《Beast King'S Crippled Mate》


 Novel Mate 1

    Chapter 1 - Chapter 1: Crippled Little Miss Swan


    Swan sat on a stool while staring at herself in the mirror. Her frail and small stature was a sign of malnutrition, and the patchy, yellowing wedding dress made her look even more pitiful.


    "Mm~ that wedding dress is too big for you. Don''t you have another wedding dress?" Ariamented as she walked around the stool to inspect her older sister''s dress. "Ew, what is this yellowing? It''s so disgusting. Swan, I know you''re ugly, but you can''t meet that beast like this, what if he knows that you''re just a lowly whore''s daughter?"


    "S-s-sorry, Aria..." Swan murmured. "T-this is the only dress left by my mother. I-I don''t have anything else."


    "So, this is a whore''s dress? E!" Aria quickly wiped her hand with a perfumed handkerchief and then threw it away. "Well, it can''t be helped then. How about I give you one of my dresses?"


    "I-I don''t deserve-"


    "Yep, you don''t deserve any of my dress. One is worth more than your life anyway," Aria shrugged. She grabbed a woodenb that Swan used tob her short blonde hair. Aria stood behind the stool, grabbed a handful of Swan''s hair and yanked it.


    "Ah!" Swan grimaced in pain when her hair was pulled, but she dared not to fight back for it might have caused her greater pain.


    "Since you''re about to die¡ªoops, I mean, to meet your husband today, I guess as your little sister, I should shower you with some of my sisterly love," Aria said as she roughlybed her half-sister''s hair.


    She got annoyed when she realized that Swan''s hair was still silky-smooth despite not having the best hair care like her. She also hated that Swan''s blonde hair shone even brighter than hers, so she told Swan to cut her hair short if she didn''t want to be beaten.


    ''Should I just make her bald? Ah, no, I think it''s toote for that. She''s going to die anyway.''


    Swan bit her lower lip, muffling any pain that almost came out of her lips when Aria kept on pulling her hair. She also tried her best to hold her tears, because Aria hated her tears.


    Aria stared at Swan in the mirror and hated how this prostitute''s daughter still had her beauty despite being constantly starved and malnourished.


    "Aw, don''t make that pained expression. You are already ugly, what if that Beast King gets disgusted because of your ugly face? You know how many people will die if he gets angry?" Aria said.


    "S-s-sorry..." Swan muttered as she clenched her wedding dress.


    "Stop ying with her, Aria."


    Aria turned her head and saw her mother, Queen Anastasia at the door. She let go of Swan and happily pranced towards her mother, "I''m just giving her a bit of my sisterly love."


    Queen Anastasia smiled at her daughter with a loving gaze, "I know you''re a kind sister, but this is not the time."


    But her gaze turned cold as she shifted her gaze at her stepdaughter, Swan, "Get up."


    "Y-yes, Queen Mother..." Swan grabbed the wooden crutches next to her and used them to walk towards her stepmother.


    She humbled herself by lowering her head, waiting for the order. Anastasia simply nudged on one of the crutches with her shoes and said, "Can you do something about this? I know you are just a sacrifice for the kingdom''s safety, but you''re too ugly, especially with these crutches. I''m afraid that savage beast will reject the offer."


    "I-I''m sorry..."


    "Sorry is not enough. Try to stand properly, like a real noble princess," Anastasia ordered, even though she knew that was not possible. She just wanted to make sure that Swan wasn''t faking it.


    For once, she wanted this cripple to be useful.


    Swan tried to straighten her leg, but the moment she let go of a crutch, she lost her bnce and quickly hugged her crutch again to stand up.


    "Tsk, so useless."


    "S-sorry, Queen Mother...."


    "Aw, don''t be so harsh on her, Mom. We both know who crippled her leg," Aria said proudly. "I mean, it''s a surprise that she didn''t die when I identally pushed her from the balcony, but at least she can be used as a sacrifice now."


    "It''s never your fault, Aria. She''s just stupid, so she slipped and broke her leg," Anastasia said, ignoring the fact that Aria had been tormenting Swan about it day and night. "No matter, she needs to get out because the beast is about to arrive at the pce."


    Aria gasped, "Should I hide in my room? That beast might fall in love immediately if he sees me!"


    "You should. You are the real Royal Princess of Holy Achate after all, your beauty will smite him," Anastasia said, but she knew that her sweet but mischievous daughter wouldn''t listen.


    "Well, before she dies, I want to apologize to her first," Aria said as she walked towards Swan and faced her. "Look at me, sis."


    Swan lifted her head in fear, afraid that Aria would hurt her again, "Don''t look so scared, I just want to apologize for crippling your left leg. You know, we were just kids back then."


    Despite apologizing with her sweet face, Swan felt nothing but fear. She also doubted that Aria was genuine. But as the older sister, she was conditioned to always forgive Aria for everything that she did.


    Unfortunately, before Swan could utter I forgive you, Aria suddenly stuck her tongue out and said, "Just kidding."


    Aria kicked one of the crutches, and Swan fell face-first on the floor, right next to Aria''s shoes.


    "Ah!" Swan grimaced in pain, but Aria simply giggled, relishing her pain.


    Anastasia looked at her daughter endearingly and then nudged Swan''s face with her shoes.


    "Get up now. I don''t want that savage to cause more damage because you''re so slow."


    "Y-yes, mother..." Swan tried to grab anything she could find to support her body before getting up slowly. Using crutches after such a fall was hard, but she managed to do it, albeit too slow for Anastasia''s taste.


    Aria had another silly idea to kick the crutch again, but Anastasia stopped her for now, "Don''t do it, Aria. She needs to be shipped off immediately before that beast wreaks another havoc in our pce."


    Aria pouted, "What a pity."


    Anastasia noticed the bruise on Swan''s cheekbone after the fall. She grabbed her cheek and pulled it closer, inspecting the bruise.


    "Remember not to tell him¡ªor anyone¡ªabout what happened to you. Just say you were stupid, so you fell from the second floor and broke your leg, and tell him that you got this bruise because you were careless and fell on your own. Understand?"


    "I... understand, mother..."


    Queen Anastasia wanted to give her a bit more lecture, but a guard came up with a look of horror on his face, his body shaking as he bowed in front of the Queen and reported, "Y-Your Majesty, that savage beast is here for his bride!"


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Novel Mate 2

    Chapter 2 - Chapter 2: Savage Beast


    "Remember, this is for the good of the kingdom. You are a necessary sacrifice to the beast. Surely, you want to be useful at least once for me and for your sister, right?" Queen Anastasia warned Swan for thest time. Swan bit her lower lip, holding her tears. She nodded again, sealing her fate entirely.


    *


    Swan followed the sure steps of Anastasia with difficulty. She walked slowly because of the crutches, but also because Aria kept on getting in her way, tormenting her for every step she made with the crutches.


    It was until the point where Swan couldn''t help but warn her, "Be careful Aria. I don''t want to step on your shoes with the crutch."


    "Well, that''s your fault for being stupid," Aria giggled. She circled Swan, which made thetter stop on her track entirely. "Come on, step on my shoes, I will ask the guards to take your crutches, so you can just drag your feet across the hall."


    "Aria. We don''t have time," Anastasia finally reprimanded her daughter. "That beast..."


    Aria pouted again and nodded, "I just want to y with her before she dies."


    "I think you should hide in your room. You are our gorgeous golden princess, that beast might''ve taken fancy of you once he sees you," Anastasia advised out of her love for her daughter. "There are a lot of frightening tales about him, I don''t want you to be taken away."


    Aria knew the risk, but she found the idea of fascinating a monster to the point that he would abandon this cripple far more tempting.


    Thus, she ignored her mother''s advice and strutted straight to the main hall where the beast was waiting for his bride.


    "Aria! Guards, take her back to her room! Don''t let that beast see her!" Anastasia ordered, and the guards who followed them from behind quickly rushed towards Aria.


    Yet, the gleeful golden princess ran as fast as she could just to y with them, and her face suddenly hit with what felt like a brick wall.


    "Ouch!"


    The guards halted their steps immediately as they were frozen in fear. Aria rubbed her nose and looked up when she saw a firm chest in front of her.


    She gasped when she witnessed the handsome man whom she had just bumped into. He was rugged and muscr, with slightly bronzed skin akin to a warrior. He had short, jet-ck hair, and a chiseled jaw that gave him a strong aura.


    Unfortunately, Aria couldn''t see the color of his eyes, because he covered it with a ck blindfold. But it didn''t seem that he was blind, because he looked down on her briefly before turning back at the guards, and then at Queen Anastasia behind them.


    "I am here for my bride."


    Aria was too stunned by this handsome man until she snapped out of it when he spoke in his deep voice. She realized this was the beast that wreaked havoc in the pce two days ago. So, she quickly took a step back.


    Although she was impressed by this man''s physique and appearance, she was smart enough not to entice him, making him think that she wasn''t an easy target to be wedded to.


    "I''m not your bride! Don''t even think about it!" Aria eximed.


    Aria expected this man to tter her, just like many men out there, who would go on their way to court her.


    Unfortunately, the beast didn''t react. He ignored Ariapletely. He kept waiting for Queen Anastasia to give him an answer, and it took a while for Anastasia to ward off her fear, and put up a perfunctory smile.


    "Pardon us, Your Majesty, but your bride is slow and a tadzy. It took her too long to get prepared," Anastasia exined. She looked over her shoulder and said, "Now go, meet your husband, Swan."


    Swan stared at the man standing tall at the end of the corridor. She swallowed her saliva, knowing this man was the one who killed her father in cold blood.


    But she could not me him, since it was herte father who invaded their territory. It was a legitimate self- defense, a terrifyingly grotesque one at that.


    Swan tried to hasten her steps using her crutches. She was afraid that her slow pace would anger the beast. She lowered her head as she was so ashamed of being watched by everyone, especially by her new husband.


    It took five minutes just for Swan to reach the beast. She kept her head lowered. She knew it was impossible to perform a proper curtsy with her condition. In exchange, she quickly greeted with a humble courtesy, "T-this one''s name is Swan. The first princess of Holy Achate Kingdom."


    She dared not to give herself another title, except for the one given by Queen Motherst night. She also dared not to give herself a surname, because her shameful birth forbade her to do so.


    No peasant in this kingdom knew her existence anyway, so it didn''t matter.


    Aria was upset because this man dared to ignore her after she gave him her attention. So, Aria wanted to y a little prank to make it difficult for her sister. She quickly interrupted by raising her voice, "By the way, do you see her crutches? She slipped and fell from the second floor when she was a kid, so she broke her leg permanently! Sorry for letting you see this~."


    Aria wanted to see the disgust or at least a scowl on the beast''s face. To her surprise, he simply nodded and muttered, "I see. Then, it''s faster if I carry you."


    "Wha¡ªah!" Swan had a mini heart attack when the beast suddenly lifted her body effortlessly, carrying her in a bridal style. Swan was forced to drop her crutches, and one of them hit Aria''s toe until she screamed. "Aw! Ouch! Swan, you hurt me!"


    "S-sorry..."


    Aria pouted again, but she quickly fixed her posture once she realized the handsome beast was checking on her.


    "It''s okay. I will always forgive you even though you bullied me often."


    Swan said nothing, but she spontaneously clutched the beast''s shirt. She always clutched something as a response whenever Aria bullied her because she could not fight back.


    The beast paused for a moment, before he looked at Queen Anastasia again, and said, "Our deal has been sealed. This woman will be the payment for Holy Achate''s foolish invasion of my territory. This will be myst mercy, if I see another invasion, then I will ruin your kingdom to the ground."


    Anastasia shivered, her face paled instantly as she nodded.


    "We love our first princess. But she knows her duty and knows the necessity in her situation. Please bring her to your territory, you can do anything to her."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Novel Mate 3

    Chapter 3 - Chapter 3: Necessary Sacrifice


    Swan didn''t know if she was too heavy or not for her new husband, but she was ufortable and scared because this was the first time she got carried like this.


    She mumbled, hoping the beast could hear her, "Y-Your Majesty, I can walk on my own. I just need my crutches..."


    "You are too slow," the beast replied. "It''s better this way."


    "But my crutches..."


    "I will tell my aides to retrieve them before we leave."


    "Um... thank you, Your Majesty..." Swan muttered. She tried to stay quiet as she was afraid of angering her new husband. She had been told to keep quiet all the time because her voice sounded like sandpaper, unlike Aria, who had a beautiful voice akin to a robin bird singing in the morning.


    Swan squinted her eyes when the sun hit her eyes. As she opened her eyes slowly, she saw rows of guards and servants lining up next to a carpet covered with flowers. There was a ck carriage at the end of the flowery path, which Swan knew must''ve been owned by the beast since Holy Achate would never make something that wasn''t bright-colored.


    Though, that wasn''t the most concerning part of this whole situation.


    It was the whole rows of servants and guards bowing at them!


    Swan knew these people were just trying to be polite to the monster who had killed their king. They feared for their life, knowing he single-handedly massacred a whole elite soldier toon in the most mysterious manner possible.


    At least, that was the gossip that Swan heard from the maids. So, it wasn''t her whom they bowed to, but it still made her very ufortable.


    It reminded her of the time Aria called the guards to surround her and beat her up as a punishment because Swan identally stepped on her new dress.


    Swan struggled a little before whispering, "Your Majesty, I-I can walk by myself. I can¡ª"


    "Be good. We are almost out of this suffocating pce." The beast cut her off, tightening his arms around her body, and locked her in ce.


    Swan was forced to bury her head, closing her eyes, and waited until the beast entered the carriage and carefully put her on a cushioned seat.


    The guard closed the door, and he joined her by sitting on the other seat in this small carriage.


    Swan slowly opened her eyes, and she was faced with her new husband, who was blindfolded but seemed to be looking at the views from the window.


    "You seem to be well-loved in the pce," the beastmented. "There are many guards deployed to bid their goodbye to you."


    Swan clenched the old wedding dress that herte biological mother passed to her. She nodded, trying to suppress her emotion, "Yes, Your Majesty. I am grateful."


    Truthfully, Swan knew well what kind of scheme her Queen Mother made here.


    She wanted to show that Swan was just as important as Aria, the Golden Princess. So the beast wouldn''t feel like he got a defective or worse version of the princess despite her being a cripple.


    She wanted to fool the beast, and it seemed to be working.


    Unfortunately, Queen Mother couldn''t fool him entirely because, despite all the guards lined up from the pce to the city''s main gate, there was no cheering from the citizens. They locked themselves inside their house. A few of them could be seen peeking from their windows, but none dared toe out as the ck carriage passed through the main street.


    However, such things didn''t matter much for Swan. She was pretty fascinated by everything in the street. She was never allowed to leave the pce, and she mostly spent her time in her room, or around the kitchen to cook for herself if she didn''t want to starve.


    She was intrigued by the rows of shops on the main street, the statues of goddesses, and also the rows of colorful flower decorations on each house as they just had a spring celebration a week ago.


    "So beautiful....." Swan muttered. The pce had a lot of flowers during spring celebrations as well, but the queen and king would host a party at that time, and she was forced to hide inside her room, or else she''d get beaten.


    "You should relish this view. The beastmen in my kingdom do not fancy frivolous flowers like these," the beast said. "We value strength amongst all."


    Swan had lived her entire life inside a cramped bedroom, barely getting out, so she wasn''t worried at all.


    It was most likely just her moving from one prison to another. It wasn''t a big deal.


    "I understand, Your Majesty. I''m just happy to see so many flowers for thest time," Swan replied. "Everything''s so beautiful. I''ve never known there are many variations of flowers in Holy Achate."


    The beast scoffed.


    "You act like you''ve never seen them. You are the First Princess of Holy Achate, you must''ve seen it every spring."


    Swan had a bitter smile, but she quickly nodded, "Y-yes, I''ve seen it every year. I''m d to be able to see it again this year before I leave."


    The beast''s lips thinned. Swan couldn''t read what was on his mind, because he was blindfolded, but she guessed that he was upset, judging from how he suddenly went quiet.


    Swan didn''t know what to say, but she had been taught to please Aria every day to preserve her life, so she quickly asked a simple question.


    "Y-Your Majesty, should I refer to you as Your Majesty, Your Grace, or uhm... Master?"


    The beast frowned, "Did your mother not tell you about my name?"


    "Ah¡ªthat''s¡ª"


    Swan was speechless.


    This man had always been referred to as monster, savage beast, or beast king.


    He was never referred to by his real name. Swan also didn''t dare to ask, since she didn''t want to cause the Queen Mother''s ire.


    "S-sorry, Your Majesty. It''s my ignorance. I''m so sorry." Swan stammered as she lowered her head.


    "You are ignorant, indeed. I''ve studied your name before I came, Princess Swan Asmara of Holy Achate. But you have no desire to know mine," the beast said.


    Even though she couldn''t see his eyes, she could feel that he was looking down on her. The aura that he emanated was very powerful and threatening.


    Swan began to tremble. Her chest began to heave due to the suffocating aura from the beast.


    It took another ten seconds before the aura subsided, and the beast replied, "Gale. You can call me by my name in private."

 Novel Mate 4

    Chapter 4 - Chapter 4: Gale


    "Gale..." Swan repeated that name. Then, she got flustered all of a sudden and apologized, "P-pardon me, Your Majesty. I shouldn''t have addressed you without a title. I-I will call you Master Gale from now on."


    "Just Gale. I''m not your Master, and you are not a servant for me," Gale said. But that still didn''t stop Swan from worrying.


    She had been conditioned to doubt everything that people said to her. Whenever she was given instructions, especially by Aria or Queen Mother, they would purposely make it tricky or confusing, so she would mess up and give them a chance to punish her under thete king''s watchful eyes.


    She doubted the beast would be so kind to her.


    "Pardon me, Master Gale. I-I don''t think I can "


    "Don''t make me repeat myself. Call me Gale."


    "M-master-"


    "Gale! Are you deaf?!"


    Swan had a mini heart attack when Gale snapped at her. She turned pale instantly, and her eyes were on the verge of tears.


    She quickly lowered her head again and apologized, "P-pardon me, Gale."


    The beast king scoffed, "It''d take two hours to enter my territory, so sit tight. I don''t want to listen to a delicate princessining about being bored."


    "I-I won''t..." Swan replied. She heard from the cook that Holy Achate and the beastmen''s kingdom were not that far, which was also one of the reasons why herte father, King Tyrion, invaded the beastmen''s territory.


    Gale turned his head and ignored her entirely after that.


    The atmosphere turned tense after that. Swan dared not to lift her head, let alone start a conversation to break the ice between them. She was terrified that she''d anger him even more.


    Meanwhile, Gale didn''t even spare a nce at her. He simply crossed his arms and then became unresponsive after that.


    Swan guessed that Gale was sleeping, but he still looked strong and aware despite seeming unresponsive. It reminded her of the guards who often slept on their duty but would wake up as soon as they heard a steping their way.


    Swan didn''t want to disturb his slumber, so she simply turned her attention to the meadow on the left side of the road.


    This was the first time she saw such a beautiful meadow with a view of a mountain at the end of it. She had seen it in paintings inside the pce but had never seen one in real life.


    She wondered if the meadow smelled exactly like how she imagined it to be, fresh like linen that had just been washed and dried. It was the freshest thing she could imagine while being stuck in the pce.


    Thus, Swan tried to open the window just to get a whiff of the meadow scent. She turned the window''s lock and pushed it open, making a rattling sound that quickly woke Gale up.


    He lifted his head slightly but said nothing as he watched Swan, who stuck her head out, taking a deep whiff while the carriage continued pacing through the stone-paved road.


    She couldn''t describe the scent, but it was even better than the pce garden because there was no intense scent of flowers all around. Overall, she preferred this one.


    Swan didn''t have her crutches, so she used her knees to support her body. She stuck out half of her body to inhale more of the scent she never had before.


    She closed her eyes and thought, ''If only I could wake up with this scent every day. I don''t want to be imprisoned for the rest of my life.''


    Swan was immersed in the scent of the meadow when she suddenly heard a voice calling her out, "What are you doing."


    "Ah!" Swan was caught off guard. She lost her grip and almost fell out of the carriage when Gale quickly grabbed her by her waist and pulled her back.


    It took a moment to realize that Swan was sitting on the beast''sp. She tried to get up, but Gale kept his hand on her waist, making sure she stayed in ce.


    "I asked you. What are you doing?"


    "Ah-uhm... I-I just want to know the scent of a meadow..." Swan replied bashfully. She tried to struggle out of hisp once more, but she was stuck in this ufortable position. "My apologies, Ma-Gale. I-I was just curious... I will not do it again."


    Gale watched how the petitedy was writhing in his embrace. Swan wore a wedding dress that was a little loose for her body, on top of having a few holes that seemed to be hand-patched in a hurry. Some of those patches began to get ripped as she continued to move around.


    It gave Gale many hints of what to expect when they consummate their marriage.


    His breath began to heave, but he was not foreign to female tricks. So he leaned closer and whispered in her ear, "Did your mother teach you these tricks?"


    "T-tricks?" Swan was clueless as to what her new husband was thinking. "I''m sorry. But I don''t understand..."


    Swan was staring at Gale with her beautiful ocean-like eyes. This was the first time Gale paid attention to her eyes because she was very timid. She had been lowering her head, averting her gaze, and closing her eyes just to avoid him.


    However, she looked so innocent this time, with a pair of doe-eyes that made her look so helpless and confused.


    "Sticking half of your body out of the carriage, wearing a loose wedding dress, making that expression. They sure taught you well," Galemented with a hint of sneer. "I admit, your act is pretty good. Much better than many who attempted simr methods on me."


    Swan still had zero idea what Gale was talking about. But she was scared of angering him, so she struggled again and said, "P-please let me go. I can sit on my own."


    Rather than letting her go, Gale wrapped both of his arms around her waist and thighs, and she squeaked as she felt ticklish when his callous hand traced her thigh.


    "Stay still. You don''t need to do these tricks for me. You are already my wife."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Novel Mate 5

    Chapter 5 - Chapter 5: Did I Terrify You?


    Wife.


    That word echoed in her mind as she struggled to find the true meaning of it.


    Of course, she was not stupid enough not to know about marriage in general. Her biological father, thete King Tyrion''s marriage with Queen Anastasia wasn''t the ideal one, but she got the gist of it.


    However, she didn''t know what would happen once she became a wife to a beastman, especially when that beastman was the King with the blood of war in his hands.


    Queen Mother had repeatedly told her that she would die at the hands of the beast. She would get chewed until no bone was left, and nobody would remember her.


    She found it terrifying at first, but she had been imprisoned, tormented, and hurt her whole life, so it took her only a night to ept her fate.


    Death is better than torment.


    That was the miraculous sentence that she repeatedst night.


    She stared at Gale, wanting to read his emotion. She expected him to be terrifying in person because he first leaped into the pce ground as a giant ck wolf with red eyes at night.


    He was so terrifying that Swan thought he would destroy the castle.


    Now that he was in a human form, he looked very attractive and masculine. He reminded her of that kind knight who helped her once when she was being beaten by the servants.


    She failed to see any hostility from Gale, and he didn''t seem annoyed by her presence.


    She got curious about his eyes but dared not to ask further as she knew there must be a reason why he had his eyes covered.


    "Don''t just stare at me. Tell me what you have in mind," Gale said.


    "Uhm, I''m sorry. But I do not understand what I should do now that I have been married off to you. S-Should I wash your feet? Uhm, or maybe I should cook in your pce? I-I can cook. I can wash. I-I can also sew. I''ve been doing it my entire life."


    Swan listed all of her capabilities. She never had any help in her life. So she washed her ownundry, cooked on her own in the kitchen, and also stitched all of her old dresses.


    She had outgrown many of her old dresses, so she was given torn-up dresses from the maids and made her own dress instead.


    She didn''t know if it was enough for the King of the Beast, but she guessed not, since Aria was never taught any of this in her life.


    Gale began to frown.


    He wondered if this was just another trick she was taught to get his attention.


    It was very effective. He found her adorable, but she was obviously faking it. A princess like her would''ve gotten the best in everything, including education and culture.


    Swan''ste father called him an uncultured savage because his beastmen kingdom wasn''t as sophisticated and morous as Holy Achate.


    Thus, Gale expected this woman to also have the same view as herte father.


    "I told you. Don''t y tricks on me, Princess Swan. There''s no point in trying to get my attention since you are already my wife," Gale repeated as he leaned closer until she could feel his warm breath tickling her lips. "I''ve got my eyes on you now. So say what you have in mind."


    Swan avoided him by turning her head away immediately. She had been told by Aria many times that she was so ugly and smelled like rats. Thus, she had always kept her head lowered to avoid provoking people.


    She was afraid that her new husband would be angry once he smelled a filthy scenting from her.


    Gale''s frown turned deeper, the thin smile on his face slowly dissipated, and he asked, "Why are you avoiding me?"


    "I-I am scared. I''m sorry, Gale..." Swan replied as she was scared of being too disgusting for her new husband.


    Gale went quiet for a while before asking, "Did I terrify you?"


    His tone was cold and serious as if all the warm words that came out of his mouth before were just an illusion.


    Swan held her breath when she felt the suffocating auraing from her husband. She said nothing, fearing that she would anger him even more.


    The air inside the carriage was getting thinner, and it had be difficult for Swan to breathe until her face started to get red.


    The horse suddenly neighed and stopped on its track.


    "Answer me, Princess Swan. You are terrified of me, right? Does this savage beast scare you to death?"


    "I..... I....." Swan tried to speak, but her voice was stuck in her throat. It was so difficult to breathe that she began to feel dizzy.


    The coachman at the front suddenly jumped to the side and knocked on the window.


    Gale turned his head and saw the coachman with ferret ears. His face was red, just like Swan. His chest heaved up and down as he tried his best to speak, "Y-Your Majesty, please control your emotions. It''s hard to breathe, and the horse almost faints!"


    The coachman also noticed the princess, who looked like she was about to faint as well, and pointed it out. "Your Majesty, your bride! She is suffocating!"


    Gale turned his head back at Swan, and his body tensed. He took a deep breath, and the air around them slowly returned to normal.


    Swan began to cough as she sucked a lot of air into her lungs. She thought she was a goner because her vision had turned ck for a second.


    "Your Majesty, please be careful. Your bride is a human. She is very fragile, unlike us!" the coachman warned before he returned to his seat, and the carriage resumed its pace after that.


    Gale checked her pulse and also made sure that he suppressed his aura to make sure his bride didn''t suffocate.


    He was assured that Swan was still breathing, but she was recovering slowly, a sign that she was truly a weak human, just like what the coachman said.


    Gale began to shake her gently and asked, "Princess Swan. Are you alright? Answer me."


    Swan could hear her husband. She was just recovering after being out of breath for a few seconds.


    She didn''t understand what made him angry, but she guessed it was because of her terrible stench.


    So she slowly lifted her hand and clenched Gale''s white shirt, "P-please don''t be angry, Master. I''m sorry..." "What are you¡ª" Gale gritted his teeth as he paused. He stared at his weak bride and took another deep breath to calm down. "I understand," he said as he slowlyid her on the long carriage seat.


    Swan''s eyes were blurry, but she could see the silhouette of Gale''s muscr body leaning towards her. She tried to open her lips, wanting to apologize more, but Gale stopped her, "Just rest for now. I am not angry at you, Swan."


    He covered her eyes with his hand, and she suddenly lost consciousness.


    After making sure that his bride was asleep, Gale stepped out of the carriage and instructed the coachman, "Bring her to the kingdom, keep a steady pace, and watch for bumps. There is a consequence if you dare to wake my bride up."


    The coachman gulped as he knew that the warning was real. He nodded and asked, "How about you, Your Majesty? Do you want to go directly to the kingdom?"


    The coachman knew that his king could shapeshift into a giant wolf and leap through the forest to reach the kingdom quickly.


    "No, I''ll be watching from afar. I think my aura is still too suffocating for my bride. It''s better if I''m not in the same carriage as her," Gale said as he leaped high into a tree trunk and signaled the coachman to continue.


    Truthfully, the coachman didn''t feel any powerful aura from his king anymore, so it should be safe for him to stay inside the carriage with the princess. But he simply nodded and continued the journey.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Novel Mate 6

    Chapter 6 - Chapter 6: The Cat Maids


    Swan didn''t know how long it had been since she lost consciousness. The moment she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was a tall ceiling, with a chandelier hanging in the middle.


    She looked to her left and right and noticed that she was on afortable bed-sofortable that she thought she was dreaming becauseying on a soft bed was only possible when she was in such a deep sleep with a beautiful dream.


    Yet, she knew it was true, especially when she felt the cold night wind blow from the window and made her shiver.


    She got up from the bed, looked around once more, and got even more confused.


    Obviously, this was a castle used for defense. Swan overheard the conversation between the knights that they hated the garrison because they had to live in a cold and dark castle in the winter.


    So, why was she here and not with her new husband?


    ''Does that mean I have been¡ª'' Swan didn''t want toplete that line of thought. She got up from the bed, but she couldn''t stand without her crutches. She began to look around in panic, hoping to find anything she could use to support herself as she wanted to get out and find out if she had been abandoned by her husband.


    Since she couldn''t find anything, she decided to just drop herself from the bed, making a creaking sound as she squeaked in pain.


    The door was mmed open and Swan saw two women with cat ears and tails gasping.


    "Princess!" They said in unison as they rushed towards her.


    Swan''s body stiffened, mostly because it was a bodily reaction. She had been conditioned to stay still in case servants were approaching her, because the more she struggled, the worse the beating she would get.


    Yet, all they did was put her back on the bed and cover her legs with a nket.


    They stood next to the bed and said, "Please just call us if you need anything, Princess. We are always on standby outside, except when His Majesty wants us to leave."


    "Pardon, who are you two and where am I?" Swan asked bashfully. "Sorry, I slept for too long..."


    "You are in the beastmen''s castle. The carriage arrived five hours ago, and His Majesty carried you into his room, Princess," one of the shorter maids replied. "He told us that you are exhausted after a long journey. That''s why he forbids us to check on you until you call us."


    "We are the maids in the castle and your attendants now. My name is Myra, and this is my sister, Maya," the taller maid introduced themselves. "Pardon us if we are not up to your standard, Princess. We''re not used to the courtesy in Holy Achate."


    Swan was relieved after they introduced themselves as maids, which meant their status should be simr.


    "M-my name is Swan. Please don''t call me Princess. We are the same," Swan tried to smile as she humbled herself.


    Myra and Maya gasped at the same time, staring at Swan with their eyes wide open.


    "Princess! Did we do something wrong? Is this a greeting from Holy Achate that we don''t understand?!"


    Swan was just as flustered seeing their reaction.


    Shouldn''t they show their authority after she humbled herself? At least it was what Swan expected.


    "N-no, I just want to introduce myself. We will work together, right?" Swan muttered.


    The maids gasped once more. Hearing Swan''s words made them so scared, thinking that they had offended the princess somehow because there was no way the First Princess of Holy Achate would lower herself to mere beastmen maids.


    Myra and Maya fell on their knees as they wanted to show their submissiveness.


    "Please forgive us, Princess!"


    Swan was stunned by their reaction. She quickly scooted away from them as she got scared by their reactions.


    "G-get up. You two shouldn''t bow at me. I-I''m just Swan..." Swan said, thinking it could help. But the cat maids were unmoving, and they were stuck in this awkward and confusing situation until they heard a deep andmanding voice from the corridor.


    "What did you do to my bride?"


    Swan shot her gaze at Gale who walked from the corridor into the room, and stood with a stern gaze at the two cat maids.


    "I heard that you two apologized to her. So, what did you do to my bride?" Gale repeated his question. Myra and Maya turned towards their king at the same time, still in their kneeling position, Maya replied, "P- Princess told us that she has the same position as us. She also forbids us to address her as Princess and call her by her real name."


    "We don''t know what we did wrong, Your Majesty. Please pardon us," Myra added.


    Gale returned his gaze at Swan, "Did they offend you? I can punish them if you want to."


    "N-no! No offense!" Swan eximed in panic. "I was just greeting them! Since we are the same! They are good to me!"


    Gale was just as confused as the rest of them, but since Swan said so, he decided to trust her.


    "Fine. You two are dismissed. Learn the etiquette of Holy Achate from the soldiers that we captured before. Make sure not to offend my bride twice," Gale warned.


    Myra and Maya excused themselves and scurried out of the room. They closed the door, giving their king and his bride a private space.


    Gale was still wearing that blindfold, but Swan knew that he was staring at her.


    The chandelier helped to give Swan a somewhat clear look at his expression, and it seemed that he was nervous for an unknown reason.


    Nevertheless, Swan did what she did best.


    "I-I''m sorry for sleeping in the carriage. Please forgive me..."


    Gale sighed. He walked to the bed. He wanted to get closer to her, but when he saw her scooting further and further from him, he decided to just sit at the edge of the bed.


    "Are you alright? Do you feel ufortable somewhere?" Gale asked awkwardly. "I can call the doctor if you are hurt."


    "I''m alright..." Swan replied. "But I need my crutches. I need to go."


    "Where do you want to go?" Gale frowned. "It''s almost midnight. If you want something, you can get it tomorrow."


    "Uhm... but I need to go to my real bedroom," Swan replied. "This is your room, right? I-I will ask the maids where their rooms are, so I can sleep with them."

 Novel Mate 7

    Chapter 7 - Chapter 7: A Gentle Monster


    Gale found Swan''s tricks to make herself look cute and innocent very interesting because it worked perfectly whenbined with her doe eyes that looked at him as if she never had any ill intention towards him.


    But it got tiring quickly when she kept doing it.


    "I told you. You don''t need to do this. We are already married, so you don''t need to flirt with me to get my attention," Gale said.


    "F-flirt?" Swan shook her head vehemently, fearing that Gale might''ve misunderstood. "G-Gale, this is your bed, and I''m uhm... I''m just Swan."


    "And Swan is my wife," Gale replied.


    "Y-yes, but..." Swan bit her lip as she got frustrated. She was not allowed to tell the truth that she had been treated differentlypared to Aria, because Queen Mother said it would incite his anger, and he could easily kill everyone in Holy Achate in a fit of rage.


    She tried to work her brain out of this sticky situation, "But I''m notfortable sleeping with you..."


    "You are that scared of me, huh?" Gale had a mocking smile as if he had fully expected that answer from his wife. But this time, he didn''t release his aura that could suffocate her. Gale simply got up from the bed, and turned around, "I should''ve known. Everyone has always been terrified of me anyway, so you are no exception."


    "N-no, I just¡ª"


    "You can sleep here. Don''t worry, I will never disturb you anymore."


    Swan panicked when she saw Gale begin to step away from the bed. She was scared of him, obviously, but she thought that angering him would only make things worse.


    She opened her lips, trying to get a word out of her throat, but she kept on stuttering because she couldn''t find the right word to stop him.


    It wasn''t until Gale reached the door that Swan finally gathered her courage and yelled, "Gale!"


    Gale stopped on his track. He looked over his shoulder, waiting for Swan to say something else.


    She saw that Swan was flustered by her own voice.


    "I-I''m not scared of you," Swan said with all her courage. She suppressed all her fears and began to think of all the good things that Gale had done for her.


    Of course, there weren''t many, but the fact that he didn''t outright beat or yell at her was a great kindness in her mind, especially when she was sent as a mere sacrifice of a defeated kingdom.


    "You don''t seem sure about your own words just now," Gale called her out. "You are not the first one to be scared of me, and certainly not thest. It is fine, Swan."


    "No!" Swan insisted. "I-I''m scared because we just know each other, and they said you are a... monster."


    "I am a monster," Gale confirmed. "I killed your father, didn''t I?"


    Swan would''ve gone mad if her biological father, King Tyrion, actually loved her and treated her like a daughter, but he didn''t.


    Hepletely ignored her just because Swan''s mother was a prostitute. He didn''t even bat an eye when Aria would drag her out of her room to humiliate her.


    Why should she feel bad for a man who never saw her as his daughter?


    "That father of yours called us uncultured savages, a bunch of mindless animals, and filth that ruins his promisednd. I''m sure you share his sentiment about us¡ªbeastmen as well," Gale spat those words as heid out what was on his mind.


    Swan clenched her fists. It was difficult for her to gather the courage that she had right now. She had always been conditioned to stay silent and ept everything, but her gut feeling told her if she didn''t stop him now, Gale would get angrier, and she was scared that she would be the cause of her kingdom''s ultimate downfall.


    ''He is supposed to eat me and leave my kingdom alone. I have to make sure he stays!'' Swan told herself as she kept on gathering her courage.


    Truthfully, she also didn''t understand why she should sacrifice herself for people who didn''t even know her existence. She just felt it was the right thing to do.


    One sacrifice was better than countless deaths. Swan didn''t want innocent blood to be shed just because she failed to convince Gale that she was more than enough of a sacrifice.


    Thus, she took a deep breath and said, "The first time you came into the pce, you were a giant wolf with gleaming red eyes. I would be lying if I''m not terrified..."


    "I intended to intimidate," Gale replied. "So your holy nation will leave us alone."


    "And you demand a war tribute....." Swan added. "I am your war tribute, Your Majesty."


    Gale zipped his lips after that, waiting for Swan to continue, because he also had no right to defend himself after epting a woman as a war tribute.


    "I expected myself to be treated harshly, to be insulted, beaten, and tormented," Swan said, recalling all the experiences she had in the pce of Holy Achate. "But you..... don''t hurt me. Not yet, at least. S-so, I think you are a monster, but not a cruel one. You are a gentle monster..."


    Gale found it difficult to process what she said just now. People always called him a cruel monster, be it human or beastmen-alike, or straight-up told him that he wasn''t a monster, just to get into his good side. Swan''s words began to creep into his heart, but he would not be a king if he was soft-hearted.


    He turned around, and leaned on the door, staring at the frail princess who had a smaller body than her mother and sister.


    Swan insisted that he was not cruel, yet she was the one who looked scared. She was shaking right now. It was quite funny how Swan tried her best not to act scared in front of the monster who murdered her father in cold blood.


    "You don''t need to lie, Swan. I am used to being feared. That''s one trait you need to be a beast king."


    "I-I''m not lying!" Swan insisted. She was on the verge of tears because it was too much for her who never dared to raise her voice. Her body was shaking even harder as she insisted, "I-I''m not scared of you. I''m just n-nervous."

 Novel Mate 8

    Chapter 8 - Chapter 8: Please Eat Me Now


    Swan gulped when Gale kept on staring at her intently. His brows furrowed, waiting for her to speak more.


    She wasn''t used to being the center of attention, and to be taken so seriously by the beast king was enough to make her stomach churn.


    Yet, she kept telling herself this was her only chance to save the people in her kingdom.


    "I''m n-nervous. I''m scared because I might make you angry. I-I don''t know if I should be talking in the first ce. I''m sorry."


    Swan began to ramble amid her speech. She lowered herself, ashamed that she was not good enough to convince him.


    If only she had the charm and eloquence that Aria had, Gale would''ve been smiling at her and catered to all her needs.


    She had seen Aria being surrounded by many nobles-men and women, young and old. She was like a diamond that shone bright even in the brightest ce.


    Swan had long epted their differences despite being half-sisters, but she wished this time, she could miraculously be her just for this night.


    Gale stared at Swan who was on the verge of tears. Truthfully, he still didn''t understand what Swan said before.


    A gentle monster.


    It was strange how she coulde up with such a ridiculous term, but he didn''t hate it either.


    Thus, he slowly walked towards the trembling frail princess and sat next to her.


    He wanted to wipe her tears but halted before he could reach her cheek. He felt awkward and somewhat guilty for no reason, so he said, "If you find me not repulsive, then stop shedding your tears. I''m not a bastard who likes seeing my bride cry on our first night."


    Swan quickly wiped her tears, and apologized, "S-sorry..."


    "Stop apologizing. You did nothing wrong."


    Swan nodded, but she knew that was simply impossible for her. Apology was her best weapon to save herself. If she didn''t use it often, she would be seen as ungrateful or uncouth, and her mother and sister would beat her for it. It had be a spontaneous reaction from her.


    Swan nced at Gale a few times and found him sitting so close to her, staring at her intensely behind that blindfold.


    She became tense again, but sensing no dangering from him was more than enough to stop her from trembling.


    "I-I am a war tribute. I''ve been given to you as a price of my kingdom''s defeat. P-please, just do me as such."


    "Do you as such? What do you mean?" Gale asked, but not denying Swan''s status as a war tribute to the King of Beasts.


    Swan gulped as she guessed this might be her end. The beast must''ve been very hungry. He probably held off from not eating her because he wanted to eat her in his territory.


    Swan remembered the giant wolf who growled with his sharp fangs in the pce yard. Even the tall soldiers looked tinypared to him, and he could''ve chewed them like snacks.


    It was already such a kind gesture from Gale to wait until they were in his kingdom so he could devour her. ''You have to be ready, Swan. This is what you are meant for...'' Swan told herself as she muttered, "Please eat me..."


    "Huh?" Gale thought he misheard it. Of course, his sharp hearing picked that off easily, but he was just making sure that he didn''t mishear it.


    "P-please eat me!" Swan raised her voice. "Y-you take me as a war tribute to eat me, right? So, please, eat me as you like. I''m all yours..."


    Gale was stunned.


    He did not expect such a sweet-looking timiddy to be so bold.


    He leaned closer so he could smell her natural scent more, and asked, "Do you mean what you are saying just now?"


    "I mean it!" Swan eximed. There was no turning back anymore, so she had to face her fate.


    Gale went quiet for a moment, but Swan noticed that his breath started getting heavier, tickling her ear and neck. He whispered, "Why are you so eager? Have you tried this with someone else before me?"


    Swan didn''t understand what he was saying, but she shook her head as she had never been in this situation before.


    "I-I just think this is the right thing to do."


    "The right thing to do... I like the sound of that," Gale said. He leaned closer until his lips almost touched her neck. His breath continued tickling her neck and nape and it made her shiver. "You are eager. Did you do this because it''s your responsibility, or because you have a fancy in me?"


    Swan still didn''t understand what he meant, but she had been nothing but honest this whole time. "I-It''s my responsibility-Ah!"


    Swan jolted when she felt a warm and moist kiss on her neck. She didn''t reject him, knowing that she would be eaten, and Gale probably wanted to taste her skin before she was chewed inside out.


    But she found it strange that Gale kept on kissing and sucking on her neck, making her feel ticklish, and also felt a strange hot feeling all over her body.


    She began trembling, clenching her wedding dress, and bit her lower lip as she didn''t want to make any noise while the beast was tasting her. This was important because if Gale found her unsuitable for consumption, he might get mad and take it on the people in her kingdom instead.


    However, she soon couldn''t hold it anymore when Gale began to kiss her nape.


    "G-Gale, p-please just eat me now. I can''t take this anymore."


    "So impatient? Do you know that in the beast world, I would have to mark you after I eat you? That means you will only be mine for the rest of our lives," Gale stated as he wanted to make sure that Swan understood what would happen next.


    "Uhm-I-I understand."


    She did not.


    "I-I just want to be done with this and have my peace," Swan added as she had steeled her resolution to sacrifice herself. "Please eat me, and I will be yours forever."


    ''In your stomach,'' Swan added in her heart.


    "You are deadly, Princess," Gale said as he hooked his finger on her sleeveless wedding dress and pulled it down. Swan screamed when her boobs were exposed, and she quickly covered it with her hands.


    "W-why do you need to do this?!" Swan asked as she desperately covered her exposed areas. "Because I want to eat you," Gale replied. "Or do you want to do it with your dress on?"

 Novel Mate 9

    Chapter 9 - Chapter 9: Eaten Clean (Mature Content)


    "Or do you want to do it with your dress on?"


    That question lingered in Swan''s mind. She had just realized that she was being very inconsiderate.


    Of course, the beast would want her to be fully nude before he ate her because the fabric would get stuck in between his giant and sharp teeth.


    Swan knew her resolution was firm and she was ready to die, but now that she needed to be nude before she got eaten, she felt too ashamed.


    "B-but I have never been fully nude in front of a man before..." Swan muttered in embarrassment. "Y-you will be disgusted seeing my body."


    ''Cute.''


    That one word popped into his mind as Gale chuckled and continued kissing her nape. Swan had such a sweet natural scent that reminded him of a certain flower that bloomed in his hometown, near theke where he grew up alone.


    That scent was indescribable, and he did not understand how a princess from a fancy kingdom would have that scent.


    The question was thrown out of the window when lust started creeping in again, and he also felt the heat under his stomach.


    "Then, do you want me to rip it off?" Gale asked in his hoarse voice as he was also trying his best rip her dress immediately.


    "D-don''t!"


    Swan realized it was inevitable that she would get stripped the moment he began chewing on her. This wedding dress was the only thing left by her biological mother.


    That''s why, even if the dress would probably get thrown into the trash after she died, she didn''t have the heart to see it getting torn with her own eyes.


    She took a deep breath and said, "I will take it off myself."


    Gale gritted his teeth as he was holding himself so much.


    This woman.


    She might have looked very innocent and oblivious. but she knew well how to incite him with her sweet words. He began to doubt that Swan waspletely inexperienced and that suspicion made him a little jealous.


    "So, you''re going to give me a show. Then, I will watch," Gale gathered all his willpower to separate himself. He got up from the bed and took a step back.


    He leaned against the wall and said, "You can undress now."


    Swan swallowed her saliva. She didn''t know what kind of eyes he had right now. She assumed that he was hungry and couldn''t wait to eat her, but for some reason, she had a hunch that Gale was leering at her, like those perverted knights who often peeked at the young maids in the pce.


    ''That''s impossible. Those maids are beautiful, and I''m not,'' Swan shot herself down. She didn''t want her thoughts to derail in the face of death.


    She couldn''t stand because she didn''t have her crutches. So she sat on the bed and started to undress by herself.


    Swan did it slowly because she didn''t want to rip the already frail dress. She stitched it the whole night before, and she preferred to have it intact.


    Meanwhile, Gale was cursing in his mind, seeing how this woman was so skillful at seducing him by deliberately taking off the dress slowly. She sat there with a flush on her cheeks, covering her boobs with her arms, while squeezing her thighs to avoid showing too much.


    Swan was at her wit''s end. She didn''t understand why she had to humiliate herself before she died.


    Yet, she had no right to protest. She was just a prize of victory, after all.


    She bit her lower lip, raising her head slowly to check on Gale. His expression didn''t change, but she had a glimpse of something thick and long under his pants.


    Swan had no experience with men as she had been imprisoned for so long. But she often overheard the maids who just got married and their telltales of raunchy stories.


    ''No. Get it together, Swan! I''m probably hallucinating. There is no way he would get aroused by his food!'' Swan told herself. But she couldn''t handle the leer anymore and begged. "D-don''t look at me like that. I can''t hold it anymore. Please eat me!"


    "As you wish."


    Gale took a big step and jumped to the bed, like a predator pouncing on his prey. Swan squeaked, thinking that she was going to get bitten.


    She closed her eyes, waiting for the first bite.


    But what she felt was... moist lips that kissed hers.


    It took her a few seconds to register that Gale was kissing her, and it took her another second to realize that his hands were fondling her boobs.


    There was no pain at all. It was nothing but pleasure that swept through her entire body as his big and rough hands began to crawl between her thighs.


    Swan had never been touched like this in her life, so her body was too sensitive.


    "Ah! S-stop-l-this is not¡ª"


    "Ssh. It''s fine. You don''t need to seduce me anymore. You are far deadlier than I expected," Gale said as he began kissing her nipples, while his hands slowly separated her thighs. "Though, you are too thin for your own good, Princess. Is this the type of body the men in your country want? I prefer my woman to be a bit more meaty."


    "B-but I¡ªI thought you would¡ªAhnnn!" Swan quickly realized there was a misunderstanding between them, but she was swept by pleasure the moment Gale began circling two fingers in a sensitive spot that made her lose her mind.


    "So sensitive," Galemented as he realized that she was getting wet with only a few touches. Thus, he didn''t wait any longer and began to stretch her slowly so she could take his size.


    Swan finally stopped trying to exin herself. Her body was betraying her and she slowly became a ve for pleasure.


    Her gaze began to blur. She stared at the chandelier as she simply allowed her new husband to guide her to extreme joy.

 Novel Mate 10

    She finally reacted when she felt something hard, hot, and thick was poking on her pussy lips. Swan lifted her head and paled when she saw something so hideous.


    3


    It was like a sausage, but big, dark, and thick.


    6


    The tip was rounded and was poking at her, wanting to enter.


    She had been enjoying everything as she was sensitive to pleasure, but that thing scared her so much that she tried to pull away.


    Unfortunately, Gale''s hands were gripping her ankles, spreading her wide, and any sort of struggle was futile in front of the King of Beasts.


    "P-Please don''t. It''s too big," Swan pleaded as she was on the verge of tears while staring at her new husband. Everything was truly out of her expectations.


    She had been told that she would die today. Was it the beast''s way to humiliate her even more? Or would that big scary thing be the murder weapon? Because she was positive that she would die if she got stabbed with


    it.


    9


    Gale was already impatient, but hearing the whimper from his wife, he lifted his head to check on her.


    Swan was trembling, and the fear was obvious on her face, and his heart softened.


    He knew that his size was too big, evenpared to his fellow kin.


    He could''ve just backed off and let her go, leaving the marriage to remain unconsummated.


    Or...


    He could be careful, and assure her that everything would be just fine.


    1


    Gale was not a man without self-control, but since Swan had been seducing him all the time, that self-control was thrown out of the window.


    6


    He lifted Swan and let her sit on his thighs with her legs stretched.


    Swan could feel their privates rubbing on each other, and she stared at him. He was still blindfolded, but the smile pasted on his lips was enough to assure her that the beast wasn''t angry at her refusal.


    ¡°Gale, I''m scared," Swan murmured with her shaky voice. Amid pleasure, there was rity and honesty. She felt very vulnerable and began rambling about what was on her mind the whole time. "I don''t want to die. Y- you will kill me with that thing. Please don''t kill me, please.¡±


    5


    Gale chuckled.


    He gave her aforting kiss and began to coax her, ¡°You will be fine. I''ve stretched you enough. I promise it''ll only hurt for a few seconds, and you will feel even better after that.¡±


    "I-I don''t believe you..."


    2


    ¡°You said that I am a gentle monster. I want you to believe me this time," Gale assured. He leaned closer and whispered, "I will not hurt you, Swan."


    1


    Swan still didn''t believe him.


    It was obvious that she would die after getting stabbed by that meat sword.


    13


    Yet, she had never been embraced by a man, assured, and loved like this.


    She wasn''t sure if Gale was just trying to lure her into giving her life. But at this point, she only had one thing in mind.


    ''Dying while being loved like this... doesn''t sound awful...''


    Thus, Swan finally nodded. She closed her eyes while Gale continued kissing her.


    1


    She felt that a big sword began to enter her body slowly. Swan hugged his neck tightly as it slowly slid inside her body, and the moment it reached the depth she never knew existed, she began to scream and groan, be it pain or pleasure. She didn''t even know what was happening with her body.


    3


    All she knew was that each time Gale thrust in a certain spot, she would feel her head spinning, and her moan would be uncontroble. She kept calling his name whenever that mind-numbing sensation hit her.


    She was on the verge of copsing after a while. She rested her head on his chest and allowed him to continue thrusting in and out of her.


    Gale knew that Swan was already at her limit. She orgasmed three times already, while he was still enjoying her tight and wet hole.


    3


    He could''ve ignored her weak body entirely, but seeing how Swan wasying weakly on him,pletely surrendering herself, sowed a seed of pity in his heart.


    He softly caressed her hair and asked, "Don''t fall asleep yet, the night is still long.¡±


    2


    ¡°B-but... I''m so tired..." Swan muttered as she was already half-conscious. She had forgotten her fear of him for now, and whined, "Husband, you are too much..."


    3


    Gale''s body tensed after that. He wasn''t close to ejacting at first, but now he was.


    He began sprinting, thrusting in and out until Swan moaned as loud as she could, filling every edge of this room with her voice, and squirted for the fourth time.


    "Urgh!" Gale was at his limit. He turned her body and pushed her to the bed. Swan was lying on her stomach as Gale lifted her hips high and rammed his dick inside her again.


    She could only hum absentmindedly as Gale kept on sprinting.


    1


    "I''m close¡ª¡± Gale said. He leaned towards her nape, taking a deep breath to check if her scent was suitable to be marked.


    Gale frowned when he smelled such an overpowering scenting from her nape. His instinct told him to mark her, as she would be the first one to get marked by him.


    3


    If he bit her nape while breeding her, Swan would get pregnant with his cub. The problem was she was so thin and frail, he wondered if she had the strength to bear the baby of a beastman, let alone the beast king''s cub. He hesitated for a moment and stopped thrusting for a few seconds.


    Swan groaned when she realized that thing wasn''t hitting her sensitive spot anymore, and begged, "Husband... please... more..."


    1


    ¡°Damn you,¡± Gale gritted his teeth. ¡°Fine. Bear my cubs then.¡±


    3


    His fangs began to protrude a bit more, and he bit her nape while injecting all of his seed into her womb.


    "Ahhhhhh!"


    Swan wasn''t sure what was happening, but she felt her insides were being scalded by streams of hot juice. On top of that, she also felt something was happening inside her body when Gale bit her nape.


    It was like a stream of pain and pleasure thatpletely washed her consciousness away, and she fainted soon after she got bred by the King of Beasts.


    7


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Novel Mate 11

    11 Chapter 11: The Next Morning


    11 Chapter 11: The Next Morning


    Swan slowly opened her eyes as the light from the window hit her eyelid. As she gradually gained consciousness, the first thing that she realized was the sore pain all over her body, as if she had been hammered nonstop.


    Which wasn''t wrong, considering that Gale was hammering her with that scary big stick fromst night.


    She mped her thighs tightly as the memory of what happenedst night began pouring inside her head, and her face reddened in an instant.


    She expected Gale to eat her, chewing her until she was nothing but bones, but what happened was far from it.


    He actually wanted her virginity instead, and even though it was normal for a couple to consummate their marriage, she didn''t expect the beast to have that kind of lust.


    It''s so sticky and ufortable," Swan murmured as her mind began to recall that sensation she had never experienced before involuntarily.


    It was a mix between pain and pleasure. Still, even she¨Cwho had never been bedded by a man before¡ªknew that feeling was definitely what made those maids in the pce give their bodies up for the knights because Swan had also lost herself in the sea of pleasure to the point she could only cling to Gale to be saved. ¡°But... what''s next?¡± Swan muttered. ¡°He had taken my virginity. I guess that means I will have to die?¡±


    Swan did not believe that the King of the Beast would keep her around. She could see how her virginity would be the prize of victory that he wanted, but now that she had been used, then that meant she had no more


    use.


    She was worthless, just like those maids who had to give up their lives in the pce and return to their hometown in shame after they got pregnant with no man wanting to marry them.


    "But I have no ce to go. I''m sure Holy Achate won''t take me back, Swan thought. Then, a sh of bad ideas entered her mind, "Should I just end myself before I get killed by him?"


    She thought it would be less of a heartache to kill herself than to let the husband who took her virginity kill her.


    Swan looked at the window, wondering if the height would be enough for her to die


    20:22


    11 Chapter 11: The Next Morning


    instantly.


    She got up from the bed and dropped herself slowly as she tried to crawl to the window to check the height, but before she could reach the window, the door was opened from outside, and the cat maids-My and Maya, rushed towards her with a


    towel.


    "Princess!" They quickly tended to her by helping her back to the bed, they covered her with the towel, but couldn''t help to blush when they saw many love bites from the King of Beasts around Swan''s body, proof of their king''s infamous vigor.


    "We told you yesterday, Princess. You can just call us if you need help. We''re always outside as your attendants," Maya said. "We''ve been told by His Majesty that you are in deep sleep afterst night''s affair, so we don''t dare to wake you up. But we, just like almost all beastmen, have a keen sense of hearing, and we can hear you dropping from


    the bed.


    ¡°Um..... where is His Majesty?¡± Swan asked politely. She didn''t dare to address him by his real name, now that she had no more worth left.


    "He is busy attending to a few matters with his council. We are a newly established nation, so many kingdoms waged a war against us," Myra replied. ¡°He told us to attend to you, and he will return in the evening."


    "How about a bath, Princess? Or do you want to eat breakfast first? We have prepared everything for you."


    Swan was still not used to being attended. She was used to doing everything alone, including cooking for herself in the pce kitchen. However, it would be rude to reject someone who had given her so much kindness, so she replied, ¡°B-bath."


    ¡°Okay, then, we will carry you to the bathroom. We''ve prepared a hot bath for you.¡±


    "N-no. I can do it myself," Swan began to get nervous. "I just need my crutches..."


    Maya and Myra looked at each other and obliged as per the Princess'' request. They helped her to get up, covered her body with a towel, and propped her with a pair of crutches.


    Swan felt much morefortable now that she finally had her only way to walk, ¡°Thank you. Uhm, I will take a bath now. Please leave."


    "Yes, Princess."


    Myra and Maya walked to the door very slowly to match Swan''s pace, they waited until Swan entered the bathroom before whispering to each other.


    20.22


    11 Chapter 11: The Next Moming


    "What should we do? The Princess doesn''t seem to be happy with us."


    "Don''t be paranoid. She is just very humble. But I do find it weird that a princess from Holy Achate would act so meek and humble towards us."


    "I know, right? Those humans see us as mere animals."


    "Could it be that the Princess was ostracized?"


    "Ostracized? Why?"


    "Her leg..."


    Myra and Maya looked at each other in tacit understanding. They had been wondering. about Swan''s legs since it was strange for a princess of a kingdom that focused so much on purity and beauty to have their first princess walking with crutches without extensively trying to heal her leg.


    Unfortunately, they didn''t dare to ask, and could only guess what kind of ident or illness happened to Swan, to the point that she basically lost her left leg.


    "You two should prepare her breakfast instead of gossiping."


    The cat maids'' hairs stood up hearing the dignified voice of a maturedy who walked into the room.


    ¡°Or do you want me to tell Gale about you gossiping about his new wife?¡±


    ¡°P-please forgive us, Lady Jade!" Maya and Myra said in unison.


    The woman named Jade chuckled and said, ¡°Go and prepare her breakfast. Don''t forget to make us tea, I want to talk with her."


    Thank you for reading, please support this novel if you like it ^^


    Apup


    Creator''s Thought

 Novel Mate 12

    12 Chapter 12: Lady Jade


    Swan dipped her feet slowly into the bathtub, It was quite hot for her, who was used to taking a cold shower every day, even during winter. But it didn''t take her long to adjust and dipped her entire body up to her neck.


    She began reorganizing her thoughts once more as she realized that she hadn''t been abandoned by Gale after he took her virginity Considering how she was still allowed to keep her attendants, Myra and Maya, this meant that Gale still cared about her.


    ''But why?"


    That question lingered in her mind.


    ''Why would he still care about me after he had what he wanted? What use do I have


    now?


    She had been living in the maid''s quarter her whole life. She realized that once a maid wasn''t useful anymore, be it getting hurt to the point of being unable to do normal servant duty or getting too old, they would be kicked out of the pce to live on their


    OWN.


    Wouldn''t that be the case for Swan as well?


    "I don''t understand him at all,¡± Swan muttered.


    Swan cleaned after herself in the warm bathtub, and once she was done, she sat on a stool, drying herself while staring at the reflection of her nude body in the mirror.


    She had always been thin and petite even though she was already twenty years old this year. Aria was taller than her and had a fuller body, which made her look beautiful in any dress she wore.


    Meanwhile, she had her rib cage protruding given how little she ate throughout the


    years.


    There were many love bites and hickeys all across her body afterst night''s affair. She felt disgust creeping up in her.


    Not because of the hickeys and love bites.


    Swan was disgusted with herself.


    How could Gale-The King of Beasts-who had such an attractive face, would be lustful enough to give her so many hickeys? Was he drunk? Or he simply pitied her and didn''t want to embarrass her while they were consummating their marriage?


    20:22


    12 Chapter 12: Lady Jade


    Again, Swan had many unanswered questions about him, and she was left hanging. confused with the whole ordeal.


    Swan saw the dress that had been prepared by the maids for her in the bathroom. It wasn''t hers, because hers had many patches and were ck and white colored, since they were just old maid dresses that she sewed together.


    Swan grabbed the dress that had been perfumed. It was so soft. This kind of dress would fit someone with soft skin like Aria, not her.


    But if she refused to wear it, Gale might be angry.


    Thus, she decided to wear it.


    Thankfully, she was used to doing stuff on her own, so she had found a way to wear a dress neatly without any help.


    After she was done with everything, she used her crutches and walked out of the


    bathroom.


    "Took you long enough, Princess."


    Swan''s heart jumped when she heard a voiceing from the corner of her room. She turned her head, and saw a beautifuldy wearing a purple dress, sitting at the table with all the assorted breakfastid out in front of her. She sipped a cup of tea, looking as elegant as a noble.


    But the meaningful smile reminded Swan of her mother, Queen Anastasia, who often smiled, but always had something devious in mind, and it triggered Swan''s


    nervousness.


    "W-who are you?" Swan asked carefully.


    "The owner of this room, obviously. Don''t you see my breakfast in front of me?"


    Swan''s heart skipped a beat. She got pale instantly, and she lowered her head, ¡°P¨Cpardon me, L¨CLady. I didn''t know this was your room. I¨CI will leave now!"


    Thedy chuckled, "So gullible. This is Gale''s room. But he personally carried you here, so this room is yours now."


    Swan was still unsure if thisdy was ying a trick on her. She didn''t want to suffer another beating, just like when Aria tricked her into saying something, and she''d call the guards to stomp on her legs as a punishment.


    "Don''t be so tense. Come and sit with me. I have a lot to say."


    12 Chapter 12: Lady Jade


    ¡°I will tell you about Gale since he and I grew up together. I''m sure you have a lot of questions about your new husband."


    Swan was swayed by the idea, since she wanted to know her situation here and


    wondered if she would be eaten sooner orter.


    Thus, she slowly walked towards Lady Jade and sat across her at the table. She lowered. her head as it was the polite way in front of someone who was a noble.


    "Raise your head, you are his new wife, Jade said with a smile, and Swan lifted her head slowly. Then, Jademented, "You haven''t put any makeup yet, I thought people in Holy Achate love their powders."


    That was true.


    She remembered how the maids would save up their money just to buy powders and perfume to make themselves look more attractive, and though Swan wanted to try them, it was too expensive and none of them refused to let her try. 4


    Of course, she couldn''t say all that, because her stepmother, Queen Anastasia, told her that she needed to hide what happened to her in the pce because if Gale found out about it, he would be angry at them for giving him coal instead of a diamond as a prize of his victory.


    Swan didn''t want to kickstart a massacre, so she lied, ¡°I¡ªI don''t like wearing powder and perfume." ¡°Oh? You are the first one I know from Holy Achate not to use powder. I guess I should be more open-minded then,¡± Jade said. "And about your dresses from Holy Achate. I was the one who checked it and saw many of them looked like they were sewn by an amateur. I also noticed patches. Are you sure it''s yours? It looks more like a maid''s


    wardrobe."


    "I-It''s mine, Mdy," Swan lied again. She began averting her gaze as she wasn''t good at lying, and Jade seemed to realize something, but she didn''t confront Swan about it.


    Instead, she shifted the topic, "First of all, you should have breakfast with me. Don''t worry, I will make sure that everything should be what the nobles in Holy Achate used to eat for breakfast."


    Swan looked at the assorted breakfast in front of her and confirmed that it was basically Aria''s daily breakfast. Everything looked tempting, but she dared not to touch it because she would be beaten if she dared to eat anything, even the leftovers in the pce.


    20:23


    344


    12 Chapter 12: Lady Jade


    "I-I''m not hungry, Mdy..."


    "Don''t lie. I''m sure you are hungry since you were very loudst night."

 Novel Mate 15

    15 Chapter 15: Beastmen''s God


    Myra and Maya returned to attend to their Princess after the intimidating Lady Jade finally left the room.


    They saw Princess Swan looking dejected, sitting on the chair while lowering her head. Her assorted breakfast was left untouched, and it rang a panic bell in the cat maid''s


    head.


    They rushed towards Swan and asked, ¡°Princess, are you alright? What did Lady Jade do to you?


    ¡°We are sorry, Princess. We cannot stop Lady Jade, since she holds the highest authority after His Majesty in this castle."


    Swan lifted their heads and smiled weakly, "It''s alright. We just talked."


    The cat maids didn''t believe that, knowing how timid their Princess was. But they also had no right to question further.


    ¡°Then, you should eat your breakfast, Princess. We''ve selected them all for you.¡±


    Swan looked at the table full of breakfast in front of her. She had been told this was for her, but her body and mind simply rejected the idea, because she remembered how Aria kept baiting her. Sometimes, Swan would be so hungry because there were no ingredients left in the kitchen, and Aria would purposely drop her breakfast on the ground, usually bread or cheese, and then say it was for her.


    But the moment Swan touched that food, Aria would suddenly use her of stealing, and she would get beaten afterward.


    Aria wasn''t in this castle, but the fear still lingered in her heart, and it made her lose. her appetite.


    "I-I''m not hungry..." Swan said, but that sentence seemed to have shaken Myra and Maya.


    ¡°Do you want anything else then? We can always tell the cook to make it for you, Princess!¡± Maya offered. "Yes! All you need to do is ask! But you must cat!" Myra added.


    Swan was taken aback by how persistent they were, "But I''m really not hungry..." Maya and Myra''s faces paled instantly, the fear in their eyes was apparent, and they kneeled in front of her, "We''re begging you, Princess. Please eat as much as you can."


    20:23


    15 Chapter 18: Beastmen''s God


    "We are specifically instructed by His Majesty to make sure that you eat as much as


    like it. He said that he you can. He said that you are too thin and boy, and he does would punish us if you kept getting thinner by the day!"


    Swan was appalled. She stared at Maya and Myra, realizing the fear in their eyes was real.


    Of course, she wouldn''t want to bring them trouble, especially when they had been


    nice to her.


    Thus, she began eating a piece of bread slowly, a habit she had to make herself feel full while eating so little. But it made her ufortable with how Myra and Maya looked so worried at her eating slowly.


    Swan swallowed the food with d


    eat all of these.


    and asked, ¡°Uhm, please eat with me. I can''t


    "How can we- Maya shook her head. "Princess, these are not the foods that we usually cat. We, beastmen, have our own diet.


    ¡°We can eat a few things though, such as that meat over there," Myra said while looking at a te of sausage.


    "Myra!" "S-sorry!"


    "Oh, t-then, please have it!" Swan happily lifted the te and handed it to Myra.


    "W-we cannot-" Myra was about to reject, but she had no heart to say so, especially when Princess Swan was staring at her with her clear blue eyes. It made her feel mushy, and she finally epted the te, ¡°Thank you, Princess. You''re so kind."


    Swan smiled awkwardly.


    She didn''t find that gesture to be kind. She just felt it was right to share food because sometimes the maids in her pce would pity her and leave some food for her to heat up, so she could have dinner.


    She thought it was just the way it should be, to be greedy would mean you''d hurt


    others.


    However, Maya was horrified by how her sister epted the food. She wanted to return it to the table, but Swan said, ¡°Uhm, you two should sit with me. We can have breakfast together."


    "Absolutely not, Princess! W-we are not allowed to!"


    20:2


    2/


    15 Chapter 15: Beastmen''s God


    "By who?"


    "By His Majesty!¡± Maya replied. She was on the verge of tears as if the mention of his name was enough to frighten them.


    It raised a question for Swan. She couldn''t ask Lady Jade much because that woman knew how to keep a secret, but the maids should be less restrained, right?


    "About His Majesty... is he really that scary?" Swan asked curiously. ¡°Uhm, I think it''s fine to sit with me. I don''t think he will mind


    ¡°He will!¡± Maya insisted, ¡°Princess, I''m afraid you don''t understand. But we, beastmen, see our king as God. His Majesty is the strongest, and he has conquered ournds, so he is our new God. To think that we can sit with a God''s wife, or even eat her food, is sphemous!"


    Swan''s body stiffened.


    Gale told her that beastmen valued strength over everything else, but she didn''t expect


    it to be extreme.


    "T-then, if you two made a mistake, would you get killed by him?" Swan asked.


    Myra and Maya looked at each other, and gave a convoluted answer, ¡°We... are not sure, Princess. But, even


    if His Majesty doesn''t kill us, the moment we are dismissed and told to return to our vige, then we will get killed by our parents. Because that means we have failed to serve His Majesty."


    "T-then, did you two get dragged to work in the castle, or volunteered?"


    "Of course, we volunteer, Princess!" Myra replied. ¡°It is a huge honor to be able to serve His Majesty. We were taught that strength is everything. As long as he is undefeatable,


    then we will serve him for the rest of our lives!"


    Swan found it fascinating but also scary.


    What if Gale got injured? Or if he became too old to fight? Would they just kill him?


    Swan remembered her father, who was powerful and undefeated, so he reigned for decades. In the end, he was killed by Gale.


    Would the same thing happen to her husband?


    A shiver ran down her spine as she couldn''t imagine such a huge wolf could be defeated.


    ¡°Princess, please eat... we are worried for you.....¡±


    20:23


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Novel Mate 16

    16 Chapter 16: A Bloodstained Beast


    Swan began to eat more because she didn''t want her attendants to get killed. She stuffed herself until she saw the relieved smile on Myra and Maya''s face, and then began to slow down.


    She swallowed her food with difficulty before asking, ¡°After this... can I go out? I want to walk around the castle.


    The cat maids gasped, and Swan winced in response, ¡°N-no?"


    Honestly, Swan simply wanted to know if she could do something to help in the castle. She wasn''t raised like Aria, who grew up to be a princess and had all her needs catered


    1. to.


    Swan had to work in the pce, whether it was to clean the kitchen or help with theundry.


    She couldn''t imagine having to be stuck in this room and do nothing, it was too good to


    be true for her.


    "It''s not like you can''t, Princess. But..."


    ¡°We haven''t been permitted by His Majesty to do that. Besides, the kingdom is still not stable, there might be an attack from neighboring kingdoms or other beastmen tribes, and your safety is of the utmost importance! "Yes, Princess! If you want something, you can tell us!¡±


    "I don''t need anything," Swan smiled. "Though, may I know if His Majesty will return


    soon?"


    Maya and Myra looked at each other, and replied, "I heard from the others that he left for and in the east. He''s probably fighting against a rebellion. Though beastmen worship the strongest, there are still those who think they can defeat His Majesty, so he needs to fight and win."


    "Rebellion...¡±


    Swan nodded as she put up a kind smile, ¡°Thank you for telling me. Uhm, you may leave


    now."


    "Then, please excuse us, Princess."


    The attendants carried all the leftovers from the table and left Swan alone in the room..


    20.23


    18 Chapter 16: A Bloodstained Beast


    Swan supported herself with her crutches towards the window. She wanted to know where she truly was, and then saw a barebone kingdom, with only makeshift tents made out of woods and rubbles.


    Swan guessed this ce was recently a big town that Gale conquered, and then the humans were probably killed or driven off, so it became a beastmen''s kingdom now.


    Everything happened because of Gale''s overwhelming strength, but what would happen in the future? And what about the curse?


    Swan was left confused and anxious as she waited for her husband toe home.


    **


    ck! Ker-chak!


    Swan opened her eyes immediately when she heard the sound of something falling on the ground in the middle of the night.


    She darted her eyes at the source and saw the tall and muscr figure standing next to a table that he identally knocked down.


    ¡°G-Gale?¡± Swan asked anxiously. It was so dark, because Swan told the maids that she didn''t need a chandelier. She only had one small candle on top of the drawer, so she could not see his face clearly.


    ¡°Sorry, I didn''t mean to wake you up,¡± Gale said as he turned toward her and walked to


    the bed.


    Now that he stood next to the candle, Swan could see his face, and she audibly gasped Lin


    in response.


    Gale was shirtless. He was covered in blood, but it didn''t seem to be his, because there was no open wound visible.


    He also reeked of blood.


    The scariest part was his hands.


    His hands had turned into that of a wolf w with each w dripping with the blood of his enemies.


    Gale noticed the fear in his wife''s eyes, so he quickly put his hands behind him and spoke, "It''s fine. I just had a little cleanup somewhere in the east today."


    Swan stared at Gale who looked as calm as always, but that only scared her even more, because it was proof of how cold-blooded Gale truly was.


    20 23


    18 Chapter 16: A Bloodstained Beast


    Swan tried to dispel her fear, knowing that acting scared in front of him would only anger him.


    ¡°I¡ªI will prepare a hot bath for you,¡± Swan said as she tried to shift the topic before fear crept into her heart.


    "Prepare my bath?" Gale chuckled. "I usually clean myself in ake not far from here. I''m justing back to check on you.¡±


    "C-check on me?¡±


    "Yes, I heard from the guard that Jade came to visit you this morning," Gale said. The smile he had turned wicked in an instant and Swan''s heartbeat began to race. "I already told her not to disturb you, but she doesn''t listen. So, tell me, what did she do to you? Did she hurt you?¡±


    Swan quickly shook her head to save Lady Jade from his wrath.


    "No? Then what did she tell you about?" Gale asked, still with a smile, pressuring Swan -to be honest. "Go on. Don''t worry, Swan. I will not get angry at you."


    ''But you


    will get angry at Lady Jade, right?'' Swan guessed. She wondered if it was alright to tell Gale about everything, including how Jade told her about his unknown


    curse.


    But she didn''t need to think twice, because Gale guessed it with perfect uracy, ¡°She told you about my curse, didn''t she?"


    Knowing there was nothing to hide anymore, Swan muttered, "L-Lady Jade. S-she... uhm... she told me that you have a curse, but she didn''t tell me the details."


    "Really?"


    "Yes!" Swan nodded vigorously.


    ¡°I guessed wrong then,¡± Gale chuckled. ¡°I''m going to theke to wash up, but I need a little help from you.¡± "W-what do you need?" Swan asked.


    The King of Beasts smiled meaningfully. He sat on the bed and the blood stained the white sheet instantly, "Come here."


    Swan paused for a moment. She was terrified by the blood covering his body. On top of that, the stenching from the blood was awful.


    Yet, she tried to hide her disgust and fear, then slowly approached her husband.


    18 Chapter 16: A Bloodstained Beast


    "Look at me, Swan."


    Swan lifted her head slowly. She found it easier to talk while looking at him because his eyes were always covered. She got nervous whenever she had to make eye contact with


    anyone.


    As Swan gazed at his handsome but bloody face, she noticed that he seemed to be holding a lot of pain.


    It was very subtle, but she noticed the veins on his neck and temple.


    Swan became worried about him, and that worry soon overridden her fear, "Gale, you... Are you injured?"


    Thank you for reading!


    Please support Apup by sending powerstones and all!


    Comment 13

 Novel Mate 17

    Send Gift


    (17 Chapter 17: Silence Her with a Kiss


    17 Chapter 17: Silence Her with a Kiss


    ¡°Injured? Me? HAH!" Gale snorted. He lifted his chin arrogantly and imed, ¡°There is nobody stronger than me in this world. A mere dozens of weak beastmen won''t be able


    to scathe me."


    "But..." Swan lowered her head. She still noticed the grimace on his face, as if he was truly enduring a lot of pain.


    However, it was true that he was the strongest, especially when she witnessed that giant wolf who leaped into the pce''s yard.


    Did she read too much into it? Maybe he was truly fine, and she was just overthinking.


    Gale had been watching her reaction the whole time, and he saw that she looked hurt and sad.


    So he pointed it out, "You are worrying over nothing. I am unbeatable, and I will be the King of Beasts forever."


    "Mm... I''m sorry..." Swan muttered. "I thought that you were enduring a lot of pain. Your face says it. But maybe I''m just overthinking."


    Gale''s arrogant smirk quickly vanished and he imed, "I''m not in pain. Nothing in this


    world can hurt me."


    Swan kept on staring at him, and the more he imed his prowess, the more she noticed the pain in his face as if the pain came from within. 3


    However, Swan was scared of offending him, especially when he didn''t show his smugness anymore, so she simply said, ¡°I... I have been sent to be of your use. If there is any way for me to make you feel better, then please tell me. I-I will do my best!"


    Gale went silent after that. He kept staring at the woman in his embrace who looked at him with earnestness in her eyes as if it was a life-and-death situation for her.


    His lips thinned as he began to wonder if this woman understood what she was talking about, or maybe she was just a sheltered princess wearing rose-tinted sses.


    ¡°You can''t help me, Swan. Nobody can,¡± Gale replied coldly, and Swan''s heart broke instantly.


    She had long known that she was not important. In her whole life, she had always been seen as a parasite that ruined scenery.


    But she thought, even if it would cost her life, she would be useful for one person at


    least.


    17 Chapter 17: Silence Her with a Kiss


    Gale read through her expression quickly, and he found it funny that Swan looked crushed by his words.


    Shouldn''t she be happy that he didn''t need her help? Or was she so ignorant that she didn''t know how dangerous he truly was?


    "Don''t look so dejected. You should be grateful that you can''t help me," Gale said.


    "But I want to..." Swan insisted. "I-I want to be useful. I want to do something that can make you happy." Again, Gale could see the earnestness in her eyes, and he asked, "Even if it will harm


    you?"


    Swan had long resigned to her fate. She had no use while she was alive. If death would help him of some sort, then she would be more than willing.


    Thus, she nodded without hesitation.


    "Even if it will cost me my life."


    "You-¡± Gale wrapped his hands on her waist, and then pulled her closer until there was no gap between them. Some of the blood from his body stained her dress, and it


    made her ufortable


    But Swan tried her best not to show her difort.


    "What are you trying to do? Help me? Do you not realize that I am a dangerous beast?"


    "I-I know..." Swan nodded. She paused for a moment, trying to form a sentence that wouldn''t show that she was nothing but a sacrifice. She still had to protect her people, ¡°B¡ªbut in Holy Achate, once you are married, then that means you and I are bound together in a sacred vow."


    Swan slowly put her palm on his chest where his heart was beating. She knew this was the right time to say this once and for all, so Gale knew that she was ready.


    ¡°If... if my life can make you feel better, then I''m willing to die."


    Gale gritted his teeth spontaneously. He tightened his hands around her waist until Swan winced, but it still didn''t make her lose her resolution.


    ¡°Don''t you ever say that again. You are not allowed to die under my watch," Gale warned. He growled as if he was angry at her statement just now, and Swan didn''t understand why.


    20.24


    210


    17 Chapter 17: Silence Her with a Kiss


    Wouldn''t it be good for him? If his curse needed a sacrifice, he could use her as a sacrifice.


    He could get rid of the ugly wife, on top of being healed out of his curse.


    It was killing two birds with one stone.


    Besides, he would have many wives shortly anyway, there was no point in keeping the one he would never touch after this.


    "I don''t mind..." Swan said. "If I can be of use.


    "SILENCE!"


    Swan was caught off guard by him snapping at her. Yet, for an unknown reason, it only brought her the courage to keep saying it until Gale agreed with her.


    "If your curse requires me to die, 1-mmfh!"


    Swan couldn''t finish her sentence because Gale silenced her with a kiss. It was a deep and suppressing kiss, with him forcing her to open her lips, and then pried inside.


    "W-wait, Gale, l-mmh!"


    Swan tried to struggle, but soon found herself at his mercy when he refused her to take a breath, let alone speak.


    Gale pushed her to the bed, pressing his lips deeper. The blood from his body stained the sheet, her dress, and even her lips.


    But he didn''t care.


    He wanted to shut this woman up for saying stupid stuff that she would regret in the future.


    He finally stopped parting their lips once Swan stopped fighting back.


    He checked on Swan whose eyes were unfocused. Her chest rose up and down and she had been breathless for a bit too long.


    Yet, it made him at ease, because this woman finally stopped talking about sacrifice.


    "Call


    your attendants to change the sheet. I will wash up at theke first," Gale said. "By the time I''ve returned, I expect you to stop talking about sacrifice. I don''t want to hear it."


    Swan had no energy to say no. She nodded weakly and watched how Gafe jumped from the window and disappeared into the night.


    20:24

 Novel Mate 18

    18 Chapter 18: You Cannot Escape Your Fate


    Swan slowly regained most of her consciousness after Gale left. She slowly got up and looked around the sheet that had been stained with blood.


    So she called the cat maids with her weak volec.


    To her surprise, Myra and Maya entered the room immediately, so they must''ve heard about the conversation between Gale and Swan just now.


    Swan realized that the cat maids were dodging her eyes as she said, ¡°Please help me change the sheet, and uhm... please get me another dress. Lwill go to the bathroom to wash my face. There was blood on my face, right?"


    "Y-yes, Princess..."


    Swan didn''t want to make them even more distressed, knowing that they must''ve been scared hearing the conversation just now.


    She grabbed her crutches and walked to the bathroom.


    Swan stared at her reflection and saw the bloodstain on her lips, cheeks, and chin. There were also some on her bosom.


    She washed them all with cold water and went out.


    She saw the sheet had been reced with a clean one. There was also a new dress that had been prepared for her.


    Myra and Maya were kneeling next to the bed, but they kept their heads low as they wished their Princess would just tell them to leave.


    Swan sat on the bed and asked weakly, "Did you two hear everything?"


    yes, Princess."


    "We''re sorry.


    But we have always been attending you outside, and we have sensitive hearing. We didn''t mean to eavesdrop."


    "It''s alright,¡± Swan smiled. "But I want to know if you two have ever heard about the King''s curse."


    Myra and Maya''s body stiffened. They shook their heads and replied, "We don''t know anything, Princess."


    okay then. Don''t worry, His Majesty is alright. Those aren''t his blood."


    "We know. His Majesty is unchallenged. There is no way for him to lose."


    20:24


    18 Chapter 18 You Cannot Esenpe Your Fate


    Swan was relieved that the beastmen had such a strong faith in their king. She didn''t want them to think that Gale was weak because it might lead to another rebellion and


    his death.


    "You may leave,¡± Swan said, and the cat maids scurried out of the room.


    Swany on her bed once more, but her eyes were staring at the open window. She saw the full moon and murmured, ¡°But I don''t mind dying for you, Gale. You are a king, and I''m just... Swan"


    **


    Gale leaped through the forest and reached a smallke in the middle. He took off his trousers and blindfold and then dipped in.


    The cold water washed his body from the blood of his enemies, but it also washed all the anger and pain umting inside his heart.


    Swan was right.


    He was in pain, always is.


    Every fiber of his body had this constant itchiness, followed by a burning sensation that he could not control, but he had always let it all out on the battlefield so he wouldn''t be irritated when he had to be a proper king.


    It was part of his curse, but it worsened each day as he still hadn''t been able to find his remedy.


    At this point, he doubted he would even find her-his fated mate, the real remedy of


    his curse.


    Gale clenched his jaw as he dipped into theke, submerging his entire body, and then emerged after a while.


    Once he came to the surface and walked to thekeside, he detected a sign of a non-hostile werewolf near him. He noticed the familiar scent, so he closed his turned around to face her, "What kind of poison did you put in her ear, Jade?"


    eyes


    and


    "Poison? I just told her a few things that she needs to know, like how you will have many wives and also a curse. Worry not. I didn''t go into detail about the curse since it''s your right to tell her everything. But you can''t just keep her ignorant forever, especially since you''ve marked her, Jade said. She sat on a stone b and then crossed her legs while staring at the naked man on thekeside. "Though, I was surprised when I heard that you''ve marked her. I don''t know if she''s your type or if you are just promiscuous


    enough to mark the first woman you mate with after you rejected my


    20:24


    18 Chapter 18: You Cannot Escape Your Fato


    advances."


    "It''s none of your business," Gale dismissed her. "She is my first wife, so it''s normal for me to mark her


    "It is my business. You appoint me to manage the harem you will have in the future. It would be worrying if you might be promiscuous enough to mark a hundred women."


    "I''m not that insane, Jade,¡± Gale denied. "I told you to manage the harem, but you have no right to tell my wife about my curse."


    ¡°She has the right to know about that. After all, that curse is the reason why you have to mark many women," Jade scoffed. ¡°Or are you so afraid that you''d hurt her feelings? That''s hypocritical,¡±


    "Hypocritical?"


    Jade''s lips curled as she continued, "You''ve ruined the lives of many. Killed countless soldiers, knights, and kings. You broke their wives and children''s hearts. So what''s the problem with breaking one more?¡±


    "She is the Princess of Holy Achate and MY wife. Those are different!"


    ¡°Is she really?¡± Jade chuckled. ¡°She is gorgeous, especially her innocent eyes, I admit that. But I doubt she''s truly the first princess as you think she is. They have probably duped you and given you a maid instead of the real one."


    "YOU-!"


    ¡°Now, now, don''t be angry. It''s just my theory. After all, I have more knowledge about Holy Achate than you,¡± Jade shrugged. ¡°My advice is, you shouldn''t think too much of her. She will just be one of your many wives.¡±2


    Gale went quiet, and Jade struck while the iron was hot by saying, ¡°And don''t even think about not wanting to mark another woman. You know you need to. It''s for your own good. Sleeping with them all is the only way to suppress your constant rut, or you will turn into a mindless beast."


    "I''m doing this for you, Gale. I''m the only family left for you after what happened to our pack."


    With that, Jade got up and walked out of theke, leaving Gale feeling frustrated about. the whole ordeal.


    20.24 -

 Novel Mate 19

    19 Chapter 19: Mated for Life


    +778


    Swanid on the bed after the sheet had been changed. She tried to close her eyes and fall asleep but couldn''t.


    She kept thinking about Gale, who seemed upset by her offer to sacrifice her if it was necessary to cure the


    curse.


    ''Is he mad at me? But why? Aria and Queen Mother didn''t think twice about sacrificing me, and I''m sure everyone in Holy Achate''s pce would be more than willing to save their lives in exchange for just one unworthy life. Swan refused to believe that Gale-or anyone in this beastmen kingdom thought of her as a human being. She was naive, but not naive enough to think someone would be kind to her for no reason. She was in a daze as she kept thinking about Gale until the real one jumped into the room from the window. Swan darted her eyes and saw Gale, whose hair was slightly damp, proof that he had gone to theke just


    now.


    "Why haven''t you slept yet?" Gale asked as he walked to the bed. Hey right next to her, and Swan quickly turned to the other side so she wouldn''t need to face him.


    Gale paused for a second and then tried to hug her from behind when he realized her body was stiff.


    Gale was just as stiff as she was. He kept hesitating because Jade''s words poisoned his mind, making him unsure if he should keep this close contact with Swan even though his curse would force him to mark and marry many more women in the future.


    However, the moment he inhaled the scent on her nape¡ªat the ce where he marked her yesterday¨Che felt at ease. (4)


    Thus, he buried his face there, sniffing her scent that had been harmoniously mixed


    with his.


    Gale naturally hugged her closer until there was no gap between them except her dress and muttered, "Don''t think too much about it. You will be safe with me."


    And ignore Jade''s words. Only I know the true nature of my curse."


    "Including the fact that you will have more wives after me?" Swan asked with a low voice. She had been keeping it for a while, and if she was smart enough, she would just


    20:24 *


    19 Chapter 19: Mated for Life


    shut her lips and nod to everything he said.


    But then, she realized this would be the perfect time to propose her sacrifice. Gale would have more wives, which would be far more beautiful and dignified.


    On top of that, his new wives wouldn''t be crippled like her.


    Gale went quiet after that, so Swan continued, ¡°I heard from Lady Jade that you are obliged to marry many women from other parts of your conquerednds. So, uhm... I''m sure they are much more beautiful than me. So 1-"


    Gale suddenly hugged her tightly and kissed her nape. There was a strange sensation that ran through her body as he kissed the ce where he marked her yesterday,


    Swan began to tremble, but she managed to control herself and continued her speech, ¡°S-so, I think it''s fine if you... sacrifice me-Ah!"


    Swan moaned when Gale suddenly nibbled on that same area on her nape, like a hungry wolf tasting his prey.


    His hug continued to tighten until Swan felt a little stuffy. He didn''t respond-or perhaps he simply didn''t want to listen.


    Swan wanted her message to go through, so she endured the stimtioning from his nibbles and continued, "I-I think I have no use other than being a s-sacrifice. You don''t need to worry about me. I will- AH!"


    Swan finally couldn''t endure it anymore when Gale bit her nape. His hands also began. to go up, and he pulled her dress down. Then he fiddled with her nipples, effectively shutting her up by making her sensitive body feel all kinds of pleasure.


    Swan almost gave up as it was too much for her, but she still delivered herst sentence despite the difficulty, ¡°I¡ªunh! I¡ªI don''t mind if you-sacrifice me-ahh!¡±


    Gale punished her by pinching her nipple, making her scream in response.


    Swan thought that Gale would finally respond to her, but he talked about a different topic instead, "Princess, do you know what would happen after I mark you?"


    Swan shook her head, hoping that Gale would stop teasing her body so they could have a proper conversation about her sacrifice.


    "In my culture, that means we are meant to be mates for life. You will respond when I''m in my rut, and so do I will respond when you''re in heat. It also allows you to bear our cubs," Gale exined. "That also means our bodies will reject any other werewolves, or even anyone from your human species, as a human mate is not


    as


    20


    24


    19 Chapter 19: Mated for Lile


    umon as you thought."


    Swan found that to be quite romantic because in Holy Achate, despite being a kingdom that upholds monogamy, she knew there were so many infidelities between married couples.


    The prime example was thete king, who cheated on Queen Anastasia with a prostitute, and Swan was born because of that.


    It was also the reason why Swan never med the queen and Aria for tormenting her, even after they crippled her.


    She wasn''t supposed to be born. That was the principle embedded in her head since she was young.


    The idea of being mated for life was very tempting for her, but after being told by Jade that Gale had to marry many women because of his curse, she didn''t find the idea of being mated to Gale attractive anymore. She felt like she would always lose to the many beautiful women he would have in the future


    "It''s okay if you have to marry other women and sacrifice me-l-Hnnnh!¡±


    Gale shut her up again by pinching her nipples, "Why do you keep talking about sacrifice? Do you want to leave me that badly?"


    Swan''s body trembled again as Gale nibbled on her nape again. She tried to form a sentence but kept on getting interrupted by the constant pleasure.


    It was as if Gale didn''t want to hear her answer.


    Gale nibbled on her earlobe and said in a low yetmanding voice, ¡°You can''t leave me, Swan. We are mated for life.¡±


    20:24


    Thank you for reading^^

 Novel Mate 20

    Creator''s Thought


    20 Chapter 20: SILENCE!


    20 Chapter 20: SILENCE!


    "Mated for life..." Swan murmured as she tried to let that sentence seep in.


    "Yes, mated for life. Stop trying to suggest sacrifices. I have no intention to sacrifice you," Gale added as he wanted to stop Swan from having crazy thoughts.


    Unfortunately, his effort was in vain, because Swan asked, "T-then, if your curse has been lifted out, does that mean you don''t need to marry so many women in the future?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? I never said that Gale frowned.


    ¡°Uhm... I''m just connecting the dots. Suppose you''re forced to marry many women because of the curse. Then, you can... you can just use me as a sacrifice and then find the real woman who will mate for life with you¡ªah!¡± Swan let out a loud groan as Gale bit her nape. It wasn''t painful for some reason, but it gave her the stimnt that shut her brain off, making her unable to think straight.


    All she could think of was the pleasure that he brought. Gale ripped her dress, making her fully naked as he began to embrace her from behind once more.


    He yed with her body while constantly nibbling on her nape, neck, and earlobe, making a trail of hickeys that would probably stay for so long.


    Yet, despite all the pleasure that Gale brought to shut her up, she still had the rity of her sacrifice. She had long been thinking of a way to end herself respectably, so she wouldn''t be so useless in this world.


    ¡°Gale, l-about your curse-mmfh!" Swan was silenced with a kiss, but once it was done, she kept insisting on it until Gale couldn''t bear it anymore.


    "I... can sacrifice-"


    "SILENCE!" Gale roared as he continued touching her wet lips down there. He wanted to numb her with pleasure, so she stopped thinking about such ridiculous things, but he had underestimated Swan''s stubbornness.


    Swan''s heart jumped, but she repeated, ¡°I can be-¡°1


    ¡°I SAID, SILENCE!" Gale roared again, this time, it was louder, and everyone in the castle must''ve heard it. But Gale couldn''t care less. He saw how Swan was absolutely under his control with how she moaned each time he touched her sensitive spots, yet her beautiful ocean


    20:24


    20 Chapter 20: SILENCE


    eyes showed strong and consistent resolve, pleading with him to listen to her request.


    As if she truly didn''t mind being a sacrifice, just so she could leave him.


    Gale gritted his teeth.


    He wasn''t used to this stuffiness inside his heart, and that gnawing feeling made him even more irritable than before.


    Gale forced her to turn towards him, so they faced each other and he yelled at her, "Your family sent you as the prize of my victory. So you better stop talking about sacrifice and death, because I will never permit you to die!"


    Swan was shocked by his answer. Her tears began to pool at the corner of her eyes as she muttered, "But I just-?


    "I order you to stop talking! I don''t want to hear about your nonsense!" Gale yelled again, and Swan finally zipped her lips tight, so he thought they could continue with their bed activities.


    But the gnawing feeling inside his heart worsened as his wife silently stared at him with tears in her eyes. It made him feel guilty, and he lost his interest immediately.


    He finally let her go and got up from the bed.


    Gale walked to the window, and stood there, with his back facing Swan.


    ¡°Swan of Holy Achate, I ban you from ever speaking about sacrifice in front of me, Gale said coldly, but he didn''t dare to look at Swan as her tears made him. very


    ufortable. 1


    He admitted that he wasn''t the best at dealing with women. Two women in his life-histe mother and Jade- didn''t give him pleasant interactions, at least not enough to equip him to handle theplicated emotions that women had. @


    Nevertheless, Gale understood one thing: ¡®Swan doesn''t want to be with me. She keeps talking about sacrifice. She prefers to die rather than spend time with her mate.


    Gale clenched his fist, the gnawing feeling was getting stronger, to the point that it made him overly irritable. However, he couldn''t me Swan for it, since he defeated her kingdom, and killed her father in war. Swan must''ve been holding so much grudge against him.


    Gale was thinking of a way to appease her grudge, and he couldn''t think of any. So he needed advice from someone who''s an expert in reading people''s true feelings¡ªJade.


    Gale looked over his shoulder and saw Swan staring at him with tears in the corner of


    20:24


    20 Chapter 20: SILENCE!


    her eyes. He took a deep breath and said, "I won''t disturb you anymore. You can go to sleep now."


    With that, Gale leaped from the window and disappeared into the night once more.


    Swan had been zipping her lips shut as per Gale''s order. Now that he was gone, Swan let out a relieved breath, and leaned on the bedpost, thinking of what happened just


    now.


    She just wanted to make him happy. If his curse truly needed a sacrifice, then she could be used. He could get rid of his curse while getting rid of her at the same time.


    Yet, he got agitated whenever she mentioned sacrifice. 1


    Swan spent her life as nothing but an item people used to hurt and ridicule. So, she found Gale''s behavior to be very strange.


    "I don''t understand you, Gale. Why aren''t you happy that you get an easy way out?¡±


    Gale leaped from one balcony to another in the castle until hended at the balcony of none other than Lady Jade, who was drinking tea in the middle of the night, a habit she picked up after her expedition to the east.


    "We need to talk, Gale said.


    Jade put her teacup down, and nced at Gale with a meaningful smile, "I thought you''d be angry enough not to meet me after reminded you about your curse an hour ago. Let me guess, you had a fight with one of your insignificant mates?"


    20:21


    66


    Is Jade an enemy or ally? Hmm-


    Thank you for reading


    I hope you like it, please support me with votes too!


    Apup


    Creator''s Thought

 Novel Mate 21

    21 Chapter 21: A Piece of Freedom (1)


    Gale''s brows creased as he knew that Jade was subtly trying to remind him that he would have many mates in the future. But he wasn''t here to pick up a fight with her, so he simply ignored it and continued, ¡°What did you tell my mate about the curse? Did you tell her everything?¡±


    "I did not."


    "Then why did she keep offering herself as a sacrifice to cure the curse?!" Gale was pissed by howx Jade was. The gnawing feeling inside his heart lingered, and it worsened whenever he thought about Swan and her insistence on sacrificing herself. "You are the only one who knows the true extent of my curse."


    Jade smiled and replied, "All I said is that-you''re forced to marry many women due to your curse. She just lets her mind run wild with possibilities. Though, it''s surprising that she can be so spot on.¡±


    Gale gritted his teeth, ¡°I don''t believe you.¡±


    "It''s not my problem whether you believe me or not. But isn''t she right? You can treat her right, then open that blindfold of yours. You can use her as a sacrifice, and you will be cured of the curse."


    "Nonsense! The curse requires me to fall in love first!"


    "And you are not in love with her?"


    "No!" Gale denied vehemently.


    Jade raised her brow, and her lips curled up deviously.


    "Well, that''s good. Since you need to share your love with everyone in your harem in the future, Jade stated. ¡°Though, I doubt that you''re here just to use me of poisoning her mind, especially after you keep yelling at her to keep silent."


    Gale was reminded of his true intention to find Jade. He was reluctant at first because


    he didn''t know if Jade had Swan''s best interest in mind. 2


    But they had been best friends and had been paired as alpha and Luna since they were young by their parents. She was thest remnant of his old pack that had been ughtered, so they truly only had each other in this world. 2


    Thus, Gale put aside their disagreement and said, "I need help to appease my mate. Get her mind off that sacrifice nonsense. You''ve been in and out of Holy Achate many


    20:24


    21 Chapter 21: A Piece of Freedom (1)


    times in the past, so you must''ve known what kind of stuff they like."


    "You''re right. I know everything that you dont know about their culture. You are the king and I am the diplomat. It has always been that way, right?" Jade smiled. ¡°Well, first. of all, Holy Achate''s women are vain. They like shiny things and adorn their bodies. with jewels. Princess Swan might look very modest, but it''s probably just a way to attract you."


    "She is not-"


    "People in Holy Achate are devious. You should''ve known better, since that bastard king you killed sent a few assassins before the official war started,¡± Jade shut him down immediately with the cold, hard truth. ¡°King Tyrion also tried to poison our drinking well and also burn our food supply during the war. What makes you think that his daughter wouldn''t do the same? They are all cunning and cruel."


    Gale was unable to revoke any of that because he knew it was all true.


    Thete King Tyrion of Holy Achate had a lot of unsavory methods that were unheard of in the beastmen''s world, which always preferred a fair fight. He already fought many wars against men and beastmen, and Holy Achate was the worst due to all of its


    monstrous tactics.


    Deep down, he knew that Swan wasn''t devious. Her eyes told everything about her, and even Gale-who had been battle-hardened, still sensed her innocence.


    Yet, he could not provide proof that Swan was truly an innocentdy, it was all just


    what he felt about her.


    Besides, he had to admit that Swan was extremely adept at seducing. Be it due to her beauty or her plea to be eaten¡® by him, it was the first time Gale lost control over a


    woman''s seduction.


    "I wouldn''t suggest you try appeasing her. Women from Holy Achate are demanding. Once you give them your heart, they will ask for something else. But if you insist, then why don''t you try to shower her with wealth?¡± Jade suggested. "Try giving her many expensive pieces of jewelry, and also let her roam around the castle, at least."


    Gale frowned.


    Giving Swan as many pieces of jewelry as she liked was nothing for him. He had a lot after conquering manynds and had no use of them.


    But letting her around the castle was questionable.


    "Wouldn''t it be dangerous for her? I can''t continuously look after her when I''m on my


    274


    21 Chapter 21: A Piece of Freedom (1)


    way to fight rebellion and go to war," Gale questioned. "What if she gets attacked?"


    "By whom?¡± Jade sighed. ¡°Everyone in this city fears you, so she will be just fine. If you are that scared, why don''t you let your beta watch over her? Though he''s not your former beta from our pack, you should''ve trusted him enough, right?"


    Gale was hesitant.


    His old beta¡ªjust like the rest of his pack-died when Gale got cursed, so this new beta he appointed was from one of the packs he conquered after that.


    He was nothing but loyal to Gale, but Gale was still wary about another man watching over his mate while he wasn''t around.


    "If you worry about whether he will fall in love with your mate or not, then why don''t you let the cat maids follow them around as well?¡± Jade suggested. "You can''t seriously think that locking her inside your room forever will make her happy, right? Nobody, human or beastman, will be happy being treated like a caged little bird."


    Gale knew that Jade was right. He never had any intention of caging her. He was just worried that her frail, petite body would get hurt.


    He was thinking about it for a moment before nodding, "Fine, I will take your advice for now. I trust you have my best interest in mind."


    ¡°I always do, Gale. We are the only two left from our pack. I won''t betray you,¡± Jade smiled and watched him leap off her balcony and disappear into the night. She sipped her tea and muttered, "Unfortunately, I forgot to tell you one thing. Women in the Holy Achate are known to be promiscuous. Who knows if that mate of yours can resist another man''s temptation? I''m sure she will betray you first with infidelity.¡±


    66


    Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoy the story


    And thank you for your support-


    201

 Novel Mate 22

    22 Chapter 22: A Piece of Freedom (II)


    Swan woke up after a cold gust of wind came from the window. She was sleeping naked because Gale ripped her dress offst night, so she tucked the nket up to her


    shoulder.


    Unfortunately, she couldn''t get more sleep because the cat maids were already knocking.


    ¡°Princess, can we enter now? We need to prepare your warm bath.¡±


    Swan rubbed her eyes and sat on the bed. She pulled the nket to cover her body before allowing Myra and Maya to enter the room.


    Myra and Maya knew there must have been something happening between Princess Swan and their King the previous night, and that''s why they came prepared with a new dress and medicine in case the Princess got hurt.


    They were relieved when they saw Swan was unharmed, but to make sure, Myra


    entered the bathroom to prepare the warm bath while Maya stood next to the bed to


    ask, "Princess, are you hurt somewhere?"


    "Hurt? Uhm..." Swan shook her head in confusion. "I''m fine..."


    "Oh, Princess, I''m so relieved. You don''t understand how worried I wasst night," Maya


    said.


    "Worried? Why?"


    ¡°Because we thought that His Majesty was hurting you. Everyone in the castle was scaredst night, thinking that His Majesty would go into a frenzy and attack everyone on sight,¡± Maya said. Then, she quickly added. ¡°B-but it''s fine. He is not dangerous at all, as long as you don''t upset him much." z


    Swan frowned. She knew that she had upset the kingst night, but Gale didn''t hurt


    her at all.


    "Does he be dangerous when he''s upset?" Swan asked.


    "Well, nobody dares to anger him in this kingdom. But those who fought in a war with or against him said that His Majesty is vicious


    Swan could understand that. Though she had never been in any war, she had overheard many tales from the knights that all wars were cruel. Bloodshed and deaths were inevitable on the battlefield.


    20:25


    174


    22 Chapter 22: A Piece of Freedom (1)


    She was just wondering if Gale was equally cruel towards themon folks.


    Unfortunately, she had no time to ask because Maya came out of the bathroom and said, "The bath is ready, Princess. Please take a bath while we put your breakfast on the


    table."


    Swan nodded. She grabbed her crutches and then walked towards the bathroom.


    Maya and Myra watched over her, and once the Princess entered the bathroom, they looked at each other in doubt, "She''s alright, It seems. No wound whatsoever."


    "Does that mean all the roaring and yellingst night was just part of their y? I heard humans have many preferences. Maybe Princess Swan is letting our King know a few things."2


    Maya and Myra''s cheeks blushed as they had this strange thought of what was happening between the King and the Princess. They darted their eyes at the messy beds, and their cheeks turned even redder.


    In the end, they had to rush out of the bedroom so their mind wouldn''t run wild.


    **


    Swan finished her bath and dried herself while sitting in front of a mirror. She saw that her nipples were a little swollen after Gale kept on ying with them-fiddling and pinching, just to silence her.


    Once again, she was reminded ofst night and how Gale was angry at her despite her giving hi giving him such a tempting offer to sacrifice her body.


    ¡°He is strange. Aria and Queen Mother wouldn''t think twice about sacrificing me if necessary. Even my father wouldn''t be sad about my death, Swan murmured. ¡°Hm..... I think nobody would get upset about my death anyway, so why does he get so mad at my death?"


    Unfortunately, Swan still couldn''t get an answer to that question. So, she put that aside. and wore the dress that had been prepared.


    ¡°Mm... why is the dress a bit too exposed today?¡± Swan muttered as she saw the open-bosom style that would expose all of her shoulders and show her cleavage.


    It wasn''t umon in Holy Achate. Almost all of Aria''s dresses were this type, with open bosoms that showed half of her breasts.


    However, Swan was used to the maid dress that was all covered up, so she felt ufortable.


    20:25


    22 Chapter 22: A Piece of Freedom (1)


    Nevertheless, Swan didn''t dare toin. She wore it, ufortably trying to pull the dress up to cover her cleavage more.


    She walked out of the bathroom and saw all the assorted breakfast that had been prepared for her.


    Myra and Maya helped her to sit on a chair, and as Swan sat on the chair slowly, her dress slipped a little again, showing her cleavage.


    Swan''s cheeks reddened. She quickly tried to pull her dress up to cover herself before asking, ¡°Uhm, I''m sorry. Can I get another dress instead? This dress is too revealing for


    me."


    "But, Princess, this is what Lady Jade told us to prepare for you. She said that a noble or royal in your kingdom prefers this kind of dress,¡± Maya mentioned. ¡°If you don''t like it, then we can prepare another one-¡±


    (2


    ¡°N¨Cno need!¡± Swan stopped her immediately. She was scared that Lady Jade might find out that Swan was not a princess. That mysteriousdy was already suspicious of her background. She couldn''t afford to get exposed and angered Gale in the process. ¡°I¡ªI like this one. Thank you. 1


    Thus, Swan suppressed her difort and began to eat breakfast slowly.


    Maya and Myra looked at each other and stated, ¡°Princess, we got an order from His Majesty to let you roam around the castle freely."


    Swan dropped her spoon. She turned her head at the cat maids in disbelief, ¡°Really?!"


    "Yes, Princess. But you will be apanied by us and also by His Majesty''s powerful beta to serve as your guardian. He''s already outside, waiting for your permission to


    enter and introduce himself. 2


    Swan nodded without hesitation. She had been feeling guilty because she kept getting royal treatment-afortable bed, nket, soft dress, warm baths, and delicious food -without doing anything.


    She would use this opportunity to check the castle and maybe do something to repay such kindness. Maya and Myra opened the door, and a man walked into the room with an amicable. smile. He walked towards Swan and bowed politely before reaching to her hand and kissing it, "Good morning, Princess Swan. My name is Rock Silverfang, His Majesty''s beta and most importantly, your personal knight."

 Novel Mate 23

    23 Chapter 23: The Young and Carefree Beta


    Swan was stunned for a few seconds as she stared at this man who introduced himself


    as Rock,


    He was a tall, handsome man with chocte skin. What surprised her the most wasn''t his appearance but rather his youth.


    He had short hair, a boyish look, and a bright smile that reminded her of a young knight.


    She wondered if this man was around Aria''s age.


    Rock sensed the awkwardness from the Princess, so he thought he didn''t recite his ¡°knightly introduction perfectly.


    He wanted to repeat his introduction by kissing her hand first, which Swan quickly denied by pulling her hand off.


    ¡°Ah, sorry, Princess. Did I make a mistake in my introduction? I was told by Lady Jade that Holy Achate has people called knights, whose job is to protect the royal family,¡± Rock quickly returned to his real demeanor of a bright and chatty young man. ¡°I am His Majesty''s beta, or in your culture, I''m the highest-ranked knight. Even though I''m still young, you can count on me to protect you!" 2


    Swan froze on the spot. She wasn''t used to talking with such a chatty young man. She opened her mouth, wanting to introduce herself so as not to appear rude, but her words stuck in her throat.


    However, Rock didn''t seem to mind her silence at all. He continued chatting while standing in front of her, "This is the first time we met, but I''ve heard from His Majesty that you are a wonderfully beautifuldy. I can see he is right!"


    Swan''s heart exploded in an instant.


    This man was so upfront with his ttery that it caught Swan off guard. She knew that Rock was lying


    because Gale would never call her beautiful. Nobody would because she was ugly.


    Nevertheless, she couldn''t help but feel giddy when someone ttered her so


    enthusiastically, even though it was a lie.


    Swan slowly lowered her guard and cleared her throat, "T-t-thank you. J-just call me Swan."


    20:25


    1/44


    23 Chapter 23: The Young and Carefree Beto


    ¡°Absolutely not, Princess,¡± Rock refused. "That''s only reserved for His Majesty. Though, I''m happy you permitted me to call you by your first name. I guess we are closer than we thought then?"


    Rock was a little bashful, but he kept his high energy before continuing, "I''ve been instructed to apany you around the castle. As long as I''m with you, you are free to roam the castle and also a few areas outside."


    ¡°I¡ªI don''t need to be apanied,¡± Swan muttered. ¡°I''ll never be in danger.¡±


    "What are you saying. Princess? You are a human in the beastmen''s kingdom! Though His Majesty favors you greatly, some beastmen still hate humans,¡± Rock exined.


    His words made sense, but Swan felt that she had no worth, so there was no point in trying to harm her. It was like trying to harm an insignificant flea.


    "I''m using crutches. I walk very slowly," Swan muttered in a low voice as she felt insecure about her left leg, but Rock could still hear her clearly and replied;


    ¡°Well, His Majesty already told me about your condition, so I came prepared!¡± Rock nced at the cat maids, and they nodded before leaving the room.


    Theyter returned with an exquisite wooden wheelchair that seemed to have been owned by a king before, especially with thefortable cushion.


    ¡°I will push you around, Princess. Don''t worry, the cat maids will apany us, and they will carry the crutches for you," Rock said as he stood in front of the wheelchair and held the handle. "We can go after you have your breakfast."


    Swan nodded. She was happy with all the arrangements made only for her. Thus, she began to eat faster since she wanted to get out of the room quickly.


    However, she was disturbed by the fact that Rock and the cat maids were watching her as she had her meal. She grabbed two tes of meatloaf and offered it to Rock, and the cat maids, ¡°P-please have this.¡±


    "W-we cannot, Princess. We-"


    "Can I really eat this, Princess?"


    The cat maids were shocked when Rock epted the te immediately.


    "Yes, I can''t eat everything myself,¡± Swan replied with a relieved smile. She was d that Rock wasn''t as stiff as the cat maids. "Y-you can sit with me at the table, too."


    "Kaal Thank van Brinaaaalll Beale not at the table with hai


    ind than


    $90.25


    23 Chapter 23: The Young and Carefron Beta.


    meatloaf with his hands. ¡°Ah, I''m d that you''re not as uptight as I expected. I was worried because royals from the human kingdom usually have strict rules of etiquette."


    Swan wanted to say that she wasn''t a princess. She was just the daughter of a prostitute who happened to have been impregnated by thete king.


    Knowing she couldn''t say that, Swan kept her mouth shut and turned to the cat maids instead. ¡°You two should eat with me too."


    Maya and Myra shook their heads at the same time. Their faces paled a bit as they stared at the beta, Rock, in disbelief.


    ¡°We are full, Princess,¡± Maya politely refused.


    "Y-yes! We had our breakfast before attending to you!" Myra added. In the end, Swan and Rock were the only two having breakfast at the table. They looked very harmonious together, and the cat maids couldn''t be more frightened.


    Rock seemed to be oblivious to the cat maids re, stuffing his face with food that Swan offered a few times. However, Swan realized their re and asked, ¡°D-did I do something wrong?"


    "No, Princess," the cat maids replied in unison.


    "Then why are you ring at him?¡°


    23 Chapter 23: The Young and Carefree Beta


    Swan was stunned for a few seconds as she stared at this man who introduced himself


    as Rock,


    He was a tall, handsome man with chocte skin. What surprised her the most wasn''t his appearance but rather his youth.


    He had short hair, a boyish look, and a bright smile that reminded her of a young knight.


    She wondered if this man was around Aria''s age.


    Rock sensed the awkwardness from the Princess, so he thought he didn''t recite his "knightly introduction perfectly.


    He wanted to repeat his introduction by kissing her hand first, which Swan quickly denied by pulling her hand


    off.


    ¡°Ah, sorry, Princess. Did I make a mistake in my introduction? I was told by Lady Jade that Holy Achate has people called knights, whose job is to protect the royal family," Rock quickly returned to his real demeanor of a bright and chatty young man. ¡°I am His Majesty''s beta, or in your culture, I''m the highest-ranked knight. Even though I''m still young, you can count on me to protect you!" 2


    Swan froze on the spot. She wasn''t used to talking with such a chatty young man. She opened her mouth, wanting to introduce herself so as not to appear rude, but her words stuck in her throat.


    However, Rock didn''t seem to mind her silence at all. He continued chatting while standing in front of her, ¡°This is the first time we met, but I''ve heard from His Majesty that you are a wonderfully beautifuldy. I can


    see he is right!"


    Swan''s heart exploded in an instant.


    This man was so upfront with his ttery that it caught Swan off guard. She knew that Rock was lying


    because Gale would never call her beautiful. Nobody would because she was ugly.


    Nevertheless, she couldn''t help but feel giddy when someone ttered her so


    enthusiastically, even though it was a lie.


    Swan slowly lowered her guard and cleared her throat, ¡°T-t-thank you. J-just call me Swan."


    20:25


    1/44


    23 Chapter 23: The Young and Carefree Beto


    ¡°Absolutely not, Princess," Rock refused. ¡°That''s only reserved for His Majesty. Though, I''m happy you permitted me to call you by your first name. I guess we are closer than we thought then?"


    Rock was a little bashful, but he kept his high energy before continuing, "I''ve been instructed to apany you around the castle. As long as I''m with you, you are free to roam the castle and also a few areas outside." ¡°I¡ªI don''t need to be apanied,¡± Swan muttered. ¡°I''ll never be in danger.¡±


    "What are you saying. Princess? You are a human in the beastmen''s kingdom! Though His Majesty favors you greatly, some beastmen still hate humans," Rock exined.


    His words made sense, but Swan felt that she had no worth, so there was no point in trying to harm her. It was like trying to harm an insignificant flea.


    "I''m using crutches. I walk very slowly," Swan muttered in a low voice as she felt insecure about her left leg, but Rock could still hear her clearly and replied;


    "Well, His Majesty already told me about your condition, so I came prepared!" Rock nced at the cat maids, and they nodded before leaving the room.


    Theyter returned with an exquisite wooden wheelchair that seemed to have been owned by a king before, especially with thefortable cushion.


    ¡°I will push you around, Princess. Don''t worry, the cat maids will apany us, and they will carry the crutches for you," Rock said as he stood in front of the wheelchair and held the handle. "We can go after you have your breakfast."


    Swan nodded. She was happy with all the arrangements made only for her. Thus, she began to eat faster since she wanted to get out of the room quickly.


    However, she was disturbed by the fact that Rock and the cat maids were watching her as she had her meal.


    She grabbed two tes of meatloaf and offered it to Rock, and the cat maids, "P-please have this."


    "W-we cannot, Princess. We-"


    "Can I really eat this, Princess?"


    The cat maids were shocked when Rock epted the te immediately.


    "Yes, I can''t eat everything myself," Swan replied with a relieved smile. She was d that Rock wasn''t as stiff


    as the cat maids. "Y-you can sit with me at the table, too."


    "Kaal Thank van Brinaaaalll Beale not at the table with hai


    ind than


    $90.25


    23 Chapter 23: The Young and Carefron Beta.


    meatloaf with his hands. ¡°Ah, I''m d that you''re not as uptight as I expected. I was worried because royals


    from the human kingdom usually have strict rules of etiquette.¡±


    Swan wanted to say that she wasn''t a princess. She was just the daughter of a prostitute who happened to have been impregnated by thete king.


    Knowing she couldn''t say that, Swan kept her mouth shut and turned to the cat maids instead. "You two should eat with me too."


    Maya and Myra shook their heads at the same time. Their faces paled a bit as they stared at the beta, Rock,


    in disbelief.


    ¡°We are full, Princess,¡± Maya politely refused.


    "Y-yes! We had our breakfast before attending to you!" Myra added. In the end, Swan and Rock were the


    only two having breakfast at the table. They looked very harmonious together, and the cat maids couldn''t be


    more frightened.


    Rock seemed to be oblivious to the cat maids re, stuffing his face with food that Swan offered a few times. However, Swan realized their re and asked, ¡°D-did I do something wrong?"


    "No, Princess," the cat maids replied in unison.


    "Then why are you ring at him?¡±


    "It''s because I sit at the same table as you, Princess," Rock shrugged. He didn''t seem to be as oblivious as he


    looked, ¡°There aren''t many etiquettes in any beastmen''s culture. But the King of Beasts is revered. He is basically a God, so to have his mate having breakfast together with another wolf is treason. Or so they said.¡±


    Swan''s eyes widened. She panicked, thinking that Rock would get killed because of her ignorance, ¡°I¡ªI will tell His Majesty that I-I am the one who told you to have breakfast!"


    Rock chuckled, "No need to worry. Lady Jade told me that I need to be close to you so you will feel safe.


    That''s why, even though I''m your protector, just treat me as a friend, alright?"


    20:25


    o you so you will feel safe. That''s why, even though I''m your protector, just treat me as a friend, alright?¡±


    20:25

 Novel Mate 24

    24 Chapter 24: Carry Her


    "Y-you are not going to get in trouble?" Swan asked.


    "Nope! It''s fine! I''m sure His Majesty will be pleased to know that you made a friend here!" Rock assured.


    Swan was finally relieved, and so were the cat maids. The harmonious atmosphere around them returned, and they finished breakfast after a while.


    Rock got up and stood behind the wheelchair while the cat maids helped Swan to sit on the wheelchair. Swan felt a little awkward as she was ced in such a luxurious wheelchair. She had only ever seen this thing once in Holy Achate when the old duke used it at a party.


    "Uhm... are you sure I can use this?" Swan asked. "It feels too luxurious for me."


    ¡°It was a strange gift from a king of one kingdom that His Majesty conquered," Rock exined while pushing the wheelchair out of the room. The cat maids followed behind while carrying her crutches. "No beastman will ever use this, because we are a proud species, especially His Majesty. He is invincible."


    Swan had heard from the cat maids, and even Gale himself, that he was untouchable, and it seemed to be true. But it also raised her concern, "Then, what would happen if he gets defeated?"


    ¡°He has never known defeat. If he ever does, he would probably kill himself out of dishonor," Rock said leisurely. His eyes were still at the front, pushing the wheelchair towards the staircase. ¡°But you don''t need to worry about him. He will be fine."


    ''Since everyone believes that he will not be defeated, then I guess I should trust their judgment, Swan thought. She snapped out of her daze when the wheelchair stopped at the spiral staircase.


    "Hold tight, Princess. I will lift the wheelchair Rock stated before he lifted the wheelchair along with Swan on it effortlessly Swan held onto the armrest tightly, feeling that she might fall anytime.


    It took them a while until they reached the lower floor.


    Rock put the wheelchair down slowly, before checking on the Princess, ¡°Are you okay, Princess? You look pale."


    I-I''m okay...¡± Swan nodded. Her palms were sweating because she almost slipped out


    24 Chapter 24: Carry Her


    of the cushion a few times while descending


    ¡°Are you sure? We still have one more floor until we can get out of the castle."


    "She''s clearly not fine, Rock."


    Everyone turned their heads simultaneously towards a woman who stood not far from


    the staircase.


    ¡°G-Good morning, Mdy..." Swan politely bowed at Lady Jade, but thetter only gave


    her a thin smile.


    *I saw her almost slipping a few times from that wheelchair. You should''ve carried her and let the maids carry the wheelchair down instead. I''m sure it won''t be heavy... for us, at least,¡± Jade suggested.


    Swan''s heart skipped a beat. The idea of being carried by another man other than her husband was normally unthinkable in Holy Achate, but she wasn''t sure if it was the


    norm here.


    Nevertheless, she had to refuse, because she had to adhere to Holy Achate''s holy matrimony.


    ¡°L-Lady Jade, I d-don''t think it''s allowed for me to-"


    "Oh? Really? Can I do that?" Rock ignored her and asked Lady Jade. Thetter nodded.


    "Of course! I told you that Gale wants her to make friends, right?¡± Jade replied. She looked at Swan with an amicable smile and added, ¡°And it should be fine for you, Princess. Rock is very loyal to Gale, it would be bad if you refuse him."


    66


    Rock and Jade were looking at her expectantly. Swan was too scared to say no in front. of the oppressive Lady Jade, so she nodded weakly, despite her reluctance. a


    ¡°Alright, it should be safer like this," Rock said as he lifted her and carried her in bridal style.


    Swan swallowed her difort and joined her hands to cover her slightly exposed bosom while she was being carried by another man. She looked even paler than before, and Rock got worried.


    "Princess, did I hurt you somehow? I thought I was being gentle enough," Rock asked innocently.


    "Don''t mind her. She''s just a little shy. Now go, and carry her to the castle ground. She needs to understand our situation,¡± Lady Jade said before turning around and leaving.


    Rock carried Swan down the eniral staircases and sensed that the Princess was


    24 Chapter 24: Carry Her


    trembling in his arm. He looked down, and he was immediately attacked by two things.


    She had a strangely alluring, yet familiar scent that permeated from her body. It was faint, so Rock couldn''t identify it before, but now that she was in his arms, he began to feel a little dizzy for an unknown reason.


    He also noticed that she wore a low-cut dress that showed her cleavage. Rock halted his step as his brain simply stopped functioning for a few seconds.


    He might be young for a werewolf, but he wasn''t naive. He had seen a female human''s naked body a few times, and some beastmen species didn''t require them to wear any clothing.


    But why did Princess Swan''s body look very... attractive?


    Swan had been closing her eyes the whole time, but when she felt Rock''s arms. tightening around her body, she finally opened her eyes to check.


    "Rock?" Swan called out to him in a soft voice, looking at Rock who had been dazed for a few seconds. "I-is there something wrong?"


    Rock snapped out of his daze. He looked at the innocent princess, took a deep breath to control himself, and smiled, ¡°It''s nothing, Princess. I guess eating too much for


    breakfast makes me a little stupid now, hahaha!" (2


    Swan lowered her head, thinking that Rock was strange, but said nothing else.


    He carried her until they reached the pce ground where Swan met the eyes of many beastmen of various species. Most of them were probably guards or soldiers since they


    all looked robust.


    Apparently, she was right since they quickly rushed towards them and kneeled in front of Rock as their superior.


    "Young Master Rock, who is that female human in your arm? Is she your mate?"


    ¡°She looks beautiful! Should we throw a party Young Master?"


    "Oh, we should do that! Everyone has to know that Young Master Rock finally finds his


    mate!" 2


    Swan''s eyes widened. She was about to clear up the misunderstanding, but Rock beat her to it, "You shouldn''t say that again, or His Majesty will kill you on sight," Rock reprimanded them. He carefully put Swan


    in the wheelchair and then stood behind her. "This is Princess Swan, His Majesty''s first mate, and she is heavily favored. Apologize to her before I report this to His Majesty."


    20:25

 Novel Mate 25

    25 Chapter 25: Around the Castle


    "Our queen?¡± The beastmen looked at each other before staring at Swan. They all tacitly agreed that Princess Swan was gorgeous. Yet, she looked timid and feeble.


    Could a timid and weak human like her lead the kingdom?


    They all doubted it. O


    But of course, they dared not to voice their discontent. They kneeled lower and said in unison, ¡°Please forgive us, Princess!"


    There was no response from Swan, and the situation tensed. They apologized for the second time, but Swan still didn''t respond.


    Meanwhile, Swan was frozen on the spot. She nked out because everyone''s eyes were on her.


    It reminded her of that time when she was a child. Aria lied to everyone that Swan stole her ne, and the guards quickly surrounded her and beat her up before dragging her to the edge of a window. It had be a constant nightmare for her, and that nightmare still paralyzed her.


    ¡°Princess? Do you forgive them? If you are angry, I can punish themter on your behalf. I''m sure His Majesty wouldn''t mind," Rock said seriously.


    Swan snapped out of her daze and stammered her answer, "P-p-pardoned. L-1-leave


    now."


    "You heard her. You may leave now and spread to the others that I am Princess Swan''s protector. You are dismissed."


    Under Rock''s order, the beastmen soldiers quickly dispersed.


    Swan took a deep breath, relieved that she didn''t need to be the center of


    attention anymore.


    Rock pushed the wheelchair and said, "Sorry about that, Princess. They didn''t know better because His Majesty hasn''t announced your presence to the public yet. But worry not, everyone will know about you soon."


    Swan nodded weakly, but she doubted that.


    rece her soon with a better-looking mate, who


    She had a feeling that Gale wou een of Reacte


    would be more suitable to be the Queen of Reacts


    20:25


    25 Chapter 25: Around the Castle


    The day went on smoothly after that. Rock brought her to various locations around the castle. However, she wasn''t allowed to leave the castle as it might be dangerous, considering this domain was once a thriving city under Holy Achate''s order.


    "The beastmen outside are still very racist against humans. I can always protect you, but I don''t want to risk it,¡± Rock stated. "If you want to venture out of the castle, I can always tell His Majesty about it, and he will be the one to protect you. He is ten times stronger than me"


    "N-no need," Swan refused as she didn''t want to demand anything from Gale. She had been touring around the castle and realized the beastmen were very self-sufficient at everything. It made her feel a little sad because she wanted to be useful somehow.


    But her skill was simr to that of a maid, and she doubted Gale would need another one. Especially a crippled one like her.


    "The castle ground is not asvish as Holy Achate''s pce as this was once a border city before it got conquered by His Majesty a few months ago,¡± Rock exined as he foured her around the castle. ¡°You know, we beastmen, are used to living in small


    tribes in the forest. His Majesty is the one who unites us all under one banner. However, we are still ignorant of how humans can make everything look so shiny. His Majesty doesn''tck wealth and fellow beastmen to do hardbor. I hope you can use your general knowledge to decorate the castle and make it a grandiose ce."


    "I" Swan wanted to refuse, saying that she had no ability to do that. After all, she spent most of her time with the maids, or in the kitchen to hide from Aria.


    But she quickly changed her mind when she realized this might be one of the things she could do to repay all the good treatment she received from Gale.


    ''I can''t keep freeloading in his castle. I have to be useful somehow until Gale kills me as a sacrifice or something more usefulter on Swan told herself, and thus, she had the newfound resolution. She nodded and replied, ¡°I will try my best!¡± 2


    "Oh, really? Nice!" Rock grinned from ear to ear. "I will tell His Majesty and Lady Jade about thister. I''m sure His Majesty will be very happy about it!"


    Rock continued pushing the wheelchair until they passed a stone path leading to an area covered by lush trees outside of the castle.


    Rock didn''t say a thing about it, so she asked first, "Uhm... where is this stone path leading to?"


    ¡°Oh, that leads to a privateke used by His Majesty to clean himself. It''s off limits for


    anyone evrent him adv Tade and though Rock replied "What''s wrond Princess?


    24


    25 Chapter 25: Around the Castle


    Are you curious about it?".


    I¡ªIf it''s off limits, then I don''t need to know," Swan shook her head.


    "Hehe, it''s fine. You are his mate, I''m sure he will be more than happy to have you visit his privateke from time to time,¡± Rock teasel, causing Swan''s face to redden.


    "I-I don''t want to peek!" Swan denied, raising her voice for the first time. Rock giggled mischievously. "How about I help you to get there tonight? His Majesty wille tonight after a long day, and to have you in his privateke would be a pleasant surprise, right?¡±


    Swan looked over her shoulder while biting her lips. Her face was so red that people. might think she had a heatstroke, but Rock simply winked at her, "Just a little help won''t hurt."


    Swan wanted to reject the suggestion, but the idea of waiting for Gale in his privateke was exciting, so she nodded slowly.


    "Great! Well, we are done with the castle tour now, so I will carry you back to your room for lunch, Princess!" Rock eximed enthusiastically. ¡°I wille to your room again after dinner.¡±


    Meanwhile, the cat maids had been silently tailing them. They looked at each other. Howe Rock Silverfang seemed to be ten times friendlier than usual? Was it because it was His Majesty''s order, or was he simply fond of the beautiful princess?


    Hm- What''s in Rock''s mind?


    66


    Thank you for reading, and thank you for supporting me


    Apup


    Creator''s Thought

 Novel Mate 26

    28 Chapter 26: Aphrodisiac


    26 Chapter 26: Aphrodisiac


    The day passed, and Rock was on his way to Swan''s room to escort her, as promised.


    He whistled as he walked through the long corridor of the castle, and bumped into Lady Jade who was walking towards her room


    ¡°Ah, good evening, Mdy," Rock greeted politely as he knew that Lady Jade''s position was higher than his in front of His Majesty.


    Jade smiled thinly at the young beta and asked, "Where are you going?"


    "I''m going to escort Princess Swan to His Majesty''s privateke. She wants to surprise him," Rock replied.


    "I see. Well, it will take a while before His Majesty returns. Why don''t you have tea with


    me first?"


    "But I-"


    ¡°I also want to ask you a few things about her based on your observation," Jade said. ¡°His Majesty orders me


    to observe her because it''s our first time having a female human in our kingdom."


    Rock became tense immediately as he realized that Lady Jade was serious, and that magic word ''His Majesty''


    Was enough to make him obey whatever she said.


    In the end, he followed Lady Jade into her balcony where she had set up a table for a small tea break, with a ceramic teapot, and two ceramic cups which she imported from the eastern kingdom. There were also human-made sweet bites that Rock personally


    disliked.


    Jade sat at the table, and pointed at the chair facing hers, "Have a seat.¡±


    Again, Rock obeyed her order. He sat down and watched how Lady Jade poured him tea which had a strange purple color.?


    ¡°So, what do you think about Princess Swan?" Jade asked while pouring the same purple-colored tea into her teacup.


    ¡°I visited her room the day after she arrived, and she seems like a timid person.¡±


    Oh, I get that impression too from her. I think she is just timid because of the situation surrounding her kingdom."


    Rock nodded, ¡°She came here as a prisoner of war, so I don''t think her timidness is


    uninstified"


    20:25


    26 Chapter 26: Aphrodisiac


    "Is that so? But don''t you think it''s weird that she doesn''t have the arrogance befitting of a royal princess?"


    ¡°That''s true, but isn''t that a good thing? I would dislike her if she looked down on us, beastmen,¡± Rock hummed for a second while crossing his arms. He looked up, recalling his time with Princess Swan today. She is petite, has striking blonde hair, which is proof of her status as a princess in Holy Achate, and also has a gorgeous face. His Majesty must''ve been very fond of her because she looked like a cute deer. I have. to admit that even I can''t help but grow protective of her.¡±


    ¡°Oh? So you agree that she is gorgeous?" Jade grinned. "It seems that you have taken a fancy to her too."


    ¡°Wha¨CHah?!¡± That usation caught him off guard. ¡°W¨Cwhat are you saying, Mdy? How could I long for His Majesty''s mate? That''s treason!"


    Jade chuckled in response, "Don''t be so tense I won''t tell His Majesty about it."


    "But I don''t-


    "You carried her up and down the stairs, right? I know you must''ve been excited about it," Jade taunted, and she hit the jackpot when Rock went quiet. He lowered his head ashamedly. 1


    ¡°Oh? I guess I am right, after all. Don''t worry, understand your fascination with her. Despite her timidness, she''s one-of-a-kind beauty, I admit that. I know a young man like you will get excited even if she is not your mate."


    Rock couldn''t deny it either, because it was true that he got excited whenever he carried her up and down the stairs. Everything about her, from her strangely familiar scent, to innocent ocean eyes looking up at him, and her breasts that she desperately tried to cover.


    He would be lying if he said he wasn''t enticed


    But he knew his ce. He knew that he shouldn''t cross the line.


    ¡°Mdy, please refrain from ever speaking about this. Princess Swan is-"


    "A cripple."


    Huh? Why would you need to bring that up?"


    Jade sighed as she put a block of sugar into her tea and stirred it gently, ¡°I don''t understand why would Holy Achate give us a cripple as a prize of Gale''s victory. She might be pretty, but a cripple is still a cripple. It''s quite disgusting, don''t you think?"


    20:26


    26 Chapter 26: Aphrodisiac


    ¡°NO!¡± Rock denied vehemently. He looked genuinely angry and yelled at Lady Jade for the first time, ¡°It doesn''t matter if she can''t walk! I will carry her everywhere if I need


    to!" o


    Rock saw Lady Jade''s evil grin, and his eyes widened when he realized that she was just baiting him.


    "I see that you have been utterly fascinated by her," Jade muttered. She sipped her tea, then added, "It''s fine.


    I won''t tell His Majesty about this. I just want to know if you''re serious about protecting her since she is our asset."


    Rock''s brain turned to mush. He felt defeated but also embarrassed because he had identally admitted his fascination towards his Alpha''s mate.


    "I-I have to escort Princess Swan now. Please excuse me, Mdy."


    Rock got up, but before he left, Jade pointed at the cup of purple tea in front of him, ¡°You haven''t drunk that yet."


    I don''t like drinking tea."


    "It''s still a courtesy," Jade chuckled. "Or do you want me to tell His Majesty about this? Do you want to get severely punished over a cup of tea?"


    Rock gritted his teeth.


    He knew that Lady Jade was oppressive, but this was the first time he became the receiving end of her oppressiveness.


    He didn''t want to spend more time with her, as it would only confuse his heart even more. So he picked the teacup and drank everything in one big gulp before rushing out of her room.


    ¡°Have fun with her,¡± Jade said while watching him leave. Her eyes glinted with danger once he was away, and a malicious smirk appeared on her face. 1


    Jade picked up a block of sugar and ate it directly, "Fortunately, I put the antidote inside the sugar block, so I won''t have to suffer from the aphrodisiac."


    Jade looked at the purple-colored water in her teacup. She had put in a high dose of herb that could stimte the heat and rut of her kin-the werewolves.


    As long as Rock was in proximity of a female whom he fancied, he would eventually go into an uncontroble rut, and after that.....


    The worst could happen," Jade scoffed. "What will you do after your first mate is raped, Gale? I hope this will wake him up. He needs to stop caring too much about this


    20:25


    26 Chapter 26: Aphrodisiac


    feeble female and mark more women. As the curse dictates him to do.


    Oh no! What would happen next?!


    Comment


    Hello, Apup here!


    66


    Thank you for reading and supporting


    I''m very sorry for locking the chapter, because going premium means the novel will get more promotion

 Novel Mate 27

    27 Chapter 27: Beta in a Rut (1)


    Rock walked through the corridor to the Princess''s room in a not-so-great mood. 1


    He feltplicated after talking with Lady Jade, who had poisoned his mind and made him question his feelings for the Princess..


    Of course, Rock wasn''t stupid enough to try to touch her. Princess Swan was his Alpha''s mate. He respected and revered Gale so much that it was simply impossible for him to have crazy ideas regarding Gale''s mate 2


    At the same time, it also bothered him that Lady Jade kept on telling him that he was fascinated by Swan''s beauty.


    ''Am I really fascinated? She is beautiful, but surely I''m not that easy to like someone just because she''s a beauty, right?'' Rock asked himself but found no answer to his question. The more he pondered about it, the more confused he became.


    He kept contemting this until he stopped in front of Princess Swan''s bedroom, where the cat maids were standing outside, waiting for order.


    Myra and Maya bowed at Rock and stated, "You are a bitte. The Princess has been


    waiting."


    ¡°Haha, yeah, sorry about that," Rock resumed his energetic self. He knew these two cat maids and anyone who wasn''t a soldier didn''t respect him as much. In their mind, only His Majesty deserved their respect.


    He didn''t care much. It was just a part of their culture to only respect the strongest,


    and the rest were more or less equal.


    Myra and Maya opened the door for him, and Rock saw Princess Swan, still wearing the same dress that showed her cleavage, sitting in the wheelchair.


    Swan turned her head and smiled at Rock, "Thank you foring."


    Rock held his breath. He felt nervous for some reason, and the Princess'' voice didn''t help him.


    Princess Swan had a soft voice. Whenever she spoke, it felt like a feather was tickling his heart. She was timid and often stammered or spoke in a barely audible voice, even for beastmen who had sharp hearing.


    He didn''t pay much attention other than the fact that she sounded pleasant before, but now that his heart was confused, he found himself strangely excited to hear her


    (27 Chapter 27: Beta in a Rut (1)


    talk.


    ¡®Is this what His Majesty feels whenever he''s with the Princess? No wonder he specifically asked me to protect her, Rock thought. He masked all of his strange nervousness with his big smile and replied, "Sorry for beingte, Princess. Worry not, I''ve been informed that His Majesty is still on his way, so it''ll take him a while to reach


    the castle.


    "T-That''s good," Swan''s cheeks turned reddish as she was embarrassed at her own. thoughts. "I will be in your care..."


    Thus, Rock pushed the wheelchair and carried her down the stairs just like before.


    He didn''t feel much at first, other than the idea that she had a strangely familiar and alluring scent that he couldn''t identify. She kept on covering her cleavage while being carried. He couldn''t help but feel that her hands were preventing him from looking at something beautiful. 2


    Rock pushed the wheelchair from the castle ground up until the stone pathway leading to the area with lush trees before saying, "Princess, the maids can only apany you up until here because the area is forbidden for them."


    "It''s okay. They need rest, too," Swan responded calmly. She looked at the cat maids and smiled bashfully at them, ¡°Y-You two should take a rest first. Don''t worry, Rock can apany me."


    Myra and Maya looked at each other before turning at Rock.


    Truthfully, they didn''t trust anyone except His Majesty to be near the Princess, but since Rock had been assigned as her protector, they couldn''t say much.


    Thus, they excused themselves and left.


    Rock pushed the wheelchair through the stone pathway, and Swan found herself clenching her dress when they entered the forbidden area.


    The area was surrounded by tall trees with many branches. They were all making a big circle, covering the entire ce from any source of light until she saw a calmke in the middle of the shrouded area.


    The moonlight was reflected on the deep blue water, giving her a hint that theke was very deep. Not that she would ever try to swim since she was never taught how to.


    She found the area to be serene, a perfect ce to rest for someone like-Gale.


    Rock stopped the wheelchair at thekeside, allowing the Princess to bask under the


    20,200


    27 Chapter 27: Beta in a Rut (0)


    moonlight, and said, "You might''ve heard this from old tales, but we-wolf beastmen, have our own Goddess called Seline, the Moon Goddess. The moonlight fills us with strength, so His Majesty likes to bathe in here to rx and replenish his strength after a fight or a war."


    "I see..." Swan muttered. "I also like to stare at the moon. Sometimes I go out at night around the castle because I like the peace."


    Swan was half-lying when she said that. The other reason for her to go out of her room at night we because she was free from A''s Forment and was allowed to make something in the kitchen with the leftovers.


    She couldn''t bring a candle, so she usually relied on the moonlight to guide her through the night. In a way, the moon had be some sort of a friend for her.


    Swan began to lower her guard as she leaned on the wheelchair, staring at theke, and asked, ¡°Have you found your mate, Rock?"


    ¡°M-mate? Oh-uhh..." Rock was caught off guard by the abrupt question, especially when he had been staring at her boobs the whole time. He had been standing behind her, and his body started to get hot for an unknown reason. His eyes were also quickly directed at the exposed cleavage of the Princess. This angle gave him perverted imagery of what Princess Swan''s boobs looked and shaped when she was fully naked. He also wondered about her taste. Since she had such milky skin, then her body should''ve tasted like milk too, right?


    20.20


    Hello, Apup here!


    66


    Thank you for reading and supporting


    I''m very sorry for locking the chapter, because going premium means the novel will get more promotion

 Novel Mate 28

    28 Chapter 28: Beta in a Rut (1)


    28 Chapter 28: Beta in a Rut (II)


    Yes, a mate, Swan repeated while maging at theke. ¡°Gale told me that in


    your culture, mating means that we are going to be in a monogamous rtionship for the rest of our lives. But since he is cursed, he still needs to bark other women after me. You are not cursed, that means you will only have one mate, right?"


    "Y-yes. Princess. I... I will only have one mate that I can mark.....¡± Rock answered while staring at Swan''s nape which had a permanent bite mark on it, a sign that she was His Majesty''s mate.


    Despite knowing that, his mind was still clouded. He shook his head repeatedly, but still couldn''t get that dirty thought out of his mind.


    He looked down and realized that he was hard.


    "What is happening to me?! Why am I hard?! Rock panicked as he was losing control over his own body.


    He might be young and had high vigor as a strong werewolf, but he knew how to control himself until now. ''Damn it! Damn, what is wrong with me!?


    Rock bit his lower lip until it bled as if to suppress himself, but as time passed, his brain turned to mush and he almost couldn''t differentiate between reality and fantasy


    anymore.


    Meanwhile, Swan was oblivious the whole time.


    She smiled when she heard that Rock could only mark one woman. She had rxed her guard towards Rock after talking with him the whole day.


    The cat maids said that Rock would be around her age if he was a human, and thus there was less pressure between them.


    On top of that, Rock was a cheerful young man, which made it less stressful talking to himpared to Gale, since thetter always had that regal aura befitting of a king.


    Swan slowly began to consider Rock as a friend, or at least an acquaintance she could speak with.


    "Then your mate must''ve been a lucky woman, Swan said. ¡°To have someone only for yourself... that''s so romantic, don''t you think?"


    Of course, Swan had no intention of keeping Gale all for herself. She was grateful


    20:26


    28 Chapter 28: Beta in a Rut (11)


    enough to be allowed to live for an indefinite amount of time until Gale needed her for a sacrifice.


    She was simply fantasizing about the idea of having a husband all for herself.


    It didn''t need to be Gale.


    Just someone who would ept her for who she truly was, and wouldn''t hurt her.


    ''If only I could be that lucky girl. If I can be like A, who''s always loved and will marry a good man in the future. What a beautiful life would that be?''


    ¡°Have you found your mate, Rock?" Swan asked again, but this time she got no answer for some reason. She began to worry, thinking that she might''ve overstepped and acted too casual with him. "S-sorry, I didn''t mean to ask too much. I was... I was stupid. Please forgive me...


    There was still no response from Rock.


    ¡°Rock, are you alright? I''m sorry that I-¡± Swan looked over her shoulder, and she was stunned to see Rock was already in his werewolf form; he still stood on two legs, but his body was already full of brown wolf hair, and his face had turned into that of a real


    wolf.


    Rock looked down on her with his bloodshot, almost inhuman eyes. He bared his teeth, showing all his sharp fangs.


    Saliva was dripping from between his teeth and dropped on Swan''s shoulder. He growled before saying, ¡°Yes, I have found her. It''s you, Princess."


    Swan was stunned for a while until she quickly jumped from her wheelchair.


    Her face was deathly pale as she was so close to fainting, but she tried her best to crawl away from him and begged, "S-Stay away! Rock, w-what happened to you!?"


    Rock was unresponsive. He kept staring at the Princess who wanted to run away from him, and the desire to capture his prey heightened. He flung the wheelchair away, showing his lower body.


    Swan''s eyes widened when she saw his pants had been ripped, and his wolf dick was fully erect, even dripping at the tip.


    Swan realized what he was about to do. She tried desperately to get away from him, "G-get away from me, Rock! I''m Gale''s mate!"


    "Irgh! Aroh111h


    "Rock closed his eves He took a few steps hack while clenching his


    20:26


    274


    28 Chapter 28: Beta in a Rut (II)


    head. His gaze was still blurry, but he could see Princess Swan on the ground, staring at him with fear in her eyes.


    He gained some rity despite his strange ru, he took another step and said, ¡°I¡ªI''m sorry, Princess. I don''t know. I¨CI don''t understand why I am in a rut. Something ist wrong with me!"


    ¡°ARGH!" Rock was trying his best to fight the urge, but he felt like his consciousness was slowly crushed with each second passed. ¡°Leave! You need to leave, Princess!¡±


    Swan snapped out of her fear and tried her best to crawl away from Rock, whose eyes had gonepletely white. She learned that Rock had lost control over himself once again, especially when he bared his fangs at her while watching her crawl away pitifully.


    "Mate... MY MATE!" Rock howled, and his howl filled the night, alerting everyone in the castle. Then, he lunged towards Swan, ready to mark this woman as his own.


    Swan froze on the spot, too stunned to move as she could only stare at the wolf who lunged towards her with his mouth wide open and his ws unsheathed.


    She felt the world was slowing down, and her heart ached at the thought that this


    would be her end.


    It would be better if she was just killed, but judging from Rock''s condition, it was obvious that she would get raped and then killed.


    Even if Rock didn''t kill her, Gale would, because she would be deemed to be too dirty to


    be touched.


    She realized her fate had been sealed, so she closed her eyes as she braced for the pain. She wasn''t religious, but facing death, she prayed to the goddess that was worshiped by the people in Holy Achate.


    ''Oh revered Goddess Asmara, give me your light and protect me from evil!"


    Comment 13


    20:26

 Novel Mate 29

    Novel Mate 2


    29 Chapter 29: The Goddess'' Light


    29 Chapter 29: The Goddess'' Light


    [Music Rmendation: Elfen Lied - Lilium


    +95


    Rock''s w was only an inch away from Swan''s face when Swan''s hair suddenly turned bright, and a blinding light emanated from her body.


    *GRRHHH!¡± Rock felt there was a barrier around Swan''s body, and when he tried to break into the barrier, an unseeable force suddenly blew him away.


    ¡°ARGGH!!" Rock was thrown away until his back hit the tree behind him. He vomited blood as he felt that he had been punched by hundreds of invisible fists.


    However, thanks to the pain and the blood he vomited, he began to slowly regain his rity. His blurry gaze began to clear up as he kept staring at Princess Swan who was still closing her eyes, and the moment her body stopped emanating bright light, all the strange rut he experienced before had magically disappeared.


    Rock reverted to his human form, and he kept vomiting blood as he smiled


    apologetically at the woman he was supposed to protect, "Forgive me... princess..."


    And with that, Rock lost his consciousness.


    Meanwhile, at the castle, Gale had just finished fighting another rebellioning from lizard beastmen in the south marsh. He was bloody exhausted, and there was nothing that could make it better for him other than a bath, a nice meal, and his beautiful, yet timid mate.


    But when he jumped into the bedroom from the window, he didn''t see any sign of his mate anywhere.


    He could still faintly detect her unique scent, so Swan must''ve left the room not long ago.


    ¡°Swan?¡± Gale walked towards the bathroom, thinking she was inside, but there was not answer. So he opened the main door and saw the two cat maids already kneeling in front of him. ¡°Where is she?"


    ¡°P-Princess Swan is in your privateke, Your Majesty,¡± Maya replied.


    "She is there with Rock Silverfang. She said she wants to give you a surprise once you''ve arrived,¡± Myra added. They were holding their breaths because the blood of lizard beastmen on their King''s body made them


    nauseous.


    "A surprise?" Gale got excited. He thought that their rtionship souredst night,


    20-26-


    29 Chapter 29: The Goddess'' Light


    because Swan kept on talking about sacrifice and refused to drop the topic.


    But it seemed that she was just bored in her room. So, giving her a bit of freedom was all it needed to make her happler.


    Thus, Gale''s lips curled up a bit and he said, see. Then I will-"


    AWOOOO!!


    Gale turned his head when he heard that haunting howling from the privateke.


    Of course, he could identify that howl immediately, because he was the one who subjugated his young beta, Rock Silverfang.


    It was a howl of a young wolf finding his matel


    Gale had a bad feeling about this, so he rushed towards the window and shifted into his bipedal werewolf form mid-air.


    He rushed towards his privateke, and his heart dropped when he saw Swan, cowering at thekeside while covering her head. Her body was shaking, and she was sobbing as if she had just seen something horrible.


    A few meters from her, Rock was lying on the ground, unconscious and naked.


    ¡°Grrhhh...¡± Gale sheathed his ws. He was unsure what was happening here. Because his initial thought was his beta went rogue and wanted to rape his mate.


    But seeing how Rockid unconscious, he might''ve guessed wrong.


    Nevertheless, he rushed towards Swan and slowly returned to his human form so as not to frighten his timid wife who wouldn''t be able to endure his overwhelming aura.


    He kneeled right in front of Swan and hugged her tightly.


    Swan jolted for a second as she was frightened, thinking it was Rock who was about to


    kill her.


    But then, Gale said, "Wife, tell me what happened."


    Swan slowly opened her eyes, she looked up, staring at Gale with tears flowing from the corner of her eyes.


    She opened her lips, but could not utter a single word. It was so traumatizing for her. She also didn''t understand what just happened after Rock lunged at her, because at that time, she had already braced for the pain


    Gale sensed the overwhelming fearing from her. So he hugged her tighter and patted her back. ¡°I think it''s best for you to go back to your room first. Don''t worry


    20:26


    ¡û¡û


    29 Chapter 29: The Goddess'' Light


    about anything, and tell me once you''ve calmed down.¡±


    Swan was still sobbing, but her tense body gradually softened while being embraced by


    Gale.


    "What is happening here?"


    Gale turned his head, and saw Jade with a few guards behind her, ¡°I heard a howl in your privateke, so I rushed with a few guards since I know it''s not your howl."


    Gale pointed at the unconscious beta with his chin, ¡°I don''t know what happened either. Rock was already unconscious when arrived, and my mate is crying."


    ¡°Oh.......¡± Jade didn''t sound surprised. She paused for a second and asked, ¡°Is she hurt?¡±


    ¡°No. She''s fine,¡± Gale replied. But he didn''t pay attention to Jade. He carried Swan, then turned towards Jade to give an order, "Take Rock Silverfang back to the castle and nurse him if he''s wounded. I have a few questions to ask. I don''t sense any intruder in my domain, but go and patrol the castle andke to make sure."


    Jade wasn''t happy seeing the trembling but unharmed little woman in Gale''s arms, but


    Gale didn''t notice her unhappiness because he was too focused on her.


    "Understood," Jade nodded. ¡°I''ll handle it. You should go now""


    Gale nodded, and he leaped into the woods, rushing back to the castle.


    Jade gritted her teeth. She didn''t know what went wrong during the process. Because she expected Gale to witness Rock defiling his mate, making him too disgusted to touch Swan after this and ditch that bitch.


    But she was also confused with the unconscious beta.


    "There is no way that a weak human can fight against a powerful young wolf in his rut. So what went wrong?" Jade was frustrated because she had no answer to it.


    ¡°What should we do next, Mdy?¡± one of the guards asked.


    Lade Jade nced at Rock and ordered, "Bring him back to the castle, tie him up, and tell me when he regains consciousness."


    ¡®I will make sure he won''t say a thing to Gale!


    20:26

 Novel Mate 30

    30 Chapter 30: Fools!


    Gale jumped from one balcony to another until he reached their bedroom window.


    Swan was trembling the whole time, even when he carefullyid her on the bed. Gale gritted his teeth as he didn''t know what to do right now to calm her down, because the more he touched her, the more she would tremble.


    Thus, he decided to just check on her condition. He didn''t see anything wrong with her, except with the dress that was a little too revealing for his taste. There was no scratch, not even the dress was ripped whatsoever.


    So, she waspletely unharmed from the outside.


    "Did you get hurt somewhere?" Gale asked, and Swan shook her head.


    "Then what happened in theke just now? Did Rock hurt you?" Gale asked. Swan shook her head again, but Gale didn''t believe her this time. He knew that Rock''s threatening howl was a sign that he had found his supposed mate, and threatened everyone who dared to touch her. ¡°Be honest with me, Swan. I will kill him if you want


    him to die."


    "N-n-no. H-he didn''t hurt me- Swan finally opened her lips. Because she didn''t want to hurt someone who truly didn''t hurt her. However, looking at Gale''s judgmental eyes, she realized that she needed to be honest, ¡°He... he suddenly shifted into a wolf, w-with his sharp teeth baring at me, and his t-t-that part fully hard. Then he attacked me. I just closed my eyes because I was afraid, so I didn''t know what happened until you hugged me."


    Gale kept on staring at Swan''s expression. He wore a blindfold, but his eyesight was crystal clear, and with his bond with Swan, he should be able to tell if she was lying or


    not.


    He realized that Swan wasn''t lying, but that only raised more questions as to what truly happened at theke just now.


    I guess I could only get the answer from Rock, Gale thought. He carefully caressed her cheek and then kissed her lips to calm her down. Swan slowly stopped trembling, but her heart was still beating uncontrobly.


    "Calm down, Swan. You are safe here," Gale assured. "I will tell the cat maids to prepare


    a warm bath for you, and then you can rest. Iwill be out for a moment to interrogate


    20-20


    30 Chapter 30: Fools!


    my beta, but I''ll be back as soon as possible."


    Swan nodded, but before he got up from the bed, she grabbed his wrist and asked, "C-c-can I... get a new dress? I... I don''t like this one..."


    "You don''t like it?" Gale frowned. "I thought it was you who picked it."


    Swan shook her head, "I-I was given this one don''t like it, because m-my breasts...."


    Gale''s gaze cooled off seeing the exposed cleavage. He was patient because he didn''t want to get angry at


    Swan''s choice of dressing because he didn''t know the culture of the people in Holy Achate.


    Now that Swan said she didn''t pick the dress herself, he began to wonder if someone was trying to expose her sweet body to the public. 9


    "I will get it done. You should rest for now."


    "T-thank you... Gale..." Swan murmured before she let him go.


    He got up and stared at Swan for a few more seconds.


    He feltplicated right now. He was ready tosh out at his beta if he dared to touch his mate, but looking at the situation right now, he wasn''t sure which one to me or if it was justified to get angry at Rock.


    Nevertheless, he didn''t want his mate to get hurt, so he left the room to talk with the


    cat maids outside.


    Myra and Maya were trembling as it gradually became difficult for them to breathe.


    Gale was suppressing his aura with Swan around, as he didn''t want to make her faint like what happened in the carriage before.


    But he didn''t have any intention to suppress his aura in front of others.


    Gale looked down at the kneeling cat maids and asked, "Who told you to give her that dress? My mate told me it wasn''t her choice."


    Maya was trying her best to answer without stammering because the overwhelming auraing from their King''s body made it impossible for them to even lift their heads.


    "I-It was Lady Jade. She told us it''s what the nobles and royals in Holy Achate usually wear," Maya replied. ¡°W¡ªwe are just following orders, Your Majesty."


    ¡°Did you ask Swan about her opinion?"


    "P-Princess Swan didn''t say anything..."


    20:26


    30 Chapter 30: Fools!


    "YOU FOOLS!"


    ¡°Urk!¡± Maya''s gaze began to blur as it was really difficult for her to breathe right now, she nced at her twin sister and saw Myra was already on the brink of losing


    consciousness.


    "You are serving my mate, my wife, Swan of Holy Achate. Not Jade!" Gale scolded. He didn''t care about them almost losing their consciousness, it was these fools who had their priority wrong. They should''ve cared about Swan''s opinion above all else!?


    ¡°S-s-spare us. Your Majesty,¡± Myra and Maya said weakly.


    "Go and tend her, make sure to close the windows and tell two eagle beastmen to stand guard on top of her tower. This is yourst warning," Gale ordered before he rushed downstairs to talk with Jade.


    Maya and Myra continued kneeling until their King was far away, then fell on the floor with blue faces. They really thought that they''d die while facing His Majesty''s wrath.


    Meanwhile, Jade was in the dungeon under the castle where they held prisoners. She told the guards to tie Rock''s limbs with strong chains, as he was the second most powerful after Gale in their kingdom. She also forced the unconscious Rock to drink a muscle rxant that she made herself so he wouldn''t be able to break free.


    It didn''t take long for Rock to regain his consciousness.


    He slowly opened his eyes, and as his gaze cleared up, he saw Lady Jade smiling at him. His eyes turned red instantly as he yelled at her.


    "YOU! YOU POISONED ME!"


    5:20:26


    66


    0_0


    Oh no, what would happen to Rock?


    Thank you for reading!


    Please give this novel your support, and I hope you enjoyed it!


    Apup

 Novel Mate 31

    31 Chapter 31: Rot in This Dungeon


    31 Chapter 31: Rot in This Dungeon


    "Poisoned you? What makes you think I can do that?" Jade asked, but that sly smile was


    permanently pasted on her face as if she knew it was not worth trying to convince


    Rock the other way. (1


    It wasn''t difficult for Rock to connect the dots once he realized that his sudden rut must''ve been caused by a medicine that would stimte it. It should be practically impossible for him to go into a rut with a marked woman. 1


    And thest thing that he consumed was the tea that Jade made.


    It was obvious that Lady Jade was trying to set him up so he would rape an innocentdy. But why? What did he do wrong to make her do this?


    Jade raised her brow and chuckled, "Don''t give me that look, Rock. Would it be better if I admit it now? Yes, I put stimnt in that tea, so you will go into a rut and rape that woman until she''s too dirty to be touched by Gale."


    "Why?" Rock gritted his teeth. ¡°Why are you doing this to me?!¡±


    "You''re not the main target. You are just a tool for me to achieve what I want,¡± Jade replied lightly. "I thought it''d be easy for you, but it seems you are far weaker than I thought. Why else is that crippled woman still unharmed now?" 3


    "YOU BITCH! YOU ARE CRAZY!" Rock tried to attack Jade, but the chain held him on the spot. "GRRHHH!"


    Rock tried to break free, but the more he resisted, the weaker he felt.


    "Don''t even bother trying. You already drank a muscle rxant just now. You won''t be able to fight back," Jade replied coldly. She stomped him on the shoulder to make sure he sat down, then added, "If you want to be spared, why don''t you tell me what happened? Howe you are the one who gets wounded instead of her?"


    Rock recalled the scene at theke.


    He remembered the bright light emitted from Princess Swan''s body and how she seemed to have a mysterious power that gave her an invisible barrier that pushed him away.


    He wasn''t sure if Princess Swan was hiding her power the whole time because everyone thought that she was just a normal human. Regardless, there was no way i hell Rock would tell Lady Jade about this, knowing that she had a bad intention toward the innocent petite princess.


    10:11


    31 Chapter 31: Rot in This Dungeon


    "So, you


    are going to stay silent about it, huh Jade scoffed. "Did you actually fall in love with her? It''s unbelievable knowing that a crippled human can make you do something crazy such as defying me.¡±


    ¡°And who are you exactly? You are NOT my Luna!¡± Rock snapped back. ¡°Gale didn''t mark you, so you have no right to tell me what to do. I am obligated to protect my real Luna instead, and that woman is Princess Swan!"


    ¡°SILENCE!¡± Jade snapped when Rock dared to pour salt on her injury. She had been bitter about it, and the more she thought about a crippled, weak human like Swan standing side by side with Gale, the angrier she felt. ¡°It doesn''t matter if Gale still likes his human toy for now. He still has to mark many women in the future. Your sacrifice for that cripple will be in vain.¡± (


    "The reason why I am willing to be Gale''s beta is because I stand with the strong and fair. You are neither strong nor fair," Rock sneered. "So, do your worst. I don''t care."


    Jade knew that Rock''s life was in her hands, yet she only felt frustrated when she realized that Rock''s resolve was far stronger than she thought.


    He didn''t even try to beg for his life.


    "I''cannot kill you, or else Gale will suspect something. So I will make sure your life is worse than death,¡± Jade stated as she snapped her fingers. Two guards came into the prison cell, with one of them carrying a bottle of unknown liquid. ¡°This is a poison I personally made. It will destroy your voice box, making you permanently mute. I will also make sure the guards keep feeding you a high dose of muscle rxant, so you will never be able to get out of this prison or tell Gale about anything.¡±


    "This is yourst chance, Rock," Jade said calmly. "You can tell me everything that happened at theke and vow your loyalty to me instead, or you will defy me and rot in this dungeon for the rest of your life."


    Logically, a smart person would choose to obey Jade to save his life.


    But Rock was far too proud. He was born and raised as an Alpha before he got subjugated by someone stronger than him, so he would only follow the strong, not the cunning.


    He stared at Jade hatefully and spat on her, ¡°Eat shit and die."


    Jade''s lips thinned as she stared at her dress that had been stained by his spit. She realized that Rock would never give in, so there was no point in negotiating.


    She turned around and then ordered, "Feed him both poison. Then knock


    10:11


    out


    214


    cold."


    31 Chapter 31: Rot in This Dungeon


    Jade walked out of the prison cell, ignoring the grunts and roaring from Rock, who was struggling to break free.


    She didn''t care about that young beta. Gale had a lot of wolves that he had subjugated. Many of them wanted to be his beta, so it was never a problem.


    She was more worried about Swan because she didn''t know what truly happened at theke and how Swan was saved from a powerful werewolf in his rut.


    ''Does she have any hidden power I didn''t know of? But she''s just a normal human. Nobody in Holy Achate has that kind of power, even their supposed ¡®holy priests¡°, Jade pondered. She grew wary of Swan, but without any new information about that crippled princess, she couldn''t do much.


    ''Should I poison her? No, it''d be too obvious, and I don''t know how Gale would react.


    "Where is he, Jade?"


    Jade raised her head and saw Gale, who was already standing at the dungeon entrance.


    Gale had his arms crossed over his chest and repeated his question, ¡°Why did you put Rock in the dungeon without my permission?"


    66


    Thank you for reading and thank you for your support I hope you enjoyed the story so far!


    Comment 27

 Novel Mate 32

    32 Chapter 32: Ungrateful Prick!


    32 Chapter 32: Ungrateful Prick!


    ¡°Why did you put Rock in the dungeon without my permission?¡±


    Lady Jade paused when she heard that question. She got nervous, thinking that Gale might have identally heard her conversation with Rock just now.


    But since he didn''t attack her immediately, it was safe to assume that Gale didn''t have a single clue about the poison, right?


    Thus, Jade calmed down and replied, ¡°I can''t help it. He is too far gone.¡±


    "Too far gone?¡± Gale frowned. He remembered that Rock was just unconscious at theke, but not dying.


    Sensing Gale''s doubt, Jade quickly added, ¡°He woke up not long after we carried him back to the castle, and then he started growling at all of us, even wanting to attack me before the guards suppressed him at the same time. We have to put him in the _dungeon after that."


    ¡°[


    gave him a dose of muscle rxant so he wouldn''t be too feral, but he has been refusing to speak after he calmed down,¡± Jade shrugged. "There is no way to know what truly happened at theke if he keeps his mouth shut."


    ¡°Let me talk to him then. He is a proud young man, so he probably doesn''t respect you as much," Gale said coldly. "I have to know why he attacked my mate."


    "He probably does it out of lust. He''s a young man, so he can be out of control sometimes," Jade said. She kept blocking the path leading to the dungeon, hoping that Gale would just turn around and stop questioning.


    Jade had known Gale for so long, and he was the type who didn''t care about many things, especially stuff that gave him a headache. That was the reason Jade existed, to handle the head-banging matters. (2)


    Contrary to her expectation, Gale didn''t back down now, "Step aside, Jade. I will talk to him."


    Lady Jade''s body tensed. She wondered if the mute poison had already taken its effect since she couldn''t afford to be caught red-handed now.


    "I''ll handle this. You should rest, Gale. You are still covered with lizard blood. Besides, you are also-Ah!" Jade was caught off guard when Gale grabbed her arrand pushed her to the side before walking towards the dungeon. ¡°G-Gale, what is wrong with you?!"


    10:11


    32 Chapter 32: Ungrateful Prick!


    "I told you I want to know what happened to my wife," Gale repeated. He halted his step and then looked over his shoulder, ¡°And don''t think that you are safe from this, Jade. I also have a question for you."


    Jade froze on the spot, staring at Gale who walked deeper into the dungeon towards the prison cell where Rock was detained. She clenched her fist as frustration welled up in her, and she was afraid of the idea of Gale knowing the truth.


    She had been by his side ever since they were young. It had always been Gale and Jade, and they were meant to be Alpha and Luna before he got cursed, and now he couldn''t identify which one was his fated mate.


    2


    Jade knew that she wasn''t the one, because he had zero urge to mark her. They were ipatible. 2


    But that didn''t mean she couldn''t stay by his side forever as his most trusted aide.


    So, what would happen if Gale knew that she nned to force Rock to rape Swan?


    Lady Jade shivered out of fear, but she could only wait until Gale finished interrogating Rock. She shoulde up with a good reason for when he interrogated her.


    Gale opened the prison cell. He stood in front of Rock whose limbs were chained with steel chains. Rock''s head drooped as he had been given a muscle rxant, just like what Jade said.


    But that didn''t mean he couldn''t speak at all, right?


    Thus, he called him, ¡°Rock Silverfang. Raise your head."


    Rock lifted his head obediently, as he had a deep respect for his Alpha.


    Rock''s eyes were crystal clear. Gale knew that his beta was fully conscious right now.


    Gale looked down on him with his imposing figure, like a God ready to bestow judgment,


    "Tell


    me what truly happened. Whether I will spare you or not, depends on your next answer," Gale said solemnly.


    Rock opened his mouth, but just as he expected, he couldn''t say a thing. His voice box had been destroyed by that mute poison. 2


    Gale sensed that Rock was trying his best to speak to no avail, so he ordered him, ¡°I will ask you a question, and you can answer it with a nod or head sh


    Understood?"


    10:11


    <


    32 Chapter 32: Ungrateful Prick!


    Rock nodded.


    Gale had a lot of questions in mind, but he started with, ¡°Did you n to attack my wife


    at theke?"


    Rock shook his head.


    "Did you lose control over yourself at theke?"


    Rock nodded.


    Gale began to get a gist of the situation. It seemed that Rock had truly gone out of control for an unknown reason. It was almost impossible for a young wolf to get into a rut with his Alpha''s mate.


    Unless...


    Gale took a deep breath as he prepared for the worst, "Did you fall in love with my


    mate?"


    There was no answer from Rock this time, which basically confirmed it.


    Gale clenched his fists. He began to grunt as he held back his rage, ¡°Answer me!"


    Rock hung his head low this time. He was too ashamed to admit it, but he was also confused with his own feelings. Did he actually fall in love with Princess Swan?


    If he shook his head, then he would be lying because he did lust over her, and genuinely admired her beauty. He was also allured by her strangely familiar scent.


    Rock had always been very honest to a fault, so Gale already had an idea in his mind.


    "Grrh!" Gale kicked him in the stomach, and the young beta grimaced in pain. ¡°Ungrateful prick! You dare to lust over my wife!" (1


    Rock had fully resigned to his fate if he died in Gale''s hand. After all, he was stupid enough to get trapped by Lady Jade. He was so careless that he almost killed the woman he was supposed to protect.


    If death could pardon his carelessness, then so be it. 3


    10:12)

 Novel Mate 33

    33 Chapter 33: Lady Jade''s Bitterness


    Rock closed his eyes, ready for the pain to take him out in an instant.


    But there was no pain, and after that initial kick, Gale didn''t do anything else.


    Rock raised his head and stared at his Alpha with a questioning gaze.


    Gale''s chest heaved up and down as he was still suppressing his rage. It would be very easy to kill Rock, but he knew the repercussions.


    He''d have to fight against Rock''s entire pack who''d want to avenge his death, and although Gale could handle them just fine, it would take his time away from his mate.


    It had only been two days since Swan came to his kingdom, and she was already talking about sacrifice. Now she even got attacked by his Beta.


    ¡°You are lucky that my mate is unharmed. You''d be the first to die if I see a scratch on her body," Gale said coldly. "I don''t know what happened to you, and how you could lose your voice, but if you still have something else to tell me, then nod."


    Rock nodded again.


    He didn''t feel wronged to be imprisoned in this dungeon, because he had failed his duty. However, he refused to let Jade off the hook.


    That bitch was the reason for everything. If he had to rot in here, then she should be as


    well.


    Gale''s body tensed even more now. He had a gut feeling that Jade must''ve done something, but he still had his goodwill towards her, because they grew up together and were the only two left from their pack.


    "What did she do? Did she set you up? Did she poison you?"


    Rock nodded, but he didn''t know how to specify what kind of setup Lady Jade did to


    ensure that he would attack Swan. (3)


    Gale didn''t need any more answers from him. He quickly turned around and mmed the prison door shut. He took big steps to the dungeon''s main exit and asked the guard who quickly fell on their knees as the Beast King''s choking aura kept getting stronger.


    "Where is Lady Jade?"


    ¡°She has returned to her room, Y-Your Majesty... urk!¡± The guard was trying his best to get some air into his lungs and was finally sessful in doing so when the King was far


    away from them


    10:12


    33 Chapter 33: Lady Jade''s Bitterness


    The guards looked at each other in horror. They could tell from the King''s aura that he was about to rip someone in half.


    Gale ignored all the people who fainted as he passed them with his overwhelming aura. It was part of his curse, and it showed the great disparity between him and the rest of the beastmen. He had been suppressing his aura around the castle for Swan these days,


    but not now.


    He was pissed, knowing that Jade was trying to hurt his mate. (4


    Gale kicked Jade''s bedroom door open and saw thedy sitting on the balcony with her


    tea as usual.


    Gale strode to the balcony, and mmed the table as he asked, "What did you do to


    Rock?"


    "Calm down. I''m sure there''s a misunderstanding here," Jade replied. But her hand holding the teacup was trembling because of his aura, and also the fear that he would find out about everything. Nevertheless, Jade was a diplomat so she knew not to show too much fear before someone''s intimidation. "Why don''t you sit and have a cup of tea with me first? I''m sure that you can calm down after that-!" 1


    Gale grabbed the table full of assorted snacks and tea, then threw it out of the balcony in one hand. (3) Jade was stunned, and now her n to use an herb inside her tea to calm him down failed instantly. D ¡°Stop with this bullshit, Jade. Tell me what poison you put in Rock''s body?¡±


    Jade swallowed her saliva hard, and then sighed pitifully, ¡°Alright, I admit it. I poisoned his mind. I asked him about his seriousness in protecting Swan because she cannot walk without her crutches or a wheelchair. Rock seemed very adamant about protecting her, to the point of fascination, so asked him if he fell in love with Swan."


    "He doesn''t answer me directly at first, but finally admits it after a while. It''s not my fault that he cannot control himself after that" Jade shrugged. "I don''t understand you, Gale. You know I have your best interest in mind, why would you think I''d harm your


    mate?"


    ¡°My best interest in mind? Hah!" Gale sneered. "Then tell me, Lady Jade, why did you give a revealing dress to my mate? She told me that she doesn''t like it and the cat maids said it''s you who handed them the dress." "That''s the dress the noble used in Holy Achate! Have you seen the dresses she


    33 Chapter 33: Lady Jade''s Bitterness


    +23


    brought? They all look like maid dresses!" Jade defended herself. "I''m just trying to make her look presentable, so why am I the one to me here? Do you think I''m going to harm her?¡±


    Jade squeezed a bit for tears from the corner of her eyes. It was difficult to sympathize with a cripple, but she had to look convincing for Gale. (2


    Gale''s lips thinned.


    He seemed to be in deep thought as he said, "Whether you intend to harm her or not, the result is still the same. Swan was about to get attacked by Rock, and you are a part


    of it."


    ¡°But I never have any bad intentions! Will you ditch our long rtionship just because of a misunderstanding?!"


    Gale fell into a deep thought once more.


    He might be ruthless at war, but he wasn''t the best at handling matters in the kingdom, so it all fell into Jade''s hands. 4


    Perhaps this was time to limit a part of her sovereignty, so even her whimsical words wouldn''t be taken too seriously by everyone.


    Thus, he finally came up with a decision, "Swan is my mate, and my priority. So, I''d prefer to see you active on missions out there. Go to the east, and handle the newly established rtionship with the kingdom of the east. I will handle matters here with Swan for the time being." (5)


    66


    Is it the correct decision made by Gale?


    7


    Apup


    Creator''s Thought

 Novel Mate 34

    34 Chapter 34: ceholder


    Jade went quiet after that.


    Of course, she knew what this meant.


    Gale had sidelined her-someone who had been sticking with him through his whole journey until he could build a kingdom for the beastmen¨Cfor a crippled mate who wasn''t even his real fated mate.


    Her gaze cooled off after Gale passed his judgment, and she said, ¡°I see that you care for her. Do you not realize that you''re only digging a deeper hole for yourself?"


    "It''s not your problem," Gale retorted.


    ¡°It is my problem, Gale. Your curse forces you to mark as many women as possible. That''s why I don''t want you to get too attached to Swan or any of your mates in the future. You are not supposed to love them! They are just tools to vent your rut so it won''t kill you!"


    Gale knew Jade was right, and it would be wiser to keep her around in case of any problem that he couldn''t finish with intimidation or brute force alone.


    But he still didn''t trust herpletely. His senses were telling him that Jade was hiding something, and it might harm Swan in the process.


    When faced with the idea of Swan getting hurt, his hesitation quickly disappeared as he kept his decision final, ¡°You are going to the east by the morning. I will handle the


    rest from now on."


    Gale turned around, ready to leap out of the balcony to take a bath at theke and return to his mate. However, Jade refused to let him off the hook easily. There was no way she''d allow Swan to have him all for herself, even though she was nothing but a ceholder. "You are getting illogical, Gale," Jade stated. "She is not your fated mate. There''s no reason for you to get so attached and so in love with her.¡±


    "Besides, what will you do when your rutes again? Do you think that woman is enough for you? We both know the answer to that," Jade scoffed. "I didn''t know that you''re a hopeless romantic who''d fall in love with a random woman after two days of marking her."


    34 Chapter 14 ceholder


    "She is not a random woman."


    "So does the next woman you will bite, Jade rebuked sharply. "You think getting rid of me will solve your problem, but you should realize that you''re only digging your grave with this. In the end, the problem still lingers Do you need to love a ceholder like


    Swan?"


    Gale didn''t answer that question. He simply leaped out of the balcony in silence.


    Jade sneered in disdain.


    "You will see that I am right, Gale. Even if you get rid of me, I will return with your new mate,¡± Jade muttered. "It''s unfair that you can love someone deeply while I am left in


    the dust."


    **


    Gale returned to theke to wash himself. He saw the wheelchair that Swan used, which had been destroyed. It seemed that Rock had flung it when he was in a rut.


    ''At least she is unharmed. That''s the most important thing, Gale thought as he took off his blindfold and dipped into theke. He emerged to the surface with his eyes wide open. He looked down, staring at his reflection in the water, which showed a pair of beautiful ruby eyes that might kill Swan on sight if they made direct eye contact without the blindfold. 3


    Gale scoffed self-deprecatingly, "What a pair of useless eyes. I can''t even identify my fated mate because of that damned curse."


    He hated the curse, but he had no one to me but himself because he was the one who traded everything for overwhelming strength. He would always be the strongest but also the loneliest.


    In his culture, the moment he marked Swan, then it would be them against the world. She should be his one and only, but the current him didn''t even know if she was his


    fated mate. 2


    Perhaps Jade was right.


    ''She is just a ceholder, just like the rest of the women I will mark until I find my fated mate.....''


    3


    The grim realization depressed him, so he decided to finish the bath early and wore his blindfold once more.


    94 Chapter 34 Pismolder


    He wore his trousers, then went up to Swan''s bedroom to check on her.


    He leaped to the window and saw Swan sitting on the bed with a loose night dress that covered her body properly. She didn''t look as pale as before, and her trembling also had stopped, much to his relief.


    Swan turned her head towards Gale, and her eyes drooped as she tried to avoid his


    gaze.


    She always averted her gaze whenever they had eye contact. At first, Gale thought that she was simply scared of him.


    She would stutter, stiffen when he drew closer, and wriggle in difort whenever he embraced her. It was all the sign of fear, and Gale wasn''t blind to not recognize it.


    But at the same time, he found her cute. Everything about her was cute.


    She was like a hopeless doe who fell on his arm, trembling and begging to be released. The more she struggled, the more he wanted to keep her.


    ''Do I actually love her? Or do I simply find her fascinating?'' Gale had that question in mind right after he marked her.


    He had yet to find the answer. All he knew was that he wanted her to stay by his side. ''I can only answer that question once I find my fated mate. And when that timees, I will make sure she won''t get hurt, even if I have to let her go.


    Swan was nervous when Gale kept on staring at her from the window. She looked down to check on her night dress, worried that she might look improper in front of him.


    But she was dressed just fine now, and Gale didn''t seem to get angry.


    Thus, she slowly raised her head and was surprised to find Gale already standing next to the bed.


    Swan didn''t fear him as much anymore, mostly because he had treated her very well for the past few days.


    She said in a low voice, "You should rest with me, Gale. You must''ve been tired..."

 Novel Mate 35

    38.


    35 Chapter 35: An Unjust Kin


    "Rest with you?" Gale raised his brow. ¡°Is that an invitation?"


    ¡°Ah¡ªN¡ªno, I¡ªI just thought that you need rest. Since you..... uhm... you just went to war..... or something, I don''t know much..." Swan stammered as she lowered her head bashfully. She fiddled with her fingers, trying to tell Gale to rest. "Y-you might get sick if you are too tired."


    "I''m not a weak human. I cannot get sick, nor can I physically tire myself," Gale said.


    He wasn''t lying. Truthfully, he didn''t need sleep nor would he fall ill to any disease. It was just the psychological pressure and stress that made him long for afortable rest, just so he wouldn''t snap at anyone on sight. "But I''ll take your offer."


    Gale sat on the bed and wrapped his arms around Swan''s waist to pull her deeper into


    his embrace.


    Swan was so smallpared to him, and it roused the protective feeling in his heart. He murmured, "I''m sorry, Swan."


    ¡°For what?¡± Swan asked in confusion. ¡°You... you have been very good to me.¡±


    "I failed to protect you today, and I still don''t know what truly happened at theke," Gale muttered. "I


    should''ve killed Rock for attacking you, but you are unharmed, so I don''t have the heart to kill him for a sin he had yet tomit."


    "P-please don''t hurt him."


    "Why not? He almost hurt you."


    "But he doesn''t mean it," Swan replied. "I-I think he''s not being himself at theke. He was so kind to me before." (1


    Gale''s lips thinned. He wondered if Swan realized that Rock had been lusting over her the whole time, mostly because she wore a dress that exposed half of her breasts.


    It might be the norm in Holy Achate, but for a young wolf like Rock, he might find her body very enticing. Combined with how Jade poisoned his mind into thinking that he was in love with Swan, it was possible that Rock simply lost control over himself, though very unlikely, knowing that Swan was already marked.


    "It doesn''t matter whether you think he was kind to you or not. I still have to keep him in prison for attempting to harm you,¡± Gale stated calmly, but firmly.


    13:00


    en Chapter 25. An Unt King


    "Will he ever be allowed to leave?¡± Swan asked. ¡°Uhm... he is a young man. I don''t want his life to be ruined because of this..."


    Gale had no intention of letting Rock out of that dungeon for now, so he replied, "He should stay imprisoned. We, wolf beastmen, Have twice the lifespan of a human. You don''t need to worry about him"


    Swan still felt it wasn''t fair for Rock. For once she was also imprisoned inside her shabby room in the Holy Achate Pce since she was young, only allowed to leave to get something to eat in the kitchen.


    It was a torture that she didn''t want anyone se to suffer, especially when that person didn''t hurt her at all. "But, Rock-"


    "Stop talking about him," Gale interrupted her as he started to get fed up. "I know you have a good opinion about him, but he deserves to rot in that dungeon, at least for


    now."


    M


    Facing the idea that someone would suffer the same fate as her¨Cbeing unjustly imprisoned, Swan was unwilling to back down now, and Gale saw it through her eyes.


    ¡°Don''t give me that look. You know I''m just protecting you."


    "But he is not dangerous."


    ¡°Even after you were about to die in his hands just now?''


    "He didn''t mean it."


    ¡°He did. He knew what he was doing at thatke."


    ¡°No, he didn''t. I¡ªI can see it in his eyes!"


    "SWAN!"


    Swan''s body stiffened. She stared at Gale with fear in her eyes, before lowering her head obediently, ¡°I¡ªI''m sorry. I just don''t want him to get hurt."


    "Why do you care about him that much?" Gale sneered. He didn''t understand why she would argue with her husband for a man she just met. "If you care about him that much, why don''t you rece him? I will lock you in that dungeon so he can be free.¡± Initially, Gale said that as sarcasm, so Swan would drop the conversation entirely.


    To his surprise Swan nodded without a sliver of hesitation as if she was ready to throw


    13:09 (se


    38 Chapter 35: An Unjust King


    away her life for the sake of someone else''s freedom.


    "You-" Gale was speechless for a few seconds before he tightened his arms around her waist. "Why are you nodding? Are you seriously agreeing to rece Rock in that dungeon?!¡±


    Swan nodded again.


    Even though she had only known Rock for a day, he treated her kindly and with respect. He also had an important position in this kingdom as Gale''s beta, or the equivalent of a knightmander.


    She thought it was only fair for a kind person with an important position to trade ces with her, a useless cripple.


    Swan had a good intention, but Gale took it differently.


    He gritted his teeth as he put her on the bed and got up.


    "Are you naive or just dumb? Why would I let my mate be stuck in a prison?!" Gale yelled at her. He wasn''t angry, but he was frustrated and also a little jealous because Swan defended Rock a bit too much for his


    liking.


    "I-I''m just doing what I think is right..." Swan murmured.


    Yes, she was doing what she thought was right. She didn''t mind being sacrificed to cure Gale''s curse, and she also didn''t mind being imprisoned for Rock''s freedom.


    She genuinely didn''t see any problem with it.


    Unfortunately, the more she reasoned, the angrier he got. He gritted his teeth even more, to the point of almost releasing the aura that would suffocate Swan.


    ¡°You are my mate, Swan. Why do you keep taking his side?" Gale reminded.


    "I-I''m not taking anyone''s side. I just don''t want you to be an unjust king..." Swan tried to reason with him. She remembered her king father who ignored herpletely. Even when Aria pushed her from the


    the point of almost releasing the aura that would suffocate Swan.


    ¡°You are my mate, Swan. Why do you keep taking his side?" Gale reminded.


    ¡°I¡ªI''m not taking anyone''s side. I just don''t want you to be an unjust king..." Swan tried to reason with him. She remembered her king father who ignored herpletely. Even when Aria pushed her from the second floor and caused her to be a cripple, he still ''didn''t bat an eye.

 Novel Mate 36

    36 Chapter 36: Desire To Help


    Swan might not know much about governing but she was genuinely concerned about her husband. She was scared that Gale would turn out to be like her father, cruel and unfeeling.


    She had grown to care about his well-being because he treated her nicely. It would be devastating to see such a kind man turning into a monster. 1


    ¡°Has anyone ever told you that you''re frustrating to talk to?" Gale sneered. ¡°You are either so naive or just in stupid." W


    Truthfully, Swan didn''t know what others'' opinions were about her, because she rarely talked with anyone. She was not allowed to talk unless necessary. Gale was the first one she freely shared her thoughts with, but maybe it wasn''t right to talk to him like this.


    Gale is a king, and she is just... Swan.


    2


    Swan clenched her night dress, but said nothing as she felt that she had been reduced to the mere Swan once more, someone who wasn''t allowed to voice her thoughts.


    ¡°I am a king, and more importantly, your man Why should I let someone who harmed my mate free?" Gale questioned. He was logical and concise as he wanted to knock some sense into his wife''s head.


    He didn''t know if it was due to Swan''s upbringing as a princess, but he found her naive way of thinking to be infuriating.


    "Besides, I''ve been merciful enough not to kill him. In the beast world, death is not umon, and his death wouldn''t mean a thing when I can just appoint someone else


    to be


    my beta," Gale added. "Don''t think that I can''t do more than this just because you asked me to spare him."


    Swan nodded.


    She was reluctant, but she understood her limit. She shouldn''t anger him or she might


    fall out of his favor.


    ''Well, it''s not like I''ll be in favor for too long. Another prettier woman wille to rece me anyway, Swan thought. ''I just wish I could do good. Rock doesn''t deserve


    this when he doesn''t hurt me.''


    Swan was still fully convinced that Rock wasn''t himself at theke. He temporarily lost his mind, and she knew that he wasn''t in a rut because he lusted over her. 1


    13:10


    36 Chapter 30: Desire To Help


    After all, a woman like her wouldn''t be lusted by anyone except Gale, who was forced to


    do it because of his curse.


    Gale thought that Swan had given up the idea of freeing Rock from the dungeon, so he sighed andy on the bed right next to her. He nced at Swan who was still sitting and beckoned her toe over, ¡°Come here. Don''t worry, I won''t do anything tonight. I just want to hug you while I rest."


    Swan nodded meekly. She scooted closer toward Gale, and thetter swooped her right into his embrace. He hugged her and buried her face in his strong chest.


    Swan could hear his heartbeat that gradually slowed down as the tension left his body.


    Gale was so stressed out with everything that happened today. But whenever he embraced this woman, his heartbeat would slow down, and he would feel at ease.


    It didn''t matter if he would eventually feel the same way with other women he would markter. For now, Swan was his only method to calm the aching in his entire body, especially in his heart.


    It didn''t take long for Gale to fall asleep, but not for Swan. She kept pondering about


    Rock.1


    ''I am truly useless. He''s so kind to me, and I bring nothing but pain to him...'' Swan med herself. ''Why am I so useless? Do I really bring bad luck, just like what Queen Mother and Aria said? Am I truly undeserving of anyone''s love?''


    Swan had always believed that nobody would love her. For the past neen years of her life, nobody showed her warmth and love, so she was used to it.


    But that didn''t mean she didn''t know how to appreciate kindness.


    Swan muffled her sobs as she didn''t want to wake Gale up, but her body was trembling. She wanted to help Rock, at least to free him from imprisonment. It was the least she


    could do.


    ''Goddess Asmara, I don''t know if you can hear me, but please... Please let me help him. I don''t want my husband to be an unjust king, and I don''t want someone who''s so kind to me to suffer from injustice, Swan prayed as hard as she could deep in her heart. ''I''m sorry if my prayer is stupid. I am stupid. But I just want to help.


    ''Please, let me help him. I don''t want to live with guilt in my heart.....''


    Swan slowly closed her eyes and fell asleep after continuously chanting prayer deep in her heart. 1


    13:10


    36 Chapter 36: Desire To Help


    -Dream realm-


    As she fell into a dream, she saw a bright light in front of her. It was so bright that she couldn''t see anything except a figure of a woman.


    ''Do you want to help him?''


    "W-who''s talking?" Swan asked. She had never heard a voice so soft, yet dignified in her life. ¡°And where am


    1?"


    ''We''re in your dream, my dear, the female figure inside the bright light replied. ''You can call me mother. If that is what you wish for.''


    "M-mother? But my mother is a prostitute," Swan responded innocently. "This is a funny dream."


    The female figure didn''t respond to that, but she continued, ''I am here because you want me to. Swan, my dear daughter, I heard your wish that you want to help a wolf beastman named Rock Silverfang'' Faced with the idea, Swan quickly nodded, "Please let me help him! He has done nothing wrong!" The figure in bright light went quiet for a while before speaking, "My dear daughter, you should understand that I am here not because of him, but because you wish for it. If your heart desires him to be free, then I shall grant it for you. Close your eyes,


    and


    imagine the face of the man you want to meet.


    Swan closed her eyes obediently and started imagining Rock''s face. As she kept imagining his face, her real body in Gale''s embrace was slowly consumed in gentle light before vanishing into thin air. 1


    66


    Thank you for reading!


    I hope you enjoyed the story


    Please support this story with your votes!


    Apup


    Creator''s Thought

 Novel Mate 37

    37 Chapter 37: Dreaming of the Goddess


    37 Chapter 37: Dreaming of the Goddess


    Rock was in a daze as he sat on the ground. He was imprisoned in a small cell inside the dungeon, with his limbs chained with a steel chain.


    Normally, he would be able to break free without much problem knowing his prowess, but that muscle rxant was very effective in suppressing his power, making him almost as powerless as a human. Thus, his cell was left unguarded because there was no point in guarding a man with zero chance to break free.


    He stared at the ground and only had one thing in mind.


    ''What about Princess Swan? Is she alright? What if that bitch Jade poisoned her as well? Is she safe under His Majesty''s protection?''


    Rock was still wondering whether his care towards the Princess was due to fascination, love, or simply a sense of obligation as her protector.


    Nevertheless, he wanted her safe.


    ''If only I can be pardoned, then I will protect her with all my life. I want a second chance, Rock thought, despite knowing the chance of him being pardoned was slim to none. The fact that he didn''t get killed was already lenient enough for his Alpha after


    what he had done.


    As he stared at the ground, he saw a bright light from the corner of his eyes.


    He looked up and saw Princess Swan, whose body was hovering slightly above the ground as she was covered in a gentle light. Her eyes were closed, and she cupped her hands together like a praying maiden. Her hair had the same glow he saw at theke a few hours ago when he attacked her. (2)


    However, the gentle light didn''t try to fight him back this time. The light was warm and made him feel at ease.


    Rock stared unblinkingly at Princess Swan, who suddenly appeared in front of him. He closed and opened his eyes a few times to make sure he wasn''t hallucinating.


    All of his doubts perished when Princess Swan opened her eyes and stared at him with her innocent doe- eyes.


    "Rock..."


    ng! ng! ng!


    As his name was called by his Princess, Rock tried to reach her but couldn''t due to the


    13:10


    37 Chapter 37: Dreaming of the Goddess


    chains. Left with no other option, he tried to lower his posture as much as possible to show his deep respect and regret towards her.


    He opened his mouth to apologize for all the hurt he caused, but his throat had been damaged by a mute poison. All he could do was bow before her.


    Meanwhile, Swan''s heart was aching seeing a kind man who was full of life had been


    reduced to... this.


    Rock looked haggard and weak as if he had undergone a painful torture just now.


    Swan didn''t know why this dream was so realistic, but even in a dream, she still wanted to help Rock.


    The voice in her head told her to hug Rock to save him. Thus, she did just as she was


    ordered.


    She opened her arms and hugged Rock by his neck while whispering, ¡°Close your eyes. I will set you free, my kind knight."


    Rock closed his eyes as he was ordered. He didn''t care if this was just a hallucination at this point. He was like a drowning man who grasped on his only savior, hoping to be saved and pardoned for his sin.


    Swan also closed her eyes and began imagining the only ce she could think of in this pce where there was no guard around.


    In a split second, both Rock and Swan disappeared from the dungeon, leaving the steel chains on the ground.


    **


    Swan opened her eyes after a few seconds and quickly identified her surroundings. Just as she imagined, she was now sitting at thekeside of Gale''s privateke.


    She looked down and caressed Rock''s hair, "Open your eyes, Rock."


    Rock opened his eyes slowly, and when he realized he was out of the dungeon, he looked up at Princess Swan, who smiled at him with a gentle and forgiving smile.


    He opened his mouth again, wanting to apologize for what had happened to no avail.


    His eyes began to be pooled with tears as he got frustrated, so Swan wiped the tears that stained his cheek.


    She wondered why Rock didn''t utter a single word the whole time, but that wasn''t the problem for her. In this dream, she could do anything she wanted, and the only thing


    she wanted right now was for him to escane as soon as possible


    13:10


    37 Chapter 37: Dreaming of the Goddess


    "My dear knight, you have no ce here anymore. My husband refused to believe that you did nothing wrong no matter how hard I tried to exin,¡± Swan said. ¡°I cannot do much for you, but I hope you can leave and lead a happy life somewhere. Please, run as fast as you can and nevere back. This is my only wish for you, my dear knight, Rock Silverfang.¡± 2


    Rock stared at her angelic beauty the whole time. She gave him a gentle smile before kissing him on his forehead.


    It didn''t feel romantic for him, but it was very warm and loving.


    Rock began to shed his tears again as guilt, regret, and reverence all mixed in his heart. After kissing his forehead, Swan wiped his tears once more before the bright light from her body blinded him again, and she vanished into thin air.


    Rock was hugging the air after Princess Swan disappeared. He felt empty now, and if he could, he wanted to return to the castle and wait in front of her door until she gave him a second chance as her knight.


    But the young wolf knew if he did that, his Alpha would kill him with one p. The only thing he could do right now was to escape until he recovered.


    Rock got up and wobbled his way out of Gale''s domain through the hidden route.


    ''Princess, I promise that I will return. I swear with my blood that I will be your shield once more. So please, wait for me, and give me a second chance: 4


    Thank you for reading!


    I hope you enjoy the story so far!


    15 10 ***


    66

 Novel Mate 38

    38 Chapter 38: Rock Escaped


    38 Chapter 38: Rock Escaped


    "WHAT?!"


    Swan woke up when she was startled by Gale''s loud voice. She opened her eyes and turned toward the door, where Gale was standing tall in front of the catmaids.


    They looked frightened as they delivered the news, but they had to as it was important.


    "Y-yes, Your Majesty. Rock Silverfang escaped from the dungeon,¡± Maya said.


    "How is that possible?! Where are the guards!"


    ¡°T¨Cthey are outside of the dungeon, but they saw nobodying out of the door,¡± Myra replied. ¡°T¨Cthe dungeon only has one exit, so nobody knows how Rock escaped.....¡±


    "USELESS!"


    Maya and Myra''s bodies started trembling, and Gale spared no effort to suppress his aura. It was after Swan called his name that he quickly suppressed it so as not to harm


    her.


    "Gale..."


    Gale turned around and closed the door behind him. He walked towards the bed and


    sat at the edge, "Did you hear what they said just now?"


    Swan nodded.


    Gale stared at her with a suspicious gaze. Of course, he didn''t suspect her to help Rock to escape. Despite their fightst night, Gale knew that he was hugging her body the whole time, even her warmth lingered as he fell into a deep sleep.


    However, there were so many strange things happening sincest night that he couldn''t help to ask, "Since you already know that Rock has escaped, do you know something about his method of escaping?"


    Swan shook her head, but she clutched the nket as her heartbeat was racing. She had a very strange dreamst night, where she met with a mysterious woman who imed herself to be Swan''s mother, and then helped her toe and rescue Rock in the dungeon.


    She dropped him off at theke and then returned to Gale''s embrace. It was all the content of her sleep, so she thought it was all just a dream.


    What if it''s actually real? But how? I don''t have any magical power, nor do I ever le


    13:10


    38 Chapter 38. Rock Escaped


    how to use one, Swan had that question lingering in her head.


    The priests and priestesses in Holy Achate were said to have magical powers, though she had never seen any of the magical feats in real life. She just heard it through old


    tales.


    Usually, Gale could tell when someone was lying, but Swan was a different case because she was naturally timid and fidgety, he couldn''t sense anything wrong with her.


    Or maybe he was just too lenient with her.


    Nevertheless, he believed her and said, "Thought so. Don''t worry, I will handle everything as usual. You should get yourself ready as we''ll be handling kingdom


    matters now that Rock and Jade are out ofmission."


    "Lady Jade? What happened to her?" Swan asked.


    Gale knew that Swan was oblivious to what Jade did and intended to keep her in the dark, as he also had no intention of letting Jade stay in the kingdom anymore.


    Jade should''ve just travelled across thend as she had exceptional negotiation and trading skills, which would be far more useful than being a bitter woman.


    ¡°She will travel to the east for kingdom matters. Don''t worry, I''ll make sure you familiarize yourself with our kingdom,¡± Gale said as he got up from the bed and walked out of the room to handle the chaos indirectly caused by Swan.


    Myra and Maya entered the bedroom after that, and then asked, ¡°Princess, are you alright?"


    ¡°Um? I''m alright..." Swan replied. "Why do you ask? D- Did something happen to you


    two?"


    The catmaids dropped to their knees in front of her and apologized, ¡°We''re sorry for what happened, Princess. We didn''t know that Rock would..."


    Swan wanted to defend Rock again since she truly believed that the young beta did nothing wrong. But they would probably try to argue back, just like what Gale didst night,


    Thus, she simply asked, ¡°About Rock... did he actually escape? Did no one see him leaving?"


    "Yes, he escaped, but nobody knows how. It''s almost like magic!¡± Maya replied.


    "I heard from a guard that he suspected Rock must''ve been colluding with a witch,


    13:10


    38. Chapter 38: Rock Escaped


    since there''s no logical exnation about this, Princess!" Myra added.


    Swan gulped.


    She knew she was the ''witch'' that Rock colluded with, and truthfully, she didn''t regret helping him escape. She was just worried about what Gale would do once he found out that Swan was the one who betrayed him.


    ''Ah, I shouldn''t think about it. Nobody will know, since Rock already escaped, right?" Swan tried to convince herself despite her nervousness.


    **


    Meanwhile, Gale stood in front of Jade, who was about to enter her carriage. They stared at each other with enmity in their eyes, which was strange for everyone present, because they thought their King and Lady Jade had a strong bond with each other.


    Gale crossed his arms as he brushed up on the important topic, ¡°Did you know about


    Rock?"


    ¡°I heard it just now from my aide,¡± Jade replied. ¡°He escaped, right?¡±


    Gale had been trying to find a logical answer about Rock''s escape, and though he couldn''t make sense of it, the only one who could do so was Jade, with her authority and mastery of herbs, she could help Rock.


    ¡°Let me guess, do you suspect me of breaking him out as well?¡± Jade sneered. "You have me under house arrest for the entire night, Gale. Do you think I won''t notice the eagle beastman you put in the tree in front of my balcony?"


    ¡°You are the only one capable of helping him,¡± Gale said.


    Jade shrugged and replied, "It''s not me, though I wish I could, so I can give you more headache. Why don''t you ask your cute little mate about it? Maybe she''s the one helping him escape.¡±


    "She was in my embrace the whole night," Gale said, and Jade''s grin vanished instantly.


    "Well, who knows? Maybe she''s a witch who has been hiding her identity the whole time," Jade said. "Or else, there''s no way she can stay unscathed when Rock attacked herst night at theke."


    13:10

 Novel Mate 39

    39 Chapter 39: Blindfold


    "Stop throwing usations. You''re not going to change my mind,¡± Gale rebuked firmly. ¡°Go and do your job, as your king, I expect you to bring good results from your journey


    to the East.


    Jade gave him a look of disdain before she stepped into the carriage.


    As the carriage set off, she stared at the tower where Swan''s bedroom was, and a sneer of disdain appeared on her face, "That woman is hiding something"


    "M-Mdy, what happened between you and His Majesty? Why did he send you out for a mission so soon?" her aide who sat next to her asked. He had been busy dealing with many things with the peasant beastmen in the city, so he had no idea of what happened inside the castle.


    ¡°Nothing much. I just happened to find something interesting," Jade shrugged. "That His Majesty''s first mate is not really a normal human, or else, there is no way she can survive Rock''s attackst night.¡±


    Her aide didn''t know much, but he had been told that the King''s beta had attacked Princess Swan of Holy Achate, so he was supposed to be imprisoned before he magically disappeared out of his prison cell.


    "I suspect that woman is also the one who helped Rock to escape," Jade murmured.


    "But, Mdy, isn''t that woman a... cripple?¡±


    "That''s why I said that woman must''ve been hiding something," Jade said. "I still have no proof yet, but I will return with His Majesty''s second mate. I''m sure if my guess is correct, Swan will do something to kill this new mate. She''s probably trying to hog Gale all for herself." (2


    ¡°Mdy, isn''t it too fast for His Majesty to mark another woman? As long as his next rut is satiated by Princess Swan, wouldn''t it be too cruel to ditch her immediately?"


    "Do you think I care about that?¡± Jade sneered. ¡°He must ditch that cripple immediately, he''s not supposed to be toofortable with any of his mates. That''s


    what his curse dictates." 5


    **


    Gale watched five carriages set off on the journey to the kingdom of the east before he turned around and said to a young wolf beastman in front of him, "What is your name again?"


    13:10


    39 Chapter 39: Blindfold


    "ze Silverfang, Your Majesty," the young wolf beastman with dark green hair replied with a bit of fear and also an expectation in his voice. He was Rock''s beta before their Silverfang n got absolutely demolished by Cale''s sheer strength, and thus had been devoting themselves to his soldiers because was their pride to follow the strongest.


    Now that Rock had done an unforgiving sin by lusting after their King''s mate, then ze would naturally be the next in line to be King Gale''s Beta since he was the strongest after Rock.


    But Gale didn''t seem to be happy when ze mentioned his full name, ¡°You are from the same n as Rock, huh?"


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty! We¨Cthe Silverfangs¨Cwill proudly follow you as the strongest!¡±


    "Rock Silverfang betrayed me," Gale said calmly, but his voice carried so much weight that ze quickly fell to his knees to show his deep respect.


    "Please forgive me, Your Majesty! I will make sure to catch him and have him tried for betraying you!" ze said.


    "No need, you just need to tell me where your Silverfang n lives now," Gale said coldly. "I will hunt him myself."


    ze lifted his head in fear and asked, "Y-Your Majesty, surely you don''t want to... exterminate our entire n, right?"


    "I''m not that cruel. But if your n deliberately tries to protect him, then I cannot guarantee anyone''s safety," Gale said. Again, he looked and sounded calm, but it was like a thunder that struck everyone who heard it. "Tell your elders to give him up if he dares to return to your n. If he doesn''t return to your n, I''m sure your elder knows a way to track him down. I want a result by the time I arrive at your n''s den"


    "As you wish, Your Majesty!" ze said. Truthfully, he was grieving for Rock, because he was a good leader and also a very cheerful one. But his sin was befitting a death


    sentence.


    ze knew his priority, and as someone who worshiped the strongest, he knew he had to capture Rock once he had sessfully tracked him.


    "Good."


    Gale walked past the people, and ze quickly turned around and asked, "Y-Your Majesty! Aren''t you going to appoint me to be your beta?"


    Gale halted his step. He turned around, staring at the young werewolf who looked excited to rece Rock.


    13:10


    T


    39 Chapter 39: Blindfold


    Truthfully, Gale didn''t have any emotional attachment to Rock, he was objective in his assessment, and after his real beta died, he only appointed the strongest after him to be his beta.


    So, if this young man had the strength then why not?


    Thus, Gale turned around to face ze again, and said, ¡°Get up, and look me in the eye."


    ze followed his King''s instruction, waiting for his next order.


    But Gale said nothing.


    All he did was take off his blindfold a bit, to show one of his eyes, and the moment ze Silverfang made eye contact with Gale, he felt that he couldn''t take a breath at all for the next five seconds, followed by his stomach that churned and his heart that beat like a drum, as if it was about to burst out of his chest.


    "Urgh-URK!"


    ze vomited blood, and so did all the guards who made eye contact with their King. They all fell to the ground and many of them lost their consciousness immediately. Meanwhile, ze was still conscious, but he had no more strength to even lift a finger. He thought that his soul had been sucked out of his body just by staring at the King''s


    eye.


    Gale covered his eyes again, and looked down at ze, "You are not worthy to be my beta. Iwill appoint you once you are strong enough to withstand making direct eye contact with me for more than ten seconds. That''s


    Rock Silverfang''s record." (2


    Thank you for reading!

 Novel Mate 40

    40 Chapter 40: Have we met before? (1)


    40 Chapter 40: Have we met before? (1)


    Meanwhile, Swan was sitting inside the bathtub, dipping her entire body to neck length. She stared at her legs that she put at the other end of the bathtub.


    She gazed at the difference between her legs. Her right ankle was normal, but the left ankle was crooked to the point it looked strange.


    Swan remembered how she fell from the second floor after Aria ordered the guards to push her. She thought her whole body would shatter like a ss. But she didn''t.


    Unfortunately, her left leg was the first tond, and she broke her ankle instantly.


    Nobody helped her after her fall, so she was left on the pce ground with unimaginable pain.


    She was finally carried inside the pce at dusk when a few maids pitied her. She was treated with all the basic knowledge they had but improper treatment made her unable to move her left leg from the knee down since then. O


    In the end, she became crippled, and it only made Ariaugh as she found it hrious that Swan was still alive after the fall.


    Swan didn''t know what to feel about Aria.


    Part of her had always been dictated by everyone in the pce to forgive Aria and let her have her fun since Swan was just a prostitute''s daughter.


    But the other part of her was so bitter of her half-sister that she wished Aria could disappear from this world. Nevertheless, she never had the strength to defend herself against Aria''s bullying. Aria would call the guards to beat her up if she dared to talk back, let alone fight back.


    ¡®Ah, I shouldn''t think about her. She wasn''t around anymore, so I should be safe. Swan thought. ¡®I hope to never meet her again in this life...''


    Swan continued staring at her left leg and began to yell, ¡°Heal!¡±


    Nothing happened, which was strange, since she seemed to be so powerful in her dreamst night. "Uhm... cure my leg!"


    40 Chapter 40: Have we met before? (Y


    "Cripple no more!"


    Knock. Knock.


    "Princess, are you alright? We heard you yelling strange words inside."


    ¡°Ah! 1¡ªI''m alright! S-Sorry!" Swan blushed the moment she realized the cat maids must''ve heard everything. She submerged her body deeper to wash up the


    embarrassment.


    ¡®I guess it''s all just a dream. Maybe Rock had sessfully escaped with his own method, Swan thought. ¡®I''m d he escaped, at least he wouldn''t need to die for a crime he didn''tmit.''


    ¡°Though, it would be nice to have a magic power, so I can heal my leg? Swan


    murmured. "And if I can jump from one ce to another like in my dream, I would probably leave this ce immediately."


    Swan had no intention of staying with Gale. He was nice and kind to her, but she knew it was temporary until he marked another woman.


    She wasn''t deluded enough to think he would keep her around. 2


    ''Well, he would. But probably out of pity, not love, Swan thought. She imagined the beautiful streets in Holy Achate, where flower decoration was everywhere, and there were many shops that she had never seen before. ''Wouldn''t it be nice if I could just disappear and live in a city? I would work somewhere, and earn my own money to live. I can walk around the streets in the morning, and watch the sunset from a beach in the evening!''


    Swan knew about meadows, beaches,goons et cetera from the paintings in the Holy Achate pce. She often fantasized about visiting them one by one, probably living far away from people, so nobody would hurt her or look at her with disgust anymore.


    She heard another knock followed by Maya''s call, ¡°Princess, it''s been a while, are you sure you are alright inside?"


    "Y-yes, wait a moment!"


    Swan hurriedly finished her bath and then wore a dress that had been prepared for


    her.


    Fortunately, they gave her a more modest dress this time.


    ¡®He actually listens to my plea. He could''ve just ignored mest night, Swan thought.


    13:10


    214


    40 Chapter 40: Have we met before? (1)


    She was very grateful for it because that meant she didn''t need to worry about identally exposing half of her breasts anymore.


    After putting on the dress, she opened the bathroom door. She stepped out of the bathroom with her crutches and noticed that the cat maids were nowhere to be seen.


    Instead, she saw Gale who was sitting at the table with breakfast already served, looking at the window where the wind caressed his hair gently.


    Swan had long known that Gale was handsome and rigid, like a castle wall that nobody could climb. She was scared of him at first, but now that she had lowered her guard against him, she began to realize something strange,


    For some reason, she felt that she had seen Gale somewhere before their first meeting at the Holy Achate Pce. 1


    ''But there''s no way we ever met before, right? Swan pondered. ''But what''s with this familiar feeling?"


    Gale turned his head and got up when he saw Swan.


    "You should''ve called once you''re done with the bath. I can carry you, so you don''t


    need those crutches."


    "I-I can do it myself. I''m used to it," Swan said as she hurried to the breakfast table, so she wouldn''t need to be a burden for Gale.


    She tried to move quickly, causing one of the crutches to suddenly slip. 1


    ¡°Ah!" Swan cried out as she lost her bnce, but Gale caught her before her body hit the ground.


    "Told you. All you need is to call me," Gale stated.


    Swan stared at Gale who had a thin smile on his face. Swan was not stunned because of his handsomeness, but rather because his words reminded her of the kind knight who helped her before.


    ''All you need is to call me. Dear Swan.''


    Unfortunately, Swan never saw that knight anymore after he helped her from being bullied by the guards, so she never got to know his name. She looked around the pce after that night, and never found him. 2


    ''How can I call you when you''ve never told me your name before?'' Swanmented at that time. Swan''s gaze was fixated on him as she asked, "Gale..."


    "Yes?"


    40 Chapter 40: Have we met before? (1)


    "Have we ever met before?"


    Comment 15


    Leave the firstment for this chapter.


    Vote


    8


    1


    Fandom


    Swipe left to continue >


    View All >


    ͼ


    Send Gift

 Novel Mate 41

    41 Chapter 41: Have we met before? (II)


    41 Chapter 41: Have we met before? (II)


    ¡°Have we met before?¡± Swan asked, and Gale frowned hearing that question.


    "What are you talking about? We are mated for life."


    "No, but-? Swan knew it was hard to describe because she also didn''t understand how


    she could associate Gale with the kind knight who helped her that night. ¡°I mean, have we met before you took me out of Holy Achate''s Pce?"


    ¡°No,¡± Gale replied firmly. His past before he met with Swan was dark, filled with curses, war, conquest, and bloodbath. They could never have met before.


    On top of that, Gale didn''t want Swan to see his past self, because he was more of a


    mindless animal than a beastman then.


    never.


    "I-I see... then," Swan thought. "I was mistaken."


    "Mistaken?"


    "Mhm, I thought you were the kind knight who helped me once at the pce," Swan exined. "He is so honorable and kind, but I never get to know his name... or his face."


    It waste at night when Aria said that she couldn''t sleep, so she told the guards to drag Swan out of her room and tie her up on a tree at the pce ground. Swan was so scared because it was a very dark night in the middle of autumn. The air was so cold, which only worsened the pain in her leg.


    The pain and fear took over her then, so she prayed as hard as she could to Goddess Asmara for a kind and strong man toe and save her. She prayed so hard until she heard the deep andmanding voice of a man who stopped all the torment that she was experiencing.


