Alfred, 1 need you to contact the Queen and Silver Moon¡¯s Alpha immediately and ask them to send someone over. I¡¯ll give you a few possible options. If we can¡¯t urately find the correct answer, we can narrow the scope at least.¡±

    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± I asked subconsciously, but the slime in my hand did not answer. I thought about Yarin¡¯s current situation. He probably didn¡¯t have time to exin more. I didn¡¯t have much time left either. Lily only had half an hour left. This was a life-and-death situation.

    I immediately called out to my grandfather, and he immediately responded.

    ¡°Please inform Her Majesty that a conspiratory group is harming the people of the Silver Moon Pack. Immediately send the police and bomb disposal experts to Parallel Street. Lily is being held somewhere in these three streets. The kidnappers left behind a bomb containing arge amount of silver powder and evil substances. It will explode in less than half an hour. Please, immediately¡­¡±

    Francis didn¡¯t ask questions and said calmly, ¡°We¡¯ll feel it in ten minutes. Stay steady, Alfred. Do you know Lily¡¯s exact location?¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t for the time being¡­¡±

    Before 1 could finish, a loud sound came from afar, as if something had exploded.

    My heart froze.

    However, 1 didn¡¯t get the fatal silver powder. Instead, the sickly slime in my hand suddenly said, ¡°The bridal shop and art ssroom on the left Parallel Street, the vegetarian restaurant on the middle Parallel Street, and the dance studio on the right Parallel Street. Lily must be at one of these four ces¡­¡±

    Yarin seemed to be exhausted. He only had time to tell us four locations before he could not speak again. 1 saw the slime in my hand suddenly soften and melt. It dripped to the ground and then slid away like water.

    I immediately followed him and told them about the four locations.

    ¡°Keep in touch, Alfred. How is His Royal Highness?¡± Francis asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, he¡­ I¡¯ve been separated from him, so I don¡¯t know his current situation.¡± To keep it a secret, 1 lied to my grandfather.

    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s not wrong for young people to be bold.¡± Francis did not have anyints about their slightly outrageous behavior. ¡°We will bring the doctor with us. 1 believe you have developed a sincere friendship with His Royal Highness, but if he is not feeling well, you should not hide it, okay?¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    I followed the slime¡¯s tracks and finally found Yarin behind a building.

    Arge pool of viscous gel that looked like diluted blood squirmed irregrly. This sight was horrible to the eyes and the soul. Even though I knew who it was, 1 was shocked and subconsciously put on a defensive posture.

    ¡°How do you feel, sir?¡± I couldn¡¯t find anything on the liquid that could be called a face or iconic features, so 1 could only look at the air and care about him. ¡°The doctor will be here in ten minutes.. Is there anything 1 can do for you?¡±

 Chapter 590 - 590: A Prank

    Chapter 590: A Prank

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yarin¡¯s POV:

    Dizzy and nauseous, like a cat thrown into a washing machine.

    1 couldn¡¯t even maintain my human form. My actions just now had exhausted all my strength. I could only lie on the ground and pretend 1 was arge pile of melted gum, praying that no innocent passersby woulde.

    Being seen was secondary. I was afraid that whoever saw me would be traumatized.

    Alfred was concerned about me. He was a good man, but I really didn¡¯t have the strength to respond to him. He said the police and bomb disposal experts were already on their way and would arrive in ten minutes. He hoped that they would be quick. What if the kidnappers were lying to Lily?

    Before the bomb crisis was resolved, I was worried every second that the thing would explode prematurely.

    After some time, Alfred¡¯s pleasantly surprised voice rang in my ear. ¡°Someone¡¯s here, Your Highness! But, uh, my grandfather is here, and I said that we¡¯re not together. Now he¡¯sing to look for me. Should I leave first?¡±

    1 barely managed to condense a short tentacle as thick as a finger and shook it up and down as a nod.

    So Alfred left.

    1 couldn¡¯t take it anymore and fainted.

    When I opened my eyes again, 1 didn¡¯t know how long had passed, but 1 had already unknowingly gathered into a human form. Alfred considerately left the clothes for me, and I put them on. This consumed the little bit of strength I had gathered with great difficulty.

    After sitting for a while, I heard footsteps. It was my parents.

    ¡°Are you alright? How do you feel?¡± My mother walked over quickly and hugged me gently. ¡°1 brought the doctor. They will give you a simple examination. Don¡¯t worry. You will be fine.¡±

    The Imperial Doctor, Craig, had been in charge of my health for many years. He was the person who understood my physical condition the most, other than my parents. He could tell at a nce why I was so dispirited.

    ¡°It¡¯s a serious overdraft. Your Highness, this is not a simple exhaustion.¡± He said disapprovingly, ¡°I¡¯ll give you a few nutrient injections to keep your body running. When you return, you must undergo aprehensive check-up to prevent hidden risks. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to stay in bed for a while.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll listen to the doctor.¡± 1 knew I had done something wrong and tried to act obediently to reduce my punishment.

    ¡°What time is it now?¡± 1 asked my parents, ¡°Where¡¯s Lily? Did you find her? Has the bomb been safely defused?¡±

    ¡°Lily is safe. She is with her brother and grandfather now,¡± said my mother, but when the bomb was mentioned, her face looked a little strange.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a bomb. It was a false rm,¡± my father said.

    ¡°What?¡± I sat up in disbelief, almost letting the needle hit the wrong spot.¡± It was not a bomb? Is it confirmed? Are there no other conspirators?¡±

    My father sighed and said, ¡°The box is indeed filled with evil things, but the bomb¡­ Obviously, we were tricked by those criminals. It was just an ordinary paper box with a watch tied to it. Other than that, there wasn¡¯t even the slightest trace of witchcraft left.¡±

    ¡°So Lily, she¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, Lily was also deceived. The criminal did not cast any witchcraft on her at all, let alone say that it would explode if it exceeded the decibel level.¡±

    How could this be¡­

    1 heaved a sigh of relief at the false rm, but at the same time, I couldn¡¯t help feeling angry.

    We had beenpletely fooled!

    Lily¡¯s danger, Alfred¡¯s and my sorry state, and everyone who had worked so hard for this had beenpletely fooled!

    Was this what those bustards wanted? nning a non-existent terrorist attack, hiding in the sewers, andughing at us?

    ¡°I want to see Lily.¡± I tried to stand up. ¡°And that box of bombs. I want to see what scared us like birds.¡±

    My parents didn¡¯t stop me.

    Parallel Street had already been cleared, which would naturally arouse public suspicion, but life was more important than words and writing.

    A temporarymand center had been set up by the road, and busy police officers and staff from various departments were everywhere. Although the bomb crisis had been resolved, the entire Parallel Street needed to be thoroughly checked to prevent these criminals from leaving any ¡®gifts¡¯ elsewhere.

    Lily was sitting on the side of the road with a nket draped over her and a cup of hot chocte in her hands.

    ¡°Hey, Lily, how are you? Are you feeling okay?¡± I ran over. Lily looked up, her face pale.

    ¡°Not bad. I¡¯m fine.¡± She smiled reluctantly. ¡°A false rm is the best result, isn¡¯t it? Although we have been tricked, nothing bad has happened. This could not be better. Thank you for saving me, Your Highness. You are a brave and kind person. 1 apologize for my previous offense.¡±

    ¡°No, no, this is what I should do. 1 should help any werewolf who is in trouble.¡± For some reason, Lily¡¯s thanks made me feel shy. Was it because this was different from her usual style?

    Due to her stormy rtionship with her family, I was worried that Lily would not be willing to reveal her weakness in front of the doctor from the Silver Moon family. I suggested that Craig help examine her.

    However, she didn¡¯t seem to want to talk about it anymore. She took the initiative to change the topic. ¡°Do you want to take a look at that box of bombs? It had be a famous relic, and everyone here has to look at it..¡±

 Chapter 591 - 591: The Silver Coin

    Chapter 591: The Silver Coin

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Varin¡¯s POV:

    The temporary evidence room was a simple tent. The ¡®bombs¡¯ and other suspicious items were temporarily ced there, waiting for rounds of inspection to confirm that they were harmless before they could be moved.

    However, what did not match such a strict inspection procedure was the loose security. Other than an old policeman who looked like he was about to retire, there were only ¡®visitors¡¯ in the evidence room.

    ¡°Is it okay for the security to be so loose?¡± 1 asked quietly.

    Lily lowered her voice as well. ¡°The werewolf grandmaster cast anti-theft magic on the evidence. Nothing on this street is safer than it. Besides, no one was willing to take the initiative to guard the evidence room. They all hated the thing in the box. You¡¯ll know when you see it.¡±

    There was an ordinary-looking cardboard box on the table and traces of a delivery slip that had not been torn clean on the side. Next to it was a watch lying on a white cloth. It was made of brass and looked a little old, but that was all. There was nothing special about it.

    ¡°I was locked up in the dance studio. There were still a lot of these express delivery boxes piled up there. Some of them hadn¡¯t even been opened.¡±

    Lily sneered and said expressionlessly, ¡°It was just a random delivery box and a watch. It¡¯s such a simple toy that made us feel like we¡¯re facing a great enemy. Did you know? I even felt the traces of the express delivery receipt on the box. This farce wouldn¡¯t have been so difficult to end if I had been bolder.

    ¡°If I had been a little bolder, just a little. Unfortunately, I¡¯m a coward. My legs tremble when people casually scare me, and 1 can¡¯t think about anything.¡±

    I gently held her arm and tried tofort her. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. In fact, you¡¯re just a victim. Who could guarantee they would not panic even if they had a bomb in their arms? Don¡¯t be too hard on yourself. This is all part of those bustards¡¯ scheme. It has nothing to do with you.¡±

    Lily smiled and opened the box.

    In an instant, 1 felt an unbearable sense of dizziness. 1 smelled a foul stench as if a thousand cans of herring were in the box. However, when I felt it carefully, 1 realized that my nose didn¡¯t react at all.

    The smell seemed to go straight to my soul through my seven orifices, making me anxious and restless. 1 wanted to throw the box into the trench immediately or stay a million meters away from it.

    ¡°What the hell is this?!¡± My hair stood on end, and I forced myself to look into the box.

    However, there was no canned herring in the box. There was only a small silver coin lying at the bottom. The silver coin was quite old, and its surface was covered with rust. One could vaguely see the patterns on the silver coin through the rust. There seemed to be¡­ A flower?

    ¡°This is ¡®dynamite¡¯. It¡¯s the only thing in the box.¡± Lily saw that I was about to faint and asked in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell? Sit down and rest for a while. I¡¯ll call the doctor.¡±

    1 quickly stopped her. ¡°No, no, I¡¯m not ufortable. It¡¯s just that the smell is too strong. 1 can¡¯t get used to it at the moment.¡±

    ¡°Smell?¡± Lily frowned in confusion. ¡°What smell?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you smell it? It¡¯s the stench of this silver coin. Oh, no, I¡¯m really going to throw up.¡±

    1 couldn¡¯t take it anymore, so 1 immediately rushed out of the evidence room to let the fresh air save my precarious nose and lungs. The strange thing was that this smell¡¯s range seemed very small. Once we left the evidence room, we could not smell it.

    Lily went to the side to get a cup of water for me and asked, ¡°What happened? Does the silver coin have a smell? 1 didn¡¯t smell anything.¡±

    ¡°Not at all?¡±

    1 was a little surprised. Even the rats in the sewers couldn¡¯t stand that disgusting smell.

    Lily turned serious and pulled me to the doctor. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s not the silver coins; it¡¯s you. Peoplee and go here. If the silver coin is as smelly as you im, it¡¯s impossible that no one can smell them.¡±

    1 began to doubt myself. Could I have overused my power and was feeling some aftereffects?

    Craig reported to my parents about my physical condition, and we walked over. Craig stopped talking as soon as he saw someone beside me. My mother motioned for him to go ahead. When they discovered I had an olfactory illusion, they immediately took it seriously and asked to check my body.

    This meant that I had to leave Parallel Street. I didn¡¯t want to, but there were priorities. Now was not the time for me to join in the fun.

    1 hoped to see Lily again today, so I asked, ¡°Have you seen Alfred? He seems to be with Mr. Quinn. 1 heard that he has a week off. I think he will return to the manor at night. Will you go back too?¡±

    ¡°Maybe, 1 don¡¯t know,¡± Lily said vaguely. ¡°1 have other residences in the Silver Moon Pack, and 1 don¡¯t think the manor wees me anymore.¡±

    ¡°How could that be? Mr. Quinn was very worried about you, and so was Alfred. They were all looking forward to your return.¡± 1 feared Lily would leave like this and even mentioned Heller. ¡°And my brother¡­ Didn¡¯t you agree to collect candies together? If you leave, he will be very sad.¡±

    Lily looked at me for a while, which made my heart beat faster. After a while, his shoulders dropped, and she nodded as if she waspromising..

 Chapter 592 - 592: An Evil Power

    Chapter 592: An Evil Power

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yarin¡¯s POV:

    This examination was not a small one. 1 was thoroughly examined from the inside out, from my body to my soul. The conclusion was that 1 did not have any physical or spiritual injuries.

    ¡°What about his sense of smell?¡± my mother asked worriedly.

    The doctor and the werewolf grandmasters looked at each other. Craig said, ¡°We still have to do a test, but because the test equipment is rtively sensitive, we need your approval before we can take it out.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Evidence, Your Majesty. They usuallye from cultists, wanderers, or unknown forces. Without exception, they are all rted to evil forces.¡±

    ¡°You mean, from the devil?¡±

    She and my father looked at each other, and both looked unhappy.

    ¡°Not only that, but these things are contaminated with all kinds of evil power. Somee from demons, some from fallen gods, and some even from a mixture of unknown forces. However, they have amon characteristic. We have to make a conclusion based on whether His Royal Highness can distinguish their so-called ¡®smell¡¯.

    ¡°This is undoubtedly dangerous.¡± They added, ¡°We will take all precautions to prevent the evil forces from being exposed, but this n requires your consent.¡±

    In other words, to test my illness, we must experiment with something as evil as that silver coin, and there was an unavoidable danger.

    1 immediately wanted to refuse. The risk was too significant.

    This manor was not far from the downtown area. Any leak could cause a disaster. Didn¡¯t we look so miserable on Parallel Street to prevent this from happening?

    However, after pondering for a while, my mother agreed.

    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll tell Francis to give you the authority to mobilize Silver Moon¡¯s local items. However, they could not continue the inspection here. They should go to the suburbs and find a ce with few people. They should try their best to prevent it from happening.¡±

    I tried to persuade her to change her mind. ¡°There¡¯s no need to go through so much trouble. We¡¯re leaving in a few days anyway, so why wait until we return to the Lycan Pack? The protective measures of the Sorcery Research Association must be much safer than the wilderness. 1 don¡¯t think it¡¯s a big problem. 1 only smelled a little bit of it briefly at that time. Since then, 1 haven¡¯t had any olfactory illusions.¡±

    However, my mother gently and firmly made the decision.

    After the doctors left, she looked at my puzzlement and exined helplessly, ¡°Anything rted to evil power can¡¯t be a small matter. Child, it¡¯s fine if the reasones from you, but if it¡¯s¡­ Therefore, this must not be dyed.¡±

    I felt my parents were in a bad mood, so I skipped the topic.

    After a short silence, 1 asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Heller? Where is he?¡±

    ¡°Heller is still resting. He has long returned to the manor,¡± my father said as he patted my head. ¡°Do you miss him? When he wakes up, you can y together.¡± ¡°Is he asleep?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Heller was very tired. He fell asleep soon after you and Mr. Quinn left. I sent him back.¡±

    I thought of Denise and the brooch. ¡®I wonder whether Denise went to look for Heller or not. If she did, she must be disappointed.¡¯ The tent was empty, and her new friend was gone.

    I felt a bit of pity for Heller. Although he and 1 were so close that we wore the same pants, he was very introverted in front of outsiders, so it was challenging for him to make friends. Even in primary school, there were not many ssmates who could y with him. It wasn¡¯t easy for him to meet a friend, but he missed the chance because of a strangebination of factors.

    Later, i had to ask Francis for more limited-edition moon fudges. Hopefully, the sweet candies couldfort Heller a bit.

    ¡°If we go to the suburbs, what about Heller? Is heing too?¡± I asked again.

    This time, my mother answered me, ¡°Heller will stay here. The doctor thinks he will sleep until tomorrow morning. We¡¯ll be long back when he wakes up.¡±

    And Lily, I just made an appointment to meet her tonight, but now I would stand her up.

    ¡°Other than us, who else is in the manor?¡±

    ¡°No one yet, but Francis said he would ask Alfred to go home first. He¡¯s very tired today.¡± My mother said, ¡°I heard you and Lili have agreed to meet at night. Are you afraid of canceling the appointment? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll get someone to tell Lily your apology and exin it to her clearly. She won¡¯t misunderstand you.¡±

    I somehow felt that my mom was smiling when she said this, and my dad was also smiling. What I hated the most was adults exchanging nces when talking, as if children could not understand anything. Alright, 1 really didn¡¯t understand. But this was really annoying!

    So annoying!

    The sky had already darkened when they arrived at the temporary suburban location. Happy music could be heard faintly in the distance. The festival did not stop because of the sunset. Moonlight was the real signal for the festival to begin. It was a festival for all werewolves; no one needed to organize or guide it.

    ¡°We¡¯ll start when you¡¯re ready,¡± a werewolf grandmaster said. ¡°Please rest assured, all procedures are guaranteed to be safe.¡±

    I took a deep breath and nodded. ¡°Thank you, everyone. I¡¯m ready. Let¡¯s begin..¡±

 Chapter 593 - 593: Supersensory

    Chapter 593: Supersensory

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yarin¡¯s POV:

    There were three boxes wrapped inyers on the table. I couldn¡¯t sense anything under the effect of the seal.

    The werewolf grandmaster unlocked the first one. After breaking theyers of seals, a fishy smell assaulted my nose.

    ¡°How do you feel?¡± they asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s an indescribable smell. It¡¯s like arge pile of fish scales and seaweed fermented overnight.¡±

    Inside the box was a small antiqueb. Judging from the rusty ck appearance and the dull pearls, it was not a modern imitation.

    The werewolf grandmaster nodded, carefully sealed the antiqueb again, and then took out the item in the second box.

    This time, the smell was much better than before, likevender with honey, but under a careful sniff, one could still smell the faint smell of rust, like fresh blood.

    Without waiting for a question, I told him 1 felt.

    The werewolf grandmasters looked at each other, nodded, and sealed the withered flower.

    When the third box opened, I immediately felt the smell was very familiar.

    As expected, the silver coin was lying in the box.

    But this time, it was a little different. The smell wasn¡¯t as strong, and it wasn¡¯t unbearable anymore.

    After the test, the werewolf grandmasters gathered and discussed for a while. During this time, the doctor showed us the test report. On it were all my physical data during the test.

    ¡°It¡¯s very obvious. Your Highness¡¯ physiological values did not fluctuate beyond the range. Combined with the previous examination, we can rule out a problem with physiological factors,¡± Craig said. Now, it was up to the werewolf grandmasters to conclude.¡±

    The grandmasters didn¡¯t discuss it for long. About half an hourter, they returned with the results.

    ¡°Many inspections have failed to find any trace of evil power on Your Highness, so the possibility of Your Highness suffering from sensory imbnce due to contamination is very low.¡±

    ¡°The three items just now are the hairb of the fallen god¡¯s believers, the decorative flowers of the ancient arena, and the silver coin contaminated by evil forces. These three items contained a rich residual power. Generally speaking, they had to go through a rigorous test to distinguish their essence. Ordinary people cannot see anything special about them.

    ¡°The ¡®smell¡¯ that Your Highness smelled on them is highly consistent with the materialization characteristics shown in the witchcraft test. Therefore, this is actually an ability to understand essences. His Highness¡¯ perception of the silver coin has deviated twice. This is not because the silver coin has changed but because there is a change in its behavior.

    ¡°So this is not a problem with His Highness¡¯ physiological senses, but a temporary state of ¡®supersense¡¯. This state is gradually disappearing, which is a good thing. Overusing the superpower would overdraw His Highness¡¯ soul. The fact that it could self-repair meant that the situation was not serious. It could be self-healed through the adjustment of the soul itself.¡±

    The werewolf grandmaster¡¯s words made my parents heave a sigh of relief. When they turned around and saw I was still in a daze, my mom smiled and hugged me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my dear. Your soul is strong. It¡¯s working hard to repair itself.¡±

    ¡°If Your Highness thinks that this is too slow,¡± the werewolf grandmaster interrupted at the right time, ¡°We can also artificially intervene to speed up the self-healing of this state. It will not cause any harm to you.¡±

    ¡°How long will it take for self-healing?¡± my dad asked.

    ¡°From the past cases, it usually takes half a month to forty days. Manual intervention can shorten the time by about half. It can¡¯t be faster, or there¡¯s a risk of losing the soul.¡±

    I discussed it with my parents and felt forty days was a little long. After all, I would start school soon.

    This was my first semester in junior high school. I didn¡¯t want to take a leave of absence from the beginning and miss the opening ceremony. Therefore, we decided to start human intervention after we returned to the Lycan pack to make the supersenses disappear as soon as possible.

    After making sure that there were no problems, we could leave. I had made an appointment to meet Lily at night. 1 didn¡¯t want to spend the night in the suburbs.

    Although my parents were very calm, I could tell they had been worried about me until now. I felt a little guilty as 1 watched their brows finally rx.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Dad and Mom. 1 made you worry again,¡± I whispered. ¡°I promised you to take care of myself, but 1 always liked to show off and cause trouble.¡±

    My mom sat beside me and asked gently, ¡°Of course not. Yarin, why would you think that?¡±

    ¡°We agreed not to use my mimicry ability casually, but 1 ignored you and the doctor¡¯s words, almost causing me to be unable to clean up the mess¡­¡±

    ¡°No, no, son, this is different.¡± My mom nudged my forehead affectionately.

    ¡°If you¡¯re being mischievous, 1¡¯11 teach you a lesson. But you did this to save people, didn¡¯t you? The situation was indeed critical. Lily and countless innocent people would have suffered if you hadn¡¯t done that. So this is different, Yarin. You just did what a werewolf and a prince should do. You don¡¯t have to me yourself.

    ¡°Critical moments don¡¯t give us much time to think, and your decision makes us proud..¡±

 Chapter 594 - 594: Blood-Related

    Chapter 594: Blood-Rted

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Lily¡¯s POV:

    Alfred hesitantly asked if I wanted to go home with him.

    He was my blood-rted brother, but the rtionship between us was so strange. It was as if there was an invisible wall between us that prevented all contact from being broken.

    Perhaps my silence caused him to misunderstand, and he hurriedly added, ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ I¡¯m not forcing you toe with us, Lily. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s veryte today. You¡¯ve had another shock and need to rest. There must be food and hot water prepared in the manor. I think this will help you get rid of some fatigue.

    ¡°Moreover¡­ Grandpa is also here. He is also very worried about you. He¡­¡± Alfred huffed and puffed for a long time, and his face turned red.

    He was upright and calm, but when he was with me, he was always acting like this. It shouldn¡¯t be this way, but I didn¡¯t know what to do. I didn¡¯t want to get in touch with him or anyone else in the family. Our interactions always ended up in simr situations, which made me feel it was all unnecessary.

    Only when we didn¡¯t meet each other could we be safe.

    1 thought I should refuse, but 1 had already promised to meet Yarin. If 1 stood him up, he would give me that abandoned puppy face again. And Heller, the two brats, are my nemesis.

    So I nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go back. Are we leaving now?¡±

    Alfred was stunned, then immediately replied happily, ¡°Yes, and with Grandpa. Let¡¯s go back together.¡±

    We walked side by side to the car. Suddenly, he hesitated and asked,¡±¡­ Can I still contact you in the future?¡±

    It took me a few seconds to realize what he was referring to. Mind-link. This thing was like air to me, and 1 hadn¡¯t used it to contact anyone for a long time.

    No one needed to hear from me. 1 didn¡¯t need anyone to contact me.

    However, when I met Alfred¡¯s expectant eyes, I couldn¡¯t say anything to refuse. I turned my head away and tried my best to speak in a t tone. ¡°Sure, but I can¡¯t guarantee that 1¡¯11 answer. I haven¡¯t used it for long, so I always subconsciously ignore it.¡±

    This was enough to make Alfred very happy. He didn¡¯t say anything else, but he visibly became spirited, like a flower dancing in the wind.

    In fact, I knew that he had always been very concerned about me and our older brother. They would always find ways to contact me, this sister who was missing from time to time. But gradually, my rtionship with them became rusty due to my hard work in ying.

    They were not alone. They had my parents, who were like wildfire and tsunami behind them. This couple wished they could eat each other¡¯s flesh and sleep inside each other. They protected their heirs as carefully as they protected their eyeballs.

    In their eyes, I was either a non-necessity or an unnecessary burden. It was as if looking at me reminded them of the nauseating sweet times when they were young. So they avoided me and didn¡¯t like my brothers contacting me as if I was a spy or an ambitious person who wanted to steal their wealth and power or kill their precious heirs.

    Of course, they never said what they thought. It was just that every time my brothers came into contact with me, they would immediately be called away from me for various reasons. 1 was not a fool. What was there to not understand?

    I didn¡¯t want to see their fake smiles, and I didn¡¯t want to cause trouble for my brothers. I cut off contact, and everyone was quiet.

    My grandfather was leaning against the car door, waiting. I subconsciously lowered my head when I saw him, not wanting to meet his kind eyes.

    Perhaps there was an exception among my blood rtives: my maternal grandfather. My parents couldn¡¯t control him, and he wanted me to return to my family and stay with my rtives. His love was sincere. In his eyes, 1 wasn¡¯t a burden or a bad person. I was just his beloved granddaughter, his precious family member.

    But this was why I didn¡¯t want to face him. There were many reasons 1 couldn¡¯t go back. It was because of my mother, brothers, and those entric rtives. I could immediately say many things I had no choice but to do. But what reason did I have to reject this loving old man?

    His love made me afraid. It softened me, made mepromise, and made me return to that suffocating family. 1 didn¡¯t want that, so 1 had to keep running away and disappointing my grandfather.

    1 was indeed the child of my parents. I was ioo% cold-blooded and selfish.

    My grandfather didn¡¯t ask anything. He just hugged me gently and said, ¡°You must be hungry. The manor has already prepared some food. In a while, we can drink the warm and fragrant milk.¡±

    I nodded and followed him into the car without saying a word.

    It was silent along the way. I didn¡¯t want it to be so awkward, so I asked Alfred, ¡°I still don¡¯t know how you found me.¡±

    But Alfred shrugged and said, ¡°Actually, Prince Yarin found you, but we did things separately, so I don¡¯t know how he found you.¡±

    I only recalled being in the dance studio when I heard a loud noise outside. It was like an explosion, and it scared me. Alfred didn¡¯t know either. Perhaps he could only ask Yarinter.

    When I arrived at the manor and got off the car, I saw a car slowly driving in.

    It was my mother..

 Chapter 595 - 595: A Loving Mother

    Chapter 595: A Loving Mother

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Lily¡¯s POV:

    My mother looked a little tired. Alfred subconsciously waited for her. 1 didn¡¯t want to see her, so I entered the house first.

    However, my mother quickly stopped me. She didn¡¯t take care of her precious son immediately. Instead, she showed some unusual concern for me. She intimately held my arm and led me to the dining room.

    ¡°Lily, my poor daughter, you must have been frightened today. It was the Silver Moon Pack¡¯s negligence to let the criminals in. I apologize. I¡¯m sorry 1 couldn¡¯t pick you up immediately. I really couldn¡¯t leave. Someone had to host the ending, and I was the only one left then. You must be hungry. The kitchen has prepared a feast to celebrate the Moonlight Festival, just in time to calm you down.¡±

    She said many things, leaving me no room to interrupt. When she finally stopped, 1 gently pulled my arm out of her embrace and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine, so I don¡¯t need anything. Grandpa and Alfred went to pick me up. The hot cocoa at the police station was delicious, so 1 wasn¡¯t too hungry.¡±

    My mother¡¯s face stiffened slightly due to my actions, making her exaggerated smile even more bizarre. However, she didn¡¯t say anything and was still very enthusiastic about me. She even helped me change the fruit tart before me to caramel pudding.

    ¡°Prince Yarin said you don¡¯t like fruits. I¡¯m sorry that I didn¡¯t notice this before. I hope it¡¯s not toote.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I whispered.

    1 hadn¡¯t seen Yarin or any member of the royal family. My grandfather said Yarin had gone to the suburbs for a physical examination. He said he was sorry for not keeping my appointment and asked me not to be angry. He would make it up to me.

    My mother¡¯s eyes became increasingly emotional, making me a little ufortable.

    ¡°Why would I be angry? It¡¯s not like it¡¯s anything important.¡± I lowered my head to avoid her gaze. ¡°There¡¯s no need for him to make it up to me. There¡¯s no reason, and there¡¯s no need for it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s something you young people have to say in person,¡± my mother immediately added. ¡°We adults don¡¯t want to be third wheels, do we, Father?¡±

    My grandfather did not say anything, and my mother seemed slightly disappointed, but she quickly said, ¡°What a beautiful friendship, daughter. Prince Yarin cares about you very much. I¡¯m happy that you can make such a sincere friend.¡±

    ¡°Kids can hang out with anyone. Maybe he¡¯ll forget about me when he returns to the Lycan pack in a few days.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know if my thoughts were urate, but if that was the case, 1 didn¡¯t want to go along with my mother¡¯s words¡ªthat was¡­ disgusting.

    My mother wanted to say something, but my grandfather interrupted her, ¡°Alright, Teresa. Lily is very tired. Let her enjoy her dinner in peace.¡±

    Only then did my mother reluctantly shut her mouth.

    Dinner was finished in silence. My grandfather and Alfred would asionally talk to me, but I had forgotten how to get along with them, so it was inevitable that it was silent. I didn¡¯t want to answer my mother even more. Sometimes, I really wished that 1 had x-ray vision so that I could see what was in her mind and why she would have such unrealistic thoughts.

    But escape was no use. When I went to the bathroom, my mother followed.

    She looked extremely loving in the mirror under the soft light, but it made my hair stand on end.

    ¡°I asked the police. They said that you weren¡¯t hurt. But i think it¡¯s safer to do a thorough check-up. What do you think?¡± she asked.

    I replied indifferently, ¡°Anything is fine, as long as you don¡¯t mind the trouble.¡± ¡°Why would I find my daughter troublesome? I¡¯m willing to do anything for you, Lily.¡± She smiled. ¡°I know what I did in the past made you feel bad. You don¡¯t want to be close to me. That¡¯s fine. Children your age need some privacy. But 1 want you to know that I¡¯ll always be behind you if you need me, okay?¡±

    i didn¡¯t say anything. My mother didn¡¯t need my answer.

    She was concerned about my life, my studies, and my rtionships. She sighed and said, ¡°Lonely days are not good, dear. If you don¡¯t like your current school, 1 can help you transfer. How about the Lycan pack? It is the center of the werewolf pack, and the educational resources there are excellent. Many famous schools with deep history are notcking in nobles and geniuses.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you can find like-minded friends somewhere, maybe¡­ love? Hehe, young love is always pure and beautiful. You should enjoy it now, Lily. When you reach my age, true love will only be a topic of conversation.¡±

    Are you referring to your marriage with Father? It is indeed a topic of conversation. The gossipers and even you treated it as a capital you can gain something.¡¯

    1 thought to myself, but I didn¡¯t say it out loud.

    ¡°The current school is quite good. They allow me to take a long vacation. As long as I make up for my missed studies, I¡¯m very satisfied with this. 1 don¡¯t think the famous schools in the capital will agree, so forget it.¡±

    I wiped the water off my hands and was about to leave.

    I wanted to go straight to my room, but my mother insisted on talking to me. 1 didn¡¯t want to argue with her because of this. I was exhausted and just wanted a good rest, so 1 decided to give her a perfunctory reply as soon as possible before going back to bed to sleep..

 Chapter 596 - 596: Never My Wish

    Chapter 596: Never My Wish

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Lily¡¯s POV:

    There was a small and beautiful living area in her bedroom. There was hot tea and snacks prepared by the servants on the coffee table.

    There wasn¡¯t any fruit, not even a slice of lemon. Her use of too much force made me feel that there wouldn¡¯t be any peace tonight.

    ¡°I heard you¡¯ve arranged to collect candies with Prince Heller.¡±

    My mother kindly poured me a cup of tea. ¡°Speaking of which, the two princes are lovable. The rarest thing is their sense of responsibility. It¡¯s rare to see such qualities at their age¡ªfor example, your brother. God, 1 wished I hadn¡¯t given birth to him at all. I was so worried every day!¡±

    ¡°Is that so? But Alfred seems very calm now. He has done well in the army and was awarded the title of an excellent trainee. This is enough to show that people could always change as they grow. Perhaps it would be the same for the princes?¡±

    ¡°I think it will only get better.¡± My mother smiled elegantly. ¡°From a responsible boy to a responsible man.¡±

    I didn¡¯t reply.

    ¡°Friendship is a wonderful thing, isn¡¯t it? Her Majesty and 1 had a wonderful fate. I never thought that I would be able to make friends with the princess. Even now, I feel lucky. Sincere feelings are always difficult, especially for people like us. True feelings are a luxury.

    ¡°Prince Yarin is very concerned about you. He is a child passionate about his friends, but not everyone can win his favor. He put himself in danger to save you. So reckless and so romantic,¡± my mother said pointedly.

    ¡°It will be a pity to lose this friendship, so 1 hope you can consider my proposal, Lily. Transfer to the Lycan pack, where life is better. You can ask Prince Yarin to hang out more often, and you won¡¯t lose this precious friend.¡±

    I didn¡¯t want to stay any longer. I put down the teacup and said stiffly, ¡°Maybe, but I¡¯m tired and don¡¯t want to continue this topic. I¡¯m going to rest. Good night.¡±

    As soon as 1 turned around, my mother called out to me, ¡°Lily, be obedient and sit down.¡±

    I ignored her. She suddenly shouted, ¡°I said sit down!¡±

    I sneered and turned around. ¡°I think you should rest too, Mother. Staying upte will disrupt your hormones and make your emotions more unstable. I hope you won¡¯t lose yourposure in front of the Queen. It¡¯s not good for your genuine friendship.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me like that, Lily. I¡¯m your mother!¡±

    ¡°Oh? Is that so? Actually, I¡¯m not too sure about this because no mother would hint to her daughter to seduce a child!¡±

    My mother looked at me in disbelief and muttered, ¡°Don¡¯t make it sound so bad. We¡¯re just making friends¡­ If I want to keep someone like her, I must pay a price, right?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps, but the price is definitely not to be hypocritical or to have bad intentions.¡± I looked at her coldly. She didn¡¯t look like my family but like a strange monster. ¡°If you really treat the Queen as a friend, you shouldn¡¯t have said these to me, and you shouldn¡¯t have targeted Yarin. He¡¯s not a tool for you to pursue fame and fortune.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because you don¡¯t understand. You¡¯re not in my position. You don¡¯t know how difficult it is to protect everything now.¡±

    This time, it was my mother¡¯s turn to sneer. She looked at me as if she was looking at a wild dog that could not be tamed.

    ¡°Of course, Her Majesty is my friend, but her status is the Queen. Do you know what this means? Not only is this friendship not a bonus, but I must avoid suspicion many times. Better positions, more benefits, more useful rtionships, 1 had to watch them slip away before me.

    ¡°However, they are the most important to maintain this huge family. This is something that pure friendship cannot give. You must be more eager than others to get everything you can easily get.¡±

    I didn¡¯t believe a single word she said. ¡°Don¡¯t make yourself sound so pitiful. Doesn¡¯t the Queen give you otherpensation? If not, why did the Silver Moon Pack be the first city to be opened to the public? Why did the Silver Moon Pack receive so many preferential policies? You just don¡¯t want to admit your greed.

    ¡°Just like how you refuse to admit that you didn¡¯t send Alfred to the military camp for any training, but because the vanity fair couldn¡¯t satisfy you, and you wanted more power that you didn¡¯t have before!¡±

    ¡°So what?!¡± She screamed and interrupted me. ¡°Power, status, and money. These are the cornerstone of our families¡¯ survival. Had the Woof Anka family not prospered before? However, without these, they are nothing. They copsed instantly!¡± My mother shouted loudly about the rationality of her actions. At this moment, she was no longer elegant or even ferocious. She was more like a crying child, irrational and unable to distinguish right from wrong.

    ¡°So, you think I can benefit my family more?¡± 1 said softly, ¡°For example, if I befriend the prince like you did the Queen. In fact, it would be best if 1 could hook up with him and be the princess consort or simply a mistress, as long as I can get more benefits for the family?¡±

    My mother stopped shouting and looked at me with an emotionless expression.

    ¡°You¡¯d better give up,¡± I said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to, so you¡¯ll never get what you want..¡±

 Chapter 597 - 597: Under One Person

    Chapter 597: Under One Person

    Trantor: End less Fantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Lily¡¯s POV:

    1 could never ept such disgusting things. I¡¯d had enough of life revolving around the damned fame and fortune. My brothers, I, and even my parents were struggling in the endless whirlpool of power. I wouldn¡¯t say 1 was noble, but the truth was that 1 wouldn¡¯t say 1 like it and fear it. However, did I not even have the right to escape?

    My mother¡¯s scornful and hateful eyes stung me, but it didn¡¯t matter. I never imagined that 1 could get anything from her. It was just that her ns tonight really shocked me. Could she do this for power? Was it really worth it?

    She sat on the sofa, and the shadow of the furniture cast an ominous shadow on her face. Only those shrewd eyes could make her look like a living person, not a puppet. She did not move, as if she was deep in thought.

    ¡°Don¡¯t speak so soon, child.¡± She suddenly became gentle again. ¡°There are many things that you don¡¯t want to do, and there are many things that 1 don¡¯t want to do. There are too many things that people don¡¯t want to do in this world, but everything is unpredictable. Not everything can be as one wishes.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°This has already been decided. After spring, you will go to the Lycan pack to study. The transfer procedures have beenpleted. I¡¯ve arranged amodation for you. If you don¡¯t want to, you can also attend day school. Our family has a few properties in the Lycan pack.¡±

    Under my incredulous gaze, my mother smiled as if she had won a battle.

