In my parents' eyes, I owed Celie my entire life.

Because I had absorbed too much nourishment in our mother's womb, Celie was born weak and frail.

But was that my choice? Back then, I was nothing more than an ignorant infant.

I watched coldly as my parents coaxed my reluctant sister, my gaze drifting to the two beastmen waiting nearby.

Gideon was not the sort of man any girl would find appealing at first glance. He lived in the deep sea, after all—his rough, careless features hardly seemed out of place. His wedding gift consisted of nothing more than fish he had hauled from the ocean and dried in the sun.

Felix was entirely different. His handsome face could rival the young stars of idol dramas on television. His wedding gift followed human tradition, carefully prepared, each detail showing thought and sincerity. It was no wonder my parents had chosen him for Celie in our past life.

Felix truly was a good man. Remembering how he ended up last time, I couldn't help but feel pity for him. But this time… his fate should not be so tragic.

I didn't know what my parents whispered to Celie, but after a long discussion, the three of them emerged, beaming. My parents clasped Gideon's hand, treating him warmly as their son-in-law.

"Celie is gentle, kind, and beautiful. She's a perfect match for you."

Then Father's tone shifted as he glanced at me, filled with disdain, as though I weren't his daughter at all.

"As for Avery… she can marry Felix."

And so the marriages were settled. Gideon, impatient to return to the sea, was eager to take Celie away at once. He despised the land, always complaining it was too dry.

It was the same in my last life—right after our engagement, he dragged me down into the deep. But back then, my parents never cared how I fared.

Now that Celie was his wife, they would not sit idly by.

"Celie's health is poor. We've decided the two of us will move in as well—there are things we'll need to pack, Gideon, so don't rush off just yet," Mother said with a smile.

She called it a discussion, but it was nothing more than an announcement.

Gideon's impatience was written all over his face. "Then make it quick."

With that, he strode out to wash up.

Celie's expression soured. "Mom, Gideon is far too arrogant. I really don't like him."

Mother hurried to embrace her, soothing her with soft words.

"Oh, my little treasure, so what if a man is arrogant? Think of the endless rains to come. Don't you want a life of comfort and plenty?"

At that, Celie's mood lightened. But when she turned and saw me standing nearby, her lips curled into a sneer.

"Why are you still here? Why isn't your husband eager to take you away? Avery, don't tell me you're still hoping for a share of our parents' estate? Let me make this clear—you won't get a single thing. Everything belongs to me."

Her arrogance drew no rebuke. My parents simply stood at her side, nodding in agreement.

"That's right. Avery, we've already worked hard enough raising you. When will you register your marriage with Felix and move out? Oh, and don't bother packing the things from your room. We're saving everything for Celie."

I couldn't help but laugh.

"Raising me? You mean the way you forced me to start working at sixteen, earning my own living while handing over money to support this family? And what room are you talking about? That storage closet you shoved me into? Even those broken wooden scraps you call furniture—you can't bear to part with them?"

With that, I took Felix's hand—he had appeared at some point without my noticing. I turned on my heel and walked away.

Behind me, my parents stood frozen in awkward silence, staring at one another in dismay.

"You…"

Felix hesitated, his handsome face tinged with sympathy.

Among the beastmen, he was unusual—one of the rare few who preferred human ways of living, and thus he knew a little about our kind. Yet even so, he had never imagined that human society, so advanced and prosperous, could still leave someone to live as miserably as I had.

He couldn't understand my parents.

Even in the great beastman clans, where offspring were numerous and favoritism existed, they followed the law of the wild—survival of the fittest. Favoring the weak over the strong was something unseen and unheard of.

Humans truly were strange.

From the look in his eyes, I understood what he wanted to say. I smiled.

"The past doesn't matter anymore. What matters is that every day from now on, away from that house, will only get better."

Felix nodded, half comprehending.

After we registered our marriage, he suddenly reached out and clasped my hand.

"Honey."

The word rang out with such force that it didn't even make me blush—if anything, it felt like he was about to raise a cup of wine and swear brotherhood with me.

But what he said next made me want to throw my arms around him and kiss him.

"I have homes in three different cities. Wherever you want to live, we'll live there. If you prefer the city, then we'll stay in the city. But if you don't…" He gritted his teeth. "Back home, I still own an entire mountain. Though for you humans, it might feel a little… high up."

My eyes lit up instantly.

"The mountain! Let's live on the mountain!"

"Ah?"

Felix scratched his head in confusion.

"I thought humans all preferred apartments and high-rises. That's why I bought those city homes. Won't you find mountain life uncomfortable? No food delivery service out there, though… there is Wi-Fi."

I shook my head quickly. "No, not at all! I'd love it. Sell those city homes—we'll live on the mountain together. After all, in the city it's all towers and concrete. You wouldn't even be able to fly."

In the previous life, when he flew out searching for food, collapsing debris from the flooded city had crushed his wings. And for a hawk, a broken wing was no different from being crippled.

At my words—clumsy, but still a kind of concern—Felix blinked, startled.

"Alright then. We'll live on the mountain. And one day, when the chance comes, I'll take you flying."

The image sent a shiver down my spine.

"Mm… let's leave that for later."

Instead, I led him back to my family home.

There wasn't much there that truly belonged to me. But I had bought plenty of little things with my own earnings, and I wasn't about to let that family take them for free.

Most importantly, my grandmother—the only one who had ever cherished me—had sewn me a little doll before she passed away. She left it in my room. I had to take it with me.

But when I brought Felix to the house and keyed in the passcode, the lock refused to open. I tried several times, to no avail.

In the short time we'd been gone to collect our marriage certificate, they had actually changed the code.

Fury surged through me. I pounded on the door.

"Open up! Open the door!"

I could hear voices inside—proof that they were home—yet not a single one of them came to answer.

It was obvious. They were ignoring me on purpose.