Then, the other princes took turns choosing their spouses.
The young ladies from noble families inside the palace were all filled with anticipation, but when the princes' gazes swept over me, they all avoided me as if I carried some ominous plague.
After all, I was the one who was publicly rejected by Darius, the most promising successor to the throne. In their eyes, I must have some unspeakable problem, otherwise why would such a high-quality marriage partner discard me like trash?
Several princes who had initially shown some interest in me only glanced at me briefly before turning to other pure-blooded wolf girls with ordinary bloodlines.
Some princes even raised their voices in private discussions: "Who would dare to accept someone rejected by His Highness Darius? If it affects the succession of their lineage, it would be a great loss."
Those words were like poisoned needles, piercing my ears one by one, sending chills down my spine.
I stood in the empty corner of the hall, watching the other women's joyful expressions as they were chosen, and then thinking back to my past life as a pure-blooded silver-haired woman who was the center of attention. The contrast between then and now felt incredibly ironic.
In the end, the entire selection ceremony for the imperial concubines came to a close, and I was left all alone, ignored by everyone.
Three days later, Darius held a grand wedding for Elara. The road from the high-ranking wolf palace to the ordinary pure-blooded wolf clan was covered with ten miles of red bridal procession. The grandeur of the procession and the richness of the rewards were far more impressive than when he married me in my previous life.
The people along the way stopped to watch, all marveling at Elara's good fortune. Despite her humble origins, she had managed to marry into such a wonderful family, and what was even more remarkable was how much her husband doted on her. She was truly blessed.
What chilled me to the bone was that, in order to make Elara worthy of the status of a high-ranking prince, my father issued an edict on the spot to bestow the title of matriarch of the clan upon Elara's mother, completely forgetting the vow he had made to my mother years ago that he would never establish an empress.
My mother was the most noble silver-haired pureblood in the clan. She was willing to marry into my father's family for the sake of a marriage alliance between the two clans. She worked hard all her life, but in the end, she was abandoned after her vows were broken.
The moment I heard the news, I sat in the empty palace and felt that even my father's love was so cheap and mercenary.
In contrast, I went from being a revered silver-haired celestial princess to becoming the laughingstock of my tribe overnight.
This was not my fault, but the wolf clans of the four seas and eight wastelands are all talking about it behind my back.
Some people say that I am not as innocent and naive as I appear on the surface. Perhaps I have long lost my purity and am a shameful woman. Otherwise, why would His Highness Darius prefer to marry a mixed-race woman rather than a pure silver-haired pureblood like me?
At first, I treated these rumors as jokes and didn't take them to heart.
After all, the innocent are innocent, and I have a clear conscience.
But gradually, the rumors became more and more outrageous and vicious. Some said I was promiscuous, repeatedly having affairs with adult wolves in the clan, and being caught in the act; some said I was naturally lewd, and during my mating season I was sexually unsatisfied, even entangled with several men at the same time; and some even fabricated details of my illicit relations with low-class mixed-blood wolves, making it sound very convincing.
These filthy words flooded me like a tidal wave, leaving me nowhere to escape.
I know perfectly well that all of this was Darius's doing—after his rebirth, he not only wanted to avoid me, this "useless" silver-haired pureblood, but also to completely ruin my reputation, ensuring I would never have a chance to recover, in order to cover up his debt to me in his previous life and make his choice of Elara seem more "reasonable".
Elara must have been involved in all of this; she was eager for me to be disgraced and forever live under her thumb.
Even if I knew the truth, I was powerless to refute it.
Darius is a high-ranking prince with immense power; his words carry absolute authority. Elara is the newly crowned princess; with his backing, no one dares to offend her.
Even if I stand up to defend myself, no one will believe me. Instead, I will be seen as someone who is angry and embarrassed and trying to cover up the truth.
I could only watch helplessly as my reputation grew worse and worse, and as those suitors who used to fawn over me and fawn over me now kept their distance. They would even deliberately take a detour when they encountered me, as if having any connection with me would tarnish their reputation.
In this vast community, I have become truly alone, without even a single person to confide in.
The chill in my heart layered upon layer, tightly enveloping the pain of my past life and the humiliation of this life, making it almost impossible for me to breathe.
So I've been waiting for an opportunity, a chance to strike decisively, and it's about to come.
Just half a month after the wedding, it was time for Elara to visit her Hui relatives.