    1 finally understood that tonight¡¯s conversation was just a trap. Everything had been decided long ago. My wishes as the person involved were irrelevant. Perhaps this conversation was a kind gift from my mother. She deigned to inform me of this news in person instead of transporting me to the Lycan pack like a cow. This was enough for me to be grateful.

    I spoke through gritted teeth, ¡°You can¡¯t do this. You don¡¯t have the right to decide whether I stay or leave.¡±

    ¡°No, I can decide everything for you, Lily. I am your mother. A mother is born to decide everything about her daughter.¡±

    She smiled gently as if sitting at a press conference or podium. She looked at me, but her eyes were empty. It was as if she was looking through my body to understand everything I would bring her.

    I shivered.

    Who was this?

    My mother?

    I knew she didn¡¯t love me, but did it mean that the person who didn¡¯t love me was my mother?

    Had 1 been mistaken? I recognized the familiar skin but didn¡¯t realize that the soul inside was no longer from the human world.

    I couldn¡¯t understand, I couldn¡¯t ept it. Who was she? What changed her? Or was she, not her anymore?

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that,¡± said the creature in my mother¡¯s skin.

    ¡°I love you, Lily, my daughter. Isn¡¯t all this for your good? You don¡¯t have to make it sound as bad as you put it. You only have to stay by the prince¡¯s side, be his friend, be his habit, let him get familiar with you, and be inseparable from you. Then, you can get everything.

    ¡°You just have to be careful and cautious. Help the prince filter the people around him, especially those with ill intentions, and dress gorgeously. You don¡¯t need to do anything else, and good days wille to you. As long as you can control him, he will be firmly enveloped in the palm of your hand. He likes you, and you only need one step to achieve this. Why not do it?¡±

    She stood up and slowly walked to me. The rich fragrance of lilies bound me in ce.

    ¡°It¡¯s that simple. You¡¯ll reach the peak of the werewolf pack. Everyone will respect you and fear you. By then, you should know that your current troubles are not worth mentioning. In the face of supreme power, everything will disappear.¡±

    She leaned close to my ear like a sinister snake.

    ¡°Listen to me, Lily. This is your path, your only path. There¡¯s no other choice.¡±

    1 felt a chill from the bottom of my heart. The cold air wantonly dispersed from the cracks in my bones, freezing me into an ice sculpture. Then, 1 was shattered word by word. I couldn¡¯t move. The extreme psychological tension had turned me into a taut bow. Any movement would make me shoot an arrow. But who was I pointing my arrow at? My bow was empty. Who could 1 touch?

    A horn suddenly sounded outside the window, and the car lights shed past.

    ¡°They¡¯re back.¡±

    My mother looked out of the window, and an elegant smile slowly crept up the corners of her mouth.

    ¡°Go and wee your future ssmates, Lily. 1 believe you will have a very warm school time.¡±

    She tidied her clothes and left first. When she was about to reach the door, 1 called out to her in a low voice.

    ¡°Does Grandpa know about this?¡±

    My mother stood still and did not turn around.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t know, but there¡¯s no turning back. But he always wanted you to live a better life, right? For werewolves, there is no better ce.

    ¡°But it all depends on you, my daughter. I can only send you to the Lycan pack. As for what you do¡­ I don¡¯t think 1 can do anything about it.¡±

    She chuckled and walked away..

 Chapter 598 - 598: A Warm Night

    Chapter 598: A Warm Night

    Trantor: End less Fantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Lily¡¯s POV:

    My heart was in turmoil.

    There was nothing else i could do. I knew this was already doomed when 1pleted my transfer procedures.

    I didn¡¯t care where i go to school. I was not a talented student, and 1 didn¡¯t have many friends in school. However, this was not as simple as changing schools.

    My mother put it nicely, ¡®I can¡¯t do anything about it¡¯. If she really couldn¡¯t do anything about it, why would she be so arrogant to decide whether 1 should stay or leave?

    It was a sarcastic remark.

    I believed my grandfather wouldn¡¯t have agreed to this n, so my mother secretly did it behind his back. I might be able to report it to him now, but so what? My mother would announce this, and his grandfather would know about it. What could he do after knowing? Nothing could be changed. He couldn¡¯t persuade my mother, and he couldn¡¯t even cancel the transfer.

    A mother could make decisions for her underage daughter, but a grandfather could not make decisions for his granddaughter and bypass the mother. Thisw had been written for thousands of years.

    I was thinking about how to solve my current predicament, but my poor brain couldn¡¯t give me any solutions. Every path told me that it was impossible. My struggle to resist was a small matter in my mother¡¯s eyes. She didn¡¯t even have to care about anything. It was easy for her to pack me up and transport me to the Lycan pack.

    Perhaps i could expose her ambition to the Queen?

    It might work, but it would affect others. What about my grandfather? What about Alfred? They worked diligently for the werewolves. Did they deserve to be implicated by ambitious people?

    And¡­ Yarin.

    I had no romantic feelings for him, but at least we were friends. Was it right to expose a child to such a conspiracy? Would he feel disgusted and afraid because of this? Would his emotions be affected by this? Would this traumatize him?

    How should 1 face him again?

    1 didn¡¯t know. Maybe there was no solution to these concerns at all.

    My mother was indeed an excellent politician. She knew that some conspiracies were born never to be exposed. She told me about it because she was sure I could never tell anyone. She knew me so well, as if 1 was always by her side, never far away.

    Or maybe she understood people well, and 1 was just another insignificant person among them.

    Was that why she let me leave home? Because she knew that I could never run away when she needed me?

    I decided not to do what she said, but I knew I had to keep her secret.

    I was helpless and alone.

    ¡°Lily,e down quickly!¡± She called me from downstairs and acted as if nothing had happened, and I had no choice but to cooperate with her.

    Yarin seemed to be in high spirits, and there was no problem at all. The results of the examination must be gratifying. He said it was just a small problem and would heal in less than a month.

    After leaving the prince, we paid a visit to Heller. He was still sound asleep and did not notice the arrival of others.

    We chatted quietly beside him.

    ¡°Heller is usually a light sleeper. He would wake up at any moment.¡± Yarin said. ¡°He¡¯s really tired today. I think this trip made him regret it.¡±

    ¡°Maybe!¡± i thought about it, took a handful of candy from my pocket, and ced it on the bed. ¡°I hope these will make him happy.¡±

    Yarin picked one up and looked at it, eximing in excitement, ¡°It¡¯s a limited-edition candy! One, two, three¡­ There are a total of fifteen vors! Oh my god, how did you do it?¡±

    ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t get that much, but 1 exchanged a lot with the other children. Using my extra vor to exchange for someone else¡¯s extra vor or a few ordinary ones for a special one, it didn¡¯t take long for me to gather all the pieces.¡±

    ¡°Heavens¡­¡±

    He held the candy in his palm, his eyes sparkling as he said gently, ¡°Thank you, Lily. Heller will be very happy when he wakes up. I know that many kids have been tired of collecting them. However, for Heller, it¡¯s his first time doing this. It will be a warm memory for the rest of his life.¡±

    I was a little ufortable and muttered, ¡°Don¡¯t be so uptight about it. It¡¯s nothing much. Besides, since I promised him, I don¡¯t want to go back on my words.¡±

    Yarin took a cup from the table and put the candies inside. He then took out his candies from Heller¡¯s coat and put them beside the cup.

    ¡°Heller will drink a ss of water habitually when he wakes up,¡± he said with a smirk.

    I just watched silently, quietly feeling the warmth of this moment.

    I¡¯d never felt this kind of atmosphere in a family before. Perhaps I did when I was young, but those memories have long disappeared with the copse of the family. I had my brothers, but 1 couldn¡¯t get close to them.

    Looking at Yarin¡¯s smile, i couldn¡¯t help but think of my mother¡¯s ns.

    How was that possible?

    How could anyone make this warm smile disappear from a child¡¯s face for selfish reasons?

    Maybe these people did exist, but i couldn¡¯t and never would..

 Chapter 599 - 599: Blooming In The Morning Glow

    Chapter 599: Blooming In The Morning Glow

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yarin¡¯s POV:

    To be honest, I was a little nervous. It wasn¡¯t my first time alone with Lily, but it had never made me so cautious.

    I didn¡¯t know what to say to her, so I could only focus on Heller. God, I was clearly able to talk andugh with Lily before. Why did I suddenly not know how to use my mouth before her?

    I didn¡¯t think it was because of a small no-show. Lily had made it clear that she didn¡¯t care. i couldn¡¯t find the source of the blockages in my heart. They were like little butterflies flying around in my little heart, making my heart beat like bones and unable to sit still.

    Luckily, Lily didn¡¯t seem to notice my embarrassment. She seemed to be in a good mood and kept smiling. This was very rare. She was a cold girl. She was not cold, but a smile was not something her face was used to carrying.

    I thought I brought the smile, and maybe Heller too, but he wasn¡¯t awake, so 1 decided he didn¡¯t count, which excited me a little.

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t bother you anymore,¡± Lily said. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. You should rest.¡±

    I wanted to stay with her longer, but Lily was obviously not in good spirits, so i said, ¡°I walk you back to your room?¡±

    She burst outughing as if she had heard something very interesting. ¡°Nah. We¡¯re not in the deep mountains and forests. The vi is brightly lit, so there won¡¯t be any wild wolvesing to abduct me.¡±

    I blushed and sent Lily to the door. ¡°Good night. See you tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°See you tomorrow.¡± She smiled gently and left.

    I closed the door and let out a long sigh of relief. My tense nerves finally rxed. Rubbing my sore neck, 1 gradually felt tired. I turned around and went to the bathroom to pack up and prepare to sleep.

    As soon as i came out of the bathroom, I met a pair of big, sparkling eyes.

    ¡°Moon Goddess!¡±

    I was shocked and almost threw the towel in my hand.

    Heller had already woken up and was staring at me with his round almond eyes.

    ¡°You scared me!¡± I walked over and threw the towel at his face. ¡°Why are you awake? Do you want some water?¡±

    Heller threw the towel onto the sofa and said with a smile, ¡°I woke up just now when you tucked me in. But for some reason, I felt that it was better to pretend to be asleep, so I didn¡¯t say anything.¡±

    ¡°And?¡± He excitedly pounced on the bed and shouted, ¡°Silver Moon¡¯s limited edition moon fudges! Every single vor!¡±

    He held the ss in his hands as if he wanted to hug it to sleep. ¡°I was so disappointed before. I thought i would miss these opportunities for nothing, but I still got them in the end!¡±

    Heughed like a viin in a movie. ¡°My candy! My dear candy! Moon Goddess,

    I love Lily to death. I wish she were my biological sister!¡±

    I rolled my eyes at him and said, ¡°First of all, Lily can¡¯t be your biological sister. Second, you can¡¯t love Lily to death. Finally, it¡¯s already nighttime. You know you shouldn¡¯t eat any candy.¡±

    Heller looked at me with a weird look as he revealed a mean smile. After that, his gaze moved to his precious soft candies.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to eat any of them. These precious mementos should be preserved. I want to make a disy frame for them!¡±

    ¡°But they are sugar. They will go bad sooner orter if you don¡¯t eat them.¡± The materials used for the soft sweets were unique. There were no preserving agents added. 1 saw on the packaging that they only have a short shelf life of fifteen days.

    Heller said while shaking his head proudly, ¡°This is not a problem. 1 can ask Aunt Dorothy for help. She is proficient in witchcraft. Embalming witchcraft is just a piece of cake.¡±

    He treasured these candies. I understood that he didn¡¯t only do it for them but also for his trip to the Moonlight Festival, which had been aborted halfway.

    I touched the soft hair on his head and pressed it against his forehead. ¡°Actually, you can try them. Silver Moon won¡¯t refuse to provide another set of limited-edition candies. You can even take a suitcase full of candies if you want.¡±

    Heller refused me, smiling like amb. ¡°No, Yarin, this is enough for me. The purpose of collecting them is to collect unique experiences and memories. They are already irreceable treasures to me.¡±

    We went through the colorful candies together. Their vors were interesting and puzzling. Other than ¡®Morning Clouds¡¯, there were also literary names such as ¡®Nightingale Soaring in the Sky¡¯ and ¡®The First Leaf of the Rose¡¯.

    After careful selection, Heller finally picked up a piece of candy and put it into a crystal cup.

    ¡°I want to give this to Lily,¡± he said.

    Seeing how I looked confused, he exined, ¡°This is a thank-you gift. To thank Lily for helping me collect these unique treasures. Lily is an indispensable part of my precious memories. I will give her this little candy as a gift, hoping she will not forget me.¡±

    ¡°What about you? Yarin, we will be leaving soon. We may not see Lily for a long time.. What are you going to give her tomemorate this special connection?¡±

 Chapter 600 - 600: The Childishness

    Chapter 600: The Childishness

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yarin¡¯s POV:

    A gift?

    He surprised me. I subconsciously began to think about what Lily might like. Then, 1 suddenly realized that my time with Lily was getting shorter. Once we went on our way, it might be difficult for us to meet again.

    Lily was a girl who liked to travel far and wide, and 1 couldn¡¯t easily leave the pce. After leaving the Silver Moon Pack, when would we meet again?

    ¡°¡­ 1 don¡¯t know,¡± I said nkly. ¡°I¡¯ve never thought about these questions. A parting gift? It should be something unique that Lily liked or something fun.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if Lily will ept it. Perhaps she thinks that my taste is childish¡­ Should 1 ask her what she wanted? No, no, no. That¡¯s too rude. It makes me seem insincere. How about asking Mom? She should know what girls like, but 1 don¡¯t want her to interfere. I should prepare my gifts.¡±

    I was tangled up like a ball of messy wool. I finally came up with an idea, but in a few seconds, I denied it myself. 1 wanted to deny it again and again.

    Unconsciously, I started to mutter to myself. 1 thought about what kind of gift would be unique, and then I thought about whether Lily would like it or not. By the time I came to my senses, I had been muttering to myself for ten minutes like a broken radio.

    Heller just waited there quietly. He revealed that weird look as he smiled like a sunflower.

    ¡°Don¡¯t just sit there and smile. Help me think of a way too!¡± 1 said dejectedly, ¡°I¡¯ve thought of many ideas but feel I¡¯m missing something. 1 feel that Lily will think that what 1 think of is very childish. She already treats me like a child! Whatever 1 do, she thinks I¡¯m joking.¡±

    ¡°Then, let her think that you¡¯re joking. What¡¯s the big deal? Compared to her, we¡¯re just children.¡±

    However, Heller asked calmly, ¡°Take me as an example. If I gift her candies, it might be childish to her. However, would she refuse this gift? We all know that Lily is a sincere person. In that case, why pretend to face her sincerity?¡±

    ¡°But this is different!¡± I subconsciously wanted to retort, but I realized 1 couldn¡¯t find a reasonable excuse after saying this. ¡°It¡¯s different. 1 don¡¯t want Lily to treat me like a child.¡±

    ¡°Why? Why do you think so? Is Lily any different to you? Are you any different to Lily? Why should Lily treat you differently?¡±

    Heller brought up a merciless indifference. He pressed me and insisted on getting an unreasonable reason from me.

    ¡°Do you think Lily has to look up to you?¡± he asked cruelly. ¡°Because you saved Lily¡¯s life. Do you think this is why you¡¯re so privileged that Lily will be at your mercy?¡±

    ¡°No, no! I¡¯ve never had such despicable thoughts. I like Lily very much. I want to be friends with her.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been friends for a long time. From the moment you arrived at the House of the Homeless, from the night of the abandoned warehouse, and today¡¯s Moonlight Festival, you¡¯ve already formed a friendship with Lily. Since that¡¯s the case, what exactly do you want? Isn¡¯t friendship enough to satisfy you?¡±

    I became absent-minded. Heller seemed to have disappeared, leaving me in the void, allowing the voices from all directions to interrogate my heart.

    ¡°Friends should be honest with each other. Why do you refuse to show your true self? Do you think Lily willugh at a gift from a friend?

    ¡°You know that she will like and ept it no matter what you give. Isn¡¯t that enough?

    ¡°We¡¯re all Lily¡¯s friends. Lily has more friends that we don¡¯t know about. There must be a sense of boundaries between friends.

    ¡°Do you really want to only be friends with Lily?

    ¡°Or is it more than that?¡±

    I thought of all the times I spent with Lily, her cold expression and asional smile, her careful care hidden in sarcasm, her lonely expression when she was with her family, and the dazzling Moon Goddess at the Moonlight Festival.

    Lily, Lily, unknowingly, my heart and eyes were filled with Lili.

    Was this what friendship felt like?

    ¡®A friend was someone you miss every minute of every second. Even if she was right before you, you had already begun to experience the sour sadness of separation?

    I liked Lily, but did I want to be only her friend?

    A piece of candy was stuffed into my palm, which was selected by Heller with all his efforts.

    When Heller decided to give it to Lily, 1 felt happy for them. However, I felt a bit annoyed.

    Now, I might know why.

    ¡°Have you thought it through?¡± Heller asked.

    1 nodded slowly and held the candy in my hand tightly.

    ¡°I like Lily, but not just like her.

    ¡°I hope that 1 am special in her eyes. 1 don¡¯t want her to see me as childish. That would make me unworthy of her.¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯ve fallen in love with her..¡±

 Chapter 601 - 601: Late Night Talks

    Chapter 601: Late Night Talks

    Trantor: End less Fantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yarin¡¯s POV:

    ¡®I¡­ Have fallen in love with Lily.¡¯

    After thinking this through, the emotions in my heart and my abnormal behavior when facing her were finally exined.

    I ced my hand on my chest, and my heart was beating vigorously. For the first time, I noticed that my heart was cheering for Lily. Even if I was just thinking about her, it pumped very fast.

    My cheeks were hot. I couldn¡¯t help but lower my head and curl my fingers.

    ¡°Lily, I like her. I love her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know when it started, I don¡¯t know what I used as an opportunity, but for no special reason, 1 just fell in love with her.¡±

    ¡°Congrattions, buddy.¡± Heller shrugged.¡± You finally figured it out.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve made it obvious enough? Every day, you would talk about Lily and think of her no matter what you are doing. In the end, you would always talk about her. Bro, I¡¯ve been so annoyed these past few days. Do you know why I always volunteered to buy food or patrol with Lily at the House of the Homeless?

    ¡°Because I¡¯m fed up with the frequency at which you talk about Lily every minute and a half. To be honest, some of your guesses are reasonable. You¡¯re sincere, but we¡¯re not acting in a crime drama!¡±

    ¡°I was just¡­ just reasonably worried! The House of the Homeless was not a good ce. I¡¯m afraid¡­ afraid¡­¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright, whatever. I understand.¡± Heller waved his hand as he rolled his eyes ungracefully. ¡°By the way, Lily was also very worried about you because you always stayed in the camp alone. Although she didn¡¯t say anything, she always sped up when she went out to run errands to reduce the time she had to leave you behind.¡±

    ¡°Really? Hah, I knew Lily is a good person.¡±

    ¡°But don¡¯t overthink it. ording to my observations over the past few days, Lily¡¯s worry for you is pure and unmixed with any other emotions, just like how she worries about her younger brother or child. If I had stayed in the camp, she would have been as worried about me as she was about you.¡±

    He proudly shook his head. I pursed my lips and retorted, ¡°No, she¡¯ll be more worried about me. You always eat and sleep.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Moon Goddess, are you really going to argue with me about this?¡± Heller stared at me speechlessly, ¡°By the way, the obstacle between you two is this, Yarin.¡±

    I didn¡¯t understand. ¡°What obstacles?¡±

    ¡°About you being too childish! Just as you are worried about, whether you admit it or not, we are just a little brat in Lily¡¯s eyes. Maybe she likes us, but it¡¯s like how she likes cute little brothers, kittens, and puppies. People¡¯s first reaction when seeing children is always this; most don¡¯t feel beyond this.¡±

    ¡°Did you just call yourself ¡®cute¡¯? Don¡¯t deny it. I heard it!¡±

    ¡°¡­ it¡¯s like I¡¯m talking to the air,¡± Heller said, almost speechless, as he turned over and buried himself in the nket. ¡°Do whatever you want. Please don¡¯t disturb me. I¡¯m going to sleep.¡±

    I was only pulling his leg, but I supposed I went overboard. He was offended.

    I gently poked the bulging nket, but I didn¡¯t get any reaction, so I whispered, ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry, Heller. I shouldn¡¯t haveughed at you. Are you tired? The doctor told me that you were supposed to sleep until tomorrow morning. I won¡¯t disturb you anymore. Good night.¡±

    I climbed into another single bed and buried myself in the soft bedding, but I tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

    Lily¡­ Lily¡­

    Her frown and smile appeared in my mind again like a broken record. I closed my eyes and forced myself to fall asleep, but it was useless. Lily, Lily, Lily. I could only think of Lily if I opened or closed my eyes.

    ¡®It is over.¡¯ I thought.

    Everything was over when I realized I was in love with Lily. I could no longer ignore this feeling or use any excuse to deceive myself that everything was an illusion.

    I had only spent half a month with Lily, but she was like a lily swaying in the breeze, deeply rooted in my heart.

    1 rolled over and wondered absentmindedly, ¡®Will Lily forget me when I leave?¡¯

    When I looked up, a pair of resentful big eyes were looking at me.

    ¡°Heavens!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t control my movement this time as I waved my hand and threw the pillow over Heller¡¯s head.

    ¡°I wanted to sleep but can¡¯t because someone keeps tossing and turning.¡± He threw the pillow back to me and said faintly, ¡°It looks like we have to talk about this tonight.¡±

    I scratched my head and smiled embarrassedly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I swear I won¡¯t make a peep again tonight. You can go back to sleep.¡±

    Heller sat up, ¡°No, thanks to someone, I¡¯m not sleepy at all. Let¡¯s continue to talk about your tragic first love.¡±

    He gave an oddugh, making me want to throw the pillow in his face again..

 Chapter 602 - 602: A Gift?

    Chapter 602: A Gift?

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yarin¡¯s POV:

    ¡°If only I had been born a few years earlier,¡± 1 said dejectedly. ¡°If I were the same age as Lily, all my troubles today would be gone. 1 could boldly confess to her. Even if she rejected me, at least 1 had tried instead of hiding under the nket and whispering like a soft egg.¡±

    But things might not be that difficult. ¡°But then again, the age difference between us isn¡¯t that big, is it? I¡¯m twelve, and she¡¯s sixteen. She¡¯s only four years older, a gap much smaller than our parents.¡±

    ¡°But Mom and Dad were already adults when we met,¡± Heller said. ¡°You, Yarin, and I are just primary school students to Lily. We may be junior high school students soon. But what¡¯s the use? No one would want to be in a rtionship with a primary school student, even if they were a little older. When you are sixteen, god, Lily would be twenty. This is even worse. It would have jumped from an age problem to moral and legal problems.¡±

    I changed my position and buried the lower half of my face in the pillow, not saying a word.

    ¡®Heller is right. 1 understand that. However, I¡¯m more depressed because of this.¡¯

    ¡°Perhaps I should continue to wait until age is no longer a problem, but¡­¡±

    But Lily might have already met her fated mate by then. What would I have to do then?

    Heller understood me.

    He sighed and said helplessly, ¡°This is indeed a problem ¨C fate and choice. Even philosophers can¡¯t understand it.

    ¡°But maybe things won¡¯te to that,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s not like before anymore, is it? The destined marriage, once regarded as an ironw, only provided a choice for the werewolves. Mom and Aunt Avril didn¡¯t choose their so-called fated mate. Many werewolves can¡¯t even get the guidance of the Moon Goddess in their lifetime, so I think you don¡¯t have to worry about it. Who knows what will happen in the future?¡±

    H H

    ¡°Instead of worrying about that, let¡¯s think about the problem at hand. Have you thought of a parting gift for Lily?¡±

    Speaking of this, I felt another wave of headacheing.

    Of course, I didn¡¯t think about it. I wanted to give Lily the best, the most memorable, and the most unforgettable thing I could give her. However, my mind immediately became empty when 1 thought of this. There were no options or answers.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. What I can find in the Silver Moon Pack are only local specialties. Lily doesn¡¯t need these things. My things are either not allowed to be given away without permission, or nothing is interesting about them, let alone would they make Lily remember me.¡±

    ¡°Actually, why do you have to think of the gift as so unique, precious, andplicated? These are not important to Lily. She¡¯s not someone who values materialistic things. To put it simply, this is a gift between friends. It¡¯s a memento, so it¡¯s rted to you and Lily.

    ¡°For example, candies. I love candies as much as my life, and Lily collected these candies for me. This is the bond between us. Lily thinks of me when she sees them. So, what do you think Lily would think of you when she sees you?¡±

    Following Heller¡¯s train of thought, I suddenly thought of a good idea, ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll give Lily my diadem? It is the Moonstone Crown, which is in my luggage for this trip. It is a birthday present from my mother. The royal family does not own it, so I can use it as I pleased. And it¡¯s so representative that Lily will remember me the moment she sees it.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t understand. Do you like Lily or want to send her to prison? A diadem? Are you serious? Do you think the picket will believe you gave it to her voluntarily or that Lily tricked you into giving it to her?¡± Heller seemed to be frustrated tonight. ¡°Please use your brain. Don¡¯t alwayse up with such unrealistic ideas!¡±

    ¡°If you and I don¡¯t say anything, how would the picket notice that Lily has a crown from the royal family?¡± 1 refuted weakly.

    Heller ignored my stupid words.

    ¡°But 1 really can¡¯t think of anything!¡± 1 plunged into the nket and said gloomily, ¡°Candy! Candy! That¡¯s a wonderful idea, but I don¡¯t have anything like that. Lily and I¡­ There seemed to be no special connection.¡±

    The more I spoke, the more depressed I became. In the end, I gave up.

    ¡°Maybe Lily will remember me because of this? When she sees your gift, she will remember 1 didn¡¯t give her anything. It¡¯s not bad to be remembered like this!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, Yarin. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Heller dug me out of the nket. ¡°You still have time to think about it. We¡¯re leaving this weekend, aren¡¯t we? There are still three days left.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m afraid that we have to leave early.¡± I told Heller about the check-up in the afternoon, ¡°Mom and Dad are worried about the possibleplications. They might go home early for me to receive treatment.¡±

    Heller became silent. If it was our parents¡¯ decision, we had no choice.

    The night chat ended hastily, and I fell asleep with a heavy heart, unaware that an appalling event was about to happen tomorrow..

 Chapter 603 - 603: The Explosion

    Chapter 603: The Explosion

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yarin¡¯s POV:

    In my sleep, a loud bang suddenly woke me up.

    I sat up abruptly and looked out of the window in panic. Heller opened his eyes in a daze and asked, ¡°What happened? Are there firecrackers?¡±

    I ran to the window and saw thick ck smoke rising from the tali buildings in the distance. Screams of horror rang everywhere, breaking the tired morning after the festival.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a cannon,¡± he muttered. Then, he immediately began to put on his clothes. ¡°Something happened.¡±

    At the sight of the ck smoke in the distance, Heller immediately became sleepy as he said, ¡°Go find Mom and Dad and ask them what happened!¡±

    We immediately put on our clothes and went downstairs. There were already many people gathered in the hall. Some servants were whispering, and manor guests were awakened from their slumber.

    Our parents were also there, and my mother was on the phone with someone. Her hair was disheveled, and it was obvious that she had not had time to tidy up her appearance because of the incident.

    We went to Dad¡¯s side and asked, ¡°What happened? Was that an explosion? We saw the ck smoke over there.¡±

    Dad was silent. He looked serious and shook his head at us, indicating that everything was still unclear.

    Soon, the Silver Moon family arrived. Francis and Aunt Teresa were still holding their phones. Clearly, they had received the news and had cleared away all the servants who were confused.

    My mother hung up the phone and announced with a dark expression, ¡°Just five minutes ago, Silver Moon za was attacked, and an explosion happened there. The terrorists used explosives to blow up the entire za. At present, five people had died on the spot. They were the cleaning staff on duty and were cleaning up when the incident happened.¡±

    ¡°Have you caught the murderers?¡± my father asked.

    My mother shook her head and rubbed her eyebrows tiredly. ¡°No, there are no traces left at the scene. The police are searching the surrounding surveince cameras to find clues.¡±

    At this moment, her phone rang again, followed by Francis and Aunt Teresa¡¯s phones.

    My mother picked up the phone, and her expression became colder as the other party spoke. Francis was the first to hang up. His expression was unusually serious.

    ¡°There are more victims. After a preliminary search, at least seven people, including the five cleaners, died on the spot. More than twenty people are injured,¡± he said.

    ¡°This is clearly premeditated. It¡¯s not even 6 AM yet, and there are usually very few people in Silver Moon Square at this time. Many people would be left in the square only after a major festival to party all night. Besides, the Moonlight Festival has just passed. It¡¯s hard to say what the terrorists are thinking now.¡±

    The adults¡¯ expressions were gloomy, so I hypothesized, ¡°Is it to involve more victims that they especially chose this time?¡±

    My dad put his hand on my shoulder. I looked back at him. He nodded and then shook his head.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not all¡­¡±

    My mom seemed to be answering and talking to herself. The sound of wheels screeching against the ground gradually came from outside the window. She stopped the conversation and turned to Heller and me, ¡°Alright, it¡¯s time for work. Children should return to their rooms now and continue to rest or care for themselves. Don¡¯t go out for fun today. No, don¡¯t go out at all.¡±

    ¡°The guards will protect this ce,¡± Francis said. ¡°Please rest assured, Your Majesty.¡±

    As they spoke, arge group of people in official uniforms had already entered the house under the guidance of the servants. My mom nodded in response to their questions and told us and Lily, ¡°Go back to your room, children. Today will be a hectic day. i don¡¯t have time to take care of you for now.¡±

    In the game room.

    People probably did not frequent this manor, and all the facilities in the game room were brand new. However, no one was in the mood to y now. We sat in a semicircle on the carpet and stared nkly at the world outside.

    After a short while, Heller asked, ¡°Can we go back as scheduled?¡±

    I looked at him and then at the people in uniform walking around the manor. I said uncertainly, ¡°i don¡¯t know. i think we will. After all, the Silver Moon Pack¡¯s safety is already unknown.¡±

    Heller didn¡¯tment.

    After a while, he said, ¡°Maybe we won¡¯t make it. This isn¡¯t just any explosion. If there are casualties, it will cause panic. If we leave now, it¡¯s hard to say what kind of public opinion will arise. Perhaps people would think that the royal family was as timid as a mouse, not caring about the people¡¯s lives, only wanting to escape back to safety.¡±

    ¡°But this was the Silver Moon Pack¡¯s negligence, wasn¡¯t it? Because of their poor surveince, the terrorists had a chance to take advantage of them,¡± i retorted softly, or perhaps I was trying to convince myself. ¡°The anger of the people should be directed at the people who are truly responsible.¡±

    Heller looked at me. Although he didn¡¯t say anything, his gaze made me feel ashamed.

    ¡°All right. 1 mean, we kinda know how things will develop,¡± 1 muttered softly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if it was the royal family or the Silver Moon Pack¡¯s responsibility; that¡¯s unimportant. If we can¡¯t catch the real culprit and give the people an exnation, the two families will be notorious sooner orter.

    ¡°Even the media won¡¯t let us go. They might be trying to get information from the police station to make the evening headlines..¡±

 Chapter 604 - 604: Troublemaker

    Chapter 604: Troublemaker

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    Varin¡¯s POV:

    Lily didn¡¯t say a word. She stared out the window as if she didn¡¯t hear us at all.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± I asked.¡± Don¡¯t worry. I was justining. The police will bring the terrorists to face justice.¡±

    Lily returned to her senses and didn¡¯t seem to understand what I was saying.

    She just forced a smile and didn¡¯t say anything.

    Hence, the game room fell silent again.

    After a while, someone knocked on the door. It was a servant who came to bring us breakfast.

    ¡°Has everyone had breakfast?¡± I asked her.

    ¡°His Majesty is meeting with the lords,¡± the servant replied. ¡°He instructed us not to disturb him.¡±

    This was really serious, perhaps even more serious than I thought that people didn¡¯t even have time to eat a sandwich.

    After the servant left, Heller chewed the orange absent-mindedly as he muttered, ¡°Who could have nned this explosion?¡±

    I subconsciously wanted to say my guess, but Lily was still beside me. 1 didn¡¯t want to cause her to recall bad memories, so I kept my mouth shut.

    But Lily herself did not seem to care. ¡°Maybe Lily of the Valley nned a fake potential explosion yesterday. They nned a real one this morning, taking advantage of the people¡¯sxity.¡±

    She did not eat anything and just stared out of the window. ¡°If it¡¯s them, there¡¯s no doubt we¡¯ve been fooled twice. We got a false rm when we were nervous and a fatal blow when we were rxed. This was the Lily of the Valley House¡¯s provocation and revenge.

    ¡°Do you know how many children and smuggled goods were seized in the previous smuggling?¡± She mumbled and answered without waiting for our response, ¡°Seven, no more, no less.

    ¡°A total of seven people died in the explosion this morning. Perhaps more will die from serious injuries, but is it just a coincidence that seven people died on the spot?¡±

    Lily¡¯s hypothesis made my hair stand on end.

    Suddenly, the pale, scarred children reappeared before me, stacked in strange positions in the cargo box like a group of lifeless dolls. However, it was not filled with cotton, but a terrifying forbidden drug that could make people addicted.

    Seven corpses.

    Seven dead.

    Heller shrunk to my side as he asked nkly, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s not the Lily of the

    Valley? Perhaps it¡¯s a brand new enemy we don¡¯t know about¡­¡±

    As he spoke, he fell silent.

    The images of those children lingered in my mind, and my anxiety gradually peaked. 1 bit my fingers uneasily, eager to verify the authenticity of this assumption. Was it a coincidence? Or was it a carefully plotted revenge?

    Suddenly, a pair of warm hands freed my fingers from my teeth.

    It was Lily. She looked at me apologetically and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I scared you. Calm down, Yarin. Just like you said, we should trust the police to solve these crimes.¡±

    Her hand was warm, soft, and firm. The calluses on the back of my hand tickled slightly.

    After realizing my feelings for Lily, this touch should have made me blush and my heart beat faster. However, a thought suddenly popped into my mind when 1 saw Lily¡¯s slightly furrowed expression. From the beginning, 1 shouldn¡¯t have bothered Lily.

    If I hadn¡¯t pestered her, she could have left freely from the beginning and gone anywhere she wanted. It wouldn¡¯t just be the edge of the House of the Homeless, but the safer and more prosperous human world. But because of my arrogant request, everything took a 180-degree turn.

    Lily could no longer be free. She had to stay in the Silver Moon Pack that made her depressed, and even her life was in danger. And now, in this period of trouble, Lily could not leave. She could only sit in the strange ¡®home¡¯ and stare at nothing.

    But she shouldn¡¯t have to go through all this. If she hadn¡¯t met me, she could have done whatever she wanted.

    I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if my existence was really good for Lily.

    Let¡¯s recount what she experienced after meeting me. Her journey to freedom was cut short halfway; her rtives despised her and rolled their eyes at her, the thrilling kidnapping, and so on.

    Of course, I could say that my personal will didn¡¯t cause all of this and that I made up for it, but at the root of it all, wasn¡¯t I one of the inducements?

    Therefore, the undeniable truth was right in front of me: Not only was I not good for Lily, I could even be considered a troublemaker.

    The conversation with Hellerst night came back to me. At that time, I was thinking hard about establishing a long-term rtionship with Lily, but now 1 was unsure if it was right.

    If my existence would only bring trouble to Lily. If I couldn¡¯t solve these troubles, was it a manifestation of the so-called ¡®love¡¯ to cling to Lily?

    Could that childish, confused, and unprofitable love be given to others?

    I realized I was retreating and subconsciously wanted to refute my inner thoughts, but no matter how I thought about it, 1 couldn¡¯t find any foothold that I could stand.

    Perhaps the answer was no. I couldn¡¯t understand, so I stared at the sky like Lily did..

 Chapter 605 - 605: Garland and Garland

    Chapter 605: Gand and Gand

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    Yarin¡¯s POV:

    Around noon, the servant invited us to the dining room for lunch. The adults were also there. 1 saw that they were holding a wanted poster in their hands. ¡°Who is this wanted person?¡±

    ¡°Lily of the Valley.¡± My dad handed me the poster with the gand of the Lily of the Valley printed on it: A withered and broken gand surrounded a bloody Lily of the Valley.

    1 unconsciously tightened my grip on the rather tough piece of paper, and the gand symbol was slightly deformed.

    He stole a nce at Lily, who seemed oblivious and was focused on enjoying the mutton pie in front of her.

    After a short while, Heller suddenly tugged the corner of my clothes quietly, motioning me to get closer to him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think this looks a little familiar?¡± he whispered in my ear.

    Familiar?

    1 carefully observed the symbol on the wanted poster and gradually felt I had seen it somewhere.

    The gand¡­ The gand¡­

    That was right!

    1 suddenly remembered that the ¡®Gand City¡¯ of the elves used a gand as their family emblem.

    When I was young, Gand City often wrote letters to my mom. My mom said that although they were foreigners, there were alsorades she had fought with. They had always maintained a deep friendship.

    However, when 1 was about eight or nine, the elves¡¯ internal division became more intense, and theirmunication had to stop gradually.

    1 hadn¡¯t seen my mom receive letters or gifts from Gand City for years.

    Although it was no longer the ancient times whenmunication was difficult, one could not expect the natural areas in chaos to be so diligent in building base stations. Once they stopped contacting each other, they would lose their only reliable contact method.

    Speaking of which, the symbol on the wanted poster was simr to the family emblem of Gand City. For example, they were both made up of thirteen kinds of flowers, and single leaves were in simr ces.

    However, what could the human mafia have to do with the distant and isted elves?

    I decided to ask my parents, but I didn¡¯t get the chance until the evening.

    Apart from us, everyone had been busy all day. Even Alfred had been recruited to help deal with this terrorist attack. The sky was getting dark, and 1 could hear sirens from outside. It was the police patrolling the entire Silver Moon Pack.

    My mom summoned Heller and me over. She looked tired. She immediately said at the sight of us, ¡°Tomorrow morning, you will leave this ce and go back to the Lycan Pack.¡±

    ¡°Us? Aren¡¯t we going with Dad?¡± I looked around but didn¡¯t see my dad. He must still be dealing with some matters.

    ¡°We have to stay. There¡¯s no need for you toe. The Silver Moon Pack is no longer safe, and I cannot allow you to be in danger. The soldiers are gathering. They will escort you home, away from all danger.¡±

    After hearing that our parents didn¡¯t want to go with us, Heller and 1 had the same reaction; we would never agree with it.

