Chapter 2

The wedding of the King of the Loong Clan was a matter of far greater importance than our trivial task of selecting husbands. Jane and I were brought to the palace, confined within its walls, forbidden to step outside. All our focus was directed toward preparing for Jane’s marriage. I held the heavenly pearl sent over by Eric Powell’s people, my heart entirely unmoved. Despite its beauty, to me, it was nothing more than a cursed charm of death. In my past life, I had experienced far more splendor than Jane could dream of—so much so that my every word and action were imitated by women across the three realms. Yet, the suffering I endured to give birth to the child in my womb was a torment only I could truly comprehend. Before I could touch the items on the table, one of Jane’s maids rushed to me in a fluster. “Miss, the princess consort wishes to see you.” Me? Shouldn’t Jane be busy preparing her wedding gown at this moment? What could she possibly want with an irrelevant younger sister like me? Though doubt clouded my thoughts, she was now the Crown Princess. Her words were commands I had no power to refuse. As I approached Jane’s room, Eric Powell emerged, his robes slightly disheveled, his face brimming with satisfaction. I quickly lowered my head; he didn’t spare me a single glance. The scent lingering around him was all too familiar—a unique fragrance emitted by the Loong Clan when they were deeply aroused. It was clear that Jane had already consummated her relationship with him. For women of the Snake Clan, adulthood came with a cruel reality. Once touched by a man, they couldn’t help but be drawn to him—a fatal flaw. Inside, Jane reclined lazily on the bed, a thin blanket barely covering her flawless figure. As soon as she saw me enter, her smile vanished, replaced by a stormy expression. With deliberate slowness, she extended a finger toward an embroidered pattern on the table. “Did you make this? Not bad.” I dared not move. Jane had always been quick to punish me with beatings and scoldings. Why would she suddenly praise me now? Moreover, the memory of her pushing me off a cliff in our past life sent an uncontrollable shiver through my heart. When I failed to respond, she abruptly sat up from the bed. Grabbing a jade ruyi scepter from beside her, she hurled it at my head with all her strength. Blood blurred my vision, but I suppressed my anger and knelt on the floor. She seemed pleased with my submissive reaction, her voice languid as she spoke. “I summoned you here so you could see how I’ve climbed step by step to this exalted position. You’d better rid yourself of any rebellious thoughts and stay out of the Crown Prince’s sight. Otherwise…” I lifted my gaze to meet hers. “I would never dare to disobey you, Crown Princess.” My response startled her for a moment, but she quickly recovered. Striding toward me, she yanked my hair with a vicious grip. “Salina, do you think I don’t know you’ve been reborn too?” At the mention of rebirth, a shadow flickered across my eyes. She sneered coldly, then threw the embroidered pattern at my face. “A girl raised in the Snake Clan, yet you dare to create an exclusive Loong Clan design? Do you think you can fool me?” I sighed softly, pressing a hand to my forehead as I stood. “Jane, I’ve never wanted to compete with you, and I’ll make sure to stay far away from the Crown Prince.” Her laughter was mocking, her fingers trailing disdainfully across my face. “Do you think I’d lose to you, you ugly woman? Even if you wanted to compete, you’d never win.” I fell silent. Some things weren’t worth fighting for—not because I couldn’t win, but because I wanted to live longer. Only fools cling to worthless scraps.