    "What are you doing to her?''


    The guards'' bodies stiffened instantly, and once they turned their heads at the knight, they all apologized and ran in fear.


    Swan opened her eyes slowly as the knight loosened the rope around her body. Once she was freed, she looked up only to make eye was


    contact with a man whose fac obscured by the darkness.


    It was a moonless night, so she couldn''t identify him at all.


    "T-thank you for helning me Sir M-m-may I know your name?


    15


    144


    41 Chapter 41: Have we met before? (II)


    ''You will know my name eventually, Swan, the kind knight said. ¡°I will find you soon. enough."


    ''B-but I''m just a maid in this pce, Sir. Why do you want to find me?"


    ''Because you are my other half, Swan; the kind knight replied. ''Once we reunite, all you need is to call me and I will be by your side, no matter what. I promise.''


    Swan was stunned because he seemed serious about his promise, but then turned around and walked away from her.


    I--I


    ''W-wait, S-sir! Your name, 1-1 want to know your name!''


    Unfortunately, the kind knight never responded. His body was slowly swallowed by the darkness, and Swan was left alone once again.


    Swan might not know that kind knight''s face, but she could identify his voice and also his f


    figure. On top


    p of that, she also had this familiar feeling of security with Gale around.


    ¡®Am I mistaken? Or maybe I''m just hallucinating? There''s no way that kind knight is Gale since he''s not from Holy Achate."


    Meanwhile, Gale didn''t like how Swan''s eyes were dazed, and her cheeks began to flush as she told him about this ¡®kind knight who saved her back then. He got a little irritated... or perhaps, even a bit jealous. Thus, he said, "Stop thinking about another man. I can protect you much better than whoever that knight is." ¡°I¨CI know. Sorry.....¡± Swan muttered. ¡®Ah, maybe I''m just hallucinating. I shouldn''t think about that knight anymore."


    Gale helped her to sit on the chair as he returned to his seat. They faced each other with a table full of breakfast in front of them, and Gale took the initiative to give her a te full of grilled meat.


    ¡°I know humans can''t eat raw meat, so I told them to grill it for you,¡± he said.


    ¡°B-but... it''s too much..." Swan stared at the te full of meat in front of her helplessly. ¡°I can''t eat them all." "Who are you kidding? You are so thin, you need to eat more meat!" Gale insisted. "I don''t know what''s wrong with the people in your pce, but I want my woman to have more meat in her body."


    15:27


    <


    41 Chapter 41: Have we met before? (11)


    Swan gulped when Gale put even more meat on her te. She rarely ate meat to the point that she could count on one hand how many times she had eaten one while in Holy Achate because it was a luxury reserved only for the aristocrats, high-ranked soldiers, and healthy merchants in Holy Achate.


    That''s why, Swan could only eat one or two bites before switching back to bread.


    Gale watched how Swan''s expression paled when he kept adding meat, so he sighed. and switched the te for her to eat bread and a few slices of steamed meat instead. Gale ate the grilled meat with one hand andined, "I heard from Jade that some female humans often starve themselves to look thin. I don''t understand what thinking, but you don''t need to look thin to be beautiful.¡±


    you are


    Gale lowered his voice until it was inaudible as he was a little embarrassed when he murmured, "You are more than enough for me...''


    "S-sorry, what did you say?" Swan asked as she couldn''t catch his murmur.


    Gale ripped the elk meat with his teeth and said, ¡°Nothing. Just eat your food so we can go to the pce grounds and handle a few kingdom matters."


    Swan nodded, and she ate slowly.


    Sometimes she watched how Gale munched his meat without caring about manners, with meat juice flowing from the corner of his mouth. 2


    She knew it was not the norm for the beastman to eat politely, but if Gale wanted to be a proper dignified king and not be called a savage by those human kings, then he needed to at least have little manners on the table,


    right?


    15:28


    Thank


    you for reading!


    Please support apup, I hope you enjoy the story!


    Apup

 Novel Mate 42

    42 Chapter 42: Etiquette


    42 Chapter 42: Etiquette


    Swan grabbed a napkin and tried to reach Gale''s mouth.


    She wiped the dripping meat juice from the corner of his lips, which made him pause before swallowing his food.


    "What are you doing?" Gale asked warily.


    ¡°I-uhm... I just don''t want you to be seen as a savage by humans. Eating slowly and politely is the most basic manner..." Swan said. However, for her, she ate slowly and politely because Aria often picked on her. She had to imitate how Aria ate her food so she wouldn''t beughed at.


    She was never+


    Mother and Aria.


    a royal manner. She did everything based on imitating her Queen


    Swan might not have dignity as a princess. She was looked down upon by everyone, but she didn''t want her husband to experience the same.


    She wanted Gale to be respected, both for his overwhelming power and his etiquette. Gale scoffed at first as he found it to be ridiculous.


    Why would he need to adhere to what humans do, when they all cower in front of him? They were so arrogant, but with one fell swoop, they all died in his hand.


    However, seeing how worried Swan looked while wiping his lips, he felt a little reluctant to sav


    it out loud.


    Besides, it felt nice to be taken care of by your other half, even for something useless.


    Thus, he allowed Swan to wipe his lips. Once she was done he began eating just like before, and let the meat juice trickle on his chin, so Swan quickly grabbed the napkin again, gently patting his chin with it until it was clean.


    "So strange and stupid. But I don''t hate this feeling: Gale thought.


    Swan was busy wiping Gale''s lips like wiping a slobbery kid''s mess, and after the third time, she said, ¡°T-try to eat slowly."


    "I am eating slowly," Gale retorted lightly. He grabbed Swan''s wrist when she stopped moving her hand, before wiping his lips and chin with the napkin in her hand. ¡°I don''t care about your human method, but I do like this. Go on, continue wiping it for me." Swan was embarrassed. She had never done this to anyone, but if Gale wanted it, then


    42 Chapter 42: Etiquette.


    she had no right to deny it.


    Besides, Gale seemed to be genuinely happy with it, and it also made her feel good.


    In the end, Gale finished his breakfast, while Swan hadn''t touched her food at all.


    "I-I''m not hungry after seeing you eat. W-we should go out now," Swan excused, but Gale didn''t move his butt as he waited for Swan to finish her breakfast.


    ¡°We won''t leave until you have your fill,¡± Gale stated firmly.


    Swan became nervous and then began to eat slowly. She wasn''t used to being stared at like this, so her stomach churned as she continued eating.


    Gale became impatient seeing how slow she was eating a small te of food, so he asked, "Have you always been this slow while eating in Holy Achate?"


    Swan nodded weakly, though not because she was a royal princess like Aria who needed to act courteously. She ate slowly because it would fill her stomach and make her stay full longer. She relished every bite she took, as she knew she might not be able to eat anything by the next day.


    ¡°You don''t need to eat so slowly in front of me. I don''t need to see human etiquette every day,¡± Gale said. He was reminded of Jade, who had long adapted human etiquette which made her look somewhat arrogant, especially with how often shemented on his ''savage'' culture, which also happened to be her real culture. It irritated him, and he got even more irritated when Jade tried teaching him about


    etiquette.


    "Though, maybe I won''t hate it if Swan is the one teaching me about this stuff, Gale thought as he stared at his mate.


    Unlike Jade who often had that disdainful look in her eyes, Swan didn''t seem to have any hostility towards him, even when they first met.


    So he felt rxed around her.


    "I guess I can wait a bit more."


    Thus, he waited for Swan to finish her breakfast, and once she was done, Gale stood up and picked her up. She allowed Swan to sit on his arm, like holding a child, and it embarrassed her.


    35:22


    42 Chapter 42: Etiquette


    "G-Gale, this is.....¡±


    "What?"


    "Embarrassing..." Swan murmured. "I''m not a child."


    ¡°But you are so small and light. It''s easy to carry you like this,¡± Gale said.


    "I-I can use my crutch."


    "You''re so slow with that. Why are you so embarrassed anyway? You are my mate. I can carry you like this,¡± Gale said before continuing, "And people won''t dare to mess with you as long as you''re with me.¡±


    Swan had no way to refuse anymore when Gale stood up, because when she looked down, she realized the ground was so far from this angle, so she hugged his neck tighter.


    "P-please don''t let me fall. I''m scared."


    Gale smiled as he was in a good mood, and then walked out of the room. He strolled around the castle ground with his mate on his arm. Every soldier and servant they passed would kneel immediately when Gale walked past them, but some forgot to do so because they were taken aback by Princess Swan''s beauty.


    Gale was in a great mood seeing their reaction. It made him proud, so he let them off, knowing they forgot to kneel because they couldn''t help staring at Swan.


    Gale nced at his mate a few times, checking if her body was exposed in any way. Despite liking the attention his mate got, he would hate it if they looked at her with perverseness in their eyes.


    It made him want to gouge their eyes out.


    Meanwhile, Swan couldn''t care less about what these beastmen think of her. She was more worried about falling from this height, so she hugged his neck tighter and buried her face on his shoulder.


    Comment 14

 Novel Mate 43

    View All


    43 Chapter 43: Beastmen Soldiers


    43 Chapter 43: Beastmen Soldiers


    Swan might not notice it, but Gale would always case off and be in a good mood every time he was with Swan, and now that he carried her around like his most prized treasure, his chest was filled with pride.


    25


    Though, maybe he shouldn''t allow Swan to bury her face on his shoulder for far too long, because her breath softly caressed his thick skin, and Gale couldn''t help to feel a little excited.


    Thus, he took a deep breath as he had to wait until his next rut-or at least untilte at night when he could taste his wife''s sweet body again.


    Gale paced towards the training ground, where all the beastmen soldiers were training for the next conquest or invasion they had to face.


    Gale instructed themander to go on with the training as he was only here to rece Rock''s job to oversee the soldiers, at least until he found the more suitable beta to rece Rock.


    "You should see this, Swan," Gale said, and Swan, who had been burying her face the whole time, finally lifted her head.


    She saw beastmen from various species training together. There was a tiger beastman fighting against the lizard.


    At the other corner, a small but nimble squirrel beastman hopped around, dodging attacks from the much stronger and heavier ox beastman.


    Swan was absolutely fascinated. She saw them bowing in front of her yesterday, but this time, she could witness them training.


    Gale puffed his chest a bit more once he nced at Swan, and realized that she was amazed by it. He added, ¡°I''ve conquered practically 80% of beastmen tribes across thend, I unite them under one banner. Though I can''t stay inside the kingdom for now, because it''s still too new and unstable. But one day, I will make a kingdom where all beastmen won''t be hunted by humans, and also won''t fight against each other again." "Did you do it all alone?" Swan asked. She stared at him with a concerned gaze. Gale thought that she was worried


    out his health because Swan seemed to worry too


    much about him, even though he was truly undefeatable.


    Thus, he said, ¡°It''s no big deal. They are powerfulpared to normal humans, especially those who serve as n leaders for their tribes, but they are nothing


    43 Chapter 43: Beastmen Soldiers


    +25


    In the beastmen world, strength was everything. So, by boasting about his undeniable prowess, he was expecting Swan to praise him instead, or at least hug him again and say that she was d to be mated with a powerful man who could protect her.


    But Swan looked even more worried and she touched his cheek with her thin, yet soft hand, "Are you sure you are alright?"


    "I am. Why do you ask?"


    "But, your pain..." Swan murmured, and Gale realized what Swan meant.


    Gale didn''t know how Swan found out that he was in constant pain due to his curse that made him itchy and irritated from the inside, but it wasn''t physical pain, so she shouldn''t worry.


    Still, Gale refused to admit it, because weakness meant death in his world. Even if he


    was in constant pain, he shouldn''t show any of it in front of his mate.


    Thus, Gale put his palm on top of her hand, and assured, "I''m fine. You should focus on the soldiers. They are training every day to protect the castle, and to protect you when


    I''m not around."


    Swan followed his order and watched over the soldiers.


    Truthfully, she was impressed by how skilled they were,bined with their physical advantage, she knew her father''s death was inevitable, even if Gale wasn''t the one leading the war.


    ¡°What do you think, Swan? Don''t you think our soldiers look strong?¡± Gale asked,


    waiting to be praised.


    Swan nodded, "It''s no wonder that King Tyrion lost to you. He shouldn''t have waged a war against the Kingdom of Beastmen."


    The smile on Gale''s lips thinned. He knew that he had won the war fair and square against King Tyrion of Holy Achete..


    In fact, that bastard should''ve been d to die painlessly with only one attack from


    him.


    The war with Holy Achate was a cruel one, mostly because King Tyrion was cruel and ruthless. Poisoning them, burning the food stock, and even going as far as sending some beautiful female humans to seduce and derail the beastmen soldiers to give up


    15:28


    43 Chapter 43: Beastmen Soldiers


    fighting.


    Such underhanded and dishonourable tactics were not known in the beastmen''s culture, so Gale was enraged and decided to simply shapeshift into his true form of a giant ck wolf, and destroy the enemy basen one swoop before going to the Holy Achate Pce to demand the Princess in exchange of peace. He could''ve exterminated everyone in Holy Achate, but Jade said that Holy Achate had a golden princess who could be used as his first of many mates.


    He never regretted anything that he did during the war, including demanding Swan as the prize of his victory. But facing Swan''s gaze, he felt a little guilty knowing that he was the one who killed her


    father.


    Gale faced an awkward situation. Should he say that Swan''s father was a coward who couldn''t fight fair? Or should he just stay silent?


    He was fighting back and forth about what to do until Swan turned her head at him again and said, ¡°Do you give them a sry for their service as a soldier?"


    "Sry?" Gale frowned.


    ¡°Mm.. Payment for their work...¡±


    "No," Gale replied firmly. "Beastmen don''t have a strange desire like humans. We were born to fight and to dedicate ourselves to the strongest. They are more than happy to be a soldier as long as their basic needs of proper food have been met."


    "But what if they have offspring? Surely, they need more than just food, right?" Swan continued asking out of curiosity.


    Gale frowned as he didn''t understand what Swan was trying to say, "Beastmen''s offspring only need food to grow up. They don''t need anything else.¡±


    15-20

 Novel Mate 44

    44 Chapter 44: What about our cubs?


    Swan started to get nervous as she tried to get her point across. It might be true that they had apletely different culture, as the beastmen were raised to be warriors.


    But Swan knew well enough that you needed more than just raw strength to build a proper kingdom. People needed to be educated, or at least know more than just fistfighting.


    She had observed the knights at Holy Achate Pce''s training ground and realized most of the knights andmanders were smart, not just strong.


    She truly wanted the kingdom to grow because it seemed that Gale was proud of his achievement. Thus, she racked up her brain and asked, "Um, are these soldiers married?"


    "Some of them, yes. Why do you ask?"


    ¡°And where are their spouses now?" Swan continued inquiring.


    "Many of them have their mates in their n. This kingdom is newly reformed, even the beastmen and peasants are just a bunch of tribes mixed into one, and gather their food outside of the kingdom," Gale exined without hiding anything from his mate.


    ¡°So, uhm... Kingdom of Beastmen only provides safety?¡± Swan asked but then realized that she was being rude, so she stammered, -1-I''m sorry. I¨CI didn''t mean to be rude. I just... want to know more."


    Swan lowered her head ashamedly, "S-sorry...


    "Don''t apologize. You deserve to know the kingdom''s matter as my mate," Gale rubbed her blonde hair gently. "For now, yes. The kingdom only serves as a fortress."


    Swan sighed in relief as she was pardoned. Then she continued asking, ¡°Then..... uhm, how do you get money for the kingdom''s treasury?"


    "From wars, of course," Gale replied as if it was the most obvious thing. "I won every war I''m in and got a prize for my victory. It has always been like that in the beastmen world."


    Swan was legit concerned now.


    She never got proper training to be a princess. She learned how to read from a maid who was kind enough to teach her.


    But since she had to stick around Aria often, even when thetter was being taught


    44 Chapter 44: What about our cubs?


    about the kingdom''s affairs, Swan learned a bit by listening to Aria''s teacher.


    She knew that the kingdom needed more to survive. Even though Gale was and would be invincible for a long time, there was nothing permanent in this world.


    What if he got sick and people would start to rebel?


    What if there was a famine or a disease?


    There was so much to do to the point she didn''t know where to start.


    However, she was determined to help Gale as much as she could.


    ¡®I need to be useful somehow. If Gale doesn''t n to sacrifice me to cure his curse or ditch me for his new mate anytime soon, then I need to repay for his kindness, Swan thought as she gained a new determination. And first of all.....¡±


    Swan looked at the soldiers once more. She noticed that the soldiers were stealing nces at her and Gale many times. Every time they did, they''d try their best to show their prowess, probably to impress their King and his mate.


    Swan smiled at the soldiers and murmured, They look strong"


    Gale just heard the praise that he had been waiting for from Swan, but now that she said it, he somehow got a little ufortable.


    ''Why does she need to smile at those soldiers anyway? They are not as strong as me, heined in his heart before turning around and walking away from the training ground.


    ¡°Uhm, Gale, I thought you wanted me to watch the soldiers."


    "No need. Let''s just walk around the castle instead, Gale refused decisively. "You don''t need to see them from now on."


    "But... we need to talk about their sry.


    "They don''t need a sry,¡± Gale frowned. "They dedicate their lives to the strong, that''s


    the norm."


    "W-what about giving them a proper sry and uhm... allowing their spouse and children to stay in the city as well?" Swan suggested.


    "Why do we need to do that?" Gale asked as he was genuinely confused. This was the first time someone ever gave him this suggestion, even Jade never said such a thing. ¡°Theye here on their own volition, and they are allowed to leave if they want to.


    15:24


    44 Chapter 44: What about our cubs?


    here by the tribe elders as their tribe''s best warriors."


    Swan lowered her head as she didn''t know how to voice out her worry, ¡°So they are only loyal because you''re strong."


    "Yes," Gale said with pride. "What''s on your mind, Swan? What are you worried about?"


    "You," Swan replied. "I''m worried about you, Gale."


    ¡°I told you many times that I am unbeatable. You don''t need to worry about me.¡±


    Swan knew they were going nowhere, and Gale was also confused by her constant worry. There had never been anyone who worried about him, since he had always been the apex predator, the one sitting at the top of the food chain, and would always be for the rest of his long life.


    "But I want them to be loyal to you for more than just your strength. To build a longsting kingdom, you need your soldiers to be loyal to the kingdom too, not only to you,¡± Swan exined. ¡°What if you die of old age someday? Will they leave the kingdom? Will the kingdom cease to exist?¡±


    Gale was silenced now because that was probably what would happen.


    When he was the Alpha of Storm Pack, he nned to find his fated mate, and then produce offspring who would take over once he got older.


    But now that he had been cursed and everyone except Jade had been killed by the Storm Pack, he had nowhere to go. This Kingdom of Beastmen was his new home.


    So, what would happen if he died?


    He had been so powerful due to his curse and his natural strength, to the point that the thought of dying of old age never crossed his mind.


    Swan noticed the change and struck while the iron was hot, "I''m worried about our cubs."


    Comment 17

 Novel Mate 45

    45 Chapter 45: Eyes On Me (Mature Content)


    "Our... Cubs?"


    "Mhm," Swan rested her head on his shoulder and murmured, "What if you have cubster in your old age? Will you just let them be? It will probably take them a long time to match the raw strength at your prime.¡±


    "We don''t have cubs yet, so I never thought about it, at least not now," Gale said. He stared at Swan with a hungry gaze, but Swan couldn''t see that because of Gale''s blindfold.


    Thus, she continued her narrative so Gale would care more about his kingdom''s future.


    "But what if we get many cubs with us in the future? I don''t want them to rely solely on you. When the timees between us to pass the kingdom to them, I want them to be able to lead with both strength and intelligence, Swan enunciated. Honestly, she only said this because she wanted Gale to understand the urgency of building his kingdom properly, so it wouldst for the next hundreds of years, like Holy Achate.


    She never expected herself to get pregnant. Ever since she was young, she had always been told by the Queen Mother that she was a prostitute''s child. Therefore, any baby who woulde out of her belly would turn out to be a dirty disgrace like her as well.


    She didn''t want her children to bear the same shame and injustice as her. On top of that, she was probably barren since one religious old maid told her that Goddess Asmara might never give her a baby to pay for her mother''s sin. T


    Despite that, she still cared for Gale and the cubs he would have with his many wives in the future. She wanted to ensure that they wouldn''t suffer once Gale was getting


    older.


    "Do you think we will have many cubs?" Gale asked, his chest was heaving. Swan still didn''t notice it as she nodded.


    ¡°With..... uhm..... with your prowess, I''m sure y-you will have many..." Swan''s cheeks reddened as she was reminded of their first night. She thought that she would be


    eaten, not ''eaten''.


    Though, she didn''t hate it at all. She never knew that sex would feel so good. No. wonder those maids in Holy Achate Pce would give themselves to spend the night. with the knights.


    15.20


    45 Chapter 45: Eyes On Me (Mature Content)


    ¡°S-so, if you n to have many cubs, you need to think about the kingdom''s future, okay?¡± Swan advised, but Gale couldn''t focus anymore after hearing about the cubs. 2


    As Swan kept mentioning it, he began to fantasize about having a lot of cubs with Swan. The boys would probably take after him, and the girls would be as beautiful as their


    mother.


    He couldn''t tell if this was another trick from Swan to seduce him. His lower half kept distracting him from thinking too deeply about it.


    "You really know how to excite me, Swan. It makes me worry that we can''t do anything kingdom-rted when you keep doing this to me."


    "E-excite? Wah-!" Swan was caught off guard when Gale suddenly took a sharp turn towards the spiral staircases leading to their bedroom again. She hugged his neck and looked at him in confusion, ¡°I¡ªI thought we were going to do some kingdom matters today. D-d-did I do something wrong?"


    "Yes, you seduced me."


    "But I didn''t mean to-" Swan was genuinely confused because none of her words was intended to seduce the Beast King. Yet, Gale was still provoked by whatever she was doing. It made her wonder if he would easily get seduced by his other wives in the future as well.


    ¡°Gale, it''s still early in the morning. Can we really do this?¡± Swan asked as she gently


    caressed his chest. 2


    "Why can''t we? I own this castle," Gale replied as they reached their bedroom. "We can do it wherever we want to, and nobody would dare to peek at us. But I know you are shy, at least for now."


    As Gale kicked the door open, the cat maids hurriedly shut the door and left to give their King and the Princess some private space. They knew what the king wanted with just one look.


    Though, shutting the door wouldn''t change a thing. Because once they had sex, the whole castle would be able to hear her moans and his grunts.


    Gale threw Swan''s body on the bed, making her body bounce in response. Gale''s enhanced and almost superhuman eyes observed how her breasts moved up and down in slow motion, and he couldn''t hold it anymore.


    Swan closed her eyes when she was thrown to the bed. The moment she opened her eyes, Gale was already fully naked while stroking his thick and dark sausage.


    45 Chapter 45: Eyes On Me (Mature Content)


    Swan had never seen any naked man before she did it with Gale. Even their first night. was done under a somewhat dim light, so she couldn''t see his body clearly.


    But now that he was naked in front of her in the morning, everything was clear to see.


    Gale had a muscr body, especially around his upper body and thighs, proof that he used to travel a lot in


    his.


    form.


    His body was evenly tanned, but his thick sausage was a shade darker than his entire body.


    He had a lot of battle scars around his torso and arms, which only added to the sexiness emitting from his body.


    Gale was heaving, and the more she stared at him, the harder he stroked his sausage. He also didn''t understand why being stared at by her excited him so much because he disliked it whenever Jade interrupted his time In his privateke while he was naked.


    For each second Swan''s face gradually turned redder and redder, it made him want to put on a show for his mate, so she would never be able to look away from him.


    "That''s right. Eyes only on me, Swan," Gale hummed as he kept stroking his fully erect dick. "You can look everywhere as long as you only have me in your eyes."


    Swan was fascinated, especially with how the tip of his dark and thick sausage began to throb with each stroke. I


    Comment 20


    Leave the firstment for this chaplor

 Novel Mate 46

    46 Chapter 46: Carry My Cubs (Mature Content)


    She gulped as she nervously stretched her hand, trying to reach the thick sausage, but she wasn''t sure if she was allowed to do so. So, she quickly pulled back.


    Gale knew she wanted to try stroking his dick, so he stopped his movement, letting his throbbing cock rest for a moment before saying, ¡°You can touch it."


    "C-can I?"


    "Of course. Everything of me is yours to y with, just like how I love feeling up your body," Gale stated confidently. He saw how Swan fidgeted for a moment before she slowly reached out to his dick and began feeling it.


    She gasped and murmured, "It''s hot and big..


    "It gets hotter and bigger the more you touch it, sweetheart," Gale smiled with pride. His size was actually even bigger in his wolf form, but Swan was too thin and frail, she couldn''t possibly swallow it while he was in his bipedal or full wolf form. "Come and stroke it. In your humannguage, it should be called dick.


    "D-dick?" Swan was flustered because she heard that word before when the knights cursed at each other, and when she eavesdropped on a maid and a soldier having sex in the maid quarter.


    She didn''t know the meaning before, so she thought it was a secret word.


    She finally knew...


    Swan looked awkward as she began stroking his dick with her clumsy pace, but it was far more exciting than when he did it on his own. He began to remember how hot and tight it was inside her, and the more he fantasized about it, the more his pheromone spread from his body and filled the air in the room, which affected Swan as well.


    Swan''s body began to heat up, and a surge of electrifying sensation washed over her body, especially in two ces.


    Her nape, and her


    pussy.


    Her nape felt itchy, and her instinct told her she wanted to be nibbled on the nape by Gale again.


    Her pussy also felt itchy and somewhat damp which embarrassed her so much, as her instinct also told her that she wanted his big thing to ram inside her like on their first night together.


    15:28


    46 Chapter 46: Carry My Cubs (Mature Content)


    She instinctively mped her legs together to hide her shame while continuously stroking his dick, but her gesture made it way too obvious for Gale.


    His dick twitched as he took a deep breath and asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°Tell me what you feel right now, my lovely Swan."


    "I-I feel nothing"


    "Be honest," Gale coaxed as he took a step forward and pushed her to the bed. Swan was surprised when Gale was on top of her. He smiled at her while slowly rubbing the tip of his dick in between her thighs.


    Swan bit her lower lip as the fabric of her dress rubbed against her pussy lips which only made it even wetter than before.


    She didn''t know why she was so weak with pleasure, especially when Gale treated her so gently.


    "I want you to be honest, Swan."


    Swan couldn''t hold it anymore.


    With teary eyes, she said, "I want you to bite me again."


    "And?"


    ¡°I¡ªI want you to ram it inside me. I¨CI like that feeling...¡±


    Gale was also at his wit''s end. Everything about his mate was far too enticing for him. He wasted no time and ripped her dress effortlessly, revealing her nude body.


    Swan fidgeted as she was so ashamed of being exposed like this.


    At the same time, there was something deep inside of her that also wanted to give in to excitement when Gale looked at her.


    Gale sat on the bed, staring at Swan who took the initiative to open her legs in an M-shape. She covered her face as she felt ashamed yet aroused, proven by how wet her pussy was.


    Gale found her shyness to be very endearing so he spread her legs wider and let it rest on his strong thighs, then slowly stretched her pussy with his thick dick.


    He thought it would be difficult to enter her, but it was surprisingly smooth because Swan already leaked so much juice.


    When he realized he didn''t need to worry about hurting her, Gale rammed in until his whole shaft was inside her pussy.


    §ã


    46 Chapter 46: Carry My Cubs (Mature Content)


    "Ahhnnn!"


    "Grrhh..."


    Swan moaned out loud as her inside was stuffed to the brim. She could feel his entire size and shape ramming in and out of her pussy until she felt dizzy and dazed.


    "Ah! Ahn! Ahh...!"


    Swan could not hold back her moan while she was being fucked, because each time Gale rammed in a certain spot, she would feel an indescribable pleasure.


    Gale was solely focused on thrusting in and out. He leaned in towards her when he was close to ejacting. He began to hungrily kiss her-from lips to neck. Then, he rubbed her nape, and the wall around her pussy tightened immediately, making it hard for him to hold it.


    He whispered huskily beside her ear, ¡°I''m close, sweetheart. Carry my cubs, okay?¡±


    Swan nodded.


    In the midst of pleasure, she fantasized about carrying Gale''s babies, and she instinctively hugged him. Her imagination ran wild and it was so picture-perfect that she truly wished in her heart that she could get pregnant.


    "I want to. Husband. I want to," Swan murmured. She also began to pray deeply in her heart, even though she knew it meant nothing. ''Goddess Asmara, please bless me. Let me be pregnant with his cubs. I also want to have a ce I call family!


    "Grhh-Argh!"


    "Ahhhh!"


    Gale shot all of his seed inside her until it was overflowing. Swan could feel the scalding hot cum filling her inside.


    Her body twitched each time a jet of hot juice shot coats her walls over and over.


    Once he was finally done, he dropped to the side.


    He was still rock hard, and if he could, he wanted to do a second, third, fourth, or even


    fifth round with Swan.


    But once he saw how exhausted Swan was, he smiled and hugged her from behind, "Rest well, my lovely Swan."


    15


    214


    47 Chapter 47: Hot Tub with The King (1)

 Novel Mate 47

    47 Chapter 47: Hot Tub with The King (I)


    Swan slept through the morning until she woke up at the sound of a knock on the


    door.


    "Y-Your Majesty, Princess, we are ready to serve lunch,¡± Myra said from outside the


    door.


    Swan opened her eyes and stared at the door in a daze as she was collecting her thoughts after having morning sex with her husband.


    She thought that Gale wouldn''t be by her side when she woke up, like usual.


    But when she realized a pair of strong arms were hugging her from behind, she knew that Gale was still by her side.


    "Are you hungry?" Gale asked.


    "N-not really..." Swan replied bashfully.


    "Really? I can feed you more if you want to," Gale flirted as he gently nibbled on her nape, which sent an electrifying sensation under her skin immediately.


    Swan would be lying if she said that she didn''t like it, but she also knew when to practice self-control, especially with a king who had to do many important matters regarding his kingdom. 2


    They hadn''t even finished their conversation about the soldiers'' sry and living quality before they got distracted and went straight into having sex instead.


    Thus


    restrained herself and reasoned, "Y you still have things to do. W-we can do


    this next time."


    Gale was disappointed, but he understood that Swan was just a human with a human. physique, she wouldn''t be as vigorous as he was.


    He covered her body up to her neck with a nket and then wore his trousers before opening the door for the cat maids.


    The cat maids'' cheeks were flushed as they-and everyone in the castle-heard their King and his mate were mating in their bedroom. It wasn''t a problem, as the castle and everything inside was owned by the King of Beasts, but the female beastmen were inevitably aroused by His Majesty''s grunts, while the male beastmen were aroused by the princess'' moans.


    Nevertheless, none of them dared to interrupt, except the cat maids, of course.


    15:20


    47 Chapter 47: Hot Tub with The King (1)


    Gale looked down at them and gave out orders, "Prepare a hot bathtub for us first, then prepare lunch."


    "Yes, Your Majesty," Myra and Maya replied in unison before they left.


    Swan buried half of her face under the nket out of shame. Judging from the cat


    maids'' expression, it seemed that everyone in the castle heard them mating this morning.


    Gale sat at the edge of the bed, gently massaging Swan''s legs, and chuckled, "What are you embarrassed about?"


    "E-everyone heard us...


    "It''s not a problem. As I told you before, we can do it in the middle of the training ground, and none of them will dare to even peek at us," Gale said, and it didn''t help Swan at all.


    She imagined it, and her body was burning in shame that she quickly covered her face with the nket, which made Galeugh even more.


    "Cute," he murmured.


    The cat maids returned with a bucket of hot water and prepared a hot bath for them. Once they were done, they excused themselves to arrange lunch at the table.


    Swan was peeking from under the nket the whole time. Once Maya and Myra left the room, Gale suddenly pulled the nket off her and carried her in his arms. ¡°I know you''re feeling sticky right now. So, let''s take a bath first."


    Swan was burying her head in shame as Gale walked into the bathroom. He dipped. himself into the bathtub, causing the water to overflow, since his body was a bit too big for the bathtub.


    He then helped Swan to rest on top of his embrace, allowing Swan to feel Gale''s every muscle, scars, and body heat.


    Swan rested her head on his chest, and couldn''t help but wiggle a little when she realized that Gale had yet to lose his erection


    Gale took a deep breath and grabbed her waists, "Stop wriggling like that. I''ve been restraining myself well enough, but I can''t guarantee I can keep going if you don''t behave yourself."


    Swan''s body stiffened and she finally stopped resisting.


    15.29


    47 Chapter 47: Hot Tub with The King (1)


    The hot bath washed out all the sweat and a bit of sticky stuff around her inner thighs. It felt awkward to share


    a bath with someone else, even if that someone was her


    husband. So she tried to start a conversation to break the ice.


    "W-why did you spend more time at yourke than in this bathtub? Isn''t it very cold to dip inte at night?"


    ¡°It''s more refreshing" Gale replied. "Besides, barely feel the cold."


    Swan forgot that Gale''s physique was different from a human like her, so it wouldn''t matter much to him, ¡°I¨CIs that so..."


    "Hm, but maybe I''ll use this bathtub more," Gale said. "As long as you take a bath with


    me."


    Swan liked the idea at first, but knowing Gale she wouldn''t be able to have a peaceful bath with him, because his hands would be wrapping around her sensitive areas.


    I think you should take a bath in theke more often,¡± Swan concluded.


    Gale grinned mischievously, ¡°Why? Afraid that I will do this?"


    He used his middle finger to rub her clit, and Swan jolted in response.


    "D-don''t do that!" Swan yelled ashamedly.


    Galeughed heartily, ¡°You''re right. This is too much of a temptation for me as well.¡±


    They went into silence for a moment before Gale asked, ¡°Why did you go to myke that night with Rock? What kind of surprise do you want to give me?¡±


    The harmonious air around them got tense again, and Swan got nervous as she was afraid that Gale might misunderstand.


    Thus, she replied carefully, ¡°I... I just want to wait for you toe, so I can apany you while you are washing yourself."


    "And Rock had to be there?"


    ¡°Rock was just apanying me for a while until youe, then he will give us time alone.¡±


    "Heh, but look at what happened after that," Gale sneered.


    He didn''t mean to sound condescending at first, but now that Rock was on the topic, his jealousy clouded his judgment and he became sharp-tongued.


    15:29

 Novel Mate 48

    48 Chapter 48: Hot Tub with The King (II)


    Of course, Swan understood his anger. After all, if Rock had actually touched her that night, she probably would have been killed instantly. Even if she managed to survive, she doubted Gale would keep her around.


    Because at that int, she would have already been touched by Rock. Gale would have so many wives in the future. Why would he care for a woman who had been stained by


    another man?


    However, she truly had nothing but a good intention at first, even if it ended badly.


    "I''m sorry. I... I didn''t know why he attacked me that night." Swan apologized.


    ¡°Obviously because he lusted over you," Gale sneered. "Are you that clueless not to


    notice it?"


    Swan shook her head, ¡°I¡ªI genuinely didn''t know. I''m sorry... I didn''t expect myself to be wanted by anyone." "You-" Gale sighed. He didn''t know if this was her way to annoy him, but it worked. because he felt a little insulted. "Then what do you think of me? Do you think I fucked you just because I''m bored?"


    Swan nodded weakly.


    ¡°You are unbelievable," Gale said as he rubbed her belly. "When I say that I want you to carry my cubs, I mean it seriously, and do you think I will mate with just anyone in this world?"


    "But your curse..." Swan muttered. "Lady Jade said that you will mate with many


    Women-


    "Stop listening to her about my curse. Only I truly know the extent of my curse," Gale interrupted. 2


    "I don''t mind if you mark another-"


    "I don''t n to," Gale interrupted again.


    But he was also unsure about the curse.


    The curse made him unable to


    constant rut, which if not treize his fated mate and made him


    he would go insane.


    go under a


    That was only one amongst many that made the curse a burden in his life.


    <


    48 Chapter 48: Hot Tub with The King (1)


    Thankfully, nothing happened yet so far, except for the first crazed rut that he had before meeting with Swan.


    As for the idea of having to mark as many women as possible, he had to do it because he didn''t know which one was his fated mate and none of these women would be able to handle his sexual prowess alone during his crazed rut.


    Gale felt ufortable when he was reminded of his curse or the inevitable situation he had to go through once his second crazed rut happened. But he didn''t want to tell Swan about it.


    Swan wasn''t bothered with the idea of Gale sleeping with other women, especially if it was inevitable.


    She had long convinced herself that she bore no value in the Holy Achate, and she would also bore no value here in the Kingdom of Beastmen.


    Unfortunately, Gale always tried to deflect the conversation whenever she brushed on the topic of his curse, like what happened just now.


    up


    Thus, she diverted the topic instead, ¡°Uhm, about the beastmen soldiers'' sry."


    Gale sighed.


    This was one of the qualities-or he could say problem with Swan. Despite being soft-spoken and sweet, she was stubborn as bell.


    Once she had something in mind, she would insist on it and talk about the same topic until he made a decision for it.


    Faced with such stubbornness, he asked helplessly, ¡°Is it really necessary?"


    "It is! It''s for your kingdom''s future!" Swan ins sted. She lifted her head and stared at him with her willful gaze.


    Her doe eyes were cute but were also filled with determination. "It''s also for your cubs in the future!"


    "Our cubs."


    "Yours!"


    "Our, Gale repeated.


    Swan paused for a moment, before murmuring, "O-our cubs..."


    Gale kissed her hair and said, ¡°Alright if you think so. I have a lot of gold in my


    treasuries, but I''m not sure how much I should give to them. I don''t need any of those golds, personally."


    15:29


    48 Chapter 48: Hot Tub with The King (10)


    "Then, what will you do if you run out of gold?"¡±


    "Gets more from the spoils of war, of course."


    Swan stared at Gale, who genuinely looked unbothered by his words just now. She knew the culture of the beastmen was different from hers, but this was not sustainable for the kingdom.


    ¡°Uhm... have you ever thought of doing trade with the human kingdom? I''m sure that beastmen have products they can sell for a high price!¡±


    Gale went silent as he started to think about it.


    Of course, his new kingdom was involved in trade. He sent Jade to the east for a trade, where she sold all the jewelry and other trivial items that Gale got from winning wars against human kingdoms to the far east.


    Jade was able to sell a lot of this jewelry for an extremely high price, and though he still found no use for these golds, he kept hoarding them just in case his mate wanted to use them for something.


    But when faced with the idea of selling items made by the beastmen, he found himself lost in his own thoughts.


    "What kind of item can be sold from tribes full of beastmen warriors?"


    Getting no answer from Gale, Swan took the initiative to ask, ¡°Is there any beastmen tribe that likes to eat oysters?"


    "Huh? Well, there are fishmen tribes who eat them daily. I don''t allow any fishmen to stay inside the kingdom though, because they need to constantly be underwater. There''s no point in letting them fight in thend."


    ¡°Do you have a good rtionship with them?¡±


    ¡°The coast where they usually rest has be my domain. Since I don''t n to recruit them, I simply allow them to use the coast for now," Gale replied.


    "Perfect! Then, can you ask them to collect the shiny ball inside those oysters and send it to the kingdom?" Swan asked.


    "I sure can, but why?"


    "Those shiny balls are called pearls, and they fetch for a high price in my kingdom, and I''m sure other human kingdoms would also love to pay a lot for those pearls!¡± Swan answered enthusiastically.


    48 Chapter 48: Hot Tub with The King (1)


    expensive pearl ne or earrings to the point that she knew the price of those pearl jewelry.


    Swan found it pretty, especially when the pearl shone lustrously under the sun, but she never yearned for


    such expensive jewelry, knowing it wouldn''t look good on her.


    66


    Thank you for reading!


    I hope you like the story so far!


    Apup

 Novel Mate 49

    Send Gift


    49 Chapter 49: A Hardworking Advisor (1)


    49 Chapter 49: A Hardworking Advisor (1)


    But she knew pearls were valuable and extremely expensive across all human kingdoms. She often noticed many of the aristocrats from other kingdoms wore pearls in various ways, either as nes, earrings bracelets, or even embedded in their dresses whenever they visited Holy Achate.


    If Gale could get his hands on those pearls, it would be the first of many businesses the Beastmen Kingdom would have for its longevity.


    "If you can tell those fishmen to collect the pearls and send them to our kingdom, then I will guarantee that the kingdom will be able to collect gold through other means rather than war and conquest!"


    ¡°Then, what are we going to do with these golds? Are you sure you don''t want to use it for yourself?" Gale asked. ¡°I have more than enough in the treasury already.¡±


    "I will use it to pay for the sry of the soldiers and servants in the castle first then we can start by improving the kingdom!" Swan didn''t know if all her ns woulde to fruition because she didn''t have proper royal training like Aria. This was what she coulde up with to be useful for Gale.


    However, facing Gale''s silence, her confidence quickly withered and she stammered, "S-s-sorry, I didn''t mean to o-overstep. I¡ªI just thought it would be good for the kingdom..."


    ¡°It''s fine. I will tell them to prepare it for you, Gale decided while caressing her belly. ¡°I''m just impressed since you''re doing so much for the future of our cubs."


    Our cubs.


    That sentence embarrassed her so much as it felt like she was ying house with the King of Beasts, but at the same time, it felt good whenever she fantasized about it.


    "I-I will try my best because I want to be useful to you, too," Swan murmured. ¡°I don''t want to be a burden.¡± ¡°You are never a burden, Swan,¡± Galeforted. ''Because you give me peace simply by sleeping with me! He never demanded nor expected Swan to do something to him other than offering her body because mating with him was the most important job she could do.


    He still didn''t understand the urgency behind Swan''s idea, as he grew up in a culture where everything could be solved with a life-or-death fight or an all-out war.


    15:29


    49 Chapter 49: A Hardworking Advisor (1)


    He also didn''t think he would be depleted of gold anytime soon,


    But if this was what Swan wanted, then so bet. It made him happy to see her looking so energetic as well.


    Gale finally left Swan to have her lunch, as he still had things to do around the kingdom.


    First, he went to check on the report about the city matters. The beastmen civilians inside the city were independent most of the time as they hunted for their food outside of the kingdom and only lived in the city for protection. Some of them were taught by Jade''s aides to start small shops that sold hunting gears, but that was all.


    Ther


    ate their food raw, and they would help each other by bringing food for the sick. As long as they identified someone who came from the same tribe as them, they would instantly form a tight bond.


    However, the problem was the scuffles between tribes that were inevitable in the end, such as these two beastmen in front of him, a snake beastman and a badger beastman.


    They were bloodied and roughed up, and it seemed like they would fight again after they left the castle.


    Gale didn''t care if one of them died as it was the pride of a beastman to die in battle, but he also couldn''t let this happen. If he allowed everyone to fight, the city would turn into a battle arena.


    "What should we do about them, Your Majesty?" the guard behind the snake beastman asked.


    "Should we kill them?" the other guard added


    Gale had a headache thinking about this because he couldn''t get his mind off violence. Despite being a king, he still grew up as a pure beastman who loved war, blood, and


    death.


    Thus, he needed an advisor, and since Jade wasn''t around, he had to ask his wife


    instead.


    ¡°Stay here. I wille back soon,¡± Gale said as he got up from his throne and returned to his bedroom to fetch his beloved.


    He saw that Swan had just finished lunch when he walked in, so he called her, "You''re


    49 Chapter 49: A Hardworking Advisor (1)


    Swan."


    ¡°Ah? W-what for?¡± Swan questioned, but she still allowed Gale to carry her on his arm. They walked out of the room and headed to the throne room.


    "I need your opinion on a kingdom matter. Since you''re my advisor now," Gale said.


    "M-me? An advisor?" Swan gulped. She didn''t know if she was on par with Lady Jade. But since Gale asked her, she had to ept it "I-I will try my best."


    Gale smiled as he entered the throne room with his mate.


    Swan gasped when she saw two bloodied beastmen being restrained by two guards. Gale sat on the throne and let Swan sit on hisp.


    "You see, these two beastmen are fighting until they are bloody. They might kill each other if the guards didn''t stop them," Gale exined. "This is a natural urrence in the beastmen world, as to die in a fight or a war is considered a good death. But I can''t let everyone keep making trouble in the city.


    Swan was a little scared seeing the snake and badger beastmen looking at her with their bloodied body, so she scooted deeper into his embrace before asking meekly, ¡°W-what about you, Gale? What would you do as a king?"


    ¡°I''d just kill them both. I don''t think they would be sad about it. They already had a fight with a killing intention anyway, and this incident is not the first and definitely won''t be thest,¡± Gale replied. ¡°I need your opinion, Swan. Maybe a human can give us a new


    perspective.


    Comment 7


    View All


    15:29

 Novel Mate 50

    Swipe left to continue >


    Send Gift


    50 Chapter 50: A Hardworking Advisor (11)


    50 Chapter 50: A Hardworking Advisor (II)


    With everyone''s eyes on her, Swan got nervous instantly. She wanted to bury her head deep in the sand.


    She was just a stupid, uneducated prostitute''s daughter who lived with maids her whole life. What qualification did she have to advise the king?!


    She was frozen with fear and nervousness for a while until Gale gently rubbed her hair, "Don''t be nervous. I just want advice from my mate."


    Swan turned her head and looked at Gale who smiled at her and her nervousness


    slowly dissipated.


    She looked at the snake and badger beastmen back and forth before muttering, ¡°Uhm, if death doesn''t scare them, then why not punish them instead?"


    "Beating them or torturing them also won''t change a thing," Gale replied. "They already have the intention to die when they fight."


    "N-no, not by physically hurting them..." Swan said. She shuddered as she realized the culture in the beastmen world was so bloody and violent. No wonder Gale could be so strong in the process. However, she knew that physical punishment wouldn''t work by looking at the soldiers in the Holy Achate pce.


    She often saw those soldiers getting beaten up as punishment by theirmanders, and once they were done with it, they would justugh it off and train again.


    Thus, Swan asked Gale, "In the city... do they have a job that will earn them some gold?"


    ¡°No,¡± Gale replied. ¡°Most beastmen hunt for their food and share it equally with everyone in their tribes. It has always been like that from the dawn of age"


    ¡°I see, then, why not take their food as a punishment?¡± Swan said innocently.


    The snake and badger beastmen''s eyes widened immediately.


    "Y-Your Majesty, surely you won''t starve my family, right?¡± the snake beastman asked.


    "This is a problem between us, and we are ready to die for it!" the badger beastman added.


    ¡°SILENCE!¡± Gale roared, and the air around the throne room became tense immediately. However, Gale quickly suppressed his aura because he didn''t want to hurt Swan. He returned his gaze towards his mate and asked, ¡°What do you mean by


    50 Chapter 50: A Hardworking Advisor (II)


    that, Swan?"


    ¡°I¡ªI mean, since we can''t let them pay fine with gold. Then, we can punish them with theirbor," Swan exined. She looked at the snake and badger beastmen who finally showed a hint of distress, a sign that they were more scared of starving their family than death. "If I were you, I''d tell them to hunt or gather twice the amount of food they have every day and send half of it to the castle for the soldiers'' consumption. Make them work like that for a week, and I''m sure they will realize it''s better to make peace rather than working twice as hard with the risk of starving their tribes."


    "You heard her," Gale dered. ¡°I will not punish you with death. Instead, you two must send food to the castle every day for a week, and the guards will be watching over the food supply. If any of you dare to attack the other, then he will have to do this for two


    weeks.


    The snake and badger beastmen were terrified of this punishment because there was no pride in this. They were basically enved for a week as a punishment.


    "Understood?"


    "Understood, Your Majesty..." the snake and badger beastmen answered weakly as they were escorted out of the throne room.


    Swan was worried that she might overstep, but Gale was impressed by how decisively


    ruthless she could be.


    "Did the Holy Achate teach you to give punishment like that?" Gale asked.


    ¡°Ah, n-no, it was just spontaneous..." Swan replied though she was lying as well.


    It wasn''t spontaneous, because she used her own experience as a sample.


    She had no money since she was young, and whenever she was punished by Aria or Queen Mother, it was either getting beaten, starved or had to do a basicbor task that


    exhausted her so much.


    She didn''t mind getting beaten a lot, mostly because her body already gotten used to it, but she was scared to be starved. It made her feel like she was on the brink of death.


    Doing basicbor as a punishment was also exhausting because she wouldn''t be allowed to eat until she did whatever Queen Mother or Aria told her to do, from mopping all corridors with her dress, or sweeping the pce yard, which was difficult for someone who used crutches like her.


    ¡°At this point, you are a much better candidate to be my advisor than Jade, Gale praised, and Swan quickly shook her head.


    50 Chapter 50: A Hardworking Advisor (11)


    "I-I don''t think I did much. I''m just giving you an option..."


    "And that''s the job of an advisor," Gale chuckled. He was in an even better mood now. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled deeper into his embrace. "Jade told me that you might not be the First Princess of Holy Achate, because you don''t have the confidence, but she''s dead wrong."


    Swan held her breath as she gave Gale a nervous smile.


    She couldn''t afford to get discovered now. She was scared that Gale would get angry had he known that she was indeed not even a princess.


    She was a prostitute''s daughter.


    "W-what does Lady Jade say about me?"


    Gale thought that Swan was being nervous because Jade insulted her before, so he floored all the things he heard from Jade, "She said that a cripple can''t be the First Royal Princess of Holy Achate, and said that you don''t have the quality to be one. But don''t worry, Swan. I don''t believe any of her words."


    "B-but, my leg..." Swan murmured.


    ¡°About your leg, your mother told me that you had an ident when you were young, and no healer or medicine can help you,¡± Gale said. "I''ve been thinking of finding a healer for you. Humans might not have a suitable medicine to heal you, but some wolf packs have a great healer. I''m sure they


    §ã§Ñ§á


    help."


    3


    35:29


    Thank you for reading! ^_^

 Novel Mate 51

    51 Chapter 51: Pearls


    Swan had long epted that she would never be able to walk normally, but faced with the idea of a way to cure her leg, she got excited, and her excitement overflowed from her eyes.


    She stared at her husband full of hope, and Gale caressed her hair, "I''ll start searching for the best beastman healer, but you have to wait."


    "I can wait!¡± Swan had been enduring the pain in her leg for more than a decade, waiting was not a problem for her.


    ¡°Good. You''re quite strange for a royal princess, you know that?¡±


    "S-strange?" Swan feigned her innocence as she didn''t want to be discovered. "W-what is strange about me?"


    "I''ve been in contact with many princesses from human kingdoms, and many of them are either stubborn or scheming. I''ve never been at ease around them,¡± Gale said. ¡°But with you, I can be at peace," Gale smiled, before chuckling awkwardly. "I guess that''s a given, because you''re my mate, right?"


    Gale waited for Swan to say yes, or at least nod to confirm that they were mated. He wanted that false sense of security between them, despite him being unable to identify


    his mate at all..


    But Swan stayed silent, mostly because she had understood the gist of his curse just by talking to Rock before.


    Rock didn''t have a curse like Gale, and he could only mark one mate for his entire life, but Gale would mark many in the future.


    So, Swan knew that she definitely wasn''t his fated mate.


    "Swan?" Gale frowned. "Why aren''t you saying anything?"


    "Mm..." Swan nodded weakly before looking down, and it was enough to assure the Beast King.


    Swan fiddled with her fingers nervously.


    She wondered if the reason Gale was being so intimate and loving to her was because he genuinely liked her, or maybe she was just a ceholder until the more beautiful woman came into his life, or when he finally found his fated mate.


    ''Ah, why do I have to think about it? The answer is no, of course. I''m not even a


    51 Chapter 51: Pearls


    princess,


    there''s no way I''d be his fated mate Swan shot herself down. ''I wonder what he will do once he finds out that I''m not the real prize he deserves for defeating Holy Achate.''


    Since Lady Jade had suspected her, she guessed that her time in this world wouldn''t be long, ¡®He will probably kill me out of rage. But.. that''s alright. I will never forget that I was sent to die anyway.


    Gale left the kingdom at night, as he still had things to do.


    Luckily, he didn''t leave to suppress another beastmen tribe rebellion, or human kingdom that wanted to attack his territory.


    He left for the coast where the fishmen tribes lived under his protection.


    Gale stood on a rock, facing the open sea. He stomped his feet three times, creating ripples on the water surface which sent a signal to the fishmen king toe and greet


    him.


    Gale saw the fishmen king, who had a different body structure than a regr


    beastman.


    The upper half body was fully that of a human, but his lower half was a fish. They called themselves Merfolk, but Gale didn''t care about that as he only needed to talk to the


    fishmen king.


    The young 6


    king emerged in front of Gale with only his upper half body showing, bowing politely and asking, ¡°Salute to the mighty Beast King. May I, Mako, know the reason for your summons?"


    "Do you know something called pearl?"


    ¡°Oh yes, the oysters produce them inside their body. Humans usually collect those oysters only for their pearls. We don''t have any use for them, so we just allow them to take them," Mako, the fishmen king replied. "Do I need to do something against those humans, Your Majesty? My people can always drown them if you want to."


    "Ignore those humans, I just want you to collect as many pearls as possible within a month."


    "Collect the pearls? We can do that, but may I know why?" that, but may know why?"


    "My mate wants them," Gale''s reply was short but concise, and Mako was genuinely surprised.


    15:29


    <


    51 Chapter 51: Pearls


    ¡°Congrattions on finding your mate, Your Majesty. Please bring her to the beach, we can prepare a celebration for her."


    "If she wants to, I will bring her here. For now, I want those pearls,¡± Gale repeated.


    "Do we need to empty the West Sea for it, Your Majesty?" Mako asked.


    "Will your people suffer if you do that?"


    "Not at all. We don''t have any use of those pearls."


    Gale was considering it for a moment. Surely he could simply empty the pearls of the West Sea for Swan. But what''s the point of doing that if many of them would be of a bad quality?


    ¡°Just give me a full sack of the best pearls you can find in your sea. Make sure that no humans are allowed to gather those pearls for now. I need to ask her if she needs. everything," Gale ordered.


    "Your wish is mymand, Your Majesty. We will return in a month with the best pearls the West Sea has." "Good, that''s all I want. You can leave now."


    Mako, the fishmen king excused himself and disappeared into the depths of the sea.


    Gale stared at the vast west sea. He sighed as his body remembered the bitter battle he had against the fishmen on this beach.


    The fishmen had the sea as their advantage, so they used it by doing a hide-and-dive tactic to him. He had to shapeshift into his true giant wolf form and use his blood-moon eyes to stop them from swimming.


    It was a victory, but the price for shifting into his true form was too great as it would trigger extreme pain all over his body.


    Thest time he did it was in the meadow near the Holy Achate Pce after he was enraged by King Tyrion''s devious war tactics


    After he killed more than half of the enemy soldiers, including King Tyrion in one sweep of his giant w, he rushed to the pce of Holy Achate and demanded his prize just to humiliate that bastard king more.


    ¡°I''m d Swan didn''t see me directly in the eyes when I was in my true form in the pce. She would''ve died instantly.


    <


    52 Chapter 52: SilverFang Pack

 Novel Mate 52

    52 Chapter 52: SilverFang Pack


    Gale turned around and faced ze Silverfang, who stood not far from him, awaiting his order.


    "Do you know why I take you out of the kingdom tonight?" Gale asked.


    "To hunt for Rock Silverfang, Your Majesty," ze replied.


    ¡°Indeed, we need to find that bastard who dared to lust over my mate, attacked her, and then ran away like a wimpy little dog," Gale sneered. He said it like a joke, but ze took a deep breath as he knew his king had a murderous intention. ¡°Take me to pack''s domain. I want to talk to the elder."


    "As you wish, Your Majesty."


    ze shifted into his wolf form and led the way to his pack''s domain.


    your


    Gale could''vee to the Silverfang pack domain all by himself, but he brought ze as a diplomat because he had no patience dealing with the elders.


    He was already angry, knowing that his beta betrayed him, and if Rock''s pack also betrayed him, he could''ve wiped them out in a fit of rage.


    The Silverfang pack''s domain was located near the mountain, surrounded by jagged rocks as a natural defense against enemies. It was also where they got their pack name ey got their pack name Silverfangs, as they had a strange culture of biting those rocks while in their wolf form to ensure that their bites would be deadly.


    ze howled as they were nearing the territory. Once they arrived, the elder were already kneeling at the entrance to greet the Beast King.


    The elder bowed despite his advanced age and said, ¡°Greetings to the Beast King, the mighty-"


    ¡°I don''t need your praises, not when someone from your pack has betrayed me,¡± Gale interrupted curtly.


    Loud gasps wereing from the pack members, and Gale could see the look of horrors from the elder. He sneered as he guessed it right, ¡°Rock must''ve returned to his pack after he escaped, right?¡±


    There was no clear answer from the elders, and Gale''s patience got thinner.


    He gave ve a signal to sneak and thetter quickly took over the conversation


    26.300


    <


    52 Chapter 52: SilverFang Pack


    ¡°This is a serious situation. Our pride, Rock Silverfang, had lusted over His Majesty''s mate and attacked her. He was locked in the castle''s dungeon but escaped the same night,¡± ze exined. ¡°I know some of you might have a sentimental feeling for Rock, but the fate of our pack depends on this. I-as the second strongest after Rock Silverfang-plead with you to tell us where he is right now, or I cannot guarantee anyone''s safety.¡± Everyone in the Silverfang pack began to nce at each other in worry. Then, they looked at the Beast King in fear before ring at the elder who became their representative, silently urging him to report what they knew about Rock.


    It was true that they valued their previous Alpha, Rock Silverfang, but once he had been defeated, they had to follow the strongest no matter what. If the Beast King wanted them dead, they couldn''t do anything to save themselves.


    The elder was in deep thought before he turned around and ordered, "Bring his mother


    in."


    Two female wolves grabbed a woman from the crowd and brought her forward. She was forced to kneel in front of Gale before the elder continued, "This is Rock Silverfang''s mother. She is the only one from our n to meet Rock early this morning."


    The elder nced at the middle-aged female wolf, who looked frail, and a trace of worry appeared on his face, ¡°Your Majesty, you can ask anything about Rock to her, but please don''t kill her. She is still a mother despite her son''s sin."


    "Whether I will kill her or not depends on her answer," Gale replied coldly. He looked down at the middle-aged fraildy and ordered, "Lift your head."


    Thedy lifted her head, staring at the Beast King without fear in her eyes. Gale was quite surprised by this, especially when Gale could''ve killed her easily.


    "Tell me, where did you meet with Rock? Did he


    Rock''s mother shook her head, "No, Your Majesty. I met him when I was out near the river to wash myself. I saw him looking tired, but he seemed unharmed."


    "Unharmed, you say?" Gale frowned.


    Jade told him that he was given muscle rxants. He was also chained by steel chains which would be impossible to break, while he was doused with muscle rxant.


    So how could he escape and travel back to his pack unharmed?


    -15.30-


    52 Chapter 52: SilverFang Pack


    ¡°Then, where is he now? Did he tell you where he is going?¡± Gale inquired more. ¡°And don''t even try to lie. I can tell when someone is lying or not."


    Rock''s mother stared at him with a wronged expression, as if Gale had hurt her son.


    But she still replied, ¡°I asked him what happened. He told me that he had sinned greatly, but didn''t specify. He just said that he apologized for bringing shame to the pack, and will find a way to redeem himself."


    "Did he leave after that?"


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. He simply walked to the south and never returned,¡± Rock''s mother confirmed. She looked sad as she recalled her son who looked haggard. She still remembered Rock''s bloodshot eyes full of guilt and anger. "Your Majesty, is... is there a way for you to forgive my son''s sin?"


    ¡°Jira!¡± The elder scolded Rock''s mother instantly, knowing that it was already


    impossible to forgive Rock Silverfang for lusting over the Beast King''s mate, let alone for attacking her. ¡°Y¨C Your Majesty, please don''t listen to her. She is just emotional, but we know that what he has done is egregious!"


    Gale was quiet for a while before responding calmly, "I would kill him on sight, there is no other way. Not after he almost hurt my mate."


    Gale looked down at Rock''s mother who was crying and said, ¡°Do not worry about his corpse. If I ever kill him, I''d make sure to leave his body intact, so you can give him a proper burial. That is the mercy I can give to a treacherous bastard."

 Novel Mate 53

    53 Chapter 53: Yearning


    The air around them was tense as Gale began to release his aura subconsciously. He didn''t intend to do so at first, but remembering how that bastard-whom he trusted to protect Swan-lusted over her made him angry.


    It was even worse when he recalled how Swan kept on defending Rock, saying he didn''t do anything wrong. The fact that Rock had improper thoughts on her alone was enough reason for him to cut his head off!


    He got angry and bitter whenever he realized Swan wasn''t in the same mind as him. He wanted to kill that bastard Rock Silverfang as soon as possible so Swan would stop thinking about him.


    The cubs and the old wolves began to heave as it was getting harder for them to breathe, but none dared to say anything before their Beast King


    It was after a few of the cubs began to wail that ze Silverfang interfered, ¡°Y-Your Majesty, your aura¨Cthe cubs-


    ¡°Hm, oh-? Gale quickly suppressed his aura, and many of the members of the Silverfang Pack dropped like flies as they were coughing, trying to inhale as much air as possible into their lungs.


    Gale looked at the fear in their eyes, and though he knew it wasn''t their fault for being terrified of his presence, his heart still grew colder.


    ''Swan is the only one who stares at me with tenderness in her eyes. In the end, nobody will like me better than her..."


    Gale didn''t know whether he thought this way because he was desperate or because Swan was in love with him.


    ''I hope it''s thetter. Ah, I already missed her What is she doing right now?"


    Gale was in a better mood thinking about his mate, so he turned around and said, ¡°I have to leave now. Remember, if Rock Silverfang ever returns to your pack, make sure to capture him immediately. This is thest warning


    ¡°Y-yes, Your Majesty.¡± The elder replied as he clutched his chest. He thought he was


    "L-Long live, The King of all


    going to die because he couldn''t breathe at all just!


    Beasts."


    53 Chapter 53: Yearning


    +115


    Gale clenched his fist as he felt ufortable hearing the praises. It was part of the beastman culture to dedicate and praise the strongest, and he would usually take it as a normal thing to say to the Beast King.


    But now that he had been with Swan, he began to feel ufortable hearing praise


    from those terrified of him.


    "Would it be better if they admire me instead? But who''d admire a murderer?"


    That question lingered in his mind, but he decided to shove it to the back of his head and left the Silverfang domain.


    ze followed him from behind and asked, "What should I do next, Your Majesty?


    Should I go to the south to hunt for him?¡±


    ¡°Not you, you''re still the strongest after Rock. You need to defend the castle in case of an invasion when I''m not around,¡± Gale replied. "I want you to deploy at least five scouts-two owl beastmen and three squirrel beastmen-to search for his whereabouts. in the south. There is no point in sending you or any soldiers because Rock can easily kill all of you."


    ze hated to admit it, but his king was right.


    Rock was the strongestpared to other beastmen, but he was still weakpared to King Gale. That big disparity was enough for any beastmen to bow down before the Beast King.


    "Understood," ze nodded. ¡°Then, what do you want to do now, Your Majesty? Do you n to check other ces first?"


    ¡°No need,¡± Gale replied curtly while staring in the direction where his castle was located; where his mate was probably sleeping right now. "I miss her already."


    Swan was fast asleep when she sensed someone leaping into her room from the


    window.


    She opened her eyes, rubbed them a few times, and sat on the bed while staring at Gale.


    He stood underneath the chandelier. The light shone down upon him, highlighting all the battle scars he had on his body.


    Gale always told her that it didn''t hurt, but Swan couldn''t help but worry whenever she identally touched any of his scars.


    15:30


    53 Chapter 53: Yearning


    "Uhm... wee back..." Swan murmured as she blinked a few times. She yawned and dozed off again. The quilt was very warm andfortable right now.


    Gale chuckled. He sat at the edge of the bed, gently massaging her leg before saying, ¡°Sorry for waking you up.¡±


    "N-no, it''s fine..." Swan said while dozing off. This room is yours, I will feel bad sleeping when you''re not asleep yet."


    Gale could feel her sincerity, and his heart felt itchy. If he could, he would fuck her again right here, right now.


    But Swan was a human and looked very frail. He was worried doing it too much would


    hurt her, so he restrained himself.


    Besides, he had to report all the things he had done for her so far.


    "I''ve talked to the fishmen, they will have a month to collect all the best quality pearls


    and send them to the castle.


    ¡°Oh, that''s great!¡± Swan''s drowsiness disappeared instantly. ¡°I will do my best to find the best pearls we can sell!"


    "You seem to be into pearls so much. If you want, I can collect more pearls for you," Gale offered, "Or I will ask the fishmen to make pearl jewelry for you."


    ¡°Ah, no need. I''m just happy because the kingdom can finally earn gold without having to go to war!" Swan eximed. ¡°We can also start rebuilding the city and the castle with the gold in the treasury!¡±


    ¡°You are really hung up with the idea of rebuilding this kingdom, I see.¡±


    "Of course! This is for your-I-I mean, our cubs! This is for the future of your kingdom!" Swan said in excitement. She was brimming with joy and Gale was infected as his heart. began to warm up.


    He was about to tell Swan about Rock''s situation just now, but it would ruin the warm atmosphere they had, so he decided to keep the information-all to himself.


    He leaned closer towards Swan until their noses touched, and said, ¡°Then, why don''t we make sure that you will be pregnant with my cubs?"


    ¡°W-wha-ah!¡±


    Thus, the beastmen around the castle were forced to hear another round of moans and grunts from their King and his mate for another night.


    15:30

 Novel Mate 54

    54 Chapter 54: Pearls for the Princess (1)


    Two weeks had passed since Gale ordered the fishmen to gather all the best quality pearls the West Sea could get and put them in a big sack. He told them to gather it in a month, but the fishmen worked much faster and finished the request in just two


    weeks.


    Gale stared at the sack and checked one pearl which shone lustrously under the sun.


    ¡°These are the best we could find. We could go deeper into the sea if you want more, Your Majesty,¡± Mako, the fishmen king said.


    "No need, this should be more than enough for now. I''ll ask again if my mate demands.


    more."


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    "What about the humans? Have you stopped them from gathering any pearls yet? I don''t want them to have it as long as my wife wants it," Gale questioned.


    "They came with a big ship two weeks ago, and another one a week ago. I simply sent them big waves nonstop until they couldn''t even dock their ship. I also make sure that no human who came from the forest to the beach can take any. My merfolks are watching over them and ready to attack the moment they take the pearls."


    ¡°Good,¡± Galemented. He paused for a moment before muttering, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Mako was shocked when his King suddenly thanked him. He quickly bowed deeper than usual and said, "You don''t need to thank me, Your Majesty! I''m just doing my job as you ordered!"


    "Mm. You did a good job."


    "T-then, please tell me if you want something from the side. We, the fishmen, will always be at your service!" Mako eximed.


    Gale stared at the fishmen king who lifted his head and was trying to hold back his smile, but the beam of joy in his eyes made it clear that Mako was happy.


    Gale understood why the fishmen king was happy because this would be the first time Gale ever thanked him-or anyone.


    As the King of Beasts, it was necessary to dedicate everything you have to the king. Thus, Gale never felt the need nor had the intention to thank anyone.


    He did it because he was reminded of Swan, who always thanked everyone, even the


    15:20


    54 Chapter 54: Pearls for the Princess (1)


    maids for


    every little thing they did for her.


    She even thanked Gale for carrying her into the bathtub after they mated, even though it was part of his responsibility.


    It was strange. Even the servants also thought it was strange. No princess would thank the lowly maids for things they needed to do


    But Gale didn''t hate it.


    On the contrary, he found it quite cute.


    This habit of hers had also begun to rub on him. He had been trying to hold himself from saying thank you to random jobs the beastmen did for him.


    After all, as the Beast King, he still had to maintain his dignity. He simply thanked Mako because the fishmen truly did a good job in warding off the human poachers and collecting high-quality pearls.


    "I will have to


    leave now."


    "Yes, Your Majesty! Long Live the King of Beasts!"


    Gale turned around and ordered a few soldiers to carry the pearls before returning to


    the castle.


    Swan was sitting on the throne. She clenched her dress tightly as she was listening to the reporting from a ferret beastman about the city''s outer wall that was starting to crumble due to constant skirmish with rogue beastmen.


    starting


    Swan had been handling kingdom matters as Gale''s advisor for two weeks. She was nervous back then, and still nervous now, but she still tried her best to be helpful as she truly cared for the kingdom that Gale built.


    Gale cared so much for her, so she had to do the same for him, even if she''d probably be reced soon by the time Lady Jade returned from her journey in the East.


    Usually, Swan would sit on Gale''sp, but now she was sitting alone on the throne while waiting for Gale, and it made her feel so small.


    She wondered what would happen once Gale realized that he put a prostitute''s daughter on the throne to represent him. He would''ve been enraged.


    As the ferret beastman finished his report, Swan took a deep breath so she wouldn''t stammer despite her nervousness. Once she gained her courage, she replied;


    15.30


    54 Chapter 54: Pearls for the Princess (1)


    "I will ask the soldiers to gather qualified workers to fix the wall. The lizards would probably be the best at doing it, Swan said. ''And that means I should also think of a reward for the work!


    "Then, I will take my leave, Your Highness," The ferret beastman said.


    "Wait, I can give you this," Swan said as she took out a silver coin from her satchel. She had been taking a few silver and gold coins from the treasury based on Gale''s permission. She didn''t need it for herself, but she used it to pay for the services provided by the beastmen.


    She also used it for a reason here.


    The ferret beastman stared at the princess in awe before quickly rejecting the coin, ¡°Your Highness, you don''t need to give me a coin, since I have no use for it. Besides, we -the beastmen-are more than happy to serve our king. As long as we are under his protection, we are more than willing to work


    This was the worry that Swan had. She didn''t want these beastmen to dedicate themselves to Gale''s strength. She wanted them to love and admire Gale as a king


    rather than a murderous beast.


    Thus, she smiled kindly at the ferret beastman before saying, "You may not need this, but think of this as a token of gratitude from your king. Wouldn''t it be given something by His Majesty even if it holds no value?"


    10 be


    Swan''s words caught the interest of the ferret beastman, so he epted the silver coin and kneeled deeply, "T-thank you for your generosity, Your Highness. May I show this token of gratitude to my family?"


    "Yes, you can,¡± Swan nodded. "You can also tell your friends and family that His Majesty likes to give a token of gratitude for those who dedicate themselves to the betterment of his kingdom."


    ¡°I will tell everyone, Your Highness! Please excuse me, I want to show this to my family and friends!¡± The ferret beastman hurriedly pocketed the silver coin and left in a hurry.


    15.30-


    304


    54 Chapter 54: Pearls for the Princess (1)


    ¡°I will ask the soldiers to gather qualified workers to fix the wall. The lizards would probably be the best at doing it,¡± Swan said. And that means I should also think of a reward for the work.)


    ¡°Then, I will take my leave, Your Highness,¡± The ferret beastman said.


    "Wait, I can give you this," Swan said as she took out a silver coin from her satchel. She had been taking a few silver and gold coins from the treasury based on Gale''s permission. She didn''t need it for herself, but she used it to pay for the services provided by the beastmen.¡±


    She also used it for a reason here.


    The ferret beastman stared at the princess in awe before quickly rejecting the coin, "Your Highness, you don''t need to give me a coin, since I have no use for it. Besides, we -the beastmen-are more than happy to serve our king. As long as we are under his protection, we are more than willing to work


    This was the worry that Swan had. She didn''t want these beastmen to dedicate themselves to Gale''s strength. She wanted them to love and admire Gale as a king rather than a murderous beast.


    Thus, she smiled kindly at the ferret beastman before saying, "You may not need this, but think of this as a token of gratitude from your king. Wouldn''t it be amazing to be given something by His Majesty even if it holds no value?"


    Swan''s words caught the interest of the ferret beastman, so he epted the silver coin and kneeled deeply, "T-thank you for your generosity, Your Highness. May I show this token of gratitude to my family?"


    "Yes, you can,¡± Swan nodded. "You can also tell your friends and family that His Majesty likes to give a token of gratitude for those who dedicate themselves to the betterment of his kingdom."


    "I will tell everyone, Your Highness! Please excuse me, I want to show this to my family and friends!" The ferret beastman hurriedly pocketed the silver coin and left in a hurry.


    314

 Novel Mate 55

    <


    55 Chapter 55: Pearls for the Princess (II)


    55 Chapter 55: Pearls for the Princess (II)


    Swan watched the ferret beastman until he left the throne room and sighed. She quickly hunched her back and lowered her head as dealing with so many people drained her out of her life force. 1


    It made her want to just tuck into her nket and hide from the rest of the world. ''How long do I have to do this? So far, I''ve only been dealing with small matters in the kingdom, but what if I have to make an important decision when Gale isn''t around? Surely, he wouldn''t believe in me too much, right?'' Swan thought. ¡®Ah, it makes me nervous whenever I imagine what will happen once Gale finds out about my true identity.''


    ¡®I really like him though, I hope he can at least spare me. I''m fine being thrown away somewhere in the forest if it means I wouldn''t need to die in his hand, Swan thought as she began imagining the worst case possible.


    However, her imagination was interrupted when Gale walked into the throne room while carrying a sack. His lips curled up the moment he saw Swan sitting on the throne. Her small body seemed to have been swallowed by the throne, and it made him feel bad because he kept on leaving her to handle the kingdom''s matters.


    This sack of pearls should''ve been more than enough topensate for her hard work. He couldn''t wait to see the big smile on her pretty face.


    "W-wee back," Swan weed him bashfully as she tried to scoot to the corner of the throne to give a space for Gale to sit. ¡°Uhm, there are a few kingdom matters I dealt with just now. I can tell you all of it..."


    "No need, I trust you on that," Gale said as he carefully put the sack right under her feet, "Look at what I''ve fetched for you."


    Swan looked down to check on the sack as Gale opened it, and her eyes brightened when she saw a bunch of lustrous pearls inside.


    They were all so beautiful, even the expensive pearls Aria had held no value against


    these.


    She took one pearl from the sack and inspected it.


    It was smooth, and usually pearls would have some odd shapes, or even a little bump here and there. But this pearl-and almost all that she saw inside the sack had a perfectly round shape, and each of them shone brightly under the light.


    10.37


    55 Chapter 55: Pearls for the Princess (11)


    The more she stared at it, the more she was hypnotized by its beauty. After spending time with Aria for years, she knew this pearl would be much more expensive than any


    of her collections.


    Gale noticed Swan''s fascination for the pearl in her hand andmented, ¡°If you like them, I can always ask the fishmen to get more. These are the best quality pearls they can get from the West Sea. If you wait for a while, they can harvest more of these."


    "Or, if you don''t want to wait, I can go to the North Sea and ask the fishmen from the north to gather more," Gale added.


    "N-no need for now. We still have to sell these to the nobles first!" Swan eximed.


    "You sure you don''t want any as your jewelry?"


    "I-I don''t think I look good with any jewelry," Swan replied. She didn''t have her ears pierced when she was young, so she couldn''t wear any earrings. ¡°W¨Cwe should sell this for the kingdom''s treasury, so we can start rebuilding the kingdom. Therefore, it


    wouldn''t look so barebone when we have a celebration!"


    Truthfully, Gale still didn''t see the urgency that Swan told him about. He felt that the Kingdom of Beastmen was doing just right as the beastmen had no sense of fashion the same way humans do. But if doing this would make her happy, then he wouldn''t mind listening to her whims.


    "Before we sell that, why don''t you pick a few pearls to be used as your jewelry," Gale offered again.


    "I-I don''t need one. I don''t like jewelry," Swan refused, but deep down, she knew she was lying. Aria often boasted about her jewelry collection and their expensive price tags. 2


    Swan was also attracted by a beautiful ne, bracelet, hairpin, ring, et cetera.


    She simply thought it wouldn''t look good on her, so it would be a total waste.


    ¡®It''s like letting a slug wear an earring. You''ll look so gross!''


    That was what Aria said whenever she caught Swan staring at her collections.


    However, Gale already had a n of his own. He kept his silence before diverting the topic, "If you want to sell


    it, then I will call a merchant from the human kingdom to inspect the value and sell it."


    ¡°That would be great! Uhm, please get me a merchant from Holy Achate and from another neighboring kingdom; the Rianel Kingdom. The nobles in these two kingdoms


    273


    <


    55 Chapter 55: Pearls for the Princess (II)


    are the ones who value pearls the most!"


    Swan had seen the aristocrats from the Rianel Kingdom. As the neighbor of Holy Achate, they often came to visit each other for celebration and such. Swan had noticed that they were the ones who would pay the most money for good quality pearls.


    As for other kingdoms, Swan had taken a mental note each time they came for a celebration in the Holy Achate Pce, and as long as Gale could provide their suitable needs, the Kingdom of Beastmen would be able to be the richest in the continent!


    Or so she thought. She was just being optimistic because she truly wanted to help Gale build his kingdom. "I''ll make sure to call those merchants for you. But I want my reward now."


    "Ah? A reward?"


    ¡°Yes,¡± Gale kneeled in front of Swan who sat on the throne until they were at the same eye level before continuing, ¡°A reward from you is all I need to make me work harder.¡±


    "W-what kind of reward do you want? D-don''t you already have everything in this world?" Swan wondered. 4


    Comment 10


    15:37


    Post your firstment!


    Vote


    8


    Fandom


    Swipe left

 Novel Mate 56

    56 Chapter 56: Reward Me


    1


    Gale stared at her, who seemed clueless about the amount of humility that Gale showed in front of her. As the Beast King, he didn''t need to ¡®ask'' for anything in this world. He could''ve just straight-up demanded it, especially from his mate.


    Nevertheless, he still asked her because he wanted to see Swan''s bewildered


    expression. She seemed to genuinely have no idea about the hierarchy in the beastman world.


    He liked how confused she was but still tried her best to make him happy by murmuring, ¡°I-I don''t have anything to thank you. I can uhm... I can sew and knit, so I can make you something out of it."


    ¡°I don''t mind those. But I want something quickly, right here, right now.¡±


    ¡°R-right here, right now?!" Swan began to panic as she couldn''t guess what Gale wanted from her. "Please just tell me what you want. I¨CI''m afraid I don''t have what you


    want!"


    Gale chuckled as he decided to stop teasing her and pointed at his cheek, ¡°Kiss me here. It''s the best reward I could get from you right here, right now."


    Swan was astonished by the request, not because it couldn''t be fulfilled, but because she found it outrageous. He kept on kissing her every morning when they woke up.


    "You should''ve just told me..." Swan muttered as she wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him closer towards her.


    Gale expected Swan to just kiss him on the cheek since asking her to kiss him on the lips might be too much for the bashful and timid Swan.


    To his surprise, she nted a soft kiss on his lips-almost like a feather brushing and tickling his lips before letting go.


    Gale was stunned as Swan finished the kiss. She noticed that Gale''s body stiffened when she did it, so she apologized, ¡°Uhm, s-sorry for kissing you on the lips. I just... think that kissing you on the lips would feel better. S-should I repeat the kiss? I can kiss you on the cheek now."


    Swan then leaned in and kissed him on both cheeks. Again, Gale said nothing while his entire body stiffened.


    Swan began to worry, afraid that Gale disliked her lips. She quickly wiped his cheeks and lips because her saliva was sticking there ¡°S-sorry, I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have


    16:37


    56 Chapter 56: Reward Me


    kissed you."


    Gale grabbed her waist to stop her from wiping and said, "Why are you wiping your


    kisses?"


    "I-I thought you don''t like it."


    ¡°Oh, I like it very much. I''m just surprised you''d actually do it," Gale said. ¡°And now, I want more." 1


    Gale leaned in and kissed her on the lips.


    His kiss was different than hers.


    It was full of passion as he kept pressing in, plundering everything she had. He also wrapped his arms around her body tightly to make sure that Swan wouldn''t escape him.


    Swan soon found herself breathless by the nonstop kiss, but she still enjoyed every second of it.


    ''To be kissed by the Beast King in his throne room. This is a heaven I can never experience twice,'' Swan thought. ''I should enjoy it as much as I can before everything is destroyed the moment he finds his fated mate: 1


    **


    Another week had passed since Gale brought the sack of pearls for Swan, and now two merchants had arrived at the Kingdom of Beastmen, following the summon from the Beast King himself.


    They were quite amazed by the rampant growth the kingdom had. Thest time they visited the kingdom for business with Lady Jade, everything seemed to be barebone and crumbling.


    The city walls and castle were still barebones, even now, but they noticed a few improvements, especially for the beastmen soldier''s armor. The city walls had also been fortified.


    They were escorted to the throne room, where the king was waiting for them. Once they stepped in, they were in awe, seeing the mighty and intimidating Beast King sitting on his throne. He always had his blindfold, which had be a source of gossip in the human kingdoms, adding to his mysteriousness.


    They were further stunned when they saw ady of a small stature sitting on hisp.


    She had bright blonde hair, simr to the Golden Princess, Aria of Holy Achate, and


    <


    56 Chapter 56: Reward Me


    looked very timid. 1


    The merchant from Holy Achate heard a rumor that the kingdom sent someone else to be the Beast King''s bride as the queen didn''t want to sacrifice her beloved daughter, so it seemed this woman was the recement for Princess Aria.


    They stood in front of the king and gave their salutations, to which Gale replied with a hum and a nod.


    He looked at the two merchants whose dress was adorned with gold threads and gemstones and thought they should be able to buy what Swan wanted to sell.


    ¡°We are here based upon your request, Your Majesty. Is there something we can do for you?¡±


    "Yes, my mate wants to sell pearls of high quality. I want you to inspect it and determine its value. It''d be better if you can buy all of them as well," Gale announced, before telling the guard to bring the sack of pearls and put it in front of the merchants. ¡°Open it, and see for yourself what kind of high-quality pearls I''m talking about."


    The merchants opened the sack together and almost had a heart attack seeing the amount of pearls in it.


    To top it all off, every single pearl they saw was perfectly round-shaped. They picked one and inspected it, then realized it was very smooth, with no ridge or bump. There was not even a dent! "Y-Your Majesty, these are¡ª¡±


    NA


    24


    Gale smirked, "The highest quality pearls the West Sea could offer. The West Sea is my domain, so it''s not difficult for me to fetch those. What do you think?"


    "These are magnificent!" The merchant from Holy Achate eximed. "I''ve never seen a pearl this beautiful before!"


    "Yes, Your Majesty! These pearls are probably of the highest grade quality that you can''t find anywhere else!" The merchant from the Rianel Kingdom added.


    "That''s good. How much would you be willing to pay for these pearls?" Gale asked.

 Novel Mate 57

    57 Chapter 57: Don''t you dare to fool my husband! (1)


    57 Chapter 57: Don''t you dare to fool my husband! (I)


    The merchants exchanged nces, and as if they couldmunicate with their minds, they had a tacit understanding of what to do.


    Naturally, as a merchant, they wouldn''t miss the chance of getting these perfect pearls. They could sell it for triple or even quadruple the regr pearl''s price.


    They could alsomission jewelry from these pearls and mark up the price until only the royals could afford it.


    The possibilities were endless, but they couldn''t afford this sack of best-quality pearls without breaking their savings.


    Hence, they devised a n.


    "These pearls are surely the best quality, Your Majesty. However, I don''t think it would sell for a high price," the merchant from the Rianel Kingdom said.


    "Why not?"


    "Because pearls aren''t the trend right now," the merchant from Holy Achate added. ¡°Gemstones, especially ruby, are the current trend because they are hard toe by. Only old women would wear pearls."


    "I see," Gale wasn''t troubled at all. He didn''t care how much gold they would earn from selling these pearls. He could always fetch some more.


    Even Mako the fishmen king said they could harvest the same quality of pearls every three months to half a year.


    But he wanted to make Swan happy, so he asked again, "Then, how much can I get with these pearls?" The merchants were d that the Beast King was easy to fool.


    He might be powerful, but he was still a savage who knew nothing about the worth of


    certain items.


    ''Once a beast, always a beast, they thought in unison. It was obvious they could take advantage of the beast''s obliviousness to reap huge profits.


    "Then, how about we pay this with the regr price from our human kingdom? One pearl should be around fifty silver coins. We will count the amount of pearls, and calcte the amount we have to pay, the merchant from Holy Achate suggested. "This is the highest price we can offer, Your Majesty.


    57 Chapter 57: Don''t you dare to fool my husband! (1)


    "Sounds fair," Gale nodded, but before he permitted them to check on the pearls, he noticed that Swan was staring at the merchants with a burning gaze as if she was angry


    at them for some reason.


    He felt that she had something to say, so before he gave his permission, he asked his mate first, "What do you think, Swan? Those pearls are yours, so if you agree with their price, I will permit them to count those pearls."


    Swan said nothing, but her heart was boiling with anger right now.


    She knew these merchants were lying because she had heard from the Queen Mother and Aria that one piece of round pearl would cost around one gold coin, which was roughly 100 silver coins, and those round pearls still had bumps, unlike the perfectly round pearls that Gale brought.


    They were trying to trick Gale since he didn''t know anything about items that humans


    valued.


    She should''ve stayed quiet as well, because she wasn''t used to arguing with anyone and her nervousness might take over her eventually when they kept on making fun of her.


    But seeing how these people were trying to fool Gale, HER GALE, made her so angry that she gained the courage she needed to stop them. 5


    The merchants didn''t think much about the timid woman on the Beast King''sp. She didn''t seem to be smart, and even if she was, a woman had no ce to interrupt a business between men, unless she was the queen.


    There was no way that the Beast King would take a feeble human as a queen, right?


    Thus, they didn''t try to lower themselves in front of her.


    "Is there something wrong, Your Highness?'' the merchant from the Rianel Kingdom asked. "We are always open for negotiation regarding the price, though we already give you the best of the best offer."


    "The price of a round pearl with slight bumps is one gold coin or 100 silver coins. There is no reason for you to give us fifty silver coins for a perfectly round pearl, smooth with no bumps at all,¡± Swan retorted firmly while staring at the merchants with a burning gaze.


    The merchants were surprised because only the nobles and the merchants knew about this information. They exchanged nces again and had another n in mind to tackle this nosy


    <


    57 Chapter 57: Don''t you dare to fool my husband! (1)


    woman.


    "Your Highness is correct. Normally the price would be around one gold coin for a round pearl," the merchant from Holy Achate replied. ¡°But that was only when pearls were in trend. Pearls aren''t in trend anymore, and not many people will buy them now, so the price naturally goes down as well.¡±


    "It is still in trend," Swan stated.


    "And how do you know that, Your Highness?" The merchants asked with a smirk on their faces.


    Swan took a deep breath as she was furious at these merchants.


    No, she wasn''t angry at them for looking down at her. She was angry at them for making the fool out of Gale! Thus she said without a pause;


    ¡°Winter celebration, Queen Anastasia of Holy Achate bought a crown made with sapphire and pearls for a hundred gold coins. Spring celebration, Princess Aria of Holy Achate and Princess Lily of Rianel wore matching pearl bracelets as a sign of their friendship, each bracelet costs twenty gold coins"


    ¡°Queen Ramiere of Rianel wore a tear-shaped pearl pendant during the same spring harvest celebration held in Holy Achate, and that pendant is thirty-five gold coins. All of these happened recently, so you must be lying when you said it''s not in trend


    anymore."


    The merchant from Holy Achate was speechless because this woman recalled all of those events, the jewelry, and the price of each jewelry in perfect detail as if she was there in the first ce and listened to every conversation he had with the royals.


    But he had been going in and out of the Holy Achate Pce a lot of times and had never seen this woman before. Who was she, and how could she know all of this


    information?


    Comment 10

 Novel Mate 58

    58 Chapter 58: Don''t you dare to fool my husband! (II)


    58 Chapter 58: Don''t you dare to fool my husband! (II)


    The merchant from Rianel realized that his friend had no way to counter this woman''s word, so he tried to take over the conversation before they were put at a disadvantage. 1


    ¡°Ah, it seems that Your Highness is keen on the fashion trend in Holy Achate. May I know if you are part of a small baron family? Or maybe if you''re close friends with Princess Aria?¡± The merchant asked with a devious smile. "However, the trend in the Rianel Kingdom is different. The aristocrats in Holy Achate love pearls, but we are not. The nobles in Rianel Kingdom only wear them whenever they have a celebration in Holy Achate, to pay respect to Queen Anastasia and Princess Aria, who love pearls so


    much."


    Swan shifted her burning gaze towards the merchant from the Rianel Kingdom. She was infuriated at this man who still dared to lie just to fool Gale.


    "Princess Lily ordered a wedding dress embedded with a hundred round pearls. It costs roughly two hundred gold coins, and she will wear it for her wedding, which will be held next summer," Swan said. "Unless Princess Lily decides to throw away that dress because it''s not in trend anymore, then my husband can send an envoy to check at the weddingter to see if you''re lying or not."


    "That-? the merchant from Holy Rianel was also left speechless because this woman knew so much. The dress was supposed to be a secret that only the royal family from the Rianel Kingdom knew.


    Swan knew everything because she had been kept around Aria or Queen Anastasia for entertainment. Usually, they would force her to sit on the ground next to the garden pavilion, and they would throw her leftovers from the tea party.


    She was treated like a dog for their amusement, and she couldn''t help listening to them gloat about their expensive items.


    Thus, Swan remembered every single detail, like whenever Aria and Lily talked about Lily''s uing wedding, or whenever Queen Anastasia talked to Queen Ramiere about kingdom matters.


    They didn''t see her as a threat because she was supposed to be a crippled dog who ate their tea party leftovers.


    Fortunately, she remembered everything and was able to protect her husband from being fooled.


    ¡°None of their pearls are as good as the ones in the sack. If you think that you can buy


    58 Chapter 58: Don''t you dare to fool my husband! (II)


    it for fifty silver coins, then you can turn back and leave. I will not let you two fool my husband!" Swan yelled as hard as she could until her voice echoed inside the throne


    room.


    The merchants were silenced as they began to lower their gaze in embarrassment. They didn''t expect that timid woman to have so much information and would put them


    in a checkmate.


    Gale had been silent the whole time, but his eyes were on Swan the whole time.


    Swan''s chest heaved, her body shook right after she yelled at the merchants, and her eyes were zed with tears as she had exerted so much strength to fight her


    nervousness.


    He didn''t care about the value of those pearls, as he wouldn''t lose anything by selling them for a cheap price, but Swan defended him.


    Even though she was scared and distressed, she still tried to argue with these sly


    merchants so they couldn''t fool him.


    Yes, she did it to defend him.


    It was enough to make him proud and brimming with joy. He didn''t know if it was normal for a beastman like him to feel this way, but at this moment, he simply wanted to carry Swan around and tell the world how amazing his wife truly was. 1


    "Calm down, wife," Gale said lightly while hugging her waist.


    ¡°I¡ªI''m sorry, I¡ªI just can''t hold it. They are trying to fool you," Swan apologized as she looked at Gale with tears in her eyes. She bit her lower lip because the stimtion was


    too much for her.


    Yet, she still tried her best to maintain her dignity so these merchants wouldn''t look down on Gale even more and dered, "We will sell those perfect pearls for two gold coins each. There will be no negotiation for the price. If you cannot afford it, then you can leave. The King can summon merchants from other countries to buy these pearls."


    The merchants held their breaths as they got nervous instantly. They knew they couldn''t pass this chance as these pearls were far too good to miss on.


    On top of that, there had been a shortage of pearls because the fishmen from the West Sea began to attack anyone who dared to poach the oyster.


    They were curious as to why they suddenly attacked, but now they knew who the real culprit was.


    10:30


    <


    58 Chapter 58: Don''t you dare to fool my husband! (II)


    They nced at the Beast King, whose eyes were glued on his wife the whole time. They didn''t understand what made him choose an unknown woman to be his queen when he could wed anyone in this world.


    They guessed that this woman was the one who demanded the pearls, so the Beast King used his power tomand the fishmen to gather them, and also ward off the


    humans who wanted them from the West Sea


    It was an act of pearl monopoly that was orchestrated by this timid-looking woman.


    The merchants knew they could still make a profit despite having to pay two gold coins for each perfect pearl. After all, the demand for these would be massive.


    The merchants exchanged nces for thest time and nodded in unison, ¡°We will take the price, Your Highness. But we need to make sure that each of the pearls is in perfect


    condition."


    ww


    ¡°Then, my guards will escort you to another room, and you can count it there. They will watch over you two to make sure that you won''t try to fool me again," Gale said with a threatening grin.


    ¡°Y-yes, Your Majesty!" The merchants nodded nervously. The one from Holy Achate couldn''t help but stare at Swan again and asked, "Pardon me for asking, but may I know your name, Your Highness? You have a vast knowledge of what is happening in the Pce of Holy Achate, but I''ve never seen you in the pce before."


    A


    66


    Thank you for reading!


    Thank you for the continuous support! ^_^ I hope you enjoy the story!


    Apup

 Novel Mate 59

    59 Chapter 59: Not A Princess


    59 Chapter 59: Not A Princess


    Swan''s heart skipped a beat upon hearing that question. Her body stiffened, and her brain short-circuited because she couldn''t give the merchant a clear answer.


    It was Gale who broke the silence with a question, "What are you talking about? Do not recognize her, or are you just trying to fool me again?¡±


    you


    "N-no, Your Majesty. I am just curious about Your Majesty''s wife. I heard she came from the Holy Achate, but I''d never seen her before. Maybe she is from a small baron noble that-"


    ¡°Say that one more time, and I will rip your head off,¡± Gale interrupted calmly, but his voice carried so much threat that the merchant from Holy Achate paled instantly and zipped his lips. 3


    Gale was rxed the whole time until this merchant dared to insult his mate. The smile on his face had vanished, and he was trying his best to suppress his aura because Swan would be affected by it.


    "I didn''t know that the people from Holy Achate have no respect for their Royal Princess. She is Princess Swan of Holy Achate, the First Princess, and my bride," Gale imed. "I tolerate you this time because you are my wife''s subject from Holy Achate. Dare you insult her one more time, I will not be so kind."


    "R-Royal Princess? But we only have-? 2


    "SILENCE!" Gale raised his voice, and the merchants felt that the air around the throne room started thinning. Gale quickly suppressed his aura, which identally leaked out when he nced at Swan. He saw Swan''splexion was so pale, and her body was shaking.


    He thought it was caused by his aura.


    "You two can leave now. The guards will carry the sack of pearls and escort you to another room," Gale ordered.


    The merchants exchanged nces again, and the one from Rianel Kingdom shook his head. There was no need to risk their lives over a stupid question.


    Swan watched them leave the throne room, a sign that she was safe from having her real identity exposed. Yet, the fear still lingered, and she couldn''t even imagine what would happen once Gale knew that she was just a mere whore''s daughter that was meant to be a sacrifice


    174


    59 Chapter 59: Not A Princess


    for him.


    If he wanted the real Royal Princess, then it would be none other than Aria.


    It was a miracle that she was allowed to keep breathing up until now, and got all the good treatment from Gale. She had to be prepared to die, as that was the fate awaiting her.


    Gale checked on his mate again and began to worry, seeing her still looking pale even though he already suppressed his aura.


    "Swan? Are you alright?" Gale asked. "If my aura is too overpowering for you, I will carry you back to our room so you can rest. Sometimes I can''t control it when I''m angry."


    Swan shook her head and gave him a sweet, yet sad smile.


    ¡°I''m alright. I''m just a little exhausted since I have to yell just now," Swan replied. However, she quickly lowered her head when she realized Gale was still staring at her. She felt so guilty because she had been lying to a man who was genuine towards her. It made her sad knowing that everything they had was built based on lies. 2


    She was meant to be his sacrifice.


    And he would mark another woman and eventually ditch her once he found hercking.


    ''He will inevitably find out, but why do I feel so sad that this mirage of the good life we built would be broken? It''s never real in the first ce...'' Swanmented.


    Swan thought Gale wouldn''t notice her sadness, but the crease on Gale''s brows deepened as he asked, "Are you sad because that merchant insulted you just now? I pardoned him because hees from your kingdom, but if you want me to kill him, then give me a second, I will bring you his head-"


    Y


    "No!" Swan shook her head as hard as she could. She didn''t want to be the cause of someone''s death. "I-It''s fine. I''m not sad because of that. I¨CI rarely go out of the pce because of my leg, so, naturally, he doesn''t know about me."


    Gale knew that already. He inquired many things about Swan from her mother, Queen Anastasia of Holy Achate.


    She said that Swan had been crippled since she was young, and her leg made it difficult for her to go around, so she spent most of her time inside her room. Thus, she was not particrly as popr as Aria. However, Anastasia said that Swan was still the official Royal Princess and had a higher status than Aria.


    59 Chapter 59: Not A Princess


    The reason why she was so thin was because she wanted to maintain a good figure as a princess, but Gale wanted to fatten her up because she looked so brittle.


    "Then, should we go to the Holy Achate now? I will tell your mother to announce your status as the Royal Princess of Holy Achate, and make sure everyone knows about it."


    Again, Swan shook her head, as she didn''t n to return to her kingdom. Nobody wanted her presence in her kingdom anyway


    "Gale..."


    "Yes, sweetheart?"


    "I... I will try my best to be useful,¡± Swan murmured.


    "What are you talking about? You''ve done more than enough for me. As long as you''re by my side, I am content," Gale assured. 1


    Unfortunately, Swan didn''t share the same sentiment, so she kept insisting, ¡°I-I will make sure you will have a stable kingdom, and you don''t need to go to war unless it''s


    necessary."


    "For our cubs?" Gale chuckled. "Sometimes, I think you''re far too worried about the


    future."


    Swan smiled bitterly, "Yes, for... our cubs..."


    She lowered her head again and subconsciously rubbed her belly. She hadn''t felt anything strange in her yet, so she doubted that she was pregnant right now.


    Nevertheless, deep in her heart, she had a very strong desire. She kept wishing to


    Goddess Asmara.


    ''Goddess, I''m sorry for being selfish, but I want to carry his cubs. I want proof of our love, even if that love is fake.....''


    Comment 16


    View All >


    Post your firstment!


    Vote


    8


    Fandom


    Send Gift

 Novel Mate 60

    60 Chapter 60: Bored Aria (1)


    Aria leaned on the sofa, directly facing the beautiful view of the pce garden. She had a maid holding her cold drink as spring was about to end, and the summer heat started to get on her nerves.


    She rested her legs on a maid''s back who kneeled on all fours, acting as the Royal Princess'' leg rest. She should be in a good mood right now as she had no more royal tutoring for the time being, but her mood gradually worsened as she got bored.


    She finally snapped when the maid who became her leg rest began to tremble. She kicked the maid in the face and yelled, "Stop shaking, you idiot! You''re breaking my


    concentration!"


    The maid whose face got kicked just now quickly resumed her position and apologized, ¡°F-forgive me, Your Highness. I-I was a bit tired."


    "No stool can feel tired, you idiot!" Aria yelled again. She was annoyed seeing the pitiful look on the maid''s face because this woman wasn''t as bulliable as Swan. She usually ordered Swan to be her leg rest and kicked her face many times to have fun whenever


    she was in a bad mood.


    But this maid wasn''t as timid as Swan, who had been conditioned since she was young to be Aria''s punching bag, so Aria didn''t feel as good.


    ¡°Ah, I wonder if that cripple is still alive. Well, she''s probably dead by now, but I''m starting to miss her,¡± Aria muttered. She looked at the maid who was holding her drink and asked, "Have you done what I asked you to do?"


    "Y-Your Highness, your request is a little-¡±


    ¡°So, have you done what I asked you to do?" Aria asked with a threatening grin. "I simply told all of you maids to find a young girl in the brothel, and then break her leg until she''s crippled, so I can use her as a recement for that whore''s daughter since she''s already dead.¡± 5


    The maid gulped. The request was so inhumane that she still didn''t believe their Royal Princess would ask that. Despite the cruelty, hobody dared to argue with her, because Queen Anastasia had risen in power, and she naturally spoiled her only daughter


    rotten.


    "I-I will tell the other servants to find one, Your Highness."


    Aria rolled her eyes, "Don''t be too slow or I can just break your leg as a recement."


    16:38


    <


    60 Chapter 60: Bored Aria (1)


    The maid paled and nodded quickly, "I-I''ll tell the servants immediately! Please excuse me, Your Highness!" Aria watched the maid scurry out of her study room immediately. She was frowning the whole time, but that frown quickly disappeared when she saw a man wearing a fancy tunic with golden thread. It was the regr merchant who came in and out of the Holy Achate Pce with many unique jewelry and trinkets for her to choose from. 1


    ¡°Finally, you''re here!¡± Aria cheered as she kicked the maid who acted as her leg rest, and stood up to greet her favorite merchant.


    The merchant smiled amicably before the Royal Princess and bowed, "Good morning, Your Highness. As always, I''m here with my new collection. I have a very special item that you may like today.¡±


    "Then show it to me,¡± Aria urged. "It''s so boring around the Pce these days, maybe an interesting item will cheer me up."


    "Certainly, Your Highness.¡±


    The merchant called his entourage, before arranging everything to be exhibited in front of the Royal Princess, from a row of beautiful flowing dresses of the east to mink shawl that the snow people of the far north wore. There was also jewelry of many kinds, but as expected, Aria wasn''t impressed by any of it.


    ¡°Mm, I already have everything in different colors. I''ll still buy everything you have, but this is quite disappointing,¡± Ariamented as she casually checked the mink shawl and then tossed it on the ground. The merchant wasn''t surprised by how the Royal Princess treated his items. He didn''t mind as long as she bought everything.


    But he already saved the best for thest, an item that Princess Aria could not refuse.


    "I have a secret item for you, Your Highness. This is a newmodity and extremely rare,¡± the merchant said, which piqued Aria''s interest immediately.


    "Show it to me then."


    The merchant left the room and returned with a medium-sized jewelry box. He kneeled in front of Aria and opened the box for her, showing a dozen perfect pearls that he just bought from the Kingdom of Beastmen.


    "Wow...¡± Aria was instantly drawn by the perfect pearls. She picked one pearl and felt the smooth round pearl with no bump.


    15:38


    <


    60 Chapter 60: Bored Aria (1)


    As someone who had been collecting jewelry since she was a kid, she knew these perfect pearls were extremely rare and expensive. She walked towards the window and let the pearl reflect the light from the sun.


    Again, the lustrous shine from the pearl was so mesmerizing that she was left in awe.


    The merchant took this opportunity to exin, "I brought these perfect pearls from the Kingdom of Beastmen. The Beast King has the power to control the fishmen at the West Sea, so he orders them to collect the best quality pearls. You will not find anything like this elsewhere, Your Highness."


    Aria turned her head instantly the moment the merchant mentioned the Beast King.


    It had been a month since she identally bumped into that savage when he was in the Pce to pick up Swan, and she had been thinking about him ever since.


    She knew it was strange for a pure-blooded Royal Princess of Holy Achate like her- who had almost the same status as a Saintess-to be interested in a savage beast, but she strangely wanted to see him again, despite the high risk of getting kidnapped by the beast because he was enamored by her beauty. 5


    Aria masked her excitement as she had to maintain her dignity, thenmented, "I didn''t know a savage could have the tact to sell pearls."


    "I don''t think it''s his idea, Your Highness. There is this short and timiddy by his side who seems to be the one suggesting the idea to him. She is very knowledgeable about what is happening inside the Holy Achate Pce," the merchant replied.


    ¡°Short and timid?" Aria''s smile slowly disappeared as her gut feeling told her she wouldn''t be happy knowing this woman''s identity. Regardless, she still asked, "Do you know her name?"


    ¡°The Beast King said her name is Princess Swan of Holy Achate, a Royal Princess from our country. But you are the only Royal Princess this kingdom has, right, Your Highness?"

 Novel Mate 61

    61 Chapter 61: Bored Aria (II)


    Aria didn''t immediately say yes to confirm the merchant''s question, because she was angry at Swan who was still alive even though she was supposed to die by the time she left the pce gate.


    Not only did she not die yet, but she also dared to work side by side with the Beast King! Did that cripple not know her ce?!


    "Your Highness? You''re indeed the only Princess our country has, right?¡± The


    merchant repeated his question since he didn''t get an answer before, and Aria resumed


    her amicable smile.


    ¡°Of course, I am the only one," Aria confirmed ¡°Though, just to be sure, was it really the Beast King who said that?"


    "Yes, Your Highness. The Beast King seems to be very proud of his little wife. I assume she is supposed to rece you, right? I heard that rumor before," the merchant said.


    He noticed that Princess Aria''s smile gradually dissipated and he was afraid of offending her, so he quickly added, ¡°B-but, that woman holds no candle against you, Princess. I''m afraid the Beast King would''ve ditched her instantly the moment he saw your beauty.¡±


    The bright and proud smile returned to Aria''s face as she nodded, ¡°Of course. Yes, she is supposed to be my recement. Oh, don''t tell anyone, but she''s actually a whore''s daughter that we picked up." 2


    The merchant was inevitably stunned by this revtion, "I-Is that allowed, Your Highness? What if the Beast King finds out and gets angry for being deceived? He might return to Holy Achate and demand you as his bride instead."


    "Then of course I will do my duty as the Royal Princess to save my people,¡± Aria said.


    Aria knew it was a bit foolish of her to disclose such a vital secret to a mere merchant, as it might worsen the circting rumor, but she couldn''t help it.


    She was annoyed-perhaps a little jealous of Swan who was treated better. She knew that Swan was just a mere inferior recement for her. The moment she allowed herself to be kidnapped by the savage beast, that beastman would probably kill Swan on the spot to make room for her.


    That''s why she wished the rumor would worsen, and the Beast King would catch on to the rumor. After that..... 61 Chapter 61: Bored Aria (II)


    Aria hadn''t thought that far yet, but she knew it would be quite a spectacle for her.


    She might be kidnapped and forced to be his bride. It was a scary, yet also somewhat exciting idea.


    1


    ¡°So, I assume that she is the one who sells this to you, right? How much did she charge for each pearl?" "Two gold coins each, Your Highness. But since I have to make a profit, I am selling it at three gold coins each only for you,¡± the merchant replied honestly. Princess Aria had been his regr client since she was young, so he didn''t mind disclosing all the trade information to her. ¡°It''s very expensive, but since there is a shortage of pearls from the West Sea, it''s still profitable for me."


    "Two gold coins for one? That cripple has be bolder these days, huh?¡± Aria sneered as she ran her finger on the smooth round pearl. ¡°I didn''t expect the Beast King to have amand over those fishmen. Since they are at the sea, you know."


    ¡°I''m also surprised by it, but with the power he has, I imagine the possibility is endless. Who knows he might control the whole continent-or even the world in the future?" the merchantmented.


    ¡°Hm, I see. You may leave now. Don''t worry, I will purchase all of those pearls," Aria ensured.


    "T-thank you, Your Highness! You have been so kind to be my best patron for years!"


    ¡°Well, if I am your best patron, then why don''t you do something for me,¡± Aria said as she turned around and walked towards the merchant who was still kneeling while holding the jewelry box. She put the pearl back into the box and said, "You should tell your fellow merchant to have more cooperation with the Kingdom of Beastmen. Make sure the Beast King knows that Princess Aria of Holy Achate would like to form a trade rtionship with the Kingdom of Beastmen. Tell him that Princess Aria would love to visit the Kingdom of Beastman anytime."


    *


    The merchant was even more stunned than before. He stared at the Royal Princess who seemed to be more wilful than before, as if she had a newfound determination to meet with the Beast King, even though it was much safer for her to stay in the Pce and to never let the Beast King know about her existence. Naturally, the merchant wouldn''t dare to spread such a rumor without the Queen''s order, "Is it allowed for us to spread such words, Your Highness? Isn''t it too dangerous? Or should I consult with Her Majesty Queen Anastasia first?"


    "Don''t uneet


    su ahant that. I will talk to mur mathon today¡± Aria annad ¡°hat maka anw


    <


    61 Chapter 61: Bored Aria (II)


    to spread my word as soon as possible. We cannot dy for too long."


    "Understood, Your Highness."


    "Hm. You can leave now, tell the head butler how much everything costs, and let him pay them,¡± Aria ordered. ¡°And tell the maids to get everything out of my room except that pearl box."


    The merchant excused himself, while the maids were busy moving all the merchant''s items out of Aria''s


    room.


    Aria sat on the sofa the whole time with the pearl box on herp. She took one pearl out and continued tracing her finger on the smooth pearl. Her grin widened when she remembered that the Beast King was the one whomanded the fishmen to gather these perfect pearls.


    690


    ''I wonder if he will do more if I''m the one who asks. He''s just a naive savage who doesn''t know he is missing out on me, Aria told herself. ''If he

 Novel Mate 62

    62 Chapter 62: Bored Aria (III)


    Queen Anastasia strutted through the long corridor towards her daughter''s room. She was followed by an entourage of maids who reported everything Princess Aria did that day, and some of those reports raised her


    concern.


    She knocked on the door, and the maids outside opened the door for her.


    Aria was sitting on her bed in her nightdress while inspecting the pearls she purchased today. She was captivated because after checking every single pearl out of the dozen the merchant brought today, none of them had the slightest bump or even a dent. They were perfect.


    Queen Anastasia was concerned seeing how much her daughter loved those pearls to the point that she ignored her own mother. It was a dozen rounds of pearls, but she had been collecting many pieces of jewelry since she was young, surely it wouldn''t be that fascinating, right?


    ¡°Aria, I''ve heard from the head butler that you bought those pearls for four gold coins each," Queen Anastasia said. "We might be wealthy for a country, but we have been going through a difficult time right now after your father''s death. We can''t splurge on unnecessary items." 3


    Facing her mother''s scolding, Aria didn''t show any displeasure. She knew her mother was weak-willed when it came to her, so she replied calmly, "I''m sorry, Mom. But I bought this because I want to help you."


    "Help me?¡± Queen Anastasia frowned. "And how could a regr pearl help me?"


    Aria smiled. She told everyone to leave the mother-daughter pair alone and closed the door so they could talk privately.


    ¡°Come here, Mom. Let me show you something cool!"


    Queen Anastasia sat at the edge of the bed as Aria handed her the pearl. ¡°This is a perfect pearl from the West Sea. It has no dent or bump, and you know how the merchant gets these? It was that savage Beast King who harvested it from the West Sea, and sold it for two gold coins each."


    Queen Anastasia rubbed the pearl with her finger, and her daughter was right. This pearl was very lustrous, with a surface as smooth as ss, which made it twice more expensive than a regr round pearl.


    "This must be extremely rare, isn''t it?" Queen Anastasia asked.


    <


    62 Chapter 62: Bored Aria (III)


    ¡°Well, apparently, since that savage beast has control over the West Sea, it''s easy for him to harvest it, and monopolize it, since no humans can gather pearls from that sea anymore,¡± Aria exined. ¡°And you know who proposed this idea to him? Swan."


    Queen Anastasia lifted her head instantly, staring at her daughter in disbelief, "That cripple? That whore''s daughter?"


    ¡°Yep, that malnourished, crippled whore is still alive!¡± Aria confirmed. She huffed as she had been increasingly irritated at that fact. "I don''t know what happened in that Kingdom of Beastmen, but I suppose that savage beast is just a beast in the end, he must''ve been intrigued by Swan because she is a human. She''s not even pretty."


    "Do you think he fell in love with that cripple?"


    ¡°Obviously. I mean, the pearl monopoly is Swan''s idea, so I''m sure he is head over heels


    for her,¡± Aria said. "That''s why, I have a brilliant idea, Mom."


    "And what would that be?" Queen Anastasia asked, but her eyes were glued on the pearl


    the whole time.


    She was also hypnotized by the pearl''s lustrous beauty, especially under the chandelier. She wasn''t a big fan of pearlspared to gemstones, but this pearl was


    too stunning to ignore.


    "I''m wondering if I should seduce that savage instead,¡± Aria wondered, and her suggestion stole Anastasia''s attention.


    "Don''t be stupid, Aria. We both know how that will end," Queen Anastasia rebuked. ¡°He will be utterly bewitched by your beauty since he is just a mindless beast, and he will demand you as his bride. You are my only child, I don''t want to lose you."


    "Mom, that pearl is the proof of his tenderness," Aria convinced in full seriousness. "It seems that the Beast King will do anything for the one he loves since he would harvest the pearls from the West Sea just because that cripple wants it."


    "Now, imagine if a princess-A REAL one-which is ten times prettier than that whore''s daughter, bes his new lover? Don''t you think that he would give the world for me?" Aria said. "He would probably kiss my feet due to infatuation." 2


    Aria was hiding when a giant ck wolf entered the Pce grounds, but she imagined the Beast King with his wolf ears and tail wagging as he worshiped her as his Queen.


    It sent a shiver down Aria''s spine as she got extremely excited.


    "Holy Achate will recover all the damage and financial loss as long as I can make sure the Beast King falls in love with me" Aria continued. "We might even rule the world as


    15.39


    <


    62 Chapter 62: Bored Aria (III)


    long as he is on our side!"


    Queen Anastasia hummed for a second. She loved her daughter so much that she was worried about her safety, but this idea was not bad.


    After the war that caused her husband''s death, the economy in Holy Achate was in shambles, and Anastasia was stressed out because people didn''t like her as much as her husband. Since the Beast King was extremely powerful, she could use him as a one-man army that would expand Holy Achate while taking as many valuable natural resources as she could to further strengthen her position.


    Queen Anastasia considered the idea for a moment while staring at her daughter; between her precious daughter or solidifying her position as Queen of Holy Achate.


    Naturally, she chose thetter.


    Aria was already old enough to get married. If her daughter''s marriage could strengthen her position as a Queen in the process, then so be it.


    ¡°I will allow you to try it. But with one condition.¡±


    "What is it, Mom?" Aria asked in excitement. She didn''t expect her mother to agree so quickly, but it was better than arguing with her.


    "I can send you to the Kingdom of Beastmen to visit your ''sister''. While you are there, you need to tell the Beast King that Swan is your biological sister, not half, and not calling her a whore''s daughter," Anastasia warned. ¡°In front of the Beast King, treat Swan with kindness. I don''t care what you do to her when he''s not around." 4


    Comment 10


    View All >


    Leave the firstment for this chapter.


    Vote


    8


    1


    Fandom


    Swipe left to continue >


    ͼ

 Novel Mate 63

    63 Chapter 63: Beastman Soldier''s Monthly Wage


    63 Chapter 63: Beastman Soldier''s Monthly Wage


    The smile on Aria''s face disappeared instantly once she heard that she had to treat Swan with respect, "And why should I do that?"


    ¡°Because we told him that Swan is our first princess. What would you think would happen if he found out that we had been lying to his face the whole time? He might get angry and kill even more people, including us Queen Anastasia said. Seeing that Aria was upset about having to act nice in front of Swan, she quickly added, ¡°Don''t worry, by the time he falls in love with you, I''m sure he will not do anything to harm us. It''s only a matter of time until we can tell him the truth, especially about that whore''s daughter."


    Aria''s expression eased once she realized she could kick Swan out of the picture the moment he fell in love.


    ¡°Aria, remember not to be too aggressive to the Beast King. Make sure he sees you as a sweet and virgin Princess from Holy Achate. If that beast can fall in love with Swan''s stupid face, then he must have been into an innocent woman," Queen Anastasia added, just to make sure that her daughter would be safe.


    ¡°Oh,e on, Mom. You know I''m very good at this. How many princes from other countries are in love with me? I lost count already,¡± Aria chuckled. ¡°They always thought that I was a virgin before meeting them. I''m sure that savage would be even more oblivious than those princes.¡±


    **


    "Swan?"


    "Swan, are you alright?"


    ¡°Ah-sorry, I was dazed," Swan smiled at Gale who had just gathered all the soldiers in the castle to the training ground.


    "The summer heat is not suitable for you. Maybe you should rest," Gale said. He lifted Swan''s body and put her on hisp as he sat under the tree''s shade.


    He didn''t understand why Swan told him to gather all the soldiers, but he still obliged since it was his mate''s request.


    Swan was a bit pale because she was distressed about the news from an envoy from Holy Achate that her half-sister, Aria, woulde for a visit to the Kingdom of


    15:39


    <


    63 Chapter 63: Beastman Soldier''s Monthly Wage


    Beastmen in two days.


    Two months had passed since she was sent to be Gale''s bride, and she expected herself to never see Queen Mother and Aria ever again. She was far happier without them, and her life was at peace.


    But now, her peace was about to get disturbed by Aria''s presence once more.


    "Swan?"


    "Sorry," Swan smiled and whispered to Gale what she nned to do today.


    Gale''s brows creased at first, but it slowly eased out once Swan told him the reason she


    was carrying a bag of silver coins today.


    Thus, he announced to all the soldiers, "All of you, line up. My mate is about to reward you for your dedication as soldiers in the Kingdom of Beastmen!"


    There was a loud gasp by the majority of the beastman soldiers, followed by whispers. It seemed that everyone was confused as to why they would be given a reward since they hadn''t been in any war for the past two months.


    "Princess Swan will reward you once per month for your dedication, so don''t forget to


    thank her."


    ¡°UNDERSTOOD, YOUR MAJESTY!¡± the soldiers replied in unison.


    They began to line up as ordered, and the first one to receive Swan''s grace was a veteran ox beastman who had been dedicating his life to training the younger soldiers.


    He kneeled in front of His King and the Princess. He opened his palm and received two


    silver coins from her.


    The ox beastman was surprised by it and looked up to stare at the Princess'' equally bewildered gaze. "W-what''s wrong? Do you need more?" Swan asked.


    "Ah, no, Your Highness. I''m just wondering what I should do with these silver coins. Since I don''t particrly need it for anything the ox beastman said.


    Just like another typical beastman, they usually gather their food if they were herbivores, or hunt if they were carnivores. They didn''t like to dress up in fancy dresses like humans, and their battle armor was alreadymissioned for free by the beastman cksmith who lived near the castle. 2


    Swan had known about this problem for a while, so she answered, "There will be a feast


    GATORI Month at the and of the month If you love the silver coin


    15:38


    VAIL Can not outro food


    <


    63 Chapter 63: Beastman Soldier''s Monthly Wage


    for your family. As for the other silver coins, you can save it for yourself or give it to your offspring. If they have enough silver coins, they can get new battle armor so they can start training at an early age inside the castle to be a soldier."


    "Oh! That would be great! Thank you very much, Your Highness!" The ox beastman eximed as he already had many offspring who wanted to join the beastman army and dedicate their life to the kingdom.


    However, they didn''t know if they were allowed to join in as it didn''t seem like the Beast King nned to add more soldiers into the castle.


    Now, all he needed was to collect enough silver coins to give all of his offspring one battle armor each, so they could join the rank


    The rest of the beastmen got excited knowing they could send their offspring to join the army as well. Their tribes were conquered by the Beast King long ago, and they were all so impressed by his absolute strength that they wanted to dedicate their lives


    to him.


    On top of that, ever since the Beast King ruled over them, no beastmen tribes dared to go to war against each other, otherwise the Beast King would punish them and possibly exterminate their racepletely.


    So, to let go of their natural bloodlust, they joined the beastmen army or did skirmishes against each other with little to no casualties.


    Gale told the soldiers to leave once Swan was done giving them their fair share of sry. Then, he got up and carried Swan on his arm as he returned to the throne


    room.


    Comment 4


    15:39

 Novel Mate 64

    64 Chapter 64: Not Yet Pregnant


    Gale was in a good mood after seeing how happy his fellow beastmen were with such a small gift from Swan.


    *Honestly, this is the first time I''ve seen them happy to receive any reward. You know how to manage a kingdom and ensure their offspring would be well protected and trained in the Kingdom of Beastmen," Gale praised. ¡°Your training as a Royal Princess


    paid off here, Your Highness Princess Swan."


    Swan smiled bitterly.


    She was not a princess.


    She just happened to know all of this by listening to Aria''s royal tutor because most of the time, she would be used as Aria''s leg rest whenever she was studying.


    All she did was apply what she had listened to in the hope that it would work out for the sake of Gale''s kingdom.


    Yes, it was all for Gale. She never wanted any of the glory that woulde next, since she knew she was just a fake.


    She thought she could at least live happily with Gale for a year, but now that Aria woulde in two days, she guessed that he would mark her next since Aria was just better than Swan in any way possible.


    Aria was prettier.


    Aria was smarter.


    And she was the true Royal Princess of Holy Achate.


    *Swan? You''re getting dazed again," Gale mentioned, and Swan quickly replied;


    I''m just a little concerned."


    "About what?" Gale asked.


    *... My sister."


    ¡°Oh, you mean your little sister, Aria of Holy Achate? Don''t worry, I''ve dispatched my people to guard her carriage, so she will be safe on her way to our kingdom," Gale assured. "Besides, you should be happier. It''s been a while since you two met, right?"


    Swan realized that Gale was more excited than usual, to the point of beaming with a smile. He was probably fed with lies by the Queen Mother.


    <


    64 Chapter 64: Not Yet Pregnant


    Maybe her stepmother told Gale that Swan and Aria had a good sibling rtionship. Thus, Gale was excited for Swan to reunite with her sister.


    Unfortunately, Swan felt nothing but fear.


    She dreaded the moment they would meet again, she also dreaded when Aria would meet with Gale, thinking that Gale would eventually fall in love with her, just like those princes who Aria kissed in the pce garden.


    ¡®Should I tell him about the abuse that I experienced?'' Swan thought as she began to seriously consider it. ''But if I told him so, he might''ve realized that I''m just a fake. No Royal Princess would endure such a harsh treatment inside the pce.


    Swan would be happy if she was pregnant, so at least, her position in Gale''s heart wouldn''t be shaken for a while, at least until he found his fated mate.


    Two months had passed since she was marked, and they had been having sex almost daily. Gale always made sure to breed her full whenever they did it.


    Yet, even after all that, Swan still felt nothing in her belly. Everything was normal for


    her, unfortunately.


    1


    She began to rub her t belly in pity, praying to Goddess Asmara that a miracle could happen and she would be pregnant with Gale''s cubs.


    Gale noticed it, and his smile dimmed as well


    He stayed quiet until they sat on the throne and said, ¡°Don''t think too much about it. You will eventually be pregnant with my cubs"


    ¡°Ah-uhm, it''s alright,¡± Smile smiled. ¡°I have expected as much. I''m a little sad, but I know I can''t carry your cubs."


    Swan was convinced because of two reasons.


    First, it was obvious that she wasn''t Gale''s mate, so she couldn''t be pregnant even though they mated every night.


    Second, she was probably barren, just like what that old maid from the pce said: A whore daughter like her didn''t deserve to have a child, as it would taint the child''s blood. It was also a karmic retribution since her mother was a whore who seduced the king. As a dirty woman since birth, she was not meant to be with any man in her life.


    But she still prayed hard every day, hoping a miracle would happen.


    Gale was silenced this time.


    64 Chapter 64: Not Yet Pregnant


    If he said that he would still love Swan even without any offspring, he knew it would only make her sadder.


    He already brought a few fertility herbs from the beastman doctor, and Swan had been taking them regrly, hoping it would make her pregnant.


    But there was still no sign of pregnancy.


    Lastly, Gale wanted to bring the beastman shaman, hoping that he could tell Swan she would get pregnant sooner orter.


    But what if the shaman said they weren''t a fated mate, and that''s why she couldn''t bear his offspring?


    The Beast King had been so used to livingfortably with Swan for the past two months that he simply couldn''t take that as an answer. Especially since Swan already insisted many times that she would be fine to be used as a necessary sacrifice to cure his curse.


    That news would shatter their fragile rtionship and for the first time in his life, Gale was scared of the impending doom. He was scared of what would happen if Swan wasn''t his mate. Would she leave him for another man?


    Or would she simply kill herself when he wasn''t looking, because even Gale noticed that Swan didn''t have a strong will to live.


    Gale was so scared that he never summoned the beastman shaman to talk about his


    curse anymore.


    The only thing he could do was to keep mating with Swan every night, waiting for the miracle to happen.


    Swan noticed Gale''s silence, and she quickly cheered up by smiling as wide as she could, so the atmosphere between them didn''t feel so somber.


    ¡°You''re right. I will eventually get pregnant. We still have a long time together, right?¡±


    "A long time? You mean, a lifetime,¡± Gale smiled back. "We have a lifetime together,


    Swan."

 Novel Mate 65

    65 Chapter 65: Aria''s Royal Visit (I)


    Two days passed, and Swan was waiting anxiously in her room as she had been informed that Aria''s carriage had entered the kingdom''s outer wall, so it shouldn''t take long for them to meet.


    Gale had been sitting with her on the bed as he had nothing to do in the morning, but seeing his mate''s anxiousness was somewhat cute because he thought that Swan was worried about her sister''s safety.


    "I have told the maids to prepare an assorted dessert simr to what they prepared in your kingdom when your sister is here," Gale said. "I''ve also prepared the best bedroom for her since she said she''ll be here for two days."


    Swan knew that Gale was oblivious to Aria''s true nature, but she couldn''t help but feel sour knowing that he treated Aria well.


    Swan also didn''t understand why she had this feeling of selfishness in her heart, but she was a little jealous thinking that Gale would treat Aria just like how he treated her.


    "You don''t need to wait for her at the castle ground. Just stay here and sit while the maid prepares everything for your tea time with your sister.¡±


    "H-how about you?" Swan asked.


    ¡°Hm? I still have to stay in the throne room to hear a few problems from my fellow beastmen,¡± Gale said. "It''s okay, I can do it myself. You should spend more joyful time with your sister."


    "Gale..."


    "Hm?"


    Swan stared at Gale with aplicated gaze. She kept wanting to tell Gale about Aria''s true nature, but her tongue was tied whenever she was reminded that the fate of the people in Holy Achate was in her hands. She didn''t know how long she could hide the truth, but as long as she was alive, she needed to protect her people as hard as she could.


    "Do you want to say something?"


    In the end, Swan shook her head, and said, ¡°I''ll be staying in the room then.¡±


    Gale kissed her on the forehead and said, ¡°Everything will be just fine for your sister. The beastmen are not keen on humans, but we are not going to harm her, especially


    65 Chapter 65: Aria''s Royal Visit (1)


    when she is your sister."


    Swan smiled weakly at Gale and watched him as he left the bedroom with the door wide open, allowing the maids to prepare the assorted snacks, dessert, and tea for the royal sisters'' tea time.


    Swan clenched the nket as she was trying to calm down despite her restlessness.


    ''It''s okay, Swan. She won''t be here for long, Swan thought as she had to prepare herself in case she got bullied. ''As long as she doesn''t tell Gale about anything that would cause him to rage, then everything will be just fine.


    **


    Aria was quite impressed by the kingdom as her carriage entered the capital city Stone


    Road.


    She didn''t expect the Kingdom of Beastmen to have a proper kingdom, with beastmen


    of various species gathering to see her carriage.


    Of course, this city wasn''t as good as hers, but Holy Achate was centuries old, so it had a rich culture and proper human engineering


    But for these uneducated beastmen to be able to create a real working kingdom was


    already impressive.


    ¡°It''s like seeing a bunch of sewer rats building amunity together. The Beast King is surely powerful to be able to unite them," Ariamented before she grinned. "Though, as a royal princess, I''m sure I could add some nice touch to this sewer hole. We can sell some of these beastmen to other kingdoms as ves too. It would control their poption and get the kingdom more money in the treasury." (1)


    Aria had been speaking like she would be the beastmen''s queen. But truly, there was no way the Beast King would reject her.


    Of course, she was more than willing to y a long game.


    It doesn''t matter whether he will fall in love quickly or overtime. As long as he will


    kneel for me in the end.''


    The carriage entered the castle, and Aria was impressed by the beastmen soldiers of various species lined up to greet her. The carriage stopped right in front of the main entrance, where the Beast King was standing in silence, waiting for her arrival.


    Aria''s heart started beating faster than usual after not seeing this man for a while. He was still wearing the same ck blindfold which added to his mysteriousness, but for


    65 Chapter 65: Aria''s Royal Visit (1)


    some reason, Aria sensed that the Beast King was in a much better moodpared to the first time they met.


    ''Is it because he has been waiting for me? Is he getting excited to see me?'' Aria couldn''t think of any other reason. So she believed that was the only possible reason for him being happier now.


    Aria took a better look at the Beast King as the carriage door was opened, and as she took a better look at him, she realized that he was very masculine and handsome.


    He didn''t wear any shirt, so all of his battle scars were exposed.


    In Holy Achate''s culture, it was deemed uncouth and savage not to cover your body in public, but for some reason, Aria found him to be wildly attractive.


    It was strange because she had met with many princes and knights in her life, and while they were all very well-mannered and handsome, she felt nothing towards them.


    But she got a little curious about the Beast King and began to wonder if she could make him smile lovingly while they stood at the top of the world. They could be a fantastic power couple; he ruled the world, and she ruled him. 2


    ''Ah, not now, Aria. Calm down. You need to show your dignity and innocence as the Royal Princess of Holy Achate. It would make him lose interest if you''re acting like a whore''s daughter!


    Thus, Aria walked towards the Beast King. Her bright blonde hair was braided and adorned with flowers to fit the summer beauty vibes.


    She wore a modest summer dress that was unusual for a royal visit, but it didn''t make her any less beautiful. She also didn''t wear any makeup, exposing her glorious natural beauty in front of everyone.


    She stood in front of the Beast King, bowed and then did a little curtsy.


    "Thank you for inviting me, Your Majesty, I am Royal Princess Aria of Holy Achate, please ept my humble greeting as I do not know the culture in the beast''s world." 3

 Novel Mate 66

    66 Chapter 66: Aria''s Royal Visit (II)


    All the soldiers and maids were awed by Aria''s ethereal beauty. She had a simr face to Princess Swan, but much more charismatic and dignified. She was like the epitome of a perfect princess in these beastmen''s eyes. 1


    Aria could hear the gasp of awe from the beastmen servants and soldiers, and she didn''t react much. She was used to people fawning over her.


    In fact, she was so popr among the princes and nobles that she had to turn down marriage proposals on an almost daily basis ever since she was sixteen years old. 1


    Three years after that, she still had to refuse marriage proposals regrly, much to her dismay.


    She waited for the Beast King to say something, but he kept his silence for a while.


    "Your Majesty?" Aria lifted her head, staring at the Beast King who looked troubled.


    It seemed that the Beast King had something to say, but he held off a few times.


    ''Is it because he can''t handle my beauty so well? I''ve gotten a lot of praise from many human princes, but I guess, even the Beast King cannot handle it, Aria found it cute that even a mighty beast like Gale couldn''t help to like her. It served as proof that he was not immune to her beauty, just like the rest of those princes. ''That means our rtionship should be smooth sailing from the start.


    ¡°Your Majesty, are you alright?¡± Aria asked with a worried look. She took a step forward to check on him, and Gale spontaneously took a step back.


    ¡°I''m fine,¡± Gale replied. ¡°Wee to the Kingdom of Beastmen, Princess Aria. I¨CGale Stormfront, the King of Beasts-will ensure your safety and pleasure in my castle.¡±


    Aria smiled sweetly, "The pleasure is mine, Your Majesty. It''s been a while since west met. It seems that you are in a better mood these days, may I know why?"


    Aria took another step forward, but Gale quickly turned around and said, ¡°Follow me, will give you a tour around the castle, and then bring you to Swan."


    Aria almost giggled seeing the bashful reaction that Gale showed. He kept on dodging her probably due to embarrassment. She had seen many of those naive princes who would flush and stammer when talking to her especially when she intentionally approached them.


    I didn''t see any flush nor did he stammer. But a king shouldn''t do that, right? They


    16:01


    1/24


    66 Chapter 66: Aria''s Royal Visit (II)


    have a dignity to keep in front of his subjects, Aria thought.


    Aria followed Gale as they walked side by side into the castle. They had be a spectacle for all the servant and soldier beastmen they passed.


    They looked so perfect together, with the mighty Beast King exining everything about the castle and the Princess who listened earnestly.


    Sometimes, the Princess would throw a nce at a passing servant or soldier, and then smile at them, making their hearts flutter.


    Never once did Gale look at her. He kept his head straight as he guided her.


    It wasn''t until they stopped in front of the bedroom door that Gale said, "Swan is inside. She has been waiting for you. I''ve told the maids to prepare the snacks and desserts that humans like in their tea time. You can ask the maid if you need anything."


    ¡°Are you not going to apany me during the tea party as well, Your Majesty?¡± Aria asked as she drew near him until there was almost no gap between them.


    She could smell the scent emanating from his body. As expected, the Beast King didn''t


    use any perfume.


    He smelled like a meadow and pine forest. There was also a distinct scent of musk that gave it a perfectbination of fresh, warm, and wild.


    It was almost like an irresistible perfume for Aria, as she realized that she had developed a strange fascination with him and wanted to hug him tightly while burying


    her face on his chest.


    Unfortunately, before she could do that, Gale quickly took another step back to avoid her and turned around, "I have matters to attend to, I might attend if I have time."


    Gale walked away without ever looking back, and Aria thanked him again while staring at his strong back. ''Ah, his shoulder is so wide, and makes me wonder how it would feel to ride on top of him, Aria couldn''t help but giggle. Luckily, there was nobody else around to listen to her giggle, so her dignity was saved.


    Ar¨ªa turned to face the door.


    All of her sweet smile and gentleness on her face disappeared instantly knowing that Swan was inside, and she had a malicious grin as she imagined all the fun she would have with her half-sister.


    16:01


    66 Chapter 66: Aria''s Royal Visit (II)


    "Can''t wait to p you in the face again, sister.¡±


    Thus, Aria opened the door to enter the room.


    Meanwhile, Gale was distracted the whole time he spent with Princess Aria.


    Of course, Aria was beautiful, as expected of his mate''s sister. She also seemed to be more upbeat than the timid Swan, though he couldn''t sense the innocence in her.


    Aria seemed to be tailor-made to be a Princess. She said sweet words, but there was no


    real emotion behind her words, unlike Swan who seemed to be more down-to-earth


    and real to him.


    However, that wasn''t the reason for him getting distracted, it was her perfume.


    Beastmen never liked any overpowering scent that humans wore as perfume, but Gale had a certain tolerance of it... until now.


    As a wolf beastman and also a Beast King with unimaginable power, all of his five senses were heightened, including his nose and Aria''s overpowering perfume made him dizzy


    and nauseous.


    If he could describe in his own words, he could say it smelled like shit covered with flowers. The constant change between the smell of shit and the overpowering flowery scent almost made him want to just run as far as he could.


    Does Swan ever use the perfume her sister used when she was in Holy Achate? I hope not, her natural scent is so alluring, a tinge of sweetness, warmth, and unknown sensation that gives me peace of mind; Gale could go on and on describing Swan''s scent, but the more he recalled her scent, the more he missed her. ¡®Ah, I need to give them space. Swan must''ve missed her sister so much.


    Thank you for reading!


    Sorry for thete update today Thank you for supporting!

 Novel Mate 67

    67 Chapter 67: Let Go of My Hair!


    67 Chapter 67: Let Go of My Hair!


    Swan was sitting anxiously inside her room.


    She stared at the arranged snacks, dessert, and tea for two people, as it was meant to be a tea time between two royal sisters.


    She had seen many of these beautiful desserts in the kingdom but never had the chance to eat them, so she should be happy now that she could eat anything she wanted.


    But she had no appetite, knowing that Aria was already here, and she was scared of what would happen next.


    Would Aria p her on the face?


    Would she kick her leg?


    Would she yank her hair and cut it?


    Many scenarios shed in her mind, and Swan''s body began to tremble as she recalled too many traumatic experiences that she tried so hard to forget. 1


    Swan''s heart raced when she heard Aria and Gale''s voices from the other side of the


    door. Aria sounded so flirty, but Gale didn''t seem to reciprocate, or at least that was what Swan hoped.


    She doubted that Gale would be able to resist Aria, especially when he needed to mark


    another woman sooner orter.


    Nevertheless, she still hoped that Gale would be able to resist. She would be happy to


    see Gale with another woman since she knew she didn''t deserve to have him all for


    herself.


    She just prayed that the woman wouldn''t be Aria.


    ''Goddess Asmara, please don''t let my man be attracted to my nemesis. Please make Aria look unpleasant in front of him... Or at least make her smell unpleasant! Like a dung sprayed with perfume!'' 10


    She prayed so hard, but when she realized how stupid it sounded, she quickly stopped.


    The conversation between Aria and Gale stopped, and Swan heard a giggle before the door was pushed open. Aria entered the room with a big, malicious smile on her face.


    She darted her eyes at Swan and blinked twice, acting as if she was shocked, and said,


    "Oh my Sis You seem to be doinu very well here! You almost look like a pronerdy


    16:01


    <


    67 Chapter 67: Let Go of My Hair!


    too bad you''re just a lowly whore''s daughter."


    +15


    Swan wanted to counter her because she knew she wasn''t in the Holy Achate pce anymore, but she was immediately frozen by fear and trauma.


    She was reminded of the time when she would be beaten whenever she dared to argue with Aria.


    Aria closed the door behind her to ensure that nobody would listen to her bullying Swan. Then, she walked up to her sister and hovered around her chair to observe her. Swan hunched her back as she braced herself for the pain she was about to experience. "Aw, don''t be so scared, Swan. I''m not here to bully you. I came here for a royal visit to check on my sister," Aria said. "I have to say, you seem to be gaining weight here. The Beast King must''ve been treating you very well, right?¡±


    "H-he does," Swan replied. She usually had to stay silent unless Aria told her to speak, but she wanted to make sure that Aria knew how kind Gale was. "H-he treated me like a human being, unlike in Holy Achate..."


    Aria''s lips twitched, "Oh? Do you think that you''re not treated well in the Holy Achate? What makes you think so?"


    Swan tried to be civil as she knew she shouldn''t make a ruckus in here, but she was triggered by Aria''s words. The flood of bad memories filled her mind, and Swan began to raise her voice a little, "My crippled leg is enough proof of how you treated me, Aria.¡± ¡°Oh-Hahaha! Okay, fine, you are not treated like a human in Holy Achate,¡± Aria admitted as she stood behind Swan''s chair. "But what''s wrong with that? Why should I treat a cripple like you like a human when you are more disgusting than an animal?" Swan didn''t answer that. Not because she didn''t have anything to say but because she knew arguing with Aria would only escte the situation. Even if Aria didn''t have the guards to back her up, she would find a way to mess with her.


    Thus, she stayed silent, and Aria was happy with it.


    As expected, she liked bullying Swan the most because Swan would never dare to fight back but would still have resentment in her eyes. It made a finer toypared to those maids who had nothing but fear in their eyes.


    Though it was a fact that Swan was treated much better here since her thin-as-bone body started to put on some weight, her face began to glow healthily, and so did her


    16.01


    67 Chapter 67: Let Go of My Hair!


    hair, which had grown longer to shoulder level.


    "I see that you don''t need to cut your hair here,¡± Ariamented as she slipped her finger inside Swan''s hair, and her smile faded when she realized that Swan''s hair was silky smooth.


    It was in fact-smoother than hers, and Aria quickly felt threatened by it.


    ''I''ve done so much to damage her hair over the years, but why is her hair getting better now?'' Aria asked herself. ''No, I can''t let her hair grow longer than this. She needs to cut her hair short or go bald!


    Aria always had a certain jealousy towards Swan''s hair and beauty. She had been working tirelessly since they were kids to damage her face and her hair, but she always looked fine. So, Aria damaged her mentally to make Swan think that she was ugly. "How about we cut your hair now, Sis?¡± Aria said as she grabbed a handful of hair and yanked it, making Swan wince in response. "Should we cut it until you look like a boy? Or maybe we should cut it until you have that soldier hairstyle? Oh, wait, we can just make you go bald, right? You can tell the Beast King that you prefer to go bald. I''m sure he wouldn''t mind."


    Fear began to creep into Swan''s heart. She never paid attention to her hair in Holy Achate before, but living with Gale made her realize that she had beautiful golden hair that she didn''t want to lose.


    Thus, cornered with fear of losing her hair, she said, ¡°Let go of my hair, Aria.¡±


    Comment 18


    Post your firstment!

 Novel Mate 68

    68 Chapter 68: She Is A Witch!


    "What did you say?¡± Aria taunted. Of course, she heard her loud and clear. She just wanted to torment/Swan longer until she gave up fighting in the end. She relished seeing Swan on the verge of despair.


    The Head Butler in the Pce of Holy Achate said she shouldn''t bully Swan too much because nobody knows when Swan would snap and struggle to fight back. 2


    But Aria didn''t think that Swan could fight back.


    Swan had been conditioned to ept the bullying no matter what happened.


    "Repeat it, you whore. Let me hear what you said just now."


    Swan clenched her fist. She had been holding her rage for a long time, and she didn''t want to bow down without a fight.


    After she learned that she, too, could have a good life outside of the Holy Achate Pce with Gale, Swan realized that she should fight more if she didn''t want to be stomped on for the rest of her life.


    Thus, she repeated her words, but louder this time, "Don''t you dare touch my hair!"


    Aria was triggered hearing Swan''s brazen sentence. She grabbed a handful of her hair and challenged, ¡°If I do, what are you going to do to me? Are you going to fight me with your crippled leg?¡±


    ¤¿


    Swan gritted her teeth. She knew she couldn''t fight back. Aria was bigger than her, and Swan had always epted all the beatings since she was a child.


    But she believed she had one weapon, even if she didn''t know whether it would work or


    not.


    "I have the Goddess."


    "The Goddess?" Aria frowned. "What Goddess are you talking about? Have you gone


    insane?"


    ¡°I¡ªI have Goddess Asmara. She will punish you if you dare to hurt me!¡±


    Aria was stunned for a moment before sheughed loudly.


    "PFFT-HAHAHA!"


    "W-what''s so funny?"


    Aria kept onughing for the next ten seconds until she suddenly stoppedughing


    18:02


    68 Chapter 68: She Is A Witch!


    and said, ¡°You stupid bitch. Do you not realize that I am the Royal Princess of Holy Achate? If Goddess Asmara-or whatever Goddess we worship is real, then she will make me her Saintess. After all, I am the real princess, not you."


    Aria was excited to see Swan in pain once more. She tightened her grip on her hair and was ready to pull her until she fell off the chair.


    Swan closed her eyes instantly as she was bracing for the pain. However, in a split second before Aria pulled her hair, Aria saw Swan''s hair suddenly glowed brightly, and she felt a burning sensation in her hand where she was grabbing Swan''s hair.


    "W-what is this? Ah, it''s hot! It''s too hot!" Aria tried to ignore it for a moment, thinking that she was hallucinating, but the burning sensation in her hand was getting more and more painful after each second until she couldn''t bear it anymore.


    She tried to let go of Swan''s hair, but for an unknown reason, her hand was stuck on her hair as if it had been glued to it, and she couldn''t let go no matter how hard she tried to pull her hand away.


    The pain turned extreme, and she saw with her own eyes that her hand started melting, and she could see her flesh and bone as if she had put her hand into a burning furnace.


    "LET GO! LET GO!! AHHHHHHH!!!!¡±


    She began to scream at the top of her lungs due to the unbearable pain, and her scream filled the air until everyone in the castle was alerted, including Gale, who quickly got up from his throne and dashed to Swan''s


    room.


    Swan finally opened her eyes when she heard Aria''s scream. She was in a deep prayer just now, hoping that Goddess Asmara would at least protect her from the pain.


    But she didn''t feel any pain. Instead, Aria was screaming as if was HER who suffered a heavy injury.


    The moment Swan opened her eyes, her shining hair quickly turned normal, and she turned her body to check on Aria.


    Íè·½


    Aria was in so much pain that she quickly lost all of her energy when Swan''s hair stopped glowing, and she had lost her entire hand. Thest thing she saw was Swan, who looked at her with worry in her eyes. It was as if she wasn''t the one who caused Aria so much pain just now.


    ''Witch... she is a witch...'' Aria said in her heart before losing her consciousness.


    **


    16:02


    68 Chapter 68: She Is A Witch!


    It


    Aria grunted as she opened her eyes slowly. I took a while for her gaze to clear up, and as she stared at the chandelier on the ceiling she heard a deep-almost gruff voice of a man beside her bed.


    "Ah, you''re awake. Are you alright, Princess Aria?"


    Aria turned her head to the side, and seeing The Beast King sitting next to her bed was like an oasis in the desert for her. She quickly sat on the bed and threw her weight on him.


    "GALE!"


    "Wha¡ªWhat are you doing? Let go of me!" Gale, who had been trying his best to endure the disgusting scenting from Aria''s body was shocked when this young woman suddenly hugged her.


    Despite his aversion, he didn''t try to push her away as she had just regained consciousness, and the doctor said that she was in extreme distress, so she fainted.


    Aria didn''t care about her royal demeanor any more. She had lived her life free from pain until now, so when she experienced extreme pain, she wanted to cling to someone strong who could protect her.


    ¡°Gale, Swan-Swan is a witch! She is a dirty witch!"


    "What are you talking about? Let go of me first, Princess!" Gale yelled, and Aria finally snapped out of her hysteria.


    She let go of her hug and looked at Gale with a sense of panic her eyes, "She is a witch who cast a dark magic on me!"


    Gale had been patient for a while, but he wouldn''t allow anyone-not even Swan''s sister, to nder his mate.


    "Are


    you still hallucinating, Princess? How could you say that about your sister?" "W-why don''t you believe me? Look at my hand! I''ve lost my hand because she burned me with dark magic!" Aria said as she showed her hand that she had lost after Swan''s hair melted it.


    "Your hand is fine! Stop talking like a madman!" Gale yelled again as he grabbed Aria''s hand. ¡°Look at it yourself!"


    Aria looked at her hand, and her eyes widened in disbelief.


    He was right.


    16:02

 Novel Mate 69

    69 Chapter 69: Mysterious Magic


    Aria''s jaw dropped as she kept staring at her hand.


    Her hand was fine; no exposed flesh and bone. There was not even a single scratch, as if everything that happened with Swan before was just her hallucination.


    ¡°T-this can''t be. I remember my skin slowly melted, and I could see my bones!¡± Aria insisted. "I-I lost my hand entirely! Your Majesty, you have to believe me!"


    Gale was pissed. Had it not for her status as Swan''s sister, he would''ve gotten her kicked out of the castle as soon as possible.


    ¡°I think you''re hallucinating, Princess,¡± Gale said. ¡°Swan told me that you suddenly turned hysterical, crying and screaming before you fainted. Did something happen on your way to my castle?"


    "She''s lying!" Aria eximed. "Your Majesty, I''m telling the truth. Swan is a witch! She used her spell to burn my hand and then restore it, so everyone would think that I''m hallucinating!"


    "Enough!" Gale got up from the seat. ¡°I think you need more rest, Princess. I will call the doctor to check on you. Though, I''m not sure if there is any beastman doctor who can cure your symptoms.¡± (1


    Gale left Aria, who was fuming with anger as she realized that the Beast King didn''t believe her.


    But as she gradually calmed down, she spected that Swan might already have everyone in this castle under her spell, so nobody felt something wrong had happened. "I know that I''m not hallucinating. The pain is real, and I saw my hand melted before I fainted,¡± Aria told herself. ¡°But how and when did she learn how to use dark magic? Did she learn it in the Holy Achate? Howe I''ve never seen it before?¡±


    Many questions lingered in her head, and Aria knew she needed to find out everything Swan had done in this castle first to get her answer.


    ''She must''ve used her charm spell to charm Gale as well. That''s why he treats her so well, Aria convinced herself. ¡°There is no way the Beast King would prefer an ugly and dirty woman like Swan without dark magic. Its just not logical!''


    69 Chapter 69: Mysterious Magic


    Swan was sitting on her bed after the disastrous tea time with Aria two hours ago. She was waiting for Gale to return and tell her if Aria was alright.


    The door was finally opened, and Gale walked in with a disgruntled mood. He sat silently on the bed for more than ten seconds until Swan asked, ¡°S-so, is she alright?¡±


    ¡°She is unharmed, but I''m not sure what caused her to hallucinate. She keeps saying that her hand melted, and you are a witch who cast dark magic on her.¡±


    Swan swallowed her saliva as she was nervous. She tried to act natural as she was afraid that Gale would suspect her, ¡°I¡ªI''m not a witch. E-even if I am, I will never hurt you."


    Gale snorted, "Why do you need to say that? Of course, you''re not. How could a witch be as cute as you?"


    "A-and I''m not cute," Swan murmured.


    Gale smiled and patted her head, "Your sister is probably exhausted after a long journey. Let her rest for now and meet her again tomorrow, alright?"


    "Mm..." Swan nodded as Galey next to her on the bed.


    Swan buried her face on his chest as she felt safe in his embrace.


    Truth to be told, Aria wasn''t hallucinating at all.


    When Swan opened her eyes again to check on her, she saw that Aria''s entire hand up to her wrist had been melted until there was nothing but bones.


    Swan panicked, as she never expected that Goddess Asmara would protect her by burning Aria''s hand off until it melted.


    Of course, Swan didn''t want Gale to know that she had such a mysterious power. It might cause suspicion that she was the one who helped Rock to escape. Thus, in the midst of panic, she prayed as hard as she could while closing her eyes that Aria''s hand would return to normal.


    The moment the door was mmed open and Gale entered the room, Swan opened her eyes and saw that Aria''s hand had turned to its original state, but she was still


    unconscious.


    Swan was questioned by Gale, and also by the cat maids about what happened inside the room just now, and she simply replied that Aria suddenly screamed and fainted.


    Swan rarely lied, but she thought it was better to lie now if she wanted to keep her position safe.


    18/02


    69 Chapter 69: Mysterious Magic


    Swan spent the whole night thinking about her magic. She knew that her magic was


    real, and it was the reason why she could stay unharmed when Rock attacked her back then at theke.


    The problem was that she didn''t know how to trigger her magic.


    She tried to close her eyes and pray as hard as she could for her leg to be healed, but when she opened her eyes again and tried to feel her leg, she realized that it didn''t work at all because her ankle was still crooked in the wrong direction.


    ''Does that mean my magic is only usable when I''m in danger? Then how about when I was dreaming of the Goddess to save Rock, and I actually did it? I was not in any danger back then..."


    Swan was confused, but also wondering if this power was from the Goddess, or if she had truly be a witch like Aria said.


    Swan heard from old tales that a woman could turn into a witch when she had an ever-growing grudge against someone, to the point that she would sell her soul to the devil in exchange for the power of evil spells.


    ¡®But I never want to harm anyone.......'' Swan closed her eyes again, hoping that Goddess Asmara woulde into her dream once more and tell her everything she needed to know to use the magic.


    Unfortunately, the night passed, and Goddess Asmara didn''te into her dream.


    Comment 6


    Post your firstment!

 Novel Mate 70

    70 Chapter 70: The Witch Hunt


    Aria woke up with unresolved anger towards Swan the next day. She couldn''t wait to tear her down and let Gale see that she was a witch who would ruin his kingdom. 1


    But of course, she couldn''t openly show her hostility towards Swan, that would be a stupid move.


    Thus, after she took a warm bath in the morning, she sat at the table directly facing the window in her room, waiting for the beastman maid toe and deliver her breakfast.


    Aria smiled at the beastman maid with bunny ears who carefully put her breakfast on the table and said, ¡°T- this is the breakfast that we have, Princess. Please tell me if you need anything more, or if you want something else as your breakfast."


    ¡°No, no, this is fine,¡± Aria replied with a smile. ¡°Though, I''m curious about a few things in the castle, and I don''t know who to ask, since my sister isn''t exactly the chatty type."


    "So, can I ask you instead?" Aria asked.


    The bunny beastman was hesitant at first. She was supposed to attend Princess Aria, so she wondered if it was allowed for her to answer all questions from her.


    However, facing the beautiful princess who smiled at her, the bunny maid nodded weakly, "I-I will do my best to answer, Princess."


    ¡°Good. Hmm... my sister is not exactly someone who likes to talk. I''d appreciate it if you could tell me what she has been doing in the castle since she arrived two months ago."


    "Ah... uhm..." The bunny maid tried to recall everything and said, "Princess Swan has been staying in the same room as His Majesty since her arrival. Usually, they would have breakfast together, and His Majesty would carry her on his arm before walking around the castle to inspect many things. They would stay in the throne room and deal with kingdom matters before going for another walk before dinner. Oh! I heard from the soldiers and citizens that she is very kind and generous. She helps to rebuild the kingdom since we- beastmen¨Cdon''t exactly have a culture like humans. I heard she also-"


    "Okay, that''s enough," Aria interrupted as her smile faded. She didn''t want to listen to any of this, knowing that Swan had lived such afortable life under Gale''s care. "What I want to know is... if there is anything strange happening for the past two months in the castle."


    16:02 C


    70 Chapter 70: The Witch Hunt


    "Oh! Yes, there are a few strange things happening here. Our Beta, Rock Silverfang, attacked Princess Swan on the third day of her arrival, and she came out unscathed," the bunny maid reported. ¡°Nobody knows the reason for that, since Rock is very strong. Then, he escaped the same night from the dungeon, which is even stranger, because the dungeon only has one door for entrance and exit and it''s always fully guarded!"


    ¡°I see,¡± Aria smiled again and questioned, ¡°Has there been any rumor that maybe my


    sister is a witch?"


    "A-A witch?!" The bunny maid was genuinely flustered. She looked at the beautiful human princess in confusion. "Princess Swan is very kind and helpful. I don''t think someone like her can be a witch. S-should I tell His Majesty to check on her?¡±


    "No," Aria quickly refused as she knew it would only make Gale angry at her instead of Swan. "It''s fine. It''s just... I saw my sister practicing witchcraft when we were in Holy Achate before. I asked her and she said that it''s just a harmless little book she picked


    1. up. I''m just worried that it mighte true.¡±


    The bunny maid doubted it immediately because witchcraft was almost nonexistent in the beastmen world except for the shaman, who drew power from their ancestors, not from strange devilish creatures.


    Even so, she didn''t know any better about human culture, so Princess Aria must''ve been telling the truth.


    ''I-Is it a bad thing if Princess Swan bes a witch? She hadn''t done anything to hurt others in here," the bunny maid asked.


    "There is a reason why humans would burn any witch they see. A witch hunt is necessary because they could cast an evil spell that could kill everyone, including your king!"


    A


    Fknkit..


    ¡°H-His Majesty?!" The bunny maid panicked. As one of the beastmen who dedicated her life to him, she didn''t want anything bad to happen to their beloved king. "I-I should warn His Majesty then-"


    "I told you, don''t," Aria stopped her. "Rather than that, I think you should just tell your fellow servants and soldiers about this, so they would be more careful around my sister."


    "Y-yes, Princess. I will tell others about this."


    Aria grinned, "Good. Thank you for the breakfast. You should go now."


    16:02


    70 Chapter 70: The Witch Hunt


    Aria watched as the bunny maid scurried out of her room. She didn''t know if her suspicion about Swan being a witch was true or not. However, whether it was true or false, the rumor of her being a witch would continue to circte in the beastmen


    castle.


    "And once it has spread wide, Gale will never know who started the rumor," Aria muttered as she put a block of sugar into the cup of tea. ¡°If she is a witch, then that''s good. I will send people from Holy Achate to burn the witch. Even if she''s not, the rumor should be enough to make her feel unwanted in this castle since everyone except Gale will gossip behind her back." 1


    Aria grinned as she thought her n was foolproof.


    "Once Gale realizes that everyone in the castle is against him, he will have to kick her out of the castle. Everything will be smooth sailing after that since I can fill the void in


    his heart."


    Aria checked her hand that had melted yesterday, and her grin disappeared instantly.


    She was sure that Swan was a witch. She just needed a way to prove it.


    tz


    "No wonder Gale seems to like her very much. She must''ve been using her charm spell


    ¤µ¤ó


    ever since he took her out of Holy Achate," Aria convinced herself. "Or else, there is no way the Beast King


    would fall in love with a cripple, right?"


    Comment 11

 Novel Mate 71

    71 Chapter 71: Scalded


    71 Chapter 71: Scalded


    Swan was sitting inside her room at a table full of assorted snacks, desserts, and a pot of tea. It was another tea time with Aria, but it wasn''t Gale''s idea this time.


    It was she who requested another tea time with Aria, mostly because she wanted to keep her half-sister away from Gale, knowing that she would use all kinds of methods to seduce him, and Swan wasn''t sure if Gale could resist the temptation.


    On top of that, she was also curious about Aria''s reaction after what happened yesterday.


    Would Aria continue to suspect her as a witch? Or would she drop the idea and start bullying her again?


    It didn''t take long for Aria to open the door by herself and walk in with a big smile on her face. She didn''t seem hurt, and her hand waspletely intact.


    Aria probably thought she was hallucinating yesterday, but Swan knew well it was real.


    "G-good morning, Aria. Please have a seat..." Swan greeted nervously as she pointed at


    the seat in front of hers.


    Aria kept her smile as she sat facing Swan and poured herself a cup of tea.


    She said nothing, and they drank their tea in silence until Swan mentioned, "I-I heard from Gale that you were hallucinating yesterday. You said that your hand melted."


    ¡°It''s not a hallucination," Aria said calmly. ¡°I know damn well that you are a witch, Swan. I can feel the pain as my skin burned and my flesh melted. You can''t fool me with your stupid face.¡±


    ¡°You have no proof.......¡± Swan muttered. ¡°Besides, your hand is fine, right?¡±


    "That''s because you used your dark magic on me. Witches have to be burned at a stake for a reason," Aria said. ¡°You should''ve known that Holy Achate would burn any woman who shows any signs of being a witch. Had I known that you were practicing witchcraft, I would''ve told the soldiers to burn you alive back in the Holy Achate."


    Swan shuddered, imagining herself getting burned like a witch.


    "B-but we are in the Kingdom of Beastmen right now. You can''t do that..."


    "I know, but..." Aria rubbed a porcin cup with tea in it. She grinned as she stared at Swan and eximed, ¡°I can do this!"


    Aria threw the porcin cun with the scalding hot tea towards Swan''s face and Swan


    10:02


    71 Chapter 71: Scalded


    was too stunned to react.


    She didn''t even have time to close her eyes as the porcin cup was about to hit her


    face.


    And then....


    Crack!


    Both Aria and Swan were stunned when they saw the porcin cup suddenly shattered right before it touched Swan''s skin, and all of the hot tea was repelled, as if Swan had


    an invisible barrier around her body that prevented her from getting hurt.


    ¡°I knew it! You damned witch!" Aria got up from her seat and pointed at Swan with her index finger. She yelled, ¡°I will tell Gale about this, so he will kick you out of the castle immediately.¡±


    Swan''s heart raced immediately after hearing Aria''s threat. She had a good life here, and as an ordinary human who had been craving to be loved ever since she was a child, she wanted nothing but to keep the status quo with Gale, even if it was a fake one!


    "D-don''t do that, Aria. I¡ªI don''t even know how I got this power. It just manifested into me..." Swan pleaded in a low-almost whispering voice scared that Gale would identally hear her.


    "Do you think I give a damn?! You must''ve charmed him with your spell because there is no way a Beast King would fall in love with a cripple!" Aria didn''t know what Swan might do next with her various dark spells, so she ran to the nearest window and yelled, "HELP ME! THE WITCH IS ABOUT TO GET ME! HELP!!!!" 1


    Swan froze in her seat as she stared at the hysterical Aria, too taken aback to react.


    It didn''t take long for Gale to burst the door open, and his eyes immediately darted


    towards Swan.


    ¡°Swan! Are you alright?!¡± Gale asked. ¡°Where is the witch?!¡±


    "SHE is the witch!" Aria yelled as she quickly grabbed the teapot on the table and aimed it at Swan''s head. "Watch this! You will see how this pot will break without even hurting


    her!"


    Aria threw the pot as hard as she could toward her half-sister, and Swan kept on staring at the pot as if it was moving in slow motion.


    She was despairing in her heart because she knew the moment an invisible shield was


    16:02


    71 Chapter 71: Scalded


    erected around her body, Gale would finally find out that she was indeed a witch.


    She clenched her dress, bracing for impact when Gale dashed so fast that it looked like he was teleporting. He shielded Swan''s face with his hand and deflected the teapot until it bounced and hit Aria''s chest instead. Swan snapped out of her daze when she heard Aria''s voice screaming atop her lungs,


    "Hot! It''s hot! Ahhh!"


    Swan looked at Aria, who fell on the floor with her exposed shoulder and cleavage scalded by the hot tea. Gale paid her no mind as he checked on Swan.


    ¡°Swan, are you hurt? Did you get scalded somewhere?¡± Gale asked worriedly, and Swan


    shook her head.


    ¡°I¡ªI''m fine. You probably need to pay attention to her, instead..." Swan pointed at Aria, who was still writhing in pain as her skin was burning. 3


    Gale turned his head and ordered the maids on the door, ¡°Go and take her back to her


    room. Make sure to give her a bucket of cold water, and don''t forget to call the doctor


    to treat her."


    "Yes, Your Majesty!"


    The cat maids carried Princess Aria out of the room, but they couldn''t close the door because their King rammed it with his body and broke the hinge when he rushed in.


    Swan stared at the door and then at Gale before muttering awkwardly, ¡°Uhm... I¨CI''m not a witch, Gale. I don''t know what she was talking about. I-I don''t even know why she turned hysterical just now."


    Comment 7


    View All


    16:02


    J


    Post your firstment!


    Vote

 Novel Mate 72

    72 Chapter 72: Proof of Witchcraft


    Swan was scared that Gale would start suspecting her due to Aria''s hysterical yells just now. But he didn''t./1


    He simply answered, ¡°I know that you''re not. Your sister is just hallucinating again. Has she ever done this before in the Holy Achate?"


    Swan paused for a moment and shook her head. She had a little urge to say that Aria had always been delusional and mentally insane. But she didn''t want to nder anyone, even if that person was Aria, the half- sister who had been torturing her. 2


    "Then, I think it''s the long trip that makes her insane," Galemented coldly. "Or maybe she''s just getting insane for no reason


    ¡°T-then, maybe she needs to rest more."


    ¡°No, she needs to get out of my kingdom as soon as possible,¡± Gale said firmly. It wasn''t a response. It was more of an order. "She has been getting hysterical since yesterday, and though I sympathize with her because she is your sister, I don''t want her to hurt you while I wasn''t around."


    "S-she didn''t mean to-" 1


    "SWAN!"


    Gale''s voice made her stop talking and she held her breath instantly. She stared at him anxiously, waiting for Gale to continue. 2


    ¡°I don''t know how your rtionship with your sister is, but it''s obvious that she is crazy. Don''t you realize what would''ve happened had it not for me shielding you just now? Your face could have been burned!" Gale was quite frustrated with Swan. She was very naive and forgiving, two qualities he liked, but also hated.


    She also did this to Rock, naively forgave him, and even tried to argue with him to free Rock from the dungeon before. Even though Rock almost hurt her in theke before.


    Swan lowered her head.


    She didn''t try to protect Aria because she was kind. She was worried that Aria would say mean things about Gale''s kingdom to the aristocrats in Holy Achate.


    She wanted the Kingdom of Beastmen to have its well-deserved respect, so another nder from Aria would be a setback.


    Besides, she also didn''t want anyone to think that Gale was a cruel king when he had


    16:02 C


    72 Chapter 72: Proof of Witchcraft


    been nothing but just to his subjects and loving towards her.


    "I will send her back tomorrow, at dawn, after the doctor treats her burn," Gale said decisively.


    "W-would she be able to return to Holy Achate without any burn scar?" Swan asked.


    "That''s impossible. The tea is very hot, and she would suffer a burn scar around her shoulder and chest," Gale replied in a matter-of-fact tone, without an ounce of pity on his face. "That doesn''t matter, as long as you''re safe."


    Swan nodded and lowered her head again.


    Gale thought Swan was just sad over the whole ordeal, so he picked her up and sat her on his arm, ¡°Rather than thinking about your crazy sister, you should apany me and help me in the throne room instead. It''d busy your mind off things."


    **


    Aria gritted her teeth as the cat maids thered the cream to soothe the burning on her shoulder and chest after she got scalded by the hot tea.


    She struggled to endure the pain as she felt like pping these cat maids. They were so rough in handling her injury as if they were doing it half-heartedly.


    But she didn''t want to create more ruckus. Gale was clearly under Swan''s charm spell, or else he wouldn''t even try to risk himself by protecting Swan before.


    She also felt bitter when Gale didn''t even try to help her once she got herself hurt. "That witch is seriously dangerous. Has she always been hiding her dark magic because she didn''t want me to find out while we were in Holy Achate? After all, if I ever catch her secret in the Pce, I would''ve told the guards to burn her at the stake, Aria pondered. ''I thought she''s just an idiot, but it turns out she''s more cunning than I thought.''


    "How long will it take for my burn scar to heal with this cream?¡± Aria asked the cat maids.


    "It will take a week for the scalding scar to fade, Princess," Maya replied.


    ¡°You probably need to cover these areas so it will heal faster,¡± Myra added. She didn''t even bother to smile in front of Aria after she witnessed how she tried to harm their beloved Princess Swan.


    Had it not for His Majesty''s order to help Princess Aria treat her wound, they wouldn''t


    16:02


    72 Chapter 72: Proof of Witchcraft


    even bother.


    "It''s okay. I don''t want them to heal so quickly anyway," Aria said.


    The cat maids finally reacted, "Why not?"


    Aria didn''t give them a direct reply and stated, "I will get them treated by the doctor in Holy Achate. They have a lot of potent medicine."


    Maya and Myra looked at each other and stopped thering the cream on her


    shoulder. They got up in unison and said, ¡°Then, please excuse us, Princess. We have to clean up after your mess in our King''s bedroom."


    "You two are not done with me!"


    ¡°Our medicine is not as good as the one humans have. We don''t think it''s necessary, so please excuse us.¡±


    Aria watched them leave her alone and could only grit her teeth, knowing that they respected Swan more than her.


    She was infuriated by everything that happened for the past two days. Gale was obviously charmed, and everyone seemed to prefer Swan more, despite Aria being prettier than Swan.


    They were enamored by Aria''s beauty, but it wasn''t enough to make them lose their loyalty towards Swan. ''Should I just tell Gale about the truth? That Swan is nothing but a whore''s daughter?'' Aria was seriously considering it for a moment but decided not to, as she couldn''t guess how Gale would react.


    It would be disastrous if he got too angry and destroyed Holy Achate


    72 Chapter 72: Proof of Witchcraft


    Swan was scared that Gale would start suspecting her due to Aria''s hysterical yells just now. But he didn''t./1


    He simply answered, ¡°I know that you''re not. Your sister is just hallucinating again. Has she ever done this before in the Holy Achate?"


    Swan paused for a moment and shook her head. She had a little urge to say that Aria had always been delusional and mentally insane. But she didn''t want to nder anyone, even if that person was Aria, the half- sister who had been torturing her. 2


    ¡°Then, I think it''s the long trip that makes her insane," Galemented coldly. "Or maybe she''s just getting insane for no reason


    ¡°T-then, maybe she needs to rest more."


    ¡°No, she needs to get out of my kingdom as soon as possible,¡± Gale said firmly. It wasn''t a response. It was more of an order. "She has been getting hysterical since yesterday, and though I sympathize with her because she is your sister, I don''t want her to hurt you while I wasn''t around."


    "S-she didn''t mean to-" 1


    "SWAN!"


    Gale''s voice made her stop talking and she held her breath instantly. She stared at him anxiously, waiting for Gale to continue. 2


    ¡°I don''t know how your rtionship with your sister is, but it''s obvious that she is crazy. Don''t you realize what would''ve happened had it not for me shielding you just now? Your face could have been burned!" Gale was quite frustrated with Swan. She was very naive and forgiving, two qualities he liked, but also hated.


    She also did this to Rock, naively forgave him, and even tried to argue with him to free Rock from the dungeon before. Even though Rock almost hurt her in theke before.


    Swan lowered her head.


    She didn''t try to protect Aria because she was kind. She was worried that Aria would say mean things about Gale''s kingdom to the aristocrats in Holy Achate.


    She wanted the Kingdom of Beastmen to have its well-deserved respect, so another nder from Aria would


    be a setback.


    Besides, she also didn''t want anyone to think that Gale was a cruel king when he had


    16:02 C


    72 Chapter 72: Proof of Witchcraft


    been nothing but just to his subjects and loving towards her.


    "I will send her back tomorrow, at dawn, after the doctor treats her burn," Gale said decisively.


    "W-would she be able to return to Holy Achate without any burn scar?" Swan asked.


    ¡°That''s impossible. The tea is very hot, and she would suffer a burn scar around her shoulder and chest,¡± Gale replied in a matter-of-fact tone, without an ounce of pity on his face. "That doesn''t matter, as long as


    you''re safe."


    Swan nodded and lowered her head again.


    Gale thought Swan was just sad over the whole ordeal, so he picked her up and sat her on his arm, "Rather than thinking about your crazy sister, you should apany me and help me in the throne room instead. It''d


    busy your mind off things."


    **


    Aria gritted her teeth as the cat maids thered the cream to soothe the burning on her shoulder and chest after she got scalded by the hot tea.


    She struggled to endure the pain as she felt like pping these cat maids. They were so rough in handling her injury as if they were doing it half-heartedly.


    But she didn''t want to create more ruckus. Gale was clearly under Swan''s charm spell, or else he wouldn''t even try to risk himself by protecting Swan before.


    She also felt bitter when Gale didn''t even try to help her once she got herself hurt. "That witch is seriously dangerous. Has she always been hiding her dark magic because she didn''t want me to find out while we were in Holy Achate? After all, if I ever catch her secret in the Pce, I would''ve told the guards to burn her at the stake, Aria pondered. ''I thought she''s just an idiot, but it turns out she''s more cunning than I thought.'' "How long will it take for my burn scar to heal with this cream?" Aria asked the cat maids.


    ¡°It will take a week for the scalding scar to fade, Princess,¡± Maya replied.


    ¡°You probably need to cover these areas so it will heal faster,¡± Myra added. She didn''t even bother to smile in


    front of Aria after she witnessed how she tried to harm their beloved Princess Swan.


    Had it not for His Majesty''s order to help Princess Aria treat her wound, they wouldn''t


    16:02


    72 Chapter 72: Proof of Witchcraft


    even bother.


    "It''s okay. I don''t want them to heal so quickly anyway,¡± Aria said.


    The cat maids finally reacted, "Why not?"


    Aria didn''t give them a direct reply and stated, "I will get them treated by the doctor in Holy Achate. They have


    a lot of potent medicine."


    Maya and Myra looked at each other and stopped thering the cream on her


    shoulder. They got up in unison and said, ¡°Then, please excuse us, Princess. We have to clean up after your


    mess in our King''s bedroom."


    "You two are not done with me!"


    ¡°Our medicine is not as good as the one humans have. We don''t think it''s necessary, so please excuse us.¡±


    Aria watched them leave her alone and could only grit her teeth, knowing that they respected Swan more than


    her.


    She was infuriated by everything that happened for the past two days. Gale was obviously charmed, and everyone seemed to prefer Swan more, despite Aria being prettier than Swan.


    They were enamored by Aria''s beauty, but it wasn''t enough to make them lose their loyalty towards Swan.


    ''Should I just tell Gale about the truth? That Swan is nothing but a whore''s daughter?'' Aria was seriously considering it for a moment but decided not to, as she couldn''t guess how Gale would react.


    It would be disastrous if he got too angry and destroyed Holy Achate in the process.


    ''Or it could be even worse. What if he epted Swan despite her birth status? Ugh, it must be a potent charm


    spell that Swan used on him.''


    Aria touched the burn scar on her shoulder and winced. It would probably take a full month to make the scar fadepletely, but it was good.


    "I hope I can keep the scar until I return to the Holy Achate. I will tell everyone during the summer festival about the cruelty I experienced here,¡± Aria told herself. ¡°These scars will be enough to make them believe me and gain enough support from the church.


    "Let''s see what you will do now, Swan. You will realize that you''re just a parasite who ruins the Beast King''s


    already terrible reputation."


    in the process.


    ''Or it could be even worse. What if he epted Swan despite her birth status? Ugh, it must be a potent charm


    spell that Swan used on him.''


    Aria touched the burn scar on her shoulder and winced. It would probably take a full month to make the scar fadepletely, but it was good.


    "I hope I can keep the scar until I return to the Holy Achate. I will tell everyone during the summer festival about the cruelty I experienced here,¡± Aria told herself. ¡°These scars will be enough to make them believe me and gain enough support from the church.


    "Let''s see what you will do now, Swan. You will realize that you''re just a parasite who ruins the Beast King''s already terrible reputation."

 Novel Mate 73

    73 Chapter 73: Healing from the Goddess (1)


    Swan couldn''t sleep ever since she heard that Aria would return to Holy Achate by


    dawn.


    She was worried because that burn scar would not fade anytime soon, and knowing Aria, Swan guessed that she would use the burn scar as ''proof'' that Gale was a savage with no redeeming quality.


    She didn''t care if everyone insulted her. She didn''t even care if everyone thought she was nothing but a whore''s daughter.


    But she refused to let anyone insult Gale, especially when he hadn''t done anything wrong to grant an insult. She buried her face in Gale''s chest, listening to his calm heartbeat as he was in a deep sleep.


    Gale often told her he didn''t need sleep, and the other servants said the same. She even heard from one guard that the Beast King would never sleep at war, and he would not rest until the enemy was defeated or surrendered.


    ording to Gale, sleep was a luxury for him, as it was a sign that the pain inside his body was easing.


    ''I don''t know if it''s because of me. If it is, I hope it''s exclusive only for me...'' Swan thought before she quickly dispelled that idea. ''I shouldn''t be too greedy. It''d be good if he could be at peace with another woman as well. I don''t know how long I will live anyway. I don''t want him to fall into endless torture.


    Swan closed her eyes as she kissed his chest. She prayed deeply in her heart.


    ''Goddess, let me protect my man from the evil in this world. Let me make sure that half-sister cannot use that scar to create a bad rumor about my husband.''


    Swan fell asleep soon after as she felt the warmth from Gale''s body.


    **


    my


    Aria could not sleep for the entire night.


    She was in so much pain because of the burn. She had thered more of the cream on her injury, but it didn''t help.


    Thus, the only way to keep her at peace was the hours she counted until dawn.


    ''Only one more hour before dawn then I can return to Holy Achate with this hurn scar


    16:03


    <


    73 Chapter 73: Healing from the Goddess (1)


    I will tell everyone that the Beast King has be a mindless beast after being controlled by that whore''s daughter,'' Aria reminded herself. ¡®Gale will eventually realize there is no point in keeping that cripple around, and kick her out.''


    Whenever she was reminded of her uing victory, Aria would have a big smile on her face. She didn''t mind enduring the pain as long as she could be the winner in the end.


    She turned her head towards the window and saw the sun rising. A big, ear-to-ear smile appeared on her face.


    ''I win, Swan.''


    She turned her head to stare at the ceiling again when her eyes were suddenly blinded by a bright light, which forced her to close her eyes immediately.


    The moment she opened her eyes again, she was stunned by the sight of Swan floating above her.


    Swan had her eyes closed tightly as her hair and entire body were glowing in a gentle light. She smiled at Aria and said in a voice that echoed inside the room.


    It took a while for Aria to react, and the first thing she wanted to do was to scream at the top of her lungs, so everyone¡ªincluding the Beast King-would know that he wasn''t hallucinating about Swan being a witch!


    "HE-urp!" Aria''s eyes widened when she suddenly lost her voice.


    Swan smiled at her before saying, ¡°I cannot allow you to alert everyone, Aria. Especially my husband. He cannot know about this."


    Aria looked at Swan in horror. Swan looked angelic, but there was nothing but fear creeping inside Aria''s heart right now.


    She had lost her voice, so she tried to get up and seek help.


    ¡°And you need to stay still," Swanmanded, and Aria quickly lost control over her body entirely. She was forced to look at Swan as she wasn''t even allowed to blink right


    now.


    Swan ced her palm on Aria''s chest and uttered, "I know what you want to do, Aria. You will use this burn scar to tell others that my husband is a cruel man, and I will never allow you to do that."


    Aria didn''t know what Swan wanted to do next. She didn''t expect Swan to be such a powerful witch, so her next guess was that she would stop her heart entirely and kill


    16:03


    <


    her.


    73 Chapter 73: Healing from the Goddess (1)


    Now that she could not move her body at all, she finally felt a true despair. All she could do was gaze at Swan pleadingly, hoping that she would spare her.


    What happened next was out of her expectation, because Swan actually healed Aria''s burn scar until her skin was smooth, as if the burn scar was never there in the first ce.


    However, the itching from the burn scar was still lingering under Aria''s skin, and Swan smiled because she knew what she was doing.


    "I''m only making sure that nobody will be able to see the burn scars, but you will still feel the itch until next month. I''m not here to heal you, Aria. I''m here to protect my husband," Swan stated. "You will not be able to speak until you arrive at the Holy Achate Pce."


    Aria''s eyes widened. It seemed that Swan didn''t n to kill her, but to turn her insane instead!


    She red at Swan this time, and if eyes could kill, Swan would''ve been dead a thousand times by now.


    Even so, Swan was unfazed. She opened her eyes slowly, and a pair of golden pupils stared directly at Aria.


    Swan didn''t look human in Aria''s


    She looked like a devil instead.


    eyes.


    Aria was fully convinced that Swan made a contract with the devil himself.


    "You can try to tell others in the castle about me right now, and nobody will believe you, my dear half-sister,¡± Swan stated before closing her eyes again. Her body was engulfed in bright light once more and vanished in a split second.


    Comment ?


    10:03


    Post your firstment!


    Vote


    1


    Fandom


    View All

 Novel Mate 74

    Send Gift


    74 Chapter 74: Healing from the Goddess (II)


    74 Chapter 74: Healing from the Goddess (II)


    Aria looked at the ceiling in a daze after Swan disappeared.


    It didn''t take long for her to regain her strength. She began to take continuous deep breaths as she was worried that her heart would stop beating anytime soon.


    She scratched her shoulder and realized that Swan had fully healed her scar but still let her suffer from the burning and itchy sensation until the next month.


    She sat on the bed, staring at the window where the sun was rising in silence before a knock on the door snapped her out of it.


    "Good morning, Princess. Your carriage has been prepared," the bunny maid said.


    Aria opened her mouth, but no voice came out. Sure enough, Swan wanted to prevent her from speaking until she arrived at Holy Achate.


    Aria was boiling with rage.


    At first, she thought she could y around and bully Swan while she was in the Kingdom of Beastmen, but Swan''s witchcraft was far too powerful.


    ''Where did she learn how to do witchcraft anyway? I never thought it was real before I saw it with my own eyes, Aria pondered. There was a lot of witch hunting and burning in Holy Achate, as it was part of the tradition to kill witches whenever there was a disease or famine around the kingdom.


    Aria thought it was just stupid superstition, but since the church ordered it, she couldn''t say a thing about it. Most of the time, all she did was watch these women-little girls, young women, widows, and elderly women- to be burned in the city square. It was a form of entertainment for her anyway.


    But now that she had witnessed firsthand how powerful that cripple had be with her witchcraft......


    ''I want to be a witch too, Aria entertained that thought. ''If it''s real, then I just need to be a witch and kill her. I can charm the Beast King to be mine, and I don''t need to worry about getting captured in Holy Achate as a witch. I''m their soon-to-be queen, after all:


    Thus, Aria returned to Holy Achate with a newfound determination. She had to find a way to study witchcraft if she wanted to stand a chance against Swan.


    16:03


    **


    74 Chapter 74: Healing from the Goddess (II)


    up, Gale


    Swan woke up at noon because she slept near dawn today. When she woke was no longer by her side, so she guessed he was in the throne room right now.


    The door was knocked from outside, and she could hear the catmaids'' voices from behind it. ¡°Princess, we are here with your lunch."


    "Ce in..." Swan replied weakly. The cat maids entered the bedroom and quickly arranged the lunch on the table.


    Swan watched over them, and there seemed to be nothing wrong with them, so she asked, "H-how about my sister? Is she still here?"


    "No, Princess. She already left at dawn," Maya replied.


    "Then, is there something wrong with her?"


    ¡°Something wrong?¡± The cat maids looked at each other first before Myra replied. ¡°Nothing''s wrong, Princess. But she was awfully quiet. She said nothing to anyone, not even to His Majesty, who personally sent her out of the castle. It''s quite rude, honestly."


    "It''s so rude!" Maya added. ¡°She''s very pretty but so rude and disrespectful to you and His Majesty, Princess!" ¡°And what happened yesterday..." Myra sighed. "Princess, is she really your sister?"


    Swan nodded weakly, and she didn''t lie at all. They were still half-sisters despite everything.


    An old maid once told her that Queen Anastasia and King Tyrion were already married but still childless after four years.


    t?


    Æ·


    Then, a whore from the brothel seduced the King while he was on a secret visit to the capital city, and the innocent King was forced to spend the night in the brothel and impregnated the whore. 3


    Thus, Swan was conceived.


    As for Aria, Queen Anastasia finally got pregnant the next year, and that''s how Aria was born, two years after Swan.


    Swan''s shameful birth and her mother''s death duringbor forced her to be put in the maid''s quarter, living with the maids and working as one as well.


    Meanwhile, Aria livedfortably as the Royal Princess of Holy Achate, She was the


    16:03


    74 Chapter 74: Healing from the Goddess (II)


    half-sister as nothing but a ything whenever she was bored or in a bad mood.


    Swan shook her head slightly as her mind trailed off. She didn''t want to remember too many horrible things that had happened to her in the past, as it would only make her feel small and ugly.


    "H-how about her burn scar?" Swan asked.


    ¡°Ah, that one! It''s so strange, but it seems that the cream made by our doctor is very potent, because we don''t see scars anymore!¡± Maya reported.


    "It seems that our doctor is better than those human ones!¡± Myra boasted proudly.


    Swan chuckled as she was in a much better mood now, "That''s all I need to know. I''m d that she''s finally out of the castle."


    "Princess, please tell His Majesty not to invite her again. She is nothing but a nuisance to us!"


    "Yes! You are more than enough for us!"


    Swan smiled and responded, "It all depends on His Majesty. If he thinks that I''m enough, then so be it."


    The cat maids excused themselves after they helped her to sit and have her lunch.


    Swan was relieved that her dream worked once more. She dreamed of meeting Goddess Asmara again and prayed that she could protect Gale from Aria''s devious tactic and poisonous tongue.


    That''s why when she floated inside Aria''s room, she quickly knew what to do to stop Aria from saying anything dangerous.


    Swan sipped her tea as she gazed at the beautiful view outside the window. The Kingdom of Beastmen was doing better these days thanks to many reforms andws that Gale erected based on Swan''s advice.


    ¡°I will do my best to protect you, Gale. Even if you will never know,¡± Swan murmured. ¡°I may not stay by your side forever, but I want to be useful even after my death."


    16:03


    75 Chapter 75: About Rock (1)

 Novel Mate 75

    75 Chapter 75: About Rock (1)


    The days went normally after Aria left the castle. Swan could tell that the servants, except for the cat maids, preferred Aria more than her. It might be because Aria had a set of working legs and a beauty that could destroy a kingdom. 1


    But that wasn''t her concern, as she had always known that Aria was better than her in everything. Swan also didn''t need their approval as long as she could be useful to Gale.


    Other than that, she also faintly heard whispers from the servants, but she didn''t know what was the problem.


    ''I shouldn''t overthink about it. I still have to help Gale as his advisor, Swan thought as she refocused her mind back at the snake beastman who reported about the changing seasons and how it would pose a risk to a few cold-blooded beastmen, including the snake beastmen.


    Gale didn''t care much about snakes, bears, or other species that had to gather as much food as possible and hibernate during winter, as they would always be safe under the Beast King''s protection.


    It was just that he knew Swan cared about this little matter, so he looked at his wife, who sat on hisp and nodded, signaling her to say something.


    ¡°Uhm... just make sure to list all of the beastmen who will go through hibernation and let those who are active substitute their jobs during winter," Swan advised. "Those who will have to substitute for their jobs will be rewarded."


    "Understood, Your Highness. Please excuse me.¡±


    Swan watched the snake beastman leave the throne room, and the next one entered. It was a squirrel beastman this time. He was very smallpared to other beastmen, but still five times the size of a normal squirrel.


    He kneeled deeply in front of Gale and Swan before saying, "Your Majesty, I have returned with a report about Rock Silverfang


    "Rock?!" Swan couldn''t help but react the moment that name was mentioned. It had been a while since she helped him escape the dungeon, and she had been worried about him ever since.


    However, her reaction quickly granted a grow from her husband, and Gale looked at her with a frown before he told the squirrel beastman, "Stay where you are. I''m going to escort my mate back to her room."


    16:03


    75 Chapter 75: About Rock (1)


    "Understood, Your Majesty."


    Swan was worried that the squirrel beastman might have something to tell about Rock, and since she cared about Rock as a friend, she quickly refused, ¡°I¡ªI want to listen too." "No," Gale denied curtly as he got up from his throne while carrying Swan on one arm. ¡°There''s no need for you to listen to this. He is not important.¡±


    ¡°B-but Rock is my knight. He is m¡ªmy friend......¡±


    "He''s a traitor," Gale stated. "He harmed you before. No one would do that to a friend."


    "But I''m unharmed..."


    "SWAN!"


    Swan''s heart almost jumped out of her chest when Gale raised his voice on her. She paled instantly and quickly lowered her head as she was scared of inciting his anger. Gale quickly regretted snapping at her, but he got jealous whenever Swan showed her care to Rock-or other men in general.


    Humans didn''t have a bond like beastmen do, so there was still a chance of Swan falling in love with Rock, and Gale didn''t want to risk it.


    The more he thought about it, the angrier he got.


    ''I have to hunt that traitor as soon as possible, so Swan will never think about him anymore; Gale thought as he walked out of the throne room while carrying Swan in silence.


    He kicked the bedroom door open, and carefully put his mate on the bed, "Stay here for now. I''ll be back at night"


    Swan lifted her head, staring at Gale with pleading eyes, so Gale quickly looked away to avoid that deadly gaze.


    "You can''t make me follow your every whim with those eyes, Swan, Gale said. "And decision and opinion about Rock will never change. He will pay for being a traitor."


    my


    "Please don''t hurt him," Swan pleaded. Her voice sounded so soft and kind, yet it was irritating to Gale''s ear. "It''s not your decision. He was my beta. I own his life, and I can do whatever I want with it," Gale declined.


    Swan had been staying passive the whole time, but seeing how Gale was so resolute about it, she couldn''t help but say, "He is loyal to you, Gale. He admires you a lot."


    16:03


    75 Chapter 75: About Rock (1)


    "What do you know about him?" Gale rebuked. "You two have only met and talked with each other for a day, and now you already know everything about him? You are so naive, you know that, Swan."


    Swan''s lips thinned.


    She didn''t like to argue with Gale, but she still didn''t want him to kill someone who did nothing wrong.


    "Don''t tell me that you are also infatuated with him?" Gale scoffed condescendingly. "Humans are so unpredictable. You said that you love me, but your heart has been divided into two."


    ¡°I''m not in love with him.¡±


    "THEN STOP DEFENDING HIM!"


    Gale''s voice echoed around the castle, and everyone quickly fell to their knees out of fear. They didn''t know what happened, but surely nobody wanted to be the receiving end of the king''s anger.


    However, despite his anger, he still didn''t release his aura, so Swan was still able to stare at him with an unwavering gaze.


    "I just don''t want you to be an unjust king,¡± Swan said firmly. ¡°I don''t want you to hurt someone who has done nothing wrong."


    Gale began to growl out of instinct. Never in his life had someone dared to argue with him like this, and Swan, despite her timid nature, didn''t show any sign of relenting.


    She was either stupid or stupidly in love with Rock because no one would want to bet her life over a traitor.


    Gale didn''t have the heart to punish his mate despite her unruly behavior, but that didn''t quench his anger at all, so he had to do something else to make sure that Swan understood that she had nowhere else to go except him.


    "If


    you miss him a lot, then fine. I will bring his head to you once I hunt him down."


    16.03

 Chapter 76: About Rock (II)

    Chapter 76: Chapter 76: About Rock (II)


    Swan''s eyes widened, and she showed a hint of fear for the first time, which infuriated Gale even more. He was now convinced that Swan had divided her heart into two, one for him and one for Rock.


    As an Alpha and a king who refused to share, he had to hunt Rock and kill him as soon as possible. It was the beastmen''s way of handling things.


    Death.


    It was thest resort that would solve every problem in his culture.


    "You should''ve known that you aren''t allowed to divide your hearts into two, Swan. I''ve marked you, and you will stay marked for the rest of your life. Just because I''ve been cursed and lost my ability to identify my fated mate, doesn''t mean I can''t make you mine," Gale said firmly. It was a statement that sealed Swan''s fate. "So, the only way to make sure that you stop thinking about Rock is to kill him."


    Swan was on the verge of tears right now. She didn''t know how Gale could say something so cruel.


    She knew people in the Holy Achate said that Gale was a mindless beast, but she refused to believe so because she lived with him and enjoyed his thoughtful actions and love.


    That''s why she was desperate to keep that image of a just king, loving husband, and caring man about Gale.


    "I don''t love him, nor did I ever divide my heart in two," Swan denied with a shaky voice. "I care about him a lot because I know he is innocent, and I... I''ve lived through injustice in my entire life. I don''t want you to be a cruel man."


    "I have never been kind in my whole life," Gale refuted. "And what do you know about injustice? You lived in a pce."


    Swan was so close to telling Gale about everything, including the torment and torture that she suffered in her entire life before he took her out of the Pce of Holy Achate.


    But she didn''t want to risk it. She didn''t want to know what kind of reaction Gale would show if he ever knew.


    Would it be rage? Disgust? Indifference?


    Nevertheless, she had lost her reason to speak with Gale.


    All she could do was stare at him for a while before murmuring, "I''ve never divided


    my heart. It''s only yours, and will always be yours."


    Gale clenched his fists as he hardened his heart, trying to not lose his resolve after seeing Swan''s tears.


    "Your action says otherwise, Swan," Gale said. "You humans are untrustworthy. I should''ve kept that in mind."


    He turned around and left Swan in the room alone.


    Swan wiped her tears. She was in so much distress thinking that Gale would lose someone who was loyal to him and admired him a lot.


    Swan never had a close friend in her life. She was always alone, and it hurt her to see close friends fall apart because of her.


    ''I have to save Rock. He needs to survive until I can convince Gale not to hurt him.''


    **


    Gale walked back to the throne room in a horrible mood. He allowed his aura to let loose, making anyone in the vicinity drop like flies as they tried to suck air into their lungs.


    He suppressed it again once he realized that almost the entire castle was engulfed by his overpowering aura, including Swan''s room at the top of the tower.


    He took a deep breath as he entered the throne room and sat on the throne. He stared at the squirrel beastman who was breathing heavily as he was also affected by Gale''s massive overpowering aura.


    "Tell me about the news now."


    "Yes, Your Majesty. We''ve been


    scouting the south and have


    sessfully tracked Rock''s


    whereabouts," the squirrel beastman


    reported. "After going rogue, he is currently living in the forest near a small vige called Andur, which is not part of our territory."


    "Andur..." Gale frowned. He wasn''t interested in conquering the South because it was fairly


    ???


    underdeveloped. Even the human kingdom was not as advanced as the ones in the other regions. It was also filled with swamps where many crocodile beastmen tribes lived, and they were infamous for being rebellious.


    He didn''t want to spend his days going back and forth to the south just to quench


    rebellions every other week, so he just let them be for the time being.


    "What is he doing there?" Gale asked. "Did he gather a new wolf pack or something to rebel against me?"


    "No, Your Majesty. We''ve seen him hunting animals to eat and resting in a cave. He hasn''t done much these days and lives a solitary life," the squirrel beastman continued. "Though, we''ve seen him guiding lost humans out of the dangerous forest. He is on friendly terms with a few human vigers in Andur."


    "What does he gain from that?" Gale wondered.


    Though Rock was considered very weakpared to him, he was still way above everyone else in the beastmen world.


    He often sent Rock to fight in a war when he was busy with something else, and Rock never disappointed him. So, it wouldn''t be difficult for Rock to find a wolf pack, kill their alpha, and be the new Alpha.


    Gale was ready to kill Rock immediately if the report said that he was creating a rebellion against him.


    But now, he wasn''t so sure.


    It was best to question Rock first to know his intention before executing him.


    "Keep an eye on him. I will go to the Andur vige tonight to see what he is up to. Make sure to track him, so I can kill him immediately in case he is trying to run away again," Gale ordered.


    "Understood, Your Majesty."


    The squirrel beastmen left the throne room, and Gale spent his time pondering about Rock.


    Honestly, he still respected his beta a lot. Rock was loyal and strong, and he wasn''t blind enough not to know how much Rock admired him, just like Swan said.


    But whenever Swan defended Rock, it made him burn with jealousy to the point that he didn''t care what kind of damage he made, as long as Swan would stop thinking of someone else other than him.


    ''I don''t care if I have to burn everything and everyone, as long as you only have your eyes on me, my lovely Swan.''

 Chapter 77: About Rock (III)

    Chapter 77: Chapter 77: About Rock (III)


    Swan stayed inside her bedroom until dusk, and Gale finally returned after a long day in the throne room. They stared at each other in silence for a while until Swan broke the silence with a simple question.


    "Do you know Rock''s current location?"


    Gale''s lips thinned.


    Again, she could''ve asked about many things.


    First, she could apologize for trying so hard to defend a traitor.


    Second, she could apologize for dividing her heart in two.


    Third, she could at least ask him about his situation since he left in a terrible mood at noon.


    But it was about Rock instead. That bastard lingered in Swan''s head for far too long despite only talking to each other for one day.


    It gave him a sense of insecurity that he never knew existed before. Now he was worried Swan would fall in love with any man she talked with.


    He was already contemting pardoning Swan for her affection towards another man, something that an Alpha like him shouldn''t do. He was far more concerned about losing Swan rather than pride that would give him nothing in the end.


    But seeing Swan''s behavior, Gale was feeling petty.


    He wanted to see Swan''s reaction once he dropped the news, making sure Swan knew who she belonged to.


    "He is in Andur vige in the far south. Living in a cave inside the forest area and making friends with a few humans from that vige," Gale scoffed. "Pathetic. He was a warmander who would win wars in my stead. But now he has been reduced to a mere rogue wolf who lives like a true savage."


    Swan''s eyes widened. She saw a trace of sadness when Gale mentioned Rock just now.


    It was obvious that Gale didn''t want to kill him, but still insisted for some reason.


    "T-then, what are you going to do next? He''s not doing anything excessive, so, you will forgive him and let him back, right?" Swan asked hopefully, but it only ignited Gale''s anger even more.


    "I don''t tolerate traitors. His fate is either imprisonment or death. Since you seem to like him very much, then I''ll make sure to bring his head as a gift," Gale said. "I have to leave now. You''ll see his head hanging under that chandelier by the next morning."


    "Gale!" Swas was horrified by what he said just now. She tried to grab his hand and plead with him not to do it, but Gale quickly pulled his hand because he knew her warmth would soften his heart.


    At this point, he had to be decisive so Swan wouldn''t keep defending another


    man.


    "No, Gale! You will regret it!" Swan begged, but Gale walked to the window instead. freewebnovel


    He looked over his shoulder and said, "The only thing I regretted was to spare him that night. It''d save me a lot of headaches to end him immediately."


    Gale jumped from the window and disappeared into the night. Swan could only stare at the window as she realized that Gale was not ying around this time.


    She would be traumatized if she saw Rock''s head hanging by the chandelier tomorrow morning.


    "No, that shouldn''t happen. I will not allow that to happen!"


    Thus, Swan joined her hands together and resumed a praying position. She lowered and closed her eyes.


    She began praying deep in her heart with all of her desperation to save Rock from her husband''s wrath.


    ''Dear Goddess Asmara, the


    all-knowing know that Rock is


    innocent and doesn''t deserve his punishment. So please, give me your light and send me to Rock Silverfang. I don''t want my husband to make a mistake he would regret for the rest of his life!''


    Swan''s body began to tremble as she prayed and prayed with her eyes closed. Little did she know, her hair began to glow as a bright light engulfed her body.


    Swan''s body hovered in the air as if she was about to fly. Her body was slowly being swallowed by the bright light before disappearing from her room.


    **


    Rocky on a stone b that had be his hardy bed inside the cave. The cave was dark, but his sharpened night view made it easy for him to see the jagged rock pointing at him from the cave ceiling.


    Not only that, he also noticed two owl beastmen and three squirrel beastmen who would shift between day and night to keep an eye on him. He was sure that his King sent them out to scout on him, but he hadn''t done anything because he felt there was nothing he could do to grant his master, Alpha Gale''s pardon.


    So, he simply continued his daily activity and waited for his death toe.


    ''I hope he will let me keep my head. I want to be buried in Silverfang n''s burialnd,'' Rock wished, but he knew his Alpha would most likely cut his head and throw his body to be eaten by wild animals.


    He wouldn''t mind being killed by his master. It was just that he still had regrets in


    life.


    He truly wanted to meet Princess Swan once more. He wanted to tell her that he had been a good wolf as he tried to help humans get out of the dangerous forest.


    It was the least he could do to humans since Princess Swan was a kind human who helped him escape.


    ''I want to meet her, at least once before I die. Can I do that... Goddess Selena?'' Rock prayed at the Moon Goddess, even though it was impossible. However, as he was about to close his eyes and wait for his King toe and kill him, a familiar bright light suddenly appeared in the middle of the cave.


    Rock''s heart skipped a beat when he realized this familiar light meant that Princess Swan would...


    He got up from the stone bed and kneeled in front of the light. He was staring at it unblinkingly until the light materialized into a beautiful woman with shining blonde hair.


    Rock gasped before he muttered, "My Princess..."

 Chapter 78: What is my purpose?

    Chapter 78: Chapter 78: What is my purpose?


    [Music Rmendation: Piero Pioni - Violino.]


    Rock felt his cold heart slowly melt simply by basking in her presence. His hunter- like eyes were zed with tears as he gazed at Princess Swan. He muttered in a revering tone, "You are as beautiful as the day you saved me, Princess."


    Swan hovered above the ground as she opened her eyes slowly. She saw Rock who looked haggard, kneeling in front of her, his eyes were zed with tears as if he had found his salvation.


    "My dear knight, what happened to you? Why do you look so sad?" Swan asked as she opened her arm and hugged her knight.


    Rock wrapped his arms tightly around Princess Swan''s waist and buried his face on her stomach. He couldn''t hold back his tears, as he had found salvation the moment Princess Swan came to see him.


    "Princess, I... I''m so happy that you woulde before my death. Please tell me that youe here to give me salvation. Please tell me that I will be by your side after I get killed so I can continue to protect you with my soul!" Rock said. He had heard stories about his ancestor, who could manifest into a wolf soul who would continuously protect his master even after death. "I cannot escape my fate to die in Alpha Gale''s hand."


    "You will not die today, my dear knight. You will not die until I tell you so," Swan smiled while caressing Rock''s hair.


    Rock lifted his head, staring at his Princess, who looked like an angel-No, he was convinced that Princess Swan was an angel sent by the Goddess to give him a purpose in life.


    "My husband wille to hunt you down, but I will not allow him to do it. I will send you far¡ªfar away until he cannot find you anymore," Swan said.


    "But what should I do in the newnd, Princess?" Rock asked. "You told me to run, but I''ve been lost these days. All I did was help humans to get out of the dangerous forest. I made friends with some of them because I thought it would make you happy. But I still don''t know what my purpose is to continue living."


    "All my life, I have only known violence and war. I live on the battlefield, and I am more than ready to die in Gale''s hand if it''s what he wants. He is my master," Rock said. "But Princess, I see you as my Goddess, so please tell me what I should do next. I will obey your words."


    Rock was ready to rebel against his Alpha if that was what Princess Swan wanted, but seeing how she still referred to Gale as ''husband'' it was fair for him to think that they were on good terms.


    Swan was not in control of her words. Everything she said was devoid of emotion, but she was aware that she spoke like a deity speaking to her worshiper.


    Thus, she said, "I want nothing but for you to continue living, my dear knight. My husband refused to listen to my plea, but I know he will regret killing you."


    "But to continue living without any purpose is torture for me, Princess. Please give me a purpose in life," Rock insisted.


    "Then, I want you to get stronger. So strong that Gale would not be able to kill you."


    "D-do you want me to rebel, Princess?"


    "No," Swan smiled and wiped the tears from the corner of his eyes. "My dear


    knight, I am in love with Alpha Gale and will always be for the rest of my short life.


    I never want you two to fight. I want you two to stand as equals."


    "To be an equal to Gale Stormfront..."


    "Indeed, be as strong as him. So he will see you as a friend rather than a


    disposable soldier," Swan said. "That is your purpose in life."


    Rock nodded solemnly, "I will be as strong as he is, Princess, then I will return by your side and protect you with everything I have."


    "Good. Close your eyes, my dear knight. My husband is near. It is time for you to leave."


    Rock closed his eyes obediently, and a gentle light began to engulf his body before he was swallowed by the light.


    An explosion happened the moment Swan teleported away.


    The explosion destroyed the cave entrance, making the squirrel and owl


    beastmen who had been working as scouts lose track of Rock Silverfang instantly.


    *


    Gale arrived after rushing through the forest in his bipedal half-wolf form for three hours.


    The night was still young, so he thought there should be no chance for Rock to escape this time.


    However, he was faced with all the scouting beastmen prostrating in front of him as soon as he arrived One of them pointed out, "Please forgiveus, Your Majesty. We don''t know what happened inside the cave, but we can''t detect his presence anymore."


    Gale frowned. He darted his eyes at the cave whose entrance had been covered with rubbles, "What happened?"


    "T-the cave was suddenly filled with light. We tried toe closer to check, but the light burned our skin, and it was too bright for us to see anything," an owl beastman exined.


    "A bright light?"


    "Y-yes, Your Majesty. After that, the cave exploded, and we no longer detect Rock Silverfang''s presence."


    ''This bullshit again,'' Gale


    destroyed cave.


    He could still smell the faint scent of his beta, and was sure that Rock was still


    alive, and had escaped once more.


    Other than that, he also smelled


    another strange scent that he could


    not identify. But the lingering


    warmth was quite simr to the feeling he had whenever he hugged his beloved mate.


    Gale''s frown deepened as he rejected the idea quickly.


    ''What am I thinking? There is no way Swan could find Rock in here. She can''t


    even walk properly,'' Gale thought. ''But then, who is this person that helped Rock to escape?''

 Chapter 79: My Purpose in Life

    Chapter 79: Chapter 79: My Purpose in Life


    Gale had a lot of questions and suspicions in mind, but intentionally excluded Swan from any of it as he didn''t want to suspect his beloved.


    In a few months of knowing her, Swan had be the light in his life-a pure, untouched light that gave him peace of mind-it would crush him if he ever suspected Swan of doing something against him.


    "What should we do next, Your Majesty? We have no idea where he is right now," a squirrel beastman asked. "Should we continue going south?"


    Gale paused momentarily, then replied, "Go back to the Kingdom and form four scout divisions. Each should go to the north, south, east, and west. Rock must''ve been helped by a mysterious power, so be careful. All of you may leave now."


    "Understood, Your Majesty!"


    As Gale was left alone, he stepped inside the cave. He kicked the rubbles around him to identify the scent better, and he was not mistaken.


    "This is Rock''s scent, and also a unique scent that Swan usually has..." Gale''s lips thinned. He kept trying to deny Swan''s involvement because it simply didn''t make sense.


    But then, he remembered how Swan''s sister, Aria, yelled hysterically while calling Swan a witch.


    Gale thought it was a ridiculous and baseless usation. Now, he wasn''t so sure.


    ''What if she''s actually a witch? If she is a powerful witch, it would makeplete sense as to why she was unharmed when Rock attacked her, and also gives me an answer to how Rock could escape the dungeon... and then this...''


    Gale gritted his teeth. He didn''t want to continue that train of thought, because he didn''t want to suspect his beloved. He shook his head vehemently before muttering, "No, my Swan will never go against me. She is my mate, and we are supposed to be loyal to each other no matter what."


    But what if she is not my fated mate? What if she is actually Rock Silverfang''s fated mate? Would that be the reason why she keeps defending him?


    That idea crossed his mind for a second, and a surge of anger grew inside of him, causing him to release all of his overpowering aura. All animals around the forest immediately fell to the ground as they suffocated.


    His heart ached and it worsened every second he was imagining his beloved mate kissing another man.


    Gale''s eyes began to glow beneath the blindfold. He was about to release his true energy and possibly kill everything in this forest, including every human in Andur Vige.


    Knowing he couldn''t continue like this, he took a few deep breaths to calm down.


    "That can''t be. Swan is mine, and I am hers. We are destined by the Moon Goddess. That''s the only way," Gale convinced himself. "I need to go back to see her. I want to make sure that my feelings aren''t fake."


    "Just because I can''t identify my fated mate, doesn''t mean I cannot understand this warmth in my heart."


    **


    "Open your eyes, my dear knight."


    Rock opened his eyes slowly as his Princess told him so. He looked around and found the area to be heavily wooded. Some of the nts and small animals in this ce were foreign to him, as he had never seen them before.


    "Where are we, Princess?"


    Swan smiled at him and said, "We are on another continent across the West Sea, far from the Kingdom of Beastmen. You shall live here until you are strong enough to stand toe-to-toe in front of my husband. When that timees, I hope he will see you as an equal and treat you better."


    "T-then, do you want me to stay by your side when that timees, Princess?"


    "As my dear knight, yes," Swan replied. She caressed his hair, and for each stroke, Rock felt like his body began to heal from hunger and exhaustion.


    "But what about you, Princess? You have nobody to protect you while I''m not around..."


    "I have my husband. He-whom I held dearly in my heart-will always protect me," Swan answered.


    ats


    Rock stared at Swan in reverence. He didn''t know if it was fascination, admiration, worship, or love, but he knew that from now on, he would dedicate his entire life, every single breath he had to this angel-like woman.


    s won


    Nevertheless, he still had one question that had been haunting him every night.


    "Princess, about what happened that night at theke. I have been poisoned by Lady Jade," Rock confessed. "She put something in my drink, and I cannot control myself."


    "It is all to my acknowledgment, dear knight," Swan smiled. Truthfully, she didn''t know why she


    s speening!


    in this way, because deep in heart, she was shocked and panicked once she heard this piece of information from Rock. But her lips spoke against her will, and her body moved on its own. "She too-shall face her sin once her time hase."


    Rock was ashamed to ask this but then continued because he didn''t want to miss knowing the truth.


    "Even without the poison, I have sinfully lusted over you, Princess. Does that mean I am fascinated or are we... fated to be together?"


    Swan almost exploded when Rock asked this. She wanted to yell ''NO!'' as she


    had only epted Gale as her husband, and would not take another man in her


    life.


    But her lips didn''t say that.


    Instead, she said, "You shall know your fated mate once you meet me again when you are as strong as Gale Stormfront. This is a goodbye, my dear knight. I have to return to my husband."


    Swan''s body began to glow brighter again, and Rock panicked as he still wanted to hug his Princess.


    "No! Princess, I-I haven''t talked with you enough, I¡ª"


    Rock was unable to finish his sentence when Swan''s body dispersed into light particles and slowly faded out.


    "-feel warm beside you..." Rockpleted his sentence as he was hugging the air. "My Princess..."


    Rock closed his eyes, and once he opened them again, his eyes were burning with determination.


    Now that he was given a purpose to live by his Princess, he had to fulfill it no matter what.


    "So I can see you again, Princess."

 Chapter 80: Innocence

    Chapter 80: Chapter 80: Innocence


    Swan opened her eyes and quickly realized that she had returned to her bedroom in the castle. She looked around and was relieved to see Gale hadn''t returned yet, so it was unlikely that he would know about her secret.


    Nevertheless, she was still nervous because this was the first time she was fully conscious when she was surrounded by the Goddess'' light.


    She was asleep when she helped Rock to escape the dungeon before and the same also happened when she healed Aria''s burn scar. That wasn''t the case this time.


    This might be a good thing because it seemed that she had more control over her mysterious power than before.


    The first thing Swan did after returning was to sniff her body and learn that her body had been dirtied after her trip to the cave. She also noticed another wolf beastman''s scent on her body, which she assumed to be Rock''s since Gale''s scent was unique.


    Thus, she ordered the cat maids to prepare a warm bath for her and quickly dipped in to clean her body from dirt and masked the scent with soap.


    She sank her body up to her neck and began to process what happened just now.


    Asking about the source of her mysterious power was out of the question because she also didn''t know how a whore''s daughter like her obtained such incredible magic.


    But when she was in that angelic state, she felt detached from her real self. It was as if she was trapped in this almost-deity-like state, and she spoke very differently from her usual.


    She did not stutter, and her words flowed like an angel doing a sermon. She also had little to no expression, even if she felt anxious, joyful, or sad inside.


    "So, who am I?" Swan asked herself. "And who is that angel who entered my body? Why does she say words that I do not want to speak?"


    Swan wanted to vehemently deny Rock''s question about them being destined mates. She had only known Gale and would stay loyal to him until he had no use of her anymore, or until her death.


    ''What if the goddess'' word is true? Am I really Goddess Asmara''s daughter?'' Swan questioned, but it didn''t take long for her to quickly dismiss the possibility. ''Ah, there''s no way. If I am truly the Goddess'' daughter, howe I have to suffer for almost twenty years in the Pce of Holy Achate? Where was she when I prayed so hard to be freed from Aria''s torment?''