    ¡°But we shouldn¡¯t be separated, Mom! Since Silver Moon Pack is in danger, how can you and Dad stay here? What if, what if you encounter those vicious terrorists¡­ No! You have toe with us!¡±

    Facing our anxiety, our mom only smiled bitterly and bent down to hug us.

    She said softly, ¡°Thank you for your concern for Dad and my safety, but children, this is an obligation we must fulfill. The people are in danger. As the queen of the country, 1 will be finished if 1 run away from the battle and abandon the people to save my life.

    ¡°The people would not want a weak, selfish, and cowardly queen, and I am not willing to be a coward whopromises with criminals. So 1 have to stay. Your dad and I are husband and wife. He has to stay too. We must be the weighing stone in the people¡¯s hearts and give them a sense of security in a crisis. This is what a leader must do.

    ¡°But you¡¯re different. Yarin, Heller, you¡¯re princes and kids. With your dad and me around, the heavy responsibility of shouldering the people¡¯s expectations will not and should not be ced on you. However, from another perspective, you are also the reserve vice kings of the werewolves, my sessors.

    ¡°Once 1 cannot fulfill my duties as a queen, with you all around, the regime can be smoothly transitioned, and the country will not be in great turmoil. The werewolves will not lose their leader and will not be in turmoil or even split apart like the elves. As the saying goes, don¡¯t put all your eggs in one basket.

    ¡°Children, your Dad and I have things to do, and you have responsibilities to bear ¨C to ensure your safety and the werewolf pack has a sessor.¡±

    We threw ourselves into her arms, tears welling up in our eyes.

    Although our mother tried her best to speak softly, her words still revealed how much danger Silver Moon Pack was currently in. This danger could even threaten everyone¡¯s life, including her own!

    How could I leave willingly? At the thought that my parents might get hurt or even¡­ 1 felt as if my heart was bleeding.

    Heller had already burst into tears. He tightly clutched our mom¡¯s clothes and begged her not to make him leave..

 Chapter 606 - 606: Wishing You The Best

    Chapter 606: Wishing You The Best

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yarin¡¯s POV:

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave you and Dad. I don¡¯t want you to be in danger,¡± Heller said. ¡°We¡¯re a family. We have to stick together at all times. It doesn¡¯t matter if we¡¯re facing danger or luck. Grandpa and Grandma taught me this, and 1 have always remembered it. Mom, don¡¯t make Yarin and 1 leave. We are a family. We have to face everything together!¡±

    I immediately nodded in agreement. ¡°The culprits of the Lily of the Valley had yet to be caught. Perhaps they are still in the city, or perhaps they have unknowingly followed the Silver Moon Pack into the depths of the werewolf pack! A battle is inevitable if we encounter them on the way back or are ambushed.¡±

    ¡°But warriors shouldn¡¯t be injured or even sacrificed in vain. Besides, no ce in the entire werewolf pack is safer than being by your side. Mom, we all know this. You¡¯re the strongest and most invulnerable warrior in the werewolf pack.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Let us stay, Mom. We promise not to run around. We will always stay by your side and definitely not let ourselves be in danger!¡± Heller always knew when to cooperate with me. Usually, ourbination skills were invincible; however, this time, my mom seemed to be determined.

    ¡°The search team has already set off. We will ensure your safety on the road. Listen to me, children, the Lycan pack is an impregnable city, full of powerful warriors and werewolf grandmasters.

    ¡°After your grandfather received the news, he began to strengthen the security of the entire city. He will go to the pce to apany you when your dad and I are not around.

    ¡°As for your dad and me, don¡¯t worry. Just like how you guys said that I¡¯m the strongest warrior in the entire werewolf pack, your father is also iparably valiant. We¡¯ve even faced the evil gods head-on. No matter how terrifying the terrorists are, can they be more terrifying than the evil gods? I promise we will soon bring those despicable humans to face justice and return home safely.¡± No matter how much Heller and I begged, my mom was determined to see us off. She even had people pack our luggage. We could set off as soon as we woke up tomorrow morning.

    We knew there was no turning back and had to ept it in dismay.

    The trip to the Silver Moon Pack wasing to an abrupt end, and my ample time wasing to an end. 1 didn¡¯t seem to have a chance to think more about Lily.

    Other than eating, she spent the entire day in the game room, doing nothing but daydreaming.

    1 stood at the game room entrance and ced my hand on the door handle, but I couldn¡¯t press it down no matter what.

    Open this door, enter this room, and then how should 1 say goodbye to Lily? How would she react? Reluctant? Surprised? Or did it not matter if I stayed or went?

    I wasn¡¯t sure, and I became timid. I even thought, ¡®Why don¡¯t I disappear for thest time and leave without saying goodbye?¡¯

    Heller was waiting beside me. He didn¡¯t urge me; instead, he just sighed at my hesitance.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t know what to do, let me do it! Cynthia told me that people who fall in love are fools,¡± he whispered. Lily had a keen sense of hearing. ¡°The level of each ability is inverse to the degree of attraction. I¡¯m not surprised you¡¯ve lost even the most basic social skills, Yarin.¡±

    Perhaps Heller could do it. 1 just needed to hide behind him and watch everything end.

    But no, my heart told me that running away is a coward¡¯s choice. If 1 loved Lily, I shouldn¡¯t use this behavior to despise her and my feelings.

    I finally made up my mind and pushed open the game room door.

    Lily was staring at the window in a daze. When she saw us, she said, ¡°Hey, you guys are back.¡±

    I walked over and sat beside her. She gave me half of the nket.

    ¡°I have something to tell you, Lily,¡± 1 said gloomily. ¡°I¡¯m leaving. 1¡¯11 leave tomorrow morning. I¡¯vee to say goodbye to you.¡±

    Lily was stunned. ¡°Aren¡¯t you leaving on the weekend?¡± she asked. ¡°Why ¨C oh, I was being silly. The Silver Moon Pack is no longer safe. The Queen will not let you be in the center of chaos.¡±

    Heller moved closer to Lily. After taking a look at me, who was lowering my head silently, he took out the candy from his pocket and gave it to Lily.

    ¡°This candy is for you, Lily. Please don¡¯t forget me, okay? Perhaps we won¡¯t see each other for a long time, but I don¡¯t want to lose a good friend like you. Please, Lily, don¡¯t forget me.¡±

    Lily hugged Heller with a smile and said, ¡°Of course not. Thank you for the candy, Heller. Seeing it is like seeing you. We will always be friends.¡±

    Heller winked at me; however, 1 escaped at thest moment. It was only at this moment that 1 realized that my mind was nk!

    Fortunately, it seemed that I was not needed to do anything.

    Because Lily reached out and gently pulled me close, allowing me to fall into her arms.

    ¡°And you, Yarin, I will never forget you. Although we haven¡¯t spent much time together, all the memories are precious to me. I hope everything will be fine when you return to the Lycan pack.¡±

    I was stunned. After a few seconds, 1 hugged her back in a warm embrace.

    Thank you, Lily..

 Chapter 607 - 607: Misfortunes Never Come Singly

    Chapter 607: Misfortunes Never Come Singly

    Trantor: End less Fantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yarin¡¯s POV:

    We didn¡¯t go back to our room tonight. Heller, Lily, and i snuggled and slept well in this magnificent manor.

    The next morning, Lily woke us up first. I heard a news van circting about wanted posters, temporary curfews, and encouraging the public to report suspicious people.

    It was still early, and the empty streets were even more deste because of the explosion. Heller and I stood in front of the car and hugged our parents one by one.

    They didn¡¯t want to give up, but they didn¡¯t want to send us away.

    ¡°Call us if you miss us. Children, we will always keep in touch with you.¡± My mom gently kissed our foreheads and personally sent us to the car. ¡°The ne is very fast. You¡¯ll be home at noon. Grandpa will apany you at the pce. Be obedient, okay? Give him some peace of mind.¡±

    ¡°We know. Goodbye, Mom and Dad. I wish you all the best.¡±

    We obediently said goodbye to our parents. Behind them was the Silver Moon family. 1 saw Lily at a nce. She noticed me and smiled as she mouthed, ¡°Bon voyage.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t in the Silver Moon Pack for long but felt deeply reluctant to leave. Thisnd was rich and filled with enthusiasm, and the unexpected disaster only made it more lovable.

    When would I be able toe here again? By then, could i still remember my experiences during this period? Would I still feel such mncholy?

    Would I ever meet that brave girl who moved in the wind like a lily again?

    The car slowly left the manor and drove along the empty road to the airport.

    The magnificent house gradually shrank into a small ck dot, disappearing at the horizon¡¯s end.

    ¡°Come back to your senses, buddy. We¡¯re not in Titanic.¡±

    Heller rushed over and strangled my neck. We started to fight, which aroused Kara¡¯s dissatisfaction. She cleared her throat, and we immediately separated, obediently sitting in our seats.

    ¡°Are youing back, Grandma Kara?¡± I asked her. ¡°Aunt Bertha didn¡¯te to the Silver Moon Pack with you. After you send us home, will youe back, or will Aunt Bertha take your ce?¡±

    ¡°Bertha will be responsible for taking care of you, Your Highness. Once you¡¯re settled, I¡¯ll return to the Queen¡¯s side,¡± Kara replied.

    Kara was a very, very experienced servant in the pce. I heard she had already served in the pce when my great-grandfather was still in power. Thisdy, who had experienced three dynasties, was now in her twilight. The meticulous white hair at her temples indicated the rich experience she had umted over the years.

    Strictly speaking, she was not working in the pce now but as my mom¡¯s butler. After officially stepping down as the head servant, my mom invited her to work for her. Thisdy, who had worked hard for half her life, readily agreed and became my mom¡¯s right-hand man.

    My mom was busy with government affairs, and raising us herself like a housewife would be too difficult. As for Heller and I, this old man who assisted our mom and raised us was no different than a rtive.

    I couldn¡¯t bear to leave my parents and Kara. 1 said gloomily, ¡°We¡¯ll miss you, Kara.¡±

    ¡°Can we call you?¡± Heller said vaguely as he leaned his chin against Kara¡¯s seat.

    Kara gently stroked his soft hair, then gently pushed him away and replied, ¡°Of course, but you have to go back to your seat now, Your Highness. Don¡¯t unbuckle your seatbelt. I saw that.¡±

    After being discovered, Heller shrunk back as he mumbled while fastening his seatbelt.

    ¡°Are you hungry? 1 see that you haven¡¯t eaten much for breakfast. There¡¯s a fruit tter in the car refrigerator. Eat some to fill your stomach first.¡± Kara said as she reached out. Just as she was about to open the fridge, something unexpected happened!

    ¡°Beep-boom!¡±

    For a moment, the world was spinning!

    We were like cats that had been thrown into a washing machine. The feeling of my chest being about to snap made me realize that the seatbelt was holding me firmly to the seat, preventing me from falling apart like a piece of ss.

    In a split second, i felt lucky that Heller had fastened his seatbelt. Closely after that, I passed out in the smell of engine oil and blood.

    After an unknown amount of time, i felt someone moving me, and a piercing pain came from my chest. i coughed out a mouthful of blood and slowly woke up.

    The scene before me was very blurry, and my ears had a sharp buzzing sound. I could only vaguely recognize a dozen inclothes bodyguards in ck calling out to me, but I couldn¡¯t hear a word they said.

    After a few seconds, I realized 1 had just been in a car ident and was lucky enough to survive.

    ¡°How¡¯s Heller? And Kara, they¡­¡±

    Halfway through my sentence, i began to cough violently. Blood choked my nasal cavity and windpipe, intensifying my reaction. I couldn¡¯t say a word. I heard the urgent siren of an ambnce.

    The medical staff rushed forward and carried me onto the stretcher. Through the gap in the crowd, I saw Heller lying on the other end of the carriage silently with his eyes closed and face full of blood..

 Chapter 608 - 608: The Car Accident

    Chapter 608: The Car ident

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Lily¡¯s POV:

    Something had happened.

    I was packing my luggage and thinking about which pack to go to after everything. There was a suddenmotion in the courtyard. 1 looked out the window and saw the Queen hurrying to leave.

    What happened? Was there another terrorist attack?

    I couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous at the thought of this possibility. I hurriedly ran downstairs to find out what had happened.

    Many people gathered in the courtyard, but most were strangely quiet. The couple in the center was the focus.

    The Queen seemed very anxious, her trembling hands even revealing fear. The King Consort was standing beside her and consoling her in a low voice, although his expression was the same as the queen¡¯s ¨C anxious and thunderstruck.

    No one expressed any opinion about this noble couple. They even showed a kind of understanding and tolerance mixed with pity.

    I crept up to Alfred and whispered, ¡°What happened?¡±

    He frowned and sighed. ¡°It¡¯s the princes¡­ They were in a car ident on the way to the airport. They were seriously injured and fell into aa.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± I cried out in surprise, attracting quite a few gazes, but none were as eye-catching as the couple.

    ¡°How did this happen? What about the security guards around them? The route should have been nned long ago. How could such an ident happen?¡± I was eager to know more, but a thought suddenly popped into my head. ¡°Could it be a terrorist attack? Is it the Lily of the Valley again?¡±

    Alfred shook his head, indicating that he didn¡¯t know more. He only said, ¡°It¡¯s said that something went wrong with the security convoy. A security car suddenly elerated and crashed into the car where the princes were. The driver couldn¡¯t dodge in time and was hit head-on. Besides¡­¡±

    ¡°Besides what?¡±

    ¡°The Queen¡¯s butler, Lady Kara, died on the spot.¡±

    1 covered my mouth in disbelief to prevent myself from screaming.

    How could this be¡­

    I didn¡¯t have much of a rtionship with that Lady Kara. She was a nice person, and in the short time we spent together, even someone like me felt like she was bathing in a spring breeze. Yarin and Heller loved her very much. They called her ¡®Grandma Kara¡¯ and treated her as their closest family member.

    This olddy, loved by the Queen and relied on by the princes, had died in a car ident caused by internal affairs.

    I couldn¡¯t imagine what an uneptable tragedy this was. This old woman who had sacrificed her entire life for the royal family and the werewolves didn¡¯t deserve such an ending.

    As for Yarin and Heller, I couldn¡¯t believe how sad they would be after hearing this news.

    ¡°What about the princes? How are they now?¡± 1 wanted to ask about their situation, but Alfred knew nothing about it.

    I didn¡¯t need his reply. From the Queen and King Consort¡¯s reactions, 1 knew the situation was not good.

    The noble couple finally ended their worries. The Queen endured her grief and epted the King Consort¡¯s suggestion. She had to return to the manor, the center ofmand, the safest ce, and be the stabilizing force in everyone¡¯s hearts.

    The King Consort did not have that much responsibility. As a father, he would protect their children with the worry and grief of a mother.

    The Queen staggered back into the house. Arge group of people followed her in. I saw my grandfather and mother among them. Their worry was mixed with deep anger. They should be angry. They had to be angry. Whoever nned the attack on the princes was challenging their authority.

    If this could not be exined satisfactorily, the Silver Moon family would be a sinner and aughingstock in history.

    Alfred didn¡¯t leave with me. Facing my gaze, he exined, ¡°1 don¡¯t think Her Majesty wants to see anyone¡¯s children now. This will remind her of her children, whose fates are unknown.¡±

    1 was silent.

    The smiling faces of Heller and Yarin appeared in my mind. Last night, we were still embracing each other and promised never to forget this precious friendship. However, 1 could never imagine that the ident happened so suddenly that all the warm memories and vows started to copse.

    ¡°I want to see them¡­¡± I looked at the end of the road and unconsciously muttered.

    Alfred had sharp ears and replied in all seriousness, ¡°His Highnesses will be safe, but I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be able to leave anytime soon. When they are out of danger, 1 think the Queen will allow you to visit them.¡±

    I looked at him, and he said, ¡°After all, you are friends, right? The Queen is a sentimental person. She cherishes her friends and will understand you.¡±

    1 subconsciously want to refute it, but suddenly 1 thought of him saying that it was right, Yarin and Heller were my friends, and 1 didn¡¯t need to use any excuse to see them.

    It was just that I was used to being alone in the wilderness. Suddenly having such a soft rtionship, I felt like I was dreaming.

    ¡®You must be safe and sound.¡¯

    A gust of wind blew, sweeping the falling petals and carrying the soft wish like cotton away..

 Chapter 609 - 609: Blinded

    Chapter 609: Blinded

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Heller¡¯s POV:

    So dark¡­

    When I opened his eyes, there was a misty darkness in front of me. My dry eyes moved with difficulty, but all I could see was a gray shadow.

    I tried to move but felt a sense of restraint around me. After a few seconds, I realized that they were bandages.

    I recalled that I was on my way to the airport with Yarin and Grandma Kara. What happened?

    Someone opened the door, and I subconsciously looked in the direction of the voice, only to see a ball of ¡®something¡¯ emitting a blue light walking toward me.

    ¡°Huh!¡±

    What kind of monster was this?

    i was so scared that I immediately wanted to get away from it, but the violent struggle brought me heart-wrenching pain. It was as if someone was using a hammer to smash my chest bit by bit, and the long torture made me wail.

    ¡°Heller, don¡¯t move! Don¡¯t move!¡±

    The faint blue light rushed toward me. I was scared to death, but there was no way to escape.

    However, he didn¡¯t seem to be here to hurt me. He held my hands tightly so that I couldn¡¯t move. Then he shouted outside, ¡°Doctor! Doctor! He¡¯s awake!¡±

    A few secondster, arge group of lights rushed in, which terrified me. Moon Goddess, what the hell was this ce? Was I dead? Was this hell? Why weren¡¯t you willing to take me to your courtyard?

    A few balls of light took over from the first one to hold me down. Their techniques were much gentler, but they made me unable to move. Then, 1 felt someone touching my body. Him ¨C or her? i didn¡¯t understand.

    They lifted my eyelids, pinched my limbs, and gently pressed on my chest, which was in so much pain.

    ¡°How is he?¡± I heard someone ask.

    They didn¡¯t say anything to me, and the group of people left, leaving only two light orbs behind.

    ¡°Sorry, Heller, I scared you.¡± Before leaving, the first light ball said, ¡°I promise i will knock on the door next time, okay? Just lie down for a while. I¡¯ll be back in a while.¡±

    After calming down, I felt that his voice was a little familiar. 1 asked tentatively, ¡°Yes¡­ Yarin?¡±

    The ball of light was obviously stunned.

    ¡°It¡¯s me. Of course, it¡¯s me. So, you struggled so intensely initially because you didn¡¯t recognize me?¡±

    Although I couldn¡¯t see his expression, I was sure Yarin¡¯s eyes were round as grapes.

    I finally realized the situation. There was no doubt that I was blind. I didn¡¯t know if it was temporary or permanent. And 1 remembered what had happened before. A car ident changed everything.

    1 didn¡¯t really feel anything about my blindness, but I thought Yarin probably couldn¡¯t ept this fact, so I tried to tell him about my current situation in some soothing words.

    However, before I could do anything, Yarin had already guessed the current situation.

    ¡°Your eyes, Moon Goddess, no¡­¡± He shook his hand in front of my eyes in disbelief. All I could see was a blurry light.

    ¡°You¡¯re blue. At least it looks good, doesn¡¯t it?¡± I tried to speak rxed, but it was an inappropriate joke.

    Yarin ran away like a gust of wind, shouting, ¡°I¡¯m going to find a doctor.¡± I couldn¡¯t stop him. I could only watch the light disappear.

    Someone held my hand. Probably a nurse.

    ¡°I have to check if the needle buried in the back of your hand is crooked.¡± She gently pressed the back of my hand, and 1 felt a sharp pain. ¡°I have to readjust it for you. It will hurt a little. Please bear with it.¡±

    Because of my struggle, my right hand became sore. The needle couldn¡¯t be poked in for the time being, so my left hand had to suffer again.

    ¡°What happened to me?¡± i asked.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been in a car ident with a broken rib and a concussion. The doctor will tell you the details soon.¡±

    The nurse didn¡¯t leave after changing the needles. Instead, she was arranging the cart. 1 asked again, ¡°How is Yarin? And Kara, the Queen¡¯s butler. How is she? Is the driver all right?¡±

    i thought my injury was the most serious, but I didn¡¯t expect the nurse to hesitate to answer my question. This made my bad feeling even worse.

    ¡°What happened? Please tell me, I beg you.¡±

    Before the nurse could say anything, some more people entered the ward.

    Yarin walked to my side and gently tidied my messy hair. He said, ¡°The doctor said you must go for a check-up. Don¡¯t be afraid, I¡¯ll apany you.

    ¡°Dad will be here soon. You¡¯ll see him in a while¡­ He¡¯lle and apany you in a while. Mom is also very worried about you, but you know she can¡¯t leave for now. When Dades, you can meet via video call.¡±

    i grabbed his hand and asked shakily, ¡°Where¡¯s Kara? Why isn¡¯t Kara her? Is she injured too? Where is she?¡±

    I desperately wanted an answer, but Yarin only gave me silence.

    ¡°Tell me! Where¡¯s Kara? Where is she?¡±

    In the suffocating silence, I felt a few drops of warm liquid drip onto the back of my hand.

    ¡°Kara is¡­ She¡¯s gone,¡± Yarin¡¯s voice was as hoarse as a mouthful of sulfuric acid. ¡°She can¡¯te anymore, Heller. She¡¯s gone..¡±

 Chapter 610 - 610:1 Knew Since I Was Young

    Chapter 610:1 Knew Since I Was Young

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Heller¡¯s POV:

    In an instant, 1 felt as if I was struck by lightning. It was as if my soul had left my body, and 1 couldn¡¯t understand a single word Yarin said.

    ¡°She¡¯s gone? What do you mean? Where did she go? Has she gone back to Mom¡¯s side?¡±

    Yarin was still silent. I couldn¡¯t help but clench his sleeve and shout, ¡°Tell me! Say it! Where did she go?¡±

    The medical staff quickly ran over to pull me away, muttering words like, ¡°Be careful of your chest¡± and ¡°The needle is rolling again¡±.

    However, I couldn¡¯t hear anything. My soul couldn¡¯t return to my physical body. I just wanted to run to the moon and find an olddy who would smile and pick me up to sing children¡¯s songs.

    ¡°Calm down, Heller, calm down!¡± Yarin tried to help the doctor hold me down, but I didn¡¯t struggle anymore. I just cried.

    Kara! Kara!

    ¡°¡­ You told me Kara is dead, right? Is it because of the car ident?¡±

    Yarin nodded slowly. After realizing I couldn¡¯t see, he answered dryly, ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ Kara has passed away.¡±

    I felt like I¡¯d fallen into an ice cave.

    I was not my parents¡¯ biological child. I¡¯d known this since I was young.

    My parents didn¡¯t deliberately hide this. They didn¡¯t want to use lies to wrap up fake happiness, but they didn¡¯t want me to feel like a burden under someone else¡¯s roof.

    They treated me no differently from Yarin, so I didn¡¯t feel inferior because of my blood ties.

    However, my parents were different from the parents of other children. They shouldered the responsibility of the entire werewolf race. Whether they were willing or not, they would inevitably be absent from the childhood of my siblings and me.

    And Kara was the one who filled this gap.

    Using a single word to describe her in my heart was difficult. She was so loving and friendly. Sometimes she was like my guardian, and sometimes she was like my friend. I had never thought about what would happen if she left me one day. She had always been by my side as if she would apany me forever.

    But she was dead. In my memory, a second ago, she was still smiling and preparing snacks for us, but now she was dead and had be a cold corpse.

    People couldn¡¯te back from the dead. I¡¯dforted family members politely at many funerals. It wasn¡¯t until the moment when the parting of life and death fell on my head that I realized how painful this was.

    Kara was a good person. Why did a good person end up like this? She should be safe and happy for the rest of her life and enjoy her family when she was old. She didn¡¯t have a family or a child. It didn¡¯t matter because I was her family, and i was her child.

    ¡®Moon Goddess, why are you so cruel and unwilling to give a good person a good ending?¡¯

    ¡°I want¡­ I want to see her,¡± I said nkly.

    ¡°Yes, Kara is in this hospital,¡± Yarin answered in a low voice. ¡°But wait a moment, okay? You¡¯ve got to get checked now ¨C if Kara were here, she wouldn¡¯t let you walk around with all these wounds.¡±

    I nodded silently.

    As soon as I was pushed out of the ward, I heard hurried footsteps.

    It was my dad.

    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯mte, kids.¡± He gently embraced me like a warm summer breeze.

    ¡°Daddy,¡± I responded to him softly, feeling down. This made him realize something was wrong with me, and he turned to look at the doctor.

    However, the doctor could only tell him about my physical injuries. As for the rest, Marin wanted to say something but hesitated.

    ¡°Kara died in this car ident. Heller couldn¡¯t ept this news for a while¡­

    He¡¯s very close to Kara, closer than anyone else, so ¨C ¡±

    He sounded like he was about to cry, and 1 knew he wasn¡¯t feeling well, either. I grew up with him like a shadow. Could his feelings for Kara be any less than mine?

    My dad let out a long sigh. No matter how powerful a mortal was, they were powerless in the face of death.

    ¡°Can we go for a checkup now?¡± I asked softly, ¡°I still want to go see Kara. I still want to see her for thest time.¡±

    Everyone suddenly fell silent because of my words. A few secondster, my dad said, ¡°Of course, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll always be with you.¡±

    His voice was dry, like the hoarse strings of a zither.

    I didn¡¯t have any impression of the entire examination process. No matter how others touched me, even my perception of pain was blunted to the point where it was close to zero.

    Until everything ended, I didn¡¯t feel any sense of reality. It felt like everything was a dream. There were a few times when I almost fell asleep. I felt everything was a dream when I woke up, but this nightmare never ended.

    I heard my dad and the doctor discussing my condition. My ribs were broken and got worse because I struggled a few times. There were also a few broken bones on his body. ording to the werewolf¡¯s recovery speed, these were only minor injuries.

    The most important was my eyes. ¡°The eye nerves are fine, and the CT scan of the brain didn¡¯t show any problems, but there has been no sign of improvement in his blindness. Perhaps, it is not a physiological cause¡­¡±

    I didn¡¯t listen to the rest of the discussion.

    If I couldn¡¯t find the reason, I might have to be blind for a long time.

    It was nothing. I was notpletely blind. I could still see some light orbs.

    The only regret was that 1 might not even be able to see Kara for thest time..

 Chapter 611 - 611: Hollow

    Chapter 611: Hollow

    Trantor: End less Fantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yarin¡¯s POV:

    Heller was in a bad condition both physically and psychologically.

    Although I lied to him that I could find Kara after finishing the inspection, in the end, I still couldn¡¯t do as I wished.

    Kara¡­ I didn¡¯t know how to describe her. Just thinking about her current appearance made me feel suffocating pain.

    Why did this kind olddy end up like this?

    The professionals were cleaning up Kara¡¯s face. i believed they would do their best to dress her up elegantly and appropriately.

    But how could cosmetics cover up the missing parts? Would the cells that would never grow again make the road to the Moon Pce bumpy?

    I felt sorrowful for Heller¡¯s blindness and his ¡®luck¡¯. At least in his memory, Kara would always be that loving elder, and I would always remember the cold face on the iron bed, crying in my dreams at night.

    Even though my dad and 1 both failed to take him to see Kara, Heller didn¡¯t make any response. He always looked calm, as if he felt nothing about being disabled.

    However, 1 would rather he struggle like he did in the beginning. That would at least show that his emotions were unimpeded and not seal himself up like an airtight iron bucket like now. No wind could enter, and no drop of water could leave.

    ¡°Talk to me, please.¡±

    I leaned against his bed and begged him to give me some reaction. Heller didn¡¯t lose his facial expression; however, his frown and smile revealed a chilling emptiness. It was as if he was a humanoid doll, causing the Uncanny Valley effect to appear for no reason.

    ¡°Are you all right? I heard the nurse say that you were injured too. You should go back to the hospital bed,¡± he said.

    I held his hand and gently pressed my chest. ¡°Actually, my ribs were also fractured, but 1 quietly melted the bones and reassembled them. Now, they arepletely healed.¡±

    He chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s good. At least one of us is safe.¡±

    He smiled, but I couldn¡¯t. i wanted to hug him like I did when I was young, but

    I couldn¡¯t do anything because of his injuries.

    We were leaning intimately on the same bed, but 1 felt he was so far away from me, as if he was floating toward the moon, and 1 would lose him forever if I weren¡¯t careful.

    ¡°Listen to me, Heller. Kara has indeed left us, but she will watch everything from the moon. Think about what she taught us. Would she be happy to know that you¡¯re devastated by her departure? Wouldn¡¯t she be heartbroken?

    ¡°She has been living a down-to-earth life all her life. She has contributed her entire life to our family. As for her¡­ i feel very sad about her leaving too! But it¡¯s useless to be depressed. Don¡¯t you want to know who nned this attack? Who caused Kara to lose his life?

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t ask you to pull yourself together because 1 can¡¯t even convince myself. However, there is one thing that we love about Kara. We are sad and in pain about her death. We must avenge her! The target of this car ident was obviously us. Kara was just a fish in the moat. If we don¡¯t avenge her, who else can? Are we going to let those terrorists get away with it?¡±

    Heller finally moved as he asked stiffly like an unwound doll, ¡°Do you know who harmed Kara?¡±

    Of course, I knew. Even if no one told me, 1 knew the culprit.

    That wanted poster shed through my mind. That was right. Who else could it be other than the Lily of the Valley?

    The lunatics who could not be saved and treated human lives as trash brazenly provoked the werewolves¡¯ bottom line, using the blood of the vengeful souls to dye the disgusting thief g!

    Why did they do that? For that box of goods? To consolidate their supreme position in the underground world? Or did they only enjoy destroying and killing people, enjoying the fear and whispers of the crowd like a psychopath?

    As a prince, 1 should consider these things. Countless factors are holding me back and pulling me along. They tell me to ¡®think about it longer¡¯, tell me to ¡öput the overall situation first¡¯, and tell me to ¡®leave it to the lord¡¯.

    However, as a person named Yarin, I didn¡¯t have to care about anything.

    I wanted to avenge Kara, so let¡¯s do it. This had nothing to do with my identity. It was just a person¡¯s revenge on the enemy.

    I thought so when I waited for Heller to wake up in the ICU. But when I met his eyes, 1 hesitated. I could do that, but could Heller? Would he be hurt? Would he be like Kara, dragged into the abyss by conspiracy?

    1 didn¡¯t dare to risk him, so 1 almost gave up, almost hid in the sturdy screen again, waiting for someone to send me news of victory or defeat.

    However, looking at Heller¡¯s current state, dispirited, depressed, and confused, all the excuses I made to hide away became ashes.

    I was ashamed of my cowardice.

    I¡¯d already lost Kara. i couldn¡¯t bear losing Heller.

    So I would bring him along to kill Kara¡¯s murderer with my hands so that those who died in vain could rest in peace and calm their raging souls..

 Chapter 612 - 612: Flames

    Chapter 612: mes

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yarin¡¯s POV:

    Some people thought I was very weak, or in other words, most people thought I was very weak.

    What reason did 1 have not to be weak? In terms of age, I was a child that had not yet grown up. I was so immature that it seemed like one punch could beat me half to death. In terms of strength, I was a young boy who lived like a prince. I probably couldn¡¯t even defeat the swans wandering in the pool.

    Wisdom? No one would seriously consider the intelligence of a primary school student.

    That was why people were always careful with me. They treated me like an antique vase, as if a scratch could kill me.

    That was how people see me.

    But 1 didn¡¯t think I was weak because I was not a child. At least, not a child in the general sense.

    Which child would think so much? At this age, they should be mischievous, yful, and tired of learning. They should try to challenge the authority of adults instead of thinking about things all day long like adults, wishing they could finish thinking about the things that would happen in the next hundred years.

    I was a child because I presented myself as a child and because my mom needed a child who grew up normally, and I wanted to be a child even if it was only for myself.

    In fact, if a person could freely choose their gender or even melt themselves into meat paste and then reassemble, what kind of imprisonment would their appearance have on him?

    I chose to be a child.

    I couldn¡¯t overturn the choice I¡¯d made, and I couldn¡¯t just let myself grow ten years older overnight, but that didn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t do anything.

    Just like how I was able to save Lily, as long as I was willing to pay a price, I¡¯d get what 1 wanted.

    ¡°Why are they doing this¡­¡± Heller mumbled. He believed me without asking for any evidence. He always trusted me. He also knew that Lily of the Valley was the only suspect.

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because the werewolves ruined their business, so they are taking the opportunity to take revenge. Or maybe, they want to be like all the arrogant evil organizations, using the method of provoking authority to show its strength and wanton.¡±

    I didn¡¯t understand the purpose of the Lily of the Valley. I didn¡¯t have to understand it. 1 only wanted to destroy it.

    ¡°Of course, I will do that. 1 will kill them to avenge Kara.¡± Heller suddenly felt pain as he put his hands on his chest, ¡°I can hear Kara¡¯s words. She doesn¡¯t want me to see her take risks or be entangled with a group of lunatics. But¡­ This time, 1 can¡¯t listen to her. 1 have to do this for her and me.

    ¡°But what should we do? Let¡¯s not talk about anything else. It¡¯s very difficult for us to even leave the hospital. There are threeyers of security around the ce, and the medical staff are also natural spies. Even if we hid in the toilet for a minute because of constipation, they would not hesitate to press the rm.¡±

    He seemed to have temporarily returned to the familiar Heller at this moment. He ¡¯looked¡¯ at me, hisrge and moist almond-shaped eyes no longer as bright as before.

    ¡°Moreover, with my current state, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll only be a burden no matter what I do. However, it would be toote if we waited until their injuries recovered before taking action. After all, they are a group of humans. They would escape back to the human countries.¡±

    This was a problem. I could recover and melt my bones secretly without telling the doctors and my parents. They all thought I only hurt my throat, but Heller couldn¡¯t.

    I¡¯d heard that those blood-rted to Heller could control others for their use. However, Heller had not reached that degree and would not agree to hurt innocent people to achieve his purpose.

    Other than that, we also needed to be able to investigate the movements of the terrorists. Had they returned to their hometown, or were they still in the Silver Moon Pack?

    My mom would get the news immediately but wouldn¡¯t tell me. If 1 asked the messenger directly, this would definitely not escape my mom¡¯s knowledge.

    As we were discussing countermeasures, there was a knock on the door. Our dad¡¯s voice came from outside. ¡°It¡¯s me, children. And Alfred.¡±

    I ran downstairs to open the door for them. My dad hugged me and started to fuss about Heller.

    Alfred was here to offer his condolences on behalf of the Silver Moon family. They were to me for the attack on the Silver Moon Pack, not to mention that the Queen¡¯s butler died here.

    Francis and Aunt Teresa were so busy, and thetter didn¡¯t even allow Lily to visit us.

    Faced with my confusion, Alfred could only helplessly exin, ¡°Mother said that she was afraid that Lily would be too rash and disturb the two princes¡¯ recuperation.¡±

    ¡°What kind of reason is that?¡± I didn¡¯t even need to think to know that this was a perfunctory reply. ¡°If it¡¯s considered disturbing to have someone visit, why are you here?¡±

    Alfred was at a loss for words. He then quietly pulled me out of the door and whispered into my ear, ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t believe it either, but my mother refused to tell me anything. I feel that she and Lily have gotten into an argument. Lily doesn¡¯t want to obey her, so she doesn¡¯t allow Lily to go out.¡±

    Lily was being grounded..

 Chapter 613 - 613: Arrogance

    Chapter 613: Arrogance

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    Lily¡¯s POV:

    I didn¡¯t like it when my mother smiled at me. Her smile was always a fake mask, but she tried to make me think it was real.

    For example, now, she was looking at me affectionately and lovingly. Whenever she did this, she always wanted something from me.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± 1 asked frankly.

    My mother didn¡¯t answer. She always liked to beat around the bush and made people guess what she wanted.

    ¡°It¡¯s a troubled time now. Lily, you don¡¯t have to worry about the outside world. Your grandfather and I will handle it well,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s not peaceful outside. You should stay home now and wait for the criminal to be caught before going out.¡±

    ¡°I thought you were going to send me straight to the Lycan pack?¡±

    My mother giggled. She looked at me as if i was a child throwing a tantrum, and even if she had no choice, she had to show the tolerance and rationality of an adult.

    ¡°It¡¯s still long before school starts. There¡¯s no rush. Alfred is going back to the army. Don¡¯t you want to spend some more time with him? I know that you siblings want to be close to each other. It¡¯s my fault as a mother. I¡¯m always restricting this and that, causing the family to be estranged.¡±

    i was silent.

    My mother didn¡¯t need my response. She could talk for a long time on her own.

    ¡°You¡¯ve grown up, Lily. In my heart, you¡¯re still a little girl who trembles when you walk, but now you¡¯re a slim and graceful girl.¡±

    Iler well-maintained fingers picked up a strand of hair from my temple and tucked it behind my ear. ¡°i won¡¯t say you¡¯re the child I¡¯m most proud of. That would be too fake.

    ¡°But you are the child that surprised me the most, my daughter. You have already grown into a beautiful lily in a ce where I can¡¯t see. You sway in the wind, and you will move anyone who sees you.

    ¡°Especially those flowers in the greenhouse. They¡¯ve been spoiled since they were born. When have they ever seen such a handsome posture? I¡¯m not surprised that anyone who meets you will fall in love with you.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never told anyone about this, not even Alfred. I felt disgusted when 1 saw the simrities between him and his father, but only you surprised me. Your beauty is so natural. That bastard finally left something good for his daughter. ¡°When people are young and frivolous, they love beautiful things the most, just like me. If it weren¡¯t for your father¡¯s good looks, 1 wouldn¡¯t have left with him for a b*llshit name.¡±

    I avoided her hand and asked coldly, ¡°What do you mean? If there¡¯s nothing else important you want to say, I¡¯m leaving. I¡¯m going to the hospital to visit the princes.¡±

    ¡°Of course, you¡¯re good friends. It¡¯s only right for you to visit them.¡±

    My mother nodded in agreement. ¡°The princes are still young. They must have been frightened by such a sudden disaster. This is an opportunity for you, Lily, tofort and warm them up so that you can be better friends with them.¡±

    I almost admired her persistence. ¡°You haven¡¯t given up yet? 1 thought 1 had made it very clear. That¡¯s impossible.¡±

    ¡°No, of course, it¡¯s possible!¡± My mother was still smiling, making my hair stand on end.