The clan specially cleaned the main road, hung lanterns and decorations, creating a festive atmosphere, as if she were not a daughter returning home for a family visit, but a noble person returning home in glory.
I stood under the veranda of the side hall of the clan temple and saw Elara walking slowly towards me, her arm intimately linked with Darius's.
She wore a magnificent long dress embroidered with gold and silver, the hem of which was adorned with tiny moonstones that shimmered as she walked; her originally somewhat ordinary features were made even more charming by her exquisite makeup, her face was radiant with happiness, her cheeks were flushed with an unnatural blush, and her eyes held an unconcealable sense of pride and languor—it was the look of someone who had been thoroughly immersed in love and pampering, and it was clear at a glance that her married life was very fulfilling.
In contrast, I was dressed in a plain-colored dress with my long hair simply tied up , which made me stand out from the festive atmosphere around me and create a stark contrast with Elara's glamorous appearance.
The tribespeople who passed by all stared at Elara with fawning and envy, but when they passed me, they avoided my gaze or cast disdainful glances, as if looking at me would taint them.
Darius's gaze pierced through the crowd and landed precisely on me.
He didn't move away immediately, but instead looked at me with a playful, predatory gaze, a malicious smile playing on his lips. His eyes were filled with undisguised malice, as if he were enjoying my wretched state.
Perhaps it was Darius's excessive attention that made Elara realize something was amiss.
She turned her head following his gaze, and the moment she saw me, the tenderness in her eyes was immediately replaced by wariness, and then turned into intense hostility.
She glared at me suddenly, as if asserting her dominance, and moved closer to Darius, speaking in a shrill voice with sarcasm: "Sister, what are you doing standing here? I thought you had already hidden away and dared not show your face to anyone."
She paused, deliberately puffed out her chest, and patted Darius's arm smugly, her tone becoming increasingly sarcastic: "I forgot to introduce you, this is my husband, His Highness Darius, the eldest prince of the high-ranking pure-blooded wolf clan . Sister, you'd better remember this clearly, he is mine, and not someone a woman of your infamous reputation can seduce at will!"
Upon hearing this, the surrounding tribesmen stopped in their tracks and began to whisper among themselves, their gazes piercing me like needles.
I clenched my hands in my sleeves, my nails digging deep into my palms, forcing myself to maintain a calm facade.
Seeing this, Darius not only did not stop Elara, but instead raised his hand and gently stroked the back of her hand. His movements were extremely gentle, and his tone was tender and affectionate, as if he were treating the most precious treasure in the world .
"Ah Ning, don't be angry." He paused, his gaze sweeping over me again, his tone suddenly turning cold, filled with undisguised disgust. "Don't worry, I find her disgusting. Even if she took off all her clothes and pressed herself against me, I wouldn't give her a second glance."
The word "dirty" is like a red-hot branding iron, burning my heart.
In my past life, he once stroked my long hair so tenderly, saying I was his treasure and that my silver hair and bloodline were a gift from heaven . Now, however, he uses the most vicious words to belittle and humiliate me, completely crushing and trampling the tenderness of the past under his feet.
A surge of pain welled up in my chest, mixed with humiliation and anger, almost overwhelming me.
With Darius's support, Elara became even more smug.
She covered her mouth, letting out a soft, fake laugh, but her eyes swept across my face like knives. Feigning regret, she said, "Yes, I'd forgotten. Sister, you're infamous now, used by everyone. Don't even mention His Highness Darius looking down on you; even beggars on the street and lowly mixed-blood wolves in the mountains probably wouldn't want you—after all, with your shamelessness, even if you stood naked in front of them, no decent man would give you a second glance."
"If you ask me, sister, you should stop being so picky and find a place to get married as soon as possible. Even marrying a crude, exiled wolf would be better than spending your whole life being pointed at and gossiped about, and dying alone, right?"
Her words were like poisoned daggers, cutting into my heart with each one, every word filled with malice.
I took a deep breath, suppressed the surging emotions in my heart, slowly raised my eyes, and coldly glanced at the incessantly chattering couple.
The more smug they are, the more ridiculous they seem.
I gently curled the corners of my lips, shrugged helplessly, and said in a calm but precise tone, "Sister, instead of wasting your time worrying about my marriage, you should focus more on yourself. After all, not every mixed-blood is lucky enough to give birth to a high-ranking pure-blooded heir. If you can't give birth to a pure-blooded werewolf in the future, your position as the eldest prince's consort might not be secure, right? At that time, it won't be as simple as just falling out of favor."
