Draco’s cool voice sounded beside my ear.
“Clarice, I know you chose me because you had no other option. But I promise, within my power, I will never let you suffer.”
I turned instinctively at the sound of his voice and accidentally stumbled into his chest.
A strange yet pleasant scent drifted into my nose.
I looked up at him and said slowly, with deliberate clarity, “Draco, I chose you willingly.”
A flicker of something unreadable passed through Draco’s eyes. “…Alright. Clarice.”
Three days later, the wedding arrived as scheduled.
Both ceremonies were held in the same grand restaurant.
The wolf clan’s wedding was even more extravagant than in my previous life. They had gone so far as to invite the reclusive phoenix clan to perform, and all the major noble houses attended in full force.
Meanwhile, the serpent clan’s celebration was quieter, with no distinguished guests, yet the clan members beamed with genuine joy. After all, this was their first marriage to a human—a sign they might finally have a chance at producing the next ruler of the alliance.
After the ceremony, I ran into Bella face-to-face. She deliberately tilted her chin, making sure I noticed the marks on her neck.
“Clarice, I didn’t know wolf men had such… stamina. At this rate, I’ll be giving them an heir in no time.”
I smiled politely. “Then I sincerely wish you the best of luck.”
Bella was grossly underestimating the difficulty of pregnancy between humans and beastkin. Our species was fundamentally different. Even in the best conditions, natural conception took at least a year.
She assumed I got pregnant easily in our past life, and so she believed the same would come just as easily to her. She even boasted to the wolf clan that she’d be pregnant within six months. Word had spread quickly.
Seeing how confident she was, Jacob hadn’t even questioned it.
But to Bella, my composure looked like a personal challenge.
“Forget it. It’s not like you’d understand anyway. You’ve married into a beggar’s den.”
She shot a disdainful glance at the serpent clan members nearby, lifted her skirt, and walked past me.
I grabbed her arm, stopping her. “Bella, apologize. Apologize to the serpent clan.”
Her expression darkened. She yanked her arm free and yelled, “Clarice, have you lost your mind?!”
The remaining guests in the hall stopped to watch as we argued, eager for the drama.
In the end, our father had to step in. Once he understood what had happened, he forced Bella to apologize to the serpent clan.
Though the serpent clan ranked lowest among the beastkin, they would still unite against human humiliation.
Before leaving, Bella shot me a vicious glare and muttered under her breath, “Clarice, I’m going to win this life. Just you wait.”
On our wedding night, I stared at Draco’s bare body, frozen in place.
No one had ever told me snakes had two…
Seeing me motionless on the bed, Draco misunderstood. With a pale expression, he bent down to gather his clothes and began dressing.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I snatched the fabric from his hands, my displeasure written all over my face.
“I… I thought you didn’t want to…” he stammered, standing awkwardly by the bed, the emerald in his eyes dimming.
If he wouldn’t make the first move, then I would.
I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him down onto the bed. As our bodies touched, that subtle, familiar scent surrounded me again.
“Draco… you smell really nice,” I murmured without thinking.
He froze for a moment, then the tips of his ears turned faintly pink. The next moment, his kiss deepened, trailing from my forehead all the way down.
Fingers interlaced, we shared a night of wild pleasure.
I had once believed the wolf clan’s strength made them the best choice in bed.
But the serpent clan had their own… unique qualities. Draco didn’t stop until dawn lit the sky, and I practically begged for rest.