    ¡°This attack is a disaster for our family but also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I was still worried about how you should manage your friendship with the princes, and now a ready-made opportunity hase! Lily, I know that you don¡¯t want to please others. You don¡¯t have to do that now. You only have to apany them, talk to them, and y for a while.¡±

    As she spoke, her eyes sparkled with a brighter light than crystals. There was ambition, joy, and impatience in them. There was nothing that should be present in this situation.

    I shook off my mother¡¯s hand and realized that she was being unreasonable.

    ¡°What¡¯s the difference? Why do you always hold on to this point? If you want more power and status, you should find the criminal who nned the attack with Grandpa now! Do you think i can pretend nothing happened just because I fawned over the princes? The Queen decided everything, not the two injured children!¡±

    My mother wasn¡¯t angry at all when i pushed her away. She was always so elegant. Even if she had to pretend, she had to pretend. This was her dignity and her way of defense.

    ¡°Even without the princes, this will be resolved peacefully.¡± She was not worried at all, as if the attack was as insignificant as a bee hitting a petal.

    ¡°The Queen knows who the culprit is. We¡¯re just responsible for some of the negligence in our supervision. If we catch the people from the Lily of the Valley, everything will be solved. These people would eventually be caught. It would be fine even if they escaped back to the human world. Would the human government care about the life and death of a domineering mafia organization?¡±

    ¡°You better not be so arrogant because humans are as arrogant as you. When two kinds of arrogant people meet, the result is usually not what either side wants to see,¡± i mocked her contemptuously. She knew nothing about humans, even if they were her neighbors.

    Myck of cooperation finally angered her. Her face darkened, and she hissed, ¡°I don¡¯t want more from you. You want to go to the hospital to visit the princes, and 1 want you to go too. Our goal is the same. You don¡¯t have to be so hostile to me..¡±

 Chapter 614 - 614: Things Left Unspoken

    Chapter 614: Things Left Unspoken

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    Lily¡¯s POV:

    Her face was gloomy as she screamed in anger.

    I was extremely familiar with this.

    So I wasn¡¯t surprised when my mother¡¯s face suddenly darkened. She always used this trick and thought it was invincible.

    So I pretended not to see her expression and said, ¡°But this is different. 1 will go as a friend, not a tterer. Don¡¯t think too simply of the princes. They are not children that can be fooled at will. Prince Yarin wouldn¡¯t have the wisdom and courage to rescue me if that were the case.¡±

    My mother¡¯s face immediately turned red, but before she could say anything, I immediately retorted, ¡°No matter what, it¡¯s not what you think. Prince Yarin treats me as a friend, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re always so stubborn! Lily, this is why I can¡¯t get close to you.¡±

    My mother looked like she was in deep pain. ¡°Why do you have such spective dark thoughts about me? I hope that you will be on good terms with the princes. This is obviously to find a stronger shield for the family. But is it necessary to break off the rtionship if there is an interest in the rtionship? The connection between people isn¡¯t that simple. You¡¯re still young. You don¡¯t understand!¡±

    ¡°So now I¡¯m a child again?¡± I sneered.

    ¡°Lily!¡± As expected, she started screaming.

    ¡°You know this is different! You always like to throw a childish temper, always!¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your family¡¯s knowledge, Mother. You¡¯re well-fed and pampered. Whenever you¡¯re unhappy, you throw a tantrum. I¡¯m your daughter, so isn¡¯t that the same as learning?¡±

    This sentence gained me a p.

    My mother red at me like an angry cow, panting heavily.

    I exposed her. Perhaps she realized her childishness, or perhaps she didn¡¯t. No matter what, I damaged her self-esteem.

    ¡°You should never talk to me like that,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m your mother. I gave birth to you and raised you, so you have to respect me. You have no right to judge me!¡±

    My mouth was filled with the smell of blood. That p was really heavy. However, the smell of blood soon disappeared. The tiny wound had already healed, and only a faint rusty taste lingered on the tip of my tongue.

    I smiled and said respectfully, ¡°Yes, Mother. We are an ancient aristocratic family. Of course, we have to follow the unchanging traditional rules. Children are the property of their parents ¨C or rather, ves, so you can do whatever you want to me, but I dare to say another word. It¡¯s disrespectful.¡±

    My mother looked at me coldly. ¡°It¡¯s not good for you to talk, child. You know you shouldn¡¯t provoke me.¡±

    Suddenly, she became loving again. She gently checked the redness and swelling on my face that had healed. She said in a half-angry and half-ming manner, ¡°It¡¯s my fault, dear. I shouldn¡¯t have been so impulsive. Quickly let me see if your face is injured. Even if it is damaged, it is my fault!¡±

    I allowed her to examine me without responding.

    My mother was immersed in this one-man show of a loving mother and filial daughter. Her acting skills were superb, and no one could tell that this loving mother had pped her daughter ten seconds ago.

    She acted so selflessly and immersed that people would believe her after seeing her.

    Even she believed it herself.

    ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve hit you. I¡¯m sorry, Lily. I shouldn¡¯t have done that. I¡¯m very sorry. I promise there won¡¯t be a next time. If you want to see the princes, go ahead, will you? You don¡¯t have to do anything. I won¡¯t force you to do anything. As long as you¡¯re happy, I¡¯m happy.¡±

    She held my face and kissed my forehead. Then, she hugged me and said gently, ¡°I love you, Lily. You¡¯re my daughter, my flesh and blood. How can 1 not love you? I don¡¯t know how to express it, but I won¡¯t hurt you. Believe me, please.¡±

    iy in her arms and didn¡¯t say anything, letting her finish her lines.

    After that, she looked at me expectantly, hoping to see the next page of the script.

    ¡°Do you really love me?¡± I whispered.

    My mother kindlybed my hair and replied, ¡°Of course,¡±

    ¡°Then how did I escape that night?¡±

    She froze.

    I continued as if I hadn¡¯t heard anything. ¡°In the past, it was very difficult for me to run away from home. Someone would stop me or somehow find me halfway and advise me to go back. There was also one time when I met a kidnapper who wanted to ¡®send me home¡¯.

    ¡°But that day, there wasn¡¯t a single security guard in the manor. Perhaps they all went to protect the Queen¡¯s family? But you¡¯re such a meticulous person. How could you leave such a big security loophole?

    ¡°I was too stupid. I didn¡¯t realize anything then. I couldn¡¯t figure it out even if I thought about itter. I can only think of one possibility: this loophole was specially left for me. You knew I would leave before Moonlight Festival, so you deliberately let me slip away.

    ¡°Cracking a smuggling case is impressive, but it¡¯s not enough to decorate your ribbon.

    ¡°A grand victory always begins with a tragic revenge, right?¡±

    My mother pushed me away.

    She was no longer angry, no longer loving, and no longer cold. She became expressionless, like a statue that had failed to be carved, and examined me hollowly.

    After a while, she said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to do anything, Lily.

    ¡°From today onwards, you will stay here and not go anywhere..¡±

 Chapter 615 - 615: The Cause Of The Disease

    Chapter 615: The Cause Of The Disease

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    Yarin¡¯s POV:

    Alfred didn¡¯t know about the conflict between Lily and Aunt Teresa. He didn¡¯t even hear the contents of the argument.

    ¡°But there¡¯s something wrong with them,¡± he said with absolute certainty. ¡°Mother doesn¡¯t even let me go to Lily. She seems to be deliberately isting Lily from everyone.¡±

    As he spoke, he leaned closer to me and said in an even lower voice, ¡°Actually, 1 heard from the servants that on the night Lily was kidnapped, they heard Mother and Lily arguing.¡±

    ¡°What were they arguing about?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. The servants didn¡¯t hear them.¡±

    I wanted to ask more, but my dad called me into the ward, so I had to go in.

    He was going to find a doctor and asked me to care for Heller.

    I followed him out the door and asked, ¡°How are Heller¡¯s eyes? I asked the doctor, but he refused to tell me.¡±

    My dad sighed andforted me, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the doctors will cure him.¡± ¡°This means that the problem is huge, right?¡± But 1 had to get to the bottom of it. ¡°Is it temporary? Or permanent? Don¡¯t lie to me, Dad. I can see the doctor¡¯s expression. It seems that they can¡¯t do anything about it.¡±

    Under my insistence, my dad finally gave in.

    ¡°I can tell you, child, but don¡¯t tell Heller.¡± My dad pulled me to a corner.

    ¡°Heller¡¯s eyes¡­ The doctor doesn¡¯t think it is pathological blindness. Did you see the report? Neither the nerves around the eyes nor the brain were damaged severely, which meant that Heller¡¯s eyes should be intact or at least recovering slowly.

    ¡°But the fact is that he couldn¡¯t see anything. Additionally, ording to Heller¡¯s description, his world was not dark; instead, he could see people or living beings. For example, we are clusters of fluorescent blue light in his eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already contacted the werewolf grandmaster and told him about Heller. It seemed that Heller was blinded by sorcery or other forces. The werewolf grandmasters woulde here to consult Heller, hoping to find a solution.¡±

    ¡°I hope so¡­¡± I felt a pang of bitterness. ¡°This means that the werewolf grandmasters aren¡¯t sure either, right?¡±

    My dad didn¡¯t say anything, but his sad expression answered me.

    I felt confused and didn¡¯t know what to do. I could only feel sad for Heller¡¯s eyes in vain.

    A fit of sharp anger surged into my heart. I gritted my teeth and asked, ¡°It¡¯s the Lily of the Valley, right? They must have wanted to kill Heller as they nned this attack!¡±

    ¡®It must be so. These rats in the sewer robbed Heller¡¯s light with a cheap trick and caused his wounds to be unable to recover for a long time. Those wounds were nothing for the recovery ability of werewolves. If not being hindered by something, Heller should at least be able to get off the bed!¡¯

    My dad didn¡¯t want me to get involved. He only said, ¡°Go back and apany Heller. Don¡¯t worry about anything else.¡±

    i returned to the ward in silence.

    Once 1 revealed that I wanted to participate, my parents would immediately put me on guard. Of course, this was for my good because I was a ¡®child¡¯. Children had the right to enjoy the fruits of others¡¯bor and stay away from danger. Therefore, they would never support Heller and the others.

    Even if they could empathize with us, they would say, ¡°We will avenge Kara. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡±

    Alfred chatted with us for a while and then left. I told Heller about our dad¡¯s behavior, and he wasn¡¯t surprised.

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible to rely on us alone,¡± he said calmly. ¡°Just as I thought, we can¡¯t even leave the ward.¡±

    ¡°Are we just going to give up?¡± I said unwillingly, ¡°I believe Mom and Dad will catch the criminals, but what can they do? They were humans. ording to the Extradition Agreement, even if these people were found guilty, they would have to be returned to the human world for punishment.

    ¡°But 1 heard that there seems to be no death penalty in some ces on the other side. They can live happily in prison for the rest of their lives! What kind of revenge would that be? Wouldn¡¯t Kara have died in vain?¡±

    ¡°What should we do then?¡± Heller asked calmly. ¡°No matter what we want to do, there is a prerequisite: 1 could escape from the hospital. You know what will happen if they discover we¡¯re missing, right?¡±

    The Silver Moon Pack would immediately be locked down if anyone discovered we were missing. They would secretly or openly search the entire city for us, and the whole city would not be at peace.

    Because this time, it wasn¡¯t as small a problem as when we ran away from home. Vicious terrorists were hiding in the city, and our parents would be able to guess what we were going to do.

    If we failed, Heller and 1 would never be allowed to go out on our own until we grew up. After that, we could only watch the murderers living in the human world..

 Chapter 616 - 616: The Bodyâ€™s Choice

    Chapter 616: The Body¡¯s Choice

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    At this moment, I realized that 1 had been bragging before. 1 couldn¡¯t even leave the hospital, let alone take revenge for Kara.

    This made me feel ashamed and defeated.

    About half an hourter, the werewolf grandmasters arrived. Most of them were locals of the Silver Moon Pack. My mom didn¡¯t bring many people with her on this trip, let alone those familiar faces I had known since I was young.

    Jill was Master Mary¡¯s disciple. He and the doctors had been responsible for my health during this journey. He was very good at witchcraft but couldn¡¯t find any problem with Heller.

    ¡°From the looks of it, His Highness¡¯ blindness is likely to be spontaneous.¡± He frowned and said, ¡°1 can¡¯t find any traces of witchcraft or other powers. His Highness¡¯ soul doesn¡¯t have any signs of contamination. On the contrary, the slow healing is somehow rted to blindness.¡±

    Jill believed that it was because of his blindness that Heller¡¯s self-healing ability was significantly reduced. Most of the energy was supplied to his eyes by his bodily functions, so he had no extra power to promote wound healing.

    ¡°The body itself caused this situation?¡± 1 asked. ¡°Did Heller¡¯s body blind itself?¡±

    Gill nodded. ¡°I¡¯m afraid so, Your Highness. The car ident indeed promoted Heller¡¯s blindness; however, it was secondary. The car ident allowed Heller¡¯s body to make such a choice.¡±

    1 wanted to ask more questions, but Jill said nothing more. He just looked at the medical staff in the ward warily. My dad looked around and signaled for the irrelevant people to leave.

    When we were the only ones left in the room, Jill continued, ¡°The following is just my guess. The materials and equipment avable are too limited, so 1 can¡¯t be ioo% sure.¡±

    ¡°You can speak freely,¡± my dad said.

    Jill lowered his voice. ¡°Although the fluctuations are tiny, His Highness¡¯ spiritual world is expanding, or rather, ¡®developing¡¯. To a certain extent, this allowed for the evolution of His Highness¡¯ power. Combined with His Highness¡¯ description, the ¡®light balls¡¯ he saw was a manifestation of a person¡¯s spirit. Rather than saying that he is blind, it would be better to say that his vision had evolved in an umon direction, temporarily serving his spiritual vision.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I believe that this blindness is spontaneous. This is an opportunity for Your Highness to train his abilities. However, it doesn¡¯t mean that there¡¯s no risk at all. This is because 1 don¡¯t have any precedent or materials to study, so I¡¯m still determining the final direction. Also, if His Highness¡¯ blindness¡­ It willst forever.¡±

    Jill¡¯s description was familiar. Aunt Dorothy had said that she had a period of blindness when she was young.

    However, Heller was different from Aunty Dorothy. Besides her strength, Aunty Dorothy was also affected by external curses. However, Jill thought that Heller was not affected by outward afflictions.

    In other words, it was not a disease and could not be cured. Heller could only recover by himself.

    There was good and bad news; however, none worked because nobody knew when Heller could recover his sight. Even Heller himself didn¡¯t learn how to control the development of this ¡®spiritual vision¡¯.

    At the sight of Heller¡¯s look, I couldn¡¯t help but think of someone as 1 mumbled, ¡°If only Sisley were here. He might have a solution for Heller.¡±

    From the beginning, 1 knew that Heller was not my brother. I also knew that he had a blood-rted elder brother, Sisley.

    He was a strange person. Even though he was handsome and polite, no one wanted to get close to him. His mother had destroyed his family, and he himself had been scared out of his wits by a disaster many years ago, wandering on the world¡¯s edge.

    He had always lived in a lonely cemetery, which was said to be the ce where the disaster had urred, but Sisley stubbornly believed that only thisnd where only the dead existed was the safest.

    Sisley had been temporarily blinded before. Considering his kinship with Heller and the same power, it was hard for me not to suspect he had a way to escape this predicament.

    The more I thought about it, the more 1 felt that this was a good idea. I immediately suggested contacting Sisley to ask.

    Jill didn¡¯t know Sisley. He had only been with Master Mary when I started elementary school. But after he heard about Sisley¡¯s situation, he agreed with me.

    So my dad agreed. We tried to contact Sisley but failed.

    He was a recluse and rarely used modernmunication tools. We had to send someone to the cemetery to find him.

    This would take some time, and we waited anxiously.

    During this period, my mom came, and she could finally take a break from the overwhelming work. The moment she entered the room, she hugged Heller and me. 1 could feel her strong arms slightly trembling.

    ¡°I¡¯mte. I¡¯m sorry, children.¡± My mother choked. ¡°I wish 1 could have been by your side¡­¡±

    Jill had left quietly at some point. Our dad hugged the three of us. 1 whispered in my mother¡¯s arms, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom. We¡¯ll be fine..¡±

 Chapter 617 - 617: The Revenge Of The Powerless

    Chapter 617: The Revenge Of The Powerless

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    Yarin¡¯s POV:

    My mom was going to see Kara. My dad initially didn¡¯t want to allow her to go, but she insisted on it. ¡°I have to go, Aldrich. I have to see Kara with my own eyes so that I know how to avenge her.¡±

    My mom loved Kara. She had been taken care of by Kara before we were born. To her, Kara was both a teacher and a friend. She was a close family member even if she was not blood-rted.

    She was used to being patient and rarely revealed her emotions.

    But this time, she cried without any reservations. Her tears fell like rain. She reached out, her hand trembling to touch the cold corpse on the iron bed, but she could not fall no matter what.

    She stared at Kara¡¯s lifeless face. Her gaze swept across the still hideous wounds after treatment and finally stopped at Kara¡¯s iplete face that could never be recovered.

    ¡°I once asked Kara what she wanted to do after she retired. She said that she had no hobbies. Perhaps she would get a cat, nt a few pots of flowers, and drink a cup of tea from morning to night like an ordinary old person.¡± My mom said sadly, ¡°But she smiled after she finished speaking. She said that it was too early to think about this. She could still be with me for many, many years.

    ¡°The past is still vivid in my mind. I even asked people to find a nice ce that is peaceful andfortable so Kara could retirefortably. But now, everything is meaningless.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t bear to hold her hand and said, ¡°Hush, Mom¡­¡±

    However, my mom turned a deaf ear to me and continued, ¡°Kara is sixty-seven years old this year, which is not considered old for a werewolf. If she didn¡¯t put in so much effort for our family, she could have pursued love and dreams like an ordinarydy, started a family, and had children and grandchildren.

    ¡°She liked wearing a dark blue dress. This is the dress code for servants in the pce. Even though she no longer works, she still keeps this habit. She did not pursue fame, fortune, or superior status, so she rejected the knighthood. Although her sry was not bad, most was donated to charity, and she lived like an ascetic monk.

    ¡°Such a kind and restrained person left with nothing!¡±

    My mom suddenly broke down and cried, scaring everyone. My dad quickly held her and said anxiously, ¡°Calm down, Selma! You know that Kara¡¯s greatest wish when she was alive was for you to be happy. She wouldn¡¯t want to see you like this because of her death!¡±

    My mom fell into my dad¡¯s arms and kept crying. ¡°How could I not know that? But I can¡¯t. 1 really can¡¯t. Kara was a precious family member. 1 knew I would lose her sooner orter, but 1 didn¡¯t expect this day toe so soon!

    ¡°She shouldn¡¯t have ended up like this! She should be flying to the moon with a smile, not dying at the hands of a group of sinister viins!

    ¡°I should avenge her! I have to do this!¡± She moaned, refusing to look away from Kara. However, the dead could not respond to her call, and the corpse on the iron bedy lifeless.

    The morgue was dark and cold. No one spoke in the quiet room, only sorrowful cries.

    My mom cried for a while. She kept mumbling some vague words, but her expression became more and more sorrowful.

    ¡°But there¡¯s nothing I can do,¡± she said nkly. ¡°I¡¯ll catch those bustards, and then¡­ They would be sent back to the human countries. Who knows what kind of punishment they would receive in that bustling and chaotic city? The murderer doesn¡¯t even have to die. He would probably spend the rest of his lifefortably in prison or get away with it¡­ That¡¯s it, and there¡¯s nothing I can do about it.¡±

    Her eyes were red and swollen like two cherries, filled with reluctance and grief.

    ¡°Being the Queen¡­ The Queen¡­ This identity has brought me a lot, but it has also caused me to lose many things. I could kill my enemies with my own hands if 1 were just an ordinary woman. However, as long as I bear the crown, I cannot be me¡­¡±

    My mom seemed to be whining, but there was no real hatred. At this moment, 1 suddenly felt that she was a little unfamiliar. She was neither the gentle and loving mother at home nor the capable queen on the throne.

    She became an ambiguous soul as she fell into a contradictory struggle, squeezed in a narrow crack, in a dilemma, full of despair.

    1 understood her. 1 could do something out of line, but she couldn¡¯t afford a single misstep. Moreover, this concerned the rtionship between the two races. She could only swallow her anger no matter how much she hated them. What good would it do if she expressed her anger? People would say, ¡°The big picture is important¡±, ¡°It¡¯s not worth sacrificing the rtionship between the two countries for a subordinate,¡± or even,¡± You should do what a queen should do.¡±

    It didn¡¯t matter whether people knew or didn¡¯t know Kara. Death was like amp being extinguished. Only a few people remembered the feelings and memories of the past, which was insignificant to the entire werewolf pack.

    But for me, there were some things that I had to do.

    ¡°All the bad guys will be punished.¡± I held my mom¡¯s trembling hand and whispered.

    ¡°No one can behave atrociously under the Moon Goddess¡¯ watch..¡±

 Chapter 618 - 618: A Piece Of History

    Chapter 618: A Piece Of History

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    Yarin¡¯s POV:

    My mom had wanted to send Kara¡¯s body back to the Lycan pack, but the Silver Moon Pack was still in a mess that she did not know when to solve, so Kara¡¯s body could only wait.

    The weather was getting hotter. To prevent the body from dposing, my mom held a small memorial service in the Silver Moon Pack and cremated Kara, waiting for the day she would bring her back to her hometown.

    By the time this was over, three days had passed.

    Heller¡¯s wound healed slowly and causedplications. Doctors gave him more drugs and intensive examinations, and we couldn¡¯t find any opportunity to exploit loopholes. Even at night, nurses came for rounds every half an hour.

    Lily could not be seen, and Alfred did not return after that. 1 tried to contact her on my phone, but there was no response.

    Aunt Teresa had grounded her. Why? Could it be that the conflict between the mother and daughter had escted to a point where Aunt Teresa did not even allow Lily to have contact with the outside world?

    1 should have gone to the manor to look, but 1 was currently a patient. Although the wound in my throat had almost healed, my parents thought the hospital was rtively safe now and didn¡¯t allow me to run around.

    After a few days of hunting, a few terrorists were captured, but it was said that they were just insignificant minions and did not even know who their true leader was.

    Even more frightening was that they were registered in the household registration system. They had lived in the Silver Moon Pack for at least three years, but none of them were werewolves. They were all humans; their friends and neighbors knew nothing about them.

    ¡°This is strange. They are all adults. Has no one ever wondered why they don¡¯t have wolves?¡± I melted into a t lump under the sun and said, ¡°We can¡¯t all be Southern Dukes, can we? Werewolves that are born without wolves were rare, and there are even fewer who lost their wolves after birth.¡±

    Heller was sunbathing beside me. He grabbed a handful of me and put me down. Watching me melting like sticine, he said disdainfully, ¡°There are still ten minutes before the checkup time. Be careful.¡±

    The days in the hospital were very dull. I had nothing to do, so 1 often took advantage of the fact that no one was around to melt and spread myself out in the sun. This was considered daily training to make up for my shorings.

    However, I couldn¡¯t let my parents know. They would think this was not conducive to my recovery, even if 1 was healthy now.

    Heller¡¯s face was pale. The sunlight was dazzling. He was toozy to move, so he closed his eyes.

    1 returned to my human form and reached out to block the sunlight for him. 1 asked, ¡°Are you listening to me?¡±

    He nodded.

    ¡°The police specte that the terrorists haven¡¯t left yet. It¡¯s precisely because they can¡¯t leave that they¡¯ve put in these hidden forces for a long time to cover themselves. These people didn¡¯t know anything. They had only blended into the crowd on the day of the Moonlight Festival to confuse the public. They didn¡¯t know about the explosion and car ident in the square.¡±

    1bed through the news 1 had heard from my parents over the past few days.

    ¡°But they are also significant. These people had lived in the Silver Moon Pack for a long time. They had jobs and social circles; some were even married. This familiarized them with the Silver Moon Pack and constantly provided relevant information to the Lily of the Valley. This time, the terrorists had been able to sneak in through theyers of security and ¡®contributed significantly¡¯.¡±

    ¡°But this is very strange. The attack on the Lily of the Valley could be revenge for the Silver Moon Pack¡¯s smuggling case. But werewolves and humans have never interfered with each other before, so why did it target the Silver Moon Pack so early?

    ¡°They even went to great lengths to nt spies in the Silver Moon Pack. You have to know that even the human government had not decided to establish diplomatic rtions with the werewolves back then. Many humans did not even know that they had a foreign neighbor.¡±

    Werewolves and humans had been residents of thisnd since ancient times.

    As time passed, some races gradually sanctioned themselves off. For example, the elves did notmunicate with other races.

    Some races, such as werewolves, had a smaller reproduction range and gradually closed off their borders, onlymunicating with a few friendly races.

    Humans were an exception. They were rtively more open-minded but considered ¡®isted¡¯ in therger environment.

    As a result, humans gradually stopped interacting with other races. After thousands of years, many people even believed that races such as werewolves, elves, and dwarves were just myths and legends mixed in ancient history.

    Most governments of human countries knew they had a few foreign neighbors around them, but they had always minded their own business. The few parties had always ignored each other.

    The reason was veryplicated. For example, as the human poption increased, the supernatural races fell into a predicament of having no sessors. As humans became more and more powerful with the development of science and technology, the supernatural races realized that they were only mortal bodies in the face of guns.

    It was undeniable that humans always had the upper hand on Earth regardless of poption, territory, or other factors.

    However, the werewolves could not keep their eyes closed forever. My mom believed it was time to open up, or the werewolves would only fall further behind and face a greater survival crisis.

    In short, the grand opening policy had begun. Malicious gazes were hidden in the shadows along with hope and opportunity..

 Chapter 619 - 619: Not Necessarily Human

    Chapter 619: Not Necessarily Human

    Trantor: End less Fantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yarin¡¯s POV:

    Only some people in the werewolfmunity agreed to open up. Many people were already used to the false prosperity of hiding in their shells, and they retorted with conviction, ¡°It has already been like this for thousands of years, and nothing has happened. Could it be that a disaster wille as it pleases? We have never interfered with humans. If the humans dare to attack us, aren¡¯t they afraid that their people will die?¡±

    It sounded very reasonable, but the present was different from the past. In the past, fragile swords could not bepared to sharp ws and wolf fangs, but what were humans holding in their hands now?

    Moreover, human technology was indeed helpful. There was no doubt about it.

    Werewolves needed to make themselves stronger throughmunication, not be domesticated dogs that others could kill at will.

    Opponents were few, but supporters were many. Among them, a sufficient number of opportunists nned to take advantage of this trend to get some benefits for themselves. Most of these benefits were neither formal nor legal, such as human trafficking and smuggling.

    Thinking of this, I couldn¡¯t help but think of the children I saw that night. They might have been kidnapped and then turned into ¡®smuggled goods¡¯. This was enough to show how dirty and evil these transactions were and how much death they deserved for the Lily of the Valley led to all of these.

    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Heller suddenly asked. Not until then did I find that I was lost in a daze. He was already by my side.

    ¡°I was thinking about the children I saw that night. They were so young, looking only four or five years old. Would they be afraid? Are their parents and families still heartbroken, hoping their children would return safely one day?¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Heller nodded as he remained silent. After a while, he seemed to want to say something to me, but the doctor just happened to enter and stopped.

    Heller¡¯s injury was still the same, and Sisley was still out of reach. This was the norm in the past ten years. Even if our mother sent someone to him, he couldn¡¯t be found every time.

    I didn¡¯t like Heller¡¯s older brother. He never cared about Heller and was very unreliable.

    After the doctor left, I asked Heller what he wanted to tell me. He stammered, ¡°About those children, I think I have to tell you the truth, Yarin.¡±

    ¡°What truth?¡±

    But he fell silent again, making me realize that what he would say next would not be pleasant.

    He seemed to be struggling to organize his words. ¡°On the day of the Moonlight Festival, I stayed in the tent all the time, so I heard the adults talking. Aunt Eve was there at that time. Wasn¡¯t she in charge of the investigation of the smuggling case? She must have made some progress, so she came to report to Mom.

    ¡°Her voice wasn¡¯t loud, and the tent wasn¡¯t very quiet, so I only heard a few words intermittently. She said that the wounds on the children¡¯s bodies¡­They were cut open when they were alive. Some of the DNA belonging to those children was found in the illegal drugs, so¡­ Their skin was probably cut open while they were still alive, and their innards were gouged out before they were filled with illegal drugs.¡±

    1 was stunned.

    It wasn¡¯t that 1 didn¡¯t understand the madness of the Lily of the Valley. It was impossible to imagine how cruel the criminals could be.

    However, what Heller told me was beyond my imagination.

    How could someone use such cruel torture on children, or rather, toddlers? It was not that I naively thought criminals have muchpassion, but no matter how evil a criminal was, he still had some humanity of a person. Shouldn¡¯t he at least swing his de at adults?

    Only a pervert would swing a butcher¡¯s knife at a child. It turned out that even a ¡®huge¡¯ mafia organization like the Lily of the Valley was just cowards who tortured children to satisfy their purpose!

    Perhaps my behavior was too abnormal; Hellerforted me worriedly, ¡°The night scene must have been a massive shock to you, but you have to know that all of this has nothing to do with you. That was a crimemitted by humans against humans, and you just happened to see it. Don¡¯t trouble yourself with this.¡±

    ¡°I know. Those children died a long time ago. I won¡¯t worry about this. It¡¯s just that I think I should reevaluate our enemies. They are not only criminals and lunatics but also sadists. They no longer have a trace of humanity.

    ¡°I think that if that¡¯s the case, we might have to fight to the death once we face them. We can¡¯t give them any chance to revive. They will want to kill us.¡±

    Heller didn¡¯t worry about me anymore. He asked, ¡°Are you scared?¡±

    ¡°No, not at all,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t have any concerns now. Is it thew or diplomatic rtions? Who can force us to die for this bullsh*t when faced with a life-and-death situation? We can kill them without scruples, and then we don¡¯t have to worry about trouble. Dead people who don¡¯t talk.¡±

    Heller smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t talk big, buddy. We don¡¯t know how to leave this ward yet.¡±

    But there was no smile in his eyes. He knew that I had already thought of a way..

 Chapter 620 - 620: Not Necessarily Not Human

    Chapter 620: Not Necessarily Not Human

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yarin¡¯s POV:

    The actions of the medical staff were regr. For example, at every 8:30 PM, a nurse would send the medical waste of the day to the garbage station, and then the garbage truck would transport it to the specialized medical waste disposal center.

    The daily medical waste would be ready before 8 PM. In other words, there would be about half an hour from when the garbage bags were sealed to when the garbage left the hospital.

    This half an hour was my chance to leave.

    Yes, only ¡®me¡¯. Heller could barely get off the bed and walk a few steps.

    But he would participate in another way. He would carefully control the nurse who came to check the ward during that half an hour and create the illusion that 1 was sleeping on the bed obediently in her mind. 0then-vise, it would be difficult to escape the nurse¡¯s watch alone.

    ¡°You need to go to the nurses¡¯ station to get some medical trash bags,¡± Heller said. ¡°Splitting yourself is a bad idea, and exposing yourself to used medical equipment is even worse. Seal yourself, and don¡¯t touch anything.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll wrap me up in threeyers and spray a hundred liters of alcohol to disinfect me, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Heller looked at me speechlessly. 1 asked the nurse for some garbage bags with a smile, saying 1 was too bored and wanted to make balloons with them.

    To be honest, this was not a good excuse, but the nurse did not suspect anything. Other than the stic bag, she also gave me a portable alcohol disinfectant hand sanitizer.

    ¡°Promise me that you will wash your hands before eating or rubbing your eyes after touching the garbage bags, okay?¡± the plump nurse said kindly.

    I nodded and put the hand sanitizer in my pocket.

    We pretended to y dumb games all afternoon and put some ¡®water¡¯ in the garbage bags as water balloons, which would exin why there was something inside.

    In case the nurse wanted to drain the water, we lied that we identally sprinkled a light pink potion ¨C I forgot what it was called ¨C into the water. This way, the ¡®water¡¯ couldn¡¯t be poured directly into the sewer but had to be sent to the medical waste disposal center for special treatment.

    I quietly stayed in the garbage bags and heard the nurse talking to Heller. After that, I let out a sigh because of our mischievousness. Afterward, I picked up all the garbage bags and threw them into the recycling cart.

    ¡°Does the garbage trucke at the same time every day?¡± Heller asked.

    The nurse replied, ¡°Yes, Your Highness. But you and your brother shouldn¡¯t go to the garbage station. Many children think that medical garbage trucks look cool, but there are likely to be viruses and bacteria in the garbage. This is not good for their health at all.¡±

    ¡°But i haven¡¯t heard of any infectious patients in the hospital.¡±

    ¡°Even if there isn¡¯t, there is a chance that the patient whoes for treatment is a carrier, Your Highness.¡±

    Heller helped me confirm that the garbage was not dangerous. It was our agreement. I had to give up tonight¡¯s n if there was an infectious disease in the hospital. 1 had to return to the temporary storage room in case of infection.

    The nurse brought me into the elevator and then to the temporary storage room below. Different departments had temporary storage rooms to store garbage to prevent the cross-infection of viruses and bacteria. There was no one here, so the lights weren¡¯t turned on. It was dark, which made it convenient for me to condense myself.

    I didn¡¯t want to mingle with the trash. 1 nned to find an opportunity to hide in the vehicle and quietly leave when the vehicle stopped at a red light.

    The n went smoothly. The truck driver, who was wearing headphones and humming a song, didn¡¯t realize something was wrong. I even hid between the front of the car and the carriage, followed the car, and ran out of the vehicle near the music square.

    I bought a new SIM card in the store and sent a message to Heller that I had left the hospital safely.

    He replied that the nurse didn¡¯t realize anything, but he couldn¡¯t do anything else. Just so you know ¨C this would be exposed tomorrow morning. He tried his best to help me dy it, but it was primarily up to me.

    I switched off my phone and went to Silver Moon za to observe the situation. Due to the explosion, the ce had been sealed off. It was a mess everywhere, and there were police officers on duty patrolling the area.

    I realized that I couldn¡¯t find any helpful information here. If 1 wanted to obtain information, 1 had to go to the most dangerous ce.

    Nights on the Silver Moon Pack were originally bustling and noisy. Ever since the terrorist attacks, the citizens had spontaneously imposed a curfew. It was rare to see a few cars, let alone pedestrians, on the road. From time to time, patrolling police cars whistled past. I could only try to hide in the shadows to avoid being discovered.

    I arrived at the manor without any danger. How to sneak in ande out silently made me a little troubled. The security here was three times tighter than before the incident. I couldn¡¯t find any loopholes at all. He could enter through the sewers, but it was a little disgusting.

    I had no choice. 1 was about to find a hole to hide in when 1 suddenly realized that a window on the manor¡¯s roof was lit up. Lily was sitting in front of the window.

    I subconsciously wanted to observe what she was doing, but then, she turned off the lights, opened the window, and climbed out!

 Chapter 621 The Miniature Guy

    621 The Miniature Guy

    Lily''s POV:

    I''d been locked up in the room on the top floor for three days.

    There was no one else living on this floor except for me. There were no study rooms, game rooms, or other functional rooms, so no one was interested. Besides the servants who delivered the three meals, I saw no one else in these three days. No one would notice that I was missing.

    Everyone in this house was extremely busy. No one would care about the whereabouts of an insignificant girl.

    On the other hand, Alfred tried to find me, and I heard his voice from far away in the room. However, he was discovered by the servant who came to deliver the food as soon as he reached the door. She ''persuaded'' him to go back, saying that I was sick and our mother didn''t want anyone to see me for fear of infection.

    "If Lily is sick, why didn''t a doctor visit us? We should at least send her to the hospital!" Alfred insisted on seeing me, but soon my mother came and brought him away gently but forcefully.

    After that, even the servants stopped entering the house. They ced the trays filled with food at the door and collected the empty tes regrly.

    Alfred had tried to contact me using mind link, begging me to tell him what had happened. I only said that my repeated actions of running away from home angered our mother. She feared I would cause trouble in this troubled autumn, so she didn''t let me go out.

    He didn''t really believe me, but I ignored him after that and pretended not to hear him.

    What else could I do? Tell him that our mother nned to use her daughter as bait to raise the family''s status to a higher level?

    Life being grounded was very boring. I didn''t see a single person for the entire day. Although I used to live like this when I was wandering in the suburbs, the loneliness in the dead silence was different from the loneliness in the noise.

    I could endure loneliness but couldn''t bear to lose my freedom.

    So on the third night, I decided to return to my old self of running away from home.

    This wouldn''t be easy. Security had tightened. It wouldn''t be easy to leave unless they went easy on me.

    However, it was not like there were no loopholes to exploit. The security guards were more careful of the dangers of the outside world and did not pay much attention to the inside.

    This was easy to understand. There was a queen in the manor who was so powerful that she couldpete with the gods!

    Especially at night, the on-duty security guards were on guard duty to observe any possible danger from the outside world. However, human energy was limited, so they naturally did not pay much attention to the inside.

    No one was on the top floor, so it was more convenient for me to move.

    It was a gloomy night, and the moon cast a dim shadow under the dark clouds. The once-noisymercial street in the distance was now silent. Only the sharp sirens of the night patrol police cars cut through the stagnant air.

    The dazzling red and blue light left a dazzling ball of light in the shadows. From the corner of his eye, it looked like a ghost lingering in the human world.

    It was gettingte, and even the servants were preparing to finish their work for the day.

    I realized that now was the best time to leave. ording to my observations over the past few days, only three minutes were left until the security guards changed shifts. I had to seize this loophole.

    I turned off the light and pretended to be asleep. Then, I poured the olive oil I had collected from the sd into the window. I quietly opened the window and climbed onto the roof.

    The drainage pipe was wrapped in a red brick tunnel, which made it easy for me to climb. This kind of passageway was usually hidden in the folded or turned corner of the building for the sake of beauty. It helped me avoid the sight of the security guards.

    Now, the most difficult step was crossing thewn five steps away from each other. This was something other than the night or the shadows of buildings that could help me hide. Grandpa obviously would not hire a blind person to protect the Queen.

    I suddenly felt an itch on my ankle as I observed the opening. I thought it was a mosquito, so I pped it casually but heard a slight cry of pain.

    "Ouch!"