    "Besides, everyone told me that my mother is a whore who seduced the king. Why would a Goddesse down from heaven to earth only to seduce a king in a brothel?''


    Swan quickly dropped that idea and then focused on another important matter; Lady Jade.


    She was shocked when Rock said that, because never in a million years had she ever suspected foul y from Lady Jade.


    She was kind to Swan, albeit a little condescending. She was also helpful.


    But if what Rock said was true, then... should she tell Gale about it?


    ...


    ''I''m scared that Gale wouldn''t believe me. I don''t have any evidence, and if I say I


    know it because Rock told me... then I''d probably be dead meat...''


    Swan gulped as she was reminded of Gale''s words before;


    I hate traitors the most.


    ''Does that mean I am also a traitor for helping Rock to escape twice?'' Swan felt anxious instantly. She truly didn''t mean to betray Gale. She


    simply thought that Gale won


    regret killing Rock, and she also didn''t want Rock to face injustice.


    After all, Swan spent her entire life being used of things she didn''t do by Aria,


    so it hurt her knowing that Rock experienced the same.


    ''I just hope he will never find out.''


    Swan closed her eyes as she tried to calm her heart after a long night. However, her heart jumped when she heard a familiar voice calling her name.


    "Swan? Swan, where are you? Swan!"


    Gale sounded like he was panicking, which was very unlikely of him. It made Swan panicked as well, "I-I am here!" Swan yelled.


    Gale kicked the bathroom door open, staring at her who was still in the bathtub. His body was covered in dirt, and it looked like he had rushed back to the kingdom.


    They were in this awkward silence until Swan asked, "W-what''s wrong, Gale? Why are you back so early?"


    "Nevermind. Lwas just wondering where have you been when I wasn''t around," Gate said as he approached her in the tub, and then sat on a stool that was too small for him. sat next to the bathtub and questioned, "Why are you taking a


    i.ne


    He


    bathte at night?"


    "I-I thought you would like it if I smelled nice with soap," Swan muttered. "I''m just waiting for you toe home."


    "Really?" Gale frowned. Usually, he would believe his wife''s every word, but his suspicion was at an all-time high, and he couldn''t brush off this ufortable feeling in his heart.


    What if Swan betrays you?


    That question lingered in his head for longer than he would like.


    "Y-yes," Swan nodded. She was fidgeting under the water as she got nervous. "So, uhm... about Rock. D- Did you do something to him?"


    "He escaped again," Gale replied curtly. Then he scoffed, "You must''ve been relieved knowing that, right?"


    "I-I am relieved, but that''s because I don''t want you to harm your friend..."


    "He is not my friend. He is my beta, and I can kill him without question if I want to,"


    Gale refuted. "I never have a friend, Swan, never need one."


    ''I just need you in my life,'' Gale internally added. Normally, he would say it immediately, because he wanted Swan to know everything inside his heart. But he didn''feel like doing it right now.


    "The water will get cold, you''d better rinse yourself immediately. Don''t get sick,"


    Gale said as he got up and left.


    "Y-yes, I''ll rinse right away..." Swan stared at Gale''s lonely back, realizing that


    Gale was still upset.

 Chapter 81: Please

    Chapter 81: Chapter 81: Please


    Swan hurriedly finished her bath. She was only doing it to wash off the dirt and mask Rock''s scent with soap anyway.


    She wore a new nightgown that the cat maids had prepared and walked out of the bathroom with her crutches.


    She saw that Gale was already sitting on the bed, resting his body on the bedpost while staring at the open window.


    He nced at Swan for a second before shifting his gaze back to the window.


    Swan knew instantly that Gale would be upset for a while. Normally, he would quickly approach her and carry her back to the bed.


    Swan bit her lower lip. She felt sad and wronged, but at the same time, she realized that she had no right to feel so, because she was the one who helped Rock to escape, even though Gale didn''t know about that yet.


    Meanwhile, Gale kept ncing at his wife a few more times, making sure that she wouldn''t identally kick her crutches and fall. She had always been clumsy, so Gale was quite distressed as he held himself back from helping her.


    Swan put the crutches on the side after she sat on the bed. She lifted her legs and then sat next to her husband who was still upset.


    They were in this awkward silence for a while until the cold wind of early autumn blew from the window, and Swan shivered in response.


    It had always been like this. Gale disliked having to close the window because it would be too stuffy for him, but Swan naturally had thin skin and was susceptible to cold.


    Gale got up and closed the window so his wife wouldn''t feel cold, only for Swan to respond, "Y-you don''t need to do that. You need rest too..."


    "I don''t want you to get sick," Gale said. "You humans are so fragile, getting stuffy is nothingpared to dying due to the cold wind."


    Gale returned to bed, he pulled the nket and covered Swan''s body with it


    before hugging her onto his chest, "Sleep. It''ste for you."


    Swan couldn''t fall asleep, but she was listening to Gale''s heartbeat for a while and muttered, "Gale, I''m sorry..."


    "For what?"


    "For arguing against you about Rock..." Swan replied. "I truly never divide my heart. But I can''t let you hurt the closest person you can call a friend."


    They had this conversation over and over, and Gale still didn''t believe that Swan didn''t divide her heart.


    In beastmen culture, when they were mated for life, then it was them against the world. There should be nobody between them, and she should always agree with his decision.


    It had always been like that, but maybe because Swan is a human, it was difficult for him to ept the human concept of ''friend.''


    "Are you happy that he escaped once more?" Gale asked.


    Swan couldn''t lie as she thought it would only hurt him if she lied, "Yes. I''m relieved."


    Gale wrapped her tighter into his embrace and said, "You don''t seem to be concerned whenever I go to quench a rebellion or go to war. I could be in so much danger too, you know."


    "Because I know


    you are the


    strongest, and undefeatable," Swan


    replied. "However, I know you are always in pain, that''s why my offer will never change. If my blood Can somehow cure you from your curse, and lift off the pain, I will never hesitate to sacrifice myself."


    Gale gritted his teeth. He was feeling petty because Swan never seemed to show concern towards him.


    But she was right. As the strongest,


    Gale had never encountered any


    danger and no matter how


    dangerous the war could be, even if it was him against one million


    warriors, he would still be the victor.


    Nevertheless, wouldn''t it be nice if Swan could show so much concern for him? He would be more than happy if Swan would cry whenever she saw him wounded, or trying her best to treat his wound.


    But she always mentioned sacrifice, and Gale didn''t see that as an act of concern.


    Instead, he saw that as a method to escape. She wanted to escape him with death.


    ''And I will never allow that to happen.''


    Gale took a deep whiff at her hair, and he smelled nothing but fragrant soap and also her signature sweet and warm scent that gave him peace of mind.


    Or so he thought.


    He kept thinking about the scent he smelled at the cave. It was simr to Swan, but it was devoid of sweetness. It was just a warm-no, intensely hot scent that burned his nose.


    But it was still somewhat simr to Swan''s.


    "Swan, you will never betray me, right?" Gale asked.


    Swan''s heart ached. She didn''t know if what she had done was considered a betrayal, even if she meant well.


    Thus, she replied, "I never have any intention to harm my husband. Everything I did is for you, Gale."


    "Just promise me that you will never betray me no matter what. That''s all I need to hear."


    Swan bit her lower lip, and it took her a while to say it, "I promise to never betray you, Gale."


    Gale was assured. He wasn''t sure if Swan was telling the truth, as his mind had been muddled whenever it came to Swan, but he was happy that Swan would take the promise.


    He felt at ease now. Closing his


    eyes, he took a deep breath and said, "This world is dark for me,


    Swan, and I''ve always been alone The only one I need is for my to be by my side no matter what. So, please, don''t betray me."


    Please.


    That one word was powerful enough to stab Swan in her conscience. Gale had never used that word. He was someone who never had to humble himself before asking for a favor.


    So it only worsened her guilt.


    ''I''m the worst...'' Swan med herself. ''I''m sorry, husband... I''ve betrayed you...''

 Chapter 82: Deformed

    Chapter 82: Chapter 82: Deformed


    Swan watched the fallen leaves from her window, where she sat in her wheelchair, with her lower body tucked inside a nket.


    The autumn was already cold enough for Swan. She didn''t know if she could survive winter that should start next month.


    She felt bored, as she wasn''t allowed to stay with Gale in the throne room right now.


    The throne room was very cold and had no heating mechanism, so Swan would always tremble due to the cold while being hugged by Gale.


    Thus, she was forced to stay in her room while drinking tea and eating biscuits.


    ''I need to install a proper heating mechanism in the castle. But then again, I''m the only human in this castle, and the beastmen have naturally strong bodies, hot blood, or thick fur to fight against the cold,'' Swan thought. ''Some of them are hibernating too. I guess it would be unnecessary.''


    Her rtionship with Gale had returned to normal. They were quite harmonious, and Gale was very active at night, as the cold was unbearable for Swan, he heated her by having sex almost every night, except when she had her period.


    Swan blushed as she squeezed her thighs together. She was still on her period, and despite knowing that, Gale still insisted on ''heating her'' with another method.


    Yet, even after all those seeds he injected inside her, there was still no sign of pregnancy.


    At this point, Swan could only ept her fate that she was infertile, and would never be able to bear his cubs.


    Swan sighed and she prayed deep in her heart once more.


    ''Goddess, why do you allow me to perform powerful magic, yet forbid me to heal my leg or bear his cub? Am I not worthy of having a normal life and a normal family? Goddess, I just want to feel like I belong somewhere...''


    As Swan finished her prayer, the door was opened, and Gale entered while calling her, "Swan."


    "Y-yes," Swan turned her head. She saw an old man standing next to Gale, and from his ears and tail, it was obvious that the old man was a wolf beastman.


    Gale had a big smile as he reported, "I''ve found the doctor from the wolf pack I promised you before. I told him about your condition, and he said he wants to help as much as he can. He is the best the wolf beastmen could offer."


    "Good morning, Princess Swan. I''ve heard a lot about you from Gale," the old doctor bowed. "My name is Matoa, I''m a doctor from Yakgroove Pack."


    Swan was surprised when this old doctor addressed him as ''Gale'' not ''His Majesty''. She guessed they must''ve been well acquainted.


    Thus, she bowed politely, "N-Nice to meet you, doctor. I''m Swan."


    Gale was more excited than usual. He took a big step towards Swan and carried her on the bed where heid her and pulled the nket a bit so the old doctor could see her ankle that had been twisted in the wrong way.


    The doctor brought the chair next to the bed and sat while observing Swan''s left leg. It was crooked in the wrong way, so he touched it to feel the bone structure.


    "What incident made your leg like this, Princess?"


    "Uhm... I-I slipped and fell from the balcony of the second floor of the pce when I was a kid. I was


    clumsy Swan exined as shen et


    tried to hide the truth about the torture she experienced in the Holy Achate Pce. "Inded leg first, and then I fainted."


    "Did the doctors in your pce not treat you immediately?" "T-they did..."


    "Hrm... I''m not sure about that, Princess," Matoa assessed. "This condition is due to a prolonged fracture in your bone. Since it''s left untreated, the bone starts toe regenerate, but in the wrong position. So when the bone hardens,


    it bes impossible for you to


    twist it back to normal as it has been deformed."


    Gale''s smile vanished instantly when he heard that, "Are you sure you''re not mistaken? She is the Royal Princess of Holy Achate, there is no way they wouldn''t give her the best treatment."


    "I am not mistaken. She was a child when the ident happened, and because it was left untreated, her bone regenerated in the wrong position and got deformed as she grew older," Matoa repeated.


    Gale looked at Swan who was dodging his gaze quickly. He had a lot of questions for his wife, but for now, he wanted her to heal first.


    "Then, just make sure to treat it. I want my mate to be able to walk normally," Gale demanded.


    Matoa looked at the Beast King and regretfully replied, "I can''t."


    "What do you mean you can''t? You are the best doctor on this continent!" Gale insisted. "I don''t care what you want as a reward, as long as you can heal her leg, then I will give it to you."


    Matoa sighed, "She is not sick, Gale. Her leg had been deformed long ago, and she is permanently crippled. I''m a doctor, not a magician. I cannot fix something permanent."


    "Don''t lie to me, Matoa. You healed me when I was grievously wounded before. Howe you can''t do anything about this?!"


    Matoa went silent after knowing that Gale wouldn''t ept his answer. It was rare for Gale to insist on something, so he was in deep thought for a while.


    Meanwhile, Swan had long epted that no medicine would fix her broken leg. So, she said, "I-It''s okay, Gale. It''s not a big deal."


    "It is a big deal. I told you that I will heal your leg!" Gale stated as his disappointment was immeasurable right now.


    "There is no medicine that can fix a permanently deformed leg. But you can try bringing her to the Sacred Selene Lake and pray to Goddess Selene to heal her


    leg."


    "Praying to that damned Goddess is thest thing I will do," Gale refused


    arrogantly. "There must be another way, right?"

 Chapter 83: Not Infertile

    Chapter 83: Chapter 83: Not Infertile


    "I don''t have any other method. I can, however, lessen the pain, since her leg has been deformed, it must have been painful from time to time. Isn''t that so, Princess?" Matoa asked Swan, and thetter nodded weakly.


    "I-it''s usually more painful during winter, or anytime the air is getting colder," Swan revealed honestly. She hated winter in the Holy Achate because her leg would ache painfully on top of enduring whatever punishment or torment Aria gave her.


    "Then, I can give you a topical medicine to bring heat to your leg. Use it daily, and the pain should be numbed," Matoa advised.


    "T-thank you, Doctor. I appreciate it." Swan was a bit sad that she couldn''t be cured of her crippledness, but she had long epted her fate, and a medicine that helped to numb the winter pain was more than enough for her.


    Unlike Swan, Gale was left unsatisfied. He crossed his arms before saying, "I don''t appreciate this. I bring you here to cure my mate''s leg, not to give her a cream to numb her pain."


    "That''s the only thing I can do, Gale," Matoa sighed. "I told you, the only other way to help her is to bring her to the Sacred Selene Lake in spring, and hope that the Moon Goddess will bless her."


    Gale pursed his lips as he was both frustrated and disappointed. He also felt guilty because he promised Swan he would cure her leg, but Matoa was the only doctor who saved him from the brink of death.


    "Turns out you''re not the famous miracle doctor," Galemented, and Matoa didn''t seem to be phased.


    Swan quickly interrupted him, "Don''t say that to the doctor, Gale. He is just trying to help me. B-besides, I''m fine with this. I-I''ve been living my life like this for twenty years. So..."


    "No, I want you to be cured," Gale insisted. "I will find another healer. I''m sure there must be someone out there who can heal you."


    "Well, it seems that I''m not needed anymore here. I will pack up and return to my pack," Matoa said as he got up from the chair. Gale didn''t try to stop him, it was Swan who did.


    "Doctor, wait!"


    "Yes, Princess?"


    Swan nced at Gale who was also waiting for her to continue, thus she asked, "You may not be able to cure my leg, b-but, can you cure my infertility?"


    "Infertility?" Matoa frowned. "What makes you think that you are infertile, Princess?"


    "You need to leave now," Gale quickly caught Swan''s intention and had to halt the conversation immediately or else, Swan would think that they were not...


    But Swan didn''t want to stop. She had to know because she had been praying nonstop to Goddess Asmara without a result.


    Thus, she ignored Gale and blurted, "Gale and I have been uhm... mating almost every single day for about five months, and I am yet to conceive his offspring. I don''t think Gale is infertile, so the problem must be with me."


    "You don''t need to answer her question. Just leave," Gale repeated, which almost sounded like a warning.


    Matoa was aware of Gale''s curse, as he was the one who treated him when he was on the brink of death and the one who gave him medicine to numb the pain, though it didn''t seem to be as effective now as his curse worsened every year.


    He also knew about the curse that forbade him from ever finding out his true mate, making him unable to identify her. It was the price of his overwhelming strength.


    It seemed that Gale intentionally kept his first mate in the dark about his condition.


    Matoa felt Swan''s pulse, and said immediately, "You are not infertile, Princess, You are healthy, though a bit too thin for your age. But you can conceive." He shifted his gaze fo Gale and added, "Neither of you is infertile. The Beast King should be able to produce as many offspring as he wants, but his curse forbids him from ever identifying his fated one, and though it''s just my theory, I think the only way for him to find out is by producing offspring. I''m sure his fated one would get pregnant the moment the Beast King mated with her for the first time."


    "Forgive me for saying this, Princess. But I don''t think you are his fated mate,"


    Matoa said as he gutted thest hope Swan had in her heart.


    "GET OUT!" Gale finally snapped. "I don''t need you to tell my mate about stuff like that. Get out now!"


    "I will give you a jar of topical cream to help you numb the pain, Princess, and I''ll also prescribe the


    ingredients, so you can ask the


    doctor in this kingdom to makeets


    wheel


    for you," Matoa said before looked at Gale again with. annoyance. He bowed politely, "Please excuse me, Your Majesty."


    "T-thank you for telling me the truth, doctor," Swan smiled bitterly and watched the


    old wolf doctor slowly step out of the room and close the door.


    Gale gritted his teeth, "What nonsense was he spouting? You don''t need to believe him, Swan."


    Gale was worried Swan would cry as the chance of them being a fated mate was close to zero. But what he saw was a rity in Swan''s eyes,bined with a bitter, yet epting smile.


    "It''s okay. I''ve long guessed it," Swan stated. "I just need confirmation from someone more knowledgeable."


    Gale kneeled next to the bed and held her hand, "Nobody truly has knowledge of the curse except myself, and I can assure you that Matoa is just spouting


    nonsense. You are my true mate, my only one. I promise."


    "I don''t need to be lied to, Gale,"


    Swan replied "And you don''t need to save yourself for me. You are the Beast King, and the curse dictates you to mark as many women as possible. You should do that instead so you can find your fated mate eventually."

 Chapter 84: Goddess, I don’t want to love him

    Chapter 84: Chapter 84: Goddess, I don''t want to love him


    [Music Rmendation: Akane - Color Me Blue.]


    "You..." Gale was rendered speechless by Swan''s words just now. He kept staring at her in silence, hoping that she would retract her words and say that she didn''t want him to mark another woman, but Swan said nothing else. The frustrated Beast King asked, "Why did you say that? Don''t you love me too?"


    "Who said that I don''t love you? It''s exactly because I love you, so I don''t want you to suffer because of my selfishness," Swan answered. She was on the brink of tears, but she stayed strong so as not to shed a tear in front of Gale. She knew Gale had to find his true mate eventually, and Swan was not that woman. It was a self-sacrifice that befitted her. "I told you that I''m always ready to be sacrificed if my body can be of use. So does my love. If my love will only burden you, then I think I can sacrifice that as well."


    Gale had never felt so much heartache in his life, "Swan, I love you. Is that not enough for both of us?"


    Swan looked away and stated, "It''s not about us. It''s about you. As the Beast King, you need to find your fated mate and produce offspring for your kingdom."


    "I-I think we''re done here, Gale. I''m tired. Can youe againter?" Swan asked in a low voice, almost whispering.


    Gale lowered his head. He stood up in silence before leaving the room.


    He closed the door behind him and leaned his back on it.


    With his acute hearing sense, he could hear his beloved sobbing inside the room, as she must''ve been holding so much sadness in her heart right now.


    Gale was no different. He couldn''t cry, but his heart ached so much, and the fact that he was powerless against this cruel fate forced upon them made it even


    worse.


    ''Why do I have to be the one bearing this curse? Why can''t I love her without needing to find another woman to mark? I just want her...'' Gale said in his heart. He clenched his fist as he got frustrated again, ''That bastard Goddess Selene needs to pay for hurting my Swan.''


    Gale left the castle through the window and headed far into the deep forest. He only had one destination in mind: Sacred Selene Lake.


    He had to talk with that trash Mood Goddess. freewebnovel.coll


    *


    Swan tried to muffle her cry, as she didn''t want Gale to know she was crying. But she still sobbed as it hurt her knowing she wasn''t fated with her husband.


    She had long known about it, but was still in denial, hoping that Goddess Asmara would grant her wish and let her bear his offspring as proof that they were truly fated.


    But Matoa, the old doctor, was right. She was most likely not Gale''s true mate.


    "Oh, Goddess, my heart keeps hurting," Swan muttered between her sobs. "Why do you let me love when I can''t be with him? Why do I have to bear this pain of love if it will hurt me even more?"


    Swan wiped her tears and shook her head, "No, Lshouldn''t have med the Goddess. It''s my fault for falling in love in the first ce. I was sent here to die, not to live a happy life with Gale. It''s not my right to demand his exclusive love.


    "He will eventually fall in love with the next woman, over and over until he finds his


    true mate. A lonely death is the only thing that awaits me," Swan told herself.


    She prayed again with both of her hands joined while staring at her dress that had been dampened with tears. "Goddess, please let Gale''s second womane as soon as possible and let him ignore me, because it''s getting too hard for me to let him go, and I''m getting too selfish for my own good."


    **


    Gale dashed through the dark forest. He killed every single dangerous animal that


    tried to attack him on his way, as he had no time to waste on them.


    He wanted to reach the Sacred Selene Lake as soon as possible.


    The dark forest was too dangerous for other beastmen to enter, as it was filled with tall trees that made the dark forest almost untouched by the sun or moonlight.


    The animals here were even more dangerous, but they were all no match for Gale, as he only needed to take off his blindfold, and his ruby eyes stunned or killed anything on his path.


    It was almost midnight as he reached the middle of the forest, where Gale could see the reflection of the moon on theke''s surface.


    There was a statue of a woman


    holding the crescent moon near theke, which was Moon Goddess Selene''s statue. There was another one directly facing hers, but it had been destroyed ages ago, so nobody knew about the identity of the other God or Goddess.


    Gale guessed the other statue was the Sun God, Srie, but Selene told him he


    was wrong once and refused to tell him more about it.


    That wasn''t his concern right now. He walked directly to Goddess Selene''s statue


    and arrogantly said, "Come out, I want to talk to you about my mate."


    ...


    There was no response, and the already-frustrated Gale grabbed the statue''s hand, "Come out now, or I will break this statue."


    Suddenly, there was a concentrated beaming directly from the moon that hit Gale''s body, which should have killed anyone on the spot.


    Gale simply gritted his teeth before nting his feet deeper into the soil beneath, "Your little moonbeam won''t stop me, you bastard Goddess. Come and see me now before I desecrate this ce!"


    There was no answer, but before Gale could break the statue, a white rabbit slowly descended from the sky and hopped around the air, casually circling the Beast King''s body andnding on top of the statue.


    The white rabbit looked down on Gale and said, "You are surely the most stubborn, little wolf."

 Chapter 85: White Rabbit (I)

    Chapter 85: Chapter 85: White Rabbit (1)


    It had been a while since Gale saw this white rabbit, and she still had the same condescending attitude. He sneered back at her, "It would''ve been easier if you could just appear whenever I need you to. I have a lot of questions for you, Goddess."


    He put emphasis on thest word because he knew this white rabbit was Goddess Selene''s avatar, and he didn''t spare an ounce of respect for her. After all, why would he need to respect or fear the Goddess who cursed him?


    "I am a Goddess, not your summon. Besides, little wolf, I know you are the one who needs my help right now," the white rabbit said. "So, tell me, what do you need me for this time? If you are asking me to lift off your curse, then I cannot do that. The only one who can lift it is your true mate."


    "Ie here to talk about my true mate," Gale said. He gritted his teeth as he was reminded of Swan''s sobs. It upset him knowing that Matoa''s words were most likely true; they were not destined to be together.


    "Didn''t I tell you before? You will never be able to find her, that''s the side effect of the curse in exchange for granting you an incredible power that nobody in this world would ever best," the white rabbit exined. "Isn''t that a good trade-off? You are practically immortal right now, and your fated mate might''ve died already, so it''s good that you will never be able to find her because separation is painful, little wolf."


    "I don''t care who the hell my fated mate is right now. I demand you to make my wife, Swan of Holy Achate, my fated mate instead," Gale ordered the Goddess as if they were on the same level. freewebnovel


    However, the Goddess didn''t seem to be offended by the impertinence of this cursed wolf. The white rabbit simply hopped in the air andnded on the destroyed statue.


    "And do you think I have the power to do that?" the white rabbit asked back.


    "Of course. You are the one who cursed me! You should have the power to change my fated mate."


    "Hm, I actually can do that," the white rabbit responded. "But not this one. Your fated mate is still alive, and I know her identity."


    If it was before he met Swan, he would be more than happy to know who his destined mate was.


    But he no longer cared about that.


    In fact, he didn''t even want to know, because if it wasn''t Swan, then there was no point in knowing.


    "I don''t give a damn about my damned fated mate. I want you to make Swan my destined partner."


    "Oh? Are you sure that you don''t want to know? She is actually in love with you," the white rabbit taunted.


    "I said, I don''t give a damn!" Gale yelled as his patience was thinning. He had known a lot of women in his life, be they human or beastmen. His mate might even be among them, but he didn''t want to know at this point. "I want Swan, and that''s my only demand for you, you damned rabbit!"


    Another moon beam hit Gale from above, but Gale was not affected, much to the Goddess'' dismay.


    "That curse may have been a bit too good for your own good. You are not even hurt by a moonbeam that would kill anyone instantly."


    "Do you think a mere light would kill me? HAH! Even a bug hits harder than that!"


    Three consecutive moon beams rained down upon him, and Gale gritted his teeth as a drop of sweat dripped from his forehead. Yet, it didn''t hurt at all.


    "Fulfill my demand now, you damned Goddess. This is my first and only request!"


    "And even if I can do it, do you think you deserve her?" the white rabbit scoffed condescendingly. "You-a cursed wolf who has mercilessly killed many. Your body has been


    stained with blood. That pot


    princess is as pure as one can get. I think she deserves someone better. How about I make her your beta''s fated mate instead? Rock Silverfang isn''t it? He can be a good little cub with the Swan of Holy Achate."


    Gale''s ruby-colored eyes shone brightly as the goddess had provoked him. He released his overpowering aura, which made every animal around quickly drop dead, and the trees began to wilt.


    "GRRHHHH!" Gale growled as his body began to grow in size, and dark fur began to cover his body. His growl grew deeper as he slowly turned into his bipedal werewolf form. He only needed thest step before he turned into his giant wolf form, which had the size of a castle and rampaged around for days or even weeks toe.


    Gale didn''t waste his chance. He grabbed the white rabbit and crushed it with his hand until it exploded and turned into sand.


    "Calm down, little wolf, I am merely joking," another white rabbit descended from the sky. She hopped around and sat in the same spot where the cursed wolf had just snatched her.


    Gale was in no mood to talk anymore. He gave it a threatening gaze, which didn''t affect the white rabbit at all, but enough for her to respond, "I told you I cannot change your fated mate because you have been cursed, and only your mate can lift off that curse. Instead let me give you a hint to help you and your beloved princess after you calm down and stop killing everything around us."


    Gale finally settled down. He shifted back to his human body, and Goddess Selene naturally showered everything under the moonlight. She grew the trees and resurrected the animals who died due to Gale''s aura.


    "Tell me what hint you have then," Gale demanded.


    "Okay, first of all, your mate has a certain characteristic that will give you a clue about her identity."

 Chapter 86: White Rabbit (II)

    Chapter 86: Chapter 86: White Rabbit (II)


    "Okay, first of all, your mate has a certain characteristic that will give you a clue about her identity," the white rabbit said. "Your fated one is a young woman with a pure heart. She is sweet and understanding, and she will love you no matter how filthy and cursed you are."


    "Second, you will be at ease whenever you are around her. You will gravitate towards her, and want to spend all of your time with her."


    ''Isn''t that just Swan?'' Gale thought. Swan was a very sweetdy, she was well- loved by everyone in his kingdom. He was also at ease whenever he was around her, and the alluring scent of her body made him feel like he could forget about his painful curse every night.


    Thus, he was hopeful that Swan might be his fated mate... until the white rabbit mentioned thest characteristic that his mate should have.


    "Third, she is an angel."


    "An... angel?" Gale frowned. "You mean, a girl with a pure heart, right?"


    "No, she is a literal angel. With angelic halo and a wing behind her back," the white rabbit rified. "She is a Goddess'' daughter. In human culture, she should''ve been revered or at least be a Saintess since she was young."


    Gale knew Swan''s mother was Queen Anastasia, and he doubted that woman was a goddess. Because if she was, she could''ve just won the war by herself.


    Gale clenched his fists, "That doesn''t help me and Swan at all. I want her to be my destined one. I don''t care about an angel."


    "Don''t be so hasty, little wolf. I told you I cannot determine your fated mate because you have been cursed. However, once you''ve met her and gotten one kiss from her, the curse in your body should be lifted, and then I can help you by making Swan of Holy Achate to be your fated mate."


    Gale was astonished because it made total sense. freewebnovel


    He didn''t need to love whoever this ''fated mate'' he had. As long as he was cured of his curse, he could be together with Swan.


    Thus, he had his newfound determination, "Alright, I trust you, Goddess. I will find my fated mate, and then get myself cured. Don''t break your promise, or I will desecrate thiske and destroy every statue of you, so nobody can worship you anymore."


    "You are still the same stubborn little wolf from decades ago," the white rabbit sighed. "But you should be careful, your rut wille soon, and you might hurt that fragile princess if you aren''t careful. My suggestion is for you to mark a hundred more women so your rut would be easier to deal with."


    "Stop speaking nonsense, you damned goddess."


    The white rabbit giggled mischievously, "Well, you know you can always take the shortcut by exposing your eyes to all of those women. If one of them doesn''t die instantly, then she is your fated mate."


    "As if I can do that," Gale scowled as he turned around and left the Sacred Selene Lake.


    The white rabbit''s beady eyes stared at the strong back with many battle scars of the cursed wolf before turning around to face the destroyed statue before her.


    "That little wolf has been hopelessly smitten by your daughter," the white rabbit whispered. "But, Asmara, why am I not allowed to tell him the truth?"


    **


    There was no answer from the broken statue, and the white rabbit sighed again, "You sure like to keep secrets, sister. Oh well, I already


    him what he needs to know.


    poniveton


    Whether he will find out sooner orter, it all depends on himself."


    And just like that, the white rabbit hopped back to the moon and disappeared.


    Gale had been thinking about Swan on his way back to the pce. He didn''t know what to say to her, or maybe he should just act like nothing happened, so they could stay the same.


    Swan


    ''But what if Swan keeps pushing me to find my fated mate? She keeps talking about sacrifice...'' Gale kept on worrying as he was afraid of hurting his beloved. He also had so many unanswered questions about Swan''s origin, since Matoa said that her leg was left untreated after the ident, which shouldn''t be the case since she was THE Royal


    Princess of Holy Achate.


    It was already dawn when he arrived at his castle. He guessed that Swan must''ve been sleeping already, so he casually jumped into the balcony and entered through the window.


    To his surprise, Swan was still wide awake. Her eyes were red and puffy after too much crying, but she quickly wiped her tears once Gale had arrived.


    She looked at Gale and was shocked by his condition.


    "Gale! What happened?! Where have you been?!" Swan grabbed her crutches and got up from the bed to approach Gale who stood like a statue near the window.


    Swan was worried after seeing blood on his body. She knew it wasn''t his, but he didn''t say a thing about quenching a rebellion or going on a war today.


    He also reeked of the scent of various animals, so Swan guessed that Gale must''ve gone far from here.


    "Gale, answer me! Where have you been, you look terrible!" Swan said as she stood in front of him and caressed his cheek. Gale had worn his blindfold before he returned to the castle, but right now, there was an urge to take the shortcut.


    He could''ve just taken it off, and if Swan survived, then it would confirm everything.


    But what if she died instantly?


    Gale was utterly convinced that Swan was his destined mate because his heart told him so. But he was afraid that it was just his stubbornness speaking. His action could easily harm-or even kil Swan in the process. He couldn''t risk it.


    Besides that, he also wanted to tell Swan about his deal with Goddess Selene about finding his fated mate. He would only need to kiss her to lift off his curse, then make Swan his soulmate.


    Yet, the only thing that came out of his mouth was;


    "I will make sure that we will be together, Swan. I promise."

 Chapter 87: A Neglected Princess

    Chapter 87: Chapter 87: A Neglected Princess


    Swan''s body stiffened.


    "Y-you don''t need to promise me that. It''s not good to make a promise you can''t fulfill," Swan said.


    Gale''s lips thinned, but he said nothing as he simply grabbed Swan''s wrist and forced her to keep her palm on his bloody cheek.


    Gale closed his eyes as he wanted to feel her touch, and just as he expected, Swan truly had the magic touch that made him feel at ease.


    Just one touch from her was enough to assure him that his feelings weren''t fake.


    He truly wanted her to be his destined one.


    "You should rest. I know you haven''t slept since yesterday," Gale said. "I''ll go to my privateke to wash up. We can rest together after that."


    "Mm... okay..."


    Gale let go of her wrist and jumped off the window, heading to the privateke to wash up the filth on his body.


    Meanwhile, Swan returned to her bed, and it didn''t take long for Gale to return with a slightly damp body, gently resting next to her and embracing her from behind.


    Gale sniffed her hair, and then her nape just to make sure that he wasn''t mistaken.


    ''No, this feeling is real. Her scent and everything about her makes me feel at ease. She is everything I want as a mate, but she is not the Goddess'' daughter...''


    Gale was angry at the circumstances that forbade them from being mated for life. ''Doesn''t matter. We will be together in the end. All I need is to find my true mate first.''


    Gale began to recall all of the human kingdoms that he visited before, and there were only two kingdoms that fit the requirement from that white rabbit; Holy Achate and Sacred Rianel.


    They were neighboring kingdoms from the north, and both had a strict religion built inside their system. He knew that the church was the second highest order after their King or Queen.


    Despite that, Gale had never heard of them having a Saintess. The church was nothing but a ce of worship, even the church between themon folks and the aristocrats was separated, something that a Goddess'' daughter wouldn''t allow.


    ''Swan must have a better understanding about this,'' Gale thought. Thus he checked if his beloved was already sleeping, only to find Swan''s body stiffened when he leaned in and kissed his cheek. "You haven''t slept, huh?"


    "S-sorry, I''m not sleepy anymore," Swan muttered. "Y-you should be the one to sleep. You just went on a long journey just now."


    "I don''t need rest. I just rested with you because you make me feel at ease," Gale chuckled. "Though, I do have something in mind right now, about your kingdom."


    "M-my kingdom?" Swan had been worrying about this. After all, the old doctor said that her leg wasn''t treated properly when it was first fractured. "W-what do you need to know?"


    Gale paused momentarily, trying to find the correct words so as not to make his timid wife even more defensive.


    "Does your country ever have a Saintess?"


    "A... saintess?" Swan was in deep thought for a while. She didn''t have much knowledge about what was happening outside of the pce grounds. But she had


    heard tales from the maids and read some old fables about Saintess.


    Thus, she replied, "Uhm, not that I


    know of. I''ve never heard of


    someone being appointed as a Saintess either. We do have an old tale about Saintess, though. It is said that an angel will be born in this world to cleanse the evil, and then


    will return to heaven after her task


    has been finished."


    "Has there been any notable Saintess, at least a name, since the past hundred years?"


    "I-I''m sorry, Gale. But I don''t think we have ever had one for more than a century.


    Or else, there should be a painting of her somewhere in the pce," Swan replied.


    "How about the Rianel Kingdom?"


    "I think it''s the same. Holy Achate and Rianel had been together side by side for centuries, but I have never heard of a Saintess before, Swan Said as she recalled all the conversations between the Queens and Princesses from both kingdoms. "Why are you asking me this?"


    "It''s nothing," Gale didn''t want Swan to suspect a thing. So he quickly shifted the topic. "And about your leg. You know that Matoa is a potent doctor. He is the best doctor that the wolf pack has. So, tell me, why didn''t your parents help you back


    then?"


    "I¡ª"


    "Don''t even try to say he is mistaken," Gale emphasized.


    Swan was trying her best toe up with something to cover the truth, but once she discovered she had no way out, she simply murmured, "T-they didn''t like me enough..."


    "Didn''t like you enough? But you are


    ???


    THE Royal Princess of Holy Achate! Why would they not like you enough? Gale began to raise his voice@ithout him realizing it. He had


    a rough guess when he first met Swan in the Pce because she seemed a bit too thinpared to her little sister.


    But back then, it was her mother, Queen Anastasia who told him about Swan''s leg and how she got so depressed that she locked herself inside her room, barely eating because of grief.


    At that time, he simply took it at face value because those words came out of Swan''s mother''s mouth.


    But now...


    "Answer me, Swan! Why didn''t they treat your leg?!"


    Swan''s body was shaking out of nervousness. She wasn''t sure how to tell the truth. Obviously, she shouldn''t tell Gale that she was merely a whore''s daughter, because he would feel cheated for loving a dirty woman like her.


    At the same time, she also had to answer his question.


    Left with no choice, she muttered, "W-when I was born, my mother didn''t like me very much. She prefers Aria more than me, and myte father is indifferent. So I... I just spend my time inside my room, even after I fractured my bone after that fall."

 Chapter 88: A Small Revenge

    Chapter 88: Chapter 88: A Small Revenge


    Gale said nothing after Swan confessed. She couldn''t admit that she was a whore''s daughter, but telling him that she had been neglected shouldn''t anger him as much, right?


    "G-Gale?" Swan tried to turn her body to face him. She wanted to check on his expression but then noticed Gale''s rapid heartbeat and his heavy breath. "I-it''s okay. I''m here with you now. I''m well-protected and happy. So, don''t be angry at them, okay?"


    "You expect me not to do anything after your mother neglected you?" Gale scoffed. "Do you know in our culture, a mate is a jewel that should never lose anything? We take pride in making sure our mate is well-fed, secure, and happy with everything we can provide, so she can bear healthy cubs for us. And do you expect me to stay calm?"


    "Yes," Swan replied firmly. "My Queen Mother is still the most important figure in the Holy Achate. My kingdom will be in turmoil if something happens to her. That''s why... I just want you to calm down, so you won''t do anything rash, Gale."


    Gale gritted his teeth out of frustration. He knew that Swan was just being mindful. She still had a love for her kingdom, even though her mother neglected her.


    "You should be more selfish. I don''t mind turning your kingdom upside down if you told me to."


    Swan smiled bitterly, "I don''t want you to be a mindless beast. I''d rather see you being loved by everyone as a good king. You will be fondly remembered by your cubs, and everyone will think of you as the strongest and wisest monarch, far better than my father."


    "So, Gale... promise me that you will not hurt Queen Mother," Swan implored.


    "...I promise," Gale muttered. "You should rest now. You''ll get sick if you''re too tired."


    Swan was at ease after getting his promise. She believed that Gale would never break his promise, so she fell asleep quickly.


    But Gale wasn''t sleepy at all.


    He was angry at the circumstance because he couldn''t just go and wreak havoc in the Holy Achate Pce.


    What he said wasn''t an exaggeration. A mate for a wolf was a jewel that shouldn''t be hurt.


    He would be a disgrace once people heard that his beloved was neglected by her mother, but he didn''t seek justice for her.


    Thus, he waited until Swan was fast asleep before getting up from bed.


    He left the room and told the maids to call ze Silverfang to meet him.


    The young wolf hurried towards his King''s side and kneeled, "How may I be of your service, Your Majesty?"


    "How many trade routes are there in Holy Achate?" Gale asked.


    ze was a bit surprised, but he had been studying many things, including trade routes as he had to rece Rock, and also help his King in need. After careful thought, he replied;


    "There are three, Your Majesty. There is a route going directly to Sacred Kingdom Rianel and also the West Sea. The other one is to the south which led directly to your Kingdom, andstly to the north, which would lead them to the North S¨¦a," ze mentioned. "May I know why you need this information, Your Majesty?"


    Gale''s face was solemn. He crossed his arms as he had been holding himself back the whole time, and ze noticed it.


    However, the aide said nothing as he knew he''d rather stay silent than be the receiving end of his wrath.


    "Make sure to tell the fishmen of the West Sea to tip over any trade boats from Holy Achate or Rianel," Gale ordered "Send some of our soldiers to stopany trade caravan that came in and out of Holy Achate. Andstly, about the North Sea..."


    Gale hadn''t conquered the North Sea yet. Previously, he had no interest in it, because the continent across that sea was mostly covered in ice.


    Swan''s kingdom was close to the North Sea, and even the north beach was under the control of Holy Achate.


    He paid it no mind at first, but now, he wanted to make sure that woman would


    pay for neglecting his Swan until her leg couldn''t be healed anymore.


    "I will personally go to the North Sea and make sure the fishmen in that area will cooperate."


    Gale sounded calm, but it sent chills down ze''s spine, knowing that someone would have to suffer for his wrath.


    "Your Majesty, did Princess Swan do anything wrong to offend you? Holy Achate is her kingdom. I thought we were supposed to protect them from any invasion," ze remembered how the beastmen soldiers had been stationed to make sure the trade caravan from Holy


    Achate wouldn''t be attacked by bandits or wild beasts.


    He thought his King did it because he was in love with Princess Swan.


    ''Did she fall out of favor?'' ze pondered.


    "No, I did it because they hurt her," Gale replied. "I should''ve destroyed that pce before taking Swan with me. Now I have to do something sneakier like this to punish them."


    Gale wasn''t in the mood to tell anyone about Swan''s fate. In his mind, none of these beastmen deserved to know her suffering, because she was meant to be at the top of the world with him.


    Nobody should pity her except him¡ªher husband and mate.


    "T-then, do you need me to apany you to the North Sea, Your Majesty?" ze offered.


    "No need. Just do what I said about the West Sea and the trade route. I can handle the rest myself," Gale said.


    "Understood, Your Majesty. How long are you going to keep them from ever having a sessful trade? Winter ising, and I know they will need a trade caravan from the South with a warmer climate for necessities, like food and clothing."


    "Until that woman came crawling to Swan and begged for forgiveness. Though, whether I will forgive her or not, it all depends on what Swan wants."


    ze didn''t know who ''that woman'' would be, but he knew he just needed to follow instructions and leave to do his task.


    Gale looked at the fallen leaves from the window and murmured, "It seems I have to use my power once more."

 Chapter 89: A Show of a True Power (I)

    Chapter 89: Chapter 89: A Show of a True Power (1)


    Gale went through the forest towards Holy Achate alone. Unlike other kings who needed protection all the time, Gale was the strongest and would stay at the top of the food chain for the next hundreds of years.


    However, even the strongest wasn''t immune to heartache. His heart kept aching badly, even after he left his kingdom. His mind constantly wandered around his mate, Swan, who endured so much pain after she fell and fractured her leg.


    The pain must''ve been excruciating for a human, especially since Swan said she was left alone after that. Gale could almost see Swan, who must''ve endured many painful nights, probably crying until she fell asleep just so she could numb the pain.


    His beloved mate was a very soft person. Gale had never seen anyone with a heart so tender before, and he felt that his body was about to explode, knowing that his Swan had been hurt for so long.


    ''Why are you so kind, Swan? Why can''t you be more selfish? I don''t mind being a mindless beast that is feared by all humans if that means I can avenge your pain,'' Gale bit his lower lip.


    He had never experienced a heartache so frustrating before. It made him want to pull his hair and roar as hard as he could due to powerlessness. ''I don''t mind killing everyone if that''s what you want. But why are you so kind?''


    Gale truly couldn''t understand. He grew up in a beastmen culture where the strongest took all and had the right to kill anyone he wanted without repercussion.


    Swan owned him now, so if she wanted him to turn a kingdom upside down, he would do that in a heartbeat.


    ''You have the heart of an angel, but why aren''t you one? Why do you have two devils as your parents?''


    Gale gritted his teeth as he dashed faster through the forest until he reached the territory of Holy Achate.


    He passed through the meadow where he massacred the king and more than half of his soldiers in one fell swoop. He felt a little bad at first because he thought Swan must''ve been grieving for his dead father, even though he hated that cunning, cowardly king so much.


    But now, he was d he killed King Tyrion. That bastard deserved to die for neglecting his Swan.


    He leaped andnded in the pce ground in thete afternoon, and let his overpowering aura run wild, ensuring everyone in the pce knew about his presence. Each of them started to fall on their knees as they found it difficult to breathe.


    He could''ve killed them all by holding his aura for a while, but he didn''te here to kill anyone. He came here to punish these bastards for neglecting Swan.


    Suppressing his aura, he waited for amander toe and kneel in front of him. It seemed that he was the only one who could recover quickly after being deprived of oxygen for more than ten seconds.


    Themander recognized Gale instantly, as this monster was the one who killed almost everyone in the meadow during the war. He fully understood the difference in strength between him and the Beast King before him, so he quickly submitted to the higher power and asked, "G-Glory for the Beast King, may I know what brings you to the Holy Achate Pce today, Your Majesty?"


    "Tell Anastasia and Aria toe and see me at the North Sea port right now. I want them to see how powerless they arepared to mepared to my Swan," Gale spat out before he leaped again and headed to the port.


    Themander was stunned. The Beast King seemed very angry, to the point he didn''t even bother to address them as Queen and Princess.


    He knew something big wasing, and he was scared that the Beast King would turn into that giant wolf form again and kill everyone in the kingdom.


    It was an easy feat for someone as strong as that man. freewebnovel


    Not daring to waste more time, he rushed to the Queen''s headquarters to deliver the news.


    "YOUR MAJESTY! YOUR MAJESTY, WE ARE IN A DIRE SITUATION!" His voice echoed around the pce, and no one stopped him. Everyone was still recovering from the shock as theyy weakly on the ground.


    Once he reached the Queen''s room, he opened it without waiting for an answer and saw Queen Anastasia, who was breathing heavily on the ground as she was also trying to recover.


    "Your Majesty, are you alright?" Themander asked as he helped the Queen to sit up.


    "T-that monster. Did hee to kill us all?" Queen Anastasia asked.


    "I''m not sure, Your Majesty. He told me that you and Her Highness Princess Aria need toe to the port right now. He said he wants you to know how powerless you arepared to him."


    Anastasia went pale instantly. She had a bad feeling about this, and her first instinct was to escape the kingdom as soon as possible.


    But if she did that, she would have nowhere else to go, and she doubted she could ever return as a Queen after her escape.


    She had no choice but to face that monster right now.


    "Tell Aria toe with me to the port. Make sure to gather all the soldiers to protect us in case that beast ns to kill us there," Queen Anastasia ordered. "Understood, Your Majesty!"


    The Queen had a lot of questions in mind, but the first thing that came to her mind was Swan.


    "That whore''s daughter must''ve told him something that made him mad, or maybe she directly told him to kill us all as revenge," the Queen gritted her teeth. "I should''ve sent Aria as his bride back then. At least Aria wouldn''t dare to retaliate like this."


    Anastasia heard from her daughter that Swan used witchcraft to charm the Beast King. She doubted her at first since that whore''s daughter never had a chance to leave the pce. She would have no way to learn how to do witchcraft.


    But now, she was convinced that Swan must''ve done something to charm him.


    "There''s no way the Beast King would be foolishly in love with a cripple without a dark charm," Anastasia told herself.

 Chapter 90: A Show of True Power (II)

    Chapter 90: Chapter 90: A Show of True Power (II)


    Aria was excited today.


    Themander told her just now that the Beast King wanted her and her mother


    toe to the port because he wanted to show them his true strength.


    Of course, she knew he didn''t invite them out with good intentions, especially after she could barely breathe a few moments ago. He was probably being manipted again by Swan to do her bidding.


    Despite that, Aria was still very happy, because she could finally see him again.


    She had been having dreams after dreams about him, and all of them were raunchy.


    She kept imagining getting pinned down by the Beast King before being mercilessly pounded and bred until she had to bear his cubs.


    She also imagined getting kidnapped by him and being forced to be his Queen. It was a dirty fantasy that could drive her crazy!


    Thus, she hurriedly wore her best dress, sprayed her best perfume, and put on some makeup on her face to seduce the King.


    As she did this, Aria was aware that she stood no chance as long as Swan was still around. That''s why she had been trying to find a ''teacher'' to start learning witchcraft.


    Aria nced at a drawer where she hid the book she acquired from a real witch. She grinned, and muttered, "Sooner orter, I will break you from her spell, and you will realize how much of an idiot you are for loving that whore''s daughter."


    *


    Aria and her mother were sitting inside a carriage with almost a hundred elite soldiers following them from behind. Queen Anastasia had been worrying about what would happen, but Aria was all smiles and joy.


    Anastasia looked at her daughter and scowled, "Why are you smiling Aria? Don''t you know the severity of the situation? We don''t know what that monster wants. Swan must''ve told him something that angers him, and now he wants to punish us."


    "Oh, I know that, Mom. Swan must''ve been using her witchcraft to order Gale around. He is probably under a very strong spell right now," Aria said.


    "So why are you smiling? Do you know how to break the spell?" Queen Anastasia asked. She had now fully believed her daughter since there was no logical exnation for the Beast King''s devotion to an ugly whore''s daughter.


    "Hm~ what are you saying, Mom? We are in the Holy Achate. We are not supposed to learn about witchcraft, especially when we have the church and holy magic that would solve it, right?" Ariamented sarcastically, knowing that the church had zero magical power. They were more of a political party and the pope wanted to usurp the throne because of greed.


    Aria said that because she wanted her mother to know that the kingdom couldn''t do anything against Gale''s overwhelming power and Swan''s strange witchcraft. "Don''t joke with me, Aria. We both know the church can''t do anything," Queen Anastasia said mockingly. She had long been annoyed by the church''s ever- growing power, especially after the war that killed many people before.


    The peasants began to flood the church to pray for their deceased ones, and most of them became very religious in the process, giving the church immense support.


    Aria chuckled, "They keep preaching that the Saintess will grace the earth soon, but they have been saying that since a hundred years ago."


    Aria never believed in the church all her life but knew its worth, as it could be used to control the masses.


    "I know we are in a dire situation right now, Mom. That''s why I have an idea I want to propose to you."


    "What is it?" Queen Anastasia probed. She was desperate


    considering the kingdom had been in a difficult situation for a while. It was hard to manage the kingdom after King Tyrion''s death, as the majority of the poption didn''t like her that much.


    She was clinging to any hope she could find, even if she had to sell her soul for it.


    "I believe that at Swan will not kill us by


    using the Beast King right now, because that petty and heartless witch definitely wants revenge.. give me time to study


    everne


    witchcraft-real witchcraft. Provide me with resources to learn how to be a real witch, and protect me from the church in case they get suspicious," Aria exined. "It shouldn''t take long for me to master it, since Swan and I are half-sisters, we should have the talent for it."


    "Once I''ve mastered it, I will break the charm spell that Swan has for Gale, and make him mine. He will do all of my bidding, including giving everything to me," Aria added. "I will also be able to solidify your position in the kingdom."


    "Aria... that''s really risky..." Anastasia responded as her motherly instinct told her that Aria would be in danger if they went with her n. "Do you not realize how much the church hates witchcraft? We had oust public witch burning two years ago."


    "That''s why I told you to protect me. This is the only way, Mom. Do you want me


    to learn how to break Swan''s spell, or do you want that whore''s daughter to wreak havoc and destroy our kingdom?"


    Queen Anastasia bit her lip as she was stuck in a precarious situation.


    She truly loved her daughter.


    Aria was a blessing for her. Her birth was the reason why Anastasia could hold her head high as the Queen since Swan was born first from that whore''s belly. Inevitably, she felt reluctant to sacrifice her daughter.


    At the same time, she also loved the throne too much. She dedicated her entire life to being a queen and refused to let go of it.


    Thus, after pondering for a while, she asked, "Can you do it? Swan is born from filthy bitch so it''s no wonder she could do that, but you are pure and noble since birth. What about you train with Holy Magic instead?"


    "Yeah, as if that one is real," Aria rolled her eyes. "The church doesn''t have ''miracles'' or ''holy magic.'' It was all tales from the past, Mom. But witchcraft is real, I''ve seen it with my own eyes."


    ...


    "Mom, this is for your throne."


    "Alright, alright. You win," Anastasia sighed. "I will protect you. Just make sure not to overdo it. I don''t want you to get hurt in the process, Aria."


    "Oh, don''t worry, Mom," Aria shed a thin smile. "I''m sure I have the talent to be a witch."

 Chapter 91: A Show of True Power (III)

    Chapter 91: Chapter 91: A Show of True Power (III)


    Gale stared at the sun as it was starting to set. The port had been emptied, and all the peasants had evacuated, fearing the Beast King''s wrath. freewebnovel


    Gale found it quite funny because he would never harm innocent humans or beastmen when they weren''t at war.


    As a beastman, he had to adhere to a strict code and culture that forbade him from ying dirty, such as keeping civilians hostage, poisoning drinking wells, or burning food stock.


    Thete King Tyrion''s underhanded methods angered him so much that he decided to show them his true strength.


    He wasn''t even at his full potential, as he didn''t transform into his giant wolf form during an eclipse. He would get even bigger and stronger to the point of rivaling Gods and Goddesses during that short window of eclipse.


    Nevertheless, he still had to be honorable during the war and wouldn''t touch the innocent, unless Swan wanted him to break that code of honor.


    If Swan told him to kill every single living being in this wretched kingdom, then he would do it in a heartbeat as he believed it would be a befitting punishment for Queen Anastasia for neglecting Swan.


    ''But you are too kind, my Lovely Swan,'' Gale thought as he stared at the sunset.


    He took a deep breath as the royal carriage entered the port, and Princess Aria''s voice rang loudly as she rushed towards him, "Your Majesty, what are you going to do in here?!"


    Aria looked concerned as she stood right in front of Gale, acting like she was distressed over her kingdom''s fate.


    "I-I heard from the soldiers that you are about to punish us for something. A-As the Royal Princess of Holy Achate, I cannot let you do that!" Aria yelled as her eyes zed with tears. "If you want to punish someone, then punish me instead! You can take me back to your castle, and¡ª"


    "Step back," Gale said indifferently. "It has nothing to do with you, Princess Aria."


    "Huh?" Aria wiped her tears, staring at the handsome Beast King in confusion. "T- then, what are you punishing us for?"


    "I will tell youter. Now step back before you get instantly killed by my eyes," Gale warned, and Aria reluctantly returned to her mother''s side.


    They looked at each other before turning their gazes at the back of the Beast King. Gale had a lot of battle scars on his back, which was a sign of barbarianism for the nobles in Holy Achate, but it looked hot and seductive for Aria.


    Everyone watched the Beast King from behind. They witnessed as he walked towards the water and took a deep breath before speaking in amanding tone that was loud, yet very calm and collected, "Come, whoever rules the North Sea."


    ...


    Nothing happened for the past five minutes, but as the soldiers began to get skeptical, there was suddenly a small earthquake that shocked all the soldiers.


    The calm water suddenly rippled, and they all yelled in shock as they saw a huge narwhal the size of a giant ship emerge from the cold water. The narwhal had a golden tusk and destroyed at least five ships around once it moved its body.


    The soldiers were too shocked to react as they had heard about an old tale of the giant narwhal who ravaged the North Sea in the past, but never expected it to be real.


    There was a woman with a crown sitting on top of the narwhal''s head, and she looked down at the Beast King with contempt.


    "I''ve heard from Mako that the West


    Sea has been conquered by the Beast King, but I didn''t expect him toe and n to conquer my sea as well" the woman said. "But doesn''t matter. Let me introduce myself first. I am Nami, Queen of the North Sea. I''d be pleased to make you my acquaintance, but you don''t seem to be in the mood to cooperate."


    "If you are willing to submit to me, then I won''t do anything to harm you or your


    kin. But I need you to do my bidding," Gale said.


    "I never intend to submit to the weak. Unless you can show me your strength," Nami hinted.


    "Will you submit once I kill that giant narwhal pet of yours?"


    "Oh? Do you think that you can kill my pet? Hah!" Nami scoffed. "My pet has been the legend of the North Sea for centuries. He is older than you, and definitely stronger than you."


    "I can kill him in ten seconds if you don''t mind dealing with his carcass," Gale said calmly.


    Nami was a little intimidated since the Beast King didn''t show an ounce of fear. Instead, he had a confidence that nobody could match.


    She heard from Mako, King of the West Sea, that the Beast King''s overwhelming power could conquer everyone. But she didn''t want to go down without a fight.


    She patted her giant narwhal pet.


    Honestly, this giant narwhal was already too old and had produced offspring who would be as strong as him. However, she still felt sad knowing her old pet might die anytime soon.


    "This is a matter of pride, Beast King. If you can kill my pet, then I am going to willingly submit."


    "Then, you should be prepared," Gale said. He was thinking about taking off his blindfold and using his eyes to kill the narwhal instantly. But if he did that, the Queen of the North Sea might also die in the process. ''I guess I''m just going to punch it then.''


    Thus, he looked over his shoulder and warned the Queen and her entourage, "Go


    to the higher ground. That narwhal will fall, and it will create a tsunami."


    "O-okay! Please be careful, Your


    Majesty!" Aria said as she looked at him with concern, and then evacuated with the rest of the


    soldiers and her mother tole,


    higher ground, where they could watch what would happen next without getting hurt.

 Chapter 92: A Show of True Power (IV)

    Chapter 92: Chapter 92: A Show of True Power (IV)


    Gale stared at the imposing giant narwhal, and only had one thing in mind;


    ''It will be better if Swan is here, so I can show her how strong her husband truly is.''


    Gale had never shown Swan his strength because he didn''t want to scare her, but he thought a little show of true power would be good from time to time, so Swan wouldn''t think that she was small.


    She had HIM as her husband, she could do everything in this world.


    ''Maybe I should take that golden tusk and bring it to her. I''m sure Swan will be happy to get such a unique gift.''


    Thus, Gale took a deep breath, and the atmosphere around him instantly turned chilly. His muscles began to grow until the veins around his neck were popping out.


    Then, he jumped like a rocket until he was right above the giant narwhal''s tusk, where the brain should be located. As he hovered on air for a second, he clenched his fist and-


    WHAM! freewebnovel


    Gale punched the narwhal''s head, instantly creating a shockwave that was felt by everyone who witnessed it. He made sure to make it as painless as possible as he crushed the narwhal''s brain instantly.


    "Ah! Whaaa!" Nami, Queen of the North Sea had to jump into the sea as the narwhal let out itsst cry before it fell back to the cold sea.


    Its fall created a tsunami that was as tall as a two-story house and instantly swept over everything around the port.


    Galended on the narwhal''s body and helped Nami before she got crushed by the narwhal''s giant body.


    Anastasia and the other soldiers watched everything and everyone couldn''t even utter a single word. They were all stunned as they realized what a true power was truly capable of.


    "Monster..." Anastasia was the first one to break the silence. She had been going back and forth about trying to get into the Beast King''s good side. But now, after witnessing his true strength, she knew she had to be on his good side or else she would suffer.


    While the others showed fear in their eyes, Aria was the opposite. She was very excited, her eyes were staring at Gale with obsession as she had finally seen the true extent of his power.


    ''No, I think he can be even stronger. I heard he is capable of turning into a giant, undefeatable wolf. Ugh, if only I wasn''t asleep when he came to the pce''s yard as that giant wolf!'' Aria had never been so in love with any man before. Perhaps because most of the men who courted her, from princes, nobles, and knights¡ª were all just a bunch of pompous men who had zero strength by themselves, unlike Gale who could topple the world if Aria asked him to.


    Gale returned to the port after the tsunami had subsided, followed by the Queen of the North Sea who was still in shock after what happened just now.


    "Do you submit to my rule now? If you still want me to show my feat, you can send your entire army, I can kill them all at once," Gale said without hesitation. As if it was a cold, undeniable truth.


    Nami shook her head as she knew none of her army would stand against the Beast King.


    "I-I submit. I will do everything you said, though I''m not sure if I can be of use to you, Your Majesty," Nami said. "The creatures of the North Sea are not as unique or valuablepared to the West or East Sea."


    "I don''t need you to give me anything


    right now, just make sure that you will submit to me, adhere to my rule, and..." Gale turned his head, staring at a bunch of weak humans at the att top of a building a bit far from where he was standing right now


    His heightened eyes could see that all of them-except for one-were struck by fear, which was perfect for Gale.


    "I want you to stop any trading ships thate in and out of this Kingdom from crossing the North Sea. If a trade ship still dares to cross the North Sea, send your army to topple it immediately," Gale ordered.


    Nami was shocked by what she heard. She didn''t have a problem with these humans, as the North Sea was already cold and unfit for many ships to cross in the first ce.


    "May I know if there is a particr reason to do that, Your Majesty?" Nami asked.


    "I want to punish them by cutting


    their trade route. They hurt my mate, so I will make sure they beg for forgiveness in front of her. I want them to kiss her feet, or else this kingdom will be isted and eventually destroyed," Gale said heartlessly. "Just do as I said, and I will leave you alone. You can always call me if you need help from an invasion from other continents. I am responsible for protecting my domain, after all."


    Nami thought that was unnecessary because for hundreds of years, she had been living, she had never seen someone as strong as this wolf beastman in front of


    her.


    But it was better to stay on his good side. Nami didn''t want the creatures of the North Sea to get obliterated.


    "Understood, Your Majesty."


    "Good, I will have to leave now. I''ll send my people to check on the North Sea in a month," Gale said before he leaped high from one roof to another to reach where the Queen and her entourage were standing.


    Galended right in front of Queen Anastasia and Aria. He looked down on them like they were ants before saying, "I''ve done punishing you, Anastasia."


    "D-destroying the port is your punishment, Your Majesty?" Queen Anastasia tried to stay calm despite the fear inside her heart. "I-I don''t know what I did wrong, but if that will quench your rage, then I will ept it."


    Gale smirked as he felt joy seeing Anastasia''s fear.


    Yes, this woman should''ve feared him more, because clearly, she dared to neglect his mate.


    It was a shame that Swan couldn''t enjoy the same thing as he did. She would probably pity her neglectful mother instead.

 Chapter 93: A Show of True Power (V)

    Chapter 93: Chapter 93: A Show of True Power (V)


    "Destroying a mere port wouldn''t make me feel at ease. It''s just a small punishmentpared to what you have done to my mate," Gale said clear and concisely. In front of all the soldiers present, he continued, "You neglected her after she fell and broke her leg. You didn''t help her, nor send a doctor to treat her. So her leg became deformed as she grew up."


    The soldiers gulped.


    The peasants might have known nothing about Swan, but those who lived or worked in the pce, they knew well how often they had to bully that crippled woman.


    Some of the soldiers had sympathy for that weakdy, but they feared Aria more than they pitied Swan.


    They dared not to face Princess Aria''s wrath, as she was infamous for being petty and often punished someone out of spite or bad mood.


    "I-I think you must''ve been mistaken. Why would I neglect my daughter? I-I have called the best doctor to treat her, but there''s nothing I can do about it," Queen Anastasia stammered as she tried her best to stay calm. "You can ask the soldiers here. Many of them have been working as soldiers ever since Swan was young. They know how fair I treated both my daughters."


    The soldiers froze in fear. They didn''t even dare to nod or shake their heads, fearing that the Beast King would kill them instead.


    "S-Swan can be dramatic sometimes, but she has never been treated badly!" freewebnovel


    "Do you think I will believe you more than her?" Gale scoffed. "I''ve cut all the trade routes in and out of Holy Achate; North Sea, West Sea, and the west path leading to my kingdom. It won''t take long until you see Holy Achate crumbling down, and everyone will know that you are responsible for it."


    Queen Anatasia finally lost her smile. Thest thing she wanted to hear was her kingdom falling apart because that meant a coup d''¨¦tat would happen sooner orter, and she would be a disgraced queen, probably executed too!


    "W-what should I do to make you feel better, Your Majesty?" Queen Anastasia looked at Aria, who was still staring at Gale with awe. She grabbed her arm and offered, "If you want, you can take my other daughter too! Aria is younger and smarter than Swan. I''m sure you will find her pleasant in bed!"


    Gale stared at Aria, who bashfully tried to act reluctant, but the excitement in her voice could barely be contained.


    "If you think that will make you happy, then you should take me to your kingdom, Your Majesty. I will do my best to make you happy," Aria said.


    Gale scowled when he heard that.


    True, Aria had a beauty that rivaled Swan since they were sisters. But her scent...


    She still smelled like dung sprayed in perfume! It made him nauseous whenever he was near her, as he never smelled something so wretched before.


    "I only have one wife, and her name is Swan. No need to give me your other daughter," Gale rejected. "If you want to save Holy Achate, then you shoulde to my kingdom with your daughter, kiss my wife''s feet, and apologize in front of her. I will lift the ban if she forgives you, but if she thinks Holy Achate deserves to crumble, then so be it."


    "That''s impossible!" Aria was the first to react. She couldn''t imagine having to kiss Swan''s crippled feet. It would be a total disgrace for a royal princess like her. "Your Majesty, I am THE Royal Princess of Holy Achate! I cannot kiss anyone''s feet, especially my sister''s. I will be disgraced!"


    Gale scoffed, "You won''t be a Princess when your people raided your pce and demanded you two be executed. If that''s what you want, then so be it."


    "B-but..." Aria paled. She knew that witch, Swan, must''ve controlled Gale with her dark charm. It was just that she didn''t expect Swan toe up with such a humiliating punishment for her.


    She looked at her mother, seeking help, but the Queen didn''t seem to react as much.


    "M-mom, this is "


    "We will think about it, Your Majesty."


    "Mom!"


    "Heh, good. I''m waiting for you two toe to the Kingdom of Beastmen and kiss my mate''s feet," Gale said before he leaped from one roof to another and left in a hurry.


    "Mom! Why did you ept that?!" Aria yelled as she couldn''t believe what she had just heard. "I will NEVER kiss that cripple''s feet, that''s disgusting!"


    "Shut up, Aria. Do you think I want it, too?" Queen Anatasia yelled back. She looked at the port, which had been destroyed, with many shipwrecks and also destroyed homes.


    The port heading to the North Sea


    was one of the most vital parts of Holy Achate as it was the main source of trade between Holy Achate and kingdoms from the neighboring continent.


    If the trade hub was cut off, it wouldn''t take long for people to start protesting.


    "I think we need to kiss her feet no matter what, Aria."


    "I don''t want to!"


    "ARIA!" Queen Anastasia red at her daughter. "This is to save our kingdom!"


    "This kingdom could crumble or whatever! I don''t care! I''m not kissing that crippled''s feet!"


    PA!


    The loud sound of Anastasia pping her daughter in front of the soldiers rang in


    the air. Everyone was shocked, including Aria.


    He covered the bruised part where her other pped her just now and stared at


    her mother in disbelief, "M-Mom, why did you¡ª"


    "This is for our kingdom! I don''t care how much you hate that bitch! I will do anything-ABSOLUTELY


    ANYTHING-to save our countrymet


    Queen Anastasia yelled. "And you have to take part in it because you will eventually be the Queen. Do you understand that?"


    Aria wanted to defy her even more, but she knew she still had no power. She nodded weakly.


    However, deep in her heart, she told herself, ''I''ll sacrifice you once you''ve outlived your usefulness, Mom. Just wait and see."

 Chapter 94: I won’t change my mind

    Chapter 94: Chapter 94: I won''t change my mind


    Swan had been waiting for Gale to return.


    She was informed by the cat maids that Gale left the castle to Holy Achate for a work matter. But seeing the way Myra and Maya averted their gazes, it was painfully obvious that Gale was trying to do something against the people in Holy Achate.


    Though she hated her stepmother and half-sister for tormenting her, she didn''t hate the innocent people who never knew about her existence at all.


    Feeling anxious, she waited until Gale returned to the bedroomte at night. He was holding what looked like a golden spear in his hand.


    "Ah, you haven''t slept yet?" Gale smiled as he walked towards his mate, who was sitting on the bed. He sat on the bed and kissed Swan on the cheek. "No need to wait for me if you want to sleep. Sometimes, I have to travel somewhere far away."


    Swan didn''t smell any scent of blood, but she was still feeling uneasy. Thus she asked, "Where have you been, Gale?"


    "The North Sea," Gale replied ambiguously. "I just killed a giant narwhal there, so I brought the tip of his golden tusk for you. Though, I don''t think you can use it for anything. Maybe we can put it somewhere as a decoration?"


    Gale was surprisingly chatty tonight, clearly trying to get her mind off this topic.


    "The North Sea as in... the Holy Achate?" Swan continued interrogating. "What did you do in the Holy Achate?"


    Gale went quiet for a while. He sighed, as he knew he couldn''t hide anything from his beloved.


    Honestly, he didn''t care whether Swan found out about the whole ordeal or not. He was just tired, and would rather not argue with Swan over this small thing.


    "I conquered the North Sea. That''s what I did. I want to punish your mother for neglecting you."


    "W-what kind of punishment?"


    "I make sure to cut off all the trade routes in and out of Holy Achate. I told your mother that she cane to Kingdom of Beastmen with your sister to kiss your feet and beg for forgiveness. If you think they can be forgiven, I will lift the ban, but if you don''t forgive them, then so be it. Holy Achate will cease to exist."


    "What are you doing, Gale?!" Swan raised her voice spontaneously. She wouldn''t do that most of the time, but this was a dire situation because her people''s lives were in danger!


    Gale had fully expected Swan to react this way, but it was still unpleasant for him, who did everything FOR her.


    "What? Do you expect me to do nothing after you told me that your parents neglected you? Swan, you are married to the Beast King. Your honor is also mine. I will never allow those weaklings to bully you and get off without punishment," Gale stated.


    "Yes, my parents neglected me. But those people are innocent! They did nothing to me, and yet you punished them!" Swan yelled.


    "They can survive just fine for a while. They have a choice anyway, either they execute their current royals, or force your mother and sister toe to our castle and beg for forgiveness."


    He noticed that stubborn gaze Swan had. It was the same gaze where they fought over Rock Silverfang''s fate a while ago.


    Gale scoffed and said, "Don''t give me that look, Swan. I''m not in the mood to argue with you."


    "But I-"


    "If you think I''m at fault here, then you should keep that opinion until tomorrow morning. It''ste, and I know you are tired."


    Gale got up from the bed, and put the tip of the golden tusk in the corner of the room, "That thing is a souvenir I brought for you. Since you have no use of it, I''ll tell the maids to put it in the treasury tomorrow."


    Swan stared at her husband stubbornly, still waiting for Gale to change his mind and lift the crazy ban that would ruin the lives of many.


    But Gale simply walked to the window and said, "I''ll go somewhere to rest for now. I don''t want to spend the night with my wife, who keeps sulking over this."


    "I''m angry because you are hurting innocent people, Gale," Swan rebuked.


    "Swan... I''m not a pure soul like you. I have my fair share of war, bloodshed, and battle of death. Do you think can be a Beast King.


    without spilling blood?" Gale


    knew it


    was difficult for Swan to ept it, but he wanted to make sure that Swan understood him. "You are mated with a cursed wolf whose ws have been stained with blood."


    "And you, Princess Swan of Holy Achate, are my soulmate. Your honor is mine, and mine is yours. don''t want anyone, not


    ¨¦t


    yout


    mother, to trample our honor," Gale stated firmly. "So, if you think you


    can change my mind about this, then you are wrong."


    Gale was about to jump out of the window and leave, but Swan stopped him this time.


    "Wait!"


    Gale turned his head towards Swan again, waiting for her to speak what was on her mind.


    Swan kept staring at Gale with a reluctant gaze. She was sulking and upset that Gale refused to budge.


    Thus, she asked, "What will happen to the people if my mother and sister get executed? Will the Holy Achate get destroyed because of that?"


    "No, I will take over once they get


    §Ö§ä


    executed. You will be the new Queen, and then you can appoint someone to manage the kingdom while you are away," Gale said,CA small sacrifice is necessary if you want to be the Queen."


    "I never want to be the Queen of Holy Achate. I just want my people to be safe." "Then wait for them toe, and let''s see if they will beg for forgiveness or not," Gale concluded. "The choice is in your hands, Swan."


    Swan took a deep breath.


    She knew it was impossible to change Gale''s mind now. The best she could do was to wait for Anastasia and Aria toe and beg her for forgiveness.


    ''Or... I could refuse to forgive them, and they''d be executed by the church for angering the Beast King...''

 Chapter 95: No Sex

    Chapter 95: Chapter 95: No Sex


    Honestly, Swan never had any intention to be the Queen, both in the Kingdom of Beastmen and Holy Achate.


    Though she hated her stepmother and half-sister, she knew fully well that they deserved the title more than her.


    Why?


    Because she was an illegitimate princess born out of a whore''s womb. What right did she have to lead a country?


    She never wanted to see Anastasia and Aria again in her life, but she didn''t have any ill thoughts about them, let alone nning on revenge.


    Swan found hatred to be very exhausting. She would rather let her resentment go and live her life with Gale.


    Thus, she took a deep breath and said, "Then I will wait until theye to the castle and ask for forgiveness."


    "Good, now we''re finally on the same page," Gale responded in relief.


    "Mm... please don''t leave tonight. I''m so tired of fighting with you. I just want you


    to sleep by my side, Gale..." Swan said truthfully. "The night is really cold without you..."


    Gale held his breath.


    Just as he thought, it was very easy for his mate to control him. Swan only needed to say please, and he would be on his knees, ready to give her whatever she wanted.


    Gale walked towards the bed and sat at the edge. He massaged her ankle gently before uttering, "I''ll find a way to heal your leg. Don''t worry about it."


    "Mm... Matoa said that you can bring me to the Sacred Selene Lake and pray to the Goddess to heal my leg. Maybe we can do that too," Swan suggested.


    "I" Gale was trying to find a better word for it. He hated that Goddess for cursing him, but that wasn''t the real reason for him refusing to bring her to theke.


    He was just worried that a useless white rabbit would say cruel things towards Swan, who was already sensitive about them not being fated.


    On top of that, if that white rabbit also said the same thing about not being able to heal Swan''s leg, it would only destroy her even more.


    "I can bring you in the summer when the temperature is warmer, but not now."


    "Why?"


    "Because the area surrounding theke gets cold and dangerous during the colder season, and I also have to use my aura to kill them. But you cannot handle my overpowering aura, right?"


    Swan nodded weakly.


    Yes, she remembered fainting because she couldn''t breathe at all for a long time. She also remembered how often Gale identally released his aura around the castle and made her choke.


    "Then, you should bring me next summer. I want to walk normally too."


    "Yes, I promise," Gale affirmed. ''And that means have to meet that scum goddess again before bringing Swan into theke. I have to make sure she can heal Swan. I also have to shut that white rabbit up before it says a random thing about my fated mate.''


    Gale made a mental note before he rested next to Swan on the bed.


    He hugged her from behind as usual and began sniffing her hair and nape aggressively.


    "W-why are you sniffing like a wild dog? Is there something wrong?" Swan asked.


    "I met with your sister today, and my nose has been stained with her scent," Gale replied. "I don''t know what kind of perfume she used, but it smells like dung covered with strong flowery perfume. It makes me nauseous."


    "Dung covered with perfume..." Swan gulped as she knew she was the one who cursed Aria with that scent. She was worried that Gale would be attracted to Aria, so she prayed to the Goddess that Aria would smell horrible.


    "Yes, you shouldn''t wear any perfume. I like your natural scent more," Gale reminded.


    "I-I never wear perfume in my life," Swan denied, mostly because she never had one. A perfume was very expensive, even the maids had to save up their wages just to buy one bottle to attract the soldiers.


    "Then, do you want one?" Gale


    asked. He didn''t like the scent of perfume, but he knew that perfume was something that most female humans like. "As long as you spray the perfume on your dress, not your skin, then I can tolerate it. I call the best human perfumer for you."


    "N-no need. I''d rather make you feelfortable around me. Your opinion is what matters," Swan refused.


    Gale continued sniffing around her body to overwrite the horrible scent from Aria before. Then he began to lick her nape before nibbling on it like a hungry wolf.


    Gale rubbed his bulge on her butt before whispering huskily, "Let''s do it, Swan. I''m in the mood tonight."


    Usually, Swan would simply nod and enjoy their night together, but after what the old doctor said about them not being a fated mate, she became a little reluctant.


    After all, Gale shouldn''t be too addicted to this sex between them, or else it would be hard for him to do it with his next mate.


    "But I''m tired..." Swan gave out an excuse. "Why don''t we just rest? Aren''t you sleepy?"


    "Oh... well... alright."


    Thus, Gale spent the night hugging Swan from behind. He kept on rubbing his bulge on her butt, but Swan didn''t react as it seemed that she had fallen into deep sleep.


    This was the first time he got rejected to mate with Swan, and he knew that Swan wasn''t just ''tired''.


    She was definitely trying to avoid him because of what Matoa said about them not being fated.


    He didn''t have the heart to force her into having sex, because Swan wore her heart on her sleeve. Every time she was reluctant, she would show it, and it made him ufortable.


    He wanted Swan to feel the same pleasure as he had.


    ''I should find a way to convince her


    to have sex if we don''t do it for long,


    fut


    DUT?


    it will be a disaster when my nextes, Gale thought. ''Either I cannot control myself and hurt her,


    or I cannot control my lust and.... sleep with another woman... C¨®ntent

 Chapter 96: A Gift from The Eastern Long Dynasty

    Chapter 96: Chapter 96: A Gift from The Eastern Long Dynasty


    Winter finally came around, marked by the first snowfall that Swan witnessed from the window. She often saw the snow from the Holy Achate Pce as well, but it was a different feeling because she used to stare at the snowfall from the kitchen on the ground floor.


    In this castle, she gazed at the beautiful snowfall from the tower with a nket and a firece at the corner of the room, which made the snowfall look beautiful rather than frightening for her.


    Gale had been busy with kingdom matters these days, and for some reason, he didn''t ask for sex anymore, probably because he was too busy.


    "I hope he keeps getting busy, so he doesn''t ask for that. He needs to get used to


    it."


    Of course, Swan was sad knowing that she couldn''t have sex with Gale as often as she wanted. But she shouldn''t be selfish.


    Gale wasn''t meant for her, and though it hurt her, she had to let him go once the time was right.


    The cat maids knocked on the door, before entering with lunch for her. They served the food on the table and started gossiping with their Princess as they wanted her to know what was happening around the castle while she was stuck inside her room due to the cold temperature.


    "Princess, do you know that Lady Jade will arrive at the castle today?" Maya started the topic.


    "Lady Jade?" Swan frowned. It had been about six months ever since Lady Jade left the kingdom to the East. Gale told her that she was leaving for trade because the Kingdom of Beastman and the Eastern Long Dynasty had a fairly good rtionship after they opened a trade route.


    Normally, Swan would be happy with Lady Jade''s arrival, as she had a good impression of her before. She was smart and was the one running the castle when Gale wasn''t around.


    However, after what Rock told him before about Lady Jade poisoning his drink, she became wary.


    ''I can''t tell Gale about it because I have no evidence. The least I can do is not to be stupid and fall into her trap,'' Swan thought.


    Maya and Myra looked at each other and said, "We don''t think you should meet with her, Princess. She doesn''t have a good impression of you, and Lady Jade is a cunning woman."


    "Besides, she has been with His Majesty for so long. They are childhood best friends. So, even if she did something to you, His Majesty would probably believe her more than you."


    Swan nodded.


    Though Swan and Gale were very close these days, Jade had been with him for so long. It''d be difficult to let go of the past feelings, whether it was romantic or not.


    "I will make sure to stay on my line," Swan reassured. "Is there any information about her time of arrival?"


    "Yes, Princess. Lady Jade should arrive in two or three hours from now, and the scouts said there is a big eastern royal carriage following hers. It''s probably a gift from the Emperor of the Long Dynasty, but we don''t know what it is."


    "Do we always exchange gifts like this?" Swan asked. A royal carriage meant it was a huge gift that needed to be protected, so she guessed the rtionship between the Kingdom of Beastmen and the EasternLong Dynasty must''ve been very good. C¨®ntent


    "Well, this is the first time, Princess. Usually, we are only trading with them. Perhaps His Majesty has finally agreed to have a better rtionship with them!" Maya said optimistically.


    "Yes, oh, maybe you can visit the Eastern Long Dynasty with His Majestyter. I heard from the guards who followed Lady Jade that the easternnd and culture are very different from ours!" Myra added.


    Swan smiled, "Well, since we have been given a special gift by the Eastern Long Dynasty, then I shoulde to see it by myself, right? You two should prepare a thicker nket for me because I''m going to the castle ground today."


    "Ah, are you sure you''re okay, Princess? It will be very cold," Myra asked.


    "It''s okay. As long as I sit in this wheelchair with a thick nket, my leg wouldn''t


    ache that badly," Swan said. "Besides, I want to show my gratitude to the


    beastmen soldiers and merchants who traveled through the continent."


    *


    Meanwhile, Gale was in a bad mood in the throne room after he heard the scouts'' report.


    He had a bad feeling about what Jade brought with her back to the Kingdom, especially since it was the first time the Long Eastern Dynasty would send a royal carriage for a ''gift.''


    It was suspicious, but he couldn''t just stop the royal carriage from entering the kingdom, especially when it was already entering the city wall.


    ''I hope it''s not what I think it is,'' Gale thought. ''Well, even if Jade dares to bring me ''that'', I will just send her back to the Eastern Long Dynasty. I just have to make sure that Swan wouldn''t know about-"


    Before he could finish his line of thought, the door leading to the throne room was opened, and Swan entered with her wheelchair, pushed by the cat maids behind


    her.


    "You seem concerned, Gale. Is there something wrong?" Swan asked casually.


    "Why are you here, sweetheart?"


    Gale asked back as he quickly


    rushed to his beloved and told the cat maids to leave. Gale pushed the wheelchair to the warmest spot inside the throne room before saying worriedly, "It''s very cold outside. You should stay in your room?


    "I need to see what the Eastern Long Dynasty has for us. I heard a royal carriage ising, so I think it''s only right if Ie to see it myself," Swan Smiled. "I also want to pay my


    respect to our soldiers and


    merchants. They went through a


    difficult road in such a cold season."


    "But your leg..."


    "Don''t worry. I have a thicker nket, I will do just fine as long as I''m in this


    wheelchair," Swan replied.

 Chapter 97: A Gift from The Eastern Long Dynasty (II)

    Chapter 97: Chapter 97: A Gift from The Eastern Long Dynasty (II)


    Gale didn''t have the heart to tell Swan to go back to her room. She seemed to be excited to see the new gift that the Eastern Long Dynasty had for them.


    Gale could only rely on good faith and hoped that Jade wouldn''t dare to pull a crazy stunt that would hurt Swan''s feelings.


    "Alright, the carriage is already near the castle''s entrance, why don''t we go out and see it together?" Gale offered. "Do you want me to carry you out?"


    "N-no need, just push my wheelchair," Swan refused. Being carried by Gale would warm her up, but she didn''t want Gale to awkwardly carry her on his arm while he was weing the entourage from the Eastern Long Dynasty.


    Complying with Swan, Gale pushed the wheelchair out of the throne room and headed outside. He made sure to put Swan under a shade, so she would be protected from the falling snow. Then, he stepped forward to greet the row of carriages as they entered the castle grounds.


    Swan watched the first carriage that came in, and it appeared to be the guard carriage, followed by Lady Jade''s carriage, and behind her was the Eastern Long Dynasty royal carriage, beautifully decorated with red and gold threads and also a dragon statue on top.


    It was a lot fancier than Holy Achate''s royal carriage, just like what she overheard from Aria''s tutor back then.


    The Eastern Long Dynasty was established almost a thousand years ago. They are an advanced and cultured nation. Their poption far exceeds ours, and their war and politics are bloodier than ours.


    Behind the royal carriage, there were three carriages from the East, which were probably used as a wagon to carry trade items and gifts.


    The carriage lined up in front of the Beast King, and the guard opened Lady Jade''s carriage door.


    The beautiful maturedy stepped out of the carriage wearing a dress that was unfit for winter, but her naturally hot werewolf blood made her warm all year long.


    She walked towards the Beast King confidently, which disturbed Gale a little, because of what happened between them six months ago, when Gale sent her to the East for a trade as his gut feeling told him that Jade didn''t have a good intention towards his beloved mate.


    "What''s wrong with your expression? Are you surprised I came back earlier? Or are you surprised that I came back at all?" Jade chuckled. "Well, the trade with the Eastern Long Dynasty is a sess, as you can see with those wagons if that''s what you want to know. The Eastern Long Dynasty was impressed by our trade products, so the Emperor gave us a special prize."


    "Special prize?" Gale frowned. His guts told him not to ept whatever gift the Eastern Long Dynasty had, but since the gift was already here, he reluctantly said, "Show it to me."


    Lady Jade''s grin turned malicious as she told the guard, "Open the royal carriage, I''m sure she has been waiting to see her new husband as well."


    "She?!"


    Gale was about to stop the carriage, but it was toote. The guard, who had been standing next to the red carriage opened the door, and a waft of sweet scent of eastern flowers burst out of the carriage.


    Gale held his breath as ady wearing a red winter coat over her shoulder,bined with a flowing silk dress underneath stepped out of the carriage.


    She had thin makeup, but it was more than enough to highlight her heart-shaped lips, cute upturned nose, and thin eyes.


    She was small in stature, around the


    same height as Swan, but her slightly chubby cheek made it obvious that she wasn''t


    malnourished. Her dark, long hair scattered beautifully behind her, and her posture was very graceful as she walked towards the Beast King, as if she were floating.


    Thedy stood in front of Gale and bowed politely to fit the standard greeting of the West.


    "M-My name is Long Xiurong. I am the Third Princess of the Eastern Long Dynasty. I''ve been sent by my Emperor Father as a special gift to be your bride, Your Majesty, the Indomitable Beast King, Gale Stormfront."


    ...


    There was nothing but silence after that.


    Gale didn''t respond-no, to be more precise, he didn''t know how to respond, as he never expected any of this.


    Jade knew when to strike when the iron was hot. She stood next to Long Xiurong and stated, "She is the gift that the Emperor wants to give you, his daughter, to be your bride. Her ent is a little thick, but she is very fluent in thenguage of our continent."


    "Lady Long said that she is very excited to meet her new husband, since there have been many tales of your strength in the East," Jade added, and Long Xiurong''s cheeks blushed instantly.


    "L-Lady Jade, please don''t say that," Long Xiurong said shyly. "T-this is my first time leaving somewhere far. I-I''m just a little scared." freewebnovel


    "Oh, don''t be scared. Our King might look intimidating, but he is a kind and loving man. I''m sure he''d love to have you on his bed," Jade added shamelessly and loudly, to make sure that Gale and a certain someone sitting on a wheelchair under a shade heard her "What do you think, Gale? Do you like her? Long Xiurong is the prettiest out of all the princesses in the Eastern Long Dynasty. It would be a shame to send her back home."


    "It would be a disgrace for her if she returned to the Eastern Long Dynasty after you rejected her. She is, after all, sent to be your bride, what do you think will happen i she''s sent back?" Jade paused for a moment, relishing the tense atmosphere around her. "You guessed it right, Gale. Long Xiurong


    will be executed if she is sent back, as she will be seen as a disgrace to her imperial family."

 Chapter 98: A Gift from The Eastern Long Dynasty (III)

    Chapter 98: Chapter 98: A Gift from The Eastern Long Dynasty (III)


    The atmosphere became more tense after Lady Jade dropped that crucial information. Gale red at Jade beneath the blindfold as he knew it was Jade''s trickery to ensure that Long Xiurong would be able to stay in his castle.


    He didn''t want to get tricked by his crafty friend, so he asked, "Is that true, Lady Long?"


    Long Xiurong jolted when the Beast King finally spoke to her. His voice was magnanimous, deep, and somewhat gruff. It was very different from the men in her dynasty.


    But Long Xiurong liked his voice.


    She nodded bashfully, "It is part of my culture, Your Majesty. When a woman is sent to be a bride, that moment bes the end of her journey. If she returns home after she gets married off, she would be considered a disgrace," Xiurong exined. "I don''t know if my father would execute me or not, but the lightest punishment I will get is probably banishment somewhere in the forest, or sold to be another man''s concubine."


    "I-I know I might ask for too much, but I''m begging Your Majesty to ept me as your bride. It is my Emperor Father''s mandate, and this is my fate."


    ...


    Gale didn''t expect everything to develop this far. He was angry at Jade who dared to do this without his acknowledgment, but he also couldn''t show his anger. He was not cruel enough to send someone back only to die.


    ''I will find a way out of this problem. It''s better to keep this woman in the castle for now. Perhaps I can help her to marry someone else, or let her be the bride of another powerful beastman who can protect her.''


    Gale''s brain was calcting all possibilities that he could think of before dering, "I will ept you in this castle. You''ll be given all the amenities befitting your status as a Princess from Eastern Long Dynasty, and you will be assigned two private attendants."


    Long Xiurong''s face brightened as the Beast King''s words-though not directly implied¡ªmeant that she had been epted as his bride.


    She bowed politely, "Thank you for your generosity, Your Majesty. May the Kingdom of Beastmen flourish forever and more. My Emperor Father would be d knowing that I have been epted as your bride."


    Gale was about to correct her, wanting to tell her that she was not his bride, but a mere temporary resident until she found the right beastman to marry.


    But again, Jade quickly interrupted and said, "Oh, you should know that our Beast King has been cursed."


    "Yes, Mdy. You told me about the curse," Long Xiurong nodded before shifting her eyes back at Gale. "Your Majesty, I am ready whenever you need me to help lessen the pain of the curse. It is my duty as your wife to make you feel at ease."


    "Yes, yes, everyone in the castle knows that His Majesty needs to mark as many women as possible, so this will be your turn, Long Xiurong. Don''t worry, His Majesty will visit your bed often," Jade added.


    "Silence!" Gale snapped at Jade. "You speak too much, Jade."


    "My apologies, Your Majesty, I am merely excited to present you a bride, since


    you need your remedy," Lady Jade apologized frivolously.


    Gale had a headache seeing how Jade was trying to push him with this new woman. He disliked having his personal matters discussed in public and under the eyes of all his subjects.


    Wanting to get this done as quickly as possible, Gale looked at nearby maids and ordered, "Prepare a suitable room for Lady Long. The one with a firece for heating, assign two maids for her, prepare a hot bath and dinner as well.


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    Gale turned his head at Jade and said, "Meet me in the throne room after dinner. I want to talk with you."


    "Sure, but let me rest for a moment. I had an exhausting journey to bring your bride here," Jade teased before she walked past him towards the castle.


    She nced at Swan who sat in silence in her wheelchair, and she smirked maliciously, ''And you think you are special? Oh, Miss Cripple, you are just one of his many. It won''t be long until you will get kicked out.''


    Swan kept her mouth shut the whole time. She kept staring at the beautiful Long Xiurong, and how


    graceful she was as she walk


    spoke, and even giggled. Princess Long Xiurong was like a fairy when she stood next to Gale, as she attentively listened to all of his instructions about living in his castle.


    Swan turned her gaze to the


    powerful back of her husband, which was filled with scars. He looked majestic as he listened to the


    reports from the guard about all the items that the Long Dynasty sent alongside their Princess, and also the ount of how many golds they earned for the sessful trade.


    ''He always looks majestic and powerful, and I''m just a crippled woman who cannot bear him a child,'' Swan told herself. ''What right do I have to be selfish?''


    Swan had always told herself to be prepared as this day woulde sooner orter. But now that she had to face the fate of being discarded, her heart began to ache badly.


    She clenched the nket with her hands until they were shaking. She didn''t have the heart to stay in this ce for much longer, or she would cry seeing how perfect Gale and Xiurong looked together. freewebnovel


    The cat maids were already standing next to her, so she asked them, "Please send me back to my room."


    "Ah, a-are you sure, Princess? Your Majesty will finish the trade matter soon, I''m sure he''d be happy if you wait for him," Maya asked.


    "No need, he already has someone to apany him," Swan said. She tried to smile as she didn''t want to make it awkward, then added, "Don''t give me that look. It''s just too cold for me. I can barely feel my leg right now."


    Maya and Myra looked at each other and obediently escorted Swan back into the castle and went straight to her room.

 Chapter 99: You’re not supposed to be loyal!

    Chapter 99: Chapter 99: You''re not supposed to be loyal!


    "Put all the gold in the treasury, and make sure to handle the jewelry with care, in case I need itter," Gale instructed as he thought of Swan. She said she didn''t like jewelry, so she never wore one, but maybe she just didn''t like the style here. Maybe she would fancy the jewelry from the East?


    "Yes, Your Majesty!"


    After Gale was done managing everything, he looked down at the petite eastern woman who quickly averted her gaze bashfully, "Pardon me for staring at you, Your Majesty. I just can''t help but think that you are truly a heroic warrior, just like what the poets of the East told us in stories and songs."


    Gale heard from Jade that his tale had been immortalized as fables and bads in the Eastern Long Dynasty. As it turned out, their culture wasn''t so different, because they also worshiped their Emperor whom they often referred to as the Son of Heaven.


    He gazed at Long Xiurong for a good ten seconds with one thing in his mind, ''This woman looks very sophisticated, and she has a nice scent as well. I could find her a good and powerful beastman as her husband if she wants to.''


    He called a maid and ordered, "Escort Lady Long to her new room and get the firece burning as soon as possible. It''s very cold here. She''ll get sick if she stays out for too long."


    Long Xiurong blushed at how thoughtful the Beast King was. She had her fair share of conversations with the warriors in her kingdom, and nobody was as courteous and gentle as the Beast King.


    "T-then, I will be in my room. Please call me if you need me anytime, Your Majesty," Long Xiurong said before she was escorted inside the castle.


    Gale sighed as he had so much to do today after Jade dared to pull up this sort of trick to get him stuck with another woman, ''I have to talk with Jade as well. I can''t let her pull this stunt again in the future. But for now...''


    He turned around to check on his beloved. It had been quite a while since he brought her outside, he was worried she would feel unwell due to the cold.


    Unfortunately, when he looked in that direction, Swan was no longer there.


    He frowned and asked the guard, "Where is my mate?"


    "The cat maids escorted her back into the castle about fifteen minutes ago, Your Majesty," the guard replied.


    Gale''s brows creased for a moment before easing up again as he found a logical reason for her to return earlier.


    ''Ah, she must''ve gotten too cold. I''ll check on herter. I''m afraid her leg will start hurting again.''


    Thus, Gale returned to the throne room where Jade had been waiting for his arrival.


    Jade was sitting in her usual seat as an advisor, a space that was left empty for the past six months because Gale didn''t need a temporary advisor when he had Swan. Since that spot had been filled by Jade again, he began to see her as a thorn in his eyes.


    Gale sat on the throne and asked directly, "What the actual hell were you thinking, Jade? Why would you ept that woman as a gift from the Emperor of the Eastern Long Dynasty? Didn''t I tell you that I already have Swan?"


    "You know you can''t stay exclusive with her. She is not enough, and after Long Xiurong, you will need more women in the future," Jade replied "Besides, Swan should''ve realized that you cannot stay monogamous. The Eastern Long Dynasty''s Emperor had a harem of 100 beauties, and Long Xiurong was aware that you would have other women in the future as well. She won''t bat an eye once you bring more women into your harem. She is a perfect wife for you."


    "Swan is the perfect wife for me. I don''t need anyone else," Gale insisted. "If you


    dare to pull this stunt again, I will send you out of my kingdom forever, Jade. I


    don''t need someone who defies me."


    ville


    "You know I genuinely want to help. That curse will re up during the coldest night, so it should be soon Do you think your little fragile princess will be able to handle you all by herself?" Jade sneered "Don''t me me when Swan will be dead by the time you regain your consciousness after the rut. She would probably get split in half because of you."


    Gale recalled his rutst year. He didn''t have any woman to calm him down, so he simply went on a rampage and killed many humans and beastmen.


    Now that he had his mate, he wanted Swan to help him during his rut, though he wasn''t sure if she could handle him, knowing he would probably fuck her for days nonstop.


    Jade grinned.


    Of course, she also didn''t know what would happen to Gale once he had sex during his cursed rut.


    Would he kill his mate in the process? Or would he simply fucked her until she died?


    Nevertheless, it was a win-win for her, since Gale was unsure about what to do


    now.


    "You know I''m right, Gale. I am your best friend, and the only one left from our Storm Pack. We only have each other, and I''m just helping you so you won''t hurt Swan while you are in a rut," Jade said. "So stop trying to pin the me on me."


    Gale''s lips thinned, "I still won''t mark that woman."


    "You can test her body first to see if you like her then mark her after that. Why are you trying so hard to be monogamous? You are NOT supposed to be loyal to only one woman, Gale!" Jade insisted She finally got up and said, "I think I''m done trying to convince you. You''ll eventually know that I''m right when your rut finallyes."


    With that, Jade walked out of the throne room, leaving Gale feeling conflicted


    about everything.

 Chapter 100: I love this man

    Chapter 100: Chapter 100: I love this man


    Swan stayed inside her room for the entire evening. She ate a little for dinner because she wasn''t in the mood to eat.


    Or rather, she wasn''t in the mood for anything, as she realized her time inside this castle would end soon.


    She looked around her room and smiled bitterly, thinking she would probably die soon. The best scenario that could happen to her was getting thrown away somewhere in the forest and left to fend for herself if Gale was kind enough not to kill her.


    ''Maybe I should prepare myself when that situationes,'' Swan thought. ''Since I have the power from the Goddess, maybe I should move somewhere safe. Or maybe I can just teleport to Rock, and live with him. I''m sure I can be useful... somehow.''


    Swan couldn''t trust anyone except Gale and Rock in her life, so she guessed Rock would be herst resort in case she couldn''t survive alone in the wilderness with her crippled leg.


    She stared at thefortable bed where she spent most of her nights with Gale, either mating or simply cuddling as they shared each other''s warmth.


    ''Mm, I will miss that one the most...'' Swan thought. She had her firstfortable sleep on that bed, and she also lost her virginity there. All of her firsts were done on that bed, yet she had to abandon it soon.


    "Well, maybe Gale would change his mind and not mark that woman. I mean, it can happen, right?" Swan told herself as she tried to deny the truth, but thenughed at her own denial, "Oh, Swan, you''re not that special. The old doctor already said that you are not his fated mate. What''s the point of clinging to false hope?"


    Swan grew up being unwanted, so she was sensible and logical enough to know that she would be discarded soon as well. However, the aching in her heart seemed to be permanent, because it kept aching ever since she saw Gale with Long Xiurong in the castle grounds.


    "So this is the side effect of falling in love," Swan let out a mirthless chuckle. "I need to pray to the Goddess every day to numb the heartache. Or this pain will kill me slowly."


    Swan used her crutches to reach the bed again and sat on it for a while, staring at the window where Gale usually hopped in after a bath in his privateke. He wouldter fall asleep right next to her, embracing her tightly as if he didn''t want to lose her.


    She clenched the bed sheet as the dull pain in her heart was getting stronger and muttered, "I need to get used to his absence. This is for the best. He will have many women in the future, after all."


    Swan was about toy on the bed, waiting for her demise, when she saw a silhouette from the window, and Gale hopped in after a long day in the throne


    room.


    "You haven''t slept yet? It''s already sote," Gale asked casually before checking on the firece. "The fire is still burning, so the room is still warm, but you should tell the cat maids in case you need a thicker nket. It will only get colder from now on." freewebnovel


    Gale closed the window behind him as it had be his habit, knowing that Swan couldn''t stand the winter with the window open.


    Gale walked to the bed and sat next to Swan. He gently massaged her leg and asked, "Is it still hurting? You have been staying outside for too long, I''m afraid you might get frostbite."


    Swan stared at Gale who looked genuinely worried of her, and asked in a daze, "Why are you here?"


    Gale frowned, "Why am I here? Huh... thest time I checked, this is still our room, is it not?"


    Swan didn''t understand how Gale could be so casual about it, especially when there was another younger, more beautiful, and perfect woman from the Far East waiting for him in her room.


    Long Xiurong was probably excited about spending her first night with Gale, so she said, "Long Xiurong must''ve been waiting for you in her bedroom. You should spend the night there."


    "Why should I spend the night with her?" Gale frowned. "I have nothing to do with her anyway. Why don''t we sleep now? I want to hug you to sleep."


    Galey on the bed, waiting for Swan to join in so they could hug and fall asleep quickly.


    Swan stayed in her position and continued pestering him, "But you''ve epted her as your bride, just like how you epted me back then. Shouldn''t you mark her now?"


    Gale''s brows creased deeper as Swan kept pushing him toward another woman, "I epted her because I don''t want her to die over a stupid rule in the Eastern Long Dynasty. But I won''t mark her."


    Swan began to feel something in her heart, and she could identify it easily. It was hope.


    She began to have hope that Gale wouldn''t fall into temptation and stay true to his promise that he would stay monogamous with her.


    But she also didn''t want to cling to such false hope, so she advised him again, "But Long Xiurong is still your bride. You should at least visit her and talk to her first."


    Gale was getting impatient as he was already tired of managing the kingdom today.


    "Why do you keep pushing me to be


    with her? I told you I want to sleep


    here, with you, my mate, my wife, Swan. Why do I have to repeat that over and over?" Galeined. "And why are you pushing me away? Iam YOUR mate, your husband, your Alpha! I have the right to decide whatever the hell I want!"


    Swan finally stopped asking after that. She finally had a sincere smile after a long time andy down next to him. It didn''t take long for Gale to embrace her, and he fell asleep quickly.


    Meanwhile, she couldn''t sleep, because she was trying to contain her joy.


    ''Goddess, I know he won''t stay like this forever, but let me enjoy his warmth for a little bit longer. I love this man. I love him so much.''

 Chapter 101: Eye Contact

    Chapter 101: Chapter 101: Eye Contact


    Gale woke up earlier than Swan, right when the sun was rising. He didn''t need sleep, and there was no difference in his body whether he slept for hours or not.


    But sleeping made him feel better mentally. It made his head clearer, but it only worked when he fell asleep with Swan by his side.


    He tried sleeping outside once when they argued before, but he couldn''t even close his eyes for more than five seconds. On top of that, he felt tired and grumpy when the sun began to rise.


    That''s why he knew Swan was the reason he could fall asleep. She was the remedy that he needed.


    He didn''t understand why Swan kept pushing him to be with that new woman.


    Gale patted Swan''s head as she was in a deep sleep and murmured, "Did I not make myself clear enough? I don''t n to be with someone else. It''s just you and me against this cruel world, Swan."


    Gale smiled white staring lovingly at Swan. Swan felt someone patting her head and frowned before burying her face deeper into his chest. Gale couldn''t help but smile at her movement.


    It warmed his heart knowing that Swan hadplete trust in him.


    "We have our differences. We fight often, but at least we still love each other, isn''t it, sweetheart?"


    Of course, he got no answer, since she was fast asleep.


    Nevertheless, it still made him happy.


    As he kept patting her head, he had the urge to take off his blindfold. His curse made him unable to make eye contact with anyone, because eyes were meant to be the windows of the soul, so he should be able to identify his fated mate just with one direct eye contact.


    From being unable to identify the scent of his fated mate and making eye contact, to the cursed rut he had to suffer on the coldest night of the year, that scummy Moon Goddess did everything just so he could not find his destined one.


    ''But even if all the odds are stacked against me, and even if you are not my fated mate, I will find a way to make sure that we can be together, Swan,'' Gale thought.


    The curse made him unable to look anyone directly in the eye, as his cursed gaze could crush someone''s soul. However, as long as no eye contact was made, Swan should be safe.


    Thus, Gale slowly took off his blindfold and stared at his sleeping wife with his ruby-like eyes.


    He had been longing to make eye contact with Swan before he fell asleep and after he woke up. But it was impossible because he didn''t know if Swan was his fated mate or not.


    What if he made direct eye contact with her, and she died instantly? He would probably kill himself due to overwhelming guilt and heartbreak.


    Thus, he kept gazing at Swan while caressing her cheek,bing her hair, and kissing her head as he was in a great mood.


    His ruby-like eyes overflowed with love and sincerity, considering how he had been wanting to do this for so long.


    "One day, Swan," Gale murmured. "One day we can be together, and I can finally look you directly in the eyes."


    **


    Swan woke up once she couldn''t feel the warmth of the big man next to her. She opened her eyes slowly and looked around in a daze only to realize that Gale wasn''t around anymore.


    She checked the firece and saw the stacks of wooden logs were burning inside, so Gale must''ve told the maids to put some more in there.


    "He''s so attentive. Whoever his fated mate is will be very lucky," Swan muttered before she called the cat maids, and asked them to prepare breakfast for her.


    Swan ate her breakfast slowly as Mayabed her hair from behind. She was still absentminded, but she wasn''t in a somber mood likest night, making the cat maids smile in relief.


    They looked at each other before Myra asked, "Princess, Lady Jade, and Lady Long Xiurong want to invite you for brunch in Lady Jade''s room. Do you want to ept the invitation?" freewebnovel


    The cat maids knew that their Princess was notfortable with the presence of Long Xiurong, and Lady Jade was very cunning, so who knew what kind of idea would be nted in her mind?


    Thus, Myra and Maya hoped that Princess Swan would reject the invitation to keep herself safe.


    Swan was considering it.


    The safest route was to reject the invitation and act like she never needed to talk with Jade or Long Xiurong.


    But it also meant that she was avoiding problems, especially when these two women were equally important to Gale.


    ''I have to face my fear. I can''t keep hiding like a turtle forever. I want to make sure that Jade won''t do


    anything dangerous towards m


    husband, and Long Xiurong won''t try to harm him when he marks herter,'' Swan thought.


    Thus, she nodded and said, "I wille to Lady Jade''s bedroom for brunchter.


    You two shoulde with me, and don''t forget to brew tea."


    "Brew tea?" The cat maids were surprised. "But, Princess, Lady Jade has many selections of tea she collected from her travels. Wouldn''t you want to try some of them?"


    Swan was reminded of Rock''s confession about how Lady Jade poisoned him, so she had to take a preventive measure. She certainly didn''t want to meet the same fate.


    "I like the tea you two brew for me. Let''s stick with that."


    Maya and Myra were ttered by their Princess''pliment. They didn''t question her anymore after that.


    Swan wondered what kind of conversation she would have with Lady Jade and Long Xiurong. Would they try to intimidate her? Or would they try to persuade her to leave? Lady Jade didn''t like her, and she assumed Long Xiurong didn''t wantpetition either.


    ''I need to be ready for whatever will happenter,'' Swan told herself.

 Chapter 102: Long Xiurong

    Chapter 102: Chapter 102: Long Xiurong


    Long Xiurong sat on a table, gracefully eating her breakfast while a bunny maid was standing next to her, waiting for her to finish. She was used to having many attendants in her kingdom, so she didn''t mind at all.


    But it was truly a fascinating experience since it was her first time seeing a beastman looking so prim and proper.


    In the Eastern Long Dynasty, beastmen were treated the same as animals. They were savage tribes that were difficult to exterminate, and they often raided caravans just because those caravans happened to enter their territory.


    Most of them were too savage to negotiate, so any beastmen raid would end up with many deaths.


    "It''s so nice to see many beastmen looking so polite here," Long Xiurongplimented sincerely. "I didn''t know that the beastmen in the west would be so knowledgeable and almost human-like."


    "Ah, that..." the bunny maid blushed a bit. She fidgeted as she continued, "It''s because of His Majesty. Before he conquered us all and built this kingdom, we were a bunch of small tribes scattered in the west. But now under his protection, we have to serve him, so we learn how to be more civilized."


    "Is he that powerful?" Long Xiurong asked. "Don''t get me wrong. I''m just curious since the tales and bads in the East are often exaggerated."


    "Oh! Yes, he is!" the bunny maid nodded vehemently. She showed reverence in her eyes as if the image of the Beast King was like a God in her heart. "His Majesty is so powerful that he has been undefeatable for over a century, and he will live for... well, nobody knows how long he will live. But all the beastmen believe that he will be immortal!"


    "Then, were the bads of him defeating the Merman king of the West Sea true? How about the tale of him turning into a giant wolf that would kill anyone on sight?"


    "Yes! Those are all true!" the bunny maid said happily. "I never saw it in real life because the war zone is very dangerous for a bunny beastman like me. But the soldiers all have stories of His Majesty''s strength! Oh, he just conquered the North Sea not long ago, the scouts told us that he defeated a giant narwhal in just one punch!"


    Long Xiurong was utterly fascinated. She heard many tales of her Emperor father''s heroic deeds as well, but it was nothing but tales, and there was no proof of it except that it was a good political tool to stay in power.


    Thus, knowing that someone out there was actually as powerful as a deity, made her realize that she just struck gold.


    She was excited to know the Beast King better.


    Unfortunately, he didn''te to her roomst night, even though she was already well-prepared.


    "Is there a reason why His Majesty


    reason


    didn''te to my roomst night? Was he busy with Kingdom''s matters Long Xiurong asked. "If recall correctly, he didn''t seem to have anything against my appearance, or scent, since I''ve been told by Lady Jade that His Majesty''s senses are very sensitive."


    "Ah, His Majesty would always finish everything before midnight," the bunny maid replied. "Hmm, I guess he spent his night with Princess Swan again."


    Long Xiurong frowned, "Princess Swan? Who''s that?"


    "Ah? Lady Jade hasn''t informed you about Princess Swan yet?" the bunny maid asked back, and Long Xiurong shook her head cluelessly. "Have I met her before? Who is she? I didn''t see anyone standing next to His Majesty yesterday."


    "Princess Swan sat on a wheelchair under a shade not far from the castle ground when you came yesterday, Mdy," the bunny said. "She has a fragile body, so she cannot withstand cold."


    "I see. Did something happened to her that forced her to use a wheelchair?"


    "Uhm... other servants told me that she had an ident when she was young, and her leg was deformed because of that. She needs either crutches or a wheelchair to go around," the bunny maid replied. "She is a Princess from Holy Achete, also his first mate."


    "Ohh... I thought Lady Jade was his first mate," Long Xiurong said.


    "No, no, Lady Jade and His Majesty are childhood best friends. They are almost like siblings!"


    "I see. Hmm, I was so focused on His Majesty''s handsome and mighty figure yesterday, so I must''ve missed her. Please tell Lady Jade that I want to meet her, we are going to be sisters in this castle anyway," Long Xiurong said.


    "About Princess Swan..." the bunny


    maid looked conflicted. She scooted closer to Long Xiurong and whispered, "I''ve heard from her. sister that Princess Swan is


    yel


    practicing witchcraft. She has been using her witchcraft to curse her sister, and also to charm His Majesty to love her unconditionally. I don''t know if that rumour is true or not, but please be careful Mdy. I don''t want anything bad to happen to you."


    "A witch..." Long Xiurong''s smile faded as she was spooked by the possibility. There was also dark magic in the Eastern Long Dynasty, but she had never seen


    a true witch before. "D-does His Majesty know about this?"


    "Nobody dares to tell him about this,


    because he has been utterly


    bewitched by Princess Swan''s charm spell. We will lose our heads if we dare to report it," the bunny maid said. "P-please don''t tett anyone that I told you about this, Mdy. I don''t want to lose my head. I''m just scared of what would happen to you, and to Lady Jade, and also to His Majesty, since Princess Swan''s sister told me she witnessed her using dark magic many times when they were just kids."


    "Don''t worry, I will make sure not to tell anybody about this. But I still have to inspect, to make sure that Princess Swan is not dangerous for me," Long Xiurong said. "So, please, tell Lady Jade that I want to set up a tea party for the three of


    us."

 Chapter 103: Tea Time With Lady Jade and Long Xiurong (I)

    Chapter 103: Chapter 103: Tea Time With Lady Jade and Long Xiurong (1)


    Swan was getting nervous as the cat maid pushed her wheelchair towards Lady Jade''s room.


    Ever since she got the information from Rock about Jade poisoning him, all of her good opinions of that woman crumbled, and she learned that she should be more careful right now.


    ''And that Long Xiurong... I don''t think she will be kind to me either. She probably wants to have Gale all for herself, which is understandable, I guess. Because even I have the same selfishness myself,'' Swan thought.


    She clenched her dress as the wheelchair stopped in front of Lady Jade''s room.


    Maya and Myra noticed Princess Swan''s nervousness. They looked at each other and asked, "Princess, are you sure about this? Should you change your mind, we can just go back to your room and we''ll tell Lady Jade''s attendant that you are not feeling well."


    "No, I can''t hide forever. I need to face them because they are equally important to Gale," Swan insisted. "Open the door, and let me talk to them."


    Thus, despite her worry, she braced herself and joined Lady Jade and Long Xiurong who sat at a round table with assorted snacks and desserts, alongside tea for three inside Lady Jade''s room.


    It was the first time in a while that Swan met Lady Jade again, and she looked scarier now in her eyes.


    It was also her first time looking at Long Xiurong in close proximity. She realized once again that Lady Long was truly an exotic beauty of the East, no wonder Gale epted her easily.


    "Thank you for inviting me, Mdy. How was your trip to the East?" Swan asked politely.


    "Hm- it''s fine. Everything went smoothly. I can''t say the same with what happened here, though. I heard from the reports that Gale went as far as conquering the North Sea to punish your mother and sister," Jade replied with a scathingment. "I don''t know what you have done to grant such a cruel punishment from him, since Gale is usually very indifferent about everything."


    Swan''s lips twitched.


    One minute into the conversation, Lady Jade already attacked her with what happened in Holy Achate.


    However, it seemed that she wasn''t informed of the details, or Gale simply didn''t tell anyone about his true intention behind Anastasia and Aria''s punishment.


    Swan automatically thought it was her duty to keep the real reason a secret as well since her husband refused to tell anyone about Anastasia''s neglect of her.


    On top of that, she shouldn''t allow Lady Jade to use Holy Achate as a liability against her.


    "Whatever happened to Holy Achate is none of my concern," Swan replied calmly.


    "None of your concern? Did you lose your heart, Princess? How could you say that against those innocent civilians and also your family in Holy Achate?" Jade feigned her shock, acting exaggeratedly. "If it were me, I would sacrifice myself as long as the Kingdom of Beastman would be safe, and-" Jade pointed at Long Xiurong who had been silent the whole time. "Lady Long must''ve thought the same as well. She will do anything for the sake of her people."


    Long Xiurong''s body tensed as she nced at the beautiful woman sitting in front of her.


    Swan was very beautiful, with her innocent eyes, soft and fluffy blonde hair, and also the way she stared at her as if she was an angel descending from heaven.


    If the bunny maid didn''t tell her about Princess Swan''s ability as a witch, she would''ve thought that Swan was genuinely an angel.


    ''I guess beautyes with a price. Who would''ve expected an innocent-looking woman like her to be cruel enough to charm the Beast King and harm her kingdom?''


    Long Xiurong was scared that she would get cursed by Princess Swan if she said something that would offend her.


    Thus, she simply nodded andmented, "I-it''s given since we are royals."


    "See? It seems that I have severely misjudged you, Swan. You are not the sweetdy that I expected," Jade said, which directly tranted to her calling Swan a cruel bitch in an elegant manner.


    "You may judge me whichever you want, Mdy, Swan responded calmly. "But as you know, I have been sent by my mother to be the Beast King''s bride. Therefore, am now bound by my duty to His Majesty, not to my kingdom anymore. It doesn''t bother me as much."


    Of course, Swan was lying. She was constantly worrying about the innocent civilians in Holy Achate and prayed to the Goddess almost every day that her stepmother and half-sister would finallye to the castle and beg for forgiveness.


    Swan would forgive them immediately, not because she was full of love, but because she had to save the innocent people no matter what.


    She knew how painful it was to suffer from getting beaten, starved, and neglected,


    and she didn''t want innocent civilians from Holy Achate to suffer the same.


    At the same time, she didn''t want to show weakness in front of Lady Jade. She was still Gale''s wife no matter what, and showing weakness would be a disgrace for him.


    ''Stay strong, Swan. Gale trusts you as his mate, and you shouldn''t embarrass him. Don''t let yourself get intimidated by anyone!'' Swan told herself repeatedly in her heart as she kept her head straight.


    The smile on Jade''s lips faded quickly, as she noticed something had changed with this woman only after seven months of her absence.


    Swan seemed to be confident and calm with her words and actions. She didn''t stutter and she kept her head high as if she had the bearing of a true Queen.


    Jade even momentarily wondered if Swan was faking her stuttering and timidness the whole time. But when she recalled the time when they first met, it truly seemed that Swan had those traits. It didn''t look fake at all.


    ''If she''s not faking it, then what makes her change? Gale? Hah, nobody loves that man more thand do,'' Jade sneered in her heart, but it was difficult to hide her jealousy as she already heard many sweet tales of Swan and Gale around the castle from the servants.

 Chapter 104: Tea Time with Lady Jade and Long Xiurong (II)

    Chapter 104: Chapter 104: Tea Time with Lady Jade and Long Xiurong (II)


    She heard the story about how Gale carried Swan in his arms around the castle, like showing off a treasure that he held dearly.


    She heard about the many nights Gale and Swan spent mating and how their voices filled the castle.


    She also heard about how Swan became the advisor while she was absent, even going as far as establishing a pearl trade that earned them so much gold, much more than Jade could ever do even after she had devoted her life to Gale.


    She also heard how Swan was able to make a sry system, so all the soldiers were even more excited to train and train their offspring to take the mantle once they retired.


    The Kingdom of Beastman was just a barebone kingdom when Jade left, but it had somehow transformed into a much more sophisticated kingdom, with many of the beastmen civilians already doing trades, offering services, et cetera.


    Jade refused to believe that it was all Swan''s doing since that woman was stupid enough to let herself stay in Gale''s privateke with another man. She was nearly raped by Rock, and Jade''s n should have been a sess.


    Unfortunately, something mysterious happened, and Swan miraculously survived that night at theke.


    ''I heard from a few servants that Swan is a witch. If that rumor is true, then that exins everything about what happened that night. She must''ve used her witchcraft to subdue Rock, and then pretended as if she''s just a weakling in front of Gale to rouse his pity,'' Jade sneered. ''What a cunning witch.''


    Knowing that she couldn''t seem to make this woman falter, Jade turned towards Long Xiurong and asked with an oppressive smile, "Lady Long, what do you think of Princess Swan of Holy Achate? Herte father dared to challenge the Beast King and once defeated, she was offered as the prize of victory."


    "T-that is unfortunate, Mdy," Long Xiurong said, but she didn''t dare to look Swan directly in the eyes. She stared at Lady Jade instead and added, "But it cannot be helped, right? At least she is used as an item for a peace treaty."


    "An item, yes," Jade grinned as she turned towards Swan again. "It''s unfortunate, but let me tell you something, Princess. Gale didn''t like his gift at first, all he wanted was to keep you hostage so Holy Achate wouldn''t dare to rebel, but it seems that you have no use anymore as an item."


    Swan smiled back at Lady Jade and replied, "And what''s the difference between me and Lady Long? We are both sent to be the Beast King''s brides to strengthen the bond between our kingdoms and the Kingdom of Beastmen. Considering that I''m not dead yet, I guess he doesn''t hate me as much now."


    Swan should''ve stopped right there as she didn''t want to make the already-hostile Lady Jade even more hostile.


    But she got angry when Jade dared to call her an ''item''.


    Why? Because her love for Gale was real, and she could feel that Gale''s love for her was real as well.


    She wasn''t a mere item for Gale, and that was the most important thing for her. "But it''s quite sad for you, Mdy," Swan added while staring at Lady Jade.


    "Sad? Me?"


    "Mhm. I mean, heard from the servants that you had an argument with Gale after what happened to me that night, and you were instantly sent off for more than six months to the East," Swan said with a calm, but piercing smile. "If one argument is all it takes for me to be sent off, then I''d have been kicked off by Gale long ago since we often argue... in bed."


    Long Xiurong gulped once she realized Princess Swan''s innocent face was truly just a farce because onement from her was enough to send Lady Jade into fury, proven by how her wolf ears and tail popped out, a sign that her emotion was disturbed right now.


    Jade gritted her teeth. It felt like a sharp dagger just pierced her heart. It was even worse because everyone knew that was the truth.


    It only took one argument for Gale to send her off because he prioritized Swan over her.


    Despite the burning rage inside her, Jade still tried to smile in front of Swan and retorted, "Oh my, when did you learn how to be condescending, Princess? Or has


    it been your true nature all along?"


    "I learned from the very best, Mdy. You." Swan replied firmly.


    "You must''ve misinterpreted my words, Princess. I never meant to act condescending towards you. Maybe you''ve been hostile towards me and Lady Long all this time."


    "Oh, really? Then pardon me, it must''ve been an error of my judgment," Swan paused for a moment and added, "But you always sound condescending Mdy. No wonder Gale hates talking with you."


    "HOW DARE YOU!" Jade finally snapped. She got up and released her aura around the room. It wasn''t as strong as Gale-no, it was far weaker, to the point that it only took Swan a deep breath to stabilize herself. "You are just an outsider, what do you know about Gale and I?" freewebnovel


    The cat maids were ready to protect their Princess, and the other servants were ready to find His Majesty as soon as possible before Lady Jade attacked Princess Swan.


    But Swan didn''t budge at all. She


    made eye contact with Jade and


    said, "It seems that I poked at


    spot somewhere. Pardon me, not good atmunication. Surely, the ever-graceful and elegant Lady Jade wouldn''t attack me for a silly mistake, would you?"


    Jade didn''t answer immediately. She knew she was behaving unusual, but this bitch really knew how to push her button, to the point she lost herposure.


    She took a few deep breaths and the wolf ears and tail disappeared.


    Jade sat on her seat and regained her smile, "My apologies, I was just a little annoyed just now."


    "You should regte your emotions better, Mdy. Look at Lady Long Xiurong. She is horrified by what you did just now," Swan pointed out.

 Chapter 105: Tea Time with Lady Jade and Long Xiurong (III)

    Chapter 105: Chapter 105: Tea Time with Lady Jade and Long Xiurong (III)


    "N-no, I don''t¡ª" Long Xiurong wanted to say that she was more scared of how sharp Princess Swan''s tongue was. She wasn''t the one who got attacked, but she felt offended on Lady Jade''s behalf.


    This was the first time she saw Lady Jade losing her temper, to the point her legs were shaking as she emanated such an oppressive and intimidating aura.


    freewebnovel


    Yet, she feared Princess Swan more than she feared Lady Jade.


    Princess Swan didn''t even seem to budge in front of the angry Lady Jade who was ring at her like she could kill her the very next second.


    "Lady Long is very sensible. She won''t be poking at sensitive topics nonstop," Jade said sarcastically. "Unlike a certain someone."


    "I see," Swan smiled and shifted her gaze towards Long Xiurong this time. "Did you hear that? Lady Jade just called you a spineless woman."


    "I never said that!"


    "Sounds like that for me," Swan replied. "After all, you are the first to bring up the topic of the Holy Achate."


    Jade gritted her teeth. The more she talked with this bitch, the more she realized that Swan''s innocent look was just a farce the whole time.


    She was just a nasty bitch with a pretty face.


    ''I should''ve demanded Queen Anastasia for her second daughter instead. I heard Princess Aria is more bubbly and friendly than this cunning freak,'' Lady Jade regretted her choice back then. But she had no way to kick this woman out of the castle since Gale seemed to have been bewitched by her. She nced at the teapot in the middle of the table. She had brewed the tea with a special herb that would slowly erode a woman''s uterus until she becamepletely infertile.


    She doubted that either Swan or Long Xiurong were Gale''s fated mate. Just to be on the safe side, she had to make them infertile, so they would never be able to bear Gale''s cub.


    ''He needs a strong mother to bear his cubs. These two women aren''t worthy,'' Jade told herself. ''It would only ruin his lineage, so I have to make sure none of them can get pregnant.''


    Thus, Jade resumed her smile and said, "Alright, I think we''ve trailed off from our conversation. I invited you to have tea time with me because you and Long Xiurong are Gale''s wives. It''s better to build connection and trust since Gale would marry more women in the future."


    Jade grabbed the teapot, and began to pour the hot tea on three cups, one for each of them, "Let''s start today''s tea time with this tea. I''m sure you two will love the tea I brewed. It will help you fight off the winter coldness since I added ginseng in it."


    Jade almostughed when she said that.


    True, she added ginseng, but it was not to fight off the cold.


    She added it because it would mask the scent of the infertile herb she used, so both Swan and Long Xiurong wouldn''t be able to sniff any suspicious odor from the tea.


    Swan stared at the tea in front of her.


    She knew that Lady Jade must''ve added something to this tea. This was the same method she used to poison Rock until he lost control.


    She nced at Long Xiurong, who didn''t seem to suspect a thing. She blew the steam off, andmented, "Ah, it''s too hot for me. I''ll let it cool for a moment."


    Swan became even more suspicious. She wondered if Long Xiurong and Lady Jade were working together to poison her.


    ''I don''t think praying to the Goddess would be good this time. I don''t want to show my power to anyone. So I have to be careful,'' Swan thought.


    Jade saw that Swan hadn''t touched


    her tea at all, and she began to suspect something, ''Does she know it has a poison inside? No, I don''t think she should know about that. I brewed a perfect poisonous tea after all.''  t


    "Why don''t you drink your tea, Princess? I heard from the servants that you have a weak body. This tea will be perfect for you since you cannot handle the coldness in this castle," Jade suggested. "I brewed this tea while thinking of you because I want to pay respect to Gale''s first wife. I would be sad if you refused my good intentions."


    "Oh, I''m very ttered, Mdy," Swan replied. "But in Holy Achate, our custom is


    to let the host drink first. So you should drink yours before me or Lady Long Xiurong."


    The smile on Jade''s face cracked. She didn''t know if that custom from Holy Achate was true, or if it was just Swan''s way to avoid drinking the tea.


    Fortunately, she had everything prepared, including the antidote. She always made sure the sugar cube that she made was filled with such antidotes, so no matter what tea she drank, she would never be affected by her own poison.


    "If that''s the custom from Holy Achate, then I suppose I should start the tea time with the first sip," Jade smiled as she grabbed a cube of sugar next to her teacup and put it inside her tea.


    The sugar cube quickly melted into the hot tea as Jade stirred it, and once the sugar cube had melted, she took a sip without worry.


    She put the teacup back on the saucer and said, "It''s your turn, Princess Swan, and you too, Lady Long."


    "Oh, yes. I prefer my tea lukewarm," Long Xiurong said as she kept blowing off the steam from the hot tea.


    Swan was watching Lady Jade attentively the whole time and realized that her expression eased when she put the sugar cube inside her tea.


    Thus, Swan guessed that the sugar cube must''ve contained something-maybe an antidote to cancel out the poison.


    There was a small jar of sugar cubes on her side as well, but there was a high possibility that only Lady Jade''s jar of sugar cubes had the antidote in it.

 Chapter 106: Sugar Cube

    Chapter 106: Chapter 106: Sugar Cube


    ''I have to make sure I get the sugar cube from her jar to cancel out the poison without looking suspicious,'' Swan told herself. She nced at her jar and made a ''clumsy'' attempt by identally pushing it out of the table when she opened the jar.


    The loud sound of a ss jar shattering on the ground alerted everyone inside Lady Jade''s room. There was a long silence until Swan broke the silence by smiling pretentiously.


    "I''m so sorry. My hand was a little shaky just now. The cold must''ve gotten into me," Swan said innocently, before turning her gaze to her cat maid, "Maya, please clean it up."


    "Yes, Princess," Maya hurriedly grabbed a broom and cleaned up the shattered ss shards on the ground.


    "Ah, but I still want to drink the tea with sugar, since I don''t like bitter tea," Swan sighed with a thin smile. She nced at Myra and said, "Myra, can you help me take two sugar cubes from Lady Jade''s jar? I prefer my tea to be super sweet."


    "But..." Myra remembered that Princess Swan didn''t like sweet food that much, let alone sweet tea. She preferred bitter or in tea. But Swan discreetly gave her a sharp side-re, which spooked the cat maid, since Princess Swan had never given her that look before.


    Thus, she walked towards Lady Jade''s side and said, "Excuse me, Mdy."


    Jade was even more pissed now. Anyone can see that Swan intentionally knocked that sugar cube jar off the table to get the sugar cube from her side. Now, she suspected that Swan might''ve already guessed that the tea was poisoned.


    But how? freewebnovel


    How did this stupid woman know that Jade poisoned her tea?!


    "You can take the sugar cube from Lady Long''s side instead," Jade said as she tried to keep her jar. She also intended to make Long Xiurong infertile, so the sugar cube on Long Xiurong''s side also had no antidote in it.


    "Hm? What''s wrong, Mdy? Why are you protecting a mere jar of sugar cubes? Is there something inside your sugar cubes?" Swan raised her brow. "Does your sugar cube have an antidote in it?"


    Lady Jade''s eyes widened, "How could I?! Did you think that I''m poisoning you?!"


    Swan chuckled, "Don''t be mad, Mdy. I was joking. But surely, if there''s nothing inside your sugar cube, you wouldn''t mind sharing them with me, right?"


    Jade had nothing to say anymore, or she would look too suspicious. She nced at Long Xiurong and found out thetter also stared at her with curiosity.


    Thus, she allowed the cat maid to take two sugar cubes from inside her jar.


    Myra put the sugar cubes on a saucer and gave it to Swan.


    Swan put one sugar cube and stirred her tea until the sugar cube melted. She grinned and took a sip without worry, "Ah, you''re right, Mdy. Ginseng is really good for my body. I feel much better now. Thank you for brewing me such an amazing tea."


    Jade was fuming in her heart. Her n to make this bitch infertile failed, and she had to think of another way to make sure that Swan wouldn''t get pregnant with Gale''s sonter.


    However, her n still hadn''t failed


    entirely as she looked at Long Xiurong next and ushered, "Lady Long, you should drink your tea now. I think it''s already lukewarm enough since you keep blowing it."


    "O-oh, okay," Long Xiurong picked up the teacup, ready to drink it.


    Swan was staring at Long Xiurong the whole time, and before Lady Long took her first sip, Swan stopped her, "Wait!"


    Long Xiurong''s body stiffened. She put her teacup back on its saucer and asked, "I-is there something wrong, Princess?"


    "What''s wrong, Princess? Lady Long was about to drink her tea just now."


    At first, Swan suspected that Long Xiurong and Lady Jade were colluding to poison her. But when she saw the cunning grin on Lady Jade''ips before Long Xiurong took the first sip, Swan realized that Lady Long was innocent.


    It seemed that she had no clue of what Lady Jade was nning.


    Of course, Swan still didn''t trust Long Xiurongpletely, since she came to the Kingdom of Beastman with Lady Jade. But for now, she would give Long Xiurong the benefit of the doubt.


    Thus, Swan smiled and put the sugar cube inside Long Xiurong''s teacup. "What are you doing?!" Jade yelled as she saw the sugar cube slowly melt inside Long Xiurong''s tea. "Why would you put a sugar cube inside her cup?!"


    "T-thank you for the sugar cube, Princess. But I rarely drink sweet tea..." Long Xiurong showed a vague smile as she didn''t want to anger either Lady Jade or Princess Swan.


    "Why are you overreacting, Mdy? I just think that Lady Long should try drinking it with sugar because I think the ginger would be too spicy for her."


    Long Xiurong was relieved when she heard that. She thought she did something wrong that angered Princess Swan.


    There was still a slight worry in her heart, but it seemed Princess Swan didn''t have a bad opinion about her, at least for the time being.


    "Thank you for your care, Princess. Then, I''d drink this tea in your honor," Long Xiurong said gratefully as she put the tea in her mouth. Her eyes widened and shemented, "Oh, you''re right! I can tolerate this sweet tea since the ginger is a little too spicy."


    "Right? You should thank Lady Jade for brewing such amazing tea for us," Swan smiled.


    Long Xiurong turned her head towards Lady Jade and bowed politely, "Thank you for the tea, Mdy. This is the first sweet tea that I liked. No wonder my Emperor Father praised your tea-making skill."


    Jade sat defeatedly on her seat. She didn''t expect things to go this way. She had wasted a precious infertile herb which was difficult to find just for Swan to ruin her n.


    Unfortunately, she couldn''t show an ounce of anger in front of them, so she showed a forced smile and replied, "I''m d the two of you enjoyed the tea I made. I''ll make some moreter."


    "Oh, no need for that, Mdy. Your tea is good, but the tea brewed by my maids is much better," Swan refused.

 Chapter 107: Seething Jealousy (I)

    Chapter 107: Chapter 107: Seething Jealousy (1)


    "Princess..." Maya and Myra murmured at the same time. They were touched because their Princess preferred the tea they brewed rather than the one brewed by a Master of Tea Ceremony like Lady Jade.


    Of course, both Jade and Swan knew the real reason for her preference. Unfortunately, Jade couldn''t do anything as she was afraid that Swan would use her of poisoning the tea.


    "I don''t think we need to have another tea time after this one, Mdy. Looking at how you seem to be triggered by our conversation, alongside your explosive emotion, I''m scared of what you would do to me, who''s just a fragile human," Swan bluntly said.


    Then, she turned her head towards Long Xiurong who seemed to be scared of her for some reason. Swan still didn''t fully believe that Long Xiurong had nothing to do with Lady Jade''s n, but she was more than willing to test it out, hoping Long Xiurong could be her ally instead. "Lady Long, if you don''t mind, you can alwayse to my room. We can have a tea time together. The cat maids are amazing at making tea."


    Long Xiurong was spooked. She wanted to shake her head as she was scared of getting hexed by the beautiful witch, but she also didn''t want to offend her, so she could only nod reluctantly, "I-I will find time to have tea time with you, Princess."


    Swan smiled, "Good. Now, if you excuse me, I''ll return to my room. It''s quite chilly here."


    "You''re not going to eat all the snacks and dessert I''ve prepared, Princess?" Jade offered.


    "I don''t mind, but I doubt you have enough sugar cubes for me," Swan smiled coldly before telling the cat maids to push the wheelchair out of the room.


    Jade could only re at Swan who had smoothly escaped her trap, and now she just wasted a precious infertile herb for nothing!


    "She is so scary..." Long Xiurong muttered. "Mdy, has she always been that ruthless? I''ve never seen someone who looks innocent, but also very intimidating at the same time."


    "No... she didn''t act like that before..." Jade replied. She remembered how fidgety and timid Swan was. On top of that, she seemed to be stuttering her every word, as if she was scared of offending anyone around her. "She must''ve been hiding her true nature all this time. What a cunning woman."


    Long Xiurong gulped.


    She was used to the harem drama inside the Eastern Long Dynasty and had been prepared by her mother, so she wouldn''t get killed or shamed in the Beast King''s harem.


    ''But how am I supposed topete with her? Princess Swan is so menacing,'' Long Xiurongmented. ''What should I do when she invites me for a tea timeter? I can''t just refuse her invitation carelessly.''


    Lady Jade nced at Long Xiurong who looked nervous. She grinned and advised, "You shoulde whenever she invites you for tea timeter. I''ll prepare you the snacks for tea time, just make sure to bring it to her as a goodwill gift."


    "Y-yes, Mdy. I have to be prepared, since she is also His Majesty''s wife," Long Xiurong nodded. "Though, I guess I can see why His Majesty seems to favor her so much, despite her condition."


    "Why? Because of her beauty?"


    "Yes, I cannot lie that I''ve never seen a woman so beautiful before," Long Xiurong answered honestly. "If my Emperor Father found a beauty like her, it would be difficult for the other harem members topete."


    "Beauty means nothing when she can''t even do anything around the castle," Jade sneered. "She will get old quickly, as she is just a human, and Gale will get bored or even disgusted with her soon. She''s also uneducated, unlike you, Lady Long. His Majesty prefers a woman with magnanimity, who would be useful to manage his kingdom, and that woman only has beauty."


    Long Xiurong could feel the seething jealousy from Lady Jade. She was praising Long Xiurong, but for her, it seemed that Lady Jade was praising herself.


    ''Lady Jade seems to be very bitter about Swan being His Majesty''s mate. Does she not want to share at all?'' Long Xiurong pondered. ''Then how about me? If she hates Swan because of all the attention from His Majesty, would she hate me too if His Majesty gave me the same attention?'' freewebnovel


    Long Xiurong began to wonder if it was wise to stay with Lady Jade for too long because she knew how scary a woman''s jealousy could be.


    Long Xiurong lowered her head, staring at the tea in front of her. She recalled how adamant Princess Swan was to put sugar cubes in the tea that Lady Jade brewed. At first, she thought it was just a gesture of kindness... but what if it meant something else since she seemed to know Lady Jade better than her?


    ''I... I have to be careful with them both. I don''t know if Lady Jade can be trusted either.''


    **


    "You were so amazing just now, Princess!"


    "Am I?"


    "Yes! This is the first time I''ve seen Lady Jade looking so angry. I don''t have anything against her, but she crossed the line when she mentioned the Holy Achate!" Maya eximed.


    "Yes, I was ready to find His Majesty if she dared to do something to you, Princess!" Myra added.


    Swan didn''t respond to that. She kept her thin smile until the cat maids put her on the bed, left the room, and closed the door.


    After she was finally alone, she finally let out a relieved breath. Her hands were shaking the whole time, scared that she would''ve done too much. She was also


    scared that Lady Jade would try to find another way to poison her.


    "But I can''t just stay still and let her insult me. Gale told me that I''m his mate, and our pride and dignity are the same, Swan murmured as she tried t@justify her action against Lady Jade just now. "If I let Lady Jade stomp all over me, that means I allowed her to stomp albover Gale as well. I can''t let that happen."

 Chapter 108: Seething Jealousy (II)

    Chapter 108: Chapter 108: Seething Jealousy (II)


    Swan didn''t care about herself. She knew she had no worth in this world, but she would do everything to make sure that Gale maintained his dignity and pride as the Beast King.


    "I hope it won''t bring me too much trouble. I''m not as crafty as Lady Jade, after all," Swan muttered.


    Then, she was reminded of Long Xiurong, who seemed to bepletely oblivious about the poisoned tea. Swan guessed that Lady Jade also wanted to poison Long Xiurong in a fit of jealousy.


    ''If my guess is right, then that means Long Xiurong and I are in the same situation. I should warn her about Lady Jade. I need to set up another tea time soon.''


    **


    "Your Majesty, this is the pearl ne that you ordered from Mako, King of the West Sea," ze presented a beautiful pearl ne made out of the best pearl the West Sea had.


    Swan kept telling him that she didn''t need any jewelry, but Gale thought that was simply impossible.


    He lived long enough to know that no woman-human or beastman-could resist beautiful things. Even a strong female warrior from any beastmen tribe would adorn themselves with beautiful jewelry on their body or armor.


    Thus, he simply thought that Swan had a much better taste than regr women. She wanted the best of the best, so Gale wanted to give her the best pearl ne the West Sea could ever produce.


    Gale epted the pearl and put it near the candle. He was amazed by how the pearl shone lustrously even with such a minimal light. He couldn''t imagine how beautiful his wife would look wearing this while being showered by the moonlight. "Ah, my beautiful Swan..." Gale got excited as he couldn''t wait to see Swan''s reaction. He got up from his throne and ordered, "Tell Mako the King of the West Sea that I''m grateful for his hard work. I''ll think of a reward for himter."


    "Understood, Your Majesty!"


    Gale was making quick steps across the castle to reach his wife''s room. He was so excited to see her reaction that he couldn''t even hide his smile.


    However, that smile faded when he passed Jade and Long Xiurong in the corridor. Long Xiurong sheepishly bowed in front of her husband and asked, "You seem to be in a rush, Your Majesty. May I know if something is bothering you?"


    Jade saw the beautiful pearl ne in Gale''s hand. She lived long enough to know that pearl ne must''ve been specifically ordered for Swan, as that cunning bitch was currently his object of fascination.


    As if she would let that happen.


    She wanted it for herself, but saying that would only make Galeugh at her for acting ridiculous.


    Thus, she said, "Isn''t it obvious enough, Lady Long? See that beautiful pearl ne in His Majesty''s hand? It must be a gift for you."


    "A-A gift?!" Long Xiurong gasped, and her jaw dropped even more when she saw the beautiful pearl ne in his hand. She had never seen a pearl ne that beautiful in her life, and she blushed instantly.


    To be given such a beautiful ne just one day after arriving at the Kingdom of Beastman must''ve meant the Beast King liked her. He probably didn''te to her roomst night because he was too busy dealing with everything in the kingdom.


    "I-I''m very honored to receive such a beautiful gift, Your Majesty..." Long Xiurong said bashfully.


    "I didn''t expect you to be so kind


    towards Lady Long, but I approve of


    your gesture," Jade praised before


    urging him, "You should put the


    ne on her. I bet it will look good."


    Gale''s lips thinned.


    If he was being logical, he should''ve just given this to Long Xiurong to avoid further headaches and then ordered a new one from Mako, the King of the West Sea.


    But the process would take a while.


    Besides, he wanted this to be one of a kind, and it wouldn''t be special if there were two of them, right?


    Thus, he decided to ditch his logic for now and said, "This isn''t for you, Lady Long."


    "Ah-r-really?" Long Xiurong was shocked. Her face turned red out of embarrassment, "M-my apologies, Your Majesty. I didn''t mean to im it as mine."


    "Oh, don''t be so cruel, Gale. Don''t you see how embarrassed and sad Lady Long gets because of you?" Jade lightly reprimanded.


    "I-it''s okay, Mdy. I-I have no right to im it as mine."


    "She''s so humble and kind, but you embarrass her like this," Jade sighed. "I''m


    afraid you''ve hurt a maiden''s heart."


    Long Xiurong shook her head as she was so embarrassed right now. She also felt that Lady Jade was too much, as she kept pushing the Beast King to give the pearl ne to her when he already clearly said t wasn''t meant for her.


    "If it''s not for Lady Long, then who is it for?"


    "Huh? For my wife, of course," Gale replied nonchntly. He got impatient as Jade kept pestering him even though he wanted to meet Swan as soon as possible.


    "But Lady Long is also your wife. She deserves that pearl ne," Jade insisted.


    "I don''t have time for this," Gale


    muttered grumpily. He lifted the beautiful pearl ne and said, "This is for my wife, Swan of the Holy Achate. I''ve specifically ordered it from the Fishmen King of the West Sea because I want to give her the best. Now move aside, Jade, I need to give it to her!"


    Jade pursed her lips as she couldn''t smile anymore. She stepped aside and watched Gale rushing towards the spiral staircase leading to Swan''s room.


    "You should''ve fought more for that ne, Lady Long. It''s one of a kind, and if you insist, he would''ve given it to you," Jademented.


    Long Xiurong chuckled shyly, "I don''t like pearls that much, Mdy. It is fine."


    Long Xiurong only said that to appease Lady Jade who was seething with jealousy.


    If she had to be honest, she already knew that it was impossible to have that ne.


    Because the Beast King looked genuinely happy when he said he wanted to meet his wife just now. It was Princess Swan''s ne, and nobody else could wear it.


    ''He is so in love with Princess Swan... Will I ever have that kind of love as well?''

 Chapter 109: Too Precious

    Chapter 109: Chapter 109: Too Precious


    Gale stopped right in front of Swan''s door. The cat maids were guarding the front and quickly kneeled when they saw him.


    Gale put his hands behind his back to hide the pearl ne and said, "Open the door, I want to see my wife."


    The cat maids were confused. It was rare for His Majesty to enter the room from the front door, as he would usually leap to the balcony or enter through the window.


    Concealing their bewilderment, they obediently opened the door. Gale''s eyes immediately fell on Swan who sat on the bed while staring at the burning woods inside the firece forfort, as the castle had gotten even colder after sunset.


    Swan turned and smiled at Gale, "What''s with your smile? Did something good happen today?"


    Gale stepped in and the cat maids closed the door behind him.


    "Yes, the fishmen from the West Sea have finally finished mymission," Gale replied.


    "Commission?" Swan frowned. "I thought they''d already sent the usual batch of pearls. I inspected them three days ago, and everything is in pristine condition. Did youmission something else?"


    "Imissioned this long ago. Almost five months, actually," Gale replied. "Just close your eyes, Swan."


    "Close my eyes? Why?"


    "Just close it."


    Swan was confused, but she closed her eyes obediently.


    She could feel Gale approaching her as his body was always radiating warmth, followed by his unique masculine scent that made herfortable.


    She could feel Gale was leaning towards her, so she puckered her lips as she thought he wanted to go for a kiss.


    Gale chuckled as he kissed her lightly, which rarely happened as Gale would always go for a deep kiss.


    Swan wanted to ask what was wrong, but then, she suddenly felt something cold around her neck. She jolted a little and Gale calmed her down, "Stay still, sweetheart. I''m almost done."


    Gale finished hooking the pearl ne and stepped back to enjoy the view of his beautiful wife adorned with an equally beautiful pearl ne.


    "You can open your eyes now."


    Swan opened her eyes. She quickly touched the ne on her neck and turned to the side to check on her reflection in the mirror.


    "G-Gale, this is "


    "Pearl ne. I told the King of the West Sea to collect all the best pearls the West Sea could ever have. There will be only one in the world, and it''s yours," Gale said with a smile. "What do you think? Isn''t it beautiful? It looks very good on you."


    Gale was right.


    Swan didn''t have any jewelry since she was young, and she grew up hating them because Aria would always beat her whenever Swan dared to look at her jewelry collection.


    But Swan couldn''t lie this time. She wanted this pearl to be hers.


    Swan had never seen a pearl ne so beautiful in her life before. Even the perfect round pearls they usually got from the West Sea were still not on par with one pearl in this ne.


    It was so perfect that her heart felt heavy.


    Did she deserve such a beautiful gift when she had been doing nothing but lying to Gale about her identity?


    Did she deserve this ne when he could''ve saved it for his fated mateter? As it was the only one that had ever been produced.


    She simply thought it was far too precious to be worn by someone like her.


    The smile on Gale''s face faded when he noticed Swan wasn''t as excited as he thought she would be.


    "What''s wrong? Do you not like it?"


    "I-It''s a very beautiful ne. I can see why it''s the only one in this world. But..." "But what?"


    Swan turned her head and stared straight at her husband who stood in front of her, "This is too precious for me. We could''ve sold this for an extremely high price and built more areas of the Kingdom with the money. Or..."


    "Or what?"


    Swan sighed. She lowered her head, fiddling with her fingers, and murmured, "You could give it to your fated mate in the future. I think she''d love to have this ne."


    Gale''s heart ached when he heard that.


    He thought Swan would wear it with pride and joy, on top of kissing him nonstop and thanking him for the gift.


    Contrary to his expectation, her reaction was gloomy, and now he didn''t know what to say.


    There was aplete silence between them until Swan tried to unsp the ne.


    "Don''t take it off," Gale said curtly.


    Swan lifted her head, "But... I think you should save this for now. It''s better for your fated mate."


    "I don''t give a damn about fated


    mate or whatever. I told you not to take it off because it is meant for you," Gale insisted. "If you don''t like it, the toss the ne into the firece, because I''d rather have it destroyed than give it to another woman."


    Swan was stunned.


    Her fingers, which were ready to unsp the ne, began to tremble as she could feel Gale''s sincerity.


    In the end, Swan decided not to take it off and reluctantly wore the ne.


    "That''s better," Gale smiled thinly. "It looks good on you. That''s all you need to think of. You can take it off before you take a bath, or before you go to sleep."


    "W-why do I have to wear it daily? Isn''t this supposed to be worn during big events only?" Swan asked.


    "Because I want everyone-including Jade and that new woman-to know


    that YOU are the only one to be


    given that ne. So, nobody will


    dare to look down on you," Gale stated firmly. "You have my love,


    Swan. You can do anything you want in this world. Just tell me your wish."


    "My wish..." Swan murmured and


    shook her head after she had gotten her answer. "I wish for you to be cured of your curse. I wish you evesting happiness, and I wish your kingdom to flourish forever. Lastly, I hope you find your fated mate. That''s all the wishes I have."

 Chapter 110: I am truly in love (Mature Content)

    Chapter 110: Chapter 110: I am truly in love (Mature Content)


    [Mature Content.]


    Swan intentionally excluded herself from all wishes she had, knowing that she wouldn''t survive long enough to have all her wishes granted.


    Besides, she didn''t know if she could survive this pce intrigue against Lady Jade and Long Xiurong. She didn''t know what kind of women woulde next into his harem, so if it was possible, she wished for Gale to find his fated mate soon. Hopefully, she would be allowed to go in peace. She would find somewhere to live alone until her eventual death.


    Meanwhile, Gale could feel the sinceritying from his wife''s lips. He knew her true intention of not including herself in all of her wishes, but he wanted her to be by his side no matter what.


    So he said, "I can make all of those happen. But you need to stay by my side no matter what."


    "I" Swan was about to say that she doubted she would be here for long, but it would only anger Gale, so she nodded instead.


    It was nice to indulge in fantasy sometimes.


    "I-I will stay by your side as long as my heart is still beating," Swan promised. It was a small vow that probably meant nothing to humans. But for the beastman, that was a very deep vow.


    They weren''t adept at saying romantic words, so they always took everything literally, including Gale who took her vow literally.


    He stared at Swan with his deep and meaningful gaze before taking a step forward. He kneeled in front of Swan and held her hand, "Swan, I''ll love you as long as my heart is still beating. That''s my promise."


    Swan bit her lower lip as she felt his sincerity.


    ''Oh, Goddess, what should I do? I''m not strong enough to reject him. Especially when he has been nothing but kind towards me,'' Swanmented. ''I love this man so much, I don''t know if I can ever leave him.''


    Again, Gale saw theplicated expression Swan had, but he paid it no mind. He gently pushed her to the bed and kissed her on the lips.


    It was a deep kiss full of longing and love, and it slowly melted Swan''s resolve. Gale held her waist and began to tear her dress until she waspletely naked. Swan didn''t fight back as she was enjoying their kiss, but once Gale''s hand began to caress her inner thigh, she quickly clenched her thighs together and stared at Gale fearfully.


    "G-Gale, we shouldn''t-"


    "What are you scared of, sweetheart? Are you scared because we''re not fated?" Gale asked impatiently. His breath was heaving as he had been holding himself for long. "I truly love you, and I love your body, that''s all you need to know."


    "But..." Swan''s resolve of not having sex with Gale began to crumble. A drop of tear flowed from the corner of her eye, "I-I''m afraid that I can''t ever let you go if we continue. I truly love you too."


    "Then don''t ever let me go, Swan. I promise I will never leave," Gale muttered, and Swan''s resolve finally crumbled. She allowed her husband to open her legs and caress her inner thigh deeper until his thick, calloused fingers reached her pussy lips.


    "Mmh... ah!"


    It had been a while since Swan was touched, so when Gale began to run his finger around her pussy, and yed with her clitoris, she reacted loudly.


    "Ah! G-Gale, inside... please..."


    "Rx, sweetheart. It has been a


    while since we''ve done it. I don''t


    want to hurt you," Gale coaxed before kissing her lips again. He inserted one finger and Swan''s body trembled in between pain and pleasure.


    Her gaze started to blur as she was not holding back at all. Her moan filled the


    room and it didn''t take long until the sound leaked out of the room.


    Gale used two fingers, in and out of her pussy while sucking her nipple until he couldn''t take it anymore.


    Thus, he pulled his fingers and took off his pants.


    Swan stared at the big and dark sausage that had been ramming in and out of her many times in the past. She gulped and said, "Do me, Gale. I''m all yours, and will always be yours."


    Gale put Swan''s right leg on his shoulder and aimed his dick inside her pussy. Swan was already wet inside, so his thick dick slipped right in without much trouble.


    "Ahn! Ah!" Swan''s eyes widened when all of his dick was inside her. She began to sob, and Gale got worried.


    "What''s wrong, Sweetheart? Is it too painful?"


    "N-no, I''m crying because it feels too good," Swan whimpered in between her sobs. "I don''t know if I can ever let you go."


    Gale gritted his teeth.


    ''This woman...''


    Before he knew her better, he thought Swan was just trying to seduce him, which was very sessful as he couldn''t seem to resist her cuteness.


    Now he realized that she was being genuine, it made him fall for her even more.


    He doubted he could ever love his fated mate as much as he loved Swan.


    Gale began thrusting in and out, and Swan''s moan escaped her lips, following his pace.


    "Ah! Ahh! F-faster! Gale, I''m all yours, please!"


    Gale finally let go of his restraint and thrust his hips without care anymore. He pinned Swan on the bed and his dick throbbed hard as he could feel Swan squirt beneath him. freewebnovel


    "Ah! Ahhhhh!"


    "Urgh! Aghh!" Gale finished hisst sprint and shot all of his cum like a geyser inside his wife''s womb. He stayed still and continued pinning her down to make sure Swan would get pregnant with his cubs


    Swan''s head spun after the mindblowing sex. She was spent, but it was still far from over for Gale.


    "Gale, I... I''m tired..." Swan whined.


    Gale sighed. Heid next to Swan on their marital bed with his dick still buried deep inside her and murmured, "Go to sleep, Swan. I''ll keep you warm."


    Swan wanted to ask why his dick was still inside her pussy, but it felt good and warm inside, so she stayed silent and fell asleep quickly.

 Chapter 111: It’s all your fault!

    Chapter 111: Chapter 111: It''s all your fault!


    Long Xiurong couldn''t sleep after dinner, because she kept hearing Princess Swan''s moans and the Beast King''s grunts echoing inside the castle for at least an hour before it died down.


    At first, she thought that the Beast King was like her Emperor Father, who wouldn''t mind having more than one wife-in fact, Lady Jade told her that the Beast King would have a lot of women in his harem, and Long Xiurong would be one of them, which she didn''t mind at all as it was part of her culture.


    However, she came to an understanding when she had a conversation about that pearl ne with His Majesty before.


    If he could share his love, then he wouldn''t embarrass Long Xiurong like that. He would''ve given her the pearl ne and made another one for Princess Swanter. It was themon way her Emperor Father did to appease his harem members.


    But no, he bluntly said that it was for his wife, Princess Swan of the Holy Achate. It was clear that there was no point in fighting for favor.


    Long Xiurong had a bitter, but understanding smile. She drank her night tea while staring at the firece, "What is the point of trying to woo him when he obviously cannot share his love? He only has one love, and it''s all already spent on Princess Swan."


    She didn''t expect herself to be defeated by another woman even though she had just arrived, "Well, I''ve been prepared for this. I don''t know if I will ever find love, but as long as I''m allowed to live here, then I am more than grateful. After all, it''s a one-way ticket, I have nowhere else to go."


    Long Xiurong stared at the firece intently, and the burning image of the handsome and mighty Beast King appeared. She sighed in awe, "Will I ever find my love? If I get my own man, I wish he would be as strong as you, kind, and have so much love only for me. Just like how much love you have for Princess Swan."


    **


    Jade sipped her tea as she listened to Swan and Gale''s loud voices as they were mating in their room. For some reason, they had to let everyone in the castle know how much they enjoyed their time together.


    The more Jade listened to it, the angrier she got.


    She clenched her teacup while gazing at the firece in front of her. The burning image of Gale appeared in front of her, and she bit her lower lip until it bled as she was trying to handle the heartache.


    "I''ve apanied you since we were young, Gale. I was supposed to be your Luna, but you suddenly said that your Luna is a human," Jade muttered.


    She was reminded of that bitter moment again. She was meant to be marked by Gale, but then he suddenly refused to bite her after theiring-of-age ceremony.


    Gale suddenly imed that his Luna would be a human.


    Thus, in a fit of rage after she got humiliated, Jade tipped their enemies about their pack''s hidden den, so they could massacre the entire pack while Gale was out.


    She remembered how she hid while her entire Storm Pack was massacred by enemies¡ªnot even the cubs and elders were spared, as she thought it was a befitting punishment.


    ''They''ve seen how humiliated I was. So it''s better to let them all die, so Gale will have nowhere to go except to me.''


    That was Jade''s intention at first, as she knew that she and Gale were the only survivors in Storm Pack.


    The image in the burning fire changed to that moment when Gale returned to the pack, only to find everyone except Jade had been massacred.


    He was enraged and killed everyone on sight.


    It was an amazing sight for Jade because it was the first time she saw how powerful Gale got when he was truly enraged. He hadn''t been curse yet then, but he was strong enough to kill at least 100 powerful wolves, including the Alphas from other packs.


    Of course, after he lost all of his strength, Jade had to bring him to Matoa, the miraculous doctor, who then treated him, and sent him to the Sacred Selene Lake for direct treatment from the Goddess.


    "And that''s when you get cursed by the Moon Goddess..." Jade muttered. "I thought I finally had a chance to be with you, but you chose to mark that cripple first instead of me. How ridiculous."


    Jade heard the loud moan from Swan before everything died down. She couldn''t handle the jealousy in her heart anymore, so she threw her empty teacup into the firece.


    "I''ve apanied you for so long. I


    helped you to build this kingdom, and I am fiercely loyal to you. Why can''t it be ME? Why won''t you choose ME?!" Jade was getting emotional, which was very rare for her. But she couldn''t hold it anymore, as she had been enduring this seething jealousy for far too long. "What''s wrong with him? Why doesn''t he realize that I have been here all along, waiting to get marked by him?"


    Never in a million years had Jade ever regretted massacring her own pack, as her


    dignity as a woman was far more important than those kids.


    However, she couldn''t help but recall that time when Gale was still a young wolf


    who would be the powerful Alpha of Storm Pack, and she would be the Luna of Storm Pack.


    "If only you didn''t reject me back


    then, I wouldn''t have told our enemies about our den. It''s all your fault, Gale," Jade mumbled while wiping the tears at the corner of her eyes. "It''s all because you rejected me. The rest of our pack had to die because of you. It has always been your fault."


    Yet, no matter how many times she med Gale for what happened with the


    Storm Pack, she still couldn''t shake off the bitterness in her heart.


    "Why should I allow that cripple to have you? If I can''t own you, then nobody can."

 Chapter 112: Tea Time with the Witch

    Chapter 112: Chapter 112: Tea Time with the Witch


    Swan woke up feeling groggy, especially when she felt something big and thick was stuck inside her vagina. She opened her eyes slowly, and it took her a while to finally process what was stuck inside her.


    She looked down, and surely, Gale''s morning wood was still inside her!


    "G-Gale! Wake up!"


    "Huh... what?" Gale opened his eyes begrudgingly. He was not sleepy at all, but he had to act so because he knew his wife would be angry knowing that his dick was still inside her pussy for the whole night.


    "Y-your thing-take it out!"


    "My what?"


    "Your thing!"


    "My thing?"


    Swan was both embarrassed and angry because of Gale''s teasing, so she took a deep breath and yelled, "Take your dick out!"


    Gale chuckled, and finally pulled it out, "Now, can we sleep again? I''m still sleepy."


    "B-but it''s already morning. Don''t you have things to do?"


    "Jade can handle it just fine. I prefer to stay with you here. You''re warm andfortable," Gale huskily said as he hugged Swan from behind, gently kissing her nape before nibbling it like a puppy. "I like your nape the best. It has a fragrant and unique smell that belongs to you."


    "A-ah! S-stop nibbling!" Swan struggled. She didn''t understand his fascination with her nape, but she was just a human after all, she had a different taste of what was interesting from her partner.


    Gale stopped nibbling after a while. He pecked Swan''s lips and finally let her go.


    He got up from the bed, feeling refreshed after getting what he wanted for so long. He carefully covered Swan''s body with a nket before saying, "Stay right there. I''ll call the maids to prepare a hot bath for you."


    "Mm..." Swan murmured before burying her entire body under the nket, much to Gale''s amusement.


    "Thank you forst night. It was amazing," Gale smiled. "We should do it again as often as we can."


    Swan wanted to reject that idea. The only reason why she allowed Gale to fuck herst night was because she got carried away by the mood.


    But she couldn''t help but relive the warmth that they shared as they mated, and she would be lying if she said she didn''t enjoy it.


    Thus, Swan muttered, "A-as long as you don''t overdo it..."


    Gale chuckled, "I''ll try to be more gentle."


    Swan was so embarrassed that she stayed silent under the nket while Gale finally left the room. She peeked when Myra and Maya entered her room and started preparing a hot bath for her.


    Once they were done, Myra put the crutches next to the bed as she knew that Princess Swan preferred to be left alone after mating with His Majesty, "We will return with your breakfast, Princess," Myra said.


    "T-thank you."


    "Oh, Alice-Lady Long Xiurong''s bunny maid, told us that she had epted the tea time invitation in your room. Should we follow through, or do you want to postpone it to rest, Princess?" Maya asked.


    "D-don''t postpone it, just tell her toe at brunch, and tell her that Lady Jade won''t be here, as it is meant to be only for the two of us."


    "Understood, Princess!"


    The cat maids excused themselves, leaving Swan alone to take a bath by herself.


    **


    "At brunch?"


    "Yes, it seems that Princess Swan was too tired to have tea right after breakfast. Probably because she just mated with His Majestyst night," Alice, the bunny maid reported.


    "Hmm... how often does His Majesty and Princess Swan mate in the castle?" Long Xiurong asked.


    "It was very frequent before, almost every day. But they stopped after His Majesty''s visit to conquer the North Sea and punish Holy Achate. This should be the first time after almost a month," Alice informed. She scooted closer toward Lady Long and whispered, "This is just a rumor, Mdy. But I suspect that Princess Swan used her dark charm to seduce His Majestyst night."


    "Why would she need to do that?" Long Xiurong asked.


    "B-because His Majesty was angry at Princess Swan over something, that''s why he punished her by banning any caravans from entering the Holy Achate, right?" Alice said. "His Majesty is usually very stubborn. Once he said something, then he wouldmit to it. I don''t think he would be seduced by Princess Swan no matter how


    beautiful she is unless she used her dark charm."


    ''Is it really?'' Long Xiurong was reminded of the pearl ne, and how genuinely excited the Beast King got when he mentioned


    Princess Swan. ''I have a feelin


    that


    he is genuinely in love. But what if this bunny maid is telling the truth? Maybe Princess Swan''s witchcraft is just too good, to the point that I can''t even tell if His Majesty has been charmed or not...''


    "Princess, do you need me to tell Princess Swan''s maid that you can''te for tea time?" Alice asked worriedly. "I don''t want you to get hurt by the witch..."


    "I have a feeling that she is not a witch. Though, she still has that intimidating aura," Long Xiurong said. "I will go to meet her. Without Lady Jade this time, I hope I can get to know her better."


    ***


    Long Xiurong walked through the spiral staircase leading to Princess Swan''s room, followed by the bunny maid from behind.


    The cat maids had been waiting outside, and they bowed politely.


    "Princess Swan has been waiting for you, Mdy," Maya and Myra said in unison before they opened the door for her.


    She took a deep breath as she prepared herself to face the witch. However, what she saw inside was a beautiful woman with shoulder-length hair, staring at the window while sitting in her wheelchair.


    She was wearing a winter coat despite already having the fire burning in the firece, with her lower body wrapped in a nket.


    Swan turned her head towards Long Xiurong and smiled, "Wee, Lady Long. I have been waiting for you."

 Chapter 113: Princess Swan or Lady Jade?

    Chapter 113: Chapter 113: Princess Swan or Lady Jade?


    Long Xiurong straightened her back, not only to look proper in front of Princess Swan but also to maintain her dignity. Caring about her dignity was the only way for her not to show weakness in front of the rumored witch.


    "Good morning, Princess. Thank you for inviting me," Long Xiurong greeted as she drew near and sat at the table, facing the beautiful princess directly.


    "No, I should thank you for epting my invitation. I didn''t expect you to ept it, honestly," Swan said.


    "W-why would I say otherwise?"


    "Because I don''t know if you''d trust me enough," Swan giggled. "After all, you''ve spent more time with Lady Jade, so I thought you''d be on her side."


    "I-I don''t know what side you are talking about, Princess. Lady Jade and I aren''t


    "No need to feign ignorance," Swan interrupted as she grabbed the teapot and poured the tea into her cup. "We both know that Lady Jade is hostile towards me. So I thought she must''ve said stuff about me."


    Swan sipped her tea while keeping eye contact with Long Xiurong. As she put her teacup on the saucer, she said, "Please help yourself with a cup of tea. Don''t worry, this one is not poisoned, unlike yesterday."


    "W-what do you mean, Princess? Poisoned tea?"


    "Oh? Are you still feigning ignorance or genuinely clueless about what happened yesterday during our tea time with Lady Jade?" Swan acted surprised. "That tea we drank is poisonous."


    Long Xiurong held her breath. She felt something was amiss with Lady Jade yesterday because it was very rare of her to act unbridledly. But she never expected it to be poisonous.


    She also didn''t want to suspect Lady Jade of poisoning the tea as it would be such a cruel rumor.


    "Princess, please don''t spread such a terrible rumor. We drank tea with Lady Jade yesterday, and we are all fine, right? I don''t know your history with Lady Jade, but this is not right."


    Swan had pretty much expected everything so far, and she was relieved. It seemed like Long Xiurong was genuinely oblivious to the poisoned tea, therefore, she didn''t collude with Lady Jade.


    ''Which means she is on neither side. She''s just an innocent woman dragged into this mess by Lady Jade,'' Swan thought. ''I need to save her. At least warn her about the danger, before she gets harmed by that woman.''


    Swan knew that she couldn''t just say that Lady Jade was an evil bitch. Long Xiurong wouldn''t believe her at all.


    The only thing she could do was to steer the conversation until Long Xiurong realized it herself.


    "Is it really a rumor?"


    "Yes! We all drank it yesterday, and I feel fine afterwards!"


    "Mm, I suppose you''re right. But did you notice how I waited until Lady Jade did something with her tea before I drank mine?" Swan asked.


    "What are you on about..." Long Xiurong murmured, but then she remembered


    how Princess Swan waited until Lady Jade drank her tea first.


    "Get it? I want to make sure that the tea is safe before I can drink it myself."


    "Then it''s not poisoned, right?"


    "What do you think Lady Jade did before she drank her tea?"


    "Uh... she put a sugar cube in it?"


    "Correct, and I have to make sure that I get the sugar cube from HER side, that''s why I intentionally knocked my jar of sugar cubes over, and took two of the sugar cubes from her side," Swan exined.


    Long Xiurong didn''t understand what Princess Swan was trying to say. It seemed that she was trying to convince Long Xiurong that Lady Jade intended to poison them both, but it just didn''t make sense to her.


    "I don''t think that changes a thing, Princess. It''s just a sugar cube."


    "Oh, really? Do you remember her reaction when I told my maid to take the sugar cube from her side?" Swan asked.


    Long Xiurong recalled the event from yesterday and remembered how Lady Jade seemed to be reluctant even a little pissed-when Princess Swan demanded two sugar cubes from her side, which was suspicious in Long Xiurong''s eyes.


    Finally, Long Xiurong began to connect the dots, or at least the theory that Princess Swan was spouting right now.


    "Do you think that the sugar cube has some kind of antidote for the said poison inside the tea?" Long Xiruong asked and then shook her head before Swan could answer. "No, Princess, this is wrong. O Everything was just a theory, and you are using her without proof!"


    "I guess so, Swan sighed. "Though, I intentionally put one sugar cube for you because I want to save you Whether the poison is real or not, I still want to make sure that you''re safe. If that counts for something."


    "I"


    Long Xiurong was speechless for a long time. She stared at Princess Swan doubtfully, as she didn''t know whether to paint her as a good woman or a viiness.


    But, she made a good point.


    Whether the tea was poisoned or not, Princess Swan was still trying to give her


    the said antidote, just in case it would harm her.


    So, should Long Xiurong take that as a sign of goodwill from the beautiful Princess in front of her?


    She didn''t know either.


    Then again, trying to make friends wouldn''t hurt, right? It didn''t seem that


    Princess Swan nned to curse her with dark magic anytime soon.


    "Help yourself, Lady Long. If you think that you and I can be friends, then drinking


    the tea would be a good start to our conversation, right?"


    ...


    Long Xiurong gulped.


    She could feel the pressureing from Princess Swan in front of her. She was


    all smiles, and her smile was not cunning, or mysterious, unlike Lady Jade.


    But it was still scary how Princess Swan could pressure her with such a kind, almost innocent-like smile.


    "I-I never intend to take sides with any of you. I''m just here to be His Majesty''s bride," Long Xiurong stated.

 Chapter 114: We are not friends

    Chapter 114: Chapter 114: We are not friends


    Swan''s hand, which was holding the teacup, trembled slightly when Long Xiurong mentioned her status as the Beast King''s bride.


    She knew Long Xiurong only stated the fact, but it was still a bitter pill for her to swallow.


    Long Xiurong braced herself in case Princess Swan got offended, as it seemed that Princess Swan and the Beast King were pretty much exclusive and in love with each other.


    "That..... I understand. I never told him to exclude you either," Swan replied.


    "R-really?" Long Xiurong was astonished. She thought that Princess Swan would be selfish, and wanted His Majesty all for herself, which Long Xiurong found to be understandable.


    After all, Long Xiurong would probably do the same. She would be selfish and want His Majesty to stay loyal only to her. freewebnovel


    "Yes, I understand his curse and never tell him to ignore you. I''m sorry if he did that, as I am merely one of his wives, and in the end, he has all the right to decide," Swan said.


    "I... understand that as well..." Long Xiurong lowered her head. She had epted the fact that she would never be bedded by her husband because the Beast King only loved one woman. "It''s okay, Princess. After I heard what you two didst night, I understand that you two are in love. I never intend to force myself into the rtionship."


    "... I''m so sorry..." Swan felt conflicted.


    She felt bad for Long Xiurong who had been ignored. But if Gale ever spent the night in his new bride''s room, Swan would probably cry herself to sleep.


    ''No, it would be worse. I know that...'' Swan told herself. ''I would probably pray to the Goddess to take me, or let me leave, far from this castle so I will never have to see Gale''s face anymore...''


    "No, no, don''t be sorry. You can''t force a man to love you. I just didn''t expect His Majesty to be so upfront about it," Long Xiurong smiled bitterly. "I just hope that His Majesty won''t kick me out. What I said about me getting executed if he ever sent me back is true. That''s the custom in the Eastern Long Dynasty, as I will be seen as a disgrace."


    "That-I promise that you will be taken care of," Swan assured. "I will make sure that Gale-I mean, His Majesty, won''t kick you out."


    "T-thank you, Princess. You are very kind," Long Xiurong said gratefully. "But... I still stand strong on my decision. I''m not here to take anyone''s side, be it you or Lady Jade''s."


    "I never told you to take sides," Swan sighed. "I just want to make sure that you are more careful with her. She is not your friend, neither am I. I don''t think you''d want to be friends with a woman who is favored by your husband, right?"


    "That¡ªI¡ª" Long Xiurong was speechless yet again because Princess Swan was correct.


    Even if Princess Swan turned out to be a kind person, she wouldn''t want to get too close with her, because it made her bitter knowing that she would never get the chance to be with the Beast King because of her.


    "It''s alright. I understand," Swan nodded. "But we can still be more civil towards each other. I merely want his kingdom to flourish, because I''m not going tost for a long time anyway," Swan muttered.


    "What do you mean by that, Princess?" Long Xiurong asked.


    Swan smiled mysteriously.


    It was better not to tell Long Xiurong about the fate of those who weren''t Gale''s fated mate in the future.


    "By the way, you should drink the tea. Don''t worry, I assure you it''s not poisoned."


    Long Xiurong was debating about it


    for a moment before thinking, ''There''s no point in her trying to kill me. She already has the Beast King''s full attention, and someone like me won''t be a hindrance for her.''


    Thus, she decided to fill her cup with hot tea and slowly drank it while making eye contact with Princess Swan. She was cautious at first, and only took a small sip. She waited for almost ten minutes, and after nothing happened, she decided to take the second and thiresips.


    Swan chuckled, "I don''t need anything from you, Lady Long. I just don''t want you


    to get taken advantage of¡ªor worse-die, because of Lady Jade''s ambition."


    Long Xiurong still didn''t fully believe that Lady Jade was hostile towards her, but it was not bad advice at all.


    "I''ll keep that in mind, Princess. Thank you for your advice."


    Swan smiled.


    She didn''t expect Long Xiurong to believe herpletely anyway. As long as she had at least an ounce of doubt for Lady Jade, she would eventually realize how cruel that woman could be.


    "That''s good enough for me. I don''t want any more victims. I... lost a friend because of her."


    "Because of Lady Jade?!"


    Swan nodded as she began to miss Rock Silverfang. She liked how honest he was, she never had a friend in her life after all.


    Thus, when Rock introduced himself and told her to treat him as a friend, she took


    it very seriously, and she wanted to protect her dear friend no matter what.


    "I can''t go into detail because I don''t have proof except his testimony. However want to make sure that you are not harmed. You might not see me as a friend, nor do I see you as one either," Swan stated. But you are Gale''s bride. I want to protect everything that he has, especially his Kingdom, including everyone in it. It''s my life mission before everythinges crashing down, at least for me."


    Long Xiurong saw the sincerity and steadfastness in Princess Swan''s eyes as if she truly put Gale above herself. As if she truly devoted her life to that one man.


    ''I thought it was His Majesty who loved her a bit too much. Why do I feel like Princess Swan loves the Beast King much more than he could ever love her?''

 Chapter 115: Unconditionally

    Chapter 115: Chapter 115: Unconditionally


    Long Xiurong had never seen anyone so devoted to a man before, and since she had been living within her Emperor Father''s harem since she was born.


    Thus, she usually could tell when a woman in the harem was trying to look like a white lotus; pure, innocent, and devoted, to seduce her Emperor Father. However, it mostly didn''t work, as her Emperor Father only cared for a woman when she was beautiful,


    Long Xiurong also knew that Princess Swan wasn''t faking it. She genuinely wanted the best for His Majesty.


    ''Her eyes tell everything I need to know...'' Long Xiurong thought. She couldn''t help but ask, "Princess, do you love His Majesty that much?"


    "I¡ª" Swan paused for a moment. She didn''t understand why Long Xiurong asked this all of a sudden, and she was thinking of the right answer. ''Do I love him? I think the answer is obvious, but do I have to tell her?''


    After a long silence, Long Xiurong asked again, "Princess?"


    "I don''t love him," Swan said coldly, and Long Xiurong''s eyes widened.


    "You... don''t love him?" Long Xiurong thought she misheard it, "Are you sure, Princess?"


    Swan clenched her nket as her heart started to ache again. Of course, she loved Gale. She loved him so much that she could die for him.


    But at the same time, faced with the idea that she wasn''t his fated mate, it wasn''t her right to boldly im that she was in love, as it would only make it harder for him to move onter on.


    "He... took me after he defeated my kingdom. I shouldn''t love him, but..." Swan took a deep breath and stared straight at Long Xiurong to give her a proper answer, "I am not going to be one who''d stay by his side in the end. So I won''t say that I love him. I just want him to be healthy, to have a good kingdom for his cubs in the future, and to be cured of his curse before I die."


    Long Xiurong gulped.


    She didn''t understand why Princess Swan wouldn''t indulge in the love that she had with His Majesty. The more she tried to deny it, the more obvious it became that Princess Swan truly loved the Beast King.


    Long Xiurong loved the Beast King, but her love for him was more for his status as the mighty powerful Beast King. She loved him because Gale was very handsome and strong.


    However, Princess Swan''s love seemed to have surpassed that barrier.


    Her love was truly unconditional. She would be happy for him even if she wasn''t in the picture with the Beast King.


    ''So, how am I supposed topete with that kind of love? It''s so unfair,'' Long Xiurong felt defeated, but she didn''t feel bitter or even had any kind of resentment towards this woman. ''I cannotpete with her love. So, I guess there''s already a clear winner in this harem.''


    Long Xiurong remembered how bitter Lady Jade was whenever the Beast King disyed his love towards Princess Swan, and she couldn''t understand her bitterness.


    How could you feel bitter seeing two pairs of lovebirds who were so devoted to each other?


    "I don''t understand, Princess."


    "About?"


    "About you and Lady Jade..." Long Xiurong''s voice trailed off, "I''ve seen her bitterness, and I don''t understand why she was so upset about your rtionship with His Majesty."


    "I don''t know either. But I guess she never thought that Gale and I are fit to be together," Swan muttered. "I don''t need you to be on my side. I just want to make sure you''re always careful around her."


    Long Xiurong nodded.


    "Don''t worry about me, Princess. I won''t try to seduce His Majesty or anything."


    "W-why not?" Swan was surprised. "Lady Long, I''m not trying to intimidate you or anything."


    "No, not because of that. I just think that you and His Majesty are so in love. There''s no point inpeting," Long Xiurong smiled. She sipped her tea again, then ate a snack on the table without worry. "I''ve never seen these snacks before, are these the traditional food from Holy Achate?" freewebnovel


    Swan nodded weakly, "I told the maids all the recipes I know, so they can make the Holy Achate''s traditional snacks, dessert, and even main dish."


    "Oh? This is the first time I''ve heard of a Princess who can cook," Long Xiurongmented as she took another bite. "I never learned how to cook."


    "I-It''s mandatory for a Princess in my kingdom to know how to cook," Swan lied. "I just want to make sure that Gale can taste dishes from my kingdom."


    "Then, would you mind if Ie for a visit in your room more often? These


    snacks are nice!" Long Xiurong asked with an overly friendly tone.


    Swan understood it was Long Xiurong''s way to tell her that she trusted Swan now, and was willing to forge a bond.


    Thus, she nodded, "You cane anytime. I''d prepare the snacks-no, I will invite you for lunchter. I''ll tell the maids to prepare the Holy Achate''s specialty."


    "Thank you, Princess. You know... you are far kinder than I expected."


    "Than you expected?" Swan chuckled. "I don''t think I look scary at all."


    Long Xiurong wanted to mention the witch rumor, but she was afraid it would ruin the good atmosphere between them, so she said, "You don''t look scary. It''s just my first impression of you came from our tea time with Lady Jade, and you are exceptionally sharp with your tongue there."


    "I have no choice but to do that because I don''t want to get stomped and humiliated by her," Swan replied honestly. Besides, I don''t want her to dominate the conversationpletely, especially when WE are supposed to be Gale''s wives, not her. She doesn''t have the right to intimidate us, you should remember that."


    "I-I will remember that clearly, Princess! Thank you!"


    Thus, after they understood each other better, Long Xiurong and Swan finally had


    a normal tea time without Lady Jade around.

 Chapter 116: Malicious Rumor

    Chapter 116: Chapter 116: Malicious Rumor


    Long Xiurong left Swan''s room in a much better mood. She was relieved that Princess Swan wasn''t as cruel and scary as the rumor said. She was also d that the knot in her heart had been untied.


    She hummed on her way back to her room, which worried Alice, the bunny maid who followed her from behind.


    As they entered her room, Long Xiurong sat on the chair and Alice asked, "Mdy, do you want me to prepare the lunch now?"


    "Lunch? No need. I''m quite full. I ate too many snacks at Princess Swan''s ce. I didn''t know that the snacks from Holy Achate could be very vorful, since I heard from travelers that the food from the northern kingdom was usually nd or salty," Long Xiurong replied.


    The bunny maid gasped as her long ears straightened instantly, "M-Mdy, did you eat the snacks that Princess Swan offered?" freewebnovel


    "Yes, of course. They are all good," Long Xiurong nodded. "I think I will skip lunch since I''m feeling pretty full right now."


    "M-M-Mdy, why would you do that?!"


    "Do what?"


    "Why did you eat the food that Princess Swan offered? What if there is poison in it? Or what if she hexed the food, so whoever ate it will be cursed!?" Alice blurted in a panic. She quickly lowered her voice afterward as she was afraid of being heard. She didn''t want to get punished by the evil witch.


    Long Xiurong frowned, "What are you talking about? Can''t you see that I ampletely unharmed? Besides, I fail to see a point in her trying to poison or curse me since His Majesty''s love is already exclusive to herself. I never have a chance in the first ce."


    "T-that''s because she charmed His Majesty with her dark spell, Mdy. Please, don''t fall for her trap! You still have a chance to be with His Majesty!" Alice insisted.


    Long Xiurong sighed, "You have been living in this castle for a long time, right?" "Y-yes, I''ve been here ever since His Majesty told the beastmen to move in. I''ve been serving His Majesty as the castle servant for a while now."


    "Have you ever seen His Majesty showing so much love to someone else other than Princess Swan?"


    "N-no. He has never been close with anyone, not even with Lady Jade. His Majesty usually went in and out of the castle covered in his enemies'' blood," Alice replied. "P-Princess Swan is his first bride."


    "Then, you already got your answer," Long Xiurong shrugged. "Princess Swan is his first love and the only woman he will ever love. There is no point in mepeting when they are meant for each other. I''m just going toy low and enjoy my time in this castle for now."


    "B-but... The witch..."


    Long Xiurong''s lips thinned.


    Honestly, she began to doubt the authenticity of the witch rumor, because


    Princess Swan was very pleasant and easy to talk to. What she said also made sense. She was harsh towards Lady Jade because she refused to be stomped


    on.


    "I don''t believe that rumor," Long Xiurong imed boldly.


    "But I was told about it by her sister! Mdy, I just don''t want you to fall into Princess Swan''s hex!"


    "Her sister can say whatever she wants. Have you ever witnessed Princess Swan


    using her dark magic with your own eyes?"


    "That-"


    Of course, she never saw it.


    It was all rumors that she spread


    l.ne


    because Princess Swan''s little sister told her so Alice was panicking because she thought everyone, including His Majesty, would fall into the trap of a witch, so she began to spread rumors every day until everyone in the castle except the cat maids knew about the rumor of


    Princess Swan being a witch.


    "Thought so," Long Xiurong rolled her eyes. "I think you should drop that rumor immediately. There is no point in spreading malicious rumors when you have no proof at all."


    "But it''s her sister who told me this..."


    "Her sister can also lie. As long as there is no hard proof, I''d consider everything as a mere rumor," Long Xiurong stated. "Seeing is believing, and I''m not going to believe that rumor until I see her using her spellcraft with my own eyes. Understood?"


    Alice lowered her head, as she had no way to refute Lady Long''s words, even though she was still convinced that Princess Swan was a witch.


    "Alright, you may leave now. I''m going to take a nap for a bit. I''m getting drowsy after eating too many snacks," Long Xiurong said as she took off her head ornaments one by one, before throwing herself on the bed.


    "Then, I will take my leave, Mdy," the bunny maid left the room and closed the door.


    Her body began to shake, not out of anger, but out of sadness.


    ''Oh no, the witch got her as well.


    Lady Long must''ve been bewitched by Princess Swan, just like what happened to His Majesty. That witch must''ve put something in those snacks to make her obey he words,'' Alice was convinced with her narrative. She was even more convinced after Lady Long said that she had no intention ofpeting for His Majesty''s affection anymore. ''I know that''s just impossible. There is no way Lady Long would just give up since she was so excited to be with His Majesty before. Princess Swan must''ve brainwashed her! I know it!''


    ''But, even if I know, who should I tell about this? Lady Long is already under Princess Swan''s control. I need to tell anyone who''s still sane and immune to Princess Swan''s charm in this castle!'' Alice was thinking hard for a while until the face of ady popped up in her mind. ''Oh! She is the only one! Then, I have to hurry and tell her


    everything before it''s toote. Who


    knows I might fall into Princess


    Swan''s dark spell next.''


    Thus, Alice went to Lady Jade''s room to tell her everything she knew about the


    rumor.

 Chapter 117: Jade’s Theory

    Chapter 117: Chapter 117: Jade''s Theory


    "Mdy, there is a bunny maid who wants to talk to you."


    "A bunny maid?" Lady Jade frowned when she heard the report from her servant. She recalled any bunny maid she ever saw around the castle, and remembered one, "You mean, the one who has been assigned as Lady Long''s attendant?"


    "Yes, Mdy."


    "Does she bring a message from Lady Long?"


    Her servant paused for a second and replied, "No, the bunny maid named Alice said that she has to ry a message from herself to Lady Jade. It''s a very dire matter."


    "A dire matter..." Jade tried to think of various scenarios, but she had no idea what dire matter a bunny maid could have. "Alright, let her in."


    Alice stepped into Lady Jade''s room. She looked nervous, and even scared, which only got Jade wondering what the news was all about.


    "I heard that you have a message about a dire matter. Is it about our kingdom?"


    "N-no¡ªI-I mean, yes, Mdy!" Alice stuttered. "I have something to report because Lady Long has fallen into the same trap that Princess Swan used. You are the only one I can trust right now!"


    Jade smiled as she seemed to have gotten something to use against Swan. "Really? Then you should tell me now," Jade said.


    Alice''s mind went back and forth as she was scared that Lady Jade had also fallen into Princess Swan''s dark charm. But she remembered how angry Lady Jade was yesterday during their tea time, so she was assured that Lady Jade hadn''t been brainwashed yet.


    "About a few months ago, while you were away from the kingdom, Princess Swan''s little sister, Princess Aria came for a visit. I was her attendant then, and she told me a few things about Princess Swan," Alice gulped as she was nervous. She was scared, but the truth had to be revealed for the safety of His Majesty''s Beast King.


    "And?"


    "S-she told me that she had witnessed Princess Swan using dark magic since she was young. She said that Princess Swan was a dangerous woman, who would curse anyone she hated, or use a charm spell on someone she liked, including the Beast King," Alice reported. "I''m afraid that Princess Swan had used her dark spell to charm His Majesty to be so utterly in love with her. I told Lady Long to be careful, but she epted the invitation to have a tea time in Princess Swan''s room, and she came out with a big smile."


    "S-she told me that she doesn''t have the urge topete for His Majesty''s love anymore because she had witnessed how much Princess Swan and His Majesty love each other," Alice added. "I''m afraid that she was cursed by Princess Swan while they were alone in her room."


    "So, you''re saying that Swan is a witch?"


    "N-not me! It''s Princess Aria, her little sister!" Alice the bunny maid quickly threw the responsibility to someone else, because she was afraid of being held ountable for this rumor. It would be good if Princess Swan was proven to be a witch, but she didn''t want to be executed, or sent back to her tribe due to the Beast King''s fury. "P-please don''t tell this to His Majesty, Mdy. I''m afraid that I''d be executed, even though all I want is to save His Majesty from Princess Swan''s evil grip!"


    "Interesting," Jade smirked. "Did something happen when Princess Aria was in this castle?" freewebnovel


    "Y-yes, she had tea time with Princess Swan, and then she suddenly screamed in pain before fainting on the floor. She was taken back to her room, and she told me about Princess Swan manifesting her witchcraft since she was young!" Alice reported everything she knew.


    Jade''s grin widened until it was almost ear-to-ear, which scared Alice.


    "M-Mdy, I hope my report will help you in some way..."


    "It sure is. Do you want a reward?"


    "N-no need! I just want to save the beastmen, especially His Majesty!"


    "That''s good. You''re very devoted," Jade nodded. "You may leave now. I will find a way to handle this problem. Thank you for your help."


    Alice blushed as this was the first time she was ever praised by Lady Jade. She wished the praise came from His Majesty instead, but she couldn''t ask for too much.


    Thus, she excused herself and left with a relieved heart.


    "Do you know about this rumor as well?" Jade asked her servant.


    "Yes, Mdy. It was a gossip that had been circting among the servants, but the soldiers brushed at off, perhaps because Princess Swan made a significant change in soldier recruitment, and also introduced a merit system," her servant replied. "It''s quite a malicious rumor, do you need me to tell everyone to stop the gossip?"


    "Why should you do that? It''s great the rumor is surfacing around, because if it''s the truth, then it will answer everything that happened that night," Jade replied.


    Before, she couldn''t understand how Swan waspletely unharmed when Rock attacked her. She should''ve been either dead or at least badly raped. It simply didn''t make sense, because Rock was very strong-not as strong as Gale, but Gale was a demigod at this point soparison wouldn''t be fair.


    "It would also answer the question of how Rock could escape from that one-exit dungeon. Swan could''ve used her witchcraft to fool the prison guards, and release Rock from the chains. It''s the only usible exnation I could think of" Jade theorized. "Furthermore, it''d also exin how Gale Stormfront, the majestic and


    invulnerable Beast King, could fall in


    love with that cripple."


    "Isn''t it because of her beauty, Mdy?" the servant asked. "Everyone in the castle


    -and those who had seen Princess Swan before, say that she looks like an


    angel."


    "An angel? Do you think a limping woman can be an angel? Hah!" Jade snorted. "She''s a witch, and she used her witchcraft to charm Gale, so he would ''fall in love'' with her. I''m sure of it."

 Chapter 118: Seed of Doubt (I)

    Chapter 118: Chapter 118: Seed of Doubt (1)


    "Then, what are you going to do with this information, Mdy? Are you going to find a shaman to dispel her spells?" the servant asked. "I-I feel nothing wrong with my body and mind, but if Princess Swan is truly a witch, then she must be a powerful one, probably born to be one."


    "I suspect the same. Swan must''ve been born with that dark power. I want you to call a shaman as soon as possible but don''t tell anyone in the castle yet. Send the shaman to my room, so I can consult with him," Jade ordered. "For now, I want to talk with His Majesty regarding this matter."


    "But, if His Majesty is deep in the brainwash, wouldn''t it be risky for you, Mdy?"


    "Oh, don''t worry about me. I will find a way to make him doubt her love," Jade smirked.


    **


    Gale was busy in the throne room when Jade suddenly walked in and told the soldier to leave so only the two were left.


    "Why are you here?" Gale asked in an unfriendly tone, which would be mindblowing to any servant who heard it because they thought His Majesty and Lady Jade had a great rtionship. "I told you that I don''t need an advisor anymore, Swan has made a system that is self-running most of the time. She already prepared everything for winter. So, even if she cannot be here for now, she still contributes enough to free you from your duty."


    Jade stayed silent as Gale attacked her with many hurtful words.


    Of course, that didn''t mean she wasn''t angry.


    She was fuming when she heard that Swan had created a system that didn''t need Jade to be around as an advisor or micro-manager anymore. It freed her out of her duty, but it also made her obsolete.


    She wanted to stay by Gale''s side as much as possible, so the new information from that bunny maid could be the way to get back with Gale.


    They were meant to be an Alpha and Luna initially, but he rejected her.


    If she couldn''t be a Luna, then she couldn''t be an Alpha, by allowing their enemies to massacre their pack before.


    "I know. I''m here to discuss an important matter with you."


    "An important matter? If it''s about Long Xiurong again, then I refuse to talk about it. I already give her the best treatment inside this castle, with her own attendant, and main room. But that''s all I can give her because I don''t see her as my bride," Gale said.


    "No, it''s not about Long Xiurong," Jade said. "Though, I''d still want you to consider her since she is meant to be your second bride."


    "Just go straight to the point, Jade. What are you here for?"


    "Mm, I was just wondering about what happened that night in your privateke, when Swan was attacked by Rock," Jade said.


    "And what''s about that?"


    "Rock was in a sudden rut at that time and he was about to rape your mate. But for some reason, Swan was left unscathed while Rock was in a critical condition when we arrived," Jade continued.


    "Isn''t that good? I would''ve killed that traitorous bastard on the spot if Swan was hurt, or even worse..." Gale didn''t want to continue his sentence, because the idea of Swan being touched by another man was enough to send him into fury.


    "It''s good, but it doesn''t make sense, right? Howe a powerless female human survives an attack from Rock Silverfang, the strongest of the Silverfang n, and second strongest after you," Jade mentioned.


    Honestly, that question also haunted Gale for a long time. He was relieved that Swan was unharmed, but it also confused him because Swan was a powerless human. She had no power to defend herself against a werewolf, not to mention someone as strong as Rock Silverfang.


    He asked his wife about the details before, but it would always end up with them arguing about Rock again and again, which frustrated Gale so much. So he stopped asking after a while.


    But that unanswered question remained in Gale''s head.


    Jade had lived long enough with Gale to know that he was also in doubt right now. She intended to double it down and added, "Also, it is simply impossible for Rock to be able to escape the prison, especially after I''ve given him a potent muscle rxant and chained his limbs and neck."


    That was another thorn in Gale''s heart.


    It just didn''t make sense how Rock could''ve escaped. He knew that Jade was a


    potent herbologist. She knew her way around poison and its antidote. He witnessed firsthand how the muscle rxant poison she made was able topletely paralyze an elephant beastman.


    "And what do you think about it? Do you think we have a mole or something?" Gale asked seriously.


    "Mole? Hmm... Perhaps. But rather than that, I suspect magic was used in both situations," Jade assumed.


    "Magic?" Gale frowned. "We don''t have any shamans in the castle."


    freewebnovel


    "No, no, as in... I suspect someone inside this castle is using magic-probably witchcraft¡ªto protect herself from Rock''s attack that night."


    Gale paused for a moment before he red at Jade, "Are you suspecting my wife


    to be a witch? Do you know what this means? I can kill you right here, right now if


    I want to."


    Jade wasn''t scared at all. She knew that he would NEVER hurt her.


    Jade was the only one left from their Storm Pack. If he killed her, then he killed


    the only remaining memory he had with his beloved pack.


    ''I guess being the only one


    unharmed during that massacre has


    its merit, Jade thought. She maintained her calm and stated, don''t have any evidence to prove my im. But the only logical answer I


    coulde up with for that night incident is that... Swan might''ve been more than just a normal human. She might''ve practiced witchcraft on her own."

 Chapter 119: Seed of Doubt (II)

    Chapter 119: Chapter 119: Seed of Doubt (II)


    A long silence ensued between them.


    Jade and Gale stared at each other-no, Jade was staring at her Alpha, but Gale was ring at her, as if he could kill her right here, right now.


    "So, what do you think of my theory? It''s quite usible, right?"


    "The only thing usible in this scenario is me ripping your head off," Gale retorted ruthlessly. "I don''t want to listen to your bullshit. If there''s nothing else you want to talk about, then leave the throne room immediately. You have no right to be here."


    "I know you can be violent at times. But you should consider my theory. I''m just trying to make sense of what happenedst night. Who knows, Swan might''ve used her witchcraft to put Rock into a sudden rut as well¡ª"


    Jade quickly stopped her sentence because Gale began to release his aura. It was a threat because even she wasn''t immune to it. She might''ve died due tock of air.


    "I''m sorry. I was just speaking nonsense," Jade smiled. "I''ll leave now, Your Majesty."


    Lady Jade turned around and left the throne room with a thin smile on her lips. Gale might''ve said that he didn''t believe her at all, but she had lived with him for a very long time to know that Gale was just in denial right now.


    ''Of course, he would be in denial. If the wife he loves so much turns out to be a witch, then he will also doubt if his love for her was ever real. A powerful witch could easily charm a man to hopelessly fall in love,'' Jade thought. ''And when he realizes his love is not real, that''s the time when I finally win against that little crippled bitch.''


    *


    Gale gritted his teeth as he only had one thing in mind.


    ''Should I kill her? She disrespected my wife like that. Swan''s dignity is mine, so Jade has disrespected me as well,'' Gale pondered. ''But she is the only one remaining from the Storm Pack. As the Alpha, I still have my duty to protect my pack, especially when she is the only one left.''


    Gale was conflicted.


    As he slowly calmed himself down, his mind wandered to his beloved.


    Of course, he didn''t believe Jade at all.


    Swan was a very pure-hearted woman. Gale knew it because the real reason why he didn''t want to mark Jade after he got cursed, was because her nape smelled rancid, like rotten flesh that he would never touch.


    It was very different with Swan, who always had that alluring natural scent around her body.


    The Moon Goddess once told him that some women weren''t fit to be his bride because they were dirty.


    Even though that useless Moon Goddess never specified what kind of dirty.


    ''I know Swan has a pure heart. But what about that night? How could she survive an attack from Rock?'' Gale wondered. Unfortunately, no matter how hard he tried to get the thought off his mind, he kept thinking about it, and the possibility of Swan having a non-human power was the most usible.


    ''But if that''s the case, is there a kind-hearted witch? Don''t they draw their power from hatred and vile thoughts? Gale had seen a fair. share of witches in his life. Many winged beastmen tribes had at least a few witches as their shamans. He had also seen a human witch once, and that human witch was so weak, she couldn''t even do anything against him.


    ''That useless Goddess said that I''m immune to dark spells, or any witchcraft, because my curse is the worst, and it would automatically dispel any other kind of magic around me,'' Gale thought. ''Then, could it be that Swan is not a witch, but something else?''


    He gritted his teeth once he found another dead end. He couldn''t find any answer to his questions.


    The more he thought about it, the harder it was for him to make sense of what happened that night.


    "I should just bring up the topic with her today. I want to hear every detail that she remembers."


    **


    Swan was sitting at the table with all the food for dinner already prepared beforehand. Gale said that he would love to have dinner with her today, so she waited patiently.


    "Have you been waiting long?" Gale asked as he entered their bedroom. "I''m sorry. There were many things to do today in the throne room."


    Swan smiled at him as Gale sat at the opposite side, "It''s okay. I''ve prepared your dinner today. Now, I know you like fresh meat, or rare steak at best, but I added a few ingredients to your steak. I think you''ll like it."


    "Is it Holy Achate''s specialty?" Gale asked.


    "No, it''s actually a few spices from the West."


    "West?" Gale frowned.


    "Mhm, I-I


    asked th


    the maids about your original pack, and they said they don''t know much, but they know that you came from the west forest area, where it''s mostly hignd with a lot of storms. They know this information from their elders," Swan exined. "-I didn''t mean to pry too much about your origin, I just think that I should


    prepare you something you''re familiar with."


    Gale''s thin smile disappeared instantly.


    The information that Swan gathered was right. His original pack was from the Southwest, which was a mountainous region with a lot of storms all year long, except during winter, when it became a blizzard.


    The southwest mountainous area created powerful beastmen, because it was a dangerous and difficult area to live in. Gale was the strongest of the Storm Pack. He had always been one ever since he was young.


    Swan noticed that Gale looked unhappy, so she asked, "Gale? Did I do something wrong?"


    "No, you don''t do anything wrong, sweetheart. I was just reminded of the past," Gale muttered. "My original pack was called the Storm Pack. We were great at surviving the harsh conditions, and amazing during battles."

 Chapter 120: His Past

    Chapter 120: Chapter 120: His Past


    "Oh! Then, do they still live in that area? Or did you bring them to live in the castle already? You should introduce me to them, since they are your family, right?" Swan asked with great interest. "D-don''t worry, I will try to be proper in front of my inws!".


    Gale smiled seeing how excited Swan got as she wanted to see his family.


    "I''d be happy to introduce you to my family. You''d be the Luna of my pack, and we will lead the Storm Pack together," Gale said fondly as he reminisced about the past. About histe mother, his siblings, and his friends. "My mother can be very nosy about stuff, so I hope you can endure her chattering."


    Swan blushed as she imagined a happy family with Gale. She had been thinking hard about bringing the topic of inws in front of Gale because she knew nothing about his past.


    "I-I would try my best to impress my mother-inw."


    Gale smiled bitterly, "Unfortunately, you can''t meet her anymore¡ªor anyone in my Storm Pack."


    "W-why? If it''s because they are still in your original region, then I''d be more than willing to travel there during spring or summer."


    "They are dead. All of them," Gale stated. "My entire pack... has been massacred."


    Swan''s heart sank when she heard that. Of all the things she had in mind, she didn''t expect the entire Storm Pack to get massacred.


    Gale looked up as he was recalling that fateful night;


    "I was out of the den when that happened. When I returned, I saw everyone was already dead. Man, woman, elderly, children, nobody was spared. Jade was the only one left at that time. Right before she almost got killed by those bastards, I saved her, and killed every single one of those bastards," Gale said. "Everything went dark after that, and when I woke up, I was being treated by Matoa, that old doctor."


    "Y-you said that your pack was full of amazing fighters. Howe they all got defeated?"


    "The attackers were a bunch of Alphas and Betas from various enemy packs around us. They colluded, and someone must''ve betrayed us because it would be difficult for them to know the exact location of our den," Gale said. "I don''t know who that traitor is. I don''t even know if that person is still alive or not right now. If that traitor is still alive, then I will make sure to break their bones one by one before sending them to hell. I hate traitors the most."


    Swan lowered her head instantly. She didn''t know if she could be considered a traitor, but she was actually scared right now.


    On top of that, she felt guilty for bringing an old trauma.


    "I-I''m sorry, Gale."


    "For what?"


    "For making you talk about this. I didn''t know that..."


    Gale chuckled, "Don''t be so tense around me, Swan. I''m not upset with you, I was upset with myself because I failed to protect them."


    Gale noticed that Swan still looked sad, so he shifted the topic to the food that Swan had prepared. He grabbed the fork, a habit that he grew over time because his wife kept pestering him to use the utensil to eat.


    He took a bite out of the seasoned steak and nodded, "Is this your own recipe?"


    "I-I cannot cook by myself because the castle kitchen is too cold, but I make sure to taste the steak that the hog chef made. I told him to reduce some of the ingredients and add another to enhance the vor until it tasted great in my mouth, hope you like it."


    Gale took a big bite this time and savored it with relish. The steak juice dripped from the corner of his mouth, and Swan hurriedly wiped it with the handkerchief.


    Swan told him every time they ate together that he should eat slowly, so it wouldn''t be messy. But Gale liked how Swan was so worried about a literal meat juice dripping from the corner of his mouth.


    He liked her attentiveness, so he kept doing it.


    "It''s very good," Gale praised.


    "R-really?"


    "Yes. Honestly, this is simr to what my mother used to make," Gale said. "We werewolves-don''t need to cook our food. But we do season the The


    fresh meat that we just seas


    way you seasoned it is simr to my mom''s. It takes me back to the good old days."


    Swan didn''t know if she should be happy or not listening to that.


    She felt guilty for making Gale reminiscing about a dark past. However, the smile on his face told Swan that he genuinely enjoyed eating the steak she made.


    Meanwhile, Gale was trying to suppress his emotions.


    He didn''t know how Swan could do it, but what Swan made was almost identical


    to what his mother made back in the day. Every single seasoning was perfect, and


    it made him wonder if Swan personally asked histe mother about the recipe.


    ''How is that even possible? She doesn''t know a thing about it, right?'' Gale pondered. ''Then howe she knows exactly what I like?''


    Meanwhile, Swan was relieved that her recipe was a sess.


    She didn''t do much. She simply seasoned the steak with ingredients that she felt would be ''right''. freewebnovel


    But, she kept praying to Goddess Asmara the whole time, wishing that Gale would be happy with what she made.


    "I will make moreter. Since you like it," Swan said.


    "No, don''t," Gale refused.


    "W-why? Is there something wrong with it?"


    "No, it''s perfect. Too perfect, in fact," Gale sighed. It''s identical to what myte mother usually made, andit makes me miss home. It makes me miss the days when the Storm Pack was still active, and when I was the Alpha. It also reminds me of my failure to protect them."


    "I love the food you made, Wife. I just cannot eat it without thinking about my bitter


    past," Gale said.

 Chapter 121: Do you have a power?

    Chapter 121: Chapter 121: Do you have a power?


    "I''m sorry that I''ve caused you pain, Gale. I''ll make sure to never use the same ingredients and spices," Swan said worriedly. "I''m sorry..."


    Gale smiled, "You don''t need to keep saying sorry. I know you mean well. It''s just unfortunate that I keep recalling the past as I tasted the same food from long ago."


    Gale got up and walked towards Swan''s chair. He lifted her, and sat her on hisp, "This is much better. It''s been a while since you sat on myp. I think thest time was two months ago?"


    "Y-yes, the throne room is too cold, even during autumn. Sorry, I can''t apany you."


    "Why do you keep saying sorry? Is it because of the food you made for me?" Gale chuckled. He pinched Swan''s chin so she would lift her head to stare at him¡ªat least at his blindfold. "I like what you made. It''s not your fault the food gives me nostalgia."


    "Still-"


    "You should have your dinner now. You''re still too thin for my liking, you know," Gale joked.


    "D-don''t say that! I''ve been putting on weight!" Swan eximed as she was actually offended.


    She naturally didn''t eat a lot because she was never allowed to. She would eat leftovers in the kitchen, and even if she was allowed to cook, the leftover ingredients wouldn''t be enough to fill her stomach.


    That''s why she had been trying her best to gain weight by eating more, and it seemed to be working, at least that was what she hoped for.


    Truthfully, Gale didn''t see any difference between the current Swan and that Swan he brought from the Holy Achate.


    She was bright and beautiful now, like a flower that bloomed in winter, but she was still very thin and petite. She was even smaller than Long Xiurong, who came from the East and was naturally petite.


    "I heard that female humans often try to look as thin as possible to attract the males. It doesn''t work on me, you know? I don''t care if you put on weight, I just don''t want you to get sick, because the cold must''ve been painful when you''re this thin," Gale said.


    What Gale said was right.


    Winter was very harsh on her since her deformed leg would itch or ache when it was too cold. Her body would also tremble even if she had covered herself with a nket. The cold would still pierce her skin, straight to her bone.


    "I-I will keep that in mind," Swan muttered before taking a spoonful of chicken broth to warm her body. "I-I''m trying my best, you know."


    Gale smiled lovingly, knowing how cute Swan looked when she pouted like this.


    However, that smile didn''tst long when he realized that he hade to her with a question in mind. He tried to get the thought off his mind, but Jade''s words were like a virus that gued his mind, refusing to leave until he got the answer he sought.


    "Sweetheart."


    "Yes?"


    "During that night when Rock attacked you. Do you remember anything?" Gale asked, and Swan was almost choked from the chicken broth. She drank a ss of water before looking at Gale in confusion.


    "W-what''s wrong? Did you finally find Rock''s current whereabouts?"


    Gale hated how Swan had that worried and affectionate look whenever they talked about that bastard Rock Silverfang. It made him want to kill that traitorous


    bastard even more, so Swan wouldpletely forget about him.


    "No, but I just can''t stop thinking I


    about what happened that night, because I wasn''t by your side," Gale said. "I want to know if I''ve missed something. I found it strange that you''v


    werepletely unharmed


    while Rock was lying on the side, almost dying."


    Swan didn''t expect Gale to bring up this topic again.


    "I... don''t know what happened. I closed my eyes as tight as possible because I was scared of getting hurt. I only opened my eyes again when you hugged me," Swan replied truthfully.


    She actually didn''t know what happened then. But after what happened to Aria when she tried to pull her hair, Swan guessed it was the Goddess'' protection that saved her from Rock''s w that night.


    However, she still didn''t know that for sure, so her statement wasn''t a lie.


    Gale couldn''t sense anything wrong with Swan''s answer just now. She was likely telling the truth, but it only made everything more confusing for Gale.


    ''Could it be that Swan has a power that even she, herself, doesn''t know? I''ve heard that some species could manifest their power, like how some raven beastmen can conjure a storm because of their magical affinity with the wind.''


    "W-why are you asking me this, Gale? Did I do something wrong?" Swan asked. "I really don''t know what happened that night at theke. I''d tell you if I knew..."


    "No, it''s nothing. I was just wondering because I can''t seem to get the answer," Gale replied. "You should tell me if you feel something is wrong, alright?" "What... kind of wrong are you talking about?"


    ...


    Gale didn''t know how to address this issue without sounding like he used his mate of being a witch.


    He truly believed that Swan wasn''t a witch, but he still wanted confirmation. Only when he saw her power with his own two eyes would this thought stop guing his mind.


    "If you ever feel like you have manifested into some powers simr to mine, you should tell me immediately," Gale requested. "I just want to keep you safe."


    "I-I''m just a normal human. I don''t have that kind of power!" Swan denied it


    immediately. "E-even if I have that kind of p-power, I would never hurt you with it!"


    Gale sensed the panic in Swan''s


    eyes, which got him suspicious for a


    moment. But then again, if Swan


    had already manifested her power,


    he would be the first to know, right? They spent every night together, and he didn''t really ''sleep'' as he needed to stay on guard all the time to protect his mate and future


    offspring.


    ''I guess there''s no point in using Swan as a witch when there''s no proof of it,''


    Gale concluded.


    "I trust you, sweetheart. No need to panic."

 Chapter 122: Dreaming with An Angel

    Chapter 122: Chapter 122: Dreaming with An Angel


    "I-I''m not panicking!"


    "You clearly do," Gale chuckled. "I know you''re timid and get nervous often, but don''t worry, I''m not suspecting you of anything bad. I''m just worried about you."


    "R-really?"


    "Yes."


    "T-then, I... actually I¡ª"


    "Besides, even if you have manifested a magic power, I believe you will never hurt


    or betray me with it, right?" Gale added. "I hate traitors the most."


    Swan went quiet for a moment and nodded, "I-I will never. I promise."


    Gale finally eased up. He gently caressed Swan''s golden hair and muttered, "I know you would never betray me. I can feel the sincerity and honestying from your heart. That''s why I can be at ease whenever I''m with you."


    Swan pressed her lips together and smiled, but she was nervous deep inside.


    She didn''t know since when did Gale start suspecting her of having a magic power, but she had to be more careful from now on.


    Truthfully, Swan almost revealed to Gale that she had manifested into this strange power from the Goddess just now. But when Gale said that he hated traitors the most, she quickly swallowed the words that were already on the tip of her tongue.


    Although she never hurt Gale with her power-and never will, she was still a traitor, because she was the one who freed Rock from the dungeon and let him escape.


    She also saved him for the second time before Gale could kill him and sent him to another continent, where Gale would never find him.


    She did those things because she didn''t want Gale to kill the only friend he had in life.


    However, no matter the reason, she was still a traitor in the end.


    Swan finished her dinner soon after, and Gale frowned, seeing half-eaten chicken soup and bread, "Are you sure you don''t want to eat more?"


    "I''m not hungry. I ate snacks and dessert today," Swan replied.


