Chapter 1

On my wedding day, as the bride, I traveled to the castle in an old horse-drawn carriage that was hired temporarily.

When the wedding procession came to pick me up, my fiancé, Adrian Blackwood, blocked me in front of the wedding car.

"Let Vivian ride in this car, and I'll arrange another car for you."

My hand, which was holding the car door, froze.

Adrian continued:

"She doesn't plan to be with anyone; she just wants to experience what it's like to be a bride."

"I've already agreed, and she'll accompany me to the venue today."

When he turned around, his childhood sweetheart, Vivian Mercer, was already sitting in the flower-strewn limousine, her skirt tucked in.

That ivory-white long dress was made by the best tailor in the city.

She reached out and gently tugged at Adrian's sleeve.

"You promised you would always be with me."

"certainly."

He adjusted the cloak over her shoulders with such practiced ease that it chilled my fingertips.

That was his cloak.

Even from a few steps away, I could smell the familiar scent from above.

Seeing my eyes redden, Adrian sighed.

"We're just going in together, she won't accept my marking."

"In the end, you're the one I'll end up with, so what 's there to be sad about?"

He removed my hand from the car door.

"After Vivian has experienced it, you can go through it again."

After saying that, he boarded the limousine and left with his guards without looking back.

I closed my eyes.

For the past ten years, I have always believed that even without a destined bond, he would still choose me.

But it's like this from the very beginning of wedding planning.

Because Vivian doesn't plan to have a partner, she won't have her own wedding in the future.

Therefore, she needs to try on the dress first, and the banquet arrangements should be according to her preferences.

Now, even the bride's seat must be given to her first.

The driver straightened my skirt and turned the reins.

When the old carriage arrived at the outer courtyard of the castle, the wedding procession had already passed through the archway.

The guards, the flowers, and the woman sitting next to Adrian all disappeared behind the door.

Several trucks carrying barrels of wine passed by from the side, blocking the way.

The coachman reined in his horse, turned around, and asked me:

"Miss, which way should we go in later?"

I gazed at the archway adorned with blossoms and slowly loosened my clenched fist.

"I'm not going in."

"Let's turn around."

He wanted someone else to be the bride first.

But I no longer want to get married.

...

The driver was stunned.

"What did you say? Go back?"

I didn't answer immediately, but instead lowered my head and stroked the hem of my skirt above my knees.

The embroidery thread at the collar scratched against my wrist, feeling a little prickly.

The dress that Vivian had originally chosen was torn when she tried it on, so this one was altered at the last minute, and the cuffs weren't even properly secured.

Adrian said at the time that once the ceremony began, everyone would be looking at his face and wouldn't care about these little details.

But when he was adjusting Vivian's cloak, he even carefully picked out a strand of hair that was pressed under her collar.

My fingertip touched the ring on my ring finger.

When he put it on me, he smiled and said that once I became his partner, I would never have to envy others again.

A few people were talking near the courtyard wall.

"Did you see that limousine just now? Even the horse's mane was adorned with fresh flowers."

"The future Alpha personally helped her out of the car, and his hand never let go. It seems he really likes her."

My hand stroking of the ring paused for a moment.

The other woman lowered her voice.

“But just now at the entrance of town, I saw a girl in a wedding dress get into an old horse-drawn carriage that she had hired.”

"No one's with you?"

"No. She stood there alone, waiting for the driver to bring her a footstool."

The hem of the skirt wrinkled little by little between her fingers.

It turns out someone saw it.

They saw me wearing my wedding dress, left on the roadside by my fiancé.

I swallowed the bitter taste in my throat and spoke again.

"Yes, back to the hotel."

"I'm not getting married."

The truck finally passed.

The driver opened his mouth, but ultimately asked nothing. He simply pulled on the reins and slowly turned the carriage around.

The carriage had just turned halfway around when a servant strode out from the archway.

"Please wait a moment!"

I recognize him.

These past few days, he's been relaying the wedding arrangements to Adrian.

I subconsciously raised my head, my gaze passing over his shoulder and looking into the doorway.

Only servants came and went.

Adrian did not come out.

The attendant stopped beside the carriage and bowed slightly.

"Adrian asked me to tell you that he just instructed the wedding procession to speed up, so you don't need to chase after them anymore."

It felt like something gently bumped into my chest.

It turns out the driver couldn't catch up.

He deliberately didn't wait for me.

The attendant continued:

"Ms. Vivian doesn't like being overshadowed, please come in later."

"Also, please enter through the side door next to the kitchen. It would be very embarrassing for Miss Vivian if the guests saw the two brides appearing together."

After he finished speaking, he waited quietly for my reply.

Adrian rarely arranges wedding-related matters so meticulously.

When to go in, which door to use, and how to avoid gossip.

He had thought things through for Vivian.

But not long ago, when he removed my hand from the car in front of so many people, he didn't even consider whether I would feel embarrassed.

They didn't even glance back to see if I had gotten on the car behind them.

I lowered my eyes and gently smoothed out the crumpled hem of my skirt.

"Tell him for me..."

Tell him I don't want this wedding.

There's no need to reserve a place for me as a partner anymore.

Before he could finish speaking, a burst of laughter suddenly erupted from the other side of the porch.

The werewolf's hearing allowed those originally hushed sounds to clearly reach my ears.

“I’ve said it before, the position next to Adrian should be reserved for Vivian.”

That voice was all too familiar to me.

Just the day before, he was holding a wine glass, smiling, and saying that he looked forward to me becoming their Luna.