    I was shocked and immediately looked over warily. I saw a thumb-sized little person lying on the grass!

    "Huh!"

    This was too suspicious!

    I subconsciously distanced myself from him, but there was only so much space on the chamfer.

    I was tightly pressed against the wall, my muscles tight. If I couldn''t eliminate my danger, I was ready to lure the security guards over at any time.

    The miniature person was small and had a soft voice. It sounded as loud as a mosquito buzzing.

    "God, I feel like a mosquito that has been swatted to death¡­" He mumbled as he stood up and rubbed his head.

    "Who are you? An elf?" I whispered, "Tell me why you''re here, or I''ll have to call security."

    The miniature guy immediately perked up when he heard that and quickly said, "Please don''t! Lily, it''s me, Yarin!"

    "Yarin?"

    My first reaction was, of course, disbelief. Yarin was indeed a little short, but not to this extent.

    The sky was dark, and there were no lights everywhere, so I didn''t see the miniature person''s appearance clearly just now. However, after careful observation, I realized he was indeed Yarin. His appearance was almost a miniature version of Yarin!

    "You want to leave this ce, don''t you?" He said, "You''re just in time. I''m going to the manor to look for something. I can help you leave."

 Chapter 622 They All Sneaked Away

    622 They All Sneaked Away

    Lily''s POV:

    Although he looked like Yarin, I still couldn''t believe him - he was only the size of a thumb!

    "I know you must be wondering how I became like this," he said. "This is one of my abilities. I can''t tell you more about it. I''m sorry, I promised my parents."

    "What evidence do you have to prove you''re Yarin?" I asked warily. "You know you look more like an elf, right? They have many races. I heard that some elves have the ability to change their appearance¡­"

    "I''ve heard of it too, but unfortunately, I''m a living werewolf." The miniature person lowered his head and seemed to be thinking in distress. "What should I say to prove myself?"

    "I asked you that day how you found out that I was locked up by the kidnappers. What method did you use?"

    The miniature person immediately replied, "The method is - I didn''t tell you! Yes, I didn''t tell you how I found you. I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to hide it from you. It''s just that this has something to do with my power, and I have to keep it a secret."

    Yes, Yarin didn''t tell me anything then. I knew that as a prince, he had to follow some rules, so I didn''t ask much.

    This made me believe in the little guy.

    But then, more doubts surfaced. Shouldn''t Yarin be in the hospital right now? Why did he suddenlye back to the manor? Did his parents know about this?

    "Anyway, I''m doing the same thing as you are. I sneaked out," Yarin said frankly. "Heller is still in the hospital. I left secretly because I had to do something."

    I eximed in a whisper, "This is too dangerous and reckless! In the garbage truck? To think that you could think of that! What do you have to do now?"

    "Will you tell others? I mean my parents, Aunt Teresa, or Francis." Yarin sat in my palm and looked at me expectantly. "It''s really very, very important, but if others find out, I''ll fail, and I might never have a chance to do it again."

    The more I listened, the more I felt something was wrong.

    "Maybe, not necessarily." At this moment, his ambiguous words made me even more certain that this was definitely dangerous.

    I was on his side, but if he was going to risk his life to do something stupid, I couldn''t just sit by and watch. So I immediately grabbed him and said, "If you don''t tell me, I will bring you to the Queen. You can''t let yourself be in danger."

    "No! Don''t!" Yarin struggled. Although I didn''t use strength, the thumb-sized little person still couldn''t break free from my grip. "Please, Lily, don''t go to my mom! I''ll tell you, but please don''t tell anyone else, okay?"

    He wasn''t just going to be mischievous. I wanted to hear his ns, so I let go slightly.

    Yarin jumped onto the grass and waved his hand, saying, "Follow me. You''ll know when you see it."

    He ran away in a sh. Following the direction he ran in, I saw a ''ridge'' rising from the shadows under the wall.

    The ''ridge'' was thin, as if something was pushing up the turf below, creating a barrier about half the height of a calf. As it was in the shadows, it was more difficult to see clearly from the bright ce, so it looked like some tall grass. It was difficult to see anything unusual without careful observation.

    When did this happen? It was a patch of grass just now!

    Just as I was in a daze, I felt an itchy sensation on my leg. Yarin was holding a de of grass and whispering to me, "Hurry up and be careful. Don''t be discovered!"

    I was stunned and subconsciously followed him.

    I crawled on the ground and carefully crawled across the grass. I realized I had easily left the security surveince range.

    "Did you do all this?" I asked Yarin.

    The little guy puffed out his chest proudly and said, "Of course, I''ll dig under thewn and lift it so I can hide you. After that, I would just put thewn down."

    "How did you do it? With your ''power''?"

    Yarin fell silent again.

    " Okay, okay." I nodded understandingly. "Anyway, thank you for helping me again."

    "If you want to know, it''s not like I can''t tell you¡­" Yarin stammered.

    "No, I don''t want to know too much, especially things the royal family wants to keep secret," I firmly refused.

    "So, let''s talk about business. What are you doing? Why are you being so sneaky? And what dangers are there? You know I''m on your side, but I can''t watch you risk your life, so..."

    "Promise me you won''t tell anyone!"Yarin begged desperately. "You can''t go back on your word. I trust you so much!"

    "I didn''t agree to it. In fact, I was only silent then, and not all silence can be counted as tacit consent."I slyly defended myself.

 Chapter 623 One Plus One

    623 One Plus One

    Lily''s POV:

    Yarin was cute when angry, just like other children his age, with puffed cheeks and round eyes. However, this was not a reason for me to be soft-hearted. Reporting him was equivalent to reporting me, but at least he would not be hurt.

    He mumbled to himself as if shocked that I had lied to him.

    This silly boy, did it mean that the people close to him would not lie to him?

    "My patience is limited," I deliberately threatened him. "And you only have one chance."

    Yarin thought hard for a long time and reluctantly said, "... Kara died. Because of this terrorist attack, Heller, the driver, and I were all safe. She seemed to bear all the pain and suffering for us, and she didn''t even have time to hold on until the ambnce arrived¡­"

    When he said this, he was initially sorrowful, but then it gradually carried a sense of strong hatred. He stared at a withered grass as if it was his enemy. He wanted to crush it with the soles of his shoes.

    With a bad feeling, I said, "You know that terrorists will eventually be caught, right? I''m very sorry for Kara''s death, but I don''t think she would want to see you do anything out of line because of her death."

    "I know," he said, avoiding my eyes. "But what''s the point of being caught? Lily, do you think they will be punished?"

    I knew he wasn''t referring to thews, not even the werewolfws.

    I knew what was happening with the human city next to the Silver Moon Pack''s, so I knew Yarin must have known something.

    And what scared me the most was the hidden meaning he revealed. Was he indignant that the terrorists wouldn''t pay with their lives? He wanted someone to pay the price? If no one else could, would he do it himself?

    Was this what he wanted to do? Kill the terrorists to pay tribute to Kara?

    I found it absurd.

    Yarin was only a twelve-year-old child! His thighs were not even as thick as the arms of the terrorists. How could he kill them? He could not even guarantee his safety!

    "Whatever you want to do, stop and go back to the hospital." I took a deep breath and tried to be calm. "I won''t tell anyone about this, but you don''t have to do anything, okay? You know it''s very dangerous. You might even lose your life. Think! Think about Heller. Think about your parents. Would they be willing to lose you?''"

    "Heller understands me, Dad and Mom¡­ I know that their hearts are filled with hatred, but because of their status, they can''t do anything." Yarin was not moved by that.

    "If you want to tell them, go ahead, Lily, but I must do it. I may fail, but I have to try. I will seize every opportunity to avenge Kara. Even if I fail this time, I will chase them to the prison and stab their throats with a sharpened stic toothbrush!"

    His stubbornness and viciousness shocked me. He seemed to have switched personalities and was no longer the smiling little boy I was familiar with!

    But was I supposed to let him deal with the most vicious criminals? He would fail! He would get hurt! He would die!

    I tried to calm him down, but Yarin turned a deaf ear to everything, which made me notice his age - twelve years old, on the verge of puberty, and full of a rebellious spirit. When my emotions were on the verge of exploding, the more I opposed him, the more determined I would be.

    But I couldn''t really let him go alone.

    An absurd and bold idea gradually formed in my mind.

    If I said it out loud, I might be doomed. I should think more, not be like a primary school student with a fevered head and no rationale, but who said I was not young?

    Primary school students and high school students were not much different. People see us as ''children''. Children always have the right to be willful. So maybe I could lose my mind a little?

    "If¡­" I worked hard to organize my words. "I mean, if you must go, I can also help you keep the secret."

    Yarin''s eyes lit up, but I continued, "There are conditions, kid, unless you can find a chaperone."

    "A chaperone?" Yarin asked in confusion. "But that means more people will know about my n? You know I have to keep it a secret. No one will agree to it."

    I looked at him without saying anything.

    A few secondster, Yarin widened his eyes and asked in disbelief, "Are you referring to yourself? Lily, you want toe with me?"

    I nodded. "If you want to keep it a secret and I want to ensure your safety, then the easiest way is for us to go together, right? This way, a third person won''t know your secret, and I''ll be able to escape when your life is in danger."

    "But this is very dangerous. I can''t let you take the risk..." Yarin hesitated.

    "So you do how dangerous this is? Hah, if you think it''s too dangerous for me to go, then there''s no doubt you can''t either. Make up your mind, kid. My patience is limited."

    I pretended to ''threaten'' him.

 Chapter 624 Companion +1

    624 Companion +1

    Lily''s POV:

    I was secretly changing the concept, but Yarin didn''t notice.

    He was very reluctant to let me go with him, but who asked me to have something on him?

    "You know you have no choice, right?"

    I decided to add fuel to the fire. "If you don''t do this, I''ll report you. This word seems a little serious. But, I''ll report you to the Queen anyway. And you know what your choice will put you in, right? The chances of you seeding by yourself are minuscule. With me around, at least I can help you when you''re overwhelmed by rage."

    "You''re so mean," Yarin said reluctantly.

    A few secondster, he finally decided and said, "I still can''t agree to youing with me, Lily. This is not a small matter. You might really encounter life-threatening danger. I can be responsible for myself, but I can''t drag you down with me."

    This kid''s words were pleasant to hear, but I still put on an angry expression. "So you''re not afraid that I''ll tell on you? I''m not joking, little brat. I''ll only be grounded for a few days if I''m captured. If you''re captured, I''m afraid you won''t be able to go out on your own for a year, right?"

    Yarin frowned. I knew I had hit his sore spot.

    But he was very stubborn and would not relent no matter what.

    Alright, alright, then I''d be the only one to submit.

    "I''m not forcing you to agree to anything," I softened my voice. "But I can''t watch you go through all this alone. You''re my friend, Yarin. I can''t do that."

    "To put it more coldly, you are a prince, and I am your subject. If others find out that I knew what you were going to do but did not stop you, even if the Queen is merciful, I will have no choice but to ept the punishment. Would you please bring me along? You need a helper, and I''m your only choice."

    The mini boy sat on my palm, his head lowered, thinking about something.

    "When I''m alone, it''s easy for me to decide on something. But if you''re here, I''ll hesitate," he said.

    I felt a little soft in my heart. "Me too. We''re always more willing to think of others. That''s good."

    "... You can guarantee your safety, right? If anything happens, don''t worry about me and run first, okay?"

    "I could take you down with one arm, kid! When the timees, you''d better look after yourself!"

    But he had to make me nod in agreement."Protect yourself. I beg you, Lily. This has nothing to do with you. I''m really afraid that you''d pay any price for me."

    Looking at the sincere little person in my hand, I sighed slightly.

    Sometimes, I wondered if Erin was really a prince. Why hadn''t he learned anything about the extravagance and debauchery of the descendants of nobles? Even children from ordinary families would be disgusted by cats and dogs at this age, but Yarin was so mature that sometimes even I was speechless.

    Although I didn''t agree with his thoughts, I still had to coax him. "Alright, since you''ve put it this way, I have no other objections. When the timees, everyone will protect themselves and care for their own lives. How about that?"

    Yarin didn''t seem to believe me, but like how I couldn''t do anything to him, he couldn''t do anything to me.

    "So the first step of the n is?" I brushed past the subject as if nothing had happened.

    Yarin said, "First, we must return to the vi. I know little about the Lily of the Valley, so I must steal some information first."

    "Return?" Looking at the security guards changing shifts, I couldn''t help but frown. "This isn''t easy. Do we still have to use the method just now?"

    "Yes, that''s all I can think of and do. I hope the security guards don''t suddenly have the idea of installing fluorescent lights in the entire courtyard. If that happens, we won''t be able to pretend to be ourwn."

    We moved immediately and quietly crawled along the raisedwn without further ado.

    Lying on the cold ground, I could feel the subtle vibrations caused by the security guards walking back and forth and their conversation in a low voice.

    There was the asional sound of metal shing. Those lethal firearms were waiting to show off their might to any suspicious person.

    Perhaps it was because I had a guilty conscience, but I always felt more uneasy when I returned to the manor than when I came out. It was as if something was about to happen.

    I couldn''t help but move even more gently, imitating a cat moving silently.

    However, just as I predicted, an ident still happened.

    A security guard with a gun noticed the movement in the shadows. He walked closer, hoping to see more clearly. At the same time, he raised his gun.

    Oh no, we were about to be discovered!

    A series of ways to get out of this situation shed through my mind, such as knocking out the security guard first or pretending to be a cat to make the security guard let down his guard. However, these methods were not foolproof, and the probability of overreaching was higher.

    What should I do? What should I do?

    Just as I was anxious about how to escape, I suddenly felt something warm and sticky quickly wrap around my body. Then, in a daze, I arrived at the corner of the building where I had been hiding!

    I only had time to see that it was something like sticine. It quickly slipped off my body and quietly seeped into the grass.

 Chapter 625 Working Together

    625 Working Together

    Lily''s POV:

    The security guard vigntly searched for a long time, but there was only grass, so he put down his gun and turned around to patrol other ces.

    "What is going on¡­" I checked my entire body, but I couldn''t find anything. I looked around, and even Yarin was gone!

    I was extremely anxious, afraid that this kid would sneak away or be caught by the security guards. Just as I was about to return to where I came from, when no one was paying attention, I heard someone calling me softly above my head, "Lily, Lily! I''m here. Look up!"

    When I looked up, Yarin was already in a window.

    He pulled me up as well. We looked at each other and heaved a sigh of relief.

    "What happened just now?" I knew the sticine-like thing must have something to do with Yarin. "What was it that dragged me away? Also, why how you suddenly be bigger?"

    "Well, that''s a sharp question." Yarin scratched his head and smiled bitterly. "This is the secret I want to keep from you, Lily, although it didn''tst long."

    "Are you saying that the sticky liquid is your power?"

    "That is not entirely correct. Sigh, since I have already been exposed, there is no point in hiding it¡­

    Actually, it wasn''t just my power. It was me. I can melt my body and split it into many parts to move around. The small version of me you see is a part of me. The rest of me melted into jelly to support the turf."

    I widened my eyes in disbelief. There seemed still to be a touch of melted sticine on my arm.

    Yarin avoided looking at me. "Disgusting, right? I also want to make myself look less¡­Uh, it''s beyond the scope of human beauty. However, this power is innate, and I can''t change it."

    I muttered, "No, it''s not so much disgusting as cool!"

    I didn''t know how I looked right now. Maybe the way my eyes lit up was a little scary, but honestly - who didn''t think it was cool?

    Who hadn''t fantasized about having a unique ability bestowed by the goddess when they were young? I wasn''t the lucky one, but Yarin was!

    I didn''t know how to describe my current feelings. Excitement, novelty, and jealousy for my childhood fantasy that had died.

    No wonder Yarin repeatedly emphasized that it was reasonable for him to act alone. It turned out that this wasn''t a brat trying to act strong. He could protect himself.

    My reaction seemed to make Yarin breathe a sigh of relief. He no longer held his shoulders to hide his nervousness and rxed a lot.

    "Thank you, Lily. You''ve made me feel much better."

    "I should be the one thanking you, shouldn''t I? If it weren''t for you, I would have been discovered!" I still felt a lingering fear when I recalled that scene. "I might as well have sessfully entered without alerting anyone."

    "That''s right. There''s no time to lose. Let''s hurry to the study, take the things, and run."

    "Wait, don''t act rashly." I pulled him back and listened carefully to the movements around him. "There are security guards in the house too. Although there aren''t as many as outside, they are basically guarding ces like the stairs. We must think of a way to go around it, or we''ll be discovered."

    "That''s easy," Yarin said. "I can move through the central air conditioning pipe. As long as there''s a gap, I can get in."

    Obviously, I couldn''t participate this time. I could only watch him melt into a pool of pale pink sticky liquid and crawl into the vent along the wall.

    I waited for a little anxiously. Five minutester, he came back through the vent.

    "I failed," he said gloomily. "There''s someone in the study, she''s sitting at her desk, and I can''t get in."

    "Who is it?"

    "Aunt Teresa, she seemed to be dealing with some documents. I was trying to rush out of the vent and was almost discovered by her. I had toe back first."

    "Are you going to go againter?"

    "Yes, I don''t think she can stay up all night, right? If you think about it carefully, it''s not impossible¡­"

    "Don''t worry. I''ll solve this." I realized that it was my turn to act now. "I''ll swagger outter. The security guard will invite my mother over when he sees me. It would be best to take this opportunity to sneak into the study to find the necessary information. When you''re done,e to the room on the far right of the top floor and find me, okay?"

    Yarin nodded and suddenly asked hesitantly, "Will Aunt Teresa... Ground you further?"

    "So Alfred told you? Don''t worry. I''m used to this kind of situation. If she had grounded me, she wouldn''t have let me wander outside."

    Yarin seemed to want to say something, but in the end, he only said, "Be careful, Lily. If Aunt Teresa is angry because of this, don''t worry about me. Protect yourself first, okay? You know I have ways to escape."

    "Don''t worry, little brat. I don''t fancy sacrificing myself." I ruffled his hair and said, "I''ll go now. Can you be quick?"

    Staring at Yarin''s worried gaze, I entered the empty corridor and bumped into a patrolling security guard.

 Chapter 626 Fake It Till She Makes It

    626 Fake It Till She Makes It

    Lily''s POV:

    The burly man in the ck suit was stunned when he saw me. I wasn''t his enemy, but I wasn''t the person who should be here.

    "Good evening, Miss Lily." He nodded at me. "It''s veryte. You should go back to your room and rest."

    I put on an impatient expression and said snappily, "Go ahead and patrol. Don''t worry about what I want to do."

    "I''m sorry, but this is Lady Silvermoon''s order." The security guard politely and firmly blocked my way. "She thinks you shouldn''t be outside for the time being. Please don''t make things difficult for me. Go back to your room."

    "Why should I listen to you? Who do you think you are to discipline me?" I waved my hand contemptuously. "I''m just strolling around. You don''t have to care. I''ll go back to sleep when I''m tired."

    However, the security guard was unmoved. He only stubbornly said, "Please return to your room."

    His reaction was exactly what I wanted. For him to get my mother, I decided to add fuel to the fire.

    "I told you, don''t use such a high and mighty tone to discipline me!" I smashed a decorative vase beside me. "I''m tired of being in the house every day! Either tie me up and throw me back to that prison now, or get lost, do you hear me?!"

    Veins bulged on the security guard''s forehead. I was quite good at acting like an errant child. He should be angry, but reason told him that he couldn''t punish me like he would a thief. He could only say stiffly, "I''ll inform Lady Silvermoon, mydy. She''ll handle this."

    "Then, get her toe." I sneered in disdain. "It''s best if she invites some more people. Get my grandfather, the Queen, and the Prince. Ask them toe and watch the show."

    The security guard ignored me and said something to his earpiece. The person on the other side should be my mother.

    Sure enough, a minuteter, my mother''s angry face appeared at the end of the corridor.

    "Please leave for now and give us some private time," she said to the security guard, who immediately disappeared.

    We were the only ones left now.

    My mother looked tired, but her anger made her look energetic.

    "You shouldn''t leave the room," she said. "It''s not good for you."

    "What''s wrong with that? Will you break my limbs and throw me back?"

    "Lily! I told you not to talk to me like that!" she screamed.

    I always knew how to provoke her, or perhaps she only had disgust and anger when facing me.

    "How did you get out? I''ve asked the servant to guard the top floor. You couldn''t have gone past her."

    "It''s not just a magnificent marble-paved corridor that allows people to move," I said sarcastically. "I''m a werewolf. Climbing is a piece of cake for me."

    "... There''s no point in arguing. Now, go back to your room. If you''re bored, I''ll get someone to send some magazines and game consoles over."

    "That''s it? Am I that easy to deal with?"

    On the one hand, I wanted to buy time for Yarin, and on the other hand, I didn''t want to be obedient, so I decided to act out.

    "How long do you want to lock me up? If I can escape once, I can escape a second time. You can''t keep an eye on me all the time."

    "I''m not imprisoning you, Lily. It''s just that it''s dangerous outside. I don''t want you to run around again-"

    "Really?" I interrupted. So you''re not afraid I''ll publicize what you''ve done to me."

    "Lily!" she screamed again, and Iughed out loud. This embarrassed her, so she raised her hand as if she would p me again.

    But halfway through, she held back and said stiffly, "I don''t me you for being insensible. Go back to your room. This is thest time I''m telling you. Don''t anger me. Lily, don''t think you can do whatever you want with outsiders around."

    "So you''re just afraid the Queen will me you," I sneered. "Stop pretending. If there''s a first, there''s a second. That p must have made you feel good, right? My dear mother, do you know that some nobles in ancient times would kill their children for fun? You have three children. It doesn''t matter if you have one more or one less!"

    "This is not like back then, and I am not unreasonable!" my mother was really angry. "You don''t want to go back? Well, I guess I can only get someone to help you."

    She called out a name loudly, and the security guard who had just disappeared appeared at the corner of the corridor.

    "She is tired. Send her back to rest."

    The security guard nodded and walked toward me in silence.

    I didn''t resist, nor did I struggle. I could even clearly calcte the time in my burning rationality.

    I didn''t know if Yarin hadpleted his task. I had to dy more to prevent him from being caught.

    "What a big guy. He looks like he can fight, but I can still easily slip away from him." I looked him up and down contemptuously."You can''t lock me up. I will always find a way to leave."

    "Then, I will personally watch you go back to your room," my mother said. "Now, move on."

 Chapter 627 Companion

    627 Companion

    Yarin''s POV:

    Lily was making a lot of noise. I heard that she was trying to provoke the security guards. It was still a little dangerous to put herself in that situation. Although this was her home, it could have been safer and warmer.

    I tried my best to go back and forth quickly, dividing myself into many parts to search the study room for valuable clues.

    Calling it a study was an understatement for this room. It could be called a small library. The bookshelves that were as high as the ceiling surrounded the ce into a small maze.

    In the middle of the maze was a long wooden table. The chairs on both sides were messy. Obviously, people had been having meetings, discussions, quarrels, and decisions here all day.

    The only thing that could be considered neat was the stack of documents on the table. They were sorted out and bound with bookmarks or paper clips, lying quietly on the table.

    I split into several of myself and quickly read through all the documents. In the end, I found that there was nothing useful.

    Thinking about it, it made sense. How could that kind of confidential information be ced on the table so casually?

    Could the document have been taken away? Was it my parents? Or Francis or Aunt Teresa.

    Just as I was hesitating on which direction to go first, a ''me'' suddenly said, "Come here and take a look! Is this something special here?"

    Many ''me'' swarmed over and asked what that ''me'' had found.

    "There seems to be a secretpartment here," that ''me'' said. "I felt some protruding marks on the bookshelf and knocked on it. I found that it was hollow. Maybe it was a secretpartment!"

    "Open it and take a look!"

    More ''me''s suggested, but that ''me'' said, "I''ve tried. It can''t be opened with force. This bookshelf is actually made of metal. I don''t have the strength to open it alone. We have to ourselves together."

    However, another ''me'' asked, "Must we open it by force? Wouldn''t that leave an irreparable mark? Don''t we have to try to reduce the signs we leave behind?"

    Therefore, we had to find the mechanism or keyhole to open the secretpartment.

    Soon, we found a square on the side of the bookshelf that could be lifted. There was a keyhole hidden inside.

    "Looks like it''s an old design," I sighed in relief. "It''d be troublesome if I had to enter the password."

    A ''me'' gradually melted and transformed, seeping into the keyhole to fiddle with the lock pages. Soon, with a click, the secretpartment was opened.

    ''We'' eximed and immediately ran to the secretpartment to read the thin pieces of paper.

    Sure enough, it recorded detailed information about the Lily of the Valley and the suspects who had been caught and those who had not yet been caught.

    To my surprise, not all of them were humans. Half belonged to supernatural races, such as witches, demons, humans, and even werewolves.

    This made me exceptionally angry. Even if they were stray werewolves, they at least recognized their identity as werewolves. These traitors killed their kind just to beg for mercy from the other races!

    There was a fax machine and a printer in the study. I was about to copy some information and leave when I heard the study door being pushed open.

    Oh no, Aunt Teresa was back!

    It only took me about ten seconds to reach the center of the study. I only had enough time to restore everything in the secretpartment and then split it into smaller units to hide in the gaps between the bookshelves and the books.

    Aunt Teresa sat back at the desk. I tried to restore everything, hoping she didn''t notice anything strange. However, she was a very cautious person. She seemed to have noticed something wrong. She carefully observed the table, stood up, and walked to the secretpartment.

    She opened the flip of the pearl ring on her hand, and a small key popped out. She used the key to open the secretpartment and carefully checked for anything unusual inside.

    In the end, she didn''t see anything and thought she was just paranoid. She sat back at the desk and went back to work. I also took advantage of this and ran back to the vent one by one, leaving without any danger.

    I recalled Lily''s n and went to the top floor to look for her, but I found a few burly bodyguards guarding her door. I had to enter the room through the venttion duct.

    Seeing me, Lily, sitting by the bed, immediately stood up and asked, "Well? Did you find it?"

    "It went well." I nodded. "Although Aunt Teresa came back in the end, and I didn''t have time to make a copy, I remembered most of the information. I have a good memory. Believe me, I won''t forget them even after ten years."

    "That''s good." Lily didn''t ask further. "We''ll talk about itter. The most important thing is that you have to leave here as soon as possible. Security wille in every half an hour to check if I''m here. I don''t think I can leave with you tonight at least. You go first. I''ll think of a way to escape and find you."

    "We can leave together. We''ll be far away in half an hour," I said anxiously.

    "Perhaps, but that would put us in a very passive position. My mother is going crazy. She will look for me in the entire city. This will bring us a lot of obstacles. So it''s okay for me to stay. You have to go, Yarin."

    Standing in the shadows of the street, I looked worriedly at the lit window. Lily seemed to have seen me too. She waved her hand and said silently, "Be careful."

 Chapter 628 A Trashy Journey

    628 A Trashy Journey

    Yarin''s POV:

    The sky was slightly bright. I squatted behind a few trash cans and carefully observed the ordinary apartment building before me.

    This was one of the possible locations where terrorists might be hiding. I divided myself into several groups to monitor different suspected locations. The downside was that I had to shrink to the size of a rag doll. The upside was that it made it easier for me to hide.

    It was already 4 AM, and the apartment building was still asleep. From the quiet appearance, it was impossible to tell if evil and blood were hidden inside.

    The garbage truck came to empty the trash can. Taking advantage of the time when the garbage collector got out of the car, I secretly ran into his tool bag. Fortunately, cleaners liked listening to music with earphones. He didn''t notice anything. He swiped the door with an entry card and brought me into the locked ss door.

    The security guards in the duty room chatted with the environmental protection workers familiarly. I took the opportunity to sneak away without alerting anyone.

    The apartment wasn''t very high. It had eight floors, and each floor had four households. I entered the venttion duct again to observe each household''s situation - please forgive me, I was not a peeping Tom, to make sure.

    However, even at 6 AM, when the apartment began to wake up, I still couldn''t find any suspicious people. Everyone was living an ordinary life like ordinary residents. They slept, got up, ate breakfast, and then prepared to go to work or stay home for the day.

    The other ''me''s'' situations were not too bad either, and they could not find anything suspicious.

    Perhaps real criminals would not always maintain their personalities like in the movies. They would live like ordinary people. Perhaps they had been pretending all along?

    Perhaps they were afraid that a pair of eyes was watching in the dark, so they pretended to be no different from ordinary people every minute and second.

    The thought that these criminals might even enjoy it andugh as the police pass them by in confusion made me shudder.

    Everyone was suspicious in my eyes, whether it was a sleepy office worker yawning and drinking coffee or an old man humming a folk song and watering the flowers.

    I focused on observing those who chose to stay at home. The Silver Moon Pack was currently searching the entire city for the suspect. If I were the criminal, I wouldn''t rush out to die.

    I felt slightly dizzy, a side effect of splitting myself. Compared topletely melting myself into a pile of sticine, splitting into many small people was much less harmful. After all, each of me could condense into a miniature version of myself to rest when I couldn''t hold on.

    However, it didn''t mean that there were no side effects. Separating the body wasn''t an easy task. The longer it dragged on, the more painful it would be for me.

    First, there was a slight dizziness. Then, there was a ringing in my ears. Then, the back of my head started to hurt, reminding me that I had reached my limit.

    It was 7 AM, and I was dying, but I still hadn''t found any suspects.

    No matter how unwilling I was, I had to leave. Dying here was not worth it.

    I got into the garbage truck again. The Silver Moon Pack ced great importance on the urban environment. Garbage trucks and cleaners woulde to clean up themunity almost every three hours.

    In a nameless alley, ''we'' gradually fused like melted wax. Almost at the moment, I was done, I felt a violent dizziness.

    ''Blergh!'' I immediately vomited, some bright red blood mixed in.

    It was not a serious problem. Every time I used my ability to fuse with my new body, some flesh and blood would be expelled. It was not a big deal, but it was a warning sign.

    I couldn''t split myself up without restraint for the time being.

    This surveince seemed to have no effect, but I didn''t feel depressed because I suddenly thought of a new idea, just as I was dizzy and vomiting.

    The feeling of my brain tumbling made me think of the trash in the garbage can. When the garbage collector grabbed them and dumped them into thepartment, they would tremble violently, and the garbage would pour down.

    Every day, this scene was happening on the streets of the Silver Moon Pack. If there is a means of transportation that could go around the city without attracting attention, it was undoubtedly a garbage truck.

    Since I used the garbage truck, wouldn''t the criminal do the same?

    Since I escaped from the hospital through the garbage bag, wouldn''t the criminal disguise himself as garbage to move around?

    Thinking of this, I finally got it.

    The cleaners didn''t know if there were more or less garbage bags today than yesterday, so the criminals could throw themselves into the trash can when they needed to move and wait for the garbage truck to pick them up.

    There were hundreds of small garbage transfer stations in the Silver Moon Pack. They formed a transportationwork that extended in all directions. Criminals coulde in one garbage truck and go in another.

    Under the tight lockdown of the Silver Moon Pack, they could move freely!

    The police would check every private car, bus, subway, and any other means of transportation, but who would take a second look at a garbage truck? It wasn''t that they were neglecting their duties. This was just amon mindset.

    The garbage truck was huge and heavy, but people were used to its existence like they were used to air, so it did not attract any attention.

    I didn''t have any evidence, but my intuition told me I was pretty close.

 Chapter 629 A New Face

    629 A New Face

    Yarin''s POV:

    Perhaps this was the truth behind why the police couldn''t find any more criminals even after digging three feet into the Silver Moon Pack. Perhaps they had looked in the right ce, but the real criminals had already escaped in the garbage truck.

    I couldn''t help but think back to the garbage trucks I took this morning. Could the criminal have already run away in the garbage?

    I decided to go to the nearby garbage station to take a look.

    There was only a small garbage transfer station nearby. The garbage from severalmunities had been transported here for a short while, waiting to be transported byrger garbage trucks to the treatment nt outside the city.

    This ce only upied a little space, mainly because the garbage pit was rtively deep. The garbage was soaked in some treatment liquid I couldn''t recognize, making them smell less pungent. I supposed it also had the effect of preliminary disinfection.

    Guarding the garbage station was definitely not a nice job. There were only two older men with white hair in the duty room.

    They were drowsy and indifferent to the garbage trucksing in and out and everyone else. I just swaggered in. They didn''t care who I was or what I was here for. They probably weren''t afraid of the worthless trash being stolen.

    This made it easier for me to sneak in but also made my bad premonition grow heavier. The near-zero guards allowed the criminals toe and go without a trace.

    I wasn''t the only one in the trash station.

    The Silver Moon Pack strictly separated the garbage. Some residents nearby would drop off their garbage, and some people - mostly poorly dressed elderly - woulde to the garbage station to collect discarded stic bottles. They were garbage in the garbage station, but in the hands of these elderly people, they were shiny coins.

    There weren''t many people here, but there were also quite a few. Including me, there were a total of five people present. I couldn''t easily determine which one was the real criminal.

    Two old people seemed to be living their lives toofortably, a cleaner who was resting and a woman who looked ordinary.

    The first three people were all waiting for a reason here. Now, it seemed that only thatdy was abrupt.

    "Hey, kid, what are you doing there?" The cleaner noticed me and waved me over.

    I pretended to be a primary school student and ran over in small steps. I whispered, "I want to collect some waste paper boxes. I need them for my handiwork."

    "If you need cardboard boxes, I think you should go to your neighbor''s house or the store to get some," the cleaner said. "The cardboard boxes here might not be clean. As you can see, this is a garbage station."

    "I already did, but I didn''t collect enough. Everyone was using them as props during the Moonlight Festival. I don''t have enough cardboard boxes toplete my homework¡­"

    I looked to the side and pretended to peek at the recycling waste storage area. In fact, I was secretly observing the other three.

    The two old scavengers looked at me with a smile. They looked no different from ordinary old people.

    The otherdy was not paying much attention to them. She was here to take out the trash and was having a good time with a bag of unsorted recycled trash.

    "Come here, boy. I know a ce to get you what you need," said an old scavenger kindly. "See that candy shop on the corner? At the end of this street, I saw a new batch of candy in the shop in the morning. I think they hadn''t had time to dispose of the cardboard boxes. Thedy boss likes children very much. She won''t refuse your request."

    He was telling the truth, and no one else had any reaction to it. There was a high chance that he was not lying.

    Knowing what had happened in the morning and knowing the temper of the local shop owner so well, this old man was probably a real native. Otherwise, he would not know all this clearly.

    He had a good rtionship with hispanion. He was not a temporary partner, meaning the other old man was also a local.

    Could it really be thatdy?

    At this moment, she finally raised her head from the tworge trash bags andined dejectedly, "Can someone help me? I really can''t understand the difference between the inside pages of a notebook and the cover of a notebook."

    "If you don''t mind, I''m more than willing to help, youngdy," the old man said enthusiastically. "I''ve been working at this garbage dump for over twenty years. I dare say that no one in the Silver Moon Pack knows garbage sorting better than me."

    The two old men went to help thedy. The cleaner was humming a song with headphones on. This seemed very normal.

    Perhaps the person I was looking for wasn''t here? Maybe the criminal had already followed other garbage trucks to other garbage stations.

    I pretended to run over to observe how the old man sorted the paper. At this moment, a garbage truck slowly drove in. It was empty. It was carrying garbage out of the city.

    A few cleaners got out of the truck. They were very agile. With semi-automatic mechanical tools, they quickly filled the garbage truck and left.

    I noticed that the original cleaner at the garbage station had also disappeared.

    "Oh, my waist." The old people just finished sorting the garbage and stood up with their hands on their waists."It''s not as useful as it was when I was younger. I think I have to sit for a while."

    Thedy quickly brought him a stool and muttered, "The cleaner is missing. He looks a little unfamiliar. Is he a neer?"

    He was unfamiliar!

    I jerked my head and realized I had just missed the right person.

 Chapter 630 Getting Help From The Outside

    630 Getting Help From The Outside

    Heller''s POV:

    It was a sleepless night.

    I had never prayed as hard as I did now that time would pass slowly. Just a little slower, give Yarin more time, give me more time, so that the criminals wouldn''t be able to escape in time and this wouldn''t be discovered so quickly.

    The dark sky turned light. I heard the faint sound of wheels and footsteps outside the ward. It was the nurseing for the morning ward round.

    This kind of ward round was different from the night round. It was not just about looking at the patients sleeping. There were new injections and medicines in the morning. I could not get the nurse to infuse the air nor construct an illusion that was enough to fool her.

    I got it now. The countdown had begun.

    "Nonsense, Heller, you''ve gone too far this time. Don''t you know who those terrorists are? Who gave you the illusion that you could resist them alone?"

    After my father learned about this, he was no longer kind and looked at me seriously. I didn''t dare to look at him. The disappointment in his eyes made me feel like a knife was on my back.

    After the nurse found out Yarin was missing and I refused to say anything, the hospital immediately informed my parents.

    Not only did our fathere in a hurry, but even our mother could not stay calm in the manor. The one lecturing me was my father and not my mother because my mother was constantly on the phone.

    Yarin and I exhausted her, and the danger of the Silver Moon Pack also exhausted her.

    In the end, she didn''t even scold me for anything. She just asked tiredly, "When did Yarin leave? What method did you use to hide from the doctors and nurses?"

    I told her the truth, and she smiled. "As expected of my son. Smart and brave, huh?"

    I kept quiet out of fear, not daring to look at her face.

    "Right now, most of the Silver Moon Pack''s forces are dealing with terrorist attacks and capturing criminals. The police are searching and patrolling around day and night. The various government departments are also like frightened birds, afraid of another explosion in the next second. At this time, every bit of strength is precious because there were people everywhere, but there are no free people everywhere," my mother said tly, even coldly.

    "I was very relieved about you. This hospital is protected by all kinds of people; doctors, nurses, security guards, and agents. I can''t say that so many manpower and resources are for you. After all, there are many other patients in this hospital, but honestly, everyone will give you some attention no matter what they do.

    "But I didn''t expect you to have such a big surprise waiting for me. Now, the people in the hospital can''t leave because you''re still here. They have to protect you. And I have to get people to coordinate more people to find Yarin, which worsens the already tense situation.

    "I''ve never treated you as kids. Heller, you, Yarin, and Cynthia are notmon kids. You''re smart and mature. But now, I don''t understand. You''ve never liked to y the hero. Why do you have to n such a reckless and childish operation?"

    My mother''s reproach made my face burn. Yarin and I had disappointed her. Although she didn''t use any fierce words, this unusual attitude was enough to exin the problem.