    Gale smiled. He picked her up and carried her to their marital bed. He made sure that Swan was warm by tossing more logs inside the firece, wrapping Swan''s body with a thick nket, and hugging her. Swan stared at Gale, who didn''t seem to have any burden on his mind. freewebnovel


    ''That''s right. He was at ease because he thought that I would never betray him. He truly believed that I would never keep any secret from him,'' Swan thought. ''I''m sorry, husband. I just can''t let you hurt your friend. You might not realize it, but I know how sad you were when you locked Rock inside the dungeon. I can see it in your face. But you are in denial no matter how hard I tried to convince you. So, I have to save Rock first before you understand that he is your precious friend.''


    Swan never had a friend in her life. She was always alone. The pce maids might pity her from time to time, but they feared Aria more than they pitied Swan.


    She didn''t mind being alone, as she had long epted that someone like her didn''t deserve to be loved or trusted by anyone.


    But she didn''t want Gale to regret his own action if he killed Rock.


    Swan closed her eyes, but she couldn''t sleep.


    Instead, she kept praying in her heart;


    ''Oh Goddess, please guide me, so I can bring peace into my husband''s heart. Please make him understand that I will never hurt him. Please make him realize that everything I do his sake!'' Swan prayed as hard


    is


    as she could. ''Goddess, I love him. I truly do. Please don''t let him find out about my true self, because I don''t want him to think that I''m a traitor...''


    Swan fell asleep slowly as she kept praying over and over.


    ...


    ...


    ...


    -Dream realm-


    ''Wake up, my dear daughter.''


    Swan opened her eyes slowly, and again, she saw a figure of a woman surrounded by a blinding light, which made it impossible for Swan to see her face.


    ''A-are you Goddess Asmara? I''m sorry, I-I forgot to ask your name before...'' Swan asked. She remembered being so confused that she didn''t get to ask her name.


    ''I am the one who gives birth to you, my dear daughter. That is all you need to know.''


    ''But my mother is a whore. And you are a Goddess...''


    Again, the woman dodged her question and shifted the topic, ''I see that you want


    to help your husband this time.''


    ''I-I do! I really want to give him peace


    of mind! He told me that he has a bitter memory of the past. He lost his entire pack in a massacre 4-1 don''t know how to make him feel better, but I truly want to help!''


    ''Oh, dear. How about you take him into a beautiful dream where his entire pack is still alive and thriving?''


    ''W-wouldn''t it only give him even more bitterness? He said he doesn''t want to remember about it because it''s painful.''


    ''It is painful. But that''s because he is all alone in that beautiful dream,'' the


    Goddess smiled. ''Go apany him. But remember, you should never tell him about your power.''


    ''Why not?''


    ''Because it is not the time yet, my dear daughter. He doesn''t trust youpletely. He will never trust anyonepletely, even if his mouth said so, because of his upbringing,'' the Goddess said. ''Trust


    your


    vel


    mother, will you? Time will


    answer everything. All you need to do right now is to apany him in that beautiful dream.''


    ''T-thank you, Goddess.''


    ''That''s no good. You should call me mother next time.''


    The Goddess disappeared from her dream, and everything was pitch ck.


    -Dream realm end-


    Swan opened her eyes again, and this time, she was on her bed, with Gale hugging her tightly. She looked at her hand and realized that her body was glowing, just like when she came to save Rock that night.


    She stared at her husband, who was mumbling something in his sleep, so he must''ve been dreaming about something.


    "You deserve a good dream, my dear husband," Swan said as she gently kissed Gale''s forehead, and entered his dream.

 Chapter 123: Dreaming with An Angel (II)

    Chapter 123: Chapter 123: Dreaming with An Angel (II)


    -Gale''s Dream-


    Gale still had both of his eyes closed when he picked up a familiar scent, a familiar voice, and also a familiar temperature around him. He opened his eyes slowly and saw a beautifulke with a giant tree at the other end.


    Theke was big, and it was used as amunal bath for everyone in the Storm Pack except for Gale who had his own private spot in a grotto behind the waterfall which they used as their water source.


    The giant tree across theke was called the Tree of Life, where their ancestors carved a giant hole in the middle for protection for the cubs, elderly, and pregnant wolves in case the storm was too strong and dangerous for them.freewebnovel


    Gale immediately noticed that he was inside the Storm Pack den, where everything was still intact, and he was still the young Alpha of the pack.


    Nobody knew that a few days from now, the den would get raided by their enemies, and everyone except Jade would be massacred while Gale wasn''t in the den.


    ''This is just a dream,'' Gale assessed quickly.


    He loved this beautiful scenery because it made him fantasize about the world where he didn''t fail his duty as the Alpha of Storm Pack. However, he wasn''t foolish enough to drown in a dream, as he had to ept the reality that his pack was gone.


    This would be the first time after more than three decades that he dreamed of his pack again, and this time, everything was still perfectly intact.


    ''All of my previous dreams about Storm Pack be nightmares for me because my mind would always rey that moment where I see everyoneid on the ground, covered in blood,'' Gale thought.


    "Gale! Gale!" Gale looked down, and saw a little girl with a pair of small wolf ears and a short tail, holding a flower. "Look, I got this from the Tree of Life! It''s almost autumn, so this must be thest flower of this year!"


    Gale chuckled. He remembered this little girl. She was his distant rtive as her mother was Gale''s cousin.


    "Did you climb the tree again, Peony? It''s too dangerous for a little cub like you. I''l tell your mother about this."


    The little wolf girl called Peony looked scared and shook her head adamantly, "N- no! I get this from a young woman with bright golden hair!"


    "A woman with bright golden hair?" Gale frowned. He had only known one woman with golden hair in his life, so he wanted to make sure. "Does she look thin?"


    "Un! She is small for an adult. I never saw her around the pack, is she a new member? Or is she your mate?" Peony asked with a curious gaze. "Oh! Gale, if she''s your mate, you should tell us! We will hold a sacred wedding!"


    "Where is she right now?!" Gale panicked. He didn''t know why Swan was in here. He didn''t want her to get hurt even though he knew this was just a dream. In this dream, everything would fall apart and everyone would get massacred in the end. Gale refused to see Swan be a victim of the same tragedy.


    "She''s inside the Tree of Life. She gave this to me because she said this flower''s name is also Peony! Like me!"


    Gale rushed as fast as he could towards the other side of theke. He leaped from one rock in the middle of theke onto another to get a shortcut until he reached the Tree of Life.


    Gale entered the hole that his pack used as a shelter and saw a woman sitting on a curved giant root. She had bright golden hair with rosy cheeks, and she looked healthy, though she still looked petite for an adult woman.


    "Did Peony tell you that I''m here?"


    Gale rushed towards his beloved and hugged her tightly, "Swan! What are you doing here?! This ce is dangerous!"


    "Your den looks beautiful and serene. I don''t see any danger," Swanmented while allowing her husband to hug her tight.


    "No-this-this ce will burn down soon. Everyone will die, and I can''t do anything while they kill my people,won''t be able to move my body. I''ve re-lived this dream many times in the past!" Gale vehemently denied¡ªalmost yelling. "You need to leave now before it''s toote."


    "I''m not going anywhere, husband."


    "Swan! Listen to me!" Gale gripped Swan''s shoulders and pushed her until his arm length. They made eye arm contact, and he eximed, "I don''t


    want you to be in danger! This is just a dream, but I don''t want you to get hurt even in my dream!"


    Swan didn''t respond.


    She gently reached out to him and caressed his cheek and the corner of his eyes with her finger, "You look so handsome without a blindfold, husband. Your pupils are as dark as ink."


    Gale''s eyes widened. He was about to close his eyes before he realized that he wasn''t cursed yet at this time in the dream, so his gaze wouldn''t instantly kill anyone.


    "Why do you have to wear a blindfold in front of me, Gale?"


    "I... I have been cursed, and my curse forbids me to ever look at anyone in the eye or else it would kill them, especially if they are just humans," Gale revealed. "My mate will be immune to my gaze."


    "Then why don''t you use it on me? Am I not your mate?"


    "I..." Gale gritted his teeth. He didn''t want to hurt Swan''s heart, but since this was


    just a dream, it wouldn''t hurt Swan in real life, right?


    "Is it because I''m not your mate?"


    ...


    Gale nodded reluctantly.


    "I don''t want to risk it and kill you with my gaze. I''d never forgive myself if I did that," Gale admitted. "But don''t worry, Sweetheart. will find a way to cure my curse, and we can be together. Only the two of us."


    Swan smiled.


    She could feel sincerity from Gale, especially when his eyes were exposed like this, ''If he ever took off that blindfold, I''d die happy knowing he is thest person I''ve ever seen before I die.''

 Chapter 124: Dreaming with An Angel (III)

    Chapter 124: Chapter 124: Dreaming with An Angel (III)


    Swan began to feel a little emotional, knowing that Gale''s fated mate would be able to stare directly into his eyes. That woman could see how loving Gale was beneath his blindfold, and she would be the one indulging in his love for the rest of her life.


    Swan felt a little bitter knowing she would never be that woman, but she had long epted the reality and had toughened her heart. She wanted to be useful for Gale until herst breath.


    "Don''t worry about this dream, Gale. That massacre will not happen this time, because this dream will freeze like this for a while, at least until you wake up," Swan assured.


    "R-really? How would you know?"


    "Because I''m here, and in this dream¡ª" Swan gently pushed Gale''s arms away and hopped off from the tree root. She stood in front of Gale with a proud smile and added, "I am not a cripple."


    Gale was astonished. He looked down and saw that Swan''s leg was perfectly normal. She was barefoot, which was a little worrying since she wasn''t a beastman and naturally didn''t have a beastman''s immune system.


    "You should wear shoes. I don''t want you to get cuts or dirt on your sole," Gale said.


    "Oh, rx, Gale, this is a dream world. You don''t need to worry about a thing," Swan smiled. She took a step back, and giggled, "In fact, I can do this too!"


    Swan suddenly dashed out of the tree bark, "Swan!"


    Gale rushed to catch her, afraid that she would get hurt.


    Gale caught Swan right before she jumped into the deepke. He wrapped his arm around her waist and locked her in his embrace as he yelled, "What are you doing?! You''re going to drown!"


    Swan giggled, "Sorry, I was just feeling a little mischievous. But you get it now, right? I won''t get hurt in this dream, neither will you. I promise that nightmare will note true this time."


    "How can you tell, Swan?" Gale asked. "This is my dream. Only I know what will happen here."


    "Do you expect me to be in your dream then?" Swan asked, and Gale went silent immediately.


    Indeed, this was the first time Swan ever entered his dream. He never wished her to be here, because his dreams were never peaceful.


    It was always nightmares after nightmares.


    "Trust me this time, alright? Ie here because I want to give you a beautiful dream for once. Your pack is intact, you have me with my leg fully healed, so I can walk by your side," Swan convinced. "The only thing you need to do right now is to rx."


    ...


    Gale began to loosen his grip on her waist, and slowly let her go.


    He watched over Swan, making sure to catch her again if she dared to jump into the deepke. But she didn''t.


    She turned around and tiptoed to kiss Gale on the chin, as that was the highest she could reach.


    "Geez, lower your head a little. I want to kiss your lips."


    Gale smiled. He leaned towards her, and Swan finally kissed him on the lips. It was quick, but it felt sweet for Gale.


    "Okay, why don''t you give me a tour around your pack den? I told you I want to meet with my mother-inw, right?"


    Gale never dared to check on his mother in any of his nightmares. Her death was the scariest, the most traumatizing memory for him.


    However, since Swan told him to trust her, he finally gave her a tour around the den.


    He exined everything as they walked past the Tree of Life, theke, the waterfall, and even the private grotto he used to bathe. As they reached the other side of theke, they ran into the little girl again.


    "Is she really your mate, Gale?" Peony asked with a tilted head.


    Gale smiled proudly. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer, "Yes, her name is Swan. Isn''t she beautiful?"


    "She is! But that means I can''t be


    your mate then? Hmph!" Peony pouted She nced at Swan and then blushed, "I-I''m sorry, Swan. I will not steal Gale from you! He is all yours!"


    "Really? Then, thank you for giving him to me," Swan smiled. "As a gift... how about I give you another beautiful flower?"


    "But I thought you already gave me thest one."


    "Mm- I can make one for you," Swan kneeled before the little girl. "Close your eyes."


    Peony closed her eyes obediently, and Swan conjured another beautiful peony with her magic in her hand. It was a white peony, with a sprinkle of gold dust on its petals.


    Swan put it on Peony''s ear and said, "You can open your eyes now."


    Peony opened her eyes and took the flower on her ear to check on it.


    Peony shook the flower, causing magical gold dust to sprinkle around. "Wow! What is this? It''s so beautiful!"


    "It''s a gift from me," Swan winked. "Since you willingly handed Gale to me."


    "Why don''t you tell the others about my mate? I''m sure they''d love to prepare a sacred ritual for Swan and me," Gale requested.


    "Okay!" Peony nodded and ran towards a shrouded area where the other wolves lived while holding the Peony with gold dust in her hand.


    Gale was trying not to make too much of a reaction just now, but he couldn''t hide his shock once Peony was away.


    "Swan... what did you do just now?" freewebnovel


    "Magic, obviously," Swan replied. She got up and looked at Gale who had the ghastly.expression in his eyes. The Goddess told her not to reveal her power in front of Gale, but she knew it was because Gale shouldn''t find out about her power in real life.


    But they were currently in a dream world where she wasn''t a cripple, so it


    shouldn''te out as a shock, right?


    "You are suspecting me as a witch, aren''t you?" Swan said. "Don''t worry. I will exin everything to you once we are done with this dream, Gale."

 Chapter 125: Dreaming with An Angel (IV)

    Chapter 125: Chapter 125: Dreaming with An Angel (IV)


    Gale held his breath.


    He knew that Swan in this dream wasn''t the same Swan in real life. This Swan was much more confident and outspoken. She was also very proactive, unlike the timid Swan in real life.


    Gale quickly rationalized Swan''s words as a mere dream and nodded, "I can''t keep my mind off the idea that you might have some kind of mysterious power. That''s the only possible answer to how you could stay unharmed when Rock Silverfang attacked you."


    "You will get the answerter," Swan smiled. "Now, why don''t we go to your mother? I want to see her."


    Gale smiled. He held her hand and led Swan to a small cave shrouded with leaves that hid what was inside.


    His mother was sitting outside, eating what seemed to be a strange fruit that Swan had never seen before.


    She looked old-probably in her seventies in human age, but her back was still straight, and she still had that charisma befitting of a former Luna of the Storm Pack.


    "Mom..." Gale whispered before rushing towards his mother and hugged her tightly. "Mom!"


    "W-wha¨D! You surprised me! What''s wrong, Gale? It''s so rare for you to hug me like this."


    This was the first time in any of his dreams that his mother was still alive.


    It had been a long time since he saw her face, and it made him emotional.


    "Gale? Are you alright?"


    "I didn''t feel alright before, Mom. But I feel good now that I''ve seen you alive."


    "What are you saying? Just because I''m old, doesn''t mean I''m dying!"


    Gale chuckled. Unfortunately, both in this dream and in real life, his mother never


    knew that she would die a gruesome death during the massacre.


    Gale hugged her for a while before letting her go and took a step back.


    "I brought someone special with me today, Mom."


    Gale stepped aside to show Swan, who had been standing in silence for a while. His mother was surprised to see a woman she had never seen before, "Oh? Who is she, Gale? Is she the one you want to mate with?"


    "Yes, she is... my fated mate," Gale imed as he returned to his beloved''s side. "Her name is Swan."


    "Swan, I see..." Gale''s mother looked at Swan, inspected her from head to toe, and smiled, "She''s gorgeous. I can see why you want her to be our pack''s Luna. Now, tell me, which pack do youe from, Swan?"


    "I''m just a human, Ma''am," Swan replied politely.


    "A human?" Gale''s mother was confused for a moment. She nced at Gale, waiting for him to say something, and Gale simply nodded, "She is a human, Mom."


    "This is... a little strange. I''ve never seen a human and a werewolf mating. I''ve heard about some werewolves who get together with humans, but an Alpha with human Luna?" Gale''s mom raised her brow, but she didn''t seem angry or offended. She looked genuinely confused, "Well, it doesn''t matter. As long as you''re happy, Gale."


    She returned her gaze to Swan and introduced herself, "My name is Lilia, Gale''s mother, and the former Luna. That position is currently empty as Gale has yet to mark any woman. But now it seems we will have our first human Luna."


    Gale gently pushed Swan''s back so she would step forward to greet his mother. Swan kneeled in front of Lilia and said, "My name is Swan, Ma''am. I-I came from a kingdom named Holy Achate. I was a princess before Gale brought me here."


    "Now, that''s even more interesting. A royalty," Lilia chuckled. "No need to call me Ma''am. Just call me Lilia, or Mom, if you ever wish to do so."


    Swan thought it was rude to call her mother-inw by her name, "Then, I-I will call you Mom, just like how Gale called you."


    "Aww, you''re so cute. But you are a little too thin for an adult woman, don''t you think? Gale will fatten you upter! Lilia said. "So, Gale, when will you hold the sacred ceremony? Everybody has to know that we finally get our new Luna."


    "I will inform themter, Mom. I hope we can do the ceremony tonight during the


    full moon. The weather is clear today."


    "Alright, we will have a grand celebration!" Lilia agreed happily. However, her smile didn''tst long as she asked, "How about Jade?"


    "Jade? What about her?"


    "You rejected her before, right? What if she gets bitter and does something heinous? We both know that Jade is stubborn," Lilia sighed.


    Gale and Jade grew up together and still befriended each other over the years until Gale finally took over histe father''s mantle as the Alpha of Storm Pack.


    There was nobody better suited as a Luna than Jade, so she thought Gale wouldn''t mind at all.


    Until he suddenly rejected her in front of the entire pack, insisting that his mate was a human.


    Lilia thought that Gale was just not ready to mate with Jade, so she told Jade to be patient with him.


    Now that a female human named Swan was here, Lilia realized that Gale was serious about his mate being a human. freewebnovel


    "Jade and I are just friends. I never have any romantic feelings for her. She will understand," Gale said lightly. "Well, I''ve promised Swan to give a tour around our den. Since she will be in charge of the den while I''m away, she has to know every nook and cranny, right?"


    "Mhm, she will have to know how to manage the den and our kin. It''s a Luna''s duty," Lilia nodded while smiling at Swan. "You are a Princess from a human kingdom, right?"


    "Y-yes, Mom."


    "Then, it shouldn''t be too hard. Your duty as Gale''s wife would be simr to that of a Queen," Lilia said.


    Swan was the one who felt emotional now. She knew it was just a dream, but seeing her mother-inw made her realize how much she wanted to meet her in real life.


    Unfortunately, that could never happen.


    ''Oh, Goddess, please let Gale''s mother in heaven rest in peace. I want to meet her one day...'' Swan prayed in her heart.

 Chapter 126: Dreaming with An Angel (V)

    Chapter 126: Chapter 126: Dreaming with An Angel (V)


    Gale gave a tour around the den and introduced her to every pack member they encountered along the way. Swan was awed by the den''s size.


    "You called it a den, but it''s more of a vige for me. A beautiful vige hidden inside a rough mountain," Swanmented. She noticed that the den was difficult to reach by those who weren''t familiar with the terrain. The sharp cliffs also acted as a natural defense. "No wonder your people get so strong. They have to go through difficult terrains just to reach home after a hunt, right?"


    "And we also have to face heavy storms that often happen," Gale added. "We are one of the strongest beastmen in the continent, so we have a lot of enemies too since we can defeat anyone in a battle."


    "Unfortunately, even the strongest pack wouldn''t be able to detect a traitor, and we got massacred-"


    "Ssh, don''t think too much about it, Gale. We''re here to have fun, and in this dream, nobody in your pack will ever die," Swanforted.


    Gale nodded, but he still didn''t feel at ease, as he still wanted to know who that damned traitor was.


    "If I ever find that traitor who leaked the secret entrance to my pack''s den, then I will kill that bastard immediately," Gale said in a low voice. "This is why I hate traitors the most, Swan. I don''t want to be betrayed by someone I trust."


    Swan smiled bitterly.


    Unfortunately, she had toughened her resolve to show something to Gale by the time they ended this beautiful dream.


    The day went on smoothly until the sun began to set. Gale and Swan sat on thekeside under the Tree of Life. They stared at the beautiful moon in the clear night sky.


    The other pack members were on the other side of theke, busy preparing everything necessary for the sacred ritual that would establish Gale and Swan''s status as Alpha and Luna.


    "It''s been a while since I saw them looking so excited," Galemented while staring at his pack. "They are all chatting,ughing, and joking around. Something that is a luxury, even in my dream."


    "This is the first beautiful dream I ever had in decades, Swan. I rarely sleep, but whenever I sleep, it''s always filled with nightmares... until youe in my dream," Gale slowly turned his head towards Swan and stated fondly, "Swan of the Holy Achate, my mate, you are the only beautiful thing in my nightmarish life. You filled my real life with joy, and you also filled my dream with hope."


    Swan and Gale stared at each other in silence.


    There was no need for another word or even a kiss.


    Because Gale''s eyes told her everything she needed to know; that his love was so deep and genuine, she would be aplete idiot if she kept denying his feelings.


    She had been debating with herself whether she should show her power or not in front of Gale.


    When she witnessed the extent of his love for her, she realized it wasn''t right that she was the only one who had been keeping a secret.


    Thus, she took a deep breath before standing up.


    "Swan? Where are you going?" Gale''s eyes followed Swan as she walked


    towards theke until her feet touched the edge. "Don''t go in. I feel like this dream will end if you and I ever go inside thatke."


    Swan turned around to face Gale and smiled, "Gale, I promised to show you something by the end of this dream, right?"


    Gale picked up the hint immediately, and he panicked, "W-wait, please don''t end this dream hastily. Can we just wait until our sacred ceremony as Alpha and Luna begin? I want to do it with you."


    "Isn''t that only reserved for your fated mate?"


    "Y-yeah, but-"


    "Then you get my answer," Swan smiled. "I can''t go on with the ceremony because I am not your fated mate."


    freewebnovel


    "Don''t say that. I told you this is only temporary. I''ll find a way to make us be one."


    Swan didn''t want to talk about fated mate anymore. It had be a painful topic for her, and she knew that the more Gale insisted on making them a thing, the more it would hurt them both, and would also weaken her resolve to help Gale.


    "I never want to be selfish in front of the man I love," Swan said. "As long as you''re happy, then it''s enough."


    "Swan, I-"


    "Stay right there, Gale. I want to show you-Swan took a step back onto theke, but rather than falling into the deep water, she was floating right above the surface instead Her golden hair began to glow, followed by her entire body which was covered in gold dust. Swan joined her hands as if she were praying and muttered, "-All that I am."


    Gale was speechless. He gazed at his beautiful mate who looked like an angel.


    "Are you..."


    "A witch? Or an angel?" Swan chuckled. "I don''t know either. I may be a witch who has manifested her power. But have you ever seen a witch using a power like


    me?"


    Gale shook his head, "Then, are you an angel?"


    Swan smiled


    Whether I am an


    angel or a witch, you should''ve known that I would never harm you my dear husband. I did everything for your sake, because you are my only reason to live, and I want you to ept me, at least until you find your destined partner."


    "What are you saying? Of course, I will ept you. You''ve given me so much the moment youe into my life!" Gale eximed, but he felt guilty for suspecting Swan in real life.


    He knew this Swan and the real-life Swan werepletely different people, but he just couldn''t help to feel guilty.


    Swan took a few steps back until she floated above the reflection of the moon on theke''s surface. Her body glowed even brighter, but this time the glow was mixed with Both gold and silver dust, as it was the sun and the moon blessed her together.


    The moment Gale saw this, his eyes widened as he recalled a strange dream he


    had the night before his ceremony to be the new Alpha of Storm Pack.


    It was long ago, and his memory was hazy, but the moment he saw this gold- silver glow around Swan''s body, he instantly remembered everything!


    "Swan... you... you are that woman who came to my dream long ago."

 Chapter 127: Dreaming with An Angel (VI)

    Chapter 127: Chapter 127: Dreaming with An Angel (VI)


    Swan was confused about who Gale was talking about, but she kept herposure and smiled, "I don''t understand what you are saying, dear husband."


    Gale began to recall that important dream, which made him change his mind. freewebnovel.co


    At first, he didn''t care about who would be his Luna. He heard a few things about fated mates, and how some Alpha had their fated mate somewhere, but Gale simply thought of it as a mere fairytale, and would rather focus on strengthening himself, so he could protect the Storm Pack once he became an Alpha.


    He didn''t even care if Jade would be his Luna because mating was just a process to produce offspring, who would also protect their pack in the future.


    However, his view of love changed drastically once he had a dream, where he saw a woman standing in the middle of theirke. Basking in the moonlight, her body emitted gold and silver light.


    Just like Swan right now.


    "I had a dream before I became the Alpha of Storm Pack. In that dream, I saw a woman emitting gold and silver light standing in the middle of theke, just like you. I cannot see her face, but I know she has long golden hair," Gale described.


    "Then, what did she tell you, husband?"


    "She told me that I shouldn''t mate with anyone until I find her. She told me she is a human, and it will take a long time until we can meet again," Gale muttered. "That woman was you, Swan."


    "I wasn''t born yet when that happened, dear husband," Swan smiled. "But if you think that woman is me, then I''m d to have been present in your dream long ago. Because that means we are meant to be together, right?"


    Swan knew that she wouldn''t be able to say all this in real life. She was just being selfish right now because she had always wanted to say those things. She wanted to be selfish to the point that she wanted Gale to be exclusive only for her.


    "Yes, we are meant be together," Gale affirmed, but he seemed to be using those words as a reminder for himself to stay true. "I will make sure that will happen, Swan."


    "For once, I want to be selfish. I want all of you for myself. Don''t ever try to mate with another woman, alright, husband?" Swan requested, and Gale nodded obediently. She looked down at the moon''s reflection on theke''s surface and continued, "This dream is nice, but I think it''s time for me to go. Goodbye, Gale Stormfront."


    Gale witnessed how Swan''s body slowly dispersed into bits of gold dust and scattered by the wind. Losing hisposure, he eximed in panic, "No! Please stay with me, wife. I don''t want this dream to end!"


    Gale didn''t think twice before quickly jumping into the water as he tried to desperately grab his wife.


    However, the moment his body touched the cold water, he quickly opened his eyes, and that dream ended abruptly.


    ***


    Gale opened his eyes and stared at


    Qu


    the chandelier in the middle of his bedroom. He already woke up, but his mind was still stuck in that dreamworld, and he regretted not spending more time inside the very first beautiful dream he had after decades.


    He checked on his wife and saw that Swan was still in a deep sleep.


    He wanted to wake her up and asked if she had the same dream, but stopped himself. In the next moment, a mirthlessugh escaped his lips.


    ''That was stupid. It''s just a dream in the end, and the Swan I saw in that dream is not the same as the Swan in real life,'' Gale told himself. ''Though, my promise


    stays true. I will find a way so we can be together, Swan.''


    Gale gently caressed Swan''s hair.


    Her hair was short and it didn''t glow unlike in his dream. She always looked timid and fragile even when she was asleep, which made him want to hug her even tighter so he could share his warmth with her.


    ''You may not be that Swan in the dream, but I still love you,'' Gale said in his heart.


    ''In fact, I love you even more now. I want you to always smile freely without


    burden, and I will make that happen, eventually.''


    Gale recalled what Swan said in his dream.


    It didn''t matter whether she was a witch or an angel because she would never hurt him in the end.


    "Though, I believe you''re just a


    human," Gale, muttered as he stared at Swan. "Don''t worry, sweetheart. won''t doubt you anymore. I''d rather believe in you than get a headache from thinking about stuff Jade said about you. That you are a witch." C¨®ntent


    Gale was in a great mood today, so he cuddled Swan again and fell asleep not long after. He didn''t dream of anything this time, but Swan''s warmth was more than enough to put him at ease.


    Swan continued listening to Gale''s heartbeat, and once she was sure that Gale had fallen asleep again, she opened her eyes slowly.


    ''I''m so d that you finally stopped doubting me, Gale. It''s true though, I will never hurt you with my power. All I want is to protect you from harm, including yourself.''


    Swan smiled bitterly as she still wanted to stay in Gale''s dream longer. But the Goddess told her it was time to leave, so her body began to scatter into dust right in front of Gale.


    ''I hope you won''t get angry at me for showing my power in his dream, Goddess. I want to show it to him because at least I can be honest for once, even if it was in his dream,'' Swan said in her heart.


    Of course, she got no answer from the Goddess as she was already wide awake, but her heart felt much more in peace.

 Chapter 128: Aria’s True Talent (I)

    Chapter 128: Chapter 128: Aria''s True Talent (1)


    Winter this year was especially harsh for the people in the Holy Achate. After the Beast King came and defeated Nami, Queen of the North Sea, the trade and travel ban inside Holy Achate was imposed, and nobody could enter or leave the kingdom.


    They also weren''t allowed to trade from the west road or the North Sea. Whenever they set up a trading ship to cross the North Sea to the neighboring continent, Nami would always send a huge wave thatpletely washed the ship back to the port. In some extreme cases, the ship could even be destroyed and be a shipwreck.


    At first, the people in Holy Achate didn''t know what they did wrong until the Beast King made such a ridiculous ban that would starve them to death before the winter ended.


    But the news traveled fast, and it didn''t take long for everyone to know that Queen Anastasia and Princess Aria had done something to offend the Beast King, hence putting the fate of the entire Holy Achate in jeopardy.


    Queen Anastasia was sipping tea in her room when the maid peeked from the window and saw a bunch of angry mobs at the pce gate. They were yelling nonstop and seemed to be arguing with the soldiers, but the angry masses weren''t big enough to overwhelm the guard and break into the pce.


    "Your Majesty, people are protesting again today," the maid said.


    "Are they still outside of the pce gate?"


    "Yes, but the masses keep increasing every day. I''m scared that they will grow even more and break into the pce to harm you," the maid said worriedly.


    Queen Anastasia put the teacup back on the saucer and looked at the maid, "Have you seen around the city? Are the people really starving?"


    "I-I think the nobles are still doing well enough since they have savings to buy food or have enough food stored for winter, but themoners are all suffering, Your Majesty. All merchants are basically off work right now as they cannot go out to buy a new supply from the neighboring kingdom or to the north," the maid reported. "I''m afraid the situation will escte further since people are all starving. Starvation could drive anyone insane."


    Queen Anastasia bit her lip. She had been thinking about this problem for a while. She thought that the Beast King would lift the ban eventually based on goodwill, but it seemed impossible right now since a month had passed and that ban was still there.


    "What should we do, Your Majesty?" the maid asked.


    "I will discuss this problem with my daughter. Is Princess Aria in her room right now?"


    "Yes, she is in her room..." the maid paused for a moment. She looked uneasy as the topic of Princess Aria came up. "Y-Your Majesty, I don''t know what''s wrong with Princess Aria. But I heard some hearsays that she has been locking herself in her room for a month now. She often asked the guard to bring prisoners into her room, all tied up. But she always forbids the guards from apanying her."


    "Is that so? Then what happened to those prisoners?"


    "They disappear," the maid replied shakily. "F-for some unknown reason, they just disappeared out of thin air, and Princess Aria always said that they were just prisoners anyway, so there''s no need to worry about their fate."


    "I see," Queen Anastasia had given Aria the chance to practice her witchcraft in secret, and it seemed to be working quite well, which was funny since she was supposed to be the Royal Princess of the Holy Achate, a kingdom based on faith.


    But such things didn''t matter to Anastasia.


    As long as Aria could give her the result she wanted, Anastasia would be more than willing to send more and more prisoners for her.


    "Your Majesty, could it be that Princess Aria is practicing..."


    "Witchcraft?"


    The maid didn''t dare to nod. She simply lowered her head in fear.


    "I-I''m just worried that Princess Aria would be persecuted by the church. There have been many rumors about her around the pce now," the maid informed.


    "Then, make sure to tell everyone to stop gossiping about her, or else they will be executed for treason," Anastasia stated decisively. "My daughter is not a witch, but she has manifested her holy power. That''s why she always asks for prisoners. Those prisoners are full of sins, and she voluntarily cleansed their sins and sent them to heaven-or hell, depending on how severe their sins are."


    The maid lifted her head immediately. She had been serving Queen Anastasia for


    a decade and believed her words more than anyone else.


    "Then, if Princess Aria has manifested her holy power, should we call the pope? The church has been desperately trying to maintain its power by searching for the Saintess, but nobody ever knows where the Saintess is," the maid said. "I thought it was just a tale from the past, but if Princess Aria-" freewebnovel


    "Don''t," Queen Anastasia quickly rejected the idea. "My daughter might have been gifted with the power of an angel, but I don''t want


    to give her up to the church want


    You


    know those greedy scums would demand her to live in the church, and they would resume power in Holy Achate instead since they have proof that the Saintess has been born."


    "Y-you''re right, Your Majesty, those greedy priests would try to usurp the throne," the maid agreed. "T-then, I shouldn''t tell anyone about her power. I''ll just tell them


    to stay silent."


    "Yes, do that," Anastasia said as she got up. "I''ll go to my daughter''s room now. Tell the guards to reinforce the gate, so none of those peasants cane in."


    "Understood, Your Majesty."


    Anastasia walked out of her room and passed through the long corridor leading to Aria''s room.


    She looked calm as always, but heaven knew how stressed she was inside.


    She didn''t know how long she would be able to maintain these lies. Aria didn''t have any holy power. She told Anastasia that she had a book called Necronomicon, and it was full of evil spells, charms, and curses used by dark witches.

 Chapter 129: Aria’s True Talent (II)

    Chapter 129: Chapter 129: Aria''s True Talent (II)


    Naturally, she couldn''t tell the maids and the guards that Aria was holding an evil book that would bring disaster to their country. Aria might get killed for attempting witchcraft.


    Furthermore, if anyone ever found out about the book and Aria practicing witchcraft, Anastasia would either be executed or exiled. She liked neither because she had vowed to keep her position as the Queen for the rest of her life.


    That''s the sole reason she married herte husband, King Tyrion, and she wouldn''t have it any other way.


    The Queen told the guard to open Aria''s door as she wanted to meet her daughter immediately, and once the door was opened, she frowned deeply as her nose was attacked with a foul stench of rotten meat.


    No, to be more precise, this was the stench of a corpse that had gone bad.


    The guards at the door held their breaths as they looked away. They didn''t dare to say anything as they were scared they''d be Princess Aria''s next victim.


    Anastasia wasn''t scared at all. She went through hell just to be a Queen, a mere witch wouldn''t scare her, especially if that witch was her own daughter.


    Thus, Anastasia stepped into the room, and the guards closed the door behind her.


    She looked around the dim room. Even in the middle of the day, the room was still somewhat dim, with only half of the curtain opened for a little source of light.


    "Mom? What are you here for?"


    Anastasia tried to find the source of the voice and got confused because she felt that Aria''s voice was echoing around each corner, "I''m here to talk about your progress. Where are you, Aria?"


    "Hehe, I''m all around," Aria said mischievously before she suddenly appeared right in front of her mother in a blink of an eye and grinned, "Boo."


    Anastasia held her breath, as she was both shocked by her sudden appearance and disgusted by the scent of Aria''s body. She took a step back and asked, "H- how could you do that? Is that part of your witchcraft?"


    "Yep, I can disappear anytime I want, like this-" Aria snapped her finger, and disappeared instantly as if she had been swallowed by the darkness. Anastasia looked around and then felt someone was blowing her ear, "Scary, right?"


    Anastasia panicked as she could sense Aria walking around her and hear her voice, but she couldn''t see her at all, "A-Aria, that''s enough. You''re creeping me out."


    Aria appeared in front of her mother again with a proud smile, "What do you think? This spell is the new one that I have learned from my book Necronomicon. Turns out I do have a talent to be a dark witch."


    Truthfully, Anastasia was also shocked by Aria''s growth. She didn''t expect her daughter to be very talented, "Then, what else have you learned from that book?"


    "Hmm, I''ve only learned three powerful spells. Turning invisible is thetest one, the second one is..." Anastasia pointed at the curtain, and it slid open on its own. "Telekinesis. I can move an object with my mind, as long as it''s not too heavy."


    "And the third one is..." Anastasia pointed at an ominous book at her study desk, and the book floated toward her until it stopped right in front of her. The book pages flipped on their own and it seemed to be moving based on Aria''s eye direction.


    Aria stopped flipping the pages with her power at a certain page and then pointed at a door where she usually kept her jewelry.


    When the door was opened, Anastasia gasped when she saw a man''s body inside. His limbs had been severed, but he was still breathing. He groaned in pain as if he was enduring constant excruciating pain.


    "Kill... me..." the man muttered with his remaining strength.


    Anastasia took a few more steps back. She covered her mouth, but her eyes were wide open as she was unable to understand what was happening right now.


    Aria was amused by her mother''s reaction, "What''s wrong, Mom? It''s just a man. Well, I''ve severed all of his limbs, but he''s still pretty much alive."


    "Aria! Do you hear yourself?! Why would you torture a human like this?! If you want to kill him, then just kill him immediately!"


    Anastasia might not have the peak of human morality, but she knew that torturing someone like this for no real reason was a true sign of psychopathy. She looked at her daughter incredulously, before shifting her gaze to the human without limbs and added, "That''s the prisoner you requested before, right? Then where are the rest? I got the


    information that you''ve taken at


    least five prisoners by now."


    "Dead," Aria replied curtly. She shrugged and said, "I killed them all as I need human sacrifice to


    strengthen my power. But their blood was dirty, so even after four sacrifices, I still didn''t feel a huge boost of dark power in me. I need someone with a pure heart as a sacrifice."


    Aria stared at her mother, and Anastasia panicked instantly, "D-don''t look at me


    like that. I am certainly not someone with a pure heart!"


    Aria chuckled, "Of course, you''re not, Mom. Your heart is so vile, I can see it with my own eyes, and it disgusts me."


    Anastasia didn''t like to be called out for her sins, so she shifted the topic immediately, "Then, what did you do to him? How could you keep him alive?


    "It''s simple. I just cut his limbs by using my telekinesis on a butcher knife, and once he is on the brink of death due to blood loss, I put an undying curse on her. It''s the first curse I''ve learned from


    Necronomicon. Anyone cursed by this cannot die no matter what until I


    told him to die. During that curse, they would always be in constant pain," Aria grinned. "Pretty neat curse, right? We can use them on our soldiers. So they will fight forever."

 Chapter 130: Aria’s True Talent (III)

    Chapter 130: Chapter 130: Aria''s True Talent (III)


    Anastasia was both horrified and awed hearing her daughter''s exnation.


    At first, she was horrified, since that curse sounded extremely powerful. It was basically a neverending torture that can be used for various reasons by the witch, be it for investigation, or even worse, for pleasure.


    At the same time, she was awed when Aria gave her idea. They could use this curse on their soldiers, so their soldiers would never die no matter how severe their injuries were.


    Aria raised her brow seeing her mother''s reaction, "Don''t you think that idea is great, Mom? Holy Achate can be the strongest in the world, because nobody-not even the Beast King, could kill our soldiers."


    Anastasia''s lips began to curl as she slowly threw away her morality.


    "I could see that, Aria. Undying soldiers would be amazing for our kingdom. But you know we have ''Holy'' in our name for a reason, right? Do you think they would be willing to get cursed?" Anastasia asked.


    "Why is that a problem, Mom? You can just tell them that I''m the Saintess or something, and what I use is a blessing to protect them from death, that way they can serve God forever. Isn''t that neat?" Aria chuckled. "And if the church suspects me as a witch, then you can just dispatch a few of our loyal guards to assassinate the pope. He''s not even fully guarded most of the time."


    Queen Anastasia began to feel at ease again. She was scared of what her daughter would be at first, but when she saw the extreme growth that Aria showed in just a month, she realized she had to support her daughter''s studies no matter what.


    "Is this just one of the curses? Is it not the strongest?"


    "There are many curses in this book, and I can only use one curse right now, and only to humans. I cannot curse or charm someone with a higher power just yet," Aria replied, implying to one person. "For that beastman, I would need even more human sacrifice until I''m strong enough to learn love charm, and possibly use it on him."


    "Then, can you do something to the people outside of the gate? They have been protesting every day, I get a headache thinking about them," Anastasia frowned.


    "I cannot do that, Mom. Cursing one person already takes a toll on my mind, I cannot possibly curse all of them," Aria said. "Besides, I''ve seen their numbers. They seem to be growing every day."


    "They are hungry. It''s been a month since the Beast King banned any travel in and out of Holy Achate. We cannot do anything, and people are starving, especially the peasants," Queen Anastasia added. "That''s why I''m wondering if you can do something about it."


    "Hmm... rather than doing something about those masses. Why don''t we head to the Kingdom of Beastmen instead?" Aria suggested.


    "I thought you''re the one who''s against it. Do you want to kiss that cripple''s feet?"


    "No, of course not!" Aria denied it vehemently. She felt nauseous just thinking about it. "What I mean is, why don''t we go there and see if can dosomething to her? Maybe I can curse her to get a random heart attack, or maybe I can charm her servants to put poison inside her drink, so she would die, but the one who''d get punished is her maid. Sounds good, right?"


    "That''s... a good idea," Anastasia nodded. "It seems that studying witchcraft makes you smarter, Aria. I should''ve told you to learn witchcraft since you were young instead, so you don''t need to waste your time and simply charm that Beast King to be your ve."


    "It''s never toote, Mom," Aria chuckled. "As long as I have Necronomicon in my hand, I''m sure I will catch up to Swan in no time. She must''ve been practicing her witchcraft secretly in her room. No wonder the Beast King falls in love immediately with her."


    "Right, it just doesn''t make sense if she doesn''t use a charm spell," Anastasia agreed on that theory. She looked at the ominous book floating in front of Aria and asked, "Where did you get that book? I''ve never seen that kind of book my entire life."


    "Hmm... it''s rather strange. I got it from a strange witch who came to my dream. She told me that she left her a book called Necronomicon for me because I have a great talent to be a dark witch who wouldy devastation in thisnd," Aria said. "When I woke up, the book was already in my hand."


    "Then, don''t you need a teacher for that book? Do you need me to find that


    woman who came to your dream?" Anastasia offered.


    "You seem to be eager, Mom. Do you need my power to solve the current problem, or do you need it to conquer other kingdoms?" Aria teased even though she already knew the answer.


    "Y-you know what I want, Aria. Just tell me what I should do."


    "Hmm, the witch in my dream said she wille to me personally once I''ve sacrificed at least fifty people."


    "Fifty?!" Anastasia''s eyes widened. "Since you''ve only sacrificed five, does that mean I need to find forty-five more?"


    "Yup, so gather up those prisoners,


    kidnap a few more from the city, and give it all to me. I''ll make sure to¨¦ sacrifice them," Aria said. "This is the only way I can get my teacher foe, and we need to do it within a month because I don''t think the people in Holy Achate will be able to survive through the long winter. You know our winter is harsh and canst up to four months. Once I''ve sacrificed fifty, I think we can finally go to the Kingdom of Beastman. I''ll have enough confidence to kill Swan and charm the Beast King."


    Queen Anastasia sighed in relief as she finally found a way out of this problem. "Alright then, I will fully support you this time. Remember to give me a good result, Aria. Don''t disappoint me."


    "Oh, worry not, Mom. Didn''t you see how amazing I am with only four human sacrifices? Imagine fifty!" Aria beamed, but this time, it sounded malicious as if she couldn''t wait to get her hands on those sacrifices.

 Chapter 131: You are no more than that

    Chapter 131: Chapter 131: You are no more than that


    "So, how is it? Did they have a fight or anything?" Jade asked as she impatiently waited for Gale to use Swan of being a witch. She didn''t expect them to separate immediately. After all, Gale seemed to be deeply in love with that cripple.


    As long as they had a fight about her hidden power as a witch, it should be more than enough for Jade to fill in the hole in Gale''s heart until he forgot about Swan.


    The ferret servant who had been tasked to ask questions to the cat maids shook his head weakly, "I''m sorry, Mdy. But the cat maids said that His Majesty and Princess Swan are still doing well. They spent the night together, and though they didn''t seem to have sex, there was no argument at allst night, which is quite strange since they argued a lot."


    The expectant smile on Jade''s lips vanished instantly, "Are you sure those cats aren''t lying? I mean, they are Swan''s attendants, they might be lying to protect her."


    "I don''t think so, Mdy. The cat maids are very eager to share stories of what happened between the Princess and our King. They would even share intimate details as they were always standing outside of the door and have sharp hearing," the servant replied. "May I know if there''s something wrong with them, Mdy?"


    Jade didn''t answer. She was in a horrible mood right now, because she just wasted one golden opportunity to separate Gale and Swan.


    She ought to poison Swan at first, but that crafty little witch was smarter than she thought, and wouldn''t take any poison that she made.


    Thus, Jade was forced to stay in ce while Swan and Gale were having such a loving rtionship.


    ''No, I can''t let this happen for too long. I''m afraid that Gale will eventually forget about me, and will nevere to me again for advice,'' Jade thought as she realized that her importance had been diminishing every day because of that cripple.


    She stood up and said, "I''ll go to the throne room. I''ll ask him myself."


    Gale was busy with the kingdom''s matters as always in the throne room. He was usually in a grim mood when Swan wasn''t around, and had been that way for the entire autumn and winter.


    But today was special. He was all smiles, and he even spoke a little kinder to his subjects.


    Nobody knew what happened to their king, but they were terrified because they rarely saw the Beast King smile so generously.


    Not long after, Lady Jade entered the throne room, and told everyone else to leave, so she could talk with Gale privately.


    Usually, Gale would lose his joy when Jade was around, but not today.


    He was all smiles, which made her suspicious.


    "Why are you smiling like that? Did something funny happen today?" Jade asked.


    "Funny? No. But something good happenedst night," Gale replied. "Oh, I should also thank you for suggesting that I ask my mate about her being a witch or not. It helps tighten our bond."


    Jade''s lips twitched when she heard Gale calling Swan his ''mate'', but she didn''t want toment on that knowing that Gale would be angry.


    "What do you mean? Have you asked her about what happened that night?"


    "I asked her about it, and she said she doesn''t know either, because she has


    been closing her eyes the entire time until I came to save her."


    "And you believed it? Just like that?"


    Gale shrugged, "What else can I do anyway?"


    "You could''ve pressured her to admit it!"


    Gale wasn''t affected by Jade''s insistence. He was in such a great mood that he didn''t have a single bitterness in his heart today, "That doesn''t matter to me, but I should still thank you for giving me that idea. Last night, I had a dream where I was transported back intime, when our pack, the Storm Pack, was still pretty much alive and thriving, and in that dream."


    Jade began to get a little nervous. She wondered if Gale''s dream might''ve shown


    him something about her. After all, she was the one who leaked the secret entrance so the enemy alphas could massacre the Storm Pack while Gale wasn''t around.


    "W-was I in that dream then?"


    "You? No," Gale replied curtly. "Somehow, you werepletely absent from it. But my mate is inside that dream, and she promised me that I would have a beautiful dream, at least once after decades."


    Jade was relieved when she heard she wasn''t in that dream but was also bitter when she realized the dream became beautiful for Gale because of that crippled witch.


    "In that dream, she could walk normally, and she has a strange power that I cannot fathom as well Gale muttered as he recalled his dreamst night. "She told me whether she has the power of a devil or an angel, she would never hurt me. So I should just trust her and not ask too many questions."


    "And you stopped asking her questions because of a dream?!" Jade couldn''t


    believe what she just heard. "Gale Stormfront, are you out of your mind?!"


    "Why am I out of my mind for trusting my mate? What she said in my dream is true."


    "That''s just a dream! Oh my Goddess, you have lost it!" Jade yelled in disbelief, something that she hadn''t done for a long time. She was frustrated because Gale was so foolishly in love and blind. "And stop caffing her your mate. She is just one of your brides. She won''t be the only one, and she''s not your fated mate!"


    "And who are you to determine that?" Gale rebuked. "You are not even in that beautiful dream I hadst night. I''ve seen every single member in our pack except


    for you, so I guess you''re not needed for me to be happy, huh?"


    "Gale, you¡ª"


    "Stop trying to dictate my life, Jade. I trust you because you are the only remaining member of Storm Pack, and also my childhood best friend. But you are


    no more than that."

 Chapter 132: Swan is enough

    *


    Chapter 132: Chapter 132: Swan is enough


    Jade stared at Gale in silence, but the heartbreak she felt forced tears to umte in her eyes. She clenched her fists as she didn''t want to cry in front of Gale.


    She had never heard something so hurtfuling from Gale''s mouth. They were the only survivors from their pack and had spent decades together, not to mention she had been working closely with him for a long time.


    ''And everything doesn''t matter to him the moment he mates with Swan. What a joke,'' Jade sneered in her heart. ''He had just known that woman in less than a year and had already fallen head over heels for her. It''s not fair for me, is it?''


    Jade had a lot of resentment in her heart, and as much as she wanted to me Gale for it. She was angrier towards Swan.


    Gale had been very obedient for decades towards her. He didn''t have the brain to handle kingdom matters, so Jade did it for him. But she was reced by this little cripple who crept into Gale''s heart so quickly.


    "If you have nothing to talk about, then you should leave. I want to finish everything as soon as possible and then return to my room. Swan told me that she would prepare something nice for dinner tonight," Gale said, adding salt to Jade''s wound.


    "You can say that right now, Gale. But what would happen when you are going through your rut? The darkest and coldest winter of this year would happen in less than a week. Can you suppress it? Or will youe to Long Xiurong for a second or even third relief?" Jade sneered. "We both know that you cannot control yourself during your rut, and I''m sure you would rather hurt Long Xiurong than Swan, right?"


    Gale''s lips thinned as it had also been his concern the whole time, "It is my problem to deal with. You have nothing to do with it."


    "Is it? Don''t you realize that I helped you in your previous rut?" Jade asked. "I injected a potent muscle rxant into your body, so you will not kill too many beastmen during your dangerous rut. Why don''t you ask me kindly if you need that muscle rxant again? I can prepare it for you if you want."


    Gale knew that Jade''s strongest drug was enough to make him feel drowsy, even during his worst rut. Every year, Gale would try to chain himself in a secluded ce far from the other beastmen. But he would lose control over himself at midnight, and he would kill anyone on sight because he refused to mate with anyone, even if they offered their bodies to him.


    He wondered what would happen if he didn''t take Jade''s drug this year.


    Would he lose his reason and kill everyone in his kingdom? Or even worse, would he identally hurt his beloved because of it?


    The most logical thing to do right now was to ask Jade for the drug, but for some unknown reason, he didn''t feel like it.


    He believed that Swan was more than enough to quench his thirst during his rut. So, he decided to trust his instinct and replied, "I don''t need it this year. I have Swan by my side. She will be more than enough to satiate my rut."


    "You are ying with fire, Gale. What if you identally killed her in your rut? Do you want her to be split in half? Or maybe you want to wake up only to see yourself eating your own wife?" Jade persuaded Gale, and it seemed to be working since his face immediately hardened.


    He didn''t mind if he was heavily wounded during his rut, because he couldn''t feel anything. But it would be a different case if Swan got hurt in the process.


    Jade was even more annoyed knowing the only reason Gale began to consider her muscle rxant, was because of Swan. He was just worried that his ''mate'' would get hurt.


    Gale was thinking long and hard before opening his mouth, "I think I will need that


    Knock. Knock.


    Gale halted his speech. He darted his eyes at the door since for someone to dare knock at the door while he had an important discussion with Jade meant it was important.


    "Excuse me, Your Majesty, Princess Swan asked if you''d want your food to be seasoned like yesterday, or if you want her special recipe instead," Myra and Maya spoke at the same time, delivering the message from their Princess.


    "Who cares about that stupid food? Just answer me first="


    "I''d want to try her special recipe," Gale replied to the cat maids outside. "Tell her


    that I will be there on time!"


    "Understood, Your Majesty."


    Gale was all smiles once again, and he dropped all hesitation he had just now, "I made up my mind. I don''t


    need that muscle rxant, Jade


    Swan is more than enough for me, and I''m sure she can help me through my rut."


    "You are unbelievable, you know that, right?" Jade sneered. "Well, don''t me


    me if something happened to your little mate. It''s all your fault in the end."


    Jade turned around and stomped her feet out of the throne room.


    Gale scoffed at that. For some reason, he wasn''t worried about what would happen during his rut.


    He genuinely believed that his love for Swan would be more than enough to wake him up when he was about to hurt her.


    ''Besides, I can just tell the servants to escort her out of the room immediately if I feel like I cannot control myself anymore,'' Gale told himself. ''There is nothing to worry about, right?''


    Meanwhile, Jade was fuming as she walked through the corridor.


    She was angry, humiliated, and also annoyed at Gale who didn''t pay her any attention.


    en


    ''Swan this, Swan that, your mind is full of her crippled legs, huh?'' Jade wanted tough thinking it was so ridiculous. ''Fine then, I will make sure you will drink the same thing I put on Rock''s tea that night. Det''s see what will happen if you get overstimted while you are in a rut. That crippled bitch would probably get torn in shreds.''

 Chapter 133: Be Prepared

    Chapter 133: Chapter 133: Be Prepared


    "Princess, I think you should be more careful with Lady Jade," Long Xiurong warned during theirte noon tea time. "I''ve heard the gossip that Lady Jade and His Majesty were arguing in the throne room yesterday and heard about their quarrel again just now. I don''t know what she is nning next."


    "Lady Jade has been going in and out of the throne room? I thought she was already unneeded after I''ve set up a good system for Gale to continue governing even without me by his side since I cannot survive autumn and winter in that cold room," Swan said. "Where do you get this information, Lady Long?"


    "From my attendant. She is a bunny beastman called Alice. She''s quite gossipy, but the information I get from her can be useful," Long Xiurong wanted to continue her sentence by saying that she had caught various rumors, including Swan being a witch, from that bunny maid.


    But then again, she didn''t want to anger Princess Swan, nor did she want that bunny maid to get punished for gossiping.


    To have ears around the castle was very important for her, so she wouldn''t be disadvantaged by letting Alice get punished.


    "I see..." Swan''s mind instantly recalled the night before, when Gale suddenly asked her whether she remembered anything about what happened when Rock attacked her. He even asked if she had manifested into an unknown magic power. ''So, it''s Lady Jade who has been poisoning Gale''s mind.''


    "Thank you for telling me this. We didn''t fight, but he had a few rather strange questionsst night," Swan replied. "But it''s fine, everything has been sorted out. You should also be more careful, Lady Long. Jade is not your ally. She''s nobody''s ally, honestly."


    Long Xiurong nodded as she knew it wasn''t wise to be too close to anyone in this castle.


    "Oh, Princess, I''ve always been told by my attendant that the coldest night of this year would arrive in less than a week. She told me that His Majesty would get into a dangerous situation once a year because of his rut," Long Xiurong informed, unsure if Princess Swan already knew about this or not. "Have you already prepared for it?"


    The teacup on Swan''s hand shook a little and a few drops spilled from the edge. She got nervous instantly, "Y-yes, I have been informed by my attendants that the coldest night woulde soon, but I''m also waiting for Gale toe and talk to me about it."


    "Huh? Strange. I''ve been told that a werewolf would spend the whole night with his mate during his worst rut. Shouldn''t His Majesty inform you first, since you''re his mate? Unless..." Long Xiurong immediately stopped talking when she saw Princess Swan''s gaze dimmed a bit. "N-nevermind, Princess. I''m sure His Majesty woulde and talk about it today. It''s a once-in-a-year situation, after all."


    Swan smiled bitterly and replied, "You should prepare yourself as well, Lady Long."


    "W-what for?"


    "Just in case Gale wants to spend the night with you. We don''t know what would happen during his rut, maybe I''m not enough for him, or maybe he wants the taste of a new woman. Since you''re his unmarked bride, there''s still a chance of you getting marked," Swan exined.


    "B-but, Princess... isn''t that... cheating?" Long Xiurong asked.


    "Cheating? I thought the Eastern Long Dynasty has a long history with harem."


    "We do, but... this situation between us and His Majesty is a little different, Long Xiurong sighed. "I''ve seen how my Emperor Father acts


    just to appease his Empress as


    concubines. He would try to spare equal amounts of attentiveness to the four of his favorite concubines, including my mother, and generally seem to have a cordial rtionship with the Empress."


    "But His Majesty the Beast King is different. He... he doesn''t even try to appease me. He doesn''t give me gifts, he doesn''t visit my room, and he never summoned me to have a small conversation," Long Xiurong added. "I think it''s fairly obvious that he doesn''t want to have anything to do with me."


    "Even so, nobody can guess what will happen during his rut. So, I want you to be prepared nheless," Swan said, which sounded more like an order, and Long Xiurong nodded reluctantly before excusing herself to return to her room.


    After arriving in her room, Alice, the bunny maid, helped Long Xiurong to take off her intricate hair ornaments before asking, "Mdy, I heard about your conversation with Princess Swan."


    Long Xiurong frowned, "How did you know? Did you eavesdrop?"


    "N-no, Mdy! My natural ability as a bunny beastman is enhanced hearing. So I cannot help but listen


    1.n


    ???


    Alice denied the usation immediately. "I think what Princess Swan said is true. You need to be prepared for the coldest night of this year, Mdy. What if His Majesty chose you to spend the night with instead?"


    "I doubt that will ever happen," Long Xiurong chuckled mirthlessly.


    "Why not? Do you know that when His Majesty is in his rut, he will lose his mind for the whole night? He


    would be nothing but a mind/ecmet


    beast and I''m sure he would


    love


    your new scent since youe from the Eastern Long Dynasty!" Alice encouraged as if she wanted


    Lady Long to be the one mating with the Beast King.


    Long Xiurong noticed the excitement and raised a brow, "You seem to be too eager for my liking. Why do you want me to end up with His Majesty when his love has been fully spent on Princess Swan? And don''t give me that ''Swan is a witch'' response. It''s not proven yet, and I don''t like baseless usations."


    "I-It''s not only about that, Mdy. It''s also because we have been expecting a cub or two from His Majesty. We dedicate our lives to him, and though we believe he will live forever, we still want to serve Little Master or Little Miss," Alice rified.

 Chapter 134: Crippled and Barren

    Chapter 134: Chapter 134: Crippled and Barren


    "And what makes you think Princess Swan cannot give him babies?" Long Xiurong asked. "I''m sure that Princess Swan will get pregnant sooner orter. It''s only a matter of time."


    "I''m not so sure about that, Mdy. They have been mating religiously for almost a year, and nothing has happened yet. I''ve heard a rumor that Princess Swan is barren!"


    "Can you stop with your baseless gossip?" Long Xiurong rolled her eyes. She liked to listen to gossip, because it could be a powerful tool, be it to eliminate enemies or negotiate in a harem. But the gossiping from Alice''s mouth was getting ridiculous, "You can''t use her of being barren just because Princess Swan hasn''t been pregnant for less than a year. Sometimes, it takes a long time for a woman to get pregnant. My mother got pregnant two years after she entered the harem."


    "I-It''s not a baseless gossip, Mdy! We heard it from the most trusted source!" Alice insisted. "His Majesty brought Matoa, the old doctor who saved his life back then, and he was tasked to heal Princess Swan''s deformed leg and from any other illness that stopped her from getting pregnant. Guess what? He cannot heal both!"


    Long Xiurong''s heart skipped a beat.


    "Wait, is that real? That''s not just another stupid gossip, right?"


    "It''s real! You can ask other servants, and they will say the same thing!" Alice affirmed. "Princess Swan is permanently crippled, and she is also infertile."


    "That''s... unfortunate..." Long Xiurong remembered how Princess Swan looked so sincere in her love for His Majesty. It made her wonder if she acted that way because she knew she couldn''t give him offspring.


    "Well, uhm... I''m not surprised, nor do I feel bad," Alice said. She lowered her voice as if what she was about to say next was very secretive. "I think it''s a punishment from the Moon Goddess. After all, Princess Swan has been using dark magic to charm His Majesty, so of course, it would anger the Moon Goddess, right? Her being crippled and barren is a befitting punishment, Mdy."


    "You are being unnecessarily cruel to a woman who cannot bear a child," Long Xiurong scolded. "Do you know how painful it must be for her?"


    "I-I would feel bad if it''s you or Lady Jade who cannot give His Majesty an offspring. But I would never feel bad for a witch who has been hurting His Majesty for a long time," Alice admitted honestly. "I just want the best for His Majesty, and I think you are the best, Mdy!"


    Long Xiurong who had been adamant about her belief that Swan and Gale were inseparable began to waver.


    She had lost hope, but hearing what Alice said made her think that she might have another chance. She probably couldn''t be the Beast King''s lover, but she could be the bearer of his offspring.


    He might not love her, but if she were to be the mother of his cubs, wouldn''t that mean she would be a Queen or some sort? Thest time she checked, the Beast King still didn''t have a Queen or even a consort.


    Alice was d to see Lady Long began to take her role seriously, "Don''t worry, Mdy. I will fully support you. I also want His Majesty to have a good woman as his mate! Rather than having Princesso Swan-who is obviously sinister like a witch-it''s better to have you instead!"


    "I don''t want you to badmouth Princess Swan like that, not when you have no proof," Long Xiurong rebuked, but she still seriously considered the possibility of her getting pregnant with the Beast King''s cubs. "I suppose, I still have to prepare myself in case His Majesty wants to spend the night with me during his worst rut. Do you think I can survive it? I heard that he will be very dangerous during his rut."


    "He only gets dangerous because he has no mate before. But now he has you, so I''m sure he will be more careful!" Alice replied, though she actually knew nothing about the Beast King''s rut process. All she wanted was to have someone else other than the evil witch as their Queen.


    She didn''t know if Lady Long was still under Princess Swan''s evil charm or not, but since she was willing to listen, then maybe Princess Swan''s charm had worn


    off.


    ''Ugh, if only Princess Aria was here. I''m sure she can do something to wake His Majesty from that evil witch''s charm. I hope shees again soon...'' Alice wished in her heart.


    **


    Meanwhile, Swan was waiting for her husband to return from the throne room after a long day.


    Gale opened the door whileining, "Why do I have toe to the throne room every day during winter? Can I just leave them alone? I''m sure nothing would happen even if I''m not governing."


    Swan smiled at Gale and scolded him gently, "This is for the good of your people. Besides, I''ve made sure that you only need to deal with a yes or no decision, right? I''ve simplified many things for you before autumnes."


    "Yeah," Gale lifted Swan''s body and sat on the same seat. As usual, he put Swan on hisp and hugged her waist. "But it''s still annoying to deal with. I''ve been a king for so long, but this is the first year where I have to deal with so much nonsense."


    Swan put her palm on his chest tofort the sulking Beast King, "I''ll be with you once the winter has passed, alright?" Swanforted, and Gale nodded obediently.


    Gale looked at the food at the table andmented, "Looks nice, smells nice, should we dig in now? I''m starving."


    "Wait, before we have dinner, I want to ask you something."


    "Ask away, Sweetheart."


    "It''s about the coldest night of this year when you will have your worst rut," Swan muttered. "Howe you haven''t discussed anything with me about this? Am I not allowed to know?"

 Chapter 135: I trust you

    Chapter 135: Chapter 135: I trust you


    "Oh-haha! I was nning to talk with you about it tonight before we go to sleep. If you want to know the details now, then sure," Gale smiled. "You must''ve heard it from the maids, right? Everyone in the castle knows I will get my worst rut once a year, so it usually happens by the end of the year during a winter night when it''s the coldest of the year."


    "W-what would happen during that night?" Swan asked.


    "I... I will slowly lose control of myself. I''d be nothing but a mindless beast and would begin a rampage in my true giant wolf form because I cannot have sex with my fated mate," Gale exined. "Usually, I''d hide inside a cave while being chained from neck to toe, somewhere far from the castle to save as many beastmen as possible. Though no chain is effective on me, even those silver chains famed to be effective against werewolves and werebats."


    "So, to lessen the damage around, I''d be prescribed a muscle rxant from Jade and she will inject it in my veins, so I would get tired only after a night of rampagepared to a whole week before I take the drug," Gale continued. "But for this year, I don''t need the muscle rxant anymore."


    "Why not? If it''s necessary, then you should take it," Swan advised.


    "I don''t need it because I have you, Sweetheart," Gale replied. "All I need during my worst rut is to mate with you, and I will be alright."


    "But..." Swan was about to say that she wasn''t his fated mate, and the smile on Gale''s dimmed before she could even say it.


    "You are my fated mate. I can feel it, and nobody can say otherwise, including you, Swan," Gale insisted. "Or are you afraid to die? If that''s the case, then I''ll make sure to tell the servants and soldiers to escort you out once I slowly begin losing control over myself."


    "I''m not afraid to die. I told you many times that I''ve given my everything to you, Gale." Swan replied softly. "I just don''t want to be killed BY you. You are the only source of protection I ever have in life. I don''t want to be betrayed by these hands "Swan put her hand on top of his. "-The hands of the man who has been embracing me every night."


    Gale could feel her sincerity, but also her worry. He realized the situation they were in was quite delicate.


    He wanted Swan to stay by his side during his rut because he truly believed that he wouldn''t hurt Swan.


    But if the curse overpowered his willpower and Swan got killed because of his carelessness and overconfidence, then he''d probably try to kill himself as soon as possible to follow her, even to the depths of hell.


    ''Wait, does she even go to hell? I feel like Swan would probably go to heaven instantly,'' Gale pondered momentarily. He was considering the possibilities, but Swan quickly gave her a suggestion.


    "How about we spend the coldest night in a cave far from the castle?"


    "It''ll be too cold for you," Gale denied. freewebn?vel


    "Then let them prepare enough heating for me to survive, probably make two bonfires to warm up the ce, and a few nkets. Though, honestly, all I need is your warmth," Swan smiled.


    "I don''t want you to suffer from the cold, Swan. No matter how many heatings we prepare, it will still be too cold for you inside the cave," Gale refused. "Besides, why do you insist on staying in a cave? Why don''t we spend the coldest night here?"


    "You told me that you''d spend the


    fel


    coldest night in the cave, to minimize the victims when you''re rampaging. That''s why I think it''s better to stay inside a secluded cave. Don''t worry, I will apany you," Swan reasoned. "I... I''ve grown attached to the beastmen in the kingdom. I see them as my people as well, and I don''t want them to get hurt by their king."


    "You said that you don''t want to die in my hands."


    "I... I''m still scared, of course. But it''s a matter of duty," Swan stated. "My duty as your mate is to apany you, even to the gates of hell. Even if I die in your hand when you are rampaging, I will die with honor, because I''ve done my duty to stay by your side no matter what."


    "Also, it''s a matter of trust," Swan


    added. She was scared to die in Gale''s hands, but if she didn''t trust her husband, then she wasn''t worthy to be showered with his kindness and love. Thus, she made up her


    upcher


    mind and said, "I trust you with all


    my heart that you will never hurt me, husband."


    "Swan..." Gale kissed his beloved and slipped his hand inside her dress.


    Swan epted the kiss and allowed Gale to explore her body. But when his hand wanted to go down, she quickly stopped him, "S-shouldn''t we wait during your worst rut instead? I promise I will allow you to do anything, even more than one round. W-we can do it until the sun rises if that''s what you want."


    Gale started to breathe heavily. He was impatient, but what Swan said was right.


    It would be far more rewarding to do it during his rut.


    After all, it would be the first rut he would spend with his beloved.


    "It should be in six days. I guess I can hold myself until then," Gale said. "I''ll make sure to keep you warm, even inside a cave. You don''t need to worry about anything."


    "Mhm..." Swan giggled. She reached for a te full of meat that she had seasoned and stabbed it with a fork before offering it to her husband. "You should eat. I''ve prepared this for you. Don''t worry, the seasoning is not the same as yesterday."


    Gale opened his mouth obediently and took a big bite. He opened his mouth every time Swan fed him as he liked this feeling of being taken care of by his mate.


    ''And I will make sure a moment like this will stay, even after my worst rut,'' Gale vowed deep in his heart.

 Chapter 136: Lady Jade’s Special Tea (I)

    Chapter 136: Chapter 136: Lady Jade''s Special Tea (1)


    freewebnovel


    Days passed, and the mood around the castle was grim. Everyone became tense as they had to prepare themselves, in case they would die in the hands of their King since he would start rampaging for the whole night-or even days.


    Usually, during thest week before the coldest night, the Beast King would be in a terrible mood. He would yell at anyone who dared to get in his way, even if it was just a servant who cleaned the corridor.


    He would also try to exhaust his energy by sparring 1 vs 1000 against his soldiers, only for them to get badly beaten while he didn''t get a single scratch.


    However, the said King was in a good mood these days. He did his duty in the throne room as usual, and didn''t seem to worry much about his iing rut, which was strange since everyone remembered how stressed he wasst year.


    Nevertheless, they epted this as a good sign, and ze Silverfang, as the unofficial beta after Rock Silverfang defected, was the one in charge of preparing everything before the rut came.


    ze kneeled in front of the Beast King, who sat on his majestic throne, and asked, "Your Majesty, do you want me to prepare the chains in your room?"


    "No, I''ll stay in a cave far from the castle. I''ve told you before, right? You should have one prepared. You know I always destroy any cave that I went into during my rut."


    ze nodded as he had been apanying Rock to find the cave for the past three years. His Majesty would always turn into his giant wolf form and rampage through thend. A secluded cave was necessary to minimize damage and victims.


    "I already have one prepared, Your Majesty. It''s in the southeast of the kingdom. It has a slightly warmer temperature thanst year. I was just wondering if you would spend the coldest night in your room instead, because of..."


    "Princess Swan?" Galepleted his sentence, and ze nodded. "Swan wille with me to the cave. But do prepare the chains. I want to be chained like usual in case I go out of control. It won''t stop mepletely, but it should be able to hold me momentarily while you take my wife out of the cave and run away to safety."


    "Isn''t it too risky, Your Majesty? Princess Swan is known to have a weak body. What if she cannot survive the cold inside the cave?"


    "That''s why I told you to prepare all the possible heating you can put inside that cave. Set up two bonfires, enough nkets, and hot water. I want my wife to be safe while she''s apanying me."


    "Is it not better to leave her in the castle, Your Majesty? She''d be warm, and away from any danger that you possess," ze suggested.


    "No, I cannot pass this year''s rut without her. She needs to be by my side no matter what," Gale insisted, and ze knew that was a death sentence for Princess Swan.


    He heard about the rumors from the servants that Princess Swan was a witch who had charmed the Beast King with her dark spell. He thought of it as a stupid gossip at first, because he knew how much the kingdom had improved after Princess Swan reced Lady Jade as the Beast King''s advisor.


    But now, he wasn''t so sure.


    This was the first time ze ever saw the Beast King in such an enamored state.


    It felt unreal for him who was used to seeing Gale looking at everyone as lower than him.


    ''I guess this is the end for Princess


    Swan. There''s no way she would be able to survive the Beast King during his worst rut,'' ze thought as he sent a silent condolence. ''She''s a great woman and a great queen for all of us. But if she''s truly a witch, then this might be her karma, because she bewitched His Majesty to the point he cannot think logically anymore.''


    "Your wish is mymand, Your Majesty. I''ll make sure everything will be prepared before the night¨¨es, ze affirmed. "Should tell Lady Jade to prepare the drug to help you as well? I heard from... that traitor, that you usually need the


    drug made by her before the coldest


    night."


    "I don''t need it. Swan is more than enough for me," Gale replied confidently, which


    only exacerbated ze''s suspicion about Princess Swan being a witch.


    His Majesty was acting too strangely. Why would he ditch everything during the most important night of the year just to be with Princess Swan?


    ''She''s not even his fated mate, right? I heard he would be cured of his curse once he met his destined one, so I guess Princess Swan is not that person,'' ze thought, but he dared not to speak his thoughts in front of the Beast King.


    "I will be off to prepare everything then, Your Majesty. Please excuse me." "You may leave."


    Once ze Silverfang left the throne room, Gale was all alone. The number of reportsing in during this critical week had been reduced to almost zero, as everyone was too scared to talk with their usually


    grumpy King and certainly didn''t want to be at the receiving end of his wrath.


    Gale enjoyed this serenity for a while. It was rare for him to not get swamped by one person after another, asking his direction and awaiting orders.


    Unfortunately, that serenity didn''tst long, because Jade entered the throne room again, with her usual sour face.


    She stood in front of Gale, who didn''t even bother to spare a smile at her.


    "What do you want?" Gale asked impatiently.


    "Why haven''t you asked me for any muscle rxant or other stuff to calm you down during your rut? Do you think your little wife will be more than enough?" Jade sneered. "You are making a huge mistake, Gale."


    "I told you I don''t need any of it. I trust my wife more than I trust you."


    "And I trust my own logic that you''ll kill that woman," Jade insisted. "Besides, I''ve already made a special tea useful for your rut this year. I guarantee it''s 100% potent."

 Chapter 137: Lady Jade’s Special Tea (II)

    Chapter 137: Chapter 137: Lady Jade''s Special Tea (II)


    "100% potent?" Gale wasn''t interested at first, but Jade''s bold im caught his attention. "Is it really? Some of your prescribed herbs don''t have any effect on me. Even your muscle rxant cannot do much as I still rampage around for the whole night."


    "Do you think I spent my time in the Eastern Long Dynasty for nothing?" Jade sneered. "Unlike you who spend most of your time ying around with your little bride, I am furthering my study in medicine to help you. So, you are wee."


    Jade and Gale were often bickering like old friends before Swan came into Gale''s life. But now, their bickering turned hostile, as if they wanted to get thestugh from each other.


    Gale was unaffected by Jade''s hostility. After all, he was never the type who''d care about anyone''s feelings.


    In the beastmen''s world, strength was everything. Even if Jade wanted to leave, he would lose nothing.


    Now that he had Swan, Jade''s role felt even more redundant since Swan could do what Jade does in kingdom administration, but ten times more effectively.


    "Then, what effect would I get if I drank the tea you brewed?"


    Jade''s mood gradually recovered as Gale seemed to be quite civil today.


    "I''vebined the effect of muscle rxant and sleeping herb into the tea. Once you drink it, you''ll be knocked out cold in less than ten seconds," Jade exined. "It has a pretty strong effect as I tried it with a soldier two days ago, and he slept for thirty hours until he woke up a few hours ago. He told me that he did not dream of anything, which means the sleeping effect must''ve been very strong."


    "Do you think it will knock me out cold for thirty hours?" Gale scoffed. "If your muscle rxant barely does anything to me, this probably won''t do anything as well."


    "I''m sure you won''t be, but at least it will make you drowsy, and you''d fall asleep for two or three hours at best, which is enough for your little wife to escape in case you got out of control, right?" Jade said. "Look, I''m just trying to help you here. I don''t want you to kill her while you''re in a rut."


    "I didn''t know that you cared that much about Swan," Gale snorted. "It''s almost unbelievable to me. Since you seem to hate her." freewebnovel


    He was right.


    Jade hated that bitchy witch with all the fiber in her body because Swan monopolized Gale all for herself.


    It didn''t make sense how he would easily throw Jade away when she had been dedicating her life to him for decades.


    ''Why should Like that bitch who has stolen something so precious from me? You? u are meant to be with me Gale Stormfront. I allowed you


    mate with her because of ont


    curse, but that doesn''t mean you can fall in love with anyone, Jade said in her heart. ''We are meant to be the Alpha and Luna of the Storm Pack in the first ce, and I want it to stay that way in this Kingdom of Beastmen.''


    However, no matter how bitter Jade was, she maintained herposure and smiled thinly, "Have I ever harmed her in any way? Did you ever see meying my hands on her? I have many ways to hurt her, but I don''t, because I genuinely don''t hate her."


    Gale was silenced after that because he knew she was right.


    He didn''t have any proof of Jade trying to hurt Swan. All he had was his gut


    feeling telling him that Jade would be a threat to his mate.


    Jade shrugged, "No matter. I know you are just blinded with love right now. All I want is for you to be safe and for that woman to stay alive. will prepare the tea, you can drink it before you are chained in the cave, so you''ll fall asleep immediately."


    "... Thank you," Gale muttered reluctantly.


    Jade smiled and asked, "Do you still want to bring Swan with you into the cave?"


    "Yes, that''s non-negotiable. I need her or else I''d probably turn everything around me to dust," Gale replied. "I believe I have enough willpower not to harm her."


    The smile on Jade''s face faded, but again, she maintained her calm and said, "Then, I hope for the best for you two. I''ll be busy preparing for the tea. I''ll give it to you on D-Day."


    Jade turned around and left the throne room. She was pissed knowing that Gale was so hopelessly in love, that he would allow a woman to apany him during his worst rut.


    It was too much for Jade who was burning in jealousy to bear.


    She wanted to scream in frustration. No, even more, she wanted toe to Swan''s room and choke that bitch to death. Her frustration only made her even more determined to poison her own beloved, Gale.


    The tea would not give Gale muscle rxant and drowsiness benefits. On the contrary, it was the same purple tea she used to force Rock into a rut.


    It would stimte a male wolf to the point that they would lose their mind when they saw any female they could mate with. They would rape the said female until they were satisfied.


    But, of course, she wouldn''t give Gale the same dose as Rock.


    The difference in strength between Gale and Rock was too huge, so she needed


    a stronger dose.


    willm


    ''Oh, Gale, I make sure you drink twenty times the dose I gave Rock back then. You will be too crazy that you would fuck your little wife until there''s nothing but a puddle of blood and meat gunk by the time you wake up Jade grinned. ''You will be a little traumatized, but isn''t it good? That means you will never be able to touch other women ever again. Since you refuse to touch me, then you''re not allowed to touch others as well, Gale Stormfront.''

 Chapter 138: Mommy Long Xiurong (I)

    Chapter 138: Chapter 138: Mommy Long Xiurong (1)


    Long Xiurong walked through the corridor leading to the throne room when she identally bumped into Lady Jade who was returning from the said room. They had eye contact, and Long Xiurong bowed politely in front of her senior, "Good morning, Mdy. Did you just have a meeting with His Majesty in the throne room?"


    "Yes," Jade replied. She nced at the bunny maid standing behind Long Xiurong, and the bunny maid shook her head immediately, signaling that it wasn''t her idea to tell Long Xiurong to meet with His Majesty today. "And what about you, Lady Long? Do you want to talk with His Majesty? Did something dire happen? If you feel ufortable, or maybe you get bullied by a certain woman, then you should tell me instead."


    "Ah, no, Princess Swan has been very kind to me," Long Xiurong answered. Unlike Jade who wanted to keep things vague, Long Xiurong realized it was better to be honest.


    For someone like Lady Jade who had dozens of schemes in her head, it was better to act boldly to catch her off guard. And she was right, as Jade''s smile turned awkward, "I-I see. If she treats you well, then I assume you want to talk with His Majesty for another reason."


    "Yes, I want to talk about his rut," Long Xiurong nodded. "Now, please excuse me, Mdy. This is a dire matter between His Majesty and I."


    Jade wanted to ask more about it, but seeing how Long Xiurong rushed to the throne room, it was fairly obvious that she didn''t want Jade to know.


    Jade stared at Long Xiurong and frowned, "Now, what is that woman scheming? Does she want to do something against Swan... or against me?"


    Jade did not have a single trust for Long Xiurong, because that woman kept refusing all kinds of tea, snacks, or desserts that Jade sent to her room. Thus, the n to make Long Xiurong infertile was still unsessful.


    ''I have to make that woman barren as soon as possible. Gale might be head over heels for Swan right now. But when he gets bored and then mates with that woman instead, I''m sure they will produce an offspring or two,'' Jade thought. ''It''s much more difficult to kill the cubs since Gale would be overprotective of them. It''s better to weed out the problem before it bes difficult to deal with.''


    *


    Long Xiurong stood in front of a big door guarded by two tiger soldiers. She was nervous as this would be her first time talking with the Beast King after a while.


    When the door was opened, she saw the Beast King sitting on his throne, waiting for her to step in.


    Long Xiurong entered the throne room alone and bowed before Gale, "Greetings, Your Majesty. I''m here with a question, and hoping you can provide me with an answer."


    Gale was in a better mood after seeing Long Xiurong.


    Not because he liked her. He considered her another pest that might ruin his harmonious life with Swan.


    But Swan had a high opinion of her. She even dered that Long Xiurong could be her friend sooner orter.


    Since his wife liked this woman, he felt obligated to be nice.


    "Hm, what do you want?"


    "It''s about your rut that wille in a few days, Your Majesty. I heard from Princess Swan that you two will head to a secluded cave somewhere far from the castle."


    "That''s right, and what about it?"


    "I..." Long Xiurong was hesitant. She wondered what kind of reaction the Beast King would have once he heard her request. But this was her only chance, as she had no other way to get close to him except this.


    The Beast King didn''t have his own room. He shared it with Princess Swan. Therefore, Long Xiurong had no chance to prepare herself naked in his room to seduce him.


    He also never visited her room. She was treated with kindness and dignity, but she felt like a guest in this castle rather than a harem member.


    ''It''s now or never, Xiurong. If you don''t ask him now, you will never have the chance to bear his children!''


    Putting aside her worry, Long Xiurong braced herself and said softly, "I... wonder if


    I can rece Princess Swan to apany you inside that cave, Your Majesty."


    ...


    "Did you hear yourself just now?"


    Gale asked and Long Xiurong nodded with all her might. Gale immediately lost all of his respect and kindness toward Long Xiufong and replied coldly, "My wife has a high opinion of you. She said that you are magnanimous, polite, and reasonable. But after hearing what you said just now, I don''t think you deserve those good words."


    Long Xiurong felt guilty after knowing that Princess Swan regarded her so highly.


    But this was a matter of harem battle. She was just a woman sent from the


    Eastern Long Dynasty to be the Beast King''s bride.freewebnovel


    If she couldn''t even sleep with her supposed husband, then what was the point of


    all that?


    the rumors that


    "I-I heard from the


    Princess Swan is... infertile. I-I know that you don''t love me, Your


    Majesty know you are deeply imet


    love with Princess Swan," Long Xiurong said. "But the future of a kingdom depends on the king''s offspring. My Emperor Father does not have a child with the Empress, but he has plenty with the concubines. And I am more than willing to be a concubine."


    Long Xiurong gained courage as she realized she couldn''t back down anymore. She raised her head proudly and said, "I, Long Xiurong. can be the mother of your cubs, Your Majesty. You can live your life with Princess Swan and love her forever, and I will still do my duty to mother your cubs until they grow up to be a responsible beastman like you. One of them will be the King, and the rest can help with administration and others. This is my duty as a concubine sent by my Emperor Father. Please, I''m begging you to consider my offer and let me perform my duty, Your Majesty."

 Chapter 139: Mommy Long Xiurong (II)

    Chapter 139: Chapter 139: Mommy Long Xiurong (II)


    There was a deafening silence after Long Xiurong uttered her request. She regretted nothing as she knew it was her only chance to have a ce in this castle.


    Even so, she was still scared considering how the Beast King seemed unmoved even after she exined everything. freewebnovel


    She felt small, and vulnerable in front of the majestic king, and lowered her head immediately.


    "P-please give it some thought, Your Majesty. I am a healthy woman whoes from a royal family. My blood is pure enough to give you a strong cub," Long Xiurong added.


    Gale was still quiet after a while before he asked, "Who told you that my wife is infertile?"


    "P-pardon?"


    "I said; Who told you that my wife is INFERTILE!?" Gale raised his voice, and Long Xiurong fell to the floor immediately. Her whole body trembled like she had a heart attack just now, and a strange aura engulfed the throne room the moment the Beast King yelled at her.


    It became difficult for her to breathe, and her face started to turn blue.


    Her sight began to blur, and she pleaded, "Y-Your... Majes... ty. I can''t... b- breathe..."


    Gale bared his teeth as he snapped when he heard that.


    It was such a sensitive topic to Swan because even though Matoa said that none


    of them were infertile, she still felt terrible for being unable to get pregnant.


    Gale suppressed his aura once he saw that Long Xiurong was on the verge of losing consciousness.


    Long Xiurong coughed a few times and took a while to recover.


    "Get up and tell me who dares to tell you that lie?" Gale demanded. "I will chop that bastard''s head. No, I will rip whoever dares to spread such a rumor in this castle to pieces. So they will know not to mess with MY WIFE!!"


    Long Xiurong never expected the Beast King to get so mad. She thought that he already knew about the rumor and had epted that his wife was barren.


    Her Emperor Father also had a favorite concubine who got barren after getting poisoned, but his love for her stayed the same.


    If Long Xiurong told the Beast King about Alice, the bunny maid would be executed, and she would no longer have anyone who could provide her with all sorts of information. She would have no idea regarding matters that happened around the castle as she had lost her only informant.


    Thus, she decided to protect Alice instead, "I-I identally heard it when two servants were talking outside of my room. I don''t know who they are, nor do I know their faces, but I also heard it''s been a rumor that had been circting in the kingdom for a while, that Princess Swan cannot bear you an heir, Your Majesty..." Gale got even angrier when he heard that.


    He hated rumors the most because he couldn''t do anything about it.


    He could tell his subjects not to gossip about his wife, but he couldn''t keep


    checking on each one of them every time.


    Thus, he was left with two choices;


    Make Swan pregnant no matter what.


    Or, tell everyone that Swan wasn''t his fated mate, that''s why she couldn''t bear him a cub.


    The second choice was definitely a no-go.


    He didn''t want anyone to think that Swan was a waste.


    ''So, I have to find whoever my fated mate is and kiss her immediately, so I can break the curse,'' Gale thought.


    "Y-Your Majesty... I... I''m sorry, I didn''t know you had no idea about the rumor. But my offer still stands..." Long Xiurong clenched her hand and persisted. "I still want to be the mother of your cubs."


    "Do you really want it?" Gale asked.


    "Y-Yes, Your Majesty."


    "Thene here, and see if we arepatible."


    Long Xiurong''s eyes widened.


    Her cheeks turned beet red immediately as she shifted her gaze to the Beast King''s strong thighs, and what was in-between.


    He was wearing pants, but the thick bulge around his crotch was enough for her to have a wild fantasy.


    She wasn''t a woman with vulgarity, but she was still an adult in the end, and she knew what the Beast King implied just now.


    "Y-Your Majesty, d-do we have to do it here? In the throne room?" Long Xiurong asked bashfully.


    "What''s wrong? Do you want to withdraw now after I start considering your offer?" Gale sneered. "You are all talk, Lady Long."


    "N-No! I''m always ready. I was just a little shy since everyone in the castle ground could''ve heard our voices..."


    "What''s wrong with that? You must''ve heard Swan and I having sex in out room. Everything and everyone in this castle is mine. don''t care if they listen to us," Gale said arrogantly. "Nowe here, let me see if we arepatible or not to mate now."


    Long Xiurong didn''t understand the meaning ofpatible.


    Her father had sex with almost all of his harem members as much as he wanted,


    as powerful men were meant to mate with as many women as possible.


    It was their right to have as many wives and offspring as they wanted.


    Thus, she shyly walked towards the Beast King''s throne, and once she was close enough, Gale grabbed her by the wrist and trapped her in his embrace. "Y-Your Majesty?!"


    Long Xiurong found herself resting her body on the Beast King''s strong chest. He had a unique scent that was so different from anyone he had ever met. He exuded wildness, and she inevitably became aroused because of that.


    Long Xiurong didn''t struggle at all, but she became fidgety due to embarrassment.


    "Stop squirming, Lady Long. I want


    to check if we arepatible or


    not," Gale repeated, and Long Xiurong nodded nervously, "I-I''m sorry, Your Majesty. This is my first time. I''m a bit scared and excited."


    "Lift your hair and let me see your nape," Gale ordered, and Long Xiurong followed the instruction obediently, even though she didn''t understand what was the point of it.


    "P-please be gentle with me, Your Majesty," Long Xiurong pleaded.

 Chapter 140: You are not her

    Chapter 140: Chapter 140: You are not her


    Gale observed Long Xiurong''s nape.


    There was no scar, and no mark. It was as clean and smooth as it could get.


    Honestly, he had no intention of breeding this woman and doubted that Long Xiurong was his fated mate. But he vowed to find that fated mate as soon as possible to break the curse.


    ''That stupid white rabbit said my fated mate is an actual angel, but there''s no wrong in trying, right?'' Gale thought. ''Starting from this woman. As long as the scent on her nape is alluring enough for me to mark her, that means I can try to kiss her once and see if I can break the curse.''


    Gale leaned closer and took a deep sniff on Long Xiurong''s nape. He made sure to identify every single scent he could catch from her to see if she had the same scent that Swan had.


    He had been spending time with Swan for almost a year, and he just couldn''t tolerate the scent of other women.


    After he took a deep whiff, hemented, "We-male werewolves-like the scent from a female''s nape. The nape usually kept many unique scents that no other body part could have. You have the scent of jasmine tea; calming, somewhat sweet, and also unique to your home country, Eastern Long Dynasty. Many male wolves would''ve loved to mark you first, Lady Long."


    Long Xiurong understood nothing about the nape-thing. But since the Beast King didn''t hate her scent, she could consider it as a green light, right? That meant she passed the test and was ready to be marked and bred, just like she was meant to be.


    "T-then, Your Majesty, s-should I undress in here? Or do you want to undress me?" Long Xiurong asked.


    "Neither," Gale opened his arm and gently pushed her away from the throne.


    Long Xiurong fell on her knees and turned around to look at the Beast King. She was utterly confused because she thought she had passed the test, "Y-Your Majesty? What''s the meaning of this? I thought you liked my scent?"


    "Your scent is fine, and I''m sure many male wolves would love it, but that doesn''t mean I am one of them," Gale stated. His tone suddenly became cold, as if he was talking to someone lower than him. He looked down at Long Xiurong and added, "Your scent is not as good as my wife''s. No woman would ever have the same unique scent as her, with the warmth, sweetness, and that mysterious tinge that always makes me want to mark her every single night. Why do I have to settle for less when I can always have her?"


    The Beast King made himself loud and clear that he didn''t want anyone else other than Swan, and Long Xiurong had epted.


    "I-I said I never demand your love, Your Majesty. I just want you to consider me as the mother of your cubs."


    "You are mistaken, Lady Long. Those rumors are nothing but nonsense. Because you cannot bear my cubs either, no matter how many times I mate with you," Gale rified.


    "B-but, I''m not infertile..."


    Swann


    "Neither Swan nor I are barren as well. We are perfectly healthy," Gale interrupted. He didn''t want to tell anyone that Swan wasn''t his fated mate, so he added, "There is another reason why she cannot bear me an offspring, but it''s not because of her being infertile."


    "Besides, even if I can make you pregnant, I will never let you carry my cubs. It''s either Swan or nobody else," Gale dered. "You should leave now. I can still tolerate you because Swan sees you as a friend, but I don''t want to have anything to do with you."


    Long Xiurong stood up slowly, and bowed deeply, "I''m sorry to have misunderstood, Your Majesty. I understand your intention now. I will not disturb you any more about this request."


    "Hm. If my wife ever invites you for another tea time, don''t tell her about those stupid gossip. She''s already sad enough about the whole situation, there''s no need to burden her even more," Gale ordered.


    "Understood, Your Majesty. Please excuse me," Long Xiurong finally left the throne room with a heartbreak.


    She spent the whole night thinking about what would happen in the throne room, only to get rejected so badly. To make it worse, she thought she had a chance because she was fertile, only to be mmed with the reality that Princess Swan was also fertile.


    So, whose fault was this?


    Whom should she me for such humiliation? Princess Swan? The Beast King?


    ''No, neither of them are at fault.


    They are just doing their own things, and the Beast King never once asked me to warm his bed,'' Long Xiurong thought. As she walked out of the throne room, she was trying to find someone to me only to realize she was the idiot in this situation. ''The only one to me here is myself. I shouldn''t have trusted stupid gossip when there''s no proof...''


    Alice, the bunny maid, had been tailing her with worry. She didn''t know why Lady Long suddenly wanted to meet with His Majesty in the throne room. She wanted to eavesdrop by sticking her ear at the door, but it was not possible because the tiger guards outside were eyeing her.


    Thus, the moment they entered Long Xiurong''s bedroom, Alice quickly closed the door and asked her, "Mdy, what happened inside? Why did you want to meet with His Majesty?"


    Long Xiurong sat in front of her vanity mirror. She nced at the bunny maid who stood behind her, and her eyes turned sharp instantly.


    "I asked him if I could be the mother of his cubs," Long Xiurong replied curtly.


    Alice was shocked, but her shock gradually turned into excitement, "Then, what happened? Did he agree to spend the night with you? I''m sure His Majesty must''ve been waiting for a child since Princess Swan is a barren witch!"


    "Shut up, you stupid rabbit!" Long Xiurong finally snapped while ring at Alice. "You caused me great shame!"

 Chapter 141: Gossip Bunny

    Chapter 141: Chapter 141: Gossip Bunny


    Alice was caught off guard when she got yelled at. She looked at Lady Long with her mouth agape, "I-I don''t know what you''re talking about, Mdy. I did nothing wrong!"


    "You did nothing wrong? Hah! You are feeding me false information. I thought that Princess Swan is infertile, so I came to the throne room today to meet with His Majesty to offer myself, so I can be the mother of his cubs while he spends his time with Princess Swan," Long Xiurong spat out in frustration. "But do you know what I get? Humiliation! He told me that my scent was not as good as Princess Swan''s. He also told me that he would never get anyone pregnant if it''s not her."


    "B-but that''s impossible because Princess Swan is..."


    "She is not barren! None of them are barren. He said it''s something else that makes it difficult for them to have offspring!" Long Xiurong had never yelled at any of his attendants before. In the Eastern Long Dynasty, she was one of the most magnanimous princesses, and she was very soft-spoken.


    It was the reason why she got picked to marry the Beast King, as the said Beast King was infamous for having a temper.


    But she had been misled and humiliated this time, and the only one she could me was this bunny who was feeding her this misleading information.


    "You should know that His Majesty asked me who fed me this stupid gossip. I could''ve just told him that it was YOU, a bunny maid named Alice who did that." Long Xiurong narrowed his eyes, and Alice was instantly terrified as she knew it would be her death sentence. "But I didn''t tell him that. I protected you because I still see some use of you. You should be grateful because I just saved your life."


    Alice was so terrified that her legs were shaking. To die in the hands of their Beast King was honorable, but if she was to be branded as a traitor before getting killed, then nobody-not even his tribe or family-would even dare to pick up her corpse after the execution. They would think of her as a lowly traitor who deserved to rot in the street.


    "I-I''m sorry, Mdy. I just want to let you know about things I heard from other servants. I didn''t mean to feed you false information," Alice shakily apologized.


    Long Xiurong rolled her eyes. She felt a little guilty for snapping at her maid, which was very unsightly of her, but she was too upset to care about that right


    now.


    Thus, rather than continuing her scolding, she simply waved her hand and said, "You can leave now. I need some time alone."


    Alice bowed politely and scurried out of Lady Long''s room. Once she was out, Alice finally showed her anger.


    ''Why am I the one getting med for her stupidity? I never told her to go and meet with His Majesty like an idiot, right?'' Aliceined in her heart. ''Ugh, I take back my words. Lady Long is not suitable for His Majesty. She''s either stupid, or maybe she''s too far gone and has been hypnotized by Princess Swan until she has turned into an idiot.''


    ''If only Princess Aria is here. She is much smarter and prettier. She can definitely steal His Majesty''s attention, unlike Lady Long.'' Alice missed the beautiful Golden Princess from the Holy Achate. ''I have to tell Lady Jade about this. She is the only one I can trust right now.''


    Alice immediately went to Lady Jade''s room to report everything she had experienced, just like usual.


    *


    Jade had just finished telling her servants to prepare all the herbs necessary to make the ''traditional medicine'' she promised Gale when she heard a knock on the door.


    Alice walked inside the room with red eyes, as if she had just bawled her eyes.


    Jade had understood the


    importance of this bunny maid. She might not be important enough, but she was very gossipy and would absorbany kind of


    information-whether it was true or false-as an undeniable fact. This made her a very suitable tool for Jade to exacerbate the rumors about Swan around the castle.


    "Oh my, what''s wrong with you?" Jade asked.


    Alice stood in front of Lady Jade and muttered, "Mdy... I think Princess Swan has destroyed Lady Long''s mindpletely."


    Jade was genuinely surprised by that statement, "Really? Exin to me why so."


    "I told Lady Long about Princess Swan being infertile, then she went to His Majesty and asked if she could be the mother of his cubs!" Alice reported. "She got humiliated by His Majesty, and then she med me for it even though it was all her fault for being stupid!"


    No matter how much Alice thought about it, she still felt resentful towards Lady Long. That


    resentment pushed her to continue without mincing her words, "I-think she''s too far gone. She spent too much time with Princess Swan, so I believe she has beenpletely under her control. That''s why she can''t think straight and do


    something stupid like this."


    Jade grinned.


    She really liked this bunny, because she was so gossipy and could create a ridiculous and sensational theory that would feed the masses with gossip.


    All Jade had do was encourage


    Lovel.n


    her even more. "If that''s the case, then you should tell the others to more careful because Princess SwanCan turn someone intoplete idiot. They need to distance themselves as much as possible, so they won''t be affected by her dark charm as well. Understood?"


    "Y-Yes, Mdy!" Alice nodded. "But, I wonder if I should continue serving Lady Long. She scolded me just now, and I''m hurt. Can I serve you instead, Mdy?" ''You are more useful as Long Xiurong''s attendant, though,'' Jade responded in her heart. "Hm, I have all my attendants already. You should continue serving Lady Long. Don''t worry, as long as you do your job well, I will promote you to be my attendant instead. Understood?"


    Alice regained her joy. She nodded happily and said, "Understood, Mdy!"

 Chapter 142: Before The Coldest Night (I)

    Chapter 142: Chapter 142: Before The Coldest Night (1)


    The morning before the coldest night finally arrived. The temperature around the castle was bone-chilling for those with thin fur, such as the cow and lizard beastmen, and most importantly, for the humans.


    After suffering a humiliating rejection, Long Xiurong decided to lock herself in her room. She refused any invitation from either Lady Jade or Princess Swan. It was also more convenient that way because the coldness was truly unbearable for humans.


    Meanwhile, Swan was inside her room. She sat in her wheelchair, directly facing the firece because her leg was aching badly in this temperature. The cream given by Matoa to numb the pain didn''t work either, so she was forced to endure the pain while trying not to show any difort in front of Gale.


    After all, she would have to leave with Gale to the cave that evening, so she couldn''t appear weak no matter what.


    Myra and Maya were busy going in and out of the room trying to fetch as many thick nkets as possible since the cave would be too cold for their Princess. They nced at Princess Swan who was shaking even though she sat in front of the firece.


    They looked at each other, and Maya asked, "Princess, are you sure you want to go with His Majesty? The cave is in the southeast and even though they already picked a warmer cave, it would still be too cold for you."


    "Yes, Princess. I''m sure that His Majesty will understand if you can''te. Your health and safety will always be the utmost priority!" Myra added.


    Swan looked over her shoulder and smiled at them, "I will go with him. Don''t tell my husband that I cannot handle the cold. Just tell him that I''m in good health, and will go whenever he''s ready. Understood?"


    The cat maids were worried, but they also felt helpless because Princess Swan''s decision was already firm.


    They had no choice but to follow her instructions and busied themselves with the preparation.


    Meanwhile, on the castle grounds, Gale was busy supervising the preparation needed for their stay. It included food, nkets, logs for at least two big bonfires for the whole night, and most importantly, lots and lots of silver chains to chain him from neck to toe.


    Those giant chains looked intimidating, but Gale was worried because he felt like they were easy to break.


    "Can''t you find a stronger chain in the dungeon?" Gale asked ze.


    "No, Your Majesty. This is already the strongest we could find," ze replied. "Half of them are newlymissioned, so they are of the best quality possible. I will also make sure to put weights around your legster to slow you down, in case you lose your mind again." freewebnovel


    Gale scoffed, "Those things won''t work on me, but I praise your effort. Make sure to have everything ready for my wife as well. She can''t bear the cold."


    "Understood, Your Majesty."


    Gale turned around and headed to his bedroom as he wanted to check on Swan.


    However, he bumped into Jade who was carrying a bottle with a strange, thick purple liquid inside.


    "Oh, d to see you here. I''m about to give this to you," Jade said as she handed the bottle to Gale.


    Gale didn''t ept it immediately. He saw the strange purple drink and asked, "What''s inside?"


    Vl


    "Did you forget? This is the traditional medicine that I''ve prescribed just for you. It has a muscle rxant effect and will knock you out cold for a few hours. Should be enough to make you feel at ease for the whole night and not harm your little mate," J¨¢de exined with a smile. "You should drink this right before you get


    chained, that''s the best time because the calming effect will take a moment to react."


    ???


    ''So nobody will be able to save that little crippled bitch once you lose your mind, Gale,'' Jade silently added. ''Oh, I can''t wait to see your reaction when you realize that you''ve been fucking a pool of bloody meat gunk.''


    Gale finally epted the bottle of mysterious purple drink and muttered, "I will keep that in mind. Thank you for helping me, Jade."


    "You are wee," Jade chuckled. "It''s my duty to protect you from harm, right? I want to ensure you stay sane, even if I have to get rid of stuff."


    "Get rid of stuff?" Gale frowned.


    "As in, your rampage. I have to get rid of your rampage and hopefully cure your curse somehow," Jade rified. "You should give that bottle to a servant. I''m afraid you''d break it if you keep it in your hand."


    "Hm, then you should do it for me. I have to meet with Swan right now," Gale said. "I''m worried about her. Since the cave will be very cold."


    "Then, I''ll give it to the servant. So they won''t forget it," Jade said as she snatched the bottle from Gale''s hand.


    She didn''t want Swan to know about this drink, because she seemed to have noticed that Jade used poison on her tea. She must''ve warned Long Xiurong as well since Long Xiurong rejected everything she sent to her.


    If Swan saw this purple liquid, she''d tell Gale to toss it out, and her n would be ruined.


    "Be sure to drink it as soon as you


    drink


    are in the cave, alright? Don''t forget to drink it quickly, because the effect will wear off if it''s exposed to open air for too long," Jade emphasized to minimize the risk of Swan stopping Gate from drinking this thing.


    "Yeah, yeah, no need to nag me," Gale scoffed before leaving.


    Jade stared at Gale''s back, and a wide grin appeared on her face, ''Go and have yourst conversation with that woman, Gale. Soon, she will be nothing but a bloody mess you can stick your dick in.''


    Jade hummed happily as she couldn''t wait for the result of her n toe to fruition.

 Chapter 143: Before The Coldest Night (II)

    Chapter 143: Chapter 143: Before The Coldest Night (II)


    Swan rubbed her hands together to maintain her warmth. She med her frail and thin body for being too weak, that''s why she couldn''t handle the cold even when she was in front of a firece.


    She was scared that she would be a burden for Gale while in the cave, so she joined her hands in a praying position, staring at the burning logs. She prayed sincerely in her heart, ''Oh, Goddess, please make me warm throughout the night, so I won''t be a burden. And please, let me be the source of warmth for my husband as well, as he will have to endure his rut during the coldest night.''


    ''Let me be the burning log that could make him feel at ease, even if I have to die in the end,'' Swan added as she felt the prayer would be more effective if there was a risk in it.


    "Swan?"


    Swan stopped praying when she heard the familiar voice of her husband. She looked over her shoulder and saw Gale at the door. She smiled at him and asked, "How is the preparation going, Gale?"


    Gale saw how Swan was covered in a thick nket in front of the firece, which was a sign that she was really cold right now.


    He got worried and as he approached her, he said, "Be honest with me, Sweetheart. Are you really cold now? If you can''t even handle the temperature in this castle, then I''m afraid you would..." Gale couldn''t finish his sentence as deep down, he selfishly wanted Swan toe with him even if it''d bring her pain.


    It made him feel guilty because he was so selfish towards the woman he loved.


    He kneeled in front of her, and held her hand, "Swan, I want you toe with me, as I believe that I can only pass my rut safely with you by my side. At the same time, I can''t bear to see you suffer. I think you should stay in the castle."


    "No," Swan shook her head firmly. "I will go wherever you go, even if I have to jump into the depths of hell."


    "You''re being foolish, Swan."


    "And I don''t mind being a fool. If you need me there, then I will follow you," Swan said decisively. She was so certain with her decision that Gale couldn''t help but feel happy.


    To be loved so sincerely by someone, he didn''t care even if he''d find his fated mate in the future, as long as he ended up with Swan in the end.


    "Then I will try my best not to lose control over my body," Gale promised while holding her hands tighter. "I will never hurt you, wife."


    "I know. You''ve proven it every single day," Swan smiled. She pointed at the drawer next to their bed and asked, "Husband, can you take the pearl ne from the drawer? I want to wear it inside the cave."


    "Wear it? But why?" Gale was confused, but he still got up and fetched the pearl ne from the drawer.


    Swan lifted her hair and signaled Gale to put it on her neck, "I want to look my best even if we''ll be stuck inside that cave for the whole night."


    Gale chuckled, "You still have that womanly desire for sparkling gems, huh? No need to be shy with me. Just tell me if you ever want any jewelry, alright? I will give it to you."


    Swan smiled, but she didn''t say anything.


    Truthfully, she just wanted to wear the first gift she got from Gale in case this would be herst day. She had no hesitation to apany him, but the risk of her dying in his hand was very high.


    If she had to die tonight, she wanted to die while wearing that pearl ne.


    "I rarely wear this ne, because it''s too precious. But I guess today is a good day, right?" Swan said. "Let''s just think of it as a date. We''ve never gone anywhere alone. We''ve been stuck in the castle for almost a year now."  s?novel


    "... Sorry," Gale apologized as he finished sping the pearl ne on Swan''s neck. "I was too busy with the kingdom. I will bring you somewhere in summer, alright?"


    "No need to be so guilty, Gale. I understood your situation," Swan chuckled "But that''s a promise, alright? Bring me somewhere nice. Maybe the beach? I want to see a beautiful beach during summer. I heard people go to the beach when the weather is good."


    Gale nodded.


    The West Sea was the best during summer. He''d have to tell Mako beforehand, so the creatures of the West Sea could prepare a beautiful show for Swanter. "Oh, I also heard that the East has apletely different culture. When we have time, why don''t we go and visit the Eastern Long Dynasty?" Swan suggested.


    Gale smiled, "Anything for you, Sweetheart. If that''s your wish, then we will go." "Hihi~ You''re so dependable, husband-" Swan hugged Gale''s arm and rubbed her cheek. She was being clingy and even a little spoiled because she wanted to savor this feeling.


    She had a bad feeling about what would happen tonight, so she wanted to imagine if things went smoothly, she would be able to spend more time with Gale.


    She never went anywhere in her life. She was trapped inside that small room in the maid quarter, and now she was stuck in this castle since she had her duty to apany Gale.


    Swan liked to imagine that she had a pair of wings. Possibly swan''s wings to fit her name. She would fly around and visit a lot of ces all by herself.


    She wanted to be free.


    ''My gut feeling told me that I will die tonight,'' Swan said in her heart. ''But


    if this is my end, then I hope I will be reborn as a wild swan. I want to live freely have friends, and find love. I


    heard that swans only have one mate in their lifetime.''


    Swan smiled as she closed her eyes, ''I''ll probably be a weird swan who falls in


    love with a ck wolf.''

 Chapter 144: The Coldest Night (I)

    Chapter 144: Chapter 144: The Coldest Night (1)


    Swan entered the carriage specifically prepared to keep her warm, followed by Gale, who wanted to apany her as usual. She was covered from head to toe as the temperature dropped even further when it started getting dark.


    She nced at Gale, who was only wearing pants and wasn''t bothered by the cold at all, and asked, "A-are you sure you don''t need to wear something warm? I don''t want you to get sick while in the caveter."


    Gale chuckled, "My body is naturally immune to cold. I''m more worried about you. Since we haven''t even headed to the southwest, and you''re already shaking."


    "I-I''m fine. J-just go now before it''s getting too dark," Swan said as she tried to muffle her chattering teeth.


    Gale sighed. He was still torn between forcing Swan to stay in the castle or begging her to apany him in the cave. His logic told him to let her stay, but his heart told him to bring her with him.


    However, since Swan had made up her mind, all he could do was toss his logic away for this night and hope that everything went well until the next morning.


    The carriage left the kingdom when it was already dark.


    Gale could''ve just carried Swan into the cave, but it would have been way too cold for her, so they had to go manually with a carriage. Besides, it was nice to be huddled together with Swan inside before he had to undergo a painful rut for the whole night.


    Swan rested her head on Gale''s arm as she felt both cold and sick, but she maintained herposure. She didn''t want to show any sign of being tired or ill, because it would make her husband worry.


    The journey to the southwest cave took longer than she expected, and the road was bumpy. Thus, Swan fell asleep for a while until Gale woke her up once they had arrived.


    "We''re here, Sweetheart," Gale said as he gently rubbed her head.


    "Mmh? Is it morning already?" Swan asked as she dozed off. She looked at her husband and saw him chuckling.


    "It''d be nice if the night passed while you were asleep, but it''s still two hours before midnight. We are finally here," Gale replied. "We have to get ready. ze and other soldiers are preparing everything for us in the cave right now."


    Swan nodded. She turned her head and saw a few figures standing in the dark not far from the carriage. It was made clear that they were beastmen soldiers when one of them lit up a torch, followed by the others until she could see what kind of cave she would be staying with Gale tonight.


    It was a big cave, probably used by travelers to rest, or maybe it was used by a big mama bear and her cubs before Gale had to use it.


    She felt a little guilty if that was the case, so she asked, "Mm... that cave doesn''t seem abandoned. Are you sure there''s nobody in there?"


    "It was a cave used by a bear beastmen and her cubs before, but they are currently living in the kingdom. They told me about their old cave, which is quite secluded and safe, so we can use it," Gale exined. "Why do you ask? Is it not to your liking?"


    "I-I was just curious," Swan replied. "But I''m d the bears are living in the kingdom now. We should reward them for providing us with their caveter."


    Gale found it funny that his wife cared so much about an abandoned cave. He liked this trait of hers, though. Her genuine care for people and her surroundings would make her a great mother for their cubs in the future.


    It took at least thirty minutes before ze Silverfang approached their carriage and reported, "Your Majesty, everything has been prepared, including all the possible heating for Princess Swan."


    "Good," Gale turned


    turned towards his wife and carefully carried her out of the carriage. Swan''s body tensed immediately the moment she was out of the carriage. She was fully covered with a thick nket, but it was still too much for her frail body.


    Despite the biting coldness, she refused to show any pain in front of Gale and simply looked at the dark sky and casuallymented, "There are no stars tonight..."


    "It is the coldest night after all," Gale chuckled.


    "I see..." Swan murmured.


    The only thing she liked during winter was the stars, as they seemed to be clearer. It was her to be one-of-a-kind entertainment in Holy Achate Pce, and she stargazed even more often in the


    ???


    the


    iel


    beastman castle since she enjoyed doing it while drinking tea or hot milk.


    But tonight was depressing.


    Not even a star was visible, but the full moon was somehow clearer and bigger than usual. Swan realized that the moon was somehow more red than yellowish or pale blue tonight.


    "W-why is the moon so red? Isn''t that strange?" Swan asked. She waited for Gale to answer, but she got nothing.


    She looked up and noticed that Gale''s smile faded when she mentioned the moon''s color. Swan suspected the red moon must''ve been linked with Gale, either with his curse, or an overall situation that brought him trauma.


    Thus, Swan zipped her lips as they entered the cave. It was brightly lit with a big bonfire near the entrance, and a smaller one at the deep end of the cave.


    Torches were hung around the cave wall, so there was no feeling of dread when they entered the cave.


    On top of that, there was proper bedding for her, alongside a few snacks, a teapot, and a cup that seemed to be piping hot.


    There were alsoyers uponyers of thick nkets stacked next to the bedding,


    in case Swan couldn''t handle the cold.


    However, the most jarring thing Swan noticed was the various chains with their ends embedded inside the ground.


    She also saw many steel balls meant to be used by prisoners scattered on the ground nearby.


    "G-Gale, y-you are going to be chained?"

 Chapter 145: The Coldest Night (II)

    Chapter 145: Chapter 145: The Coldest Night (II)


    "Of course, it''s almost like a tradition every year at this point," Gale answered as he put Swan on the bedding. He put a nket over her to make her warmer, and noticed the worry in her eyes, "Why? Are you sad that I have to be chained?"


    Swan nodded weakly, "You are not a mindless beast, nor a prisoner of war. Why do you have to be chained? You even need to be weighed by steel balls..."


    "I will be a mindless beast during my once-a-year rut, Swan. Those chains are necessary to slow me down, at least to buy you enough time to escape in case I cannot control myself," Gale smiled. He kissed Swan on the cheek and added, "Don''t make that face. I will be fine."


    Gale walked towards the chains and kneeled on the ground before he got surrounded by the other beastmen soldiers who''d chained him.


    "Wait, I need that medicine first," Gale said as he remembered Jade''s special brewed tea, which could knock him out cold for a few hours. "Give me that purple stuff. It''ll help."


    "Purple stuff?" Swan had a bad feeling about whatever medicine Gale would have to drink. She wanted to see and if possible, used her strange power to check if it was safe to drink or not.


    But a bunny maid suddenly appeared right in front of her and blocked her view, "Princess, do you want me to prepare the tea for you? It''s freezing here, so I suggest you drink tea first."


    Swan looked up and frowned when she saw the bunny maid, "Aren''t you Lady Long''s attendant?"


    "Yes, Princess. My name is Alice. I was brought here to serve you before His Majesty starts his rut," Alice replied with a friendly smile.


    "R-really? Isn''t it dangerous for you? It''s too cold, right?"


    "It''s fine, Princess. I''m a beastman-specifically, a snow hare beastman. I am pretty much immune to colds," Alice said.


    "I see..." Swan tried to tilt her head to check on Gale and whatever he was drinking, but Alice sneakily moved a little to block her view.


    "I will prepare the tea for you, Princess," Alice smiled as she poured the tea slowly. Once she was done, she excused herself and said, "Have a nice night with His Majesty, Princess. I believe His Majesty will treat you well."


    Swan didn''t pay the bunny maid any more attention. She wanted to check on her husband. Unfortunately, the moment she returned her gaze at Gale, he already drunk everything and tossed the empty bottle to the side.


    Swan was worried, but since Gale had drunk it, all she could do was hope that it wouldn''t make things even harder for him tonight.


    "Go chain me now. We don''t have much time before midnight," Gale ordered, as he wiped the remaining purple liquid at the corner of his mouth.


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    The beastmen soldiers began to put chain after chain around the Beast King''s body until almost every joint was bound by a chain or two.


    He was treated like an uncontroble savage beast that needed to be locked up for the rest of his life.


    Swan watched how Gale''s expression became solemn. He looked straight to the bonfire in front of him, but then turned his head towards his wife, and smiled softly, "Don''t be too worried, Sweetheart. Just stay there and get yourself warm. All I need is for you to be here with me throughout the night."


    Swan nodded obediently, "I''m not going anywhere, Gale."


    "Good."


    Once the beastmen soldiers finished their job, ze Silverfang said, "Your Majesty, the other beastmen will be guarding far from the cave, as they would lose their strength once you release your aura. I will be guarding outside of the cave, in case something happens tonight," ze nced at Princess Swan and added, "Please don''t hesitate to scream if you feel scared, Princess. It is very important, as His Majesty can turn very dangerous soon enough." freewebnovel


    Swan nodded, but she had long epted her fate. She would stay in this cave, even if Gale truly turned into a mindless beast and killed her in the end.


    ze realized that Princess Swan didn''t have an ounce of fear in her eyes. She looked calm. In fact, she seemed to be more worried about the Beast King than herself.


    Thus, he bowed deeply to Princess Swan as he had a newfound respect for the Princess.


    There were a lot of rumors circting about her.


    ze was doubtful of her integrity at first, but she didn''t back down, even now, when she could lose her life anytime soon.


    To him, it was the highest proof of love, because no woman-not even Lady Jade whom people had deep respect for would dare to go near His Majesty during his


    worst rut.


    ze left the cave and sat on a tree branch near the cave. He wanted to give the Princess and Beast King some privacy, though he wouldn''t sleep just in case Princess Swan needed his help.


    Swan stared at her husband unblinkingly as she didn''t want to fall asleep while apanying Gale.


    When the gust of cold wind entered the cave, her body trembled from head to toe, and her deformed leg began to ache. She quickly covered her body with a nket.


    "No need to be so tense. Just drink the tea, eat snacks, and then sleep if you want to," Gale suggested. "By the time you wake up, the sun will rise, and everything will be just fine."


    Gale wanted to calm her down, but inwardly, he kept chanting his own words over and over, reminding himself he should never turn into a beast and hurt his beloved.


    Swan shook her head as she stubbornly refused to fall asleep.


    Despite her determination, as minutes passed, she began to feel drowsier. The bonfire felt very warm, and the thickyers of nket made her feel safe.


    Thus, Swan slowly closed her eyes as she couldn''t fight the drowsiness anymore, and thest thing she saw was Gale smiling at her.

 Chapter 146: Accelerated Rut

    Chapter 146: Chapter 146: elerated Rut


    Gale noticed Swan had fallen asleep, which relieved him, as he didn''t want his mate to suffer through the cold night.


    With a cold nket and constant bonfire, she should be able to sleep through the night safely.


    He stared at the bonfire for a while, then lifted his head slightly to stare at the blood moon. He purposely didn''t give Swan an answer to her question about the red moon, because he knew it would make her worry excessively about his well- being.


    The blood moon only happened during the coldest winter night, usually aroundte December, and it was the sign for him-The Cursed Wolf-to fulfill his duty.


    Whenever the blood moon was hanging on the sky clearly, he would feel a burning sensation all around his body. His heartbeat would elerate until he felt that it could burst out of his chest anytime.


    As time went on, the burning sensation would turn into excruciating pain that was extremely difficult to endure, and when he felt that his heart beat way too fast, his brain would start going nk.


    Gale would start losing control over his body, and his mind would get corroded. He would have a painful erection and began to howl as loud as he could, a sign that he wanted to mate with his destined one.


    An hour after he couldn''t get to mate, he would lose his mindpletely and start rampaging, killing everything and everyone in his sight until dawn.


    ''But I have Swan by my side. Surely, I won''t lose control, right?'' Gale convinced himself. He nced at his lovely wife who had fallen asleep. ''Is it safe to mate with herter on? What if I did it too much because I''m in a rut?''


    Gale shook his head lightly, ''There''s no point in worrying. I''ll just wait and see.''


    Gale had already felt the burning sensation around his body, especially around his groin area, which was the first stage of his rut. It would take another hour for this burning sensation to turn into a neverending aching as if he had been burning from inside and out.


    However, Gale noticed something strange tonight.


    He felt like a process that should have taken an hour suddenly hastened, as he started feeling an irregr heartbeat and aching in only fifteen minutes.


    "W-what is wrong with me? Why is the process so fast tonight?" Gale questioned as he was confused. He looked down at his crotch and saw that he already had an erection five minutes after the pain. At this rate, he would start rampaging in only an hour.


    Gale''s gaze started to blur. He blinked repeatedly, but each time he did, his gaze would get even more blurry, until he couldn''t even discern the bonfire in front of him.


    There were only two things visible for him right now; the blood moon and his wife, Swan.


    He shifted his gaze at Swan as he didn''t want to stare at the blood moon for too long, but it was proven to be a fatal mistake, because his nose started to get overly sensitive, and he could smell that mysterious and alluring scent only Swan could exude.


    ''S-should I wake her up?'' Gale


    wondered as his erection started getting too painful to bear. His dick was throbbing, and he already


    leaked precum from the tipino


    sensed that something ominous would happen soon, and the fear of losing control of himself started to


    creep up on him.


    "S-Something is wrong. T-this shouldn''t happen too quickly, ugh!" Gale grunted as


    his body trembled. He looked at his mate and tried to wake her up, "S-


    Sweetheart, wake up. I-I think we should mate now. I will be gentle, and¡ª''


    ...


    ...


    Gale nked out, and he started growling as saliva dripped from the corner of his mouth, "Grrhhh..."


    Gale bared his fangs, and he felt like he was about to lose his consciousness.


    "Gentle?


    Grrh


    Gale ridiculed


    himself over such a stupid n. He


    stared at Swan with such an intense gaze under his blindfold. His saliva dripped even more, and so did his precum from the tip of his dick. He chuckled menacingly as his voice grew deeper, and every sentence that came out of his lips began to sound like a grunt, "Why should I be gentle? She is my feast for the night, right? I can mark her, bite her, eat her, breed her, breed her, breed her, breed....breed...breed..."


    Gale bared all his fangs as his teeth began to sharpen. He released his aura without care anymore. His muscles grew bigger as wolf fur began to cover his body.


    He hadn''t turned into his true wolf form just yet, but he had turned into his two- legged werewolf form, which was twice his original human size.


    He set his gaze on the beautiful, yet fragile female with an extremely alluring scent in front of him. Even when he had lost his mindpletely, he was still attracted to her scent.


    Gale had lost his mind and self-control, so he couldn''t wait to breed this woman in front of him.


    He got up and broke the chain


    around his body without even trying.


    In his rut state, he could release his normally controlled aura, so he suppressed everyone within a ten-mile radius, but spared Swan, as he knew this feeble female human would die instantly if she got attacked by his suffocating aura.


    He slowly walked towards Swan who was still asleep, and tore his pants, revealing his erect dick that was already dripping at the tip, ready to mate with this special food he had today.


    Gale took off his blindfold, and his pupils had disappeared for a while, leaving nothing but a pair of red eyes that shone in the dark.


    Gale licked his fangs as he was ready for his feast. He began to howl to warn everyone around that he would start his mating process with this female in front of


    him.


    AWOOOO!!!

 Chapter 147: A Saintess’ Dream

    Chapter 147: Chapter 147: A Saintess'' Dream


    ze Silverfang gritted his teeth. He could sense that something was wrong inside the cave as the Beast King couldn''t possibly go into a rut so quickly.


    But when he was trying to approach the cave, the Beast King suddenly released a powerful suppressive aura from inside.


    He tried to get up, but his body was so weak right now, and it was getting harder for him to breathe.


    "No, I... need to save Princess Swan..." ze tried to get up again from the ground, but the moment he heard the second howl from His Majesty, he lost his strengthpletely and nked out.


    **


    Meanwhile, Swan was in a deep sleep. Her body felt so warm and fuzzy under the nket that she didn''t have the urge to wake up at all.


    She fell deeper and deeper into her sleep until she suddenly heard someone calling her;


    -Dream Realm-


    ''Open your eyes, my dear daughter.''


    ''Umm... uh?'' Swan opened her eyes slowly and found herself in a white room made out of marble. Everything, including the furniture, was made out of cold marble. Swan was still half asleep, but she immediately knew that she was in a dream because she could stand on her two feet right now.


    ''You''re finally here, my dear.''


    Swan blinked once, and a blinding light suddenly shed in front of her. Swan closed her eyes immediately, and it took a while for her to slowly open her eyes and see the figure of a woman covered in bright light.


    Unfortunately, just like before, Swan couldn''t see her face under such a blinding light, but the woman kept on calling her Dear daughter.


    "W-why am I in this dream, Goddess? I didn''t pray before I slept..."


    ''Certainly, I don''t need you to pray toe to your dream,'' the woman chuckled. ''You are my dearest daughter. I desire to visit you from time to time.''


    Swan still didn''t understand why this Goddess kept referring to her as her dear daughter.


    Swan was convinced that she was born from the womb of a whore. She had been told that by everyone in the Holy Achate Pce ever since she was just a toddler. freewebnovel


    However, no matter how many times she asked, the Goddess never disclosed her name. Swan thought she was Goddess Asmara at first, but she always replied that her name wasn''t important, as long as Swan referred to her as Dear Mother.


    "Um... I don''t know if I can be your daughter, Goddess. I''m just a lowly whore''s daughter. Isn''t it too disgraceful for you?"


    ''Have more faith in yourself, just like how much faith you have in the Goddess,'' the woman replied. ''Your prayer is a powerful tool that can grant any wish, as long as you are sincere about helping others, especially your beloved husband.''


    "Then, howe I can''t heal my leg?" Swan asked. "I prayed hard enough..."


    ''Because you don''t have faith in


    yourself. You have a pure heart, but you have many self-doubts and grief. A wish cannot be granted if you think that you''re not worthy of such a thing,'' The woman replied. ''You still think of yourself as a lowly whore daughter who deserved to be crippled for the rest of your life to pay for your birth sin. That''s why I cannot heal your leg, my dear daughter.''


    "I¡ª" Swan couldn''t deny that. She truly had a deep desire to help others, but when it came to helping herself, she still didn''t believe that she deserved any happiness that came to her.


    She was too used to getting punished by her half-sister and stepmother every time she had something nice going on in her life.


    She would be beaten after getting caught eating Aria''s leftover food. The abuse she experienced since childhood had made her mind wired differently.


    Even if her leg could be healed somehow, deep down, she still wouldn''t believe that she deserved to be able to walk with both legs like a normal person, because she wasn''t meant to be normal.


    ''It will take a while for you to believe that you deserve happiness. When that timees, I promise to grant you everything you ever need,'' The woman added.


    "T-then, how about my pregnancy?" Swan asked. She knew that she


    wasn''t Gale''s fated mate, and she wasn''t meant to carry his offspring, but the Goddess just said her prayer could make everythinge true. If that was the case, she should''ve been pregnant by now. " know that I''m not his fated mate and cannot force myself to be one, but I want to carry his offspring. Can you make me an exception, Goddess?"


    "Yes, I can make you an exception," the Goddess chuckled. "I came to your dream for that exact reason. Your husband is in a pitiful state right now and is turning into a mindless beast. Surely, you want to help him, right?"


    Swan panicked the moment she heard about Gale''s condition.


    She tossed her wish to be pregnant with his cubs, and quickly changed her prayer, "Goddess, please let me help my dearest husband! I feel sad seeing him being chained like a mindless beast! He is the kindest and gentlest man I''ve ever met in my life! He shouldn''t be treated like a monster!"


    ''Oh? How about your wish to have his baby? I can only grant you one wish for tonight,'' Goddess teased, but Swan took it seriously.


    Swan joined her hands and kneeled in a praying position, "Goddess, please help my husband to go through this night without pain. I cannot bear to see him getting hurt. I admit that I do not think of myself as important, but my husband... he is the man I truly love, and I am ready to toss my happiness as long as he can be happy."


    ''Oh, you sure are my dearest


    daughter. The only one,'' the Goddess murmured before she


    gently ced her palm on top omet


    Swan''s head. Swan could feel Ker body beginning to warm up. A golden aura emanated from her body, and her blonde hair shone brightly. ''I will grant both wishes. You shall help your husband through his painful rut tonight, Saintess Swan.''


    ~Dream Realm End-

 Chapter 148: Saintess Swan

    Chapter 148: Chapter 148: Saintess Swan


    [Music Rmendation: Morning Grace - Princess Tutu OST.]


    Gale had no control over his body anymore.


    He had lost his rationality, and in his empty thought, there was nothing but one word that echoed nonstop; Breed.


    Breed her.


    Breed her. freewebnovel


    Breed her.


    He looked down at the woman, who was fully covered under the thick nket. Grabbing the nket, he flung it to the side, exposing the frail female meant to be his feast tonight.


    What he saw underneath was a woman with shining blonde hair. Her body emanated a gentle golden glow. Her unique and alluring scent was like a bomb that exploded in this cave, making the uncontroble beast take a step back involuntarily as he suddenly got a terrible headache.


    "Argh! GRRHH!" The mindless beast growled in pain as he clutched his head to stop the pain, but the pain was still lingering. Irritated, he decided to just ignore the headache and approached the female who was still in her deep sleep.


    The moment he was about to touch her, his ruby-colored pupil returned, and Gale quickly stepped back, "Grh! Control yourself, Gale! You are about to hurt your mate!" Gale yelled at himself. He took a few more steps back until his back hit the cave wall, as he didn''t want to identally hurt Swan when he lost control of himself again.


    The rut tonight was especially tough for him. His body felt like it was burning from head to toe, and the pain around his crotch was heightened ten times more than usual. It was simply too strange.


    Nheless, he had to do something. Swan''s safety was the most important to


    him.


    Gale turned his head at the blood moon and nodded as he had an idea of what he had to do.


    He had to leave this cave as soon as possible. He could rampage around somewhere else in his true wolf form. He might''ve identally killed many, but at least Swan wouldn''t be one of the victims tonight.


    Unfortunately, right before he leaped out of the cave, Swan woke up. She grunted and opened her eyes slowly, so Gale quickly closed his eyes. He didn''t want to identally kill his beloved.


    Swan witnessed Gale in his werewolf form and smiled, "Why are you so far away, dear husband? Come and embrace me."


    The moment he heard that sweet voice with a hint of sensuality, Gale''s dick began to throb and he lost control over himself once more.


    Swan was not her usual self the moment she woke up.


    She still had consciousness, but it seemed like an entirely different Swan took control of her body while she took a backseat and watched.


    Despite the peculiarity of the situation, their thoughts were in sync. She wanted Gale to stay close to her because it was very cold after he threw away her nket.


    ''This is like what happened when I saved Rock back then,'' Swan thought. Then, she recalled what the Goddess had said in her dream before. ''So, I am a Saintess when I''m in this state?''


    "Grrhh..."


    Swan snapped out of her daze when she heard the growlinging from Gale. She was terrified of his bipedal werewolf form for a second as he was almost twice bigger than the human-like Gale she knew and loved. But in the next moment, she remembered how he had to be


    chained like a mindless beast in this form.


    ''If there is nobody who wants to embrace you because of fear, then let me be the first one, husband,'' Swan told herself as she cast away her fear in the face of death.


    Her body and mind synced together, and ''Saintess'' Swan sat on her bed, opening her arms wide as she wanted to hug her husband.


    The mindless beast began to grumble, but he stopped grunting as he kept staring at the beautiful woman before him with his glowing red eyes.


    Swan was confused. Those red eyes were supposed to kill anyone on sight, right?


    Then howe she was unaffected by it? Was it because she was in her Saintess form, or was it because...


    ''I-It''s probably the first one. It''s


    because I''m in this Saintess form, so


    I be unaffected by any


    powerful dark magic, including Gale''s eyes, right?'' Swan tried.


    rationalize it as she didn''t want to


    keep her hopes up, that she could be


    Gale''s fated mate, only toget disappointedter.


    The mindless wolf beast stared at Swan before slowly approaching her. He could walk on his two legs, but he walked towards Swan on his four until he stopped in front of her.


    "Good, now sit, dear husband. Let


    me calm you down," Swan


    1.n


    instructed, and the mindless beast obediently sat on the ground. Unfortunately, even when he sat, he was still a lot taller and bigger than Swan, so thetter could onlyb the thick hair around his chest. "Oh my, look at you getting so distressed over the blood moon. Your fur is ruffled."


    "Grh!" the beast grunted, but he did nothing, allowing the strangely familiar female


    to slowlyb the fur around his chest, shoulder, and neck.


    "Now, look down, husband."


    The beast lowered his head, and they made eye contact. The beast had no pupil,


    but his glowing red eyes revealed no sign of hostility towards Swan.


    On the contrary, he immediately stopped growling or baring his fangs right after they made eye contact.


    Swan lifted her hands to reach the fur around his jaw and began tob them with her fingers, "Don''t get so grumpy, husband. I know that you are upset after getting chained. But I''m not going anywhere, right? I''m still with you in this cave the whole time."


    ...


    The beast kept his eyes on her. He seemed to recognize her, but at the same time, he was still a mindless beast who was meant to destroy everything in its


    path.


    So he leaned deeper and began sniffing around her neck and chest to imprint his mind with this alluring scent.


    Then, after he was satisfied sniffing her, he licked her shoulder, making Swan giggle, "That''s ticklish. What do you want, dear husband?"

 Chapter 149: Saintess Swan (II) [Mature Content]

    Chapter 149: Chapter 149: Saintess Swan (II) [Mature Content]


    [Mature Content.]


    The beast didn''t say a word. He paused once Swan asked him that question, but he continued licking her shoulder, neck, chin, before going down to her cleavage.


    His rough tongue was like an arousal for the Saintess. She continued giggling and yfully fidgeted around as if she wanted to avoid his tongue, "It''s ticklish, dear husband. Why don''t you tell me what you want? I know you are craving for something."


    Swan wanted the beast to focus on what he wanted rather than licking her nonstop. The beast finally stopped and stared at the beautiful female in front of him. With a voice so low it sounded like a growl, he muttered, "Hunger..."


    "Hunger? Do you want to eat me? But I''m very thin. You won''t be full after eating me," Swan chuckled. She looked down and used her toe to judge on the tip of his rock-hard dick. "Do you need help here? I¡ªyour dear wife is more than willing to help you through your rut."


    The beast grunted again once the tip of his erect dick was touched. However, it wasn''t a grunt of anger or annoyance.


    It was actually the opposite, as it was the sign that he enjoyed her touch, even if it was just her toe.


    The beast grabbed Swan''s ankle to keep her in ce, but his grab was gentle as if he didn''t want to hurt this female in front of him. He rubbed the tip of his dick with her toe, making a thrusting motion just to get more pleasure.


    Saintess Swan also cooperated by using her toe to press on the tip, which made him groan in pleasure as his dick continued to leak precum. It was obvious that the beast wanted to mate, but the Saintess couldn''t help but want to tease him a bit more.


    "It''s bigger than usual. I don''t know if it can fit in, husband," Swanmented, which responded with an angry growl from the beast.


    "Well, if you want to do it, then you need to ask me nicely. You may be a Blood Moon Beast right now, but you are still my husband. And my husband is supposed to be gentle and kind, understand?"


    The beast king growled again, but he still nodded. He could not use his logic right now, but his instinct told him that he needed to be obedient so he could get what he wanted.


    Besides, this frail female was so beautiful that even the mindless Blood Moon Beast could not bear to harm her.


    "Good boy," Swan smiled. "Now, we should start with this."


    Swan stepped on the beast''s hard dick, and thetter groaned in pleasure once


    more.


    This female was so weak that he was genuinely unharmed when she stepped on his dick, but it still gave him an electric shock around his crotch.


    Enjoying the beast''s reaction, Swan felt encouraged to do more, so she rubbed the shaft to the tip with her toe. She did it repeatedly until she saw the beast''s chest rise up and down as if he was in pain.


    "Grhh... argh!" the beast groaned for thest time, and Swan lifted his toe. She watched how the beast shot ropes of cum after cum, which stained her feet and the ground. freewebnovel


    The beast had just ejacted, but his thick dick was not softening at all. Instead, it was getting even harder until Swan could see the veins throbbing around the shaft.


    The real Swan who watched everything felt like she could die out of shame because she had never done something so vulgar in front of Gale.


    She might be cooperating most of the time, but she wasn''t the one actively asking Gale to have sex.


    Despite her embarrassment, she


    didn''t hate this feeling, knowing that she could help Gale through this painful, cold night with her body. She


    hoped that after this, he be


    satiated, and wouldn''t go


    rampage. It was the most important thing for her.


    Thus, she let her desire win this time and allowed the ''Saintess'' to use her body to relieve Gale''s needs.


    Saintess Swan grinned and said, "Why are you still hard, husband? Are you not satisfied? Do you want more?"


    "Want... more..." the beast mumbled. He put his hands in between her thighs and leaned closer. He stuck his nose on her lips, sniffing nonstop like a dog before licking her lip.


    Then, he went down again and started licking her cleavage.


    Swan didn''t react at first. She moaned a few times as it felt ticklish and arousing, but allowed the beast to do whatever he wanted.


    "Grh!" The beast was dissatisfied because he identally licked the dress around her chest many times, which tasted badpared to her skin.


    "You can rip it, Swan permitted as she began to unsp the pearl ne around her neck. She didn''t want the most precious gift from her husband to get destroyed tonight. "Just be careful. My skin is thin, and I don''t want to get scratched by your sharp ws, understand?"


    "Grrh..." The beast carefully used his w to rip the dress from the breast down in


    a straight line, exposing her bodypletely.


    He did it so carefully so Swan''s skin


    wouldn''t get hurt, which would shock anyone if they ever witnessed it, since this was the same beast who would rampage around, killing anyone on sight, either with his red eyes or his sharp ws.


    Saintess Swan paused momentarily as the real Swan in her mind was panicking. She was not used to vulgarity, even after spending many nights with Gale. She


    would still instinctively try to cover her exposed body due to shame.


    However, when she realized how Gale looked at her with a hungry gaze, she knew she needed to be bolder.


    After all, the purpose of this was to calm him down.


    Thus, she allowed Saintess Swan to expose her body and beckoned him closer, "Touch me, dear husband, as I am yours tonight and forever."

 Chapter 150: Holy Saintess and Cursed Beast [Mature Content]

    Chapter 150: Chapter 150: Holy Saintess and Cursed Beast [Mature Content]


    [Warning: Werewolf Sex; Mature Content.]


    The beast couldn''t wait any longer. He had been holding back the whole time, so it was time to let his instinct kick in. He started licking her breasts, especially her nipples with his rough tongue. Every time Swan reacted by shivering or moaning, he would lick even more.


    "T-that''s too much. You''re going to hurt me with your rough tongue," Swanined. She opened her legs wider and said, "Why don''t you lick somewhere else, husband?"


    The beast stopped licking her nipples and grabbed her ankles. He spread her ankles wide and stared at the exposed pussy. He licked his teeth as the extreme hunger and craving made him unable to control himself.


    "Ah! Ahn! I-it''s so r-rough..." Swanined, but she didn''t try to stop the beast from licking her pussy lips with his rough tongue.


    The beast enjoyed the taste of juice that leaked out of her pussy. It had a unique taste that made him hungrier and hornier.


    He inserted his long tongue into her pussy to prepare this female before he fucked her, which made Swan gasped in response.


    The real Swan was also as shocked as the Saintess. She thought it was very dirty to use his tongue to pry inside her pussy. It also felt weird at first, but as his tongue explored her wall, Swan could only surrender to the immense pleasure.


    "Ah! Ahn!" Swan moaned as loud as she could as the pleasure was too mind- numbing for her. "S-stop that, husband. I-I need more than your tongue."


    The beast paused for a second, then pulled his tongue out. He showed the dripping tongue in front of the female in front of him, as if he wanted to tell Swan that she was more than ready to take him.


    Swan smiled as her chest rose up and down, "What are you waiting for, husband? Don''t you want to mark me? Just make sure to be gentle, alright? I''m scared of getting hurt."


    The beast nodded, as his instinct strictly told him to be obedient or he would lose this female that he had grown attached to.


    He grabbed her wrist, and flipped her body, making Swany on all four. He pressed her shoulder, so Swan would have to raise her waist in response. The beast looked at the exposed pussy that was already wet after he licked it. He could''ve just torn this female to shreds, but he didn''t want to.


    Again, his instinct told him to be careful and be gentle.


    Swan peeked over her shoulder and saw that the beast was aiming the tip of his dick on her pussy. She got scared because, from this angle, the size of that dick was terrifying.


    Gale''s dick in human form was already big and suffocating, and this one was almost twice bigger.


    She could''ve died!


    The real Swan inside her mind started panicking, ''N-no way! I''m going to die this time! Please don''t. Saintess, please tell him to stop now!''


    However, the Saintess said nothing. In the next moment, Swan heard the voice of the Goddess in her ear.


    ''Do not fear, dear daughter. Everything is set in stone, and you will not get hurt. This is the only way to save your husband.''


    ''To save Gale...'' Swan was still worried, but she decided to brace herself for whatever pain she would experience next.


    As long as it could help Gale pass this painful night, she would do anything. freewebnovel


    Steeling herself, she allowed the Saintess to expose her nape and invited him, "Come in, husband, mark and breed me."


    "Grh!" the beast growled in excitement. He slowly thrusted his thick dick inside her pussy, and though it seemed impossible at first, his dick was a perfect fit inside her.


    He was only halfway in when he suddenly lost patience and thrust the whole shaft inside her. Swan screamed in shock as she could feel his huge dick prate her until her stomach.


    "AHHH!!"


    The beast quickly bit her nape and began thrusting in and out. The wet pussy made it easy, though it was still very tight for him.


    The moment her nape was bitten for the second time, she could feel his teeth piercing her skin. As his saliva was mixed with her blood, the pain slowly subsided.


    Her gaze began to blur as she kept drowning in ecstasy. Whatever the beast did to her after he marked her was enough to make her feel like moving her hips, wanting to get fucked even harder. ''


    "Husband... more. Fuck me more! Ahhhh!"


    "GRRH!" the beast elerated his hips, and her pussy juice began to squirt out whenever he pulled his dick before thrusting in again in one quick push.


    Swan felt like she was losing control over herself. The pleasure was too much for her that she could only moan as the beast continued fucking her for a long time.


    "Grrh! GRHH!" The beast went harder after a while, as a sign he was ready to breed this female with his seed. He grabbed Swan''s arms and put her in the same position.


    "Uh! Ah! Ahn! Y-yes, breed me, husband. I am willing to carry your offspring! AH!" "GRHH! AWOOOO!!!" the beast howled as he finally shot thick ropes of hot cum inside Swan''s womb. He pressed her deep to make sure that no seed got wasted. Swan rolled her eyes as she had been overtaken by extreme pleasure.


    Once she had been marked and bred, her glowing hair slowly dimmed, and the golden light around her body disappeared. She had returned to the real, crippled Swan.


    Meanwhile, the beast had also transformed. The muscle on his body slowly rxed after he had his fill and he got 1.5x smaller until he returned to his normal human size.


    The fur around his body disappeared, and his glowing red eyes dimmed as his ruby-like pupils returned.


    Gale didn''t know what just happened as he had lost consciousness when the beast took over. He looked down and saw that he was pinning his beloved wife. His dick was still


    buried deep inside her pussy and it


    seemed that he had marked her


    again.

 Chapter 151: What have I done?

    Chapter 151: Chapter 151: What have I done?


    Gale paled instantly. His eyes were unfocused, thinking that he had identally raped his beloved and killed her.


    "No... no, t-this can''t be-" Gale held back his tears as he thought that he hadmitted the worst sin possible. He quickly pulled out his dick and flipped Swan''s body to check if she was still breathing.


    "No, please, Swan, please don''t go. I-I didn''t know why I lost control!" Gale panicked as he put his ear on her chest to hear her heartbeat. However, right when he ced his ear on Swan''s chest, he felt a soft hand rubbing his hair, "What''s wrong, Gale? Why are you panicking?" Swan asked weakly.


    Gale lifted his head and saw that Swan was closing her eyes tiredly. Her body was weak, but she was pretty much alive.


    Swan smiled and murmured, "Don''t worry, I''m not dead yet."


    "Wife, I... I''m sorry..." Gale apologized before he closed his eyes, as he didn''t want to identally kill his wife with his gaze. "I-I didn''t know what happened. I lost control."


    "It''s all fine, husband. I''m just tired, that''s it," Swan replied. "You are gentle, and I had fun. Don''t me yourself."


    Gale gritted his teeth, "Tell me what I did while I was in that beast state."


    "T-that... why don''t we rest instead," Swan said, diverting the topic. "I-I''m tired. You shot so much inside me. I might get pregnant because of you."


    "Besides, you don''t need to worry too much about me. I''m fine. A bit sleepy though..." Swan muttered. "But look, you''ve returned to your normal self, even though the red moon is still hanging in the sky, right?"


    ...


    Swan was right.


    Whatever happened while he was in his beastly state must''ve been the right thing, because he had regained his consciousness only two hours after he lost controlpletely.


    Swan also seemed to be pretty tired, so it was best to rest for now and ask her about the detailster.


    Thus, he gently ced Swan back on the bedding and covered her body with a fewyers of nket.


    He grabbed his blindfold again and wore it to avoid killing anyone. He sat next to Swan who had fallen asleep.


    Gale put his finger under Swan''s nose and was relieved to find out that she was still breathing. Looking at her, it seemed that he didn''t do anything excessive when he lost control.


    ''But how? How is that even possible?'' Gale was shocked and confused. ''The cursed beast inside my body will kill anyone on sight. The moment he locked his eyes on Swan, she''d either be dead by my gaze or torn to shred.''


    He looked up at the blood moon hanging in the sky. It was only two hours after he lost control, and now he hadpletely regained control over his body.


    ''Did I calm down after I fucked Swan in my cursed beast state? Does that mean Swan has cured my rut on this coldest night?'' Gale began theorizing. ''So, does that mean we are...''


    Gale gritted his teeth. He checked on Swan''s nape to make sure, ''There''s no mistake. I marked and bred her in my rut.''


    He wished this meant that they were meant to be fated together, but nothing was guaranteed until Swan was proven to be pregnant.


    ''Did she close her eyes the whole time out of fear? If that''s the case, then I''m d she did it, or else she''d get killed by my gaze...'' Gale thought.


    He had too many unanswered questions right now.


    Why did he suddenly lose control so quickly? He should''ve been able to hold himself for at least two hours after midnight.


    How did Swan survive-even unharmed¡ªwhilst getting fucked by him in beastly form? He knew how rough and crazy he could be in his rut.


    Lastly, howe Swan was so calm? She even told him that she enjoyed what happened.


    ...


    Gale got stressed with so many unanswered questions he had. So he got up, covered Swan''s body with anotheryer of nket, put a few moregs into the bonfire to warm the cave even more, and then walked out of the cave to check on his surroundings.


    He paused the moment he walked out of the cave.


    Because the scent of death permeated in the air. He could sense hundreds of animals who died out of instant heart attack, so he must''ve released a powerful suppressive aura enough to kill an elephant in just one second.


    ''Then howe Swan ispletely unharmed?'' Gale pondered.


    "Y-Your Majesty..."


    Gale turned his head and saw ze Silverfang crawling towards him. He appeared to be in bad shape as if he was barely hanging on his life. "Are you alright?" Gale asked, and ze Silverfang nodded.


    "Y-Yes, Your Majesty. I''m alright, but my body is severely weakened after you release your powerful aura. I will probably recover after a few more hours ze replied. He grabbed the Beast King''s ankle and asked, "Your Majesty, what happened? The aura you released... killed everyone and everything around the cave. You''ve never released such a terrifying aura before, even during your rutst year."


    Gale clenched his fists as he also wanted to know what happened.


    However, that wasn''t the most important thing right now. "During my rut, did I ever walk out of the cave?"


    "No, Your Majesty. You stayed in that cave until just now. I-I tried to save Princess Swan, but my body couldn''t move when you released such powerful aura," ze admitted guiltily. He had a feeling that His Majesty must''ve identally killed his beloved wife while he was in his beastly state. "I''m sorry for my weakness and inability to protect Princess Swan. Please punish me, Your Majesty. You can kill me now as I am ready to die in shame."


    Gale looked down at the strongest beta after Rock Silverfang.


    ze was still far weaker than Rock, but Gale was not cruel enough to kill his


    subject who hadn''t done anything wrong.


    "Worry not, my wife is unharmed."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 152: Mourning

    Chapter 152: Chapter 152: Mourning


    "H-how could that be?" ze was utterly confused. There was zero chance that Princess Swan would survive the suppressive aura emanating from the Beast King''s body, especially since she was inside that cave with him.


    Even if she somehow survived the suppressive aura, she definitely wouldn''t survive the cursed beast''s gaze or his ws.


    ''His Majesty must be in denial. He''s so in love with Princess Swan, that''s why he cannot ept that he had identally killed the Princess...''


    ze didn''t want to anger His Majesty, so he simply yed along, "T-then, I''m d she is safe, Your Majesty. And thank you for sparing my life..."


    "Hm," Gale nodded nonchntly. He turned his head towards the direction where the other beastmen stayed to guard the area. ze Silverfang might''ve survived his aura, but he didn''t know about the rest.


    Thus, he ordered, "Once you''ve recovered, go and find the rest of the entourage. Report to me if they are safe, and tell me if I''ve identally killed anyone tonight. I will givepensation to the tribe of those who died."


    "Understood, Your Majesty."


    "I''ll return to the cave. My wife must''ve been very cold right now," Gale said before he turned around and returned to the cave.


    ze watched His Majesty walk away and couldn''t help but grieve over Princess Swan''s death.


    When His Majesty said that she must''ve been very cold, he probably hinted that Princess Swan''s body had be cold after her death.


    ''I''ve never seen His Majesty to be so in love with someone,'' ze thought. ''I should''ve ignored those rumors about her. No witch would be brave enough to apany THE cursed beast, and brace herself even in the face of death.''


    **


    Gale returned to the cave and saw Swan who was in a deep sleep.


    She must''ve been exhausted after what happened tonight, and though Gale still had many unanswered questions, he decided to cast his worry aside and joined Swan inside the nket.


    He hugged her naked body, skin-to-skin under the nket to give her even more warmth, and Gale''s heartbeat gradually slowed down as he felt at ease.


    ''The biggest sin I can ever do in this life is hurting you, Swan,'' Gale said in his heart. ''You are my other half. So if you die-especially by my hand-then I will follow you even to the depths of hell. I will beg for your forgiveness, even though I already know that you will forgive me either way.''


    ''You are always like that, sweetheart. You are so kind and gentle that I can''t bear to see you in pain,'' Gale hugged her tighter as he wanted to make sure that this wasn''t just a dream, and Swan wouldn''t disappear by the time he woke up. ''I will find my fated mate as soon as possible, and break this curse. That''s the only way.''


    Gale closed his eyes and fell asleep rather quickly as he felt at ease with Swan in his embrace.


    For the first time in decades, after Gale got cursed, he passed the coldest night without rampaging around. The blood moon slowly disappeared as the dawn


    came.


    *


    ze regained his strength right before dawn. He got up and rushed to the location where the other beastmen were staying far from the cave.


    Once he was there, he saw that


    everyone had copsed, but none of them were dead. Thankfully, they stayed far away from the cave, otherwise, there would be


    vel


    casualties. However, this didn''t mean they were fine. The way they weaklyy on the ground was proof that they were almost on the brink of death.


    "Are you guys okay?" ze asked as he helped them to sit up.


    "We are okay..." a rhino beastman replied as he tried to catch his breath. "His Majesty''s aurast night was insane. Had it lingered for more than five minutes, we would''ve died."


    "What happened to His Majesty? This is the first time I''ve seen him releasing such an insane aura that kills every animal around," a boar beastman asked. "And howe we didn''t see a giant wolf rampaging around tonight?"


    "He..." ze bit his lip. He couldn''t bear to tell the truth about how he had killed Princess Swan.


    It was the bunny maid they brought as Princess Swan''s attendant who asked, "How about Princess Swan? Is she dead?!"


    "Hey! Watch your mouth! How could you say that to Princess Swan!" an elephant beastman yelled.


    "I-I just want to make sure..." Alice pouted.


    "She is probably dead by now," ze replied in a low voice. "I don''t know the exact details, since His Majesty didn''t leave the cave until he came to check on me. But I think it''s safe to assume that Princess Swan is dead since there is no way she can survive in that cave with is Majesty. I assume that His Majesty finished his rut once he realized that he had killed his beloved..."


    The atmosphere around the soldiers was depressing.


    "No, that can''t be..." the boar beastman muttered. "Princess Swan is such a kind woman..."


    "She helps us, so we can bring our offspring to train in the castle, so they can be soldiers like us..." the elephant beastman added. "I don''t care about the rumor that she is a witch. She''s been nothing but kind to us and His Majesty."


    "Yeah, who the hell spread that rumor about her being a witch anyway? There''s no proof!"


    "I heard it''s the servants who spread the rumor first."


    ...


    All the beastmen soldiers darted


    their eyes towards Alice who was the only beastman maid in here. Thetter quickly shook her head, "I-It''s not me I don''t know where that rumores from, but I''ve told my friends not to spread stupid rumors like that!"


    Alice quickly lowered her head as if she was grieving over Princess Swan''s death,


    so the soldiers stopped using her.


    Little did they know, Alice was actually celebrating. She was so happy that she could dance around the field right now.


    ''Hihi, Lady Jade''s n must''ve seeded. That witchy bitch must''ve been raped


    to death by His Majesty!'' Alice thought. ''Ha! That''s what you deserve for charming His Majesty with your dark spell, you witch!''

 Chapter 153: A Warm Dawn (I)

    Chapter 153: Chapter 153: A Warm Dawn (1)


    ''Oh, I can''t wait to tell Lady Jade about this. She would be happy knowing that the witch is done for, and she can finally be with His Majesty,'' Alice thought as she felt giddy all over.


    She had been informed by Lady Jade about the effect of that purple drink. She was expecting to see a pool of blood and meat gunk in the cave by tomorrow morning. The Beast King must''ve been raped, crushed, and torn that witch apart until there was nothing but a few remains of what used to be the crippled Princess.


    ''Does that mean I will have to clean her remains soon? Well, I guess I can take a few pieces of meat or blood and give it to Lady Jade. I''m sure she can make good use of it. I heard that witch''s blood is precious for making poison, potions and such,'' Alice thought.


    "We need to act normal in front of His Majesty. Make sure to act like we don''t know anything about Princess Swan''s death," ze instructed. "We cannot trigger his rage, or else he will lose control again, and we will all die."


    The beastmen soldiers nodded in unison. They were still mourning Princess Swan''s death, which confused Alice.


    ''Wait, I thought the dark charm affecting everyone would be lifted once that witch was dead. Howe they are still mourning for her?'' Alice pondered. ''Is she still alive? No, that doesn''t make sense at all. Maybe she''s just so powerful that her dark spell continues to linger for a long time¡ªmaybe forever. If that''s the case, then I''ll ask Lady Jade to cure them. I''m sure she can do it with her ability to create potions and medicine!''


    Alice was full of joy when she imagined how the Beast King and all of her colleagues would thank her. It would be great if she could be promoted to be the head maid, as a reward for all of her good deeds. Everyone would be cured and it was thanks to her.


    Alice suppressed her happiness and hid her smile as she didn''t want to anger the soldiers. She waited until dawn came to check on the Beast King and Princess Swan.


    **


    Swan woke up earlier than Gale as she could feel something hot and thick poking her belly.


    She opened her eyes slowly, and it took her a while to realize that she was being embraced by Gale under the nket. Thus, she felt warm all over despite the bonfire already out by dawn.


    She stared at Gale who already wore his blindfold. She remembered how she could stare at the mindless beast''s glowing red eyes without getting harmed, but she was still confused whether it was because they were fated, or because she was in her ''Saintess'' state, which gave her incredible powers that she couldn''t even describe.


    ''I guess, the only way to tell is to wait if I can get pregnant by his cub. I prayed to the Goddess in my dream, and she said she would make that wishe true. That means I will get pregnant after mating with Gale in his beastly state, right?'' Swan pondered.


    She gently tapped Gale''s cheek and whispered, "Gale, wake up. It''s morning already."


    "Hm? Ah! Wife!" Gale woke up quickly as he didn''t need sleep.


    He grabbed Swan''s cheeks and checked on her intensely to make sure she was truly unharmed, "How do you feel? Do you feel hurt somewhere? Did I do something excessivest night?"


    Swan chuckled, "No need to panic, Gale. I am perfectly fine. Although it hurts a little down there..." Swan muttered as her cheeks began to redden. "You went all outst night."


    Gale wasn''t aware that his beloved was flirting with him as he had no idea what he did when he lost his mind.


    He quickly went down and grabbed Swan''s inner thighs. He spread it to check her pussy.


    It was still somewhat wet, and red, but it seemed to be fine.


    "Are you hurting inside, Sweetheart?" Gale asked worriedly, and Swan couldn''t help but feel embarrassed.


    She nodded weakly, and Gale began to lick her pussy lips and clitoris to ease her pain.


    "A-ah! Uhnn! Okay, you don''t need to anymore. I''m fine-Ah!"


    Gale stopped licking when he realized that Swan was just flirting with him.


    He chuckled, then dove again to suck on her clit, prompting another moan from


    his wife, "That''s for making me worry. I thought you were hurt."


    "I-It hurt for five secondsst night. That counts, right?" Swan protested.


    "You always said it hurts for the first five seconds whenever we mate, yet you never tell me to stop," Gale smiled. He got up and covered her body with the nket again.


    He wore the spare pants that had been prepared before, then put a dress next to Swan, "Do you need help to put on the dress? I can help or call the maid-if she survives my aurast night."


    "I can do it on my own. Don''t worry," Swan said as she sat on the bed, and started putting the spare dress by herself. Swan was a little embarrassed because Gale kept staring at her, so she suggested, "W-why don''t you go out for now? Maybe the guards are already outside, waiting for us."


    "Right..." Gale decided to give his wife a bit of privacy by guarding the entrance,


    so nobody would identally see Swan''s beautiful body while she was changing.


    He guarded the entrance for about five minutes when he saw ze and the soldiers walking towards him.


    They all looked gloomy for som''


    reason and their somber mood was even more apparent once they kneeled right in front of Gale. C¨®ntent


    "Congrattions for passing the coldest night without rampaging, Your Majesty," ze said as he


    wanted to uplift the Beast King''set


    mood who must''ve been depressed after Princess Swan''s death May we know if there''s anything we can do to help before we return to the kingdom?"

 Chapter 154: A Warm Dawn (II)

    Chapter 154: Chapter 154: A Warm Dawn (II)


    Gale was confused when he saw their sad expression as if they were mourning over something.


    Surely, they weren''t mourning for the animals he identally killed during his rut, right? After all, it was inevitable, and it was already good enough damage control considering he didn''t kill any beastman or humanst night.


    Nevertheless, Gale paid them no mind and ordered, "Prepare a breakfast for Swan and I. Make sure to warm them up, especially for my wife. It was very coldst night, so she needs some nourishment."


    The beastmen soldiers exchanged nces as they thought that His Majesty was in denial over Princess Swan''s death.


    They wanted to point it out, but nobody dared to, not even ze.


    Thus, they all decided to just follow the instructions so they wouldn''t identally anger His Majesty.


    Gale returned to the cave, and the beastmen got busy preparing breakfast for the two.


    "Do you think we will have to carry Princess Swan''s remains after this?" an elephant beastman asked while bringing out a few pre-cooked food they had stored.


    "I don''t know. But I guess it''s inevitable," ze replied. "I just can''t imagine the horrifying sight inside the cave. His Majesty lost his mind during the coldest night, so... Princess Swan''s remains must''ve been..."


    Destroyed.


    That was the right word to describe Princess Swan''s remains. But nobody dared to say it out loud as they were still mourning.


    "Who will carry these foods into the cave? I don''t know if I can act normal while seeing Princess Swan''s remains. She''s far too kind to us," a boar beastman asked. "How about you, ze? Since you are the unofficial beta after Rock."


    "I-I''m sorry, but I can''t," ze sighed. "No matter how strong I am. I cannot bear to see Princess Swan''s remains. I will probably cry."


    It was shocking that ze Silverfang would say such a thing, but it was true for all the soldiers.


    None of them would be able to hold back their tears because they liked Princess Swan for her kindness and respected her deeds in reforming the kingdom''s system.


    She might not be physically strong, but she surely had the heart and the brain to be their Queen.


    "Um... I-I can carry the breakfast inside the cave," Alice volunteered.


    "Are you sure? You should never cry because it will upset His Majesty, do you understand?" ze warned, and Alice almost rolled her eyes because rather than crying, she must''ve held herself not to dance around the witch''s corpse.


    "I have been working as Lady Long''s attendant for a while now. I can handle myself," Alice replied, and the rest were convinced.


    Alice had been dying to volunteer as she wanted to be the first one to see that witch''s remains. It was probably just a little meat gunk and blood left, but she would be more than happy to report that to Lady Jade!


    Thus, Alice carried a tray full of warm breakfast for Princess Swan, as His Majesty said that the Princess was very hungry.


    She tried to maintain her calm attitude as she entered the cave.


    "Excuse me, Your Majesty. I''vee to serve you breakfast¡ª!!"


    The tray on Alice''s hand started shaking as blood was drained out of her body. She almost fainted seeing Princess Swan sitting on her bed,pletely alive and intact. The witch she thought was dead was busy wearing her pearl ne again.


    Swan nced at Alice and pointed at a stone b next to her bedding, "Thank you, please put it there."


    ...


    Alice was so shocked that she almost let go of the tray, so Gale quickly snatched


    it from her andined, "What''s with your reaction? Are you not happy seeing my wife alive?"


    Alice shook her head vehemently, "N-No, Your Majesty! I-I was just shocked!"


    "For what?"


    "Give her a break, Gale. She''s probably shocked to see me alive," Swan smiled. "I''m probably the first woman that has survived the coldest night with you, is it not?"


    "You''re the only one to apany me during my rut!" Gale corrected. "I usually spend my time alone inside the cave while being chained."


    "And I survived. So, give your subject a rest. She''s definitely happy seeing me alive. Aren''t you?" Swan asked Alice with a smile.


    Alice didn''t know if Princess Swan was being sarcastic or not. She was more inclined to believe that Swan asked that on purpose and secretlyughed at her shock.


    However, her gentle smile made Alice doubt herself. Princess Swan seemed genuinely unaware that she had colluded with Lady Jade to make His Majesty rape and kill her.


    Thus, relying on her luck, she smiled awkwardly and nodded, "Y-yes, Princess. I¡ª and the other soldiers-thought that you... are no longer in this world. We are mourning for you just now. But I''m happy that you are alive and well. I-I should tell the others about this good news!" freewebnovel


    Swan giggled, "Go on and tell them that His Majesty''s rut has been solved. He shouldn''t rampage around anymore in the uing years knowing that I''m here. Isn''t that right, husband?"


    "Hm," Gale nodded absentmindedly. He was still somewhat offended because he would never hurt his wife.


    But then again, he did lose controlst night, so he couldn''t defend himself in this situation.


    "T-then, please excuse me!" Alice bowed and rushed out of the cave.


    Alice couldn''t believe her own eyes as she kept muttering;


    "This can''t be. How could that be? How is she still here?"


    Her mind was blown away seeing Princess Swan looking so healthy and unscathed. It was simply impossible, no matter how strong her dark magic was, she shouldn''t be able to defeat His Majesty, right?


    ''N-no, there''s no way she can defeat


    His Majesty. Lady Jade told me that His Majesty is immune to any harmful magic attack,'' Alice tried to convince herself. ''So how dishe survive?! It''s illogical!''


    Alice was also afraid of angering Lady Jade, as she had told her many times that


    the coldest night was the perfect time to get rid of that bitch.


    ''What am I supposed to say to Mdy? She will be disappointed...'' Alice thought.

 Chapter 155: A Warm Dawn (III)

    Chapter 155: Chapter 155: A Warm Dawn (III)


    Alice continued to mutter in disbelief until she joined the rest of the soldiers outside of the cave.


    They all looked sad, but also curious about what happened inside.


    "So, how is it? Does Princess Swan still have her body intact? Or there is nothing left?" ze asked in the most vague way possible so as not to make himself sadder.


    He wasn''t ready to ept Princess Swan''s death.


    ''Oh, how I wish she''s nothing but a bunch of meat gunk and blood. I want that witch to stop charming all of you with her dark spell,'' Alice said in her heart. But she faked her joy and said, "I-It''s a miracle! Princess Swan is alive!"


    "Alive?!"


    "Wait, Princess is alive?!"


    "How could that be!?"


    "What are you saying? Of course she wouldn''t get hurt, His Majesty loves her so much!"


    "I''m so d that she''s safe! I will tell my son about this once we''re back at the castle. He idolizes her!"


    The beastmen soldiers rejoiced together.


    All the somber and depressing mood disappeared instantly, reced withughter and joyful chatter between them.


    It was only Alice who was trying her best not to look angry in front of them, or else they would suspect her.


    Alice was tasked to carry a tray full of His Majesty''s breakfast, and once she entered the cave, she saw that His Majesty was feeding Princess Swan a piece of bread coated with melted cheese.


    "Don''t give me that ''I''m full'' alibi. Eat more, wife. You went through a lotst night," Gale insisted as he force-fed Swan m, who pouted while eating the bread slowly. She was still a slow eater as always, but she didn''t feel like vomiting after eating more than usual anymore, which was already good progress for Gale.


    Alice felt like throwing the tray in her hand to that bitch''s face. She wasn''t in love with His Majesty, because she saw him as a god, just like the rest of the beastmen who were under his rule.


    But she couldn''t help feeling angry seeing how he was so gentle to a crippled witchy bitch who used dark charm to fool him. It was nauseating knowing that she was powerless, even though she meant well.


    All she wanted was to have everything return to normal, to the time when His Majesty was still this magnificent monster who could kill anything. Not this bewitched man who would feed a weak female human.


    ''That dark charm spell is messing with his head! How can he smile in front of a woman like that? It''s just not right!'' Alice protested in her heart but dared not to say anything.


    She served the steak in front of His Majesty and had to witness another nauseating view of Princess Swan, who cut the steak and fed it to the Beast King.


    Gale was still a messy eater, so Swan had to wipe the meat juice at the corner of his lip, "Geez, don''t do this when we host a party with other kings and queens, okay? I want to make sure you look presentable, so they won''t see you as a savage beast."


    "Mm..." Gale nodded. After living with Swan for a while, he had slowly adapted to the etiquette of humans. He still found those etiquettes unnecessary, but it made Swan happy whenever he ate neatly.


    So heplied because Swan liked it.


    Alice was seething right now.


    She had brought food to the Beast King a few times in the past before this witchy bitch came to the castle, and he always ate like a beast.


    After all, he was meant to be a beast! Why would this bitch want him to act like a human?!


    ''She is trying to brainwash His Majesty! She''s trying to make him docile, so he will not fight back once she takes over the Kingdom of Beastmen!''


    Alice''s imagination began to run wild, and it fueled her spirit to help Lady Jade even more.


    ''This can''t be. I have to report everything to Lady Jade and wait for her


    instruction. I will save His Majesty and the Kingdom of Beastmen!''


    "Tell the others to prepare the carriage. We will return to the castle right after my wife finishes her breakfast."


    "... Understood, Your Majesty."


    *


    Alice informed the rest of the beastmen, and they began preparing for the carriage. Once it was ready, Gale carried Swan out of the cave and they stared at the bright blue sky outside.


    "It''s a warm morning," Swanmented. "I like this more thanst night. That red mood was so terrifying."


    "...Thank you for apanying me, even though you were scared," Gale said.


    "W-who''s scared? I''m not scared at all!" Swan denied.


    Galeughed heartily, "No need to hide it from me. I understand. Even I was scared that I would identally hurt youst night."


    ze and the rest of the beastmen soldiers walked toward the Beast King and Princess Swan. They kneeled in front of them and said in unison "Princess, we are so d that you are alive and well!


    Congrattions on passing through the cold night with His Majesty!"


    "You guys have no trust in your King. I will never hurt my wife," Gale scoffed, but


    Swan chuckled as she found it funny.


    "Thank you for worrying about me, and thank you for guarding around the cave while His Majesty went through his rut. I will reward


    everyone here for your merit," Swan said. "Did anyone get hurtst night?"


    "No, Princess! Everyone is unharmed!"


    "That''s good," Swan smiled. "Now, let''s go back to our castle. I''m sure the others are waiting for the good news. They will be happy knowing that the Beast King will not have a problem during his worst ruto anymore."


    "YES! PRINCESS!"


    The beastmen got busy packing everything inside the cave, and Galemented, "It seems they like you more than me."


    "Ah..." Swan didn''t know if Gale would get angry if she identally overstepped


    his authority. "Then, do you want me to stop giving them orders? You are the


    Beast King, after all."


    "And you are my Queen," Gale stated with a proud smile. "You should order them more. So they will get used to it, whenever I am out of the kingdom."

 Chapter 156: A Warm Dawn (IV)

    Chapter 156: Chapter 156: A Warm Dawn (IV)


    Alice clenched her fists as anger built up within her hearing that.


    ''That bitch will be the end of our kingdom. How could the majestic and powerful Beast King allow a crippled human to rule over the beastmen? That''s a humiliation for the beastmen!'' Alice protested in her heart. ''That witch must''ve been using her dark charm constantly, destroying His Majesty''s brain. Her real intention must be to take over the kingdom! Ugh, I must save my kingdom and His Majesty no matter what!''


    Alice looked around and witnessed how the beastmen soldiers didn''t show any kind of displeasure when the Beast King said that Princess Swan should order them more.


    As if they had long epted that crippled bitch as their queen.


    ''And why are they so submissive? Do they not have free will? Or maybe they are so deep in her dark spell that they have be puppets?'' Alice suspected.


    Again, many crazy scenarios ran through her brain as she imagined Princess Swan in a scary, witchy form,plete with a devil''s tail, horn, and wings.


    ''Yeah, that would fit her better. Her current self looks too angelic. It doesn''t fit her at all!''


    While Alice was busyining and cursing the Princess in her mind, the soldiers already finished preparing everything, and they set off to return to the castle.


    Swan stared at the beautiful view of the snowy forest from the carriage. The woods were quite scary when they arrivedst night, but it was beautiful in the morning.


    Meanwhile, Gale had been staring at his wife, and finally asked, "Swan, what truly happenedst night?"


    "Hm? I thought I made it clear. You turn into a big and hairy werewolf, howl menacingly, and then you mate with mest night. Look, the mark is still here. I think it''s permanent since I can feel your teeth deep inside my skin," Swan replied before showing her nape once more.


    Gale knew all that, and he was certain that he had marked her because that tooth mark was definitely his.


    He was just unsure how Swan could have survived.


    "That''s not what I want to know. I wonder how you coulde out unharmed against that mindless beast. He released such a powerful aura that will kill anyone around him, and he is not me. Because I cannot think at all when I was in my rut," Gale said.


    Swan had no intention of telling Gale about her ''Saintess'' state while she had sex with him. She thought it was better to keep it a secret as he would start suspecting her to be the one who saved Rock back then.


    After all, she also saved Rock in her Saintess state.


    Thus, she replied, "About your aura. I think, even when you were in your beastly state, you still recognized me as your wife because I didn''t feel anything wrong. I could breathe normally, and my heartbeat was normal, too."


    "And about the whole mindless beast thing I don''t know why, but the beast treated me very wellst night. He was obedient. I told him to sit; he would sit. When I told him not to go out of the cave and spend the night with me instead, he also obeyed," Swan added. "I told him to be careful with my skin because his ws are very sharp, and he would identally hurt me. So he became very careful and gentle when holding me."


    Truthfully, Gale was torn between believing Swan''s story or not.


    He truly believed in his love for Swan, and he would NEVER hurt her, no matter what. He kept telling himself over and over before


    coldest night that he would thenel


    himself the moment he identally killed Swan.


    So, it would make sense if the beast still obeyed her even though he had lost his mind because his instinct and inner thought must''ve reminded him that Swan was a precious human-almost like his only treasure.


    At the same time, it was also hard to believe because he spent decades in a rut every year, and he would spare nobody.


    He remembered that one time Jade tried to stop him from rampaging, only for her to get severely wounded because the mindless cursed beast didn''t recognize her.


    ''This is a miracle. The first-and probably the only-person that the beast had spared, even mated with during my rut,'' Gale thought.


    He was 100% convinced that Swan was supposed to be his fated mate, but that useless Moon Goddess told him that his fated mate was somewhere out there and had the identity of an angel.


    ''Well, you have the heart of an angel, and also look angelic enough for me, Swan,'' Gale said in his heart. He had


    long believed that Swan was indeed his fated mate. ''All I need to do is to


    make sure that my wish will Some


    true.''


    Thus, Gale didn''t question her further, allowing Swan to enjoy the view of the snowy forest, while he enjoyed the view of Swan.


    **


    Meanwhile, in the castle, Long Xiurong and Lady Jade wore their winter coats with other servants standing behind them. They were waiting for the carriage to return after the coldest night.


    Lady Jade was wearing her smile proudly, as she was assured that Gale would return heartbroken, probably traumatized after fucking a piece of meat gunk whom he called wife before.


    Long Xiurong noticed this, and sneered, "You seem to be overly excited about His Majesty and Princess Swan''s return, Mdy. Do you have something in mind?"


    Jade wasn''t going to tell Long Xiurong about her true thoughts.


    After getting information from the bunny maid that Long Xiurong had been having tea time with Swan often, she realized that Lady Long was no longer trustworthy.


    Thus, Jade replied, "Of course, I''m excited. I hope that His Majesty and Princess Swan will return safely. I have no reason to hate Swan. Unlike you, Lady Long, I don''t need topete for Gale''s attention."


    "Not that you have any way topete, right?" Long Xiurong retorted with a piercing smile. "After all, you are not one of his wives. You will never get his full attention."

 Chapter 157: A Warm Dawn (V)

    Chapter 157: Chapter 157: A Warm Dawn (V)


    Jade''s lips twitched as she didn''t know why this woman was suddenly so hostile towards her.


    But since she was in a great mood thinking that Swan was already dead, she decided to be more amicable and said, "You''re right. But at least Gale still listens to me as I am his advisor. I saw you visited the throne room a few days ago. Are you so desperate to have his attention that you visited him personally? That''s quite shameful in your Eastern culture, is it not?"


    "Advisor? I heard from other servants that Princess Swan has be the new advisor. She improves the system and helps the Kingdom of Beastman to prosper. I wonder if you are still an advisor when you''ve been made obsolete, Mdy," Long Xiurong countered with the same scathingment.


    "You should watch your mouth, Lady Long. I am the one who brought you here. Do you think Gale will care about you? I''m sure he wouldn''t bat an eye if I send you back to Eastern Long Dynasty to get executed for being a shame," Jade threatened, and Long Xiurong decided to shut up this time because she had no way to fight back.


    As much as she wanted to deny it, Lady Jade was right. She could''ve been returned to the Eastern Long Dynasty and get executed, and the Beast King wouldn''t care.


    After all, he only cared for Princess Swan and nobody else.


    After pondering for a few days, Long Xiurong simply couldn''t me either Princess Swan or the Beast King.


    The Beast King was already in love long before Long Xiurong came, and he wasn''t the one who personally requested Long Xiurong to be his bride. It would be unfair to me him as he didn''t know anything until Long Xiurong arrived at the castle.


    She also couldn''t me Princess Swan as she wasn''t the evil witch, unlike what Lady Jade said back then. freewebnovel


    Princess Swan had always been sweet, thoughtful, and seemed genuinely to have no intention ofpeting for His Majesty''s love.


    The Beast King was already deeply in love with Swan. It was always only the two of them, and they left no room for someone else.


    She could only ce the me on this bitch, Lady Jade.


    She was the one who lied to the Emperor of the Eastern Long Dynasty, saying that the Beast King was searching for a bride, and would be more than happy to ept a bride from the Eastern Long Dynasty.


    She also lied to Long Xiurong, saying that His Majesty would share his love in a harem.


    There was never a harem to begin with. She had beenpletely tricked by Lady Jade.


    Thus, Long Xiurong had a lot of resentment for this woman. She couldn''t wait to tear her apart, making sure she paid for ruining her life.


    ''I could no longer live in the Eastern Long Dynasty right now. I could''ve married a man of my age who has a good family background and lived peacefully in my birthnd. Instead, you bring me into this mess, Lady Jade,'' Long Xiurong thought resentfully in her heart. ''I will make you pay for ruining my life.''


    Long Xiurong''s vow was absolute, and she wouldn''t rest until this bitch was done for.


    Jade waspletely oblivious to what Long Xiurong had in mind.


    After all, she thought of Long Xiurong as nothing but a tool.


    Jade thought she could use Long Xiurong to separate Swan and Gale, but after realizing that she bore no value anymore, she decided to ditch her and saw her as nothing but a decoration inside the castle.


    *


    The long-awaited carriage finally entered the castle grounds.


    Jade was surprised to see all of the carriage intact. She thought that Gale would destroy all of them when he was rampaging.


    She counted all the soldiers who sat on an open wagon, and realized that none of them had died, which was even weirder since they were sent to die tonight. It would be miraculous if one of them survived, let alone all of them.


    She also noticed the bunny maid who was also intact, which was even more confusing. The bunny maid was the weakest out of all of them. She had no fighting prowess, so howe she didn''t die after being exposed to Gale''s suppressive aura for a long time?


    ''How could this happen? This doesn''t make sense!'' Jade was panicking inside. Everything was way out of her prediction, and her eyes kept trying to find any corpse between them.


    She didn''t care if it was Swan''s corpse or not, because she expected that bitch to be nothing but a meat gunk by now.


    But she noticed that ALL of the soldiers were safe. They looked fine, healthy, and unscathed.


    ''No, that can''t be. I''ve calcted


    Pet


    everything. An hour after Gale drank that tea, he should''ve raped Swan until she died and went on a crazy rampage. I expect them all to die, leaving Gale alone. Howe none of them gets hurt?!''


    Her body was shaking under her dress as she felt that something had gone very wrongst night.


    Unfortunately, she wasn''t there to witness it because she was scared that Gale would kill her as well since he never recognized her in his cursed beast state.


    ''Calm down, Jade. These soldiers probably survived because Gale told them to run away as far as possible. Or maybe... just maybe... Gale finished his rut after raping and killing that witch,'' Jade started theorizing as she wanted the best possible oue. ''That must be it. There is no way that Gale could control himself after he drank that purple tea. I''ve made sure that it has


    twenty times the dose I gave to


    Rock back then.''


    A malicious smile reappeared on Jade''s lips as she had fully expected Gale to


    However, that malicious smile disappeared instantly when the carriage stopped in front of her, and the door was opened.

 Chapter 158: Soldier’s Euphoria

    Chapter 158: Chapter 158: Soldier''s Euphoria


    Gale walked out of the carriage with a woman sitting on his arms, the signature way of Gale whenever he carried his beloved. Her short, golden hair was hard to miss, and her angelic face could not be mistaken for someone else.


    "There is no way..." Jade murmured as she couldn''t believe what she had just seen. It was too hard to ept because that meant her n to kill Swan had somehow failed.


    Long Xiurong was relieved to see Princess Swan being alive and well. She wasn''t keen on the idea of being her best friend, but Princess Swan was the only one who could curb Lady Jade''s dominance over everything in this castle.


    Because she owned the Beast King''s heart, which meant she also owned everything he had, including his castle.


    "Look at how harmonious they are, Mdy. Aren''t you happy?" Long Xiurong deliberately asked Lady Jade to fuel her anger even more, knowing that she hated Princess Swan the most.


    Jade said nothing, but she was gnashing her teeth as she almost snapped in front of everyone in the castle ground.


    All the beastmen who were gathering were already preparing for Princess Swan''s funeral, especially the soldiers who were already mourning their favorite princess'' death.


    However, when they saw her alive and well, they couldn''t hold back their joy, and one of them yelled;


    "PRINCESS SWAN IS ALIVE!"


    "PRINCESS SWAN IS ALIVE!"


    "THE PRINCESS IS ALIVE!!"


    All the soldiers were drowning in euphoria as they were genuinely overjoyed.


    However, the servants, except for the cat maids who were also overjoyed, only looked at Princess Swan in horror.


    The rumor about her being a witch had been circting among the servants for some time, and seeing her alive after staying close with His Majesty during his rut only gave those rumors more credibility, as it was simply impossible.


    Thus, most of them began to believe that Princess Swan was a witch, and had been using her dark spell to control everything.


    ''I heard that Princess Swan is using her dark charm on the soldiers, that''s why they look so happy,'' a servant whispered.


    ''I mean, isn''t it obvious? It''s impossible to survive during His Majesty''s rut. She must''ve done something to him as well.''


    ''What if she uses her powerful dark charm to take over the kingdom? I heard from


    a maid that Princess Swan casually takes over people''s minds.''


    ''Yeah, I heard from a maid that Princess Swan cast a curse even on her own sister! That''s so cruel...''


    Long Xiurong looked over her shoulder and red at the servants who were gossiping behind her, and they shut their mouths instantly.


    She knew that Princess Swan didn''t care about rumors, but she had been tricked by a false rumor given by her attendant before until she embarrassed herself in front of the Beast King. Ever since then, she had grown to hate rumors.


    "I would be more than willing to listen if the rumors are true. But they are not, so all of you need to stay silent or His Majesty will hear you," Long Xiurong reprimanded them, and the servants quickly nodded and zipped their lips.


    Swan turned her head towards the soldiers who were cheering for her and Gale before waving her hand. She smiled and said, "Thank you for protecting the castle while His Majesty and I are away."


    "It''s our pleasure, Princess!"


    "Yes! You''ve done so much for this castle-and for us!"


    "We are so d to see you alive! You are important for us!"


    "I-I don''t think I did much," Swan denied as she got embarrassed. She rested her head on Gale''s chest and added, "I-It was all His Majesty''s doing. All I did was help him."


    Swan didn''t want to take credit from Gale. She knew that Gale wouldn''t mind her being praised by the soldiers, but she still felt ufortable.


    "B-besides, I think all of you should celebrate His Majesty''s sess in this rut. Because..." Swan took a deep breath. She gathered her courage as she wanted everyone around her to listen and them announced with her loudest voice, "THE BEAST KING PASSED HIS RUT WITHOUT HURTING ANYONE!"


    ...


    ...


    Everyone went quiet after that.


    Not because they weren''t happy, but because it was just too difficult to believe.


    They¡ªand their forefathers¡ªhad served His Majesty for decades, and he always destroyed everything on his path whenever he was having his rut.


    Sometimes, deaths within the kingdom were inevitable, and everyone who had submitted to the Beast King had this idea that dying while being killed by him would be an honor as well.


    To Swan''s deration, they simply stared at their King, waiting for him to say something.


    Gale wasn''t in the mood to announce such ridiculousness. He didn''t care if he killed anyone during his rut or not, as long as he didn''t kill Swan, as deaths during the coldest night were mostly inevitable.


    But since Swan boldly proimed his ''sess'', all he could do was to make her happy.


    Thus, Gale confirmed, "I did. And


    starting this year, we will hold a festival by the end of the year to rece the mourning ceremony we usually have. I assure all of you that no deaths will happen during the coldest night... because I have my wife now, Swan of Holy Achate, who will cure my rut every year."


    The soldiers were euphoric once more. It was such a miracle because, for the first time in decades, there was no need for a mourning ceremony after the coldest


    night.


    They began cheering nonstop like a soldier ready to give their body and soul to their King and Queen.


    "LONG LIVE PRINCESS SWAN AND BEAST KING!"


    "LONG LIVE PRINCESS SWAN AND BEAST KING!"


    "LONG LIVE PRINCESS SWAN AND BEAST KING!"


    Swan''s face was as red as a tomato and she fidgeted ufortably. She was overwhelmed because she had never been celebrated in her life before. She dreamed of a simple celebration with one or two people for her birthday, but to be celebrated by so many soldiers genuinely made her happy that she could faint anytime.


    Gale was more amused by her reaction, "Why are you so shy? My people adore


    you. You should be happy."


    "I-I am happy. I-I just don''t know how to react," Swan muttered. She lifted her head, staring at Gale who was grinning at her. "You make one of my dreamse true. Thank you, husband."

 Chapter 159: Jade’s Second Humiliation

    Chapter 159: Chapter 159: Jade''s Second Humiliation


    The euphoric cheers slowly died down as Gale walked towards Jade and Long Xiurong. He smiled proudly as he told Jade, "You don''t need to worry about my rut anymore. Just like I said before, everything is solved now that Swan is here."


    Jade''s lips twitched. It was difficult for her to show a sincere smile, but she smiled nheless, "Is that so? Then I''m d our kingdom will continue to prosper now that the biggest problem has been tackled." freewebnovel


    "You don''t seem to be happy, Mdy. Is there something wrong?" Swan asked worriedly, but Jade didn''t believe this witch actually cared for her. She probably wanted to poke fun at her because her n to kill Swan had failed miserably.


    "I am more than happy, Princess. I''m just shocked that you can survive the coldest night with Gale without getting hurt. It''s miraculous-no, it''s almost like witchcraft," Jade replied. "I wish I was there, so I can witness what truly happened. Or maybe you could tell me in private after this over tea time. I''m dying to know the details."


    "Why should I tell you about vulgar details, Mdy?" Swan replied with a sincere smile, but it looked so sarcastic in Jade''s eyes. "His Majesty and I spent the night as a pair of husband and wife, or in your culture, as a pair of soulmates. Isn''t that the only way to relieve him out of his once-in-a-year rut?"


    "T-that''s right..." Jade had to agree despite her seething anger. Indeed, the only way to appease Gale out of his yearly rut was to mate with him. However, he never recognized anyone, not even Jade who was his longtime friend during his cursed beast state. So there was no way the beast would recognize Swan who had only known Gale for less than a year. "D-Does that mean you are officially his mate now?"


    Gale wanted to say yes, as he was 100% sure that Swan was his fated mate.


    But Swan quickly interrupted and replied, "We would need someone who knows better about his curse to confirm," Swan looked at her husband and asked, "Gale, do you know someone who can determine that?"


    ...


    Gale didn''t understand why Swan interrupted him. He would''ve boldly imed in front of Jade and his people that they were fated to be together. But since she wanted an absolute confirmation, he thoughtfully replied, "We can go to Sacred Selene Lake inte spring or early summer, when the temperature has warmed up to confirm it. That, or we can just wait for you to get pregnant. I''m sure it won''t take long."


    Swan smiled, "You''re right. I guess all we can do right now is to wait, right?"


    Gale nodded reluctantly to confirm it.


    "I-Is that so?" Jade was relieved. She was scared that Swan was already proven to be Gale''s fated mate. As long as there was no definitive proof, then she still had hope to separate them. "That''s unfortunate, but as long as you two are doing well, then I don''t mind at all."


    ''I only have a little time left before springes. They will go to Sacred Serene Lake before summer, I cannot mess this up,'' Jade told herself as a reminder that she couldn''t stay still anymore.


    Long Xiurong had been silent the whole time, but once Princess Swan shifted her gaze at her, Long Xiurong smiled sincerely-no, to be more specific, she smiled because she knew Swan''s victory would also be hers.


    "Congrattions, Princess Swan, His Majesty. I''ve heard from the


    servants about this very important once-in-a-year situation. I''m d that it has been solved," Long Xiurong said. "I''ve heard from Lady Jade that His Majesty doesn''t even recognize her during his beastly state, but I guess it''s apletely different thing when love is involved, right?"


    "What are you implying, Lady Long?" Swan asked.


    "What I''m saying is... His Majesty is NOT in love with Lady Jade, that''s why he cannot recognize her. But he is absolutely in love with you, Princess!" Long Xiurong deliberately raised her voice to ensure that Lady Jade would hear everything. "Isn''t that right, Your Majesty?"


    "Hm. That''s obvious," Gale


    confirmed as he thought it was


    alreadymon knowledge that he did not love Jade. He had rejected her advances many times, eve rejected her as his Luna back when Storm Pack still existed. "Jade and I have been friends for so long. I never have any romantic feelings for her."


    Gale didn''t think much about it as he had always seen Jade as a mererade-


    or if he could be more benevolent-as a friend.


    Contrary to his light feelings, Jade felt absolutely crushed. She had been humiliated once again, and this time, in front of a muchrger crowdpared to the Storm Pack back then.


    Unfortunately, she couldn''t do the same thing as what she did back then, because all of the beastmen soldiers could handle themselves just fine, unlike the Storm Pack.


    Jade red at Gale, but it seemed thetter was oblivious to her anger. He was looking at Swan the whole time, and he didn''t even try to hide his smile whenever Swan looked at him.


    "Well, that answers it," Long Xiurong shrugged. "Anyway, congrattions, Princess. Please invite me for another tea time once you are free, alright? The tea you brewed is the best-even better than the ones made in the Eastern Long Dynasty!"


    Swan blushed even more as she felt that Long Xiurong overpraised her. But she still nodded and murmured, "I-I will set up another tea timeter."


    Jade gave Long Xiurong a side re, as she was the one who prompted Gale to say those humiliating words about her.


    ''All these women are nothing but parasites around him. He should''ve stayed true to his role as an Alpha He doesn''t need a woman at all, Jade thought resentfully. ''These women have shamed me in front of everyone. Either they suffer the same humiliation as I got, or they are as good as dead.''

 Chapter 160: Long Xiurong’s Retaliation

    Chapter 160: Chapter 160: Long Xiurong''s Retaliation


    "Alright. We''ve spent way too much time here. Swan''s body is trembling under her nket," Gale said. "We will head back to our room."


    Gale turned his head towards ze and ordered, "Start preparing everything for the year-end festival as I''ve passed the rut without killing anyone. The festival should start next week at least."


    "I can give a few suggestions. The Holy Achate always has a big celebration every year-end. We can decorate the castle and the streets," Swan volunteered.


    "And listen to what Princess Swan has to say, understand?"


    "Yes, Your Majesty," ze kneeled in response to the order.


    Gale and Swan made their way out of the castle grounds into the main hall, where they disappeared once they walked through long corridors heading to their room at the top of a tower, followed by the cat maids as their attendants.


    Everyone held their breaths until the Beast King and Princess Swan were out of the pictures, and once they were gone, the servants immediately gossiped, and the soldiers were busy chanting in euphoria.


    However, the two figures were inplete silence as they were at odds against each other. The air surrounding them was tense.


    "Well, I suppose I don''t have anything to say anymore," Long Xiurong broke the silence between them. "I''m so d His Majesty has made it clear that he has no romantic feelings for you. At least that will kick you down a notch, right, Mdy?"


    "What do you want, Long Xiurong?" Jade asked while keeping her side-re. "Why are you doing this to me? Don''t you realize we need her out of the picture if you ever want to have a chance with Gale?"


    "A chance with the Beast King?" Long Xiurong scoffed. She crossed her arms and said, "Do I even have the chance to begin with? He is already deeply in love with Princess Swan. Why should I fight a losing game? More importantly, why should I fight with you?"


    "What do you mean?"


    "What I mean is..." Long Xiurong took a step toward Lady Jade and stated, "You are the losing side in this castle, Mdy. Why should I stick with you knowing that you will lose? We-women from the Eastern Long Dynasty-prefer to win in every game we y. So I''m not going to be by your side anymore."


    "You-!" Jade felt like she could explode with anger now.


    First, it was Swan who miraculously survived the coldest night with beastly Gale.


    Second, Gale''s deration in front of everyone that he wasn''t in love with her, even though they had been together for so long.


    Third, this bitch who dared to go against her!


    One after another. Nothing went ording to her n at all!


    "You should''ve been grateful to me! I am the one who brings you here!" Jade yelled, and the gossiping servants quieted down instantly out of fear.


    They feared His Majesty''s Beast King the most, but Lady Jade was their second boss. After all, she had all the right to manage the servant. If she disliked a servant and kicked them out of the castle, they would have to return to their tribes while shouldering a lot of shame.


    "Exactly. I agreed to be a bride


    because you told me His Majesty


    will fall in love with me even if he has a harem. You also told me that ¡ý can


    be the favored consort. But you never told me that His Majesty is already hopelessly in love with someone," Long Xiurong responded coldly. She had spent a long time thinking in her room, and after realizing that her life in the Eastern Long Dynasty was already over, she wanted to make the best out of her situation, including paying back the woman who ruined her life. "You are a filthy liar, Mdy."


    "That''s it. I will tell Gale to send you back to the Eastern Long Dynasty. You are as


    good as dead to me," Jade said coldly.


    "But can you?" Long Xiurong


    chuckled mirthlessly. "You have no


    more power in this castle, Mdy. Even if you tell His Majesty to kick me out of the castle, what do you think Princess Swan will say That''s right, she will persuade His Majesty to keep me around. Who do you think His Majesty will listen to? I told you I''d rather be on the winning side, so don''t send me any of your poisonous cake and tea anymore. I tossed them all away anyway."


    Long Xiurong turned around and stared at the servants who were secretly obeying Lady Jade more than the Beast King. She had no intention of dealing with them as this matter could be solved by Princess Swan once she felt like it.


    "Move aside," Long Xiurong ordered in amanding tone, and the servants obediently made way for Lady Long.


    Long Xiurong walked into the castle, leaving Jade devastated as she had to deal with another headache today.


    ''No, I shouldn''t think too much about that useless eastern bitch. What can she do anyway? She can''t even leave the castle since she will be killed if she dares to return to the Eastern Long Dynasty,'' Jade told herself, and she gradually calmed down. ''Long Xi¨²rong is nothing but a nuisance, but Swan is different... she grows from a timid crippled woman into a huge witchy bitch.''


    "M-Mdy..."


    Lady Jade turned her head towards the bunny maid who stood in front of her. She looked terrified and also sad. She bowed deeply before apologizing, "I-I''m sorry


    for-"


    "Stop talking. Go to my room now and tell me what happened. I want the full details," Jade quickly interrupted as she walked away from the castle ground as well.


    Alice followed the Lady from behind, worrying about what would happen next.


    Surely, Lady Jade would spare her, right? She did her best, even though her best wasn''t enough to kill Princess Swan.


    ''I should tell her everything. Maybe we can try another way to kill that witch and save everyone!'' Alice cheered herself as she regained her spirit once more. ''It''s not toote to save His Majesty!''

 Chapter 161: Bunny’s Report

    Chapter 161: Chapter 161: Bunny''s Report


    Alice followed Lady Jade through a corridor that seemed to have no end until they stopped in front of her room.


    The servants at the front opened the door, and they entered Lady Jade''s room together.


    Alice stood stiffly while watching Lady Jade sat on her chair and crossed her legs.


    "Come here," Jade beckoned while gesturing at a spot next to her chair. "Kneel."


    Alice kneeled obediently as her Lady wished.


    Jade looked at her without expression, silently raised her hand, and¡ª


    PA!


    She pped the bunny maid right on her face until Alice fell on the ground, grimacing in pain as a burning pain assaulted her cheek.


    However, she silently endured it and kept her mouth shut. Slowly, she gathered herself and returned to her kneeling position.


    "Phew, I feel better now," Jade sighed. She smiled at the bunny maid and said, "Sorry for that. I was just a little vexed about the whole thing, and since I cannot punish anyone right now, you will suffice. Besides, that''s also a punishment for failing the task."


    "I understand, Mdy," Alice replied while rubbing her cheek. "I deserve the p. I was also disappointed in my own incapability to fulfill the mission."


    "It''s good that you understand your shorings," Jade praised insincerely. "Now tell me what truly happened. There is no way Swan would''ve survived if Gale drank the purple drink that I made." fre?webnovel


    "Princess Swan seems to have a suspicion about the drink you made, Mdy. But I swiftly blocked her sight with my body until His Majesty drank everything. I


    thought it was a sess because His Majesty went on a rut shortly after he got chained," Alice reported. "All of the soldiers-including me-were also suppressed by His Majesty''s aura. It was so powerful that I thought I would die, even though we were so far away from the cave."


    "But then... his aura just disappeared, and nothing happened after that."


    "Disappeared? How long did itst?"


    "Um... about two to three hours, Mdy."


    "Three hours?! That aura onlysted for three hours?!" Jade eximed in disbelief. Usually, Gale would release his aura nonstop, and it would get stronger and stronger until he turned into his true castle-sized ck wolf.


    Combined with the rut potion that she made, he should''ve been rampaging for at least a week.


    "Are you sure he drank everything?"


    "I did! I even picked up the bottle to make sure that His Majesty drank your


    potion!" Alice firmly stated. "It was so strange because I''d been told that His


    Majesty would turn into his true wolf form during the coldest night, but he didn''t. In fact, he didn''t even leave the cave during his rut."


    "He didn''t leave the cave?!"


    Alice nodded, don''t know what truly happened inside the cave, Mdy. I think it''s impossible for her to stay alive with no wound at all for the whole night. I believe Princess Swan is a powerful witch who used her dark spell to fool His Majesty. She must''ve been so powerful that even His Majesty''s curse is no match for her dark spells!"


    Jade was astonished by all the information from Alice.


    What Alice said was reasonable. There was no way Swan could survive without any intervention of witchcraft.


    She thought the idea of Swan being a witch was just a baseless rumor she could use to make everyone go against Swan.


    But now she was convinced that bitch was an actual witch!


    ''How can she survive after all that? Gale told me that he''s immune to any dark spell because his curse came from the Moon Goddess. herself. No spell cast by any weaker being should affect him. Does that mean Swan is the devil?'' Jade shook her head slightly to get back on track. ''Okay, I think I''m thinking way too far. She''s probably using something else-a trick-to appease Gale. He has no idea what happened whenever he was in a rut, so Swan could''ve tricked him and said that they have mated.''


    The more Jade theorized about what happenedst night, the more her expression darkened.


    Because that meant she wasn''t dealing with a crafty woman. She was dealing with a powerful and cunning witch who already had Gale dancing in her palm.


    "This is dangerous," Jade murmured, and Alice was terrified when she heard that. Lady Jade had always been the brain of the kingdom. She knew everything and could tackle every problem effortlessly.


    If she got nervous, that meant the problem was far too severe.


    "There could also be a slim chance that Swan is truly Gale''s fated mate," Jade murmured as she was talking to herself.


    "No! That can''t be!" Alice snapped.


    "Hm?" Jade nced at the bunny maid. "Why not? Up until now, we still don''t know who his fated mate is."


    "But His Majesty is our God! He is almighty and powerful. He is honorable and immortal. How could his fated mate be a crippled, ugly witch?!" Alice protested. "Mdy, please don''t say such a thing. It really makes me sad!"


    "Then, who do you think deserves to be his fated mate?"


    "YOU!" Alice eximed. "Mdy, you have been with His Majesty for a long time. You are smart, capable, and strong. I don''t see anyone else that can be His Majesty''s fated mate other than you!"


    Jade was surprised by this bunny''s outburst, but she would be lying if she said she wasn''t ttered.


    She knew she wasn''t Gale''s fated mate, but it was still nice to have someone believe in her.


    After all, we all needed allies in life, right?


    "You''re right," Jade nodded. "Gale and I have been going through thick and thin together. I was the one who apanied him when Storm Pack got massacred because of an §Ö unnamed traitor. He has nobody else except me by his side.


    "That''s right! I will do everything so His Majesty will snap out of that crippled


    bitch''s dark charm!" Alice vowed. "Don''t worry, Mdy. You have me by your side no matter what!"

 Chapter 162: Bunny’s Idea

    Chapter 162: Chapter 162: Bunny''s Idea


    "I''m sure I will find a good use of you," Jade said while patting the bunny maid''s head. "Don''t worry, we will win in the end. I''ll think of another way to get rid of that crippled witch."


    "T-Thank you, Mdy. It''s a great honor for me!" Alice smiled in reverence towards Lady Jade. "If I may suggest, how about we try using the cat maids instead, Myra and Maya."


    "Hm? Swan''s attendants?" Jade raised her brow. "And what should we do about them? I remember they are fiercely loyal to Swan for some reason."


    "Y-yes, but I believe that''s because Princess Swan is using her dark charm to make them obey her. Those cat maids were very smart before, but now look at them, being so obedient towards Princess Swan," Alice snorted. "Since they are on the evil''s side. How about we use them as a sacrifice instead?"


    "Oh? Tell me more."


    "Myra and Maya are the ones who usually prepare the food for Princess Swan. They brew her tea, prepare snacks, and instruct the cooks to follow the recipe from Princess Swan. They are her trusted attendants," Alice exined. "So why don''t we put poisons inside the food and tea they make? Like um... Mdy, you are smart and crafty. I''m sure you cane up with a tasteless and colorless poison, right?"


    Jade had a wide grin after listening to this bunny maid''s suggestion.


    She didn''t expect this seemingly stupid bunny to be quite cunning, because she had to admit her idea was brilliant.


    "Of course, I can make a tasteless and colorless poison. No worries," Jade said confidently. "Be it an instant-death poison that will stop the heart immediately, or a slow death one, in which if consumed often, her body will slowly wither and she would die like an old woman in a month or so."


    "That''s great!" Alice cheered. "Then, when is the best time to use this poison, Mdy?"


    "I will need to make the poison first as tasteless and colorless poison needs a lot


    of unique ingredients," Jade replied. "It won''t be done until the end of the year, so let the situation rest for now. Make sure to keep an eye on Swan and her attendants."


    "Understood, Mdy!" Alice was excited about the n. She was happy to be useful to Lady Jade. She was even happier knowing that a crippled witch would die by her hand. She could be called a hero!


    "Also, I want you to keep an eye on Long Xiurong. Since you are technically still her attendant for now," Jade demanded.


    Alice''s expression soured instantly, "Mdy, can I serve you instead? That woman is so unbearable. She keeps yelling at me because she said I fed her false gossip. It''s not my fault that she''s so dumb!"


    Jade chuckled, "You should stay with her, so Swan''s cat maids won''t be


    suspicious of you. Besides, I want to keep an eye on her. Make sure to report to


    me if Long Xiurong ever does something suspicious."


    "Mdy, Lady Long has been


    brainwashed by Princess Swan. Wouldn''t it be better if we just killed her? Because that means she is your enemy" Alice said. "How about feed her your poison instead? We can use her as an experiment. If the poison works, then that''s great. We can get rid of one nuisance and use the poison for Princess Swanter!"


    Jade was even more impressed with this bunny.


    She had the idea of using Long Xiurong as the test subject for the odorless and colorless poison, but this bunny was even bolder than she expected.


    UT


    "That''s a good idea. We need to make sure the poison is perfect before giving it to Swan. You''re quite smart for a bunny," Jadeplimented, making Alice blush instantly. "And I think you should''ve been a head maid. You are far smarter than the average servants in this castle. So, if we sessfully kill Swan, I will promote you to the head maid."


    "T-Thank you, Mdy! But I just want to help you. You deserve to be the only one by His Majesty''s side!" Alice stated. However, she was actually over the moon


    hearing apliment from the amazing Lady Jade.


    "Good. Now go back to Long Xiurong and treat her well. She cannot suspect a thing before she dies eating that poison, understand?"


    "Yes, Mdy!"


    Jade watched the bunny leave her room, and her grin turned into a malicious smirk.


    "That bunny is right. I deserve to be the only one on Gale''s side. It doesn''t matter if I''m his fated mate or not, he survived for decades without ever loving anyone. He can survive another hundred years without love, right?" Jade muttered. She looked at the mirror and sighed, "I know I''m not young anymore, but I''ve done everything to stay alive and look young in case he wants to mark me eventually. He should''ve appreciated me for that." freewebn?vel


    Jade was around the same age as Gale.


    But Gale was cursed by the Moon Goddess, and his curse gave him immortality, or at least a very slow aging process so he could still live for a thousand years.


    Jade was basically a middle-aged woman at this point, as most werewolves could live up to two hundred years at most.


    She was able to maintain her beauty by using potions and special herbs. She also added energizing medicine to her tea to give her constant energy despite her age. However, she wouldn''t be able to hide the aging process in the next two decades, and she was scared that Gale wouldn''t mark or at least mate with her by then.


    "This is all your fault, Gale. Things wouldn''t have gone this bad between us if you could''ve just marked me. But here we are, with me trying to kill that crippled with my poison," Jade sighed. "Oh well, I''ve given my love and devotion to you anyway. There''s no point in crying over it. Right?"

 Chapter 163: Aria’s 50th Sacrifice (I)

    Chapter 163: Chapter 163: Aria''s 50th Sacrifice (1)


    [Warning: Upsetting Content.]


    Long Xiurong was resting in her room, watching the euphoric soldiers from the window, and thought, ''If Princess Swan is a witch, then she must be a powerful one. Those soldiers looked genuinely happy.''


    Unlike Lady Jade or the others, she had no biased opinion against Princess Swan. They were just total strangers who met in the castle, and never once did the Princess ever lie to her, or try to sabotage her.


    Swan also never intimidated her just because Long Xiurong was technically the second wife.


    ''I have no right to get mad at Princess Swan for monopolizing His Majesty. Her love is pure. Even someone like me, who''s used to the harem intrigue can feel her sincerity clearly,'' Long Xiurong pondered.


    Knock. Knock.


    Long Xiurong turned her head and watched the door open slowly.


    The bunny maid walked inside the room. She looked timid as always, but Long Xiurong knew how much of a gossiper she was.


    "What do you want?" Long Xiurong asked with an unfriendly tone.


    "Um... Mdy, I''m your attendant. So I want to know if you need me to bring your lunch right now," Alice asked.


    Long Xiurong stared at Alice from head to toe. She was honestly tired of dealing with this bunny maid because it was obvious that her loyaltyy elsewhere.


    "Why didn''t you follow me when I left the castle ground just now? Do you need to meet with Lady Jade first? Are you her attendant or mine?" Long Xiurong asked. "You must''ve heard everything, right? I don''t have a good rtionship with her anymore. So, you don''t need to force yourself to be my attendant anymore."


    Alice was fuming in her heart. She hated Long Xiurong''s smug face so much.


    She never liked humans in the first ce. She hated that crippled bitch Swan, and she also hated this ungrateful Long Xiurong.


    ''Surely, these humans are the worst. The Kingdom of Beastman should''ve been exclusive to beastmen only. His Majesty is making a huge mistake by allowing these parasites to stay in the castle.'' Alice cursed in her heart but dared not to say it out loud. ''I can''t show any displeasure in front of her, or else she will suspect me of working with Lady Jade.''


    "Mdy, I have to talk with Lady Jade first because she demands that I exin everything about what happened during the coldest night. She was so angry, even beat me for no reason. Look at my cheek!" Alice showed her red cheek and rubbed it pitifully. "I was so scared. Please don''t kick me out, Mdy. I don''t want to be Lady Jade''s attendant. I don''t want to get beaten!"


    Long Xiurong might not like this bunny maid, but she wasn''t cruel enough tough seeing a maid getting beaten.


    Thus, Long Xiurong decided to give her another chance, "Fine, you can be my attendant. Just don''t feed me stupid gossip anymore. Do your job as an attendant and that''s it."


    "Y-yes, thank you. Mdy. I will prepare your lunch now!" Alice said as she quickly left the room. Her grateful smile disappeared once she was out of Long Xiurong''s room, and she muttered, "Just wait, I will get rid of you, Long Xiurong. I will poison your food slowly with Lady Jade''s poison, and you will die writhing in pain."


    **


    "How''s the people in the city? Do they still go on a protest?" Queen Anastasia asked her advisor.


    The advisor looked troubled as he nodded weakly, "Yes, Your Majesty. It''s the end of the year, and it''s genuinely the coldest month we have had for a long time. A lot of people are dying, especially now that they can''t get enough food to fend for themselves. Even the aristocrats who have money cannot use their money because there is simply no food to sell. I heard from a report that people start eating rats, cats, and dogs to survive."


    "Is that so..." Queen Anastasia didn''t have that big of a reaction, because those weren''t her biggest concern.


    True, her people were starving, and the demonstration kept on getting bigger. But thesemotions would eventually die down once the Beast King lifted the trade ban, which shouldn''t be a problem, as long as Swan pardoned them.


    Anastasia believed that crippled woman wouldn''t be cruel enough to let everyone in the Holy Achate starve and die. She had observed Swan from time to time since she was young and noticed that Swan always had that self-sacrifice trait in her.


    ''I remember that report when she


    was trying to save an old maid who identally stumbled and fell on Aria''s table while cleaning, and. ruined her favorite handkerchief. Swan pitied the old maid so much


    that she was willing to take the me. ''She got beaten until her face was swollen by a few guards,'' Anastasia recalled that incident when Swan was only ten years old. ''She pitied an old maid who never showed her any sympathy. Surely, she would pity the people in the Holy Achate too, right?''


    "P-pardon me, Your Majesty, but your reaction is a little... underwhelming," the advisor said. "The people are starving or freezing to death outside!"


    "I am concerned. I just don''t show a big reaction because I''m thinking hard about how to tackle it," Anastasia replied, but deep down, she was unbothered by it.


    ''I''m d that they haven''t noticed the missing children. I think I''ve kidnapped almost forty children at this point, right?''


    "Oh, and there is another problem with a serial killer in the city," the advisor added.


    .n


    "There have been at least thirty-eight children missing, ranging from age seven to ten. They are all peasants so it''s not a huge problem yet. However, this serial killer has been notorious, and they named him The Winter Killer, since he seems to start operating after the trade ban, Your Majesty," the advisor reported. "I suspect this serial killer has been killing off children to sell their meat at a cheap price since everyone is starving right now."

 Chapter 164: Aria’s 50th Sacrifice (II)

    Chapter 164: Chapter 164: Aria''s 50th Sacrifice (II)


    [Warning: Upsetting content.]


    "I-Is that so?" Queen Anastasia couldn''t hide her nervousness this time. She was THE serial killer.


    She ordered her secret service to kidnap as many peasants'' kids as possible without causing too much ruckus because Aria needed them to strengthen her witchcraft.


    At first, she only asked for prisoners, but then she told her mother that her power stagnated, and she was craving a human-specifically a child sacrifice in exchange for more power.


    Thus, Anastasia had to kidnap those children.


    Fortunately, the children''s sacrifices were proven to be effective, as Anastasia kept observing Aria''s growth in dark magic. Thest time she observed her daughter, Aria was able to mind-control two soldiers to start killing each other until one of them died.


    Anastasia''s body was shaking seeing how those soldiers were screaming in pain, begging to be spared before they stopped begging and started stabbing each other like a puppet controlled by Aria.


    ''I guess, those peasant children do have uses,'' Anastasia thought.


    The advisor thought that the Queen''s worried expression was because of concern, so he suggested, "Your Majesty, I think we should start a manhunt over this serial killer. We cannot let so many children keep dying like this!"


    "D-don''t act without my order, you hear me?" Queen Anastasia ordered. "I will be the one to investigate this case. I will send my secret service around the city. They are far more effective than the regr guards."


    "Thank you, Your Majesty!" The advisor was relieved because he knew that the Queen''s secret service would be able to find that serial killer soon. "One more thing, Your Majesty, we get an invitation."


