I gently brushed a fallen leaf off Rhea's shoulder and said, "Everyone has their own fate. If this is mine, I believe I'll count on myself to live it well.

"It's just a shame that some people can only vent their frustration on others when life gets hard. That's pretty pathetic."

Rhea's pupils constricted violently. She grabbed my wrist hard and shrieked, "Astrid Silverhilt! You've been reborn too, haven't you?"

A young, unmarried maiden like me shouldn't have such a detached look in my eyes, so her conviction grew. "Even if you're reborn, so what! I'm the one marrying Flint now! You can just wait to cry over that ill-fated soul's death all you want!"

With that, she stormed off.

I watched her leave, deep in thought. Her words reminded me of what I would do if Drakon really died.

His clan was full of hungry, power-mad uncles and cousins, and I knew that a weak woman like me would likely be devoured alive, bones and all.

I brooded over it until nightfall, just as a soft whisper came from my window. When I opened it, I was utterly startled.

Drakon was hoisting himself up against the sill, drenched in sweat. With the moonlight tracing the sharp lines of his face, I couldn't help but suck in a breath at the sight of his striking looks.

"Don't get the wrong idea! I'm not some creep… I just heard you're supposed to marry me, so I wanted to see what my future wife looks like."

He was panting, but the excited sparkle in his eyes was impossible to miss.

"Can I ask you something?" he asked.

His hesitant manner made me nervous. "What is it?"

"Are you a fairy? How are you so breathtaking?" he blurted, his face flushing the moment the words left his mouth.

I couldn't help but laugh as footsteps sounded behind me.

"Well, well, Astrid! You're not even married yet, but you're already sneaking around with a man! How are you going to explain this?"

Rhea shoved the window open wider, only to freeze the moment she saw Drakon. "What are you doing here?"

Drakon could barely hide the disgust in his eyes. "What's wrong with me coming here to discuss wedding plans with my future wife? You, on the other hand, aren't taught any manners, judging from the way you sling baseless accusations."

Rhea's face turned red with fury, but there was nothing she could do other than direct her rage at me.

"Don't get too cocky! Even if you're getting along now, it doesn't matter because he's not going to live too long!"

Drakon clicked his tongue and flashed her a look of disdain. "What happens between my future wife and me is none of your concern. All I know is that I'll never mistreat Astrid."

Rhea clenched her jaw so hard she nearly crushed her teeth. "I can't wait to see the day you become a widow, Astrid!"

She couldn't stop bringing up being a widow. Her previous life's encounter had turned into a nightmare deeply ingrained in her bones.

That was why she was so pleased with Flint now. As long as he stayed alive, she was satisfied. Her bar was pathetically low.

"Better start learning how to cook and do laundry, Rhea. The wolves don't have maids attending to your needs, so you'll have to do everything yourself."

My words were a mild stab in her sore spot—the reality she least wanted to face. She furiously spun around and stormed off.

Downstairs, I soon heard her whining to Mother, demanding more wedding gifts.

Meanwhile, Drakon had returned to being a gentleman. Leaning on the windowsill, he looked at me and solemnly promised. "Trust me, Astrid. I'll never let you suffer as long as I'm alive."

My heart clenched painfully at the word "alive". Instinctively, I raised my hand and covered his lips.

The moment our skin touched, my heartbeat thundered.

Strange… I'd been married once in my previous life, so why was I still flustered now?

I feigned a cough to hide my panic and said, "I don't need wealth or glory, just that you stay alive and well, Drakon. Do you understand? Nothing matters more than that."

After a long silence, he looked up, as if having made up his mind. Then, he smiled. "I will."

To save money, Mother scheduled Rhea's wedding and mine on the same day.

To make sure Rhea looked grand, Mother poured every last coin she'd ever stashed away into her celebration with lavish dishes on the menu and extravagant, meticulous decorations.

In stark contrast, the celebration originally planned for me couldn't even be described as modest. It was downright pitiful.

Drakon took one look at it, grabbed my hand, and walked me out. The next day, he booked a venue of a far higher standard than Rhea's.

When we were greeting guests, Rhea and I crossed paths. She tightened her hold on Flint's arm on purpose.

"Astrid, I've never met anyone as sharp as Flint. He's brilliant at reading the clan politics and social dealings, and he can spot business opportunities instantly. I'm sure I'll be living well in no time."

I smiled. "I'm sure you will."

Rhea had a naively simplistic view of building a fortune. While Flint was clever, he lacked innate talent for business. It'd take him a long time to improve their living conditions.

In our previous lives, she had seen me living well within a year and assumed she'd do even better. She'd boasted everywhere that within six months, Flint's business would succeed, and her life of luxury would begin.

Influenced by her confidence, Flint began believing it and swaggered about.

Rhea could barely suppress her smug smile. "You just enjoy what you have with that ill-fated soul while you can. Everything you have will be taken back sooner or later."

With that, she turned to leave, but I wasn't about to give her a chance.

I lifted the hem of my gown and kicked her hard. "You and your filthy mouth deserve a beating."

She shrieked as she hit the ground hard. "You whore! How dare you hit me!"

Not one to take an insult lying down, she scrambled up to retaliate. Behind her, Flint rolled up his sleeves and was ready to join in.

But the fire dragons were nobles. They would never stand by and watch me get bullied by a lowly wolf.

With just a few instructions from me, Flint was pinned to the floor by the fire dragons, forced to bow and apologize.

Rhea looked like she wanted nothing more than to tear me into pieces. "When Drakon dies, we'll see who protects you then! I'll pay you back for everything you did today a thousand times!"

…

On the wedding night, I sat cross-legged on the bed doing accounts.