    I exined in a panic, "We''re not trying to show off or whatever, Mom. Yarin and I just want to avenge Kara!"

    "Just the two of you? How many people do you have?" asked my mother. "When you were nning, did you not consider how many people the other party had and how capable they were? And how many people did you have, and what capabilities you had? Besides, is revenge something so simple? Do you know where the criminal is hiding?"

    "Three days have passed. The police must have had a suspect. We just need to know what the police know."

    However, I regretted it the next second because my parents'' strange expressions told me that I had identally and foolishly told on Yarin.

    "So, Yarin returned to the manorst night?"

    "¡­"

    I remained silent.

    "You''re too reckless." My father sighed heavily. "Perhaps your mother and I were too indulgent to you before, so much so that you were bold enough to do whatever you wanted without considering the consequences."

    "Yarin only took the information for his use. He would never leak it to others," I hurriedly exined.

    "Of course, I don''t doubt that. But you believe him, Mom and I believe him. But do the others believe him too? They would believe the prince, but would they believe a thief? If confidential documents were found to have been stolen or suspected to have been copied, the entire search n would bepletely disrupted.

    "The police have no choice but to consider the possibility of the information being leaked. This way, the information they have painstakingly investigated will be waste paper. No one dares to bet whether the terrorists have found out about these things, and no one dares to believe them without any doubt!"

    My parents were right, but what was done was done. I couldn''t get Yarin toe back. But I didn''t want to give up our n just like that.

    Outside the window, a few sparrows stopped on the treetops and chirped. They tilted their heads to look at me, pecked at theirs feathers, and flew away.

 Chapter 631 The Abandoned One

    631 The Abandoned One

    Yarin''s POV:

    I was really an idiot!

    I was so annoyed that I wanted to punch myself a few times.

    The garbage truck disappeared at the end of the street. I couldn''t care less about the looks of others, but it was long gone at the intersection.

    This was a three-way intersection. I didn''t know which way the garbage truck went.

    Seeing that the opportunity about toe to me had passed, my eyes heated up, and I almost cried.

    A man shouldn''t cry easily, but the stimtion brought by the ups and downs was too much!

    Fortunately, there weren''t many people on the street, so I didn''t lose too much face.

    ''Chirp, chirp! Chirp, chirp!''

    A sparrow suddenlynded on me as I lifted the corner of my clothes to wipe my tears. This little thing pecked at my hair very naturally. It didn''t hurt, but it was a little ticklish.

    "Go, go, little guy. I don''t have time to y with you. Go find some bugs to eat." I waved it away and was about to leave. There were a total of three roads. At least I could smell which road had the most pungent garbage smell and choose the most likely one.

    However, this sparrow was pestering me. No matter how I chased it away, it wouldn''t leave. It flew from my shoulder to a tree on the side of the road and back again, repeating two or three times.

    I realized that something was off.

    The sparrow was doing this to attract my attention.

    I ran to the tree where the sparrow stopped. The sparrow chirped at me a few times and flew to a tree further away.

    The two trees belonged to the green belt on the same street.

    "Are you asking me to go with you?" I tried to run over, and the sparrow flew up and led the way for me at a distance.

    It knew where the garbage truck was going!

    I followed it without hesitation because I knew what was going on. Heller must have manipted some sparrows to monitor the movement of the Silver Moon Pack and guide me at the critical moment.

    He could control the minds of humans, so he could naturally control the minds of some animals. However, not all animals could be controlled. Some seemingly weak animals were more powerful than werewolves. Heller often practiced this skill before, especially with sparrows.

    I followed the sparrow and ran all the way. Finally, at a traffic light intersection, I bumped into a garbage truck filled with garbage and criminals.

    While it was waiting for the traffic light, I sneaked under the car.

    The cleaner finally removed his headphones in the driver''s seat, but the car''s audio system still yed loud music. I was sure that he didn''t notice anything happening in the car.

    The garbagepartment was semi-enclosed. I saw the familiar ''cleaner'' on the phone through the gap. He was very irritable as he whispered something to the person on the other end of the phone. It sounded like he was dissatisfied with the Lily of the Valley''s disregard for his situation.

    "Do you think you can get anything out of me being caught?

    "You don''t understand what kind of strange tricks these beasts have. Even if I can survive the interrogation, I can''t resist them searching my brain! The hidden posts had been pulled out. They must have told them everything they knew. Otherwise, why would there be so many police officers around the strongholds?"

    I didn''t know what the person on the other end of the phone said, but he became even more anxious. "Cut the crap. I won''t be able to wait until the day the higher-ups notify me! I''m heading to the garbage disposal nt. Tell them to send someone to pick me up, do you hear me? Otherwise, I will cut off your tongue and stuff it into your ass!"

    He angrily threw the phone, and it fell on the garbage mountain.

    Looking at this scene, I fell into deep thought.

    So these criminals weren''t as united as one? At the very least, only some were important to the Lily of the Valley. For example, this person seemed about to be abandoned, so he was hurrying to escape, and I bumped into him.

    I returned to the car and called the sparrow preening at the front of the car. "Heller, are you listening? I found the terrorist. He''s heading to the garbage disposal nt in the suburbs, which seems to have be the secret base of the Lily of the Valley. I''m afraid there will be more criminals there. There is no need to worry about keeping it a secret. Hurry up and inform Mom and Dad to send someone to catch them red-handed. Don''t miss this opportunity!"

    The little sparrow couldn''t talk, so it called out twice in response to me.

    I noticed that more sparrows flew to the garbage truck. They were the helpers that Heller gave me. They were the spies hiding in the nature to help me take action.

    "Thanks, Heller!" I scratched the little sparrow''s head and continued to monitor the criminal.

    About half an hourter, I could already see the towering chimney of the garbage disposal nt from afar.

    The closer we got to that ce, the more irritable the criminal became. I even saw him take out the pistol hidden in his pocket and load it.

    Perhaps he feared alerting the police, so he let go of the cleaner. Perhaps he couldn''t count on a fugitive on the verge of copse to have any rationality. In any case, the innocent cleaner''s life was in danger.

    I couldn''t let him stumble onto the criminal hiding in the carriage as soon as he exited the vehicle. I had to create some ''space'' for the criminal so that he could leave without alerting anyone.

    So when the car stopped, I instructed the sparrows to peck at the cleaner''s hair. He was shocked and dodged and chased the sparrow away. The criminal took the opportunity to run away quietly.

 Chapter 632 Survival

    632 Survival

    Yarin''s POV:

    The Silver Moon Pack''s garbage disposal nt was aplex incinerating station. It was a ce thatbined all aspects of incinerating, recycling, and transportation, so it upied a huge area.

    The area was vast and crowded, and groups of workers and drivers carried out their work orderly. Therefore, the criminals disguised as environmental protection workers were unimpeded and received no suspicion.

    asionally, people would greet him, mostly out of social courtesy. Some looked a little suspicious, but I couldn''t tell if they were in cahoots with the criminals just based on this.

    The criminal skillfully turned around and finally came to the duty room in front of a warehouse. He knocked on the door three times and slipped in through the crack in the door.

    I found it!

    I slipped into a corner, ready to hear what they had to say.

    "You shouldn''t have acted on your own. The higher-ups are very angry. Do you think you''ll have a good ending if you go back?" It was a rough male voice.

    The criminal tried his best to defend himself. "Do I wait for the police toe and arrest me? I''m not ready to die yet! I don''t care how those b*stards n to deal with me. These cowards, who do they think they are? I did all the dirty work. If I can''t get better, they can''t either!"

    "What do you mean?"

    "At most, I''ll turn myself in. Doesn''t the Lily of the Valley care about me or those wild dogs? Heh, at most, we''ll fight to the death!"

    "You are crazy, Anthony. The Lily of the Valley House might not care about ackey, but it cares about a traitor. You will suffer its crazy revenge!"

    "How? I might have been bitten to death by these wild dogs by then. F*ck!"

    "What about your family? What about your wife and child? You know how the Lily of the Valley deals with women and children. Even death is a relief. You''ve even dealt with a few of them yourself!"

    The criminal named Anthony fell silent.

    After a while, he said dryly, "... I can''t care so much. I can''t even protect myself."

    "You''re a b*stard, kid."

    "I don''t believe I''m the only one," Anthony said. "If the Lily of the Valley wants to give up on us, you think the others will be willing to wait for death? How many people have you transported away in the past few days? How much did you get?"

    "This has nothing to do with you."

    "This is rted to me, Marty. If I want to live, I have to rely on you."

    "I can''t be responsible for you."

    "You don''t need to be responsible for me. No one knows that I came to look for you today besides you and me. As long as you help me contact them and send me away, I can give you everything I have. Over the years, I''ve saved up quite a bit in the Lily of the Valley. I don''t want a single cent. They''re all yours."

    Marty didn''t say anything.

    "I swear I am not lying," Anthony said anxiously. "Or do you want something else? As long as I can leave, I''ll get you anything!"

    "This is not something I can decide alone. You know that I''m just an insignificant person."

    "But you did do something in secret, didn''t you? I don''t care whom you sent away before. That has nothing to do with me. You know I have no way out at the Lily of the Valley, so I will never tell on you!"

    Marty was still silent, and Anthony became irritable. "Answer me, please answer me! Damn it, what do you want? Tell me! Tell me!"

    "In addition to all the money you have on hand, I still need an additional 500, 000 dors. Please don''t say that I''m asking for too much. This isn''t just for me. I still have to feed those people. Otherwise, we will be finished."

    "No problem," Anthony immediately agreed.

    "But where are you going to get this 500, 000 dors? I don''t want to work for nothing."

    "I''ll just do something I can do, like robbing a jewelry store or kidnapping a few rich kids."

    The man thought for a few seconds and said, "Deal. Remember your promise, kid."

    "I won''t go back on my word!" Anthony was overjoyed. "When are we leaving? Those damned beasts have already found many strongholds. I''m afraid they''ll make a move today or tomorrow. By then, we won''t be able to leave even if we want to."

    "Don''t worry. We''re on standby over there," said the man with the gruff voice. "I''ll have to contact them before that - there''s no guarantee of sess. I told you it''s not up to me to decide."

    He made a phone call and argued with the person on the other end. In the end, he won.

    After hanging up, he said to Anthony, "Alright, let''s go. There''s a car going to another pack in twenty minutes."

    "Another pack? I have to go to the werewolves'' territory?"

    "Don''t be picky, little boy. At least you can still find a way out there. If you return to Carts now, do you think you have a chance?"

    Antoni reluctantly agreed.

    They left the duty room and swaggered through half the factory. I followed them.

    This ce was an escape route and had not beenpletely infiltrated by the Lily of the Valley. Only a few spies had snuck in. The Lily of the Valley, or rather, the terrorists whom the Lily of the Valley had abandoned, would escape back to Carts or the other werewolf packs through this ce.

    I followed the two to a hidden garage. It was adjacent to the parking lot. The warehouse was empty, with iplete seals and notices on the door. It seemed temporarily closed because the fire safety here was not up to standard.

 Chapter 633 The Execution

    633 The Execution

    Yarin''s POV:

    "Is she here?" Anthony looked around nervously. "Should I go alone or wait for someone? Is it safe on the road? There won''t be any checks, right?"

    "Shut up, kid! If you don''t believe me, scram!" shouted Marty in annoyance.

    Anthony stared at him reluctantly, but he didn''t say another word.

    A woman was in a driver''s uniform in the depths of the warehouse. She was about forty years old, frowning and looking impatient. She spat the cigarette butt out and stepped on it twice when she saw who it was. She asked, "Is that him?"

    "Yes." Marty nodded. "Get it done quick, and don''t be discovered."

    "Say less," the woman said with a sneer. "When can I get my reward?"

    "I won''t miss a single cent. Alright, hurry up and get to work."

    The woman red at Marty, then looked at Anthony from the corner of her eyes. "Let''s go, kid."

    Anthony didn''t move. He asked Marty anxiously, "Who is she? Is she the one responsible for sending me away? A woman? This is ridiculous, Marty. Women in the gang are either mistresses or prostitutes. I will never trust a cheap bitch."

    Marty rolled his eyes and ignored him. This attitude waspletely different from before, which made Anthony panic even more. He said, "I will never trust her! Give me someone else. I know you have other drivers!"

    The one who answered him was the woman. She snorted disdainfully and said, "Do I need to remind you that your immediate superior is a woman? Cut the crap, you b*stard. If you''re not leaving, then get lost."

    Marty ignored Anthony and said to her, "I''ll leave it to you, Tilda."

    With that, he turned around and was about to leave.

    "Hey! I''m asking you a question!" Anthony grabbed him angrily. "What do you mean? Don''t you want money?"

    "If you have the life to earn money, you must have the life to spend it, idiot."

    Anthony uneasily let go of him and involuntarily took a few steps back. Then, he realized that something was wrong.

    "How dare you y with me?" He gritted his teeth as if he wanted to bite Marty into pieces. "You motherf*cking son of a b*tch! Do you think I''m easy to bully? I can still run if I kill you!"

    As he spoke, he took out the gun in his arms and was about to shoot at Marty, but Tilda was faster than him.

    Tilda expressionlessly raised her gun and fired three shots at Anthony. One shot broke his hand, and the other two hit him in the chest.

    With a ng, the gun in Anthony''s hand dropped.

    He looked at the ''b*tch'' he disdained in disbelief. Blood gushed out of his chest and instantly dyed his white uniform scarlet. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but only blood spurted out.

    He fell to the ground, blood sttering under him. Secondster, he was dead.

    "Did he think he could leave?" Tilda kicked the still-bleeding corpse. "How many has it been? You must give some to Ram, or he swears he won''t help you clean up your mess anymore."

    "We can''t afford to lose out on his money," Marty said indifferently.

    Anthony was killed, just like a random nobody - like a pig with no resistance.

    Of course, I didn''t feel sorry for his death or anything. This criminal whomitted all kinds of evil deserved such an ending.

    However, everything that happened before me still made me feel cold. Marty and Tilda didn''t treat Anthony as one of their own at all. This made me think about the attitude of the Lily of the Valley toward its subordinates.

    Its indifference seemed to be indifferent to its target. Even its subordinates who risked their lives for it could quickly be abandoned when they were no longer useful.

    On the other side, Tilda had made a call, and Marty, who had said he was leaving, had not left either. A few minutester, a tired-looking man walked in. He pushed a cleaning cart and looked like an ordinary cleaner.

    "God, I told you to be more careful. Don''t get it everywhere!" Looking at the mess on the floor, he said frantically, "Do you think cleaning is just wiping the floor with a mop? I''ve used more eighty-four disinfectants in the past few days than in an entire season."

    "You only did a few jobs this season." Tilda rolled her eyes. "Whatever, I''ll be leaving first. The train is about to leave. If the motorcade can''t find me, I''lle and rush them."

    Marty waved his hand and said to the man, who was mumbling but had a cold expression, "Stopining, Ram. I think he''s thest one."

    "What do you mean? The higher-ups are finally withdrawing us?"

    "We have no choice but to leave. The werewolves are determined to find us. It''s wise to avoid them now."

    Tilda had yet to go far. Hearing this, she let out a loud sneer. "A soft egg is a soft egg, frankly speaking!"

    Seeing that she was about to leave, I quickly split off a small portion of myself and quietly followed her. I couldn''t follow her on a long journey, but by observing her social situation, I could find more spies in the Lily of the Valley.

    However, at this moment, I heard a few birds chirping outside. A small sparrow stood by the window, tilted its head, andbed its feathers, chirping twice.

 Chapter 634 Discovered

    634 Discovered

    Yarin''s POV:

    The chirping of the sparrows also attracted the attention of the criminals, but they didn''t care after seeing that it was just a bird.

    "Tilda, wait a minute." Ram stopped the woman. "Are you sure you still want to go? You might not be able to make it in time to retreat with most of the people. You know that after you miss this opportunity, the higher-ups won''t send anyone to help you."

    "It doesn''t matter, and I didn''t want to leave anyway," Tilda said. "You know Constance is in charge of this operation. I was so annoyed with him that I was about to die. Rather than going back to see his pretty face, I should stay here. It was quite afortable life to be a handyman."

    "You fear Constance more than death," Ram teased.

    "I won''t say this again, b*tch."

    Seeing Tilda raise her gun, Ram immediately raised his hands to signal surrender. Heughed and said, "Alright, I apologize to you, Ma''am."

    The sparrow stayed at the window for a few seconds before flying away. There seemed to be some silence outside the warehouse. I wondered if the police and soldiers had already arrived.

    Marty had already turned around and walked out. Tilda stayed no longer, and Ram had already started spreading stic sheets on the ground.

    As I was about to split myself up and follow them, Marty suddenly stopped and looked at me cautiously.

    I was shocked and held my breath. A few secondster, I realized that Marty hadn''t noticed me. He was looking at the venttion window above my head, where the sparrow had just stopped.

    "Something''s not right." He stared at the empty window. "The garbage dump has a bird-repelling device. Generally speaking, birds don''t break in here."

    Hisment immediately alerted the other two. Tilda took out her pistol and asked, "Go take a look?"

    "Go up and take a look, Lambert."

    The seemingly thick-skinned cleaner smiled dangerously. His mouth was full of malice. He pulled out a dagger and held it in his hand. He walked toward me without hiding his footsteps.

    I immediately followed the shadows and corners of the pile of junk and scattered myself into the tattered boxes and paper boxes to ensure I didn''t expose any of my flesh.

    Ram was already in front of me. I could feel him carefully observing every corner.

    I held my breath - my lungs were divided into several parts but continued to function.

    I imagined my next move in the face of any possibility.

    About half a minuteter, Ram turned around and said, "Nothing,ds, I think it''s just a starving bird."

    The thick atmosphere was instantly lifted because of what he said.

    "Want to go for a drinkter, Marty? This is hisst day in the werewolf city, and it was worth remembering," Lamb''s voice faded away.

    "Let''s talk about it when we return," Marty refused. "It''s a critical moment. Don''t invite trouble. I''ll go guard outside. Hurry up."

    They dispersed. As the door opened and closed, only the sound of Ram humming and brushing the floor was left in the warehouse.

    I quietly poked my head out and reached out my tentacles to see what was happening. However, there was no one in sight. Even Lamb had disappeared, leaving only Anthony''s hideous body casually ced on a stic sheet.

    Where was he?

    I tried to stretch out a little more tentacle to look elsewhere, but a teasing voice suddenly sounded in my ear, "Wow, what is this? Werewolvese in this snot-like form?"

    I was shocked and felt my non-existent hair standing on end. My tentacles turned around and saw that Ram was hiding in the corner of the junk and looking at me with a smile. The innocence and curiosity on his face were disgusting.

    Had he discovered me?

    How did he find me?

    "Urgh, that''s disgusting. What the hell is this? Slime? Does this thing exist?"

    A cold female voice suddenly asked. It turned out that Tilda had not left at all. She was hiding behind the ajar door.

    "An unexpected guest," said Marty, who had not left yet. "Uninvited guests are so annoying. You''d better tell me why you''re here, damn you, or you''ll be able to be Anthony''s travelpanion."

    I was exposed. The three of them surrounded me, and with the wall behind me, I had nowhere to go.

    I tightened my body into a ball and carefully observed, looking for an opportunity to break through the encirclement.

    "Have you always been like this? Or is it just a disguise? I''m not sure." Lamb asked me excitedly. "Supernatural races are always so fascinating. I can''t wait to start studying your secrets."

    He smiled nervously, the sharp scalpel in his hand shing with a cold light.

    A few more sparrows flew over. The police and soldiers were surrounding this area. I realized that I couldn''t leave even if I wanted to. I had to try my best to stall for time.

    So I simted a rough adult male voice and asked, "How did you find me?"

    "This is a warehouse in which this is the first time anyone has set foot for months, sir. The dust on the garbage should be thicker than the mustard in a burger. And the ce where you were hiding was as clean as the floor I had just finished brushing for a minute."

 Chapter 635 Caught

    635 Caught

    Yarin''s POV:

    I didn''t expect to give myself away in such a ce. I was annoyed and felt that these people were meticulous. They could find clues from an ordinary bird. No wonder they could sweep away their traces so cleanly.

    "Cut the crap and kill him." Tilda red at herpanion. "If you want to study someone, go study the corpse. Don''t get us into trouble."

    "You''re so heartless. We''ve worked together for so long. I thought you would at least have some basic patience with me!" Ramined exaggeratedly, then looked at me with a smile. "Did you hear that, sir? It''s a pity we can''t get to know each other better. We''re in a hurry!"

    When he finished speaking, he pounced on me with a scalpel. I immediately scattered in all directions. Although I was not in human form, I still have a mortal body. The knife would still damage my flesh when it cut me.

    After missing my attack, he turned around and swung his de at me. The others didn''t stay idle either. Tilda took out her gun with a silencer and fired three bullets at me.

    I really couldn''t dodge this. No matter how fast I was, I couldn''t be faster than a bullet!

    Therefore, these three bullets all entered my ''body''. Although I didn''t bleed, the gunpowder still burned arge part of my flesh. The pain made me unable to move for a while.

    After exhausting my stamina, I couldn''t even maintain my mimicry anymore. My flesh and blood gradually contracted and condensed. A few secondster, I returned to my human form.

    "Wow, that''s amazing¡­"

    Ram looked at me with fascination and was strangely excited.

    "Do we have to kill him? Could she really not take him with her? What a magical creature. He is like an ancient god in myths!"

    Tilda approached me, raised her gun, and said coldly, "Don''t be silly. When you return, there will be plenty of test subjects to waste in theboratory."

    Ram had already grabbed my arm and lifted me. I struggled unwillingly. "But no one can be like him, right? Bring him back! Many people would be interested in him. The boss also liked to keep small pets of supernatural races, didn''t he?"

    Tilda wanted to say something more, but Marty suddenly said, "Ram''s right. We''ve got to take him with us."

    Ram immediately became smug, but Marty ignored him. "Don''t you know him? He''s more useful to us than any werewolf in this city."

    "Just who is he?" Ram asked.

    "It seems you guys don''t pay attention to the Moonlight Festival. The streets and alleys are broadcasting the Moonlight Festival." Marty lifted my face with his old and cold fingers and smiled. "Right? Prince Yarin?"

    I heard Ram and Tilda eximing in disbelief. My entire body trembled, and I felt as if my entire body was on fire. It was so painful that I couldn''t speak.

    I didn''t know what was wrong with the three bullets that had entered my body. Not only were they not expelled from my body, but they were also buried deep in my body and scattered everywhere as if they had suddenlye to life.

    They were melting and disintegrating, spreading to every part of my body in an even smaller form, bringing endless pain.

    "He''s a prince? What prince? The prince of the werewolves?" The cold barrel of the gun lifted my face in ce of her fingers. Tilda studied me for a while and said in disdain, "He''s just a little kid. The werewolf n sent him to monitor us. What a joke."

    "I don''t think hispatriots know he''s watching us." Martyughed. "You snuck out, didn''t you? You wanted to be a little hero, so you came."

    I didn''t say a word, afraid that I would no longer contain the hatred in my heart once I opened my mouth.

    However, now was not the time topletely fall out with them. The police and soldiers had yet to arrive. I had to do my best to dy them here.

    Now that things hade to this, it was impossible for me to find other suspects. I couldn''t let go of these three ducks.

    "So we can bring him with us?" This was all Ram cared about. He even took the initiative to carry me on his shoulder and shouted excitedly, "There''s nothing better than this. In the werewolf legends, the royal family is always rted to their goddess by blood. Will this make this child a little different from ordinary werewolves?

    "You can study it," said Marty. "But don''t kill it like you did in the past. Only a living prince can make the queen hesitate."

    Tilda put away her gun and asked, "Where should I hide him?"

    "Just wait here for us to take him with us."

    "Before that, we have to do something," Tilda said to Ram. "Cut off his hands and feet, sprinkle some silver powder, and don''t let him escape."

    Ramughed as he raised the scalpel and was about to do as she said, but the pain in my body so tortured me that I didn''t even have the strength to open my eyes.

    Heller, Lily, Dad, and Mom.

    ''I thought that no one could do anything to me, but who knew that in the end, the problem was still me¡­''

    Ram cut off my hands and was about to deal with my feet when there was amotion outside.

    The gunshots immediately made everyone nervous.

 Chapter 636 A Turkey Shoot

    636 A Turkey Shoot

    Yarin''s POV:

    "F*ck!" Marty cursed and looked at me viciously. "It seems like you came prepared."

    Tilda hit the back of my head with the butt of her gun. I almost fainted.

    Ram was also a little impatient. He cut off my feet roughly and asked the other two, "What should we do? Run now?"

    "Run," Tilda said immediately. "Drive. You''ll be safe as long as you cross the border. Werewolves don''t dare to cross the border."

    "This is the only way." Marty seemed to be the one who made the decision. "The rest of them are unlucky. We can''t care about them now. It''s just a pity that this stronghold is here. It''ll be tough to run such a hidden and convenient ce in the future."

    The few of them immediately led the two of them out of the warehouse through the back door. However, before they could go far, someone chased after them. The sparrow had been leading the way for them.

    "Put down your weapons, hand over the hostages, and surrender immediately!"

    The three fugitives turned a deaf ear to him. Marty took out a small hand grenade from his pocket and threw it out. The bomb exploded, and what spilled out was dense silver powder!

    This was bad!

    The heavily equipped special police officers received rtively minor damage, but the soldiers who had already transformed into wolves suffered. The silver powder immediately stained their skin and got into their eyes and lungs, causing great pain.

    A few wolves that were the first to bear the brunt of the attack fell to the ground with a loud thud, letting out sharp wails.

    And the silver powder seemed to have been contaminated by the evil power, just like the silver coin. Even though they were fully prepared, many SWAT officers and wolves were still affected. They gradually began to mutate and started to bite themselves and theirpanions!

    Was this the influence of evil power?

    My heart ached when I saw this. At the same time, I was afraid. Fortunately, the incident at the Moonlight Festival was just a false rm. Otherwise, countless innocent people would have suffered, not to mention Lily, who was facing the bomb!

    The small bomb bought the three of them quite a bit of time. They immediately ran to the parking lot and prepared to drive a garbage truck out.

    However, the bomb was too small, and its range of influence was limited.

    After the initial chaos, the police and soldiers who cameter immediately subdued theirpanions, who were mentally deranged and continued to pursue the target. The soldiers arrived when the three of them broke into the garbage truck. They immediately pounced on the car and roared, wanting to tear it apart.

    Violently thrown into the car, I heard Marty and Tilda yelling angrily. Tilda, who was driving, kept drifting left and right, trying to shake off the wolf clinging to the car.

    However, the wolf''s sharp ws firmly gripped the carriage. People were shooting from behind the truck. A few secondster, with a bang, the garbage truck''s tires were blown out. The truck tilted and crashed into the roadside uncontrobly.

    After a loud bang, everything fell silent.

    Thick smoke billowed out from the bottom of the car. I smell the smell of gasoline. The garbage truck''s fuel tank was leaking.

    Among the three criminals, Ram had already passed out. A piece of ss had pierced Marty''s chest, and he seemed dead. Only Tilda was still awake. However, her legs were stuck by the front of the car, and she could not move even if she cursed and struggled.

    I was groggy and realized the car might explode if I stayed longer. I tried to melt into liquid and get out of the car. However, for some reason, my power has failed. I couldn''t use it no matter what.

    The three bullets had melted like ice and spread throughout my body. They brought me burning pain and constantly burned my physical and mental strength.

    A few secondster, someone forcefully tore open the car door and a pair of rough and powerful ws carefully carried me out.

    "His Highness is here! He''s injured. Someonee quickly!"

    Immediately after, many people surrounded them. They dragged Ram and Tilda out of the car while carrying me, who was in a terrible state, onto a stretcher.

    In a trance, I saw someone giving first aid to the pale Marty, and Tilda was also tied up and carried onto a stretcher.

    The sparrow stopped beside me and chirped a few times. I really couldn''t hold on any longer and fainted.

    When I opened my eyes again, I was already in the hospital. The interior here was very familiar. It was the hospital I had stayed in before.

    No one was in the ward, and the call button was next to me. I didn''t press it; I even prayed in my heart that time would pass slowly so that no one would notice I was awake.

    After everything ended, I finally realized how daring I was.

    Ram hadughed and casually cut off my hands and feet. That scene was clear as day in my head.

    They were truly ouws, and I had to admit I had been careless. I had almost died because of my stupidity and underestimation of the enemy.

    Fortunately, the oue was good. Looking at the three of them, they probably couldn''t escape. I didn''t know what happened to the other spies in the garbage disposal nt. How many did they arrest? Did someone escape?

    When I was thinking about it, the ward''s door was opened. I was startled as I found it was Heller.

    "Hey, you''re awake." He was in a wheelchair as he slowly slid to the bed. "How do you feel? Where does it hurt?"

    Heller''s vision was still not working. After one day, he still couldn''t see anything.

    "I feel good. No problem. Are Mom and Dad here?" I asked.

    Heller responded with a helpless look as he let out a sigh.

 Chapter 637 Malfunction

    637 Malfunction

    Yarin''s POV:

    I held my head in frustration, but there was a sharp pain in my hands. I couldn''t help but let out a soft cry.

    "What''s wrong?" Heller asked.

    I looked at my bandaged wrist and muttered, "Why isn''t it over yet¡­"

    Heller immediately understood it, "Did you touch the wound on your wrist? The doctor had just finished the surgery and said it would be fine after it grew back on its own, but if you moved too much, it might cause the newly sutured wound to be dislocated. Does it hurt? I''ll ask the nurse to give you some painkillers."

    "No need. I''m just a little surprised. Usually, I''ll recover after a night''s sleep."

    My entire body was like stic that could be melted and reassembled at will, so the sharp weapon couldn''t cause any actual damage to me.

    I would bleed when a knife cut me, but my body would adjust itself in my sleep, silently making the wound disappear. I didn''t need the werewolf''s powerful recovery ability to take effect.

    But now, my severed limbs showed no signs of healing at all. Even though I tried to melt and reconstruct the wounds, my body did not react.

    My power failed.

    In an instant, a strong wave of fear swept through my body. Losing the power that I could rely on made me feel incredibly insecure. The mimicry power was why I dared to do all kinds of ''reckless, willful, and stupid'' things. I was isted and helpless without the power, just like losing an ice floe on the sea.

    "What happened?" After a long silence, Heller became a bit anxious, "Did you bust the stitches by ident? I''ll call the doctor immediately!"

    "No, it''s not about that!" I immediately said.

    "What is it then? Please don''t scare me, Yarin. Talk to me."

    He couldn''t see, so he didn''t know what I looked like.

    I couldn''t hide this. I said bitterly, "My strength seems to have failed, Heller. I can''t shape myself like sticine anymore. I can''t even fuse my wounds anymore."

    Heller''s lifeless eyes widened in disbelief. "What? How is this possible? Is it because your strength is overdrawn, causing your body to be unable to mimic temporarily? Maybe you''ll be fine after a few more days of rest."

    "No, I can feel it. It''s not a problem of physical strength. There is a burning sensation from the three bullets in my body, but I don''t find any cuts on my body. Could the bullets not have been removed?" I asked. However, Heller asked in a daze, "Bullets? Were you shot? But the doctor didn''t find a bullet in your body. He said that besides the injuries on your hands and feet, there were only some contusions and bruises."

    The doctor didn''t find the bullet?

    How was this possible? I remembered that the three bullets Tilda shot pierced my flesh. They didn''t fall out even after I condensed into a human form.

    Was it possible that I was too ufortable then and felt something was wrong?

    Before I could think any further, another person entered the ward. It was my parents.

    I subconsciously wanted to apologize when I saw them, but my mom rushed over and hugged me tightly. She trembled and whispered in relief, "Thank god, you''re fine, my child. You''re fine, you''re fine¡­ Thank the goddess for her mercy. She didn''t take you away from me¡­"

    I was startled as I looked at my dad in a panic. However, he also hugged Heller and us with red eyes.

    "Alright, Selma, everything is in the past. The children are fine, aren''t they? Don''t worry, don''t scare the children."

    My mom looked up, and I saw that she was already teary-eyed. She nervously observed my face and limbs. After ensuring I wasn''t seriously injured, she sighed a long sigh of relief. Tears poured with her rxed mood.

    I had never seen my mother cry so sadly. In fact, I had only seen her cry a few times. In my heart, the crown and the sharp fangs were enough for my mom to crush everything that made her sad.

    However, my mom was crying so violently now. She seemed to be happy but also infinitely sad. The person who made her cry was undoubtedly me.

    I was the one she couldn''t deal with her crown and fangs.

    If I was just afraid of being scolded for my actions before, at this moment, I realized my mistake. I hurt the person who really loved me. Even if I used my love for another person as an excuse, this was not an excuse for me to hurt others.

    I hugged my mom back and whispered, "I''m sorry, Mom, I made you worry." I shouldn''t hide from you and my dad and run out to do those dangerous things, but I''m too impulsive."

    "You''re really impulsive, child." My mom''s voice sounded nasal. "When I first found out about this, I wanted to teach you an unforgettable lesson. I thought a lot about it."

    I lowered my head and silently waited for the final judgment.

    "But it wasn''t until the news of you being captured by the terrorists that I realized I was wrong."

    With my surprised gaze, my mom smiled through her tears. "I can''t think of anything to punish you for, my child. My only thought is that you''re safe. I swore to the goddess that I would not care about anything else at that moment. I only wanted you to return safely.

    "I think the goddess heard my prayers, heard the pleading of a weak and desperate mother, so she finally returned you to me."

 Chapter 638 Unsettled Waves

    638 Unsettled Waves Yarin''s POV:

    Nobody mentioned punishing Heller and me. Dad and Mom didn''t seem to care about our willfulness anymore. Although they would still ask us questions about this, they were not angry at all.

    The police and soldiers had sessfully captured all the Lily of the Valley members in the garbage disposal nt. If they hadn''t investigated, they wouldn''t have known. After investigating, they discovered that nearly a third of the workers in the garbage disposal nt were members of the Lily of the Valley, or had already been instigated by them. Even I broke out in a cold sweat when I heard this. I wondered if the officials of the Silver Moon Pack had already gone crazy from anxiety.

    I wasn''t surprised that this incident led to thoroughly investigating the entire Silver Moon Pack.

    The three people who kidnapped me were still alive.

    Marty was lucky he didn''t die. It was said that the medical staff, under the instructions of the higher-ups, did everything they could to save his life. He seemed to be the main point of contact with the Lily of the Valley in the Silver Moon Pack, and he carried a lot of precious information, so even if he wanted to die, it was impossible.

    Tilda and Ram were not that important. One was a killer, and the other was a cleaner. However, what awaited them was trial and conviction.

    However, this was far from over. ording to the results of the interrogation over the past few days, the Moonlight Festival incident, the square explosion, and the car ident were not done by the same group of people.

    The Lily of the Valley House''s minions caused the square''s explosion. Some of them had already died at their people''s hands, and more had been sessfully captured.

    This group would never admit that they were behind the Moonlight Festival incident and the car ident. ording to them, these were the actions of higher-ranking officers, and they were not qualified to know.

    Combined with Lily''s testimony, the chances of these people telling the truth were very high.

    Based on what she had heard then, the leader was a young man, the same as the confession of the criminals.

    "So I didn''t catch Kara''s murderer in the end." I couldn''t help but feel disappointed when I learned the truth.

    My momforted me gently, "Don''t me yourself, Yarin. You''ve done well. You''re smarter and more courageous than most people."

    "But I''m still rash and childish. I don''t care about anything when I''m impulsive." I couldn''t hide my embarrassment. "Whenever I think I''m right, I always end up falling."

    This made my parents realize I was behaving abnormally, so I told them everything about my situation.

    "The mimicry seems to have failed. I tried making the wound fuse, but no cell would listen. And the bullet in my body inexplicably disappeared-"

    "Bullets?" My parents immediately became nervous. "You were shot? But, the doctor did not find anything."

    "This is also what I am puzzled about. I am sure that the three bullets are in my body, but not only can I not feel them, but the medical equipment also can''t detect them."

    My parents took this very seriously and immediately called the doctor and a werewolf grandmaster to diagnose me.

    "We''ve checked the machine many times, but we didn''t find any problems." Craig frowned at the report. "This is the third scan, but we still didn''t find anything that looked like a bullet in His Highness."

    "Could it be that the bullet isn''t made of metal?" I asked. "Maybe it''s some kind of substance with a low melting point or fluid?"

    Craig shook his head. "We have considered this, but ice can''t withstand the temperature and pressure of shooting. We didn''t find any other suspicious substances in your test report."

    "It''s been two days. Maybe it''s already been digested¡­"

    Yes, I''d been unconscious for two days and two nights. It was not like I had just slept. My circtory system waspletely normal, so the bullet might have been discharged.

    The urine bag had already been sent for testing. The three bullets might be a permanent mystery if nothing could be found in it.

    Actually, from my point of view, these three bullets didn''t cause any damage other than worrying me, so it wasn''t impossible to let them go.

    However, my parents and Heller objected, so I had to drop it.

    Heller and I stayed in the same ward again.

    "Is Sisley still unreachable?" I asked.

    Heller shrugged.

    In the afternoon, Alfred came to visit us.

    "I am d you are safe, Your Highness," he said. "Your disappearance has caused the Queen and the King Consort to be distraught. Fortunately, the oue is satisfactory."

    I blushed at the mention of this. After regaining my rationality, I was too embarrassed to face this again.

    However, he brought me bad news: Lily was missing.

    "I suspected she had snuck out to look for you," Alfred said worriedly. "But you were unconscious, so I think she left on her own. Sigh, actually, I understand that she''s notfortable at home. It''s just that it''s very chaotic outside now. I''m terrified that something might happen to her!"

    No, Alfred was right. Lily should havee to look for me, just like we had agreed.

    But she didn''t know where I was. My parents had also suppressed the news that I was injured and hospitalized again. How would she find me?

 Chapter 639 The Sparrow Network

    639 The Sparrow Network

    Yarin''s POV:

    I should tell Alfred about this so he wouldn''t worry, and I could also entrust him with helping me find someone.

    But I didn''t know if I could trust him.

    It was true that he already knew my secret, but that was our business, and he was a decent man, and I was sure he''d keep it.

    But when it came to Lily, it was apletely different matter. Lily was his sister, and they had the same mother. Besides, Alfred didn''t have much say in the family yet, so I was unsure if he could keep his mouth shut under blood pressure and family pressure.