    "Invitation? From the Rianel Kingdom? If they wanted to invite me, Queen Ramiere or Princess Lily would''ve just sent me a personal letter. Our kingdoms are closely connected after all," Anastasia said.


    "N-No, Rianel Kingdom hasn''t been in contact with us since the trade ban," the advisor replied. "It''s from the Kingdom of Beastmen, Your Majesty. The Beast King invites you and Princess Aria toe to the year-end celebration, to celebrate the Beast King''s sessful rut."


    "Sessful rut? What is that?"


    "I-I don''t know either, but I think this is the perfect time to beg for forgiveness from the Beast King. If things continue like this, the riot will escte, and there could be a bloody revolution!" The advisor made sure to emphasize his point so the Queen would understand the severity of the situation. "Besides, the church has been gaining more powertely. They are very popr right now, as people start to turn to religion when they are on the brink of death. I''m afraid the church will start a revolution and execute you and Princess Aria in the process."


    Queen Anastasia gulped in fear.


    She went through so much just to be the Queen of Holy Achate, and she would do anything to keep herself in power.


    She wanted Aria to advance her power as soon as possible, and now seemed to be the perfect opportunity. They would go to Kingdom of Beastman, and if her dark magic was strong enough, Aria should be able to beat Swan''s dark magic and seduce the Beast King.


    If she failed to do so... then they had no choice but to beg Swan to lift the trade ban.


    "Alright, make sure to prepare our carriage when it is time for us to go. Princess Aria and I will attend the celebration in the Kingdom of Beastman," Queen Anastasia dered before getting up. "I will tell my daughter about this." "Yes, Your Majesty!"


    **


    Queen Anastasia stood in front of Aria''s room. There was no guard outside of the door because Aria could''ve just opened the door with telekinesis.


    Anastasia took a deep breath as she prepared herself to face her daughter.


    Honestly, she had grown scared of her own daughter, because Aria was too cruel even for Anastasia''s standard.


    Anastasia might''ve kidnapped those children, but whenever she had to be present and witness the sacrifice, she would close her eyes and cover her ears, as she couldn''t handle the cries of the children.


    But Aria was different.


    Sheughed maniacally and even went as far as torturing those children for her entertainment. She had grown twisted, and Anastasia med the witchcraft that Aria practiced for her twisted nature.


    ''It''s okay, Anastasia. Her being evil was caused by witchcraft and the Necronomicon book she holds. You have nothing to do with it. All you did is try your best to preserve the kingdom and save everyone from the Beast King''s wrath,'' Anastasia told herself as she threw the me to someone else. ''Actually, that crippled Swan is the one to me, as she is the one who used her dark magic on the Beast King.''


    After encouraging herself and feeling morally better, Anastasia knocked on Aria''s door. Soon, the door was opened by Aria''s telekinesis.


    Anastasia immediately frowned and held her breath, because the moment the door was opened, the scent of a rotten corpse immediately assaulted her nose.


    "Come in, Mom: What do you want?" Aria asked as she was levitating in the middle of the room. "Oh, before that, I should thank you for the 50th sacrifice. I finally fulfilled the requirement to meet my mentor! The book said she woulde to my dream tonight. Oh, I can''t wait to


    finally meet the Great Witch!"


    Anastasia shivered thinking about what kind of nightmare the Great Witch would bring.


    After all, no sane person would demand fifty sacrifices just to be appeased, right? Nevertheless, Anastasia had toply with Aria''s demand if she wanted to keep her position as the Queen.


    "Y-You''re wee, dear. I''m d that the Great Witch is appeased," Anastasia said with a fake smile. "By the way I''m here to tell you that our time tomeet that crippled witch has arrived. We were invited to acfestival that will be held in the Kingdom of Beastman. They said it''s about the Beast King''s sessful rut celebration. I don''t know what that is, though."

 Chapter 165: Aria’s 50th Sacrifice (III)

    Chapter 165: Chapter 165: Aria''s 50th Sacrifice (III)


    "A rut? Hmm... I''ve never heard of that before," Aria muttered. "Maybe it''s a term within the beastmen. Anyway, the invitation is indeed perfect. I want to gauge how strong I have be against Swan who seems to possess a powerful witchcraft as well."


    Aria still remembered how her hand melted while pulling Swan''s hair. She also couldn''t forget how that crippled thing suddenly appeared in her room, floating like an angel and healing her burn scar instantly until there was no way for Aria to prove to people that she had been scalded.


    The more she understood witchcraft, the more she realized that Swan was one-of- a-kind, or maybe the best dark witch she had ever seen because even now, she still couldn''t heal any of her test subjects.


    ''All dark spells are meant to harm or deceit, so Swan must''ve used a higher-level dark spell. Something that is not written in my Necronomicon,'' Aria pondered, beforementing, "I wonder how many sacrifices Swan has made so far. To have such an amazing skill must require a lot of sacrifices. Does she use a lot of child sacrifices too? I''m sure she does. I heard that beastmen children are even more innocent and simple-minded than human children, so they must''ve been an even better sacrifice."


    Anastasia shuddered thinking about Swan-that stupid and weak-looking woman who killed children just to make herself stronger. freewebnovel.col


    She couldn''t care less when Aria bullied Swan until she was crippled for more than a decade, but she was scared that Swan might''ve been holding grudges against her.


    "Do you think Swan holds a grudge at us for everything you did to her back then?" Anastasia asked. "I''m afraid she will hurt us both as revenge."


    "Oh, for sure," Aria smiled. "It doesn''t make sense for her not to hold grudges after getting bullied so much ever since we were kids, right? I''m sure that she can''t wait to kill us, Mom."


    Aria knew that her mother wanted to save herself first. She knew her mother very well because their personality was simr.


    Aria could''ve called her mother out for trying to save her own skin, but it would be better to wait and see what her mother would do next.


    "T-then, if Swan''s dark magic is proven stronger than yours, we should quickly apologize and beg her to lift the trade ban, alright? This is a dire situation, Aria. If we don''t act fast, the church will lead a revolution and we will be executed," Anastasia urged worriedly. "I believe in your strength as a dark witch, but if you can''t defeat Swan yet, you need to understand the situation, alright?"


    Aria''s smile disappeared instantly.


    The more she learned about dark magic, the more she didn''t understand Swan''s power. Without a chance to test her ability, it was difficult for Aria to gauge how strong Swan was.


    She sighed, "I don''t want to do that, because that crippled witch doesn''t deserve to be begged. But I will do it, not because of her, but because of you, Mom."


    "B-because of me?"


    "Yep, you have done so much for me. So..." Aria''s words trailed off as she walked towards her mother and stood before her. "As a good daughter of yours, I will do as you say. I know that you want to maintain your position as the Queen of Holy Achate, right?"


    "R-right..." Anastasia affirmed. Her face paled instantly, as she got the whiff of rotten corpse scent from Aria''s body. "You have to take a bath before we go to the Kingdom of Beastmen, Aria. You smell like death."


    Aria chuckled guess so. I''ve been busy sacrificing too many children and using those prisoners as test subjects for my curses and dark spells. Don''t worry, I will make sure to look presentable in front of him. Maybe he will think of me better once I enhance my beauty with magic, right?"


    "Oh, I like that idea. You can seduce him in the normal way first with your beauty!


    If it''s not possible, then you can use your magic!" Anastasia was excited thinking that it might work. "Honestly, it doesn''t make sense for him to fall in love with Swan."


    "Of course, it''s all just dark magic. I can charm any man in the kingdom right now


    if I want to, even the old pope," Aria stated confidently.


    "Then why haven''t you done that?! We need the church''s support right now!" Queen Anastasia insisted. "If we get the church support, then those protests will stop, and they won''t be a threat to us anymore!"


    Aria raised her brow provocatively, "Do you think I haven''t done that?"


    Anastasia was astonished seeing how confident her daughter looked, "Do you mean..."


    "Yes, I flew to the church a few nights ago, and put a charm on that old man to make sure he obeys mymands."


    "T-then, howe the protest is still ongoing?!"


    "Because I cannot make it too


    Qu


    obvious, duh? Aria rolled her eyes. "If the pope suddenly acts friendly to us, then the people will suspect something is wrong. All I did was to make sure he would not try to attack us. He might''ve gotten the support


    from the people, but he is still


    passive the whole time, don''t you see?"


    "Without my charm, we would''ve been executed by now," Aria added.


    Queen Anastasia pondered about it for a while.


    What Aria said was true. It had been more than a month, and the situation was


    getting worse out there. Yet the church still hadn''t done anything excessive despite the people''s support.


    Thus, Queen Anastasia was relieved, knowing that she could keep her position for


    a while.


    "We''re not safe yet, Mom. We still need to lift that trade ban, or the people with get impatient and start a revolution without even waiting for the pope''s order," Aria reminded. "So, let''s go and meet the Beast King and his crippled bitch. I''m sure it will be interesting now that I have my power."

 Chapter 166: Aria’s 50th Sacrifice (IV)

    Chapter 166: Chapter 166: Aria''s 50th Sacrifice (IV)


    After Aria agreed toe with her to the Kingdom of Beastman, Queen Anastasia didn''t have anything else to say. Truthfully, if Aria was still the same daughter she knew, Anastasia wouldn''t mind having a tea time with her.


    However, the Aria in front of her was so menacing. Her eyes were filled with bloodlust after sacrificing thirty-eight children. It was better to get away as soon as possible before Aria considered her as another sacrifice as well.


    "I won''t disturb you anymore. You should go and learn more about dark magic from that book, so you can use it to defeat Swan," Anastasia suggested. "Also, do you need anything before I go? Snack maybe?"


    Anastasia remembered that Aria loved to eat snacks whenever she had free time. She had heard from the maids that Aria hadn''t asked for any snack for more than a month.


    Or rather, she hadn''t asked for any food for more than a month.


    They were too scared toe to Princess Aria''s room without her order, and Anastasia was also too scared to ask about it directly.


    "No need, I''ve already gotten my fill," Aria replied.


    "R-really? I don''t see any food in here."


    Aria went quiet for a second, then pointed at the corpse in the corner of her dim room, "I ate his organs from time to time. I''d boil it if I''m in the mood."


    Queen Anastasia gasped as she stared at the corpse whose eyes, tongue, and ears had been removed. There was also a gaping hole on his chest, implying that Aria had already eaten his heart.


    She almost fainted, thinking that her beloved daughter had turned into a cannibal who''d eat humans. But before she could say anything, Aria suddenlyughed out loud, "Don''t make that face, Mom. It''s not that big of a deal."


    "H-How is that not that big of a deal? You''re eating humans!" Anastasia couldn''t hide her distress anymore. "Is this part of the ritual? Aria, you are THE Royal Princess of Holy Achate! You cannot act like a barbarian!"


    "It''s what I''m craving these days, Mom. When you are studying to be a great


    witch, you will naturally lose your appetite for regr food. You will crave raw food instead, especially human flesh," Aria replied calmly. "It''s all written in


    Necronomicon."


    "But-"


    "Do you want me to be a great witch or not?"


    ...


    Queen Anastasia bit her lip.


    Of course, she wanted Aria to be a great witch to defeat Swan. It would be even better if she could seduce the Beast King.


    That man was absurdly powerful. With him by their side, Anastasia could be the Queen of the world!


    Battling with the idea of saving her daughter from eating human flesh, or being the Queen of the world, Anastasia decided to allow Aria to eat as much human flesh as she wanted. As long as Anastasia could stay as a Queen, anything else can wait.


    "F-fine then. But you should tell me if you need human flesh to eat. I can at least send you a clean woman, not a dirty prisoner to eat," Anastasia uttered as she thought it would be less gross if Aria ate a clean woman instead.


    Aria smiled. "Honestly, I can''t tell the difference after eating so much human flesh. guess why not? Just send me those women to eat."


    Queen Anastasia shuddered when Aria said that. For a split second, she thought that her own daughter looked at her like she was a piece of dead meat she could


    eat.


    ''I have to get out of this ce before Aria does something crazy to me too,''


    Anastasia thought. "A-alright, I will leave now. Take care, Aria."


    Aria stared at her mother''s back, and her smile turned malicious.


    She closed the door with telekinesis and continued reading Necronomicon while floating in the air.


    "You think that you are safe, huh? I''m just letting you live because you are still useful to me, Mother," Aria giggled.


    Of course, she still had a bit of


    vel


    familial love for her mother. They had always been on good terms since they were young, and her mother was there to give her authority to bully Swan as much as she wanted.


    Aria nned to leave her mother out because she thought Anastasia was better off alive.


    However, she stumbled upon a page in Necronomicon not long ago, and it was said that she would eventually need to sacrifice someone who was closest to her to be a true Great Witch.


    Aria was not close to anyone in her life. She didn''t even think that she loved her mother that much, but that was the only sort of ''connection'' she had with someone else.


    Aria always got everything she wanted in life, and she had never found herself in


    a difficult situation before.


    Thus, she never developed any sort of connection with anyone.


    Not that it mattered much though.


    She was just worried that she wouldn''t be able to be a true Great Witch even if she sacrificed her mother because she didn''t love her mother enough.


    "Should I treat


    ther better from now on? I want to make sure that I can


    feel more motherly love from her, and love her more, so I can sacrifice herter," Aria murmured before she clicked her tongue. "This is frustrating. I should''ve married one of those princes before. fcould have a baby with them, and who knows? I could''ve developed some love for my husband and our baby. Then, I can sacrifice them both. It would be easier that way."


    Unfortunately, she was stuck with only her mother. She had to love her mother, even though she didn''t know how.


    "And what is love anyway? How to love someone? Is sex even considered love?"


    For the first time in her life, Aria felt like an idiot who knew nothing.


    No matter how many books she read, she still couldn''t understand love.


    "I''ll just ask the Great Witch tonight. She shoulde after I''ve sacrificed fifty people, right?"

 Chapter 167: The Brighter the Light, the Darker the Shadow (I)

    Chapter 167: Chapter 167: The Brighter the Light, the Darker the Shadow (1)


    Aria couldn''t sleep at night.


    She had done everything she could to fall asleep quicker.


    She moved all the furniture in her room with her mind, just to tire herself out. She also ate a man''s intestine because it was rich in fat, which would make her drowsy after eating so much.


    But she was so worried that the Great Witch wouldn''te to her dream because she still didn''t understand the meaning of love, the ultimate sacrifice a witch needed to master the art of dark magic.


    "Ugh, howe that bitch Swan can master dark magic so easily? Who did she sacrifice? Oh wait, did she perhaps sacrifice her own mother while she was in her womb? That''s why her mother died after giving birth to her. It must be because Swan has been evil since she was born, right?" Aria knew that she was just talking nonsense. Her train of thought was getting messier as she genuinely didn''t understand how Swan could get so powerful without sacrificing that many people.


    Aria lived and bullied Swan for a long time, and she had never seen that cripple have a close rtionship with anyone.


    Or to be more precise, nobody wanted to get close to her. If Aria ever found out that someone was trying to help Swan, that person wouldn''t be able to escape a grave punishment.


    Thus, Swan had always been isted since she was very young.


    "The only ''loved one'' she can sacrifice is her mother. There''s no mistaking it. She must''ve been a powerful dark witch since she was still a newborn, and she killed her mother when she had just been born in exchange for overwhelming dark magic!" Aria theorized, and then she got disappointed in herself for believing in her own theory. "Ugh, why am I not talented enough? If only I could manifest my power like Swan since I was just a newborn, I would''ve just sacrificed my mother too!"


    Aria spent the whole nightining about being unable to kill her mother when she had just been born and fell asleep feeling bitter about everything.


    In her dream, she felt like she was floating in a very hot ce, with a horrible scent of charred meat. So she opened her eyes slowly, as the disgusting scent was even worse than her room, which was already bad enough since she often allowed rotten corpses toy for days.


    The moment Aria opened her eyes, she saw a woman wearing a ck dress, with arge, round hat that covered her eyes.


    The woman was very tall andnky, as she held a cane in her left hand. Her lips which were smeared with dark purple lipstick grinned, making Aria feel inexplicable fear and respect in her presence.


    "So, you are the holder of my Necronomicon. Why don''t you introduce yourself first? I already know your name, but don''t you think a proper introduction is due, Princess?"


    The woman tapped the ground with her cane, and Aria lost her ability to levitate instantly. She fell butt first on the ground, but she had no time to grimace in pain.


    Aria quickly kneeled in front of the Great Witch as she introduced herself, "M-My name is Aria of Holy Achate. Yes, I''ve been given the witch book called Necronomicon. I''ve been studying it every day, and even sacrificed fifty people just like what the book said! A-and, most of them are children, since the book also said that children are the best sacrifice!"


    "Very good. It seems that I''ve given my book to someone worthy," the witch''s grin widened. "My name is Madam Harsetti, the Great Witch and indeed, I''vee to you because you''ve fulfilled the requirement."


    Ove


    Aria was d that she didn''t miss this dream because she didn''t want those sacrifices to be in vain.


    "Also, it seems that Aria of Holy Achate is not your full name. Why don''t you be honest with me, little girl?"


    Aria paused for a moment. She gritted her teeth and reluctantly replied, "Aria Asmara of Holy Achate. That''s my real name, Madam."


    "Asmara..." the grin on the Great Witch disappeared. She raised Aria''s chin using her cane and asked, "Are you affiliated to Goddess Asmara?"


    Aria could sense anger radiating from Madam Harsetti. She didn''t want to lose her only chance to be a Great Witch, so she


    quicklyrified it, "M-Madam


    my


    kingdom is called Holy Achate, and we worship Goddess Asmara. B-but I don''t! I don''t believe in that fairytale at all. B-besides, if Goddess Asmara is real, then I don''t need her either, because you are the one I want to follow! I killed the people in my kingdom as a sacrifice for you, isn''t that enough proof of my loyalty?"


    "And your name?"


    "That''s because I''m a princess! In my kingdom, all princesses will have Asmara added to their name as a blessing. But it means nothing to me!"


    Madam Harsetti paused for a second, and her smile reappeared, "It seems that


    you are telling the truth. I''m d that you don''t worship her because she is exactly the reason why I''m here."


    "W-what do you mean, Madam?"


    "In every light, there is a shadow,


    right? The brighter the light, the darker the shadow gets. I am that. shadow, Madam Harsetti replied "I''ve grown stronger because apparently, Goddess Asmara has given birth to a daughter who inherits all of her power on earth. She''s out there, somewhere, and it wouldn''t take long before she grows to be a demigoddess-or even worse, a real Goddess. Does anyone with holy power exist in your kingdom?"


    Aria was thinking for a second.


    The church kept on preaching about theing of the Saintess. However, no one


    was able to manifest a holy power up until now.


    Besides, a Saintess must''ve been a noble-born, or at least affiliated with the


    church, right?


    Aria was the biggest contender, and she is NOT that Saintess.


    Thus, she shook her head, "There is no such person in the Holy Achate, Madam."


    "Really? That''s quite strange," Madam Harsetti smiled. "For a kingdom that worships the Goddess herself, it should''ve been logical for her toe down and grace the earth as a human in Holy Achate."

 Chapter 168: The Brighter the Light, the Darker the Shadow (II)

    Chapter 168: Chapter 168: The Brighter the Light, the Darker the Shadow (II)


    Aria shook her head, "I am certain that we have no Saintess, and no Goddess ever graced our kingdom for hundreds of years, Madam. I thought it was all just a fairytale."


    "That''s a pity. But I cannot me you," Madam Harsetti said. "I know that you are here because you want to be a Great Witch, right?"


    "Yes!" Aria nodded without hesitation.


    "And what is your purpose of bing one, hm?" Madam Harsetti inquired. "Do you want to kill someone you hate so much? Do you want to seduce a man? Or do you want to destroy a kingdom? Or perhaps you have a bigger purpose than that? Do you n to spread the gue across thend? It''s not difficult if you''ve achieved the status of the Great Witch."


    Aria remembered the humiliation she felt when Swan melted her hands, or when she healed her burn scar.


    She had lived her life as someone who was above Swan in everything, so when that cripple humiliated her, Aria felt a sense of dread, as if she had lost control over this thing she used to bully when they were young.


    "I want to kill a bitch who has humiliated me. She''s also a powerful witch with strange powers. She cannot be harmed as there''s a strange invisible wall around her. She cannot be touched as my hand melted when I tried to, and she healed my burn scar to make sure I can''t tell the others that I''ve been hurt!" Aria reported.


    "None of those are strange powers for dark witches, except thest one. Healing is impossible for us no matter how strong you are as a dark witch. It exclusively belonged to holy magic from the Gods and Goddesses," Madam Harsetti exined. "Are you sure this woman you hate does not possess holy power?"


    "No! It can''t be!" Aria denied it instantly. However, she denied it not because she was certain, but because she desperately refused to believe that Swan had a holy power. That filthy thing had always been born filthy, so she didn''t deserve to be called holy. "That woman was born from the womb of a brothel whore! There is no way she can be the Goddess'' daughter, right?"


    "It''s impossible for Goddess Asmara to grace the earth and be a brothel whore, and certainly no daughter of a whore can possess a holy power," Madam Harsetti responded. "Then, that woman must''ve been a strong witch. She cannot heal you, but she can create an illusion as if your body hasn''t been hurt at all."


    "That must be the case!" Aria agreed instantly. "Please, teach me how to defeat her, Madam!"


    Madam Harsetti chuckled, "That is no big deal. But is that all that you want? Defeating one witch? That doesn''t seem to be worth fifty sacrifices, right?"


    "T-there is one other reason..." Aria paused momentarily, not out of hesitation but because her cheeks started to feel hot as she blushed. "I-I am in love with someone."


    "A mere human?"


    "No! He is a beastman! A handsome and powerful one!" Aria eximed.


    "I''ve only known one powerful beastman, and I don''t know if we are talking about the same person, little girl," Madam Harsetti smiled. "If that beastman is not as powerful as him, then it won''t be a big deal. You can just charm him like you do with any other creatures out there."


    Aria could sense that they were talking about the same person. She had never heard of anyone stronger than Gale.


    "H-his name is Gale Stormfront. He''s currently the Beast King, and he is very handsome, strong, and uhm..t just like him so much. I wish I could be his wife," Aria said. Though she had been humiliated while staying in the Kingdom of Beastman, her love for Gale didn''t waver. She often fantasized about getting fucked and bred by that man.


    She also dreamed of having a lot of babies with him. It was the first time that she ever felt this strong feeling for a man.


    "You mean the cursed beast? Pfft.... hahahaha!" Madam Harsettiughed out loud as if she just heard something funny.


    "I-Isn''t he the same person whom you referred to as the powerful beastman just now, Madam?"


    "Yes. He is the first and probably the only beastman to have been cursed Moon


    by the Moon Goddess Selene herself. He is immortal, and his power will never fade, even for the next thousand years," Madam Harsetti replied. "In exchange, his body will be in constant pain, and fate will y a cruel game on him, as he will never be able to find his true mate no matter what."


    Aria didn''t understand anything that Madam Harsetti said. She could care less about beastmen culture, but hearing that Gale would be the strongest even for the next thousand years made her happy.


    Surely, with her amazing dark magic, she could be an immortal as well, and would be able to apany Gale forever, right?


    "T-then, is it possible to charm him like what I did to other men?"


    "Unfortunately, he is an exception," Madam Harsetti shook her head. "He has half the power of the Moon Goddess. He is immune to any dark magic, no matter how strong it is. No charm would work on him."


    Aria''s eyes widened, "But that crippled bitch is using a dark spell to charm him!"


    "Then you are mistaken, little girl. What I have just said was the in truth. He cannot be charmed with a spell, nor does any magic-induced charm potions work on him,"


    Madam Harsetti added. "About that woman you mentioned just now, I''m sure that Gale is just in love with her. There is no secret charm for that."


    Aria felt that her entire world crumbled beneath her. She had been studying Necronomicon non-stop because she wanted to be Gale''s wife. Would that mean everything she did up until now was a waste of time?


    ''The Beast King is genuinely in love with Swan? How could that be? What''s so good about her that I don''t have?''

 Chapter 169: The Brighter the Light, the Darker the Shadow (III)

    Chapter 169: Chapter 169: The Brighter the Light, the Darker the Shadow (III)


    Madam Harsetti chuckled seeing this little girl immediately lose her eagerness just because that cursed beast fell in love with someone else.


    She used her cane to lift Aria''s head once again and said, "Don''t be sad, little girl. He might be in love with that woman, but that doesn''t mean he cannot fall out of love, or get bored of her. Because she is not his fated mate."


    "Fated mate..."


    "Yes, I told you that the cursed beast cannot identify his fated mate, right? However, the cursed beast will be drawn into a pure-hearted woman. Since that woman you mentioned before is also a witch, there is no way she has a pure heart. The first condition to be a witch is to have a dark heart full of hatred and self-loathing."


    "Yes! There is no way that crippled woman has a pure heart! Her heart is filled with jealousy towards me, and also self-loathing because she has a deformed leg!" Aria insisted, which the Great Witch found funny because Aria only made it even more obvious that she had all the qualities she mentioned just now.


    "Then, it won''t be difficult to steal the cursed beast from her. In fact, she might''ve used the same trick that I''m about to tell you," Madam Harsetti grinned. "If you want to make love with the cursed beast, then this is the only way to do it. Listen carefully."


    Like a diligent student, Aria stared at Madam Harsetti in full focus, waiting for instruction.


    "The cursed beast cannot identify his fated mate. But he is blindfolded, right?" "Y-yes, he is blindfolded."


    "That''s because his gaze will kill anyone on sight. If you ever stare at him right in the eye, your heart will stop beating instantly," Madam Harsetti exined. "The only one who will be immune to his eyes is his fated mate. I can teach you a spell that can turn you blind for ten seconds. With the help of an illusion, it will look like your eyes are functioning normally to other people. You can fool the cursed beast by asking him to take off his blindfold and stare at him with your blind eyes."


    Aria was joyful knowing this secret, "Then please teach me that!"


    "Careful, little girl. This spell is an advanced one. Not because it''s difficult, but because the cursed beast will nullify any illusion when he opens his eyes. You need to be a Great Witch first if you want to seed. On top of that, you need to obtain something from his body as a requirement. It can be his hair, saliva, sweat, tears, or anything else," Madam Harsetti continued. "Do you know what the requirement is to be a Great Witch?''


    "I need to sacrifice someone I truly love. It can be my parents, lover, or children," Aria repeated what she read in the Necronomicon. "But, Madam... I don''t understand what love is. How am I supposed to sacrifice my mother when I don''t even know if I love her or not?"


    "That is your homework, little girl. One of the most important feelings for a witch is despair. Sacrificing your loved one is the biggest despair you will ever get. Try to learn how to love your mother before killing her, alright?" Madam Harsetti chuckled. "Don''t worry, I won''t let you leave this dream empty-handed. After all, fifty sacrifices is no small feat."


    Madam Harsetti tapped the ground with her cane again, and a ne with an emerald pendant appeared in front of Aria.


    "Take that ne. It''s my personal collection, but I''m sure it will be more useful for you," Madam Harsetti said.


    Aria picked up the ne and asked, "What is this for, Madam?"


    "That emerald ne will boost your magic power in general, so you can cast spells without it taking too much toll on your body and mind." Madam Harsetti replied. "On top of that, that ne can nullify someone else''s dark magic. Since your enemy is also a witch, you can stare at her while holding the emerald pendant, and that woman will lose her dark magic powerpletely. She will not be able to cast spells anymore."


    "Be careful. You can only use this ne''s power one time, so use it wisely or you''ll miss your chance," Madam Harsetti warned. "No matter how strong of a dark witch your enemy is, she will not be stronger than the emerald ne''s nullifying ability."


    Aria felt that she had been given a jackpot to victory. With this emerald ne, she could turn Swan back into a useless person. She could torture, and kill Swan in the most humiliating way possible.


    "Thank you! Thank you so much, Madam! This is the best gift you could ever give me!"


    "It''s just a small bonus, little girl. Once you''ve killed your beloved mother and experienced despair, l will give you another gift to celebrate your sess in bing a Great Witch," Madam Harsetti promised. "I will leave for now. Until we meet again, Aria of the Holy Achate."


    Madam Harsetti tapped the ground with her cane again and dispersed into hundreds of ck butterflies.


    *


    Aria gasped and opened her eyes after she had that long dream. She looked nkly at the ceiling of her room, as she could feel something in her hand.


    She opened her palm, and surely, that emerald ne from Madam Harsetti was with her right now.


    Aria grinned from ear to ear and wore the ne immediately.


    It couldn''t be seen with the naked eye, but Aria could feel the boost of magic


    power within her. She tapped the bed, and the bed slowly levitated one inch above the ground.


    Lifting something heavy like the bed was impossible for Aria before, but now she could do it with ease!


    1.n


    "Oh, thank you for the gift, Madam!" Aria yelled joyfully, as she was just too happy right now. She continuedughing and grinning as she imagined Swan''s desperate face again, "Just you wait, you crippled bitch. Without your dark magic, you will beg to be spared by me!"

 Chapter 170: Successful Rut Festival (I)

    Chapter 170: Chapter 170: Sessful Rut Festival (1)


    A week had passed since the safe return of the Beast King and Princess Swan during the coldest night. The year was about to end, and normally, the Kingdom of Beastmen would be filled with sorrow and mourning due to many deaths caused


    by His Majesty''s rampage.


    Since he had sessfully passed the coldest night without killing anyone this time, nobody needed to mourn anymore. There was no sad face this year, and the usually quiet street was filled withughter and joy as beastmen from all the species gathered together to celebrate the death-free year.


    Swan watched the main street of the kingdom from her tower. Though she couldn''t be there personally because it would make everyone nervous, she still smiled seeing how people gathered together to celebrate Gale''s sess.


    ''This is how it should be. Gale shouldn''t only be feared by his people. He should also be admired, worshiped, and celebrated. He needs to rule with both the strength and kindness of a wise king,'' Swan told herself. ''Even if I won''t be here for too long.''


    Of course, thest sentence was just her insecurity speaking.


    Ever since that night in the cave, Swan had this firm hope that she could eventually be pregnant with Gale''s offspring.


    The Saintess was immune to Gale''s death gaze, so that meant they were fated to be together, right?


    ''Well, nobody can tell until I get pregnant for real...'' Swan sighed as she gently rubbed her t belly. ''Goddess, I know that I prayed for Gale''s safety that night, but can you make an exception this time and make me pregnant with his cubs as well? I''m getting desperately hopeful here...''


    As Swan was busy with her thoughts, the door was opened, and Gale walked in with a big smile on his face, "Are you ready to start the day, Sweetheart? Everyone is waiting for you at the castle ground."


    Swan stopped rubbing her stomach in front of Gale as she didn''t want to look too desperate. She turned her head and smiled back at her husband, "I''m ready. Pick me up, husband."


    Gale walked towards Swan, and before picking her up, he followed Swan''s line of sight and saw the crowded main street.


    "Do you want to go to the main street? I can always take you there."


    "No need. It will be awkward for them if we''re there. They will stop acting normal and start kneeling in front of us," Swan refused. "I just like looking at them because I''m happy-" Swan raised her hand and rubbed Gale''s cheek. "I''m happy because they are celebrating your sess. It''s relieving to see them thinking of you as a benevolent ruler rather than a cruel one."


    "I still don''t understand your fixation on benevolent rulers. Beastmen value


    strength over everything. They worship me and dedicate their lives to me because


    I am the strongest, simple as that," Gale said nonchntly.


    Swan also didn''t mean to force Gale to understand.


    To him, she was probably making a ruckus over unnecessary things. She was already d that Gale was willing to follow her suggestions, "I know you are doing things my way because you want to make me happy. But I promise you that it will be worth it even when I''m not around anymore, especially since you are immortal, while I''m not."


    The mood around the room soured instantly. Gale went quiet as he got upset, knowing that he had nothing to counter that statement.


    Swan realized her grim thought was dampening the mood, so she quickly switched the topic, "Anyway, we should go now. I heard the soldiers are waiting for me."


    "You are the soldiers'' favorite now.


    They all think that you are as important as I am. It''s not wrong though," Gale said as he picked her up. "But you should remember that none of them are stronger than me."


    "That''s obvious, isn''t it?"


    "... I just want to make sure that you don''t get tempted by them," Gale murmured in a low voice.


    "Aww, husband, don''t be jealous. I treat them kindly because they are your soldiers," Swan chuckled. She kissed Gale on the cheek and added, "I only have one heart, and it''s yours."


    Gale curled his lips.


    For some reason, he felt giddy seeing how Swan took the initiative to kiss him.


    As Swan had gotten more and more confident in herself, she stopped stuttering, and Gale loved to see


    how sweet and flirty she was. It


    made things easier whenever


    was in the mood to have sex which was every day.


    *


    Gale carried Swan on his arm as they went down to the castle ground. It was a


    warm day, so Swan didn''t cover herself with a nket.


    She wore ayered dress with


    gloves and winter coat around her


    shoulder to make herself warm instead. She looked a bit too thin for her clothes, but it only made her cuter, especially when Gale walked into the castle ground while carrying his beloved.


    Everyone went quiet and kneeled instantly. Their eyes were focused on the Beast King and Princess Swan.


    Swan looked at the beastmen soldiers of various species, from a big one like an elephant soldier to a small one like a squirrel soldier.


    They all had the same joyful look on their faces, and they eagerly waited for Princess Swan to say something.


    "I haven''t opened the official celebration yet. Everyone is already gathering here


    for us. Go on, you can formally start the celebration by making a small speech," Gale said.


    Swan gulped as she got nervous instantly.


    She tugged at Gale''s coat and murmured, "I-I don''t know what to say. I''m nervous."


    "Don''t be nervous. You won''t mess this up," Gale assured, knowing that this was a big step for his beloved. "Take a deep breath, and say what you want to say."


    Swan followed Gale''s instruction. She took a deep breath while scanning at everyone on the castle ground, and formally started the festival with a short speech.

 Chapter 171: Successful Rut Festival (II)

    Chapter 171: Chapter 171: Sessful Rut Festival (II)


    "On this warm winter day, we gather to celebrate His Majesty''s sess in oveing his rut. There is no death this year, so I want all of you to have a joyful winter until next year. You may eat as much as you want at the banquet for the next five days, andstly... I want you to cheer for our King! Long live the Beast King!"


    "Long live the Beast King!"


    "Long live the Beast King!"


    "Long live the Beast King!"


    All the soldiers followed the cheers as they were once again drowned in euphoria. Gale didn''t expect his beloved to suddenly start cheering his name, so he asked, "I asked you to open the celebration because I want you to be cheered by everyone."


    "But you said that you and I are the same. That means, when they cheer for you, they also cheer for me," Swan giggled.


    "Well, yes, but..." Gale felt helpless, but he couldn''t help but lightly pinch her now- chubbier cheek before chuckling, "You really know how to surprise me, wife."


    "Of course, that''s why I''m your wife."


    Everyone on the castle grounds was busy celebrating by either drinking, eating, or just talking with each other. However, there were two people who secretly wished this was just another mourning day, just likest year.


    Lady Jade crossed her arms and nced at Alice, the bunny maid who stood behind Long Xiurong as her attendant. They exchanged nces and had a tacit understanding of what to do next.


    Jade had spent her week perfecting the odorless and tasteless poison that would slowly kill someone if it had been digested for at least a whole week.


    The victim would start feeling weak all over, followed by constant nausea and diarrhea, then the victim wouldn''t be able to get up from the bed and would keep vomiting and defecating on the bed until she died of unknown cause.


    Jade made sure that the poison would be undetectable, that even Matoa, the miracle doctor who helped Gale, wouldn''t be able to detect this poison, because Jade was the one who created it.


    ''I spent days and nights perfecting this poison, but I don''t want to risk failing this one mission. It would get significantly harder to kill Swan if she could somehow detect the poison with her magic,'' Jade thought. She nodded at Alice, silently telling her to proceed with their initial n.


    Jade secretly handed Alice a small bottle of the poisonst night, and she instructed her to feed Long Xiurong a drop of the poison on her drink every day to see the effect.


    Alice nodded, as she had prepared the poison vial in her pocket. She just needed the right time to put it in Long Xiurong''s drink without making it too obvious.


    Thus, she kindly asked, "Mdy, do you want a drink? I can bring you any drink you want. Since this celebration is in winter, most of the drinks are served hot. Or if you want, you can also drink alcohol to warm yourself up."


    Long Xiurong shook her head, "Not in the mood. I just had my tea before I came here," she replied. "I''ll go and meet with Princess Swan first. I want to congratte them personally."


    Long Xiurong sauntered towards the Beast King and Princess Swan, leaving Alice frustrated because she kept getting a cold shoulder.


    Long Xiurong stood in front of Gale and Swan, and bowed politely, following the custom from the Eastern Long Dynasty.


    "I''m here to congratte you both, Your Majesty, Princess Swan. I am happy that you two can safely


    return. hope the Kingdom of


    Beastmen will continue to prol


    and hope that I can be given the chance to see it flourish until my old days because I''ve seen this kingdom as my new home now."


    What Long Xiurong meant was obvious. She hoped that neither the Beast King nor the Princess would kick her out of the castle because she truly had nowhere to go.


    Gale didn''t take this kindly, as he remembered how Long Xiurong had a ridiculous request of wanting to get pregnant with his offspring because she thought that Swan was infertile.


    He didn''t tell Swan about this, because Swan seemed to have a very good opinion of her. But seeing her boldly asking to be spared, so she could stay in the castle made him ufortable.


    However, he said nothing as he waited for Swan''s response.


    As expected, Swan responded amicably, "Thank you for your blessing, Lady Long. You''ve been sent to the Kingdom of Beastmen as His Majesty''s bride, so this castle is your second home."


    Long Xiurong nced at the Beast King whose expression soured when Princess Swan mentioned the word ''bride''. She understood his grievance and had no intention of chasing him anymore.


    She knew that the Beast King wouldn''t give a damn if she got sent back to the Eastern Long Dynasty and died, but what she needed was Princess Swan''s blessing, not his.


    Thus, she bowed for the second


    time and said, "I may be sent to be His Majesty''s bride, and I expected myself to be part of the harem.. However, from what I observed, there is no harem to begin with, Princess. His Majesty is undoubtedly yours, and I have no reason to challenge your status as his only wife. I merely hope that you are kind enough to let me stay, that is all."


    Swan was taken aback by Long Xiurong''s response. She looked at her husband and saw that Gale had that sneering expression. Even under that blindfold, Swan could guess what kind of eyes Gale made.


    Gale was staring down at Long Xiurong as if she was nothing but a nuisance, or even worse, he treated her the same way he treated the servants.


    "Gale, Lady Long is your wife too," Swan reminded, but Gale scoffed as he wanted to make it clear from now on.


    "I never asked for another bride. It was all Jade''s idea. She can stay in our castle


    as long as she wants as a guest. I''ll give her all the amenities and attendant, but she should know her ce."

 Chapter 172: I understand my position

    Chapter 172: Chapter 172: I understand my position


    fre?webnovel


    "Gale!" Swan raised her voice, but Gale didn''t want to tiptoe around this problem.


    "What? I made it clear from the beginning that YOU are my only wife. I never intend to get another one, and never will," Gale stated loud and clear. "I already told Jade this would be thest time she ever pulled this kind of stunt again. If she dares to bring another bride into the kingdom, then I will forbid her to ever return to the kingdom."


    "But, Long Xiurong is-"


    "It''s okay, Princess," Long Xiurong interrupted, as she didn''t want them to fight over her status. "I understand my position. The Beast King has made it clear, and I have no intention to challenge him."


    Long Xiurong shifted her gaze at the majestic Beast King and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. Worry not, I shall never disturb your peace with Princess Swan. But if it''s possible, please allow me to find my soulmate in this kingdom, maybe I will find him... eventually."


    "Hm, you can do whatever. I don''t mind if you marry one of my underlings as well. Just tell me if you need a wedding ceremony or some sort since I know that the Eastern Long Dynasty is very strict with tradition," Gale replied.


    "Thank you, Your Majesty. I shall return to enjoy the banquet. Please enjoy the banquet as well, since this celebration is for the two of you."


    Long Xiurong finally left them alone, and Swan was distressed while staring at Long Xiurong''s back.


    She red at her husband, though Gale didn''t seem to care at all.


    "Why are you so mean to her? She has been nothing but kind and cooperative with me." Swan sulked.


    "Be honest with me, do you want me to go and mark her? Do you want me to spend the night with her?" Gale asked bluntly, and Swan was caught off guard.


    She stammered for a few seconds, and shook her head weakly in the end, "I''m sorry. I just feel bad for her. She''s in a difficult situation right now, since she cannot leave the castle. She''s trapped in here with no one to care for her."


    "You care enough for her. You''re the only reason I haven''t kicked her out yet," Gale replied. "So don''t feel sad for her. I''ve given her all the best amenities the castle has, and I also allow her to find her own happiness if she ever finds one. Maybe she will marry another werewolf. We have plenty of wolf beastmen in the kingdom anyway."


    "Mm... I do hope that Lady Long will find love someday," Swan muttered while staring at Long Xiurong''s lonely back. "I know how it feels to be trapped in a castle, unloved by anyone for a long time..."


    Swan might''ve been biased, but she didn''t want Long Xiurong to despair like she was back in the Holy Achate Pce.


    She didn''t want Long Xiurong to feel ugly, inferior, and useless just because nobody supported her.


    Gale was itching to tell Swan about what Long Xiurong did in the throne room, but seeing how sympathetic Swan was to her, he decided to keep it to himself.


    ''As long as that woman doesn''t harm Swan or try to poison her mind, there''s no reason to ruin their friendships. This is the first time I ever saw Swan care so much about a friend,'' Gale thought.


    He was about to let it go until he was reminded of how much Swan cared for a certain someone other than Long Xiurong.


    ''Huh, I forgot about that traitorous


    bastard, Rock Silverfang. That


    bastard is still lingering in Swan''s heart for no goddamn reason,'' Gale thought. He almost released his


    aura out of anger, but quickly held it back as he didn''t want to ruin


    Swan''s joy over this celebration.


    However, that didn''t mean he had loosened his supervision over his surroundings.


    He looked around and saw no sign of that bastard. He also used his sharpened


    sense of hearing and smell to detect the presence of that beta bastard.


    For someone as strong as Rock Silverfang, it would be difficult topletely mask his scent.


    ''I didn''t feel his presence anywhere, but I can''t let my guard down. I have a feeling that bastard wille to see Swan sooner orter,'' Gale unintentionally tightened his grip around her waist as Swan was sitting on hisp.


    Swan sensed that something was wrong with her husband, so she asked, "Is there something wrong, Gale?"


    "No, it''s nothing," Gale replied curtly. He didn''t want Swan to remember


    about that bastard, because it seemed that mentioning Rock once was enough to steal all of Swan''s attention. "Let''s just enjoy the banquet, Sweetheart. There''s also a nice surprise for you tomorrow."


    "A surprise?"


    Gale smiled mysteriously, "Yes, it''s a big surprise, so I have to keep it a secret."


    Swan got curious, but her attention was diverted because a few beastmen soldiers were walking towards them to congratte His Majesty and the Princess.


    Little did Swan know, Gale had been secretly inviting her so-called family, Queen Anastasia and Princess Aria of Holy Achate to the celebration, as he felt it would be the right time for them to beg for forgiveness.


    They had been neglecting Swan


    vet


    since she was a kid. He wanted them to see Swan in a much better condition, sitting on the throne with him while his people were celebrating their sess. It would be the biggest p in the face for those cruel women.


    ''Ah, it would be easier if you were as ruthless as me, Swan. But I guess, that''s your charm. If you are cruel, I don''t think I will ever fall in love with you,'' Gale thought as he decided to enjoy the celebration with his wife.


    *


    Long Xiurong returned to her seat, and saw Alice was already carrying a cup of piping hot tea, "Mdy, it''s very cold in here, I''ve prepared ginger tea for you. Please drink it before it gets cold."

 Chapter 173: Long Xiurong’s One and Only Wish

    Chapter 173: Chapter 173: Long Xiurong''s One and Only Wish


    Long Xiurong nced at the bunny maid who looked meek, then at the ginger tea that she brought for her. She found it strange that she was so eager to serve her.


    Previously, she would''ve only done something when Long Xiurong told her to do as Alice didn''t seem to be willing to serve her.


    However, she paid Alice''s attitude no mind. If this bunny maid was no longer cooperative, she could''ve just asked Princess Swan to rece Alice with someone else.


    "Who told you to bring me ginger tea? I''m not thirsty, and not in the mood for tea right now," Long Xiurong said harshly. "You can drink it yourself. I will tell you if I need somethingter."


    Alice''s lips twitched. The hand that she used to hold the cup of ginger tea started shaking as she was so angry at this useless bitch right now.


    There was no way she could drink this ginger tea, it was alreadyced with poison! Besides, Alice thought that she was too important to die prematurely. She wanted that crippled Swan to die first before she could rest in peace.


    "I-I''m sorry if I offend you, Mdy. I just want to serve you well..." Alice apologized meekly despite the boiling anger in her heart.


    Long Xiurong stared at the pitiful bunny maid, and she felt a little guilty.


    She might not think highly of this bunny maid, but that didn''t mean she was cruel enough to bully a servant.


    "Just drink that ginger tea if you want it, or toss it away. You can prepare my dinner after today''s celebration ends," Long Xiurong''s tone softened. She had been informed that this festival was meant to continue for the next five days. They would stop after the sun had set because it would be too cold, and start the banquet again by the next morning when the sun was up and warm. "You can also serve me that ginger tea tomorrow morning before the second day of the banquet starts. Understand?"


    "Understood, Mdy," Alice nodded obediently. She was relieved that her meek and pitiful acting still worked against Long Xiurong. Once given permission, she could''veced Long Xiurong''s evening and morning tea with the poison. "Then, I will join the other servants. Please enjoy the banquet, Mdy."


    *


    Alice tossed the ginger tea under a tree at the corner of the castle ground. She gritted her teeth knowing that she had failed Lady Jade and wasted a drop of the precious poison.


    "It seems that you failed to poison her just now," Jade pointed out the obvious as she hid behind the tree.


    "Ah, Mdy, I-I don''t know that you''re here!"


    "Lower your voice, I don''t want to draw attention," Jade warned, and Alice zipped her lips instantly. Jade looked around, and after making sure that everyone was busy in their own world, she said, "The poison in your hand is extremely precious, I only made a small batch of it. Do it right after this, Long Xiurong will be our test subject, understood?"


    "Y-yes, Mdy. Pardon me for my ipetence. I didn''t expect that woman to be so stubborn..."


    "It''s okay. I picked her amongst the sea of women in the Eastern Long Dynasty precisely because she is smart and careful. Just make sure to do it right after this."


    "Yes!"


    *


    Swan and Gale left the castle ground once the temperature started getting colder, and everyone wrapped up the first day''s celebration once the sun was about to set.


    Long Xiurong returned to her room and waited for Alice to finish setting up her dinner at the table.


    "Um, Mdy, would you like a cup of ginger tea after you had your dinner?" Alice asked carefully.


    "Yes," Long Xiurong replied curtly, and the bunny maid was relieved.


    "Then, I will brew ginger tea now. Please enjoy your dinner, Mdy," Alice said as she turned around and left. The bunny maid grinned as she walked out of the room and


    ve


    murmured, "Yeah, enjoy that dinner, because you will vomit it all out by tomorrow morning, you fade bitch."


    Long Xiurong finished her dinner and then spent her free time staring at the full moon from the window.


    She remembered how the Beast King didn''t even try to hide his annoyance and made it clear that he only had one wife, and that was Princess Swan.


    Though it stung her heart a bit, Long Xiurong also admired him for his boldness, because her Emperor Father would never dare to say that he only loved one woman, because it would incite conflict in the harem.


    ''Do all werewolves also have the same instinct to only have one mate in this lifetime? If that''s the case, then I''d love to be mated with a werewolf, just like Princess Swan,'' Long Xiurong sincerely wished in her heart. She didn''t know who to wish for. In her kingdom, everyone worshiped her Emperor Father as the Son of Heaven, and Long Xiurong thought it would be stupid to pray to her father who sent her to be the Beast King''s bride.


    Then, she remembered that Princess Swan mentioned a Goddess that the people in her kingdom worshiped, Goddess Asmara.


    Long Xiurong didn''t believe in this


    Goddess Asmara, but it was the only other god she knew other than her father, so she prayed, ''Goddess. Asmara, I''ve known about you from Princess Swan. I don''t know if you are real, but if you are, and currently listening to my prayer, please bless me with a man... No, a werewolf, just like Princess Swan''s husband. Please make him handsome, strong, loyal, and want me as his one and only mate.''


    ''Goddess, this is the only wish I will ever make for you, please make ite true.''


    Long Xiurong found herself blushing over the thought of finding her own man. Unfortunately, she couldn''t fantasize for a long time as the door was knocked, followed by Alice''s voice from the outside, "Mdy, I''ve returned with your ginger tea."

 Chapter 174: Rock’s New Ally (I)

    Chapter 174: Chapter 174: Rock''s New Ally (1)


    Long Xiurong finished her prayer, and her expression cooled down once more.


    "Come in."


    Alice opened the door and walked in with a tray of a teapot and a cup. She carefully arranged the table, while cleaning her dinner off the table to make sure that Long Xiurong wouldn''t eat or drink anything other than the ginger tea that had beenced with poison.


    "Please drink it while the tea is still hot, Mdy. I-I still have something else to do in the kitchen. I will return to you in a few hours if that''s alright," Alice asked.


    "Hm, thank you, you may leave now," Long Xiurong said perfunctorily.


    Alice almost jumped out of joy, knowing that her n would finallye to fruition. She had put three drops of poison into the teapot. If she failed again, she wouldn''t know how to face Lady Jade.


    Long Xiurong watched as the bunny maid left her room. She stared at the teapot but had no intention to drink it right away because she didn''t like a piping hot drink.


    She''d rather let it sit for a while to make it lukewarm, then drink it before sleep.


    Thus, Long Xiurong looked outside of the window once again, gazing at the beautiful full moon, and sighed as she acted like a little girl who fantasized about her own knight in shining armor.


    ''One day, I will find my own man.''


    **


    Rock Silverfang stared at the full moon before shifting his gaze back to the castle. He had been watching the kingdom-especially the castle ground from far away since morning, so he witnessed how everyone celebrated His Majesty''s rut this year.


    He had heard rumors that the Beast King had sessfully passed the coldest night without killing anyone, which was miraculous news.


    Rock had been Gale''s beta for almost a decade, and each year, the death toll would rise again and again. He remembered that the cursed beast would kill at least five hundred beastmen and humans, not counting the regr animals.


    At first, he was worried about the Princess, thinking that the Beast King would kill the Princess during the coldest night. He knew that Princess Swan would stay by the Beast King''s side no matter what, even if she was facing death.


    Rock was aware of Princess Swan''s mysterious and strange power, but he doubted she would be able to defeat His Majesty in his rut state during the coldest night when the blood moon was present.


    Fearing this, he nned to save the Princess by kidnapping her before it


    happened. Unfortunately, he was on another continent at that time, and he couldn''t travel through the North Sea, considering the Beast King had imposed a trade and travel ban for everyone.


    He had no choice but to take the longer route, and he had just arrived at the Kingdom of Beastman that morning.


    Rock was scared he would arrive toote, and the Beast King would destroy Princess Swan''s body until nothing was left of her. He could already picture the worst scenario in his mind, including the possibility of Princess Swan''s funeral.


    However, the mourning didn''t happen.


    Instead, there was a big celebration that he could watch from far away. Unfortunately, he couldn''t see Princess Swan clearly at the castle ground as he couldn''t get too dose, or his Alpha would detect his presence and kill him instantly.


    Thus, rather than returning to his new home in another continent, he decided to stay.


    ''I just have to check on my Princess at least once, then I can be at ease knowing she is alive and well,'' Rock thought. He gritted his teeth as he was frustrated with himself.


    When Princess Swan used her mysterious, holy power to move him away from that cave to the continent in the north, he was left with one mission; get stronger.


    Princess Swan told him to get stronger, so he trained nonstop while making friends with the locals, and joined the biggest arctic wolf pack called Blizzard Pack. He had proven his strength as the new beta for the Alpha of the Blizzard Pack.


    He spent his days pushing himself to the limit, but even when he had proven himself to be much stronger than his current Alpha in the Blizzard Pack, he would still be no match against the Beast King.


    Gale was a beast cursed by the Moon Goddess herself.


    He was immortal and had the strength nobody could match for the next thousands


    of years.


    ''I understand all that. I don''t know if I


    will ever be able to match His Majesty, but my Princess told me to get stronger, so I will obey her order,'' Rock told himself despite his ever growing frustration. ''If only I could be the chosen one and get cursed by the Moon Goddess just like His Majesty.''


    In the end, Rock pped his cheek to stop feeling sorry for himself.


    ''Get it together, Rock. You''re here to check on your Princess. If she wants to leave, then you have to aid her so she can escape. If she wants to stay, then you should leave. As long as she is happy with her choice you have no right to interfere,'' Rock reminded himself of his original mission.


    After refocusing himself, he took a deep breath to catch the scent around him. What he wanted to detect the most was the scent of the Beast King, so he could pinpoint his exact location.


    ''He is not around the castle, but I can catch the hint of his scent. So, he is probably in his privateke right now. Taking a freezing bath after a long day.''


    Rock had been working as the Beast King''s beta for so long that he had grown familiar with Gale''s scent and habit. He knew that the Beast King was not as alert when he was taking a freezing bath in his privateke.


    Rock remembered the ins and outs of the castle, so he made a mental note of which path he should take to infiltrate the castle without being noticed.


    After making sure that everything was under his calction, he nodded, "This is the time."

 Chapter 175: Rock’s New Ally (II)

    Chapter 175: Chapter 175: Rock''s New Ally (II)


    Before he went to the castle, he took out a jar from his small bag consisting of a cream that he thered around his exposed skin. This cream he brought from his new wolf pack was a specialty there. It was an item used to hide the scent of a werewolf for at least three hours. It was useful for assassination, espionage, or even during gueri battles against another wolf pack.


    However, Rock had never used it before, because he was so powerful in his new pack that he could''ve just ughtered the enemies with ease.


    ''I am still no match against His Majesty, so I have to be careful right now.''


    After covering his exposed skin with the cream, he jumped from the tree branch and dashed through the woods until he reached the castle wall.


    He climbed the castle wall with ease, and once hended at the castle ground, he looked around, only to find there was no guard.


    ''It seems that everyone is so joyful and rxed today, to the point no guards are standing around the castle ground,'' Rock thought. ''This is the perfect opportunity to meet with my Princess!''


    Rock dashed around the castle ground to find an opening. Of course, it would be dumb of him to just walk through the corridors. There might be no guard, but the servants must''ve been busy inside the castle, and he couldn''t let them spot him.


    He found an opening through an open window from the second floor. There was a small light akin to one or two candles from inside, so he suspected there must be someone there.


    He remembered that room as a guest room, but he couldn''t help but wonder, ''I don''t think that room has ever been used before. Does His Majesty have a special guest? Or is it Princess'' guest?''


    As he stared at the window from below, a woman suddenly poked her head out. She was gazing up at the full moon, and with Rock''s ability to see in the dark, he could clearly see the face of the woman.


    She was young, probably around Princess Swan''s age.


    She had long, straight ck hair, a signature feature for people in the East, and


    her eye shape only confirmed his assumption. freewebnovel


    She had a thin smile while gazing at the moon, as if she was longing for something... or someone.


    Rock caught himself staring at this mysteriousdy for a long time, and he muttered out of instinct, ''What a beautiful woman...''


    Rock usually didn''t have any opinion about the opposite sex. Other than Princess Swan, whom he thought to be extremely beautiful and alluring, this woman was the second one to ever catch his attention.


    ''Is she a guest from the Eastern Long Dynasty? Is she Princess Swan''s friend? She''s such a kind and sweet person, I''m sure her friend would be just as kind and sweet, right?'' Rock pondered. He went quiet for a while until a question popped into his mind, ''Does she have a man by her side?''


    Rock closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He tried to detect any sign of a werewolf or other beastmen in that room, only to find out two other things instead.


    First, the scent of that woman was overpoweringly sweet and sensual and Rock found his body started trembling out of excitement.


    "Ngh! Agh... so distracting," Rock clenched his fist as he tried to control himself. His head already got dizzy just by having that woman''s scent@nder his nose, even when he stood far away from her. He@ouldn''t imagine what would happen if he was in the same room with her.


    Rock knew that if he jumped into that woman''s room, she would probably scream, and his mission to meet with his Princess would be aplete failure.


    The wise thing to do here was to find another opening to enter the castle.


    However, aside from that woman''s scent, he also caught another scent from that room, and it made him unable to leave her alone.


    That scent was tea leaves, ginger, and another strange scent that he couldn''t fathom, probablying from freshly brewed tea.


    ''Is it a special tea from the Eastern Long Dynasty? I heard that they are very advanced in tea making and tea ceremony. It must be a tea I never smelled or tasted before, Rocke thought. ''That must be it. I shouldn''t ruin my whole n for a woman I just saw.''


    Rock turned around, ready to find another spot he could use to enter the castle.


    But his feet froze on the spot, refusing to move as worry began to creep inside his heart.


    ''What if that tea has been poisoned? Assuming that woman is Princess Swan''s guest, that means Jade must''ve been nning to kill her. What if she gets hurt just because she is my Princess'' friend?''


    *


    There were too many what-ifs in his head that he couldn''t get rid of. He gritted his teeth as he was getting frustrated by his own indecisiveness.


    "Argh! Screw this!" Rock finally decided to toss his logic and followed what his instinct told him to do. He made one jump after another in quick session to reach the open window.


    Long Xiurong gazed at the moon for


    a while until she felt at ease. Truly, the moon view was always clear in this kingdom, because there weren''t many people to begin with, and the beastmen didn''t need fire to keep themselves warm. As proof, only Princess Swan''s room and hers used the firece as heating.


    She decided to return to her seat and poured the now-lukewarm ginger tea into


    the teacup. She took a whiff of the ginger tea and smiled, "Hm, that bunny is doing a good job this time. This tea has a strong ginger aroma. I guess I shouldn''t be too mean to her."


    Long Xiurong picked up the teacup and was ready to take a sip when a shadow suddenly blocked the moonlight from the window.


    She turned her head spontaneously, and her eyes widened when a man in all ck, like an assassin, suddenly appeared at her window.


    Long Xiurong dropped her teacup instantly, and it shattered the moment it hit the ground, making a noise that coincided with her gasp.

 Chapter 176: Rock’s New Ally (III)

    Chapter 176: Chapter 176: Rock''s New Ally (III)


    Rock moved fast. He quickly jumped into the room, and Long Xiurong immediately got up from the seat and tried her best to reach the door to escape from this assassin.


    Unfortunately, she wasn''t as agile as Rock. He grabbed her arm two seconds after she tried to run away.


    "H-Help ! Mmf!"


    Long Xiurong tried to scream, but Rock quickly covered her mouth and whispered from behind, "Ssh! The servants are going to hear us."


    Long Xiurong struggled as hard as she could, but this man was like an immovable mountain. He wouldn''t budge no matter how hard she struggled.


    Little did she know that all her vain struggles only annoyed him, because Long Xiurong tried to do a back kick, attempting to hit him on his balls. It was a desperate self-defense, but the only thing it did was rub her butt on his groin repeatedly, which unfortunately aroused him a bit.


    Rock gritted his teeth again as he tried to dispel that stupid idea from his mind. He tightened his grip around her mouth and added, "Stop struggling. I''m not here to


    kill you."


    "Mmf?! Mmff! Mmf!"


    Long Xiurong stopped struggling, but it seemed she had a lot to say. Rock dragged her into the corner of the room to minimize any sound she made and slowly lifted his fingers to give this woman a moment to calm down.


    But the moment he let her speak, she quickly yelled again, "Help-MMF!"


    "You-! How many times do I have to tell you that I''m not here to kill anyone? And stop struggling! Not only it doesn''t hurt, but you only make it awkward between us!" Rock scolded her. Long Xiurong froze when she noticed something big and thick was rubbing on her butt.


    Long Xiurong paled. She shook her head weakly as she thought that she would be raped by this stranger.


    If he didn''t want to kill her, then he must''ve wanted to rape her, or both!


    This man was probably an assassin sent by Lady Jade to rape and kill her, so her body would be defiled before death.


    She didn''t want to die or to get raped by a stranger. She was a noble-born and the daughter of the Emperor of the Long Dynasty!


    Long Xiurong let out a whimper, and Rock noticed her distress as she realized that he had a hard-on.


    Rock got flustered instantly as he truly had no perverted intention until he jumped to her window and was overwhelmed by her sweet scent that filled every corner of the room.


    Rock shook his head to regain hisposure and replied;


    "W-wait, not like that! I also don''t want to do anything with your body! I''m here because I want to meet with Princess Swan! This is a guest room, so you must be her guest, right?"


    Long Xiurong was both relieved and scared hearing that.


    Whoever this man was, he definitely didn''t have a good intention toward Princess Swan, and Long Xiurong had no intention of letting Princess Swan get hurt.


    Rock finally lifted his fingers again after Long Xiurong calmed down. She didn''t scream like before, but she was still on full alert, "W-who are you? And how do you know about Princess Swan?"


    "She is MY Princess, and I''m his loyal knight. Does that answer your question?" Rock replied.


    "I-I don''t remember her having any knight. You can''t fool me with that."


    "I''m not lying!" Rock eximed. He was proud of his status as Princess Swan''s knight, so her doubt was like a direct insult for him, "Princess Swan called me a dear knight many times!"


    "Are you sure you''re not just delusional? I know she''s a beauty, but don''t you understand that she is His Majesty Beast King''s wife? You''re courting death."


    "Tsk, I told you I''m not lying!" Rock


    was already at his wit''s end. He


    decided to let this woman know


    tolet


    about his identity. Nobody would believe her if she tried to report this


    anyway. "Fine. I am Rock Silverfang.


    I was His Majesty''s beta until an


    incident forced me to leave the


    kingdom. But even if I am not his


    beta anymore, my loyalty lies on Princess Swan. She is the only one I care for right now, and I am here to see her."


    "Rock... Silverfang?" Long Xiurong frowned. She looked over her shoulder to get


    a good look at the man behind her. The moment their eyes met, Rock''s world seemed to pause.


    To Rock, this woman''s scent was already intoxicating, which annoyed him because he disliked getting distracted from his duty.


    But the moment their eyes met, he felt a thousand fireworks explode in his brain.


    He was like an idiot who lost hisposure, and he kept staring at Long


    Xiurong''s beautiful eyes without blinking.


    As for Long Xiurong...


    Well, she thought that this man was very handsome!


    She had zero idea about werewolves'' traditions, habits, and instincts, but she knew about Rock Silverfang from the rumor. He was a traitor, a bastard who tried to rape Princess Swan.


    He got caught before that happened and was put in jail for treason. He was meant


    to spend the rest of his life chained, but he mysteriously escaped even though it was supposed to be physically impossible.


    Long Xiurong thought that Rock was a bastard who lusted over Princess Swan, but when their eyes met, she could see the innocence behind his eyes despite his strong appearance. He was like an open book, and Long Xiurong could see that he was very devoted to Princess Swan.


    ''Does that mean the rumors about him are untrue? There are so many stupid fake rumors around this castle. He''s probably another victim of gossip,'' Long Xiurong thought.


    Thus, she began to lower her guard and said, "I... I don''t think you''re supposed to


    be here. You are a fugitive, and His Majesty will kill you once he finds out."


    "I know that. But I can''t rest easy until I know about my Princess'' condition. I need to see her at least once before leaving," Rock insisted. "You are her friend-or at least her guest, right? Please help me to meet her!"  ?wnovel

 Chapter 177: A Handsome Young Wolf (I)

    Chapter 177: Chapter 177: A Handsome Young Wolf (1)


    Rock looked at her pleadingly.


    Long Xiurong was weak to this man''s handsome face. She was almost swayed to help him, but she knew better not to poke the sleeping wolf.


    "I don''t want to get executed for helping a fugitive," Long Xiurong refused. "I know better to save my life. The moment His Majesty knew that I was helping a fugitive to meet his wife, he would kill me out of rage. I think you know better how scary he can get."


    Of course, Rock understood that very well. He was at the receiving end of the Beast King''s rage more than once, but he was desperate to find a way to meet Princess Swan.


    "I promise that all you need to do is to give me a way so I can enter Princess Swan''s room. All I want is to talk with her at least once, making sure that she is alright, then I can leave!"


    "We both know that''s not possible," Long Xiurong sighed. "Listen, I understand that you might be in love with her because of her beauty, but she is His Majesty''s mate, and they are deeply in love with each other. It''s not worth the risk."


    "I''m not in love with my Princess!" Rock rebuked.


    Usually, he would never show his true feelings to someone else. But this time, his instinct told him to rify before thisdy thought that his heart was already taken by another woman.


    "Then howe you are so insistent on meeting her in person? Wait, don''t tell me that Princess Swan also reciprocates your love," Long Xiurong theorized, then got sad by her own words.


    Because she was quite fond of this man''s handsome face. It would be sad if she had no chance at all, right?


    "N-no, Princess Swan and the Beast King are in love with each other. That''s the undeniable truth," Rock rified.


    "So what''s with your fascination with her?"


    Rock didn''t want to tell Long Xiurong about Princess Swan''s strange power that helped him escape twice and also healed him from his muteness after Lady Jade poisoned him.


    So, he simply replied, "I am bound by duty to protect her, making sure that she is alright. Even if I have been kicked out of the kingdom by His Majesty, the Princess still refers to me as her Dear Knight. My loyalty only lies in her right now," Rock didn''t want Long Xiurong to misunderstand further. "Let''s just say that I''ve sworn upon my pride as a werewolf that I will stay by her side and protect her no matter what. It''s not about love or anything. I am her knight, her protector."


    "I see..." Long Xiurong more or less understood. In the Eastern Long Dynasty, there was no such thing as an assigned knight. The Emperor had his group of highly skilled assassins, but the rest of the harem members only had regr guards to protect them.


    "S-so, you shouldn''t think that


    Princess Swan and I have an affair, okay? Ignore the rumors, since I


    gossiping about us. I am singl


    know everyone must''ve been


    avable, and I''ve never touched any female before!" Rock proimed, which made Long Xiurong raise her brow in confusion.


    "Uhm... that''s... good, I guess?" Long Xiurong responded awkwardly. She had never seen a man this honest and open before, so it caught her off guard.


    But she didn''t hate it.


    She found him cute instead.


    "T-then, how about you?" Rock asked nervously. "I know you are a human, but you haven''t told me your name, your rtionship with Princess Swan, and whether you already have a man or not."


    Long Xiurong giggled. She turned around so they could face each other this time. Logically, she should have taken a step back to make some distance, and Rock should''ve released his grip around her waist.


    But neither of them did anything, so they stared at each other in silence for a while before Long Xiurong replied, "My name is Long Xiurong, a Princess from Eastern Long Dynasty. Things happened and I am stuck in this castle for an indefinite amount of time. Princess Swan and I have a good friendship, but that''s mostly because the Princess is very kind and epting. Oh,stly, I have no man by my side. Does that answer all of your questions?"


    Long Xiurong deliberately left out the detail that she was sent to the Kingdom of Beastmen as the Beast King''s bride.


    She thought that detail wasn''t important, because the Beast King never touched her, or considered her as his bride anyway.


    Rock was relieved and even a little excited knowing this woman was not entangled with another man. He didn''t know if his instinct was correct, but now that his mind had been filled with her scent, he wanted to get closer to her.


    "Unfortunately, about the Princess, I don''t think can help you. I understand your situation, but I have to save myself first," Long Xiurong said as she kept it real between them. "I don''t want you to risk your life trying to get into Princess Swan''s room. She has a weak body, and she would usually huddle up in her bed right now. There is no opening for you."


    Rock knew that very much.


    freewebnovel


    His Princess had a frail body, that''s why he was genuinely worried about her health and safety.


    "But I don''t want you to leave empty-handed. I know that you just want to know her condition. So... why don''t you write a letter here, in my room? I will personally give it to her after the banquet ends when Princess Swan and I have a private tea time together."


    "Oh! That''s a good idea," Rock nodded in agreement.


    "You should return to me in two weeks or so, I will be the messenger between you two," Long Xiurong offered.


    It looked like she was offering a helping hand, but truthfully she just wanted to see him again, as she thought this man was both cute and handsome.

 Chapter 178: A Handsome Young Wolf (II)

    Chapter 178: Chapter 178: A Handsome Young Wolf (II)


    freewebnovel


    Rock sat at the study desk, waiting for Long Xiurong to give him the quill and paper to write a letter.


    "Do you need me to write it for you? I heard from others that some beastmen cannot read or write," Long Xiurong thoughtfully asked.


    "No, it''s okay. I have been taught how to read and write since I was His Majesty''s beta," Rock replied as he picked up the quill. "It won''t take long. I just want to write a short letter for her."


    "Mhm," Long Xiurong sat on the bed, staring at the broad shoulder of the handsome man who should be around her age range in human age. He was smaller than the Beast King, but he was still hugepared to regr humans.


    The man named Rock seemed to write effortlessly, meaning that he was well- educated.


    ''If he is as strong as what the rumors say, then he should be the second strongest after the Beast King, right? He is well-educated, strong, and seems to have manners. Howe a good man like him lost control over himself and attacked Princess Swan?''


    "I have a question for you, Sir Rock."


    "Just call me Rock," Rock replied while he was still writing in full focus. "And what is it? I''m all ears."


    "You told me there are many rumors around the castle. Would you mind telling me the real reason for you getting kicked out?" Long Xiurong asked, and Rock stopped writing instantly.


    He paused for a long time before taking a deep breath and continued writing the letter, "I don''t know if Princess Swan has told you about this yet, but I was poisoned by Lady Jade."


    "Lady Jade?!" Long Xiurong knew that Jade was cunning and cruel, but she didn''t expect she would even harm Rock Silverfang, the Beast King''s beta.


    Long Xiurong thought that Jade''s loyalty was to the Beast King.


    Now she wasn''t so sure.


    "Yes, that woman used something to force me into my rut, and I lost my mind at that time. Princess Swan was the only woman that had ever caught my attention, so my instinct forced me to do unspeakable things to her," Rock replied. He was a bit nervous as he never told the whole story to someone before, but it was nice to get this off his chest. "I don''t think I am in love with her, but Princess Swan is objectively beautiful and alluring. So I cannot help myself."


    Long Xiurong was a little hurt listening to thatst sentence.


    What he said was not wrong, even Long Xiurong had to admit that Princess Swan was objectively gorgeous.


    But she was still a woman, and she wanted to be the most beautiful one to the man that she was interested in.


    ''I guess we are still strangers, after all. I''m getting way too ahead of myself,'' Long Xiurong thought. She wanted tough at herself for being so pathetically excited for this man.


    She had been rejecting marriage proposals left and right in the Eastern Long Dynasty, but now she had been reduced to being the one excited over this wolf


    man.


    "Alright, I''m done with the letter," Rock said as he got up, and handed the letter to Long Xiurong. "Lady Long, please hand this to Princess Swan''d be so grateful if I could get a letter from her once I''m back. I want to know if she ever ns to leave this castle."


    "Why would she want to leave this castle?" Long Xiurong frowned as she


    epted the letter. "She''s in a good rtionship with His Majesty. They are truly a rare loving couple."


    "I know, but for some reason, I have


    a feeling that they won''tst forever," Rock muttered. "His Majesty is. powerful, but he is also a jealous and oppressive man. Princess Swan is a human, unlike His Majesty and I. We spend the rest of our lives with only one mate, but female humans can get bored and fall in love with someone else as time goes on."


    "I don''t think Princess Swan will ever get bored of her husband," Long Xiurong defended Swan, as she felt that Rock had a skewed view of human love.


    "You said that because you''re also a human, Lady Long. Unfortunately, I cannot believe the love that humans have," Rock said. "They are not bound by fate, unlike us-werewolves."


    "Then, what about those wolves who are mated with humans? I mean I only know one sample, and that is Princess Swan and His Majesty. But they are inseparable!"


    Rock''s lips thinned as he had to say a terrible thing, "His Majesty cannot sense his fated mate. That is part of his curse. He is in love with Princess Swan but what would happen when his real fated matees? What would happen to Princess Swan?" Rock said. "That''s why I have to prepare in case Princess Swan wants to leave, whether it''s because she''s bored, or because His Majesty has finally found his fated mate. I have to be there when she needs me the most."


    Long Xiurong understood Rock''s point of view but still refused to believe it. She didn''t know much about this fated mate-thing that werewolves had. But whenever she saw Princess Swan and the Beast King together, Long Xiurong got this sense of dependency between them.


    It seemed that both of them refused to let go of each other. She even thought that His Majesty and the Princess would probablymit suicide if one of them died first.


    Thus, she refused to believe that the Beast King couldn''t identify his fated mate when it was obviously Princess Swan!


    Long Xiurong knew there was no point in arguing over this, so she decided to challenge his perspective instead, "But what about you, Rock?"


    "About me?"


    "What if your fated mate is also a human? What would you do?" Long Xiurong asked. "Will you give all of your love for her, or will you distrust her just because she is a human?"

 Chapter 179: A Handsome Young Wolf (III)

    Chapter 179: Chapter 179: A Handsome Young Wolf (III)


    "I" Rock was silenced when he heard that question.


    He was caught off guard. If it wasn''t Long Xiurong who asked this, his answer would undoubtedly be the same.


    I distrust and detest humans as much as the other beastmen are. Princess Swan


    is an exception, but even I doubt that she is fully human. I will never let myself get entangled with a human.


    That would be his normal answer to this question.


    When he first found out that His Majesty was mating with a human, there was a hint of displeasure in his heart, because he was a proud beastman, and thought that it would dilute His Majesty''s offspring.


    But his views changed after meeting with Princess Swan, because objectively, no man would be able to resist her, whether they were human or beastmen.


    Even now, he still had a lot of distrust of humans. The war against Princess Swan''s father, thete King Tyrion, only worsened his bias against them.


    King Tyrion devised so many cruel and dishonorable strategies, poisoning the well, burning the food supply, using women for assassination, and many more. It angered Rock so much because no beastman king or warrior would have that kind of idea in mind.


    However, he had no intention to show his true biased view in front of Lady Long. For some reason, he didn''t want to make her think that his opinion would never change.


    He knew for a fact that it did change when he met with Princess Swan, and he believed his views of humans could improve once he spent more time with Long Xiurong.


    "I don''t know," Rock replied. "I never thought that my mate would be a human. If she is a human, then I... I will still love her as much. After all, I will only mate once in my life, and I don''t want to ruin my only chance of happiness just because of my biased views."


    Rock kept his eye contact with Long Xiurong as he wanted her to know his stance.


    Long Xiurong sighed in relief, "Well, that''s good. I thought that you''re not going to be with her just because she''s human."


    "M-may I know why you ask this? There''s no proof that my mate will be a human, right?" Rock asked nervously. He had a gut feeling of who his mate would be, but he was still unsure.


    Long Xiurong smiled, "It''s just a question, no need to overthink it."


    She got up from the bed and said, "Alright, it''ste. I don''t want the maid to suspect that I''m bringing a man inside my room. You should leave now."


    Rock nodded, yet he didn''t move from his position.


    He felt reluctant, especially after taking a whiff of the scent around him, and realized this woman had such a nice scent that could get him addicted.


    Rock opened his mouth, he was about to say that he nned to spend more time in this room. But he stopped himself in the end and walked to the window.


    Long Xiurong followed closely and frowned when she identally stepped on the shattered ceramic teacup on the ground.


    "You don''t need to startle me like before, you know. I dropped the teacup," Long Xiurongined. "The ginger tea is probably cold now."


    Rock stopped on his track. He turned around and picked up the teapot. He took off the lid and took a deep whiff of the scent while closing his eyes.


    "What''s wrong? Do you want a cup of ginger tea before leaving? You can hide first, and I''ll tell my attendant to make a new one for you," Long Xiurong offered.


    "Who''s your attendant?"


    "Hm? Why do you want to know that?"


    "Just tell me, who is your attendant?" Rock repeated. His expression was grim as if he had discovered something horrible.


    Long Xiurong didn''t understand his sudden seriousness, but she replied, "Her name is Alice, she''s a bunny maid. She has been my attendant since I came to the castle."


    "A bunny maid..." Rock frowned as he tried to remember whether Lady Jade had


    a bunny attendant before. If his memory served him right, she never had a bunny maid.


    "What''s wrong? Is there something in the tea?" Long Xiurong asked.


    "There is something more inside this


    tea. It''s made out of tea leaves,


    ginger, and something else. The scent is very, very faint, and I don''t


    understand what that is," Rocke


    replied. "But if I were you, I wouldn''t


    take a sip of this tea."


    Long Xiurong''s eyes widened, and a sense of dread began to crawl into her, "D- don''t tell me the tea is..."


    "Poisoned? I don''t know either. But I


    BUT


    still won''t take my chance," Rock said as he poured the entire tea out of the window. "Lady Jade is a master of herbology. She can nts to make superb potions, but also poison. I was poisoned by a new type of medicine she put inside her tea that forced me to go into a terrible rut. Who knows this might be one of her creations, a poison that even the sharp nose of a wolf cannot detect."


    "D-do you mean that she is trying to poison me?"


    "You''re Princess Swan''s friend, right? If that''s the case, then yes," Rock said firmly. "I think she is trying to poison you. She is probably using your bunny attendant as her tool since you seem to trust her a lot."


    "I-I know that woman is devious, but


    twon


    I never expected her to target me. I


    thought she''d only target Princess Swan," Long Xiurong said. "Is there a way to prove that she is trying to poison me? Can you not tell me the type of poison she used inside the tea?"


    "It''s impossible. Honestly, I don''t even know if the ginger tea just now is poisoned,


    or if it''s just another blend of herbs that I never knew of. I just don''t want you to


    get hurt by something strange," Rock replied.

 Chapter 180: A Keepsake from Rock Silverfang

    Chapter 180: Chapter 180: A Keepsake from Rock Silverfang


    "Then how am I supposed to know if a food is poisoned or not?!" Long Xiurong panicked. "If I don''t have a way to prove that the food is poisoned by that bunny maid, then I won''t be able to eat anything she serves and I have to wait until the banquet ends to ask Princess Swan to change an attendant."


    "Does that mean I have to starve myself for the next five days or so? Can I even do that? Maybe I should tell Princess Swan about this immediately and request for a change of attendant."


    Rock listened to Lady Long''s panic rambling. He wasn''t annoyed by it because he understood that she must''ve been scared for her dear life.


    She was just a human, and humans were naturally fragile with no way to detect poisons or get rid of them from their bodies.


    ''If only I''m still in the castle, I''d protect her, or at least make sure her new attendant wouldn''t try to poison her.''


    ...


    ''Or should I just give it to her?'' Rock asked himself. He clenched the gift that he had prepared for Princess Swan. He wanted the Princess to have it to protect herself from danger, but seeing how scared Lady Long looked, he began to pity her.


    ''Princess Swan will be safe. She is not a normal human, unlike this one,'' Rock told himself. ''Princess Swan seems to be an incarnation of a Goddess or something since I cannot detect any malevolent presence in her. Her aura is so warm and soothing, like an angel...''


    Rock remembered those moments when Princess Swan saved him twice from the Beast King''s wrath. She could teleport at ease without a spell, so she couldn''t be a witch.


    She could also cure his muteness caused by Lady Jade''s poison, something that no dark magic could ever do. In fact, he had never heard of anyone who could heal a destroyed vocal box. Hence, what Princess Swan did was nothing less than a miracle.


    ''That means she will be safe, right? Unlike this woman who is so fragile and clueless,'' Rock thought. He took a deep breath, and in the end, pulled out the gift that was meant for Princess Swan.


    He grabbed Long Xiurong''s hand and put the item in her palm.


    Long Xiurong was surprised when he grabbed her, and even more surprised to see a ne with a strange w-shaped pendant on her palm.


    "What is this?" Long Xiurong asked.


    "It''s the tip of a white mammoth''s tusk. They are ancient creatures, but they still scarcely exist in the far north continent," Rock replied. "White Mammoths are very sensitive animals, and their tusk can detect any type of poison."


    "You can dip that tusk into any food or drink, and its color will change if there is something dangerous in it," Rock exined. He dipped his finger inside the teapot


    to get the tea in his hand, then rubbed it on the mammoth pendant.


    Long Xiurong witnessed how the white tusk turned purple instantly, "D-does that mean the tea has been poisoned?"


    "Yes," Rock replied firmly this time. "I still cannot determine what kind of poison it is, but it''s definitely poisoned. If you notice how faint the purple color is, I guess the amount of poison inside that teapot isn''t that high. Maybe that bunny attendant is trying to kill you slowly."


    Long Xiurong shivered thinking how a bunny maid whom she had given a second chance would betray her like this.


    "Then, I will make sure to put this to good use," Long Xiurong said before she hastily put it on her neck. She gently rubbed the tusk pendant and added, "It''s beautiful. Thank you very much."


    "It''s not beautiful, but as long as it''s useful for you," Rock scoffed. "I know the Eastern Long Dynasty are very keen on gold and gemstones."


    "It IS beautiful. Well, perhaps it''s because I''ve never been given a gift from a man before. I will treasure it," Long Xiurong said. Though, she was lying.


    As a popr Princess in the Eastern Long Dynasty, she was showered withvish gifts from many men who wanted to court her.


    But she had never felt this happy before, because the gift-the mammoth tusk- was given to her by this handsome young wolf who was worried about her safety.


    Rock smiled thinly, "Make sure to keep it a secret. His Majesty might get angry if he knows about the ¨º source of that mammoth tusk. Since he knows that tusk is native to the far north continent, and I don''t think anyone from the Eastern Long Dynasty ever reached the far north before."


    "That''s unfortunate. I was about to use the mammoth tusk as proof that my attendant wanted to poison me," Long Xiurong sighed. "But thank you, I will find another way to protect myself and take Lady Jade down."


    Rock''s smile widened as he said, "I will return in two weeks. Take care of yourself, Lady Long."


    Long Xiurong nodded. She was reluctant, but she knew she couldn''t keep him here, "Don''t worry about Princess Swan. I will do my best to protect her as well."


    "I know. I trust that you and I have her best interest in mind," Rock said. He climbed the window and gave her onest look before jumping out.


    Long Xiurong peeked from her window, wanting to see if she could catch a glimpse of that handsome young wolf, but he simply disappeared into the night.


    She held the tusk pendant tightly and muttered, "Thank you for prioritizing me, Rock Silverfang. I know this pendant is supposed to be for Princess Swan, right? But you gave it to me out of concern for my safety."


    She had nothing against Princess Swan, but to be prioritized by a man was a new feeling that made her happy after she got sidelined and rejected by her supposed husband.


    Long Xiurong tooked up to the moon


    and uttered, Goddess Asmara, is this your answer for my prayer? Is he truly the one for me? If he is, then please keep him safe, and give us a harmonious life, just like Princess Swan and the Beast King."

 Chapter 181: Is she my...

    Chapter 181: Chapter 181: Is she my...


    Rock disappeared into the night once more. He looked around the castle and realized Lady Long''s window was the only one open, probably because it was winter night, and the castle was already somewhat cold even in summer.


    ''I lost my chance to meet with my Princess,'' Rockmented. ''I also lost the ne I meant to give her.''


    That white mammoth ne was very difficult to obtain, as killing a white mammoth was strictly forbidden, and one unnecessary death would tip the scale of nature.


    Hence, he had to search through thend to find a dead white mammoth. It was almost like a miracle when he found it, and now it wasn''t in Princess Swan''s hand.


    Did he regret it?


    No.


    He just wished he could find two white mammoths before returning to the castle, so he could give one for Princess Swan and Lady Long each.


    ''She needs it more than Princess Swan,'' Rock told himself. ''I can''t let her die. Not when she is meant to be my messenger. My new ally in the castle.''


    Rock frowned when he said thest sentence.


    For some reason, his heart was unwilling to consider Long Xiurong as a mere ally. She was more than that, or at least he hoped she would be more than just an ally. "Is she truly..." Rock gritted his teeth. Of course, he knew more or less about fated mate. He wasn''t cursed like His Majesty, so the scent emanating from Lady Long''s nape should be enough sign for him to mark her.


    But then again, he remembered how enamored he was by Princess Swan''s scent. Honestly, Princess Swan''s scent was so overwhelming for him that he genuinely thought she was meant to be with him.


    He knew better than to fall in love with his Princess, as her heart already belonged to the Beast King. However, that didn''t erase the fact that Rock genuinely wanted to mark her as well.


    ''So, why do I feel the urge to mark two female humans at once? Which one is my actual mate?'' Rock asked himself but was only left with confusion in the end.


    **


    The second day of the banquet was just as gleeful as it was yesterday. In fact, it seemed that the Princess and Beast King were in a better mood for some reason, especially the Beast King who had a smirk as if he was plotting something cruel, yet fun for himself.


    Swan had been guessing what kind of surprises Gale had prepared for her. No matter how many times she pestered him to tell her, all he said was;


    Just wait and see what I have for you by tomorrow morning.


    And now, they were sitting at the same chair in the middle of the banquet, and Gale was still wearing that devious smirk.


    "Gale, you''re making me anxious..." Swan said.


    "Anxious? Are you ufortable?" Gale asked. "I think the weather is too cold for you. Let''s go back to our room."


    "N-no, I''m fine. I feel plenty warm in this winter clothing. I was just wondering what kind of surprise you have," Swan said. "You''ve been smirking the whole time, it makes me worry if you are up to no good."


    Gale chuckled, "You''re treating me like a cub. Don''t worry. My surprise is meant to make you happy¡ªat least I will definitely be happy about the surprise. Just sit still, and wait, alright?"


    Swan nodded, though she kept on guessing about it.


    Meanwhile, Long Xiurong sat on the furthest corner of the banquet. She avoided Alice entirely and told her that she wasn''t in the mood for breakfast.


    Though, it didn''t matter whether she ate or not. She was positive that everything the bunny maid served her had a high chance of beingced with poison. She didn''t want to risk it.


    Hence, Long Xiurong decided to fill her belly as much as possible during the banquet. By doing that, she would be able to hold on for the entire day until next week, when she could finally tell Princess Swan about everything and request to


    rece her attendant.


    She took out the ne Rock gave her and gently dipped it into a cup of tea in


    front of her, and the color of the tusk didn''t change.


    ''I guess it is truly fate that we met yesterday. Without his intervention, I would''ve slowly sumbed to the poison from that shitty bunny,'' Long Xiurong thought. ''And without Ris gift, would be too paranoid to think of anything.''


    After making sure that none of the food and drink she brought was poisoned, she ate her once-a-day meal with glee.


    Alice finally noticed Long Xiurong, who ate alone at the corner of the banquet. She clutched the bottle of poison in her pocket, wishing she could find a way to poison her more.


    ''Did she drink the teast night or not? Howe there''s no difference in her?'' Alice pondered as she approached Long Xiurong. She asked Lady Long if she felt ufortable in the morning, but thetter said she was perfectly fine.


    She also said that she identally knocked over the teacup, but said nothing else in detail.


    Alice was left in confusion about whether her n to poison Long Xiurong had seeded or not.


    ''I doubt she will feel well after


    with


    drinking the poisoned tea. She''s just a human, and Lady Jade said


    nobody would be able to survive


    drinking the tea after one week except maybe a few beastmen who could dispel poison or the Beast King himself, who was immune to poison.''


    Alice put on a kind smile once she stood in front of Long Xiurong and asked, "Mdy, it''s not good to eat outside like this. It''s very cold. Do you want me to bring your lunch to your room?"


    Long Xiurong lifted her head. She stopped chewing and swallowed her food.


    She was a bit nervous as this was her first time seeing someone who wanted to truly kill her, but she maintained her dignity and replied, "I''m fine. I already ate a lot here, so I don''t need dinner."

 Chapter 182: Bunny Is Blessed!

    Chapter 182: Chapter 182: Bunny Is Blessed!


    "W-why would you stuff yourself so much to the point you don''t need dinner? Mdy, your stomach will get upset. You don''t need to eat so much right now, I will bring you dinnerter!" Alice said in distress. She wasn''t acting this time, but her distress wasn''t for Long Xiurong.


    She felt distressed because it meant her chance of poisoning Long Xiurong would considerably decrease. How could she poison Long Xiurong when she didn''t eat anything Alice served?


    On top of that, she was also worried that Long Xiurong had somehow found out about the poisoned ginger tea.


    ''Wait, there is no way she found out about the poison. The poison is odorless and colorless. Even I can''t detect anything wrong with the tea I just poisoned,'' Alice told herself inwardly to calm herself down. ''Okay, rx, Alice. She''s just overly cautious because of the gossip about Swan being infertile. She''s still upset about that. How childish.''


    Alice hated this arrogant and childish bitch so much. However, she still tried to maintain her calm and put on a concerned expression, "Mdy, please don''t gorge yourself like this. You make me worry."


    "Worry?" Long Xiurong scoffed. She found this bunny maid''s acting to be superb. Had it not been for Rock''s warning, she would''ve thought this bunny maid was being sincere. "You should keep that worry to yourself. I''m not in the mood to talk with you, and I''m not in the mood to eat anything you serve. Go away."


    Alice gritted her teeth. She wished she could''ve just forced this bitch to drink the poison and let her die right in front of her eyes.


    Unfortunately, she couldn''t do that, and now she had to persuade Long Xiurong.


    "D-did I do something wrong this time, Mdy? I just want to be a good attendant to you..."


    Long Xiurong itched to tear that mask apart.


    But she couldn''t, at least not now. She had to be patient and protect herself before she could report this to Princess Swan.


    "If you desperately want to be a good attendant for me, then turn around and leave me alone. Or are you deaf? Is that why you cannot hear my order just now?" Long Xiurong scolded aggressively, and that almost made Alice snap.


    "I-if that''s what you want, then I will obey, Mdy," Alice replied awkwardly before leaving. She went straight to the castle and headed to Lady Jade''s room as she wanted to report this to her real mistress.


    *


    "What did you say?" Jade asked as she sipped her tea.


    "M-Mdy, something is wrong with Long Xiurong. She told me that she didn''t want me to serve her any food whatsoever. She has been gorging on the food in the banquet, so she will be full every day without ever needing me to serve her food," Alice exined nervously. "I-I don''t know if this n will seed, Mdy. What can I do if she doesn''t even want to eat or drink anything I serve? Is there something wrong with the poison? M-maybe there''s a mistake and Long Xiurong can detect it."


    Jade threw the teacup in her hand towards Alice, and the bunny maid didn''t dodge. She quickly zipped her lips and allowed the hot tea to stain her maid''s dress.


    "Shut it with your rambling. My poison is perfect, not even Gale can detect what kind of poison it is," Jade defended herself. "I doubt that Long Xiurong has any sort of ability to detect poison. But maybe Swan can. After all, she has weird magic in her."


    "But Princess Swan and Long Xiurong haven''t had any tea time yet. I always make sure to keep an eye on her whenever she leaves her room, so it''s not possible Mdy," Alice reported.


    Lady Jade shrugged, "Well if that''s the case, it is up to you to find a way to poison her. Maybe try something else other than food. You can also wait for her to sleep, and then try to chug the poison into her mouth. She''ll die instantly, but it''s better than nothing, right?"


    Alice nodded weakly. She felt helpless because all she could think of was toce


    Long Xiurong''s food and drink with poison.


    She thought this mission would be easy, but now, she had to find another way.


    "I will find a way, Mdy. Please trust me."


    Jade smiled, "Of course, I trust you. What you''re holding in your pocket is a special type of poison that nobody ever had before. It''s my best creation, so I don''t want you to mess this up, understand?"


    "Yes, Mdy."


    Alice excused herself and went out of Lady Jade''s room.


    She walked through the corridor while thinking of an idea, when all of a sudden, she bumped into Myra and Maya, the cat maids, who were busy in another guest room, going in and out to clean it.


    "Do we have a new guest today?" Alice asked.


    Myra looked at Alice and nodded, "It seems so. His Majesty told us to prepare one room because we will have a special guest."


    "A special guest?"


    "Yes, they are from the Holy Achate. It''s probably Princess Swan''s sister," Maya replied. "Ugh, I hate that woman so much. She''s so demanding and rude, unlike Princess Swan."


    "I know, right? I used to like her because she''s as beautiful as Princess Swan, but not anymore. I still remember when she tried to ssh scalding hot tea on our Princess'' face!"


    "And I''m d it burned her instead! Serves her right!"


    As Myra and Maya continued to gossip, Alice felt like she had been saved by the Goddess, because she had just found another ally!


    ''Oh, Moon Goddess, this must be your help, right? You must''ve been sending me help to take down the evil bitches, Long Xiurong and Swan! I can''t wait to meet with Princess Aria. If she''s the one who asked Long Xiurong for tea time, then that woman wouldn''t be able to reject the invitation, right?''


    Alice was 100% sure that Princess Aria would help her.


    Princess Aria knew how dangerous her little sister was as a witch, so she must''ve been as desperate as her to cleanse the evil as well.


    ''Hehe, I know I am blessed by the Moon Goddess, that''s why she helps me on my mission to save the Beast King!''

 Chapter 183: Kneel Before My Queen (I)

    Chapter 183: Chapter 183: Kneel Before My Queen (1)


    Swan was enjoying the banquet with the rest of the soldiers, who constantly showered her with praises and even bardic songs. It felt strange for Swan, who was still not used to getting too much attention, but she didn''t hate the feeling.


    She just felt that she hadn''t done anything remarkable so far to be given such high praise.


    "All the soldiers like you," Gale mentioned the obvious. "I think it''s fine to make you a queen sooner orter."


    "A queen?" Swan held her breath as she turned her head towards her husband. She didn''t say anything more, but she gave Gale a look of surprise, as if what Gale said was just so ridiculous.


    Gale chuckled, "What''s with your expression, Sweetheart? Do you think I would make another woman my queen, instead? That''s ridiculous. It''s either you or I shall be queen-less for the rest of my very, very long life."


    "D-don''t say that. I''m just surprised, because... well... I''ve heard from the servants that the Queen in any beastman tradition is meant to bear the King''s child. I am yet to bear your cub. I don''t think I deserve to be a queen."


    What Swan said was correct about the tradition.


    Any beastmen tribe had the same tradition regarding marriage; the essence of mating was to produce offspring to continue their lineage. Therefore, a female could only be given the same power as her husband once she had birthed a healthy and strong child.


    Swan had never asked Gale about her status, because she knew better not to demand something that was meant to be an old tradition.


    She wanted to stay true to her promise and was content with her situation. She would still help Gale for the betterment of the kingdom, regardless if she became the queen or not.


    ''Besides, if Gale ever finds his fated mate, wouldn''t it be rude of me to snatch a position that should be hers in the first ce?'' Swan thought.


    However, Gale had a different idea in mind, "You''re right. In beastmen tradition, I can only make you queen once you have given me an offspring. But that''s not important to me. What''s important is you. As long as you are here by my side, I can make you queen whenever I want."


    "But...What about the tradition?"


    "I don''t care about the tradition," Gale replied as the smile on his face slowly disappeared. "I am above thew. I am the King of the Beasts. Do you think a mere old tradition can change my mind about you?"


    Swan lowered her head and said nothing after that. Not because she agreed on his decision, but because she felt uneasy.


    She didn''t want Gale to be seen as a tyrant. She wanted him to be seen as a majestic, powerful, yet wise and kind Beast King.


    ''I should talk to him more after this. It''s not right to break the rules only for me,'' Swan thought.


    Gale knew Swan was unwilling to be his Queen because she hadn''t been pregnant yet, but he didn''t care.


    ''That stupid Moon Goddess can curse me all she wants to make another woman my mate, but I love you with all the fiber in my body. will make you mine no matter what, my lovely Swan,'' Gale told himself as the aura around his body started to get a bit heavy before he quickly suppressed it.


    A guard slowly approached the Beast King and whispered information that immediately boosted his mood.


    "Let them stay in the throne room. I''ll be there soon," Gale said.


    "Do we have a guest in the throne room? Is it an important guest?" Swan asked as she got curious.


    "Yes," Gale got up and carried Swan on his arm. "This is the surprise I want to give you."


    "Uhm... is the guest THAT important for us to leave the banquet? The soldiers are still queueing to give us their praises," Swan mentioned as she looked over to the soldiers who were smiling at her.


    Gale liked the praises and respect that Swan got from his beastmen soldiers, but he hated the way she smiled back at them. It made him jealous to let so many men see his beautiful wife''s smile.


    Unfortunately, he couldn''t ban Swan from ever smiling at other men because his stubborn wife wouldn''t ept that, and they would argue all night long over it.


    uT


    Hence, Gale walked faster to the throne room so Swan wouldn''t be able to see those soldiers anymore. Once they arrived in front of the throne room, Gale halted his step and asked, "Are you ready forthe surprise?"


    Swan nodded weakly, "I mean, I''ve been dying to know. But you keep telling me that it''s a secret and all..."


    "It is a secret. But I promise you that it will be worth the wait," Gale smiled mysteriously as he pushed the door himself. "Let''s see what they will do, Sweetheart."


    Swan was expecting a high-ranked beastman king from a farawaynd who came to congratte Gale upon his sessful rut.


    However, her heart dropped once she saw the two guests who were standing in the middle of the throne room.


    It was her stepmother and half-sister; Anastasia and Aria.


    Anastasia still tried to show an awkward smile once Swan and the Beast King entered the throne room, but Aria couldn''t be bothered to do it.


    Gale walked leisurely towards his throne, so he walked past the Queen and Princess of Holy Achate.


    Once he sat on his throne, he put Swan on his thigh and said, "Wee to my domain, Queen Anastasia, Princess Aria. I''ve been


    expecting you toe since I''m


    sure the Kingdom of Holy Achate is in great peril right now."


    "Your Majesty, we¡ª"


    "Silence," Gale interrupted in a calm, yet oppressive tone befitting of a powerful


    monarch. "Before I hear whatever you want to say, I want you to kneel before my Queen. Queen Swan Asmara of Beastmen Kingdom."

 Chapter 184: Kneel Before My Queen (II)

    Chapter 184: Chapter 184: Kneel Before My Queen (II)


    Kneel before my Queen.


    That sentence shocked everyone-even Swan-in the throne room. They all looked at the Beast King who didn''t seem to be bothered by their reaction.


    Swan stared at Gale while shaking her head. She might not like her Queen Mother and sister, but she also didn''t want to get on their bad side. She went through a lot of painful bullying growing up, and she knew better than to provoke them.


    By forcing Queen Mother and her sister to kneel, it was akin to telling them that Swan was in a higher position than both of thembined.


    Swan turned her head towards her family, and her blood ran cold when she saw both Anastasia and Aria ring at her. If eyes could kill, then Swan would''ve been dead by now.


    She quickly returned her gaze to Gale and implored, "Gale, please..."


    Gale witnessed everything and knew that Swan must''ve been intimidated on top of being neglected by these two ungrateful women growing up. Or else, she wouldn''t be so scared at the idea of Anastasia and Aria kneeling to her.


    "What are you scared of? I''ve defeated the Queen of the North Sea and cut all of their trade routes, and I''ve killed your bastard father who used devious tactics against my kingdom in a war. Had it not been for you, I could turn the Holy Achate upside down until there is no living being in that kingdom in just one night," Gale told Swan. He wanted her to stand proud, as he had conquered the Holy Achate twice. "They deserve to kneel before you before us! They would be dead by now had it not been for my generosity and consideration of your homnd!"


    Gale was right. He had defeated Holy Achate twice, and everyone''s lives were at his mercy. But she was still scared whenever she imagined the piercing gaze from both Aria and Anastasia.


    Before she could say anything else, Anastasia quickly kneeled before the throne and said, "Salute to the Beast King Gale Stormfront and Queen Swan Asmara of Beastmen Kingdom. Pardon my impertinence as I was merely unsure how to give you a proper salutation."


    Gale and Swan darted their eyes towards Queen Anastasia at the same time. She was kneeling deeply, like a servant who had been serving the Kingdom of Beastmen for a long time.


    "Heh, you understand your position better than your daughter, it seems," Gale scoffed. He shifted his gaze towards Aria who was still standing, and Swan also followed his line of sight.


    Swan and Aria made eye contact, and it was obvious that Aria couldn''t wait to tear her apart.


    Swan still had a psychological shadow over her half-sister. She had been bullied by Aria since they were young, and Aria always had everyone''s support, while she was left abandoned and in pain most of the time.


    She knew that she wouldn''t get hurt now, but it still made her body tense.


    Gale sensed Swan''s nervousness, and his gaze under his blindfold deepened.


    "You-go and kneel like your mother. The two of you are peas in the same pod. If one of you refuses to kneel to my wife, then I shall never lift the trade ban," Gale threatened. "Let''s see what will happen sooner orter in your pitiful kingdom."


    Anastasia red at Aria who was still standing straight and forcefully pulled her dress as hard as she could, so Aria would kneel with her.


    Aria kept staring at Swan who still had those pitiful eyes, like a lost puppy that she couldn''t wait to beat to death.


    She wanted to try and use her dark spell against Swan, to see if that bitch was truly as powerful as she thought.


    But she was currently with the Beast King, and just like what that Great Witch- Madam Harsetti said, the Beast King was immune to any kind of dark or harmful magic.


    ''Should I use my emerald ne here? Ugh, can''t wait to nullify her witchcraft entirely, so she won''t be able to trick the Beast King anymore,'' Aria thought. Her gaze shifted to the Beast King and lingered for a while as she had a lot of perverse fantasies about him.


    She had been dreaming about getting kidnapped by the Beast King after he killed everyone in her kingdom. She dreamed of getting bred by him and was forced to give birth to his cubs.


    She also fantasized about having sex with the Beast King in various positions!


    Her imagination was very vulgar for a supposedly cute princess, but she was not one bit ashamed of it, because whenever she saw the Beast King, she KNEW he had infinite stamina and a big dick! He had everything needed to satisfy her! freewebnovel


    Yet, they were on the opposite side right now, and she reluctantly kneeled as she knew angering the Beast King would only ruin her n to defeat Swan.


    "Salute to the Beast King. Pardon me for my uncouth behavior just now," Aria said, but she didn''t even try to show her respect to Swan.


    "Your salutation is iplete. I told you to kneel before my queen," Gale insisted. "Do it before I lose my patience."


    Aria gritted her teeth. She couldn''t wait to use her curse against Swan and make her scream in pain for the rest of her eternal life. She would make Swan immortal but would be in constant pain.


    ''Calm down, Aria. Just be patient until you find the right time to use the emerald to stop her from using magic, Aria told herself before she added to her salutation, "Salute to Queen Swan Asmara of Beastmen Kingdom. Pardon me for not being adept, Your Majesty."


    "Good. Now you know that Swan and I are on the same level. If you dare to offend her again, then you have offended me, and I naturally. have to punish you two," Gale said arrogantly. "Now, why don''t we go straight to the point? You''re here to beg so I can lift the trade ban, isn''t that right, Queen Anastasia?"

 Chapter 185: Kneel Before My Queen (III)

    Chapter 185: Chapter 185: Kneel Before My Queen (III)


    Anastasia choked on her own saliva. She was so nervous as she knew how powerful this pair of lovebirds was.


    The Beast King was so mighty and absurdly strong that he could kill a giant narwhal in just one punch, while Swan... well, Aria said that crippled bitch was a powerful dark witch.


    Both of them could kill thousands or hundreds of thousands of people if they wanted to. Anastasia knew her limit since the fate of her crowny in Gale''s hand right now.


    "Y-yes, Your Majesty," Anastasia stuttered. Her legs were shaking as she knew that the Beast King was ring down on her under that blindfold. "T-the people in Holy Achate is s-starving right now, a-and they have been protesting in front of the pce gate for weeks. I-I don''t know how long we can go without food. I-I''m afraid that people will storm into the pce andunch a c-coup. I''m afraid I''d be executed, Your Majesty."


    Anastasia tried to be as honest as she could be. She had been worrying about her crown the whole time, and she hoped that the Beast King understood her worry.


    Both of them were monarchs, and maintaining their position as King or Queen was the most important thing for them.


    But there was not even the slightest change in Gale''s expression. He didn''t look surprised or concerned about the situation in the Holy Achate.


    It was Swan who looked anxious, and the more Anastasia reported what happened in Holy Achate, the more stressed Swan got.


    Anastasia didn''t like Swan as she was nothing but a shame to Holy Achate. She was just a product of alcohol born from an affair when herte husband, King Tyrion, was drunk and seduced by a whore to have sex.


    The whore died during childbirth, and Swan was born as nothing but a shame. An existence that nobody liked or weed in the pce.


    However, this was a matter of life or death situation for her, so Anastasia quickly shifted her gaze at Swan and showed her grief, "Swan, my dear daughter. I know that you and I have had a lot of issues in the past, but the people in the Holy Achate are innocent. They know nothing, and it''s unfair for them to starve just because of a small mistake that I made back then, right? Please help your dear mother, I can''t stop thinking about the cries of the poor because they can''t eat anything!"


    Gale knew this callous woman was just trying to get Swan''s sympathy since Swan was a very soft-hearted woman with great empathy. She could even empathize with a bastard like Rock Silverfang.freewebnovel


    He wanted to interrupt but decided to keep his silence for now as he wanted to observe what Swan would do next.


    Meanwhile, Swan became more and more worried as her stepmother told her about the suffering of the people.


    Swan felt that she wasn''t apletely good person, as she still didn''t want to forget what her stepmother and half-sister did to torture her growing up. But Anastasia was right. The people in the Holy Achate Kingdom were innocent as most of them never knew the identity of Swan, their illegitimate Princess.


    "Swan, my daughter, please think of the people! Your husband might be angry because of what happened in the past. I''m here as the


    representative of themon folks in the Holy Achate!" Anastasia implored with tears at the corner of her eyes. "Do you know what they eat when starving? They eat rats, cats, and even the dead! They started cannibalizing each other!"


    Swan took a deep breath as she tried to stay calm, but the distress was apparent


    in her eyes. She was about to cry thinking of the suffering that the innocent people experienced in the Holy Achate.


    But still...she said nothing.


    She just listened and listened to the pleas from her stepmother until Anastasia''s throat got dry.


    "Please... Swah... I''m begging you..." Anastasia muttered with her hoarse voice. She let her tears wet her ¨¨ cheeks as she wanted to make sure that Swan pitied her enough to let go of the past grudges and forgive her for what she and Aria did in the past.


    Gale was observing Swan for a long time, but she still didn''t say anything, which was strange, because Swan was already in so much distress right now while thinking of themon folks.


    Gale had no intention to force her to speak, as he believed that his wife had her reason to stay silent.


    Instead, he looked at Aria who was


    still kneeling and looking down in silence, and asked, "Do you have something to say, Royal Princess? You are going to be the Queen of Holy Achate once your mother dies. I''m sure that you have a thing or two to convey."


    Aria lifted her head but maintained her silence while staring at the Beast King. She still ignored Swanpletely, even though she knew her kingdom''s situation was dire.


    If she could be honest, Aria couldn''t care less about what happened to people in the Holy Achate.


    Those people could perish for all she cared. They were only useful for her to harvest their souls anyway. It would be great if she could use an entire kingdom''s soul to strengthen her witchcraft.


    Suppressing her inner thoughts, Aria concealed her indifference, as she still had to maintain her innocence in front of her future husband. Gale wouldn''t want his fated mate to be a dark witch.


    Anastasia grew wary seeing Aria kept her silence. She didn''t want her daughter to ruin their n just because she was too prideful to beg Swan.


    The current situation was far more important than mere pride. It was a matter of life and death for them and they could be executed at any moment!


    Thus, Anastasia began to nudge Aria''s leg with hers, demanding her to say something before the Beast King got angry.


    "Your Majesty, I have a question for you."


    "For me?" Gale raised his brow. He didn''t have any interest in this woman with dung-scented perfume, but he got curious about what she was about to say. "Go on. I''m all ears."

 Chapter 186: She is not your fated mate

    Chapter 186: Chapter 186: She is not your fated mate


    Aria nced at Swan for a second, before returning her gaze to the Beast King.


    "I''ve heard the rumor that you are meant to find your fated mate and produce an heir. I also heard the rumor that wolf beastmen, in general, cannot produce offspring if they don''t mate with their fated one," Aria mentioned two of the mostmon topics about wolf beastmen. The wolf beastmen were simr to the swan beastmen. Both could only bond with one mate in their lifetime, so the Moon Goddess forbade them to produce an heir except with their fated mates.


    "And what about it?" Gale asked. He sensed a dreadful question that was about toe out of Aria''s mouth, but he knew it was toote to stop Aria from saying it.


    He pursed his lips as he let her roll with that question.


    "May I know if Queen Swan has been pregnant with your offspring yet, Your Majesty?" Aria asked. "If she is not, then does that mean she is not your fated mate?"


    Aria asked the question loud and clear, and she was met with absolute silence, as both Gale and Swan didn''t give her an immediate answer.


    Swan''s body tensed, but Gale wasn''t angry or offended by it.


    Everyone in the castle had long suspected that Princess Swan might not be the Beast King''s fated mate.


    But nobody dared to question him except for Jade, and Gale treated those rumors as mere noise.


    He checked on Swan whose face paled instantly, and finally replied, "You must''ve known about the rumor that I have been cursed, right?"


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    "I have been cursed by the Moon Goddess herself, and she granted me immortality on top of having strength that nobody could match for the next millennia or so. But it makes me unable to find my fated mate," Gale exined.


    Aria quickly suppressed the smile on her face once she thought that she had woken Gale out of Swan''s dark charm and hypnosis.


    "If that''s the case, then why are you treasuring her like she is your fated one? What would happen once you find your fated mate?" Aria asked. "Pardon me for being upfront, Your Majesty, but isn''t it unfair for your fated mate? She must''ve been waiting for you out there, and yet here you are, indulging yourself with a woman who cannot bear you a child!"


    Aria was told by Madam Harsetti, the Great Witch, that Gale was immune to dark charm, but he could still be fooled by logic.


    Swan might''ve been lying about one thing or another to persuade Gale, but he had to wake up eventually because that cripple wasn''t his fated mate.


    Swan was speechless.


    She had never been confronted right in her face about this problem by other people. Aria''s words physically and mentally hurt her knowing that she had to be separated from her husband eventually.


    She didn''t dare to look at Gale, not because she was scared of being abandoned, but because she was scared of him fiercely defending her despite being in the wrong.


    He shouldn''t have defended her.


    "I cannot identify my fated mate, that is the lifetime curse that I have to bear," Gale responded lightly. "Swan might or might not be my fated mate, but that doesn''t matter for me, because even if I''ve eventually found that woman, I will still love Swan more."


    "You can say that because you


    haven''t met her," Aria insisted. "I''m sorry Your Majesty, but I cannot truly believe that you won''t have a change of heart once you see your fated one. What you did right now s feeding into the delusion that you are in love with Swan."


    "ENOUGH!" Gate gritted his teeth as he got triggered. He vastly underestimated Aria, because he


    vel


    didn''t expect this dung-scented woman to have such a sharp tongue. "Just do what you need to do. Beg for my Queen for


    forgiveness, and if she forgives you, then I would be willing to lift the trade ban from Holy Achate entirely."


    Aria looked at Swan who already looked sad after listening to their conversation.


    She found it ridiculous that Swan could still put up a sweet and sad face even though both of them knew that she had been tricking him the entire time.


    "I''m sorry, Your Majesty, but I don''t think I can apologize to Swan right now, at least not in this throne room when you are present," Aria said. "Why not?"


    "Because I prefer to have a heart-to-heart conversation with my sister," Arja smiled. "Only the two of us, and I''m sure Swan would prefer the same. I understand that you are trying to make a show out of us. You want to humiliate us in front of Swan, but I don''t think it''s what she wants."


    "Nonsense, I¡ª"


    "She is right, husband..." Swan interrupted. "I... I understand what you want to do,


    but I want them to apologize privately. I-I''m not someone who wants to be worshiped, kneeled, or revered like this. Those are exclusive only for you." "But you and I¡ª"


    "You are the Beast King," Swan cut his words humbly. She smiled this time, but her smile only made her look even sadder. "Can you give Aria and I a moment alone to talk?"


    "No," Gale rejected firmly. "Don''t you remember what she did before? She threw a teapot with boiling tea to your face. If I wasn''t there, you would get hurt!"


    "You can wait outside, or let the cat maids and one or two guards inside. I want to have a conversation with Aria alone," Swan stated firmly.


    Gale couldn''t guess what was in Swan''s mind right now, or why she suddenly wanted to have a private conversation with her half-sister who had been tormenting her for a long time.


    He was unwilling, but Swan''s pleading gaze was truly his weakness because he


    found himself nodded in agreement before he realized it.


    "Don''t worry. I promised you that I will not make a mistake in my decision," Swan assured. "Trust me, husband."

 Chapter 187: Dark Witch Aria (I)

    Chapter 187: Chapter 187: Dark Witch Aria (1)


    Gale was utterly confused by Swan''s decision to have a private conversation with Aria.


    Wasn''t it obvious that the dung-scented woman did not have a good intention towards her? Why would Swan entertain her request?


    Nevertheless, he didn''t want to take the chance of letting his beloved get hurt. freewebnovel


    "I allow you to have a short conversation with her in this throne room, but I need to make sure that you are safe. The cat maids are agile fighters on top of being proper maids, so they will stand behind you in that room. I will be waiting outside," Gale said. "I will give you twenty minutes to talk. That should be enough, right?"


    "Yes, that is enough," Swan smiled. "Thank you, husband. I want to make sure that I won''t make the wrong choice this time. This is for your well-being and reputation as well."


    Gale still didn''t understand what Swan was referring to, but he reluctantly nodded. He told the guard to call the cat maids, and once they entered the throne room, he ordered, "The two of you will be guarding my wife for twenty minutes. Make sure that she is unharmed, if this woman-" Gale pointed at Aria who was still kneeling with Anastasia. "¡ªdares to do anything to harm my wife, then you are allowed to attack her. It doesn''t matter if she is badly hurt, or identally died."


    Gale didn''t bother to hide his intention. He wanted to make sure that Aria understood her position because Gale wouldn''t hesitate to kill her if she tried to pull the stunt as she did before.


    Gale sat Swan on the throne, and the cat maid stood on each side, watching the situation warily so their Princess would be well guarded.


    "What are you trying to do? We are already in this situation, I don''t want to die just because of you!" Anastasia scolded her daughter in a low voice before she got forcibly escorted out by the guards, followed by Gale who left the throne room to wait outside.


    He would be more understanding if Swan and her sister had a good rtionship. But it was all clear now that Aria hated Swan, and Swan was reluctant to tell him about what happened between them in the past.


    ''What are you nning, Swan? Don''t you realize that I am the best protection you can ever have?'' Gale thought.


    Thus, he leaned at the door while crossing his arms, impatiently waiting for twenty minutes to pass, so he could protect his beloved once more.


    Aria didn''t say a thing to her mother, but she smiled as she knew that her victory was near.


    The only reason why she wanted to have a ''private'' conversation with Swan was to use her emerald ne gifted by the Great Witch, Madam Harsetti.


    ''Now that she is not under the protection of the Beast King. It should be safe for me to use the ne. It''s only one-time use after all, I don''t want to waste it only for it to fail,'' Aria thought. ''But first, I have to make sure those cat maids are not going to bother me.''


    Aria nced at the cat maids standing on each side of the throne, and silently casting a spell.


    The cat maids'' eyes suddenly turned white, and they stood like two statues. She also cast a spell around the throne room to make sure that nobody from outside would be able to hear the conversation inside.


    After making sure that her preparation was well done, Aria stood up andined, "Jeez, I have to kneel for a long time. Do you not know how expensive my dress is? Ugh, even your life won''t be able to pay for it."


    Swan was surprised by the sudden change of attitude from Aria. Usually, she would stay silent because Aria was always the one with the upper hand.


    But not this time.


    She was the one standing on the throne, so the least Aria could do was to give her the respect she deserved as the Beast King''s wife.


    ''Don''t show weakness, Swan. You are representing your husband, the Beast King Gale Stormfront! You cannot look weak or it would disgrace him!'' Swan told herself as she lifted her chin and said, "Dhaven''t given you the order to get up Aria. Kneel back."


    Aria giggled, but her darkened gaze showed that she was more than pissed right now, "Can you stop ying pretend? We both know that you''re just a whore''s daughter who has no right to sit on that throne."


    "But I am the one sitting on this throne, not you. So, kneel back, before I told Gale


    about this," Swan threatened, but Aria did not show any sign of fear.


    "You can scream all you want, and Gale wouldn''t hear you. I''ve put a barrier


    around this throne room to deafen our voices," Aria said lightly.


    Swan frowned, "What nonsense are you speaking right now?"


    "Look at the cat maids," Aria said, and Swan quickly checked on Myra and Maya.


    Swan gasped when she saw that the cat maids had been petrified, as if


    they were nothing but lifeless


    statues right now, "M-Myra? Maya?" Swan tried to shake their bodies, but one of them simply fell to the ground like a stiff wooden doll.


    "I''ve petrified them. They are unconscious right now, and won''t be


    able to move until I cancel ou


    spell," Artamented while


    checking on her newly painted hails. She lifted her head and grinned at Swan, "What''s with your expression? Do you think that you are the only one who can use witchcraft?"


    Aria took a deep breath, and her eyes turned pure dark as she began to levitate


    an inch above the ground. A dark green aura began to envelop her as she floated higher until she could look down on Swan who was still sitting on the throne.


    "And now, I will settle the score with you. How dare you humiliate me before, you crippled bitch."

 Chapter 188: Dark Witch Aria (II)

    Chapter 188: Chapter 188: Dark Witch Aria (II)


    Swan was astonished. It took her a while to register the situation, as she kept staring at the levitating Aria.


    "A-Aria... you..."


    "A witch? Been a while actually," Aria replied lightly. "Do you think you are the only one who can use witchcraft? Ohe on, we both know that I have always been smarter and more talented than you can ever be. It''s not hard for me to study witchcraft."


    Swan might not understand her strange power, but she knew well that the power she had versus the one Aria had waspletely different, because Aria was able to instill fear in her heart.


    Fear began to creep into her heart. The dark green aura around Aria''s body felt suffocating and even emanated a somewhat disgusting scent and taste on Swan''s nose and tongue.


    "What''s wrong? Cat got your tongue?" Aria sneered. "I thought you wanted me to kneel in front of you? I will do that once you can defeat me. But we both know that''s not possible right?"


    The smile on Aria''s lips deepened until it turned malicious, "You will never be better than me, you crippled bitch."


    "GALE! HELP ME!!" Swan screamed as loud as she could the moment she understood the severity of the situation. She didn''t know the extent of Aria''s witchcraft. On top of that, unlike Aria who seemed to have full control over her power, Swan''s strange power was mostly idental and only triggered when Swan had a dream about Goddess Asmara.


    She wasn''t stupid to realize that she was in a great disadvantage.


    "GALE!!!"


    "Pfft-hahaha! Oh, how stupid. I already told you that you can scream as loud as you can, and Gale still won''t hear you. The only thing you can do is to run to the door for safety, but with yourme leg, I''m not sure if that''s even possible," Aria giggled. "Oh, no. I forgot that I was the one who pushed you out of the second floor, so your leg got twisted at the wrong angle. Bo-hoo, so sad."


    Swan did not bother with Aria''s taunt right now. She understood this situation wouldn''t turn out well no matter what, so she leaned forward and fell to the floor.


    She crawled her way to the door, wanting to seek help from Gale. Against a real witch like Aria, she had no way to protect herself.


    "Aw, are you trying to get help from your husband? Too bad-" Aria flicked her finger, and Swan felt her body hover in the air before she was flung back to the throne.


    "Ah!" Swan grimaced in pain when the back of her head hit the throne. She had a slight concussion, and her gaze blurred for a few seconds.


    "Nice, it seems that my spell can hit you this time Does that mean I can torture you until you beg for your life?" Aria wondered. Since she could harm Swan with her spell, this meant that Swan wasn''t a powerful witch, at least not as powerful as Aria thought initially. She was considering torturing Swan, but decided not to, "Too bad I can''t heal you with my spells. Gale would know if I hurt you somewhere."


    "Look up, you crippled bitch," Aria said while using her telekinesis to force Swan to lift her head. ''Hm~ Should I use the power of the ne that Madam Harsetti gave me? It seems that Swan is not as strong as I expected. It would be a waste to nullify her witchcraft entirely since she can''t even fight back right now.''


    ''I think it''s better to try it first,'' Aria thought as she pointed at Swan''s crippled leg. "This will hurt a bit. Please scream as loud as you can, alright? It''s nice seeing you cry in pain."


    Aria chanted her dark spell in her heart, and a bolt of lightning shot directly from the tip of her finger and hit Swan''s crippled leg in a split second.


    "AHHHHH!!" Swan screamed when she experienced a sharp pain in her deformed leg.


    She looked down and saw there was no burn scar, but the lingering pain in her legs was too real to be a fake. If she could describe the pain, it felt like she had been pierced by a scorching hot rod.


    Swan looked up, staring at Aria pleadingly, "W-what do you want? Just tell me and stop this madness, Aria!"


    "I told you I want to settle the score.


    You melted my hand, made me burn my chest, and then healed me, so nobody in the Holy Achate would believe that I have been hurt.


    Ve


    cannot heal you, but I can attack you with various dark spells that would hurt you, but it wouldn''t show any sign of scars," Aria said. "What do you think? Pretty neat, right? I learned this dark magic just to make sure that nobody would believe you."


    Aria sent at least five more lightning shocks around Swan''s body and had fun listening to the crippled bitch''s scream of agony. She liked this, because seeing Swan suffer meant that her training to be a Great Witch hade to fruition. As long as she continued her training, she should be able to make everyone-even torture Swan with their own hands.


    Gale


    "I can do this, s forever and more.


    Unfortunately, we don''t have much time. Geez, why do you ask for twenty minutes anyway? You should''ve asked for one hour!" Ariained. "Anyway, I was thinking of using my special ne topletely nullify your witchcraft, so you will be left as nothing but a normal human-well, not so normal with thatme leg, but you get what I''m talking about."


    Swan was already in so much pain after getting pierced by a burning rod many times that she almost fainted. It took her a while to recover, and as she regained her sight, Aria was already floating about one foot away from the throne where she sat.


    Aria smiled at her and said, "Do you want to know how I got so powerful? A little tale would be good before Ipletely destroy your witchcraft talent, right?"

 Chapter 189: Dark Witch Aria (III)

    Chapter 189: Chapter 189: Dark Witch Aria (III)


    Swan was in so much pain, she had no strength to utter a word. She simply stared at Aria and silently wished that the time would pass quickly, and Gale would m the door open and save her.


    Aria could guess what was on Swan''s mind, and it made her happy knowing that Swan wouldn''t dare to talk back to her.


    ''Ah, this is better. She is meant to stay quiet and ept whatever punishment I give her. It has always been like this, and should stay like this forever,'' Aria thought. She took a deep breath and started telling Swan about what she had done to gain the dark power she had right now.


    "You see... after what you did to me in this castle, I returned to Holy Achate with so much anger. I couldn''t believe that you-a crippled bitch¡ªdared to humiliate me in front of the Beast King. I want revenge, and since you are a witch, I''ve decided to be a witch as well," Aria revealed. "I got a mysterious book that guides me on how to be one, and starts sacrificing some prisoners and feeding on their hearts to get stronger."


    Swan intended to stay silent because she didn''t want to trigger Aria''s anger and experienced another bone-shattering pain.


    But she couldn''t help it when Aria mentioned sacrifice.


    "Aria, you... you killed people to be a witch?!"


    Arai raised her brow. She knew that Swan had a lot of sympathy for random people, even in the castle. She would often protect other maids from getting punished and took the punishment instead, especially whenever the old maids were making mistakes.


    She grinned as she realized she could use Swan''s empathy to fish her anger out, "Isn''t that obvious? You are also a witch like me, so you must''ve been sacrificing a lot of people too, right? But yes, I sacrificed five prisoners at first, but that''s not enough."


    "H-how many people did you sacrifice?" Swan asked.


    "Fifty," Aria confessed without hesitation. "They were the prisoners at first, then I decided to kill young women-I mean, the maids. Then I realized that mere maids wouldn''t be enough to get me stronger in a short time, so I did what the book instructed me to do. I sacrificed children."


    "CHILDREN?!"


    "Yep, children, kids, little people, whatever you want to call them," Aria giggled. "The book said that I can get powerful quickly as long as I sacrifice children, so I''ve been taking them from their family in the city, and eating their hearts!"


    Aria sounded so happy as she told Swan about these horrifying details. She liked seeing the expression that Swan made. Swan''s eyes immediately welled with tears as she imagined those children who had been killed for such a foolish ambition.


    "Why would you do that to them? What have they done wrong to you?" Swan asked in a trembling voice as she was trying to hold back her tears. "And why do you keep smiling like that? Aria, you are a child murderer!"


    "So what if I am?" Aria shrugged. "Oh, do you want to know how many kids I killed? Thirty-eight. They are all under ten years old, and I made sure I only took the ones who still have families, so they aren''t streetrats. It''s better that way because they are generally cleaner when l''eat their hearts."


    "ARIA!"


    "Ugh, can you stop yelling? Your voice is so uglypared to mine," Aria rolled her eyes, "Alright, alright, enough with the theater. Gale isn''t here, so you don''t need to act like a sinless angel. We both know that you also did the same."


    "What? What are you talking about?"


    "You are a witch, just like me. Of course, you''ve done your fair share of murder and sacrifice, right?" Aria smirked. "Stop acting like you are a saint. You are a filthy crippled witch."


    fre?webnovel


    "I''M NOT A WITCH!" Swan eximed. She yelled as loud as she could because she didn''t want to be associated with a monster like her half-sister. "I never hurt or sacrificed anyone before, and never will!"


    "Boo, what a liar," Aria rolled her eyes. "You are a filthy dark witch. We could be witchy best friends if you are willing to be my underling. But you are on my way to achieving my goal to be Gale''s wife, so I have to take you out."


    Aria held the emerald pendant from the ne gifted by Madam Harsetti. The emerald began to glow in ominous dark green light, and the air around them stagnated.


    "I will turn you into a useless cripple once more with this ne''s power. You don''t deserve to use witchcraft to trick Gale into loving you. I am the only one who deserves to be the Queen in Gale''s heart."


    Swan looked at the shining emerald pendant on Aria''s neck.


    Tears continued to flow freely from the corner of her eyes, but not because she was scared of Aria anymore.


    She was just in deep grievance right now, as she knew that she indirectly had caused the deaths of many innocent children.


    ''Aria killed those children because


    she wanted revenge against me. If all she wants is to humiliate me, then she doesn''t need to cause so much pain to those poor children... Swan said in her heart. ''Poor children... my poor children...


    Swan''s heart felt tight as she was unable to hide her sadness.


    She was shedding her tears for the deaths of the children,pletely ignoring Aria and her shining emerald ne.


    She closed her eyes and began praying deep in her heart, ''Oh, Goddess Asmara, what have I done? Why do I bring so much pain to others? Why can''t I be happy without sacrificing someone else.''


    ''Goddess Asmara, if I am truly a witch that brings pain and suffering in this world, then please take my life right here, right now. But if I am not, then... grace me with your love and protect me from evil. Let me bring justice to those children whom Aria had killed.''

 Chapter 190: Saintess’ Light

    Chapter 190: Chapter 190: Saintess'' Light


    Aria was confused by Swan''s reaction. She already told her that she wouldn''t be able to use her witchcraft anymore once Aria used the power of this ne.


    But Swan didn''t move.


    She didn''t try to attack Aria with her power, or even try to dodge or run away from


    her.


    All Swan did was join her hands together in a praying manner. She closed her eyes as tears streamed down her cheeks.


    ''What is wrong with her? Does she not realize that she has to do something now?'' Aria pondered. ''Oh well, it''s easier this way then. With this range, I can make sure that the power of this pendant will not miss, and Swan will lose her ability to do witchcraft forever.''


    "Open your eyes, you crippled bitch. I want to see your eyes when you have lost your witchcraftpletely!" Aria yelled as the shine from the pendant was getting stronger and stronger. She opened her hands that had been covering the pendant the whole time, and the concentrated dark green light shot from the emerald pendant straight to Swan who was still in her praying position with her eyes closed.


    Aria''s grin turned wider as she watched the concentrated dark green light about to hit Swan right in between her eyes.


    However, the light suddenly stopped only an inch away from Swan''s face.


    "W-what''s wrong? Why did it stop?!" Aria tried to move closer to Swan. She dumbly thought that the light couldn''t reach Swan because it was too far.


    Despite her efforts, the light still didn''t touch Swan. There seemed to be an invisible barrier around her, just like that time when Aria tried to throw a teacup filled with hot tea into Swan''s face.


    The same barrier prevented Swan from getting hurt entirely, but Aria didn''t understand.


    "H-how could it be? No matter what kind of protection spell you use, you shouldn''t be able to protect yourself from the Great Witch''s pendant!" Aria shook her head in disbelief. She pointed her finger and aimed it right on Swan''s head, ready to kill this crippled bitch from point-nk range.


    Unfortunately, none of her attacks seemed to work now. No matter how many times Aria shot lighting from the tip of her finger, none of them could touch Swan''s skin.


    Aria grew frustrated, as she continued to attack with all her might, "JUST DIE,


    YOU BITCH! UGH, YOU ARE SO ANNOYING!!"


    Swan''s hair began to glow brightly, and she opened her eyes slowly.


    Aria gasped when she saw Swan''s golden pupils, and she took a step back out of


    fear as the aura around Swan''s body began to suffocate her.


    Swan''s aura was gentle and warm, like a caress of silk around one''s skin.


    But for Aria, her body felt like she was burning from the inside just by standing near Swan for a while.


    Aria quickly retreated by flying back until she was far from the throne.


    "W-who are you?" Aria asked. "H-howe you could stop all of my attacks, even the one from the Great Witch''s pendant?!"


    "Who am I? I am Swan Asmara of Holy Achate. Do you not remember your own sister?" Swan replied with a soothing voice.


    She had a kind smile towards Aria as if she had no grudge against her.


    But Aria refused to believe that.


    She knew that Swan must''ve been holding so many grudges against her after all the bullying that she did back then.


    "Don''t give me that look! I know that you are not her because that bitch won''t dare to smile at me like that!" Aria used "Tell me who you are, and what kind of dark spell you used to stop all of my attacks?!"


    "Dark spell? Do you still think of me as a mere witch?" Swan asked back. She had an air of dignity and arrogance around her, which were two qualities the real Swan would never have. "Tell me, little witch, can your dark spell do something like this?"


    Swan vanished from the throne and in the blink of an eye, suddenly appeared right in front of Aria who was still levitating in the air.


    "Wha-!?" Aria floated back to avoid this woman who had Swan''s body but definitely wasn''t Swan. Aria attacked with another lightning from the tip of her finger, but again, did nothing to Swan. Aria became increasingly frustrated and scared, "Who are you?!"


    "I am Swan of Holy Achate," Swan repeated.


    "No, you''re not! D-don''t tell me that you are another powerful witch who has been using Swan''s body as your doll?!" Aria used again. She had read about mind and body control, like a voodoo skill in Necronomicon. To control one''s body entirely was a high-level dark spell that would need at least five hundred sacrifices, and Aria was nowhere near that.


    Swan chuckled, "I told you, I am Swan of Holy Achate, and I''m not a witch. Because no witch can do this."


    Swan nced at Aria''s shoulder, and Aria felt a sharp pain around her shoulder before it simply exploded as if there was a bomb nted inside her body.


    Aria couldn''t even scream when she saw her whole arm fall to the


    ground. She was in too much shock, and before she could scream in agony over her exploding shoulder, her entire body suddenly being enveloped by a gentle light. In the next second, apletely new arm had been regenerated, as if the damage Swan caused on her arm was never there.


    Swan nced at Aria''s previous arm on the ground and lifted it.


    She held it and twirled it around like a toy as she said, "This isn''t just a mere illusion created by ything called dark spells, little witch. I just blew your shoulder up just now and healed it quickly. This arm of yours is the proof, right?" Aria was horrified seeing her entire left arm in Swan''s hand.


    For the first time in her life, she looked at Swan with fear, "W-who are you?! You are not that crippled bitch!"


    Again, Swan smiled and replied, "I am Saintess Swan of Holy Achate."

 Chapter 191: Saintess’ Light (II)

    Chapter 191: Chapter 191: Saintess'' Light (II)


    [Song Rmendation: Isabe''s Luby - Promised Wondend''s OST.]


    "S-Saintess?!" Aria''s eyes widened before she shook her head vehemently. "No, that''s not possible! That crippled bitch is a whore''s daughter! She''s supposed to stay as a whore''s daughter for the rest of her life!"


    Saintess Swan only had a mysterious smile and replied, "Humans are surely funny. Yourte father is rotting in hell for kidnapping the incarnation of the Goddess your country worshiped. He raped her and forced her to give birth until she died, only for him to neglect his own daughter."


    "Then, your parents painted the poor incarnation of the Goddess as a whore that seduced the king from a brothel and gave birth to a filthy daughter," Swan added before dropping Aria''s severed arm to the ground.


    "N-no, t-this can''t be. My father is thete King Tyrion. He is the Best King that Holy Achate ever has! He brings prosperity to the Kingdom!" Aria yelled. She disliked her mother because her mother was ipetent and weak. All she did was look pretty, and seeing how Holy Achate descended into poverty under the Queen''s rule, Aria knew that her mother wouldn''t be able to maintain her position for long.


    But her father was different.


    He was smart, strong, and a great military general.


    He knew how to stabilize a country, and to get worshiped.


    Under his rule, the economy prospered, and the Holy Achate won many wars. There was an abundance of harvest every year, to the point that their kingdom was considered one of the richest kingdoms on the continent.


    Aria idolized her father so much that her brain refused to believe what this bitch had said.


    Aria gritted her teeth.


    She drew more power from the emerald ne Madam Harsetti had given her and fired concentrated lightning from the tip of her finger.


    She kept attacking Swan nonstop and grew frustrated as none of her attacks worked, "Just die! Just die you filthy crippled witch!"


    Swan didn''t bat an eye at all the attacks Aria sent to her, as none of them even grazed her. She sighed, "Truly, the sin in your family runs so deep. Had it not been for her kindness, everyone in Holy Achate would have died in just a night."


    "H-her kindness?"


    "Swan''s kindness," Swan replied as if she was talking about the other Swan. "She could''ve prayed for the downfall of the Holy Achate. She could''ve prayed for a gue that could wipe out every one or prayed for an earthquake to swallow Holy Achate and all humans living in it. But she never did any of that. It is expected from the daughter of a Goddess, but don''t you think it''s tragic for her? All of you have been bullying her until her leg got


    deformed, after all."


    "Why would I pity a whore''s daughter? She should be grateful that my mother let


    her live inside the pce!" Aria yelled.


    "And you should be grateful that


    Swan didn''t pray for your death when you hurt her just now," Swan replied. "Do you know what my pitiful other self is doing right now? She is crying inside, weeping over the deaths of many children you used as sacrifice. She''s not upset because you hurt her, she is upset because you killed those innocent children just to be a lowly witch."


    "And she wants justice, Aria of Holy Achate. I, Saintess Swan-as her other half- born from her love, sorrow, and determination, shall enact justice on her name," Saintess added. She still had the same gentle smile, but Aria had never been this frightened.


    "S-stop trying to scare me, you bitch. You are not the Goddess'' daughter, you''re just a witch who''s using her body!" Aria yelled, but it was more of a denial because she didn''t want to believe that Swan-the cripple girl she had bullied since they were kids, actually had a much higher position than her.


    If the church and everyone in Holy Achate found out that the Saintess had appeared, she would be crowned as a Queen immediately, and her descendants would be the new de-facto Kings and Queens of Holy Achate until the new Saintess was born.


    Meanwhile, Aria and Anastasia? They would be kicked out of Holy Achate, forced to fend for themselves, or get executed depending on Swan''s whim. Aria doubted that Swan would pity her after everything that she had done, so it was better to kill this bitch as soon as possible to cement her position!


    Aria clenched the emerald pendant on her neck and chanted while ring at Swan, "Oh, Great Witch Harsetti, lend me your power to kill this woman! My wrath is immeasurable, and my desire for revenge will never be quenched until I see her die!"


    The emerald ne began to glow and Aria''s body was surrounded with an ominous dark green aura. She was drawing as much power as she could from the ne to make sure herst attack would be strong enough to break through whatever mysterious barrier Swan had and kill her instantly.


    However, Saintess Swan simply raised her brow in amusement and flew towards Aria. She floated right in front of Aria while ignoring the dark green aura around Aria''s body.


    Swan stretched her hand to reach the ne that Aria wore, which should be impossible to do for a regr person because the ne only epted one master after being worn.


    However, Swan was unaffected andmented, "So, you are Harsetti''s new disciple, hm? Very interesting. I didn''t expect Harsetti would give her book to a mouthy little girl like you."


    "Y-you-! Let go!" Aria yelled. She was scared that Swan would rip the ne out, but all Swan did was check the emerald pendant. "T-this ne was given by Madam Harsetti herself! You will suffer from her wrath!"


    Swan lifted her head and smiled towards Aria, "Little witch, did Harsetti tell you about the rtionship between her and Goddess Asmara? The brighter the light, the darker the shadow. Harsetti is strong because the Goddess'' daughter has graced thend."


    "But you should know one thing-" Swan gripped the pendant, and pulled it until the ne snapped from Aria''s neck. "-Harsetti is a mere shadow. She will never beat the light graced by Goddess Asmara herself."

 Chapter 192: I shall enact justice for the weeping Swan

    Chapter 192: Chapter 192: I shall enact justice for the weeping Swan


    Aria was stunned when Swan easily snapped the ne.


    She could feel the powerful dark aura around her body vanishing instantly, leaving her in a vulnerable state.


    "G-give it back!" Aria cried out as she tried to snatch the emerald from Swan.


    Saintess Swan checked the emerald for a second and grinned in amusement, "This is indeed, one of Harsetti''s pendants. She has seven of these, based on the seven deadly sins. Do you want to know what sin this emerald ne represents?" Swan paused for a second and said, "Envy. You can draw great power from this ne because you are envious of Swan. You envy her beauty, because you know you will never be as beautiful. That''s why you beat her up every day, starve her, and cut her hair short to make her look unattractive. You envy her beautiful and soothing voice. Lastly, you envy her for having a husband who is the most powerful and most loving."


    "This ne is incredibly powerful for a little witch like you. But in front of Goddess Asmara and her daughter, this is nothing but a child''s y. She should''ve given you a better item after you sacrificed so many innocent children," Saintess Swanmented sarcastically. She clenched the shining emerald pendant. It slowly crumbled to dust, as if it was made out of sand.


    Aria stared at the emerald ne nkly, as the key to defeat Swan turned into dust in front of her. She had never felt such despair before. She didn''t even despair when she received the news of her father''s death.


    But now, she felt small, weak, and insignificant in front of the crippled bitch.


    She looked at Swan in disbelief, and her face paled instantly as she realized she was no match against this ''Saintess'' in front of her.


    Thus, Aria tried to find a way to save herself first. Since no attack was effective against Swan, it was better to expose her to Gale, so Gale would know that Swan was a dark witch who had been charming him with love spells the whole time.


    It didn''t matter whether he believed it or not. As long as he had a seed of doubt in him, then everything would fall apart eventually.


    Thus, Aria quickly canceled her spell, so anyone outside of the throne room could hear them. She took a deep breath and yelled as loud as possible, "HELP ME! QUEEN SWAN HAS GONE ROGUE! SHE IS HURTING ME! SHE IS A WITCH!!!!"


    Aria smirked after she made sure that Gale heard her.


    She waited for more than ten seconds, but there was no response from outside, which was impossible since she already made sure that she had lifted the deafening spell around the throne room.


    "You can scream all you want, little witch. Nobody will save you now," Swan replied, still smiling calmly as if everything was under her control.


    Aria panicked as she soon learned that she had lost control over the situation. She flew to the door and grabbed the handle. She wanted Gale to see what Swan was capable of, so he wouldn''t think that Swan was just a powerless petite woman who could do no wrong!


    However, the moment she opened the door, she didn''t see Gale, her mother, or even the guards.


    In fact, she didn''t see the castle''s garden as well.


    All she saw was pitch ck, and when she tried to step out, she found out that the throne room had been floating in a strange space full of pitch darkness.


    "Oh, little witch, do you think that I would be stupid enough to let you tell my husband about my identity? Swan smiled as she suddenly appeared behind Aria. She


    vel


    whispered in Aria''s ears to make sure this little witch understood her situation, "I''ve moved the entire throne room to another dimension, so you are trapped here with me."


    "H-how?! That''s not possible!"


    "For a dark witch, yes," Saintess Swan giggled. "But what I''ve done is no mere cheap magic trick, little witch. Swan''s prayer is incredibly powerful. As long as she truly means it, anything that she prays on and believes in, wille true. Even if she wants to kill every single breathing creature on earth."


    "She prays deeply in her heart to bring justice to those children you''ve murdered," Saintess Swan whispered. "I shall enact justice for the weeping Swan, whose heart had been hurt. You, little disciple of Harsetti, be grateful that Swan doesn''t pray for your death, because taking your life is as easy as killing an insect."


    Aria''s body started shaking as fear crept up on her. Swan was even more beautiful than usual, her hair glowed in a vibrant golden color, and her voice was soothing.


    But Aria felt nothing but absolute fear.


    Despite that, she had no intention to beg for forgiveness. She would rather kill herself than beg in front of Swan.


    It seemed that Saintess Swan could


    that


    hear what she had in mind, because in the next moment, she uttered, "Worry not, little witch. You do not need to apologize or beg for forgiveness. Swan would forgive you, but I am her other self born from her joy and sorrow.


    understand her pain the most, and I


    understand that you need to be


    taught a lesson."


    "W-what are you going to do with me? l-if you kill me, Gale will know that you are the murderer! He will refuse to mate with a murderer like you!" Aria threatened. "It doesn''t matter whether you are Goddess'' daughter or whatever. You are still a murderer!"


    "I told you that will not kill you


    before. It is all by the Goddess'' will, and Swan''s prayer. She will never forgive herself if she stained her hand with blood," Saintess Swan sighed. "But I shall make sure you can never sacrifice anyone ever again. I shall take your talent and ability to do witchcraft entirely, Aria of Holy Achate."

 Chapter 193: Purify the Dark Witch

    Chapter 193: Chapter 193: Purify the Dark Witch


    "W-wait, you can''t do that to me! I''ve sacrificed everything I have to be a witch!" Aria tried to move her body and struggled against Swan. But she found her body paralyzed with fear.


    Her brain might still think that she had a chance to win against this crippled bitch, but the dread in her heart had overridden any kind of strength she had. She could only stand still while Swan gently covered Aria''s eyes from behind and whispered, "Little witch, you deserve to rot in hell for eternity for your grave sin. But the holy daughter of the Goddess has granted you a second chance to repent. I shall take your ability to do witchcraft. May Goddess Asmara guide you."


    "W-w-w-wait! Wait, I-AHHHHHH!!!"


    Saintess Swan smiled gracefully, as she purified all the residue of dark magic in Aria''s body.


    Aria''s body glowed in gentle light, but it was nothing but scorching pain under her skin. Aria felt like she had been burned to death from the inside, starting from her heart, until her entire body was engulfed in hellfire.


    Aria forgot how long she screamed, but the moment the purification ended, Aria''s entire body was charred as if she had been tossed into a fire pit just now.


    "My my, your talent for witchcraft is truly amazing. No wonder Harsetti takes a liking to you," Saintess Swanmented. She let go of Aria, and thetter dropped like a corpse before her.


    If anybody saw the state of the Royal Princess of Holy Achate right now, they would think that Aria was already dead.


    But she was still alive, albeit barely.


    Thus, Swan opened her palm and healed Aria until no scratch was left on her skin.


    She allowed Aria to rest as she returned to the throne.


    She made sure to purify the cat maids from Aria''s dark magic, but also erase their memories so they would still think that they were guarding the princess.


    Saintess Swan closed her eyes to meet with the real Swan, whose spirit was still at the back of their head, still weeping over the children''s death.


    ''Is this enough for you, Swan?''


    Swan wiped her tears in front of the woman who looked exactly like her, ''Thank you for everything, Saintess. But what about those children that Aria had killed? Can I revive them if I pray hard enough to Goddess Asmara?''


    The Saintess smiled, ''You can. But you don''t need to. Those children''s bodies have rotted away, and their souls are already in heaven. There is no point in bringing them back when they are already happy under the warm embrace of Goddess Asmara.''


    The Saintess walked towards Swan and bent her back until they were at the same eye level. She wiped Swan''s tears and said, ''You are too kind for your own good. Some people out there might think that you are just pretending to be pure. But you are the Goddess'' daughter, you are meant to have a pure heart.''


    ''Dear Swan, I was born from your emotion; joy, sorrow, determination, despair, and love. I know you better than anyone, so don''t let your heart get stained by the filth of this world.''


    Saintess Swan kissed Swan''s forehead and disappeared into thousands of light particles.


    Swan felt she had regained control over her body, so she opened her eyes slowly and saw that everything had returned to normal.


    The cat maids were standing next to them, and Aria was still kneeling in front of her.


    It took a while for Swan to recover from the shock. She cleared her throat and ordered, "Lift your head, Aria."


    ...


    "Aria?"


    "Our Queen has ordered you to lift your head, Princess Aria," the cat maids repeated Swan''s order in unison.


    ....


    Still no response.


    Swan grew increasingly worried. She looked at Myra who stood on her right and asked, "H-how long has it been since we''ve been here with her?"


    "Hm, about five minutes, Your Majesty. Is there something wrong?" Myra asked back.


    Swan was shocked.


    She knew that the whole chain of events, from the moment Aria showed her true power as a dark witch, to her getting purified out of her witchcraft should have taken more than an hour. freewebnovel


    It seemed that the Saintess could manipte time as well, though Swan herself had no idea how to do it.


    The best thing to do right now was to act ordingly, so she told Maya, "Could you please check on her? She has been unresponsive."


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    Maya approached Aria, and repeated, "Our queen has ordered you to lift your head!"


    ....


    Aria was still unresponsive, so Maya tried tapping her shoulder, "She ordered you to lift your head!"


    Maya started to get annoyed, so she tapped Aria''s shoulder harder until she identally pushed Aria.


    Maya gasped when Aria suddenly fell to the side and fainted immediately.


    Swan''s eyes widened, "C-check her pulse. Is she still breathing?"


    Maya and Myra rushed to check on Aria. They found out that Aria''s breathing was stable, and her heartbeat was normal.


    "She is fine, Your Majesty. She just faints for no reason!"


    Swan gulped.


    Of course, she knew the real reason behind Aria''s fainting.


    Aria seemed to be in so much pain when she got purified, and her body was badly burned. It was a miracle that she still survived.


    "C-call His Majesty and other guards! Make sure to bring Aria to the guest room to rest!" Swan ordered, and the cat maids quickly opened the door to inform the Beast King about what happened.


    Gale stormed inside the throne room with a murderous aura around him. He was


    ready to snap that woman''s neck if she dared to harm his beloved.


    But what he witnessed inside was the opposite, as Swan was still sitting on the


    throne unharmed, while Aria had fainted on the floor.


    He walked over Aria''s body and checked on his wife, "Are you


    somewhere? It''s only been five mure


    minutes, but if she dares to do something, I would-"


    "I''m fine, Gale. But Aria..." Swan tilted her head to point at the woman on the floor.


    "She just fainted after five minutes. I don''t know why."

 Chapter 194: Queen Swan’s Decision

    Chapter 194: Chapter 194: Queen Swan''s Decision


    Gale turned his head to check on Aria who was still lying weakly on the cold floor. He seemed to be as nonchnt as ever as he said, "Take her to the guest room and let the doctor check on her."


    "Yes, Your Majesty!" Maya picked Aria up and carried her like a sack of potatoes, followed by Myra behind. The cat maids walked out of the throne room, giving a private space for their Princess and the Beast King.


    "D-do you think she will be alright?" Swan asked worriedly. "I don''t know why she suddenly faints like that."


    Gale picked Swan up and sat on the throne. He sat her on his thigh as usual, andforted her, "She''s fine. I can still feel the dung scent mixed with flowers around her body. She''s still alive. She''ll stay in the guest room for now with her mother. But it''s been ten minutes at most, did something happen while I was waiting outside?"


    Gale asked calmly to make sure Swan wouldn''t feel like she was being investigated. It had only been ten minutes, and honestly, he started hearing the ordering from Swan for Aria to lift her head five minutes before that.


    For some reason, his keen sense picked up something strange for the first five minutes right after he left the throne room. Because he could not hear anything during that interval.


    Gale had a super hearing that could pick up the sound of a dropping pin inside the throne room, especially when he was leaning at the door the whole time.


    However, the first five minutes were deadly quiet inside, so quiet that he thought the entire throne room had just disappeared.


    Swan was a little nervous.


    She refused to tell Gale about her identity because she was scared of what would happen if he found out.


    Would he be overjoyed because Swan was not just a ''crippled human''?


    Or would he get angry at her because it was obvious that she had been protecting Rock Silverfang all this time?


    Or maybe... he wouldn''t like Swan anymore, because she wasn''t as pitiful as he expected.


    Swan heard a few gossips from the servants that the Beast King kept her because she was crippled. She looked thin, pitiful, and hopeless. She would never betray him because she couldn''t even run.


    Swan firmly believed that Gale wouldn''t be so cruel to kick her out, but she was still too scared of all the possibilities.


    She was frozen by fear of the unknown. She was scared that Gale wouldn''t love her anymore after the truth was out.


    Hence, she tried her best to conceal her identity.


    "I-I did nothing for the first five minutes. I was trying to collect myself because everything that happened in Holy Achate was too shocking for me. When I told Afia to lift her head, she simply fainted," Swan lied through her teeth. She told herself that it would be fine to lie


    because she had taken the


    witchcraft talent out of Aria.


    As long as Aria couldn''t use her witchcraft anymore, she wouldn''t be able to harm anyone, right?


    Gale still felt it was highly suspicious, but he wouldn''t try to press this on Swan, as


    he knew that Swan would never lie to him about anything.


    He sighed and caressed her golden hair that had grown to a shoulder length.


    "I saw your distress when your mother-if you still think she''s worth to be called that told you about the situation in the Holy Achate. I stil think it''s justified because their Queen has done a great sin of neglecting my wife, but I don''t want to put you in too much distress," Gale said. "So, you can tell me now. What would you do to Holy Achate? Would you forgive them even if they''ve neglected you for so long?"


    Gale paused for a few seconds. He got angry whenever he imagined Swan forgiving her mother and sister who had wronged her.


    He knew that Swan would do that. She was just a forgiving person by nature.


    It made him angry and annoyed knowing he couldn''t do much to convince her otherwise.


    ''If only you could be cruel and tell me to make sure everyone in Holy Achate dies, I would execute them all in a heartbeat,'' Gale thought as he got frustrated over the situation.


    Truthfully, Swan had been thinking about forgiving her stepmother and half-sister after everything they had done before. She would never forget all the bullying and intimidation she experienced, but she wanted to save the innocent people in Holy Achate. They had never known about Swan''s identity before.


    But, she changed her mind after Aria told her that she sacrificed fifty people


    already, and thirty-eight of them were innocent children.


    She knew that Queen Anastasia must''ve been aiding Aria to kidnap those children


    since there was no way Aria could do it all by herself.


    ''If I allow them to stay in power, then there will be no end to their tyranny. Even if I lift the trade ban, they will still find a way to hurt those innocent people in the Holy Achate,'' Swan recalled how gleeful Aria sounded when she revealed that she had killed so many children to make her witchcraft stronger.


    ''If I allow them to stay in power, then I am no different than them. I''d be the same monster who allows so many people to die meaninglessly,'' Swan pondered.


    Gale thought Swan would quickly reply that she forgave her mother and sister, and begged Gale to lift the trade ban, so the people in Holy Achate wouldn''t starve to death.


    But he was wrong.


    Because Swan stared at him with aplicated gaze.


    A sliver of hope began to appear in Gale''s heart, hoping that Swan would finally stand her ground against her family, "Just tell me what you want, Sweetheart. I will grant it for you."


    Swan bit her lower lip, and leaned closer to whisper what she had in mind.

 Chapter 195: Aria’s Undying Envy and Hatred (I)

    Chapter 195: Chapter 195: Aria''s Undying Envy and Hatred (1)


    Anastasia walked back and forth inside the guest room, worried about what had happened in the throne room.


    She wanted to stay with the Beast King outside of the throne room and wait to see what would happen next, but she was dragged into the guest room and locked in for over fifteen minutes.


    She was worried that Aria had failed her mission to take out Swan''s witch power, so the Beast King would be free of Swan''s love charm.


    ''I should put more trust in Aria. She is a powerful and talented witch. I''ve seen what she can do inside her room,'' Anastasia tried to convince herself. ''I can''t wait for the Beast King to wake up out of Swan''s love spell, kill her, and then fall in love with Aria. That would make everything smoother, and my n to be the Queen of Earth woulde true with an undefeatable beast by my side.''


    Anastasia continued pacing back and forth until the door was opened.


    She thought they were the guards who wanted to escort her back to the throne room, but it was the cat maids, who were tasked to guard Swan.


    Anastasia gasped, as she thought these cat maids should''ve died by Aria''s spell the moment they were left alone in the throne room. However, not only did they survive, one of them even carried Aria on her shoulder.


    "ARIA!" Anastasia rushed towards the cat maids'' side. She wanted to check on her daughter, but the cat maid pushed her out of the way and put Aria on the bed.


    "She is fine," Maya said nonchntly, as she¡ªand the rest of the beastmen¡ª only had their dedication, loyalty, and respect to the Beast King, not the other monarch.


    "H-how could you say that? My daughter was healthy when I left her!" Anastasia protested as she sat on the bedside and put her hand on Aria''s chest to check her heartbeat.


    Myra and Maya looked at each other, and replied, "She just fainted after five minutes in the throne room. It''s probably too cold for her, or maybe she''s just tired. We will call the doctor to check on her."


    "You''d better be! Swan must''ve done something to her, right? Aria is a weak girl, she wouldn''t dare to fight back if Swan bullied her!" Anastasia yelled even though it was a big fat lie.


    She didn''t know what happened in the throne room, but since Aria fainted, she guessed that Swan must''ve been an even more powerful dark witch, to the point that not even Aria could win against that crippled woman.


    "Watch your mouth, Queen of Holy Achate," Maya responded coldly. "She was just kneeling for five minutes and then fainted. Do you think we will believe what you said just now? Queen Swan has been very kind. We could''ve killed your daughter if she told us to."


    "Honestly, we are more than willing to do that. Unfortunately, our Queen is generous and virtuous," Myra added.


    "You two-" Anastasia red at them. She was so distressed because Aria had failed her mission, and she was also scared that she''d lose her throne soon. These two cat maids'' words were like rubbing salt on a fresh wound. "You two are just maids! Is this how you treat two honored guests?!"


    "We''ve heard everything from the Beast King," Myra said.


    "We know that you''ve been neglecting our Queen when she was growing up. There is no point in treating you two well," Maya added. "Please excuse us, we will call the doctor now."


    The cat maids left the room arrogantly, as they left the room with their heads held high. Anastasia couldn''t help but fume at the disrespect a mere maids showed


    her.


    "Just you wait until my daughter bes the Queen of the Beastmen Kingdom. I will make sure you two get executed!" Anastasia muttered angrily, but she only dared to do this when the cat maids were already out of the room.


    She returned her attention to Aria, and pped her cheeks lightly, "Aria. Aria!


    Wake up! What happened? What''s wrong with you?!"


    Aria slowly opened her eyes after a while. She looked dazedly at the ceiling and realized she was still in Gale''s castle. She felt no pain around her body, so she knew that


    Swan must''ve fully healed her like


    before.


    At the same time, her body also felt empty, as if Swan had just sucked fifty years out of her life.


    She tried to flick her finger to see if she could still levitate, produce fire, move objects, or do anything that could prove she still had her witch power.


    Unfortunately, nothing happened. No matter how many times she tried to conjure any kind of spell.


    It seemed that she had truly lost the dark power she had umted for months after she had sacrificed so many people just to get stronger.


    Now it was all gone after she got purified by the woman who called herself Saintess Swan.


    "Aria! Are you okay?"


    "I''m okay, Mom," Aria replied calmly, but her gaze was still directed at the high ceiling.


    "Oh, thank Goddess, you''re alive!" Anastasia sighed in relief as she wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes. "I was scared that I would lose you!"


    Aria nced at her mother who looked genuinely worried. She wasn''t affected by her mother''s tears After all, she never truly had a proper mother-daughter rtionship with her.


    However, Anastasia was the only one she could call as a family, and Aria cared about her, at least caring enough not to sacrifice her immediately.


    Aria had lost her magic power, but for some reason, she still felt there must be a way to kill Swan or at least destroy her life.


    Saintess Swan said that the ne given by Madam Harsetti symbolized Aria''s envy for Swan, and though she hated to admit it, the Saintess was absolutely right.


    She was envious of Swan; her beauty, her purity, her voice, and her new husband.

 Chapter 196: Aria’s Undying Envy and Hatred (II)

    Chapter 196: Chapter 196: Aria''s Undying Envy and Hatred (II)


    She was so envious of Swan, who was married to Gale, to the point she resented her mother for not forcing her to marry the Beast King instead.


    ''If only this stupid bitch arranges me to marry Gale instead of Swan. I would''ve be Queen Aria of the Beastmen Kingdom. I could''ve been loved by a strong, handsome, and vigorous man who would breed me every day. I would''ve gotten the treatment I deserve as Gale''s wife, and I would''ve been the mother of his cubs!''


    Deep down, Aria knew that it wasn''t her mother''s fault.


    Anastasia was just trying to protect Aria because all of them thought that the Beast King would kill Swan after one night.


    Aria just wanted to vent the hatred in her heart. She wanted to direct her hate on anyone, Swan, Gale, even her mother, Anastasia, for failing to make her the Queen of the Beastmen.


    Swan had purified her power, but that didn''t mean she was out of options. She still remembered what Madam Harsetti said.


    ''Madam Harsetti said that I could be a Great Witch as long as I sacrifice the most important person in my life. I need to taste despair as I kill that person. As long as I can feel any sort of love a daughter has for her mother, I should be able to


    sacrifice Mom and regain my power to be the Great Witch!''


    Thus, with hatred and envy fueling her heart''s desire, she regained her determination to kill Swan no matter what.


    Aria continued staring at her worried mother and started sobbing.


    Anastasia might be unfeeling towards other people, and she might not be a good mother either. But before everything, she was still a mother, and she felt distressed seeing Aria cry. Aria rarely cried, so this development flustered her, "A- Aria?! Did you get hurt somewhere? Show it to me. We will have the doctor check


    it!"


    Aria continued crying. She wiped the snot under her nose and replied with sobs, "Mom... Swan..."


    "Y-yes, what''s wrong?"


    "Swan is the Saintess..."


    Anastasia was unresponsive at first because she thought that her daughter must''ve been mistaken.


    "A-Aria, are you alright? You are speaking nonsense right now," Anastasia said worriedly. She gently patted her daughter''s head and added, "It''s okay, you can rest first. We can talk about what happenedter."


    "I''m not speaking nonsense!" Aria snapped amid her tears. "Swan is the Saintess of Holy Achate! Why do you think I fainted after only five minutes in the throne room? She used her holy power against me, and I cannot do anything to fight back!"


    Aria pointed at her neck, "Look, even my ne given by the Great Witch has been destroyed by her!"


    Anastasia gulped. She got nervous as she realized that Aria wasn''t speaking


    nonsense.


    Aria rarely cried, and she never fell into despair like this. Her daughter was a smart girl and someone who was loved by everyone.


    She could maneuver through any difficult situation with her own method, but it seemed that she had truly hit the wall right now.


    "Mom... you have been lying to me, haven''t you?"


    "Lying? What are you talking about? Why would I lie to you!"


    "You, Dad, and everyone else told me that Swan is just a whore''s daughter. But she turned out to be the Saintess from our kingdom''s legend! She told me everything, about how her mother is the incarnation of the Goddess that got kidnapped and raped by dad!" Aria yelled. "You and Dad must''ve known about this, so why don''t you tell me!"


    Anastasia was silenced this time.


    What Aria said was correct.


    She knew about the identity of Swan''s mother because herte husband told her right after he raped the priestess.


    She thought that she could keep this a secret for the rest of her life, as she didn''t want Aria to think that she was inferior to Swan, but it seemed to be toote.


    "Mom! Tell me everything!" Aria demanded, and Anastasia sighed woefully.


    "Your dad and were childless for more than five years into our marriage. He got angry at me and called me barren. He said he would find a mistress outside to give us a child, Anastasia started telling the truth to her daughter knowing that she could no longer hide anything. "He identally met Swan''s mother, who was a priestess of a small church on the outskirts of the Holy Achate. He knew about the old legend regarding the Saintess, and all the physical signs confirming her status as the incarnation of the Goddess. He got excited, thinking that he could get a powerful child as long as he had sex with that priestess."


    ???


    "However the Priestess refused his advances and your angry dad kidnapped her and raped her. He forced her to stay inside a secret castle without me knowing, and she was chained while she was pregnant with Swan," Anastasia continued. "The Priestess died a few hours after Swan was born, and your dad was disappointed because Swan showed no physical sign of inheriting the Goddess'' trait. Swan is worthless because she is not of noble blood, and she has no holy power like he expected."


    "He finally told me everything after Swan was born, and I told my servants to share the gossip in the pce about a whore that made the King drunk, and seduced him into having sex. The whore died after


    giving birth, but your dad was so kind that he allowed the child to live


    in the pce. It was a perfect damage control to protect your dad''s image as the wise king of Holy


    Achate, especially since I got pregnant in the same year, and you were born the next year," Anastasia recalled.


    "You are the blessing that I''ve been waiting for. Ever since you were born, your


    dad has been kind to me, and he also spoiled you with all the wealth in this world, right?"

 Chapter 197: Aria’s Undying Envy and Hatred (III)

    Chapter 197: Chapter 197: Aria''s Undying Envy and Hatred (III)


    "I-I didn''t expect Swan would awaken her holy power just like her mother. I thought she would die right after she was sent away to the Beast King," Anastasia said.


    "You tricked me..." Aria sobbed. "I thought I had a chance to win against her."


    "I''m not trying to trick you, Aria. I want to ensure that the kingdom will continue to prosper under your dad''s rule and maintain his reputation. It would be bad publicity if the people¡ªespecially the church-knew that your dad raped a priestess and locked her up until she died duringbor, right?" Anastasia continued trying to justify her actions back then. "Besides, you shouldn''t think too much of Swan''s identity. You are still THE Royal Princess of Holy Achate, and she is still the whore''s daughter."


    Aria stared at her mother with puffy eyes.


    She was actually not sad, nor was she upset about Swan''s fate. No matter what, she was still a product of rape and had been ostracized since she was a baby.


    She was upset because her mother had hidden this truth from her for so long.


    Had she told her about Swan''s mother''s true identity, Aria would''ve killed Swan when they were just kids.


    She had plenty of opportunities to kill Swan, but she didn''t do it because she never thought of Swan as a threat, and she enjoyed bullying the crippled little bitch.


    ''Ugh, it''s toote to kill her now. She has gotten way too strong even for me and my witch power to handle,'' Ariained in her heart.


    "I got defeated, and my witchcraft has been taken away from me, Mom. I-I don''t know what I should do next. Should I just die because I have no use anymore?"


    "W-what are you saying, Aria!? You are still the Royal Princess! You are also my daughter! Don''t even think about killing yourself!" Anastasia hugged her daughter tightly. She might be cruel, but she still loved her precious daughter. "Don''t worry. We will find a way to get out of this situation. She might be a Saintess, but she must have some weakness, right?"


    Usually, Aria would say yes. She always found a way to defeat her opponent or to solve any problem.


    But this problem was unique, and honestly, she didn''t know how to defeat Swan, especially when she had a Holy Power that could nullify any kind of dark magic.


    However, she hadn''t given up yet. She had to meet with the Great Witch and asked for her help this time.


    Aria stared at her mother, who would be her biggest sacrifice to be the ultimate Great Witch. But for now, she had to give her a better answer, "I have to meet with Madam Harsetti, the Great Witch who has given me Necronomicon. She is the only one who can help me to defeat the Saintess. But that requires me to kill more children, Mom. I need your help on this one."


    "That''s-"


    Anastasia was hesitant when Aria said that they needed to kill more kids. The news about serial killers who kidnapped and killed children had been running rampant in Holy Achate. If the news about the serial killers kept spreading, themon people might start taking matters into their own hands.


    The people might have identally caught one of her secret service men and tortured him until he admitted everything.


    Anastasia was scared that she would lose her throne, but seeing the pleading eyes of her daughter, Anastasia''s will began to crumble.


    Sure, she had to discipline her daughter sometimes, but she still loved her so much.


    Since her daughter was determined to defeat that whore''s daughter, Anastasia felt obliged to help Aria no matter what.


    Swallowing her anxiety, Anastasia nodded and promised, "We will find a way to get more children to sacrifice. Don''t worry about that."


    Aria smiled. She wiped the tears at the corner of her eyes and tried hugging her mother, "Thank you, Mom. I''m sorry that I can''t make you proud yet, but I''ll try my best to defeat that whore''s daughter and release Gale from her trap. I will win in the end!"


    Anastasia


    never seen her


    hado


    daughter being so determined over something. It made her happy that Aria had found her calling, so Anastasia gently patted the back of Aria''s head and said, "You are meant to be the next Queen of Holy Achate after me. It might take a long time, but that means more time for you to prepare for the position, alright?"


    ''Oh, I don''t think it will be long, Mom,'' Aria smirked when her mother wasn''t looking. ''You are going to be thest sacrifice I make. I want you to think that I truly care for you, so you will be a worthy sacrifice.''


    Aria and Anastasia hugged until the door was knocked.


    "Come in," Anastasia said, and the doctor walked in with a maid who was carrying a teapot and two cups.


    Aria squinted when she saw the maid, as she quickly identified her as the bunny maid who had taken care of her when she visited the castle before.


    "I''m here to check on Princess Aria, as His Majesty told me to do," the doctor said as he did a quick checkup, and asked, "Are you hurt somewhere?"


    Aria shook her head. As much as she wanted to tell the truth, that she had been burned by the hellfire created by Swan, she knew nobody would believe her. There was zero proof of any damage caused by Swan since the Saintess had healed her.


    "I think you are just tired, Princess. Maybe you cannot bear the cold, since the cold in this kingdom can be very painful for those who are not used to it," the doctor diagnosed. "I''ve told the maid to prepare a cup of tea for you. I''ll also prescribe a few supplements to boost your immunity. Please take care of your body."


    The doctor left after a quick diagnosis as if he couldn''t care less about Aria and Anastasia.


    But the bunny maid was different, as she looked at her worriedly, "Princess, are you alright?"

 Chapter 198: Idiot Bunny (I)

    Chapter 198: Chapter 198: Idiot Bunny (1)


    Alice hurried to approach Queen Anastasia and Princess Aria. She put the teapot and the two cups on the bedside table, before bowing in front of Anastasia.


    "S-sorry for not properly greeting you, Your Majesty. I was just worried about the Princess. I''ve been waiting for her arrival, only for some of the servants to say that she had fainted while in the throne room with Princess Swan," Alice said


    worriedly.


    Anastasia looked at the bunny maid, and then at her daughter, "Who is she?"


    "She''s the maid assigned to be my attendant on myst visit. Don''t worry, Mom. She''s kind and trustworthy, unlike other beastmen," Aria replied.


    Alice almost jumped out of joy when Princess Ariaplimented her. Nobody- not even Lady Jade-oftenplimented her when she hadn''t done anything right. It made her feel happy and at ease.


    ''Yes, of course, I''m different from other beastmen. Everyone here has been influenced by Princess Swan''s dark spell, except me! I''m the only one who still has my mind!'' Alice said proudly in her heart. ''Maybe I do have some talent in magic since I''m the only one immune to such spells....''


    Aria could see that Alice was delighted to hear such a simple and meaninglesspliment. She held herself back from scoffing, ''What a simple and stupid bunny. But oh well, I hope she''s doing her job right this time.''


    "How have you been, Alice? You seem well," Aria smiled.


    "Y-You remember my name, Princess?" Alice was on the verge of tears as she was over the moon. "But I''m just a lowly servant."


    "Of course, I remember your name," Aria maintained her smile. "I''m sorry I can''t greet you properly. Swan has just sted me with her dark power. I tried to beg for forgiveness, but she tortured me until I fainted while we were in the throne room..."


    Alice gasped, "I-It''s okay, Princess! I know you must''ve already tried your best, but Swan-that woman is so vicious with her dark magic. She has been using it to manipte everyone in the castle to love her!"


    ''Wow, I''ve only told her about some ridiculous rumor of Swan being a witch, and she ran with her own twist immediately,'' Aria thought. ''Perfect. She the perfect tool to make everyone suspect Swan even more. I can also use her for other things.''


    Aria smiled bitterly, "I tried to warn His Majesty about my sister''s evil spells, but he won''t listen. I think he has been charmed as well."


    "Yes! He does many strange things when he''s with Princess Swan, and he keeps saying that woman is his fated mate even though she cannot get pregnant with his cubs!" Alice reported in full energy as she had been holding all of these resentments in her heart. "Princess, I''ve been trying my best to separate them. I''ve been telling everyone about her being a witch, but nobody believes me!"


    Aria almostughed out loud because this bunny was so dumb.


    This was the first time she had ever met someone so ignorant.


    True, Swan had many mysterious powers before Aria discovered that Swan was


    the Saintess, but she had also gotten other information about how the Kingdom of Beastmen was prospering under her management.


    She had done so much for the kingdom, and logically, it was natural for all beastmen to love her.


    Yet this bunny maid was so ignorant that she stood out by herself, believing the stupid lies that Aria made months ago.


    ''Isn''t this hrious, Swan? You''ve


    done so much for this kingdom and all the beastmen living here, but this bunny believes me¡ªa stranger-more than you. How sad,'' Aria thought as she was holding back herugh. ''Since she seems eager to side with me, I won''t miss this chance to bring you down. I may not be able to defeat you with my witchcraft, but that doesn''t mean I''m already defeated by you.''


    Aria put on an emphatic expression for Alice, "I''m sorry that you went through so


    much just to protect His Majesty. I know that you mean well, right?"


    "YES!" Alice eximed. "I just want everything to go back as it was! His Majesty was strong, scary, and intimidating. Now, he keeps smiling stupidly and joking around with Swan. Urgh, it''s so weird!"


    "There is no seriousness in the


    castle now Everyone is all joy.


    Usually, the soldiers would train until


    they bleed or get severely Histone


    during training to please His Majesty. Nowadays, they joke around while sparring, and they would stop and help each other when one of them gets wounded. They would get drinks after sparring together, even if they were from different tribes! Ugh, it''s all because of Swan, who keeps making rules to make everyone act like children!"


    Alice continued ranting her heart out. She had so much resentment for that crippled Swan.


    ''Those are good changes,'' Aria was


    PA


    smart enough to admit that Swan was pretty effective in managing a kingdom. She didn''t know how when she learned all this and preferred to believe that Swan must''ve been helped by her holy power, which made her suddenly be smart. Regardless of her method, it was still a good deed to raise the soldier''s morale.


    But of course, she wouldn''t say any of this to Alice. She wanted to cultivate the hate and frustration in Alice''s heart, so she could be a great tool for her in the future.


    "That''s bad. If things continue like this, the Kingdom of Beastmen will turn into a joke. All human kingdoms willugh, and it won''t take long until the Beast King starts looking like a clown, dancing around in the middle of the courtyard with a little girl''s skirt while his soldiers watch him in amusement. Do you want that to happen?" Aria asked.


    The image of the mighty Beast King acting like a clown, dancing horribly with a small skirt was enough to traumatize Alice, who worshiped him as God.


    She shook her head vehemently and eximed, "No! Please, Princess! You must help me before it''s toote!"

 Chapter 199: Idiot Bunny (II)

    Chapter 199: Chapter 199: Idiot Bunny (II)


    "Hm? Help you?" Aria sighed. "I wish I could help. If it were the past me, I could''ve probably done it, because I have been blessed with the Holy Power of the Goddess. Truthfully, I am the Saintess."


    Alice''s eyes widened.


    She knew about the Saintess from legend. The Saintess was the incarnation of the Goddess of the Sun, and she was meant to bnce out the incarnation of the Goddess of the Moon.


    Selene, the Goddess of the Moon, had bestowed the Beast King half of her power. Thus, that meant the Saintess was meant to be his fated mate, right? It was just a theory in Alice''s mind, but if she was right-and she was often right- that meant Princess Aria was...


    "P-Princess, you are..."


    Aria sighed pitifully, "Yes, I was the actual mate of the Beast King. The sun and the moon exist toplement each other, right? It''s written in the legend. But my power was still weak, and I couldn''t defeat the witch," Aria said as she flipped the situation between her and Swan. She knew this bunny was a total idiot, and would believe anything she said simply because she hated Swan''s gut.


    Alice was on the verge of tears. Of course, she wanted the Beast King to find his fated mate. But it was mostly because she wanted Swan to get out of the picture. It would be better if she got executed for daring to seduce His Majesty.


    "You might not believe me, but Holy Achate has a tradition where one of the King''s daughters would be the Saintess. Now, between Swan and I, which one do you think deserves to be graced with holy magic?" Aria asked.


    "Of course, it''s you, Princess!" Alice replied without hesitation. "That woman is crippled. She must''ve been cursed by her own evil spell. Ugh, it makes me angry to think that a cripple like her can manipte His Majesty!"


    "Right?" Aria almost burst outughing seeing how ignorant this bunny truly was. She would be a perfect tool for Aria. "Swan has always been hostile towards me. She has been crippled from birth, so she wants to make me suffer due to jealousy. She gets so angry when she realizes that I''ve be a Saintess, and she decides to learn witchcraft. She''s so powerful that I can''t beat her alone."


    "Then I will do my best to help you, Princess!" Alice volunteered in full determination.


    ''Oh, this bunny is so easy. I''m d there''s an idiot like this in this castle,'' Aria thought as she maintained her sad expression. "But you seem to be having trouble as well in this castle."


    "That-I-"


    Alice felt ashamed as she lowered her head.


    It was true. She had bumped into many obstacles ever since she tried to eliminate Swan. However, her determination to save the kingdom and be a hero was still as strong as ever!


    "It''s okay. We are both in a difficult situation right now, because we want to kill Swan. So, why don''t you tell me about all of your ns first and everyone who is working with you, Aria threw the bait as she wanted to know if this bunny could be more useful. Just as she predicted, the idiot bunny took the bait easily.


    "Uhm... well... I do work under someone else to kill Swan..." Alice muttered as she was unsure whether it was okay to tell Princess Aria about Lady Jade or not.


    Lady Jade told her to keep it a secret, but Princess Aria also had the same goal.


    ''Besides, Princess Aria is the Saintess. She should be His Majesty''s fated mate, right?'' Alice thought as she inwardly weighed down the importance of Lady Jade and Princess Aria. As much as she liked Lady Jade, Alice knew that Princess Aria deserved her loyalty more.


    Thus, after a long consideration, Alice nodded and took out the small bottle of poison from her pocket. She handed it to Princess Aria and said, "This is the odorless and colorless poison given by Lady Jade."


    "Oh? Does she want you to kill Swan with this?" Aria asked while observing the colorless liquid inside the bottle.


    "Well... yes, but I have to try it first on Long Xiurong, His Majesty''s second wife."


    "Second wife?!" Aria snapped when she heard that. She stared at Alice in disbelief, and Alice quickly rified;


    "S-she was brought by Lady Jade from the Eastern Long Dynasty. But it seems that His Majesty never liked her, and she has been living in the castle without any purpose," Alice replied. "Uhm, I was told that should try poisoning Long Xiurong first to see if the poison truly works. Since Swan is a witch, she might have a way to cleanse the poison."


    ''This poison will never work on Swan. She''s a Saintess, that holy power or whatever will purify it all out,'' Aria judged as she observed the poison. She knew that Lady Jade''s idea was worthless, but Aria wouldn''t miss out on this opportunity. ''Lady Jade, huh? I''ve only talked with her once, but the rumors said she is a skilled


    §Ú§Þ


    herbologist. Surely, if she gets


    kicked out of the castle, she would


    have nowhere to go, and I can


    recruit her, right?''


    A malicious idea popped up in Aria''s head.


    ''This idea probably will cause Lady Jade to die in Gale''s hand, but I guess that''s just an unlucky moment for me. It''s better to force her to leave this castle and join my side,'' Aria thought as she handed the poison back to Alice.


    "I think what Lady Jade''s doing is very risky, especially for you," Ariamented after a while. "Do you think His Majesty and Swan wouldn''t suspect foul y when Long Xiurong died?"


    "B-but, Lady Jade is "


    "She will make you a scapegoat," Aria interrupted calmly, but it was like an arrow that stabbed Alice in her heart. "She will get you executed for killing Long Xiurong if they find out. Even if you somehow don''t get caught for killing her, you WILL get caught for killing Swan."

 Chapter 200: Idiot Bunny (III)

    Chapter 200: Chapter 200: Idiot Bunny (III)


    "B-But Lady Jade said that she will make me the head maid if I can kill Swan!"


    "And you believe that?" Aria sighed. "I''m sorry, Alice. If only I still had my holy power, I could kill Swan with ease. But she is a powerful dark witch. If even a Saintess like me couldn''t do anything to her, do you think a simple poison could?"


    The answer was obviously no.


    Alice was already so deep into the hole, and she had been dedicating herself to killing Swan under Lady Jade''s order. She didn''t think that Lady Jade would deceive her, but Lady Jade was much more influential and powerful than she was. If she nned to make Alice the scapegoat, then Alice could only me herself for falling into the trap.


    Princess Aria''s words made her realize the severity of her situation, and she began to feel scared.


    "T-then, what should I do, Princess? I want to save His Majesty and kill Swan, but I also don''t want to die in Lady Jade''s hands!" Alice begged. "Please, you are my only savior. Y-you are also the Saintess and His Majesty''s fated mate, so you must have a pure heart, right? Please save me this time, Princess!"


    Aria was hiding her malicious smirk as she knew that Alice was so gullible.


    "I don''t think it''s possible to kill Swan with poison. Rather than that, I think you need to save yourself first," Aria advised. "I have a n to make sure that you get to save yourself and stay in the castle, but in exchange, you have to expel Lady Jade from the castle."


    "C-can I actually do that? Lady Jade has been His Majesty''s right hand for a long time..."


    "Oh, you can, for sure. If you''re lucky, you''d be able to kill that woman named Long Xiurong in the process too. Even if you can''t do that, at least you get to save yourself," Aria said. "This might sound a bit crueling from a Saintess like me, but I just want to help you since you seem to be a good person."


    "I-I trust you, Princess. I don''t want to die, please!"


    Aria smiled and finally told Alice about her n to make sure Lady Jade was out of the castle.


    *


    "A-are you sure this will work, Princess?"


    "Oh, I''m sure it will work. Don''t you trust the Saintess? I have a pure heart and holy power graced by the Goddess of the Sun herself. I know what I''m talking about," Aria said, and it quickly cleared all the doubts in Alice''s heart.


    ''That''s right. She knows what to do because she is the Goddess'' incarnation...'' Alice thought it was reasonable before nodding, "Okay then, I will do as you say, Princess!"


    "Good. Now off you go. I don''t want anyone to see you staying in this room for too long. They might suspect something."


    "Yes, please excuse me!"


    **


    Aria watched Alice leaving the room, and Anastasia who had been keeping her silence the whole time finally couldn''t hold it anymore.


    "What is that even about, Aria? Who is she? And why does she want to work with us?" Anastasia asked.


    "She''s an idiot bunny maid who believes everything I said," Aria chuckled "Don''t worry, Mom. I still have thing''s under control even when I''ve lost my witchcraft. Well, e temporarily, because you wil help me to regain my witchcraft back, right, Mom?"


    "Y-yes, I will," Anastasia agreed, but for some reason, she had a feeling that Aria was directly pointing at her as if she would be one of the sacrifices. Anastasia quickly dispelled her worry, ''N-no, what am I thinking? She is my daughter. My only daughter. We managed to survive until now by depending on each other.''


    Unfortunately, Anastasia didn''t have time to ponder for too long, because the cat maids mmed the door open once more and said in a loud, and brash voice, making sure that Anastasia and Aria understood their position.


    "His Majesty the Beast King and Queen Swan are requesting you two toe and meet them. They said that they have something important to announce," Maya announced.


    "The doctor told us that Princess Aria is in a healthy condition. We want you two toe with us to the throne room, right now."


    "This is ridiculous! My daughter has just fainted and now you are forcing her to meet with that woman again!?" Anastasia had been distressed seeing her daughter fainted before, so she protested immediately, "At least give us a few more hours, or the whole night to rest!"


    "We can''t do that. You two are not allowed to stay in this castle for the night," Maya replied.


    "What the-we are honorable guests! We are the Queen and Royal Princess of Holy Achate!"


    Myra and Maya looked at each other and scoffed. Myra sneered and added, "Not for long. Come with us right now, or we will have to take you two by force."


    "But-"


    "Let''s just go, Mom. There''s no point in arguing with them. They are Swan''s attendants," Aria said as she got up and followed the cat maids out of the room.


    Anastasia gritted her teeth, and silently followed the cat maids with Aria. She had a bad feeling about what would happen next, but she had no choice as the fate of Holy Achate, and her fate as the Queeny in Swan''s hand right now.


    ''If only Gale could fall in love with Aria instead of Swan. Things wouldn''t get this messy...'' Anastasiamented. ''I should''ve sent Aria to be his bride back then.''


    **


    Gale had been sitting on the throne with Swan on hisp for a while. They were waiting for Aria and Anastasia toe.


    Contrary to usual, Gale was beaming with joy. His smile seemed to be permanently stuck on his face, and it shocked every attendant and guard, as they


    had never seen their majestic King looking so happy before.


    They were even more creeped out when they saw that Princess Swan wasn''t happy the slightest bit.


    She looked sad for some reason and was awfully quiet.


    Gale caressed her soft hair and said, "Lighten up, Sweetheart. I love your idea,


    that''s why I can''t hold back my smile, but you don''t seem happy even though it''s your idea."

 Chapter 201: Queen Swan’s Edict (I)

    Chapter 201: Chapter 201: Queen Swan''s Edict (1)


    "I don''t know if I should be happy or not," Swan sighed. "They are still the only family I have. It feels wrong to do this..."


    "And do you not think of me as a family?"


    "T-that''s different!" Swan protested. "Y-you''re not a family to me. You are my husband!"


    "Then, we will be aplete family once you have our cubs. Let''s make plenty,


    eleven? Twenty? Forty?" Gale chuckled. "We can fill the castle with only our cubs you want to."


    if


    "I-I would die if I had to give birth to forty kids," Swan pouted, to which Gale only responded with a heartyugh.


    "I-I''m serious. I would die if I had to give birth to forty little you!" Swan said seriously. She didn''t know the difference in culture between the beastmen and humans. Gale might have a different expectation of what a female human could do. "M-most female humans can only give birth to three or four children. At least those are the numbers I know in Holy Achate. I''m sorry, Gale. I can''t give you forty..."


    "What are you talking about? I''m just joking, Sweetheart," Gale said while chuckling. He gently pinched Swan''s cheeks which had been fuller and rosier as she spent more time in the castle, a sign that she had been eating well here. "I don''t care if you give me one, two, three, or even none. You are still my wife, and no one can change it."


    Swan curled her lips as she tried to hide her happiness. She knew all they did right now was support each other''s delusion since there was no proof that Swan was Gale''s fated mate, at least not until she got pregnant with his child.


    However, it was more than enough for Swan to be happy, because staying by her husband''s side was truly the best feeling she could ever get.


    "You''re finally smiling," Gale teased. "You don''t need to hide your smile orugh when we''re in the throne room. It doesn''t make you any less dignified as my wife or as the new Queen."


    Swan had been holding herself back whenever she was outside of their room. She tried her best not to look like an idiot when she helped her husband to govern the kingdom. She didn''t want to be a shameful presence for him.


    But Gale had always made it clear that she didn''t need to care for anyone''s


    opinion, as his opinion mattered the most in this castle.


    Swan''s cheeks reddened as Gale kept teasing her, and she quickly hid her face in his strong chest to hide her embarrassment.


    Gale''s smile deepened as he gently pressed the back of Swan''s head so she


    could bury her face deeper into his chest.


    He had been holding himself after the coldest night. For some reason, his possessiveness over Swan grew every second, making him unsure if he could control himself.


    Whenever Swan acted sweet like this, he wished that he could swallow her whole, making sure that Swan stayed by his side every single second.


    He wanted to share his heart with Swan, so if Swan died early, he would also die immediately.


    Other strange fantasies continued to appear in his head, and he was worried it would scare Swan, as some of them could be extreme for humans.


    Thus, he kept his fantasy in his head and had been acting tame despite his wild werewolf side kept resurfacing after the coldest night.


    ''It feels like the cursed beast inside me also wants you by his side, Swan,'' Gale thought. ''My brain, heart, even my instinct all want you. You''re truly a beautiful dream in my life.''


    Luckily, his wild fantasies were interrupted by the sound of the door. The cat maids walked in soon after, with Anastasia and Aria following behind.


    As they walked in, the big smile, the chuckle, and the joy on Gale''s face vanished in a mere second. His aura thickened, at least to the point that everybody in the throne room knew he wasn''t happy right now.


    Swan was still burying her head on Gale''s chest until she slowly lifted her head, and saw that Gale wasn''t happy.


    She followed his line of sight and found out that Aria and Anastasia had been kneeling on the ground before them.


    "Ah, sorry, I didn''t know you two were already here..." Swan said as she got a bit embarrassed. She was just ying around and teasing her husband just now, which she thought to be a bit childish for the Beast King''s wife.


    But Aria was taking it differently. She thought it was an intentional taunt.


    Swan deliberately acted coquettish with Gale when they entered the throne room because she wanted to show off her rtionship with the Beast King, and her position as the new Queen of the Kingdom of Beastmen.


    ''Hah, do you think I don''t know what''s on your mind, you crippled bitch? I know that you must think it''s so funny seeing me kneeling in front of you like this,'' Aria cursed in Ker heart. ''Just you wait and see I will regain my witchcraft back, and be even stronger than a Saintess.''


    Aria could only say those words in her heart, as she knew she had beenpletely defeated and was at Swan''s mercy right now.


    Swan noticed Aria''s hateful re, and she felt guilty, not for purifying her witchcraft away, but for what she was about to announce.


    "Do you want to say it, Sweetheart?" Gale offered, and Swan shook her head.


    She couldn''t say it, knowing that it would crush Aria and Anastasia.


    "Then it''ll be my pleasure to announce it," Gale smirked. "Swan has given me her edict about the fate of the Holy Achate. Her words are final, and cannot be changed no matter what, so listen carefully."


    Gale turned his head towards Anastasia and said, "Anastasia of the Holy Achate,


    you shall abdicate from your position as a Queen as soon as you leave this throne room."

 Chapter 202: Queen Swan’s Edict (II)

    Chapter 202: Chapter 202: Queen Swan''s Edict (II)


    Anastasia lifted her head and looked at the Beast King with her eyes wide open, as she couldn''t believe what she heard just now, "Y-Your Majesty, that can''t be. I am the de facto Queen of Holy Achate. I''m also a popr royal for the people! It''s not possible to force me to abdicate, because everyone will riot!"


    "You''re not fooling anyone here. My wife already told me that you are far less popr than that bastard dead king. The Holy Achate is in turmoil once you ascend as the Queen, and the church keeps on gaining in poprity," Gale scoffed, and Anastasia red at Swan instantly.


    She didn''t expect this bitch to be a backstabbing type, telling Gale all of this. It was true, but it shouldn''t be talked about, because it made her look ipetent as the Queen.


    Swan''s heartbeat quickened as she remembered all the pain that she had to experience whenever her stepmother red at her like that.


    Usually, she would be pped or beaten by the guards, or she would be locked in her room and starved until she could barely lift her head.


    Her body started shaking as she recalled all of her trauma, and Gale noticed it.


    He frowned, before saying, "Lower your gaze. You''re not allowed to stare at the Queen."


    Anastasia gritted her teeth but obeyed as she slowly lowered her gaze. Her heart was burning with fury as she didn''t expect that crippled bitch to be the one who dethroned her.


    Meanwhile, Swan was taking a deep breath as she tried to calm herself down.


    She knew that she was the one in power right now, but the psychological fear lingered, probably permanently as she grew up under their constant bullying.


    "Do you want to say something, Sweetheart?" Gale signaled. "If you want to punish them or anything else, this is the right time."


    After spending more time with his wife, Gale realized that Swan''s body would shake, especially her hands when she was afraid. She would usually join her hands to lessen her trembling, but it was still fairly obvious.


    Gale could tell that Anastasia must''ve done something to Swan before to make her react like this. As much as he wanted to kill her right here, right now, he knew that Swan still had some familial feelings towards Anastasia.


    Hence, he wanted Swan to toughen up and face her fear while he supported her from behind, "Don''t worry about anything. I¡ªyour husband-is by your side."


    Swan took another deep breath. She felt a lot calmer after getting encouragement from her husband.


    Gale was right.


    This was the right moment to tell Anastasia about something-something that Swan would never dare to say in other scenarios.


    1.n


    "My husband is right, you are not allowed to re at me. You are not the Queen of Holy Achate anymore Swan stated firmly despite her shaking hands. "You cannot fool me and say that you are popr with themon folks. The Holy Achate is very much in a power struggle between the pce and the church because nobody likes you. It would be better if Aria is the one in charge instead because she is quite well-loved."


    Swan wasn''t making up any of this. She learned through rumors circting the pce, from the gossip of the maids, guards, and the others.


    She also knew that her stepmother was much less poprpared to Aria, who often bragged that she was much more loved.


    "Aria told me herself, that you are unpopr. You are nothing but a ceholder until Aria bes the new Queen."


    What Swan said was correct.


    Even her advisors told her to step down as soon as Aria reached twenty because it would be far more honorable that way.


    However, Anastasia refused to do that. She had been waiting her whole life to be a Queen. She was meant to be one!


    Anastasia gritted her teeth, as much as she wanted to jump and w that bitch''s face, she decided to be civil, "But what am I going to do if I''m not a Queen? Who will be the new Queen? Is it my daughter, Aria?"


    "You will be reduced to a baroness in


    a small plot ofnd in the far south


    of Holy Achate. You''re free to govern thend and if anyone in Holy Achate is loyal enough to follow you to thatnd, they are allowed toe with you. However, you are not allowed to return to the Pce ever again," Swan said decisively. Her words were an edict at the same level as the Beast King, so nobody in this throne room dared to say anything against it, not even Aria and Anastasia. "As for the Queen of Holy Achate..."


    Aria was holding her breath.


    She didn''t care if her mother had been reduced to being a mere baroness. She thought this could be a good opportunity instead since it would be easier for her to sacrifice her mother if she wasn''t so tightly guarded by the secret guards as usual.


    Aria also still needed human sacrifices to meet with Madam Harsetti in her dream


    again.


    ''If I be the new Queen to rece my mother, that would be even better. Killing as many children as possible would be even easier because the secret guards would be in my control.''


    Swan knew what was in Aria''s mind.


    She thought about making Aria the new Queen to rece Anastasia, simply because Aria was very popr amongst the people.


    She was called the People''s Princess, though it was merely a facade.


    Swan took a deep breath as she was preparing herself for thest edict that would change the fate of Holy Achate forever.


    "Since Queen Anastasia will abdicate from her position, the one who will rule Holy Achate is..." Swan paused for a moment as she stared at Aria and continued, "Nobody."


    "What?!" Aria lifted her head in disbelief. She had the same bewildered expression on her face just like her mother before. "Are you insane!?"

 Chapter 203: Queen Swan’s Edict (III)

    Chapter 203: Chapter 203: Queen Swan''s Edict (III)


    "No, I am fully aware of the decision I made," Swan said firmly. "Holy Achate shall not have a sovereign queen or king anymore. I am reducing it to a vassal state of the Kingdom of Beastmen. Holy Achate''s new and official King would be Gale Stormfront, the Beast King. I will arrange a few capable beastmen to manage Holy Achate as head of the state. The church and the pce would be working together under my husband''s rule as well."


    Swan''s edict was like thunder on a clear sky for both Aria and Anastasia.


    Anastasia was expecting Swan to give Aria a chance, so she could be the Queen. If Anastasia could still control her daughter from behind, it wouldn''t be so bad for her to leave her position.


    But this...


    Anastasia couldn''t hold herself back anymore. She lifted her head and couldn''t control her expression as she snapped, "You ungrateful wench! You can''t do this to us! I''ve taken care of you since you were a baby!"


    "Lower your head," Swan ordered, but Anastasia refused to do that, knowing there was no point in acting nice in front of Swan anymore.


    "My wife said LOWER YOUR HEAD!" Gale repeated Swan''s words, but his voice carried a strange oppressive magic that forced Anastasia to lower her head again as if a huge, invisible boulder was suddenly ced on her shoulder.


    "There, I did it for you, Sweetheart," Gale said with a smile. He was waiting for his beloved to praise him, so Swan did by patting his strong chest and said;


    "Thank you, husband."


    Swan returned her gaze at Aria and Anastasia, "I''ve given you enough pardon. I can tell everyone, including my husband, of what you did to me when I was young. But I didn''t, because I still think of you as my family. This will be myst mercy towards both you and Aria. You are not allowed to return to the Pce of Holy Achate, and you are banned from entering this castle ever again. Goodbye, Baroness Anastasia and Lady Aria."


    Swan made sure that Anastasia and Aria knew their new statuses. They were not a Queen or Royal Princess anymore.


    They were nothing but a small Baroness and a Young Lady.


    "No, you can''t treat us like this! You little bitch, I will-mmff!?" Anastasia suddenly lost her voice as she lost her ability to breathe. Aria also felt the same way, and they soon realized that the cat maids who guarded each side of them also fell to their knees as they were unable to breathe.


    "This is thest warning," Gale said as he released his controlled oppressive aura, making sure everyone in this throne room except for his wife wouldn''t be able to breathe. "Dare you insult my wife once more, I will ignore her plea and kill you with my own hands."


    "G-Gale, please don''t... the other guards are getting hurt..." Swan tried to persuade her husband, and Gale sighed before he suppressed his aura once


    more.


    "Urk!" Anastasia and Aria fell to the ground and almost lost their consciousness. Anastasia knew that the Beast King was powerful, but she didn''t expect him to be able to kill everyone by doing absolutely nothing.freewebnovel


    ''I should''ve sent Aria instead of Swan. No, my husband shouldn''t have tried to wage a war against him. No human will be able to harm him...'' Anastasiamented as she had to ept her new fate.


    Meanwhile, Aria was drooling as her face was nted on the cold floor.


    ''Damn. That is so hot...'' Aria thought as she couldn''t handle her own arousal. ''I know he is powerful, but he can even kill someone withoutying a finger to casting a spell! Oh, I can''t wait to be his wife! Sex with him must feel amazing!'' Aria''s jealousy red up as she got even angrier at Swan because that crippled, fake bitch could enjoy Gale''s dick as much as she wanted.


    ''Just you wait, you bitch. I will be the winner in the end, and you will realize that you''ve messed with the wrong person!'' Aria vowed in her heart. ''I will have Gale in the end and bear his offspring!''


    "Take them out. Put them in their carriage and let them leave as soon as possible. They are not allowed to return to the Kingdom of Beastmen anymore," Gale ordered. "My wife has picked a fewpetento beastmen to apany their journey. They will be the ones in charge in the pce to handle the former Queen and Princess'' abdication."


    "Understood, Your Majesty!"


    The other guards surrounded Anastasia and Aria before dragging them out of the throne room. Since they were still in the middle of celebrating the King''s sessful rut, there were no other matters to handle. The guards sensibly emptied the room to give more privacy to the Beast King and his Queen.


    Swan let out a relieved breath as the storm in her heart had passed. It was really difficult for her to keep her head high, as she was so used to lowering her gaze and cowering whenever Aria or Anastasia were around.


    "You did amazing, Swan," Gale praised. "Well, I''d prefer you to be more ruthless


    to them. But I know that you''re far more gentle and kind-hearted than I will ever be, so this is a step in the right direction."


    "I just don''t want them to think that you''re a fool, Swan responded absentmindedly while staring at the door. "They still think that you''re a buffoon, a savage beast that cannot think I refuse to let them act high and mighty forever. That''s why I make you the new King of Holy


    Achate, while they are nothing but a small baroness family on the


    outskirts of the Holy Achate."


    "I don''t care if anyone thinks that way about me. It doesn''t affect me in any way."


    Swan turned her head and gently caressed Gale''s chiseled jawline, "But it affects me. You are my strong, smart, and handsome husband. I get offended when others think badly of you."

 Chapter 204: Don’t hold your voice, Sweetheart

    Chapter 204: Chapter 204: Don''t hold your voice, Sweetheart


    Gale grabbed Swan''s wrist, and kissed her palm piously, as if a mere palm from his beloved was more than enough to give him a joy in life.


    "You don''t understand how dangerous your words can be, Sweetheart. Do you expect me to stay still after you said that? I''m so happy, I feel like I could kill thousands of soldiers right now," Gale said. "I still don''t care about what other people say, but since you get offended when someone talks badly about me, then I will try to be more strict about my image."


    "O-of course. You told me that your pride is my pride. We are mated, right? I don''t want my husband to be insulted by anyone!" Swan said boldly.


    "Right, right," Gale murmured. "We are mated for life. Keep that in your mind, Swan. Because nothing will change that, not even fate."


    "Even if fate doesn''t allow us to?"


    Gale stopped kissing Swan''s palm. He was reminded of that stupid white rabbit in the Sacred Selene Lake. He also remembered how he endured all the lunar beams just to make a point that he would not leave until that white rabbit told him about his fated mate''s identity.


    "I can defy fate. It''s not hard. I just have to endure a few huge boulders dropped on my head," Gale said as he measured the pain of one lunar beam from the Goddess. It was simr to getting a giant boulder dropped on top of his head. It was a bit painful, but not enough to make him stop threatening that stupid white rabbit.


    Swan chuckled as she thought that Gale was just joking around. She tried to pull her hand as she felt ticklish, but Gale didn''t let her go. He kept on kissing her palm and started to kiss the tip of each of her fingers.


    She began to feel the heat as her thighs were poked by his hot, hard dick. They hadn''t done it for thest few days, and it was because the coldest night had just passed, and Gale seemed to have spent all of his weekly semen in one go in his cursed beast form. So, he didn''t ask for it again.


    Even now, he still hadn''t asked Swan yet, but from the way he kissed her palm while rubbing his erect dick on her thigh, it was obvious that Gale was in the mood right now.


    "G-Gale, it''s still too early. Everyone''s still outside in the banquet," Swan said bashfully, but she didn''t try to avoid him, which felt more like an invitation for Gale. "W-what if they heard us?"


    "Is that a problem?" Gale asked. He moved his kiss to her cheeks and neck. "This castle is mine, and my subjects would be more than happy to hear us mating. It would be a great sign because that means we''re fulfilling our duty as the King and Queen."


    Swan was still not used to how vulgar the beastmen could be when it came to sex. To most of them, sex was something to be celebrated, and the sound of mating was not a big problem, especially when it was their king who did it.


    "I-in the throne room?" Swan asked meekly. "M-maybe we should go back to our room and Ah!"


    Swan gasped when Gale took off the coat over her shoulder, and pulled her dress down, exposing her fair breasts that exuded a strong scent. Gale buried his face in it, taking a deep sniff in-between Swan''s boobs.


    This particr spot had the same scent as her nape, and he liked it.


    He had been into this spot more than Swan''s nape because Swan would usually hug his head and allow him to bury his face deeper.


    However, Swan didn''t hug his head this time. She was so embarrassed to be exposed in the middle of the throne room, where she usually carried out her task as Gale''s advisor to deal with kingdom matters.


    "We''re doing it here," Gale stated in a muffled voice, as his face was still buried between Swan''s breasts. "Doing this while everyone is outside gets me excited."


    Swan quickly zipped her lips, not wanting to let a single moan out. She didn''t want anyone outside to notice that she was having a good time with her husband in the throne room.


    But Gale noticed it, so he nibbled on his wife''s nipple until Swan couldn''t help but gasp, "AH!"


    Swan quickly covered her mouth, making Gale only chuckle evilly, "I''ll make sure everyone outside knows what we''re doing in here, Sweetheart."


    **


    Aria and Anastasia were thrown into their carriage like two sacks of badly harvested potatoes. It took them a while to gather their strength, and took them even longer to get up and sit on the carriage seat.


    They stared at each other, and had a tacit understanding; The Beast King was probably the most powerful entity on this continent. No, maybe he was the strongest on earth.


    "We need to get him by our side no matter what, Aria. He''s our only key if we want


    to defeat that crippled bitch."


    "I know," Aria Sighed. "I''ve been


    fascinated by him for a long time. I


    really can''t imagine him with


    someone else other than me. I


    thought Swan would be easy to


    get


    rid of, but she''s the Saintess and


    must''ve used mysterious holy magic to keep Gale by her side.


    Even after being told by Madam Harsetti and witnessing Swan turning into the Saintess, Aria still refused to believe that Gale was truly in love with Swan. It was simply uneptable.


    "It doesn''t matter. Gale might say that he loves Swan, but I doubt that he already did something to Swan," Aria sneered. "Her body is disgusting to look at, let alone to touch Gale probably has a mistress out there-"


    "Ahhh!"


    Aria held her breath when she heard a suspicious voice that was definitely Swan''s. She immediately darted her eyes in the direction of the voice and realized the voice came from the throne room.


    "Ah! Ahnn! H-husband, slow-it''s too... big! Nngh!"

 Chapter 205: No Peace for the Witch

    Chapter 205: Chapter 205: No Peace for the Witch


    freewebnovel


    Aria''s gaze darkened as she knew damn well that voice was Swan''s, and since it came from the throne room, that meant-


    Aria dared not continue her line of thought, because it was so ridiculous. How could the Beast King fall in love with that crippled bitch so deeply that he didn''t even mind having sex with her in the middle of the day in the throne room during a literal festival!?


    Surely, Swan was using her holy power to trick Aria''s mind, right?


    "Mom, do you hear what I hear?" Aria asked to make sure that it wasn''t just Swan''s evil trick.


    "I hear it loud and clear," Anastasia scowled. "That bitch and the Beast King are having sex in the throne room. How shameless."


    "No, it''s probably just an illusion created by Swan to make us angry. Let me ask someone else," Aria said.


    She stuck her head out of the carriage window and saw the cat maids talking with the guards who would escort their carriage to the city gate.


    She waited until the cat maids left, then called the beastman guard, "You. Come here."


    The guard turned his head, and walked towards Aria, "What''s wrong?"


    Aria disliked how beastmen in general were a very crass race. They were rough and had no respect except for the Beast King. They always acted and talked casually to each other regardless of rank, and the same also happened to the guests, be they honorable guests from other kingdoms or mere merchants.


    Aria tried to swallow herint. The moans and gruntsing from the throne room were getting louder and louder, and she realized that everyone in the castle ground seemed to ignore it, or maybe they were used to it.


    ''There''s no way they''d get used to this kind of stupidity. It must be Swan''s trick,'' Aria thought to convince herself. She asked the guard, "Do you hear those voices from the throne room?"


    "Uh-huh, then what?"


    "T-then what? You DO hear it, right? The Beast King is having sex with that bi-l mean, with Swan, in the middle of the day, in the throne room! Don''t you see something wrong with that?!" Aria protested.


    The beastman guard frowned, not because he agreed with Arias''s statement. He just found it a strange thing toin about, "Yeah, know that our King is mating with his mate. It''s normal for them to mate almost every day. Usually, they would do it at night, and everyone


    would hear it. Maybe they are


    excited today, and mate in the


    throne room at noon."


    "A-and you guys think nothing is wrong with that? Do you have no shame?!"


    "What''s there to be ashamed about?


    ¤Ç


    We beastmen are proud of our King.


    Everything in the castle, including


    our lives, is his, so we have no right


    to protest," the beastman guard replied lightly. "Besides, we''re very happy whenever the Beast King is mating, because it''s better than him screaming in agony. He hadn''t mated in the castle with anyone before Princess Swan came, so his mating voice with Princess Swan was like a celebration for us, beastmen."


    "B-but... it''s not normal..."


    "What''s normal in your culture might not be normal in ours," the


    beastman guard said. "We have


    been waiting for the Prince or Princess of Beastman toe. We will dedicate our lives and ou descendants'' lives to the new King in case the Beast King wants his child to take the throne. His


    offspring would be as strong or even stronger than he is."


    The beastman guard turned around and looked in the direction of the throne room. He sighed adoringly, "I hope we can get more than one Prince or Princess. Maybe there will be ten little Beast Kings in the future? That would be great because that means the beastmen will definitely rule the world!"


    Aria could hear her heart shattered into pieces. She thought that someone in this castle would think of this mating ritual as disgusting, but as she looked around the castle grounds when the banquet was being held, it seemed that everybody was truly overjoyed by Swan and Gale having sex in the middle of the day.


    It was so bizarre but more than that, it was truly heartbreaking for Aria.


    ''It should''ve been me. I could have sex with Gale every day, morning, noon, and night in this castle, and be loved by such a powerful man. This is all because my idiotic mother sent Swan to be his bride instead,'' Aria thought as she shifted her gaze at her mother.


    "Don''t give me that look, Aria. I also have the same idea as you. I should''ve sent you to be his bride back then," Anastasia muttered as she crossed her arms. "Things wouldn''t be soplicated if he falls in love with you instead."


    Aria leaned on the couch and they stared at each other in silence as they were forced to listen to Swan moaning repeatedly while the Beast King kept grunting for each thrust.


    "How much longer do we have to wait until we can leave this damned castle?" Aria asked her mother.


    Anastasia sighed, "I don''t know either. They are probably holding us hostage here and waiting until the Beast King and Swan finished having sex before we could leave. This is probably Swan''s idea to make sure that we listen to this."


    In the end, it took an hour until Aria and Anastasia''s carriage was allowed to leave the castle grounds. Meanwhile, the Beast King kept pounding on his wife and they were starting their third round.


    Aria bit her lip as she tried her best to suppress her burning jealousy. The more she tried to do it, the more painful her heart became.


    ''Just wait and see, Swan. Even if you are pregnant with his cubs, I will make sure


    that you will never get your happiness. Gale is mine, and you are just a pest in our soon-to-be beautiful life.''

 Chapter 206: Morning Sickness

    Chapter 206: Chapter 206: Morning Sickness


    The festival to celebrate Beast King''s sessful rut was finally over after five days, and the new year had just started.


    Winter was getting colder than before, and it was torturous for Swan whose body was getting weaker and weaker.


    Today she stayed in the bathroom for a long time, at least longer than usual. Not for bathing, but because she felt nauseous.


    "Ugh... What''s wrong with me?" Swan asked herself as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. She had been feeling ill for two days. She got nauseous, weak, and even somewhat feverish, but it onlysted a few hours in the morning.


    The nausea would disappear around brunch time, but she would feel fatigued all day. Of course, she tried her best not to show any sign of fatigue or illness in front of her husband, fearing that Gale would panic since he seemed to be overly concerned about her.


    ''Maybe the winter cold is just too much for me. I should drink more tea and eat more to fight the sickness,'' Swan told herself as she washed her face with warm water on the basin. She stared at her reflection again.


    Usually, she would avert her gaze from the mirror because Aria always called her ugly or disgusting, but not anymore. She had grown confident over her appearance, especially when she realized that she had been putting up some weight, so her sunken cheeks were a bit chubbier and rosier.


    Gale kept mentioning that he liked her when she had such rosy cheeks. It encouraged her to eat a bit more than before.


    Unfortunately, her face didn''t show a good expression. Each morning had be difficult for her who experienced nausea and sometimes vomiting.


    "Princess, are you alright?" Myra asked from outside the door. "Do you need me to call the doctor?"


    "No, I''m fine. I''m about to finish soon," Swan replied. She had been telling the cat maids to keep calling her Princess in private despite Gale already iming that Swan was the Queen of the Kingdom of Beastmen. She just felt morefortable that way, as she still felt she didn''t deserve the title just yet.


    Swan walked out of the bathroom with her crutches, and when she opened the door, the cat maids were already standing in front of her with worried eyes.


    "Princess, you took almost an hour inside. We also heard the sound of you retching. Are you sure that you are alright?" Myra asked again.


    "I can call the doctor now, Princess."


    "No, don''t call the doctor. It''s no big deal," Swan refused. "I think the cold has gotten into me. I should eat and drink more. Oh, and don''t tell His Majesty about this. You know he gets concerned over small things."


    The cat maids wanted to refute that, because the Beast King usually didn''t care about anything other than his wife. It made sense for him to be overly concerned when Swan was the most important person in his life.


    "But, wouldn''t it be better to be checked by the doctor? I''m sure His Majesty wouldn''t mind if we call Matoa, the miraculous doctor."


