Rebirth Of The Moon Goddess

The Welcome Ball 3

As the doubt he had been forcefully suppressing in his heart resurfaced again, a suffocating aura diffused from Zeonen's body and permeated the surrounding, stifling those closest to him and making breathing an arduous task. The alphas' faces turned pale and they instinctively pulled their lunas' behind them to protect them from the Lykan's oppressive aura.

"Zeonen...? What's wrong?" Eradine grabbed the corner of Zeonen's long coat and asked with worry. Her green eyes filled with confusion when a heavy feeling slowly settled over her chest.

A dark snarl left Zeonen's throat, causing her to instantly release his coat and step back in fear. Eradine stared wide-eyed at the man that was soon to be her husband in shock.

'She can't even handle a trickle of my aura...' Zeonen felt disheartened when he saw his fiancé leap away from him in fright.

He was certain now.

A woman that feared him couldn't possibly be his equal.

Almost as soon as Zeonen's eyes lowered in disappointment, Dion picked up on the change in temperature. His heart jumped in alarm and he knew without even asking that the Emperor's mood had taken a dive for the worse.

'Heavens! What is wrong with Zeonen? Is he feeling depressed because those lunas touched him?'

Dion internally cursed the fool-headed lunas for their ostentatious behavior, while outwardly smiling stiffly. Even as irritated as he felt, he still didn't want to see the lykan lose his temper tonight of all nights. So with a grave expression in his eyes, he determinedly stepped forward and began shooing the crowd back.

"Lunas, alphas please maintain a distance. The Emperor has an aversion to crowds. Please, step back...maintain some distance..."

A complete contrast to the commotion in the Ballroom, the Royal Kitchen was enveloped in peaceful silence as the kitchen staff worked in perfect harmony. The newly appointed cooks chopped and washed the food ingredients while the older staff fried, boiled, steamed, and stirred the mixtures.

Dishes after dishes were made and served in beautiful porcelain pots. Deserts and fragrant snacks from various parts of Asia adorned glass trays. And aromatic fruit nectars and drinks were freshly squeezed and chilled.

Exquisite food carts with silver linings rolled into the kitchen and Yusria and her team of helpers brought out the gold and silver wares. They deposited the exotic meals and drinks on the food carts.

The head of the kitchen staff, Royal Cook Margret rechecked the menu and made sure everything that was requested was prepared. After checking on the drinks, she released a long sigh of relief.

"Thankfully, everything is ready. Yusria, you and Kara will take it from here. Usually, new staff members are not allowed to enter the Dining Hall until they are well trained. But from the meticulous and methodical way the two of you conducted yourselves during the past few days, I can tell you have experience in handling these tasks. Take the food carts to the Dining Hall and make sure you don't make any mistakes in setting the meals on the dinner table. Understand?" The older woman had a stern expression on her face as she asked.

"Yes, Royal Cook Margret." Yusria and Kara replied in unison.

"Hmm...get going then. The VIP guests should be up for some refreshments by now."

Yusria and Kara didn't waste any more time. They each took hold of one cart and carefully made their way out of the Royal Kitchen. As the kitchen staff watched the two figures disappear out of sight, another older cook stepped out and moved to Margret's side with a strange expression on her face.

"Margret, why are you sending these novices into the Dining room? You know how important this Welcome Ball is. If anything goes wrong..."

Margret dismissively cut the other off. "Assistant Cook Lara, you don't need to worry about that. I sent them out, so of course, I have the confidence to solve any problems that might arise. Now let's clean up." Without sparing another glance for the other cook, Margret twisted on her heels and led the rest of the staff in washing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen.

Lara's eyes flickered with complicated emotions. She sensed the Royal Cook was up to something. But from the look of things, she wouldn't be knowing exactly what Margret was playing at until everything concluded. And Lara had a faint inkling...

She didn't know if it was just her, but she felt the Royal Cook Margret was scheming something big.

"Haily, are you sure about this? If anyone finds out, we'll be in serious trouble!" Morgan nervously hissed.

"Relax. All we're doing is adding a drop of liquid to a soup. It'll be on the kitchen staff if anything goes wrong." Haily confidently reassured her.

As new members of the gate guards, Haily and Morgan shouldn't be stationed in the palace. However, due to a series of incidents, the Royal Cook of the Royal Kitchen specifically requested them from the Senior Guard of the Gate Patrol for tonight.

At first, Haily felt suspicious of the Royal Cook. After all, she was the boss of the wolf-less bi**h Yusria. If the trash filled the senior cook's ears against her, and the cook sought her out to settle scores for Yusria, then there would be nothing that Haily could do aside from obediently bowing her head and waiting to be bullied.

But even then, Haily was unwilling to admit defeat without fighting back. Rather than endure humiliation and mistreatment at the hands of Yusria's boss, she was prepared to get sacked from her position as a royal guard for creating a ruckus.

However, things went in a completely different direction from her imagination.

As she caught sight of Yusria pushing a silver food cart in their direction, a malicious gleam flashed in Haily's eyes.

"Remember Morgan. We are guards of the Dining Hall. The food or food cart has nothing to do with us. If anything goes wrong, the ones setting the table will be held responsible."

"I...I understand." Morgan stiffly replied.

She didn't want to take part in this plan. But knowing Haily, if she showed any signs of unwillingness, then the fate awaiting her might just turn out to be worse than what was about to befall Yusria.

'Yusria, it's not me that calculated you, but you who has a bad fate.'

With that thought, Morgan's hesitation faded away and she straightened her figure.

"Haha...Yusria, what're you doing here? Are you in charge of setting the dinner table?" Morgan asked in a familiar and friendly tone.

