Chapter 1

After the Celestial-Demonic War ended, my sister Rowena's husband returned alive and unscathed. Mine never came back.

Word spread quickly, and everyone pitied me for my loss.

But I knew the truth. The man who returned was not my sister's husband. He was my husband—Lucian Storm.

Lucian and his brother, Adrian, were twins and nearly equal in strength, so no one sensed anything amiss.

Lucian explained, "Seraphina, I did it for the greater good. Adrian was the crown prince of the Dragon Clan. If the clan learned that the heir had fallen in battle, it would tear us apart from within.

"And Rowena, she is so gentle and kind. She could never bear such a loss. I merely stood in for Adrian and watched over her for a time. When the dust settles, I will return to you."

I believed every word.

It was not until Lucian accused me of conspiring with the Demon Clan and had me torn apart piece by piece that the scales finally fell from my eyes. As I lay dying, I watched him hold Rowena close and understood—it had all been a carefully laid trap.

When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day of the Dragon Clan's great victory, just as news arrived that my husband had fallen on the battlefield.

Lucian stood beside Rowena in silence, one arm around her shoulders, while the clan cast me looks of sympathy.

Without a second thought, I chose to remarry.

Lucian believed that by impersonating the Dragon Crown Prince, he could claim glory and power for himself. What he did not know was that abandoning me meant losing the one and only chance to ascend the Dragon Throne and rule as supreme lord of the clan.

*****

"Seraphina, Lucian... he died in battle."

The memory of being sliced apart still made me shudder. By the time I opened my eyes again, those were the first words I heard.

It was the Dragon King, Henry Storm, speaking. He had only two sons. One had become the crown prince and had taken Rowena as his wife. The other was my husband, Lucian.

And now, the one who should have perished was seated upon the throne, gazing sorrowfully at the coffin before him.

Yet I couldn't contain my delight. I had traveled back to the past.

Before I could utter a word, Rowena's voice rang beside me. "Seraphina, I know you're hurting. If you wish to cry, then cry."

She looked down upon me, a mask of pity painted over her flawless face, but her composure betrayed nothing.

I lifted my eyes—not to her, but to the man standing beside her. That wasn't Adrian. He had long been laid to rest in that coffin.

The man before me was my husband, Lucian. The one who should have held me close now intertwined his fingers with Rowena's.

Noticing my stare, he turned toward me, eyes wide with surprise.

I scoffed inwardly. Lucian's acting was as flawless as ever. Previously, I had sensed something amiss, but it had taken me painstaking effort to confirm that the man at Rowena's side was indeed Lucian. But this time, I saw through him at once.

Just then, a wail broke the silence. "Lucian!"

The Dragon Queen, Yelena Storm, fell upon the coffin, tears streaming like rivers. She pointed straight at me. "It was you. You curse; you brought death upon Lucian."

Yelena and I had never been on good terms. She had long deemed me unrefined, lacking grace, and unworthy of her son.

I had once doubted her judgment.

Lucian had sworn to me with unwavering certainty. "If my mother ever opposes you, I will stand by your side, no matter what."

With a smack, Yelena slapped me hard across the face. But she wasn't done yet—her hand was already coming at me again.

Forgetting his grief for a second, Henry barked orders at the guards to step forward and intervene. "Enough!"

The hall descended into turmoil.

Through it all, Lucian remained at Rowena's side, hand in hers, silent and composed. He even worried the chaos might frighten her.

From his cloak, he took a glittering aquamarine and presented it to her. "Rowena, I picked this out just for you," he murmured, coaxing her with a soft smile.

I let out a bitter laugh.

Phoenixes belonged to fire, yet all my life I had longed for an aquamarine.

Previously, I had begged Lucian over and over to bring one to me. He had promised, yet I had never received it.

Turned out, it wasn't that he hadn't searched—it was that he had never intended to give it to me. Not that Rowena needed it, and certainly not that he had once sworn to stand by my side. Now, he just watched idly as it all unfolded.

Sensing my gaze, Rowena frowned and subtly shifted, positioning Lucian behind her. "Seraphina, why are you staring at Adrian?" she said. "The King is speaking to you."

Henry sighed. "Seraphina, according to our customs, when one spouse falls in battle, the other is to remain widowed for a hundred years. I do not seek to compel you, but... what are your intentions now?"

I shook my head. "I choose the second path—I will remarry."

A stunned silence fell over the hall. Every eye turned to me in disbelief.