    "That would be too much. Doctor


    Matoa would need to travel far in the middle of cold winter just to see me. Besides, we shouldn''t bother His Majesty. Isn''t he currently in the Holy Achate, handling the Queen''s abdication and also the transfer of power to make the Holy Achate our vassal kingdom?"


    "Yes, Princess. He is apanied by a few elite guards, with ze Silverfang as the second-inmand," Myra replied.


    "He also left with Lady Jade," Maya added.


    "Lady Jade?" Swan frowned. She didn''t have a good feeling when the cat maids mentioned Lady Jade. "Does that mean Lady Jade will be ced in the Holy Achate as the new vassal kingdom ruler?"


    "We don''t know, Princess..."


    "Hm... then I will ask himter. He has a lot on his te, making sure that Holy Achate could survive after the trade ban during a harsh winter. So, we shouldn''t stress him out over my condition. This is just a cold at worst." Swan chuckled. "I don''t want him to run back to the castle just to check on me over a cold." freewebnovel


    The cat maids felt like Princess Swan was oversimplifying her condition. It had been two days, and she kept having morning sickness.


    However, they had no authority to call the doctor, let alone the miraculous Doctor Matoa, without Princess Swan or the Beast King''s order.


    Thus, they decided to follow Princess Swan''s request and helped her to return to bed.


    Swan ate her breakfast on the bed, and once she was done, Maya delivered a message from Long Xiurong, "Princess, Lady Long has been asking us about your schedule. She wants to have tea time with you as soon as possible."


    "We asked if there was a message she wanted to say to you, but she said nothing else. She just said she wants to have a tea party," Myra added.


    Swan was surprised by that. It had been a while since she had tea time with Long Xiurong, and it was Swan who always invited Lady Longe because she wanted to make sure that Long Xiurong wouldn''t be footed by Jade.


    This would be a perfect opportunity to see what Long Xiurong had been up to, and to find out if she was moving to Jade''s side because she might resent Swan for hogging Gale all for herself.


    "Tell Lady Long toe for brunch. Prepare tea and assorted snacks. We will have tea time in my room," Swan ordered. "Oh, make sure to prepare a lot of snacks. Lady Long loves them, so we can talk for a long time."


    "Understood, Princess!" The cat maids replied in unison before excusing themselves out of the room.


    Swan sipped her morning ginger tea, and her stomach felt much better now.


    She stared at the tea and muttered, "I wonder if Long Xiurong has something to


    say."

 Chapter 207: You need to eat

    Chapter 207: Chapter 207: You need to eat


    Long Xiurong was fiddling with her fingers as she sat inside her room. She anxiously waited for an answer from Princess Swan about having tea together.


    Thest day of the banquet was over, and she had no more reason to keep eating in the banquet and keep herself full for the entire day to avoid eating anything poisonous served by that bunny maid.


    She had the mammoth tusk ne in her pocket, and Rock''s letter in another pocket as she was ready to tell Princess Swan about everything.


    ''Come on, Princess. Please ept my invitation. I need to get rid of that bunny maid as soon as possible, and I also need to eat!'' Long Xiurong prayed as she got increasingly anxious.


    The door was finally knocked from outside. Long Xiurong thought it was the cat maids, bringing her answer from Princess Swan.


    To her disappointment, it turned out to be that bunny maid, Alice, who walked in with her fake smile while carrying a breakfast tray.


    "Good morning, Mdy. I''m here with your breakfast. Since there is no banquet anymore, I assume you would need to eat by now," Alice said with a mysterious grin. "It''s very cold outside, so I''ve prepared a hearty meal for you, Mdy."


    Long Xiurong stared at the food on the table. It was all warm and the scent was inviting, but she knew damn well not to trust this bunny maid.


    "Thanks," Long Xiurong said with zero enthusiasm. "You can leave now."


    Alice maintained her smile as she stayed in the same position, standing right next to the table while looking at Long Xiurong.


    Long Xiurong started to feel nervous, "Why are you still here? I told you to leave." "I''m sorry, Mdy, but I cannot do that," Alice replied.


    "And why not?"


    "Because I want to make sure that you eat your breakfast, Mdy. You''ve been eating nothing but a banquet feast for the past week. It''s not good for your digestive system, so I prepare this meal to maintain your health," Alice replied. "So you could live long."


    Long Xiurong realized what Alice was up to.


    She must''ve suspected that Long Xiurong already knew about the poison, so she wanted to make sure that Long Xiurong would take a bite and fall ill.


    Being stared down like this, it was hard for Long Xiurong to refuse or it would confirm Alice''s suspicion that Long Xiurong already knew everything.


    Long Xiurong bit her lip. She was nervous because one second felt like an eternity for her. She knew what was on Alice''s mind, so she decided to do nothing while staring at the views from the window.


    Alice''s lips twitched as it seemed that Long Xiurong had no intention to touch her food at all.


    "Mdy, why aren''t you eating anything? Is there something not to your liking?" Alice asked. She put up a sad face and added, "But I''ve prepared everything for you. I''m sorry if my cooking skill is not good enough for you, Mdy."


    ine


    12


    "If you''re aware that you''re not good enough to cook for me, then you should never serve me anything never else. I get sick just by seeing it," Long urong responded with a frown, just to make sure that Alice wouldn''t try to poison her with the food anymore.


    "Then, should ask the cooks to make you something instead? I''m sure they cane up with something simr to what your country has," Alice said with a smile, and Long Xiurong realized that she had fallen into her trap. "I don''t know why you hate me so much, Mdy. Surely, you won''t hate the cooks who will prepare your dishes, right? They work hard for it, and will get punished if you don''t eat the food they served."


    Long Xiurong gulped as her nervousness escted. This bunny maid sure knew how to talk nicely.


    ''Should I tell her everything about the mammoth tusk? That way she will stop pestering me, since there is no use when I can just detect the poiso immediately,'' Long Xiureng thought, but she quickly scrapped the idea. ''No, that''s stupid. This gray mammoth tusk from Roek is my only weapon to protect myself from untimely death. It''s not wise to show my trump card in front of an enemy like this bunny maid.''


    Long Xiurong and Alice were stuck in this stalemate until the sound of knocking disrupted the silence, followed by the cat maids'' appearance at the door.


    They were surprised to see Alice in the room.


    "Alice? Why are you still here?" Maya asked.


    "I''m just waiting for Lady Long to eat her breakfast. She has been skipping her breakfast for a week. I''m a little worried," Alice replied.


    "Then just let her eat in peace, no?" Myra asked with a frown. "Staring at Lady Long like that would only make her lose appetite."


    "It''s fine, I¡ª"


    Long Xiurong quickly grabbed her opportunity and agreed firmly, "They are right. You need to leave now."


    "But¡ª" Alice looked at Long Xiurong and the cat maids back and forth. She gritted her teeth as she realized that it was three against one, and then excused herself to leave the room.


    Long Xiurong waited until Alice was out of the room. Once it was safe, she let out a relieved sigh, "You two don''t know how much of a lifesaver you are."


    Maya and Myra looked at each other in confusion but decided to just deliver the message from their Princess, "Mdy, our Princess epts your invitation. She asks you toe to her room for brunch."


    "Great!" Long Xiurong almost jumped from her chair as she was d that she had been saved. "Please tell Princess Swan I wille as soon as the brunch starts."


    Long Xiurong couldn''t wait to gorge herself on all kinds of snacks and assorted desserts. If she was lucky enough, Princess Swan might allow her to eat lunch there as well.


    ''The first thing to do is to show her the letter, and then get rid of that bunny maid!''

 Chapter 208: The Gray Mammoth Tusk (I)

    Chapter 208: Chapter 208: The Gray Mammoth Tusk (1)


    "Then, we will excuse ourselves, Mdy," Maya said. They were about to turn around when Long Xiurong suddenly stopped them.


    "Wait, you two¡ª"


    "Yes, Mdy?"


    "Bring this breakfast with you."


    Maya and Myra looked at each other again, and then shifted their gaze at Lady Long in confusion, "Do you not like the food served by Alice, Mdy?"


    "It seems to be a simr breakfast that Princess Swan usually has. Does it not suit your pte?"


    "I... I''m sure that Princess Swan will tell you the real reasonter. Bring it to Princess Swan''s room, but warn her that none of these breakfast foods are meant to be consumed. I want to make sure the breakfast isn''t tampered with before brunch," Long Xiurong instructed.


    Again, the cat maids were confused by her request, but they agreed and carried the breakfast tray out of Long Xiurong''s room.


    If the cat maids did their job right, they would put the food in Princess Swan''s room. That way, Long Xiurong would be able to demonstrate the special effect of the gray mammoth tusk given by Rock Silverfang a week ago.


    "I have to make sure that everything went well," Long Xiurong mumbled as she clutched the mammoth tusk in her pocket.


    Alice anxiously waited outside of Long Xiurong''s room. She was waiting for the cat maids to leave, so she could return to the room and persuade that bitch Long Xiurong to finally eat or drink something.


    Alice had put more poison than usual in the food. If Long Xiurong kept refusing any food she served, the poison given by Lady Jade would run out fast without her making any meaningful progress in her mission.


    Alice shivered as she was reminded of how harsh the punishment from Lady Jade could be, but then she remembered what Princess Aria said, and her fear of Lady Jade''s wrath turned into a mockery, ''Ah, that''s right. As long as I follow Princess Aria''s instructions, there is nothing to worry about. I am not going to be a scapegoat here!''


    The door was opened from the inside, and the cat maids finally left Lady Long''s room. However, Alice''s smile vanished instantly when she saw them carrying the tray full of breakfast intended for Long Xiurong.


    "W-wait, why are you taking it out? It''s breakfast for Lady Long!" Alice eximed as she stood in the cat maids'' way.


    "Lady Long told us to bring it to Princess Swan''s room," Maya said.


    "We don''t know what it is for, but she told us it''s not for consumption," Myra added. "Now step aside, Alice. Why are you acting so strange? Did something happen?"


    Alice tried to mask the rage she felt in her heart. She forced a smile and shook her head, "I''m just a little hurt that Lady Long won''t eat anything I make."


    "Don''t fret about it. Lady Longes from the east. Their food is vastly different from ours, so it''s natural if she doesn''t like many things served in this castle," Mayaforted before leaving Alice alone.


    Alice gritted her teeth as she red at the cat maids, and then at the door.


    ''There is no mistaking it. Long Xiurong must''ve already known about the poison. I don''t know how she found out about it, but I guess I''ll have to go with Princess Aria''s n,'' Alice thought. ''I''m sorry, Lady Jade, but you are not more important than Princess Aria. She is a beautiful Saintess. She''s His Majesty''s fated mate, so I must follow her instructions.''


    Thus, with Aria''s idea in mind, Alice finally stopped caring and turned around to leave. All she needed to do was make sure that she could be convincing enough to be spared by Princess Swan and also possibly His Majesty, the Beast King.


    *


    Swan frowned as she stared at the tray full of breakfast carried by the cat maids into her room.


    The cat maids said that Lady Long wanted her to see this breakfast tray, but warned her not to eat anything.


    Swan wasn''t an idiot who didn''t know the meaning behind it. It was obvious the food must''ve been dangerous since Lady Long specifically warned her not to touch it, let alone eat it.


    "Is the food poisoned? If it is, then how did she find out about it? Does she have some unknown ability to detect poison?" Swan wondered as she carefully inspected the breakfast tray. The food had gone cold by now, and as expected, she couldn''t find anything strange, atleast not from the look or smell.


    Thus, she decided to wait until Long Xiurong knocked on the door, and the cat maids opened the door for her.


    "G-good morning, Princess," Long Xiurong greeted nervously, and Swan replied with a smile;


    "Good morning. I''ve prepared everything for our tea time, but before we start¡ª" Swan pointed at the breakfast tray. "¡ªMind telling me what is this all about? Why do you ask the cat maids to bring it to my room?"


    Long Xiurong darted her eyes at the tray and was relieved that everything seemed untouched. Swan noticed the relief in her eyes, and guessed, "So it is poisoned, isn''t it?"


    Long Xiurong looked over her shoulder to check if the door was firmly shut. Once she felt that she was in a safe space, Long Xiurong finally nodded weakly.


    Swan''s expression turned serious instantly. She might not have a familial feeling for Long Xiurong, and she definitely didn''t see her as a close friend. They could be called friends at best, but even Swan realized there was an invisible wall between them.


    But Swan still felt responsible for protecting Long Xiurong, as she was still officially Gale''s second wife, on top of being a good person.


    Swan deeply inhaled and probed, "How do you know it has been poisoned? Do you have any skill to distinguish poison? I''ve checked it before, and can''t seem to find anything suspicious-not from their color, or smell."


    Long Xiurong had been waiting for a whole week for this moment. She also took a deep breath to prepare herself and pulled out the keepsake from that handsome young wolf.


    "This is a gray mammoth tusk, a


    very rare find from the north continent, It can detect any poison just by dipping the tip of the tusk


    into any food, and it will ne


    color once it detects any poison," Long Xiurong paused for a moment before continuing, "This keepsake is given by Rock Silverfang, your knight, Princess."

 Chapter 209: The Gray Mammoth Tusk (II)

    Chapter 209: Chapter 209: The Gray Mammoth Tusk (II)


    Swan''s eyes widened as her heart jumped when Long Xiurong mentioned that


    name.


    "H-how do you know that name?" Swan asked. "I-I never mentioned him, and I''m sure Gale has banned anyone from ever talking about him in public."


    "I heard about him from the rumors, as the servants in this castle are prone to gossiping. I met him personally on the first night of the celebration banquet. He climbed to my window, andter introduced himself," Long Xiurong exined, conveniently leaving out a few details about their first meeting, such as Rock, who had a hard-on when Long Xiurong kept struggling to break free. "He told me that his name is Rock Silverfang, His Majesty''s former beta, and your supposed knight. Then, he said that he needed to find a way into your room, Princess. He wanted to talk with you to make sure that you were safe and sound after the coldest night. He wanted me to help him, but I knew better not to let him because he would be killed by His Majesty instantly."


    Swan let out a relieved sigh because Long Xiurong was absolutely correct. Gale had such a keen sense of smell, and he seemed to have a special mark of territory around their room. He would be able to tell from far away if there was an intruder or unknown person entering their marital bedroom.


    "How is he? Is he alright?" Swan asked. "It''s been so long since I saw him thest time. I''m worried about him."


    Long Xiurong could see the concern, and also grief on Princess Swan''s expression. Her lips curled, as she now understood why the Beast King got so angry and became hostile against Rock.


    Just like Gale, Long Xiurong also had a hard time trying to discern whether Princess Swan was just genuinely worried for Rock''s safety, or if she had romantic feelings for Rock.


    Princess Swan''s sincerity was so pure that it always gave off amorous feelings whenever she showed concern, and her beauty didn''t help her case either.


    Long Xiurong felt her heart tightened, and it started to ache. She knew it was a feeling of jealousy. Her heart also ached the same way when she realized she had no chance with the Beast King at all.


    ''Maybe I should lie about Rock a little, so Princess Swan would be less concerned about him,'' Long Xiurong felt conflicted. Bad ideas swirled in her head as she didn''t want to lose Rock. She knew if Rock had to choose between her and Princess Swan, Rock would pick thetter without hesitation.


    ''Maybe I shouldn''t give Rock''s letter to her,'' Long Xiurong hesitated as her inner turmoil escted. She was jealous, and she didn''t want to lose Rock since Princess Swan was irresistible to all men.


    "Lady Long? Are you alright?" Swan asked out of concern. "H-how about Rock? Is he in good health? He was on the run for so long. I''m so worried about him."


    "Princess... Do you... like Rock?"


    "Hm? Of course, I do," Swan answered without hesitation, and Long Xiurong''s heart shattered in pieces to the point she was about to cry.


    "But you already have His Majesty. Why do you have to love two men at the same time, Princess?" Long Xiurong asked with eyes zed with tears.


    "Ah, no, no, I don''t love him. I like him as my dear knight, and also as a friend," Swan rified. "It might sound stupid, but he is my very first friend. He treats me as a friend, despite being my knight. He is very casual when talking with me. He is also His Majesty''s right-hand man, so he is probably Gale''s only friend as well."


    "I haven''t known him for long. I''ve only talked to him for a day before everything went horribly, but I always know that he has my


    husband''s best interest in minal


    Swan said as she revealed a slight smile when recalling Rock, I know ? very well how painful loneliness can be, and I don''t want my husband to lose the only friend he has. That''s why I am constantly worrying about Rock."


    "S-so, you don''t... love him?"


    "Why would 12" Swan frowned as she was genuinely confused. "I''m married to Gale, and I''ve been in love with him ever since. My heart has no more ce for another man. Even if Gale and I got separated in the future, I will never find another man, because my heart has been filled with his presence."


    "I see..." Long Xiurong felt guilty for using Princess Swan. She was so overridden by jealousy that she couldn''t think that a man and woman''s tonic rtionship was possible. ''I don''t think Rock only sees Princess Swan as a friend. But that''s for him to figure out in the end.''


    After getting the answer she wanted, Long Xiurong decided to tell Princess Swan everything, "He is doing well. I don''t see any scar on him, and he is in good health since he''s strong and tall and handsome, and¡ªoh, uhm... we''re getting out of topic."


    Swan raised her brow as she began to notice the change in Long Xiurong''s expression whenever she tried to remember about Rock; her eyes were filled with yearning and her lips would curl as if she was trying to hold back her giggles.


    ''Hm, she acts like a maiden in love. Is she...'' But Swan decided not to ask about it because it was a private matter. ''No, I don''t think it''s wise to talk about it right now. She is probably trying to process her feelings as well.''


    "That''s good. I''m d to hear he is safe and sound. I''m still wondering about the gray mammoth tusk pendant given by Rock in your hand, though," Swan pointed out. "Is there a reason why he gave it to you?"


    "Ah! Yes, he gave me this to protect me from any attempt of poisoning," Long Xiurong replied. "The ginger tea served to me on that fateful night was filled with poison. If it wasn''t for him I would''ve been dead by now."

 Chapter 210: The Gray Mammoth Tusk (III)

    Chapter 210: Chapter 210: The Gray Mammoth Tusk (III)


    "Poisoned ginger tea?!"


    "Y-yes. Rock said that he smelled something else other than tea leaves and ginger inside the teapot, so he gave me this pendant to make sure I can protect myself while he''s not around," Long Xiurong replied.


    ''Has he always been that kind?'' Swan pondered. ''Gale told me that most werewolves don''t care about others who are not from their pack. Is Long Xiurong a special case for Rock? Or is he...''


    Swan curled her lips as she was also holding back her giggle. She imagined Rock and Long Xiurong together and then found herself getting even more excited. She was very curious but decided to focus on the matter at hand first.


    Suppressing her excitement, she responded, "That''s nice of him. Why don''t you demonstrate its ability to detect poison?"


    Long Xiurong nodded. She stood up and walked towards the breakfast tray.


    Everything still looked the same as thest time she saw them, except that all the food had gone cold.


    "I think I should start with the tea. Since I was almost poisoned with ginger tea before," Long Xiurong said as she opened the teapot lid, and dipped the gray mammoth tusk inside. Swan watched as the gray-colored tusk entered the teapot, and when Long Xiurong fished it out, it had changed in color to purple. "Rock told me the tusk will change in color if it gets in contact with any type of poison. All I need to do is to wipe it, and it will return to its natural color. As you can see, Princess, this tea has been poisoned."


    Swan was fully focused as she seemed to have a few theories. She pointed at the white rice in a bowl and said, "Try dipping the tusk into that white rice. I want to make sure it''s not just the tusk reacting to water."


    Long Xiurong dipped the tusk into the white rice, and just like before, it changed color to purple.


    "Princess, the type of poison made to harm me must be one of a kind, because I cannot see or smell any trace of it," Long Xiurong said. "Rock also said the same, and he also told me the only one who can make such unique poison is¡ª"


    "Lady Jade," Swan murmured. "She''s a master of herbologist. She''s the only one in this entire kingdom who can create that kind of odorless and colorless poison."


    Long Xiurong was relieved that Princess Swan had long suspected Lady Jade, so she didn''t need to waste her time trying to convince her that Lady Jade was an immediate threat that needed to be eliminated as soon as possible.


    "I don''t know why Lady Jade wants to kill me, since I don''t think I''ve done anything wrong, nor am I close to His Majesty to receive her wrath. And she''s not working alone, Princess. She has an underling who has been serving me poisonous food and drink for a whole week," Long Xiurong paused for a moment before she dropped another name. "The culprit is my attendant, a bunny maid named Alice."


    "A bunny maid?!" Swan was reminded of the bunny maid who attended her during the coldest night. That bunny maid introduced herself as Alice, so couldn''t be mistaken.


    Swan remembered how she ate and drank the food served by Alice in the cave, and felt nothing afterwards. It was obvious that the bunny maid colluded with Lady Jade and specifically targeted Long Xiurong.


    "Yes, she is the one who actively


    urges me to eat anything she prepares don''t want to die, but I also can''t tell you immediately because you''re busy, so I''ve been gorging myself on the banquet, because that bunny maid cannot poison the entire banquet food."


    Swan nodded, "Nobody has been reported sick for a whole week during the banquet, so the amount of poison that bunny maid carries must be of little amount, maybe around the size of a small bottle."


    freewebnovel


    "I think so too, Princess. It''s a very advanced poison. It''s almost impossible to make odorless and colorless poison, so Lady Jade must''ve been using a lot of unique herbs to concoct this poison," Long Xiurong theorized.


    Swan nodded again, but now she had a question guing her mind, "Why would they target you? It will make more sense for them to target me, right? Lady Jade hates my guts, and has been trying to poison me for a while now."


    Naturally, Long Xiurong refused to tell Princess Swan about Alice feeding her false gossip, which ended up making her act like a


    clown in front of the Beast King. It


    was so shameful that she wanted to


    bury herself whenever she


    remembered about it.


    Thus, she replied, "They might have nned to kill me first as a test subject, Princess. After all, I am still officially His Majesty''s second wife. Once they sessfully get rid of me, they can move on to the main target-you."


    Swan gulped nervously.


    She knew she had to do something if she wanted to save both her and Long Xiurong''s lives.


    "You''re right. I cannot waste any more time. I keep that bunny maid and Lady Jade running around, who knows what other scheme they will pull to kill us both," Swan agreed. She stared at the breakfast tray for a white, before calling the cat maids who were guarding outside.


    "May we help you, Princess?" Maya asked as they finished their bows to their Princess.


    "I want you two to find Alice, a bunny maid who works as Lady Long''s attendant.


    Bring her here, right this instant," Swan ordered decisively.


    The cat maids were confused. They could tell that something bad had just happened, judging from Princess Swan''s solemn expression.


    "Is there something wrong, Princess? She is probably in the kitchen right now."


    "I will exin to you twoter after I make that bunny admit what she did," Swan said as she nced at the breakfast tray. "Bring her in, seize her if she tries to resist."


    "Understood, Princess!"

 Chapter 211: Bunny’s Teary Confession (I)

    Chapter 211: Chapter 211: Bunny''s Teary Confession (1)


    Alice was resting in the kitchen, eating her breakfast, when the cat maids entered with solemn faces.


    Their eyes darted towards Alice at the same time, and Alice lowered her head as she was trying to hide her smirk, ''So, that bitch Long Xiurong has found a way to convince Swan, huh? Oh well, it''s time to act ordingly. Thankfully, Princess Aria already told me how to steal Swan''s heart in this situation.''


    Thus, Alice quickly hid her grin when the cat maids called her, "Alice. Come with us."


    "Huh?" Alice lifted her head and stared back at the cat maids with innocent eyes. "Is there something wrong?"


    The cat maids looked at each other. Truthfully, they were as confused as she was.


    They never thought that someone like Alice would create a problem to the point that Princess Swan would look so solemn.


    They knew that their Princess was very tolerant of many things. Alice must''ve done something bad to grant her rage.


    "Come with us," Maya said. "Princess Swan has summoned you."


    "S-summoned by Princess Swan? But why?" Alice asked, still maintaining her innocence and ignorance. "Is there something wrong with the food? Oh wait, it''s not me who cooks it."


    "We don''t know either, but she summons you to her room, right now," Myra said to add urgency.


    Alice was still pretending to be dumb, but she obeyed and followed the cat maids.


    "I wonder if I identally did something to offend Her Majesty," Alice muttered as she walked side by side with the cat maids.


    The cat maids were feeling conflicted as well. They had known Alice for a long time. Alice was just a young bunny when she came to the castle to work and had been a very cheerful girl.


    Thus, they silently hoped that nothing bad would happen to Alice.


    ''Surely, Princess Swan wouldn''t be too cruel just because Alice makes a little mistake, right?'' the cat maids thought in unison.


    They stopped in front of the door. Maya knocked on the door, and after being permitted by Princess Swan, they entered the room together with Alice.


    Alice maintained her innocent look and ignorance. She acted bashful as she bowed politely with the cat maids.


    "Good morning, Your Majesty. Myra and Maya said that you''ve summoned me. Did I do something wrong?" Alice asked.


    She wilfully ignored Long Xiurong, acting as if she didn''t exist in this room.


    Swan was a little nervous because she had never been in this situation before. However, her rage was stronger than her nervousness, as she knew this bunny- despite looking innocent-was malicious enough to poison Long Xiurong''s food throughout the week.


    If it hadn''t been for Rock''s intervention, Long Xiurong would''ve been dead by now, and Swan would have been the next target.


    Swan looked at the cat maids, who were genuinely concerned about the situation. She guessed that the cat maids must''ve beenpletely oblivious to what Alice had done, and also had been maintaining a good friendship with Alice.


    Thus, she decided to let the cat maids watch, so they would not show any pity for Alice.


    "Why don''t you ask the one you attended," Swan said as she nced at Long Xiurong. "Lady Long, do you have something to say?"


    Long Xiurong had been holding back her rage over this cruel bunny and said, "You should admit what you''ve done to my food for the past week right now, or the punishment from Princess Swan would be more severe."


    "Huh? Uhm... I don''t understand," Alice responded meekly, though she was seething inside.


    She knew what this bitch Long Xiurong had in mind. She wanted to bait Alice to admit everything, which would destroy the n given by Princess Aria.


    Thus, while cursing Long Xiurong in her heart, Alice kept her ignorant facade. "Don''t pretend to be stupid! We both know what you did!" Long Xiurong yelled.


    "I-I don''t understand, Mdy," Alice murmured, and she jolted when Long Xiurong yelled at her. Her eyes began to ze with tears. "I-I''m sorry if I did anything wrong, but I don''t understand..."


    "You-!"


    "Calm down, Lady Long," Swan interrupted. "We''re going nowhere with you yelling."


    Swan smiled at Alice before asking her, "You''re the one who prepared breakfast for Lady Long, right?"


    "Y-yes, Your Majesty. But Lady Long doesn''t want to eat it, and I don''t know why..."


    "Hmm, maybe it doesn''t taste good? Why don''t you taste the food you just served," Swan ordered.


    "O-okay..." Atice walked towards the breakfast tray. Naturally, she knew which food she poisoned, so she ate the bread first, and after eating a slice, she said to Swan, "You Majesty, do I need to eat more?"


    Swan continued smiling, but Alice felt that something was amiss from her smile. She had a bad feeling about it, but she couldn''t say anything or resist Swan''s order.


    "I told you to taste the breakfast, so you need to eat each of those," Swan ordered.


    Again, Alice nodded, and she began eating the food one by one. She only poisoned the white rice and the tea because she knew those two were the most likely for Lady Long to eat, considering she came from the Eastern Long Dynasty.


    She made sure to stuff her mouth with everything except the white rice and the


    tea. Once she was done, she looked stuffed and tired, "Y-Your Majesty, I can''t eat more. It''s too much for me..."


    "You haven''t eaten that white rice and drank the tea yet," Swan reminded.


    "B-but, it''s too much for me. I might puke..."


    "Then you can stay here until you eat the remaining food," Swan said.


    "P-Princess, Alice is a small eater, and her diet is not the same as regr humans..." Maya said as she tried to get Alice out of this strange situation. "Y-yes, Princess, please let us bring her back to the kitchen..." Myra added. Swan nced at Myra and Maya. She sipped her tea and nonchntly stated, "She''s not going anywhere until she did what I told her to."

 Chapter 212: Bunny’s Teary Confession (II)

    Chapter 212: Chapter 212: Bunny''s Teary Confession (II)


    "But, Princess..."


    "If you two continue to argue with me to defend her, then you two can leave the room," Swan interrupted coldly. "I do not need attendants who prioritize their friend over me in a critical situation."


    The cat maids immediately trembled in fear. They had never seen Princess Swan saying something so cold and distant. They had been dedicating their lives to her and thought that their Princess was a soft-hearted woman who wouldn''t even hurt a fly.


    That''s why seeing Princess Swan showing her coldness like this caught them off guard.


    The cat maids felt conflicted, but they decided not to argue anymore, as they knew Princess Swan was their King''s beloved wife.


    "You cannot leave this room until you eat the remaining food on the breakfast tray," Swan repeated, and Alice knew she would probably be on the brink of death if she ate the poisoned white rice and ginger tea.


    ''Hah! Just as expected, this bitch Swan is truly a cruel and cold woman. She already knows the foods are poisoned, but still forces me to eat them,'' Alice sneered in her heart. ''I guess it''s time for me to act ording to Princess Aria- the REAL Saintess'' instruction!''


    "Come on, Alice. Just eat those and you are free to go," Myra encouraged.


    "Just get it over with, Alice," Maya added.


    Alice began her act by acting confused, and scared. Tears began welling in her eyes as she stared at Swan pleadingly, "P-please, Your Majesty, I¡ª"


    "Eat them," Swan repeated.


    "I-I can''t! I don''t want to die, Your Majesty!" Alice said as she dropped to her knees and sobbed like a kid.


    The cat maids were shocked by Alice''s sudden change, but they were even more shocked when they saw that Princess Swan and Lady Long were indifferent, as if they had known something the cat maids didn''t.


    "Why not? It''s the food that you, yourself, served to Lady Long," Swan questioned.


    "I-I can''t, l-I will die if I eat those!" Alice said as she continued crying. freewebnovel


    "A-Alice, what''s wrong? What did you do?" the cat maids said in unison as they were both worried and confused.


    "She''s crying because she has been caught red-handed," Swan exined calmly. "She poisoned the white rice and the ginger tea, knowing that Lady Long would most likely eat those. She knows she can''t eat them because it would make you extremely ill, or die instantly."


    "Poisoned?!" the cat maids


    eximed in shock. They shook their heads, simultaneously, as they couldn''t believe Alice would do. such a thing. Between the two, Myra recovered first and said, "P-Princess, there must be a misunderstanding here. Alice is a good girl. She works very hard as a maid, and has never done anything wrong."


    "W-we spend most of our time in the kitchen preparing food, and we have never seen her add anything dangerous to it!" Maya added.


    "Of course, she won''t do it in front of you two. But the fact remains that she did it before she served the food to Lady Long," Swan scoffed coldly. "Since you two don''t believe me, why don''t you ask your good friend instead?"


    Maya and Myra turned their heads towards Alice, but before they could say anything, Alice admitted, "I-I''m sorry, Your Majesty. I''ve been forced to do it! It was Lady Jade who wanted to see Lady Long die, so she forced me to poison her food! She threatened to kill me if I dared to disobey her!"


    Swan frowned, and so did Long Xiurong.


    The direction of the confessioning from Alice was different from their expectation. They expected Alice to start throwing insults if she could not handle the pressure.


    If she could, Swan expected her to act ignorant and refused to admit it, because getting used of poisoning the royal would grant her a death sentence.


    Thus, Alice''s sudden confession caught Swan off guard, and it took her a while to answer her plea, "So, you are trying to poison Lady Long instead of reporting what Lady Jade nned to do? I think you are just as guilty as she is."


    "N-No, please listen to me, Your Majesty! I''ve been trying to talk to you, but the banquet kept you upied for the past week."


    "So why don''t you tell ME instead? I''m the one you poisoned," Long Xiurong challenged. She felt that the direction of the conversation was not good. Princess Swan had a soft heart. She might actually pity this bunny and forgive her if this kept going.


    Alice looked at Lady Long with the same pitiful gaze. She began to cry her heart out as if she fully regretted her action.


    "I''m sorry, Mdy. I-I''m just so scared and confused. I''ve been trying to tell you about this, but you seem to hate me, so I got scared! Alice Confessed. "I-I really don''t want to kill you, but whenever I tried to refuse, Lady Jade would p me. You''ve seen me with red cheeks many times before!" Alice added. Her tears only made it even more convincing that she had been forced. "I want to tell you everything, but I feel alone in this castle, so I have no choice but to swallow it and


    continue to do what Lady Jade ordered me to do!"


    Long Xiurong was astonished because, for some reason, she also began to doubt herself. This bunny maid''s acting was so ster that she started to consider if it was truly her fault for antagonizing the bunny maid for the past week, so she couldn''t say anything to Long Xiurong.


    Alice turned her gaze at Swan again and crawled towards her. The bunny maid held her legs and looked up to plead at Swan, "Y-Your Majesty, I know what I did is wrong. I''m ready to be punished, but please don''t kill me, and please don''t let me return to my tribe. My tribe''s people would kill me if they know I''ve brought disgrace to them!"


    Swan''s heart softened a bit as Alice seemed to be genuinely remorseful and scared as if she was the real victim of this situation caused by Lady Jade.


    "Your Majesty, don''t fall into her trap. She''s just trying to fish for sympathy!" Long Xiurong warned as she was scared of what Swan would say next.

 Chapter 213: Rock’s Letter

    Chapter 213: Chapter 213: Rock''s Letter


    "I-I''m not trying to fish for sympathy, Your Majesty. I-I truly am scared! I''ve been forced to do what Lady Jade told me to do!"


    "No, you are a lying bunny! At this point, just tell us the truth! I know that you''ve been secretly waiting for me to die!"


    "I''m not "


    "SILENCE!" Swan finally snapped as she began to have a headache. She never liked conflict or noisy affairs. Not only did the arguments between Long Xiurong and this bunny maid make her head hurt, but it was also a waste of time. "Don''t worry, Lady Long. I''m not going to let her go scot-free, at least not until we get to bring down the main culprit first."


    Swan observed the sobbing Alice, and said, "If you want a lighter sentence, then you should testify against Lady Jade once she has returned. That is the only way for you to avoid the death sentence."


    "T-thank you, Your Majesty. Yes, I will testify against her! I''ve been trying to avoid her many times, but whenever she called me to her room, she would abuse me and force me to kill Lady Long!" Alice promised desperately.


    "But this doesn''t mean you are exempt from your wrongdoing," Swan stated. She looked at the cat maids who were too astonished to react. They must''ve felt betrayed after trying their best to defend the bunny maid.


    "Lock her in the dungeon. Give her proper food, and we shall wait for my husband and Lady Jade''s return, so we can talk about this."


    "Understood, Your Majesty..." Maya and Myra answered weakly as they lifted Alice from Princess Swan''s feet. Alice was still sobbing, but she managed to give onest polite bow to both Princess Swan and Lady Long before she was escorted outside.


    Swan leaned back on her chair once the door was closed. She let out a tired sigh as she felt conflicted about the entire situation.


    "Princess, you should''ve just executed her!" Long Xiurong said as she was still angry at that bunny maid. "She tried to poison me many times over the past week. I nearly died numerous times!"


    "Killing her would only help Lady Jade to get off this situation scot-free. We need Alice to testify against her, so we could kick her out of the castle," Swan pointed out. "Besides, I don''t think Gale would be pleased when he heard this. Even if I choose not to punish her, he will surely do so. Calm yourself, Lady Long. I will assign a new attendant for you, and I will make sure the new one will not be affiliated with Lady Jade in any way."


    Long Xiurong nodded weakly. Honestly, she was getting too agitated before because this was her only chance to preserve her life. She had to advocate for punishing the bunny maid so the same thing wouldn''t happen again.


    "My apologies for my behavior just now, Princess. I simply want to preserve my life. This is the first attempt of poisoning in my life. My family in the Eastern Long Dynasty has prepared me for this situation, but the real situation is much scarier," Long Xiurong admitted honestly.


    Swan smiled bitterly. She never had any situation where she was poisoned in the Holy Achate Pce, simply because Aria and Anastasia wanted her alive for as long as possible, so they could bully her forever.


    She had passed through near-death situations many times in the past and understood how nerve-wracking it felt.


    Sometimes, she was so starved she thought she was at the death door.


    Sometimes the cold gave her so much pain that she wished she could just amputate her crippled leg.


    Sometimes she pondered about her self-worth and thought it would be better if she was never born.


    But she survived and now stayed with Gale, a man who was truly in love with her.


    ''I shouldn''t dwell on the past. It''s too painful to remember,'' Swan told herself as she smiled at Long Xiurong, "Now that the storm has passed, why don''t you tell me about the other thing you brought today?"


    Long Xiurong nodded before pulling out a letter and putting it on the table. She slid it to Swan''s side and said, "Rock told me to deliver this letter to you. Please rest assured, since I didn''t read the content, Princess."


    Swan picked up the letter and opened it. She was surprised that Rock had such beautiful handwriting, which was very strange since her husband''s handwriting was very sloppy. She did most of the writing for Gale these days.


    *Rock''s letter*


    To my dearest Princess, Swan of Holy Achate, whom I, Rock Silverfang, fervently worshiped every night.


    I write this letter because the situation around the castle makes me unable to think of a way to meet you directly, but I hope you are in good health and in one piece after the coldest night.


    I initially wanted to bring you far away before the coldest night because I don''t want you to die, but it''s been difficult to reach the Kingdom of Beastmen ever since His Majesty dered a trade ban in the North Sea.


    I was scared that something bad might''ve happened to you by the time I arrived at


    the kingdom, but I''m so d that you''ve survived the coldest night with His Majesty.


    I apologize for my ipetence,


    Princess. I have been training every day, and I''ve be the new beta of an Arctic wolf pack named Blizzard Pack. I have proven myself to be much stronger than the Alpha so it won''t take long until I can be the Alpha of Blizzard Pack.


    Unfortunately, find it impossible to get stronger or as strong as the Beast King, as he has been cursed by the Moon Goddess herself. Should I travel to Sacred Selene


    .n


    3ke and beg the Goddess to curse


    me as well? I am waiting for your instructions, Princess.


    My dearest Princess, my heart is still beating because of your grace, and I will


    dedicate my entire life to you.


    -Your Dearest Knight, Rock Silverfang.


    *Rock''s Letter ends*

 Chapter 214: Like A Normal Couple

    Chapter 214: Chapter 214: Like A Normal Couple


    Swan felt an inexplicable warm feeling in her heart. She was d to hear Rock was doing well, and she was even happier knowing that Rock was far from Gale for now, so he wouldn''t get hunted by her husband.


    Long Xiurong observed Princess Swan''s expression, silently hoping that the Princess wouldn''t show any sign of love for Rock. She knew very well that she was no match against her if she wanted to have Rock as her man.


    Fortunately, Swan didn''t show any sign of romantic interest, at least from what Long Xiurong could perceive from her actions. Princess Swan wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes, and said, "You might find it funny, Lady Long, but I see Rock as a good friend, a dear knight, and my husband''s trusted right-hand man. Never once did I ever see him romantically, so you don''t need to think of me as a rival in love."


    Long Xiurong was caught off guard when Princess Swan put her in the spotlight. Her cheeks reddened in less than a second, and she stuttered as she tried to deny it, "I-I don''t l-l-l-love him or anything. I just think that you already have the B- Beast King and-"


    "And you''d want Rock as your man, right?" Swan teased. "It''s alright. As far as I know from the cat maids, Rock has never been close to any woman. He dedicated his life to getting stronger, so he could be a worthy beta for Gale. Other than that, he didn''t do much before he had to leave the castle."


    Long Xiurong was still feeling bashful, but since Princess Swan didn''t mind her fascination for the handsome young wolf, she muttered, "W-well, I can see that. He was very awkward around me that night, and talked very fast, like a nervous young man..."


    Swan giggled, "He doesn''t seem to be awkward or nervous around me. He treats me like a friend from the first time we met, and I think that already gives you an answer, right?"


    "Y-you''re making me nervous, Princess. I don''t want to get my hopes up, only to be shot down in the end," Long Xiurong said weakly as she had to suffer a bitter rejection from the Beast King. "I''d rather take it slow and hope a miracle would happen between him and me."


    "Fate is a funny thing, especially for wolves," Swan said with a smile. "They can be so in love, yet they are not fated to be each other. Based on what my husband told me, a fated pair can hate each other''s guts, but would only be sexually attracted to each other. I hope that you are none of those. I hope that you''re Rock''s fated mate and that the love between you two is mutual."


    When Swan said those words, she genuinely prayed deeply in her heart for Long Xiurong and Rock to be unified as a fated pair. Because up until now, she was still unsure if she was truly Gale''s fated mate or not.


    "Thank you for your support, Princess. I will also do my best to be the messenger between you two. He seems to think of you highly," Long Xiurong said.


    Swan''s smile stiffened, "W-well, he is my dearest knight, after all. Of course, he''d have a good opinion of me. Anyway, I think I need to write a letter for him as well. Would you mind giving me the pen and paper inside the drawer?"


    Long Xiurong followed the instruction and watched as Princess Swan wrote a letter for Rock. Her handwriting was very beautiful, but Long Xiurong noticed that Princess Swan seemed to be hesitant as she paused a few times.


    "You don''t seem to have any idea what to write, Princess," Long Xiurong called out.


    "Hm, I just want to make sure that I won''t say something wrong. Rock is simr to Gale. These wolf warriors are very literal. They can''t take ironic jokes, Sarcasm,


    passive-aggressiveness, or even a


    hint. They are very ver


    in-your-face," Swan exined. "It would be disastrous if Rock misinterprets my letter, so I''m contemting on what to write."


    It took Swan a while before she finally finished writing a letter for Rock. She gave it to Lady Long and reminded, "Please tell him this will be myst letter for now. I don''t want him to keep visiting the castle, it is way too dangerous since His Majesty might discover him somehow."


    Long Xiurong''s expression sank a bit, as being the messenger between Rock and Swan was her only way to keep in touch with Rock.


    "Don''t worry about it, Lady Long. I will set up a meeting spot for you if you ever want to meet with him. I''ll let you walk around the city, and you can meet him secretly there," Swan assured.


    "T-thank you so much, Princess. I will do my best to help you in this castle. Though, I don''t think you need my help at all," Long Xiurong said.


    "We don''t know the future," Swan smiled bitterly. "Also, why don''t you stay for lunch as well? I''m sure that you must be starving, right?"


    *


    Swan and Long Xiurong had a long conversation until they finished lunch.


    Once Long Xiurong excused herself out of the room, Swan briefly looked at Rock''s letter in her hand, before tossing it into the firece.


    She stared as the fire consumed the letter, and sighed pitifully.


    1.n


    "It would be great if Rock and Long Xiurong were meant to be together. Both of them are good people, and I''m sure they will be a good fit," Swan tried to smile as she wanted to be happy for Rock and Lady Long. However, it was difficult for her to conceal the bitterness in her heart, as she longed for such an


    opportunity to meet Gale in a


    different scenario.


    ''My dear husband, do you think things will be different if I''m not a cripple with strange power, and you are not a cursed beast? Do you think we can meet as two normal human beings, and start dating like other normal couples?''

 Chapter 215: Backstabbing

    Chapter 215: Chapter 215: Backstabbing


    Alice was detained in the dungeon under the castle as per Princess Swan''s order. The cat maids apanied her until she got locked up, and once she was inside the cell, she asked them, "Myra... Maya, you two should believe in me. I was forced to do it, and I don''t know what to do, because nobody wants to listen to me!"


    The cat maids looked at her with aplicated gaze.


    On one side, they wanted to believe her, as they knew that Alice was probably the most lovable and popr maid amongst the servants. She was lovely and cute, and she truly dedicated herself to serving His Majesty.


    But they also understood their Princess'' stern order. What Alice did was truly dangerous. She could be executed right now and nobody would even defend her because poisoning their Beast King''s wives was a treason against the Beast King himself.


    Thus, they knew that Princess Swan''s punishment by locking her inside the dungeon was already very lenient, thanks to Princess Swan''s kind nature.


    "Just stay here until Lady Jade and His Majesty return," Maya advised. "You need to testify against Lady Jadeter, got it?"


    "If you are true to your words, Her Majesty might grant you an exile far from the kingdom. It is much better than getting executed," Myra added. "I''m sorry, Alice. But whether you poisoned Lady Long by yourself or by someone else''s order, it doesn''t matter in the end. Stay safe, Alice."


    The cat maids reluctantly left Alice inside the dungeon.


    Alice was sobbing inside her cell, but once the cat maids were finally gone, she stopped crying and leaned on the damp wall in a rxed manner, "It''s sad that I can''t kill that bitch Long Xiurong, but at least I will be saved from execution this way. Princess Aria is truly a genius. She gave me perfect instructions on who to backstab to save my life."


    All Alice did was follow what Princess Aria told her to do. She needed to cry her heart out in front of Swan, and quickly point fingers towards Lady Jade because she was the only one that could be used as a scapegoat.


    "And once I testify against Lady Jade, I can either be forgiven by that crippled witch and resume my job as a maid, or get exiled. I think both are better than death. I can find another way to kill that cripple," Alice shrugged as she closed her eyes.


    Truthfully, she felt a little guilty for sacrificing Lady Jade, but she was far more useful than Lady Jade would ever be because the whole ''poisoning'' thing was already a total failure at this point.


    "She''s already infamous. Both Swan and His Majesty already hate her, but I am just an unassuming maid. I can work as usual and keep my eyes on that crippled bitch," Alice told herself to justify her betrayal. "Besides, this is an instruction given by the Saintess herself. I''m sure whatever sin I have must''ve been washed away by Princess Aria by now."


    Alice felt at ease now, and simplyid on the bed made out of haystack and waited for the finale.


    **


    Meanwhile, Gale and Jade were very busy in the Holy Achate Pce. He lifted the trade ban right after he arrived there, and the poption quickly traded most of their belongings for food in another kingdom.


    He also supplied food for the people in Holy Achate and made sure that none of them would die of starvation anymore, at least until the economy in Holy Achate could recover.


    "Are you sure it''s okay to give so much of our food to them?" Jademented as she saw the enormous amount of food getting escorted from the Kingdom of Beastmen into Holy Achate. We might need those food stocks for an emergency in our kingdom. Don''t be too generous just because Holy Achate is Swan''s original kingdom."


    "We have plenty in my kingdom, and if we run out of food stocks, I can just buy some from the Eastern Long Dynasty," Gale replied lightly as he observed the pce where his beloved wife was raised.


    "You can''t just do that. Do you know how expensive importing food can be?" Jade sneered. "As expected, you still need me to handle these difficult things."


    "It doesn''t matter if it''s expensive. Swan has created a trade route for each of the Beastmen''s products, such as perfect pearls, unique feathers, some strange bird excrement that humans used to power up their tools in the far south, and many more. The Kingdom of Beastman is now very rich thanks to my wife''s contribution.". freewebnovel


    That statement was enough to wipe the smirk on Jade''s lips instantly. She gritted her teeth and walked away as she didn''t want to listen to Gale rambling about how amazing his wife was.


    Jade knew her way around the castle because she had visited this ce twice before to make a trade contract, which both failed miserably due to thete King Tyrion''s hatred for non-human creatures.


    As she walked through a long corridor, she stumbled upon Princess Aria, who was busy with a few maids as she directed them to take her luggage out of her room.


    Jade found it strange that Princess Aria didn''t seem to be devastated with the whole situation, since she was about to leave the pce she grew up in.


    Thus, Jade approached her and sneered, "You sure have a strong resolve, Princess."


    Aria turned around and smiled at Lady Jade, "And what do you mean by that, Mdy?"


    "You''re about to leave your beautiful pce and live somewhere in the countryside; in a small mansion with only a few servants. I saw your mother before, and she was devastated. She was crying nonstop in her room," Jade mentioned. "But you seem to be doing... just fine."


    "Oh, I am sad, but honestly, I think this pce is not suitable for me," Aria said mysteriously. "And how about you, Mdy? Aren''t you sad as well?"

 Chapter 216: Aria’s Gift

    Chapter 216: Chapter 216: Aria''s Gift


    "Sad? What for?" Lady Jade chuckled. "My joy is tied with my kingdom. Since the Kingdom of Beastmen is currently flourishing, I don''t see a reason to be sad."


    "Of course, the Kingdom of Beastmen is flourishing. You have such a powerful king as your ruler," Aria said as she pointed out the obvious. "What I''m saying is, aren''t you sad that you''re not the Queen of his heart right now?"


    Again, Jade''s smile disappeared instantly. She hated how everyone seemed to make fun of her situation where she couldn''t be with the man she loved.


    "I would be sad if I spent all my life trying to support a man, and yet, he chooses another woman to be his wife. How tragic," Aria said, but her tone made it obvious that she was mocking Lady Jade.


    "You should watch your mouth, kid. I will be stationed here, in this pce as the new overseer of Holy Achate. I can make your life a lot harder if I want to," Jade threatened, but Aria didn''t seem to be affected at all.


    Instead, she giggled and took something out of her pocket.


    "Rather than threatening me, I think you should be more careful with your own life, Mdy. I''m sure that someone in this pce will kill you sooner orter," Aria warned. "So, why don''t you hold onto this?"


    Jade nced down at a ne with a diamond pendant on it. She chuckled mirthlessly, "I have enough for myself, Princess. A mere diamond ne won''t impress me."


    "This might be thest time we will ever meet, Mdy. I just want to give this to you as a parting gift," Aria said. "This diamond ne is my family heirloom. Think of this as a small bribe, so you would spare my mother and me once you resume power in the Holy Achate."


    Jade was finally interested.


    Not because of its price, but because the ne was Aria''s family heirloom, so it must be one of a kind.


    Jade alwaysmissioned all of her jewelry, so nobody in this world could match her. This family heirloom should be the same. Nobody in this world owned this but her.


    "I see that you''re not so tactless," Jade acknowledged as she epted the diamond ne and put it in her pocket. "I will keep this for you. Don''t worry, I am a very generous person. Unlike the Beast King who would often burst into rage for no good reason, I am much more logical. As long as you and your mother don''t make trouble on the outskirts, then I wouldn''t make things difficult for you two."


    Aria smiled, "Thank you for your generosity, Mdy. Please take care of Holy Achate as the new ruler."


    Aria then turned around and entered her room. Her grin widened as this woman had fallen into her trap, ''Now, all I need to do is to wait for her death, so I can trap her soul and harvest it. I''m sure she will be useful with her useful poisons and potions.''


    Aria opened the Necronomicon and nodded as she made sure that she had used the right spell to create that item.


    -


    Soul-Siphoning Pendant


    Consume 10 dead souls freewe?n?vel


    Effect: Sacrificing ten people would create a pendant that could trap the soul of the holder inside and bring it to the creator of the pendant.


    ''Yep, I did it right this time. I don''t need to have witchcraft power to create this


    item. Everything is going well,'' Aria thought. ''Thankfully, I don''t need to stay in this pce anymore, so those ten maids I killed a few days ago will be useful.''


    *


    Jade returned to Gale who was still busy observing the changes around the castle. He was ignoring her until Jade asked, "So, are you going to make me the new Queen of Holy Achate?"


    "Don''t be ridiculous, Jade. You are


    not the Queen, and will never be," Gale responded coldly while still not sparing a nce at Jade. "I will. make you an overseer of Holy Achate as our new vassal kingdom, but the Queen will always be Swan,


    as she is my wife." Cont¨¦nt


    "And yet, she can y around in the castle, free of woes, while you forced me to stay in Holy Achate, doing all of the hardbor," Jade sighed. "Sometimes, it makes me wonder if you understand the consequence of spoiling a woman."


    "What I do with my wife is none of your business. Besides, you''re not going to be in Holy Achate until next spring, since I''ve deployed other beastmen to clear the tasks around while working together with the ministers and the church in Holy Achate," Gale retorted. "Now stop


    badgering me, I have things to do."


    **


    It took Gale five days in Holy Achate to make sure that everything went smoothly after Queen Anastasia''s abdication.


    Anastasia and Aria were already sent out to their new home on the outskirts of Holy Achate the second day after abdication. Gale also made sure to station two beastmen scouts to watch these two women from afar, ensuring that they wouldn''t dare to do anything.


    Gale and Jade didn''t need a carriage to go back to the Kingdom of Beastmen. Gale was naturally agile and leaped between tree branches to travel, while Jade had to transform into her wolf form to keep up with Gale.


    They rested on a river as they were halfway through their journey per Jade''s request. She felt exhausted as sheined, "You need to slow down. I am not young anymore. It''s really difficult to keep up since you are basically immortal."


    "I can''t wait to meet my wife. It''s been almost a week without seeing her beautiful face, her alluring scent that makes me feel at ease, and her sweet smile that makes me feel itchy in my heart. I feel like I''m going crazy without her by my side," Gale responded. "I need her."


    "You are mad, Gale," Jademented lightly, even though her heart was in so much pain right now. "You don''t need her to stay alive. There''s no difference whether she''s with you or not because you two are not fated anyway."

 Chapter 217: Jade’s Love and Rage

    Chapter 217: Chapter 217: Jade''s Love and Rage


    "How do you know that Swan and I are not fated?" Gale sneered. "You are just a bystander, Jade. You don''t know everything about my curse."


    "How do YOU know that Swan and you are fated?" Jade retorted. "I may not know everything about your curse, but I know that your fated mate is meant to purify you out of that curse with just one kiss. Now, let me ask you one simple question, have you ever kissed her at least once? Because if you did, then those kisses meant nothing because you''re still cursed."


    Gale gritted his teeth.


    As much as he admitted that Jade merely pointed out the truth, he still disliked how she kept butting in the situation between him and his wife. freewebnovel


    "It doesn''t matter whether she is my fated mate or not. I will make it happen somehow," Gale said determinedly.


    "I say that you just need to stop with this nonsense and do something to find your fated mate," Jade sneered. "Though, that poor thing must be sad once you''ve found your fated mate because she will be unwanted, crippled, and probably locked in that room for the rest of her life."


    "SHUT UP, JADE!" Gale snapped at Jade. "Don''t you dare call my wife a poor thing? She will always be my wife and the Queen of Beastmen!"


    "Queen of Beastmen? She is not even a beastman herself," Jade scoffed. "That poor little thing is going to cry to her death once you find your fated mate."


    Jade was enjoying her time mocking that crippled bitch, but her smile vanished when she could barely breathe. She turned her head towards Gale who was releasing his oppressive aura and begged, "G-Gale, I-I can''t breathe."


    "Apologize and I will let you live," Gale said coldly.


    Jade''s eyes widened. She didn''t expect Gale to be so cruel to her. They had been together for so long, and now he wanted to torture her like this just because of a simple joke she made?!


    "I-It''s just a jo¡ªuhk-joke!"


    "It''s not a joke for me. Her pride is mine, and vice versa. You mocked me just now," Gale replied. "I tolerate you enough because you are the only one left from the Storm Pack. But I have Swan now, and I realize that we don''t have the same bond. You''re not a friend to me, nor you are a lover, and you''re not useful anymore since my wife does everything you did for the kingdom, but a hundred times better. You are just a woman I allowed to stick around because I was alone before."


    "So I will not tolerate your nder, Jade," Gale said. "Apologize now, and I will let you live."


    Jade was so hurt that her pride almost told her not to apologize. It was better to die than apologize to Gale just for that crippled bitch.


    She had given everything for Gale, her life, her love, and her dedication. But he wouldn''t hesitate to kill her just because of a small joke.


    ''Maybe it would be better to die this way, so I don''t need to suffer more humiliation, from the man I love,'' Jademented. But then, she remembered that her death that Swan would be free to do


    ne


    whatever she wanted. She would be defeated by a mere crippled woman, and she refused to die so shamefully. ''I can''t let that cripple win. If I am not with Gale, then nobody can! I will make sure of that until myst breath!''


    Thus, Jade swallowed her shame and uttered, "I am... so-sorry..."


    Gale sighed and finally suppressed his aura once Jade apologized. Honestly, he didn''t feel good having to punish Jade, as she was the remnant of his old pack, but she crossed the lines too many times that it was difficult for him to tolerate her, especially when it involved Swan.


    He got up and said, "Hurry now, let''s go back to the castle. My wife must''ve been waiting for me."


    Gale leaped high into a tall tree branch after that, leaving Jade who was still trying to take a deep breath. She red at the woods. Not even his back could be seen


    as he traveled so fast, it was practically impossible for her to catch up.


    Thus, she decided to just rest for a while.


    She drank the water from the slow-moving river and then stared at her own reflection.


    "I am still beautiful," Jade told herself. "I have no wrinkles, my skin is still tight, and


    I still sound like a woman in her early twenties. So, what went wrong? Why did Gale reject me so many times?"


    Honestly, even now, Jade still couldn''t find the exact reason why Gale would be


    so adamant about rejecting her. Back then, he seemed to be indifferent to who he would be mated with.


    He was focused on his duty as the new Alpha, and didn''t mind if Jade would be his Luna.


    But then, he suddenly rejected her


    on the day they were supposed to hold the mating ceremony in front of everyone in the Storm Pack, iming that he had a dream that his mate was a human who was


    waiting for him somewheel.ne


    be it in


    the past or future. That''s why he had to reject anyone until he could find her.


    It was so ridiculous because Jade knew that wasn''t real.


    He was just trying toe up with a random reason to reject her, so he could humiliate her in front of everyone.


    Jade was still a woman in love in the end. She began sobbing as she was reminded of that shameful day when she got rejected.


    "We could''ve been a perfect pair,


    Gale. You and I could lead the Storm


    Pack together, but you decided to reject and humiliate me so I had to kill everyone in our pack," Jade''s eyes began to get red as the neverending rage in her heart almost exploded. "So don''t me me if I kill that bitch Swan and everyone in the castleter. It''s all your fault for rejecting me."

 Chapter 218: I will execute them

    Chapter 218: Chapter 218: I will execute them


    Swan was eating her breakfast slowly because she didn''t have an appetite after vomiting her guts out at dawn. It had been a week since she got morning sickness, and she still hadn''t recovered yet.


    Swan didn''t understand what was wrong with her body. She followed all the usual routines that could strengthen her body. She drank ginger tea every day, drank medicine from the pce doctor, and had a good night''s sleep for the past two weeks, but still nothing changed.


    ''Should I call that old doctor, Matoa?'' Swan asked herself. She looked at the window and sighed, ''Maybe when springes. It''s still winter, and this year''s winter is especially harsh. Matoa would have a difficult journey just to reach the castle.''


    Swan decided to toughen herself and continued eating her breakfast.


    However, she was met with another problem that made it difficult for her to be at ease; Lady Jade and that bunny maid, Alice.


    Swan nced at the drawer where she kept the small bottle of colorless and odorless poison that she confiscated from Alice. She had enough evidence that Lady Jade was trying to poison Long Xiurong, and possibly, to poison Swan as well.


    She was just waiting for her husband toe home, so she could report


    everything. Unfortunately, nobody in the castle knew how long it would take for the Beast King to return.


    "Come on, Gale, pleasee home. I miss you, and I need you," Swan muttered as she was just expressing her worry.


    "I heard that."


    Swan turned her head, and a cold gust of wind from the opened window made her shiver.


    "G-Gale?!"


    "Miss me?" Gale smiled as he jumped into the room, and quickly closed the window to make sure that his wife wouldn''t get cold. He shook off the snow from his body, then lifted Swan from the chair before carrying her to the bed. "I heard everything, Sweetheart. I also feel the same. It''s been five days since we got separated, and I already crave for you."


    He pulled her dress and began burying his face in between her boobs, taking a sniff of her unique scent which worked like a drug and instantly made him at ease.


    "G-G-Gale, it''s still too early..." Swan reminded.


    "I know, Sweetheart. I won''t do anything. I''m just burying my face in the best ce on earth to rest," Gale mumbled, still sniffing on her cleavage like a dog.


    Swan''s cheeks reddened as she got embarrassed, but she was happy that Gale finally came home. She caressed his hair, allowing him to sniff deeper into her cleavage and asked, "You''ve worked hard, husband. Do you want something? I mean, something other than sex, that is. W-we can do that at night."


    "Nothing in particr. I''m not hungry since I''ve hunted a deer on my way to the castle," Gale replied. "Just let me rest for a while like this. This is truly heaven for me, wife..."


    Swan smiled and continued caressing Gale''s hair. His stubble made it a bit ticklish around her breasts, but she tried her best not to make unnecessary movement, or else Gale would think that she was inviting him for sex again.


    Gale almost fell asleep while in this position, as he hadn''t been asleep for a week straight. It was physically impossible for an immortal cursed beast like him to get tired, but it was mentally exhausting.


    Swan''s embrace was all he needed to rest until he detected something off around the room. It was the scent of something-perhaps an item that shouldn''t be here. Gale had a very keen sense of smell, especially since he was very protective of his wife. His brain naturally registered every single scent in this room just to make


    sure.


    "Did you get something new for our bedroom, Sweetheart?" Gale asked. "Hm? Something new?"


    "I smell something very off," Galemented as he lifted his head and stared at his wife from under his blindfold. "I don''t know where this scentes from, but it seems dangerous."


    Swan finally understood what Gale meant the moment he said ''dangerous''. She was thinking about letting Gale rest first, but since he already sensed it, she decided to point at the drawer, "There is an odorless and colorless poison in that drawer." freewebnovel


    "A poison?!" Gale got up quickly and opened the drawer where he found a small bottle of liquid that he assumed to be the poison. He opened the bottle and took a whiff of it.


    He frowned, and his frown only got deeper as he took the second whiff.


    "Swan, why do you want to keep this kind of deadly poison? This thing... it''s almost impossible to be detected by humans," Gale interrogated. "Do you n to kill someone? If you do, then just tell me, you don''t need to keep something too dangerous near you!"


    "W-wait, you''re mistaken. It wasn''t mine!" Swan rified. "I confiscated it from a


    maid who tried to poison Long Xiurong."


    "There''s no


    way a maid in this castle


    can make this poison. I can detect one of the ingredients in this poison. It is a dried flower nt native in the den of Storm Pack called NightBloom Flower," Gale said. "You can''t find it anywhere else, and so far nobody in the castle has ever reached my former pack''s den."


    "She didn''t make it herself. She got it from someone who is a master of herbology,


    a woman who can make potions and poison," Swan hinted. "A woman who is also native to the Storm Pack."


    "... Jade." Gale murmured.


    "She is the only one who can make that kind of deadly poison, and also the only one who has ess to the nt you mentioned just now," Swan added. "The bunny maid who colluded with Jade told me that she nned to target both Lady Long... and me..."


    The temperature around the room dropped a few degrees as Gale released his overpowering aura. He made sure that Swan wouldn''t get hurt, but he found it difficult to even control himself from exploding out of rage right now.


    "Tell me everything, Wife. I will execute them."

 Chapter 219: Jade’s Trial (I)

    Chapter 219: Chapter 219: Jade''s Trial (1)


    Swan told Gale everything that happened in the castle while he was away. She also mentioned the gray mammoth tusk, a unique item that could detect any poison.


    Gale immediately interrupted her story when she mentioned that item, "Hold on, how could Long Xiurong have a gray mammoth tusk? Ites from a gray mammoth in the north continent, and they are very rare."


    "Y-you know about the animals in the north continent?" Swan asked in disbelief.


    "Of course. I went to the north continent once to see if it''s a ce worth settling down, only to find out it''s mostly barren, frozen tundra, so there''s no point in conquering it," Gale said. "So, how could that woman have ess to such a unique item?"


    Swan gulped. It would be stupid of her to reveal that it was a gift from Rock. Hence, she decided to lie, "S-she told me that it was a gift from her father, the Emperor of Eastern Long Dynasty. Assassination by using poison is verymon in the East, so he gave her that unique item to protect her from any poisoning attempt here."


    "Is that so?" Gale frowned. He doubted that exnation for a moment because he thought it was almost impossible for the Eastern Long Dynasty to go on a long journey to the north continent just to harvest the tusk of a dead gray mammoth.


    He knew how rare the mammoth was, and selling the tusk was a stupid move as it was too great in valuepared to gold or gems.


    Nevertheless, he decided to believe in his wife, knowing that Swan would never harm him.


    Gale felt indescribable rage after hearing the full story from his wife. It was like burning coal was stuck in his chest, and it was so painful that he wanted to turn into his giant wolf form and go on a rampage.


    Of course, he didn''t show any of this in front of his wife, knowing that Swan would be scared.


    Gale took a deep breath and said in a low, but extremely threatening voice to the cat maids outside, "Bring that maid to the throne room. Jade should arrive soon, so we can bring judgment to them together."


    **


    Jade finally arrived at the castle a few hours after Gale. She might look young on the outside, but she was still an old woman inside, so she had to take breaks here and there just to make sure that she wouldn''t return to the castle half-dead from exhaustion.


    She walked through the castle grounds, heading directly to the castle as she wanted to take a hot bath after a long day traveling through the cold forest.


    Yet, the moment she entered the castle, two beastman guards suddenly stopped her and said, "Mdy, you''ve been summoned by His Majesty to the throne room."


    Jade raised her brow. It was very rare for Gale to ask her for a favor these days after Swan took the position of advisor. But she was quite happy, knowing that she could be useful once more.


    "Is that so? Well then, let me go to my room first to freshen up. I just had a long trip in the middle of snowfall. I need a hot bath," Jade responded as she stepped forward, intending to walk past the guards.


    However, the guards quickly blocked her path with their swords, and repeated in a grave tone, "Mdy, you''ve been summoned to the throne room by His Majesty. It is urgent."


    "Oh,e on, what urgent thing do we have? His Majesty is the strongest creature on earth. Nothing is ever urgent for him. Now, step aside and let me freshen up before I go to the throne room."


    The beastman guards looked at each other and nodded in unison. They kept their stance, while also keeping their swords crossed in ''X''


    shape in front of Jade, making sure that Lady Jade wouldn''t be able to pass.


    BUMS


    "His Majesty told us to bring you to the throne room immediately, Mdy. Please


    follow us, or we will have to take you by force."


    Jade peered at the beastman guards suspiciously. For some reason, she felt something was amiss here, but decided not to press it any further.


    "Alright, escort me to the throne room. I don''t know what he wants, but since it''s urgent, then I have to obey," Jadeplied as she followed the guards to the throne room.


    As she paced through the long corridor heading to the throne room, she noticed that a few guards looked so scared that their hair stood up. She pondered if something urgent had happened in the throne room.


    ''Could it be that he goes to a second rut? It has never happened before, but it''s possible, right?'' Jade theorized. ''I hope that''s the case, so I can finally see Swan getting a taste of her curse. Maybe he already decapitated her head by ident in the throne room. That''s why it''s an urgent matter.''


    Jade couldn''t help but smile, imagining all the horrible things


    happening to Swan. That crippled t


    bitch was the source of her frustration and bad luck these days, so imagining her in a miserable state put her in a good mood.


    "His Majesty and the Queen are inside. You maye in, Mdy," the beastman guard said.


    "You''re not going to open the door for me?" Jade asked. "Do you not know who I am? I can tell Gale about this, and you might get sent back to your tribe."


    The beastman guard shivered, then replied, "I am not allowed to do so, Mdy. His Majesty told us¡ªand all servants not to serve you, since you are not part of the castle anymore."


    Jade''s grin vanished instantly. She was in a good mood before, but those words were like cold water poured on her head. She quickly darted towards the door, wanting to ask for an exnation.


    "Gale, we need to talk!" Jade eximed as she mmed the door open. However, she soon regretted it, because inside the throne room, there were Gale, Swan, Long Xiurong, and most importantly, the ipetent bunny maid, Alice.

 Chapter 220: Jade’s Trial (II)

    Chapter 220: Chapter 220: Jade''s Trial (II)


    "Yes, Jade. We need to talk," Gale sneered as Jade entered the throne room. Jade sensed that something was wrong as they stared at her with obvious contempt and anger in their eyes, even Swan who was usually very passive and meek still showed her hostility this time.


    Jade wasn''t used to being red at by so many people. She had always been respected, even worshiped by some beastmen.


    Jade swallowed her saliva as she felt nervous all of a sudden. She took a step back, but before she could leave the throne room, the guards behind her shut the door, making sure that Jade would be trapped in the throne room until she got punished for her crime.


    "W-what is this? Why are all of you looking at me like I''m a criminal?" Jade asked as she tried her best to sound natural. She red back at Alice, the bunny maid, and said, "And why are you here? You are just a maid. You''re not supposed to listen to any private conversation in the throne room." freewebnovel


    "I told her to stay. She is the key to the crime, after all," Gale said.


    Jade''s instinct told her that Alice must''ve been caught using the poison to harm Long Xiurong. But her logic told her that was simply impossible.


    The poison she used was colorless and odorless, it was simply impossible for anyone to detect it.


    Thus, she convinced herself that everything was fine, and yed along, "Crime? Who''smitting a crime? Did someone in the castle die?"


    Gale''s lips thinned as he had been trying his best not to show his rage. He couldn''t stop picturing in his mind a scenario where the poison made by Jade was consumed by Swan, and his beloved died horribly.


    It reyed in his head like a nightmare and it made him feel like he just got plunged to the depths of hell.


    "Nobody died, but I know someone will for her crime," Gale said as he took out the bottle of poison. He showed it to Jade and asked, "Do you know what this is?"


    Jade felt that her entire world crumbled right beneath her the moment she saw that bottle. She had been trying to convince herself that she hadn''t been caught, but that bottle confirmed her biggest fear.


    That bunny maid had been caught and must''ve ratted Jade out as the mastermind.


    Jade could feel her knees wobbling as fear slowly consumed her. She had never been in this position of standing against Gale, and she knew well not to, knowing that Gale could end her simply by using his overpowering aura.


    "I don''t know what that is," Jade replied after mustering her courage.


    "Don''t y dumb, Mdy. You know what that is. You are a masterful herbologist, and expert in creating poison and potion," Long Xiurong said.


    "What are you saying, Lady Long? Yes, I can create poison and potion, but I don''t see any use in making poisons right now since the Kingdom of Beastman doesn''t have any threat with His Majesty''s strength by our side."


    "That''s because the threat is not from outside, Mdy. I know you want to eliminate me and Her Majesty Queen Swan," Long Xiurong added.


    "And why would I do that? I have nothing against any of you," Jade sneered. "Maybe you''re just overthinking it, Lady Long. Your mind must''ve been corroded since you have no use in this kingdom. Maybe that''s why you start making up lies to entertain yourself."


    "You don''t need to lie anymore, Mdy..." Alice finally raised her voice. She looked meek, even her bunny ears were dropped. "I already told them everything."


    Jade paled instantly. Her biggest fear finally came true.


    She had been ratted out.


    "I-I don''t understand what you are saying. You''re not even my attendant, why would you try to rope me into this nonsense?!" Jade asked as she still tried to maintain her innocence.


    Alice was on the verge of tears, her voice started getting shaky as she said, "I told them everything, including how you forced me to


    poisonLady Long and then o


    Swan. I also told them about how many times you beat me ift refused to do your bidding. I-I''m sorry, Mdy, but I''m not going to let you harm Queen Swan anymore!"


    "You... what are you saying..." Jade''s face turned even paler than before. She knew this bunny was not as innocent as she looked, and she ratted Jade out after she got caught.


    But she didn''t expect Alice would make her a scapegoat, putting all the me on her to save herself.


    Jade gritted her teeth. If only she knew the problem would''ve escted to this point, she would''ve just killed this little bunny when she had the chance.


    She had two options; keep maintaining her innocence and y dumb, or admit it but also make sure this little bunny would be dragged with her to hell.


    Since Jade still wanted to live, she chose the first option.


    "What are you saying? No, seriously, I don''t understand any of this. I just had a long trip in the middle of cold winter, and now I''m suddenly being used of scheming against your wife? Jade rolled her eyes. "Come on Gale, you''re smarter than that. This bunny probably hates me, that''s why she frames me as the mastermind. Do you really think that I am guilty? Gale, we are childhood friends ande from the same pack! We are the only two left from Storm Pack, why would I betray you like this?!"


    Gale kept his silence, but he felt conflicted deep down in his heart.


    He never said it out loud, but he still had some feelings for Jade, not love, but a family bond.


    She had been supporting him throughout his journey for decades, so he often tolerated her for all the things she said or did.


    But this...


    This was different, especially with his beloved''s life was on the line.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 221: Jade’s Trial (III)

    Chapter 221: Chapter 221: Jade''s Trial (III)


    Gale could tolerate all of Jade''s antics because of the familial feelings between them. Before he met Swan, he thought he had no bottom line for Jade, since he always let her do whatever she pleased as long as it didn''t directly annoy him like when she tried to seduce him many times in the past.


    But now that he had Swan, he finally discovered his bottom line; Swan.


    He didn''t care what Jade did, but if it involved putting Swan in danger, he suddenly had the urge to eliminate all threats, even if she was thest remnant of his old pack.


    Nothing in this world matters more than my Swan.


    The idea was deeply imprinted in Gale''s mind. When he imagined Swan''s death by poison, he suddenly lost all the guilt for Jade in his heart. freewebnovel


    "I-I cannot make that kind of poison, Mdy. I''m just a bunny maid who''s working in the castle. How could I make such a unique poison?" Alice continued to defend herself as she was scared that she would get dragged and executed by His Majesty.


    "And what makes you think that I make that poison? Many beastmen tribes specialize in poison-making. The lizard beastmen, snakes beastmen, and even a few types of bird beastmen tribes! Maybe that bunny gets the poison from someone outside of the castle," Jade persisted as she knew the only way to stay alive was to throw the me on someone else. "Gale, I know we have our differences, but this is just ridiculous. I''m not going to ruin your happiness with Swan over nothing!"


    Alice began to fear for her life. Lady Jade was so convincing in her defense that it seemed His Majesty would believe her.


    Alice didn''t want to be the one on the receiving end of His Majesty''s wrath, so she turned her head to the Beast King and dropped herself to her knees before prostrating, "Your Majesty, please spare me! I-I really don''t know how to defend myself. I don''t know if you will spare me, but please believe in me! It''s all Lady Jade''s idea! I was forced to follow her or else I''d get beaten or killed!"


    Gale ignored Jade and Alice''s argument. He gently caressed Swan''s hair as he felt better knowing that Swan was still alive, and still by his side.


    Of course, he didn''t want Swan to make a decision for this problem.


    Swan was very soft-hearted. Just like with Aria and Anastasia, she could''ve killed them for what they did in the past, but she didn''t.


    If Jade and this bunny maid were begging on their knees, Gale feared that Swan would soften and tried to persuade him to spare their lives.


    He nned to kill someone today to teach everyone in this castle a lesson, and nobody would leave this throne room without a severed head in his hand.


    He took a deep breath and said, "Stop lying, Jade. I know this poison is yours."


    Jade''s eyes widened, "W-w-why would you suspect me like that? Do you think that nobody else can make poison in this world?!"


    "I know you''re not the only poison maker in this world, but this poison is both colorless and almost odorless. Something like this can only be concocted by a poison master. As far as I know, you are the only one who knows how to make an advanced poison in this kingdom."


    "That bunny could''ve gotten it from outside of this kingdom!"


    "Yes, but nobody owns the specific ingredient inside this poison; dried NightBloom, a native flower from our Storm Pack den," Gale added coldly Nobody in this world knows the effect of Nightbloom, noodo they know about that nt''s existence unless they are native to Storm Pack. You are thest member of Storm Pack other than me, Jade."


    Gale paused for a moment as he saw the change of expression on Jade''s face, and it confirmed his suspicion; Jade was the one who nned all of this. She was the mastermind.


    Jade knew that it was a checkmate now. He didn''t expect that Gale could detect the deadly dried nightbloom flower. She thought she already diluted the poison to make sure that nobody would be able to detect any scenting from it.


    "Now, what exnation do you have, Jade?" Gale asked as he gently lifted Swan''s body and sat her on the throne while he got up and walked slowly towards Jade. "Tell me what alibi you have to defend yourself before I kill you with my hand."


    Jade took a step back for each step that Gale took towards her.


    "I-I-I''m n-not guilty. I-it''s not me!" Jade yelled desperately as she didn''t want to be killed by the man she loved.


    For the first time in her life, Jade couldn''t hold her tears and began crying while taking a few more steps back until her back hit the door behind her.


    She tried to open it, but it was locked from the outside, so there was no way out.


    "Gale, please... I-I can exin this."


    "I already know the reason, Jade. I know that you''re jealous," Gale said coldly. "I know that you love me, but I feel nothing towards you. So you tried to harm Swan, right?"


    "I¡ª" Jade was speechless because Gale was spot on.


    "I have had that suspicion from long ago, but I still think of you as my family, so I


    try to deny my instinct to kill you back then," Gale said. "But this is different, Jade. You tried to harm my mate."


    "T-then, if you think of me as a family, you shouldn''t harm me! I''m thest remaining member of Storm Pack! You''ll lose everyone if you lose me!"


    "Storm Pack is long gone. But I''m not alone anymore. I have my wife, Swan, by my side now."


    He stopped one foot away from Jade, and his towering height was so intimidating for Jade that she fell to her knees.


    Gale didn''t even need to release his overpowering aura, as it seemed that Jade had no intention to fight back or escape this time.

 Chapter 222: Jade’s Head

    Chapter 222: Chapter 222: Jade''s Head


    Jade knew that her end was near. She knew that she was already old, and death shouldn''t be too far. But she didn''t expect herself to die in Gale''s hand. It was the most tragic way to die, and she felt that she didn''t deserve this after all the love and dedication she gave him.


    She knew that Gale wouldn''t budge anymore, so she tilted her head and looked directly at Swan, who was sitting on the throne.


    "Swan! I know that you are a kindhearted person. I''m begging you to save me right now. I-I will do anything! I will dedicate my life to you, and I will never try to oppose you anymore!" Jade yelled as she knew that Swan would be herst lifeline.


    Contrary to her expectation, Swan didn''t budge this time as she replied calmly, "I forgive you, Lady Jade. But my husband won''t, and I will let him do whatever he wants, because I know he is trying to protect me right now."


    Jade''s heart sank after she finally realized that this was it for her.


    She stopped begging and simply looked up at Gale, who was about to execute her.


    "Anyst word?" Gale asked.


    Jade''s tears continued to stream down her cheeks. She kept staring at the man whom she had been in love with for so long. In the end, she said, "I love you, Gale Stormfront. I''ve always loved you. So please, grant myst wish and don''t kill me with your hands."


    Gale paused for a moment before he reached his blindfold, "I will grant your wish this time. I won''t stain my hand with your blood. Think of this as thest mercy I will ever give you, Jade."


    Gale took off his blindfold and exposed his cursed red pupils to Jade. Jade''s eyes widened. She suddenly couldn''t breathe, and her eyes started turning red and then blue in just five seconds.


    Jade opened her mouth as if she wanted to beg for her life once more, but her heart exploded ten secondster. freewebnovel


    Gale stared at Jade''s body as shey lifeless on the ground. There was an empty feeling in his heart. Deep down, he was still grieving for the death of thest member of Storm Pack.


    "I''m sorry that it has to end this way, Jade. But I am protecting my real family, my wife, and my future cubs," Gale murmured as he grieved for her death for a good minute before wearing his blindfold again and calling the guards outside.


    The door was opened, and the guards were visibly shaken by the sight of Lady Jade''s corpse.


    They had known Lady Jade for so long and didn''t expect she would end up dead in His Majesty''s hand.


    However, rather than being sad about her death, they were more scared as they knew that the Beast King wouldn''t kill such a close confidant without good reason.


    "Cut her head and put it on a stake in the middle of the city square. Make sure that everyone in the kingdom knows the punishment for those who try to harm the Queen. Let her head rot there until it''s nothing but bone," Gale ordered.


    "W-what about her body, Your Majesty?" A guard asked despite the fear creeping in his heart.


    "I don''t care about her body. Feed it to the animals, toss it in the mud, or burn it. I just want her head to be staked," Gale said.


    "Understood, Your Majesty!"


    Thus, the guards dragged Lady Jade''s corpse out of the throne room and closed the door once more.


    Gale sighed as he returned to his throne and put Swan on his thigh again, "The threat has been eliminated. She won''t try to poison you anymore, Sweetheart," he said to Swan.


    Swan ced her hand on his chest and felt his heart beating like a drum. She knew that Gale must''ve felt awful about the whole situation, as Jade was thest remnant of the Storm Pack.


    "I''m sorry, husband..."


    Gale scoffed, "Why do you need to say sorry? You did nothing wrong."


    "But you killed her to protect me..."


    "Which I should''ve done long ago," Gale sai as he kissed his wife''s cheek. "I''m sorry, Sweetheart. I should''ve followed my instinct from long ago."


    "Um... Your Majesty..." Swan and Gale turned their heads at the same time towards Long Xiurong, and thetter asked, "May I leave now? What happened just now is too shocking even for me..."


    "Yes, you can," Swan smiled. "You need rest, Lady Long."


    "T-thank you, please excuse me."


    Long Xiurong nced at Alice, who was still prostrating on the ground, and sneered, ''Goodbye, you shitty bunny.''


    *


    Once Long Xiurong left, there were only Gale and Swan, alongside the bunny maid in the throne room.


    Gale looked down at the bunny maid and decided to hand the punishment to Swan. After all, this bunny maid didn''t seem to be as dangerous as Jade. She was being forced, after all.


    "What do you want me to do to her, wife?"


    Swan looked down at Alice and said, "Lift your head."


    Alice lifted her head, and her sorry state was exposed. She had been crying the whole time. Her eyes were red, and her face was wet because of tears. Snot also kept flowing from her nose.


    "Your Majesty Queen Swan, I have been coerced by Lady Jade to do her bidding. I cannot fight back, because she is too powerful..." Alice pleaded. "I don''t know what to do..."


    Swan sighed.


    As much as she wanted to punish this bunny severely, she thought it would be too cruel to do that. If Alice had been coerced all this time, she must''ve been living miserably under Jade''s thumb.


    Thus, she decided to hand a lighter punishment to Alice;


    "I won''t kill you."


    "T-thank you, Your Majesty! I¡ª"


    "I''m not done yet," Swan interrupted. "As a punishment, you are forbidden to enter the main castle anymore. You will live in a small shed at the corner of the castle''s ground, and you''re not allowed to talk to anyone. You only have one duty-be a mute."

 Chapter 223: Jade’s Head (II)

    Chapter 223: Chapter 223: Jade''s Head (II)


    "Be... a mute?" Alice stared at the Queen of the Beast in disbelief. "I-I don''t understand, Your Majesty..."


    "You heard it correctly. I want you to stay silent, you''re just a mute now," Swan repeated. "I''ve heard from other servants that you''re quite the chatty type who''d always listen and gossip, so the punishment is fitting. I will make sure that every servant and guard in this castle will know not to talk to you. They will treat you like you don''t exist."


    Alice was just too stunned to speak. She knew that her punishment would be harsh, but as long as she was not killed, she thought she could handle it and continue to find a way to spread gossip and gather information from other servants.


    But with this punishment, she was as good as dead. Nobody in this castle would be able to talk to her anymore. She was nothing but a living ghost now.


    "B-but Your Majesty, how am I supposed to eat if I can''t even talk to any of them?!"


    "I''ll make sure that someone will give you food daily."


    "H-how long will I have to be punished, Your Majesty?"


    "Tsk, you talked too much! Just shut up and do your punishment! My wife will tell me when you''ve been forgiven!" Gale snapped as he wanted to have some time alone with his wife. He called the guards outside once again and told them to drag the bunny maid out of the throne room.


    Alice could only look at Swan hopelessly as she was dragged out, wishing that Swan would give her more lenience.


    Unfortunately, Swan stayed silent, staring at Alice until she left the throne room.


    Swan let out a relieved sigh once the door was shut. She looked at her husband while pouting, "I didn''t n to give her an indefinite punishment."


    "She deserves it. I was already annoyed that you gave her such an easy way out," Gale scoffed. "I can''t let you give her a punishment for... what? A month at most?"


    Swan choked because that was actually the time she wanted to give to Alice. She wanted to let her stay mute for a full month.


    "You''re too soft," Galemented dismissively. "That was why I interrupted you just now. I don''t want people to think less of you. You''re my mate, my wife, the Queen of the Beast. They have to fear you as much as they fear me."


    Swan couldn''t deny that she was indeed too soft. She had been suffering under Anastasia and Aria''s thumbs for so long that she kept imagining herself when someone was getting punished.


    "Sorry..." Swan murmured. "I''ll try to be betterter..."


    Gale felt guilty when Swan made a dejected face. He sighed and gently patted her head, "I''m sorry, Sweetheart. I just want to make sure that you know your new position as my Queen."


    Gale got up and carried Swan on his arm as usual.


    "Now, why don''t we go back to our bedroom? We can have a hot bath together,


    and then... eat," Gale said while smooching Swan''s cheeks on the corner of her lips. "I''m sure you''re just as hungry as I am."


    Swan''s cheeks reddened, and she nodded, "M-maybe a little."


    **


    The snow was falling heavily today,


    and the temperature around the was even colder than


    town square usual. Yet, it didn''t stop all the beastmen around the city from gathering in the city square,


    watching the soldiers an


    lining up while putting a head on a stake and raising it high in the middle of the city square for everyone to see.


    Everyone knew whose head was that. After all, she was once hailed as their Beast King-their God''s greatest ally.


    Yet, she ended up dead, and her head was at stake for everyone to see.


    The beastmen never doubted their Beast King, so they began whispering, gossiping, and guessing about what kind of sin this woman hadmitted to grant her such terrible death and humiliation as punishment.


    The new unofficial beta of the Beast King, ze Silverfang, finally spoke up once


    he thought there were enough people in the city square already.


    "This woman Lady Jade-who was once His Majesty''s greatest ally, had been found guilty of attempted


    murder against our King''s wifeet


    Queen Swan Asmara by poisoning. She was executed by the Beast King himself, and her head shall be put on a stake until it''s nothing but a skeleton as a reminder of her treacherous deed," ze announced loud and clear. "Let this be a warning to all of you. His Majesty will never tolerate any assassination attempt, nder, or mockery towards his mate, the Queen. She is just as honorable and deified as he is."


    The city square was in dead silence after the announcement until ze and his soldiers left the city square.


    After that, everyone started gossiping about Lady Jade and their new Queen, Queen Swan Asmara.


    Most people who lived in the Kingdom of Beastmen had never seen their Queen before, but the


    soldiers, servants, and those w.


    worked in and out of the castle always praised her as a benevolent ruter and a female human whose ethereal beauty almost rivaled a goddess.


    She was the one who introduced a lot of knowledge and a proper administration system for the beastmen, so the beastmen already felt the difference and


    progress in their kingdom brought by their Queen.


    Thus, nobody in the city square felt pity for Lady Jade.


    ''That woman must''ve been jealous because His Majesty fell in love with our Queen.''


    ''I know, right? Typical. She must''ve thought that she deserves to be our King''s wife.''


    ''She has been given such a good life, but she keeps wanting more, what a pity...''


    Everyone continued ndering Lady Jade as everyone slowly dispersed from the city square because it was too cold, leaving only one man who was wearing a hood to cover half of his face, so nobody could recognize him. freewebnovel

 Chapter 224: Smoke in Winter

    Chapter 224: Chapter 224: Smoke in Winter


    The man slowly walked towards the stick that propped Lady Jade''s head. He looked up and stared at Lady Jade''s head.


    From what he saw, Lady Jade''s eyes were wide open, and her face was full of terror, so her death was instant. He guessed that Jade wasn''t killed directly by the Beast King''s hand.


    Rather, she was killed by his deadly gaze, as he had witnessed the Beast King using his deadly gaze on him once, and he could only survive for ten seconds before he was on the brink of death.


    Rock Silverfang continued looking at the severed head and clenched his fists.


    "Day and night, I keep wishing for a chance to kill you with my own hand, you cruel bitch. You ruined my life by drugging me, and now I cannot be His Majesty''s beta anymore because of you," Rock clenched his fists tighter to the point his nail started digging into his palm, making it bleed. "Worst of all, you ruined my chance to ever be with my dearest Princess Swan''s official knight. All because of your jealousy."


    Rock knew that Lady Jade''s crime would be discovered eventually, and she''d have nowhere to go.


    But he didn''t expect her to die so soon in the hands of the man she loved.


    ''I guess this answers my question...'' Rock thought.


    He had been thinking about returning to His Majesty and begged for forgiveness. He wanted to be his beta again and dedicate himself to the betterment of the Kingdom of Beastmen.


    Most importantly, he wanted to be the official knight for Queen Swan. After he was saved by Queen Swan twice, Rock developed a fascination and fervent worship towards Swan in her Saintess form.


    He confused it as love before, but since he had given time to process his feelings, he realized that he didn''t love Queen Swan as a man to a woman.


    Rather, he loved her as his goddess, a deity he wanted to worship as his way of life.


    ''My dearest Princess Swan... you''re a Queen now, but I am still not your knight even now...'' Rockmented in his heart. ''I want to meet you again. I want to follow you wherever you go, my dearest queen.''


    ''But I can''t because Jade''s death has confirmed my doubt. No matter how hard I beg for forgiveness, no matter how harsh the punishment I have to endure, His Majesty will never forgive me,'' Rock convinced himself. ''He''ll never be satisfied until he can kill me, and put my head at a stake just like Jade right now. I have no choice but to protect you from afar, my dearest queen.''


    Truthfully, Rock nned to go and meet Long Xiurong today, because he wanted to see her and make sure that she was alright, and also to see if she had gotten a new letter from Queen Swan.


    However, he assumed that the atmosphere around the castle would be tense for a while. It was better to do itter, maybe in a few days.


    ''I''ll have to wait a bit until the situation returns to normal, so I can enter her room,'' Rock closed his eyes, and the vivid image of Lady Long''s beauty was stuck in his head ever since he met her that night.


    He knew it was strange, but it made him wonder if she was truly his mate, because he never had any vivid dream about a woman until he met with Long Xiurong.


    He knew one thing or two about fated mate, but he wanted to make sure that he wasn''t mistaken.


    ''There is only one way to find out,'' Rock thought as he slowly turned his head towards the castle where Long Xiurong lived right now.


    **


    "What should we do with her body?" a boar soldier asked ze Silverfang after they returned to the castle.


    They severed her head after she was executed by the Beast King, and her was lying at the corner of the castle, waiting to be disposed of.


    pse


    ze looked at thete Lady Jade''s body, and sighed, "Just burn her body with the rest of her belongings. Make sure that there''ll be no more trace of her in this castle. I don''t want His Majesty to see anything rted to Lady Jade anymore."


    The soldiers nodded in unison. They gathered all of Lady Jade''s belongings from her room and piled them in the corner of the castle before tossing her corpse on


    top.


    ze made sure the fire was big andsted long enough topletely burn everything until there was nothing but ashes left.


    He¡ªand the rest of the soldiers-didn''t have a good impression of Lady Jade. She was very arrogant to the soldiers, and never seemed to care much about the soldiers'' wellbeing.


    Hence, when they got the information that Lady Jade wanted to kill their beloved Queen Swan with poison, ze was ready to hunt her down and kill her himself.


    Even the rest of the soldiers were ready to do the same. They got so angry that they had to be calmed


    down by the Queen herself. They were told to wait outside and let the Beast King deliver his judgment.


    They expected her to be imprisoned at least, thinking that the Beast King would have a soft spot for Lady Jade despite what she had done.


    But she was executed by the Beast King''s deadly gaze, which for many, was the worst way to die because that meant even the Beast King didn''t want to stain his hands with her blood.


    ''She deserves it, but it''s still a horrible way to die,'' ze and the rest of the soldiers thought in unison.


    *


    "Ah, that''s truly a spectacle," Long Xiurong muttered as she watched Lady Jade''s corpse and belongings being burned together. She was


    watching from her window was ne


    sipping ginger tea from a new attendant that Queen Swan appointed herself.


    "With Lady Jade gone, we can finally have peace... right?"

 Chapter 225: Aria’s New Old Maid (I)

    Chapter 225: Chapter 225: Aria''s New Old Maid (1)


    "Why do you need this corpse, Aria?" Anastasia asked as she told her servant to put the corpse in the corner of Aria''s room. "It''s rare for you to request="


    "An old woman instead of a child?" Ariapleted that sentence. She shrugged and sipped her tea, "I have my reasons, Mom. Just wait and see, I will win in the end."


    Anastasia sighed.


    She truly didn''t understand what was on Aria''s head right now. It had been almost a week since they moved to their new home. It was a small and rundown mansion, but it still had everything the pair of mother and daughter needed to livefortably.


    Honestly, Anastasia also didn''t know what she wanted right now.


    After she abdicated from her position as the Queen of Holy Achate, she felt that she had lost all purpose in life. All she did every day was handle small matters in her small domain and spend her time in peace.


    She found peace and solitude, and gradually lost her ambition to return as the Queen of Holy Achate again.


    She stared at her daughter, who was still busy with her Necronomicon. Aria truly lost all of her witchcraft, but she said that she could regain her power and get in contact with the Great Witch once more as long as she got enough sacrifices.


    Unfortunately, their newnd was quite empty, as it was on the outskirts of Holy Achate, so there weren''t many people who lived in this ce.


    "Aria... do you still want to go with your n?" Anastasia asked.


    "Of course," Aria replied confidently, but her eyes remained glued on the book. "I told you that I will be the winner in the end. That crippled bitch will not win against me again!"


    Aria gritted her teeth as the burning fury was gnawing her heart. Yet, when she saw the pitiful face her mother made, she peered at her and asked, "Why are you making that face, Mom? Don''t tell me that you don''t think the same."


    ...


    "I just think that maybe we should just let go and enjoy our lives here," Anastasia said. "We''re facing the Beast King and also a Saintess. It''s impossible to win, Aria. If you want to get married, I can introduce you to the son of fellow local lord."


    Aria''s eyes slightly widened at her mother. She suddenly smiled and said, "Then this conversation is over. You can get out now."


    "Aria, I just want the best for you..."


    "GET OUT!"


    Anastasia bit her lower lip and finally turned around and left. She closed the door to give Aria some time alone.


    *


    Aria took a deep breath as she snapped at her mother just now. She didn''t care if her mother was on this or not because she would be sacrificed in the end anyway.


    She was just a little worried that her mother''s change of heart and ambition would affect her soul''s quality.


    ''What if she turns out to be a peaceful soul in the end? Would it be good enough for Madam Harsetti?'' Aria pondered. Unfortunately, she got no answer and decided to focus on what she could do.


    Aria continued lounging in her room after kicking her mother out, reading her Necronomicon while checking the corpse of an old widow she just killed yesterday. The corpse was still in good condition, but she picked this certain corpse because she wanted to make sure the new soul who''d soon live in it wouldn''t be able to fight back or run since the old widow was weak and sickly before Aria killed her.


    She kept waiting until the corpse''s fingers suddenly twitched, and her eyes were wide open.


    The old woman was miraculously resurrected, but her pupils were empty. She looked like a living corpse, a zombie whose flesh would eventually rot.


    The old woman stared at Aria in disbelief. She opened her mouth slowly and asked, "P-Princess Aria?"


    Aria closed her Necronomicon and grinned, "Wee back, Lady Jade."


    Lady Jade didn''t know what just happened.


    She was certain she had died after Gale used his eyes to make her heartbeat stop in ten seconds.


    Everything turned dark after than et


    and she suddenly felt like she was


    sucked into a long pipe, and woke up in this new body.  s?novel


    Jade kept on staring at Aria who grinned at her and asked, "Where... am I?"


    "In my room, of course," Aria replied snappily. "You just died, right? Tell me, who killed you, is it Gale?"


    Jade nodded weakly, as it was difficult to move with her new body.


    "Hm~ As expected, that bunny maid is really useful," Aria giggled. "Do you want to


    know how you ended up here, Mdy?" fre?webnovel


    Jade nodded again.


    "That bunny maid named Alice told me that she colluded with you to kill Swan with a poison. So I told her a failsafe n, in case she got discovered, and that is by sacrificing you as the only mastermind, and acting like she has been forced by you," Aria said lightly, as if it was just a bit of unimportant information.


    Jade''s eyes widened. She was wondering how that bunny maid could suddenly stab her in the back. Turns out, there was another woman who wanted her dead!


    "YOU-!"


    Jade tried to get up and attack Aria, but right after she could get up on her knees, Aria kicked her in the stomach, and Jade fell backward once more.


    "Pfft¡ªHAHAHAHA!" Ariaughed hysterically. "Oh my, it''s so hrious! I remember how arrogant you were to me back in the Holy Achate Pce. You should take a good look at yourself right now, Lady Jade."


    Aria pointed at the full-body mirror on their left, and Jade turned her head.


    She gasped when she saw the face of an old woman, probably in her seventies. Sagging, old, ugly, and hunched, like a real witch.


    "W-What is happening?! What have you done to me!?" Jade yelled as she got hysterical as well.

 Chapter 226: Aria’s New Old Maid (II)

    Chapter 226: Chapter 226: Aria''s New Old Maid (II)


    "Calm down, it''s not that big of a deal," Aria chuckled. "Do you still remember the pendant I gave you thest time we met in the Holy Achate Pce? That pendant has been enchanted with witchcraft that will transfer the soul of thest person holding it to me. After you die, your soul will neither go to heaven nor hell. Your soul stays here with me, and I put it inside this old widow''s body, to make sure that you will have no strength to fight back."


    If Jade was in a different situation right now, and she still had her real body, she would''veughed and spat on Aria''s face, because Aria was spouting nonsense.


    Now that she was stuck inside the body of an old woman who could die the next second, she realized that Aria was not lying at all.


    "A-are you a..."


    "Witch? Yep, you guessed it," Aria smiled menacingly while looking down at Lady Jade who was inside the body of the frail old woman. "I''m the disciple of a Great Witch called Madam Harsetti. And you, Lady Jade, your soul has been trapped by me. You will be my ve from now on."


    Jade wanted to grit her teeth but then realized this body had no more teeth. She could only re at Aria to show his anger.


    "I''m not going to be anyone''s ve. Do you not know who I am? I am Jade of the Storm Pack!" Jade yelled as she tried to get up and attack Aria. But thetterughed even louder and kicked the old woman until she fell backward for the second time.


    "AHAHAHAHA! THIS IS SO FUNNY!" Aria''s rambunctiousugh echoed inside her room. She had never seen something so funny and pathetic in a long time, ever since her main toy, Swan, was sent as a sacrificialmb to the Beast King back then, which unfortunately was the worst decision that Anastasia could''ve ever made in her life.


    After tormenting and bullying Swan for more than a decade, Aria had grown a fascination with bullying a weaker creature. Be it a small animal, a weak olddy, or a crippled bitch. It was truly a kind of experience that she wanted to relive every day.


    Jade despaired once she realized how powerless she was right now. She was no longer the powerful and honorable werewolf from the Storm Pack.


    She was nothing but a feeble old human who''d wither away sooner orter.


    "Don''t be so sad, Lady Jade. Of course, I won''t bring you back to life for no reason. I need your help," Aria said.


    Jade maintained her hostility and suspicion towards Aria, "What do you want? You''re the one who told that stupid bunny to betray me. Do you think I still have the power and control over the Kingdom of Beastmen and Gale?"


    "Of course, not. I know that you''re nothing but a traitor in Gale''s eyes right now. But you are still useful because I know that you''re a master of herbology and also an expert poison-maker. I need you to make me a certain kind of poison to help me with my n," Aria exined her intention calmly. "I need one that can kill more than a hundred people at once."


    "And why would you need to do that?"


    "For my witchcraft, of course," Aria rolled her eyes. "I want to kill Swan after the humiliation I felt. She is my main target, and I will do anything to make sure that I will be the winner in the end."


    Jade frowned.


    Of course, Jade hated that crippled bitch as well. Swan was the source of her misery. It was she who made Gale turn his back on her, and even execute her in the end.


    However, that didn''t mean she would willingly help Aria for no good reason. She had to get some benefits in exchange.


    "And what do I get from this deal between us?" Jade asked.


    "Deal? Pfft-!" Aria snickered. "Do you not realize your situation right now? You''re at my mercy, Jade."


    "Then you could send me to hell for all I care. I have no use staying here anyway." Snap!


    Aria snapped her fingers, and Jade screamed in agony as she felt that her body was burning from the inside out. Aria continuedughing as she snapped her fingers a few more times to prolong Lady Jade''s agony.


    It was not until Aria was satisfied that she finally stopped torturing Lady Jade.


    "Know your ce, Jade. I own your soul now. I can do anything I want with your soul. I can continue torturing you, or I can send your soul into a animal''s body. Do you want to be a frog instead? Or a slug?" Ariaughed in amusement.


    "No, please don''t..." Jade muttered as she was too weak to even open her eyes.


    "I will follow you. Please don''t torture me anymore..."


    "Hihi, that means you are my new old maid, right?" Aria giggled. "Now, why don''t you make me something useful with your poison-making skill? If you do your job well, I may give you a better body, maybe a young woman''s body as a reward?"


    Jade''s eyes widened.


    She had been using many potions and medicine to make herself look young for Gale, but if Aria could do that easily, she would do anything to be young again!


    Thus, she nodded, "Alright, I will do anything you say as long as you can give me a youthful body!"


    "Good, now get up and tell me what nts you need to create poison strong enough to kill more than a hundred people."


    Aria listened to Jade''s rambles about the nts she needed and almostughed knowing the reason Jade was so energetic right now was because Aria promised her a youthful body.


    ''And why should I give myself apetition? Swan is already hard to get rid of,'' Aria thought as she smiled meaningfully at Jade. ''You will be just like my mother, Jade. I will dispose of you once you''ve outlived your usefulness.'' freewebnovel

 Chapter 227: The Mute Bunny

    Chapter 227: Chapter 227: The Mute Bunny


    Another week had passed since Lady Jade got executed by Gale himself. Her decaying head was still in the middle of the city square and would stay on that stake forever.


    All of her belongings had been destroyed, and all the servants who worked closely with her had either been demoted or moved to work elsewhere.


    As for the bunny maid who was the main coborator with Jade...


    Alice left her shed at dawn, as she wanted to have something to eat.


    The cold didn''t bother her as her race was that of a snow bunny or arctic hare. But getting locked in such a cold shed with little to no food given to her was more than enough to drive her crazy.


    Alice breezed her way through to the kitchen and saw the other maids chit- chatting or telling jokes to each other as they had their breakfast together.


    They all seemed to be jolly over the peaceful days in the Kingdom of Beastman until they saw Alice.


    The moment Alice walked in, everyone stole a nce at her, and went quiet for a moment, before one of them started chatting again.


    Alice gritted her teeth. It had been a month ever since she was punished and forced to be mute. Everyone in the castle treated her as if she didn''t exist, and they would ignore her even if she tried to strike up a conversation.


    ''This is so unfair. Who would''ve thought that bitch Swan can be so cruel?'' Alice cursed in her heart. ''This is no better than death when I am treated like a ghost even though I''m still alive and standing!''


    Alice hurled all the insults she could think towards Swan in her heart but dared say nothing as she was just a mute right now. She tried to speak to the other servants once, but they ignored her. One of them even dared to report it to Swan, resulting in her food ration getting cut in half for the entire day as a punishment.


    Yes, a simple ''hi'' would make her only eat once a day as a punishment!


    Thus, Alice decided to just grab her te, put some food in it, and return to her shed at the corner of the castle ground.


    The servants waited until Alice finally left the kitchen, and they all made a collective sigh once she did.


    "Honestly, I don''t know if I should pity her," one maid said. "Alice has been proven to be colluding with thete Lady Jade to kill Lady Long. She also confessed that they nned to kill our Queen after they were done with Lady Long. Do you think that kind of traitor deserves pity?"


    "Truthfully, I think Her Majesty is too soft on her! She should''ve executed her just like how His Majesty executed Lady Jade!" another maid added. "This is hardly a punishment. She can still eat whatever she likes most of the time and is free to roam around the castle. She just can''t talk!"


    The other servants agreed with her, but mostly because they believed that their Beast King would never make a wrong decision, and their new Queen was an important entity by his side.


    "Can you imagine what would happen if Her Majesty Queen Swan died due to poisoning? What do you think will happen to His Majesty?"


    The servants began imagining the worst scenario possible. They knew that His Majesty was deeply in love with the Queen, and if she died, then he would probably go into the worst rampage imaginable and killo everyone in this kingdom.


    They collectively guessed that all beastmen would perish when their Queen perished as well because His Majesty would kill them all before trying to kill himself, which was impossible since he was immortal.


    The servants shuddered and darted their eyes towards the cat maids, "W-what about Her Majesty right now? She is doing well, right?"


    Myra and Maya looked at each other and nodded, though they weren''t sure if it was the right response.


    The thing was... Princess Swan wasn''t in good health these days.


    She always had morning sickness, and the cat maids were unsure of what was happening.


    But since their Princess told them to hide this from everyone, including the Beast King, they decided to stay quiet.


    **


    Meanwhile, Swan was stuck in the bathroom, washing her mouth before retching repeatedly over and over. Again, the morning sickness had been persistent for the past couple of weeks, and Swan was still unsure what caused it.


    She deliberately hid it from Gale, by acting like she was sleepy and the cold bothered her so much that she preferred to stay huddled under the nket in the morning.


    She would wait until Gale left the bedroom before rushing to the bathroom and doing her morning sickness routine.


    "Oh Goddess, what is happening to me?" Swan grew wary of her condition. She might be frail, but she wasn''t THIS frail before, especially now that she had been eating Very well and always had a warm nket and firece to fight off the cold in winter.


    "Could it be that I caught some mysterious illness?" Swan pondered, but she shook her head as she didn''t want to think too much of it. "No, maybe this sickness will end I by the time winter ends. Two more weeks before springes, I should be able to handle this without making Gale worry."


    Trying to think positively, Swan walked out of the bathroom with her crutches and saw the cat maids were already standing at the door with a basin of warm water and her breakfast ready.


    The cat maids looked at her with worry, "Princess, is it really okay to continue like this? What if it''s a serious illness?"


    "It''s not a serious illness," Swan smiled. "I think I just get sick because of the cold.


    It should heal when springes around."


    The cat maids helped their Princess to sit at the table and then served her breakfast.


    Myra poured her a cup of ginger tea as usual and asked, "Princess, I heard from a maid who once saw a pregnant female human, that humans have different signs of pregnancypared to us, beastmen. Could it be that you are..."

 Chapter 228: Pregnant?

    Chapter 228: Chapter 228: Pregnant?


    "Pregnant?" Swan finished Myra''s sentence.


    Myra and Maya were scared that Princess Swan would get sad whenever the topic of pregnancy came up, so they tried to rify, "I-it could be a possibility that you''re actually pregnant, Princess. B-but we are unsure since we don''t really know how female human pregnancy works..."


    Swan thoughtfully considered the possibility.


    She had seen one maid who got pregnant while working in the Holy Achate Pce. It was an unwanted pregnancy, since the maid was still young, and had a fling with a soldier.


    Swan didn''t know much about what kind of daily life that maid had experienced as a pregnant woman, but she remembered her cries of pain when she gave birth. The maid immediately got kicked out of the pce once Aria found out about this. Thus, Swan''s understanding of pregnancy was also very limited.


    "M-maybe we should call Matoa again, Princess. We don''t think the castle doctor is knowledgeable about human pregnancy, but Matoa is famous all across thend," Maya suggested.


    "Mm, yes, I will call him once winter ends. It''s only two weeks from now anyway," Swan smiled. Honestly, she was very skeptical that she could get pregnant at this point. They had mated so many times, and since both she and Gale were very fertile, it was just a matter of fate that they weren''t meant to be together.


    Despite that, Swan still wanted to give it a shot. Maybe the Goddess finally pitied her enough and blessed her with a baby.


    "A baby, huh?" Swan smiled as she subconsciously caressed her t belly. "I wonder if such a miracle could happen."


    **


    Long Xiurong had been opening her window every night, gazing at the moon while waiting for that handsome young wolf toe and meet her again. freewebnovel


    She had the letter written by Queen Swan in her left hand, while her right hand was clutching the mammoth tusk pendant, the lifesaving keepsake given by Rock Silverfang.


    The cold was not good for her, as she was just a normal human. She drank a lot of hot tea these days to fight the cold. She also kept the firece burning for the entire night so she could stay warm even when the window was opened. Long Xiurong believed that Rock would eventuallye to her.


    ''Goddess Asmara, I didn''t believe in you at first, but I believe in you now that I''ve seen Rock Silverfang. My heart tells me that he is the man that I need. He is the man who will give me joy in life. Oh, Goddess, please let me meet him again. I want to see him.''


    As she finished her prayer, she heard a rustle from a tree not far from her window. She looked down, and saw a very fast-moving silhouette, dashing left and right while making sure that he kept himself under the dark.


    The man leaped high into her room andnded right on the window''s railing.


    Long Xiurong was stunned as Rock took off his mask and smiled widely until his teeth were showing, "Good evening, Lady Long. It''s been a while, right?"


    It took Long Xiurong a good ten seconds before she snapped out of her daze. She quickly pulled Rock into her room and closed the window.


    "No need to be so nervous. I made sure to check around the area and only came here after the guards stopped patrolling this area," Rock assured. "I also wear a special cream to conceal my scent."


    "Even so, don''t you see Lady Jade''s head in the city square? I don''t want you to end up like that if you get discovered," Long Xiurong said worriedly.


    Rock couldn''t hide his smile anymore. He felt giddy and said, "Thank you for worrying about me, Lady Long."


    Long Xiurong and Rock stared at each other in silence after that. Both of them had many things to say in their minds, but none came out of their mouths until Long Xiurong broke the silence by saying, Thank you for the gray mammoth tusk. This gift from you has saved my life from Lady Jade many times. This item is also the reason why she got tried and executed by the Beast King himself."


    Long Xiurong was still clutching the mammoth tusk in her hand, but she took a deep breath and slowly opened her fist, "Queen Swan said she has never seen something so unique before, so I assume it''s very rare. I don''t think it''s fair for me to keep it when you might need it more. Or do you want me to give it to Queen Swan instead?"


    "No, you should keep it for remembrance sake," Rock denied as he gently held her hand and closed her fist. "I gave it to you because I want you to be safe. Even if you have no use for it now, at least you can still remember me from time to time when looking at this tusk."


    Long Xiurong''s cheeks reddened instantly. Her body turned hot, and she felt like the gray mammoth tusk had turned into hot coal in her hand. She lowered her head and pulled her hand.


    Long Xiurong shoved the letter to his chest and stammered, "T-t-this is the letter written by Queen Swan. Y-you should read it, and then write a new one for her if you want to."


    Rock held the letter but kept his eyes


    on Lady Long the whole time. He had been questioning whether Long Xiurogn was truly his fated one every day after their very first encounter, and now that he was breathing her scent that filled the room again, he realized that might be true.


    Rock couldn''t get enough of her scent. It made him want to stay close by her side forever if he could.


    Long Xiurong took a few steps back, and added, "I-I don''t want to peek at the letter. I know it''s private between you two. So, just tell me when you''re done, okay?"


    However, Rock took a big stride toward Long Xiurong and held her hand, "Why don''t we read it together instead? My dearest Princess has trusted you to deliver this letter, so she must''ve trusted you enough to read it with me."

 Chapter 229: A Secret Rendesvouz

    Chapter 229: Chapter 229: A Secret Rendesvouz


    "I-I don''t think that''s the right thing to do. I''m sure you two have secrets that I shouldn''t know," Long Xiurong refused. However, deep down, she was curious if Queen Swan had written something about her because she had promised to help Long Xiurong and Rock get together.


    "I have nothing to hide from you, Lady Long," Rock stated. "I think it''s only fair since you''ve been keeping my presence secret. You could always tell His Majesty about my presence, but you didn''t. So, I trust you enough."


    Long Xiurong hesitated for a few seconds. She stared at Rock as if searching for assurance. Rock gently held her hand and guided her to sit at the edge of the bed while he sat next to her.


    Honestly, he didn''t care if Long Xiurong knew about the content of the letter or not. He was doing this so he could have a reason to sit next to her and take a whiff of the scent around her nape.


    He opened the letter but secretly took sniff after sniff of her scent like a dog in heat. He bit his lip, as he gradually realized one thing, ''There''s no mistake. Her scent is truly one of a kind. It''s really hard to control myself right now.''


    Rock didn''t want to scare Lady Long just like when he scared his Princess Swan back then. He knew the situation was different, but what he did to his Princess back then was too horrible to even think of. It made him feel like he would hurt Lady Long as well.


    Rock crossed his legs as he tried to hide his boner. Luckily, the angle of the letter made it possible for him to cover his bulge with the letter. But the whole situation felt stimting because now it seemed like Long Xiurong was looking at his crotch.


    Rock shook his head lightly and berated himself, ''Focus, Rock Silverfang! You don''t want to scare her, right? I don''t want to hurt someone else after I failed Princess Swan before!''


    Pushing his improper thought aside, Rock decided to focus on the letter and read


    it;


    *Swan''s Letter*


    To my dearest knight, Rock Silverfang.


    I''ve received your letter and read it well.


    I''m so d to hear you are doing well. I was worried that something might''ve happened to you during your escape to the north continent. But I shouldn''t have doubted you, since I know that you are the second strongest after my husband. My dearest knight, I am in good health, and the situation around the castle has gotten better as well. You do not need to worry about me.


    I prefer you to be as strong as your Alpha, my husband, Gale Stormfront. So you and he can go toe to toe and have a proper conversation without him hunting you down.


    However, if the path of bing as strong as him will lead you to be cursed like he was, then I forbid you to enter the Sacred Selene Lake. My husband suffers every day due to his curse, I don''t want you to inflict the same pain on yourself.


    My dearest knight, I always believe that time will heal everything. My husband might be angry at you for now, but I believe he will eventually forgive you, and you can officially return to the castle when that timees.


    On a little note, Lady Long said that you are a handsome young wolf. If your instinct told you that she is the one, why don''t you write me a letter


    to confirm it? I will happily setter


    rendezvous for the two of you. I know that you must''ve been lonely, my dearest knight. Cont¨¦nt


    So maybe, this is the right time to find your true mate, right?


    -Your dearest Princess, Swan Asmara.


    *Swan''s letter ends*


    Long Xiurong felt that she could explode right now. She was d that Queen Swan mentioned her in the letter, but she was also embarrassed as she got caught red-handed for calling Rock Silverfang a ''handsome young wolf.''


    "I-I don''t remember ever calling you that. M-maybe Queen Swan heard it wrong!" Long Xiurong stammered as she tried to deny it.


    Rock folded the letter and put it in his pocket, "Well, I don''t mind at all if you said it. What my Princess said is true, I''ve been very lonely all this time with no friends, no mate, and no soldiers. I thought I could


    continue living like this forever, until I met you, Lady Long."


    "M-me?"


    "Yes," Rock pinched Long Xiurong''s chin and forced her to look at him. As their eyes met, he uttered what was on his mind this whole time, In the wolf beastmen culture, we the male wolf-detect our fated mates by their scents. We don''t react to the scent of a female that is not supposed to be our fated mate."


    "Then, do you feel something when you take a whiff of my scent?" Long Xiurong asked, silently hoping that Rock would say yes.


    Rock smiled, "Am I allowed to take a sniff on your nape? I want to make sure that I''m not wrong this time."


    Long Xiurong gulped before slowly nodding as she also wanted to know if she could continue falling in love with this man.


    Her heart couldn''t afford to suffer another heartbreak.


    Thus, Long Xiurong gathered her hair and held it high, revealing her slender nape. Rock swallowed his saliva. He couldn''t help but drool, as the scent her body exuded was truly tempting. freewebnovel


    He leaned closer and closer until he stuck his nose on her nape. He took a deep breath and allowed her scent to fill his brain.


    Long Xiurong bit her lip as she felt ticklish when Rock sniffed her nape like a dog. She didn''t want to let out any lewd noise, even though it was difficult when he began hugging her from behind, making sure that she wouldn''t escape.


    "R-Rock, are you done? You''ve been smelling my nape for a while..."

 Chapter 230: My Ah-Rong

    Chapter 230: Chapter 230: My Ah-Rong


    Rock was on cloud nine as he found her scent simply incredible. He instinctively opened his mouth, ready to bite her right there, right now. He wanted to mark her, so he would be able to keep track of her scent and make sure to be there when she needed him.


    Closing his eyes tightly, Rock tried his best to fight his instinct and suppress himself. He knew their situation wasn''t ideal right now.


    He was a fugitive who could get killed anytime if his Alpha caught him. He also knew that Long Xiurong was technically His Majesty''s second wife, even though she was unwanted, and had never been touched before. At least based on what Rock found after listening to rumors circting in the castle.


    Hence, Rock mentioned, "Lady Long, I know about your identity."


    Long Xiurong jolted. She got swept away by this handsome young wolf to the point she had forgotten the fact that she was still married to the Beast King.


    In the next moment, she quickly rxed her body when she remembered her conversation with the Beast King and Queen Swan during the banquet, "His Majesty allows me to find my own love since my marriage is a trap set by Lady Jade. He has never touched me, nor did he ever visit my room."


    "Even so, I still can''t mark you, Lady Long," Rock said.


    Long Xiurong turned around to face him and asked in bewilderment, "W-why not? Am I truly your..."


    Rock nodded slowly, "Yes, there is no mistaking it. You are my fated one, Long Xiurong."


    Long Xiurong gasped. She covered her mouth but kept her eye contact with Rock Silverfang. As they kept staring at each other, tears began welling up and streaming down her cheeks.


    Rock thought that Long Xiurong didn''t like the fact, so he lowered his head shamefully, "I''m sorry, Long Xiurong. Fate can be so cruel at times."


    "W-what are you being sorry for?"


    "Because you are fated to a fugitive like me. I''m constantly on the run due to the sin Imitted back then, and now I cannot mark you, because if I did, His Majesty would instantly know my whereabouts and your contact with me," Rock replied. "I''m sorry, Long Xiurong."


    "D-don''t repeat thatst sentence. I''m not crying because I''m sad," Long Xiurong said. "I''m just happy because I''ve been praying to the Goddess to find me a good man as my husband. I didn''t expect the answer to be you, but I am very happy nheless."


    Rock lifted his head. He didn''t know what to expect from Long Xiurong right now. He thought that Long Xiurong would tell him to leave, and he was ready to do so, as he didn''t want to put her life in danger.


    "I know that you can''t mark me now. But please, at least give me something to remember," Long Xiourong muttered as she opened her arms, "Kiss me, Rock."


    "Lady Long....." Rock finally let go of his worry and embraced her before nting a deep kiss on her lips.


    Long Xiurong closed her eyes, enjoying her very first kiss.


    She had a lot of expectations about her first kiss before she met with Rock. She thought that the Beast King would be her first kiss, and the kiss would be rough.


    But now, she was kissing none other than a fugitive called Rock Silverfang, and their kiss was indescribable.


    It was full of passion, and as each second passed, Long Xiurong''s brain continued exploding with thousands of fireworks. freewebnovel


    They continued kissing each other for a while before Rock reluctantly separated himself to give Long Xiurong a room to breathe. He looked at Long Xiurong''s red face and smiled, "Thank you, Lady Long."


    "Don''t call me Lady Long..." Long Xiurong replied weakly, as she was still trying to catch her breath. "Call me Ah-Rong."


    "Ah... Rong?"


    "It is a term we used to refer to


    someone close to us, like a family or lover in the Eastern Long Dynasty, Long Xiurong added. "You should call me Ah-Rong because we will eventually be together in the end, right?"


    "Ah-Rong..." That name was slowly imprinted in Rock''s mind and left such a sweet taste that made him want to keep saying it. "Ah-Rong. My Ah-Rong."


    "Yes, yes, I''m here, husband," Long Xiurong giggled shyly.


    Rock kissed her again, and this time, he made sure this kiss would forever be imprinted in his mind.


    Rock gently pushed his Ah-Rong to the bed, and continued ravaging her lips, but stopped right when he got the urge to undress her and bite her neck.


    He took a step back and stammered, "I-I can''t. I can''t mark you now. It''s too dangerous."


    "I-I don''t mind-"


    "No, you don''t understand, Ah-Rong," Rock refused. "His Majesty hates traitors the most. He will also hunt you down like he did to me. I don''t want your life to be in constant fear and danger."


    Rock took another step back to clear his head, but the sight of Long Xiurong on the bed almost made him lose control again.


    He quickly averted his gaze and walked to the window, trying to distract his mind by looking at the view outside.


    "Then, are you going to leave me here forever? Long Xiurong asked as she sat on the bed. "I... I am unwanted here, Rock. Nobody except Queen Swan likes me, and spent my days doing nothing but waiting for you. I am nothing but a prisoner in this castle, all because Lady Jade lied to me about His Majesty back then."


    Rock clenched the windowsill as he thought hard about what to do next. He turned around and said, "I promise will take you with me, but not now. I have to make sure we have a ce we can call our home... our den."


    "But how long would that be?" Long Xiurong kept pushing. "It took so long for you


    to return and meet me again after yourst letter. I''m scared you will break your promise and forget about me."

 Chapter 231: Rock and Rong

    Chapter 231: Chapter 231: Rock and Rong


    "I won''t forget about you. That''s just impossible," Rock affirmed. "Ah-Rong, I... I know it''s difficult to control ourselves, especially after knowing that we are fated. But I don''t want to make you a fugitive like me."


    "Then, at least give me a time limit. How long do I have to wait until you take me out of this castle?"


    "Give me a month," Rock answered impulsively. Truthfully, he didn''t have a n yet, but his fated mate kept pressuring him, so he felt obligated to give her an answer to prove himself as a responsible mate. "I will find a way out of this situation in a month. I probably will bring you somewhere far, but I promise that you will be well protected and well fed."


    "But... I don''t know if I can provide you with these..." Rock said as his eyes observed around the room. "I can''t give you this luxury for now, but I promise to give us a good den until I can make a better home for us."


    Long Xiurong also didn''t know if her decision was correct. She simply followed her heart, the heart of a maiden in love.


    Thus, Long Xiurong walked towards Rock and rested her head on his chest, "You can always keep me warm, right? So take me out of this golden cage. When I first came here, I thought I''d eventually be loved by someone in my life. I''m not just a tool to gain political power. But I was wrong, and was kept as nothing but a decoration here."


    "Please save me, Rock Silverfang, Ah-Rock, husband..." Long Xiurong didn''t want to sound desperate, but she was at her wit''s end. She dreaded having to stay in this castle all by herself.


    True, she was treated very well, and Queen Swan was exceptionally kind towards her. However, she longed to be with a man whom she loved and who loved her back. She wanted to be wanted by at least someone in this world.


    Long Xiurong''s plea only exacerbated the Rock''s heartache.


    He already felt guilty for leaving his fated mate alone in this castle, but now he felt obligated to increase his effort. He knew this was for the best since he didn''t want Long Xiurong to face any hardship.


    Rock kissed Long Xiurong''s head and whispered, "I promise to take you with me, Ah-Rong."


    *


    They spent at least an hour embracing each other before Rock finally decided to write a letter to his dearest Princess. He wanted to tell her that he had found his fated mate, and being separated for too long gave him such a bad heartache that he couldn''t endure it.


    He wanted his Princess to know that it would be difficult for him toe again after taking Long Xiurong with him, but he promised to visit frequently so he could check on the Princess.


    After he was done writing the letter, he gave it to Long Xiurong and said, "Ah- Rong, make sure to give this to Princess Swan as soon as possible. I hope to get an answer from her. I will return in four days."


    Long Xiurong nodded. She held the letter on her bosom and then tiptoed to kiss Rock''s lips.


    "Four days. I hope I can see you again in four days."


    It took Rock a while to recover from her kiss. He reluctantly walked towards the window and took a good look over his fated mate for thest time, "I will see you again in four days, my Ah-Rong."


    Rock jumped from the window and disappeared into the night.


    Long Xiurong rushed to the window as she tried to find the silhouette of her man. Unfortunately, Rock''s movement was too fast for her to follow.


    Long Xiurong didn''t know what to feel right now.


    She was really happy to know that she and Rock were truly destined.


    But at the same time, their situation made it difficult to be together, and the future was uncertain for them.


    She looked up, staring at the moon, and began praying in her heart, ''Goddess, please let me stay with my destined man. Please soften the


    Beast King''s heart, so he would forgive Rock for his sin, and let us be together.''


    *


    Long Xiurong finally closed the window and put the letter inside the drawer. She


    wanted to give it to Queen Swan tomorrow if possible.


    Both Rock and Long Xiurong thought that nobody saw them while they were having a secret rendezvous in the middle of the night during a cold winter.


    Little did they know, there was a shed that was once used to store tools at the corner of the castle, and that shed was now a room for a bunny maid who had been punished for colluding with Lady Jade.


    From this angle, Alice witnessed everything as she kept peeking from a small window in the shed.


    She saw a man entering Long Xiurong''s room through her window. She didn''t know who that man was at first until he walked back to the window and showed his full face.


    It was Rock Silverfang, the bastard traitor whom His Majesty wanted to kill.


    She also witnessed how Long Xiurong and Rock Silverfang were embracing each other, kissing, and exchanging meaningful nces. It was obvious that they were very much in love.


    Alice scoffed, "I was wondering how that bitch found out that I was poisoning her. Turns out, the answer is that bastard, Rock Silverfang."


    Alice was burning in fury right now.


    Rock and Long Xiurong could have their beautiful moment in a spacious room, with heating, and also good food, white she was stuck in this shed. The only reason she didn''t die of cold was because of her


    beastman race, an arctic hare.


    "Do you think you can just prance around happily while I suffer here? I know that you two must''ve kept something inside that room, something valuable to identify Rock Silverfang''s presence, since you two are lovers, right?" Alice sneered. "Maybe it''s a keepsake? A letter? A pendant? Heh, anyway, I will make sure you two will die a horrible death, and Swan will fall this time."


    "His Majesty hates traitors the most, and we have three traitors here."

 Chapter 232: Scent of a Male Cub

    Chapter 232: Chapter 232: Scent of a Male Cub


    Gale didn''t sleep for the entire night.


    Usually, he would be able to fall asleep quickly whenever he embraced his beloved.


    But tonight, he felt that something was wrong with his wife.


    ''Why do I smell a strange scent around her? What is this?'' Gale pondered over and over. Normally, all of his senses were very strong, and it wasn''t difficult for him to detect anything, be it from scent, sound, or sight.


    The very faint scent around Swan''s body was vastly different from her usual scent, and it gnawed at his heart due to curiosity and jealousy.


    ''Could it be that another man has been seeing my wife while I''m not around?'' Gale suspected. He took another sniff around her nape and knew very well this was the scent of a young male wolf. It was so faint that he couldn''t tell if it was just a male cub or something else.


    ''No, this isn''t the scent of an adult male wolf,'' Gale thought after a while. He felt slightly better since it quickly eliminated the idea of Swan seeing another man while he was away. He didn''t want to take a risk after his wife kept defending Rock Silverfang, even though that bastard truly deserved to die.


    The more Swan defended Rock, the more Gale wanted to kill him.


    This was definitely the scent of a male cub.


    ''Maybe a soldier or maid brought their cub to tour around the castle. Maybe Swan saw a wolf cub, and couldn''t help herself but hug him,'' Gale continued theorizing and soon felt guilty, as he knew how desperate Swan was to bear their offspring. Gale had long let go of his desire to have a cub since he was practically immortal. There was no point in having an heir when he would be forever young for thousands or even millions of years toe.


    But Swan was different. She got sad whenever their conversation would lead to the topic of having a cub or two. Gale would try to divert the topic, but the conversation would simply stop until they went to bed.


    Gale was also confused about how to make his wife feel better about their situation. He already loved her unconditionally. He didn''t care about offspring, or if Swan would grow old eventually.


    All he demanded was one thing from her; loyalty.


    As long as Swan was loyal and honest to him, then he would never get angry at her.


    ''I should ban all children from entering the castle for now,'' Gale thought. ''That way Swan wouldn''t be sad whenever she saw a cub.''


    Gale kissed Swan''s nape and embraced her from behind, ''I''m sorry, Sweetheart. I know it''s difficult for you, but even I am powerless against fate.''


    Gale had been sending as many scouts as possible to find any lead about his fated mate. Just like what the white rabbit said, he wanted to find a woman with healing power, because healing magic was exclusive to those graced by the Goddess of the Sun.


    Yet, no matter how hard Gale tried to find the said angel, he never found any lead to his fated mate.


    It was as if his fated mate never existed in the first ce.


    ''That stupid white rabbit said that my fated mate is a literal angel, but I only know a human with an angel''s heart...'' Gale thought as he hugged his wife tighter. He wanted to whisper these words but feared that Swan would wake up since she was a light sleeper. He could only say it in his heart, ''My sweet wife, you have the heart of an angel, so please show me your healing power, or grow a pair of wings.''


    *


    Gale embraced Swan for the rest of the night until dawn came.


    Usually, he would leave before dawn and patrot around the kingdom to get some fresh air. Sometimes he would go far to hunt an elephant or lion as a means of exercise and a quick meal, but not today.


    He wasn''t in the mood to go anywhere. All he wanted was to stay in bed with her.


    Meanwhile, Swan woke up at dawn. She could feel her usual morning sickness which had gotten worse as days went by, to the point it was difficult to handle.


    Gale was still sleeping, so she decided to endure it until he woke up and left.


    She waited and waited... until she couldn''t hold it anymore, and struggled to get up.


    Gale frowned when his wife suddenly struggled to break free, "Wife? Are you alright?"


    "I-I need to go to the bathroom!" Swan struggled as she tried to break free.


    Gale didn''t understand why she panicked over going to the bathroom.


    "Alright, let me bring you to the bathroom."


    "No need. I-I can do it on my own!"


    Gale frowned even deeper, but he slowly let her go. Swan rushed to the bathroom using her crutches.


    She mmed the door and began her routine.


    Gale got up and walked to the


    bathroom door. He wanted to ask if


    she was alright until he heard her


    retching nonstop. He grew wary and asked, "Sweetheart, are you alright? I will call the doctor now."


    "No need!" Swan refused. "I-I''m alright. I just ate something wrongst night."


    "No, you''re not," Gale rebuked. "You ate a normal dinner with me. Something''s not right with you, Sweetheart."


    Gale wanted to push the door open, but Swan yelled, "No! Don''te in!"


    Gale couldn''t wait anymore as he was dead worried about his wife He pushed the door open, and saw his


    beloved on the bathroom floor, looking so pale and fragile after she vomited her guts out.


    "Swan!" Gale rushed to carry her out of the bathroom. He put her back on the bed, but Swan kept trying to break free, "What''s wrong with you, Swan?!"


    "I-I''m alright. I just need to stay in the bathroom..." Swan muttered as she tried to hold the urge to throw up. "Please carry me back to the bathroom, Gale."


    "You need to answer me first! What happened to you?!" freewebnovel


    Unfortunately, Swan couldn''t hold her retching anymore, and she vomited on her husband''s chest.

 Chapter 233: She might be…

    Chapter 233: Chapter 233: She might be...


    Gale and Swan stared at each other in horror, each for a different reason.


    Swan was shocked because she couldn''t believe she had just identally vomited on her husband''s chest. It was disgusting, and she panicked as she tried to wipe the vomit with her nightdress.


    "I-I''m sorry, husband. I didn''t mean to," Swan apologized while desperately wiping her vomit. However, the more she tried to wipe it, the stronger the disgusting scent got, and it made her feel even more helpless. "Why is it getting worse? Oh, I''m so sorry, Gale. Ugh, this is so dirty, I''m so dirty..."


    Swan began sobbing for no good reason, but she was currently overstimted that she didn''t know what to do. There was a mix of panic, disgust, and desperation swirling in her mind right now.


    Meanwhile, Gale was also staring at his crying wife underneath his blindfold, but for apletely different reason.


    He didn''t care about a little stain on his body, especially since it came from his wife.


    He was just shocked seeing Swan''s reaction right now.


    "Stop wiping it, Swan," Gale said, but when Swan ignored him, he grabbed her


    wrist and repeated, "Stop it! I''ll just call the maids to clean it up!"


    Swan lifted her head, and the tears welling in her eyes broke like a dam, streaming down freely on her cheeks.


    "Don''t fret about the stain. You are my wife, not my subject," Gale coaxed as he gently wiped the tears on Swan''s cheeks. It still couldn''t stop her from crying, so he decided to put Swan on the bed first, before opening the door. He told the cat maids to clean the vomit stain, and also call the doctor.


    Swan was still sobbing when Myra was providing her with a new set of clean night dresses. Gale was wiping his chest with a damp cloth while waiting for the doctor.


    He observed his wife in silence the whole time.


    He wanted to ask what was wrong with his wife, but Swan seemed to be overly sensitive right now. Thus, all he did was let Swan sit on hisp and gently pat her back.


    "Calm down, Sweetheart. It''s okay," Galeforted.


    The beastman doctor rushed to the room not long after with his medical box.


    "Your Majesty, I heard there is an emergency!"


    Gale nodded and said, "My wife just vomited twice this morning, and she looks pale and weak. Go check on her."


    The beastman doctor tried to check on the Queen, but Swan seemed to be aversive and uncooperative. She continued to bury her head on Gale''s chest and barely answered any questions from the doctor.


    The doctor tried to diagnose her condition but was confused as he couldn''t guess what happened to Swan.


    "My apologies, Your Majesty, but I''m unsure about the condition that Her Majesty suffers right now. I''ve checked her heart rate, and her temperature, and asked her


    a few questions, but I cannote up with anything other than an upset stomach..."


    Gale didn''t me the doctor this time, because he knew that Swan was being uncooperative.


    Hence, he tried to persuade her instead, "Sweetheart, why don''t you tell the doctor about it? This isn''t the first time it happened, right?"


    "H-how do you know?" Swan asked.


    "Because you refused my help. It must''ve been something that happened regrly," Gale replied as he understood his wife''s personality well. Swan was not someone who liked to make a big deal of herself. Even when she was sick or cold, she would try her best not to be a burden. "If it''s just a one-time situation, you wouldn''t try to push me away."


    Swan lowered her head shamefully.


    She thought she had been clever enough to try to hide her regr morning sickness so as not to make Gale worry excessively. But in the end, she still couldn''t hide anything from her husband.


    "I didn''t mean to hide it. I just don''t want to make you worry," Swan murmured. "You get so busy with the kingdom. You already have enough burden on your shoulders."


    Gale sighed, but he couldn''t help but curl his lips as he was strangely happy with how Swan was worried about his well-being.


    He would never feel burdened as long as Swan was by his side at the end of the day. On top of that, he was physically very strong as well.


    Even so, it was still nice to hear that Swan was still worried about him despite knowing how invincible he was. It meant that Swan was still very much in love with him.


    He hugged her tighter and muttered, "As long as I have you, then nothing is too difficult, Swan. Be a good girl and tell the doctor honestly about everything he needs to know, alright?"


    Swan nodded weakly, before


    replying to the doctor, "I''ve been experiencing morning sickness


    every day. I''d retch and puke moet


    guts Qut. I also started eating less because eating certain food makes me feel nauseous."


    The doctor frowned, "Did you have a fever for the past week, Your Majesty?"


    Swan shook her head, "I''d usually feel better around brunch time. But I still can''t eat some food..."


    "Do you eat anything moldy or poisonous?"


    "Of course not," Swan replied. "The maids always make sure that I get the best food avable."


    The crease on the doctor''s brows deepened, and Gale grew increasingly wary, "Say something. How is my wife? Is she in dire condition?"


    The doctor took a deep breath and asked Swan for thest time, "Pardon me for asking this question, Your Majesty. But how about your period? Have you gotten your monthly period yet?"


    ...


    "I should have gotten itst week. But I haven''t."


    "What''s a period?" Gale asked as it was his first time hearing it. "Is it a dangerous illness?"


    "Period is the equivalent of the


    sl.ne


    estrus cycle in our species, Your Majesty," the doctor replied. "A very few beastmen species have a menstrual cycle like female humans, but most don''t. Based on what I studied, when a female human is still in her fertile age and doesn''t get her period, it can be caused by two things; either there is a problem with her health or mental condition, or she might be pregnant."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 234: A Husband’s Excitement

    Chapter 234: Chapter 234: A Husband''s Excitement


    "PREGNANT?!"


    Gale''s voice thundered inside the castle. It was so loud that half of the castle probably heard it. He couldn''t hide his shock, and the little bit of hope hidden in his heart exploded as he had been waiting for such a miracle to happen.


    "My wife is pregnant? Are you sure?! How can you be sure? Tell me how to detect my baby! What will happen to my wife now?!" Gale barraged the doctor with countless questions as he could barely suppress his excitement.


    The doctor was overwhelmed and stammered in his reply, "M-m-my apologies, Your Majesty. But I am a beastman doctor who only knows how to handle sickness and disease suffered by fellow beastmen. I do not know how to fully treat a sickly human, nor diagnose a female human for her pregnancy."


    "Then, I will find a human doctor. Surely, they know how to check her pregnancy, right?" Gale decisively said. "You should wait here for a moment, Sweetheart. I''ll find a human doctor from the Holy Achate to check on you!"


    "Y-Your Majesty, I think you shouldn''t be too rash..." the doctor tried to stop him.


    "Why not? My wife is pregnant!"


    "I-" the doctor knew that the Beast King must''ve been excited because they had been waiting for an offspring for a while now. At the same time he didn''t want to make the Queen of Beasts sad if his diagnosis was proven to be a false rm.


    After all, the situation of her pregnancy was very unique.


    "Your Majesty, I suggest you call Matoa, the miracle doctor instead," the doctor advised. "He has a vast knowledge from various fields, so he must''ve been able to make a correct diagnosis for her pregnancy. Her Majesty''s pregnancy is unique. She might be the very first female human to get pregnant by a beastman since we are technically an entirely different species from humans."


    "If you call a human doctor, they probably can give a correct diagnosis, but they wouldn''t be informed about a certain factor like the seed that fertilizes Her Majesty''s womb, which is the Beast King''s seed."


    Gale clicked his tongue. He got annoyed because what the doctor said was reasonable. It was true that Swan might''ve been the very first female human to get pregnant with a beastman''s child, so it wasn''t right to just call a human doctor.


    Swan needed a doctor who was capable of both factoring his gene as a beastman and Swan''s gene as a human.


    And the person who could do that was Matoa, the miracle doctor.


    Gale didn''t want to make a mistake when the matter concerned his wife and his future child.


    "Alright, I will find that old doctor. But you should still give my wife a medicine or two to help her alleviate her morning sickness," Gale instructed as he began to calm down. Only he knew that beneath his calm facade, both his heart and mind were in chaos as he began thinking about so many things in the far future regarding his wife and their cubs.


    Meanwhile, the doctor prescribed some medicines for Swan before excusing himself.


    "I''ll go and dispatch all my scouts and ze Silverfang to find Matoa. That old doctor often goes on random trips somewhere far away to find medicine. I need him to be here by noon," Gale murmured as he put Swan on the bed and let the cat maids serve her breakfast.


    Swan looked at her husband and called her, "Husband..."


    "Yes?"


    ...


    Swan''s lips thinned as she wanted to say that they shouldn''t call Matoa, because she was afraid that Matoa would say she was just ill, not pregnant.


    She also wanted to say that it was better to just wait and see if she would get a baby bumpter. It was better to shoot down any expectations before she got disappointed again.


    ''Gale, you shouldn''t get too excited. What if this is not a baby? Maybe I''m just sick, or maybe it''s just a false sign. I don''t know if we can ever have babies of our own.''


    Those words were stuck in Swan''s head as she wanted to keep the expectation


    low.


    Contrary to her gloomy atmosphere,


    Gale could barely hold his smile. He


    was like a kid about to get his


    present, so Swan didn''t have the heart to say what was on he mind, knowing it would only hurt him.


    Swan decided to keep her opinion to herself and prepare for the worst in case she wasn''t pregnant.


    She smiled at her husband and shook her head, "Nothing. Please return after you''re done dispatching the scouts to find Matoa, alright? This morning is a little too cold for me."


    "Definitely! I need to protect you and our cub!" Gale said as he jumped from the window to get to the castle ground quicker.


    Swan sighed as she drank ginger tea and ate a piece of bread to start her breakfast, it was really difficult to


    eat anything for breakfast these


    days, and the thought of Matoa telling her that she wasn''t pregnant made her lose her appetite almost immediately.


    She put down the bread and sighed for the second time.


    "Cheer up, Princess. Isn''t it good that there is a chance of you getting pregnant? That means nobody will dare to ever talk behind your back anymore!" Myra said.


    "Yes, isn''t it better? We-the beastmen¡ªalso want to have our little lord ordy run around the castle!" Maya added while closing the window.


    "Of course, the idea sounds nice. I just don''t know if it cane true," Swan muttered. "I have this gut feeling about being pregnant at first. I''ve been desperately trying to Ride it because I''m scared. If Matoes and tells me that I can never get pregnant with Gale''s cub,then I might as well end my life."


    "PRINCESS!" The cat maids yelled in unison. "Please don''t say that in front of His Majesty. He might get angry!"


    Swan chuckled, "Of course, I won''t ever say such a thing in front of him. It''s just a passing thought, don''t worry about it."


    As Swan sipped her tea again, the door was knocked, and the cat maids opened the door.


    Swan saw Long Xiurong''s new attendant bowing in front of her and said, "Your Majesty, Lady Long asked if she could meet you today. She said it is urgent."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 235: A Husband’s Excitement (II)

    Chapter 235: Chapter 235: A Husband''s Excitement (II)


    Swan went quiet for a while.


    Of course, she knew what the urgent thing Long Xiurong wanted to tell her. Rock must''vee to the castlest night and had written a response to her letter before.


    But the situation right now was not right. Gale was still overly excited and wouldn''t leave her alone. She doubted she''d have time to talk with Long Xiurong, read Rock''s letter, and write a reply.


    Thus, she had no choice but to refuse her, "Tell Lady Long that I will be fully upied until next week. I''ll be the one to invite her in case I want to have a tea time with her."


    "Understood, Your Majesty," Long Xiurong''s attendant nodded and excused herself.


    Swan was actually quite sad that she couldn''t read Rock''s reply, as she was curious if he and Long Xiurong were actually fated mates since Rock was the only one with the answer.


    She still felt guilty for the misfortune in Rock''s life. If it wasn''t for her presence, Rock wouldn''t have been poisoned by Jade, and he would still be the beta in this castle, living a good life and dedicating everything to Gale.


    So, if love could ease his pain, Swan wanted to support Rock and Lady Long''s love.


    ''Just a week from now on, and I can finally help them in their rendezvous. Maybe I can help Long Xiurong to leave the castle too, so she could go with Rock somewhere far from Gale.''


    **


    Meanwhile, all the scouts and ze Silverfang had been gathered in the castle''s ground at dawn as their Beast King told them there was an urgent situation that needed to be handled.


    Yet, when they came to the castle grounds, the Beast King was all smiles, which was eerily frightening for his subjects.


    They always saw His Majesty as a mighty, respectable, yet also a terrifying entity they had to obey. He didn''t smile unless he was talking with Queen Swan.


    But Queen Swan was nowhere to be seen right now.


    ze kneeled in front of His Majesty, followed by the scouts, "Your Majesty, I''ve gathered all the scouts in the castle. Since you said there is an urgent situation that needs to be solved, we are ready to be dispatched anytime!"


    "Yes, I want all of you, including you, ze Silverfang, to locate Matoa, the miracle doctor from YakGroove Pack. He is usually traveling away from his pack''s den most of the time, so I want you to find him as soon as possible, and bring him here," Gale ordered. "This is urgent."


    ze couldn''t help but ask, "May I know what the urgent situation is, Your Majesty? If it is an illness, then the castle''s doctor should suffice for now, right?"


    "No, there is a possibility that my wife might be pregnant. Her situation is unique since she is a human carrying the cub of a beastman. The only one who can give an urate diagnosis of her condition is Matoa," Gale replied. "The livelihood of your Queen and future little lord ordy is in your hands. I want you to give all you have to find that old doctor."


    ze and the rest of the scouts felt like they were given a huge energy boost. They loved their Queen, and to think that Queen Swan would give birth to a cub whom they would call little lord ordy, ze and the rest knew it was a task that needed to be done soon.


    "We are ready, Your Majesty!" ze said. "We will leave and start searching for Matoa, the miracle doctor now!"


    "Good, I expect good news from all of you."


    Gale watched as ze and the rest of the scouts left the castle ground. He could see how motivated they were, solely because they wanted the best for their Queen.


    Gale grinned proudly and muttered, "See this, wife? You are well-loved by everyone in this castle."


    Gale leaped into the castle wall and stared at the beautiful view of the city from the tower. He sighed in awe, ''Only a year ago, this city was just a bunch of huts, and the castle


    is not well fortified. Everyone relies on me for protection, but it seems that Swan wants to leave this kingdom for our cubs in the future. She raised the city wall for better protection against invaders, and improved the system to ensure the beastmen can do more than hunt or gather food.''


    The more he gazed at the city, the more he fell in love with Swan, who showed genuine care for his subjects.


    ''What should I do, Swan? You are a miracle in my life, and I''m afraid you''re just an illusion. What should I do if you suddenly leave me? Will I turn insane?''


    Unfortunately, Gale already knew the answer to that question.


    If Swan suddenly died, then he would kill himself.


    If Swan suddenly left him without a word to him, then he would search for her


    even at the corner of the earth.


    If Swan had another man in her heart, then he would kill that man.


    He already knew all the answers for all possible scenarios.


    ''I''ve never been so in love in my life, Sweetheart. So you can''t leave me. Ever.''


    Gale took his time to collect himself before returning to the castle as be wanted to spend more time with his wife, just like a male wolf guarding his family in their den after a long day hunting for food.


    **


    "Her Majesty refused the tea time?" Long Xiurong frowned after her new attendant ryed the message from Queen Swan. "Is there any urgent situation that beats this? Did she say something?"


    "She said that she will be fully upied until next week. She''ll be the one to invite once she has more free time, Mdy," the attendant reported.


    "That''s so strange..." Long Xiurong knew that Queen Swan was very excited about Rock''s whereabouts, so she should''ve been the one eager to read the letter from Rock.


    ''I guess I''ll have to keep the letter for now and wait until next week,'' Long Xiurong thought as she carelessly nced at the drawer where she put the letter in.

 Chapter 236: The Witch’s Cauldron

    Chapter 236: Chapter 236: The Witch''s Cauldron


    Jade was busy making a mixture of various herbs and dead animals into a big cauldron. Her old body made it too difficult to move around swiftly, but she still persevered because she still held tightly to Aria''s promise that she would give Jade the body of a woman in her teens as a reward for her hard work.


    Aria watched the cauldron being boiled in low heat for hours. Though the greenish color of the boiling goo-like substance was far from ideal, the mixture actually had such a wonderful, aromatic smell akin to that of a real chicken broth.


    "I have to say, you do have a talent for this," Ariamented as she watched in interest. "Tell me, what will happen to those who eat this ''food''? Will they die immediately? I hope not, because it would be way too obvious, right?"


    "They won''t die. I''ve coated the poison inside this cauldron for three days. So, three days after they consumed this, they would feel extremely sick, and will experience dysentery," Jade replied as she squeezed the blood of mice into the cauldron.


    "Dysentery? That might kill some, but not everyone, right? I will invite roughly 150 people to this small area, as this ce doesn''t have that many families in the first ce. If at least half of them survive, then it won''t be 100 deaths, right?" Aria protested. "I want it to be a sure death."


    "Don''t worry, they will experience dysentery, but they won''t be shitting out feces. They will shit their guts instead," Jade said as she chuckled. However, her chuckle was not that of an elegant woman anymore. It sounded more like an evil old witch who was ready to kill an unsuspecting princess. "They will also puke blood and if lucky enough, the rest of their guts as well. It''s a gruesome and disgusting way to die, just like what you ordered."


    A malicious smirk appeared on Aria''s face as she imagined the horrible fate that would befall almost everyone in this small region. She didn''t care about the well- being of those people. She was just desperate to regain her witchcraft back because nothing upset her more than imagining Swan having a good life with the Beast King when she should be the one who lived like that.


    "That''s good. But you know this won''t be convincing enough for people, right?" Aria asked. "Nobody is going to eat a weird green goo even if it smells good."


    "Don''t worry, I only need onest ingredient to change the color. It will look like a legit soup by the time it''s done," Jade replied as she took a vial of strange brown- colored liquid. She poured it all into the cauldron, and the green goo magically turned yellowish and exuded such a nice chicken broth aroma. It smelled so good and looked decent enough that Aria was tempted to give it a little try. "And now it''s done. Don''t try to eat it. You will die with only one sip of the broth."


    "This is perfect. How long will this thingst?" Aria asked again. "I can invite them tomorrow, but it still needs to look good by the time it''s served."


    "As long as it keeps boiled in a low heat, it won''t go bad," Jade assured. "Since I''ve done what you told me to do. Can I get the new youthful body that I want?"


    Aria chuckled, "Of course, you can always pick whichever body you want during the banquet tomorrow. I will single her out, and transfer your soul into that new body."


    Jade''s eyes glimmered with hope.


    Finally, after suffering for days with this frail old body, she could be youthful, beautiful, and strong again.


    She might have a chance to be with Gale with her new body, especially if she looked simr to Swan since Gale must''ve liked Swan only for her physical appearance.


    ''He would be more than happy to have a wife simr to Swan, but not crippled, right?'' Jade thought. She might''ve been killed by Gale, but she believed that it was due to Swan''s intervention. That woman must''ve said something to infuriate Gale to the point he had the heart to kill her as well.


    Jade looked at Aria and knew that Aria had a bigger chance of ending up on Gale''s bed. After all, she looked simr to Swan but was cuter and not crippled.


    "I don''t need to worry about this bitch. After get my new body, I''ll poison her and return to the


    Kingdom of Beastmen with a nomet


    identity, then I can start seducing Gale. I''m sure I can finally be his wife, Jade thought.


    Aria''s smirk widened as she had just read Jade''s mind.


    She didn''t tell this to Jade before, but as the owner of her soul, she could read Jade''s mind like reading a text. She knew everything that Jade was plotting, including trying to kill her.


    But of course, Aria allowed Jade to run with her ideas. AAria still needed her skill as a master of poisons and potions.


    ''I''ll just kill her when it''s necessary. She''ll be useful to me for a long time,'' Aria thought.


    "Wait here, I''m going to tell my mother to invite those vigers to a banquet. I''m sure that she will get excited about it."


    Aria walked out of Jade''s room and went straight to her mother''s room.


    She knocked on the door, and Anastasia opened the door herself as they didn''t have enough servants to do menial tasks such as opening the door anymore.


    Anastasia raised her brows, "It''s been a while since you came to me. What do you need, Aria?"


    Aria smiled at her mother whose heart had been softened after she abdicated from her position as the Queen. She hated this bitch mother for losing her ambition, but she still kept her smile as she needed her mother as the ultimate sacrificeter on.


    "Mom, I''ve been thinking about hosting a banquet for the vigers."

 Chapter 237: A Change of Heart

    Chapter 237: Chapter 237: A Change of Heart


    Anastasia was even more surprised now. She knew her daughter quite well and knew that caring for the peasants was never part of her priority.


    Aria seemed to detest those vigers the most as she saw them as dirty and uncultured.


    "Did something happen to you? Are you sick?" Anastasia asked her daughter.


    Aria pouted, "Why would you say that, Mom? I''m healthy. I just think that we need to help those vigers because it''s winter, and they must''ve been struggling to survive in this cold."


    "I''m sorry, Aria. I''m just shocked since you have a sudden change of heart," Anastasia said. "But I''m happy that you have finally embraced our life here in this vige. Those vigers will be really happy to eat meat, since they can barely afford bread, let alone meat and spices."


    Aria squeezed tears from the corner of her eyes and said, "I''ve been reflecting on myself this whole time, Mom. I finally epted my new life. I know I''m not a princess anymore, and I''ve been humbled after seeing the struggle of the peasants in this vige. Maybe this is truly the time we let go of everything in the past and start anew, right, Mom?" freewebnovel


    Anastasia also wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes, but hers were true tears, not fake ones.


    She had been reflecting on her situation as well, and the more she lived in this solitary lifestyle in an isted region of Holy Achate, the more she liked it.


    She didn''t have the same luxury as before. She still had her jewelry which would fetch a high price, but her monthly ie relied on the farmers instead.


    She was nothing but a smallndlord of a small farnd, and her money would only be enough to get by every month, paying a few servants, buying ingredients, and maintaining the old mansion they had.


    Yet, she finally felt peace for the first time in her life. She could sleep at night without worrying about a single thing, and when she woke up, she wouldn''t get a headache over so many things she needed to handle.


    All she did every morning was drink coffee while reading some books she purchased from the traveling merchant.


    It was truly a life full of bliss.


    However, she understood that it was difficult for Aria to ept this new life, so she never pressured her daughter to change her way of thinking. It was almost like a miracle to see Aria suddenly have a change of heart.


    She didn''t know what caused Aria to lose her grudge over their current condition, but as a mother who had been yearning to make up for all the neglect ever since Aria was young, Anastasia should fully support Aria''s decision.


    It''d be even better if Aria would start talking with the vigers as well, it would keep her grounded and humble.


    "I''m so happy, Aria," Anastasia said as she opened her arms and hugged her daughter. "I never knew that our abdication was a blessing in disguise. Had I known that we would finally have peace when we lost the throne, I would''ve abdicated long ago."


    ...


    Aria said nothing, but she was seething with rage in her heart. She couldn''t believe that her once ambitious mother-who would be more than ready to toss anyone as long as she could stay in power-would say something so weak and pathetic.


    Aria once respected her mother for her wits, and even went as far as idolizing her. She wanted to be like her mother who was ruthless and wouldn''t spare a nce at anyone that''s not worth her time.


    ''And now, she sounds genuinely happy, even tearing up just because I said I want to help the peasants with a banquet. How pathetic,'' Aria sneered in her heart. ''You were once my great mother, but now you''re nothing but a frail olddy with a weak heart. But oh well, guess we can keep doing this. I want to harvest your soul at its highest quality.''


    ''Keep being a good person, Mom. It will make your harvest ten times more effective in the future.''


    Aria was trying hard not to giggle as she imagined harvesting her mother''s soul. It was almost like a fantasy for her because Madam Harsetti kept saying that she would be the Ultimate Witch once she sacrificed someone dearest to her heart.


    So, Aria needed to love her mother, or at least her mother needed to love her back. There must be a taste of betrayal and despair when the sacrifice happens. Thus, Aria decided to continue ying as a good girl in front of her mother.


    Anastasia slowly released her hug and said, "I still have all of my jewelry. I can sell one of them and we can hold a banquet for everyone in the vige." "And how long would it take for you to sell your jewelry, Mom?" "The traveling merchant woulde by spring-"


    "That won''t do," Aria interrupted. She couldn''t wait that long as waiting for Swan''s downfall was excruciating for her. She wanted Swan to die as soon as possible. "Mom, this winter is very cold. If we wait until spring, then many people will die because they can''t eat anything! It''s an urgent situation!"


    Anastasia bit her lip. She didn''t expect Aria to be so kind that she got distressed thinking about the lives of the innocent vigers. It made her happy, but her request would require Anastasia to take out some of the gold coins she had in the stash.


    Of course, she still had plenty, but the gold stash was meant to be an emergency


    fund in case something bad happened, as she needed to survive with her


    daughter.


    "I-I don''t know, Aria. This is too sudden. We need a lot of money for it..."


    "Then, please take this," Aria took out her pearl ne and handed it to her mother. "This is the newest pearl ne I have. I''m sure it can be sold for a high price, right? We can use it to fund the banquet!"

 Chapter 238: Pathetic Mother

    Chapter 238: Chapter 238: Pathetic Mother


    Anastasia''s eyes widened seeing the pearl ne on her hand. This was the perfect pearl ne from the Kingdom of Beastmen.


    Gale''s Kingdom was now the leading producer of perfect pearls, and they were so perfect that aristocrats and royals would empty their savings just to get their hands on one of them. Unfortunately, the perfect pearls were slow in production, which made their price increase over time, and therefore became some sort of investment for the nobles. freewebnovel


    "A-Aria, we can''t sell this. I know you love this ne too much," Anastasia refused as she tried to push the ne back to Aria.


    "I told you I want to help people!" Aria insisted as she took a step back, refusing to take the pearl ne. "Mom, I''ve realized that none of this wealth matters when people in our region are suffering. If a mere ne can help them survive, then so be it. Nothing is worth more than their prosperity!"


    Aria felt like she could puke anytime when listening to the nonsense she spouted.


    She didn''t give a damn about those peasants, but she needed her mother to host the banquet if she wanted to kill so many people.


    She might be acting as if the pearl ne didn''t have any worthpared to the livelihood of the people, but she was seething with absolute rage right now.


    That pearl ne was astonishingly expensive, and now she had to pawn it just to make sure her n woulde to fruition.


    ''No, it''s fine if Mother sells it, Aria. Once you''ve regained your power, you can always kill the merchant and take the pearl ne back. Or maybe I don''t even need to do that,'' Aria imagined the handsome and mighty, one and only Beast King. ''Gale is the ruler of the West and North Sea. He is the one with the brilliant idea to harvest perfect pearls. As long as I get married to him, I can have as many perfect pearls as I want!''


    Aria felt better after imagining her handsome, rough, and vigorous future husband, Gale Stormfront.


    She wanted to have every best thing this world could offer, so she decided a little sacrifice would be fine, including her prized perfect pearl ne.


    Anastasia was truly astonished by her daughter''spassion, and it made her feel bad because Anastasia was still thinking about herself, not the peasants living on thisnd.


    Hence, she finally nodded after calcting the cost she needed to host a banquet, "Alright, I will use our savings to hold a banquet. It can be held two days from now since the servants need to prepare everything, and we need to buy the ingredients as well. As for your pearl ne, I will keep it safe for now, and use it in case of emergency."


    Aria gulped as she saw her mother pocketing her pearl ne. She had the urge to just choke her mother to death so she could have her ne back.


    Suppressing her thoughts, she decided to nod and show herpassion, "Thank you, Mom. I can''t wait to see the vigers and introduce myself. After all, this will be the first time I ever see them, right?''


    "Yes! Oh, the vigers have been very kind to us! They don''t me us for what happened in the Holy Achate, and they epted us as the new Baroness!" Anastasia eximed in high vigor as if the vigers were truly a godsend for her.


    Meanwhile, Aria could only sneer as she wanted tough at her mother.


    They were once a Queen and Royal Princess.


    And now, her mother was happy to be called a Baroness, ruling over a small region with a bunch of backward vigers as her subjects.


    ''How pathetic it''s so bad that I can see a trace of Swan in my mother, how disgusting,'' Aria thought. ''Did Swan do something to Mom? Did she cast a holy spell or something to change her personality? I can''t believe my once ruthless mother has been reduced to a pathetic joke like this.''


    Aria recalled how Swan tried to save a crippled cat by secretly feeding it every day with her food. Aria allowed it to happen because she thought it was funny to see a pathetic crippled trying to save another crippled.


    She allowed Swan to feed that cat for a few days before telling the guard to beat the cat to death and toss the carcass outside.


    After that, Swan would alwayse to the same spot when she fed the crippled cat, waiting every single morning for the next two weeks for the cat to return, but the cat never came back.


    Obviously, because Aria beat it to death.


    It was truly entertaining to see what a pathetic joke Swan truly was. It was a kind


    of entertainment for Aria.


    ''Will my mother be like Swan


    ???!


    as well? Feeding a stupid crippled cat and waiting for that cat to return? If that actually happens, might as well break her leg too, Aria thought as she nced at her mother''s perfectly able legs.


    She didn''t like torturing her mother, not because she loved her.m, but because her


    mother didn''t have the same pitiful face as Swan.


    "Alright, Mom. I''ll return to my room. Please prepare everything, and make it quick! Babies are dying out there!"


    Anastasia sighed as she stared at her daughter''s back. For the first time in her life, she was so proud of her daughter.


    ''Maybe this is truly our fresh start in life,'' Anastasia thought. ''Maybe one day, I can finally make peace with Swan. That woman is a Saintess, surely she will forgive Aria and I, right?''


    ''Oh, I also need to find a husband for Aria. Since she already lost her witchcraft, that means she is safe to be married off, right?'' Anastasia thought as she nced at the Stack of letters on her study desk. They were all marriage proposals from many men from inside and outside of the kingdom, wanting to take the beautiful Aria as their wife.

 Chapter 239: Banquet of Sacrifices (I)

    Chapter 239: Chapter 239: Banquet of Sacrifices (1)


    Preparations for the banquet in Baroness Anastasia''s mansion went smoothly. The vigers were invited in the morning, and they were allowed toe by noon, as the food had been prepared beforehand.


    The vigers were ecstatic about this entire banquet because this year''s winter was very harsh. Some elderly perished because they couldn''t handle the cold, and the food ration had to be given to the children first to preserve the future of their small vige.


    They knew Baroness Anastasia was their previous queen, but since they were living in an isted area, none of them knew about the trade ban.


    Some of the youngsters went to the city to work, but most still returned to the vige after they got married, because they preferred the peaceful life in their small mountainous region.


    They had neither bad experiences nor good experiences with their queen before. This banquet was the beginning of a good rtionship between the vigers and their new Baroness. Since she was kind enough to extend her hand tomoners like them, they already had a good opinion about her.


    Anastasia wore a in blue dress to greet the peasants who came to her mansion. She wanted to look humble as she knew showing off her expensive dress would only intimidate those vigers and give off a bad first impression.


    However, even her most humble dress was still too goodpared to those vigers who were already wearing the best they had.


    Nevertheless, the peasants were awed by Baroness Anastasia''s beauty and warm smile.


    One of the little girls meekly approached the Baroness and did a little curtsy, as taught by her sister who worked in the city before, "T-thank you for inviting us, M- Mdy."


    Anastasia''s heart melted seeing the innocent little girl who looked somewhat simr to the small Aria.


    It reminded her of the time when Aria was still cute and pure, like a nk canvas ready to be painted.


    Sometimes Anastasia wished she could turn back time and fix her mistake because she knew that some of Aria''s twisted nature came from her wrong teaching.


    She was filthy ambitious, and always taught Aria that method did not matter as long as you got the result you wanted, and sacrificing people was justified if it was necessary.


    As she reflected on her past actions, Anastasia realized that she was the reason for Aria''s current behavior. Her daughter might change for the better as she was generous enough to hold a banquet for the vigers, but she was still cruel to the servants.


    ''Well, a slow change is still a change. As long as she is getting better, then I can''tin,'' Anastasia thought as she gently patted the little girl''s head. Thank you foring to my mansion, little girl. Since it''s winter, how about gingerbread cookies? We have a lot of it."


    Anastasia pointed at the big jar full of gingerbread cookies and said, "You can take as many as you want."


    The little girl''s eyes glimmered with joy as she thanked the Baroness and rushed to take a few of the gingerbread cookies.


    The vigers were given tables for each of them, so they felt like real guests rather than a bunch of refugees. Anastasia sat facing all of them and announced, "Attention, all my people in this banquet. My dearest daughter, Aria Asmara of Holy Achate, has prepared a special chicken soup that could warm your body during this cold season. We will have that as our appetizer. After that, you are free to eat anything you want here."


    Anastasia turned her head towards the door where Aria had been busy with her makeup, and once the door was opened, Anastasia''s eyes widened until her eyes almost popped out of their sockets.


    Aria was wearing one of her most luxurious dresses; it was made out of the best material, and sewn with very thin white silk which gave the dress a natural sheen. The dress was embedded with gemstones that made her look like she was about to be crowned as the new Queen of Holy Achate.


    She was so out of cepared to everyone in this mansion that Anastasia wanted to shove her daughter back into the room and told her to change to something less extravagant.


    Unfortunately, Aria already walked out of her room, and her gold heels were making tap tap sound whenever she walked.


    Aria was so beautiful that the whole room was stunned intoplete silence. All the vigers stared unblinkingly at the beautiful Aria Asmara.


    "A Goddess..." one of the vigers murmured. "She is a goddess..."


    The other vigers said nothing, but deep down, they agreed to that statement just now.


    Aria stood before them and smiled, "Thank you foring my dearest subjects. I am Aria Asmara of Holy Achate. I was a Royal Princess before, but since my mother had abdicated, you all may call me Lady Aria from now on."


    "I had the idea to host this banquet because I saw that people are suffering, and I cannot stand still and watch my people dying due to extreme winter. Hence, I''ve decided to feed all of you with a special chicken soup as an appetizer," Aria said calmly, but her heart was filled with twisted joy right now. She kept thinking about these idiots'' faces and imagined them dying in such horrible ways after drinking the potent poison inside the chicken broth. ''There are plenty of children here. Their souls would be worth more than the adults. I''m so d I told my mom to specifically invite the children as well.''


    The servants began distributing the chicken soup that Aria made. She made sure


    that everyone would get one bowl each, including the servants.


    The only two people who didn''t get the poisoned chicken soup were her and her mother as she still needed Anastasia for the ultimate sacrificeter on.


    "Please eat the soup while it''s still hot. Make sure to finish it, because I made it with love.

 Chapter 240: Banquet of Sacrifices (II)

    Chapter 240: Chapter 240: Banquet of Sacrifices (II)


    The unsuspecting vigers ate the chicken soup with relish. She already told Jade to make it as tasty as possible, because she wanted to guarantee their deaths.


    Aria sat at the same table with her mother. Anastasia didn''t drink the chicken soup as per her daughter''s request. She couldn''t help but ask, "Aria, am I not allowed to eat the chicken soup you make? This is the first time you cook, so I am curious."


    Aria smiled at her mother and shook her head, "No, Mom. It''s only for the guests and servants. I can cook you something elseter."


    Anastasia swallowed her saliva as she could smell the aromaing from the chicken soup at the next table. She had never smelled something so aromatic and tempting, but since Aria didn''t want her to eat it, then so be it.


    Anastasia decided to change the topic instead, "Aria, about your dress..."


    "What about it?" Aria rolled her eyes. "I know what you have in mind, Mom. But I refuse to change it. I haven''t attended any party for so long. This dress will get dusty if I keep it in the wardrobe forever."


    "Still, it''s too much. Can you see that the vigers barely could afford any proper dress? They are wearing the best thing they have in their closet right now," Anastasia pointed out, and Aria scowled immediately.


    She observed the dresses the peasant women wore and tried her best not to frown.


    She was disgusted because these filthy creatures entered her mansion with such dirty and patched dresses. But she couldn''t say a thing because they were still eating the poisonous chicken soup.


    ''Calm down, Aria. They are going to be your sacrifices in three days. It''s better to act civil for now.''


    *


    Aria was cutting her steak when she saw a filthy old widow peeking from the window. She rolled her eyes and excused herself.


    She kicked open Lady Jade''s room and yelled at the frail old woman, "Why are you peeking at them like that? Don''t you realize that the body you use right now was one of the missing vigers? One of them might recognize you!"


    "I''m sorry, Aria. I just... want to see if there is a beautiful young woman in the banquet I can use as my new body," Lady Jade said.


    "And? Have you found one?"


    "Yes, I''ve seen a red-haired woman in her early twenties sitting near the window with her family. She is beautiful, seems lively, and has a sweet smile. I want her body as my new host."


    "Then you need to give me the antidote, so I can give it to her," Aria said. "Unless you want your soul to be moved inside the body of someone with her guts dangling out of her ass."


    Lady Jade gulped. She took out a vial with a clear liquid inside and said, "Just let her drink this, and it will get rid of the poison immediately."


    Aria snatched the vial and smiled, "Alright, this will be our deal. I''ll give you that body, and you will continue to serve me from now on. After all, you still need me forever."


    "F-forever?"


    "Of course. Don''t you realize that your body has started to decay? All you did was live inside a corpse, and they are bound to rot eventually, it is a slow, but certain process. You''ll need me to move your soul from one body to another."


    That statement destroyed all of Jade''s ns.


    She thought she could get the body of this young woman, kill Aria, then return to the Kingdom of Beastmen with a new identity and slowly creep into Gale''s heart.


    But now that she knew her life was fully dependent on Aria, she had to change her n.


    ''No, it''s not the end. I can always poison her, and threaten her with the antidote. She will have to do everything I told her to in exchange for the small antidote to cure her very slowly.''


    Aria almost burst outughing when she heard the scheme in Jade''s head. It was so stupidly predictable that she didn''t even need to read Jade''s mind to find out.


    ''Well, she is very useful. I will still need her in the future. Let''s just y along for now,'' Aria thought.


    "Alright, I will give this to that girl. Once those vigers die in three days, I will bring her to this mansion, and then move your soul to hers."


    "T-thank you, Aria. I didn''t know what I would do without your help!"


    "Hm~ isn''t it obvious? Without my help, you will be thrown straight to hell," Aria chuckled. "You are an evil bitch after all."


    **


    Aria returned to her room and told the servant to bring that specific woman Lady Jade wanted.


    When the young woman walked in bashfully, Aria quickly understood what Lady Jade wanted.


    "M-mdy, m-may I know why did you call me? D- Did I do something wrong?" the youngdy asked while lowering her head. She was very lively with her family at the table, but she seemed to be the nervous type whenever she met someone new. C¨®ntent


    Her demeanor, the way she stuttered her words, and her fidgeting reminded Aria


    of a certain crippled bitch. On top of that, this young woman was beautiful, so it


    gave off the cute vibes that made men want to protect her at all costs.


    ''I see what you want to do, Jade.


    You want to find someone simr to Swan, and then return to the


    Kingdom of Beastmen with a new identity and start an affair with Gale, right? Aria grinned. ''I don''t


    understand her. She''s been executed by Gale, and now she still


    wants to return to him? How absurd. But oh well...''


    "What''s your name?" Aria asked kindly.


    "M-Meredith, Mdy..." Meredith replied.


    "And how old are you?"


    "T-twenty..." Meredith squirmed ufortably, as she felt like she was being interrogated. "M-may I know if I did something wrong, Mdy?"


    "No, you didn''t do anything wrong. I just want to ask you toe and live in this mansion for a while."

 Chapter 241: Banquet of Sacrifices (III)

    Chapter 241: Chapter 241: Banquet of Sacrifices (III)


    "L-Live in this mansion?! But w-why? I-I''m not a servant here, Mdy..." Meredith stuttered as she was surprised.


    She felt ufortable because she knew that the aristocrats were different from the regr peasants. She doubted that Lady Aria¡ªwho was a former Royal Princess-would be generous enough to let her live in a mansion for no reason.


    "I was thinking about inviting you into the mansion as a maid. But since you don''t seem to want that, then I guess I will just invite you as a friend, then?" Aria said.


    "F-friend?!" Meredith gasped. "M-Mdy, I-I am just a peasant. I-I don''t think I''m allowed to make f-friend with you..."


    Aria didn''t expect this woman to be very simr to Swan. Not only did she talk like Swan, but she also had the same mindset as her.


    Normally, a peasant would be honored to be invited into a noble''s mansion, especially as a friend, but Swan would always act nervous or scared whenever Aria told her to be ''friends''.


    So, she had to put up a sad expression to convince Meredith, "Is that so? I... I don''t see myself as a Royal Princess anymore. Since my mother has abdicated, I thought I could finally make at least one friend in my new home."


    "I noticed that you are very lively and seem to be a fun-loving person with your family. I thought you could be my friend since it is very lonely here," Aria added. Just as she expected, Meredith began to pity her.


    Meredith didn''t expect a woman who seemed to have everything she ever wanted would be so lonely in her big mansion.


    "I-I don''t think I can live in this expensive mansion, Mdy. I-I still have responsibilities at home. My mother is sickly, so I-I am the one who works as a s- seamstress..."


    "Oh, don''t worry about your family. I will pay them ten gold coins for you to stay in this mansion for a week. How about it?"


    "T-Ten gold coins?!" Meredith almost had a heart attack when she heard that. She had never seen a gold coin before, let alone ten!


    With that amount, her family could livefortably for the rest of their lives.


    "Yes, ten gold coins aren''t much for me, but friends are. Why don''t you live here for three days at least, and I will reward you with that money," Aria proposed. Meredith gulped. Her mother was sickly, and it was difficult to support a family as a seamstress. This could change her life forever!


    Hence, she nodded, "I-I will stay in this mansion for three days, Mdy. Uhm... t- thank you very much for your generosity..."


    "I should thank you instead," Aria grinned. "You''ve made my dreame true, Meredith. Now, why don''t we start our friendship with a ss of wine? I''m sure you''ve never tasted an expensive wine before, right?"


    "I-I never drink w-wine, Mdy. T-the only alcohol I ever drink is b-beer..."


    "That''s perfect! This will be a new experience for you!" Aria sprung up from her bed and then poured the wine by herself. She made sure that she poured the drink with antidote from Lady Jade, and then handed it to Meredith. "Drink this. For our new friendship!"


    Meredith stared at the wine and drank it slowly.


    Little did she know, the wine had just saved her life... temporarily.


    *


    The banquet ended before dusk, and everyone left the mansion with full stomachs. They thanked Baroness Anastasia and Lady Aria as the hosts.


    The children were even happier because they were allowed to take as many candies and cookies as they wanted. So many of them went home with a handful of sweets.


    Anastasia felt aplished and joyful as this was the first time she ever hosted a banquet for a good cause.


    She stared at the back of the children who rushed to their parents and muttered, "It would be nice if you could get married soon, Aria."


    "Me too, Mom. I want to get married soon..." Aria turned her head towards her mother and her smile deepened. "With Gale, the Beast King, of course."


    Anastasia gulped as she felt that her daughter''s obsession over Gale Stormfront was getting worse, "Aria, maybe it''s time to let him go and move on. I know he is handsome and very strong, but he''s obviously in love with Swan, and there''s no point in trying to make him cheat."


    Aria knew her oh-so-kind mother would say something like that, and she had prepared the right answer "I''m not a weakling like you, Mom My goal is not just to be the Queen of one small kingdom. I will be his only wife, and since he is so strong, we could conquer the world together. Swan is an idiot for not using his overwhelming power to be the Queen of the World."


    "Aria..."


    "Oh, and before you try to give me your nonsensical peaceful talk again. will tell you that I don''t n to back down. I WILL win against Swan in the end, no matter how many sacrifices I have to make."


    Aria turned around and left her mother who could only gaze at her back.


    ''This is my fault,'' Anastasia med herself. ''I shouldn''t have taught her about cruelty, and shouldn''t have ignored all the horrible things she did to Swan back then.''


    **


    Three days had passed, and there was a strange outbreak in the vige.


    Everyone began to feel sick, and they got dysentery. The vige elders thought that their drinking well had been contaminated, but after they investigated, the water inside the well was still clean.


    On the second day, the dysentery was getting worse, and almost a quarter of the vigers already died from dehydration.


    On the third day, half of the poption was already dying or dead, and some of them couldn''t even eat or drink because they began vomiting their literal guts out.


    Some of the surviving vigers finally couldn''t hold it anymore and went to the Baroness'' mansion, asking for help.

 Chapter 242: Meredith

    Chapter 242: Chapter 242: Meredith


    Meanwhile, Anastasia was also facing the same dire situation.


    She didn''t get dysentery, but all the servants got it, and two of them already died with their guts hanging out of their anus and mouth. It was so gruesome that she had them buried in the backyard.


    She quickly sent all of the servants with her carriage to find the doctor in the bigger city, which would take about five hours by horse carriage.


    Thus, when one of the vigers came to her door and begged her, "Baroness, please save my son! He can barely drink water right now. Please bring him to the next city with a horse carriage! I will trade my life for him!"


    Anastasia saw the weak and pale boy in the man''s arms, and her heart ached as she was powerless to do so, "I''m so sorry. But I''ve already sent the carriage to the city for the servants. There is nobody in this mansion except my daughter and I."


    A sickly olddy came forward. She was so fragile that Anastasia thought she could just drop dead anytime soon. But she still mustered her strength to ask, "H- how about my daughter, Baroness? Her name is Meredith. She''s currently living in the mansion because Lady Aria wants to be her friend!"


    "Ah, Meredith?" Anastasia tried to remember the girl Aria wanted to be friends with. It was rather strange that Aria wanted to make friends with a peasant, but Anastasia was d because she thought Aria could learn one thing or two about humility. "Thest time I saw her was two days ago, but I was so busy in the mansion that I hadn''t checked on her. Let me ask my daughter first. I''m sure your daughter is safe right now... I hope."


    As Anastasia turned around, a young redhead walked out of Aria''s room and smiled at them, "No need to search for me, Baroness. I''m here, healthy as I can be."


    Meredith stood right next to Anastasia and smiled at her mother. But her smile didn''t reach her eyes, as it seemed that Meredith was looking down on her, "And you don''t need toe here anymore, Mom. I''m doing well, and will stay in this mansion forever."


    "W-what are you saying, Meredith? Your brother is dying! He said he wants to see you and misses you so much! Juste with me, okay? We don''t know how long your brother can survive..." the olddy tried to grab Meredith''s hand, but thetter quickly brushed it off and scowled at her mother;


    "Ugh, get your filthy hands off me!" Meredith yelled, and her mother was stunned.


    "M-Meredith, w-what is wrong with you?! I''m your mother!" The old woman tried to grab her daughter''s hand again, but Meredith pushed her until her mother fell to the ground.


    "I told you, I am not going back. I don''t care about my goddamned brother. He is going to die anyway," Meredith spat. "Why should I leave this mansion? Lady Aria treats me very well, and Ick nothing."


    Meredith''s mother was lying on the ground, the push seemed to have taken almost all of her life entirely as she could only murmur her daughter''s name, "Me... re... dith..."


    Meredith rolled her eyes and turned around, leaving everyone, including Anastasia who was speechless about her sudden change. The vigers were angry at Meredith, who was once such a kind and hard-working girl. But they didn''t have time to make a scene in the Baroness'' mansion, as they continued begging her to find a way to save their children. freewebnovel


    Meredith returned to Aria''s room, and Aria chuckled as she had been witnessing everything from the window, "Good job, Meredith... or should I say, Lady Jade."


    Lady Jadeughed out loud, "You should see her mother''s expression. She looks so heartbroken, probably dying right now because her beautiful, kind and hard- working daughter suddenly turns into a mean bitch."


    Aria raised her brow when she could feel the soul of Meredith''s mother entering her floating Necronomicon. She was currently harvesting the souls of those vigers, and whenever one of them died, their souls would instantly get sucked into her Necronomicon.


    "Wow, Meredith''s mother must be in too much shock, because her soul has just entered my Necronomicon," Ariamented. "And now, her little brother has just passed away. They can finally gather together in the little hell I created inside my book."


    Jade had never felt so alive before, so herugh got even louder until the room was filled with nothing but crazedughter, "Oh, this new body is great! I feel so light, and every inch of my skin is smooth. It''s notas good as my original body at my pr¨ªme, but I can''tin much. Besides, getting the body of a female wolf beastman would be difficult when most of them are in the Kingdom of Beastmen right now."


    "Meredith''s body is a good start either way," Aria said. "I made sure to stab her in


    the back and let her bleed out, so her body is still in perfect condition when I


    moved your soul to her body."


    "How long will it take for this body to rot?" Jade asked.


    Pet


    "Probably two years at most. Meredith is a healthy young woman. Her body won''t rot that fast when your souris still inside her corpse," Aria replied. "Now, why don''t you leave me alone and do something more useful? Create more potions or something. I need to focus because I need to use all these souls to


    re-learn all of the witchcraft that I''ve lost."


    Jade still didn''t know what caused Aria to lose her witchcraft. Aria never wanted to


    tell her. She could only bury her curiosity and shrugged, "Just tell me if you need


    help. You know I''m the best at making poison and potions."


    Jade went to the door as she intended to leave.


    However, she soon lost her bnce when the door was mmed open until it hit her face.


    "Aria! What is happening here?!" Anastasia yelled at her daughter who was sitting on her bed leisurely. "Everyone in the vige is dying! What did you do to them?!"

 Chapter 243: A Disappointed Mother

    Chapter 243: Chapter 243: A Disappointed Mother


    Aria raised her brow provocatively, "What did I do? I don''t know, you tell me. Maybe those vigers are so hungry that they start eating poisoned herbs in the forest. Or maybe they are just a bunch of idiots who identally drink a well full of feces, that''s why they get dysentery. They are peasants after all. They are dumb and meant to be harvested."


    "You know well that''s not what happened!" Anastasia raised her voice to her daughter. She didn''t want to yell at Aria, but she knew her daughter must''ve done something to those innocent vigers. "I know that it''s YOU who killed them, Aria!"


    "And how''d you know?"


    "Because of that damned floating book next to you!"


    "Oh, well, darn. I''ve been caught," Aria chuckled. "Yes. I poisoned them. Do you know the chicken soup that I''ve prepared for the banquet? I poured a lot of poison into it, and it will take effect after three days. The poison was made with the help of a poison master of course."


    Aria pointed at Jade, who was still rubbing her hurting nose after getting mmed with the door, "That woman is not actually Meredith. I put the soul of someone you know inside her. She is the one who has been helping me with the poison."


    Anastasia turned her head towards Meredith in disbelief and asked, "Y-you, who are you?"


    "Isn''t it obvious? The infamous poison master and herbologist, Lady Jade Stormfront," Jade introduced herself as she stood up. She patted her dress and added, "I should say, Lady Anastasia, your daughter has a talent. She is smart, ruthless, and an actual witch. I would be a very proud mother if I were you."


    Anastasia was too speechless to even stutter right now. She kept staring at Jade inside Meredith''s body until she muttered, "You. You are the one who poisoned my daughter''s mind!"


    Anastasia lunged towards Jade and started attacking her by trying to w her face and pull her hair.


    "Aw! Ouch! Urgh, let go, you crazy bitch! I didn''t do anything to your daughter! It was all her ideas!" Jade yelled as she tried to resist the attack. "If you don''t believe me, ask her! Who ns the entire thing!"


    "Yes, it was all my idea, Mom."


    Only then did Anastasia stop attacking Jade. She turned her head towards her daughter. Tears welled up in her eyes as her heart ached.


    She knew betrayal was just one game that most royals yed, but to be betrayed by your own blood made it ten times worse.


    "I thought we had it good here, Aria. We have everything we need, and we will be in peace forever..." Anastasia murmured. "Why do you have to ruin everything?" "Because this is not the life I want," Aria stated coldly. "You and your little pathetic life in this pathetic mansion in whatever mountain is not what I want, Mom. I want to be Gale''s wife! I want to be Queen and I want to have all the glory in this world for myself while Swan deserves to suffer!"


    "Swan. Swan Swan! Why do you keep thinking about Swan? That woman is already out of your league! You know you have no chance against her!" Anastasia yelled. Just let your grudge go, Aria. This is not worth it. Gale is not worth it, and none of it matters in the end, because we both know that you will NEVER beat Swan!"


    "SHUT UP, MOM!" Aria cast a spell towards her mother, and Anastasia became mute instantly. "I don''t care whatever you say about me. I WILL get what I want, no matter the amount of sacrifices I have to make!"


    Aria used her finger to control Jade and her mother''s bodies with invisible hands and kicked them out of her room, "Don''t disturb me. ¡ý have to meet with the Great Witch in my dream! I need to somehow win against Swan!"


    Anastasia could only stare at her daughter in disappointment. Just when she thought that Aria finally had a change of heart, Aria showed her true color and destroyed all Anastasia''s hopes.


    Jadebed her red hair with her fingers and asked, "Why are you against her anyway? Your daughter is the perfect ruthless woman. She would''ve made a fine queen."


    Anastasia didn''t even have the energy to refute Jade''s words.


    Even if she could speak right now, she still had no way to refute what Jade said.


    What Jade said was true. Aria had be what Anastasia wanted when she was still a queen.


    She wanted her daughter to be wilful, smart, cunning, and ruthless. She wanted her to know that everything and everyone was just a pawn as long as she could get what she wanted.


    The previous Anastasia would''ve been very proud of her daughter, but not now...


    ''I have turned my daughter into a monster...''


    **


    Aria might act cold in front of her mother, but she was actually really upset by her words just now. Aria has never changed since she was young. She had always been ruthless, cunning, and full of ideas.


    "I don''t understand you, Mom. You should''ve been happy to have a daughter like me. Why did you change? Why can''t you just be the same mother I''ve known since I was young?"


    Unfortunately, not even Aria knew what to do with her mother. She knew that she''d sacrifice Anastasia eventually. She just disliked how her mother didn''t worship the ground she walked in like before.


    In the end, Aria simplyid on her bed, hugging Necronomicon, her true friend, wishing to meet the Great Witch, Madam Harsetti in her dream.


    ''I am all alone now. Nobody truly liked me when I was a princess, and now even my mother doesn''t like me anymore,'' Aria told herself as she clutched her witchcraft book harder. ''Please, Necronomicon, show me the way to be the ultimate witch, so everyone in this world will bow down to my rule, and they will understand how great I am!''

 Chapter 244: Madam Harsetti’s Second Gift

    Chapter 244: Chapter 244: Madam Harsetti''s Second Gift


    It took Aria a while to fall asleep. She tossed and turned as she felt restless for the whole night. After all, she had harvested a total of 167 souls after the dysentery outbreak in the vige. ording to Necronomicon, that should be more than enough to grant her an audience with Madam Harsetti.


    ''But what if Madam Harsetti refused to meet me because I''ve failed her regarding the Saintess?''


    The fear of being abandoned by the Great Witch gnawed inside Aria''s heart.


    Thus, she prayed to the Great Witch in her heart, ''Madam Harsetti, please ept me back. There is a burning vengeance inside my heart, and I will not rest until I get what I want! I will trade my soul-everything I have as long as I can be a witch once more!''


    *


    Aria fell asleep after her prayer, and it didn''t take long for her to hear someone with a sarcastic voice calling her name.


    "Open your eyes, little girl."


    Aria opened her eyes slowly, and tears quickly welled at the corner of her eyes as she was really d that Madam Harsetti answered her prayer.


    "Why are you crying?"


    "I-I just thought that you wouldn''t ept me back because I lost my witchcraft to the Saintess..." Aria muttered.


    Madam Harsetti chuckled, "Why should I me you for something you can''t control? I told you before, you can defeat anyone in this world except the Goddess and her incarnation, and that includes the Saintess. You''re simply outmatched."


    Aria could hear her heart shattering into pieces right now. She had been doing everything she could as long as she could win in the end, so Madam Harsetti''s words were like a reality check.


    Madam Harsetti grinned seeing the hopelessness in Aria''s face. She knew Aria must''ve been heartbroken, but even Madam Harsetti knew not to poke the bear.


    freewebnovel


    "I told you before, I am the shadow of the Sun Goddess, Asmara. No matter how strong I can be, I am still nothingpared to her," Madam Harsetti said before adding, "I can restore your witchcraft ability. I am not going to leave you empty- handed after sacrificing so many innocent lives."


    "M-Madam, please help me to defeat her-" Aria begged. "I can''t let that crippled bitch win! The Beast King is meant to be my husband!"


    "I suggest you not y with fire, little girl, just like the cursed wolf who is immune


    to any dark spell. The Saintess cannot be harmed with mere spells as well, no matter how strong it is," Madam Harsetti replied. "It is thew of heaven."


    "I don''t care about thew of heaven! I just want to defeat Swan!" Aria insisted. "That crippled bitch... she is currently having a blissful married life with the cursed wolf. How am I supposed to have a good sleep knowing that my archnemesis gets to have everything I ever wished for?!"


    "Oh? The cursed wolf and the Saintess are married? Now that''s quite an interesting twist," Madam Harsetti chuckled. "Well then, I suppose I can give you something else as a reward for your hard work."


    Madam Harsetti opened her palm, and a dark pink glow appeared before it slowly materialized into a ne with a pink heart pendant.


    She dropped it right in front of Aria, and thetter quickly picked it up and clutched it.


    "Do you still remember the ne I gave you before?" Madam Harsetti asked, and Aria nodded. "That ne was indeed the representation of seven deadly sins. It represents envy because I can tell you are deeply envious towards that woman."


    "I-I''m sorry, Madam. But that ne has been destroyed by the Saintess..."


    "I know. It''s no big deal," Madam


    Harsetti shrugged. "That pink ne in your hand represents ejn lust. If you activate its power, it will make anyone-be it a man or woman-fall in love with you


    ve


    immediately. They will lust over your body and will lose their minds if they cannot be by your side forever."


    Aria''s eyes lit up, "Then, can I use it to Gale-"


    "No," Madam Harsetti replied firmly. "The cursed wolf is immune to its effect... to a certain extent. You to a c


    cannot make him fall in love with et


    you, but maybe you can find a


    around this limitation. I know you are a girl with an amazing willpower. I''m sure you can use that pink ne to arouse him or make him doubt his love for the Saintess."


    Aria stared at the pink pendant and began brainstorming on how to use this to seduce Gale, or at least weaken Gale and Swan''s rtionship.


    "I''ve fully restored your ability to do witchcraft as well," Madam Harsetti added. "I think this is a goodbye for now. I will watch how you use that lust pendant, and I''m eager to see your growth."


    "W-wait, Madam! I have one more question."


    "And what would that be?"


    "I-I wonder what I should do to be the Ultimate Witch? I''ve been sacrificing a


    lot of people, but it doesn''t seem to be enough."


    Madam Harsetti chuckled, "I''ve told


    you before. All you need is to


    sacrifice Someone you love and love you back. I see that you have a mother who loves you as her daughter. You can sacrifice her in cold blood and make her feel ultimate despair. If there is a sliver of love in your heart for her, you''d also experience despair, and I will physically appear in your world, bestowing you with the knowledge of an Ultimate Witch. It will grant you


    an immeasurable amount of


    magical talent. You can defeat


    anyone in this world at ease."


    "Including the Saintess?"


    "That depends on how you use the power of an Ultimate Witch," Madam Harsetti smiled mysteriously. "Kill your mother, and experience a sadness that you''ve never felt before. Despair, jealousy, wrath, and greed are the few reasons an Ultimate Witch can be born."


    With that, Madam Harsetti tapped her cane once, and Aria woke up from her dream.

 Chapter 245: Sneaky Bunny

    Chapter 245: Chapter 245: Sneaky Bunny


    Aria stared at the rusty ceiling for a while before she clutched the ne with a pink pendant on her chest. She had an ear-to-ear grin as she felt ecstatic at her newfound chance to ruin Swan''s life, just like how Swan ruined hers.


    She lifted the ne and stared at the pink pendant, "Lust pendant, huh? This might be the perfect pendant to destroy their marriage. I already know what I should do with it."


    **


    Three days had passed ever since Gale found out about the possibility of his wife being pregnant, and it made him ten times even more protective than usual.


    Usually, Gale would mark their bedroom and the surroundings, so whenever there was an unknown intruder, he''d know immediately and could spring up to action.


    Nowadays, on top of marking their surroundings as their love den, Gale also stayed inside their room, sticking to her side and fiercely protecting her even from a passing fly.


    Swan felt a bit suffocated by his overprotectiveness. It was so bad that she wanted to persuade him to do something else outside.


    "Husband, don''t you have something else to do today? Um... how about the kingdom matters? Maybe you need to handle some business in the throne room."


    "I told ze to bring all the important matters I need to handle to our room so we can listen to it together, and do the decision-making together," Gale replied nonchntly, as if he had prepared the answer beforehand.


    "T-then, how about the soldiers? Maybe you need to observe their training to see if they are training well enough."


    "I mean..." Gale opened the window and pointed at the soldiers on the training ground. "With my enhanced vision, I can always watch over them from our room. Why are you trying to kick me out, Sweetheart? Do you not like spending time with me?"


    "N-no, it''s not like that... it''s just..." Swan bit her lower lip. She was curious about Rock''s letter, which was still in Long Xiurong''s room. On top of that, she simply wanted to have some time alone. "I want to have a tea time with Lady Long. You know... she is my only friend in this castle..."


    Gale chuckled, "If that''s all you want, then let me summon her. We can have a tea time together."


    Swan gulped as it seemed that Gale had no intention to leave. She decided to y along and said, "T-then, let''s just invite Long Xiurong to have tea time. It has been a while since I saw her."


    *


    Long Xiurong was sitting in her room. She was bored, because Queen Swan hadn''t invited her for a tea time in a while, and she had nothing else to do.


    She could go out and tour around the city, but she found it pointless when she''d have nobody to apany her.


    ''And it''s so darn cold. It''s almost spring, but why is it still so cold?'' Long Xiurongined inwardly as she closed the window.


    She nced at the drawer where she kept Rock''s letter. Truthfully, she was curious about the content of the letter but knew it would be very impolite to peek, so she decided to wait and read it with Queen Swan instead.


    As she rested her chin on the table, the door was knocked, and her attendant


    walked in, "Mdy, Her Majesty invites you toe to her room for tea time."


    Long Xiurong''s eyes widened. She stood up immediately and said, "I''ll be ready in ten minutes."


    "Uhm, Mdy, Queen Swan also specifically told me that the tea time will be attended with His Majesty as well."


    Long Xiurong''s bright eyes dimmed instantly. She knew that Gale had been extremely protective over Swan after hearing that she might be pregnant, but she didn''t expect him to be so sticky to the point that he didn''t even let them have a private tea time.


    I guess that means I don''t have to bring the letter or Rock''s keepsake. The Beast King would''ve detected Rock''s presence from the scent immediately,'' Long Xiurong thought as she nodded and left her room with her attendant.


    The castle was so safe that the attendant didn''t bother to lock the door, nor did


    Long Xiurong was bothered enough to tell the attendant to do so.


    What kind of thief would be daring enough to enter the Beast King''s castle when it


    was fully guarded by a bunch of ferocious beastmen guards?


    Unfortunately, both Long Xiurong and her attendant forgot about one bunny beastman who had been punished by Queen Swan. She was forced to be mute and waspletely ignored.


    She was free to roam the castle ground or even the castle in the morning, but everyone simply treated her like a ghost.


    Alice looked around her surroundings to ensure nobody was looking as she sneaked inside Long Xiurong''s room.


    She had been observing Lady Long for a while, waiting for her to leave, so she could finally enter her room and search for the important evidence she needed.


    Vel


    "Now, where did that bitch put the stuff she has with that bastard traitor?" Alice muttered as she looked around the ordinary bedroom. She had been Long Xiurong''s attendant for a long time and she knew that eastern bitch''s habit, such as the ces where she stored her powder, oils, et cetera.


    Alice began opening a few drawers. She knew those two traitorous lovebirds


    must''ve kept something, a keepsake or a love letter.


    As she continued opening one drawer after another, she opened the study desk drawer, and a wide grin appeared on her face.


    It was a gray mammoth tusk ne, and also a letter that was clearly not written by Long Xiurong.


    Alice couldn''t read, but she knew Long Xiurong wrote in apletely differentnguage from her Eastern Long Dynasty side. She could at least tell that much. "This must be that traitorous bastard''s letter, huh?" Alice chuckled mirthlessly. "Oh, Lady Long, I wonder what will happen if I show this to His Majesty. Will he kill you like he killed Lady Jade before?"

 Chapter 246: Lovely Bickering

    Chapter 246: Chapter 246: Lovely Bickering


    Long Xiurong asked her attendant to knock on Queen Swan and the Beast King''s door and entered after she was allowed to.


    She was a bit nervous as she never had any meaningful conversation with the Beast King except when she offered her body once, and also during the celebration banquet.


    Just as she expected, the moment she entered the room, she could feel the Beast King''s re on her.


    He was blindfolded as always, but his stern expression gave off the feeling that he was watching her every move, like a vignt wolf ready to kill in case his mate got hurt.


    Contrary to his hostile atmosphere, Queen Swan smiled sweetly as she greeted Long Xiurong, "It''s been a while, Lady Long. Please sit down, I want to catch up with you."


    "T-thank you for inviting me, Your Majesty," Long Xiurong responded as she sat on the seat directly facing the Beast King and his mate. Judging from how displeased Gale looked, it seemed that Gale didn''t want to have this tea time, but Queen Swan insisted on it. Long Xiurong couldn''t help but add meekly, "l-if my presence is not necessary, then I can leave. We can reschedule this tea time, Your Majesty."


    Swan elbowed her husband''s stomach and scolded him, "Don''t make that face in front of her. She will think that you''re unhappy!"


    Gale scoffed, "She''s not wrong. Why can''t we just stay in our bedroom together until you give birth? It''s safer that way. I hate to see someone else in our den right now."


    Swan sighed, "We still need to wait for Matoa toe and check if I''m pregnant." "You are pregnant. I can feel it," Gale insisted, and Swan giggled in response; "And how do you ''feel'' it? You''re not the one pregnant!"


    "I can detect the scent of our cub," Gale stated as he sniffed her nape. "Yes, it''s very faint, but I can smell him inside your womb."


    "Really?" Swan was interested. "Then, does it already have a gender? Humans and beastmen have different ways to breed, so maybe..."


    Gale smiled mysteriously, "It''s a secret. But yes, our cub already has a gender."


    Swan had been trying her best to suppress her expectations about her pregnancy, but Gale''s words were like a key that opened a world of wonder for her, as Swan couldn''t help but imagine her baby.


    "T-then, we need to get Matoa in here as soon as possible! I want to make sure that I''m truly pregnant!" Swan eximed excitedly.


    The smile on Gale''s lips slowly dissipated as he replied, "I will make sure they will bring him here. Matoa is difficult to find, as he likes to travel around the continent. My scouts are working hard to track him down as we speak."


    "For now, I will continue to stay by your side. It''s natural for a werewolf to protect his mate and offspring, especially when she is pregnant, you know?" Gale added.


    "D-don''t you need to hunt or something to get us food?"


    "We have hundreds of servants in the castle to bring us food. Unless... do you crave game meat? I will hunt a moose or something and give it to you if you want."


    Swan knew that a pregnant woman would have cravings, but it might be too early for her to have one, because other than the frequent morning sickness and aversion to some heavily spiced food, she didn''t feel like eating a certain food.


    Thus, she shook her head and said, "I''ll tell you when I have one."


    "I''m sure you''ll have cravings. I remember myte mother told me that she craved certain bird meat when she was pregnant with me,


    Gale recalled the funny story


    when his pack was still alive and thriving. "She craved birds of prey; hawk, eagle, falcon, vultures. Myte father and the rest of the pack would be busy trying to catch those flying nuisances whenever my mother craved it."


    Swan giggled, "Then maybe I''d have cravings for simr things. You have to start hunting for those flying animals."


    "Should I learn how to use a bow like humans then?" Gale chuckled as he found it quite funny.


    Long Xiurong watched how


    harmonious Swan and Gale''s rtionship was. They seemed to


    have apletely different


    personality from the way theyl


    handled problems and


    ''Will there be a moment for me and Rock to have this kind of conversation?'' Long Xiurong pondered. ''I want to sit next to the firece, caressing my pregnant belly while Rock is protecting me, just like what the Beast King was doing right now.''


    "Lady Long? Are you alright?"


    "Oh¡ª" Long Xiurong snapped out of her daze. "S-sorry, Your Majesty. I spaced out because I kept thinking about my future."


    "Your future?"


    "Yes, I''m just wondering if I can be like you," Long Xiurong said. "With a man that loves me, sitting next to the firece, and bickering around."


    "Oh, I''m sure you will. After all, you have-" Swan stopped her speech immediately when she realized she was about to spill Long Xiurong and Rock''s rtionship.


    "Have what? Have you already found the right man to marry?" Gale asked Long Xiurong directly. "Tell me who he is when you do. I will prepare a celebration for you since you''re my wife''s best friend."


    "I-I''m not ready to get married. At least not yet, Long Xiurong lied. Truthfully, had she and Rock met in a different circumstance, she would want to get married as soon as possible. "Thank you for the offer, Your Majesty. I will tell you once I am ready."


    Swan was relieved that Gale didn''t suspect a thing. He was probably in such a great mood that he didn''t pay too much attention.


    "Well then, why don''t we start our tea time? I''ve prepared all the assorted snacks for you since I know you love them so much," Swan winked and added, "You can also take some of them to your room. Who knows you might want to eat them at night."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 247: Damning Evidence (I)

    Chapter 247: Chapter 247: Damning Evidence (1)


    Alice quickly sneaked out of Long Xiurong''s room after taking the gray mammoth tusk and the damning letter from Rock Silverfang. She pocketed them and walked around the castle ground as if she hadn''t done anything.


    ''Now, I need to find a way to tell His Majesty about the three traitors,'' Alice thought as she walked past the throne room. She knew that His Majesty had been staying inside his room with that crippled bitch for three days, and no dire matters would be enough to get him out of his bedroom. freewebnovel


    Alice couldn''t just walk into the King''s bedroom, nor could she ask Myra and Maya to tell him something, because she was currently treated like a ghost.


    ''Then, I need to find a way to lure him out,'' Alice wrung her brain to look for a solution but found no answer to her problem. She clicked her tongue and muttered, "Oh well, I guess there is no other way but to do it in the most primitive way possible. As long as it works, I guess."


    Alice was in a great mood. She imagined what would happen once the Beast King found out about this damning evidence.


    "I will execute the n right now. Let''s see what you will do next, you traitors. Hahaha," Alice couldn''t help but snicker as she imagined three heads; Long Xiurong, Rock, and Swan on three stakes in the middle of the city square, just like what happened to Lady Jade.


    She would be the first one to spit on all of their corpses.


    ''Maybe His Majesty will be thankful since I''ve uncovered the scheme against him. Maybe he will promote me as his new personal attendant, or at least a head servant! Oh, I can''t wait to punish those people who dare to ignore me right now!''


    **


    Long Xiurong returned to her room after having lunch together with the Beast King and Queen. She was nervous at first because of the Beast King''s presence, but gradually found herself in a good mood as she witnessed the two lovebirds in their nest.


    It was proof that even a tough wolf beastman like Gale could be very affectionate to his beloved.


    ''Does that mean Rock would be just as loving the Beast King, or maybe more? He''s not as cold as the Beast King, so I assume he will be ten times sweeter!'' Long Xiurong giggled as she imagined Rock acting even sweeter than usual. ''I can''t wait for him to visit again. I want to see him.''


    Long Xiurong still remembered how Rock told her that it would take him a month to prepare for everything, so she could leave the castle and they could start a life somewhere else. The thought excited her but also made her a bit nervous as she wondered how Rock would bring her out of there without making it look like a kidnapping.


    "Rock Silverfang..." Long Xiurong muttered as she pulled the drawer to find the gray mammoth tusk, a keepsake she often held dearly in her hand whenever she missed that handsome young wolf.


    Her smile vanished when she found out that the gray mammoth tusk and the letter were not in it.


    "W-where are they?" Long Xiurong asked herself as she pulled another drawer. She began panicking as she couldn''t find them anywhere. "I-I remember I put them in here! Where are they?!"


    Long Xiurong turned her room upside down to find the gray mammoth tusk and Rock''s letter, but both things had disappeared without a trace.


    Long Xiurong paled instantly, as she realized the severity of the situation, "Did someone find out about Rock and I?"


    **


    The night was still too cold even though spring was near, and as usual, Swan was wrapped in a nket while Gale was hugging her from behind.


    Swan was still weak to cold, especially around her deformed leg as it would ache badly when the temperature dropped.


    "Are you alright, Sweetheart? Do you need me to hug you tighter?" Gale asked. Usually, he wouldn''t ask for permission, but since Swan was pregnant, he didn''t want to


    overne


    identally hurt their cub, since he


    often forgot how strong he was. C¨®ntent


    "No need. My body is fine, husband. It''s just my feet that''s a bit too cold. It''s painful," Swan muttered as she endured the pain. "I''ll be fine by dawn." Gale sighed.


    He felt pathetic because he was powerless in this situation.


    He wanted to heal his wife''s feet, but it was impossible. When someone like Matoa said that it was impossible to do, there was only so much he could do.


    Gale sat on the bed and gently covered Swan''s deformed feet with his hands, so


    he could share his naturally warm body heat with her.


    He gently massaged her feet and said, "I''m sorry, wife." "For what?"


    "For my inability to cure your legs," Gale replied. "I promised, but I failed..."


    Swan smiled at her husband, "I''ve lived through many winters with these feet. I will do just fine. In fact, I feel so much better now because you are by my side." That didn''t make him feel better. He felt the opposite instead. He didn''t want to let his wife suffer for too long.


    "Let''s go to the Sacred Selene Lake in summer, alright? The weather will be fine and you won''t feel hurt while traveling for a long time," Gale said. "Or can bring you inte spring. It should be warm enough for you."


    "I would be happy to go," Swan replied as she endured the pain in her leg. "But you don''t need to think too much about my leg. We can always go when you have more free time."


    Gale knew his wife wasn''t the type to make a ruckus or demand unnecessary things, but he still wanted to give her a perfect life.


    am


    "You don''t know how blessed I to have you, Swan. I promise to give you a perfect and prosperous life. As long as you''re loyal to me, then I will never leave you alone," Gale vowed.


    Swan''s body stiffened for a second before she resumed her lie, "I am loyal to you,


    husband. I truly am..."

 Chapter 248: Damning Evidence (II)

    Chapter 248: Chapter 248: Damning Evidence (II)


    Honestly, Swan was unsure whether she was loyal or traitorous. Although she never intended to harm her husband through many of her lies, she still lied nheless.


    ''What would you do if you knew I''ve been hiding so many secrets from you, husband? Would you forgive me, or would you get so angry that you could kill me?''


    That question popped up in Swan''s head from time to time. She had no answer, but she still wished Gale could forgive her when the truth was revealed. ''I don''t think I can keep the lie for too long. He will eventually find out about Rock Silverfang and my power as well...''


    ''Oh, Goddess, can you allow this lie to continue for a bit more? I want my baby to be born safe and sound before everything crumbles down,'' Swan prayed in her heart. Though, this time, she didn''t even believe her own words. She knew that no Goddess would prolong a sin, especially the onemitted by the Saintess herself.


    As they were enjoying their time together, there was a sudden shriek from under the tower where their bedroom was located. Gale lifted his head instantly.


    He frowned as he tried to detect who was around in his marked area, and found that it was only one beastman, probably a servant.


    He clicked his tongue, "What is she doing making a ruckus in the middle of the night? She should''ve known that I already marked this area."


    Gale was about to ignore the shriek, until that beastman screamed again, this time while mentioning a name that was impossible for Gale to ignore.


    "AHHH! HELP! ROCK SILVERFANG IS HERE!"


    Gale jumped from the bed in a split second, and Swan panicked as she realized that something was off. She sat on the bed and looked at Gale, "H-Husband, it''s probably just nonsense. You don''t need to go down. Just let the guards handle it."


    "I can''t just let the guards handle it if it''s really Rock Silverfang. He''s no match against me, but he''s still the strongest out of all the beastmen in this castle," Gale said as he opened the window. "Besides, if it''s truly him, I swear I will be the one to hunt him down and kill him."


    Swan was afraid that Rock might''ve made a mistake on his path to Long Xiurong''s room, so he got discovered by a passing maid. She was desperate to protect Rock no matter what, so she tried to prevent Gale from leaving, "Husband, let''s just rest, alright? It''s veryte..."


    Gale turned his head towards his wife, and with a chilling expression, he said, "I know you''re trying to protect him. That''s why I want to kill him as soon as possible, so you will never think of him anymore."


    "W-wait, Gale! No-!" Swan tried to get up from the bed to stop her husband, but it was toote as Gale had already leaped out of the window and dove to the ground, ready to kill Rock Silverfang at first sight.


    Swan leaned on the bed as she felt chill all around her body. She tried to imagine a scenario where Rock could''ve miraculously escaped until there was a knock on the door. After Swan gave her permission, Long Xiurong''s attendant entered and reported in a hurry, "Your Majesty, Lady Long said that her gift is gone! I-I don''t know what that means, but she said it''s an urgent situation!"


    Swan''s heart skipped a beat as she knew the real message behind it. Her body quickly felt feverish as she realized that her lie would be uncovered soon.


    ''Oh, Goddess, is this the end of my short-lived joy?''


    **


    Gale dove from the highest floor of the tower straight to the ground,nding on his feet and cracking thend beneath. He scanned the area and found the guards were already rushing in his direction, but none of them were fast enough.


    "Your Majesty, it''s Rock! Rock Silverfang!" freewebnovel


    Gale turned his head and saw none other than the bunny maid, whom Swan had punished to be a mute before. He frowned and asked, "When and where did you see him?"


    Alice gulped as she could feel the murderous aura around the Beast King''s body: Her legs felt weak, but she gathered her courage and replied "F-forgive me, Your Majesty. I actually haven''t seen him O anywhere."


    "Then why are you screaming his name?! Do you not realize that I''m busy protecting my mate!?" Gale roared as he thought about how he left Swan for nothing.


    He was ready to kill this bunny for making a false rm, but Alice quickly took out


    the gray mammoth pendant, and the letter written by Rock.


    "I-I''m sorry, Your Majesty! I just want you to see these!"


    Gale''s frown deepened, but he quickly caught the scent that belonged to Rock Silverfang.


    He took a big step towards Alice and grabbed her wrist, "What are these? How did you find them?!"


    "T-they are hidden inside Lady Long Xiurong''s drawer. I saw her having a secret meeting with Rock Silverfang at night. He jumped into her window, and t-they are k-k-kissing and mating!"


    "WHAT?!" Gale tightened his grip on Alice''s wrist until Alice almost fainted due to the pain. She knew her wrist was already bruised right now. "Did you see his face?!"


