What a familiar scene.

Even the tear hanging precariously at the corner of her eye was exactly the same as in my past life.

Back then, I had been utterly deceived by this fragile, helpless act of hers. When she knelt before me, I actually felt pity. I found myself helping her and Ryan, doing everything I could to help them achieve their "true love".

As the Snowfang Pack's princess, I was destined to shoulder the responsibilities of my people. My future didn't have to revolve around Ryan. Even though Saya's arrival left a bad taste in my mouth, it wasn't enough to shake my dignity.

When Ryan had wanted to break off the engagement, I didn't throw a tantrum. Instead, I earnestly offered him advice out of the respect and history we shared.

"Saya comes from a lower-ranked wolf pack and is mute. While she saved your life, the elders or the clans may never accept her as your Queen, no matter how hard you try to convince them. It'll only bring her trouble.

"Why not take a step back? Settle her in my territory as a servant for now. In the future..."

I left the implication hanging—In the future, he could do as he pleased.

Those few words resolved her immediate crisis but set me up for disaster.

Slap! Slap! Slap!

The crisp sound of slaps echoed in the banquet hall.

In my past life, I rushed forward to help Saya up the moment she knelt.

This time, I merely watched coldly as she slapped herself, hard and without hesitation.

One strike after another, the sound echoed through the room.

Annie tugged gently at my sleeve, whispering, "Your Highness, today is your coming-of-age ceremony. The hall is full of guests—if this continues..."

The banquet hall was packed with guests today, many of whom were already reaching for their phones, eager to capture the drama.

Annie made a move to step forward, but I placed a hand on her arm.

"What's the rush?"

"Saya!" Ryan's voice was low and dangerous now, his expression darkening.

In just a few seconds, Saya's cheeks were red and swollen. Tears pooled in her eyes, making her look pitifully fragile.

She glanced at Ryan, then at me, biting her lip as she continued her self-inflicted punishment.

I took a slow sip of my wine, completely at ease.

I was suddenly curious—how far was she willing to take this performance?

Yes. Saya was acting.

Her muteness was an act. Her delicate, innocent facade was an act. Even her dramatic "poison suicide" in my past life? That was also an act.

I had seen her true colors with my own eyes. It happened at a secret gathering, where I accidentally stumbled upon her talking to a werewolf alchemist.

"Sir, I'm just an exiled lowly she-wolf. How could I survive without using some desperate ploys to get into Prince Ryan's good graces? Please, I'm begging you! Give me a potion that can make me appear dead for a short time. Just once—that's all I need.

"I truly love His Highness. With my background, being his servant would already be aiming too high. But now that he has promised to marry me! I have to use this final trick to ensure he'll always feel guilty about me.

"Please, help me! Just one staged death, and His Highness will remember for the rest of his life that he owes me."

What a masterful scheme.

Saya fooled Ryan, fooled me, and even fooled an entire gathering of werewolf nobles.

I had once asked Ryan why he was so fixated on Saya.

"I've been the heir to the wolf clan since I was a child. Everyone flatters me and caters to me. They respect me and bow to me—but only because of my bloodline and my status.

"Even you, Selina. If I weren't the future Alpha King, would you still love me?"

His words left me speechless.

If Ryan weren't the heir to the Alpha King, with that powerful bloodline running through his veins, we wouldn't have a bond, let alone a marriage contract. We wouldn't have grown up together, and there wouldn't be talk of love or not loving.

"Saya was the only one..." He continued. "She was willing to sacrifice her life for me before she even knew who I truly was. How could I not be moved by love so pure?"

His words nearly convinced me.

As the princess of the Snowfang Pack, I was born with the pride of a noble wolf. Every decision I made required careful deliberation. I had to consider my parents, and the interests of my clan—I couldn't afford to recklessly lay down my life for someone.

But we both ignored another possibility.

Even if Ryan had been gravely injured and unconscious in the wilderness, his wolf pack markings, his natural aura of dominance, and the battle robes woven from the shadows of the moon itself that he wore—all of it screamed his exalted status.

Whether he was the future alpha of the pack or one of its top elites, his power was undeniable.

From the very beginning, Saya had seen him for what he truly was—her only path to glory and status.

"Enough!" Ryan's sharp voice suddenly cut through the tension.

The room fell silent.

Saya flinched, her body trembling as she slowly lifted her gaze. Her eyes were wide and filled with helpless innocence as she looked at me.

Her intentions couldn't have been clearer.

She had destroyed my engagement, made me a laughingstock in front of the entire pack, and now she played the part of the remorseful sinner. She was putting on an act, hoping I would pity her enough to hand her a graceful way out.

Fine.

Let her continue this charade.

