When I agreed so calmly—without resistance, without protest—both my father and Nyxar looked surprised.

Only Seraphine offered a performance of concern, her voice laced with gentle hypocrisy.

"Althea, I'm doing this for your own good. You can't twist his arm. Why don't you choose someone else? Another who suits you. If I form a contract with the black serpent, and you find a match of your own, Father can rest easy."

My father looked at her with nothing but affection in his eyes. They had known all along that the day's guests were all from the serpent clan. And among them, apart from the black serpent, there was no one of note.

I didn't bother arguing.

Lifting my hand lazily, I pointed toward a direction at random.

"Him, then."

Everyone turned to look.

The one I'd chosen was a white serpent.

In his human form, he was handsome—on par with Nyxar, even. But his spiritual energy was faint, nearly undetectable.

If the black serpent was considered low-born, the white serpent was openly mocked by the Phoenix Court.

"A glorified earthworm with snake nerves," they called him.

He could take human form, yes, but had almost no offensive power.

He looked startled when I pointed at him.

Seraphine covered her mouth, feigning worry while sneering beneath it. "Althea, you're so eager... but what if he doesn't even want you—"

"I do," the white serpent said.

Everyone was taken aback.

Even I was surprised.

He walked straight up to me, extended a pale, slender hand, and blushed as he spoke. "Princess Althea, my name is Franz."

I placed my hand in his.

It wasn't cold like I expected. There was warmth in his touch.

When he felt me respond, his grip tightened.

"If Your Highness forms a contract with me, I swear by the divine will, in this life and every life after, I will never abandon you. I will never regret it."

A crack of thunder split the sky.

Something warm surged in my chest.

Franz was the first—and across two lifetimes, the only one—who chose me without hesitation.

I couldn't stop the smile tugging at the corners of my lips.

Beside me, Nyxar interrupted the moment.

"Princess Althea," he said, voice clipped, "the white serpent is of humble origin. Choosing him will only hinder your divine refinement in the future."

Franz lowered his head slightly, shoulders folding inward with a trace of shame.

I stared at Nyxar and laughed coldly.

"What, are you jealous of him now? And tell me, if the white serpent's status is so low, does that make yours noble?"

Nyxar's smile froze. His expression twisted subtly.

And in that moment, I knew: he and I had never truly been on the same path.

In my past life, I hadn't chosen the black serpent out of blind devotion. Among all the candidates, I picked him because he once saved me in the secret realm. It had meant something to me.

But now, to gain power, he would humiliate me and climb toward my sister without a second thought. He deserved nothing from me—no more patience, no more kindness.

I turned to the crowd and made myself clear.

"From this moment on, Franz is under my protection. If anyone dares to bully him, I won't forgive it."

The clan stepped back under the force of my words, their eyes avoiding mine.

Nyxar let out a cold snort. "As long as you are happy."

Just then, Franz tugged gently at my sleeve.

I looked down. His eyes were rimmed red, lashes heavy with tears.

"You're... so kind," he whispered.

And for the first time in a long time, my heart began to race.

"Enough," my father said coldly. "It's getting late. Begin the Sacred Bonding."

The four of us stepped into the ritual formation. Thunder cracked in the sky, and with the altar as a conduit, spiritual energy was drawn from each of us, carving the bond into our very bones.

But the difference in strength between the Phoenix Court and the serpent clan was immense. Soon, both Nyxar and the white serpent began to falter. Drained of power, they both struggled to withstand the pressure.

"Princess... please, help me..." Nyxar collapsed beneath the force of the divine will, blood slipping from the corner of his mouth. He could barely speak as he begged.

Seraphine was about to step forward when Father stopped her.

"Black serpent," he said, his tone cutting, "you should consider yourself lucky to even be matched with my daughter. If you can't endure this, then it's your fate, nothing more."

Nyxar stared wide-eyed at Seraphine, the same woman who had blushed and accepted him moments ago. But now she stepped back, calm and composed.

"Nyxar," she said evenly, "I'm the next heir to the Phoenix Court. Every bit of my spiritual energy is precious. I can't give it to you."

Disbelief shattered across his face.

Meanwhile, Franz began to falter as well.

I moved instinctively to help him, but he suddenly pulled back, avoiding my touch.

"Princess Althea," he said, breathless, "Princess Seraphine is right. If I can't even survive this bond, then I'm not worthy of you."

I almost laughed from the absurdity of it.

