Chapter 1

Before my fiancé Gordon Bessent left for the Kaelth Sword Tournament, he scolded me with a frosty expression.

All because I protected the emerald pendant my mother left me, and shoved Cosima Hopkins away when she tried to snatch it from me.

Gordon didn't even bother to hear my side before awarding the pendant to Cosima.

I watched helplessly as my mother's keepsake was taken from me, my tears falling in silence.

Gordon's brows furrowed as he shot me a cold reprimand.

"Mortals and immortals are worlds apart. This pendant is useless to you," he said, his voice icy.

I didn't dare talk back. Wiping away my tears, I returned to my courtyard. Wendy Marshall, my fellow courtyard mate, gave me a sympathetic look when she saw my red eyes. When no one else was around, she quietly slipped me a letter.

That night, I slung my pack over my shoulder and left the mountain without looking back.

But later, Gordon searched for me frantically in the mortal world. He held his sword to my mortal husband's throat, eyes blazing red, demanding to know why I'd broken off our engagement.

I stood between them, took my husband's hand, and met Gordon's gaze head-on.

"You said it yourself, Gordon, mortals and immortals are worlds apart," I said.

*****

Wendy saw my red, swollen eyes and gently pulled me inside, saying, "Samantha, I have a cousin named Lambert who lives down the mountain and runs a business. He's fairly well-off. Though he's a mortal, he's soft-spoken and truly cares for people.

"Not long ago, he wrote to me asking if I could help him find a wife who would be attentive and look after him. If you're willing, take this letter with you when you leave. He'll treat you with all the respect a wife deserves."

I froze, caught off guard and unsure how to respond.

"But... but I..." I stammered.

"I know you're still attached to Gordon," Wendy said.

She sighed in exasperation, clearly wishing I'd see things more clearly.

"But he's never been good for you. He's kept you waiting for years, refusing to marry you, and letting others bully you. You're just a mortal. Your youth slips away so quickly. How many years can you afford to let him waste?" Wendy said.

Whenever she mentioned Gordon, there was clear bitterness in Wendy's tone.

I knew Wendy cared about me, but she didn't understand.

I kept remembering how Gordon once called me dumb and useless. It made me second-guess myself.

I said quietly, "Wendy, I'm not immortal. I still need three meals a day.

"And I don't know any magic to keep my looks. In a few years, I'll grow old and lose my beauty."

Wendy paused, her eyes reddening as she tapped my forehead.

She said softly, "Silly Samantha, all mortals grow old. A girl as good as you is someone everyone wishes for.

"If you just ask, that guy would give you mountains of gold and silver as your bride price."

Hearing her say that, I finally felt a bit relieved.

I wiped my tears and spoke up carefully, "I don't want mountains of gold or silver.

"I just want fifty high-grade spirit stones. Is that okay?"

Wendy blinked in surprise.

"Silly Samantha, the spirit stones aren't used down the mountain," she said gently.

I knew that, but those spirit stones weren't for me. They were meant for Cosima, so I could trade for my mother's emerald pendant.

Cosima said she's getting married next month, and the emerald pendant will be her prized bride gift, something she'll keep locked away for herself.

If I wanted it back, I'd have to give her fifty high-grade spirit stones.

But even if I worked in the sect's herb garden or beast pens for a whole month, I'd only earn one low-grade spirit stone.

I didn't dare ask Gordon for help. He always thought I was too dumb to deserve anything good. If he knew, he might stop Cosima from returning it to me.

If it were anything else, I might have let it go. But this emerald pendant was the only keepsake my mother left me. It was my last connection to her. I couldn't bear to lose it.

By evening, a drizzle was falling from the sky.

Wendy walked me down the mountain and cast a rain-shielding spell for me.

Honestly, I was never cut out for cultivation. After six years on the mountain, I still hadn't made any real progress. I couldn't even manage the simplest of spells.

No wonder Gordon always said I was dumb and never even bothered to spare me a glance.

But thinking about leaving this place behind, I suddenly felt a weight lift off my shoulders.

Just as I was about to leave, something urgent suddenly popped into Wendy's mind.

She said, "Did you say goodbye to the master before heading down the mountain? Did Gordon know about it?

"If Gordon comes asking for you, I'm not telling him anything."

I tightened the strap of my small pack, gave Wendy a nod, then shook my head.

Wendy, you got it wrong again.

Gordon won't come looking for me. Gordon would love nothing more than to see me gone.

Six years ago, I happened to save Gordon by chance from the clutches of a demonic cultivator.

To repay the favor, Gordon begged his master to take me in.

His master agreed, but when he realized I had no aptitude for cultivation, he decided it wasn't appropriate for a mortal like me to stay on the mountain.

But Gordon refused to let me leave. He took my hand and, right before his master, signed a companion contract with me.