'Has water entered her brain? Why is she suddenly acting so friendly?' Yusria's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

If she was told the girl had turned a new leaf after entering the Crescent Empire, Yusria would ask why she was still chummy with Haily then. But since she wasn't told, she only sneered disdainfully at the two she-wolves and passed them without replying.

Haily's face sank when she caught Yusria's sneer. But recalling the important matter she had to do, she calmed down and dashed forward to block Yusria's path.

"Yusria, you wolf-less trash! What are you acting so proud for? I'm telling you, even if you are the leader of the new staff members in the Royal Kitchen, my position as a royal guard is still higher than yours! You better know your place and show some respect!"

"Oh? What are you going to do if I don't? Beat me? Do you have what it takes?"

"You! Hmph! Even if I can't beat you, I can still report you to the Senior Guards for disrespecting your superiors." Haily grabbed the food tray and provocatively leaned into Yusria's face.

Out of everyone's sight, one of her hands sneaked underneath the silver food cart lining and shook for a few seconds before retreating in the same sneaky manner.

Yusria narrowed her eyes. A slight smile spread across her lips as she coldly stared down at the other. "Go ahead and report me if you want. But can you move out of my way? I have better things to do than argue with you." Then with a fierce jerk, she pulled the cart out of Haily's grip, almost causing the other to kiss the floor, and walked around her.

"Yusria, you bi**h! Come and face me if you dare!" Haily angrily stomped her foot. She arrogantly held her waist, her chest puffed out as she continued raining down curse after curse behind Yusria and Kara's backs. But the moment the two faded from her view, her anger vanished and a vicious smirk took over her features.

"Haha...haha...go if you want to go. After tonight, I want to see if you'll still be so fearless."

She turned on her heels and retook her post at the Dining Hall entrance.

Meanwhile, back in the Ballroom, after the little incident, Zeonen avoided his fiancé and sought out the alphas of the outside territories to inquire after the situation of their packs. The rogue packs had wiped out many older packs under his rule.

To regain control of lost territories and install new alphas, Zeonen had to implement many new requirements and regulations to maintain law and order.

Therefore, the Welcome Ball held to introduce the future empress to the alphas and lunas of the various territories proceeded in a strange manner. The Emperor spoke with the elders, the alphas, and even exchanged greetings with the lunas.

However, during the entire duration of those conversations, he didn't once introduce his future empress.

This peculiar detail didn't escape the sharp eyes of the high-ranked wolves. And as more and more of the audience noticed the Emperor's interaction, or in this case lack of interaction, with his fiancé, gears began to turn in each individual's mind.

"Elder Fin, what does the emperor mean by this? Why is he not making the announcement of his engagement?"

"Is he having second thoughts?"

"That's not possible. Our Emperor knows what the Eastern Empire needs now is an empress. And in the entire Crescent Empire, there is no better candidate than Lady Eradine for the position."

"Then...should we go and urge the Emperor?"

At the suggestion, unnerving silence settled over the group. The elders exchanged glances and embarrassedly looked away.

As much as they wanted to push this marriage through, the members of the Elder Council didn't dare to overstep their bounds. While it was easy to advise the emperor, it was anything but fun to interfere in the affair of his marriage.

Getting this far was already a miracle, and as no one wanted to be the first one to stick out their neck to the lykan, this conversation ended in an awkward manner.

Eradine Turner held a fruit glass and smiled at the Luna of the Light River Pack. Her posture was relaxed and her expression gentle. Even after sensing the peculiar gazes of the various lunas and unmated she-wolves, her smile didn't crack a smudge.

This point alone raised her value in the hearts of the unmated alphas.

But even if all the alphas in the Ballroom were impressed with her, what did she care?

Eradine had longed and loved Zeonen E Aahil ever since she could remember. The day the man approached her and spoke to her on his own initiative was the day she found the meaning of her existence.

She existed to love him.

As such, from that day on, she dedicated her entire life to pursuing the man.

She knew Zeonen didn't like being pestered. She knew he hated females that openly pursued and offered themselves to him.

She knew he didn't like being contradicted. And she knew he expected to be feared and revered because of his position.

As such, she created a persona for herself where if he ignored her, she didn't chase after him. If he made a statement, she didn't dare to raise her voice and contradict him.

And if he pushed her to the side, she didn't go out of her way to attract and grab his attention.

And because of these qualities of hers, she had managed to not only get into a long-term relationship with the man but also secured the position of the future empress for herself.

Therefore, even when she felt the mocking and ridiculing gazes of the she-wolves burning holes into her head, she didn't break down and neither did she get flustered.

She didn't lose her composure and, on the contrary, carried herself in a self-respecting and dignified manner.

After all, it was the nature of the envious to envy and resent those who had what they could only yearn for but would never be fortunate enough to possess.

And Eradine was well aware of how much the she-wolves present in this hall envied her.

She was going to be the main wife and empress of the lykan desired by the females of every race.

She knew her worth and was confident in her position in Zeonen's heart. As the only she-wolve who was worthy and suitable enough to be his empress, she didn't feel alarmed by his sudden alienation and went on to converse with the lunas without worry.

Because at the end of the night, as long as she adhered to the persona she created for herself in his eyes in the years they've known each other, Zeonen would return to her side and declare her as his future empress.

Eradine had confidence in herself and in the information she dug out from private investigators about the Emperor's likes and dislikes.

Unbeknownst to her, in all her calculations and planning, Eradine failed to consider the fact that the information she gathered was a few years old and concerned the type of woman the man Zeonen E Aahil hated to see around him, and not the kind of empress he wanted by his side.