The Moonstream flooded my vision with glowing script:

[Can't the cursed omega see the Alpha is calling her out?! Just submit already and yield the Trial victory to our precious one!]

[The Alpha only offered tribute to judge this Rite—all for the true-blooded female!]

[Making excuses won't help. Once they check the ward-view, the cursed one's going to be exposed as a thief and a liar!]

[Our girl comes from such a struggling pack and has to hunt her own way through training. She's really had it rough!]

I let my gaze drift to the moon-silver cuff wrapped around Vesper's wrist—worth fifty thousand in tribute value. The flowing white ceremonial dress she wore was crafted from silkworm cocoons blessed under three full moons—easily eighty thousand. The bone-carved pins in her hair, etched with protective runes—six thousand each.

My brow furrowed in confusion.

Struggling pack?

Hunting her own way through training?

Were they speaking of Vesper?

She was adorned more richly than I was—and I was the actual high-born daughter of the Ashford bloodline!

Anyone who had ever worked with sacred pigments knew how easily the wolf-ash and herb mixtures stained fur and cloth during the creation process. That was why most scent-artists wore rough-spun, easily replaced garments. But Vesper...

Watching the Moonstream shower praise on Vesper's "admirable dedication," I found myself without words.

Before I could speak, Vesper's tears began falling, one after another, tracking silver lines down her pale cheeks.

"I know you're a high-born omega who doesn't care about a small tribute offering like this," she said, her voice trembling like a wounded pup. "But this award is my provision for the entire season cycle. I truly cannot lose it."

Her eyes rimmed red, and then—she dropped to her knees before me, baring her throat in false submission.

"I know you switched the ritual paintings because you wanted first place. I'll yield the title—you can have it. But please, I'm begging you, give me back the tribute stores." Her voice cracked into a whimper. "If you want me to create works in your name in the future, just ask. You didn't have to steal what I made with my own hands."

If I dipped my head in agreement with her tale, I would be admitting guilt before the entire Council.

I kept my voice as steady as I could manage. "As far as I know, training provisions cost twelve thousand in tribute per season. You could trade any one of those luxury adornments you wear and cover it easily. Besides—I have no interest in winning a traditional scent-painting Trial. Why would I switch anyone's work?"

Vesper's expression went rigid for a heartbeat. Then she turned toward Kael, her face crumpling into wounded innocence.

"I didn't acquire any of this myself. They're gifts from those who care for me—they carry meaning. Even if I starved through a harsh winter, I could never trade someone's heartfelt gesture for mere stores." Her lip quivered. "All I want is to earn my own way through my craft."

"I'm not trying to steal the title from you. Please—just return the tribute to me."

She cried until her voice went hoarse. Something soft flickered in Kael's amber eyes. "You foolish, gentle creature..."

The other young wolves closed in around me, their accusations sharp as bared fangs:

"Vesper is on her knees begging you—what more do you demand?"

"I cannot stand high-born wolves who throw their pack's resources around and steal other wolves' creations."

"Making her return the tribute isn't enough. She needs to be cast out of the Trial!"

The Moonstream erupted in righteous fury:

[Can this wretched omega just be culled already?! She's forcing our precious one to kneel! Poor sweet Vesper, I'm howling in grief!]

[Thank the Moon Mother the Alpha is going to expose her for switching the paintings and restore the title to the true female!]

[The best part comes later—the Alpha never forgets how our girl was humiliated. He pretends to court the cursed one, then rejects the mating bond at their Claiming Ceremony! Her whole pack loses standing, their hunting grounds are challenged! The Alpha rallies allied packs and drives her accomplice parents into ruin until they throw themselves from the cliff-edge!]

I stared at that final stream of glowing words.

My vision blurred red at the edges.

The Moonstream erupted:

[By the ancestors—can she actually SEE us?!]

I wrenched my gaze away, pretending I had noticed nothing.

When I showed no reaction, the comments settled:

[There's no way a side character can perceive the Moonstream. Have you lost your mind?]

[She's just a stepping stone for the destined pair. Her whole bloodline deserves to fall!]

Rage churned in my chest, hot and bitter as wolfsbane.

I had never harmed anyone in my life.

So why in the name of the Moon Mother should I pave the path for Kael and Vesper's fated bond?

Driven to ruin, their bloodlines stripped of territory and their elders cast from the cliffs?

The gathered wolves helped Vesper to her feet, voices rising in agreement—they were going to report me for switching ritual works.

Kael wasted no time. He'd already summoned someone from the Trial Council.

"I'm filing a formal challenge. Someone switched scent-paintings and stole another contestant's craft!"

Vesper hung her head, the picture of wounded innocence—as if she'd suffered some unimaginable injustice at the fangs of her own kind.

The Council Adjudicators' expressions turned grave.

"The entire crafting process was conducted under ward-view," one of them said. "It would be impossible for anyone to switch works."

Vesper's head snapped up, eyes reddening as she fixed her gaze on the long-haired she-wolf at the front of the panel. Her voice trembled with righteous fury.

"Lorekeeper Elowen, you're bound by old alliance to Selene's mother. Of course you'd take her side. But none of us even named who did this, and you're already rushing to shield her. Don't you think that's a bit much?"

Kael's tone went cold, dominance radiating off every word. "Lorekeeper Elowen, my pack offered five million in tribute to this Rite Trial. Not so I could watch you Council wolves play favorites and pull strings in the shadows. My tribute goes to someone who actually deserves recognition."

The other young wolves began to murmur.

"So one of the Adjudicators is allied with Selene's pack? No wonder she had the chance to switch paintings!"