    "Yes!" Alice nodded vehemently. "I saw his face, so I sneaked into Lady Long''s room at noon to take the gray mammoth tusk given by him, and also a letter written by him!"


    Gale snatched the items from Alice''s hand, and let her go.


    Alice whimpered in pain just as the other guards finally arrived.


    "Y-Your Majesty! We heard a woman scream from this direction just now!"


    "Hm, it''s her," Gale replied calmly, but all the guards knew the murderous aura around their king''s body was too dangerous. "Put her in jail for now, I will call her again once I need her."


    "Yes, Your Majesty!"


    Gale could barely suppress his murderous aura right now as he didn''t want to identally hurt hisz wife and their cub. But he could barely control himself as well, as he imagined that maybe... just maybe... Swan had been secretly meeting with that traitorous bastard when he wasn''t around.

 Chapter 249: I expect my death

    Chapter 249: Chapter 249: I expect my death


    Gale bit his lips as his heart ached so badly he felt like it could explode anytime soon.


    "Don''t do this to me, wife. Do you not remember how many times I told you that I hate traitors the most?" Gale bit his lower lip until it bled to endure the pain in his heart, but it didn''t help at all. The what-if scenario of his wife cheating on him was enough to almost send him into a frenzy and turn him into a true cursed wolf.


    He shook his head, trying to dispel the horrible thoughts about his wife, "No, Swan loves me as much as I love her. There must be some misunderstanding here. She won''t hurt me like this." freewebnovel


    Gale looked up at the window where their love den was. He couldn''t face his wife right now, so he decided to bring the evidence somewhere far and read it all by himself, so he wouldn''t identally harm his beloved even if he was enraged.


    *


    Meanwhile, Swan was feeling restless in her room. She waited for Gale to return to their room, but he never did even after an hour passed.


    Swan finally couldn''t stand it anymore and called the cat maids. She asked them, "Can you find His Majesty and tell him to return? I''m worried about him."


    The cat maids exchanged nces at her request. They also heard the screams, and the guards'' rumors spread fast and wide within an hour in this castle.


    Considering these facts, they replied in unison, "The guards told us that His Majesty had left for the forest in the west right after he told them to imprison Alice, the bunny maid, Princess."


    The bunny maid.


    That sentence was enough to make her feel faint at this point because she knew that Alice must''ve sneaked into Long Xiurong''s room, stole whatever was inside to be used as proof, and gave it to Gale.


    Swan felt stuffy in her chest, but she endured it as she said, "C-call Lady Long, now."


    "Yes, Princess!"


    *


    Long Xiurong entered Swan''s bedroom with puffy eyes and a disheveled dress. She must''ve been crying for a long time and probably understood that her end might be near.


    Swan was clenching the sheet as she tried to suppress the suffocating feeling in her chest and asked Long Xiurong, "Lady Long, about what happened just now¡ª"


    "It was all my fault, Your Majesty,"


    Long Xiurong admitted defeatedly. "I should''ve carried Rock''s letter and veca keepsake all the time. I was scared that His Majesty would find out


    about it when you called me for tea time, so I hid them inside my study desk''s drawer. When I returned to my room after our tea time, the letter and gray mammoth tusk were already gone."


    "It was that bunny maid," Swan said. "She''s the one sneaking into your room at noon."


    Long Xiurong''s heart skipped a beat, and her tears began welling up again,


    "Then, what should we do now, Your Majesty? I-I don''t want to die. I told Rock that


    I wanted to leave this castle and live with him."


    "I will protect you," Swan stated firmly, knowing it wasn''t Long Xiurong''s fault.


    "Your life has been full of misfortune since you left your home country. I still want


    you to have a happy ending with Rock, as I''ve wronged him as well..."


    "But what about you, Your Majesty? Who will protect you?" Long Xiurong asked. She had a crazy idea that had been lingering in her mind since noon.CM-Maybe we should escape together, Your Majesty. I''m sure the cat maids are taking your side. The Beast King isn''t in the castle right now, so we can take this chance to run away as far as we can!"


    Swan curled her lips and replied, "I''ve told him I will never leave him, no matter what. So I will stay. But you... You need to escape, Lady Long. I''ll tell the cat maids to prepare a way out. Run as far as you can."


    "Queen Swan, this is not the time to talk about love!" Long Xiurong yelled desperately. "T-the Beast King will definitely be enraged after he reads the letter. He will k-kill you!"


    "Then so be it Swan replied as she


    turned her head towards the drawer where she put the pearl ne gifted by Gale back then. She rarely wore it because she was afraid of identally losing it, but it was something she truly treasured, as it felt like a wedding gift from her husband. She always wanted to wear it whenever she felt her end was near, just like during the coldest night before. "Maybe it''s time for me to wear that pearl ne again. I can feel my life at the end of my throat already."


    Long Xiurong stared at Queen Swan in disbelief. There was no panic or grievance on thetter''s face, and she didn''t show any reluctance to what would happen next, even though her life was on the line.


    Swan returned her gaze towards Long Xiurong, and smiled, "The Beast King, Gale, is my husband. He is the only reason I am still alive. He is my reason to continue living in this dark world, and if he thinks that he doesn''t want me anymore, then I am as good as dead."


    "D-don''t say that Swan..." Long Xiurong muttered as she even forgot to address Swan properly. "I know that you love him. But this..."


    "Lady Long, I am a cripple," Swan interrupted calmly. "I was never loved and wanted by anyone growing up. There was nobody in my life who ever genuinely loved me. In this harsh world, a useless woman like me will either end up in a brothel or dead."


    "When Gale married me out of the Holy Achate Pce, I was already expecting my death, and I still hold onto that. I still expect my death," Swan said as she gently caressed her belly. "I just wished to be pardoned until I can give birth. This baby is still his, and shouldn''t bear my sins with me."

 Chapter 250: Frozen Lake, Frozen Heart

    Chapter 250: Chapter 250: Frozen Lake, Frozen Heart


    Long Xiurong gazed at Swan''s belly and felt even more guilty, knowing that she might have been the cause of the death of a mother and her baby.


    She was a practical and nonchntdy. Most of the time, she didn''t really care about the well-being of others, as long as she wasn''t hurt or hurting others.


    Someone could even call her selfish, and Long Xiurong would agree.


    But not this time.


    She was fully aware that it was her fault for being careless.


    "Gale might be angry at you, but if I protect you with all my might, he might let you leave the castle without hunting you down. You should run away now, though. We don''t know if Gale might explode in rage and kill anyone on sight before he calms down," Swan suggested. "Though, I doubt that. He was very gentle to me, even during his worst rut on the coldest night."


    "Then how about you? Will you just ept your death? Rock must''ve directly mentioned you many times in that letter!" Long Xiurong insisted. "Swan, please... let''s just run away. I will feel guilty for the rest of my life if I leave you to die here."


    "It is my choice, so you don''t need to feel guilty. We don''t have much time left. Let me call the cat maids first," Swan said.


    Long Xiurong clenched her fists. She knew she had to run and it would be a stupid decision not to, but...


    "I will stay," Long Xiurong stated firmly.


    Swan''s eyes widened, "And why would you do that? We don''t have time to argue, Lady Long."


    "I will stay," Long Xiurong repeated. "I don''t think it''s fair for you to bear all the burden of the sin, especially when I am an active participant."


    "This is not the time to y brave..."


    "I am scared, Your Majesty. But I am not going to run away like a coward while you are trying to protect me," Long Xiurong said. "I will stay, and I will admit my mistake."


    "But your life with Rock..."


    "If I die today, then I guess Rock and I are not meant to be together. I absolutely will NOT leave you alone."


    "You can go back to your room, Lady Long. If you change your mind, you can always tell your attendant to deliver your message to the cat maids. I''ll make sure the cat maids prepare everything for your escape," Swan relented.


    "Thank you, Your Majesty. I bid you goodbye, as this might be ourst meeting," Long Xiurong lowered her head, put her hands in front of her bosom, and bent her knees. She was doing the official greeting for the noble female from the Eastern Long Dynasty. "May the Goddess protect you."


    Swan stared at Long Xiurong as she left the room, and murmured, "May the goddess protect us, Lady Long..."


    **


    Gale went far from the castle, making sure that even if he turned into his true wolf form out of rage, he still wouldn''t hurt his beloved and his future cub.


    He continued rushing through the cold night, going in random directions, and finally ended up in a ce that he hated the most, because this ce was where he was saved from certain death and got cursed by the Moon Goddess herself.


    He was in the Sacred Selene Lake all by himself. He took off his blindfold and


    stared at the frozenke with his cursed gaze that could kill anyone.


    The Sacred Selene Lake had apletely different temperature from the other area because it was constantly under the Moon Goddess'' watch so Gale could only bring Swan to thiske in summer orte spring, or else it would be way too cold for her.


    "Oh? And who do we have here?"


    Gale looked up and saw the white rabbit descending from the moon. The white rabbit seemed to be in a good mood because she kept hopping in the air around Gale.


    "The moon is beautiful tonight, but why are you sad, little wolf?"


    Gale didn''t answer that question immediately, because his chest was still stuffy. It was so difficult to speak when all he wanted to do right


    now was to thrash his area in his


    true wolf form and howl as loud as


    he could to let out the pain stuck in his heart.


    The white rabbit continued circling around Gale until shemented, "Is it about your wife again? Did you two have a fight? I told you already, you need to find that angel, your fated mate!"


    "Shut up, you stupid rabbit. I''m not in the mood to argue with you," Gale said harshly.


    "I see~ So you just fought with her? Why do you need toe here if it''s just a marital quarrel?" the white rabbit continued chattering.


    Gale decided to ignore her, and sat on the ground, leaning on the broken statue directly facing the Moon Goddess'' statue.


    The white rabbitnded on the Moon Goddess'' statue, staring at the cursed wolf who was holding a piece of letter and a tusk pendant.


    "Are those your wife''s?"


    "No," Gale refuted quickly. But that was because he wished Swan had nothing to do with these things. "It was from a traitorous bastard called Rock Silverfang."


    "Oh- is he back?" The white rabbit chuckled. "You''ve been adamant about hunting him down and killing him, but I see no sess so far."


    "I will kill him after reading this letter. I will probably turn into my true wolf form and track him down for days until I can find him," Gale said.


    The white rabbit stopped chuckling as she sensed the seriousness.


    "You are going to make your wife sad. She is a soft-hearted woman. Killing your trusted aide and probably the only person you can call a friend will make her cry."


    Gale scoffed, "I don''t care about what she thinks. She can cry all she wants after I put that bastard''s head on our dining table."

 Chapter 251: To Destroy A Man’s Heart (I)

    Chapter 251: Chapter 251: To Destroy A Man''s Heart (I)


    "You shouldn''t say such violent things in front of her. That sweet little angel has a fragile heart, you know?" The white rabbit said.


    "I didn''t know that a ''sweet little angel'' could hurt her husband''s heart this badly," Gale sneered.


    "And what do you mean by that?"


    " give me the ability to read this letter, Goddess," Gale demanded. "I can''t read. But I need to know what''s inside."


    "Well, I can do that easily. But why do you need it so badly? Can''t you just let someone in your kingdom read it for you?"


    "Because this is a secret love letter," Gale replied curtly. "Now bless me with the ability to read. Right now."


    The white rabbit sighed, before sending a warm blessing from the moonlight, so Gale could read the letter.


    After being given the ability, he opened the letter and read it.


    *Rock''s Letter*


    To my dearest Princess, whom I hold dearly in my heart;


    I feel deeply guilty for not being able to be as strong as His Majesty, but I am also d that you forgive me for my shorings.


    I have been wishing for that fateful day when I can return to the castle and


    resume my position as his Beta, and most importantly, as your knight, Princess. I long for that position because you''ve shown me my true calling, you are the one I need to protect with all my body and soul.


    Princess, I have been thinking about my escape with Lady Long. She is indeed my fated mate, and I am longing to mate with her and build a family as soon as possible.


    If it doesn''t burden you, please help Lady Long and me to reunite, Princess. Please instruct us on what to do, so Lady Long can leave the castle without rousing His Majesty''s suspicion.


    Lastly, if His Majesty ever went on a rampage and hurt you, I wille immediately to save you, as you''ve saved me twice before.


    My love is for Lady Long, but my loyalty will forever be yours, my dearest Princess.


    Sincerely, from your dearest knight


    Rock Silverfang.


    *Rock''s letter end*


    Gale gritted his teeth as he was unable to process the content of this letter. Should he be relieved that his beloved didn''t have an affair with that bastard? Or should he be mad because his beloved still betrayed his trust?


    He wanted to rip the letter but stopped because he wanted to use it as proof in front of Swanter.


    "You''re not going to read out the letter for me?" The white rabbit asked.


    ...


    Gale didn''t answer.


    "Hm~ I''m curious what kind of letter could make you look so heartbroken?" The white rabbit continued taunting him, and Gale snapped immediately.


    "I AM NOT HEARTBROKEN!" Gale red at the white rabbit, but his cursed gaze wouldn''t affect the one who cursed him in the first ce.


    "Oh, dear little wolf. I know you are," the white rabbit said nonchntly. The white rabbit summoned a mirror made out of ice right in front of Gale''s face, so he could see his own expression right now.


    Like the white rabbit said, he looked so pathetically heartbroken and sad, that he quickly punched the ice mirror until it was shattered, to avoid looking at such a disgusting face again.


    However, the more he tried to


    suppress his sadness, the harder it felt to the point that his whole body started shaking. He grunted as his body began to be covered with dark fur ft didn''t take long for him to turn into his bipedal wolf form, twice the size of his human form, and his eyes were glowing red.


    "Grhh! Swan... wife... GRRHHHH!"


    Gale kept calling his wife''s name in between his rage-filled grunts. He released the oppressive aura that could kill anyone around him, and he was close to turning into his giant true wolf form.


    "This isn''t the time to go on a rampage, little wolf. Mindlessly ravaging thend won''t make you feel better about your wife," the


    white rabbit reminded before yo


    sent a moonlight beam from above, which stunned Gale and reverted him to his human form.


    He stared at the white rabbit with a despair-filled gaze, then leaned on the statue once again. freewebnovel


    "Little wolf, what did she do?" The white rabbit asked. "Based on her personality and purity, your little wife wouldn''t have the idea of cheating on you."


    "She didn''t cheat on me," Gale confirmed with his usual gruff voice, but there was still a hint of grief in it. "But she still betrayed my trust."


    "Tell me, Goddess. How am I supposed to live knowing that the only woman I truly love in my painful life has betrayed me?" Gale asked in a low voice. "What is the point of trusting her when she lies to me and sides with my enemy?"


    "I doubt she has a bad intention towards you, little wolf."


    "And how do,


    you know that? Huh?!"


    Gale lifted his head and red at the


    white rabbit once again. "She betrayed me once. Do you think she


    won''t betray me again? Do you think


    she won''t try to kill me when she doesn''t love me anymore?!"


    "She won''t do that," the white rabbit replied firmly, as if it was a cold hard truth that was difficult for Gale to swallow. "Besides, you are invincible and immortal. Killing you is impossible."


    "I don''t need that answer, you stupid rabbit," Gale gritted his teeth until the veins on his neck and temple popped out.


    "Then what answer do you want me to say? Should I let you turn into apletely mindless beast and attack the nearest tribe? Or do you want to kill thousands of humans in the nearby vige? Do you think your wife will like that?"


    "To hell with her! She doesn''t care about me! I gave her all my trust, and she just tossed it to favor a traitorous bastard like Rock Silverfang!"

 Chapter 252: To Destroy A Man’s Heart (II)

    Chapter 252: Chapter 252: To Destroy A Man''s Heart (II)


    The white rabbit sighed, "There is no point in talking to an upset little wolf. Calm yourself here, then you can go back to your wife after you calmed down. Remember, she is gentle and has a soft and self-sacrificing nature, almost like an angel. Screaming at her will only make her feel like dying."


    The white rabbit hopped back to the moon, leaving Gale alone at the frozenke.


    Gale scoffed, "Why do I have to care for her fragile heart when she doesn''t care for mine?"


    **


    "Princess, you need to eat something! You haven''t eaten or drunk since morning!" Myra insisted as she was worried about her fragile Princess.


    "Yes, Princess. Please remember that you might be pregnant right now, remember your baby!" Maya added, and the unresponsive Swan, who had been lying on her bed for more than twenty-four hours since Gale left the castle, finally turned her head.


    Her eyes were red and puffy since she kept crying for the whole night, and all she did was either caressing her belly or ying with the pearl ne on her neck.


    "Has he returned to the castle?" Swan asked weakly.


    Maya and Myra looked at each other and shook their heads in unison.


    "His Majesty might be taking a rest somewhere out there, Princess. Please, at least drink this water and eat a piece of bread. Aren''t you worried about your baby?''


    ...


    Swan had no appetite as her worry far exceeded her hunger. She did feel thirsty, but she still had no strength to drink anything.


    She kept thinking about her husband and worried that he might never return after knowing the truth.


    But when the cat maids mentioned her baby, she finally moved to sit on the bed, before drinking a ss of water and eating a piece of in bread.


    She ate very slowly, and the cat maids simply couldn''t leave her alone as they were worried their beloved Princess would stop eating if they stopped watching over her.


    "It''s been a day since he left. What if he doesn''te home anymore?" Swan muttered as she ate the bread. "What if he decides to just leave because he doesn''t want me anymore?"


    Swan had long epted her fate. Gale must''ve been furious about her betrayal, and she had been wearing the pearl ne in case she would die today. She wanted to wear the most beautiful gift her husband gave her at herst moment.


    Swan didn''t mind dying, but what about their baby?


    If she was truly pregnant, then this baby would die too if he killed her.


    If he decided to just abandon her, then what about this baby?


    Would their baby be born without ever knowing who the father is?


    There were so many bad possibilities spawning in her head, making her excessively paranoid and making her lose her appetite.


    "I''m done," Swan said as she handed the piece of bread to the cat maids.


    "Princess, you''ve only taken two bites! That''s not enough!"


    "Please just eat this one, Princess. We''re begging you!"


    ...


    Swan was unresponsive and she refused to eat, which distressed Myra and Maya


    even more.


    "Put the food on the table and I will feed her."


    Everyone in the room turned their heads simultaneously towards the window and saw the Beast King sitting on the windowsill. Gale had worn his blindfold once again, and his face showed extreme fatigue, even though he couldn''t physically get tired.


    He hopped off from the window and calmly walked towards the bed, but the cat maids knew it was calm before the storm, so they put the food tray on the table before excusing themselves.


    As the cat maids closed the door, Gale and Swan stared at each other for a good


    minute, before he took a te of cheese, bread, and sausage, and sat at the edge of the bed.


    There was nothing but dead silence between them. Gale picked a piece of sausage and fed it to Swan''s mouth.


    Unfortunately, Swan didn''t open her mouth. She kept staring at her husband with


    aplicated gaze, unsure of what to do or say in this situation.


    "Eat," Gale said crudely as he shoved the food on her lips. "You are pregnant. You''ll kill our child if you don''t eat."


    ...


    Swan reluctantly opened her mouth and ate the bread very slowly while staring at


    Gale.


    Gale waited until she finished eating that piece of bread before taking the sausage and said again, "You need to eat this too. Our baby will be a beastman like me, and needs a lot of meat to grow healthy."


    Swan obediently ate the meat, albeit even slower than eating the bread just now.


    Once she was done swallowing the sausage, she asked in a weak and defeated voice, "You''re not going to kill me?"


    ...


    Gale ignored her. He took another piece of bread and shoved it to her lips, but Swan didn''t want to eat anything right now.


    "Eat."


    "Can you wait until our baby is born before you kill me?"


    "I said, eat."


    "I might''ve betrayed you, but our baby is innocent. Please let it live, okay?"


    "We can talk after you eat."


    "I... I don''t know how to defend myself, but Rock and I are¡ª"


    "DAMN IT, SWAN! STOP TALKING!" Gale snapped as his patience was already


    at its limit. He currently had a lot on his mind and was trying his best to hold back


    his rage.


    Yet, Swan kept talking over and over about getting killed, as if she believed he would actually do that to his beloved.


    Gale took a deep breath to suppress his overpowering aura. It was too difficult to hold his rage, even though he had been spending the whole night at the frozenke to calm down.


    Swan went quiet instantly, and lowered her head, "I... I don''t know how to handle this, Gale. I''m so scared since I know you will not listen to my exnation."


    "I don''t need any god-forsaken exnation from you. The letter told me enough of your betrayal," Gale said coldly.

 Chapter 253: To Destroy A Man’s Heart (III)

    Chapter 253: Chapter 253: To Destroy A Man''s Heart (III)


    "Tell me, wife. Why did you lie to me? Why did you choose him over me?" Gale asked. "Did I not show my love enough? Did I not spoil you enough? Did I not give you enoughfort in life?!"


    "I never chose him over you," Swan replied. She was weak, frail, and spoke in a low voice, but her answer was firm as she truly believed what she stated just now. "I never chose him over you. You are my husband, Gale."


    "Then, what is this?" Gale said as he took out the letter and gray mammoth tusk from his pocket. "If you didn''t choose him over me, then why does this letter exist?"


    ...


    "He is my knight and my friend..."


    "A friend? Hah!" Gale couldn''t help but chuckle as it sounded so ridiculous. "And what makes him so special that you choose your traitorous friend over me!?"


    "Gale... I never chose him over you..." Swan repeated. "I just want to talk with my friend, but he is a fugitive, and this is the only way."


    "Why do you need him as a friend? If you need a friend, then I can send as many noblewomen as possible from all kingdoms to the castle and talk with you!"


    Swan clenched her nket. She felt ashamed because she didn''t want to say this, but she had no choice, "I never had a friend growing up, Gale. I have always been alone, and Rock is my very first friend. I can''t let a precious friend go."


    "You are so ridiculous, Swan," Gale sneered. "That bastard was about to rape you in theke before, and you still think of him as a friend?!"


    "He didn''t do it intentionally! It was all because of Jade''s scheme!" Swan finally let the truth out, since Jade was already dead by now. "She poisoned his drink and forced him to go into a rut. If not because of that poison, he wouldn''t dare to touch me, knowing that I am already yours!"


    Gale''s gaze under his blindfold turned colder the more Swan tried to protect Rock.


    "This is stupid, Swan. I don''t even know if you''re lying or not right now because only an idiot would believe the words of a man who was about to rape her back then," Gale said.


    Swan wanted to defend herself but then realized Gale made it too difficult to counter his words.


    After all, even Swan didn''t know why she believed Rock so easily.


    "It''s just what my heart told me. My heart told me that he is telling the truth, and he is a kind man," Swan replied despite her hesitation. "He is also your right-hand man. In this castle, everyone told me that Rock was once your most trusted aide and the only one you can see as a friend. I don''t want you to regret everything after killing him, Gale. Please give him a chance."


    Gale gritted his teeth as he was about to explode, seeing how Swan was still trying to defend that bastard, What a bunch of nonsense. I have always been alone my whole life, was an Alpha that stood alone to protect my pack, and I never see that traitor as a friend!"


    Swan''s heart skipped a beat.


    Her heart told her that Gale was lying and that he truly saw Rock as his friend. That''s why his rage towards Rock''s ''betrayal'' was a hundred times worse.


    There was no pain worse in this world than getting betrayed by the one you trusted the most, and Swan had also betrayed Gale.


    Swan had given up at this point. She had told him everything about Rock, and she already made it clear that she only saw Rock as a friend.


    "I have no more to say, husband," Swan said. "If you want to kill me, then please wait for this baby to be born. But if you really can''t wait to end my life, then please kill me quickly. I''m afraid of pain..."


    "YOU¡ª!" Gale grabbed Swan''s arms and forced her to lift her head and look at him. In this angle, Swan could see veins popping right under his skin. "Why do you keep talking about death?! Do you think I will ever kill my wife?!"


    "You said that you hate traitors the most, and that letter is enough to prove that I am guilty," Swan stated. "You executed Jade for betraying your trust, so I thought you''d execute me too."


    "Yes, I hate traitors the most, and yes, I will execute anyone who dares to betray me," Gale said coldly. As he kept staring at Swan''s innocent face, and eyes gleaming with tears, Ris heart started to soften again and he hated it. He hated how weak he was for this woman. "But you are not just ''anyone'', Swan. You are my beloved, my mate, my Luna, and my wife. You


    are MY Swan. I keep suppressing my aura because I don''t want to harm you, why would I kill my other half?!"


    Again, Swan could sense that Gale wasn''t lying. He was true to his words, even though she still couldn''t believe it.


    It was difficult for her to ept that Gale truly loved her and treasured her so much. Nevertheless, the idea was too tempting for her to pass, so she leaned forward until the tip of their noses touched.


    "Husband, I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to hurt you," Swan muttered what was true in her heart all along. "I love you, and want nothing but the best for you."


    "You don''t know what''s best for me, Swan..." Gale replied. "You don''t understand me at all."


    "I-I do."


    "No, you don''t Even after all the loving moments we have together, even when you are finally pregnant with our baby, you still think of me as a murderous monster who would kill his mate and offspring out of rage," Gale said. "You don''t trust me enough to tell me everything, even though I have nothing to hide."


    "N-no, I¡ª"


    "So I won''t trust you as well, not after what you''ve done."

 Chapter 254: Imprisonment

    Chapter 254: Chapter 254: Imprisonment


    Gale let go of his wife. When Swan tried to reach his arm, he hastily avoided it, making her hand grab air.


    He got up from the bed and took a step back to make sure that Swan couldn''t reach him.


    "I will never kill you, no matter what you''ve done. You are still my beloved, but I cannot let you go unpunished, Swan," Gale said. freewebnovel


    Swan''s heart sank after his statement.


    She was neither the kindest nor the most truthful. She lied, and hid the truth many times, whether it was about Rock or her power as she was scared that Gale would kill her.


    Just like the rest of the humans out there, Swan longed forfort and a beautiful life. She was willing to lie if that meant she could keep her peaceful life with her beloved husband.


    She knew she made a mistake and deserved to get punished for her sin, even if the punishment wasn''t death.


    Gale waited for Swan to say something. He wanted her to beg him to spare her. But most importantly, he wanted Swan to take the initiative and promised she would never try to make contact with Rock Silverfang anymore.


    ''No, that wouldn''t be enough. I want her to help me kill that bastard. That will be the absolute proof of her loyalty.''


    Unfortunately, none of those came out of her mouth.


    Instead, she said apletely different statement which angered Gale even more.


    "Before you punish me, I want to request you to pardon Long Xiurong. She is not a willing party in this situation. It was all my idea to use her as a messenger between Rock and me."


    "This is what I hate about you the most, Swan," Gale responded coldly, and Swan held her breath as she didn''t know what she said wrong this time. Wouldn''t it be better to just put all the me on her and move on?


    "You are defending people who didn''t deserve your sympathy and kindness. You defended that traitorous bastard who almost raped you, you pardoned that bunny maid who worked with Jade, you gave a light punishment for your mother and sister, and now, you are trying to defend a woman who colluded with Rock Silverfang," Gale sneered. "What''s next? Do you want to protect the rest of my enemies too?"


    Swan knew her weakness. She was too soft and too forgiving. Even Long Xiurong and the cat maids pointed out her soft-heartedness.


    She might look more like a pushover, but she found a terrible punishment such as torture or execution too frightening.


    After all, she had been tortured and tormented her whole life, and she wished not to inflict that pain on other people.


    "You don''t need to lie to me. I''ve read the letter from Rock. He admits in the letter that Long Xiurong is his fated mate," Gale scoffed. "Makes me wonder what I should do with his mate. Should I just toss her in the middle of a dangerous jungle to get eaten by wild animals? Or should I just use her as bait so Rock wille to protect her, and then kill


    them both at the same time?"


    Swan''s eyes widened. She panicked as she had promised Long Xiurong to protect her.


    "P-please don''t do that, husband. She is innocent!" Swan defended Long Xiurong fiercely. "She is truly innocent in this situation!"


    "Why do you keep defending her like she''s precious to you? What about me? That woman has betrayed me by allowing Rock Silverfang to enter her room!" Gale yelled back. "Why don''t you defend me, your husband instead?"


    Again, Swan faced a question that she couldn''t answer.


    She also didn''t know why she didn''t take Gale''s side, even though Gale obviously loved her.


    Nevertheless, she decided to follow her heart in the end and replied, "I willpensate for my failure, husband. But please, you shouldn''t hurt someone who''s not going to harm you anymore."


    "Oh, you willpensate anyway, you don''t need to say that," Gale sneered. "Don''t worry about her. I will not kill Long Xiurong, simply because I still need her to lure Rock Silverfang out. But I will imprison her in the dungeon until that bastardes to the castle."


    "And for you, my beloved wife..." Gale turned around towards the door, deliberately avoiding eye contact with Swan. He didn''t dare to look at his wife''s eyes as he passed the judgment, fearing he would soften and forgive her just because he couldn''t bear to see her sad and suffering. "Your punishment will be imprisonment in this room. You''re not allowed to leave this room, nor are you allowed to ept any guest. I will make sure to watch over the maids as well, so no one will dare to collude with you."


    ...


    Surprisingly, Swan didn''t have any exaggerated reaction to his judgment. She went quiet for a while, and asked, "Will you still spend the night with me, husband? The night will be very cold without you..."


    Gale clenched his jaw. He didn''t understand why Swan would say something utterly sweet after he passed such a harsh judgment on her.


    He knew his resolve would weaken if he spent more time with his wife. Of course,


    he nned to share the bed with herter, but he would only do it after he killed


    the worst pest, the traitorous bastard who had been ruining their marriage, Rock Silverfang.


    "Why should I sleep with a woman who has betrayed me?" Gale sneered. He knew it would hurt Swan''s heart, but his selfishness and pettiness made him want to inflict the same heartache he felt.


    Gale finally walked out of the room and mmed the door shut, leaving Swan who was still on the bed. She stared at the door as she muttered sadly "But you told me that I am your beloved wife. How long will you punish me with loneliness, husband? I''ve been lonely my entir¨¦dife. I lied to you because I don''t want to be lonely again."

 Chapter 255: Imprisonment (II)

    Chapter 255: Chapter 255: Imprisonment (II)


    Gale strode through the long corridor towards Long Xiurong''s room with somewhat unsteady steps.


    Of course, anyone who saw the Beast King right now, wouldn''t think there was anything wrong with him. He was still majestic, and intimidating. Even his ''unsteady'' step still looked firm for them.


    Unfortunately, only Gale knew how bad the heartbreak he was currently experiencing. He kept halting his step for one second, before continuing his stride to Long Xiurong''s room.


    He kept hesitating, and his heart was screaming, telling him that he shouldn''t punish his beloved so harshly. He shouldn''t have said what he said to her, and he should''ve just forgiven her for the entire ordeal.


    Yet, his mind and pride told him that he was doing the right thing. If he continued being lenient to Swan, she would take it for granted and think that he was an easy man who wouldn''t care even when he was being betrayed repeatedly.


    ''This is for the best. She needs to understand that I, too, have my limits.''


    Gale kicked the door open and saw Long Xiurong sitting behind the study desk.


    Long Xiurong turned her head and stood up. She politely bowed to the Beast King as if nothing happened, but her next word confirmed her involvement.


    "Your Majesty, I assume that you''ve read the letter that Rock Silverfang wrote," Long Xiurong said as she resigned to her fate. She was scared of death, just like any normal human, but when she imagined Swan protecting her while risking her life and her baby, Long Xiurong realized that she had to be brave even in the face of death.


    "Yes, I''ve read that letter," Gale replied emotionlessly. "And you are just as guilty as that traitorous bastard, Long Xiurong."


    "Yes, I understand, Your Majesty. You can execute me for treason," Long Xiurong replied calmly. "But I have one-no, two requests."


    "And what are those?"


    "First, I want you to hand me back the gray mammoth tusk ne. It was a keepsake given to me by Rock. If you read the letter, then you must''ve known that he is my fated mate. I want to die while holding an item that reminds me of him," Long Xiurong said. "Second, I beg you to please spare Queen Swan and her baby. It was me who allowed Rock Silverfang to enter the castle through my window at first, and I agreed to his request to be the messenger between him and Queen Swan. She knew nothing about him until I came to her with a letter from Rock."


    "You don''t need to beg me to spare my wife. Naturally, I will not harm her," Gale responded curtly. "But I will still give her a harsh punishment, which is imprisonment. She is not allowed to leave her bedroom and is not allowed to ept any guests."


    "As for the gray mammoth tusk..." Gale took out the mammoth tusk ne in his pocket and tossed it to the ground right next to Long Xiurong''s feet. "Take it. I''m sure you''d want to hold it tight before your death."


    Long Xiurong quickly crouched and grabbed the gray mammoth tusk. She clenched it and kept it close to her heart.


    "Thank you, Your Majesty. I am ready to be executed anytime," Long Xiurong said.


    "No, I won''t execute you just yet. You''ll be imprisoned in the dungeon, and I will use you to lure that bastard out, so I can kill you both at the same time," Gale said. "That is the mercy I can give you, to die by your fated mate''s side."


    Long Xiurong knew that neither she nor Rock could deny the Beast King''s judgment. If her death with Rock was imminent, then so be it. At least she could die next to her man.


    "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. I shall wait for the guards to escort me to the dungeon."


    Long Xiurong''s calmness made it difficult for Gale to snap and yell at her. She epted her defeat gracefully, and didn''t show much


    reaction. She only reacte


    Gale tossed the ne, which showed that she and Rock must''ve had a very strong bond despite him being a fugitive.


    Unfortunately, Gale didn''t have a soft heart for anyone else except for his wife. So all he could think of was just, ''This is the mercy kill I can give her. She should''ve been grateful that I won''t humiliate her like I humiliate Jade.''


    Gale left the room and went to the throne room to busy himself as he prepared an ambush against Rock Silverfang. He knew that the bastard would eventually return to the castle to meet with his fated mate.


    He also told the guard to take Long Xiurong into the dungeon and lock her up until he wanted her to be used as bait.


    Long Xiurong didn''t struggle when she was escorted by the guards into the dungeon. She followed the guards through a long and dark path leading to her jail cell. Then, she learned that her cell was directly facing Alice''s cell.


    She saw the bunny maid leaning on the wall while sneering at her, "Look who we have here, the honorable Lady Long Xiurong from the Eastern Long Dynasty. But how could an honorabledy get thrown into this dark and smelly dungeon?"


    freewebnovel


    "For treason," Long Xiurong replied nonchntly as she entered her cell and the guard locked it and left. She stared at Alice and added, "Naturally, you know about this. Since you are the one who sneaked into my room and stole the letter and my gray mammoth tusk."


    Alice giggled, "So what if I did? I win in the end, right? You are in jail, and probably going to get executed soon, and that bitch Swan will fall out of grace. I bet His Majesty already tossed her out of the castle, or maybe even worse, killed her! Hihi,


    that''s a great end for a crippled bitch like her."

 Chapter 256: Bunny’s Denial

    Chapter 256: Chapter 256: Bunny''s Denial


    Alice didn''t hide her hostility anymore. She was tired of acting when all she wanted to see was for her enemies, Long Xiurong, Rock Silverfang, and Swan, to


    die.


    Everything she did was for the sake of His Majesty, the Beast King. She wanted to protect him from so many traitors around him, and she had finally seeded.


    "Oh, I can''t wait for the news of the crippled bitch''s death. I will probably be a head maid, or maybe even His Majesty''s personal attendant, because I''ve uncovered the biggest traitor of them all!" Alice boasted. She said it while staring at Long Xiurong, wanting her to react because she couldn''t wait to see Long Xiurong''s despaired face.


    Unfortunately, Long Xiurong didn''t show any despair. On the contrary, she was chuckling, as if she just heard something really funny.


    "What''s so funny? Ah, I get it, this must be because you''re so scared of your death, right? That''s why you be crazy!"


    Long Xiurong''s chuckle turned intoughter. She continuedughing for a good minute before she gradually stopped and replied, "Sorry, what you said just now is so funny, I cannot help butugh."


    Long Xiurong intended to just ignore Alice at first, but since she was talking nonsense, she decided to entertain this delusional bunny for now.


    "Do you think that the Beast King will reward you with something?"


    "Of course! I''ve uncovered the truth that you and Swan are colluding to bring Rock back to the castle!" Alice eximed. "His Majesty is a fair king. He WILL reward me!"


    "I don''t think you''d be thrown into jail with me if he wants to reward you with something," Long Xiurong pointed out. "The Beast King will probably execute you just like how he will execute me."


    "That''s nonsense! There''s no reason for him to execute me! I am basically his most trusted subject since I don''t hesitate to report what I see!"


    "Do you think what you''ve done will still give you a pardon? Do you not remember that you tried to poison Queen Swan and I? You were colluding with Lady Jade before."


    "I did not collude with her! I was forced!" Alice tried to defend herself.


    "You can say all you want, but I will give you one simple fact," Long Xiurong paused for a moment. She smiled while looking at Alice as she wanted to savor the gradual look of despair on her face, "I was there in their room when the Beast King and Queen Swan were discussing the punishment for you and Lady Jade before going to the throne room. The Beast King was adamant to kill you and put your head on a stake as he believed that you were colluding with Lady Jade nevertheless. It was Queen Swan who persuaded him not to kill you, because she truly believed that you were forced, and you could show your loyalty to the Beast King after you got your punishment."


    "The Beast King was unhappy but still obeyed since it was his wife''s request. The reason why you


    escaped execution is because omet


    Queen Swan''s plea," Long Xiurong revealed. "But since you told him about Rock''s letter, he doesn''t need to care about his wife''s opinion anymore, and naturally, one of his


    main agendas is to kill you-the one who colluded with Jade."


    Long Xiurong held herugh as she watched how the realization finally sunk into


    Alice''s mind and wiped her sneer from her face.


    "Had you kept your mouth shut


    about Rock and I, just like what your punishment is meant to be, you would''ve survived. Queen Swan will lift you punishment by the end of spring, and you can return to your normal life in the castle," Long Xiurong replied. "Too bad, you''re not smart enough not to betray your only savior. Without Queen Swan''s protection, you will be the first one to be executed."


    Alice gritted her teeth, "Nonsense! I don''t believe any of your words! Just wait and see, His Majesty will clear me of all charges, and I will be promoted to be the head maid or his personal attendant!" freewebnovel


    Long Xiurong shrugged, "It is impossible to cure idiocy, so I won''t bother. I''ll just wait until the day of our execution instead. Oh, and one more thing, do you want to know what kind of punishment did Queen Swan get?"


    Alice''s eyes widened. She had been fantasizing about the misfortune that would befall the crippled bitch after her traitorous behavior was exposed.


    Unfortunately, the punishment was far from her expectations as Long Xiurong said with a smile, "She is imprisoned inside her room. She cannot leave and can''t meet with anyone, but will still be given the royal treatment. The cat maids are still going to serve her, and she will still be the Queen of the Kingdom of Beastmen. That is all."


    Again, Alice felt that she had been dragged into the depths of hell when she learned that even after knowing his wife had betrayed him, the Beast King still loved her as much. Her punishment was so light, it didn''t even sound like a punishment at all!


    Since Swan was already crippled, all she could do was stay in her room most of the time. Swan''s punishment was a gentle p on the wristpared to Alice''s expectation!


    "Y-you must be lying. That''s impossible! His Majesty is not so weak to forgive a traitor! Everyone in this kingdom knows that he hates traitors the most!" Alice snapped. "Look at you. You are stuck in here, waiting for your execution for your betrayal! She should''ve suffered the same fate!"


    "The difference is that His Majesty doesn''t love me, but he absolutely loves and adores his wife," Long Xiurong shrugged. "Love can make you do weird, irrational things, such as forgiving your beloved. It''s only natural for him to forgive her, right? I predict that it won''t take long for them to finally make up and then be as sweet and loving as usual."


    "And then what about you, Alice?" Long Xiurong grinned. "What will happen to you now?"

 Chapter 257: To Catch A Traitor

    *


    Chapter 257: Chapter 257: To Catch A Traitor


    "W-what about me? Of course, I will be just fine! I''m sure His Majesty will pardon me too!" Alice yelled, but at this point, she was just trying to convince herself or else she would fall into deep despair.


    "Do you think you''re so special for the Beast King to pardon you?" Long Xiurong sneered. "He doesn''t love you like he loves Queen Swan. I am Queen Swan''s only friend in this castle, and yet, I will get executed for one mistake. If the Queen''s friend is not free from execution, then what about a random bunny maid in the castle? Don''t you realize you have no value to him when he could just take another bunny beastman from your tribe and rece you as a maid?"


    "T-that''s not-"


    "That is the truth," Long Xiurong interrupted. "You know that you''re not important to him. You''re just deluding yourself, thinking that you can be a hero somehow."


    "SHUT UP!" Alice snapped. "I don''t care what you say! Just wait and see! I will be His Majesty''s personal attendant in the end, and I will see you getting beheaded in public for treason!"


    Long Xiurong shrugged, "I''m getting tired of debating with someone in denial. I''ll just rest and wait until the day of my execution... with you."


    Thus, Long Xiurong decided to lean on the wall, holding the gray mammoth tusk close to her heart as she kept thinking about her man, Rock Silverfang.


    ''I''m sorry, Rock. I promised that I would leave the castle and run away with you. I was so happy thinking that we could start a life together somewhere, but it seems that I will die earlier,'' Long Xiurong said in her heart.


    She did not doubt that Rock would be able to escape the Beast King''s hunt. He was still the second strongest after the Beast King, so he still had a chance to get away.


    ''I hope you can move on from me after I disappear,'' Long Xiurong thought. ''I''m sorry for praying to the Goddess to make you my mate. I was selfish and thought that I could finally have a family of my own. I shouldn''t have done that, so you don''t need to suffer from heartbreak after my death.'' freewebnovel


    ''Goodbye, Rock Silverfang.''


    Meanwhile, Rock was busy on the northern coast of Holy Achate, where many ships were docked. He already promised his Ah-Rong that he would bring her out of Gale''s castle, and they could start their own pack somewhere.


    He didn''t want his fated mate to suffer through the long journey on the ship, so he was trying to find the most luxurious ship he could find for her.


    As he walked around the pier, his senses told him something was off.


    He turned his head towards the direction of the Kingdom of Beastment. It was obvious he couldn''t see anything since the castle was a full-day trip from where he was. He was using his wolf form to traverse through the jungle, but he still sensed that something was off. He felt like something dangerous had befallen his soulmate.


    Rock clenched his fist, "What is this uneasiness? Did something happen to Ah- Rong?"


    Rock tried to dispel his restlessness by muttering, "No, she must be fine. There''s nothing important happening in the Kingdom of Beastmen right now. She can wait... right?"


    Unfortunately, the more he tried to deny his anxiety, the more restless he got.


    He finally turned towards the direction of the castle and rushed to check on his Ah-Rong.


    **


    Meanwhile, Gale was sitting in his throne room with a few beastmen generals. He should''ve summoned ze Silverfang as his new beta, but he was still on a mission to find Matoa, the slippery miracle doctor who kept wandering far and wide.


    Pet


    The beastmen generals were extremely powerful. One general could take down an entire human army alone, but they were shaking in fear asthey faced the Beast King because they knew their King was furious right now. He didn''t even care about a little bit of his oppressive aura that was leaking around the throne room as he didn''t care as long as his wife didn''t get hurt.


    "All of you will mobilize each of the soldiers under yourmand to patrol around the castle. Rock Silverfang, that bastard wille to the castle soon because I''ve


    imprisoned his fated mate," Gale capture him


    said coldly. "We will eve


    when he tries to free his fated mate from the dungeon, and I know he wille because our fated mate''s safety is the utmost priority for all male wolves. Then, we will execute him and his fated mate together in the city square by tomorrow morning."


    "UNDERSTOOD, YOUR MAJESTY!"


    All the beastmen generals agreed to the order from their king, but one general couldn''t help but ask, "Your Majesty, is it really okay to execute Lady Long Xiurong? I do not mean to challenge your authority, but i''ve been told by the servants that Her Majesty and Lady Long are best friends. Executing Lady Long would make her sad."


    "I do not care about my wife''s opinion," Gale replied. "She is the one who betrayed me in the first ce, I do not need to y by her rules right now. Long Xiurong''s death is a consequence of their action."


    Honestly, all the beastmen soldiers still didn''t believe that their beloved Queen would do that. They were so in love with the Queen, that even their offspring idolized her so much, from her beauty, her grace, her kindness and also her intelligence. She was perfect in the eyes of the soldiers.


    Thus, all the beastmen soldiers were collectively distressed knowing that His Majesty was furious at her. They were scared that she would fall out of favor and get kicked out of the kingdom.


    Some of the beastmen soldiers already nned to leave the Kingdom of Beastmen to follow their Queen and protect her, as they were truly devoted to her.


    If the Beast King lost his mind and killed Queen Swan, all soldiers tacitly agreed


    tounch a coup to avenge her death, though they knew all of them would be killed effortlessly by their Beast King, at least they could die avenging their beloved Queen''s death.

 Chapter 258: Reap What I Sow

    Chapter 258: Chapter 258: Reap What I Sow


    Since Queen Swan was still unharmed, they didn''t dare to oppose their king for now. As long as the Beast King didn''t hurt their Queen, then the beastmen generals and soldiers would still be his most loyal subjects.


    "Go and tell this to the soldiers under yourmand; whoever could capture that traitor, I will promote them to be amander or even a general. Their tribe will also be showered with gifts from the Beast King."


    If it was before Queen Swan entered their kingdom, the soldiers would be ecstatic knowing they could get such an amazing reward. Nowadays, all they could think of was their Queen''s condition.


    What if she was too sad over the whole situation, too distressed, and then died? The soldiers would turn their backs on their King and start a rebellion, even at the cost of their lives.


    Suppressing their thought, they responded positively;


    "UNDERSTOOD, YOUR MAJESTY!"


    **


    Meanwhile, Long Xiurong''s attendant who had been eavesdropping the whole time finally couldn''t take it anymore. She might''ve been working with Lady Long for only a few weeks, but she knew that Lady Long was very kind.


    Besides, she too was part of the servants who loved their Queen. She didn''t care about the rumor of the Queen being a witch, nor did she care about this whole traitor situation with Rock.


    Their Queen had been very kind to give them a sry, give them a break, and also lifted their importance in the kingdom. Even though she was just a servant, the attendant-a mouse maid-was still very proud of her job.


    ''I-I can''t let this happen. Her Majesty needs to know about this!'' the attendant thought. She dashed through the long corridors and spiraling staircase to reach Queen Swan''s bedroom, and saw the cat maids guarding the door.


    She only had a fairly cordial rtionship with the cat maids, but she knew they needed to band together to protect their Queen! freewebnovel


    So, she stopped in front of them and said in a low voice, fearing that someone else with sensitive hearing might hear her voice, "I have very important news for Her Majesty. Please help me deliver this news to her."


    The cat maids looked at her coldly and Myra said, "The Queen is prohibited to ept any guest, nor listen to any information except from what''s given by the Beast King."


    "I suggest you leave now before His Majesty spots you. You should save your life while you can," Maya added.


    "B-but, she needs to know this! Please, I''m begging you. I know she considers Lady Long as her best friend. She will be heartbroken!" the mouse maid begged. "Please, just let her know this, and I will leave immediately. I''m doing this because I, too, want to support her!"


    The cat maids looked at each other. They had also been distressed over the entire situation, but they were scared that any kind of support they showed to the Princess would only make things harder for her.


    Seeing how desperate the mouse maid''s expression was, they couldn''t hide their curiosity and asked, "Tell us then. We will deliver the information to the Queen."


    The mouse maid quickly revealed everything she overheard from the throne room, and after she told everything she knew, she begged, "Please make sure that Her Majesty hears this. I''m scared she would remain oblivious about her best friend''s fate!"


    The cat maids watched her leave and then looked at each other.


    "Our Princess deserves to know," Maya stated first.


    "Even if it might kill us?" Myra asked.


    "She still needs to know."


    They braced themselves, before knocking on the door and entered the bedroom.


    As they expected, Princess Swan


    was still on her bed, still sitting while


    staring at the firece with her


    empty gaze. She was


    POLLE 1


    even after getting caught


    exchanging letters with the traitor,


    Rock Silverfang, but she looked even


    more heartbroken than before.


    Swan didn''t move her gaze from the firece as she asked, "What is it this time?"


    "Princess, we got information from Lady Long''s attendant. She told us that His Majesty is using all of the avable beastmen soldiers in the castle to patrol around and catch Rock Silverfang because His Majesty is sure that he wille to save Lady Long from the dungeon," Maya reported.


    "And once he had been caught, His Majesty nned to hold the execution in the city square, he would kill Rock and Lady Long together, Princess," Myra added.


    ...


    Swan''s heart was shattered into pieces knowing this. She was holding her breath as she felt suffocated. One bad news after another. She began to wonder if she could keep her pregnancy with so much pain in her heart right now.


    "Understood, you two can leave now."


    Maya and Myra were surprised by their Princess'' response.


    "What should we do next, Princess? If you want us to slip into the dungeon and


    find a way to free Lady Long, then we are ready."


    "You shouldn''t. There is no way Gale will let you both free if you get caught. I can''t bear to live knowing that my order will kill both of you, my most trusted attendants," Swan replied. "What happened to Lady Long is my full responsibility, I will find another way to set her free forever."


    The cat maids looked at their Princess worriedly. It seemed that their Princess had fallen into a deep depression over the whole situation, which was understandable, knowing how fragile her heart was.


    Since their Princess didn''t allow them to find a way to set Lady Long free, all they could do was leave the room and guard the door.


    Swan stared at the firece with a sad gaze. Her mind couldn''t stop wondering about one thing;


    "Goddess, is this the punishment for my sin? I lied to my husband many times, and now I reaped what I sowed. I destroyed his heart. I indirectly killed an innocent woman, and I will continue living knowing that I''ve ruined so many lives..."

 Chapter 259: The Saintess Saves Those She Wants to Save (I)

    Chapter 259: Chapter 259: The Saintess Saves Those She Wants to Save (1)


    [Music Rmendation: Salvatore, Violin Version by Joel Sunny.]


    Swan continued staring at the firece and murmured, "Goddess, if my presence will only bring harm to others, then please end me now, toss me into the fiery pit of hell if that is what I deserve."


    "If you pardon me for my sin, then please give me the power to save every one whom I love. You told me once that I am your daughter. You also told me that I am a Saintess," Swan closed her eyes, and shed a tear from the corner of her eye. She finally joined her hands in a praying position and said, "Goddess, I, Swan of Holy Achate, prayed with all my heart so you will allow me to fix my wrongdoing. I know that I am not perfect, nor will I ever be. Grace me with your holy light, and let me change the oue of this sure misfortune."


    ...


    As Swan continued praying deep in her heart, the sun began to set, and the cold night finally came. She could feel the chilling sensation around her deformed leg. It was ufortable, but she kept praying because that was all she could do; to beg for the Goddess, so she could change this misfortune.


    ''Goddess, please let me do something. Let me save them all.''


    A gentle light slowly emanated from Swan''s chest, and it didn''t take long for her body to be covered with the Goddess'' light. The tears that Swan shed from the corner of her eyes turned into crystal as it dropped from her cheek, and...


    Blip!


    Swan was swallowed by the light and disappeared from the bed.


    *Goddess'' Realm*


    "Open your eyes, my dear daughter."


    Swan opened her eyes slowly and found herself standing in the middle of a roompletely made out of marble. Even the furniture was made out of expensive white marble.


    Swan knew that she was currently inside the Goddess'' realm. She had visited this ce once in her dream when she was apanying Gale in the cave during his coldest rut.


    "I heard your plea, my dear daughter."


    Swan turned her head and saw her supposed mother-the Goddess who had been helping her many times.


    She was wearing a white silk dress, but her face was still covered with bright light that made it impossible for Swan to see her face.


    Sometimes, she wondered if this Goddess was Goddess Asmara, because she doubted that Goddess Asmara would be so weak to let a disgusting bastard like Swan''s father, thete King Tyrion, rape her.


    But she didn''t dare to ask any of that.


    All she asked for was, "Goddess, please let me save Long Xiurong, Rock, and most importantly, my husband, Gale Stormfront!"


    "And how are you going to do that, dear daughter?" the Goddess asked. "Saving Long Xiurong and Rock Silverfang are easy, you can just send them far away, so far that even your husband will never find them. But how are you going to save your husband? His heart has been destroyed by so many betrayals in life."


    Swan lowered her gaze as she was ashamed to be one of the people who had betrayed him. Despite saying that she wanted to save Gale, she didn''t know what to do to heal Gale''s wound.


    She kept thinking that an apology would be enough, but she knew it wasn''t.


    "Trust is like a mirror, my dearest. Once you''ve shattered it into pieces, no matter how many times you try to fix it together, there will always be a dent, a crack, or it might never be able to be fixed anymore," the Goddess said. "You prayed with all your heart that you want to save him and mend his broken soul. But


    how?"


    Swan felt a gentle finger slowly touch her chin. The Goddess used her finger to lift her chin, so she could stare at her eyes straight, "You shouldn''t hide in shame. There is no point in doing so, my dear."


    "I-I don''t know how to fix his broken heart. I will promise to be true to him, but I don''t think it is enough."


    "An empty promise is not enough to heal a broken heart, and a broken trust, my dear daughter. You need more than that," the Goddess replied. "But, you should know one thing; the cursed wolf truly loves you with all his heart. You are the love of his life, and if you ever p¨¦rish from that mortal world, he shall perish with you."


    "All you need to do if you want to


    gain his trust and mend his broken


    heart is to love him the way he loves you," the Goddess said. Swan stiff couldn''t see her face, but in he imagination, the Goddess was smiling at her right now. "You are my dearest daughter, the Saintess with Holy power, and the only one in this world. Use it to your advantage, understand?"


    "U-Understand, Goddess. Thank you..."


    "Call me mother, will you? It makes me sad that my daughter doesn''t want to call


    me mother, or mom. Just like what the mortals usually do to their beloved parental figure."


    ...


    Swan gulped, and then braced herself as she muttered, "Thank you, Mom."


    "Atta girl!"


    The Goddess seemed happy as her body shone in bright light to the point Swan had to close her eyes.


    **Goddess'' Realm end**


    Swan opened her eyes slowly and found herself back in her room. She was floating while her body was emanating gentle light from the inside. She looked around and was confused because she was in full control of her body.


    The Saintess usually took control of her body when she was in this form, and the real Swan would be trapped inside her mind. She could watch what was happening, but that was all.


    A ball of light appeared in front of Swan, and it slowly formed into the Saintess, who had the same face as Swan, but always had her calm and calcted smile.


    "S-Saintess?!"


    "It is time for you to learn how to properly utilize your power, Swan," the Saintess said. "You said that you want to save everyone from this misfortune, so this body is all yours."

 Chapter 260: The Saintess Saves Those She Wants to Save (II)

    Chapter 260: Chapter 260: The Saintess Saves Those She Wants to Save (II)


    "B-but, what am I supposed to do right now? H-how am I supposed to do amazing things that you did before, Saintess?!" Swan asked.


    "You are me, and I am yours. You will naturally learn how to," the Saintess replied. "Just pray deep in your heart about all the things you want to do with your holy power, and most importantly... believe in those prayers. You are the Saintess, your faith should be more than enough to cleanse evil in this world, and to save those you want to save."


    The Saintess''s body slowly disintegrated into hundreds of golden butterflies that seeped into Swan''s body.


    Swan could feel an enormous strengthing from within, but with such incredible power, all she could feel was grief.


    She was grieving, because a liar like her didn''t deserve to obtain such holy power.


    She joined her hands once more in a praying position and then prayed deep in her heart. She always had a confidence issue since she was young, but she didn''t want to mess it up this time.


    The glow around her body started to shine brighter and brighter as she prayed;


    Oh Goddess, let me use this power to mend my mistake. Let me be the Saintess that brings salvation into this scorchednd. Let me be the cure for my husband''s


    curse.


    Grace me with your holiness, oh Goddess.


    As Swan finished her prayer, the light consumed her, and she disappeared again from her bedroom.


    **


    Long Xiurong was hungry and exhausted. It had been more than twelve hours since she was imprisoned, and she hadn''t had any meal yet. She doubted that she''d get any though, since she would be executed tomorrow.


    She clenched the gray mammoth tusk as it was the source of her strength and sanity. She didn''t want to break down in front of that shitty bunny maid.


    ''A noblewoman from the Eastern Long Dynasty will have to keep her head high even when facing death,'' Long Xiurong told herself. ''Don''t be weak, Long Xiurong. You''ve seen so many deaths in the harem. You''ve seen the deaths of other concubines who failed to maintain their status in front of the Emperor. You should be well prepared to face the same fate.''


    She was about to close her eyes but realized that Alice had been watching over her the whole time from the prison cell directly facing hers. She scoffed and said, "You should probably sleep. You''ll die by tomorrow morning anyway."


    "You mean, YOU will die, right?" Long Xiurong corrected.


    "His Majesty will free me! I believe in him!"


    "You shouldn''t. He is very biased. He cares about his subjects, but his true love and loyalty are only for Swan," Long Xiurong bluntly responded. She had no more energy to argue with Alice.


    She was about to close her eyes when a bright light suddenly appeared in front of her. Long Xiurong closed her eyes because it was too blinding until she heard the familiar soft voice of none other than Queen Swan.


    "Open your eyes, my dear friend."


    Long Xiurong opened her eyes slowly, and she gasped when she saw Queen Swan in front of her. She opened her mouth, but no word came out of it because she didn''t know if she was dreaming or not right now.


    Swan hovered an inch above the ground as her body was emanating bright light. It was so bright that her body lit up the entire dungeon.


    There was a faint halo of an angel right above her head, but it was so faint that it was only visible in close range.


    "Am I... hallucinating?" Long Xiurong murmured as she was unsure. "A-are you the real Swan?"


    Swan smiled at Lady Long and said, "Yes, I am Swan, your dear friend. I am here to free you, Long Xiurong."


    Long Xiurong had known about the rumor of Swan being a witch, but now that she had seen the true Swan, she realized that the Queen was not a witch.


    She was a saint, an angel, or even a Goddess. Long Xiurong had difficulty describing what she saw right now, but the holy aura that healed her exhaustion immediately made it obvious that Swan was an agent of light.


    "Q-Queen Swan, you¡ª"


    "We can keep the conversation forter, dear friend," Swan interrupted. "We need to get you out of this prison. Take my hand, and we will leave immediately."


    Long Xiurong had hundreds of


    questions in her head, but once the


    angel extended her hand to save her, Long Xiurong''s mind threw those questions to the back of her head, and she quickly held the angel''s hand with all her might. Her instinct told her that this was herst chance and Swan was her one and only savior.


    Swan smiled at Long Xiurong, and ready to close her eyes teleported away.


    But her focus was shattered when she heard the hoarse voice of a woman from the other cell directly facing this one.


    "W-what about me, Your Majesty!?"


    Swan turned her head and saw Alice holding the steel bars that imprisoned her, trying to reach the Saintess as well.


    Just like Long Xiurong, Alice also had a lot of questions in mind, as she didn''t expect that crippled bitch would show up with her holy power in here.


    At first, Alice wanted to think that


    Swan was just using dark magic, just like what Princess Aria imed, but when her exhaustion and hunger disappeared the moment Swan teleported inside the dungeon, she had to admit that crippled bitch was actually the Saintess!


    The legend of the Saintess had spread for generations across all races, and one


    of the signs of her holiness was the aura that healed everyone in the vicinity.


    Strangely, even after finding out that Swan was the true Saintess, the anger, hatred, and bitterness in her heart for Swan didn''t vanish.


    On the contrary, this only made her


    hatred toward''s Swan even worse,


    ''How could an ugly crippled bitch be a Saintess? There must be something wrong here. Maybe the Goddess made a mistake, or maybe she is using terrible dark magic to trick the Goddess!'' Cont¨¦nt

 Chapter 261: The Saintess Saves Those She Wants to Save (III)

    Chapter 261: Chapter 261: The Saintess Saves Those She Wants to Save (III)


    Alice sneered in her heart, mocking the crippled bitch as she didn''t believe that Swan could be the true Saintess. freewebnovel


    ''The Saintess should be perfect. She needs to have a pure heart, a beautiful face, and most importantly, NOT a cripple!'' Alice told herself. The only one in her mind who deserved the title of Saintess was Princess Aria alone!


    But, it would be stupid for Alice not to take the chance to beg for forgiveness from the Swan immediately. She didn''t care if Swan was the true Saintess or not. As long as Swan could use her filthy dark magic to free her out of this dungeon, then she would be more than willing to act pitifully.


    If she had to be honest, she was scared of being executed by the Beast King. Hence, Alice showed her most pitiful face as she begged the Saintess, whom she deemed fake, "Please save me too, Saintess! I-I am the devout follower of the Goddess of the Sun! My life has always been full of grievances. I was beaten by Lady Jade, and forced to work under her. I was punished, and then unjustly imprisoned!"


    Alice started shedding tears to make her act even more convincing, "I-I was the one who told His Majesty about the whole exchanging letter with Rock Silverfang, but you should know that I did it out of devotion, right? After all, you are THE Saintess, you must''ve known everything!"


    Alice continued to cry pitifully, but deep down, she sneered at Swan who was staring at her with a thin smile on her face.


    ''You crippled bitch. I know you must''ve been using powerful dark magic to trick the Goddess. How could a filth like you be a Saintess? That''s just impossible!'' Alice used in her heart.


    "Surely, if you are the TRUE Saintess, you will forgive me for all my sins as long as I repent for all my mistakes, right?" Alice asked. "If you didn''t forgive me for all my sins, then you''re not the true Saintess! You''re just a poser!"


    Meanwhile, Swan was conflicted in her heart.


    She wanted to help Alice because she thought that was what a good Saintess was supposed to do.


    She had to ept anyone and save everyone as long as they repented.


    However, the Saintess in her head told her no, and forbade her to ept Alice''s hand who was desperately trying to get closer to Swan.


    ''You shouldn''t forgive her, Swan,'' the Saintess warned. ''You already heard what was in her mind just now. Sheughed at your condition, insulted you, and doubted your identity as the daughter of the Goddess.''


    ''But, if I don''t forgive her, can I be called a good Saintess? Aren''t I supposed to save everyone?''


    ''The Saintess saves those she wants to save. Not everyone deserves salvation, and not everyone will repent for their sins, just like this bunny beastman,'' the Saintess assured her.


    Swan kept staring at Alice and gently blew gold dust towards her. The gold dust circled around Alice, but Alice didn''t feel anything changed with her body.


    "Let me ask you a few questions, dear bunny," Swan said with a smile. "What do you think of me as Swan, Queen of the Kingdom of Beastmen?"


    Alice wanted tough when she heard that question. She was an adept liar. All she needed to do was lie to appease Swan''s ego.


    "Of course, you are just a crippled bitch who doesn''t deserve to be His Majesty''s wife!" Alice said proudly. However, that proud smile slowly disappeared when she realized what she had just said. "S-Saintess! I didn''t mean any of that! I didn''t know why I said that!"


    Swan didn''t react even after she was just tantly insulted. Instead, she proceeded to the next question, "Were you truly forced by Lady Jade to poison Lady Long and me?"


    "Y-yes! It was all my ideas. I was the one who told Lady Jade that we can poison Long Xiurong first, and then poison you. I was so happy when Lady Jade finally gave me the poison!"


    Alice gasped as she realized that she couldn''t lie at all.


    She knew that gold dust must''ve done something to her, so she slowly stepped back, "W-what did you do to me, Saintess? Why did you force me to lie?! I-I never did that before! I''d never try to harm you!"


    Again, Swan didn''t answer, and continued, "Last question, do you truly believe me as the Saintess?"


    "O-Of course! Of course, I know that you are just a filthy witch who used your ultimate dark magic to trick the goddess! How could an ugly crippled bitch be a Saintess? That''s justplete, utter garbage!"


    Alice panicked as she couldn''t stop her mouth from revealing her inner thoughts.


    "No, this is all wrong! I would never dare to harm you, Saintess! Please trust me! I would betray you after you freed me out of this dungeon. Oh, I can''t wait to bring your head to the Beast King!"


    "You cannot speak lies in front of the Saintess, and I''ve heard enough truthing out of your mouth, dear bunny," Swan responded amicably. "I will not punish you for your wrongdoing, but I shall not grace you with salvation."


    "Dear bunny, let me tell you the misfortune that will befall you in a few hours," Swan paused for a second, and continued, "You will be executed in front of everyone you respected, your fellow servants, the soldiers, and also the Beast King, and your soul... may the fiery pits of hell be kind enough to you, because you are eternal inside the depths of hell."


    Alice gritted her teeth. Not only did she not get salvation, this cripple dared to curse her to stay in hell!


    Thus, she shed off all the pretense and yelled as loud as she could;


    "YOU CRIPPLED BITCH! I SHOULD''VE KILLED YOU LONG AGO! I SHOULD''VE BEAT YOUR CRIPPLED LEG SO YOU WILL CRY IN PAIN! HOW DARE YOU DID THIS TO ME? I AM DEVOTED AND KIND! AARRGGHH!"

 Chapter 262: The Saintess Saves Those She Wants to Save (IV)

    Chapter 262: Chapter 262: The Saintess Saves Those She Wants to Save (IV)


    ''This is why I told you not to give her salvation. All mortals are the same. They feel so high and mighty, defying the Goddess, until they are at their wit''s end. Then, they suddenly turn to the Goddess and ask for forgiveness. Unfortunately, not everyone deserves it, including this bunny beastman,'' the Saintess said in Swan''s head. ''Do not be weak, Swan. A Saintess wouldn''t be swayed by mere pitiful wordsing from the mouth of a liar."


    Swan silently looked at Alice, who kept hurling all kinds of curses and insults she knew. Alice even tried to pull the steel bar to no avail, as she was frustrated when this crippled bitch dared to put a spell on her that made her unable to lie!


    "Saintess..." Long Xiurong, who had been silent the whole time, finally raised her voice. "We need to leave. She is attracting too much attention."


    Swan turned her head at Long Xiurong and smiled, "Fear not, I''ve put a barrier that makes it impossible for anyone to hear us. To other prisoners in the dungeon right now, they will only think that the bunny has just turned insane. But you are right, we need to leave now. Hold my hand tight, dear friend."


    "DON''T LEAVE ME, YOU FUCKING USELESS CRIPPLED BITCH! HOW DARE YOU CALL YOURSELF A SAINTESS IF YOU LEAVE ME TO DIE HERE!" Alice yelled like a madwoman as she didn''t want to end up getting executed by the Beast King she worshipped. "I WILL TELL THIS TO THE BEAST KING! HE WILL FINALLY KNOW THAT YOU ARE JUST A FILTHY CRIPPLED WITCH! HE WILL FUCKING KILL YOU TOO!"


    Swan was about to teleport away but stopped when Alice threatened her like that. Her gentle smile vanished as she turned her head towards the bunny.


    "Dear bunny, even if you tell them lies or truth-whether I am a witch or a Saintess they will never believe you. If you still think you have the chance to be free after telling my husband about my identity, then I will never give you salvation, even in the afterlife. You are going to stay in hell for eternity."


    "DO YOU THINK I BELIEVE YOUR BULLCRAP?! OH, WOW, YOU ARE A SAINTESS, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE EVER GET A CRIPPLED SAINTESS! HAHAHAHA!!"


    Swan sighed, and she closed her eyes.


    Then, in the next second, both Swan and Long Xiurong disappeared as the dungeon became dark once again.


    Alice continued screaming and kicking the steel bars as she got frustrated. Her heart told her that Swan was the real Saintess, but her pride, anger, and disgust only hardened her heart. She refused to believe that she would have a crippled Saintess.


    Alice began sobbing as she muttered, "I-I don''t want to die too. Howe a Saintess would abandon her loyal follower like this?"


    Then, Alice gritted her teeth and cursed Swan even more, "Just you wait, you bitch! I will tell everyone about your true identity! You''re going to die just like I do, and I will be thest oneughing while in heaven!"


    **


    Rock was rushing towards the castle in his true wolf form. He dashed through the forest, hoping his bad feelings about Ah-Rong weren''t true and that she was still safe and alive.


    He hastened his movement as he felt like these rows of trees could go on and on forever until a blinding light suddenly appeared in front of him, and stopped him on his track.


    When Rock opened his eyes again, he saw the ethereal Princess Swan holding her exhausted Ah-Rong.


    Swan smiled at the silver wolf in front of her and said, "It has been a while, my dear knight. I am here with your fated mate."


    Swan slowly put Long Xiurong to the ground, and thetter threw her body to the silver wolf, "Rock!"


    "Ah-Rong!" Rock quickly shifted back to his wolf beastman form and caught his Ah-Rong in his embrace. They hugged each other tightly, as if it might be theirst, and Swan could see that they were truly in love.


    She could not detect beastmen''s fated mates because beastmen were created by the Moon Goddess, so it was the Moon Goddess''


    domain and authority. Howevel, ne


    she


    could tell when two people were in love, because they would start generating warmth around their bodies, and their scent would mingle easily, which was visible in Swan''s eyes.


    After Rock and Long Xiurong released their tight embrace, Rock quickly kneeled in front of the Saintess and asked, "Princess, may I know what happened to my Ah-Rong? You saved me in your Saintess form twice, does that mean Ah-Rong has been..." freewebnovel


    "Someone found and leaked your letter. Long Xiurong was arrested and thrown into the dungeon to lure you out," Swan exined. "I don''t want you two to die, as I believe you and Long Xiurong are my responsibility. So I went to her cell in the dungeon just like I die for you


    ov


    back then, and brought her to your side."


    "Then, thank you for saving my fated mate, Princess! I-I don''t know what I should


    do to repay your kindness..." Rock said. He lowered his head as he was ashamed


    of his own incapability. Princess Swan had saved him twice in the past, and now she also saved his Ah-Rong.


    He was the second strongest after His Majesty, but he was still absolutely powerless in front of him.


    "You don''t need to repay my


    kindness, my dear knight. Seeing you have a good life with Long


    Xiurong is more than enough fomet


    me," Swan smiled. She stretched her hands and said, "Take my hand, Rock Silverfang, Long Xiurong. I will bring you to a safe haven where you don''t need to be scared of being hunted by my dearest husband."


    Rock and Long Xiurong didn''t need to think twice. They took each of Saintess


    Swan''s hands.


    Swan closed her eyes as she imagined a faraway ind, a ce where it would


    be safe for Rock Silverfang and Long Xiurong to start a family.


    In the next second, they were teleported away from the continent.

 Chapter 263: The Saintess Saves Those She Wants to Save (V)

    Chapter 263: Chapter 263: The Saintess Saves Those She Wants to Save (V)


    Swan prayed to the Goddess before teleporting away from the continent andnding on a remote ind, so Long Xiurong and Rock could start their life anew somewhere safer.


    Once she opened her eyes, she found herself at the sandy beach, with Rock and Long Xiurong still closing their eyes while holding her hands tight.


    Swan smiled and said, "You may open your eyes now, dear knight, dear friend."


    Long Xiurong and Rock opened their eyes and looked around as they couldn''t make sense of their current location.


    Swan sensed their confusion and exined, "You two are on an ind in the far west. It is so far that my husband will never be able to find the two of you. There are plenty of wild fruits, vegetables, and animals on this ind, including all the fish in the sea. I am sure that you my dearest knight-have ways to hunt to feed your fated mate."


    "There is also a small poption of beastmen on this ind. With your strength, you can rule them all, dear knight," Swan added.


    "Then, what is my next mission, Princess?" Rock asked as he quickly kneeled in front of his dearest Princess and lowered his head, followed by Long Xiurong, who did the same as she was grateful to be saved from her execution.


    "Mission?" Swan paused for a moment when she realized that Rock still thought of her as his dearest Princess and that he needed to obey and protect her with all his heart. She giggled and replied, "Dearest knight, from now on, you are freed from your duty as my knight. You are allowed to do as you wish on this ind, as this ce has be your new domain."


    Rock lifted his head immediately, staring at his Princess in disbelief. He stuttered his words as his face went pale, "P-Princess, have I done something wrong for you to dismiss me? I-I have decided to dedicate my entire life to you!"


    "You did nothing wrong, dearest knight. But you shouldn''t put me as your main focus anymore," Swan shifted her gaze at Long Xiurong, who was still kneeling while lowering her head. "This woman, my dear friend, Long Xiurong, is your new priority now. She is your fated mate, and that means you need to protect her from harm. She is the new life that you need to protect. I, Saintess Swan, bless the two of you with marriage and many children in the future."


    Now it was Long Xiurong who lifted her head, staring in disbelief as she didn''t expect that Swan would be so kind to her. She had long epted that Rock would put most of his attention to Queen Swan, as he was her knight, and she didn''t mind at all, because Swan had always been kind and supportive.


    She never expected this.


    Swan slowly shifted her gaze, staring at the vast sea before her. The wind of early spring night caressed her golden hair, but she didn''t feel cold at all because Saintess Swan radiated warmth from her body.


    She sighed as her smile deepened, "So this is what a beach looks like in real life. I''ve only seen them in paintings before. If only I could spend more time here, watching the sunrise and sunset just like what I saw in the painting..."


    Rock gritted his teeth as he still hadn''t given up on his Princess.


    "Princess, I believe that I can protect my fated mate, my offspring, and also protect you," Rock insisted. "Please don''t abandon us, Princess. I-I don''t know what to do without your guidance!"


    Swan didn''t look back at Rock


    anymore. She kept her gaze on the dark sea and replied, "This is ourst time together, dearest knight, dearest friend. I don''t think I wil


    survive while facing my husband''s


    wrath. Even if he doesn''t kill me, I would probably die out of heartbreak instead."


    "No! Princess, please stay with us!" Long Xiurong yelled.


    Rock tried to grab his dearest Princess'' hand, but her hand suddenly turned into gold dust that scattered with the wind.


    Rock''s eyes widened. He looked at his Princess and saw Swan smiling at them, "Goodbye, my dearest knight, Rock Silverfang. My dearest friend, Long Xiurong."


    Rock and Long Xiurong watched as Saintess Swan closed her eyes, and her body slowly turned into millions of gold dust that blew with the wind.


    "Swan..." Long Xiurong sobbed as she felt extremely conflicted. She wanted to live with Swan and her fated mate, so they could be at peace and free from any painful memories in the castle.


    "No... NO!" Rock mmed the sand with his fist repeatedly as he was frustrated over the whole thing. Not only did he fail to help his Princess, but he was also the sole cause of this mess!


    If only he hadn''t insisted on checking on Princess Swan''s condition, he wouldn''t need to exchange letters with Princess Swan and cause an avnche in both Swan and Ah-Rong''s lives.


    "Husband... I''m sorry..." Long Xiurong murmured. "I should''ve been more careful about your letter."


    Rock lifted his head and stared at his grieving Ah-Rong, then he gently embraced her, "It''s all my fault, Ah-Rong. I shouldn''t have dragged you into this mess."


    "No, you saved my life from Lady Jade''s poison. Besides, I''m already happy that I can finally meet the love of my life. There is no way I would me you for what happened! Long Xiurong eximed. "But... What should we do now, husband? Princess Swan is gone, and we... we are stranded on this ind."


    Rock swallowed his sadness as he realized that Princess Swan was right about one thing. Ah-Rong was now his priority, and so were their future offspring. He had to take care of her and give her a proper den and good food.


    Hence, he replied, "No, we''re not stranded, Ah-Rong. Princess Swan brought us here because this ind will be our new home. We will have to live our life to the fullest in this small paradise she gave us." freewebnovel


    "I believe that one day, the Saintess-our Princess Swan-will eventuallye to see us."

 Chapter 264: The Wolf’s Cravings

    Chapter 264: Chapter 264: The Wolf''s Cravings


    Swan returned to her room just a few seconds after she left Long Xiurong and Rock in that small paradise. Shended on her bed softly, and she could gradually feel the pain returning to her deformed legs, which was a sign that she was about to lose her saintess form soon.


    She was exhausted after everything that happened tonight. She also didn''t expect that using the holy power could be so physically and mentally draining.


    ''If you are too tired, I can take the holy power out of your body, Swan,'' the Saintess said in Swan''s head. ''It will take a toll on your body if you keep it for too long.''


    ''Saintess, let me keep it for now,'' Swan replied.


    ''But why?'' the Saintess asked.


    Swan remembered what Alice was yelling about in the dungeon. She threatened to expose her identity as the Saintess in front of Gale, so Swan would be executed as well.


    She believed that Gale wouldn''t execute her for it, but she also believed that he would imprison her for a longer time as she had, once again, broken his trust by hiding her true identity.


    ''I want to keep this Saintess form for as long as I can be,'' Swan said to the Saintess. ''If my husband walks in and sees me in this holy form, then it is his right to know about everything.''


    ''Are you sure about this?'' the Saintess asked.


    ''Yes, it all depends on fate in the end...''


    Thus, Swan maintained her Saintess form for a while, and she soon found her gaze getting fuzzier. Sweats perspired on her temple as she kept staring at the door, hoping that Gale would enter and witness her in her Saintess form.


    Unfortunately, she couldn''t maintain this Saintess form for much longer. Swan eventually cked out and fainted on the bed.


    Meanwhile, Gale was walking through the long corridor towards his marital bedroom. He could''ve just leaped into the window from the castle ground, but he walked through this long corridor to gather his thoughts.


    It had only been almost twenty hours since he punished Swan with imprisonment, but his heart was already craving badly for her.


    He wanted to see her.


    He wanted to taste her scent.


    He wanted to touch her.


    He wanted her.


    Gale grumbled and cursed himself for being so utterly weak for Swan. His beloved had betrayed him and should''ve begged for forgiveness while hugging his leg, not wanting to let go.


    But he found himself walking


    towards her door, wishing to see her, even if it was just a glimpse. He also wanted to hug her tight and told her all of his worries, because he knew he could at least act weak in front of her, so she could shower him with her warmth.


    ''Hah, I shouldn''t have acted weak in front of her. Now she thinks that I am a doormat whom she can easily deceive,'' Gale wanted tough at his pathetic self.


    He was still the Beast King; almighty, unbeatable, and invincible.


    Yet he found himself crawling to his wife even after all of this.


    ''It will be quick,'' Gale told himself. ''I just need to check on her once, then leave her alone. She needs to reflect on what she has done wrong to me.''


    The cat maids became anxious when they noticed the Beast King was walking towards them. They stood up straight, guarding each side of the door. Once the Beast King stood in front of them, they waited for his order.


    "Is she asleep?" Gale asked.


    "W-we assume so, Your Majesty. We heard no sound from inside," Maya replied.


    "How about her meal? Did she eat lunch and dinner?" Gale continued inquiring, wanting to ensure his beloved was well-fed even during her imprisonment.


    "She had no appetite during lunch, but she ate a full meal for dinner," Myra replied. "We''ve been telling her to eat because the cub inside her belly needs a lot of protein to survive."


    "Hm, good," Gale nodded. His lips thinned, making it look like he was angry, but he was holding his smile right now, as he was so relieved that Swan was still eating a full meal. "Open the door. I want to see her."


    The cat maids opened the door as instructed, and there, Gale saw his beloved wife sleeping on the bed. She looked so smallpared to therge bed they had, and even after she put up some weight, Swan was still frail-looking and somewhat thin. freewebnovel


    Gale walked in, a and the cat maids naturally closed the door to give them privacy. He sat at the edge of the bed, checking on his beloved, and saw that she was sweating and frowning as if she was having a terrible nightmare.


    Gale put his palm on her forehead to check if she was having a fever, and after making sure that she was fine, he gently wiped the sweat on her face with a damp towel that the cat maids had prepared beforehand.


    After wiping her face with a towel, Gale kissed her on the forehead and whispered, "I''m here, Sweetheart. Rest well, you are carrying our cub. I don''t want


    you and our cub to be hurt just because of this punishment."


    "Be patient, Sweetheart. This punishment won''t be long. As long as you admit your mistake, then we can go back to how we''re used to, alright?"


    Gale promised himself not to stay with Swan for a long time in their marital bed, because it would only weaken his resolve.


    But the more he inhaled her unique scent, the more he wanted to spend his time with his beloved, which made it difficult for him to get up and leave.


    Thus, he gave up and told himself, ''She''s in a deep sleep. I can embrace her for a few more hours before dawn, then leave immediately. I have to make sure the cat maids will shut up about it though...''

 Chapter 265: Accusation

    Chapter 265: Chapter 265: usation


    Swan woke up early in the morning as she felt the warmth around her suddenly disappeared before dawn. She opened her eyes and looked around only to realize that her husband wasn''t there.


    She sneered at herself, ''And what did you think will happen, Swan? Do you think that Gale woulde to you at night, and embrace you like usual? Do you think that Gale would forgive you so easily after you''ve betrayed him?''


    Swan found her expectation to beughable. In fact, she wanted tough becausest night, she dreamed about her husbanding to their marital bed, whispering sweet words in her ear, kissing her forehead and cheek, then embracing her until dawn came.


    It was all such a sweet dream that she thought that everything had returned to normal.


    Swan nced at the window, wishing that her husband would leap into the room from the window, but the window was shut tight, meaning that Gale truly didn''test night.


    Swan sighed. She sat on the bed, before calling the cat maids.


    Swan noticed that the cat maids looked nervous and fidgety for some reason, but she didn''t pay much attention because she thought they were nervous due to the execution day.


    She wanted to ask the cat maids whether the Beast King came to her roomst night, but since she already knew the answer, she''d rather ask something more important.


    "Did His Majesty catch Rock Silverfangst night?" Swan asked.


    "N-no, Princess. Last night was eerily quiet," Myra replied.


    Obviously, Swan knew that. She just wanted to lessen the suspicion, while also confirming that nobody had yet to check the dungeon, since everyone should''ve been alerted by Long Xiurong''s absence right now.


    Then she asked, "Will His Majesty proceed with the execution then?"


    "We don''t know yet, Princess. But His Majesty rarely goes back on his words. So, we assume that the execution will be done in the city square for everyone to see."


    Swan nodded.


    She didn''t know what would happen next, but she was d that at least Long Xiurong and Rock could live afortable life far from this continent, so Gale wouldn''t be able to hunt them anymore.


    ''Maybe when the timees, I can visit them again, if that ever happens...''


    Deep down, Swan wished that all four of them could live in harmony. She would be in a peaceful marriage with her husband, ruling over this kingdom and passing it to their offspring. Rock would still work as Gale''s beta, and Long Xiurong would be herdy-in-waiting. They could also raise their offspring together to be an Alpha-Beta pair, or Alpha-Luna if they were meant to be fated.


    It was a perfect scenario that unfortunately would never happen in this lifetime. Thus, Swan buried her hope and told the cat maids, "Make sure to keep me informed of what will happen today. I want to know when someone has been executed."


    "Yes, Princess!"


    **


    "WHAT?!" Gale''s voice thundered in the throne room as he heard the report from


    the guards. "Long Xiurong had escaped?! HOW!?"


    "W-we don''t know, Your Majesty," themander, who was in charge of the dungeon, replied while


    prostrating, scared and ashamed of his failure to guard the dungeon, especially since this wasn''t the first time someone had escaped from the dungeon. "There were at least ten guards at the door, and many more were patrolling around the castle groundsst night. The dungeon has been thoroughly checked ever since Rock Silverfang escaped to see if there is any way out from the inside, but we see no escape hole, Your Majesty! It was as if Long Xiurong v-vanished into thin air!"


    Themander was so scared that he almost pissed himself. He failed twice and was ready to be executed today for his failure, but that didn''t mean he wasn''t scared at all.


    "Y-Your Majesty, there is one person who witnessed everything, but I doubt that we can trust her..."


    "Is it the bunny maid?" Gale asked, and themander confirmed. It was pretty obvious because that bunny maid was spending the whole night in the dungeon with Long Xiurong.


    "Yes, Your Majesty. Should I bring her here to be interrogated? She told me that she knows who helped Long Xiurong to escapest night."


    "Bring her here," Gale ordered, and it didn''t take long for Alice to kneel in front of the Beast King. She looked haggard, and her eyes were red fromck of sleep and crying non stop inside her cell. When she saw the Beast King sitting majestically on his throne, a big smile appeared on her face, and her eyes were brimming with hope once more.


    ''Finally, I can bring that crippled bitch down, even if it will cost my life.''


    "Your Majesty! I know-I know who helped Long Xiurong, and also Rock Silverfang to escape the dungeon! I''ve seen the culprit with my own eyesst night!" Alice stated as she was sure to get Swan this time.


    "Then tell me who it is," Gale said. "If you told me the truth, then I will grant you my pardon. You will be free."


    Hehe, told you that I will be free. I


    don''t need the help of a fake Saintess to escape an execution,'' Alice told herself. Thus, with all the confidence she had in mind, Alice mentioned the true culprit out loud. "It''s your wife, Your Majesty! Swan is the one who has been helping Long Xiurong and Rock Silverfang to escape!"


    There was aplete silence in the throne room. The other guards who heard it were angry as they knew that their beloved Princess wouldn''t be able to do that since she was crippled.


    Thus, Alice''s usation felt like an insult, since everyone knew about Queen Swan''s condition.


    Yet they dared not to say a thing until His Majesty said something first, as overstepping their boundaries might anger him.


    Alice didn''t care about what other people thought about her usation. As long


    as His Majesty believed in her, then the rest didn''t matter!

 Chapter 266: Execution

    Chapter 266: Chapter 266: Execution


    However, her statement was followed by a dead silence from the Beast King. The bunny thought that he needed persuasion to finally deliver judgment.


    However, she didn''t want to tell him about how she had seen Swan in her Saintess form as it might cause them to worship her even more.


    She knew all the soldiers were already worshipping Swan as if she were their true Beast Queen and Goddess. If they knew that Swan could produce holy power, then they would definitely side with Swan no matter what.


    "Your Majesty! I saw that Swan was using her dark magic to take Long Xiurong out of her prison cell! I truly saw them! Or else, there is no other way for Long Xiurong to escape, right? It''s all Swan''s dark magic!" Alice continued her usation, wishing that the Beast King would finally believe her. "I am the only witness, Your Majesty. You must trust me!"


    Gale took a deep breath and delivered his judgment, "Bring her to the city square."


    The guards moved fast. They quickly seized her and Alice struggled as hard as she could.


    "W-WHAT IS THIS?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! YOUR MAJESTY, I AM TELLING THE TRUTH!" Alice yelled as she struggled to break free. "I WOULD NEVER LIE TO YOU, YOUR MAJESTY!"


    "Enough of your nonsense," Gale shut her down. "How dare you insult my wife like this. My wife spent the night sleeping in her bed. She had a nightmare because she was in pain, the cold weather made her leg ache!"


    "S-she is using her dark magic, Your Majesty! She''s not actually crippled-!"


    "ENOUGH! GET HER OUT!" Gale''s voice thundered again in the throne room. He had a few questions about his wife, but using her of suddenly appearing in the dungeon to save both Rock and Long Xiurong was just uncalled for. It was truly an insult because Gale witnessed with his own eyes how Swan was in so much pain to the point of having a nightmarest night.


    The guards were already pissed by this chatty bunny, who kept on using their beloved Queen on top of creating this whole mess in the first ce, so they couldn''t wait to execute her as well.


    "LET ME GO! I SAID LET ME GO! I AM TELLING THE TRUTH!!" Alice tried to crawl her way back to the Beast King, but the guards already dragged her by her leg. She was yelling nonstop, wishing that the Beast King would believe her and let her go.


    But even after she lost her voice, the Beast King didn''t move an inch from his mighty throne, nor did he say a thing to stop the guards from dragging her.


    She finally lost her hope when she was finally dragged out of the throne room. She stopped yelling, but her eyes were still on the throne room''s door, wishing that the Beast King that she worshipped woulde to save her.


    Unfortunately, that never happened, and she had been truly abandoned by the Beast King.


    *


    Gale clenched the armrest as he was still trying to calm himself down. He was so angry at that bunny that he wanted to kill her swiftly with his own hands.


    But then, if he killed her like that, there''d be no public execution today, and the idea of this public execution was to make sure everyone knew to never betray the Beast King and/or insult the Beast Queen.


    Swan often told him that she got upset whenever someone dared to trick him just like those pearl merchants before. She was also angry if someone dared to mock him because she also wanted to protect his honor.


    ''I guess, I am no different. I get so angry thinking that someone dares to insult my wife. She''s suffering in our room, and yet, someone still uses her of the things she didn''t do...'' freewe?n?vel


    Gale was trying to hold himself back from visiting Swan again. However, thinking about Swan who had a nightmarest night, and probably refused to eat breakfast right now, made him too anxious.


    ''Should I go check on her again?''


    Gale asked himself. But in the end, he endured the gnawing feeling in his heart and told himself, ''No, not now. visit her at night when she''s already asleep. She still needs to understand the severity of what she has done to me.''


    **


    Alice was dragged into the city square, where many beastmen were already gathering because they were curious about who would be executed next after Lady Jade.


    They were confused when they saw a bunny beastman wearing a maid dress being dragged by her legs like a sack of bad potatoes. She was lifted and tossed to the small


    made out of wood, where Stage


    an


    executioner was ready with his


    extremely sharp axe to chop her head.


    Alice didn''t react at first, not even when her head was put on the chopping block. But then, she saw the crowd gathering in front of her, watching in horror as she was about to get executed.


    She also saw Lady Jade''s decaying head on a stake right across the city square. Her heart suddenly felt stuffy, because this wasn''t the end she expected.


    She did everything because she wanted to protect the Beast King. She also wanted to protect everyone from that crippled bitch Swan who seemed to have strange power to draw everyone to rally on her side.


    Alice was the only sane one in this absurdly insane situation.


    ''But in the end, get abandoned by my own God, the Beast King...'' Alicemented, And so what if that cripple is a Saintess? She still didn''t save me when I asked her. She''s THE Saintess! She needs to listen to all of my pleas and save me no matter what, because everyone is supposed to have salvation, right?''


    ''If you refuse to give me salvation, then I will make sure everyone in this city


    square how much of a sly bitch you are!''


    Alice took a deep breath and yelled as loud as she could;


    "QUEEN SWAN IS A WITCH!"

 Chapter 267: Off with the Bunny’s Head!

    Chapter 267: Chapter 267: Off with the Bunny''s Head!


    "QUEEN SWAN IS A WITCH!"


    "QUEEN SWAN IS A WITCH!"


    "QUEEN SWAN IS A WITCH!" freewebnovel


    Alice repeated the same sentence thrice in a row, to ensure everyone in the city square could hear her loud and clear.


    Just as she expected, everyone in the city square was silenced, which was a sign that they were all questioning the authenticity of her im, and Alice didn''t want to ruin thest chance in her life.


    "QUEEN SWAN HAS BEEN USING DARK MAGIC TO SEDUCE THE BEAST KING! SHE IS NOTHING BUT A CRIPPLED WITCH!"


    ...


    "THAT CRIPPLED BITCH SWAN IS A TRAITOR AND A SLUT! SHE


    EXCHANGED LETTERS WITH ROCK SILVERFANG AND SLEPT WITH HIM WHEN THE BEAST KING WAS AWAY!"


    ...


    "SWAN IS NOW IMPRISONED FOR HER SIN! SHE WILL DIE A CRIPPLED WITCH! AHAHAHAHA!"


    There was zero response from the beastmen who were watching her execution, which she thought was a good sign since everyone must''ve been weighing her words.


    However, an old fox beastman broke the silence and yelled, "What is this crazy bunny talking about? Our Queen has been good to us! She is not a witch!"


    "She is very beautiful and angelic! She is not a witch!"


    "She helps us all with her ration! She is not a witch!"


    "She makes our city better and safer! She is not a witch!"


    "She is our beautiful Beast Queen! She is not a witch!"


    "SHE IS NOT A WITCH!"


    "SHE IS NOT A WITCH!"


    "SHE IS NOT A WITCH!"


    Alice''s face, which was already pale, turned even paler. She desperately tried to rebuke all of these non-stop chanting from the people.


    "No! All of you have been bewitched! You are going to be sacrificed by her! She is


    "Just cut her head already! How dare you call our Queen a witch!"


    "Yes! Off with the bunny''s head!"


    "OFF WITH THE BUNNY''S HEAD!"


    "OFF WITH THE BUNNY''S HEAD!"


    Alice looked at the masses who demanded her death in despair. She had lost all of her hope now. All she could think of was her life in the castle, and how beautiful it was before Swan came and ruined everything.


    ''It''s all her fault. Had she note to the castle, the Beast King would still be the same monster. He will be cruel, cold, and won''t show all those weaknesses in front of Swan.''


    ''Had she note, I wouldn''t have been involved. I could have lived my life peacefully in the castle!'' Alice gnashed her teeth as she was burning with fury. ''I am never wrong. All did was help my people! Beastmen are meant to be stronger, why should we get ruled by a mere crippled human?!''


    ''I WILL go to heaven. I know Swan is not the real Saintess, the real one is Aria! She wille to me and lift me to heaven, and I will be victorious in the end!''


    Alice had a big grin as she wasn''t scared of death anymore. She was convinced that she would go to heaven by Saintess Aria''s holy grace. She looked at the sky as her grin widened, "I will die as a martyr and go to heaven."


    The soldiers were meant to tell the masses the reason why this bunny maid was going to be executed today. But seeing how she ndered Queen Swan even in the face of death, they thought it wasn''t necessary to announce her mistakes anymore.


    The executioner was one of the


    young soldiers who had been


    idolizing Queen Swan for so long. Of


    course, he dared not to imagine her beauty on his bed as they knew she was their Beast King''s mate, but he stiff worshiped her just like the rest of the young soldiers.


    He had been angry at this bunny for ndering his Queen, so he looked at his general, and when the general nodded at him. He lifted his sharp axe high, aiming at the bunny''s neck.


    SLASH!


    It only took one chop from the axe for Alice''s head to be severed, and rolled out of the wooden stage.


    Alice''s head fell in front of the beastmen citizens who had been angrily chanting for her death, so when her headnded on their feet, everyone started stomping, kicking, and spitting on it.


    The executioner looked at his general again as he was ready to take the head from the citizen and then put it on a stake.


    The general sighed, "Let them have it. They must be furious after that bunny ndered our Queen. We''re not ordered to put her head on a stake anyway."


    Thus, the soldiers left the city square while dragging Alice''s headless body. They nned to burn it just like what they did with Lady Jade before.


    The beastmen in the city square gradually dispersed in a grumpy mood. They were still annoyed at that bunny for ndering Queen Swan, but they still had things to do since the snow was melting, a signal that spring was just around the


    corner.


    Hence, the ones left in the city square were a bunch of beastmen kids who used Alice''s head as a ball and started kicking it around.


    They had fun until a woman wearing a hoodie suddenly appeared behind the beastman boy who was holding Alice''s head and asked, "Little boy, can I have that head?"


    The beastman boy didn''t know what species of beastman this woman was, since she was wearing a hoodie to cover her ears. However, the woman had such an intimidating gaze that he quickly handed Alice''s head to her before leaving with his friends.


    The woman took Alice''s head and went to a secluded area of the city to check on


    the head.


    Alice''s face was already


    unrecognizable since it was getting


    stomped and kicked around by


    hundreds of people. Looking at the grotesque state of the head, the woman chuckled and muttered, "Oh, Alice, do you think you''re so smart after betraying me, huh? What a dumb bunny. We could''ve killed that bitch Swan in another way, but you decided to ruin everything."

 Chapter 268: Sowing Discord

    Chapter 268: Chapter 268: Sowing Discord


    Lady Jade-who was in Meredith''s body-spat on Alice''s face as well to make sure that she got thestugh from this stupid bunny. She tossed her head to the pig den and watched as her head was getting eaten clean by the pig.


    She turned her head towards the castle, and grinned, "I am back, Gale. Don''t worry, I won''t make the same mistake this time. I will win against that crippled bitch, even if she is the true Saintess or whatever."


    ''Don''t forget your true mission, Lady Jade,'' The ne with the pink pendant she wore glinted as Ariamunicated telepathically using the pendant as the connector. ''I want you to sow even more discord between Gale and Swan, and then use the pink pendant''s special power to seduce Gale into kissing you.''


    Jade rolled her eyes. She had long wanted to kill Aria since that bitch kept ordering her around like she was a good little servant.


    Unfortunately, Jade couldn''t do that, because she relied on Aria to get a new body every year or two.


    Two days ago, Jade received a pink pendant from Aria. She said that it was infused with powerful dark magic that could hypnotize even the Beast King, bypassing the protection from the Moon Goddess.


    Jade was skeptical and didn''t believe it could work, as she had witnessed how mighty Gale truly was.


    But if this item could help her sowing even more discord between Swan and Gale, then Jade didn''t care.


    Besides, she couldn''t really ''die'' now.


    If Jade got killed in this body, her soul would just return to Aria, and Aria could just put her soul in another body without a problem. She didn''t need to fear anything, not even death.


    Nevertheless, Jade was still annoyed that she had to do all this. She was used to ordering people, not the other way around.


    ''Why don''t you do this yourself instead of making me do it? You have some amazing witchcraft. You can seed just fine without me,'' Jade protested.


    ''Didn''t I tell you that Swan is THE Saintess? What do you think will happen when she notices me? She can detect my dark energy and probably kill me instantly,'' Aria replied. ''Unlike you, who is basically immortal now. If I die, I will just die, and if-''


    freewebnovel.col


    ''If you die, then my soul will be unable to move from one body to another anymore, right?'' Jade rolled her eyes. She both felt love and hate for her new condition. She loved that she could have a beautiful, young body as her host every year or two. At the same time, she also hated that she was practically under Aria''s mercy.


    ''Just do what you have to do, and I will continue supplying you with a nice body. Who knows, if you find a beautiful beastman, you can just poison her and I will transfer your soul into the new body.''


    That offer was just too tempting for Jade to refuse. She knew it would be hard to get into Gale''s heart since she had been trying for decades to seduce him to no avail.


    But with a new body, she would eventually find the one that matched Gale''s taste and he would fall for her immediately, just like how he randomly fell in love with Swan.


    Jade continued staring at the castle and muttered, "Alright. Time to set up a believable situation, so they will take me into the castle and meet my Alpha once more."


    *


    Aria chuckled when she finished her conversation with Jade using telepathy. There was a good reason why she sent Jade instead of herself wearing the lust pendant given by Madam Harsetti.


    "The Saintess would kill me if I ever showed up again. I can''t afford to lose my witchcraft again, or worse, lose my life," Aria told herself while reading Necronomicon. "But I can send Jade to scout. Once I confirm that the lust pendant works on the Beast King, I can transfer my soul into Meredith''s body instead, and toss Jade''s soul into a random frog or duck nearby."


    Aria giggled to herself as she was satisfied with the n she concocted. Little did she know, a middle-aged woman had been peeking from the gap at the door, staring at her daughter with eyes filled with tears.


    Anastasia had been trying to tell her daughter to give up her ambition because there was no point in trying to harm Swan now that they had separate ways.


    But of course, Aria refused to listen and insisted on winning against Swan no matter what.


    On top of that, things had been very strange ever since she killed all of the vigers.


    She resurrected the vigers as undead after killing almost all of them and enved the rest who somehow survived the poisoning. The undead vigers worked on their farm and gave all their produce to the mansion.


    Aria barred all paths connecting the vige to the outside world with her power, so


    nobody could enter the vige, and they could live in ''peace'' even after the vigers were all dead.


    Anastasia had been desperately


    trying to leave the mansion, but again, Aria used her magic to make it impossible for her to ever leave, Whenever Anastasia tried to walk out of the mansion, an invisible barrier would suddenly push her back into the mansion.


    Anastasia returned to her room with a pained heart. She sat on her bed, staring at


    the undead gardener who was tending the garden outside.


    It was so bizarre that Anastasia knew she had to put a rest to this madness, or else Aria would turn into a literal devil incarnate.


    Anastasia never prayed when she was a queen, but now that she wasn''t a queen anymore, she found herself praying deeply to Goddess Asmara every day.


    Anastasia joined her hands and prayed, "Goddess, let me help my daughter. She has been led astray by my mistakes in the past. Please guide me on how to cleanse her mind, so she will be a good daughter for me."

 Chapter 269: The Beautiful and Innocent Meredith (I)

    Chapter 269: Chapter 269: The Beautiful and Innocent Meredith (1)


    Swan ate her lunch very slowly. Honestly, she still had no appetite, but whenever the cat maids reminded her of the potential cub in her stomach, she pushed herself to eat, even if she hated it.


    The baby in her belly was innocent, and she wouldn''t harm them just because she had a fight with Gale.


    The cat maids watched over their beloved Princess in aplicated mood. They hadn''t told her about Lady Long''s escape, and how Alice used her of being a witch who saved Lady Long.


    They didn''t want to overstep as her mood was still horrible, but Swan noticed their uneasiness andmented, "If you two have something to say, say it now."


    The cat maids exchanged hesitant nces before Maya nudged her twin sister to say it. Myra gulped, and she finally dropped the bomb, "Princess, we just got information that Lady Long had mysteriously escaped from the dungeonst night, just like what happened to Rock Silverfang. So the only one who gets executed today is Alice, the bunny maid."


    ...


    "I see..." Swan replied nonchntly as if the news wasn''t a surprise for her, which raised suspicion for the cat maids, as they were wondering if their Princess already knew about this beforehand.


    Swan stared at the window where her husband usually came to check on her, then added, "No need to give me that suspicious look-" Swan slowly turned her head towards the cat maid, staring at them with her empty gaze. "That bunny used me of doing witchcraft, which saved Long Xiurong, didn''t she?"


    The cat maids nodded reluctantly. They didn''t believe Alice''s im but were also curious about how the Princess would react.


    "I''ve known the rumor of me being a witch for a while. It doesn''t bother me as much. As for Long Xiurong''s escape, I''m just d that she escaped somehow," Swan said. "Maybe Rock found a secret tunnel that helped him escape before and used it to help Long Xiurong. It is only logical, right?"


    The cat maids believed that was more likely to be the case. The rumors of their beloved Princess being a witch were simply too much they didn''t dare to mention it to her. They were worried that it would only distress their Princess further.


    Swan was more focused on other problems rather than her rumor of being a witch, which was her husband.


    She continued eating the meat slowly, and asked, "How''s His Majesty doing right now? Is he still in the throne room?"


    "Yes, Princess. His Majesty has been burying himself with work in the throne room since yesterday," Maya replied, wishing that somehow these two lovebirds would quickly settle their differences and continue filling the castle with their joy of love.


    Unfortunately, Swan simply replied with a hum, and said, "Do tell me if he everes to my room. I want to know if he has been doing well. He might not need sleep, but he still gets mentally exhausted."


    "T-then, do you need us to tell him that you want him here?" Myra asked, full of hope.


    Of course, they knew that His Majesty spent the night sleeping by her side, but left before dawn. But he told the cat maids to keep this a secret or else their Princess would suffer.


    Gale knew the cat maids well. They didn''t care if they got punished by the Beast King, but if the punishment would be ced upon their Princess instead, they preferred to keep their silence.


    "No need," Swan replied. "If he wants me to stay in this room as a punishment, then I have no right to ask him toe."


    Swan continued staring out the window and saw the snow slowly melting. Her lips curled in a thin smile as she muttered, "I hope things will be better in spring."


    **


    Two days had passed since Alice''s


    public execution, and Gale was still busy in the throne room. He didn''t


    l.ne


    sleep at all, which made all the guards and servants try their best to


    match his activities despite their


    exhaustion.


    It felt like they had traveled back to the time when the Beast King still hadn''t had his Queen yet, and all he did was waging war and working on administration in the throne room nonstop.


    It was too much for the guards and servants who realized they had it good when


    the Beast King was still in a good rtionship with Queen Swan.


    *


    However, today was a little different.


    The guard from the main gate came to the Beast King''s throne room with a female human by his side.


    The female human was wearing a torn cloak and a hoodie covering half of her face. She was petite, and frail, which made her look even smaller and cuterpared to all the fierce beastmen in this throne room.


    She clenched her cloak as she could feel the ominous auraing from the man sitting on the throne.


    Gale raised his brow, and asked, "Why do you bring a human into our kingdom? I told you this kingdom is off-limits for humans except if they are invited, right?"


    The guard kneeled, followed by the woman.


    "Yes, Your Majesty. But this woman ran towards us as she was being chased by a crazed bear beastman We had killed the bear beastman and confirmed that he was not part of our kingdom''s citizens. Hewas probably a hermit living somewhere in the forest nearby."


    "Then, why don''t you just let her go? Why bring her here?" Gale continued with


    his question.


    "S-she told me that she has nowhere


    to go, Your Majesty. She said that


    she was an orphan who lived in the woods nearby. Her house got destroyed by that crazed bear beastman, and now she''s homeless," the beastman guard replied. "S-so, I thought that maybe


    we can... provide housing for her for


    now."


    Gale frowned.


    It was so strange that the usually uptight and cold gate guardian was now very


    soft when talking about the woman.

 Chapter 270: The Beautiful and Innocent Meredith (II)

    Chapter 270: Chapter 270: The Beautiful and Innocent Meredith (II)


    He could''ve just rejected that request and kicked this woman out, but her petite figure reminded him of his beloved Swan, and thus automatically gave her a pity point from Gale.


    Hence, he began to consider giving her a temporary residence.


    "Let me see your face first, human. Take off your hoodie."


    The woman fidgeted ufortably, before slowly taking off her hoodie. All the beastmen in the throne room were stunned by her beauty and innocence.


    She had beautiful red hair that shone even in the dim throne room. Her face was small, with big eyes and small lips that made her appear cute and sweet, which aligned with Queen Swan''s aesthetic.


    All the beastmen guards, and half of the servants in this castle idolized their Queen so much. That''s why when they saw someone with a simr aesthetic as her, they couldn''t help but feel excited.


    The woman lifted her head slightly, and when she realized that the Beast King was staring at her underneath the blindfold, she quickly lowered her head and fidgeted.


    "M-my name is M-Meredith, Your Majesty. I-I lived nearby in the woods, but my house has been destroyed..." Meredith-or Lady Jade¡ªsaid in a soft and hesitant tone, perfectly imitating Swan''s way of speaking when she first came to the castle. "P-pardon me for begging, Your Majesty. B-but I-I don''t have any ce to live. I-I don''t want to die. C-can I I-live here for now? I-I can work as a maid..."


    Gale''s frown grew deeper as he felt that something was off with this woman, but he couldn''t fathom what it was. Unlike the rest of the beastmen soldiers who were already smitten by her beauty, Gale found her to be pleasant-looking, but it was mostly because she looked simr to Swan, and he had no reason to rece his beloved wife with a poor imitation.


    However, he wouldn''t deny that he also let his guard down, seeing how simr she was to Swan. freewebnovel


    Anything simr or rted to his wife made him weaker and more lenient than usual, unfortunately.


    He could''ve just told her to leave, but when he imagined someone as weak as his wife dying in the forest because she had no home, Gale found himself feeling a little guilty.


    So he said, "If I allow you to work as a maid in this castle, that means you are not allowed to leave the castle anymore unless I tell you to. You will dedicate your body and heart to serve me and my wife, Queen Swan. Do you understand that?"


    Meredith looked flustered, but she quickly nodded and replied, "Y-Yes, Your Majesty! I-I am already grateful to be given a ce for safety and uhm... food to eat. I-I will do my best!"


    Gale noticed that all the beastmen in


    this throne room were already looking at her like she was some kind of prey they could eat. He knew


    that most beastmen were id new


    his wife, but dared not to fantasize


    about her because Queen Swan was only for the Beast King.


    Now that a simr-looking woman came to the castle, he got concerned about her safety instead.


    "You are going to live in the maid quarter with the rest of the servants. And you all of you," Gale said as he looked around the throne room,


    making sure all the beastmen next.


    listened to him. "I know what all of you have in mind. This human is under my protection. If any of you dare to do anything to scare her, then my punishment will not be light."


    All the beastmen in this throne room were surprised that this female human was given direct protection from the Beast King, and some of them began questioning whether the Beast King had a different intention.


    But of course, nobody dared to say it out loud, all they did was nod. Meanwhile, Gale felt proud in his heart. He had been listening to his wife''s advice many times before, including treating the non-beastman with courtesy, so they would think that the Kingdom of Beastmen weren''t only filled with mindless brutes.


    ''I miss her again. I bet if things went back to normal, and I told her this, she would snuggle to my chest, and say that she''s very proud of what I''ve done to protect this defenseless female human,'' Gale thought.


    As he imagined his wife acting cute by his side, a thin smile appeared on his lips. Everyone in the throne room thought that he was smiling at the female human, which riled them up as they thought that their Beast King was smitten by this female human''s beauty.


    Meredith''s cheeks reddened out of shame. She fidgeted ufortably, as she lowered her head deeper, "T-thank you for your protection, Y-Your Majesty. I-I will do my best to serve you..."


    "Hm, go and take her to the maid quarter, and give her proper room, outfit, and bedding. She will be part of my castle''s servant for now," Gale instructed the guard.


    "Pardon my question, Your Majesty. Will you allow this female human to live with us permanently?" one of the guards inside the throne room asked. "We could''ve just built her a stronger hut somewhere near her home."


    "If she got attacked by a crazed bear beastman there before, then that ce is not safe anymore. Besides, this is a matter that my wife will solve, Gale said. "My wife is the only female human in this castle, and


    she''s in charge of handling the servants. If she thinks this female human deserves to live here, so be it, but if she doesn''t want her, then we can just send her out of the kingdom and build her a stronger hut somewhere else."


    The guards nodded as they silently agreed to the Beast King''s decision.


    It was true that Queen Swan was the one in charge of the servants, while the Beast King was in charge of the soldiers and guards in the castle. As for administrative problems, they usually handled the cases together... when they didn''t have an ongoing cold war.

 Chapter 271: The Beautiful and Innocent Meredith (III)

    Chapter 271: Chapter 271: The Beautiful and Innocent Meredith (III)


    Meredith was taken by the guard to the maid quarter where she was given a maid outfit, bedding, and her first meal after a while.


    The other maids were looking at her suspiciously, as they didn''t like a stranger to barge into their quarters, especially when that stranger was a human.


    Some of the maids already harbored a dislike towards Queen Swan because she was a human. Despite all the good things Swan had done, they still thought she didn''t deserve to be their Queen as she had no physical capability unlike the Beast King.


    Nevertheless, they didn''t dare to confront Meredith directly, as the guard told them that she was under His Majesty''s protection.


    Except for one senior maid, a gazelle beastman, who walked to Meredith''s bed and asked in a somewhat arrogant and challenging tone, "Wee to the Beastman''s maid quarter. I heard from the guard that your name is Meredith, right?"


    "Y-yes, Ma''am," Meredith nodded bashfully. "I-I am the only human in this maid quarter, but I-I will do my best!"


    The gazelle maid scoffed, "What can you do anyway? You are just a human. You tire out easily, and you don''t have any advantagepared to us."


    Meredith could feel the pressure as this senior gazelle maid and also the other maids were staring at her with suspicious looks. They treated her like an outsider, and she knew she had to do something or else she''d be bullied in this maid quarter.


    Thus, Meredith took off her cloak and showed them the ne with a pink pendant. The pink pendant glinted for a second, and Meredith replied, "I-I''m sorry, Ma''am. I-I will do my best. I just want to w-work so I can survive. I-I need a ce to stay after that crazy bear beastman destroyed my hut."


    The gazelle maid alongside the rest of the people in the maid quarter stared at the pink pendant on Meredith''s neck, and they suddenly lowered their guard, feeling sympathetic for Meredith, and developed this fondness for her almost instantly.


    "Ah... uhm... uh..." The senior gazelle maid felt guilty for intimidating such a cute and powerless female human. "D-doesn''t matter. I just want to make sure you are aware of your duty as a maid here. I''m not going to go easy on you."


    "Y-yes, Ma''am! I will do my absolute best!"


    The gazelle maid left the quarter, and her absence quickly thawed the frozen wall between Meredith and the rest of the maid beastmen. They quickly gathered around Meredith and startedplimenting her.


    "Oh my, your skin is so soft, Meredith! Are all humans like this?"


    "N-not all," Meredith replied bashfully.


    "Your hair is almost simr to a fox''s fur. Are you sure you''re not a fox beastman?"


    "I-I am just a normal human..." Meredith confirmed.


    "You look so cute. You remind me of Her Majesty, Queen Swan! Oh, maybe you can be her maid instead since both of you are female humans!"


    "C-can I do that?" Meredith asked. "I-I''ve known about Queen Swan''s beauty from the beastmen who came to the forest to forage or hunt. W-will she ept me?"


    "Oh, for sure! Queen Swan is very kind. I''m sure you can be her maid to help Myra and Maya as well!"


    "T-then, I sure hope I can be useful for the Beast Queen."


    "Don''t worry, we will tell the cat maids about you, so they may introduce you to Her Majesty!"


    Jade was exhausted from having to deal with these maids.


    In the past, when she was still in her real body, these maids wouldn''t even dare to


    lift their heads in front of her, because Jade was well known to be oppressive and cruel with her punishment.


    ''Had it not for this mission. I


    would''ve just killed them all right


    now,'' Jade scowled in her heart, but


    she kept her bashful and sweet ved


    facade making sure that she looked as simr as Swan. ''I don''t understand how that crippled bitch can act like this for so long. I am already exhausted from having to act like a weak woman who has been bullied since she was a kid. Swan must''ve been an adept actress.''


    Unfortunately, Jade had no choice but to cater to these chatty maids. After all, she was the one who used the pink pendant''s ability to subconsciously change their perspective on her.


    Aria told her that the pink pendant had the ability to make her seem more likable and pitiful. It would change people''s consciousness, so it would be easier for Jade to influence others.


    Aria also mentioned there were only two kinds of people who were immune to it; the Saintess, for an obvious reason, and those who had a deep love for someone else.


    The Saintess was immune to the effect, but for those who were deeply in love, Jade could still activate the pink pendant''s one-time-use ability to override that love and hypnotize them for a few minutes. freewebnovel


    Jade doubted that Gale''s love for Swan was that deep, considering they had only known each other for almost a year. However, even if Gale was already deeply in love with Swan, she could always use the one-time ability to make him lose his interest in Swan.


    ''This is a perfect setup for me. Even if Swan uses her holy power to kill me, my soul will simply return to Aria and I can be revived. This is the best way to avenge what she did to me,'' Jade still vividly remembered her death. Swan had all the power in her hand to tell Gale to spare her, but she didn''t. Instead, all Swan did was to watch her die, with her head put on a stake as the worst humiliation she ever had in life. ''Just you wait, Swan. Do you think you can get away from me? I will make your life miserable by stealing Gale from you, so you will feel what I felt when you stole my man from me!''

 Chapter 272: Gale’s New Maid

    Chapter 272: Chapter 272: Gale''s New Maid


    As usual, Swan was sitting on her chair, staring out the window while eating her lunch very slowly. It was the fourth day of her punishment, and she still thought that Gale hadn''t visited their marital bedroom ever since.


    However, for some reason, she always felt sofortable at night, as if Gale was still hugging her tightly and burying her face in his warm chest. However, when she asked the cat maids whether the Beast King came to check on her, the cat maids would always deny it.


    So she spent the days wishing that things could change somehow.


    The cat maids were very worried about the Princess who kept eating slowly and barely had any appetite. But they had good news today, so they hoped it would help lift her mood a bit.


    "Princess, His Majesty epted a new maid yesterday," Maya mentioned.


    "Is that so? Then, make sure to give her proper bedding in the maid quarter, and give her a job that is easier than most, since she is just getting started. She needs to get used to the activities in the castle first," Swan replied, but her eyes were still staring at the window. "What kind of beastman species is she?"


    "Uhm... Princess, she is a human."


    "A human?!" Swan turned her head instantly. She stared at the cat maids with a bewildered look. "My husband is epting a human maid into the castle?!"


    "Y-yes, Princess! We''ve been wanting to introduce her to you, so you can judge her yourself," Myra replied. "She is currently working to clean up the guest room since it''s the easiest duty we have."


    "Am I allowed to check her? My husband told me I''m not allowed to see anyone." Swan hesitated.


    "His Majesty told the guard that you are the one who is in charge of the servants. So this is an exception, Princess."


    "Alright, then let her in."


    The cat maids scurried out of the room to find the new female human maid.


    The door was knocked from the outside after a while, followed by the cat maid''s voice, "Princess, we''ve returned with the new maid."


    "Come in."


    The cat maids opened the door, and they entered the room first. Behind them was a female human who stunned Swan when she made her entrance.


    This new maid had a petite figure like Swan, but her legs were fully functioning. She had long red hair that looked lovely, paired with her small face and her doe eyes.


    She had a few freckles on her cheek and nose, making her even cuter and adorable.


    She didn''t look like Aria, because Aria was always confident, but this woman looked shy and meek... which reminded Swan of herself.


    The cat maids gently pushed Meredith''s back to make her take a step toward the Queen, and Meredith bashfully approached Queen Swan.


    She bowed and greeted, "M-my name is M-Meredith, Your Majesty. The cat maids said that y-you have s-summoned me..."


    ''Even her voice and the way she speaks reminds me of myself,'' Swan thought.


    ''Am I just overthinking this or did Gale take her in because-''


    Swan dared not toplete her thoughts. She didn''t want to think of her husband badly. After spending time with Gale for almost a year, she preferred to believe that Gale was still very much in love with her, especially now that she was most probably pregnant with his cub.


    She had heard from the cat maids that ze Silverfang and the rest of the scouts were still trying to find Matoa, the miracle doctor who always traveled far and


    wide, making his track really difficult to follow.


    ''So I have to wait for Matoa toe, to finally know if I am truly pregnant or not...'' Swan had such a high hope in her heart, especially after Gale told her that he could detect the scent of a cub in her body. ''I hope that I am truly pregnant, so Gale won''t just toss me out..."


    Swan stared at the woman in front of her.


    Though she truly believed that Gale was still very much in love with her, the insecurity in Swan''s heart slowly grew.


    She was afraid that Gale was too angry at her for her rebellious attitude towards him and wanted a woman who looked simr to her but was still meek, obedient, and weak-willed, just like this woman.


    Nevertheless, she still smiled at the new maid and asked, "Your name is Meredith, right?"


    "Y-yes, Your Majesty!"


    "Where do youe from, and how did you end up in this castle?"


    Meredith exined everything that happened to her in line with the exnation she gave to the Beast King. That sob story was enough to make even the Beast King sympathize a little,bined with her pink pendant, nobody should be able to resist her.


    Swan was immune to the pink pendant, but she still sympathized with Meredith. "So, you are an orphan who lives alone in the woods nearby?"


    "Y-yes, Your Majesty. The woods aren''t safe anymore, s-so I--"


    "It''s okay, I get it," Swan smiled. "I have no reason to reject you, and since you''ve been assigned the job of cleaning up the guest rooms every day, then you can do just that."


    "T-then, am I allowed to clean His Majesty''s new room as well?" Meredith asked. Swan frowned, "His Majesty''s... new room?"


    "Y-yes, l-I''ve been informed by the guard that H-His Majesty will take up the guest room on this floor for him to r-rest. I-I got c-confused if I''m allowed to clean it..." Meredith asked meekly.


    Again, Swan was caught off guard as she wasn''t informed about this.


    But then again, she was being punished with istion right now, so she was not supposed to know in the first ce.


    "Is that so..." Swan nced at the cat maids, who shook their heads, as they also hadn''t heard about this. Swan felt a bit bitter knowing that her husband was keeping a secret from her, but she had no right toin since she was also hiding a lot of stuff from him. "Well, I suppose you can do that since my husband hasn''t told me anything about him upying the guest room on this floor." freewebnovel

 Chapter 273: Even the Kindest Heart Can Feel Jealousy

    Chapter 273: Chapter 273: Even the Kindest Heart Can Feel Jealousy


    "T-then, please excuse me, Your Majesty. I-I still have many things to do!" Meredith bowed once more and scurried out of Swan''s room.


    Meredith seemed to be a very meek, honest and hardworking girl, which reminded Swan of herself when she was just a maid working in the Holy Achate Pce.


    ''But she is cuter and has a pair of working legs,'' Swan thought.


    As ridiculous as it seemed, she still felt a bit envious of women who weren''t a cripple like her. Sometimes, she fantasized about wearing those beautiful heels that Aria wore, which made a rhythmic tapping sound that alerted everyone whenever she strutted at a party.


    Swan also wanted to dance, just like Aria when she danced with those men at the party.


    Swan had no intention of dancing with those men, simply because she wasn''tfortable with those men to begin with.


    However, she still wished to dance alone in her room before. Now that she already had a husband whom she loved so much, Swan wished that she could dance with Gale.


    ''I should''ve danced with him in the dream before,'' Swan thought. ''Maybe if I can enter his dream again, I will ask him to dance with me. It would be fantastic.''


    Unfortunately, as much as Swan loved the idea, she knew it was all just a dream in the end, and she still couldn''t dance with her husband in real life.


    ''Does that mean Meredith can dance with Gale if he finally moves on from me instead?'' Swan thought, and her heart began to burn in jealousy as she imagined Gale dancing with another woman.


    She knew that she wasn''t supposed to feel this way when Gale hadn''t done anything wrong, but it made her mad just imagining Gale with another woman.


    ''This loneliness will make me go mad. How long will I have to suffer? Does he not realize I can feel very lonely too?!''


    Swan felt overstimted for a moment. She quickly looked away to the window, so the cat maids wouldn''t see her eyes zing with tears.


    After she calmed down, Swan told herself;


    ''Don''t be selfish, Swan. You''re being punished for a mistake that should''ve cost your life. It was already fortunate enough that Gale spared you. You have no ce to question whatever he wants to do.''


    Swan kept telling herself that she would be alright if Gale ended up doing something with that new maid.


    But the more she tried to convince herself, the more she knew she was just lying to herself.


    She was, in the end, still a human.


    She was selfish and wanted Gale all for herself.


    ''Oh, Goddess, what should I do if my husband decides to wed that woman as well? I do not want to share my husband with anyone...'' Swan asked deep in her heart.


    Soon after, she heard the voice of the Saintess in her head, asking her a very simple, yet painful question, ''And what would you do if that ever happened, Swan?''


    Swan closed her eyes as a drop of tear flowed from the corner of her eye. She caressed her belly and said, ''If that ever happens, then I hope I can just disappear into foam in the sea. So he will never find me, no matter how hard he tries...''


    **


    Gale had been reliving his bachelor life these days.


    Before he got married to Swan, he was still doing the usual male wolf activities, such as working in the


    throne room, going on a war to.


    protect his kingdom, went to bel


    big prey to eat; giant falcon, tiger, or even elephant, andstly, went to his privateke, bathe himself and rest after a long day. Sometimes, he


    would rub his manhood on a certain


    tree bark just to relieve himself,


    since he didn''t feel like marking or


    mating with any woman before he met Swan.


    He didn''t need sleep, but sometimes, when he was mentally exhausted, he still went to his privateke to take a quick nap under the moonlight, or went to Sacred Selene Lake and dipped himself in the cold water to wash away all the mental exhaustion.


    However, he knew that he shouldn''t continue his bachelor lifestyle for long. After all, he had Swan by his side, and even if they were still having a cold war, Gale still believed that the tense situation between them would eventually subside after ze and the rest of the scouts brought Matoa.


    ''That old man needs to stay in one ce. He''s already so old and still travels alone,'' Gale thought. ''If they still can''t find him, then I guess ¡ý will just take Swan to Sacred Selene Lake in summer. Hot summer should be the safest time of the year, so she won''t feel sick, or feel constant aching on her leg.''


    Gale couldn''t wait to bring her to the Sacred Selene Lake, but the path would be


    way too cold and dangerous for her if they went right away, so he had to be


    patient.


    ''I''m sure she is pregnant with our cub, possibly a male cub, but she won''t be convinced without a proper diagnosis. I need either Matoa or that stupid white rabbit in theke,'' Gale thought.


    He smiled as he strode his way to


    eline


    mbet


    the guest room where he decided to stay for now, so he would be ready to protect his wife even if they couldnt be in the same room. bet Swan will be very happy knowing that she is pregnant, then we will forget about the entire problem with Rock Silverfang and start anew. It''s never toote to start a real family this time with our cub, right?''


    Gale was feeling giddy as he entered the guest room which should''ve been prepared for him.


    However, when he stepped into the room, he saw the new female human maid, Meredith, looking busy trying to clean the carpet.


    Meredith took a step back, and her back identally bumped into a wall that somehow felt warm.


    She turned her head and went pale instantly when she realized she had just bumped into none other than the Beast King himself

 Chapter 274: The Clumsy Cute Maid

    Chapter 274: Chapter 274: The Clumsy Cute Maid


    "Y-Your Majesty!" Meredith panicked. She quickly pushed herself away from the Beast King, scared that she had offended him because of her clumsiness. She bowed in a flustered manner and said, "Pardon me, Your Majesty. I-I was busy cleaning the carpet, I-I didn''t know that you''re here already!"


    Meredith''s ears and face were red, and for a second when Meredith was close to him, he could smell the faint scent of wild berries. Gale didn''t have any opinion yet about this female human, and honestly, he didn''t care much because he was busy thinking about how to find Matoa and make Swan happy about her pregnancy.


    But he had one question in mind to her;


    "Didn''t the guards tell the servants about this room? I will only use it for now, so I can sleep on the same floor with my wife."


    "Y-yes, Your Majesty. H-Her Majesty Queen Swan told me that I should clean this room as well. I-I know that you''ll use this room, so I''ve been trying my best to keep it s-spotless..." Meredith replied.


    "My wife told you to clean this room? My room?" Gale frowned. "Does she know that I''ll stay here?"


    "Y-yes..."


    Gale''s brows creased even deeper. He noticed that Swan was actually a very jealous woman. She might not show it, but she would never let a female servant help Gale in the throne room. It was always a male servant or just the guard.


    Gale found her jealousy and possessiveness to be very cute and endearing, so he didn''t say anything and simply enjoyed the feeling of being wanted by his wife.


    Hence, he found it strange that Swan would allow a maid¡ªespecially a female human- to clean his room, especially when she knew that he would use it.


    He peered at Meredith behind the blindfold, thinking this woman might be lying. But then realized there was no good reason why she should lie over this.


    ''Is she losing her feelings for me? Was my punishment too harsh on her, so she decided to just let go of her possessiveness?'' Gale might look calm, but he was panicking inside. ''No, no, calm down, Gale. Swan will never lose her feelings for you over this small punishment. It''s only been four days. She probably thinks there''s no reason to be so on guard against this female human, right?''


    Gale tried to convince himself through his sea of doubts. He looked around the room and said, "This ce is clean enough. You can leave now."


    Meredith quickly gathered all her cleaning tools, bowed for thest time, and rushed out of the room. However, the moment she scurried out of the door, she identally tripped and fell right in front of the Beast King.


    "Uuuh... aw..." Meredith grimaced in pain as her head hit the floor, but it didn''t take long for her to get up again, "I-I''m sorry, Y-your Majesty, I get a little clumsy when I''m nervous. I-I will do my best not to trip anymore!"


    "Hm. Go now," Gale replied calmly.


    Meredith finally bowed for thest time and left the room. Gale mmed the door shut and sat on the bed. He took off his blindfold and stared at the ceiling with his ruby-colored pupils.


    As usual, his mind was preupied with his wife. He had no fear of his enemies, but the idea of Swan losing her love for him was more fearsome than any enemies he ever faced.


    Gale gritted his teeth.


    He was torn between keeping his pride, so Swan would learn that she made a mistake and needed to be punished for it, or tossing his pride aside and going to their marital bedroom to cuddle like usual as if there was nothing wrong between them.


    "Urgh, fine! Once they''ve found Matoa and let him diagnose her pregnancy, I will let go of this whole thing and we can start anew," Gale grumbled as he knew he had to do something before this gnawing feeling in his heart drove him crazy.


    He was still angry at Swan for betraying him by exchanging letters with Rock. He still wanted to hunt that bastard down and kill him for all the humiliation Gale felt.


    At the same time, he had such a soft spot for his wife that he couldn''t stay mad at her for a long time.


    ''Just one more week, Gale,'' Gale told himself. He had gotten the report from the scouts about how they were finally able to track Matoa down, but it was not easy to bring him to the castle as he always had 1001 reasons not to.


    ''Should I just leave the castle and find him myself? But what about Swan and our cub? I am supposed to stay in the den in case there will be a danger lurking around.''


    In the end, he decided to wait for the good news and endure these lonely days without Swan by his side.


    **


    Meanwhile, Jade in Meredith''s body lost all of her cuteness and clumsiness once she was out of the room. He rubbed her forehead and cursed Gale for not helping


    her.


    ''Obviously, he could''ve just caught


    me before I fell. Why would he let her fall just like that? Does he not have a sense of chivalry for the


    females?!'' Jadeined, bl


    she


    also felt happy deep down, since that was the first time in her life she could be that close with Gale.


    Usually, Gale would always keep his distance from her and would show his rejection when Jade tried to ease him up.


    ''No wonder those bitches like to be embraced by him. His chest is so warm and


    feels safe. I want to be embraced by him too,'' Jade smirked.


    That smirk didn''tst long as she remembered some gossip about Swan''s pregnancy, and how everyone was waiting for Matoa, the miracle doctor toe and check on her pregnancy.


    "If that old bastard confirms her


    pregnancy, then it will be the end of me. There is no way Gale would pick another woman other than his pregnant wife,'' Jade thought. have to move faster. I have to do O something and seduce Gale to kiss-or even better, to have sex with me before it''s toote.''

 Chapter 275: I want to be wanted by you

    Chapter 275: Chapter 275: I want to be wanted by you


    Unfortunately, poison was simply out of the question. Based on what Aria told her, Swan had already manifested her holy power, and that meant she was immune to any poison, as her body would constantly cleanse any harmful toxin inside her.


    ''That is okay. I can''t poison her, but I can still drug Gale with a light aphrodisiac, so it will rouse his interest to touch this virgin body,'' Jade grinned perversely. ''Besides, Swan and Gale are having a cold war right now. He''d eventually give up when he starts building pent-up horniness after not touching Swan for too long.''


    Jade entered another guest room, but rather than cleaning it immediately, she posed in front of the full-body mirror. Meredith was truly blessed, with her meek and cute appearance which could make all men want to protect her in an instant.


    ''On top of that, Meredith is very simr to Swan. This body is perfect for seducing Gale when he is at his wit''s end. He''d be too horny to even differentiate between Swan and me, and things will be smooth sailing from that point onward,'' Jade thought. ''Now, how do I approach this? I don''t think I can feed him with an aphrodisiac since he only eats cooked food with Swan. Otherwise, he would just hunt for his food outside and eat it raw.''


    Jade was thinking of the best way to drug Gale without alerting anyone while she continued her duty as a maid, cleaning the guest room.


    She stopped cleaning when her eyes darted at the vase of lilies on the drawer next to the bed.


    Her smirk grew malicious as she muttered, "Of course, he doesn''t need to eat the aphrodisiac. He can just inhale it. He has enhanced senses and a bit of those aphrodisiacs I put on a flower would be enough to make him lose his mind."


    "Hm, I probably should only give him a little, not too much. I still have a week or two before they bring Matoa back to the castle," Jade carefully considered her options so she could create a perfect setup for Gale to cheat on his crippled wife. "I will ask Aria about the one-time ability of this pink pendant. She said it''s so powerful that the hypnosis can even bypass the Moon Goddess'' protection. So it should be effective for Gale. A tiny dose of daily aphrodisiac should be all it takes to seduce him. All I need to do is to make him cheat on his wife. If he wants to fuck me, I should get a better body, so our offspring will be strong too."


    **


    As usual, Gale waited until midnight before he got up from the bed, and walked at a somewhat rushed pace to their marital bedroom door, which the cat maids were guarding.


    He stood menacingly, but his question to the cat maids was actually sweet, "Is my wife asleep now?"


    "Yes, Your Majesty. Her Majesty sleeps around nine or ten these days."


    "Good, open the door, I want to cuddle with her."


    The cat maids obeyed, and they opened the door for the Beast King.


    Gale held his breath as he saw his wife sleeping peacefully on their marital bed. Her hands were on her stomach, which was a sign that she fell asleep while caressing her belly.


    "How about her morning sickness?" Gale asked, not moving an inch from his position at the door. "Does she still experience it? Did she drink her ginger tea with a medicine from the doctor to make herself feel better every morning?"


    "Yes, Your Majesty. She drank the medicine, but it didn''t do anything. Queen Swan''s pregnancy is unique since she is a female human


    carrying the child of a beastmel


    so


    none of the medicine-both from the beastmen doctor or human doctor works on her."


    Gale''s lips thinned.


    His heart was aching. He knew his wife was in so much pain due to her


    pregnancy. She was just a frail female human who had to carry the seed from the strongest cursed wolf in history.


    Yet, she still insisted on bearing the child despite her difficulty.


    ''Am I too cruel for giving her punishment despite her pregnancy?'' Gale thought. The guilt of


    imprisoning his wife began to


    consume him inside out, to the


    he couldn''t even bear to face his


    point


    wife when she was awake. The cold wind blew from the corridor and entered Swan''s room. She stirred in her sleep and instinctively pulled her nket so she was covered up to her neck. "P-Pardon me, Your Majesty. But are you going to enter the room now? The corridor has some open areas that blow cold


    wind. It probably will make Queen Swan sick if we don''t close the door immediately."


    Gale finally stepped in, and the cat maids hurriedly closed the door to make sure


    their Princess could get all the warmth inside the room.


    Gale walked towards his wife and kneeled at the side of the bed.


    Never in a million years would he ever kneel before anyone in his life, not even


    that wretched Moon Goddess.


    But in front of his wife, he wanted to kneel while shey on the bed, as no matter what he did, he felt powerless in front of her.


    "What should do, wife? Should I just


    stop the punishment and act like


    there is nothing wrong between us?"


    Gale murmured. He grabbed her hand and warmed it up with his naturally hot palms. "But I can''t. We both know that we cannot just ignore everything that happened. Why do you have to lie to me? Why do you have to talk with Rock Silverfang? Have you been charmed by him?"


    Gale also couldn''t ignore the restlessness he felt because of that new maid.


    "Why do you let that female human to clean my room? Are you not jealous? Wife, please get jealous, please get possessive over me. I want to be wanted by you."

 Chapter 276: You don’t believe in your prayers

    Chapter 276: Chapter 276: You don''t believe in your prayers


    The past Gale would definitelyugh at his current self for begging to a weak female human. But he couldn''t care less about his title as the Beast King right now.


    All he wanted was for his wife to finally admit her mistake, and they could start anew once Matoa gave her a proper diagnosis of her pregnancy.


    "Sweetheart, why don''t you ask the cat maids to call me? I will immediately walk into this room while you''re awake if you want me to. Why do you insist on going on with this punishment rather than let go of your pride and talk to me?"


    Galeid on the bed very carefully so as not to wake his beloved. However, seeing how his beloved was in a deep nightmarish sleep, he quickly hugged her from behind to ease her up.


    Swan''s breath gradually slowed down, and her nightmare dissipated when she could feel his warmth.


    Gale let out a small smile while kissing her hair and her nape. He inhaled the scent around her nape deeply, and just as he expected, the obvious scent of a male cub could be found inside Swan''s body. Gale continued to chat with his sleeping wife, "We''re going to have a male cub, Sweetheart. Do you already have a name for him? I''ve been thinking of a few names. There is this legendary Alpha who protected the Storm Pack named Wynd. We can name our son that. Oh, I also think that we can use myte father''s name, Cloud Stormfront. I have a lot more on my list, but I''m waiting for yours, so we can find a good name for him."


    Gale wished that he could talk with his beloved normally again. He didn''t even care about her betrayal all that much now, because he was genuinely craving for her.


    However, that didn''t make him want to kill Rock Silverfang any less. He still wanted that bastard and his little wife, Long Xiurong, dead.


    "Just one more week, Sweetheart. If that old doctor still hasn''t arrived in a week, then I will find him myself. I''ll make it quick because I don''t want to leave you for too long," Gale whispered, before closing his eyes.


    He didn''t sleep as he didn''t want Swan to wake up seeing him by her side.


    But this feeling of embracing his wife was too addictive for him to let go.


    *


    That night, Swan had such a beautiful dream.


    In that dream, she could walk on her two feet around a beautiful garden filled with spring flowers. She was apanied by her beloved husband, and also a little boy around three years old who had wolf ears and tail.


    He looked like the toddler version of Gale. From his hair, his smile, down to his facial features except for his eyes.


    This boy had Swan''s blue eyes, instead of Gale''s red.


    It was such a beautiful moment, but Swan knew it was all just a dream.


    Nevertheless, she still indulged in it, because it might be the only paradise in her world right now.


    Swan finally sat on a bench while watching her husband carrying their son on his shoulder, running around the flower garden as the warm sun highlighted the joy on their faces.


    "What do you think of this dream, Swan?" Swan turned her head and saw her other half-the Saintess-sitting right next to her. "Don''t you want this kind of life?"


    Swan smiled at the Saintess and nodded, "Yes, I want this life. But it''s not possible, right? After all, I don''t think Gale and I can return to how it used to be, and..." Swan looked down to her leg. "... my leg."


    "What makes you think this is not possible? You are the Goddess'' daughter," the Saintess replied while smiling at Swan. "All you need to do is to believe in your prayer."


    ...


    Swan was silenced because she knew the Saintess wouldn''t lie to her.


    "You don''t believe in any of this, Swan," the Saintess pointed out. "You don''t believe you deserve a


    good life with your husband. Y


    don''t believe you deserve to have a child. You also don''t believe that you deserve to walk on your two feet."


    Swan lowered her head.


    She fiddled with her fingers ufortably as she admitted that the Saintess was right.


    "I don''t know


    how


    to cast this doubt aside, Saintess," Swan muttered. "I don''t deserve to have such a good life with him after I betrayed him. want to give birth to his cub, but at the same time, I pity my child because he would be born without a warm family. I''ve been living as a cripple my whole life, so I can''t even imagine the other way."


    "You keep saying I need to believe, but I don''t know how to believe," Swan


    continued. "Sometimes, I don''t even believe that I deserve to exist."


    The Saintess chuckled as if she found Swan''s statement to be funny.


    "I-I''m serious, Saintess!"


    "And it is seriously funny," Saintess replied with a smile. She gently held Swan''s hand and said, "Look straight to your husband and future child."


    Swan followed the instruction from the Saintess.


    "Do you think they deserve to be happy?"


    Swan nodded.


    "Do you want to do anything to make them happy?"


    Swan nodded again.


    "Then try your best to believe in your prayers, not for your betterment, but for theirs," Saintess said. "You have a kind heart, Swan. But just like other Saintesses before you, self-sacrifice is always necessary to give others what you can''t have." Swan kept staring at her husband and their future child. Her heart was brimming with both joy and sadness.


    "Saintess, what should I do to give them a happy life? My husband has been suffering for so long, and I don''t want my child to suffer in the future as well."


    "The answer you seek will find you soon, Swan. However, you need to know it will be painful. So painful that you might want to turn into sea foam and disappear forever," the Saintess solemnly warned. "But they are all necessary to awaken your true gift, and to banish evil from this world."


    "Only that way, you can finally give them a good life."

 Chapter 277: Lily of the Valley

    Chapter 277: Chapter 277: Lily of the Valley


    Swan opened her eyes and found herself alone on her bed. It was strange that she always felt warm when she was asleep, but whenever she woke up, there was only her on this warm bed, and the warmth she felt all night mysteriously disappeared.


    She asked the cat maids a few times, and they always said nobody came to the room at night, so she was left confused all the time.


    Nevertheless, her dream tonight was vivid, and seeing how happy Gale was with their son motivated Swan a lot.


    She knew she had to be prepared for self-sacrifice. Even though she had no idea how and when it would happen, she held onto the Saintess'' words that it wouldn''t be long until Swan got the answer she sought.


    ''Even if it will cost me my life, or my happiness, I will make sure that Gale will be happy!''


    **


    Jade walked into Gale''s room with a vase filled with lilies of the valley. She had coated the lily with aphrodisiac powder she madest night.


    She could''ve just sprayed a lot of it, but she didn''t want Gale to go into a rut and kill her in the process of mating.


    Jade put the vase on the bedside table, making sure the position was ideal for Gale to inhale the powder whenever he fell asleep. After that, she cleaned around the room.


    She tried sticking her nose on the bed sheet, wanting to inhale the masculine scent of the Beast King, but strangely enough, there was no scent of him at all as if he hadn''t slept in herest night.


    "Huh, strange. He has such a unique, strong masculine scent that should''ve lingered on the bed even if he took a bath in thekest night," Jade pondered.


    She was disappointed, but there wasn''t much she could do, so she just cleaned the rest and left the room.


    The moment she opened the door, she bumped into Gale who had just finished his morning breakfast by hunting an eagle in the south. His body reeked of blood, and there was still a trace of blood at the corner of his lips.


    "What are you doing here?" Gale asked coldly.


    "Ah! P-pardon me, Your Majesty. I-I was just cleaning the room as usual!" Meredith replied as she bowed.


    "Hrm. No need to clean it in the morning. I don''t sleep in here at night after all," Gale said.


    Meredith was surprised, "Why not, Your Majesty?"


    "Because I''m sleeping with my wife, obviously," Gale replied. "Now go, I want to rest for a bit before going to the throne room."


    Jade felt humiliated once again. She thought she already had a head-start because Gale and Swan were having a cold war, but what was the use of the said cold war when they still shared their marital bed at night?


    Unfortunately, there was nothing she could say or do about it, so she just bowed and left.


    ''All I can do right now is to wait until he inhales enough aphrodisiac powder, then use the pink pendant power to hypnotize him into sleeping with me.''


    *


    Gale sat on the bed. He felt at ease after spending the night with his beloved.


    He felt even better after hearing how Swan kept murmuring his name in her sleep, which meant that he was present in her beautiful dreams.


    ''I knew we were still very much in love with each other, Sweetheart. All we need is


    to let time heal us both, then we can go on with our usual married life, right?'' Gale smiled. He was in a great mood today. freewebnovel


    As hey on the bed, he noticed a new vase next to the bed containing the lily of the valley.


    "Did that human maid put it here to decorate the room?" Gale


    **


    Two more days passed, and Gale felt there was something wrong with him.


    He couldn''t focus at all. His gaze often blurred when he was in the throne room, and his body could feel the heat.


    Of course, he was not foolish enough not to realize what was happening to him. He was feeling pent-up.


    ''I need to sleep with my wife, but... surely, this pent-up situation can be solved by rubbing it on a tree bark right?'' Gale thought. It was his old method before he got married to Swan, but he doubted it''d feet as good since he had Swan already. ''There is no other way though. I''ll have to bear it until Swan and I make up with each other.''


    vel


    Gale had no intention to hide his huge erection underneath his pants. The other beastmen in the throne. room were aware of their Beast King''s state and knew that he wanted to mate with his beloved. However, the cold war between them prevented him from doing so.


    Fortunately, the scout who arrived early in the morning had good news for him.


    The owl scout kneeled in front of the Beast King and reported, "Your Majesty, we''ve sessfully tracked down the miracle doctor, Matoa."


    Gale raised his brows, he could barely contain his excitement, "And when will he arrive at my castle?"


    "He¡ªand the other scout members are on their way back to the castle. ze Silverfang is carrying him so they can return faster. If our estimation is correct, they should arrive after dusk, possibly around nine or ten."


    "Good. Let hime directly to my wife''s room once he''s arrived. I''ll take a bath in my privateke first beforeing to her room," Gale said, which was an obvious sign that he wanted to be clean before mating with his beloved wife.


    Finally, for the first time after almost a week, a big smile appeared on Gale''s face as he was impatient to mate with Swan again.

 Chapter 278: Lake Full of Aphrodisiac

    Chapter 278: Chapter 278: Lake Full of Aphrodisiac


    Jade overheard everything.


    She had been working near the throne room and managed to eavesdrop on the guards'' conversation as they were in a great mood.


    "Once Matoa arrives and confirms Her Majesty''s pregnancy, they will finally make up, and things will go back to normal," a guard said as he was on his way to have lunch.


    "Mhm. I can''t bear this cold war between them. By the way, that miracle doctor will arrive at night, right?"


    "Yes! Haha, do you remember what His Majesty said after knowing that?"


    The other beastman guard chuckled, "About how he will take a bath in hiske while Queen Swan gets herself checked by Matoa? It''s obvious he wants to mate after cleaning up."


    The beastmen guards wereughing, but Jade, who overheard everything, was not amused.


    She didn''t expect Matoa to arrive so early. She thought it''d take him at least another week toe.


    ''No, I can''t let Swan and Gale mate again. Their bond will be too strong for me to seduce Gale at that point,'' Jade thought anxiously. ''I have no choice but to seduce him tonight. Since he will go to his privateke before meeting with Swan, that can be my golden opportunity.''


    Hence, Jade went to a secluded area and activated her telepathy with Aria.


    ''What is it this time?'' Aria asked.


    ''That miracle doctor will confirm Swan''s pregnancy tonight. If that ever happens, there is no way we can ever break them apart,'' Jade reported. ''Gale will bathe in his privateke tonight, that will be my only chance to ever seduce him. Tell me, what is the real effect of the pendant''s one-time ability?''


    Aria chuckled, ''I didn''t know it''d be so soon, but whatever. The pink pendant''s true hypnosis power is to awaken the darkest, unresolved desire that a man has in his heart. Sometimes, even he doesn''t know his deepest desire.''


    ''Deepest desire...'' freewebnovel


    ''Yes, and what I mean by desire is what he wants to do to a woman whom he deeply loves or has a remarkable impression on,'' Aria exined. ''For example, if he desires a female beastman in the past, then you will turn into that said beastman in his eyes. This illusion is so powerful that it will bypass the Moon Goddess'' curse.''


    ''But what if the illusion will turn me into Swan?'' Jade asked bitterly. Though she hated to admit it, she knew that Gale was definitely in love with Swan. ''If that''s the case, then I see no point...''


    ''Oh,e on, Lady Jade. Do you think that the Beast King, a man who is practically immortal, will have his deepest desire to be his wife? I found that ridiculous,'' Aria chuckled. ''He is still a male in the end. He must''ve got an unreachable love or fantasy he can''t fulfill. I doubt that fantasy will be Swan since he has already fucked her so many times. Men tend to get bored.''


    Men tend to get bored.


    That sentence was like a magic spell that gave Jade a boost of confidence.


    That''s right, Gale spent the entire year having sex with Swan. It wouldn''t be weird if he got bored, especially since the curse should''ve forced him to mate with as many women as possible.


    ''No matter how good Swan is, there''s no way he would still fantasize about that cripple deep in his heart, right?'' Jade thought.


    ''I can hear your thoughts, Lady Jade,'' Aria chuckled. ''But yes, there is no way he''d only fantasize about Swan and nobody else.''


    ''Then, what should I do if he


    fantasizes about his fated mate instead? Nobody knows if Swan is his true mate unless Matoa


    confirms her pregnancy, or she met with the Moon Goddess in Sacred Selene Lake,'' Jade mentioned Gale''s words back then. ''What his deepest desire is to find his fated mate and then he opens his eyes to


    check if I am truly his fated one? I will die instantly.''


    ''Just close your eyes. The illusion will make it as if you have your eyes open and staring at him. There''s nothing to worry about, really, Aria said. "Now, do what you have to do. I expect good news from you.''


    Jade rolled her eyes. All this bitch did was order her around, but then again, Jade had no way to refuse.


    ''Alright, I''ll start working now.''


    Jade began by rushing to the maid quarter where she hid both the powder and liquid aphrodisiac she made. She went to Gale''s privateke and poured all the liquid aphrodisiac into theke.


    This liquid aphrodisiac was so strong that a drop of it would be enough to dilute a big jar of water, so she was positive it would turn normalke water into water that would make him extremely horny.


    She also began sowing the aphrodisiac powder on the ground and the tree bark, just in case Gale had the idea of rubbing his erect manhood on the tree.


    Jade chuckled as she was already affected by the aphrodisiac. Her legs felt weak, and her chest heaved, "Oh, we''re going to have a very fun time tonight, Gale. Finally, after decades of being ignored, I can mate with you."


    Jade could barely hold herself at this point. If she kept staying in this privateke for too long, it might be fatal for her.


    So she quickly left theke and waited for Gale to walk right into her trap.


    **


    Gale was feeling excited as the sun had set. He was informed that Matoa was already close to the kingdom, and should arrive in an hour.


    He went directly to the privateke. He wanted to take a good bath to wash all the grime on him after spending most of his days hunting wild animals in the forest to eat and distract himself.


    However, the moment he entered his privateke, his brows creased as he sensed that something wasn''t right.


    "What is this strange scent?" Gale pondered.

 Chapter 279: His Deepest Desire (I)

    Chapter 279: Chapter 279: His Deepest Desire (1)


    Gale felt that there was something really strange about theke, he just couldn''t pinpoint what exactly.


    He hesitated to dip into theke for a second, but when he imagined his wife smiling at him as she was basking in the happiness of her pregnancy, Gale let go of his hesitation immediately.


    He took off his pants and blindfold before entering the coldke water. The water should have been freezing for other beastmen, but for Gale, it felt like regr lukewarm water.


    In fact, today''ske water was even stranger, because Gale felt that it was more than lukewarm-it was hot! Or at least, it made him feel hot right now.


    Gale''s chest heaved. He shook his head a few times as he didn''t expect himself to be THIS horny.


    He wanted to stroke his erect penis but refrained from doing that because he wanted to go all out with his wife tonight.


    "Damn, it''s really hard to endure," Gale murmured. He tried swimming deeper into theke to distract himself, but he couldn''t focus at all, so he swam up to the surface after only five minutes.


    His face was redder than before, and his gaze got even blurrier. He looked around the area well-lit by the moonlight and wondered if someone had put some dark magic on him because this also happened when he was in his worst rut during the blood moon.


    First, he started feeling hot all over his body, to the point his face would redden so much.


    Second, his gaze would be hazy to the point he could barely make sense of what was in front of him.


    Third, the heat would transfer to his groin area, making his penis so erect it hurt. It was hard to think logically at this point.


    "Swan... I need my Swan..." Gale muttered as Swan was his only remedy and the only woman he wanted to mate with. He swam to thekeside and leaned on a stone b as he stared at his painfully erect penis. "Swan, I-I can''t hold it anymore. I have to find you now."


    "Grrhh... argh!" Gale grunted as he could barely control himself. He was lucky there wasn''t a blood moon in the sky tonight, or he''d turn into his true wolf form and lose his mind before he mated with his beloved.


    *


    Meanwhile, Jade had been hiding behind a tree not far from theke. She peeked from time to time and found that Gale was extremely alluring when he was horny.


    Of course, she knew this. She had apanied him during one of his rut, which ended up with her having to be saved by many soldiers, or else the rampaging Gale would kill her.


    But it''s different now.


    She didn''t need to fear anything because the blood moon wasn''t hanging up in the sky, and she had the pink pendant given by Aria.


    She saw that Gale was ready to step out of theke and head to the castle to mate with Swan, so this would be the perfect opportunity.


    "Show me your deepest desire, Gale Stormfront know you have someone else you fantasized about in your heart," Jade muttered. She held the pink pendant tightly, and it began to shine with a gentle dark pink glow. Jade grinned as she knew the pink pendant''s ability had been activated. All she needed to do right now was walk in and seduce Gale.


    Gale got up from thekeside, intending to find his beloved and mate immediately. He reckoned that Matoa must''ve finished diagnosing her by now, so he could''ve just leaped into the window and started mating immediately.


    His gaze was still blurry until he saw a trace of light from behind a tree.


    He squinted, still without his blindfold, and his eyes widened when he saw none


    other than his ethereally beautiful wife, Swan.


    Swan walked out from behind the tree with her two legs, staring at him and muttering, "Husband..."


    Gale''s eyes widened, before he quickly closed them so as not to kill his beloved, "S-Swan, what are you doing here? And how can you... walk?"


    Jade paused for a moment. She almost puked blood at this point because of two things;


    One, she identally made eye contact with Gale for a second.


    Two, she was so angry after knowing that even in his deepest desire, Gale still wanted Swan in his life.


    ''How can that be!? Why is this man so dumb!? How could he only love one woman in his very long lifetime!?''


    Jade cursed Gale in her heart. She wanted to turn back and leave as she realized


    this man was hopeless to the core.


    But she refrained herself from doing so because she wanted to destroy their rtionship.


    ''It''s okay. It doesn''t matter if he


    thinks that ham Swan. The real Swan will start questioning him after this, and their love will crack,'' Jade thought as she convinced herself. She approached Gale and gently caressed his cheeks with her soft hands. "Open your eyes, husband..."


    "I-I can''t. You''d get killed. Only my fated mate could "


    "Am I not your fated mate?"


    "I" Gale paused for a moment and begged, "Please don''t do this to me, wife. You know I meant well. I don''t want to identally hurt you."


    Jade almost broke her disguise as she couldn''t handle the burning jealousy in her heart. She didn''t expect the mighty Beast King to sound soft and even used a begging tone in front of Swan.


    Jade had known Gale for so long, and he never showed his weakness, even when they were still in the Storm Pack.


    ''This is bullshit! Howe I never get the chance to be with you?! Howe this random crippled woman can fill every part of your heart just after one year, while I''ve been apanying you for decades!?''


    Jade screamed in her heart, but she dared not to miss her only chance to ruin Gale and Swan''s rtionship, so she said, "I am your fated mate, husband. You can open your eyes now."

 Chapter 280: His Deepest Desire (II)

    Chapter 280: Chapter 280: His Deepest Desire (II)


    "I-I can''t. I don''t want you to get hurt because of my eyes," Gale refused. "I believe that you are my fated mate, but the Moon Goddess said that my fated mate is an angel! I have to find her first, then we can finally be together for the rest of our lives."


    ''The Moon Goddess said that?! No wonder this illusion of Swan can walk on her legs, have a radiant aura around her, and have a small halo at the top. Turns out, his deepest fantasy is for Swan to be an angel...'' Jade used to be heartbroken so many times in the past because of this man, but she never realized it would be this bad tonight.


    Jade understood that Gale loved Swan. She thought he''d eventually give up on Swan as he knew they weren''t fated to be together. But for him to force this fantasy so he wouldn''t have to mate with another woman...


    The burning jealousy in her heart was far too difficult to handle. She was not prepared to get hit with the reality that Gale was so deeply in love with Swan, that he even wanted to defy fate written by the Moon Goddess.


    ''Howe I never had this kind of love in my life? Why am I so unfortunate...'' Jademented. ''And now that I know Swan is the Saintess, does that mean Gale will be cured of his curse as long as he kisses Swan in her Saintess form?''


    There were so many possible scenarios in Jade''s mind, but for now, she had to focus on the most important thing.


    Jade''s finger reached the corner of his eyes. She gently caressed his closed eyelids and said, "I am that angel. I have awakened my power thanks to your love for me. So, you can open your eyes now, and look me in the eyes, Gale..."


    "That''s nonsense! I-"


    "Trust me, husband."


    Gale''s heart wavered. He had long fantasized about Swan being an angel, so he didn''t need to kiss any other woman. He only wanted to kiss his beloved and to mate with her.


    He felt absolute disgust with the idea of kissing the said ''angel.''


    However, if Swan turned out to be the angel he had been searching for, then... Gale slowly opened his eyes, and Jade quickly closed hers, but the illusion made it as if she had her eyes open the whole time.


    Gale stared at his beautiful wife''s golden-colored eyes. She had a gentle glow of gold and silver dust around her body, which was the same glow she had in his dream back then.


    She also had a small halo on top of her head, a sign that she was truly an angel. She had a thin smile on her lips as she gazed at her husband and said, "See? Nothing will happen to me even if you look me straight in the eyes. Because I am your fated mate, Gale Stormfront."


    Gale slowly reached to Jade''s cheeks. He was so overwhelmed with joy that he didn''t know what to do except caressing his beloved''s cheeks.


    "After all this time, my instinct has never been wrong. My fated mate has been with me all along," Gale murmured. "Let me kiss you, Sweetheart. Your kiss will cleanse me out of my curse."


    Jade''s body stiffened. Gale had never been so gentle and sweet towards her, and though she knew that he did it because of the illusion, she still felt nervous.


    However, she would be lying if she said she wasn''t excited, so she draped her arms around his shoulder, and puckered her lips, waiting for her kiss.


    Gale took a deep breath, he gently wrapped his hands around her small waist and also went for the kiss.


    Just when their lips were about to meet, Gale heard the loud, familiar voice of his beloveding from behind him.


    "GALE!"


    Gale snapped out of his daze, he turned his head instinctively, and there he saw none other than his beloved in a wheelchair, being pushed by the cat maids.


    The cat maids quickly closed their eyes as they stared at the Beast King''s ruby- like eyes. But Swan was staring at him with tears in the corner of her eyes.


    "S-Swan?!"


    **


    Swan was sitting on her bed as always, staring at the window until the sunset, and then simplyy on the bed, waiting for the night to pass and for that beautiful dream with her husband and their future son.


    However, just when she was about to close her eyes, the cat maids knocked on the door, and in an excited tone, they said, "Princess! The miracle doctor is here!"


    Swan opened her eyes instantly. She sat on the bed, and immediately eximed, "Let him in!"


    The cat maids opened the door, and Matoa, the old doctor, walked in wearing a rugged cloak. His cane tapped the floor as he walked towards her and greeted, "It has been a while, Princess-No, Queen Swan. I''ve been summoned to check on you. I heard that you are pregnant with the Beast King''s cub."


    Swan nodded weakly. She felt anxious, scared that it was all just her imagination,


    and her pregnancy wasn''t real.


    "Then, let me see if that is true.


    Please excuse me, I''m going to touch your belly, nape, and wrist," Matoa sat at the edge of the bed. First, he touched Swan''s stomach, his brows frowning deeply, making Swan even more anxious than


    before. "Hm... I see... please let me touch your nape, Your Majesty."


    Swan lifted her hair and allowed the old doctor to touch her nape and sniff her


    scent.


    After that, he touched Swan''s wrist to check her pulse.


    "I see, I''ve made my conclusion, Your Majesty," Matoa stated.


    "T-then, how is it? Am I truly pregnant?"


    Matoa had a big smile on his face and nodded, "Yes, you are pregnant with the Beast King''s cub. I can already sense his overpowering scentComing from your nape. assume it will be a male cub since


    his scent is simr to the young Gale Stormfront."

 Chapter 281: When summer comes...

    Chapter 281: Chapter 281: When summeres...


    Swan couldn''t hide her smile at all. She was so relieved that she wanted to hug the miracle doctor.


    However, she still had one more question to ask regarding her status with Gale. The pregnancy and everything was meant to be an answer to one simple question.


    "Does that mean Gale and I are fated mates?"


    The smile on the miracle doctor''s face slowly diminished, and he was silenced immediately.


    Looking at his reaction, the smile on Swan''s face also diminished, as fear began creeping into her heart. There was no point in being pregnant if this child she was bearing wouldn''t be loved by his father as well.


    "Is that... a no?" Swan asked. "But you said that pregnancy will be the sign of a fated mate between us since Gale cannot impregnate women who aren''t his fated one."


    "It is all based on my own theory, Your Majesty," Matoa replied. "Gale has been suffering from his curse for decades. I was just a middle-aged wolf when he came to me all battered and in his dying breath after fighting against countless Alphas and betas from other packs. I did everything I could to dy his death, but to make him fully healed, I brought him to the Sacred Selene Lake. The Goddess granted his wish and fully healed him from all his wounds. She made him the strongest creature to ever exist, basically bing an immortal."


    "Of course, those blessingse with a cost. Gale was so full of rage and bitterness at that time, that he couldn''t hear the goddess at all on the brink of his death. So he agreed to whatever the curse dictated him," Matoa continued. "And that curse made him unable to find his fated mate at all."


    "It has been decades. The reason why I said that pregnancy would rify his fated mate''s status was to motivate him to continue searching for his destined one..."


    Swan felt weak all over.


    If her pregnancy meant nothing, then what was the other way to determine who Gale''s fated one was?


    "Don''t be so sad, Your Majesty. My theory could be true too, since he doesn''t seem to have an interest in any other women before you," Matoa tried tofort her. "There are two other ways to determine your status. First, it is to look directly into his ruby-like eyes, which is too risky, that''s why I don''t rmend this. The second is to bring you to the Sacred Selene Lake. The Moon Goddess wille and determine whether you''re truly his fated one or not."


    "T-then, why didn''t he bring me there before?"


    "I suppose, he didn''t think that you were his fated mate at first, but as time went on, he realized you might be the one. However, it is not possible to bring you to the Sacred Selene Lake except during summer. It is very cold, with many dangerous monsters lurking around. Even if you are under Gale''s protection, the road to get there will be very tough for you."


    "Summer is the perfect time because the temperature is at least warmer for a human to enter the area," Matoa added. "You should rejoice over your pregnancy, Your Majesty. You''re pregnant with the Beast King''s offspring. You''re the only one who has this privilege."


    A thin smile finally returned to Swan''s face once more.


    She still had a chance to be Gale''s fated mate in the end. She might sound desperate, but she wanted to be Gale''s only one too.


    "He told me that he will bring me to the Sacred Selene Lake in thete spring or summer before," Swan said. freewebnovel


    "Then, he already knows what to do. All you need to do is wait. Oh, and tell him about this good news," Matoa encouraged.


    The old doctor propped himself using his cane, before standing with his back drooped, "I had a long trip to the castle. Gale was so impatient that he sent all of his scouts and new beta to find me, then forcefully dragged me here. I need rest."


    "S-sorry, I will tell the maids to prepare a guest room for you, doctor..."


    Matoa smiled and said, "Just call me Matoa. You''re Gale''s wife, and he is my friend."


    Swan nodded again.


    "Then, please excuse me, Queen Swan."


    Swan watched as Matoa headed to the door, and before he left, she called him, "Wait!"


    "Yes?"


    Matoa turned his head, waiting for Swan''s question.


    Swan hesitated for a moment before she gathered her courage and uttered, "thank you for helping my husband all this time. I-I know that you don''t have to do it, and he can be a bit handful and stubborn at times. B-but I really appreciate it!"


    Matoa had a big smile as he chuckled and shrugged, "Well, he is a handful He can be very


    demanding and stubborn, but hen ets


    know how to pay me back. H? protects my tribe, which is full of healers and doctors. We have no fighters and often get attacked. Our forest was piged before he came and fiercely defended our pack. He still has many beastmen soldiers guarding my tribe these days. I''d say it is a good trade between us."


    Matoa had been holding this one sentence in his heart the whole time, but as he


    saw the frail Queen Swan, he knew he had to say it as she didn''t seem to be someone who could take devastating news easily.


    "Queen Swan..."


    "Y-yes?"


    "If... if a twist of fate forces Gale to mate with another woman. You are more than wee to take refugezin my tribe. There are a lot of female beastmen and humans who took shelter there and worked as healers," Matoa offered. "Of course, this is just a what-if scenario."


    Swan smiled and nodded again, "Thank you for the offer, doctor. But I''ve told


    myself one thing before and will adhere to that strict rule."


    "If he is not my fated mate, then I shall disappear into foam in the sea. He is my whole life, and to see him with another woman... I might as well leave this world..."

 Chapter 282: Which one is the real you?!

    Chapter 282: Chapter 282: Which one is the real you?!


    "What about the baby, Your Majesty?" Matoa asked. "That baby is innocent."


    Swan caressed her belly.


    She wanted to say that she probably would ask for the Goddess'' help to find a way out, but she couldn''t say it out loud, so she just said, "Don''t worry. I will make sure my baby will be safe, no matter what. I have my own ways."


    Matoa found that statement to be sad, yet also disturbing.


    But he couldn''tment on it, because he knew that Gale would also kill himself if Swan died first.


    That wolf had been under so much pain due to the curse for decades. Now that he had finally found his remedy, Matoa doubted that Gale would return to the old days when he had to suffer every year.


    "I hope there will be a happy ending for you and Gale. You two deserve it after enduring so much pain for years," Matoa said before leaving Swan''s room.


    Swan was in a much better mood now, and she didn''t mind when the cat maids walked in with the same big smile on their faces, as they couldn''t help but eavesdrop the whole conversation.


    "Princess, we didn''t hear it wrong, right?" Maya asked.


    "You''re pregnant, right?!" Myra asked as well.


    Swan nodded, "Now, let''s go and find my husband. I want to tell him this good news immediately. Where is he now? The throne room?"


    "We heard that he is in his privateke right now," Myra replied. "We got a tip from the guards in the throne room that His Majesty is very excited about the miracle doctor''s arrival. He knows that you''re pregnant, so he went to his privateke to wash up before going to your room!"


    "Then, I should see him there. I''m sure he will be delighted knowing about this pregnancy immediately," Swan smiled as she gently caressed her belly. "I hope he won''t be mad if I disobey his order now. Technically, I''m still under punishment."


    "I don''t think he will mind at all, Princess!" Maya replied. "I''m sure His Majesty will lift all of these nonsensical punishments immediately! The arrival of our little lord is the most important!"


    "You''re right. Prepare my wheelchair then, I will meet him now," Swan said. The cat maids hurriedly prepared the wheelchair and pushed Swan, who was meant to be under istion, out of her room.


    They weren''t scared at all. They knew that no matter how furious the Beast King was, he would never be mad enough to get angry at his wife who had just confirmed her pregnancy.


    "The moon is bright tonight," Swanmented as the cat maids pushed her out of the main castle building, heading on a stony pathway leading to the Beast King''s privateke. "I wonder if he is in a better mood after enjoying such beautiful moonlight."


    "Oh, I''m sure he is!" Maya giggled.


    "And I''m sure he can''t wait to meet you, Princess," Myra added.


    The cat maids continued pushing the wheelchair towards the entrance of theke, and as they passed through a few trees, Swan could finally see the beautifulke with the moonlight reflecting on the surface.


    However, that beautiful view was soon stained by the sight of her husband, Gale Stormfront, who held the waist of Meredith, the new human maid. She draped her arms on his shoulder, and though Swan couldn''t see from this angle clearly, it seemed that they were already kissing at this point, exchanging their saliva as they confirmed their love for each other.


    The cat maids were shocked, but Swan took it the worst.


    She stared at Gale and Meredith in disbelief as tears fell from the corner of her eyes. Her chest felt


    suffocated, and it was so difficult for her to process the entire thing because she never expected that her husband... the man she loved with all her heart... would cheat on her with a cuter, sweeter, and healthier woman.


    Swan felt that her entire world had crumbled right before her eyes. She snapped immediately.


    "GALE!"


    Gale quickly turned his head after


    hearing the familiar voice of his beloved wife. He didn''t wear his blindfold, so the cat maids felt like their hearts almost burst instantly. Fearing what would happen next, they closed their eyes immediately. C¨®ntent


    But Swan...


    She didn''t close her eyes at all.


    She stared at his ruby-like pupils unblinkingly, with tears at the corner of her eyes.


    She didn''t care if she had to die under his gaze right now, because Gale had just killed her when he cheated on her.


    Gale''s eyes widened. He looked at her, then at Meredith, before returning his gaze at her, "Swan?!"


    Swan bit her trembling lower lip. She clenched the wheelchair armrests tightly until her nails dug into the cushion.


    Gale looked confused as if he couldn''t differentiate between Swan and Meredith. But in Swan''s eyes, it was obvious that he had been kissing Meredith the whole time.


    Gale kept staring at his beloved. His heart and instincts told him that the one in the wheelchair was the real one. His real Swan.


    So he pushed away the fake Swan, who was still puckering her lips until she fell on the ground, then walked towards Swan.


    "W-wait, I-I don''t understand. Sweetheart, how could there be the two of you?"


    Swan saw that he was naked and fully erect, which made it even more obvious that he and Meredith would definitely mate had it not been for Swan interrupting them.


    Gale grew increasingly nervous. His gaze was still blurry except when staring at his beloved in the wheelchair, which made her clear as day.


    She was crying, and his heart ached instantly. He never wanted to see his wife crying.


    He had a head-splitting headache right now, but his instinct told him to approach his real wife immediately and beg for forgiveness.


    "Swan, h-how could you look me in the eye? Which one... is the real you? What the hell is happening right now?!" Gale muttered as he kept walking towards Swan despite his unstable steps.

 Chapter 283: My Swan. My Swan!

    Chapter 283: Chapter 283: My Swan. My Swan!


    [Song Rmendation: Ind - Tourner Dans Le Vide.]


    However, the moment he was only a foot away from the real Swan, Swan yelled as loud as she could, "GET AWAY FROM ME!"


    "S-Swan, I don''t know what is happening right¡ªARGH!"


    Gale didn''t know what just happened, but there seemed to be an overwhelming invisible forceing from his wife that pushed him out of the rage.


    This also happened to the cat maids who were thrown far away until they lost their consciousness.


    Gale shook his head a few times, trying to make sense of what was happening. He squinted at his wife in the wheelchair and noticed that her tears turned into crystals as they dropped from the corner of her eyes.


    Her body emanated an overwhelming, radiant energy, marked by the blinding lighting from her inner body.


    Gale was confused at first, but after witnessing this, he just realized that Swan


    was truly the angel that he had been searching for the whole time.


    And with that, he also realized that he made one fatal mistake...


    He had let himself be tricked by someone who impersonated Swan.


    "Sweet... heart..." Gale murmured.


    "DO NOT CALL ME THAT!" Swan yelled again, and her voice sounded like thunder on a clear sky that alerted the entire castle.


    They turned their heads towards theke and saw a bright lighting from there.


    "Something is happening in theke! His Majesty might be in danger!" The generals said in unison as they rushed to theke to save the Beast King.


    However, when they were about to enter through the pathway, an invisible barrier repelled them back and wounded them until some of the weaker beastman soldiers were vomiting blood.


    "G-General! There is a strange magic barrier around theke! We cannot enter!" "Try to attack it!"


    The beastmen tried with all their might, but none of their attacks seemed to work. The more they attacked the barrier, the more wounded they got until there was no other beastman who dared to attack the barrier anymore.


    Thus, all the beastmen in the castle were forced to just watch as the lighting from theke got brighter.


    Matoa watched this from the window. He was old enough to realize that this light must havee from one particr power that only had one bearer in each lifetime.


    "The Sun Goddess'' holy power..." he murmured.


    *


    Meanwhile, in theke, Swan was still ring at her husband fiercely, but the tears that kept falling and turned into crystals did not lie. She was extremely hurt.


    "You have no right to call me Sweetheart!" Swan yelled, but this time, her voice was shaky as she was on the verge of breaking down. "Not after you cheated on me!"


    "I didn''t cheat on you! I thought she was also-" Gale looked over his shoulder, and his heart skipped a beat when the illusion had been broken by Swan''s radiant light, and Gale could see clearly that the woman he thought was Swan, was Meredith. "W-what is happening right now?!"


    Gale was both stunned and confused, but he quickly returned his gaze to his beloved, whose light got more radiant, as the temperature around theke gradually turned warm.


    Gale got up immediately. He tried to


    endure the nonstop attack from the


    invisible force to reach his wife.


    Reaching out his hand, he said, "Sweetheart, believe me! I didn''t know it wasn''t you!"


    Unfortunately, Swan didn''t want to listen.


    She was overstimted by both heartbreak and grievance.


    She didn''t know what would happen to their baby after this. After all, Gale could cheat on her when she was pregnant, what would stop him from doing it again the next time?


    Gale vomited blood once as he kept getting punched over and over by the invisible force, but still tried to reach his wife.


    However, when he was only one hand-reach away from his wife, Swan wished that Gale wouldn''t touch her.


    "DON''T TOUCH ME WITH YOUR FILTHY HANDS!"


    "ARRGHH!"


    Gale felt like he was being mmed by tonnes of weight on his back to the point that he couldn''t even lift his body. He tried to transform into his two-legged wolf form, but couldn''t.


    It seemed that he couldn''t do much except for relying on his raw strength at this


    point.


    He was mmed to the ground, and could only lift his head as he stared at his beloved who was looking down at him.


    There were a lot of emotions mixed in Swan''s eyes. It was heartbreak, grief, anger, and hurt. She looked so hurt that Gale felt guilty immediately.


    "Swan... I am sorry..." Gale murmured while enduring the weight on his shoulders. He didn''t think he cheated on her, but anything that made his wife sad would make him feel guilty, so he apologized O nheless. "Please... forgive... me... urk!"


    Swan stared at Gale''s ruby-like eyes. She knew from Matoa that was the sign she and Gale were fated.


    But what was the point of being fated, when he could kiss another woman, and mate with them?


    What was the point of everything?


    What was the point of her existence?


    Swan ignored her husband, and her body slowly levitated from her wheelchair. She kept crying while looking at her husband. Her tears couldn''t stop falling.


    She saw that her husband was hurting, so she lifted the weight on his back, and healed him from all the hypnosis, aphrodisiac, and internal injuries.


    Gale quickly got up and tried to reach Swan again, but whenever he did, he''d be repelled immediately.


    Swan began to transform into her Saintess form out of heartbreak, and the halo over her head was very obvious at this point.


    "Wife, please, I¡ª"


    "Silence, husband," Swan said, and Gale lost her voice immediately. "Your words will only weaken my resolve."


    ''Resolve?!'' Gale tried to reach his wife again to no avail, but he followed her as she floated towards theke.


    Swan saw that her husband was following her desperately. She didn''t want him to


    fall into theke, so she froze theke immediately.


    Meanwhile, Gale didn''t even care about that.


    He kept walking towards his beloved and chanted deep in his heart, ''My Swan.


    My Swan. My Swan!''

 Chapter 284: One Last Kiss

    Chapter 284: Chapter 284: One Last Kiss


    Swan finally stopped as she reached the middle of theke. She floated an inch from the surface and stared at her husband who desperately tried to reach her.


    She knew her husband regretted his action and wanted to repent, but perhaps she was so selfish that she refused to listen to him when her heart was shattered into pieces.


    "Your eyes are beautiful, husband. I wish I could see it before all of this happened. Maybe that way, you wouldn''t cheat on me," Swan muttered weakly.


    ''No, Swan! Please listen to me!'' Gale tried to mouth off what he wanted to say, but Swan simply closed her eyes and said. "I have promised myself if I am not your fated mate, then I shall turn into sea foam, so you may never find me. But we are truly fated, husband. s, after years of suffering, I can finally meet with the man destined to be with me."


    Swan opened her eyes, and they had turned golden.


    She looked so ethereal right now, but the tears wouldn''t stop falling from her eyes, and her sadness also caused heartbreak for Gale. He med himself for falling into a stupid trick that turned into a misunderstanding.


    Gale kneeled in front of his wife, begging for her forgiveness. Even without his voice, his regret was very obvious on his face.


    But Swan ignored him.


    She kept staring at him and said, "We are fated, husband. But what is the point when you can y around with another woman so easily? What is the point of being fated when you can enjoy another woman''s lips?"


    "I might as well turn into sea foam. I see no use in continuing living with you," Swan gently caressed her belly and added, "I will take this cub in my belly with me. May we never find you anymore, husband."


    Gale had a sense of dread after his wife said that.


    His instinct told him that he was about to lose both his wife and his cub, so he let go of all of his restraint, and lunged towards his beloved, wanting to hug her tight so she wouldn''t escape.


    However, he kept being attacked by the invisible force, hindering his movement. He got punched over and over until his body was battered, and blood spurted from his mouth.


    Yet, he didn''t give up.


    He kept lunging over and over like a madman, desperate to keep his wife with him.


    "G-Gale, stop it. Don''t hurt yourself!" Swan yelled, but Gale ignored her. His gaze began to get blurry again after getting pummeled over and over by an invisible force that seemed to have an equal strength to him. Yet, he didn''t stop.


    If he gave up now, he''d lose his wife, and he might as well kill himself if that happened.


    Swan might''ve been angry at her husband, but she couldn''t bear to see Gale hurting himself like this. So she let go of the protection around her body, and Gale was finally able to hug her.


    The moment he could hug her tight, his voice returned and he begged, "Wife, please don''t go! I-I can fix this! This is all nothing but misunderstanding!"


    "Swan, I will never recover if you leave me now. You are the only light in my life! So please, don''t hurt me... please..." Gale began whimpering like a little wolf cub who was about to lose the most prized treasure he had in life.


    Swan hugged her husband back. She knew she would miss his warm and safe embrace, but nobody could change her decision at this point, not even her husband.


    She might return, but she didn''t know when, or if she would return at all. She was too hurt.


    "Goodbye, Gale. My husband."


    Swan kissed Gale on the lips for thest time, which made Gale freeze on the spot.


    Gale had never felt so good with just a kiss before, and he could feel something inside him had changed especially the gnawing feeling in his heart that always made him angry and restless all the time was gone instantly.


    Then, she used her power once again to force Gale out of the embrace. Closing her eyes, she focused her entire being on one prayer.


    Gale watched as his wife grew a pair of swan wings akin to an angel, and she flew up to make sure everyone in the castle witnessed her true power.


    Oh, my dearest mother, Goddess Asmara, Goddess of the Sun. Let me cleanse all evil in my beloved kingdom. Free my husband from his curse, so he will lead this kingdom with joy for eternity.


    My dearest mother, take me, turn me into dust, turn me into sea foam, turn me into a dying star that no one remembers. Let me leave this wretched earth with heartbreak, as I, Swan Asmara, the Saintess, refuse to endure this pain anymore. Gale watched helplessly as the light around Swan''s body swallowed her whole, turning the night into a bright sunny day for the next five minutes before the light dissipated and Swan vanished into thin air.


    A pearl ne fell from the sky and hit the frozenke, which shattered immediately right in front of Gale.


    Gale stared at the pearl ne, and he clutched it as he knew it was the only thing left behind by his wife.


    "Swan... my wife... No..." Gale whimpered. He could feel that his curse had been cured, as he could no longer feel any pain inside his body. But he was both heartbroken and angry that he began growling.


    "Grrhh.... GRRHHHH!" Gale began shapeshifting into his giant true wolf form, which was the same size as the beast castle. As his body emanated enormous dark energy, everyone in the castle panicked, and they began evacuating all the people in the castle and city to leave the kingdom immediately.


    Meanwhile, Jade''s legs were so weak that she was petrified on the spot. The pink pendant she had with her was destroyed by Swan''s holy light. Her face also


    began to melt, showing Jade''s true face.


    On top of that, Swan''s holy light exposed all of her sins immediately, creating bubbles of confession on top of her head.


    *


    YES! I betrayed my pack because theyughed at me!


    Author Note:


    Hello, Apup here!


    Thank you for reading Beast King''s Crippled Mate and thank you for the enermous support! I am very grateful! ^_^


    I''ve seen that many of my loyal readers are asking for Mass Release.


    Unfortunately, I am currently on bedrest because of sprained ankle, so it is difficult


    to focus on writing many Chapters at once.


    But worry not, two Chapters daily update is guaranteed, and this novel will end around Chapter 300ish.


    Which means, this will end next month!


    Stay tuned!


    Apup, out!


    *

 Chapter 285: The Sinner’s Confession

    Chapter 285: Chapter 285: The Sinner''s Confession


    [Warning: Violence.]


    "GRH!" The giant wolf turned his head, ring at Jade, whose confession bubble on top of her head continued spouting one sin after another.


    Gale Stormfront rejected me, so I told all of the Alphas in other packs about our pack''s secret den!


    I poisoned her mother, so she fell Sick and died. Gale had to bury her far from the pack den, and I used that time to let Alphas and betas from other packse in and kill everyone!


    "GRRRRHHHH!!" The giant wolf growled, and his overwhelming aura destroyed the frozenke. He leaped andnded right in front of Jade, creating a shockwave that felt like an earthquake for everyone in the castle.


    Jade was too scared to even move. She knew even if Gale killed her now, her soul would''ve just returned to Aria, but she would still experience any pain inflicted on this body.


    Thus, she opened her eyes wide, making sure to stare at the giant ck wolf''s glowing red eyes.


    She expected herself to die instantly, but she didn''t.


    "W-what is happening? W-why didn''t I die?!" Jade panicked.


    The giant wolf grinned until all of his sharp fangs were protruding.


    "MY WIFE... CURED ME OUT OF MY CURSE... YOU WILL NOT DIE WITH MY EYES..." the giant wolf said, which shocked Jade even more, because usually Gale would lose his mind immediately in his form. This was the sign that he was truly cured by that onest kiss with Swan.


    "BUT I CAN KILL YOU WITH THIS..." Gale showed one of his sharp ws that was the size of Jade''s whole body. He pushed the tip of his w to her leg, making her cry in pain, but it didn''t kill her. He just wanted to make sure she couldn''t run away while he listened to the confession bubbles.


    I rmended Swan instead of Aria because I think it is easier to kill a cripple!


    I poisoned Rock Silverfang''s tea with an aphrodisiac, so he would lose control and attack Swan! freewebnovel


    I poisoned Gale Stormfront with aphrodisiac so he would go into a powerful rut during the coldest night. I hope he will rape Swan until she is nothing but a pile of blood and meat!


    I colluded with Alice, a bunny maid, to poison both Long Xiurong and Swan!


    Gale listened to everything, and his umting rage was enough to make anyone who faced him cower in absolute fear.


    But before he killed this absolute bitch, he asked, "WHY?"


    Jade was in so much pain because of that giant nail stabbing her thigh, but she


    knew even if she died, she''d return to Aria immediately.


    Hence, she let go of all her grievances before she ''died''.


    "Yes, all of those confessions are true. I poisoned your mother until she died, so you''re forced to leave the den and bury her. I was the ohne who let the other alphas and betas into our den so they''d massacre our entire Storm Pack. I poisoned Rock with strong aphrodisiac so he would rape Swan, and I also poisoned you during that coldest night with aphrodisiac so you would go crazy and rape Swan until she''s nothing but a piece of meat gunk!" Jade confessed to every big sin she had done in this lifetime. "Why? Because I LOVE you, Gale Stormfront! We have been childhood friends, and I was supposed to be your Luna until you suddenly rejected me in front of everyone in our pack! Do you know how much shame and anger I have to bear because of you? That''s why, the only one to me for Storm Pack''s extermination is YOU! You shouldn''t have rejected me, and I wouldn''t have done what I did back then!"


    "YOU HEARTLESS BITCH!" Gale had heard enough from this woman who ruined


    his life over something he couldn''t control.


    Gale lifted his ws and....


    SLASH!


    He shed Jade''s body into three separate pieces. Jade could feel the extreme pain before her death, but she was at ease, as her soul floated and was ready to be transported back to Aria.


    However, she found herself returning to Meredith''s body once more, and her body, which had been sliced in three, slowly regenerated and she became a living human once more.


    Jade was stunned. She stared at the giant wolf''s red eyes in shock and confusion. The giant wolf bared his fangs even more, making him look very sinister.


    "MY SWAN''S HOLY POWER CLEANSE ALL DARK MAGIC. YOU ARE JUST AN UNDEAD IN THIS BODY, AND I CAN KEEP KILLING YOU NONSTOP BEFORE I KILL YOU FOR GOOD BY DEVOURING YOU."


    Jade stared at Gale with a look of horror. She was not prepared for nonstop pain and torture until Gale was satisfied and finally devoured her in his belly.


    "No, Gale, please! This is too painful!" Jade begged. "T-think of all the good things we have together! I also helped you to build this kingdom!"


    "SWAN DID! NOT YOU!" The giant wolf''s voice was so loud that it filled the sky. "YOU ARE NOTHING TO ME!"


    Jade saw the giant wolf''s ws, which had been stained by her blood before. She was on the verge of fainting, imagining the pain she had to endure for eternity.


    "I WILL KILL YOU FOR EACH STORM PACK MEMBER YOU KILLED! AND I WILL KILL YOU A HUNDRED TIMES MORE FOR MAKING MY SWAN LEAVE


    ME!"


    The giant wolf''s red raised its w, and shed Jade again in three pieces, killing her instantly. After enormous pain, Jade''s body regenerated and ready to be killed once more.


    Jade''s screams of agony filled the night, which sounded like a song of delight for Gale, who finally had someone to me for what happened.


    However, even after he killed Jade three hundred times in total and devoured her body entirely, making sure that Jade would be thrown straight to hell, Gale was still not satisfied.


    He could not heal the gaping hole in his heart, as his beloved Swan and their cub were gone.


    The giant wolf stared at the moonlight and immediately knew where he should go


    next.


    Thus, he leaped through the forest to find Selene, the Moon Goddess.

 Chapter 286: Give me back my Swan! (I)

    Chapter 286: Chapter 286: Give me back my Swan! (I)


    "What just happened..." one beastman general murmured as he witnessed their Beast King, who had transformed into a giant wolf of a castle size, leaping through the forest towards the southwest, creating one shockwave after another.


    Everyone in the kingdom knew the direction where he was going, but they had no idea what had happened, especially with the Sun Goddess'' radiant light just now.


    "Her Majesty! We need to find Her Majesty first!" ze Silverfang yelled as he led the beastmen soldiers to the Beast King''s secretke, only to find the cat maids who were supposed to be her attendants and also secret guards lying


    unconscious on the wood path leading to theke, while the empty wheelchair was left unattended at the end.


    ze pped the cat maids repeatedly to wake them up and asked, "What happened here?! Where is His Majesty?!"


    Maya slowly regained her consciousness. She fainted instantly when she got hit by a powerful invisible forceing from her Princess.


    "Princess Swan... caught His Majesty kissing another woman..." Maya replied weakly. "She got so angry when His Majesty wanted to reach her... so she used a strange power to push us all away... I fainted after that..."


    ze knew it wasn''t just a ''strange power.''


    Those who were able to witness Queen Swan turning the night into day with her radiant light knew that she was definitely the legendary Saintess revered by all species and culture.


    The Moon and Sun Goddess had their own representative in this world. If the Moon Goddess had the cursed wolf as her representative, then the Sun Goddess had the Saintess.


    "So, she let go of her restraint because His Majesty kissed another woman?!" ze didn''t expect His Majesty to do that, knowing how excited he was over her pregnancy.


    Maya nodded weakly.


    ze wanted to ask if they knew where the Queen went after she turned the night into day for five minutes, but seeing how the cat maids barely had the energy to open their eyes, he assumed they were heavily wounded by the same invisible force that wounded the soldiers a while back.


    "Carry them to the doctor! They are wounded! I will check theke on my own!" ze Silverfang ordered, and the beastmen soldiers quickly helped the cat maids.


    ze walked into theke. He did not know what to expect, but he wished that Queen Swan was still there, so he could make sure that their Queen was safe.


    Unfortunately, he saw nothing.


    There was nobody in this ce. No corpse of the said woman who was caught kissing His Majesty.


    And no sign of Queen Swan.


    Thepletely frozenke looked like a bunch of jagged ice shards put together


    as if it was stomped by heavy weight. He assumed it was their Beast King who did


    it.


    ze had a horrible premonition in his heart.


    No, he didn''t think His Majesty would kill Queen Swan because thetter was unharmed even during the Beast King''s worst rut on the coldest night.


    But there was news that was just as dreadful.


    Swan, their beloved Queen, had voluntarily left this world in anger after being betrayed by her husband, and would never return.


    ze was staring at the frozenke in horror, as he had a very bad premonition about this.


    "Then, what are we going to do without our Queen? This kingdom will fall without her..."


    **


    It didn''t take long before the giant wolf reached the Sacred Selene Lake.


    Theke was surrounded by a bunch of tall prehistoric trees, even taller than him


    in his true form, so Gale was still able to stand in front of theke without towering over everything.


    "GRHH! GET OUT AND FACE ME, YOU STUPID GODDESS!" Gale challenged the Moon Goddess boldly. It didn''t take long for her avatar of a white rabbit to descend from the sky and float in the middle of theke.


    The white rabbit was slowly engulfed by hundreds of silver-colored butterflies and turned into a woman whose face was covered with light, which made it impossible for anyone to see her true face.


    Selene, the Moon Goddess, was wearing a purple gown, and as she summoned a miniature crescent moon to sit on, she asked, "Have you found her, little wolf? Your fated mate."


    "GIVE ME BACK MY SWAN!" Gale said straight to the point. His heart was already aching even though he had only been separated from his Swan for a few hours.


    "And what makes you think I can do that?"


    "YOU''RE A GODDAMN GODDESS! TAKE ME TO HER OR BRING HER BACK! I WANT MY SWAN!" Gale continued demanding.


    "Unfortunately, cannot do that. She is the one who willingly leaves this world. She was swallowed by the light, which means she prayed for her disappearance," Selene replied. "Besides, I cannot bring her back because she is not in this world, little wolf."


    The giant wolf didn''t have a saddened expression, but his glowing red eyes even looked sad when he heard what the Moon Goddess just said, "DID SHE..."


    "No, she didn''t die. But she has been transported into my sister''s realm, the Sun Goddess'' Marble Garden. It is her realm, so I have no authority over it Selene replied. "She will stay inside that ce for a while, possibly forever. It all depends on whether she wants to return to earth or not."


    "THEN HOW AM I GOING TO MEET HER AGAIN?!"


    ...


    Selene had no answer because it all depended on Swan.


    Gale realized that even Selene was powerless in this situation. He had never been so powerless in his life that he started getting desperate, "WHY DID YOU NEVER TELL ME THAT SHE IS MY FATED MATE?!"


    "Because she was not yet an angel at that time, Selene replied. "Not only that, as much as I want to tell you, my sister, Asmara, told me to keep it a secret until your wife manifests into her power and turns into an angel."  s?novel

 Chapter 287: Give me back my Swan! (II)

    Chapter 287: Chapter 287: Give me back my Swan! (II)


    "I DON''T CARE ABOUT THAT SUN GODDESS! I JUST WANT MY SWAN!"


    "Swan is her daughter," Selene replied. She sighed as she understood the pain her little wolf experienced, but she truly had no way to help him, because it was the angel''s wish to be separated from her husband. "I''m sorry, little wolf. I didn''t expect the revtion would be this painful. I thought you''d find out sooner orter about her, get a kiss from her, and you two can live happily ever after."


    "But try looking at the bright side, your wife is not dead. She just needs time to calm down beforeing home... hopefully. On top of that, you have been cleansed out of your curse. You won''t feel any pain in your heart anymore, nor will you lose your mind when you''re in your true wolf form," Selene said.


    "I DO NOT CARE ABOUT THE CURSE! JUST GET ME, MY WIFE!"


    "... I am sorry, little wolf."


    The Moon Goddess'' hopeless tone had shattered the only hope he had. His chest felt stuffy, so tight that he could barely breathe until his chest heaved.


    Even though the Goddess said his heart wouldn''t ache anymore, he felt the pain get even worse now that his wife left him.


    "THEN HOW LONG DO I HAVE TO WAIT?"


    "I don''t know..."


    "GRRHH!" Gale unsheathed his giant sharp ws. He knew he couldn''t harm the Goddess, so he aimed his ws at her most prized statue. "GIVE ME MY WIFE, OR I WILL DESTROY THIS STATUE!"


    ...


    "I AM SERIOUS! I WILL DESTROY THIS STATUE. I WILL RAVAGE THIS SACRED LAKE UNTIL THERE IS NOTHING LEFT!"


    ...


    The Moon Goddess remained silent for five minutes before she replied, "You can destroy everything in sight if it will make you feel better."


    "GRRHH! GRAAAAHHHH!!!"


    The giant wolf roared and destroyed the Moon Goddess'' most prized statue in just one sh. He then continued rampaging by attacking everything in sight,


    including the half-destroyed statue of Asmara, the Sun Goddess, and all the trees surrounding theke.


    His roar full of grievance was heard across the continent, and his rampage shook thend, creating earthquakes that destroyed the surrounding area.


    He ravaged the previously serene and well-guarded Sacred Selene Lake and turned it into nothing but a puddle of dirty water with a lot of destroyed trees around.


    The Moon Goddess had reverted back to her white rabbit avatar form, watching the rampaging little wolf from above. It went without saying, she loved her sacredke.


    This ce was her favorite spot in the earth realm, and to stop Gale, she would usually attack him with a moonlight beam that would kill anyone instantly, though, for Gale, it was more like getting a ton of weight dropped on his shoulder.


    But not now.


    She allowed Gale to continue rampaging as she knew the heartache he felt right now was too much to bear, even for a wolf that had been cursed for decades.


    ''I should talk about this to my sister. Maybe she will allow me to talk to that little angel of hers.''


    Thus, Selene decided to just let Gale vent for days toe while she went to the Goddess realm and talked to her sister.


    *


    "GRAAARRHHH!!!"


    Gale continued rampaging for a week straight to stop this overwhelmingly painful heartache He was like a mad wolf that nobody dared to approach, let alone attack. He destroyed everything on its path until he returned to the Sacred Selene Lake which the Moon Goddess had restored to its original state in just a night.


    After rampaging for a week, Gale


    had finally exhausted all of his


    energy. If the full moon continued. shining bright in the sky, he could go for two weeks, and if a blood moon was hanging in the sky, he would probably rampage for a month, bringing even more destion to thend.


    But the Moon Goddess seemed to understand the situation, and made the sky cloudy every night, so Gale couldn''t draw power from the moonlight as usual.


    Gale finally reverted to his human form, dragging his body to the statue of the Moon Goddess, and leaning on it as he was truly exhausted at this point.


    Yet, his heartache still lingered. Worse, it got even stronger as he couldn''t rampage around to forget about his wife for a while. When he closed his eyes, the only vivid imagery he had was his beautiful wife, smiling at him while caressing her belly.


    Swan was a very sweet-looking woman, so her smile would make any man feel as though they had just drunk a ss of honey. Gale was the main victim, as he was already addicted to how Swan smiled at him.


    Sweet, meek, with a hint of flirting.


    She was truly perfect.


    "And I lost her..." Gale murmured.


    He felt like he should cry right now, but he was too tired. So all he did was rest, waiting to fall asleep despite the heartache, and wished that Swan would return to him by the time he opened his eyes once again.


    ...


    ze Silverfang had been watching His Majesty from afar. He was the only one who dared to approach and follow the rampaging giant wolf around for the whole week.


    Aside from making sure that the Beast King wouldn''t kill too many humans and beastmen on his rampaging path, he also wanted to persuade the Beast King to return to the castle.


    He thought that Gale would feel better if he busied himself in the castle rather thanmenting about Queen Swan.


    But looking at his condition, he decided to let him rest for a while and maybe return in two years.


    ''I guess I''ll have to find a way to manage the kingdom while he is unfit to lead. I cannot let the kingdom fall because of this,'' ze Silverfang thought as he stared at his respected Beast King and thought, ''If falling in love can be this painful. I would rather never find my fated mate.''

 Chapter 288: I am selfish...

    Chapter 288: Chapter 288: I am selfish...


    Swan was still crying in a marble pavilion, surrounded by rows of beautiful and fragrant fall flowers that seemed to have no end. Yet, even this marvelous view couldn''t stop her from weeping for one second.


    "My dearest daughter, you have been crying for weeks in Earth realm''s time. Are you not tired?" Asmara, Goddess of the Sun, walked towards the pavilion. She wore a gown simr to her sister, the Moon Goddess, but it was gold in color instead.


    Her face was covered with light, so nobody could see it, not even her daughter. Swan tried to suppress her cry until it was nothing but muffled sobs.


    "My apologies, Mom. I was just... sad..."


    "Because of your husband?"


    ...


    Swan nodded.


    Asmara sat next to her daughter on the marble pavilion, and gently caressed Swan''s golden hair, "You are the one who prayed to me, so I will take you out of the earth realm. You wished to be sea foam, to be dust, to be a nameless star that exploded and disappeared forever. I am merely granting what you wished for."


    "I know, Mom..." Swan lowered her head. If she could be honest, she still didn''t regret what she had done by taking herself out of the earthly realm, because it was too painful to exist in a world where Gale kissed another woman. "Back then, I kept telling myself I was nothing to him. So I thought it would be fine for him to get another woman after me. As long as he kept me alive, it would be a blessing in disguise."


    "I kept telling him to find another woman to satiate himself and pushed him away from time to time," Swan confessed. "But when I saw him kissing another woman, I felt like my entire body had turned cold, and I felt so bitter that I wished I would never see him for the rest of my life."


    Swan clenched her dress, which was simr to what her Goddess mother wore. Her belly bump had grown a bit since thest time she left earth.


    "I-I know I am selfish. I shouldn''t have hogged him all for myself. But I can''t. So I... I just want to disappear, so Gale can be with whoever woman he wants without having to think about me and our baby anymore," Swan said. "I remember that time when myte father, King Tyrion, was so burdened after having me. He treated me like I never existed. He allowed my stepmother and half-sister to bully me nonstop until my leg got crippled. I don''t want my son to experience the same pain I had; born unloved and unprotected by his father."


    "Didn''t he apologize and beg you not to leave?" Asmara recalled.


    "He also told me that he loves me many times, Mom. He told me that I was his only one. He told me that he had never been in love before," Swan muttered. "How am I supposed to believe that his apology is genuine?"


    ...


    The Sun Goddess wanted to show that the cursed wolf was affected by aphrodisiac and illusion. However, knowing the approaching danger from Great Witch Harsetti, the Sun Shadow, when Swan was still pregnant, Asmara decided to keep it hidden for now, at least until Swan had safely given birth to her son.


    That was also the reason why she rejected her sister''s idea to let Gale and Swan talk because Swan was still overstimted with grief and anger right now.


    "Mom, can I ask you one thing?"


    "Yes, what is it, dearest?"


    "Why did you keep your silence all this time? From the day I was born and bullied, until now, why didn''t you help me even though I am your daughter?" Swan asked.


    "Because you are meant to be with the cursed wolf, my sister''s representative on earth. You could only activate your power when you had your first contact with the cursed wolf. All of your awakenings from regr humans to a Saintess, and then to an Angel, are all because of your strong feelings for Gale," the Sun Goddess replied.


    "Besides, he had been protecting you from time to time in the Holy Achate


    Pce. Do you remember the


    mysterious knight who saved you a few times from dangerous situations when you were teenager? He was Gale''s spirit that you unknowingly summoned with your power."


    Swan went silent after getting all the exnations from her mother. She wasn''t someone who liked to hold grudges, and though she had a bit of resentment here and there, she realized everything was in the past. At least she could walk with her two feet in this Goddess'' realm now.


    Asmara saw that Swan''s mood was getting better, so she decided to show the gift she had been keeping the whole time.


    "I have a little something for you to cheer you up while pregnant," Asmara said as


    she snapped her fingers. A small, orange tabby cat suddenly appeared on Swan''s


    leg.


    Swan''s eyes widened as she quickly identified the cat. She hugged it tight, "Sunsun! Thank Goddess, you are not hurt!"


    "Mraw! Meow!" The orange tabby named Sunsun also quickly recognized her


    owner.


    Asmara wanted to tell her about how Aria ordered the guard to beat it until it died, so Swan was left waiting for a long time to feed her, hoping the cat would return.


    But she realized it would only make her daughter sad, so she kept it to herself.


    "Sunsun is safe and secure with you now. If you ever want to return to the earth realm, you can bring it with you," the Sun Goddess said.


    "I... I don''t think I should return, Mom..." Swan replied.


    "Why not?"


    "Because I''m scared of what I would see. What if Gale already moved on from me when I return? He can conveniently cheat on me when I am pregnant, after all."


    The Sun Goddess chuckled meaningfully, "I am sure you''ll change your mindter. It is all about your fate as my sessor, my dearest daughter."

 Chapter 289: A Mother’s Redemption (I)

    Chapter 289: Chapter 289: A Mother''s Redemption (1)


    Aria had been feeling restless these days.


    She was watching everything that unfolded in Gale''s privateke through Jade''s eyes. After all, she had full authority over Jade''s entire soul, including the body she used.


    She already knew that the Saintess in Swan''s body was truly powerful, as she had easily destroyed the green pendant given by Madam Harsetti before. freewebnovel


    It was the reason why Aria sent Jade instead of herself to use the pink pendant because she didn''t want to die in the Saintess'' hand.


    Swan might''ve spared her out of kindness, but the Saintess?


    Aria imagined that woman who had Swan''s face, but with a devious smile that was more fitting to a serial killer. The Saintess was cold and did not pity Aria at all. She even toyed with her a bit before taking all of her witchcraft ability.


    Honestly, Aria had expected Swan to turn into the Saintess after witnessing Gale''s kiss with another woman, but she didn''t expect Swan to get so emotional that she manifested into her angelic form,plete with her two swan-like wings.


    Aria witnessed how Swan pushed Gale away with ease, punished him by making him mute for a while, and then froze theke entirely in less than a second.


    She also witnessed how Swan''s radiant light turned the night into day for five minutes, destroying the pink pendant immediately. It exposed Jade''s real face and also created a bubble of confession over Jade''s head.


    Aria was so frightened by Gale''s rage, that she rejected Jade''s soul over and over three hundred times, so Jade''s soul wouldn''t return to her. If that happened, Gale might''ve detected her and then hunted her down.


    She had no way to hypnotize Gale, let alone win a fight against him.


    "And now, I am back to square one..." Aria murmured as she dropped her body on the bed. She stared at the ceiling, and the sense of despair swirled inside her heart. "How am I supposed to defeat her? I''ve learned all the dark spells, but even I cannot do all that."


    Aria clenched the bed sheet as frustration welled up. After she learned all the dark spells in Necronomicon, she realized that even the strongest spell in that book wouldn''t be enough to defeat Swan in her Saintess form, let alone Angel form.


    She had sessfully separated Swan and Gale, but what was the point when Swan wasn''t dead, and Gale was still deeply in love¡ªno, he was probably obsessed with Swan at this point. What was the point of doing all that and sacrificing a useful tool like Lady Jade in the process for absolutely nothing?


    Madam Harsetti was right, she was just a mere shadow to the sun. The brighter the sun got, the darker the shadow became.


    In the end, the shadow would never beat the real thing, and no matter how hard she tried to ovee their power gap, she was just leftpletely powerless in front of Swan.


    "No, I don''t want to be defeated by that bitch. She had been my pathetic crippled ve since I was young, howe the situation can be like this now!?" Aria felt like crying fight now. Not due to sadness, butanger, because she knew her mother was to me for everything. If only her mother sent her instead of Swan, Gale would''ve been deeply in love with her, and Swan would have stayed a lowly ve, as she wouldn''t have been able to awaken her holy power.


    "Aria..."


    Aria turned her head and red at her mother who was standing at the door. She was staring back Aria''s eyes with sympathy and pity.


    "What do you want?" Aria asked in an unfriendly tone to her mother, hurting Anastasia''s heart. Thetter had been lonely the whole time, considering they were the only remaining living humans in this mansion. Anastasia gazed at her daughter without saying a word, which pissed Aria even more. She used her telekinesis to grab a book and throw it to her mother. It hit Anastasia''s head. "If you have nothing to say, then GET OUT!"


    Anastasia didn''t react when her head was hit by the book. She kept staring at her daughter without blinking as she already had a dark thought wrapped in sadness and sympathy for her daughter.


    "It''s time for dinner. I cook it all by myself today," Anastasia said. "Please at least eat with me once. It''s very lonely in this mansion since you turned everyone into undead."


    Aria paused for a moment as she was considering it.


    Of course, she didn''t need to eat as a highly skilled witch. She didn''t even need to consume the flesh of a dead person anymore. All she needed to do was to go out at night and find someone to kill, then suck their soul to make her full for a whole day or two. Kids would be the main target because they were worth four days of meals for Aria.


    But seeing her mother who seemed desperate, Aria felt a very rare tinge of kindness.


    ''Hm, I guess even my mother will miss me sometimes. After all, I was wanted by everyone when I was still the Royal Princess,'' Aria was thinking about it for a second before saying, "Alright then. I''ll have dinner with you. I''m sure that you''ve prepared a good meal forme, right? I might as well turn you into one of those undead if you cook disgusting stuff."


    Anastasia clenched her fists. She nodded weakly, "Yes, I''ve prepared everything myself. I want you to taste your mother''s first home cook. You''ve been living in the pce since you were born, so you always eat the cook''s food, not mine."


    "I''m more surprised that you can cook at all," Aria chuckled mirthlessly. "You were a useless queen that ruined our lives. Your real talent probably lies in bing a useless housewife of an equally useless man, and getting beaten regrly, hihi~."

 Chapter 290: A Mother’s Redemption (II)

    Chapter 290: Chapter 290: A Mother''s Redemption (II)


    Aria giggled as she felt happier after mocking her mother. She expected her mother to grit her teeth, re at her, or even p her. It would be better if Anastasia started calling her names too, because it would give Aria a reason to attack her and torture her until she was satisfied.


    But Anastasia did none of those. Instead, she kept her mouth shut and continued walking towards the dining room. Aria clicked her tongue and muttered, "Boring."


    Deep down, Anastasia did feel anger at her daughter for calling her boring, useless, and other stuff, but she also realized that she was the one who raised this girl. Aria was her byproduct.


    ''And I have raised a failed product,'' Anastasia thought as she quickly prepared the food for Aria.


    Aria sat on the chair leisurely. The scent of food didn''t entice her anymore after she became a witch. The scent of a kid''s blood was ten times better than any food she had ever tasted before.


    Despite herck of enthusiasm, she wanted to be a good daughter for once. She nned to sacrifice her mother soon, so it was better to let her indulge in this useless mother-daughter rtionship while she could.


    ''I need to find a way to kill her while feeling despair. But how? I don''t even feel anything when I see her,'' Aria pondered as she saw the red soup in front of her. She took a sniff and was shocked, "Wait, why does this smell so good though? Did you add something?"


    "It''s a blood soup," Anastasia replied. "A kid in the vige had just died yesterday because her mother had turned into a zombie, and her father finally sumbed to the illness. I buried her in our yard myself, but I made sure to take some of her blood because I know you like an innocent child''s blood."


    "Ho-ho, you are really understanding, Mom," Aria was in a great mood as she took a sip, and was pleasantly surprised by the taste. "And it tastes amazing too!"


    Aria saw that Anastasia didn''t touch her food at all, but she thought it was understandable since her mother wasn''t a witch, therefore she had no appetite for


    blood.


    Meanwhile, Anastasia was staring at her daughter intensely with a strange expression. It was an expression of disappointment and cruelty mixed into one.


    She waited until Aria ate the whole te, and asked, "Do you like it?"


    "Yes! This is probably the best food I''ve ever eaten!" Aria replied excitedly because she was being truthful. "Honestly, I think you should''ve just cooked for me every day, Mom. I will bring you dead children as stock, then you can just cook them in different ways. Turns out eating them while they are cooked is much better than just eating them raw!"


    Anastasia clenched the rosary in her dress pocket. She had been praying religiously to Goddess Asmara all this time, and though she never got any response from the Sun Goddess, she thought what she would do next would grant her forgiveness from the Goddess and allow her to finally live in peace.


    She was the one who gave birth to this wretched being, so it was also her responsibility to take her out before she brought too much pain into this world.


    "I''m sorry, Aria. But I cannot cook for you anymore."


    "Hm? Why not? If you need charcoal and logs, just tell the undead to do it for you.


    If you need other ingredients, just tell me, and I can transport them to our mansion with just a snap of my fingers. Isn''t it convenient?"


    "Aria, do you not realize that we''re living apletely horrible life right now?" Anastasia asked. "We are living with a bunch of undead. We''re isted, and no matter how much you try to paint that everything is convenient, you cannot lie to me that our life before you killed everyone in the vige is better, because we are well-liked!"


    "By a bunch of country bumpkins who knows no better?" Aria rolled her eyes. "Come on, Mom. These vigers have no worth. They are not powerful, nor do they possess anything amazing I could use. They are just a bunch of harvestable souls for me."


    Anastasia''s lips started shaking and so was her entire body. She knew her sweet daughter was long gone.


    No, the sweet daughter in her mind never existed since the beginning. It was she who raised Aria wrong because she allowed her to bully Swan nonstop.


    Aria noticed her mother''s upset expression, and she felt entertained. It had been a while since she saw tears from someone she knew. Usually, it was just a bunch


    of nobodies that she killed and begged to be spared who cried, and she felt nothing for them.


    "A, why are you crying, Mom? What I am saying is true. I just want to be honest with you."


    "Do you... ever feel remorse from killing any of them?"


    "No, why should I?" Aria shrugged. "Don''t give me that look, Mom. Myte father often waged war against other kingdoms, and in those wars, many of our soldiers died. Do you think they don''t have any family and friends? They do, and they all died in vain just to feed myte father''s ego. I am, however, much kinder, since I mainly target kids. Their parents can just continue producing children every year for me to eat. Isn''t that merciful enough?"


    "You are a monster, Aria."


    "And you''ve raised a monster," Aria responded and chuckled after that. "So, what do you feel now? I''d be surprised if you feel regret for raising a monster. You are a pretty terrible person yourself. It would be so hypocritical for you, right? would say that we pair well as a mother and daughter duo."


    "Disgust," Anastasia replied.


    "Hm?"


    "I said, I feel disgusted right now," Anastasia continued. "Had I known that you''d


    turn out like this, I would''ve aborted you back then."

 Chapter 291: A Mother’s Redemption (III)

    Chapter 291: Chapter 291: A Mother''s Redemption (III)


    "Aborted me?!"


    Aria was genuinely shocked by what she had just heard. She knew her mother didn''t like her as much after what she had done to the vigers, and usually, she gave no damn about it because her mother was powerless against her anyway.


    But abortion was far from her expectations because her mother had always emphasized how much of a blessing Aria''s birth was.


    Aria was The Golden Princess. She was well-loved and celebrated by many since she was born. Her existence brought joy to people.