"You think you're lowborn just because they say you are? If we're forming a contract, that means we share life and death. Cut the nonsense."

I grabbed his shoulder and poured my spiritual energy into him.

And at last, the ceremony was complete.

Nyxar was drenched in sweat, kneeling where he stood, his lips stained with blood.

Franz, in contrast, remained completely unharmed.

I felt Nyxar's gaze on me and turned. Our eyes met.

His stare was dark and accusing.

But I remembered, in my last life, he was rarely injured. Every wound, every blow, I had taken for him.

Now, after choosing the clan's preordained heir, he nearly died sealing the contract. And he still dared to look at me like that?

I mouthed: Serves you right!

Seraphine didn't notice the exchange. She was busy drawing in spiritual energy, her face glowing with satisfaction.

"Father," she said, "the heavens have spoken. I am ready to receive the inheritance."

The entire Phoenix Court stirred with excitement.

Each time a successor inherited the Court's legacy, they performed the sacred Dance of the Hundred Birds.

The energy contained in that ritual could break barriers—even raise one's divine refinement to an entirely new realm.

My father beamed with joy.

The altar was cleared, a sacred circle forming around Seraphine as she stepped into the center.

She turned to me, her voice mocking beneath a veneer of grace.

"Althea, I know you're bitter that Nyxar chose me, but that's no reason to interfere with the sacred dance ritual. Surely you wouldn't drag the entire clan down over a petty grudge?"

The crowd began to stir, their patience wearing thin.

Some who had never liked me were quick to speak out.

"Princess Althea, whatever problems you have with Princess Seraphine, handle them privately."

"Exactly. Don't ruin the sacred rite for the rest of us."

"The black serpent was right—compared to Princess Seraphine, you fall short in every way."

"If I were him, I'd choose her without a second thought."

Nyxar smiled smugly.

"Althea, everyone sees the truth. I must have been blind to have followed you."

Franz stepped in front of him, frowning, pushing Nyxar aside with quiet force. Then he reached out and gently covered my ears.

"Don't listen to them," he said. "They're full of nonsense."

Just like that, the weight in my chest eased.

I smiled at him, then turned my gaze back to Seraphine, who stood basking in her imagined triumph.

My voice was steady. "Seraphine, you won't become the heir. You won't receive the inheritance. If you try to force it, you'll lose your divine refinement entirely."

Everyone froze for a moment.

Then the entire crowd burst into laughter.

Nyxar crossed his arms and gave me a slow, mocking once-over, his face full of disdain.

"And who are you to judge Princess Seraphine? If she isn't fit to be the heir, what, you think you are?"

My father's expression darkened, anger flaring beneath the surface.

"Enough!" he snapped. "Althea, step aside—now!"

He flung his sleeve, releasing a wave of spiritual force that swept both Franz and me out of the ritual space.

Seraphine glanced over at me, eyes gleaming with challenge.

"Watch closely, Althea," she said with a sneer. "And see for yourself just how much stronger I am than a useless waste like you."

Then she began the sacred Dance of the Hundred Birds.

Power burst outward, rippling in waves from the center of the altar.

In an instant, the sky darkened. A multitude of birds descended, thunder rumbling in the distance, as if dusk had fallen in broad daylight.

Seraphine moved with practiced grace, her waist swaying lightly, each motion fluid and precise.

Magpies took the lead, gathering in reverence before her.

One by one, other birds followed, forming intricate patterns that shimmered with radiant light. Vast energy wove through them, forming a brilliant net suspended in the air.

The crowd watched in a trance, mesmerized.

The overflowing spiritual energy began to spread, meant to nourish and strengthen everyone present.

But soon, whispers of confusion began to rise.

"Strange... why can't I absorb any of the energy?"

"I can't either!"

"It's like it's just passing by me—none of it is being drawn in."

More and more people noticed something was off.

Their eyes slowly lifted to the altar, where Seraphine was still dancing, lost in her own sense of glory.

When the final step landed, she bowed deeply to the heavens and declared in a loud, reverent voice, "I, Seraphine, First Princess of the Phoenix Court, humbly request to receive the inheritance."

Silence.

Unease flickered across her face. She lowered herself to the ground again, her tone more desperate, more devout.

"I, Seraphine, First Princess of the Phoenix Court, humbly request to receive the inheritance!"

This time, there was an answer.

I stood beside Franz, casually rubbing my ear, and said with all seriousness, "You can stop shouting. I refuse."