"Clarice, Jacob and I truly love each other. Can't you just let us be together? We've already shared a bed. If I don't marry him, how could I ever marry anyone else?"

In a daze, I heard my younger sister Bella crying out.

Father stood nearby, speaking up in her defense. "Clarice, maybe you could choose another fiancé instead. Bella just made a mistake in a moment of poor judgment."

He had always been biased toward Bella. After all, she was the legitimate daughter of his official wife, while I was merely the illegitimate child from one of his affairs.

I looked at Bella, who was kneeling on the ground. Though her face was streaked with tears and full of pitiful sorrow, the ambition and excitement in her eyes were unmistakable.

I knew then: she had been reborn too. And this time, she had made it to Jacob's bed before I did.

In my past life, I had chosen Jacob, the eldest son of the wolf clan, as my fiancé. I saw the serpent clan as cold-blooded and unfeeling, the fox clan as frivolous and unfaithful, and the dragon clan as proud and arrogant. Only the wolf clan, known for their loyalty and devotion, seemed worthy of trust.

Six months after marrying Jacob, I got pregnant with our child. And then, I gave birth to a half-beast white wolf, our son Tristan.

As the first half-beast child born from the human-beast union, Tristan naturally became the next leader of the Human-Beast Alliance.

Bella, enamored by the fox clan's beauty, had chosen their heir, Lucien. But she didn't expect him to be a shameless womanizer, constantly entangled with other lovers.

Eventually, she contracted a disease because of him—one that left her infertile and scorned by the fox clan.

She blamed me for her misfortune, jealous that I had lived a better life than she did. One night, she drugged me in secret and set a fire that burned both me and Tristan alive.

At the memory, hatred surged in my chest. I wanted nothing more than to kill Bella right then and there and avenge Tristan.

I clenched my fists inside my sleeves. The pain in my palms sobered me slightly.

Then I slowly nodded, masking my fury with a look of understanding.

"If Bella and Jacob truly love each other, I'd never stand in the way of their happiness."

Bella hadn't expected me to agree so easily. The tears she had squeezed out now hung awkwardly at the corners of her eyes.

"Bella, get up now. Hurry and thank your sister for stepping aside," Father urged, clearly relieved.

"Th-thank you, Clarice!"

Bella beamed as she rushed out, eager to bring the good news to Jacob and the wolf clan.

"Girls really do grow up and slip away too quickly," Father joked. But when he turned and saw the cold indifference on my face, his voice faltered.

"Clarice, among the eligible beast clan heirs, only two remain: Draco of the serpent clan and Lucien of the fox clan. I still think the fox clan would be a better match—better looks, higher status, clearly superior to the serpent clan.

"Besides, Bella once said—"

I cut him off. "Father, I choose to marry Draco of the serpent clan."

To most humans, snakes were cold-blooded and heartless, and that prejudice extended to the serpent clan beastmen.

For thousands of years, no human had ever chosen to marry into the serpent clan. As a result, they had never produced a single ruler for the Human-Beast Alliance.

Eventually, they were cast out from the ranks of the five great beast families and reduced to the lowest tier of the beast clans, denied even the smallest share of resources.

But in my past life, as the fire consumed me, I saw a pair of emerald-green eyes—Draco's.

He tried to save me.

But the flames were too fierce, and he… could do nothing.

Although Father disapproved of my decision, when he saw the resolve on my face, he didn't press further.

He simply sighed and tried to console me. "If your life in the serpent clan becomes too difficult… perhaps Bella can help you out."

But when Bella found out I had chosen to marry into the serpent clan, she couldn't resist mocking me to my face.

"Clarice, even if you couldn't marry Jacob, surely you didn't have to stoop to the declining serpent clan? Don't end up starving to death before you even manage to bear a child. I heard they're struggling just to stay fed these days.

"The wolf clan is wealthy beyond measure. Even their bathwater is infused with precious divine herbs. If your life gets too miserable, I can pack up some leftovers and send them your way!"

She covered her mouth and burst out laughing, ignoring the awkward glances from the servants around us.

In Bella's eyes, the wolf clan had vast resources, and Jacob's devotion would guarantee a swift pregnancy. She was certain I'd miss my chance at bearing the first half-beast child.

But she had no idea how difficult it was for humans and beastfolk to conceive. Nor did she know how obsessed Jacob was with having an heir.

When I didn't show signs of pregnancy after six months, he began taking out his frustration on me, tormenting me day and night.

Only after I used a secret technique to conceive and gave birth to Tristan, securing the wolf clan's claim to power, did Jacob finally relent.

I offered Bella a calm smile. "You needn't worry about me, dear sister. Since I've chosen my husband, I'll live with my decision without regret."

"What's there to be proud of? You're marrying a penniless nobody!" Infuriated by my composure, Bella slammed the table, scattering the pastries across the floor. "I'll be the first one to get pregnant. My child will definitely be the next ruler of the alliance!"

I ignored her tantrum and went off to prepare for my wedding in three days.

In one thing, she wasn't wrong—the serpent clan was indeed very poor. I worried they might not even have the money for a proper gown, so I planned to prepare one myself.

To my surprise, that very evening, Draco came in person to deliver my wedding dress.

It was the first time I truly saw his face.

His skin was pale, almost bloodless. His long, narrow eyes carried a quiet authority, and the emerald green of his irises held a mysterious depth. Yet the teardrop mole at the corner of his eye lent a subtle grace to his otherwise austere expression.

Inside the box lay a floor-length gown of deep green tulle. The bodice shimmered faintly with scales—snake scales—stitched into the fabric.

I had never seen such a beautiful dress. For a moment, I was completely captivated.

"Clarice," Draco said calmly, "this gown was hand-stitched by our serpent clan's finest seamstresses. Each scale was a blessing offered by our people."

His gaze carried a deliberate detachment, as if the person marrying me wasn't him at all.

"This is the first time our serpent clan has ever wed a human. If anything has been done poorly, you're welcome to tell me."

"Thank you," I replied. "I truly love it."

Just as I was about to put the dress away, Bella strolled in, arm-in-arm with Jacob, smug and beaming.

"Clarice, don't tell me this is the only gown you got? Jacob had ten dresses made for me. Ten!"

Jacob looked down at Bella with affection in his eyes.

Bella only knew of the wolf clan's famous loyalty, but she didn't understand it was rooted in their biological instincts—and their intense obsession with offspring.

If she failed to conceive, would Jacob still treat her with such tenderness?

Draco's grip on his serpent staff tightened slightly before he raised his eyes to meet mine.

"If the serpent clan has caused you any grievance, Clarice, I can promise you this—I, Draco, will never betray you in this lifetime."

Bella snorted. "Anyone can talk sweet. Let's see if you can actually produce a child!"

Now, all she ever talked about was children. Her infertility in her past life had become a thorn in her heart, and now she was fixated on getting pregnant. Even before marrying Jacob, she had already moved into his home.

In that sense, she and Jacob were a perfect match—both obsessively fixated on heirs.

"Bella, perhaps you should focus on your own wedding. People might start to think you've set your sights on my fiancé instead."

I smiled faintly, and under the sour expressions of Bella and Jacob, I took Draco's hand and walked away.

Behind me, I could still hear Bella's shrill voice clinging to Jacob, her words faint but unmistakable: "pregnancy," "child," "next ruler."

Oh, my foolish sister! Even after a second chance at life, she still believed that a child was her only path to power.