In one thing, she wasn’t wrong-the serpent clan was indeed very poor. I worried they might not even have the money for a proper gown, so I planned to prepare one myself.
To my surprise, that very evening, Draco came in person to deliver my wedding dress.
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 fianc?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.
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.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.