Moonlight filtered softly through the tall arched windows of my private chambers, casting long, shimmering silver shadows that danced across the polished marble floor like ghostly blades.

The air hung heavy with the scent of night-blooming jasmine from the balcony vines, but my mind was elsewhere—tomorrow was the duel with Count Jennife, and deep down, I had to admit I wasn’t entirely sure if I could win against her.

In my old life as an assassin, I was skilled enough to hunt down the worst scum of society, taking them out quietly in dark alleys with chains and knives, but I wasn’t the absolute best, or I never would have ended up poisoned and dying in that rain-soaked gutter.

This world operated on completely different rules—gender roles and identities were dictated by ABO dynamics rather than birth sex, power came intertwined with layers of fantasy magic drawn from the Aetheric Veil, and strength wasn’t just muscle—it was scents, instincts, and raw dominance.

My own magical abilities were overwhelming when unleashed, capable of Soul Weaving curses or summoning elemental fury, but if Jennife sealed them with her crafty wards or null-runes? Or by the duel ’condition-request’ rules?

I’d be reduced to weapons alone, just like in my previous life—daggers, chains, agility—utterly powerless against her brute force and that terrifying Greatsword of hers.

It was a customized beast of gleaming menace alloyed with enchanted runes, forged specifically for her grip, long enough to keep me at bay and heavy enough to cleave through armour like parchment.

The thought of its reach alone posed massive problems for my close-range style, turning every potential strike into a deadly gamble.

"You’ll just have to work with whatever you’ve got," I muttered to myself under my breath, pacing back and forth in my loose silk robe that whispered against my skin with each step, my unbound silver hair swaying freely down my back like a cascade of molten moonlight.

There was no way to win without perfect technique, without the plan Rael and I had drilled into muscle memory—no shortcuts, no miracles.

Jennife was a veteran, scarred from border wars, and I was still adapting to this omega body that betrayed me with heats and scents even as it granted sharper intuition.

Suddenly, the heavy oak door creaked open without a knock, and Elaine strode in uninvited, her imposing tall frame filling the entire threshold like a storm cloud rolling through.

Her eyes scanned me coolly from head to toe, taking in my restless pacing and the tension etched into my posture.

I still couldn’t quite believe Rael’s speculation about her hidden power—how could someone so relentlessly cruel be that strong under the surface? She probably lashed out at everyone around her with the same venom, hiding weakness behind arrogance. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

"Are you... cruel just to me, or is it everyone else too?" I asked bluntly, stopping mid-pace and turning to face her directly, my voice steady despite the nerves churning inside.

She gave me a flat, unimpressed look that spoke volumes but offered no words, simply dropping onto the plush velvet sofa across the room with a heavy sigh.

Her legs spread wide in that casual, dominant way alphas always did, claiming space without apology, her tunic unbuttoned just enough to show the hard lines of her chest.

"Answer me right now!" I snapped from the edge of the bed, glaring at her with my olive eyes narrowed, fists starting to clench at my sides.

"Why in the world should I answer you of all people?" Her voice dripped with cold indifference as she crossed her arms over her broad chest, leaning back like she owned the room—which, in her mind, she probably did.

Shock hit me like a slap across the face, my breath catching for a second. "You’ve done terrible things to me over and over—hurt me without mercy, rutted me raw until I could barely walk, treated me like nothing!"

"In this world we live in, I did the bare minimum any alpha would inflict on an omega like you. It’s standard—nothing special or out of the ordinary." She shrugged casually, completely unrepentant, as if discussing the weather instead of my pain.

I clenched my fists tighter, nails biting deep into my palms until I felt the sting. "Is that the lie you tell yourself every night just to sleep without nightmares?"

"Yes, Your Highness. There’s no trouble in my conscience at all—no guilt weighing me down."

"You don’t feel even a shred of guilty about any of it? Not even a little? Why not?"

"Because there’s simply nothing to feel guilty about—it’s how things are."

I snarled in frustration, surging to my feet with a rush of anger that made my silver hair whip around my face. "I’m a human being, Elaine—not some toy for you to use and discard whenever you feel like it!"

She leaned forward slightly from the sofa, her eyes narrowing into icy slits. "Your Highness, let’s not pretend this marriage was ever my choice. It was forced on both of us by the Emperor’s decree. I had zero interest in becoming your husband or playing this twisted game of house."

"I know that all too well—you’ve drilled it into my head so many times that I could recite it in my sleep if I tried," I shot back bitterly, my voice laced with exhaustion from the constant cycle.

"So what exactly are you getting at?"

"I’ve already signed the divorce papers myself, okay? At least try to act decent and civil until it’s final. Every single time I start to think we’re making even a little progress together, you drag us right back to this same miserable point."

"We simply can’t co-exist with each other—oil and water don’t mix, and neither do we."

"Yeah, you’ve said that exact line a hundred times too now—I know it completely by heart, okay? Spare me the repetition."

"Good for you, then—memory like a steel trap."

"Elaine, I’m seriously not asking for too much here. Just be civil with each other for once? Is basic respect really that impossible?"

She scoffed loudly, the sound sharp and dismissive. "Tch! I don’t believe a word of it from you, Your Highness. What if you suddenly decide to back out on our contract later and leave me hanging?"

"I’m not like that lover of yours who cheated on you and broke your heart."

Elaine’s face darkened instantly, her glare turning into twin daggers that pierced right through me, a flicker of raw fear making me duck my head instinctively to avoid the full force.

"You have no right whatsoever to throw something that personal back in my face like that."

"Elaine, I already told you before—after the divorce, go find someone else who actually wants you. Move on and be happy for once."

"You’re nothing but a fool, Your Highness. You honestly think you can just waltz in and change these ancient norms we’ve all lived by forever? Omegas on the bottom, alphas ruling on top—it’s carved into the stone of this empire."

"Yes, I can change them—all of it," I said firmly, lifting my chin high despite the tight knot of doubt twisting in my gut.

"Tch! Then you’re an even bigger fool than I ever imagined."