It was the first time I truly saw his face.
His skin was pale, almost bloodless. His long, narrow eyes carried a quiet authority, and the emerald green of his irises held a mysterious depth. Yet the teardrop mole at the corner of his eye lent a subtle grace to his otherwise austere expression.
Inside the box lay a floor-length gown of deep green tulle. The bodice shimmered faintly with scales—snake scales—stitched into the fabric.
I had never seen such a beautiful dress. For a moment, I was completely captivated.
“Clarice,” Draco said calmly, “this gown was hand-stitched by our serpent clan’s finest seamstresses. Each scale was a blessing offered by our people.”
His gaze carried a deliberate detachment, as if the person marrying me wasn’t him at all.
“This is the first time our serpent clan has ever wed a human. If anything has been done poorly, you’re welcome to tell me.”
“Thank you,” I replied. “I truly love it.”
Just as I was about to put the dress away, Bella strolled in, arm-in-arm with Jacob, smug and beaming.
“Clarice, don’t tell me this is the only gown you got? Jacob had ten dresses made for me. Ten!”
Jacob looked down at Bella with affection in his eyes.
Bella only knew of the wolf clan’s famous loyalty, but she didn’t understand it was rooted in their biological instincts—and their intense obsession with offspring.
If she failed to conceive, would Jacob still treat her with such tenderness?
Draco’s grip on his serpent staff tightened slightly before he raised his eyes to meet mine.
“If the serpent clan has caused you any grievance, Clarice, I can promise you this—I, Draco, will never betray you in this lifetime.”
Bella snorted. “Anyone can talk sweet. Let’s see if you can actually produce a child!”
Now, all she ever talked about was children. Her infertility in her past life had become a thorn in her heart, and now she was fixated on getting pregnant. Even before marrying Jacob, she had already moved into his home.
In that sense, she and Jacob were a perfect match—both obsessively fixated on heirs.
“Bella, perhaps you should focus on your own wedding. People might start to think you’ve set your sights on my fiancé instead.”
I smiled faintly, and under the sour expressions of Bella and Jacob, I took Draco’s hand and walked away.
Behind me, I could still hear Bella’s shrill voice clinging to Jacob, her words faint but unmistakable: “pregnancy,” “child,” “next ruler.”
Oh, my foolish sister! Even after a second chance at life, she still believed that a child was her only path to power.