Upon hearing the words "cannot give birth to a pure-blooded werewolf," Elara's smug expression instantly froze .
She then raised her head, feigning composure, and said firmly, "Stop talking nonsense! My husband is of the most noble and purest bloodline of the high-ranking pure-blooded werewolf clan, and our child will naturally be the most powerful high-ranking pure-blooded werewolf. I will definitely give birth to an heir for him, and through my son, I will forever secure my position as the Crown Prince 's consort! As for you, you are destined to be lonely and miserable for the rest of your life, only able to be jealous of me in the shadows!"
She was full of confidence, but she didn't realize that when she said those words, Darius's hand on her waist tightened slightly, and a hint of gloom and panic flashed in his eyes.
That was an instinctive reaction to being hit where it hurt—he knew best that he wasn't a purebred high-ranking pureblood wolf at all.
I caught that fleeting look in his eyes, and sneered inwardly. I deliberately looked Darius up and down with a knowing gaze, my eyes filled with inquiry and scrutiny.
The longer I stared at him, the more unnatural Darius's expression became. Feeling guilty, he tugged at Elara's hand and urged, "Elara, stop arguing with her. Let's go back to our room and rest."
After saying that, he stopped looking at me and quickly left with Elara. I stood there, watching their backs as they walked away hand in hand, their intimate posture like a thorn piercing my eyes.
The tenderness of my past life and the humiliation of this life intertwined in my mind, and hatred grew wildly like vines, entwining my heart and making it almost impossible for me to breathe.
I unconsciously clenched my fists, my nails digging into the skin of my palms, drawing blood, but I didn't even notice.
"Lunessa, don't be angry. It's not worth getting angry over these two scoundrels." A voice suddenly rang in my ear. It was Azhi , the wolf companion in my body. He was clearly worried about me.
“It’s not like Darius is the only one in this world who can give birth to high-ranking pureblood werewolves,” Azhi said indignantly, puffing out his round cheeks. “Even Elara, that half-blood, dares to dream of giving birth to a pureblood heir. You are the purest silver-haired pureblood werewolf. As long as you find a real high-ranking pureblood werewolf, you will definitely be able to give birth to a pureblood werewolf too! Then, let’s see how arrogant they will be!”
Azhi's words struck like a thunderbolt, instantly cleaving my chaotic thoughts and illuminating my mind. Yes! How could I not have thought of that? If I could give birth to a true high-ranking pureblood werewolf, not only would I completely wash away my stain, but I could also deliver a resounding slap in the face to Darius and Elara—what they schemed so hard for, I could possess effortlessly. This would be the best revenge against them!
The gloom in my heart instantly vanished, replaced by an overwhelming joy. I carefully picked Azhi up, placed him in my palm, and spun him around three times, my voice brimming with barely suppressed excitement: "My dear Azhi, you're truly my lucky star! Your words have awakened me from my slumber!"
Azhi was dizzy from my spinning around, but she still pouted and said worriedly, "But... nowadays, all the high-ranking pureblood wolves are led by Darius. The others either don't have pure blood or they're subservient to him. Where can we find a truly pure-blooded high-ranking pureblood wolf who is willing to help you?"
Seeing his worried look, I couldn't help but laugh. I reached out and gently rubbed his little head, messing up his carefully styled hair: "You don't need to worry about that, I have a brilliant plan!"
This ingenious plan is a secret I only learned by chance after I married into a high-ranking wolf clan palace in my previous life.
Deep within the rear mountains of the high-ranking werewolf palace lies a hidden altar, where the world's only remaining ancient, golden-striped pureblood werewolf is enshrined. This golden-striped werewolf is of extremely high seniority and possesses unfathomable strength. Even the current chieftain must bow respectfully before it, daring not to overstep his bounds in the slightest.
However, not long after my wedding to Darius, I heard that the ancient golden-striped werewolf failed to survive its once-in-ten-thousand-year mating season, and its internal power went out of control, causing it to explode and die.
At the time, I regretted it for a long time, but now I think it was a godsend.
I secretly pondered for a moment, and based on my memories from my previous life, I deduced that these few days happened to be the mating season of that ancient golden-striped werewolf, which only occurs once every ten thousand years! Pure-blooded werewolves are at their most unstable in terms of power during their mating season, and they also need the most comfort from their own kind. Going to him at this time would undoubtedly have the highest success rate.