    So, for her mother to say that she wanted to abort her...


    Aria chuckled, but it was evidently less joyful than before.


    "I am serious, Aria. If I had the chance, I would''ve aborted you."


    "Too bad you can''t, Mom. Because I am here and very much alive," Aria scoffed. "If you want to kill me, you should''ve done it before I got my witchcraft back. That''s when I was the most vulnerable."


    "It was unfortunate, indeed," Anastasia agreed. "But it''s fine. I can still redeem what I haven''t been able to do for a while. If only I''d done this sooner, those kind vigers would still be alive, and I wouldn''t have to cook with the blood of an innocent kid. You know this is all your fault, right, you filthy witch."


    Aria thought she could listen to her mother talking all day about random nonsense and she would still be in a good mood.


    But she was wrong.


    She got pissed now, and she wouldn''t feel better before she had done something to this ungrateful old mother that she had spared for so long.


    "Watch your mouth, old hag. Do you think I can''t kill you right now? You have no worth to me as well, and the only reason why I am keeping you around is because you are my mother!"


    "I know that is a lie, Aria."


    Aria''s eyes widened as she didn''t expect that answer.


    Anastasia''s gaze was solemn, as if she had everything under her control all this time.


    "You are waiting for the right time¡ªI don''t know when it will be¡ªto sacrifice me. You said that children''s souls are worth more than regr humans, and a pregnant mother was worth even more than anything. Do you think I don''t know what that means? I know you''re keeping me around so you can sacrifice me when necessary."


    The corner of Aria''s lips twitched. She didn''t know how her mother suddenly gained so much knowledge, but there was no point in hiding anything, so she shrugged, "Oh well, I guess you found out now. I intend to wait until the right time to kill you, but I have no choice now."


    Aria used her telekinesis to levitate a knife. and it flew towards her mother. The knife stopped right when the tip touched Anastasia''s neck.


    "I am so sorry, Mom. But I cannot let you go away or kill yourself. I need to harvest your soul to be the ultimate witch."


    Anastasia didn''t show an ounce of fear in front of her daughter.


    Her face revealed nothing but coldness towards Aria.


    "I know you will kill me if I tell you about this. That''s why I''ve prepared your death beforehand," Anastasia said.


    "What do you mean?" Aria frowned. He blinked once, and somehow, her gaze started getting blurry, to the point she couldn''t even see her mother''s face. Aria quickly realized what was happening and panicked, "W-what did you do?!"


    "I stole some poison from Lady Jade''s room when she was out of the mansion. I don''t know which one will kill you, so I poured all of them into the blood soup I served you. The food you eat is a mixture of blood and a bunch of poison brewed into one, Aria," Anastasia replied.


    "YOU BITCH! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO YOUR DAUGHTER?!" Aria tried getting up from the chair but found herself unable to move at all. She gritted her teeth and tried to use her witchcraft to sh her mother''s neck, but failed to do so as her body burned up from the inside. It felt like her insides were getting corroded by hot coal. "Urgh... Argh!"


    Anastasia remained unmoved in her seat. She clenched the rosary on her neck even tighter than before as she knew that her daughter was on the brink of death.


    Aria was already powerless and vulnerable right now. She still heard everything,


    but she couldn''t even lift a finger, and the pain made it too difficult for her to chant any dark spell.


    "I have read something in the


    scripture of the Sun Goddess. It is


    said that; One can redeem


    themselves by killing any source of evil," Anastasia muttered. She got up and walked towards her daughter. She grabbed the knife that Aria almost used to kill her just now and added, "I will redeem myself by killing you, the source of evil who has killed many. I shall be epted by the Sun Goddess'' embrace after eliminating you, and I will start anew in heaven."


    Anastasia aimed the knife at Aria''s neck and started stabbing her over and over, even though Aria was already on the brink of death at that point.


    Aria had never thought this day woulde when her mother would kill her. Her


    ''So this is what despair feels like... ha... hahaha... it feels terrible. This feels ten times worse than getting humiliated by Swan. No wonder Madam Harsetti told me that I need to feel despair before I can be the ultimate witch,'' Aria thought as she was on herst breath. She slowly closed her eyes with onest


    thought, ''Mother... why...''


    Anastasia dropped the knife after she made sure Aria was dead. Her entire body


    shook when realization finally sunk in.


    She had just killed her own daughter, and a trace of regret was guing her mind.

 Chapter 292: A Mother’s Redemption (IV)

    Chapter 292: Chapter 292: A Mother''s Redemption (IV)


    [Warning: Violence.]


    Anastasia was so scared at the possibility of making the wrong choice, that she made a grave mistake by killing her daughter.


    She also felt an immense guilt in her heart. After all, she gave birth to Aria and raised her to be a fine, beautiful, educated, and graceful young woman.


    Anastasia''s chest started heaving as it got difficult for her to breathe. She thought about when Aria was just a cute child, using her innocent eyes to get everything she wanted.


    Anastasia also remembered how Aria always said that she was her favorite person because she allowed Aria to do everything she wanted to do.


    And now, that cute little girl had turned into a monster, a witch with no regard for other people''s lives.


    ''No, you are doing the right thing, Anastasia. If you don''t kill her, then she''ll run rampant and kill many more people before she eventually kills you! This is all for the redemption from the Goddess!'' Anastasia told herself to justify her action. She joined her hands in a praying position and murmured, "Oh, Goddess Asmara, I have done what I can do to ensure your daughter''s safety. Aria is dead now, and she won''t harm Swan or anyone anymore. Please ept me as your devout follower and bring me to heaven!"


    ...


    As usual, there was no response from the Goddess. Anastasia wished she could be like Swan, whose prayers were always answered.


    But Anastasia understood her position. She couldn''t ask much when she was the one who ignored Swan''s existence. Even tantly allowing Aria to bully her until she got crippled.


    ''Had I known Swan is the Saintess, I would''ve treated her better than Aria,'' Anastasia thought.


    She shook her head and looked at her daughter''s corpse.


    She had learned from the tale of a witch in the scripture about an immortal witch, and the only real way to kill her was to separate all of her bodies and bury them in different spots.


    Anastasia didn''t want to take the risk of Aria''s resurrection. If her daughter could resurrect Lady Jade, Anastasia was damn sure that Aria could also do the same to herself.


    Thus, Anastasia went to the kitchen and grabbed a butcher knife.


    She looked at her daughter and muttered, "I''m sorry, my little girl. I have to do this. I know you can''t save me, so I will save myself and go to heaven in Goddess of the Sun''s embrace."


    With those words, Anastasia butchered her daughter''s body and separated her into six pieces; her head, four limbs, and her torso.


    She followed the story and decided to bury each of her body parts in different spots, starting with her left leg which she buried near the gate entrance, her torso which she buried behind the kitchen, and her right leg which she buried next to the flower garden.


    Anastasia buried Aria''s hands in two separate graves in the vegetable garden to act as a fertilizer, andstly, her head...


    She was thinking of the best ce to bury it. She didn''t want her daughter to be resurrected, so she nned to feed her head to the wild dogs before burying her.


    Anastasia walked down the road to the forest behind the mansion, searching for wild mutts who would help her chew her daughter before she buried her.


    "I''ve seen so many wild mutts here before. Where are they?" Anastasia continued pacing through the forest, searching for wild mutts who would tear Arta''s head apart, and so all Anastasia had to do was bury her skull or just let her skull rot under the


    sun.


    *


    Meanwhile, Aria was floating in the darkness. She was in a limbo that she knew very well because this was the same ce where she usually met with Madam Harsetti.


    She closed her eyes as the memory of her death enveloped her.


    ''Betrayed and killed by my own mother... I didn''t know that would make me feel immense sadness and despair...'' Aria thought.


    "It seems that you understand the true feeling of despair, little witch."


    Aria opened her eyes instantly and saw Madam Harsetti with her signature big hat that covered half of her face, the devious smirk, and her cane gently tapping the floor.


    "Madam Harsetti..." Aria muttered


    weakly. Usually, Aria would be very


    excited when meeting the Great Witch, because it was the sign that she hadpleted all of Madam Harsetti''s requirements to grant her an audience.


    But not now.


    What was the point of getting excited over this, when Aria was already dead?


    "Why are you sad? Do you really think that mere poisons and knives would be able to kill you?" Madam Harsetti asked, and that statement quickly stole Aria''s attention.


    She turned her head and asked, "Madam, does that mean I¡ª"


    "You will not die unless heaven punishes you."


    "But howe I can''t do anything while my mother butchered my body? Why didn''t you help me, Madam?"


    "First, you are meant to feel despair, and your mother''s action is your despair. Second, I am still your master, little witch. Why do I have to your own ipetence?" Madam Harsetti scoffed. "This is the perfect time for you to finally be an ultimate witch. So I will resurrect you, and you know what you need to do to gain that extreme power, right?"


    step into protect you from have to


    Aria nodded.


    Of course, she needed to kill her mother. She just didn''t know when at that time. However, since she had experienced the ultimate betrayal and despair, she had nothing else to hide. She wanted to kill that old hag with her own hands! Madam Harsetti grinned, "Don''t worry. After doing what you have to do, I shall reward you with something that willplete your n to finally have the cursed beast by your side."


    "Then, I am ready! Please bring me back to life, Madam. I will avenge myself and finally turn into the ultimate witch!"

 Chapter 293: A Mother’s Redemption (V)

    Chapter 293: Chapter 293: A Mother''s Redemption (V)


    [Warning: Violence. Disturbing content.]


    Madam Harsetti was satisfied with Aria''s answer, "I shall grant you what you wish for, little witch. Give me a good result, make her feel as much despair as you felt. This is the true way of the dark witch, Aria."


    Aria nodded with full determination. She had nothing to care about anymore.


    "Now close your eyes, and I will make sure you will get all your body parts back," Madam Harsetti said.


    Aria did as she was told, and the Madam tapped her cane to the floor. Aria felt something creeping from her legs, but she didn''t dare to open her eyes as she didn''t want to piss off Madam Harsetti.


    Little did she know, her body was getting wrapped very slowly by a big snake, and she was swallowed by the said snake until there was nothing left in her.


    Madam Harsetti chuckled, "Finally, I will have my chance to start another holy war after hundreds of years. This feels nostalgic, don''t you think, Goddess Asmara?"


    **


    Anastasia continued searching for the wild mutts when she suddenly felt the head she was holding started shaking. She looked down and saw that Aria''s eyes were wide open, staring at her dead in the eyes while grinning.


    "What are you searching for in this forest, Mom?"


    "AHHHH!" Anastasia threw the head out of shock. She took a step back, staring at the head in horror as it slowly floated and turned around to face her.


    Aria smiled grimly and muttered, "How cruel. You poisoned your daughter, stabbed her many times, and then butchered her into six pieces. I''ve never seen a mother as cruel as you before, and frankly... that makes me sad, Mom."


    The head started flying towards her, and Anastasia was so scared that she kept taking steps back until she tripped on her own feet. She began crawling her way to escape Aria and yelled, "Go away! Get away from me, you witch!"


    The sight of her mother trying to run away from her amused Aria. She grinned, but for some reason, she didn''t find joy in bullying her mother like this.


    In fact, she didn''t think she''d find joy after murdering herter.


    She just felt empty.


    ''I shouldn''t think too much about it. This is thest thing to do before I be the ultimate witch. Sacrificing this old hag to gain absurd power is a very advantageous trade,'' Aria thought as her floating head continued following her mother, who kept crawling on the ground like a bug.


    Aria used her witchcraft and made a tree fall, crushing the lower half of Anastasia''s body.


    "AHHH!" Anastasia screamed when she felt a sharp pain in her hip before she gradually couldn''t feel her lower half anymore. She writhed in pain, and she knew that her end was near, as she doubted that her daughter would spare her.


    "Why did you have to kill me, Mom? Is it because I am a witch?" Aria asked before she killed her.


    ...


    ...


    "Answer me!" Aria yelled.


    Anastasia gritted her teeth and gathered her remaining strength to shout at her, "BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT SWAN!"


    Aria''s eyes widened, "W-what are you saying? Of course, I am not Swan, I''m not a cripple!"


    "You''re not Swan, because you are not graced by the Goddess of the Sun. I hate you because you''ve be such a failure, and I hate you because you cannot bring me to heaven! I don''t want to rot in hell with you! I want forgiveness from the Goddess and Swan, then go to heaven!" Anastasia blurted everything she had been holding all this time. She was about to die anyway, so she might as well let her daughter know how much of a disappointment she was to her. "You... You are a monster. You ruined my life. I hate you, Aria."


    Aria was still a floating head at this moment, so she closed her eyes and slowly summoned all of her body parts Slowly but surely, Aria''s body rejoined as if she never had any wound in the first ce.


    Crack! Crack!


    Her neck cracked a few times to find the right position for her head. After her head waspletely reattached, she looked down at her mother who was already on the brink of death.


    Aria crouched in front of her mother and poked her mother''s head.


    "You should know that I have been raised this way by you. In a sense, you are far more terrible than me, Anastasia," Aria said.


    She stared at her mother who was looking at her emptily, her gaze unfocused. "You... filthy... witch..."


    Aria smiled, and flicked her mother''s head, making it explode instantly until her brains were scattered all over her dress.


    Aria kept staring at her mother''s headless corpse, and for some reason, there was no satisfaction after killing her.


    No joy, nothing.


    Aria felt so empty, angry, and sad.


    Her eyes were welling with tears, but she quickly wiped them off before they fell.


    freewebnovel


    ''No, this is all my decision. I am the one who wants to be a witch. I have no regrets!'' Aria told herself.


    Yet, she couldn''t move from her current position. She sat next to her mother''s corpse, unsure of what to do next.


    Aria stared at the clear spring sky and murmured, "Not Swan, huh? I wonder too..."


    "Why am I not Swan? Why can''t I be Swan?"


    "Because you are destined to be the great witch, Aria."


    Aria turned her head and saw none other than Madam Harsetti standing under a


    tree not far from her. She frowned, and asked carefully, "Madam Harsetti?"


    "In the flesh. s, I can finally manifest into this earth after I''ve found the most terrible person on earth in this era," Harsetti smiled pointed at


    meaningfully at Aria a


    her, "You are the most terrible in this world, Aria. You deserve to borrow my power and rule this earth."


    Aria would have been over the moon before, but she felt nothing right now.


    All she could think of was, "Can your power turn me into a cripple that''s loved by everyone?

 Chapter 294: I want to be Swan

    Chapter 294: Chapter 294: I want to be Swan


    "You mean you want to be Swan, right?" Madam Harsetti asked, and Aria nodded.


    "Back when we were young, I was well-loved. Everyone catered to my needs, and I could do anything I wanted without a burden. I am now a failure, but that cripple, Swan... she has an amazing life instead," Aria nced at her mother''s corpse before returning her gaze to Madam Harsetti. "So I want to be like her-No, I want to BE her."


    "Unfortunately, you cannot do that, little witch," Madam Harsetti replied. "I can change your appearance to anyone but her, because she has already ascended to be an angel. A dark witch cannot impersonate an angel or goddess, because weck the radiant aura that they have."


    "Thought so," Aria scoffed. She leaned on the tree that crushed her mother. She lowered her head and muttered, "I don''t know what''s the point, Madam. No matter how much I try, Swan will always be better than me. She is prettier, has a great partner, has a beautiful castle all for herself, and is the daughter of the Sun Goddess. I don''t know what''s the point of trying when she is always ahead of me."


    "Aww, don''t be so depressed. The witch before you was very weak, but she seeded in trapping the Saintess at that time until she was kidnapped and raped by yourte father. Though she has no unique spells whatsoever, she still gets a great reward for what she did. But you... you are one of¡ªif not THE ultimate witch who can bear all of my power. You have a massive talent in witchcraft that will go wasted if you don''t do anything with it."


    "Then, what should I do, Madam? All I want is to be her. I want to be Swan, and I want her life," Aria stated. "I''m tired of constant failure."


    Madam Harsetti smiled mysteriously and said, "You cannot be her, but you can have what she has."


    Aria turned her head, waiting for Madam Harsetti to continue her sentence.


    "I know you are in love with the Beast King, and let me tell you something. The Beast King might be unbeatable when he is at his best, but he''s currently staying in the Sacred Selene Lake, sleeping as he spends his days waiting for Swan toe. His will has been greatly weakened, and I don''t think he will fight back if you attack him now. He might try to defend himself, but it would soon dawn on him that everything is useless without Swan by his side, and gives up."


    "But his heart will still be with Swan even if I defeat him..." Ariamented.


    "You don''t need to care about that. Even if his heart is not for you, he will be 100% obedient to yourmand," Madam Harsetti said. "Gale might be the powerful Beast King, but he is still a beastman. Their deep-rooted culture will always make them bow down to the strongest. If you be the strongest and beat him, you can have everything that Swan has; her husband, the castle, the people, and most importantly, you might get pregnant with his offspring."


    "C-can I be pregnant with his offspring now? Isn''t he supposedly only able to impregnate his fated mate?"


    "Pffth-that''s because he was cursed by the Moon Goddess. But you witnessed it yourself, right? He kissed the angel, his fated mate, and broke his curse. His gaze won''t kill indiscriminately anymore unless he wants to intentionally kill people with it. He would no longer feel constant pain around his body, and he could impregnate other women who aren''t his fated mate," Madam Harsetti chuckled. "I am sure you can find a way to seduce him."


    Aria was finally tempted by the idea.


    True, it was impossible for her to have Gale''s love. But as long as she had his baby, then Gale would eventually tolerate her.


    ''As long as I defeat him, he will be under my controlpletely.''


    "Will Swan ever return from heaven then?" Aria asked. "I''m worried that she might intervene and defeat me in the process."


    "Even if shees down to protect her husband, she cannot do much when we have all the preparation needed," Madam Harsetti said. "Come here, little witch, I will show you something."


    Aria stood up. She walked towards Madam Harsetti and saw her opening her palms to reveal five nes with different colored pendants.


    "These are all the remaining pendants I have which represent the seven deadly sins. You''ve used the envy and lust pendants, so let me tell you one thing," Madam Harsetti paused for a moment and said. "You, Aria, have exceeded my expectations. You are a terrible human because you have fulfilled every requirement to obtain all of these powerful pendants."


    "Envy and Lust are too obvious, right? But you also represent gluttony and greed for your cravings for extreme power. You ate so many children''s flesh and their souls that even I am appalled."


    "Sloth because you want the easy way out. You don''t want to study witchcraft for decades, so you kill so many people to boost your power as fast as possible."


    "Wrath because of your rage


    towards the whole situation you''re in, and pride... let''s just say that I know you don''t love Gale that much. You just want to be his wife because of your pride, right? You want to be praised and worshipped by everyone for the rest of your life."


    Aria nodded. She knew there was no point in denying the obvious. She was a terrible human, it was just a in fact.


    "Then, what can I do with all these pendants, Madam? Can I use them to defeat Swan?"


    "Yes, you canbine all of these pendants to kill the angel," Madam Harsetti replied. "However, before you can do that, you need to overwhelm her and Gale first. Let''s start by building an army, shall we?"


    "An army?"


    "Yes, an army of undead," Madam Harsetti smiled mysteriously. "You have all the knowledge necessary to build an army. Kill as many humans as possible, and turn them into immortal undead. You can also use a bunch of undead beastmen since you are much stronger than them now."


    "Army of undead..." Aria finally had the same smile as Madam Harsetti and nodded. "I will do it, Madam. As long as I can achieve my goal in the end, a million deaths is not a big deal." fre?webnovel

 Chapter 295: Angel’s Cravings

    Chapter 295: Chapter 295: Angel''s Cravings


    Swan sat in the pavilion, eating a cooked venison to satisfy her cravings. As an angel, she didn''t need to eat anything. The baby in her belly also wouldn''t feel hungry and would still get all the nutrients he needed to grow healthy and strong.


    However, she couldn''t handle the cravings. Ever since she was pregnant with the Beast King''s cub, she had an intense craving for meat, especially game meat and anything that Gale usually hunted to eat.


    Goddess Asmara sighed while looking at her daughter. She didn''t mind her daughter eating meat, as there was no such limitation to her.


    However, her giving up on her cravings was a sign that her connection with Gale was still very strong despite the separation.


    "Swan."


    "Yes, Mom?" Swan turned her head at her mother. She still had that innocent look, but the way she ripped the meat with her teeth was truly the sign of savagery only shown by the beastmen.


    "Do you know that an angel in this realm shouldn''t feel any cravings for earthly possessions, including food?"


    "I-I''m sorry..." Swan murmured, but she still refused to stop eating. "It''s just... My baby makes me crave this, even though I didn''t like eating meat before I got pregnant. The baby will keep kicking until I give him what he wants."


    "No, I am not angry at you, my dear," Asmara smiled. "What I''m trying to say is that your craving means you have a very deep bond with your baby, and it also means you still have a deep bond with your husband, Gale Stormfront."


    Swan stopped eating the meat. She would be lying if she said she didn''t miss her husband. She wanted to see him many times, but she felt like it was better to wait until she gave birth. She wanted to know if she could finally let go of his mistake, and started anew with her husband.


    Goddess Asmara looked at her daughter''s belly and said, "You are almost at your full-term pregnancy, Swan. You''re going to give birth soon. Are you sure you don''t want him by your side?"


    ...


    Swan didn''t answer.


    She didn''t know what to answer, as she didn''t know if she was ready to face him again.


    "I will think about itter, Mom," Swan murmured. "I still don''t know what to feel right now..."


    **


    The bright spring and sunny summer had passed. Everyone was getting busy gathering food for winter because they had a feeling the winter this year would be just as harsh asst year.


    Except for one person.


    He hadn''t moved from his position for the past six months.


    Gale was still leaning on the statue of the Moon Goddess. He had been closing his eyes the whole time. He didn''t eat, nor did he need to eat as he was basically an immortal at this point.


    Theck of food made him feel weak, as he usually needed to eat at least a full adult moose a day to stay fit. That portion would double whenever he was in a war, as he had to transform into his werewolf or true wolf form sometimes.


    Unfortunately, Gale didn''t care about all that. He was so heartbroken when his wife left him, that he didn''t even care if he had to die right now.


    The only thing that made him unable to kill himself was fear.


    Yes, for the first time in his life, he had many fears, all of which revolved around his wife, Swan.


    He was scared of losing his wife.


    He was scared of making her sad.


    He was scared that they would never reunite.


    Thatst one was also the reason he hadn''t killed himself yet.


    He didn''t care if he ended up in heaven or hell as long as Swan was there with him. But what if Swan was in neither ce, and they would never meet again?


    That fear was enough to keep Gale from ever harming himself.


    He intended to continue his hibernation through years, decades, or even centuries. He would wait forever as long as Swan would finally give him a second chance and they could start anew.


    The moonlight was exceptionally clear today, and Gale could feel his power slowly regenerating. He intended to fall asleep soon until he heard the voice of Selene, the Moon Goddess.


    "Open your eyes, little wolf."


    Gale opened his eyes slowly. He stared at the Moon Goddess, who sat on a crescent-shaped mini-moon.


    It had been a while ever since Gale talked with the Moon Goddess. Selene didn''t show herself because she knew it would only make him hope for a chance to be with Swan, and Selene had no hope to give.


    But that wasn''t the case today, because she had an urgent message to say;


    "Little wolf, you need toe with me now to the Goddess realm."


    Gale''s eyes were wide open. He sprung up as if he had gained all of his strength back in a split second.


    "Does Swan want to meet me?"


    "She-" Selene hesitated. Truthfully,


    Swan hadn''t said that she wanted Gale to be by her side. It was mostly because she was in so much pain right now, and she kept callinge


    Gale''s name in between her O screams. Hence, even if she hadn''t asked for Gale toe, both Asmara and Selene thought it was the right time to bring him. "She is inbor right now, and she is in pain. She needs you there."


    Gale''s heart skipped a beat. He had been staying in this ce for so long that he had forgotten the concept of time. He didn''t want to miss his son''s birth, and also to support his wife!


    "Then what are you waiting for? Take me there! I have to be by my wife''s side!"


    Selene nodded. She snapped her fingers, and shiny butterflies surrounded Gale before swallowing his body in light.


    And...


    Poof!


    freewebnovel


    Gale was transported to the Goddess realm to see his wife.

 Chapter 296: Miraculous Birth

    Chapter 296: Chapter 296: Miraculous Birth


    Gale was teleported into the Goddess realm in an instant. The scent of the flowers, the fresh air, the always-sunny sky; they were all too beautiful to describe.


    But he paid no attention to those things at all, because the moment he opened his eyes again, he saw his wife on a bed made out of flowers, writhing in pain as she was pushing the baby out with the help of two faceless angels.


    Goddess Asmara opened her palm to constantly heal Swan''s body and lessen the pain, as she was currently giving birth to a child who would be the avatar of both Sun and Moon.


    "SWAN!"


    Gale rushed towards Swan, and thetter quickly turned her head when she heard her husband''s voice.


    Unfortunately, she was too weak to call his name. All she did was stare at him while stretching her hand, trying to reach him.


    Gale grabbed Swan''s hand and kissed it immediately to inhale her scent, "I''m here! Swan. Wife! I''m here!"


    Swan began to shed tears of joy as she could finally meet her husband again. She regretted hesitating over him before she was inbor.


    Swan was scared that she wouldn''t be able to appease her anger when she met Gale again, but after experiencing such pain of giving birth, all she could think of was how good it would feel to have Gale by her side.


    Gale kneeled next to the flower bed, fervently kissing Swan''s hand, and wiped the sweat on her head. He knew that Swan was in pain, so he held off his urge to hug her. He didn''t want to put her in too much emotional distress.


    "Calm down, Sweetheart. You can do this. I know you can."


    Swan nodded weakly and screamed again as she tried to push the baby out.


    Selene joined her sister to strengthen Swan''s body. They knew it was too painful -in fact, it would have been impossible for Swan to survive thisbor had it not been for her to stay in this Goddess Realm with both Goddess sustaining her life.


    Gale was unable to endure hearing the scream that Swan made. He looked at the Goddesses and asked politely, "Goddess, please make my wife''sbor easier. She is in too much pain!"


    "We''re trying our best, little wolf. The birth of your cub is a miracle because it is not supposed to happen," Selene replied. "Your offspring will have the miracle of both the Sun and the Moon."


    "At least she''s not in the earth realm. She will die duringbor with her baby if she gives birth there," Asmara added. "We are sustaining her life, but it''s up to Swan if she wants to give birth to her offspring or not."


    Gale turned his head towards Swan and held her hand tight. He was silent out of a dilemma because he didn''t know what to say. Should he tell Swan to give the baby up because she was in so much pain?


    Or should he tell her to endure the pain and push the baby out?


    However, before he could say anything, Swan yelled, "I will give birth to my son!"


    "Wife..."


    Swan was reminded of her love with Gale, and though they were separated before, their baby was the proof of their love, and also the proof that she was truly capable of having a real family. Before all of this happened, Swan always thought that she didn''t deserve to have a family, so she took herself out, hoping that Gale and their son would be happy without her.


    Now that she was on the brink of death while giving birth, she realized that she was very, very selfish.


    She wanted to be included in the family picture.


    She wanted to be a good wife for Gale, and also a good mother for their cub.


    She also wanted to be a capable woman who could do anything she wanted without being confined in a small room.


    She wanted to be happy with her husband and son!


    "Just a little more, Swan!" Selene said.


    "Push, dear! Push!" Asmara added.


    Gale saw that her wife was gritting her teeth before screaming while pushing as hard as she could.


    "AHHHHHH!!"


    "Wahhh! Waaaah!"


    Swan felt like her soul was being pulled out of her body before everything looked hazy. She could hear her baby son''s first cries and smiled while closing her eyes.


    Swan lost consciousness after that.


    "Swan? Swan! Goddess, what''s wrong with my wife?!" Gale panicked as Swan had fainted.


    "Rx, little wolf, she is just tired," Selene replied. "She will have to rest for a while because she just gave birth to a miracle. Why don''t you see your son first."


    Asmara took the baby from the


    faceless angels. The baby was surrounded by bright light that made it impossible for Gale to see him, but Asmara helped by absorbing the light, making the baby visible for Gate to see.


    Gale stood up as Asmara walked towards him with his baby.


    "You can carry him for a moment," Asmara said as she carefully handed the baby


    to him.


    Gale carried his baby in a daze. The


    baby was still crying loudly, but Gale knew it was his son instantly,


    vels


    because of his ck wolf ears and tails that were very simr to his.


    Gale couldn''t help but smile. He turned to his wife who was still sleeping, and


    talked to the sleeping Swan, "Wife, look at him. He looks like me!"


    "I''ve told you before that I''ve prepared a few names for him, but I need your opinion first. So please, wake up, and let''s take care of our baby together, alright?" Gale gently put their son in Swan''s embrace and kissed her lips softly.


    Gale turned around to face the Goddesses and asked, "Goddess, can I stay with


    my wife for a while? At least until she wakes up."


    Goddess Asmara and Selene looked at each other and nodded in unison. They


    aimed their palm at him and said;


    "You have to leave now, little wolf."


    "But, I haven''t talked to Swan enough¡ª"


    "This is the only way to keep her safe from the iing danger. Trust us."


    The Goddesses used their power and pushed Gale out of the Goddess realm.

 Chapter 297: A New Stormfront (I)

    Chapter 297: Chapter 297: A New Stormfront (1)


    "No! Swan! My son! Let me stay with them!" Gale struggled to reach his wife, but the Goddesses used their power to push him out until he could only see his wife and son getting farther and farther from his sight.


    He felt like he was falling from a great height. As he fell, he could only stare at the moonlight and shed a single tear before closing his eyes.


    Once he opened them again, he found himself back in the Sacred Selene Lake, leaning on the statue like he previously did. He was angry at the Goddess who suddenly separated her from his wife and son after such a tearful reunion. He got up and yelled at the moon, "Come down, you stupid Goddess! Bring me back to my wife!"


    The white rabbit avatar went down instead of Selene and said, "Calm down little wolf."


    "How can I calm down when you kicked me out like that? How about my wife and son!? I want to be with them!"


    "Swan needs to be there for safety, and as for you... we need you to be on earth to protect hiske."


    Gale scoffed, "And why should I care about this damnedke? I''ve destroyed it many times before."


    "Because this is the ce where your wife will return to you. You need to protect it, or else your wife can never descend back to earth," the white rabbit replied.


    The mocking grin on Gale''s lips vanished instantly. His eyes darkened as he said seriously, "I will guard this ce with my life. Don''t worry. I won''t let anyone enter thiske at all."


    "Good. Once your wife has healed, I am sure she''d eventually descend back to earth realm," the white rabbit said. "I will tell her that you are waiting for her return."


    "Thank you, Goddess. Please tell her that I want our son to have Stormfront as his surname. It is a n name for the future Alpha of Storm Pack," Gale said. "My pack might''ve been gone by now, but my son can always start a new one."


    "I will tell her that as well. I have to stay in the Goddess realm to take care of your wife, so I entrust thiske to you, little wolf."


    "Yes, Goddess."


    The white rabbit slowly ascended back to the moon, leaving Gale alone in Sacred Selene Lake.


    Gale sat next to the statue, observing theke intensely as he had a task that he absolutely did not want to mess up. freewebnovel


    ''This will be my ce to reunite with Swan, and I will protect it with all my beings,'' Gale promised himself.


    **


    Swan regained her consciousness as she heard the cries of her baby. She opened her eyes slowly and saw the two Goddesses, Selene and Asmara who were busy trying to calm her newborn in Asmara''s arms.


    "Mom... Aunt..."


    Selene and Asmara turned their heads simultaneously, and the Moon Goddess quickly showered Swan with energy to continue healing her.


    "Are you alright, dear? You can rest more if you need to. You just had a strenuousbor after all," Asmara said to her daughter.


    Swan nodded weakly, "I feel weak... but I''m alright..." Swan turned her head towards the baby in her mother''s arms and she stretched her hands, "Give him to me, Mom. I want to carry him."


    Asmara used her power to ensure the flower bed went up, so Swan could sit up before she carefully handed the baby to the rightful mother.


    The baby who had been crying nonstop for hours after being born was finally eased after he was put in his mother''s arms. His eyes were closed as he continued to lick his lips, a sign that he was hungry.


    "You should feed him, Swan. He has been crying for hours waiting. He is the first baby born in this Goddess realm, so he''ll be fine without milk, but of course, he still wants it," Asmara exined.


    Swan nodded. She slid off her dress, and breastfed her son for the first time. She stared at her baby who seemed to be very hungry.


    Swan gently caressed his wolf ears which started tilting back and forth when touched. The baby curled his small wolf tail as he felt at ease in his mother''s embrace. She chuckled and muttered, "You look so much like your father. I hope you will grow up to be as strong as he is."


    The baby hadn''t opened his eyes the whole time. He had just cried nonstop and


    only stopped crying after being hugged by his mother and being fed.


    After the baby was full, he stopped sucking Swan''s breast and yawned. He opened his eyes very slowly. staring at Swan with his golden eyes that were simr to hers after she ascended to be an angel.


    Then, the baby closed his eyes again and fell asleep rather quickly.


    Swan kept staring at her son for a while. There was already a feeling of yearning just by looking at him, because he reminded her so much of Gale.


    Swan lifted her head and asked, "Mom, Aunt, where is Gale? I''ve changed my mind. I want to see him now. We still have to name our son together."


    "He cannot stay, Swan," Asmara replied.


    "Why not?"


    "Because he needs to guard the Sacred Selene Lake. There is an uing danger that will change the fate of the earth realm. He has to stand and protect theke as the only way for us to go back and forth. between these two realms, Selene replied. "He told me to tell you that he wants the baby''s surname to be Stormfront, as it is inherited from the Alpha of Storm Pack. He said the Storm Pack might be no more, but your son can always lead a new one."


    "That''s given. He is a Stormfront, after all," Swan smiled. "And as for his name, I


    already have an idea after staying in the Goddess realm for a while."

 Chapter 298: A New Stormfront (II)

    Chapter 298: Chapter 298: A New Stormfront (II)


    "Then tell us. We also want to know, Swan," Selene probed.


    Swan looked up at her mother before saying, "Mom, I want my son to always remember his identity as the grandson of the Sun Goddess. That''s why, I will name him after the sun, Sol. His name is Sol Stormfront."


    "Sol Stormfront. That name makes me love my grandson even more now," Asmaramented. "Selene and I nned to bless him with both sun and moon power. But it seems he is already born with those powers inherited from you and Gale."


    "That means you and Gale need to make sure to protect="


    "I will protect him at all costs. He is my son," Swan stated.


    Selene chuckled, "No, what I mean is, you need to protect others from your son." Swan frowned, "To protect others from him? But Sol is just a newborn..."


    "He will continue developing his power over time. His baby tantrum might identally set off his power," Selene warned. "Don''t worry. We will make sure to keep Sol in check. We will limit half of his potential until he reaches adulthood. He needs to know how to control such great power first."


    "T-thank you, Mom, Aunt," Swan lowered her head and smiled at her sleeping son. "Do you hear that, Sol? You are already well-loved by your grandmother and grandaunt. They will also protect and guide you in this harsh world."


    Swan looked at Selene and said, "Aunt, can Ie down to meet with Gale now since he cannote to the Goddess realm? I need to tell him our son''s name."


    "You can''t go down now, Swan. We just told you that there will be a huge uing danger that will change the earth forever. You''re still greatly weakened after you gave birth," Asmara stopped her. "You need to recuperate first, and take care of your newborn."


    "But... how long would it take for me to heal before I can return to earth?" Swan asked.


    "At least wait until your son is one year old. Then you can go down with him to the earth realm," Selene replied. "On top of that, we also have to continuously observe Sol''s power to see what we can do, so he wouldn''t just turn everything on earth into a desert during one of his tantrums."


    The Goddesses seemed to intentionally hide the true nature of this ''danger''. She was worried that her husband might be in danger, too.


    But then, she remembered that Gale was practically unbeatable, so she decided to agree with the terms made by the Goddesses as she also had to raise her baby.


    ''Just one more year, husband, and we can finally reunite.''


    **


    Aria floated right above the capital city of Holy Achate in the middle of the night. The pce had been upied by a high-ranked beastman who acted as the representative for Gale. However, the country was basically run by the church right now, and everything returned to normal even after Anastasia''s abdication.


    "They forget about me like I never existed in the first ce," Aria muttered. She was once the most popr princess across thend and had a cult following in Holy Achate.


    But it was all gone the moment her mother abdicated. They all turned their backs on her just because their family members died due to the trade ban imposed by Gale before.


    Aria gritted her teeth and yelled, "If all of you truly worship me, then you should''ve followed me without question. Why are you angry at me just because your children died? It''s not that big of a deal!"


    Of course, nobody could hear her yell as she was high above the ground right


    now.


    She held the ne with a flower pendant containing five different-colored crystals given by Madam Harsetti before. Ever since Madam Harsetti blessed her with all her knowledge as the Great Witch, Aria got the privilege to talk with her anytime.


    ''I will do it, Madam. I will kill everyone in the capital city and turn them into mindless undead that will follow my instructions,'' Aria reported.


    ''Good. Do it, and make them all your army to fight against the Beast King,'' Madam Harsetti replied.


    Aria continued staring at the castle and asked the Great Witch again, ''Madam, there is a beastman in this castle. Can I kill him and turn him into an undead, too?''


    ''Humans, angels, and demons are under the Sun Goddess'' rule, and I am the Sun Goddess'' shadow, so


    you can control humans as you


    please. However, beastmen, fairies, and other strange creatures are under the Moon Goddess rule. We cannot reanimate their corpse because it would only make them unresponsive,'' Madam Harsetti exined. ''However, you can still use brainwash on them. The only


    beastman who can resist your brainwashing is Gale Stormfront or those who have been in contact with Swan.''


    ''So, I cannot brainwash the soldiers in the Kingdom of Beastmen,'' Aria murmured.


    ''You can still brainwash the


    beastmen citizens in their city because Swan has never been in contact with any of them. You can also brainwash other beastmen tribes outside of the kingdom. They have a lot of powerful beastmen fighters as well,'' Madam Harsetti replied. ''Don''t worry, you will outnumber your enemy. No matter how strong Gale is, he wouldn''t be able to defeat your overwhelming power.''


    Aria nodded.


    As long as he gathered enough army, Gale wouldn''t be able to defeat her.


    Thus, Aria took a deep breath and chanted the dark spell for a few seconds. She opened her mouth and began letting out miasma, a poisonous gas that would kill anyone with just an inhale. freewebnovel


    She made sure the sky under the capital of Holy Achate would be surrounded by the poisonous gas, before pointing at the city square.


    ''Go, and kill everyone in this ce.''


    The thick and dark poisonous cloud seemed to have a mind of its own. It went


    down to the city and started slipping through any hole that could be used to pass


    air.


    Aria smirked as she knew her n was in motion.


    ''You will be mine soon, Gale Stormfront.''

 Chapter 299: I can’t wait to make him mine

    Chapter 299: Chapter 299: I can''t wait to make him mine


    Aria watched as the poisonous fog started seeping inside everyone''s home. She used her vision to watch how people started inhaling the poison and died instantly. It was a quick and painless way to die, which wasn''t Aria''s style as she preferred torturous death, but this would save her some time because massive reanimation and turning them all into undead would take a long time for Aria.


    ''And I still have to make sure their bodies stay intact until I can finish their reanimation. Decaying undead will not be useful,'' Aria thought as she calcted everything inside her head.


    Once these humans were sessfully reanimated into undead, their bodies wouldn''t decay until Aria let go of her spell and made them truly dead. Until that time, the decaying process would still continue.


    As everyone in the pce began to fall, the delegate from the Kingdom of Beastman, who happened to be a bird beastman, realized something was wrong. He quickly shifted into his bird form and flew out of the window, heading to the Kingdom of Beastman to report the abnormality in the Holy Achate.


    ''That beastman is slipping out, little witch,'' Madam Harsetti warned.


    Aria followed the falcon, who was heading toward the Kingdom of Beastman. She pointed her finger and chanted a spell before shooting a purple beam into the falcon''s body.


    The falcon continued flying for a second before he suddenly turned around and flew towards Aria.


    Aria grinned as she saw that her brainwashing worked on beastmen. True, she couldn''t just kill them and reanimate them into a bunch of undead, but brainwashing them was easy.


    ''Beastmen are also more useful brainwashed alive than being reanimated. They are naturally simple creatures, so it''s easy to put them into hypnosis or mind control,'' Madam Harsetti said.


    Aria smirked. She stared at the falcon and ordered, "Go back to the pce and send a letter. Tell the Kingdom of Beastmen that everything is fine. This will buy us more time. We can''t afford to alert Gale about my move so early."


    ''Smart,'' Madam Harsetti giggled. ''As expected, you are truly talented at this.''


    ''I was the Royal Princess before Swan ruined everything, Madam. Things like this are what I learned from my days studying with various tutors,'' Aria replied. ''Now, I will continue spreading the poisonous gas around other kingdoms as well. I''ll just target the big cities. There''s no point in using so much energy to catch small fishes.''


    ''It''s more efficient, yes. However, you should at least spare some of the people in this continent, or else there''s no point in ruling over an absolutely barrennd, right?'' Madam Harsetti suggested, and Aria nodded as she agreed to that.


    ''Of course, I''d want to rule the world with Gale and our offspring,'' Aria said. She licked her lips as she had often imagined Gale''s rock-hard dick, which must be huge, ramming inside her and making her pregnant. ''Oh, I can''t wait to make him mine.''


    **


    The situation in the Kingdom of Beastmen was grim. ze was the one who resumed the responsibility of governing since he was His Majesty''s beta, and he tried his best to handle everything.


    He had learned many things about


    governing from observing His


    Majesty and the Queen. He also learned it formally as he was obliged


    to takea course, so he was


    ve


    knowledgeable about the kingdom''s matters.


    Yet, even with all his knowledge, he stillcked one thing-charisma.


    Both the Beast King and Queen Swan had the charisma that made others follow them faithfully. ze didn''t have that, and one argument after another broke out in the throne room so often.


    Sometimes, they would start having a physical fight, and the winner would be the one whose suggestion, idea, or request would be granted.


    It was really wrong, of course, because their Queen was a very wise woman. She would be able to handle these problems without resorting to violence.


    But when the Queen wasn''t here, the beastmen would only respect the strongest, and since the Beast King wasn''t here, they only respected the winner of their physical duel.


    ''This is bad. If this keeps going on, the Kingdom of Beastmen will turn into an absolute shithole full of


    barbarians fighting against eac


    other ze thought. ''Should ask His Majesty toe back and again? I''m sure everything will settle down after his return, though to make the kingdom prosperous


    again, we still need Her Majesty...''


    A year and a half had passed since the Beast King lost his mate, so ze thought


    that he could finally let go of her.


    But when he remembered the despair and defeat that the Beast King showed, ze realized there was no point in trying to beg for His Majesty''s return.


    ''He needs more time. I don''t think he cares about the kingdom when he''s so heartbroken,'' ze sighed and continued handling everything in the throne room.


    As he got busy reading a few reports, a squirrel scout beastman rushed in with a face full of terror, "ze, something''s wrong!"


    ze frowned. It was rare for the scouts to panic since they had seen too many horrible things as their work demanded them to.


    "What is it?" ze asked. "Is it about His Majesty?"


    "N-no, it''s about the boar tribe that I surveyed constantly. They are acting weird!"


    "Make it clear, will you? I don''t understand what you are saying. What do you mean by acting weird?"


    The squirrel scout was also trying to find the right word for it because what he saw was too unbelievable to describe.


    "I-I saw all of the beastmen in that boar tribe standing still like a statue, then they grabbed whatever weapons they could get and started marching towards the Kingdom of Beastmen''s direction like a bunch of soldiers!" the squirrel scout reported. "I tried asking one of them about this, but they acted like statues. They don''t respond at all, and when I try to grab one of them, he simply throws me away and continues marching!"

 Chapter 300: Protect the Beast King and Queen!

    Chapter 300: Chapter 300: Protect the Beast King and Queen!


    "Brainwashing..." ze murmured. He had encountered a human who was brainwashed by a forest fairy before. He was just a young wolf then and thought the fairy was ying around with the human, so he didn''t interfere.


    The fairy would make the human dance maniacally, graze like a cow, and then walk back to his vige naked.


    The fairy was justughing all the time, but ze found that to be horrifying because he could see that the male human couldn''t do anything against it.


    If the fairy was a bit more malicious, it could''ve just told the male human to jump off of a cliff and die.


    However, what happened this time wasn''t the work of a fairy, because both fairies and beastmen were creatures under the protection of the Moon Goddess. The beastmen were naturally immune to any of the fairies'' tricks, and the beastmen never tried to harm the fairies as well.


    ''So, who brainwashed those beastmen?'' ze pondered. ''Could it be a human''s work? A witch? But what kind of witch has so much power to brainwash an entire tribe of beastmen?'' ze had a lot of questions in his mind, but he had no time to think, as another general soon entered the throne room and reported in panic;


    "B-ze, the people in the city-! They all have been brainwashed!"


    ze''s eyes widened. He got up from his chair and rushed to check the town square through the highest tower in the castle.


    There, he could see everyone¡ªliterally everyone, including children¡ªstanding still on their spot, waiting for an order. He looked up and saw a female human floating in the sky, wearing a cloak that seemed to hide her legs.


    She was wearing a hoodie that made it impossible for ze to identify her, but he had a gist of who that was, simply because he had seen her once during the banquet celebration, and the dark aura around her made it a bit too obvious that she was not a simple person. Though, he didn''t know if she was a dark witch, or was just a person with a dark heart.


    But now he knew.


    "Aria of Holy Achate..." ze murmured. That woman was the exact opposite of Queen Swan. Before she showed her true nature as the Saintess, ze could already feel her pure heart, but Aria''s heart was so dark that even ze was repulsed. ''Since Queen Swan is the Saintess, it is only natural for her sister to be the dark witch.''


    He gritted his teeth as he rushed to the beastmen archers at the top of the tower, "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? ATTACK THE WITCH! SHOOT HER!"


    "YES, SIR!"


    The beastmen archers quickly lined up at the top of the tower and aimed their arrows towards the witch.


    "SHOOT!"


    All the beastmen archers released their arrows, and Aria turned her head at them instantly. She opened her palm and deflected those arrows with an invisible barrier.


    She red at ze Silverfang and identified him easily because of his dark green hair that looked like moss. She also remembered the way that man looked at her when she came to the Beast''s castle during the banquet celebration.


    That wolf beastman was looking at her like she was a repulsive witch.


    ''I guess his instinct must''ve been very polished since I wasn''t that powerful back then,'' Aria thought. ''I have to eliminate such a threat. Who knows what he is capable of if I let him run free?''


    Aria chanted a spell, and a fire st shot out of her palm directly towards the tower.


    ze froze for a second before he yelled, "JUMP OUT!"


    BOOM!


    The beastmen archers quickly jumped out of the tower, and so did ze who just barely managed to avoid the explosive firesting out of the witch.


    Aria shot out a few more firests that explode upon impact, destroying the entire tower and killing a few beastmen soldiers, but little did she know that ze was still able to avoid death.


    Aria was


    annoyed that he couldn''t


    brainwash anyone inside that castle


    due to Swan''s lingering pushe


    from mental maniption. She


    scoffed, "Hmph, I don''t need to care for them anyway. I already have enough masses to kill Gale-well, of course, I won''t do that. I need him anyway."


    Thus, Aria decided to ignore the castle and pointed in the direction of the southwest, where the Sacred Selene Lake was located.


    "March!" Ariamanded, and everyone she had brainwashed followed her in that direction.


    ze pushed the rubble on his shoulder away and watched how the citizens of the Kingdom of Beastmen were marching together in the same direction like a bunch of mindless creatures.


    His face paled as he had guessed where the witch was heading. He rushed towards the soldiers, who were helping their fellow beastmen in the castle to get out of the rubble.


    "The witch is heading towards the Sacred Selene Lake! His Majesty is in danger ze yelled, and all the beastmen in the vicinity were alerted instantly. Thus, ze resumed the role of the mainmander "Soldiers, gather up! Servants, tend to the wounded and stay in the castle!"


    Everyone followed ze''s instructions as they were worried about their Beast King''s fate.


    The soldiers gathered quickly after wearing all of their battle gear. They lined up perfectly, ready for order.


    "Listen up, my fellow beastmen. This


    is the first time that our mighty


    Beast King will need our help. He is currentlymenting, heartbroken


    after our Queen left. We must


    protect him until he can get back on


    his feet!" ze Silverfang said. "His Majesty has protected us and our forefathers for so long. It is time for us to repay his kindness! Hopefully, our Queen Swan, the Legendary Saintess, will hear our plea and return to earth to protect us as well!"


    ze took a deep breath and chanted, "PROTECT THE BEAST KING AND


    BEAST QUEEN!"


    And the soldiers followed his chant.


    "PROTECT THE BEAST KING AND QUEEN!"


    "PROTECT THE BEAST KING AND QUEEN!"


    "PROTECT THE BEAST KING AND QUEEN!"

 Chapter 301: Dark Witch’s Invasion (I)

    Chapter 301: Chapter 301: Dark Witch''s Invasion (1)


    ze knew he didn''t have much time on his hands. He had to mobilize the soldiers as fast as he could because they needed to reach the Sacred Selene Lake before the dark witch got to the Beast King first.


    He doubted that His Majesty would put up a fight¡ªif any at all¡ªagainst the dark witch, as he was too heartbroken to even lift his head right now.


    They could''ve just attacked the dark witch immediately as she was just floating slowly toward the direction of theke. Still, seeing how destructive her power could get, ze thought it would be more advantageous to fight in theke, to incite their fighting spirit to fight for the Beast King.


    And who knew, the Beast King might also feel encouraged to finally get up and defend himself.


    "We are in a rush, but worry not, we are beastmen. We know how to traverse through the forest and other difficult terrain. We will split the group to fit the certain terrain," ze announced. "All the wolves, tigers, lions, and other forest beastmen will follow me through the shortcut to reach Sacred Selene Lake faster. The snake and crocodile beastmen will traverse through the swamp area nearby using a shortcut that is only usable for your type. All the flying beastmen will go straight to theke, but make sure to avoid the dark witch. Our goal is to reach His Majesty before her. I believe His Majesty will finally regain his strength after seeing how hard we fight to defend him!"


    ze saw that everyone was as pumped as he was. He raised his fist in the air and yelled before they left, "THE FATE OF BEASTMEN LAYS IN OUR HAND. LET''S FIGHT UNTIL OUR LAST BREATH!"


    "OOHHHH!!!!"


    **


    Meanwhile, Gale was sitting at thekeside, staring at the calmke. He waited patiently for his beloved while protecting thiske.


    His strong instinct told him that something terrible would happen soon, but he didn''t know what that would be.


    On top of that, he also had a hunch that his beloved would finally return with their cub. It had been six months since she gave birth. The Moon Goddess told him that his son is a Stormfront, but as for his first name, Selene said it would be a secret because Swan would tell him personally.


    This should be a happy moment for him, because he had finally found his fated mate, and it was none other than his beloved Swan. He also had an offspring, his first one, who was conceived with love, not just out of obligation as an Alpha.


    ''But what is this uneasiness in my heart? I feel like something will be taken away from me for the second time. But it''s not Swan...'' Gale thought. ''I don''t think I would be hurt, since I''m unbeatable. But my instinct told me I am in grave danger.''


    Gale tried to suppress this uneasiness by staring intensely at theke surface, hoping the reflection of the moon would give him an ease of heart.


    But then, he saw the reflection of the moonlight on theke''s surface ripple. Gale''s body tensed as he immediately put his guard up, expecting an attack. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.


    He used his senses to detect any sound, scent, or movementing in his direction.


    ''Hundred thousands of humans... and at least five thousand beastmen What is this? Why are they approaching the Sacred Selene Lake without fear? Do they work together under one rule? I thought I''d conquered all of the beastmen tribes on this continent. Do they betray me just because I haven''t been ruling the Kingdom of Beastmen for a while?'' Gale pondered. ''This ce should be well guarded even without me because the Moon Goddess put


    a few barriers around.''


    Unfortunately, he didn''t have much time to analyze the situation. He stood up, and


    turned around, ready to face whatever threat wasing.


    ''I don''t care if they are a bunch of traitors. Iwill kill them all if I have to,'' Gale told himself. ''This ce is the only ce where my wife will return, and cannot let it be destroyed no matter what.''


    The wind started blowing in his direction, making it easier for Gale to pick up their scents. Just as he expected, it was a massive amount of human soldiers with a bunch of beastmen.


    ''This is unfortunate. I thought I


    wouldn''t have to kill another


    beastman anymore after I became a


    king...'' Gale had faced a lot of


    l.ne


    betrayal in his life, so to think that so many beastmen would betray him like this was even more hurtful. "Since there are so many of them, I guess I''ll have to take this a bit more seriously."


    Gale took a deep breath, and he grunted as his muscles began to grow. He got visibly bigger, stronger, and hairier as he transformed into his two-legged werewolf form.


    His eyes were glowing red, but it wasn''t deadly like before.


    After Swan freed him out of his curse, he had full control over his deadly gaze. If he wanted to kill everyone who dared to go against him, all he had to do was to close his eyes for three seconds and open it.


    The moment he heard a rustle in front of him, he took a deep breath and was ready to kill the intruder with his deadly gaze.


    However, he was surprised when he detected the familiar scent of his new beta. He frowned and canceled his gaze.


    "ze Silverfang?"


    "Your Majesty!" ze Silverfang came out of his hiding and rushed to kneel in front of the mighty Beast King, followed by other beastmen soldiers from the castle which had arrived earlier.


    "What happened? Why are you here with my army?" Gale asked. "If you intend to ask me to rule over the kingdom, then I will do it after my wife returns from the Goddess realm."

 Chapter 302: Dark Witch’s Invasion (II)

    Chapter 302: Chapter 302: Dark Witch''s Invasion (II)


    "We''re not here for that, Your Majesty. We understand your grief over Queen Swan, but we''re here because you''re in danger!" ze reported with his chest rising up and down. He tried to catch his breath as he¡ªand the rest of the army rushed as fast as they could to reach the Beast King before the dark witch.


    "A danger?" Gale frowned. "I can sense the footsteps of a massive human army and a few beastmen tribes. Tell me what is the situation, and why are they heading towards Sacred Selene Lake at the same time?"


    "There''s a dark witch who controls all of them. The capital city in the Kingdom of Beastmen is empty right now because the dark witch brainwashed them all; the humans, beastmen tribes, and the beastmen in our kingdom, including all the children, Your Majesty!"


    Gale''s body tensed the moment ze mentioned ''children.''


    When he lived his bachelor life without Swan, he didn''t regard females as any different than males. They were all the same subjects for him.


    But after he married Swan, he realized that both female beastman and humans have different needs than males, and he allowed Swan to make a few rules for the female beastmen so they would be safer, and that change did bring a good impact on the Kingdom of Beastmen. More female beastmen were interested in having more cubs due to their safety and privilege.


    Now that he had a child with his beloved, his fatherly instinct also grew, and the idea of innocent cubs getting brainwashed and turned into a mindless meat shield was enough to anger him.


    His muscles tightened as he unsheathed his ws, ready to kill the dark witch who caused this mess.


    "Who''s that dark witch? Have you seen her face?" Gale asked his beta. "I will rip her to shreds and end this madness."


    "That would be me."


    Gale looked up and saw a woman wearing a cloak with poisonous misting out from under it. She also wore a hood that covered half of her face, but Gale knew who she was instantly.


    Not from her voice, but from her scent.


    It was the same dung-scented woman, whom he kicked out of Swan''s life entirely. "Aria of Holy Achate."


    Aria grinned when she heard him calling her name. It sounded so sultry and it genuinely made her feel a little itchy.


    "So you still remember me after you ruined my life, huh?" Aria sneered. "But it is fine. I''m here to make it even between us."


    Gale gritted his teeth. He jumped high until he was right in front of Aria who floated mid-air.


    He used his deadly gaze to kill her, but Aria quickly used the dark mist to cover her eyes. Thus, Gale took the opportunity to sh her body.


    Unfortunately, Aria had already used her power to turn her physical body into dark mist, so no physical attack worked on her.


    Galended on a tree branch and yelled at her, "I always knew you have a cold and dark heart, but I didn''t expect you to manifest your negative power and be a real dark witch."


    "And it is you who caused that, Gale Stormfront," Aria stated.


    "Because I kicked you out of your kingdom?" Gale scoffed. "Heh, that''s a light punishment for what you did. You bullied my wife growing up, and her leg became crippled because of you. Had it not been for her who begged to forgive you, I would''ve killed you instantly."


    "Do you think became a dark witch just because I''ve been kicked out of the pce? Hm~ You are always the same, Gale. So simple, and charming," Aria chuckled. "To


    be a great witch like me, I need to have all of the seven deadly sins inside of me, and you-Gale Stormfront-are the source of all my sins. I envy Swan for having you, and I admit that I have greed, because I want to have you by my side. And as for lust... you should know what I want from you, right?"


    Gale saw how Aria licked her lips while caressing her belly, signaling that she wanted to be pregnant with his offspring as well. Gale shuddered out of disgust immediately. He already felt sick thinking how Aria had been fantasizing about him the whole time even though he was married to Swan.


    "You''re free of the curse, so Swan is not the only one you can impregnate now," Aria said. "I can bear your offspring as well, Gale.


    "You''re sick. Why would I want to breed a woman like you when I have Swan, my own fated mate? You''re just an inferior version of her," Gale spat harshly, and the grin on Aria''s lips vanished instantly.


    "You really know how hurt my heart, Gale. But it''s okay, I understand that you are not going to leave Swan for me," Aria said. Her voice was shaking for a few seconds before she collected herposure and added, "That''s why I came here to finally make you mine."


    "What do you mean?"


    Aria turned around and pointed at the massive army of humans and beastmen she had gathered. She already did a rough count, and there were almost one million people down there, including citizens from many big cities whom she killed and turned into undead, alongside the beastmen tribes she brainwashed into bing her mindless fighting animal as well. freewebnovel


    "I''ve gathered a massive amount of humans and beastmen, including all the children since I know you''d care for them the most. Do you think you can fight them all?" Aria chuckled as she felt this sadistic urge to make Gate admit his defeat and submit to her. "I know you can kill all of them easily if you want to, but what would you do to the kids? Are you cruel enough to kill them too? I bet Swan will be REALLY upset if you kill the children since she is the daughter of the Goddess."

 Chapter 303: Dark Witch’s Invasion (III)

    Chapter 303: Chapter 303: Dark Witch''s Invasion (III)


    "YOU¡ª!" Gale wanted to curse at Aria, but he was speechless because of Aria''s level of cruelty. It reminded him so much of one man that forced him to transform into his true wolf form because he was so pissed with the cruelty he did during their war. "You are no different from your father. That bastard Tyrion also used many underhanded tactics to defeat me."


    "Hahah, like father like daughter, I guess?" Aria sneered. "Unfortunately, you''re wrong. I am not like my father, I am¡ªin fact¡ªmuch crueler than he will ever be and much more ambitious. I want to rule this continent with you by my side¡ªas a husband, or a pet-I don''t care." freewebnovel.Col


    "Grrhh!" Gale leaped again, ready to attack Aria for the second time, but Aria chuckled when his attack didn''t do anything against her misty body.


    "Your attack won''t work on me, handsome. But it''s nice that you are paying so much attention to me. You only had your eyes on that crippled bitch all the time," Ariamented.


    "How dare you call my wife that! GRHH!" Gale activated his deadly gaze, and Aria quickly covered her eyes with the dark mist to avoid getting killed by him. After all, Gale''s gaze would crush one''s heart and soul and kill them instantly. She might not use her physical body right now, but she still retained her soul.


    "Attack!"


    Seeing an opening, ze quickly gave an order to the soldier to aid the Beast King.


    Many of the beastmen quickly threw their spears and shot their arrows toward the dark witch to no avail, but Aria was visibly distracted by so many attacksing at her. She frowned at the unwanted interference.


    "It seems that my presence is unwee here. But it''s alright. I will return after my victory is secured," Aria looked down at Gale and grinned, "See you soon, husband."


    Aria covered her face with her cloak and vanished into thin air.


    However, right after her disappearance, Gale could hear the approaching army of humans and beastmen, marching together in unison in his direction.


    He gritted his teeth. Aria wasn''t ying around when she said that she brought the human and beastman children as a meat shield, because he could detect the scent of children.


    "ze, go and find the scout squad. Give me information about the army marching towards us. I want to know if Aria really use the children."


    "Yes, Your Majesty!"


    ze dashed into the forest and returned about ten minutester with all the information from the scouts.


    "There are a massive amount of humans and beastmen marching towards us, Your Majesty. They are a bit slow, but since they are all brainwashed, they wouldn''t budge no matter how hard we try to wake them up," ze reported. "Yes, the children are strapped in front of their parents'' bodies as a meat shield for the beastmen, but the humans are a little different."


    "Different?"


    "Yes, all of them are undead, Your Majesty," ze reported, a sense of uneasiness appeared on his face as he had seen how some of the humans were without limbs or even heads, but they still marched. "They don''t strap their children in front of their bodies. But they are undead... so they are immortal..."


    Gale said nothing, but his solemn expression showed that he finally understood the dire situation he was facing.


    Zombies or the undead were his weakness. They were already dead, so they had no beating heart or soul. Gale''s deadly gaze did not affect them.


    On top of that, their immortal bodies were unstoppable and would continue to regenerate even after they were decapitated. They would continue to get up until the witch was killed.


    The only one who could actually banish those undead and kill the witch was none other than the Saintess, because the holy power was meant to banish all evil, including undead, witches, demons, et cetera.


    ''Swan is the only one with holy power in this world,'' Gale thought. ''Should I... request Goddess Selene to bring her to earth realm?''


    Gale was considering it for a few seconds before he quickly scrapped the idea.


    ''No, I shouldn''t wish for her toe down and help me. She is currently taking care of our son. I don''t want them to be in danger because of this,'' Gale thought. ''I will find a way to protect hiske.''


    "Go and tell the scout squad and flying squad to search for the witch''s real body. Her real body must''ve been hidden somewhere around here. If they find her real body, kill her instantly," Galemanded.


    "Understood, Your Majesty! But what about the rest? How about the beastmen who have been


    brainwashed? Should we... kill them too?" ze asked hesitantly. Though the Beast King could be cruebat times against his enemies, he was actually very caring to his people. Now that his people had been turned against him, he must''ve felt conflicted.


    "Try to subdue the beastmen first. They are mostly without weapons, and prioritize subduing the ones with children strapped on their bodies," Gale instructed. "Try to minimize the death toll on the beastmen''s side as much as you can!"


    "How about the humans, Your Majesty?"


    "They have been turned into a bunch of undead. There is no point in not attacking them. Do your best and


    wipe them out. There is no way et


    save them. The only one who can save them is..." Gale paused his speech. He gritted his teeth,


    knowing that he was powerless


    against those undead. "My wife.


    Saintess Swan."


    All the beastmen soldiers present could feel the griefing from their Beast King. They, too, knew that Queen Swan was the only one who could banish these undeads.


    Realizing that the morale of his army had gone down, Gale quickly shouted, "KEEP YOUR HEADS UP! MY WIFE, QUEEN SWAN WILL DESCEND FROM HEAVEN TO THE SACRED LAKE! THAT IS WHY WE HAVE TO PROTECT THE LAKE NO MATTER WHAT!"

 Chapter 304: Dark Witch’s Invasion (IV)

    Chapter 304: Chapter 304: Dark Witch''s Invasion (IV)


    The beastmen soldiers were shocked when they heard that.


    "I-is that true, Your Majesty? Our Queen will descend from heaven from the Sacred Selene Lake?" ze asked as he also had his hopes up.


    "Yes, she will return after she raises our newborn cub. That is why, we cannot let the enemy touch the Sacred Selene Lake, or the Queen will not be able to return to us!" Gale announced, as to burn the fighting spirit inside his soldiers'' hearts. He knew that deep down, his soldiers actually preferred Swan more than him, and he actually liked it because that meant she was well-loved by the beastmen.


    All the beastmen were fired up instantly. They had been hoping that their King and Queen would return soon to rule them again, and the idea of their beloved Queen Swan descending from heaven to grace them with her love and care was enough to make them ready to fight whatever threat was in front of them.


    Gale could sense the army of beastmen and the undead were getting closer. He couldn''t let them reach the Sacred Selene Lake area, so he took a deep breath.


    "FIGHT UNTIL YOUR LAST BREATH! WE CANNOT LET THEM REACH THE LAKE!" Gale shouted, and all the beastmen soldiers raised their weapons and prepared their stances, ready to fight their enemies. "FOR THE QUEEN!"


    "FOR THE QUEEN! RAAARGGHHH!"


    All the beastmen let out a warcry before rushing towards the army of undead and brainwashed beastmen with raised weapons. The big brute soldiers attacked the undead because they were physically stronger and didn''t need to worry about hurting anyone, as all of the humans were dead anyway.


    Meanwhile, the smaller and slimmer soldiers were very agile and precise in their strike, so they tried to subdue the brainwashed beastmen. They prioritized the one with children strapped on their bodies, and once they were done striking them, they quickly separated the children and tied them all together in a safer ce.


    Meanwhile, Gale, as the Beast King, used his heightened senses to detect all the beastmen without children. He moved at almost inhumane speed and struck them all to incapacitate them. He moved from one area to another with such an amazing speed that he was almost undetectable by his own soldiers.


    Gale was very focused right now. He didn''t want to hurt the children, because they reminded him of his son, whom he carried for the first time. As for the undead, who kept oning in a massive wave, all he did was sh through them brutally. He made sure to chop them nice and clean, so the undead would take a long time to magically recover their limbs.


    He could''ve just turned into his true giant wolf form, but it was too hard to control his strength in that size. He would''ve identally killed so many of the brainwashed beastmen alongside his soldiers in just one w sweep.


    Gale shed a human who almost broke through the defense and yelled, "YOU WILL NEVER TOUCH THE SACRED LAKE! GRAARHHH!"


    Meanwhile, Aria had been watching from her hiding spot. She knew that the flying beastmen, alongside the scouts, were currently searching for her physical body, so she had to be extra guarded.


    ''It''s not looking so good, Aria,'' Madam Harsettimented. ''Look at those beastmen soldiers. They are severely outnumbered, but they are all trained well and can hold back the massive army that you bring. Truthfully, this is the first time I''ve seen a bunch of trained beastmen who don''t just use their instinct to fight. Beastmen are


    usually just a bunch of savages.''


    ''I have to admit that they are very strong and skilled. But we both know that''s not the main reason why they could fight so bravely, right?'' Madam Harsetti chuckled. ''They are waiting for their Queen. That''s why they are fighting with all they have with no fear. They truly believed that the Goddess'' daughter woulde and save them.''


    "And do you think that Swan wille down to do that? Heh, I doubt that," Aria sneered.


    ''And what makes you think that she will note?''


    "Because she is a selfish bitch who gets angry at Gale over one


    misunderstanding. I mean, I was the one who created that


    misunderstanding, but isn''t it obvious that she is an


    unreas woman?" Aria said, but she


    e was unsure about her own d¨¦duction. She wanted to convince herself that everything was under control, so she didn''t need to worry about anything. "If only Gale knows how devoted I can be. I will never leave his side, unlike that bitch Swan."


    Madam Harsetti smiled mysteriously. She knew that the little witch was obsessed with the Beast King, and for a good reason.


    After all, both the moon and the shadow drew their power from the sun, so Aria must''ve thought that Gale was meant to be with her because she could feel the darkness in his heart as well.


    Madam Harsetti had lived through many eras, but this was the first time the avatar of the shadow was so tantly in love and obsessed with the avatar of the moon.


    ''I think you''re wrong, little witch. I think Asmara''s daughter wille down because her love for that wolf is deep. So deep that she was ready to sacrifice herself if that meant she could save her husband,'' Madam Harsetti replied. ''The question is, when will she go down? Remember what I told you before, right? She will descend from that exact location, Sacred Selene Lake.''


    Aria bit her lower lip. She was panicking and restless inside, but tried her best not


    to show it.


    "Then, what should I do, Madam? At this rate, the beastmen would be able to hold my army before they could even reach theke. I''m also worried about Gale. He is fighting so fiercely, and he''s not even in his true wolf form! How am I supposed to win when things aren''t going my way?!"

 Chapter 305: Dark Witch’s Invasion (V)

    Chapter 305: Chapter 305: Dark Witch''s Invasion (V)


    ''Then maybe this will be your downfall. Should you get captured here, I doubt that Gale would spare you, especially since Swan isn''t around to pardon you


    anymore,'' Madam Harsetti chuckled as if that idea was funny to her. Still, it was terrifying for Aria, who had bet her life on this invasion.


    "I don''t need your sarcasm, Madam. Please tell me what I should do next. I need


    to win this war, or I''ll just die in vain!" Aria eximed desperately. "Should I just kill all of those soldiers? I can use my poisonous mist to kill them instantly."


    Madam Harsetti raised her brow as she was entertained with Aria''s idea. She decided to let her do whatever she wanted and replied, ''This is the war that you need to handle yourself, little witch. You already have every knowledge and power that I can inherit. I will only participate if Selene or Asmara decide to participate as well.''


    "But-URGH!" Aria was pissed when she realized that she was left all alone once more. Facing the realization that Gale and his beastmen soldiers were far more skillful than she expected, Aria decided to take matters into her own hands.


    She began chanting a long spell while staring at the night sky. Slowly, a dark cloud formed and blocked the moon, so Gale wouldn''t be able to draw power from the moonlight.


    On top of that, Aria also chanted another long spell, and the air around the battlefield started thickening. The poisonous fog gathered into one giant shadow before spreading, ready to kill any beastmen who inhaled it.


    She didn''t want to resort to this if she could help it, as she thought Gale would never forgive her if she killed his subjects, and it would hinder their romance.


    But she was left with no choice now. She had to destroy that Sacred Selene Lake no matter what.


    "I''m sorry, Gale. But you''re making it difficult for me."


    Gale looked up to the sky and suspected from the cloud that Aria wanted to weaken him as he drew power from the moonlight.


    "Your Majesty! There is a poisonous fog that kills a few front soldiers! Please hold your breath!" ze reported and returned to the battlefield to hold the horde of undead.


    Gale looked towards the thick fog that slowly swallowed everyone in the front line. He knew those front soldiers wouldn''t be able to hold their breaths for too long, so he had to do something to minimize the casualties.


    He turned towards the statue of Selene, the Moon Goddess, and prayed in his heart, ''Goddess Selene, this little wolf of yours needs your help to protect yourke from the dark witch. Grace me with your cold light, and let me protect my people."


    Aria thought that she had sessfully blocked the moonlight, preventing Gale from transforming into his true wolf form. However, she was stunned when she saw the moonlight suddenly pierced through the dark cloud and showered Gale with so much power.


    "W-what is that?! That''s so unfair!" Aria yelled. "Howe the Moon Goddess could interfere freely?!"


    Madam Harsetti chuckled, ''Obviously because Gale Stormfront is her champion- her avatar in this world, just like how Swan is the Sun Goddess'' avatar, and you¡ª you are the shadow''s avatar.''


    "Then howe you never helped me?!"


    ''I have been giving you advice, no?'' Madam Harsetti smiled meaningfully. ''You already have so much headstartpared to him, especially when he spent one and a half yearsmenting about Swan who left.''


    Aria gritted her teeth.


    She was even more pissed at Madam Harsetti, who didn''t seem to take this seriously. Wouldn''t it be dangerous for her too, if they failed this invasion? The Sun and Moon Goddess would surely kill her, right?


    Nevertheless, Aria could only wish the poisonous fog would be able to kill enough beastmen. She couldn''t reanimate them as undead, but she could at least weaken the defense.


    Her target was topletely destroy the Sacred Selene Lake, so Swan would never return, and for Gale to finally surrender.


    Unfortunately, it would take a while for that wish to be fulfilled, because after getting showered by the moonlight, Gale regained all of his stamina and growled


    as his body grew bigger until he towered over the trees around him.


    Gale in his true wolf form was around the size of a castle, which made him basically a gigantic, invulnerable monster.


    Gale didn''t activate his deadly gaze since there was nobody to kill right now, and Aria was nowhere to be seen. But he saw the poisonous fog begin to spread through the forest surrounding the Sacred Selene Lake, so he stared at the moon to draw more power and howled


    AWOOOOOOOO!!


    His howl shook the entire forest and acted as a battle cry for the rest of his soldiers to continue fighting despite the unfavorable situation. He lifted both his front legs and stomped the ground, creating an earthquake that destroyed thend in front of him.


    The stomp also created a strong gust that blew away all the poisonous gas out of the forest, saving many soldiers who were unable to hold their breath for longer.


    Gale red at the horde of undead humans marching towards him, mindlessly trying to attack him. He leaped into the air and jumped right in the middle of the undead army, creating yet another shockwave and earthquake that forced many of the undead to fall into the pit created by the earthquake.


    Gale might be an invincible monster in his true wolf form, but he had no magical capability except for his deadly gaze. However, it was more than enough to decimate half of the undead horde, making it clear that Aria was about to lose this battle without causing any real damage to Gale.


    Aria, who had been in hiding the whole time, finally manifested into her non- physical form and flew towards Gale, who was still stomping around the horde of undead, making one earthquake after another.

 Chapter 306: To Weaken the Giant Wolf

    Chapter 306: Chapter 306: To Weaken the Giant Wolf


    ''This is no good. I have to stop him before he destroys my army of undeads,'' Aria thought. Of course, with all of Madam Harsetti''s possible knowledge, she still had a few ideas in her mind on how to stop Gale from rampaging around. She just didn''t use it until now because she wanted to conserve her energy.


    Unlike Swan, who seemed to have unlimited energy, Aria could feel exhaustion after using too many dark spells.


    ''Even after taking the souls of almost a million people, I still feel like my strength is depleting. How is that fair? Why do I have to suffer the bacsh from my power when Swan doesn''t even seem to be burdened by hers?'' Aria had a lot of resentment in her heart, but she decided to just ignore them and focus on the problem in front of her-the giant wolf.


    She took the crystal representing one of the seven deadly sins-Sloth-from her ne and then crushed it right in front of the giant wolf who was still busy crushing so many undead.


    She began chanting as the crystal inside her hand shone in a mud yellow color, "I -Aria Asmara, the Great Witch under the Shadow''smand, released this Sloth into this wretched world. Absorb Gale Stormfront''s power and make him weak until he has no way to fight me!"


    Aria opened her palm, and the sloth crystal had disappeared. There was a hole in Aria''s palm that began to suck the energy out of Gale''s body.


    Gale didn''t feel anything at first until he realized it was getting more and more difficult to just stomp around. He felt tired, and his body felt heavy, which was rare as he usually had a great deal of strength in his true form.


    Usually, he could rage for more than a week before he got a little tired.


    ''What... is happening?'' Gale wondered as his gaze began to blur, and it got too difficult to lift his legs.


    The giant wolf''s legs began to wobble, and he fell to the ground, creating thest shockwave before he slowly returned to his bipedal werewolf form.


    "YOUR MAJESTY!"


    ze panicked when he saw the Beast King lying weakly on the ground. He could see the energy leaving Gale''s body, and sucked by the dark witch. ze pointed at Aria and yelled, "ATTACK THE WITCH!"


    The archers andncers tried to attack Aria, which did nothing to her as all physical attacks would just pass her body. However, it was enough to break Aria''s focus, so she finally stopped draining Gale out of his power after she thought she had enough.


    Aria saw that Gale was lying weakly on the ground, while she could feel an incredible power surging inside her body. She felt hot all over, and it honestly felt like an addictive drug for her, because Gale''s power made her feel itchy all over.


    freewebnovel


    "You taste so good, husband," Aria murmured as she got dizzy by his power. "Now I can''t stop imagining you fucking me all night long and shooting all of your hot cum inside me, giving me so much energy so we can go on and on."


    Madam Harsetti chuckled when she heard Aria talking dirty to Gale who was lying defenseless on the ground.


    ''You''re so honest with your feelings, but that''s a good thing. The more you follow your emotion, the stronger you can get,'' Madam Harsetti said. ''Continue yearning for him, and he will eventually be yours, little witch.''


    Aria could barely make sense of Madam Harsetti''s words as she was drunk in power right now. All she had in her sight was Gale and how she wished that she could''ve just ended the invasion now and fucked him. She didn''t care if Gale was unconscious. As long as his big dick could still stand tall, she could''ve just ridden him all night long.


    Aria licked her lips and took another yellow crystal, which represented gluttony.


    Then, she chanted a spell to activate the crystal, Aria Asmara, the Great Witch under the Shadow''smand, released Gluttony into this wretched world. Let me devour Gale Stormfront and turn him into my doll for the rest of my life. I want to devour him every day and night and make him mine."


    The crystal began to shine, and a bunch of magical chains were summoned from her palm, ready to attack Gale so she could chain him and turn him into a doll, at


    least temporarily, before he regained his strength.


    ''It doesn''t matter even if he regains his strengthter. After we had sex once, he will not be able to fight over the chains in his heart, and will


    forever be my sex ve,'' Aria


    thought. She rubbed her belly as she imagined Gale''s cub inside her.


    ze knew those chains would do something to their weakened king, so he howled and turned into his wolf form. He leaped from one tree branch to another and blocked the chains with his own body.


    STAB! STAB! STAB!


    "Ack! Ugh¡ª!" ze groaned in pain when the chains pierced through his body in many spots.


    Aria clicked her tongue in annoyance as she drew the chains back, "There are so many pesky insects in here. When will you realize that none of you have a chance to win against me?"


    Aria threw ze Silverfang to the ground as if she were tossing garbage.


    "ze!"


    A few beastmen quickly caught him before his body hit the ground, "He is


    grievously injured. Treat him now! We can''t let him die!"


    "We also need to escort His Majesty to safety! Protect him and take him to Sacred Selene Lake!"


    Without their Beast King or the beta


    tomand them, the beastmen


    soldiers began to scatter in


    confusion. Some tried to bring ze to safety, while others tried their


    best to shield the Beast King from the dark witch as they carried him to theke.


    "You won''t get away with my husband, fools," Aria sneered. She opened her palm


    again and shot a dozen fireballs that exploded upon impact, sting all the beastmen who tried to protect the Beast King.


    "Argghh!"


    "Ack!"


    "Urgh!"


    Aria killed the one who tried to escort Gale to safety, and Gale was dropped on the ground once more.


    "Ah, you''re finally mine, husband," Aria licked her lips and opened her palms. The chains from gluttony crystal were released once again, ready to bind Gale forever to her side.

 Chapter 307: Help from His Former Beta

    Chapter 307: Chapter 307: Help from His Former Beta


    [Song Rmendation: Rabpit - Sanctity.]


    CLANK! CLANK! CLANK!


    Aria''s eyes widened when the chains that were about to bind Gale were suddenly deflected by the ws of a brown werewolf that appeared out of nowhere and blocked her from ever reaching Gale. He was a bit smaller in his werewolf form than Gale, but he was still bigger than most werewolves she had seen.


    On top of that, she was utterly shocked because this werewolf could easily deflect the gluttony chains, which meant his ws had the same hardness as Gale''s ws.


    "STAY AWAY FROM MY KING!"


    Aria paused for a moment and asked, "Who are you?"


    "I am Rock Silverfang, the Beast King''s original beta," Rock replied. He bared his fangs and unsheathed his ws, ready to fight. "And I am here to protect my King!"


    Aria gritted her teeth. She didn''t know where this wolf came from. She was sure this man wasn''t here the whole time until he decided to just pop out like magic and started defending Gale.


    But she didn''t care. She sent the gluttony chains towards Gale once more, and just like before, Rock was able to deflect them easily with his ws.


    CLANK! CLANK! CLANK!


    ''Ugh, this guy is tougher than the rest of the beastmen and I''ve already used the entire sloth crystal to weaken Gale. Why is this guy here anyway? Who brings him here?'' Aria pondered as she never knew about Rock''s existence, nor had she ever met him in the beast''s castle before.


    Rock leaped high just like Gale and tried to attack Aria to no avail.


    Aria looked down at the brown wolf and asked, "Who brought you here? I remember you were not part of the beastmen soldiers before."


    Rock didn''t want to answer that. He continued trying to attack Aria while deflecting the chains that tried to reach the Beast King.


    "I am asking you-who brought you here?!" Aria yelled and shot a few exploding fireballs toward Rock. But thetter swiftly dodged each of them, which infuriated Aria even more.


    Next, she aimed one of her exploding fireballs at Gale, who was still lying vulnerably on the ground, and just as she expected, Rock instinctively dashed towards his Beast King and shielded him, which made the fireball explode on Rock''s back instead.


    BOOM!


    "Argh!" Rock grimaced in pain. He could tell that his back must''ve been severely charred right now.


    Ariaughed as she found this


    whole situation to be pathetic, "One after another, you animals are trying so hard to protect him. It would''ve been easier if you''d just hand him over, so I can make him mine. All of you can go home and wait for us to produce offspring."


    Rock tried his best to endure the pain on his back and turned around to face the witch once more. He held the gray mammoth tusk pendant hanging on his neck dearly as a reminder of his beloved wife at home, so he could go on a long fight even if he was wounded


    "You sure are a fool," Aria sneered. "But alright, it''s not like I have anything else to do for now. Might as well kill one more of you filthy animals."


    Rock observed his surroundings. Almost all of the beastmen soldiers were heavily wounded, incapacitated, or dead. He knew it would be impossible for him to fight the dark witch all by himself since she was so powerful after stealing the Beast King''s power.


    Still, he had to continue fighting until hisst breath.


    He couldn''t help but look at the moon and pray to the one he worshipped, ''My dearest Princess Swan. There are so many who''ve died already. Pleasee and save us. The Beast King-your husband-needs you.''


    Aria opened her palm once more and shot lightning bolts from her palm. Unlike the previous exploding fireballs, which he could endure somewhat, the lightning bolt would definitely kill anyone instantly All Rock could do was continue dodging while deflecting the chains aimed at the Beast King.


    Unfortunately, Aria soon repeated what she had just done minutes ago. She aimed the lightning bolt towards the defenseless Beast King, and Rock dashed towards him to shield his king once more, "YOUR MAJESTY!"


    Rock was ready to die as long as the Beast King was safe.


    After all, he had taken the oath back then to always protect the Beast King as his alpha. Even though Gale had long abandoned him, Rock still considered himself as his beta and remained loyal to him.


    He simply wished his dearest princess coulde and shower them all with her Goddess light.


    "DIE!" Aria sent another lightning bolt to ensure that Rock would die instantly.


    The moment the lightning bolts were about to strike Rock''s chest, an invisible barrier suddenly appeared in front of him, repelling the lightning bolts and making them disappear after they struck the barrier.


    Aria''s eyes widened.


    "W-what was that?!" Aria tried attacking Rock once more with lightning bolts and exploding fireballs, only for them to disappear right before they hit Rock, who was still trying to shield the Beast King with his body.


    Rock opened his eyes after realizing he felt no pain in his body. He looked at Aria, who kept trying to attack him but failed due to an invisible barrier that absorbed all the attacks in front of him.


    He suddenly remembered his dearest princess'' barrier, which severely injured him when he tried to attack her back then.


    "Princess..." Rock murmured as he knew that it was a grace given by his dearest princess.


    Rock looked up to the sky and saw the dark cloud, which had been hindering the moon, had disappeared. As the moonlight shone so strongly, Gale began to regain his strength. He grunted as he had been incapacitated for too long. Gale slowly stood up in his human form. He breathed heavily with his chest moving up and down. Standing under the moon, he was basked in silvery light, which became the source of his power. Once again, Gale had returned to his powerful self.

 Chapter 308: Greedy and Grotesque

    Chapter 308: Chapter 308: Greedy and Grotesque


    "W-what the-h-how could you recover after I drained all your energy?!" Aria panicked as she thought that she already had aplete victory over Gale and


    his army.


    The sloth crystal should be able to drain his energypletely, making him unable to even lift a finger until Aria transfers some of his energy back.


    "Your Majesty, I''m sorry I came toote. Queen Swan sent me to your side because she wants me to fulfill my duty as your... beta," Rock said as he kneeled in front of Gale. He didn''t know what Gale would say about him, but he was merely fulfilling his duty and showing his loyalty to the Kingdom of Beastmen.


    Gale looked down at Rock Silverfang, his beta whom he had wrongly used. He believed Rock willingly tried to attack his beloved before, but now that Jade''s confession had made it all clear, he realized that he had been cruel to Rock and also to his wife who kept speaking up for his innocence.


    "Go and carry ze Silverfang to the Sacred Selene Lake. Dip yourself into theke to heal your wound. My wife has helped me to recover from that dark witch''s clutch, and I believe that she must''ve talked to the Moon Goddess for help."


    "Y-Yes, Your Majesty!" Rock almost cried when he realized that he had been pardoned by the Beast King. He rushed to help ze who was grievously wounded, and dashed to the sacredke to heal their wounds.


    Gale looked up at Aria, who was still floating in the sky. He didn''t n on turning back to his giant wolf form, because it made him way too vulnerable against Aria''s strange spells.


    Besides, he had decimated almost every undead around them. Most of them had been squashed until there was nothing left in their flesh. Some were trapped inside the pit caused by the constant earthquake that he created whenever he jumped, and the rest were cleaned up by the beastmen soldiers.


    He looked around and realized that Aria had killed many of his soldiers. His heart was aching because he thought he could have minimized the casualties.


    He had failed to protect his subjects.


    "Grrhhh..." Gale grunted as he stared at Aria with his ruby-colored eyes. His eyes glinted dangerously, and Aria quickly closed her eyes before she got killed by Gale''s deadly gaze.


    However, the moment she opened her eyes again, Gale suddenly appeared right before her, and she identally stared at his deadly gaze.


    "Urk! Ack!" Aria could feel her heart in her real body almost explode even though she only made eye contact for a split second. She quickly retreated to her real body as she needed to recuperate.


    Little did she know, Gale was using his extreme speed to chase her shadow. His eyes were focused as he was on the hunt, and he soon saw the shadow entering a big rock in the middle of the forest.


    "Ugh-what the hell was that?! I-I almost died from staring at his eyes for a split second!" Aria groaned as she returned to her real body. She wiped the blood at the corner of her lips and tried to calm herself down because her heart was still beating so loudly that it could explode anytime soon.


    Madam Harsetti chuckled as she was amused, ''He has been freed from his curse, so there is no limitation to how deadly his gaze could be. The moment Swan frees him out of his curse with a kiss, he bes ten times stronger than before. In exchange, he bes vulnerable against magic.''


    "T-then, I have to find a way to drain his energy again¡ª"


    CRACK!


    Aria was caught off guard when there was a crack in the rock where she was currently hiding. The crack got bigger until the rock exploded and Aria was exposed.


    "AH!" Aria covered her eyes because Gale was looking down at her with his deadly gaze.


    But Gale didn''t care, as he swiftly grabbed Aria by her neck, choking her instantly.


    "Urk! L-let me go! Let me go!" Aria tried kicking Gale''s stomach as she struggled to break free, but it felt like she was kicking a wall. Her eyes rolledup, and her face turned blueish under his strong grip After ten seconds of struggling, Aria began to lose consciousness and felt like her head would explode soon.


    Aria tried chanting a spell with herst breath, but¡ª


    CRACK!


    Gale quickly snapped her neck and tossed Aria''s lifeless body on the ground. He looked down at the lifeless body and crushed her head by stomping on it once.


    "Go and rot in hell, you crazy witch," Gale hissed as he spat on her corpse and turned around. He was grieving over many deaths that happened today and nned to do a mass burial for his beastmen kin.


    As he nned to do so, he suddenly heard Aria''s voice behind him, "Do you think that you can kill me so easily?"


    Gale turned around and saw a horrifying scene of Aria''s body standing without a head. Soon enough, the head of a random undead woman near her flew towards Aria''s body and put itself on the neck.


    Aria cracked her new head a few times, and the face of that random undead woman contorted until it became Aria''s face once more.


    An orange gem was embedded in her chest. She grinned, "This greed crystal makes me immortal. No matter how many times you tried to kill me, I will always regenerate and stitch myself up over and over. I can also do this." freewebnovel.col


    Aria pointed att


    the corpse of an


    undead male whose lower half was


    already gone. The undead male suddenly walked towards Aria. His hands were detached from his body and stitched itself up on Aria''s back, giving her four hands.


    She then pointed at another corpse and stitched herself up with their body parts,


    so she gained a bigger body.


    Aria continued to do the same with other undead body parts until she turned bigger than Gale in his werewolf form. She had many heads and limbs all around


    her body, which made her look very grotesque.


    Aria grinned at Gale, who looked horrified and said, "We''re not done yet, husband."

 Chapter 309: I need you, Swan...

    Chapter 309: Chapter 309: I need you, Swan...


    [Warning: Grotesque Imagery.]


    This was the first time Gale had ever seen something so horrifyingly grotesque, and his stomach couldn''t help but churn.


    Many of the faces that were stuck on Aria''s body were groaning in pain as if they were in eternal torture. Contrary to their suffering, Ariaughed as she relished the hardened expression on Gale''s face.


    "Ah~ I didn''t expect you to make that kind of face. Turns out, you still have other emotions than just rage or being pathetically in love with Swan," Ariamented. She stretched her arms-as she had at least ten arms right now towards him and said, "Come to me, husband. You know you can''t defeat me no matter what. You should surrender now so we can start as a married couple with a lot of children."


    "You could''ve hexed me a thousand times, and I would still choose Swan," Gale stated.


    "That''s why I don''t n to hex you. I will beat you to submission, so you will be mine, hihihihi," Aria giggled like a madwoman as the greed crystal started to corrode her mind.


    Gale was so disgusted that his eyes glinted dangerously. Aria was still vulnerable to that deadly gaze because Gale''s eyes didn''t only crush one heart, but also one''s soul. So she covered her eyes with one arm.


    Gale took this opportunity to attack. He dashed at lightning speed and punched her stomach until it exploded, creating a huge hole in the middle.


    Aria licked her lips as her body regenerated almost immediately and trapped Gale''s arm inside her stomach, "Can you feel it, husband? This is my stomach that will soon bear many of your offspring."


    "FUCK!" Gale cursed out loud as he yanked his arm as hard as he could, and Aria''s stomach exploded for the second time.


    Just like before, her stomach regenerated so fast that all of Gale''s attacks were rendered useless. Faced with such a predicament, Gale didn''t know what else to do except continuously attack her until he found a better way to kill her.


    He tried aiming at the crystal inside her body many times, but it seemed the crystal was not inside her flesh, or at least it kept moving around her body to make sure Gale would never reach it.


    "Ah, this is getting boring, husband. Maybe we can spice it up a bit with this-!" Aria pointed at Gale, and a horde of undead were resurrected instantly. Some of them emerged from underground and grabbed Gale''s legs, weighing him down so that he couldn''t move while Aria attacked him.


    "Grh! Damn it! There are too many of them!" Gale kicked them one by one, but they kept regenerating nonstop. Some even began to get up and had their bodies automatically stitched so they could cling to Gale immediately.


    ''You look very disgusting, you know that?'' Madam Harsettimented amusedly. ''If I were him, I wouldn''t even lust over you.''


    "Oh, shut it, Madam," Aria grinned as she stared at Gale, who was busy trying to kill those endless hordes of undead. "I don''t care if he finds me disgusting or not.


    As long as he is by my side, I can naturally tweak his mind a bit, right?"


    ''Couldn''t say you''re wrong, but do you think that you will seed?'' Madam Harsetti asked.


    "Of course, just watch and learn," Aria replied confidently, as she pointed her finger toward Gale and started shooting exploding fireballs rapidly. The power she had drained out of Gale''s body before was very useful as she felt like she could''ve done this forever and stilbgot enough energy tond a fatal blow on him.


    Gale swiftly dodged all the iing fireballs that exploded upon contact, but it was getting ridiculously difficult when Aria kept attacking. him without pausing with fireballs on one finger and lightning bolts with her other one. Not to mention, the horde of undead that kept chasing him, hindering his movement.


    Soon enough, Gale was overwhelmed by the amount of attacks directed at him.


    He jumped back, and a hand suddenly came out from the ground and grabbed his heel, causing him to lose his bnce.


    "Argh!"


    Gale fell to the ground, and Aria quickly used the opportunity to attack him over and over with exploding fireballs and lightning bolts.


    "Urgh! ARGH!" Gale couldn''t get up as he kept sustaining injuries. In the end, he was badly wounded all over his body andy weakly on the ground as Ariaughed in amusement.


    "Oh, don''t worry, husband. I will patch you up real nice soon-after I make you mine!" Aria released the gluttony chains once more. Without ze or Rock to protect Gale this time, it seemed that his fate was already determined.


    Until...


    CLANK!


    The chains were deflected by invisible barriers once more.


    Aria gritted her teeth. She believed that Swan couldn''t return to earth anymore, so she was trying to help Gale with indirect protection like the barrier, "Don''t try to stop me, Swan. I know this is your doing!"


    Aria attacked the defenseless Gale with the gluttony chains once more, and just like before, an invisible barrier continued deflecting it. freewebnovel


    "ARRGHH! JUST STOP PROTECTING HIM! HE IS MINE!" Aria was frustrated. She began barraging the invisible barrier with countless fireballs and lightning bolts.


    Meanwhile, Gale stared at the moon with an empty gaze. He felt pathetic as he had been incapacitated twice in this battle against the dark witch.


    He knew the dark witch had many advantages against him, especially when she had so many tricks up her sleeve, while Gale only relied on his incredible strength and deadly gaze.


    But it still made him feel pathetic.


    ''Sweetheart, do not know how to Lydo face you after this embarrassing defeat. I tried my best to fight her, but I have to admit, without you by my side, I don''t think I ever have the chance to win,'' Gale whispered in his heart. He lifted his hand towards the moon as he was on the brink of losing consciousness once more and finally muttered with all of his remaining strength, "I need you, Swan Asmara, my dearest wife..."

 Chapter 310: And The Angel Shall Descend from Heaven (I)

    Chapter 310: Chapter 310: And The Angel Shall Descend from Heaven (1)


    Gale was about to close his eyes as he was too exhausted and wounded to struggle. However, right before his eyelids were shut, he saw the lighting from the sky. It was just a glint at first, until the light got bigger and closer, and Gale could see two pairs of wings descending from the sky towards him.


    Gale continued to stare until he could see the figure of a beautiful woman whose body was covered with gold dust and radiant light. She flew directly towards him and intertwined their fingers together as she yelled, "HUSBAND!"


    Gale''s eyes widened as he saw a four-winged angel descending from heaven to save him. The angel was none other than his beautiful wife, gazing at him with tears at the corner of her eyes.


    Swan''s hair had grown long, and she was still beautiful-no, even more beautiful since thest time he saw her.


    "My Swan. My beautiful wife..." Gale smiled as he was finally at peace. His wife hadn''t abandoned him, and she descended to earth just to help him. "I''ve longed for you day and night, my dearest wife."


    "Husband, I''m sorry for beingte," Swan said as she let go of their intertwined fingers and then hugged him tightly. "I promise that I will never leave you anymore, husband. I''m so sorry."


    **Goddess realm**


    Swan was carrying her six-month-old baby, Sol, while staring at the pond, which acted as a screen for her to see what was happening in the earth realm right now. She was dreaded with worry, scared that her husband might lose the war against Aria and her army of undead.


    Sol didn''t watch the pond as he didn''t understand what was happening, but he understood that his mama was distressed, so he tugged his mama''s dress with his small hands, but with sharp ws.


    "Ma... ma..." Sol tugged the dress to get her attention. Swan looked at her son and smiled.


    "Ah, mama it''s alright, Sol. I''m just a little worried about your dada," Swan said as she returned her gaze to the pond.


    Selene and Asmara were sitting next to her, watching quietly as the war continued.


    They nced at each other with tacit understanding as if they had a secret n, but didn''t tell Swan about it.


    Swan witnessed how the moon was suddenly covered by dark clouds, and a poisonous gas began to swarm the forest, killing anyone who identally inhaled the gas. Swan got even more distressed, thinking about those soldiers who died in this war.


    She looked at Asmara, her mother, and asked, "Mom, can I interfere="


    "You can''t, Swan. It''s too dangerous," Asmara replied. "I believe Gale can handle this on his own."


    "But-"


    Swan''s argument was interrupted when the pond shone with a gentle silver-blue color, a sign that Gale was praying to the Moon Goddess.


    "It seems my little wolf needs help," Selene said as she dipped her hand inside the pond. Swan saw the cloud that hindered the moonlight slowly disappear. Then, Selene showered Gale with intense moonlight, which boosted his power exponentially.


    Swan watched as Gale transformed into his true wolf form, and started destroying the army of undead with ease by stomping the ground constantly.


    He created constant earthquakes, which made it impossible for the undead to recover because most of them fell to the fissure created by the earthquake.


    Swan was relieved at first, thinking that victory was right in front of them, until Aria suddenly appeared out of nowhere and started using her strange crystal to drain Gale out of his strength.


    Slowly, Gale reverted to his werewolf form, and then to his human form before he lost consciousness and fell.


    Swan panicked.


    She looked at Goddess Asmara and Selene simultaneously and asked, "Mom, Aunt, please help him! Gale is hurting! He will lose!"


    Selene and Asmara nced at each other again and said, "We cannot help." "Why not?!"


    "Because this is not our battle. We are mere observers and will react right after the war ends."


    "Then my husband will die before the war ends!" Swan yelled in panic, which made Sol begin to cry as he had a deep connection with his mama, and could feel her distress.


    "If that happens, then my little wolf will be reced with someone as strong, or stronger," Selene replied.


    "Aunt-how could you-"


    Selene sighed, "We cannot y favorites, Swan. We are goddesses. If this is Gale''s end, then so be it."


    "How is that fair for me?!" Swan


    raised her voice. "Then, let me just


    go down and help him! I can fight against Aria myself! My husband is defenseless against Aria because I''ve cured him of his curse, so he is not invulnerable to dark magic anymore! It''s my responsibility to help him!"


    "He''s still invulnerable. It''s just Aria is using seven deadly sins crystals, which bypass the restriction as they are one-time use items," Selene exined.


    "I still can''t let you enter the battlefield, Swan. You are my daughter, and I cannot lose you," Asmara insisted. "That dark witch is too dangerous."


    "But-"


    "And if you insist oning down, Selene and I will pull the blessing out of him. He will be nothing but a strong werewolf without his moon blessing," Asmara threatened.


    Swan was frustrated by how nonchnt her mother and aunt were. They were goddesses, weren''t they supposed to help the good?!


    "Fine, if I cannot help him myself, then I will bring someone to help him!" Swan eximed


    "What do you mean?"


    "I will find Gale''s true beta and let him join the fray!" Swan said as she held her son tight and closed her eyes. She prayed for her two wings to appear, and once her angel wings had appeared, she said to her mother and aunt.


    "I will go to Rock Silverfang''s ind and bring him to the battlefield!" Swan stated


    as a bright light slowly enveloped her from within, and¡ª


    Pop!


    She disappeared from the Goddess realm.


    Selene and Asmara stared at the pond once more, and Selene asked, "How long are we going to keep this farce, sister? My dear little wolf is in pain, and our little Swan is in agony.


    I feel pity for both of them..."


    "Until she realizes her true power, Selene," Asmara replied. "She cannot go down


    to fight Harsetti and her little witch without realizing how much she''s capable of. She needs to unlock her potential."

 Chapter 311: And The Angel Shall Descend from Heaven (II)

    Chapter 311: Chapter 311: And The Angel Shall Descend from Heaven (II)


    "Ah-Rock, something is not right tonight," Long Xiurong said as she sat beside her husband in the den. She gently patted her pregnant belly and continued, "I have a feeling that our dearest princess and Beast King are in danger."


    She didn''t know why she said those words, knowing her husband was very sensitive about Gale and Swan.


    Rock Silverfang had easily ruled over the ind after Saintess Swan told them to make this ce their new home. They were well fed and well sustained here. Every day was peaceful for Long Xiurong.


    But Rock kept his training every day, believing that Princess Swan and the Beast King would eventually need his help once more.


    He was very focused on both his training and also his new married life with his mate, Long Xiurong, especially now that she was pregnant with their first cub.


    However, it had been a while since theyst saw Saintess Swan, and Long Xiurong had epted that maybe Swan simply didn''t want them in her life anymore. After all, both Rock and Long Xiurong were still fugitives to the Beast


    King.


    Unfortunately, Rock became extra sensitive about that. He still truly believed that his dearest princess wouldn''t abandon them, and she would eventually return to take them back to the Kingdom of Beastmen someday.


    Thus, Long Xiurong rarely mentioned Swan or Gale around her husband anymore.


    At least until now.


    She had been feeling restless and sad for no reasontely. Her mind kept wandering to the beautiful Saintess who saved her back then.


    "Do you feel what I''m feeling right now, Ah-Rock?" Long Xiurong asked. "I feel... uneasy."


    Rock nodded. He wrapped his arm around her waist to pull her closer, "I also feel the same, Ah-Rong. Something is happening on the main continent-" Rock pointed out in the sky. "Look at those dark clouds. It''s not normal. There must be someone powerful who controlled those clouds to block the moonlight, which is His Majesty''s source of power."


    "T-then, does that mean Princess Swan is in danger?" Long Xiurong asked. She hugged his arm tightly, feeling anxious over her best friend''s fate.


    "I hope not," Rock murmured. "If she is in danger, then she should call me, and I will find a way to help her. She is our Saintess, after all."


    Long Xiurong nodded.


    Long Xiurong and Rock stayed in their den for a while until their eyes were blinded by the sudden radiant light that entered their den.


    They closed their eyes for a few seconds, and once they opened it again, they saw a beautiful woman with a gentle glow around her body. She carried a baby in her arms and smiled at them.


    "It has been a while, my dearest friend, dearest knight."


    "Princess!" Both Rock and Long Xiurong wanted to kneel in front of her, but Swan used her power to hold Long Xiurong in ce, so it was only Rock who kneeled. fre?webnovel


    "You shouldn''t move around too much, Xiurong. You''re pregnant, it might be dangerous," Swan said.


    "Princess... I''m so d that you are alright," Long Xiurong muttered shakily as she was holding her tears.


    She had been thinking about Swan day and night, especially now that she was pregnant.


    She became really sensitive and frail when she got pregnant, and would often cry for no good reason. She was fortunate enough to have her husband, who always protected her and made her feel at ease whenever she had a mood swing.


    But she couldn''t imagine how Swan must''ve felt when she was pregnant. There were so many bad things happening around her, and it must''ve affected her emotions badly.


    However, when she saw the cute cub with ck wolf ears and tail on Swan''s arm, she was relieved, because that meant Swan had a sessful delivery despite all the stress she endured.


    Meanwhile, Rock had been kneeling


    in front of his dearest princess piously. He had been living in a small heaven with his mate this whole time. He got peace, an abundance of fruits and meat to hunt, and also and to rule all for himself


    Yet, he was still thinking about his dearest princess from time to time, hoping that she would be all alright in the Kingdom of Beastmen after that fateful night.


    Swan could read the worry in their hearts. She smiled and said, "I am doing alright. I''ve given birth to my son, Sol Stormfront. Don''t you think he looks like his father?"


    "He does!" Long Xiurong nodded excitedly. Meanwhile, the


    six-month-old Sol stared at Long Xiurong''s belly intensely but said nothing. Long Xiurong smiled as she caressed her belly, "I''m also


    pregnant with a cub. I hope my cub and yours can be good friends in the future."


    "Surely, they can, but we have to make sure the Kingdom of Beastmen is safe before that can happen. So, I am here for a special request," Swan stated as she looked down at her loyal knight. "Lift your head, dear knight."


    Rock lifted his head obediently, staring at the dearest princess he had worshipped as if she were his true God.


    Long Xiurong knew that her husband was very pious, even treating Saintess Swan as a Goddess. She neither had any objection to it nor did she feel jealous because his dedication to Swan was like that of a religious man.


    "Dearest knight, I am sorry to ask you this, but my husband-your Alpha-Gale Stormfront, is currently in a war against the dark witch. I want you to help him, as he needs someone as strong as you as his aide," Swan requested.


    "I ept, Princess," Rock replied firmly. "It is my duty to go with him in a war, and also my responsibility to follow your words. But..."


    Rock looked over his shoulder, staring at his pregnant mate, and added, "I want to


    go to war alone. Please let my wife stay in this den, so she and our cubs-will be safe."

 Chapter 312: And The Angel Shall Descend from Heaven (III)

    Chapter 312: Chapter 312: And The Angel Shall Descend from Heaven (III) Long Xiurong''s eyes widened, "W-wait-!"


    Swan chuckled, "Of course she will stay. My dearest friend is pregnant. She will stay in this den, and I will guarantee her safety."


    Swan opened her palm and created an invisible barrier around the den, ensuring that Long Xiurong would be well protected, "This barrier will allow her to go in and out of the den as she pleases, but nobody else can enter the den except for you, her husband."


    "Thank you, Princess. I am ready to go on a war now," Rock imed as he clenched his fists. "Please take me to the war."


    "Wait! Princess, I will go with my husband too!" Long Xiurong yelled as she was scared to be left alone. "I-If he ever dies in the war, then I will die with him!"


    "Ah-Rong, be good and stay here. I will fulfill my duty as the Beast King''s beta and Princess Swan''s knight," Rock stopped her. "Worry not. I wille out victorious. It won''t be long."


    "I-I still want to go!" Long Xiurong insisted.


    Swan felt conflicted. She obviously wouldn''t send her to the warzone, and definitely not to the Beast''s castle, because the situation was very dangerous there.


    Unfortunately, she also couldn''t bring her to the Goddess'' realm. Unlike Swan and Gale, Long Xiurong was just a normal human.


    "My dear friend, you need to stay in here for now," Swan persuaded softly. "This is for your safety."


    "But my husband-!"


    "Do not worry, I-Swan Asmara-promise to protect your husband. Rock will not be killed in this war," Swan stopped, and Long Xiurong finally stopped resisting.


    She looked at Princess Swan, and her heart told her to trust the Saintess for now.


    Thus, she nodded and said, "Please protect my husband, Princess. I really can''t live without him..."


    Rock gritted his teeth.


    To be honest, he grew up as a warrior and was ready to die anytime to protect his family and his honor. Therefore, his mate''s words just now felt so heavy in his heart.


    He got up and hugged his wife for thest time and whispered, "I promise that I will be home soon. Don''t worry about me."


    Long Xiurong hugged her husband back and sobbed for a few seconds before pushing him away, "Go. You must return victorious, alright? I will be angry if you lose a limb or two."


    Rock smiled at his mate and kissed her lips for a second, before his body was surrounded by gold dust, and-


    Pop!


    Rock disappeared.


    Long Xiurong felt a sense of loss when the kiss ended abruptly. She turned her head at Swan, and the


    Xiurong. I don''t want you to chant


    s, so


    your mind before he leaves,


    send him right before he ends the kiss."


    Long Xiurong wiped her tears and nodded, "It''s alright. I believe he will win.


    Besides, I also believe that you will protect him, Princess."


    "Yes, I promise," Swan nodded. Her


    §Ö§ä


    body was surrounded by radiant light once more, a sign that she wasn''t supposed to stay in here for too long. "I will have to go now promise to bring the two of you into the Kingdom of Beastman once the war is over, okay?"


    Long Xiurong nodded again, "I hope your son and my future cub can be best friends in the future."


    Swan nced at her son, who kept staring at Long Xiurong''s stomach fixedly, and revealed a curious smile, "Or maybe more than that.


    Swan was once again consumed by the light and returned to the Goddess realm.


    She saw that her mom and aunt were still watching the war nonchntly, as if Swan hadn''t just gone down to fetch Rock, so he could help Gale in the war.


    She was a little angry at them but said nothing as she joined them to watch the pond once more.


    Rock''s interference was proven to be detrimental to Gale''s survival. He couldn''t move his body at all, which made Swan worried.


    "Don''t worry. He is just drained out of his energy, but he is still very much alive," Selene assured Swan.


    Swan continued watching and saw how brave Rock was, fighting toe to toe against Aria.


    But Aria was ying dirty. She intentionally aimed at the currently incapacitated Gale, so Rock was forced to defend the Beast King with his body, which made him unfit to battle after sustaining heavy injuries.


    Swan''s face paled as she realized that her husband and Rock''s lives were in danger. She shook her head and eximed, "No, we can''t let Aria attack again! She will kill my husband and my knight! Mom, aunt, please do something!"


    "If they die in this war, then so be it, Swan. This is the reality of the earth realm. They wage war, kill, plunder and then make a temporary peace. We cannot do anything against their nature," Asmara said. "You need to understand that."


    "How could you say that?! They are my husband and my knight!" Swan shouted to


    the point that her son was also affected. He began screaming at the top of his


    lungs, throwing tantrums at his grandma and grandaunt.


    Asmara sighed helplessly, "We cannot help-no, we shouldn''t help them."


    Swan had had enough of her mother and aunt. She had no more patience dealing with them.


    "I thought the two of you would help me. What is the point of having Goddesses who just sit and watch?" Swan said. She put her son next to her and dipped her two hands inside the pond.


    "What are you doing, Swan?"


    "If none of you want to help them, then I will do it myself!" Swan yelled as she began praying in her heart. She knew it was stupid to pray since she was literally next to the Sun and Moon Goddesses.


    But she didn''t pray to either of them. She prayed to herself.


    She believed in herself, and that her holy power could be used for good.


    ''Believe in yourself, Swan! You HAVE to save your husband and your knight no matter what!'' Swan told herself, and her hand finally shone under the pond, a sign that she had sessfully used her power just like Selene and Asmara.

 Chapter 313: And The Angel Shall Descend from Heaven (IV)

    Chapter 313: Chapter 313: And The Angel Shall Descend from Heaven (IV)


    Swan''s eyes widened, and so did the two goddesses who didn''t expect Swan to develop her independent ability so quickly.


    Next, Swan sent her blessing to her husband and knight. The moment Aria''s attack was about to fatally strike Rock, an invisible barrier was erected around Gale and Rock, which acted like a giant wall that couldn''t be destroyed no matter how many times Aria attacked it.


    She saw that her husband was still too weak after being drained out by Aria''s crystal. He needed a boost of powering from the moonlight. Swan turned her head towards her aunt, Selene.


    "Aunt, please help me! My husband needs a boost of power from the moonlight!"


    Selene didn''t answer at first, so Swan urged her even more.


    "Aunt! Please!"


    "I''ve given him a boost of power before. There is no point in giving him more when he''ll just lose it to that dark witch in the end," Selene said. "Give it up, Swan. He is not worth saving."


    Swan red at her aunt. She didn''t expect her aunt who had always referred to Gale as her ''Little Wolf'' would be so cruel to just abandon him when he needed her the most.


    She was so fed up with both her mother and aunt at this point so she yelled, "FINE, IF NONE OF YOU WANT TO HELP, THEN I WILL DO IT MYSELF!"


    Swan looked at her husband from the edge of the pond. She still had little to no idea how her power worked, but she was desperate to save her husband. Using all her willpower, she imagined how the moon would shower Gale with power and muttered, "Please, please let me do it! Please let me use Aunt Selene''s power to bless my husband!"


    Swan''s hands which were dipped inside the pond started to shine in silver and blue color, and the moonlight shone brightly, showering Gale with so much power that he soon recovered his strength.


    Selene and Asmara looked at each other in disbelief. They didn''t expect Swan to be able to use the Moon Goddess'' power. Swan might not have realized it, but what she did was a feat that only a Goddess could do, because the moon was the domain only Selene had control over.


    Swan pulled her hand out of the pond. She breathed heavily because it felt like she just did something so strenuous. She put her baby on herp as she was resting, hoping that would be enough for Gale to continue fighting.


    Asmara and Selene continued ncing at each other, wondering when would be the right time to finally stop this pretense. But seeing how Swan could manifest her power easily when she was cornered, they decided to go on with their fake indifference.


    Unfortunately, Swan had no time to rest after she was drained. She wanted to make sure that her husband was alright. So, she watched the pond again and saw that Gale was fighting against Aria bravely.


    He was so quick that even Swan couldn''t see his movement at all. After some chasing, he finally found Aria''s hiding spot and cracked the rock open.


    Swan covered Sol''s eyes when Gale snapped Aria''s neck and tossed her on the ground.


    She let out a relieved sigh, "It is finally done. Aria is done for."


    "Not yet," Asmara said. "I am yet to feel her soul entering hell, so she''s not dead yet."


    "But we''ve seen Gale killing her."


    "Swan, look," Asmara pointed at the pond.


    Swan looked at the pond once more, and her eyes widened when Aria restitched her body so easily with the head of a nearby undead.


    The crystal in her chest began to shine, and she started using many body parts of other undead around her to create a big version of her that was basically immortal.


    Gale tried to attack her to no avail.


    When


    surrounded by so


    ¨¦t


    many he had to dodge them


    while also dodging the fireballs and lightning bolts that Aria threw at him.


    In the end, Gale was downed once more as his attack was proven to be ineffective against Aria.


    "Just as I expected, Gale is weak against the dark witch," Asmaramented. "The dark witch used many strange spells that could bypass Gale''s magic invulnerability."


    "Well, the stronger the sun gets, the


    darker the shadow bes,"


    Selene added. "This witch is very


    strong for her age. Probably the


    strongest I''ve ever seen in


    centuries."


    Swan got worried. She dipped her hand inside the pond once more and started using her invisible barrier to protect her husband.


    But there was no point in trying to do this over and over if Aria would constantly use strange spells to counter Gale and defeat him.


    "Don''t just stare at me! Please do something to save him!" Swan yelled at her mother and aunt again, but neither of them wanted to help.


    They sighed in unison and Asmara said, "The only one who can defeat Aria is


    you, Swan. The holy magic is naturally used to banish evil."


    "Then let me go down there! I will help him myself!" Swan eximed.


    "You can''t. You''re not strong enough against her. That witch is very crafty," Selene refused.


    "But my husband is in danger!"


    "Swan... maybe it is time for you to let him go," Asmara muttered.


    Swan looked at her mother in disbelief, "What are you saying, Mom?"


    Asmara sighed, "You are meant to be with us here, in the Goddess realm. Even if Gale goes to heaven this Goddess realm is an exclusive domain, which he can''t visit. So believe you should let him go and live a peaceful life here with us."


    Swan was too shocked to even react. She kept staring at her mother with both


    rage and disappointment. Her emotions began to run wild.


    The water in the pond began to ripple, and she said, "None of you have the right


    to tell me what to do, especially when it''s about my husband or my son."

 Chapter 314: And The Angel Shall Descend from Heaven (V)

    Chapter 314: Chapter 314: And The Angel Shall Descend from Heaven (V)


    Selene noticed the ripples on the pond grew bigger, which was a sign that Swan''s power began to affect the Goddess realm. It was a good sign, but still not enough.


    She patted Swan''s back and said, "Rx, Swan. This is for your own good. Besides, you have your son here. He will grow up eventually, and if he ever asks about his father, just tell him that his father died in a war and never be able to reunite with them."


    Swan''s chest was heaving up and down as she was trying her best not to explode right now. She was so upset that she wished this entire realm would crumble alongside her mother and aunt because they said many cruel things to Gale, who had gone through a lot in his life.


    "Both of you are not the Goddess that should be worshipped," Swan stated as she began to shed her tears that turned into crystals the moment they fell to the ground. "You two are useless goddesses that refuse to help those in peril. And you two are not my family, because you refused to help me."


    Both Asmara and Selene were hurt by that sentence. Of course, they truly loved their little Swan so much, especially Asmara who had to witness her daughter''s suffering when she grew up in the Holy Achate Pce.


    But they were doing this to awaken her real power, so she would be well prepared to face Aria, the dark witch.


    Swan wanted to jump into the pond, but Asmara held her, "What are you doing, Swan?"


    "I''m going to help my husband," Swan said decisively. "I don''t care what will happen, but I will not let him suffer anymore in this war!"


    "You cannot do that, you''re too weak," Selene repeated. "Besides, you still have your baby. Do you want Sol to join the battle as well?"


    Swan gazed at her son, who seemed to have understood what his mama was about to do. Thus, Sol instinctively closed his eyes, and his body began to be encased in a cocoon made out of diamond and floated midair in front of them.


    Both Selene and Asmara were surprised, "W-what happened to Sol?!"


    "He knows that I am about to help his father. That''s why he encased himself inside the cocoon and waited for me to return," Swan replied. "Now, let go of me. I will go down and help Gale."


    Swan wanted to jump into the pond again, but Asmara and Selene bound her legs and hands with light rope, making sure that she couldn''t escape.


    "What is this? Let me go!" Swan red at her mother and aunt. "If none of you want to help me, then at least let me help him myself!"


    Asmara used her power to lift Swan and pushed her daughter away from the pond and said, "We cannot do that, dearest. You are not in your right mind. You should understand that we''re doing this for your sake."


    "For my sake? If you''re doing this for my sake, then you''d have helped my husband!" Swan yelled. Selene helped by adding even more light rope around Swan''s body, making sure that she wouldn''t escape.


    "If you want to help your husband, then you need to defeat us first," Selene challenged. "You''re not strong enough to defeat us, let alone the many tricks that dark witch has."


    Swan was disappointed, heartbroken, and angry at her mother and aunt. She was trying to break free as hard as she could to no avail, until she heard the voiceing from the pond.


    It was a prayer that her husband muttered as he was on the death door.


    I need you, Swan...


    His prayer echoed inside the Goddess realm, but more importantly, his prayer echoed in her heart. She began crying as she imagined her husband would die because she was toote to save him.


    Swan thought that she could live without her husband and son. She wished them a good life together, but not with her because a long time of abuse made her feel like she wasn''t worthy of anything good. freewe?nevel


    That was how she felt until she gave birth and realized the pain made her want to be selfish for once.


    She wanted to have a good family with Gale and Sol. She wanted to see her son grow to be a valiant hero just like her father, and she wanted to grow old with Gale.


    ''And if I want to have all those, I need to fight for it, right?'' Swan told herself. ''Then what are you doing right now, Swan? Why are you still relying on your mother and aunt who obviously will not help you? This is your battle, and you have to descend to the earth realm to save your husband.''


    Swan suddenly stopped crying. She closed her eyes and prayed to herself. She


    didn''t pray to the Goddess of the Sun or Moon.


    She prayed to herself that she could do everything as long as she could protect her family.


    "I will be the light that guides the path for the forlorn, and for the weak," Swan murmured as her body began to glow in radiant light. Selene and Asmara tried to tighten the rope, but they found themselves unable to do so as the entire Goddess realm began to shake as if Swan had be the center of the


    earthquake. The radiant light began to glow intensely, making it difficult for both the Sun and Moon Goddesses to look at their little Swan.


    "And I shall help whom I want to help. Nobody will dare to stand against me!"


    Swan opened her eyes and created an explosion around her that pushed both Selene and Asmara away.


    "Ahh!"


    "Ugh!"


    Selene and Asmara tried to recover but found themselves unable to see anything as the entire Goddess realm had been surrounded by light that was as bright and hot as the center of the sun.


    The light gradually disappeared, but the moment they could finally see again, Swan was nowhere to be seen.


    Asmara and Selene rushed to the pond and saw their beloved little Swan descend to earth to help her husband.

 Chapter 315: I will never leave you, husband

    Chapter 315: Chapter 315: I will never leave you, husband


    "Husband, I''m sorry for beingte. I promise I will never leave you again, husband. I''m so sorry..." Swan murmured as she hugged her husband tightly.


    Heavens knew how much she missed his warmth and regretted her decision to leave Gale when she was pregnant.


    There had been many instances of her missing her husband''s touch in the Goddess'' realm.


    Gale smiled as he hugged his wife and gently caressed her head, "Don''t me yourself. This is all my fault, Wife."


    Swan sobbed on her husband''s chest.


    She knew that she was at fault. She refused to listen to Gale back then, and was controlled by her emotions.


    She judged him as a cheater and liar and simply left him heartbroken.


    They hugged each other for a long time as they were releasing all the longing, extreme forlorn, and deep love they felt for each other.


    Meanwhile, Aria had been watching the whole time. She saw how Swan looked so beautiful with her four wings. Her golden hair was shining radiantly, and her body was surrounded with golden dust as if there were hundreds or even thousands of fireflies circling her.


    Her dress was pearly white, and the moment shended, a fragrant scent of various flowers scattered in the air, eradicating the disgusting stench around the area caused by the corpses lying around.


    Aria lowered her head, staring at her disgusting body, which had been stitched with many heads and limbs of the undead around her. She looked grotesque and disgusting. The stenching out of her body was horrible.


    Even in her crazed state, Aria was still sane enough to know that she was definitely not as pretty as Swan right now.


    Aria''s eyes began to pool with tears as she couldn''t ept this reality. She had been the center of attention ever since she was born, while Swan was just a mere illegitimate daughter that her father decided to toss inside the maid quarter.


    None of this would have happened had her mother sent her for Gale instead of Swan. None of this would''ve happened if she killed Swan long ago.


    Truth be told, none of this would''ve happened if her father didn''t rape that prostitute, and Swan was never born in the first ce.


    ''Howe she gets to have the best in everything while I get to be this disgusting creature? This is not fair!'' Aria protested in her heart. She red at Swan hatefully and began yelling nonstop, "NOT FAIR! NOT FAIR! NOT FAIR!!"


    Aria continued yelling while throwing as many fireballs and lightning bolts as she could, and all of them were intercepted by Swan''s invisible barrier.


    Swan and Gale''s reunion was disturbed by the excessive yelling Aria made. Swan turned her head to look at Aria, whose body was so grotesque that Swan was still in shock no matter how many times she saw it.


    Aria, her half-sister, who had been hailed as the Golden Princess of Holy Achate for so long, had drowned in depravity until she turned into a ball of flesh.


    She identally made eye contact with Aria, and Aria saw her golden eyes, which made her even more furious because that was the sign of a true Saintess.


    "We have to deal with her first, Sweetheart," Gale said. He tried to get up, but couldn''t as his body was badly wounded.


    "Yes, we have to


    deal with her first,"


    Swan agreed as she kissed him, and healed all of Gale''s wounds with her healing touch. She also restored all of Gale''s strength with it. She finished her kiss once Gale had been fully healed. "How do you feel, husband? Tell me if you''re hurt anywhere."


    Gale smiled. He got up from the ground easily and carried Swan in his arms, "I feel great, especially with you by my side. It makes me want to just end this war


    as soon as possible, and then we can finally sleep."


    Swan''s cheeks reddened, "Y-yes, it''s quite tiring..."


    "By the way, where is Sol? Is he alright?"


    "He is alright. He knew I would have to go to the earth realm, so he encased himself inside a cocoon and rested. We can take him home after this," Swan said.


    "Great! I can''t wait to see my son


    too! Back when Storm Pack was still alive and thriving, the male cubs would often y with their father. We can y fight pretend. I will turn into my true wolf form, and he will have to defeat me!"


    Swan giggled.


    She yfully hit Gale''s chest and gently rebuked, "He''s only six months old now! He can''t even stand up just yet!"


    "Then I''ll wait until he''s at least five! He should be able to y fight around that age, and maybe he will have his very first shapeshift into his wolf form!"


    "Oh, b-but you need to be careful, alright? Sol is not a pure werewolf. He''s half angel," Swan warned.


    "Of course, I will be careful," Gale promised, but only he knew that he''d be extra rough with his son. After all,


    it was the tradition of the Alpha wolf to train their cubs to be tough fighters. However, Swan''s gentle nature might have made her disagree with his method


    "Maybe we should turn that guest bedroom near our bedroom into Sol''s room once he is old enough. It''s spacious, and if something happens to him, we cane to him easily."


    "Oh! That''s right! I will decorate the room with many heads of the best hunts! Grey mammoth, death falcon, cursed vultures!"


    "T-that''s so scary! He might cry!" Swan protested.


    "SHUT UP! SHUT UP! ARRRGHHHHH!!!"


    Swan and Gale had been so engrossed with their conversation that theypletely forgot about the pile of flesh who kept screaming and throwing attacks


    one after another to the invisible barrier that Swan created.


    "Ah, I forgot about you," Galemented coldly. "I''ve been missing my wife for so long. I guess it''s time to end this, so we can go home."

 Chapter 316: You will face judgment

    Chapter 316: Chapter 316: You will face judgment


    Gale was about to put his wife down because he wanted to fight the witch first, but Swan wrapped her hands around his neck, making sure he wouldn''t let her go.


    "Sweetheart, I have to fight her first," Gale said softly. He stared at his beloved with his loving ruby-colored eyes. "We will have a lot of time once we''re done with this."


    Swan was reluctant. She wanted to spend all her time with Gale, but she knew she''d only be a liability if she kept sticking to him.


    Thus, she let go of her hands, and then Gale gently put her down. Swan''s wings pped once, and she hovered an inch above the ground.


    "I will support you from here. Be careful, husband. Aria has many tricks up in her fleshy sleeve. We don''t know what kind of strange spells she would use next," Swan warned.


    Gale nodded.


    He knew he had to be extra careful right now. But first...


    He looked at his wife worriedly, "I should probably bring you to the Sacred Selene Lake. It''s safe there."


    "No need to worry about me," Swan smiled. She opened her palm, and the invisible barrier was finally visible to the naked eye.


    Gale saw the barrier around Swan''s body, making sure that she was unharmed. She also created a barrier around Gale''s body for the same reason.


    "See? We are well protected," Swan said. "Now go, my champion. Go and end this war, so we can go home with our son."


    Gale clenched his fists as he was filled with determination. His eyes were locked on the witch-like wolf, ready for a hunt.


    "Grrhh... GRHH!" Gale''s muscles began to tense, and he grew bigger while his body began to get covered with ck fur. As he shapeshifted into his werewolf form, his red eyes glinted dangerously, and he dashed towards the fleshy abomination.


    Gale was so fast that Aria couldn''t even see him. It was as if he could teleport freely around her.


    She turned her head to the direction of the wind that blew because of Gale''s speed and began to shoot her fireballs and lightning bolts in random directions, hoping that one of them could hit him.


    "W-wait, t-this isn''t fair, I can''t-¡ª"


    SPLAT!


    Aria''s head exploded as Gale punched her from behind.


    He then punched her body in quick session, dealing one blow after another. Every part that had been punched by Gale exploded due to how powerful the punches were.


    Aria should''ve died many times by now, but the Greed crystal made sure that she would continue regenerating over and over, no matter how many times Gale punched her.


    But that didn''t mean she was immune to pain. She was in so much pain, as if her body were exploding repeatedly.


    ''I need to do something. There is no point in trying to attack Gale. He is way too fast,'' Aria thought. ''There is also no point in regenerating only to get blown up repeatedly.''


    Thus, Aria shifted her focus to Swan, who was standing still, waiting for her husband to finish the job.


    She grinned and transferred the greed crystal toward the undead corpse near Swan''s feet.


    "GRRHHH!" Gale punched Aria''s


    stomach as


    hard as he could, and it exploded into bits of fleshes, leaving her nothing but her lower body. He waited for Aria to regenerate again, but to his surprise, her lower body simply dropped to the ground, twitching a few times before it stopped moving.


    Gale''s chest was heaving after exerting so much strength to overwhelm Aria''s nonstop regeneration.


    He kicked Aria''s leg a few times to make sure that she was truly dead, before turning his head towards Swan, "Wife, we''ve won against her. The witch is dead -!"


    Gale''s eyes widened when a corpse suddenly got up and attacked Swan from behind.


    Aria created a sharp knife using her spell and then aimed at Swan''s neck. Swan might be immune to any magic attack, but she doubted that Swan was immune to physical attack as well.


    "SWAN!" Gate dashed as fast as he


    could to save his wife, but Swan didn''t move at all. She closed her eyes, and when the knife touched her neck, Aria suddenly lost Control over her body.


    She tried to back off, thinking that Swan must''ve nned to attack, but Swan did nothing other than look over her shoulder and smile at her half-sister amicably.


    Swan had such a sweet smile, but Aria felt chill all over her body to the point that the hand holding the knife was shaking.


    "You''ve never been this smelly in your life, Aria. What''s wrong with you?" Swan asked. "Have you given up on your life as the Golden Princess?"


    Gale reacted fast before Aria could answer that question. He grabbed Aria by the neck and mmed her to the ground, destroying her body entirely.


    Aria''s greed crystal moved into another body, but this time, she tried to find a body that was far from Swan and Gale, much to Madam Harsetti''s amusement.


    Once she found the one she needed, she began to sneak out of the forest, trying to escape Swan and Gale.


    ''Little witch, are you not going to fight her anymore?'' Madam Harsetti asked. ''I thought you said you can''t wait to kill Swan.''


    Aria said nothing. Her body felt so weak when she had such close contact with Swan. For the first time in her life, she was so scared to the point of wanting to run away from Swan.


    ''Little witch?''


    ''Shut up! Don''t you see how powerful she has be? I won''t waste my life fighting against her! I''ll hide for now and find a way to kill herter!'' Aria replied to Madam Harsetti.


    The Madam chuckled, ''Unfortunately, that angel doesn''t want you to leave.''


    ''W-what does that mean-?''


    ''Your crystal. It has been marked by the angel,'' Madam Harsetti replied.


    Aria looked down at her chest and saw the greed crystal was shining brightly.


    "We''re not done yet, sister."


    Aria looked up and gasped when Swan suddenly appeared in front of her with


    Gale.


    Swan had a piercing smile as she said, "You''ve hurt my husband, my people, and myself. You will face judgment right here, right now." freewebnovel

 Chapter 317: Wrath Crystal (I)

    Chapter 317: Chapter 317: Wrath Crystal (1)


    "And I... Swan Asmara, shall deliver judgment to you, witch," Swan stated calmly, but her tone was frigid, void of any emotion or pity befitting of a Goddess.


    Though Aria was drunk in power, she knew when to pick her fight and when to flee. Currently, Swan was NOT an opponent she could win against.


    Thus, she quickly created a thick mist around her and dashed away as fast as possible.


    She was so scared that Swan would kill her permanently and tossed her into the fiery pit of hell.


    Meanwhile, Madam Harsettiughed as she found this very entertaining, ''I have to say, little witch, your fear is far more interesting than your arrogance and madness. You hold ALL of my powers and two deadly sins crystals, but you''re still running away from the angel.''


    ''Shut up! This is also because you refused to help me, do you understand?'' Aria snapped at Madam Harsetti. ''Had you helped me by telling me what to do, we would''ve won this!''


    ''Oh, I can do that, of course. But where is the fun?'' Madam Harsetti chuckled. ''Don''t worry, I won''t lie, you die too easily. I still want you to win this war, but for now, you''re on your own, little witch.''


    Aria wanted to curse Madam Harsetti for her arrogance. She made it sound like this was all just entertainment for her, while for Aria, it was a matter of life and death.


    ''Argh! Fuck it! I will find a way out first. I''m sure Swan wouldn''t be able to track me down if I''


    "Found you."


    Aria gasped when Swan suddenly appeared right in front of her with Gale. She fell on the ground due to shock, and stared at Swan in disbelief, "H-how could you¡ª"


    Swan pointed at her chest, and the greed crystal began to shine.


    "It''s not hard to find you as long as you have any of those sin crystals embedded in your body," Swan said. "You have been marked as the sinner, and I shall send you to where you belong. Hell."


    The halo on top of Swan''s head began to shine, and she muttered, "Heaven, smite my enemy with holy light. Let her burn to pay for her sin."


    Nothing happened for the first five seconds, so Aria thought Swan had failed her incantations. Thus, she decided to get up and run for her life once more.


    But right before she left, a light suddenly came from the sky, and Aria was attacked by the light beam from above.


    "ARGH!!" Aria screamed in agony as the light made her drop to the ground,


    unable to even lift a finger. Her entire body was burning in so much pain, but she was still alive and felt everything for a good ten seconds until the holy light disappeared.


    Aria was barely breathing at this point. Her body had been charred to the point that she was unrecognizable, but she was still alive.


    Just when she thought her torture was finally over, Swan slowly approached her and forcibly extracted the greed crystal from her body, which would kill her as the greed crystal had basically be her beating heart at this point.


    Aria couldn''t speak, let alone do anything to fight back at this point. All she could think of was Madam Harsetti, the only one who could help her.


    Madam Harsetti was living inside her brain and often conjured an image of herself to talk with Aria. With a faint hope within her, she closed her eyes and thought of the Great Witch.


    Madam Harsetti appeared in her vision, and said, ''It seems this will be your end, little witch.''


    ''Madam, please, save me! I-I will do anything as long as you can save me!'' Aria begged. ''I don''t want to die here! I will die in vain!''


    ''Well, usually, would''ve just abandoned a failed witch like you. But you are quite special because I''ve never seen someone so ridden with rottenness,'' Madam Harsettimented. ''I will give you onest chance to prove yourself. I will activate the wrath crystabfor you, and embed it with my power. You should be able to fight toe-to-toe with the angel using the wrath crystal. But before I do that, I have one simple request from you.''


    ''I am ready for anything! Just save me this time!''


    Madam Harsetti smiled menacingly and said, ''That is good because what I want is your soul. You will live in eternal torment in the deepest pit of hell once you die. That is my only request.''


    ''Oh, don''t worry about


    ''I take it! I take it, so please save me!'' Aria agreed without thinking too much because she could feel that her soul was being pulled out of her body right now. ''It''s a deal then.''


    Madam Harsetti tapped her cane, and the red crystal hidden inside Aria''s body was activated. She also added her own power to make sure that the wrath crystal would be ten times more potent on Aria.


    Meanwhile, Swan was trying to extract the greed crystal out of Aria''s body. It was proven to be a bit difficult because Aria stubbornly refused to die.


    Right when she was about to take the crystal out, a burst of energy suddenly emerged from Aria''s body, causing an explosion that pushed Swan away.


    "AH!"


    "Swan!" Gale caught his wife right before she hit the ground, and asked, "Are you alright, Sweetheart?"


    "I-I''m alright," Swan replied. She


    turned her head towards Aria, who


    slowly stood on her two legs while being covered with an ominous blood red aura. She red at Swan with eyes that had no pupils Swan frowned as she sensed such an enormous malicious auraing from her, "But that thing... is not Aria anymore."

 Chapter 318: Wrath Crystal (II)

    Chapter 318: Chapter 318: Wrath Crystal (II)


    Gale looked at Aria and also sensed that the person standing in front of them was not the same Aria that he had been fighting the whole night.


    The aura was obviously different, not to mention, this person didn''t seem to have anything going on inside her head.


    "Has she been possessed by someone?" Gale asked.


    "I think, rather than being possessed by someone-she has been consumed by her rage instead," Swan spected. "It''s obvious that she refuses to lose and gets angry at the idea of being defeated."


    Swan pointed at the red crystal on Aria''s forehead and added, "Look at that crystal. It''s the wrath crystal."


    "What does it do?" Gale asked, as he truly didn''t know how many tricks this witch had up on her sleeve. "And how many crystals are left in her?"


    "She should have one more if my count is not wrong," Swan replied. "But that''s not the point. That red crystal gives her an enormous boost in power. I don''t know how difficult it is to defeat her now."


    Gale knew the situation was not light when Swan herself said so.


    His gaze darkened towards the dark witch and he stated, "I will protect you. I will make sure that she will never be able to harm you."


    Swan smiled at her husband. Unfortunately, as much as she wanted to be protected by him, she knew this was a battle between good and evil. It had always meant to be a battle between her and Aria.


    Nevertheless, she wouldn''t mind an extra help, especially from her husband.


    Aria looked at Swan and Gale, then pointed her finger. She shot a lightning bolt towards them.


    Swan''s eyes widened because the lightning bolt traveled extremely fast and it looked like a fatal strike that could kill anyone, even an angel.


    She didn''t have time to react, but it was Gale who quickly stepped aside and barely dodged the lightning bolt.


    Gale was extremely fast, but for some reason, Aria could follow his movement easily and shot lightning bolts with deadly precision.


    Gale began sweating as he tried his best to dodge many of the fatal lightning bolts. Swan''s invisible barrier might be able to protect them, but he didn''t want to risk it, since his instinct told him that the dark witch was extremely powerful right


    now.


    Meanwhile, Swan was so shocked by how powerful Aria had be that she was left speechless.


    Gale continued dodging until one lightning bolt finally hit Gale''s body, which was intercepted by Swan''s barrier.


    Swan''s eyes widened as she dreaded even more when she realized something terrible.


    "Gale..." Swan murmured.


    "What?" Gale asked while trying to get away from Aria for now.


    "My invisible barrier has cracked just with one hit from her lightning bolt," Swan muttered. "We only have one more chance before she destroys my barrier. It will take a while for me to set up a new one."


    Gale gritted his teeth.


    He quickly turned around and dashed away to avoid Aria''s attack. He wanted to make sure that even if that witch hit them with the lightning bolt, he would be the one to get hit instead of Swan.


    Swan also wanted to help. She prayed and used her holy power to summon a holy beam from the sky to smite Aria.


    However, the moment that holy beam was about to hit her, Aria turned into a shadow and dodged all three holy beams that Swan summoned.


    Aria knew that she had to catch Gale first if she wanted to harm them. So she created a very thick fog around the forest, which allowed her to traverse a lot quicker than before.


    The fog was so thick that Gale could barely see anything in front of him.


    He kept dashing forward until he saw a sh of light in front of him, and his eyes widened when the lightning bolt came straight toward Swan whoy in his arms.


    He quickly turned around, and the invisible barrier broke when the lightning bolt attacked him.


    The second lightning bolt hit Gale''s back, and he was fatally hit, "ARGH!"


    "Gale!"


    Gale staggered.


    That hit should''ve killed anyone but him. In fact, he should be downed by now, but he had his wife in his arms.


    He refused to die because that


    meant nobody else could protect Swan.


    "Urgh... GRH!" Gale quickly learned that he had been outsped by Aria. Hence, he


    started growing his body until he shapeshifted into his werewolf form.


    "Gale, are you alright?"


    "I-I am alright," Gale replied as he continued dashing away. freewebnovel


    Swan could tell he wasn''t alright, as he moved a lot slower than before.


    She wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed the corner of his lips, slowly healing his fatal wound and giving him more energy to continue.


    "You won''t get away!" Aria yelled from somewhere in this thick fog.


    She shot three lightning bolts, and Gale could only dodge one before two of them hit Gale''s back.


    "ARGH!" Gale grimaced in pain.


    "Husband..." Swan began to feel desperate as her healing was not as fast as the damage that her husband received.


    Swan tried to create another barrier,


    but Aria seemed to have seen


    through her n, so she attacked the barrier halfway before it was fully created, making it impossible for Swan to make a proper barrier.


    "This-can''t go on any longer. I have to do it," Gale murmured. He gently put Swan on the ground, shielding her within his embrace, and he began transforming into his true wolf form.


    "GRHH! AWOOOOOO!!!!"


    Gale''s body began to grow bigger until he shapeshifted into his true wolf form. He


    was much taller than the fog, so he could finally see everything around him.


    Swan was still sitting right next to his giant feet, being guarded by the ever- watchful giant ck wolf.


    "Let''s go, wife!" Gale said as he picked Swan up, intending to put her on his back as they left the forest.

 Chapter 319: His Death

    Chapter 319: Chapter 319: His Death


    [Music Rmendation: Elfen Lied Ost - Lilium.]


    "I SAID, YOU WON''T GET AWAY!" Aria shouted as she conjured a dark cloud right above the giant wolf. The dark cloud got bigger and bigger, and Swan could see lightning inside the dark cloud. She felt a shiver down her spine as she had a bad feeling about what would happen next.


    "GALE! ABOVE YOU!" Swan yelled, and Gale sensed the danger. He quickly dropped Swan to the ground and protected her with his giant body, ensuring Swan would be safe.


    Aria flew high in the sky and grinned from ear to ear when she saw the giant wolf and the angel in a hopeless state.


    ''Ah, this is perfect,'' Aria thought in her head. She had no control over her body right now, as her body was acting like a puppet for Madam Harsetti. But she was d that she made a deal with the Great Witch because Madam Harsetti was proven to be a lot stronger than she would ever be. ''I can finally see him looking defeated. There is no more distraction now. No pesky wolf betas whatsoever to protect him, and Swan is probably dying under that giant body anyway. You are amazing, Madam!''


    ''Hm- well, I can do so much because you''ve made a deal with me,'' Madam Harsetti chuckled. ''Do you want to deliver the final blow?''


    ''N-no, I''m scared that my power won''t be enough topletely defeat him. Please do it for me, Madam.''


    ''Sure.''


    Aria''s body was covered with a powerful red aura as she chanted, "Fill that cloud with my vengeance, grudge, and anger, and let it strike my opponent, UNTIL EVERYTHING BURNS!"


    The lightning shed from the cloud, blinding everyone who witnessed it for a split second before a giant thunder was released and hit the giant wolf''s body.


    "ARGH!" Gale screamed in pain as he tried his best to shield his wife without hurting her. He tried to maintain his consciousness, but it was too difficult as the attack was way too strong for him to endure.


    Meanwhile, Swan was stunned and silenced as Gale was attacked by thunder over and over until he fell to the ground. He slowly reverted to his human form.


    He was barely conscious, but he still got up and walked towards his wife. He hugged his wife once more to protect her and asked, "Wife... are you... alright?" Swan''s body began to shake as she couldn''t bear seeing her husband in this state. Gale was still worried about his wife, so he said, "You... need to leave. Go back to heaven... to raise our son. I still... have some strength left to distract her while you run away."


    Gale could barely open his eyes right now, but when he saw the silhouette of Aria floating down towards them, he slowly got up and stood in front of Swan to protect her for thest time.


    "I''m sorry, Swan. I... I am not as strong as I thought I was..." Gale murmured while courageously facing the dark witch. "But I still can hold her off for a while. You need to leave now, Swan."


    Swan didn''t move at all.


    She was staring at her husband and began crying, "What do you mean? I told you that I will never leave you anymore."


    "The situation is different... you need to leave."


    "NO!"


    "SWAN!" Gale raised his voice. "Leave now!" freewebnovel


    Aria rolled her eyes. She pointed her finger at Gale and said, "You two talk too


    much. I''m so sick of this disgusting love story."


    Aria shot two lightning bolts toward Gale''s chest.


    Gale took both attacks and he fell to the ground.


    Amidst his fleeting consciousness, he saw his wife sitting frozen on the ground, looking at him with tears that turned into crystals when they dropped.


    "No... wife... run..." Gale desperately tried to get up and protect her again but to no avail, no matter how hard he tried to. His consciousness slowly slipped out, as he prayed to Goddess Selene.


    Goddess, if this is my end, then I am begging you to give all of my blessings to my wife. I will never forgive you if you let her get hurt, even if it''s only a scratch. I will chase you even from the depths of hell if my wife is hurting.


    Swan watched as her husband''s soul slowly floated away from her body. She could see it clearly as an angel, and she shook her head desperately, "No! NO!"


    Swan hugged her husband and tried kissing him many times to heal him. She also tried to pull his soul back to his body, but his body was so badly injured that it was impossible to do so.


    "No, husband, Gale..." Swan began sobbing while hugging her husband. She never expected things to end up this way. She truly thought that she was strong enough to defeat Aria. "This is all my fault, husband I am too weak. Too useless for you..." C¨®ntent


    "Ugh, would you stop that nonsense crying?" Aria rolled her eyes again as she


    floated towards Swan and Gale''s corpse. "You can''t save him because you''re just


    a weak crippled bitch. It has always been like that, Swan."


    ...


    Swan continued sobbing as if she didn''t care about Aria.


    "If I had to be honest, I am so jealous


    of you. How could you have such a loyal man as your husband? You don''t deserve him, but I do," Ariamented. "Now, will you give him to me? I will use all of my spells to try and reanimate him. He will be my husband from now on."


    "If you let him go, I might spare your life and turn you into my crippled maid. You can be a foot stool like before," Aria chuckled. "It would be a great ending for you, to be a foot stool, so you will live your life in disgrace. It''d be a good payback for all the humiliation I''ve experienced so far."

 Chapter 320: The Ascension of A Goddess

    Chapter 320: Chapter 320: The Ascension of A Goddess


    ...


    Again, Swan was unresponsive.


    She kept sobbing on the cold ground, crying over Gale''s death. She was too busy drowning in her grief that she didn''t care about Aria at all.


    "Oh well, I might as well kill you," Aria pointed her finger towards Swan''s head. With only one lightning bolt, she would be able to end Swan forever.


    She didn''t know what would happen if she killed an angel, but she guessed that Swan would probably be stuck in heaven or reincarnate. Those were the only two possible scenarios.


    ''Well, if she reincarnates, then I can just kill her as a baby,'' Aria thought. She should''ve killed her immediately, but she couldn''t help but grin, seeing how Swan continued to cry while hugging Gale desperately. She wanted to torment her even more before killing her, "Do you know what will happen to Gale once I reanimate him? I will fuck him senseless. I will make sure to use my power to extract semen out of him and impregnate myself. I''m sure our cubs will be strong. Oh, I will also make sure that Gale''s body will never rot, at least until I get bored of him and toss him to be eaten by vultures."


    ...


    Swan suddenly stopped sobbing, which made Aria frown. She found it strange that the crybaby Swan stopped grieving so quickly. Surely, she didn''t lose her feelings for Gale that easily, right?


    "Ah, whatever, just die, you crippled bitch," Aria said as she charged another lightning bolt and released it directly toward Swan''s head.


    If that lightning bolt hit, she would be turned into dust, and Aria would finally win this war.


    However, for thatst split second before it hit, Swan lifted her head and her eyes were glowing golden. The lightning bolt was deflected with another invisible barrier, but there was no crack this time.


    Both Aria and Madam Harsetti were surprised by this, so Madam Harsetti took control of Aria''s body and started attacking Swan nonstop, hoping to harm her by attacking her nonstop with lightning bolts.


    Unfortunately, none of it worked, and the invisible barrier remained strong.


    Aria gritted her teeth, she charged a powerful lightning bolt by using three bolts at once, which should have been enough to kill her, but Swan grabbed her wrist, and said;


    "You have done enough destruction in this world, witch. You have killed my people and my beloved husband. It is time for you to face retribution."


    Aria panicked as she couldn''t pull her hand, no matter how hard she tried. Madam Harsetti tried to help by using her enormous power, but Swan''s grip was so strong that it felt like it was Gale who grabbed her wrist.


    ''W-what should I do, Madam? Howe Swan suddenly bes so strong?! Can''t you just kill her?'' Aria asked in a panic.


    ''Rx, she is probably in a fit of rage right now. You won''t die no matter how much she tries to kill you anyway,'' Madam Harsetti replied with a grin until Swan suddenly said.


    "And you will also face retribution, Harsetti, Shadow of the Sun. You shall return to where you belong. In hell."


    Madam Harsetti''s smile disappeared instantly. She didn''t expect Swan to suddenly see her inside of Aria''s soul.


    ''M-Madam, what should we do?! Madam!?'' Aria tried to call Madam Harsetti, but there was no response from her.


    Thus, Aria began struggling nonstop and screamed, "LET ME GO! I-I WILL FORGIVE YOU IF YOU LET ME GO NOW!"


    Swan''s body began to be consumed with the radiant lighting out of her heart. She let go of Aria''s hand, and thetter was pushed back until her back hit the tree.


    "Argh!"


    Aria grimaced in pain. She tried to get up and run away again, but Swan suddenly spoke with a heavy andmanding tone, "Stay right there, witch. You shall bear witness to the ascension of this angel."


    Her voice seemed to beyered as if both Gale''s and Swan''s voices wereing


    out of Swan''s throat simultaneously and ovepped.


    Aria tried to get up again, but it was as if there was a weight ced on her shoulders, making it impossible for her to get up. She tried to close her eyes as the radiant light was burning her eyes.


    But she couldn''t, because Swan wanted her to witness everything.


    Swan''s body was no longer visible as her figure was swallowed by the light. The night suddenly turned bright instantly, so Aria looked up and saw the sun right next to the moon.


    The sun sent its light directly toward


    ab


    Swan, and a st of holy light destroyed everything around Swan melting the trees, clearing the fog and melting all the undead. Aria was only able to survive because of the constant regeneration given by Madam Harsetti at this point.


    The sunlight turned harsher after a while, turning the previously cold night into a hot summer, and the radiant light around Swan got even brighter until it blinded everyone in the forest.


    "What is this..." Aria murmured. "Madam, what is this? W-who is she?"


    Madam Harsetti didn''t answer at first. Aria was scared that Madam Harsetti had run away, so she called her loudly, "MADAM!"


    ''It''s an ascension,'' Madam Harsetti replied. ''That little angel is ascending to be a Goddess...''


    "A GODDESS?!" Aria panicked. "Then what should I do?! H-Help me to run away! Help me release this weight on my shoulder!"


    ''I''m afraid I cannot, Aria. You''re getting stopped by a Goddess, not just a mere angel.''


    "T-then, what should I do!?"


    ...


    There was no more answer from Madam Harsetti, and Aria was forced to witness everything.


    BOOM!


    There was a huge explosion right after Swan''s ascension.


    Swan was nowhere to be seen after the explosion. The only person Aria could see was Gale in his werewolf, who had miraculously revived after he died. He red at Aria with his zing red eyes full of wrath.


    "W-where is Swan?!" Aria asked in a panic, scared that Swan might''ve attacked


    her from a hidden spot.


    However, she didn''t need to look further, because in the next moment, the sky began raining gold dust.


    Showered by the sunlight, everyone


    looked up as they witnessed the ascension of a Goddess. She had long, golden hair, with pure golden eyes just like her hair. She had six wings akin to an archangel and four arms. .


    BUMS

 Chapter 321: Swan, Goddess of Miracles

    Chapter 321: Chapter 321: Swan, Goddess of Miracles


    Rock, ze, and other soldiers were busy trying to help the other beastmen civilians, and soldiers from marching during the ascension of the Goddess. When the blinding light shone above them, they all looked up, as if hypnotized. Every beastmen that still had consciousness in them dropped to their knees and stared at the sun with pious and solemn expression.


    They all saw their beloved Queen Swan in the sky, showered by the sunlight, turning the cold night into a harsh daylight instantly.


    "Goddess Swan..." Rock and ze murmured together, followed by the rest of the beastmen soldiers


    Swan slowly descended to the earth, her wings pped beautifully, spreading gold dust that cleared all the remaining poisonous mist in the forest. The gold dust also removed the brainwashing inside all the beastmen civilians who were still breathing.


    She started speaking as she descended, and her voice was so angelic, that it soothed everyone who heard it. The wind echoed her voice, delivering her words to all creatures beneath her.


    Oh, creatures of this defiled earth, if you have ever cried in desperation, wail in agony, and beg for a miracle, then fall on your knees and sing your worship to I, Swan, Goddess of Miracles, Daughter of the Sun, Ruler of the Heaven.


    Swan slowly leaned on Gale''s back. She wrapped her hands around his neck, while one extra hand was pointing at the sky towards the sun.


    She leaned her chin on his shoulder, and kissed Gale on the cheek before adding;


    And to my promised consort, Gale, The Blood Moon Wolf.


    Swan used herst extra hand to point at Aria, who was still pressed to the ground by Swan''s power.


    Kneel and beg for forgiveness, before I smite you with heaven''s burning light, Harsetti, Shadow of the Sun, and Aria, the Hell Witch.


    Aria tried to break free as hard as she could because she knew there was no way in hell she could stand toe-to-toe against a literal Goddess, and her promised consort.


    Unfortunately, she was ultimately stuck, unable to do anything while she was at the mercy of the Goddess. She began desperately begging for Madam Harsetti, who still lived inside her head.


    "Madam, do something!"


    ''Hm? What do you think I can do?'' Madam Harsetti chuckled, but this time, her chuckle sounded resigned, devoid of hope. ''What am I supposed to do against a Goddess?''


    "But aren''t you a Goddess-level too? Your title is Shadow of the Sun!" Aria protested.


    ''Little witch, I may be the shadow of the sun. Do you not realize what kind of Goddess she is?'' Madam Harsetti grinned. ''She is Goddess of Miracles. That means she will defy all odds to perform a miracle. She cannot be defeated.''


    "Then what should I do?! I don''t want to die in vain!!"


    ''I have one suggestion for you,'' Madam Harsetti paused for a second and said, ''Surrender yourself, and you might be forgiven. You have no reason to fight her when you have no way to win.''


    "You... are you giving up just like that?"


    ''I know how to pick my fight, little witch. This is not the fight I can win. I''d rather go back to hell where I belong, and return many millennia in the future when I have the chance,'' Madam Harsetti replied hopelessly.


    "Then what about me?!"


    ''What about you? Simple. You will be trapped in the depths of hell for eternity. But fret not, you will reunite with your equally wretched mother and father there. They would love your eternalpany.''


    Aria was in absolute despair when she heard that. She knew that she would end up in hell anyway because she already made a contract with Madam Harsetti.


    But she didn''t want to go to hell after achieving absolutely nothing.


    She failed to have Gale as her husband, failed to kill Swan, and also failed to bring suffering to this continent because Swan had cleansed them all out of her brainwashing and also purified the poisonous mist.


    Aria had caused chaos, but in the end, everything returned to normal the moment Swan stepped in.


    "So, you will abandon me just like this, Madam?" Aria asked.


    Madam Harsetti shrugged, ''You are not the first dark witch I''ve made contact with, and definitely not thest. You have ousted your usefulness. Honestly, you''d


    great witch had it not for beel


    Goddess'' ascension. There is no way out around this matter, Aria. Goodbye.''


    Aria could feel that Madam Harsetti''s presence slowly dwindled out of her mind, and her power slowly diminished until she became utterly powerless. She tried calling the Madam a few times, hoping that Madam Harsetti would respond.


    Unfortunately, there was no more response from the Madam. It seemed that she had returned to hell, where she truly belonged.


    And Aria... had been truly abandoned.


    "No... this


    can''t be..." Aria had never felt such despair in her life. She had been left alone by the only one she could trust, her mentor, Madam Harsetti, which meant that she was nothing but a little witch with barely any power left.


    She stared at Swawho had ascended and be a Goddess. She was hugging Gale from behind, and her body was glowing so radiantly that it burned Aria''s skin.


    Aria bit her lower lip as she felt so hurt and humiliated right now.


    Kneel and beg for forgiveness, you hell witch-


    "Never!"


    "I will NEVER Surrender to a crippled bitch like you would rather die by the fire than kneel to you!" Aria yelled. "Besides, this isn''t fair, right? Howe I never get anything so good in my life? How was my life so unfortunate? This is not fair. Not fair. Not Fair! NOT Fair! NOT FAIR! NOTFAIRNOTFAIRNOTFAIRNOTFAIF


    All of Aria''s resentment, rage, and disappointment began to boil together in her heart, and her unstoppable rage identally activated the full power of the wrath crystal.


    All of the remaining fleshes of the undead began to gather andtch themselves into Aria''s body, and she began to grow in size until she was nothing but a giant living undead that was twice bigger than Gale in his true wolf form.

 Chapter 322: Eclipse

    Chapter 322: Chapter 322: Eclipse


    [Music Rmendation: Fire Emblem Ost - Apex of the World]


    NnoOtT-FfAA??RRR!!! GRROOOOARrrHHHH!!!


    The giant flesh roared and shook the earth with just its roar. One couldn''t even recognize Aria anymore in this form. It was nothing but a monster filled with rage and desire to destroy everything on its path.


    "Evacuate the children, the weak, and the wounded! We need to run away from that monster!" Rock shouted, and all the beastmen who had regained some of their strength quickly ran away from the giant flesh, while soldiers tried to help the fellow wounded soldiers and civilians to get away as far as possible from the giant.


    But Swan and Gale didn''t budge at all. They showed no fear.


    They faced the giant flesh by using Swan''s miracle magic to create invisible steps for Gale so he could leap from one step to another to face the giant flesh''s grotesque face.


    It had no defined facial features. Its eyes were a bunch of heads grouped together. Its nose was hundreds of human knees conjoined together. Its mouth was just gaping in a weird shape, and the rest of its features were difficult to identify.


    Swan showed no fear. She treated this giant flesh the same as she treated Aria before. She pointed at the giant with her finger and said in an echoing voice that was heard by everyone on earth.


    Wretched beings. Surrender yourself before I send heaven''s retribution to you. Surrender to I, Swan, Goddess of Miracle, before my wrath will vanquish you out of this world.


    There was a long silence from the giant flesh, before it suddenly opened its mouth wide, and charged a giant red beam that would destroy a kingdom in an instant.


    GRROOOOARrrHHHH!!!


    The giant shot the red beam toward Gale and Swan, and they didn''t try to dodge. If they didn''t deflect this attack, it would kill even more innocent people.


    Naturally, nobody would be able to survive that attack, so Swan used her miracle to defy all odds.


    She kissed her husband''s cheek once more and whispered into his ear.


    My dearest consort. Protect me with all your might. Your devotion shall be an unbreakable shield, and I shall be the source of your devotion.


    "GRH!! GRAAAHHH!!!" Gale bared his fangs as he could feel the overwhelming power surging inside his body. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and created a shield that was unbreakable because he drew his power from his love and devotion to his beloved wife.


    Thus, when the red beam finally hit him, the shield was proven to be undefeated, and Gale held his position as the giant flesh continued attacking Gale with a giant red beam until it got exhausted.


    The giant flesh tried attacking Gale and Swan with its arms, but Gale used his unbreakable ws to sh its arms until they fell to the ground.


    The giant flesh regrew its arms almost instantly, but it got frustrated because none of its attacks worked on Swan and Gale. It started stomping around while letting out a deafening roar, and it reminded Swan of her wretched half-sister who often threw tantrums when she didn''t get what she wanted.


    "Sweetheart, we need to end this soon. That flesh will continue rampaging and might kill many of our people," Gale said softly to his beloved.


    Swan nodded.


    She whispered another miracle to Gale''s ear.


    My dearest consort. You are my aunt''s-Selene, Goddess of the Moon-favorite. Ask her to give you her power, and she shall give it to you. We shall end this once and for all.


    After Swan whispered that miracle, Gale could hear the voice of Selene inside his head.


    ''Oh my, it seems that it is our time to help,'' Selenemented. ''Fine, I shall lend you my power, little wolf. You maymand the moon as you want it.''


    Meanwhile, Swan could also hear her mother''s voice, ''I am sorry, my dear daughter. We are trying to push you until you''ve finally ascended. Do not worry about your son. I''ve already taken him out of his cocoon and he is resting with me now. I shall lend you my power. You may now control the sun as you want it.''


    Swan''s lips curved up in a small smile. Then, she whispered one sentence in her husband''s ear, and they had a tacit understanding.


    Gale closed his eyes, and when he opened it again, his glowing red eyes had turned silver, just like the moon.


    He then shouted with the same echoing voice as Swan''s.


    Goddess of the Moon, heed my call.


    Grant me control over the moon. Punish the wicked with your evesting cold. Let them know how heaven shall protect the wronged! The moon shall destroy all trickery hidden in the night!


    Swan also did the same.


    Goddess of the Sun, heed my call.


    Grant me control over the sun. st my enemies with your scorching fury. Let them kneel and beg without finding any sce! The sun shall cleanse the evil! freewebnovel


    All the beastmen who were still conscious witnessed how the sun and the moon slowly moved on their own until they were in line, with the moon covering the sun, creating a rare phenomenon.


    The sun and the moon were aiming towards the fleshy giant, and once everything


    was ready, Swan and Gale eximed at the same time.


    !ECLIPSE!


    The sun began to shine brightly behind the moon, and a massive sun beam was shot out and hit the moon.


    The moon absorbed the sun beam before it shot a massive beam with both gold and silver colors swirling together, which was called the Eclipse Beam.


    The giant flesh looked up and saw the massive beam. The giant tried to counterattack with the red beaming out of its mouth, but when he shot the red beam out, it instantly disappeared upon impact, and the Eclipse Beam hit the giant flesh directly.


    GRrrROOAHhhHHHhhh!!!!!


    The giant flesh screamed in agony as its entire body was obliterated by the attack


    from Gale and Swan.


    Aria was stripped out of the fleshes entirely, along with her greed and wrath crystal within.


    Aria felt her body was burning in absolute agony and she muttered in her heart.


    ''What did I do... wrong...''

 Chapter 323: Pride Crystal

    Chapter 323: Chapter 323: Pride Crystal


    The Eclipse Beampletely obliterated the giant''s flesh and destroyed Aria''s greed and wrath crystals, which stopped her from regenerating or gaining power.


    However, there was still one crystal left inside her body, and Aria-on the brink ofplete annihtion-was asked by Madam Harsetti, who finally returned to her side.


    ''You lost, little witch,'' Madam Harsetti said. ''Tell me how do you feel right now?'' Aria was seeing all white at this point. Her consciousness was corroding, and she could feel death wasing for her.


    ''I feel... resentment,'' Aria replied weakly. ''Why do I have to die when Swan can have a beautiful life and be a beautiful goddess? Why can''t it be me?''


    Madam Harsetti chuckled, ''Because you''re not fated to be a Goddess. To me, you are just one of the many fiends that will rot in hell for eternity, and to the Goddesses, you''re nothing but an obstacle for their beloved Swan to ascend as a Goddess.''


    ''Why do you seem to be happy, Madam? Aren''t you angry at her too?''


    ''Why would I? I am the embodiment of nightmare and chaos. As the Shadow of the Sun, I exist to sow discord, so I can pull more people into the depths of hell. I can''t exist if the Sun Goddess doesn''t exist,'' Madam Harsetti replied. ''I will return to this world eventually, and wreak havoc as that is what I am born for. But you, do you want to leave this world without doing anything? Don''t you think that Swan deserves to be punished for what she had done to you? She haspletely humiliated and disgraced your existence.''


    Aria looked at Swan, who was still floating in midair. Her wings were spread out, while she hugged Gale from behind.


    It was such a beautiful sight of a new Goddess and her promised consort, but Aria felt nothing but bitterness and resentment.


    ''Howe she gets everything good in life, while I suffer for eternity in hell? Why is life so unfair to me? What did I do wrong?'' Aria thought. ''I never did anything wrong. Had my mother married me off with Gale instead of her, I would be at the top of the world right now. This is all her fault, not mine!''


    Madam Harsetti chuckled, ''If you have no more attachment in this world, then why don''t you just destroy it?''


    ''Destroy it?''


    Madam Harsetti summoned thest crystal that Aria had, the pride crystal, and said, ''This is thest crystal you can use. As long as you''re willing to use it, it will instantly trigger many natural disasters in this world. Everyone will die, and the world will turn into nothing but a deserted mess. What do you think? Will you give Swan a good life with her husband, their kingdom, and their descendants while you rot in hell, or will you use it and destroy everything in this world?''


    Aria stared at the purple crystal in front of her, and then at Swan, who was still with Gale.


    She had to take revenge for the humiliation Swan did to her, and to make sure that crippled bitch would never have a good life.


    Thus, Aria reached the purple crystal and touched it with her finger, ''Since I cannot be the queen in this world


    then this world might as well be destroyed. I shall activate the purple crystal, and kill everyone. I will pay with my soul, and I don''t care if I rot in hell as long as everyone suffers the same fate as I do!''


    Madam Harsetti grinned, ''Good choice.''


    She tapped her cane, and the purple crystal shone brightly before it was shattered into shards.


    ''We should go now. This world will be destroyed soon,'' Madam Harsetti said as she pulled Aria''s soul.


    ''Can we sit and watch first?'' Aria asked.


    ''Of course not, I refuse to be the target of the Goddess'' wrath. Besides, you have


    to serve your life in hell. It will be a long, long time,'' Madam Harsetti giggled as she summoned a burning rope.


    She roped Aria''s soul and slowly pulled her down to hell.


    Aria turned her head at Swan as her soul slowly sank. She red at Swan hatefully and muttered, ''You never deserve anything, you crippled bitch. You should''ve been grateful that I didn''t kill you when you were a kid.''


    Aria''s soul continued being pulled down until almost all of her soul was gone, and


    thest thing she said was, ''I should''ve killed you back then.''


    **


    Meanwhile, Swan and Gale slowly descended back to earth after the fierce battle against the giant flesh They descended at the Seleneke andnded in the middle of the sacredke. Gale''s power instantly froze the water once they touched the surface, and all the beastmen, who had been watching their fierce battle, slowly kneeled while worshipping Swan, Goddess of Miracles, and her promised consort, Gale, the Blood Moon Wolf.


    "Please bless us with your grace, Goddess of Miracles!''


    Swan smiled at her subjects. She let go of her arms around her husband''s neck and disappeared for a second before reappearing in Gale''s arms.


    "Thank you, husband," Swan said as she bopped Gale''s nose, which was still in


    his werewolf form. "I like to fly, but it turns out I prefer to be carried by you like this. It makes me feel safe."


    Gale smiled, but he was in his werewolf form, so his smile was more like a malicious grin while showing his sharp fangs.


    "This is my preferred position too. I like how you feel in my arms," Gale replied.


    Swan chuckled before turning her head towards her subjects again and said, "My dearest subjects, I-Swan, Goddess of Miracles-will bestow you a little gift. I shall "


    Swan''s speech was cut short when the earth started rumbling. Everyone immediately fell into a panic, especially when the earthquake was getting stronger, and an explosion appeared far from their position, spoutingva from the earth''s core.

 Chapter 324: Garden of Eden

    Chapter 324: Chapter 324: Garden of Eden


    Swan''s smile vanished instantly. She used her power to lift her husband, so he wouldn''t be affected by the earthquake. However, the other beastmen were scrambling around, trying to avoid the fissures created by the earthquake.


    Another explosion happened, and theva spouted from the earth''s core once


    more.


    The wind started to blow heavily, followed by a thunderstorm that suddenly came out of nowhere.


    The situation was inplete chaos, and the beastmen were trying their best to avoid getting killed in one way or another.


    Only Rock and ze Silverfang remained in their kneeling position, staring at their Princess with fervent devotion in their eyes.


    "Do you know what is happening, Sweetheart?" Gale asked.


    "Yes," Swan replied while staring at the dark clouds above. "It''s thest crystal that Aria used before she got dragged to hell. It''s a pride crystal, used as ast resort by someone with an unbearable amount of sins in her heart. It''s used to destroy this world and turn it into nothing but a deserted mess."


    Gale''s lips thinned. He thought that it was all over until this happened. He saw his wife who looked serious, then to his fellow beastmen who were running about.


    "Is there a way to solve this?" Gale asked calmly, but his heart began to feel restless listening to the scream of a few beastmen. He didn''t want to make his wife panic, so he added gently, "If it requires me to do something, then I will do it."


    Swan turned her head to stare at her husband. She smiled at him and reached to caress his cheek, "There is, husband. But you can''t do it. Only I can."


    Gale''s eyes widened. He wrapped his arms around her body tighter than before, making sure that Swan wouldn''t slip out of his embrace once more and leave him for good.


    "What are you going to do, wife? Don''t tell me that you will leave me again this time," Gale asked worriedly. "I cannot live without you, you know that, right? If it''s something about sacrifice, then I will do it for you instead."


    Swan chuckled, "Didn''t I tell you that I will never leave your side anymore? Husband, I am not going to make the same mistake that will hurt us both."


    "With my miracle, I shall end all of this once and for all. But in exchange, I shall stay in heaven for a year to recuperate, so why don''t you take that time to rebuild our castle?" Swan giggled. "I''lle home once the castle is ready for us, and our cub to live in."


    Gale was still unwilling.


    In his mind, Swan seemed like she would leave him forever and never return.


    Not to mention, a day without his beloved was like torture for him. How could he bear being separated for a year?


    So he shook his head and said, "I don''t want you to leave me again, Sweetheart. This is too much of a torture for me..."


    Swan saw the sadness in Gale''s eyes. She smiled and opened her hand, summoning a small golden flute with a pair of angel wings engraving.


    "This is a flute to summon an angel. If I don''te home after 365 days, you can just blow this flute, and I will be at home instantly. Does that sound fair to you?"


    Gale stared at the flute and asked reluctantly, "Must you do this to me again?"


    "It cannot be helped, husband. I will stay in heaven, but not without reason. I want to make sure our son can control himself since he is a heaven-born. He often has explosive energy when excited, and might harm too many people in our castle. Besides, I also need to receive a bit of training to make sure I can suppress my Goddess form at will," Swan said, and right after that, another underground explosion urred not far from the sacredke.


    Gale pursed his lips even tighter.


    If he had to be honest, he truly didn''t want Swan to leave him even just for one second.


    But she did her best to assure him that she would return, so he slowly let her go, and Swan gradually floated to the sky.


    She kissed Gale''s lips for thest time, and then flew high, witnessing the destruction that the purple crystal made on earth. freewebnovel


    "Even in death, you are still a very selfish woman, Aria," Swan murmured. "I will make sure that you will not have thestugh. I will end this."


    Swan intertwined her fingers together and lowered her head like a maiden who prayed. She had nobody to pray to, but she wanted to ask the keeper of the earth to calm down.


    She began chanting her prayer to create a miracle, her voice echoed from the sky and everyone was frozen on the spot and looked up when they finally realized that their Goddess would protect them.


    Oh keeper of the earth, heed the call from me-Swan, Goddess of Miracles.


    Quench your thirst for bloodshed, lift the curse ced upon thisnd, and grace these creatures walking on earth with your blessing.


    Heal the wounded, and swallow those which had been turned into undead, as evil shall be cleansed.


    For I-Swan, Goddess of Miracles, with all my luminescence and glory, shall overturn all fate into my favor.


    The earthquake, thunderstorm, whirlwind, and explosions stopped right after Swan chanted her prayer.


    Swan''s body was covered with radiant light, and her wings were all spread out. As she opened her eyes, she smiled at everyone who kneeled to her, worshipping her fervently.


    She opened her arms, and the radiant light from her body became the second sun, which cleansed all the undead on this continent.


    She closed her eyes once more and said in a soft, yet exhausted voice.


    !Garden of Eden!


    Her power slowly reversed all the fissures created by the earthquake, and absorbed all theva back to the core of the earth, as if none of these disasters ever happened in the first ce.


    After she reversed all the disaster, grass began to sprout, and flowers began to


    bloom everywhere on earth, even in this supposed autumn.


    Then, all of the wounded and dying beastmen slowly recovered from their wounds, as if they never went to war in the first ce. The Garden of Eden also revived the children-both beastmen and


    humans-from their death vers


    as long


    as they still had their bodies intact.


    Swan was truly exhausted because she just exerted amazing miracles that had


    never happened before. She turned the scorched earth into a garden full of beautiful flowers.


    She stared at her husband, who kept staring at her without blinking, and smiled at


    him before her body was swallowed by the light and disappeared.


    Everyone kept on kneeling and worshipping Goddess Swan while Gale was clenching the flute.


    ''365 days starting from today, we shall be reunited, wife.''

 Chapter 325: A New Beginning

    Chapter 325: Chapter 325: A New Beginning


    The aftermath of the dark witch''s invasion was far worse than what everyone expected. Aria had killed half of the human poption in the continent, emptying most of the big cities, and forcing the people from the viges to move into the city and start taking any homes they wanted.


    Naturally, humans were adept at surviving. They began procreating, and the report shown by the representative showed that many women got pregnant fast for the past six months after the invasion.


    Gale listened to the report and nodded, "That''s good. Keep your eyes on those humans in each city. Make sure they can repopte fast. Give them food rations, some gold, and other stuff to start their businesses in the city. We cannot let those kingdoms fall because of this."


    "Understood, Your Majesty," the representative bowed and then excused himself.


    "How about the beastmen? How many of our kin died?" Gale asked ze Silverfang, as he was now officially appointed as the new beta.


    Gale thought it was befitting of him to be the new beta, recing Rock. After all, ze had shown such bravery, despite being outssed by Aria during that invasion. He was also the one who managed everything when Gale was unable to rule the Kingdom of Beastman. He was more than deserving of his title.


    "Roughly twenty percent of our poption died during the invasion. Most are tribes from outside of the city. Our city suffered only about five percent of the casualties, thanks to Her Majesty''s miracle that revived many of the children," ze replied. "As for the human children revived by Her Majesty, they are now in an orphanage inside our kingdom. I believe this is the best thing we can do for them since they lost most of their families when they were turned into undead."


    "This is also the best way to integrate them into our society, just like what you told us before, Your Majesty. We should try to amodate humans into our territory as long as they don''t try to harm us," ze said, hoping that he wouldn''t make a mistake that would anger the Beast King. Though, these days, His Majesty has been very calm and collected, as if he didn''t have any burden in life. However, sometimes ze saw His Majesty rubbing his thigh where Queen Swan often sat before in the throne room.


    ''I wonder when will our queen finally return...'' ze thought. ''Or will she never return because she is a goddess now?''


    Unfortunately, ze would never dare to ask those in front of His Majesty, knowing it was a sensitive topic for him.


    "You did a good job, ze," Gale nodded approvingly. As he was about to listen to the next report, the door opened by the guard, and one of them reported. "Your Majesty, Lady Long has just given birth to her cub!"


    Gale sprung up from the seat immediately and walked out of the throne room. He asked the guard as he walked towards a home directly outside of the castle yard. "Is the cub in good health?"


    "Yes, Your Majesty!"


    "Where is Rock then?"


    "Rock is in his house, apanying his wife, who has just given birth!" The guard replied.


    Gale smiled, "Good. My wife will be pleased to hear this."


    *


    Gale knocked on the door and entered the small, but neat home which had just recently been built. The door was opened from inside, and he made eye contact with Rock, who quickly kneeled in front of him.


    "Y-Your Majesty, forgive me for not reporting to you about my wife''sbor. I was too worried about her, so I rushed when I heard that my wife was giving birth," Rock said.


    "Don''t be so tense with me. I''ve cleared you out of all the charges from before after I found out what truly happened," Gale responded.


    Honestly, he still felt guilty after everything that happened between them. His wife was right the whole time, that Rock never intended to harmer. It was all because of Jade''s poison that made him act irregrly.


    Thus, when thest battle with the dark witch was finished, Gale epted Rock back into the kingdom.


    Fortunately, when they returned to the castle, Long Xiurong was already there. She said she was engulfed by a radiant light, and once she opened her eyes once more, she was already in the Beast King''s castle.


    Rock could''ve easily asked for his position as the beta back, but he recognized the fact that ze had done so much when he was away, so he asked the Beast King to give him another work to do and appoint ze as the beta instead.


    Per his request, Gale appointed Rock


    to be the Marshal of the entire beastmen military, since he was still the second strongest after Gale, He spent his days overseeing the soldiers, training them so they would always be in their best shape, and also hearing the report of the scouts as they scoured the continent, to ensure there was no more imminent threat that might force their dearest Queen Swan to create another miracle.


    After all, the Beast King didn''t want to be separated from his beloved for too long,


    so it''d be better if he cleaned any threat first so Swan could livefortably as the Queen of Beast.


    That''s right.


    Everyone knew that their Queen was now the Goddess of Miracles, but they still loved her as their Queen and hoped that Swan would resume that role.


    But nobody missed her more than her husband.


    Gale smiled bitterly as he remembered about his beloved, but he tried to ignore this yearning in his heart for now. It was an auspicious day for Rock, he didn''t want to ruin it.


    "Get up, and bring me to your wife. I want to see my son''s future ymate," Gale said, and Rock immediately guided his Alpha to his room.


    As the door was opened, Gale saw Long Xiurong sitting on the bed, looking tired,


    but happy. She was carrying her cub, who had just been cleaned and was sleeping peacefully.

 Chapter 326: Papa! [End.]

    Chapter 326: Chapter 326: Papa! [End.]


    [Song Rmendation: Ind - Love Story.]


    "Ah-Y-Your Majesty!" Long Xiurong panicked. She wanted to kneel in front of the Beast King, as she was still a little scared of him.


    After all, she was so close to facing execution had it not been for Goddess Swan''s intervention.


    She wanted to get up and kneel, but Gale stopped her, "No need for that. You just gave birth. I know it''d be painful to stand up, let alone kneel."


    "S-sorry, Your Majesty..." Long Xiurong lowered her head. She stared at her daughter, a female cub with brown wolf ears and tail, just like Rock''s.


    Gale smiled at the cub who was sleeping soundly. He said nothing, but it was Long Xiurong who got a bit worried and muttered, "I-I fed her just now, and she fell asleep immediately after. Sorry that she can''t greet you as well, Your Majesty."


    Galeughed heartily. He understood they were still afraid of him after what happened in the past. He genuinely felt apologetic for it, that''s why he allowed Rock and Long Xiurong to settle in a detached home outside of the castle gate, so they could mingle more with the citizens and have their peace rather than staying in the castle.


    "It''s fine. I just came here to see my son''s future ymate," Gale replied while staring at the cub with his ruby-like eyes. "She is cute, and it seems that she will grow to be a docile wolf. It''d be good to bnce out my son''s behavior since I predict that he will be overbearing and stubborn just like me as a young wolf."


    Of course, Gale had no idea about his son''s future behavior-at least not yet. He had only seen his son for a minute or so before he got kicked out of heaven by the Goddesses. Now that Swan had returned to the Goddess realm, he had been patiently waiting for the past six months for their return.


    "My son should be a year older than her. I hope they can be good ymates in the future," Gale wished.


    "We certainly hope so as well, Your Majesty," Rock agreed.


    "So, have you two thought of a name for her?"


    Rock and Xiurong nced at each other, and it was Rock who replied, "We already have a name for our daughter, but we still need your blessing."


    "My blessing?" Gale was confused. "I understand if you need my wife''s blessing, but me?"


    "Yes, Your Majesty. Since Queen Swan isn''t here just yet, we can only ask for your agreement," Rock said. "We''ve decided to name our daughter; Tian''e Silverfang. Silverfang for an obvious reason, and Tian''e to honor my wife''s family roots from the distantnd of the Eastern Long Dynasty."


    "That''s a unique and beautiful name. I don''t see anything wrong with it," Galemented.


    "Yes, but... Tian''e means Swan in hernguage, Your Majesty," Rock exined. "My wife and I are devout followers of Queen Swan even before she ascended as the Goddess of Miracles. We want to name our daughter simr to her, in the hope that she will grow to be a smart, kind, and loving female wolf. It would be our greatest honor if you allow us to use that name."


    Gale paused for a moment, thinking about what Swan would say.


    These days, he had always been imagining his wife standing next to him or sitting on hisp, giving her opinion so he could consider the right decision to make.


    ''It would be better if she is here to give me her opinion though,'' Gale sighed before saying, "I don''t see anything wrong with it. It''s a beautiful name for a beautiful cub, and I am sure that my wife will be very pleased and touched knowing this."


    Rock and Xiurong''s faces brightened. They thanked the Beast King repeatedly, and Gale simply said, "I just followed what my wife would''ve done. Let Tian''e y with my son once he returns with my wife. Well, at least until she is three or four. She''s still too frail right now."


    Rock naturally understood that werewolves physically grew faster out of their baby form. A three-year-old werewolf cub would have the strength and durability of a ten-year-old human child, but still with body size and a developing mind as a human toddler.


    Hence, by the time Sol and Tian''e turned five and four years old, they should be able to be a pair of ymates without having to worry about injuries.


    "Understood, Your Majesty! Thank you for your blessings! Thank you very much!" Rock eximed gratefully. "We will pay respect to Her Majesty, Goddess of Miracles tonight!"


    "We will wait for Her Majesty''s return! It''s only six more months, and we can finally meet her again!" Long Xiurong added.


    Gale smiled bitterly before excusing himself.


    He walked back to his castle, as he had opted to live slower and more rxed these days while waiting for his wife.


    He stared at the sunset as he walked back and sighed in awe. It was a beautiful summer sunset, and Gale wished he could witness it with his wife.


    He chuckled as he sauntered through the long corridors of the castle, heading to his marital bed with Swan.


    He couldn''t help but grin as he passed the big window from the corridor and saw


    a new statue of his wife being erected in the middle of the flower garden.


    It was a small statue of her with her wings spread out. Everyone begged on their knees for their Beast King tomission a statue, so the beastmen could worship the Goddess of Miracles.


    Gale wasn''t into the idea at first, simply because he doubted any statue or painting could portray the beauty of his wife, which would disappoint him in the


    end.


    "But I can''t help it, wife..." Gale


    murmured. "When I saw the finished statue, I can''t help but think that you''re much prettier in real life..


    Kne


    wish you could be here with me, so we canmission as many statues and paintings as possible with great uracy."


    Gale sighed.


    He held the small golden angel flute that Swan gave him before she performed another miracle to stop the doomsday. He made it into a ne, to make sure he didn''t forget about their promise o identally missed it.


    He still held onto the promise that if Swan didn''t return after a year, he would blow


    the small flute so she woulde down from heaven back to his embrace.


    Sometimes, Gale was tempted to just blow the flute right then and there so he could skip this excruciating wait and have his wife back.


    In the end, he decided to be patient, because he believed that Swan would fulfill her promise and return with their son.


    Gale was holding his tears as he kept imagining his wife''s face, and how amazing it would be to sleep on the same bed with her once more.


    "Ah-I shouldn''t cry like this. This is embarrassing," Gale wiped the tears from the corner of his eyes with his thumb. "She will return. I just have to wait."


    Gale walked to the door leading to their marital bedroom. The cat maids weren''t guarding the door right now, because they didn''t need to attend their Queen just yet. Gale was left alone most of the time.


    He stood in front of the door and


    front


    took a deep breath as he braced


    himself for yet another lonely night


    without his wife. The marital bed alway looked so depressing because he had to bear sleeping there without his wife.


    Click.


    Gale opened the door, and the first thing he saw was a male wolf cub probably around one year old, with his fluffy ck ears and tail, tottering towards him.


    "Papa!"


    Gale stood frozen on the spot, looking down at the wolf cub until he finished tottering and hugged his leg. He looked up to Gale with his golden-colored eyes and eximed, "PAPA!"


    It only took Gale a second to realize that it was none other than Sol, his son. "I''m sorry that I have to break my promise, Gale."


    Before he could have a chance to react, he heard the soft, angelic voice of a woman he had been yearning for so long, calling his name from the bed. Swan chuckled when she saw her husband stare at her dumbfoundedly. "I promised to return in a year, but I can''t help it. I miss you too much. So I returned earlier with our son," Swan said with a thin smile and loving gaze.


    "I''m home, husband."


    [THE END.]


    **


    Hello, Apup here!


    Thank you so much for reading Beast King''s Crippled Mate.


    This is the end of the main story, and I hope this ending will satisfy all of my


    readers!


    I have released five more Chapters as Epilogue, so if you want to know what will


    happen to Gale and Swan once they have to pass the torch to the new generation, you can read it now!


    Thank you for your continuous support,


    Apup, out!


    **

 Chapter 327: Epilogue: The Legend of Swan and Wolf (I)

    Chapter 327: Epilogue: The Legend of Swan and Wolf (1)


    Gale was sitting on the ground while facing the Sacred Selene Lake.


    It waste spring, and the previously barren grasnd around theke was filled with all kinds of flowers that were alien to the people of the Earth realm.


    But for Gale, it wasn''t foreign, because his wife told him each of the names of those flowers since they were native to the Goddess'' realm, where Swan resided for a while.


    He took a deep breath, flooding his sensory system with the scents of the flowers around him, but the fragrant flowers paled inparison with the most beautiful flower of them all.


    "Husband!"


    Gale turned his head, and saw his flower, Swan, waving at him after she had sessfully made a crown using the flowers around her.


    Gale smiled as he sighed lovingly, and murmured, "Truly, your scent is the sweetest, wife. I can''t imagine living without your scent around me all the time."


    Swan put the flower crown on her head and ran towards her husband who was still sitting while staring at her.


    "Husband,e take a look! I''ve made this for you!" Swan eximed as she threw her body into his embrace, and sat on hisp. He put the flower crown on Gale''s head, and giggled, "You look less scary wearing this. Maybe you should wear this permanently, so nobody will fear you too much."


    Gale chuckled. He didn''t mind doing whatever his wife wanted. She was the only reason for him to continue living, especially after suffering under the curse for a long time.


    "Then, you need to make one every day, since these flowers will wilt," Gale said.


    "Eh... but it''s so tiring just to make one of these," Swanined.


    "You can just use your magic. It''d take less than a second, right?"


    "But then it will have a different feeling," Swan replied. "Do you want me to cook our food using magic? It can be done in less than a second, but I''m sure it''ll taste slightly different."


    Gale nodded defeatedly.


    He had to admit that Swan''s handmade food was vastly superior to the one


    created by her magic, to the point that Gale could sense the difference just by the scent.


    "You''re right. I can''t eat the food created by magic," Gale confessed. "I''d rather eat raw meat."


    "Told you," Swan smiled. "But it''s alright. I can use my magic to make sure the flowers will never wilt."


    Swan sprinkled some gold dust that came out of her fingers, and just like that, the flowers had been preserved forever.


    Swan squeezed Gale''s cheek before kissing it. She got up and said, "I will cook the meat you hunted today. What is it again? A giant falcon?"


    "Mm. I''m in the mood for some bird soup," Gale replied. "I''ve cleaned the meat, so you can cook it immediately."


    "Sure- I''m a bit hungry anyway. We can have that as our dinner," Swan happily skipped through the field of flowers towards their small hut next to theke.


    Gale smiled, seeing his wife walking away cheerfully.


    After Swan had ascended into her Goddess form, she was healed out of her


    also alle immediately. She was


    also allowed to transform into her ascended Goddess of Miracles form at will, but Swan preferred to be just the Swan that Gale loved, not the Goddess of Miracles unless there was something dire in the kingdom.


    Swan was much more energetic and confident now that she could walk on her


    two feet. She had a big smile most of the time in front of Gale.


    She was still shy and reserved in front of others, which would always be the best scenario because Gale tended to get very jealous when Swan was smiling at other men, even if those men were just his soldiers or servants.


    She also learned how to cook. She already knew how to, but now that she could walk around the kitchen, she found herself enjoying making food for her husband and son.


    Gale watched as Swan entered their small hut, and it didn''t take long for the smoke to puff out of the chimney, followed by a fragrant smelling from inside the hut.


    "How long has it been since we built this hut and lived together at this sacredke?" Gale pondered.


    These days, he spent his days frolicking around the Sacred Selene Lake, hunting for meat and gathering mushrooms and other vegetables for them to eat.


    They didn''t need to eat at all, but it felt good to spend their days like a normal married couple.


    ''I should head back soon. She might need some help preparing the food,'' Gale thought. He tried to get up and winced when he felt something akin to when he was pulling a hamstring.


    Gale wasn''t as strong as before. He was still outrageously powerful, but feel it


    he was aging, and he c


    every year. After he had been


    cleansed out of his curse, his body was not in constant pain anymore, so he began to feel all sorts of pain like a regr beastman.


    Nevertheless, he didn''t tell Swan any of this because he didn''t want her to worry.


    It was better to continue having this peaceful life until the end of time if he was


    lucky enough to see that with her.


    Gale entered the hut and saw his


    wife pouring the soup from the big pot using adle. Gale was a big man and ate at least five more servingspared to Swan, but he frowned when he saw the portion that his wife made seemed to be for at least fifteen servings.


    "Are you in the mood to eat a lot today, wife?" Gale asked as he helped his wife


    put the food on their wooden dining table.


    "Nope, but we have a guest, and he likes to eat at least ten servings of these,"


    Swan replied gleefully. She nced at her husband and smiled, "You know who our guest is, right?''

 Chapter 328: Epilogue: The Legend of Swan and Wolf (II)

    Chapter 328: Epilogue: The Legend of Swan and Wolf (II)


    The smile on Gale''s lips vanished instantly when he realized who the ''guest'' would be. He appeared sour as if he didn''t like this guest.


    "Why did that kide again? It''s not been that long since hisst visit."


    "Don''t call him ''that kid'', he is your son!" Swan chided as she prepared a small dessert for them. "And it''s been like... uhm.... A year since hisst visit. It''s only right for him to visit us at least once a year!"


    Gale scoffed, "You coddled him too much. He shouldn''t have visited us at all. No, he should''ve forgotten about us and led the Kingdom of Beastmen to absolute glory. We''re just his parents."


    "Exactly because we are his parents. Humans would be happy to have a son like Sol because he is filial and cares about us so much," Swan said. "Many children end up abandoning their parents, or severing the rtionship immediately after leaving the house."


    "That''s exactly what he should''ve done," Gale insisted. "I don''t like how he''s so soft and forgiving like you when he''s meant to be the Alpha of a giant kingdom. He needs to be ruthless and calcting at times. He often let his emotions cloud his judgment and spared even his enemies."


    "Don''t you love me because of those qualities? Do you not love me anymore?" Swan asked. She was a bit sad, and Gale noticed it immediately.


    Flustered, he stuttered his answer while trying to hug his wife from behind, "T-t- that''s not what I mean, Sweetheart. I-I just thought that he was not supposed to be soft. He is an Alpha. He needs to lead a lot of beastmen who look up to him. Of course, I love you deeply for your gentleness. P-please forgive me, wife. I didn''t mean to upset you."


    Swan struggled for a moment as she was annoyed by her husband''s constant disapproval towards their son, but sighed once she learned that Gale wouldn''t let her go unless she forgave him.


    "Fine. But you need to promise me not to be hostile when hees. I don''t need you to hug him or anything, just... tolerate your son, alright?"


    "Grh-alright. I will try."


    Gale let her go and sat at the dining table, murmuring hisints about their son.


    Swan felt that she raised Sol just right, but apparently, the way she raised him as a human was vastly different from the way he should''ve been raised as an Alpha Wolf, based on Gale''s family tradition.


    In the Storm Pack tradition, a future Alpha needed to defeat his father and kill him to take the throne as the Alpha of the pack, it was to prove his strength and also to sever ties between the Alpha wolf and the previous one.


    Initially, Sol was reluctant to challenge his father. He loved his father so much despite their disagreement sometimes. It was Gale who insisted on the duel to decide the next Alpha once Sol was of age.


    Obviously, Sol won effortlessly against his father.


    Gale was no match against his son even at his prime because Sol had been blessed by three Goddesses since birth, Goddess of the Sun, the Moon, and of course, Goddess of Miracles.


    Whilst, Gale was only blessed by Selene.


    Gale was satisfied with his son''s strength, knowing that the Kingdom of Beastmen would rule the world under Sol''s lead. He asked his son to kill him immediately after his defeat, but Sol refused.


    Instead of killing his father, Sol cried and hugged his father tightly, scared when his father said such a thing. Sol even refused to abandon Gale and insisted on healing all of the wounds on Gale''s body with the holy power that he inherited from his mother.


    Though it was seen as a noble act by Swan and other humans, it was ultimately an act of humiliation for Gale, who was already well-prepared for his death.


    Thus, Gale decided to step away from the kingdom by living in the Sacred Selene Lake with his wife, so there wouldn''t be more than one Alpha in the kingdom.


    Despite that, Sol was still clingy as ever and often visited them. He came at least once a week.


    Gale was so against it that he said he''d attack him on sight if Sol dared toe that often. Solpromised and said he would visit once a month, but his father still disagreed.


    In the end, Sol reluctantly said that he would visit once a year, and Swan finally agreed without giving Gale a chance to speak, or else they would never be able to meet him anymore.


    The food had been prepared, and Sol should arrive in a few minutes, but Gale ate his fill immediately without waiting for her son.


    "Do you not want to have dinner with your son?" Swan asked.


    "I promised that I would tolerate him, but that doesn''t mean that I want to have dinner with him."


    Swan sighed, "At least let him speak to you personallyter, okay?"


    "Hrm."


    *


    Knock. Knock.


    "Mom! I''m here!"


    Swan turned her head when she heard the loud voice full of


    BUT


    excitement at the door. She opened the door, and saw her son, Sol, smiling at her from ear to ear as he made it obvious that he looked forward to seeing his parents every year.


    Sol was just as tall as his father-if not a bit taller. As he grew older, he could control his three forms at will. He could turn into his human form, werewolf form, and his true form, which he had never needed change into as he was


    exaggeratedly overpowered in this world.


    He had a very simr face to Gale, but with softer, golden-colored eyes that made him look like a god walking on this mortal realm, so he was deified pretty early on. Nevertheless, Sol was still a very clingy kid, as he was still eighteen years old in werewolf age, while in human age, he was already fifty years old right now.

 Chapter 329: Epilogue: The Legend of Swan and Wolf (III)

    Chapter 329: Epilogue: The Legend of Swan and Wolf (III)


    "MOM!" Sol hugged his mother tightly. He didn''t want to identally hurt his mother with his strength, so he carefully controlled his strength. Swan hugged her son back before gently pushing herself out or Sol would hug her for a long time.


    She had to admit that Sol seemed to have a strong attachment to her, which she didn''t mind, as she guessed it might be due to their strong affinity. However, Gale thought that it was weird for a powerful Alpha wolf to be so clingy to his parents.


    "You''re healthy as always. I thought you''de to visit us with Tian''e. Where is she?" Swan asked, mentioning Long Xiurong''s daughter, who had be the subject of fascination for her son. "Is she alright?"


    The bright smile on Sol''s face dimmed when Tian''e was mentioned. Heughed awkwardly and said, "She said she''s been feeling under the weathertely, but I know it''s because of Aunt Xiurong passing a week ago."


    "I see..."


    Swan sighed.


    Unfortunately, Long Xiurong passed away right after her 70th birthday. She died peacefully in her old age ording to humans, but not for beastmen, especially wolf beastmen who had at least two hundred years of lifespan.


    She heard that Rock was grieving for a long time in his room, and had gotten sick because of heartbreak. Gale said that Rock would probably follow his mate soon to the afterlife.


    Unfortunately, Swan had no right to extend the life of a human, even if she could do it by performing a miracle.


    Death was a natural urrence that shouldn''t be interfered with, or else it might invoke the wrath of other unknown Gods and Goddesses and create another Aria or Madam Harsetti.


    "Don''t worry about your aunt. I assure you that she is in heaven right now," Swan tried tofort her son. "Tell Tian''e that she is part of our family. Whether she will be your fated mate or not, the Beast Castle will always be her home, got it?"


    "Mm," Sol nodded. He was feeling a little sad, knowing that the usually cute and energetic Tian''e had be very gloomy these days, but Aunt Xiurong''s death wasn''t the only reason. "Mom, do you think that Tian''e will die when she is two hundred years or so? Can you do something to make her immortal like I am?"


    "I can, but I shouldn''t," Swan replied. "Death is a natural thing that shouldn''t be avoided, especially when you''re already on borrowed time. Her mother is a normal human, so I don''t know how long she will live."


    "Then what''s the point of falling in love when the woman that I love will die before me eventually?" Sol asked despairingly. "Tian''e told me that she doesn''t want to mate with me because she knows she''ll die early anyway. She knows if she dies first, I will quickly follow her to the afterlife, and she doesn''t want to be a ticking time bomb for me. I-I don''t understand her. Why would she bother so much about it? Even if she dies, I can just follow her to heaven. We can visit heaven anytime in the blink of an eye anyway."


    Seeing the despair engulfing Sol, Swan held her son''s hand and said, "My dear son, you need to understand that birth and death is nothing for us, but for them, it''s a one-time experience that is inevitable."


    "Then what should I do, Mom..."


    "I¡ª" Swan paused. She was thinking hard about what to say but realized she had no answer as well. "I... don''t know, son."


    "What would you do if Dad died? He''s not an immortal anymore since he has been cured of his curse, right?"


    "If that happens, then I will just follow him wherever he goes," Swan said. She closed her eyes, imagining her husband, who would get severely depressed if Swan left him just for a day. "I don''t see death as a tragic thing. It''s rather a blessing for me because we can finally move somewhere and live for eternity together."


    "I think you need to let Tian''e ponder about her life first. She''s still grieving, it''s not right to tell her that death doesn''t matter when you''re immortal and can move in and out of heaven at will," Swan added, and Sol agreed with his mother''s opinion.


    "I will try, Mom," Sol nodded. "It would''ve been easier if you and Dad could just live in the castle, though. Are you not interested in going back?"


    Swan smiled at her son. Whenever Sol came to visit them, he always mentioned going back to the castle, but Swan''s answer was always the same This world is nothing but a short visit for a Goddess. I am here because I promised your dad to always be by his side no matter what. I will never break my promise, not anymore."


    Swan grabbed her son''s wrist and dragged him to the dining table, "Let''s have


    dinner first, okay? I know you''re hungry."


    "Mm! I want to eat the food that you


    made again, Mom! I''ve been trying to recreate some of your dishes with magic, but nothing works," Solined as he sat on his usual seat at the dining table. He nced at the seat next to his mother, and asked, "Will dad ever join us for dinner? It''s been so long. Is he still mad at me?"


    "He''s not mad at you."


    "You don''t need to lie, Mom," Sol said as he started digging in his dinner. "I don''t understand him at all. Why would he want me to kill him? Why would I-the son that he loved and raised-kill him after a little duel?"


    Swan found it difficult to mediate between them. Gale was very stubborn, and even though he would listen to her a few times, he still wouldn''t change his mind over this whole matter.


    Thus, Swan suggested, "Why don''t you go and talk to him after dinner? He''s sitting next to the statue of Goddess Selene at thekeside."


    "What if he attacks me again when I try to approach him?"


    "No, he won''t," Swan replied mysteriously. "Trust your mother. He will not attack


    his son. Go and tell him all you want to say, understand?"


    Sol doubted his mother''s words, but he still nodded and answered, "Yes, Mom..."

 Chapter 330: Epilogue: The Legend of Swan and Wolf (IV)

    Chapter 330: Epilogue: The Legend of Swan and Wolf (IV)


    Sol hugged his mom after dinner before he left, just like usual. However, he felt heavy this time, as if this might be hisst time hugging his dearest mama.


    Swan seemed to be able to read his mind, because she assured him, "Don''t worry about me, Son. We are both from the heaven realm. You can alwayse to visit me there."


    "Yes, Mom. I just feel... uneasy."


    "There is nothing to be uneasy about. Rather than feeling uneasy about me, I think you should talk to your father instead. He must''ve been waiting for you," Swan said.


    "I doubt that, but... okay..."


    Swan watched as Sol walked towards the statue of the Moon Goddess where Gale was sitting right now. She leaned at the door and sighed, "You need to do the right thing this time, husband. This might be thest time you''ll ever be able to hug him with your physical body."


    *


    Sol approached his dad very slowly and carefully as if he was approaching a dangerous beast that would attack him on sight. He knew that he was miles stronger than his dad, but that didn''t make this easier for him, because his dad was still one of the strongest beastman to ever exist.


    Gale was sitting cross-legged while staring at the calmke. He knew that his son was drawing closer, but he neither moved nor responded, until Sol finally called out to him, "D-dad?"


    Honestly, Gale still believed that his son was too weak-willed. He was sitting defenselessly, and Sol still didn''t try to attack him from behind and im the throne, just like what he was supposed to do as an Alpha.


    He wanted to scold his son again but then remembered what his wife told him right after he finished his dinner.


    I know you mean well, but you need to have a heart-to-heart talk with your son. This might be yourst moment with him, so cherish it and make sure to let him know how much you love and care for him.


    Remember, husband, this might be thest time to ever meet him. You can feel it, right?


    Gale scoffed as he still stubbornly believed that his son shouldn''t be so meek, but he always listened to his wife, so he patted the spot next to him and said, "Come and sit with me."


    "Y-yes, Sir!" Sol sat next to his father and fidgeted nervously as he nced at his father a few times.


    They sat in silence, until Gale finally asked; "How''s everything in the kingdom? I assume that everything is under control under your rule."


    "Everything is just fine. We might have to appoint a new marshal, since Uncle Rock is too heartbroken to lead after Aunt Xiurong''s death," Sol reported.


    "Why are you still using ''we''? There is no ''we'' in that kingdom. You are the only Alpha, the only King," Gale rebuked. He tried not to be sobative with his son, but he couldn''t help it. "You are a Stormfront, don''t be so naive to share your kingdom with someone else!"


    "But that someone else is you... dad..." Sol replied weakly. "Even if I''ve defeated you, everyone in the kingdom still worships you and Mom Years after you left, everyone has erected the statue of a ck wolf with a swan stretching its wings and sitting on the wolf''s neck. That''s the new statue in the city square, and everyone worships the Goddess of Miracle and her


    Promised Consort."


    "That doesn''t mean a thing! You shouldn''t have allowed that to be built! You need to destroy that statue and build one of yourself, standing proudly, so you will be the one who gets worshipped!" Gale scolded.


    Sol knew that his father wasn''t hostile towards him, so he still replied in a gentle voice, "But I want the world to know the greatness of the Swan and her Wolf. I want them to worship Mom... and you."


    "You-" Gale was rendered speechless He didn''t understand what went wrong with his teaching, because he clearly remembered how harsh his training was for Sol. He made sure that Sol would be prepared even for the worst scenario possible. Gale''s life was so bitter


    because of his naivety, and he didn''t


    want the same thing to happen to his son.


    Had he not trusted Jade too much, he wouldn''t have lost his entire pack in one


    night.


    He wanted to yell at his son but then remembered his wife''s words.


    True, he already felt weak these days, and it was hard to hide it, especially in front of his wife.


    Maybe he needed to let loose, for his own peace, and for his son.


    "Forget it, Son," Gale sighed. "I just don''t want you to experience the same pain that I felt back then. I don''t want you to be too soft, and end up getting hurt and betrayed in the end. That''s why I thought by fottowing our old pack''s tradition, you could finally be cold-hearted enough after you killed your father."


    "I can never do that, Dad," Sol replied firmly. "Even if I am the one who gets defeated and killed by you, I will still hold no grudge. Not because of some power nature that Mom inherited, but because you raised me with love."


    Gale scoffed, "I didn''t remember coddling you like what your mom did."


    Truthfully, Sol had a lot of fond memories with his father.


    His father might not be the gentle and loving type, at least not in a literal sense. But he truly raised Sol to be an Alpha. He taught his son everything he knew and often brought his son to hunt to teach him the way of a wolf beastman.


    Sol remembered how his father would watch over him as Sol was trying to take down a huge prey, but once Sol was in danger, his father would always jump in for the kill or to protect Sol in any way.


    His father also showed his love for his mother brazenly, making sure that everyone knew how much he yearned for her, even if they were just being separated for a day.


    His father never said ''I love you'' to him. But Sol was very grateful for all the love and care he received.


    That''s why the idea of killing his own father was absolutely unthinkable that Sol would rather kill himself first before he hurt his family!


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 331: Epilogue: The Legend of Swan and Wolf (END)

    Chapter 331: Epilogue: The Legend of Swan and Wolf (END)


    [Music Rmendation: Camille Saint-Saenz - The Swan.]


    Sol followed his father''s line of sight, staring at the calmke as he muttered, "It''s been a while since we had a conversation without any fight, Dad. I know you don''t like some of the stuff I did, but I hope to hear that one sentence from you, at least once in my life."


    Gale knew what sentence Sol was talking about. He had been doing his best since he was a kid to impress his father, and Gale had to admit that his son was impressive.


    After all, Sol inherited his gene and also Swan''s.


    That''s why he didn''t think that ''sentence'' was necessary for someone who was born to be a God.


    "Dad..."


    "I am... proud of you, Son," Gale murmured. "I never said it to you before because


    I never get to hear it from myte father. Just know that deep down, I am very proud of you and all of your qualities as my son."


    Sol was silenced after that.


    He was so happy that he could explode right now. He was also stunned because he didn''t expect his father to finally say it.


    Sol had been hoping for his father to say that he was proud of him, just like how he saw other beastmen talk about how good their son/daughter was. He wanted to be loved by his father just like how he was loved by his mother.


    Gale nced at his son, who could barely contain his joy. It had been a while since he saw his son looking so excited when they had a conversation, and Gale wouldn''t lie that it felt good.


    It felt good to talk with his son again for the first time after a decade.


    Gale could see a glimpse of the young wolf who always looked up to him, waiting


    to be praised after a sessful hunt, or a spar.


    Thus, Gale put his hand on top of his son''s head and ruffled his hair, "Do whatever you think is the right thing for the kingdom. You have your mother''s kindness and my willpower. I''m sure everything will be just fine."


    Sol had the urge to hug his father, but he knew his father was very aversive of any physical contact except Swan, his wife. Thus, Sol decided to hold himself and then got up.


    "T-thank you for everything, Dad. I will make sure that the kingdom will flourish under my rule! And I will return to visit you again with my mate, and also my cub in the future!" Sol eximed in full determination.


    Gale smiled, "Now go. I want to spend my free time with my wife, not you."


    Sol snickered, before excusing himself.


    He snapped his fingers and vanished into thin air.


    "You can''t visit us anymore, Son. But, I wille for a visit if I ever have a grandchild," Gale muttered as he could feel his end. He continued sitting at that same spot, gazing at theke, until he sensed that familiar, fragrant, and addictive scenting from the woman that he loved dearly.


    He turned his head and smiled at his wife, "I''ve been waiting for you, Sweetheart."


    "Really? I was thinking about staying inside the hut for a while since this would be thest time you ever talk to your son, at least in this physical form," Swan bickered as she leisurely sat on hisp. Gale instinctively wrapped his arm around her waist, ensuring that she got the proper support.


    Swan poked his cheek yfully. "Makes me wonder about what conversation you had with our son just now."


    "I know you''ve been eavesdropping," Gale chuckled. "I can''t be too nice to that kid. He''s still a bit too naive and meek, but I know that he is very capable of leading the kingdom. All I worry about is whether he will encounter someone like Jade in the future..."


    "If that ever happens, then it will be a good lesson for him. But you don''t need to worry so much. He''s smarter than he looks, husband," Swan said. "No need to stress over something that hasn''t happened yet. Everyone in this world has their own fate, including you and I."


    "And my fate in this world ends here, huh? Well, considering that I will die while embracing you the woman I love deeply-I say that I have a great life," Gale said. "Besides, I''ve been tiredtely. I guess age caught up to me after I lost the curse."


    "You''re still as strong as ever, husband."


    "I know, but I can feel it. My body feels sluggish, and everything hurts. Oh, I also space out a lottely," Gale mentioned some of the signs of aging. "I''m sorry that I can''t apany you in this body for too long, Sweetheart."


    Swan gazed at her husband pitifully. Unlike her, who had a true immortal body as a Goddess, Gale still had to face death-as in, severing his soul from his body.


    "Husband... do you... want me to perform a miracle?" Swan asked. "I can perform a miracle that will make you immortal. You''ll live for a million years toe." "Why would I need that?" Gale smiled. "I went through a lot in this world. All I want right now is to rest with you by my side."


    "Are you sure?" Swan asked, and Gale answered with a soft kiss full of yearning.


    Even after spending decades with his wife, Gale still felt the yearning and longing, not wanting to be separated from her even for a second.


    He hugged her tightly and rested his head on her shoulder.


    "This body might wither, but my soul will follow you everywhere," Gale said before he slowly closed his


    eyes, and his heartbeat began t


    slow down as well. "Stay with me for now, Swan. My most beautiful wife. My sweetheart. My everything."


    Swan gently patted his back as if patting a kid to sleep, "Close your eyes, husband. It''s okay. It won''t hurt."


    "That''s... relieving..." Gale smiled before his heart beat for thest time.


    Gale''s body was stiff, and he died while hugging Swan tightly.


    Soon, Swan could see a ck-red soul floating above his head.


    As a Goddess, Swan had the right to send someone to either hell or heaven. Naturally, she should''ve sent Gale to heaven.


    However...


    "I know you don''t like being confined


    in that ce for too long, husband. So why don''t we go and have our little adventure across the continents?" Swan smiled as she closed her eyes and chanted thest miracle she would perform in this body.


    Oh, my dearest promised consort, Gale Stormfront, The Blood Moon Wolf.


    I, Swan, Goddess of Miracles, have given you my promise, that I will never leave


    you, and I am bound by duty and love to fulfill that promise.


    Even if our bodies have withered, our souls shall be bound together for eternity.


    Even for our next incarnations, we shall be tied by love and mercy.


    And for each of our incarnations, we shall be known as Swan and Wolf.


    Because you are my fated one, my promised consort, and will stay the same through millennia.


    I, Swan, Goddess of Miracles, shall apany my dearest consort through the


    ages.


    Swan''s heartbeat gradually slowed down before it beat for thest time.


    Swan''s soul was as radiant as ever, and she could transform into any shape she wanted. She was a Goddess with almost unlimited power and possibilities, but in the end, she still wanted to apany her husband.


    Gale''s soul transformed into the shape of a ck wolf, looking at his love, waiting for her.


    ''Impatient as ever,'' Swan chuckled before transforming her soul into that of a radiant white swan.


    They said nothing, but their souls were connected in a tacit understanding of what to do next.


    Thus, the Wolf and the Swan flew side by side, leaving their physical bodies, and went on a journey through the continent until they had to reincarnate in the next thousand years.


    [EPILOGUE END.]


    **


    Author Note:


    Hello, Apup in here!


    Thank you for reading the epilogue of Beast King''s Crippled Mate, and I hope you


    like it!


    At first, I started writing this story for fun, and had no expectations about it. But I


    grew loving the story and the characters, especially the dynamic between Swan and Gale.


    If you''re interested to see Swan and Gale again in another story, please check out


    the sequel "THE MASKED ALPHA''S TRUE LUNA".


    My other author ount is ForeverPupa, and you can also follow instagram


    @foreverpupa to get updates on my future/current/past books!


    Thank you so much for supporting me. Your support helps me through thick and


    thin as an author!


    Apup, signing out!


    **


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!