Behind me, a pair of arms wrapped around my waist. Drakon pouted and asked, "It's late, honey. Aren't you tired?"

He might as well have suggested outright that we call it a day.

When I pushed the ledger aside, looped my arms around his neck, and leaned in to kiss him, he nearly jumped. "W-What are you doing?"

I laughed. "Going to bed."

His face flushed a spectacular shade of red. "Of course, I knew that! I was just testing you!"

I was thoroughly amused. He was an interesting fire dragon indeed.

Hooking a leg around his waist, I pushed him onto the bed. He swallowed hard before flipping me under him instead. "I should handle things like this."

That was how I discovered the true, terrifying stamina of a young fire dragon.

That night, I went from being confidently in control to repeatedly begging for mercy. But he wouldn't let me off, not until I was limp and pliant.

When it was over, and I was utterly wrecked, he scooped me into his arms with a satisfied smile. "You've worked hard, honey."

All I could manage was a weak, coy kick. He just chuckled and caught my foot, holding it playfully.

What a rogue!

…

The next morning, I looked in the mirror and found myself staring back in shock. Why was there a faint dragon mark between my brows?

In high spirits, Drakon explained, "Are you looking at the dragon mark? It only appears after intimacy with dragons."

Realization hit me, and my eyes widened.

Why hadn't Rhea shown one in our previous life? Could it be that she and Drakon had never consummated their marriage?

Delighted, I grabbed Drakon's face and kissed him twice, hard. He was absolutely thrilled.

What truly shocked me was Flint's huge business success. He'd recently made a significant profit.

Rhea threw a lavish celebration. When we arrived, Flint had his arm wrapped possessively around her waist, making a toast.

"To have such a kind, virtuous wife is a blessing from god! My fortunes have soared ever since she came into my life!"

Those who'd once looked down on him were now falling over themselves to offer their compliments. No one wanted to be on the bad side of new money, after all.

Rhea was visibly triumphant as she basked in their flattery.

Her gaze skipped past the crowd and fell on me. She hooked a finger in my direction, motioning me closer.

"Why aren't you sitting by my side, Astrid?" she asked. "I've heard Drakon's being sent to the front, and oh, I'm so worried for you! What will you ever do if something happens to him?"

Sure enough, Drakon was leaving. Though he'd promised he'd be back next month, I knew that his chances were slim.

Before he left, he'd taken the emerald bracelet Mother had given me when I got married. He told me that seeing it would give him courage on the battlefield because it reminded him of me.

As much as it pained me, I wouldn't show a hint of distress. Instead, I eyed Rhea's luxurious gown and remarked, "A single bolt of the material you're wearing must cost a fortune. Even if Flint has recently made money, I doubt he can readily afford such extravagance."

Rhea turned proudly. "You have good taste. I bought this gown on credit, but it's only a matter of time before Flint can pay for this little money. Don't worry about it."

As I ran my fingers across the embroidery on her sleeve, I slowly muttered, "Is that so? Flint grew up poor and accustomed to hardship, so he hates reckless spending. I'm guessing he doesn't know you bought this on credit, does he?"

Her hand tightened around her handkerchief as she snapped, "What are you doing?"

Just as I thought, if the mere mention of a single gown could rattle her this badly, their marriage wasn't as solid as she claimed.

"I'm not doing anything, just trying to remind you that the higher you climb, the harder you fall."

With that, I drained my glass and turned to leave.

…

A few days later, Flint's business reached new heights, but a crowd of angry creditors suddenly gathered at his door.

"It's time! Pay up!"

"Stop hiding! We know you have the money!"

It turned out that Rhea had racked up more debt than she could repay, so the creditors had come knocking on her door.

Mother summoned me home in a panic. When I arrived, I found Rhea disheveled and wailing on the floor. "You couldn't have made so much money without my ideas! I deserve what I spent, so how dare you hit me!"

Flint clenched his fist so tightly his knuckles cracked. "I work day and night, rain or shine, while you laze at home all day, doing nothing but dolling yourself up! Now, just as our lives are finally getting better, you bury us in debt. You deserve that beating!"

Mother wept and dabbed at her tears. "Regardless of how much she spent, Rhea chose to marry into your hardship. You shouldn't have beaten her up.

"She's been pampered her whole life, so there's nothing wrong with her having nice things. You're just useless!"

Rhea bit her handkerchief and sobbed. "Even if I've spent all the money, you can earn it back. You're young, so why can't you work a little harder?"

Even I was appalled by their shamelessness, let alone the hot-tempered Flint. He grabbed a wooden stick in the room and struck her hard.

"You parasite! I'll show you what it means to squander and drag me into debt!"

Rhea's screams filled the house. When Mother tried to intervene, Flint kicked her aside.

In the chaos, Rhea saw me coldly observing from a corner and screamed, "I have an idea, Flint! Her husband went to war and hasn't come back since, so he's probably dead! She has more money than she can spend, so if we take hers, we can cover our debts with it!"

Flint paused and turned to look at me standing in the corner. "She's right, Astrid. You're just a woman with no use for all that money, so better give it to me. I'll protect you if anyone picks on you."

Mother instantly chimed in and screamed, "Yes! She has money! Get it from her!"

Not expecting such shameless audacity, I frowned and tried to step back, but Flint blocked me.

"Don't make this difficult, Astrid. With your husband gone, no one's left to protect you, so quietly hand it over now!"

What a pack of thieves!

Instinctively, I grabbed a fruit knife from the table and lifted it high, ready to fight to the death.

Before I could swing, someone grabbed my wrist, and a familiar voice came from behind me.

"Who said her husband's dead?"