Chapter 3

Our mother, ever so frugal, decided to marry off both my sister and me on the same day to save money. To preserve my sister's dignity, she nearly emptied her savings to host an extravagant wedding for her. The menu was lavish, and the decorations were nothing short of meticulous. In contrast, the arrangements for my wedding were so pitiful that "humble" wouldn't even begin to describe them. They were downright pathetic. Reynaldo took one look at the setup and immediately turned us around to leave. The very next day, he arranged a venue that was even grander than my sister's. While entertaining the guests, I ran into Angela. She deliberately clung to Shamar's arm and smirked. "Sister, I've never seen someone as sharp as Shamar. The way he navigates social interactions and analyzes family dynamics is masterful. He even identifies business opportunities in the midst of it all. It won’t be long before I become rich," she gloated. I smiled. "Good for you." Angela was naïve to think being rich was that simple. While Shamar was indeed clever, his talent for business was lacking. It would take them at least two years to improve their lives. In my past life, Angela had only noticed how I was adorned in fine silks within a year and assumed she could do even better. She had boasted that once Shamar's business succeeded, she, too, would live a prosperous life. Even Shamar grew overconfident, strutting arrogantly. Angela's smugness was written all over her face. "You, on the other hand, should enjoy every moment with that short-lived husband of yours. After all, everything you have could be taken away at any time," she said, turning to leave. I decided to teach her a lesson. Lifting my skirt, I delivered a swift kick to her. "Watch your filthy mouth! You deserve a beating!" Angela fell to the ground with a sharp scream. "You wretch! How dare you hit me!" she screeched, attempting to retaliate. Even Shamar rolled up his sleeves, ready to intervene. But the fire dragon clan was a noble lineage. They wouldn't stand by and watch a lowly werewolf disrespect me. A few words from them, and Shamar was forced to bow his head in apology. Angela seethed with rage, wishing she could tear me apart. "When he dies, let’s see who protects you then! I’ll make you pay a thousandfold!" she hissed. On my wedding night, I sat cross-legged on the bed, going through the accounts. Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around my waist from behind. Reynaldo pouted, looking aggrieved. "Honey, it’s late. Aren’t you tired?" He didn’t need to spell it out—it was clear he was hinting at going to bed. I pushed the ledger aside, wrapped my arms around his neck, and leaned in for a kiss. He jumped back in shock. "W-What are you doing?!" I couldn’t help but laugh. "Going to bed, of course." Reynaldo turned as red as a beet. "I-I know that! I was just testing you!" I chuckled. He was so cute. I hooked my leg around his waist and pinned him down on the bed. He swallowed hard but quickly flipped me beneath him. "This sort of thing… let me handle it." And that was the moment I learned the terrifying stamina of a young dragon. That night, I went from confident to utterly defeated, begging for mercy by the end. But Reynaldo wasn’t satisfied until I was a limp puddle of exhaustion. As I lay there completely drained, he pulled me into his arms. "My lady, you’ve worked hard," he teased. I could only muster a weak kick in protest, which he gleefully caught. What a rogue! The next morning, I looked in the mirror and froze. What… what was that dragon mark between my brows? Reynaldo, in an excellent mood, noticed my surprise. "Admiring the dragon mark? It’s exclusive to the fire dragon clan. Only those who have a connection with us will bear it," he explained, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. Realization struck me. My eyes widened. Angela didn’t have one in my past life. Could it be that she and Reynaldo never consummated their marriage? Overjoyed, I threw my arms around Reynaldo and planted two enthusiastic kisses on his cheek, leaving him grinning from ear to ear.