    Lily wanted to escape from that suffocating home. Once Aunt Teresa captured her, she would probably face unprecedented defense and never be able to leave.

    But should I hide it? I must ask my parents to look for Lily. I couldn''t go to her personally with my current state. But my mom would definitely tell Aunt Teresa the truth. I was fine, but Lily would be in trouble after she was found.

    But, should I do nothing? I couldn''t do it. I couldn''t sit by and watch Lily be in danger.

    In the end, I still didn''t tell Alfred anything. I watched as he left without knowing anything.

    "What''s wrong with you?" After he left, Heller asked, "You seem to have something to say; however, you hesitated."

    "You can see?"

    "No, I can feel it because I know you. You''re worried about Lily. If nothing was going on, you''d have gone to Mom and Dad for help. However, you''re not wrong about anything now. This is very abnormal. Either you''re a scummy sh in a pan, or you know something but can''t say it."

    "... I have to update my evaluation of you, kid. You''re just acting dumb on the surface, but you know stuff," I told Heller. He was the only one I could trust.

    "Well, Lily is on our side now," he said. "But if she doesn''t know where to find you, why did she arrange to meet you? You''re really a fool, Yarin. You should have known she was lying to you just so she wouldn''t implicate you."

    Heller''s words pierced through my heart like a spear. I knew that he was right. I was a fool. How could I not see through such an obvious excuse?

    "Anyway, the whole city is sealed off now. Lily should still be in the Silver Moon Pack," I whispered. "Aunt Teresa and Francis must have sent people to look for her."

    "So you''re going to do nothing?"

    "No, on the contrary, I have to find Lily before they do. Aunt Teresa could no longer tolerate Lily''s rebellion. Once the Silver Moon Family found her first, Lily could never escape this disgusting life. However, if I find her first, as long as I say she discovered the Lily of the Valley''s base with me, she will be a hero.

    "Because since Mom doesn''t me me, she can''t me mypanions, let alone others. And I''m not lying. If it weren''t for Lily''s help, I wouldn''t have been able to get any information, let alone capture anyone."

    "How do you know that Aunt Teresa won''t disobey you? After we leave, she might punish Lily again," Heller said.

    "She won''t. She''s a yes-man to Mom - don''t look at me like that. I don''t believe you can''t tell. Aunt Teresa''s intention to please Mom is too obvious. She doesn''t even hide it at all."

    "Alright, I can see that sometimes Mom doesn''t seem to know how to face her. I think she treats Aunt Teresa as a friend, but sometimes, Aunt Teresa''s deliberate actions make her quite sad." Heller also frowned.

    "Who knows? Anyway, that''s the matter of the older generation. I''m not interested. I just want to save Lily."

    I couldn''t ask for help from the Silver Moon Family or my parents, so I could only rely on myself.

    It was not urate to say that I was relying on myself. To be precise, I was mainly relying on Heller.

    "My favorite animals are sparrows. They are cute and agile, and they are my best helpers." A row of grey birds was parked beside the window. As soon as Heller waved his hand, they flew into the ward. "What''s more, they''re numerous and ubiquitous. They''re natural eyes."

    A sparrow obediently stopped in his hand. He bent his fingers and gently scratched its feathers. There was no emotion in his lifeless eyes. He really had the demeanor of a master.

    However, the next second, his aura disappeared without a trace. "It''s a pity that I haven''t reached that level yet. Right now, I can only control five sparrows at the same time. Don''t think it''s too little. Sparrowsmunicate with each other very frequently. These five sparrows are enough to cover the entire Silver Moon Pack''s sparrowwork."

    "Wow, a sparrowwork¡­" I repeated it seriously.

    Heller ignored me as he released the sparrow and said, "Lily must have hidden herself. The sparrows won''t be able to find her for a while. All we can do now is wait and pray that nothing unexpected happens."

 Chapter 640 In Hiding

    640 In Hiding

    Lily''s POV:

    I had no idea how to escape from this manor. I lied to Yarin.

    The security guards monitored me closely, and I couldn''t find any opportunities to take advantage of them. Even the servants who delivered the meals had turned into security guards. They were not as soft-hearted as young women. After the stipted meal time, they would immediately remove all the cutlery and not leave a single ''tool'' for me.

    I didn''t sleep the whole night, waiting for dawn.

    When the whole city gradually woke up, there was indeed amotion in the manor. I believed the news of Yarin''s disappearance from the hospital had been exposed.

    Although I felt sorry for the Queen, I still chose not to say anything. After the heat fromst night subsided, I gradually realized that this was a stupid thing to do. However, since I had decided to help and trust in Yarin, I would never hold him back.

    So, when my mother came in aggressively and asked me if I knew the inside story, I only replied calmly, "I''ve been locked up here by you, haven''t I? If you don''t believe me, you can ask the security guard at the door. I can''t even leave this room, let alone go to the hospital."

    My mother refused to believe me. Her instincts were always sharp.

    "I''ve been wondering why you lured me herest night. You''ve always been very cautious. If you wanted to run, you would never deliberately attract attention and create trouble for yourself. Are you hiding something for someone? Sacrificing yourself to promote something?"

    My palms were full of sweat, but I still tried my best to appear calm. I said coldly, "Mother, you''re starting again. Perhaps you''re not suitable to be a politician. It would be best if you were a screenwriter writer. I believe that your work will definitely sell well."

    My mother was indignant that she didn''t get any reliable information from me, so she called the security guards fromst night to confront him.

    "Did you only see Miss at that time? Was there anything wrong with the situation?"

    The security guard thought for a moment and shook his head. "No, Madam. There was only Miss and me. There was no third person."

    "Are you sure?" My mother asked him to take out the signal detector. "Are you sure it''s working? No external signal detected?"

    I broke out in a cold sweat when I saw the signal detector. Fortunately, we didn''t contact each other on our phonesst night. Otherwise, we would have been exposed.

    My mother called the technicians to check all the equipment on the security guards, but they found nothing.

    also found a bunch of spies from the Lily of the Valley hiding in the Silver Moon Pack.

    20:57

    These people had been lurking for a long time. Not only did they have legal identities in the Silver She was very reluctant, but there was nothing she could do. She could only leave angrily. Before she left, she sent more people to watch over me.

    I deliberately provoked her. "Instead of wasting your energy on me, why don''t you send more people to find the prince? How refreshing. The same person was lost twice in the Silver Moon Pack. Even if the Queen didn''t mind, you should think about how to face the media."

    My mother mmed the door loudly.

    At noon, new news came. Yarin was found, and he appeared on his own ord. Apart from that, he also found a bunch of spies from the Lily of the Valley hiding in the Silver Moon Pack.

    These people had been lurking for a long time. Not only did they have legal identities in the Silver Moon Pack, but they had also been colluding with Lily of the Valley for a long time.

    The Queen was furious. She reprimanded my grandfather and mother and ordered the closure of foreignbor channels indefinitely until the Silver Moon Pack proved its innocence.

    Now, no one had time to care about me. The security guards in front of the door were gradually withdrawn. It seemed that my mother had more important things for them to do.

    A young servant was the only one left to watch over me the next day. It was easy to get around her.

    I wanted to follow the agreement to find Yarin, but I needed to find out where he was. The news about him had been tightly sealed, which made me worry that something had happened to him.

    I first went to the garbage disposal nt in the suburbs. This ce had already been sealed off. The spy had been taken away. Everyone else had to undergo a strict inspection before they could leave.

    I couldn''t enter, nor did I dare to. I couldn''t find any clues here, so I had to leave first.

    The Silver Moon Pack was like a frightened bird. Its owner was panicking, so it naturally couldn''t calm down.

    It was said that nearly half of the jobs were closed, and only the government and public facilities were still supporting the operation of the city. This made it even more difficult for me to move because the police were on the street interrogating suspicious people.

    I did not doubt that my mother had discovered that I had run away again. In a fit of anger, it would not be surprising if she issued a warrant for my arrest.

    I had to hide.

    The hiding ce was a closed bakery. Picking the lock was a piece of cake for me.

    The owner had obviously left in a hurry. The dough in the fermentation room had spilled onto the floor, emitting a not-so-attractive sourness.

    The environment could have been better, so I could only endure it the next day.

    With the lessons learned from the past, the patrols at night were even more intense than during the day.

    The following day, I was woken up by a few sparrows. These natural creatures became active when the human trail gradually dispersed from the city.

    Looking out of the window where the sparrow was perched, I saw a police car parked by the side of the road, checking the closed stores one by one. I secretly cried out that something was wrong and immediately left quietly through the back door.

 Chapter 641 Found

    641 Found

    Lily''s POV:

    I didn''t know how far the screening had gone, but from the looks of it, Yarin didn''t find all the criminals. Otherwise, things would have ended long ago.

    This carpet search made it seem like the matter was far from over.

    I hid in the alley and watched the police car roar past.

    There were a lot of sparrows today. In just a short while, four gray birds were already resting on my head. I wasn''t sure if I could recognize them. Perhaps the same sparrow thought my hair was suitable for a nest?

    I was a little hungry. There was nothing in the bakery except leavened dough. I couldn''t even eat if I wanted to. I couldn''t go to the store to buy it either, because there was already a ''missing person notice'' on the street. I was lost or kidnapped by a criminal, and I had to pay a high price to collect clues from the public.

    Compared to a few dors of bread, the shop owner must want to exchange me for his entire year''s ie.

    I was used to being hungry when I wandered, so it was nothing to me.

    What troubled me even more, was the increasing number of sparrows. When I wasn''t paying attention, the walls of this alley were already filled with sparrows. To be honest, it looked a little scary. It was as if all the sparrows in the city were crowded here.

    I thought this was not a good sign, and I should leave. The alley was not very conspicuous at first, but it was not so after hundreds of sparrows had gathered.

    Before the police noticed, I quietly ran away.

    But good times didn''tst long. I soon found that the sparrows were inseparable from me no matter where I went. At first, they just stood far away from me, butter they got closer and closer, standing on the telephone poles or branches beside me, on my shoulders, and even on my head and feet.

    If I appeared on the streets like this, the police would have to be blind not to notice me!

    "Hey! Hey! Go away, birds, leave me alone!"

    I tried to scare them away, but they ignored me and stubbornly followed me.

    After the panic, I started to feel strange.

    These timid birds usually wouldn''t get this close to humans. I was not a gentle and kind princess who attracted small animals. Why were they so close to me?

    So I began to observe them. Gradually, I realized that there were always one or two familiar birds in the group. Although I couldn''t tell the specific difference between them, I was sure I had seen them more than once.

    These sparrows didn''t seem to stay around. They would always be more on one side and less on the other, or stand in a line, as if... Was he pointing me in the right direction?

    The sparrows wanted me to follow them?

    Where to?

    Don''t me me for being paranoid, but if there were a group of terrorists in your city who had ulterior motives and acted absurdly, you would also be suspicious of a group of sparrows.

    "I don''t think I can go with you," I said to the sparrow, looking as if I were talking to myself. "Who sent you? I can''t trust you without seeing your master, so go little ones."

    After saying that, I ignored them and considered the possibility of going to the hospital to look for her.

    ''Heller should still be there. Does he know where Yarin is?'' However, I was curious if my mother could guess my whereabouts. There might be an ambush at the hospital. This time, I decided not to go back. I couldn''t walk right into a trap.

    As I hesitated, I suddenly felt a slight pain on my scalp. A familiar sparrow was holding a strand of hair in its mouth.

    It saw that I ignored it for a long time and used this method to force me to respond to it.

    I was really a little angry, but what was the point of arguing with a bird?

    The consecutive idents made me feel even more upset. I made up my mind to get rid of these little annoying people.

    However, before I could take a step, the sparrow grabbed the corner of my clothes and pulled in a direction. I wanted to see what they were going to do.

    Therefore, I followed their momentum and walked to the side of the road.

    There was a bus stop by the roadside, and the billboard at the bus stop was ying a mobile advertisement. Now, it stopped at the poster for the Moonlight Festival. It was aimed at children, and images of candies were pasted all over the picture.

    In the middle of the poster was a candy silhouette that took up one-third of the space. Undoubtedly, this was the limited edition moon fudge that would only appear on the festival day.

    The sparrow led me to stop in front of the poster. Facing my confusion, it suddenly rushed toward the poster.

    I was shocked. That was a ss made of tempered stic. It would stter into pieces on the billboard!

    I grabbed it quickly, almost hitting it. But I saw speechlessness and anxiety in its small eyes for some reason.

    Did I see emotions in a bird''s eyes?

    I was stunned for a moment. This gave the sparrow an opportunity. It immediately flew out of my hand, its round and cute beak pecking at the candy silhouette in the center of the poster.

    ... Limited edition moon fudge? Was this what the sparrow wanted to tell me?

    Was Heller controlling it?

    I asked tentatively, and the little sparrow immediately flew happily.

 Chapter 642 A Bait

    642 A Bait

    Lily''s POV:

    Actually, I was saying that when I saw the candy, I only thought of Heller subconsciously. But then, something surprising happened. The sparrow seemed to understand my words and really responded to me!

    "Is it really him?"

    I looked suspiciously at the ordinary-looking birds and asked tentatively," If you can understand me, fly to my left hand."

    The bird pped its wings andnded on my left hand.

    I was right! The sparrow was Heller''s helper!

    I knew some races that couldmunicate with animals and even nts, but they were all elves or mythical characters. ''Heller is a werewolf. Since when could a werewolf do that?''

    I could trust Heller; therefore, I followed the sparrow. The sparrow led me through several deserted alleys and then to the hospital''s back door.

    "Heller and Yarin are here, right?"

    The bird flew to my left hand again.

    The boys had led me to find them. Presumably, they could not leave now, so they had to resort to this method.

    But, there was a new problem. This hospital was surrounded by armed security. I even saw the symbol of the Royal Guards.

    If I were to get close and be discovered, these people wouldn''t care if I was an innocent passerby or an assassin with ill intentions. They would rush forward and take me down.

    I even saw them checking the garbage trucks in and out of the hospital, which was not a big deal considering the recent news.

    The building wasn''t very tall. It had a total of six floors. I tried to observe the windows, but they were either drawn or empty. Heller would contact me through the window if possible after knowing I was there; however, he didn''t, indicating that his ward was not in this building.

    This was even more troublesome. I had to pass through more security guards to get deeper into the hospital.

    Just as I was at my wit''s end, I suddenly heard the hum of a car in the distance. I quickly hid behind the wall and observed the guests through the gap.

    It was a very familiar license te. It belonged to my family. The person who came out of the car was my mother.

    She came to the hospital to stop me. She didn''t need to know where I was because I could only miss two friends in the Silver Moon Pack. She just needed to wait for me toe here.

    How annoying! Could the Silver Moon Pack be already at peace? Didn''t she have anything else to do besides monitoring me? Could she get a high position and sry just by capturing me?

    With my mother around, the hospital became a forbidden area for me.

    Seeing that I was about to leave, the sparrow immediately pecked my scalp anxiously, but I couldn''t stay any longer. I hated some of my mother''s actions, but I had to admit that her methods were powerful, whether against enemies or allies.

    After a while, my mother probably came to the ward. Heller also realized that getting me toe to the hospital was not a good idea, so the sparrow spontaneously led the way for me.

    The more I walked, the more familiar I became. In the end, the sparrow brought me back to the manor.

    Facing my surprised gaze, the sparrow pped its wings and flew away. I tried to call after it, but it didn''t answer. Heller seemed to have given up controlling it.

    No strength was infinite, not to mention that Heller was still recovering. It was already incredible that he could persist for such a long time.

    After thinking for a short while, I understood Heller''s intention. Everyone thought I would try my best to hide and leave after escaping. Who could imagine that I would return to the apartment where I was imprisoned?

    The only problem was security - security again. If only I could be invisible like the characters in fantasy novels, all my problems would be solved.

    Few people were outside the vi, and the security guards rxed. They were in a daze as if they had not woken up.

    Furthermore, I didn''t see any of the Queen''s guards. Could it be that everyone just remembered the Queen''sbat power and realized that even ten thousand people couldn''tpare to her?

    Rather than taking advantage of this opportunity, I was more willing to see it as a trap. The rxed appearance on the surface meant elite guards were hidden in the dark. It was never wrong to be a little cautious.

    Soon, the first group of idiots who dared to challenge him arrived.

    There was no doubt that when faced with a ferocious wolf suddenly appearing from an unknown corner, he did not transform into a wolf like a werewolf. Instead, he raised his gun, fired in vain, and was almost torn to pieces by the wolves.

    Their guns were iid with metal gands. There was no doubt that it was the Lily of the Valley.

    This was bait, waiting for the Lily of the Valley to take the bait!

    They had no choice but to take the bait. They couldn''t leave the Silver Moon Pack and could only hope for luck.

    Suddenly, police cars appeared on the empty street. Hundreds of people were dispatched just to catch these criminals.

    They were tied to a rectangr car - I was not exaggerating. It was really a rectangr shape made of steel tes - and then left in a dozen police cars.

    A few minutester, a few cars with royal insignias drove out of the manor and left under the protection of security and guards.

    Only a few people were left in the manor to deal with the aftermath. It seemed that this ce had been abandoned. Thus, I sessfully infiltrated and returned to the room where I was imprisoned.

 Chapter 643 In The Meantime

    643 In The Meantime

    Yarin''s POV:

    In our boring life of recuperating, we were naturally grateful to have someone to apany us. However, Aunt Teresa had other motives. She was concerned about our health and mood with a smile but always nced at the door and window.

    Who was she waiting for? Probably Lily.

    What was worse was that Lily had been lured to the hospital by Heller. If she came in like this, she would bump into Aunt Teresa.

    Heller and I exchanged nces. I would deal with the guests while he yed the role of a weak boy who couldn''t do anything. He focused on controlling the sparrow to take Lily away.

    "When you and your brother are better, you can transfer to the Silver Moon Family''s private sanatorium. The environment there is better. There are also some animals, such as peacocks and swans. You can even feed them. I heard that children nowadays like these¡­"

    Aunt Teresa kept introducing Silver Moon''s private sanatorium. It sounded much better than a hospital. However, if I had to ept such fairness every day, the hospital would be morefortable.

    She looked at her phone asionally and put it down in disappointment because there was no news. Then, she began to test me to see if I knew where Lily was.

    "I have to say, you are very brave, Your Highness. Not to mention children, even adults might not dare to go deep into the enemy camp alone, let alone wipe them out! The hospital would have been filled with reporters if it wasn''t for the Queen suppressing the news.

    "Actually, it''s just right now," I said. "Heller and I are both injured. We don''t want to be disturbed too much. As for the garbage station, I could only say I had sent some information. In fact, most of the work was done by the police and soldiers. They even saved me."

    I lowered my head shyly. "Actually, now that I think about it, my actions were reckless. If I had spread the news a secondter, the oue of the matter might have been a 180¡ã reversal."

    Aunt Teresa smiled kindly. "Those are all ''ifs''. They will never happen. The person before me now is undoubtedly a little hero."

    Heller suddenly coughed twice, which indicated that the sparrow had already left with Lily.

    Aunt Teresa immediately showed concern for his health and called the doctor to examine him. She took the opportunity to make a call. From her expression, the result should not be satisfactory.

    I pretended not to know anything and asked, "What''s wrong, Aunt Teresa? You look a little anxious."

    She answered with a wry smile, "It''s Lily. She''s gone, again.""

    "I heard from Alfred that she''s been staying at home?"

    "Yes, she should have, but this child might really hate us from the bottom of her heart, so she doesn''t want to stay for a moment."

    "Perhaps this is not bad. Lily is already sixteen years old. In ancient times, she would have been mature enough to take responsibility. You should give her more chances, Aunt Teresa. She prefers freedom to restraint."

    Aunt Teresa didn''t find it strange that I was on Lily''s side. Instead, she seemed happy. "Is that so? I can try, but I still have to find her first. It''s not safe outside. I''m afraid something really happened to her.

    "I heard from Lily that the two of you have be friends. I know that friends have to keep secrets from each other but treat it as a helpless mother begging you. Your Highness, do you know where Lily might have gone? Did she ever tell you about the ces she liked?"

    ''I don''t know. Heller knows. I will know after you leave.''

    But I just said, "Sorry, ma''am. Lily has told us many things about human society but never mentioned this. I don''t know where she could be."

    Aunt Teresa stayed for a long time before leaving because something had happened at the manor. It was not true. It was a trap set up by her mother.

    She used herself as bait to lure out some hidden criminals, most likely rted to the Moonlight Festival incident or the car ident.

    Aunt Teresa left in a hurry.

    After she left, I couldn''t wait to ask Heller where Lily was. He had sent Lily back to the manor.

    "Everyone thought Lily had run away, but we sent her back. They wouldn''t find her even if they searched the entire Silver Moon. Who would have thought Lily was only a few floors away from them?"

    "You''re a genius!" I pounced over and hugged him, careful not to touch the wound on his chest. "Aunt Teresa said that people were going to evacuate from the manor to other ces. This is very good, and no one will find out!"

    Lily was safe. I began to think about other problems, such as the new criminals.

    Could they be the culprits of the Moonlight Festival incident and the car ident?

    Could they be rted to that ''cadre''?

 Chapter 644 Things Gone Missing

    644 Things Gone Missing

    Yarin''s POV:

    Heller was a verypetent messenger. Like Hermes, he delivered messages from the outside world. The little sparrow was his faithfulpanion.

    Of course, this wasn''t without a price. The bread in our patient''s meal doubled. The nurse thought that we had a big appetite during the recovery period, but all of it went into the bird''s mouth.

    Of course, sparrows were with ws. They were easily distracted. They were flying in the sky, but when they suddenly saw something on the roadside or on the tree that could attract them, they would immediately change their target. Compared to controlling sparrows, Heller was more worried about suppressing this subconscious reaction.

    Our mom and her subjects had moved to an apartment building on the other side of the Silver Moon Pack. The dozens of rooms wererge enough to amodate the government personnel and military soldiersing and going.

    At least Heller couldn''t control the sparrows to see the documents in the hands of our mom''s secretary every time.

    "Will we be excluded? Mom won''t let us get involved anymore," he asked uneasily. "Maybe the next time we hear the news from her will be when all the criminals are caught."

    I really wanted to say no, but I wasn''t sure either. I even thought that his worries were very reasonable.

    "Anyway, let''s just get better first," I said. "Maybe things won''t go so fast, although I hope those b*stards will be killed right now..."

    The following two days were peaceful, except for some small strange things that happened asionally.!

    Things started to go missing in the ward: a cup or a few notes. One afternoon, I woke up from a nap and realized the pillow under my head was gone. I searched all over the sickbed, neither under the bed. Heller said he didn''t see it either.

    "Where exactly did it go¡­"

    The more I thought about it, the more I felt something was wrong. Small things like cups or notes were fine. Maybe I identally threw them away, or the nurses took them away, but how could the pillow disappear for no reason? I asked the nurse outside. No one hade in. Even if someone hade in, what was the use of taking a pillow away?

    "Heller, do you feel that you''ve lost something recently?"

    After thinking briefly, Heller shook his head. "It''s probably nothing. Even if there was, I can''t see it."

    I paid attention to it in the afternoon but didn''t lose anything.

    Would it happen when I was not aware?

    Before sleeping, I carved a small rune on the new pillow, nket, cup, and other things at night.

    Aunt Dorothy taught me this. It could track lost items, and it didn''t require magic power. It only required a drop of blood. However, it could only be used on inanimate objects, and there was a distance limit. It could only guide people to the farthest ce the rune could track.

    However, the hospital was only so big, so he was not afraid that the tracking would fail.

    I would never have imagined what would happen the next day.

    I woke up to the nurse''s exmation. When I opened my eyes in a daze, I didn''t notice anything wrong. The pillow was still there, the ss was still there, and nothing was wrong with it. It was just that my vision became shorter.

    The nurse who came to wake me up covered her mouth and looked at me in surprise. I suddenly felt that she was a little tall, but wearing a sky-high dress didn''t meet the hospital''s dress code.

    "Are you alright, Your Highness?" she asked shakily.

    I had just woken up and was already in a daze. I was even more confused by her question."Uh, I guess? I had a good night''s sleep."

    "Is that so? Perhaps I misunderstood you. If you like to sleep on the floor, I must report it to the doctor, and he will agree."

    "Sleeping on the ground? No, I don''t have such a preference. I prefer soft beds."

    The nurse looked even more wobbly. She asked weakly, "In that case, where''s your bed? How did your bed disappear?"

    Bed?

    Disappeared?

    I immediately looked down and realized I was lying on the ward floor. The soft bedding and fluffy pillow were all there, but the bed was missing.

    Where was my bed?

    "Where is my bed?"

    After asking the nurse on night duty to investigate the surveince cameras, she confirmed that no one had entered my ward, let alone transported such a spacious bed out.

    It vanished into thin air beneath me.

    I was speechless. After my parents found out, they thought it might be an attack from an unknown enemy, so they sent a Silver Moon Pack werewolf grandmaster to the hospital to stay permanently. My dad also came.

    "I''m sorry, Dad. I always get into trouble." I felt a little guilty. Be it intentional or not, I always added unnecessary trouble at critical moments.

    My dadforted me that it was not my fault. I knew he would not me me for this, but I could not chase that thought away.

    Who could say it wasn''t? Counting what I had experienced in the Silver Moon Pack, I was a troublemaker.

    But even if the werewolf grandmaster and my dad were there, it was useless because the same thing happened the following day. This time, it wasn''t just the bed. Everything around me, including the bedding, pillows, sheets, and even the pajamas on my body, was gone!

 Chapter 645 Transferred Elsewhere

    645 Transferred Elsewhere

    Yarin''s POV:

    Exposing my naked body in front of others was already shameful enough, not to mention that the nurse was a stranger. Goddess, please take me away. I had no reason to live in this world anymore!

    After the panic, this became a mystery.

    There was still nothing. The surveince cameras, the nurses on duty, and even the witchcraft set up by the werewolf grandmaster did not react. Even my dad''s wolf, Morgan, was out. Morgan checked the hospital thoroughly, but he didn''t smell anything suspicious.

    The gentle wolf said helplessly, "Every smell can be traced in the hospital. There are no strangers."

    As things disappeared for no reason, the hospital was no longer safe for me. My parents were considering transferring me away, such as the private nursing home that Aunt Teresa strongly rmended.

    However, before the first wave had subsided, another wave had risen. My mom had obtained thetest information from interrogating the criminals and was about to capture all the humans in hiding in one go.

    However, the other party was already prepared. Arge-scale evil power pollution incident broke out at the battle scene. My mom was busy curbing the spread of evil forces and purifying the contaminated police and soldiers. She was so busy that even my dad had to return to help.

    "Is the battlefield very serious? Mom, how are you?" I asked worriedly over the phone. "Wouldn''t it be too much to force so many people?"

    My mom''s voice was filled with exhaustion, but she still tried her best tofort me. "Don''t worry. Mom has seen many more serious situations than this. You and Heller focus on recuperating. And Lily... you both are grown men, right? You can take care of her, right?"

    I was shocked and retorted guiltily, "What are you talking about? Didn''t Lily run away from home..."

    "Come on, boy. I knew you had something to do with this. Lily was in the manor right now, right? Don''t try to lie to me; I left a portion of New Flow there. Nothing can escape my eyes."

    I didn''t dare to admit it. I feared my mom would tell Aunt Teresa about this, so I remained silent.

    My mom said with a headache on the other end of the phone, "I won''t tell Teresa for now. Since this is Lily''s choice, I''ll respect her wishes. However, the premise of all this is that you are safe. If you cause any more harm to yourself, then I will have to break today''s decision. Your safety will always be the first. Can you promise me?"

    "... Yes, Mom, we will be good."

    After hanging up the phone, Dr. Craig knocked on the door. "Are you ready, princes? We have to go. I''ve been to that private sanatorium in advance. It''s a beautiful and quiet ce. You''ll definitely like it."

    "Thank you." I nodded. "Will you be apanying us during this period?"

    "Yes, the Queen and the King Consort are too busy to leave. However, they wille to see you as soon as they have time, so please don''t worry."

    On the way, I could see police cars and ambnces whizzing past asionally. When Heller heard the shrill sirens, he would hold my hand tightly.

    This was also one of the reasons we wanted to move out of the hospital. The hospital was about to wee contaminated victims. Even though Mom had already purified them, the evil force seemed to have some follow-up effect, making them temporarily crazy. We couldn''t live under the same roof as them.

    Craig drove the car himself. Heller and I sat in the back row, followed by a series of security cars. The boring journey made me drowsy. I closed my eyes and unconsciously lost consciousness.

    When I woke up, I was shaken by Heller. I looked out the window and asked, "What''s up?"

    "I think you should look under your body," he said.

    I lowered my head and realized the soft artificial fur cushion was gone!

    "It disappeared again! Again! Who''s here?" I shouted, breaking down. "Me! You! Dr. Craig! There was no one else. The cushion couldn''t have disappeared on its own, right?"

    I often wondered if I had unknowingly been enchanted by witchcraft. Although the werewolf grandmaster did not detect it, humans had some methods we did not know about.

    Humans always had many things that we didn''t know!

    However, Heller poured cold water on me, "Of course, it didn''t disappear on its own. Have you ever thought that the problem lies among us? I mean, you, Yarin, maybe you lost them?"

    "What?"

    "Just as you were sleeping, I felt the ball of light that is you spreading outward. I wanted to see what was going on, so I reached out to touch it, and in the end, I realized that the cushion under you was gone. Wherever you spread, the cushion would disappear. So, is there a possibility that you caused those things you thought were embarrassing?"

    Me?

    I looked at my hands in confusion. They were not healthy because my wrists were still wrapped in thick gauze, making it impossible for me to move freely.

    How could such a weak body make items disappear into thin air?

 Chapter 646 Hunger

    646 Hunger

    Yarin''s POV:

    Did I really make the cushion disappear?

    At this moment, Dr. Craig parked his car on the roadside. Of course, he heard the conversation between Heller and me. Therefore, he looked solemn immediately.

    The security cars behind them also stopped. The person in charge asked about the situation. Craig didn''t tell the truth. He only said that Heller and I were weak and had motion sickness. Therefore, we needed to stop and take a rest.

    I searched every corner of the car and finally had to admit that this was not a joke. The furry faux fur cushion had disappeared into thin air, and I was very likely the ''real culprit''.

    I used my phone to connect to the car camera and watched the scene in the car just now.

    Heller and I were both drowsy; however, I soon fell asleeppletely. Heller didn''t feel sleepy. He soon woke up, staring at the void with lifeless eyes.

    Then, he suddenly looked at me, puzzled, and reached to touch me.

    Next to him, the cushion under my butt was slowly disappearing. It was as if an invisible mouth had eaten it. My hand was melting, spreading to more parts of the cushion, and more and more parts were disappearing.

    I felt my hair stand on end.

    It was really me!

    Thinking about it, the evidence had always been in front of me. Those pillows, cups, and other things hade into contact with me. They were not far away from me. Wasn''t that the distance that the melted me could spread?

    Heller couldn''t see anything. He kept asking me what I saw. I was utterly dumbfounded and couldn''t answer his question at all.

    "I''m trying to consume the cushion," I muttered in disbelief. "How did I do that? Could something have gone wrong during thest fusion, and I reced my skin with my stomach?"

    Heller said, "Then you should look pink now. Honestly, it''s quite disgusting -uhm, I mean cute."

    "... Thank you for yourfort."

    "Alright, boys. It seems like our n has changed again. Your strength seems to have mutated. This may be the reason why you can''t use it. We have to study this."

    "Are we still going to the sanatorium?"

    "Of course, it''s easier to guarantee the privacy there. After all, your current situation needs to bepletely confidential."

    July Sanatorium was located beside a river in the Silver Moon Pack, and it could upy nearly four hectares of space in the city where every inch ofnd was expensive.

    This ce waspletely private. Only a few elderly or sick people from the Silver Moon Family woulde here to recuperate. Since most of the visits were in July, this ce was named July Sanatorium.

    As Aunt Teresa had said, there were a few peacocks and flocks of swans here. They were domesticated and very docile. They would retract their sharp beaks and webbed ws to anyone and use their beautiful feathers to please the visitors.

    They no longer looked like birds but more like clockwork toys.

    I wasn''t interested in them at all. They made my chest feel indescribably tight, so I asked someone to capture them and send them away.

    My mom was still very busy. She and Dad took time to video call me, telling me not to be afraid and to listen to the doctor and the werewolf grandmaster. Aunt Dorothy was rushing over from the Lycan pack.

    "Isn''t the Silver Moon Pack under lockdown?" I asked.

    "It''s a special case," my mom said. "We had some hope that you could recover independently, but things will only get moreplicated now. We need more knowledgeable werewolf grandmasters to help, such as your Aunt Dorothy. I''ve already given her a special pass, so she can pass without hindrance."

    "How are things on your side? Are the injured werewolves alright? It was said that even after purification, they would still have the side effect of mental disorders. Is there any hope of recovery?"

    "The side effects are only temporary. Based on the current observations, the chaotic mental world will slowly recover. It won''t cause permanent damage."

    Even though she was full of hope, for some reason, I felt that my mom''s attitude toward this was a little wrong.

    "Anyway, be good, okay? Don''t worry about Dad and me. We''ll take care of everything."

    My mom said a few words quickly and hung up the phone. I heard peopleing in and out of her side.

    As the investigation continued, more and more things surfaced, but more and more mysteries were revealed. On the surface, it seemed that the Lily of the Valley was taking revenge on the werewolves, but was the failure of a smuggling operation worth such a big move?

    This made people wonder if there was something else going on.

    Craig brought some things for me to experiment on. They were my clothes, used pens,bs, and other things. Other than that, there were some new things that I had never touched before. Among these test subjects, there were organic products, as well as living things like flowers and nts.

    I tried it, but nothing happened. Nothing changed. It was as if everything that happened in the car was just an illusion.

    "Maybe we found the wrong conditions?" I said. "I''ve been ''swallowing'' the things that have disappeared unconsciously. Perhaps I''ll have to put myself to sleep first."

 Chapter 647 Eating

    647 Eating

    Yarin''s POV:

    So I started to fall asleep. However, sleepiness wasn''t something that could be found easily. Sometimes, the more you wanted to fall asleep, the more energetic you would be. Falling asleep had be torture.

    I had no choice but to use medicine to help me lose consciousness.

    When I woke up, I was stunned by what I saw.

    The empty room had a clean view. There was nothing in sight except for the snow-white walls. The beautifully embossed furniture, the rare flowers and herbs worth thousands of dors, and the various bits and pieces that I couldn''t describe but did exist were all gone.

    All of them.

    It was gone.

    I even thought that I was transferred to another room in my sleep. However, Heller and Craig soon opened the door and entered. By the way, it was really a ''pure'' door. All the iid items on it had disappeared.

    I looked at Craig in confusion, hoping he could answer me.

    Craig also looked shocked. He stuttered, "As you can see, Your Highness, everything in the room has disappeared, including the installed cameras. Fortunately, we have been monitoring it remotely, so the video is intact."

    I nodded dully and said, "Yes, thank you. I have to see what happened."

    Hence, some equipment was moved in, making the empty room a little more substantial.

    The first few minutes were of me gradually falling asleep, with only the sound of my breathing. After I fell asleep, something strange happened.

    I began to melt, flow and devour everything I touched. The bed, the table, the wardrobe, themp, the decorative vases, the flowers and nts in the vases, and so on. Everywhere they passed was as empty as a grasnd invaded by fire ants.

    Just like that, I gradually ''ate'' up the entire room. Ultimately, all that was left was the pajamas I wore.

    But at this moment, I was not too considerate. Reality proved that the root of everything was indeed me. When I fell into an unconscious state, my ability did mutate or evolve, but at the same time, it began to lose control, causing all these ''supernatural events''.

    This was beyond the scope of medicine. Even the werewolf grandmaster didn''t know what to do because my condition was unprecedented. The only thing they could do was to keep it a secret, even to their family, the Silver Moon Pack.

    "It seems that we can only wait for Master Dorothy to arrive before making any ns," Craig said. "I have some guesses that might be of some help."

    "What guesses?"

    "I think your power has evolved in this direction for a reason. Perhaps it''s a form of protection to you."

    "Protect me?"

    "Do you still remember the criminal named Tilda? The bullets in her gun were all special and wrapped in silver. The three silver bullets hit the wyrm''s body, a disaster for werewolves. Perhaps your power evolved into the ability to devour to protect you from death. This way, you can absorb bullets into your body as nutrients."

    "Nutrients?"

    "The silver will cause your wound to continue to deteriorate. However, although your wound is recovering slowly, it is indeed healing. Especially after the item''s disappearance, your wound is healing a little faster. The items you have absorbed will likely be nutrients to fill your wounds."

    "But many missing items are non-organic, such as ss and stic. What nutrients can they provide?"

    Craig shook his head and smiled bitterly. "That''s what I''m confused about. It''s beyond the scope of medicine. I can''t help much. That''s why I have to wait for Master Dorothy to arrive."

    Aunt Dorothy arrived very quickly. She took a private ne at night and brought a lot of experimental equipment and materials that I needed to recognize. When I thought about how this might be used on me, I couldn''t be as happy as the other werewolf grandmasters whose eyes were shining.

    Aunt Dorothy gave Heller and me a big hug. She always liked us so much. In a sense, she could be our half-mother.

    "My wolf cubs have suffered. God, I hate to see you suffer." She hugged us in her arms and sighed in an exaggerated tone as if she was coaxing a child. "Your mother is very busy, right? Don''t worry. I''m here. I promise to take care of you until you''re chubby and healthy."

    "We''re not babies anymore. Aunt Dorothy, don''t be like this¡­"

    Heller continued, "It makes us look childish and shameless!"

    Aunt Dorothyughed and kissed us hard on the cheeks.

    After theughter, she became serious and said softly, "I''m sorry about Kara, children. Kara was a good friend, and I had been taken care of by her in every possible way. Her departure made me sad as if she had taken away a part of me.

    "She raised you guys. I think you''ll only be more heartbroken than I am. I heard Sekna mention your actions. It''s very dangerous, but I understand. Hatred is a kind of power that supports us to move forward. It''s just that we don''t know where it will lead us in the end."

 Chapter 648 A Mistake

    648 A Mistake

    Yarin''s POV:

    Aunt Dorothy''s way of studying me was very simple and crude - look at my future, and you''d know what would happen.

    "But I am still not optimistic about this," she said. "I can''t see through your mother because a mortal body can''t see through the fate of a god. And you, Yarin, you can also be considered a child of a god, so I don''t know if I can see you or if I can see you correctly."