I arched a brow and leisurely sipped my wine.

Saya noticed my cold reaction. She gritted her teeth and leaned forward, ready to slap herself again.

But before she could, Ryan strode forward and knocked the glass out of my hand.

"Selina, don't push it!" he growled.

"Selina, do you even understand the rules and etiquette of the wolf kingdom?"

Ryan's golden eyes burned with fury as he glared at me, his tone colder than the winds in winter.

He turned and helped Saya to her feet, his movements so gentle they bordered on absurd. He carefully touched her swollen cheek, his expression filled with pain and concern.

"Selina, apologize." His voice was low but commanding. "Bow your head, admit your mistake to her in front of everyone here, and I'll let this slide. I won't pursue it any further."

I almost laughed out loud.

How foolish I was in my previous life.

The moment I discovered Saya's schemes, I wrote a secret letter to Ryan. In painstaking detail, I explained how she had been manipulating him, using her feigned fragility to win over the sympathy of the wolf pack elders.

I warned him, "Saya isn't as simple as she seems. Every step she's taken toward you has been calculated."

The very next day, news broke that Saya had "poisoned herself to death."

But it wasn't a feigned death.

It was real.

The story spread quickly throughout the pack—Saya had succumbed to the pressure of malicious rumors and ended her life out of shame.

Ryan sent me only a single voice message, "Thank you for your reminder, Selina. Those who betray the Alpha King will always face the consequences."

And just like that, the matter was over.

For years, I believed he had confronted Saya, forcing her hand until she consumed the poison for real. After all, Ryan was renowned in the packs for his iron-fisted methods and ruthless retaliation.

It wasn't until the moment of my death that I finally understood the truth.

When he mentioned those who betrayed the Alpha King, he wasn't talking about Saya.

He was talking about me.

"Selina, did you hear me?" Ryan's voice cut sharply through my thoughts. "Saya did nothing wrong. I'm the one who chose to marry her. I'm the one ending this engagement with you."

I didn't answer right away. Instead, I lifted my chin slightly, meeting his gaze with a calm, mocking smile.

Ryan was known in the pack for his decisiveness and sharp mind, but he was nothing more than a joke in my eyes now.

I turned to Annie and asked, my voice steady and controlled, "The Four Great Packs' leaders are upstairs at the top-floor banquet hall, aren't they?"

Annie hesitated for a moment, then nodded cautiously.

I adjusted my gown and began walking toward the elevator.

Ryan's footsteps echoed as he quickly followed me.

"What are you planning?" he demanded. "Those elders are here for a private visit. Their presence hasn't been made public!"

Of course, I knew that.

I was only the princess of a wolf pack. How could a simple birthday party attract the leaders of the Four Great Packs?

It wasn't because of me.

It was the century-old strength of the Johnstone family. It was also because of my two elder brothers, who had recently annexed several packs on the frontier. It was my father, who had just led the Snowfang Pack to claim the northern forests, the richest resource lands in the region.

The Snowfang Pack was thriving and shining brighter than ever. We were a force no other pack could afford to ignore.

But Ryan?

He had thrown caution to the wind, publicly announcing his intent to marry Saya and demanding to break off our engagement. His reckless declarations had dominated the media's headlines for three days straight.

The current Alpha King, Leopold, couldn't afford to alienate my father and brothers.

As the elevator doors slid open, Ryan was still on my heels.

"Selina, don't you dare run to the elders to beg for their help just because it's your birthday!" Ryan snapped. "I've already promised Saya that I'll marry her. If you voluntarily give up the engagement, I'll ensure the Snowfang Pack is compensated generously."

I stopped abruptly and turned to face him, meeting his golden eyes with an icy calm.

A trace of astonishment flashed in his golden eyes—perhaps because of the chill in my gaze.

Ryan had lived his life unchallenged. As the heir to the Alpha King, his path had been free of obstacles. He had never truly understood what it meant for someone to sit on the throne beside him.

The banquet hall doors opened, and Leopold greeted me warmly from his seat at the head of the room.

"My little princess, what brings you here in such a rush?"

The leaders of the Four Great Packs sat in their places of honor, and the room was filled with werewolf nobles.

With a graceful bow, I addressed them. "Esteemed elders, I'm sure you've all heard by now. Ryan and Ms. Saya—savior and hero, love at first sight. I have no desire to linger where I'm not wanted, nor do I wish to make things awkward for anyone else.

"So, I ask all of you here to bear witness. I, Selina, princess of the Snowfang Pack, formally request to dissolve my engagement with Ryan."

I stood tall, my demeanor calm but unyielding.

The entire room fell into an eerie silence, so quiet one could hear a pin drop.