"Disgusting tactics. And she calls herself high-born? More like a parasite feeding off common wolves!"

Vesper lifted her chin, defiant. "I demand a scent-trace review of all competition entries. And I demand that Lorekeeper Elowen—who's clearly involved in a cover-up—step down immediately!"

Lorekeeper Elowen hadn't spoken. But I did.

"On what grounds are you demanding a review?" My voice cut through the noise. "And on what grounds are you demanding Lorekeeper Elowen step down?"

"Based on nothing but your baseless speculation, do you have any idea how much extra burden you're dumping on the Council servants?"

"You keep going on about being some poor outsider from a struggling pack, but you don't seem to have any problem making life hell for wolves who actually work for their standing."

"Yes, Lorekeeper Elowen is my mother's ally. But she hasn't shielded me in any way. If you want her removed, you'd better come with warded evidence."

Vesper could slander me all she wanted—it was nothing but empty accusations.

But dragging an innocent she-wolf into this? That was unforgivable.

Lorekeeper Elowen's mate, Rowan, suffered from blood-rot sickness. He survived on healer treatments.

She'd refused my mother's offer to help cover the costs, insisting she'd manage the hundreds in monthly healing stores herself.

That was why she treasured every position, every side duty. Never complained. Never asked for pity.

I wasn't about to let Vesper's little performance destroy her.

The moment I defended Lorekeeper Elowen, Kael let out a laugh. "Touched a nerve, did we?"

"What's wrong—afraid we'll dig up proof of your dirty little swap once we start tracing scents?"

Vesper's hands balled into fists, her expression shifting to one of barely contained anguish.

"All I wanted was for you to return my prize tribute so I could pay my training dues and stay with the pack. But you've pushed me too far. Now you have to face the consequences!"

She pulled out a ritual-stone and sent word to the Pack Integrity Council.

"I'm filing a formal challenge under my true name. During the territory Rite Trial, Selene Ashford colluded with Adjudicator Elowen Nightbriar to switch my artwork and steal first place in the preliminaries. I demand Lorekeeper Elowen's immediate removal and the return of what's rightfully mine!"

The other young wolves erupted in howls, all of them waiting to watch me crash and burn.

The Moonstream exploded with glowing threads:

【This is amazing! The heroine is so fierce!】

【Finally made the call! They're sending territory investigators!】

【The villainess is about to be destroyed!】

Kael regarded me with ice in his eyes.

"Before the Council Elders send someone down, I'll give you one last chance to come clean."

Vesper adopted a tone of false concern. "Once this spreads through the territories, you'll lose a lot more than some little preliminary title."

The Moonstream showered her with praise:

【The heroine is such an angel—still giving the villainess a chance even now.】

[Our sweet girl is just too pure-hearted. She keeps refusing the Alpha's courtship advances because of his claiming intent with another.]

[These two precious souls cannot complete their bond because of that wretched curse-bearer. The Alpha has to navigate pack law just to offer her tribute gifts, and even then, she only reluctantly accepts them.]

These Moonstream comments made me seriously question whether these watchers shared a single functioning mind between them.

If Vesper were truly as pure-hearted as they claimed, why would she entangle herself with Kael knowing full well he had declared claiming intent toward another?

Her so-called "refusals" were nothing but the oldest courtship game in wolf history.

One breath of her scent—layered with rare oils, moon-blessed fabrics, and imported herbs not a single affordable item among them—told you everything. The ancestors only knew how much tribute that fool Kael had poured into her.

And they actually believed she needed the Trial prize stores for her initiation fees? The sheer stupidity was dragging down the collective instincts of our entire territory.

I regarded them with cold indifference and stated once more:

"I would never stoop to swapping ritual paintings for a title—let alone for a mere preliminary round."

The young wolves gathered around us began to waver.

"She speaks truth. This Trial is only territory-level. Selene has always competed at the Cross-Territory Rite Invitational level."

"Her pack controls vast hunting grounds, and she has already made her name across multiple territories. Why would she need to swap paintings?"

"What would she even gain from such dishonor?"

Doubt flickered across Kael's face. He glanced at me, something uncertain in his amber eyes.

Vesper's lips curled into a mocking smile. She jabbed a claw-tipped finger toward my face.

"Do I need to spell it out for all of you?"

"It is obviously for the guaranteed bloodline placement!"

Her voice turned icy as winter wind. "You all think this Trial is just about rankings and tribute prizes. But the finals champion receives a guaranteed place among the Elder Packs across the great waters!"

"That is something no amount of Trial victories can buy!"

A collective gasp rippled through the gathered wolves, their ears pricking forward.

Kael's gaze hardened with disgust. "Even if you claw your way into an elite pack through dirty tricks, you will not survive the season. Besides—" His eyes glinted like cold steel. "Your true nature is about to be exposed for all to scent."

When my expression remained unchanged, he pointed at me, his voice dripping with contempt.

"You will not howl until you see the burial stones!"

A group of uniformed Council investigators approached, one of them holding a warded memory-stone. "This contains the ward-view recording of the entire painting ritual and submission. We are here to make everything public before the pack."

The lead investigator turned to me. "You are Selene Ashford, the one who was reported, correct? I will ask you one final time—did you swap another wolf's ritual painting to secure the guaranteed bloodline placement?"

Triumph gleamed in Vesper's and Kael's eyes. They were practically salivating, hackles raised in anticipation, waiting for the ward-view to play and watch me crumble before the pack.

I rolled my eyes and spread my hands toward the Council staff.

"I was granted accelerated initiation into the Elder ranks last year. Why would I swap paintings just to receive placement I already possess?"