    "But aren''t you the same as Mom?" I knew about the connection between Aunt Dorothy and my mom in the past life. It was not a secret in our family.

    "So I can''t see myself, dear."

    Aunt Dorothy always became mysterious when she used the Eye of Insight, making people not dare to look at those deep and lifeless eyes.

    If you stared into her eyes for too long, you would feel like you were being sucked into a whirlpool. She once said that it was the power of time. "Although time is a non-existent meaning, fate uses its name."

    As time passed, she began to sweat, her pupils trembled, and she had a slight spasm. The price of prying into fate took work. The Eye of Insight would consume most of Aunt Dorothy''s physical strength and spirit, making her very weak for the next month.

    A few minutester, the incense she had set up beside her began tobust. A smell of mint, frankincense, and spices that I couldn''t name slowly spread, and Aunt Dorothy woke up.

    She was very weak, and at the same time, her expression was a little depressed. "As expected, your future is also shrouded in fog. I could not see through it, but Fate''s message wasplicated. I could foresee some unavoidable dangers, but there was always hope in the tempering. This was a part of growth. It would make you stronger, and all problems would be solved in the end."

    After saying that, sheughed first. "I sound like a swindler, right? I think that''s why there''s so much deception about fables because real fables are so easy to imitate."

    Next, she did some specific experiments for me.

    "Craig has already told me about your current evolution direction. Self-repair is veryplicated to understand, but in simple terms, it''s transforming other things into your power." As for why you absorb a non-organic thing to provide more energy to yourself instead of an organic one, it''s puzzling. This is a problem, and we''re going to study it.

    "For things like ss, we believe that the human body cannot absorb it in traditional biochemistry and biology, and there is no way to convert it into something like fat.

    "However, in witchcraft, we believe that everything in the world contains special magic power. Even a grain of sand or a stone contains natural elements. This is why these lifeless objects are more easily connected to witchcraft than any race other than witches and wizards. For example, it is difficult for werewolves to be born with magic power."

    I didn''t quite understand these profound principles of witchcraft. "But I''m one of those with no talent in witchcraft, am I not? In that case, inanimate objects shouldn''t have any connection with me, let alone be absorbed by me."

    "That''s the problem." Aunt Dorothy took out an evidence box from the experimental equipment. There was a bullet inside.

    "This is one of the bullets Tilda had. It''s wrapped in silver. I did some research on the carriage that I came here from. The shells below the silver level are engraved with magic runes that could melt silver and fuse it into the blood. Obviously, this was a weapon specially prepared for the werewolves.

    "It was precisely these bullets that were shot into your body. A total of three bullets. Under the spell''s effects, the silver immediately seeped into your body and rapidly spread with your blood.

    "Dr. Craig also said that silver might have evolved my power into a self-protection mechanism."

    "Very close, but I don''t think the key lies in silver."

    Not in the silver?

    Thinking about Aunt Dorothy''s analysis, I asked uncertainly, "Could it be witchcraft?"

    "Correct! When witchcraft sends silver to your entire body, it is equivalent to prating every cell of your body. You were born with no magical fluctuations, but this bullet sent you a primer that could connect to the dead.

    "Three silver bullets should have killed you, but simultaneously, your mimicry chose to evolve to protect you. The weapon instead created an opportunity and caused you to fall into this mysterious state."

    I raised my hand and gently pressed it on my chest. There seemed to be remnants of that painful feeling from back then. I thought I would die back then, but didn''t the mimicry fail at the critical moment and save my life?

    "And the reason you can no longer freely control the power of mimicry," Aunt Dorothy continued. "I think it has something to do with these bullets. Although absorbing inanimate objects could absorb the power of nature to repair you, it could not offset the damage from the silver.

    "In other words, the silver is still in your body. The damage and repair have reached a bnce. Once the power of mimicry fluctuates, this bnce may be broken."

 Chapter 649 The Recipe

    649 The Recipe Yarin''s POV:

    This was why I couldn''t use mimicry. It was not that I''d lost control of it but that I might die if I used it.

    But at the same time, I also realized that it had hope. If the silver caused the mimicry to go out of control, wouldn''t it be fine if the silver was extracted from my body?

    However the idea was good, but it was a little troublesome to execute. The silver had seeped into my cells because of witchcraft, so I just had to remove the witchcraft.

    However, once the spell was removed, my connection with the inanimate object would also lose effectiveness. I would no longer be able to obtain energy from the inanimate object to make up for the damage caused by the silver.

    The two opposing powers would disappear simultaneously, but who knew if nothing would happen at that moment or if I would immediately die from the silver?

    "That''s why we must first nt another spell in your body so that mimicry can connect with other inanimate objects. However, the risk of this is to break the bnce.

    "Child, the power faction in your body may seem calm, but it''s extremely chaotic. No one knows what will happen if you add another faction. There was no precedent or theoretical basis for this. Once you used this method, you would be ab rat and sess or failure would depend on the results."

    Aunt Dorothy looked at me worriedly. She seemed to feel a little guilty because she couldn''t find a foolproof solution.

    "Thank you for your concern and help, Aunt Dorothy." I smiled and hugged her. "Please don''t me yourself. It was my own choice that caused everything. I should bear the consequences. I always say I''m no longer a child, so shouldn''t I take responsibility?"

    "I don''t rmend you to take the risk, child. No one wants to see the oue of failure, and it''s not something anyone can bear. Perhaps it is cowardly to say so, but maintaining the current situation might be the best choice. You lost your mimicry but can still be a powerful werewolf warrior.

    "You are the child of Selma and Aldrich. You have inherited their brave and powerful genes. You will be a warrior that people will be proud of."

    "But that''s not enough." I shook my head as I pulled Heller''s hand. "One day, I will take over my mother''s baton and protect the werewolves.

    "Those evil cultists, those strange witchcraft spells, and those invincible evil gods, could they be defeated by warriors alone? A mortal body is unable to stop schemes and plots. I must have the capital to resist all of this so that I won''t be at a disadvantage in future battles."

    "... But you''re still a child. You shouldn''t have to bear all this so early."

    I winked and smiled slyly. "But I said I don''t think I''m still a child. I can''t and don''t want to be ignorant and protected again. Every second is crucial. I must seize every second to umte strength."

    Aunt Dorothy was worried about me but respected my decision and let me choose. However, she also said she had to tell my parents about this. My parents had the right to know everything. She couldn''t hide it.

    I inherited my parents ''tenacity and courage''. If that were the case, would they be people who would rather their children be soft eggs?

    So, this was decided. Aunt Dorothy would work with the most experienced werewolf grandmasters to customize a set of spells that could be engraved in my body. Besides ensuring its effect, it also had to ensure its safety and could not be quickly dispelled.

    After me, it was Heller''s turn.

    "Oh, an eye disease. I really have a say in this," Aunt Dorothy said. "When I was young, I suffered from eye disease and even lost sight. However, that was the side effect of the cursed Eye of Insight. As for you, child, let me look at your situation now."

    After using the Eye of Insight twice in a row, she was already a little exhausted, but the result was good.

    "Just like Yarin, this is also a self-protection mechanism." She said intermittently, "Blindness is only temporary. It may be a blessing in disguise. You are in a state of ''spiritual perception'', which makes your eyespletely ignore the physical world and capture the essence of the spiritual world instead.

    "Those blue light balls are the manifestation of everyone''s soul. The soul is the shell that wraps around the spiritual world. You can better sense and invade someone''s spiritual world in this state. The loss of your sight is the adjustment of your eyes. You suddenly obtained this ability, which tests your eye skills. It has consumed too much of your strength, so your eyes can only recover slowly. The loss of sight willst for another month or so."

    She tenderly stroked Heller''s soft hair, "Don''t worry, okay? I''ll be here the whole time. I guarantee that nothing will happen to you. You can go to the opera with Cynthia when you get home."

    Heller joked, "Forget it then. I''d rather be blind for a while than be dragged by Cynthia to watch romantic sets at the opera house for a week."

    Aunt Dorothyughed and pinched his ear.

 Chapter 650 The Fight

    650 The Fight Yarin''s POV:

    I wasn''t sure if my sleeping invoked some magical power or what, but when I woke up, something big happened outside.

    The human government officially negotiated with the werewolves, requesting extraditing of the captured members of the Lily of the Valley.

    Putting aside what would happen if someone was extradited, this behavior was very annoying. Previously, when the Silver Moon Pack was causing a storm, the humans did not even let out a fart, as if they did not know that the Lily of the Valley was causing trouble among the werewolves.

    Now that they had been caught, they were in high spirits. They even had more ''serious requests''. This kind of undisguised arrogance was really annoying.

    My mother would not indulge humans. Now that the entire werewolf pack was paying attention to the Silver Moon Pack, once she gave in, it would bring a massive crisis of trust to the government and the royal family.

    Moreover, many werewolves had already gone to the human world to study or do business. Although they might not necessarily be in this shameless country, the weakness of theirpatriots would inevitably make them suffer discrimination and disdain in the unfamiliar world.

    Of course, my mother did not agree or refuse. She only vaguely said many official words like humans did to us.

    It could be foreseen that this would still be a dispute. Neither side would easily give in and had to go back and forth for a few rounds.

    Aunt Dorothy told me this as a joke. She said, "Werewolves and humans might have a telepathic connection in this, right? We won''t give up on the criminals we''ve caught with great difficulty; humans might not want these hot potatoes. The two races were being roasted on fire by their own people, so ying along was difficult."

    "Could the statement of the government of Jasper be fake?"

    "Of course not. It''s written in ck and white. How can it be fake? But just because it isn''t fake doesn''t mean it is real. The government of Jasper might want to avoid taking over this. If they wanted to, if they could, the Lily of the Valley would have been banned long ago.

    "Unfortunately, they also know that the Lily of the Valley is not to be trifled with. It has already developed too much power at the border. It is said that although the city is still under the leadership of the government of Jasper in name, all the officials, wealthy business people, and celebrities have long been loyal dogs of the Lily of the Valley. The government of Jasper showed a cowardly attitude toward this and would rather turn a blind eye to the man with the knife next to the bed."

    I said thoughtfully, "Although the government of Jasper doesn''t want to get involved in this, Jasper isn''t the only city at the border. The citizens of the other cities don''t know about the dispute. They''re pressuring the government because of this, forcing them to stand up and make a statement."

    "But why do the Jasperians want to deal with the criminals in the Lily of the Valley?" Heller asked. "They know what these people have done to the werewolves¡­"

    "Not necessarily, dear." Aunt Dorothy smiled. "First of all, the Jasperians might not know what Lily of the Valley did in the Silver Moon Pack. After all, they are thousands of miles away from us. Everything they know is told to them by the government and the media. If they don''t say it, the Jasperians might think that the Lily of the Valley members are poor people illegally arrested by the werewolf race for no reason!

    "Moreover, if the two sides were to switch ces, and they were captured by the humans in Jasper, and the humans listed some crimes that required them to be sentenced to death, would you dly ept the news and p your hands?"

    Heller shook his head. Closely after that, he understood it. "So, this has nothing to do with justice but status and dignity. If the Lily of the Valley criminals were executed by the werewolves in their territory, it would be equivalent to the dignity of Jasper being trampled under the werewolves'' feet. If Jasper just epted it silently, it would be equivalent to admitting defeat and taking the werewolf pack as his own!"

    "It''s a little exaggerated, but that''s the truth. Aunt Dorothy patted Heller''s head, praising him, "Therefore, the key of this event is not whose cell the criminals are staying in."

    "The werewolves have indeed opened upmunication channels with Jasper and other human countries, but other than mutual benefits, the open and secret struggles have already begun. Everyone wanted to upy an advantageous position, and no one wanted to be an extra or a vassal. It was just that everything stillcked a breakthrough point where they could openly argue. Now, isn''t the opportunity here?

    "Other than Jasper, many human countries and other supernatural races also pay attention to this matter. Everyone is talking about it. Now, both Jasper and we are in a dilemma."

    The more I thought about it, the more I felt that the criminals in the Lily of the Valley could not be returned to the humans. From the very beginning, the arrogance and contempt of the humans were undisguised. The self-righteous ''help'' and ''kindness'' were also suppressed by my mother because of the development of the werewolves.

    However, everything was already enough. We did not have to bow down to humans to the point where we had to hand over the murderers who harmed the werewolves. As Aunt Dorothy had said, this was a silent battle of status. The werewolves did not have to win, but we could not lose.

 Chapter 651 Outside The Field

    651 Outside The Field

    Lily''s POV:

    I realized that I didn''t hate this manor. It was simply toofortable after all the annoying people inside had left. What kind of experience would living in a mansion over 1,000 square meters be? I could only say that rich people really know how to enjoy life.

    You might think I was also a rich person, but really, my parents were very rich, not me.

    A day after I returned, the manor was empty. There was no one else besides a few servants and the gatekeeper. Without the master, the servants inevitably cked off and rarely came to the top floor.

    This made my life very quiet. Also, I discovered that the servants were secretly embezzling funds and living supplies, but I didn''t n to tell anyone. Anyway, they weren''t greedy for my money. I could also take advantage of the situation to get some food or something.

    In short, the sudden arrival of good days made me really rxed for a few days. During this period, small sparrows would send letters from time to time, on which were notes from Yarin or Heller, telling them what happened in the outside world recently.

    Celebrity gossip, bored, just casually looking.

    Political battles, boring, just looking around.

    Their conditions had improved, which was very good. In addition to caring about their health, I wrote back and asked, "Why do you use the ancientmunication method of bird messaging when you leave your mobile phone unused?"

    They replied, "Because they forgot."

    Forget it. Alright, this reason sounded stupid, but it was not uneptable.

    But in the following days, we still used sparrows to exchange messages. I had to bring up a few more loaves of bread because these small gray birds could really eat. Yarin always told me about disputes between werewolves and humans. It was as interesting as a TV series, and I gradually became interested.

    The Jasperian government made another statement. It was boring. Compared to thest time, they only changed a few terms.

    The werewolves retaliated. Boring but satisfying. We didn''t need to be human bootlickers.

    The other human countries sent their greetings. They were bored and did not mind watching the show.

    The elf n sent¡­

    Wait, the elves?

    I immediately put down my half-eaten ham sandwich. He carefully read the contents of the note.

    Ever since I was still a child, the elf race had fallen into a civil war. Over the years, various political powers had risen and fallen, and their people had fought well. They didn''t care about what happened outside the Elf Forest at all. They were even more reclusive than in peaceful times.

    I heard that the Queen went to the elf n when she was young. I didn''t know what she did, but she brought a bunch of elf kids back as ''exchange students''.

    This exchangested for ten years. The elves seemed to have forgotten about them. Other than signing an extension agreement in the first few years, they had yet to bring this up again in the next years.

    As a result, these little elves became a lingering problem. Repatriate them? The war there was fierce, and outsiders were not allowed to enter. We couldn''t just throw a group of children at the border and let them go on their own.

    If they stayed, the legitimacy was also a problem. Wouldn''t it be troublesome if the elves were used of ''illegal detention'' in the future?

    However, the Queen was a merciful person. Compared to trouble, she was more unwilling to see these elves abandoned, so she had been raising them for free.

    After so many years, just as everyone was about to tacitly agree that the elves had given up on these children, they suddenly sent a diplomatic document, ming the werewolves for illegally detaining the underage elves for so many years. They demanded that the exchange students be immediately sent back and that a reasonable exnation andpensation be given.

    Not only did they want an exnation, but they also wantedpensation. How shameless.

    Even moreughable was that this was one of many diplomatic documents. Many of the forces that had upied most of the civil war held the werewolves ountable in the name of the legal government. In an instant, the elf race had countless elf kings.

    This was too absurd. The national affairs were being treated like child''s y. Of course, the Queen would not care and would pretend she had not received these waste papers.

    I treated it as a joke, but Yarin thought it strange.

    "... At this critical moment when the werewolves and humans are fighting, the elves, who have been out of the picture for a long time, suddenly sent such a ridiculous request. It is too much of a coincidence.

    "It''s obvious that there''s no difference in power among the elves. So why did these arch-enemies suddenly send the same diplomatic document at the same time? Other than someone deliberately instigating it, I can''t think of any other possibility¡­

    "... Perhaps the humans are behind this. They do not want to fall out with the elves, so they order them to be their guns... The elves have long forgotten the pride of their ancestors. To fight for power, they are willing to be influenced by other races. I bet the Goddess of Nature will never recognize such a despicable people¡­"

    Yarin did not dare to jump to conclusions. He believed that the Queen had the same suspicions, which was why she ignored the usations of the elves. The werewolves should not take the initiative to pour more dirty water on themselves.

    As for the rest, Yarin asked if he wanted to move to a sanatorium. The royal family temporarily took over that ce. The Queen refused to let anyone visit her, including my mother, in the name of the prince''s illness.

 Chapter 652 Innocent

    652 Innocent

    Yarin''s POV:

    Today was a special day.

    The murderer who killed Kara, a driver who once belonged to the royal security team, was about to be tried secretly.

    Heller and I would testify as victims.

    ording to the driver, he had never been in contact with the Lily of the Valley or any underground organization. "I thought I was controlled by evil witchcraft," he exined."In fact, I didn''t have any memories of that incident. When I woke up, I was already detained in the hospital."

    The investigation results of the werewolf grandmasters also proved that he was not lying. This was just a poor man the Lily of the Valley chose to be a scapegoat. Ultimately, the court found him not guilty, and the Royal Family only punished him by firing him for serious dereliction of duty.

    Heller held my hand tightly until the result of the judgment came out.

    "Hey, are you okay?" I whispered.

    "I''m fine," he muttered softly.

    I couldn''t help but hold his cold hand tightly. I knew that he wasn''t disappointed by the verdict. We all knew that the driver was innocent.

    It was just that after hearing the acquittal, we were all at a loss. Since he should not be responsible for the tragedy, when would the real murderer stand in court?

    As the investigation deepened, we caught many people rted to the Moonlight Festival incident and the car ident. However, they were not the core, just some low-level minions.

    However, even if these minions could not be easily brought to court as the dispute between the humans and us had not ended, both sides wanted to upy an advantageous position. Still, they could not bring themselves to shed all pretense of cordiality. The profits and benefits brought by trade were something that no one could give up.

    After the secret trial ended, my parents personally sent us back to the sanatorium. They should have talked about business affairs in front of Heller and me. Therefore, I knew that the situation of werewolves was not good.

    For some reason, the conflict between the Jasperian government and us has suddenly spread to other countries. More and more human countries were pressuring the werewolves to extradite the criminals from the Lily of the Valley immediately.

    The elves did not want to be outdone. After my mom ignored them many times, they finally sent a diplomatic envoy to the werewolf pack to hold us ountable.

    Personally reprimanding us, ha, how scary.

    We were curious to know if these envoys would unite against the outside world after they arrived or if they would fight first. After almost ten years of chaotic warfare, even siblings of the same mother would be sworn enemies.

    However, this was still very tricky. After all, we couldn''t just kick out unwee guests.

    My mom felt that the spread of the situation was really strange. Jasper had always been quiet, and it was obvious that they did not want to get involved in this mess. If this were blown up, it would only make it even harder for them to get off the stage.

    Could they be deliberately spreading conflict?

    If not, who was the one who caused all of this?

    When my parents were discussing, Heller suddenly asked, "Will we send them back?"

    "What?"

    "... Will we send the criminal back to Jasper?" His big almond eyes were filled with stubbornness.

    My mom''s eyes softened as she hugged Heller and said gently, "Don''t worry, child. I will never betray the dignity of the werewolves. The perpetrator would suffer the wrath and punishment of the Moon Goddess, and no one can change that."

    Heller buried his head in my mom''s bosom as he nodded with a muffled look.

    The sanatorium was veryfortable, but it was also very boring. The peacocks and swans were unwilling to pay attention to us. Only when Lily came our daily life became a little more interesting.

    Of course, she didn''t go with us to the trial because the Silver Moon Pack was there too. After learning that the driver was acquitted, sheforted us and said, "I''m very sorry about that."

    "No, it''s okay. We know he''s not the real murderer." I shook my head and whispered.

    I didn''t know why, but I could still maintain my rationality in court, but when I came to Lily, I felt extremely sad.

    Of course, I knew who was innocent, but I couldn''t take it lying down. I couldn''t suppress the thought of ming the driver. I even thought he was lying. Why was he the one who was controlled?

    Was it true that he said he didn''t remember anything? Perhaps he colluded with the Lily of the Valley and used some method to deceive the werewolf grandmasters?

    But at the same time, I knew that my anger was very unreasonable. I was even d that the driver was fired. Otherwise, I didn''t dare to think about whether I would take revenge on him in the future.

    This dark thought made me reluctant and in deeper pain. I didn''t dare reveal it, so I told Lily, "This has already ended. At least the innocence of the innocent has been cleared. Let''s not talk about this. How are you feeling today? It''s indeed a little boring here, isn''t it?"

    Lily was still looking at me worriedly. She didn''t even try to hide her ''I can see through your disguise'' look. I lowered my head in embarrassment and pretended that everything was fine.

    In the end, Lily said nothing.

    We had lunch together in silence, and no one brough it up again.

 Chapter 653 The Prophecy

    653 The Prophecy

    Yarin''s POV:

    It was still a boring afternoon. Heller, Lily, and I were lying in the lounge, enjoying the scenery outside through the huge French windows.

    Just then, I heard hurried footsteps outside. Lily immediately turned over and hid in the closet. There was a secret door that led to another room. It was said that this sanatorium was originally an ancient house, and its owner had built many winding secret passages and secret doors.

    It was Aunt Dorothy. When she came in, she looked serious and said to me, "Don''t go out for the next three days, Yarin. Something bad will happen."

    I was a little confused and asked, "You mean to say¡­"

    "I saw some visions. Right here, someone wille and abduct you. It will happen really fast. In short, if you go with them, your life will likely be in danger."

    Seeing this, I became serious. Aunt Dorothy''s predictions had never been wrong. I was afraid I was really going to be in danger without knowing it.

    "Did you see who it was?"

    Aunt Dorothy shook her head. "No, you''re just like your mother. I''ll never see the full picture of your fate. Anyway, you have to stay here obediently. No matter who asks you to go out, don''t go out, okay?"

    "Okay, I think I have to tell Mom and Dad."

    "Of course, I''ve already told them. They won''t send anyone to look for you in these three days to prevent any idents. Don''t trust anyone you trust for the time being. No matter what, don''t leave."

    Aunt Dorothy looked anxious. I tried tofort her, but it only made her situation worse.

    "I think it''s my fault." Her dark eyes were full of self-reproach. "I shouldn''t have peeped into your fate that day, child. Every time I try to see into someone''s life, fate will inevitably bring misfortune to that person. Your mother, and some old friends, all paid the price for having me pry into fate.

    "This is why I rarely use the Eye of Insight. Fate is never merciful unless to reward you with a few words. However, after so many years, I''ve cked off and bezy. I was hoping for luck and rashly peeped into your fate. Now, I''ve really brought disaster upon you!"

    Then, she looked at Heller and said sadly, "And you, my child. I don''t know what fate has prepared for you next. Can you stay here obediently with your brother for the next few days? Before everything ends, before all the danger is over, protect yourself¡­ Goddess, I will never do that again if you give me another chance!"

    "Aunt Dorothy¡­"

    We were held in her arms, and soon, hot tears dripped onto our cors.

    Heller hugged her as he whispered, "I will be obedient, Aunt Dorothy. Don''t worry. We will be safe, right? With you around, no danger can escape your eyes."

    After Aunt Dorothy left demoralized, Lily walked out of the secret door.

    "What''s going on?" She asked in confusion, "Was that Master Dorothy? What about the prophecy?"

    Aunt Dorothy''s bloodline was an unwritten secret. The outside world only knew that she was a mixed blood of a wizard and a werewolf, and only those close to her knew that the other half of her bloodline had the power of prophecy.

    Before I could say anything, Lily immediately said, "Alright, I understand. You don''t have to answer me. I don''t want to know secrets I shouldn''t know. All in all, you and Heller might be in danger during this period, right?"

    We nodded.

    "Alright, looks like this is the will of the heavens¡­" She mumbled, "Mother or Alfred have wanted to visit you these past few days, haven''t they? I feared bumping into them, so I wanted to leave for a while.

    "But now, since it''s not safe for the two of you to stay with me, I''ll stay. I can''t do too much, but at least my years of wandering experience have taught me how to observe the dangers in the environment quietly.

    She was not used to expressing her concern so straightforwardly. She blushed and said awkwardly, "In short, if you don''t mind¡­"

    Heller and I exchanged a smile with each other as we threw ourselves at her and gave her a big hug.

    "Of course, please don''t leave, Lily!" Heller chirped, "With you, I feel very reassured."

    I nodded and looked at her expectantly.

    Lily suddenly pushed us away and stepped back ufortably. She stammered, "Alright, alright, I got it! Get away from me, kids. It''s hot!"

    The air conditioner was clearly at the mostfortable temperature!

    But a gentleman shouldn''t make a woman feel awkward, so I pretended not to see Lily''s red ears and curled fingers.

    That night, after supper, Heller suggested watching a movie. Although he couldn''t see, he could listen to the sound.

    We chose a very old ck-and-whiteedy. Halfway through, a servant suddenly knocked on the door and said there was a delivery for me.

    "A delivery?" I took it with confusion. I couldn''t remember when I ordered it. I asked Lily and Heller, but they didn''t remember either.

    So I immediately put the package far away and asked the servant to take it away.

    I recalled Aunt Dorothy''s prophecy. I had a feeling that there was definitely something bad inside.

 Chapter 654 The Lost Lover

    654 The Lost Lover Yarin''s POV:

    It was an ordinary delivery box with tape, a delivery receipt, and the logo of a very ordinary deliverypany. But I was sure I didn''t buy anything, so I couldn''t possibly expose my current address.

    Who sent this? What was inside?

    I tried to call the servant who delivered the package, but what happened next made my hair stand on end.

    "Your Highness, I can''t find the servant you mentioned," the young butler said. "I checked the surveince cameras. The surveince cameras showed that no one came to this lounge except the waiter who delivered the food today."

    "Are you sure? But how is that possible?"

    After my confirmation, the butler took Heller and me to check the surveince camera. As expected, nobody came to deliver anything during that period.

    I felt my hair stand on end.

    "But that package is still in the lounge¡­"

    Right, the lounge!

    Lily was still there! If there was a problem with the delivery, she might be in danger!

    I ran back without looking back and pushed open the door. The lounge was empty.

    "Lily! Lily! Are you there?"

    I couldn''t care less about the others and anxiously searched for her. But she disappeared into thin air just like that. I searched all the secret doors, but I couldn''t find her.

    The broken package was lying on the ground alone. The tape was sticking out, indicating that the contents of the delivery box had escaped.

    Lily''s disappearance must have something to do with this strange delivery.

    Instantly, the Lily of the Valley appeared in my mind. Other than it, I couldn''t think of anyone or any organization that would deliberately do this. This must be another conspiracy!

    I couldn''t be bothered to be depressed. I immediately ordered the butler, "Seal off this sanatorium. Without my permission, no one is allowed to enter or leave! Tell all the butlers and servants to gather in the hall on the first floor. I want to find out who the mole is one by one!"

    I took a deep breath and said, "Ask Master Dorothy to see me now.""

    Aunt Dorothy soon arrived. She hurriedly checked whether Heller and I were safe before letting out a deep sigh.

    "Lily has been staying with Heller and me," I said frankly. "No one knows except Mom and us. Someone sent a package. I felt something was wrong, so I checked the surveince cameras. However, when I came back, Lily was gone. The box was also opened. I suspected that it had something to do with Lily''s disappearance."

    Aunt Dorothy only nced at the express delivery box and said, "Of course. The magic fluctuations on it are simply unconcealed. Let me see¡­"

    She picked up the delivery box and carefully checked the traces left on it. "It''s a sealing spell that seems to be used to seal living things and¡­ Oh, the Ovepping Sorcery. The two sorcery were entangled together. Other than sealing, there is also purification."

    Her expression became more and more serious. "There was a nt sealed in here. It was a flower, like the asparagus family. This flower has been contaminated before, so the purification spell should be used to offset the evil power that overflowed from the flower. Other than that, the box had other remnants of magic fluctuations. It looked like¡­ Spatial sorcery."

    "Spatial spell? Is it the one who took Lily away?"

    "It''s possible." Aunt Dorothy frowned. "But spatial witchcraft is a kind of witchcraft that requires high talent and magic power. If there is such a person among our enemies, we can''t underestimate him."

    "Can you reverse trace it?" I asked anxiously.

    "No." Aunt Dorothy shook her head helplessly. "Unfortunately, my talent is not here. However, since this parcel was originally sent to you, it means that the other party has gotten the wrong person.

    "They want you because they want to use you for something. Now that they have identally caught Lily, there is a high chance they won''t do anything to her. Instead, they will try to use her to get you or achieve their original goal. At least for now, we don''t have to worry about her safety."

    "... Don''t worry about her safety? What about the others? Will she be tortured and subjected to witchcraft? Will she..."

    The more I spoke, the more I trembled. Every word was trembling. Aunt Dorothy held my shoulder and said seriously, "Calm down, Yarin. Now is not the time to panic. Don''t be pessimistic. You have to trust Lily toe back safe and sound, okay? Don''t let your pessimism get the better of you. Cheer up; you know someone needs you now."

    I tried to suppress my trembling hands and took deep breaths, hoping to calm down. However, I couldn''t suppress the despair and self-me in my heart. If I had considered it more, if I had taken the package away or asked Lily to leave the lounge, would all of this not have happened?

    How was Lily now? Was she afraid? Was the Lily of the Valley cruel to her? Did they hit her?

    Suddenly, Kara''s cold face appeared before my eyes again - death! It was death! Would they do the same to Lily? Would these criminals, who treated human life like grass, take Lily''s life mercilessly?

    The immense fear made my entire body tremble. I felt a violent difort in my stomach. I rushed into the toilet and vomited. The half-digested food was like rotten meat that was oozing blood. Every drop of gastric acid corroded my heart.

 Chapter 655 A Cowards Choice

    655 A Coward''s Choice Yarin''s POV:

    In the hall, people were conversing in hushed voices.

    Aunt Dorothy checked everyone carefully to ensure no traces of witchcraft were on them. The butler began to call out names ording to the list. When he read out a name, a familiar servant stepped out.

    "Stacy!"

    The short and sturdy servant raised her hand to signal. I recognized her at a nce as the servant who delivered the parcel and quickly stopped her.

    Under Stacy''s nervous and puzzled expression, she was taken to the pantry where I was.

    "Miss Stacy, please don''t be afraid. I want you to confirm if you were the one who sent me this parcel in the evening." I handed over the tattered delivery box.

    Stacy took it carefully and looked at it for a long time before answering, "It was indeed a delivery I sent for you, Your Highness. But I couldn''t confirm if it was this. I didn''t look at it carefully then, and my impression of it is very vague."

    "It''s okay. Do you remember the courier who sent the package?"

    "In fact, I didn''t sign for this package personally. Karter, a butler, gave it to me and instructed me to deliver it to you personally."

    "Karter?"

    I looked at the manager beside me, but after carefully reading the staff list, he told me, "I don''t remember a butler named Karter. This person isn''t on the list either, Your Highness."

    I suddenly remembered the person who had brought me to the monitoring room. His name tag said¡­ What was it again?

    "Do you remember Karter''s face?" I asked Stacy.

    She thought hard for a long time but answered nkly, "I can''t remember clearly. He seems to be a rather young man."

    The butler who took me to the surveince room was a very young man. What was even stranger was that, like Stacy, I couldn''t remember his appearance no matter what.

    My heart sank bit by bit.

    It was obvious that I had been tricked! This was all part of the n of the butler named Karter. He made me think that the problem was Stacy and lured me away. Then, that damn courier took the opportunity to take Lily away!

    But why Lily? Wasn''t I more valuable to the Lily of the Valley as a hostage?

    After checking the surveince cameras of the entire nursing home, we finally found Karter in an inconspicuous corner. He seemed to be waiting there on purpose. He put down a white wind chime flower before the camera and left.

    Calcting the time, he had probably already escaped.

    I angrily punched the table - this was a clear provocation!

    "Calm down, Yarin. Selma has already sent people to track them down." Aunt Dorothy stopped me and said, "Do you remember Lily saying that the gang leader who kidnapped her on Moonlight Festival was also a young man? This time was so simr to thest time. The police considered that it was very likely that it was the same person."

    "In other words, Karter is also the mastermind behind the Moonlight Festival incident?"

    "That''s right. This exins why he came for Lily and not you. He was a man who appeared arrogant but was actually very cautious. If he kidnapped you, the entire werewolf pack woulde out in full force. By then, the Lily of the Valley House would be in big trouble. However, if he kidnapped Lily, he would only provoke the Silver Moon Pack, and shehad already be the target of the Lily of the Valley."

    What should I do? Praise the intelligence and rigor of the Lily of the Valley? I really wished that they were all idiots. They kidnapped me and then were torn to pieces by the werewolves. It was better than dragging innocent people into danger again and again!

    I didn''t think I could wait like this. Likest time, I must save Lily and make up for my negligence and mistakes. I must tell Lily I would never let her be in danger again.

    So I told Aunt Dorothy, "I''m going to ept the rune imnt now and recover my strength."

    Aunt Dorothy looked at me in disbelief. "Are you crazy? Child, the rune is only a half-finished product. It is still unstable. Once it is stripped from your body, you will be finished!"

    "I know, but the premise is that it has to be stripped from me, right? Those who know this secret will not harm me, and those who are dangerous to me will not know this secret."

    "But what if? Witchcraft is everywhere in a fight. What if they triggered the rune and caused it to dissipate? You will die!"

    She was full of worry and disapproval. Those warm emotions enveloped me and made me more courageous.

    "That might be possible, but isn''t death everywhere? Even if I stayed here quietly, even if countless people were protecting me in the open and the dark, the criminals would still find the only loophole to get to me. If it weren''t for Lily, I might have been the one who was kidnapped.

    "This is my responsibility. I can''t avoid it. I have to carry it out personally. If I run away, then my life will be over. I will always think of the day I turned around and left like a coward. I will never have the courage to take responsibility. I don''t want to be like that. I won''t change into that.

    "I believe you, Aunt Dorothy. Please believe me too. I will be safe and sound. The Moon Goddess, she will bless me forever."

 Chapter 656 Trust

    656 Trust

    Yarin''s POV:

    Aunt Dorothy wanted to say something but was interrupted by a voice.

    "When a child grows up, it makes us parents happy and distressed, doesn''t it?"

    We looked at the door. My mom had arrived at some point. She stood at the door, looking at me with relief and nostalgia.

    "Selma." Aunt Dorothy covered her forehead with her hand. "Don''t tell me you''re going to stir trouble with the child."

    My momughed, "How can this be called stirring trouble? Think about the past. When you and I were teenagers, we did many ridiculous things, didn''t we? Perhaps this is the path every child has to go through, and the obstruction of their parents is also a hurdle they have to ovee."

    "That''s different. We were already adults then, and Yarin is only a twelve-year-old child. I don''t deny that he''s different, but this can''t make up for his immaturity."

    "Maturity is never determined by age. Darling, sometimes, conceited adults like us should listen to our children''s thoughts."

    My mom walked over. She still smelled of grass and trees on her as she walked through the grass.

    Under Aunt Dorothy''s disapproving gaze, my mom bent down and looked at me at eye level. She asked, "Have you thought about it? Yarin, this isn''t like the simtion training at home. It''s even more difficult to replicate your good luckst time. Are you really ready to face a group of vicious criminals, their cruelty and anti-society, and the other reality that might change your worldview?"

    Her words were calm and without any hint of temptation or threat. Her tone was calm, and her gaze was gentle as if she was asking me for the menu for breakfast today.

    However, every word from her mouth was cold and sharp. There was no need for any modification. Just the words themselves made people shudder.

    I subconsciously guess what my mom was thinking. What did she want me to say, and how should I approach things? Did she agree with me? Or was she trying to persuade me otherwise tactfully? Did she think my decision was naive? Or did she respect the ambition and pride of a child?

    My mom seemed to be able to see through my thoughts. She said gently, "You don''t have to guess what I think, and you don''t have to guess what anyone else in this room thinks. It''s all up to you. You can do whatever you want because no one can bear it for you. Comfort or danger, you have to make your own decision and take responsibility for it."

    Yes, what I thought and did was my responsibility alone. I could listen to the guidance and suggestions of countless people. I could choose to advance or retreat for countless reasons. However, there was only one problem that I had to make a choice.

    Lily was facing the unknown. Should I go, or should I retreat?

    I already knew the answer.

    So I didn''t avoid looking back at my mom''s eyes and replied firmly, "I hope to be able to participate in the rescue of Lily personally. I don''t want to be brave or overestimate myself, but I think I''m responsible for this. I won''t allow myself to be a coward."

    After saying that, I became nervous and closely observed any subtle changes in my mom''s face. Her expressionless face made me nervous. Would she agree? Would she be angry?

    Just as I was feeling uneasy, my mom suddenly sighed.

    "Like I said, parents are happy and sad when our children grow up." She smiled and patted my head. Then, she stood up and looked straight at me. "Remember your words, responsibilities, and attitude. Time will change everything. Back then, I sincerely hoped that you would not forget everything that happened today."

    "... Mom?"

    "Do what you want to do, Yarin. From now on, don''t think of yourself as a child anymore. I agree to let you join the rescue operation."

    I immediately cheered and jumped up, "Really! Thank you, Mom!"

    "But there is one thing I hope you can do your best to ensure your safety. For Lily, for Kara, for you."

    I nodded in agreement. "I will, Mom. I will listen to yourmands. I will never rashly put myself in danger."

    Aunt Dorothy let out a loud sigh behind us.

    My mom hade because of Lily''s disappearance, and the fact that Lily of the Valley had openly infiltrated the sanatorium was a provocation. The werewolves could no longer tolerate it. While she led the investigation team to search for clues, Aunt Dorothy carved the iplete spell runes for me.

    "There is a part of New Flow in this. It can protect and devour all the power to destroy the runes." She said, "But you must remember that once New Flow leaves your mother, its capacity is limited. It can''t eliminate danger for you indefinitely, so you have to be careful, okay?

    "I''ll remember that, Aunt Dorothy. Thank you."

    The engraving process went very smoothly. I didn''t feel anything strange, which made me a little disappointed. It was different from what was written in fantasy novels!

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